Evaporated milk substitution

Try this handy recipe using powdered milk and water as a substitute for evaporated milk. I used it in pumpkin pie and chess pie and it worked beautifully.

Evaporated Milk Substitute

Lemon "Citrus" Cookies

Lemon (citrus) Cookies

Yields: Approx 3-4 Dozen Small 2” Cookies

The recipe was revised from the original found in an All You Magazine because I did not have lemons or lemon juice on hand. I improvised with lemon extract, orange zest and orange juice and they turned out great.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 sticks Butter

1 ½ cups sugar

2 eggs

2 Tbsp Lemon extract (I used Dollar Tree extract, so this may not be as strong as a name brand)

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

1 Cups Powdered Sugar

1-2 tbsp lemon or orange juice(add 1 tbsp and stir. Consistency should be thick, yet runny.

1 Tbsp orange or lemon zest 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*

Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla, lemon extract and lemon or orange juice.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Slowly add flour to creamed mixture and mix until combined well.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto parchment lined ungreased cookie sheet. Space them out since they spread. Bake 7-10 minutes or until edges are lightly golden. Cool for one minute on baking sheet before removing to cookie rack. Allow cookies to cool before drizzling with frosting.

Combine frosting ingredients; place into a * decorator icing bag and drizzle cookies with frosting in a zig-zag fashion. 

*Use a plastic food storage bag to pipe frosting on cookies for easy cleanup.

New and Improved Shepherd's Pie

This recipe is still a work in progress, but I think I have managed to get the measurements right. It is a little labor intensive, but its well worth it. My girls always love it, as do I.

Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1.5 lbs ground beef (or 3 cups Master Meat Mix)

2 Tbsp Butter

2 Tbsp Flour

½ - 1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

½ tsp sugar

3 Tbsp Tomato Paste

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 cup red wine (not cooking wine), or dark beer (Guinness)

2 Cups Beef Stock

16 oz frozen vegetables (carrots, green beans, peas)

¼ tsp red pepper flakes, optional

Cheddar Cheese, for topping

6-7 cups mashed potatoes

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot (I prefer coated cast iron); add onions and sauté until opaque and golden. Add ground beef and brown; drain grease. Return meat to pan (If using meat mix see note below). Add garlic and sauté for a few more minutes to lightly sauté garlic. Make a well in the meat and drop in the butter. Stir flour into the butter and cook for a few minutes to make a roux. Add tomato paste and cook 2- 3 minutes to develop flavors. Pour in red wine and simmer for 2 minutes. Add stock, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Bring to a low simmer until thickened (about 10 minutes). Add vegetables and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 400*. Pour meat and vegetable mixture into a 9*13 dish. Cover with prepared mashed potatoes. Sprinkle potatoes with cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes; just to melt cheese and heat dish.

*If using precooked master meat mix: Heat large pot and add in thawed meat mix, or thaw in pot. Once warm, make a well in the meat. Drop in butter and flour and make roux. Continue with the recipe as directed above.

This dish freezes well.

40 Day Fast, confessions of a Facebook junkie

My wonderful Church is encouraging us to participate in a 40 day fast of some sort. Weither it is from food, or television, sports, or anything that takes our time and focus away  from God. God tells us, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21). I have to be honest, is my treasure really in Jesus, or does it lie with worldy desires, ambitions, accumulations of things, status, acceptance...I know I believe in Jesus Christ with all of my mind, my soul and my spirit, but I keep finding myself busy with other unimportant tasks: the laundry, shopping, facebooking, watching television, and just all around busyness. Satan wants us to stay busy, so we dont focus on our relationship with God. He doesnt care if we are actively serving God, as long as our relationship with God suffers. When we do not spend time in God's word and in prayer, we loose the intimacy of our relationship with God. It is not he who gets further away, it is us - we are the ones who keep walking away from God. The Lord speaks to us through his word and through prayer. He renews our spirits and gives us a purpose to keep moving forward.

