From a Busy Momma's Table

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

2011-03-29T19:09:00.018-05:00

Breakfast: Cheesy scrambled eggs and ww toast, (Me: Breakfast Veggie Casserole, 8oz milk)
Eva's Snack: Chocolate Teddy Grahms, Strawberries, Babybel Gouda
Lunch: Roasted chicken panini, oranges (S)
Snack: gold fish (Me: Apple slices)
Dinner: Philly Cheesesteak Sandwhiches (S), french fries/Patatas Garlic Alioli, Apple & Carrot Slaw
My breakfast was AWESOME!! Yup, it was "just" baked eggs and sauteed veggies (red onion, green pepper and tomatoes) but it was tasty and I wasn't hungry until lunch time - yeah!! I seperated two eggs so I could make the Almond Cloud Cookies and the egg yolks I threw into the triplets Cheesy scrambled eggs (I HATE wasting food, lol) The cookies are REALLY good, but I needed to wait until the egg whites were stiffer (I'm always too impatient, lol) Lunch was good too. I used my Snack Master to make it. Since I'm not a fan of red pepper, I'll probably leave that off next time, but other than that, it was good.
Dinner was also good and ALL the kids ate the sandwhiches!! Whoo, hooo!! I used the Beef for faijtas from Share. I added 1/2 cup of beef broth, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon dried onions and let it simmer for over an hour. While the beef was simmering, I cut up the potatoes into bite size chunks, tossed with some EVOO and some garlic powder, put them on a cookie sheet and put them into a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. While the potatoes were baking, I mixed 1/2 cup of Miracle Whip with olive oil and some minced garlic. When the potatoes were done, I scooped out two portions and put them in the garlic mayo and tossed until well coated. The rest of the potatoes I salted and sprinkled with some parmesan cheese. The apple & carrot slaw I had made earlier in the day. I cut up an apple into big chunks and used my food processor to grate it and some carrots. I used my KFC Coleslaw recipe for the sauce and mixed it with the apples and carrots, covered, and let set the rest of the day. Ella and I were the only ones who ate it. I have plenty left over, so the others will get another chance, lol. The sandwhiches were easy to put together; put the buns on a cookie sheet, then layer thinly sliced green peppers, beef, then sprinkle mozzerella cheese on top. Insert into the hot oven for about 10 mins, or until the cheese is melted and the bread is as toasty as you want it. That's it!
Today was a good food day. Let's hope tomorrow is as good!

(Since dad has choir rehearsal on Tuesday nights, I like to make something easy for him to eat on the way, thus the take-out plate!)

Menu Plan for the week of March 28th, 2011

2011-03-28T08:43:00.003-05:00

Here is my meal plan for the week:
.....................S=S.H.A.R.E. Sc=Schwans A=Angel Food md=Market Day

Monday
Breakfast: cheerios, bananas (Me: Spanish Omelet, 8oz milk)
Eva's Snack: green pepper strips, Babybel Cheddar, tortilla strips
Lunch: Tortellini salad, strawberries
Snack: pretzels, strawberries
Dinner: kids: Quick Mac & Cheese, pizza dippers Us: Birdseye Steamfresh Grilled Chicken and Vegetable dinner (S)

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cheesy scrambled eggs and ww toast, (Me: Breakfast Veggie Casserole, 8oz milk)
Eva's Snack: Chocolate Teddy Grahms, Strawberries, Babybel Gouda
Lunch: Roasted chicken panini, oranges (S)
Snack: gold fish (Me: Apple slices)
Dinner: Philly Cheesesteak Sandwhiches (S), french fries, carrot sticks, sf jello

Wednesday
Breakfast: French Toast, strawberries (Me: Eggs Florentine, milk)
Eva's Snack: Apple slices, grahm crackers, string cheese
Eva's Lunch: PB Sandwhich, Salad (lettuce, grated carrots, peas, gr peppers, sliced hb eggs, shredded cheddar), strawberry
Lunch: Italian chicken skillet, apple slices, milk
Snack: applesauce, grahm crackers
Dinner: Honey Chicken (A), homemade Rice-A-Roni, veggie

Thursday
Breakfast: Muffins (Me: Feta cheese & Herb Frittata)
Eva's Snack: Pineapple chunks, baby gouda, bagel crisps, go-gurt
Lunch: Ginger Teriyaki Chicken, grapes, Milk
Snack: grahm crackers, grapes
Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Friday
Breakfast: Potato and Artichoke Frittata
Eva's Snack:"doritos", teddy grahms, grapes, Laughing Cow wedge
Lunch: Italian Egg and Pepper Sandwhich, Milk
Snack: air popped popcorn
Dinner: Herb crusted Flounder (S), "mashed potatoes and gravy", "fish sticks", corn

Saturday
Breakfast: ?
Lunch: pb sandwhiches, carrot sticks, apple slices
Dinner: home, WW Cheese Pizza

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Simple Salad, soup, roast chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, ww dinner rolls

Saturday, March 26th, 2011

2011-03-26T21:16:00.003-05:00

Breakfast: Leftover pancakes, protein bars, toast
Lunch: Dinosaur Spaghetti-O's, peaches
Dinner: WW Cheese Pizza Rolls, Chocolate Fondue

Well, I got up late this morning, so after I got the triplets ready for swimming, I fished around the fridge and found stuff for them to eat. We went to swimming lessons and surprised the kids by staying for Family Swim. By the time we came home, they were STARVING, so I heated up some Dinosaur Spaghetti-O's and open up some peaches. Then we had some errands to run and Daddy had a wiring job to do, so he left and the kids and I ran errands. And I was thinking of doing something different with the pizza tonight. I decided to roll my regular pizza dough out like I do for cinnamon rolls, but sprinkle parmesean cheese and mozzarella cheese on it. But I thought it might be too big to dip, so I found the middle, scored a light line down the middle, then rolled up each side to meet in the middle. I brushed some water on the sides, then squished them together. I cut the roll into two fingers widths with my bash n chop, put them into two greased 10 X 10 pans, and let them rise for 30 mins before I baked them at 350 for 20 minutes. I served them with warmed pizza sauce and all the kids said, "Oh mom, you've GOT to make this again!!!!"
For desert, I got out the fondue pot, warmed up 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream in the microwave for about 2 minutes, then poured it into the fondue pot. Then I added 1 cup of chocolate chips. I lighted the sterno and let it warm up while we ate dinner. By the time we wanted desert, it was ready! I had made a pound cake to dip in and also had: mini oreo's, madarian oranges, mini-marshmallows, pretzel squares, and strawberries. It was YUMMO-O!!!

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

2011-03-23T23:00:00.006-05:00

Breakfast: Cheesy scrambled eggs with ham (S), ww toast (Me: Spinach & Cheddar Frittata, milk)
Eva's Snack: Salad (lettuce, grated carrots, peas, gr peppers, sliced hb eggs, shredded cheddar)
Eva's Lunch: PB Sandwhich, strawberries, go-gurt, Annie's bunny fruit snacks,mini chocolate chip cookies
Lunch: Garden Vegetable Wraps, Pears, Milk
Snack: applesauce, grahm crackers
Dinner: Garlic, Lemon & Rosemary Crusted Pork Chops (S), brown rice, fresh asparagus

I changed the fruit for Eva's lunch since I have two packs of fresh strawberries to use before they go bad. And I planned ahead, so I also bought her some fruit snacks and some mini chocolate chip cookies. Both containers were empty when she came home!! whoo, hooo, I LOVE that! Especially when she hasn't been eating much lately. I think that by planning her lunches and snacks out for the week in addition to the rest of the meals helped me give her a better variety of foods she likes.
Breakfast was good, but I'm not enjoying the fat-free sharp cheddar, can't taste it!! lol I didn't do what I planned for lunch. I took the leftovers from yesterdays lunch, added a little salsa and cheddar cheese, then crumbled some tortilla chips on top. Yum!! It was VERY good and I'll make that again.
Dinner was a HIT!! I was feeling lazy (and rushed!) Thankfully, the pork chops were center cut and thin, so I just sprinkeled McCormicks Garlic, Lemon & Rosemary Crusting Blends on both sides. Swirled a little olive oil in the pan and when it was hot, put the port chops in the pan. Cooked over med-high heat for 3 mins on each side. Turned off the heat, covered them, and let them sit while I reheated the brown rice and steamed the asparagus. (15 mins later, they were still hot and the correct temp.) All the kids ate them and Eva actually ate 2 of them and wanted a third!!

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

2011-03-22T22:13:00.003-05:00

Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes, (Me: Blueberry Rice Pudding)
Eva's Snack: String cheese, green pepper strips, tortilla chips
Lunch: Black Bean Lettuce Bundles, oranges (S)
Snack: gold fish (Me: popcorn, Apple slices)
Dinner: Jerk Chicken crescents, sweet potato fries
Last night, after dinner, I made the brown rice for the pudding. I made Eva's snack while she was eating breakfast, chocolate chip pancakes (again!). I dropped Eva off at school, came home and made the pudding. I stirred in some frozen wild blueberries and let them thaw while I made the triplets their pancakes. I found Aunt Jemima's Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancake mix and I used the two cup recipe, adding some cinnamon to it. The pudding was good, but the next time, I'll add some vanilla to it. The Black Bean Lettuce Bundle filling I made last night as well, so this morning, I just shook the container to evenly distribute the seasonings. I put the filling in the lettuce during lunch and I have to say, not doing that again! The filling was really good, but it was too messy eating it in a lettuce leaf. I did have great success using some tortilla chips and that's they way I'll eat it from now on. For dinner, I was a little rushed because Eva got out of her class at 5 and when we got home, somebody had to go potty, someone needed their water filled, etc. etc. But the sandwhiches went together fairly easily and quickly. I cooked the sweet potato fries while I was making the sandwhiches. I did have to google how to make Jerk Seasoning, because I didn't have any!! The only kid who ate it (and liked it) was Joey. He and Eddie have been switching roles - now Joey will eat just about anything and Eddie is refusing to eat things!! sigh Hubby thought they were AWESOME and said he thought I had bought them at the store! (thanks, I think, lol) But I will make these again and I'll use this seasoning mix on chicken and see if the kids will eat them that way.

*****

Blueberry Breakfast Rice Pudding

PointsPlus™ Value: 7
Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 15 min

Ingredients
1/4 cup(s) sugar
2 cup(s) fat-free skim milk
1/4 tsp table salt
3/4 cup(s) fat-free egg substitute
2 tsp lemon zest*
1 1/2 cup(s) cooked brown rice
2 cup(s) fresh blueberries

Instructions

* Combine sugar, milk and salt in a medium pot over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer.

* Place egg substitute in a bowl and add 1/2 cup of milk mixture to eggs; beat to warm up egg mixture. Add egg mixture to pot with remaining milk mixture; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is consistency of pancake batter, about 7 to 8 minutes.

* Stir in zest and rice; cook over low heat to warm, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and divide among 4 bowls; top each with 1/2 cup of blueberries. Yields about 1 1/4 cups per serving.

(* I didn't use the zest, but 1 tsp cinnamon. I also stirred in some frozen wild blueberries and let it sit while I made the kids pancakes)

Black Bean Lettuce Bundles
PointsPlus™ Value: 2
Servings: 4 Preparation
Time: 12 min
Ingredients
1 cup(s) canned black beans
1/2 cup(s) cooked corn kernels
1/2 medium sweet red pepper(s), seeded and chopped*
4 medium scallion(s), sliced
1/4 cup(s) cilantro, chopped*
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp Durkee Ground Cumin Seed, or other brand
1 clove(s) garlic clove(s), chopped (medium)
1/2 tsp table salt
1 head(s) Boston lettuce, washed and seperated into leaves
(*I didn't use these. I used a green pepper, seeded and chopped)

Instructions

* In a medium bowl, mix the black beans, corn, bell pepper, scallions, cilantro, lime juice, oil, cumin, garlic and salt. Refrigerate, covered, until the flavors are blended, at least 1 hour.

* Place a lettuce leaf on a work surface and fill with about 1/3 cup of the bean mixture; fold up burrito-style. Repeat, using all the bean mixture (save any extra lettuce for a salad).

Caribbean Jerk Chicken Crescent Sandwiches Recipe

1 1/4 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup coarsely chopped purchased roasted red peppers
3/4 teaspoon Caribbean jerk seasoning #
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 can Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner -- (8-oz.) Rolls
1 egg white -- slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon sesame seed

Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, combine chicken, onions, peppers, jerk seasoning and soy sauce; mix well.

Separate dough into 4 rectangles; firmly press perforations to seal. Spoon 1/2 cup chicken mixture onto half of each rectangle. Fold dough in half over filling; press edges together. Seal edges with fork; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush tops with egg white; sprinkle with sesame seed.

Bake at 375°F for 15 to 18 minutes or until deep golden brown.

4 sandwiches.

Note: We also add cheddar cheese to the inside of these. My dh loves cheese on everything. I make my own dough instead of buying the crescent dough so that I can make several and freeze without spending $20 on crescent dough.

# Jerk Seasoning
2 Tablespoons dried onion
2 1/2 teaspoons Thyme
2 teaspoons allspice
1 teaspoons pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
3 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
Mix together and use

Monday, March 21st, 2011

2011-03-21T23:49:00.000-05:00

Breakfast: cheerios, bananas (Me: Three Berry Scones, 8oz milk)
Eva's Snack: pb on celery, baby gouda, crackers
Eva's Lunch: Cheese sandwhich, salad (lettuce, grated carrot, gr peppers), grapes & strawberries
Lunch: California Club Wrap, strawberries
Snack: pretzels
Dinner: Lemon & Basil Chicken (A) with Bowtie Pasta (S)

Today was a crazy day! While Eva was eating her breakfast, chocolate chip pancakes, I made the Three Berry Scone for myself. The next time I make this, I won't use so much milk, it was really goopy and I literally dumped it on a cookie sheet and baked it. It tasted ok, but didn't fill me up either. I probably won't make this again. Last night, I made Joey & Eva's snack and Eva's lunch and put them in the fridge. I had to bring Joey to Children's in Milwaukee by 9, so I had to get him ready and bring him with when I drop Eva off at school. After Joey's appointment, I dropped him off at school and made my lunch. Having the hummus on the tortilla was good, but the next time, I'm going to add some chicken to it! While the trips were in school, I thawed some boneless, skinless chicken, then poured juice from one lemon and sprinkled with basil. Put it in the fridge for later. Also took the clothes out of the washer that I threw in this morning, put in the dryer, and refilled the washer. Then I ran to get Eva from school, rushed back home to catch the triplets off of the bus, then ran up to north Racine for Eva's dr's appointment. Then I had to bring Eva to the Y for her swimming lessons, so it was 5:30 by the time I got home. I just heated a little olive oil in the pan and seared the chicken breasts. I mixed 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water, then added it to the lemon juice. I had grated the lemon peel before I juiced the lemon, and added that to the liquid. I poured it into the pan, brought it up to a boil, and let it boil until it was thick. Then I turned down the heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes. While the chicken was cooking, I reheated the bow tie pasta we got from S.H.A.R.E., then added 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. In my other microwave, I heated up some sugar snap peas. Dinner was on the table by 6:10!! whoo, hooo! The kids LOVED the chicken, which surprised me because the lemon was strong. Yup, we'll make that again!

Three Berry Scones
PointsPlus™ Value: 3
Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 25 min

Ingredients
2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp table salt
2 Tbsp regular butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1 cup(s) buttermilk
1 1/2 cup(s) frozen unsweetened mixed berries
2 serving(s) butter-flavour cooking spray Instructions
* Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

* In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix in butter until mixture is size of fine crumbs. Stir in buttermilk and then stir in berries.

* Shape dough into two 7-inch circles on prepared baking sheet. Cut each circle into 6 wedges and coat with cooking spray.

* Bake until cooked through and golden, about 20 minutes. Yields one wedge per serving.

