Menu Plan Monday & Blueberry Oat Bread

The first week of school came and went with very little school and a lot of rain. Tropical Storm Fay kept the kiddos out of school for THREE days! Just when we were getting back into the groove of things.

Speaking of groovy things, I deviated from the menu plan quite a bit last week. In the process, I came across a couple of yummy recipes, one of which (according to my dad) should be called Blueberry Oat Cake instead of Blueberry Oat Bread. You can see the recipe here or by clicking on the recipe title below (under Tried and True Tuesday).

On to this week's menu...

Meatless Monday

Breakfast: Eggs with salsa and juice

Dinner: Grilled cheese with pickle, sliced apples

Tried and True Tuesday:

Breakfast: Blueberry Oat Bread (planning to bake them into muffins instead of a loaf this go 'round), milk

Dinner: Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Work less on Wednesday:

Breakfast: Cheese grits, milk or juice

Dinner: BLTs, baked fries

Thanksgiving Thursday (named after traditional post-Thanksgiving menu planning):

Leftovers!

First Time Friday:

Breakfast: Purple Cow, toast

Dinner: Greek Penne and Chicken

Simple Saturday:

Breakfast: Cereal

Dinner: Blackened salmon, mixed greens, and Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Slow Cooker Sunday:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with apples and cinnamon

Dinner: Bachelor's Roast (after clicking the link, scroll down to bottom to see recipe), salad, rice, biscuits

For more menus, visit Orgjunkie.com!

Menu Plan Monday

One week left before school starts here, and I'm still trying to get used to the old school routine. We're doing better with getting to bed at a decent hour. And, I started the week out with a bang making about 3 dozen of my favorite Vegan Blueberry Muffins; by Wednesday, however, we slipped back into our old routine of cold cereal. I'm back in the saddle, though, to try again!

Meatless Monday

Breakfast: Cheese Omelets

Dinner: Chili Non Carne

Tried and True Tuesday:

Breakfast: Yogurt with mix-ins

Dinner: Mac and cheese, peas, sliced fruit (repeat from last week since we didn't get to have it)

Work less on Wednesday:

Breakfast: Even Better Orange Julius (recipe below) and buttered toast

Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie

Thanksgiving Thursday (named after traditional post-Thanksgiving menu planning):

Leftovers!

First Time Friday:

Breakfast: Banana Blueberry Smoothies

Dinner: Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Simple Saturday:

Breakfast: Cereal

Dinner: Hot dogs, slaw, baked beans, chips

Slow Cooker Sunday:

Breakfast: French Toast

Dinner: Crockpot Chicken and Rice, green beans, garlic bread

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Remember my post about one of my favorite drinks?....the Orange Julius? Well, I've found another recipe that I have tweaked a bit that I like even better!

Even Better Orange Julius

2 cups of OJ
1/2 c powdered milk
1/4 powdered sugar (less if you want)
1 tsp vanilla
8-10 cubes of ice

Add the first four ingredients to the blender and mix. Add ice cubes one or two at a time until totally crushed. Serve immediately. Makes 3-4 servings in our house.

Thrifty Thursday - Make-A-Note

Have you heard of Make-A-Note? It's a great little newsletter that you can subscribe to by sending an email to subscribe-make-a-note@hub.thedollarstretcher.com. While the website doesn't appear up-to-date (when I clicked Current Issue it actually displayed a very old issue), the newsletters are distributed faithfully (once or twice a month) and are chock full of tips: money saving tips, time saving tips, recipes, etc...it's a good mix. This week, however, the one snippet that caught my eye included a link to this article: 10 Cool and Creamy Desserts Under 300 Calories, posted at MyRecipes.com. YUM, YUM!

Celebrate National Cheesecake Day

It's all over the blogs I read, but just in case you are living under a rock (just kidding!), The Cheesecake Factory is celebrating 30 years in business and National Cheesecake Day by offering cheesecake slices for $1.50 each on July 30th! Like someone else said, the only downfall is the offer is limited to one per person. :(

Never fear, however; if you don't have a Cheesecake Factory nearby or just don't feel like fighting the crowds (because you KNOW there are going to be long waits for this one!), check out the Crockpot Lady's recipe for fuss-free CrockPot Cheesecake! Or, do both--you can never have too much cheesecake around. :)

Freebie Friday - Redbox.com & Easy Microwave Popcorn

With each and every addition to our family, the chances of hubby and I seeing a moving at the theater have exponentially decreased! I'm not much into television, so I don't watch too many movie rentals either. ENTER THE REDBOX! I must admit, I can be drawn in by a good deal. Am I the last person on the planet to learn about free DVD rentals using Redbox Promo Codes? It's only $1 to rent a DVD if I don't have a code, but there's just something delicious about freebies! In the last week, I've watched around five new releases with either hubby or the kids! I'm not necessarily proud of this flood of TV watching...but it has been fun!

