Menu Monday's

Greetings and Happy Valentines day all.  Hubby and I celebrated last night.  Dinner out, money from a different account than groceries.  This morning I put one of those little heart shaped boxes of chocolate next to each childes bowl of oatmeal, with a box of conversation hearts (money from grocery account).  That's it, the big hurrah, oh; except for a hart shaped cake I baked this morning, for dessert tonight : )

I wanted to post a new menu for this week and update the great grocery receipt challenge.  To recap, $125 a week and that includes pretty much everything but our utilities.  Last month I went a hundred over, but the difference came from oldest son who helps pay the animal food bill (he has an animal ministry).  We ate out 3 times, two were covered by husbands car jobs, one was a birthday dinner/gift.  This month I have was over by $50 the first week and $25 the second week.  This past week I was right on target and made up the difference when ds paid me some money he owed me : )  A friend from church gifted us some 'gourment' items that she said she would never use, so that will help finish out the month.  It included such items as a beef brisket, lamb tips, holendaise sauce and whole grain pizza dough - 12/1lb. balls.  I am planning on making some calzones with the pizza dough and the holendaise sauce will be great in home made Alfredo sauce! 

Here is a look at our menu this week:

Monday ~  Shepherds pie w/green beans

Tuesday ~  Chicken Verde and Spanish rice w/ broccoli

Wednesday ~  church pot luck/Beef minestrone soup

Thursday ~  Taco's with home made guacamole' and chips

Friday ~  Tortellini in Alfredo sauce w/ tossed salad

Saturday ~  Fish stew over salt and vinegar mashed potatoes w/veggie sticks

Sunday ~  Pimiento mac & cheese w/ grilled chicken and green beans

Other cooking around the house: Heart shaped cake for Valentines day, home made chicken broth made from leftover bones in my slow cooker and home made croutons made from the left over bread from last Wed. when I made crust less round cheese sandwiches for church.  I am sure other things will pop up and I will keep you posted with new ideas and recipes. 

Blessings, Beth Ann

Menu's, Monday and More

Hey all, trying to get in the grove here after a major blow=out party yesterday celebrating hubby and son's b-day's.  We were blessed with a sunny  semi-warm day and were able to sit out on the deck sipping wine while hubby grilled and even deep fried some onion blossoms' for us.  The party lasted into the night and I was left feeling amazed at our blessings of friends.  Moving on - LOL

Speaking of the party, most of the food came from a separate budget and not my reg. grocery budget.  K did a couple car jobs and we used that money.  So my total for week three spending in Jan. 2011 on grocery type items was$121.  So right on track.  Hubby and I had decided on enveloping $125 a week for food/paper/pet and house hold items.  I did spend an additional $60 in pet items but was reimbursed by son when he was paid.  That money was put into the gas tank and tithing plate.  I think I mentioned before that our Dollar General Market does a 1cent item each week, with a $10 purchase.  This past week was their brand t.p.  Not the best quality but for 1cent . . . So I made a couple different trips during the week (yes I added them to my total) and scored 3-six packs of cheap quality t.p.  This should get us through to Friday, which is a pay day this week.

I haven't posted a menu in a while, but if your my FB friend you still get to hear about what we're eating! LOL  Here is a look at this week:
Monday ~ Ground turkey Shepard's pie w/ fauxtato topping
Tuesday ~ Beef & Broccoli stir-fry w/pecan rice
Wednesday ~ Cheesy Chipotle Soup (taken to church pot-luck)
Thursday ~Chicken risotto w/broccoli
Friday ~ Turkey loaf w/baked pot and mixed veg.
Saturday~ Crock pot Jambalaya
Sunday ~ Cream of Cauliflower soup and salad

Breakfast usually are eggs cooked in a variety of ways, our favorite is eggs in a hole, oatmeal, and some home made spelt muffins.

Lunch this week looks like this; left overs from party, sandwiches, hot and sour soup, chicken salad and a meatza.

Most of these meals are lo-carb and high protein as we try to get back on track from all our holiday and post holiday/b-day celebrating.  Remember, no white bread, white sugar and mostly dark green veggies.  Oh, we are day 9 with no soda and half/calf coffee.   Well everyone except Z.  He asked everyone he knew for Mt. Dew for his b-day.  Kids.

