Meal Planning ~ Week of December 11

Monday - Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole made in the crockpot

Tuesday - Macaroni and Cheese Soup with Veggies, rolls

Wednesday - Pork Chops, some sort of side dish, and veggies

Thursday - Eat what you want night

Friday - Ham and Pasta Skillet Dinner, veggie, roll

Saturday - Sloppy Joes, chips or fries, raw veggies

Lemon Cookies

One of my favorite author/book series is Joanna Fluke's Hannah Swenson series.  Not only does Hannah bake cookies for a living, she also solves mysteries.  Joanne Fluke also provides recipes for the readers.  I have found several of my favorite recipes from her books.  This is one of those recipes.  I don't remember which book it is from. 

If you like tart lemon bars, you will like these.  They are the lemon bars in a cookie bar form.  Yummy!  Enjoy!

These are wonderfully lemony and quite tart.  You may wish to sprinkle them with powdered sugar before you serve them to those who like them sweeter.

Lemon Cookies

Stars of the recipe:

• 1/2 cup softened butter (1 stick = 1/4 pound)


• 3/4 cup white sugar


• 1 egg beaten (just whip it up in a glass with a fork)


• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest


• 2 tsp. lemon juice


• 1 tsp. baking powder


• 1/4 tsp. baking soda


• 1 2/3 c. flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)


• 1/2 c. milk

Steps:

1. Beat the butter and the sugar together until they're light and fluffy.


2. Add the beaten egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Mix it all up.


3. Mix in the baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Mix well.


4. Mix in half of the flour and half of the milk.


5. Stir everything all up and then add the remaining flour and the remaining milk.  Mix well.


6. Drop by teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Make these cookies small, about the size of a cherry.  If you make them too large, they'll spread out on the cookie sheet and crumble when you remove them.


7. Bake at 350 degrees  Farehenheit for 12 to 14 minuts.


8. While they are baking, mix up the topping.

Topping:

Stars of the recipe:

• 1/4 c. of lemon juice


• 1/2 c. of sugar

Steps:

1. Heat lemon juice just a bit in the microwave.


2. Add sugar and stir it up.


3. When the cookies come out of the oven, remove them to a wire rack with a piece of foil placed under it.


4. Brush the topping onto the hot cookies.  The faster you do this, the quicker the topping will dry into a glaze.

Printable version

Weekly Menu for week of Dec. 5

I've been bad about noting making a menu which causes me to figure out what we are going to eat late in the game.  I don't have time for that because I get home from work and then have to automatically start dinner.  If I knew what I was going to make, it would make the transition easier.  I could get the prep ready beforehand or have hubby start the dinner.  The Wee One loves eat whatever you want night and has been asking for one this week which is driving me crazy.  We've decided that Thursday's would be a perfect night for that.  They eat left-overs or make themselves a sandwich.  It is a more relaxed night for dinner. 

We usually go over to my in-laws for dinners on Sunday nights.  They are going to a potluck dinner and concert tonight so we are on our own for dinner.  Our dinner is going to be similar to what we have on Sunday nights.  The Wee One wanted to make it an eat whatever you want night so I allowed him to help with the menu.  He is satisfied with what is planned :).

Friday night, the school district I work for's varsity football team went to a state championship game.  They figure the attendance rate was going to be low so they gave us the day off.  We have to make it up at the end of the year though.  Since I had Friday off, I used it to go grocery shopping without the crowds and boys.  There was a lot of manager specials on meat so I nabbed some.  My menus for the next few weeks are going to feature some of those meats.  By the way, the football team did end up winning the game.  They've been to state 3 times - 1981, 2010, and 2011.  This was the first time they won the state championship.  They also were undefeated this year which is impressive!

Now on to the menu,

Sunday - chicken in the crockpot, stuffing, mac and cheese, broccoli with cheese sauce, pretzel rolls

 Monday - bbq ribs in the crockpot, left-over mac and cheese, veggie

Tuesday - sweet and sour chicken using leftover chicken, rice

Wednesday - baked potato bar, raw veggies

Thursday - Eat whatever you like night

Friday - Homemade pizza, salad

Saturday - spaghetti or pasta with garlic bread made from depression era bread, salad

Fried Potatoes

When I was a teenager, I lived with my mom and grandparents.  Even though my grandma was a great cook, she never taught me her recipes.  Oh, I have a few of her recipes because she gave them to me.  However, she and I never cooked in the same kitchen. 

One of the side dishes, she cook was fried potatoes.  I love the taste of the crispy crust of the potato when it's been fried in a skillet.  Yum!  Once I got married and moved into a place that I cooked dinner, I started to make fried potatoes.  The problem I encountered was that it took for-e-ver for the potatoes to cook up.  Through practice, I learned the secret is to put a lid on the skillet while the potatoes were cooking.  Not all of the potatoes get that crispy crust though.  That's fine though, the boys refuse to touch them.  I get to eat the potatoes with the crispy crust and the boys get to eat the mushier potatoes.

One way to check to see if the potatoes are cooked throughout is they become translucent like when they have finished cooking. 



Stars of the recipe:

• 3 to 4 potatoes cut into slices, I use russet but you can use whatever kind of potatoes you want


• 1/2 onion cut into rings


• oil, I use extra virgin olive oil


• salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Cut potatoes into slices and onions into rings.


2. Coat the bottom of a skillet with oil.  As Rachael Ray says, twice around the pan with the oil. (I use a cast iron skillet.)


3. Turn the stove on to med.  Let the pan warm up.


4. Add the potatoes and onions.  Season with salt and pepper.  Put the lid on the skillet.


5. Let the potatoes cook for about a few minutes.  Then flip the potatoes to make sure they don't burn.


6. Continue cooking the potatoes, flipping the potatoes every few minutes.


7. The potatoes will be finished when translucent looking.


8. Enjoy!

Thank you!

Today I was given the honor of being a Friday find from Grandma Loy's Kitchen.  Thank you so much for featuring me on your blog!  It was a treat to see my picture I had taken in my email this morning.

Not Pecan Pie Bars

A couple of weeks ago, I found a recipe on From Grandma Loy's kitchen that intrigued me.  The recipe was for pecan pie bars that were made with pretzels instead of pecans.  I knew I wanted to make them but didn't know when I would.  So on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, at dinner we were talking about Thanksgiving dinner.  I offered to make the veggies, biscuits, and desserts.  It was then I knew I would make those not pecan pie bars.

