Menu.........

I haven't been posting a menu because I haven't been much of a cook lately. Meals around here have been mostly hodgepodge for the past couple of weeks, due a tired mommy from the girl not sleeping all night....... However, with Hubby's hours at work increasing, I decided it would be nice for him to come home to a nice meal. I haven't gotten it all in order yet, but tonight we are having chicken tacos with fresh salsa. I made the salsa early so that the flavors would have time to get all mixy in the fridge all day. It is so yummy, I can't wait to eat it tonight....if it makes it that long! :)

Fresh Salsa

1 lb tomatoes; cored and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper; finely chopped
3 cloves garlic; finely chopped
1 med red onion; finely chopped (are you noticing a pattern here??)
1 cup of cilantro; finely chopped (I LOVE cilantro, so I use more)
3 T. lime juice
1 T. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste.

If you didn't chop it finely enough, you could always throw it in the food processor. :)

Menu ~ sort of July5

I am soooooo tired of grill food, I can't even tell you. We had some sort of grilled meat and sides Friday, Saturday and Sunday. UHG. I don't want anything grilled for a LONG time. Other than the food, we had a great weekend. We saw (and shot off) a TON of fireworks. We had very late nights all weekend, and I think we all are feeling it. Tommy and I slept until 10:30 this morning!! I still could have slept all day. It's not even 7pm yet and I am already ready for bed.

Anyhoo, here's a very rough menu for this week.

Monday ~ We were tired, and I just made a frozen pizza.
Tuesday ~ Italian Beef Roast Mmmmmmmmm
Wednesday ~ Chicken and Black Bean Burritos
Thursday ~ Trent's last baseball game and they are having a pizza party after.
Friday-Sunday ~ Yeah I will have to get back to you on that! :)

Menu - week of June 28

4 weeks to go............. :)


Monday ~ Because of the flop with last night's dinner, I had a whole pound of spaghetti noodles, so I will just do spaghetti.
Tuesday ~ Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches, waffle fries, cheesy broccoli and rice
Wednesday ~ Breakfast, Biscuits and gravy with scrambled eggs
Thursday ~ I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S JULY ALREADY!!!!! Not quite sure yet
Friday ~ 4th of July celebration at a friend's house. I really need to think of a side to take.
Saturday ~ Another 4th of July celebration
Sunday ~ Yet another 4th of July celebration...........

For more menu ideas visit orgjunkie.com

Have a fun and safe 4th of July everyone!! :)

The good, the bad and the YUCK

I have really started reading blogs that have lots of recipes on them. I am having a heck of a time coming up with dinner ideas. My brain does not work at this point, so I need lots of help. I decided that this week, I would try a couple new recipes. The first one was WONDERFUL. It was a huge hit with everyone in the family, even tho it had lots of spinach in it. I got the usual, ewwwwww from Trent when he saw all the green, but I had him try a bite and, imagine that, it was really good. Mom might actually know what she is talking about!

The first recipe was Garlic and Spinach Chicken Pasta. It was soo good.

Here's the ingredients, follow the link for the directions.

6 Tbs. olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 box (1-lb) penne pasta
5-oz. fresh spinach, chopped
1 Tbs. dried basil (or 1/2 cup fresh)
6 Tbs. lemon juice
1 cup Parmesan cheese

Next time I will use a bit more chicken. It seemed a little uneven with all the noodles, possibly because I used whole wheat. I also used half the spinach because I wasn't sure how it was going to go over, but I will use the full amount next time. This meal was oh so yummy and garlic-y. YUM!


The second recipe, well lets just say I wasn't so lucky. I am not going to post the recipe because I refuse to bash someone elses stuff. I will say this, In our 5 years of marriage, and 6 years together, this is the first time we have ever opted for McDonald's over something I have cooked. I would say that is pretty good! :) I was kind of bummed that I wasted 2 lbs of chicken tho. Luckily IT'S ON SALE AT PRICE SHOPPER RIGHT NOW (just so you know! :)

Not so excited anymore...........

