Menu Plan Monday

I've not been doing very well with menu planning lately. I've had loose plans but I'm finding that things aren't getting used up as well. So...I decided to participate in Menu Plan Monday today after a couple of months hiatus. At least for this week, I think it will help me to do a better job at using all the produce we have.

- Spaghetti & Meatballs, Salad, Sauteed Zuchini, Garlic Breadsticks

- Hamburgers w/mushrooms, caramelized onions, balsamic mayo & cheese, Carrot Salad, Fruit Salad, Chips

- Pizza (probably vegetarian or cheese), Veggies & Dip, Apples

- Grilled Steak & Black Bean Mixed Green Salads w/avacado, tomatoes, etc. :), Bread, Fruit

- Eggs, Pancakes, Yogurt

Friday night will hopefully be a date night this week. So there you have it - the plan. I'm hoping the weather is nice and we can enjoy eating out on the deck and using our grill. Check out orgjunkie.com for menu inspiration. :)

Delish :)

Dinner sounds so appealing when the kids think it's "caterpillars" and "snakes." Yum. At least they were excited! :) The budget has been a bit tight but not THAT tight... :) And while it's a delicacy in some areas of the world, it's not an area of food we've opted to explore. :)

It was actually shrimp w/spinach & chive pasta.

The Desserts

While I missed getting pictures of our Easter meal, I did remember to pull out the camera and take pictures of the desserts. I liked doing "finger desserts" - it was nice and light for after a big brunch/dinner.

Mini Cheesecakes w/Balsamic Strawberries

Carrot Cupcakes w/Cream Cheese Frosting

Brown Sugar Shortbread w/Chocolate & Pecans

Lemon Cream Cupcakes w/Lemon Frosting

Easter Menu?

I'm spending today prepping for the Easter dinner that may not happen. :) Between everyone in my family, there are about 4 different illnesses going around. Lovely. We have two of them but seem to be on the mend after a rough night of fever and stomach illness for one of the boys. It's a beautiful day and we are hoping that tomorrow's brunch/dinner will happen!

I've been going back and forth on the menu a bit but I think this is where it landed (there will be 17 of us):

Appetizer:
Assorted Cheeses w/crackers, apples, and pears

Menu:
Baked Glazed Ham
Egg Casserole (1 - zucchini, pepper, onion, and cheddar & 1 - spinach, mushroom, and swiss)
Potatoes (scalloped or roasted - my SIL is making them)
Asparagus & Tomato Mixed Green Salad
Cucumber Salad
Fruit Salad
Bread Basket

Dessert:
Carrot Cupcakes
Lemon Cupcakes
Mini Cheesecakes w/balsamic strawberries
Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies

Beverages:
Juices
Coffee
Tea

We'll see if I get everything done. :) It's 11:15 and I have yet to start. I need to go grocery shopping later (we opted to wait and see how people were feeling today). Andrew is helping my sister and BIL in move this morning. It's a full weekend. Easter baskets and Easter outfits are just about ready to go and I'll have some help with the food contributions and house preparations.

We are rejoicing in the knowledge that Christ is risen and for the wonderful plan of salvation!

Happy Easter, everyone!

Tiramisu

This hasn't been the easiest of days. All three of the boys woke up with fresh colds which cancelled all of our plans for the day. I did, however make tiramisu for my brother's birthday. As part of his gift, that was his request. I searched high and low for lady finger cookies but could not find them - they are evidently seasonal. So, I made my own. And they turned out! That certainly decreases the cost of making this dessert! Here's the recipe I used for the ladyfinger (adapted from allrecipes.com) and the tiramisu recipe that we like (I'll post a picture later!):

LADYFINGERS

4 eggs, separated
2/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
7/8 cup all-purpose flour

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Line two 17 x 12 inch baking sheets with baking parchment. Fit large pastry bag with a plain 1/2 inch round tube.

