Mmmmmm: Easy, Delicious and Kid-Approved!

For the past week or so I have been trying to be a bit more strategic when it comes to the chore of family meal planning.  I don't mind cooking, but doing it with two kids during the witching hour when you haven't thought it out ahead of time and you only have forty minutes until they lose their mind from hunger is not fun.

I know it sounds cafeteria-like, but I have just recently created a three-week meal cycle for all of our dinners, including Fridays as pizza nights and Sunday as my husband's night to shine.  I threw in pastas, chicken dishes, casseroles, crock pot wonders, stir-frys - you name it!  I will let you know how it goes, but alreayd I have found last week's grocery shopping to be sooo much easier and we've actually saved money because the temptation to eat out this weekend was minimal because we had "the plan". Now that's not to say I'm not pro-going out for dinner, only that sometimes it happens more than needed because there's nothing in the fridge and no idea of what to make.

I have done a lot of new recipe (and old) cooking during the past couple of weeks and listed below are a few that make the cut. I have included some of my personal notes, just in case you feel like dabbling. These are all meals that were relatively easy, tasted pretty darn good and the kids ate the majority of (bonus!). I also included some pictures but I am not very good at remembering to take pictures (hence why the paella picture illustrates a half-eaten entree).

Half-Eaten Paella

Chicken Chorizo Paella 

(compliments of Canadian Living)
I had never made Paella before and had never used saphron, but with a bit of courage and the help of a nice stock boy at my grocery store, I was set ... and it was pretty easy, but delicious.

Pumpkin Apple Soup 
(compliments of Canadian Living)
This soup was really yummy and perfect with the cool weather creeping in. Fresh, warm bread - mmmm. The title is deceiving as you can use butternut squash just as easy.


Ground Beef Chili 
(compliments of Canadian Living)
I threw this in the crock pot on a day my husband was coming home from the airport and we were walking in the door exactly at dinner time from picking him up. It was perfect ... and delicious. I threw in some sausage that I had in the freezer and it fit in just perfect.

Chili Pulled Pork 
(compliments of Canadian Living)
Mmmmmmm. This was totally different. Very rich and beautifully flavoured. Imagine, there's chocolate in it - how could it be bad?  Now apparently this recipe is quite forgiving and flexible as it calls for a tougher cut of pork (shoulder, etc.) but all I had was pork schnitzel (total opposite). Didn't matter, totally delish.  Also, didn't have a dutch oven so just used one of my stainless steel pots in the oven. I read online that this was okay.

Impossible Quiche

Impossible Quiche
My Mom used to make this. It's so easy, so good and has all your food groups in one place. I love this recipe because I am not a fan of pie crusts. This quiche is made with Bisquick and it forms a soft, delicious bready bottom in lieu of a traditonal pie crust. Voila, breakfast for dinner!

Chicken Divan

Chicken Divan
Classic chicken casserole. This link is not the one I used, but if I had to pick one, I'd go with #2 or #3, cooking with mayonnaise gives me the skeeves.

Hope you enjoy!  Please let me know what you think if you try one out.

LadySmith