I was so excited to try my new Orange Chicken recipe tonight. The chicken has been in the crock-pot for about 3 hours and it's just not smelling that great.....I have a feeling I am going to be disappointed. Maybe I should leave the Chinese cooking to the Chinese people???

We shall see........

Menu Plan Monday ~ Week of April 12

The fact that I have a menu this week is amazing to me. I have been so scattered lately, and have been eating out WAY to much! I am determined to stick to the menu this week. I have added 2 new things this week so I am excited about that.

Monday ~ Orange chicken, steamed rice, baked crab rangoon (I LOVE Chinese food, and this is my first attempt to try to make it at home and spare some calories (and cash!))

Tuesday ~ Hot roast beef sandwiches, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, carrots

Wednesday ~ Dinner at church. I am making spaghetti.

Thursday ~ Waffles, eggs, oranges

Friday ~ Left overs

Saturday ~ Grilled cheese, soup

For more dinner ideas check out ORGJUNKIE.COM

I can't believe it's Monday again already..........

~I'm not sure where last week went, but I missed it. It was spring break, and we did a whole lot of nothing, which I am OK with. We did do some shopping and Jose Peppers on Thursday and Friday we went to the park to play. Trent found a quarter from the Dominican Republic and was VERY excited. He calls it his lucky quarter. Oh then there was the massive SNOW storm on the first day of Spring. Yee Haw! Bla. I am so over snow......

~I don't have much of a menu planned this week. Last night I made Alisa's Cheeseburger Casserole. I didn't eat any of it because I am still off of hamburger, but it was a huge hit with the rest of them. I think tonight we will have Chicken Tetrazzini. I made it a couple weeks ago for the first time and it was yummy. My kids even ate the mushrooms!!! Woohoo!

~We spent part of the weekend going thru stuff and moving stuff back into the basement. We took a bunch of stuff to Goodwill yesterday. It feels good to get that stuff out of here! We also played a game on our new Foosball table (thanks Jane D.!) and I kicked my Hubby's rear!! YAY me!! :)

Yummy Ziti

I found this recipe on Meal Makeover Moms. It's super yummy, but I tweaked it a bit.

• 1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean or higher)
• Two 10 3/4-ounce cans 30%-less-sodium tomato soup
• 8 ounces dried whole wheat blend ziti (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 cup preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

The original recipe calls for 2 cups of shredded carrots, which I have never used, but might, and it also calls for mixing all the ingredients together, adding 2 soup cans of water and boiling noodles in the mixture. I boil the noodles separately to save a little time.

Cook and drain meat, add tomato soup, basil, garlic and onion powder and let simmer. Then add the noodles and mozz cheese. Then add Parmesan cheese to each serving, if desired.

The first time I made this I used whole wheat noodles, but Hubby isn't the biggest fan of whole wheat noodles. I made it last night with regular noodles and he liked it a lot better. Next time I think I will try half wheat and half regular.

Menu Plan Monday ~ Jan 4 -10

My brain doesn't work right now. Like, at all. I don't remember anything, and I can't think of anything. Ahh this too shall pass. I hope! :) I am keeping my menu easy this week because honestly, I'm tired and I can't think of anything better to fix. It took me forever just to get this accomplished yesterday.

Monday ~ Tater tot Casserole, corn and green beans (my kids won't eat corn)
Tuesday ~ Meat loaf, mashed potatoes, some sort of vegetable
Wednesday ~ Church ~ whoohooo! I've missed church, and not just because it saves me a cooking night, but it does :)
Thursday ~ Ham and Beans, corn bread
Friday ~ Potato soup
Saturday ~ This would have been my Grandpa's birthday, and he used to make this awesome stew every winter and would give it to everyone. So the plan is, my parents are going to come over and we are going to make a bunch of it.
Sunday ~ Probably leftovers..

Hope everyone has a great week! For more ideas, head on over to orgjunkie.com.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Forewarning ~ This is NOT healthy!! :)

I had this dip at a friend's house, and have been craving it on and off ever since. I finally called her up to get the recipe, and it is in the crock-pot as we speak.

