Oh, my aching back!

I have been having back pain all week. Needless to say, the menu below, was not adhered to. Hubby's cooking skills are not that good. lol He bought Subway one day, made breakfasts, made spaghetti and meatballs (frozen turkey meatballs), sandwiches and soup, etc. He kept us fed but I didn't think he was up to following my recipes. He did all right though. I'm not complaining.

I came downstairs Monday morning long enough to post my weekly menu and decided I would be more comfortable in the chair in my room. I spent the week up there taking pain meds and muscle relaxers (old ones from previous aches and pains) and slept a lot. I watched some DVD's I had been wanting to get to for a while, finished reading a book, and enjoyed those naps!

My back is feeling well enough today for me to come down stairs again and I decided to get on my laptop to see what I have been missing. I didn't take my laptop to my room this week, although I did check Facebook a few times with my daughter's Ipad. The break felt good.

My back is not where it should be, but I am in less pain. Thank you Lord for taking away the pain.

Pam

Menu for week of January 17th

Monday:

B-One Eyed Sailors, Ham
L-Soup, Fruit
D-Dutch Meatloaf, Glazed Carrots, Rice Pilaf (continued from last week)

Tuesday:

B-Cereal and Toast
L-Leftovers
D-Chicken Tetrazzini, Green Veggie, Mayonnaise Rolls

Chicken Tetrazzini

8 oz. thin spaghetti, cooked, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
½ cup milk
2 cups diced cooked chicken
4 oz. can sliced mushrooms
¼ c. grated parmesan cheese

Place spaghetti in buttered 2 qt. casserole. Mix soup and milk. Add diced chicken and drained mushrooms. Combine chicken mixture with spaghetti. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Wednesday:

B-Pancakes and Sausage
L-Leftovers
D-Turkey Burgers, Tater Tots

Thursday:

B-Oatmeal, Toast
L-Soup, Grilled Cheese
D-Spaghetti and Meatballs, Salad, Texas Toast

Friday:

B-Eggs, Bacon, Biscuits
L-Leftovers
D-Freezer Meal-Chicken Kiev, Green Bean Bundles, Mashed Potatoes

Saturday:

B-Toaster Strudel
L-Soup, Fruit
D-Ritzy Chicken Casserole, Green Veggie, Salad

Ritzy Chicken Casserole
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1 can cream of chicken or mushroom soup
1 (8 oz.) sour cream
½ to 1 c. chicken broth
4-6 boneless chicken breasts, cooked
4 oz. butter, melted
Crumble one sleeve of Ritz crackers in bottom of 2-2 ½ qt. casserole dish. Drizzle ½ of the melted butter over the crackers. Mix chicken with soup, sour cream and broth. Pour over crackers. Crush the remaining sleeve of crackers over the chicken mixture. Drizzle the remaining melted butter over the crackers. Bake 300 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Serves 6.

Sunday:

B-Coffee Cake
L-Frank and Cheese Casserole, Green Veggie, Rolls (didn't make this last Friday, did Pigs in a Blanket instead)
D-C.O.R.N. (Clean Out Refrigerator Night)

What's Happening?

Well the South is officially closed due to snow and ice. I am glad on these days that my family is all safe and warm at home. But we haven't done a whole lot. It's like we are frozen as well.

I have done my cooking and kitchen clean up. I have been feeding my family lovely meals from my stocked pantry and fridge/freezers. I may have done one load of laundry. I haven't made my bed in days. I have done well to shower and dress most days.

What have I been doing, you ask? Enjoying some DVD's and reading. It's been wonderful! How about you?

Pam

Menu for week of January 10th

Here is my plan for this week. Expecting snow tomorrow but I have everything I need to get me through the next week's menu and then some. For more menu ideas go to

Monday, January 10th

B-Cereal and Milk, Toast

L-Leftovers

D-Magnificient Casserole, Salad

Magnificent Casserole

2 pounds Lean Ground Beef (I will use ground chicken)
8 ounces Cream Cheese
1 tablespoon Green Pepper -- minced
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1/2 cup Swiss Cheese -- grated
8 ounces Egg Noodles -- (package)
1 pound Cottage Cheese
1/3 cup Green Onion -- chopped
2 cups Tomato Sauce

In a large pan, cook noodles in boiling, salted water until tender. Drain & set aside. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream. Add onion and peppers. Set aside. Brown ground beef & drain any fat. Add tomato sauce to ground beef. Grease 9 x 13 inch cake pan or casserole dish, and arrange the following layers: Noodles, cheese mixture, meat mixture - then repeat. Top with grated Swiss cheese. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Note: If you will be freezing this casserole for later use, you may want to reduce or omit the amount of green pepper and onion which are used, as they have a tendency to get stronger over a long period of time.

