Wednesday, Dec 5th's Supper
Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili and it was Yumm-Ooooo!! And the kids LOVED it too! Yeah! It was so easy, just throw everything in the crockpot and walk away. And I needed that tonight, since we don't come home from Swim Team practice until 7pm and bedtime is supposed to be 7:30. For my oldest, it's usually 8 as she finishes her homework (ugh, 4th grade is going to kill us, I swear!)
Tuesday, Dec 4th, 2012
Dinner: Chicken and Roasted Red Potatoes
Ok, the picture doesn't do this justice! This was DELISH!! And the kids thought so too-yeah!!
What I would have done differently - added more chicken and potatoes!! I had enough for everybody to have 2 thighs and one potato (these red potatoes I got from the grocery store weren't the cute little ones, they were baseball size!). I should've known better, I mean, potatoes with diced onions and bacon pieces, oh man!! I also left the dressing on the (skinless) chicken. I cooked it, (uncovered) for an hour, then found out (last minute, grrr) I had to bring a child somewhere, so I covered it with tinfoil, lowered the oven to 350, and let it cook until I came home - 40 minutes later!!!! But it was delish - falling off the bone delish! I think the extra time was a good thing!
Yes, we will make this again! (Even my "chicken hater" ate it, bwah-ha-ha!!!)
Dinner: Chicken and Roasted Red Potatoes
What I would have done differently - added more chicken and potatoes!! I had enough for everybody to have 2 thighs and one potato (these red potatoes I got from the grocery store weren't the cute little ones, they were baseball size!). I should've known better, I mean, potatoes with diced onions and bacon pieces, oh man!! I also left the dressing on the (skinless) chicken. I cooked it, (uncovered) for an hour, then found out (last minute, grrr) I had to bring a child somewhere, so I covered it with tinfoil, lowered the oven to 350, and let it cook until I came home - 40 minutes later!!!! But it was delish - falling off the bone delish! I think the extra time was a good thing!
Yes, we will make this again! (Even my "chicken hater" ate it, bwah-ha-ha!!!)
Tuesday, Dec 4th, 2012
Pizza puffs, pizza sauce, Babybel Gouda, tropical fruit salad, Peppermint White Chocolate Dipped Star Pretzels
12/3: The kids did NOT like the Baked Chicken with Orange-Pineapple Juice!! (Sorry, I forgot to take a picture.) But Jer and I thought it was delish! The only difference I made with the recipe is I used a small can of crushed pineapple (juice and all) and I used smoked paprika instead of regular paprika. I also sprinkled the smoked paprika over the chicken before I dunked it into the sauce and slow cooked it all day. I served it over brown rice and drizzled the sauce over it. The kids were crazy, lol!
Actually, Eddie is REALLY the crazy one because he told me he hates chicken! I said, "Well, you're going to be mighty hungry this week because we're having chicken for dinner EVERY night!" sheesh!
Actually, Eddie is REALLY the crazy one because he told me he hates chicken! I said, "Well, you're going to be mighty hungry this week because we're having chicken for dinner EVERY night!" sheesh!
Menu Plan for the week of December 3rd, 2012
Here is my meal plan for the week:
Monday
Breakfast: Oatmeal or Bagels with Cream Cheese
Monday
Breakfast: Oatmeal or Bagels with Cream Cheese
School Snack: Popcorn
Lunch: Taco Salad (taco meat, corn, lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese) tortilla chips, fruit, treat
Lunch: Taco Salad (taco meat, corn, lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese) tortilla chips, fruit, treat
3pm Snack: leftover pizza, salad
Dinner: Slow Cooker Orange Pineapple Chicken with brown riceTuesday
Breakfast: pb pancakes, fruit
School Snack: Annie's Cheddar Bunnies
Lunch: Pizza puffs, salad, fruit, cheese, treat
3pm Snack: Cheese pizza
Dinner: Chicken and Roasted Red Potatoes
Wednesday
Breakfast: Mini frittatas (veggies, cheese, eggs)
School Snack: pretzels with pb
Lunch: Chicken Fries, green beans, cheese, roll, treat
3pm Snack: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Dinner: Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili
Thursday
Breakfast: Baked apple oatmeal
School Snack: Holiday Granola Bars
Lunch: Quesadillas, fruit, treat
3pm Snack: apples and cheese
Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Friday
Breakfast: Cinnamon Bun Scones, fruit
School Snack: snack mix
Lunch: PB Sandwich, Pretzels, Celery, Fruit, Treat
3pm Snack: marshmallow (?) popcorn
Dinner: Kielbasa Tortellini, garlic bread
Saturday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Cereal
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Salad and Pizza
Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lupper: Simple Salad, soup, roast chicken, mashed potatoes, veggie, ww dinner rolls, jello salad
Evening Snack: Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Chips, grapes
Friday, Nov 23rd, 2012
3,6,9,12. 3,6,9,12. and on and on. This is the feeding schedule the trips were on in the NICU and continued at home. We (FINALLY!) were able to skip the night time feedings, but our lives still revolved around 6, 9, 12, 3, 6, 9 before going to bed TO THIS DAY!! And they're 6! We can sometimes forget the 9pm snack, but boy are they HUNGRY in the morning, lol. I bring this up because today the kid's are home for Thanksgiving vacation and while they're busy playing or watching a movie with Dad, here's mom, cooking -
7am Cereal with Milk
11 am Chicken Fries, Parmesan Noodles, Grapes
3pm Pepperoni Cheese Bread, Pears, Carrot sticks
6pm Italian Beef Sandwiches, Italian Pasta Salad, Jello
8pm Popcorn (and somebody will probably want grahm crackers with pb!)
I did cheat though. I found the Pepperoni Cheese bread in the Clearance Bin at WalMart, so I bought 2 of them. I splurge and bought the pre-made Italian Beef. I just put it in the slow cooker this morning on warm, so it'll be ready when we want it. When I made the Parmesan Noodles for lunch, I also made the rotini for tonight's dinner. So not a lot of cooking, per se, but I still have to remember to feed them or they're a surly lot!!
