Banana Pops (Dinner for Two Week 11)

Lunch: Artichoke or Cottage cheese veggie salad, Taco tidbits, Apples or Grapes

Dinner: Chow mein chicken, Broccoli or Rapini

Dessert: Banana popsicles

Artichoke Heart Salad

Drain a can of artichoke hearts and cut each heart into quarters. Drain a can of sliced ripe olives. Chop a green pepper. Thinly slice green onions. Combine artichokes, olives, 1/3 cup of green pepper, and 1/3 cup of green onions in a bowl. Add 3/4 cup of Italian salad dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Cottage Cheese Veggie Salad

Peel, pit, and chop a large, ripe avocado. Chop a tomato. Slice 1/4 cup of stuffed olives. Combine 3 cups of small-curd cottage cheese, avocado, tomato, and olives in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp of sliced green onions.

Chow Mein Chicken

This recipe yields one batch, but I usually double the recipe anyway because it’s so good!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook and cube two chicken breasts. Combine a can of cream of chicken soup, a can of chicken with rice soup, and a can of evaporated milk in a bowl. Stir in chicken. Transfer to a greased baking dish. Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Stir. Sprinkle with a can of chow mein noodles. Bake 5-10 minutes. Add a drained can of sliced water chestnuts before baking for extra crunch, if you want.

Banana Pops

Cut a ripe banana into wedges. Combine 1 cup of vanilla yogurt, 1/2 cup of orange juice, and the banana in a blender. Cover and process until smooth. Pour into Popsicle trays or pour into small plastic disposable cups and insert Popsicle sticks. Freeze until firm, about 5 hours or overnight.

Taco Tidbits

Place 6 Tbsp of butter in a glass dish. Cover and microwave for 60-70 seconds. Add 3 Tbsp of taco seasoning. Stir in 8 cups of Corn Chex until evenly coated.

Microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Heat 1 – 1 1/2 minutes longer. Stir. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Heat 1 minute longer. Cool.

SHOPPING LIST:

Eggs or egg whites

Cottage cheese (24 oz)

Parmesan cheese

Vanilla yogurt

Orange juice

Bananas

6 apples

Grapes

Avocado

Tomato

Green onions

Green pepper

Broccoli

Rapini

Stuffed olives

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 cans of condensed cream of chicken soup (11 oz ea)

2 cans of condensed chicken with rice soup (10.5 oz ea)

2 cans of chow mein noodles (3 oz ea)

2 cans of evaporated milk (5 oz ea)

Can of sliced water chestnuts

Can of artichoke hearts (14 oz)

Can of sliced ripe olives (2 oz)

Taco seasoning

Corn Chex

Cereal

Cornstarch

White rice flour

Tapioca flour

Cream of tartar

[Also needed: butter, sugar]

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Salsa Sausage Quiche (Dinner for Two Week 3)

Breakfast: Quiche

Lunch: Roast beef sandwich, Chili burger, or Chili dog, Pretzel nuggets, Fig or Prune

Dinner: Chicken or Beef, Rice or Sweet potato, Bell pepper

Two Meals One Pot Take Three

Combine 2 cans of chili with beans, 2 cans of drained mixed vegetables, 2 drained cans of whole kernel corn, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, and 2 cans of green chilies in a pot. Add a dash of chili powder and a dash of garlic powder. Heat through.

1. Cook hamburger patty. Toast a hamburger bun if desired. Spoon chili mixture onto hamburger patty. Top with leftover vegetables, cheese, and/or condiments if you have any or just eat as a chili burger.
2. Cook a hot dog. Zap hot dog bun in microwave for 15-30 seconds. Spoon chili mixture onto hot dogs. Add leftover sauerkraut, onions, cheese, and/or condiments, if desired or just eat as a chili dog.

Sweet and Savory Brisket

1. Cut a 3 to 3.5 lb beef brisket in half and place half in a slow cooker. Combine 1 cup of ketchup, 1/4 cup of grape jelly, an envelope of onion soup mix, and 1/2 tsp of pepper in a bowl. Spread half over meat in slow cooker. Top with the second half of the brisket and then the rest of the ketchup mixture.
2. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours. Slice brisket and serve with cooking juices. The leftovers are great zapped in the microwave as well as made into a roast beef sandwich with a little mayo.

Artichoke Chicken

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain and chop a can of water-packed artichoke hearts. Combine artichokes, 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 3/4 cup of mayonnaise, and a dash of garlic powder in a bowl. Place 4 chicken breasts in a greased baking dish. Spread with artichoke mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes.

Salsa Sausage Quiche

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook 3/4 lb bulk pork sausage in a skillet over medium heat. Drain. Transfer to an unbaked pastry shell. Sprinkle with 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Lightly beat 3 eggs in a small bowl. Stir in 1 cup of salsa. Pour over cheese.
2. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Sprinkle with another cup of cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer. Serve with extra salsa and sour cream.

Sweet Pretzel Nuggets

1. Place a package of sourdough pretzel nuggets in a glass bowl. Combine 2/3 cup of vegetable oil, 1/3 of sugar, and 2 tsp of cinnamon in a small bowl. Pour over pretzels and toss to coat. Microwave, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave 3-4 minutes longer, stirring after each minute. Cool to room temperature.

Note: It is sometimes hard to find sourdough pretzel nuggets. Regular pretzels can be used instead. One time I cut up sourdough bread into bite-sized pieces and toasted it before tossing with the oil, sugar, and cinnamon. 

SHOPPING LIST:

Sour cream (smallest one)

Cheddar cheese (8 oz)

Parmesan cheese

Eggs

Hamburger buns

Hot dog buns

6 bell peppers

6 sweet potatoes or yams

6 prunes (dried go well in salads, but eating fresh is great too)

6 figs (dried go well in salad, but fresh are great too)

Beef brisket (3-3.5 lb)

3/4 lb bulk pork sausage

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Hot dogs

Unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

Hamburger patties

Can of water-packed artichokes hearts

2 cans of chili with beans

2 cans of mixed vegetables

2 cans of whole kernel corn

2 cans of diced tomatoes

2 cans of green chilies

Cinnamon

Garlic powder

Mayonnaise

Ketchup

Grape jelly

Salsa (2 cups worth)

Pkg of sourdough pretzel nugget (15-18 oz)

Vegetable oil

[Also needed: Sugar, Onion soup mix, Pepper]