Menu Plan Monday--ALREADY? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

I have only a few words today: Corporate taxes are due 3/15...which means my accountant wants to see something before then. Which means I should have done more sooner; which means I am still procrastinating on SOME things, which was one of my New Year's resolutions.

Which means we are having PB&J for most of this week.

Thank you for your patience. We will commence planning again soon.

Feel free to send me your plan so I can sponge off your efforts. :)

Menu Plan Monday--ALREADY? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

I'm not ready! I'm not buckled in yet!

Monday: Eating at MIL's house--THANK the merciful Lord.

Tuesday: Spaghetti, salad and garlic bread. Cooking on the driveway again. Easy and everyone likes it.

Wednesday: Pizza Hut. Awana is back on after two missed weeks due to measles contamination. So we'll be hustling out the door.

Thursday: Handyman is in charge of dinner, because he was gone all week last week. And it's his turn.

Friday: Rueben casserole that I saw in the newspaper. Haven't figured out where I will bake it yet.

Sorry this isn't very helpful to you all. Can I just encourage you to put something down on paper. It makes all the difference in the world. Seriously. :)

Menu Plan Monday--on Tuesday, or Story of My Life

Yeah, yeah, it's Tuesday. So sue me! Just kidding...I can't remember what I was doing on Sunday afternoon. It might have had something to do with blowdrying a chicken, or cleaning up 3.5 gallons of dog barf underneath my office chair floor protector thingy. I am trying to blot out the entire evening really.

So here's my plan:

Monday: Ate at my MIL's. She roasted a giant chicken in the oven. We had salad, steamed baby carrots, (I added honey.) and baked potatoes. I haven't had a baked potato in about 6 months or more. (BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE AN OVEN.) I don't sound bitter, do I?

I did enter the Lowes Makeover $100,000 giveaway. The finalists will be announced on March 5--which isn't too far away. When I told Handyman, his first words were, "I wouldn't have to do the work." I am imagining what it would be like to go to Lowes with a gift card that has a $100,000 balance. I am sure I could apply some of that towards my favorite contractor...hmmmmm.

Oh! Back to: Menu Plan Monday

Tuesday: I will use some of the chicken meat sent home from MIL's, to make Chicken Taquitos (Whatever you do, don't skip the salt sprinkled on the taquitos before they're baked. Those bites were the very best!)


Wednesday: Grilled Cheeseburger Wraps, which I had posted last week and didn't use.

Thursday: Kung Pao chicken, which I added for last Sunday, but didn't use.

Friday: Spinach and Bacon Frittata and hash browns, which I made last week and enjoyed so much, we are having it again! Woot! Woot! The hens are laying.

Saturday: Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chili

Sunday: WHO KNOWS?!

Reviewing last week's recipes, I want to say that the Ravioli in Sage Cream Sauce was AWESOME! We all loved it. The pecans were the piece you shouldn't miss out on, although other nuts would probably do as well, if you have a preference. It was easy and quick and has already been added to our favorites folder!

Check out OrgJunkie today! She has a great post with linky for her favorite organizing links! It looks chock full of stuff we can all use. And, could I ask y'all to leave a comment? It is fun to write a blog, and more fun to see 50 views for the week; but a real bummer to get absolutely no comments...if you can't think of anything, just say hi! TYVM!

Menu Plan Meltdown: UPDATED WITH FREE STUFF!

Yes, it is past Monday. Yes, I made a menu plan. Yes, it gave me peace of mind. Yes, it is buried in my daytimer and has not seen the light of day. In fact, I admit, I did not even prepare a dinner on multiple evenings this week. Those darn kids, they snack all the time. And when they start thinking about dinner, I have barn chores to do.

I made all the dishes on my menu last week. Actually I had to skip one, because I had three different, very edible leftovers in my refrig and I refused to cook something else. I even gave food away to the neighbors--(it was good soup). I'm just sayin' the effort was there. But this week, I have failed.

Handyman is on a major network show for Superbowl and he isn't home any night for supper. Kids eat without ceasing all day. I feel responsible to feed horses, they can't use the can opener or microwave. So I go to barn, kids fend for themselves.

