We're Moving!! (Follow me Next Door)

Photo Credit: Clip Art from Microsoft Office

Now that I'm back to blogging ... I've decided it will be easier to keep up with ONE blog, instead of TWO! So, I'll be temporarily moving my "Kitchen" posts to my main blog, Musings of the Monroe Family.

Would love for you to visit me there!!

Menu Plan Monday - 3/12/12

Picture credit: Microsoft Office Clip Art

We are having incredible weather here this week with unseasonably warm temps in the 70's - almost unheard of for this part of Wisconsin in early March. I am having a hard time getting motivated to do my grocery shopping since it's so nice out ... but can put it off no longer! I had enough on hand for Monday & Tuesday's recipes, but definitely need to shop tomorrow. I'm looking forward to trying some new things this week too.

Here is what's cooking this week:

Monday
Veggie Pizza (which we ended up not having last week)

Tuesday
Beef Fried Rice (recipes I used were a combination of here and here)

Wednesday
Coconut Chicken Peanut Curry - I found this one on Pinterest and it looked so yummy. Can't wait to try it.

Thursday

Leftovers

Friday

Irish Shepherd's Pie made with Lamb - I subscribe to FoodWishes.com and love watching his videos on You Tube. They are usually short videos under 5 minutes, but I just like his voice and sense of humor as he does the recipe video. This one is in honor of St. Patrick's Day, of course!

Saturday
Out to Dinner 

Sunday
Always my night off!

I am also linking up to:

SusieQTpies Scraps of Life

 Click the buttons above to see what others are making this week!

Thanks for visiting!

Chicken & Spinach Pasta Bake

This was the recipe on my menu for tonight and it turned our great, plus it was super easy. I found it on Pinterest and the link is here. I changed a few things like omitting the onion, olive oil, diced tomatoes and I added Top the Tater sour cream since it seemed to go well with the cream cheese. My son told me it's super yummy, so this turned out to be a keeper.

Ingredients:

• 8 oz uncooked rigatoni
• 1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach
• 3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
• 1 (8 oz) container chive and onion cream cheese
• 3 Tablespoons Top the Tater sour cream
• 1-1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella and Provolone mix

Instructions:

• Prepare rigatoni and set aside.
• Cook and drain the chopped spinach, pressing it into a colander to remove all liquid.
• Cook the chicken breast.
• Combine chicken, spinach, cream cheese, sour cream and then add the rigatoni.
• Place in 9 x 13 baking dish and cover with the shredded cheese.
• Bake for 30 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

Enjoy!

Thank you for visiting :o)

Menu Plan Monday - 3/5/12

Picture credit: Microsoft Office Clip Art

Here we are at another week of making a food plan! I think my theme this week was simple and easy. I also found that when I made four complex dishes last week, we ended up with too many leftovers and had to freeze some. (Not a problem I mind, though.) Since I have a couple meeting nights this week, it's always nice to have a simple cooking plan when I have to run out the door as soon as my husband gets home. I am also trying to use more of what we have on hand to spend less on groceries.

Here is what we're having this week:

Monday
Cheeseburger Crescent Bake with Peas

Tuesday
Lasagna Mac with Corn

Wednesday
Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake

Thursday
Leftovers

Friday

Veggie Pizza (Crescent Roll Style) with Broccoli, Zucchini, Carrots and Mushroom

Saturday
Out to Dinner 

Sunday
Always my night off!

I am also linking up to:

Click here to see what others are making this week!

Thanks for visiting!

Yummy Coconut Blueberry Banana Oatmeal

Ever since I saw this recipe video on You Tube  "The Oatmeal Recipe that will Change Your Life"  I have been experimenting with my own oatmeal concoction. I think I've finally come up with the ultimate oatmeal recipe (per my tastes), although the picture doesn't truly do it justice. I can't believe how good this is!! I made a big batch and after breakfast I found myself eating it throughout the day as a snack. Most of the ingredients aren't measured, so I'll just put my estimates below. This is one of those recipes you can add so many different things to, so feel free to play with it. I have been reading about coconut oil and all the health benefits it has, so I'm trying to find ways to add it into my cooking. Some good articles about it are here (Dr. Mercola) and here at Bruce Fife's website. Bruce Fife wrote several books with one being The Coconut Oil Miracle. If you're interested in more, another good link is here. I'm really getting into the variety of uses for coconut oil!