Everyone was impressed with the not pecan pie bars.  It looked like real pecans were part of the topping and it was not too salty.  My sister-in-law who is allergic to nuts enjoyed them.  Even my brother-in-law gave me a compliment on how good they were.  I ended up sending the rest of the batch home with them.

You first need to make the Bar Cookie Crust

Stars of the Bar Cookie Crust

• 2 c. all purpose flour
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/2 c. butter or margarine, cut up

Steps for making the Bar Cookie Crust

1. Place flour, sugar, salt in a mixing bowl. 
2. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 
3. Press crumbs firmly into bottom and 1/4 inch up the sides of a greased (I use my pan release mixture from my local candy/cake supply store.) 9x13-inch baking pan. 
4.  Bake at 350 degrees 15 minutes or until golden brown. 

While the Cookie Bar Crust is baking, make up the topping.

Stars of the recipe for the Not Pecan Pie Bars

• 1 Bar Cookie Crust
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 c. Karo, Light or Dark
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 2 T. butter or margarine, melted
• 2 t. vanilla
• 1 1/3 c. broken pretzels sticks (I put them in a bag and then smashed them with the smooth side of my meat tenderizer.  A lot of frustrations were worked out.)

Steps for the Not Pecan Pie Bars:

1. While the cookie bar  crust is baking, beat eggs, Karo, sugar, butter or margarine, and vanilla together in a large bowl.  (I used my stand mixer.)
2. Stir in pretzels. 
3. Pour over hot crust, spreading evenly. 
4. Bake at 350 degrees 20 minutes or until filling is firm around edges and slightly firm in center. 
5. Cool completely on wire rack. 
6. Cut into bars and enjoy!

Last week I found this recipe on This Week for Dinner's website.  I thought this was a genius idea because you don't need to make a separate crust for the pie.  I don't know if I've attempted to make homemade crust.  Usually I use the store bought variety.

This pie is easy to put together.  Although it called for peeling the apples, I left a little peel on which added color when the apples peeked out of the crust.  Which was pretty cool looking.  This is not a traditional pie.  Instead the crust is more like a cobbler then apple pie like.  This pie would be good with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or even cinnamon ice cream.  Yum!

Makes It Own Crust Apple Pie

from This Week for Dinner

Stars of the recipe:

• Sliced apples, sliced but not too thin, peeled
• 1-2 Tablespoons of cinnamon sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks melted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 beaten egg

Steps:

1. Fill a pie plate or any 8×8 casserole dish/pan with sliced apples. Only the center can be slightly above level with the top of dish or the topping will spill over the sides, so don’t get carried away.
2. Sprinkle the apples with about 1 Tbsp. cinnamon sugar. (More or less depending on what you like.)
3. Mix together the butter, sugar, flour and egg.
4. Pour the mixture evenly over apples, sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar if desired.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F until deep golden brown – around 40-45 minutes or so.
6. Enjoy with whipped cream, ice cream, or by itself.

Honey Glazed Carrots in the Crockpot

My husband doesn't eat raw carrots but eats cooked carrots.  The Imaginative One doesn't eat cooked carrots but eats raw carrots.  So it makes it interesting for deciding what veggies to cook for dinner.  I saw this recipe and decided I needed to make it for Thanksgiving.  It fit the criteria of:  easy, quick, and cooks in the crockpot.  During the Thanksgiving parade, I prepped the carrots and let them cook right before dinner.  Since my crazy son doesn't eat cooked carrots, I also made corn for him. 

Oh, and the taste!  They were delicious.  Since it was so easy, I may prep the carrots and have hubby put them in the crockpot one day so we can have them for dinner.

Honey Glazed Carrots

Eat at Home

Stars of the recipe:

• 
  
  1 pound of carrots, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces


• 
  
  2 Tbsp. of butter


• 
  
  2 Tbsp. of honey


• 
  
  salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. 
   
   Spray 2 or 3 quart crockpot with cooking spray.


2. 
   
   Place carrots in the crockpot along with butter.


3. 
   
   Drizzle the honey over the carrots.


4. 
   
   Season with salt and pepper.


5. 
   
   Cook on high for 3 hours.

• 
  

 

Cranberry Relish - Crockpot Style

Today is Thanksgiving and I have a lot to be thankful for this year.

1. My family and friends


2. God showing me a talent. This talent has allowed me to see the beauty of his world in a way I've never seen it before.


3. Laughter - Hearing the boys laugh brings joy to my soul.


4. My students both current and former


5. My health - During June I suffered terrible headaches. For three almost four weeks I had headaches that were persistent. Luckily a trip to the chiropractor helped relieve them. Then in September and most of October I had a persistent cough. Fortunately for me both are better.


6. God giving me 2 boys who are bright and surprise me with their knowledge and insight about the world around them.

Now onto the recipe. On Sunday, my father-in-law informed us he was cooking a chicken for Thanksgiving. There was going to be only 6 of us for dinner and he didn't want to deal with all the left-overs. The family convinced him that he needed to make a turkey. I wanted to help make the dinner so I decided what I was going to bring. One of them items was going to be homemade cranberry relish. Yesterday I stumbled on this recipe.

Earlier in the week I had created a list of things I needed from the store. One of the items was an orange for the relish. My husband went shopping but didn't buy an orange. His reasoning was I had oranges at the house. I have grapefruit and clementines but no navel oranges. So I made a trip to Save-A-Lot to go get the oranges. Boy I'm glad I did. This recipe is easy and the end result was delicious.

Cranberry Relish

Stars of the recipe:

• 2 oranges


• 1 bag (12 ounces) cranberries, rinsed and picked over


• 1 cup sugar


• pinch cinnamon or Chinese five spice


• 3 tablespoons water

Steps:

1. 
   
   Zest the oranges.


2. 
   
   Cut off the remaining outer peel and pith and discard.


3. 
   
   Cut the peeled orange sections into small chunks and add to the slow cooker along with cranberries, sugar, cinnamon, and zest.


4. 
   
   Add water.


5. 
   
   Cover and cook on HIGH for about 2 hours. (I had to put it on low for about 1/2 hour after cooking it on high.)

I hope you had a great holiday! What are you thankful for?

This post is linked up to Eat at home's Ingredient Spotlight.

