Monday Menu

If you're like me, making a meal plan isn't really the problem...it's actually executing the meal plan that seems the most difficult part! Our schedules change, things get eaten out of the pantry that were key ingredients for a recipe or I get lazy.

Nonetheless, it's Monday, so I'm putting my best foot forward and making a plan this week. 

Monday- Speghetti

Tuesday- Wild Beast Feast at church

Wednesday- Dinner at church

Thursday- Mexican (out)

Friday- Homemade Pizza

Saturday- Sausage, Mac and Cheese, green beans

What's on your menu this week?

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

Menu Monday

Hope your week is off to a great start....Here's what's cooking at our house this week:

Monday- White Chicken Enchilada Bake

Tuesday- Baked Ziti

Wednesday- Chicken Alfredo Bake

Thursday- Cilantro Lime Chicken

Friday- Slow Cooker Chicken

I used the recipes from A Passion for Savings. She has the grocery list already made for you, the recipes and the directions if you want to make ahead and freeze. Super resource!

By the way, I made the Teriyaki Beef and Broccoli over the weekend....and it was fantastic...served it over rice. 

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!

Potato Soup...the New Fashioned Way

If you're looking for something yummy this New Year's Eve....this is an easy, delicious, throw in the crockpot soup. A friend told me about it before Christmas and I made it for my family....I doubled the recipe and it turned out just right to have enough for 2 meals and share with friends. 

Ingredients: 

1 30oz. bag of frozen diced hash browns
1 32 oz box of chicken broth
1 can of cream of chicken soup (10 oz)
1 pkg. cream cheese (8 oz, not fat free)
3 oz bacon bits
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
Put the potatoes in the crockpot. Add in the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup and half of the bacon bits. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until potatoes are tender.
An hour before serving, cut the cream cheese into small cubes. Place the cubes in the crock pot. Mix a few times throughout the hour before serving.
Once the cream cheese is completely mixed in, it's ready to serve.
Top with cheddar cheese and some additional bacon bits.

Snickerdoodles

I wasn't raised on this cookie..I tasted my first one in my early 20's (from scratch)  and then again I found it in my late thirties...I know... I am sure that you might have a made from scratch recipe that is awesome....but I've tasted Mammy's snickerdoodles....and nothing really compared to its awesomeness until... Last Christmas when I was making a quick pass through at Big Lots and came across this...and thought to myself....why not? For $1.67? Sure, I'll try it.  And here's what I found... A moist, chewy, delightful cookie.  I liked it so much I sent Bruce back for 6 boxes.  Is it Mammy's??? ....well of course not... nothing will be as good as that....but it's pretty close! Whipped up a batch today....aren't they pretty??? Sure wish you could smell their cinnamon fragrance! Now...Go get you some!

A Pinterest Success Story

This recipe just might be my new favorite. It's a great alternative to your regular green bean casserole. But just about 1,000 times better. I made it at Thanksgiving and it was a big hit!

Green Bean Corn Casserole

Rating: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Yield: 10-12 servings

Serving Size: --

--

--

Ingredients

• 3 cups buttery crackers (such as Ritz), crushed and divided in half
• 2 14-ounce cans French-style green beans, drained
• 1 14-ounce can shoe peg corn, drained
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 8-ounce container sour cream
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 stick melted butter

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Layer 1 1/2 cups of the crushed crackers in the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish.
3. Sprinkle the green beans evenly over the crackers, followed by the corn and then the onion.
4. Mix together the soup and sour cream. Spread over the green beans, corn and onions.
5. Sprinkle the cheese over the soup mixture and then top with the remaining cracker crumbs. Drizzle the butter over the crumbs. At this point, you can refrigerate the casserole (covered) overnight or bake immediately.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until the casserole is bubbly.

Thanks to www.live.charbroil.com for the yummy recipe! 

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!

Weekend Wrap Up

A quick wrap up of our week:

-We're in the throws of getting ready for VBS at the church. We have a recently hired Children's Director who has a fun week planned for the kids and we're looking forward to sharing God's love with our community next week.

- Savannah spent a day volunteering at the church. She and a friend washed every toy in the nursery. Between that and Taekwondo she's had a full week.

- Tucker's had a brief bout with poison ivy...it was caught in plenty of time so we didn't end up even having to go to the dr. Thank the Lord. Tucker remembers last year...and didn't want a shot in his backside!

