It's about time for a menu plan!

It's been TOO long since I've written down a menu and stuck to it!  I'll make an attempt here today....


Sunday - Baked ziti, french bread, salad.
Monday - Ham and Scalloped potatoes, veggies (different ones for everyone - why can't we all like the same veggies?!), fruit.
Tuesday - beef roast in the crock pot, garlic mashed potatoes, veggies, fresh bread.
Wednesday - I think I'll try pork chops with caramelized onions and apples, pasta, salad
Thursday - Chinese Take Out Lemon Chicken, rice, fruit
Friday - Tacos, salad, fruit

Now yesterday I tried this Fabulous French Bread recipe.  As you know, I use my bread machine a lot to do all the work. This one didn't sound too difficult and I really wanted to try it.  The flavor was great.  HOWEVER, if you try it, do NOT make the same dumb mistake I made and put the yeast into the boiling water instead of the warm water.  I guess I read the recipe too fast and completely missed the whole warm water line.  Despite my instincts of knowing that the yeast will die a quick death in boiling water, I did it anyway.  So I had dense little loaves.  Like I said, the flavor of the bread was great but they were flat and dense.  You can bet your sweet petunia I am making it again today!  Flour is cheap in the grand scheme of things.  I buy my yeast at Costco (just opened a fresh brick and I've used some from it prior to yesterday so I know it's not my yeast) and that's pennies.  So I'm trying it again and I will not make the same mistake twice.  Dammit. I know better!  I know how to "finger test" the water for the yeast like my grandma taught me.  Stupid, stupid mistake!  If it works, I may change out a recipe this week to french bread pizzas.  I haven't made those in a long time.  I've also been hungry for Lemon Chicken.  Haven't made that in forever either.  I guess maybe I should go back through all my old menu plans and revisit some recipes! 

I'll let you know how the bread turns out this time.  I'm hoping to find a winner.  It wasn't difficult to mix up since I let my mixer do the work.  Believe it or not, it was the first time in 11 years I've used the dough hook!  With my bread machine, I just never have had the need.

Macaroni Grill's Rosemary bread copycat & Spaghetti Carbonara recipes

I did it!!!  I copied the yummy bread at Macaroni Grill.  My whole family ate it up and then took the rest in their lunches the next day.  The kids couldn't get enough.  FG ate his at his office and wouldn't share because he had such a small piece.  But his office-mates were drooling and telling him it smelled exactly like it.  MMMMMMMMM!  I'll share the recipe...

I started with my basic french bread recipe and tweaked it.

Into bread machine place (in whatever order your machine asks you to place the ingredients, mine wants liquid first)

Rosemary Bread

3/4 cup warm water

2 tsp. honey

2 tsp. olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. pressed garlic

3/4 tsp. dried oregano

3/4 tsp. dried basil

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

2/3 tsp. salt

2/3 tsp. sugar

2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 tsp. yeast

Run the machine on the dough cycle and remove.

On floured surface, separate dough into two balls. Knead slightly and pull to form two nice dough balls.

Place dough balls onto greased cookie sheet, a few inches apart and let rise.

Once dough has risen (I always place mine in my oven that I put on "warm" and it takes about 10-15 min. to rise) brush tops with a little olive oil, just enough to moisten but not soak.  Sprinkle with kosher or flake salt and more dried rosemary. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 min. until tops are golden and dough is baked through.

Since I just winged it on this, my measurements and time may not be exact.  So you'll have to experiment with it on your own. If you don't have a bread machine, I would imagine you could easily do this by hand or with a mixer/dough attachment.  I'm making it again tomorrow for a Girl's Night Out at a friend's house.  It was so easy and so worth it I can see myself making this regularly!

Here's what I served it with....

Spaghetti Carbonara

(adapted from Classico Alfredo sauce's recipe)

16 oz. spaghetti pasta

15 oz jar prepared Alfredo sauce (I like Newman's)

3 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 lb. pancetta or bacon (I had bacon on hand)

2 large shallots, chopped (the store was, gasp! out of shallots so I used a mild onion)

2 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Cook pasta according to package. Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta liquid to thin sauce later.

Mix eggs and Alfredo sauce in separate bowl.  Set aside.

Saute pancetta or bacon until crisp.  Reserve drippings (I skimmed off 90% of the grease and kept just enough to saute the onions in. I didn't want it too greasy or fatty).

Saute shallots and garlic for 2-3 minutes.  Stir in wine and cook for another minute. Remove from heat.

Return pasta to pasta pot over low heat.  Add shallot mixture to warm pasta and lightly toss.  Increase heat slightly and slowly add sauce mixture, stirring constantly so the eggs don't scramble. Cook for about 6-7 minutes until sauce is cooked and thickened slightly.  Add pasta water to thin if necessary.

Add cheese and pancetta. Cook for another minute, stirring frequently.  Add salt & pepper if needed (I added pepper - it was salty enough from the bacon).

Place on plate and sprinkle with a touch more cheese and parsley.

All in all, it was a fabulous meal.  Not too difficult and FG and I ate the leftovers in our lunch the next day!  This is a meal I could see serving company because it's all in one and fairly easy.  I could see getting the bulk of it done prior to guests arriving and just keeping it warm.  I'll have to try it with the pancetta and shallots next time!   I'll also have to try it with my own Alfredo sauce.  The jar is easy enough in a pinch though!

Menu Plan Monday! 9/13

Can I get a little pat on the back please? 
This Saturday after work I ran to Smith's (our Kroger).  I wanted to get a couple of things that were on special that I knew wouldn't be coming back around for a while. While I was there, I looked at the meat section like always.  They do have good deals on meat fairly often.  I picked up two great Manager's Specials - the chicken legs we ate on Sunday and the beef we are eating today, plus another piece for later.  The chicken legs were $1.36 & $1.18 a package and the beef was $1.99 per pound for london broil.  Whoohoo!  It gets a bit expensive when I have to feed SMA.  He can eat a lot!  And knowing it's his only home cooked meal a week, I try to make sure he gets enough. 
This morning I got the kids off to school, got the laundry separated and started, dishwasher emptied, dinner in the crock pot, animals fed & watered and I'm even blogging! Wow!  I am liking this new schedule so far - kids on the bus at 8:20, I leave for work about 9:45. 
Here's this weeks' menu!  (I should note that I stuck to my menu the past two weeks too!  I had a "?" on Friday but we ended up getting pizza because DS had a friend sleep over. I also worked that day filling in for someone so I wasn't in the mood to be making a big meal.)

