Cooking For My Family!

First Meal Plan of 2012!

2012-01-03T10:48:00.000-05:00

Well it is chilly here in Florida this week! That always makes me in the mood for soups and chili, so we will be having both of those this week. I also love those meals because they make enough for two nights and that is a night I don't have to cook!

Monday - Chili with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Tuesday - Leftover Chili with Grilled Cheese

Wednesday - Crockpot Chicken with Black Beans

Thursday - Quesadillas, Yellow Rice (made with leftover chicken & black beans from Wednesday)

Friday - Pork Chops, Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli

Saturday - Baked Potato Soup, Homemade Rolls

Sunday - Leftovers

Breakfasts this week:

We got some strawberries this week at the store so we are making some strawberry muffins, strawberry pancakes to add to the usual of oatmeal and eggs with cheese that the kids like. We also have some yogurt, oranges, and apples to throw in. The muffins and fruit will also be snacks.

Lunches this week:
- Leftovers from dinner

- Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich

- Ham & Cheese Sandwich

- Veggie Spaghetti (the kids love spaghetti and I don't like it so much, not a huge fan of red sauce, so I make a big pot and they have it for lunches a lot)

Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin in the Crock Pot

2011-10-02T19:04:00.000-04:00

We made this dish that I saw on Pinterest the other night, and it was really great! I didn't take a picture of it, but the blog I got it from has a great picture so I used that one.

It was very juicy and the sauce was just amazing! In fact, if I could eat this sauce on everything from now on, I would. It was that good! We served it with broccoli and mashed potatoes and everyone loved it. I will definitely be making this one again!

I got the recipe and picture from here: http://www.candcmarriagefactory.com/2011/01/brown-sugar-and-balsamic-glazed-pork.html, the original recipe came from here http://letsdishrecipes.blogspot.com/2010/02/brown-sugar-and-balsamic-glazed-pork.html which was adapted from here! LOL http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Herb-Roasted-Pork/Detail.aspx

Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin

Ingredients:

1 (2 pound) boneless pork loin

1 teaspoon ground sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 cup water

Glaze

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

Combine sage, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub over roast. Place in slow cooker with 1/2 cup water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. About 1 hour before roast is done, combine ingredients for glaze in small sauce pan. Heat and stir until mixture thickens. Brush roast with glaze 2 or 3 times during the last hour of cooking. Serve with remaining glaze on the side.

Chicken Stuffed with Feta, Spinach, and BACON!

2011-03-31T19:23:00.001-04:00

OK, the saying it true, right? Everything is better with bacon? I tested the theory out tonight with our dinner. This is a twist on an old dish that we really love, except I changed it up a bit. This usually has onion and lemon zest in it, but since I didn't have either of those and I had some bacon already cooked up and chopped in the fridge that we didn't put in our quiche last night, I decided to put the bacon in it instead. And yep, the saying is true, everything IS better with bacon!

Chicken Stuffed with Feta, Spinach, and BACON
written by Rachel L @ http://cookingformyfamily.blogspot.com

3-4 chicken breasts
1/4 pound cooked bacon, chopped small
1/2 package of chopped frozen spinach, drained well
handful of crumbled feta cheese
1 squirt of lemon juice
1 pinch of salt
1 sprinkle of garlic salt

Take the chicken breasts and slice them open to make a pocket in the breast. You want it big enough to hold quite a bit of stuffing but to keep the chicken pretty sturdy so it doesn't fall apart. Then you make the stuffing. Take all ingredients except chicken and mix well in a bowl. Take the stuffing and gently fill the pockets you made in the chicken, careful not to split them too much. Place in an oven dish and cook uncovered on 350 until the chicken is done (mine took almost an hour).

We served it with mashed potatoes and it was awesome! I definitely will try it like this again.

*Note - If you put the quiche from last night on one day of the menu plan and then this for the next night, you'll save a little money by using some of the same ingredients (spinach, bacon, feta) in two totally different tasting dishes.

Spinch, Bacon, & Feta Quiche

2011-03-30T19:05:00.000-04:00

We had this yummy quiche today and it was very good! It was actually made from quite a bit of things we needed to use up (eggs, sour cream, feta cheese, bacon) before they expired. This isn't how I normally make quiche but I figured I'd just give it a try. It was super easy!

I cracked 5 eggs into my mixer. Then I put in about half a container of frozen spinach that had all the water squeezed out, half a pound of chopped up cooked bacon, a 1/4 cup sour cream, about a good handful of crumbled feta and then some salt and garlic powder. And, a little touch of nutmeg (I learned long ago from Racheal Ray LOL to add nutmeg to anything with greens in it, it does give it a little kick!). Oh and we had just about 1/4 of a bag of shredded cheddar that was in the fridge and I threw it in there as well. That is my favorite way to cook, just throw things in and hope it tastes good, so far I have a pretty good record doing that, at least according to my husband! :) I cooked it on 350 for almost an hour, it took a while to get done in the middle.

Meal Planning: March 28 - April 3

2011-03-28T08:53:00.000-04:00

Monday - Cobb Sandwiches, Cantaloupe

Tuesday - Bacon, Feta, & Spinach Quiche

Wednesday - Feta & Spinach Stuffed Chicken, Rice

Thursday - Breakfast for dinner

Friday - Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli

Saturday - Whole Roasted Chicken, Mac N Cheese, Green Beans

Sunday - Leftovers

Grocery Savings - March 25, 2011

2011-03-25T17:04:00.000-04:00

Spent $21.73 on $123.66 worth of groceries, so a savings of $101.93. I got:
2 containers Organic Valley Milk
1 bag of flour
2 cantaloupes
4 pears
4 bananas
4 boxes ritz pretzel Crisps
4 packages of english muffins
4 packages of shredded cheese
1 apricot jelly
1 strawberry jelly
1 cover girl eye shadow
2 bottles bbq sauce
1 package hot dog buns
4 packs of angus beef nitrate free hot dogs
2 containers of wisk laundry detergent
1 pantene shampoo
1 panteen conditioner

$10 off at Maggiano's Italian Restaurant!!

2011-03-24T08:39:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note, thought some of you might like this!

If anyone is interested, I just signed up for Maggiano's email list yesterday through a friend and today I got a $10 off my next purchase in my email! They have really yummy food, so if anyone wants the coupon, just sign up by clicking here and they will send you one in your email. Yay for cheap food!!!

How I Organize My Coupons!

2011-03-22T19:58:00.000-04:00

I get a lot of questions about coupons and how I organize them. I took some pictures for a friends so I figured I would post them here as well.

First I use this "Be Hip" bag from Ju-Ju-Be to keep my files in. It holds everything perfectly and is easy to grab and go to the store with everything I need right there.

This first pocket on the top I put a pen and scissors in. This way I can cross things off my list. And if I need to clip a coupon, I have my scissors right there to do so.

Next you can see my wallet (that matches!) there towards the top. They are my two file folders, which I will show you more of in the next couple of pictures.

These are the two folders that are in there, they both do different things.

This is the one that holds my coupon inserts from the Sunday papers. It is organized by date and has spots for 12 weeks worth of inserts. Then in the front I have things like store coupon booklets and other things that aren't fit by date but are not clipped coupons. I don't clip the coupons because it is much easier for me to find something this way. When I am going through the sale ad with coupon match ups from various sites, they usually list the coupon by date and name of the flyer (like Red Plum, Smart Source, P & G Savings, etc.) and I just grab it out, look for the coupon I want, and clip it right then and add it to my shopping list.

Next is my file for already clipped coupons. I have it separated into different sections like, "Meat", "Fruits & Veggies", "Dairy", etc. Anything that is printed from the internet and then cut out goes into here. Anything that I have cut out of the Sunday coupon inserts for a shopping trip and then not ended up using goes in here as well. I go through this folder each week as I'm making my shopping list to make sure that there isn't something that is expiring soon that I want to use. I also clear out all of the expired coupons and just get a refresher of what is in here.

This is how I do my shopping list. I go through the sale ad/coupon match up sites, make a list of what I want and what coupons go with it. All of the coupons are gathered and put in the little slip folder on the side of the list so they are easy to find. On my list it would say, for example, Kraft Shredded cheese + MFQ + TQ + PubQ. For me this would mean to get the item and then grab my manufacturers coupon (MFQ), my Target coupon (TQ) and my store/Publix coupon (PubQ) and put them in the folder. Then, as I am shopping, when I put the item in my cart, I get the coupons from this folder on the side of the notebook and put it on the other side (which also has a slip folder). This way when I get to the checkout line, all I have to do is grab the ones I've pulled out and I'm ready to go. This may not be necessary for some people but sometimes I can't find the item on my list or they are out so I don't end up buying everything and therefore not using all the coupons. I have accidently handed them coupons for which I didn't have an item before, and so I started using this method and it works very well for me.

Then this notebook goes into my bag in the bag pocket and it's always there.

In one front pocket I keep my receipts and in the other side is usually my phone.

This is the file folder that I keep my extra coupon inserts in that don't fit in the above folders. Most of the time the coupons are expired by 12 weeks but I just put the extras in here because there are times when older inserts have usable coupons in them and I don't want to throw them out so I just store them here.

So that is it! That's how I do it and it is working really well for me!

Parmesan Pesto Chicken Fettuccine

2011-03-18T19:31:00.001-04:00

OK I know this doesn't look that great in the picture, but it was really good! I had a jar of pesto and a box of fettuccine in the pantry that were expiring soon, so I wanted to find something I could make with them. I tried doing something a little different and it came out pretty good.

Here is what I did...

Parmesan Pesto Chicken Fettuccine

3 chicken breasts
1 jar of Classico pesto (or equivalent of homemade)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
4 oz cream cheese at room temp
salt to taste
garlic powder to taste (i used about 1/2 teaspoon)
1 box fettucine noodles

First, place the chicken breasts in an oven safe dish and pour the entire jar of pesto sauce evenly on top of the chicken. Cook them at 350 until they are done (for me this was 25 minutes). While the chicken is cooking, make the fettucine according to the directions on the box except when it is done, save about 1/4 cup of the cooking water (just to make the sauce a little thinner) before draining the pasta. Place the pasta back into the pot (off the heat) with the reserved water, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, and garlic powder. Keep stirring the fettucine until the cream cheese has melted into the pasta. Once your chicken is done, cut it up into bite sized pieces and put all of the chicken and also the pesto sauce into the pot with the fettucine and mix it all up. Serve immediately.

Grocery Savings going to Japan this week! Join me!

2011-03-17T16:15:00.002-04:00

Today at Publix, I spent $27.83 and saved $135.55. Not too bad. We also went strawberry picking at a local farm and got a TON of Strawberries. I'm not even sure how many pounds but they filled 2 big buckets all the way to the top. I also got a fresh head of lettuce and 2 fresh onions, pulled them right out of the ground myself! What a treat. So, those are in the picture but not in my totals (all the strawberries, lettuce, and onions were $24).

Now this week is a little different than most for me because I made up my mind earlier in the week that I was going to donate whatever I saved on my weekly grocery store to the relief effort in Japan via the Japan Red Cross. I'm sure everyone has seen the news and seen all the devastation over in Japan.

Now I have a challenge for you, I would love it if other fellow couponers would join me and also donate your "savings" this week to help Japan.

Post if you do and we'll see how much our savings can really make a difference!

EDIT: After my post yesterday encouraging other couponers to join me in donating their savings to Japan, I woke up to this great news this morning! Living Social is matching donations for Japan, that means we can double our donations! You can donate for as little as $5 or go up from there. Go here to donate and they'll give you $5 just for signing up as well!

Meal Planning: March 14-20

2011-03-14T08:58:00.000-04:00

Monday - Burritos, Yellow Rice

Tuesday - Pork Chops, Broccoli, Mashed Potatoes

Wednesday - Crustless Veggie Quiche, Rolls

Thursday - Pesto Chicken over Fettucine (this was supposed to be last week but we had a crazy day last week and never got to making this, so I moved it over to this week)

Friday - Breakfast for dinner (french toast, sausage, strawberries)

Saturday - Hawaiian Chicken, Rice, Broccoli

Sunday - Leftovers

Publix Shopping - March 10

2011-03-10T16:04:00.000-05:00

Mar 10 - Publix today - Spent $105.96 Saved $102.23. I know that seems like a lot, but that included $100 in gas gift cards! So, actually I only spent a few dollars on the food and I have $100 in gas credit.
I got:
$100 in gas gift cards
30 containers of yogurt
14 oranges
1 container of strawberries
6 pears
12 bags frozen broccoli florets
2 loafs of whole wheat bread
1 bag of tortilla chips
4 bags of cheese
2 bags of dog treats

Meal Planning: March 7 - 13

2011-03-07T08:24:00.000-05:00

We usually try to do a vegetarian meal or two per week. This week only has the potential for one, that being on Friday when we're having breakfast for dinner. I am trying to use a lot of the things out of the freezer this week (the meat on here is all in the freezer) so it is heavy on the meat this week. I also need to find some more vegetarian recipes so if anyone has any really good ones, let me know! I'm not planning lunches because we are going to be packing lunches much of this week since we will be out of the house. Breakfasts are always the same 3 or 4 options as well so I'm not listing them again this week, either.

Monday - Breaded Pork Chops, Seasoned Potatoes, Green Beans

Tuesday - Teriyaki Chicken & Rice, Broccoli

Wednesday - Tilapia, Lima Beans, Corn

Thursday - Pesto Chicken over Fettucine

Friday - Breakfast for Dinner

Saturday - Chicken Pasta Salad

Sunday - Leftovers

Meal Planning - February 27 - March 6

2011-02-27T10:38:00.000-05:00

This week are taking a ham out of the freezer that I bought really cheap after the holidays to have for a few meals. There is no special occasion, this is just because I need more room in my freezers as they are stuffed full. In fact, I already filled the space the ham was in when I took it out to thaw in the refrigerator. So, we will be having that and leftovers for a couple of days. My husband will think this is the best thing ever, he just loves ham, so he loves weeks likes this when we have them.

