Must Make Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls

I always wanted to try homemade cinnamon rolls. The Pioneer Woman's looked delicious, but rather intimidating. Then, I stumbled across this yummy, but easy looking recipe for Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls from Kendra at My First Kitchen. She promised she made and ate the rolls in 1 hour. My baby doesn't let me have much time to cook, so I took advantage of a morning nap, and gave these a try. They were incredibly easy to make, and Ben loved them. The first time, I followed the recipe exactly. The next time I made them for our extended family, I skipped the glaze, and frosted them warm with this Easy Cream Cheese frosting from Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. It was a perfect combination!

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday

Menu Plan Monday December 27, 2010

I feel like this should be titled the after Christmas, end of the month, getting through the week menu plan. I am working on winding up my down my monthly menu plan, tired from Christmas baking, and I need to use up the food I have before January rolls in. The meals won't be too fancy, but I suppose that is okay.

For Christmas, we had a tasty roast in the crockpot (I just cooked the roast without potatoes and veggies) with cheesy potatoes, peas, pears and pineapple, I'd made lemon cookies, applesauce bars with cream cheese frosting, and cheesecake squares. We indulged in my mother in law's homemade fudge, and also enjoyed tasty Moose Munch for snacks.

It was a wonderful day of skyping with other grandparents, and extended family in other states.

Here is the menu for the week:

Sunday: FFY
Monday: Sausage and Potatoes....I don't have a recipe. I think I am just going to pan fry some turkey kielbasa I need to use up with some diced potatoes. My roommate used to make tasty potatoes in the oven by dicing them up, dotting them with butter, sprinkling a bit of garlic salt and then cooking them at 375 until tender (maybe 1 hour). I may do that and then stir the kielbasa in.
Tuesday: Simple Taco Night? (Simple because we are out of sour cream, and don't have tomatoes. But we do have beans, leftover roast, olives, corn and cheese). I use homemade tortillas to give it a special touch.
Wednesday: Twice Baked Potatoes with Ham
Thursday: Sticky Chicken, served over rice (a new recipe)
Friday: New Years Eve. I thought it would be fun to try the Stromboli (didn't get to it last week) as well as banana splits or root beer floats! We probably won't stay up until Midnight, but maybe we can watch some of the events on TV after our daughter goes to bed.
Saturday: Leftovers? Not sure.

For more menus, visit Laura at I'm an Org Junkie

Menu Plan Monday December 12, 2010

Oh dear! It has been over three months since I posted a menu. I have had menus planned. Since the baby came, we have tightened down our budget and I am working very hard to make meals based on what we have in the kitchen, or if I buy a more expensive ingredient (like buttermilk) to use many meals around it so it does not go bad. Sometimes our budget means I have to forgo good loss leaders, but I made a point to pick up some Tillamook Cheese at the local QFC for only 2.99 (2lb block!). I also matched some coupons and a 3 dollar up reward to get a good deal on diapers at Rite Aid. I'm enjoying the challenge, and Ben gives me grace if I go slightly over budget.

In the past two months, I made a wonderful discovery! Before the move, we always shopped at a large grocery store where the prices were cheaper because you had to bag your own groceries. They also had an ample supply of bulk food. I loved shopping there, and missed it when we came up here. But, in October, I discovered a store not 12 miles away. 12 miles is too far to drive every week. However, it is perfect for stocking up on the big bulk items. In October, my daughter and I made the trek and I came away with over 60 dollars worth of food! But, I bought enough pasta, oatmeal, beans, flour, sugar, frozen veggies, and other sundry items to last us until December....at least! It was important though, to realize that not all items were cheaper. For example, bacon was 3.47/lb. I passed it up since it wasn't on sale. I saved my receipt to help me start a price book. That way I can compare the loss leader deals in my town to the typical prices there.

On to the menu for this week. To save money, I made a tentative list of what we'll eat for the month. I am balancing it around deals in the paper too. It seems to work well because I already have all the main ingredients and just have to pick up some produce or milk.

Here's the menu for this week.

Sunday: Potato Soup, homemade applesauce, bread
Monday: Quick Cassoulet (a new recipe)
Tuesday: Chicken Alfredo, courtesy of Finding Joy in My Kitchen. This is also a new recipe
Wednesday: Stromboli? I've wanted to make this for a long time, but never gotten around to it. I'll bet it would taste great with tomato soup. Perhaps I'll pick some up.
Thursday: Burgers and Fries
Friday: Leftovers (I never feel like cooking on Friday, so I've learned to plan something simple, or leftovers)
Saturday: Best Chicken Ever

Get more menus at Laura's I'm an Organizing Junkie Menu Plan Monday!