There are a couple of ways to get the codes. If you visit Redbox.com, you can sign up for a promo code to be sent to your mobile phone every Monday that will provide you with a free DVD rental. But, if you happen to enjoy movie nights on a day other than Monday, you'll want to check out InsideRedbox.com and select Redbox Codes. They are organized by code and last date used; further down the page they are organized by state.

So, without further delay, locate your nearest Redbox location by clicking here and enjoy a FREE movie rental on Freebie Friday. And, don't forget the popcorn (recipe below)!

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Easy (and Inexpensive) Microwave Popcorn

1/4 cup popcorn kernels
Butter & salt (or any other seasoning) to taste
1 brown paper bag (lunch size is best)
stapler

Place the popcorn in the brown paper bag, fold it down a couple of times, and staple the top of the bag to keep it securely closed. Place the bag in your microwave and cook on high for two to three minutes. When there is a delay of several seconds between pops, your popcorn is done! Pour it into a bowl and season with butter, salt, etc. (Note: Recipe inspired by Alton Brown's Plain Brown Popper.)

Menu Plan Monday & EatBetterAmerica.com

Although two of my four children ate it, I am sad to say that the Broccoli and Three Cheese Soup did not turn out as I had hoped. I made some substitutions (such as reconstituted powdered milk instead of 2%, fresh broccoli instead of frozen, and different cheeses), so I am not calling it a failure--just an experiment. As for the salmon patties, we had a change of plans Friday night, so I'll cycle them back through at some point. On to this week!

Meatless Monday: Dinner out to celebrate our Anniversary! The kids will eat noodles with marinara and Parmesan, garlic bread, salad

Tried and True Tuesday: Pan-grilled pork chops, stuffing, cinnamon raisin apples

Work less on Wednesday: Fish and grits

Thanksgiving Thursday (named after traditional post-Thanksgiving menu planning): Leftovers (or the Salmon Patties we missed last week)

July 4th First Time Friday: BBQ Riblets, corn, slaw, and our "first time" dish, "Healthified" Hot German Potato Salad (see below for an explanation of what makes this recipe "healthified")

Simple Saturday: Breakfast for dinner

Slow Cooker Sunday: Crockpot chicken and rice, salad, breadsticks

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If you are still looking for some ideas, especially if you are trying to eat more healthy, you might check out EatBetterAmerica.com. A friend of mine really enjoyed the Bulgur and Orange Salad. It'll probably find it's way onto my menu plan soon! The site also has some "healthified" recipes that make traditional favorites more healthy without sacrificing flavor, such as the "Healthified" Spinach Dip with Artichokes or the "Healthified" Fettuccine Alfredo. You can even submit your favorites and they will attempt to healthify them!

Easy Homemade Frozen Pops

It's summer and it's not getting any cheaper to buy frozen pops! So, when I open a can of fruit, I drain the liquid into a mold (or even an ice cube tray or a cup with a wooden stick) to make homemade Popsicles. Sometimes I'll add a bit of the fruit, too. Even if the liquid isn't 100% juice, I suspect it's a healthier alternative to the artificially colored and flavored ones you find in the frozen treat section. This works great with yogurt and pudding, too!

For more ideas to make life easier, visit Works for Me Wednesday hosted at Rocks In My Dryer.

Menu Plan Monday & Bachelor's Roast

We really enjoyed the First time Friday menu last week of Yummy Honey Chicken Kabobs with one major change--I used my crock pot instead of the grill. (I forgot to thaw out the chicken!) I just placed my frozen boneless chicken pieces in the crock, mixed up the marinade and poured it over the top, and cooked it on high for four hours. Like the title suggests, it was....yummy! It probably would have been even better if I hadn't forgotten to add the bell peppers. Here's our basic plan for this week:

Meatless Monday: Mac and cheese, fruit and veggie sticks

Tried and True Tuesday: Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread

Work less on Wednesday: The Crockpot Lady's Broccoli and Three Cheese Soup, crusty bread

Thanksgiving Thursday (named after traditional post-Thanksgiving menu planning): Leftovers

First time Friday: Quick and Easy Salmon Patties, potato wedges, salad (16 years of marriage and I just found out that hubby likes salmon patties!)