Blessings, Beth Ann

Menu week of 10/23/10

Another warm and sunny day here in middle TN.  I am so blessed that God led us here!  Got up early to do the weekly shopping and on my way in a few to a b-day party at the park for a good friend and neighbor.  If I play my cards right I can count the food there as both lunch and dinner!  Am I sad or what?

well this week I had $60 to spend and a list that totaled $110.  Well I worked real hard on it and got it down to $70.   So off I went, first to the Bi-Rite.  I only spent $9 there and it was all reduced items.  They had a ton of marked down items and it was hard to not just grab them up and stick to my list, and my budget.  Next I headed over to the Dollar General Market.  This is great!  For those who don't have one, it's like a reg. $GM but with a grocery store attached.  Real good prices as well, and they have been in the habit of printing out $5 off coupons on your receipt, on a sale of $25 or more.  That is not a problem here - LOL  It is like getting the food tax free!  So I actually had $50 to spend there, not $45, cool.  Well I did it and still had $5 left over for hubbys gas tank : )  I even splurged on about $5 of seasonal items.  I got a cute gingerbread man spoon rest for $1 (I am big into those, gingerbread men, for my holiday decorating) and a Snowflake/snowman shower curtain w/matching hooks for $4.  Guess I am going to dress up my powder room for the holidays this year : )  On my way out I noticed they had their traditional cinnamon brooms out.  I have been buying those for years, when they were $3, I stopped the last two years when they went up to $5.  Although on of those years I received one as a b-day gift.  Today they were marked $4.  I will have to think on this and see if I have enough next week.  I love to hang these on my pantry door and make my whole dinning room and living room smell good.

Here is a look at our menu this week:

Sat. ~ Birthday party

Sun. ~ Green beans and ham casserole w/ mashed yams.

Mon. ~  Beef and broccoli (crock pot) over rice

Tue. ~  Corn and shrimp chowder w/ home made soft garlic bread sticks

Wed. ~  Church pot luck/ glass bowl salad

Thur. ~  Spaghetti w/green beans and home made rolls

Fri. ~  Meatloaf w/Brussels sprouts and Au gratin turnips

So what is for dinner at your house this week?

Blessings, Beth Ann

Happy Monday!

Another wonderful day here in middle TN, and the first day of March! What more could one ask for? Is it just me or is this year zipping by faster than the last? Scary : ( Thought I would share this pic of two of our dogs sharing a sun spot together, it makes me smile just to look at it : ) This Howard, our mini doxin, and Levi who is now 8 months old. They both have partial paralysis of their hindquarters. Even though Howie is small, he IS the Alpha dog (after me of course - lol) This picture exemplifies that fact and that he has finely taught Levi to understand it too!

Here is a look at this weeks Leptin (lo-carb/high protein) menu:

Monday: Crockpot crab soup w/salad

Tuesday: Noodless lasagna w/broccoli

Wednesday: Church bible study w/pot luck ~ crockpot fajitas

Thursday: Sweet n'sour chicken w/brown rice and mixed beans

Friday: Chili

Saturday: Metza! w/Brussels sprouts

Sunday: Hamburgers w/salad

Remember, if your making something that calls for crab to us the 'real'deal as the fake stuff is high in carbs! Also, metza is just a fake pizza : ) The crust is all meat with the sauce,cheese and veggies on top! One more thing, remember that with those burgers to skip the bun. Sometimes we just eat ours plain or wrap them in larger Romain leaves - yum! Whats for dinner at your house this week?

Blessings, Beth Ann

Menu's 2/13 ~ 2/19

Happy early V~day everyone! We really don't do much here to celebrate this man-made holiday. Although my DH is a hopeless romantic and would love to shower me with flowers, candy and jewelry. They say opposites attract, it must me so. My calmer head for reason reigns. I tell him flowers die, candy is not lo-carb and I am not interested in more jewelry as it will just get stolen again. OK, so I beat him down, but someone has to stay focused : ) We do let the kids make paper hearts (excellent for motor skills) and we usually bake a heart shaped cake or cookies as a little treat (might skip that this year). I just can't see spending the hard earned grocery money on candy not in our tight budget. Even if the candy was $1 a small individual box, I have four kids, so lets just say with tax that kills a $5. That is how much I spend on dinner each night and I just can't justify the empty calories and all that processed chemical food - YUCK. I am sure I will find a great sub, like heart shaped whole grain pancakes or something : )

Here is a look at our Lo-carb/Leptin dinner menu for this week:

