Thanksgiving on the Homestead

Tomorrow we will have a national day of thanksgiving and celebrate it with lots of food.  Do people really understand the reason for this holiday?  Yes, we've all heard the stories of the pilgrims and the Indians and the first feast, but now it seems that most just want turkey and goodies and football.

At our house, we have the feast but we also have a tradition of prayer and verbal thanking God for our blessings.  We go around the table and each person says at least one reason that they are thankful this year.  It can be a riot with the little guys, but the older ones seem to take it seriously.  And as much as I hated being put on the spot with this tradition when I was younger, it is the one thing I remember and carried into my married life besides the pre-dawn turkey baking wake up call.

So tomorrow, when the feasting is beginning, take a moment and recall all that you are thankful for.  Imagine that tomorrow you might wake up with only the things you thanked God for today. 

Menu:

Roasted turkey: I slather mine in butter by placing it under the skin and inside the cavities.  I usually throw an onion and garlic in there, too.  I'm not really one for stuffing, and only one of my kids likes it, so we are Stove Top Mix people.

Mashed potatoes and gravy: I hate making gravy so I will take the drippings from the turkey and use a gravy mix.  Look ma, no lumps!  I prefer Yukon Gold potatoes, but I think all I have are russets.

Yam Casserole with Marshmallows: I just found this recipe and thought it looked so yummy!  We are going to try it, since everyone in my family just decided that they actually like yams.

Green Bean Casserole: the good old fried onion topped kind.  Yums.

For dessert we will feature homemade cherry cheesecake and double layer pumpkin pie.  I'm looking forward to that last one!

Menu Plan Monday on Sunday

It's true.  It's only Sunday night and I don't feel like eating dinner yet, so I'm working on making our menu for this next week.  The thing is, our baby is due just about any day and I really wish she'd come NOW NOW NOW, but I gotta do what I gotta do.  So I've picked a few recipes that are new for me and look good.  Of course, when baby makes her appearance, all is subject to change.

On to the list!

Chicken, broccoli and rice with cheesy creamy sauce
This is one I am kind of going to make up as I go along.  I have other recipes like this that I like, but the craving for chicken with cheesy broccoli goodness is high.

Pork tenderloin, white bean, kale soup

I found the recipe for this when searching for high iron recipes.  I don't have tenderloin so I will use pork roast.  I am also going to use great northern beans and spinach as substitutions.  Hubbers couldn't find kale at the grocery store when I sent him.

Hoisin Glazed BBQ Pork Ribs

I was looking for a rice cake recipe and ran across this site and found this beautiful pork rib recipe. It looks so good!





Sweet & Sour Stir fry with Egg Drop Soup

The kids love this egg drop soup so much that even the double recipe leaves them asking for more.  I love the sweet & sour chicken because I just do!  I will add veggies into the recipe to stretch it a little further with the hungry hordes around here.


Pizza

Homemade, of course.  I've been liking artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and onions on the adult pizza that I make.  Also bell peppers... ummmmm!  The kids get regular old pepperoni or plain.

leftovers

Hard to believe, but there are occasionally leftovers around here.  If there aren't, then we'll do some version of breakfast: waffles, french toast or something.


Rosemary Chicken with White Wine Sauce

And doesn't this look great!?  I have a lot of chicken in the freezer after a great buy at the store a few weeks ago.  I will use cooking wine instead of the full monty alcohol version.

And just for kicks, I'd love to try this dessert:


Lime Melt Aways

They sound like lime butter cookies.  And I do love me some real buttah... And lime is heavenly.  I do need to get a better juicer, though.




More than 300 others post weekly to the Menu Plan Monday site, hosted by Org Junkie.

 Make sure you stop by!



Images courtesy Morgue File

Menu Plan Monday - Almost Mardi Gras!

I am always menu planning and reaping the rewards of saving money, but I never seem to get my post up in time to benefit from the traffic generated by Org Junkie's wonderful MPM linkies! Yes, I'm number 254 on the list.

And since I'm currently avoiding my homeschooling offspring, I'll have just enough time to post my menu for this week. I'm not including lunches here since I don't bother much planning on that. The kids never much like what I make anyway.