Sunday - Hawaiian Chicken, Rice, Salad

Monday - Black Bean Tacos with Avocado & Lime

Tuesday - Ham, Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli

Wednesday - Ham Leftovers

Thursday - Easy Stovetop Ham Cheddar Mac & Peas

Friday - Cheesy Ham & Hashbrown Casserole, Broccoli

Saturday - Steak, Baked Potatoes, Salad

Sunday - Out for lunch so probably leftovers for dinner, if none then spaghetti

Breakfast - Breakfast Casserole with the ham we cook, Ham & Cheese Omelets, Oatmeal, Bluberry Pancakes

Lunches - Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Leftovers (Tacos, Hawaiian Chicken, Casseroles), Ham Sandwich

Snacks - Strawberries, Cantaloupe, Oranges, Apples, Cheese Sticks, Crackers

Grocery Shopping Today 2-24-11

2011-02-24T12:31:00.000-05:00

I really didn't even need to go to the store today but I had a few coupons that I couldn't pass up, so today was a "light" trip. We got some things that we normally don't buy, but they were free/almost free so I went ahead and got them and will make something with them (rice krispie treats, anyone? we haven't had them in forever!).

Anyway I spent $31.71 on $129.03 worth of groceries, so I saved $94.32.

Honestly a lot of my money here was spend on the shaving cream! I didn't have any coupons for it, but it was buy one get one free, and my husband uses a lot of it so I went ahead and stocked up. If I hadn't bought that, my bill would have been $10 cheaper. The spaghetti was a money maker, and had I bought more, I could have gotten more off my total bill, but we have SO much pasta in our house I just didn't want to bring any more home. I should have gotten it to donate but I wasn't thinking straight because I didn't feel well while I was shopping today and the coupons expire today so I won't be going back for them.

Here is what I got...

- 4 loaves of whole grain honey wheat bread
- 3 pounds of strawberries
- 6 bags of broccoli (remember these don't have to put put in the microwave)
- 2 bags lettuce/salad mix
- 1 baguette
- 8 cans petite diced tomatoes

- 6 cans tomato sauce

- 8 cans edge shave gel 20% bonus containers

- 4 cans biscuits
- 2 doritos (free)
- 2 pepsi max (free)
- 2 mountain dew
- 4 bags of marshmallows
- 2 rice krispies (making rice krispie treats!)
- 2 boxes spaghetti
- 2 bags basmati rice
- 2 containers of french onion dip

Grocery Trip This Week

2011-02-22T10:20:00.000-05:00

This week's grocery shopping trip went pretty well. I Spent $54.71 on $202.02 worth of groceries, so I Saved $150.31. Right on target for the $200 a month budget.

Here is what I got:
- 8 Bananas
- 11 Apples
- 13 Oranges
- 2 Cantaloupes
- 2 bags of lettuce
- 1 dozen eggland's best eggs
- 2 french loafs
- 2 bags sargento sharp cheddar
- Organic Valley Milk
- 9 Cressent Rolls
- 3 packs of butter (12 sticks total)
- 6 packs Athenos Yogurt
- 6 boxes spaghetti
- 2 boxes brownies
- ceasar dressing
- balsamic vinegar dressing
- keilbasa sausage
- 2 boxes tea bags (100 count each)
- 2 bottles of dentyne gum
- 6 cans beans
- 8 large cans of tomatoes
- 10 cans of tomato sauce
- 2 cans tomato paste
- 8 boxes reduced sodium chicken broth
- 8 jars spaghetti sauce
- 1 can parmesan cheese
- 2 bottles white vinegar (cleaning)
- 2 bottles apple cider vinegar (cooking)

Meal Planning: February 21 - February 27

2011-02-21T09:14:00.000-05:00

Monday - Taco Salads

Tuesday - White Chicken Chili

Wednesday - Pork Tenderloin, Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Roasted Chicken, Carrots, Mashed Potatoes

Saturday - Chicken & Broccoli Braid

Sunday - Leftovers or if none then spaghetti :)

Lunches - Leftovers from dinner or if there are none we will make sandwiches (usually either ham & cheese or tuna salad) with fruit and/or raw veggies & dip.

Breakfasts - Oatmeal with blueberries, Eggs & Cheese with oranges, or Blueberry Pancakes

Snacks - Blueberries, Peaches, Cantaloupe, Grapes, Oranges, Bananas, Green or Red Apples, Pineapple, Carrots & Dip, or Crackers & Cheese

Using coupons, and still eating healthy! It IS possible!

2011-02-15T12:10:00.006-05:00

Who says you have to buy a bunch of processed stuff to use coupons? I can’t tell you have many times I have heard that when people find out I use coupons. “Oh, I don’t use them because nothing I buy ever has coupons because it’s all processed junk food.” Or, “We eat really healthy, so we don’t use coupons.” Not only can that be taken as a little insulting, but it just simply isn’t true! Here is my shopping haul for this week to illustrate this. There is PLENTY of healthy stuff in here, and I saved 65% on my grocery bill. These groceries would normally cost $150.35 for all of them and I spent only $53.10. That is a savings of $97.25 and I didn't even have any of the awesome $5 off $50 coupons or anything (I wish I did!). I know we all have our different ideas of what healthy is, but this isn't too bad! And unless you count the orange juice, there is no processed food here.

I got:

- 3 whole chickens

- 8 containers of orange juice

- 2 bags lima beans

- 1 bag corn

- 2 bags green beans

- 17 bags of broccoli (my kids' favorite)

- 2 canteloupe

- 4 sweet potatoes

- 9 navel oranges

- 1 bunch of bananas

- 1 bunch of grapes

- 3 yellow squash

- 2 zucchini

- 1 bag of baby carrots

- 1 cabbage

- 5 pounds of potatoes (not pictured, but I did get them this week)

- 2 containers of blueberries

- 4 packs of vivarin

- 2 gillette body wash

- 4 old spice deoderant

- 1 reach toothbrush

The other question I get all the time is, how long does that last you? Well, we don’t really shop for stuff just for this week. For example, I bought 8 containers of orange juice and 3 whole chickens and 21 bags of vegetables. There is no way we will eat all of this in a week! My husband is the only one that drinks orange juice. It expires March 30^th, he probably will only drink 2 of those in that time, so the rest of them will go into the freezer for later. The chickens, we will eat one this week and the other two will go into the freezer for another week. Same with the vegetables. I always like to have frozen ones on hand because we eat some sort of green vegetable pretty much every night (tip - to those of you that don’t microwave and won’t buy the “steamfresh” veggies ,we just use a pot and steam them on the stove top, the only ingredient is the vegetable and nothing says you can’t just steam it yourself). I don’t always have fresh of these and so I keep them in the freezer. By that same token, we will grab things from the freezer for our meals this week as well. I have 2 freezers and they are both stuffed full with things like bread, cheese, veggies, frozen fruits for our smoothies or to put in our oatmeal or yogurt in the morning, meats (we have pork tenderloin, pork chops, ham, lunch meat, whole turkeys, ground turkey, ground beef, steaks, bacon, hot dogs, sausage, even milk!). The fridge and pantry are packed as well with the normal items. I am spending less than I ever have on food and we have MORE of it in the house. I stock up on things when they are on sale and I have coupons for them. Then I don’t have to buy any the next week or sometimes not until weeks or months later. So although I bought 21 bags of vegetables this week, I probably won’t buy any again until next month. Last week I bought a TON of dairy products for almost free, and so I won’t have to buy them again until I can get a wonderful deal on it or a month or two away when we use it all. Same with bread, milk, eggs, etc., I got those in previous trips so that is why you don’t see them here.

So if you haven’t given couponing a try because you think you can’t eat healthy, think again, you definitely can!

Meal Planning: February 14 - 20

2011-02-14T09:33:00.000-05:00

Monday - Ribs on the grill, Mac N Cheese, Broccoli

Tuesday - Roasted Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, Zucchini & Squash Casserole

Wednesday - Out

Thursday - Cabbage, Sausage, Mashed Potatoes (going to try to make a sort of "Bangers & Mash" type thing)

Friday - Potato Cabbage Soup - Using this recipe with Thursday leftovers

Saturday - Steak, Loaded Baked Potatoes, Salad

Sunday - Meatball Subs (with turkey), Salad

Lunches - Leftovers from dinner or if there are none we will make sandwiches (usually either ham & cheese or tuna salad) with fruit and/or raw veggies & dip. If we have any leftover chicken from the one I roast this week, we will make some chicken salad for sandwiches as well.

Breakfasts - Oatmeal with blueberries, Eggs & Cheese with oranges, or Blueberry Pancakes

Snacks - Canteloupe, Grapes, Oranges, Bananas, Apples, Pineapple, Carrots & Dip, or Crackers & Cheese

Meal Planning: February 7 - 13

2011-02-07T21:58:00.005-05:00

We just got back from a week long vacation at Disney World! We did the Deluxe Dining plan there and so we ate A LOT of really good food. That means this week we are trying to eat a little lighter. Publix had ground turkey on sale so we are using a lot of that this week! I needed something easy on a couple of nights as well, so here is this week for us!

Monday - Turkey Feta Burgers, Steamed Broccoli

Tuesday - Homemade Calzones (this is actually a Weight Watchers Recipe found here, it is really good, I have made it before!)

Wednesday - Baked Lemon Tilapia, Rice, Steamed Broccoli

Thursday - Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs, Salad

Friday - Cobb Sandwiches, Grapes

Saturday - Roasted Chicken, Mac N Cheese, Steamed Broccoli

Sunday - Leftovers

Breakfasts - Oatmeal with blueberries, Eggs & Cheese with oranges, or Blueberry Pancakes

Snacks - Kiwi, Grapes, Oranges, Bananas, Apples, Pineapple, Carrots & Dip, or Crackers & Cheese

Meal Planning: Jan 24 - 20

2011-01-24T09:02:00.001-05:00

We have a lot going on this week and need some EASY meals, especially on the weekend. We ended up going out to eat last week to celebrate my husband's promotion and so we never got to the Sloppy Joes or Breakfast for Dinner last week so I am moving those over to this week. We went out to a Japanese Steakhouse and had so many leftovers that it took up two nights of dinner! Anyway, here is this week! :)

Monday - Homemade Sloppy Joes (never got to this one last week!), Broccoli, Corn

Tuesday - Pork Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy, Broccoli

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - Tacos, Yellow Rice

Friday - Crockpot Chicken (going to try a new recipe)

Saturday - Veggie Spaghetti

Sunday - Breakfast for Dinner

Lunches - Leftovers from dinner or if there are none we will make sandwiches with fruit and/or raw veggies & dip

Breakfasts - Oatmeal with blueberries, Eggs & Cheese with oranges, or Blueberry Pancakes

Snacks - Oranges, Bananas, Apples, Pineapple, Carrots & Dip, or Crackers & Cheese

Hawaiian Chicken in the Crock Pot

2011-01-19T17:32:00.001-05:00

This is a recipe that I have made a million times. It is one of my husband's favorites, which is great since it is super easy to make and only has a few ingredients. I usually make it in the oven but today I decided to convert it to a Crock Pot version so that I could prepare it at nap time and have it ready to go by the time dinner was here.

We usually serve this with steamed green beans and put the chicken and sauce over a pile of rice. It is super yummy!

Hawaiian Chicken in the Crock Pot
http://cookingformyfamily.blogspot.com

4 chicken breasts *
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
1 can of pineapple rings, with juice

Place the chicken on the bottom of the crock pot. Pour the BBQ sauce evenly over the chicken. Place the pineapple rings on top of the chicken, spacing them out how you see fit. You don't have to use the entire can, just use as much or as little of it as you like. Then you want to pour the pineapple juice over the chicken. (Actually, what I do is pour the pineapple juice into the BBQ sauce bottle, put the lid back on, and shake it up really good to get all of that BBQ sauce out of the bottle before I pour the juice onto the pineapple. You can do it either way.)

Cook chicken on high for 4 hours. If you need to leave it for a longer period of time, 6-8 hours on low should be OK. Serve the chicken over rice with a bit of pineapple and sauce placed on top of the chicken.

* This can be done with a variety of different cuts of chicken, pick what you like best. The above picture is using leg quarters because that is what we needed to use up. We have used legs, thighs, breasts, and even leg quarters for this recipe. If you use leg quarters, they will take longer to cook than noted above since they are bigger, so make sure to change your cooking time to account for that. My husband prefers the thighs and I prefer the chicken breasts. Using dark meat will make the sauce a bit fattier, if this bothers you then just use chicken breasts. You can even use frozen chicken. You can use more than 4 pieces of chicken, but just know that if the crock pot is too full it may increase your cooking time.

Also, please note that different crock pots cook at different rates, so always check your chicken and make sure it is fully cooked before serving. These cooking times I mentioned above work great for my Crock Pot but I have heard that others that are older/newer may vary.

Meal Planning: January 17 - 23

2011-01-16T22:57:00.000-05:00

Monday - Sour Cream Pork Chops, Rice, Broccoli

Tuesday - Chicken Tacos in Crockpot

Wednesday - Breakfast for Dinner

Thursday - Hawaiian Chicken, Rice, Green Beans

Friday - Sloppy Joes (homemade), Carrots

Saturday - Steak, Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli

Sunday - Leftovers

Lunches - Leftovers from dinner or if there are none we will make sandwiches with fruit and/or raw veggies & dip

Breakfasts - Oatmeal with blueberries, Eggs & Cheese with oranges, or Blueberry Pancakes

Snacks - Oranges, Bananas, Apples, Pineapple, Carrots & Dip, or Crackers & Cheese

Crock Pot Roast with Potatoes, Carrots, and GRAVY!

2011-01-10T17:58:00.001-05:00

Ah gravy, how I love thee. We are having a cold dreary day here and I was craving some comfort food, food with gravy, specifically. There are very few things that I love more than homemade gravy! We don't make it often, but when we do, you can bet that there isn't any of it leftover! For this meal, I made a roast in the crock pot with carrots and potatoes. Then the gravy went on top of everything! I also made biscuits to go with it. The pot roast is actually really simple, and I don't have a specific recipe, but this is what I did.

