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.

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.

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.

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.

Menu Plan December 1-7

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for, don't we? We enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings around our table with some dear friends. And then we spent most of the weekend eating up the leftovers, including some tasty turkey soup!

Now the first week of December is upon us. We look forward to another season of celebrating our Savior's birth! Because He came, we have the hope of heaven and eternal life with Him. I'm doing my best to keep that in my mind instead of shopping and gifts and the busyness of the season.

I'm keeping this week's menu simple to free up some time for reflection on His great love and how I can share it with others throughout the holidays.

So here's what I've got:

Monday
Stromboli, salad

Tuesday
Chili, cheesy biscuit bites

Wednesday
Crispy baked fish and chips

Thursday
Italian meatballs over pasta

Friday
Homemade deep dish pizza

Saturday
Sunday school Christmas party, I'm making hash brown casserole

Sunday
Beef stew, crusty bread

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

Menu Plan November 24-30

Yes, here we are, the last week of November. How in the world have we gotten this far in such a short time? At least it seems to me like this year has been shorter than usual. Time really does fly as you get older, I guess.

Of course, this week is Thanksgiving, so a lot of my time will be spent preparing for that. The turkey is already taken care of - a friend smoked ours in his big smoker. Ahhhh, it's going to be delicious!

I'm making my homemade mac and cheese with pepper jack, sausage stuffing and some cranberry sauce. Friends who are celebrating the holiday with us will be fixing other sides and desserts. It's going to be so much fun!

We will also spend some reflecting on what we have to be thankful for. We are so blessed, aren't we? We have a roof over our heads, food on the table for every meal, and countless other luxuries the rest of the world goes without.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving season and remember to count your blessings, too!

Now, here's what we've got on our menu:

Monday
Baked egg rolls, sesame garlic noodles

Tuesday
Brunswick stew (a friend's recipe), pretzel bread

Wednesday
Beef and potato hash, oven roasted zucchini

Thursday
Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
Thanksgiving leftovers

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

Sunday
Turkey and rice soup in a crockpot

Menu Plan November 17-23

After a cold weekend, it's going to get even colder here in the Deep South. Tuesday's forecast says the high is supposed to be 37 degrees. In November. We usually don't get temperatures like that until January or February, if at all. I'll be making some soup and some other comfort foods to keep us warm!

My brother and his family are going to visit on Saturday and Sunday because we won't have time to get together for Thanksgiving. So Sunday's dinner will be a mini-Thanksgiving feast. We've got a friend who's smoking a turkey for us, and I'll be preparing some other sides in my many crockpots. Should be fun!

Here's what I've got planned:

Monday
Beefy Spanish rice, corn

Tuesday
Oven roasted sausage and potatoes

Wednesday
Jambalaya, cheddar biscuits

Thursday
Beef bourguinon, mashed potatoes

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
Creamy ham and potato soup, crusty bread

Sunday
Smoked turkey, crockpot potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce

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

Homemade Rye Bread

I've always liked rye bread - the crunch of the caraway seeds and the overall tang in the bread.

I've made it my bread machine before, but it always turned out dense. This recipe, however, is lighter and not dense at all. It's not a dark rye loaf. And I really, really like it that way.

We eat this bread along soup or as the base for a good pastrami or BLT sandwich. It's perfectly tangy, too, from the addition of pickle juice! So good!

Here's what you need:

1 cup warm water
2 1/2 teas yeast
1 1/2 TBSP sugar
1/4 cup olive oil or melted butter
1/4 cup dill pickle juice (I just strain it straight from the pickle jar)
2 cups unbleached bread flour (I use King Arthur)
1 cup rye flour
2 TBSP vital wheat gluten
2 TBSP caraway seeds
1 1/2 teas sea salt

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, yeast and sugar.  Allow to stand for about 5 minutes or until puffy.

Stir in the remaining ingredients. Using the dough hook, mix the dough until it's combined but still a little sticky and shaggy looking. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, knead with the dough hook again until smooth, adding a little more flour if necessary. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about an hour.

Punch the dough down and shape into a loaf. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Alternatively, you can shape the dough and put it into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Using a sharp knife, make a slash down the center of the loaf lengthwise. Cover and let rise for another hour.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Brush with melted butter to soften the crust a little.

Here's a closer look so you can see the caraway seeds:

After enjoying this bread, my family never wants to go back to store bought rye bread again!

Menu Plan November 10-16

It seems like our lives are getting busier and busier as the holidays approach, so this is going to be an easy meal week. I've got some casseroles on the menu, as well as some crockpot meals. I'm only trying one new recipe this week, and I hope it's a winner!

So here's what I've got:

Monday
Zucchini casserole, roasted carrots

Tuesday
Chicken cordon bleu casserole, broccoli

Wednesday
Crockpot beef tips with gravy, mashed potatoes

Thursday
Pancakes, bacon and scrambled eggs

Friday
Deep dish pizza

Saturday
Vegetable beef soup, crusty bread

Sunday
Crockpot cowboy casserole, green beans

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

Some Family Photos

Two weeks ago we had our family pictures taken by a former student of mine who is now a photographer. The last time we had pictures done by a professional, the children were small enough to sit on our laps. Yeah, it was time.

