Need Help w/ a name

We are doing the walk-a-thon again this year for the camp for children w/ autism in our area...this year I want to get a team of friends/family together to walk on Isaiah's behalf. I need a name for our team, when we use to walk for my niece Kelci, we were called the special K team...I need a creative team for us...Right now I just have TEAM ISAIAH...which is fine, if I can't come up w/ anything cute or creative...anyone have any ideas?

Menu Plan Friday???

Spaghetti Carbonara

Block Party Beans

Sausage Casserole


BBQ Chicken and corn chowder

Shrimp Alfredo and Salad







Spaghetti Carbonara

1/4 C. flour
1/4 C. butter
1 qt. milk
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
24 slices bacon, extra thick
1/4 C. olive oil
3 C. mushrooms, sliced
6 Tbsp. scallions, finely minced
1 lb. spaghetti, uncooked
2 tsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 C. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated




Melt butter in 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Add milk, salt and pepper and stir vigorously with wire whip until mixture barely comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, whipping frequently while sauce thickens. Keep warm. Cook bacon until fully cooked. Drain on paper towels. Cut into 1/4-inch pieces and stir into sauce. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms and minced onions and saute until golden. Add to sauce. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain well and add to the sauce along with the parsley. Blend well and transfer to serving dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.


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Block Party Beans

2lbs Ground beef
onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 can tomato soup
6 oz can tomato paste
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 can green beans
1 can chili beans
1 can pork and beans
2 tbsp mustard

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Sausage Casserole

2 cups cooked macaroni
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pound bulk sausage
1 cup of milk
1/2 box Velveeta (1 lb.)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Cook and drain macaroni as directed on package.
Brown and drain sausage and return to skillet. Add soups, milk, Velveeta, garlic powder and black pepper.
Stir in macaroni. Pour into a greased 9×13 inch pan. Bake @350 for 30 minutes.

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BBQ Chicken and corn chowder

menu plan monday

Sausage Stew
Goulash
Kreative Kielbasa
Chili and corn bread
Easy Baked Chicken and Rice



$10 Dinners: Grandma Sue's Famous Sausage Stew


1 turkey (or regular) kielbasa or sausage
$2.50
2 to 3 potatoes $1.50
1 lb. baby carrots, or 2 carrots, cut up $2.00
1 medium onion (use 1/2 onion if large) $.99
2 to 3 cloves of garlic $.50
Total Cost = $7.49

Staples
Olive Oil (Any cooking oil or butter could be used too)
Worchestershire Sauce
Italian Seasoning
Dried Thyme
Salt and Pepper


Directions
Slice kielbasa into coins and brown in large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. While this is browning, put 1 to 2 cups water in bottom of a saucepan with steamer basket (water should just touch top of basket), start heating on high. While the water is heating, cut up potatoes (peeled or unpeeled) and carrots (if necessary) into bite sized pieces and place in pan. Cook covered about 15 minutes or until veggies are softened. Chop onion and mince or press garlic. When the kielbasa is browned, remove from pan and add enough oil to equal about 1 Tbps (this may be unnecessary if you used regular kielbasa). Saute onions and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Add water and scrape bottom of pan to release browned bits. The potatoes and carrots are usually ready to go at this time.


Dump steamed veggies and the steaming liquid into saucepan with onions, etc. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Allow to thicken slightly then add kielbasa, 1 to 2 dashes of Worchestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp. thyme and Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover and allow to "stew" for as long as you need, at least 10 minutes. I usually serve it with a crusty bread that I heat up at this time. If there is any left, it makes a great work lunch the next day. Start to finish, this shouldn't take more than a half an hour.
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GOULASH

1 lb. ground beef
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder
Cooked macaroni
Tomato sauce
Chili powder
American cheese
Mozzarella cheese

Brown and drain ground beef which has been seasoned with salt and pepper and sprinkled with garlic powder. Stir all ingredients except the cheese together. Layer goulash, American cheese, goulash, Mozzarella cheese, goulash, etc. (until all goulash is gone, making sure there is a layer of Mozzarella cheese on top. Brown in a 350 degree oven until brown).
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Kreative Kielbasa

1 1/2 cups rice (uncooked)
6 eggs, scrambled
1 pkg kielbasea, warmed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce

Cook the rice and then dump everything else in. That's it.

