April's Menu

March 31 - April 6
Sun - Leftovers

Mon - pasta tossed with pesto and steamed veggies - side salad

Tues - chicken and left over pasta with pesto served with side salad

Wed - Fri - out of town

Sat - we got home late afternoon from being out of town so not really up for cooking so made some Egg in a hole for us sprinkled with green onions and cheese. 


April 7 - 13
Sun - creamed chicken over mashed potatoes served with steamed peas 

Mon -  baked pork chops (coated in dijon and then sprinkled with panko), steamed veggies and side salad

Tues -   grilled chicken breasts, risotto, steamed veggies and a side salad

Wed - chili cheese bake* served with green beans and a side salad

Thurs -  left overs

Fri -  late big lunch so didn't have dinner

Sat -  panini with ham, spinach and gouda cheese served with a side salad


April 14 - 20
Sun - Salsbury Steak, mashed potatoes, green beans and a side salad 

Mon -  left overs

Tues -  Cashew Chicken, steamed rice with peas and carrots in it and a side salad

Wed - Sat - out of town (though I did make and bring wraps for Wednesday night's dinner - wraps with grilled chicken, bacon, cheese, spinach, tomato and dijon mustard)


April 21 - 27
Sun - I had been struggling with the stomach flu since Thursday so kept it light - Poached eggs and toast 

Mon - chicken and rice casserole - very mild and easy on stomach.  Served with steamed veggies. 

Tues -  chicken pot pie (made extra chicken the night before so I could make something with it) served with a side salad

Wed -  turkey hoisen meatballs and veggie fried rice 

Thurs - Taco pie* served with steamed veggies and a side salad 

Fri - french bread pizza* and salad (pizza topped with sausage, pepperoni, black olives, peppers and mushrooms)

Sat - breakfast for dinner - pancakes and sausage served with a side of fresh pineapple

April 28 - May 4
Sun - Meatloaf (made from ground turkey and lean ground beef), mac-n-cheese, steamed veggies and a side salad 

Mon -  meatloaf panini, homemade french fries, side salad

Tues -  alfredo with chicken and broccoli served with side salad

Wed -  out for dinner

Thurs -  left overs

Fri -    steak fajitas, easy spanish rice and a side salad

Sat -   tuna melts and a side salad


* = recipes coming soon

We try to eat a salad with every meal. It helps fill up and it gets some greens in us. 

Side Salad =  leafy green salad either a spring mix or just baby spinach with assorted topping I have available: tomatoes, mushrooms, green onion, red or yellow bell pepper, croutons, cheese, sometimes some chopped hard boiled egg

Monthly Menu

March 3 - 9
Sunday - Breakfast for dinner - pancakes and sausage with some grapes on the side
Monday - I had a late afternoon meeting so picked us up take out on the way home
Tuesday - Casserole with ground beef, veggies and topped with biscuits - served with salad
Wednesday - Stir-fry
Thursday -  went to a party so didn't cook
Friday -  big salad with some grilled chicken on it and some homemade croutons
Saturday -  BLT Pasta served with a side salad (recipe to be coming soon)

March 10 -16
Sunday -  Ham and Bean Soup
Monday -  Pork Roast, roasted potatoes, carrots, onions and green beans
Tuesday -  Pork Roast panini  with cheese, sauteed peppers & mushrooms on it - served with salad
Wednesday - scrambled eggs with red peppers, cheese and mushrooms served with hashbrowns, sausage and grapes
Thursday - out of town
Friday -  nachos
Saturday - pork chops - dipped in a mixture of egg and Dijon mustard then coated in panko and Parmesan cheese, served with roasted asparagus

March 17 - 23
Sunday -  Corn Beef Brisket and salad
Monday - Grilled Chicken served with roasted asparagus and a salad
Tuesday - left overs
Wednesday - out of town
Thursday - out of town
Friday -  out of town
Saturday - out of town

March 24 - 30
Sunday - out of town
Monday - Rotisserie chicken, steamed veggies and salad
Tuesday - Smothered Burritos
Wednesday - left overs
Thursday -  Chicken & Stuffing Casserole (recipe coming soon) served with salad
Friday  - Beef and Broccoli served over rice served with salad
Saturday - Chicken Alfredo serving with roasted asparagus and salad


* Salad = leafy green salad either a spring mix or just baby spinach with assorted topping I have available: tomatoes, mushrooms, green onion, red or yellow bell pepper, croutons, cheese, sometimes some chopped hard boiled egg

3 Weeks of Menus

I have been keeping track of my menus a lot better this year. So just sharing my last 3 weeks menu with you.

Feb 3 - Feb 9

Sun -  grilled chicken, baked potato, steamed veggies
Mon -  nachos with all the toppings
Tues - Spaghetti with meat sauce, salad and garlic bread
Wed -  out of town
Thurs - Rotisserie Chicken and salad
Fri - Sloppy Joe Skillet and green beans
Sat - pancakes and sausage served with some pineapple

Feb 10 - Feb 16

Sun -  Pot Roast - with roasted potatoes, carrots and green beans
Mon -  Breakfast for dinner - egg in a hole with sausage
Tues -  Shepherd's Pie and salad (only thing I do different from that recipe is only use 1 1/2 to 2 cups veggies)
Wed - Cashew Chicken
Thurs - Went out to eat for Valentine's Day
Fri - Baked Southwest Egg Rolls - meant to serve with a salad but when the egg rolls came out they looked so good we just started with those and forgot about the salad in the fridge (so had those for lunch the next day)
Sat -  Pitas stuffed with sliced turkey, spinach, tomatoes, cheese served with pickles and potato chips.

Feb 17 - Feb 23

Sun - Philly stuffed peppers* with steamed veggies and salad
Mon - stomboli and salad
Tues - Frittata and salad - have left overs from the philly stuffed peppers and steamed veggies so using it in a frittata
Wed - Grilled chicken breasts and either cauliflower pancakes or a cauliflower potato bake served with a side salad
Thurs - out of town
Fri - out of town
Sat - Cashew Chicken (yes again - just have everything and it is quick after we have been out of town)


* Recipes coming soon!

5 Tips for Saving at the Grocery Store

1. Check market circulars - You can find them online and it will help you plan your menu around what is one sale. Before walking into the store you should know the deals so you can plan properly.

