What's for Dinner?

OK - this may not be too fun either, but hopefully it will be yummy!!!  Since I had my son and he has started eating solid food, I have really gotten into cooking. 

I started making my own tortillas, dinner rolls (usually only for special occasions), muffins, cookies etc from scratch...  When I say scratch I mean not from a box or mix...I don't actually churn the butter or grind the flour, but everything is "un-put together" before I "put it together".  I have always sort of cooked...I usually made dinner (mostly from a box or a can).  Now, I try my darnedest to NEVER use a flavor packet and to limit the stuff that we eat out of boxes or cans.  This may change when I go back to work, but for now...I make breakfast, lunch and dinner this way - yeah! 

So, I made chicken manicotti with alfredo sauce two days ago and had some extra chicken tenders.  I need to eat them, so I think for dinner I will make "chicken tenders" duh - lol.  I don't want a lot of grease, so I think I will oven fry them...the recipe I like for this is:
1. Heat oven to 425degrees F
2. Melt approx. 2tbsp of butter in frying pan
3. Mix 1/4cup flour; 1/4cup bread crumbs, 1tsp of paprika, 1/2tsp garlic salt, and a dash of pepper together. Coat chicken in mixture.
4. Put chicken on broiler pan dizzle with melted butter
5. Bake for 15min uncovered, turn chicken over and bake for another 15min until no longer pink in the middle...meat thermo should read 170degrees F.

Then, I need a carb/starch and 2 veggies and a fruit hmmmmmm.

What goes better with chicken fingers than tater tots????  You guessed it, mac and cheese.  I admit that Ido cheat and use the blue box on occasion, but when I have time I like to make it myself.  My recipe is as follows:
1. Cook pasta (approx 3-4 servings) according to package. (I have made my own pasta, but store brands have such great shapes!) Drain add 2tbsp of butter to pasta (to keep it from getting sticky) and keep warm.
2. Put 1tbsp flour in a cup, add 1/2 cup milk (I like to use a tupperware gravy shaker, but you can just put it in a measuring cup and stir).
3. Add flour/milk mixture to pasta stir over med heat until boiling point (let boil at least 1min to cook flour).
4. Add shredded cheddar cheese to taste (I like to use about a cup - if you like really cheesy use 2cups).
5. Stir well until cheese is melted (reduce heat to keep from scorching). Serve immediately.

I like to steam a california medley (broccoli, cauliflower and carrots) with mac and cheese or other pastas with sauce...it tastes so good when they mingle.  Sometimes I use my rice steamer for this, but today I am going to use frozen and cook on the stove.

I have some pinapple chunks in the fridge, so that should do it for dinner - wish me well.  I'll let ya know how it goes.  (If you try it too let me know how it goes!).