Monday, August 27, 2012

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.

 

Monday, August 20, 2012

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

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

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:

Monday, August 13, 2012

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
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.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

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!!