 This picture pretty much encapsulates what our family is like. I love it!

Menu Plan November 3-9

We hosted our annual soup party on Saturday and it was a huge success! We sampled 11 different kinds of soup, including chicken gnocchi, chili, broccoli cheese, and chicken enchilada. And the weather was perfect - crisp and cool. We had 38 people in attendance, including kids. We enjoy hosting, but I'm going to lie when I say I'm glad it will be a year before we do it again!

Here's a blurry pic of the soup table:

I thought maybe my family would be souped out, but when I was planning this week's menu, they were all very eager to have more soup. And I'm very happy to prepare it.

Here's what we've got on the menu:

Monday
Spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread

Tuesday
Italian sausage sandwiches, fries

Wednesday
Beef and beef taco casserole

Thursday
Girls Night with friends, hubby and kids will fend for themselves

Friday
Homemade pizza

Saturday
Seafood chowder, rosemary Parmesan bread

Sunday

Roast beef sandwiches, crockpot roasted potatoes

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

Need Help Planning a Disney Trip?

You all know I love, love, love going to Disney World. But I'll be honest, planning a trip to Disney can be hard, especially if it's your first trip. There are so many things you need to think about - when to go, what resort to stay at, where to eat. What exactly are Fast Passes and how do you use them? And of course, everyone wants to get a good deal, right?

Then please, let me direct you to a dear friend of mine who has become a certified Disney travel agent. Her name is Shannon and she loves Disney as much as I do. She knows all the ins and outs of Disney vacations. And she'll be able to get you the best deal on your family fun!

 

Just click on the button above to go to Shannon's website. She can give you a free quote on any Disney vacation - not just Disney World.

I know Shannon personally and can tell you she has the highest integrity and desire to help others. She will look out for you as if you were her own family. If a Disney trip is in your future, let her do the leg work for you. You don't pay her a cent. She gets paid by Disney. 


So why not let Shannon help you plan your family's perfect Disney vacation? Tell her I sent you!

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Creamer

I love pumpkin spice lattes. I don't love paying $5 for one, though. I started using pumpkin spice creamer to achieve the same flavor. Then I began to take a closer look at the ingredients and realized I didn't need to be adding all that stuff to my coffee!

So I've been on a quest to make my own creamer.

I've tried several different recipes and have come to the conclusion that simpler is better. Most recipes for homemade pumpkin spice creamer include pureed pumpkin in the ingredients. After trying several incarnations of said recipes, I've come to the conclusion that the pumpkin itself isn't really needed.

I know, I know. It shocked me too. The pumpkin left a residue in the bottom of my coffee cup, but really didn't impart much flavor. What really adds the yummy pumpkin spice taste is the spice.

So here's a very simple recipe I've come up with that satisfies my craving for a pumpkin spice drink without all the chemical ingredients in store bought creamer.

You'll need:

1 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 - 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, depending on how sweet you like your coffee
1 1/2 teas pumpkin pie spice
1 teas vanilla extract
additional cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for garnish, optional

In a small saucepan, gently warm the heavy cream and milk. You don't want this to boil. Stir in the maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla.

Store in a glass container and keep in the fridge. I use a salad dressing cruet. I just give it a gentle shake before I pour the creamer into my coffee.

Here's one of my favorite coffee mugs:

Front

 

 

 

Back

Can you guess where this mug came from?

Menu Plan October 27-November 2

It was a gorgeous weekend here in the Deep South.

But can you believe the last week of October is here already? Wow! Soon we'll be gearing up for the Christmas season once more. But before all that starts, our family is hosting another soup party!

Whoo hoo! This is one of my favorite events of the years. We invite several families who all bring a pot of soup for everyone to share. We'll have bread and desserts, too. I love being able to sample different kinds of soup. As we get ready for cold weather, it gives me several great ideas for meals I can serve to my own family.

Now on to this week's menu:

Monday
Seafood chowder (a test run)

Tuesday
Greek meatballs, herbed quinoa (didn't get to this last week)

Wednesday
Sausage and veggie calzones, fries

Thursday
Crockpot ravioli, garlic bread

Friday
Pizza

Saturday
Soup Party!

Sunday
Leftovers

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

Menu Plan October 20-26

After a lovely anniversary weekend, this week is going to be busy, busy, busy!

Our church is holding some special meetings through Wednesday, so we'll be at church every evening. On Thursday, a friend from Germany is having a few ladies over for a German food night. I can't wait for that!

Then on Saturday we're getting our family pictures taken. I think the kids were toddlers the last time we had our portraits done. Yeah, it's time to update the family photos!

Now here's what we've got on the menu this week:

Monday
Greek meatballs, herbed quinoa

Tuesday
Chicken meatball soup

Wednesday
Baked egg rolls, garlic sesame noodles

Thursday
German food night!

