Menu Madness

I have been SO disorganized for the past few months. I am determined to get back my mojo! So, to start off this week with a bang, here is my menu plan.

Sunday - Sweet and Smokey beef brisket with mashed potatoes, corn and Outback Steakhouse breadmachine bread

Monday - Pork Chops either grilled or pan fried with Sweet Potato Risotto (made without sausage) and peas

Tuesday - Mac and Cheese with hamburger

Wednesday - Leftovers (Brisket sandwiches? Yum)

Thursday - Chicken Broccoli Couscous

Friday - Jenna's Night (she will be cooking every Friday night for a while) Chicken and Beef Fajitas

Saturday - Vegetable soup of some kind with grilled cheese sammies

Sunday - Malachai turns 3! Dinner out at Pizza buffet.


Since it is Spring Break here, all three kiddos will be home for breakfast and lunch each day. I know that Jenna and I will eat leftovers for lunches or maybe Tuna Pea Wiggle or something similar. The boys usually eat PBJ or chicken nuggets and fries or even pancakes! Breakfasts are iffy. I made waffles today and have some left for the boys breakfast or snacks and I will make a huge batch of pancakes one day soon. They love the little silver dollar ones. I may need to pick up more yogurt and other breakfast foods for Jenna.

I am planning to try to have a baking day one day this week since Jenna is home to help with the boys. It would be great to have muffins in the freezer again! And pizza blanks, cookies and maybe some whoopie pies for snacks. I am also thinking of making some rolls and biscuits to freeze for later baking.

Wish me luck! And head on over to I'm An Organizing Junkie for more menu plans!

Is It Monday Again???

This weekend flew by. The boys were typical overactive and rambunctious boys and kept us hopping! So, with no more than a blink of an eye, here I am back at Monday again! Today's post may be kind of long, so hold onto your hats!

I had to attend a nutrition class today as part of a new WIC program. For those who do not know, WIC (Women, Infants and Children) is a food program geared to help out low income families and feed young children healthy food. They have made some major changes in the food packages we receive each month and have instituted mandatory nutrition classes every three months. It wasn't a big deal, only a 30 minute class. Today they talked about Fiber and how important it can be. I honestly did not learn anything new but several other women int he class seemed to. So, it is a good thing!

The new food package that we recived today was great! It includes a choice of 3 of the following: Fresh fruits and vegetables (choice of bags of apples, oranges, sweet potatoes or carrots) and canned fruit and vegetables (choice of 2 cans of diced tomatoes, green beans, peaches and pears, maybe more) , a choice of either whole wheat bread, brown rice or tortillas, a choice of cheese (American, string, Cheddar and others), a choice of cereals (grits, oatmeal and various healthy cold cereals) a choice of peanut butter or dried peas or beans, shelf stable milk, eggs and juices. They only had apples available this month for fresh fruits, though.

So, we get a food package for each of the boys. We ended up with two cases of milk, enough apple juice concentrate to make about 4 gallons of juice, 8 juice boxes, a package of string cheese, a package of American slices, 2 cartons of eggs, 6 boxes of Kashi Mighty Bites cereal (LOVE this!), 2 bags of apples, 2 cans of green beans, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, 2 cans of peaches, 2 cans of pears, 2 jars of peanut butter, 2 bags of brown rice and 2 loaves of whole wheat bread. I felt like I had gone shopping! What a great blessing WIC is to our family. Honestly, it is so helpful when it comes to stretching our grocery budget. Next month, I plan to get more fresh veggies and fruits rather than canned. And more bread since that is generally more expensive to buy than rice is.

Anyway. If you or someone you know is pregnant, breastfeeding or has a child under 5 years old, WIC can be helpful. It never hurts to apply! Not everyone who receives WIC is low income, some people have other risk factors that make them eligible.

So, after I finished with my WIC appointment, I did my menu planning. I have NO money to do any shopping this week. AT all. So, everything on this week's menu has to be made from things in my pantry and freezer. Hopefully it all turns out wonderfully!

