Menu for week of September 30th

Monday:  Hubby's celebratory dinner at Red Lobster

Tuesday:  Chicken Fried Pork Chops (crock pot), Roasted Asparagus, Macaroni and Cheese

Wednesday:  Turkey Smoked Sausage with Green Peppers and Onions, Yellow Rice, Green Veggie or Salad

Thursday:  Enchiladas, Salad

Friday:  Spasagna (yep, I spelled that right.  It's a copy of Cheddar's Restaurant's dish which is a combination of spaghetti and lasagna!), Salad, Garlic Bread

Saturday:  Crock Pot BBQ Chicken on Buns, Fries

Sunday:  Crock Pot of Ham, Potatoes, and Green Beans, Corn on the Cob, Rolls

Love using my crock pot!  How about you?  Go to http://orgjunkie.com/ for other menu plans and post yours too!  Thanks for stopping by!

Pam

Menu for week of September 23rd

Monday:  (freezer meal)  Taco Casserole, Tossed Salad

Tuesday:  Crock Pot Chicken Fried Chops, Buttered Noodles, Carrots, Slaw

Wednesday:  Chicken Burgers and Fries

Thursday:  (freezer meal) Pizza Spaghetti Casserole, Tossed Salad

Friday:  Chicken Shepherd's Pie, Rolls

Saturday:  (freezer meal) Chuck Wagon Casserole, Tossed Salad

Sunday:  Crock Pot Cajun Chicken, Rice, Green Veggie

Once again I'm taking advantage of my already made freezer meals and my trusty crock pot.  This should be a pretty easy week.

What are you feeding your family?  Go to http://orgjunkie.com/ for many other menu plans.

Thanks for stopping by!

Pam

My favorite tried and true pumpkin recipes!

Here are my favorite pumpkin recipes.  I love pumpkin!

Better than Pie

1 can pumpkin

3 eggs

1 ½ cup milk

4 t. pumpkin pie spice

1 t. lemon extract

½ t. salt

1 cup sugar

1 yellow cake mix

¾ cup margarine, melted

chopped nuts

Mix first 7 ingredients. Pour into greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over then drizzle margarine (or butter) over evenly. Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour. Chopped nuts may be added after cake mix. Top with Cool Whip.

Magic Pumpkin Pie

1 unbaked 9 inch pie shell

16 oz. pumpkin

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 egg

½ t. salt

½ t. nutmeg

½ t. ginger

¾ t. cinnamon

In large size bowl, blend together all ingredients. Turn into shell. Bake 375 degrees 50-55 minutes. Cool. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

4 eggs

2 c. sugar

3 c. flour

16 oz. pumpkin

1 ½ c. oil

2 t. soda

2 t. b. powder

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. salt

12 oz. mini chocolate chips

Beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil. Add flour and spices. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into 24 greased muffin tins. Bake 400 degrees 15-20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from tins.

Butterscotch Pumpkin Cake

1 c. butterscotch flavored morsels

2 c. all purpose flour

1 ¾ c. granulated sugar

1 T b. powder

1 ½ t. ground cinnamon

1 t. salt

½ t. ground nutmeg

1 c. pumpkin

½ c. vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

powdered sugar (opt)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 cup bundt pan. Microwave morsels in small bowl on medium-high for 1 minute, stir. Microwave at 10-20 second intervals, stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Combine flour, sugar, b. powder, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in medium bowl. Stir together melted morsels, pumpkin, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla in large bowl with wire whisk. Stir in flour mixture. Spoon batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake 40-50 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Makes 24 servings.

...and this is something I make all the year round and doesn't really have a recipe.  Here goes...

I box cake mix (sugar free, or regular, yellow, spice, or pumpkin, about any flavor will do. )

Dump cake mix in mixing bowl.  Add one can of pumpkin.  I also like to add about 1/2 cup of water for easier mixing, but you don't have to do this step.  

Mix it all up and bake in muffin tins.  My family gobbles these up. This week I made them with sugar free devil's food cake and even froze some.  They are semi-healthy and very low in calories.  

ENJOY!

Pam

Re-sharing a recipe!

It's that time of year when a lot of us moms like to have freezer meals for those crazy busy days.  Here is a favorite of my family's.  You can find it HERE.  How about you?  Do you have any favorite freezer meal recipes?  I have several in my recipe section here to your right.  Feel free to browse.

Menu for week of September 16th

Monday:  (freezer meal) Chicken Supreme, Tossed Salad

Tuesday:  Japanese Grilled Chicken, Asian Noodles, and Asian Veggies (didn't fix this last week)

Wednesday:  Ham, Broccoli Salad, Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Thursday:  (freezer meal) Chicken Italiano, Pasta, leftover Broccoli Salad

Friday:  Out or Chicken Helper Fried Rice and Veggie

Saturday:  Crock Pot Chicken Fried Chops, Buttery Cooked Carrots, Rice Pilaf

Sunday:  (freezer meal)  Taco Casserole, Salad

There are several freezer meals and crock pot meals on my menu this week. This makes dinner and cleanup so much easier.  Go to http://orgjunkie.com/ for many more menu plans.

Thanks for stopping by.  If you want a recipe, just ask, I'll be glad to post it.

Pam

Anticipation

My favorite time of the year is just around the corner.  I love Autumn.  I can't get enough of the cooler crisper air, the smell of fallen leaves, and smoke from neighboring fireplaces. I love fall decor and those awesome smelling cinnamon brooms for sale, that hit you with their aroma just as you walk into the grocery store.  I love apple cider, hot or cold.  I love Dollywood in the fall.  I love Tennessee football.   I just love it all.  How about you?  Are you as crazy about Autumn as I am?  It will be here before we know it.

