Week of Sept. 10-17

My menu didn't go as planned last week.  I found brisket on sale, so we had "unsinkable brisket" for 2 days.  Then, we had 30 cross country girls over for dinner on Thursday night, so we made a massive pan of spaghetti, salad, bread and brownies.  I was going to take a picture, but I was so busy, I forgot.  Then we decided to take a quick trip to Fiesta Texas over the weekend.  I didn't have to lift a finger to cook all weekend.  YEAH!!  No dirty dishes.  So when I started to make my menu for this week, I realized I had only made the stir-fry that was planned.  I am going to repeat almost the same menu.  I already have almost everything for it.  I just need to get fresh fruits, veggies and lunch meat.  After all the money we spent at the park, it will help me save some money at the grocery store.

Monday, September 10
Frozen Pancakes, plums
Scout- PB&J Sandwich

Saucony- PB&J Sandwich
Speedo- PB&J Sandwich
Snack-peanut butter and rice cakes, fruitChili Cheese Hot Dogs, Cauliflower & Salad

Tuesday, September 11
Cracklin’ Oat Bran Muffin, oranges
Scout-Sandwich

Saucony-Sandwich roll ups

Speedo-Chicken Nuggets
Snack-goldfish crackers and fruit
Chicken Pot Pie, okra, tossed salad

Wednesday, September 12
Peanut butter toast, apples
Scout-Sandwich
Saucony-lunch meat, cheese and crackers
Speedo-lunch meat and crackers
Snack-pretzels
Chicken Fajita Tacos, red bell pepper 

Thursday, September13
Homemade Egg, Bacon and Cheese Muffins(from the freezer), peaches
Scout-Sandwich

Saucony-Sandwich
Speedo-Sandwich
Snack- peanut butter & Ritz crackers, fruit
Crock pot Pork Chops, twice baked potatoes, gravy, peas

Friday, September 14
Oatmeal, apples
Scout-Sandwich

Saucony-Twice baked potatoes
Speedo- Sandwich roll up
Snack-carrots, celery & ranch
Breakfast Sausage and biscuits

Saturday, September 15
Cereal, applesauce
Leftovers
Grilled Chicken, Quinoa

Sunday, September 16
Peanut Butter Toast, fruit
Steak, homemade fries (potatoes and sweet potatoes), veggie Leftovers or Cereal

 

Tasty Tuesday

Okra is in season.  um num num.  My family loves the stuff!!

FRIED OKRA

 Okra

Salt to taste

Corn meal

Butter (about 1/3 -1/2 cup)

Okra bloom

Okra plant

 

 

 

 

 

Slice okra and place in a bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and let sit for about 5 minutes.  Melt butter in a  skillet.  Add some cornmeal to the okra and stir.  Okra should be lightly coated. Add more cornmeal if needed.  Add the okra to the skillet and cook on med-high heat. 

 

Best way to get my kids to eat okra!

 

 

Week of Sept 4-10

The first week of school is always hard, but this week has been extremely hard.  Every morning Speedo woke up with a stomach ache.  She is not my nervous child, so I had no idea what was going on with her poor little tummy.  First day of school, she asked "If I throw up at school, can I come home?"  She was home by 9:30.  ugh!!  She stayed home Tuesday, but I pushed her out the door Wednesday and Thursday.  She had a doctor's appointment Thursday afternoon.  The doctor thought it was a stomach bug that had to run it's course, but gave her some meds for nausea. The medicine seems to be working, but she is still complaining of a stomach ache.  This is the longest stomach bug I have ever seen.  I guess we will just wait to see what this week brings.  I hope you have a blessed week.

Week of Sept 4-10 

Tuesday, September 4
Cracklin’ Oat Bran Muffin, pears
Scout-Sandwich roll up

Saucony-Sandwich roll ups

Speedo-Sandwich roll ups
Snack- peanut butter and rice cakes, fruit
Chicken Pot Pie, tossed salad

Wednesday, September 5
Peanut butter toast
Scout-Sandwich
Saucony-Quesadillas
Speedo-Quesadillas
Snack-pretzels
Stir-fry, Bok Choy, broccoli, carrots,

Thursday, September 6
Homemade Egg, Bacon and Cheese Muffins, grapes
Scout-Sandwich