Monday - Pork Chops with Creamy Orzo

Tuesday - Homemade baked beans with whole wheat biscuits

Wednesday - Spaghetti Pie and salad

Thursday - Curried Beef and Apple Couscous

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Red Beans and brown rice with Cajun sausage


I am participating in the 30-Day Encouragement Challenge over at Laughing Family. It is a challenge geared towards enhancing and enriching a marriage. As part of the challenge, I am supposed to say no negative things about my husband for the next 30 days. And am also supposed to say one positive thing about AND to him each day. I will be posting a positive message about my husband here on the blog each day that I blog over the next month. Since so many of my posts do complain about him and his foibles, I figured it was only fair to share the good things as well!

So, today's Encoragement is: I love that my husband will eat whatever I put in front of him! He never complains, he never turns his nose up and he rarely eats only one serving of anything I cook! This is a wonderful thing for me as I learn to cook new foods and experiment with recipes that do not always turn out as I anticipate! Thank you, honey, for always being willing to be my guinea pig!

What Day IS It Anyway?

Wow. What a weekend. LOL

Jenna is trying to plan her Senior Project. Here, in her HS, the seniors must do a major research project with papers, presentations and a physical product. This must be something that is new to them that they learn about, they must have a mentor (NOT a relative) and must have their thesis planned and approved by the board before the end of their Junior year. It is a major part of their senior year. And, they cannot graduate without it being approved and passed by the board. Wild. So, some of the previous projects have included wood working where the student made things like a doghouse, a gun rack or a dollhouse. There have been community projects and concerts, people have learned to sew or crochet, to cook or to do any number of things.

Jenna wants to learn to sew and make a 14th century french outfit. This would include study of the materials used, the reasons behind color choices and fabric choices, trade information and maybe even other things. I have no idea yet!

She really just wants to get involved with the local SCA group and thinks this is a great way to do that and make sure that I follow through! LOL

For those who do not know, the SCA is a group of people who recreate medieval life. They make clothing, fight and do any number of things true to this time period. They are great people and it is truly interesting! I have always wanted to be involved but was waiting to have the time and energy. Since that may never happen, I contacted the local group this weekend! We should be attending our first newcomers meeting on the 22nd. I can't wait and neither can Jenna.

Braeden started school today. I was a nervous wreck. He was so excited! I don't even think he noticed me leaving. I will let y'all know tomorrow how he did.

I have friends coming into town tomorrow morning. They will be staying with us for a few days. I actually did not know they were coming that early, I thought they would be getting here tomorrow night! I have had to revamp my menu plans to try to accomodate5 more people.... with no money to buy any extra food!! AND, I so did not follow my menu plan last week. I was bad....

So, with no further ado....

Monday - I made a huge pot roast with lots of veggies and gravy! Yum...

Tuesday - Leftover pot roast and gravy with egg noodles. Veggies on side.

Wednesday - Taco Pie

Thursday - Coconut chicken, rice patties, I may make sweet potato wedges as well.

Friday - Leftovers.

Saturday - Pasta bake. I may make spinach and mushroom manicotti. Or it may end up being just baked ziti or something.

Sunday - Either homemade pizza or..... breakfast for dinner maybe.

Breakfasts - Cold cereal, oatmeal, grits, waffles or pancakes.

Lunches - PB & J, grilled cheese, leftovers, hotdogs or veggie burgers.

I am definitely a little undecided about this weeks' menu. I may end up changing it altogether!

Busy Busy Busy

Sunday I made a tentative monthly menu plan.
Monday I went grocery shopping.
Tuesday I cleaned out, wiped down and organized all of my pantry food storage shelves and cabinets. Because I could not get all of my food in there!

Today I have: Made meatloaf for the freezer, made meatballs for the freezer, cooked about 4 pounds of ground beef with onions, garlic and seasonings to freeze for dishes, cooked about 3 pounds of ground beef with hot chilis and taco seasoning to make taquitos and enchiladas, cut up veggies and portioned meat to freeze for amish skillet meal, diced and flash frozen about 5 pounds of onions, made and froze 8 burger patties, rinsed the three pounds of black beans that I soaked which I still have to cook, set chicken breasts to cook in the crockpot with chilis and taco seasoning to shred for taquitos and enchiladas and am planning to make up a large batch of wheat tortillas to assemble the enchiladas. I also need to assemble and cook the taquitos once the chicken is done.