Saturday: Cheesy steak and onions w/broccoli

Sunday: Happy V-day/Chinese New Year! Home made egg rolls w/rice and pineapple (fresh - on sale)

Monday: Jambalaya (made with leftover rice)

Tuesday: Baked chicken w/ cauliflower and turnip gratin

Wednesday: Church (just bible study) Big 'ole pot of chili

Thursday: Sweet n' sour chicken and green beans

Friday: Southwest stuffed peppers w/ rice

Yes I know, it's silly not to celebrate v-day but go ahead and do Chinese New Year. What can I say, I make a killer egg roll. I only indulge in these once a year, and this is my excuse! LOL

Blessings, Beth Ann

Menus' and more 2/6 - 2/12

Come on in and sit a spell, that's what my meerkat (at left) is doing : ) I want to briefly share a PTL with you (praise the LORD). Grandma S. ended up having some emergency back surgery yesterday and we got the word today that she is awake and doing great! We have every reason to believe she will be home by Monday and on the road to recovery, PTL. This is so hard on us, being so far away, their in Vegas. She is the only Grandma the twins have ever known and our older kids have forged a deep bond of acceptance with Grandma S and Grandpa D too. These folks are like the parents I never had. Bless you guys!

Time for a menu and leptin update. I haven't been on a scale in about a week (need a new battery) but guessing I have lost about 35 lbs. now. The biggest kick is that I can now fit into 2 pair of jeans I haven't worn in about 3 years and can button up 4 (count 'em, 4) coats/jackets that I couldn't before. However I am still not into my pre-twin pants yet, sigh. Those kids really kicked my butt when I got pregnant with them - LOL Now I am making time for me, and making sure we are ALL eating healthy meals . My middle dd has even gone down one pant size without even trying : ) Here is a look at our Leptin/lo-carb, high protein dinner menu for this week:

Saturday: Baked chicken w/brown rice and steamed cabbage

Sunday: Meatza (faux pizza) w/ salad

Monday: Mexican cheese casserole w/ brussel sprouts

Tuesday: Country fried steak w/green beans

Wednesday: Church dinner & bible study ~ grill night (from canceled last week)

Thursday: Chicken Casserole w/broccoli

Friday: leftovers : p

Remember, you can always eat as many dark green veggies as you need to fill up, but keep your carbs under 20g. a meal and always less then your protein!

Blessings, Beth Ann

Winter wonderland menu's 1/30 - 2/5

Greetings from the frozen tundra formally know as the south - LOL Actually this unusual weather is a nice change and the kids made a new friend (literal), see pic at left : ) I crack myself up!

Any who, time to post this weeks leptin and lo-carb friendly menus. Here's a look at what my family is having for dinner:

Saturday: Spaghetti squash casserole w/ steamed cabbage

Sunday: Crock pot Swiss steak w/ mixed green beans

Monday: Tex-Mex fish w/broccoli and brown rice

Tuesday: Crock pot beef sirloin & beans casserole w/ Brussels sprouts

Wednesday: Dinner at Church w/bible study ~ this week the guys are grilling out!

Thursday: Baked chicken w/ green beans

Friday: Crock pot meatloaf w/ broccoli*

*Note: With the Leptin diet we eat predominately dark green veggies such as broccoli, green beans and Brussels sprouts. And remember, if eating rice count it as your carb and only eat about 1/4 cup!

I also wanted to share a recipe we tried last night and gave 5 stars, yes it's lo-carb : )

Shrimp and Broccoli Casserole

1lb. frozen broccoli
1lb. cooked shrimp
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped
3 TBS. butter
3/4 c. half n' half
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. seasoning salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 TBS. parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 TBS. fresh lemon juice
TOPPING INGREDIENTS:
1/2 tsp. protein powder
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 c. jack cheese, shredded
1 TBS. butter

1. Zap broccoli in microwave for about 5 minutes, then set aside to cool.
2. Grease a large casserole dish with butter and add the shrimp.
3. In small saute pan cook onion and garlic in butter until golden.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining casserole ingredients. Stir in cooled onions and mix the sauce well. Pour over shrimp and add in broccoli to the baking dish. Mix well.
5. In a small dish, combine the protein and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the shrimp and broccoli. spread the jack cheese evenly oer the top of the casserole. Dot the top with the butter.
6. Bake for 30 minutes at 350, uncovered or until the top is beginning to golden brown and cheese is thoroughly melted. Allow to cool at least 5 minutes before serving. YUMMY

