Archive | February, 2012

Lorax Pinterest Party on Twitter

By on February 28, 2012 in Giveaways and Promotions

We are so excited for the release of one of Barb’s favorite books as a teacher onto the big screen, that we are dedicating our regular Thursday night Pinfest Mealplanning Twitter Party to The Lorax this week!

We have already started adding all the fun The Lorax pins we can find to our Seussville Pinterest Board. We can’t wait to get together with you and add more!

Seussville Pinterest Board-Featuring The Lorax Pins

Last Friday night, Barb attended The Lorax Bliss Party in Nashville, TN with The Lorax himself.

Barb and The Lorax

We gathered lots of fun photo’s to help inspire you to throw your very own The Lorax party which we will be sharing in a post, How The Throw a The Lorax Party, soon.  We have even put together a recipe for our very own Lorax Dinner Makeover.

Lorax pasta dish

Did you make something The Lorax themed? Or know of someone elses The Lorax post we should see? Please leave us the link in The Lorax themed linky below:


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Italian Sunday Gravy

By on February 28, 2012 in Entrees Recipe, Holiday Recipes, Recipes

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Italian Sunday Gravy

Italian Sunday Gravy

Ingredients

  • ground beef or sirloin- 1 lb
  • boneless pork loin chops- 1 lb
  • italian mild sausage- 1 lb
  • onion- 1, minced
  • parmesan cheese- 16 oz.
  • breadcrumbs- 1 cup
  • egg- 1
  • milk- 1/2 cup
  • garlic- 3-4 cloves, minced
  • olive oil
  • crushed tomatoes- 56 oz. (2 28oz. cans)
  • fresh basil and/or Italian parsley- a handful, chopped
  • pasta- 1-2 lbs

Instructions

  1. in mixing bowl, combine ground beef, half of minced onion, half of parmesan (grated), breadcrumbs, egg and milk; mix well
  2. hand-roll meat into 2-inch balls
  3. heat olive oil and garlic in large non-stick skillet
  4. cook meatball in oil until brown (no need to cook thoroughly), while turning gently with a spoon to make sure all sides are browned
  5. remove cooked meatballs to plate
  6. brown pork chops and remove to plate (again, no need to cook thoroughly)
  7. brown Italian sausage and remove to plate
  8. transfer juices from skillet to large Dutch oven or pot along with tomatoes and browned meat
  9. add chopped basil and/or parsley
  10. simmer 2-3 hours over low heat
  11. served with pasta boiled in salted water until tender and then drained; to prevent pasta from drying before serving, reserve a cup of the cooking water to add back to pasta
https://tonispilsbury.com/italian-sunday-gravy/

 

Italian Sunday Gravy is a traditional meal of meat simmered in tomatoes for hours and served with pasta.  Read about my friend Kelli who left behind her recipe, husband and me in a story about this traditional Italian recipe in: The Godfather Meal

Italian Sunday Dinner
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The Lorax Dinner Makeover

By on February 28, 2012 in Recipes

The Lorax Dinner Makevoer

We are anxiously awaiting the opening of the Universal Motion Picture “The Lorax” this Friday and have decided to give our family dinner a little “Lorax” makeover to celebrate.

The Lorax Family Dinner

The Lorax Family Dinner Makeover

Many people are participating in Lent this week as well, so Friday I have on the menu a simple pasta dish with vegetables and Alfredo sauce, from our Weekly Meal Plan.

In the movie, the town of Thneedville.. “a city they say that was plastic and fake“….. has no trees… “no nature, no flowers and no one seemed to mind“… until one boy journeys to discover what happened to the trees.  I used Cavatappi pasta in our dish because it has that “Suess” feel to it.  Then I steamed broccoli and asparagus to represent the trees.  And with a little Alfredo sauce for the mystical river, the kids and I will gulp down this simple but healthy dinner before heading off to the movie.

