Corn Cake Toppers

{from thisweekfordinner.com}

These are awesome with chili! Mix Jiffy cornbread mix, following the corn pancakes directions on the box. Sometimes I add a bit of sour cream. I also add chopped green onion and shredded cheese. Cook on buttered griddle like pancakes. Top your chili and enjoy!

Sometimes I don’t but the cheese in the batter… makes the pancakes a little stickier on the skillet, so I’ll put the cheese on the chili, then the corn topper on top of that.

{Thanks, Jane! Can't wait to try them.}

This Week's Dinner Menu

Sunday - Lasagna, Italian round loaf bread, salad, broccoli
Monday - Our Annual Halloween-themed Dinner with friends
Tuesday - Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Wednesday - Chicken Enchiladas (thanks, Mom) and leftover zucchini
Thursday - Award Winning Pork Chili and Corn Cake Toppers (recipe idea from This Week for Dinner, I'll post it later)
Friday - Mummy Dogs and Jack-o-Lantern Quesadillas, pumpkin or ghost cakes
Saturday - Thai Chicken Pizza, (Turkey) Pepperoni Pizza, salad, fruit

This Week's New Recipe Reviews

Polenta with Cauliflower
original recipe here
I was so excited about this recipe. My husband wouldn't even eat it, and apparently the toddler had a few bites. I had a meeting and ate it reheated later. I would have to agree that it wasn't as good as it sounded. Since nobody else was "digging in," I figure we won't be making it again.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Crepes
original recipe here
Okay, so I didn't cook the chicken myself. I had leftover chopped chicken from making calzones that I wanted to use up. So I did, and the overall results - disappointing. My husband said, "When prepared as directed, this recipe is void of taste." So, we will be sticking to the normal version of Chicken Cordon Bleu. I did, however, find a nice crepe recipe. They came together nicely, made exactly 8 crepes, I love when a recipe does what it says.

Chicken Tikka Masala
original recipe here
We really like this one. I did substitute paprika for the cayenne pepper in the marinade, but added just a dash of cayenne. I also left out the jalapeno in the sauce. The spice was just right. Having never had Chicken Tikka Masala myself, I had to rely on my husband's review of the authenticity. He said that it was pretty close, but he remembered the sauce being a little bit thinner. I didn't want to alter the ratio of the tomato sauce to cream, so next time I think I would thin it with a little chicken stock or broth. I also served this with rice and Naan bread. Next time, I will saute some vegetables to go along with it.
*Update: I think that I'll try this next time. It appears to be the same recipes, only with added veggies in the sauce.

This Week's Dinner Menu

Sunday - Crispy Chicken Tenders, Polenta with Cauliflower, salad
Monday - Pepperoni Calzones, broccoli
Tuesday - Chicken Cordon Bleu Crepes, asparagus
Wednesday - Shepherd's Pie, salad, rolls
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Chicken Tikka Masala, rice, stirfry vegetables
Saturday - Ward Harvest/Halloween Party (They're making "stone soup.")

HALLOWEEN

I'm sure I say this about every holiday, but Halloween is my favorite holiday of all. It all stems from childhood halloween dinners of pumpkin brains, witches broomsticks and a flaming skull cake. There is just something about wearing a costume and eating devilish food that made the whole evening mysterious.

Here are some of my favorite sites with Halloween Ideas:
Family Fun Magazine's Halloween
Kaboose Halloween
Parents Magazine (You'll have to search halloween, obnoxious, I know. This is a partner site that Family Circle Magazine falls under.)

And, here is what I have gathered to add to our Annual Halloween Dinner:
Bag o' Bones Meringue Cookies
Skeleton and Brain Dip
French Toast Ghosts (for breakfast)

And, I'm looking forward to gathering more ideas here.

Hearty Chili

I got this recipe from my cousin. She made it once, shortly after I was married, and invited us to dinner. My husband said, "Remember that chili...?" So, I had to call and get the recipe.

Hearty Chili
10 oz ground turkey
1 onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
2 zucchini, chopped
2 yellow squash, chopped
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 (15 oz) cans beef broth
celery stalks, sliced, chopped (whatever it is you do to celery)
1 pkt Chili seasoning mix

Brown turkey along with onion and peppers. Drain, if needed. Add all ingredients to soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender.

I used this corn bread recipe along with it. It is a yeast bread, so allow time for rising if you decide to try it. We thought it was good, and a nice alternative to the sweet, quick bread version.

This Week's Dinner Menu

Sunday - Dinner with cousins
Monday - Eat out after annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch
Tuesday - Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese sandwiches (a toddler favorite)
Wednesday - Baked Macaroni and Cheese, broccoli, apples
Thursday - Dinner at Mom's, "supper club night"
Friday - Crispy Chicken Strips, Polenta with Cauliflower, salad, maybe rolls
Saturday - Chili, cornbread or corn chips, pears

I participate in a "Supper Club", a group where we buy ingredients in bulk and prep freezer meals together. I've gone once before, but this month we are prepping calzones. Mmmmm!

This Week's New Recipe Reviews

Quinoa Chili
original recipe here
Well, as I informed my husband that a grain+beans=a complete protein, he asked, "Are you secretly trying to turn me into a vegetarian?" I thought it was "good," but we will not be having it again because the rest of the family did not agree. When I asked my toddler what he thought, he said, "Not good." Very unusual, as his normal reply is, "It's yum," even when he does not like it.

Corn and Potato Chowder
original recipe here
This was a good recipe. It could have used more salt. I was intrigued by the contributor "Dinosaur Bar-B-Que" and the increased amount of vegetables, so I went for it. However, I think that we will stick with our usual Corn Chowder from now on.

This Week's Dinner Menu

Sorry it's late, the husband broke his leg over the weekend; so we're a little behind on everything around here.

Sunday - Quinoa Chili, "Cake-like" Cornbread
Monday - leftovers
Tuesday - Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad, broccoli, fruit
Wednesday - Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, zucchini, salad
Thursday - Honey-Nut Chicken Sticks, Polenta with Cauliflower, salad
Friday - Corn and Potato Chowder, rolls, fruit
Saturday - Chicken Cordon Bleu Crepes (sounds interesting), asparagus, salad

Butternut Squash Lasagna: Recipe Review

I really enjoyed this recipe. It was not as involved as the reviews made it sound like it would be. My husband, however, said it tasted like squash. I will agree that it could have been salted a little more. But, toddler ate it - at least that night.
original recipe here