Menu Monday #45

On Friday night, we took advantage of an offer at our local Chick Fil A - buy it once, get it twice. So, anything we bought for dinner that night that was on our receipt, we can get for free on a later visit in April!! That's a nice little savings there! :) After dinner, we took the boys to get new tennis shoes. Noah had been complaining of his feet hurting, so we figured his shoes were too tight. Probably the case given that he was wearing a size 6.5, and now he's in an 8! Ethan was wearing an 11, but is now in a 12. Such big feet! Those sizes weren't any too big on them either, so I'm sure it won't be long before we need to get even bigger ones. Sigh.

On Saturday morning, I made pumpkin waffles, per the boys' request. They really love pumpkin! Then, after a very sleepy Amos decided to wake up at close to noon (wow!), we enjoyed a nice long walk outside in the sunshine. It was a perfect day here! Later that evening, we went downtown for dinner, to the Main Street Pizza Company. It was so tasty a couple weeks ago, we wanted to check out more of their menu items. They did not disappoint! We started with their parmesan crisps. They were so good and something I'd love to recreate at home. The parmesan cheese is baked into a crispy wafer-like chip, then topped with chicken that's coated in a basil pesto mixture, with sundried tomatoes on top. For my entrée, I created my own stromboli, using Alfredo sauce, chicken, roasted red peppers, and sriracha sauce. Delicious!!

On Sunday morning, Josh made our usual egg sandwiches for breakfast, but made them green for the boys for the upcoming holiday. :) We finally made it back to church after a few weeks off for traveling, sick kiddos, and out-of-town guests!

We celebrated St. Patrick's Day this morning with some green 4-leaf clover pancakes! :) They weren't the prettiest, but they tasted good! Haha!

Sunday: Cracker Barrel chicken tenders (see recipe below), sweet potato gnocchi with butter and sage, sweet corn

Have you ever had Cracker Barrel's grilled chicken tenderloin? I love them. They have great flavor and they're one of the only "healthier" choices on their menu. I found a recipe for them a couple years ago and it's amazing how closely they replicate it! Awesome, and so easy! I tried a packaged gnocchi, but it didn't go over well, so I probably won't make it again.

Monday: Crispy shrimp pasta, oven roasted broccoli

This has quickly become a family favorite and it's easy to see why! It's delicious! I thought about trying an Irish dish tonight, but nothing really sounded appealing to me. :/ So, I'm just coloring everything green today instead! ;)

Tuesday: Chicken capri over brown rice, sautéed green beans

This is actually a South Beach diet recipe (minus the rice). It's pretty simple and it tastes great with the mixture of ricotta, spices, crushed tomatoes, and provolone that is topping the chicken!

Wednesday: Crockpot tortellini
This is a new recipe I'll be trying. It calls for frozen tortellini, Italian-style diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, spinach and cream cheese. It sounds yummy, so I hope it's great!

Thursday: Cajun pork chops, roasted butternut squash, toasted pine nut couscous with dried cranberries

Yep, our favorite pork meal again. I'm trying to keep things pretty quick and simple this week, as Josh has midterm papers to complete for grad school.

Friday: Out to eat

Not sure what we'll be in the mood for, but we'll go out somewhere.

Saturday: TBD

We'll probably go out again, unless I decide to make some pizza.

What's on your menu this week?

Here is a recipe you don't want to miss!! I discovered it a couple of years ago via Pinterest and have been making it ever since. Now it's time I shared this gem! I love Cracker Barrel's grilled chicken tenderloin (just ask my hubby - if I don't order breakfast, this is what I order every single time I'm there!!) and I can assure you that this recipe tastes nearly identical to theirs. The flavors are perfect together and the chicken stays moist by cooking it in the liquid. It's super quick and easy, and versatile, too. You can eat it by itself with sides, or make it into a sandwich (I normally do this at the restaurant using a couple of pieces of toasted sourdough bread). I found the original recipe on "A Hen's Nest" blog. She uses just a pound of chicken, but for my hungry, growing boys, we need at least 1 1/2 pounds. ;)

Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenders
(serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
• 3/4 cup Zesty Italian dressing (I use Kraft's)
• 1 1/2 tsp lime juice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp honey

Directions:
Mix the Italian dressing, lime juice, and honey in a large resealable bag or container. Add the chicken tenders. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes in refrigerator. Heat a large, non-stick skillet, to medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the entire mixture with the chicken to the pan. Braise the chicken on all sides until golden, but not dry. I cook the chicken until most of the liquid has evaporated - about 15-20 minutes. This will give it the nice dark color as the honey caramelizes.

It's so simple!! I hope you love it as much as we do. :)