Christmas Baking part 2

In my previous post, I listed some of my favorite cookies to bake that are on my blog.  Here are some other favorite cookie recipes that are on other blogs.  My goal this Christmas season is post them on this blog so that I have them readily available during next year's baking season.

Santa's Whiskers Cookies - If you like coconut and maraschino cherries, this is the recipe for you!

Brown Sugar Jumbles - What's not to love about these cookies, they are oatmeal and m&m's cookies rolled into one!  Yum!

Orange Infused Snowballs - Different flavor then what you normally have during the holiday season

Candy Cane Snowballs - Crushing candy canes is a good way to get your frustrations out.  Or you could put the candy canes in a baggie and let the kids crush them.

Candied Pecans - Delicious!

Andes Creme de Menthe Cookies - I already have the Andes Creme de Menthe pieces with my cookie baking supplies.  The Imaginative One loves Andes mints so this is one of his favs.

Christmas Baking

When I was a teen, I lived with both my mother and my grandparents.  There are several Christmas memories that I treasure.  One is my grandma and her trees.  She loved teddy bears and would put up several trees with just her teddy bear ornaments on it.  Then there we would put up the traditional tree.  I really wish I was into photography then because I would love to have pictures of her and her trees.

The other memory is her baking and making candy.  She had a bench in the kitchen that I inherited from her.  After she would bake a batch or two cookies or make the candy she would put it on the bench.  I was not suppose to touch any of the goodies because they were to be given out as Christmas gifts.  My mom helped her with the baking and making candy but I didn't.  I don't remember if it was because I was a teen and didn't want to or if she didn't allow me to.  Now I wish I did help her make those goodies and again I wish I had photographs of all the goodies.

I got married in 1999 and moved out of the college dorms.  During Christmas I picked up the tradition of making goodies for Christmas.  And I've done it ever since.  While my grandma was dying in 2008, we spent the days leading up to Christmas in the nursing home keeping watch over her and praying.  When I was unable to be at the nursing home, I was at the house baking up goodies and then bringing them to the nursing home to share with family members.  Grandma ended up passing away on Christmas Eve right about the time the Christmas Eve service started at my church.  It was only fitting she died during the holiday season because she loved it so much.

Most of the Christmas baking I do myself but the boys are allowed in the kitchen for some of it.  They do help for the most part.  But their attention span is of a flea sometimes when it comes to this kind of stuff.  Will's favorite part of helping is cracking the eggs and beating the yolks with a fork.  If I'm making peanut butter blossoms which is their favorite kind of cookie, they are all about putting the Hershey Kiss on the cookie when it comes out of the oven.  Those are memories I want them to have so hopefully they can pass them onto their kids.

So as the Christmas baking season begins for me, I want to list some of my favorite cookies I've made and will make once again.

Rolo Turtles



 

 

 

 

Pecan Nouget Cookies

 

 

 

 

Spritz Cookies



 

 

 

Peanut butter blossoms



 

 

 

 

Snickerdoodles

Mock Thin Mints

Sugar Cookies

Watermelon Cookies (A.K.A. Kool Aid Cookies) - Make them in Christmas colors

Pretzel Chocolate Chip cookies (not really Christmasy but delicious anyway)

Easy Fudge

Saltine Chocolate Pieces

Aunt Janet's Pecan Tarts

Grandma's White Salad (Not baking but a memory from the holidays)

I use my grandma's Kitchen Aid stand mixer to make the dough for all the cookies and have used it since 2008.

What are some Christmas memories you treasure?

2 Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies

I'm about simplicity especially when it comes to baking or recipes.  So when I saw this recipein my inbox, I knew I needed to make these cookies.  Fortunately I had both ingredients at my house. 

These cookies did not disappoint me.  They were delicious, moist, and easy to prepare.

2 Ingredient Pumpkin Cookies
via cookiesandcups

Stars of the recipe:

• 
  
  1 box of spice cake mix


• 
  
  1 - 15 oz. can of pumpkin  puree (make sure it's not pumpkin pie mix

Steps:

1. 
   
   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


2. 
   
   Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or spray it with nonstick cooking spray.


3. 
   
   Dump the cake mix in a bowl.


4. 
   
   Dump the pumpkin on top of the cake mix.


5. 
   
   Mix them together until blended.  (Might want to use a hand mixer for this step.)


6. 
   
   Drop by heaping tablespoons about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.


7. 
   
   Bake at 350 for 13 to 15 minutes.
   
   
   
   
   The dough does not freeze well.
   
   
   
   
   

Creepy Crawly Sandwiches

Last week, I watched the Crockpot Girls' Crockpot Monday video.  They gave different recipes for Halloween recipes.  One recipe in particular caught my eye and that was the one for the Creepy Crawy Sandwiches.  It was then decided I would make that for our Halloween dinner. 

Stars of the recipe:

• 1 can of Manwich


• 1 package of hot dogs cut lengthwise and then cut lengthwise again


• 1 med onion chopped up


• hamburger buns (I'm going to be making homemade hamburger buns that I'm going to dye orange in honor of Halloween.)

Steps:

1. Cut up hot dogs.  Place in crockpot.


2. Put cut up onions on top of hot dogs.


3. Open Manwich and dump on top of  onions and hot dogs. 


4. Cook on low for 2 to 3 hours and then switch to keep warm.


5. Serve on hamburger buns.


6. Enjoy your creepy crawly sandwiches!

Other Halloween treats:  Sweet and Salty Halloween treats and dirt pudding.

 

 

Menu Plan Monday ~ Week of Sept 19

Tomorrow's hubby's 40th birthday.  He and I are going out to dinner to celebrate.  The boys are going to dance with grandma so they are not going out with us. 

Monday - ranch chicken, pierogis, and peas

Tuesday - out to dinner to celebrate hubby's birthday

Wednesday - sweet and sour meatballs (freezer) with rice, corn

Thursday - pot roast in the crockpot, steamed carrots, roasted potatoes

Friday - orange chicken with rice, corn or green beans

Saturday - pot roast hash with green beans, biscuits with jelly

For more great menus, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for Menu Planning Monday.

Happy eating,
Traci

Beanie Weenies

This is another easy meal to put into the crockpot.  It made more than enough food for my family of four that I put half of it in the freezer for another meal.:)

This was another homerun for my family.

