Menu Plan Monday..

What's for supper this week (in no particular order):

Baked Potato Soup(recipe at bottom of page) & buttermilk cornbread

Baked Mac & Cheese, broccoli & cauliflower

Chicken Alfredo, Salad

leftovers

meatloaf,(2 lbs. ground chuck, 1 egg, enough quick oats to hold it together;; I just pour it in & eyeball it!), seasoned salt & pepper, 1/2 c to 1 c.. minced onion, 1 tbsp. minced garlic, 1/2 can Del Monte Traditional Spaghetti Sauce; mix together and shape into loaves. Bake at 350 until meat is done) mashed potatoes, green beans

calzones, salad

Hobo dinners(hamburger patties seasoned with Lawry's seasoned salt & black pepper wrapped in aluminum foil with thinly sliced potatoes & carrots & onion. Bake in a 350 oven for 1 hr.), salad

dessert: Pumpkin Pie & blackberry cobbler (my recipes; I will try to share them later)

Baked Potato Soup

9 baking potatoes
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 cups whole milk
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup bacon bits, divided
4 green onions, chopped
10 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

DIRECTIONS

Prick potatoes with a fork and cook in the microwave, 3 or 4 at a time, and scoop out the flesh (while the others are cooking).
In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook about a minute. Whisk in milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in potatoes, salt, pepper, 1/3 cup bacon bits, 2 tablespoons green onions and most of the cheese. Cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in sour cream and heat through. Serve topped with remaining bacon, onions and cheese.

weekly menu

Monday- tacos, beans, tea

Tuesday- Spaghetti, Mozerella garlic bread, salad, tea

Wednesday- eat out or at church

Thursday- Crockpot BBQ chicken, Corn on the cob, salad, tea

Friday- Pinto Beans, Fried potatoes w/onion, buttermilk cornbread, sweet tea

*Desserts:

Pumpkin Drop Cookies
Pumpkin Bread (trying new recipe)

Ummm....Brownies!!

I made these tonight and just wanted to share my favorite (so far) brownie recipe! It's really easy, too! I think next time I will experiment with some peanut butter or cream cheese or both; that sounds heavenly! =)

The girls are enjoying right now with a glass of cold milk; YUM!!!!

*Edited to add: It's 7:30 pm and bedtime here! It is not 10:46 pm like my computer says!! I don't know what is wrong with the clock on my computer; just wanted you to know that we are not up that late! =)

RECIPES!!!! REALLY GOOD ONES!!!

As I was searching one of my favorite sites today for crock-pot recipes (I am getting ready for Fall), I asked myself if I had shared this amazing link of wonderful recipes with my blogging friends? I don't believe that I ever have! I am so sorry and I will be sure to remedy that today! =)

This site, Razzle Dazzle Recipes, has SO many mouth watering recipes! She now has recipes up for Halloween candies and Fall menu ideas. I LOVE this site because no matter what you want to cook or bake, there is more than likely a good recipe for it! And, every recipe of hers that I have tried, has turned out amazing! =)

So, head on over and spice up your menu with some new recipes! If you need crock pot recipes, it is definitely the place to go!

Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

Love,
Julie

Menu Plan Monday

We are on the countdown to getting ready for the baby so I am trying to be very disciplined and stay on budget with everything! Menu planning will help SO much! Here's the game plan for this week:

Monday-

Breakfast: Monkey Bread with pecans

Lunch: PB&J or Cheese & crackers

Supper: Julie's 15 minute Beef Stroganoff ; Steamed broccoli & cauliflower with Smart Balance; iced tea

Tuesday-

Breakfast: Homemade Granola, milk, fruit

Lunch: PB&J or Grilled Cheese

Supper: Loaded Baked Potatoes (bacon bits, sour cream, butter, leftover steamed broccoli & cauliflower, cheese, salt & pepper)

Wednesday-

Breakfast: Starbuck's Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Lunch: Bacon Egg & Cheese Toaster Sandwiches