Saucony-Cheese, lunch meat & Crackers
Speedo-lunch meat and crackers
Snack- peanut butter & Ritz crackers, fruit
Crockpot Pork Chops, twice baked potatoes, gravy, peas

Friday, September 7
Oatmeal, apples
Scout-Sandwich

Saucony-Twice baked potatoes
Speedo
Snack-Gold fish, Carrots, celery & ranch
Sloppy Joes, carrot sticks

Saturday, September 8
Cereal, applesauce
Leftovers
Grilled Chicken,

Sunday, September 9
Peanut Butter Toast, fruit
Steak, homemade fries (potatoes and sweet potatoes), veggie
Black bean salsa with corn chips, grapes

Monday, September 10
Frozen Pancakes,
Scout-

Saucony-
Speedo
Baked Ziti, tossed salad, green beans

PS... Sorry for not posting a recipe last week. I has going to do a cookie of the month recipe, but I have been sworn to secrecy by the person who gave me her "top secret recipe".

Menu for Aug27-Sept 3

School just started today.  I feel a little behind because I don't have lunches for school planned out.  I try to mix it up so the kids don't get board of eating the same thing, but Scout just wants a sandwich everyday.... turkey or ham.... mayo and cheese.... I don't know how the boy does it.  My other two really want the variety and really look forward to my creative ideas... most days.  Hopefully by next week, I will be able to put together some lunch ideas to share with you.  Please feel free to comment and leave your lunch ideas.  I would really appreciate that!!!
Bon appetite

Monday, August 27

Oatmeal with apples& raisins

Sandwich      

Spaghetti, bread, veggies

Tuesday, August 28

 Bagels, cantaloupe
 Kids lunches?

Grilled chicken,

Wednesday, August 29

 Cereal, applesauce
 Kids lunches?
 Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas,

Thursday, August 30

PB toast and honey, fruit
Kids lunches?
 French toast Casserole

Friday, August 31

 Banana cinnamon chip muffins, fruit
 Kids Lunches?
Cheesy Beef & Rice

Saturday, September 1

 Old Fashion donuts (I didn't make them last weekend and Speedo keeps asking for them) , Fruit
 Leftovers
 Steak on the grill,

Sunday, September 2

Cereal, fruit

Crock pot Pork Chops, veggies

???

Monday, September 3

Labor Day… not sure what we will be doing.

 

Menu For Aug 20 - Aug 27

I know things don't always go as planned, but it is still worth making a plan.  Here is this weeks "plan". lol


Monday, August 20
Oatmeal, Apples
Sandwich roll ups, plum or peach
Grilled Chicken, spinach & Salad

Tuesday, August 21
Peanut butter and Toast, Apple
Mac & Cheese, Carrots & ranch
Beef Tacos, Squash,chips and salsa

Wednesday, August 22
Creamy orange cooler, fruit
Tomato Alfredo Sauce & Pasta, veggie
Baked Tilapia and Shrimp, Beets

Thursday, August 23
Banana Cinnamon muffins, fruit
Tuna salad on tomato slices, celery sticks
Eggs, Biscuits and Sausage, fruit salad 

Friday, August 24
Oatmeal, apple
Sandwich, carrots
French bread Pizza

Saturday, August 25
Donuts, applesauce
Leftovers
Whole Chicken, veggies

Sunday, August 26

Peanut Butter Toast, Honey

Steak, potatoes, veggie

Cereal 

Monday, August 27 (First Day of School)

Bacon & Egg

Sandwich

Spaghetti, bread, veggie

Tasty Tuesday

For some crazy reason, I decided to try my hand at donuts.  I looked at different recipes and ruled out ingredients I didn't have or didn't want to mess with (like yeast).  After scouring the Internet for recipes, I came across "Joy the Baker".  Here is her recipe:

Old Fashioned Doughnuts

With Chocolate Glaze

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour     1/3 cup granulated sugar

(I used 1/2c whole wheat and 3/4c white flour)     1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream               

1 teaspoon baking soda     1 large egg             

                              1/4 teaspoon nutmeg      1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

                      Pinch of salt      vegetable oil for frying

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and sugar.

In a separate small bowl, whisk together yogurt (I used sour cream), egg, and melted butter.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together until well incorporated.  The dough will take some smooshing and squishing to gather into a ball.  It will be like a slightly more moist biscuit dough.  Wrap bowl in plastic wrap and place in fridge to rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile.....