Beanie Weenies

Stars of the recipe:

• 2 small cans of pork and beans or one large can
• 1 small can of Great Northern beans, drained
• 1 16 oz. package of hot dogs, sliced
• 1 lrg onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup of ketchup
• 3 Tbsp. of mustard (or more to taste)
• 2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce (or more to taste)
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar, packed
• 4 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped

Steps:

1. Place all the items in the crockpot.  (I gave it a stir.)
2. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8 hours.
3. Enjoy!  I served mine with green beans and biscuits with apple butter.

  
Happy eating,
Traci

Sausage and Sauerkraut in the Crockpot

I'm loving my crockpot and freezer cooking!  With my schedule this year, I'm able to feed the boys (big and little) a hearty meal within about 20 minutes of my arrival at home.  My hubby leaves for work less than an hour after I get home and I need to feed him before he leaves.  So I decided to utilize both crockpot and freezer cooking for this month's meal plan.  It's worked out wonderful.  This week I was the only one who ate out for dinner and that's because I stayed late at work to get some things done and left immediately after I got home to take the oldest to tap dance practice.  They ate out of the fridge that night.
This is one of the meals we enjoyed this week.  I prepped the meal and hubby put it into the crockpot for me.  I then enjoyed it for lunch the next day.  Someone told me that it smelled like a German festival in the teacher's lounge. 

Sausage and Sauerkraut

Stars of the recipe:

• 1 package of smoked sausage
• 1 jar or bag of sauerkraut, drained and rinsed off
• 3 Tbsp. of brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp. of Dijon mustard

Steps:

1. Cut the sausage into rings.
2. In a bowl, mix the sauerkraut, brown sugar, and Dijon mustard together.
3. Place sausage and sauerkraut into the crockpot.
4. Cook on low for 4 hours.
5. Enjoy with mashed potatoes or roasted red potatoes.  (I also had corn and baked apples with it.)

Happy eating,
Traci

Menu Plan Monday ~ Week of September 12

We usually eat at my in-laws on Sundays.  Since we had a church picnic on Sunday afternoon and my mother-in-law had a class, I fixed our dinner on Sunday evening.  Needless to say, the meal was a success.  My husband who doesn't like eating left overs for lunch is planning to eat those for his lunch today.:)

Sunday - crockpot pizza, garlic bread, left-over veggies and fruit from the picnic

Monday - breakfast casserole in the crockpot, biscuits and jelly

Tuesday - honey mustard chicken, mac and cheese, veggies

Wednesday - Cincinnati chili over spaghetti, garlic bread, salad

Thursday - sausage and sauerkraut in crockpot, baked apples, biscuits or rolls

Friday - nachos made with Fritos instead, salad

Saturday - beans and weenies in crockpot, veggie, biscuit or roll

For more great plans, visit Menu Planning Monday at I'm an organizing junkie.

Happy eating,
Traci

Crockpot pizza

My mother-in-law found this recipe in the newspaper.  She thought I would like to cook it for dinner one night.  When I made it yesterday, we were impressed with how much it did taste like a pepperoni pizza even with no crust.  I was also impressed with the simplicity of the recipe.

Stars of the recipe:

• 1 1/2 cups browned ground beef (I omitted this.)
• 2/3 box of rigatoni (I used rotini.)
• 1 large onion chopped
• 4 cups of mozzarella cheese (I used 2 cups.)
• 2 jars of pizza sauce (I used 1 jar and added some water.)
• 1 package of pepperoni (I used 1/2 package.  Next time I'm going to cut the pepperoni into smaller pieces.)
• salt and pepper taste

Steps:

1. Place all items in a crockpot that has been sprayed with cooking spray. (I used a 3 quart crockpot.)
2. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.  (Mine was done in about 3.5 hours.)

Happy eating,
Traci

Crockpot hamburger patties

Last week, I found a new website called Crock Pot Girls.  It is jammed packed with different crock pot recipes from readers.  When I was creating my menu, I decided to check them out and see if there were any recipes that our family might enjoy.  This is one of the recipes from their site.

Stars of the recipe:

• 4 - 6 hamburger patties
• worcestershire sauce
• tiger sauce (Didn't know what this was.  In the comments, I found out it was like A-1 sauce.)
• onion, cut into rings
• can diced tomatoes (Used crushed tomatoes instead)
• salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Put some of the tiger sauce or A-1 sauce in the bottom of the crockpot, then layer patties. 
2. Season patties with salt, pepper, and sauces, next layer with onions and tomatoes. 
3. Cook 6 to 7 hours on low.

(When I made the patties, I put a mixture of garlic and black pepper and some worcestershire sauce with the ground beef.  Then I made the patties.)

Happy eating,
Traci

September menu plan

I can't believe fall is almost here.  The Wee One informed hubby and I, fall is his favorite season because he can rake up the leaves and then jump into them.  He informed us he's not going to wear shoes when he does that so he doesn't get leaves in his shoes.

Week of September 4, 2011

• Sunday - hamburger patties in the crockpot, mashed potatoes, veggies, Italian bread
• Monday - western omlette casserole
• Tuesday - slow cooker chicken and gravy over rice, veggie, salad
• Wednesday - tacos, Rice a Roni, raw veggies
• Thursday - bacon ranch chicken, egg noodles, veggie
• Friday - apricot glazed pork roast, mashed potatoes, veggie
• Saturday - crockpot pizza, garlic bread

Week of September 11, 2011

• Sunday - dinner at in-laws
• Monday - breakfast casserole, fruit, biscuits and jelly
• Tuesday - honey mustard chicken (freezer), mac and cheese (freezer), veggies
• Wednesday - Cincinnati chili over spaghetti, garlic bread
• Thursday - sausage and sauerkraut, cooked apples, biscuits
• Friday - nachos
• Saturday - beans and weenies, biscuits, veggie

Week of September 18, 2011

• Sunday - dinner at in-laws
• Monday - easy ranch chicken, buttered noodles, veggies
• Tuesday - pizza burgers (freezer), steamed carrots, chips
• Wednesday - sweet and sour meatballs (freezer), rice, veggies
• Thursday - pot roast, carrots, and potatoes
• Friday - orange chicken over rice
• Saturday - hash in the crockpot, biscuits or rolls with jelly

Week of September 25, 2011

• Sunday - dinner at in-laws
• Monday - sloppy joes (freezer), fries, raw veggies
• Tuesday - quick and easy potato soup with rolls
• Wednesday - pepper steak over rice
• Thursday - French fried onion chicken with green beans
• Friday- crockpot ravoli, salad, garlic bread
• Saturday - cinnamon french toast casserole

Happy eating,
Traci

Menu planning ~ Week of September 4, 2011

Before I begin with my menu planning, I want to wish my sister a happy birthday.  We are getting together tomorrow to celebrate.  Happy 34th birthday ~ You are getting older, I'm just getting gray hairs. (One of my students walked up to me and let me know that I had a gray hair on the back of my head.)

