Menu Plan Monday January 24th-January 30: Easy Crock Pot Nights

This week, I am going to try making every dinner in my trusty crock pot. It never does me wrong, and is always there to help me when I need it. LOL...really, I'm just challenging myself to see if I can do it! Can you? Make sure you stop by www.orgjunkie.com for her famous and delicious recipes in her Menu Plan Monday! She's my inspiration for planning my meals out weekly!

Don't forget to check out my giveaways too! I'm giving away a tutu to two lucky winners and am giving away almost $60 in full-sized products! Make sure you follow the rules gals and guys!

Monday: Cauliflower Cheese Soup (UPDATE) I think this is a soup that needs to cook in the crock on high for more than 6 hours. I'm thinking like 8-10. I thought 4 hours would be enough on high, but the vegies were still crisp after 4 hours. Also, I added a bottle of Michelob Ultra Cactus Lime to it instead of 2 cups of broth. It was VERY yummy!
Even though this recipe is made for stove top cooking, I think it will work well in the crock pot, I will just be adjusting the time.

Tuesday: Macaroni and Cheese

Wednesday: Fend for Yourself Dinner

Thursday: Sundried Tomatoes and Feta Tri-Tip
I found tri-tip at Fiesta Foods here, and although a little more costly than I would normally pay, this will be the "expensive" dinner for the week. I picked up the sundried tomatoes last week at Safeway when they were on sale for $1.50 per bag.

Friday: Clean Out the Pantry Minestrone Soup

Saturday: Melt in Your Mouth Slow Cooker Beef  (UPDATE) I forgot that we are going on an overnight snow run this day and Sunday, so no crock pot! However, I will be experimenting with some campfire recipes! Check back later for those!
with Roasted Potatoes and Tomatoes

Sunday: Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

Tip: If you have leftovers that are even small enough to feed one person, save them. That way, all you need to do when you've found yourself to be alone one night, you don't need to cook...unless you enjoy gourmet cooking for yourself.

Artichoke and Spinach Dip: YUM!

Artichoke and Spinach Dip

This recipe has been passed down from my mom, who got it from my sister's sister-in-law, who got it from her mother-in-law! It is by far the best dip I have ever eaten, and I could definitely sit down with a box of crackers and eat the entire pan all by myself! I'll follow up with a picture tonight!

1 jar/can (12-14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

2 cups spinach leaves, rinsed

8 oz cream cheese

1 cup parmesen cheese

1/2 c mayo

1/2 c sour cream

1 tsp garlic powder

1 roma tomato, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Combine artichokes and spinach in a food processor and chop (you can also just chop these by hand). Put mixture in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients, except tomato and mix until all ingredients are combined with an electric mixer. Pour into 9x13 pan. Top with tomato. Bake for 30 minutes.

Serve with baguette, crackers, chips, or vegies.

If you like this recipe, check out my other recipes on the "Foodies" tab! Make sure you subscribe to my emails if you want to be notified when there is a new post!

Menu Plan Monday January 10th - 16th: Game Night and Simplicity

This week the only really important thing going on besides the usual ever-important daily goings on, is

THE DUCKS GAME AND THE 

BCS CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!

We're not excited or anything here....

So, tonight we're having finger food and pizza!

Here's my list of essentials:

• frozen Tombstone pizza
• cut vegies and fruit
• nachos with all the fixings
• chips and Artichoke and Spinach Dip GOT IT! (I'm hoping to get the recipe in time to make my sister's mother-in-law's recipe). It is to-DIE for!!
• Lil Smokies from the Crock

Tuesday:

I got got pork spare ribs from Safeway last week for $1.99 per pound, and they'll be so easy to broil when I get back from class! I love homemade bbq sauce, so I'm gonna try out a recipe that looks really great!

Spoiled Baby Back Rib

add a salad and Jasmine Rice to make it a complete meal!

Wednesday: 

I discovered last week that my Pre-Calculus class is going to actually run the entire length of class, so it will be the latest two night of the week. In honor of this...LOL...Wednesday's are now Leftovers Night (or fend for yourself night).

Thursday:

I still have a freezer bag of frozen turkey leftovers I need to use up, so I'm going to use this recipe that Laura on orgjunkie.com used in her menu a couple of weeks ago. 

Chicken Turkey Spaghetti from The Pioneer Woman

Friday:

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

Saturday:

Homemade Pizza Night

Here's a great recipe for a crust from Smitten Kitchen

I'll get some help from the kiddos and everyone can put their own toppings on it! The nice thing about that is that I can have my favorite toppings: spinach, tomatoes, bacon, and alfredo sauce! This is also the perfect way for me to use up an open jar of spaghetti sauce that wasn't completely used up last week!

Sunday:

GO SEAHAWKS!!!

You didn't think I'd forget about the 

Seahawks vs. Bears Playoff Game did ya?

Dinner will be simple...maybe some bear or somethin....

No really, I think we'll have some Homemade Clam Chowder, since it's the hubs favorite dinner, then add some yummy dinner rolls and salad. 

Make sure you stop by I'm An Organizing Junkie to check out her week's menu and where I got the idea for posting my weekly menu!

Shopping List January 3 - 9

My shopping list is planned for a family of four this year because my two oldest daughters are living with their dad in Iowa until June. I can't wait for them to get back so I can cook in my comfort zone for a larger family!
 1.00/1 Crab Classic (2) These are on sale at Safeway, BOGO @4.49 each. Print two coupons, then double if you have a doubler, which would make them only .75 cents each! Without the doubles, they would be $1.25 each, which is still a great deal!

