dinner this week

We have a busy week ahead of us, so everything is going to be a titch more simple, meal-wise. Although this weeks menu may sound pretty involved; each meal is easy and quick. (figure-friendly too, minus the ribs) We are also going out twice this week, something we wouldn't normally plan to do, but this week is special :) Since we'll be spending a little more in that area, I decided to budget a little more out of our weekly groceries and spent less on my Saturday shopping. It's amazing though, Stu looked at our meal plan and what we spent on food- he was shocked that these four meals could cost so little.. ah the joys of making your own food. Any one of these meals would cost more than our grocery bill if we got them at a restaurant, which ended up being less than $20 again, isn't that amazing?! Now I am still planning on going to the farmers market Tuesday afternoon for some fresh, inexpensive produce, but I'm sure my total there will only be around $10-15 (for a CAR-LOAD of fruits and veggies). Gotta love the farmers market :)

okay, I have a confession to make... I went to the store mid-week last week. For an avocado. Yes, just one avocado. I guess I forgot that I used all that I had for our Super Bowl get-together on Sunday and didn't have one for dinner on Wednesday. So obviously, I am far from perfection at this meal planning thing... But I'm working on it, and that is WAY better than running to the store last minute 3x/week for dinner.

Monday: Surprise dinner for Valentines Day :) Where will you be going?
Tuesday: Salmon Tacos with Mango Salsa, Black Beans and Cilantro Lime Rice
Wednesday: Black Bean Burgers and Sweet Tater Fries
Thursday: Shrimp Pasta with Guiltless Alfredo Sauce and Zucchini Fries
Friday: out with family, we're going to see Music Man at Higley Theater. My stepmom did the costumes, you should go!!!
Saturday: Oven-baked BBQ Ribs and Baked Potatoes (secret for cheap ribs: beef back ribs are usually around $1.99/lb! just make sure to look for the meatier ones)
Sunday: Family Dinner (I'd love some suggestions for a tasty dessert to make)


I've been trying to put recipes together to post on the blog (i didn't realize how hard it was to explain what you're doing while cooking) it's taking longer than I thought, but I'll keep working on it. I had a couple requests for the Eggs Benedict recipe, it is posted below... enjoy!

Which of these dinners sound good to you?
What recipe are you most interested in?