Menu Plan Monday 8/1

Hello and welcome to another edition of Menu Plan Monday. Yes, it's Monday again. The weekend went fast as usual and It's already August! Don't forget to stop by organizing junkie for more menus. This morning I got myself all prepared to can tomatoes however, other than the blanching and peeling, I never canned them. Yes, only to realize I didn't have enough to make a canner full. I hate to process just 4 quarts. So in the refrigerator they went. I should have enough to make a canner full with what I got in the refrigerator now by tomorrow or Wednesday for sure. I then froze some broccoli and started my housecleaning. It's amazing what one weekend will do to the house. So, now for a much needed break....here is my menu for this week.

MONDAY
stuffed green peppers (See end of post for recipe)
leftover potato salad
sliced tomatoes/cucumbers

TUESDAY
grilled hot dogs
corn on the cob
sliced cucumbers/tomatoes

WEDNESDAY
chef salads with all the fixings

THURSDAY
out

FRIDAY
grilled garlic butter salmon
brown/wild rice
green beans

SATURDAY
goulash
garlic bread
peaches

SUNDAY
on our own

Stuffed green peppers

5 to 6 medium green peppers
3/4 cup uncooked brown rice
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can (8ounces) tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon instant beef bouillon

Remove tops and seeds from peppers. In a large kettle, bring water to boil; cook peppers for 5 minutes. Remove and drain. Cook rice according to package directions. In a skillet; brown beef and onion. Drain, Add tomato sauce, herbs, salt and pepper; cook 5 minutes. Stir in rice. Stuff peppers with the rice mixture. Place upright in a shallow baking dish or casserole. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Yield 5-6 servings
If cooking for two: Leftover peppers will freeze well to enjoy later.

Menu Plan Monday 7/18

Whew! It sure feels good to be back blogging. Time got away from me. It seemed it took forever for summer to arrive and now it seems it is half over with. Really, it is going by way too fast for me. There has been so much to do this summer and I never seem to get much accomplished. My father said one day, that it isn't that we got so much to do, it is that we are just slower at what we do and that is why we never seem to get it done. Hmmmm.....sounds logical. While I have been gone, my garden has been providing us with lots of fresh veggies. Trust me, DH and I haven't been lacking them in our diet the past few weeks. We are enjoying them all so much and we are ever so thankful for all we get. We have been having a soaring heat wave here in Indiana and so because this week is supposed to be HOT all week, I am going to make my dinners easy and light as possible. Oh! and we just got word that our new grandson, Issiah Bradley will soon be entering the world anytime now. I can't wait. Here is my plan for the week. Be sure to head on over to organizing junkie for more meal plans.

MONDAY

egg salad sandwiches

sliced cucumbers and tomatoes

blueberry smoothies

TUESDAY

grilled pork chops

mashed red potatoes with garlic and Parmesan

green beans

WEDNESDAY

spaghetti with meat sauce

tossed green salad

garlic bread

THURSDAY

out

FRIDAY

Home style Cole slaw

pan fried bluegill

baked zucchini sticks

SATURDAY

hamburgers on grill

potato salad

sliced cucumbers/tomatoes

peach cobbler

SUNDAY

on our own

Menu Plan Monday 6/20

DH and I will be having our sale this weekend at the flea market. Yep, another one! This means another busy week for us. My menu plan is as always this time of year and especially whenever we are both so very busy. It has to be very simple, nothing fancy smancy and quick! Don't forget to check organizing junkie for more menus!

MONDAY
Homemade cream of broccoli soup
cold cut sandwiches
rainbow sherbet

TUESDAY
round steak (cooked in crock pot w/mushrooms)
mashed potatoes
steamed sugar snap peas

WEDNESDAY
sloppy joe sandwiches
sweet potato fries

THURSDAY
out

FRIDAY
BLT macaroni salad
strawberry/banana smoothies

SATURDAY
leftovers of this and that

SUNDAY
They always have a big meal prepared for everyone that participates at the flea market at the end of the day

Menu Plan Monday 6/13

It is a beautiful morning here in Indiana. We are having a break from the real hot weather and that is good. I feel more like cooking and eating and not to mention working outside in the garden. I don't want to let my garden look like a weed patch so I have to concentrate on my weeding. DH and I are starting to eat quite a bit now from our garden. I love all this fresh stuff! It sure helps on our grocery budget also. This is my menu plan this week.