2. Coupons - I will say I am not a huge fan of coupons as often items I buy don't have coupons. But when they do, I use them. I also use swagbucks.com that gives me points every time I use coupons from their website. Those points can can be turned in for gift cards and other items. So I am saving at the grocery store by using the coupons and also saving money through the gift cards I get through swagbucks. Many grocery stores now have digital coupons that they load to a value card which often give you money off things already on sale so make sure to check out your grocery stores website. Not many of my grocery stores double coupons, but one will and so often it can make some items nearly free after using them.

3. Eat First - I know that going to the store when I am hungry always seems to make me buy things that weren't on my list. Something always seems to catch my eye that will make my grocery bill go higher.

4. Skip Convenience Items - pre-packaged cake mixes, salad, meatballs or other items that I can put together and make using whole ingredients for less cost. I will have to say that even though they cost less - sometimes my time is needed elsewhere and so buying prepackaged salad or other items can be worth it to me in the long run. But most of the time I do buy the ingredients and make it myself.

5. Plan & Make a List - By looking at circulars, in my pantry, using the other grocery saving tips to plan my menus or at least know what I need to keep the pantry stocked for many of the standard meals cooked - I can keep to my list. Sticking to that list helps save money.

Menu planning for a week of family

My holidays mean I'll be having lots of extra visitors in the house during the week of Christmas to New Years. Specifically, in our case, we'll have a future mother-in-law, three tweens, and several out of town guests staying with us. For me, hostessing will not only mean keeping the house clean, laundry caught up and having several evenings where we host game nights or holiday events, but managing all the meals-- and this is during my "vacation". No small feat.

So I've started to plan out meals, taking into consideration any dietary restrictions and allergies as well as family traditions. I also started to make ahead a few things so I can whip them out of the freezer and into the oven while entertaining guests without spending hours in the kitchen.

Why plan ahead? It allows me to make sure we're eating healthy, balanced meals even in the midst of the holidays. It keeps me from being on autopilot and serving chicken for four days straight. And it helps to eliminate last minute runs to the grocery for forgotten ingredients for spur of the moment dinners. I even plan how to use the leftovers creatively so it's not just a case of "last night's dinner... warmed up". Best of all, it saves money and time.

Getting started:

• I use spreadsheets. :) The first page has a week's worth of days, broken down into meals (even breakfast) and allowing for afternoon snacks and a dessert. I insert direct links to recipes if I plan on using one specific one. The second page is the grocery list that will be generated from the meal plan.
• I check the pantry, fridge and deep freeze inventory first. If there's anything I already have on hand that I want to use, I populate the spreadsheet accordingly. I don't want to buy anything I already have on hand... especially during the holidays.
• I check my grocery ads to see if there's any specials I want to take into account when selecting recipes.
• I plan on buying once, using twice. If hamburger's on bulk sale, I may make half of the ground meat into tacos one night and save the rest for slow cooker sloppy joes, but brown up all the meat at once and THEN divvying it up into the two batches for separate meals. Leftover roasted chicken can be shredded for a tortilla soup for later in the week, or a quick chicken salad with pita chips... so I tend to roast extra because I already have uses for the leftovers in mind.
• Look for common ingredients in different recipes so you can buy once for multiple dishes.
• I also plan out my hors d'oevres when having people over to be sure I'm not missing anything.
• I pull out my tried and true recipes, but usually add in one or two new ones to keep it interesting for me. Pinterest is a good resource. So is epicurious. If they are available, I always read the reviews to see if there's something to account for it making the recipe (did the majority of the people complain about not enough seasoning? Is the cooking time off?)

Getting into it:

• I make ahead casseroles the week or two before, double up the recipe and freeze the extras into smaller portions so that it's a great side to pull out and just stick in the oven. Rice broccoli casserole freezes well. Baked mac and cheese does as well. You can also freeze twice baked potatoes. That way, all I need to do is roast up some meat, toss together a quick salad or steam up a bag of veggies and I'm all set. My prep work has been halved... and so has my cleanup.
• Fresh herbs brighten and refresh frozen dishes you prepared in advance. Frozen lasagna? Chop up fresh basil and parsley to sprinkle onto it before serving.
• My recipes for banana bread and pumpkin breads always seem to make two loaves, so I wrap them up well and freeze them. Same with muffins. I defrost the day before for a quick breakfast- I usually have some yogurt, fresh juice and fruit to complement the breads and they can help themselves to breakfast while I am sleeping in :)
• I cook what I can for Christmas dinner in advance so that the actual work on that day is minimal. I want to be refreshed and focused on family.
• I have quick standbys in case things don't work out. I tend to grill up extra chicken breasts for my own salads so I always have extra on hand. In my case, it's salad with grilled chicken and the always present frozen bags of steamable veggies. I also have homemade soups frozen in smaller batches on hand for a quick meal of salad, soup, and crusty bread.

Simple Desserts:

• I have a homemade pound cake in the freezer, waiting to be defrosted. My menu plan gives me the head's up when to defrost it so that it's thawed for the next day's dessert. Fresh berries and whipped cream are a quick complement.
• Each time I made Christmas cookies, I held back a dozen or so of each recipe to freeze in small balls with cooking instructions Sharpied onto the ziplock bag. I can bake as many or as few as I want- straight out of the freezer and onto the baking pan, and have a variety of fresh cookies made by the time I've made the eggnog or hot cider.
• I also keep vanilla ice cream and a 2 liter of root beer on hand for rootbeer floats (possibly one of the simplest treats out there).

30 Minute Meals - March Question Month

Jan asked, "I would like to know what is your go to dishes that you can make in 30 minutes for dinner? I have a full-time job, kids, serving Master and I just need some quick go to dinners."

I think a big part of being able to make wonderful dinners in a short period of time is in the planning. Once per month I try and purchase items in bulk and do as much prep ahead as I can. I always try to keep cooked ground beef in the freezer so that I can add that quickly into sauces, soups, pastas, tacos, or whatever other areas I might use ground beef (or turkey or chicken). I also try to keep diced peppers & onions on hand (both in the refrigerator and freezer). This helps for less prep work during the week. I also clean and cut up all fruits that need prepping when I purchase them, so that they are on hand for whenever I want to add them to a dinner or provide a healthy snack for my kids.