Menu Plan Monday September 13, 2010

I'm pleased to share that last week's menu went pretty much to plan. We switched a couple of nights due to Ben's work schedule, but my goal of making meals ahead of time worked rather well. It also helps that my little one is getting used to the bouncy chair and willing to rest in it while I work! Here is my menu for this week.

Monday: Twice Baked Potatoes with ham (I didn't get to this meal last week, but I managed to back, and scoop out the potatoes. I just have to mash the filling, mix in some more seasonings, and restuff)
Tuesday: Garlic Cheddar Chicken. I have one piece of chicken left. We found that since this recipe is rather rich and calls for pounding the chicken, a half a piece is enough for us.
Wednesday: Shepherd's Pie. I have the filling pre made in the freezer, and I need to use it up!
Thursday: hmm...not sure....Oh wait, I have leftover Roast. We'll have that. I need to make up a beef gravy for it. I didn't make one with the drippings, but I have some beef broth, so I will search for one that works. If you have any favorites, let me know.
Friday: Potatoes were on sale, so I think I'll make hashbrowns and eggs for dinner.
Saturday: Leftovers :-)

I'm almost finished using up the food I froze before the baby came. It was so nice to have on hand, that I am going to start doubling freezable recipes and storing them. I'll try to post soon on which recipes worked, and which didn't .

For more menus visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.com!

Menu Plan Monday

I'm slowly coming out of the post pardum fog. In addition to having a new baby, we moved to a new town, where sadly, they don't have a large discount grocery store where I am used to shopping. Consequently, grocery prices are much higher now. I'm going to have to start shopping the sales, hitting coupon deals when the come, and creating a price book!

This week, I'm trying to use up what we have. I picked up some apples last week at Albertsons for 58 cents/lb. Ben helped me make a big batch of delicious apple sauce with it. I need to freeze it before we eat it all! Below is my menu plan for this week, plus what I'd like to do ahead of time.

6 Monday: Potato Soup with leftover pears. Thaw ground beef, cook and bake noodles for.....
7 Tuesday: Pasta Pizza with ground beef, pepperoni, pineapple and olives. Have the rest of the cantaloupe. Thaw chicken breasts, mix up spice rub for...
8 Wednesday: Best Chicken Ever with corn and applesauce. Scrub, cook and prep potatoes. I think I'll cook the potatoes in the crockpot for....
9 Thursday: Twice Baked Potatoes with Ham. Cut up carrots for.....
10 Friday: Italian Roast Wraps.....just the roast :-) with herbed egg noodles, cooked carrots with thyme (new recipe). Dear daughter has to get shots today, so I'm planning an easy dinner. But, if she gets fussy, I might forget the noodles.
11 Saturday: Probably leftovers, we'll have plenty.

For more menus, visit I'm an Org Junkie.com!

A break and an update

If you follow the blog, you notice that I took down the baby countdown. That's because my little girl came early and the countdown was no longer accurate! She is very precious, but also a lot of work! Since we're adjusting to a newborn and I barely have time to eat, it will be a while before I can update. I hope to get situated in a few weeks, but we'll see. Thanks for your patience!

Flex Your Foot!

I've started listening to the wonderful podcast "Pregtastic." Hosted by pregnant women for pregnant women, this podcast covers every topic relating to motherhood. Last week, one woman complained about getting painful calf cramps. I could relate to her pain. Several times I've woken up with the desire to stretch my leg only to be met with a painful tightening in my calf. A co host recommended she immediately flex her foot. This will ease the pain. This morning, in my sleepy state, I once again reached out to stretch my leg. Feeling a cramp coming on, I remembered the advice and instantly flexed my foot. It worked! I still feel a slight discomfort in my calf, but no pain. So, if you get a calf cramp in your leg, try stretching your foot! It worked for me.

(Check out Works for Me Wednesday at We Are That Family)

Menu Plan Monday June 7, 2010

Last week, I was out of town most of the week, so I didn't really make a menu plan. But, I did finally get around to making the Brown Bag Burritos that have been on my list for a very long time. I'm glad I did. They were delicious! I am going to make a bunch to freeze for when baby comes. They will make a perfect snack or quick dinner. My sister in law makes delicious Spanish rice. Maybe I'll make a big batch of that to freeze too.

I also got a few more meals planned. Ben was kind enough to make up 12 ground beef patties, which we froze. I made 2 meatloaf mixes, and I cooked some meat for 2 shepherds pies. I just need to add the veggies and I'll freeze those too. I It is nice to see my fridge start to fill up with meals! So far, I have the meat listed above, and 1 dinner's worth of mock lasagna. I have a lot more planning to do. I didn't get to the waffles yet. Maybe this week. This week, I'll make a chicken tetrazzini to freeze as well (maybe two). I was thinking about making up a bunch of mashed potatoes to freeze for the shepherds pie, but I'm not sure they will hold up, so I think I'll have to buy a box of instant. Does anyone have success freezing mashed potatoes?