California Club Wrap
PointsPlus™ Value: 3
Servings: 1
Preparation Time: 8 min
Ingredients
1 medium tortilla, flour, fat-free
2 Tbsp store-bought hummus
1 small tomato(es), thinly sliced
1/4 small cucumber(s), thinly sliced
1/2 cup(s) watercress, thick stems discarded *
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Instructions

* Lay tortilla on a flat surface and spread with hummus. Layer with tomatoes, cucumber and watercress. Season to taste, roll up tightly and enjoy.

Notes

* Although we've suggested that you use tomato, cucumber and watercress, fill it up with any veggies you have on hand.

(* I just used lettuce instead of watercress)

Menu Plan For the week of March 21st, 2011

2011-03-21T06:00:00.003-05:00

Here is my meal plan for the week:
.....................S=S.H.A.R.E. Sc=Schwans A=Angel Food md=Market Day

Monday
Breakfast: cheerios, bananas (Me: Three Berry Scones, 8oz milk)
Eva's Snack: pb on celery, baby gouda, crackers
Eva's Lunch: Cheese sandwhich, salad (lettuce, grated carrot, gr peppers), grapes & strawberries
Lunch: California Club Wrap, strawberries
Snack: pretzels
Dinner: Lemon & Basil Chicken (A) with Bowtie Pasta (S)

Tuesday
Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes, (Me: Blueberry Rice Pudding)
Eva's Snack: String cheese, green pepper strips, ww tortilla chips
Lunch: Black Bean Lettuce Bundles, oranges (S)
Snack: gold fish (Me: Orange Oatmeal Muffin, Apple slices)
Dinner: Jerk Chicken crescents, sweet potato fries

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cheesy scrambled eggs, ww toast (Me: Spinach & Cheddar Frittata, milk)
Eva's Snack: Salad (lettuce, grated carrots, peas, gr peppers, sliced hb eggs, shredded cheddar)
Eva's Lunch: PB Sandwhich, Carrot sticks, pineapple chunks
Lunch: Garden Vegetable Wraps, Pears, Milk
Snack: applesauce, grahm crackers
Dinner: Pork chops (S), brown rice, veggie

Thursday
Breakfast: Orange Oatmeal Muffins
Eva's Snack: Pineapple chunks, baby gouda, bagel crisps, go-gurt
Lunch: Ham (S) and Cheese Quesedilla, sliced carrots, sliced apples (S)
Snack: cheese and crackers
Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Friday
Breakfast: Pancakes
Eva's Snack: Go-gurt, teddy grahms, grapes, Laughing Cow wedge
Lunch: Gnocchi Marinara, Mixed Veggies, Milk
Snack: air popped popcorn
Dinner: Herb crusted Flounder (S), brown rice, corn

Saturday
Breakfast: Herbed Ham and Potato Frittata
Lunch: bologna sandwhiches, carrot sticks, apple slices
Dinner: home, WW Cheese Pizza

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Simple Salad, soup, roast chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, ww dinner rolls

Monday, Mar 14th, 2011

2011-03-14T18:28:00.003-05:00

Breakfast: cheerios, bananas
Lunch: Quick Mac & Cheese, hot dogs
Snack: pretzels
Dinner: Leftover Turkey & Rice Casserole

Well, today is the first day of Spring Break, which is weird because it is NOT Spring nor Spring-like outside, and Easter isn't for another month!! Dad took off this week to be home too, but it's more like he's working from home, sigh. So I got to sleep in this morning, but because of Daylight Savings time, I was strolling down the stairs around 10!! oops! The oldest served herself Cheerios, but didn't bother to serve the others, grrr. So I hurried up and made some Quick Mac & Cheese with hot dogs for EVERYBODY, but Dad. Since he doesn't like mac & cheese, I went into the freezer and pulled out a bowl of chili for him. After it was reheated, I sprinkled shredded cheddar cheese on top.
Then I kicked the kids outside so I could work on my menu for the week. (Hey, it was 42 outside, lol) I decided to make this casserole for tonight to use up the turkey, rice, and broccoli that we had leftover from yesterday's dinner. The thing of it was, I looked at the ingredients, NOT at how it was prepared. When I went to make it, I was like "oh no, that's just not going to work for us". So, I redid the recipe. And Dad & I thought it was AWESOME!! The kids, not so excited about it! Eva and Joey picked out the turkey, left the rest. Eddie and Ella didn't even touch it! The kids ate several pieces of bread that I had made. I had had a coupon for Pillsbury's Simply Rustic French Bread. I cooked it in my Pampered Chef Valtrompia Bread tube. Since the bread cooked at 350 for 30 mins, I was able to cook it with the casserole.

Leftover Turkey and Rice Bake

Turkey and rice bake recipe, made with broccoli, turkey, cooked rice, cheese, seasonings, and a bread crumb topping.
Cook Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked rice
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and drained
1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup sour cream
3 or 4 tablespoons dried onions
turkey slices, 6 to 8 large slices, cubed
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
1 tablespoon melted butter

Preparation:Combine the rice, dried onion, broccoli, cubed turkey and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Combine the soup and sour cream then stir into the rice and vegetable mixture. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 11x7-inch baking dish.
Toss bread crumbs with butter and sprinkle around edge of casserole. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until hot and browned around the edge.
Serves 6.

Idea from: http://southernfood.about.com/od/turkeycasserole/r/bl50804c.htm?p=1

2011-03-14T14:02:00.002-05:00

Here is my meal plan for the week:
.....................S=S.H.A.R.E. Sc=Schwans A=Angel Food md=Market Day

Monday
Breakfast: cheerios, bananas
Lunch: Quick Mac & Cheese, hot dogs
Snack: pretzels
Dinner: Leftover Turkey & Rice Casserole

Tuesday
Breakfast: Applesauce Muffins
Lunch: grilled cheese sandwhiches
Snack: gold fish
Dinner: Meatball bombers

Wednesday - Zoo Trip!
Breakfast: Pancakes, bananas
Lunch: bento style lunches
Snack: applesauce, grahm crackers
Dinner: Beefy Mac (S)

Thursday - St Patrick's Day
Breakfast: Choclate Chip pancakes
Lunch: bologna sandwhiches, carrot sticks, peaches
Snack: cheese and crackers
Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Friday
Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: Chicken fries (sc), waffle fries
Snack: @ Jump Zone
Dinner: Fish stick tacos, brown rice, corn

Saturday
Breakfast: Apple Sausage Waffles
Lunch: bologna sandwhiches, carrot sticks, apple slices
Dinner: home, WW Cheese Pizza

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Simple Salad, soup, roast chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, ww dinner rolls

Menu Plan For the week of Mar 7th, 2011

2011-03-07T07:02:00.001-06:00

Here is my meal plan for the week:
.....................S=S.H.A.R.E. Sc=Schwans A=Angel Food md=Market Day

Monday
Breakfast: Scrambled Cheesy eggs (A) with ham (S)
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: pretzels
Dinner: Turkey Tetrazinni (left overs)

Tuesday
Breakfast: Applesauce Muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: gold fish
Dinner: Rib-B-Q sandwhich (S)

Wednesday
Breakfast: Pancakes, bananas
Lunch: bento style lunches
Snack: applesauce, grahm crackers
Dinner: Quick Tilapia, buttered noodles, carrots

Thursday
Breakfast: French Toast Sticks (S)
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: Grahm Cracker Fish (md), pb
Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Friday
Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: hot air popcorn
Dinner: Fish stick tacos, brown rice, corn

Saturday
Breakfast: french toast "muffins"
Lunch: bologna sandwhiches, carrot sticks, apple slices
Dinner: home, WW Cheese Pizza. Eva and I, bento dinner

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: bento lunch
Dinner: Simple Salad, soup, roasted turkey breast, mashed potatoes, corn, ww dinner rolls

2011-03-02T21:56:00.005-06:00

Breakfast: French Toast, bananas
Lunch: Bologna and Cheese sandwhich, potato salad, sliced pears
Snack: applesauce, grahm crackers
Dinner: Chili (kids with hot dogs), cornbread muffins
Eva's Lunch: Bunny cheese sandwhich, ruffled carrot coins, shredded lettuce, apple crinkle "fries", Girl Scout PB Sandwhich Cookies
Eva's Snack: Pretzels, string cheese

Started off the morning running. Just as I was walking out the door to take Eva to school, Joey came down the stairs. When I returned home, Eddie was downstairs too and they were "STARVING!!", so I made french toast right away, using the recipe I always use. After breakfast, I made the chili in my big soup pot and let it simmer on the stove. I had Parent/Teacher conferences from 3:30-5:30, then had to leave the house at 6 in order to make it to church on time for me to teach and Eva to take CCD. Chili seemed the perfect meal.
At lunch, I decided to make sandwhiches since I had a lot of potato salad leftover. I picked up Eva from school, we came home, had our snack, then left for the triplets school. After the conferences, I got home at 5:30 and made the cornbread muffins right away. I used the Jiffy corn muffin mix I got from Angel Food in January, but I added 1/2 cup sour cream to the two boxes and they were YUMM-O!! Eva and I ended up eating dinner in the car, but it was good!
Dad served the chili to the triplets with a hot dog. Well, they ate the hot dog, lol!

Tues, March 1st, 2011

2011-03-01T22:40:00.003-06:00

Breakfast: PB on waffles
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: gold fish
Dinner: Cheddar Bacon BBQ Chicken(S) Sandwhich, Potato Salad, Peaches

Well, I guess I won't put pb on waffles anymore. Only Eddie ate them that way. Joey and Ella only ate half their waffle before they said they were "full". I ended up making them a ham and cheese sandwhich before they went to school.
I changed the snack for today. I wasn't thinking that Eva had theater class at 4. The last couple of weeks, we just didn't have enough time to come home, do homework, then bring her to class. So this week, I picked up Eva from school and went straight to the studio. We stayed in the van while they ate their snack, Cheese Quesidillas with sliced apples, and Eva did her homework. I brought a bag full of "stuff" for the trips, which was never enough, but no surprise there, lol. Then I brought Eva into the studio, had her change into her outfit and go to class. SO MUCH BETTER this week! I'm going to do this every tuesday!
Dinner was good. I didn't follow the recipe, just used the idea. I had leftover chicken that I needed to use up right away. I pulled it off of the bone, then mixed in some BBQ sauce and reheated in the microwave. I placed some on a bun, placed some shredded cheddar cheese on top, then crumbled some crisp bacon on top of that. Placed it in the microwave just long enough for the cheese to melt. YUMM-O!! Served it with potato salad and some Jamie Oliver's Evolution Carrot Salad (because I was out of canned peaches. Could've sworn there were two more cans in there!!) I didn't use the mint nor the seeds. I also didn't use Clementine's, just mandarian oranges with some of their juice. This time when I made it, I had some coriander seeds (accidently bought them around Christmas time), so I (tried) to grind up some coriander and WOW! did it smell good! I'll have to see if I can find some already ground. It has a bright, lemony smell and taste to it and it really perked up the salad. I highly recommend it!! For the record, Joey and Ella ate it, Eddie and Eva wouldn't. Really surprised because Eddie likes oranges, carrots, and feta cheese, but I guess not all together, lol!! To her credit, Eva ate two whole sandwhiches and actually tried each salad, so I'll call that a win, lol!

Jamie Oliver's Evolution Carrot Salad
4-5 large carrots, peeled and grated
3 Tbsp olive oil (original recipe called for 6 Tbsp)
salt and pepper to taste
sprigs of fresh mint and coriander, chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice (I zested a lemon and then squeezed the juice from 1/2 the lemon into the salad)
handful of sunflower seeds, toasted
2 or 3 small clementines, peeled and cut into thick slices
crumbled feta

Just toss everything together in a bowl. Yum!

Serves 4

Mon, Feb 28th, 2011

2011-02-28T21:36:00.004-06:00

S=S.H.A.R.E. Sc=Schwans A=Angel Food md=Market Day

Monday
Breakfast: Scrambled Cheesy eggs (A) with ham (S), banana bread
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: pretzels
Dinner: Italian Pork chops (A), scalloped potatoes, corn (A), rice krispie treats (from Sunday!)
Eva's Snack: Sliced pears (S), pretzel rods, Gouda Baby Bell
Eva's Lunch: Cheese sandwhich, string cheese, pretzels (md), pineapples and apples, Girl Scout Peanut Butter sandwhich cookies
For breakfast, I took some of the ham lunch meat that I got from Share, diced it into little pieces, and added it to the eggs along with some chives, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. I still had some banana bread left, so I sliced it up and served it with the egss. (I had taken it out of the freezer on Friday and I really needed to use it up)
For lunch, I really didn't have any leftovers, so I ate one of the sandwhiches I bought from Market Day. It sounded so good, a pretzel bun with ham and cheese. But the bun didn't seem much like a pretzel to me. I think I'll have to try to make some at home and see what I come up with!
When the trips came home, I gave them little bags of pretzel squares from Market Day. Yes, I know it would've been cheaper to buy a big bag and that's what I usually do, but I was feeling lazy the day I ordered from Market Day and I saw this big bag of little bags and I was like, "oh yeah, instant snacks!" lol I still had some dinosaur fruit snacks that I bought at the bakery outlet, so that's what I gave Eva and she was happy.
For dinner, the potatoes and the pork chops were to be cooked at different oven temps and I have only one oven, so I prepared the oven and stuck them in the oven right before we left the house for swimming. After we came home from Eva's swimming lesson, the potatoes were done, so I pulled them out of the oven, turned up the oven temp, and prepared the pork chops using Italian Shake and Bake. They baked at 400 for 20 mins and while they were cooking, I pulled corn (A) out of the freezer and cooked it in the microwave with my Pampered Chef microsteamer. While I was waiting for everything, I sliced up a loaf of italian bread I had left over from Thursday. (We weren't home all weekend, otherwise, it would've been gone!)
The kids ate it too and even asked for seconds! I had just enough for Dad's lunch tomorrow!

Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients

3 Tbsp butter
2 lbs (about 4 medium sized) Russet potatoes, peeled, sliced 1/8-inch thick
2 1/2 cups grated Cheddar (about 8 ounces)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
2 1/2 cups to 3 cups of half-and-half (half milk, half cream) (I used all milk)
Salt and pepper

Method

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a large casserole dish with 1 1/2 Tbsp of butter. If you use a casserole dish that is about 9x13 (bigger than the one shown) you'll have more surface area, more of the potatoes will brown, and the cooking time will be faster.

2 Layer the bottom of the casserole dish with 1/3 of the potato slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Layer on 1/2 cup of the Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan.

Repeat by layering on 1/3 of the potato slices, sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Layer on the remaining 1/2 cup of the Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan.

Top the casserole with the remaining potato slices. Add the half and half. Dot the potatoes with the remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp of butter.

3 Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for one hour. After an hour, remove from the oven, remove the foil, sprinkle on the remaining Cheddar and Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven for an additional 30-40 minutes. When done, the potatoes should be tender, but not mushy, and the liquid should be mostly absorbed.

For a faster cooking time, you can parboil the sliced potatoes for 8 minutes first, patting them dry, before layering them in the casserole pan. In this case the total oven cooking time is about 35-45 minutes.

Serves 8.

Menu Plan For the week of Feb 28th, 2011

2011-02-28T10:39:00.004-06:00

Here is my meal plan for the week:
.....................S=S.H.A.R.E. Sc=Schwans A=Angel Food md=Market Day

Monday
Breakfast: Scrambled Cheesy eggs (A) with ham (S), banana bread
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: pretzels
Dinner: Italian Pork chops (A), scalloped potatoes, corn (A), rice krispie treats (from Sunday!)