Friday
Chicken pesto pizza

Saturday
Beef enchilada soup (crockpot)

Sunday
Beef bourguignon, noodles

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

Rustic Mason Jar Craft

I'm not a very crafty person. Most of our home decor I leave up to my husband. He has a great eye for color and design. And I don't.

He also is very detailed and meticulous about things. I'm not. That's why for years he has done all the Christmas present wrapping. He measures the paper out and finds just the right decorative touches to go with it - ribbons, handmade bows, flowers, snowflakes, you name it.

Slight hijack for a funny story: Last Christmas he said he was tired of being the one to wrap all the presents and asked me to do it. I said no problem. All of the presents were wrapped in gift bags - no measuring or planning required. Hubby was appalled! And this year he's back to wrapping the gifts. Heh, heh.

Since I'm not a perfectionist, shabby chic and distressed decor really appeals to me. It's supposed to look a little messy. When I saw this idea for painting mason jars floating around Pinterest, I knew it was something I could do!

Here's what you'll need to make this really easy rustic mason jar:

Quart size mason jar (I used a wide mouth jar)
Acrylic paint in your choice of colors
Foam brush
Sandpaper
Clear spray sealer
Jute string or twine
Flowers, fresh or fake

Wipe the jar clean of any dust. Use the foam brush to apply paint to the jar. Allow to dry completely.

Take the sandpaper and rub off the paint from the raised areas of the jar. Then randomly scrape a little paint from all sides, including the mouth. Spray the sealer all over the jar and allow to dry.

Wrap the jute string or twine around the top of the jar and fill with flowers.

Menu Plan October 13-19

On Friday, the 17th, we will celebrate our 16th wedding anniversary. Charles is taking me to my favorite restaurant, The Olive Tree in Villa Rica, Georgia. It's about 45 minutes from our house, but the wonderful food and atmosphere are worth the drive.

This weekend Charles went camping with a friend. He was gone for two nights, and I missed him greatly. Over the years we've grown together in our marriage and I can honestly say when he's gone, I feel like part of me is missing. I'm so thankful for a godly man who loves me and is such a great partner. My life would be so boring without his sense of humor and thoughtful gestures. God knew what He was doing when He brought us together. Love you, babe!

Now on to this week's menu:

Monday
Grilled Greek chicken, Parmesan couscous

Tuesday
One pot sausage tortellini, rosemary Parmesan bread

Wednesday
Pork adobo (a friend's recipe) over rice

Thursday
Oktoberfest stew, pretzel bread

Friday
Out to eat for our anniversary

Saturday
Pizza rolls

Sunday
Crockpot chicken tacos

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

Rosemary Parmesan Bread

I really like making homemade bread.

I never thought I would say that. I always believed it was too much work. So for many years, I relied on a bread machine to produce homemade loaves. It was convenient and easy to load up some ingredients and let the machine take care of it.

But after hubby got me a stand mixer, I started to experiment with making my own bread. I started off with easy things like pizza crust. Over time, I've expanded my repertoire of bread recipes so that I hardly use a bread machine any more.

This recipe quickly became a family favorite. It pairs so well with Italian meals like pasta and chicken parmesan. It's a great accompaniment to soup as well. Not only does it make a flavorful grilled cheese sandwich, it's wonderful to use for BLT's. And it's great with real butter spread over it.

You can make this a day ahead of time because it stays moist. It takes about 2 hours to make, so give yourself time. It's worth it!

Here's what you need:

1 1/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 TBSP yeast
2 teas sugar
1 TBSP olive oil or melted butter
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teas salt
2 TBSP freshly chopped rosemary or 2 teas dried rosemary
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus a little more
1 TBSP melted butter

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, yeast and sugar. Allow to stand for about 5 minutes until puffy. Add the olive oil, flour,salt and 1 1/2 TBSP of the rosemary. Mix with a dough hook. The dough should come away from the sides of the bowl and form a ball. If it doesn't, sprinkle in a little more flour. Now add the 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese. Continue to mix for about 5 minutes. Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

Punch the dough down and turn onto a floured surface. Shape into a loaf and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover and let rise for another 30 minutes. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle the remaining rosemary over the top, along with some more Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown all over. If there's any butter remaining, brush it over the loaf.

Can you see the flecks of rosemary in the bread? They give the bread such wonderful flavor. And it smells so heavenly while it's baking! My mouth waters just thinking about it.

Menu Plan October 6-12

My favorite month has arrived! I adore October.

I love the changing leaves, the crisp air, the blue skies. Am I the only one who thinks October skies are just bluer than any other month?

I enjoy curling up on the couch under a cozy blanket to watch a movie, sipping some warm apple cider. It's so satisfying to have a yummy soup bubbling away in the crockpot.

Yep, I love October!

This week's menu contains some of our family's favorite recipes, including one of our best loved soups. Here's what I've got planned:

Monday
Chicken parmesan casserole, salad

Tuesday
Baked egg rolls, garlic sesame noodles

Wednesday
Italian sausage sandwiches, fries

Thursday
Crockpot beef tips over rice, green beans

Friday
Homemade pizza

Saturday
Broccoli cheese soup in bread bowls

Sunday
Crockpot lasagna, garlic bread

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