I will be handing over the kitchen reigns to my husband this week. I am going out of town for almost two whole weeks and without the kids; I am so excited! Whatever will I do? I am sure my husband will do fine without me, in fact I know he will, but as for following a menu plan, well thats a different story. I will go ahead and make a menu plan for him, but I will not hold my breath. I am predicting lots of spaghetti in the kids near future. I pre-cooked meatballs and froze them last week, so I will keep it simple by having him use some pre-cooked items. My in-laws are also coming to visit while I am gone. It wasn't planned this way - or wait...maybe they think I am crazy...lol...no, seriously, my Sister-in-law just had a beautiful baby boy and my husbands mom and step-dad are stopping by after they see the baby. I guess it was just bad timing. I am going to an Army Family Action Plan Conference in San Antonio, which is fully funded by good ole Uncle Sam. Did I say I was excited?
Some items you may recall from last weeks menu, but there were a few things that were pushed to the side because we decided to grill hamburgers twice - yes, they were that good!
Monday - Sloppy Joes, Frozen French Fries
Tuesday - Hot Dogs, French Fries, and veggie
Wednesday - Tri-colored tuna noodle casserole
Thursday - Macaroni Noodles, with tomato soup and cheese
Friday - Crock-Pot Pinto Beans and rice
Saturday - Shredded Chicken Taco's, Homemade tortillas, rice, black beans
Sunday - Make Ahead Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes and Lower Cal Graddsas Cream Sauce
Empowering YOU to Live a Healthier Happier More Confident Life.
My Very 1st Blog Award!
I am so honored to receive my very first blog award from Nancy @ Basketmaster's Weavings.
Not quite knowing what to do with a blog award, I will just follow along with Nancy and nominate 5 blogs for this award. These are a few of my favorite blogs. Some make me drool, some inspire me to cook, some make me wonder how I survive each day being so unorganized, and some make me SWEAT.
I absolutely love the Homesick Texan, and not just because I am a little biased being a homesick Texan myself, but because she shares wonderful recipes that remind me of why I love my home state so much!
Jamie over at My Baking Addiction, has the most perfect photos of treats that will have you wipeing your chin.
Again with the food...my true passion! Check out Thibeault's Table to drool some more.
Orgjunkie is a great all around blog for organizing meal plans as well as your home. I love it!
Last but definitly not least, one of my new favorite fitness blogs, Body Rock. Zuzana will have you shredding pounds in only 20 minutes a day and with free workouts posted all the time, who can complain? Well, workout out is painful, so I guess its okay to complain :)
Devil's Food Cake White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
I do want to note the odd color of these cookies. They have a reddish brown tint to them, which to some may not be desirable. If your not scared of a reddish brown cookie, try these and your mouth will thank you. they stay soft and rich days after you make them.
I modified this recipe from the original found on Allrecipes by using devil's food Jell-o Pudding, white chocolate chips, and macadamia nuts.
2 1/4 Cups Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 lb Butter, or 2 sticks
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup White Sugar
1 pkg Devil's Food Instand Pudding mix
2 Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 Cup Macadamia Nuts, chopped
1 1/2 Cups White Chocolate Chips
Cream Butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Mix in pudding; Add eggs one at a time, add vanilla and mix till combined. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Add flour mixture to cookie dough until combined. Mix in nuts and chocolate chips. Batter will be thick.
Drop by *spoonfulls onto parchment or Silpad lined cookie sheets. Bake at 350* for 10 minutes. They will get a little firmer as they cool.
*Use a small or medium spring loaded cookie scoop to make it go faster.
Yields approx 60 small cookies or 30 large cookies
Free Coffee @ Starbucks Thursday 04/15/2010
To those of you who read this post earlier today (wednesday), I apoligize. I posted the wrong date for the free coffee. I think I was just really excited :)
~Jen
Make Ahead Meatballs (Great for OAMC)
Make Ahead Meatballs
These can be made as large or small as you prefer. They are wonderful in spaghetti sauce, with Graddsas Cream Sauce, or Stroganoff Sauce. The recipe is easily doubled or tripled to make larger batches.
2.5 lbs ground beef
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Bread Crumbs (about 1/4 cup, add more if needed)
1/4 cup warm water (this makes the meatballs juicier)
1 Tbsp Worchestershire Sauce
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Drizzle a little olive oil in a pan, add onions and saute until golden and opaque. Add garlic and cook two more minutes. Do not burn the garlic. Set to the side and allow to cool.
In a large bowl, combine meat, spices, egg, breadcrumbs, worchestershire sauce, warm water, and onion garlic mixture; mix well with hands. Preheat oven to 400*. Using small 1 " ice-cream/cookie scoop, roll into balls and place onto cookie sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes depending on the size of meatballs. Yields approx 60 - 1" meatballs.
To Freeze: Place cooled meatballs into plastic freezer bags, label and store.
Menu Plan Monday 4/12 - 4/19
The menu plan is late as usual. The husband says I will be late to his funeral too. I have a tendency to either be late or to wait until the very last minute. I am still working on this bad habit and will likely be working on it for the rest of my life.
Yesterday I scored about 10 lbs of uncooked ground beef patties at Safeway for only $1 a package. Needless to say, I took all of them. The meat ended up being less than $1 a pound. Thats madness! So, I made up *meatballs, master meat mix, and left a few in the package for hamburgers since they are already formed and ready to grill.
Head over to orgjunkie to see more great menu plans and recipes.