I put the roast into the crock pot and because of time restrictions I cooked it on high for 4 hours. If I had more time I would have done it on low for 8 hours since that tends to make the meat more tender, but this turned out great. After I put the roast into the crock pot I washed and chopped up 5 potatoes into large chunks and put them around the roast. Then, I put in the baby carrots around the roast as well, I used about 2 big handfuls, sorry I didn't measure. I added about a cup of chicken stock (this is just what I had, if I had beef I would have used that). Then I added about a tablespoon of worcestershire sauce and about a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar (this is a little different, but I really love the taste!). I sprinkled everything with salt and garlic powder pretty liberally. I let it cook and I stirred the veggies and broth about once an hour just so nothing dried out.

Once it was done, I made the gravy. This was super easy as well. If you have never made it, you really should try it! It is so simple but makes a big impact on the meal. It is also so much cheaper to make it than to buy it. So, you start with 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet on medium heat. Wait for the butter to melt all the way. While it is melting, ladle the liquid out of the crock pot where the roast is cooking, you are going to use those juices to make your gravy. I'd say try to get close to a cup (less is OK) out but it's really not necessary to measure, just get most of the juice out and set it aside. Once the butter is melted, you want to sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour into the butter and stir it well until all of the flour is incorporated into the butter and you can't see any more of the flour. Don't let it sit this way too long, you just want it well mixed, not over mixed. Then slowly start to add the liquid from the crock pot into the butter/flour mixture. You want to stir really well as you are doing this. Keep stirring and try to get all of the lumps out by mashing them down until they break up and mix into the gravy. Once your gravy starts to bubble, turn the heat down to low. This is the point that I added a little bit of salt and garlic powder to my gravy just because I felt it needed it, but that is up to your taste. Keep stirring the gravy until it starts to thicken up. You can turn the heat off when it gets to your desired consistency. The longer you leave it on, the thicker it will get, so just keep that in mind. It's also important to make the gravy RIGHT before you serve it or it will start to gel up.

You can make gravy like this for most anything. This is also how I make gravy for mashed potatoes, but I just use straight chicken broth and some seasonings for it, same method though. If you use milk instead of the chicken broth or other clear liquid, you will get a cream sauce that you can use for bases for things like mac n cheese or sausage gravy & biscuits, etc.

Meal Planning: January 10 - 16

2011-01-09T16:03:00.000-05:00

Monday - Crock Pot Roast with Potatoes & Carrots, making Gravy with the broth and biscuits, too

Tuesday - Easy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo (never got to this last week!)

Wednesday - Spinach, Bacon, Mushroom & Feta Quiche

Thursday - Baked Potato Soup, Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

Friday - Leftover Soup & Biscuits

Saturday - Veggie Spaghetti, Salad

Sunday - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli

Teriyaki Chicken in the Crock Pot

2011-01-06T15:16:00.001-05:00

So I decided to take my Chicken Teriyaki Bites recipe and throw it into the crockpot and see how it turned out. I doubled the recipe, and ended up adding some water to it in order to try to coat the chicken. I wished I had left the water out, because although it looked good the first couple of hours by the end the sauce was too runny. It had a great flavor, but it was just very liquidy and not thick. We served it over rice, so it turned out OK, but I'd rather it be thicker next time.

I am still tweaking it, so if you make this, let me know how it turns out. I have a feeling this recipe may change again in the future. Mine was done in 6 hours on low but of course check your chicken and make sure that it is done before serving, just in case.

This is the recipe I used (these are the doubled amounts and WITHOUT the water, so it should turn out correct this way)...

Teriyaki Chicken Bites in the Crock Pot

written by Rachel L - http://cookingformyfamily.blogspot.com

3 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces (that was 6 breasts)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 cup honey

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp pepper

Throw all ingredients into the crock pot and stir well. Set to cook on low for 6 hours. Stir every hour (this may not be necessary, but I did this because the liquid did not fully coat the chicken). Serve over rice or eat by itself.

Meal Plan: January 3 - January 9

2011-01-02T19:53:00.003-05:00

Monday - Pork Tenderloin, Broccoli, Mashed Potatoes

Tuesday - Baked Ziti, Green Beans

Wednesday - Leftover Ziti

Thursday - Teriyaki Chicken (in crockpot), Rice

Friday - Baked Fish, Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans

Saturday - Breakfast for dinner (Eggs, Hashbrowns, Sausage, Toast)

Sunday - Easy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

Edited: I am putting the Baked Fish off for now. I got some good deals at the store that need to be used up soon. The fish is frozen, so I am saving it for another time. Also, we didn't end up having leftover ziti because I made less that normal, so I moved the Teriyaki Chicken to Wednesday and doubled it to make plenty for Thursday as well.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

2010-12-21T13:20:00.000-05:00

There is nothing good for you about this recipe, but it was yummy! I have a lot of sour cream I was looking to use up, so I found this recipe. You can use a substitute for the canned soups in this if you'd like. I added sauteed onions and mushrooms to mine, but I think next time I'd actually like it better without those.

My husband and I both really enjoyed it, it is definitely comfort food! The kids were not crazy about it, but neither of them really like casseroles like this.

I would make it again.

Here is the recipe:

Chicken Noodle Casserole I

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Noodle-Casserole-I-2/Detail.aspx

Prep Time:
30 Min Cook Time:
30 Min Ready In:
1 Hr
Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6 ounces egg noodles
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
1/2 cup butter
Directions

Poach chicken in a large pot of simmering water. Cook until no longer pink in center, about 12 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside. Bring chicken cooking water to a boil and cook pasta in it. Drain. Cut chicken into small pieces, and mix with noodles.
In a separate bowl, mix together mushroom soup, chicken soup, and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Gently stir together cream soup mixture with the chicken mixture. Place in a 2 quart baking dish.
Melt butter in a small saucepan, and remove from heat. Stir in crumbled crackers. Top casserole with the buttery crackers.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 30 minutes, until heated through and browned on top.
Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 542 | Total Fat: 34.2g | Cholesterol: 133mg

Meal Plan: December 20 - 26

2010-12-19T23:13:00.001-05:00

With so much to get done this week, I am trying to make this menu plan really simple with easy meals!

Monday (20th) - Chicken Noodle Casserole, Broccoli

Tuesday (21st) - Veggie Spaghetti

Wednesday (22nd) - Baked Fish, Rice, Broccoli

Thursday (23rd) - Breakfast for Dinner (Eggs, Sausage Links, Hashbrowns, Toast)

Friday (24th) - Lunch is Homemade Pizzas, Dinner is Leftover Buffet to clean out fridge :)

Saturday (25th) - Mini Caramel Pull-Apart Rolls (for Christmas Breakfast), then Christmas Lunch/Dinner of Sprial Sliced Ham, Dressing, Deviled Eggs, Sweet Potato Casserole, Broccoli Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Rolls

Sunday (26th) - Leftovers

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies!

2010-12-15T09:27:00.000-05:00

Ever since getting this recipe from my friend, Tanya, we've made these cookies each year at Christmas time. My kids love helping with these, especially rolling the dough balls into the sugar. The cookies have a great taste and are soft and chewy in the middle! They are really a good cookie to make for the holidays or any time you want a special treat.

Here is the recipe (oh and I've never gotten 4 dozen out of them, I must make the balls too big, but we like them that way, I got about 2.5 dozen out of my last batch).

Chocolate Crinkles

From “Family Fun” December/January 2008

Beneath the crackled, powdery surface of these cookie-brownie hybrids is a soft interior that tastes like a fresh chocolate doughnut. Consider these the answer for any chocoholics on your gift list.

Ingredients:

¾ cup butter, melted
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder (I used half of this)
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
6 ounces mini (or regular size) semisweet chocolate chips

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar (I didn't use near this much for all of them)

In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, cocoa powder, and sugar. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract. In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Use a large spoon to slowly add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture. Stir in the chips. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Form the dough into 1-inch balls, then roll them in confectioners’ sugar. Bake the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet for 10 minutes. Set the baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then lightly dust the cookies with the remaining confectioners’ sugar. Transfer the cookies directly onto the rack to cool thoroughly. Makes 4 dozen.

Paprika Pork Chops

2010-12-13T09:24:00.000-05:00

We tried something different for dinner this week. I have a lot of sour cream that I needed to use up from a bunch that I bought when it was *almost* free with coupons. And I had some pork chops in the freezer so I was trying to find a recipe that would use both. I came across this one and happened to have everything needed for it. I knew my husband would like it because he is a big sauerkraut fan. I, am not. But I was willing to give it a try. I made the recipe as is listed below. It came out pretty good, actually. My husband said he liked it but it isn't something that he would want to have very often, it had a strong flavor. We had it with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.

Here is the recipe:

Paprika Pork Chops
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Paprika-Pork-Chops/Detail.aspx

Prep Time:
5 Min Cook Time:
20 Min Ready In:
25 Min

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

2 teaspoons butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/3 cup sauerkraut, drained
1/3 cup sour cream
4 boneless pork chops
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Directions

Set uppermost oven rack 5 inches from heat source, and preheat broiler.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in onions, and cook until soft and golden. Remove from heat. In a bowl, stir together 1/2 teaspoon paprika, sauerkraut, onions, and sour cream.
Season pork chops with pepper, garlic salt, and 1 teaspoon paprika.
Broil pork chops 6 minutes. Turn, and broil 5 to 6 minutes more. Remove from oven. Spread sauerkraut and onion mixture over pork chops, and broil 1 or 2 minutes more.
Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 216 | Total Fat: 11.1g | Cholesterol: 72mg

A New Quiche

2010-11-30T17:55:00.000-05:00

I had a lot of ingredients to use up from all of the great deals I've been gettinig at the grocery store so I decided to make up a new recipe with what I had. The result turned out really great so I wanted to post it here in case anyone else was interested in making it!

This literally cost me pennies to make and was so delicious! We served it with baked sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli.

Bacon, Caramelized Onion, and Feta Cheese Quiche
by Rachel L http://cookingformyfamily.blogspot.com

6 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
8 oz bacon
1 onion (I used a yellow sweet onion)
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
salt
worchestershire sauce
nutmeg
1 pie crust (make your own or buy premade)

Preheat the oven to 400. Roll out your pie crust into a pan, or take your pre-bought crust and poke a few holes in it with a fork. Then put it in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or so to firm it up before filling it. While this is cooking, set a skillet on medium heat. Take the bacon and cut into small pieces and place it in the pan. Keep stirring it until it's seperated and starts to cook. Then chop up your onion and throw it into the pan with the bacon. Keep stirring until the onion is caramelized and the bacon is cooked. Meanwhile, wisk the 6 eggs and gradually add in the sour cream (try to get smooth), feta cheese, salt to taste, a pinch of nutmeg, and a splash of the worchestershire sauce. Once the bacon and onions are finished cooking fold them into the egg mixture until it is well combined. Pour into your pie shell and cook in the oven until the middle is firm (knife comes out clean). For me this is between 30 and 45 minutes. You can add shredded cheese to the top the last 5 minutes if you feel like you want more cheese, it does make a prettier presentation.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-28T20:58:00.001-05:00

Happy Fall Colors Fall

Unique party invitations and greeting cards by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Today's Grocery Totals - November 19

2010-11-19T16:31:00.000-05:00

Spent $49.53 for 215.12 worth of groceries.
I got...

2 bags of lettuce/salad
2 bags of baby carrots
granny smith apples
lots of sweet potatoes
8 bags of frozen broccoli
1 bunch of bananas
1 bag egg noodles
2 loaves whole wheet bread
4 bottles of spicy brown mustard
6 bags mozzarella cheese
2 containers of cool whip
2 pound cakes
4 packs of cookies (not pictured, they needed to go in the fridge!)
4 pounds bulk sausage
4 boxes sausage links
2 packs cream cheese
2 containers sour cream
4 boxes of wheat thins
6 cans of rotel tomatoes
8 cans pineapple rings
2 packs paper plates
8 boxes of uncle ben's whole grain white rice
2 boxes keebler club crackers
2 bottles herbal essence shampoo
2 bottles herbal essence conditioner
2 jars of pickles
2 bottles cooking oil
2 packs of english muffins.

Meal Planning: November 15 - November 28

2010-11-15T10:01:00.001-05:00

I've gone ahead and planned the next two weeks, instead of just one, in preparation for Thanksgiving.

Dinners:
15 Mon – Spinach & Feta Stuffed Chicken, Rice
16 Tues – Breakfast for dinner night – Biscuits & Sausage Gravy, Eggs, Cheese Grits
17 Wed – BBQ Pork Chops, Corn, Baked “Fries”
18 Thurs – Baked Ziti, Broccoli
19 Fri – Leftover Ziti & Broccoli
20 Sat – Blackbean & Avocado with Lime Tacos
21 Sun – Blackbean Soup with Cheese Quesadillas (making my own beans for the tacos so will probably have a ton leftover to do soup with)
22 Mon – Balsamic Chicken & Onions over pasta, Broccoli
23 Tues – Breakfast for dinner night - Omelets, Cheese Grits
24 Wed – Leftovers to clear out fridge, if no leftovers then sandwiches
25 Thurs - Thanksgiving
26 Fri - Turkey Day Leftovers
27 Saturday - My birthday! Going out
28 Sunday - Spaghetti, Green Beans, Garlic Bread

Breakfasts:
Oatmeal with Fruit OR Blueberry Pancakes OR Yogurt & Fruit OR Muffins & Fruit

Lunches:
Leftovers OR Sandwiches with side of Fruit

Today's Grocery Totals

2010-11-14T14:17:00.006-05:00

I just got home from the store and spent $45.58 for $202.68 worth of groceries today. So, I saved 78%! A lot of these products were ones that I didn't have coupons for or that were not on sale, but I needed them.