For a little fun, I added a drop of food coloring to our water to boil the pasta to represent the plastic town of Thneedville, along with a drop of blue food coloring for the river.  My kids are having their friends over Friday for dinner and the movie, so this will just add to the enjoyment of the movie.  Not to mention, even with a drop or two of food coloring, it beats burgers and fries on the nutrition scale.

The Lorax Family Dinner

add a drop or two of food coloring to the water

 

The Lorax Family Dinner

add steamed broccoli and asparagus

 

The Lorax Family Dinner

food coloring for the Alfredo sauce completely optional

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The Lorax Dinner Makeover

The Lorax Dinner Makeover

Ingredients

  • Cavatappi Pasta- 1 lb
  • Food coloring- Wilton or Duff's Electric Pink, Orange and Yellow (found at Michael's or Walmart)
  • steam-ready broccoli florets- 8 oz.
  • steam-ready asparagus tips- 8 oz.
  • Alfredo sauce- 1 jar

Instructions

  1. Fill pasta pan with water and add 4-5 drops of food coloring (one color at a time) and a teaspoon of salt; mix well
  2. Bring to boil
  3. Add one-third of pasta and boil in salted water until tender
  4. Repeat steps 1-3 for additional two colors
  5. Steam broccoli and asparagus
  6. Transfer pasta to serving bowl and top with steamed broccoli and asparagus
  7. Combine blue food coloring and Alfredo sauce to mix well, then drizzle over the top of pasta to create a river
https://tonispilsbury.com/the-lorax-dinner-makeover/

To create this pasta dish without food coloring:

Ingredients:

  1. Cavatappi Pasta- 1 lb
  2. steam-ready broccoli florets- 8 oz.
  3. steam-ready asparagus tips- 8 oz.
  4. Alfredo sauce- 1 jar

Directions:

  1. Boil pasta until tender, drain
  2. steam broccoli and asparagus
  3. transfer pasta to serving bowl and top with steamed broccoli and asparagus
  4. warm Alfredo sauce and drizzle over the top

 

For more information about this week’s menu, check out our Weekly Meal Plan from The Organized Cook: “Better Than Burgers”.

 

 

lorax pinterest party invitation

Looking for more Seuss inspired food and crafts? Click over to our The Lorax party and Linky!

 

 

 

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What’s For Dinner This Week- Better Than Burgers

By on February 24, 2012 in Making Dinner, Saving Time

Meal Planning for Busy Families

The Organized Cook answers the question, “What’s For Dinner Tonight?” with the answer- What’s For Dinner This Week.  And, to celebrate the opening of “the Lorax” movie this Friday, and in recognition of Lent, we’ve created a simple pasta dish with a “Lorax” makeover.

If you’re a subscriber to The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System, here’s what’s on the menu this week:

 

MONDAY

Chicken with Lemon Sauce

Day 1: Chicken with Lemon Sauce over Steamed Rice and Asian Cucumber Salad

 

TUESDAY:

chicken tortilla soup recipe

Day 2: Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup with Zesty Polenta Cakes

 

WEDNESDAY:

Greek Pita Pocket recipe

Day 3: Greek Pita & Greek Yogurt Cucumber Sauce with Mediterranean Potatoes

 

THURSDAY:

Southwest Chicken Enchiladas

Day 4: Southwest Chicken Enchiladas with Tex Mex Fried Rice

 

FRIDAY:

(to celebrate the opening of The Lorax movie this Friday, we’ve done a “Lorax” makeover on this dinner)

The Lorax Family Dinner

Day 5: Cavattapi Pasta with Broccoli, Asparagus & Alfredo Sauce (food coloring optional)

 

Get This Weekly Meal Plan

Let The Organized Cook do the planning and organization for you this week.  Get our Weekly Meal Plan “Better Than Burgers” including menu, grocery shopping list, recipes and easy-to-follow instructions.  Purchase individually for $6.99.

purchase individually for $6.99

Subscribe To The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System

Save money by becoming a subscriber to The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan System for only $12.99 per month (that’s over 50% savings from purchasing the meal plans individually).  Cancel at any time.  Subscribe now.

The Organized Cook Weekly Meal Plan SystemSubscribe Now
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