Supper: Baked Mac & Cheese, Steamed Veggies

Thursday- dr.'s appointment

Breakfast: Cereal, milk, juice, bananas

Lunch: will probably eat lunch in town

Supper: Asian Beef Wraps(I couldn't get the link to work right so the recipe is listed at the bottom); Salad; jello with fruit

Friday-

Breakfast: Cereal, milk, juice, bananas

Lunch: leftovers

Supper: Ham, Cheesy Potaoes (crockpot), green beans, jello with fruit

Saturday-

Breakfast: Pancakes & Bacon & eggs

Lunch: leftovers

Supper: Chicken & Dressing,(I have the cooked chicken, the broth and bread in the freezer), mashed potatoes, green beans,sweet potatoes, jello with fruit

Sunday-

Breakfast: Bacon Egg & Cheese Toasters

Lunch: Charlie's idea; it's Sunday! =)

Supper: Baked Potato Soup, Sweet Onion Muffins

Dessert of the week: Blackberry Cheese Pie (We LOVE this & have SO many blackberries to use up!)

Asian Beef Wraps

6 spinach tortillas
roast beef thinly sliced
cucumber, thinly sliced into sticks
mayonnaise
1 bag instant rice, cooked
soy sauce
green onions, thinly sliced

Cook the instant rice according to package. Add some soy sauce, about 1 or 2 tbsps, depending on your taste. Add the green onions and mix well.Spread mayonnaise on a tortilla.Top with some of the rice mixture. What I do is score the rice into equal sections so that every wrap has the same amount.Layer 3 slices of roast beef and then some cucumber sticks. Fold burrito style. Repeat with remaining tortillas!

Head over to OrgJunkie for more menu ideas!!

Have a great week!!

Menu Plan Wednesday?

First of all, I know this is Wednesday and I apologize!!! I have been slacking off on the menu planning lately and it is driving me insane so, today I made a menu plan and a grocery list and headed out! (Thanks a billion to my wonderful mother-in-law who watched Claire & Lily for me today and for all of that good watermelon!)

So, here's the plan!

Days are not in any particular order, I will just fix whatever sounds good that day! =)

*5 cheese ravioli with spaghetti sauce, Italian bread & salad

* Pigs in a blanket, corn on the cob, green beans

*Cheesy Crockpot Chicken(recipe below), Rice, Lima Beans, Corn on the cob

* Pepperoni Pizza Wraps, Salad

*Broccoli Rice Quiche, Salad

*Loaded Baked Potatoes, Salad

*Frozen Pizza(dr's appt.), Salad

Desserts: Strawberries, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Grapes (a lot of fruit!) Banana Pudding & Blackberry Cheese Pie!!!

*Cheesy Creamy Crockpot Chicken

4 or 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 block cream cheese, cut into chunks

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 envelope Good Seasons Dry Italian seasoning mix

1 small can of sliced mushrooms,drained

Place chicken in crockpot. Combine cream cheese, soup and 1 can of milk. Stir in Italian seasoning. Pour over chicken. Add mushrooms. Cook on low for 6-8 hrs. (may be done before, just watch it)

Happy Eating!!! =)

Sunday dinner tomorrow

Hot Water Cornbread (you seriously have got to try this) Greens with bacon(and a splash of hot sauce), blackeye peas cooked with bacon &soft fried potatoes with onion. Yeah, a good ol' true Southern Sunday dinner and CHEAP, if you are feeding your family on a budget (who isn't?). My granny used to make this almost every weekend. Or some variation on this meal. This is some serious good food but you don't want to eat like this every day! (All the bacon, you know). =) Give the hot water cornbread a try and serve it with lots of butter! And if you want to make a to die for dessert, try this recipe of my grandmother's! Let me know how you like it! =)

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Dr. update!