• Sunday - Teriyaki chicken legs in the crock pot, potato/zucchini pancakes, veggies, bread
• Monday - Beef Tips w/ gravy (crock pot), mashed potatoes, cauliflower
• Tuesday - Grilled Pork Chop Sandwiches, noodles, corn
• Wednesday - Beer Battered Fish & oven baked Chips, salad
• Thursday - Mexican Waffles (Taco meat over savory cornmeal waffles) w/ all the works
• Friday - Take out
• Saturday - Pot Luck Capri Sun House Party!

Because of my computer being so screwed up, it's tough for me to easily locate my recipes I have stored.  I'll give a little rundown of both the crock pot meals
The chicken legs went into the crock pot and I mixed up 1/2 cup soy sauce, 3 T. brown sugar, crushed garlic & some ginger.  I let it cook all day on low while we were on the boat.
Beef tips w/ gravy - saute sliced onion in a bit of olive oil, when tender, tranfer to crock, season cubed beef w/ salt & pepper & brown in same pan onions were sauted in.  Transfer to crock.  Mix up 3/4 cup water w/ 1-2 t. of beef boullion mix (I use the Better Than Boullion paste in a jar).  Add to crock.  Cook on low all day.  About 1 hour before serving, mix some flour & water and add to crock to thicken into gravy. Add seasoning if necessary.  That's it! I usually serve this over wide egg noodles but I have potatoes right now so we'll have that.

Zucchini!

My parents have a large garden this year. They built 4 more raised beds that are about 4 x 12 and are growing everything I can think of.  They have had rhubarb growing in their yard for several years too.  Now they have a blue million zucchini (why don't people only plant ONE plant?  It seems like about this time of year people just give the stuff away).  So I get sent home with large zucchini and several rhubarb stalks just about every time I am at their house.  Which is a few times a week during the summer because we use the pool so often.

Like any person of my generation, I turned to the internet looking for recipes of what the heck to do with all of this.  Zucchini Cakes. Flop.  I'm not big on plain zucch either.  I'll occasionally saute it in a stir fry but it's just not my favorite.  Right now I have some shredded and draining in the fridge with some shredded russett potatoes to make potato pancakes.  I'm betting if I just go with how *I* normally make potato pancakes (which is without a recipe really, just by how I think they should look), they will be better and everyone will eat them. 
Then there's the ol' standby - Zucchini Bread.  I made this and DD loved it.  She even knew it had zucchini in it! 

Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

3 eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. applesauce

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. granulated sugar

2 - 2 1/2c. grated zucchini (do not drain)

1 c. chopped nuts (optional)

2-3 T. raw sugar (optional)

Grease and flour 2 loaf pans.  Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Beat eggs, vanilla, oil, applesauce, and sugars together until well mixed.

Sift (or stir like I do) together dry ingredients and add to wet mixture.  Stir until combined.

Add zucchini and nuts and stir until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pans.

Sprinkle top of batter with raw sugar.

Bake for 40 - 60 minutes (start testing at 40 min.) or until tester comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes and remove to cool completely on wire rack.

This bread is so moist and yummy that what was left of my last loaf spoiled after several days.  I'm just happy DD ate it!  I am out of wheat flour so today I used only all purpose flour.  It's a bit less "healthy" that way but it comes out fine.  The applesauce and fresh zucchini make the bread so yummy!

Shortcake cookies

Sorry I don't have a picture. I took them over to my parent's house for dinner on Monday and we gobbled them up!  It was a great, portable version of strawberry shortcake.  Easy, fast and delicious!

Berry Shortcake Cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

finely grated zest of one small lemon

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup fresh berries

sprinkling sugar for cookie tops

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment or use a silpat mat.

Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl (I didn't sift, I just dumped and blended with a whisk).  Blend in the butter until mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.  Stir in the lemon zest.

Stir in the sour cream and berries and stir until just combined.  (I had strawberries that I had sprinkled sugar on the day before so they had juice in the bottom of the bowl. I ended up adding that juice to the mixture because it was dry.  I guess you could use milk or buttermilk if your mixture is too dry and you don't have the berry/sugar juice).  (This looked and came together like homemade biscuits.  It is, afterall, essentially a biscut dough.)

Spoon 8 mounds, well apart, on prepared baking sheet (these were fairly large, you could make smaller ones that are more "cookie" size and probably bake them a bit less time).  Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake 20 minutes until golden and firm in the center.

Serve warm and eat on the day of baking.

These really were like a strawberry shortcake biscuit.  I have blackberries and raspberries that I want to try with them too.  Cleanup was easy because I used a bowl, a whisk, a couple of measuring devices and a rubber spoonula.  I make homemade biscuits a lot so it really did seem like I was baking drop biscuts but a sweet version instead of the savory ones I generally make.  It was a perfect way to use up the strawberries I had in the syrup after having berries over pound cake the day before.  Enjoy!

I've also been into making my own salad dressings lately. I belive I have posted the Honey Poppy Vinegarette one on here in the past but I'll be sharing the Creamy Avocado one and a yummy Lemon one soon too.  Now that I've converted my closet to summer clothes, it's time to start eating more salads and less, um, Restaurant Style Smashed Potatoes.  But man oh man were they good!!!  FG and I enjoyed them with a london broil on the grill last night.  As soon as I tasted them with the green onions (which I love) I knew the kids wouldn't eat them so they had noodles.  But DS declared the london broil "seasoned and cooked to perfection".  Yeah, I watch Food Network a bit.  At least he ate!  Anyway.... the avocado dressing is scrumptious and I'll be sharing that as soon as I can.  For some reason, things have been a bit busy around here!

Great book on less toxic living!

I checked out this book from the library weeks ago.  I stuck it on a shelf when people were coming over and didn't pull it back out until I realized it was due back.  Then I started thumbing through it.  I renewed it.

Better Basics for the Home by Annie Berthold-Bond.  Simple solutions for less toxic living.  It is full of recipes for various household formulas.  I plan on mixing up a batch of weed killer this weekend!  Salt, vinegar and liquid detergent.  I just have to go get some better liquid detergent.  FG and I have a huge battle of the weeds. They are out of control in our rocks.  Literally.  He will whack them down and then BURN them.  Uh, we live in the DESERT.  Burning is not a good idea!  He does it regularly and I'm just waiting for him to get in trouble.  It's such a big no-no!!!  Thankfully he's always got the hose right there but still. Dude. It just seems stupid to me!  Anyway, he doesn't like to use harsh chemicals on the weeds.  I know we could literally erradicate them in an instant but our animals and our kids play in our yard.  Do I really want that crap on their bare feet or their hands when they are exploring?  So we just live with a jungle of awful weeds.  We pull, we do use some weed killer on areas that they don't play, he burns.  Yet they seem to be always present.  I'm hoping this formula, used on the rocks will help.  Even if we do have to do it every few weeks, it's non-toxic so I don't mind. 