Needless to say, all of that is in addition to regular dinner cooking, child wrangling and house cleaning. Yes, I have been busy!

My (late) menu for this week is:

Monday - Bagel, sausage and cheese sandwiches with hashbrowns
Tuesday - Pork chops, gravy, mashed butternut squash with garlic butter and couscous
Wednesday - Three cheese tortellini with pesto and garlic parmesan biscuit knots
Thursday - Black beans and rice with corn bread and chili if the hubby gets a chance to make it!
Friday - coconut chicken, sweet potatoes and green beans
Saturday - Leftovers or Breakfast for dinner
Sunday - Pulled pork sandwiches with fried squash and Brown Rice patties

Things I still need to do this week:

• Spicy honey chicken for freezer and one batch with chicken substitute
• Lemon chicken for freezer and one with chicken substitute
• enchiladas assembled and in freezer
• taquitos assembled, cooked and in freezer
• croisant wrapped hotdogs cooked and in freezer
• special potato casseroles assembled and in freezer
• black beans cooked, mixed with red beans and tomatoes with chilis and frozen in batches for casseroles/ taco pie (red beans are already cooked and in freezer)
• spaghetti pie assembled and in freezer
• macaroni and cheese muffin cups cooked and in freezer
• spinach and mushroom manicotti assembled and in freezer
• Steven is making his special pork chili on Thursday so that I have it to make chili cheese potato casseroles for the freezer
• I MAY make some ham and potato pockets to freeze
• mini cheese pizzas for the boys' lunches to freeze
• biscuit dough for biscuit knots to freeze and for regular biscuits to freeze
  

When I am done with all of that it will be time to tackle more baking again. I want to make more pancakes, waffles, muffins and some rolls for the freezer. Maybe more. It depends on if I burn out first!! Most of these freezer recipes have come from either my own experience or from Once A Month Mom!

I am linking up late to OrgJunkies Menu Plan Monday but head over there for more great recipes and menu plans!

Menu Plan and Weigh In

**At the end of this post I will share what I have lost this past week and what my weight loss goals for this coming week are.

Last week's menu went well. I enjoyed all of the new recipes and they will be used again! I did not make the chicken and rice and it is carrying over to this week. I planned this menu at the last minute with actual input from my husband (gasp!) and it sounds pretty good to me! So, here is the plan for this week:

Monday - Coconut Chicken, Sweet Potato Wedges and green beans

Tuesday - Taco Pie with Crescent Roll Crust (vegetarian)

Wednesday - Chicken and Rice - Still searching for a great slow cooker recipe if anyone has one!

Thursday - Meat and Potato Lasagna

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Zesty Primavera Pasta - Recipe below (vegetarian)

Sunday - Pizza Braid

**Quick note that I should not have to do any shopping this week other than picking up some squash at the farmer's market! Yay!

Recipe
Zesty Primavera Pasta

1 cup zucchini, peeled and chopped
1 cup red pepper, chopped
1 cup yellow squash, peeled and chopped
1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup eggplant, peeled and chopped
6 Tablespoons honey mustard, divided
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
8 oz package penne pasta, cooked (I am using whatever is in the cabinet!)

Toss the veggies with 4 tablespoons of the mustard and broil them until tender; set aside. Whisk the remaining mustard, oil, vinegar and basil together in a large serving bowl. Add the pasta, stirring gently. Fold in the veggies and toss gently until coated. Serve hot or cold.

For more great menu's check out Organizing Junkie.


So, since I have joined Natalie's Holiday Slim Down, I need to post my goals for this week and an update on how things went this past week. I am very happy to report that I have lost 2 pounds over the past week! Woot! Now, I just need to keep it up. My goals for this week, and continuing goals, are:

• Substitute water for every soda I would normally drink. I have been working on this and am down to maybe three sodas a day. This week I want to be down to only one (or none!) by the end of the week.
• Exercise at least 3 days out of the week. If I get more done, great. But, I am starting off slow so that I will actually reach my goals!

