Menu for the week of November 15th!

Wow. Not much happened according to the plan last week since I didn't have a working oven till Wednesday! There was no routine last week with 1/2 days, parent teacher conferences, and days off...I was happy to survive all the week without missing an appointment. I also spent some great quality time with wonderful friends.

Yesterday I woke up not feeling wonderful, made it through church, and progressively felt worse as the day went on. We all have stuffy noses, mine seems to be hitting me hard. I'm going to attempt getting dinner in the crockpot this morning so I can just focus on laundry the rest of the day. I didn't get my second laundry day in last week since we had that day off, so we just hung out as a family playing on the play ground and using some of our free coupons from McDonalds that the kids got for halloween. A fair trade! ;)

I am also working on getting my shopping list together for Thanksgiving next week! I plan on hitting the grocery store this weekend. What are you making?? I'll get a post up of my plans this week! I think I have all the recipes I'm going to use. I'm going to attempt homemade cranberry sauce!

Last week I made Perfect Sesame Chicken and it was ok. I didn't fry the chicken since I rarely fry anything. I baked it for 20-25mins at 400. I reduced some of the sugar but my husband would've rather had it sweeter. I didn't have any chili paste. But it was fairly good. Next time I'm going to attempt the recipe as it.

On the menu for this week:
Monday - Italian Wedding Soup with homemade rolls (if I feel up to it today!)

Tuesday - Meatloaf and baked potatoes

Wednesday - Baked Oatmeal (recipe suggestions?) with apple slices

Thursday - Butternut squash mac and cheese, carry over from last week since I didn't make it.

Friday - Pizza and movie night

Saturday - Dinner with my parents, sister, and her husband!

Sunday - I'm going to make rolls for our Thanksgiving dinner at church.

Menu for the week of November 8th!

So...my heating element went in my ancient oven. My landlord found the part, it has been ordered but today is day 6 with no oven. I bake, a lot. I'm twitching. I want to bake. Couple that with lots of visitors at our house and well, the end of last week was interesting! I brought from my Mum's house her Rival roasting oven to have in case I need it while I wait for my oven to be fixed this week.

I didn't try anything new last week, and my menu went off as planned Mon-Wed. Thursday we had guests who picked up pizza! And I made a Fudge Cake in my crock pot served with whipped cream. On Friday we had company and we had spaghetti and meatballs, salad, and bread. I made butterscotch apple crisp in my crock pot served with vanilla ice cream. I also made apple cinnamon steel cut oats and a cheese egg bacon sun dried tomato casserole in my crock pot for my husband's pay day breakfast. Lots of use from my crock pot!

This weeks Menu:

Monday - Chicken Tacos

Tuesday - Italian Wedding Soup with dinner rolls (I might attempt the dinner rolls in the roasting oven!)

Wednesday - Pepperoni Rolls with marinara dipping sauce

Thursday - Butternut squash macaroni and cheese with chicken

Friday - Pizza

This week I also hope to get my Thanksgiving menu planned out! I need to start getting all the things I need for that!

Menu for the week of November 1st!

Last weeks review:
I made baked potato soup with everything bread, so yummy!

For Mom's group on Tuesday I made pumpkin spice bagels, they were great! I think I'm going to make them again this week. I also made cinnamon butter to go with them.

My breakfast pizza was really good. I didn't follow a recipe since I didn't find one that I really liked. So I made my traditional pizza crust (have I shared that recipe?!), then topped it with scrambled eggs, sun dried tomatoes, crumbled turkey bacon, and cheddar cheese. Even my picky eater ate it! I was totally surprised!

I made this yummy Apple Caramel Upside Down Cake for my husband's bible study group. It was wonderfully delicious! I made my no-bakes which my boys couldn't wait to dig in once they got home from school and choc. chip cookies.

I also made this Pumpkin Cake with cream cheese frosting this weekend, yes...I still haven't made that 4 layer cake yet...I so desperately want to! Again, my picky eater ate this and loved it. He chose it amongst all the desserts at church! Even with the cream cheese frosting!

I also spent last Wednesday canning applesauce and apple pie filling, for the first time! Phew! I survived, what a learning experience!

I also made homemade pasta!

