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Monday, November 24, 2014

Menu Monday - Must Knows

It's Thanksgiving this week. All roads lead to Turkey. And Grandma Mac's stuffing. So as I prepare my menu this week I sort have very little interest in
Monday
Tuesday or
Wednesday.
Seriously, let's just talk Thanksgiving.

So this week for Menu Monday, instead of highlighting my menu I thought I would share with you my secrets to surviving busy weeks.

There's one thing you need to know: OVERprepare
for example:

1. Make more biscuits than you'll eat for dinner. Because if you fry and egg, slap some cheese on it - and maybe some ham the next morning - you have a hot breakfast.

2. Frying hamburger? Make more than you need. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks for tacos, sloppy joes, etc in a snap! (I do this with sausage too!)

3. Make your own Yogurt Parfaits the night before. Your favorite frozen fruit + your favorite vanilla yogurt in lil mason jars lined up in the fridge are way easier to take on the fly. Forget the drive-thru.

4. Left over roast? Becomes Stroganoff or Beef n Noodles! and all you have to do is take the time to boil noodles.

5. Use your crockpot! I love throwing chicken breasts in with water or broth and letting it cook all day. Then every recipe in the world that calls for cooked chicken is no problem! Chicken and rice. Yep. Chicken enchiladas. Sure! But always, we serve the chicken the first time as shredded chicken sandwiches. With toasted buns and montery jack cheese? Get in my belly.
visit OrgJunkie for Awesome Menu Plan Link UP!

6. Potatoes. Roasted reds or Yukons are my favorite. But I always make too many. That's because red potatoes quesadillas or omelets? Yes, please. Also, potato soup. 

Seriously, why cook twice? Over cook once and you can spend half as much time in the kitchen later. Every short-cut counts. I hope these tips help make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable too.

Click over to my Pinterest Recipe Box for all my Family's favorites!


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Menu Monday 11/10/14


This weekend afforded me the luxury of thoughtful grocery shopping and menu planning. Which is a relief since fall tends to be an active season for the members of our family.
Now, a lull.
Which I appreciate. However, now that some of our activities our coming to an end, that means more family members will be home in the evening for dinner. So, what will this working mom of 5 feed her Tribe? Well check out the menu below - chock full of links - including a link to my favorite Pinterest board For my Recipe Box. That board is full of all these recipes and all the Tribe approved recipes the family has approved!

Whatever your week brings I hope you get a chance to share a meal, swap some stories and nourish your family!

Sunday - Fluffy French Toast with Texas Toast (the flour really does make a nice difference!) with strawberries & whip cream

Sunday Crockpot - because I had leftover roast I tried this Crockpot Homemade Vegetable Stew recipe from Stockpiling Moms. because I tried this recipe I wanted bread to go with it. because I wanted bread, I broke my usual habit of staying out of the kitchen on Sundays. the honey butter alone, made this totally worth the work.

Monday - Crockpot Meatloaf, potatoes, corn casserole & the remainder of the rolls from Sunday. Also, I made a new dessert. I didn't tell my kids it was coconut and they snarfed it up! Check it out on  Stockpiling Moms.

be sure to check out this huge recipe link-up
Tuesday - Meatball Subs (for the kids) & Frisco Melts (made with thinly sliced leftover meatloaf) for the grownups. Served with Onion Rings.

Wednesday - Mozzarella Penne from liluna with Texas Toast from Six Sisters' Stuff and a nice salad.

Thursday - One Pot Chicken Dinner (this is a new recipe to the family. I hope they like it!)

Friday - Pizza Night (we might order out to celebrate - IF my son gets released from the doc to eat!)

Saturday - Haystacks from Taste of Home.

What are you cooking this week? I'd love to swap recipes! 

Monday, October 27, 2014

10/27 Menu Monday

I'm using the crockpot this week. And the blender. Sometimes both. Here's hoping jawbone gets a good report at the doctor this week. He's got to be tired of milkshakes. 



The rest of us still need to eat so here's what's the Tribe is eating (with links) this week:

Sunday: Hootinany Pancake and Apple Cinnamon Rolls from YourCupcake

Monday: Maid Rites & French Fries

Tuesday: Roast with Potatoes, Carrots, Stick of Butter Rice (so so good!)  & Blueberry Muffins

Wednesday: Chicken n Noodles

Thursday: Taco Soup & Quesadillas

Bonus:
Pumpkin shaped Sugar Cookies that I will ice like this thanks to a site called Created by Diane
Pumpkin Bars

What are you cooking this week?

