Sunday, January 4, 2009

Week of January 4, 2009


The holidays were a whirlwind around here, full of good meals, tasty drinks and appetizers and decadent deserts. The past few weeks are almost a blur of excitement and festivities, but it's always good to start a fresh page and begin a new year. Menu planning in 2008 was a miracle for me, it changed the way I cook, buy groceries, and plan my day. Planning online here at A Crafty Mom Eats seemed more "permanent" than when I used to scribble in meal plans on my fridge calendar. And I love the ease at which I can go back and see what we ate for a particular week, or to quickly pull up a recipe I know the whole family enjoyed. I will definitely be continuing in 2009!

Sunday: Last of the leftovers
Monday: Quick Meat Sauce
Tuesday: Roasted Vegetables and Soup from freezer
Wednesday: Pierogies and Vegetables
Thursday: Cayenne-rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa
Friday: Tortilla Soup with Black Beans
Saturday: Roast Chicken

Although we were away for Christmas and I didn't do a lot of holiday cooking, I did manage to try a few new recipes.

I made Slow Cooker Butter Chicken for New Year's Eve dinner and I thought it was absolutely delicious! My husband, on the other hand, was not a huge fan as he felt it wasn't "buttery" enough. I suppose you could add far more butter than the recipe calls for (1/4 cup) but I truly felt like the mix of other spices and flavours were enough to make this chicken dish a real winner. Easy, and way cheaper than our favourite Indian take-out.

I also made Braised Chicken with White Wine, Tomatoes and Peas one cold, frosty night just for my husband and I. It was nice and a refreshing change from some of the heartier meals we've been eating lately. I thought the tomatoes made for a nice sweet taste, and we liked this dish far more than I had anticipated. It also met the EASY and SIMPLE criteria, so I'll definitely be making it again.

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