That's it! If I can conti9nue to eat healthy like I have been doing and meet these three goals, I should lose my pound or two this week... I will let you know!

Early Menu Plan – 7/23 to 8/1

My mother, MIL and nephew will be here tomorrow bringing my DD home. They will be here for a week visiting! Not only does this mean larger meals, but it also means vegetarian options. My MIL is a vegetarian but luckily is not too picky. So, here is my menu plan for the next week and a half so that I do not have to worry about it later!

Thursday - Meat Loaf, Au Gratin Potatoes, French Green Beans (hubby's fave!)

Friday - Taco Pie w/ Crescent Roll Crust (vegetarian)

Saturday - Couscous salad with baked pork chops or veggie meat option for MIL

Sunday - Country Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Corn, Country Gravy with vegetarian meat substitute for MIL (by DD's request!)

Monday – Pizza (either homemade or at hubby's pizzeria)

Tuesday - Spinach and Mushroom Manicotti (vegetarian)

Wednesday - Thai Chicken Fettuccine with green beans (chicken cooked on the side)

Thursday - Parmesan Cheese Risotto with Mushrooms, Shrimp (Mom loves it!) and Pork Chops (hubby won't eat seafood!) and meat substitute for MIL

Friday – Leftovers

Saturday - Cowboy Beans with Corn Bread

So, that's it for now. Breakfasts will consist of waffles, pancakes, muffins, cereal, grits or oatmeal. All of these options are available. One morning I will be making french toast I know. Lunches will consist of leftovers, or whatever I think of at the time. There are plenty of options in the house!

If you are looking for other great menus to check out, head over to orgjunkie for Menu Planning Monday!

Convenience Foods Bite Me on The Butt

I'm back and it is time to get back on the frugal bandwagon! I have not been clipping coupons or shopping frugal at all recently. My menu planning has gone away and I really see the difference in our money! So, I decided it is time to get back to work.

One of the major problems I have noticed over the past few months is that I have been spending money on fast food and convenience foods because I have nothing in the house that is fast and easy to make for me and the kids for breakfasts, lunches and snacks. Nothing to eat? Swing down to the convenience store and pick up a few tubes of chocolate donuts. Not only is this bad for the kids (and me!) but the money really adds up in the long run.

So, I have decided to spend some time over the next week or so making up some breakfast and snack foods to freeze and have available. I plan to make pancakes, waffles, muffins, banana bread, cookies and maybe some other items. Flash freeze and package them and they are good to go for snacks or breakfasts.

I am presently searching for some good recipes for muffins and some different versions of pancakes. I also need to do some research on how to use wheat germ, flax seed and other nutritional supplements to make these items a little healthier for the kids.

My shopping day will be Friday or Saturday so I need to get my plans in place, make up my menu plans for dinners, make my shopping list and get ready to rumble!!

MPM 11/3 - 11/9

I never got a chance to make my beans this weekend. Mostly because I realized I was out of beans and just never made it to the store. HOPEFULLY the bean making will happen sometime this week or next weekend. We'll see.... NOW, on to bigger and better things! LOL Menu Planning Monday over at Organizing Junkie has some great links to menus with fabulous recipes. Don't believe me? Go check it out!

Here is my menu for this week.... not very inspiring but at least fairly inexpensive and all from scratch!

Monday - Hamburger Gravy and Rice
Tuesday - Homemade Pizza!
Wednesday - Fajitas OR Pasta with red sauce and meatballs
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Baked Chicken with scalloped Potatoes and a veg
Saturday - Vegetable soup and grilled cheese
Sunday - Black Rice with Thai Chicken Curry

That's it, folks!

Better late????

Thanks to Toiling Ant from Living to the Hilt for the gentle reminder that I had forgotten to post me menu plans for this week! Better late than never say I!