I also am a big believer in utilizing my crockpot and rice cooker. Nothing more wonderful than popping something into the crock pot and then only having to add a salad or side dish to call it a complete meal at the end of the day.

My quick go to meals during the week (when I would need a 30 minute meal the most) are:

1. Chicken Ceasar salad. You can grill up extra chicken ahead of time when making it for another dinner and set it aside for one of those busy week night meals. Then just add it to the salad, toss dressing in, and go. Dinner is ready in about five minutes flat. For those who aren't calorie counters, it's nice to pair this with some fresh bread & honey butter.

2. Cheeseburger Pie. (my kids love this one, as does Himself).
1lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef ( I prefer to use either 93% lean beef, or turkey for this one). I also usually use one of the packets I have already browned and crumbled in the freezer. Just defrost and use.

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz) (we like extra sharp cheddar but any will do)
1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix ( I use the reduced fax bisquick)
1 cup milk (I use fat free milk)
2 eggs

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.
2. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in salt. Spread in pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese.
3. In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients with fork or wire whisk until blended. Pour into pie plate.
4. Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

I serve this with a side of steamed vegetables (such as broccoli or cauliflower) and a side salad. You could also serve it with french fries or another potato type.

Also if you are using the precooked beef, then just sauté the onion in a pan, add beef at the last two minutes, and drain. then add to pie dish.

Pork Roast (crockpot cooking)
Cut up sweet potatoes into quarters (I use one potato per person who will be eating). Place these on the bottom of your crockpot. Place a pork roast on top of the potatoes. Next layer in a bag of mini carrots on top. Add one can of whole berry cranberry sauce on top. Cover and cook in crockpot for 8 to 10 hours on low heat. Before serving, you can either slice up the roast and serve in slices, or you can pull the pork and mix with BBQ sauce for pulled pork sandwiches.

I serve this with a green vegetable and a side salad.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza
For a quick homemade pizza, this one is super easy. I use pizza crust that I usually have on hand in the freezer (but you can also use pillsbury pizza crust in a pinch). Use chicken that you have cooked earlier in the week for another meal such as a roast chicken (I always try to cook once to eat twice to save time). Take the precooked chicken and dice it up (or pull it into pieces). Mix with ranch dressing and hot sauce (Use however much hot sauce you like -- we like it spicy). Spread a thin layer of cream cheese onto pizza crust. Top with chicken mixture, cover with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until chicken is heated through and cheese is melted.

Serve with celery & carrot sticks (my kids love these) or a side salad.
Simple, easy, and filling.

You can make a lighter version of this by using reduced fat cheese, fat free cream cheese, and reduced fat or fat free ranch dressing.

I also love Rachel Ray's 30 minute meal cookbooks. I think I have 3 or 4 of them. She has some great meal ideas and its fun to try new things.

But for me the biggest time saver is always in cooking once and eating twice, or prepping in bulk.

enjoy!

March Question Month: 30 Minute Meals

Jan asked, "I would like to know what is your go to dishes that you can make in 30 minutes for dinner? I have a full-time job, kids, serving Master and I just need some quick go to dinners."


I don't have kids but it seems lately I have so much is on my plate that those quick meals are my mainstay. I would say half of my go-to quick dinners are  prepped-ahead and half is just pulling from the pantry right in he moment.

Prep and Make Ahead

I have been trying to do some more make ahead meals so that I can take them from the freezer the night before so they are thaw and ready to pop in the oven for dinner.  No prep often allows me the luxury of 30 to 40 mins baking.  I usually do cooking for 2 to 3 meals on one day for the make-ahead type meals.  Or try to make a double batch of something so we can eat one and freeze the other.

When I come home from shopping, I also like to try to prep a little so that helps me save time in the long run. Such as if I get big family size package of hamburger - 3 to 5 lbs then I brown some of it right away to use in a casserole or tacos (I often brown burger in the microwave), or bake meatballs, or make hamburger patties. Freeze them so I can pull it out and use without much prep.  Sometimes even defrosting in the microwave to use in minutes.  Boneless skinless chicken breasts are another thing I prep at times - I put what I would need for a meal in ziplock and cover it with a marinade and then freeze. I take them out the night before I plan on using and let them marinade while defrosting. I also bake or grill up a few, chop and add to a labeled ziplock so I can use for chicken tacos , on baked potatoes, in soup, or added to a pasta.

I am going to also share that I have a cheat that makes no matter what I make - look like a real meal.  I can serve a salad or soup from a can but because I often make homemade bread with it - it looks like a nicer meal even though it was quick and easy. I use Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  It is making up a big batch of dough and then using just some of the dough to make a loaf of bread.  It does usually take more then 5 minutes as it doesn't add in the rise time. But it still is fairly quick with little work.

I also use my crockpot a lot so that things can be added in the morning and done for dinner.  I know a lot of time crockpot produces a liquid but I always make sure I add some to begin with too - just so it won't be dry by the end of the day.

Quick and Easy Dinner on the spot

When I need a meal that is going to be quick and easy, I use the microwave and grill.

Such as I want roasted potatoes but normally that would take 40 minutes to an hour to roast in the oven. I chop the potatoes and place in a bowl with some water and microwave so that I am boiling them. I then drain the water, toss with some olive oil and seasonings to add to the oven.

Or I boil sliced potatoes in the microwave to use in a frittata. I do layers of potatoes, veggies and sometimes bacon or ham. I mix up some eggs and pour it over top and bake it.

I microwave baked potatoes too - to help speed up baking time.  I wash them, pierce several times with a fork, wrap in a paper towel and  microwave for 4 to 7 minutes - depending on size of potatoes. After I have microwaved then I bake them for just a bit. I coat them with some olive oil and sea salt, wrap in tinfoil and bake for 15 to 20 mins in the oven.

I steam most veggies in the microwave.  I use frozen veggies often - easy to keep in the freezer and use for meals.

My easiest meals:
* Grilled chicken breasts, baked potatoes, steamed veggies.  Frozen chicken breasts can be thawed in the microwave in minutes.  While thawing those, I prep my potatoes.  After they are thawed, I might marinade for 10 mins while my potatoes or in the microwave. I get the grill warming up.  Then after the potatoes are in the oven, I put the chicken breasts on the grill and add veggies to steam in the microwave.