Up for this week: Of course all this is likely to change!
Monday - I have spaghetti sauce in the crockpot with meatballs. I might make spaghetti if I get home in time from my lunch date with a friend! Steamed veggies on the side.

Tuesday - Chicken Garlic Cheese Pasta Bake

Wednesday - Breakfast Sandwiches with applesauce

Thursday - Perigoi's with bacon

Friday - Pizza!!!

Saturday - Apple cinnamon waffles with sausage

Menu for the week of October 25th

Last Week's Review:
Ravioli Lasagna - It was ok, I know, just ok. It was missing some umph that we like. The lack of meat made the dish less desirable for my husband. I think I'll stick to breading and baking/frying our ravioli's and then dipping them in marinara sauce from now on.

Instead of chicken parm, I made a chicken biscuit/pot pie type thing. It was good! My children are in this weird eating funk right now, so they turned their noses at it.

The French Dip Sandwiches were so-so for me. My husband LOVED them. There was a very strong rosemary flavor. I probably won't make it again.

On Friday I made a pizza braid to just change up the usual Friday routine of pizza. I also found this recipe for chicken wings using boneless skinless chicken. I made a hot sauce and then a bbq sauce. They were great! Of course, not the real thing...but cheap and yummy! Will be making those again. I baked them at 400 degrees for about 25mins instead of frying.

Saturday morning I made something I have never attempted before! The Oven Puff Pancake was delicious! My oldest son was greatly offended when I called it pancake. I made one with apples and a plain one. They were both wonderful! I used a combination of a few recipes to make them, I'll post my version of the recipes this week!

Last week I also attempted my own bagels! It WAS time consuming, but not difficult. And they came out wonderful! I was pleasantly surprised! I will be making them again, and probably again and again since my son really enjoys bagels.

So much for last week being a 'blah' week in my kitchen, huh?? This next week will be quite busy as I have a bushel and a half of apples to 'do something with'. My plan is to can applesauce and to also can my grandmother's apple pie filling recipe. I'm sure there will be photos of that, I really like canning. Plus I'm using the old jars that my grandmother gave me. I'm a softy for that type of stuff!

I'm also trying a lot of meatless dishes, to keep within our grocery budget. Anyone have good meatless recipes (hopefully something that my husband will enjoy! He'll never turn food away, but he loves his meat!)

In other exciting news, my sister in law split a 50lbs bag of flour! It will be perfect for holiday baking.

Ok...now this week!
Monday - *NEW* Chicken and Corn Chili - I'm going to use this recipe, but I can't find Mexican style corn so I will sub for that.

Tuesday - I think I'm going to make homemade bagels for my Mom's group! For dinner I'm going to make Baked Potato Soup? I'll make "everything bread" that is in my new taste of homes magazine and applesauce (homemade!)!
I always make a dessert for when my Dad joins us for dinner...I have to make something good for this night to redeem my attempt at throwing a cake together last week. I failed miserably. At least the frosting was good.

Wednesday - Breakfast Pizza for dinner, instead of sausage I'm going to use bacon.

Thursday - My son requested Spaghetti and Meatballs. This is his all time favorite meal and I haven't made it in a few weeks. With steamed veggies and possibly garlic bread.

We are hosting my husband's mens bible study crew on Thursday so I need to bake something for them to snack on...not sure yet. Waiting to feel inspired!

Friday - Our usual homemade pizza. My Mum and I are going to my Aunt's pampered chef party that night! I can't wait to score some of their stuff!

Saturday - Breakfast Sandwiches (homemade bagels? I also bought english muffins at Price Chopper for B1G2F!) and pancakes for those who won't eat the sandwiches.
We are going to a Halloween party at a friends house and I need to make a dessert type thing that will be judged. I'm going to look through some of my fall cooking magazines. We don't really celebrate the pagan halloween so I'm going to try and stay away from that stuff. Stick to the pumpkins and stuff.

Sunday - We are having a fellowship dinner after church and I am going to bring this 4 layer pumpkin cake. I've been wanting to make this for awhile now and this is the perfect reason! The boys wanted to bring cheese and crackers, so I think I'm going to let them do that!

And that is my week. It is going to be a little bit crazy with the parties at school and all the family things we have going on. It is great to have a plan to start the week!!