Simple Saturday: BLTs, fruit salad, chips

Slow Cooker Sunday: Bachelor's Roast (recipe below), potatoes, carrots, rolls

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It doesn't get much easier than this:

Bachelor's Roast

3-4 lb roast (cheaper cuts are okay)
1 can of Coke (we use caffeine-free Coke Classic)
1 c ketchup

Place all of the ingredients in the crock and cook on low or medium all day (depending on how long you have before dinner). We usually add potatoes and carrots during the last couple of hours of cooking.

For more menus, see orgjunkie.com!

The Ultimate Beverage...an Orange Julius!

I have fond memories of visiting the mall as a kid and picking up an Orange Julius. A few years ago, I decided to stop at The Orange Tree and give the Orange Frost a try, as it's the next closest thing since Orange Julius left town. It was a palatable substitution. Unfortunately, they must have changed the formula because the Orange Frost I tasted the last time I visited was a huge disappointment. I predict it will go the way of the New Coke. *sigh* Thank goodness I bookmarked this treasure the last time I had an Orange Julius fix. Try it (if you like orange juice). I think you'll like it!

Menu Plan Monday & Golden Potato Soup

It was another busy week and I missed my pizza pockets...AGAIN. HOWEVER, I did try something new (Easy From-Scratch Chicken Pot Pie) which I am making for a friend tonight, because it was so yummy. In fact, I used the crust from this pie to make a double-crust cherry pie yesterday for hubby (his absolute favorite!). I just dumped a can of cherry pie filling into the crust and that was that! I'll try it again with frozen or fresh cherries, but this worked in a pinch and we all enjoyed it. Here goes this week's menu (for more menus see orgjunkie.com):

Meatless Monday: Cheese quesadillas, pinto beans, and Mexican rice

Tried and True Tuesday: Hamburgers, mashed potatoes (save one cup for tomorrow's soup!), carrot sticks

Work less on Wednesday: Golden Potato Soup (recipe below), salad, bread sticks

Thanksgiving Thursday (named after traditional post-Thanksgiving menu planning): Leftovers

First time Friday: Yummy Honey Chicken Kabobs, brown rice

Simple Saturday: Chicken and Rice, broccoli

Slow Cooker Sunday: TGIFriday's Black Bean Soup

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Golden Potato Soup

2 T oil
1/3 c chopped onion
1 T flour
1 t. salt
dash pepper
1 c water
1 c mashed potatoes (great use of leftovers; add as much as you like)
2 1/2 c milk
1/2 c grated cheese (or more, if you really like cheese)

Saute onion in oil until the onions begin to turn translucent then stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the water and bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes, stirring all the while, and add the mashed potatoes, milk, and cheese. Turn the heat down (no more boiling necessary) and simmer until the cheese melts. Garnish with additional cheese.

Easy From-Scratch Chicken Pot Pie

I'm all about easy recipes, but I also love to prepare from-scratch meals and desserts. There's just something about being able to say you made it "from scratch." I guess it's a vanity thing, though I don't think that song is about me...

Yesterday my sister stopped by with a pot pie from KFC. Wow, it was good. I haven't eaten a pot pie since I was a kid. Remember the 3/$1 Banquet pot pies? Do they still make them? Anyway, I've never made one from scratch. So today, that's just what I decided to do. This is REALLY easy, so don't let the length of the post fool you.

To begin, I made an Oil Pastry (sounds gross, I know) instead of a Plain Pastry. I really don't like the partially hydrogenated oils in shortening, so I wanted avoid them and this did the trick. (Note: the recipes are based on those found in the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book, 1968):

Oil Pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c salad oil
5 TB cold water

Stir the flour and salt together. Combine the oil and water and pour into the flour/salt. Give it a stir (no mixer needed--it comes together nicely) and form it into two balls. Place one of the balls between two pieces of waxed paper and roll it out to the size of your pie dish. Place it in the dish and add the Chicken Pie filling (see below for recipe). Roll out the second ball of pastry dough, cut a slit in the middle in the form of an X (using a pizza cutter makes a nice, clean cut) and place it on top of the filling. Tuck under any edges or just cut them off. Bake this in the oven at 450 degrees until the top starts to brown. I cooked mine for about 20-30 minutes.