So, here's what is for dinner this week!

Pot Roast - I found a roast hiding in deep freeze and decided that it's time has come. I will plop that thing in the crock pot and throw in a bunch of wilted old veggies and some key spices and VOILA! a pot roast fit for the picky royal family.

Tilapia - I thought I was buying tilapia fillets, but I was looking at price, not specifics, so I got a package of three whole, cleaned tilapia. So we're having fish with heads I have to cut off first. I just hope there's no guts involved. I'll add rice (maybe curried?) and a salad and maybe some veggies.

Spaghetti - This is my fall back when I have nothing better to make. I make a homemade sauce with diced tomatoes and sometimes mushrooms and other veggies. Have you tried that store sauce with green and black olives? It was pretty good and maybe I'll make that this week. I will sometimes buy meatballs to go into this, but the last few I've had have been mushy and icky. Meatless meal for this week. I'll also make some homemade french bread to go with it, courtesy of The Family Homestead breads cookbook.

Burritos - The kids love this meal. A can of refried beans, a can of black beans, a splash of tomato sauce, a can of petite diced tomatoes, and some Southwest Seasoning from The Pampered Chef, heat and enjoy. Add any and all cold veggies to a tortilla and maybe some cheese and sour cream and it's a hit around here.

Leftovers - Some call them planned overs, I call it easy. Lots of what I make ends up in Hubbers' lunch the next day, but we will have enough for a leftover meal of lots of different goodies most weeks.

Appetizer Night - We take the kids rollerblading on Saturdays most of the day and by the time we get home it's dark, cold, and they are starving. One night we found ourselves at the grocery store looking for something quick to eat and Hubbers came up with the idea of appetizers for dinner! We got cans of sardines, clams, assorted other small nasty fishes and meats in cans, crackers, cheeses, and enjoyed a great night. It's been more than a year since we've done this and since Oldest suggested it, I decided it was great. I am stealing Org Junkie's Broccoli Cheese soup idea for this night, too.

Did I say that Oldest has been helping me plan menus lately? It's great to have another brain to help randomize what we're eating. She has her favorites (burritos, tuna noodles) and will often suggest them to me in lieu of something "new". Since both of those meals are fairly inexpensive and healthy, I often add them to our list.

BBQ Chicken - I had to buy some chicken wings for a science dissection project for Oldest. Did you know that you can't buy just ONE wing? It has to be a whole pack. I bought the smallest amount available, but I still have six chicken wings to do SOMETHING with. I will feed them to the kids in this form, since anything smothered in BBQ sauce is appetizing to them. I'm thinking of adding homemade oven fried potatoes and a big salad alongside.

I'm still in the maintenance phase of my diet. I'm proud to say I'm down 19 lbs and holding but I'm also being careful about what I'm eating. No sugar or starches, so some of the things the rest of the family is eating won't be on my plate in the same version.

Next weekend we will be going to St Louis for our Winter TEAM convention so I'm trying to be very frugal with my menus. We're riding a tour bus out there, but I have to take along Baby Boy, who at 19 months isn't yet weaned, and Oldest girl to watch him during the meetings in which babies are strictly verboten. We're dropping the other kids with Grampa Jim and Gramma Jo and they will enjoy that.

I guess I've hid down in the basement for long enough. Time to get back to the homeschool grind. Wish me luck and patience! And happy Monday.

Menu Plan Monday - 2nd Week of December

I hate to admit it, but we're junk bomb people. That is, my house always looks like a junk bomb exploded inside. I don't WANT to be a junk bomb person.

I've started to read FLY Lady's Sink Reflections book. I'm hoping that the second time I try her system (half heartedly the first time around) it will work. Obviously something has to change. I'm shepherding a family of 7 in a 1400 square foot house! YIKES! And since a new house is down the road somewhere (good heavens - how many years have I been saying that? At least 4.) we'll just have to make do.

Hubbers keeps telling me that people in the past have raised more kids with less space than us. He should know. He's got lots of siblings - 7 brothers and sisters. God Bless my mother in law.