So! Meatless Recipe ideas? Or a fun halloween cake/cupcake thing that will win me a prize at a party? What are you making this week?

Sweet Cinnamon Biscuits

Sweet Cinnamon Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 c vegetable oil
3/4 c buttermilk
8 T butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
1 t cinnamon

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl and mix well. Stir in oil. Add buttermilk and stir just until blended. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Roll dough into a 15x8 inch rectangle.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 inch round pie dish. Spread butter over the dough. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle over butter. Roll up rectangle, jelly roll fashion, starting from one long side. Pinch seam to seal. Cut the roll into 1 1/2 inch slices. Arrange the slices in baking pan. Bake until lightly browned, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve hot.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
2 cups milk/kefir
4 T butter
1/2 T vanilla extract
1/2 c rolled oats
4 cups whole wheat or white whole wheat flour
1/4 c sugar/honey/raw sugar
1 3/4 t salt
3 3/4 t yeast

Filling:
4 T butter, softened
3/4 c brown sugar
1 1/2 T cinnamon

Warm milk, butter, and vanilla on the stove to a temp around 110 degrees (this will activate the yeast when combined). Allow to cool a few minutes. Mix dry ingredients together, with 2 cups flour. Add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients and then add enough remaining flour to get a workable dough. Knead for 5-10mins. I spray some non-stick spray in the bowl, plop the dough in, then spray the top of the dough. I cover my dough with a damp towel or a wet cloth napkin. Let rise until double in a warm place.

When dough is ready, roll out on a lightly floured surface so you have a 12x15 inch rectangle. Spread the butter over the dough. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the butter. Roll up dough, jelly roll style, starting from the long edge and pinching the seam to seal. Slice into 12 equal portions. I wet my knife to help it slice a bit easier. Arrange evenly in a greased, 9x13 inch pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator in the morning and allow to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes, until they are browned. Cool on wire rack. Glaze with icing.

Icing
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3-4 T milk
Combine in a small bowl until combined, then glaze cinnamon rolls.

Menu for the week of October 18th

Last week Review:
The black bean soup last week was so yummy! We will make that again!
Bourbon Chicken was also a new recipe for us, wow! Yum again!! I did it over couscous instead of rice, still great!
Thursday instead of something chicken I went with mac and cheese with peas and fried cabbage.
On Friday I had planned to make the pizza braid but I ended up having my parents and grandmother over for dinner (YAY!!!!!) so I just made two pizzas, one 1/2 cheese and 1/2 pepperoni and mushroom and the other a bbq chicken pizza! With a side of salad. Both yummy and the company was even better!
I made french toast from pumpkin swirl bread that I made for Saturday breakfast! We ended up eating pizza out Saturday night to celebrate a birthday!

THIS Week!!
Monday - Ravioli Lasagna

Tuesday - Chicken parm over pasta with a steamed veggie side
Dessert - I might make choc. chip cookies since my dad is here for dinner and that is his favorite...

Wednesday - French Dip Sandwiches from last Saturday that I didn't get to make. I did have those planned for today but I didn't take the roast out of the freezer! Oops!!

Thursday - Spaghetti Casserole with garlic bread

Friday - Calzones with marinara dipping sauce
Dessert - Pie! Maybe a choc. pie?

Saturday - I'm going to attempt a puffed pancake. I'll pick up sausage or bacon.
The afternoon will be leftovers! I'm hoping to bake the 4 layer pumpkin cake, maybe take it to my sisters to share?!?

Sorry for a lack of links this week, feeling kinda 'blah' in my kitchen. Just a low key week. There haven't been killer deals at Price Chopper lately! Boo Price Chopper!

Menu for the week of October 11th

Monday - NO SCHOOL For breakfast we finished off the waffles and pancakes in my fridge! They were just as yummy!
Dinner - Black bean soup with honey oat bread. I made this bread last week and it totally flopped, so I had to try it again! It turned out great! This was the first time I've made this soup before, and it also turned out great! I'm not a huge fan of beans, but wow, I had seconds of this! I did make adjustments to the recipe, I added a can of peas and a can of creamed style corn.

