Monday Morning Menu Planning

Well, if you followed the menu from last week, you know I tried a new Mongolian Beef recipe and I promised to report back to you with a review...

We....meaning every person in my family...LOVED it! It will definitely go on the rotation. The flavor or sweet steakish beef and the saltiness from the sauce were a nice combination. I did double the sauce because I was using a little more meat than it called for. Also, the longer you can leave it in the slow cooker the better it is...just starts getting more tender with every passing minute.

Unfortunately, that's about all that went as planned last week so I am using the same groceries I had from last week to make meals for this week. Please tell me I am not the only one this happens to?!

Monday: Taco Salad

Tuesday: Chicken Spaghetti

Wednesday: Dinner at church

Thursday: Ribs

Friday: BLT's

Saturday: Steaks and smashed potatoes

Sunday: Out

Monday Morning Menu Planning

It's a new week and hopefully I am leaving a violent stomach bug back in last week. Makes it a little difficult to plan for delicious food!

Nonetheless....

Monday- We're clearing out the leftovers from the last few days for lunch today. Then we will do a Dad's Choice meal for dinner tonight. It's Bruce's birthday so we are letting him pick something he enjoys eating for our meal.

Tuesday- Dinner will be Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef and rice. This is a new recipe for me so I make no promises! I'll let you know how my family likes it.

Wednesday- We have church dinners so I am at the mercy and blessing of whatever the sweet kitchen ladies make us!

Thursday- Taco Salad

Friday- Chicken Spaghetti

Saturday- Instant Pot Ribs Again...a new recipe for us....and I have to say that unless something takes him away, Bruce will probably be making these. He seems to love to make good meaty new recipes and since he's been brave enough to actually use the instant pot and had extreme success...he gets my vote! Side dishes...potato salad and green beens.

Sunday- Out to Eat

That's our menu and we're sticking to it!

Easy Crockpot Ribs Recipe

If you are looking for something super easy to make for dinner, check out this yummy rib recipe:

Ribs (I used 2 packages of boneless pork ribs)
2 quarts apple juice (or enough to cover the ribs in the crockpot)

Place the thawed ribs in the crockpot. Cover generously with apple juice. Set crockpot on medium for 4-6 hours. They will be close to falling apart. Using tongs, take them out of the crockpot and place on a cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 350. Slather those ribs in your favorite BBQ sauce and place them in the oven to crisp up a bit. About 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and enjoy the goodness.

January Meal List

We spend too much money eating out.

And times are a changin' round here. 

So that can only mean one thing....Momma's meal planning. 

And it's nothing fancy...but if you're a little like me and sometimes just thinking of something different to eat can be the challenge, then take a look and maybe grab a few ideas for January's dinners. 

I am listing these in no particular order. The goal is that we will only eat out once a week. And even though that is still around $150-$200 a month, if you only knew how much we ate out in 2015 you would understand that this is way LESS and you might even give me a fist pump. I'd love to hear what's cooking at your house. Let me know and I might even include it in my February line up. I'll also let you know if anything is a flop...because let's face it...I haven't cook 26 meals in a month ever in my life so I am anticipating that at some point there's a slight chance I will fix something that does not pass the edible test. Don't worry....PB and J is a staple in this house. No one will starve. 

Happy Planning!

1. Spaghetti

2. Lasagna

3. Pizza

4. Tacos

5. Chili

6. Chicken Spaghetti

7. Broccoli Rice Chicken Casserole

8. Roast, Potatoes, Carrots, Onions

9. Hot Dogs

10. BBQ

11. Potato Soup

12. Breakfast 

13. Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

14. Hamburger Helper - don't judge

15. Turkey Roast

16. Sausage

17. Brisket Tacos

18. Chicken Pot Pie

19. Fettuccine Alfredo

20. Baked Ziti

21. Stew

22. Stuffed Peppers

23. Teriyaki Chicken

24. Grilled hamburgers

25. Crockpot Ribs

26. Nachos Supreme

I will add veggies and salads and the occasional roll or cornbread. If I come across some recipe that is revolutionary I'll be sure to share! 

Menu monday

The big hit last week was the new roast recipe we tried. I added potatoes and carrots and an onion and it was pretty yummy.

This week on menu is...

Monday- sausage, green beans, pasta salad

Tuesday- chicken spaghetti

Wednesday- potato soup

Thursday- chicken pot pie

Friday- breakfast for dinner (brinner)

Happy eating!