Tuesday
Breakfast: PB on waffles
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: gold fish
Dinner: Cheddar Bacon BBQ Chicken(S) Sandwhiches, Potato Salad, Peaches

Wednesday
Breakfast: French Toast, bananas
Lunch: Chicken Fries (Sc), carrot sticks, sliced pears
Snack: applesauce, grahm crackers
Dinner: Chili (kids with hot dogs)

Thursday
Breakfast: Breakfast Sandwhiches
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: Grahm Cracker Fish (md), pb
Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Friday
Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: hot air popcorn
Dinner: Slow cooker Chicken (A) and dumplings

Saturday
Breakfast: french toast "muffins"
Lunch: bologna sandwhiches, carrot sticks, apple slices
Dinner: Turkey Tetrazini at the KTEC Spring Potluck

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: leftover buffet
Dinner: Simple Salad, French Onion (S) Soup, Liptons Onion Soup Beef Roast (A), Mashed Potatoes, Corn (A), WW Dinner Rolls, cake (?)

Menu Plan For the week of Feb 21st, 2011

2011-02-21T16:28:00.002-06:00

Here is my meal plan for the week:
.....................s=S.H.A.R.E. sc=Schwans A=Angel Food
Monday
Breakfast: Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes, breakfast sausage links (s), bananas
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: grahm crackers
Dinner: Chicken (A) Meatball Stroganoff, corn, left over biscuits

Tuesday
Breakfast: cheesy scrambled eggs and sausage
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: gold fish
Dinner: Chicken Sandwhiches (A), Cheesy Quik Taters (sc)

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cheerios, bananas
Lunch: bologna sandwhiches, carrot sticks, apple "fries"
Snack: applesauce, grahm crackers
Dinner: Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken, brown rice, green beans

Thursday
Breakfast: Applesauce Waffles
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: cheese and crackers
Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Friday
Breakfast: French Toast
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: mini carrots and dip
Dinner: FRENCH'S® CRUNCHY ONION CHICKEN, mashed potatoes, broccoli (s)

Saturday
Breakfast: muffins
Lunch: baby shower
Dinner: cousin's birthday party

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: leftover buffet
Dinner: Friendship Dinner (I'm bringing Turkey Tetrazini)

Menu Plan For the week of Feb 14th, 2011

2011-02-14T13:16:00.001-06:00

Here is my meal plan for the week:

Monday
Breakfast: Scones with mini-chocolate chips and dried cherries
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: pretzels
Dinner: Out to Eat

Tuesday
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with bacon pieces, leftover scones
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: hot air popcorn
Dinner: Chicken Quesadillas, Spainish Rice

Wednesday
Breakfast: Yogurt, Cheerios, bananas
Lunch: hot dogs, potato chips, apple slices
Snack: applesauce, grahm crackers
Dinner: Pork chops, potato pancakes

Thursday
Breakfast: Applesauce Muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: cheese and crackers
Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Friday
Breakfast: French Toast
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: mini carrots and dip
Dinner: Steak, beef-a-roni, green beans

Saturday
Breakfast: Home-made poptarts
Lunch: Sandwhiches, carrots
Dinner: Home made whole wheat cheese pizza

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: leftover buffet
Dinner: Cheese and Crackers, Pasta Roma soup, simple salad, Slow cooker beef roast, mashed potatoes, Buttered Corn, WW Dinner Rolls, 2 bite chocolate cream pie

Wednesday, Feb 9th, 2011

2011-02-09T22:14:00.004-06:00

Breakfast: yogurt with cheerios
Lunch: hot dogs and potato chips
Dinner: Crescent Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli

Eva had off of school today. When I came downstairs, they were "camping" in the living room. But I did find time to get on the computer and while I was looking through my Google Reader, I saw this recipe from Comfy Kitchen and HAD to make it! And it was soooo good! This goes in my permanent collection!
I had some split chicken breasts from my February Angel Food order. I threw them in my soup pot, poured water over it until it was covered, put in some garlic, onion, and some salt, and let it cook until the breasts were done. I set aside the chicken to cool while I loaded the dishwasher. Then I peeled some potatoes, chopped them up and threw them in some cold water and set the heat on high. While the potatoes were cooking, I prepared the chicken dish. I used two packages of crescent rolls so that I would have enough leftovers for Gerald's lunch tomorrow. The first photo shows how I fit them all into the dish!

Crescent Chicken

(serves 6-8 rolls)

1 (8 or 6 jumbo count) package refrigerator crescent rolls

2 cups chopped cooked chicken

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can of milk (using soup can)

Preheat oven to 350

Prepare soup using milk and set aside. Separate crescent rolls. Spoon chicken and cheese onto each crescent; roll and seal to enclose filling. Place in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour soup over rolls. Bake at 350 uncovered for 30 mins.

Menu Plan for the week of Feb 7th, 2011

2011-02-07T23:08:00.000-06:00

or the week of Feb 7th, 2011

Here is my meal plan for the week:

Monday
Breakfast: Applesauce Pancakes
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: pretzels
Dinner: Turkey Veggie Tortellini Soup

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cheesy scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage
Lunch: soup
Snack: pb sandwhiches, animal crackers
Dinner: Chicken Patty Sandwhiches (S), Tater Tots, Corn

Wednesday
Breakfast: Yogurt, Cheerios, bananas
Lunch: hot dogs, potato chips, apple slices
Snack: ramen noodles
Dinner: Crescent Chicken, Mashed potatoes, broccoli

Thursday
Breakfast: Applesauce Muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: Sliced apples and pb
Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Friday
Breakfast: French Toast
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: hot air popped popcorn
Dinner: Quick Mac & Cheese with ham (?)

Saturday
Breakfast: Mini Omelets
Lunch: Sandwhiches, carrots
Dinner: Home made whole wheat pizza

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: leftover buffet
Dinner: Cheese and Crackers, Pasta Roma soup, simple salad, Slow cooker Turkey Breast, buttered egg noodles, Buttered Corn, WW Dinner Rolls, Custard Pie

2011-01-18T22:37:00.002-06:00

Tuesday
Breakfast: Pancake Breakfast Sandwhiches, cutie oranges
Lunch: chili and cornbread
Snack:
Dinner: Easy Ramen Noodle Bowl
Eva's Snack: I didn't pack one as they were having a snack at school

Did not make what I said I was going to, as hubby called to say he was going to be home very late. So after Eva's musical theater class, we went straight home and I made Quick Mac & Cheese for the kids (with Barilla's Plus elbow macaroni). For hubby and I, I made up the Bird's Eye Asian chicken we got from our SHARE order. It was actually pretty good.

I was glad to not have to cook too much as I had been cooking like crazy all day. Miss Picky has decided not to eat bean burritos for breakfast, or anything resembling breakfast food. She does not like eggs any way but hard boiled. Does not like bacon or breakfast sausage. Does not like waffles, french toast or pancakes, unless they have mini chocolate chips in them!! So I've been cooking some foods that I know she'll ACTUALLY eat, stored them in Ziploc's 8oz bowls, and froze them. I figure that if I have several things in the freezer, Miss Picky can have a choice and I don't have to spend time I don't have at that moment, making something for her. I made more mac & cheese, then froze 4 of them with hot dogs in two, ham in two. (For the ham, I stuck one piece of ham in the food processor and processed it until they were the size of bacon bits). I cooked up some Barilla Plus Spaghetti and added spaghetti sauce. Made up 4 of those. Also made 6 mini cheese pizzas using the pizza dough recipe I like, substituting half of the flour with whole wheat flour. Tomorrow morning, I'll make some oat bran pancakes with mini chocolate chips for her. I made hard boiled eggs today, so I'll serve her one of those with the pancakes. I also have whole wheat tortillas, so I can make her quesadillas, served with green pepper strips. I bought cans of no sugar peaches, cups of tropical fruit, and plenty of apples and bananas. Cross your fingers, I hope this works!!

2011-01-18T14:03:00.004-06:00

OMG! OMG! OMG! I WON!! I entered a sweepstakes at BHG.com (Better Home & Gardens). I was hoping for the cookbooks, but I got the turkey fryer as well! It just came today!! Can't wait to check out the new cookbooks.
And I really am excited about the fryer. I was just saying yesterday how the fryer we have is too small because I need to do three batches of fries in order to have enough for a meal, but since that's all I really use it for, what a waste of money to go out and buy a larger one. Eeek! I just LOVE trying out new kitchen gadgets, lol!

Menus Plan for the week of Jan 17th, 2011

2011-01-17T13:32:00.000-06:00

For the week of Jan 17th, 2011

Here is my meal plan for the week:

Monday
Breakfast: Applesauce Pancakes
Lunch: grilled cheese sandwhiches, carrots
Snack: pretzels and cheese
Dinner: Chili, (leftover) BBQ Chicken Sandwhiches, Waffle Fries

Tuesday
Breakfast: Pancake Breakfast Sandwhiches, cutie oranges
Lunch: chili and cornbread
Snack:
Dinner: Easy Ramen Noodle Bowl

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cheerios with bananas
Lunch: pb&j sandwhichs, apple slices
Snack: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Dinner: Ranch Crispy Chicken with rice, green beans

Thursday
Breakfast: Cheesy Scrambled eggs, Whole Wheat Toast, peaches
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: Sliced apples and pb
Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Friday
Breakfast: French Toast
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: hot air popped popcorn
Dinner: Quick Mac & Cheese with ham (?)

Saturday
Breakfast: French Toast Sticks
Lunch: Sandwhiches, carrots
Dinner: Frozen Cheese Pizza (Eva has a show, so I won't be home to make dinner)

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: leftover buffet
Dinner: Cheese and Crackers, Pasta Roma soup, simple salad, Slow cooker Turkey Breast, Bread Stuffing, Buttered Corn, WW Dinner Rolls, Pudding parfaits

Sunday, Jan 16th, 2011

2011-01-16T22:30:00.010-06:00

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: leftover buffet
Dinner: Cheese Straws, Black Eyed Pea Soup, Simple Salad, BBQ Chicken Legs, Parmesen Potato Wedges, Cornbread Muffins, Chocolate Cake with pudding filling
Groceries:
SHARE: Chicken thighs, carrots, potatoes
Angel Food: Black eyed peas, celery

Nothing planned today besides church. Before church, I threw all the ingredients for the soup in one slow cooker, in another slow cooker, I tossed in BBQ sauce and chicken thighs. I know I said chicken legs, but the more I thought about it - chicken legs dripping with sticky BBQ sauce, I just knew my kids weren't going to eat it because of the icky, sticky, mess on their hands (yes, my kids are weird, but you know that, lol). And because of that, I'd have to take the chicken off of the bone anyway, so I decided to save myself the grief and to shred the chicken after they were done cooking. Since I didn't need the oven for this, in the slow cooker they went. After church, I reheated some leftovers for the family and now I had plenty of time to make a cake. But not just any cake! I came across my Culinque Cake Pan and thought "Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Pudding filling - yummmmm" But I lost the recipe booklet that came with it, so I searched the internet for some recipes. I found a recipe for Mocha Magic Cake and made it, leaving out the coffee. I used already made whipped chocolate frosting. I just didn't think the pudding was going to be thick enough, and I was right. As long as the cake was cold, the pudding didn't ooze too much. But once the cake started to get warmer, the pudding oozed more and became difficult to cut (and that was after cutting 6 pieces!!) Going to have to work on that recipe, lol.
And I have to share with you the recipe for the corn bread. Now my husband and I have been together for over 20 years, and NEVER once did I hear him say that he didn't like corn bread, until tonight when he says, "I don't usually like corn bread, but this recipe is a keeper" Huh? Wait? You don't like corn bread? Since WHEN!?! Ok, whatever, I'll only make this recipe from now on, lol. (Corn bread printable)
A word about the soup. I received with my Angel Food order two bags of black eyed peas. I have never eaten these and had NO ideas what to do with them. While I was on Facebook, there was an ad on the side for Publix and their Sunday Dinner menus. Always searching for ideas forSunday menus, so I checked out the site and saw the recipe for Black Eyed Pea Soup and since it was similar to the recipe I use for split pea soup, I decided to make it. It tasted a lot like my split pea soup recipe, just not "pureed" like split peas get.
Parmasean Potato Wedges - About an hour and a half before I wanted to eat, I cleaned up 8 potatoes, then cut them into wedges (half, half again, half again). Coated them with olive oil and then put them into the oven to bake.
So for dinner, we first had the Cheese Straws, which half the kids liked and the other half didn't (I didn't like the recipe I used, so I'll be searching for a new one). Then we had a simple salad of chopped romaine with some shredded parmesean cheese. I then served some cut up Cutie oranges (the triplets HAD to have those when I was in the grocery store with them. Miss Picky doesn't like oranges) Then we had our main meal of shredded BBQ Chicken, Sour Cream Cornbread, and Parmesan Potato Wedges. For desert, we had the Chocolate "Magic" Cake.

Monday, Jan 11th, 2011

2011-01-10T23:08:00.000-06:00

Monday
Breakfast: Baked apple doughnut holes
Lunch: left overs
Snack: popcorn
Dinner: Home made Mac & Cheese, Homemade Whole Wheat Bread, Chicken and Rice casserole (A) for dad & I
Eva's Snack: Baby Bel Cheddar Round, Bagel Crisps

Breakfast was AWESOME! Or at least, I thought so. The kids were like, "eh". I think they've lost their minds! For dinner, the kids wanted Mac & Cheese again, so I used the Quick Mac & Cheese recipe for that with Barilla's whole grain elbow macaroni. For dad & I, I took, the frozen chicken & rice soup from Angel food, added some mixed vegetables and two leftover chicken breasts, diced up. It made a pretty tasty casserole for us.

Baked apple donuts with cinnamon

Ingredients:
2 apples (I used Fuji apples)
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1-1/2 c. of all-purpose flour
1/2 c. of sugar
1-3/4 tsps. of baking powder
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/3 c. of cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg
1/4 c. of milk
For the topping:
1/4 c. of butter, melted
1/3 c. of sugar
1 tsp. of cinnamon powder

Peel and roughly chop the apples into small dice. Melt 3 tablespoons butter, then add 3 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Add the diced apples and cook, on med-low, until they are just starting to get soft. Turn off heat and let cool.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add the butter to the flour mixture. Rub the butter against the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Beat the egg. Pour in the milk and stir lightly. Add the chopped apples to the egg-milk mixture.
Pour the apple-egg-milk mixture to the flour-butter mixture. Fold in just until blended. DO NOT overmix. The batter will be a bit stiff.
Form the batter into loose balls (I used the medium Pamerped Chef Cookie scoop) and place in a muffin pan. (If you’re not using a non-stick pan, brush the holes lightly with softened butter.)
Bake at 350oF for 25 minutes.
While the donuts/donuts holes/muffins are baking, prepare the topping. Measure the sugar and cinnamon powder into a bowl. Stir to combine.
When the donuts/donuts holes/muffins are done, remove from the oven. Use a teaspoon to remove them from the pan. While still warm, dip the tops in melted butter them dredge in the sugar-cinnamon mixture.
Serve warm while crusty — with coffee for a total experience. Enjoy!