What does that have to do with the title of my post? Not one thing, but it's my blog and I'll tell you all the boring details of my life if I want. According to Blogger I have, brace yourself, 2 whole followers!! Now, on to my delightful menu!!

Italian Chicken
Crockpot Meatloaf
Quiche
Leftovers
Spaghetti
Pizza
Turkey White Bean Chili

That chili was SO good with a snick of sour cream mixed in the bowl, we just have to have it again. And since we're FINALLY out of turkey, I'll use some chicken.

Organizing Junkie hosts MPM each week and when I visited her a week or so ago, I found 350+ participants!! Whoa - you'll never run out of yumminess.

Menu Plan Monday - Thanksgiving Leftovers!

I knew that I bought a large turkey - 20 pounds because we had people coming to share.

Not a one grown up came. 2 neighbor kids, but no adults other than us. Thankfully we like turkey and the leftovers are coveted. Also a good thing that I came up with a winner bunch of recipes for turkey leftovers!

The Prepared Pantry is a store in our general area and WONDERFUL! The turkey recipes came from there.

Now, onto my menus:

Porcupine Meatballs
Italian Chicken
Turkey Broccoli Quiche
Turkey Supreme
Turkey White Bean Soup
Leftovers
Spaghetti
Pizza

Back to school, back to the grind, back to real life. This week has been nice - just the family at home together. But I'm ready for Hubbers to go back to work and the kids to school. Yes, it's time.


Organizing Junkie hosts this awesomeness each week. You can pick up literally hundreds of great recipes there weekly.

Menu Plan Monday - Thanksgiving Week

I'm so rotten at getting on the computer lately that posting my menus has fallen by the wayside. It's taken me 4+ months to get somewhat back to myself after the birth of BB.

Anyhoo, here's my menu for Thanksgiving Week, 2008.

Chicken Artichoke Casserole
Porcupine Meatballs
Spaghetti (doesn't require trip to grocery store - I'm too tired to make it!)
Italian Chicken (chix marinated in Italian dressing)
Potato Leek Soup
Thanksgiving Dinner - Pumpkin Cream Pie for dessert!
Leftovers

Even though I haven't participated in, oh, 4 months, Organizing Junkie hosts MPM each week.

8 Weeks and Menu

I'm trying to take a picture each month with BB and this cute little bear. Here's his 8 weeks shot - not so great because he's sleeping, but still cute.



He's smiling and laughing now, and sometimes even at me! He graced Oldest Girl with some of the first real smiles (the bum) but has progressed now to smiling at the whole family, even daddy, who mostly gets cried at.

Yes, even though I'm not posting menus just now, we're still eating. Tonight we had Fish Tacos courtesy the Rachael Ray website. We'll be having, in no particular order, Sour Cream Meatloaf, Fuss Free Swiss Steak, Chicken and Artichoke casserole, leftovers, Easy Beef Stroganoff and I can't remember what the last thing was... I also indulged in Iowa Zucchini bread this weekend and some easy apple crisp. I think you can find some of these recipes on my food blog.

Have a wonderful week!!

Menu Plan Monday - Baby Week!

Still cooking from the Whole Foods for the Whole Family by La Leche League International (same as last week) as well as some recipes I've garnered elsewhere.

Veggie Manicotti
Chicken Wellington
Easy Beef Stroganoff
Homemade Pizza
Sandwiches and Chips
leftovers

Ranier Cherries are on SALE this week - my favorite kind of cherry - so we'll be having fresh cherries, too. If I can make room in the fridge, we'll also get some watermelon. This seems to be the favorite summer treat of the kids; a nice, healthy choice!

I so much like the summer fruit selection and I'm SO excited to teach my kids that fruit or veggies are a great snack choice! No on ever taught me that and it's hard to change my lifetime habits.

I will be in the hospital having this baby at SOME TIME during this week, plus the kids will be in SLC starting Friday for at least 1 week, so it's a rather truncated menu.

Organizing Junkie hosts Menu Plan Monday each week and it's a lifesaver if you're stuck in the same rut as many of us - making the same things over and over again.

This Week's Menu

Regardless of what it looks like, we really are eating this week! Hubbers has taken himself off to Phoenix for a Mona Vie convention this weekend, so it's just me and the doodles. They're pretty easy to cook for, most of the time, and I let them help choose the meals, too.

