Home Is Where the Cookies Are

Weekly Meal Plan

2012-01-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

Breakfast

Cereal (this is my new favorites here & here)
Oatmeal
Smoothies
Eggs
Toast

Lunch

PB&Js
Pepperoni, Crackers & Cheese
Burritos
Leftovers
Salad

Dinner

Baked Spaghetti in Garlic Bread (via pintrerest), peas & fruit
White Chicken Chili
Veggie tacos, whole wheat tortillas, black beans, chips & salsa
Crock pot ravioli casserole, veggies & bread sticks
Left over crock pot casserole
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup (via pinterest)
Red Bean & Rice

Quinoa Cakes

2012-01-26T09:01:00.001-06:00

My husband introduced me to quinoa. Honestly, I wasn't a huge fan of it. At least how he liked to eat it. But I found a new recipe and I love it.

2 cups cooked quinoa
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp flour
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup panko crumbs
1/2 tsp black pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper
salt to taste
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

In a bowl combine all of the ingredients except for the olive oil. Allow to sit for about 5 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. While you pan heats, take about 1/4 cup of the mixture at a time and make patties. If the patty doesn't hold together well, just put a little water on your hands.

Place 3 or 4 patties in the pan at a time, cooking for 4-5 minutes per side or until golden. Repeat until all cakes are cooked.

I ended up putting mine on a bun and made a sandwich out of it. I also ate one by itself. They are good either way, but I will have some toasted rolls with tomato and lettuce to go with them next time.

Here is where I found the recipe and you can see her (much better) picture of the finished product.

Weekly Meal Plan

2012-01-23T07:50:00.002-06:00

Breakfast

Eggs
English Muffins
Cereal
Smoothies

Lunch

Leftovers
PB&Js
Pepperoni, Crackers, & Cheese
Burritos

Dinner

Pork Tenderloin
Black Bean Soup with Jalapeno Corn Bread
Chicken Pesto Pasta
Sage & Garlic Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Tots
Quinoa Cakes with veggies
Sesame Chicken, rice, and egg rolls
Breakfast for dinner

Weekly Meal Plan

2012-01-17T12:14:00.001-06:00

Haluski
Girls Night Out - Veggie Quesadillas for the boys
BBQ pork sandwiches and beans
Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs
Chick-fil-a
Date Night

Busy week so this isn't very detailed. Sorry!

Big Boy Bed

2012-01-14T10:54:00.001-06:00

Colin has been in his big boy bed for a couples weeks and is doing great! He has been in the toddler bed since August or so and we were waiting on Grandpa to make his bed. Grandpa also make our master bedroom furniture for our wedding gift.

Here is a quick view of the little guy's bed. Grandpa still working on the trundle to go under the bed (so it won't look so hallow like it does now) and the dresser so his room doesn't look done yet. Not to mention I still need things to hang on his walls. But we are very glad to have the bed for now!

Still not sure on my plans for the trundle yet. Originally, I wanted to put another mattress there. It will be needed as he gets older and has little friends sleep over. But I think for now, we might just use it as extra storage space for toys or clothes or other things we aren't using at the time.

We are working on keeping Molly off the bed. Everytime she gets up there, one of us tells her to get down. It's not hers. Colin always fallows up with, "Molly, my grandpa made that bed." He is very proud of it.

I also love his little lamp and alarm clock. When he gets up in the morning he usually yells "Mommy, I'm awake!" I go ask him what woke him up today. He usually answer with his tummy or his timer (the alarm). We don't actually use it. But if we did it wouldn't beep. It rib-bits!

Off to Pinterest to find cheap and easy ideas for his walls.

Speaking of a big boy - Colin had his 2 1/2 year check up this week. He weighed in at 33 lbs (83%) and is 37 inches (95%). He was due a big boy bed!

January Birchbox

2012-01-12T09:03:00.003-06:00

Remember me telling you about Birchbox and all the goodies in my December box? Well, my January one arrived yesterday and it's time to share what is inside this one. I have to say this was a great box. I liked the December one but the January one is so much better.

What did I get?

Befine Night Cream - used it last night and so far like it
Juicy Couture perfume sample - love it - wearing it today!
Zoya Nail Polish in Megan - I love this color. It is close to one I already have but different enough to be excited about it.
VMW Hypoallergenics Re-Everything Eye Serum - I was actually hoping I didn't like it because of the price of the full size bottle. So far I love it. It noticeably tightened my under eye area quickly. Hope the sample lasts a while!
Larabar Mini Bar in Peanut Butter Cookie - Wasn't a fan, but a nice little treat. I prefer Luna bars.

I didn't figure the value of last month's box but I decided to this time. I paid $10 for this box of samples and the value of this box (determined by sample size qty compared to full size qty and price) is $47.00. Not to shabby. Especially when you consider I like 4 out of the 5 samples.

Want to get a fun box in the mail each month too? Head over to Birchbox and sign up. It is a flat $10 and you can cancel anytime. And let me know what you get in your box. You might get something a little different than me.

Weekly Meal Plan

2012-01-09T08:06:00.001-06:00

Breakfast

English Muffins
Waffles
Oatmeal
Smoothies
Fruit
Cereal

Lunch

Greek Quinoa Wrap
Chicken Pesto Wrap
PB&J
Pepperoni, Crackers & Cheese
Chicken Breast

Dinner

Chili
Barbacoa Pork with Cilantro Lime Rice (never made it last week)
Leftover Pork
Mexican Crockpot Chicken with homemade tortillas
Papa Murphy's Pizza
Panera
Pantry Night

Weekly Meal Plan

2012-01-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

Breakfast

Cereal
Waffles
Oatmeal
English Muffin Egg Sandwiches
Fruit
Smoothies

Lunch

Quinoa Greek Salad
Grilled Chicken Salad
PB&Js
Chicken Nuggets
Grilled Cheese

Dinner

Homemade Egg Rolls and Fried Rice
Black Bean Soup & cornbread
Crock pot Ravioli Casserole
Leftover Ravioli Casserole
Baked chicken with broccoli rice casserole
Barbacoa Pork
Leftover Pork
Cajun Chicken Pasta

Sweet Treats

Banana Bread
Chocolate Chip cookies (easy and small batch recipe!)

Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-12-30T16:20:00.002-06:00

These are super easy and make a nice small batch. Because having dozens of cookies around at the beginning of the New Year is never good. =) These made almost 2 dozen.

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350.

Use your hand mixer to cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add the egg and beat well followed y the vanilla.

In a separate bowl combine the flour and baking soda. Pour the flour mixture into the butter mixture and combine. Add the chocolate chips and stir until well mixed.

Drop teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes (depending on your oven) until lightly browned.

I was feeling fancy and use a mixture of white and semisweet chocolate chips today. Great combo!

December Birchbox

2011-12-29T08:43:00.000-06:00

I've subscribed to a new service. It's called Birchbox. It is like a magazine subscription as it comes once a month. But you don't read it. It is full of beauty samples! For $10 a month you get a pretty box delivered via USPS full of surprises. It's like getting a Christmas gift each month!

This is my first box and here are the goodies I got:

Jouer Moisturizing Lip Gloss - the color looks hot pink, but goes on much lighter. It works pretty well for me and I had planned on ordering it but they are back ordered!
Oscar Blandi Pronto Invisable Volumizing Dry Shampoo - I am excited to try this one! I try not to wash my hair everyday if I don't have to to avoid all the extra heat styling. I like the dry shampoo I use now but I am looking forward to trying the professional dry shampoo.
Huxe Huile Prodigieuse OR Multi-Usage Dry Shimmer - This is to be used in your hair on on your skin. I am not super excited about it but will save it and try it in the summer when my skin has a little more color to it (hopefully).
Atelier Cologne Ambre Nue Cologn Absolue - not my style. Smells a little too much like an old lady for my taste.
Showstoppers Designer Fashion Tape - I always like have double-sided fashion tape
EBOOST Orange Natural Energy Booster - I am not a fan of energy drinks. They never dissolve all the way and they taste too much like Crystal Light. I'm going to give it a try and see if it is any different from previous ones I have tried, but I don't have high expectations.

When you sign up you fill out a beauty profile. They try and match up sample boxes that fit your profile. However, it is the luck of the draw. You may like all the products, some, or none. And you and your friend may end up with different boxes b/c of the way you answered the questions in your profile.

If this is something you'd like head on over to Birchbox and sign up! No contracts and you go month to month. You also earn points for reviewing the products in your box. Every review gets you 10 points. Every 100 points you accumulate get you $10 a full sized product order.

Let's Talk Lunch: Quinoa Greek Salad

2011-12-28T08:09:00.002-06:00

I found a lunch idea on Pinterest called "Mason Jar Meals." The idea is that you assemble the meals at the beginning of the week and they stay fresh in the mason jars and are visually appealing, encouraging you to eat the fresh meals you prepared.

I found a recipe on the blog linked above that wasn't at all anything I would like, but something my husband would. So I tried it this week and he gave it an A+!

You will need:
Quinoa, prepared & cooled
Grape tomatoes
Feta cheese
Fresh basil
Vinaigrette

Clean and dry all fresh ingredients. Make sure you quinoa is cooled so you don't wilt the basil. Clean and dry pint sized mason jars.

Fill your in this order to prevent ingredients from being soggy or crushed:

2 Tbsp vinaigrette
8 to 9 grape tomatoes
feta cheese - to your liking
quinoa - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
7 or 8 basil leaves

Amounts above are not exact. Use more or less or leave one out if you don't like it.

At meal time, just pour the contents into a bowl and you are ready to eat.

Broccoli Rice Casserole

2011-12-27T11:17:00.000-06:00

I love pinterest. This recipe is from there and is so easy I am writing it from memory. So I don't even have a link.

4 cups cooked rice
1 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 lb fresh broccoli florets
2 cartons cream of mushroom soup
12 oz shredded Colby or cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a nonstick skillet saute the onion, celery, and broccoli florets until soft.

