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It's time for dinner. What are you serving? Share your menu, or your favorite meal time tips and stories. |
What's For Dinner Tonight?How are you getting your family back to the table this week?
June 24 Great DayToday was my "work from home" day. I got a lot of things accomplished today, writing letters, organizing myself for the upcoming busy weeks of site visits and reviews.Tomorrow I'm at the main office and I should be able to accomplish a lot more.
I used my lunch break to go meet with a mortgage broker. She gave me hope that I could get a loan. I'm going to work hard these next few months to pay off my smaller credit cards and save a bit of money. I should be able to get at least SOMETHING set aside for a small downpayment. I'm getting excited that we might actually be able to buy a home in the next year. I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, and that when the time is right, things will fall into place. I know that when the right house is available, everything will work out.
On to DINNER!
I pulled some pork chops from the freezer last night, and tonight I made Old Faithful.
For tomorrow, I'm using the chicken burgers from Trader Joe's that I bought last month. They're flavored with herbs and garlic and oh-so-good! My John will grill them up (they're fully cooked, so just need to be warmed, and the grill will add a nice flavor!), and we've got onion buns and some tomato. Some oven fries to go on the side, and a big salad to round out the meal.
Thursday I'm working from home again, so maybe I'll throw a pot of spaghetti sauce on in the morning and let it simmer away all day. Then I can make lasagne next week, too.
Friday I have a review at one of the properties. I think we'll plan to have a "kid dinner" with some fish sticks that were on sale awhile ago, and are still sitting in the freezer. LOL I used to call it "gourmet" cooking when I pulled out the fish sticks, complete with "fine china" of paper plates! LOL Well, either that or we'll do salisbury steaks with mashed taters. I'll let the kids choose. They love both..... I guess we can do one on Friday and the next on Saturday.
Sunday the kids go to my sisters' house for the week. They are attending a day camp at the college she works at, so the kids get camp and time with Aunt & Uncle all at once. They will come home on the 4th.
So, that's my week....
Have a great one! What's for dinner at your house? June 22 A Weekend AwayThis weekend was spent at the Ocean! I have to thank my friend, Jeanne, for getting married there, or we would probably have always talked about going, not ever actually gone..... So, Friday after work, we hit the road for Ocean Shores, WA! Of course, we hit Friday traffic
 coming through Seattle, so the trip was longer than it would have been otherwise.And of course, the girl gets motionsick, and on this occasion, she was unable to get the nausea to subside. I was prepared with a bowl, at least.... and we were stuck in traffic with no way to pull off the road and let her get fresh air
 We all survived, and she felt better the rest of the trip.We made it into Ocean Shores and met Jeanne and the whole family for dinner. We went to Alec's by the Sea for dinner, a recommendation by my friend, Janet who spends time in Ocean Shores every summer. I had a great seafood platter broiled with butter and lemon! MMMMM Then we were ready for some sleep, so it was off to the Days Inn.
Saturday morning we had breakfast at the Days Inn. Nothing special, just some cereal and fruit from the continental breakfast.
 First agenda item was hitting the beach!!! Since we were there fairly early (about 9am), the beach was calm, not many people. The kids enjoyed running on the beach
 We took a drive down to the North Jetty, too. (Another recommendation from Janet. Thank you!) There we climbed the rocks, watched the waves crash into the rocks and even caught a couple surfers enjoying the waves.
We had the whole day, since the wedding wouldn't be until 7pm. So we found some more fun. We did Bumper Cars, and Go-Karts, then we got some take-out Teriyaki for lunch and took it to the beach. We planned to sit in the back of the car to eat, but the weather wasn't cooperating. So we sat in our seats in the car and watched the brave souls out flying their kites. NEXT TIME, we're bringing kites! After lunch, we drove down the beach, and then headed out to find more fun. So we went bowling. That was fun! And the kids had to learn to bowl without the bumpers!!!
Back at the room, the kids and I headed down to the pool for a bit, where I read and they played in the water, getting in a water fight with another family!
