A Fresh Start

This is no April Fool's joke...I've decided to take up blogging again. While I have enjoyed my time away-I am starting to miss the connection with other ladies that I have had through blogging.

Little by little, I'm hoping to redecorate and reorganize my little space here on the web. Can you believe that I've had the same layout since I began blogging in July of 2005? Until now, I haven't wanted a change either...LOL!!!(What does this say about me?!? Wait, don't answer that!:-) )

Time away has given me a chance to think about my priorities and why I do what I do.I have really enjoyed my "private" life without letting the w.w.w.(whole wide world-haha) know what I am doing at every turn. :-)

I could say more, but I don't want to run out of blogging ideas, now do I?:-)

So welcome back,family. Welcome back,friends! I'm glad to be back and to have you here too. I hope you'll be back often! Be sure and let me know you stopped by!!!

Puffed Apple Pancake

We loved this for supper the other night. Yummy! And easy to make!

Puffed Apple Pancake-serves 4 to 6

2 McIntosh or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/9 teaspoon ground cloves
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional garnish: powdered sugar

Put a rack in the middle of oven and preheat to 425 degrees.

Toss apples with lemon juice, brown sugar, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, cinnamon and cloves in a bowl.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a 10 inch oven-proof nonstick skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides. Add apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer apples and any liquid to a wide bowl and let cool.

Heat cleaned skillet in oven for 5 minutes. Combine milk, eggs, flour, remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla in a blender(I used my food processor with good results.)and blend until smooth.

*I don't have an oven-proof skillet, so I just used the skillet on top of the stove and transferred contents to a casserole dish to bake.

Remove skillet from oven. Melt remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in skillet over moderately high heat, then pour batter into skillet. Spoon apple mixture evenly over top. Bake pancake until puffed and golden and a toothpick or skewer inserted in center comes out clean., 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Serve with a side of bacon or sausages.

Menu Plan Monday

This week's menu comes completely from what I already had on hand in my freezer and pantry. I had no grocery money left at the end of the month,so I didn't go grocery shopping this past week. But never fear-we have plenty of yummy food stocked up! I will be resuming my regular shopping trip this week, though-the fresh foods are looking pretty low!:-)

This week is also the start of a few busy weeks for me so I planned ahead and had some extra meals prepared and frozen. This makes for simple menu planning! All freezer meals are marked with an *.

Monday-BLT sandwiches, lentil soup*

Tuesday-baked tilapia, sweet potatoes, steamed asparagus

Wednesday-veggie stir-fry, rice

Thursday-spaghetti pie*, French bread*

Friday-ham and cheese loaf*(ham and cheese layered and rolled up inside French bread dough), crunchy raw veggies, fruit

Saturday-with family

Sunday-grilled cheese sandwiches

Breakfasts-waffles*,honey-bran muffins, baked oatmeal, cold cereal

Lunches-leftovers, peanut butter and honey sandwiches

For more menu planning inspiration,please visit I'm an organizing junkie!

Pretzels!

I had soft pretzels on the menu for Sunday night's dinner. I've made them before but was trying a new recipe that looked like it might have more "professional" results. We ended up being invited over to our friend's house to watch the Redskins game. I asked if I could make my pretzels there which of course was fine with them!

I made the dough at home and took everything with me. Have kitchen-will travel!!! My friend helped me which was a lot more fun than doing it alone! We were quite pleased with the results! Right out of the oven, they looked much more like pretzels from a pretzel shop than any I have ever made before. The picture above was taken the next day so the pretzels aren't quite as fresh there.

Here's the recipe I used and will definitely make again:

Start by making a sponge of:
4 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups flour

After this has sponged for 15 minutes, stir in:
2 tablespoons salt
6-8 cups of flour, one cup at a time

Stir flour into your dough slowly, one cup at a time. After a stiff dough forms, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and begin to knead it. Let the dough rise for about an hour in a greased bowl, and then divide it into 24 parts. Roll each piece into a 20 inch rope and from there shape it into a pretzel. To do this, curve the dough in half, forming a loop in the middle. Cross one end over the other twice and then lay the ends down on top of the loop forming a "pretzel knot."