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Easy Baked Chicken and Rice
1 can (10 3/4 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 cup water
3/4 cup uncooked rice
1/2 tsp. paprika (divided)
1/2 tsp. pepper (divided)
2 boned, skinned chicken breasts
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375.

In an 8”x8” baking pan, mix the soup, water, rice, 1/4 tsp. of paprika, and 1/4 tsp. of pepper. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper and 1/4 tsp. paprika, then place on top of the rice. Cover with foil (tightly). Bake 45-60 minutes.

Related Articles and Recipes

Menu Plan Monday

Monday ~ Taco Salad
Tuesday ~ Veggy beaf stew
Wed ~Apricot Chicken
Thur ~ Cranberry Roast
Fri ~ Teriyaki Chicken

Cranberry Roast

2-3 pounds beef or pork roast or stew chunks
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes, or 1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons soy sauce (La Choy and Tamari wheat-free are gluten free)
1 (16-ounce) whole berry cranberry sauce (or 2 cups homemade!)

that's it!

The Directions.

Use a 4-quart slow cooker. Plop in the meat (frozen is fine), and add the onion and soy sauce. Pour in the entire can of cranberry sauce over the top. Do not add water. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 5-6. If you are cooking on high, you may need to "help" the meat break apart by taking it out an hour or so before serving by cutting it into chunks, then returning to the sauce. I like it when the meat is tender and the juice has fully soaked in.

Serve over mashed potatoes, and with a green salad.

http://blip.fm/soccermom46368

http://blip.fm/soccermom46368

Planning a Teen Birthday Party

Tierra is turning the BIG 1... 3...! I want this birthday to be a big deal, so I'm searching the web for ideas for it, and going to compile them here to keep track, if anyone has any ideas for me, feel free to add them!

Have an auction, like on Survivor. Pick up some really cool inexpensive items. If it's all girls, I get brushes, lipgloss, hair accessories, etc. Give all the girls equal amounts of "Monopoly" money and start the auction. Have a starting bid, and the kids start bidding on items they really want. Highest bidder gets the item. Once they are out of money, they can't bid anymore, so they have to be sure they really want an item they are bidding on. Sometimes I'll wrap a couple items up (good items and gag items) so they are not sure what they are bidding on. All my kids ask for an auction every year.

Clothes Game: First get a bag full of different funny clothes including hats, shirts, swim suit tops and, skirts, coats etc. Then have all players sit in a circle. With music playing they pass the bag around until the music stops. When the music stops the player who has the bag has to close their eyes and reach into the bag. Whatever they pull out they have to wear. When the bag is empty, everyone votes to determine who looks the funniest!


Twister

How to play:
First write out ten truths and ten dares, one on each half card. Stick one card in each balloon carefully and then blow the balloon up.
Start the game by taking turns picking a balloon. Each player takes turns popping their balloon and doing the truth or dare on the card.

Menu Plan Monday

Zae's off the diet probably till after new year, so these are not all GFCF!

Monday ~ Beef Stew
Tuesday ~ Quick chicken and wine
Wed ~ McRibs
Thur ~ Au Gratin Potatoes with Kielbasa
Fri ~ Xmas Dinner...Ham, sweet potatoes, corn, green bean casserole, dinner rolls






Ingredients
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 pinch salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
1/2 cup white wine
4 tablespoons butter

Directions
Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. In a shallow plate, spread Parmesan cheese. Divide chicken into three parts and dip seasoned chicken in eggs, then coat well with Parmesan cheese. Repeat until all of the chicken pieces are well coated (if you run short on egg and Parmesan, add one more egg and more Parmesan as needed).
In a skillet, melt butter or margarine over medium high heat. Cook chicken, stirring frequently, until golden brown.
Reduce heat and add wine. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes

menu plan monday

This week, we paid mortgage which leaves only about $80 left from our check for food and gas...so this is a very frugal meal plan!