There's recipes for just about any & every household product in this book.  Right down to shampoo and homemade hair dye.  I plan to copy many of them and eventually buy the book.  I will draw the line at using whipped egg whites as a hair mousse though. 

I have been happily using baking soda and vinegar for a few years to clean.  Yes, I do still use the occasional Comet but most of the time, it's baking soda and vinegar.  It works well and it's super duper cheap!  I also told FG that I am switching from OxyClean to Borax after this box is gone.  I do love the way OxyClean gets out stains so well though!  Does anyone know how awful it is for the environment? I know it's derived from hydrogen peroxide but don't know how bad that or any of it's other ingredients are. 

So check out the book if you are looking for some alternatives.  I need to hit up our health food store for some items to make a salve for DS's eczema spots.  The Dr. gave us an oil that worked well and it was mostly made of peanut oil (thankfully, no allegies here!).  I'm hoping I can use the recipe in this book and make it with peanut oil and give him some relief!

Recipe Review

The Southwest Taco Pie from yesterday's menu post went over fairly well.  I added corn & black beans to about 1/4 of it.  I did use taco seasoning on the meat instead of mixing it with salsa.  The kids ate it up even though they said, "It was Ok."  But DS sure plowed through his!  FG had seconds.  It was good and a nice change from regular tacos.  I make tacos a lot because it's a good way to get some lean red meat into my kids.  It's fairly inexpensive too.  But lately I've been bored with regular tacos.  A couple of weeks ago I made nachos which were a HUGE hit with DD.  She said it was the most fun dinner ever.  She liked that I let her eat entirely with her hands.  They both love nachos so I used some Velveeta I had and melted it. I added some hot sauce and some milk to thin it out.  It turned out very well - better than the jar stuff.  Either way, nachos or taco pie, I've now got two recipes in my aresnal as a change up from regular tacos.

A couple of side notes I realized I didn't mention.... FG got his permanent cast on Friday.  We got him black so it will blend it with a suit when he's on the air.  He didn't say a thing about his splint on last week's show and I have a feeling he will keep quiet about it until he's healed. 
My dad is doing well.  He gets very tired but he's doing better.  Yay!!!
FG and I are witnessing yet another marriage fall apart.  This one we don't know which way it will go.  I am betting that they split up.  I just don't think they want to be married any longer.  Sad because they have two kids under 5.  But they really aren't good for each other either.  I found out the girl (who I do not know well at all) plays mind games with her husband.  She will use sex to get what she wants.  FG and I talked about it at length on Friday when we had a date.  We agreed that is a terrible way to have a marriage.  I think it was good for him & I to talk.  A few weeks ago, we were annoyed and irritated with each other.  I certainly didn't want to spend any time with him and I think the feeling was mutual.  Then he broke his thumb and I think things changed in his head a bit.  I think it woke him up a bit to realize what I do for him & our family and my feelings of being unappreciated and neglected were recognized.  Since then he has been thanking me more, appreciating me more too.  I have been nagging him a bit less and picking up slack because he simply cannot do certain things (like dishes, dammit, he can't do the dishes! So now instead of getting mad that he just leaves his dishes I just do them because I know he can't. What's weird is he's usually very good about helping with things like that and then when he wasn't, I was irritated.  And yes, I do thank him for helping out when he does even though he doesn't thank me for doing the dishes every day).  Funny how things happen and can have an effect on your emotions.  Watching a marriage suffer and seeing faults of others helps us too.  Neither of us want to end up there and we know it so a little wake up call once in awhile is good for us!

Menu Plan Monday! 3/8/10

Hip Hip Hooray! I went shopping the other day!~
I am happy to announce that we have food back in the house.  But I'd like to keep up with my creative dinners and use of the food we have.  I bought lots of fruit and veggies to last us two weeks.  I'm trying hard to get us all to eat more and that is a TOUGH task in this house!  I like more vegetables than the rest of the family.  They just are not veggie lovers.  Here's our menu for the week and a recipe or two.

• Sunday - BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches** w/ crispy thin onion rings, roasted rosemary red potatoes, tossed salad (I've been sneaking spinach in it and DS just started eating salad but picked out all the spinach!), brownie sundae dessert.
• Monday - Southwest Taco Pie*, rice, salad
• Tuesday - Baked pork chops, mashed potatoes & gravy, roasted eggplant slices
• Wednesday - Tupperware Buffet (I work in the evening)
• Thursday - Toasted ham & cheese sandwiches, french fries or homemade potato chips if I get time, steamed cauliflower (DS's favorite vegetable)
• Friday - out
• Saturday - MYOTO Lemon Chicken***, homemade fried rice

*Southwest Taco Pie

(I think this is a Pampered Chef recipe but I got it from my cousin.  I've never made it so I hope it goes over well with the fam!)

Crust:

1/4 cup + 1 T. cornmeal, divided

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/3 cup milk

1 T. veg. oil

Filling:

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 cup salsa

1 cup shredded cheese

1 cup shredded lettuce

1/2 cup tomato (I'll omit since we don't eat them)

1/4 cup sliced olives (I'll omit)

sour cream

Preheat over to 450 degreees.  Spray 9" pie plate with vegetable oil spray.  Sprinkle 1 T. cornmeal evenly onto bottom and sides of pie plate.

For crust, combine dry ingredients into bowl. Add milk & oil. Stir until mixture forms a ball.  Transfer to a floured surface and roll out crust to 10" pie circle.  Place in prepared pie plate and shape edge to form rim.

For filling, cook and stir ground beef in frying pan over medium heat, 8-10 minutes, until no longer pink.  Drain and stir in salsa (I think I'm going to use a taco seasoning packet as if I was preparing the meat for regular tacos and put the salsa on the side since I don't think the kids will want it).  Spoon mixture into pie crust and sprinkle with cheese. 

Bake 12 - 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.  Top pie with lettuce and garnishes of your choice.

**BBQ Pulled Pork

(This is my grandmother's recipe that was one of my favorite meals as a kid. She made it for me when she came out to my wedding.  Now my husband and my son love it too!  My daughter, eh, she tolerates it. I have to bring or get a relative to bring the Brooks Ketchup to me since I can't find it out West.  I also cook a fairly large pork butt roast in the crock pot for several hours with salt, pepper, and sliced onions.  I shred it when it's tender.  My grandmother always used a pressure cooker for the pork roast. )

* Exported from MasterCook

BBQ Sauce (for ribs or shredded pork sandwiches)

1/3 cup vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 small bottle Brooke's Ketcup

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon powdered mustard

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic -- minced

Combine all ingredients in saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes.