Let your uncooked pretzels relax on a floured surface or pastry cloth for a few minutes. Stretch them out a bit and fix their shape before poaching them in a simmering mixture of:
2 quarts water
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 tablespoon salt

Poach the pretzels for 1 minute(they will float). Remove them carefully with a slotted spoon and place them on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse salt, if desired, and bake them for 20 minutes at 450 degrees. Serve pretzels with your favorite cheese sauce or mustard.

We made this cheese sauce to go with the pretzels:

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium-sized saucepan. Add 3 tablespoons flour, cook over moderate heat for a minute and then whisk in 3 cups chicken stock and 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard. When the the stock comes to a bubble and starts to thicken, stir in 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and serve!

Applesauce!

Here are our 10 quart and 1 pint of applesauce that Andy and I made and canned together last week. It is so yummy and a good feeling to have this ready in the pantry to eat all winter!

I tied a little "thank you" tag to the pint jar to give to my friend who so kindly loaned me her foley mill! It made the job so much easier!

Menu Plan Monday

Another week, another menu!

Dinners for the week:
Monday- eat with friends

Tuesday-BBQ meatballs, buttered pasta, salad

Wednesday-potato soup, corn muffins, salad

Thursday-salmon patties, green beans, fruit salad

Friday-chicken & rice bake, salad

Saturday- puffed apple pancake(new recipe from my sister), bacon

Sunday-white bean dip, tortilla chips, fresh veggies

Breakfasts will be cream of wheat, frozen waffles(heated up, of course!), apple muffins, fresh fruit, toast, homemade yogurt

For lunches this week, we will mainly be eating leftovers. If there are none, we will have the same lunch items that have been on my menu for the past several weeks as we haven't hardly used them- peanut butter sandwiches, frozen homemade soups, grilled cheese.

For more menu-planning inspiration,please visit I'm an organizing junkie!

Menu Plan Monday -on Tuesday!

I had my menu made up but was a little under the weather yesterday so I didn't get it posted until now.

Here's my dinner menu for the week:

Monday-lentil soup, apple-jack quesadillas

Tuesday- spaghetti pie, salad

Wednesday-creamed eggs over homemade biscuits

Thursday-homemade pizza, salad

Friday- pork chops, savory apple roast

Saturday-waffles, sausage links

Sunday-soft pretzels with cheese sauce (I'm trying this recipe I saw on Rachael Ray's show.)

All dinners include salad or veggie even if it's not mentioned!

Breakfasts for the week will be: cold cereal, bananas and apples, eggs and toast, yogurt, cream of wheat and apple-walnut muffins.

Lunches are primarily leftovers. If needed, I have some individual servings of frozen homemade soups, stuff for either peanut butter or egg salad sandwiches and extra salad fixings.

Menu Plan Monday

This week I'm taking the easy way out and baking a chicken that we can eat off of for several days!

Monday- meatloaf, mashed potatoes, salad

Tuesday-roast chicken, with potatoes and carrots

Wednesday- chicken and bean burritos

Thursday-chicken salad sandwiches

Friday-chicken soup with cheese tortellini

Saturday- with family

Sunday-grilled cheese

Breakfasts this week will be eggs and toast, honey bran muffins, homemade yogurt, cream of wheat and fresh fruit.

Lunches will be leftovers, peanut butter or turkey sandwiches and salads.

For more menu planning inspiration, please visit I'm an organizing junkie!

"Better Than Pam" Pan Release

I made up some of this "Better Than Pam" pan release this week. It is awesome!

I was out of regular pan spray plus I've been looking for a substitution for the aerosol spray for a long time. Just plain oil wasn't cutting it for me!

So when I saw this review on Amy's blog, I was more than happy to give it a try! It's super easy to make and takes about 5 minutes. So far I'm really happy with the results.

Menu Plan Monday

My dinner menu for this week:

Monday: meatball stromboli, salad

Tuesday: nine-bean soup, French bread with herbed cream cheese

Wednesday:cheese enchiladas(from freezer), salad

Thursday: stove top chicken and rice

Friday: sandwiches

Saturday:eat out

Breakfasts this week will be cold cereal, pancakes(from freezer),honey bran muffins and eggs and toast.

Lunches will be leftovers, peanut butter and honey or ham sandwiches or salads.

For more menu plan inspiration, please visit I'm an organizing junkie!

Cracked Wheat Bread

I made a new recipe of cracked wheat bread today. I was planning to make my regular honey-wheat bread but noticed I was almost out of whole wheat flour!(Time for grocery shopping!)