Here is a good example: Hummus, crackers, organic turkey slices, 2 kinds of kefir, walnuts, craisins and almonds, pomegranate, honey bell oranges, tomato soup, cottage cheese, pickled beets, salsa, chips, chicken nuggets, nitrite-free hot dogs, salad with croutons. There are all kinds of great combos there, for a perfectly satisfying meal.

Staple of choice here: Popcorn. Go figure. No stove, no oven, no problem!

As a special reward for reading all the way to the end: GO HERE to get some FREE printable worksheets to help you get organized! I'm downloading them now! You should too. :)

Menu Plan Monday

Okay, this is about my fifth week putting together a menu on Sunday afternoon. And it helps tremendously with my sanity, because I DONT HAVE A KITCHEN right now. Therefore, my meals need to involve NO ovens and very little stovetop, since I use one burner on my driveway.

So here it is:

Monday: Crock pot chicken with biscuits

Tuesday: Crock pot pizza

Wednesday is Awana--so grilled cheese and tomato soup

Thursday: Bacon Ranch Chicken over noodles

Friday: Jambalaya

Saturday: Pasta Fagioli soup

Sunday: Quiche, which I will bake at my mother'in'law's

Ahhh, I don't have to think about this again.

I am sad, though, that football season is drawing to a close. :*(

Hard to Admit

I didn't want to mention this to anyone, because then it would be "out there", admissable. I have become a remodeling wimp. My chops are sagging. For so long I have fancied myself quite the tough girl, capable, strong, fearless, adaptable. But alas, tis but a ruse. I am a pansy in disguise.

Without my own bathroom, I whine and fuss and it's embarrassing. And currently, it is almost like that scene in The Money Pit, where Shelly Long opens the medicine cabinet and the workman on scaffolding on the other side hands her her birth-control pills.

I have a realistic-looking sink. In fact, it would be a real sink, IF IT WEREN'T DISCONNECTED! So I put on make-up at the mirror, listening to the chatting workmen on the other side of the wall. Then I notice the toilet sitting across the room, in pieces and I remember...I DON'T HAVE A BATHROOM OF MY OWN ANYMORE. I share with two girls who make my goats look neat. This isn't pretty, so I'll stop now. (But wait until the middle of the night, when I have to go down two flights of stairs, down the hall, past two large windows, into the bathroom with the COLD TILE FLOOR I HATE!!)

Today the contractors put in two gigantic beams in our garage ceiling. When they built our garage 24' 2x8's for floor joists were allowed...not anymore Paduwan. So up went the uber-beams. And the Jumanji-hole in the floor of the back room is now full with concrete. Tomorrow, the day the first rain in a month is due to come, they will be building out some dormer on the outside before they start cutting through the roof underneath. And they have to frame up the new stairs to the back room. Which will have to get a new name...back room = storage place we love to hate.

In the meantime, the gals and I are having hommus for supper, with cheese sticks, the occasional chicken nugget, bagel, microwave popcorn and tomato soup that I cooked in an electric skillet (courtesy of my SIL). For a treat last Sunday, I cooked macaroni and cheese in a 3-gallon pot on a propane burner in my driveway!

Maybe Grandma will take pity on us again...and hire a plumber.

Where's your limit?

Having been without a kitchen for over a month now, I've been feeling a little smug. I've managed to feed a family without a stove or oven, and even had company (kin) over several times. But I may have reached my limit.

On Friday, I came home from work to find that Handyman had dismantled my master bath. This after assuring me on Thursday evening, that he would NOT, I repeat NOT, be "getting into all that" without a few days warning, so I could empty the bathroom of the tubs of linens, plants and 15 years worth of Fine Homebuilding and This Old House magazines, strategically placed near the throne.

Yes, this is the same husband who asked if he could have $500 to replace the icky 30-year old wood sidewalk, and then sweet-talked me into a new roof and two new dormers BEFORE he could do the sidewalk.

Now, keep in mind that the plumbing for the master bath runs through THE KITCHEN CEILING. So, it really does make perfect sense. Sort of like replacing the roof before we put in a new sidewalk. I understand, really.