I read some things in the local attractions book from the hotel lobby and found some reviews by local chefs on best places to eat. 3 of the 4 said the best place for breakfast was a place called "Our Place". One commented "Great food, great price, lousy atmosphere" to which I declared "Sounds like my kinda place!" While we waited for my parents and sisters to be ready to meet for dinner, we drove down the road to find "Our Place". It looked like a dive! Just our kinda place!
*** Side note here.... When I was in Middle School, Dad was opening a small, dive-type restaurant. He wanted to call it "Our Place", but found there to already be one in the state... so he opened "Cook's Place", instead.
Off to dinner, which was at Las Maracas. Haden finally met his match for dinner, and was unable to finish all 3 enchiladas that he ordered. It was a first for him, and we were all shocked by his giving up the fight!
He was even too full to have any cake at the wedding later that evening!
Before leaving the wedding, we invited all to join us for breakfast at "Our Place" in the morning... 8am! Jeanne (the bride) said they might join us, to which I replied "Yeah, right". And to which her new husband also replied "Yeah, right". We'll see them (I hope) at Thanksgiving. (Which will be at Frances' new home!!)
Well, we, not surprising, dined alone at "Our Place". (Though I do know that Mom & Dad, Frances & Paul did get there later to have breakfast.) We had awesome food, and Haden ate not only his entire breakfast of sausage, bacon, eggs, pancakes and potatoes, but also my toast and a piece of Felicity's bacon. He was trying to make up for being beat the night before! LOL We talked to the owners, and got a good lead on a camping spot for our next trip. Oh, because, I will be coming back! It's too beautiful a spot to only see once.
And I declared that "Our Place" will BE our place when we return!!!!! We came, we saw, we ate, we liked, we bought a mug to bring home with us!
Oh.... but I'm not done! We even stopped for Oysters at Lytles on the way out..... and My John, Haden & I all had an oyster shooter. $4 a shot, refills for $1! And if we come back and bring the glass, we get refills for $1.... FOREVER! The shotglasses sit, wrapped in paper, waiting for our next trip, snug in the glovebox of my car!
Enjoy the pics I've posted! A menu for the week to follow tomorrow (I hope!) June 10 Search PartyThanks for the Search Party, Dad! I really need to get back in a good routine of cooking and updating my blog.....
So, this week's menu:
Sunday:
Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Veggies
Monday:
Ham Steak, baked potatoes, carrots & green and yellow beans, salad
Tuesday:
Sloppy Joes, Oven Fries, fresh veggies
Wednesday:
Mo's Java Pot Roast... I love to just read this recipe. It's a fun read :)
Thursday:
Last Day of School... we'll probably order a pizza and watch a movie
Friday:
Kids off to their dad's for a week.... dinners will be "for two"..... maybe I should make them "for four" and freeze some meals for later! And share with Mom & Dad, too. (I still owe them some dinners.... I better make them something really nice this month! ;))
Saturday & Sunday we'll have some date nights after yard work and housecleaning. It's time to declutter another space in our apartment and put together a yard sale.
I am determined to clear out the freezer so we can defrost it, so we'll start using up what we have in there soon.....
Have a great week! May 11 Guess I got busy again?AY YI YI! It's been over 2 months since I posted?!?!?!? Why didn't y'all send out the search party for me?
 Well, things are crazy as usual. We're beginning to look at houses, hoping to get a place. I just found one in my searching yesterday that's really cheap, but for good reason. I look it as a challenge, and it looks like it has great potential. It would be great to get it, and start fixing up a place of our own.....
No menu plan this week, we're wingin' it......
Tonight was Rib Roast, Potatoes & Asparagus. The leftover rib roast wil become french dips later this week. Tacos for the fam tomorrow while I'm at the PKD Chapter meeting. Tuesday I'm home, so I might make an actual dinner
 I'll try to be better with my posting...... no promises...... March 02 Menu Plan Monday March 3rd & An Overabundance of Food!My John & I spent the day yesterday re-organizing our freezers and pantry. Now, let me explain to those who are new to my "life"..... I live in an apartment. I have lived in an apartment for over 6 years, after having lived in a 4 bedroom house for 5 years previously. I have little storage space. I am forever changing how I use my minimal storage space. I love to cook. I have a small kitchen. This poses a problem to my love of food. A few months ago, we changed our outside storage room that was once used for camping gear and Christmas decorations into a pantry, because our small space for food was not enough....