Mostly we're cooking out of Whole Foods for the Whole Family by La Leche League International. It's about eating more natural foods, less processed stuff, and making your own (mixes, etc) instead of taking the "easy way" out. Here's our menu:

Sloppy Joes, pg 153
Easy Beef Stroganoff, pg 163
Manicotti, pg 168
Swiss Steak, pg 208
Then, just cause I like to keep things kickin', I'm notching it up with a few different favorites:
Chicken and Rice with mushroom sauce
Reuben Pizza
Leftovers - yum

Tonight we're having the Sloppy Joes and pairing it with Oven Fries and leftover watermelon. Mmm... The kids will enjoy it and that's one less thing for ME to consider!

Hopefully, I'll get my rear in gear enough to have a REAL Menu Plan Monday this coming week. Although I did manage to grocery shop for THIS week before Friday - it was Tuesday. Hey, I had to get it done before Hubbers left, right?


(grin)

Have a good weekend, all.

Menu Plan Monday - Repeat

I didn't get much of my menu done last week since I put off going to the grocery store until Friday (instead of my usual Sunday before)! I'll probably add some homemade pizza to fill in one empty space.

And have you noticed that having the kids home full time during summer is SUPER expensive?! It seems like all they want to do is EAT! I bought lots of fruit and veggies on sale to fill in their empty spaces. Getting them to eat the healthier kind of food isn't hard, though they would prefer fruit snacks and candy to the "good stuff".

Chicken Wellington
Ranch Chicken
Corned Beef
Fish
Leftovers
A-1 and Dijon Steak Crockpot - we had this on Sunday and it was delish! Instead of the crockpot, I used the sauce recipe (doubled) as a marinade and grilled the steaks, then whipped up another batch of sauce for dipping. The kids loved this savory sauce.

And check out this dessert I made for Father's Day - Cherry Flan Cake with canned Bing Cherries. The kids and I have never had canned cherries that weren't the super sugary pie cherries and this was a pleasant surprise! Very good stuff - Hubbers commented that I could make this all the time, especially if the kids were going to be picky about the cherries. He scarfed up 2 helpings.

MPM is a courtesy of Organizing Junkie each week.

Menu Plan Monday - 2nd Week in June

As you can see from my menu, red meat smells make me feel ill. Yes, that nasty nausea is back. Thankfully only 5 more weeks till due day.

Chicken Wellington
Ranch Chicken
Shrimp Pad Thai - okay, from a box but still yummy!
Corned Beef
Fish
Leftovers
A-1 and Dijon Steak Crockpot

MPM is a courtesy of Organizing Junkie each week. Just 'cause I'm a slacker and can't put 2 and 2 together each week doesn't mean YOU shouldn't visit! (grin)

Menu Plan Monday - Disaster Averted! 1st Week of May

Houston, we have Menu!

Hosted by Organizing Junkie Each WEEK! - Now with new banners...

1. Almond Topped Fish
2. Burritos
3. Crockpot Chicken Stroganoff
4. Crockpot BBQ Pork Sandwiches
5. Reuben Pizza
6. Oven Fried Chicken
7. Leftovers

Shortened post since my computer tried to DIE on me this weekend and I'm working with some cobbled together version Hubbers put together.

The fish was awesome! We had it on Sunday night. I wonder if it would taste good with a different nut? Pecan? Pine Nut?

We have a birthday today - Curly Girl is 9. Where does the time go? We celebrated with Cherry Cheesecake and presents last night, but her dinner choice tonight - Burritos.



Don't forget Mom's day this weekend! Forgot? Need to buy something? Check out this:

Menu Plan Monday - 3rd Week of April

It's MONDAY again! Well, no. Actually it's Sunday afternoon and I'm meal planning for the week and posting now so I don't forget, get sidetracked, or just plain lazy.

The Dr started me on insulin for the Gestational Diabetes but I'm still eating on the "plan" (carb intake spread throughout the day for maximum absorption and paired with proteins to slow that absorption down) but also "shooting up" several times a day.