* Really meat, potato and veggie is my go to easiest meal - I grill burgers, steak,  porkchops or chicken breasts and add a potato and veggies and we have a meal.

* Burritos, nachos or tacos - I either use some ground beef or turkey already browned and ready to go in the freezer or I brown some in a pan or in the microwave.  I drain the meat after browned and then add a can of tomatoes with chili (such as Rotel), heat a can of refried beans up, get cheese and sour cream out and any other fixings .

* Pasta -

• Spaghetti and Meatballs - I usually bake up meatballs ahead of time so I can pull from the freezer to use.  But even making meatballs and baking them in the moment doesn't take too long.  Boil pasta, add meatballs and toss it all with sauce - heat through. If you want some veggies do a side of steamed veggies or add a side salad. 
• Pasta, chicken and pesto - Chicken even if it is not cooked ahead - grill it, chop it up and mix with cooked pasta and then toss it all with pesto. Heat it all through in minutes on the stovetop.   Add in some steamed veggies in with it or as a side.  
• Pasta, white beans, seasoned diced tomatoes - Cook the pasta, drain and then tossed with a can of white beans that are drained and rinsed, a can of seasoned diced tomatoes (such as the Italian or basil and garlic) - heat through and then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. It has good flavor and is quick. Add in some steamed veggies in with it or as a side.  
• Italian sausages, pasta and sauce  - I microwave Italian sausage to get them cooked through and then toss on the grill for a few minutes or pan fry so the outside browned,  keep whole or slice them and toss with some pasta and sauce or just a can of diced tomatoes. Add in some steamed veggies in with it or as a side.  

* Salads - making a big thing of salad up and using it for lunches and as a side dish for dinner but I also do them for dinner as the main entree. I add some grilled chicken to salad and serve with some bread - it is dinner.

* Variations of Grilled Cheese - I do grilled cheese with sloppy joe mixture, taco mixture, sliced turkey breast from the deli, apples or pears,  or sauteed veggies - adding in any cheese I have on hand - basically taking what I have available in my fridge and making it into a grilled cheese.  On the same note - sloppy joes or taco joes - ground meat on a burger with any topping you desire.

* Breakfast for dinner - eggs, sausage and toast, scrambled eggs with veggies and/or ham, or pancakes and sausage. I add some fruit and that is dinner. We like breakfast for dinner.

*  I do a variation of Martha Stewart's Cheesy Hash Brown Bake. Instead of making chili - I just take 2 cans of chili beans. Those are the kind of beans that have chili sauce in them so they are seasoned and ready to add to chili.  I add browned ground beef to it and mix up so incorporated well pour into a 9 x 13 pan. I don't do the individual pans. I sprinkle cheese on top of the chili mixture and then add the hash browns. I have used frozen hash browns before and they just don't brown up as well but still are cooked and taste good with the chili that is cheesy and bubbling underneath.

* Sloppy Joe Skillet -  Empty contents of one box of cornbread stuffing in a bowl and add 1 2/3 cups hot water. Mix until just moistened and set aside. Brown 1 lb. ground beef, add 1 to 1 1/2 cups veggies (such as chopped mixed bell peppers, sliced mushroom and chopped onions)  and when they are getting soft and the onions translucent.  Add a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce, a small can of tomato paste, 3/4 cup water, 1 can of  diced tomatoes (don't drain add the liquid in the skillet too) - simmer for about 5 mins until mixture is well incorporated and thick. Then add the stuffing on the top of the mixture and simmer for 3 more minutes covered.  Serve.  I serve with a side salad or steamed broccoli or cauliflower.  This a variation of Kraft's Sloppy Joe Skillet.

I am stopping there but those are on my list of go-to quick dinners. I need them when are so busy with work and I also a chronic illness that makes it at times impossible for me to think about what am I going to make for dinner so going to this list of things - is the best option for me.

30 Minute Meals - March Question Month

Jan asked, "I would like to know what is your go to dishes that you can make in 30 minutes for dinner? I have a full-time job, kids, serving Master and I just need some quick go to dinners."

I imagine some of the other writers will chip in here too, but here are my ideas and philosophies for quick meals.

First, I believe as a general rule we make food way more complicated than it needs to be most of the time.  I like a big production of a meal when time allows but for everyday: simple, healthy, and fast is the way I prefer.

If you have a crock pot / slow cooker.  Find some recipes your family loves and use that thing to death.  I make lots of soups and roasts in mine and love coming home to a house that smells like yummy food when I've done hardly any work.

With that being said here are our favorite meals:

Chicken Taco Salads: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Saute cubed chicken breasts sauteed with onions and green peppers.  Add some water and taco seasoning, letting the water evaporate and leaving you with seasoned chicken meat.  Cut corn tortillas into wedges and spread onto a baking sheet, spray the wedges with olive oil or cooking spray.  Cook in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes until crisp and just starting to brown.  Divide the tortilla wedges among your plates, top with seasoned chicken meat, lettuce, salsa, cheese, sour cream, etc.  Alternatively you could just use store-bought tortilla chips instead of baking the corn tortillas. You could also add some reheated black or pinto beans to the salads to bulk it up more.

Pan Fried Meat & Roasted Asparagus: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Trim rough ends from asparagus and spread out onto a cookie sheet.  Drizzle the asparagus spears with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Using your hands coat the spears with the oil.  Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 minutes, until tender.  While the asparagus roasts cook up some pork chops, steaks, or chicken breasts in a pan over high heat.  Simple, healthy, and filling.

Bean & Cheese Quesadillas: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a bowl mix together a can (or two depending on how many you're serving) of refried beans with some salsa - just enough to get it all moving together.  On a baking sheet place a few flour tortillas, spread each tortilla with a layer of the bean and salsa mixture, sprinkle some shredded cheese on top of that.  Top with another flour tortilla and bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until tortillas is browning and cheese is melted.  Serve with more salsa, sour cream, cheese, etc.  Add a salad and you have a quick and filling meal.

Hope that helps and gives you a few ideas!