Tuesday - Breakfast - I have Mom's group so I'm bringing my second loaf of honey oat bread and strawberry jam plus my spiced apple butter. The kids will have donuts that I made (for the first time!!) on Saturday.
Dinner - Bruschetta Stuffed Chicken at my husband's request! This is one of his favorite meals! I'll probably steam some frozen veggies.

Wednesday - Breakfast - Oatmeal
Dinner - Bourbon Chicken with rice

Thursday - Breakfast - homemade PB toast
Dinner - Chicken Enchalidas OR chicken tacos...not sure!

Friday - Breakfast - whatever everyone wants
Dinner - Pizza Braid I'm tired of the usual pizza so I'm going to change things up a bit. My family may revolt.

Saturday - French Toast and turkey bacon
Dinner - French Dip Sandwiches

I may move Saturday dinner to next week since we will probably be going out to dinner for my brother in laws birthday. Sunday's are always a free fall after church and with other commitments we have.

Thanks for looking! Check out more menus over here!

Garlic Breadsticks

Garlic Breadsticks

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 T sugar
1 T yeast

Mix together until the yeast proofs. About 5 minutes.

Add:
1/2 t salt
3 1/2 cups flour

Then I use the bread hook on my kitchen aid mixer and let it go. I add a little more flour if the dough is sticky. Then let is rest for about 10 minutes. While it is resting, mix together the topping...

Topping:
1/4 c melted butter
1/4 c grated parm cheese
1 t garlic powder
1 t coarse salt
1/2 t Italian seasoning

Stretch the dough into a 15x11 greased cookie sheet. Spread/Brush the topping over the dough. THEN! Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough lengthwise, then across into smaller strips.

Let rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. If you want to make cheesy breadsticks, add some mozzarella cheese and then return to the oven until cheese is melted!

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Pumpkin Waffles

Cinnamon Pumpkin Waffles

1 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c wheat germ
1/3 c white sugar (I used raw sugar)
1 t cinnamon (I used more...love it)
1 t pumpkin pie spice
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1 T baking powder
3/4 c milk
1/2 pumpkin puree (I used close to 1 c)
2 T melted butter
2 T olive oil
1/2 c applesauce
1 egg
1 egg white

Preheat waffle iron. Combine flour, wheat germ, sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, salt, and powder in a bowl. Set aside. Beat together milk, pumpkin puree, butter, oil, applesauce, egg, and egg white. Stir in flour mixture. Ladle batter into waffle iron. Cook until golden and crisp. Warm in oven at 250 degrees until ready to sit and eat.

*Do the oven step if you like your waffles more crispy since the pumpkin makes them super moist.

Pumpking Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup

So I really enjoy pumpkin things...and apple...and cinnamon. I've been wanting to try pumpkin pancakes and since tonight was a dreary rainy it was a perfect combo!

Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t ground cloves
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 salt
1 2/3 cups buttermilk (I used kefir)
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs, lightly beaten (I used egg beaters, 3/4c)
1 T melted butter

In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.
In a medium bowl, stir together milk, pumpkin, eggs, and melted butter.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir.
Dollop the batter in 1/3 cup amounts on griddle, about 300 degrees. Cook until tops bubble, and cook on other side.
I placed my already cooked ones in the oven set at 250 degrees to keep them warm.

This made about 20 pancakes for me, plenty for my family!

Cinnamon Syrup
Try to not lick the bowl, oh my! I enjoy trying other syrups...the rest of my family? Yea right! If I didn't have maple syrup to eat with pancakes there would likely be a riot here.

1/2 cup raw sugar (can use white sugar, I love the flavor of raw)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/8 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
2/3 cup water
2 T butter

Bring to a boil all ingredients BUT the butter. Reduce heat to medium and allow the syrup to thicken. Once thickened, remove from heat and add butter. Stir until melted. Serve warm over the pancakes.

Enjoy!!

Menu for the week of October 4th

Monday - Chicken Noodle soup with homemade oat rolls. I made chicken stock from our chicken roaster that we got as part of the Price Chopper Wednesday meal deal last week! Looking forward to it! The stock was so yummy!

Tuesday - Italian something to use my homemade pasta sauce. I have frozen meatballs in the freezer, I just need spaghetti. I'll make garlic sticks.