Serves 6
5g. carbs. - 20g. protein

Blessings, Beth Ann

Menu time

Menu time, menu time, open it up and see whats inside! LOL OK, I confess I got that from a kids TV show and it should read present time : ) Here is a look at this weeks leptin/lo-carb dinner menu for my family:

Saturday: Taco salad (didn't make yesterday)

Sunday: Ham & Swiss chicken breast with broccoli

Monday: Stuffed cabbage rolls w/brown rice

Tuesday: Grilled chicken breast w/green beans

Wednesday: Church potluck (I'm bringing a huge salad)

Thursday: Meat loaf w/mixed green & yellow beans

Friday: Shrimp and broccoli casserole

Yesterday we went into the 'city' for our shopping since it was a bi-weekly payday and I did find many deals on meat. I feel I was able to pick up just about all our needs for the next two weeks except for paper products and a few lunch items. I also got so good reduced deals here in town on some chicken breast and fruit :) Remember, fruit is a carb! I don't buy much and when I do, the kids help make sure it doesn't stick around very long. I found four marked down navel oranges yesterday for 79 cents! Just perfect for the kids lunch that day! However I was gifted with about 10lbs. of very ripe banana's yesterday as well : 0 We got them peeled and into one of the chest freezers, but still . . . guess we won't have to worry about banana bread or smoothies for a very long time!

Blessings, Beth Ann

Menu time

Didn't get this posted yesterday, crazy day, but did get up early and did my shopping. Had just enough gas to drive into the 'city' to shop at Kroger, only because we had a gift card. No screaming deals there, but some of their American Value (store) brand items are good deals. We are thinking that with some of our tax return money we will stock up on these items. We have a chest freezer in the basement and in our garage, so we can fill these for nights that are just to busy to cook something or plan ahead.

A quick update with our living the Leptin way diet: first I hate to call it that since we plan to make this a permanent lifestyle change. Second, no this is not just lo-card and yes if it was I do understand that we would gain our weight back as soon as we stopped and went back to eating the 'normal' way. We're not going back! To date (8 weeks) both hubby and I have lost 26 pounds. We have more energy, his snoring has improved and my chronic headaches have all but disappeared! This diet seems to really help diabetics. I had mentioned before my friend who lost 70lbs., cut her insulin in half and had her vision clear up all in the first 5 months. I have another friend who started this a little over a week ago and has already lost 4lbs. and her sugar is half what it has ever been! I encourage all to check out 'The Mastering Leptin' book, for better health!

That said, here is a look at our high protein leptin menu:

Saturday: Shrimp Alfredo with stir-fry vegetables and brown rice

Sunday: DH b-day : ) Pot roast with root vegetables, cake and ice cream (teeny-tiny amount for us)

Monday: Slow cooker Italian chicken and vegetables (payed forward from last week)

Tuesday: Mexican beef and bean soup

Wednesday: Church dinner and bible study (if nothing we can eat, leftovers at home)

Thursday: Beef and broccoli stir-fry with brown rice

Friday: Taco salad

There you have it, oh and the horseradish chicken last week was alright. I would have liked it hotter, but the kids . . . We had chicken a lot last week, was on special : ) When ever there are leftovers I find it is good to take the meat off the bone when it is cooled. Then you can use it up during the week in a variety of ways, such as on top of salads or even rice with some salsa and sour cream!

Blessings, Beth Ann

Menu and more

A little slow getting this weeks lo-carb/leptin menu posted but here it goes:

Saturday: Crocpot chicken in horseradish sauce w/ broccoli and brown rice* (payed forward as unused meal from last week)

Sunday: German unpotato soup w/salad

Monday: Italian chicken and vegetables

Tuesday: Southwest BBQ Beef w/green beans

Wednesday: Church dinner and bible study (if nothing I can eat, have leftover soup at home)

Thursday: Baked chicken with mixed vegetables

Friday: Camping chili w/salad

I did my weekly shopping today as well and was quit impressed with my total, $83.09 form my $100 budget! I was even going to include a pic of the receipts to prove what a savvy shopper I am - LOL That included a couple of extras such as cake mix,frosting and ice cream for two birthdays this week and some school supplies! I also picked up a couple of rolls of Christmas wrap for 30 cents each at our Dollar General Market. Then I realized I had forgotten about 5 things from my list - bummer : ( LOL Think God is telling me to watch that pride thing? Me too! Will let you know how the horseradish chicken turns out.