Place egg whites in bowl and beat on high until soft peaks start to form. Slowly add 2 tablespoons of the sugar and continue beating until stiff and glossy. In another bowl beat egg yolks and remaining sugar. Whip until thick and very pale in color.

Sift flour and baking powder together on a sheet of wax paper. Fold half the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in flour, and then add the remaining egg whites. Transfer mixture to pastry bag and pipe out onto prepared baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes.

TIRAMISU (from Foodnetwork.com and Gourmet Magazine)

Expresso Syrup
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup strong brewed espresso coffee
1/4 cup Italian or domestic brandy, optional
Mascarpone Filling
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 pound mascarpone cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 pound savoiardi (imported Italian ladyfingers), domestic ladyfingers, or sliced sponge cake
Finishing
Cocoa powder for dusting the surface

Directions
For the syrup, combine water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat, cool and add coffee and optional brandy.

For the filling, whip cream with sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold cream into softened mascarpone.

To assemble, place a layer of the savoiardi, ladyfingers or sponge cake slices in the bottom of a shallow 2-quart baking dish or gratin dish. Sprinkle with half the syrup. Spread with half the filling. Repeat with remaining savoiardi, syrup and filling, spreading the top smooth, using a metal spatula.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours before serving. Immediately before serving place cocoa in a fine strainer and shake a light coating on surface.

There you have it! Enjoy!

Making Today

Curried Couscous Salad with Dried Sweet Cranberries
Recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman, Food Network

1 (5.8-ounce) box instant couscous
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 orange, juiced
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced on an angle
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1/2 lemon, juiced
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Freshly ground pepper

Stir the couscous, cranberries, curry powder, salt, and sugar together in a heatproof bowl. Bring water (amount will be listed on package directions) to a boil and pour it over the couscous. Add the orange juice. Give it a big stir, cover the bowl tightly and let it stand, giving it a big stir once or twice, until the water is absorbed and the couscous is tender, about 5 minutes.

Fluff up the couscous with a fork. Add the olive oil, scallions, parsley, lemon juice, and walnuts. Stir around until everything is distributed evenly throughout the couscous. Make up to 2 hours ahead of time and keep at room temperature until you're ready to serve. Check the seasonings just before you serve the salad and add salt and pepper, to taste.

Note: To toast the walnuts, spread them out on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree F oven until they turn a shade darker, about 8 minutes.

Hope it's good! I have a meeting and pitch-in today that I'm taking it to. The first taste was delicious!

MPM: 1/25-2/1

Sweet Potato & Lentil Stew, Salad w/Pears & Pecans
Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, Peas
Black Bean Enchiladas, Applesauce, Chips & Salsa
Chicken Curry, Rice, Salad
Pizza, Fruit, Veggies

That's the plan! Have a great week! And check out orgjunkie.com for more menu plans! Check back tomorrow for a giveaway. :)

MPM: Original Recipe Week

Last week was great - my menu plan worked for me and we enjoyed everything. I did have to change the black bean tart to black bean quesadillas due to time crunch but they were still good. This week (and for the next few weeks), I want to work on some recipe development and tweeking - I not only have the goal of working on a personal cookbook this year but I also plan to enter some original recipes in a couple of contests. I don't have illusions of winning anything but I think it will be fun to try!

Mexican Lasagna, Fruit
Thanksgiving Sandwich, Baked Beet & Sweet Potato Chips, Fruit
Sausage Bean Soup, Cheese & Herb Biscuits, Salad
Baked Chicken, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Salad
Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup, Crackers, Applesauce

I'm also planning to create some new cookies this week - if they turn out, I will post the recipe on my recipe blog. Should be a great week of experimentation and enhancing recipes! Thanks to Laura for hosting Menu Plan Monday every week! I've been menu planning for about 1 1/2 years and it has made such a difference! Have a wonderful week!