Combine the cooked vegetables, both cartons of cream soup, rice, and 8 oz of the cheese. Spread in a 3 qt casserole dish, sprinkle with remaining cheese and cover. Bake for 45 minutes or until hot. If your dish is deeper, rather than wider, it might take a bit longer to bake.

Remove cover and bake a few more minutes to brown the cheese.

If you use the Pacific Natural Foods brand of cream of mushroom and shred the cheese by hand this dish will be gluten free.

Also the Pacific Natural Foods brand doesn't use MSG in their cream soup. Needless to say, I've kicked Campbell's soup to the curb - a long time ago.

A new cook in the house

2011-12-27T08:35:00.001-06:00

This was the first Christmas that Colin really got into the Santa thing and opening presents.

This year he got a little kitchen. I was so excited to give ti to him! He always wants to help me cook. He also got a few Melissa & Doug food toys. So far he has made me cookies with icing and pizza with peppers. He cracks me up. I tried to organize his cooking toys and as he is making cookies he yells, "Mommy! Where's my baking sheet!?" And when he makes me pizza he says, "Coming right up!"

He needs a few more accessories to go with his kitchen: a little hand towel, a pretend hand soap (we always wash before cooking!!), and some plates.

A couple other super cute things he got: a cookies monster bathrobe and Woody PJs. He also got Buzz PJs but we started with Woody since he also got coordinating boots, hat, and even guitar.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-12-26T11:06:00.002-06:00

Breakfast

Oatmeal
Cereal
Smoothies
Waffles
Fruit
Yogurt

Lunch

Leftovers
Mac n Cheese
Chicken Nuggets
Mason Jar Meal (more to come on that!)
PB&Js

Dinner

Christmas Dinner - I made Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole
Three Bean Turkey Chili
Chick-fil-a
Red Beans & Rice
Pasta Primavera
White Cheddar Chicken Pasta

Breakfast with Santa

2011-12-20T13:53:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I didn't have to make breakfast. We had reservations with the Murfreesboro Toy Company to have breakfast with Santa!

Upon arrival we were supposed to have photos taken with the man in red. It didn't go so well. Colin was afraid of him so we decided to try at the end. So we sat down at our table and made our craft. We made ornaments (clear plastic balls they filled with tinsel, white and blue sparkly balls, and red sparkly pipecleaner pieces.

Then it was time for breakfast. I'm pretty impressed. They had donuts holes on the table to snack on during crafts and then brought everyone a cup of fruit, a plate with a pancake and bacon, and had orange juice, milk and coffee. Santa walked around and talked to the kids during the craft and breakfast time.

Then Santa read Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Colin sat on my lap for most of it, but he did sit with Ben for a little part of it without me. Even though he knows Santa brings him gifts, he is still a little afraid of him.

We tried one more time with pictures and this time we asked Ben to be in them too. I was hoping if his best friend wasn't afraid and was willing to see Santa with him, he would like it better. He still resisted, but we did end up with two photos where Colin doesn't look completely terrified and in tears. =)

Overall I think they did a great job and I plan to take Colin back next year. Maybe he will be brave enough to meet Santa on his own next year!

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-12-19T16:30:00.000-06:00

Breakfast

Donuts
English Muffins
Pancakes
Bacon
Cereal
Oatmeal
Smoothies

Lunch

Leftovers
Burritos
PB&Js
Mac n Cheese

Dinner

Pizza
Haluski (may regret this...saw it on the food network and looked interesting...)
Chicken Enchiladas
White Chicken Chili
Spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce
Leftover night
Christmas Eve Dinner at the Granny and Papas

Cajun Chicken Pasta

2011-12-14T09:08:00.000-06:00

I love the Small Thing blog for her hair tutorials, but also like a few of the recipes she has posted. I made her Cajun Chicken Pasta the other night with a few variations b/c of what I had on hand and what we preferred. Here is her recipe and here is how I made it:

8 oz linguine pasta
2 skinless, boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
2 Tbsp butter
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 green onion, sliced
1 onion, chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Parmesan cheese

Boil the pasta according to package instructions.

Cut the chicken into large bite-sized pieces and place in a large plastic bag with the Cajun seasoning. Shake to coat.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add butter and melt. Add chicken and saute until cooked through. Add the peppers and onions and saute about 3 minutes.

Reduce the heat and add the cream (use more if you wish) and spices. Head through and add the cooked linguine. Heat through.

Sprinkle with some Parmesan and serve!

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-12-11T12:52:00.001-06:00

Breakfast

Oatmeal
Smoothies
Cereal
Granola
Bacon & Eggs
Toast

Lunch

Leftovers
Office and School Parties!
Pizza
PB&J
Salads
Chicken Nuggets

Dinner

Honey Cajun Pork Tenderloin with mashed potatoes and veggies
Crispy Southwestern Chicken Wraps
Breakfast: Omelets, sausage balls, fruit salad
Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili
Leftovers
Dinner Out
Cajun Chicken Pasta

Mint Chocolate Cookies

2011-12-04T13:29:00.000-06:00

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 Tbsp water
12 oz package semi sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 boxes Andes Mints (green ones)

Stir the butter, brown sugar, and water on the stove until just melted. Add the package of chocolate chips and stir in the warm pan until melted. Let cool. Add 2 beaten eggs and beat well. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well.

Chill for 15 minutes.

Spoon out into balls the size of large gumballs. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Pull out and while still on the cookie sheet, put one Andes Mint on each cookies. Roll and swirls the candy until it is melted.

This makes 6 or 7 dozen cookies and they freeze really well.

Bread Sticks

2011-12-04T13:24:00.000-06:00

Found an Olive Garden bread stick knockoff on pinterest and was very pleased!

1 1/2 cups warm water (between 110 - 120 degrees)
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt (I use way way less of this)

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar and yeast into the warm water. Let it sit about 10 minutes.

In your mixing bowl combine the flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture and butter to the flour and mix by using a wooden spoon or the paddle attachment on your mixer until fully combined.

Knead the dough for a few minutes until it is smooth but dont' over knead it.

Grease a cookie sheet and pull of pieces of the dough and roll it into the bread stick shape. I ended up with 12 bread sticks.

Cover the dough and let sit in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour.

Preheat your oven to 400. Bake for 12 minutes, but brush on half this mixture after 7 minutes:

1 stick unsalted butter
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt

After they bake, brush the remaining half of the butter mixture on and allow to cool for a couple minutes before serving.

*I didn't use all the butter mixture I actually cut it in half. That is just too much butter for us. Even half that was a lot of butter...

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-12-04T13:13:00.001-06:00

Breakfast

English Muffins
Waffles
Cereal
Oatmeal
Smoothies

Lunch

Chicken Nuggets
Mac n Cheese
BLTs
Red Beans & Rice
Left overs

Dinner

Sage & Garlic Turkey Burgers
Fried Rice and homemade egg rolls at moms
Paula Dean's Baked Spaghetti and homemade bread sticks
Leftover Pasta
Chicken Rollatini
Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas with homemade tortillas

Goodies for Gifts

2011-11-25T08:00:00.004-06:00

I think one the easiest and most thoughtful "small gifts" during the holiday season is baked goods.

There is no way we could ever afford to buy each one of Andrew's co-workers a Christmas gift. Not to mention, it would be a little over the top. But I am not a fan of a big box of food sent into the office. I am convinced that the big box of treats everyone sticks there hand in is how everyone will end up with a cold or flu during the holiday season. Maybe Andrew and I both over think this, but we don't usually partake of treats that are sitting on the break room table for anyone and everyone to grab.

So with a little help from Martha Stewart's small treat boxes, we will be giving them each there on little box of goodies.

I am planning to have three different kinds of goodies in each box. The thought of holiday baking might stress you out. And the thought of THREE different treats might add to it. Here is the tip: make 2 of the treats ones that will freeze and thaw out well. Make those two a couple weeks ahead of time and then thaw out the night before you assemble them with the last treat, which you bake fresh.

Here are some good cookies that freeze and thaw well:

Finish off with one of your favorite cookies recipes that taste the best when fresh. Or keep it simple and make a batch of Puppy Chow to add to your mix. I'm thinking a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe (found on Pinterest, posting recipe soon!) will finish off my treat boxes.

*Always make sure that your cookies are completely cool before freezing. I usually put the cookies in a gallon sized freezer bag. I don't pile them in the bag. I tend to only stack them 2 cookies high in each bag so that they stack evenly in the freezer. If I don't plan to use them all at once, I store them in smaller bags (quart sized freezer bags) so that I can thaw a bag as I need them.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-11-20T10:42:00.000-06:00

Breakfast

Oatmeal
Cereal
Eggs
English Muffins
Smoothies
Cereal Bars

Lunch

Leftovers
Soup
PB&Js
Mac n Cheese

Dinner

Sweet & Sticky Orange Chicken with Rice
Crock Pot Swiss Chicken Casserole
Mellow Mushroom Pizza
Crock Pot Lasagna
Thanksgiving Dinner: I'm making green bean casserole
Pasta Primavera
Pantry Night: maybe homemade pizza or spaghetti

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-11-13T18:38:00.000-06:00

Breakfast

Cereal
Oatmeal
Smoothies
Bagel
English Muffins
Eggs
Fruit
Yogurt

Lunch

Leftovers
Spinach Salad
Mac 'n Cheese
Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
Burritos

Dinner

Pasta Fagioli
Chicken Pesto Pasta
Breakfast for dinner: Eggs, sausage balls, fresh fruit
Turkey Burgers with fries & broccoli
Slow Cooked Sweet Barbacoa Pork with Rice
Leftover Pork and Rice
Dinner Out

Black Bean Soup

2011-11-07T08:38:00.001-06:00

This is one of Hallie's recipes. We were talking about how I can't make beans. Like from dried beans. I always buy canned. She forwarded me three recipes that all use dry beans and this is the first one that I tried and it turned out terrific!

