YAY I finally did it! Got a menu together for the coming week!

Ok, after a few e mails asking where my menus and recipes are (and 1 or 2 "get your rear in gear" type e mails), I've finally done it! Well, I have the menu done up. I don't really have any recipes yet, but later in the week I should. I am making stuffed peppers (never made them from scratch before) so I'll have to find a recipe for them. I'll post that when I find one that looks yummy.

Sat. 7/25 ~ BLT's

Sun. 7/26 ~ Home made stromboli (I bought pizza dough and froze it for these. I'll make two of them, in mine I'll have the moz. cheese, ham, pepperoni, onion, green pepper and sauce. In the 2nd one I'll have all of those things as well as some mushrooms and red pepper flakes.), salad and home made ice cream later this evening.

Mon. 7/27 ~ Stuffed Peppers

Tues. 7/28 ~ BBQ pork ribs w/ grilled zucchini and yellow squash (from my garden)

Wed. 7/29 ~ Mac and cheese w/ canned tomatoes

Thurs. 7/30 ~ Chicken quesadillas

Fri. 7/31 ~ Hamburgers. Kate has requested that whatever we throw on the grill, we have potato and onion pouches as a side dish. These are so easy. I wash a few potatoes, dice them up along with some onions, but them in foil pouches w/ some butter, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and throw them on the grill. So yummy!

Just call me a slacker....

I know, I am really slacking with the weekly menu planning. Believe me, it shows both on the scale (lucky me) and in the pocket book. I really have to get back on track! Hopefully, I'll get a menu made up for next week. We've got the new freezer hooked up, so I can actually go buy food again! YAY Today I am taking a big stack of coupons to the shop with me to clip and sort if I have time. Maybe I'll even get that menu started....we shall see.

6/14 - 6/20

Sun. 6/14 ~ We grilled and everyone had something different...I had a turkey burger, Kate had 2 veggie burgers and Gene had BBQ grilled salmon fillets. For sides we had salt potatoes and corn on the cob

Mon. 6/15 ~ Yo-yo night. Gene and I went to Erin & Russ's Pampered Chef party and filled up on yummy food over there. I think Kate ate Ramen noodles.

Tues. 6/16 ~ Steaks on the grill, long grain rice, left over corn on the cob and salt potatoes

Wed. 6/17 ~ Grilled chicken rubbed with a yummy garlic/herb rub and olive oil, steamed veggies

Thurs. 6/18 ~ Yo - yo night. My friend, Erin and I are having "date night." It's a joke. But we are going out to dinner and then to get our hair done..which leaves our families to fend for themselves.

Fri. 6/19 ~ Whole wheat penne pasta with steamed asparagus, zucchini and green beans tossed in a basil pesto w/ freshly grated Parmesan cheese. This is a dish I saw on one of Rachael Ray's 30 Minute Meals a few years ago. It is very yummy and so easy! If I think of it when I go to pick up the veggies, I'll get fresh bread and make garlic bread, too.

Sat. & Sun. are both undecided. Who knows what we'll have going on this weekend and Sunday is Father's Day so Gene may want to go out to eat. We shall see.

menu 6/8 - 6/12

Well, meals this week have been thrown a bit off course. Thursday we had a Yo - yo night (you're on your own), last night I grilled the flank steak (First time I made a flank steak in about 10 years b/c I thought it was such a tough piece a meat. I marinaded it all day long then cooked it on the grill on high for 6 min. on one side and another 5 on the other side..cut against the grain in about 1 inch - 1 1/2 inch slices...YUMMMM). This evening we have been invited over to Erin and Russ's for a BBQ, so I won't be cooking dinner. As far as I know, the dinner plans for tomorrow are still the stuffed peppers. I don't know if I will make rice or buttered noodles with them. I have both..guess I'll see what Gene and Kate want. :)

Mon 6/8 ~ Grilled boneless pork chops and veggie (either grilled asparagus or corn on the cob. HMMMM Such hard decisions!)