Menu Monday

I'm back at it...after week one of successfully eating at home and trying a few new recipes...the verdict is in....they liked everything I cooked and I've got a few new recipes that I'll be cooking again.

This is what I'll be cooking this week...

Monday- Baked Ziti, Salad, roasted carrots and zucchini

Tuesday- Roast, potatoes, carrots and onions

Wednesday- Pizza

Thursday- Chili, Rice

Friday- Chili Dogs and Potato Salad

Weekends are for leftovers, sandwiches and at least one (more like 2) meals out. Someone asked me about breakfast and I'll just be honest....the kids eat cereal and I eat a whole grain cinnamon raisin English muffin every.single.morning. Yes, we're boring. Lunch usually consists of leftovers or soup or sandwiches.

Last week I made this yummy fruit dip for our small group and was surprised when none of the ladies had ever made it...so I am sharing it with you just in case you haven't realized the awesomeness of cream cheese and marshmallow whip. There it is...that's the recipe. I use my mixer and mix a jar of marshmallow whip and a soften block of cream cheese. Mix until it is cream. Chill until you're ready to dunk your fruit in it....or eat it with a spoon. Yummy....I have found strawberries, grapes and pineapple are my favorite fruits to use with this dip.

Happy Eating!

Menu Monday

This week begins the new challenge of eating healthier at Casa Stinson...or at least not eating fast food 5 times a week. So here's what's cooking at our house...

Monday- Spaghetti (using Barilla's white fiber pasta) and salad (lite dressing)

Tuesday- Turkey Sausage, broccoli, pasta salad

Wednesday- Chicken Tortilla Soup

Thursday- Beef Stew

Friday- Staff Dinner (chicken and sides....forget eating healthy this meal...not happening)

Saturday- Smoked Turkey Breast, Corn, Green beans, Rice

Sunday- Leftovers

I'm linking up with other menu planners on orgjunkie.com ...check them out to take the boredom out of your dinners!

Happy Eating!

Day #21 Beautiful Comfort Food

The beauty of food...











I'm not a terribly good cook...I mean...I enjoy it, I'm adventurous...but let's just say, I'm pretty sure I've never made anything that looked as good as these pictures. Still, I love to see food displays that are creative and pleasing to the eye and taste...and maybe if I learned to be a little more creative with my display...my kids might eat more veggies!

We all find comfort in food. If nothing else it helps our belly quit growling like a band of wolves, but for most it's even more than that. A certain food might remind us of someone or a certain time in our lives. I can hardly eat a donut without thinking about all the Saturday morning's my dad would buy a dozen of Winn Dixie's hot and fresh bakery donuts. It's a sweet childhood memory that I have.

Then there's the smell of stinky cabbage and collard greens that reminds me of my Mimi. My grandmother passed on her love of all things southern to the rest of the family...I unfortunately don't like things that don't smell good while they're cooking. And by admitting that, I've lost some street cred in Georgia!

Those memories bring me some comfort. I think of the times shared with loved ones and the memories I have of the people I shared a meal with. But, real comfort food, only comes from God's Word...the Bread of Life. Real comfort doesn't know a perfect temperature, a pinch of this and that or more or less of anything. It's whole. Nothing lacking. Good for you. Everything you need to stay properly nourished in this life. It's the balanced meal your soul longs for...full of the nutrients that will help you grow into maturity.

So while my tummy might be rumbling for some apple cobbler and a scoop of homemade vanilla, my soul longs for the words found in the Bible. It's always fresh and ready.

Fall Casserole

In hopes of persuading autumn out of her shell, this casserole was dished up at our house this week. Anytime vegetables are involved and the kids ask for seconds, it's worth posting.

LAZY SUNDAY CASSEROLE

I changed it up a little bit by using a pre-made Italian seasoning packet and adding corn to the veggie mix. The aroma that filled the house while the veggies were cooking was delicious. Once the sausage was added, the smokey-goodness ...well, just make the casserole, you'll get the idea!

The More Better Brownie

I have a confession. Until one week ago I had never made homemade brownies. I just figured Betty Crocker was good enough and that was that. I tasted other brownies at church socials and  birthday parties and had never had a brownie that tasted that much better than Betty's so I just figured I'd stick with what I know.

Until last week, when I was craving something chocolaty and didn't want to go to the store. So, I thought I would just look up a recipe and see what ingredients I had on hand to make something that would satisfy my desire for some sweet goodness.