It's so hard getting home at 4:30ish and having to have food on the table between 5 and 5:10 for hubby to go to work.  I have to have a menu in order for it to run smoothly.  During the majority of last school year, I did create a monthly menu and then April came and I totally stopped creating them.  So a couple of weeks ago, I got back on board and created a menu.  It went great until the end of last week.  I changed up Thursday's meal because I didn't get home until 4:45 and needed a quick meal.  It was too hot to cook anything on Friday so I just stopped and got food on the way home.  Yesterday's meal was going to be meatloaf.  Again it was so hot that I made quick and simple orange chicken which warmed up the oven for less than 20 minutes.

This week and during all of September, I'm going to utilize my crockpot and freezer cooking. 

Sunday - We usually have dinner at the in-laws.  My mother-in-law is on her way back home from South Carolina and my father-in-law has to work.  So I had to plan on having dinner at home.  We are having hamburger patties in the crockpot, mashed potatoes, Italian bread, and veggies.

Monday - going out with mother and sister and going to leave a western omelette casserole for hubby to cook for his dinner

Tuesday - chicken and gravy over rice, veggie

Wednesday - tacos from freezer, Rice-a-Roni, raw veggies

Thursday - ranch bacon chicken, egg noodles, veggie

Friday - apricot glazed pork roast (crockpot), mashed potato, veggie

Saturday - crockpot pizza, garlic bread

 
Happy eating,
Traci

Menu Planning ~ Rest of August

Since I haven't made a real meal plan for a while, it's been hit and miss on what we have eaten for dinner lately.  Now that I'm back at the elementary school, I have limited time to get dinner on the table so it's imperative that I have a meal plan so I can do prep beforehand.

Here is my plan for the next 2 weeks:

Week of August 22

• Monday - hoecakes, cucumber and tomato salad, corn on the cob, oven fried potatoes
• Tuesday - maple and apple chicken in the crockpot, veggie, cornbread muffins
• Wednesday (Imaginative One's 1st day back at school so it's going to be one of his favorite meals.) - chicken cooked in the crockpot, Pasta Roni, green beans
• Thursday - east meets west burgers, Hawaiian coleslaw, steamed carrots
• Friday - red wine round steak, side dish TBA, veggie
• Saturday - meatball subs, potato chips, veggie

Week of August 29

• Monday (Wee One's 1st day back at school so it's going to be one of his favorite meals.) - chicken nuggets, French fries, veggies
• Tuesday - ham and cheese roll ups, steamed carrots, jello
• Wednesday - creamy potato soup, rolls, applesauce
• Thursday - pizza burgers, corn on the cob
• Friday - chicken enchiladas, Fajita rice, veggie
• Saturday - meatloaf, mac and cheese, veggie, left over rolls

Happy eating,
Traci

Menu planning ~Week of July 25

We are going out of town for a mini vacation:) this week. So this week's meal plan is going to be short.

Monday - leftover lemonade chicken, rice, corn

Tuesday - spaghetti, garlic bread

Wednesday - eating out

Thursday -eating out

Friday -breakfast for dinner

Saturday - ham, potatoes, veggies
Happy eating, Traci

Healthy Chicken Nuggets (Baked not fried)

I found this recipe on Mel's Kitchen Cafe blog. Since the Wee One loves chicken nuggets, I decided to make a bunch of these and then freeze them for an easy meal.

Stars of the recipe:

• 2 to 3 thick slices of whole wheat bread (You want 1 c. of crumbs.)
• 1/2 tsp. basil
• 1/2 tsp. oreano
• 1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 c. panko crumbs
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 2 egg whites
• 1 Tbsp. water
• 4 lrg. (2 lbs) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch sized pieces.  (Either have the chicken partially frozen and then cut it.  Or use kitchen shears to help you cut up the chicken.  Just make sure you really clean the kitchen shears afterwards.)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large. rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. In a food processor, place the slices of whole wheat bread and pulse until crumbs form. Add the basil, oregano and Parmesan cheese and pulse until combined. Pour the bread crumbs into a shallow dish (like a pie plate) and mix in the panko crumbs.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, egg whites and water until well combined. Pat the chicken cubes dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Toss the chicken cubes in the egg white/olive oil mixture before taking a few of them at a time and rolling them in the bread crumb mixture to coat evenly.
4. Place the coated chicken nuggets on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Using a pair of tongs, carefully flip the nuggets over (taking care not to remove the breading) and bake for 5 minutes longer, or until cooked through (the exact time will depend on the size of the chicken pieces).  

Happy eating, Traci

Homemade French fries

I forgot to take any pics of the French fries. 

The Wee One's favorite meal is chicken nuggets and French fries.  I put that on our meal plan last week.  We never got to it so it was moved to this week's meal plan.  I'm glad we did because my hubby fixed our fryer so we could have fast food type French fries.  Yummy!

These take time but the rewards are so worth it.

Stars of the recipe:

• russet potatoes (I used 4 and ended up with enough for 5 people.)
• salt (sea or seasoned)
• vegetable oil (for the fryer)

Steps:

1. If you want no skin on the potatoes, peel them now.  (I keep the skin on my potatoes.)
2. Cut the potatoes into French fry size pieces.  I wish I had a method but I don't.  I do cut the potatoes in half long ways and then half again long ways.  After that, I try to get them into French fry size pieces.  (My hubby likes them thinnish so I get them down to that size.)  Place them in a bowl.
3. Fill the bowl to about an inch over the potatoes.  Let it sit for about half an hour.  In the mean time, lay a cookie sheet with paper towels on it to the side.
4. After the half an hour, drain the potatoes and then  pat them dry.  You want no moisture on the potatoes at all.  (I put a clean kitchen towel back in the rinsed out bowl and then dropped the potatoes on there.  I patted each layer with the kitchen towel to assure there was no moisture on the potatoes.)
5. Meanwhile put the oil in your fryer and wait for it to warm up.  You know it's ready when you put a wooden spoon in there (handle side down) and there are bubbles around the handle.
6. Put a layer of potatoes in the fry basket and then into the fryer.  Shake the fry basket until all the potatoes are in the oil.  Cook for about 5 minutes.
7. After the fries are cooked, take the fry basket out of the fryer.  Transfer the fries to the prepared cookie sheet.  (I put a plate under the fry basket while transfering the fries so I don't spill any of the hot oil.)  Immediately season the fries.
8. Continue with the other potatoes until all of the fries are cooked.  Enjoy!