I looked through my Better Homes and Gardens Homemade Bread Cookbook(a recent thrift store find for $1) and found a recipe for Cracked Wheat bread. I had some cracked wheat in the freezer so I decided to give it a try.

I made several changes to the original recipe and it turned out really yummy! I will definitely be making this bread again. Here's the recipe just as I made it...

Cracked Wheat Bread

2 cups warm water
2 packages or 2 T. active dry yeast
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup cracked wheat(soaked for a few minutes in warm water; I soaked mine for maybe 20 minutes-it just seemed like the right thing to do-LOL!!!)
4-4 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2-3 tablespoons ground flax seed-optional
8 teaspoons Vital Wheat Gluten-optional but makes a softer and better rising bread)

Directions(with a mixer):
In mixer bowl, combine water and yeast. Let set for about 5 minutes; then add sugar, butter and salt. Beat on low speed for a minute or so; add drained cracked wheat, 2 cups white flour,whole wheat flour, flax seed and gluten. Mix for several minutes at low to medium speed. Scrape bowl if needed and add the rest of the white flour-a little at a time, mixing and adding flour until dough is stiff but still slightly sticky to the touch.(You may need a bit more flour-use your own discretion.)Mix for about 8 minutes total until thoroughly mixed and a nice dough.

Place dough in greased bowl and turn to coat. Cover and set in warm spot to rise until doubled- about one hour. When doubled in size, punch down and let rise until doubled again. After second rising, punch down and divide into 2 loaves. Let dough rest for about 10 minutes. Shape loaves and place in greased bread pans. Cover and let rise until doubled in size-again!

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes. If crusts brown too quickly, cover with foil for the last 15 minutes. Remove loaves from pans and cool on wire racks or towel. Brush tops with butter if desired.

Makes 2 loaves

Works For You Wednesday

This week for Works For Me Wednesday, it's Backwards Day! Instead of giving a great idea,we are asking for answers/ideas/advice for a specific question we may have.

My question is this:

I buy Tupperware at yard sales and thrift stores. Much of it, especially the older styles, has a musty smell inside. The smell doesn't go away after repeated baths in the dishwasher either. I know I'm not the only one who buys used Tupperware. How can I get rid of the smell?

Three Years

Happy Anniversary, Andy! I love you!

"I promise I will love you all the seasons of my life and be thankful for the beauty of just sharing them with you." -from a card given before we were married

More of our pictures and wedding details can be found here.

Menu Plan Monday

Here is my dinner menu plan for the week:

Monday-creamed eggs on toast

Tuesday-baked tilapia, sweet potatoes, steamed green beans

Wednesday-barley "risotto"(new recipe)

Thursday-BBQ meatballs served over rice

Friday-Mexican pizzas(from kit)

Saturday-eggs, bacon, cheese grits

All dinners are served with either a salad or veggie on the side.

For breakfasts this week, we have cold cereal, eggs and toast, cream of wheat, and pumpkin muffins.

Lunches are usually dinner leftovers. For days with no leftovers, we have vegetable soup(frozen in individual portions) or peanut butter sandwiches.

For more menu planning inspiration, please visit I'm An Organizing Junkie!

Menu Plan Monday

Monday- chicken and rice(top of the stove dish)

Tuesday-tuna pasta salad

Wednesday-beef tips(bought on super sale a while back!), gravy, mashed potatoes

Thursday-sloppy joes

Friday-sweet and sour pork with rice

Saturday-leftover buffet

For more menu ideas, please visit I'm An Organizing Junkie!

What To Do With 10 Pounds Of Ground Beef

When ground beef was on sale last week for $.97 a pound, I bought 10 pounds. It was packaged in 5 pound packages, so I bought 2 of the big trays.

I used 2 pounds(with 1 pound of sausage) to make a huge batch of meatballs to freeze. I cut the rest of the beef into approximate 1 pound portions and froze 6 pounds in 1 pound bags. I browned the remaining 2 pounds and froze that already cooked in 1 pound portions as well. (This will be great for quick meals!) All this meat should last us for several months!

I'll share my recipe for meatballs and you can check out this article for many ways to use them!