But now, my comfort has taken a serious hit. I can cook outdoors. I can cook at my MIL's, a mere 3-miles away. I am adept at quite a few things without any cooking. But this whole "go downstairs in the night for a potty break" is going to push me right over the edge, and quickly. Can't brush my teeth upstairs either.

He offered to give me a 5-gallon bucket with a seat on top. I offered him a sleeve of saltines and a jar of peanut butter for supper. We're pretty sure we've bitten off a heimlich-sized chunk of remodeling...but IT's TOO LATE NOW! We can't sell it like this...we have to keep going.

Menu Plan Monday--AGAIN!

Well, I'll keep it short...I did find the world's best Mac'n Cheese recipe, from Fine Cooking, and have made it twice. Not so hard and so rewarding to make something everyone ooh's over.

But today was Pancakes and Bacon! Costco has a new mix from Krusteze that is whole grain, with flax seeds. They were pretty darn good. Made a big batch and put some in the freezer.

Tuesday: I'm thinking Baked Potato Soup with Salad.

Wednesday: It is pizza night at Awana this week, so we'll be eating there! Yea.

Thursday: Salmon Patties and french fries

Friday: Chicken Parmigiana or Fettucini Alfredo from Pioneer Woman. Depends on whether I can find chicken in the freezer or not.

Gotta go watch the weather now, but at least I have a basic menu plan down for the week. What about you??

Foodies, Take Note

My friend Needa has FINALLY started a food blog. Needa's prowess as a cook is in a stratosphere all its own. Let's just say that when we did 30 Day Gourmet, I was the head dishwasher, okay.

After begging and pleading for months and months, she has finally agreed to put some of her best stuff on the web...so RUN to her new blog, The Four Sales Eat, and partake. You won't be sorry!

And ask her about her chicken pot pie recipe, or her chicken sausage recipe, or her enchilada recipe, or her peanut sesame noodles, or her son's boy scout cake, or her State Fair winning chicken fingers, or

Finally...

I know, I know, it's been almost two weeks--but hey! I just found the camera in the purse I carried at the wedding and then I had to find new batteries to even get it going and today is #3's fifth birthday and I have made two trips to two ER's this month and Handyman is on location for ETERNITY and tomorrow I am hosting a princess birthday party for 7 and I can't find my mascara, okay???

Anyway, here's a glimpse...



More to come...if I survive the Princess-fest!

Okay, it looked so pretty, I wanted to add one more...



I can't decide who the prettiest girl is...


(Anyone who has made the chicken "drumsticks", please report in!)

I can't believe I ate this...

My mother, the health nut, the woman who started buying raw milk out the back door of a dairy back in 1979; the woman who started a cheese co-op for her friends and had cheese delivered in a semi; the one who planted a garden that was larger than the footprint of her house; the one who made her own tooth powder in the '70's and has never lived it down; that same woman made supper for us the other day--and thank heavens! because we were getting hay...

ANYWAY!--she showed up at my house with a bowl of her amazing potato salad and a big ole pile of chicken legs. Next thing I know, after we returned the hay elevator to its rightful home and I drove across the county to pick up #1 and a neighbor at the living history museum; and then I picked up #2 at a friend's house and then we ran out of gas right before a major intersection and the friend's mom brought us gas and it didn't help and she then drove us home; and I took the neighbor boy home (and saw a Percheron being ridden down the road); the house smelled so good and there was a glorious pile of golden, crispy chicken legs on the table.

We proceeded to reduce the pile at a rapid rate with everyone commenting on the yumminess and crunchiness and how great these were AND they were done in the oven, Wow! They had parmesan cheese in the crust, I knew, because she had used all of mine. But the mystery ingredient...the mystery ingredient from Mrs. Healthfood-Before-Healthfood-Was-Cool...are you ready for this???

Crushed pork rinds.

'nuff said.

P.S. If anyone's interested I'll post the recipe--I'm sure we'll be having it again--although I have never bought pork rinds before, honest.

This recipe can be found in "Back to Protein". The Low Carb, No Carb, Meat Cookbook by Barbara Doyen.

