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  • Family Recipe: Bierocks

    You can pack your bierocks with more meat less bread if you want! I usually do a mix of both (more bread and more meat) so people can choose what they want to eat. This one is a picture of a more bread.

    My Grandma taught me how to make this delicious recipe that is basically a dinner roll stuffed with hamburger, sauerkraut, and cheese called Bierocks (although the first half of the word is pronounced like the word “beer” it does not contain any actual beer).  Even though the combination sounds a little interesting it really tastes amazing!  I am not sure where the recipe actually originated from but I do have family from Czechoslovakia so maybe that area.  I remember as a kid helping my Grandma make this recipe and have great memories of spending time together talking while cooking for the harvest crew.

    Fresh out of the oven and ready to be eaten!

    Every once in awhile I like to make up a big batch of Bierocks so we can eat some right away and the rest I like to stick in the freezer to pull out on those busy days for a quick meal.  I have used a number of different bread recipes to make Bierocks and they all have turned out well.  Today I will share the latest bread version I made earlier this week using Money Saving Mom’s Freezer-Friendly Pizza Dough.  We have made this pizza dough so many times and love it, so we figured why not try using it to make Bierocks!

    Dinners ready…….Bierocks…..come and get it!

    Bierocks:

    • DOUGH
    • 2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
    • 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
    • 2 teaspoons sugar
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 4 Tablespoons oil (vegetable, Canola, or olive oil)
    • 5 cups flour (can use all whole-wheat, half white/half whole-wheat, or all white)

    Pour the warm water into a bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Stir to dissolve.

    Add the remaining ingredients and mix.  Put onto a floured surface and knead dough for two to five minutes until smooth and no longer sticky.  Take the kneaded dough and roll out.  

    Note:  I used this recipe but split the dough into thirds, two of the pieces I wrapped and put in the freezer for future pizzas or other recipes and used the remaining third to make the Bierocks.  I love that I get the base to 3 meals out of 1 pizza dough mixture! 🙂

    • FILLING:
    • 2 pounds Ground Beef
    • 1/3 Onion (diced)
    • 2 teaspoons Salt
    • 1 teaspoon Pepper
    • 2 cans Sauerkraut
    • 1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese (or mixed cheese)

    Brown beef with onion and seasoned with salt and pepper.  Drain any excess oil off the meat.  Mix the sauerkraut into the meat and cook on medium for 2 to 4 minutes until the sauerkraut is mixed well.

    Cut the dough 3 to 6 inch circles (depending on the size you want it to be).   Place 1 ice cream scoop (or 1/4 to 1/2 cup) of meat filling onto each circle.  Sprinkle about a teaspoon of cheese over the top of the meat.   Bring the four corners up over the filling and pinch together to seal on the bottom.  Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Place seam down on greased baking sheets.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the bierocks.

    Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until the dough starts turning a golden brown color.  You can rub a little bit of butter over the  tops of the bierocks immediately after taking them out of the oven for additional flavor and color if you want.  Makes approximately 24 Bierocks

    You can eat these plain or (my favorite) with a touch of ketchup.  Any leftover Bierocks after eating them for dinner are wrapped individually and put in a freezer ziplock so we can easily pull one, two or more out at a time, stick them in the microwave (or toaster oven) and have a meal ready in minutes.

    Ground hamburger and sauerkraut mixture

    Bierocks stuffed and ready to be baked

    Cheese sprinkled over the top of some of the Bierocks (we like the cheese inside and out but it is optional).  I made some with cheese and some without since we have a family member who cannot have dairy.

    Picture of the Bierocks without cheese!

  • Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals

    Karlie and Brina’s school lunches are ready to go!

    Some days it is hard to get everything done.  I am a person who likes to have things done in a timely manner and on schedule, however, you have those days….weeks…..that just don’t happen the way they are planned.  Thankfully, I have spent time on the weekend prepping for lunches so usually it doesn’t take too long to put them together!

    Lunch Box Meal:

    • Hot Dog Slices
    • Fresh Apple Slices
    • Fresh Carrots with Hummus
    • Peanut Butter Crackers or Teddy Grahams
    • Strawberry Yogurt
    • Foot Long Strawberry
    • Mixed Flavored Mini Marshmallows
    • Capri Sun Sunrise Juice Bag

    Fresh apple slices, carrots & hummus and more!

    I am thankful the girls enjoy eating leftovers and taking their lunches to school.  I like knowing what they ate for lunch.  Plus Karlie’s teacher lets any kids that have a lunch or brought a snack eat something about mid-morning to keep everyone going.