So, for this 40 day fast I have decided to give up my obsession with Facebook. I am also limiting my television each night and we have started family Bible study in the evening. I can NOT say that my treasure is in my children, IF I do not step up and make my children a priority. If what I beleive in Christ is authentic, they need to know him and love him - we need to be pouring God's word into them and spending time with them. This has always been a difficult thing for me. I show my love for my children by cooking for them, cleaning and taking care of them. I am not a touchy feely person - although I am extremely emotional. But, God doesnt make mistakes. He put these children, with their personalitys in my life to help me to grow and learn. I will no longer make television a priortiy over my children. When I am old and grey, i will not care if I missed "Grey's Anatomy," or "House," or any other prime time show for that matter. What will matter is my children and their relationship with God and with myself and their father. These are the relationships that matter; not "I Carly", "SpongeBob" or any other Disney show. God is radically changing me and my family. I pray he will give me the strength to continue, the desire to always persue him, the wisdom to know how to deal with situations, and the Grace to do it all well.

Blessings,

Jen

Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Drumroll please....here it is folks. My jambalaya recipe. Its simple, delicious and oh so fattening. Enjoy!

1 Cup Olive Oil (1/4 + 3/4)

1 lb smoked sausage, slice in half discs

2 Cups of boiled and pulled chicken

1 Can Rotel, undrained

2 Bell Peppers, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 staulks celery, chopped

3 Cups raw uncooked rice

6 cups chicken broth

1 - 3 tsp Cajun Seasoning (Tony Sacherones)

1 tsp dried thyme

pinch pepper

Boil and debone chicken; set aside. In a heavy duty large pot, heat 1/4 cup olive oil; saute sausage in oil for a few minutes. Remove sausage and set aside. Saute onion, bell pepper, and celery until soft; add in garlic and saute for a few minutes longer. Combine the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a simmer; cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Stir halfway during cooking time. Serve with cajun seasonings for those who like to "kick it up a notch!"


*Make your chicken stock stronger by adding onion peels, carrots and celery to it. Do not add salt to your broth. The cajun seasoning has a lot of salt.

How-to Freeze Chopped Jalapeno's

Do you have any jalapeno's about to go bad? Don't you dare through them away. Chop them up and freeze them. Heres the 411...

First, slice off the tops and discard. Slice jalapeno in half and then remove the seeds using a spoon (i recommend wearing gloves, and then just the best tool God gave us; your hands!)Slice into strips and then finely chop.

Place chopped jalapeno's onto a cookie sheet or other flat surface and put it into the freezer for about an hour.

Once frozen, scrape them into a freezer bag, label and place into the freezer. Use in chili, salsa, or whenever you need chopped jalapeno's

Chipotle lime sauce for Fish Taco's

During our day trip to Tybee Island, we at "Sting Rays" for lunch. My husband had the fish tacos and I enjoyed the fish sandwich. The tacos were served with a wonderful spicy chipotle sauce and we both fell in love. I think we ate it with everything...Fries, sandwich, tacos...yum! After browsing some recipes, I decided to try replicating the restaurants sauce. I think I came pretty close. This sauce is spicy, tangy, sweet and just awesome.

3-4 chipotle peppers
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mayo (olive oil 1/2 fat)
10 dashes franks hot sauce
Dash cumin
Dash chili pepper
4 Tbsp lime juice

In a food processor, combine chipotle peppers, yogurt, mayo, hot sauce, cumin, chili pepper, and 2 tablespoons lime juice. Puree, scrape sides and puree until smooth. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice if sauce is still thick. Save in a jar and refrigerate until ready to use. Great on fried or  grilled fish tacos.

Gingered honeydew salad

After sampling this refreshingly intriguing salad at Publix, I had to have more. Publix gives you the recipe, but I modified it a little, and wanted to share. I know it sounds strange, but the flavors really work well.