16 oz dry black beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
1 box chicken broth
3 large carrots, cut into bite sized pieces
1 small onion, diced
1 jar of salsa
1 envelope of taco seasoning (or 2 Tbsp of this seasoning recipe)

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Drain beans and give them a rinse. Combine beans with remaining ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on LOW all day or on HIGH for 5 hours or until beans are tender. Add water during cook time if beans look like they are getting dry.

Once done, take 1/3 of the mixture and puree it in a blender. Make sure to vent the lid a tad since the mixture is hot. And hold onto the lid. (I once had a terrible mess after blending a corn soup that was really hot.) Just trust me on this.

Pour the puree back into the soup to thicken it. Serve in bowls topped with shredded cheese, cilantro, diced avocado, and sour cream.

Make this Jalapeno Cornbread to go with it. Warm and filling soup for the fall season.

Jalapeno Cornbread

2011-11-06T18:19:00.001-06:00

This recipe is straight of the package of Arrowhead Mills Organic Yellow Corn Meal. I don't think I will ever make another corn bread. I only changed one thing and it was minor.

1 cup onion, finely chopped
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup yellow corn meal
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp honey
1 1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2-4 jalapeno peppers, chopped (this is what I changed - I like a little can of those fire roasted chili peppers better. But that's just me.)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

Saute your onion in the tsp of vegetable oil until soft, about 5 minutes.

Combine the flour, corn meal, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl combine the butter, honey, milk, and eggs. Add the wet mixture to the dry and combine until just moistened.

Add the onions, 1 cup of the cheese, and the peppers. Pour into the prepared baking dish and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until top is browned.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-11-05T19:20:00.003-05:00

Breakfast

Waffles
Eggs
Cereal
Oatmeal
Granola Bars
English Muffins

Lunch

Leftovers
Pitas
Mac n' Cheese
Pasta
PB&Js

Dinner

Spaghetti and Homemade Marinara Sauce
Black Bean Soup with Jalapeno Cornbread
Crock Pot Ravioli Casserole
Leftover Casserole
Whole Wheat Pizza Pockets
Grilled chicken salad on baby spinach
Slow-cooker Creamy Chicken with rice

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

2011-11-02T08:21:00.002-05:00

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup oats (not quick oats)
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

In a sauce pan on low-medium heat, melt and combine the butter, peanut butter, and honey. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, followed by the oats.

Let the mixture cool completely. If it is still warm during the next step, it will melt the chocolate.

Once cool, add the coconut and mini chocolate chips. Stir until evenly combined.

Line an 8 x 8 baking dish with wax or parchment paper. Press granola bar mixture evenly into the pan and place in the fridge until firm (about an hour). Remove and cut into bars. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I place pieces of parchment paper between layers to keep them from sticking to each other.

Happy Halloween

2011-11-01T10:50:00.000-05:00

I hope you had a fun Halloween and that your little trick-or-treater shared some of the their good candy with you (like the Snicker's bars and Reese's cups). My train conductor did.

Crock Pot Ravioli Casserole

2011-10-31T11:41:00.001-05:00

I found this through Pinterest. I am loving that site for recipes! Click here to see the original recipe and and a photo.

1 lb ground turkey (or next time I am trying ground Italian sausage)
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt/pepper
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed
16 oz bow tie pasta, cooked
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Brown the ground turkey (or Italian sausage) with onion and garlic. Put in the crock pot and add the sauce, tomatoes, and seasonings. Cook for 6-7 hours on low.

Add the thawed spinach, cooked pasta, Parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Combine and cook for 30 minutes on high. Add the last 1.2 cup of mozzarella on top and allow to melt before serving.

Zombie Buffet 5k

2011-10-31T09:39:00.001-05:00

Saturday was a busy day. We got up and headed to Nashville to watch Andrew and Phil run in the Zombie Buffet 5k.

These boys are crazy fans of zombies so it was most likely a dream come true getting to run from them. We met up with Phil and Emily before lunch. The boys headed to Nashville to get signed in and the girls + Colin went to Starbucks to kill time until the race started.

I had Colin dressed in a Zombie shirt. He would growl at you, point to his shirt, and then say "I'm a zombie!"

Then we headed to the riverfront to find the boys. They were ready to go! Couple quick pictures before the race started and then Emily, Colin, and I went for a walk.

We walked over the pedestrian bridge b/c we knew the Zombies were over there and so were Granny and Papa. We knew a few Zombies: Daniel, Megan, and Lashlee. We never found Megan or Lashlee so I never got to see their Zombie attire. But as we were walking over the bridge, the first group of runners weren't far behind us. Which also meant zombies were coming out too. And that is when we got our first sighting of Daniel (Andrew's brother). He was a Zombie dressed in camo. A Marine Zombie.

Um, some of these Zombies were pretty scary. Check out this picture. Emily and I are the right side. And that lady Zombie was pretty creepy. Luckily, we were obviously spectators and no Zombies bothered us.

We had so much fun watching and the boys plan to do it again next year. Hopefully they dress up. We saw some great costumes. The best had to be Mario and Luigi. They brought with them banana peels and "turtle shells" (aka balls) just like in Mario Kart and used those against the Zombies. I heard some of the Zombies weren't too thrilled with that.

I have more pictures, but haven't had a chance to upload them yet. These pictures were some that Emily took and a couple I found on the Zombie Buffet 5k facebook page.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-10-31T08:20:00.000-05:00

Breakfast

Waffles
Oatmeal
Smoothies
Cereal

Lunch

Leftovers
Frozen Burittos
Bruitto Bowls
Mac n' Cheese
Fruit & Cheese
PB Crackers

Dinner

Pulled Pork Chili
Spicy Chicken Tenders & Fries
Breakfast for dinner
Crockpot Lasagna
Lefover Crockpot Lasagna
Pantry meal

Let's talk lunch: PB&J

2011-10-26T10:22:00.002-05:00

It's easy. It's a classic. It's Peanut Butter & Jelly.

Most kids like it and you probably have the ingredients in your pantry or fridge.

So what did I pair it with?

Half a PB&J - spread the peanut butter on both halves of the bread and put the jelly in between. No jelly gets your bread soggy.
Potato Chips - we like kettle cooked b/c they are nice and crispy
Apple slices
Apple-Strawberry Fruity Flakes (wishing I had some dark chocolate instead though)

Pretzels instead of chips? Cool. Strawberries instead of grapes? Awesome. Almost anything goes with PB&J.

For kids you can get creative. Colin isn't into PB&J, but loves peanut butter crackers. So I try to make these occasionally for him to see if he has come around. To entice him to try it I use different cookies cutters to make them into fun shapes. Most everyone will have a few basic cookies cutters: stars, trees, etc. But every so often pick up a new one just for the little guy/girl. I now have the letter "C" for Colin, dinosaur, football helmet, and Mickey Mouse. I saw a train one at the store the other day and I am kicking myself for not getting it. He would love it.

As for a picture - I think you know what a PB&J looks like so I didn't use my horrible food photography skills today.

Let's talk lunch: Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

2011-10-25T09:03:00.000-05:00

What do we have for lunch today?

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad
Baby Carrots
Fruit: peaches & grapes
Apple-Strawberry Fruity Flakes (from Trader Joe's)

Obviously you don't have to do the same fruits, veggies, and dessert. But I am trying to include at least one fruit and veggie in each lunch, assuming that the main meal isn't a salad. Then I might switch out the veggie side for a bread.

Chicken Pesto Pasta

2011-10-25T09:00:00.003-05:00

Easy easy easy!!

1 lb chicken breast
1 box (16 oz) whole wheat bow-tie pasta
7 oz pesto
Italian Seasoning
Pepper
Toasted Pine Nuts (optional)
Parmesan cheese

Place chicken in crockpot and season with Italian seasoning and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of water and cook on low for 6-7 hours.

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Heat the pesto in the microwave just until it is easy to stir. Remove cooked chicken from the crockpot and chop.

If pasta sticks, add a little bit of olive oil.

Combine the chicken, pasta and pesto. Serve warm with toasted pine nuts and parmesan cheese.

This is also great leftover and cold!

Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce

2011-10-25T08:50:00.000-05:00

I tried a new recipe from The Pioneer woman last night. And it is a winner. The recipe called for 2 cans of tomato sauce. I had one large can of crushed tomatoes and just when with that. It was still good. A little chunkier, which Andrew prefers. But next time I make this I will try it with the tomato sauce since I like the smoother texture. Just wanted to let you know it works with both so use what you have!

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 whole medium onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans (15 oz each) tomato sauce
salt & pepper, to taste
Dash of sugar (more to taste)
1 cup heavy cream
Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, to taste
Fresh basil, chopped
1-1/2 lbs fettuccine

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.

Head butter and oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute for a minute or so. Pour in tomato sauce and add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Stir and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in cream. Add cheese to taste, then check seasonings. Stir in pasta and chopped basil and serve immediately. (Thin with pasta water before adding basil if needed.)

Let's talk lunch: Turkey & Cheese on Wheat

2011-10-24T09:19:00.002-05:00

Kicking it off with an easy one: Turkey & Cheese!

What makes up this meal?

Half turkey & cheese sandwich - one slice of whole wheat bread, 2 oz Boar's Head turkey, 1/2 slice of Boar's Head Lacey Swiss Cheese
6 Yogurt covered pretzels
Baby carrots (add ranch for dipping in a disposable souffle cup if you want)
Fresh fruit: grapes and apple slices
Chips

How to pack it? In your divided container, place the half sandwich and yogurt pretzels in the largest spot. In the smaller spaces place the carrots (with optional ranch) in one and the grapes and apple slices in the other. Your side of chips goes in a little baggie - don't forget to grabs those since they aren't in the main container.

This can easily be assembled the night before and placed in the refrigerator so you can just grab it and go in the morning.

I know this one is simple, but I have to start somewhere.

What did you take for lunch?

Let's talk lunch

2011-10-24T09:05:00.000-05:00

I do a pretty good job of putting a super yummy meal on the table every night for dinner. But where do I have trouble? Lunch.

