I am very excited for this week, and I am so sorry for getting this up as late as I am, because I want you all to be able to get excited for this week too. I have many great resources that I am tapping into this week. Second trimester has kicked in and I have been inspired to try some new things that I hope to love, and hope you will love too. We are sneaking in some fruits and vegetables this week. I got my hands on a copy of “The Sneaky Chef“, so you will be seeing a variation of Missy Lapine’s healthier version of brownies, packed with nutrients! I have three bonus recipes planned for you this week that all make great snack ideas, one of which comes from a book I will share more about later, “Baby & Toddler Meals for Dummies” (stay tuned for a giveaway of this book in the near future). I also have four crock pot recipes to share with you this week because I am working out of my Southern Living Slow Cooker cookbook. Two or them use chicken, so I cooked up a whole chicken tonight that I am planning to go cut into pieces when I am done posting. Okay, too much chit chat. Here’s my week:

Monday: Ratatouille (I love spell check!) 😉
Tuesday: Chicken Enchiladas
Wednesday: Mexican Macaroni
Thursday: Sgettis (using the leftover Ratatouille)
Friday: Chicken Lasagna Florentine
Bonus recipe #1: Peanut Butter and Apple Toast
Bonus recipe #2: Brownies you can feel good about
Bonus recipe #3: Fruit bouquet

Here’s what you need:

Ratatouille
1 large eggplant
1 large onion
2 tomatoes
1 large green bell pepper
1 large red bell pepper
3 medium zucchinis
3 garlic cloves
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. capers
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 (4.5 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Chicken Enchiladas
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
1 (4.5 oz.) can chopped green chiles
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
1 (8 oz.) bottle green taco sauce
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
Toppings: (optional) chopped tomato, chopped avocado, slicked green onions, sliced ripe olives, chopped fresh cilantro

Mexican Macaroni
1 (8 oz.) package elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained
1 (10-3/4 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup water
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
1 (4.5 oz.) can green chiles
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Mexican four-cheese blend

Sgettis
Spaghetti noodles
spaghetti sauce
leftover Ratatouille
mozarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

Chicken Lasagna Florentine
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 cups chopped roasted chicken
1 (10-3/4 oz.) can cream of chicken and mushroom soup, undiluted
1 (10-3/4 oz.) can cream of onion soup, undiluted
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
1 cup milk
1 (8 oz.) pkg. sliced fresh mushrooms, chopped
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
3.5 cups shredded colby-jack cheese blend
9 uncooked lasagna noodles
1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Bonus recipe #1: Peanut Butter and Apple Toast
3 pieces of whole-wheat bread
Butter for spreading (I left this out)
2 Tbs. Peanut butter, smooth
Finely slicked apples pieces

Bonus recipe #2: Brownies you can feel good about
1/2 cup wheat germ, unsweetened
1 box (about 21 oz.) brownie mix
2 large eggs
3/4 cup Blueberry and carrot First Juice
1/4 cup canola oil

Bonus recipe #3: Fruit bouquet
1 pineapple
1 cantaloupe
iceberg lettuce
(tools required: heart shaped cookie cutter, skewers, and melon baller)