And now I will never buy Betty's brownie box again....sorry Betty.

Here's a link to the more better brownie than Betty... (Go ahead...click that last sentence...you know you want to...

I knew they were good the first time I made them, but last night after dinner when Savannah asked me to make them again...and Bruce and Tucker chimed in that they were the best brownies ever....That did it for me!

Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Meal Plan for Wk of Jan 20

Well...here we go. This week is going to be crazy because we are having some interior painting done and my guys are out of town until Wednesday afternoon....but Savannah and I still have to eat so we've made a special meal plan while they are gone...(her favorites).

Monday- Leftover Spaghetti
Tuesday- Homemade pizza
Wednesday- Eat at the church
Thursday- Chicken Spaghetti
Friday- Corn Dogs (for the kids)
             Date Night (Bruce and Gina)
Saturday- Sausage/Potatoes/Onions with green beans and salad

Nothing exciting at all...except date night!!!

Easy TN BBQ Recipe

A few (5) years back a generous couple in our church gifted us with a time share in Gatlinburg, TN for a week. Since TN is my birth state and I had been dying to get Bruce to spend some time there and convince him that there was a state as beautiful as Colorado, I was ecstatic! We decided to take two weeks off and got away to Chattanooga for one week and Gatlinburg the other. We booked for the first part of November and the leaves were at their prime, the temperature was perfect and Dollywood was already decked out for Christmas....what more could we ask for? Wanna see more? Look HERE


Good Food.

Yep. We made a pact before we left that we would eat at unique restaurants as much as we could. We hit up a place where we were introduced to the Chattagooey....a finger lickin' good sandwich with smoked pimento cheese....yummo! But, our favorite sandwich was this sweet TN BBQ sandwich we ate at a little whole in the wall place in Gatlinburg. Of course, it's a secret recipe, but here's my version...as close as I can get it to the real thing. And it's easy and delish!

Ingredients:

1 Pork Roast (boneless or not)
salt and pepper
1 cup brown sugar
2 onions chopped
Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce (Brown Sugar)

Place roast in slow cooker and add other ingredients except sauce. Cook on medium for 8 hours. Drain excess juice off meat and pull apart. Then return to slow cooker. Add 1 bottle of BBQ sauce. Cook for 1 more hour.

Assembly:

Green Bell Pepper- sliced
Onions- sliced
olive oil
Texas Toast

In a skillet, saute' peppers and onions in olive oil til very soft.

Bake bread according to package.

On one piece of bread, pile pork and top with onion and peppers. Top that with another piece of Texas toast.

I promise....you'll love it!

The To Do's

I've been wanting to make a home binder for a while...a central place where all things home related could be found. I began searching blogs and pinterest for free printables that might meet my needs and what do you know....I found everything I needed to get organized for the new year...at least on paper.

Bill Pay Schedule

Menu Planner

Weekly Goal Setting 

Really Cute Monthly Calendars

Family Contact Sheet

Monthly Cleaning 

Grocery Check List

52 Weeks to an Organized Home 

Customizable Cover Sheet

I found these sheets at Money Saving Mom and at The Organizing Home Life websites. I just went through and picked out the ones that I needed. There are many more printable sheets that I did not print out...budgeting, address sheets, chore charts...and more.

So, after a morning of getting the binder all together, I spent part of the afternoon making our favorite New Year Meal... Chili. I had some ripe bananas so I made some homemade banana bread to put in the freezer for a rainy day. Bruce is feeling under the weather still so the kids and I hung out in the den watching Christmas movies and playing games. I'm loving this break from all things routine!

Happy New Years Day! 

How We're Spending New Year's Eve

Bruce declared this New Year's Eve "family night" so we are all hunkered down for some Fruit Ninja on the Xbox, some computer time, some TV watching (still have 30 unwatched Hallmark movies from the holidays to watch) and some good food.

The kids started their day playing a new online game they've discovered:

Bruce started the day quarantined to the back of the house that we are lovingly calling "sick hall". He's feeling better now, but I really can't pass up an opportunity to share a great picture:

I started the day out with a few loads of laundry and inbetween I sat down to read all about onions...yes...I'm thinking gardening already

Then on to way more appetizing things:

And to wrap up the night....the best pizza in town

Can you smell all that yummy goodness?