Sunday - Grilled steak with cinnamon chipolte rub (yummy!), mashed potatoes, brocolli with cheese sauce and corn.

Monday - Brown rice Jambalaya with chicken breast and cajon sausage

Tuesday - Homemade hamburger helper (garden veggie rotini with mushrooms, hamburger meat and cheese sauce)

Wednesday - Cowboy Beans with cornbread

Thursday - BBQ chicken, scalloped potatoes and green beans

Friday - Leftovers/ whatever is around

Saturday - Pork Chops, wild rice mix, gravy and peas

Sunday - Country fried steak, au gratin potatoes, green beans


No new recipes this week and no meatless meals. I really need to find some new recipes that appeal to us. I tried a few last month and will be having them again, I think. ANd vegetable soup again soon! I made the best homemade soup the other day.... yummy. I will post the recipe next time I am making it.

Suggestions of good, hearty meatless meals and yummy alternatives to the same ol same ol are always welcome!

Don't forget to check out Menu Plan Monday over at the Organizing Junkie!

One of the things that has kept me from spending a lot on my groceries lately is that I keep a well stocked pantry. This means that I have every day essentials and rarely have to "run to the store" for something I need for a recipe. As we all know, those "quick" trips can cost you major money! I ran across this article about keeping a well stocked pantry in a group that I am part of. I thought that I would share with any of you who stop by! I don't have every single thing this list has... but I have some things that are not on here. My pantry is something I try to keep stocked. On those weeks when we have NO money for grocery shopping... I can still feed my family well. It also helps with menu planning!

This is just a general guideline to help you get started stocking both your pantry with baking and refrigerated items, then replace them as you run out. You can change the list to meet your families needs. Every household has basic staple items depending on what you cook more, for us, we use a lot of pastas and soups to go into casseroles and such.

Baking & Spices
baking soda
baking powder
cornstarch
yeast
flour
salt
pepper
peppercorns
sugar
confectioner’s sugar
brown sugar
light corn syrup
vanilla extract
ground cinnamon
nutmeg
ground cloves
powdered ginger
basil
oregano
chili powder
dry mustard
paprika
thyme
tarragon
dill
bay leaves
poultry seasoning
beef, chicken & vegetable bouillon cubes
cream of tartar
unseasoned bread crumbs
Bisquick or pancake mix
powdered milk
unsweetened cocoa powder
unsweetened baking chocolate
chocolate chips

General & Condiments
rice
pasta
dried onion soup mix
tomato paste
tomato sauce
canned tomatoes
peanut butter
jelly
canned tuna
raisins
chocolate syrup
cereals
chicken or beef stock
canned soups
canned beans
olives
canned pears
canned peaches
applesauce
vegetable oil
olive oil
red wine vinegar
white wine vinegar
vegetable shortening
nonstick cooking spray
mayonnaise
ketchup
mustard
salad dressings
soy sauce
hot pepper sauce
Worcestershire sauce
barbecue sauce
salsa
honey
maple syrup
white wine
red wine

Refrigerator
milk
eggs
butter
cheese
yogurt
cottage cheese
cream cheese
sour cream
meats/fish
deli meats
bacon
juices
carrots
celery
lemon
mushroom
lettuce
peppers

Freezer
orange juice concentrate
corn
green beans
spinach
peas
mixed vegetables
ground beef
chicken breasts
shrimp
dinner rolls or bread
ice cream
pie crust
nuts

Fresh
oranges
apples
bananas
tomatoes
potatoes
garlic
onions
bread

Things You’ll Need:
* A Variety Of Pasta And Grains
* Canned Foods
* Canola Oil
* Capers
* Cheeses
* Condiments
* Eggs And Butter
* Garlic And Onions
* Nuts And Seeds
* Olive (not Virgin) Oil
* Olives
* Vinegar
* Wines
* Herbs
* Baking Supplies