Lunch gets boring. Yes, leftovers are always an option. But I am not a huge leftovers fan. I don't really like to eat the same thing for the next meal. I don't mind eating it for dinner one night and then the next, but I don't really get excited about eating it for dinner and then lunch the very next day. Give me a 24 hour waiting period before I eat it again. Weird, I know.

On Pinterest this weekend I saw a link to this: Project Lunch Box.

If you work, you don't have the option of just walking to your fridge or pantry and whipping something up for lunch. Even if it is just a box of mac n' cheese on the stove top. We don't have a stove at my office. Buying lunch out gets to be expensive and is honestly not healthy. Don't get me wrong. We like to eat out. But we limit it. If I make the food I can control the sodium, fat, amount of whole grains, and choose all natural and organic ingredients. If done right, it can also save you money.

Now that I follow this blog, I plan on getting some new lunch ideas and posting them here. I want to follow her idea of using the reusable plastic containers that have three divided sections. I plan on making most of my lunch ideas cold so that nothing has to be removed before heating (like fresh fruit). And cold lunches are great for picnics. My plan is to also make these the night before while the kitchen is already a mess from dinner. Then we just have to grab them from the fridge in the morning.

(I'll add pictures of the lunches at some point. I am not so great at taking pictures of food. I don't know the tricks.)

So look for my "Let's talk lunch" posts for lunch ideas. Please leave me comments of your own lunch ideas so I can try them out.

Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2011-10-24T08:06:00.000-05:00

These are Andrew's favorite cookie. Three kinds of chocolate - how can you go wrong?

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
3/4 cup light brown sugar (firmly packed)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs (cold)
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate (chopped)
3/4 cup milk chocolate (chopped)
3/4 cup white chocolate (chopped)

Preheat your oven to 350.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Using a mixer on medium speed, beat until well blended. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on low speed until the eggs are completely incorporated. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until incorporated. Add the chopped chocolate and beat until distributed.

Place heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes 9until the top are lightly golden in the center).

Let cookies cook on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-10-23T08:00:00.002-05:00

Breakfast

Cereal
Oatmeal
Waffles
Smoothies
Granola Bars
English Muffins
Fruit

Lunch

Leftovers
PB&Js
Mac n' Cheese
Cheese & Fruit

Dinner

Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce (never got to it last week)
Steamed seasoned veggies with rice
Chick-fil-a
Pantry Night (make something from what I have on hand)
Macaroni Bake (new recipe from Pinterest)
Leftover Macaroni Bake
Giordano's Pizza - ordered and shipped from Chicago to celebrate Andrew's 30th birthday

Snacks

Freeze Dried Fruit
Gummy Bunnies
Cheese Crackers
Soy Nuts
Almonds
Fruit
Applesauce

Sweet Treat: Snickerdoodles

Fall is here!

2011-10-21T19:29:00.000-05:00

Thursday we had our first ever field trip. Colin was dressed in his school shirt and ready to go.

It was actually pretty cold so we had to cover his class shirt up. Last year we went to the pumpkin farm in shorts. So it was a nice change.

I now have three little pumpkins and I am doing a little Googling to see if they are they kind that would bake nicely so I could use the puree in some baked goods. Anyone have in insight on this?

Sorry for the mess!

2011-10-19T09:36:00.000-05:00

Please excuse the mess as I try to update my blog a bit. Hopefully it won't take me forever, but I am not promising anything.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-10-17T08:38:00.000-05:00

Breakfast

Cereal
Smoothies
Waffles
Oatmeal
Cereal Bar

Lunch

Leftovers
Mac & Cheese
Fruit & Cheese
Chicken Nuggets

Dinner

Pizza
Breakfast: eggs, biscuits, fruit
Pasta with creamy tomato sauce
Chicken Enchiladas, roasted corn, chips & salsa, Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies - birthday dinner for Andrew
Chuck E Cheese for a little friend's birthday party
Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili
Chicken Parm

Cinnamon Caramel Corn with Pecans & White Chocolate

2011-10-13T09:15:00.001-05:00

This recipe is in no way good for you. It takes a healthy snack (air popped popcorn) and covers it in a sweet sugary goodness. So if you are ready to up your sugar intake one day, make a batch of this. You will want to share.

12 cup popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup kernels)
1 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 squares almond bark (about 4 oz)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a large bowl and set aside

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a 2 liter capacity microwave safe bowl. Mix well. Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture. Pour honey over the top of everything. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then stir to combine. Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more.

Remove from microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda. Stir to combine. Mixture will foam and rise. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and pecans and stir very well so everything is well coated.

Spread popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined jelly roll pan. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and spread onto a large piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil.

Melt almond bark according to package instructions. Drizzle over popcorn mixture. When almond bark is hardened and popcorn is cool, break into chunks and enjoy!

I took pictures but haven't uploaded them yet. Here is the original recipe and pictures. Your mouth will water. I am looking for good Christmas treats to make and pass out and this will be one of them.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-10-09T14:52:00.000-05:00

Breakfast

Cereal
Oatmeal
Waffles
English Muffins
Yogurt Fruit

Lunch

Leftovers
PB&Js
Cheese & Fruit
Mac n' Cheese

Dinner

Breakfast for dinner: omelets with sausage, onions & peppers, toast, cinnamon rolls, yogurt
Mexican Crock pot Chicken with Whole Wheat Tortillas
Veggie Stir Fry & rice
Homemade Mac and Cheese with veggies & fruit
Crock pot Ravioli Casserole & veggies
Leftover Crock pot Ravioli Casserole
Maggiano's

Snacks

Pretzels
Popcorn
Soy Nuts
Fruity Flakes
Fruit
Applesauce
Graham Crackers
Cereal Bar

Whole Wheat Bread

2011-10-09T14:45:00.000-05:00

3/4 to 1 cup lukewarm water*
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
3 1/2 cups 100% Whole Wheat Flour
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast, or 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 Tbsp of the water in the recipe
1/4 cup nonfat dried milk
1 1/4 tsp salt

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir until the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hand, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. This dough should be soft, yest still firm enough to knead. Adjust the consistency with additional water or flour, if necessary.

Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 1to 2 hours, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8" log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 to 2 hours or till the center has crowned about 1" above the rim of the pan. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350.

Bake the bread for 35 to 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. The finished loaf will register 190 on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center.

Remove the bread from the oven, and turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. If desired, rub the crust with a stick of butter; this will yield a soft, flavorful crust. Cool completely before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.

*Use the greater amount in winter or in a dry climate; the lessesr amount in summer or a humid climate.

This recipe was found on the King Arthur Flour website.

Hallmark Card in Stores!

2011-10-01T16:17:00.000-05:00

So I didn't win any new Hallmark Card contests this month but my one and only winning card is now in Wal-Marts stores!! I have been told it is in these Wal-marts:

Murfreesboro (by MTSU), TN
Hendersonville, TN
Indianapolis, IN

If you shop at a Wal-Mart not listed above, please check for my card in the Hallmark section. Let me know if you see it!

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-10-01T16:13:00.000-05:00

Breakfast

Waffles
English Muffins
Eggs
Smoothies
Fruit
Cereal
Cereal Bars
Toast

Lunch

Leftovers
Mac 'n Cheese
PB&Js
Cheese & Fruit

Dinner

Breakfast for dinner: waffles, omelets with sausage, peppers & cheese, fruit
Crockpot Three Bean Turkey Chili
Whole Wheat Pizza Pockets filled with broccoli & cheese
Chuck E Cheese
Easy Chicken Tetrazzini
Crunchy Garlic Chicken & fries (new recipe found on Pinterest)
Homemade chicken nuggets

Snacks

Pretzels
Nuts
Fruity Flakes
Cheddar Bunnies
Fruit
Applesauce
Popcorn
Chocolate Covered Pretzels (my secret treat...that I am not sharing)

He keeps me laughing

2011-09-26T09:14:00.002-05:00

Now that Colin is talking more, he says some things that can get me really laughing.

He loves music. I know there will be plenty of music lessons in the future for him, and hopefully from his very talented Uncle Will. When I have music on in the car, he will tell me "I like this song!" or "I don't like this song." Sometimes his choices are what makes me laugh. For instance, he proclaimed that he like My Humps by the Black Eyed Peas one day and the next he said he liked the jingle from the insurance commercial. I will admit it makes my heart happy when he says he likes a song I like too.

My radio was out for a couple days b/c my battery died and I had to go to Honda to get it reset. It was the longest 2 days of driving ever. He yelled the whole time that he wanted music. I offered to sing.

If I am stopped at a red light and he is tired of not moving, he yells "go go go!" I explained to him that red means stop and green means go. One time I even eyeballed the lights going the other directions and told him to watch as I blew (like blowing out birthday candles) as the light turned green (from the movie Corrina, Corrina). The next time he yelled "go go go!" I told him again that the light was red and we couldn"t go until it turned green. He started blowing like I did the previous time, trying to get the light to turn green.

This week I bought a pair of boots. Kind of coyboy-ish boots. A new buy for me. I am trying to get brave enough to wear them out - maybe tomorrow. I was trying them on with a couple dresses/jeans Saturday morning and Colin walks into my room and says, "Boots! Are you a cowboy?"

He melts my heart every single day.

Cinnamon Rolls

2011-09-26T08:50:00.000-05:00

Here is the original recipe. I went with more whole wheat flour and skipped the icing in favor of a dusting of powdered sugar.

1/2 cup very warm water
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp yeast
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup warm milk
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (plus more for flouring surface)
2 cups all purpose flour
butter
brown sugar
sugar
cinnamon

Combine water, 1 Tbsp sugar and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes to activate.

Mix 1/2 cup sugar, melted butter, eggs and salt. Add yeast mixture.

Stir in warm milk.

Add 5 cups flour, 1-2 cups at a time.

Knead dough on well-floured surface, adding flour as necessary, until dough isn't sticky.

Let rise until doubled in a clean, oiled bowl.

Punch down risen dough. Separate into two pieces.

Roll out dough in a large rectangle. Spread with softened butter. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon

Roll dough. Floss dough into about 12 1-inch rolls. Place in a 9x13 pan. Let rise until doubled.