Chicken Pie Filling

1/2 c chopped onion (I used 1-2 TB of dehydrated onion)
6 TB butter
1/2 c all purpose-flour
1 tsp salt
3 c chicken broth
3 c cubed cooked chicken ( I used one leftover chicken breast)
1 10 oz pkg of frozen peas and carrots (I used a handful of frozen peas and two carrots, diced; use whatever veggies you have on hand)

Cook onion in butter for a minute or so then add the flour and salt. Add the broth and cook until it becomes thick and bubbly. Keep stirring during this time so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken and veggies and let it return to a boil. Don't forget to stir!

All I can say is...WOW! This Easy Chicken Pot Pie tasted just as good as the KFC I sampled last night. I can see myself sneaking some grated zucchini or yellow squash into this one next time, and possibly some diced potatoes.

Menu Plan Monday

Last week, I wanted to try some new pizza pockets. Unfortunately, due to old habits, I had the traditional pan pizza going in the oven before I remembered that I had planned to try something new. You'll see them again in this week's rotation so I can report back on my findings.

This week's menu is below. Check out orgjunkie.com every Monday for more meal planning ideas:

Meatless Monday: Baked potato bar

Tried and True Tuesday: Sausage and Rice Casserole (recipe at the end of this post), broccoli

Work less on Wednesday: Cold pasta salad, garlic bread sticks

Thanksgiving Thursday (so named after my family's traditional post-Thanksgiving menu planning): Leftovers

First Time Friday: Pizza Pockets, cinnamon apples

Simple Saturday: Bratwursts with peppers and onions, oven fries, Easy Carrot Salad

Slow Cooker Sunday: Melt in Your Mouth Beef Brisket, rice, green salad [Note: The directions indicate that the beef is prepared on the stove top, but it's just as good in the slow cooker...dump everything in (saving the potatoes and carrots for the last couple of hours), set it to cook all day on med-high, and it will be perfect-o!]

Edited on 6/10/08: OOPS! I forgot to post my Sausage and Rice Casserole recipe for Tuesday. Here it goes:

Easy Sausage and Rice Casserole

1 lb sausage
1 c rice
1 can each of Cream of Mushroom and Cream of Chicken soup (undiluted)
2 cans water

Brown the sausage, drain, and add it to a 9X13 casserole dish/pan. Add the rice, condensed soup, and two cans of water. Give everything a little stir, cover with tinfoil, and pop into a preheated 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes or so. Yummy and easy!

Easy Carrot Salad

Easy Carrot Salad

8 large, peeled, carrots shredded
1 apple, diced
1/2 cup raisins
6 oz. of orange juice concentrate, undiluted

Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix. The orange juice concentrate will dissolve/melt as you stir. Refrigerate leftovers, if you have any. :)

Easy Brownies

You know a recipe is well-loved when the recipe card (yes, I still use these!) is translucent with grease stains and sprinkled with splatters of unidentifiable stuff. This is one of those recipes. I'm not going to claim that it is the most wonderful brownie in the world, but it's the easiest made-from-scratch, tasty, easy-to-turn-out-in-mass-quantity brownie I know of. And, I have a thing about baking from scratch...most of the time. So, here is my recipe for easy, from-scratch, delicious brownies to feed a crowd (or at least a family of six):

Easy From-Scratch Brownies

2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
5 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. cocoa
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix the first seven ingredients in a bowl, by hand or with a mixer. Pour into a greased and floured 9X13 pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool, cut, and consume!

Menu Plan Monday

I noticed a reduction in my grocery stops this past week, which I attribute to getting back on track with menu planning. Let's see if it will hold another week:

Meatless Monday: Whole wheat pancakes with blueberry syrup, sliced oranges

Tried and True Tuesday: Hamburgers with the works, baked (pinto) beans, cinnamon apples

Work less on Wednesday: Easy Chicken Enchiladas, Mexican rice

Thanksgiving Thursday (so named after my family's traditional post-Thanksgiving menu planning): Leftovers

First Time Friday: I want to try making these Pizza Pockets for the first time. I tried a different pocket recipe a few months back and it was AWFUL. Hopefully these will turn out better!