This week is pretty light on the menu. Last week, we took advantage of our one day without rain to make lemon lime chicken. Ben grilled it and it was perfect!

Sunday: Herbed Chicken with Spring Veggies. This was good, a bit heavy on the garlic, but seemed like too much work to make again. I have some leftover chicken which I will shred and serve with the veggies. I served it with Peasant Bread.

Monday: Leftover chicken and veggies. Fruit and bread.
Tuesday: Beef Stroganoff with pears. (I need to use up some sour cream)
Wednesday: Potluck, not sure what I'll bring.
Thursday: Enchiladas. (I cannot wait. I would love to make these and freeze them, but every site I've read for advice said the sauce makes the tortillas mushy and to add it before you cook it. I make my enchiladas by dipping each tortilla in the sauce, filling it, and then pouring extra on top, so I don't think it will work).
Friday: Burgers and fries.
Saturday: Not sure...maybe the tetrazzini if I don't get to it earlier in the week. If I make it, I'll make two.

For more menus, check out Menu Plan Monday at Org Junkie.com!

Menu Plan Monday May 24, 2010

This week, my husband has some dinner plans with out me, so I'm pulling out some old recipes that I enjoy, but know he does not. I haven't made these recipes since we've been married. I'll let you know if they are as good as I remembered :-)

Sunday: Mock Chow Mein with green beans and pears (in the oven as I type. If I still like this, I'll pre-make another batch to freeze) (UPDATE, it was very tasty. I'm going to freeze another one)
Monday: Chicken Divan with leftover veggies and fruit salad (UPDATE...no, this was not as good as I remembered. Maybe I used to make it with fresh broccoli and this time I used frozen, I don't know. I will finish what I made, but I threw the recipe I had away.)
Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: Potluck, not sure what I need to bring yet
Thursday: Brown Bag Burritos with Peach Crisp. I didn't get to the burritos last time and I still want to try it to see if it is good to freeze ahead of time.
Friday: Herbed Chicken with Spring Vegetables. (This is a new recipe. I'll halve this and probably just use the chicken thighs. I'm keeping my eyes open for a good sale this week.)
Saturday: Waffles for breakfast. (Make extra and freeze) Not sure about dinner yet...maybe I'll make two batches of Mock Lasagna (egg noodles in place of lasagna noodles) and freeze one.

I'm also going to make a Costco trip and pick up some ground beef and frozen chicken. With the ground beef I hope to pre-make burger patties (uncooked), two batches of meatloaf (uncooked), cook some beef for one or two Shepherd's pie fillings and probably some ground beef for tacos. Then, I'll hopefully have some meat leftover for a few week's meals. This will probably not get done until the first week of June. Last, I'm keeping my eye out for some good roast sales so I can have some in the freeze for crockpot meals such as Italian Roast Wraps.

For more menus, visit Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Our First Family Heirloom

This week, Sandy at Reluctant Entertainers chose Family Heirlooms for her Home is.....day. I didn't get this post up in time to participate in the linky, but I still wanted to share a special family heirloom we were blessed to receive as a wedding gift.


These are the clothes my grandfather was blessed in as a baby. As my 2nd cousin shared, they are about 87 years old and were likely made by his older sister. He lived in Idaho, so he needed extra layers to keep warm under the top dress.

The slip on the left is heavier. My great aunt did the crochet on the bottom too.

My grandfather is no longer alive, so I was very touched and honored to have such a special part of his life. I hope to preserve these and pass them along some day too.

Menu Plan Monday April 26, 2010

Wow! It has been a while since I posted one of these. I've still been planning menus for each week. If I stick to them, it definitely helps us avoid eating out when I'm just too tired. (Although, we've still done a little bit of that....as you can see from my helpful ticker above, I am now in 6 months of pregnancy, so I don't push it if I don't have to!) I've also found I have to start making larger portions as I am constantly hungry! This week, I want to start experimenting with doubling my meals. I don't do a lot of freezer cooking, but I know I'll want plenty of meals stocked up for when the baby comes.

Here's what's on the agenda for this week.