Join the Link Up at www.orgjunkie.com

Monday, October 20, 2014

Menu Monday 10/20

The good news about working full time - I'm relying on weekly menus more than ever.

The bad news - I have no time to write about my weekly menus.

Aren't you sad?

No?
Ok. No problem.


However, if you're looking for new recipes, kid friendly dinners and yummy fall food let me tell ya ... my kitchen is the place to be. 

Oh, and if you're on a liquid diet? Well I can hook you up. The biggest challenge our Tribe is facing these days is our 16 year old son's broken jaw. He's wired shut for a month! A MONTH! My blender has been promoted from hanging out at the bottom-shelf-in-the-back-of-the-dusty-pantry to front and center on my kitchen counter.

So, there's that.

Other than liquids, here's what's cooking in our kitchen:

Sunday Brunch - Eggs, sausage links, biscuits and gravy and Taste of Home's Pecan Pumpkin bread
And since college kid is home, I'm breaking the Cereal Sunday to cook up a batch of her favorite Cheeseburger Soup with fresh from the oven bread. (Thank you freezer dough, you rise very well!)

Monday - Mostly Homemade Mom's Oven Chili Dogs and french fries
(last weekend I made a batch of chili and a little is hanging around so I'm working it in tonight) (p.s. my kids won't do chili dogs, so regular ol wieners for them)

Tuesday - Crockpot Shredded Chicken Sandwiches and baked potatoes (place frozen chicken breasts in crockpot, dump a box of Chicken broth, 2 packages of dry Italian dressing and the juice from a jar of Pepperochinis - sometimes I skip the pepper juice - cook on low 6 hours or until easily shredded with a fork. Put on a toasted bun and serve with delicious provolone cheese if you want!) 

Wednesday - Roast, Carrots, Potatoes, Freezer corn and blueberry biscuits.

Thursday - Campbell's Creamy Chicken Enchiladas (made from the leftover chicken sandwiches! another kid favorite!!)
with  (a new recipe) Damn Delicious' Mexican Rice

Friday - Pizza night or our soccer team will be at a Sectional game & we'll eat on the road! We'll see. 

Just Because:
Cake Pops - Remember how migraine inducing the Easy Bake Oven was? Yeah, my twins destroyed my kitchen while making these lil gems. Do you know how hard candy melts are to scrape of a flat top cook surface? Do you??

Snack Mix - Pretzels, Cheerios, Nuts, M&Ms tossed with melted vanilla chips & 1 tablespoon of Vegetable Oil. Addicting!






Also, check out www.orgjunkie.com for a HUGE menu plan monday link up! As always, thanks for stopping by.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Menu Monday

Happy Labor-Day Monday! 

In previous years, I use to grieve Labor Day as the official end to my pool filled summer days. However this year, as a full time working mom, I covet the extra day off it gave me!

You'd think I would use the extra time to organize and plan ahead and do all sorts of overachiever type activities.
But not me.
Not this year.
Despite my inerrant need to organize (it's a coping mechanism, I know it and if I had a therapist she'd confirm it) I'm chillaxin this holiday.

After all, how can I ever get ahead if I don't take care of my overused brain? I fear it might fry up and be good for nothing if I don't take the time to rest, relax and BE A PARTICIPANT in my own life. I'd hate to organize everyone and everything only to look back and see that I never DID anything, just PLANNED everything!!

So thank you Sabbath. Thank you Mr. Labor Day. Thank you BBQs for your flame licked burger goodness - cuz that is what we're eating to end summer grilling season!

Now, if I could only find a pool to lounge next to .....


Here's the Tribe's menu for this week:

Sunday Brunch - Overnight Ham & Egg Enchiladas (my kids love these! and I love the make-a-head option!)
Cereal Sunday - our weekly tradition; eat leftovers or cereal ... I don't care, just don't make a mess! (would totally hang this in my kitchen if I could cross stitch or knitted or painted)

Monday - Labor Day, Baby! Cheeseburgers, hot dogs, brats and foil pack potatoes on the grill (plenty for lunches this week too!) fresh tomatoes, deviled eggs (have I mentioned I buy fresh eggs every Friday? Love!)