MPM: 1/12 - 1/18

Well, last week was interesting. I made meals but not necessarily the ones I had planned. Oh well. I never really did a regular grocery trip like I intended so I didn't have everything I needed for a couple of recipes. I put the spinach casserole back on the menu - I need to get to the store for cheese so I can make it! I planned two vegetarian meals this week and the pizza may be vegetarian as well. I think we will have company one night and I will be out of town visiting one of my sisters one night (Andrew will probably make the pancakes, then). I've been cleaning out my kitchen and working on it's functionality so I can't wait to get cooking this week!

Lasagna, Garlic Bread, Salad, Molten Lava Cakes
Chili, Cornbread, Applesauce
Pancakes, Eggs w/Ham, Applesauce
*Spinach Bread & Butter Casserole, Fruit Salad (carried over from last week)
*Black Bean Tart, Fruit, Chips & Salsa

Pizza, Veggies, Fruit

Most of the links are to my recipe blog. As always, feel free to ask questions, request recipes, leave comments, and check out orgjunkie.com for more plans! Happy Cooking!

* = vegetarian

What Shall We Eat?

I decided not to make a plan last week and we actually did pretty well. But I'm ready to get back at it - I can't believe how much it helps our budget and helps me to use what we have. It also keeps me interested in dinner. :)

Pizza, Veggies, Fruit
Lentil Soup, Salad, Biscuits
Moroccan Chicken Stew, Couscous, Steamed carrots
Spinach Bread & Butter Casserole, Roasted Root Vegetables, Applesauce
Pancakes, Eggs, & Bacon

I feel like I should offer more recipe commentary and review but I think I'll just post my menu today. I'll work on reviews for next week. :) Check out orgjunkie.com for more menu inspiration. And as always, feel free to leave questions, recipe requests, comments etc.

Holiday Menu Plan & Family Favorites!

I've been sitting here and debating whether I should menu plan this week and decided that even if it doesn't go as planned, it still helps keep my week organized. So...here's this holiday week plan with several of our family favorites!!!

I marked our FAMILY FAVORITES with ** - most are annual traditions!

CHRISTMAS MENU:
Brunch - **Egg Casserole (bacon, cheese, & spinach), **Raspberry Coffee Cake, Fruit Salad (pears, apples, and oranges)
Dinner - **Sweet 'n Tangy Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Glazed Carrots, Applesauce, Salad, Sweet Potato Cornbread w/Orange Butter, Goodies (**Sugar Cookies, **Double Chocolate Fudge, **Butter Pecan Fudge and more :))

The Rest of the Week: :)
Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup, Salad
BBQ Meatballs over Rice, Steamed Vegetables
Sweet Potato, Sausage, & Kale Soup, Bread
Teriyaki Vegetarian Stir-fry, Rice

We'll see if all this happens - I'm using up leftovers from our open house this past week in many of the recipes. Hope you have a wonderful and blessed week filled with family, friends, and celebration. Thanks to Laura for hosting every week.

MPM: 12/15-12/21

It's that time of week again! This week we will be hosting our annual Christmas Open House on Friday. So the week will be busy with preparations! I'm planning by day this week:

MONDAY - Ham, Sweet Potatoes, Fruit
TUESDAY - Chicken Fingers w/Honey Sauce, Celery Sticks, Apple Slices
WEDNESDAY - Lentil Soup, Biscuits, Salad
THURSDAY - Take-out
FRIDAY - Open house (I'll be making a ton of food :) - antipasti platter, cheeseball, veggies & dip, fruit, bbq meatballs, and more plus many, many sweets)
SATURDAY - Christmas at my in-laws
SUNDAY - Open House Leftovers or Brunch

Kind of boring in the dinner department but it will work. :) Orgjunkie has many more menu plans! Have a great week!

