Menu Planning {#3 of 2012} and a recipe

My menu may be starting to reflect that I'm pregnant. I definitely am having more cravings now. Second trimester is always a hard one for me because I want to eat everything and have a really hard time practicing self control. I have stocked our fridge with pineapple and yogurt and try to snack on those often. But baking has always been one of my favorite things to do and let's just say it has kicked in full force this month. I have only been leaving a dozen in the house and then sending the rest out the door. At least a dozen can't do too much damage to me. Or at least I tell myself that. ;) Okay enough chatting here is our menu. I ended up spending $76 for 2 weeks and 10 of that was on an awesome 3 lb roast from my favorite grocer. (Note: our night outs are not included in that amount... they come out of a different fund so I don't include them in grocery bill)

Day 1: Fried Chicken and corn

Day 2: Shredded beef tacos with avocado, corn, and black bean salad

Day 3: Saffron rice and chicken

Day 4: Spaghetti and salad

Day 5: Night out at whole foods

Day 6: Leftovers

Day 7: Super Bowl Party (I ended up making some buffalo chicken bites, fruit pizza, and cheesy toast)

Day 8: Stir-fry chicken and veggies with brown rice

Day 9: Spaghetti and pesto meatballs

Day 10: Breakfast for dinner (Steel-cut banana bread oatmeal and fruit)

Day 11: Baked chicken, garlic smashed red potatoes, and asparagus

Day 12: Cabbage rolls

Day 13: Cilantro lime chicken fajitas (recipe to follow) with smashed pinto beans

Day 14: Roast with leftover garlic smashed potatoes (we actual went on a date this night so we left this for our awesome friends who watched LB, we ate the leftovers a few days later giving me a night off cooking)

The day I made the cilantro lime fajitas I posted this picture on facebook:

Quite a few people commented or texted me for the recipe so i figured I'd post it on here. Now I really don't know exact amount on anything but I did my best to guess. I have been making this for years and each time I throw things in and taste it until its right. Play around with it to get the spices how you like them. 

Cilantro-lime fajitas

Marinade/sauce:

1 large lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)

1 bunch of fresh cilantro, ends snipped off then roughly chop the rest

2-3 cloves garlic 

1 jalapeno (now if you have little ones I recommend leaving this out unless they can handle the heat, LB can't so we leave it out if he is eating with us then add chipotle tabasco to our plate)  

1 tablespoon olive oil (this amount depends on how powerful your blender is if you have a great one you won't need as much)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Puree everything together to make a nice smooth sauce.

Then take:

1 lb. chicken, cut into strips

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

2 poblano peppers , thinly sliced

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

In one container throw the chicken and about 1/2 the marinade. Add a little olive oil and mix to coat. Let marinade for at least 1 hour, overnight is the best if you can wait.

In another container throw the veggies and about 1/2 the remaining marinade. Let sit.

When your ready to make dinner heat up a large skillet with some oil. Let it get nice and hot then throw your chicken in. Take the chicken out when it is no longer pink and throw your veggies in. Once the veggies are soft throw your chicken back in to finish cooking.

Serve with tortillas, cheese, sour cream, avocados, and beans. Use the rest of the marinade as a drizzle over top the finished fajitas. Or mix it with sour cream (W hates sour cream so I just mix a little with mine and he throws the rest on his).

Hope you all enjoy :) Also, if you have never made beans in the crock pot, do it! They are so easy and come out perfect. All you have to do is take a bag of beans rinsed and sorted, throw them in the crock pot cover with water plus an inch or two more. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours. They turn out perfect. I took about 2 cups out and smashed them with some cumin, salt, tabasco, and cheese. They were great on the side of these fajitas.