Happy eating, Traci

I may be weird but so what

Yesterday, I was told that some of the students in my building think "I'm weird."  You know what I may be weird or unique and I'm going to embrace that.  It just means I march to the beat of my own drum which is okay.  The reason I can say that is because of the lesson I was taught the other night.

Let me take you back to almost six years ago, I had just had my second son and had been assigned to the middle school full time.  Some of the students I was about to meet would change my life but it was not until years later would I realize it.  The students and I had our ups and downs as they navigated through middle school and life as a teenager.  It was not always easy because there were times I wanted to pull my hair out.  But we came out in the end victorious knowing they were going onto the next stage of their life which was high school.

One student in particular has changed my life in a postive manner.  He made me laugh, scream out in frustration, and inspired me.  He used to say "Think in your head and you'll figure it out."  Now I say that to my current students when they get frustrated and want to give up.  He taught the whole building to "Twist, Twist, and Snap It" right before the Ohio Achievement Test during his eighth grade year.  And he gave a speech that was inspiring to all when he talked about being a fighter.  A fighter who fought to keep his grades up and to make postive choices in his life.

After eighth grade, we parted ways.  I went to the elementary school while he went onto high school.  We saw each other once in his freshman year.  Then we lost contact with each other.  During his senior year, he was part of the varsity football team that went to state.  The Sunday after the big game, which they lost :(, I went to the rally, nervous, not knowing how he would how he would react to me being there.  After the rally, I walked up to him and he turned around and said "Mrs. G."  Then he gave me a big bear hug.  We briefly talked and a picture was taken of the both of us in which I looked like a hot mess. 

After that afternoon, we kept in contact.  Soon it was almost time for his graduation and I wanted to be there for him and my other students.  I couldn't get a ticket.  He came through for me.  He made sure I had a ticket so I could be there to cheer him and the other students on.  Do you realize how special I felt at that moment?  

On graduation night, I lucked out where I was sitting because I was on the same side as B. so I got to watch him march in.  When he got his diploma, one of my co-workers told me my face showed the pride I felt for him.  She wished she had a camera so I could see the pride in my face.

As he was marching out, I stopped him and took a picture.  Then I ran up to him, gave him a big hug, and told him how proud I was of him.  (Boy that must have been a sight.)  

After they were done marching out, I went into the lobby area of the venue.  I congratulated students and got to speak to some that I hadn't seen in a long time.  I also got pictures with a few of them.  Finally I found him. and his family.  Then I got to see another student of mine.  I hadn't seen him since his freshman year in high school.  We talked and I took pictures for him.  One of the pictures is of him and I, his mother and him, the other student and his mom, and the other student and I.  Although I spent a lot of time with him, I also got to talk to other students.  One of the students I taught in elementary school saw me and just stared at me like I was a mirage.  Then he nervously said, "Mrs. G.?!?" then walked up to me and gave me a big hug.  We talked for a little while.

After talking with the student from elementary school and his mother, I once again became his photographer, taking lots of pictures.  Then I noticed it was getting late so I decided I needed to get home.  As I was leaving, he told me "Be Safe."  He has a heart of gold.

On my way out, I saw another one of my former students.  He thanked me all the help I gave him.  That made me feel special.

The reason I could accept my student calling me weird was knowing that even though I'm weird, I make a difference in students lives whether I realize it now or realize it in the future.  Sometimes I just need to be reminded of that. 

I need to take that to heart also.  I need to tell people they have made a difference in my life. 

So I will go on singing and dancing about "Criss Cross Multiply" and "To the Left, to the Left, you move the decimal to the left."  You may just remember me for teaching you something.  I know I remember my teachers who stepped out of the box to assure I would learn the concept.

Grandma's White Salad

I have so many memories of this salad.  One of my best memories is from when I worked in Walt Disney World in 1995.  My grandma sent me various family recipes so that I could have a little bit of home while down there.  When Thanksgiving time came, I decided I would make a Thanksgiving meal for my friends and I to share.  We had a Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings except we had chicken instead of turkey.  One of the dishes I made was white salad.  For two weeks afterward, I would take portions of the Thanksgiving meal to work for my lunches.

That Thanksgiving weekend was also the weekend I almost met Rider Strong and Ben Savage from Boy Meets World.  At Disney-MGM Studios, now Hollywood Studios, they would have celebrities put their hands in cement at the Chinese Theater.  Both Rider and Ben put their hands in the cement and then went to have a talk.  I "ran" along side of their convertible as they traveled between venues and then ended up sitting behind their families.  Too bad, Fred Savage was not there.  I would have gone up and said hi to him.My Grandma's White Salad

The stars of the recipe:

• 1 sm. lemon or lime  jello
• 2 c. hot water
• 1 8 oz. package of  cream cheese
• 1- 15 oz. can of crushed pineapple drained '
• 1 and 2/3 c. mini marshmallows
• 1 and ½ c. chopped pecans or walnuts (My grandma used pecans.)
• 1 container of cool whip.

Steps:

1. Mix jello with water.  Add cream cheese and beat until smooth.
2. Put in fridge until semi solid.  Remove and then put in the rest of the ingredients. 
3. Chill.

Or how my grandma made it:

1. Mix jello with water.  Add cream cheese and beat until smooth.
2. Put the rest in ingredients in a in flat pan (9 by 13 glass dish).  Put it in the fridge to chill.

This post has been linked to Eat at Home's ingredient spotlight.
Happy eating, Traci

Cannellini and Green Bean Salad

This is an easy side dish.  My hubby who usually does not enjoy salads even liked it!  The boys however were not too thrilled about this side dish.  You can't win it all.