1 package of cream cheese (don't bother with low fat, it isn't the same)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I use sharp cheddar)
1 cup of Franks Red Hot Buffalo
1 cup of ranch dressing
2 large cans of chicken (you know, the stuff that somehow still smells like tuna???)

Throw it all in the crock pot and wait for the cream cheese and cheddar to get all melty and ENJOY!!! Great with Tortilla chips or even in a tortilla shell as a roll up.

Where's my menu???

Yeah, I haven't even had the time or energy to think about it yet....
We had a great Thanksgiving. We went to Jason's dad's house, and my parents came too. Is that weird? I think it is, but it seems to work out and everyone really likes everyone else, so what more can I ask for?? At some point, my step-mother-in-law and I decided it would be a good idea to go to Bath and Body Works at midnight for their Black Friday sale at Zona Rosa. Oh did I mention that we were planning on getting up at 4am to be on the road at 5am for our trip to Illinois???? So yes, we left the house at about 10:30 and stood in line until midnight, when they opened their doors. It was bad. Crazy women everywhere!! I ended up with about $40 worth of stuff, then wondered if the hours of standing in line was worth it. Probably not. We got home at about 2 and tried to sleep until 4. That didn't really work for me, but thankfully I was able to sleep in the car on the way to IL.

The car ride there was pretty good. The kids did awesome! I was really impressed especially considering the DVD player that we borrowed refused to work. Bummer! We had a great time visiting with Jason's family. We got to spend time with both of his grandma's. Neither of them have met the boys yet, so that was fun. Friday night we went down town to the Christmas parade. It was HUGE, and they threw so much candy. We got about the same amount as we did at Halloween. Crazyness. Then on Saturday we went to the Festival of Trees. It was in this old theater and it was a bunch of Christmas trees decorated. It was really neat to see.

On Sunday, we got up, ate breakfast, and headed for home. We decided to go through St. Louis instead of Iowa (MOST BORING STATE EVER TO DRIVE THROUGH) because we wanted Jack in the Box (mmmmmmmmmmm). WORST IDEA EVER!! The ride to St. Louis was just fine. We decided we might like this way better. We stopped at the first Jack in the Box we saw, and it was yummy! But then, well not everything can be good right?? We noticed horrible traffic. Like still on the highway traffic. For miles and miles. It took us about 3 hours to drive 80 miles. Seriously. By this time Tommy had had enough of the car, and so had the rest of us. Turns out there was a wreck half way between St. Louis and Columbia. So our 8 hour drive home turned into an 11 hour drive. UHG! Next time we will go through Iowa!

Menu Nov 23

Again it is Sunday, I have my menu planned, and have already been to the store! YES! I tell you what, the week seems easier when dinner is already planned and bought. I will only be cooking Monday and Tuesday, and then making a few pies and some rolls. I am very much looking forward to this week. I have so much to be thankful for! :)

Monday ~ Cajun Meatloaf, sweet potatoes, green beans
Tuesday ~ Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken and Broccoli, garlic bread, salad
Wednesday ~ We are either going to eat at my brother's house or everyone (brother, parents,
grandma) are going out to dinner. I will be making a cherry pie for my mom
Thursday ~ HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!! Making a caramel apple pie, pumpkin pie, rolls
Friday-Sunday ~ We will be in Illinois so who knows.


I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Menu Plan Monday ~ Nov 16

Apparently I am on the ball this week. My menu is made AND I have already been to the store!!! That is not like me at all.

Monday ~ Tater tot Casserole
Tuesday ~ Chicken Tao's and rice
Wednesday ~ Thanksgiving potluck at church ~ I am bringing Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes and
stuffing
Thursday ~ Pork chops and mashed potatoes
Friday ~ Chicken Stromboli
Saturday ~ Mom's b-day ~ Maybe I will cook something for her
Sunday ~ Leftovers

Hope everyone has an awesome week!