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
One Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal Packet (or your favorite flavor)
1/2 to 1 cup of Quick Oats
2 T Honey
2 T Coconut Oil
2 T Flaxseed Meal
Handful of Shredded Coconut
1 cup Blueberries
1/2 Banana
1/4 cup Tart Cherries
2 T Half and Half (or milk)
1 cup boiled water

Instructions:

• Mix all the ingredients together into a mixing bowl, minus the half and half. 
• Pour the boiling water over the oatmeal so that it's fully saturated and stir it all together. (I actually use a sauce pan so I can cover it with a lid once I put the water in. Helps it stay warm.)
• Let the oatmeal sit for 15 minutes so all the flavors blend together.
• Stir in half and half.

Hope you ENJOY!

Thanks for visiting!

We're Back!! New Menu Plan Monday

MENU PLAN MONDAY

Wow, it's been awhile! Since November when I last posted, my computer had been in and out of the "shop" three times! It ended up being a broken motherboard, but took forever for them to figure it out.

I am still doing regular menu planning and I'm looking forward to getting back into sharing here.  I am still enjoying discovering new and delicious recipes and adding to our family's menu choices. 

I am so excited about my new Menu board. I got the idea from Pinterest and then remembered I had this old calendar holder I wasn't using. I found a large dry erase sheet that I cut to fit and now I can write out my menu instead of having it on little post it notes around the kitchen! 

Monday
Ring Bologna with Biscuits and Honey

Tuesday
Mom's Pork Chops over Basmati Rice with Green Beans

Wednesday
Spaghetti and Meatballs with Corn

Thursday
Fried Chicken and Baked Potatoes with Toppings

Friday

Crescent Roll Hot Dogs with Peas

Saturday
Leftovers or Dinner Out

Sunday
Always my night off!

I am also linking up to:

Click here to see what others are making this week!

Thanks for visiting!

My Menu Plan 11/14/11

I have a very short cooking week this week - just Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday! We are leaving Thursday morning for a nice, long vacation! My son and I will go down to my sister's house, which for me is like going to a resort. They have extra bedrooms so I will have my own, plus lots of birds and wildlife coming to visit which are fun to watch with a warm cup of coffee from their living room. I am really in need of this rest and relaxation leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday. It is a great time to slow down and reflect on all the Lord has blessed us with!

Click here to see what others are making this week!

Monday
Ring Bologna with Parmesan Potatoes (see recipe for potatoes below!)

Tuesday
Beef Squash Casserole

Wednesday
Hoppin' John

Thursday
Leave for Chicago suburbs and start to vacation!!

Here's a quick recipe for the Parmesan Potatoes mentioned above:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil a large pot of water and boil the potatoes for 4-5 minutes. Remove from water and let cool. Once cooled, slice into quarters and combine with olive oil, garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper as well as the Parmesan. Mix thoroughly and place in a baking dish that has been sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.

Place into the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and taste, re season with sea salt, cracked pepper, or garlic powder if needed. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy.

I am also linking up to these sites:

Thanks for visiting!

My Menu Plan 10/31/11

I am really enjoying trying some new recipes this fall - especially comfort food! I have a special one this week I'll be making. My husband gave me a list awhile ago of his favorite foods his mom made. She passed away when he was 19, so I don't have any of her recipes but I love trying to re-create his favorites. I'm trying a scalloped potato recipe this week! 


I also ended up loving a couple recipes from last week; stuffed green peppers and a chicken and sweet potato chowder. YUM! I'll be making those again for sure.

Click here to see what others are making this week!

Monday
Chicken Divan

Tuesday
Spaghetti (my own recipe) with Corn and Garlic Bread

Wednesday
Creamy Scalloped Potato with Ham

Thursday
Slow Cooker Pot Roast (using my own recipe and a little from here)

Friday

Leftovers!

Saturday
Going out for Date Night!


Sunday
Always my night off!

I am also linking up to these sites:

Thanks for visiting!

Stuffed Green Peppers

I often like asking my husband for meal ideas based on things his mom used to make when he was a boy, and many of those become regular staple meals for us. One of those ideas was stuffed green peppers. I finally got this on my menu and found a great recipe to try. I was very pleased with how they turned out!! Not only were they easier than I thought, they were really yummy. The funny thing was that while hand-pouring my sugar into the (tomato) sauce I accidentally over did it! I also used olive oil instead of vegetable oil. I really think it was that sauce that made it taste so good.

Ingredients:

• 4 green peppers with tops cut off and seeds removed
• ground beef
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1-2 T minced garlic
• 2-3 T parsley
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups uncooked rice
• tomato sauce
• sugar
• olive oil

Instructions:

• Set oven to 450 and begin browning the ground beef.
• While that is cooking, make your rice.
• Once meat is no longer pink, add eggs, garlic, parsley and Parmesan cheese.
• Cut the tops off the green peppers and remove the stems and seeds.
• Stuff the peppers with the meat mixture placing them in a roasting pan.
• Drizzle olive oil over the peppers and place in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Remove peppers from oven and turn oven down to 350. Mix tomato sauce, a little water and sugar. Pour over top of peppers and return to oven.
• Bake another 30-40 minutes until your peppers are nice and soft. Add a bit of water if the sauce dries up too much.