Time to make:

Chocolate Glaze

1 1/2 cups powder sugar

4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 table spoons milk or water

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract.

In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and cocoa powder.  Slowly stir in milk and vanilla extract.  Whisk until silky and smooth.  You can add a touch more milk if needed to make this glaze more dippable.

Times up! Back to doughnut making.



Place a candy/fry thermometer in a medium saucepan.  Pour oil into the pan until it is about 2-inches deep.  Heat oil over medium-low heat.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough to a 1/2 thickness.  Cut doughnuts with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter, and cut a hole with a smaller circle cutter.

I forgot to show the smaller circle cutter. oops.

When oil reaches 360 degrees F, fry 2 or 3 doughnuts at a time for about 1 minute on each side.  Doughnuts will be golden brown.

Carefully pull out, drain, and let rest

on paper towel.

Dip doughnuts in Chocolate Glaze and let rest to harden slightly. (If you can wait that long!!)

Doughnuts are best served the day they're made, but I had some doughnuts the next day.  They were just as good as the first day and they were not even warm.  Either I was hungry, or they were that good.  They must have been good, because everyone else ate them too.

Here is the link to Joy the Baker:

http://joythebaker.com/2011/09/old-fashioned-doughnuts-with-chocolate-glaze/

Menu for Aug 13- Aug 20

 Introducing......

MENU MONDAYS

Here is my family's menu for the week.  I try to plan my menu and grocery list on Sunday afternoons.  I like going to the grocery store on Monday afternoons, after 2, because most of the shelves have been replenished and the produce is really fresh.  When I buy produce, I buy what looks good and is on sale.  When I get home, I fill in which veggies go with what meal as I put it away.  That way, everything has a plan... until someone eats all the salami that was suppose to go into the pasta salad.  (side note-sometimes it's good to mark things if they have a special purpose. lol) 

Monday, August 13

Egg, bacon, cheese on a muffin, English muffins, mango

Cynthia's Pasta Salad,

SW chicken Burritos, veggies

Tuesday, August 14

Cinnamon Chip Banana Muffins (make 2 batches, freeze extra), smoothies

Quesadillas, carrots w/ ranch

Fried Chicken Strips/Gravy/mashed potatoes

(Happy Birthday Mom)

Wednesday, August 15

Peanut butter honey toast, fruit

Pesto, Pasta & artichoke hearts, veggies

Mustard Pork chops, veggies

Thursday, August 16

Oatmeal, apples

Lunch meat/ cheese/crackers

Lasagna (make 2)

Friday, August 17

Cinnamon Banana Muffins (from freezer), fruit

Sandwich roll ups

Peanut butter, banana French Toast

Saturday, August 18

Scrambled Eggs and sausage

Hamburgers

Cereal

Sunday, August 19

Peanut butter, honey, Toast

Steak, veggies

Leftovers/ cereal

Monday, August 20

Oatmeal

Mac and cheese

Grilled Chicken, veggies

 The red highlighted menu items have a link to the recipe on my blog.

Tasty Tuesday

I am still trying to figure out the menu tabs, so please be patient.  I am going to add Menu Monday and post my menu for the week.  One of my goals is to be able to link the menu to a recipe.  The brain power that this requires of me might have to wait for the kids to go back to school in a couple of weeks.  But meanwhile, I bring you......

Banana Muffins

INGREDIENTS

     1 cup whole wheat flour      2 eggs                                

      1 cup white flour      1 c. mashed, banana

       1 tsp baking soda      (about 2 cups)          

                                         1/2 tsp salt      1/3 cup buttermilk (see subsitution)

                  1/2 cup butter      1 cup of cinnamon chips

      1 cup granulated sugar      (or 1 cup chocolate chips)

(you can add 1/2 chopped nuts...if you are one of "those people") lol

I love having help in the kitchen.

Speedo is smiling because she had
 just liked her fingers when I told
her not to do that!

Preheat oven to 400*.  Mix together both flours, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.  Cream butter and gradually add sugar.  Mix well.  Add eggs and bananas; blend thoroughly.  (If you do not have buttermilk, you can substitute 1/3 cup milk and 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar.  This will curdle the milk a bit.)  Slowly and alternately, mix in flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.  Stir in cinnamon chips (or chocolate chips)  then pour batter into muffin tin lined with cupcake papers.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Continue checking with a toothpick until toothpick comes out clean.