Mix into shredded pork for sandwiches.

NOTES : Regular Ketchup can be used - add a few drops hot sauce.

MYOTO Lemon Chicken***

(This came from Kraft Food & Family awhile ago and we really like it! It's a good way to stretch chicken breasts)

1 tablespoon oil

1 pound boneless chicken -- cut into 1-inch pieces

6 ounces vegetables (snow peas, broccoli, zucchini) -- cut into 1" pieces

1 small red pepper -- cut into strips

1 package lemon gelatin powder

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons italian salad dressing

2 cloves garlic -- minced

Heat Oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 4 minute or until cooked through, stirring occasionally. Add vegetables, cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Mix dry gelatin mix and cornstarch in small bowl. Add broth, dressing and garlic. Stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add to skillet. Reduce heat to medium; cook 3 minutes or until sauce is thickened, stirring frequently.

Serve over hot cooked rice.

Menu Plan Monday 1/18/10

Sorry it's been a whole week. Oh well. I doubt you have missed me much!

Last week's menu was fairly on.  The kids did end up having a sleepover on Friday at their friend's house.  They had a blast and did well.  I ended up working for a few hours that night but it worked out well because FG and I dropped them off, he dropped me off at work and then picked me up a few hours later.  We met friends out and had a great evening.  I worked the next day and the kids were dropped off at home with FG while I was still at work.  We DID get take out pizza on Sat. too.  We ended up spending about 1/2 of what we budgeted for Friday's evening out so when I went to make the Alfredo Chicken, FG and I both agreed it didn't sound that great. So we tried Domino's "new" pizza. It was ok, better than before that's for sure.  The price was right though!

This week is dreary and cold and we're expecting back to back storms with rain & snow.  ugh.

• Sunday - Potato Leek Soup*, roasted BBQ chicken leg quarters**, scalloped corn, roasted asparagus, butterscotch-oatmeal cookies
• Monday - Alfredo Chicken & broccoli over noodles
• Tuesday - BBQ Pork Ribs***, cabbage slaw salad, french fries
• Wednesday - I work, FG & the kids get leftovers
• Thursday - Pork chops, potato pancakes, veggies
• Friday - My 39th Birthday!  Out with friends!
• Saturday - Not sure.  I want to have people over this coming weekend but don't know who yet, which day or what I'm going to make. 

*Potato Leek Soup

4 medium to large russet potatoes

4 cups chicken broth

6 slices of bacon, cut into 1" pieces

3 leeks

1 - 1/2 cups half & half or milk

salt & pepper to taste

shredded cheddar cheese

Peel & cube  potatoes.

In large stock pot, pour chicken broth and add cubed potatoes. Cook until potatoes are tender

In saute pan, fry bacon pieces.

Remove bacon from pan, drain grease reserving a few tablespoons.

While other ingredients are cooking, slice white parts of the leeks and wash in bowl of water (I swirled them around in the bowl of cold water and then let them sit so the grit would fall to the bottom.  Then I scooped them out carefully and drained them on a paper towel.)

Puree the potatoes & broth with a hand blender or in batches in food processor (I have comandeered my mother's hand blender and use it often now!)

Add the fried bacon pieces to potato/broth puree.

In the reserved bacon grease, saute the leeks for about 10 minutes until tender.

Add half & half to potato/broth puree.

When leeks are cooked, add to the soup.

I also added a bit of salt & pepper.

Sprinkle with shredded cheese when serving.  It would be good with a dollop of sour cream too.

My bargains this week:  **Chicken leg quarters for $.59/lb in a 10 lb bag.  I am not a dark meat fan but FG, SMA and DS are.  DD and I prefer white meat.  But it was too good of a deal to pass up!  ***Also, yes, we are having BBQ pork ribs again this week.  When I went to the store to buy the chicken, they had the pork ribs for $.99/lb.  I got a giant package for $6 which is easily 2 meals for the 4 of us once I cut them up.  They aren't as good cooked in the oven as on the grill but everyone still likes them and eats them up.  The asparagus I bought along with the chicken & ribs was $1.69/lb. For this time of year, that's pretty cheap.  So my bill at the grocery store buying those loss-leader items only was just over $13.  whoohoo! The meat alone is 4 meals of chicken and 2 meals of ribs.  No, it's not organic but we just can't afford that yet. Someday, someday.  Until then I'll keep avoiding over-processed foods, HFCS and as many food dye's as I can.

Menu Plan Monday - 1/11/10

I just like typing that date.  I'll have an update on my DS's 9th Birthday soon.  I'll just say that 8 hit me hard. It was crazy to think I had an EIGHT year old.  Now 9 isn't so bad.  I'm sure that 10 will REALLY freak me out though!

• Sunday - PW's Penne a la Betsy (though here I call it shrimp in tomato cream sauce), tossed green salad, leftover ice cream cake
• Monday - BBQ ribs, baked beans, corn (it's a foggy, grey day and I'm missing summer!)
• Tuesday - Taco Tuesday!, rice, refried beans, fruit
• Wednesday - back to the regular work schedule so FG is on his own. Leftover spaghetti most likely.
• Thursday - Tri tip steak, twice baked mashed potatoes*, steamed broccoli
• Friday - The kids may be having their very first sleepover at a friend's house. If not, then: alfredo chicken & broccoli over pasta, fruit.
• Saturday - I work during the day so I'm not sure what I'll pull off for dinner.  Take out pizza would be nice.

*I've been making my mashed potatoes this way and really liking it.  1) it cuts down on the crunch time at dinner because all I do is pop them in the oven, no peeling, cutting, washing the extra dishes, mashing 2) they are so smooth and yummy!

*Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes

cook peeled & cubed russett potatoes until tender

drain and let steam rise for a few minutes

place into mixer bowl with paddle attachment

add butter & cream cheese (the amount depends on how many I'm making for enough for just my family, I add about 1-2 T of butter and 1/4 - 1/3 of the package of cream cheese. I've been using the lower fat neufchatel version and no one has noticed)

add a generous amount of salt and pepper to taste

beat until smooth

add milk or half & half until creamy

Place into a greased casserole dish and add small pats of butter to the top if desired (I sometimes do, sometimes don't)

cover until ready to bake

Bake in whatever temp oven I'm cooking other things at for 20 - 30 minutes, removing foil the last 5-10 minutes to get that slightly dried top to them.