Bake at 350 for 20-22 minutes.

Makes 24 rolls.

Tips:
Make sure all your ingredients are room temperature (NOT COLD!). You don't want to shock the yeast. Place the eggs in a cup of warm tap water to help bring them to room temp.

Don't need 24 rolls? Me neither. After flossing the rolls, place on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Place in the freezer. Once frozen toss them into a Ziploc freezer bag and pull them out as you need them. Take out the number you need the night before and place them in the baking dish on the counter. Cover with saran wrap. Allow to thaw and rise while you sleep. Pop them in the oven the next morning for fresh warm cinnamon rolls.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-09-26T08:14:00.001-05:00

Breakfast

English Muffins
Cinnamon Rolls
Cereal
Cereal Bars
Eggs
Yogurt
Fruit

Lunch

Leftovers
Homemade Freezer Meals
Mac 'n Cheese
PB&Js
Chicken Nuggets

Dinner

Smoothies
Pasta Primavera
Pork Roast with carrots, potatos and peas, and whole wheat rolls
Dinner at Grandma's
Turkey Meatballs with spaghetti and veggies
Frozen Pizza Pockets
Pantry Meal - see what I can make with what I have left in the fridge/pantry/freezer

Snacks

Fruity Flakes
Raisins
Soy Nuts
Pretzels
Cheddar Bunnies
Fruit

A Soldier's Child

2011-09-20T13:16:00.001-05:00

Please watch this video and read this article from the Daily News Journal's website.

If this is something that you think you could help with please follow this link over to their website to donate.

The children this organization gives to gave a great gift: their mom or dad. Although this doesn't bring them back it lets them know that they are not forgotten.

Without more donations they will have to turn away new children signing up for the program. If you have a little money to give this month, consider giving some to A Soldier's Child.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-09-17T18:52:00.000-05:00

Breakfast

Cereal
Oatmeal
English Muffins
Fruit
Waffles
Eggs

Lunch

Left overs
PB&Js
Chicken Nuggets
Homemade Freezer Meals

Dinner

Turkey Burgers & Fries
Freezer Lasagna & veggies
Sweet & Sticky Orange Chicken & rice
Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili & cornbread
Homemade Veggie Pizza
Baked Chicken breast, rice, & veggies
Chicken Enchiladas

Snacks

Soy Nuts
Almonds
Fruity Flakes
Raisins
Cheddar Bunnies
Applesauce
Fruit
Pretzels/Yogurt Pretzels
Popcorn

Harvest Pumpkin Cookies

2011-09-15T17:00:00.003-05:00

My friend, Cassie, gave me this recipe a few years ago and now I always make several time in the fall. It is such a great way to kick off fall.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground all spice
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and all spice.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed until light & fluffy. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture. Beat at low speed until well-blended. Stir in Chocolate chips. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

These cookies already have a cake like texture to them. Today I decided to replace 1 cup of all-purpose flour with whole-wheat pastry flour and used mini chocolate chips. This batch actually came out more like muffin tops than cookies. So if you are into those, you might want to try that little switch.

New Blog Name

2011-09-15T11:41:00.000-05:00

With a new fall background I also roll out a new blog name:

Home is where the cookies are

Why? Because although my cute little guy does make his appearances on here, I typically am posting recipes and meal plans. So with that I decided to give the blog a name that is a little more fitting.

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken & Dumplings

2011-09-15T09:38:00.001-05:00

I think I made this one day too early - today is perfect chicken & dumpling weather. No worries as I will be making this again during the cold months!

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp butter
2 cans cream of chicken soup (I used two boxes of these instead of the usual Campbell's and it turned out great)
1 can chicken broth
1 onion diced
1 Tbsp dried parsley
5 refrigerated biscuits (I used the Immaculate Baking Co Buttermilk variety)

Put the chicken, butter, cream of chicken, chicken broth, parsley and onions in the crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours.

As the chicken cooks and gets tender, break it up with a spoon or fork.

Get your biscuits and cut them into nine pieces. Stir into chicken mixture and cook for another hour.

Add chicken broth, if necessary, to thin out.

Please keep in mind, every crock pot is different. With this recipe I only cooked it for 6 hours on low and then added the biscuit dough. One of my crock pots cook very high even on the low setting. The other does not. I have to watch new recipes closely to figure out what works for each one.

Spot Cleaning the Carpet

2011-09-14T09:17:00.001-05:00

I had these spots on my carpet. They were in the play room. It almost looked like someone (not naming names) had dropped milk or juice from the spout of their sippy. And now those spot had turned a a shade of grey. My little green machine spot cleaner didn't get them out.

I stumbled on this link on Pinterest the other day and although I pinned it, I kind of avoided it because it used vinegar. And I hate vinegar. The smell makes me want to vomit.

But I finally gave in. And I am so glad I did. Those spot are gone!

She gives quite a few steps, but honestly, all I did was mix it up, dab the stain with the solution, blot it, and then repeated with clean cold water.

Here is what you mix:

1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 Tbsp clear dish soap
2 cups warm water

Hope that is helpful to someone!

Whole-Wheat Pizza Pockets

2011-09-14T08:44:00.002-05:00

Found this on the 100 Day of Real Food blog. It was a huge hit with Andrew (Colin likes his pizza in slice form. He wasn't so sure of this pocket version) and I will be making it again!

1 cup water
2 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups whole-wheat flour
Filling: mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, sausage, onion, green pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

In a glass measuring cup heat 1 cup water until warm. Drop in 2 tsp yeast and let rest for a minutes

After the yeast foams up a bit add the salt and olive oil to the water mixture and gently stir if necessary.

In a food processor or mixer with a dough blade/hook add 3 cups flour. Pour in the water mixture and process until a dough ball forms.

Coat a large bowl with olive oil, add the pizza dough ball, and cover with plastic wrap while you prepare the other fillings. Let the dough rise on the counter for 20-30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 6 equal sized pieces. Shape each on into a ball and then flatten it out with a rolling pin. Don't roll it too thin.

Add the filling and fold up the edges of the dough with your fingers to seal as best you can. Flip it over so seam side is down on a greased baking sheet. Make a couple of holes with a fork in the top and top with raw sesame seeds if desired.

Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes and once done let cook for a few minutes.

Serve with warm pizza sauce for dipping and enjoy!

For the filling, I cooked up the sausage in a skilled wtih the diced peppers and onion.

Next time I make this, I am doubling the recipes and getting creative with my fillings. I want to freeze them so we have something quick and easy to take to work for lunch or even a breakfast pocket.

My ideas so far are: scrambled eggs with onions and red pepper, ham, pineapple, and cheese; broccolii and cheese, BBQ chicken with caramelized onions, cheese, and cilantro.

Have any ideas for me?

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-09-11T18:16:00.001-05:00

Breakfast

English Muffins
Cereal Bars
Oatmeal
Cereal
Smoothies
Fruit

Lunch

Homemade freezer meals (trying our own version of a lean cuisine)
Leftovers
PB&Js

Dinner

Breakfast for Dinner: Oatmeal Waffles, eggs, fruit
Veggie Quesadillas (homemade tortillas), salsa, and fruit
Pizza Pockets with sausage, peppers, and onions, marinara sauce for dipping, and veggies
Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings
Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas
Pasta Bake
Dinner Out

Snacks

Fruit
Raisins
Yogurt Pretzels/Plain Pretzels
Cheddar Bunnies
Fruity Flakes
Freeze Dried Peaches (pretty good!)
String Cheese
Applesauce
Graham Crackers
Soy Nuts
Almonds

Cincinnati Chili Mac

2011-09-09T16:57:00.003-05:00

1 Tbsp light olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 small fresh hot chili, mined, or one 4-oz can chopped mild green chilies
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups cooked kidney or red beans or 2 16 oz cans kidney or red beans, drained and rinsed
1 to 2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
12 to 16 oz spaghetti

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or stir-fry pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent. Add the green and red bell peppers and continue to saute until the onion is golden.

Stir in the remaining ingredients except the spaghetti and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the vegetable are tender and the flavorings completely blended.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in plenty of rapidly boiling water until al dente, then drain.

For each serving, place a small amount of spaghetti in a wide shallow bowl and top with some of the chili. If desired, top with any or all of the following:

Diced ripe tomatoes
Chopped onion or thinly sliced scallions
Grated cheddar cheese

Pulled Pork Chili

2011-09-04T17:27:00.002-05:00

I would call this more of a stew than a chili, but I think it is because it called for "chili-ready diced tomatoes." I didn't find that (and I am not sure what that is) but next time I am going to dice up some hot peppers or something and add it to this recipe. Give it a little heat.

It made a TON! We had it for dinner tonight - put some aside for left overs tomorrow night - and then froze three more portions for easy lunches or quick dinners.

2 cans (14.5 oz each) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cans (14.5 oz each) chili-ready diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15.5 oz) red kidney beans, rinsed
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 boneless pork shoulder (2.5 lbs)
Shredded cheese and sour cream for topping

Combine all ingredients except meat, cheese and sour cream in slow cooker. Add meat; cover with lid. Cook on low 10-12 hour (or on high 7 hours).

Remove meat from slow cooker. Shred meat; return to slow cooker. Stir

Spoon into bowls; top with cheese and sour cream.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-09-04T11:50:00.002-05:00

Breakfast

Oatmeal Waffles
English Muffins
Eggs
Toast
Cereal
Banana Bread
Oatmeal
Fruit

Lunch

Leftovers
PB&Js
Ham and Cheese
Chicken Nuggets

Dinner

Pulled Pork Chili with corn bread
Leftover chili
Ravioli with marinara sauce and veggies
Taco Salad
Slick Pig BBQ and Wings, homemade sides
Frozen portions of Veggies Cincinnati Spaghetti (will post recipe this week)

Snacks

Fruit
Smoothies
Soy Nuts
Cheddar Bunnies
Yogurt
Pumpkin Bread

Chicken Enchiladas

2011-09-03T15:06:00.003-05:00

This recipe was found over at Skinny Taste.