3,6,9,12. 3,6,9,12. and on and on. This is the feeding schedule the trips were on in the NICU and continued at home. We (FINALLY!) were able to skip the night time feedings, but our lives still revolved around 6, 9, 12, 3, 6, 9 before going to bed TO THIS DAY!! And they're 6! We can sometimes forget the 9pm snack, but boy are they HUNGRY in the morning, lol. I bring this up because today the kid's are home for Thanksgiving vacation and while they're busy playing or watching a movie with Dad, here's mom, cooking -
7am Cereal with Milk
11 am Chicken Fries, Parmesan Noodles, Grapes
3pm Pepperoni Cheese Bread, Pears, Carrot sticks
6pm Italian Beef Sandwiches, Italian Pasta Salad, Jello
8pm Popcorn (and somebody will probably want grahm crackers with pb!)
I did cheat though. I found the Pepperoni Cheese bread in the Clearance Bin at WalMart, so I bought 2 of them. I splurge and bought the pre-made Italian Beef. I just put it in the slow cooker this morning on warm, so it'll be ready when we want it. When I made the Parmesan Noodles for lunch, I also made the rotini for tonight's dinner. So not a lot of cooking, per se, but I still have to remember to feed them or they're a surly lot!!
Sunday, November 18th, 2012
Appetizer
Cheese Platter
Soup
Smoked Fish Chowder
Salad Course
Strawberry Jell-O with diced Peaches
Main Entree
Garlic Chicken, Brown Rice Pilaf, Buttered Peas, Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
Desert
Chocolate Cake with Ice Cream
The kids LOVED the fish chowder SO
much that they want it for dinner tomorrow night! Who would've
thought!?! That really came as a surprise to me!
(PS I had more pictures, just can't get the things to be on the same row!! grrr, so frustrating!
Menu Plan for the week of November 13th, 2012
Here is my meal plan for the week:
Monday
Breakfast: Cereal
Monday
Breakfast: Cereal
School Snack: PB and Oats Granola Bar
Lunch: Mini Chocolate Chip Pancakes, HB Eggs, fruit smoothie
Lunch: Mini Chocolate Chip Pancakes, HB Eggs, fruit smoothie
3pm Snack: Chicken fries, Annies fruit snacks, carrots
Dinner: Slow Cooker Taco Chicken Tuesday
Breakfast: pb pancakes, fruit
School Snack: Annie's Cheddar Bunnies
Lunch: Eat at school
3pm Snack: Cheese pizza
Dinner: Bacon, Cheddar, Chicken and Rice Bake
Wednesday
Breakfast: Breakfast sandwiches
School Snack: pretzels with pb
Lunch: eat at school
3pm Snack: Taco Soup
Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie
Thursday
Breakfast: Baked apple oatmeal
School Snack: Holiday Granola Bars
Lunch: eat at school
3pm Snack: apples and cheese
Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Friday
Breakfast: Cinnamon Bun Scones, fruit
School Snack: apple chunks, pretzels and cheese
Lunch: PB Lunch - Apple Chunks, Celery Chunks, Pretzels with PB Dip
3pm Snack: marshmallow (?) popcorn
Dinner: Chicken Barley Stew with Herb Biscuits
Saturday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Cereal
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Salad and Pizza
Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lupper: Simple Salad, soup, roast chicken, stuffing, veggie, ww dinner rolls, jello salad
Dinner: Chicken Crescent sandwiches
Sunday, Nov 11, 2012
Sunday Dinner, eaten around 3:00 ish in our house (on a good day!) I had gotten away from it during the summer - too hot to cook all that food, let alone eat it all! But with the arrival of cooler weather, it seems nice to cook again. To bake again. To sit around the table leisurely and talk about the past week, the week coming up. To have a nice tablecloth and pretty candles on the table (ok, didn't get to change the table cloth!!)
It was nice to sit and really talk with my kids. Sadly, my kids STILL won't eat chicken with their hands, it has to be off the bone! (sensory issues!!) Which reminded me of why I usually don't buy chicken legs! But that was the only "hitch" in the dinner. Then my sister-in-law came over with a drawing book for the kids, so they were occupied while I cleared the table. All in all, a very relaxing Sunday!
Appetizer
Cheese Platter
Salad Course
Simple salad with lettuce, cucumbers, and shredded cheese
Main Entree
BBQ Chicken, Potato Salad, Brown Sugar and Bacon Baked Beans, Parmesan Corn on the Cob, Cheesy Garlic Bread
Desert
Strawberry Swirled Cheesecake
It was nice to sit and really talk with my kids. Sadly, my kids STILL won't eat chicken with their hands, it has to be off the bone! (sensory issues!!) Which reminded me of why I usually don't buy chicken legs! But that was the only "hitch" in the dinner. Then my sister-in-law came over with a drawing book for the kids, so they were occupied while I cleared the table. All in all, a very relaxing Sunday!
Thursday, Nov 8th, 2012
Lunch: Meatloaf Sandwiches, Honey Wheat pretzel sticks, fruit cup, shortbread cookies. Nope, they're not taco roll ups. I still wasn't feeling good last night, but a little better this morning, so I made sandwiches out of the leftover meatloaf from last night's dinner. And prayed that the kids would eat it that way as it was the first time for them. Guess what? They ate it AND liked it - yeah!!! And I guess their friends were jealous - bonus!! lol
Dinner: We had Spaghetti and Meatballs tonight, like we do every Thursday night, lol. But what I do differently is I cook the meatballs in spaghetti sauce in the slow cooker ALL DAY LONG!! Wow! They are SO good that way that that is the ONLY way my family wants me to make them.
Dinner: We had Spaghetti and Meatballs tonight, like we do every Thursday night, lol. But what I do differently is I cook the meatballs in spaghetti sauce in the slow cooker ALL DAY LONG!! Wow! They are SO good that way that that is the ONLY way my family wants me to make them.
Wednesday, November 7th
Lunch: Strawberry Pancakes with Mini chocolate chips, sliced hard boiled egg, fruit, and some tootsie rolls (I feel bad for the meager lunch today, but I am SO sick! I was thankful I made the pancakes last night!!)
