Sunday, July 29, 2007

Menu Plan Monday, July 30



Join the fun at Menu Plan Monday and check out some great ideas for YOUR family's dinner!


SATURDAY: Italian Veal Stew

SUNDAY: We attended a birthday party for our neighbor's daughter.

MONDAY: Quick Chicken Divan and rice

TUESDAY: Hot turkey sandwiches with gravy, French fries, and salad

WEDNESDAY: Balsamic Pork Roast with potatoes and vegetables

THURSDAY: Cashew Chicken with rice

FRIDAY: Shrimp marinara over linguine

SATURDAY: We're attending a birthday party for 3 of our kids' cousins.

SUNDAY: Our big meal will be brunch after noon Mass. TheDad is cooking all his specialties. We've invited about 15 people (not including the 5 of us) and it could still grow.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Menu Plan Monday, July 23


SUNDAY: Chicken Marsala, roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, Portuguese bread (from the Brazilian grocery--mmmmm)

MONDAY: Taco Skillet

TUESDAY: Hawaiian Chicken, rice

WEDNESDAY: leftover Pot Roast, noodles, brown gravy with onions

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Pizza

SATURDAY: Happy Birthday to me! I haven't decided what we're having for dinner yet.

Visit Menu Plan Monday for links to lots of other menu ideas!

Friday, July 20, 2007

Sports Parent Survival Meals

AKA: How to use your crockpot/slow cooker/Nesco roaster to your best advantage.
AKA: How to serve your family a home-cooked meal when the game/practice/rehearsal/lesson cuts into your prep and/or dinnertime.

In no particular order, and with links to follow later. CP=crockpot/slow cooker/Nesco.
With any of these, just add salad and you're ready to go!
Chili (CP)
Chicken Chili Blanco (CP)
Fried Rice (just get all the prep done ahead of time)
Taco Skillet
Turkey Club Sandwiches
Meatball Sandwiches (CP)
Hot beef or hot turkey sandwiches with gravy (CP)

I also think that if I parcooked the pasta, and had the sauce in the roaster, I could just toss the parcooked pasta into boiling water for 3 minutes and have dinner done in under 20.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Tasty Tuesday: Blueberry Muffins


Continuing on a blueberry theme. I live in New Jersey, after all, and the berries are fabulous this year! I taught Middle Sister how to make these muffins yesterday.

I have modified this recipe a bit from a Better Homes & Gardens recipe.

* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 beaten eggs
* 3/4 cup milk
* 1/2 cup melted butter (no substitutes)
* 1 tablespoon finely shredded lemon peel
* 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
* sugar for topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Put muffin papers in 18 regular size muffin pan cups. Set aside.

2. Stir together flour, the 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of dry mixture; set aside.

3. Combine eggs, milk, butter, and lemon peel; add all at once to the dry mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in blueberries.

4. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each almost full. Sprinkle tops with sugar. Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes or until golden. Cool in muffin cups on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups. Makes 18.

BLUEBERRY STORAGE TIP: Buy many pints of blueberries when they are in season. Rinse in a colander with cold water, and put in one-cup portions into zipper sandwich bags. Freeze. When you want to use blueberries in a recipe, just empty the frozen berries right into the batter--they'll thaw as it bakes! I buy blueberries once a year and freeze enough to last until the next summer.

Visit Many Little Blessings for more Tasty Tuesday recipes!

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Menu Plan Monday, July 16



The Boy Scouts have returned from their camping trip, happy, hungry and FILTHY! I fed them a big Chicken Parmesan dinner on Saturday night when they got back.

SUNDAY: Picnic with friends. I'm bringing a pot of Chicken Chili Blanco and a batch of brownies.

MONDAY: Pot roast with onions, served over noodles with gravy.

TUESDAY: Swiss Chicken Melt, rice, and green beans.

WEDNESDAY: Spaghetti and meatballs

THURSDAY: Spanish Rice with Pork

FRIDAY: Linguine with Shrimp Marinara

SATURDAY: Turkey Club Sandwiches

Visit the home of Menu Plan Monday to check out lots more recipes. There are over 100 participants each week!

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Works-for-Me Wednesday: Sleds



NO, not the kind you use to slide down snowy hills in the wintertime! What are you thinking? It's JULY!

I like to bake cupcakes and muffins but I always have trouble getting the pans out of the oven without getting a big oven-mitt thumb in one of the muffins.

I solved this problem by placing my muffin tin on top of a cookie sheet. Now I just slide the cookie sheet out of the oven. It doesn't affect the baking in any way, the cookie sheet doesn't get dirty, but it keeps me from messing up the muffins (and my oven mitts!

Visit the other Works-for-Me Wednesday participants at Rocks in My Dryer.

Monday, July 09, 2007

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken & Dumplings
(4 servings)
Get this recipe at Cook and Count!






Menu Plan Monday, July 9



I find it difficult to plan menus when I know some members of the family will be missing during the week. TheDad and Big Brother are off at Boy Scout Camp and won't be home until late Saturday night. Middle Sister will be spending the next two days with her friend's family at the beach.

SUNDAY: Skillet Chicken Risotto (this was a new recipe, and a disappointment. I'm glad not everyone was here to have to put up with this one. I had such high hopes for it, too!)

MONDAY: Breakfast for Dinner. It will definitely include bacon! Besides that, probably French toast and fresh fruit.

TUESDAY: Chicken Chili Blanco for me; hot dogs for Little Brother; green salad to complete the meal

WEDNESDAY: Chicken and dumplings, at the request of Middle Sister. I do a "Cracker Barrel clone" recipe and this one is "tried and true."

THURSDAY: Spaghetti

FRIDAY: Homemade pizza

SATURDAY: Chicken drumsticks with barbecue sauce, pasta salad, green beans

Next week I will be feeding up my campers who will be looking for their favorite home cooking! The menu will be fabulous (I've already got it all planned out!)

Visit the home of Menu Plan Monday for more menu ideas and recipes!

Monday, July 02, 2007

Tasty Tuesday: Blueberry Coffee Cake


This is an easy cake to make: "from scratch" hardly takes longer than "from a mix." Don't be afraid to get your hands right into that topping--it's the only way to mix it properly. I get a lot of repeat requests for this cake.

1 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
2/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 cup blueberries

TOPPING
6 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
8 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

This cake can be prepared a day ahead. Just cover the cake with Saran wrap and refrigerate. Take it out of refrigerator about 1 hour before baking.

Sift dry ingredients. Cut in shortening. Add milk, egg, and vanilla. Fold in fruit. Pour into greased pan, 8" square or round.
Mix topping ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle topping over batter. Bake 25 minutes at 400.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

You can substitute about a cup of ANY fruit (sliced apples work great)!

Visit the other Tasty Tuesday participants for more delicious recipes.

Menu Plan Monday, July 2



It's time for Menu Plan Monday!

SUNDAY: Pork Teriyaki, rice and steamed snow peas (holdover from last week)

MONDAY: Spaghetti with Italian sausage and garlic bread

TUESDAY: Barbecued chicken, corn on the cob, roasted potatoes

WEDNESDAY: We're visiting friends for the Fourth of July!

THURSDAY: Beef goulash over noodles

FRIDAY: Spanish Garlic Shrimp

SATURDAY: TheDad and Big Brother leave for Boy Scout Camp for a week. So it will just be me, Middle Sister and Little Brother. A simple meal: Pollo con limon y ajillo, hash browns and a vegetable.

Thanks, Laura, for hosting!

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