Make them even yummier: make your tortillas for this recipe!

For the sauce:
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 Tbsp chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3/4 cup fat free chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

For the chicken:
1 tsp vegetable oil
8.5 oz (2 breast halves) cooked shredded chicken breast
1 cup diced onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup cilantro
salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
8 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese
1/2 cup chopped scallions or cilantro for topping

In a medium saucepan, spray oil and saute garlic. Add chipotle chiles, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions and garlic on low until soft, about 2 minutes. Add chicken, salt, cilantro, cumin, oregano, chili powder, tomato sauce, chicken broth, and cook 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Put 1/3 cup chicken mixture into each tortilla and roll it.

Place on baking dish same side down, top with sauce. Then top with cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes. Top with sour cream or scallions if you wish.

Crockpot Swiss Chicken Casserole

2011-09-01T08:56:00.001-05:00

This dish used a can of cream of mushroom soup. I found a recipe to make homemade cream of mushroom soup, and if it turns out well I will come back and link it up to this recipe. We avoid cream of such-and-such soups b/c of the MSG and the sodium. But this recipe is excellent and I can't wait to make it a few times in the fall.

6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
6 slices Swiss cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup milk
2 cups stuffing mix
1/2 cup butter, melted

Lightly grease crock pot (or use a liner!). Place chicken breasts in crock pot and top with sliced Swiss cheese.

Combine the soup and milk, stirring well.

Spoon over cheese.

Sprinkle with stuffing mix.

Drizzle melted butter over stuffing mix.

Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-6 hours.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

2011-08-31T08:58:00.002-05:00

I made my own tortillas. This recipe is from the 100 Days of Real Food blog.

It wasn't difficult, just time consuming. When I get a chance, I am going to make a big batch and freeze some for future use.

And, Andrew said they were awesome. And he is picky about Mexican and tortillas. So I feel confident in posting this recipe.

2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour (I might try the white whole-wheat next time)
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm water (heat in the microwave for 1 minute)

In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer set with a dough hook, pour in the flour, oil and salt. Beat with the paddle until crumbly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape the sides as needed. If your hand-held mixer comes with a dough hook, those can be used as well.

With the mixer running, gradually add the warm water and continue mixing until the dough is smooth, about 3 minutes.

Take out the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces.

Roll each piece into a ball and flatten it out on a baking tray or board. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or up to one hour.

Heat a cast iron skillet, griddle or 12-inch skillet over med-high heat. The pan should be fairly hot before you begin cooking the tortillas.

On a lightly floured board or counter top, roll each ball into an 8 to 10 inch circle. Be careful not to use more than a tsp or 2 of flour when rolling out each ball of dough because too much excess flour will burn in the pan.

Spray the pan with cooking spray and then carefully transfer each tortilla, one at a time, to the pan and cook until puffy and slightly brown, about 30 to 45 seconds per side. Set aside on a plate to cool slightly. Eat within an hour, refrigerate or freeze.

My little guy wants to help me cook so baldy. I let him roll out some dough while I did the the actual cooking.

The month of August

2011-08-31T08:29:00.000-05:00

We have been busy this month. Here are a few pictures from what has been going on.

We enjoyed the Wilson County fair with Granny & Papa. Colin's favorite part was the chicken/rabbit coupe. He loves birds (yuck) and loved walking around and looking at all of them. We also saw lots of dogs and even got to touch pigs, chickens, and goats. He loved the tractors and even got to play in a pit full of packing peanuts!!

The fair isn't for me, but I am glad I got to go with Colin his first time. I also enjoyed the fresh roasted corn on the cob. =)

We also went to the Taste of Stones River. This year, along with tasting some good food, Colin got a special wrist band and was able to go inside a fire truck and play on inflatables. He had a blast. It was incredibly hot so he drank more water than ate food, but he left a happy boy!

And last weekend Colin attended his first football game with his best buddy Ben. Ben's daddy is one of the coaches for the Blackman Football team and they go watch the game every week. When we first moved into our house we always talked about going over to watch a game. We can hear the band and the crowd from our house when we are outside. It always sounded like fun.

Colin loves playing with Ben and asks for him constantly during the week. I am so glad God has already sent Colin a buddy and that his mom and I have become good friends too.

My boy loves music and the marching band mesmerized him. When we went home I told him to tell Daddy was we saw. He said, "I see drums!!"

Summer is over but we are ready for fall. Bring on the cooler weather!

Oatmeal Waffles

2011-08-30T11:21:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe Hallie sent me. She told me she makes them with LF buttermilk and egg whites and they turn out great. I stuck to the recipe except I used 100% whole wheat flour instead of white. She was right - the are delicious!! I froze the extras between wax paper and threw them in the toaster this morning for a quick breakfast. Enjoy!

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
6 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp brown sugar

In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, stir together eggs, milk, butter and brown sugar. Add to flour mixture; sir until blended.

Pour batter onto grids of preheated, lightly greased waffle iron (amount will vary with size of waffle iron). Close lid quickly; do not open during baking. Use fork to remove baked waffle.

Top with fruit, yogurt, or syrup.

Whole-Wheat Banana Bread

2011-08-30T09:04:00.000-05:00

After reading Becky's post about clean eating, I decided it was time to get serious about cleaning up our eating too. We do OK but can do better. We are trying to eat more organic and natural produce and products and I am trying to make most things myself when possible. The only down side is that I love to bake. I love to bake treats. So we are still going to have our occasional sweet fix, but much less often.

I found this blog Friday and have been reading it whenever I have a free moment. The first recipe I made from here is banana bread. After I baked it I let it cool and then sliced it and put it between pieces of wax paper and then a freezer bag so I could pop a piece into the toaster for a quick breakfast.

2 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 and grease pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a separate bowl mix mashed bananas with yogurt, honey, eggs, oil, and vanilla.

Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until blended. Do not over mix.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake large loaf for 40-50 minutes or until it comes out clean with a toothpick.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-08-28T19:36:00.003-05:00

Breakfast

Cereal
English Muffins
Steel Cut Oats
Waffles
Banana Bread (new recipe)
Yogurt/Fruit

Lunch

Leftovers
Cold Tortellini Pasta Salad
Sandwiches
Soup
Easy Chicken Tetrazzini (Trying a thermos to send hot meals with Colin to school. This is one of his favorites.)

Dinner

Breakfast for Dinner: Oatmeal Waffles (new recipe), eggs, bacon, yogurt
Sandwiches, chips, fruit
Lasagna, veggies, bread
Crockpot Swiss Chicken Casserole (new recipe)
French Onion Soup (or leftover night)
Chicken Enchiladas (new recipe)
Homemade Veggie Pizza

Snacks

String Cheese
Fresh Fruit
Freeze Dried Fruit
Soy Nuts
Yogurt Pretzels
Pretzels
Cheddar Bunnies

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-08-21T10:23:00.001-05:00

Lunch

Sandwiches
Cold Tortellini Salad
Leftovers

Dinner

Grilled Chicken Salad
Crockpot Mexican Chicken
Sweet & Sticky Orange Chicken (didn't get to it last week)
Veggie Cincinnati Spaghetti
Dinner at Grandma's
Pasta Bake
SpicyChicken Sandwiches

Tin Roof Bars

2011-08-18T10:10:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe over at Confessions of a Cookbook Queen. This blog is filled with goodies and I check it every.single.day. This is the first recipe I have tried to make and will be trying many more soon!

For the brownie layer:
1 box dark chocolate fudge cake mix
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 stick of butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8x8 or 7x11 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray

In a large bowl, mix ingredients together until fully combined. Pat evenly into prepared pan and bake for about 20 minutes, until it puffs up and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Place on a rack until completely cool.

For vanilla layer:
1 stick butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup chocolate covered peanuts, coarsely chopped

In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter, milk, and vanilla on medium-low speed until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar until just barely mixed in. Increase speed to high and beat for about a minute, until light and fluffy. Spread over cooled brownies and top with chocolate covered peanuts and marshmallows, pressing in gently. Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the chocolate.

For the chocolate:
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 Tbsp milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add cocoa powder and milk and stir until just boiling and thick. Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove brownies from refrigerator and pout chocolate frosting over the top.

I didn't take any pictures but jump over to see her original recipe and drool over that photo. =)

**I need to mention that my brownie layer took a bit longer to cook. I blame it on my crappy oven. I think I should move a new oven from the "want" list to the "need" list.

Firsts

2011-08-16T09:37:00.001-05:00

We had a couple of firsts this week.

Today was Colin's first day back at Wee School MDO program. Today is a short day, so I will be back up there to pick him up in just a few hours. Thursday is his first full day. He was ready. He ran right into his room and started playing. He paid me no attention.

I got him a fun backpack this year: Toy Story. =) He loves it and didn't even take it off when he ran into the room to play when we got there.

Colin also slept in his toddler bed for the first time Sunday night. He did great! He pretty much sleeps through the night. He wakes up at 3am, but I do too right before him. So I am not sure what that is about. But he doesn't get out or leave his room. I had to wake him up Monday morning. This morning Andrew heard him talking and he walked in there to find him sitting on his bed reading a book.

He also naps pretty well. Sunday he went right to sleep. Monday he just wasn't tired. So I told him we would have quite time in his room for a while even if he didn't want to nap. I left him in there for an hour. He stayed on his bed, only getting out to get a new stuffed animal to play with or a book to read. I am pretty happy with that!

I am redecorating Colin's room. Sad to see the nursery go, but excited to give him a boy room! Remember how much time I spent on those stripes? Well, getting rid of those stripes are just as time consuming and miserable. The edge of edge of each strip had a little bit of a bump to it. I went through and sanded down that bump. When I ran my hand against the wall, I couldn't feel it. So I then started to paint. One coat and you could still see those lines. I ended up doing two coats and you can still see them depending on how the light hits. So now I am thinking I have three options:

Find another kind of texture/pattern I can paint on all or the top part of the walls. Doing a lot of Googling on that.
Use the edge of the old stripes as a guide and tape up stripes again. Only this time use the same blue I painted only a different finish. Probably glossier so you see the stripes even though they are the same color.
Stop caring. It isn't THAT noticable. My OCD is what makes it worse.