I decided to make special pancakes since I had some Martha White Strawberry Muffin mix in the pantry. The Blueberry Muffin Mix has the reipce on the back for pancakes, so I had to look it up! I used two packages and added 1/3 cup of ground flaxseed and 2/3 of a cup mini chocolate chips. The batter still tends to be delicate, so you'll need a wide, sturdy pancake flipper for them. I also had to lower the temp on my griddle from 400 to 350 for 2 1/2 minutes. I ate a "mistake" pancake and Oh Boy! was that delish!! The kids were VERY lucky to have any for lunch!
Dinner: Cheddar Stuffed Mini Meatloaves, mashed potatoes, veggie. So sorry I didn't get a picture of it, but it was so good, according to the kids! We ate at 4:30 because Eva has Swim Team at 5:30 to 6:30. I figured once we got home, everybody could go straight to bed! And it worked! I love it when a plan comes together. Ok, I'm exhausted, time to curl up back on the couch with my afghan and a kitty, or two!
Lunch: Strawberry Pancakes with Mini chocolate chips, sliced hard boiled egg, fruit, and some tootsie rolls (I feel bad for the meager lunch today, but I am SO sick! I was thankful I made the pancakes last night!!)
I decided to make special pancakes since I had some Martha White Strawberry Muffin mix in the pantry. The Blueberry Muffin Mix has the reipce on the back for pancakes, so I had to look it up! I used two packages and added 1/3 cup of ground flaxseed and 2/3 of a cup mini chocolate chips. The batter still tends to be delicate, so you'll need a wide, sturdy pancake flipper for them. I also had to lower the temp on my griddle from 400 to 350 for 2 1/2 minutes. I ate a "mistake" pancake and Oh Boy! was that delish!! The kids were VERY lucky to have any for lunch!
Dinner: Cheddar Stuffed Mini Meatloaves, mashed potatoes, veggie. So sorry I didn't get a picture of it, but it was so good, according to the kids! We ate at 4:30 because Eva has Swim Team at 5:30 to 6:30. I figured once we got home, everybody could go straight to bed! And it worked! I love it when a plan comes together. Ok, I'm exhausted, time to curl up back on the couch with my afghan and a kitty, or two!
Tuesday, November 6th, 2012
Lunch: Pizza Pinwheels, Smply Go-gurt, mini carrots, fruit cup, fruit snack (from Halloween baskets!)
I guess the pizza pinwheels were popular. Eddie and Eva told me their friends wanted those for their lunch! (VERY easy to make - take a whole wheat flour tortilla, spread (thinly) with pizza sauce, sprinkle with CoJack Cheese and roll up! Place seam side down into a microwave safe dish and nuke for 30 secs/roll or until melty.Wait a few minutes (or put them in the fridge and take them out the next morning, which is what I did) and cut them into sections. The end pieces that were uneven I did not include in their lunch (but saved them for my lunch!! yum!)
Hubby told me this morning that he had a work dinner and wouldn't be home for dinner. Oh, ok! So I made Friday's dinner today since hubby isn't a fan of Macaroni and Cheese. Cheeseburger Bacon Macaroni Casserole is the official title, and I got the idea while scrolling through the Knorr website. But I didn't have 1 package of Knorr® Pasta Sides™ - Cheesy Bacon Macaron, but I did have two packages of Whole Wheat Mac & Cheese, so I cooked up the Mac & Cheese and browned some hamburger (just adding salt, pepper, and onion powder to the meat). I added a package of real bacon bits, then I added the cooked noodles to the meat, then sprinkled the cheese packets over everything and added the milk and the butter.Stirred it up and realized it might not be cheesy enough for my kids, so I added 4 pieces of American Cheese. Stirred it again and it looked (and tasted) good! I served it with some green beans and whole wheat dinner rolls.
Well, the kids LOVED it! I have just enough left over for somebody's snack tomorrow. Me? I had the left over split pea soup from Friday - yu-ummm!!
I guess the pizza pinwheels were popular. Eddie and Eva told me their friends wanted those for their lunch! (VERY easy to make - take a whole wheat flour tortilla, spread (thinly) with pizza sauce, sprinkle with CoJack Cheese and roll up! Place seam side down into a microwave safe dish and nuke for 30 secs/roll or until melty.Wait a few minutes (or put them in the fridge and take them out the next morning, which is what I did) and cut them into sections. The end pieces that were uneven I did not include in their lunch (but saved them for my lunch!! yum!)
Hubby told me this morning that he had a work dinner and wouldn't be home for dinner. Oh, ok! So I made Friday's dinner today since hubby isn't a fan of Macaroni and Cheese. Cheeseburger Bacon Macaroni Casserole is the official title, and I got the idea while scrolling through the Knorr website. But I didn't have 1 package of Knorr® Pasta Sides™ - Cheesy Bacon Macaron, but I did have two packages of Whole Wheat Mac & Cheese, so I cooked up the Mac & Cheese and browned some hamburger (just adding salt, pepper, and onion powder to the meat). I added a package of real bacon bits, then I added the cooked noodles to the meat, then sprinkled the cheese packets over everything and added the milk and the butter.Stirred it up and realized it might not be cheesy enough for my kids, so I added 4 pieces of American Cheese. Stirred it again and it looked (and tasted) good! I served it with some green beans and whole wheat dinner rolls.
Well, the kids LOVED it! I have just enough left over for somebody's snack tomorrow. Me? I had the left over split pea soup from Friday - yu-ummm!!
Monday, November 5th, 2012
So here is their after school "snack" - chicken fries, diced apples, tostidos, cookies. Yes, my kids are STARVING after school and Yes, I make them a mini meal for their after school snack (Yes, I think I only cook and clean and drive some days!)