Simple Saturday: Fish, grits, applesauce

Slow Cooker Sunday: Slow Cooker Pork Chops, roasted carrots and potatoes, salad, rolls

For more menu plans, see the OrgJunkie!

Baby Shower Cake

As I mentioned a few days ago, a friend of mine is having a baby, so of course a small group of us couldn't wait to throw a shower. I have a thing for making cakes. It's not that I'm all that good at it...I just enjoy doing it! So, my sister and I set out to make what seemed to me an impossibly difficult cake. I mean, it looked easy, but I knew working with a new medium like fondant icing wouldn't be all that easy. Especially when I went to buy some at the cake store near my house and they were out of pink. And yellow. And white. Um, excuse me, but is this really a cake decorating supply store?! The gentleman was kind enough to provide me with a suggestion for a fondant icing recipe; he said it tasted much better than what he sold anyway. I guess I'm glad he was out of the prefab stuff.

I must say I never thought the icing would ever come together. It was the stickiest goo I've ever touched and I still don't know how it turned out as well as it did. I got quite an upper body workout from the kneading and sis did a great job of encouraging me through it. "This will never work!" I lamented. "Just keep kneading, kneading, kneading....just keep kneading..." she would chant. In my mind in sounded like a sing-songy rendition of the Marlin and Dori exchanges in Finding Nemo. "Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming..."

Anyway, behold the fruits of our labors {get it?.....get it?}! We used two small Pyrex dishes for the, um, chest, and a larger round dish for the belly. A small round ball of fondant can serve as the belly button. We placed these atop a 9X13 cake. You can read all about the general steps we followed, which are listed here.

So, the next time you are in the mood for cake and want to burn the calories before you eat it, skip the gym and make a cake with fondant icing!

Easy Pineapple Salsa Chicken

A friend of mine is scheduled to be induced tomorrow morning, so I have been trying to decide what meal I'll be delivering in the next day or so. Each time we had a special delivery, a few of the ladies from church or extended family would bring something over. I SO appreciated this gesture. I think I'll make Easy Pineapple Salsa Chicken. It goes something like this:

4 chicken breasts (or whatever you have on hand)
1 can of black beans (no need to drain)
1 can of pineapple tidbits (Drain or don't drain...I'll leave it up to you. I will add that the pineapple juice makes some healthy and tasty popsicles for the kiddies!)
1 32oz jar of salsa

Directions: Put the ingredients in your crockpot and cook all day (about 8 hours) on low (or I guess you could do several hours on high).

You can wrap this stuff up in tortillas and serve with a side of Mexican rice, or just serve over plain rice.

Yummy Avacado Salad

I visited a friend last week who served this amazingly easy side salad along with some tabbouleh over salad greens and a slice of wheat bread:

1 avacado, cut into small chunks
1 tomato, cut into small chunks
Dash of extra-virgin olive oil (more if you want)
Salt and pepper

Mix everything together and serve.

Now that you have eaten a nutritious meal, try this not-so-nutritious Easy Cobbler! (If it makes you feel better, add a tablespoon of wheat germ to the flour. Nobody will be able to tell you've healthified it...not even you!)

Easy Cobbler Recipe

Who couldn't use a quick and easy dessert recipe? If you haven't tried this Easy Cobbler, you really should:

Easy Cobbler Recipe

1 c SELF-RISING flour (make your own self-rising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt per cup if you only have all purpose flour)
1 c sugar
1 c milk
1 stick butter (I sometimes reduce this to half or three-quarter of a stick and it still turns out fine)
1 large can (15-22 oz or so) of fruit (any type of pie filling is also good)

Heat the oven to 350 F. Place the butter in a 9X13 pan in the preheating oven. While the butter is melting, prepare the batter by combining the flour, sugar, and milk. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and pour the batter over the melted butter. Dollop the fruit over the top of the batter. (When using fruit in a can, I usually include most of the liquid/juices unless it is packed in water. ) Return the pan to the oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until the crust looks golden brown. For an even better cobbler, add some homemade whipped cream (whip 1 c heavy cream with 1/4 c powdered sugar until fluffy) to the top when it is hot out of the oven. Enjoy!