*Meatballs
2.5 lbs ground beef
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Bread Crumbs (about 1/4 cup, add more if needed)
1/4 cup warm water (this makes the meatballs juicier)
1 Tbsp Worchestershire Sauce
Sauteed onion (1, diced) and garlic (2, diced)
Drizzle a little olive oil in a pan, add onions and saute until golden and opaque. Add garlic and cook two more minutes. Do not burn the garlic. Set to the side and allow to cool. In a large bowl, combine meat, spices, egg, breadcrumbs, worchestershire sauce, warm water, and onion garlic mixture; mix well with hands. Preheat oven to 400*. Using small ice-cream/cookie scoop, roll into balls and place onto cookie sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes depending on the size of meatballs. Yields approx 60 - 1" meatballs.
Yesterday I scored about 10 lbs of uncooked ground beef patties at Safeway for only $1 a package. Needless to say, I took all of them. The meat ended up being less than $1 a pound. Thats madness! So, I made up *meatballs, master meat mix, and left a few in the package for hamburgers since they are already formed and ready to grill.
Head over to orgjunkie to see more great menu plans and recipes.
- Macaroni Noodles with Tomato Soup and Cheese (cooked noodles mixed with soup and melted slice cheese - the kids love it)
- Tortilla Soup
- Meatballs with Graddsas Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Peas
- Chili Cheese Hot Dogs, Sweet Potato Fries
- Tri-colored Tuna Noodle Casserolle
- Crispy Beef Taco's, Rice, Black Beans
- Cranberry Oat Bars (cheerios)
*Meatballs
2.5 lbs ground beef
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Bread Crumbs (about 1/4 cup, add more if needed)
1/4 cup warm water (this makes the meatballs juicier)
1 Tbsp Worchestershire Sauce
Sauteed onion (1, diced) and garlic (2, diced)
Drizzle a little olive oil in a pan, add onions and saute until golden and opaque. Add garlic and cook two more minutes. Do not burn the garlic. Set to the side and allow to cool. In a large bowl, combine meat, spices, egg, breadcrumbs, worchestershire sauce, warm water, and onion garlic mixture; mix well with hands. Preheat oven to 400*. Using small ice-cream/cookie scoop, roll into balls and place onto cookie sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes depending on the size of meatballs. Yields approx 60 - 1" meatballs.
Menu Plan Monday 4/05 - 4/11 (Leftover Ham Options)
I am so thankful for the beautiful spring weather we have been having. My skin has been in serious need of a little color, so the recent warmer weather has me feeling tanner, refreshed and ready to tackle my fitness goals in full force. I have always been pretty active, not by choice, but by necessity. I have had to fight my weight pretty much my whole life, so I tend to go in fitness spurts. I am sure I am not the only person who does this. I know most of us tend to work out around the summer months in order to achieve what we believe is the "bathing suit body". Honestly, I wish our society would ditch the size zero actresses and bring in more real women, so women everywhere can quit trying to achieve the almost unachievable. Maybe with a personal trainer, a chef and the will power of knowing the papparazzi are waiting to snap the worst angle of you and post it in a National tabloid, we could achieve a television body too.
So, I am throwing around the idea of posting a weekly fitness challenge. I think it would benefit me to be accountable to something, but who knows. I have been running/walking more lately and would like to see myself start running more and walking less...but lets keep it real...I am mostly just interested in getting in shape, so my confidence will not dissipate when I have to disrobe at the pool. Enough about working out, let's get to the FOOD. Read on to see what were having for dinner this week and check out orgjunkie for more menu plans and recipes.
So, I am throwing around the idea of posting a weekly fitness challenge. I think it would benefit me to be accountable to something, but who knows. I have been running/walking more lately and would like to see myself start running more and walking less...but lets keep it real...I am mostly just interested in getting in shape, so my confidence will not dissipate when I have to disrobe at the pool. Enough about working out, let's get to the FOOD. Read on to see what were having for dinner this week and check out orgjunkie for more menu plans and recipes.
- Ham Potato Scallop (use leftover ham and potatoes)
- Three Cheese Spinach Homemade Tortellini with Lower Calorie Alfredo Sauce and ham (use leftover ham)
- 1-2-3 Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
- City Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans (family favorite)
- Ham Bone Something - not sure yet
- Saturday is BOGO Free day at Subway, so we'll be getting Linner (Lunch and Dinner) really cheap.
Easter Sunday Dinner ~ The Race to Get It All DONE!
I somehow always manage to procrastinate just enough to leave myself frantic right before holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. I am not sure why I do this, but I am starting to notice a trend. This Easter, I thought I was on top of things. I have most of the kids Easter basket items, which were picked up sporadically throughout the last few months. I found some stuffed animals at the dollar store, super cute Turtle Webkins at the grocery store, and I even picked up plastic eggs and fake grass....BUT drumroll please....I forgot to get the Candy! You have got to be kidding me. Of all the things to forget; Shesh! I am also finding myself freaking out internally over the fact that tomorrow is Easter and the only thing I have precooked is the lemon curd for the Lemon Truffle Cake I plan to make. I have all the ingredients (I think), but for some strange reason I just spaced that tomorrow is the big day. Were celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, so why is it so difficult to remember what day that is? I am now rushing to get it all done. Luckily I have the most amazing husband who does the dishes I so quickly go through in the kitchen. There is still alot to be done to get the food ready for tomorrow. The eggs have not even been dyed yet. So, yes, I am freaking out. Wondering how I will get it done - deep breathing and lots of it? My menu for tomorrow consists of glazed ham, scalloped potatoes, glazed carrots, baked Parmesan asparagus, homemade rolls - thank goodness my husband is the bread baker, and he has already whipped up rolls this morning - and Lemon Truffle Cake. My mouth is drooling as I am typing. YUM!
I am not sure how I will do my ham this year, but last year I simmered/reduced: cherry dr pepper, cherry juice, and can crushed pineapple for about 30 minutes, or until thickened; added the glaze packet and brushed on the ham. I also poked whole cloves into the ham.
What are you and your family having for Easter? Do you have any special traditions? What is your favorite holiday dish?
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