So on Mondays, here is our schedule:
3:00 School's out
3:30 - 4:00 Eva's private swimming lesson
4:00 - 4:30 Triplet's private swimming lesson
5:00 - 6:00 Eddie - basketball
4:30 - 6:30 Ella and Joey in Kids Club
5:30 - 6:30 Eva - Swim Club
So now you see why they get a mini meal after school. And still, Eddie and Eva get a Zone Bar and a bottle of water! And you can also see why dinner needs to be ready and servable as soon as we get home!
Well, the picture isn't very pretty, but it was tasty!! I did the chicken in the slow cooker. Here's where I got the idea for the Paprika Chicken Stew with Potato Pierogies. The kids loved it, but hey, we're a pierogies with bacon kind of family! I didn't make the stew because my kids won't eat carrots, but I think the next time I will try the stew (without the carrots!)
So on Mondays, here is our schedule:
3:00 School's out
3:30 - 4:00 Eva's private swimming lesson
4:00 - 4:30 Triplet's private swimming lesson
5:00 - 6:00 Eddie - basketball
4:30 - 6:30 Ella and Joey in Kids Club
5:30 - 6:30 Eva - Swim Club
So now you see why they get a mini meal after school. And still, Eddie and Eva get a Zone Bar and a bottle of water! And you can also see why dinner needs to be ready and servable as soon as we get home!
Monday, November 5th
Today's Lunch: Peanut butter (or Almond Butter) on whole grain sandwich thins,
Halloween Cheeseballs, applesauce or peach fruit cup, shortbread cookies
(Miss Ella only got a half sandwich and a bag of cheeseballs since she
doesn't have enough time to eat her whole lunch, only the treat!! And
yet her sister and brothers have enough time!! grrr) Eddie had the Almond Butter in his sandwich. He will NOT eat peanut butter, for whatever reason! Eva had the peach fruit cup and the boys had the Berry Applesauce. No, Eva will NOT eat applesauce! And this is the reason I pack the lunches the morning of because there is always someone who doesn't like something, lol!!
Menu Plan for the week of November 4th, 2012
Here is my meal plan for the week:
Monday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, PB on whole wheat english muffins
Monday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, PB on whole wheat english muffins
School Snack: Mini cheesy rice cakes
Lunch: Peanut butter (or Almond Butter) on whole grain sandwich thins, Halloween Cheeseballs, applesauce or peach fruit cup, shortbread cookies
Lunch: Peanut butter (or Almond Butter) on whole grain sandwich thins, Halloween Cheeseballs, applesauce or peach fruit cup, shortbread cookies
3pm Snack: Chicken fries, string cheese, carrots
Dinner: Slow Cooker Paprika Chicken with PierogiessTuesday
Breakfast: pb pancakes, fruit
School Snack: popcorn
Lunch: Pizza Roll-ups, Veggie Sticks
3pm Snack: left over soup
Dinner: Bacon, Cheddar, Chicken and Rice Bake
Wednesday
Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal or Cereal
School Snack: pretzels with pb
Lunch: Mini Chocolate Chip Pancakes, HB Eggs, fruit cup
3pm Snack: left over snack mix
Dinner: Cheddar Stuffed Mini Meatloaves, mashed potatoes, veggie
Thursday
Breakfast: Cheesy scrambled eggs, whole wheat english muffins
School Snack: granola bar
Lunch: Taco Roll ups, corn, salad
3pm Snack: apples and cheese
Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Friday
Breakfast: Muffins, fruit
School Snack: apple chunks, pretzels and cheese
Lunch: Ham and Cheese K bobs, fruit, veggie, treat
3pm Snack: marshmallow (?) popcorn
Dinner: Cheeseburger Bacon Macaroni Casserole
Saturday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Cereal
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Salad and Pizza
Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lupper: Simple Salad, soup, roast chicken, stuffing, veggie, ww dinner rolls, jello salad
Dinner: Open faced hot chicken sandwiches
11-1
Happy All Saint's Day!!! Today's lunch: Taco Salad, Tostidos, Fruit Cup with a picture of St. Kateri Tekakwitha on them (from Happy Saints), and I raided their candy buckets to give them Reeses PB cups!
10/31
Lunch: Jack O'Lantern Quesadillas, peach fruit cup, italian pasta salad, pumpkin candies.
The kids LOVED their lunch - they thought it was SO cute!!
This was our dinner for All Hallows Eve (aka Halloween). Dad made a campfire in the backyard and the kids practiced throwing a football through a tire while I got dinner on the table. Kind of hectic since Eva had swim team until 6:30pm!! As you noticed, I made something COMPLETELY different that what I planned and it was because when I told hubby what I was going to make, he wrinkled his nose and said, "yuck, sounds too gross to eat!" So I saw this and said, "Yes! My kids eat stuffed peppers! I'll do this!" And I found orange peppers on sale at the Piggly Wiggly too - whooo hooo!! Before I left the house, I put some apple cider in a slow cooker with cinnamon sticks and cloves. I also put the peppers in the oven on 250 so they would be done when we got home. I made the spiders during the day and yeah, it was kind of a pain! Especially when I found out that NONE of my kids like black olives (REALLY!! since when?) and Eva said she doesn't like deviled eggs! sigh. So, while it was cute (and tasty), I won't be making them again! The stuffed peppers were DELISH! Here's where I got the idea from: Jack O Lantern Stuffed Peppers.
The recipe that I used:
1 1/2 lb ground beef
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 T basil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt and pepper
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
Using my hands, I mixed it all together, then stuffed the peppers. I put them into the pan that had some spaghetti sauce on the bottom. The leftover meat mixture I made into meatballs and placed them in the sauce. I then covered the pan with tinfoil and baked at 250 degrees for several hours.
So, when I got home, I poured some hot apple cider into mugs and gave them to the kids outside while they played. I steamed some cauliflower, then tossed them in butter and parmesan cheese. While I was finishing the cauliflower, the kids were eating the eggs (umm, sorta, lol). Then we ate dinner and it was back outside to enjoy the fire with some hot apple cider and doughnuts (aka Soul Cakes!)
The kids LOVED their lunch - they thought it was SO cute!!
