Let's Eat!

One of the goals I have set for myself is to come up with 52 go-to family recipes.  Do tacos count as a
go-to recipe? If so, I have one recipe.

With school & kids activities in full swing, it was time to start trying some new recipes again. I used the crock pot quite a bit in September, but I still prefer soups in the crockpot to meat dishes.
I promise meal time wasn't as boring at this calendar looks.
I started the Whole Life Challenge mid-month. Many of the dishes are compatible with that challenge.

Here's the family review:

7. The pork carnitas were a pre-made package from Target. They weren't that good. It only served 4 so I threw some shrimp in the pan & they seasoned up nicely. I will try to make some homemade pork carnitas another night (we had this before the challenge so I did not check if it is WLC compatible (but probably not)).

9. I used the Archer's Farm pre-made pizza crusts, Trader Joe's sauce & finely shredded organic cheese. Finely shredded cheese seems to be the key to good homemade pizza.  This was enough to feed me & the twins (not WLC compatible).

10. Balsamic Chicken - one of Nick's favorite dishes. I served this over polenta. Family could have done without the polenta.

11. Italian Beef Stew - the kids really liked this one. I served this over spaghetti squash. Leftovers were served over noodles.

12. Honey Chicken - not bad, but not fabulous. I will probably make this one again (maybe stove top instead of crock pot)(not WLC compatible).

13. We had a Groupon for this meat. The burgers were really good (as were the steaks when we made them).

14. Lazy Lasagna Chili - Nick even commented how the kitchen smelled like lasagna when I was cooking this recipe. I let it simmer for about an hour & so I had to add more water. No surprise that everyone loved this recipe. But, at over 500 calories for a 1 cup serving, it's one I will have ready for Nick on Sunday's when I travel. This comfort food is hard to resist (not WLC compatible)!

17.  Tortilla Soup - everyone loved this. It's a little twist on a recipe I've made before. I forgot the cilantro, but it was still flavorful (not WLC compatible).

21. Watermelon Pico De Gallo - this is so good! I took it with chips to a party, but used it over fish later in the week.

23. Chicken & Rice - this dried out, but the flavors were great (I will dice the mushrooms next time because the kids don't like them). It reminds me of those casserole dishes with a can of cream of mushroom soup (without the can).

24. Chicken & Spinach Burgers - These were pretty good, but they took forever to make. One pound would not be enough to feed our family of 5 (though the kids are small burgers). It was enough to feed everyone but Nick. The onions were amazing.


25. Pork Stew - everyone liked this. It will be great for cold days.

27. Spaghetti Squash & Sausage - The kids loved this one.

28. Skirt steak. I made 4 pounds which was enough for dinner (3 HUNGRY kids, 2 adults and then 3-4 generous adult lunches).

29. Black Bean & Corn Salsa Chicken - I made my own taco seasoning for this recipe rather than using the tasty pre-packaged stuff that is full of additives & flavor enhancers.  The kids ate these in tortillas or taco shells. I ate it plain with avocado.