Right now I am leaning toward #2, but won't tackle it for a few weeks if I do it.

We hope to get him a twin bed with a trundle soon and a new dresser. His furniture is dark wood and I want a honey colored wood for his big boy furniture. I already bought his twin bedding and I have been using the flat sheet as the sheet on his toddler bed. I like the bedding too much to spend more money on toddler sized bedding. It works for now and it hopefully won't be like that for long!

I will post picture when I am done but to give you an idea, the walls are blue with a white chair rail, I have red curtian on order (not the red that you can see in the above picture), a little blue nightstand, and car themed lamp, pillow, and art canvas, and I am thinking Santa may bring him a little PB reading chair unless Mommy gets one before then.

**Off of the Colin subject - who is watching Bachelor Pad?**

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-08-14T08:46:00.000-05:00

Lunch

Leftovers
Sandwiches

Dinner

Turkey Meatballs, Marinara Sauce, and Spaghetti
Slow Cooked Sweet Barbacoa Pork with Cilantro Lime Rice and black beans in bowl or as burritos
Leftover Pork
Will's Birthday Dinner
Papa John's
Taste of Stones River
Loaded Baked Potatoes
Sweet & Sticky Orange Chicken with Rice and extra veggies

Sweet Treats

Tin Roof Bars
Peanut Butter Toffee Chocolate Pretzels

Hallmark Star!

2011-08-09T08:43:00.002-05:00

I recently switched email addresses. I occasionally check my old email b/c you never know what you might miss. I am so glad I checked it today. Today I had an email from Hallmark letting me know that the card I submitted has won again!

The same card I that won for a couple months ago (see the picture to the right) that was available for sale online will now be in Walmart stores after September 19th! They said that the card selection for each store is "tailor-made" so our Walmart may not have it, but other Walmarts could. So if you are ever in a random Walmart, check for me and take a picture. =)

Along with Colin's card being available for purchase in stores, I also won another $250!

Vocab Explosion!

2011-08-08T08:33:00.000-05:00

Just in the past few weeks I feel like Colin has had a vocabulary explosion. He went from putting two words together to making actual sentences. Granted, he is my first, but I was shocked at how quickly it happened. Things he will say:

More milk, please.
I can't reach it!
It needs batteries.
I do that, too!
I go poop.
I want cheese, too.

I feel like he says so much more, but I can't think of them off the top of my head.

He is also beginning to enjoy hide and seek. He like to be the one that counts and seeks. When he hides for Daddy, he ends up yelling "hiding!!" from his spot. We still need to work on that.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-08-07T12:11:00.000-05:00

Lunch

Smart Ones Meals
Peanut Butter Crackers
PB&J sandwiches
Leftovers
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Dinner

Whole Foods
Homemade Pizza
Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas
Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili
Baked Lemon Pasta

Great Deal!!

2011-08-02T11:24:00.001-05:00

Southern Savers posted a great deal on their blog! It is for Paper Coterie. When you use the code BEGINANYWHERE at check out you get a $40 credit FREE!!!

I usually use these great deals of make gifts for grandparents and great-grandparents, but I couldn't pass up something I needed this time:

A memory keeper for Colin's artwork. After using the code I only paid shipping (about $9.50)!

Lots of other goodies so you should go check it out!

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-07-31T13:51:00.000-05:00

Lunch

PB&Js
Rice & Beans
Lemon Chicken Soup with Pasta
Leftovers

Dinner

Parmesan Chicken Burgers (pre-made from WH) and fries
Asian Turkey Meatballs with Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce, Rice, and Broccoli
Chick-fil-a
Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Rice
Kirkenburt's BBQ and homemade cheese hashbrowns
Pizza Pasta Bake
Anniversary Date Night - Fulin's

Sweet Treat: Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Scandinavian Almond Bars

2011-07-27T09:14:00.000-05:00

1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp almond extract
Milk
1/2 cup sliced almonds, coarsely chopped
Almond icing (recipe below)

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large mixer beat butter until soft. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg and almond extract and beat well. Add flour mixture and beat until well mixed.

Divide dough into fourths. Form each into a 12-inch roll. Place 2 rolls 4-5 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten until each is 3-inches wide. Repeat with the remaining rolls.

Brush flattened rolls with milk and sprinkle with almonds. Bake at 325 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. While cookies are still warm, cut crossways at a diagonal into 1-inch strips. Cool. Drizzle with almond icing (below).

Almond Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp almond extract
4-6 tsp milk

Stir above ingredient and drizzle on top of cooled cookies.

These cookies freeze very well! Bake up a batch (or two) and store them in an air tight container (or freezer bags) in your freezer. Pull out as many as you need and just allow to thaw for a bit before serving.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

2011-07-25T08:43:00.001-05:00

You can also find this recipe on the back the Ghiradelli White Chocolate Chip package.

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped macadamia nuts

Preheat the oven to 350.

Cream the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs, one egg at a time, and beat well.

Blend in flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in white chips aand macadamia nuts.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

*This recipe is easy to cut in half if you want to make less. The measurements above spilt evenly so you don't have to guess with your measure cups/spoons.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-07-24T15:42:00.002-05:00

Lunch

Leftovers
English Muffin Pizzas
Chicken Nuggets
PB&Js
BLTs

Dinner

Turkey Meatballs with spaghetti (twice) with Marinara Sauce
Chick-fil-a
Crock Pot Three Bean Turkey Chili
Tortellini with Marinara Sauce

Sweet Treats: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookies & Scandinavian Almond Bars (I'm on a baking kick)

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-07-16T13:39:00.000-05:00

Lunch

Leftovers
BLTs
Chicken Wraps
Chicken Nuggets
Pizza

Dinner

Sage & Garlic Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries
White Chicken Chili (Carrol Shelby Mix)
Nachos with ground turkey (taco seasoning) and fresh salsa
Crock Pot Pasta Sauce with Sausage over angel hair pasta with veggies (new recipe)
Kurkenburt's BBQ
Girl's Night Out!

Sweet Treat: Poppy's Snickerdoodles - Colin's favorite!

Marinara Sauce

2011-07-07T10:16:00.001-05:00

By now it is no secret that I have found many winning recipes from Skinnytaste.com.

Here is a marinara sauce from the website that I made one day and froze in three separate Zip Lock containers. I pull them out as we need marinara sauce with our dinner. I will double next time so I have more on hand.

2 (28 oz) cans imported crushed tomatoes (Tuttoroso)
3 close garlic, smashed
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion finely chopped
1 cup carrots, finely chopped
1/2 cup fat free chicken stock
fresh basil

Saute garlic in oil, add onions and carrots and saute on medium-low for about 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add tomatoes and chicken broth and simmer 45 minutes on low.

Add fresh basil last 10 minutes (herbs will become bitter if cooked more than 20 minutes).

Taste for acidity, if sauce is a bit tangy (acidic) then add 1 Tbsp of sugar. For a calorie free way to cut acidity in the sauce add 1/2 tsp of baking soda.

2 PointsPlus for each 1 cup serving. 8 servings per recipe.

*I used my food processor to get the finely chopped carrots and onion. I am lazy like that. Plus, it probably makes the sauce a little smoother.

Colin's 2nd Birthday

2011-07-05T08:53:00.004-05:00

Friday evening we celebrated Colin's 2nd birthday with a soccer themed party at the park. He has his friends, grandparents, and even great grandparents there. We had so much fun! We ate pizza, watermelon, popcorn, cotton candy, and cupcakes. All the kids got goodies bags and the whistles seemed to be a big hit!

Thank you to all of Colin's friends for coming out and celebrating with him. We can't wait to see what the next year is going to bring!

Photos have been posted on my facebook, but you can also look at pictures in Colin's new scrapbook here along with our 4th of July pictures. Enjoy!

(I haven't designed the cover or title page yet, so skip over those until you get to the good pages!)

And the link may or may not be working. So I embedded it into this post. The easiest way to look through it is to pause it, then hit the next button when you are ready to go to a new page. =)

| View Sample Photo Books | Create your own Photo Book

Pancakes

2011-07-04T08:43:00.001-05:00

1 cup flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp oil

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Beat eggs with milk and oil in a medium bowl with wire whisk until well blended. Add flour mixture and beat until well blended and smooth.

Ladle batter onto hot griddle or into hot skillet, using 1/4 cup of the batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on top. Flip and brown the other side. Serve with fruit, whipped cream, or maple syrup.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-07-03T19:45:00.002-05:00

Breakfast Treat: Pancakes and Chicken Apple Sausage Patties

Lunch

Homemade Pizza
Rainbows & Butterflies Pasta Salad
English Muffin Pizzas
Turkey Sandwiches
Leftovers

Dinner

Sandwiches
Sweet Barbocaco Pork burritos with Cilantro Lime Rice, Black Beans, Salsa, and Fudge Pie...I even found BLUE soda! - Happy 4th!
Trader Joe's Chili Lime Chicken Burgers
Chicken Rollatini with Prosciutto & Cheese
Ravioli with Homemade Marinara Sauce (Skinny Taste Recipe - posting soon!)
Open House at Papa's work. They have food for us there so a night off for me!

Rainbows & Butterflies Pasta Salad

2011-06-28T11:43:00.002-05:00

OK, so as you can probably tell from the title of this recipe, I found it under a link for great lunches for kids. I liked it so I am posting it with it's silly name and all.

8 oz bow tie pasta, preferably whole grain
3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup corn kernels, thawed if frozen
1 cup shelled edamame, thawed if frozen
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
2 medium carrots, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt

Cook the pasta as the label directs. Drain and toss with 1 tsp olive oil to prevent sticking; let cool.

