Back to School Meal Plan 8.16.15

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This is a meal plan based on the real recipes that I cook at home during the week however in honor of the back to school season I thought it would be good to feature a quick and easy weeknight meal plan this week. All the meals shared in this week’s meal plan are either made ahead and left to crock away (yes I made that up) or come together easily in 30 minutes. It’s everything you could ask for this time of year.

Also check the bottom of the post for more convenient meal ideas.

Monday – Vermonter Panini with Garlic & Salt Baked Fries

Tuesday – Orange Chipotle Chicken Stir Fry over rice (make extra for Thursday)

Wednesday – Crock Pot Split Pea Soup

Thursday – Shrimp Fried Rice (use leftover rice form Tuesday)

Friday – One Pan Beef Stroganoff

If you are looking for more meals like these check out the posts below!

Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken & Peppers

By Jessica

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This is a recipe for Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Leftover Chicken and fresh peppers. It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken and please the whole family.

Sometimes when you stumble on fresh vegetable bounty you just have to throw caution to the wind and fly by the seat of your pants.

That’s been the thing lately.

Despite not having a successful garden of our own right now we are still full of fresh veggies thanks to our family and friends. I’m so thankful that so many of them love to garden as much as I do, it has been awesome.

Zucchini, cucumbers, and green beans seem to be the big stars at the moment, though as summer winds down I’m looking forward to more tomatoes, peppers, squash, and root veggies.

Recently I walked into the store for some pantry staples and my jaw dropped when I saw the abundance of red, green, and yellow peppers lining the produce section shelves. I tossed my original dinner plan and decided to make something with these beautiful little babies instead.

I decided on a variation of Chuck’s favorite Garlic Parmesan Pasta, needless to say this recipe got a double thumbs up. I just like that it’s a different way to use up cooked chicken, which we always seem to have hanging around our house. The peppers wilt just a little and add a wonderfully sweet flavor to the dish balancing out the salty and creamy nature of the parmesan.

If you were interested in leaving the chicken out it would also make a really great side dish to go with a number of summer meals.

Garlic Parmesan Pasta with Chicken & Peppers

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: 4 Servings

Ingredients

1/3 package whole wheat pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red pepper, sliced thin
1 yellow pepper sliced thin
½ cup chicken broth
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup shredded, cooked chicken
¼ cup fresh grated parmesan
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped basil for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside, reserving 1/3 cup of pasta water.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add peppers and cook for another minute.
Stir in broth, cover and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the peppers have softened.
Add the red pepper flakes chicken, pasta and reserved liquid tossing to combine.
Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese and toss gently.
Adjust seasonings and serve with garnish.

Hike: Snowy Mountain

By Jessica

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An overview of a day trip to hike Snowy Mountain in the southern Adirondacks.

I think I’ve mentioned a time or two (ok maybe I’ve said it a lot) but things have been hectic cray-cray since we closed on the house. I’m happy to report that a slower pace has finally started to creep its way into our lives and I’m welcoming it with open arms. I’ve got a to do list that’s a mile long, but every little thing that gets checked off helps in such a big way.

I mean really who knew how good it would feel to come home and see that Chuck put the cast iron hooks in the wall? Seriously 4 little hooks meant the world to me.

I think we might even be able to start inviting people over for dinner parties soon. Eeep!

I’m getting off topic here. I meant to write this post about the day hike that Carrie, Brody, Baxter and I went on yesterday. Carving out time to be outdoors has been tough this year and I’m so thankful that I’m finally able to do it.

Snowy Mountain is located just south of Indian Lake, NY. It is about 3.8 miles one way, or 7.6 miles round trip, with an elevation gain of over 2000FT. While there are some difficult parts for the novice hiker, it’s a genuinely nice hike with lots of great views, even before reaching the fire tower on top.

One thing I can say about this hike is that it has shown me just how out of shape I actually am. I need to get into the woods more, and start running again. Despite lots of sweat and a few troubled parts we all made it up intact for views that were well worth it. I would defiantly do this one again.

Once we got home I talked Chuck into making sun dried tomato cream sauce over penne while Brody and I lay on the couch. I was far too tired to cook and he’s awful sweet. We were all promptly in bed by 8 since Chuck had to be up early for work and Brody and I were snoozing on the couch shortly after dinner.

Recently

By Jessica

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If you didn’t know this already July was a little crazy. So crazy in fact that I never did a recently post. So we are doing that today, it’s only 7 days late. No big deal. I mean who’s keeping track anyway?

As many of you know we closed on our house last month (happy dance) and we decided to redo our floors ourselves before we moved in (why??). Well we won’t dwell on it, but it got done, and then we had essentially one weekend to move; except we were smart and didn’t plan ahead like we had in other moves, so it pretty much became a mess.

We were able to take a break in the middle of it all and celebrate July 4^th on the lake, and it was awesome.

The next few weeks/weekends were all about unpacking and reorganizing. I’ll just skim over the stomach bug that attached both Chuck and myself in the middle of all that. You just don’t want to know.

We did get a few wedding things checked off the list, and parts of the house all settled, so progress is happening. Keep those fingers crossed for me that things can actually get done around here.

Thankfully I was feeling good enough to go to a conference for work, at an amazing resort in Cooperstown, NY. It was a much needed break to say the least; I didn’t even have to cook!

That stomach bug is the reason we never made it camping at the end of the month, but we are hoping to carve out some time for it in august, though that calendar is looking pretty packed too.

I’m falling behind on my 12-12-12 project, but I swear that I will get myself together and get back on track this month.

It’s a very busy and stressful season, but we will get through it. I just need to pick up more tea.

Ground Turkey Fried Rice

By Jessica

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Making the time to do the things that fill you up sounds way easier than it is. In the midst of buying a house, renovating said house, planning a wedding, and maintaining a career it seems like it is impossible for me to simply make time. The result is a grumpy, overworked, frustrated, selfish blob of ginger mess….

Back to School Meal Plan 8.16.15

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