1 honeydew, cut into bite sized pieces
4 kiwi, sliced and quartered
2 cups Ginger ale
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 cup coconut
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Place kiwi and honeydew into a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine Ginger ale, ginger, coconut, and sesame seeds; stir. Pour over honeydew and Lewis; stir to combine. Serve or refrigerate for later use.

The first day of school

Ah, the first day of school. The birds are chirping, the sun is shining and all is quiet in the Wood house. Its a kind of somber silence, one I love, yet somewhere inside it makes me a little sad. A little lonely. Yet, at the same time so psyched because I can get some things done around the house without being interrupted every 30 minutes with, "mom, im hungry," or "mom, can I ....," or "mom, Payton's being mean." Sometimes hearing "mom" makes me want to scream. But then, there are those moments when my daughters give me a hug and say, "mom, your the best mom ever". That's what makes it all worth it. So, im going to embrace the kids first day of school and take in some nature outside before it gets too hot - who am I kidding - its always too hot in Georgia in August.

Menu plan monday 7/25/11

My menus are going to be on the lighter side over the next few weeks, since the hubby had dangerously high levels of triglicerides, cholesteral, etc. We could all stand to eat better and lose a few pounds, so my focus wil be on more vegetables and less refined carbs, pastas, etc.

Monday - minestrone soup and salad
Tuesday - leftovers
Wednesday - baked salmon, frozen vegetables, brown rice
Thursday - chicken spaghetti, salad
Friday - back to school sleep over - hot dogs, chips, cupcakes
Saturday - tomato soup, grilled cheese
Sunday - roast chicken, potatoes, carrots

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - chicken noodle soup
Tuesday - black beans, corn, rice bowl
Wednesday - slow cooker chicken tortilla soup
Thursday - tomato basil soup, grilled cheese
Friday - chicken enchiladas, rice
Saturday - grilled pork chops, pasta salad
Sunday - Shepard's pie
Monday - roasted chicken, potatoes, carrots

New Juicer! Pulp Love! AND...Carrot Pulp Chicken Salad

My Dad gave me a juicer when I went home to visit for a few days and I am in LOVE. I have always wanted a juicer, but never wanted to "buy" one. This is the best gift - and it was FREE. I must get my thriftiness from my Dad, because he - shhhhh don't tell anyone - likes to dumpster dive for broken stuff at Bed Bath and Beyond. I am amazed at all the stuff he has managed to find. I wish I were gutsy enough to do it. I usually stick to the paper recycling dumpsters and my husband is the one who does the dirty work. My excuse? I'm too short ;) My only complaint about the juicer is the cleanup. It does seem to be a little too much work to make a glass of juice, but my favorite part is the PULP. I love, love, love it! Fiber, nutrients, and taste. What more could you ask for? Well, chocolate, but that's besides the point. So, I just experimented with the carrot and celery pulp from this mornings juicing and the recipe turned out well. I do not have measurements, but i figured I would jot it down the ingredients here.

Carrot Pulp Chicken Salad

2 Large Cans Chicken, drained
Pulp from 2 celery staulks
Pulp from 2 carrots (use more or less)
Mayonnaise or miracle whip
Mustard
1/4 -1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp sweet relish
1/4 onion, chopped
hand full of chopped pecans



Tip: Freeze pulp into muffin tins. Once frozen, pop out and place in freezer bag. Thaw and use when needed or use fresh. 

Eagle Hammock RV Park (Kings Bay Naval Base, Georgia) and Cumberland Island

Walking trail through the woods

 

 

 

We stayed at Eagle Hammock RV park over Memorial weekend. It is lovely. They have clean showers, a family shower, free laundry, friendly staff, and a community room which has a TV and computer. The campground also has free wireless internet and cable hookups. The RV park is situated on a lake, filled with gators and other sorts of critters. Its definitely not a good place for swimming - unless of coarse, you have a death wish.  The historic town of St Marys is minutes away. Hop on the ferry for Cumberland island and see wild horses and amazing scenery. The ferry is pricey at 20 bucks a person, 14 for kids under 12. Make sure to call and make reservations. It was a lot of walking, but well worth it. Pictures to come...stay tuned.

