Menu Plan Monday 2/15

Monday- Popcorn Chicken, chicken fries and homemade fries
Tuesday- French Dip Sloppy Joes on homemade rolls with mac and cheese
Wednesday- Barber chicken with white rice
Thursday- Leftovers- French Dip (me), Penne Pasta (son), everything else (my husband)
Friday- Leftovers- Buffalo Chicken Rice (husband) and Mac and Cheese (son)
Saturday- Stir Fry Noodles with chicken
Sunday- Breakfast or Leftovers

This was the first week that I had a few things that I had trouble coming up with at the beginning of the month when I made the menu.  The menu started to look a lot the same but every week I am going to pick a different stir fry like spicy, sweet, and peanut or different types of pasta to mix it up.  I am looking forward to some fun experimenting to mix up the menu a little because it is almost time to make next month's menu already.  I have had a few times over the last few weeks where I had to cross of what we were having and just do leftovers so we might have another leftover night worked into this week but I think that I cleaned out the fridge pretty well so we might not.  I hope that you have a yummy week!!

Keeper of the Stars Book Review

I read other books by Robin Lee Hatcher and was looking forward to reading more when I found the next book that she was coming out with.  Keeper of the Stars (A King's Meadow Romance) by Robin Lee Hatcher was just what I was looking for with a little romance and lots of heart break.  I couldn't wait to dig in and find out if Penny can forgive the man that she thinks is responsible for her brother's death.

Forgiveness is the only cure for heartbreak. But can Penny forgive the man she holds responsible for her brother’s death?  When her mother died from pneumonia, Penny Cartwright was heartbroken. But now, after burying her younger brother just 12 years later, she is devastated. Anger, guilt, and sorrow cloud Penny’s mind, and the last thing she wants is to be reminded of her pain—but that’s exactly what happens when a stranger comes to town.

Trevor Reynolds has been chasing fame for more than a dozen years, but his musical career can’t get off the ground. While on the road, an accident kills his young drummer, Brad Cartwright. Trevor wasn’t behind the wheel, but he still blames himself . . . and so does Brad’s sister, Penny. Now Trevor finds himself in Kings Meadow, determined to follow through on his final promise to his friend.  Still feeling the pain of Brad’s death, Penny and Trevor must learn that forgiveness is the only thing that can heal their hearts. And if they do forgive, something beautiful may rise from the ashes of heartbreak.

I loved this book!!  It was a great written story with great characters.  I was new to the series but I felt like I knew the town and the people because you immediately felt at home in this small town.  It was hard to put down when I got started but I had a lot of things going on over the weekend so it took a little bit to get through the book.  Once I got to the end, I wish that there was more!!  I hate when that happens because you get so invested in the characters that you don't want them to leave.  Getting to know Penny and Trevor will have you wanting to know if there is another one coming soon.... I just don't know because she says at the end of the book that she isn't sure what she is writing next.  I hope that you check out this book at your local library or bookstore as well as others in the Kings Meadow series.  I know that you will love this book and others written by Robin Lee Hatcher as much as I have.  Let me know if you have read this book and others by the author!

**I received a copy of this book for my review from the publisher.  All opinions here are my own.

Thrifty Thursday: Use What You are Given

I don't know about you but I try to make the most of everything that I have whether I purchased it or was given it. My big mission is to not only try to make sure that nothing goes to waste but that I use everything in creative ways.  I have had a few new challenges so I thought that I would share.

 My boss had two oranges that she wasn't going to eat so she gave them to me.  I zested the oranges to use the zest in something later.  I juiced the oranges and mixed it with a little orange juice that I had in the fridge to make a marinade.  I had a few packages of Weber seasoning in the cupboard so I split this into two different baggies and added the orange juice to marinate some chicken.

My boss also gave me a few apples.  My husband ate one of them but the other three got mushy so I cut them all off the core and blended them with applesauce so that I could add more fresh flavor and use the wonderful apples.  I made them into applesauce bread which was yummy!!