Beware, they are usually VERY hot!  I bake mine in my stoneware and they are just soooo yummy!

Menu Plan Monday - Mild Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas!

First I'll give you this weeks' menu, the recipe and then I'll post about my fabulous weekend.  That way, if you want to skip it, you can do so easily :)

• Sunday - Roasted whole chicken, twice-baked mashed potatoes, roasted acorn squash w/ brown sugar & butter, tossed salad, crumb topped apple pie.
• Monday - Mild cheesy chicken enchiladas *, rice, tossed salad
• Tuesday - BBQ Pork Ribs, roasted broccoli,  noodles
• Wednesday - I work.  Soup & grilled cheese
• Thursday - (yay! FG is now home on Thursdays! First time in the 15+ years we have been married!)  Beef Roast, mashed potatoes & gravy, veggies
• Friday - Kids are spending the night at my parents, FG and I will figure out something to do.
• Saturday - Not sure yet. I work all day and we're having a big pre-Christmas sale.  We're already busy at the toystore.  Multiply that by 10 with a sale for Christmas.  I'm going to be exhausted.

*Mild Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

2 cups cooked chicken meat

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 - 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 - 1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 can mild enchilada sauce

flour tortillas

Lightly grease a 9x13 pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the chicken, onion, 1 cup cheddar cheese and 1 cup sour cream. Set aside.

In small saucepan, heat 3/4 of the enchilada sauce with remaining cheddar cheese and sour cream (each to your liking).

Spread remainder of can of sauce onto bottom of baking dish.

Distribute chicken filling evenly among tortillas, roll up into enchiladas and place, seam side down, in baking dish on top of enchilada sauce.

Once cheese is melted into the enchilada sauce, pour over the top of the torillas in the baking dish.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 - 30 minutes until hot & bubbly.

 

 

Now onto my great weekend!  We had no plans.  Oh heaven!!!  We spent a great weekend together as a family with some friends mixed in.  It was wonderful!  We played games and I taught the kids how to play Clue.  It was one of my favorite games as a kid.  I grew up playing LOTS of games.  My mom's family (6 siblings) all played games. They still do.  When I met FG, he said that was one thing he really really liked about my family.  I grew up on family vacations playing card games, usually for money, with a lot of extended family.  We vacationed in a place with no tv and would spend 2 weeks there.  No video games, no tv.  Just a lot of family in little cabins all in a row. We fished during the day and played games or had campfires at night.  So while I try very very hard to not wish my kid's childhood away, I get giddy when they are finally old enough for real games.  (Candyland doesn't count.  BORING!).  DS really liked it. Which is about right because he's almost 9.  Even 5 year old DD got into it.  She needed help because she can't read yet but she did her best and tried to match up the words on the cards with the words on her clue sheet. 

Back to the weekend.... the kids also look forward to "leaf day" every year.  FG uses the blower and blows them into a pile and the kids play in them then they help Daddy bag them up.  So Sat. & Sun they played like crazy in the leaves and then Sun afternoon helped him bag them. 

Sunday I spent about 4+ hours in the kitchen and we had a yummy dinner.  SMA came over as he usually does. 

Both FG and SMA said I made the best pie I've ever made.  That is funny because lately I've been struggling with my crust.  So yesterday I winged it.  All of it. The entire pie.  I didn't measure a dang thing. I made the crust by instinct.  I made the filling by dumping and just looking at it.  I made the crumb topping by feeling it.  I never measured anything.  The apples were still a tad crisp, not mushy, the crumb topping was perfectly crunchy and the crust was flaky.  Who's the FG NOW? ha ha ! 

I saved the chicken carcass and the innards.  Right now I'm making stock.  I used up the last of what I had frozen so I'm taking advantage of having the leftovers and some time.  I threw in some veggies, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and a bay leaf.  It smells wonderful!  FG and SMA both gave me funny looks last night as I was cleaning up and putting the rest of it into a pan.  The meat for the enchiladas I pulled off last night and shredded it right there.  Now the stock is simmering and it will be so wonderful to strain and cool and freeze into 2 cup containers! 

DS is doing really well lately too.  He worked hard and got an A on his very first research report!  I helped with structure and spelling, he did all of the real work himself.  He even typed up the cover of the report and put a picture from the internet on it.  He listed his resources and just overall did a great job!  I'm glad the teacher recognized that he's in 3rd grade and he turned in 3rd grade work.  He told me some kids had theirs bound with fancy covers.  While we could have done that because we have a binding machine at our office, is that really a 3rd grader doing it?  A staple was fine with a printed cover sheet and blank back page to complete it.  He also spread out his work (with my enforcement!) and I'm hoping to have him not be the procrastinator that his mommy is.  So while I could have knocked out his report in 1/2 hour and included way more facts and references, it was clear that he did the work and learned the basics of doing a research report in the first place.  I'm proud of him.  I also think our basic routine of life is helping him lately.  He's been eating more, trying more foods, sleeping well, doing GREAT in class and seems genuinely happy.  Of course, I always wait for the other shoe to drop and him to go off on some horrible tangent. But so far he's doing really well and I'll take it as long as we can!  I think I'll reward him soon with another playdate with is "BFF".  Maybe we'll do something like take the boys out for pizza or something like that.  As tough as it is to have a kid with SPD have a best friend with ADHD, I want to keep his self-esteem up and foster the good friendship they have.  Even his teacher commented on how much the boys care about each other.  I think they just understand each other.  They are both victims of being social "outcasts" and a bit different.  While in the past, everyone has seemed to like DS, he's never had a true good buddy.  It's made a big difference in his life this year!  So I'll suck it up, hold onto my sanity as best I can and take things in small doses.  I can survive a couple of hours dealing with both of them for his sake. 

Now it's Monday. Back to school/work/bedtimes/homework/packing lunches/meeting the school bus/volunteering in class.....Hey, maybe we'll get mail today so we can finally pay ourselves!  It's on the verge of comical at this point!

 

Menu plan, eh, Tuesday

What a busy weekend last weekend! Yesterday was, just very interesting. We were having a great "normal" day until the evening. Then some crazy stuff happened. Since it didn't happen directly to me, I can't really share. But man, what a trip of a night!

As I was cleaning the house yesterday I was trying to figure out if we've fallen into a better routine or if I've just gotten more used to the craziness. I think a little of both. I've been fairly consistent with doing the big house cleaning on Monday. Work Wednesday night. etc. etc. Nothing is set in stone but it's a teeny bit more routine than the chaos things have been. We did move our work office and let me tell you, THAT is throwing a huge wrench in things! Things like mail. We haven't gotten business mail in so long and it's about the time some of our usual clients pay us. Soooo, no money has come in in weeks. Literally NO MONEY. My biggest problem has been lunches for DS. I hate packing his lunch anyway. Add to the mix that he's had issues with misplaced lunchboxes and their contents (like his thermos that I use almost daily, the Ziploc containers that I use almost daily...) there's not a lot of options right now to even send in. Oh well. I hope as soon as we get the mail it will be like a nice windfall! (yeah right, keep dreamin sister!)