Friday Favorites

Weekly Menus - it not only is weekly menus, but shopping list and recipes to go with the menus
Fast Customer - This is only available for United States and Canada - no more waiting on hold for Customer Service...this app will connect you to customer service reps without waiting on the line. I am not sure if it is available for anything other then iPhone but felt it was too good to not post.
Southwest Turkey Meatballs with Cilantro Dipping Sauce
Decals on Canisters - step by step instructions on how to make them and apply them and even make the decals dishwasher safe.
Couponing for Beginners - from Frugal Girls - they have a coupon database on their website.

Apps to Help your Domestic Service

We are geeks in this household so we utilize our smartphone and iPad to help with day to day life . 

All the apps are either linked to their website which has a link to the app or the iTunes store.  But please google the name if you want to see it has an app for other devices such as Blackberry or Android.  We use a AppAdvice to get most of our apps for free (this is geared to iPhone and iPad but again google for name of app for use on other devices.) Things that normally charge will do free for limited time so please bookmark this site as a resources to find apps.  They also have an AppAdvice app - which is how we actually use/read it and I find it is worth price. But view the website not just the above link but the whole website for a while and see what you think.   

Productivity
For a to-do list/task list organizer - Toodledo - it is a great tool. It has customizable alarms, you can set priority levels on them and break the projects down into tasks, you can share with others, it has folders, tags, contexts, subtasks and more to organize, search and sort through your tasks. It also syncs with Google calendar and gmail. 

Reference
Skygrid - basically really powerful newsfeed. If you are needing to find something out on the web and having problems, put that topic in and it will take some time - usually a day and start pulling in everything it finds on the topic. It is really good to if you don't have time right now but let it pull stuff in and then when you are sitting in a doctors office or have 10 mins you can browse through the things it found on the topic you were needing.

Dropbox - sharing files anywhere. It has been an amazing tool for us for business but we use it when we sit just with a wall between Master and my office because it is so easy to use it for sharing files. You just drop and drag to a folder that is on your computer and it will upload it to be shared with those you specify.  There is a little pop-up notification on the toolbox when someone has shared something with me. You then will also be able to access it anywhere because it is saved up in the cloud. So I can save a list of household needs and measurements and when out and about, I can access it.

Evernote - Take a note of anything. I like it because I can save websites, news articles and things I know might not be there at some point but evernote will save it for me forever as long as I want it. I can then access it anywhere. So if I read a great article online about wine, I save to evernote and when shopping for wine pull it up up on evernote.

HowCast - videos on How-To.  How to do almost anything.


Free Wi-Fi Finder - just what says

Remember that many magazines will give you issues via their app for free if you have a (paper) subscription to them. I have Martha Stewart's Living and Everyday Food and love the issues on the apps as they have extras like videos or more photos.  It is nice to read the recipe right on the iPad instead of trying to keep my magazine open on the counter or ripping it out.

Saving Money
Gasbuddy.com has an app that we use all the time to find the cheapest gas. The other night Master saved 14 cents a gallon not traveling very far down the road to get it either.

The Coupon App- pretty much says it in the title what it is huh? :)

Barcode Scanner - it is for the Andriod but Gizmodo has a list of barcode scanners for other devices too. You can scan barcodes or data matrixs and then the app will find you the lowest price. 


Menu Planning/Shopping Lists
PepperPlate.com - Not only a great website but has an app too so you can access everything you have on PepperPlate.com.  Pepper Plate has a place to store recipes easily from their recommended sites as well as other sites. You can create shopping lists, menus and it also has a planner.  From the home page - it looks like the app allows you to set timers and has a feature so your iPad won't dim when you are using to read a recipe while cooking.   I have been only using it for a couple weeks but love everything I have used it for so far - and just love the interface.

GroceryIQ & NutritionIQ  - Grocery IQ is a great app for creating shopping lists. You can have multiple stores, add details such as size, price and quantity, organize by aisle, has barcode scanning and predictive searches, print or email coupons and it can share with multiple devices and syncs the lists to them so if maybe you went shopping that day and then later one after work another member of your household stops by grocery store and they will be able to see an updated list.  Nutrition IQ isn't as powerful as Grocery IQ but gives you categories of food - nutritious foods and you can click on a category such as fiber and it will list all nutritious foods with fiber. You can then add them to a shopping list and it has the ability to check them off as you shop just as Grocery IQ does. 

Around the House
Handyman App - it is from the magazine The Family Handyman.  It has some old issues to flip through on it but if you want current issues you have to pay for them. The old issues they have available are full of great information though. You can read the forums and blog on the app too.  The forums are full of problems and solutions.

Good Housekeeping @ Home - has stain buster, do-it-all cleaning tips, home decor gallery and news & tips.

ColorSmart by Behr - it has a feature if you use with iPad2 or phones with cameras - where you can take a photo of your room and then upload it  so that change the paint  so you can see how it would look. ColorSnap is the Sherwin-Williams app that is like Behr. SnapShop is a similar app but for furniture. 

Houzz - is basically for inspiration when I want to redecorate or when I start thinking of our dream home and want more ideas. But it is just a gallery of photos that you can save and make notes on each photo for future reference or also upload photos you find inspiring. I think this app is only for iPhone or iPad.


Flashlight - I admit it - I have used the iPad for a flashlight before trying to find my way around in the dark. It casts off more light then the little maglite I have in the junk drawer. 

Recipes
I use the Epicurious app quite a bit when needing a recipe or have an ingredient I want to use - I can a search there.

Soup Master - I got this app for free but it has so many recipes that I do feel it is probably worth the $1.99. It will list like 5 chicken noodle recipes but all are a little bit different.  But the variety of recipes is beyond what I could ever think of for soup.

Whole Food Recipes -  It has categories such as bugget, quick and easy, cooking with kids, you can target special diet needs such as gluten-free, diary-free, lowfat, vegetarian/vegan and so on,  and you can also search by ingredient, build a shopping list from the recipes. 

All Recipes - they have a free version and a paid/pro version that doesn't have ads and has just a few more features. I use the free version and have liked it just fine.   But I can see the paid version might have some benefits if you use All Recipes quite a bit.  Because it will access your recipe box, allow you to create shopping lists from the recipes and just a few more features that you can't get with the free version. But the free version allows you access to all the recipes, doing search by 1 ingredient or up to 8, by nutrition or name. It also allows you to bookmark favorites on the app. 