Here is what I got

1 whole turkey
4 rolls of sausage
2+ lbs of carved roast beef,
bananas
apples
pears
onions
2 lbs stoneyfield organic yogurt
2 packs wholly guacamole
8 packs of rice
2 packs of alexia natural potatoes
mozzarella cheese
2 containers of whole cashews
8 blueberry muffins
4 bottles of vitamin D
6 cans of tomatoes
2 boxes grits
1 huge container of salt
1 pack of brown sugar
3 chap sticks
2 big bags of tostitos
4 containers of helluva good dip
1 ready whip
4 boxes of stuffing
4 cans of soup
2 packs of hebrew nationals hot dogs
hot dog bugs
1 huge loaf of french bread
10 packages of frozen broccoli (the kind you microwave, but I just stick the broccoli on the stove top and steam it like normal)

We already have a ton of food (organic eggs, organic milk, meat, veggies, fruit, whole wheat bread, pasta, sauce, and SO SO SO much more) from the last shopping trips, too. My pantry, freezer, fridge, and extra freezer are stuffed, I don't think I can fit another thing in. I had to hold the stuff in and close it really fast so things wouldn't fall out! We are set for a while.

Baked Ziti

2010-10-14T21:22:00.011-04:00

For some reason, I haven't made real ziti in a very long time. We happened to have all the ingredients for this and I decided to try a new recipe. We loved it. This was so much easier that lasagna and really quick to throw together. It was cheap, easy, quick, made a ton, and tasted good... what more can you ask of a dinner recipe!? This will definitely be made again in our household.

Here is the one I used:

Baked Ziti II
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/baked-ziti-ii/Detail.aspx

Prep Time:
15 Min Cook Time:
30 Min Ready In:
1 Hr
Original Recipe Yield 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package ziti pasta
24 ounces ricotta cheese
1 pound shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 (32 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions

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

Feta Cheese

2010-10-14T15:22:00.001-04:00

I intended to make a crust for this quiche but I didn't realize it had to chill in the fridge so long until it was too late. So, we had crustless quiche. I did something a little different here, too. I used my basic quiche recipe that you can find on this link and then instead of adding all of the cheese, I added a couple of handfuls feta to the mixture before cooking. I have a ton of feta that I got for free to use up and this was a great way to incorporate it. It came out REALLY good.

The other recipes I have with feta that I plan to use are Spinach & Feta Stuffed Chicken and also Turkey & Spinach Feta Burgers. Spinach and Feta seem to go so well together. If anyone else has any that they'd like to share, I'd love to have them!

Meal Plan: Oct 8 - Oct 17

2010-10-08T09:42:00.003-04:00

I got some amazing deals at the grocery store yesterday. By using my coupons and planning ahead what to buy, I spent $1.60 for $147.67 worth of groceries! I shared that with some friends and have had more than one person message me to ask me what I am eating with all these. People assume that I am buying just processed pre-made stuff, but I assure you, I am not! So, I wanted to post this weeks meal plan of what we are having so people could actually see what we are eating. Seeing is believing, right? :)

Note: ALL of this is homemade with the exception of the crab cakes, these are not heat and eat meals or boxed meals! Some of the pasta comes out of a box, and that is it. And I guess the yogurt, if you count that, it is Go-Gurt Simplicity brand (no yucky stuff in it like the regular Go-Gurt).

Friday Oct 8
Breakfast - Oatmeal, Bananas
Lunch - Ham & Cheese Sandwiches, Apples, Carrots, Yogurt
Dinner - Pesto Chicken Pasta with Feta
Snack - Making Blueberry Muffins

Saturday Oct 9
Breakfast - Egg & Cheese on English Muffin (like homemade McMuffin) & Canteloupe, Yogurt
Lunch - Leftovers of Pesto Chicken Pasta with Feta
Dinner - Chili, Grilled Cheese
Snack - Snack Pears & Bananas

Sunday Oct 10
Breakfast - Pancakes & Cantaloupe
Lunch - Leftover Chili, Grilled Cheese, Yogurt
Dinner - Spaghetti, Green Beans, Salad, Rolls
Snack - Apples & Carrots

Monday Oct 11
Breakfast - Oatmeal, Bananas
Lunch - Leftover Spaghetti, Yogurt
Dinner - Honey Baked Lentils, Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli
Snack - Yogurt & Pears

Tuesday Oct 12
Breakfast - Blueberry Pancakes
Lunch - Tuna Melts, Salad, Yogurt
Dinner - Mushroom, Spincah & Bacon Quiche, Carrots
Snack - Pears

Wednesday Oct 13
Breakfast - Eggs & Cheese, Apples
Lunch - Leftover Quiche, Yogurt
Dinner - Crab Cakes, Corn, Salad
Snack - String Cheese & Pears

Thursday Oct 14
Breakfast - Oatmeal, Peaches
Lunch - Peanut Butter & Jelly on whole wheat, Carrots, Yogurt
Dinner - Pork Tenderloin, Broccoli, Mac N Cheese
Snack - Grapes

Friday Oct 15
Breakfast - Egg & Cheese on English Muffins
Lunch - Leftover Pork Tenderloin, Broccoli, & Mac N Cheese, Yogurt
Dinner - Tacos
Snack - Pears

Saturday Oct 16
Breakfast - Oatmeal, Pears
Lunch - Leftover Tacos, Yogurt
Dinner - Baked Ziti, Salad
Snack - Apples & Carrots

Sunday Oct 17
Breakfast - Blueberry Pancakes, Yogurt
Lunch - Leftover Baked Ziti
Dinner - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli

*In addition to this, my husband usually brings his lunch & a snack to work each day. He normally takes a sandwich like Ham & Cheese or similar, a granola bar, a piece of fruit, and some sort of chips or crackers. He also tends to have cereal for breakfast while the rest of us eat what is listed. He just prefers that, so I do buy those items for him in addition to what the rest of us eat (me and two kids). He eats the same dinner as we do every night and on the weekends he eats the same breakfast and lunch as we do.

** I did not buy ALL of this in one week. It takes a few weeks to build up all the different things that we eat. Like I got carrots last week and still have a bunch left, same with potatoes and a lot of the meat was also from different weeks and frozen.

A great deal!

2010-10-02T09:23:00.002-04:00

OK I can't resist posting this one. I have been waiting for this deal to pop up for what seems like forever and now it is here! Some of you probably know that I have a cafepress store, Kustomized Kids. I don't write about it on here but my link is around on the page somewhere! :) Well, just in case anyone has been wanting to try any of my shirts (or anything else at CafePress.com) this is a great chance! Groupon has a spend $25, get $50 worth of merchandise! That is HALF OFF! :)

Here is how to get your deal...

Go to Groupon by clicking here and sign up if you aren't a member yet (which you should be, AMAZING deals on this site for local businesses in your area or national deals), and then choose HOUSTON for the city under where it says "choose more cities". You do not have to live in Houston to get the deal, it is open to anyone. Then you pay just $25 for $50 worth of merchandise from CafePress!!!! It is basically like a $50 gift card but you only pay $25 for it! And you can even use it towards shipping costs. Great for Christmas gifts!! Don't forget to visit Kustomized Kids when spending your Groupon! :) I can make customized or personalized items for you as well, just ask.

------------------------
Hope this is useful for some of you! I have been WAITING for this deal to pop up and am so excited about it! :)

Even if you are not intersted in this particular Cafe Press deal, you should still click the Groupon link and sign up for your city. I use it for places I will be vacationing and also locally and have gotten some REALLY amazing deals on there. It is my new favorite site! I am sure all of my friends and family are really getting sick of hearing about it! LOL

Saving a ton of money!

2010-10-01T10:02:00.000-04:00

I have recently started couponing the past few months and have been saving a TON at the grocery store! Just yesterday I spent $57 for $196 worth of groceries! If you have ever though of doing it before but haven't started yet, just do it! It is so worth it. And we are still buying things that we were buying before, it is not all processed food like some people think you have to buy when couponing.

I have cut my total food costs AT LEAST in half since I started doing this. Sometimes even more, and we have more food than we did when I was spending more each month on groceries.

These are my two favorite sites I am using to help with the couponing. But try checking in your area if these don't apply to you, there are tons of these types of sites out there!
Southern Savers
and
IHeartPublix

I just wanted to post this to encourage any of you who might be skeptical of it to try it! I always thought it wouldn't work for me but really, it does!

Meal Plan: September 27th - October 3rd

2010-09-27T09:20:00.000-04:00

Here is the plan we have for this week, I forgot to post it early in the week so part of this we have already had.

Monday 27th - Broccoli Cheese Soup, Biscuits (supposed to be a yucky, rainy, day!)
Tuesday 28th - Leftovers (we always have way too much of this soup)
Wednesday 29th - Chicken Tacos in Crockpot
Thursday 30th - Spaghetti (no meat), Salad
Friday 1st - Spinach & Mushroom Quiche, Salad (never got to make this last week) ... and I need a good pie crust recipe if anyone has one. :)
Saturday 2nd - Sour Cream Pork Chops, Rice, Broccoli
Sunday 3rd - Leftovers if there are any or if there aren't any we will have burgers

Also making Banana Muffins.

2010-09-23T15:41:00.000-04:00

Here is the plan we have for this week, I forgot to post it early in the week so part of this we have already had.

Monday 20th - Hawaiian Chicken, Rice, Broccoli
Tuesday 21st - Leftovers (I had some dental work done so didn't eat but there was enough left for everyone else to eat leftovers from Monday)
Wednesday 22nd - Pork Tenderloin, Sweet Poatoes, Broccoli
Thursday 23rd - Cobb Sandwiches, Grapes, Carrots
Friday 24th - Spaghetti, Green Beans, Salad
Saturday 25th - Spinach & Mushroom Quiche, Salad
Sunday 26th - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli

Mini Pizzas for Lunch at Home

2010-09-13T10:17:00.002-04:00

We made these for lunch one day last week and the kids really enjoyed them! I had some leftover spaghetti sauce from a lasagna I made earlier so we took that and spread it around halved english muffins. Then we sprinkled the top with some mozzarella cheese and popped it in the oven. They broiled for a few minutes and then were ready to eat! Very quick and easy to make and the kids loved that they got to help. I didn't try them but they ate them all so they must have been good!

Meal Planning - September 5th - 12th

2010-09-05T11:33:00.000-04:00

Here is the plan we have for this week. Hoping we can stick to it! All meals/components are homemade unless noted (I always have people ask me that!).

I got some really great deals at the grocery store this week with couponing and everything, so I am trying to use those things along with some things we already had for this weeks meal plans. Here is what I have come up with.

Sunday 5th - Cobb Sandwiches, Potato Salad, Grapes
Monday 6th - Blackbean Tacos with Avocado & Lime (Vegetarian)
Tuesday 7th - Baked Tilapia, Roasted Garlic Potatoes, Broccoli
Wednesday - Feta & Spinach Stuffed Chicken, Rice
Thursday 9th - Baked Potato Soup, Cheesy Biscuits (using this recipe but adding cheese & garlic)
Friday 10th - Spaghetti, Salad (Vegetarian)
Saturday 11th - Calzones, Broccoli
Sunday 12th - Sour Cream Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Broccoli

Meal Planning: August 16 - August 22

2010-08-15T18:32:00.001-04:00

Here is the plan we have for this week. Hoping we can stick to it! All meals/components are homemade unless noted (I always have people ask me that!).

Monday - Sloppy Joes, Corn, Grapes
Tuesday - Hawaiian Chicken, Green Beans, Rice
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Spinach, Bacon & Mushroom Quiche
Friday - Veggie Lasagna, Salad
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli

Fluffy Biscuits

2010-07-15T19:53:00.000-04:00

I have been wanting a better biscuit recipe and decided to try a new one tonight. I was making sausage gravy and biscuits with hash browns and strawberries on the side for sort of a breakfast for dinner type thing. I searched around for a recipe and found this one on allrecipes.com. I didn't want to use shortening though so I tried it with very cold butter and cut it in. It worked really well. I cooked these for 10 minutes, I think next time I would go with the 8 minutes. These were a touch over done but still very good.

So here is the recipe.

Fluffy Biscuits
(from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening (*I used cold butter)
1 egg
2/3 cup milk

Directions
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Beat egg with milk; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
Turn onto a well-floured surface; knead 20 times. Roll to 3/4-in. thickness; cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. biscuit cutter. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Chicken Tacos in the Crockpot

2010-06-09T09:00:00.005-04:00

We had something last night that was super good! I took an old recipe that we use all the time and did something new with it. It is a crockpot chicken recipe that I usually serve over rice, but this time we used it as a taco filling and it was excellent.

Chicken Tacos in the Crockpot

http://cookingformyfamily.blogspot.com

3-4 chicken breasts (you can use frozen)

1.5 cups cooked rice

1 to 2 cups of salsa (depending on your tastes)

1 can of black beans

1 cup frozen corn (optional, we did not use this but you could if you want it in there)

2 tblsp lime juice

1 block cream cheese

sliced avocado (or guacamole)

sliced tomatoes

salt to taste

Put the chicken breasts, beans, salsa, lime juice, and corn into the crockpot. Also add salt and pepper to taste. Cook on high for 4 hours (or until your chicken is done).

The last 30 minutes, add the cooked rice and stir into mixture so it can soak up the remaining juices in there. This is also the point that I usually shred the chicken for the tacos, this is optional, but makes them much easier to eat! Then add the cream cheese to the top and let it melt in. Once the time is up stir it all together really well.

Scoop the filling into your taco shells, hard or soft, and then top with the avocado and tomato. Super yummy!

You can tweak this for however your family likes to eat tacos.

Meal Planning: June 7 - June 13

2010-06-08T09:55:00.017-04:00

Here is the plan we have for this week. Hoping we can stick to it!

Monday - Veggie Spaghetti, Salad
Tuesday - Chicken, Blackbean, & Avocado Lime Tacos
Wednesday - Leftovers (the chicken makes a lot)
Thursday - Tuna Noodle Casserole, Corn
Friday - Quesadillas, Guacamole, Salad
Saturday - Feta & Spinach Stuffed Chicken, Carrots & making Peach Cobbler for dessert
Sunday - Lemon Crumb Tilapia, Lima Beans, Salad

Lunches - Leftovers, Sandwiches, Fruit, Salads

Breakfasts - Oatmeal with Blueberries, Whole Wheat Pancakes with Blueberries, or Eggs & Cheese with Fruit (this week we have watermelon, canteloupe, pears, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, and peaches to choose from)

One that didn't go over so well...