So here's this weeks' menu:

• Sunday - SMA brought over pizza. (DD and I went to the Disney Princesses on Ice in the afternoon. No time to cook a nice dinner. And SMA can bring food to us once in awhile!)
• Monday - meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans (DS ate 3 helpings of green beans. Weird! They were the French style which I grew up eating. I usually get them the regular kind. He said he loved the French style and kept asking for more. Who was he?)
• Tuesday - Maui Chicken over rice*
• Wednesday - I work, FG can fend for himself and the kids
• Thursday - Pork chops w/ apples, buttered wagon wheel noodles, veggies
• Friday - Spaghetti (I still have homemade sauce frozen)
• Saturday - Homemade pizza & garlic knots. Maybe BBQ Chicken pizza if we have leftover chicken from today.

* Maui Chicken

6 boneless skinless chicken breast

2 tablespoons oil

14 1/2 ounces chicken broth

20 ounces pineapple chunks in juice

1/4 cup vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 clove garlic -- minced

1 medium green bell pepper -- chopped

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup water

Brown chicken in oil. Transfer to slow cooker.
Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken.
Cover, cook on high 4-6 hours
Serve over rice.

Source: "Fix It & Forget it Cookbook"
NOTES : I add a bit of powdered ginger to the sauce before cooking.

MMMMM, dirt cake!

This is for my daughter's Kindergarten class party today. Her request. Chocolate rocks, gummy worms, and "dirt".

Recipe Review

I made the Pork Chops in apple cream sauce last night.
Interesting!
The kids didn't care for the sauce. FG just kept saying, "hmm. It's good but just different."
I liked it!
The chops were tender and juicy. I didn't do the whole shake in the bag with the flour thing. I just seasoned them with s&p then sprinkled a little flour on each side and patted it in. I used the spiced cider from Trader Joe's (My absolute favorite! Love it warmed up!!) so I skipped the other spices on the chops too. I chopped up a peeled granny smith apple and added that it. Then when I took the chops out, I smooshed them with a potato masher. I ended up adding a bit more of the cider to thin the sauce and I didn't measure the cream when I added it. I used heavy cream because that's what I had. I don't think I used the full 1/2 cup the recipe called for though.
All in all, this was a good dish. I don't know that I would follow the recipe again. I'd just use it like I usually do - for a jumping off point to make up my own. I did make mashed potatoes like some reviewers suggested. They were good with the sauce but again, the kids didn't like it. They are gravy purists I guess.

Oh Lisa, to answer your ? - everything is good with FIL. He's fine. He's starting a new venture along the same lines. You can search FG's name or the business (show) name and see a youtube video of FIL's last show with the kiddos on there. Or it's on my facebook page too. It's all good. FG has been planning to completely take over for a long time now but he finally had to get his dad to give him a definite date. It was too wishy-washy for us, waiting around for the day when FIL decided he was really done. It made it difficult for FG to run the business on his own when his dad was still the face most recognized. Now it's onward and upward (I can hope!!! This business is so crappy right now. I'm sick of being broke!). And if you caught my FB status a couple of weeks ago.... for FIL's last show, his wife decided to have a little party at the studio. Only she forgot to mention it to his family! Uh huh. FG found out from a 3rd party. She is such a wench, she didn't think to invite US who have been there from show #1. So we showed up anyway and then she had the balls to THANK US for coming. I have several obscene names for her. She just keeps winning points with us.

Menu Plan Monday!

I did fairly well sticking to my menus the past couple of weeks. Yesterday I had to work with FG - outside - in the freezing cold! It was a late afternoon project so I had already warned him I wouldn't be cooking dinner. We picked up take out and I discovered I had a free entree coming to us! Yay for saving money!

This week is another busy week. We'll see if I manage to stick to my meal plan. I hope so!

• Monday - Pork Chops in apple cream sauce (trying a new recipe, I'll let you know!), potatoes, broccoli
• Tuesday - BBQ chicken thighs, cabbage slaw salad, buttered noodles.
• Wednesday - I work. FG & the kids are on their own.
• Thursday - Individual chicken "pot pie" w/ a biscuit top.
• Friday - homemade pizza
• Saturday - I work so I'm not sure what we'll end up doing.

Recent developments have changed Thursday nights for us. FG's dad is no longer working with him. We've been doing things a bit differently as we change up some things about the business. That means I am back to "work". I've always helped out the business for the past 15 years but now, I'm back to my roots of broadcasting and using what I learned in college. It's been, uh, an experience! The hardest part is using what I haven't used in sooooo many years. But that's ok. I'm getting better and better each time. We always planned on this so it's not like it's a huge shock, it's just a big adjustment for me right now. But that changes our weekly routine. FG reminded me last week that he would be home for dinner on Thursday. WHAT? It's been 15 years since I've had to make a dinner on Thursday for more than either just me or me and the kids!! So now I have to figure out what to make that we can either eat before he goes to the stuido or he can eat after he gets home.

There you have it! Oh, also over the weekend, I made the easiest and yummiest berry crisp. Actually DD made it. I got everything out and had her measure and mix. I cleaned the berries and poured the melted butter. Other than that, she did it all. It was excellent with vanilla ice cream. I'll share the recipe soon, though no pics because we couldn't wait to eat it!

Two for the price of one!

Well Happy Fall! It's still hot here. Actually, it's beautiful and perfect! It's warm yet not too warm that I need to turn on the A/C. It's not cool enough that we need to run the heat. It's warm enough for shorts but not so hot that I can't use my oven. It's simply divine!

My kitchen is finished. I haven't shared pictures because it's messy. I've been using and enjoying it. I absolutely adore my granite counters! They are lovely and smooth and oh, just wonderful! This weekend I baked banana bread (DD's request) and chocolate chip cookies (FG's request). Yesterday I sat down and planned out meals - Yay! I haven't done that in a long long time. I went through bookmarks on the computer, coupons, my recipe books etc. I made a grocery list and shopped ALONE after I dropped DD off at Kindergarten. Ahhhhh.

So here are two weeks worth of meals. I'll share some recipes now or maybe save them for another post. FG kept saying how good dinner was last night. I think he's happy that I'm cooking again and we are done with fast food/take out except for occasionally.

