Ready for another two weeks of dinners?
September.
How I enjoy the little breaks that I get in September.
The start of school comes barreling in for weeks before that actual first day. They are filled with doctor appointments of all kinds-eyes, teeth, and school physicals, along with coaches’ practices for school sports teams, and whatever else we manage to squeeze in. We shop for clothes, shoes, notebooks and pencils. Those last two weeks of summer vacation fly by and then suddenly, the front door opens and closes a few times one morning, and by 7:30 am, everyone is gone. The house is incredibly silent. So much so that I sit and revel in the silence for a little while, sad, but yet relieved. We did it. We made it to the first day of school.
Whew….
Because I am primarily a school news reporter, this early part of September is my down time, and I enjoy it very much. I still work, but the intensity of my job is lower at the start of the year and it gives me a few weeks to ease into the school routines before it really picks up and we fly into the fall and holiday season of writing, school and family commitments.
This is the time of year I can start to try out some recipes that I’ve been putting aside, sharing on Facebook so I don’t forget where to find them, looking through cookbooks and this is the time of year I have the most time to share them on The Whole Bag of Chips. I even have the time to look up and link up the recipes for any of the meals I’ve shared previously.
Since last year I hardly had any time at all, and since it’s September now, I am giving you a nice, full post today. It’s got our Two Weeks of Meals menu for this week and next, a new recipe we tried out last week and surprise….a safety warning to go along with it!
First off: Two Weeks of Meals
Sunday: Homemade Chili (and later, homemade chocolate pudding for dessert!)
Monday: Paninis
Tuesday: Baked potato soup (new recipe we’re trying out)
Wednesday: Ravioli with sauteed shrimp and grape tomatoes
Thursday: Grilled chicken caesar salad
Friday: Homemade pizza
Saturday: Kielbasa
Sunday: Baked chicken dinner
Monday: Meatloaf burgers
Tuesday: Chicken pot pie (made with the leftover chicken from Sunday)
Wednesday: Cauliflower/Broccoli/Chicken casserole
Thursday: Eggplant Parmesean and pasta
Friday: Leftovers
This was a gluten free, lowfat recipe we tried out recently and loved. Every single person gave it a thumbs up. Literally.
Next Up: A New Recipe for you to try out, and a warning to go along with it!
Our menu planning is challenging for us because we are trying to combine meals that work for our busy schedule with providing healthy eating options for our family and making it either a gluten free meal or providing almost the exact same option in a gluten free version, every night. Not to mention, we try not to make things we know people don’t like.
Challenging.
But doable.
So this recipe for the Skinnytaste Zucchini Lasagna is one that I saw on Facebook, and I shared it out so that I wouldn’t forget where it was. We really wanted to try it, so we added it to the last two-week menu cycle of meals. It was delicious. A little labor-intensive, so we scheduled it on a night we’d be eating later, with more time to cook. I’d be working that night and my husband would be able to come in a little earlier in the evening to help make it, and to help with all the nighttime pick-ups for the kids.
What’s that they say about the best laid plans?
This was a delicious meal, any leftovers disappeared within days, and we’d definitely make it again, just a little more carefully next time.
Be sure to use ALL parts of your kitchen tools, especially the guards for the sharper ones!
And so, here is the final part of my post for you: the safety warning.
The warning goes like this:
If you are using a sharp kitchen tool, be sure that you are using all of the necessary parts and pieces that go with it. They are there for a reason! Zucchini is a slippery veggie and kitchen tools are very sharp. If you are not careful, you may end up heading out to the emergency room instead of heading to the dinner table!
Have a safe and happy new school year, a happy fall season and a happy two weeks of meals!
The Whole bag of Chips 
Looks yummy!!! And thanks for the warning. I did the exact same thing several years ago and ended up in the ER after slicing off the tip of my finger with a mandolin slicer as I sliced zucchini (which is very slippery, as you noted). May you heal quickly so you can get back to cooking and sharing recipes!
Thank you! It was my husband who sliced off the side of his thumb, but he is on the mend now!