Big Oven - can search 170,000+ recipes, add recipes to grocery lists, and automatically synchronize those grocery lists, search by ingredient

Pocket Cocktails and Cocktails HD - It is an app for iPhone/iPad. It has recipes for cocktails. They now have their Christmas cocktail section up right now and during Halloween they had some really good cocktails that were great way to celebrate the holiday.  They have a full screen photo for every drink, search by drink name or an ingredient.  Also includes a Pocket Sommelier.  There is a list of tips and tricks such as how to coat a rim of a glass, how to make layer drinks, zest fruit and so on. Even though I have an iPad I use Pocket Cocktails as Cocktails HD hadn't come out when I first got Pocket Cocktails. They are both 99 cents so not bad for all recipes and information it gives you.

Green
Good Guide -  find health, environmental and social performance ratings for 120,000 food, personal care and household products,  has barcode scanning built in to retrieve product ratings while you shop, you can personalize by selecting issues you care the most about such as is a product tested on animals if that is a top priority for you - you can select that to make sure it tells you how that product rates in that area. It also allows you to create shopping lists. 

Locavore - find local, in-season food, seasonal recipes, nearby farmers' markets & farms that sell the products you enjoy. 


iRecycle - tells you how, where and when to recycle just about anything by inputting your location and also shares new with tips and ways to make green changes to your life.  Another app that I think is similar is My Recycle List.

Part 2 of this will be apps that I haven't used but heard good things about and a few other resource lists for finding applications. 

5 Menu Planning Tips

Luna of Submissive Guide is doing a month of Domestic Service posts. She asked me to participate in it. And I was thrilled to be able to provide 2 posts. One was on menu planning which she posted last week and the other is a recipe that will be posted soon. But I did want to follow up with a few more menu planning tips.


1. No need to be extravagant - I remember when I first started meal planning and was looking through cookbooks and recipes online. I had big dreams of making wonderful meals every night. But one, our budget can't handle that and two, I can't handle that. I don't have the time to always cook a big meal. So sometimes grilled cheese and soup is good.

2. Theme Nights - Friday nights here is pizza or hamburgers and fries. Basically homemade junk food. Sunday often is a meat and potatoes meal or soup so that we can eat it for lunch during the week. Wednesday we usually have several appointments so it is left overs or something from the crockpot. I want to start doing Monday's as meatless nights. But think about what your family likes and make it a theme - Mexican, sandwiches, stir fry, breakfast for dinner, soup and salad or whatever theme you want.

3. Go-to-Recipes - spaghetti and meatballs, tacos, tuna casserole, pizza, goulash, chicken noodle soup, meatloaf and so on. They are your go-to-recipes because they are things you can make with your eyes closed so use them. No doubt the people in your household love them - so make your life easy and use those meals in your menus.

4. Repeat - When making a month menu, having spaghetti twice in one month isn't a big deal. Have your go to meals that you repeat a couple times a month. If you do repeat, think about making a double batch and freezing so that you don't have to cook down the road.

5. Use the Web - use google calendar, the resources I listed in the essay I wrote for Luna's site, recipes online, delicious to bookmark and keep things organized. It just cuts down losing paper menus, recipes and such when everything is organized online.

Cooking Ahead

This is a guest blog post by my friend Rheya who works a very busy schedule so does a lot of cooking ahead. Whenever she talked about, I am always intrigued with the idea so I asked her to write about it for us.

While I would love to be a stay-at-home domestic, the truth is most days I love my job. To me, my job is just another form of service, not only to my Master, but to my community. Most evenings, when I arrive home I am tired and not wanting to think of what I will need to put together a tasty dinner.

So I rely on either meals I’ve cooked ahead and frozen or my trusty crock-pot for dinner during my work week.

By cooking ahead, I can also lower my weekly grocery bill on a weekly basis, thereby allowing room to stock up on basics that I will need for upcoming marathon cooking sessions and taking advantage of sales and coupons.

Before starting a marathon cooking session, I take stock of what I have. That way as I’m making my grocery list, I can make sure I don’t over buy. I try to plan the meals based on a few simple rules:

What freezes well? Generally stews, chilis, raw meat in marinades, casseroles, and things in sauces freeze best.
What does Sir like? Generally, the more simple the better.
What do I have on hand? Lots of canned tomatoes? Is the garden in bloom? Do I have an abundance of cream of mushroom soup?
What are the stores having specials on? Is my local grocery store having a special on ground beef? What about the bulk food club I belong to?

After that I make a list and I go first to the bulk food club. Generally there I stock up on meats, dairy, canned and frozen veggies and dry pasta I may need for the cooking session. Then I go to my local grocery store and pick up other items. One other place I check is my local drug stores if I know they are having a sale on Campbell’s Condensed Soups.

Now that you’ve got all the supplies, start early on a morning and get cooking. First thing I do is get out utensils I may need including my industrial sized cutting board. I tend to chop up a bunch of onion first, then carrots and celery or whatever veggies I have. Make sure phyllo, puff pastry or frozen veggies has been moved to the refrigerator thaw, de-skin the chicken or turkey if needed.

I find that I’m most organized when I can start one pot simmering (such as spaghetti sauce), one pot or skillet stir-frying or sautéing (chili, peppercorn chicken) and something baking in the oven (herb chicken legs). During breaks I put together marinades for raw meat that will freeze in the marinade.

Once everything is cooked, I prep it for freezing. If it is a casserole, it goes in its pan covered in foil into the refrigerator with a label that says what it is and when it was made. Sauces and chilis and I tend to bag in freezer bags. The best way to get things neatly into a bag, I’ve found is by taking a small mixing bowl and draping the bag over the edge of the bowl, lining the bowl with the bag and then scooping the sauce and the chili in.

Everything should be cooled to room temperature and sealed tightly before putting it into the freezer. I take things out the night before to thaw in the refrigerator.

I also make a list of what I’ve cooked indicating how many pre-packaged servings I have and check it off as I go so I know what’s left.

And now for a recipe!