Idea from: http://homecookingrocks.com/baked-apple-donuts-with-cinnamon-and-nutmeg/

Menus Plan for the week of Jan 10th, 2011

2011-01-10T09:38:00.001-06:00

For the week of Jan 10th, 2011

Here is my meal plan for the week:

Monday
Breakfast: Baked apple doughnut holes
Lunch: left overs
Snack: popcorn
Dinner: Home made Mac & Cheese, Homemade Whole Wheat Bread, Chicken and Rice casserole (A) for dad & I

Tuesday
Breakfast: Bagels with cream cheese or peanut butter, banana
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: muffins
Dinner: Turkey Pot Pie with Savory Crumble Topping

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cheerios with bananas
Lunch: pb&j sandwhichs, apple slices
Snack: mac & cheese
Dinner: Chicken fried rice

Thursday
Breakfast: Pancakes and sausage
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: pretzels and cheese
Dinner: Lasagna Roll-ups, italian bread

Friday
Breakfast: French Toast Sticks
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: Mini Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Dinner: Pierogis and Brats

Saturday
Breakfast: Waffles
Lunch: grilled cheese
Dinner: Homemade Whole Wheat Cheese Pizza

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: leftover buffet
Dinner: Cheese and Crackers, Cheddar Beer Soup, Salad, BBQ Chicken Legs, Garlic Fries, Cornbread Muffins, Chocolate Cream Pie

Thursday, Jan 6th, 2011

2011-01-06T22:53:00.003-06:00

Breakfast: Mini Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: pretzels and cheese
Dinner: Baked Ziti with Meatballs
Eva's Snack: Strawberry Go-gurt, Bagel Thins, Babybel Cheddar round
Eva's Lunch: leftover Quesadillas, steamed crisp broccoli, apple slices, mozzarella stick, apple flavored candy cane

For the pancakes, I took a pancake mix using the 3 cup recipe. I added 3/4 cup oat bran and 1 cup of mini chocolate chips. I used my Pampered Chef medium cookie scoop to make the perfect size for my kids. Using my electric griddle, I'm able to make 6 at a time. This is Miss Picky's FAVORITE breakfast food.

When the triplets went to school, I made mini meatballs and dropped them into boiling spaghetti sauce. While they were cooking, I brought some water to boil for the rotini noodles. When the noodles were done, I put them into my large bowl and added the spaghetti sauce with the meatballs. I put saran wrap over the top and stuck it in the fridge. While I was at Children's Hospital with Joey, Gerald fed Miss Picky first, since she had a Girl Scout event tonite. When Joey and I got home, Gerald warmed up the pasta and we had dinner. That was the ONLY way we could have done dinner tonite!

After dinner, I made the marinade for the sticky chicken and put it in the fridge for tomorrow's dinner.

Wednesday, Jan 5th, 2011

2011-01-05T22:21:00.004-06:00

Breakfast: Cheerios with bananas
Lunch: pb&j sandwhichs, apple slices
Snack: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal muffins
Dinner: Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos , spainish rice, refried beans and cheese
Eva's Snack: String Cheese, Strawberry Go-gurt, cheerios

The kids LOVED the muffins, but hey, it had chocolate chips in it. Kept my mind off the smell of the chicken in the slow cooker! I'm so glad I saved the recipe on Family.Go.com because when I went to refer the recipe, it was changed!! So this is all I did to make this:
Took out my slow cooker
Poured in enough salsa to cover the bottom
Threw in 2 pkgs of chicken thighs
Pour over the rest of the salsa
Turn on high and cook for 6 to 7 hours
Take chicken out, let cool until easy to handle. Take meat off the bones and put back into the salsa. Add 2 tsp cumin and 1 tsp chili powder, stir to blend.

Use hard tacos or flour tortillas to make tacos or burritos.

Monday, Jan 3rd, 2011

2011-01-03T22:17:00.005-06:00

Monday
Breakfast: Pancakes and sausage
Lunch: chili and fritos
Snack: Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Dinner: Home made Mac & Cheese, Homemade Whole Wheat Bread, Minestrone Soup for dad & I
Eva's Lunch: PB sandwhich, fritos, steamed crisp broccoli, apple slices, Christmas chocolates
Eva's Snack: Babybel Gouda, Babybel Cheddar, String Cheese, Grapes

First day back to school after the Christmas break!! House was kind of quiet after the triplets went to preschool, but was loud again after 3, lol!! While they were at school, I made 3 loaves of banana bread. Had to use up a bunch of bananas before the fruit flies took them away! I followed the recipe except for the flour - I used 1 cup of wheat flour instead of white and 1/3 cup all-purpose flour. My kids LOVE this and I feel better serving it for breakfast if it has whole wheat in it.
For dinner, I made Mac & Cheese for the kids and Minestrone soup for dad & I. Gerald does not like Mac & Cheese and the kids don't like Minestrone, so this worked for everyone. I used a new recipe for the soup, but it's basically a "dump every veggie you have" into the pot. Instead of cabbage, I use kale. I found at Woodman's a can of chopped kale, which is great because I can't always find fresh kale.

Menus Plan for the week of Jan 3rd, 2011

2011-01-03T11:45:00.003-06:00

For the week of Jan 3rd, 2011

Here is my meal plan for the week:
Monday
Breakfast: Pancakes and sausage
Lunch: chili and fritos
Snack: Whole Wheat Banana Bread
Dinner: Home made Mac & Cheese, Homemade Whole Wheat Bread, Minestrone Soup for dad & I

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cheesy Scrambled eggs with iced raisin biscuits
Lunch: hot beef over mashed potatoes (leftovers from Sunday's dinner)
Snack: Quesadilla's
Dinner: Chicken Scallopini in a Rosemary Cream sauce, mini ravioli, homemade italian bread

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cheerios with bananas
Lunch: pb&j sandwhichs, apple slices
Snack: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal muffins
Dinner: Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos , spainish rice, refried beans and cheese

Thursday
Breakfast: Mini Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: pretzels and cheese
Dinner: Baked Ziti

Friday
Breakfast: French Toast
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
Dinner: Sticky Chicken with brown rice

Saturday
Breakfast: Cinnamon Apple Doughnut holes
Lunch: grilled cheese
Dinner: Homemade Whole Wheat Cheese Pizza

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: leftover buffet
Dinner: Cheese and Crackers, Veggie Beef & Brown Rice Soup, low fat Ceasar Salad, Rosemary Turkey Breast, Bread Stuffing, Buttered Corn, WW Dinner Rolls, chocolate cake (?)

2010-12-20T06:00:00.001-06:00

For the week of Dec 20th, 2010

Here is my meal plan for the week:
Monday
Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: Bologna sandwhiches, carrot sticks, peaches
Snack: PB Muffins with chocolate chips
Dinner: Home made Mac & Cheese, WW Bread

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cheesy Scrambled eggs with bacon
Lunch: ravioli
Snack: Quesadilla's
Dinner: Beef Stew

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cheerios with bananas
Lunch: pb&j sandwhichs, orange or apple slices
Snack: Mini fruit wheat muffins
Dinner: Asian Orange Chicken with brown rice

Thursday
Breakfast: Mini Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: home made ww pretzels
Dinner: Spaghetti

Friday - Christmas Eve
Breakfast: French Toast
Lunch: leftovers
Snack: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
Dinner: Shrimp Cocktail, Fish Chowder, salad, Parmasean Crusted Salmon (kids - fish sticks), brown rice, cheese platter, cannoli's

Saturday - Christmas Day
Breakfast: Cinnamon Twists
Lunch: at my mom's house
Dinner: at my in-law's house

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: Cheese sandwhiches, carrot sticks
Dinner: Navy Bean Soup, Dinner Salad, Orange Marmalade Ham, Asparagus, Scalloped Potatoes, WW Dinner Rolls, cookie platter

2010-12-14T22:19:00.004-06:00

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cheesy scrambled eggs with bacon
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Basic Sauteed Chicken, Brown Rice, Peas and carrots
Eva's Snack: strawberry go-gurt, genetti cookie, colby cheese

Today was a lazy day cooking as I'm not feeling well. I figured this would be quick and easy and it was. I used wine for the glaze and used it for hubby and I. I gave the plain chicken to the kids and they loved it. Have to remember this recipe!

Basic Sauteed Chicken

Ingredients
2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 pinch kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chicken broth and 1/2 cup dry white wine or just use 1 cup chicken broth or another tasty liquid of your choosing if the wine is going to be too wine-y f or your kids
1 handful chopped parsley

Directions

Begin by trimming the chicken breasts if they need trimming. I use my beloved kitchen scissors and snip off any shaggy bits of fat or gristle.
Pat them dry with paper towels (to helps them brown) and sprinkle them with some kosher salt.
Heat a very large pan over medium-high heat and add the butter, which should melt and foam, and the olive oil, which should stop the butter from burning. When the fat is all very hot but not turning black (recipes say "when the foam subsides"), add the chicken breasts in one layer. Now leave them alone for 5 or so minutes while the bottom gets nice and crusty and brown.
Use tongs or a spatula to flip them over as they brown, and then cook another 4 or so minutes until the bottom is very brown and the chicken is cooked through. You may want to cut a piece open to check, but pressing a cooked breast with your fingertip will give you a feel for its doneness, which will develop over time into the skill of knowing when it's done without cutting it.
Pile the chicken on a heat-proof plate and pop it into a 200ºF heated oven while you "deglaze" the pan. Pour the wine in and scrape with a spatula to dissolve all the yummy browned bits while the wine bubbles and boils furiously in the hot pan.
When the wine has cooked down about halfway, add the broth, turn the heat to high, and cook until the sauce seems syrupy and delicious. Taste it for salt, then drizzle it over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley, and serve. Sometimes, if the chicken has browned but doesn't seem quite cooked through, I leave it in the pan while I make the sauce so that it can simmer in there a bit longer.

2010-12-13T19:41:00.000-06:00

For the week of Dec 13th, 2010

Here is my meal plan for the week:
Monday
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Minestrone Soup with tortellini, Kids - just tortellini with parmasean cheese and hotdogs

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cheesy Scrambled eggs with bacon
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Sauted Basic Chicken, brown rice, peas and carrots

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cheerios with bananas
Lunch: Bologna sandwhiches, carrot sticks, peaches
Dinner: Chili (?), cornbread (and hotdogs for the kids)

Thursday
Breakfast: Applesauce Muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Spaghetti & Meatballs garlic bread

Friday
Breakfast: Blueberry Pancakes
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Cheesy Roasted Chicken Nachos, Cheese Quesidillas

Saturday
Breakfast: Waffles and sausage
Lunch: chicken nuggets and french fries
Dinner: Home made cheese pizza

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: French toast with peaches
Dinner: I'm not sure yet!

Monday, Dec 6th, 2010

2010-12-06T20:29:00.004-06:00

Monday
Breakfast: doughnuts
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Quick Mac and Cheese, biscuits, Tempura Shrimp
Eva's Snack: Home made pretzels, strawberry go-gurt
Eva's Lunch: Beef Raviolis, SF Chocolate Pudding Mousse
.....(they were serving Cheseburgers at school)

Kind of a lazy day as far as cooking goes! I was busy cleaning the house and trying to decorate for Christmas. Miss Picky wanted Mac & Cheese for dinner, but the last two times, I used Kraft and she didn't like it, so I made it from scratch, since it was easy and I was craving it! She liked it!!!! Yeah!!! I knew that wasn't going to be enough for Dad & I, so I heated up the Tempura Shrimp I bought from a Schwans fundraiser and WOW! were they good, especially the dipping sauce. Will buy those again!

Double-Chocolate Mousse
prep time 15 min total time 35 min makes 6 servings

What You Need
1-1/2 cups fat-free milk, divided
2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1 pkg. (2.1 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Fat Free Sugar Free Instant Pudding
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP FREE Whipped Topping, divided 1/2 cup
fresh raspberries (opt)
Make It
MICROWAVE 1 cup milk and chocolate squares in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min.; whisk until chocolate is melted. Add remaining milk and dry pudding mix; beat 2 min. Refrigerate 20 min. WHISK in 1-1/2 cups COOL WHIP; spoon into 6 dessert dishes. TOP with remaining COOL WHIP and berries.

Quick Macaroni and Cheese
INGREDIENTS
2 quarts water
1 Tbsp salt
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (our family uses rotini)

1/2 lb cheddar cheese, grated (about 2 cups, packed)
1 teaspoon corn starch
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 teaspoons flour
1 ½ cups milk
4 slices American Cheese
1/4 cup ham, chopped into 1/4 inch cubes (opt)

METHOD
1 In a medium sized bowl, mix corn starch into the grated cheese, so that the cheese is coated,
set aside. This will help the cheese from getting too stringy.
2 Bring 2 quarts of water with the tablespoon of salt to a boil in thick-bottomed saucepan. Add the elbow macaroni and follow the cooking time instructions on the package, minus about 2 minutes. (If your macaroni doesn't come with instructions, start checking at 7 minutes). Cook until al dente - cooked through, but still slightly firm. Drain the water from the cooking pan.
3 While the macaroni is cooking, prepare the sauce. Melt the butter in a large saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Slowly dribble in the milk, while whisking (to avoid clumping) until the sauce is smooth. Slowly add the grated cheese, while whisking, until smooth. Stir in the American Cheese. Add the cooked, drained macaroni and ham, if using. Do not over-mix.
Serve immediately.
Serves 3-4 adults or 4-6 kids.

Idea from: Simply Recipes http://simplyrecipes.com

Sunday, Dec 5th, 2010

2010-12-05T22:37:00.005-06:00

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: French toast with peaches
Dinner: Chunky Mediterranean Chicken Soup, dinner salad, Chicken Cacciatore with angel hair pasta, whole wheat dinner rolls, cookies

Today was the day of Daddy and Eva's recital. Since I knew we wouldn't be home until sometime between 5 and 6, I cooked the soup ahead of time and put it in the slow cooker. I prepared the Chicken Cacciatore and put it in my Nesco, on 250 degrees. When we got home, I reheated the rolls and steamed some broccoli and VOILA! dinner was on the table by 6. We did not have the pie as I didn't have time to make it before, and afterwards, we brought home so many cookies from the reception after the recital, that I didn't see it neccessary to make the pie. The soup was AWESOME! We will have it again for dinner Monday night as I have plenty left over. Joey was the only one who ate the soup and the chicken. The other kids wouldn't try the soup and didn't like the chicken and only ate the angel hair with spaghetti sauce. Dad and I thought the chicken was awesome too! Joey especially loved the mushrooms. I bought baby portabella's and they were really good in this.

Chunky Chicken Soup, Mediterranean Style

Ingredients
1 tb Olive oil
1 md Onions -- chopped
1 md Bell pepper -- chopped
2 Cloves garlic -- minced
1 cn Stewed tomatoes -- (14 1/2 Oz)
4 c Chicken broth
2 c Water
1/2 c Rice
1 tb Basil
6 md Carrots -- sliced
1 lb Skinless boneless chicken
Breast -- cut into 3/4 Cubes
1 pk Green beans -- (10 oz)
1/4 ts Black pepper
Preparation

In a large pan, heat oil over moderate heat. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Stir in tomatoes, broth, water, rice, and basil and bring to a boil. Adjust heat so the mixture simmers gently, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Add carrots, and cook 5 minutes longer. Add chicken and green beans and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until chicken is just cooked through. Stir in the black pepper.
Recipe By : Readers Digest Live Longer Cookbook

(I cooked everything in the skillet, then put it into a slow cooker. I added the broth and the water, then cooked it on high for several hours)

Mom's Chicken Cacciatore

Servings 8

Ingredients

* 2 cups all-purpose flour for coating
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 (4 pound) chicken, cut into pieces
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 2 cups fresh mushrooms, quartered
* salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Shake the chicken pieces in flour until coated. Heat the oil in a large skillet (one that has a cover/lid). Fry the chicken pieces until they are browned on both sides. Remove from skillet.
2. Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper to the skillet and saute until the onion is slightly browned. Return the chicken to the skillet and add the tomatoes, oregano and wine. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes over medium low heat.
3. Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 10 more minutes.

(I did not fry the chicken first. I pulled all the skin off first. Then I layed half the cooked onions and green peppers in the bottom of my Nesco, then layed the chicken on top, then the rest of the onions and green peppers. Poured the wine on the chicken and set it to 250 degrees and let it cook for several hours. An hour before I was to serve, I put on the sliced mushrooms and let it cook for another hour.)