MONDAY
pan fried bluegill
sweet potato fries
tossed green salad

TUESDAY
chicken and veggie stir fry
fresh sliced strawberries

WEDNESDAY
spaghetti
tossed salad
garlic toast

THURSDAY
out!

FRIDAY
beef brisket in gravy
mashed potatoes
steamed broccoli
summertime strawberry pie

SATURDAY
grilled pork chops
wild/brown rice pilaf
asparagus

SUNDAY
we defend for ourselves

Menu Plan Monday 5/23

Another Monday and another plan! As always you can find more amazing menus at organizing junkie. This week is busier than ever because DH and I are getting ready to set up at the flea market this weekend. There is much to do. There is more stuff to take to the storage unit, pricing, packing, and setting up the whole thing initially. Phew...makes me tired just thinking about it. Hoping for a good sale and a good Memorial Day weekend. I am worried and I know I shouldn't worry. If you know anything about me, I tend to be a worry wart. The flea market is set up outside. With all the rain and thunderstorms we have been experiencing and devastating tornadoes in some states, Please, Please, pray for good weather. Financially we are depending on this sale. Since this is an extremely busier week than usual I will have to think easy and quick. I don't want to be tempted to eat out. This can be costly for sure and will eat up our profits from the sale. We are both going to be tired at the end of the day. Making some things ahead of time will be helpful when we get tempted to eat out. I will pack snacks, sandwiches drinks and so forth for our lunches there. For our dinners in the evening, well, this is what I have planned for this week.

MONDAY
Brats on the grill
chips
baked beans
cantaloupe

TUESDAY

The best whole chicken in a crock pot

tossed salad

brown rice pilaf

WEDNESDAY

pan fried bluegill

sweet potato fries

pea salad

THURSDAY

we will be eating out this night

FRIDAY

southwest chicken wraps

southwest layer dip w/ nacho chips

frozen strawberry lemonade

SATURDAY

chef salads

strawberry/banana smoothies

SUNDAY

on our own???

Menu Plan Monday 5/16

I hope to take today to rest. Yes, after an all weekend adventure with the granddaughters it feels so good to have a quiet Monday with just my lonesome self again. There was just too much going on the past few days and with two little girls, the youngest then getting sick Friday night and Saturday, Papa and I found it to be draining on us not to say the least. We took the girls as a favor to my daughter. She has new hours and training over the weekend for her job and finding a babysitter for those hours would be hard. The rest of this week and next DH and I have to get with the ball game and speed things up a bit. Memorial day weekend is approaching fast. Hmmmm......Where has the month of May gone? There is so much to do yet to set up for the flea market that weekend. As for my menu this week, this is my plan. Look for menu plan Monday at organizing junkie for more delicious menus.

MONDAY
pot roast w/potatoes and carrots
rhubarb pudding cake
TUESDAY
hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill
Michigan baked beans
fruit smoothies
WEDNESDAY
beef and noodles ( beef from leftover roast Monday)
green beans
THURSDAY
out
FRIDAY
nothing to it chicken
Michigan baked beans (leftover from Tuesday)
homestyle cole slaw
SATURDAY
grilled pork chops ( from last week that never made it out of the freezer)
brown/wild rice pilaf
steamed asparagus
SUNDAY
on our own!

Menu Plan Monday 5/2

One of the best ways to save is by creating a simple weekly menu. To tell you the truth, I 'm not perfect and every now and then I slip upon my planning however, if I didn't do a menu each week or at least some kind of a guideline I would spend more at the grocery store and more tempted to eat out more and I would be more tempted to eat more convience foods in general. Making a menu every week has become rather important to me for just this factor. Stumped?? Organizing junkie has many more amazing menu ideas and recipes. Be sure to check her out. This is what is on our menu this week.









MONDAY




chicken and noodles




dandelion greens* ( my mom used to make this alot; every spring; when I was a little girl) Tastes like spinach




blueberry snack cake









TUESDAY




ham and beans




corn bread









WEDNESDAY




almond chicken




brown/wild rice pilaf




nonfat frozen yogurt









THURSDAY




out!









FRIDAY




Salisbury steak




mashed potatoes




steamed broccoli









SATURDAY




spaghetti




tossed green salad




garlic/cheese bread









SUNDAY




on our own!