Monday Spaghetti
Tuesday beenie weenies
Wed goulash
Thur meatloaf w/ mashed potatoes
Fri pizza

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: San Fransisco Pork Chops
Tuesday:Lasagna
Wed: Sausage Mac
Thur: Chicken and rice bake
Fri: Shrimp fettucini alfredo



San Fransisco Pork Chops
Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs pork chops
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons oil
1/4 cup beef broth or sherry wine
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
black pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch


Directions
1.Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in skillet, and brown chops on both sides.
2.Meanwhile, combine rest of ingredients in a large casserole dish
3.Add in browned pork chops and bake at 350* for approx 30 min

Serve over white rice or egg noodles (I use rice, I also quadruple the sauce recipe, we like a lot of sauce on ours.)

Menu Plan Monday

Monday ~ Shrimp Scampi
Tuesday ~ Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie
Wed ~ Tacos
Thur ~ Meat Loaf
Fri ~ Sweet and sour chicken

The meeting

Well, the meeting wasn't much of anything, for now. They announced the close of another plant in California, and the loss of the starbucks account. So far Rob still has a job, which is great, although we know it's only a matter of time until they close...at least we'll get threw Christmas it seems ::::::fingers crossed::::::::

Then end is near I'm afraid

The rumors have been flying for a while, that my husbands plant would close...it really looks like the end is very very near now...There is a plant wide meeting on Tuesday for all shifts (never had a meeting like that before), and we're pretty sure it's to announce the close. The ball has been set in motion for a while, we've just been waiting for it to drop. Rob's been there 16 years, so it's in his best interest to ride it out. I'm scared to death, we can't survive w/out his income, we barely survive w/ it. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers...we are very scared. I'll update more Tuesday.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday Mosticolli
Tuesday crock pot BBQ Chicken
Wed~Cranberry Chicken and rice
Thur~Pizza
Fri~Beef Bourguignon
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Julia Child's famous Beef Bourguignon (sort of)


3 pounds beef roast, or beef stew meat
6 slices bacon--no need to cook (going to omit the bacon this time, Rob thought it made it too greasy, I disagree, and thought it was delish, wouldn't change a thing...but I'll try it w/out this time and see)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced in rings
1 cup carrots (chopped or baby, your choice)
4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
and a dash or 2 of:
•dried thyme
•ground rosemary
•dried basil
•dried oregano
2 cups red wine (you can use non-alcoholic if you wish)

The Directions.

Use a 6 quart slow cooker. In the bottom of your stoneware, smear around the olive oil. Then lay down 3 slices of bacon. Add sliced onion and garlic. Put the meat into the pot on top of the onion and garlic, and sprinkle on dried spices and herbs. Toss the meat to distribute the spices to all sides. Add tomato paste. Lay the other 3 slices of bacon on top of the meat, and throw in the carrots. Pour wine over the whole thing.

Cover and let cook on low for 8-9 hours, high for 4-5, or until meat has reached desired tenderness. If you are using a roast, you may want to flip the meat about an hour before serving so more liquid is absorbed into the meat. You can also cut the meat into chunks and return to the pot, if you would like more moisture to absorb.

Serve with whipped mashed potatoes, and a ladle full of crock juices.

Wednesday's Window Into My World

Well, I think we are finally done w/ the H1N1 "pandemic" in this household! The boys are back in school...Tierra tried to go to school today, but ended up coming home because her ear still hurts so bad. I took her to the Dr. who said she was one NASTY infection, both internal and external portions of her ear are infected. He put an ear wick in her ear, so hopefully they'll help keep the drops in, instead of rolling back out as soon as she gets up. Her whole side of her head is swollen, he said her muscles are spasming from the infection which is causing most of her pain, and why she can't open her mouth at all. She's so miserable, I hope she feels better by this weekend!