Friday, Dec 3rd, 2010

2010-12-03T20:49:00.003-06:00

Friday
Breakfast: Cinnamon twists
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Green Chile-Turkey Enchiladas and brown rice
Eva's Snack: Strawberry go-gurt, steamed crisp broccoli, chocolate sandwhich cookies

I didn't make the cinnamon twists. The recipe was from a cookbook, but I couldn't find the book! So I pulled out some apple pancakes from the freezer and Voila! breakfast was served.
Dinner was soooo yummy! I'm saving this one for Thanksgiving leftovers any time!! Miss Picky was the only one who wouldn't eat it, so I heated up a frozen bean burrito for her.

Green Chile-Turkey Enchiladas
Turn leftover turkey into a Mexican f iesta! These enchiladas can be assembled in 15 minutes before baking.
Prep Time: 15 Min Total Time: 55 Min Makes: 8

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sour cream ranch dip
2 tablespoons all-purpose f lour
2 cups diced cooked turkey
2 cups f inely shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend (8 oz)
1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles, undrained
1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso® mild enchilada sauce
1 package (11.5 oz) Old El Paso® flour tortillas for burritos (8 inch)
Chopped tomatoes, chopped avocado and shredded lettuce, if desired

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix dip
and f lour. Stir in turkey, 1 cup of the cheese and the chiles.
Spread about 2 tablespoons enchilada sauce over bottom of baking dish. Spread 1 to 2 teaspoons
enchilada sauce over each tortilla; top each with about 1/3 cup turkey mixture. Roll up each tortilla and
place seam side down in baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce.
Cover with foil; bake 25 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake uncovered about 15 minutes
longer or until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted. Garnish with tomatoes, avocado and lettuce.

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

2010-12-02T20:03:00.000-06:00

Thursday
Breakfast: Applesauce Muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Baked Ziti and garlic bread

I love this muffin recipe, I've made it several times now. This time, I used my home made applesauce, so it was a little chunky and I put them into a jumbo muffin tins (added 10 min's to the time). I've never used the topping, just because I didn't want the mess from the kids, lol. And dinner was very yummy! I saw on tv where they put the ricotta cheese on top and did not stir it in. So I did that with this recipe and it was REALLY good!!

Applesauce Oat Muffins
10 Servings Prep: 15 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup fat-free milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg white
TOPPING:
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the applesauce, milk, oil and egg white. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill muffin cups coated with cooking spray three-fourths full.
Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 400° for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.
Yield: 10 muffins.
Nutrition Facts: One muffin equals 222 calories, 6 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 3 mg cholesterol, 265 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 fat, 1/2 fruit.

Baked Ziti with Ricotta Cheese
Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour
Servings: 7
"Rich and creamy ricotta cheese is combined with mozzarella, beaten egg and spaghetti sauce to make a rich and filling sauce for cooked ziti. Top with Ricotta and Parmesan cheese and bake for a delicious, classic Italian casserole."
INGREDIENTS:
1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
24 ounces ricotta cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until
al dente; drain and rinse.
2. In a medium bowl, mix ziti, mozzarella cheese, egg and 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
4. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and spoon in ziti mixture. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce, followed by Ricotta and Parmesan cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes; let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Tuesday, Nov 30th, 2010

2010-11-30T19:48:00.000-06:00

Tuesday
Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Turkey Tetrazzini
Yup, I was suppose to make Turkey Divan, but Miss Picky wanted spaghetti noodles and we had a crazy evening ahead, so I made the tetrazzini. Oh, I always forget how good this is!! I didn't add the peas into the tetrazzini (mainly bc I didn't have any in the freezer, oops!) I steamed some broccoli and served it along side the tetrazzini. Yummm, can't wait for the leftovers the next day!

Turkey Tetrazzini
INGREDIENTS
12 oz egg noodles, spaghetti, linguini or other pasta
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 4-5 cups)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/4 cup cream
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dry sherry (or vermouth or dry white wine)
3 cups coarsely chopped cooked turkey
1 cup peas
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan (divided into 1/3 and 1/3 cups)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt and Pepper
Ground nutmeg (optional)
1/3 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (or panko)
Freshly chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
METHOD
1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Start heating 2 to 3 quarts of water for the pasta. Add 1 teaspoon of salt for each quart of water.
2 Cook the mushrooms in 3 Tbsp of the butter over medium heat, stirring, until all of the liquid the mushrooms give off has evaporated, 5-10 minutes. Set aside.
3 In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 1/4 cup of butter. Stir in the flour, and cook the mixture over low heat, stirring, for 3 minutes.
4 About now, put the pasta into the boiling water you've heated. Follow the package directions and cook until al dente. While the pasta is cooking, continue on with the recipe.
5 Into the saucepan with the butter and flour, slowly whisk in the milk, cream, broth, and the sherry. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 to 8 minutes.
6 When the pasta is ready, drain it. In a large bowl combine the pasta, the sauce, the mushrooms, the turkey, and the peas. Stir in 1/3 cup of the Parmesan. Stir in the lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Note that if you have been using unsalted butter, and/or unsalted or low sodium stock, you will need to add more salt than you might expect. Just keep sprinkling it in until it is seasoned to your taste. Add a pinch of ground nutmeg if using, again to taste. Transfer the mixture to a buttered 3-quart casserole.
7 In a small bowl combine well the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan and the bread crumbs. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the tetrazzini, and dot the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, cut into bits.
8 Bake the Tetrazzini in the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it is bubbling and the top is golden.
Garnish individual servings with chopped parsley.
Serves 4 to 6.

2010-11-29T09:44:00.003-06:00

For the week of Nov 29th, 2010

Here is my meal plan for the week:
Monday
Breakfast: Breakfast Sausage and Hash browns
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Cannellini Bean Soup, dinner rolls. Kids: Mac and Cheese

Tuesday
Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Turkey Divan

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cheerios with bananas
Lunch: Pampered Chef's Turkey Cranberry Wreath, peaches
Dinner: Lemon and Herb Crusted Wild Salmon, Brown Rice, Carrots

Thursday
Breakfast: Applesauce Muffins
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Baked Ziti and garlic bread

Friday
Breakfast: Cinnamon twists
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Green Chile-Turkey Enchiladas

Saturday
Breakfast: Waffles and sausage
Lunch: chicken nuggets and french fries
Dinner: Home made cheese pizza

Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lunch: French toast with peaches
Dinner: Chunky Mediterranean Chicken Soup, dinner salad, Chicken Cacciatore with angel hair pasta, jello, whole wheat dinner rolls, chocolate cream pie

2010-11-22T14:10:00.003-06:00

For the week of Nov 22nd, 2010

Here is my meal plan for the week:
Monday
Breakfast: Cheesy Scrambled Eggs and Ham
Lunch: chicken soup
Dinner: Spilt pea soup, dinner rolls. Kids: Mac and Cheese

Tuesday
Breakfast: Pancakes
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Chicken Stir Fry Kit

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cheerios with bananas
Lunch: Chicken Nuggets, carrot sticks, peaches
Dinner: Lemon and Herb Crusted Wild Salmon, Homemade Rice a Roni, Green Beans

Thursday
Breakfast: Applesauce Muffins
Lunch: Thanksgiving Dinner at my mom's house
Dinner: Pampered Chef's Turkey Cranberry Wreath

Friday
Breakfast: Cinnamon twists
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Garlic Pork Loin, mashed potatoes, peas

Saturday
Breakfast: Waffles and sausage
Lunch: chicken nuggets and french fries
Dinner: Home made cheese pizza

Sunday
Breakfast: Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins
Lunch: French toast with peaches
Dinner: Cannellini Bean Soup, dinner salad, Turkey, sour cream mashed potatoes, cinnamon whipped sweet poatoes, jello, whole wheat dinner rolls, apple pie

Suncay, Nov 21st, 2010

2010-11-21T21:43:00.008-06:00

Sunday
Breakfast: Easy Applesauce Muffins
Lunch: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with carrot sticks

A Return to Sunday Dinner:
Creamy Cauliflower Soup
simple dinner salad (Salad Blend, grated carrots, sliced mushrooms, fresh mozzarella slices)
Italian Chicken Legs with Spinach Fettuccine
whole wheat dinner rolls
mini chocolate eclairs

Today was a tough day as I'm starting to feel sick. Thankfully, the soup and the chicken was SUPER easy to make! I had dinner rolls in the freezer, just for moments like this! I used my white ramekins for the kids soup and some bigger clear glass ones for the kids salad. Only Joey ate the soup, which hubby and I thought was very yummy. And hubby got me a new digital probe thermometer/timer from Kohl's super sale. I put all the chicken in my 12" frypan, added the rest of the ingredients, then stuck the probe in one of the legs, put the cover on it, set the probe to 165 degrees and sat down. About 35 minutes later, the probe beeped and VOILA!! chicken was done! I had cooked the fettuccine right after church, threw it in a gallon baggie with some olive oil and put it in the fridge. When the chicken was done, I put the fettuccine in the microwave for a few minutes and it was hot and ready! I couldn't find spinach fettuccine in the grocery store until I went to the gourmet section, where I spent $2.25/bag and had to get 2 bags to feed my family. Well, I could've saved the money and gotten regular fettuccine as I only had two kids, my husband, and myself eat it. Or buy just one bag and make up a regular flavor for the other two (Miss Picky and Ella). I was not feeling up to making anything, so I went to the store and bought mini eclairs. These had chocolate filling instead of vanilla and the kids gobbled them up. They were very good and I hope I can eat more tomorrow (I only ate one to try it, just afraid of my stomach, lol)

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Time: 1 hour. Yield: Serves 4 or 5 (makes 7 1/2 cups)
This soup is a real trickster onions and cauliflower blend into a purée so smooth, you'd swear it
included cream. It's also a good introduction to this vegetable for those who think they can't stand cauliflower, since its sulfurous flavor is very mild here and no cauliflower is actually visible. But if you do love it, keep the soup a little chunky so you'll have some florets in your bowl.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
About 1/2 tsp. salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 large head cauliflower (2 lbs.), chopped (or 1lb bags of frozen cauliflower)
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and salt, cover, reduce
heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally , until onions are very soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Add
garlic and wine. Cook, stirring, until liquid is almost completely evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Stir in cauliflower and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook
until cauliflower is very soft, 20 to 25 minutes.
3. In 3 batches, whirl soup in a blender until very smooth, at least 3 minutes per batch (or, if
you'd like a few florets in y our soup, blend 2 batches and leave the last chunky ). Stir together
and season to taste with white pepper and salt.
4. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, chives, and parsley . Ladle soup into bowls and
decoratively drizzle herb oil on top.

Italian Chicken Legs with Spinach Fettuccine
A hearty tomato sauce and spinach fettuccine make this a colorful and tasty Italian dish.

Cooking Method: Stove-top Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 package (1 pound, 8 ounces ) A ll Natural™ Chicken Drumsticks
1 /2 teaspoon salt
1 /2 teaspoon pepper
1 can (14 1/2 ounces ) Italian- style stewed tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 ounces spinach fettuccine

Directions
1 . Bring large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
2 . Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, turning occasionally, for about 4 to 5 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned but not thoroughly cooked.
3 . Stir together tomatoes , basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken. When liquid comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 to 25 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened and chicken is thoroughly cooked.
4 . Meanwhile, cook fettuccine in pot of water according to package instructions
5 . Serve drumsticks and tomato sauce over fettuccine.

2010-11-17T23:38:00.004-06:00

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cheerios with bananas
Lunch: mac & cheese with hot dogs
Dinner: Tuna Rice Casserole, peas, dinner rolls
Eva's Snack: American Cheese, Baby Gouda, Mulitgrain Bagel Bites with butter, tootsie rolls, and popcorn (with buttered flavored Pam and salt)

Sorry, light day for cooking. But that was a good thing as I REALLY needed to catch up on dishes and cleaning out the fridge. Tomorrow is garbage day and it's been over a month since I purged and cleaned the fridge. And since the triplets didn't have school today, I knew I was going to need all day just to complete those simple tasks!
Dinner was just a tuna casserole, but I wanted the kids to eat it, so I didn't use the cream of mushroom soup and used the broccoli cheese soup. Added ranch dressing, because everything tastes better with ranch dressing! And it worked! The triplets ate the casserole, but Miss Picky didn't. I figured she wouldn't!

TUNA RICE CASSEROLE

1 cup milk
1 (10 1/2 oz.) can cream of broccoli cheese soup
1 (2-7 oz.) can tuna
1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 pkg dry ranch dressing
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 (16 oz.) can peas or green beans or frozen, precooked (did not add)
1/4 c. crushed potato chips

Blend milk into the soup in a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. Stir in tuna, cheese, ranch dressing, rice, and vegetables. Crush potato chips. Sprinkle over top of casserole.
Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. 6 servings.

2010-11-16T08:46:00.006-06:00

Tuesday
Breakfast: Breakfast Biscuit Quiches
Lunch: Creamy Ranch Chicken
Dinner: Italian Green Bean Chicken and noodles
Eva's Snack: Hard boiled egg, goldfish, strawberry go-gurt, tootsie rolls

Oh my gosh! Breakfast was sooo good, I had to post it on facebook, lol. I bought the wrong count of biscuits - 8 instead of 10. I, or the triplets, could've eaten another one! I used cheddar instead of swiss because my kids won't eat swiss. It was really easy to make, easy to bake, easy to eat. LOVE LOVE LOVE this one!!

Breakfast Biscuit Quiches
Recipes by Incredible Edible Egg
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 to 25 minutes Makes: 10 mini quiches

What You Need
2/3 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped ham
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
3 EGGS
2 Tbsp. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 pkg. (12 oz.; 10 biscuits) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Here’s How
1. HEAT oven to 350°F. COMBINE cheese, ham and green onions in small bowl; mix well.
BEAT eggs, milk, salt and pepper in medium bowl until blended.
2. SEPARATE biscuits; press or roll each into a 5-inch round on lightly floured surface.
PLACE 1 biscuit in each of 10 greased muffin cups, leaving the 2 cups in center of pan
empty. PRESS biscuits firmly against bottom and sides of cups and form rim at top.
3. SPOON 2 Tbsp. cheese mixture into each cup. POUR IN egg mixture, dividing evenly.
4. BAKE in center of 350°F oven until filling is set and biscuits are deep golden brown, 20
to 25 minutes. REMOVE from pan; serve warm.

After yesterday's cooking marathon, I need an easy night and this recipe fit the bill. I used thighs because that is what I had on had. I let it simmer for an hour on low to let the flavors develop and to make sure the chicken was tender. I kept the green beans seperate because my kids wouldn't eat them that way, but it sure sounded good. I served it with buttered noodles, which the kids were excited about.

Italian Green Bean Chicken
Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 30 Minutes Servings: 6
"This is a really flavorful dish featuring simmered chicken and green beans in a simple tomato sauce."

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken
breast halves - cubed
2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1 pound fresh green beans - rinsed, trimmed and steamed
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and saute until aromatic oils are
released, then add chicken and cook through until no longer pink.
2. Stir in tomatoes and basil and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for another 3 to 5
minutes. Finally, stir in steamed beans and serve.

Monday, Nov 15th, 2010

2010-11-15T21:33:00.012-06:00

Meatless Monday

Monday
Breakfast: Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal, Peaches
Lunch: lemon chicken and salad
Dinner: Spanish Tapas; Spanish Tortilla, Patatas Alioli & Bravas, Garlic Mushrooms, White Bean dip, baguettes, cheeses, carrot sticks
Eva's Snack: Baby carrots, Whole Wheat Ritz, Baby Bel Baby Gouda, Danimal Strawberry yogurt cup, twizzlers

Breakfast was really good. I thought it was going to be just peanut butter swirled into oatmeal, but it wasn't. It ended being like a moist peanut butter oatmeal cookie. Joey and Eddie loved it, but Ella wouldn't touch it.
Dinner was really good too. I made more for dinner tonight because the last two Monday nights, everyone, me included, was STARVING by 8 o'clock! When I was looking through my Tapas cookbook, I saw two recipes using potatoes and my kids LOVE potatoes, so I decided to whip them up. But I couldn't decided which sauce to make, so I made both, which was a good thing since some liked the garlic mayo and some like the brayas and some liked both! (While the triplets were in school, I made the sauces and the bean dip and it really didn't take that long. Then I peeled and sliced the potatoes and set them in cold water in a bowl on the counter. When it came around to dinner time, all I had to do was cook up the potatoes and slice and toast the bread) I made the mushrooms for Joey and I and yup, he liked them. I sliced the bread into 1" slices and toasted them, then spread the bean dip onto them. I didn't tell the kids it had beans in it and they ate it just fine, lol. I could not find sun dried tomatoes for less than $5 for a little jar, so I did not make that! I thought it sounded good to put on top of the bread, but NOT at that price! And dinner must've worked, because everyone left the table full and went to bed happy! Yeah!!