Dandelion greens*









You want to pick dandelion greens before it flowers as is best then. Wash greens really well making sure you have all dirt out. Soak greens in water and salt for awhile. Drain, rinse well. Heat greens until hot and wilted. In a skillet melt a little bit of oleo or bacon fat. ( I like oleo as it's healthier than the latter) Put greens in, Beat egg, a little mustard,( about 1/4 tsp) 1 Tbls. vinegar and salt and pepper. cook altogether with greens. Cook until hot.

Menu Plan Monday 4/11

We had a beautiful day yesterday, sunshine, warm and breezy. It sure does make it hard to stay in with weather like that! DH and I got alot done over the weekend. I spread some new mulch in my flower bed around my tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. DH got the patio cleaned up and cleaned the patio table and chairs. We spread mineral salt over our asparagus bed. Did you know this helps keep the grass down? and is actually beneficial for the asparagus? I had boxes and tubs filled with junk for the flea market this year , Memorial Day weekend. This was all taken out of the house and brought out to the trailer, ready to be hauled to the storage unit and flea market. I took down some of our storm windows and I am so glad I did as it got pretty warm yesterday and opening some of the windows was a must. As you can see, it was pretty busy around our household. I loved it! I hope your weekend was good as well. With the days a little brighter my meals get a little lighter for spring. Here is my menu for this week. Go ahead and visit organizing junkie for more menus.

MONDAY

goulash

Dr. Oz beet salad*

TUESDAY

taco salad

blueberry smoothies

WEDNESDAY

sauteed pierogies

kielbasa

steamed broccoli

strawberry pretzel salad

THURSDAY

out

FRIDAY

chicken and veggie stir fry w/ brown rice

SATURDAY

chicken marsala

roasted brussel sprouts

Quinoa pilaf

SUNDAY

defend for ourselves

Dr. Oz beet salad*

ingredients

beets

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

garlic

salt

pepper

gorgonzola cheese

Directions

Boil the beets until they become tender. Pull off the skin under cold running water. Chop them and toss lightly with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper. Crumble gorgonzola cheese on top for extra flavor

Menu Plan Monday 4/4/2011

It's April already...gosh time certainly does fly by fast doesn't it? I am back atcha with another menu plan and this week I plan on making a new dish. Beef sirloin steak with baby spinach, I can't remember what magazine I got this from but, this sounds easy and different. I love trying new recipes. How about you? So what's for dinner this week at my house? Check this out! For other menu inspiration see organizing junkie's blog for menu plan Monday!

MONDAY
Bean and cheese burritos w/spanish rice ( I make alot of these and what we don't eat, individually wrap and put in freezer for another time or to grab quick, microwave and eat)
TUESDAY
Potato soup
tuna salad sandwiches
jello salad
WEDNESDAY
beef sirloin steak w/baby spinach*
mashed potatoes
THURSDAY
out!
FRIDAY
salsa chicken
corn souffle
small tossed green salad
SATURDAY
spaghetti
garlic toast
tossed salad
SUNDAY
Defend for ourselves!

Beef sirloin steak w/baby spinach*
Prep 20 min cook 20 min Makes 4 servings

2 Tbls. olive oil
1 boneless beef sirloin steak, 3/4" thick
(about 1 lb) cut into 4 pieces
1 lg. onion, sliced
1 small red pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (10 3/4 0z)Campbells condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
2 Tbls. balsamic vinegar
1 Tbls.chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves crushed
1 bag (about 7 oz.) fresh baby spinach
Heat 1 Tbls. oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook until well browned on both sides. Remove beef from skillet. Pour off fat.
Heat remaining oil in skillet. Add onion and pepper and cook 1 min., stirring occasionally, add garlic and cook until vegetables are tender-crisp, stirring often.
Stir soup, water, vinegar, and rosemary in skillet and heat to a boil. Return beef to skillet.Reduce heat to medium. Stir in spinach. Cover and cook for 2 minutes or until desired doneness. Serve beef and vegetable mixture with potatoes.
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Menu Plan Monday- March 21

Welcome to another Menu Plan Monday. I am off to a late start. I decided to boil my chicken for my chicken and noodles for tonights dinner and make cookies. DH loves my chicken and noodles. He claims they taste like the apple festival's chicken and noodles. ( I don't know about that) But, he often requests this dish. Spring is in the air so I decided my menu should be well ....Springy as well as trying to keep it healthy somewhat and simple. Check out organizing junkie and while you are visiting, stay awhile and check out the many great menus. I get alot of different ideas from these, along with many amazing recipes.

