Oatmeal Cookies...Just a Little Thing

Last week, I'd been craving cookies...oatmeal raisin cookies mostly, but any cookie would do. It probably didn't help that I'd been reading Joanne Fluke's murder mysteries where the owner of a cookie shop bakes cookies and solves crime! By Saturday, I went and bought ingredients but hadn't had a chance to prepare them before Sunday.

Imagine my genuine delight Sunday morning when I found these left for me at church by my secret prayer partner! Oatmeal raisin! This unexpected joy was a little thing that brightened my day.

(They gave me more than one cookie.....
I just ate the rest before I remembered to take a picture!)

Camping at Nottingham

Last month, Ben and I took an overnight camping trip at Nottingham Campground near Mt. Hood. We left on a Monday. When I woke up Monday morning, I thought Ben was going to call the trip off. It was overcast, cold, and had rained the night before. And yet, he didn't say a word about it, so I packed warm clothes, grabbed our rain jackets and off we went!

As we drove, the skies stayed gray and cloudy. The end destination was a surprise to me, so I just patiently waited and watched. I watched as we drove past the cloudy Trillium Lake (where I was certain we would stop) as Ben continued on to the East side of the mountain. Then I watched as the skies started to clear, and the sun came out! The threat of rain was gone. It was a beautiful day! (Ben later shared that the East side is usually warmer, so he took a chance).

We ended up staying at Nottingham Campground. The campground was nearly deserted, so we got one of the better spots---right near a river. My only complaint was the campground was quite dusty. Everything got covered in a layer of dirt. Other than that, as you will see by the pictures below, it was gorgeous. An excellent overnight getaway.

Our view of the river

Pretty Wildflowers

This shot gives you a good idea of how large our campsite was!

Look at this tall tree with exposed roots!

My sweet husband making us dinner!

It was still a bit chilly, but I enjoyed spending most of my time reading by the river!

Lemon Lime Chicken Broil....on the Grill

Lemon Lime Chicken is one of the easiest recipes I make. It is a hit with company. Plus, the leftovers make yummy tacos or sandwich fillings.

I found this recipe on All Recipes.com, but changed it slightly to fit my needs. I personally think it tastes better grilled than broiled. So, I leave the breasts whole, marinade them no more than 2 hours and then my sweet husband grills them for me.

Don't forget the Italian seasoning, it makes the dish! Enjoy it with a salad and some ranch on the side!

Menu Plan Monday, July 5, 2009

I didn't really adhere to my menu last week. I substituted taco night for the souvlaki on Wednesday, and I honestly cannot remember what we ate the rest of the week, but I went berry picking with some friends, so I know we had fresh fruit. I did have success making chicken broth in the slow cooker with my leftover chicken carcass. It made over 4 cups! What a great deal!

Perhaps this menu week will be more memorable ;) Find more menu plans at Laura at I'm an Org. Junkie.com!

Sunday: Ben grilled the last two burger patties. I made peach crisp for dessert with fresh peaches and fresh blueberries.

Monday: Hot dogs over the fire, marshmallows and banana boats.

Tuesday: Leftovers, or Sandwiches with fruit.

Wednesday: Meatloaf from the freezer with mashed potatoes. I'll make the pizza dough too.

Thursday: Pizza Braid

Friday: Quesadilla Pie

Saturday: Taking dinner to Ben at work.

I won't make it this week, but I want to try these breaded chicken drumsticks soon.

I also want to try chicken fried steak. I've never made it before, but it sounds like a good summer meal. Any ideas?

Music for the Fourth of July

These are some of my favorites......

A Splash of Pops: The Boston Pops Orchestra Under Keith Lockhart

American Anthem: Denise Graves and others.

Mormon Tabernacle Choir Celebrates America

State Fair- The Original Broadway Cast Recording.
(It isn't traditionally a patriotic album, but it fits well with the rest of the music)

Summer Treats

In my latest Menu Plan Monday, I noted I had blue icing to use up. This is why! These cupcakes were a huge hit with adults and kids at my church group! I got the idea here. I took the easy way out and used a boxed cake and store bought vanilla frosting.

I made these the night before. If I had to make them again, I would wait and put the teddy bear/lifesaver on before I served them. The lifesavers "wept" a little and the bears got soft. Otherwise, they were delicious!

Menu Plan Monday June 29, 2009

I had a couple of successes with dinners last week. First, my Strawberry Cream Cake turned out well. Although, I recommend making it for a crowd, as it only lasts about 1 day in the refrigerator. I also made the black bean salad, from Simply Recipes. I substituted grape tomatoes for plum, as that is what I had on hand, and omitted the heat due to preference. I don't know about my guests, but I enjoyed it and it is a quick and easy dish for pot luck.

Last week, I also tried a new Alfredo sauce recipe as I shared that so far I had not had success making my own Alfredo sauce. Unfortunately, that still stands. I do not recommend the recipe from Cooking Light. I think I will just stick to getting Chicken Alfredo at the Olive Garden!

I am not quite certain what I will make for dinner this week. I am going to throw out some ideas of what I'd like to make, but it is subject to change each day!

Sunday: Ben grilled burgers and I served homemade potato fries and fresh fruit.
Monday: I made this tortilla chip casserole. I needed to use up some stale tortilla chips. I added frozen corn, and sliced olives, and about 1 T of cilantro, to taste. I recommend lightly crushing the chips. The crushed chips tasted better than whole chips. Ben liked it and said I could make it again.
Tuesday: Eating Out
Wednesday: Chicken Souvlaki with rice
Thursday: Chicken Enchiladas Verdes (This is a new recipes, but I need to use up some bottled sauce).
Friday: Breakfast for dinner. Either pancakes (I need to use up some Buttermilk) or hashbrowns.
Saturday:Light breakfast of Oatmeal and fruit to save room for the 4th of July BBQ!

I also have some blue tinted frosting leftover from a project I will share this week. I think I will use it to decorate sugar cookies for the 4th of July!

For more menu's, visit Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday