Weekly Menu -- May 7 through May 13

I feel like we've come out of our cocoon around here. The weather has broken for good it seems, and we're looking at several days in a row of 80 degrees this week. Our meals will start to look like summer this week, too, with several nights of grilling.

A few six-thumbs-up recipes this week. Since I'm posting after dinner on Monday, I will tell you that SFO Mom's Cajun Bourbon Chicken Bites were a huge hit. Not one piece of chicken left and they even ate all of the rice with the sauce poured over. The link is below. That will definitely be on the menu frequently. The Raspberry Bars tonight are good too and they take about five minutes to make. Link below.

The Neiman Marcus cookie recipe from Tuesday night is below. I know that's an urban legend (that they're from Nieman Marcus) but, that's what we call them. They are really the best chocolate chip cookies -- even if they're a little time-consuming.

Thurday's marinated chicken recipe is a good one. I got the recipe at a cooking class and I add the marinade to the chicken before I freeze it, so it marinates as it thaws. Very good -- recipe below.

And Sunday's Chocolate Cheesecake is a winner -- recipe below. I'll have to make it the day before, so that it does not appear that I have cooked on Mother's Day (you know how that is). Doug will handle grilling the fajita meat for dinner.

Monday
Lunch:Macaroni and cheese with chopped ham
Dinner: Cajun Bourbon Chicken Bites, rice, broccoli, cantaloupe, Raspberry Bars

Tuesday
Lunch: Ham salad sandwiches
Dinner: Tacos, refritos, rice, fruit, Nieman Marcus chocolate chip cookies

Wednesday
Lunch: Omelets, toast
Dinner: Hamburgers, baked potatoes, salad, cookies

Thursday
Lunch: Fast food
Dinner: Marinated grilled chicken, rice, sauteed zucchini and onions, Tapioca pudding

Friday
Lunch: Tomato soup
Dinner: Salmon patties, macaroni and cheese, peas, Ice cream sundaes

Saturday
Lunch: Skyline chili, Saturday regular
Dinner: Homemade pizza (Saturday regular), fried dough

Sunday
Lunch: Omelets, toast, fruit
Dinner: Chicken and steak fajitas with grilled green peppers and onions, rice, salsa, tortilla chips, Chocolate cheesecake




Nieman Marcus Cookies

2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 t soda
2 cups sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal (blend into fine powder)
24 oz chocolate chips
2 cups brown sugar
1 t salt
8 oz Hershey bar, grated
4 eggs
2 t baking powder
3 cups nuts (optional)
2 t vanilla


Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with dry ingredients. Add chocoalte chips and grated Hershey bar. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on baking sheets. Bake 10 minutes at 375. Makes 112 cookies.


Lemon Herb Marinade

1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh or bottled
1 t minced garlic
1 1/2 t dried thyme
4 - 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Combine oil, juice, garlic and thyme. Place chicken breasts in a shallow bowl or ziploc bag and pour marinade over chicken. Refrigerate for 6 hours or more.



Supreme Chocolate Cheesecake

16 Oreos, crushed
1/4 cup margarine, melted
3 (8 oz ) cream cheese, softened
14 oz condensed milk
3 eggs
12 oz choc. chips, melted
2 t vanilla
1/3 cup margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar
6 oz choc. chips, melted
2 T Grand Marnier

Combine crumbs and margarine; press into 9” springform pan. Combine cream cheese and milk; beat until blended. Add eggs, one at a time. Blend in chocolate and vanilla. Pour into crust and bake at 300 for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Loosen cake from rim; cool before removing rim. Beat margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add chocolate and Grand Marnier; blend. Frost top and sides of cheesecake.

(NOTE: I don't always frost this cheesecake. I actually like it better without, but it's good both ways.)