MONDAY

chicken and noodles

steamed asparagus

galletes blance/caramel fudge frosted cookies ( Canadian french cookie)

TUESDAY

omelets ( veggie for me)

sweeter muffins

apple sauce

WEDNESDAY

chicken pot pie w/bisquit crust

fruit smoothies

THURSDAY

out!

FRIDAY

grilled garlic butter salmon

brown rice pilaf

steamed broccoli

SATURDAY

sloppy joe sandwhiches

cole slaw

michigan baked beans

SUNDAY

On our own!

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Menu Plan Monday 2/7

You guessed it! It's Monday, time for another round of menu planning for this week. I've got an unusually busy week planned. My dad and I will be getting together for a couple of days to make elderberry/grape jelly. The elderberries and grapes were some we picked this last summer. I put the elderberries in the freezer and my dad made juice from the grapes and put them in his freezer. At the time we thought this was best as dad's hip was really bad and we had so much other canning and freezing in the works. We figured this winter was the best time to make jelly; and together we should have some awesome jelly! At our local Meijer store this past week, they had the Ball brand pectin for 75 cents a box, marked down from $1.50. The expiration date is dated 2013. Between my dad's purchase and my purchases, we should have enough pectin to put up jelly for the next 2 years! This was a good price for sure and couldn't of come at a better time when we needed some for this jelly. My menu for this week looks like this..

MONDAY
chili
homemade bread
yellow cake w/milk chocolate frosting

TUESDAY
veggie omelets
sweeter muffins w/ jelly*
apple sauce

WEDNESDAY
beef sirloin steak w/baby spinach*
glazed carrots
mashed potatoes

THURSDAY
french meat pie*
green beans

FRIDAY
crunchy apple salad
beef pattie melts

SATURDAY
leftovers

SUNDAY
defend for ourselves!

Now, if you go to organizing junkie, you will see many yummy menus for inspiration!

Sweeter Muffins
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted shortening
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Grease bottoms of muffin cups. Beat egg slightly with a fork. Measure and stir in milk and oil. Measure and blend flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add all at once to liquid mixture. Stir just enough to moisten dry ingredients. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Wipe off any spilled batter and place pan in center or preheated 350 degree oven. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. remove to a cooling rack. Serve piping hot. Makes 12 muffins


Beef Sirloin Steak w/baby spinach
prep time 20 min. cook time 20 min. makes 4 servings

2 Tbls. olive oil
1 boneless beef sirloin steak, 3/4: thick (about 1lb), cut into 4 pieces
1 lg onion, sliced
1 small red pepper, chopped
3 cloves, garlic, minced
1 can (103/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water 2 Tbls balsamic vinegar
1 Tbls chopped fresh rosemary leaves or 1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves crushed
1 bag ( about 7 oz) fresh baby spinach
hot mashed potatoes

Heat 1 Tbls oil in a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook until well browned on both sides. Remove beef from skillet. Pour off fat.
Heat remaining oil in skillet, add onion and pepper and cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally, Add garlic and cook until vegetables are tender crisp, stirring often.
Stir in soup, water, vinegar and rosemary in skillet and heat to a boil. Return beef to skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in spinach. Cover and cook for 2 minutes or until desired doneness. Serve beef and vegetable mixture with potatoes.

French meat pie

2 Tbls. cooking
1 lg onion, thinly sliced
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork
1 cup mashed potatoes
2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
pastry for double crust pie (9 inches)
1 egg beaten opt.

In a skillet, heat oil over medium.Saute onion until tender. Remove and set aside. Brown beef and pork together. Drain, Combine onion, meat, potatoes, and seasonings. Line pie plate with pastry. Fill with meat mixture. Top with crust. Seal and flute edges. Make slits in top crust. Brush with egg if desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown yield 6-8 servings


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Menu Plan Monday 1/31

I am a bit late but, DH and I went to town this morning for a few supplies. The weather forecast is predicting snow and lots of it! ....Grrrrrr..When ever people hear a snowstorm is coming, as always, the grocery store does a booming business. I am thinking this morning I was just as guilty. I am sure with all I have in the freezer and pantry, DH and I could eat well for awhile if we did get snowed in for a spell. We had to go to town for other business so it made sense to stop at the store for a few things we needed while we were in town anyhow. Yesterday the sun was shining ever so bright and it made me hunger for spring ever so much...sigh...Heres what I came up with for this weeks menu. For more menu ideas stop by organizing junkie.

