What's Cooking

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    The week ahead of us is looking pretty busy with a few extra activities tacked onto an already crazy schedule.  As we were looking at our schedule this week my husband suggested that I do easy and simple meals this week.  Thankful for a husband who is understanding and willing to be a little flexible with the family dinner.  These meals will help us cut back on our food budget and make it easier to prep with everything that is going on during the week.  While the menu is not overly exciting it keeps us fed during a busy time.  Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree): Poor Man’s Pasta, Fresh Fruit (we are altering our normal weekly beef/seafood night)
    • Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Pizza, Salad
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Steamed Rice, Vegetables
    • Thursday (Pasta or Pork Entree):  Leftovers
    • Friday, Saturday, & Sunday:  Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting

    I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth).  It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned.  I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.

    Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family.  On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home.  As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes.  If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).

    As a family of four our life can get busy.  What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget.  Our family typically eats 6 to 7  dinner meals at home a week.  We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat.  Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family.  Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day.  Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends.  The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety.  We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.

    Photo by Liz

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    It has been awhile since I posted our family menu schedule on the blog.  This summer the only week we were home for an entire week was when Jake’s sister and family were visiting us.  Thankfully, we had a great summer and safety as we traveled to see a lot of family and friends.  We are now back into the school routine schedule so it is essential that I start doing the menu planning regularly.  By the time the kids get out of school and we do any after school activities, tutoring, homework, dinner, baths, lunches packed, etc…. our evening is done and it’s time for bed.  Since homework takes a chunk of the afternoon and evenings I need to make sure I know what our menu is going to be so I can prep, plan, organize, and have everything ready to run as efficiently as possible so everyone is fed and in bed on time.

    I am extremely grateful for a husband who pitches in and helps in the kitchen, there were a couple nights this past week that we were still doing homework when he arrived home from work so he put the finishing touches on the dinner so I could help the kids wrap up homework.  Thanks Handsome!!!  Eating our evening meal together is important to us.   We want to be able to relax and catch up with each other once dinner is served.   Since Monday is a Holiday I will be moving our Beef night to Tuesday and giving the girls a week off from cooking until we get the school schedule down.  Plus, the kids pitched in and helped with meals as well as special cooking this past weekend.  Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree): Special Event – Labor Day Holiday
    • Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Lasagna, Homemade Artisan Bread
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Honey Mustard Chicken, Rice
    • Thursday (Pasta or Pork Entree):  Special Event – Family STEM Night at School – Hotdogs, Leafy Salad
    • Friday, Saturday, & Sunday:  Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting

    I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth).  It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned.  I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.

    Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family.  On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home.  As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes.  If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).

    As a family of four our life can get busy.  What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget.  Our family typically eats 6 to 7  dinner meals at home a week.  We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat.  Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family.  Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day.  Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends.  The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety.  We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.

    Photo by Liz

  • Birthday Celebration with a KitKat & Starburst Jellybean Cake!

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    Jake’s Birthday Cake decorated with chocolate frosting, KitKats, and Starburst Jellybeans

    We celebrated Jake’s birthday a week early this summer due to upcoming family travel.  The girls helped make the cake and created a fun topping for him.  They used two of his favorite candies KitKats and Starburst Jellybeans to decorate the cake.  It was cute hearing giggle as they decorated the cake (and ate some jellybeans I am sure).  We had a great day celebrating my Handsome Man’s birthday!  Thankful for time together to relax, have fun, and enjoy a celebration.

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    The backside of his KitKat and Starburst Jellybean Birthday Cake!

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    A slice of sugary goodness!  I highly recommend you offset the sweetness with a glass of milk, but hey it’s nice to have something sweet every once in awhile to celebrate birthdays!

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    Jake reading the birthday cards the girls picked out and wrote notes in for him!

  • Healthy & Easy Way to Wash Produce

    Easy & Healthy Way to clean produceA sink full of fresh produce

    Our family eats a lot of fruits and vegetables so I love it when I find a great deal on produce.  We have one large drawer full of vegetables, another one full of fruit, and we have a fresh fruit basket on the counter.  One problem I had with produce in the past was it spoiling too fast.  Also, the produce needs to be washed to remove any germs, sprays, mold, or other spores that that tend to spoil or contaminate the produce  more quickly.