2010-06-08T09:47:00.001-04:00

Well we tried a new recipe. It was Couscous Cranberry & Feta Salad. I made it exactly as the directions, except for replacing the regular couscous with the whole wheat kind. None of us cared for it at all. I couldn't even eat it and the kids just picked the cranberries & the cheese out (eyeroll!) and they normally love couscous. I am always just posting our reviews of the recipes we like on here so I just figured I would post this one of one that we did not care for.

If anyone has any suggestions of why it wasn't that great or ways to improve let me know. I am always on the hunt for new, delicious couscous recipes since it is so quick and easy!

Meal Planning: May 24-30

2010-05-24T10:18:00.003-04:00

We haven't been having official meal plans the last couple of weeks. I just took a break from it and make things using with the produce we got at the farmer's market and also using up a few things we had in the pantry and freezer.

This week we are doing some of the same thing but I decided to write it out.

So... here is the plan. I have 2 new recipes this week. If they turn out OK I will post reviews. :)

Mon - Zucchini Chicken Casserole (this will be made with substitutions, not as is in the recipe listed), Carrots
Tue - Veggie Spaghetti, Salad
Wed - Couscous, Cranberry, and Feta Salad (this is a new one)
Thu - Roasted Chicken with Potatoes & Carrots
Fri - Chicken with Spinach, Cannellini Beans, & Tomatoes over linguine (using the leftover chicken from Thurs) (this is a new one that I'm making up)
Sat - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Sun - Leftovers

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

2010-04-21T16:22:00.013-04:00

These little squares are VERY tasty! I saw this recipe yesterday on Buns In My Oven and knew I had to make them. I didn't have any semi-sweet chocolate chips, only milk chocolate chips, so I am sure my version tasted a little different but they are still really great. They almost melt in your mouth. We rarely make dessert and these aren't exactly healthy, but at least they have a few healthy elements in them, those being the peanut butter and the oatmeal. Not too bad for a dessert and I love that they don't require baking.

I'll post the recipe and then I took a few pictures while I was making this so I will post those. It was really super easy. The hardest part was waiting for them to cool in the fridge before eating them. But it was worth the wait!

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

Adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)

1. Melt butter in a large sauce pan over low heat. Stir in brown sugar, vanilla, and oats. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Press half of mixture in to the bottom of a buttered 8 x 8 dish.

2. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the chocolate and peanut butter, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and blended. Pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the crust, reserving a couple of spoonfuls to drizzle over the top.

3. Sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the chocolate and peanut butter, pressing gently to form a crust. Drizzle the remaining chocolate and peanut butter over the top of the bars.

4. Refrigerate for 3 hours before cutting and serving.

Melting the butter, that is A LOT of butter.

This is after adding the brown sugar, oatmeal, and vanilla in.

Pressing it into the 8 x 8 pan.

This is the peanut butter and chocolate chips before melting.

After melting!

Spreading it on the first layer of the oatmeal mixture.

This is after the top later of the oatmeal mixture.

And with the chocolate drizzled on top. I am sure we will be making this one again!

Rachel's Version of Skillet Chicken Pot Pie

2010-04-20T19:07:00.011-04:00

Tonight we had Skillet Chicken Pot Pie. I have made this before several times and it has always been great. However, I have changed the recipe so much from the original one by America's Test Kitchen that I figured I should write out my adapted version. There was nothing wrong with the original at all, this one just best suits our needs and the ingredients that we normally have on hand better. The original version is here for reference.

First of all, I always make this the day after we have a whole roasted chicken with carrots and potatoes for dinner. That recipe is here if you'd like to see that one. I do this because I use the leftover roasted chicken, potatoes, carrots and chicken stock in the pot pie. So when you see those ingredients listed below, this is where I get them. This cuts way down on the time it takes to make the dish and makes it a lot easier. You could either do it this way as well or use other ingredients to make this. The potatoes and carrots were not in the original version of this recipe but we have always made it with them in it and I really like it that way. So here is my very different version of the recipe.

Rachel's Version of Skillet Chicken Pot Pie

http://cookingformyfamily.blogtspot.com

*adapted from America's Test Kitchen "Skillet Chicken Pot Pie"

Biscuits Ingredients
2 cups flour, plus a little bit extra for the work surface
3 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Pie Filling Ingredients

2 cups shredded chicken
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup peeled diced potatoes, cooked

1/2 cup carrots (mine are already cooked, or you could use the tiny frozen kind, thawed)

1/2 cup peas (I use frozen ones, thawed)

1/2 cup corn kernels (I use frozen, thawed)

salt & pepper to taste

(you can use any veggies you like in this, this is just what we generally use)

To make the Biscuits

Preheat the oven to 450. Combine all ingredients except cream in bowl and mix together. Add the cream and stir until it is all incorporated into the dough. Then pick it up with your hands and knead the dough until all the dough is moist. Take a round cake pan (I think mine is 8") that has a very light layer of flour in the bottom. Press the dough into the pan all the way around the edges until it looks like this:

Once your dough is all the way around the pan, turn the pan over until the dough comes out in once piece. Place the dough flour side down on an ungreased cookie sheet. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into equal triangles. I usually make either 6 or 8 triangles depending on how many servings we need. This time I did 6.

Space the triangles out on the cookie sheet so that they are not touching and have a couple of inches in between them. Place them in the oven and bake about 15 minutes or until they are starting to get brown on the top.

To Make The Filling

While the biscuits are baking, start making the filling. First, take the butter and melt it in your skillet (I use the 5 qt Buffet Casserole from Le Creuset, love that pan!) on medium heat.

Once the butter is melted, add your chopped onions and let them cook until they are translucent. Then add your salt. I'd say I probably use about 1/4 teaspoon of salt, but that amount you should do to your tastes, also add pepper if you like (we don't use it).

After they are cooked, add the flour into the pan and make sure it is all the way incorporated into the butter. Then add in your chicken broth and stir while the flour blends with the liquid. It will be fairly thick at this point.

Next, you add in the cream. Stir it in well and wait for it to thicken. You don't want it pouring off a spoon but more like dripping. This should only take a few minutes. This picture is of when it was thinner, before it thickened up. Once it starts to thicken up you will add the other ingredients and then it will thicken even more.

Add in all of the chicken and vegetables that you are going to have in your filling and lower the heat a little bit. Incorporate them into the sauce well and make sure everything gets all the way warmed through. This should take about 5 minutes or so. It should be about the same consistency of chicken pot pie filling, so that is what you are going for. Once it is there, take it off the heat and allow a couple of minutes for it to set up.

Then once you are finished you can either serve this right out of the skillet or place it into another round dish. Either way, you place the biscuits on top of the filling before serving so it gives it more of that "pot pie" feel.

Our whole family will eat this and loves it!

Meal Planning: April 19 - 25

2010-04-18T21:41:00.002-04:00

Well we ended up going out of town last Saturday so we did not eat our meal that day, we ate out. So that bumped the Saturday's meal last week to Sunday so I will be making the meal planned for last Sunday this week instead.

So, on to this week. We still have a few things in the freezer that I will be trying to use up, one of those being a whole spiral sliced ham. I also have some phyllo dough that I have been meaning to use. So I am going to be trying 2 new recipes this week as well.

Monday:

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Bluberries, Pears

Lunch - Leftovers or if no leftovers available then Sandwiches with Raw Carrots & Fruit

Dinner - Whole Roasted Chicken, Carrots, Potatoes

Tuesday:

Breakfast - Eggs and Cheese with side of sliced Strawberries & Bananas

Lunch - Leftovers or if no leftovers available then Sandwiches with Raw Carrots & Fruit

Dinner - Skillet Chicken Pot Pie (made with leftovers from previous night, plus additional vegetables)

Wednesday:

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Lunch - Leftovers or if no leftovers available then Sandwiches with Raw Carrots & Fruit

Dinner - Blackbean & Avocado Tacos with Lime

Thursday:

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Bluberries, Pears

Lunch - Leftovers or if no leftovers available then Sandwiches with Raw Carrots & Fruit

Dinner - Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans

Friday:

Breakfast - Eggs and Cheese with side of sliced Strawberries & Bananas

Lunch - Leftovers or if no leftovers available then Sandwiches with Raw Carrots & Fruit

Dinner - Leftover Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans

Saturday:

Breakfast - Ham with Buttermilk-Chive Biscuits

Lunch - Leftovers or if no leftovers available then Sandwiches with Raw Carrots & Fruit or possibly out on the weekend

Dinner - Ham & Pineapple CousCous Salad

Sunday:

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Lunch - Leftovers or if no leftovers available then Sandwiches with Raw Carrots & Fruit or Possibly out on the weekends

Dinner - Spinach & Feta Phyllo Cups, Last of the leftover Ham if there is any

The Leftovers Dilemma

2010-04-15T19:28:00.002-04:00

So it seems like I always have an issue with leftovers. If I don't plan a specific night in our weekly meal plan to have leftovers for dinner then we have way too much food that week and end up having to bump a meal off the plan so that we don't waste food. Then if I do plan a night for leftovers, we eat all the food up early and then have nothing to eat the night that was supposed to be for leftovers. Then I end up having to improvise something, which isn't too bad, but that kind of defeats the purpose of meal planning. I thought I had gotten pretty good at figuring out which meals we would have leftovers from and plan accordingly but it seems things are changing and we are eating more of some and less of others. Oh well, it is not a big deal and I will just make something else but I just find it a bit ironic how it always works out!

Does anyone else have this problem?

Crockpot Chicken & Blackbeans

2010-04-15T15:40:00.001-04:00

This is not a pretty dish by far, but it is so yummy! I have made this meal several times in the past and we had it again last night. It is always a tasty dish and *very* easy to make! We have it once every month or two I would say.

It is chicken breasts that you place in the crockpot (they can even be frozen, so bonus if you are short on time or didn't defrost in time). I used 3 breasts this time but I have done this same recipe with up to 6 breasts, so use what your family will eat. Then you put a jar of salsa on top of the chicken, I usually use the Amy's Organic one because we love it. After the salsa, you add black beans on top, either 1 can or the equivalent in fresh. Normally I am not a fan of canned fruits or veggies but for this meal I will usually use the organic canned ones since I am usually going for super easy when I make this dish. It also usually has corn added to it as well (for this I will use the frozen organic kernels even though the original recipe said to used canned corn, we just never buy that) but I did not add any corn in it this time. The recipe says to cook on high for 4 hours, which will work, but I usually do low on 6 hours. Just make sure your chicken is done before serving for whatever time you choose. In the last 30 minutes you add a bar of cream cheese to the mixture and let it melt into a nice creamy sauce. This is also when I start my rice on the stove (we usually have white rice with this, I'm not a fan of it with brown rice, but if that is what you like then start making the rice earlier!). It's not really quite good for being so easy to do!

Lunch At Home

2010-04-15T09:33:00.003-04:00

For whatever reason, I rarely post lunches on here even though we almost always make our lunches at home. I guess because we have a lot of the same things again and again for lunch so I feel like it is really repetitive to post. We usually either have leftovers from dinner the night before, a couscous or pasta dish, or some sort of sandwich like this. I almost always serve lunch with a fresh fruit and a veggie.

So this was from yesterday. I just decided to take a picture and post about it since it has been so long since I posted a lunch. It is just a sandwich on whole wheat organic bread with nitrate free ham, organic cheese slices, mayo, and mustard. Then the sides are fresh cut up pears and baby carrots. Super easy, mostly healthy, and both of my kids will eat every bite of this usually every time I make this lunch, they love it.

My husband also packed this exact lunch to take with him to work. Well... except he exchanged the carrots for Cheeze-Its.... he's a little harder to convince to eat the "good stuff" than the kids! Oh well, 3 out of 4 family members isn't bad! :) We are always a work in progress here, I guess every once in a while a guy just needs his Cheez-Its. I have to say honestly I was kind of jealous, those little greasy cheesy squares looked pretty tasty, but I resisted!

Crustless Mushroom & Spinach Quiche

2010-04-14T09:21:00.003-04:00

So last night we were supposed to have Quiche for dinner. Well... we did, but without the crust. I just did not feel like making the crust last night so I went the easy way and just made it in a baking dish without the crust. I didn't really use a recipe for this, but it turned out OK. It was a little different texture than normal, I think because I added sour cream to it this time, which I have not done before. It still had a good taste though. I do not have exact amounts for this, because I did not measure anything, but here is my guess as to amounts of what I added. 4 eggs, 8 oz mushrooms (cooked in skillet), clove of garlic (also cooked), 1/2 cup frozen spinach (cooked a minute to get the moisture out), 1/2 cup milk, 1 cup shredded cheese some of it in the mixture and then some on top the last 10 minutes, 1/2 cup sour cream, salt, nutmeg. I mixed it all together, poured it in the dish, and baked it about 55 minutes on 350.

I served this to my kids with raw baby carrots. My4 year old son ate all of his, asked for more, and then also wanted a banana and a pear. My 2 year old daughter ate all the carrots and did not love the mushrooms in this, but she did eat the other parts.

Meal Planning: April 12-18

2010-04-12T15:02:00.009-04:00

Here is our plan for this week.
Monday - Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole

Tuesday - Mushroom & Spinach Quiche (this recipe, but we aren't using bacon this time, making it vegetarian since we have a lot of other meat this week)

Wednesday - Crockpot Chicken with BlackBeans over rice

Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Veggie Spaghetti

Saturday - Grilled Ribs, Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli

Sunday - Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans

Kids Choice

2010-04-07T15:35:00.003-04:00

Well my 4 year old son picked out dinner a few weeks ago (I'm slow posting this one! Actually forgot about it until I found the picture today.) and this is what he wanted. He has picked this exact meal before, so I guess he likes it. :)

These are our version of nitrate free/organic "cobb sandwiches"... that is meat, cheese, avocado, and ranch dressing on toasted english muffins. It is also supposed to have bacon on it but we just skip that part. For the sides he wanted sliced tomatoes, carrots, and salad, which to him is just lettuce with the organic ranch dressing on it. My daughter, who is 2, also loved this meal (well, minus the tomatoes, she doesn't care for raw tomatoes). They both ate every bite. I love it as well because it is really quick and simple with lots of veggies. This would make a great summer time meal!

Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Bundles

2010-04-07T13:39:00.004-04:00

We actually had this last week but I am just getting around to posting it here. This was a recipe I saw and thought it sounded good. However, I didn't have all the ingredients to make the dish so I changed it to fit what I did have.

It was actually really good. It turned out to be more Spinach & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Bundles than Chicken Parmesan Bundles. It is one I would make again for sure. Next time I think I would play with the spices more though because although it was good, the filling was a little bland. I served it with mashed potatoes that I made and also broccoli.

So, below I will post the original recipe. I'll note the changes I made here. First of all, I didn't have any spaghetti sauce so I skipped that part all together. I also didn't have any parmesan cheese. I thought I did when I planned to make it but then when I started looking, I didn't have any! I know that is one of the main ingredients but I thought I would just try it without and see how it did since I was already in the middle of the recipe at that point. Then instead of Ritz crackers I used the Late July version (just a little healthier but same taste). I did not have frozen spinach so I used a little fresh spinach and just wilted it down. So overall it was very similar but I think not having the spaghetti sauce or the parmesan cheese changed the taste a lot of course. I'd like to try it the original way at some point, too.

Chicken Parmesan Bundles

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Parmesan-Bundles/Detail.aspx

By: Philadelphia®

"Chicken breasts are rolled around a spinach and cheese filling, adorned with a crumb coating, then baked and topped with pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese."

Prep Time:

35 Min Ready In:

1 Hr 5 Min

Servings (Help)

Original Recipe Yield 6 servings

Ingredients

4 ounces PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained

1 1/4 cups KRAFT Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided

6 tablespoons KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided

6 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/4-inch thickness

1 egg

10 RITZ Crackers, crushed

1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, heated

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup mozzarella and 3 Tbsp. Parmesan until well blended; spread onto chicken breasts. Starting at one short end of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks, if desired. Set aside.

Beat egg in shallow dish. Mix remaining Parmesan and cracker crumbs in separate shallow dish. Dip chicken bundles in egg, then roll in crumb mixture. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Bake 30 min. or until chicken is done (165 degrees F). Remove and discard toothpicks, if using. Serve topped with spaghetti sauce and remaining mozzarella.

Footnotes

Make Ahead: Assemble chicken bundles and place in baking dish as directed; cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours. When ready to serve, uncover and bake at 375 degrees F for 35 min. or until chicken is cooked through.

Special Extra: Stir chopped fresh basil and/or sliced black olives into spaghetti sauce before heating.

Nutritional Information

Amount Per Serving Calories: 347 | Total Fat: 17.6g | Cholesterol: 129mg

Meal Planning: April 5 - 11

2010-04-05T18:28:00.005-04:00

Monday - Ribs, Sweet Potatoes and Zucchini (all on the grill)

Tuesday - Vegetable Quiche

Wednesday - Sour Cream Pork Chops over Rice with Sautéed Squash

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Balsamic Chicken with Tortellini and Broccoli

Saturday - Hamburgers on the grill with Salad and Roasted Potatoes

Sunday - Spaghetti with Salad and Garlic Bread

Meal Planning: March 29 - April 4

2010-03-28T16:04:00.005-04:00

Mon 3/29 - Chicken Parmesan Bundles, side of pasta, green beans

Tue 3/30 - Honey Baked Lentils, Broccoli, Mashed Potatoes, Biscuits

Wed 3/31 - making Pizzas, Salad

Thu 4/01 - Sun 4/04 - Family/Friends gathering these days so we'll be eating with them. Cooking some days and out sometimes, no real schedule yet.

Meal Planning: March 22 - 28

2010-03-22T08:47:00.004-04:00

We had so many leftovers last week that we did not get to two of our meals. So those will be repeated this week, starting tonight. :)

Monday - Hawaiian Chicken, Green Beans, Rice

Tuesday - Veggie Spaghetti

Wednesday - Fried Rice with the leftovers from the Hawaiian Chicken & Rice

Thursday - Broccoli Cheese Soup

Friday - Breakfast for dinner (Eggs, Kielbasa, Toast, etc.)

Saturday - Grilled Chicken, Sweet Potatoes, Peas

Sunday - Leftovers

Honey Baked Lentils

2010-03-18T09:17:00.007-04:00

Last night for dinner we made "Honey Baked Lentils". I have made this recipe before and everyone loved it, so we decided to make it again. It was also a hit this time. The kids just gobble it up and ask for more, which was surprising to me, especially for my son, who does not care for beans that much (unless refried!). Lentils have a bit of that same texture so I wasn't sure he would like it, but he really loved them. We served it with steamed broccoli and baked sweet potatoes. It doesn't look that pretty, but it was a really delicious meal! I will definitely be making this recipe again, I am sure.

Of course, I did change a couple of things. Seems I can never just leave a recipe as is. I didn't have an onion so I left that out of the recipe. It doesn't exactly say what to do with the onion in the recipe but I assume you would dice it and add it in. Also, this recipe says to bake them for 1.5 hours, but mine weren't all the way done until about 2 hours in. Here is the recipe in it's original form. I don't know who wrote this but it came from my yahoo food group, Families Eating Healthy.

HONEY BAKED LENTILS
1 cup lentils (I use red)
2 cups water
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp soysauce or tamari
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ginger
1 clove garlic
1 small onion
salt & pepper to taste

Bake in a covered dish at 350 until tender (about an hour and a half).

You could also substitute 1/3 cup of rice or barley for some of the lentils...and add whatever "winter" vegetables you have on hand.

*edited - I have now learned this recipe came from the mothering.com discussion board originally before it was posted on the Yahoo! group! I will see if I can find the original author on there so that I can note it here!

Meal Planning: March 14-20

2010-03-14T22:56:00.006-04:00

This week we are trying to use up some of our fridge, pantry, and freezer items, so we aren't having anything terribly exciting! But here it is.

Monday - Veggie Spaghetti, Salad, Green Beans (kids favorite meal I think! We seem to have it once a week for them)

Tuesday - Cobb Sandwiches, Carrots with dip

Wednesday - Honey Baked Lentils, Broccoli, Sweet Potatoes

Thursday - Pizza

Friday - Hawaiian Chicken, Rice, Peas

Saturday - Hamburgers, oven baked fries

Sunday - Chicken & Veggie Fried Rice (from leftover Hawaiian Chicken)

Meal Planning: March 8 - 14

2010-03-07T23:02:00.006-05:00

Mon 8th - Chicken & Rice, Broccoli

Tue 9th - Blackbean & Cheese Quesadillas, Guacamole

Wed 10th - Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Salad

Thu 11th - Leftovers

Fri 12th - Breakfast for dinner

Sat 13th - Spaghetti, Green Beans

Sun 14th - Roasted Chicken, Carrots, & Potatoes

Scallops Carbonara

2010-02-28T08:46:00.003-05:00

So, we made a not so healthy recipe this week as something new to try. I has some fresh scallops and I was looking for a different sort of recipe to use them in, something new that I hadn't done before. I searched recipezaar for something that had high ratings and found this Scallops Carbonara. I had almost all the ingredients, so I decided to go for it. The one thing I didn't have that would have made a lot of difference was the mushrooms, sort of not the same without them, but it was still good. I also did not have scallions so I replaced them with an onion. Oh and I used chicken broth instead of the wine. I guess I replaced more than I thought, but it was still very tasty!

The picture is of the sauce before I put it over the pasta. It was very rich and creamy but once you put it over the pasta it just thinly coats the noodles, not overly heavy. Here is the recipe that I used in its original version.

Scallops Carbonara

Recipe #103457 @ recipezaar.com

SERVES 2 -4 (change servings and units)

Ingredients

1/2 lb bacon, diced

1 lb sea scallops

1 roasted red pepper, sliced

1 cup mushroom, sliced

2 large shallots, minced

2 garlic cloves

1 cup white wine

1/2 pint heavy cream

1/4 cup pecorino romano cheese or parmesan cheese

1/2 lb fettuccine pasta, cooked ahead

flour, for dredging

Directions

1 - Cook bacon in medium saucepan 5 minutes.

2 - Dredge scallops in flour.

3 - Place scallops in pan and cook approximately 5 minutes.

4 - Remove bacon and scallops and set aside.

5 - Drain bacon grease, leaving 1-2 tbls in pan to sautee vegetables.

6 - Add ingredients red pepper to garlic, saute for two minutes then deglaze pan with wine and reduce by more than half.

7 - Add cream and reduce until thickened, add scallops and bacon back to pan, and cheese.

8 - Toss with fettucini and add freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Meal Planning: Feb 22 - Mar 6

2010-02-25T14:32:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted an actual meal plan in a while. I have been doing it on a big dry erase board but not putting it online so that I can keep track of what we are eating, and I need to get back into that habit. We have been eating a lot of the same things over and over again.... big lack of variety lately while trying to clean out the freezer and pantry.

So, here is what we've had the last few days and what we are having the next week or so.

Mon, Feb 22 - Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans

Tue, Feb 23 - Leftover Ham, Mac n Cheese, Leftover Green Beans

Wed, Feb 24 - Tilapia, leftover mac n cheese, broccoli

Thu, Feb 25 - Scallops Carbonara over pasta, leftover broccoli

Fri, Feb 26 - Shrimp & Avocado Tacos

Sat, Feb 27 - New York Strip Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Peas

Sun, Feb 28 - Cobb Sandwiches, Grapes, Raw Carrots

Mon, Mar 1 - Tuna Melts, Green Beans

Tue, Mar 2 - Crockpot Chicken & Black Beans, Rice

Wed, Mar 3 - Leftovers

Thu, Mar 4 - Veggie Spaghetti, Salad, Garlic Bread

Fri, Mar 5 - Breakfast for dinner

Sat, Mar 6 - Sausage Rolls, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli

Sun, Mar 7 - Lasagna, Green Beans

Breakfasts are either eggs, oatmeal, or whole wheat pancakes along with a fresh fruit of either canteloupe, blueberries, bananas, or strawberries.

Lunches are either leftovers from the night before or a sandwich, usually egg salad or turkey, with a veggie and a fruit (this week choice of grapes, carrots, strawberries, blueberries, canteloupe, pears, tomatoes, or peas).

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

2010-01-24T15:57:00.002-05:00

We had this for the first time today. I was looking for a different fish recipe that my husband would find tasty. He's not a big fish person because he thinks it's bland, so this was a way to get him to eat it. He really liked and I did, too. The kids thought it was OK and ate about half of their piece each. It was very easy, and cooked in only a few minutes, so that was great.

I did change the recipe a bit simply because I did not have all of the ingredients. I did not have basil or celery salt or onion powder. Instead I used garlic powder and Old Bay seasoning. I used Olive Oil mayonaise, which is what we normally use. It still tasted great and I think we will be making this again. :)

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Broiled-Tilapia-Parmesan/Detail.aspx

Prep Time:

5 Min Cook Time:

10 Min Ready In:

15 Min

Servings (Help)

Original Recipe Yield 8 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon celery salt

2 pounds tilapia fillets

Directions

Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.

Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Mushroom Stroganoff

2010-01-05T21:00:00.004-05:00

This is another one of my made up recipes. :) I have made stroganoff so many times before that I just substituted what I used to do for beef with the mushrooms and I think it turned out really well. Everyone in my family loved this recipe. The kids could not get enough of it and kept asking for more. I served it with green beans and thought that they went well together. I certainly would make this again.

Rachel's Mushroom Stroganoff

written by Rachel L - http://cookingformyfamily.blogspot.com

1 pound egg noodles

8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced

1 large onion, diced small

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 can of broth (I used beef because it is what I had but you could use veggie if you're wanting to make it a vegetarian meal)

8 ounces light sour cream

2 tablespoons heavy cream (I think you could leave this out, I just had some I needed to use up)

1/2 tablespoon worcestershire sauce (if making vegetarian, might be better to leave this out unless they have a veggie version I don't know about?)

1 tsp garlic powder (or fresh garlic to taste)

1 tsp salt (or to taste)

1 tablespoon parsley chopped fine (not an essential ingredient, but nice if you have it, I wouldn't buy it just for this dish, save some $ :) )

First, start the water for the noodles boiling and follow the directions on the package for making them. Meanwhile melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a large pan on medium heat and then add the onions and mushrooms to it (this is also when you would add fresh garlic if you are using that). Let them cook until tender and then add the garlic powder and salt. Once the onion and mushrooms are done, then add the flour and make sure it is stirred in completely. If you have any liquid in your pan still, add a little more flour until it is soaked up. Once all the flour is soaked into the liquid, add the can of broth, heavy cream, and worcetershire sauce to the pan. Keep stirring until everything is mixed together and then let the sauce thicken. It should be about gravy consistency after a few minutes on medium heat. Once it is the correct consistency, then turn the heat off and mix in the parsley. This should be about the time the noodles are getting done. Right before serving, add the sour cream to the sauce and mix it in completely. Serve over noodles immediately.

Blackbean Tacos with Lime & Avocado

2010-01-05T09:20:00.004-05:00

These are really simple, and I made up the name, but wow they were good! I chopped an onion and sauteed it in the pan with some olive oil. Then, once the onions were almost done, I added a can of black beans and the juice of half a lime. I put garlic powder and salt to taste and cooked them just until they were heated through. Then I used whole wheat tortillas and put some colby jack cheese on the bottom, then the hot beans so they would melt the cheese, and then topped with avocado, tomato, and sour cream. All of us really enjoyed them! It was really quick and easy to make, and another vegetarian meal to add to our list. I will be making this again for sure. But I might have to use 2 cans of beans next time, everyone wanted a second taco!

Fettucine Alfredo with Peas, Mushrooms, & Onions

2010-01-01T20:08:00.004-05:00

This was a new meal and recipe for us and it turned out well. I took an alfredo recipe that a friend sent me (thanks Jenni!) and then just mixed it with a box of cooked fettuccine noodles. While the noodles were cooking I sautéed some 6oz of mushrooms and an onion in some olive oil. Once they were almost done I added half a bag of frozen peas to it. Then drained that and mixed it in as well. I am pretty sure that I added more garlic powder and salt that recommended here but I didn't measure so I am not sure, but I still thought it could use a little more so I added some to the sauteeing vegetables as well.