• Monday - Roasted whole chicken, scalloped potatoes, steamed cauliflower
• Tuesday - Chicken enchiladas, rice, tossed green salad.
• Wednesday - I work in the evening. The kids and FG will have hot dogs & chips & green beans.
• Thursday - FG works. Not sure what I'll make for the kids and I.
• Friday - Beef Chow Mein (I discovered with our take out weeks that DS loves this! He even took it in his lunch one day and ate his whole thermos full! I bought oyster sauce and sesame oil yesterday to recreate it along with a bunch of veggies. Mmmm!)
• Saturday - Bacon wrapped stuffed chicken breasts, baked beans, cabbage slaw salad (can you say Gas-X for dessert?).
• Sunday - Pulled pork sandwiches, potato pancakes, tossed green salad, peach pie.

Next week:

• Monday - Baked macaroni & cheese (still searching for a recipe. I've never made it!), salad/veggies.
• Tuesday - Chicken picatta, parmsean cous cous, veggies
• Wednesday - again, I work ??
• Thursday - again, FG works ??
• Friday - Sweet & sour pork over rice
• Saturday - football game so it will probably be take out or fast food
• Sunday - Baked ziti w/ sausage, tossed green salad, homemade bread, cookies.

I'm so happy to cook again! I am trying to be better about keeping a list of new recipes I want to try so I don't get in a rut. I also want to try to make more of my own soups this fall/winter. Right now it's too warm to think about that though. Soon enough, I'm sure!

Hey look! A real live menu to post!

It's been a long time!! But I'm trying very hard to get us into a summer routine. Last week was a bit crazy with things scheduled and this week should be more like our "normal" summer. Hopefully I can get into a nice groove. I was recently telling a friend how scattered I feel when I don't have a "plan". I like to have things planned out like Laundry on Thursday, scrub the house on Friday... stuff like that. I am just not a fly by the seat of my pants type girl when it comes to that stuff! I do much much better (as does my family) when I know that certain things need to get done on certain days. Of course, I'm flexible though. Scrubbing a toilet or shower is not going to keep me from an invitation to the park. Well, unless there's mold or something nasty growing that will gross me out to no end but that rarely happens or at least I try to prevent it from happening!

So anyway... the weather should warm up this week finally. We haven't seen rain in a few days and while I'm loving not running the sprinklers and watching the plants dry out I'm sort of over the rain. It should feel like summer soon and we'll be able to pull out the shorts and sundresses! The Farmers Market started back up down the street. I did my weekly fruit & veggie shopping and will happily eat it up until Friday comes around again. Yay!

• Sunday - Homemade pizzas and garlic knots. SMA took FG and the kids to a baseball game and I had to work until 3. So I made a batch of dough before I went to work & another when I got home. I'm hoping to start keeping dough in the fridge for lunches for the kiddos - healthier than the frozen ones I've been letting them eat!
• Monday - grilled pork chops with bbq rub served on toasted buns, Farmer's Market (FM) corn on the cob, cabbage slaw salad of some sort (going to search new recipes)
• Tuesday - I work but I have a baked ziti ready for FG to bake for him and the kids
• Wednesday - BBQ Chicken thighs and legs (aka CHEAP) in the crock pot, noodles (I may even attempt to make my own since my bread machine will do most of the work, we'll see!), FM green beans
• Thursday - FG works, grilled chicken w/ alfredo sauce (DD's favorite and her request), noodles, veggies
• Friday - Tacos, rice, tossed green salad w/ homemade french dressing*
• Saturday - I work all day so probably take out!

* French Dresssing
1 cup oil

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup sugar

1 medium onion

1/2 cup vinegar (I use cider vinegar)

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons salt

1 clove garlic

Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor.

Now I'm off to find a recipe for the cabbage slaw since I'm getting weary of the same two I always make. DD also wants me to find a recipe for strawberry ice cream. I promised her we would make it this week since I froze some of the fresh yummy strawberries I got a couple of weeks ago when they were super cheap. We have one of the wooden ice cream makers that I have to do outside because it's messy and loud but it makes some yummy ice cream!

Rhubarb Muffins

This picture is from the second batch I made. The second batch I changed and didn't exactly follow the recipe. I'll post the regular recipe first, then tell you what I did on the second go-round so you know what not to do.

Rhubarb Muffins

1 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup oil

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup chopped nutmeats (I used almonds that I slightly toasted)

1 1/2 cups fresh rhubarb, finely diced

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. melted butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine brown sugar, oil, egg, vanilla and buttermilk. Beat well. Stir in rhubarb and nuts.

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and add to wet mixture.

Stir until combined.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.

Combine melted butter, sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of muffin mixture in cups.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-18 minutes.

Ok, that's just how I made them the first time. They were yummy! Even DD liked them though she picked out the nuts. I got some more rhubarb from my mom's yard and made them again the other day. This time I omitted the nuts for her and I added 1/2 whole wheat flour. I didn't mix the melted butter/sugar but instead just sprinkled the tops with cinnamon & sugar from the shaker I keep mixed up in the cabinet. Eh. Not so great. The butter really enhances the top and the wheat flour just wasn't as pleasant as the regular flour. DD took one bite and said, "Um Mom. Maybe I don't like these anymore." argh. Truth be told, I don't like them much like that either. I hate it when I waste ingredients!

Then I had to take a picture if for no other reason but to remind myself why I use muffin pan liners.

Now I'm off to see if the local restaurant supply store has a website. FG told me that starting next week they are having a 50% off sale - the only one of the year. He started off by saying, "You probably don't really need anything...." HA! I rattled off a list of things that I want. No, don't necessarily need but sure do want! I always compare my baking/cooking to his golf. Sure he could play with just a few pieces of equipment but it sure does make it easier and a more enjoyable hobby to have some extra stuff. He could get it done with a few clubs but having that range finder is awfully handy sometimes. It usually gets the point across.

Finally - the salmon burgers!

I FINALLY made them. They have been appearing on my weekly menu for months now and I just haven't gotten to them. I finally did them yesterday.
They were OK. The worst part was getting the bones out. I'm wondering if I need to try a different brand of canned salmon. But that part was kinda gross and stuff doesn't usually gross me out when it comes to cooking and food. Stick my entire arm into a turkey cavity and dig out the innards left for me, no problem, whack up a whole chicken, no problem. Take the bones and skin off a canned fish, um, ewwww.
I made them basic for the first go-round. Just salmon, bread crumbs, an egg and some seasoning. Nothing fancy. The kids actually took a few bites but didn't dig into them. I ate 95% of mine. It didn't have an overwhelming fish flavor or any overwhelming flavor at all, really. I'm not sure if I'll make them again or not but if I do, I'll steel myself to the task and maybe search some different recipes to add some flavor to them.