It's helping and the blood glucose numbers are looking so much better. And it doesn't hurt to inject unless the needle is getting old and tired, the silicon coating wearing off and making it more painful.

I'm still cooking some recipes out of the Lickety-Split Meals: For Health Conscious People on the Go! book because it simplifies the carb counting for me. Also, I like it! My step mom brought this book out one summer for a visit (with her, not just the book visiting) and we cooked out of it all week. Good stuff, dude.

Here's my menu for this week!

Leftovers
Chicken Artichoke Casserole
Crispy Chicken Dijon - pg 56
Almond Chicken Stir fry - pg 114
Chicken and Bean Enchilada - pg 86
Homemade Pizza
Nachos Supreme

Oatmeal Cookies - low sugar and suitable for the Gestational Diabetes! - pg 159

Organizing Junkie hosts MPM each week, so be sure to visit for more great menus!

Menu Plan Monday - On Hold

On Hold - that is the verdict for today. Not that I don't have a list of what I'd like to make this week, it's just a recent medical diagnosis has changed my life. The baby is fine - all on track and healthy. I have been told that I have Gestational Diabetes and that changes the way that I have to eat.

Granted, I have been eating a diet similar to the diet the Wellness Center is going to put me on (my first appointment is Wednesday) because it makes me feel better, but when I actually have to begin testing my blood sugars, I think I may have to make even more changes.

This is not something I'm looking forward to doing. I dread it. But what I dread even more is NOT treating it and hurting my baby or myself. I've spoken with the Dr and been told that not treating it will put me into the high risk category and that is something I SO do not want to do.

I want to have a successful VBAC without any complications or necessary interventions. I've hired an awesome doula and have been preparing myself and Hubbers using the Bradley Method. I've been praying each day that the baby will NOT be breech or transverse and that labor won't have to be tampered with - no C section, thank you.


Enough rambling?

Okay. I'm cooking out of the Lickety-Split Meals: For Health Conscious People on the Go! this week until I hear differently. And I just noticed that they have one for diabetics coming out soon that I might have to invest in!! Anyway, here's my list for this week:



1. Skillet Chicken and Vegetables in Wine, pg 64
2. Beef Teriyaki, pg 72
3. Almond Chicken Stir Fry, pg 114
4. Beef Stroganoff over Noodles, pg 133
5. Mini Pizzas on English Muffins (my own)
6. Crispy Chicken Dijon, pg 56
7. Leftovers

I don't know what changes might be in store after my appointment on Wednesday, so stay tuned!

You can visit Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie's each Monday!

If you have ever dealt with GD or have some good diabetic recipes, send them this way!!

Monday Morning Back to the Grind...

The first day back to school after a whole week of Easter break and it's a REAL Monday... I'm TIRED (whine, whine)

Yesterday looked like this:

Today? Looks like this:


Aren't I glad I live in Idaho?

Menu Plan Monday includes a lot of leftover meals from last week. We ate a lot of leftover French dip fixin's last week. Hubbers loved this! This week looks like this:

Chili
Bean Dip
BBQ Chicken Twisters (Pampered Chef recipe)
Cashew Chicken and Crab Rangoon
Pancakes (TheBoy has been jonesing for these lately!)
Homemade Pizza
Leftovers

Organizing Junkie hosts MPM each week and has HUNDREDS of delicious menus from participants. I participate when time and pregnancy allows...







images courtesy of morguefile 1, 2

Menu Plan Monday - Holy Week

It's been a while since I posted my MPM (hosted by Organizing Junkie EACH. WEEK!), but trust me, we're still eating! We'll be eating this weekend at Gramma's house, so I only have to cook a few meals! (dance of joy)


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Corned beef and cabbage
Chicken and broccoli over rice
Leftovers
Mac and Cheese Deluxe (shell mac with frozen veggies and leftover meats thrown in)
Bacon, eggs, and pancakes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's actually Sunday night when I'm posting this, but Mondays are always so busy that I made the corned beef tonight. St Patrick's day will just have to live with whatever little leftovers make it past Daddy's lunch raid tomorrow.