This was our dinner for All Hallows Eve (aka Halloween). Dad made a campfire in the backyard and the kids practiced throwing a football through a tire while I got dinner on the table. Kind of hectic since Eva had swim team until 6:30pm!! As you noticed, I made something COMPLETELY different that what I planned and it was because when I told hubby what I was going to make, he wrinkled his nose and said, "yuck, sounds too gross to eat!" So I saw this and said, "Yes! My kids eat stuffed peppers! I'll do this!" And I found orange peppers on sale at the Piggly Wiggly too - whooo hooo!! Before I left the house, I put some apple cider in a slow cooker with cinnamon sticks and cloves. I also put the peppers in the oven on 250 so they would be done when we got home. I made the spiders during the day and yeah, it was kind of a pain! Especially when I found out that NONE of my kids like black olives (REALLY!! since when?) and Eva said she doesn't like deviled eggs! sigh. So, while it was cute (and tasty), I won't be making them again! The stuffed peppers were DELISH! Here's where I got the idea from: Jack O Lantern Stuffed Peppers.
1 1/2 lb ground beef
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 T basil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt and pepper
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
Using my hands, I mixed it all together, then stuffed the peppers. I put them into the pan that had some spaghetti sauce on the bottom. The leftover meat mixture I made into meatballs and placed them in the sauce. I then covered the pan with tinfoil and baked at 250 degrees for several hours.
So, when I got home, I poured some hot apple cider into mugs and gave them to the kids outside while they played. I steamed some cauliflower, then tossed them in butter and parmesan cheese. While I was finishing the cauliflower, the kids were eating the eggs (umm, sorta, lol). Then we ate dinner and it was back outside to enjoy the fire with some hot apple cider and doughnuts (aka Soul Cakes!)
10/30/2012
Ok, tonight's dinner was Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie Cups, but I didn't follow the directions (go figure, lol). I thought they'd be too small, so I flattened a biscuit enough so that it went halfway up the sides of a pot pie tin. Then I put an ice cream scoop of filling into each pie. My can had 8 biscuits and I had enough filling for 8 pies. I then sprinkled more cheese on top and baked it for about 20 minutes. OMGosh! It was SO delish that I'm making it again, even though Eva wouldn't eat it!! I served a salad and some jello on the side and it was enough.
Ok, tonight's dinner was Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie Cups, but I didn't follow the directions (go figure, lol). I thought they'd be too small, so I flattened a biscuit enough so that it went halfway up the sides of a pot pie tin. Then I put an ice cream scoop of filling into each pie. My can had 8 biscuits and I had enough filling for 8 pies. I then sprinkled more cheese on top and baked it for about 20 minutes. OMGosh! It was SO delish that I'm making it again, even though Eva wouldn't eat it!! I served a salad and some jello on the side and it was enough.
Menu Plan for the week of October 28th, 2012
Here is my meal plan for the week:
Monday
Breakfast: Raspberry Muffins with Mini Chocolate Chips, fruit
Monday
Breakfast: Raspberry Muffins with Mini Chocolate Chips, fruit
School Snack: pretzels w/ pb
Lunch: Eat at school
Lunch: Eat at school
3pm Snack: Bagel dog, chips, sliced apples
Dinner: Slow Cooker Lemon Garlic Chicken with potatoes and green beansTuesday
Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal or Cereal
School Snack: popcorn
Lunch: Eat at school
3pm Snack: cheese and ww ritz crackers
Dinner: Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie Cups, peaches in sf jello
Wednesday (All Hallow's Eve)
Breakfast: Ghost pancakes, turkey breakfast sauasage
Lunch: Jack O'Lantern Quesadillas, fresh fruit
3pm Snack: popcorn & pretzels
Dinner: Spider Eggs, Individual “Rat” meat loaves, boo ghost mashed potatoes, monster pudding cups
Thursday (All Saints Day)
Breakfast: Irish Potato Pancakes
Lunch: Taco salad (taco meat, lettuce, cheese, black beans, corn), corn chips
3pm Snack: All Saints Snack Buffet and Party
Dinner: Garlic Pork Roast, Colcannon, Brahmbrack (?), sugar cookies
Friday (All Souls Day)
Breakfast: Muffins, fruit
Snacks: apple chunks, pretzels and cheese
Lunch: Bean burritos, cheesy rice, veggie
3pm Snack: Soul cakes (aka doughnuts)
Dinner: Pea soup with ham, whole wheat rolls
Saturday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Cereal
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Salad and Pizza
Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lupper: Simple Salad, soup, roast chicken, buttered noodles, veggie, ww dinner rolls
Dinner: Pampered Chef Chicken Crescent Ring, fruit
So, here is this mornings breakfast - Maple Bacon Whole Wheat Pancakes. Not too hard to make. I just used Hungry Jacks Wheat Blends Pancake mix. Added 1/2 tsp maple flavoring with the water and the kids mixed it up. I used my Pampered Chef medium cookie scoop to put the batter on the griddle so I can get 6 even size pancakes. Then I sprinkled the tops with bacon bits. Mine cooked for about 2 1/2 minutes, then I flipped them over. The boys were ALL excited, but the girls wanted Cinnamon Mini Chocolate Chip Pancakes instead, so I made a second batch for the girls. And as if having the bacon wasn't enough, the boys wanted sausage patties so they could have breakfast sandwiches!!
While I was making the Mini Chocolate chip pancakes, I sprinkled bacon bits on two of them for me. (Those are the ones in the photo above) OH! They were FABULOUS!!! I, um, made two more like that for myself!