Wednesday - Pumpkin Muffins
Dinner - Mac and Cheese with veggies on the side before heading to church OR breakfast sandwiches...I've been craving those!

Thursday - Beef Stew with homemade bread (I'm terrible at making beef stew, so I'll try it again...if not I'll just go with beef barley soup!)

Friday - Our Traditional pizza! I think I'll make a garlic pizza this time. Then I HAVE to have just a pizza or the little ones here will revolt.

Saturday - We are staying home, all day! Can't wait for a home day!
Breakfast - Pancakes (we've tried lots of different kinds lately, so I think we will just go with the basic recipe this time!) and I promised my son bacon! So I need to pick up some turkey bacon at the store this week.
Dinner - I have a roast to use in the freezer. Crockpot roast with veggies!

Sunday - Typical cheese crackers, apples, and popcorn!

Our desserts will be ice cream! Our favorite kind is on sale this week so we will be taking advantage of that! I do want to attempt to make something like this. I really want to make this 4 layer pumpkin cake also. I'm not going to plan breakfasts because it just created a huge fight...so I'll just ask in the morning and see what everyone feels like.

Check out more menu's over here!

Menu for the week of September 27th

Dinner time was a whirl wind of a crazy flustered Mom before I started menu planning. It has really helped my home to run smoothly, and to keep me a much happier person. I've grown to love my kitchen instead of hate it. I spend free time looking for new recipes to try. We spend a lot less on groceries since we rarely eat out and I'm searching for sales and using coupons to incorporate into my menu. I also enjoy cooking up freezer meals to have on hand if someone is ever in need of a meal. Menu planning frees up that time for me to be able to bless other people!

So here we go. This week! I'm missing chicken in my menu, but it hasn't been on sale (or the sale hasn't lined up with payday!) I can't wait to cook with chicken again. I'm also loving my crockpot. Now that school is back in session and cooler temps have returned I find myself pulling it out multiple times a week. What's your favorite crockpot recipe??

Monday: Breakfast - I have been trying to have something other than cereal 1/2 of the mornings for breakfast...BUT my kids have been requesting cereal lately! So I'm going to plan out a warm breakfast as I have been but will most likely be taking requests.
Dinner - Beef Stroganoff...I'm not really following a recipe. Just tossing stuff in the crockpot after reading a bunch of different recipes. I'm NOT a fan of mushroom but love the flavor of this dish (weird I know!!) I also make my own cream of whatever soup instead of using canned.

Tuesday: Breakfast - I have Mom's Group in the morning so I'm going to make an orange coffee cake (or maybe I'll switch to apple since I have a bunch to use!)
Dinner - Pulled Beef BBQ Sandwiches (I'm going to put the beef in the crockpot and cook it over night tonight and then let it sit on low tomorrow with the sauce for dinner. My Dad is joining us after work.

Wednesday: Breakfast - Peanut Butter Muffins I haven't made these before! New Recipe!
Dinner - Quick Dinner of Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup before heading to church

Thursday: Breakfast - Cereal
Dinner - Breakfast for dinner...I have some french bread to use up so I'm thinking a casserole.

Friday: Breakfast - Oatmeal
Dinner - Our typical homemade pizza

Saturday: Crazy crazy day. Sam has worship team practice, we sing at the nursing home, and we are having a birthday celebration for dinner for my Dad and Sister! I'm in the process of making an ice cream cake. I'll make a banana cream pie for my Dad. I'm making meatballs and sauce for my crockpot. I'm also thinking I'll either make homemade bread or garlic cheese bread-sticks to go with it.

Sunday: We always play Sunday by ear. Sometimes we go out after church, we usually go to my parents house. If we leave after we eat then we have snacks here at home. If not, we have snacks in the evening with my parents. So we will see what the day brings!

Head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas! What are you cooking this week?

Menu for the week of September 20th

Our week started off a bit crazy so I'm just now sitting down to print off my menu! My son spent the night in the hospital after having something trigger an asthma attack. I'm so thankful that he is over the hill! He was so sick yesterday, I was pretty scared. This was by far the worst he has ever been. He will attempt school tomorrow. I went in today and talked with the nurse when I picked up my other son. I'm quite happy to have everyone under one roof this evening!

Here we go!