Oven Fried Chicken w/variations

Trace or no carbs 4 or 5 servings

Seasoned Pork Rind Coating (see below)
1/2 cup melted butter (or olive oil) I have used Smart Balance and all was well
1 large chicken, cut up, Or two smaller chickens, with our without skin (I use all legs or strips)

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg or a convention oven to 325 deg.
2. (See below) Mix together the pork rinds, cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Place in a small pie pan.
3. Melt the butter in the microwave for 30-40 seconds on high. Pour into another small pie pan.

4. Coat a rack in a baking pan or a foil-lined baking pan with vegetable oil spray. Or use a broiling pan, coated with vegetable oil spray.

5. Dip the chicken pieces in the butter, then in the pork rind mixture, and place the coated pieces on the rack or baking pan.

6. Leave the pan uncovered and bake for 75-90 minutes or convection bake for 60-75 minutes, or until well-done and serve.

OPTIONS:

Variation #1 If you want more spiciness use the barbecue variety
1 cup ground pork rinds (I just open the 5oz bag, hold closed loosely and smash with my fist or soup can or rolling pin)
1/3 grated Parmesan or Romano cheese or a combination of both
1 tablespoon parsley
½ to 1 teaspoon salt
¼ to ½ teaspoon pepper

Variation #2
Follow above recipe, except make the pork rind mixture as follows:
1 cup ground pork rind
1 teaspoon summer savory OR substitute 1 tsp garlic powder OR 1 tsp paprika for the summer savory
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Sooooooooooeeeeeey!

Menu Plan Wednesday NOT

Okay, the menu plan worked really well last week. This week is already a train-wreck headed for the terminus. Sunday morning I woke to that too-familiar sound, a low whuffing noise; I leaped from my bed to see what was the matter and stepped into warm dog barf! So began my day, which included taking three kids to church without their dad to ride shotgun, but it went well. We even got a parking spot in the shade! What a blessing.

Anyway, I tried not to do housework on Sunday, TRYING, STRUGGLING to have a shabbat, which somehow means that there are mountains of sweaty laundry for Monday morning. So, I'll just plan my menu on Monday, right?

On Monday, we were all scheduled to work the food booth at the 4H Fair in the evening. I had to leap out of bed to race to meet a friend of #1 before her mom took off for work. Then we all headed to the fair in the afternoon. We went a little early to walk around and see all the animals we could not see when we had two dogs with us earlier in the week. It was then I found out that my watch battery must be going, because it was 15 minutes slow. So, off to the food booth we went and only had to work a 2-hour shift. So supper was several varieties of fried, dipped, powdered stuff. Yum!

Okay, I'll do my menu planning on Tuesday. Tuesday morning was spent cleaning #2 and #3's landfill--I mean--room. Got that done before noon and issued proclamations that they were not to mess this room up the rest of the week, since we have friends coming to house-sit over the weekend. Of course that means that they will decimate several other rooms instead.

#1 got a ride to the historical museum where she is a costumed "interpreter", so she was gone all day. Then Tuesday evening I loaded #2 and #3 and their two friends into the car for a few errands on the way to pick up #1 and our neighbor's two children. We stopped at the library and the bank and made our way to the 4H Fairgrounds, where it was exhibit pick up night. That meant that every person who showed at the fair was there, in this two-hour window, to pick up their exhibit. Sooo, the parking lot was crammed. As I pulled in, a friend called to ask if I could pick up her daughter's exhibit--sure, no problem. First, I had to drag 2 four-year olds and 2 9 year-olds through the parking lot, find the right building, request the poster (didn't know the grade of the child, for sure and didn't know what the poster looked like--I did point to the 4 yr. old friend who was with me and said "It has three pictures of her on it.")

Found it, signed it out and headed to our food booth to buy leftovers at a bargain price. Got 15 lemons, 6 green peppers and 4 bags of 12 ct. hot dog buns for $11. Then passed another friend in another building who said #1's grand champion picture was available to be picked up in ANOTHER building. Dragged 4 kids, 4 packs of buns, 15 lemons, 6 green peppers and a photography poster across the grounds to another building where I deposited them all on a park bench outside said building and retrieved said pictures. Then back into the sea of parked cars, many with teen drivers and lots of big pick-up trucks, where we buckled in a headed down the road to pick up three more kids to begin our drive for home. Every seat belt taken with sweaty children, I was reminded of my dinner plans, or lack thereof...