Serves 8 (I will make one 8x8 casserole and freeze one 8x8 casserole)

Tuesday, January 11

B-Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins

2/3 c Peanut butter, chunky or smooth
2 tb Butter; melted
3/4 c Sugar
2 Eggs
1 1/2 ts Vanilla extract
1 1/2 c Flour
1 1/2 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Baking soda
1/2 c Milk
6 oz Semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine peanut butter and melted butter; stir until well blended. Mix in sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Combine flour with baking powder and baking soda. Add to peanut butter mixture along with milk and chocolate chips. Stir just until combined.

Spoon batter into 12 paper-lined 2 1/2- to 3-inch muffin tins. Bake 20 to 25 mins, or until muffins spring back when lightly touched in center. Serve warm or at room temperature.

L-Leftovers

D-Home Made Pizza, Veggies and Dip

Wednesday, January 12

B-Eggs, Bacon, Biscuits

L-PB&J Sammies and Sliced Apples

D-Favorite Beans and Rice and Cornbread (a really tasty vegetarian meal)


Favorite Beans and Rice

Vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups cooked red beans (or 1 can)
2 cups black beans (or 1 can)
1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion
1 tsp fresh minced garlic
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 tsp chili powder (use up to 1 tsp if using a mild chili powder)
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook onion to soften and add garlic, being careful not to let garlic burn. Add beans (drained) to skillet. Add tomatoes, corn, chili powder and cumin to skillet. Heat through, lower heat to simmer. Serve over hot rice. Sprinkle with shredded cheese if you wish.

Tips:

If you have the time to let this this simmer a while the better the flavors will blend.This amount will feed a family of 4 for two meals, so I cook once, and eat twice.

Thursday, January 13

B-Oatmeal, Toast or Biscuits with Jam

L-Leftovers

D-Frank and Cheese Casserole (double recipe for leftovers), Corn on the Cob, Rolls

Frank and Cheese Casserole

8 oz. macaroni
2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese(can use reduced fat)
1 cup milk
½ c. finely chopped onion
4 or 5 frankfurters, thinly sliced (can used reduced fat) (I use turkey or chicken franks)
1 t. salt
¼ t. black pepper
1 T margarine
paprika

Cook macaroni, drain and rinse. Put all ingredients except margarine and paprika into greased 2 qt. casserole. Mix well. Dot with margarine and sprinkle with paprika. Bake 350 degrees 45 minutes. Serves 4.

Friday, January 14

B-Pancakes and Sausage

L-Leftovers

D-Fettucine,(with some shrimp for hubby and daughter) Salad or Green Veggie (have a freezer full), Garlic Bread

Fettucini

8 oz. pkg. fettucine or egg noodles
8 oz. cream cheese
½ lb. butter
½ c. noodle cooking water
½ t. salt
¼ t. pepper
½ T sugar
½ c. Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated

Cook noodles. While cooking melt cream cheese and butter over low flame. Drain noodles and add ½ c. of the hot water to the cream cheese mixture. Add salt and pepper and sugar to the sauce. Toss the noodles in serving dish. Top with grated cheese. 6 servings.

Saturday, January 15

B-Muffins (probably those from earlier in the week that I put in the freezer before the family ate them all up)

L-Soup and Grilled Cheese Quesas

D-Dutch Meat Loaf, Green Bean Casserole, Glazed Carrots, Rolls

Glazed Carrots

8 medium carrots
5 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon honey

Cook carrots til tender. In a bowl mix ingredients then pour over carrots.