So there you are, another idea for breakfast! I've gotta run, literally, to work off my breakfast. :)
Menu Plan for the week of October 22nd, 2012
Here is my meal plan for the week:
Monday
Breakfast: French Toast, fruit
Monday
Breakfast: French Toast, fruit
School Snack: pretzels w/ pb
Lunch: Chicken Taco Soup
Lunch: Chicken Taco Soup
3pm Snack: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, veggies
Dinner: Basil Chicken SpaghettiTuesday
Breakfast: Cheesy scrambled eggs and ww toast
School Snack: Granola Bars
Lunch: Quesadillas, fresh fruit
3pm Snack: cheese and ww ritz crackers
Dinner: Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, Brown Rice, Veggie
Wednesday
Breakfast: Waffles, Turkey Breakfast sausage, fruit
Lunch: Chicken nuggets, tater tots, applesauce
3pm Snack: popcorn
Dinner: Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie Cups, peaches in sf jello (make day b4) , Pizza @ baseball
Thursday (at Great Wolf Lodge)
Breakfast: Oatmeal, fruit
Lunch: Bean Burritos, rice, corn
3pm Snack: Mini Chicken Sandwiches, raw veggie sticks, apple slices
Dinner: Kids Cuisine and Marie Callendar's
Late Snack (Mom & Dad): Mini coconut pie and wine!
Friday (at Great Wolf Lodge)
Breakfast: Pancake Breakfast Sandwiches, fruit
Snacks: apple chunks, pretzels and cheese
Lunch: Corn dogs, cheesy rotini with broccoli
3pm Snack: air popped popcorn
Dinner: Ground Beef Stroganoff, veggie, ww rolls
Saturday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Cereal
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Pumpkin Carving Party
Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lupper: Simple Salad, soup, roast pork, buttered noodles, veggie, ww dinner rolls
Dinner: Pampered Chef Chicken Crescent Ring, fruit
Oct 16th:
Eva is getting a ww calzone, mini carrots and apple, fig newtons and a kitkat. Triplets are going on a field trip today, so they are getting: a pb sandwich (cut into either a dinosaur or butterfly), cheezeits, and cubed apples. (Found the bags at the Dollar Store - how cute are they?)
Ok, confession about the calzone. I didn't make it from scratch - gasp! Pillsbury has come out with a whole wheat pizza crust and since Pick n Save had it on sale AND I had a coupon for it, I bought it. I unrolled it, rolled it out a little to make it an even rectangle, then cut it into thirds. I spread pizza sauce, then mozzerella cheese, and lastly some basil on top. Then I wet the edges and folded them over. Just crimped the edges with a fork and popped them into the oven. I believe it was 350 for around 12 minutes. I let them cool completely, then put them in the fridge. I am currently eating one of them for lunch and WOW! is that crust good!! I believe I will keep a roll of that in the fridge for when my kids need a snack!!
Ok, some of you probably noticed that there is no salad in there. Well, I went to get the lettuce out of the fridge this morning and it was frozen! yup, our fridge is WAY too small for this family, but we don't have the space to put in a larger fridge without eliminating cabinets. Since I only have three cabinets and THAT'S not enough, so not an option right now!! (I never did like the kitchen, but I did like the rest of the house, so hubby promised me a new kitchen after we'd lived here for a year or so. Well, two years later, I got pregnant with triplets!! There went my kitchen, lol)
Eva is getting a ww calzone, mini carrots and apple, fig newtons and a kitkat. Triplets are going on a field trip today, so they are getting: a pb sandwich (cut into either a dinosaur or butterfly), cheezeits, and cubed apples. (Found the bags at the Dollar Store - how cute are they?)
Ok, confession about the calzone. I didn't make it from scratch - gasp! Pillsbury has come out with a whole wheat pizza crust and since Pick n Save had it on sale AND I had a coupon for it, I bought it. I unrolled it, rolled it out a little to make it an even rectangle, then cut it into thirds. I spread pizza sauce, then mozzerella cheese, and lastly some basil on top. Then I wet the edges and folded them over. Just crimped the edges with a fork and popped them into the oven. I believe it was 350 for around 12 minutes. I let them cool completely, then put them in the fridge. I am currently eating one of them for lunch and WOW! is that crust good!! I believe I will keep a roll of that in the fridge for when my kids need a snack!!
Ok, some of you probably noticed that there is no salad in there. Well, I went to get the lettuce out of the fridge this morning and it was frozen! yup, our fridge is WAY too small for this family, but we don't have the space to put in a larger fridge without eliminating cabinets. Since I only have three cabinets and THAT'S not enough, so not an option right now!! (I never did like the kitchen, but I did like the rest of the house, so hubby promised me a new kitchen after we'd lived here for a year or so. Well, two years later, I got pregnant with triplets!! There went my kitchen, lol)
Oct 15th
Today's Lunch: Bacon and Egg Breakfast Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Fruit, snack size Kit Kat.
Uh-oh, I put a candy bar in their lunch! Well, I didn't get a chance to make the granola bars, so I went with that. I made the sandwiches last night, after the kids went to bed. This morning, I popped them into the toaster to crisp them up a little bit, then while they cooled, cut up an apple and dipped them in 7 Up for their lunch. Wow! This apple I got at the store said "Large", but it was SO big, that just one filled all four lunch boxes!
Today's Lunch: Bacon and Egg Breakfast Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Fruit, snack size Kit Kat.
Uh-oh, I put a candy bar in their lunch! Well, I didn't get a chance to make the granola bars, so I went with that. I made the sandwiches last night, after the kids went to bed. This morning, I popped them into the toaster to crisp them up a little bit, then while they cooled, cut up an apple and dipped them in 7 Up for their lunch. Wow! This apple I got at the store said "Large", but it was SO big, that just one filled all four lunch boxes!