So, here is the alfredo recipe that I used:

Olive Garden Garlic Alfredo Sauce

http://www.recipezaar.com/Olive-Garden-Garlic-Alfredo-Sauce-52892

Recipe #52892 | 28 min | 3 min prep

1 pint (change servings and units)

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons cream cheese

1 pint heavy cream

1-2 teaspoon garlic powder (start with 1 and taste)

salt & freshly ground black pepper

2/3 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese or romano cheese

Directions

1In a medium to large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat.

2Add the cream cheese and whisk to smooth and melted.

3Whisk in the heavy cream.

4Season with the garlic powder, salt and pepper.

5Bring to a good simmer and whisk frequently until sauce thickens, around 25 minutes.

6Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

7Taste and adjust seasoning's.

Chicken Teriyaki Bites

2009-12-29T14:46:00.004-05:00

Well we are having this again for dinner tonight and it made me realize that I never posted it on the blog.

My husband loves this and the kids like it as well. I just sort of made it up because I couldn't find a recipe like I was looking for, but I did take inspiration from several other recipes.

Some of these amounts do vary each time I make it, though. I just taste the sauce and see what it needs more of before putting it into the oven. I also often double this so that I have some leftover since my husband likes to take it to lunch with him during the week also.

I usually serve it over rice and with a green vegetable like green beans or broccoli.

Teriyaki Chicken Bites

written by Rachel L - http://cookingformyfamily.blogspot.com

1.5-2 pounds chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1 tablespoon cornstarch (or use 1 tablespoon of butter, mixed with 1 tablespoon of flour, and skip the water below... just melt butter in skillet and combine with flour until it is all mixed in, either will work for a thickener)

1 tablespoon cold water

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat over to 375. In a skillet or pan over low heat combine the water and corn starch until well blended and then add all other ingredients except chicken. Keep on low until sauce thickens up a bit and stir frequently. Place the bite sized chicken pieces in a greased 8x8 (or similar sized) dish. Poor the sauce over the chicken and place in oven. Let cook for 20 minutes or so and then stir the pieces around. Let cook for 10 more minutes or until chicken is done. Serve over rice or eat by itself.

Meal Planning: December 13th - 20th

2009-12-13T22:56:00.005-05:00

Sunday - Ribs from Whole Foods on the grill, homemade potato salad and baked beans

Monday - Rib Eye from Whole Foods, Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli

Tuesday - Spaghetti, Green Beans, Garlic Bread

Wednesday - Balsamic Chicken & Onions

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Mac & Cheese, Peas (birthday request!)

Saturday - Pizza!

Sunday - Blackbean & Cheese Quesadillas, Guacamole

Meal Planning: December 3rd - 12th

2009-12-03T11:24:00.003-05:00

Well I am FINALLY getting back into the swing of things after our move! We still aren't all organized yet but at least getting the routine back.

On a cool note, we had to buy all new appliances so I am loving those! I got a double oven and wow that has been nice, especially at Thanksgiving! It is great though for every day meals because the top portion is much smaller, heats up faster, and uses a lot less energy.

So now I am finally making up a meal plan for the first time since moving. It is the middle of the week but I just hit the grocery store (and sales!) yesterday so I am ready to write it all out now.

Wednesday - We had Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

Thursday - Meatloaf, Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Salad

Friday - Eat out (out of town)

Saturday - Homemade Fish Nuggets, Mac & Cheese, Peas

Sunday - Grilled Steak, Sweet Potatoes, Salad

Monday - Terriyaki Chicken Bites, Rice, Zucchini

Tuesday - Tacos, Corn

Wednesday - Chicken 'n' Spinach Pasta Bake

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Pizza, Fruit for dessert

Saturday - Blackbean & Cheese Quesadillas, Guacamole

Sunday - Spaghetti, Green Beans, Salad

Black Bean Soup with Cheese Quesadillas

2009-11-09T21:03:00.001-05:00

Tonight we had blackbean soup along with some cheese quesadillas with the stuff I had leftover from making fajitas the night before. It turned out really good, which this recipe usually does for us. I have enough to freeze for leftovers so we can enjoy it again another night.

Here is the recipe:

Rachel's Black Bean Soup

written by Rachel L - http://cookingformyfamily.blogspot.com
1 cup salsa

3 cans black beans

2 cups chicken stock (vegetable stock for vegetarians!)

2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 cup chopped small carrots (optional)

2 tbsp. cilantro (fresh, chopped) (optional)

1 tsp. lime juice

Warm the salsa in your soup pot until a little bubbly, then add the black beans to heat and then the chicken stock, garlic powder, carrots into the pot.Bring to a boil while stirring and then lower the heat to simmer and cover the pot for around 15-20 minutes.

Then, use a hand immersion blender and blend what is about half of the soup (to thicken) being careful not to splash. You can also do this with a regular blender just be sure to let the soup cool before you blend it or ladel it out.

Next, add your cilantro along with the lime juice if you like and its ready to go!Sometimes I let it thicken up a bit and cook down more. I also often make brown rice on the side and put a little in the bowl before putting my soup on top. You can also add sour cream to it on top.

Meal Planning: November 2nd - 8th

2009-11-01T19:29:00.002-05:00

Wow. Well last week did not go exactly as planned! We only got to a few of the meals on there. One night we ate leftovers because it made way more food than I thought. One our lunch was so big we didn't want a big dinner so just had snacky stuff. And then on Halloween night we ended up eating out. So a couple of last weeks meals will be repeats this week since we did not get to them. Here is this weeks *plan*:

Monday - Blackbean & Cheese Quesadillas

Tuesday - Chicken Teriyaki, Rice, Pineapple, Green Beans

Wednesday - Chili, Cornbread

Thursday - Pork Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Spaghetti, Green Beans, Garlic Bread

Sunday - Breakfast for dinner

Meal Planning: October 25th - 31st

2009-10-25T21:47:00.002-04:00

We have been out of town but now we are back and trying to get into the swing of things with planning meals again. I am trying to use a lot of things from the freezer and pantry to clean them out in preparing for moving. I will probably be doing this for the next month so meals may be a little different from normal during that time. I'd like to use as much of it up as possible just to have less to pack and worry about. So, here is this week:

Monday - Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potatoes

Tuesday - Roasted Chicken & Veggies

Wednesday - Chili, Cornbread

Thursday - Red Beans & Rice, Mixed Veggies

Friday - Saucy Honey Mustard Chicken,Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli

Saturday - Breakfast for Dinner: Eggs, Sausage, Potatoes, Toast

Sunday - Veggie Spaghetti

Creamy Kielbasa and Potato Soup

2009-10-17T21:20:00.000-04:00

The weather turned cooler today and I really wanted to make soup. However, I wanted a new recipe and not something I had tried before. A friend suggested this soup so I looked up a recipe and decided I had to make it. It seems I can't just make a recipe the way it is listed, I am always having to change something, so of course I changed things on it, but I will post the original recipe so people can use that if they would like.

Here is what I did differently. I put all the ingredients into the crock pot and let it cook on low for 8 hours. Not sure if I would do it that way again but it worked. I also added carrots and corn to it just to bump up the veggie content a little. I also added a tad more water since I knew some would cook out while it was on the crockpot all day. I used a homemade version of the chicken soup, just a roux with flour, butter, chicken broth and some garlic powder and salt. Next time, I would saute the onions in a little butter first before putting them in the soup.

And the original recipe from allrecipes.com

Creamy Kielbasa and Potato Soup

4 potatoes, cubed

1 onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 (14 ounce) can beef broth

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

1 cup water

3/4 pound kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

ground black pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat, combine potatoes, onion, celery, beef broth, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, 15 minutes. Stir in sausage and condensed soup and continue to simmer until heated though and slightly thickened. Season with pepper. Serve hot.

Meal Planning: October 4th - October 10th

2009-10-04T22:51:00.002-04:00

OK I have a few meals that I did not get to last week because we had unexpected circumstances come up. We are trying to sell our home and we keep having appointments in the evening to show it so we end up eating out while trying to kill time and not dirty up the place before a showing. So many of the meals from last week did not get made because this happened 5 nights last week and one of the nights it was so late getting back that we just quickly made sandwiches. I'm going to try again this week with them and add a couple of others.

Monday - Balsamic Chicken & Onions

Tuesday - Turkey Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Peas

Wednesday - Shepard's Pie

Thursday - Cashew Chicken & Broccoli Stir-Fry

Friday - Basil Chicken with linguine
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Blackbean & Cheese Quesadillas

Meal Planning: September 28 - October 4

2009-09-27T22:56:00.005-04:00

I haven't posted in a bit. We have still been eating, though. :) We were getting our home ready to put on the market to sell and so I haven't had time to update! On the urging of someone who tried the recipe, I made the Saucy Honey Mustard Chicken last week and everyone loved it! I think we will have that one again soon. I also made a nice pork loin and of course various veggies to go with everything. We had chili as well that lasted a few nights. Lemon Crumb Tilapia was made one night and Shrimp with Feta & Tomatoes over angelhair pasta. We loved all of it!

So, here is the plan for this week. We are going to attempt 3 vegetarian meals for dinner this time.

Monday - Balsamic Chicken & Onions

Tuesday - Tortellini & Peas

Wednesday - Shepard's Pie

Thursday - Cashew Chicken & Broccoli Stir-Fry

Friday - Portabella Penne Casserole
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Blackbean & Cheese Quesadillas

First Time Making Home Fries

2009-09-14T16:19:00.003-04:00

I got a craving for some Home Fries so I ended up making these along with an egg and some toast and they turned out really good! This was the first time I have ever made them but I will be making them again!

I used 4 baking potatoes for these but next time I think I would probably only use 3. I also used 1 onion. I cubed the potatoes and chopped the onion up. I put 3 tablespoons of butter into the pan and let it melt while I was chopping the vegetables. I kept it on medium heat because I wasn't using non-stick and didn't want them to stick to the bottom so I tried to keep it lower. I just let the butter melt and then put the potatoes and onions into the pan. I stirred them to coat them with the butter and then seasoned them with salt and pepper. I covered the pan and would come back every couple of minutes and stir them. They took a while to cook, about 20-25 minutes, but they were worth it! And of course I had to eat them with some ketchup! :)

Modified Blueberry Muffins

2009-09-14T16:17:00.001-04:00

I wanted to make some muffins for the kids, so I found this blueberry muffin recipe from All Recipes and modified it since I wanted to make them a bit healthier. I changed the white flour to whole wheat flour and replaced the sugar with Sucanat. I omitted the crumb topping.

They were perfect for the kids, not too sweet. I think if I had added the crumb topping, they would have been sweeter, but I wasn't going for sweet since it was just for them. They were a tad bit dry, agian maybe if I had added the topping to it they wouldn't be. But I think next time I would add a little bit more liquid to it.

Overall, the kids loved them, so I will probably make this again and keep playing with it.

Here is the original recipe from All Recipes if anyone wants to try them.

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Roasted Chicken with Veggies in the Crockpot

2009-09-08T21:48:00.001-04:00

I usually make this meal in the oven (like this), but this time I used the crockpot. I placed the whole chicken, which was still slighly frozen, in the bottom of the crockpot. I rubbed a little olive on on it and seasoned it with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Mrs. Dash (my seasonings vary every time, that is just what I had today). Then I cut up the potatoes and washed the carrots and tossed them in and seasoned them the same. I left it on low for 8 hours and then it was on warm for about 30 minutes. Right before we ate I steamed some broccoli to go with it. Everyone enjoyed it and my kids ate every bite and asked for more. We had plenty left for another meal or two as well.

Meal Planning: September 7 - 13

2009-09-07T11:41:00.007-04:00

Monday Date: 9/7/09

Breakfast: Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes ~Peaches

Lunch: Out with friends

Dinner: Sausage Gravy, Biscuits, Eggs, Hashbrowns, Strawberries

Tuesday Date: 9/8/09

Breakfast: Oatmeal Pears

Lunch: Egg Salad Sandwich Green Peas Grapes

Dinner: Roasted Chicken, Carrots, Potatoes, Broccoli (crockpot)

Wednesday Date: 9/9/09

Breakfast: Eggs & Toast ~Peaches

Lunch: Chicken Salad Sandwich Carrots Grapes

Dinner: Blackbean & Cheese Quesadillas, homemade guacamole

Thursday Date: 9/10/09

Breakfast: Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes Pears

Lunch: Turkey & Provolone Sandwich Carrots & Grapes

Dinner: Parmesan Chicken, Spaghetti with Sauce, Green Beans, Garlic Bread

Friday Date: 9/11/09

Breakfast: Oatmeal Blueberries

Lunch: Leftovers from last night

Dinner: Blackbean Soup, Cornbread

Saturday Date: 9/12/09

Breakfast: Yogurt ~Peaches

Lunch: Leftovers from last night

Dinner: Hawaiian Chicken over Rice, Broccoli

Sunday Date: 9/13/09

Breakfast: Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes Pears

Lunch: Leftovers from last night

Dinner: Mac N Cheese, Green Peas, Strawberries

Beef Fajitas

2009-09-05T21:55:00.000-04:00

Well this week we were supposed to have veggie fajitas. But when I was cleaning the freezer out, I found these "beef tips" from the grass fed cows at Peaceful Pastures. I didn't want them to go to waste, so I tried stewing them for a while, and they actually turned out really great. The picture doesn't do it justice, but this is the beef stewed in some organic salsa and a little water. I let it simmer on low for about 2 hours, while stirring it often, and it turned into a really nice sauce with really tender beef! So we put these into tortillas and had them with all the stuff I planned to make veggie fajitas with. We used black beans, avocado, cheese, sour cream, and tomatoes. The kids weren't really into the beef but loved everything else while my husband and I thought it was all really tasty! I would make this again.

