What's for Dinner??

Well last week's menu didn't go quite as planned because my dad got into a motorcycle wreck, and I spent most of my dinner times at the hospital. He is home now recovering, and my family is recovering from a week's worth of fast food and grilled cheese. That being said, I will be reusing most of last week's menu this week, but I do have a couple of changes. What are you cooking?

Monday
Boudain Stuffed Chicken Breast (recipe last week)
Broccoli and Cauliflower
Crescent Rolls

Tuesday
Steak Kabobs
Grilled Asparagus
Couscous

Wednesday
Tacos
Guacamole 
Black Beans
Spanish Rice

Thursday
Salmon Patties (recipe below)
Baked Fries

Friday
Fried Backstrap
Mashed Potatoes
Black Eyed Peas

Saturday
Indoor Crab Boil (bonus recipe below)

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Salmon Patties

I am not a fish person, so the thought of making salmon patties always seemed yucky to me. I had heard Matthew talk about his mom's for years, so one day I decided to surprise him with some. I searched a number of recipes and combined them to come up with this surprisingly delicious, quick and easy meal. Enjoy!

1 can of salmon NOT DRAINED (I like the Honey Boy brand)
1 small onion, grated (grating it is the secret to getting the most flavor and the least texture)
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
salt and pepper
butter for frying

Mix eggs, salt & pepper, grated onion, parsley, salmon with juice, and 1/2 cup breadcrumbs.
Use your hands to make sure everything is well combined.
Pat into patties. (This makes 8-12)
Roll patties in remaining bread crumbs.
Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium heat.
Nothing is actually having to cook here, so fry them until they are just golden brown.
Set on a paper towel to soak up any excess grease.

Serve with baked fries for a quick and easy meal :)

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Indoor Crab Boil

So this isn't really a recipe, and it's not really a crab boil either :) However, I will throw it in for a freebie in case you need something else that is super quick and easy.

gumbo or soup pot
crab boil seasoning
sausage links (I use Zummo's)
potatoes, quartered
corn on the cob
onions, chopped

Throw all the food in your gumbo pot with a little (or a lot of) crab boil seasoning and fill it up with water. Boil it until the potatoes and corn are done. Voila! You've got the taste of crawfish boil without the mess or the money :)

What's For Dinner?

Monday (recipe below)
Boudain Stuffed Chicken Breast
Green Salad

Tuesday
Spaghetti
Garlic Bread

Wednesday
Steak Kabobs
Onions & Bell Peppers`

Thursday
Hamburgers
French Fries

Friday
Fried Backstrap
Mashed Potatoes
Black Eyed Peas
Broccoli

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Boudain Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This is one of those super easy and super delicious meals that everyone loves :)

4 Chicken Breasts
1 Package Boudain Links
Salt and Pepper
Shredded Cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Pound out chicken breasts until they are quite thin.
(I actually cheat at this by cutting them in half almost all the way through as if butterflying a shrimp or pork chop.)
Salt and pepper lightly on each side.
Sprinkle a little cheese on each one.
Take boudain out of the skin and place at one edge of the chicken breast.
Roll the boudain up into the chicken and secure with toothpicks placing the seam down.
Cook 20-30 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Remove toothpicks before serving.

What's For Dinner?

Well, it's not Monday, but I'm gonna share this week's menu anyway :)
Also, I have a number of people asking me for recipes lately, and I am terrible about actually getting back to them, so I'm gonna try to include a recipe to go along with our menu each week. I'll also include links to those recipes I got off line. Enjoy...

Monday
Smothered Fries

Tuesday
Tilapia Coubeioun (recipe below)
Asparagus

Wednesday
Burrito Casserole

Thursday
Korean Ribs
Jasmine Rice

Friday
Boudain  Stuffed Chicken
Broccoli and Cauliflower

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Catfish or Shrimp Coubeioun
This is my Maw-Maw Fontenot's recipe, and it is delicious, easy, and not diet food :) Matthew doesn't like catfish or shrimp unless they are fried, so I am using tilapia in effort to make it a little drier and flakier. You could actually use chicken too, but Maw-Maw and Dad would never approve of wasting such an incredible sauce on such meat.

In a heavy skillet, mix
1 stick of butter, melted
1 onion, diced small
2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 can of tomato sauce
Saute until everything is tender and well-mixed.

Add 
2 cans of water (fill the tomato sauce can twice)
Simmer for 10 minutes or so.


Add
1 1/2 pounds protein
1-2 Tablespoons cornstarch to thicken
Cook over Medium-High heat until protein is ready.


Serve over rice, and enjoy something different tonight!

Grateful

Five Minute Friday is here again. And this week's topic is "Grateful", so grab your computer and a little down time for a quick session.

Ready... GO

I have so very much to be grateful for. When I really stop to think about it, I know that I have the life that people dream of. We don't have the nicest cars or newest phones or biggest TVs, but we've got what really counts...FAMILY.

I have a husband that loves me. He is for me. He works hard, so that I don't have to. All of the time I hear ladies say how much they wish they could be home with their kids, but they can't for one reason or another. My Matthew, he does whatever it takes to make sure that my kids will be able to have their mommy home with them during this season of life.

I have three beautifully amazing kids. We are crazy around here most of the time with three kids under school age, but I wouldn't trade a single one of them :) My kids may drive me absolutely mad at times, but when I stop and just look at their faces I realize that they are more than I could ever ask for.

I have an amazing church home. I have been blessed with a pastor and church family that know me personally. Never do I doubt my place or worth in the family of God when I am with those people. We worship in spirit and truth and love God!

The list could go on and on and on, I didn't mention my parents or siblings or friends or education or conveniences of life, but alas 5 minutes goes by too fast.... so for now, just know that I am grateful!

STOP

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That being said, I am really trying to get back into blogging. I thought this might be the doorway to that, but I haven't gotten there yet :) So starting Monday, I am going to go back to adding our weekly menu in an effort to make myself get back on here more regularly. See ya then; have a great weekend!

Welcome

Another week has passed, and that means it's time for Five Minute Friday.
I have been trying to get this five minutes all day, so here it goes...
This week's topic is WELCOME

I want to be more patient and kind and talk about how I love to welcome people into my home and how it totally makes me happy to host get togethers, but all I can think of right now is how I welcome this few minutes of peace and quiet. Supper is cooking, and I pawned the kids off on Daddy for a few minutes, and welcome is exactly what I would like to say to this little bit of solace in this absolutely wild week.

It hasn't been bad at all, but it has been so loud and crazy! We had VBS Sunday through Wednesday, and adding those hours on top of our normal insanity was just enough to push me over the edge of calm and patient with the kids. 

I was hoping to get away tonight after the hubby got home from work, but I am still here. So while potatoes boil, toddlers sing songs, pre schoolers color, and babies whine, I am sitting quietly in the back room for just a moment....and there goes my phone :) It was great while it lasted.

Hope you (and I) have an amazingly blessed and relaxed 4th of July.