Insanity workout - day 1

Managed to survive day 1 of Insanity. Its a high intensity cardio, plyometrics, balance, make you want to die, set of workout videos. I did many of the workouts when we were stationed in Maryland, but once we moved away, I didn't think the commute to Georgia was very feasible *giggle So, I did the next best thing - Nothing. I managed to stay busy and just kept putting off workouts. I did squeeze in a few runs -more like walks - and a few Jillian Michael's 30 day shreds, but overall my active lifestyle has consisted more of eating, cooking, did I say eating, cleaning, organizing, well trying to organize, driving kids around, driving pets to the vet, and the list goes on. By the time I get these things done, who wants to sweat? Seriously. Well, I am going to visit I my hometown in a few days and I am pretty sure this has kick started my fitness gung-ho-ness...is that a word? Well, it is now. Im now motivated to get moving and tone this body up for the sweet summer sunshine. I know it won't happen in three days, but I can do some damage in a week or two. I will never look like a fitness model; nor, do I want to try. My goal is to simply burn off the 5 lbs I put on over the last 6 months and tone up. Mainly so I can just feel better overall...my moods are always better when im doing high intensity cardio workouts. Guess those doctors DO know what they are talking about, eh? So, cheers to day 1. I did the Pure Cardio DVD. Tomorrow, if I can move, I will plan on doing the core cardio and balance or cardio abs. Im not sure yet. But, considering im already feeling the muscle pain monster in my body, tommorow is going to be a painful day. Push through it, right? We shall see.

Science Diet Rebate - Join the Pet Fit Challenge

Print out this rebate form to get a rebate on Science Diet dog food. Join the Pet Fit Challenge on petfit.com.
What a great deal!

Slow Cooker (Crock-Pot) Shredded BBQ Pork Sandwiches

Slow Cooker Shredded BBQ Pork

1 large pork roast
1/2 - 1 cup water (depending on how big your roast is)
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tbsp garlic flakes (or 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced)
1 tbsp dried onion
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

2 bottles BBQ sauce, garlic powder, black pepper and hamburger buns

Place pork roast and remaining ingredients into slow cooker. Cook on low for 12 hours; turning roast over after 6-8 hours. Allow to cool and shred; removing fat as you go. Roast can be placed in refrigerator overnight and shredded the next day. Place shredded pork back into clean slow cooker. Pour in enough bbq sauce to coat the meat. Sprinkle in a pinch of hot pepper flakes, a 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and fresh pepper.
Set slow cooker to low; serve when ready to eat. Serve on toasted hamburger buns.

*I like to use half hickory smoke and half spicy honey bbq sauce.

Corn Chowder and Creamed Corn Recipe

Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp bacon grease (or vegetable, canola, or olive oil)

12-16 oz frozen corn

4 Medium Potatoes, peeled and cubed (6 small)

1 Medium Onion, chopped finely

2 Cups Chicken Broth

4 Cups Water

2 Cups ½ and ½ (or 1 can evaporated milk)

2 Cans Creamed Corn (or, 3 cups homemade creamed corn - see below)

½ - 1 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Pepper

1 Tbsp Sugar

1/4 cup water mixed with 2 Tbsp cornstarch

Directions:

In heavy duty stockpot, heat bacon grease. Add onions and ½ tsp salt and Sauté until opaque and lightly golden. Pour in chicken broth, water, and ½ and ½, or evaporated milk. Add more salt if needed,  pepper, and sugar then bring liquid to a low simmer. Add potatoes and frozen corn and creamed corn. Simmer on med to low heat until potatoes are tender. Stir in cornstarch and water mixture and continue cooking for a few minutes to thicken up soup.