Blessings, Beth Ann

2010 Blessings

Welcome all to 2010 and blessings for you!

For the new year I am considering starting a second blog based on the Leptin health plan we are following. High protein, low carbs, which means pretty much no sugar or darn little. It seems to help all our food issues and food allergies we have been struggling with for the past year. It seems to jive with our sugar, yeast, dairy, and gluten allergies.

I would love to share with you all our successes and failures as we navigate a brand new year and try to reach a healthier lifestyle. I would include menus, recipes, new items and news items = LOL Please keep me posted on if this sounds appealing or not. I feel so strongly about the message in this book and have the seen the results in myself, my spouse and friends, that I want to share with all!

My new week starts on Saturday, through Friday. So I tend to do my weekly shopping on Friday or Saturday morning, which is also the best time for reduced products at my local stores. Yes I do weekly shopping as I found that seemed to increase my reduced product finds and was easier to pay meals forward (meals not used being used the next menu) and reduce spending the following week. We are a family of 6 (2 adults, 2 teenagers, 2 grammar aged children) and I had created a budget of $75 a week , which pretty much includes everything but utilities - LOL But eating more fresh meat and veggies (the green ones) is a bit more spendy, not to mention our handicapped animal ministry stretches the budget as well. Even though oldest son works at the local animal hospital and chips in for these critters, I upped our weekly grocery budget to about $100 a week give or take.

Here is a look at my week starting 1/2/10, ending 1/8/10:

Breakfasts: Eggs, Cottage Cheese, Sausage, toast and almond butter

Lunches: Tuna, hot dogs, chicken, burgers and leftovers

Dinners: Sat. - Mexican slow cooker stew
Sun. - Crock pot chicken casserole, home style
Mon. - Crock pot chicken mole'
Tue. - Ham and broccoli cheese soup
Wed. - Church, if nothing I can eat there then : BBQ beef w/ green beans
Thur. - Cube steak with gravy, slow cooker
Fri. - Chicken in creamy horseradish sauce, slow cooker

There you have it in a nutshell, what I am thinking about in the new year. I thought I could call my second blog, 'Liv'n the Leptin Life'. What do you think?

Blessings, Beth Ann

Rotation Diet Menu

So this is the first full week of us following a rotation diet, mostly for DS. Also hoping for residual benefit's for the rest of as well. For some reason I have had some dairy issues ever since having the twins. The point is that this should clear up anything in the rest of us that we didn't know was an issue yet. In a nut shell the theory is that if you eat to much of something it will build up inside of you and you become allergic to it. Think antibiotics and how your body can become immune to any benefits from it if you take it all the time. Same with say wheat or peanuts. Eat it all the time and it stops being a healthy food. So, once every four to eight weeks is better. Example: today is beef, banana, and amaranth (grain) day. Again, check out the book in my Amazon recommendations. Here is a look at our menu for the first four days:

Day 1 -
Breakfast: Cooked Amaranth (porridge) and banana
Lunch: Pepper and beef sandwich with carrot sticks
Dinner: Spaghetti squash and beef casserole with cucumber salad (oil & vinegar) and banana cake (stevia is only sweetener used and fruit is always used in baking in place of butter)

Day 2 -
Breakfast: Buckwheat pancakes and apple
Lunch: Creamed chicken sandwich with spinach apple salad
Dinner: Parsley breaded Fish, sauteed spinach, broccoli cauliflower salad (apple pie - optional, but we are skipping this)

Day 3 -
Breakfast: Cooked quinoa cereal w/ blueberries
Lunch: Blackeye Pea soup w/home made wheat thin crackers (made this before and kids love them!) and kiwi
Dinner: Chicken potato casserole, sauteed eggplant, tossed salad (carob chip bars - optional, we are skipping this. I need to find some carob chips first! LOL)

Day 4 -
Breakfast: Blackberry muffins and grapefruit
Lunch: Salmon puffs, salad and corn cakes
Dinner: Cabbage rolls, corn bread and strawberries

Hope this gives ya all a better idea what we are eating and how we are working towards an allergy free/sugar free diet. Any questions, just ask.