Dutch Meat Loaf

1 ½ lb. lean ground beef (I will use ground chicken)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 egg
¼ t. pepper
1 c. fresh bread crumbs
8 oz. tomato sauce
1 ½ t. salt

Sauce: 2 T sugar
¾ c. water
½ can tomato sauce
2 T mustard
1 T vinegar

Lightly mix beef, bread crumbs, onions, ½ can tomato sauce, egg, salt and pepper. Shape into loaf in shallow pan. Cover with sauce. Bake 350 deg. 1 ½ hr. Baste loaf several times. Serves 6. This is a tasty meat loaf.

Sunday, January 16

B-Coffee Cake (this is an old Bisquick recipe and very tasty)

L-CP Chicken and Mushroom Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Rolls


Crockpot Chicken and Mushroom Gravy

8 chicken thighs, skinned
1/4 c. white cooking wine
1 can cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
4 oz. can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper

Place chicken pieces in crockpot. Season with salt and pepper. Mix wine and soup; pour over chicken. Add mushrooms. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours.

D-C.O.R.N. (Clean Out Refrigerator Night)

Good Morning Friday

My family is still in bed. I've been up about an hour and had my first cup of coffee and have read God's word for the day. As I look out the french doors onto the deck, I see snow spitting. The forecast is for more snow. It really feels like winter in East Tennessee this year.

I accomplished my grocery shopping yesterday and my meal planning is completed through the month. I just love meal planning. I love feeding my family and trying new recipes. I like knowing my pantry and freezer and fridge contain the foods needed to feed my family. I cannot imagine just flying by the seat of my pants to feed my family. That is just not me. I just wish my daughter would try new foods and like them. I made homemade apple crisp last night and she was appalled that it had cinnamon in it. Cinnamon! And cooked apples! How horrible! Can you believe her? Picky picky.

If the snow doesn't stick, I'm sending husband to Einsteins bagels, with a coupon, to enjoy a little time to himself. I think he will take daughter's ipad with him and peruse employment opportunities as well. He has applied for several more jobs this week and one temp agency has him at the top of their list for upcoming interviews.

As for me, I plan on rebooting the kitchen dishwasher, folding some towels, maybe doing another load or laundry, possibly watching my latest Netflix dvd that arrived a couple of days ago, and just take it easy. I may stay in my jammies all day. Who knows!

Have a fabulous Friday.

Pam

Menu for Week of January 3, 2011

Monday, January 3

B-Free Chick-Fil-a Chicken Biscuits

L-Hearty Black Bean Soup with Rice

Hearty Black Bean Soup

* 3 medium carrots, halved and thinly sliced
* 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 can (30 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
* 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken or vegetable broth
* 1 can (15 ounces) crushed tomatoes
* 1-1/2 teaspoons dried basil
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
* Hot cooked rice

In a 3-qt. slow cooker, combine the first 12 ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or until vegetables are tender. Serve with rice. Yield: 8 servings.

D-Chicken Tater Bake , Fruit and/or Salad
(I'm splitting this recipe into one to eat and one to freeze)

Chicken Tater Bake
12 Servings

* 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/4 cup butter, cubed
* 3 cups cubed cooked chicken
* 1 package (16 ounces) frozen peas and carrots, thawed
* 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
* 1 package (32 ounces) frozen Tater Tots

* In a large saucepan, combine the soup, milk and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through. Remove from the heat; stir in the chicken, peas and carrots, and 1 cup cheese.
*
* Transfer to two greased 8-in. square baking dishes. Top with Tater Tots; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
*
* Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through.
*
* To use frozen casserole: Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Cover and bake at 350° for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours or until heated through. Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).

Well, I ended up not making either of these recipes today. I didn't sleep well and went back to bed at 10:30 and didn't get up until three hours later. I ate my free biscuit. It was spicy! Robert and I ended up having leftovers for dinner and Robyn ate at her aunt's. These recipes will get made another time.

Tuesday, January 4

B-Pancakes

L-Grilled Cheese, Soup and sliced apple

D-Freezer Meal-Cavatini, Green Veggie, Rolls

Wednesday, January 5

B-Oatmeal with raisins

L-Egg Sammies, sliced carrots

D-BBQ Chicken Pie, Slaw, Pork and Beans

Barbecue Chicken Pie
(OAMC 4 meals; 6 servings each)
Serving Size : 24

(I'm only make two meals)

4 refrigerated pie crusts
16 green onions with tops -- about 2 cups; thinly sliced
32 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
12 cups chicken -- cooked and chopped
3 cups barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 425°. Let pie crusts stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Place pie crusts in Deep Dish Pie Plates, gently pressing dough into bottom and up sides; prick bottom. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown; cool completely.