Monday - Crazy day! Breakfast - Yogurt/Toast/Leftover pancakes
Dinner - Hubby made grilled cheese and tomato soup for our other two kids at home

Tuesday - Breakfast - cereal for the ones at home/hospital food for T and I
Dinner - Beef Barley Vegetable Soup, corn bread
Dessert - Apple Crisp with Vanilla ice cream

Wednesday - Breakfast - Mini bagels and yogurt
Dinner - Crock pot chuck roast with carrots

Thursday - Breakfast - Oatmeal
Dinner - Ham steak (may attempt gravy but I stink at it), mixed veggies, mac and cheese

Friday - Breakfast - Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Dinner - Pizza

Saturday - Breakfast - French Toast
I'm going to make something along the lines of an appetizer, but I'm not sure what. Suggestions??

Go HERE for other menus! What are you making this week??

Menu for the week of September 13th

Check out other menus over here!


Monday - Breakfast: Cinnamon Rolls
Dinner: I was going to make sandwiches. But I have pizza and wings leftover from lunch with Sam's mom...SOOOOOOOO...I may feed that to the rest of the family and I'll eat a sandwich since I'm stuffed from lunch.

Tuesday - Breakfast: Cold Cereal
Dinner: Breakfast Casserole
Dessert: Not sure yet?!?! Hoping to feel inspired soon!

Wednesday - Breakfast: Oatmeal (maybe steelcut oats? in the crockpot)
Dinner: Loaded Macaroni and Cheese (adding ham and veggies)

Thursday - Breakfast: Toast and Yogurt
Dinner: Leftovers

Friday - Breakfast: Banana Muffins
Dinner: Homemade pizza
Dessert: Pudding Cones

Saturday - Breakfast: Waffles and Sausage links
Dinner: Scalloped potatoes and ham

Sunday - Evening snacks...popcorn, crackers with pb or cheese, fruit.

Menu for the week of September 6th

Menu for the week of 9/6

This week we are trying to use up what we have in the house before payday on Friday! Hopefully I can hit the farmers market on Thursday morning to get some fresh produce cheap. I'm looking forward to a large grocery shopping trip on Friday! Today is the last day before school starts tomorrow.

Monday - Breakfast: Pancakes and turkey sausage links with strawberry sauce. These pancakes are by far my favorite ones! I made a double batch so the kids can have these for breakfast for school if they'd like this week.
Lunch: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Dinner: Steaks on the grill, Rice, Carrots sticks. Jello for dessert.

Tuesday - First Day of School!!
Breakfast: Oatmeal or Pancakes from yesterday day
Lunch: I'll make the boys a lunch, Cheese wraps, grapes, oatmeal bar. It'll just be Hannah and I so I'm not sure what we will do.
Dinner: A favorite for the boys! To celebrate their first day of school! Spaghetti and Meatballs with homemade bread! My Dad will join us for dinner on his way home from work.

Wednesday - Breakfast: Cereal
Lunch: The boys will buy today.
Dinner: I'll pack sandwiches for the kids and I since we are taking my mother in law to the airport. Sam will be on his own, I'm sure there will be leftover spaghetti.

Thursday - Breakfast: Oatmeal or Steel Cut Oats in the Crockpot...has anyone ever put Rolled Oats in the crockpot?
Lunch: I'll pack lunches...pb&j, cheese sticks, raisins and peanuts.
Dinner: Black Bean Enchiladas or Macaroni and Cheese with Ham. Not sure yet!

Friday - Breakfast: Cereal (I'll get more creative once I hit the grocery store!)
Lunch - Boys will buy, Hannah and I will have leftovers.
Dinner: Homemade pizza. I'm thinking of making my own homemade pizza sauce. And a homemade garlic pizza sauce for one. My Mum and I used a jar on one last week and it was so yummy. I'll post my whole wheat pizza dough recipe this week! I love it!

Saturday - Breakfast: Waffles and bacon.
We are taking my kids to my parents so they can go to a party with them....which means a date for Sam and I!!! What to do??

Sunday - We are picking Sam's mom up from the airport in the evening. So either we will eat out, or I'll pack us something to eat....I'm thinking we will eat out!

Head over HERE to check out more menus!