Meal Planning: August 31 - September 6

2009-08-31T12:29:00.002-04:00

Monday: (NO MEAT MONDAY)

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes, Peaches

Lunch - Sweet Potatoes, Bean & Cheese pockets, Strawberries for "dessert"

Dinner - Veggie Tacos, Guacamole

Tuesday:

Breakfast - Yogurt & Strawberries

Lunch - Turkey Burgers, Peas, Pears

Dinner - Roasted Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Wednesday:

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Blueberries

Lunch - Leftover Chicken & Veggies

Dinner - Broccoli & Parmesan Pasta

Thursday:

Breakfast - Eggs, Toast, Banana

Lunch - Leftover Pasta

Dinner - Shepard's Pie (with turkey)

Friday:

Breakfast - Yogurt & Strawberries

Lunch - Leftover Shepard's Pie

Dinner - Sausage Gravy & Biscuits, Eggs

Saturday:

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Bluberry Pancakes

Lunch - Probably out while we are doing activities

Dinner - Hoping to buy some fresh seafood, if I can't find it then Leftovers

Sunday:

Breakfast - Sausage Biscuits & Gravy

Lunch - Eat out

Dinner - Grilled Chicken, Broccoli, Sweet Potatoes

Healthy & Simple Snack Ideas for Toddlers

2009-08-26T09:32:00.003-04:00

I have had this list for quite some time, but for some reason I keep forgetting to post it to the blog! So here are some ideas for healthy snacks for your kids if you need them.

Also this is probably a good time to remind everyone of the link I have for healthy LUNCH IDEAS in case you are looking for those with it being Back To School time for a lot of people. I hope someone finds these useful!

Healthy & Simple Snack Ideas for Toddlers

(As always, be sure these are size & age appropriate for your child before feeding and also always supervise eating.)

Fruits/Veggies:

Blueberries

Grapes

Raisins

Raspberries

Blackberries

Cranberries

Strawberries

Cherry Tomatoes

Carrots

Pears

Watermelon

Peaches

Peas (fresh or still frozen)

Snap Peas

Steamed Veggies (Broccoli, asparagus, etc.)

Corn (fresh or still frozen

Bananas

Avocado

Beans

Olives

Apple

Pineapple

Honey Dew

Cantaloupe

Mango

Oranges

Papaya

Cucumber

Tangerines

Peaches

Kiwi

Dried Fruit

Bell Pepper Strips

Proteins:

Beans

Cheese (shredded, cubed, strings)

Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower)

Nuts

Eggs (hard boiled, scrambled)

Chick Peas

Tofu

Edamame

Dips/Spreads:

Hummus

Almond Butter

Peanut Butter

Yogurt

Guacamole

Applesauce

Yogurt (plain or mix with fruit, also can add a drop or two of vanilla for flavor)

Baked Goods:

Pita Bread Wedges

Mini Muffins (blueberry, banana, bran, carrot, zucchini, etc.)

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Whole Wheat Waffles

Whole Wheat Toast

Packaged:

Pirate Booty

Fruity Booty

Veggie Booty

Whole Wheat Crackers

Annie’s Graham Bunnies

Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies

Whole Wheat Crackers

Granola

Pretzels (unsalted)

Cheese (cubed, shredded, strings)

Rice Cakes

Soy Crisps

Puffed Rice

Popcorn

Carob Chips (unsweetened)

Graham Crackers

Apple Chips

Banana Chips

Fruit Bars

Fruit Leathers

To Make:

Cooked Whole Wheat Pasta

Pinwheels (sandwiches or roll ups)

Tortellini or ravioli

SIGG bottles prior to Aug 2008 used BPA in the liner

2009-08-21T10:34:00.007-04:00

Although we don't use these since I never trusted them because they would never disclose what was in the liner, I feel this is important information to get out there. I recently was made aware that the SIGG company has now released that prior to August, 2008 the liner in the bottles contained BPA. You can find more information along with pictures to determine which version you have on this link at their website.

I have friends who have written the CEO. In one response, this is what was said "I understand your point and recognize that there is a lot of confusion out there right now. While we have always said "no leaching of BPA" that message may have been shortened by a retailer or journalist to read "no BPA". This is why we have increased our communications on this topic, in order to clarify the facts. " In this same letter, he mentioned giving replacement bottles, but either way, it is worth writing them to let them know how upsetting this is and ask for compensation. I feel they should be held responsible for the misleading advertising they did and for all of these children (and adults) drinking out of BPA lined containers when the reason most people about them was to avoid BPA! His email is Steve.Wasik.CEO@sigg.com , I encourage you to write in.

Also you can see a letter written by the CEO about this here where he explains a little more about it.

And for the record, we chose Kleen Kanteen because of all the research I did, I could never find what the SIGG liner was made of, and now we know. We've since also used Foogo containers made my Thermos. I will not be buying SIGG at all in the future, either.

ETA - Visit this great site for even more info.

Snack Taxis

2009-08-17T15:58:00.009-04:00

I saw the Snack Taxi a while back and finally decided to try them. We have Wrap-N-Mats and love those, but I wanted to try these as well. I am all about reusable products for packing food to cut down on waste. I got 8 total, 4 sandwich size bags and 4 snack size bags. My husband's are the skulls :), DSs are the airplanes, DDs are the flowers, and mine are the swirls. I will let everyone know how they work! I ordered them from www.snacktaxi.com but there are a few places that carry them, some with coupon codes. I just liked the patterns at the home store the best so I went with that one.

This is how they came

This shows one sandwich and one snack size of each

This is the inside

The two of them in my Ju-Ju-Be Fuel Cell

Lemon Crumb Tilapia

2009-08-17T10:38:00.004-04:00

We ended up finding some fresh tilapia the other night on a whim and made this recipe with it. We have had it before and it is really yummy! I thougt I would post the recipe again in case anyone would like to make it. We ate it with lima beans and corn on the side. It was loved by everyone. :)

Lemon Crumb Tilapia
(from recipezaar.com)
12 oz tilapia fillets, thawed
1/4 c Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 T grated parmesan cheese (not the canned kind)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3 T butter (divided)
1 T vegetable oil
1-2 T lemon juice

Rinse fish and pat dry. Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and lemon peel on waxed paper. Melt 2 tablespoons butter. Dip fillets in melted butter. Coat fillet with crumb mixture. In nonstick skillet, melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter with oil over medium heat. Cook fillets for 2 to 4 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily. Sprinkle with lemon juice. When removing fish from skillet, use a spatula or the fish will fall apart.

Meal Planning: August 17th

2009-08-17T09:07:00.004-04:00

These next two weeks are a little crazy for us so I needed really easy meals for quick preparation and little planning. Here is what I have on the list for our menu! Breakfasts are going to be the usual either eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, or yogurt with fruit and lunch is either leftovers or sandwiches.

All of these meals should be in the links over to the right if you need any recipes. :)

Mon - Zucchini Orzo, Carrots (NO MEAT MONDAY)

Tue - Cobb Sandwiches, Grapes

Wed - Quesadillas, Guacamole

Thu - Tuna Melts, Peas, Carrots

Fri - Spaghetti, Green Beans

Sat - Sloppy Joes, Corn

Sun - Hawaiian Chicken, Rice, Broccoli, Sweet Potatoes

Mon - Fried Rice with leftovers (NO MEAT MONDAY)

Tue - Macaroni & Cheese, Peas

Wed - Crockpot Chicken, Black Beans

Thu - Lasagna, Green Beans

Fri - Broccoli & Feta Couscous

Sat - Leftover Night

Sun - Pizza

Best Ever Blueberry Cobbler

2009-08-14T09:25:00.005-04:00

We bought a 4 pound bag of blueberries from the local farmer's market and had more blueberries than we knew what to do with. So, I decided I would make a cobbler out of them. I got this recipe for Blueberry Cobbler from allrecipes.com. I used Sucanat instead of the white sugar and used whole wheat pastry flour instead of the white flour, everything else I left the same. It came out great! I would definitely make this one again.

Best Ever Blueberry Cobbler

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

3 cups fresh blueberries

3 tablespoons white sugar

1/3 cup orange juice

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

In an 8 inch square baking dish, mix blueberries, 3 tablespoons sugar, and orange juice. Set aside. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring just until ingredients are combined. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons over blueberry mixture. Try to cover as much of filling as possible.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Meal Planning: August 10th - August 16th

2009-08-09T22:42:00.001-04:00

Monday: (NO MEAT MONDAY)

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Lunch - Hummus, Pita Bread, Carrot Sticks, Grapes

Dinner - Broccoli Cheese Soup in bread bowls (double soup recipe and freeze)

Tuesday:

Breakfast - Organic Yogurt with Fresh Strawberries

Lunch - Egg Salad Sandwich, Peaches

Dinner - Roasted Chicken with Carrots & Potatoes (never got to this last week), Salad

Wednesday:

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Peaches

Lunch - Leftover Chicken & Veggies

Dinner - Grilled Pork Chops, Peas, Sweet Potatoes

Thursday:

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Lunch - Turkey, Avocado, & Provolone sandwiches, Grapes

Dinner - Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole (with leftover roasted chicken)

Friday:

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Peaches

Lunch - Leftover Casserole

Dinner - Veggie Omelets, Fruit, Sausage, Biscuits

Saturday:

Breakfast - Organic Yogurt with Fresh Strawberries

Lunch - Out to Eat

Dinner - Spaghetti, Green Beans, Garlic Toast

Sunday:

Breakfast - Eggs with Chese, Toast

Lunch - Out to Eat

Dinner - Leftovers (or Pizza if no leftovers)

Meal Planning: August 3rd - August 9th

2009-08-03T09:31:00.002-04:00

Monday: (NO MEAT MONDAY)

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Lunch - Hummus, Pita Bread, Carrot Sticks, Grapes

Dinner - Blackbean & Cheese Quesadillas, Guacamole, Sour Cream, Salsa

Tuesday:

Breakfast - Organic Yogurt with Fresh Strawberries

Lunch - Whole Wheat Pasta & Sauce, Peas

Dinner - Cobb Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks

Wednesday:

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Peaches

Lunch - Turkey & Provolone sandwiches, Grapes

Dinner - Spinach, Bacon & Mushroom Quiche, Roasted Potatoes (didn't get to it last week)

Thursday:

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Lunch - Turkey & Provolone sandwiches, Grapes

Dinner - Roasted Chicken with Carrots & Potatoes

Friday:

Breakfast - Eggs with Chese, Toast

Lunch - Leftover Chicken & Veggies

Dinner - Tortellini & Sauce, Green Beans

Saturday:

Breakfast - Organic Yogurt with Fresh Strawberries

Lunch - Out to Eat

Dinner - BBQ Pork Chops, Baked Beans, Broccoli

Sunday:

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Peaches

Lunch - Out to Eat

Dinner - Turkey Burgers, Corn & Grapes

Meal Planning - July 26 - August 1

2009-07-26T17:37:00.007-04:00

Monday: (NO MEAT MONDAY)

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes

Lunch - Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, Lima Beans & Fruit

Dinner - Blackbean & Cheese Quesadillas with Guacamole

Tuesday:

Breakfast - Yogurt & Strawberries

Lunch - Egg Salad sandwiches, Peaches

Dinner - Creamy Ranch Pork Chops with Zucchini Orzo

Wednesday:

Breakfast - Oatmeal with Blueberries

Lunch - Leftover Zucchini Orzo, Carrots

Dinner - Tilapia, Broccoli, Roasted Potatoes

Thursday:

Breakfast - Eggs, Toast, Banana

Lunch - Turkey & Provolone sandwiches, Grapes

Dinner - Mushroom, Bacon, Spinach Quiche & leftover Roasted Potatoes

Friday:

Breakfast - Yogurt & Strawberries

Lunch - Leftover Quiche, Peaches

Dinner - Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

Saturday:

Breakfast - Whole Wheat Bluberry Pancakes

Lunch - Cookout with friends

Dinner - Pasta with Alfredo Sauce, Broccoli

Sunday:

Breakfast - Sausage Biscuits & Gravy

Lunch - Eat out

Dinner - Leftovers

Italian Oven Baked Breaded Chicken

2009-07-25T20:47:00.002-04:00

Tonight we had something a little different. I was planning to make Chicken Parmesan, but I noticed the cheese I thought I had to melt on top, I didn't have. So, I changed it to make Italian Oven Baked Breaded Chicken. All I did was take some chicken breasts and pound them out flat using my cast iron skillet. Then I used some bread crumbs, italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese and mixed it together. I went heavy on the parmesan since we didn't have the other cheese. Then I coated the chicken breasts in the breading. I placed them on a cookie sheet and then I put some more of the breading with cheese on top of the chicken. I drizzled the tops of them with olive oil and baked in the oven on 375 for 30 minutes. They turned out really good! We had them with some whole wheat spaghetti and sauce and some steamed green beans.

Feta & Spinach stuffed Chicken Breast

2009-07-03T21:59:00.002-04:00

This is a recipe that we always like! I made it a little different this time, though. Instead of rolling the filling up in the chicken and then cooking in a pan, I slit the chicken open and made a pocket. Then I put the filling inside and baked it for 45 minutes. It came out really great! We had it with rice and everyone enjoyed it!

Here is the original recipe.

Stuffed Chicken Breast
(Weight Watchers Recipe)
This Greek-inspired dish is brimming with lots of spinach, onion and feta. Pair it up with steamed rice for a complete meal. Or try it over a bed of mixed greens. Serves 4
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
1/4 cup reduced fat feta cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest
10 oz spinach
1 small onion diced
1 teaspoon olive oil

1. In a large nonstick skillet heat 1 teaspoon oil; sauté onion until golden, 5 minutes.
2. Wilt spinach (steam spinach or heat damp spinach over medium heat in nonstick pan); stir in zest, feta, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
3. Divide spinach mixture between cutlets. Roll up and secure with toothpicks. Sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.
4. In same skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove toothpicks.

Pork Roast, Asparagus, and Sweet Potatoes

2009-06-30T21:54:00.004-04:00

Tonight we had pork roast that was cooked in the oven with lemon pepper on top. With it we had asparagus that has a little lemon zest and taste parmesan cheese on it (both the roast and asparagus made by my mom!). Then we had mashed sweet potatoes with butter. It was all really great and the adults in the house loved it. The kids loved the sweet potatoes, but they are not big meat lovers and didn't really care for the roast. They both ate some asparagus, though! :)