Sunday: Barbecue: Surprise welcome home party at our church for a returning soldier.
Monday: Leftover night: Shepherd's Pie and Chicken Tetrazzini
Tuesday: Manicotti (make the full recipe, but freeze the leftovers)
Wednesday: Potluck, I'm bringing dessert, so I think I'll take applesauce bars.
Thursday: Chicken Dijon with Italian Cheese Bread (a new recipe) and Potatoes.
Friday: Brown Bag Burritos (A new recipe. If we like it, I'll make more to freeze for easy meals).
Saturday: Not sure yet....To be determined :-)

We have a limited grocery store budget this week. I already went over going to Costco, so I'll just be picking up the essentials: Milk, eggs, fruit, and I forgot the manicotti noodles in last week's purchase! Other than that, we should have everything for the next few days.

For more great menus, visit Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Delicious Chicken Dijon

I discovered this Chicken Dijon recipe from a church cookbook my aunt gave us for our wedding. This recipe is quick and easy to prepare (you have to start earlier in the day as it requires two hours to sit in the refrigerator), but it tastes like you spent hours working on it. It is very delicious. I have to add it to next week's menu as my mouth is watering just thinking about it! (Ah pregnancy...The mere mention of food makes me crave it.)



Chicken Dijon

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Marinade: 5 tsp. Dijon mustard, 1/4 lb butter or margarine, 1 clove fresh garlic.

Melt butter in saute pan over low heat. Add fresh garlic, simmer on low for 2 minutes. Blend in mustard, stirring well. Remove from heat and let cool enough to touch, but not solidify. Whip vigorously until mixture thickens.

Breading: 1 T fresh parsley, 1 T tarragon, 5T Parmesan Cheese, shredded, 1 1/2 cups crushed bread crumbs.

Mix herbs, cheese and crumbs, blending well. Dip chicken breasts in marinade, coating all surfaces, then breading mixture, packing crumbs in chicken to coat well. Place chicken in single layer in low pan. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours to set breading. Bake at 350 for 35 to 45 minutes. If desired, top with finely shredded Parmesan cheese.

Notes: I usually halve this recipe. I found I never need the full amount of butter. I only use 1 T for two chicken breasts. It is very important not to rush the chilling time. I've chilled it for a shorter time before, and the breading did not adhere as well. I've never topped the chicken with Parmesan at the end either.

Enjoy!

Shopping While Pregnant

Going grocery shopping when you're hungry is ill advised, you'll have a harder time sticking to your budget. Go grocery shopping while you're hungry and pregnant, and you'll end up with 1.98 bag of Cool Ranch Doritos and 88 cent box of Cheese Nips in your cart.

Menu Plan Tuesday :-) February 9, 2010

Yea!! I'm back with menu planning. Not only am I grateful to enjoy food again, but our household budget was feeling the pinch from eating out more. I'm still going to pick up a few frozen convenience foods for the nights I don't want to cook. It costs more, but is cheaper than eating out....especially if I pick it up with a coupon. As my energy picks up, I want to start making more foods for the freezer.

Sunday: Superbowl! I made my chimichurri cheesesteaks using the pork carnitas recipe from Family Feasts for $75.00 a Week. This was a new way to cook pork. It worked well, but I did let it get too dark at the end. I trimmed off some of the burned spots. I served the sandwiches with applesauce.

Monday: Potluck, I brought banana chocolate chip bars for dessert.

Tuesday: Date night! (I planned tacos, but Ben is treating me to a dinner out instead.)

Wednesday: Late work night. I'm picking up a $5.00 8 piece fried chicken special at the local thriftway, and then I'll serve it with mac and cheese, applesauce, and possibly foolproof biscuits, for a KFC type dinner at home.

Thursday: Using the leftover pork for taco night!

Friday: Looks like it will be a rainy day. I'll make our favorite mashed potato soup.

Saturday: Leftovers or grilled cheese and applesauce

A Long Bloggy Break

Wow, since I started blogging, this is the longest break I've ever taken. Although, I do have a pretty good reason...more than just I'm too busy. I started this blog with intentions to discuss everyday events, but it has largely turned into planning my menu and posting favorite recipes. For the past three months or so, food has ceased to appeal to me. I had no desire to plan a menu, couldn't even look at other menus, recipes or food blogs, and was frankly too tired to do anything but get through my work day.

The good news is that, my appetite and desire for food has returned. This is a very good thing as I am eating for two! :-) Lord willing, at the end of July we will be having our first child! I just started the second trimester, my energy is slowly returning and I'm even showing a little. :-) Ben has been absolutely wonderful helping out a lot more around the house, going to the grocery store, not expecting a homemade dinner every night, and just taking care of me. I couldn't ask for a better dad for our child.

I appreciate all your prayers and hope to get back to blogging more regularly soon :-)

My niece drew this picture of me. Hopefully I don't get that big. :-)