Creamed Corn

(original version, “Cream Corn Like No Other”, can be found @ AllRecipes)

Ingredients

12 – 16 oz frozen corn

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions

In a skillet over medium heat, combine the corn, cream, salt, sugar, pepper and butter. Whisk together the milk and flour, and stir into the corn mixture. Cook stirring over medium heat until the mixture is thickened, and corn is cooked through. Serve hot, or store in freezer for later use in Corn Chowder.

Senate Bean (Potato) Soup

Senate Bean (Potato) Soup

After soaking up the super amplified rays from the sun in Destin, Florida, my husband, kids, dad and step-mom, went goo goo over the .18 cent bean soup from McGuires Pub. Yes, I meant to write .18 cents! The soup was very thick and creamy. My version was not the same, but I liked it better. It’s somewhat of a cross between bean soup and potato soup. YUM!

Ingredients:

2 lb navy or northern beans, rinsed and soaked overnight; drain water

1 medium onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1-2 stalks celery, chopped

1 ham shank*, or pork neck bones

1 1/2 tsp salt

Water (Approx 8-9 cups – enough to cover beans and bone[s])

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/ 8 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Small Pinch nutmeg

2 Bay Leaf

2 medium sized russet potatoes, *mashed (about 2 cups mashed potatoes)

Directions:

Place beans in a large bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak overnight; Drain water and set aside. In a large stock pot, drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil; Sauté carrots, celery and onion in oil for 10 minutes – long enough to brown and develop flavors. Stir in garlic and cook 2 minutes. 


Pour in water; add salt, pepper, nutmeg, beans, and ham shank. Bring to a low simmer; cover; cook for 4 hours. When beans are tender, mash 1/3 beans, using a potato masher, to make a creamier texture.  Mix in mashed potatoes or potato flakes and simmer until thickened and creamy. Serve.

*Use a fork or knife to poke a few holes in potatoes. Place in microwave and cook for 5-10 minutes or until soft. Remove from microwave and let cool. Peel skin and mash potatoes; mixing in broth from the soup to make it creamy. Once creamy add to soup and stir well.

**Potato flakes can be substituted for mashed potatoes.

***DH likes this with more whole beans. I prefer the beans mashed.

New Addition To The Family

Well, it would seem we have a new addition to the family. Check out Miss Sydney. The hubby found her on his way home from work after seeing her sibling, who had already been run over, and noticing a light speck along the treeline. Lucky me. I am partially serious and partially not. How could I say no to those baby browns? I love animals, but boy it sure does add a lot more stress to my days. Were going on day 3 now and she is doing really well. She is a great puppy who loves to chew on EVERYTHING. She is already crate trained and is almost fully potty trained - we still have a few oopsies now and then when no one is watching her. And, oh bugger, she is a fast one. If you take your eyes off her for a second she can disappear. She looks like she has a lot of golden retriever in her, but I am not sure what else. She has white feet and a few more white spots on her. She is the cutest fluffiest puppy and she has the "fall in love" puppy smell too. What is it about babies and puppies? The smell so good. It must be God's way of suckering us into these situations. So, now our house is becoming more like a zoo. We have Izzy our german chow rescue, gracie marie our cat rescue and now we have sydney, our side of the road rescue. yay. I am curious to see how our camping trip is going to go in a few weeks with two dogs in a tiny pop-up camper. I am sure this is going to be a sight. I will make sure to post some pictures of the madness. I know it will be worth it. She is such a joy and she makes my spirit smile. I am not sure why she was brought into our lives, but God always has a plan, so I will embrace her and see where this adventure takes us. 

Kelloggs $10 Gas Card Rebate wyb Cereal

Kelloggs is offering a $10 gas giftcard by mail when you purchase 10 qualifying cereals. Combine this deal with Publix current BOGO deal on Crispix for some really cheap or free cereal.