Well, I had my appointment with my new Dr. today. She is great! SO nice and very thorough and well informed. Claire loved her, too! I had to have some more blood work done and I have another ultrasound scheduled for August 5th! And we can schedule a 4-D one if we want at that time! =) WOW! We were not expecting to get another peek at this little one before the birth or such a great picture of him so this is pretty awesome! We are very excited! =)

Other than a little nausea today (I think it's the heat and the long car ride) I am feeling pretty good and it was a good dr.'s visit. I am going back in 2 weeks and then it is every week after that. I can not believe that I am this close! Whew, this pregnancy has just really flown by and I am panicking a little bit about everything I have to do! (See, if you know me, you already knew that, haha). But, I do know, of course, that it will all be done in God's perfect time and I am trying to relax and enjoy the baby's kicks. Probably the last ones that I will feel in my womb. =( But, we are definitely not thinking of going for a 4th one! We have already signed the papers and I think I am most definitely through with the pregnant thing (as much as I LOVE my babies).

Anyway, tonight for supper we had amazing Italian sandwiches with this SO GOOD olive salad I bought at the Italian town we were in today (family knows what I am referring to) Oh, they were delicious with the pepperoncini peppers on the side! YUM-YUM!!!! =) I had one of those, a HUGE glass of ICE water and some angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream. Supper was amazing and I am stuffed. For some reason, I guess I thought I should tell you about my delicious supper! Must be the pregnancy thing. =)

Well, it's only 8 pm but the girls are in bed and we are going there too! I am so tired and sleepy and I just want to rest.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!!

Love,
Julie

Crockpot Lasagna

This is an easy recipe that I found on another blog but my computer won't let me link back to it so I am going to post the version I made because I changed a few things! (Like usual, huh?) This is SO good and SO easy and there is no boiling heat in your kitchen from the oven!! Which is nice because currently it is 97 degrees outside with 95% humidity. Wow. Living in the South in the summer is for sure, HOT & HUMID which equals sticky!!! My hair is currently sticking to the back of my neck but it will only get worse when it is 105-110 degrees in August. It will happen. It always does. Anyway, here's the recipe for Lasagna in the crock pot!

Julie's Crock pot Lasagna

2 lbs. ground beef or turkey (I use turkey)
2 good shakes of dried minced onion (about a TBSP)
2 TBSP. Italian seasoning (I use Tone's Spicy Spaghetti from Sam's)
1 box lasagna noodles
2 jars of Spaghetti Sauce (we use Prego or Del Monte) reserve 1/2 cup
2 cans mushrooms, drained (optional)
1 15 oz. container cottage cheese
1 egg
salt & pepper
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 c. water

Place some sauce in bottom of crock pot. Place a few broken up lasagna noodles on top. Brown meat, onions & Italian seasoning in skillet. Drain. Add sauce(except for 1/2 cup) & mushrooms to meat. Place meat sauce on top of lasagna noodles. Mix cheese & egg & salt & pepper in a small bowl. Place a layer on top of meat sauce. Add more broken up lasagna noodles. Continue layering until you end with noodles and reserved 1/2 cup sauce on top. Add 1/3 cup water. Cook on low for 5 hrs.

*If this is not clear just let me know! I tried but it's hard to remember exact measurements! Most of the time I just add a little of this and that. Anyway, hope you enjoy this & maybe it will save you from suffering a heat stroke while cooking for your family!

We usually eat this with a simple salad (we are getting tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers and salad greens out of the garden right now) and tonight I am slicing some fresh cold cantaloupe to eat for dessert!

*Update: Our pool is here!! Charlie is working on getting it set up right now!! I can't wait to go swimming and cool off!!! Drew is running out of room and I am getting very uncomfortable!!

Have a wonderful weekend & a Happy Sunday!!

Love,
Julie

Cravings, I have some!

(This is not my picture! I do NOT like the tablecloth or the blue plate, for some reason I just felt like I had to clarify that! I could not get a good picture of what I really wanted to eat; coconut shrimp & won tons; yummy!)

Chinese Food & Zero Candy Bars !!! DON'T WORRY, I DON'T EAT THEM TOGETHER!!!!!!!YUCK!!!!!!!!!