Da' Fam Menu For This Week...

I have a FUN Bridal Shower Cooking Demonstration at DreamMaker tonight!!! Making the Italian yummies- Pizzetes, Fancy Antipasto, Nana Rose's Old World Italian Meatballs, Asiago Bread & Roasted Garlic Oil, TIRAMISU....like I said, YUM! My Bro and his two girlies will be here this week, Psyched to see them! My dad wants the whole fam to get to a Whitecaps game and possibly hit Michigan's Adventure, too! What a treat!!! YAY Summer :0) So that and lots of pool and Pickeral Lake for the week! I also posted my Hands On Classes TENATIVE schedule on the right hand side of my blog, so CHECK IT OUT!!!
MONDAY: I'll be at a class... the kiddos will be eating some PB & J's, and chips and veggies n' dip, and watermelon
TUESDAY: Meatballs and sauce with s'ghetti, homemade bread, salad
WEDNESDAY: Mu Shu Pork, orange wedges
THURSDAY: Grilled Sirloin-Nana's style, Nana's irresistble tomato salad, bread
FRIDAY: PIZZAAAAA
SATURDAY: Cottage, I think, so we shall see!
SUNDAY: Ditto to Saturday:0)

Have a great Summery last full week of JULY!!!!! (((holy cow it's flying)))

New FamMenu for da' week...

Had a loopedy-loo of a weekend-but isn't summer always like that??? Friday two of the kids escaped with Gigi and Grampy-who made it home safely from Alaska, WHEW! So we had only three little munchkins at home, which is very ODD when you usually have five! It is seriously much quieter! Soooo, my bestie was in town for a family funeral and invited us to her sis' cottage, we had a blast! Thanks Kochaneys & Dykgraafs! So great to see you, Lis'!!! Then we headed up to the cobbage and spent until Monday there with the Visser and Biermacher clans :0)...Fred and Daddy caught us tons of Billy Bluegills, so we'll have those this week, too! We hit "Birds Market"---a crazy hectic place with a pinch of wierdness, but great deals at the butcher shop (a great place to stock up on summer grilling fare!) Came home and made Nana's Old World Italian Meatballs with the hubster-the kids gobbled em' up, as usual!!!  So here is the whole week for ya'...gonna be HOTTTTT yipee!!!

Monday: We had good ol' Nana's Old World Italian Meatballs, whole wheat capellini & I actually baked homemade Italian bread when it was 90 out!!! I AM crazy. (you already knew that, though>)

Tuesday: Beer brats on the grill, fresh fruit, homemade three bean salad
Wednesday: FINALLY going to plan to watch The Blind Side! Dinner will be chili and cornbread, in our cool "dungeon" (basement :0))

Thursday: Thai Chicken wraps- grilled chicken, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, cucumbers and thai satay peanut sauce-in whole wheat tortillas, some sort of salad

Friday: Make your own calzones for the whole fam!
Saturday: Teryaki grilled pork sizzlers, jasmine rice, fresh fruit, asian slaw

Sunday: Beer Battered Billy Bluegills with cajun tartar sauce, waffle fries, veggies n' dip, watermelon

Stay cOoL MAN!!!!!

FamMenu for July 11-18

Hey everyone, hope you had a great summer weekend, as I did...just wrapping it up now with some leftover pizza, unpacking, watering all my dried out plants and maybe a cool dip in the pool! We are so strapped for cash lately that I feel we will be eternally scraping the pantry fridge and freezer for budget meals!!! So here is my budget plan...STAN (I couldn't resist :0))!!!
MONDAY: Burgers, greek pasta salad, watermelon
TUESDAY: Quiche with bacon & swiss, sauteed broccolini with garlic and crushed red pepper, cut fruit
WEDNESDAY: Almond Chicken stir fry with broccolini (I GOT A hUgE BAG AT cOSTCO:)) over jasmine rice, sweet clementines
THURSDAY:  Winna' Winna I'm gonna make us a family caught fish DINNA"!!! a mix of lake perch, blugill, bass and spec! Sauteed up in some herbs, triple berry blue salad---greens, blueberries, dried cranberries, tart cherry vinaigrette, toasted pecans and feta, yum., some sauteed dilly potatoes
FRIDAY: homemade pizza from scratch....
SATURDAY: spaghetti and meat-aballs, salad, homemade bread
SUNDAY: Cheesy Quesadillas with black bean and corn salsa. tortilla chips, watermelon
So...I don't think I will have to spend but $25 at the grocery store this week...WHEW!!! I have enough to worry about, TGMMPID (thank goodness my menu planning is done! :0)
Have a great week!
(and FYI I buy a lot of items in bulk at Costco, so I save some major $$$ there!)
P>S>>>>>>>>Don't forget to hit the Farmers' Markets this week!!! Fulton Street, Plainfield, Holland, Rockford...they are all GRRRREAT!!!

FamMenu

This week has been madness for the fam...so much hot weather and lazing by the pool....I just haven't been able to drag myself away from the sunshine to print up a menu...until now :0) So here ya' go...
MONDAY: We had friends over to the pool and a good ol' campfire with grilled dogs and s'mores and had some Twice Baked Potato Salad (recipe to the left<<<) and of course, some Summer Shandy!
TUESDAY: Spicy Italian Sausage and tomato Sauce with whole grain angel hair, yummy greens from the Farmers' market tossed with feta, olives, tomatoes and garbonzo beans...tasty balsamic vinaigrette and homemade asiago bread. went to the Rockford Blues on the Rogue Series, then had ice cream at Trailside, yum.
WEDNESDAY: Hunters' Style Penne Pasta with tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, and tenderly seasoned chicken thighs...lots of fresh basil! Italian bread, sauteed broccoli rabe with garlic and crushed red pepper
THURSDAY: Chicken and cheese quesadillas with jack's salsa plus avocado, black beans and corn...tortilla chips, watermelon
FRIDAY< SATURDAY &SUNDAY: We will be out of town, so whatever we are in the mood for and have the budget for!
Enjoy this great Sunshine everyone!!!

so...IF I want a real Summer do I need to move to HAWAII?!?