    I have found the best way to rinse and clean the produce is to put everything in a clean sink, fill the sink with cold water, add approximately a half of cup of white vinegar, and let the produce soak for about 10 to 20 minutes.  After the produce has soaked drain the water and rinse thoroughly before putting it away.  You will be amazed at how much stuff comes off the produce (the sink is usually covered with a film, dirt, and little particles after I drain the water).    Some of the items in the sink for this rinse – pineapple, mango, strawberries, kiwi, red delicious apples, granny smith apples, golden delicious apples, grapefruit, blackberries, oranges, clementines, cucumbers, tomatoes,  celery, and a few other items.

    One other way we have found that prolongs the life of our fruits and vegetables is the BluApple.  The BluApple absorbs the ethylene gas is given off naturally by fruits and vegetables as a signaling mechanism in order to coordinate uniform ripening.   We stick one BluApple in the vegetable drawer and another in the fruit drawer to prevent the produce from ripening as quickly.  Between rinsing the produce with vinegar water and using the BluApples the life of the produce is extended 2 to 7 times the normal shelf life (at least for our family).  A container of strawberries will last 2 to 4 weeks (if they last that long and are not eaten before that time) in our fridge.  We have been doing this way for over a year now and it has worked very well for our family, hope these tips are a huge blessing to you too!

    Easy & Healthy Way to Clean Produce

    The clean sink starting to fill up with water (and three tomatoes).

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    Draining the dirty water

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    Up close picture of all the “stuff” floating in the water after washing the produce!  Yikes!

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    After draining the water there is always a film around the sink with bits and pieces of produce, dirt, and other particles stuck to it.  If you look closely you can even see the water line.

  • Quick Tip – Recipe on the Bowl

    Dry Erase Marker on the Bowl

    Recipe written on a bowl with a dry erase marker!

    The other day while Jake was making a meal he prepped another  meal for the following day.    Since he prepped the meal and I was the one who was going to make the meal the following day he wrote the directions with a dry erase marker on the outside of the stainless steel bowl holding some of the ingredients.  When I opened the fridge the next day I saw the bowl with all the directions on it.  It was awesome pulling out the bowl, following the directions, and enjoying a delicious meal with the family.   After dinner all I had to do was wash the bowl and all the dry erase marker came right off.  Thankful for a husband who is thoughtful, creative, and willing to help around the house.  It was a great meal too!  Thanks Babe!

  • Family Recipe: Mom’s Delicious Dirt

    Family Recipe - Mom's Delicious Dirt

    My Mom used to make this amazing “Dirt” recipe when we were kids.   This recipe uses gummy worms, oreos, lime jello, and cool whip.  I have had a variety of different dirt recipes over the years, but this is the one I grew up on.  The combination of these ingredients always taste delicious and gummy worms are super fun to eat no matter what!  The other day I was trying to figure out what to make for dessert for our Community Group meeting when the girls insisted that I make “Grandma Penny’s Dirt” since we had leftover gummy worms from another event!

    Mom’s Delicious Dirt Recipe:

    • 1 package of Oreos
    • 2 (6 oz) large boxes of Lime Jello
    • 1 container Cool Whip
    • Gummy Worms

    Put the oreos in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin or another item to crush the whole oreos into small pieces.  Take about 1/2 of the crushed oreos and press them into the bottom of a 9×13 dish.  Make the lime jello according to the directions on the box.  Once it is made pour half of it over top of the layer of oreos and put in the refrigerator to set.  Leave the other half of the lime jello in the bowl and put it in the fridge to set.  Once the jello is firm mix the container of cool whip into the bowl of jello.  Add the cool whip and jello mixture on top of the jello layer in the 9×13 dish.  Place the remaining amount of crushed oreos on top of the cool whip and jello layer and add your gummy worms.  (If you’re not planning on serving it within the next few hours wait until an hour or two before to place the oreos and gummy worms on top).

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    The layers of oreos blend really well together and make this a fun treat for kids of all ages!  I did take the pictures of the dessert before going to Community Group, however, in our rush to get home and the kids into bed before it was too late I did not get an individual piece shot of the dessert.  I am sure before too long the girls will think of another event I will need to make it for and hopefully I can get a snap shot of it at that time.

