Sunday, December 28, 2014

Menu Plan December 29-January 4

Can you believe this is the last menu plan of the year? Where did 2014 go?

We had a lovely visit with my family in West Virginia, where we experienced unseasonably warm weather. The kids were so disappointed that it didn't snow and they didn't get to ride sleds down Grandma and Papaw's big hill with their cousins.

Speaking of cousins, here's a pic of my parents' 11 grandchildren in addition to one spouse and one great grandchild on the way. Yep, I'm going to be a great aunt! Of course, I am already a GREAT aunt to my nieces and nephews. Now I get the title that goes along with it.
So while we were there, I ate a lot of junk. I mean, a lot. That's part of going to Grandma's, right? But now I'm ready to get back to some healthy meal planning.

Here's what I've got planned:

Monday
Chicken parmesan casserole, garlic bread

Tuesday
Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, homemade fries

Wednesday
Toscano soup, crusty bread

Thursday - Happy New Year!
Smoked turkey, roasted potatoes, pan-fried kale

Friday
Homemade pizza

Saturday
Chicken bacon subs


Sunday
Leftovers

For more meal planning inspiration, visit Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.

Monday, December 15, 2014

Saltine Toffee

Great news!

My oven has been given a second chance at life! The repair guy showed up today and diagnosed the heating element as the problem. He replaced it, adjusted some temperature controls and we were back in business!

I made this easy recipe for saltine toffee to celebrate.

If you're looking for a quick, cheap and easy treat to share this holiday season, look no more. It combines the saltiness of saltine crackers with the sweetness of a toffee layer and chocolate.

And it's so simple. I've made toffee before and had to use a candy thermometer while standing over a hot stove, stirring constantly for what seemed like an eternity. Not with this recipe! You get the buttery goodness of toffee with very little effort.

Okay, so here's what you need:

Saltine crackers (I used a little more than one sleeve of saltines)
2 sticks of butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups chocolate chips
Additional garnishes, like finely chopped nuts or crushed Heath bars, if desired

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with olive oil. Line up the saltine crackers on the sheet without overlapping. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar until combined. Stir until the mixture comes together completely and starts to boil. Pour over the saltines and spread evenly so they are all covered.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. The toffee mixture will be bubbling. Immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips over the toffee. I use a mixture of semisweet and milk chocolate chips.

Return to the oven for a couple of minutes until the chips have softened. With a butter knife, spread the softened chocolate over the toffee layer. Allow to cool, then place in the fridge so it hardens completely.

Once it hardens, flips the toffee over and remove the foil. Break into pieces.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Menu Plan December 15-21

My oven died.

Well, it's not officially dead. But it's not heating properly and I've been unable to use it. Of course, it's the time of year that I used it a LOT. So far I've gotten no Christmas baking done.

Hopefully the repair guy will come tomorrow to diagnose it and see if it can be fixed. We're pretty sure it's not the heating element. We have a double wall oven and both ovens are having issues. We suspect it's the temperature control panel. The oven was installed in 1996 and the parts aren't readily available. We're bracing ourselves for the worst but hoping it's an easy fix.

I didn't realize how much I used my oven until I couldn't use it. No freshly baked bread or cookies. No casseroles. No pizza.

So this week's menu relies heavily on my stove top, which is separate from the wall oven. Here's what I've got planned:

Monday
Pancakes and sausage

Tuesday
Broccoli cheese soup, crackers

Wednesday
Italian sausage sandwiches, chips

Thursday
Steak bites, fried potatoes

Friday
West Virginia pepperoni rolls

Saturday
Mom's house

Sunday
Mom's house

For more meal planning inspiration, visit Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.

Monday, December 8, 2014

Menu Plan December 8-14

The first week of December set records here in the Deep South - for warm temperatures! I'm not complaining, believe me. Warm appeals to me. But it was kinda funny listening to Christmas music in our short sleeves. I'm glad I hadn't put away all the warm weather clothes yet.

We had our first Christmas party of the season with our Sunday school class on Saturday. It was a great time of fellowship and of course, food. Baptists don't get together without bringing tons of food.

We have our annual Christmas Ladies Night Out at church tonight. It's an event we look forward to all year. We collect Christmas cards to donate to the local county jail so inmates can send a card to their families. We also donate books of stamps. After enjoying a lovely Christmas dinner, we exchange presents by drawing numbers and choosing a gift to open. The next person can take the present you've opened or choose another unopened one. It's a great deal of fun!

My favorite part of any of our church Christmas parties is the time we take to share God's blessings from the past year. Often we're so busy throughout the year, we don't always get to share with each other. This season gives us a chance to reflect on God's goodness and mercy as we turn our thoughts toward the gift He gave us in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Again this week, I'm keeping our menu simple. I've got some baking to do which takes up extra time. My oven is acting up, sometimes cooking evenly, sometimes not. And considering that I'm using it more now as I bake and prepare special items for Christmas, it's not an ideal time for this to happen. I'll make the best of it, though.

Here's what I've got planned:

Monday
Ladies Night Out at church, hot dogs for those eating at home

Tuesday
Chicken Parmesan casserole over linguine

Wednesday
Tasty tilapia, pan-fried kale

Thursday
Moroccan beef patties, parmesan couscous

Friday
Homemade pizza rolls

Saturday
Crockpot creamy Italian chicken tomato soup, homemade bread

Sunday
Out for dinner


For more meal planning inspiration, visit Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.