Menu plan Tuesday--pancakes, with blueberries if desired. Then I harrassed everyone into bedclothes before sundown (which occurs somewhere around 10:45 pm) and read Journey to the Center of the Earth until I was hoarse.

Oh, I forgot to mention that the power went out in a storm on Monday night, around 2:30 am. I used my indiglo watch to find the electric bill, read the phone number and dial on our one corded phone, to report the outage. Usually when I do this, the computer "reads" my phone number and automatically records my outage, no big deal. That night, it said press one for power outage, which I did. Then we went to a new menu at the end of which it said, "If you are calling to report a power outage, hang up and dial blah blah blah blah blah." Now at 2:30 am, in the pitch black, on a phone with a really short cord, your options for writing this number are pretty limited. I praised God for my crazy talent for remembering numbers and dialed again by the light of my watch!

This time it said, "If you are calling about a power outage, please enter your ten-digit phone number." ?? What?! It never says that. So I entered it, by the LIGHT OF MY WATCH! (Note to self, get a phone with glowing numbers!) It said, "We're sorry, we cannot locate your file." WHAT?! WHAT is this all about??! So, I think to myself quickly "Did I enter my old number, from six years ago? Did I enter my cel phone number or Handyman's SSN? What is the deal??!?? So I re-enter the number I fully believe to be correct and it says "We're sorry, we cannot locate your file. Please hold for the next available operator."

You have got to be kidding me?! It is 2:40 in the morning; I am standing in the pitch black while the storm rolls on around me. Handyman has to be up at 5:30, if he's even sleeping now. So, I hold. And I hold and I hold more. I actually doze standing next to the desk, listening to music, thanking God that is not old Fleetwood Mac songs, repeatedly. After ten minutes of this, I want to scream, but I do not. I do call Handyman to find a flashlight, and find the phone book to make sure I have not dialed some outsourced number that is ringing in New Mexico or New Dehli, where one operator is on his/her donut break.

He bumbles around, trying to use his cel phone as a flash light, can't find the white pages, complaining that the office is a "pig sty", which it is not. We just do a lot of "business" in here. Finally, he finds the white pages, we look up the utility company and bingo! It is the same number where I have been holding now for 15 minutes because they "can't find my account." They don't have trouble finding my account when I send the money in...

An operator comes on the line; I try not to imagine her with powdered sugar all around her mouth. I try not to scream. I do say "Good grief!" at the beginning. She says over 1800 people are out of power and that's why the computer was unable to locate my account. Whatever! Takes my address. I fall back into bed, thanking God for my indiglo watch. (Note to self: Buy bigger watch.)

So, you can see how this, as the precursor to the trip to the fairgrounds with four children, buns, fruit, poster, etc, was a launch pad for pancakes for supper...

Menu Plan Wednesday: #3 woke up barfing at 5 am. Thankfully, it was not 2 am. It was only teeny barf, because I know the pancakes are far past her tummy. Maybe she caught something from the dog?? All I know is the farrier is coming at 8:30 (came at 8:10), so I have to get up and get dressed and find my check book. No swimming today after all.

#3 is supposed to be the flower girl in a wedding in St. Louis this weekend. She better buck up pretty quick...

Results are in...

With apologies to #1, I only have pictures of #2 and Princess Tashi during the agility show for today's post. I was the ring steward in the Novice ring where #2 was showing. #1 was showing two rings away from me and I could not leave to photograph her, sooooooooo her pictures are all trapped in an ancient format call "film" that will require me to actually drive my SUV somewhere--increasing my carbon footprint, drop off a long roll of celluloid that must not see any light, wait for several hours and then retrieve said pictures. What a hassle! But they should be great when we get them.

