monday meal madness!

It’s Monday. Hi.

Did you watch “Downton Abbey” last night? If so, you’re feelin’ me this morning. Sigh. I love the shots of the manse at night. So romantic.

If not – I will say no more. Because I don’t like spoiling things, okay?

In other news, my report cards are done! I finished – dare I say? - early this semester! I finished reading my enchanting book {can’t wait to tell you about it!}. I went shopping like I said I would. And then some. Oh, dear. I had an entire day yesterday with nothing to do for school whatsoever. I played legos, baked donuts, made sausage patties, read a magazine, and cleaned my closet.

If I had that kind of time every day, I could pretty much save the world, don’t you think?

Today is the start of the new semester, so it was nice while it lasted. Another sigh!

Since it’s Monday, I have some yummy dinner ideas for you. If you’re new here, click here to read about my menu planning methods.

Got your grocery list out? Let’s do this.

Mmmmm…fried rice. Not just any fried rice, but fried rice with ginger. So delish. So easy. So…have you made it yet? My recipe’s right here if you haven’t. Just add a thumb of chopped up ginger to the oil at the beginning. Also, you can replace the canola oil with sunflower oil {that’s what I do} or sesame oil – now there’s an idea!

I’ve been working my way through the breakfast section of Ree Drummond’s second cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier. Peeps, the breakfast bread pudding is to die for. I used a loaf of challah bread and substituted chopped ham for the broken up sausage patties called for in the recipe. As Ree says, “It’s over-the-top.”

My kids even ate it. And there were visible onions. Whoa!

My husband also went with one or Ree’s recipes for our pizza night last Friday. He made her fig and prosciutto pizza, then concocted some others. No red sauce that night, just fig jam or pesto from our garden bounty this past summer.

While I loved the pizza with fig jam, mozzarella, and prosciutto, I was not a big fan of having a salad on top of my pizza. It makes the lettuce or arugula or whatever it is you’re supposed to use in this recipe get warm. I have a funny quirk: I do not like warm greens. Only spinach.

On my day of freedom yesterday, I also roasted a chicken. It was a sure-fire way to ensure a delish dinner everyone would go for and also ensure even more free time for me. My recipe for roasting a chicken is so cinchy – have you tried it yet?

On the side was a pan of sliced sweet pototoes with parmesan and pecans, among other things. It baked right alongside the chicken. Loved it.

I love ideas for dinner, too! What’s on your menu for the week? What’s something you’ve made recently that was a big hit? Don’t keep it all to yourself, now. Share in the comments below! And Happy Monday.