Menu Monday

After a week long monsoon here in the south, the SUN is finally out!!! Thank goodness. I went to HT today and got $200 worth of groceries for $72!! How freaking great is that? HT has some amazing BOGO FREE deals this week hence my weekly plan.

Tonight: Shrimp Fried Rice (this is a 1st try, we will see what the J's think)

Monday: Chix, Butternut Squash w/ Chick Peas & Couscous (crock-pot)

Tuesday: Lasagna & Caesar Salad

Wednesday: Potato Soup w/ grilled tomato & cheese sammies

Thursday: Pork Tenderloin, carrots & fried spinach

Friday: Steak & Potatoes

Saturday: Date Night

Recipes to follow!!

Follow me...

Follow me... that is what I want to say! Follow me and see all the great ideas I have to make meal time at your home easy and fun! I truly believe that even those who are not obsessed with cooking such as myself can still enjoy planning meals and the satisfaction that your family has been fed. My goal is to help you guys do that without having to have a million ingredients for one dish or having to spend all day in the kitchen! I am going to be adding lots of 1 dish meals. These are so easy! Chop, toss into a dish and voila' a healthy, yummy meal Typically one pot meals have a protein, starch, veggies and sometimes even fruit!

Salmon Pattie Debacle

Not since the fall of 2000 when I followed a Rachael Ray recipe for Pumpkin Pasta has a meal gone such a rye! I mean really, I loved Melissa on NFNS and I thought the salmon patties could be good~ WRONG!! Can salmon tastes like the metal in the can and is mushy and stinks and is just not something that I will ever cook with again. The mix was yucky texture and would not hold together and was just all in all BAD. Avoid.

Next Food Network Star

Ok, so I love, love, love Next Food Network Star, Top Chef, HGTV's Design Star, are you seeing a theme? This past seasons Next Food Network Star got it right. Totally love the winner, Melissa D'Arabian, she appears to be very approachable, shes a Mom and even looks like she has friends! I am thinking that the $10 dinner theme is a good one espically since we are all looking for ways to stretch our grocery dollar. I am trying her salmon pattie recipe http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/salmon-cakes-recipe/index.html tonight for the hubby, still haven't fed little j seafood. Will let you know what I think.

1st Birthday Party

These are the adorable, if I do say so myself, Monkey Cupcakes I made for Little J's 1st Birthday! I also made a cake just for the birthday boy! I found an amazing cookbook The Whimsical Bakehouse.http://www.whimsicalbakehouse.com/ They have great ideas. I made a Banana Pound Cake with chocolate frosting. Here goes:

1 box Pound Cake Mix

2 eggs

1/3 c milk

1 banana, mashed

For the chocolate frosting I melt about 1/2 bag of chocolate chips with a bit of whipping cream and vanilla extract then slowly add powered sugar until I get it just right. Depending on the day it is a little different every time!

MENU PLANNING MONDAY

Menu Planning Monday!
Monday: Roasted Chicken, Tomato/Onion Tart, Peas
Tuesday: Salmon Patties (recipe to follow), Rice & Broccoli
Wednesday: (Daddy's Nite to cook) Hot Dogs, Baked Beans & FF
Thursday: Spaghetti & Meatballs
Friday: Chicken Penne Pasta (recipe to follow)
Saturday: Date Night
Sunday: ? Leftover Soup?

Menu Planning?

I have just found http://www.orgjunkie.com/ and I am HOOKED!! I was reading her post about Menu Monday and I too have been menu planning for a few months now. I do love a plan. I did this in part to see if planning could help save money. I started making a "game plan" for the week and I found that I could use cross-over ingredients in several different dishes (which saves $). I plan my week based on many of the specials (ie. if HT has shrimp or pork chops or whatever I tend to cook around the deals!) and around what is fresh and in season. I want to stress that I plan 5 dinners sometimes 6 but, we tend to eat out with friends one night over the weekend and I am back into my sushi craze and get take-out Sakura another night or whatever I am craving! I also want to let it be known for the record that days are never set in stone I just love knowing that I have ALL the ingredients for at least 5 meals and in case you are wondering it does SAVE MONEY! So, I am going to share with you every Monday our Menu Plans for the week. I do hope it will help give you inspiration to do the same. I being the pickiest, never know what I want till I get it kinda girl am making it work! You can too!!

Fall is in the air.... Time for the CROCKPOT!!!

OMG!! I can not tell you guys how much I just love FALL! It is my favorite time of the year, from the flood of school supplies to football season (GO APP STATE!!) to change of colors I just love it! I also am obsessed with the crockpot and making tasty meal for my J's! I love the fact that usually in under 15 mins of prep time I can toss all sorts of random stuff together and voila when we get home there is a yummy hot meal waiting on us! How freaking great is this?
So, I dedicate this week to the crockpot and I will be sharing some of my families favs. From my home to yours! ENJOY!!