Tortilla Espanola (Spanish Tortilla)

Prep Time: 35 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes Ready In: 2 Hours 20 Minutes Servings: 6
"This classic potato and onion 'omelet' is eaten all over Spain. Since it's served at room temperature, this delicious starter can be made well in advance of your guest's arrival."

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup olive oil
2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, sliced into rings
6 eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

DIRECTIONS:
Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add half of the potato slices, and
cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. When done, remove potatoes to
a large bowl, leaving oil in the skillet. Cook the remaining potatoes in the oil until tender, then
add to the bowl, leaving oil in the skillet. Gently toss potatoes with salt and pepper to taste.
Whisk eggs in a large bowl until smooth. Gently fold in cooked potatoes.
Heat the skillet with the reserved oil over high heat. Pour in the egg mixture, and cook for 2 minutes, then lower the heat to med-low and gently cook until the sides have started to set and the bottom has turned golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Loosen the tortilla with a spatula if needed, then carefully slide onto a large plate. Turn the skillet upside down and place onto the uncooked side of the tortilla. Turn the skillet right-side-up, and remove the plate. Return the skillet to the stove, and continue cooking until the tortilla has set in the center, about 4 minutes.
Slide the tortilla onto a serving plate and allow to cool to room temperature. Cut into six
wedges and sprinkle with parsley to serve.
Patatas Alioli & Bravas
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
4-5 medium potatoes
alioli sauce (see below)
Preparation:
Serves 4.

Peel the potatoes. Cut potatoes into 1/3" to 1/2" chunks as follows: Cut the potato lengthwise, then cut it lengthwise again. You should have four long pieces. Now, cut each of those pieces into 3-4 pieces, cutting crosswise. This should give you nice bit-sized pieces, small enough to use a
toothpick to skewer. Sprinkle with salt.
Pour olive oil in a wide, deep frying pan, with a heavy bottom. Heat the oil on medium high until hot. To test the oil, carefully place one piece of potato in the oil. It is hot enough if the potato
immediately fries. If there is no bubbling/frying, the oil is not hot enough and the potato will absorb too much oil. Once the potatoes are fried (about 10 minutes), use a slotted spoon or spatula to remove and set them aside to drain.
Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and toss carefully.
Place potatoes with sauce on a serving plate. Serve warm, with toothpicks.

Alioli Sauce - Alioli is a garlic "mayonaise" sauce. (I used Kraft’s Olive Oil Mayonaise and added 1 tsp minced garlic and ½ tsp garlic powder)

Patatas Bravas

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 1 tablespoon pre-minced)
¼ cup white wine
14oz can chopped tomatoes
2tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp smoked Spanish Paprika

Sauce: Heat the oil in a pan, then add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, chilie powder and paprika, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, or until a thick sauce forms.
When the sauce is cooked, use a handheld blender to blend until smooth. Set aside and make the potatoes.

White Bean Dip
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 12 min 6 servings

Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the beans, garlic, lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the bean puree to a small bowl.

2010-11-15T06:00:00.002-06:00

For the week of Nov 15th, 2010
Here is my meal plan for the week:

Monday
Breakfast: Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal, Peaches
Lunch: lemon chicken and salad
Dinner: Spanish Tapas; Spanish Tortilla, Patatas Alioli & Bravas, Olives a la Madrilene, Garlic Mushrooms, White Bean dip with pita chips, olive and sun dried tomato tapenade, baguettes, cheeses, carrot sticks

Tuesday
Breakfast: Breakfast Biscuit Quiches
Lunch: Creamy Ranch Chicken
Dinner: Italian Green Bean Chicken and noodles

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cheerios with bananas
Lunch: mac & cheese with hot dogs
Dinner: Tuna Rice Casserole

Thursday
Breakfast: Applesauce Pancakes
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Spaghetti and meatballs, Italian Bread

Friday
Breakfast: Cheesy Scrambled eggs and hash browns
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Harvest Glazed Pork Chops, buttered peas

Saturday
Breakfast: Breakfast Waffle Sandwhiches
Lunch: chicken nuggets and french fries
Dinner: Home made cheese pizza

Sunday
Breakfast: Easy Applesauce Muffins
Lunch: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with carrot sticks
Dinner: Creamy Cauliflower Soup, dinner salad, cheese and crackers, Italian Chicken Legs with Spinach Fettuccine, whole wheat dinner rolls, chocolate cream pie

Friday, Nov 12th, 2010

2010-11-12T19:57:00.005-06:00

The plan for today:
Breakfast: Mini Vegetable Frittatas
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Pork Chops, hashbrowns, buttered peas
Eva's Snack: Strawberry go-gurt, apple slices, tutti-fruitti popcorn

Breakfast was really good. It was nice to just mix it, put it in a pan, throw it in the oven, then forget about it instead of standing by the stove! I had some leftover biscuits that I used along with some peaches. Did not do dinner. My kids were acting like monkeys before, during and after bowling and I just did not feel like cooking. Since I had to go to WalMart to get a new hot air popper, I bought their chicken with mac & cheese and potato wedges.

Mini Vegetable Frittatas
Ingredients:
- 8 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 1 cup zucchini, diced
- 1 cup red pepper diced
- 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
- ¼ cup fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped finely
- 1 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large muffin tin with butter. Whisk eggs and milk together in a
large missing bowl. Set aside.
Heat butter in a medium skillet or frying pan over medium heat. Place zucchini, red pepper, mushrooms and in a skillet and sauté until vegetables become soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in
parsley, salt and pepper. Fold vegetables into egg mixture.
Fill muffin cups three-quarters of the way full with vegetable frittata batter. Bake 20 to 30 minutes until
frittatas are set and browned on top.
Serve hot or let cool and store in the fridge for later.
Makes 8 to 10 mini vegetable frittatas.

Wednesday, Nov 10, 2010

2010-11-10T20:37:00.005-06:00

Today we ate:
Breakfast: Cheerios with bananas
Lunch: Beef Ravioli's
Dinner: Garlic Parmesan Chicken with rice and green beans
Eva's Snack: Strawberry Go-gurt, celery with peanut butter, whole wheat Ritz crackers.
In case you're wondering, Eva eats in a rut. Trust me, this is the girl who HATES all breakfast food and it was near impossible to get her to eat breakfast, until the 2nd week of school this year when I said yes, she could have a bean burrito for breakfast (because I was sooo tired of fighting!) And she's been eating one every morning since! (and has been doing really good in school, too!) And since she doesn't drink milk, I give her her favorite (hfcs free) yogurt and a piece of string cheese. She wants goldfish and Ritz crackers and I make sure they're whole wheat or whole grain. I can't be too adventurous with her or she won't eat, sigh. So yeah, they can be boring, but it reminds me of what worked, what didn't, and what I did yesterday, lol.

I changed lunch because I was out of mac & cheese, but thankfully had beef ravioli's! Then hubby called to say he got paid today, since tomorrow is a bank holiday. Yeah! Because I didn't have enough chicken for tonight's dinner (thought I did, but when I went to get it out, I didn't!) So I went to the grocery store to get those (and they were on sale, whew!) and some panko bread crumbs, which were also on sale. Got the chicken, but not the panko, since they were out. And this ended up being a good thing. I toasted 6 pieces of whole wheat bread, then processed them in the food processor. I stopped before they became dust. I also put the breaded chicken on a cooling rack in the 13x9" pan, because I HATE it when the bottom's are soggy and the top is crisp!! Well let's just say, they were AWESOME!! I did 7 breasts and should have done 14 because EVERYONE wanted more, including Miss Picky!! Joey and Ella, who don't eat a lot, ate a whole breast and wanted more! I am definitely keeping this recipe!
(By the way, I made brown rice and I don't know how you make it, but my kids love the way I make it. For the 6 of us: 2 cups brown rice, 4 1/2 cups water, 2 teaspoons chicken broth granules, 2 tablespoons olive oil. Put in a microwave rice cooker and cook for 30 minutes.)

Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken
Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 45 Minutes Servings: 6

"A wonderful baked chicken recipe that's quick and easy! Using just a few handy ingredients, create a delicious main dish, that also makes great leftovers - if there are any! Serve with a salad and rice for a quick, scrumptious dinner."

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 slices whole wheat bread
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish, then place a cooling rack in the pan and spray with non-stick spray.
Toast bread. Place toast in food processor and process until it’s large size bread crumbs (you don’t want dust).
In a bowl, pour the olive oil. In a separate bowl, mix the bread crumbs, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, basil, and pepper. Dip each chicken breast in the oil mixture, then in the bread crumb mixture. (I pressed down on each side to make sure I had a good even coating).
Arrange the coated chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish, and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture. Spray with non-stick spray, then gently turn over and spray that side.
Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Tuesday, Nov 9th, 2010

2010-11-09T19:46:00.005-06:00

Tuesday's can be hectic. Eva gets out of school at 3, has Musical Theatre from 4 to 5, and Dad has Chorale Practice from 6:30 to 8. So it's either a slow cooker and some fast cooking.
Today we're eating:
Breakfast: Pancakes with sausage links
Lunch: bean soup
Dinner: Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with peas and left over foccacia bread
No Eva snack today. Her class was going on a field trip today. She was so excited, she woke up before me!! (a miracle if there ever was one, lol)
Tonight's dinner, what can I say but "WOW!". Not only was it good, but VERY easy to make! It took me about 30 minutes to mix it together, peel and slice my potatoes on the mandolin, mix that with the sauce and dump it into a pan. Put it in the oven, took my oldest to theatre class, which lasts an hour, came home and cooked the peas and had the table set in the last half hour it was cooking.
And who can go wrong with cream cheese, sour cream, and cheddar cheese? Pour in some chicken broth to thin it out and that was it!! Add some chopped up ham and dinner is made. The recipe wanted to add peas to it, but I knew that my kids wouldn't eat it, so I served them on the side. Still had some foccacia from yesterday, so I served it with it. Ella said to me after dinner, "mom, that was the yummiest" Awwwhh, thanks sweetie!
I've also included my pancake recipe, in case anybody is looking for a recipe. This is the recipe I usually make because I know all my kids will eat them. They are thick pancakes, so you have to cook them low and slow. Some days, I throw in mini chocolate chips to make my oldest happy.

Perfect (Healthy) Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup oat bran
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 cups milk
2 large eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons butter (melted) or vegetable oil

Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together milk, eggs, butter and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring very gently until just combined.
Cook on med-low heat until golden brown (my griddle: between 300 and 350)
Serve with butter and syrup.

Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Prep Time: 30 min Total Time: 1 hr Makes: 15 servings, 3/4 cup each

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1 cup chicken broth
3 lb. red potatoes* (about 9), thinly sliced
1 pkg. (6 oz.) OSCAR MAYER Smoked Ham, chopped
1 pkg. (8 oz.) KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided
1 cup frozen peas

HEAT oven to 350°F. Mix cream cheese, sour cream and broth in large bowl until well blended. Add potatoes, ham, 1-3/4 cups of the cheese and peas; stir gently to coat all ingredients.
SPOON into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
BAKE 1 hour or until casserole is heated through and potatoes are tender.

*Note: I used russet potatoes, so I cooked them for an hour and a half. I did not add the peas, but served them separately. I also covered with tin foil so they wouldn’t get too dark and crispy.

Monday, Nov 8th, 2010

2010-11-08T12:49:00.012-06:00

Meatless Monday!! Well, the kids call it Macaroni Monday, since I really can't seem to get them to eat beans! They won't even eat baked beans, even the ones coated in brown sugar!! But you know my kids are weird, lol. Also, for those of you worried about eating beans, I found this article that was helpful:

"Perhaps the most common approach is soaking beans in water with baking soda added. This approach is often used with dried beans, but also can be used with fresh beans as well. One strategy is to place the beans in a large pot of water and bring them to a boil. This action helps to soften the capsule around the beans. After removing the beans from the heat, add in baking soda and stir the water until the soda is evenly distributed. Allow the beans to soak overnight, then drain and rinse thoroughly. Once this is done, the beans are ready for cooking.

Along the same lines, some people understand that the best approach to adding baking soda to beans is to simply place the beans in tepid water and add the baking soda. After one quick stir, set the beans to soak overnight. A quick rinse and the beans can be cooked and consumed without any worries about flatulence."http://www.wisegeek.com/will-adding-baking-soda-to-beans-prevent-flatulence.htm

Breakfast: Iced Raisin Biscuits, Cheesy Scrambled Eggs
Lunch: Baked potato soup, iceberg lettuce salad
Dinner: Vegetable 15 bean soup with home made Rosemary-Garlic Focaccia
Eva's Snack: Strawberry go-gurt, baby carrots, Halloween cookies, gummy lifesaver.

Ok, my biscuits aren't as perfect as from the website that I got them from. I didn't feel like rolling them out, so I used my med cookie scoop and scooped them onto the cookie sheet. They're a little darker than I wanted them, but my hubby was watching them while I put a load of wash in and he thought they were perfect. My fault for trusting someone who likes their toast so brown the next step is charcoal!! But they were still good and I will make them again!

The soup sounded sooo good, but when I tasted it, it seemed like it was missing something, then I realized that it was missing the flavor from italian sausage. So I added some caraway and some hot sauce and it was perfect!! I had some leftover green beans and some corn, so I threw those in too.

MEDITERRANEAN 15 BEAN & VEGETABLE SOUP
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken or beef broth
2 cups water
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, not drained
1 small can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped*
1/4 teaspoon oregano*
(I used 1 tablespoon italian seasoning)
1 teaspoon caraway seed (rub before you put in soup)
a couple of drops hot sauce (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
1 15 oz. can cannelini, drained and rinsed (I used the 15 bean soup mix)
1 cup pasta bows
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Directions:

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery, and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, broth, water, tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and beans.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the pasta bows and cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pasta tender.
Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

The kids had rotini and cheese with hot dogs and a piece of focaccia. I gave them a small serving of the soup to try. Eddie was the only one who liked it and asked for more. Eva wouldn't even try it, but she's Miss Picky and I wasn't expecting her to.