Menu Plan for the week of October 14th, 2012
Here is my meal plan for the week:
Monday
Breakfast: cheerios, bananas
Monday
Breakfast: cheerios, bananas
School Snack: pretzels w/ pb
Lunch: Bacon & Egg Breakfast Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Fruit,pb granola bar
Lunch: Bacon & Egg Breakfast Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Fruit,pb granola bar
After School Snack: Leftover pizza, Carrot sticks
Dinner: Cheesy Chicken ChowderTuesday
Breakfast: Cheesy scrambled eggs and ww toast
School Snack: Granola Bars
Lunch: Eva: Stromboli, salad. Apples
Triplets: PB sandwich, pretzels, carrots, apple “fries”
After School Snack: Bologna & Cheese roll ups, pretzels
Dinner: Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas, Brown Rice, Veggie
Wednesday
Breakfast: Waffle Breakfast Sandwich
School Snack: Apple slices, grahm crackers
Lunch: Eat at school
After School Snack: Quesadillas, fresh fruit
Dinner: Slow Cooker Ranch Pork Chops w/ mashed potatoes (make day b4) , Pizza @ baseball
Thursday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, fruit
School Snack: Pear chunks and cheese
Lunch: Taco Salad (with french dressing)
After School Snack: Mini Chicken Sandwiches, raw veggie sticks, apple slices
Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Friday
Breakfast: Pancakes, Pancake Breakfast Sandwiches, fruit
School Snack: apple chunks and cheese
Lunch: Mini Chicken Sandwiches, raw veggie sticks, apple slices
After School Snack: air popped popcorn
Dinner: (Fall Festival) Cheesy Turkey Pot Pie Cups peaches in sf jello
Saturday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Cereal
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: WW Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza
Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lupper: Simple Salad, soup, roast pork, buttered noodles, veggie, ww dinner rolls
Dinner: Pampered Chef Chicken Crescent Ring, fruit
Oct 12th
Today's lunch I'll call "Desperation", lol. NOT what I had planned to pack, but I didn't get to go grocery shopping yesterday! Hubby got swamped at work and wasn't able to transfer money until it was too late for me to go grocery shopping by myself, ALONE!! Since I check the grocery and dept store sales flyers, I usually shop at more than one store and it's NO FUN dragging four (or any!) kids along! So anyways, I HAD to pack them something because I was told, by all 4 no less, that today's school lunch was "yucky" - Turkey and Cheese Sandwich, Jicama sticks, carrot sticks, and pineapple. Well, none of my kids will eat jicama, we tried it several times, it's a no go and I'm not to crazy about it either. Ella, who is my candy junkie, will not eat pineapple, go figure! And none of my kids like white bread, rolls or buns - yeah! Ok, so I need to pack a lunch and I'm SO not a morning person!! But, this is what I came up with:
Chicken fries, peas, go-gurt, and fruit snacks. (The go-gurt was frozen because some little people ate all the ones in the fridge, but forgot to tell mom! Hopefully it'll be thawed out by lunch time, lol)
I also was out of something to pack for their snack at school, so today they got a Zone bar. Thankfully, hubby works at Abbott, so we get them by the case. They're good for that quick pick me up before/after a game, a quickie breakfast, or for snack time! The kids were cheering that they got Zone bars for a snack!
Ok, now I can grocery shopping. I wish Target had Annie's Snacks on sale again. The last time, I bought a bunch and they are my kids fave. They are a little pricey, which is why I wait for a sale. Seems the "healthy" stuff doesn't go on sale that much!! Well, ta ta for now!!
Today's lunch I'll call "Desperation", lol. NOT what I had planned to pack, but I didn't get to go grocery shopping yesterday! Hubby got swamped at work and wasn't able to transfer money until it was too late for me to go grocery shopping by myself, ALONE!! Since I check the grocery and dept store sales flyers, I usually shop at more than one store and it's NO FUN dragging four (or any!) kids along! So anyways, I HAD to pack them something because I was told, by all 4 no less, that today's school lunch was "yucky" - Turkey and Cheese Sandwich, Jicama sticks, carrot sticks, and pineapple. Well, none of my kids will eat jicama, we tried it several times, it's a no go and I'm not to crazy about it either. Ella, who is my candy junkie, will not eat pineapple, go figure! And none of my kids like white bread, rolls or buns - yeah! Ok, so I need to pack a lunch and I'm SO not a morning person!! But, this is what I came up with:
Chicken fries, peas, go-gurt, and fruit snacks. (The go-gurt was frozen because some little people ate all the ones in the fridge, but forgot to tell mom! Hopefully it'll be thawed out by lunch time, lol)
I also was out of something to pack for their snack at school, so today they got a Zone bar. Thankfully, hubby works at Abbott, so we get them by the case. They're good for that quick pick me up before/after a game, a quickie breakfast, or for snack time! The kids were cheering that they got Zone bars for a snack!
Ok, now I can grocery shopping. I wish Target had Annie's Snacks on sale again. The last time, I bought a bunch and they are my kids fave. They are a little pricey, which is why I wait for a sale. Seems the "healthy" stuff doesn't go on sale that much!! Well, ta ta for now!!
Oct 10th, 2012:
For today's lunch, I packed: Lasagna roll-ups, multi-grain roll and a salad. Here it is, looking all pretty, lol. After I took the picture, I cut the lasagna roll-up into bite size pieces and then it didn't look so pretty any more!
No apple slices for snacks today as they were all eaten! The price of apples in WI is through the roof this Fall. A 3lb bag of apples cost me $6.00!! yikes!! And apples are my families FAVE fruit too. I think when hubby gets paid, I'm going to have to bite the bullet and spend the big bucks to get more apples, sigh.
After school, Eva has an art class at the museum squeezed in between Homework Club and Swim Team, so I'll make some Chicken Quesadilla's for her after school snack.
For today's lunch, I packed: Lasagna roll-ups, multi-grain roll and a salad. Here it is, looking all pretty, lol. After I took the picture, I cut the lasagna roll-up into bite size pieces and then it didn't look so pretty any more!
No apple slices for snacks today as they were all eaten! The price of apples in WI is through the roof this Fall. A 3lb bag of apples cost me $6.00!! yikes!! And apples are my families FAVE fruit too. I think when hubby gets paid, I'm going to have to bite the bullet and spend the big bucks to get more apples, sigh.
After school, Eva has an art class at the museum squeezed in between Homework Club and Swim Team, so I'll make some Chicken Quesadilla's for her after school snack.
Oct 9th, 2012
Kids are eating at school today, so I didn't have to pack lunches this morning! I'm cooking the Cranberry Chicken and the brown rice to go with it, today, for tomorrow's dinner. It just tastes better the next day. And tomorrow is baseball for Joey and Ella and swim team for Eva, so the five of us will probably eat before we go and Dad can eat when he gets home.