Tues. 6/9 ~ Spaghetti, salad and garlic bread (it's class night, so have to make something quick and easy)

Wed. 6/10 ~ Tacos

Thurs. 6/11 ~ Yo-yo night

Fri. ~ 6/12 ~ Beef and chicken kabobs on the grill (not sure of the sides yet...will see what looks good at the grocery store)

Menu for 6/1 - 6/7

Well, because we've been so busy and tired with the yard sale I haven't really been cooking. Last night we ordered pizza from Danos, YUMMY! Not sure what we'll be having tonight. Gene and I are both exhausted and after cleaning up later, have to head out to Home Depot...we're playing it by ear yet again. I do have the rest of the week planned out though...so here you go:

Mon. 6/1 ~ Baked ziti, home made garlic bread, salad

Tues. 6/2 ~ Cheeseburger Salad

Wed. 6/3 ~ Grilled chicken, potato salad, veggie

Thurs. 6/4 ~ Flank steak, macaroni salad, veggie

Fri. 6/5 ~ BLTs

Sat. 6/6 ~ Tacos

Sun. 6/7 ~ Stuffed peppers (Gene wanted home made stuffed peppers, but I bought the frozen ones...OOPS I need to find a good recipe, anyone have one they'd like to share?)

Short week of meal planning

Well, We didn't get home until early evening last night (Monday the 25th), so we just had buttered noodles for dinner last night. I just went through the freezer this morning and pulled out some things to use up before going to the grocery store again. It's a short week b/c we are having a yard sale on Friday and Saturday...I doubt I'll want to come in and cook on those days so we'll play it by ear.

Tues. 5/26 ~ Hamburger BBQ w/ crispy battered fries and apple sauce

Wed. 5/27 ~ Roast beef, mashed potatoes, mixed veggies

Thurs. 5/28 ~ Ham, scalloped potatoes, peas

Hopefully I'll get back on track by Sunday...plan a menu and get to the grocery store. I just got a new Taste Of Home in the mail, I can't wait to browse through it's pages and find new recipes to try!

A few recipes

For lunch yesterday I made these yummy mini jalapeno popper pizzas. I first had them at my friend's Pampered Chef show. They were a big hit here in our house, that's for sure!

Jalepeno Popper Pizzas
1pkg thin crust pizza dough (Pillsbury)
5 slices bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled (reserve about tsjp drippings)
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded
5oz softened cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crushed corn chips

Heat oven to 425 degree. Do not unroll pizza dough...cut into 20 - 24 disks. Place on baking sheet. Flatten and seal the seams. Bake for 11 - 13 minutes. In 1 tsp of bacon dirppings, cook peppers for 2 - 3 minutes. Drain. In mixing bowl combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, bacon and peppers. Evenly distribute on tops of mini crusts. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese and crushed corn chips. Bake 4 - 6 minutes, until cheese has melted. *This is a Pampered Chef recipe. I forgot the corn chips when I made these yesterday. OOPS

For dessert last night we had strawberry shortcake. It was so good! The cake that I made (Meme's recipe) is not a very sweet or fluffy cake...it is a great compliment to the very sweet and juicy strawberries (I always slice them at least 8 hours a head of time, sprinkle with sugar and add some watter. Refrigerate. Within a few hours you should have a nice amount of juice! I used a large contained of the berries, about a cup 1/2 of water and ... well not sure how much sugar, that was Kate's department yesterday. We'll go with 1/4 - 1/2 cup???)

Meme Bair's 1 Egg Shortcake

Cream together 1/4 cup Crisco shortening, 2/3 cup sugar and one egg. Add 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 1/2 cup flour. Mix Well. Add 2 tsp baking powder and mix. Slowly mix in 1/2 cup milk. When all is well blended, spread into greased pan. (This is a small cake, maybe a 9 x9, Or 8 x 11 pan). Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 22 minutes (depending on size of pan you use). When done, cake should be slightly golden on top.