Thinly slice green onions; set aside. Thinly slice half of the cheese. Grate remaining cheese using Deluxe Cheese Grater. Set cheese aside.

Place chicken in Large Micro-Cooker®. Add barbecue sauce; toss to coat. Microwave on HIGH 3-4 minutes or until mixture is hot, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup of the grated cheese and half of the green onions.

To assemble pies, line bottom and sides of crust with sliced cheese. Spoon chicken mixture into crust, spreading evenly. Sprinkle top of pie with remaining grated cheese.

Cool. Put one pie each into 4 gallon freezer bags. Freeze.

To reheat: Preheat oven to 350°. Heat for 30 minutes or until heated through.

Thursday, January 6

B-Omelets, Mayo Rolls, Jelly

L-Soup, cheese and crackers

D-C's Sausage Casserole, Apple Crisp, Rolls

Colleen's Sausage Casserole

1 lb. hot sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 ¼ cup instant rice
8 oz. sharp grated cheese

Crumble sausage in skillet and brown, drain well. Mix sausage, onion, and pepper in a large bowl. Add uncooked rice and then soup. Add cheese last, saving a little to sprinkle on top. Pour into casserole and bake 325 degrees for 1 hour uncovered.

Apple Oatmeal Crisp

3 or 4 medium size tart apples, cored, peeled and sliced
¾ cup rolled oats
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup flour
1 t. cinnamon
½ cup margarine

Spread apples in greased 9 inch pie plate; set aside. Mix oats, sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in margarine with fork or pastry blender. Sprinkle evenly over apples. Bake 350 degrees 35-45 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is crisp and brown. Serve slightly warm. 6 servings.

Friday, January 7

B-French Toast

L-Leftovers

D-Pigs in Blankets, Oven Fries, Veggies and Dip

Saturday, January 8

B-Eggs, Toad in the Hole, Fruit

L-Leftover Soup
D-Layered Enchilada Bake, Salad
(I'm dividing this into two 8x8 pans and freezing one and eating one)

Layered Enchilada Bake

1 lb. lean ground beef (I use ground turkey or chicken)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups chunky salsa
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained, rinsed
1/4 cup italian dressing
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning mix
6 flour tortillas (8 inch)
1 cup sour cream
1 pkg. shredded cheese
*Line 13x9-inch baking dish with foil. Brown meat with onions in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Add salsa, beans, dressing and chili powder; mix well.
*Arrange three of the tortillas in single layer on bottom of prepared baking dish; cover with layers of half each of the meat mixture, sour cream and cheese. Repeat all layers. Cover with foil.
*Preheat over to 400 degrees, bake, covered, 30 minutes. Remove foil. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until casserole is heated through and cheese is melted. Let stand five minutes before cutting to serve.
*If you want to cook later, freeze the assembled uncooked casserole for up to three months. Bake, covered for one hour.
*Try serving it topped with chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce and chopped cilantro.

*Makes 8 servings.

Sunday, January 9

B-Toaster Strudel

L-Crock Pot Ham and Veggies, Mac and Cheese, Mayo Rolls


Ham & Vegetables

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut up
1 lb. green beans, cut up
1 1/2 c. water
1/2 t. salt
1 lb. lean cooked ham, cut up

Place ingredients in Crock Pot in order given. Cover and cook on high setting for 4 - 6 hours.

Note: since this is an old crock pot recipe you might have to adjust the time downward if you have one of the new pots like I have. They just cook hotter and faster. Hope this helps.

D-C.O.R.N. (Clean Out Refrigerator Night)

Happy New Year 2011

I just want to take a moment and wish all may faithful readers (all 3 or 4 of you-lol) a very Happy New Year. My prayer is for our 2011 to be better than our 2010.

2011 is our year to hope.

Romans 15:13 — “So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”