MONDAY
pulled pork sandwiches
michigan baked beans ( this is my sisters recipe. It's new for me and I am so anxious to try it out)
carrot and celery sticks

TUESDAY
pan fried bluegill( DH has been ice fishing about every day so we have been getting an abundance of this fish)
green salad
baked sweet potato fries

WEDNESDAY
salsa chicken
corn cakes with fresh corn and chives
bread pudding ( this is a great way to use all those crust or odds and ends of bread that need used up)

THURSDAY
chicken/veggie stir fry w/brown rice
tapioca pudding

FRIDAY
blueberry pancakes
sausage

SATURDAY
pork chops
glazed carrots
baked potato

SUNDAY
Defend for ourselves!

Michigan baked beans

16 oz (2 cups) dry navy beans
2 Quarts cold water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup molasses
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
4 oz salt pork, bacon,or ham ( may substitute a half cup of butter or shortening if your'e going meat free)
1 med. yellow onion

Rinse beans, add to water in a saucepan. Bring to boiling and simmer 2 minutes; remove from heat. Cover; let stand 1 hour ( or let beans to cold water and soak overnight)
Add salt to beans and water; cover and simmer until beans are tender; about 1 hour. Drain, reserving liquid. Measure 2 cups liquid, adding water if needed; mix with molasses, brown sugar, and mustard. Cut salt pork in half, score one half. Grind or thinly slice remainder.
In 2 quart bean pot or cassarole, combine beans, onion and ground salt pork. Pour molasses mixture over. Top with scored pork. Cover; bake in 300 degree F oven for 5 to 7 hours. Add more liquid if needed. Makes 8 servings

NOTE* I just cooked the dry beans for awhile and added everything together in crockpot. I also used bacon in the place of salt pork. It is cooking and it is starting to smell AMAZING!

Bread Pudding

3 eggs
3 cups of milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4-1 cup of sugar ( depending on your taste preference and amount of bread used)
dash of salt
dry or old bread
1 tsp cinnamon
raisins (optional)
Mix together all ingredients except for the cinnamon in a cassarole or baking pan. Size depends on how much bread you have
Sprinkle cinnamon on top
Bake at 350 degree F oven for about 45 minutes. Poke with knife, if it comes out clean then it's done. Baking time varies.
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My Noodle Adventure

As I promised, I want to share with you my noodle adventure. In my effort to eat more whole foods, eating healthier and saving dollars on our grocery bill. I decided to try my hand at making noodles. This noodle making thing was a whole new challenge for me. Making noodles isn't really hard. DH and I love homemade noodles but, I never considered making them because I thought....well..just that...Hard! We always bought our noodles at the store and if we wanted homemade we would buy from the local Amish. There are many recipes out there but, this is the recipe I used. This simple recipe requires only flour, eggs,salt, baking powder, and water. How simple is that? To start I took 4 beaten eggs with 2-3 Tbls. water. In another bowl I took 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. baking powder; mix together......I then made a well in center of flour mixture and poured my beaten eggs into the well....

I stirred in the flour mixture by hand until a soft dough formed. Does it look a bit on the dry side? Yup, looks like it to me.

I continue to roll out the dough into a very thin layer on a lightly floured surface and I cut into 1/2 inch strips.

After cutting in strips, the noodles need to dry at least 4 hours before using. I hung my noodles over chairs on a towel. I was told that if you do not use right away, you should put them in the freezer until you are ready to use them ( I did this) as they will mold otherwise.

So there you have it...My noodle adventure! I suppose I am just being critical of myself but, these noodles just don't look pretty. The Amish noodles we buy don't look like this.This won't stop me from making them again because there is no rule that says they have to look perfect or pretty to taste good!

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Menu Plan Monday 1/17

Oh my! I weighed myself for the first time since the holidays. Gasp! I gained 5lbs! Statics say that this is typical amount of weight gain between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am guessing if you look at it this way, however for me 5lbs is 5lbs too many!I need to get back on the bandwagon again I worked too hard last year to shed this weight! after all, I got a skinny pair of jeans ( size smaller) for Christmas that I promised I would be able to get into by spring. This is my incentive anyway. Coming up with meals is hard when I want everything healthy, low calorie and the DH is well, unhealthy. This man could live on just hot dogs, bacon, bologna. Yes! he eats hot dogs for snack food, cold, right out of the refrigerator. Seriously, 1 lb. of hot dogs doesn't last the night. I am thinking nitrate overload! Anyways, I've come up with a menu we can both be satisfied with. Oh! and be sure to visit organizing junkie for more menu ideas and while you are there hook up with her.