Tips For Creating A Pantry
Step1
Create an herb rack or make cupboard space for spices and herbs. Get started with: salt and pepper, chili powder, basil, oregano, rosemary,thyme, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, cumin, curry powder, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. Some shops sell ready-made herb racks with a selection of jarred seasonings.
Step2
Keep baking supplies handy, such as flour, brown and white sugar,baking powder or soda, cornstarch and vanilla extract. In addition to baking, you'll use these for creating and thickening sauces and sweetening beverages.
Step3
Stock your refrigerator and cupboards with condiments. You can always find uses for mayonnaise, ketchup, mustards, jams and other spreads. Good black olives, pickles, capers and other salty, tangy bites can jazz up your meals as well.
Step4
Refrigerate eggs and freeze butter.
Step5
Keep nuts and seeds around. They're great in cookies and cakes, pastas and salads and for snacking and guests.
Step6
Buy a few kinds of good cheese - at least one grating cheese, like parmesan - for instant tasty protein.
Step7
Store dried pastas, rice, cereals, potatoes and other durable grains. Their value is limitless and you'll never go hungry.
Step8
Always, always, always have garlic and onions available. Almost every type of known cuisine calls for these two items.
Step9
Keep oils for frying (canola and olive, at minimum) and salad dressings; store vinegars (red wine, white wine, balsamic, or all three, plus plain) for vinaigrettes and whenever a little acidity is needed.
Step10
Lay in one bottle of dry white wine and one bottle of red wine, for both cooking and drinking.
Step11
Buy canned and jarred staples for when you're in a pinch. Tuna, canned beans and sauces can start off any kitchen creation. Canned tomatoes are indispensable for quick pasta sauces.

Monday, Fabulous Monday

Yes, yes, I know. It is not Monday. But, in my crazy world.... It could be. Anyway, here are my (late) menu plans!

Monday - BBQ Chicken, grilled potatoes and grilled yellow squash with red onions
Tuesday - Mini Meat loafs, Cheesy rice with broccoli and carrots
Wednesday - Cowboy Beans
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - London Broil, Mashed potatoes, corn
Saturday - Grilled Chicken, Au Gratin Potatoes, Green Beans
Sunday - ?? Leftovers or go out to eat.

I did make it to CVS this week and will be posting about that on Friday. Have a great 4th of July! Don't forget to check out the other Menus at Menu Planning Monday over at Organizing Junkie. (How's that for a run on sentence?) Wait! This week it is being hosted by Heavenly Homemakers! Confused yet?

Menu Planning Returns!

Finally getting back into the swing of things. It's amazing how a vacation can cause you to loose track of everything! Here is my menu for this week:

Monday - Chicken Casserole
Tuesday - Pork Chops, Scalloped Potatoes, Peas
Wednesday - leftovers
Thursday - Cold Pasta Salad, hot dogs
Friday - Hamburger Gravy and Rice
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Grilled Chicken, Wild Rice, Broccoli

That's it as of right now. I have all of this in my house and don't need to buy anything except for hot dog buns. Sounds great to me!

I could use some suggestions for cool summer meals.... help please?

Check out the other great menus over at Organizing Junkie as part of her Menu Planning Monday!

Menu Planning

Not on MOnday, but still a menu! LOL I plan to do the majority of my menu for this week with what I have on hand. So, here it is:

Wednesday - Grilled Chicken, Wild Rice, Peas
Thursday - Cowboy beans
Friday - Pasta with red sauce and meat balls, garlic bread
Saturday - hotdogs, french fries
Sunday - Country Fried Steak, mashed potatoes, corn

All of this is stuff that I have on hand in my house. This is good! Because this week, my budget is shot. After being gone for a week on vacation, our money is gone gone gone. I was not very frugal while on vacation..... but we had fun!

Check out the other menus at Menu Saving Monday with Organizing Junkie.

Menu Week of 5/26-5/30

We are leaving on 5/31 to go to Florida and visit the grandparents! So, my menu this week is only for 5 days.....

Monday - Grilled London Broil, Au Gratin Potatoes, Frenched Green Beans, Rolls
Tuesday - Leftovers
Wednesday - Fried Chicken Breast, Mashed Potatoes, Corn
Thursday - Pork Roast, Wild Rice, Gravy, Peas
Friday - Leftovers! Clean it all up before we leave!