I blended the remaining dressing in the blender from the apples and it was amazing!!  I think that my apricot dressing could use a little apple every once in awhile.  I enjoyed it over greens that my mother left with my homemade croutons and blue cheese for a yummy lunch.  I also added the leftover iceburg lettuce from tacos a few days before to use up everything in the fridge.

Then I had another challenge to make something with carrots that my parents bought for me.  My mom said she wasn't sure why but my dad bought them and said they were for me- 2 lbs of them.  It was a huge bag so I didn't want them to go to waste but I normally only eat baby carrots.  I used one in my husband's fried rice but he wasn't really excited by that because he doesn't really like cooked carrots.  I decided that I needed to figure something else out so I asked if he would eat a carrot cake and my husband said that he didn't like the texture of carrots in the cake.  Well, way to make this more challenging.  I peeled and grated the carrots and put them in the blender with the extra apple sauce.  It smelled like fresh apples but looked like pumpkin almost.  I used the regular applesauce bread recipe and it was yummy!!  My husband and son decided that they both liked it!!  I will be making a second loaf soon.

I made some more croutons and when they were nice and hot, I served them with my olive oil pasta to add a little more yummy crunch.  Funny this was that I forgot to take a picture until I ate lots of it so you got a picture when I remembered!!  I put the rest of the croutons in a container to eat later.... they were also the ones that I used on my yummy salad discussed above.

I had a little milk past the date (again) because my son is the only one that drinks milk and it often goes to waste.  I decided to make a batch of rolls.  I made some for my husband's lunch last week and he really enjoyed them.  I tried to make them as hot dog rolls but some of them weren't really long enough so I used them for his sandwiches which was good because the sandwich bread last week was dry which lead to it being used for garlic bread instead of sandwiches.

I was excited to use my molasses that my mother bought with these wonderful gingerbread scones for a special weekend treat that we hadn't had in ages.  Since my son who used to love scones, decided that he no longer likes them, this was a treat specifically for my husband and myself.  I didn't realize until they were headed to the oven that I also had caramel bits which would be amazing so those will go in next time if they last that long!!!

Do you mind throwing out food??  It drives me crazy to waste anything so I try my best not to.  Sadly, the cinnamon pear scones weren't a hit and we didn't eat the whole double batch of chocolate chip cookies that I made during the snow storm so those went into the trash (almost breaking my heart) but hoping that I don't have anything else to waste.

What do you do when you have things that you don't have on the meal plan or things that you don't normally use??  This was my best attempt to not waste anymore but would love any more tips that you use!!

Heads up to Everyone!!!

Somehow my PayPal account just got hacked.  They cleared the account after making a testing deposit in my bank account and billed $150.00 to Victoria Secret which got overdrafted to my bank account and withdrew the rest of the money from my checking account.  Make sure you check your bank accounts and Pay Pal closely and make sure that there are no purchases without your knowledge!!!!

Enchilada Sauce Face Off Competition

I made my normal enchilada sauce to go head to head with another recipe that I found online.  I figured that was perfect for a snow day.  I pulled out the ingredients on the counter to make sure that I had everything.  I used the ground oregano but normally I use the regular stuff but I haven't had any recipes for the ground stuff so I decided that it was time to use it up.

I added the oil and flour to the pan and stirred together.

They mixed together to make a little paste.

I added the seasoning to the pot and stirred until it was really fragrant.  YUM!!

When it all cooked up was a thick paste that I pushed to the edge of the pot.

I measured the chicken broth from the broth that I just made which was super tasty.

When it was mixed, it looked pretty brown but still smelled great.

The other enchilada sauce recipe started with exactly the same other steps but then when I got to this step I added crushed tomatoes before the chicken broth. 

When the enchilada sauce was mixed, it was a little more red but still had a lot of brown.

I put them in containers in the fridge side by side for the test.

I put the sauce in the bottom of the pan and it shows you how different they are in color.