This used to be my pantry space:
Not much room for a food-hoarder... as shown here with what us now our pantry space:
It's still not quite organized, because we have too much food! I'm determined to make our menu this week by what we have on-hand, because, as you see, we have a lot..... We also cleaned up the freezer spaces. We pulled everything out of both freezers and put it on the dining room table. When I re-loaded, I did it with organization in mind. The freezer in the kitchen has our ice cream, boxed food and breakfast food, and frozen fruits. The small standing freezer is organized by shelf with specific meats grouped together (beef, pork, seafood...)
As you can see, we could probably feed a small army with our food stash....... UGH! For the past 6 years, I have hoarded food because there were many times that we could not afford to go to the store for anything, not even milk. I have done several months with $50 for groceries to last the month, and it was because my food stash was plentiful that I was able to manage it. Finally, at the age of 32, I am not worried about how I will feed my family. I have enough, and my job is at a point now that I make enough to pay all my bills, do all my grocery shopping, and still have something left to work with. It's been a long, tough road to get to where I am. I have been blessed with encouraging, supportive friends and family. I am even more blessed with my parents, who raised me with an excellent work ethic, without which I would not have gotten to where I am. If I could give lessons to people on how to get from living on $650 a month and food stamps to making it on your own, I would. But it all comes down to hard work!!!! Anyway... there I go on one of my tangents...... LOL Onto the MENU!!!!
Monday: Polish Sausage, chips, salad (I have a late meeting, so the family is on their own!) Tuesday: Salisbury Steak, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob Wednesday: BBQ Pork Chops, stuffing, big salad Thursday: Busy Day Vegetable Beef Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches Friday: Burgers, oven fries, salad Saturday: Crockpot Pork Roast, rice, steamed veggies (tentatively... it's Family Day, and I don't know where the day will take us!) Sunday: Chicken Parmesan, spaghtti, salad, garlic toast THE GROCERY LIST: milk coffee cream lunch meat hot dog buns hamburger buns french bread cheddar cheese grapes carrots zuchinni cucumber oranges apples Not too bad :)
And I leave you with pictures of kitchen...
WHAT'S FOR DINNER AT YOUR HOUSE THIS WEEK?
Visit www.orgjunkie.com for more menu planning. Off-Menu....We got "off menu" this week..... Tuesday My John took the kids shopping for my Birthday gift and took them to Arby's for dinner (I'm not a fan of Arby's..... LOL So they go there when I'm not with them!) And I was not feeling well, so had a potato and layed in my chair watching TV all night....
Wednesday, my Birthday, I had to take Felicity to get glasses. By the time I got home, I was not in the mood for Shrimp Creole anymore! So we decided to go out, even though it wasn't "in the budget". We have the money, we just are trying to budget better..... it was Birthday dinner ;) We went to Beau's and I have seafood fettuccini :)
Thursday's roast also went out the window, with a last minute Birthday Party invite to a pizza party from one of Haden's friends.....
Pretty pathetic, I know.... LOL
But I've got it under control this week, I think....... I hope........ February 25 Tacos to Straw hatsTacos became Straw Hats.... that's just taco meat on top of Fritos corn chips, sprinkled with shredded cheddar cheese.
The thought of the saltiness of it all was making me feel ill, though...... the family loves it, so I go along with it every now and then. I put a couple spoonfuls of the taco meat on top of my salad, instead of the Fritos. A little kick to the salad.
A lot of salads lately. I've noticed some extra weight sneaking onto my waistline recently. I'm determined to not have to buy new clothes, so I need to get my health back in check. Sitting at a desk all day leads to snacking all day... which means a few extra pounds........ so, I'm eating salads and veggies for my snacks, and paying attention to everything I eat. The things I love and won't give up are my coffee and chocolate. The coffee may be innocent enough, but the flavored cream makes it not-so-healthy. And I drink a lot of it, with a lot of cream.... my chocolate habit isn't too bad. I eat 2-3 pieces of Dove dark chocolate a day. 5 peices is a serving size, and 210 calories, so I think it's a "cheat" I can afford to not give up.