MONDAY

omelets veggie for me)

raggedy Ann cinnamon chip muffins*

canned peaches

TUESDAY

macaroni and cheese

green beans

raisin bread pudding

WEDNESDAY

salmon with garlic butter sauce

brown rice

steamed broccoli

THURSDAY

chicken and noodles

butternut squash

FRIDAY

Happy Birthday To Me!

DH is taking me out!

SATURDAY

Swiss steak

mashed potatoes

green tossed salad

SUNDAY

Defend for ourselves!

Raggedy Ann Cinnamon Chip Muffins

These muffins are made with cinnamon baking chips. In the high heat of the oven. ( the oven is set to 425 degrees) the cinnamon chips melt leaving swirls of cinnamon through the muffins. With all that melted cinnamon, the tops are often roughen and ragged and hence the name Raggedy Ann cinnamon chip muffins. These are very good muffins.

This recipe makes 10 large, well domed muffins or 12 smaller ones.

2 lg. eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1/3 cup whole rolled oats

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup cinnamon chips

For the topping

2 tbls. sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease muffin pan

Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl. Add the butter milk and vanilla. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon together. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the liquid ingredients. Stir only until combined. Add the cinnamon chips. Drop the batter into the greased muffin cups. Mix the 2 tbls. sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon together. Spoon the cinnamon sugar over the muffins. Place the muffin pan in the oven Immediately turn the temperature down to 375 degrees. Bake for 15 minutes or until done. Baking times will vary depending on how well your oven holds heat. Cool the muffins on a wire rack.

Freezer Slaw

What do you do when you acquire 3 very large bags of chopped cabbage? You make freezer slaw of course! My nephew works at a fast food place and at the end of the night if there is food left, the employees get the option of taking it home or the restaurant just throws the food away. The same principle applies to food that is about to expire or expired,. The employees can take if wanted or the food goes in the dumpster. Gasp! There is nothing wrong with the food and is perfectly good even if beyond a day or two. So here we were sitting with 3 very large bags of chopped cabbage and 1 very large bag of shredded lettuce. Since this is perfectly good food yet but, needs to be used soon, I have to make something with it quick. I had already made slaw for our supper Monday so, unless I want to eat cabbage morning noon and night and have the cleanest colon in the neighborhood. I will have to freeze all this cabbage. *Freezer slaw makes perfect since. I have this wonderful recipe I have had for years. It is easy and very delicious. Keep in mind, I used 1/2 of a large bag of chopped cabbage to equal a large head of cabbage. The recipe doesn't call for onions but you can add red onions.

*FREEZER SLAW
1 cabbage
1 carrot
1 sweet pepper (I used frozen green pepper)
1 tsp. salt
1 cup vinegar
2 cups sugar ( I only use 1 1/2 cup at the most)
1/2 water
1tsp mustard seed
Chop cabbage, carrot, and pepper. Cover with salt and let set for 1 hour. Squeeze the salt and water out of cabbage. Mix vinegar, sugar, water and mustard seed in 2 qt. pot. Bring to boil and boil 3 minutes, let cool. Pour over cabbage, stir well, let stand 3 minutes. Freeze

I froze 10 quarts of slaw. This will be good eating this winter and beyond to go with all the bluegill we have in our freezer.