Thanks, I Heart Publix!

Menu Plan Monday 3/28 - 4/5

The weather is not as lovely as it has been. It has been stormy or drizzling the last few days and apparently it is supposed to stick around for a few more days. I shouldnt complain since it keeps me inside and away from the stores; which means I spend less and get more done at home. I am so proud of myself. This weekend I managed to finish, not one, but two jean shoulder bags for my kiddos. I used leftover jean material and some scrap fabric to make the bag. I am not very inventive, so this was a big deal for me. To add to this, I am a huge procrastinator, and I tend to not finish things, so I was inthralled that I managed to focus long enough to finish something crafty. So now I can officially term myself "crafty" :) I guess its addicting cause now I want to make something else. I have been perusing the blogs looking at some of the great ideas out there, but we will see how long my interest lasts. This week I am going to try out a new recipe; Braised Short Ribs. I saw Anne Borrell make them a while back on Food Network and it looked easy enough; yet, looks like I slaved away in the kitchen making it. This post is linked up to orgjunkie.com. Check out Menu Plan Monday for more great ideas.

(Meatball Subs)

Monday – Crock-Pot Meatball Subs, leftover mac and cheese

Tuesday – Braised Short ribs, mashed potatoes, green beans

Wednesday – Speedy Slow Cooker Swiss Steak, Rice, Peppers and onions

Thursday – Crock-Pot Tortilla Soup

Friday – Leftovers

Saturday – Roasted Garlic Flat Iron Steak, Macaroni and cheese, green beans

(Chicken and Sausage Gumbo)

Sunday –   Chicken Gumbo

(Quinoa Vegetable Noodle Soup)

Monday - Taco’s, Beans and Rice

Tuesday - Quinoa Veg Noodle Soup, rolls


 

Menu Plan Monday 3/21/11 - Soup's On!

Spring has officially begun and my kids seem to be jumping the gun a little. This weekend temps were around 80, so they decided they wanted to live in the pool and freeze to death. They did not turn blue, so I assumed it was okay. The bugs continue to be in full force around here. I am told the gnats will disappear around May or so; thus, I will be praying for immunity from these little buggers because I am still itching away at my skin from their tiny bites. People must look at me and think "what is wrong with her?" Oh well, life goes on. Hopefully they realize I am not a freak, but if not then I guess I will  be known around here as "the itchy lady". This weekend I will be stepping out of my comfort zone and helping out with the youth ministry at church. I am scared, but excited. They are having a weekend event at the church where kids will get to stay locally at host homes. I am glad God is helping me to finally plug in and get involved. I really need to feel like I am contributing  the the Kingdom of God. I know God doesn't "need" me, but I definitely need him. Anyways, enough chatter. On to the menu. For other great ideas head over to orgjunkie.com.

Monday - Chicken Noodle Soup (premade chicken stock, carrots, celery, and ditalini noodles or homemade noodles)

Tuesday - Minestrone Soup

Wednesday - 1, 2 ,3 Tomato Basil Soup with Grilled Cheeses'

(Sun Dried Tomato Spicy Bowtie Pasta)

Thursday -Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas, Lime Cilantro Rice and Refried Beans

Friday - Sun Dried Tomato Spicy Bowtie pasta

(Chicken Gumbo)

Saturday - Roasted Garlic Flat Iron Steak, Macaroni and Cheese, Green Beans

Sunday - Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Menu Plan Monday 3/14/2011 ~ Gnat Attack

This weekend I was attacked lunch for lots of biting gnats and I seem to be having an allergic reaction. Why is it that I always seem to be allergic to bugs, trees and everything else in nature? Now I am zombified from Benadryl and clawing away at these lovely red welts all over my body. No one else seems to be having this reaction. Just me. Lucky me. Sorry to be so cynical, but this royally sucks. I love being outside, but if this is what happens after I get bit by gnats, I am not sure how this is going to work for me. Anyways, enough complaining from me. I managed to write up a menu for the week and I am praying for grace and energy to get through this week without loosing too much of my epidermis and sanity.