Blessings, Beth Ann

menus and more

No, we're not eating turkey this week - I wish! LOL But we are making more menu/eating changes here. After reading about a zillion books on CFS and other chronic illnesses, throw in a million on allergies as well, and we have decided on our course of action. In an effort to help my oldest son with chronic pain, that as best we can figure is residual from the Bar Epstein Virus (which compromised his immune system and caused the mono), we are going to try a four day rotation diet. It should be much healthier for all of us. More simple whole food. Check out my Amazon.com link above. Will post a full menu next week although it will be a bit disjointed as we are camping over the week-end, which entails our designated "camping" food.

Speaking of healthy . . . I forgot to mention that at my W.W. last week I was down another pound, a grand total of 11 in five weeks. Was hoping for bigger numbers but will be content with the down word trend. Remember, that is almost 3 bags of sugar and 11 boxes of butter sticks! LOL That coupled with my potassium supplements and I am feeling like my old self again, if not more energetic!

Burppee delivered my starter plants yesterday, so if it ever dries out down here I can transplant my tomato's and peppers. The pumpkins and gourds we started here at home are starting to sprout and should be ready for the garden soon. Now that the rain has dissipated a bit I will have to discern what is a bean or cucumber plant vs. a week! :) Guess that is it for garden news for now.

Not much else here except I am also putting in many eyeball hours researching a new curriculum for the kids come fall. I fell in love with "My Fathers World" for the twins and kindergarten. Am now seeing if it might be a good match for the older two as well. I showed it to middle DD, and she seemed enthusiastic over their many hands on activities. Will have to go over DS high school credits and see what he still needs. I know Spanish for sure as that got put on the back burner when he fell ill. You can check out the new curriculum at www.mfw.com and our old curriculum at www.sonlight.com

Blessings, Beth Ann

Menu Plan Monday

Here we are, the first full week of a new year. The best day to implement our new budget, our new eating habits, our healthier choices and to dredge up our old hate of the dreaded scale! With that said, here is what we are eating at our house this week ~

Monday: Crock Pot Turkey drumsticks in a homemade enchilada sauce w/mashed potatoes and green beans.

Tuesday: Black beans and pork over rice w/ mixed vegetables

Wednesday: Church bible study/dinner resumes

Thursday: Scalloped Parmesan potatoes with turkey sausage bake w/corn

Friday: Crock pot cchicken noodle soup w/ home made bread

Saturday: Home made pizza w/salad

Sunday: Garbanzo and pepper curry on rice

That is a quick look at what we are doing for dinner this week. It will be hectic with many activities starting up again after the holidays. Thank goodness for my crock pots! For more menu plan Monday visit www.orgjunkie.com

What is for dinner at your house?

Blessings, Beth Ann

Home made Enchilada Sauce

3Tbs. oil

2Tbs. cornstarch

1/8 cup chili powder

2C chicken broth

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp.oregano

2 tsp. sugar

cayenne, to taste if you want more spice

Heat oil with cornstarch in saucepan over medium heat. Cook 1 minute. Add chili powder and cook for another minute. Gradually stir in broth, mixing well with a whisk to make sure you get out the lumps. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer on low until thickened.

Menu Plan Monday

Chilly greetings from middle TN. ! There is a rumor of those rare, elusive white flaky things going around the area here - LOL

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday! We ended up freezing our leftover turkey, as the day after we were gifted with two large whole chickens that needed to be cooked ASAP. What a wonderful gift! I decided to roast one for dinner that night with all the trimmings, and do a "rotisserie" style one in the crock pot. Then I skinned it, easy peasy while still warm, and made chicken salad. I use to do that all the time when I worked in a deli, for ten years! It was soooo yummy for lunch yesterday after church.


Here is the chicken after I skinned it. For crock pot rotisserie simply spray pot with pan spray, put 5 or 6 aluminum foil balls in bottom of pot and cook on low for 6 hours. Don't forget to clean chicken, and season as you wish. I used lemon pepper.

Here is a shot of our roast chicken with all the trimmings, I seasoned with Italian Herb seasoning that I found in a neat new grinder!