This recipe I got from Hannah Keely. Have you seen her on tv? Oh! I so want her to come to my house and give me a hand! I also enjoy her blog and that's where I found this recipe. I only make one recipe of it because my kids think it's "ok". Dad and I LOVE it and since we haven't had it in awhile, that's what were eating on Wednesday. And it's ok if the kids don't eat a lot of it, they serve pizza after the game, so hey! lol
Cranberry Chicken (printable)
2 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 lbs. chicken (about 4 breasts) (I did 10 thighs and doubled the recipe)
Melt butter in microwave, but let cool slightly before dumping in the bag. Dump all ingredients except chicken in a gallon-size zippered plastic bag and smoosh it together. Add chicken, seal completely and smoosh some more to thoroughly coat chic ken. Empty into a casserole dish and cook at 350 for 40 minutes or until done (juices run clear); cook in a slow cooker for 4-6 hours; or allow to marinate for two
hours and toss on the grill.
Kids are eating at school today, so I didn't have to pack lunches this morning! I'm cooking the Cranberry Chicken and the brown rice to go with it, today, for tomorrow's dinner. It just tastes better the next day. And tomorrow is baseball for Joey and Ella and swim team for Eva, so the five of us will probably eat before we go and Dad can eat when he gets home.
This recipe I got from Hannah Keely. Have you seen her on tv? Oh! I so want her to come to my house and give me a hand! I also enjoy her blog and that's where I found this recipe. I only make one recipe of it because my kids think it's "ok". Dad and I LOVE it and since we haven't had it in awhile, that's what were eating on Wednesday. And it's ok if the kids don't eat a lot of it, they serve pizza after the game, so hey! lol
Cranberry Chicken (printable)
2 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 lbs. chicken (about 4 breasts) (I did 10 thighs and doubled the recipe)
Melt butter in microwave, but let cool slightly before dumping in the bag. Dump all ingredients except chicken in a gallon-size zippered plastic bag and smoosh it together. Add chicken, seal completely and smoosh some more to thoroughly coat chic ken. Empty into a casserole dish and cook at 350 for 40 minutes or until done (juices run clear); cook in a slow cooker for 4-6 hours; or allow to marinate for two
hours and toss on the grill.
Oct 8th, Dinner: Lentil and Barley Soup (printable)
Wow! This was SO good! I only had one child who didn't like it! I changed the recipe simply because I had a stockpot full of turkey broth (and parts) from yesterday's turkey. So I used the whole bag of lentils just for the left overs! I ended up with 4, 1 serving, portions that I froze in quart size freezer bags. So now when I don't have leftovers for hubby's lunch (or I'm hungry, lol) I can go to the freezer and pick this out!
Slow Cooker Barley & Lentil Soup
(Idea From: Campbell's Kitchen)
Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 8 hours Serves: 8 (with leftovers)
This comforting barley and lentil soup simmers all day in the slow cooker yielding delectable results.
Ingredients:
12-14 cups Swanson Beef Broth (Regular or 50% Less Sodium)
2-3 tsps worchestire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
4 large carrots, cubed small (about 3 cups)
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 to 3 stalks celery, cubed small
1 pkg (16 oz) uncooked dried lentils
1 1/2 cups uncooked pearl barley
Directions:
Stir the broth, garlic, oregano, carrots, onion, lentils and barley in a 5 quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or until the lentils and barley are tender.
Recipe Tips:
Sering Suggestion: Serve with crusty wholegrain bread
(Idea From: Campbell's Kitchen)
Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 8 hours Serves: 8 (with leftovers)
This comforting barley and lentil soup simmers all day in the slow cooker yielding delectable results.
Ingredients:
12-14 cups Swanson Beef Broth (Regular or 50% Less Sodium)
2-3 tsps worchestire sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
4 large carrots, cubed small (about 3 cups)
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 to 3 stalks celery, cubed small
1 pkg (16 oz) uncooked dried lentils
1 1/2 cups uncooked pearl barley
Directions:
Stir the broth, garlic, oregano, carrots, onion, lentils and barley in a 5 quart slow cooker.
Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or until the lentils and barley are tender.
Recipe Tips:
Sering Suggestion: Serve with crusty wholegrain bread
Menu Plan for the week of October 7th, 2012
Here is my meal plan for the week:
Monday
Breakfast: cheerios, bananas
Monday
Breakfast: cheerios, bananas
School Snack: pretzels w/ pb
Lunch: Mini Bacon & Veggie Frittatas, mini chocolate chip pancakes, turkey sausage links, fruit
After School Snack: Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Carrot sticks
Dinner: Lentil Soup w/ ww rollsLunch: Mini Bacon & Veggie Frittatas, mini chocolate chip pancakes, turkey sausage links, fruit
After School Snack: Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Carrot sticks
Tuesday
Breakfast: Cheesy scrambled eggs and ww toast
School Snack: Granola Bars
Lunch: Eat at school
After School Snack: Lunch meat sandwich, goldfish crackers
Dinner: Turkey Divan, ww dinner rolls
Wednesday
Breakfast: Apple Cinnamon Waffles
School Snack: Apple slices, grahm crackers
Lunch: Lasagna Roll Up, Garlic Roll, Veggie
After School Snack: Quesadillas, fresh fruit
Dinner: Slow Cooker Cranberry Chicken (make day b4) , w/ rice or Pizza @ baseball
Thursday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, fruit
School Snack: go-gurt
Lunch: eat at school
After School Snack: Mini Chicken Sandwiches, raw veggie sticks, apple slices
Dinner: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Friday
Breakfast: Pancakes, Pancake Breakfast Sandwiches, fruit
School Snack: Laughing Cow wedge, whole wheat ritz
Lunch: Bean burritos, cheesy rice, veggie
After School Snack: air popped popcorn
Dinner: Cheesy Turkey Pot Pie Cups, peaches in sf jello
Saturday
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Cereal
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: WW Cheese Pizza
Sunday
Breakfast: Muffins
Lupper: Simple Salad, soup, roast chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, ww dinner rolls
Dinner: A simple snack
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