My Thanksgiving Meal

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This is what I will be serving this year for Thanksgiving.  I am planning a rather quiet holiday this year at home with my small family.   Our extended family is not able to travel to visit us this year, so I am planning the feast myself.  I have been stocking up for the past couple of weeks and my meal comes in under $50 for 4 of us.  I think that is wonderful.  The kiddos are busy planning a wonderful holiday play and I am awaiting Thanksgiving and am looking forward to a great holiday season.

Breakfast:
Homemade Cinnamon rolls

Lunch/Dinner

Turkey with old fashioned farm stuffing

Corn casserole

Pistachio pudding salad

Fresh rolls

Home made Orange cranberry sauce

Mashed potatoes and gravy

Lettuce salad

Menu plan 9/22/2014

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Here it is, a busy busy week ahead.  Looking forward to Friday since it is homecoming this week!



Monday: Spaghetti and meatballs

Tuesday: Crockpot Pulled pork, baked beans, and corn casserole

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: Crockpot Chicken and potatoes

Friday: Football game

Saturday: Roasted Chicken

Sunday: Chicken Enchiladas



As always, I am linking up at menuplan monday

Apple Nut Pudding

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Well, the air has a slight hint of fall lately here in the Midwest.  This time of year my baking bug hits home just a little bit.  So, today I went out to the orchard closest to my home and found a bag of Jonathan apples, which are my favorite to bake with this time of year.  Brought them home and made a wonderful apple cake.  This recipe came from my husband's late grandmother.  She was known as the baker in the family.  When she passed on last fall, I inherited her recipe collection with cookbooks that date back to the 1930's.  Starting this month, I have decided to begin working my way through some of these recipes.  I pulled some apple and pumpkin recipes out that look a little interesting.  I also have been looking for some dinner recipes also.  Hopefully, I will find a few family favorites to add to my dinner rotations. 

Here is the recipe for Apple nut pudding.  This looks more like an apple cake than pudding.

Apple Nut Pudding

2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups chopped apples
1 cup chopped nuts
2 teaspoons vanilla

Cream sugar and shortening.  Then add eggs and beat well, and set aside.  Sift dry ingredients and add to shortening mixture mixing well.  Add apples plus nuts gradually mixing well each time.  Lastly add the vanilla.  Bake at 350 degrees for30-45 mins.   Serve with cool whip, whipping cream or ice cream.  This cake also freezes well if you need it to last that long.  Mine didn't last through the weekend.  It is THAT good!!!

Weekly Menu Plan August 16th

Well, this weekend I have vowed to finally get organized.  It will happen and the good news is I am halfway there.  I also dug out one of my old cookbooks and have made a menu out of it for this next week.  

Sunday:  chicken Angelo

Monday: crockpot beef burritos, corn, and salad

Tuesday:  leftover burritos

Wednesday:  chicken with wine herb sauce, potatoes, and salad 

Thursday:  glazed pork chops, potatoes green beans

Friday:  beef and mozzarella bake, broccoli 

Weekly Meal Plan 7/21/2014

Well, where has the summer gone?  Looks like it is only three weeks until my kids go back to school.  Sniff, sniff.  I actually prefer the summer months when they are home and can help out a bit more around the house.  With that said, I am taking full advantage of a quiet week ahead with no evening activities yet!!  Soon enough they will be creeping into the picture and once again I will be on life at full speed.

Here is this weeks meal plan.

Monday:  Slow cooker pepper steak tacos

Tuesday: leftover

Wednesday: Slow cooker pizza casserole

Thursday: Caprese stuffed chicken breasts and broccoli

Friday: Grilled salmon, rice, and green beans.

Saturday: Steak

Sunday: Chicken
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I will be returning!!!

Well over the past few years, I have had many family issues that have taken some of my time.  Actually a lot of it.  Well, I want to let all my readers know that I plan to return to blogging limited amounts through August, but then in September I plan to come back full time.  I am so looking forward to becoming creative again.  I just had to let my life catch back up with me.  I can't wait to try all the recipes I have been working on and then share these with you after they pass the test of my loving family.  Frugal living is my lifestyle and with grocery prices skyrocketing again I am looking forward to using the blog as my meal plan to keep me on the path to frugal living.  See  you all soon!!!!