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    The girls get a couple extra days at home this week with a Teacher’s-In-Service day and Election day.   Jake’s been on call the past few days for work and that has added to the busyness of the schedule.  Due to some extra activities going this week I am keeping the menu pretty simple.  Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree):  Roast Beef, Steamed Cauliflower
    • Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook):  Kids in the Kitchen – Beerox, Fresh Fruit
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Grilled Cheese, Fresh Vegetables
    • Thursday (Pasta or Pork Entree): Cheesy Noodles, Fresh 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

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    The girls have a four day weekend so I am enjoying a little extra time with them. YAY!  Jake was on-call all weekend so we stayed close to home but were able to get some items done around the house.  Glad we stayed close to home because he had a lot of calls and work items that needed his attention.   Hopefully this week I will be able to tackle more items on my list!

    Last week’s goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily- we missed Halloween night because we were out celebrating
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    4. Attend After School Activities
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    6. Celebrate Halloween with the Family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – missed a couple of days
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith – working on it
    4. Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion – faithfully reading through it

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Project (Focus – Office / Garage) – made some headway, both were big projects!
    4. Pay all upcoming bills
    5. Finishing cleaning up from Community Group Camp out
    6. Put away all the Halloween Items – have everything picked up just need to put them in the container & into the attic

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming (November) blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Schedule November work dates – have a couple days left to put on the calendar

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van – was able to put a little extra on it this month
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.) – working on it (with paying off the van this isn’t our first priority but we are moving forward slowly).

    My goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Read to the girls and have them read to me daily
    2. Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
    3. Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
    4. Attend After School Activities
    5. Plan one special Activity with the Family
    6. Spend extra time with the Girls since they have a couple days off school

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Drink 8 glasses of water each day
    3. Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
    4. Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion
    5. Vote in the 2012 Election

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
    3. Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Projects (Focus – Office / Garage)
    4. Pay all upcoming bills
    5. Winterize the Garden
    6. Put printed pictures in the photo album
    7. Clean Out Fridge
    8. Recycle old Magazines & update with November editions

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Send out invoices
    4. Finish scheduling November work dates

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Write and Send Out Community Group Email
    3. Re-organize the Alms & Legs Food Pantry

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Payoff the Van
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.)

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

  • Recipe: Apple Pie

    One of the best parts of Fall is the delicious food, which includes APPLES!  If you want to make a homemade apple pie or need to use up some of those apples here is a great recipe to use.  You can get a pie crust from the grocery store or make my Great Aunt Noami’s Never Fail Flaky Pie Crust.  The only thing I should have done with this pie is put some foil over it to keep it from browning so much, it still tasted amazing!

    Apple Pie with Never Fail Flaky Pie Crust:

    First is the pie crust (if you are using store bought or another recipe skip this step).  This recipe makes crust for 2 pies (top & bottom).

    • 3 cups Flour
    • 1 cup Shortening
    • 1 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 tablespoon Sugar
    • 1 Egg, well beaten
    • 5 tablespoon Water
    • 1 tablespoon Vinegar

    Mix flour, shortening, salt with pastry blender.  Combine egg, water, and vinegar then combine with flour mixture.  Mold into 4 balls chill awhile then roll out for pie.  Balls will keep up to 2 weeks in refrigerator for additional pies.  Yields: 2 double pie crusts

    If you want to just do enough for 1 complete pie crust (top and bottom) cut the recipe in half.

    Apple Pie Filling

    • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 6 cups thinly sliced and cored apple

    Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a pie dish.  Mix sugar, cinnamon, and flour.  Stir in apples and place into the pie crust.  Dot with butter and cover with the top crust.  Cut a slit in the top of the pie to let the steam escape.  Seal the top crust to the bottom one by pinching the edges together.  Cover the edge of the crust with a strip of aluminum foil.  Bake pie for 50 minutes or until the crust is brown and the juice begins to bubble through the top.

  • New Upromise eCoupons for November 2012

    Upromise has posted their new eCoupons for the month of November 2012. Remember to activate your eCoupons to get additional savings. If you have not yet signed up for Upromise you can get more information regarding on our experience or directly at the Upromise website.

    This month they have 26 coupons you can activate for bonus savings. Once you activate your eCoupons all you have to do is scan your rewards card or purchase the items at the store and the cash will be added to your account. You don’t even have to carry any coupons to get the rewards!

    You can go to their website for more information on the Upromise program, it’s free to join.