Stars of the recipe:

• 1 15.5 oz. can of cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
• 1/2 lb. of fresh green beans, trimmed
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 3 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
• coarse salt and ground pepper to taste
• 21 season salute to taste (Trader Joe's spice - my favorite spice blend), optional

Steps:

1. In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar and oil.
2. Season with the salt. pepper, and 21 season salute
3. Meanwhile, cook the green beans in a pot of boiling salted water for about 5 minutes.
4. Drain and rinse with cold water.
5. Add the green beans, cannellini beans, and red onion to the dressing bowl.  If needed, season with more salt and pepper. 
6. Toss all ingredients together.
7. Serve

Happy eating, Traci

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Last week, we went to First Watch for a Mother's Day brunch.  The Imaginative One ordered a chocolate chip pancake and fell in love with those pancakes.  This weekend, I was looking through the Food Network's magazine's recipe archive and found a recipe for chocolate chip pancakes.

Tonight I made the chocolate chip pancakes for dinner.  They were so delish!!!  The Imaginative One ended up eating three of them for dinner. 

The Stars of the Recipe:

• 1 1/ 2 c. flour
• 3 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 c. milk
• 1/2 stick melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• chocolate chips

Steps:

1. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a big mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla in a smaller bowl.
3. Then whisk the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until just combined.
4. Ladle 1/4 cupfuls onto a hot buttered skillet and cook until bubbly.
5. Right before you flip the pancakes, sprinkle with chocolate chips and then flip the pancakes. 
6. Cook until golden on the bottom.

Happy eating, Traci

Week of April 18 menu planning

Monday - chicken ranch quesadillas, Spanish rice

Tuesday - sausage, pasta roni, veggie

Wednesday - breakfast burrito, fresh fruit

Thursday - chicken parmesan over pasta, salad, garlic bread

Friday - ranch chicken legs, buttered noodles, veggie

Menu plan with shopping list


Happy eating, Traci

Marlboro Man Sandwich

Yummy!  That's how I describe this sandwich.

When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it because hubby would love it.  Boy was I right.  He ate two of these bad boys!! :)  They were not homeruns for the Wee One and the Imaginative One because it involved onions which is not their favorite vegetables.

The Marlboro Man Sandwich
via Pioneer Woman

Stars of the Recipe:

• 1 whole large onion
• 2 sticks of butter (I didn't use that much butter.)
• 2 pounds cube steak
• seasoned salt
• 1/2 c. Worcestershire sauce
• tabasco sauce (I left this out.)
• 4 whole French/deli rolls

Steps:

1. Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick of butter until soft and light brown.  Remove and set aside.
2. Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with the season salt.
3. Heat  2 Tbsp of butter over high heat (same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown.
4. Add meat in a single layer. Cook one side until brown, flip.  Cook other side until brown.  About a minute on both sides.
5. Add 1/2 cup Worchestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco, and 2 Tbsp butter.  Add cooked onions.  Stir to combine.
6. Butter halved French rolls and brown in skillet.
7. To assemble, lay bottom half of French roll on plate.  Place meat mixture, followed by a spoonful of juice from the pan.
8. Top with other half of rolls, cut in half, and devour!

Happy eating, Traci

Menu Plan Monday ~ Week of April 11, 2011

Monday ~ sloppy joes, roasted potaoes or fried ptoatoes, raw veggies

Tuesday ~ ravioli lasagna, garlic bread, salad

Wednesday ~ chicken in crockpot, mashed potatoes, green beans

Thursday ~ sloppy joe pizza, raw veggies

Friday ~ on your own dinner

Saturday ~ PW chicken pot pie

Happy eating, Traci

Spaghetti Carbonara

I found this recipe on Mommy's Kitchen.   This is one of my hubby's meals.  In fact, when I make this recipe, hubby and I fight over who gets the left-overs. 

While cooking, the smell is intoxicating.  Your mouth will start to water from anticipation of eating this delicious dish. 

Stars of the recipe:

• 1 - 16 oz box of spaghetti
• 2 Tbs. olive oil, separated
• 8 slices bacon or pancetta, diced
• 1/2 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/8 to 1/4 c. dry white wine (optional)
• 2 eggs betaten
• 2 Tbs. heavy cream or milk
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste
• extra grated Parmesan cheese of garnish

Steps:  

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti until al dente.  Drain well and reserve a bit of pasta water.  Toss with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, start cooking the bacon.  Cook chopped bacon until slightly crisp; remove and drain onto paper towels.
3. Reserve 2 Tsp. of bacon fat; add remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil and heat in resused large skillet,
4. Add chopped onion and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent.
5. Add minced garlic, and cook 1 minute more.  Add wine if desired; cook one more minute.
6. Return cooked bacon to pan; add cooked and drained spaghetti.
7. Toss to coat and heat through, adding more olive oil if it seems dry or is sticking together.  
8. To ensure a creamy, silky sauce, mix the cheese, cream, and beaten egg toghter then stir into the pasta, off eggs are barely set.
9. If the mixture is too thick add a bit of reserved pasta water.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
10. Serve immediately with chopped arsley sprinkled on top, and extra Parmesan cheese at the table. 

Happy eating, Traci

Mystery Cookies

I like reading Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swenson mystery series.  The books are fun and easy to read.  The added bonus is the author provides recipes.  I have found the recipes for watermelon cookies and pretzel chocolate chip cookies in her book.  This is another one of her reipes found in the Lemon Meringue Murder.
I made these cookies once and I remembered people raved about their taste.  They couldn’t believe the secret ingredient in these cookies.  I do not know where I put my copy of the Lemon Meringue Murder so I lost the recipe.  This week I decided to google the recipe and got lucky.
These cookies are addictive! 

