Vacations and new job…

Well Phil is leaving his big corporation at the end of May. He will take about 1 month off or more. We plan to take an early 15 anniversary trip by going to the Carribbean!!! Woohoo…I am excited. I have spent oodles of time researching deals and have found some great ones through www.applevacations.com . I had to go and apply for my passport yesterday and hopefully it gets here soon so we can make reservations.

Caleb is dealing with a case of strep throat. He missed school yesterday and that put my work schedule back a day. I forgot that I was helping at another store today but that was changed to Thursday, which was good because I needed today to do some of my own! Tomorrow is going to be a killer if I try to do too much so I might leave a store for Thursday after I help at the other one. I should be done helping early enough that I will have time to go finish my stores. Ugh. I almost thought Jake was staying home today but he got up and Phil drove him in to school. I guess he was on time. Caleb managed to finish all his “make-up” work and his “gifted homework” in school today. Whew, that’s good because tonight is scouts and that means busy.

I did plan a menu out for the week and did some orderly food shopping. I haven’t done that in weeks and it has been hurting us. So tonight is sloppy joes, beans and salad. Wed is breakfast for dinner. Thursday Jake turns 13 and he requested burgers, fries and root beer floats! lol…Friday is undecided but Saturday is pizza and chips and snacks for Jake’s laser tag party. At least I have most of the week done.

I got to chat via the webcam last night with Brit and the babies. Elizabeth is still doing the “I coulda had a V-s” head slap my brother taught her at Easter. Asher can lift his head up when on his tummy. They are just so adorable!

Yesterday, while getting my photos done for my passport, I shopped at Walgreen’s. I bought a Ped-Egg for Phil to give me for Mother’s Day! I requested one and figured I would pick it up for him while I was out. He later told me he had plans to  get one for me. LOL…figures, just when I help him, he has it all under control. I think he and the boys are getting me a bunch of flowers to plant for MD.

Ok that’s it for this week. Busy busy busy. Better get cracking on those homemade sloppy joes.

2 lbs. ground beef or turkey

1/2  vidalia sweet onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic

1 bottle chili sauce

1/2 bottle water

Brown meat, onions and garlic. Drain fat and add chili sauce and water. Simmer for 30 min. or more. You can add in salt and pepper if you like. Or more garlic! Serve on buns w/cheese if you like it like that. Seems like my crew does.

Stuffed chicken breasts with tarragon sauce

I took a Rachael Ray recipe and converted it to what I had on hand. Yummy.

3 half chicken breasts, sliced in half-butterfly style

6 slices ham

6-12 slices of swiss cheese

3 TBSP EVOO-extra virgin olive oil

2 TBSP butter

2 TBSP flour

1/2 cup white wine

1 cup chicken broth

2 tsp. tarragon leaves or 2 TBSP fresh leaves, chopped.

Heat oil in non-stick skillet, add chicken rolls, brown on all sides, about 10-12 min. total. Chicken will cook fast as it’s thin. Remove to plate. Add butter, melt, then add in flour and cook 1 min.. Whisk in wine and reduce for 1 min.. Add in broth and tarragon, stir. Add in chicken and keep on low heat and simmer till ready to serve. Remove toothpicks and serve whole or sliced.

We had brown rice and used the sauce on that as well. My family loved it!

toothpicks

Lay ham and cheese on each half breast, roll and secure with toothpicks. Set aside.

Menu Plan Monday

Ok, so I am a little late but better late than never! Here we go.

Monday: Stuffed chicken breasts with tarragon sauce, brown rice, corn

Tuesday: Cube steaks and potato ragout, peas

Wednesday:Dinner out-Applebee’s maybe

Thursday: White chicken chili, tortilla strips and fruit

Friday: leftovers or sandwiches or the Fish Fry

Saturday: Burgers and fries, maybe homemade sweetpotato fries. (I need a recipe!)

Sunday: Italian food of some kind

Monday: Phil’s birthday, his choice-grilled chicken ceasar pita sandwiches, chocolate something for dessert!

Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner

Wednesday: Same as today but with egg noodles

I planned a longer week due to pay schedules and shopping schedules. Visit Laura at Organizing Junkie for more menus and ideas. Thanks Laura, for hosting!

Menu Plan Monday

We have a busy week so the menu is simple and light.

Monday: Burgers and munchies

Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner-play that night

Wednesday: Chili (recipe below) and cornbread

Thursday: Michelle’s Italian chicken, pasta and green beans

Friday: Subs and salads

Saturday: Cub Scout Blue and Gold banquet

Sunday: Clean out the refridgerator.

Visiting Laura at Organizing Junkie for more menus. Thanks to Laura for hosting for so long and inspiring us to plan and be organized.

 My Award Winning Chili

2 lbs ground turkey
1/2 sweet onion chopped
4-5 cloves of garlic, crushed
Brown those 3 together. Drain off fat. Add two 28 ounce cans of tomato sauce, 1 large can of kidney beans, rinsed, and 1 small can of green chilies.Add
3-4 tablespoons chili powder
1-2 teaspoons cumin
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon
salt and pepper

Cook on low in crock pot or on stove top.

I actually didn’t measure this time around so those are approximates. There was probably more garlic cause I let my ds do that part. It’s very spicy though. yummy.

Menu Plan Monday

It’s Monday so that must mean it’s time to plan my menu. I still have to shop for a few things but here is a rundown of my week.

Monday: Taco-Bean bake(recipe below), chips

Tuesday: Chicken and veggies

Wednesday: Soup and salads

Thursday: Pot roast and baked potatoes

Friday: Spaghetti bake, garlic bread

Saturday: It’s just me and Jake so we will go out for something

Sunday: Chinese food-premade from the store cause it was a lot of work last week.

Visit Laura at Organizing Junkie for more menus and to join in on the fun!

Taco Bake

1 package ground turkey (19.5 ounces)

2 cans of refried beans

2 cups cooked rice

1/3 cup salsa

1 cup of shredded mexican blend cheese, divided

1/3 cup sour cream

1 package Chi-Chi’s taco seasoning, not the red kind

Tortilla chips

Hot sauce, cumin, garlic powder

Brown meat and drain off fat. Add taco seasoning, water, sprinkle some garlic powder, ground cumin and hot sauce on the meat. Cook for 5 min. Warm rice or make it fresh. Mix 2 cans of refried beans with sour cream and 1/4 cup of cheese. Spray a 13 X 9 casserole dish with non-stick spray, add chips and crush till you have a crunchy bottom “crust”, not too fine though, you want pieces of chips. Layer the rice over the chips and sprinkle with cumin, garlic powder and any other seasoning you might like. Spread half the beans over the rice, spread the meat, then add the rest of the beans. Cover and bake at 350 for 25 min. Uncover and add the rest of the cheese to the top and bake for 5 min. more until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with sour cream, chips and salsa. You can add hot sauce, black olives, rotel tomatoes, etc… The possibilities are endless. My husband had seconds and my non-bean eating boy actually ate a serving!

My new recipe

Tonight I needed something new to do with the chicken I set out for dinner. I had to use up a few things that were in the refridgerator. The beef I bought for the stroganoff the other night was bad. I still haven’t returned it to Aldi but at this point, I won’t. I will just toss it. I will be sure to buy foods with “sell by” dates that are further out than 2 days! So I had mushrooms and onions all chopped up. I developed my own new recipe.

If you do make this, please feel free to ask questions and/or to come back and post your results. We enjoyed it. Oh yeah, my son Caleb calls this “When Lemon Attacks Chicken”.

Zinger Chicken

1 lb chicken breast, trimmed of fat and cut into 1″ x 2 ” strips

1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms

1 small onion, diced

2 carrots, scrubbed(not peeled), sliced 1/4″ on an angle.Don’t use baby carrots, you just don’t get the same flavor.

1 whole lemon, juiced

1 can of black olives

1 teaspoon, give or take, of kosher salt

1 teaspoon or more of rosemary.