Speedo and I decided to do an experiment in flavor.  We mixed half the

batter with chocolate chips and the other half with cinnamon chips. 

The cinnamon chips won the taste test!!  The cinnamon muffins were

 gone the 1st day, and it took 3 days for the chocolate muffins to finish.

Do the taste test challenge and

let us know what you think!!

New Features

I am currently working on the menu bar at the top.  I am trying to create drop down menus, so that it will be easier to find recipes.  Please be patient while I try to figured that out.
Thanks

Tasty Tuesday

Chewy Lime Sugar Cookies

This delicious recipe brought to you by My Baking Addiction

http://www.mybakingaddiction.com

INGREDIENTS:

     2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour     1 egg                                      

   1 tsp baking soda     1/2 tsp vanilla        

                 1/2 tsp baking powder     Zest of 1 large lime, finely minced

       1/2 tsp salt     3 tbsp lime juice

                       1 cup butter, softened     1/2 cup unsweetened toasted coconut

              1 1/2 cups white sugar     1/2 cup sugar for rolling cookies

To toast the coconut:
Preheat oven to 350*.  Spread coconut out on a cookie sheet.  Bake 5-10 minutes, stirring once or twice.  Don't forget to allow the coconut to cool before adding into the recipe. 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350*.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  (I don't usually use parchment paper when I bake cookies, so I thought I would give it a try.  I couldn't really tell a difference in the way the cookies baked, but clean up was really easy!)

2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

3.  Using a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and very fluffy.

4.  Beat in egg, vanilla extract, lime juice and lime zest.

5.  Gradually blend in the dry ingredients and toasted coconut.  ( I crumbled the coconut into little pieces before I put it into the mixture.  That way, you don't finish eating your cookie and still have a mouth full of coconut when your done.  It's a texture thing...)

6.  Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in sugar.  If the mixture sticks to your hand, you may want to add a tablespoon or two of flour to your mixture. This will make the balling process easier.  Place on lined cookie sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.

7.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

8.  Let stand on cookie sheet 2 minutes before removing to cool on a wire rack. 

I think these are one of my favorites.  Who am I kidding?.... I have never met a cookie I didn't like.

Tasty Tuesday

Healthy Fruit Crisp

5 cups of fruit (apples, peaches, pears, cherries, blueberries or a combination of all)

(as you can see, we used apples)

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Stir the fruit together with brown sugar and place in a (9x9) baking dish

Make your Crumb Topping:

1 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup chopped nuts or coconut flakes (optional)

Mix together oats, sugar, flour and cinnamon. Stir in melted butter. Add nuts or coconut.

  Sprinkle on top of the fruit mixture.  Bake at 375* for 30-35 minutes or until fruit is tender and topping is golden brown. 

It's hard to tell that this one is cooked, but when you make it, it is much easier to tell when it is done.  Plus, it makes your house smell so good!

I added a subscribe option.  You can have the post go straight  to your email. Thanks for the idea, Lisa. ~I miss you too!! 

Tasty Tuesday

Are you wondering what to do with all that basil when your plant is in full swing?  Make Pesto!! 

Pesto



2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup olive oil

3 Tbs pine nuts or walnuts

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

Place basil leaves in small batches in food processor and whip until well chopped (do about 3/4 cup at a time).  Add about 1/3 of the nuts and garlic, blend again.  Add about 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese; blend while slowly adding about 1/3 of the olive oil, stopping to scrape down sides of container.  Repeat until all remaining ingredients have been added.  Process pesto until it forms a thick smooth paste.  Serve over pasta.

(Basil pesto will keep in the frig for about one week, or in freeze for a few months.)  Adidas loves to use half a jar on a bowl of pasta.  She is my carbivore.



Mojito

(to beat the Houston Heat)

Ingredients

mint leaves, limeade, water and ice

(sorry, no exact measurements)

Pick a hand full of mint leaves.

Rinse

crush mint leaves

Add about 2 tablespoons of limeade and mix together.

Add to a glass of water, stir and taste.
Add limeade a little at a time, if needed.
Another option is to add the lime/mint mixture to 7-up
or Club Soda, if you like the bubbly.

Add ice and enjoy.