Menu for the week of August 30th

This week we are getting back into our normal daily schedule. Sam starts back to work this week and school starts next week. Hitting the pantry this week, being frugal! And I'm thankful for my in laws gift of meat for our freezer for our anniversary. Last week we stayed at Sam's parents house so he could paint, I baked up a storm. I hope to share some recipes and photos this week!

Monday -
Breakfast - Oatmeal with fresh preaches (yum yum!)
Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Hamburgers on the grill (lovely coupon from Price Chopper, 6 frozen burgers for 3 bucks last week!) with yellow squash on the grill too!

Tuesday -
Breakfast - Cold Cereal
Lunch - Grilled Cheese Tomato Soup
Dinner - We are eating with my grandmother so is bringing her homemade spaghetti sauce, I can't wait! My Dad will join us also. I think I'll make some homemade bread, even though it is something that I'm not very good at.

Wednesday - Sam's first day back at work
Breakfast - Cold Cereal
Lunch - Cheese/Crackers/PB
Dinner - Steak on the grill with a Pasta rice side from the pantry

Thursday -
Breakfast - Cold Cereal
Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - One Pot Spaghetti (with my own homemade sauce!)

Friday -
Breakfast - Waffles
Lunch - Sandwiches
Dinner - Leftovers

Saturday -
Breakfast - Cereal
Then we are singing at the nursing home, Sam is headed to church to work on stuff and I'm heading up to my sisters for the day!

Sunday -
Our usual snacks when we get home...Popcorn/Crackers/Cheese/Fruit/Fresh Veggies

Baked Apple Cinnamon French Toast

Bake Apple Cinnamon French Toast

1 1/2 C Kefir
4 egg whites
1 1/2 T honey
3/4 t vanilla (I'll bump this to one full t next time)
1/8 t salt
2 chopped apples (I also threw in one small pear)
1/4 c raisins
3/4 t cinnamon (I'll use more next time)
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 pound whole wheat loaf bread

Preparation:

1. Trip crusts off 5 slices of bread and set aside. Cut the crusts and the remaining bread into 1 inch pieces. Toss with apples and raisins.
2. Whisk Kefir, egg whites, honey, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in bowl.
   
3. Coat a 8x8 inch pan with cooking spray. Transfer the bread mixture to the pan. Lay the reserved crustless slices on top. Pour egg mixture evenly over the bread. Press the bread down with the back of a wooden spoon, making sure it is evenly moist. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
   
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 40mins.

The directions said to bake for 40 mins covered and then uncovered for another 2o mins. I totally didn't do that, oops. Should've read the directions a bit more carefully! Still it turned out just fine! We ate it with maple syrup on top! I felt like it was missing a kick to it, next time I'll add more spices to see if that does it. Still yummy, and I'll make it again!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

I know, I didn't get a picture of these...we ate them up before the thought even entered my mind. They were GOOD. So so so good. This is my tweaked recipe, not the original.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

1 egg (next time I MIGHT use egg beaters)
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I did use some white whole wheat since my whole wheat is gone :( so sad!)
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 T ground flax seed
1 1/2 cup Kefir (I probably did more like 2 cups to get the batter thinned out)
1/2 cup apple sauce - unsweetened
6 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon (but I love a heavy cinnamon flavor!)
A dash of vanilla (maybe 1 tsp? I didn't measure...)

Mix it all together. Cook in a heated griddle, I keep mine around 300. I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour the batter out.

Makes 20 pancakes, 2 pancakes per serving (don't worry we all at more than the per serving! :) )

Cals: 110.0
Fat: .4g
Carbs: 22.1g
Protein: 5.5g
I wish the info gave the fiber amount!

Enjoy! Let me know how you like them or what you do to tweak the recipe!

Menu for August 16th

We are nearing the end of the summer, and other school teachers will understand that we are eagerly waiting for our first paycheck back! That means that everything for the next three-ish weeks is all about frugal! Sam is also going to be painting his parents house, so we will be spending a few days up at their place over the next few weeks...that makes menu planning much easier for me! Basically I'm planning meals for today and breakfast/lunch tomorrow and then breakfast/lunch on Friday!