Fresh ground white pepper

3 cloved of garlic, minced

olive oil

3 TBSP. butter

 Cooked fettucine.

Add 3 TBSP olive oil to pan, heating on med. high heat. When hot add carrots, onion and garlic. Stir and cook for about 5-6 min to bring out flavors. Add chicken, salt, rosemary, pepper, lemon juice and continue to cook and stir for about 5 more minutes. Add a few more TBSP of olive oil. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and olives. Add butter.Cover and lower heat and cook till heated through, just a few minutes. Don’t over cook or the carrots will be mushy. Serve with fettucine and some grated parmesan if you like.

I usually don’t measure so these are approximates. You could add zucchini or broccoli or just about any veggie to this dish. You could even remove the ones I used and come up with your own combo. I just like to have fun and experiment. Enjoy!

Cookies

Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe
This is a simple cookie recipe that will surely delight young and old. The cookies are coated with cinnamon and sugar for an extra special taste.
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 large egg• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well blended. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer, and stir in remaining flour. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Combine the 4 tablespoons sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Place balls of dough 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 11 minutes or until edges are beautifully golden. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Chocolate sugar cookies:
Prep Time:20 min
Total Time:45 min
About 3-1/2 doz. or 21 servings, about two cookies each

2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
4 squares BAKER’S Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add 1 cup of the sugar; mix well. Blend in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until well blended. Refrigerate 15 min. or until dough is easy to handle. Shape into 1-inch balls; roll in remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Place, 2 inches apart, on ungreased baking sheets. (If flatter crisper cookies are desired, flatten balls with bottom of clean glass.)
BAKE 8 to 10 min. or until set. Cool on baking sheets 1 min. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

Truffle recipe…and Peanut Clusters

Don’t want to lose this again!!

The Pampered Chef ®Velvety Chocolate TrufflesRecipe
2 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened baking chocolate
1 package (12 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided
1/4 teaspoon Pantry Double Strength Vanilla
Assorted coatings such as unsweetened cocoa powder, toasted chopped almonds, grated chocolate or toasted coconut

Coarsely chop chocolate squares using Food Chopper.
Place chopped chocolate, chocolate morsels and half of the whipped topping in Large Micro-Cooker®; microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 11/2-2 minutes or until chocolate is melted and smooth, stirring after each 20-second interval.
Pour chocolate into Classic Batter Bowl using Classic Scraper; cool slightly.

Fold in remaining whipped topping and vanilla.
Spread truffle mixture onto Cutting Board; refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm enough to scoop. (Do not allow chocolate to harden too long or the coatings will not adhere well to the truffles.)
Using Small Scoop, scoop truffle mixture onto small plates containing assorted coatings.
For easier scooping, dip scoop into hot water after every few truffles and tap on paper towels to remove excess water.
Wearing plastic gloves or using Bamboo Tongs, roll truffles in coating. Place coated truffles onto Simple Additions® Medium Square and serve.

Yield: About 40 truffles

Nutrients per serving: (1 truffle): Calories 70, Total Fat 4.5 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrate 7 g, Protein 1 g, Sodium 0 mg, Fiber less than 1 g

Cook’s Tip: To toast almonds, place almonds in Small (8-in.) Saute Pan. Heat over medium heat 3-5 minutes or until almonds begin to brown, stirring frequently. Remove from pan; cool completely.

To toast coconut, preheat oven to 350°F. Spread coconut onto Small Bar Pan. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown; remove from oven and cool completely.

If desired, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla can be substituted for the Double Strength Vanilla.
For very finely grated chocolate, use the Microplane® Adjustable Grater.

For more coarsely grated chocolate, use the Deluxe Cheese Grater.

Peanut Clusters- Super easy!

1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bag of butterscotch chips
3 cups of peanuts

Melt chips together in microwave for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Don’t over melt or the chocolate will ruin. You can stir the unmelted ones around till they melt after two minutes.
Add 3 cups of lightly salted peanuts
Drop, I used the Pampered Chef small scoop, by teaspoons onto waxed paper covered cookie sheets. I got about 55 clusters from one batch. Yummy.