Dinner With The Menu Mama...

I swear, I spend $150 - $200 per week on groceries,and never have anything to show for it!  I will watch shows about large families with too many twelve children and they say they spend around $600.00 per month on groceries.  I see their pantry and it is stocked from top to bottom.  By the end of the week, my refrigerator looks like this...

Old Mother Hockey Wife Hubbard

I always feel like I buy a lot of food, but I never have anything to prepare for my kids after the third day. Maybe if I was a certain wife in Beverly Hills, and had 4 nannies and a "house manager"...I would never have to think about it...but I am not, I am just a hockey wife in need of help,  and I have decided to ask for some assistance with grocery lists, and weekly meal planning!

Let me introduce my personal blog chef guest blogger, The Menu Mama!

The Menu Mama creates weekly menus which consist of 6 meals and one dessert.  Not only does she create the menu, she also breaks down the grocery list for all items needed to prepare the meals.  I am following her menu for January 24 - 30 this week, and today is day three!  It is like having a "house manager" and a "personal chef"!  Just call me a Real Housewife of Blogger Hills!
Tonight's meal is Chicken Fingers and Potato Wedges!!!  (Sure beats the guilt I have when my kids eat McNuggets and french fries!)
So grab an apron, pour a glass of wine and let's make some dinner for our kids!

Hi everybody, Menu Mama here, aka Heather, aka "Mo-om!" You can relate, right?

I am so excited to be able to share this meal with you today. If you're like me, it is all too easy to hit the fast food drive-thru some days, whether it's because we're busy, out of meal ideas, or just in the mood for some french fries. That's why I came up with this meal.  It satisfies those cravings with a couple of easy recipes from ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

Yum, right? I love that I can feed this meal to my kids without feeling guilty, because I know every ingredient that went into it. My daughter Hannah loves it because it is perfect for dipping in her favorite condiment: ranch dressing. 

I start by getting the potatoes in the oven, then move on to the chicken.

printable recipe

Potato Wedges

serves 4

2-3 large russet potatoes

2 large garlic cloves

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

kosher salt

black pepper

dried rosemary

Scrub the potatoes with a clean, wet dishcloth (so much more sanitary than a potato brush). 

Cut the potatoes in half length-wise.

Then cut each of those halves in half.

Cut each of the quarters in half, so you have 8 wedges from each potato. Mince the garlic cloves.

Place the potatoes and garlic in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil.

Season generously with salt, pepper and rosemary and toss with clean hands until potatoes are completely coated.

Place on a baking sheet one cut side down and bake for 20 minutes at 400F.

Flip wedges to other cut side and bake for another 10-15 minutes until starting to brown. Season with additional salt, if desired.

While the potatoes are baking, prepare the chicken:

printable recipe

Chicken Strips

serves 4

2 large chicken breasts (1 to 1 1/2 lb chicken, you know best how much your family will eat)

2 cups flour

seasoned salt

black pepper

paprika

1 egg

Canola oil (enough to fill skillet about 1 to 1 1/2 inches full)

Line up three bowls on your counter. Put a cup of flour each in both the first and third bowls. Season the flour generously with seasoned salt (I probably put a rounded 1/2 tsp in each bowl). Add about 1/4 tsp black pepper and a dash of paprika to each and stir to combine. Beat the egg with a fork in the second bowl.

Cut the chicken breast into strips and dip them one by one into the flour, 

then egg, 

then flour again, coating well each time. 

Heat oil in large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add chicken strips a couple at a time and cook for 2-3 minutes each side, until golden brown. The two strips on the left side of the picture are ready to be flipped.

You will probably need to start at medium-high heat, but turn it down to medium if the breading is browning before the chicken is cooked through in the middle. You don't want the heat to be too low though, or else the breading will absorb too much grease and become soggy. Everyone's stove is different so do what works for you!

Once the chicken strips are done, place on paper towels to cool and add another batch to the oil to cook.

**Thank you to The Menu Mama for helping me create easy meals to prepare for my children while my husband is away.  Be sure to head over to her site!  Then you too can have your own "personal blog chef" and become a Real Housewife of Blogger Hills!**

**UPDATE:  DINNER WAS A SUCCESS!

Wow, did I really cook this?  

My kids loved the chicken fingers, and I was impressed how easy it actually was.  No more McNuggets for my kids!  Be sure to check out THE MENU MAMA if you need help creating easy meals for your family!  I will be making these again for the children (and adults) during our Superbowl party!  

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