Really, my problem is in portions..... and eating when I'm bored...... I need to drink water..... and I need to eat more slowly..... I've been buying a lot more fresh foods lately. Trying to avoid pre-made items, if I can make it myself. One thing I've noticed with a lot of items that are lowfat, is they are higher in sodium content than the full-fat versions. I'll take more fat over high sodium, any day. And just pay more attention to how much I eat of it...... I just can't deal with a lot of salt in my diet.
Ah well. While I learn to eat healthier, I'll bring the family along on my journey. Now, I'm not making promises of all home-made, no pre-packaged foods. But where I can, and where it's feasible, I will keep it more natural and homemade :)
I'm ready for Chef Salad tomorrow! A trip with my boss, who wants to get back early to take his wife out for a Birthday dinner. So, I'll be home earlier than usual, and can have a relaxing evening with the family.
What's fo dinner at your house this week? February 24 Blog Party '08You're invited to a BLOG PARTY! It's Blog Party '08, what better way to find new blogs and bloggers! Look for the link to the party in the sidebar of my Space and join the party, March 7-14th.
I'll share some of my all-time favorite recipes and food, so make sure you come visit me during the week.
Until then....
What's For Dinner at Your Place this week? What's For Dinner?This weeks' menu plan was difficult for me... Wednesday is my birthday. But we used our "going out budget" on Fish Fry on Friday. So I had to choose something simple enough for My John to make, and that *I* wanted to eat (he always wants to make tacos, or nachos when we're at a loss for thoughts on dinner..... lol)
So.... here's the menu plan. Recipes for some will be posted later on this week.
MONDAY:
Tacos (ha! see? he still gets his tacos!), Santa Fe Rice, & refried beans
TUESDAY:
Chef Salad
(with sliced turkey, ham, cheddar, swiss, eggs, cucumbers, tomatoes, radish, red onion, sweet peas)
WEDNESDAY:
Shrimp Creole, served over a bed of rice with a big salad
(and DESSERT.... I think I'll ask for Chocolate Cake :) )
THURSDAY:
Pork Roast, wild rice, steamed veggies
FRIDAY:
kids head off to their dad's for the weekend
My John & I will have a snacky-type dinner
SATURDAY:
Date Night dinner... steaks or Pasta
SUNDAY:
Kids come home, and we'll have pizza!!!
This week, my goal was to not buy any meat at the store. I *almost* accomplished this, but we are out of lunch meats, so I will buy some deli ham and turkey for lunches and for Tuesday's Chef Salad.
THE LIST:
ham
turkey
tomatoes
radish
red onion
yellow onion
green bell pepper
parsley
olives
ground red pepper
dry white wine
butter
milk
(I did already buy a few things yesterday... we had extra kids here, so I had to buy breakfast food, and added a few things for the week while I was at it....)
So..... WHAT'S FOR DINNER AT YOUR HOUSE?
Check out http://orgjunkie.com to find more menu plans and get your family back to the table. It's amazing the things you'll learn about each other when you sit and eat together.
February 20 Mr Mom...My very own Mr Mom!!! My John has been playing the "Mr Mom" role for awhile now, since I took on my new position and work more hours than ever before, with lots of travel.
Monday-Thursday is pretty simple... the kids go to an after school program for homework help, which goes til 5pm. I was concerned when the program started that it might make for long days and burnt out kiddos. But do you know what it's done? Given us our evenings back! There's rarely a night they don't finish their homework before coming home, so all My John or I have to do is look over it with them, and make sure everything is done. No more homework battles!!!!
Of course, My John gets done at his first job at about 3pm... but, this doesn't generally leave him with 2 free hours. He makes sure dinner gets on the table. And he ALSO is the maintenance & grounds guy for 2 apartment buildings (the one we manage and live at, and another one that my company began managing Jan 1, and his sister is the on-site manager) So he takes care of any maintenance that needs to be done...... no rest for the weary.... It's no wonder he falls asleep on the couch as soon as dinner is done. Poor guy!
I work from home a couple days a week, so he's not always all on his own. We cherish those days I'm home and make sure we have a nice, relaxing, homecooked meal on the table.