French bread loaf
flour tortillas
spaghetti sauce
fettuccine pasta, whole wheat
salsa
broccoli head (1)
iceberg lettuce (1)
2 tomatoes
1 garlic head
2 bell peppers
celery
fresh cilantro
cheddar cheese
sour cream

Menu Plan Monday January 3rd - 9th

With my college winter term starting Tuesday and my son going back to school tomorrow, this week is all about convenient, simple meals. I can make some dinners that take a little longer to make, but those will have to be saved for the weekends since Monday through Thursday evening are taken by classes. I've taken more care this week to make sure my meals meet our family's needs. Last week I messed up by mixing up which day we were going to be out of town. I hope you like the meals I have planned for the week. If you don't like these, check out some of the recipes I have posted on my Foodies page for some inspiration. Look for my shopping list for Menu Plan Monday at the bottom of the post! It's designed to help you shop for these things too using pantry items and deals from local grocery stores! I'd really like to hear...what influences your meals the most?
Make sure you check out Menu Plan Menu at orgjunkie.com!!!
Monday - Since I messed up my menu last week, we had the 40 Clove Slow Cooker Chicken last night.   Tonight, we'll have the Wild Rice Chicken with Pearl Onions with green salad.

Tuesday - Crock Pot Roast Chuck with potatoes and carrots

Wednesday - Crab Fettuccine Alfredo

Thursday - BBQ Beef sandwiches with Mom's Buns, green beans, and sweet potato fries. I'll be using the leftover beef, but smothered in bbq sauce from the crock pot for this one and just simmering it in a sauce pan.
To make the sweet potato fries, just slice a few sweet potatoes or yams in thin slices and sprinkle with a little salt (optional, but I like coarse sea salt on mine). Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until lightly brown and slightly crisp, turning over halfway through.

Friday - Spaghetti and Meatballs, served with garlic bread and salad

Saturday - Beef Burritos
I'm making my own flour tortillas!

Sunday - Chicken Fajitas - cut chicken breast or tenders into narrow strips and cook until brown and tender. Add vegies such as bell pepper, sweet onion, celery, carrot strips, etc to a fry pan and sautee on medium heat  with a little olive oil that has been heated. Add chicken and toss with coarse sea salt, paprika, and pepper to taste. Add fresh, chopped cilantro to the fajitas just after filling the tortilla with vegie and chicken mixture.

So...what do ya think? Are you going to or thinking of using any of these recipes this week or next? Let me know!

Menu Plan Monday

I started Menu Plan Monday on my blog because I saw this being done by Laura from I'm An Organizing Junkie and her Menu Plan Monday! I like hers so much that I would like to offer up my weekly menu plan for my readers too! Make sure you check hers out too!
This week is just a relaxed week with just me, my hubs, and our almost four year old daughter. Sometimes it is difficult for me to create smaller meals, and since my oldest girls have gone to live with their dad for the year, I have had to make meals for six down to just four...but this week, it's basically like making dinner for two since the little one doesn't eat much. Hopefully I can pull this one off without resorting to fast food or rushing to Safeway for frozen meals.

Monday- Apple Chicken Legs,
served with roasted potatoes and peas
I will make the whole recipe since the leftover chicken is wonderful cold the next day for lunch!

Tuesday- Tater Tot Casserole, scaled down to only half of recipe
served with green salad

Wednesday- Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese
This one can be made for under $5.00! One of the ladies left a comment that she adds imitation lobster to it when she makes it, so I'll be trying that out!

Thursday- 40 Clove Chicken
served with leftover mac and cheese! Add some steamed vegies to complete the meal!

Friday- Chicken and Wild Rice Soup with Pearled Onions
I will be using the leftover chicken from Thursday for this recipe!

Saturday- picnic dinner!

Sunday- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup

Charity You CAN Do!

With the Holidays just a few weeks away, money gets tight in most households around this time of the year, but there are still opportunities available for you and your family that can enrich someone else's life. And they don't even cost anything! To teach your children the value of giving and not receiving, choose activities that they can help with too.
Here are some wonderful ways to show your love of humanity:
These websites have lots of ideas for giving - www.dosomething.org/ and unitedway.org
Check out Give2thetroops.org for several ways to donate gifts, care packages, and more!
Find your local pet shelter at aspca.org and donate your time, pet food, treats, etc.
Some other ways to donate your time and talents:
Fill stockings, tins, or baskets with homemade cookies and candy, then visit an elderly neighbor or nursing home to bring joy to someone!
Collect all of those blankets you never use and donate them to a local shelter.
Volunteer your time in a soup kitchen. Lots of churches in small towns need help making meals.
Volunteer your time in your local food shelter. Find one here: secondharvest.org
When women leave an abusive home, they often leave with nothing but the clothes on their back. They are often jobless, because of their previous situation too, so donations of professional clothing for job-hunting is needed. Often, their children too, don't have any clothing to wear either. Find a local women's shelter in your community and donate your gently used clothing, appliances, decor, cell phones, and furniture.
Really, the possibilities are endless! Use some of that brain power and a little creativity, and your family will  find that there is a lot of fun to be had from these experiences!
Post your genius ideas here and share how your family has helped out in your community for the holidays!

Dear Wine, I love you...

...let me count thy ways. I love it when you relax me after a busy, stress-filled day. I love you, late harvest riesling, with your split personality of sweet and tangy. Merlot, your burgundy softness never grows old with me and my palette. Please share with me your favorites!