Peppercorn Chicken (makes 4 servings, can easily be doubled, tripled, etc)

1 lb Chicken Tenders
2 Tbsp Cooking Sherry
1 Cup Milk
1 Package Brown Gravy Mix
½ Tsp Ground Peppercorns (I used a mix of black, white, pink and green)

Preheat pan on medium; coat with cooking spray. Cook chicken until brown. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook 2-3 minutes stirring frequently or until sauce thickens.

Store in a gallon-sized freeze bag, label with date and cool to room temperature, make sure all air is squeezed out before sealing and store in deep freeze.

Menu

Happy New Year! I don't like to make resolutions but I do usually have a few goals for the new year and this year...I am hoping to change up my menus more this year. I have a folder that it stuffed full of "want to try" recipes and never seem to get around to it. So this year my aim is try a new recipe a month. If I try more, great! But I don't want to set myself up to do one a week and then not get around to them. So once a month should be do-able goal.

But in the meantime here is 2 weeks of menus....

Last week's menu....
Sun -nachos
Mon - spaghetti and Italian sausages with homemade tomato sauce, salad and bread sticks
Tues - frittata (potatoes, veggies and cheese) and baked apples
Wed - left overs
Thurs - grilled cheese and tomato soup
Fri - ham, creamed potatoes, green beans
Sat - ham sandwich, potato chips, pickles

This week's....
Sun - baked pork chops sprinkled with seasonings, fettuccine noodles tossed with fat-free half and half and chopped spinach and Parmesan cheese and ground pepper, steamed California veggies lemon squeezed on it and sprinkled with ground pepper
Mon - sloppy joe skillet and mixed veggies
Tues - baked potatoes loaded with veggies and cheese
Wed - patty melts and salad
Thurs - omelets and biscuits
Fri - shredded pork in the crockpot with Rotel and pinto beans - serving on tortillas with toppings
Sat - grilled chicken breasts, risotto and peas

Menu x3

I have posted menus in a while so here is 3 weeks worth of menus.

10/12 Monday - Italian sausages, peppers, onions buns served with salad

Tuesday - pork roast with roasted veggies

Wednesday - cashew chicken over rice with stir-fry veggies

Thursday - baked potatoes with veggies, cheese and bacon on them

Friday - penne tossed with pesto, diced tomatoes and chicken

Saturday - left overs

10/18 Sunday - homemade pizza - veggie and pepperoni - salad and wine

10/ 19 Monday - chicken and black bean tacos

Tuesday - turkey tomato pesto paninis and oven fries

Wednesday - left overs

Thursday - pork chops sauteed in balsamic, served with wild rice and green beans

Friday - out to eat

Saturday -frittata (potatoes, eggs and veggies) served with salad with balsamic vinegar dressing

10/25 Sunday - spaghetti and homemade meatballs served with salad and garlic toast

10/26 Monday - left overs

Tuesday - chili and homemade cornbread

Wednesday - chili cheese burritos and spanish rice

Thursday - pancakes and sausage with fruit

Friday - going to a party

Saturday - going out of town

11/1 Sunday - grilled cheese and homemade soup (not sure what kind yet but maybe beef barely)

What can I do with five bucks?

A link given to me by a friend. There's an entire list of meal ideas for under five dollars.

$5.00 Dinners

I can't wait to explore this one!

Newsletters

I am signed up for quite a few email newsletters so I thought I would share them all with you. I like opening them up scanning to see if anything jumps out at me. And then I save them in a folder in my mailbox if I like something or if it really inspires me for the moment - I print it right away.

Allrecipes.com
* Daily Dish - This one is just what it says daily dish - I don't get it anymore but did for years (others below are what I get now). It has one meat recipe and an added one too sometimes vegetarian recipe, sometimes just another recipe that would be good with it it or a quicker version. And then it has a few links to sides that would go them. This actually has saved me a few times when I was completely clueless on what I was going to make for dinner. This one of course is delivered daily.

* Healthy Bites - Again what the name implies healthy recipes. It is delivered weekly.

* Slow Cooker - Seasonal recipes, tips, and ideas for using your Slow Cooker year-round that is delivered weekly. I just started this one not too long ago and haven't seen many recipes so far that have really got my attention. But I love using my slow cooker so don't doubt I will find some inspiration from it.


They also have several others that I don't get. But at the holidays I do sign up for the cookie countdown.

MarthaStewart.com has are probably my favorite daily/weekly emails I get. If you go to MarthStewart.com and go to the top menu tabs: subscribe. Click that and scroll down to newsletters. Click on any of them and it will give you options to sign up for many more then just that one. For some reason I am not finding a link to just all the different options.

From MarthaStewart.com I get:
* Martha Stewart Living - A weekly newsletter of the best recipes, crafts, and decorating ideas.

* Everyday Food - A weekly newsletter for easy and quick meals. Plus dessert recipes, cooking tips and techniques.

* Whole Living - A weekly newsletter with ideas, recipes and tips for living a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

* Craft of the Day - Which is just as it sounds I get an email with a link to the craft of the day. That has instructions and sometimes video with it.

* Organizing Tip of the Day - And this one is by far my favorite an email that arrives daily with an organizing tip.

* Dinner Tonight - a daily email with a dinner recipe. This one has saved me a few times. Through either making it or at least sparking an idea I had in the house to make.

I also am signed up for many of her holiday newsletters. Umm I like Martha Stewart's newsletters can you tell?

Cooking Light's Dinner Tonight - again daily that gives ideas for dinner - except these are healthy.

And I am also signed up My Recipes Chicken Tonight as we have chicken a lot. That you can get to at the link above.

Myrecipes.com has quite a few newsletters but those are the only 2 I get at this time. But have thought about getting the home tips one though.


Kraft Food and Family - I got this because I had their magazine - which used to be free but now they charge for it. Even if I don't always use their products it sometimes gives me a starting off point for meals...that are easy.

And then I get Daily Diabetic Recipes - because often they are healthy recipes with lots of flavor to them. I have probably made more recipes from them then any of the other newsletters I get. And we are not diabetic either. They are just are healthy recipes.

And then also I get the Ideal Bite one that I mentioned here recently.

And then I get Better Homes and Garden's 100 Days of Holidays - which is an email I think it starts the first day of fall(?) and then goes all the way to New Years. And it has decorating, entertaining, recipes, crafts, kid projects, party ideas and so on for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.