I am still here

Yes, I am still here. I haven't had much time to write any postings as I have been way too occupied with my garden. canning, freezing and so forth. So, I apologize. You know how that can be. When the garden produce is ready, it really can't wait. Every year I try to can and freeze as much as I can for the winter. We never know from one year to the next about DH's job in the winter. DH is usually laid off but, I can remember the one year it took 9 weeks before unemployment paid him. This can be a nightmare if you don't have a stockpile to refer to. I am canning tomatoes at the moment along with tomato juice. I use alot of this stuff. I have canned up green beans, zucchini relish, sweet pickle relish, cucumber sandwich pickles. I froze zucchini some shredded for bread and muffins and some sliced for sauteing, green peppers, sweet banana peppers, blueberries, and strawberries. Yesterday I dried some fresh sweet basil in the oven on warm heat. I was getting a bit low on this wonderful herb. This week and next I will be making Sweet Anne's lace jelly* and grape jelly and maybe can up some peaches. I also have some sweet pickles in the making and pickled beets on the agenda. I figure this is going to all taste good this winter along with the venison DH gets every year. It would be nice to stock up on everything including your meat where in the winter all you would have to buy is your perishables like milk and eggs. It is a really nice thought, I guess it's been a dream of mine. I have been going fishing some with DH and earlier with my dad this summer I have a good quantity of bluegill built up in the freezer now as well . If the winter goes like last year, DH never found the chance to go ice fishing and use any of his 64 ice fishing poles. What a shame! Sorry honey! There is many benefits to stocking up on food and other daily needs. Some of them are surprisingly intangible. There is a certain peace that comes from knowing that your home is well enough stocked to get you through a few months of anything. I hate the cold winter and the last thing I want to do is mega shopping in a snowstorm. Here is my recipe for Queen Anne's Lace Jelly. Queen anne's lace is also known as wild carrot and you can find this weed anywhere, in your yard, along the roadside, fields, ect. This jelly is so good.
Queen Anne's Lace Jelly*
4 cups of water
18 Large queen anne's lace flower heads
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 pkg powdered pectin
3 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbls sugar
red food coloring (optional)
Bring water to a boil and remove from heat. Add the flower heads pushing them down into the water. Cover and steep for 30 min. Remove the lid and let the mixture cool. Slightly about 15 min. Strain the liquid through a dampened cheesecloth, discarding the flower heads. Measure out 3 cups of the liquid into a 4-6 quart pan. Add the lemon juice and pectin and bring to a rolling a boil. Stir constant (very important) add the sugar, stir constant and cook until the mixture returns to a rolling boil. Boil 1 min. longer. Remove from the heat. Add enough red food color (2 drops) If using to tint the jelly pink, then skim off any foam. Pour into sterile jars leaving 1/4 inch head space, with damp cloth, remove any spills from the rim and thread of the jars. Process in hot water bath for 5 min. * makes approx. 6 jelly jars

Menu Plan Monday 7/12/10

Here we go again, another Monday and another menu plan already. I hope all of you had a great week and weekend. Mine was a busy one for sure. As always, this time of year will do that to you. My garden is doing an amazing job of supplying us with plenty of fresh green beans, cucumbers, zucchini, yellow crookneck squash at the moment. Yummy! However, I am having a bit of problem with some kind of animal, woodchuck.....maybe?....eating my beans and just leaving the end snip on the plant. Grrrrrrr......my squash seems to have some evidence of squash bugs also pooh! Anyone else having any problems with such pests? Friday I went to the blueberry farm and picked blueberries. I made a blueberry pie and blueberry zucchini bread after freezing 8- 1 1/2 pint and 3 quart containers of blueberries. This will be more than enough for DH and I considering we still have some left from last year. I also had an abundance of zucchini so I made 48 *whole wheat chocolate zucchini muffins in which I saved a few out for eating now and gave some away. I froze the rest for later. I was pooped after all that! Even though I was tired that didn't stop me from going fishing later that evening with DH. We caught 13 nice bluegill. This was good considering the fish here at the lake has had some kind of lockjaw lately. Saturday afternoon my dad joined us on the pontoon for a little fishing. We caught 38 nice ones. As for my menu this week it looks like it will have to be easy and simple. This is pretty much what I try to do every week anyways. Looks like another busy week ahead planned! Stop by orgjunkie for more menus!

MONDAY

BLT's

fresh cucumber slices

blueberry pie

TUESDAY

*summer stew ( This is very delicious and l look forward to this every year with my fresh green beans)

watermelon

WEDNESDAY

grilled pork chops

corn on the cob

garlic potatoes

THURSDAY

We will be going out

FRIDAY

grilled salmon with zucchini

brown rice

SATURDAY

chef salads

SUNDAY

On our own today!

SATURDAY

* Summer stew

This is something I basically made up consisting of fresh green beans, sliced onion, kielbasa sausage, bacon and red potatoes ( I leave the skin on and cut into bite size chunks) salt, pepper and all cooked together in fair amount of water until tender. Yum! Yum!