#1 and Tucker the Wonder Dog, were champions in Standard Agility and Obedience and blue ribbon in Jumpers Agility, AND GRAND CHAMPION in Agility overall! Hoooooooweeeee! All that jumping up on the dining room table must have helped! ;)

#2 and Tashi the Princess, in their first year of competition, received blue ribbons in Standard agility, Gamblers agility and in Obedience, even though Tashi tried to nip at the judge--several times--during stand-for-examination. Her sit-stays and down-stays were perfect; so that carries a lot of weight and covers a multitude of "standing" violations. :)



The menu plan was a terrific help! I stuck to it through Friday, except we DID NOT eat fast food at the dog show Monday night. I decided we weren't spending more money because we had taken ourselves out to eat on the weekend before, on the spur of the moment, and it cost us $50 at a very modest hometown Mexican place. Sooooo, it was PB&J with some snacks thrown in. At the end of the night, the little food booth was giving away nachos with meat, as we were beginning to tear down the rings, so that helped out.

This week will be a little wild--we're supposed to pick up a small amount of hay tomorrow, still have shopping to do for upcoming wedding getaway weekend and get house prepared for house-sitters (friends who want to try out the whole hobby-farm thing).

Menu Plan Monday

I am trying something new--goodness knows, if I write it down, it tends to happen; so I'm making a plan for this week...

Monday: This will be EEEEEEEEEK! fast food of some sort because we will be at the dog agility show until who-knows-when tonight. The kids will love it--I'll be burping...

Tuesday: Fuss Free Ravioli and Cheese Bake that I got from The Organizing Junkie website. Doesn't look like it could be any easier, unless it came with a maitre'd. We'll have garlic bread, of course, and a salad.

Wednesday: 5 Minute Southwest Layered Salad, also from Organizing Junkie's list, served with guacamole.

Thursday: This is also a dog-show night for us, so I'm doing a homemade quiche and Spinach Salad, so we can eat early and head for the fairgrounds.

Friday: Broiled Tilapia with a parmesan/butter/mayo topping and fettucine. This is an old recipe that was intended for walleye. The recipe makes more than enough for fish fillets so awhile back, I spread the extra on pasta, and yum! A rare, successful culinary experiment. I'll probably be able to whip up a rhubarb pie tonight as well.

I also want to improve on our breakfasts, and our lunches for that matter, since my children do not eat sandwiches, other than peanut butter. But, that will be another day. I've had a horse with a teeny bit of colic this morning and been to the fairgrounds to set up the dog agility rings for tonight. I have grocery shopping to do and a shower to take.

Wish me luck! Need more coffee...

Valentine's Day dinner

Hooooooweee, did we have one. Handyman can be a master in the kitchen. We got our Costco rebate check and decided to blow some of it on real meat, as opposed to what we eat most of the time, chicken, chicken, Laura's lean, but low-flavor, ground beef and the occasional fish thing. So he picked up some slabs of beef tenderloin and we yanked out a Fine Cooking magazine from Christmas that we had lusted after.

We roasted a whole head of garlic for garlic-mashed potatoes (from Pioneer Woman this week); he marinated some shrimp in red wine vinegar, olive oil and cajun seasoning and then grilled them for an appetizer. I found some asparagus in the drawer, that was still good! and I broiled them with a little olive oil and kosher salt. There was our usual salad, which was certainly the least important part of the meal, and a bottle of Dancing Bull red zinfandel. I confess, I had planned to make Pioneer Woman's chocolate sheet cake, but didn't get back from the grocery and barn soon enough to make that happen. Fortunately for me, we were too stuffed anyway.

I don't have a picture of the shrimp because they were gone VERY quickly. Here is the magazine from which we took our recipe:

and here is an actual un-retouched (because I haven't learned Photoshop yet) picture of Handyman's dinner plate:

The pool of white next to the steak is a creme fraiche-dijon (fresh cream for those of you in Rio Linda) sauce that was AWESOME. The meat had a crust of fennel seed and rosemary. Yum, yum. I dipped my asparagus in the sauce, and my potatoes, oh, and my fingers. Way too good. The kids liked the meat, as long as it wasn't too pink and we didn't use the word "cow". They loved the asparagus, especially #3, who pretends she is a rabbit. And mashed potatoes are always a hit--Thank you pressure cooker!

My man, he can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and never, never, never, never forget he's a man!