This week our menu is much more pedestrian. For more Menu Plan Monday visit www.orgjunkie.com

Monday: Tuna Fettuccine w/ spice oat muffins

Tuesday: Crock pot meat loaf w/potatoes and broccoli

Wednesday: Church/Mom's night off

Thursday: Chicken a-la-king in a crock pot on biscuits

Friday: 15 bean and ham soup w/ garlic bread sticks

Saturday: Crock pot Parmesan chicken w/Hawaiian carrots and corn pudding

Sunday: Mongolian beef on rice w/ salad

Whats for dinner at your house?
Blessings, Beth Ann

Menu Plan Monday

Greetings all from a very wet middle TN. Well got some interesting news over the week-end. Looks like DH family is having a reunion next Aug. I think it is like the first one ever. Glad to get plenty of notice on this as it is being held in WA state, Puget Sound to be exact. LONG trip for us. We figure five days each way in our RV and at least $1000 in gas for both ways. So need to do much praying on this. We were planning a trip out west in about two years for DS graduation, but maybe we can some now and just do Alaska in two years. Much to think about. Unfortunately I am also thinking that gives me about 272 days to try to get a bit healthier and drop a few pounds. Defiantly need prayers in this area. I am thinking of calling it my "reunion renovation project". LOL Will keep you all posted on some of the food changes I make and new recipes I make. Speaking of new recipes, we had the crock pot chicken taco's last night for dinner - delish! So easy to make to:

1 1/2 lbs. boneless-skinless chicken breast, 1 taco seasoning pk., 14oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes.
place chicken in bottom of crock pot, mix seasoning and tomatoes together and pour over chicken. Cook on low 6-8 hours. Shredded chicken and serve in soft tortillas with all the taco trimmings!

Here is what is for dinner at our house this week:

Monday: Pasta Parmesan (Held over from last week where it was call on sickness and moved to this week) with Cesar Salad

Tuesday: Tamale Pie with veggie sticks and home made dip

Wednesday: Crock pot sauerkraut and kielbasa w/creamed onions and spice oat muffins

Thursday: HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Deep fried turkey, , home made cranberries, crock pot green bean casserole, crock pot cranapple cider and onion blossoms for appetizers since we are already frying the turkey. Grandma S and Grandpa D are bringing oyster stuffing, mashed potatoes and gray, and the pies! YUMMY!

Friday: White turkey chili (made with leftovers) w/cornbread and salad

Saturday: Crock pot ham 'n cheese soup w/carrot sticks and garlic bread sticks

Sunday: Country corn blakeyed pea casserole (leftovers from week before) w/ smoked sausage and biscuits.

For more menu plan Monday fun visit www.orgjunkie.com

Whats for dinner at your house this week?

Blessings, Beth Ann

Menu Plan Monday

Hi y'all, hope everyone is staying warm. The mornings are crisp here, the days remind me of spring in MI, short weather - LOL

Well I shared my exciting finds of new recipe/food sites yesterday, so all that's left is to share this weeks menu plan. After reading the $5 dinner blog I took a closer look at my meals, and I need to do better. I know there are more people in my house, but I don't have more money. I thought by having some meatless meals I would save money - no. Dairy prices are thought the roof! Since I am shopping this week for the next two weeks, I am going to spend the next couple days prepping by calculating meal cost and seeing if I can do better. Although I maintain that food is not my biggest expense, it is all the paper/toiletries ect. Even items like new socks and underwear seem to come from my grocery budget. So, will see if I can cut anymore corners (already cut like 5, how many more are there?).

Here is our dinner menu for this week -

Monday: Beef Stroganoff on noodles w/ broccoli

Tuesday: Sesame chicken wings w/ cabbage wedges and corn bread

Wednesday: Church/mom's night off

Thursday: Sloppy Joe w/baked fries and coleslaw

Friday: Ham and Potato casserole w/green beans and spicy oat muffins

Saturday: Home made pizza w/ tossed salad

Sunday: Italian pinto beans w/garlic bread and mixed veggies

For more menu plan Monday visit www.orgjunkie.com

Whats for dinner at your home this week?

Blessings, Beth Ann

Greetings all, another beautiful day in middle TN. Temps to reach around 75 again! Love, love, love this place.

Looking at my monthly planner and it seems this month is full of appointments and obligations too. Every month seems to be. When will things slow down? Last week was crazy and hard to follow at dinner time as well. Between DH and DS work and other activities . . . Ah well, every day is a new chance to spend time in the kitchen with my family and make good food to eat. Easy to become overwhelmed, just take a deep breath and remember God is with you and will take care of you. Just remember what is important . . . family.

For more Menu Planning Monday visit www.orgjunkie.com

This is what is for dinner at our house this week:

Monday: Beef Chop Suey over brown rice w/ pineapple wedges and salad

Tuesday: Italian pinto Bean stew w/ garlic bread sticks

Wednesday: Church/Mom's night off

Thursday: Chicken Tetrazzini w/salad and corn bread

Friday: Zucchini corn casserole w/spiced oat muffins

Saturday: Home made pizza w/ veggie sticks and dip

Sunday: Ham and potato casserole w/ green beans and home made bread

Whats for dinner at your house this week?