In a large bowl, toss the cooled pasta with the corn, edamame, bell pepper and carrots. Drizzle with the remaining 3 Tbsp olive oil and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan and 1/4 tsp salt; toss again and season to taste.

I also added a sprinkling of Italian Seasoning. =)

Mayo Free Chicken Salad

2011-06-27T08:33:00.001-05:00

I'm on a search for new lunch recipes. We usually have left overs for lunch or Lean Cuisines. Sometimes neither of these exist in our house. So I realized I need to bulk up our lunch menu a bit. I want to find recipes that use ingredients that I likely already have around the kitchen. So I started with this chicken salad recipe.

I hate mayo. It was created by the devil. I once had to mix a dip that used mayo and I thought I might throw up my lunch just from the smell.

So I was really excited when I found a chicken salad recipe that used NO mayo. I tweaked it and made it my own.

1 can (12.5 oz) chicken, white meat
1/4 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/4 of a red onion, chopped finely
18 grapes, halved
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper + more to taste
pinch of salt

Drain canned chicken and place in a bowl. Use a fork to shred the chicken. Add the yogurt, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and combine. Add the celery, onion, and grapes and then cover and place in refrigerator.

Chill for a few hours or overnight to allow all the flavors to combine.

Serve on sandwich bread or a croissant.

This makes 3 servings and is 3 PointsPlus per serving (no bread included).

Get creative and try your own combos. I plan on trying cranberries and almonds in place of the grapes and also trying apples and walnuts. Those change would change the points value, but my be worth it if you want something different.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-06-25T11:14:00.000-05:00

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili
Chicken Parm at Mom's
Cooking out at Grandma's
Turkey Meatballs and Spaghetti
Grilled Chicken, Steamed Veggies, and Couscous
Colin's Birthday Party!! - Pizza

Today's quick Publix trip

2011-06-22T08:46:00.000-05:00

4 boxes of Nutrigrain Bars
2 bags frozen cheese ravioli
2 bags frozen cheese tortellini
2 containers Lysol wipes
2 (big!) bags of Chex Mix
2 boxes Ritz crackers
1 Publix apple juice (penny item)
2 jars of Secret Popcorn

All of this would usually cost me $69.88 (tax included). Today I only paid $22.90. Paid ~68% less than the normal retail price because I combined my coupons with sale items.

I am getting better at this!

Quick update!

2011-06-20T12:36:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted an update on Colin lately. Where to begin?

Colin turns 2 in 11 days! And I am pretty sure the terrible 2's have started. =) They probably started about a month ago...

He is talking so.much.more these days. I am not sure how many words he says but it seems like a lot. He also has started with some short sentences that he says frequently. My favorites being:

"I need it."
"I got it."
"Oh, man."
"Hi-ya!"
"Hold it."
"Come on!" (talking to Molly)
"Move Molly." (also talking to Molly)
"Where are you?"

He is also a pretty good actor. I let him old the boo-boo cold pack the other day,a little gel filled shark. He would pretend he had a boo-boo and I would lay the shark on the phantom injury. I had to stop and put something away and be proceeded to hold the boo-boo shark in the crease of his elbow and pretend to cry and be in pain. Then he was done.

He is also in to Toy Story. He loves it. Luckily we own 1, 2, and 3 so we can rotate them and not get tired of them.

He has his 2 year old pedi appointment in a couple of week and I am interested to see his weight and height!

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-06-18T07:36:00.000-05:00

Asian Grilled Chicken with rice and Asian medley veggies
Lasagna
Left over Lasagna
Nachos
Subway
Wedding - Colin with Grandparents

Low Fat Baked Onion Rings

2011-06-14T09:18:00.001-05:00

We made these last night to go along side our chicken sandwiches. I cut them a little too thin, but other than that I thought they were great! Another winner from Skinny Taste!

1 medium onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rings
2 1/4 cups low fat buttermilk
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup Italian seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup crushed corn flake crumbs
salt to taste
olive oil baking spray

Place slices of onions in a shallow dish. Pour buttermilk over the top and let them soak for 1-2 hours, refrigerated.

Preheat oven to 450. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

Combine panko, bread crumbs, and corn flakes and place half the crumbs in a large dish, season with salt. Reserve the rest for when the first batch is used up. This should help avoid clumping and they should stick better to the onions.

Dip each soaked mixture into the crumbs and coat well. Place rings onto cookie sheet and lightly spray with olive oil. Bake about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Canned Biscuit Dough Donuts and Holes

2011-06-13T08:09:00.001-05:00

We don't fry much food in our house. Aside from the obvious fact that it is not good for you, it also leaves this carnival like smell on your clothes and through your house. At least that is what my sensitive nose picks up. We love fried chicken from Chick-fil-a or in our dinner from Fulin's but that is about it.

So this recipe was a little difficult for me. I had a hard time keeping the oil the right temperature and knowing the right amount to use. But in the end I ended up with some pretty good looking donuts!

I was hoping Colin would want to decorate them, but he has no interest. He didn't even eat one. It didn't hurt my feelings though - he never eats donuts.

This is Paula's Deans recipe off of the Food Network website.

Peanut oil, for frying
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
5 Tbsp milk, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cans large buttermilk biscuits
Colored sprinkles
Chocolate sprinkles

Heat 2 inches peanut oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to 350.

In a shallow bowl, stir together the ground cinnamon and sugar and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 2 Tbsp of milk, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract, set aside. This the vanilla icing. In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder, and 3 Tbsp of milk and set aside. This is the chocolate icing.

Lay out the biscuits on a cutting board and with a 1 1/2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out a hole from the middle of each biscuit. Fry them in the oil until golden and then flip with tongs to fry the other side. You can even fry the donut holes. Drain on paper towels and then toss in the cinnamon-sugar or ice and decorate with sprinkles, as desired.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-06-11T08:00:00.002-05:00

Dinner at Grandma's
Turkey Kielbasa with peppers, onions, and couscous
Dinner at the Coleman's
My Birthday Dinner at Mom's
Girls Night Out! - Pizza for the boys?
California Chicken Burgers
Sage & Garlic Turkey Burgers

Breakfast treat: homemade donuts. Mmmmmm.....

Breakfast Pizza

2011-06-07T08:58:00.001-05:00

What kid wouldn't want pizza for breakfast? However, I'm not talking about the kind with red sauce and pepperoni. I am talking about the bacon and eggs variety. Whole Foods has the best pizza. One day we were there early in the morning so I got to try their breakfast pizza and loved it. I wanted to recreate as best as possible.

For this recipe, I am using the instructions on the pizza crust we buy - Whole Foods Frozen Whole Wheat Pizza Dough. Check your dough for cooking directions.

1 pkg frozen pizza dough
4 eggs cooked - scrambled
4 slices of bacon, cut into chunks/pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
sliced red onion
olive oil
Italian seasoning

Thaw your dough.

Preheat the oven according to the directions on your pizza dough.

Roll the dough out into a circle and place on baking sheet or pizza tray. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Some doughs (like the WF ones) will have you bake it for a while before topping it. I like it this way and suggest it. So if you choose this method, do it now.

Take the crust out of the oven. Evenly sprinkle with the scrambled eggs, red onion, bacon, and cheddar cheese. Bake for the remaining time on the dough instructions.

Add a little black pepper, slice into 6 pieces and serve.

We really liked this and I would like to try some other breakfast combinations. Next time I plan on using pancetta instead of bacon. If you try this with other topping combinations please let me know what they were and how they turned out!

Chicken Rollatini with Prosciutto & Cheese

2011-06-06T08:02:00.001-05:00

This recipe is from Skinny Taste and wow is it easy and so so good! It makes a lot so this is a good one to make for company and you can even assemble it early and pop it in the oven straight out of the fridge like we did last night.

8 thin chicken cutlets, 3 oz each (I beat chicken breasts until they were as thin as I wanted)
4 (2.8oz) sliced thin lean prosciutto, sliced in half
2 slices reduced fat provolone or mozzarella, sliced in half
1/2 cup whole wheat Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 lemon, juice of
1 Tbsp olive oil
fresh pepper
1/4 red onion, sliced
olive oil non-stick spray

Wash and dry cutlets well with paper towels. Combine breadcrumbs and grate cheese in one bowl and olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper in another bowl.

Preheat the oven to 450. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.

Dip the chicken in the lemon-oil mixture, then in the breadcrumbs to coat well. Place each cutlet on a work surface such as cutting board and lay 1/2 slice prosciutto, 1/2 slice cheese and a few chunks red onion on one side of the chicken cutlet.

Roll and place seam side down in a baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken. When finished, top with remaining crumbs and spray lightly with oil.

Bake 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Servings size is 1 and they are 4 PointsPlus each.

I liked them like this, but my sister and mom both said they would like to try it with a sauce. So I might try to serve with spaghetti and tomato sauce next time.

And the winner is...

2011-06-06T05:47:00.003-05:00

It's here!! Click below to purchase Colin's Hallmark card!

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-06-04T09:08:00.002-05:00

Turkey Dogs, mac-n-cheese, Fresh Fruit
Hamburgers (daddy is out of town!)
Pizza & Salad
Easy Tetrazzini, Veggies, & Fresh Fruit
Chicken Rollatini with Prosciutto & Cheese, Salad/Veggies, & Fresh Fruit
Date Night: late night take out for us; chicken nuggets, veggie, and fruit for Colin

And something new for breakfast: breakfast pizza! Recipe coming soon. Trying to copy the one they serve at whole foods in the mornings.

Weekly Meal Plan

2011-05-31T11:35:00.002-05:00

My meal plan this week (and maybe for a lot of the summer) will be a little messy. We have recently started biking more and have found it to be way better in the evenings, when it is (just a bit) cooler. Depending on if we go biking that night, it will change what we might make for dinner. So instead of putting specific days, I will just put what we are having during the week at some point.

So, this week we are having:

Sage & Garlic Turkey Burgers with corn on the cob
Pasta with homemade sauce
Homemade pizza using Whole Foods whole wheat frozen pizza dough
Garlic Lime Chicken Fajitas
Sandwiches