This Week in Food :)

My menu plan is going to be very simple this week for a simple reason - my husband will only be home for dinner a couple of nights. And while I do cook for the kids (most of the time :)), I make it easy and we eat leftovers. You can guess which meals will be for when Andrew is home. :)

- Pizza, Apples, Carrots

- Mac 'n Cheese, Steamed Veggies, Applesauce

- Sweet n' Tangy Pot Roast, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Zuchini, Spinach Salad (w/oranges, red onion, almonds & homemade vinaigrette)

- Eggs, Toast, Tangerines

- Pasta, Garlic Bread, Salad

- Egg Casserole (bacon, swiss, & spinach and sausage & cheddar), Hashbrown Casserole, muffins, coffee cake, fruit salad, juice, coffee, tea, & hot chocolate (this will be the brunch for a little more than 20 people on Sunday after Titus' baptism)

That's it. Easy, easy. The roast goes in the crockpot and the mac 'n cheese may or may not be from a box :). I am hoping to do some baking and candy making this week - butter pecan fudge, peanut clusters, and maybe some chocolate fudge and some kind of cookies - we'll see how the week goes. This week I made chex mix, muddy buddies, and sugar cookies.

Check out orgjunkie.com for more menu plans! Have a great week!

Menu Plan: 12/1 - 12/7

Can you believe it's December?!! We had a fun and busy week celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends - I baked and cooked a lot! This week, I'm taking it easy with simple recipes and salad, fruit, and bread for side dishes.

Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup
Sausage Bean Soup
Pizza
Sweet Potato Lentil Stew
Crockpot Sesame Pork Chops, brown rice

I'll be using my crockpot a lot this week! On a side note, I scored a 6 qt, stainless steel, Hamilton Beach crockpot for $8.50 on Black Friday - it was originally $40. I can't wait to use it - my current one, while very nice, is quite a bit smaller.

We did not get to decorate our tree on Friday due to illness so we will probably do it next weekend and I always make some snacky foods for our tree trimming party. Perhaps some Chex Mix, Cheeseball, Cookies, Tomato Caprese on Bread...we'll see. I'm working on adding more recipes to my recipe blog - feel free to check it out! And, as always, feel free to ask questions, leave comments, or share your menu ideas. Thanks to orgjunkie.com for hosting every week. Have a wonderful week!

Vegetarian Chili

Last Friday, I made vegetarian chili for our church chili dinner. Though I like eating vegetarian, I usually like meat in my chili - it gives it a depth of flavor that I love. So, I was pleasantly surprised that this was actually pretty good. I thought I would share my recipe - it's an original. :)

Vegetarian Chili
1 med.-lg. onion, diced
3 cloves garlic
2 cans tomato sauce
2 cans diced tomatoes (w/chiles would make this really good)
1/2 c. water (I just rinse out my tomato sauce cans and pour it in)
1 can corn (or frozen)
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed
1 can white or red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 butternut squash, peeled and small cubed (about 3 c.)
3 sm.-med. zuchini, small cubed
1 Tb. chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
1/2-1 tsp. oregano
salt to taste (about 2 tsp. - 1 Tb.)
1/4 tsp. red pepper

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 8 hrs. or until vegetables are tender and chili is bubbling. Top with cheese and sour cream (I like plain yogurt & a little sour cream combined). Enjoy.

You could easily substitute different beans or other vegetables.

Thanksgiving Week Menu

This will be a very full week for us! We will be celebrating alot and enjoying wonderful time with family and friends. First, I want to share two seasonal recipes - Amy recommended these pumpkin pancakes so I made them tonight for my family and they were fantastic (seriously, best pancakes ever!) and I also made pumpkin cranberry crumb muffins for our breakfasts this week! And I will be making pumpkin cheesecake for our Saturday gathering - we love pumpkin!

So here's the plan for this fun week:
Monday: Mexican Lasagna, Guacomole & Chips, Salad

Tuesday: Lentil Soup, Biscuits, Applesauce

Wednesday: Leftovers (hors'devours w/sibs after Thanksgiving service - Honey Fruit & Nut Brie, Tomato Caprese on Bread, Veggies & Dip, Fruit)

Thursday noon (pitch-in at my parents): Cherry Pie, French Silk Pie, Pecan Pie, Blueberry-Raspberry Pie - can you tell I'm responsible for some of the pie? :), Catherine's Sweet Potato Cranberry Streusel Casserole

Thursday evening (my in-laws will be coming): Thanksgiving Sandwich, Corn & Potato Chowder, Baked Sweet Potato Chips, Salad

Friday: Snacky food, egg nog - we will be decorating our Christmas tree during the day! In the evening, we will spend time with friends from highschool - not sure what I will take, yet...