Side note, I am starting to hate Wednesdays. Especially when I forget to start up my PMD meds. Oy. I'm a tad overdue on them. Since I'm supposed to start them sometime mid-cycle, that would involve paying attention to when mid-cycle is. I'm excellent at knowing what's up with my body and when it's doing it's thing but have been so busy with life lately that I haven't taken notice. Whoops. I should have because I'm a few days late in starting those yummy little pills and it showed last night. My Facebook status said it all and was something about not wanting to hear the word "Mom" for at least 8 hours. 4.2 seconds after I typed that last night, I heard "Mom" at least 3 more times and a few more at 3:30 am for good measure. Just to make sure I knew my title I guess. I recall saying to one of the kids last night when I heard their bedroom door open at 9:43, "Unless you are dying, bleeding or throwing up, GO BACK TO BED!" and I heard a sweet little voice say, "I am Mom, I was just letting the cat out of my room." And whoosh! There comes the Mommy Guilt raining down on me and soaking me to the bone. Same with the 3:30ish "Moooommm. I had a bad dream. Can you come with me and make it better?" Get her all tucked back in bed (I was already grumpy because that same damn cat was sleeping on me and being an annoying HOT bed-hog, thus causing me to not sleep and no matter how many times I moved her or threw her off the bed, she still came right back to the crook of my legs) and when I start to leave the room she says, "But Mom! Wait. Can you just stay here for a little bit so I feel better?" Damn, dumped on by a bucket of Mommy Guilt again for trying to sneak out of the room and leave her to her own coping devices. She's still FOUR and yes, doesn't have all the coping skills to simply make that bad dream go away on her own. This is all after a hectic Wednesday where I have to rush around running DS and pal to Acting Class (DS got the role of Danny in Grease. I'm so proud!!!), wait for them for an hour while DD wiggles in the backseat and watches a movie, run DS's friend home and finally arrive home just after 6:30 and manage to get dinner made. Wednesdays are also "bath night" because I bathe them every other day in the winter and do so on Preschool days. Wednesdays are also the night that FG plays in a pool league with my dad and doesn't get home until after the kids are in bed and I'm usually wiped out. Thus I am not liking Wednesdays much right now. And you can bet your booty that I started taking my PMD meds this morning. Whoohoo, only a week 'til AF rears her ugly head. Lucky me.

Menu Plan Monday

We are still getting used to our crazy schedule here. I'm happy to be working and happy that I told my boss I need some extra hours (meaning, I need extra cash! desperately at the moment ugh) and happy that I still like my job. But it's hell on a family who is very scheduled. Poor FG is not used to this either. He needs to figure out some fun stuff to do with the kids. Right now he's muddling his way through. He's not doing a bad job, he's just not really into a good groove of what to do with the kids all day. What's funny is after 8 years of me being home with them and being at his mercy of coming and going alone, the roles have been reversed for short time periods. He is where I was 8 years ago - trying to figure it all out. It's good for him.

So anyway, I've been using the crock pot and making myself prep things ahead of time. I was sick as anything on Friday afternoon and literally lay on the couch all afternoon blowing my nose. For dinner I had some frozen pulled pork BBQ that I had thawed the day before. FG could totally handle that one and he prepared dinner for me. Even changed the grease in the deep fryer so we could have fries that didn't taste like old onion rings :).

Here's this upcoming week:

• Sunday - Maui Chicken* over rice, Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake** (which DD and I whipped up after I got home from work and we played a few games - had to spend some quality time with the kids after working all weekend!)
• Monday - Meatloaf w/ bacon, veggies, apple slices, bread
• Tuesday - I work so FG gets to figure that one out.
• Wednesday - DS's starts up acting class again, FG has his pool league so I'm going to attempt some stir fry shrimp over pasta. FG may or may not get to eat before he has to leave.
• Thursday - FG works. I may make breakfast for dinner with the kids.
• Friday - Burgers on the grill, noodles w/ butter, garlic & parmesean cheese, corn
• Saturday - I work but hopefully I can get some salmon burger patties made and we'll eat those.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Maui Chicken
6 boneless skinless chicken breast or one whole cut up chicken

2 tablespoons oil

14 1/2 ounces chicken broth

20 ounces pineapple chunks in juice

1/4 cup vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 clove garlic -- minced

1 medium green bell pepper -- chopped

1 small onion -- chopped

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 cup water
Brown chicken in oil. Transfer to slow cooker.
Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over chicken.
Cover, cook on high 4-6 hours or low 8 hours
Serve over rice.
Source: "Fix It & Forget it Cookbook"
NOTES : I add a bit of powdered ginger and ketchup to the sauce before cooking.

* Exported from MasterCook *
Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake
Recipe By: The Cake MixDoctor

1 package chocolate cake mix -- devils food, plain

1 can cherry pie filling -- 21 ounces

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup whole milk

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. LIghtly mist a 13 x 9" pan with vegetable oil spray.
Place the cake mix, cherry pie filing, eggs and almond extract in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again as needed. The batter should look thick and well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smothing the top with a spatula. Place the pan in the oven.
Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and just startes to pull away from the sides of the pan, 30- 35 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack while you prepare the glaze.
For the glaze, place the sugar, butter and milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips. When the chips have melted and the glaze is smooth, pour it over the warm cake so that it covers the entire surface. The glaze will be thin but witll firm up. Cool the cake for 20 minutes more before cutting it into squares and serving.

NOTES : Store this cake, covered in aluminum foil, at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Or freeze the cake, wrapped in foil, for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight on the counter before serving.

On a side note, and this really deserves it's own post... we had to put down our sweet old dog this past Tuesday. It's been a really rough week for all of us. I still cry and miss him. Our other dog, who has been with our other one since she was 5 weeks old is really really lost. So she's getting lots of extra attention. She's in the house if anyone is home during the day. We also realized she's been eating double for who knows how long. She's FAT! So she will be getting diet food now and lots of walks. I miss my big baby though. It's been hard to sleep at night because he's been sleeping in our room for 12 1/2 years. I miss the smell of him and hearing him breathe and grumble at night. He was our first "baby" when FG and I had only been married a couple of years and bought our first house. This is also the kids first experience with a family member dying. They keep saying how much they miss him too. It's sooo hard to look in the backyard and not see him laying in the sun or hear him barking at someone walking along the fence. My heart is a little broken right now and it's going to take awhile to heal.