Today was Palm Sunday - never a good time for me. I'm allergic to palm leaves and the kids and everyone waving their palms everywhere (not to mentioned a packed church with no nearby parking for the [fat] pregnant lady and a quarter inch of seat to park myself on) makes me itch.

Late but Not TOO Late...

It's been a busy morning.

I had a killer headache last night that left me with very little sleep, as well as a 3 yr old boy that didn't want to go to bed last night! Up early to push the little darlings out the door to school (not a popular mom this morning) and then over to the baby Dr to hear how things are going in my 17th week.

The snag was that we were 45 minutes early and had to kill some time in the van before going in. Thankfully TheBoy was tired and a little out of it and I got some crocheting done on the new bib I'm making.

After the Dr visit with an unhelpful Phys Assistant (whom I will never see again) it was off to school to teach middle schoolers to sew. Lunch at Sonic (high quality there...) and then home to nap.

Boy and I napped for too long - him, not me - and it's off to [blog] Menu Plan. We have no fruit in the house and the celery bends to reach back into the drawer when I pick it up.

Tired, sick (still have that hacking crud), and no food in the house - it's been a creative Menu Monday for me. Thankfully Organizing Junkie has got my back!

Burritos
Mac and Cheese Especial
Weenie Winks (pigs in a blanket)
Leftovers
Potato Leek Soup
Lemon Pepper Tilapia and rice
Crockpot Chix Parmesan


Next week? Hopefully more energy.

Menu Plan Monday - Last Week of January 2008

It's actually Sunday night when I'm posting this and I'm pretty tired. Forgive me for my brevity (a major and shocking change, I know).

My Menu:
Hamburger Soup
Crockpot Chicken Parmesan
Pizza Rice Casserole
Leftovers
Sausage Roll
Breakfast
Chicken Artichoke and Rice Casserole


I can't recommend that Artichoke one highly enough. It's SO YUMMY!!

MPM is hosted by Organizing Junkie each week. Visit for HUNDREDS of new meal ideas every Monday.

**********************************************

Forewarned is forearmed. You leave hate comments with no real name, I delete freely.

On another note. I do review the comments left for me on each post. God bless Google for emailing them right to me! I love replies to my blog-ation and enjoy reading them.

But if you choose to leave me a mean spirited, nasty, rude comment (never a good thing for a hormonal pregnant woman) and can't be brave enough (MAN enough?) to post your actual name, you need to understand that I will delete your comment.

So to Anonymous who thinks I have four kids because my Hubbers only wanted boys and didn't stop until he got his son, I blow you a large juicy raspberry. You know nothing about me. I don't post real names. I don't tell you where I live. My blog is my views and if you don't like my conservative Catholic stance, p*ss off!

It makes me spew venom that I don't need in my life to consider your cowardliness, not even grown up enough to leave your real name.

God give you a blessed and Holy day in His precious name.

Menu Plan Monday 3rd Week of January, 2008

We seem to have been eating a lot of leftovers lately. Either I'm cooking more, or the kids are eating less? I'm eating less because nothing sounds good at all.

Except Bean with Bacon soup. Mmmmm... I eat it for at least one meal a day, and maybe two. I should probably find a recipe made at home instead of purchasing so many at a time. The only good thing about it is that the kids can take the Labels for Education on the back of the soup to school and earn some "stuff" that way. It's a five point item...


Here's a list of what I plan on making this week, heaven willing. I have most of the ingredients in the pantry and fridge and will only have to shop for fresh fruit and veggies. And bean soup.

Crockpot Parmesan Chicken
Crockpot Swiss Steak
Leftovers
Bean and Cheese Burritos
Chicken Supreme
Out, 'cause Mom's still drag-butt tired.
Homemade Pizza

MPM is hosted by Organizing Junkie every week. So many participants, so many recipes, so little days in the month... We had Pecan Chicken on Sunday night - YUM!

I did make the mistake of trying to cook some old zucchini mix from the freezer. Not so yummy. Maybe it was just me, since more than half of us did eat it without complaint. Even the most picky one.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't forget that this is the Sanctity of Human Life week. This is the 35th Anniversary of the "legal right" to abortion. Tuesday is Blogs4Life day. Find out more at Be A Voice.