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    As I was looking at our calendar this week I realized that most of the evenings this week we will be spending away from home for the evening so our dinner menu is a little off from our normal one.  Jake will be traveling this week and the rest of us have a lot of fun events on the calendar.    Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree): Spaghetti and Meatballs, Green Beans, Garlic Bread
    • Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Special Event – (Spending time with friends)
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Special Event – Pizza, Salad, Strawberries (Dropping off a meal for my cousin who just had a little baby)
    • Thursday (Pasta or Pork Entree):  Special Event – Family STEM Night at school (meal included)
    • Friday, Saturday, & Sunday:  Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting

    I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth).  It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned.  I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.

    Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family.  On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home.  As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes.  If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).

    As a family of four our life can get busy.  What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget.  Our family typically eats 6 to 7  dinner meals at home a week.  We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat.  Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family.  Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day.  Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends.  The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety.  We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.

    Photo by Liz

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    It has been a little wild around here lately and I haven’t been posting my weekly dinner menu for awhile even though I am doing it  (most weeks).  Since I am  already planning the menu I might as well share it with you too.   The menu plan is especially important when we are busy.  The normal Wednesday and Thursday meal entree’s are switched around due to our schedules that day, I needed to be able to do something that didn’t take a lot of prep and with items we already have in the fridge or pantry.  Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree): Spaghetti and Meatballs, Green Beans
    • Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Buffalo Avocado Chili (they wanted to make it a “cereal night” but when they found the Buffalo Avocado Chili that we made awhile ago and stuck in the freezer they opted for that instead!)
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Cubed Steak Sandwiches, Sauteed Onions & Mushrooms
    • Thursday (Pasta or Pork Entree):  Roasted Chicken, Steamed Vegetables
    • Friday, Saturday, & Sunday:  Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting

    I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth).  It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned.  I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.

    Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family.  On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home.  As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes.  If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).

    As a family of four our life can get busy.  What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget.  Our family typically eats 6 to 7  dinner meals at home a week.  We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat.  Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family.  Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day.  Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends.  The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety.  We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.

    Photo by Liz

  • Chef Brina

    Brina loves helping in the kitchen.  The other day she wanted to make blueberry pancakes for breakfast.  She did Christmas shapes and the letters for each family member which was a lot of fun.  The pancakes turned out amazing.  She did an awesome job making breakfast.  Love seeing my girls get excited about helping in the kitchen.  They are growing up fast and learning so much.  I have really been enjoying having my girls home for the Christmas Holiday.

    My snowman pancake made by Brina

    Jake got a candy cane – the red is blended strawberries (love using strawberries on our pancakes!)

  • Gingerbread Boy Meatloaf (Diary & Egg Free Recipe)

    The girls have been asking me to bake something in the gingerbread man pan this week.  Since we have already made several different cookies (sugar, gingerbread, and shortbread) I decided that we didn’t need any more sweets so we decided to bake a gingerbread boy meatloaf for our meal. If you don’t have to worry about dairy or eggs you can use the same amount of regular milk and eggs in this recipe instead of the non-dairy and egg substitutes.

    Gingerbread Boy Meatloaf Recipe

    Topping:

    • 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
    • 1/2 cup Ketchup
    • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

    Meatloaf:

    • 1 pound Lean Ground Beef
    • 1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
    • 1/2 cup Onion, chopped
    • 1 Garlic Clove, chopped
    • 1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
    • 1/2 cup Almond or Soy Milk
    • 2 Egg Substitutes (Ener-G Egg Replacer works awesome!)
    • 1 cup Bread Crumbs

    Preheat over to 350 F.  Spray oil into the bottom of a “Gingerbread Boy”, 8″ x 8″ dish, or 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.

    Press the brown sugar evenly into the bottom of your oiled dish.  Mix together the ketchup and 1 teaspoon of worcestershire sauce.  Spread the mixture over the brown sugar.

    Combine the ground beef, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Mix in the 1 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce, non-dairy milk (almond or soy), Ener-G Egg Replacer, and bread crumbs.  Press the meat mixture into the pan shape.  If you like your meatloaf a little sweeter you can another layer of of the topping layer.

    Bake for 1 hour or until cooked through.  Once done flip the meatloaf out of the pan onto a plate or pan and serve hot.