Week of March 8, 2015

Well hello! This week we did in fact get sleet/snow again and Mr. Rutledge was not coerced into grilling the chicken. That salad will just have to wait. We are headed to Ruidoso, New Mexico for spring break, so it’ll be nice to have everything we need for a quick supper when we get back from skiing (sleeping, hiking, reading). Baby Rutledge and I will obviously not be skiing, but my little sister is going to make sure Mr. Rutledge does not check out how beneficial his medical insurance is.

I’m thinking we will want some warm, cozy cabin foods this week. I know it’ll be 60 degrees or so, but that mountain air always makes things seem cooler. I don’t know if we will really follow this menu since I’ll be outnumbered with votes between husband and sister!

My lunch buddies (Ahem, Kathy!) think it is fun to discuss my growing waistline while I’m trying to eat. So, I’ll push for some lighter meals when we aren’t on the road.

 

Slow cooker butternut squash and roasted chickpeas – Mr. Rutledge loves a butternut squash soup we have shared before, but I’m not in love with it. So we are trying a new one this week! Doesn’t it sound delicious? Plus, this recipe goes in the crock-pot and we all know I have a special place in my heart for it! It’s vegetarian, SHHHH! Don’t tell Mr. Rutledge!

Polenta with green chili and corn – I have to be honest, I’ve never cooked with polenta before. However, when I think of New Mexico, I always think green chilies. And like a stilly country song, when I think of green chilies I think about corn. So here’s this recipe. I’m praying I can talk my family into trying this with me! This is a side so I’d consider grilling some pork chops or chicken while this bakes.

Spicy shrimp sandwich with chipotle avocado mayo – Carbs are still my favorite food group. Sorry. Just can’t help it. This baby already wants to eat like his/her daddy! This sandwich will not be light (thanks to the carbs and mayo), but shrimp is super low calorie so that makes up for it. Plus, I don’t have to eat lunch this week with the ladies who have decided my waistline is their favorite topic.

Spicy cornmeal chicken with peach barbecue – Again, my attempt to stay away from Chick-fil-a. This sounds so delicious to me. It might be a great food to have in my memory bank come this summer. The recipe also says it doesn’t have to be spicy, so Brooks family you can STILL try it!

Breakfast quinoa with blueberry and almonds- Mr. Rutledge and I had a long talk about whether this would be a good breakfast option. I think it’ll be delicious. My mom used to make rice with milk, sugar and butter for breakfast and I loved it. I think this will be a healthier more filling option. Mr. Rutledge says quinoa is made to be savory. He is wrong a lot. Promise. Give this a try!