Menu Plan Monday

Oh my, Its Monday again and time for another menu plan for the week. It is now slowed down after an entire weekend with our granddaughter. It was a great weekend. Jasmyne is such a smart and good girl. She growing up so fast. We ate breakfast out twice, watched her play t-ball at her practice, went yard saleing, went fishing, played computer games, ( she is smart at these), played barbies, painted our toenails, read books, gave lots of hugs and kisses, and snuggled. Did I leave out anything? It was a great time spent and looking forward we can do it all over again. Reese's birthday party yesterday was great. She and her little brother have so much energy. My, it wore papa and Mimi out just watching them run around. My menu for this week was easy to come up with as I just got groceries and my stockpile is way up again. I shouldn't have to buy anything for awhile. So, for this weeks menu.......



MONDAY



grilled lemon pepper chicken breasts



brown rice pilaf



corn on the cob







TUESDAY



egg salad sandwiches



cantaloupe filled with cherry jello (recipe here)



baked fries







WEDNESDAY



spaghetti and meatballs



large tossed green salad







THURSDAY


out?????











FRIDAY



hamburgers on the grill



baked beans



fresh raw veggies or tossed green salad







SATURDAY


ham steak


potato salad


steamed asparagus





SUNDAY


leftovers!





organizing junkie has many more menu ideas, so be sure to check her out!

Busy as a bee

Earlier this week I mentioned I was going to play catch up. That's exactly what I have been doing. Having many undone tasks can only make things confusing and it really feels good to finally get caught up some. I have been busy doing things all day, doing, doing, doing, busy as a bee, flying from one project to another hoping to accomplish alot in my hive of activity. DH tilled our garden a couple of days ago and yesterday I couldn't wait to dig my hands in the soil and plant. I planted 2 hills of zucchini, 2 hills of summer yellow crookneck squash, 10 hills of potatoes, carrots, lettuce(leaf), spinach, green onions,thyme, dill, mesclum salad mix, chives and regular onions. I am waiting to plant my green beans, tomatoes, green and red peppers, sweet banana peppers, cucumbers and whatever else I decide. This weekend the temps are supposed to dip down in the thirty's at night. I have some flowers I need to plant and so I will wait a few days to plant them as well. Speaking of flowers my Iris's and peony's are bursting with blooms. I am afraid the lilacs around here are about done. It's a shame, they smell soooo.....good and they are here today, gone tomorrow. Who doesn't love fresh asparagus or a homemade rhubarb pie. I picked another bunch of asparagus from our bed and have enough now for dinner someday next week. I also picked some rhubarb and will make a fresh rhubarb pie tomorrow morning for our dinner tomorrow night. yummy! okay, I know I am on a diet, but, I can have a tiny piece maybe? This pie was to be made yesterday but, I never got to it. Our three sheds are just about all painted. We have just one more to. It's starting to look pretty good around the place now. DH says this weekend sounds like a good weekend weather wise to start painting inside the house. As you can see, it's been buzzing around here! Here is the recipe I use for my fresh rhubarb pie. It is absolutely delicious especially with a cup of coffee. Enjoy! http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fresh-Rhubarb-Pie/Detail.aspx
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Menu Plan Monday

My self esteem has soared 3 fold this past weekend! My hubby told me he could tell I was losing weight. Well, quite frankly I didn't believe him as I thought my DH was just being nice. To tell you the truth, I have felt better but weight loss? nawwww! My brother in law from Indianapolis stopped in yesterday and out of the blue he told me I looked like I had lost some weight. hugh? He doesn't know I am dieting neither.Well I must be doing something right and you can bet I will continue doing what I'm doing. This is great news for me. Losing excess body fat has not been an easy task for me. I am determined to lose this blubber once and for all. After I injured my back I couldn't exercise, let alone move around for 2 months! I am trying to slowly incorporate exercise in my everyday routine. Springtime needs to arrive soon so I can start walking daily outside.

Making smart healthy choices and watching my portions will be the same. My menu this week is just that while keeping costs down and using what I have on hand.

MONDAY

chili ( made with venison)

cornbread

TUESDAY

Baked lemon chicken

steamed california blend(broccoli,cauliflower, carrots)

tossed green salad

WEDNESDAY

chicken and noodles

green beans

apple sauce

THURSDAY

low fat shepherds pie

fruit of some kind and or jello

FRIDAY

chicken stir fry

brown rice

SATURDAY

mini meatloaves

mashed potatoes

steamed peas

SUNDAY

on our own today!

Go to organized junkie for more amazing menus and recipes!