Blessings, Beth Ann

Menu Plan Monday

Greetings all. Hope you are all enjoying a wonder fall season. The weather has been fabulous here in middle TN. and only the past couple of days have cooled off. Being from northern MI however I don't mind this a bit. Where I come from (up by the bridge) this still considered short weather - LOL The winters are soooo long and sooooo cold that in the spring as soon as temps in the 40's or 50's roll around, the shorts come out! Ah, good times, good times. LOL

Many fall type activities this week, so a hit and miss menu. For more Menu Plan Monday please visit www.orgjunkie.com

Here is what we are having for dinner this week:

Monday: Eggs and toast (Big kids on Hay ride and DH at work, just me and twins)

Tuesday: Orange Chicken w/rice and mixed veggies

Wednesday: Harvest Party at Church!

Thursday: Mexican zucchini casserole w. quinoa and pineapple slices

Friday: HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Bat wings(spicy), bug salad (raisins), goblin eggs (deviled w/food coloring) and jack o' lantern cheese ball!

Saturday: Home made pizza w/tossed salad

Sunday: Beef Chop Suey w/cashew rice and pineapples & salad

Whats for dinner at your house?

Blessings, Beth Ann

Menu Plan Monday ~ two-fer

Greetings all. Second week of October already!!! My goodness, I can hardly believe it. I can remember everything I said and did on St. Patrick's day, like it was yesterday. Am I the only one who thinks time goes by more quickly the older you get? On the other hand, with the arrival of fall comes more bearable temperatures outside and a break on our cooling bill - hallelujah! It also brings our annual fall trip to S.C and the Atlantic Ocean. We are leaving this Friday for almost two weeks. So I will be posting both weeks of menus. I will be computer free and loving it! When we camp, we camp. No satellites, no mega monster motor homes, no expensive equipment, just the six of us and our two dogs crammed into our pre-loved class c. Basically we park, make camp and only go inside to sleep. We do most our cooking outside and even sit in the rain (which led us to get those nifty plastic runners for the RV from Wal-mart - LOL). When we walk past those 45 ft. MH with the large HDTV outside and their propane fires and ginormous fans, we look at each other and shake our heads. Why are they even camping? I know a lady that thought she was so cool, they bought a 45ft. 5th wheel w/2 baths! Now she doesn't fit into most State Parks. I think she regrets that a bit. On the other hand I know plenty of people who would rather only be at RV parks, big difference than a State Park. There is truly something out there for everyone. Some even view their trailers as status symbols. Us, we view it as a blessing and a great way to travel and have adventures as a family.

Menu's for Oct. 6th - 12th.

Monday: Chicken and wild rice pilaf casserole w/ steamed broccoli and fresh home made bread

Tuesday: Home made portabella egg rolls w/ tossed salad

Wednesday: Church (but eating at home) Grilled chicken breast w/crock pot baked potato and green beans

Thursday: Beef Kabobs w/ rice and salad

Friday: On the road/ Smoked ham with veggie sticks

Saturday: Home made RV pizza w/ chips

Sunday: Crock pot meat loaf w/ potatoes and veggies

Camping menu for Oct. 13th - 20th.

Monday: Chicken Enchiladas w salad and cheese rice

Tuesday: Awesome crab soup w/garlic bread and veggie sticks

Wednesday: Mystery? My birthday (big one) and DH said he would take care of it!

Thursday: Camping chili w/ corn bread and tossed salad

Friday: Hamburgers w/ tater tots and veggies

Saturday: Home made RV pizza w/ chips and salsa

Sunday: Spaghetti w/ garlic bread and salad

Monday: On the road/ Deli fried chicken w/ potato wedges and veggie sticks

I know there are a couple of unusual meals for camping listed. All I can say is that I am trying to cook some of my families favorites and I am using way more pre-pared food than usual. I make almost everything form scratch at home, but I am on vacation too! The difference sure showed up in our grocery bill too! However we don't eat out at restaurants when we camp, so it works out in the was as they say. Like I have mentioned in other posts, we litterly eat while driving down the road! LOL

For more Menu Plan Monday please visit www.orgjunkie.com

See you in two weeks. Blessings, Beth Ann