My kids love these.  They don't mind all the mint floating around in their drink.  You can strain out the leaves as you add it to the glass of water.  Mr. Wonderful prefers some rum in his mojito.  (no surprise there! lol)

Tasty Tuesday

Chocolate Cloud Cookies

Ingredients

3 cups flour     2 eggs

 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa     2 teaspoons vanilla     

                    1/2 teaspoon baking soda     12 ounces mini chocolate chips

                                                  1 cup sugar     8 ounces mini marshmallows, frozen

1 cup brown sugar, packed firm                                              

1 cup softened butter                             

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Keep marshmallows frozen until ready to use. (They thaw quickly.)  Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda.  Set aside.  Combine sugars and blend in butter.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Add flour mixture and chocolate chips.  Blend at low speed.  Batter will be stiff.  Place a tablespoon of dough in your hand and roll into a ball.  Press 3 marshmallows into the middle of the ball.  Wrap the dough around the marshmallows to enclose them.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes.

The marshmallows are so cute poking out. 
Hello there, little yummy goodness!

Let cool on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes before moving to wire wrack.
They will stay together better.

Recipe from a cookbook called "Capitol Cookies" 
My niece, Emily is not a nut lover unlike her mom.  I looked high and low to find the perfect recipe that didn't have nuts.  What better than a chocolate cookie filled with yummy goo.  This is the cookie for Washington State, which is where she lives.  I hope you enjoy them. 

Tasty Tuesday

Mom is Great! She Gives Us Breakfast Cake!

from Heavenly Homemakers

http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/mom-is-great-she-gives-us-breakfast-cake

1 cup butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups whole rolled oats
¾ cup honey
2 eggs
1 t. sea salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla
1 cup raisins, chocolate chips or other dried fruit  (we used cinnamon chips)

Stir together butter, buttermilk, flour and oats in a glass bowl. Cover with a cloth and allow the grains to soak on your counter overnight or for at least 8 hours.
Stir in honey, eggs, salt, baking soda and vanilla.(It does take a bit of work to mix in the remaining ingredients, but with a hand mixer and a little patience, it wasn't to bad.)  Fold in raisins, chocolate chips or dried fruit. Pour into a buttered 9×9 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

This is soooo yummy!!  I had 2 pieces.

Tasty Tuesday

Happy Belated Father's Day.

Mr. Wonderful got breakfast in bed.  We made him pancakes and bacon.  Somehow, you can never go wrong when you put bacon beside anything!

Jasper Atkins Pancakes

(The semi-healthy version)

   1/2 c whole wheat flour    2 tbs coconut oil

 1/2 white flour    1 egg  

2 tbs baking powder     3/4 c milk   

    2 tbs (100% pure) maple syrup 

Mix dry ingredients.  Add oil.

Cut in oil with a pasty blender or fork.  Add all other
ingredients and mix with spoon.

Pour into skillet and cook until bubbles start to form.

Flip.

And serve.
(mangos,bacon, and warm maple syrup)

I would have taken a picture of him enjoying it, but I thought he wouldn't appreciate that.  Hope everyone had a great Father's Day.

Tasty Tuesday

GIANT BREAKFAST COOKIES

from Heavenly homemakers

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, melted    

3/4 cup honey  

2 eggs    

1 tsp. salt     

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk

 2 cups whole wheat flour

 2 cups whole rolled oats

1 cup raisins or chocolate chips

Melt and cool butter.  In a glass bowl, stir together flour, oats, butter and cultured buttermilk.  Add a bit more buttermilk than the 1/2 cup the recipe calls for if the grains are not all moistened.  Cover and let the grains soak overnight.  Stir in the remaining ingredients in the morning and bake.

Confession:  I am not one to plan ahead!!  So, if you are like me, this is how you make it...

Melt butter in a glass bowl and let cool.
  Add flour, oats, and buttermilk.  Mix well. 
Let set while you mix the rest of the ingredients.

Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Add oatmeal mixture to bowl and mix with hand mixer.

Fold in raisins and/or chocolate chips.





Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet.

Bake at 350* for 15-20 minutes.  Allow to cool 3-4 minutes on cookie sheet
before removing cookies to cool on a wire rack.

YUM!! Enjoy with milk.

Come to find out, one of my kids doesn't like the chocolate chips in anything baked. She said it made them taste like dark chocolate. huh! 

Click here for a printable recipe 

  http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/giant-breakfast-cookies