Monday - Breakfast - Oatmeal/Fruit
Lunch - Leftovers - Baked breaded ravioli/pizza
Dinner - loaded mac and cheese (with turkey sausage and frozen veggies

Tuesday - Breakfast - Baked Apple-Cinnamon French Toast (recipe posted above!)
Lunch - Leftovers

Wednesday/Thursday We are at Sam's parents house while he paints

Friday - Breakfast - Muffins/Cereal
Lunch - Sandwiches in the car while we go and visit friends in Canada

Saturday - Visiting Friends in Canada!!

Sunday - We may be headed back up to Sam's parents house so he can paint some more for a few days...

See? I told you easy peasy! Linked this up to "I'm a Organizing Junkie" (which I am not..hahaha!) for lots of other meal planning ideas!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

So late last night while the boys were at church and I was at home with a not feeling so hot little girl, I had the urge to bake. And something totally different for me. Cinnamon Swirl bread! I just asked Sam what he wanted for breakfast tomorrow morning and his reply? More of your bread! So I guess that is a score! It was totally yummy and all of my children ate it! Double score.

If you know me, I'm slightly passionate about making healthy foods that are still flavorful. And you know that I wouldn't just make this recipe as it without adding my touch. I totally would've used my Kefir instead of the milk but they (the grains) were still hanging out in my Mum's fridge from our move and camping trip. I also bumped the amount of cinnamon since I love the heavy cinnamon flavor!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 T butter
• 1/2 cup milk (next time I'll use Kefir)
• 1 package of active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 2 T sugar (I used raw sugar)
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t cinnamon (I used 1 1/2 t)
• 3 cups of flour (I used white whole wheat, next time I'll do a cup of whole wheat and keep the rest white whole wheat)
• 2 T butter, softened (I let it sit at room temp while my dough did its thing)
• 2 T sugar (Raw sugar)
• 1 T cinnamon (a nice heaping tablespoonful)

Preparation:

1. Warm milk and 1 T butter in a small saucepan until the butter is melted. Let sit until it is lukewarm.
2. Mix water and yeast until the yeast is dissolved. I usually just do this in my 1 cup liquid measuring cup.
3. In a large bowl, add 2 T of sugar, salt and 1 tsp cinnamon (or more!!) Pour in luke warm milk and butter. Mix until the sugar and salt is dissolved and then add the yeast and water.
4. Mix in 2 1/2 cups flour. Turn onto floured surface and knead in remaining flour until the dough is soft and smooth. (Oh Kitchen Aid, thank you!)
5. Put dough in a greased bowl and turn dough so that the top is greased. I just grease the bowl from my mixer and throw it back in there. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until dough doubles.
6. My favorite part of bread/dough making! PUNCH down dough with your fist. Go ahead, take out some frustration. Turn dough out onto floured board and knead for about 1 minute.
7. Roll dough out into a basic rectangle. Spread the 2 T of softened butter on the dough. Evenly spread 2 T sugar and 1 T cinnamon on top of the butter.
8. Roll up dough and form into 1 loaf. Put into buttered bread pan. Cover and let rise until double, about 30 minutes.
9. The directions said to 'score' the dough by cutting three slashes across the top with a sharp knife. This is new to me...but I obeyed and am not sure why? Any insight?
10. Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees F. I baked more like 42 minutes at 360...I have a difficult time following directions.
11. Turn out on rack, let cool. Then eat the whole thing. I promise you'll be thankful the recipe only makes ONE loaf. Or not. I may double this next time, we loved it that much.

I also added some Confectioners sugar frosting. Of course, I didn't measure a thing. Through a cup or so of sugar in a bowl and then adding french vanilla coffee creamer until I had the consistency that I was looking for.

And I'm hungry for this again. Did I mention your house will smell so delicious?

Menu planning has simplified my life. Seriously. It has. I enjoy the 4pm hour now without much fuss and my shopping trips aren't meaningless walks around the grocery store. I'm making food that is healthier. I enjoy being in the kitchen.

I know I know...shocking.

I'm going to share my menu on Monday morning. I'll do my best to link my recipes if they are online or to share the recipes. I'll also use this blog to post about my cooking attempts. I'm always looking for healthier options to favorite recipes and enjoy tweaking some well loved ones. Sometimes my husband just wishes I'd leave well enough alone, but I just can't help it!