Happy Monday! The weather has been so nice here in California — not too hot, not too cold, which is why I don’t think I could ever leave, although I’ve been tempted during this past year!

I promised I would post my Pasta Salad Recipe which we had last week. This recipe originates from Treebeard’s restaurant where my brother in law used to work in Texas many years ago. It’s in their cookbook, along with the recipe for the dressing. I’m going to post how we make it, which is pretty much the recipe but with store bought dressing. We normally double or triple the recipe. It makes great leftovers!

Treebeard’s Pasta Salad (Serves 6)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces tri-colored pasta
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes (I cut these in half, length wise)
1/2 yellow bell pepper (I use a whole one)
1/4 green bell pepper (I use a whole one)
1/2 small red onion (more if you like!)
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (I add lots more!)

Directions:
In large pot, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil; add olive oil and pasta. Reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally until pasta is tender yet firm to the bite. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Refrigerate. (*I refrigerate everything together, except the cheese. I add it in right before I serve it. Best to make early in the morning and serve late afternoon/evening.)

*I do this next step while the pasta is draining.

Meanwhile, cut cherry tomatoes in half. Cut peppers into julienne strips and thinly slice red onion. Add vegetables and cilantro to pasta. Cover and refrigerate for 2-6 hours. Before serving, add in Monterey Jack Cheese and toss with Vinaigrette dressing. (*Our favorite dressing to use is Paul Newman’s Balsamic Vinaigrette. It’s so yummy!)

Let me know if you give this a try and how you like it!

Now, on to this week’s menu:

Monday – Sloppy Joes & French Fries

Tuesday – Carne Asada Street Tacos, Chips, Salsa & Guacamole

Wednesday – Smoked Sausage Skillet (*I’m using asparagus instead of broccoli).

Thursday – Chicken thighs smoothred in Cream of Chicken Soup, Celery & Onion served over rice with a side of bread. (*My kids (who are all adults now) nicknamed this dish “Goopy Chicken”. They still ask for it today!)

Friday – OYO

My best friend is coming for a visit next week. She moved from California to Florida a few years ago. I cannot wait to see her!

For more meal planning inspiration, visit the Organizing Junkie.

Hello friends. I hope you had a wonderful week last week. Today I want to take a moment to remember all of those who have lost their lives defending our country’s freedoms. I pray for their loved ones and honor those who have served. I do not take my freedoms for granted.

I was severely lacking in meal planning inspiration this week. Thankfully, I had to run into Costco to pick up a few thinks so the majority of my meals this week are Costco inspired.

Monday – We will be having a BBQ with the family. On the menu is Chicken marinated in Chaka’s MMM Sauce, Pasta Salad, Baked beans and Watermelon. For dessert we are having Angel Food Cake, strawberries and Cool Whip. *Look for the recipe to the pasta salad on next week’s post.

Tuesday – Soft tacos made with Costco Carnitas, Chips & Guacamole.

Wednesday – Costco marinated Salmon, Herb & Butter Rice-A-Roni and Veggies.

Thursday – Costco Lasagna, Ceasar Salad and Garlic Bread.

Friday – OYO

What are you cooking up this week? I’d love for you to share in the comments below.

Blessings!

Visit the Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday and gain some dinner inspiration.

One of the things I’ve been striving to get back to is planning our meals weekly. I have fallen off that wagon over the last couple of years, but it reduces stress and actually saves us money when we plan ahead.

When my four kiddos were little, hubby and I both worked long hours so it was important that we knew going in to each week what dinner would look like. We always allowed for flexibility, but we knew we didn’t want to be running to the store every night, or ordering take out, but of which have a way of draining the pocketbook.

A couple of years ago when my eldest daughter and her family lived with us, I got spoiled in the area of menu planning because she would help plan meals, shop and even start dinner a few nights each week. She and her family moved to L.A. last year and I feel like I’ve been in a meal planning rut ever since.

I thought I would try to stay accountable in this area of my life by posting my weekly dinner inspiration here. I may include recipes for some, or links, or at least tell you what we enjoy about the meal. Perhaps it will inspire you (and if not, that’s okay).

I plan to do all of my grocery shopping over the weekend. Some menu plans may include Saturday/Sunday, but not all. It depends on how far my brain can think ahead on any given week.

Here is my menu plan for the week of May 24th:

Monday – French Dip sandwiches and French Fries. We love French Dip sandwiches, but roast beef is expensive so we don’t have them too often. I was able to get a couple of pounds of roast beef this weekend at my local Raley’s for $12.99/lb. Expensive, I know. I could have purchased the Raley brand but I wasn’t sure it would have the same flavor. I always get extra meat so that we can eat it on sandwiches during the week.

Tuesday – Shrimp Tacos, Cilantro Lime Rice and Spicy black beans. We love taco Tuesdays. Again, shrimp can be out of our price range, but it’s so good. We love this recipe – Easy Spicy Shrimp Tacos Recipe – Pinch and Swirl Can I tell you though for the slaw most of the time I just buy a blended cabbage mix and toss it with mayonnaise and Siracha sauce. Yummy! I’ve been loving Cilantro Lime Rice and I have my daughter to thank for that. We just cook the rice, fluff it with a fork, toss in some chopped Cilantro and a little lime juice. For the beans, Safeway has a brand of black beans that are seasoned with garlic, onions and spices. I usually stock up on these because they always go out of stock.

Wednesday – Spaghetti and Garlic Bread. Spaghetti is a staple in our home. My husband makes a great sauce, although he starts out with one jar of Organic Tomato/Basil spaghetti sauce and then adds spices, garlic, tomato sauce and/or paste. We also add in fresh mushrooms, ground beef and Italian Sausage. We normally have a side salad, but this week we are being carb heavy and having garlic bread.

Thursday – Pork Loan, Potatoes and Baked Beans. Pork loin is not a favorite of the child left in the home (now almost 18) but we do enjoy it every once in a while. This week we are serving it with Yukon Gold boiled potatoes and canned baked beans.

Friday – OYO or Pizza. Fridays are up in the air as we are never sure who will be home. Sometimes I’m at a friends house of our bi-monthly movie night. Some Fridays we get a pizza (or make a pizza).

I haven’t been able to think ahead to the weekend yet. Hopefully I will include weekend meals from time to time.

Do you plan out your meals weekly? I would love to hear what you are having this week and perhaps gain a little inspiration from you.

Visit Menu Plan Monday for more dinner inspiration!