There are a TON of newsletters to sign up for there. But I really I never noticed until now - because I signed up for the 100 Days through my magazine subscription. There was a link listed in it for the 100 Days that looked fun. And really I have enjoyed it a lot. I made a few craft projects for Thanksgiving last year. And a couple Halloween recipes. This year I hope to do more or their ideas.

I also get 2 daily emails that aren't domestic but they do help keep me centered and positve outlook on life. One is from Daily Om and the other is Notes from the Universe.

That is it. I know it is quite a few but it really just takes me moments to open them up and scan them. And frankly I hit delete on quite a few. But then there is something in several that spark my interest enough to look further.

Do you have any newsletters you would like to share? I obviously need some more. :)

2 Weeks Worth of Menus

9/7 - Monday - steak, corn on the cob, Pioneer Woman's Potato Bundles and green salad with balsamic vinaigrette

Tuesday - Italian sausages on buns with sauteed peppers and onions - served with salad

Wednesday - hamburger noodle casserole, green beans and biscuits

Thursday - pork chops, steamed broccoli and salad

Friday - pancakes and sausage

Saturday - Chicken Nacho Casserole and salad

Sunday - left overs


9/14 - Monday - brats, oven fries and salad

Tuesday - chicken asiago sausage and potato skillet served with salad

Wednesday - spaghetti and meatballs, steamed veggies with Penzeys Tuscan sunset seasoning, salad, garlic toast

Thursday - left overs

Friday - beef stroganoff and green beans

Saturday - baked potatoes with chili on them and salad

Sunday - ribs served with cowboy beans and salad



What is on your menu this week?

Menu - This Week and Next

Monday - pork chops in the crock with Penzey's Old World seasoning, mashed potatoes with garlic, steamed broccoli and cauliflower with just ground pepper and salt
Tuesday - chili dogs
Wednesday - chicken thighs in the crockpot with another Penzey spice Tuscan Sunset served with noodles with Alfredo sauce and steamed mixed stir-fry veggies that had asparagus, peppers, onions, mushrooms and broccoli*
Thursday - left overs
Friday - Steak on the grill served with baked potato and big salad
Saturday - chicken sausage potato bake and salad
Sunday - pot roast (doing the roast in the crock with carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic and whatever other veggie I have on hand that looks good)

Monday - homemade pizza and salad
Tuesday - Ribs served with oven fried potatoes and green beans
Wednesday - Philly Steak Sandwiches - I cut the meat up into slices and put it in the crockpot with some Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, a little Dijon mustard, black pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic, onions, and peppers. Then I serve on buns with provolone cheese. Going to serve them with salad
Thursday - left overs
Friday - burritos and Mexican-style rice - for the rice I just make white rice that I sprinkle with taco seasoning while it is cooking. After it is done I mix it with some salsa and cheese.
Saturday - taco salad - use left over meat from Friday night for it
Sunday - Pork Chops, steamed veggies (not sure which one yet) and salad - maybe some homemade bread

* Photo: of Wednesday's Chicken Thighs in the crockpot with Tuscan Sunset seasoning from Penzey's

Friday Favorites

Butterscotch Pudding Tarts - This recipe reminded me of a friend of mine in Ohio. We went to a restaurant where they had butterscotch pie. And she wanted it so bad only to find out they were out. And every other pie she seemed to pick was out too. I know that I wanted to make her one but was too intimidated at the time (this was many years ago). This one looks delicious and I would love to make it. And wish I was near my friend so I could serve it to her.

Create a Mosaic Mirror - It would be a fun way to recycle and repurpose items you might already have around the house.

Tips on How to Select your Centerpieces - this is geared towards a wedding but I thought it was useful for even at home entertaining.

Herbs 101 - This is a short article about herbs at MarthaStewart.com

The Grocery Cart Challenge: Menu Plan Monday - I love looking through other people's menus to get new ideas for mine. And this blogger often includes links to recipes.

Packing Lunch

Every weekday morning, I pack two lunches, one for me and one for Master for our workday lunch breaks. I'm sure I'm not alone in my lunch packing duties, and while it can be an incredibly frugal and healthy option, it can also be time-consuming on hectic mornings and can have the tendency to get a bit boring and repetitive.

Several years ago, it occurred to me that I needed to simplify the lunch routine and make it easier on weekday mornings. After thinking on it for a while, I came up with a plan. The first part of the plan involved buying more plastic containers, Master gave me permission to do so and we found a great set of the locking lid type at Costco. The extra containers give me enough of various sizes to pack 10 lunches at once (a week's worth).

Here's my plan:

• On Sundays, I do as much prep work as possible. If we're having soup for lunch, I make the soup and divide it among the containers. If we're having salads, I pick from the garden, wash, chop and assemble the salads before packing them in the containers. I chop up snack items too, right now we have a ton of radishes in the garden, I quarter them and put them in containers for workday snacking.
• We have a habit of eating some fruit every day with lunch too. If the fruit requires some prep work, I get that ready on Sunday and pack it up (draining of home canned fruit for instance). If the fruit can be packed whole (apples, pears, bananas), I just make sure its washed and ready for weekday morning packing.
• I try to make snacks now and then for lunches as well. I do that on Sunday and divvy it up if necessary. Cookies, roasted seeds, nuts, etc. get split up into plastic bags and stored in a cabinet for quick packing.
• Master likes to have sandwiches in His lunches often and those I do make each morning. On Sundays, I just make sure I have everything ready for quick assembly: lettuce is washed and ready to go, plenty of mayo on hand, meats and onions sliced, etc.

Having all that prep work done, doesn't generally take too long, and means that each workday morning, I can just grab our lunch bags; throw in a few containers, some silverware, and maybe a quick love note for Master and we're out the door with no muss, no fuss.

Since, I'm sharing my favorite lunch packing ideas, I figured I'd share one of Master's favorite lunch box treats: Peanut Butter Crispy Treats

• 1 Cup Smooth Peanut Butter
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup Light Corn Syrup
• 6 Cups Rice Crispy Type Cereal

Combine the sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until thin and bubbly. Remove from the heat and stir in the peanut butter until it melts. Pour this peanut butter mixture over the cereal, mixing well. Pour the entire mixture into a 9X13 pan and allow to cool. Cut into bars and enjoy!