Rosemary - Garlic Focaccia
Prep Time: 45 mins Total Time: 1 1/2 hrs Servings: 8-10
Ingredients
1/4 ounce active dry yeast ( one envelope)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
4 -4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons dried rosemary, crumbled
3 -5 cloves, minced very fine (depending on how garlicky you want it, I go all the way!)
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
DirectionsIn a bowl, stir together yeast, sugar and 1 ¾ cups lukewarm water and proof yeast for 10-15 minutes, or until foamy.Stir in 4 cup of flour, 1 tblsps of the olive oil and the salt, adding as much of the remaining flour as necessary to form a soft and slightly sticky dough.Transfer to a lightly-oiled bowl, turn to coat, and let rise, covered, in a warm place for 1 hour, or until double in size.Knead dough down and press with lightly-oiled hands into a well-oiled 15 ½ x 10 ½ inch jelly-roll pan and let it rise, covered loosely, for 30 minutes.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.Set rack in center of oven.Dimple dough with your fingers in places, drizzle 2 tblsps olive oil over and spread over dough; sprinkle with rosemary, garlic and sea salt.Bake for 35-40 minutes or until pale golden.Let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.Serve warm or at room temperature.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-11-08T08:41:00.010-06:00

For the week of Nov 8th, 2010

Here is my meal plan for the week:

Monday
Breakfast: Iced Raisin Biscuits, Cheesy Scrambled Eggs
Lunch: Baked potato soup, iceberg lettuce salad
Dinner: Vegetable 15 bean soup with homemade bread

Tuesday
Breakfast: Pancakes with sausage links
Lunch: bean soup
Dinner: Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes with Corn

Wednesday
Breakfast: Cheerios with bananas
Lunch: mac & cheese with hot dogs
Dinner: Garlic Parmesan Chicken with rice and green beans

Thursday
Breakfast: Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Lasagna (creamette box recipe), Italian Bread

Friday
Breakfast: Mini Vegetable Frittatas
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Pork Chops, hashbrowns, buttered peas

Saturday
Breakfast: Waffles
Lunch: pb sandwhiches with apple slices
Dinner: Home made cheese pizza

Sunday
Breakfast: Applesauce Muffins
Lunch: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with carrot sticks
Dinner: Creamy Cauliflower Soup, Salad, Herb roasted chicken with sage stuffing, mashed potatoes, peas, whole wheat rolls, Sour Cream Apple Bundt Cake

Sunday, Nov 7th, 2010

2010-11-07T17:43:00.012-06:00

Bringing back Sunday Dinner.
The kids are old enough now to start learning table manners as well as to have the meal served in several courses. I also served the food on REAL plates, not the plastic ones that they're used to (didn't use the good china yet, we'll get there eventually, lol) I also found out that I didn't have any really small bowls, so I served the kids soup in coffee mugs and I used salad plates for the kids regular dish. I have smaller plates that are used for the coffee mugs, but they are packed away. Maybe I'll get around to it this week, lol. Joey was the only one who was confused, he kept asking to be excused after each serving, lol. The soup was AWESOME and I can't wait to have it for lunch tomorrow! Instead of using the bacon as a garnish, I included it into the soup when I put in the potatoes.

Baked Potato Soup
Iceberg Lettuce Salad
Pot Roast, Rice and Barley Pilaf, Green Beans, Strawberry Jello, Dinner Rolls
Harvest Crumb Cake

Baked Potato Soup
This is a creamy potato soup—a little different than a chowder—and topped with cheddar and bacon. This is a soup that everyone will like.

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, grated
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 15-ounce can chicken broth
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
3 medium russet potatoes, baked and cooled
1/2 c up grated cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1/2 c up grated cheese (for garnish)
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp and snipped into pieces
3 tablespoons sliced green onions
Directions
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot
and cook until soft, stirring occasionally.

Stir in flour. Gradually stir in broth and evaporated milk. Cook over medium heat.
Stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens and just comes to a boil.

Scoop the pulp from the potatoes and add to the soup. Cook again until thick.
Add the cheese, salt, and pepper and stir until the cheese is malted the soup is thin.

Serve with grated cheese, bacon, and green onion on top.

Thousand Island Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup (or less)milk (do not add if you like it thick)

Harvest Crumb Cake

Cake:
1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Super fine Sugar
1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Whole Milk
1/8 Cup Oil (I used Canola)
1 Tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Pumpkin Layer :
1 Egg (slightly beaten)
1 3/4 Cups Canned Pumpkin (I used Libby's)
1/3 Cup Super fine Sugar
1 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
Crumb Topping:
1 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Light Br own Sugar
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1 Stick Unsalted Butter (room temperature, or melted and cooled)

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line a 8 or 9 inch square pan with
waxed paper extending over two ends, then spritz the paper with cooking spray.
To make the cake, sift the dry ingredients together, including the sugar , and set aside. In your mixer bowl, beat the egg, milk, oil and vanilla together well. Fold in the dry ingredients until combined. It's important to NOT over -mix this cake. Spread 1/2 the batter evenly in the baking dish.
To make the pumpkin layer, mix the pumpkin layer ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Spread over the first layer of batter .
To make the crumb topping, wipe the mixer bowl and beaters. Place all ingredients in mixer bowl
and mix until large/average size crumbs form. Sprinkle the 1/2 the crumbs over the pumpkin layer . Carefully spread (I poured the batter in waves as it's almost impossible to 'spread' this batter over loose crumbs) the rest of the batter over the top (it's okay if your remaining batter doesn't cover evenly and completely) and sprinkle with remaining crumb topping.
Bake for 40-45 minutes. Lay foil loosely over the top until the last 15-20 minutes of bake time.
Make sure a tester comes out fairly clean - you don't want a gooey pumpkin layer that spreads when you cut it. A bit of moist pumpkin on the tester is okay, it will thicken and set as the cake cools. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes, use the waxed paper ends to lift it out, cut and serve.
Dust with Confectioner's Sugar if you like.

Courtesy of Dawn @ BeatUntilFluffy.com

Friday, Nov 5th, 2010

2010-11-05T22:21:00.012-05:00

Couldn't wait until dinner tonite! I accidentally ordered twice from Angel Food, so I have a lot of fish sticks. But what to do with them? So I googled recipes with fish sticks and came up with quite a few ideas. And tonite, we were have fish stick enchiladas! I figured it was going to be like fish tacos, so I couldn't wait. I didn't make the sauce, but I included it so I could make it the next time.

Breakfast: Pancakes with breakfast sausage
Lunch: Chicken nuggets, french fries, apple slices
Dinner: Fish Stick Enchiladas, rice, corn, and refried beans
Eva's Snack: She had a half day of school today, so I didn't have to pack a lunch, just a snack. There was a strawberry go-gurt, steamed crisp broccoli, grahm crackers, tootsie rolls.

Fish Stick Enchilada (printable copy)
Ingredients:
Sauce:
small onion, chopped (about a cup)
Vegetable oil - grapeseed or olive
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5-ounce can tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted if you can get it
2 Tbsp red chili powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup to a cup of water
12 corn tortillas
Enchilada’s
16 Gorton's Crunchy Golden Fish Sticks
10 -10.5 oz cream of mushroom soup, condensed
1 small onion, chopped
4.5 oz chopped chilies
8 oz sour cream
1 1/2 cups Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, shredded
12 4-6" corn tortillas
Vegetable oil - grapeseed or olive

Sauce Directions:

Prepare the sauce. Coat a large skillet with oil and sauté the onions on medium heat until translucent, a few minutes. Add the garlic for a minute more.
While the onions are cooking, purée the canned tomatoes in a blender. Add the tomatoes to the onions and garlic. Bring to a low simmer. Start adding the chili powder, one teaspoon at a time, tasting after each addition, until you get to the desired level of heat and chili flavor. For us that's around 2 Tablespoons. But it depends on your taste and how strong the chili powder is that you are using. Note that the tortillas and filling will absorb some of the heat, so allow for that and let it be a little bit spicier than what you want in the finished dish. Add a teaspoon of sugar if necessary to cut down on the acid from the tomatoes. You want more of the taste of the chili and less of the tomatoes for this sauce. As the sauce simmers, dilute it with water to keep it from getting to thick as it simmers.
Remove from heat.

Alternatively, use a prepared canned enchilada sauce, which can be perfectly fine. Spread 1 cup of sauce on bottom of large greased rectangular dish. (I had to use a 13 x 9 and a 9” pan)

Enchilada Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix soup, onion, chilies, sour cream, and 1/2 cup of cheese.
Prepare the tortillas. The traditional way. Heat a small light skillet on med-high heat. Add a teaspoon of oil (high smoke point oil as indicated above, we use grapeseed oil) to coat the pan. Dip a tortilla in the sauce to coat the tortilla with sauce on both sides. Place the tortilla in the skillet and heat for a few seconds, until the tortilla begin to show some air bubbles. Use a metal spatula to flip to the other side for a few more seconds. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Place two frozen fish sticks in center of each tortilla, followed by 2 Tbsp of soup mixture, and place seam down into casserole dish.
Spread remaining sauce over enchiladas, bake 30 minutes, sprinkle with remaining cheese, bake 5-10 more minutes, let stand 5 minutes and serve immediately.

Ideas from:
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/moms_chicken_enchiladas/
http://www.gortons.com/recipe_print.php?rid=137

Tuesday, Nov 2nd, 2010

2010-11-02T20:16:00.003-05:00

Breakfast: Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Lunch: leftover Lentil Soup
Dinner: BBQ Chicken, French Fries, corn, cornbread muffin

Breakfast was soooo good! Well, at least I thought so, the triplets really didn't think so. So now I have leftovers for tomorrow's breakfast - can't wait!!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
serves 1
What You Need:
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp sweetener of choice (I used brown sugar)
How t's Done:
Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan with high sides.
Bring to a boil . Reduce heat and simmer five minutes. Remove from heat and let stand three minutes before serving.
(Good with a bit of whipped cream on top.)

MOnday, Nov 1st, 2010

2010-11-01T18:49:00.005-05:00

Wow! It's November already??? I'm looking for today's photos and realized that I was looking through October, lol.

Breakfast: Cinnamon Danish
Lunch: Leftovers since kids are in school
Dinner: Us - Lentil Soup with Cheddar Biscuits, Kids - Macaroni and Cheese

Eva's Lunch and Snack: Snack was popcorn and goldfish; Lunch was Tortellini, grapes, steamed crisp broccoli, and string cheese.

Oh! This soup was delish! from one of my favorite cooks, Giada De Laurentiis.

Lentil Soup Recipe
courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Prep Time:10 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:1 hr Level:Easy Serves:6 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 pound lentils (approximately 1 1/4 cups)
11 cups low-salt chicken broth
4 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs
2/3 cup dried elbow pasta
1 cup shredded Parmesan
Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and saute until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils and mix to coat. Add the broth and stir. Add the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.
Stir in the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-11-01T17:49:00.000-05:00

Week of Nov 1st

Monday: Lentil Soup
Tuesday: BBQ Chicken, French Fries, Corn
Wednesday:Orange-Chicken Rice Bowl
Thursday: Italian Chicken and Green Beans with Spaghetti
Friday: Fish Stick Enchiladas
Saturday: Pizza
Sunday: ?

Sunday, Oct 31st, 2010

2010-10-31T23:49:00.006-05:00

Wow! It's been a week! Let's see, I didn't cook dinner on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday!! On Thursday, I honestly thought I was going to have dinner at home before we went out, but Gerald had to work late at the last minute and that screwed up the schedule. Fortunately, they were serving hot dogs and chips at the event. I knew that wasn't going to fill my kids up and yup, by the time we got home at 8pm, the kids were starving!! So I whipped out some beef raviolo's and buttered bread.
Friday Gerald and I went to an adult Halloween Party and my sister-in-law took the kids to our church for their Halloween party. We ate VERY well and the kids convinced my sister-in-law to take them to Pizza Hut.
Saturday, we went to my other sister-in-law's house for dinner. They made ribs and mashed potatoes and I brought cornbread muffins and a chocolate cake. I also brought carrots with ranch dressing and popcorn and she had cheese and crackers. We pretty much ate and drank all day!! Need days like those!
Then came Sunday, Halloween Day. I saw this recipe for mummy meatloaf on the Family Fun website and knew I HAD to make this. It was very good and very cute, but don't leave it in the oven too long or your cheese will melt too much to look like it's suppose to.

Mummy Meatloaf

Before heading out with your kids for a night of trick-or-treating, put a chilling spin on some classic comfort foods. Serve our Mummy Meatloaf, and your little tricksters won't be able to stop ogling their food! (Or will it be ogling them?)

Ingredients

Meatloaf from your favorite recipe (ours used about 2 pounds of meat)
American cheese

Olive slices

Instructions

Make your favorite meatloaf recipe and shape the loaf to resemble a mummy's body with crossed arms. Bake the loaf until it's cooked through.
Let it rest about 3 minutes, then lay 1-inch-wide strips of American cheese across the body as shown, leaving a narrow space on the head for the olive slice eyes. Trim any overhanging cheese with scissors and return the mummy to the still-warm oven to slightly melt the cheese, about 1 minute

Things You'll Need:

6 medium potatoes (about 2 pounds)
1 tsp. salt, plus more to taste
1/2 cup milk or cream
4 tbsp. butter
1 cup Cheddar Cheese (optional)
Black sesame seeds
Large saucepan
Pastry bag or 1-gallon zipper storage bag
Cookie sheet
Food processor, blender or mixer

Make the Mashed Potatoes

Peel and quarter the potatoes, then add them to a large saucepan. Cover with water and add 1 tsp. salt.
Bring the water to a boil and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
When the potatoes are tender, drain and return them to the pan. Allow them to dry while you heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan.
If you have a ricer or food mill, pass the potatoes through it, then stir in the warm milk and butter. Fold in cheddar cheese.
If you have a food processor, add the potatoes to the work bowl with the milk and butter. Pulse just until the potatoes are smooth. Fold in cheddar cheese.
If you have a standing mixer or electric mixer, put the potatoes in a work bowl or mixing bowl and beat with the milk and cream until smooth. Fold in cheddar cheese.
Season the mashed potatoes to taste with salt and pepper.

Make the Ghosts

Spoon the mashed potatoes into a pastry bag fitted with a large, open tip. If you don't have a pastry bag, use a 1-gallon zippered storage bag and cut 1/2 inch from the bottom corner of the bag.
Squeeze the mashed potatoes out of the pastry bag or plastic bag onto a greased cookie sheet, making wide-bottomed ghosts that taper at the top.
Add 2 black sesame seeds to each mashed potato ghost for eyes. Spread the seeds out on a plate and use a slightly moist finger to pick up only two at a time.
Bake the ghosts for 12 to 15 minutes, until they are slightly golden. Serve immediately.

Tips: Black sesame seeds have the mildest flavor, but you can also use black peppercorns, coriander seeds or any other small edible seeds.

Wednesday, Oct 27th, 2010

2010-10-27T19:23:00.004-05:00

Breakfast: Cinnamon Sugar Muffins, pears
Lunch: Hot dogs and chips
Dinner: Fast Lemon Chicken
Eva's Snack: Strawberry Go-gurt, Goldfish crackers

Ever crave something in the middle of the week that you usually have on the weekend because it takes so long to cook? That was me. I was craving lemon and rosemary chicken, but had no time to make it. Until I saw this recipe. It came pretty close. For me, I'd add some more lemon zest, but it could have been my lemon. And the dinner rolls I made - OH! - those are going to be my go to roll recipe from now on! I got the recipe from one of those recipe card offers that you get in the mail. I have such a plethora of recipes to choose from on the internet (AND I don't have to store them!), why would anyone buy those cards?