Apparently, because this MI summer totally blows. Give me 90 and sun and I will gladly plop myself in front of the pool with a good book --yes, I read...when I have time...and when I am not researching wine and food for classes... Adrianna Trigiani is my new fave author--and listen to my kids splash and play in the pool... Hopefully it will heat up by weeks' end. Anyway...
Here is my FamMenu for the week....
Monday: My friend Jen was here for my Pampered Chef show, so we had apple berry salsa with cinnamon chips, cool and crunchy taco salad, and I made yummylicious Tiramisu Brownie Squares (an old-school PC recipe, delish)
Tuesday: Grilled Vegetable Lasagna, Balsamic roasted carrots, Homemade Asiago bread (something I CAN do on a cool day, is bake bread in a 450 degree oven!)
Wednesday:Ginger Soy Grilled Chicken, Jasmine rice, Shredded Romaine Salad with red cabbage, toasted almonds, edamame, roasted peppers and sesame soy dressing
Thursday:Burgers, corn on the cob, watermelon, twice baked potato salad
Friday: homemade GRILLED pizza, yum...a fire...s'mores :0) and the pool if it ACTUALLY is 90, as it is believed to be!!!
Saturday: Cider Maple Glazed Chicken thighs, Fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil salad, grilled asparagus, fresh cut  fruit
Sunday: May be going to  friends' house for a poolside party....so no clue what the menu will be!

Have a great week!

Grilling class was Grrreat!

Despite the grill not...well...working....It worked to Grill 3 "Jamaican me Hot Ginger Beer Buttt Chickens"...and then it went south. Thankfully Hubby was there and ran lickity split up to our friend Joel's house and grabbed his grill! Whew! The evening was saved :0)
We had a great time, a great menu, lots of food and two of my faithful Robinettes bought me...wait for it...wait for it... A brand new Kitchenaid mixer!!!!! I was SO excited I think I may have gone into shock! What a wonderful, fun, kind, caring and loving group of "students"...friends I have! I will be whippin' up cookies, souffles, meringue, play-doh (dude, I DO have 5 kids!!!) and all kinds of other stuff. Thank you again, Marie & Judi!
Everyone's fave recipe differed, but I am going to post one that won a lot of rave reviews, the "Twice Baked Potato Salad" for all of you who didn't make it, to enjoy.
REMEMBER: I need ideas for my Fall set of classes, and I need them NOW! My class list is due on July 15, so give my ideas people!
ALSO: having a Pampered Chef Party at MY HOUSE if anyone wants to come and enjoy some Sangria and food from My Pampered Chef Chick, Jennifer, she rocks. You can also order off her website under my name as host (ROBIN TOLDO...not CHEF ROBIN ;0))
http://www.pamperedchef.biz/jenniferantel
Have an awesome Summer day!
Look for my FamMenu tomorrow!
Thanks to my crew Friday night, Bridget, Desiree, Madison, Heather, Jim, Kristin and of course, my Hubs...and to Jayne and Bill for graciously hosting my classes!!!

MY MENU HIATUS IS FINALLY OVER!!!

Ok, so the last few weeks of school were jam packed with field trips and parties and last minute projects and all around HECTICNESS!!! Can you believe that? NAH, not with a fifth grader, third Grader, First Grader, Young 5 and terrible two. no chaos whatsoever...in my dreams! But I will say that it was even more hevtic because I did not plan out my menu ahead of time, and wicked more expensive!!! (more trips to the store, last minute ordering of pizza and the like...) SO back to some menu planning I go!No more hiatus for Chef Robin... Hoping for a great first week of Summer break, albeit a cool one:0(...
So here is the weekly menu:
MONDAY:  Turkey Burritos with Cilantro rice , black beans, fajita peppers and shredded monterey jack, chips and salsa, watermelon & strawberries
TUESDAY:  Herb Grilled Salmon with Maple dijon drizzle, YUM, Sauteed carrots,  cauliflower salad-spinach, caulflower, bacon, parmesan cheese , Naan bread
WEDNESDAY: Grilled Apple chicken Gouda sausages with carmelized onions, honey mustard in pretzel rolls, grilled sweet tater "chips" and cucumber pickles, some fruit, too ;0)
THURSDAY: Argentinian Flank Steak with Chimmichurri, twice baked potato salad, grilled asparagus, zucchini chocolate snack cake
FRIDAY: Cottage bound!!! bringing papa murphy's pizza, easy, and pretty darn inexpensive! And of course, some SUMMER SHANDY!!!
SATURDAY: cottage fare- I am thinking grilled Knockwurst and sauerkraut, some leftover potato salad, baked beans and watermelon
SUNDAY: Dinner at the cottage- with Mom and Pop, Sis and bro-in-law, niece & nephew, menu is yet TBD!!!

Have a super awesome summer week!!! Because I said so! (oh wait, I am not talking to the kids!!!:0)) Because...WHY NOT?!

Oh, and what are YOU having for dinner this week??? Let me know!!!