  • Fresh & Healthy: Lunch Box Meals

    Lunch is ready to go!

    The best part about Holidays is you get a lot of fun food to eat.  On this particular day the girls got to take a rice krispie treat “cat” with the first letter of their name on it.  When Grandma Penny was visiting she made these cute cats for the girls.  They were super excited to see them in their lunch bags.

    Lunch Box Meal:

    • Hot Japanese Beef, Vegetables & Rice (in the thermos)
    • Fresh Fruit Salad or Fresh Fruit Salad with Creamy Sauce
    • Fresh Cucumbers
    • Sugar Free Cherry Jello
    • Cashews
    • Apple Peel Confetti Crisps
    • Halloween Cat Rice Krispie Treat with initial of their first name
    • Corn or Bugle Chips
    • Ritz Bits Cheese Crackers or Kellogg’s Pop Tarts Mini Crisps
    • Reduced Sugar Grape Hugs Drink

    Japanese food, Halloween rice krispie treat, fresh fruit salad and more!!!!

    I always love sticking in a surprise for the girls every once in awhile.  Sometimes they see it before lunch but several times they don’t open their bags until at school.  One day I was able to go to lunch with them and watch their faces when they pulled out the special treat (a new container with their name on it).  It made my day seeing the thrilled looks on their faces when they discovered their new container.  Although it was something simple and easy it really was special to them!

  • Halloween Rice Krispie Treats

    Green cat with a “K” on it….wonder who that one is for?  We also found a purple cat with a “B” on it too! 🙂

    While Grandma Penny and Great Grandma Willa were here visiting we made some delicious rice krispie treats.  I made regular rice krispie treats and cut them out with Halloween (pumpkin, ghost, and cat) cookie cutters then the kids and Grandmas decorated them.  It was a lot of fun making these tasty treats together.

    Pumpkin Rice Krispie Treat

    Someone ate a Black Cat…….Karlie!

    Brina enjoying one of the rice krispie treats after she finished helping decorate!

    Colorful pumpkin!

    Spooky green rice krispie ghost!

    Decorating rice krispie treats with Grandma Penny and Great Grandma Willa.  The decorating team was MUCH faster than the cookie cutter, ha! 🙂

    A plate full of decorated rice krispie treats!

    Another tray full of pumpkins, ghosts, and cats…….

    After the girls got a chance to taste test one cookie we sent some of the treats home with the Grandmas, 1 went into each of the girls lunches for the next day, and the rest we brought to Community Group to share with friends.  This was a fun and easy Halloween activity for everyone to do.

  • Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins (4 Ingredients)

    As the Fall leaves continue to rain down in our yard we are enjoying some delicious treats!  These Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins are super easy to make, only contain four ingredients, and taste awesome.  The last time I made these for a group of friends only 2 came home with us and the girls begged to take them in their school lunches.  You will not have to add any water, eggs or oil to this recipe and the muffin will still turn out with a moist.

    Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins:

    • 1 box Yellow Cake Mix
    • 1 can (15 oz) Pumpkin
    • 4 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
    • 4 tablespoons Powdered Sugar

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease or line 24 muffin tins.  Mix together yellow cake mix and canned pumpkin until blended (the batter will be thicker than your typically cake mix).  Scoop evenly into muffin tins (I use an ice cream scoop) and set aside.  In another bowl blend softened cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar.  Drop a small spoonful of the cream cheese mixture on top of each muffin.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove from oven, cool, and sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar over the top of each muffin prior to serving.

    The last time I made these I did about half with the cream cheese and half without cream cheese.  Both were a big hit with the group, but the ones with the cream cheese went faster.  🙂

    Pumpkin & Yellow Cake Mix Muffins topped with Cream Cheese & a touch of Powdered Sugar

    Fresh out-of-the-oven Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

    Pumpkin Cheesecake & regular Pumpkin Muffins sprinkled with Powdered Sugar and ready to be eaten

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    Our family had a great time camping with friends last weekend.  The weather was beautiful, we had  delicious food, and wonderful fellowship.  I was actually surprised at how well I slept in a tent too.  Since we still have leftovers from last weekend our menu incorporates several of those items.   We are looking forward to celebrating Halloween and doing some special activities with the girls this week!  Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree):  Sloppy Joes, Fresh Fruit
    • Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook):  Kids in the Kitchen – Hotdogs, Baked Beans
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree):  Holiday Activities
    • Thursday (Pasta or Pork Entree): Crockpot Kielbasa, Green Beans & Potatoes 
    • 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