We had the enchiladas that night because my husband said it was torture to smell it all day and then not to get to eat them right away.  The two flavors were different and both good.  We decided that they would be good mixed together so I mixed the extras and put them in the freezer in individual serving sized bags for future use.

I hope that you try them and see what you like for you and your family!!

Red Chili Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose or gluten-free flour
• 4 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/4 tsp. oregano
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Directions:

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir together over the heat for one minute. Stir in the remaining seasonings (chili powder through oregano). Then gradually add in the stock, whisking constantly to remove lumps. Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until thick.

Use immediately or refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to two weeks.

Enchilada Sauce

 

Ingredients:

•  2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional which I don't use)
• 1-2 cups water or chicken broth
• 8 oz crushed tomatoes
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions: 

Heat the oil, flour and chili powder together in a large pot. Allow to cook for a minute or two.

Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a slow simmer. Stir well to combine and dissolve tomato paste in water. Allow to cook for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more spices as desired.

  I hope that you enjoy these yummy and super frugal recipes to make your own enchilada sauce instead of spending the money on a can of enchilada sauce.  We enjoy the red sauce the best but mixing them was also tasty.  Which kind of sauce do you like?

Cream Cheese Frosting

I decided that I would use the rest of the cream cheese from the freezer to make some frosting for my son's birthday cupcakes because I love cream cheese frosting. 

The great news is that I still had some of the Duncan Hines frosting flavors!!  I made Chocolate Almond, White Chocolate Raspberry and Mint Chocolate to flavor some of the icing for the decorate your own cupcakes at my son's party.  I think that I might have to try some of the flavoring in the cake next time!!  YUM!!

I put one block of cream cheese in the mixing bowl with two sticks of butter and mixed with the whisk attachment.

I added 3 cups of powdered sugar which seemed like a lot but mixed in very quickly.  Most of the recipes that I saw called for 4 cups but I started with 3 cups and I was happy.  I didn't add any vanilla because I thought the cream cheese flavor and the added flavor packets was going to be plenty.

I put the mixer on high and let it mix until combined.  There were still a few chunks and I wish that I let it go a little longer but it didn't look like it was making a big difference.

I scrapped the side of the bowl and made sure that it was all combined since some always sticks on the side of the bowl.

It was tasty by itself (per my mother who wanted to eat it with a spoon) but it was super yummy on the Bonnie Butter cupcakes that I made.  I decorate the cupcakes going to my son's school with yellow sugar sprinkles that he made and an M&M on top with the Lego colors for the birthday theme continued. 

For his birthday party, we put them in plastic sandwich bags and cut the corner to easily squeeze so the kids could pick the flavor and it made an easy piping bag without having to give each kid a knife even though I had them on back up if it didn't work.

Menu Plan Monday 2/8

Monday- Salsa Sloppy Joes on homemade rolls with mac and cheese
Tuesday- Barber Chicken with white rice
Wednesday- Popcorn Chicken, Chicken fries with homemade fries
Thursday- Pasta with garlic bread
Friday- Leftovers- Salsa Sloppy Joes, spicy rice, white rice and mac and cheese
Saturday- Late lunch at Little Caesars after bounce house and Breakfast and Leftovers for late dinner
Sunday- Omaha Steaks and Baked Potatoes

I love when I can sit down and plan out the month with the things in the house without too much of a problem.  I got the first two weeks of the calendar filled before we even finished all last month so I was super excited.  The best part was that I had everything in the house to make everything already.  I knew that I had the flexibility to change if I got any great deals but with everything on the calendar, it was a great weight lifted off of me (especially since I didn't get a lot of food last month)!!  I just bought a 5-6 lb package of chicken which I put into four marinades that I made and one bag of cubes and one bag for chicken tacos so for $8.40, I will have six more meals for next month!!

This is going to be a tasty week with all of the fun meals planned.  I hope that you have a tasty week too!!