For more menu ideas, check out orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - Nov 9

Monday ~ Lasagna, garlic bread, green beans, salad
Tuesday ~ Tacos, Spanish rice, black beans (didn't make this last week)
Wednesday ~ Church
Thursday ~ Goulash, cornbread, veggie
Friday ~ Pork chops and rice, some kind of veggie (didn't get to this either)
Saturday ~ Out maybe
Sunday ~ Leftovers

For more yummy menu ideas check out orgjunkie. com

Speaking of plans, does anyone have cleaning plans? I think I would get more done (in theory) if I had a cleaning schedule. Like Monday ~ clean bathrooms, Tuesday ~ dust, and so on. I would be interested to see someones schedule to get an idea.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday ~ Chicken nuggets and mac and cheese ~ Trent's request
Tuesday ~ Pork chops and rice
Wednesday ~ Dinner @ Church, I'm making breakfast ~ Tommy got sick last week so I didn't get
to do it then
Thursday ~ Potato soup and beer bread
Friday ~ Tacos
Saturday ~ I am going to my cousin's baby shower in Joplin so I won't be here for dinner I'm sure
Sunday ~ I don't know yet.


Hope everyone has a great week. For more yummy meal ideas visit orgjunkie.com

My Menu ~ Oct 26~Nov 1

Did I really just write Nov 1?? Holy Moly! I can't believe October is about over. This week is going to be long and busy I think, but it's all good. :)

Monday ~ Something quick
Tuesday ~ Alisa's Chipotle BBQ Chicken
Wednesday ~ Cooking @ church ~ making breakfast
Thursday ~ Corned Beef and potatoes
Friday ~ Kids are spending the night with Grandpa and we are going to a Halloween party where there will be LOADS of food I am sure
Saturday ~ HALLOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN We are going to Hubby's dad's for BBQ and taking the kids around his neighborhood
Sunday ~ Your guess is as good as mine ;)

For more menu ideas check out Orgjunkie.com

It's crock pot day!

Sweet Jane D. let me borrow her Fix it and Forget it book. I gave it to hubby the other night and told him to pick something out of it that involved pork chops. He picked out Pork Chop Casserole.

5 pork chops
4-5 potatoes; sliced
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 can of cream of celery soup

Throw it all in the crock pot in that order and cook 4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low (I prefer low).

This recipe also called for a can of green beans (drained) after the soups, but I didn't put those in because then it would remind me too much of green bean casserole, and that is something I DO NOT like.

I think it's going to turn out yummy!

CROCK POT TUESDAY

YUM YUM! This week I am doing probably my favorite thing I have ever cooked in a crock pot, it's one of my favorites EVER! I may have blogged about this before, but I am too lazy to go back and check. I will tag it this time, so it will show up under food. :) I got this recipe from my mother-in-law. She brought it over for us to eat and I ate so much I almost got sick. It was the best tasting roast I have ever had! I have made it several times since. It's not as big of a hit with the kids, because it's just a big mouthful of meat, but they do eat it.

Italian Beef Roast
2-3 lb roast (the cheaper the better)
1 packet of ZESTY Italian dressing mix (make sure it's zesty or it won't taste right)
1 jar of pepperoncini, juice too
1 can of beef broth (I use the lower sodium because of the whole jar of peppers)

Throw all of this in the crock pot on low in the morning and it will be ready for supper time. I take out the peppers and toss them and open a new jar to have with my sandwich. NUMMY I serve it on Italian bread. I can smell it right now, and my mouth is already watering!

Crock pot day

I don't know if it will always be on Tuesday, but it is this week :) I found a crock pot ravioli recipe over at Recipezaar.com. Since Tommy & I won't be home for dinner tonight, I thought this would be easy and quick for Jason and Trent. It will be ready when they are ready for it. I think that is why I love crock pot cooking so much. By the time dinner time gets here I am usually ready for bed! So it works out well to prepare the majority of the meal early in the day. Yummy! I will update on what everyone thinks of it. :)

A Request.......

Several months ago I found a website where are gal used her crock pot everyday for one year. That really interested me. Now, I know I do not have the attention span to do everyday, but I would like to start with once a week. I am going to make a crock pot day, maybe Tuesday, I dunno. Now, what I need from you is recipes. It can be your favorite or one you would like to try but just haven't gotten around to yet. They don't only have to be dinner either. It can be anything that is made in the crock pot. I am excited to hear your ideas!! :)