- I tried this tip for fabric softening this week...and girlfriends...IT WORKS: (Click on Pic)

Source: matternfamily.com via Gina on Pinterest

- Bruce and I were treated to an evening out with some friends. We enjoyed the company and for me ...the adult conversation!

- I was deeply moved...and convicted...and burdened by THIS ARTICLE this week. I can't really explain it...but maybe after reading it, you too, will have something to contemplate and later act on.

- I tried this recipe off interest and I can't even describe in words how good it is! Try it!

Source: recipebyphoto.com via

A Little Cheesy

Yesterday I had the blessing of speaking at our community wide Widow to Widow group. The group meets every other month at various locations and shares lunch, fellowship and a short devotion. I really enjoyed getting to know these ladies and hearing their vision for a broader ministry in our county.

As I said, we shared a meal. One of the ladies had made the best pimento cheese sandwiches and as she gathered her dishes from the buffet table to go home, I nearly knocked her over to find our the recipe. (Sorry, Mrs. Sue) So, here's her secret recipe for the best pimento cheese in the universe:

1. Small container of Prices Pimento Cheese Spread already prepared (see, you like this recipe already)

2. One small container of whipped cream cheese

3. Handful or 1/2 c. pecans (optional)

Mix the pimento cheese and the whipped cream cheese 50/50

Add pecans if desire.

That's it.

Well, she did trim the crust of the fresh white bread, just like any good grandma would do...but truly, I don't think it influenced the taste!

Go....now....make yourself some!

Enjoy!

Menu Monday

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

Monday: Little Cesar's Pizza (hold your applause)

Tuesday: Fajitas and grilled corn (good deal at Wal-mart on fresh corn...you should get some)

Wednesday: Hot Dogs, Chips

Thursday: Spaghetti, Salad

Friday: BLT's, Pasta Salad

Saturday: Grilled Steaks, Potatoes, Veggies

Sunday: Leftovers

Homemade Goal- I am making a goal of baking our bread this week. THIS is the recipe I'm making.

Lunches- Sandwiches, Leftovers and any leftover easy meals from school year (Ramen Noodles, Easy-man, Lunchables, Frozen lunch meals) I'm trying to move some food out of the pantry and freezer!

Breakfast- Cereal, Poptarts, fruit, breakfast bars.

What's cookin' at your house?

Meal Plan Week of January 13

Here's our meal plan for this week. We're eating out of the freezer this week for the most part. I have most of these items on hand so that should make my weekly trip to the store much quicker and cheaper.

Breakfast Options:

Oatmeal

Blueberry Muffins

Pigs in a Blanket

Cereal

Lunch:

Sandwiches

Baked Chips or Pretzels

Snack- for kids

Fruit

Dinner:

Meal 1- Turkey Sausage with onion and bell pepper, Green beans, Mac n Cheese

Meal 2- Homemade Spaghetti in Meat Sauce, Salad, Rolls

Meal 3- Chicken, Rice, Broccoli Bake, Salad

Meal 4- Pizza

Meal 5- Chili Dogs, Potato Salad

What's cookin' at your house this week?

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! 

Sunday Dinner

I don't cook on Sundays....at least that's been the norm for the last 19 years. With being in ministry it's not been a priority to cook a home cooked meal on Sundays, instead, we usually grab lunch with someone after church and let someone else do the cooking. It's worked for us.

But this past week I actually did some meal planning and decided it was high time my family saw a vegetable, so I planned the traditional pot roast meal for Sunday. I threw everything (Roast, seasonings, red potatoes, onion and carrots) in the crock pot on Saturday night and programed it to start slow cooking at 4am.

By the time I got up on Sunday morning the delicious smell was wafting through the house. I started some yeast rolls to rising and left for church at 8am.

When we got home from church at 12:30, the roast was done, I boiled some corn on the cob, put the rolls in the oven for 20 minutes and TA-DA! Our meal was ready. Nothing to it....except some
planning.

The meal was delicious and my family raved about how good it was. Tucker acted like he had never had a home cooked meal in his life and cleaned his plate with no hesitation. That's a miracle in itself.

So, while I'm not ready to commit to an every Sunday cooking contract, I will say it was very nice to come home and eat a nice Sunday dinner....and did I mention....I even got a little nap? Maybe that's the reason this idea is sounding better and better....

Do you have a favorite slow cooker meal? I'd love to have a few other easy go-to recipes for the crock-pot. Leave me a comment if you've got something yummy!

Best Baked Beans Ever in the World...Seriously...For Real

Best Baked Beans Ever...