Monday - Ruben Sandwiches with Slow Cooker Corned Beef (Corned beef, 1 dark beer, seasoning packet, water, black peppercorns - cook for 5 hours on high)

Tuesday - Black Bean Cilantro Rice Burritos

Wednesday - Swiss Steak with Peppers and Onions over Rice

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Flat Iron Steak, Green Beans with New Potatoes

Saturday - Hawaiian Pizza
Banana Pudding

(Hawaiian Pizza)

Sunday - Pork Riblets rice and asian cabbage slaw

Publix Highlights 3/10/11 - 3/16/11

Here are a few deals worth highlighting at Publix this week. St Patties Day is a few days away and the sale ads are a BIG reminder. Gotta love cabbage and corned beef sales.

Also, check your sale ad to see if there is a save $10 off $50 gas card with a $25 dollar purchase.

Now is the time to stock up on corned beef.  To see more sale items and coupon matchups head over to I Heart Publix.

Cabbage .29 lb
Strawberries $1.67
Corned Beef 2.99 lb

Yoplait YoPlus Yogurt BOGO @ $2
~use .50/1 from 01-16-11 SS (hurry expires 3/12)
~use $1/1 Printable 
Final Cost; FREE after coupon

Marzetti Salad Dressing BOGO @ $3.49
~use 1/1 from 3-06-11 SS
~use 1/1 printable
Final Cost; .74 each

Butterball Turkey Sausage BOGO @ $3.49
~use .55/1 from 01-16-11 SS
Final Cost; $1.19 each

Tuttoroso Tomatoes BOGO @ 1.87
~use $1/2 blinkie
Final Cost; .44 each

Voskos Greek Yogurt $1
~use .75/1 Blinke
Final Cost; .25 each

Blue Diamond Almond Milk $2.50
~use 1/1 blinkie
Final Cost; $1.50

Menu Plan Monday 3/07/11 - 3/13/11

Quick post to update this weeks menu. To see more menu ideas and recipes check out Orgjunkie.com.

(Mango Salsa)

Monday - Crockpot Asian (MockStir Fry) Chicken, Brown Rice, Sugar Snap Peas
Tuesday - Spaghetti with Precooked/frozen meatballs
Wednesday - Slow Cooker Stuffed Cabbage Rolls
Thursday - Black Bean Lime Cilantro Rice Burritos with Mango Salsa
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Fajitas, Rice, Refried Beans
Sunday - Chicken Noodle Soup (orzo pasta noodles)

Sign up for $50 in Coupons From Publix

Our local Publix had tearpads publicizing $50 in savings by mail when you sign up here.

Green Beans with New Potatoes

This recipe is really tasty. I was scared to make it for a while because it just seemed like a lot of work, but it really was not difficult at all. I had my youngest daughter snap the beans for me (gotta love free child labor), so the rest was a snap. The recipe is adapted from Paula Deen's super fattening version here. Guess you could say my version is simplified and de-FAT-tified. Really Paula Deen? A whole stick of butter and 1/4 cup of bacon grease!? Is that really necessary??? [I know I am such a goober :) ]

Green Beans with New Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 pounds fresh green beans, rinse, drain and snap ends off
2 tsp bacon grease
3 cups chicken broth (bullion and water okay)
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 onion, sliced in half moons
2 tbsp butter
12 petite red potatoes, rinsed and peeled around the middle *
Fresh ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large pot, heat bacon grease; add in green beans and sauté for 5 minutes; turning to coat beans in grease. Add broth, salt, pepper, and garlic powder; cover and cook on medium to medium high heat for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, add the butter, potatoes and onions; cover and continue cooking on medium to med-high heat for 20 minutes longer.

*Can substitute 6 larger red potatoes