Tasty Thursday

     Hi folks! I'm really excited today because our new dining room table and chairs are going to be delivered! I will post a picture sometime so you can see our new eating spot. I'm also really exciting because it is now officially fall, which is my favorite season of the year. I also love fall because it means I can start bringing out my soup, stew, and yummy warm casserole meals. 

     Anyway, last week was a good week meal-wise. We had a few new recipes that we are going to put into our normal meal rotation and the pizza dough turned out really great. I don't think I'll ever buy pre-made dough again! Here are the ratings for last weeks recipes:

Italian pie: A

This was a really good meal and pretty simple to assemble as well. I did have the problem of finding a premade bruschetta for the recipe since it is a Publix recipe. I don’t have a Publix and my Albertsons doesn’t carry anything similar. Instead, I made my own bruschetta using a large can of tomatoes, a packet of fresh basil, and two teaspoons of minced garlic. Then I just whirled it in my food processor for a few seconds. I also did my own combination of meats: ground beef, Italian sausage and pepperoni. Anyway, it turned out really good and we were able to eat it for two dinners and a few lunches.

Man Rating: A

Homemade pizza dough: A

The dough was super easy to make, especially using my KitchenAid mixer. And rolling it out was easy to do by hand because the dough wasn’t too sticky. The only problem we had was that we didn’t put on enough toppings because the dough seemed kind-of thin, but while it baked it rose enough to provide a substantial base for more toppings. So the next time we use the dough, we will pile on the toppings and it should be just about perfect!

Man Rating: A

Chicken piccata: A-

This meal was super easy and quick. I think it took me less than thirty minutes to make our entire dinner. The sauce is so yummy that Tim says he could drink it.

Man Rating: A-

Thursday: Veggie pizza. The pizza dough recipe I used last week made enough for two pizzas so we're using our second pizza dough to make a veggie pizza tonight. We will top the pizza with broccoli, squash, zucchini, onion, and pepperoni. Okay, so it's not a true "veggie pizza," but we have pepperoni and I don't want it to go to waste. 

Friday: Tilapia with lemon butter sauce and angel hair fresca. This is a Publix Apron's recipe that I have been making for years. It has been my go-to special occasion meal for anniversaries and Valentine's Day, etc. Tim really loves it and requested it the other day and since tilapia is on sale at Albertson's this week, I'm going to make it. We will have it with a side salad. It will be a nice meal for a Friday night "date night." Once Owen is in bed, we'll eat this at our new dining room table and then cuddle on the couch watching a Netflix movie. Sounds perfect!

Saturday: Chili Frito pie. This is a new recipe that Pioneer Woman posted on her website this week. I love chili and I'm interested in trying her recipe. Generally when I make chili, I use a seasoning mix from the grocery store so I think it will be cool just to be able to use seasonings from my pantry. We will serve it over some Fritos, which is a trick I first learned from my Aunt Twyla. And for that, I will always be grateful to her. Anyway, even though we will once again watch the Georgia game in the morning, I think it will be a great meal for a day of football watching.  

Sunday: Chicken tacos. This is a Pioneer Woman recipe that her brother makes. I've never made chicken tacos before, but I really love Mexican food and I think it will be a nice Sunday night meal. 

Monday: Chicken pot pie with cheddar crust. I know I just made this the other week, but it really is that good. It does take a good deal of prep time, but it is worth it. And really, because I'm at home all day, I can prep different parts of the meal throughout the day and then putting it together and baking it in the evening is really simple. 

Tuesday: Leftovers. Tim is working really late tonight because he is on the board of a group at his job and apparently they feel the need to meet for three hours after work. So he probably won't be home until after eight. So I'm just going to reheat some of the chicken pot pie from the night before. 

Wednesday: Italian sausage rigatoni. I found this recipe on Food Network's website. It's not really a hard recipe, but I wanted something simple so I can use up the Italian sausage that we have in the freezer and I also have some leftover rigatoni from a few weeks ago in the pantry.