DINNER TONIGHT!
My John did a great job with a new recipe, Beef Enchilada Casserole.... it was a huge hit! Definitely will come back to the menu again.
Tomorrow is Corned Beef & Cabbage, to cook in the crockpot while I am on a trip for work. I'll be back in time for dinner :~)
What's for dinner at your house? Have you posted your menu? February 18 Coffee Cake ala BisquickOnce upon a time, the Bisquick box included a recipe for Coffee Cake. Growing up, this was one of my FAVORITE foods. Truth be told, it's still among my faves... I was reading on one of my cooking boards online, many years ago, and one of the posters asked for the recipe. It had suddenly disappeared from the box!!! The box I had in my cupboard happened to still have the recipe. I posted it and have saved the recipe for myself and the tradition of Coffee Cake for breakfast for my kids!
I've shared this fave food with many people, most recently and friend and her family. My friend told me that her daughter ate almost the whole thing, all her self!!! The girl loves it.
So, I am now happy to share, once again, this long-time family favorite recipe.... enjoy it with your family this week.
COFFEE CAKE ALA BISQUICK
2 cups Bisquick Original baking mix
2/3 cup milk or water (I always use milk) 2 Tbsp granulated sugar 1 egg Streusel Topping 1/3 cup Bisquick Original baking mix 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 2 Tbsp firm margarine or butter Heat oven to 375°F. Stir Coffee Cake ingredients until blended. Spread in greased 9" round pan. Mix Steusel Topping ingredients; sprinkle over batter. Bake 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.
Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad
The Weeks' MenuHead on over to http://orgjunkie.com for more menu plans!
February 18-24 Menu Plan
--Nothing Fancy this week... but at least we've got a plan :)
Monday
Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad
A fun twist on the old stand-by Taco Salad
Tuesday
Chili Dogs
BLT Mac & Cheese
Wednesday
Beef Enchiladas
Beans
Rice
Thursday
Corned Beef
Potatoes
Carrots
Cabbage
Friday
FISH FRY @ the Sunset Cafe!!!
Saturday
we're wingin' it... helping at a local wrestling match, and will probably eat leftovers...
Sunday
Pizza
My shopping for the week is already complete...
I bought a lot of fresh produce, dairy & breads... a box of pasta and some cans of chili
and I kept my weekly grocery bill under $100 (I think it was just over $80, actually).
We do have one night planned for eating out. It's the FISH FRY!!!!!! I look forward to the Sunset's Fish Fry every year. From Ash Wednesday through the Lent season, every Friday is Fish Fry..... MMMMMM All You Can Eat salmon, clam chowder, corn fritters, salad, seafood fettuccini, oysters, cod, and whatever else they decide to make....... YUMM-O!!!!!! February 17 The Time Got Away... again ;)What a whirlwind couple weeks it's been! Last weekend I took a trip to Nashville and got a chance to meet a friend that I've known online for probably about 7 years!!!! She took me to her FAVE store, and when I make it to our local one (well, not really local.... I'm sure the nearest one is at least 60 or 70 miles away.... lol) I'm sure it will become my fave, too! Whole Foods! WOW! Just the way they keep their store makes it such a great place to be. Very relaxing atmosphere, the food is gorgeous!!! There's a few pics in the "Nashville" album.
For lunch in Nashville, Amy took me to the Loveless Cafe`! WHAT A GREAT PLACE! I tried fried okra for the first time. It was good. The Loveless Cafe's "Biscuit Lady" was on Throw Down with Bobby Flay!!!! And the biscuits are awesome. They sell biscuit mix that's close to the original recipe, so I got some to share at home. The blackberry jam... oh! it's. oh.so.good!!!! It's like the jam Grandma & Mom made!!!!!!
On my return from Nashville, some major things came up at work, and some unexpected trips have had to be planned....... but I'm still planning my menus!!!!! I'll post the weeks' menu soon.... we've got some good food coming up this week, with plenty of easy meals for all you busy moms & dads :) January 31 Asian Dressing1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pressed garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup vegetable oil
Combine all ingredients into a salad dressing mixer, or small bowl. Mix until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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