So, that's it! I have to make sure that all of the food is eaten before we leave as we will be gone a whole week.

Breakfasts will be the same as always except that DH is home on Monday for the holiday and will be making homemade waffles and sausage! Lunches are sandwiches, salads or leftovers. The kids have a freezer full of chicken nuggets that I got a great deal on at Wally World and we always have plenty of pb&j.

This week I am not trying any new recipes and am only doing fairly easy dishes. NEXT week I will not be cooking at all! The following week.... I am looking for some new chicken recipes. And some good casserole and crock pot recipes. The plan is that I will do one crock pot meal each week, one casserole, one new recipe and maybe do one meatless meal each week. I am trying to find some really great frugal meals that my family will love.

Feel free to leave me comments with suggestions or links! I could use some help.

Check out the other menus on Menu Planning Monday at Organizing Junkie!

Menu Update and Recipe

My husband reminded me this morning that he is cooking this week! So, my menu must be rearranged to reflect this as he has specific dishes in mind....

Wednesday - Deep Dish Chicago Style Pizza
Sunday - Frito Pie!

I also have had a request for my Tucson Chicken Casserole recipe. I actually don't use a recipe.... the original recipe that I modified came from the Everything Meals For A Month Cookbook. I'll do my best to give you my version.


Chicken Tucson a la Faerie Mom

1 Large Jar Medium Heat Chunky Salsa
2 cans black beans
Diced onion and green pepper
2 Chicken Breasts diced
Hard Corn Tortillas or Chips
Large Bag Shredded Mexican Cheese blend or Cheddar
Sour Cream
2 cans sliced black olives

Spread a thin layer of salsa in the bottom of a baking dish. 9x9
Crunch up corn chips or tortillas and spread on the bottom of the pan. Good layer but not too thick. Cover the salsa.

Season the chicken breast with salt, pepper, cumin and tarragon. (Or use a pack of fajita seasoning.) Brown the chicken in olive oil with the diced chicken and peppers. Drain and return to pan. Add remaining salsa and 1 can of black olives. Heat through and set aside.

Drain black beans and spread evenly over the chips in your pan. Top with chicken mixture. Cover with cheese and place pan in oven. Cook at 375 until cheese is brown and bubbly.

To serve, place corn chips or tortillas on plate, spoon serving of casserole onto chips. Top with dollop of sour cream and some sliced black olives.

Yummy.

I usually try to serve this with a green salad and sometimes corn bread.

Menu Planning Monday on Tuesday!

Yesterday was a rough day so I am just getting my menu up.... Check out the other menus at Organizing Junkie!

Monday - Jambalaya with sausage and chicken breast
Tuesday - Hamburgers, Hotdogs and Fries
Wednesday - Pounded and Fried Chicken Breast, Mashed Potatoes, Corn
Thursday - Pork Chops, Wild Rice, Peas
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Chicken Tucson Casserole
Sunday - Grilled Chicken Breast, Grilled potatoes and mixed Veggies

I may try to make some homemade rolls on Wednesday and Sunday. I also plan to make banana bread because I have some ripe bananas that I need to use up.

As far as lunches go, I found a great deal on lunchmeats at Walmart so I have an abundance of that. Plus, we always keep pbutter and marshmallow fluff on hand for the kids!

Breakfasts are usually waffles, cereal, grits or oatmeal. Sometimes scrambled eggs for the kids (DH and I hate eggs!) or pancakes.

That's it! I am looking for some new recipes for chicken breast. Casseroles or crockpot. I have had really bad luck with my crockpot lately. I need some new variations so I can give it a shot again....

Menu Planning

I have struggled lately to find the best day to do my menu planning. I was part of Menu Planning Monday for a while and then just moved it to Wednesdays because that is when the sales begin for all of the stores in my area. But, that's not working good for us. I believe I will move back to Mondays. My menu planning is a necessity in this house. Without, we spend soooo much more money on groceries. I will start Menu Planning Mondays once again this week and will join in the fun over at Organizing Junkie with all of the other menu planners!