Serve and enjoy!

Thanks for visiting :o)

Chicken and Sweet Potato Chowder

  

I signed up on the Land-O-Lakes website and found a great recipe. I have been looking for some good fall recipes, and this was a great one. We have a Soup Swap at my church's mom's group next month, and I decided I'll be making this one! The whole family loved it, including my often finicky toddler son.

Ingredients:

• 2 T butter
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut
• 1 to 2 cans of chicken broth
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 t thyme
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 1/2 t paprika
• 1 cup Half & Half
• 2 T flour

Instructions:

• Melt butter in pan and add garlic and celery. Cook until tender.
• Add sweet potatoes, chicken broth, garlic and thyme leaves. Cook until mixture boils and potatoes are tender (10 to 15 minutes).
• Stir in chicken and paprika.
• In small bowl, combine half and half with flour until smooth. Gradually add mixture to pan stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil and is thickened (6 to 8 minutes).

Serve and enjoy! We had ours with oyster crackers.

Thanks for visiting!

Menu Plan Monday 10/24/11

Click here to see what others are making this week!

Monday
Macaroni and Cheese with Tuna and Peas (my son loves that this rhymes!)

Tuesday
Chicken and Sweet Potato Chowder

Wednesday
Stuffed Green Peppers (recipe to come)

Thursday
Slow Cooker Pot Roast (using my own recipe and a little from here)

Friday

Pasta E Fagioli

Saturday
Going out for Date Night!

Sunday
Always my night off!

I am also linking up to these sites:

Thanks for visiting!

My Menu Plan 10/17/11

It has been almost two years since I started my cooking blog. Recently, I was reflecting on that and thinking about the type of cooking that I've done the past nine years of my marriage. My cooking has really evolved! I started off in my marriage with some of the basics, but at that time my "homemade" usually consisted of cooking with Hamburger Helper or things like chicken cacciatore from a jar. Now, I love trying all kinds of new recipes and making from-scratch meals. Cooking has become something of a hobby.

Click here to see what others are making this week!

Monday
Avocado BLTs with Turkey Bacon and Side Salad

Tuesday
Beef Squash Casserole

Wednesday
Grilled Cheese with Baked Potato

Thursday
Pesto Ravioli with Chicken

Friday

Headed to Chicago for family weekend

Saturday
Chicago

Sunday
Always my night off!

I am also linking up to Serve It Up Sunday and Join in the Mayhem:

Thanks for visiting!

My Menu Plan 10/10/11

I really enjoy cooking and trying new recipes so I like doing a menu each week. I also got a lot out of doing the "eating through the pantry and freezer" plan, it's helped me to create better planning habits.

I've made it a regular habit now to first go through my pantry and freezer before I plan my menu. Even though I'm not doing that exclusively, I find that I'm saving at least $30 a week now on groceries just by doing better with the ingredients I already have on hand. Here is what I'll be making this week.

Click here to see what others are making this week!

Monday
Hamburger Cabbage Soup (an Amish recipe)

Tuesday
Sweet Potato Tray Baked Chicken with Peas

Wednesday
Lasagna Mac ala Kraft Sharp Cheddar Mac-N-Cheese with Corn

Thursday
Leftovers

Friday

African Chicken Peanut Stew

Saturday
Possible date night - Out to Eat!

Sunday
Always my night off!

I am also linking up to Serve It Up Sunday and Join in the Mayhem:

Thanks for visiting!

Chicken Cacciatore

Well, too late I realized the recipe I printed out from My Menu Plan this week was supposed to be cooked in a slow cooker. Oops! So I had to improvise and created the recipe below, using some basics from the original recipe. I liked how it turned out! Very flavorful and my son just loved it. Definitely a keeper!

INGREDIENTS:

1-2 pounds chicken breast, cubed

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 red pepper, diced

1-2 carrots, diced

1 T minced garlic

Italian seasonings to taste

1 cup rice, cooked

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Cook chicken in 1 tablespoon olive oil until no pink is left.
• Add red pepper, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, carrots, chicken broth and Italian seasoning. Stir ingredients together.
• Cook on low to medium heat until carrots and red pepper are tender (20 minutes or so).
• Serve over cooked rice.

ENJOY!

Thanks for visiting!