Perfectly Easy Dinner Rolls (click for a printable recipe)

1 cup warm water (105 to 115 F)
2 pkgs active dry yeast (NOT Quick Rise)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1. Combine the warm water and yeast in a large bowl. Let the mixture stand until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in butter, sugar, eggs and salt. Beat in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is too stiff to mix (some flour may not be needed). Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or up to 4 days.
3. Grease a 13 x 9” cake pan. Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured board. Divide dough into 24 equal-size pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth round ball; place balls in even rows in the prepared pan. Cover and let dough balls rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
4. Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake until rolls are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Brush warm rolls with melted butter, if desired.
Break rolls apart to serve.
Makes 24 rolls

Fast Lemon Chicken & Rice (click for a printable recipe)

1 med onion
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into strips
Onion powder, garlic powder
2 garlic cloves, minced (I used 2 tablespoons minced)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 small pkg frozen peas and carrots
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 14 1/2oz can chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Zest from one large whole lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

1. In a microwave container, cook peas & carrots for 4 minutes, then drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, slice onion in half, then thinly slice. Add olive oil and butter to pan and when the butter is melted, add the onions. Cook for 3 minutes on medium heat, then add the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with onion powder and garlic powder. Just before the chicken is done, about 5 minutes, toss in the minced garlic. Cook until chicken is no longer pink, about 7 minutes.
3. In a bowl, combine cornstarch, broth, lemon juice, salt, and zest until smooth. Add to skillet with rosemary sprigs and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes.
4. Stir in rice and peas. Cook on low for 15 minutes, then cover and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Serves about 6

Tuesday, Oct 26th, 2010

2010-10-26T19:22:00.006-05:00

Breakfast: Pancakes with breakfast links
Lunch: hot dogs and chips
Dinner: Easy Sesame Beef

Eva's Snack: Teddy Grahms with Candy corn, strawberry go-gurt, pears

Dinner was so easy to make! I got the idea from Hillbilly Housewife, but I can't refer back to the recipe since it was a paid recipe. But I did things a little differently and I added a sauce. If you're going to have noodles, gotta have sauce, right

Easy Sesame Beef (click for printable recipe)

1lb boneless beef sirloin steaks
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onions (about 3)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or 2 tablespoons prechopped)
2 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 pkg frozen broccoli, cooked until al dente

2 cups hot cooked vermicelli

Sauce:
1/4 cup cold water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups beef broth

Cut beef diagonally across grain into 1/8” slices.

Mix sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper, green onions and garlic in glass or plastic bowl. Stir in beef until well coated. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Sauce: Mix cornstarch into the cold water, mix until combined, then add to beef broth.

Heat oils in pan. When oils start to shimmer, add beef and marinade. Then add sesame seeds. Stir until beef is brown, about 5 minutes, then add broccoli. Add sauce and stir until sauce starts to bubble and thicken.

Serve over cooked vermicelli.

Monday, Octber 25th, 2010

2010-10-25T19:00:00.004-05:00

Breakfast: Cheerios with bananas
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: German Apple Pancakes with hashbrowns
Eva has a half day of school today and tomorrow because of Parent/Teacher Conferences. So I still had to pack her a snack, which was peaches, strawberry go-gurt, and a few vanilla wafers.

German Apple Pancakes (click for a printable copy)
1 cup milk
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium cooking apples, cored and cut into 1/4” slices
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375 F.
1. Peel, core, and cut up apples.
2. In a large heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the apples, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until the apples are softened slightly.
3. While the apples are cooking, in a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, flour, and 2 tablespoons sugar.
4. Remove the pan from heat. Pour the batter over the apples in the pan. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the pancake is lightly browned and puffy.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and cut the pancake into wedges. Transfer the wedges to warmed serving plates, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and serve.
Serves about 6

From: The Best of Waffles and Pancakes cookbook

Directions for Skookie Pans:
1. Place pans in oven while it’s preheating.
2. Cut butter stick into 1 tablespoon tabs, then add a tab to each pan.
3. While the butter is melting, cook apples in large pan, then distribute to the littler pans.
4. Make the batter, adding an extra egg.
5. Add batter to the pans, 1/4 cup at a time. It takes a little over 1/2 cup per pan for 6 pans.
6. Cook in the oven for 15 to 25 mins, or until the pancake is lightly browned and puffy. 7. Take out of the oven with it’s hot pad. Sprinkle powder sugar on top and serve.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-10-25T18:32:00.000-05:00

Menu for the week of October 25th

Monday: German Apple Pancakes with hash browns
Tuesday: Easy Sesame Beef
Wednesday: Lemon Chicken and Rice
Thursday: Spaghetti and meatballs
Friday: Sour Cream Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
Saturday: Homemade Pizza
Sunday: Mummy Meatloaf with "Ghost" Mashed Potatoes

Monday, Oct 18th, 2010

2010-10-18T21:08:00.003-05:00

Today is Monday and I'm doing Meatless Monday! Today I'm trying a Bean and Rice Skillet, which I had to reinvent since I wanted to use brown rice and not instant white rice. I could've used instant brown rice, but didn't have any on hand. I really didn't think the kids would eat it, so I made extra rice and set it aside and some quesadilla's. The only kid who ate it and liked it was Eddie. Ella wouldn't even try it, but I figured as much since she has a deep aversion to cooked peppers (but will eat them raw! lol)
It was very good and I will make this again. Sorry no picture, I forgot! (And I think I need a better camera, since my photos don't come out as well as I want them to!)

Bean and Rice Skillet (click for a printable recipe)

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup red pepper, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
2 cans Bushs Chili Beans (I used mild)
1 can tomato sauce
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup frozen corn

Directions:
1. Cook rice according to package directions. (For me: Measure 2 cups brown rice and 4 cups water into microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 mins, then let sit for 30 mins)
2. Swirl EVOO into pan 3 or 4 times. Turn heat to med-high, then add peppers and onions. Let cook until soft, about 8 mins.
3. Add the Chili beans (don’t drain!), the tomato sauce, corn. the seasonings and 3 cups of rice. Mix well, turn heat down to med-low and let simmer for 15 to 20 mins.
4. Serve with cornbread muffins

idea from: www.justbeanrecipes.com

Menu Plan Monday

2010-10-18T16:47:00.003-05:00

Week of October 18th, 2010

Monday: Red Beans and Rice with cornbread muffins, kids Quesadilla's
Tuesday: Chicken and dumplings
Wednesday: Chicken Stroganoff
Thursday: Spaghetti and Meatballs with Italian Bread
Friday: Fishsticks and French Fries (Eva's school is doing their Fall Festival, so we have to eat and run!)
Saturday: Home made pizza
Sunday: soup, Pork chops, stuffing, broccoli, biscuits, desert

Wednesday, Oct 13th, 2010

2010-10-13T10:44:00.000-05:00

Well, it's Wednesday and Eva had no school today, so there's no photo of her snack nor her lunch. And I forgot to take a picture of dinner as I was in a rush to get to church, sorry! But here's what we had to eat today.

Breakfast: Pancakes with sausage
Lunch: chicken nuggets, corn, sliced apples
Dinner: Parmesan Ranch Chicken, Quinoa with Cheese, Butter Peas
And since I had time, I made the Chicken Lasagna for tomorrow. Now I'll have some free time to play a game with Eva that she asked me for tonight, 10 minutes BEFORE she went to bed!!

What do you do when you get the bottle of Ranch dressing back from you son's snack? Not that that is a bad thing, at least they didn't throw it away, but now I've got two open bottles of dressing in a my fridge! Well, you can make this chicken! It was VERY yummy! The quinoa I'll have to try something else with, like a cheese sauce as it was dry and not very cheesy.

Parmesan Ranch Chicken RecipeFor those who put ranch on everything, you'll love it as base for breaded chicken. Instead of dipping chicken in ranch, it's blended right into the coating.

You'll need to keep an eye on it when cooking to be sure it doesn't burn on the bottom since you are cooking it so close to the burner.

Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup Hidden Valley Ranch salad dressing
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400° degrees (set oven rack to lowest position).
2. Lightly grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
3. In a shallow bowl mix together the dry breadcrumbs with Parmesan cheese, seasoned salt, black pepper and garlic powder.
4. Dip the chicken into the ranch dressing to coat both sides. Dredge in the breadcrumb mixture.
5. Place in a single layer on to a greased baking sheet.
6. Lightly drizzle the melted butter over each chicken breast.
7. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Serves 6.

Quinoa with Cheese and Herbs
(Idea from Giada De Laurentiis)
Ingredients
Butter, for baking dish
Quinoa:
1 pound quinoa
8 cups water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
Filling:
2 cups (8 ounces) grated extra-sharp Cheddar
2 cups (8 ounces) grated mozzarella
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons herbes de Provence
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Topping:
4 (about 5 ounces) 1/2-inch thick slices multi-grain or whole-grain bread, preferably 1 day old, torn into 1/2-inch pieces
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Directions
Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degreesF. Butter a 9 by 13 by 2-inch glass bakingdish. Set aside.
Quinoa: In a large stockpot, bring the quinoa, water and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Drain in a colander.
Filling: In a large bowl mix together the cheeses, milk, herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper. Add the cooked quinoa and stir until coated. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Topping: Arrange the bread pieces on top of the quinoa mixture and drizzle liberally with olive oil.
Bake for 15 minutes until the topping is golden. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Tuesday, Oct 12th, 2010

2010-10-12T10:50:00.001-05:00

It's Tuesday, which means Eva has Musical Theater today from 4 to 5. (Gotta bring along the flashcards for the trips!) Dad has choir practice at 6:30, so I'm using the crockpot today!

Breakfast: Cheerios with bananas
Lunch: leftovers (kids are in school!)
Dinner: Apple Pork Chops, Pieroges, and green beans

Eva's Snack today: Mini Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies, Twisty Cheese stick, green pepper strips. They were serving Cheese Pizza at school today.

When it first went in... When it was done

Apple Pork Chops
Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 45 Minutes Ready In: 55 Minutes Servings: 6

"A sweet and tangy sauce of brown sugar and mustard with a hint of caraway is the luscious finish to this classic combination of apples and pork baked to perfection."

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red onion4 (1/2-inch thick)
8 pork chops
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 apples - peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground mustard (I used Ingelhoffer's)
Couple of shakes of caraway seed
4 oz apple juice (small juice box size)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Heat oil in large skillet. Saute' onion in oil for 1 minute, or until tender. Remove onion and set aside. Brown pork chops on both sides in oil.
3. Place chops in an 9x13 inch baking dish and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Mix together the mustard and the brown sugar, then thinly coat the pork chops. Lightly sprinkle caraway seeds on top. Cover the chops with the apples and cooked onion.
4. Pour the apple juice into the pan, being careful not to wash the seasoning off of the chops. Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes. Enjoy!
For the slow cooker:
1. Saute' onions in olive oil until they are limp and smelling good, about 5 mins on a med-low heat. Don't burn them!!
2. Place some of the onions in the bottom of the slow cooker, then add some apples. Lay the pork chops on top and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Mix together the mustard and the brown sugar, then thinly coat the pork chops. Lightly sprinkle caraway seeds on top. Cover the chops with the apples and cooked onion.
3. I had to cook 8 pork chops, so I made another layer in my crock pot.
4. Pour the apple juice into the pan, being careful not to wash the seasoning off of the chops. Cover and cook on high for about 6 hours.

Serve with pieroges!!

(idea from: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/apple-pork-chops/Detail.aspx)

Monday, October 11th, 2010

2010-10-11T22:50:00.004-05:00

(still having problems with the photos, sorry!)

Meatless Monday!!

Breakfast: Beef Ravioli
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Baked Broccoli Frittata, Honey Oatmeal Bread

Eva's Snack: Sliced Apples, Go Gurt, and sliced green peppers

Eva's lunch: Beef Ravioli, Buttermilk Biscuit, Mozzarella cheese, carrot sticks, two gummy fruits

BAKED BROCCOLI FRITTATA (Printed from COOKS.COM)

1/2 c. sliced onions
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp. butter
12 eggs
1/3 c. half and half
1/2 tsp. basil leaves
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt or lemon pepper
1 to 1 1/2 c. coarsely chopped broccoli, cooked crisp tender
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a 12" skillet, saute onions and garlic in butter until tender. In large bowl, beat eggs, cream and seasonings until combined. Stir in onion and pepper mixture, add broccoli. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-10-11T10:41:00.000-05:00

Some people have requested that I show a menu for the week and hey, I've already planned it out, so why not share? So here's my plan for the week of October 11th.

Monday: Baked Broccoli Frittata with Maple Oatmeal bread
Tuesday: Apple Pork Chops, pieroges, green beans
Wednesday: Parmesan Ranch Chicken, Quinoa with cheese, buttered peas
Thursday: Easy Chicken Lasagna, Italian bread
Friday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn
Saturday: Home made cheese pizza

Sunday, Oct 10th, 2010

2010-10-10T23:42:00.001-05:00

Hey! It's 10/10/10, whoo hoo!! No big plans today, just laying around the house, watching tv.

Breakfast: Oatmeal Apple Muffins
Lunch: Mac & cheese, leftover pizza

Sunday Dinner:

Raw Veggie Platter, Butternut squash soup,

Oven fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, buttermilk biscuits

Sweet Potato Pie

Butternut squash soup (for two)

1 celery, cut up

1/2 onion, diced

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cooked butternut squash

2 cups chicken broth

1 rosemary sprig

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup heavy cream

The day before, roast the butternut squash. Split in half, scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with olive oil and cook in a 425 oven for 50 to 60 mins or until soft.

Drizzle some olive oil in the pan. Then throw in the celery and the onion; cook until soft, about 10 mins. Toss in the minced garlic, cook for about 1 min. Then add the butternut squash and the broth. Cook for around 20 mins on med heat.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Then add the rosemary sprig and cream. Cook on low for another 15 mins or so.

Serves 2

For the oven fried chicken, I thawed it out then tossed it in some panko crumbs mixed with Mrs Dash's Tomato, basil and garlic seasoning. I put them in the Nesco on 425 for an hour and a half.

Buttermilk Biscuits

4 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening/butter, chilled
1 1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a food processor. Slice the chilled shortening/butter into pieces and add to the dry ingredients. Pulse for several seconds in a food processor, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbly meal. Add the buttermilk and stir until the dough just holds together.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently for 1 minute, adding a little extra flour as neccessary to incoporate all the ingredients and ensure that the biscuits will rise evenly. Pat into a 1/2” thick circle and let the dough rest, covered with a clean tea towel for about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Cut the biscuits with a 2” round cutter dipped in flour. Arrange them about 3/4” apart on an ungreased baking sheet and brush the tops with a little buttermilk. Bake in the center of the oven until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool the biscuits on wire racks and brush them with melted butter.
Makes 18 biscuits

From a Busy Momma's Table

Tuesday, March 29th, 2011

Menu Plan for the week of March 28th, 2011

Saturday, March 26th, 2011

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

Monday, March 21st, 2011

Menu Plan For the week of March 21st, 2011

Monday, Mar 14th, 2011

Leftover Turkey and Rice Bake

Ingredients:

Menu Plan For the week of Mar 7th, 2011

Tues, March 1st, 2011

Mon, Feb 28th, 2011

Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients

Method

Menu Plan For the week of Feb 28th, 2011

Menu Plan For the week of Feb 21st, 2011

Menu Plan For the week of Feb 14th, 2011

Wednesday, Feb 9th, 2011

Menu Plan for the week of Feb 7th, 2011

Menus Plan for the week of Jan 17th, 2011

Sunday, Jan 16th, 2011

Monday, Jan 11th, 2011

Baked apple donuts with cinnamon

Menus Plan for the week of Jan 10th, 2011

Thursday, Jan 6th, 2011

Wednesday, Jan 5th, 2011

Monday, Jan 3rd, 2011

Menus Plan for the week of Jan 3rd, 2011

Monday, Dec 6th, 2010

Sunday, Dec 5th, 2010

Chunky Chicken Soup, Mediterranean Style

Mom's Chicken Cacciatore

Friday, Dec 3rd, 2010

Thursday, December 2nd, 2010

Tuesday, Nov 30th, 2010

Suncay, Nov 21st, 2010

Monday, Nov 15th, 2010

Friday, Nov 12th, 2010

Wednesday, Nov 10, 2010

Tuesday, Nov 9th, 2010

Monday, Nov 8th, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

Sunday, Nov 7th, 2010

Friday, Nov 5th, 2010

Tuesday, Nov 2nd, 2010

MOnday, Nov 1st, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

Sunday, Oct 31st, 2010

Mummy Meatloaf

Potato Ghosts

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Make the Mashed Potatoes

Make the Ghosts

Wednesday, Oct 27th, 2010

Tuesday, Oct 26th, 2010

Monday, Octber 25th, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

Monday, Oct 18th, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

Wednesday, Oct 13th, 2010

Tuesday, Oct 12th, 2010

Monday, October 11th, 2010

Menu Plan Monday

Sunday, Oct 10th, 2010