Saturday (extended family gathering): Pumpkin White Chocolate Cheesecake, Caramel Macchiato Cheesecake, Double Chocolate Chip Toffee Cookies (I'm responsible for some of the dessert), Cheese, Crackers

Sunday: Leftovers

I think that's it! Lots of baking this week which I love but don't get to do very often anymore! Check out orgjunkie.com for more menu plans. I've also been adding recipes to my recipe blog so feel free to check it out.

Menu Plan: 11/17-11/22

BBQ Pork Sandwich (leftover from our open house), Veggies & Dip, Chips
Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup, Salad, Rolls
Butternut Squash Soup, Bread
Pancakes, Bacon, Eggs, Fruit
Chili, Carrot Salad (for our church chili cook-off)

Not much commentary today. :) We had a full but great weekend. Andrew will be working many hours this week. Check out orgjunkie for more menu plans!

MPM: 11/10 - 11/16

Here's my plan for this week (last week was not the best :)):

- Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup, Salad, Breadsticks or Biscuits
- Lentil Soup, Salad, Crackers
- Sausage & Egg Casserole, Toast or Blueberry Muffins, Fruit
- Sweet 'n Tangy Pot Roast, Rice Pilaf, Roasted Butternut Squash, Fruit
- BBQ Beef or Pork Sandwiches, Macaroni & Cheese in Crock pot, Veggie Tray, Fruit Tray, Jello Jigglers, Chips, Salsa, Cookies, Cake (our open house celebration for Ty's adoption finalization!)

It will be a busy week and Andrew is working a lot of hours lately so hopefully we will get to enjoy all of these! We'll see. :) Thanks to orgjunkie.com for hosting every week! Have a great week!

Fall Menu Plan

Last week I planned four meals and we ate three of them - not too bad. ;) We were busy! I made the Curried Split Pea Soup and it was amazing. The kids even loved it! I'm adding it to my recipe blog with the changes I made. So here is the plan for this week:

Beef & Broccoli Noodle Stir-fry, Brown Rice, Fruit
Pizza, Vegetables, Apples w/Dip
Sweet Potato Pancakes w/Spiced Pecan & Peach Butter*, Yogurt
Butternut Squash Risotto*, Mixed Green Salad w/ Pears
Award Winning South Fork Chili, Cornbread, Salad

Hopefully, we'll be able to enjoy several nights of family meals - Andrew will probably work late a couple of nights. We also start back to hosting our highschool Bible Study this week - we can't wait! I may also make some muffins and cookies this week - we'll see how it goes!Hope you have a wonderful time around your table. Thanks to Laura for hosting!

* = new recipe

Menu Plan: 10/27 - 11/2

So much for blogging this weekend. :) I feel like we have been fighting illness (nothing serious) for several weeks now and have been so busy that we've had little time to rest...so yesterday and today we have rested. I didn't even do a menu plan last week but we missed it. I did make a big pot of soup and a big pasta dish - we ate on both for at least two meals. It was also Andrew's birthday so we enjoyed a night out at the Melting Pot! Yum!

Here's the menu plan for this week:

Meatloaf, Green Beans & Potatoes, Apple & Pear Romaine Salad
Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries (minus the dill :)), Fruit Salad
Butternut Squash Risotto*, Peas, Blueberry Muffins, Salad
Curried Split Pea Soup*, Biscuits, Oranges

I think that will do it - if we need another meal it will either be leftovers or breakfast for dinner. :) We will be with family on Friday night - I will probably take German Apple Cake and a salad. I'll be doing a giveaway tomorrow so feel free to stop back by! Have a great week and as always, thanks to Laura for hosting MPM every week!

* = new recipe :)