Meatballs

2 pounds ground beef
1 pound sausage(can use all ground beef if desired)
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2-3 teaspoons salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup chopped onion

Mix all ingredients together and shape into small balls(I use my cookie scoop). I usually make around 80 meatballs with this recipe. Place meatballs on waxed paper lined cookie sheet.

Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid. Remove from pan and package in meal-sized portions(I like dozen size packages for us).

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

We love these baked with BBQ sauce and served with rice or pasta. Easy!

I have also put partially cooked meatballs in cooked jumbo pasta shells and then layered them with spaghetti sauce and cheese- one of my husband's favorites!Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or so.

The newest Taste of Home has a recipe for meatball calzones which I plan to adapt for us.

Happy cooking!

Making A List

No, I'm not talking about Christmas right now, even though I am already planning fun gifts!

I'm trying to do better at planning and projecting as to what I need for groceries and household items. So this month I decided to make a list of items that we frequently use that I need to be looking for ahead(before I am completely out) on a good sale. It's such a simple idea, but it has already helped me so much!

I use a clipboard (hanging in my kitchen)with a pad of paper that I write my grocery lists on as I notice I am running low. This month I simply kept a list on the front left hand side of items I wanted at a great price. So often I forget what I want to stock up on as I go from week to week so this is a simple thing that really helps me!

When looking at the sale ads, I kept an eye out for some of the items that I had on -my "sale" list. Either this was a good month for sales or my list really helped to remind me of what to be looking for.:-)

On my list this month:

-Brita filters
-liquid Tylenol
-canned salmon
-ziploc bags-all sizes-(bought for 99 cents a box)
-ground beef-(bought at 97 cents a pound)
-fish-(found some tilapia for a good price in the ads this week)
-mayo-(bought at 70 cents a jar with sale and coupons)
-whole chickens
-chicken breasts-(bought at $1.77 a pound)
-ranch dressing
-whole wheat pasta-(Harris Teeter has some spaghetti advertised)
-tuna
-sausage

Of course, not everything was found yet, but I was able to get several of these things at very good prices! I'm also trying to do better at keeping some of my husband's favorite foods on hand and this will help me to remember to look for things that I normally wouldn't think about.:-)

Who would've guessed that such a simple idea would help me so much?

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: BBQ Chicken, corn on the cob, salad

Tuesday: Spaghetti & Meatballs

Wednesday: Calico Bean Bake(a new recipe)

Thursday: London Broil with roasted potatoes and carrots

Friday: homemade pizza

Saturday: leftovers

For more menu ideas, please visit I'm An Organizing Junkie!

Frugal Fridays: Spaghetti Pie

Today I'm sharing my new favorite make ahead freezer meal. Not only frugal and easy to make, it's also a cinch to mass-produce these to freeze. These make a wonderful hospitality meal to have on hand to either bake for unexpected guests or to take to someone who needs a meal brought to them. This has a "lasagna taste" to it and is so much quicker and less expensive than lasagna! I've figured that each pie costs about $3 to make.

My sister shared this recipe with me and we love it!

Spaghetti Pie

(Amounts given are for one pie; multiply according if making more than one)

Cook half of a 1 pound box of spaghetti(4 cups cooked pasta; approx. 1 1/2" diameter of uncooked)per package instructions.

Mix 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese with 2 beaten eggs and a little butter. Add to the hot noodles and mix well.

Grease a pie pan and nest in the noodles, bringing them up on the sides to resemble a crust.

Put spaghetti sauce with meat or leftover lasagna sauce on top. You can add mushrooms to this if you would like.

Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

If freezing, double wrap and freeze until ready to use. (Thaw in fridge overnight.)



Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly!

Cut in wedges and serve with garlic bread and a salad.

For more frugal ideas, please visit Biblical Womanhood!

Two Small Cleaning Jobs-Done!

It seems there are always relatively small cleaning tasks around the house that seem to continually be put off. I've tackled two of these this week: cleaning the microwave and the ceiling fans.

I used this easy tip from Paula to clean the microwave. Hat tip to Mrs. U!

To clean the fans, I simply spray my dust rag and wipe all the blades down. Some people use special dusters to do this-which is fine. The important thing is that the job gets done!

Both of these tasks took only a few minutes each to complete. I love that there are no dust bunnies lurking on my fans and my microwave is sparkling clean-if only for a little while!

Blessings to everyone as you care for your family and home today!