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Lemon Chicken Pasta (Using leftover Chicken)

The following recipe made a wonderful dinner using up leftover chicken from a few nights ago.  What a great way to revive dinner!!  This great recipe is from Taste of Home.  I found an old issue laying around and was going to throw it away until I looked through it and found dinner.  What a wonderful frugal dinner that didn't cost me anything.  Probably about $2.80 per serving.

 

Lemon Chicken Tortellini

 

Ingredients

• 1 package (19 ounces) frozen cheese tortellini
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-in. pieces
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 small sweet red pepper, julienned
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, optional
• 1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach
• 6 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

• Cook tortellini according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a
• large skillet, saute chicken in butter until no longer pink. Remove
• and keep warm. In the same pan, cook red pepper until crisp-tender.
• Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add 2 cups broth; bring to a boil.
• Combine the flour, salt, pepper and remaining broth until smooth;
• gradually stir into the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2
• minutes or until thickened. Stir in the chicken, lemon peel and
• pepper sauce if desired. Add spinach; cook just until wilted. Drain
• pasta; toss with sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.

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Menu Plan July 7 2014

Well, here it is summer and my budget has gotten away from me.   I truly have fallen off the planning wagon for most of this year.  Yikes!!  Well, today marks week one of budget overhaul and menu planning is first on my list to get grocery spending under control. 

Monday: Lemon chicken tortellini using leftover chicken.

Tuesday: Taco's

Wednesday: Spaghetti

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday:  Mediterranean smothered chicken


All meals will be served with a side salad and fresh fruit.  Looks like it is going to be a wonderful week!!


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Snowy Day Dinner!!

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Oh today has been a hectic day!!  The big winter storm of the year has impacted us in the heartland.  This week I am on my frugal living way and I decided to make a turkey on Sunday.  Today was the last day to use up the leftover meet or freeze it and low and behold I had a breast left.  This yielded enough meat to make this wonderful soup that makes approximately 4 servings.  Just enough to feed my hungry and cold family.  My husband told me this was exactly what he needed after snowblowing our drive this evening.  So, if you need a warm up, try this great soup.  It would also be wonderful with chicken. 

Turkey Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients                                                                                

• 1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cup(s) sliced mushrooms, about 4 ounces
• 3/4 cup(s) chopped celery
• 3/4 cup(s) chopped carrots
• 1/4 cup(s) chopped shallots
• 1/4 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper
• 4 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup(s) quick-cooking or instant wild rice (see Ingredient Note)
• 3 cup(s) shredded cooked chicken or turkey, 12 ounces; see Tip
• 1/2 cup(s) reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh parsley

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Directions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add mushrooms, celery, carrots and shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more.
2. Add broth and bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits. Add rice and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until the rice is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in turkey (or chicken), sour cream and parsley and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more.

Weekly Menu 2/2/2014

Well, I think I am going to attempt blogging again.  For me, blogging is a hobby and not something I am required to do for income.  I have taken the past year off because I have begun a different life than what I had been used to.  I finished up my nursing degree and began working full time outside of the house.  I had previously only worked 3 days a week prior to that for the past 10 years.  This is the first time since having children that I was working full time outside the house.  Well, since stopping the blog and working outside the house I have fallen into the convenience trap.  I still cook at home, but have sacrificed my healthy home made meals for convenience frozen food.  In the end, I have noticed my grocery bill inching upwards at a rate I don't like.  Therefore, I am going to really try to become more consistent with the frugal living ways I learned while living on less.  Here is the menu plan for this week.

Week of 2/2/2014

Sunday:

Roast Turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and snicker apple salad

Monday:

Turkey Pot Pie


Tuesday:

Turkey and Rice Soup

Wednesday:
Goulash



Thursday:

Leftovers

Friday:



Slow Cooker Beef Stew