Menu for week of September 9th

Monday:  Chili Mac, Corn on the Cob, Tossed Salad

Tuesday:  (freezer meal) Slow Cooker Black Beans, Corn, and Salsa Chicken, Tortillias

Wednesday:  (didn't make this last week) Turkey Meatloaf, Green Bean Casserole, Mashed Potatoes

Thursday:  Japanese Grilled Chicken, Asian Noodles, Green Veggie

Friday:  Fish and Chicken Strips, Oven Fries

Saturday:  Hamburger with Baked Beans (I use ground chicken or turkey), Cheezy Potatoes, Tossed Salad

Sunday:  Smoked Sausage with Peppers and Onions, Brown Rice, Sauteed Zucchini and Yellow Squash

That's my week.  Go to http://orgjunkie.com/ for many more menu planning ideas.

Thanks for stopping by.

Pam

Plans for the week of September 9th

In an attempt to get more things done around my house and to hold myself accountable, I am going to list the things that I would like to get to this week:

l.  Call Vet regarding our cat, Peyton
2.  Shop for groceries
3.  Clean out Fridge (way past due as usual)
4.  Clean Den, rearrange furniture
5.  Catch up laundry
6.  Take bed ensemble to dry cleaners
7.  Work on boxing up excess to take to storage and/or charity
8.  Actually take boxed items to storage and favorite charity at the end of the week
9.  Clean deck

Okay.  That is all I am going to aim for this week.  If I get to all of this I will be happy.

Menu for week of September 2nd

Monday:  Lunch will be at my mother-in-love's and we are having Calhoun's BBQ, a local favorite. For dinner,  I plan on making the Pork Chops Italiano and Pasta, which I didn't get to last week and we will finish that off with a nice salad.

Tuesday:  (freezer meal) Taco Casserole and Salad

Wednesday:  Red Beans and Sausage (recipe below) and Cornbread

Thursday:  Turkey Meatloaf, Green Bean Casserole and Mashed Potatoes

Friday:  We might go out this night.

Saturday:  Stouffer's Rigatoni Chicken and Pesto, Salad or Green Veggie

Sunday:  Creamy Ranch Chicken, Noodles, California Vegetables

That's my week.  How about you?  What are you feeding your family?  Go to http://orgjunkie.com/ to get some ideas.

Thanks for stopping by,

Pam

RED BEANS & SAUSAGE

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 med. diced green pepper

1 med. chopped onion

1 T. oil

2 cans kidney beans, rinse & drained

1 lb.. smoked sausage (turkey), sliced

3/4 c. water

1 t. cajun seasoning

1/8 t. hot pepper sauce

hot cooked rice

Instructions:

In a saucepan, sauté garlic, green pepper & onion in oil until tender, about 5 min.

Add the next five ing., bring to a boil

Reduce heat; cook for 5 - 7 min. or until the sausage is heated through

Serve over rice if desired

It's the first day of September

Yep, it's the start of another new month.  I like fresh new beginnings.  Unlike some, I like Mondays too because it's a chance to start over and begin anew!  I know, I'm weird like that.

I've been struggling to get sleep.  I know that's not new to those that know me but I have just about decided to accept it and that it's not gonna change, at least for a while.  I take melatonin nearly every night in an attempt to fall asleep.  Sometimes I will fall asleep but will only sleep a short while and then I am awake again.  I am awake off and on all night long.  It's frustrating.  Now that Robyn is back in school I have to get up to get her ready for school and drive her to school most days. Hubby does this on his days off.  Several days this week, I drove her to school which is only 10 minutes away, returned home, and hopped back into bed for more zzz's.  You gotta do what ya gotta do.

I was able to do some freezer cooking this week and stocked my freezer with two Chicken Supreme Casseroles. two Pizza Spaghetti Casseroles, two Chuck Wagon Casseroles, Creamy Ranch Chicken, Slow Cooker Black Beans, Corn, and Salsa Chicken.  I still want to make Taco Filled PastaShells and Spasagna this week.  I love having home cooked meals in my freezer to pull out on those days when I just don't feel up to cooking.  They come in so handy.  I also buy Stouffer's family size entrees when they are on sale because they are good and delicious and I don't have to dirty up my kitchen to feed my freezer those.  :D

Robyn is doing great being back at her old school and is making new friends and seeing old ones. She is very happy to be back there.  She is full of self confidence, which I was afraid she might be lacking, having been home through her middle school years being homeschooled.  It makes me very happy to see her smile at the end of the school day.  She now attends the high school class at the Hub on Sunday mornings and is enjoying that as well.  My little girl is growing up!

We went and visited my mom and dad yesterday and had a very nice visit.  I got to see Pepper's siblings and mother and I have to say that Pepper is still bigger than any of them, well, except her mom.  We celebrated my Mom's belated birthday.  She is 82! and very young at heart.  So glad that God has seen to heal her from cancer twice and that she is still with us.  I am so thankful that my little girl has gotten to experience the love of grandparents.  I never did. I wish I had known them.  And she has some fantastic ones!

Hubby is doing well at work and when he is off spends a lot of time studying.  He has orals coming up soon and he has to be studying as much as he can and probably will continue to do so afterwards as it is a continuous learning and refreshing process.  We give God all the glory for this terrific job he has given him.  We are very blessed.

Tomorrow, we are going to my mother-in-love's and going to enjoy some barbecue and relaxing fellowship together.  Then Tuesday it's back to the grindstone again.

Thank you for stopping by.  Please come back again.

Pam