As the year closes and another one welcomes us...I'm finding myself reflecting on the things that God has allowed our family to experience in 2012. Whether good or bad, He's always in the process of making me new...better...more like Him. I'm thankful, eternally for the work He's accomplishing and humbled by the beauty and truth that He desires to use ordinary, sinful, redeemed people to worship Him, serve Him, and draw men and women to Him. What an amazing gift to give Him when we can abandon ourselves and totally surrender to Him!

Welcomed

Last night our church welcomed us as the new pastor's family....and of course that means there was food...lots of good food. After church we gathered in the Family Life Center for finger foods...and well...here you go:

Pam Carter of The Catering Company and The Lodge in Commerce is also a member of our church and a friend...she made all the sweets at the celebration. In her words....she's never sliced and served a cake so fast....it was delicious! Each layer was a different flavor.....red velvet, carrot, white and marble...with butter cream icing. Yummmmmmmyyyy! My kids loved that they each had their own custom layer!

It was such special time of fellowship and getting to know our church family a little bit better. They've been so good to us over the last three years...and yet again last night. 

Thanks CBC for making us feel welcomed again!

I Scream - You Scream - We All Scream

For several years I have wanted to have porch parties. The kind where on any given summer evening I post on Facebook or text friends or call family to join us for an informal dessert party. I'm finally in a house with a great back porch and yard and now....I have this Ice Cream, Sorbet and Frozen Yogurt Maker....well, I've paid for it...I'm waiting for delivery now....impatiently, I might add.

I've pinned no less than 3 jillion ice cream recipes on pinterest. Here's a sampling:

Source: thepastryaffair.com via Gina on Pinterest

Source: cherryteacakes.com via Gina on Pinterest

Source: sugarandspice-celeste.blogspot.com via Gina on Pinterest

Source: weheartit.com via Gina on Pinterest

I can't tell you how glad I am to finally be putting feet to this sweet time of friendship and fellowship. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you on my back porch this summer...don't dress up...and wear something cool...'cause this IS Texas and even ice cream can't beat the heat completely!

What's your favorite flavor of ice cream? Do you like frozen yogurt or sorbet better than ice cream? Got any good recipes? Feel free to give me some feedback on your homemade goodness experiences!

Menu Plan- February 13 to February 19

Hey Good lookin' whatcha got cookin'?  (Tribute to my mom who sang this little tune when I was a child)

Here's what's cooking at our house this week:

Monday: MANwich (Bruce is cooking), Chips

Tuesday: Spaghetti (Savannah is cooking), Salad, bread

Wednesday: Hotdogs, potato salad, brownies

Thursday: Roast, Potatoes, Carrots, Onions, Salad, Bread

Friday: Sour Cream and Bacon Crockpot Chicken-  Recipe HERE , green beans, whole grain pasta salad

Saturday: Chili, Rice and Cornbread

Sunday: One Meal Out, One Meal Leftovers

Menu Plan February 6-12

We've got a few things going on this week so....our big meals are going to bookend our week.

Monday: Beef Stroganoff ...get the recipe HERE. Served with Whole grain pasta and green beans.

Tuesday: Chicken Strips, Pineapple, Broccoli

Wednesday: Pizza

Thursday: Chili Dogs, Sweet Potato Fries

Friday: Out of Town...Dinner provided

Saturday: Spaghetti, Garlic Bread

Sunday: Out

What's cookin' this week at your house?

Lemon-Raspberry Pie

I made this pie this week:

Source: thimbleanna.com via Gina on Pinterest

Here's the recipe:

Raspberry Lemon Pie

1 (10-oz.) package frozen red raspberries in syrup, thawed (I couldn't find the ones in their own syrup so I just added 1 cup sugar to the package and let it make it's own syrup...it worked perfectly)

1 T. cornstarch

3 egg yolks

1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup ReaLemon lemon juice from concentrate 

1 (6-oz.) packaged graham cracker crumb pie crust

Whipped Topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small saucepan, combine raspberries and cornstarch; cook and stir until thickened and clear. In medium bowl, beat egg yolks; stir in sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice. Pour into crust; bake 8 minutes. Spoon raspberry mixture evenly over top. Chill 4 hours or until set. Spread with whipped topping and serve.

Meal Plan for January 30-February 5

Almost forgot to get my meal plan posted for this week. Here it is:

Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: Chicken Sandwiches and Sweet Tater fries
Wednesday: Pizza
Thursday: Salisbury Steak, Pasta and Italian Green Beans
Friday: Baked Potato Bar
Saturday: Chicken Strips, Mac N Cheese, Salad
Sunday: Out

Not too fancy this week!