Tackle it Tuesday

I have so much to tackle this week...I'm behind on laundry, what else is new???...I need to get caught up on that. I need to clean the fridge it's looking like a science experiment gone wrong...I need to go threw Xander's closet and pull out all the 4T clothes since he finally had a growth spurt (horrible timing but whatiya gonna do??) The laundry room is starting to get out of control, I need to reorganize that before it gets too bad! Not to mention just regular cleaning, and disinfecting the house to get rid of all the H1N1 buggies in here!

Menu Plan Monday

I'm breaking out my easy recipes for the first half of the week...in light of the fact that I am too busy w/ sick kids to worry about cooking. Friday I have to work a double, so I'm going to try another new crock pot meal. Thursday's meal is a recipe I got from a friend of mine who said it was a must try, sounded like a great fall meal. I'm also going to buy a couple pizza's and some extra hot dogs just in case I fall ill and can't cook one or two days this week. So far I'm not sick, but I'm extremely tired, and dizzy for some reason...not sure if I'm trying to come down w/ the flu or if I'm just exhausted from "sleeping" w/ one eye on the kids all night long.

Monday~ Kielbasa with rice
Tuesday~Meat Loaf and corn bread
Wednesday~Beenie Weenie's and french fries
Thursday~Caramel Apple Pork Chop
Friday~Hungarian Goulash and egg noodles



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Caramel Apple Pork Chops

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
6 (3/4 inch) thick pork chops
4 teaspoon vegetable oil
8 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced
12 tablespoons pecans (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). Place a medium dish in the oven to warm.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brush chops lightly with oil and place in hot pan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning occasionally, or until done. Transfer to the warm dish, and keep warm in the preheated oven.
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, salt and pepper, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add butter to skillet, and stir in brown sugar mixture and apples. Cover and cook until apples are just tender. Remove apples with a slotted spoon and arrange on top of chops. Keep warm in the preheated oven.
Continue cooking sauce uncovered in skillet, until thickened slightly. Spoon sauce over apples and chops. Sprinkle with pecans.
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Hungarian Goulash
2 pounds beef chuck roast, cubed
1 large onion, diced
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/4 cups water, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose GF flour

Throw in crock pot for 8 hours on low, serve over GF/CF egg noodles
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Xander's got H1N1 now...

Tierra seems to be on the mend...she still has a headache, and not feeling great, but she I think she'll live. If this was all there is to it, it was the mildest flu she's ever had...fingers crossed that she's done! Xander has now started his turn. He started running the fever last night, it's up today, and he's miserable. Besides the high temp, all other vitals are good...but he does look miserable! Rob's a nervous wreck, he's gonna make me crazy! I guess I'll be calling off work Monday to keep him home from school. After Monday I'm off work until Friday, so I'm hoping I take my turn in there and get it over w/!

Ugh oh invasion of the piggies!!!

Monday I got a text from Tierra, who was at school, saying she wasn't feeling well. I told her to go to the nurse and I would come get her. The nurse calls me, tells me her throat is slightly red, and she has no fever, and that it was up to me if I wanted to come get her. I said I would, being she never does the fake sick thing (like I use to, just to stay home and watch tv all day!). Tuesday Rob stayed home from work w/ her, and I went in and did a double. By that afternoon she started running a fever. Her throat and head hurt, and she was nauseous. I figured I better take her in and make sure she didn't have a sinus infection w/ as bad as her head hurt. To my surprise the Dr. informed me she has the swine flu. GREAT! Tierra's the one that always gets hit so hard w/ everything, so I worry about her! She's been in the hospital more times than both the boys combined. Right now she's on the mend, but shortly after that, is when the swine flu gets bad, so we're not out of the woods yet. Hopefully she will be like the other 99% of the population and just have a nice mild case of it, and then we won't have to worry about it the rest of the season! I'll update later, but keep her in your prayers!

Wednesday's Window Into My World

Monday was pajama day. This is one of their favorite days of the year. I must admidt it feels funny to take them out of their pajama's to put them INTO pajama's. Yes, I am way too anal to just let them sleep in them sorry. Xander was so excited he even got up without a struggle which is very unlike him! Here's a pic of the boys before school.