Mystery Cookies
www.murdershebaked.com

Stars of the recipe:

• 1/2 cup of butter, melted (2 stick)
• 3-1/2 cup of sugar
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 can of condensed tomato soup (the secret ingredient)
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups of raisins (golden or regular)
• 2 cups chopped walnuts
• 4-1/2 cup of flour (does not need to be sifted)

Steps:

1. Melt butter in microwave.
2. Add sugar and then let it cool.
3. Mix in beaten eggs.
4. Add tomato soup and beat together.
5. Stir in cinammon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt.
6. Add the raisins and walnuts.
7. Add flour 1 cup at a time until it is incorporated.
8. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes.
9. Drop by teaspoons on a greased cookie sheet.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes
11. Cool slightly.
12. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

Makes around 10 dozen cookies.
Happy eating, Traci

Monthly Menu Plan ~ April 2011

Here's April's Menu Plan:

Week of April 4:

• ethnic night – spaghetti carbonara, crescent rolls, salad
• meat and potatoes – pork chops, Pasta Roni, veggie, rolls/biscuits
• new recipe – Malboro man's favorite sandwich, onion staws, raw veggies or salad
• easy night – pulled pork sandwiches using leftover bbq ribs, potato chips, raw veggies
• family favorite - homemade hamburger helper, veggies

Week of April 11:

• ethnic night -ravoli lasagna, garlic bread, salad
• meat and potatoes – chicken in the crockpot, mashed potatoes, green beans
• new recipe – Pioneer woman’s chicken pot pie
• easy night – sloppy joes, roasted potatoes or fried potatoes, raw veggies
• family favorite -sloppy joe pizza, salad

Week of April 18:

• ethnic night – chicken quesadillas, Spanish rice
• meat and potatoes – sausage, pasta/rice a roni, veggies
• new recipe – chicken parmesan over pasta, garlic bread, salad
• easy night – breakfast burritos, fruit
• family favorite -ranch chicken legs, buttered noodles, veggie

Week of April 25:

(I’ve decided to do something different.  I’m going to follow one of the Eat at Home menu plans.  This is the year 2 week 23 menu.)

• beef and bean topped potatoes, salad
• maple apple chicken in crockpot
• sweet and sour meatballs over rice
• Italian chicken melts with pasta soup
• chicken smothered with summer vegetables

Happy eating,
Traci

Mexican hamburger helper

As I was driving home today, I was thinking about what I had planned for dinner.  Although homemade hamburger helper sounded appetizing, I wanted to jazz it up a little.  So I thought of what I could add and subtract from it to make it different from our usual.  I decided to add some taco seasoning, black beans, corn, and diced tomatoes.  Then I subtracted the ketchup and mustard.  I changed up the cheese also.  The end result was a semi-homerun for me.  The Wee One and Imaginative One ate at it but it was not a real winner.  Hubby gobbled his up.  He did not give any suggestions so I think it was a homerun for him.

Here's the orginal post:   homemade hamburger helper. 

Stars of the recipe:

• 1 lb of hamburger or ground turkey
• 1/2 cup of chopped onions
• 1 to 2 cups of pasta, cooked and drained (You can chose what kind of pasta you would like to use.)
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 2 cup milk
• 1-1/2 cup of cheese (For this I used a combo of Monterrey jack and cheddar.)
• 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning (Or more if you like it spicy!)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 cup black beans, drained
• 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained  (You can use chili ready if you want to make it spicier.)
• salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Brown the hamburger meat. When it's almost finished browning, add the onion.  Cook until they are translucent.  Drain and then set aside.  
2. Using the same pot you cooked the pasta in, melt the butter.  After the butter is melted, add the flour.  Cook for a minute or two.
3. Add the milk and then raise the heat. Stir until the butter/flour mixture is incorporated.
4. Let the milk mixture boil.  Take off the heat. 
5. Add the cheese and taco seasoning to the milk mixture.  Stir until the cheese is melted.
6. Add the hamburger, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn and pasta to the cheese sauce.  Stir until the hamburger, diced tomatoes, black beans, corn and pasta is covered in cheese sauce.
7. Enjoy!!

 This is great with crushed up tortilla chips on top.  Other toppings could include sour cream and salsa. 

I think if I had sour cream, this dish would have been a home run!

Happy eating,
Traci

Homemade hamburger helper

I found this recipe on Cooking during Stolen Moments blog. It's one of our favorite go to meals. The recipe utilizes a lot of items you would find in your pantry (dry, fridge, and freezer) which makes it nice. Plus since it's homemade, you know what is exactly in it. You can adjust it to your likes and dislikes.

Stars of the recipe:

• 1 lb of hamburger or ground turkey
• 1/2 cup of chopped onions
• 1 to 2 cups of pasta, cooked and drained (You caSn chose what kind of pasta you would like to use.)
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 2 cup milk
• 1-1/2 cup of cheese (I usually use cheddar but you can choose what type you want to use.)
• 2 Tbsp. mustard
• 2 Tbsp. ketchup
• salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Brown the hamburger meat. When it's almost finished browning, add the onion.  Cook until they are translucent.  Drain and then set aside.  
2. Using the same pot you cooked the pasta in, melt the butter.  After the butter is melted, add the flour.  Cook for a minute or two.
3. Add the milk and then raise the heat. Stir until the butter/flour mixture is incorporated.
4. Let the milk mixture boil.  Take off the heat. 
5. Add the cheese, ketchup, and mustard to the milk mixture.  Stir until the cheese is melted.
6. Add the hamburger and pasta to the cheese sauce.  Stir until the hamburger and pasta is covered in cheese sauce.
7. Enjoy!!

Monthly Menu ~ April 2011

Week of April 4, 2011

• ethnic night - spaghetti carbonara, crescent rolls, salad


• meat and potatoes - pork chops, Pasta Roni, veggie, rolls/biscuits


• new recipe - easy night - pulled pork sandwiches using leftover bbq ribs, potato chips, raw veggies


• family favorite - homemade hamburger helper, veggies

Week of April 11

• ethnic night -ravoli lasagna, garlic bread, salad


• meat and potatoes - chicken in the crockpot, mashed potatoes, green beans


• new recipe - Pioneer woman's chicken pot pie


• easy night - sloppy joes, roasted potatoes or fried potatoes, raw veggies


• family favorite -sloppy joe pizza, salad

Week of April 18

• ethnic night - chicken quesadillas, Spanish rice
  meat and potatoes - sausage, pasta/rice a roni, veggies


• new recipe - chicken parmesan over pasta, garlic bread, salad


• easy night - breakfast burritos, fruit


• family favorite -ranch chicken legs, buttered noodles, veggie

 

Week of April 25 (I've decided to do something different.  I'm going to follow one of the Eat at Home menu plans.  This is the year 2 week 23 menu.)

• beef and bean topped potatoes, salad


• maple apple chicken in crockpot


• sweet and sour meatballs over rice


• Italian chicken melts with pasta soup


• chicken smothered with summer vegetables