Ultimate Banana bread

This was yummy. I've never made a banana bread that I haven't liked, but this one did have really nice texture and looked pretty (although this isn't my picture). http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/detail.php?docid=25349

Monday:

• Hamburger steak (http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/hamburger-steak-with-onions-and-gravy/Detail.aspx). Ok, I'll admit it. I'm totally embarrassed to be even putting that. I actually made a recipe that had a reviewer who said that it tasted just like their favorite microwave dinner....can you say desperate?? It was actually tasty though - but, maybe I'm ok with microwave dinners. ;-) I did use onion soup mix for the beef broth since I was out.
• Mashed potatoes. If you still make your mashed potatoes with russets, stop! Gold potatoes make the best mashed potatoes.
• Spinach salad

Tuesday:

• Microwave Corn dogs. Just kidding (I think). Ok, for real now: Pesto Chicken Florentine was tonight's main meal. (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pesto-Chicken-Florentine/Detail.aspx?prop31=1) Made my own alfredo (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quick-and-Easy-Alfredo-Sauce/Detail.aspx?prop31=2), used less chicken, more spinach, and more pasta. 
• Rustic hearth bread. I'll post the recipe for that soon. It's my go-to bread now. 

Wednesday:

• "Chichza" as Jack calls it.

Thursday: 

We are out of everything! I have no chicken, no veggies, no rice....hurry up, Saturday!

• Cheeseburger Soup (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cheeseburger-Soup-I/Detail.aspx?prop31=4). Didn't use basil, out of carrots and celery...
• Quick Yeast Rolls (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quick-Yeast-Rolls/Detail.aspx?prop31=1)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Brown-Butter-Cookies/Detail.aspx These were yummy. Especially the icing. I may just make the icing next time. The browned butter made it taste like toffee icing. Yum. The cookies were also really good, but be sure and not overbake them like I did a few times. If you aren't a nut cookie person, several reviewers said they didn't use them and added chocolate chips instead. I think the combination of the toffee icing and milk chocolate chips would be really good!

Monday:

• Meatball subs (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Meatball-Sandwich/Detail.aspx)
• Spinach salad (ie. spinach with salad dressing on it)

Tuesday:

• Barbeque chicken (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Bar-be-que-Chicken/Detail.aspx. Used boneless/skinless chicken)
• Buttered egg noodles
• Creamed corn ( http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Marians-Creamed-Corn/Detail.aspx. Cut butter and sugar in half and it was still pretty sweet. Used ritz crackers for the top. Jack and Elijah LOVED it.)
• Spinach salad

Wednesday:

• We have bible study on Wednesday nights, so our meals are usually pretty quick and easy. Tonight is breakfast for dinner - eggs, toast, bacon, and maybe waffles.

Thursday:

• Sloppy Joes (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sloppy-Joes-II/Detail.aspx). Yes, indeed, I treat my man right. Actually, I just needed to use up the rest of the sub rolls from meatball subs on Monday.
• Spinach salad. We are getting our iron this week. Must use up the 500lb bag of spinach from Costco...
• Orange slices

Friday:

• Pizza! Boy, we are on a roll for healthy this week!

And now for something completely different...

Ok, it's like we're all busy or something. No one has time to take a picture of their beautiful food before putting it on the table. So, on to idea number 2. Just post what you are having for dinner that night (or that week). I'm sure we have things on our rotation that another one may not. And it might encourage me to know that you guys also had pizza 4 times in a week just like we did last week...gross.

We should, of course, still post other recipes that might not fall in the made-for-dinner-tonight category...like the cookies I made the other day...

I'll start.

Maple-Garlic Marinated Pork Tenderloin

Dear Mommy and Sisters,
I was bold the other day and tried something new, something that wasn't... CHICKEN. Crazy, I know! Anyway, this was really good and easy! You should try it! I smell tonight's dinner... chicken enchiladas, better go...Love you all!
Alissa

Maple-Garlic Marinated Pork Tenderloin
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Maple-Garlic-Marinated-Pork-Tenderloin/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (I used olive oil)
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin

Directions

1. Combine mustard, sesame oil, garlic, pepper, and maple syrup. Place pork in a shallow dish and coat thoroughly with marinade. Cover, then chill in the refrigerator at least eight hours, or overnight.
2. Preheat oven for 375.
3. Remove pork from marinade, and set aside. Transfer remaining marinade to a small saucepan, and cook on the stove over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Bake for 45 minutes basting with reserved marinade or until interior is no longer pink. Cook pork until it reaches an internal temperature of 155. Let sit for 10 minutes and it will achieve the desired 160 degrees. Serve with left over heated marinade drizzled over it.
   

Kale and Kielbasa Soup

Dear Mommy and sisters,
What a way to (re)kick off the blog with this beautiful picture of Kale and Kielbasa soup! Maybe no one else will like this but me, but at least this way I'll have the recipe handy. ;-) I made some great bread to go with it too...posting that recipe soon. After I clean my house. While holding my fussy Elijah. Good thing he's so cute.

16 oz kielbasa sausage sliced

1 c. sliced carrot

2 leeks sliced

1/2 onion chopped

4 russet potatoes

3 c. chopped kale

6 c. chicken stock

seasoning of your choice (I just used a little bit of ground thyme)

freshly ground pepper

salt

Saute the onions in a little butter. Add the leeks, carrots, and sausage. Add the potatoes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Add herbs to taste, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil and then let simmer 15-20min (or until potatoes are tender). Add kale and cook for an additional 3-5min. Grind a little pepper over each bowl and you're set!