Menu Planning Monday - Week 1

Monday: Seasoned Black Beans, Rice, Corn, Mexican Shredded Cheese, Salsa, Sour Cream & Homemade Tortilla Chips (1)

Tuesday: Cream of Celery Soup (2), Crockpot Yogurt, & Leftovers

Wednesday: Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

Thursday: Mac & Cheese

Friday: Tater Tot Casserole (3)

Saturday: Crockpot Peking Pork Chops (4) w/Couscous

Sunday: Veggieburgers w/French Fries


Edit- I forgot to add a few things.

Weekend Breakfast: Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Bars

Weekend Dessert: Key Lime Parfaits w/Homemade Graham Cracker Crumbs

Other: Jelly, TBD

Tasty Tuesday - No Bake Num Nums

Hope all of you had great 4th's. We ended up going to D's place, shooting fireworks, playing football, picking strawberries, and swimming in some literally ice cold water. All in all it was pretty fun. Thought I'd celebrate my return with some more no-bake desserts. ^^

1. Mexican Cannolis w/Homemade Ricotta
Lauren K. @ Mambo Sprouts

2. World's Greatest Homemade Slushies
The Mother Load

3. No Bake Cherry Cheesecake
Tammy's Recipes

4. Red Tapioca Pudding w/Vanilla Cream
The Perfect Pantry

5. Ice Cream Sandwiches
Flipflops & Applesauce

6. Multiple Homemade Popsicle Recipes
5 Orange Potatoes

7. Peanut Butter Pie
Jerky Curry @ Safely Gathered In

8. Cinnamon Ice Cream
Elizabeth @ Allrecipes

9. Buster Bar Dessert
The Finer Things in Life

A Very Merry Unbirthday- I Mean Tea Party

As promised here I am, ready for our Mad Tea Party.

For those of you craving tea here's my newest recipe-

Flavored Iced Tea
(with Nutty Quick Bread & Homemade Cream Cheese)

Simple and easy, I've been going through this stuff like crazy lately.

12 c. Cold Water
1 Kool-Aid Mix
1/4 c. Unflavored Instant Black Tea
1 1/2 c. Cane Sugar

Mix and enjoy!

Still got the time? Check out our features:

Mad Tea Party Madness Giveaway

Alice in Wonderland $5 and Under Shopping

Bold Beverages

Creative Condiments

Savory Snacks

Baked Beauties

And again, thanks for stopping by!

Mad Tea Party: Creative Condiments

1. Strawberry Jam Without Pectin
Intimate Weddings

2. Juice Jelly
Hillbilly Housewife

3. Dandelion Syrup
5 Orange Potatoes

4. Strawberry Freezer Jam
Make and Takes

Mad Tea Party: Baked Beauties

1. Drop Cranberry Scones
Zakka Life

2. Chocolate Chip Scones
Flipflops & Applesauce

3. Currant Biscuits
Maya*Made

4. Jelly Bean Biscotti
Se7en

Mad Tea Party: Savory Snacks

1. Apple Walnut Gorgonzola Turnovers
Simply Recipes

2. Cucumber Sandwich Filling
Shawna Landers @ RecipeZaar

3. Festive Stack of Crepes
Just Hungry

4. Vegetarian Cake Provencal w/Kinako
Just Bento

Mad Tea Party: Bold Beverages

It's getting pretty hot out for tea right now, here are some tasty alternatives:

1. Shirley Temple Float
Cafe Johnsonia

2. Homemade Ginger Ale
Berlin's Whimsy

3. Rhubarb Soda
Culinate

4. Fizzy Limonada Suica
Cafe Johnsonia

Little Miss Muffet

Remember how I've been going on and on about changing to environmentally friendly things? Well, as soon as I run out of paper towels I'm all stocked and ready for cloth ones. In fact I've already started using them every now again.

Unfortunately this left me with a bit of a dilemma. What was I going to do with the paper towel holder I had recently repainted and hung? I mean, I'm already in the habit of hanging cloth towels over the faucet to drip into the sink. If I hung them from the holder I'd just end up having to put down a second towel to keep it from dripping all over the craft dresser. What to do, what to do....



It just so happens I decided to embark on another experiment tonight- making homemade cream cheese from yogurt. I tied it to the holder and wrapped it with some twine for good measure. Fixed two birds with one stone- don'tcha love it?

I even made sure to save 1/2 c so I can make more yogurt as the mood hits! Yep, I'm feeling pretty thrifty right about now. ^^

Tasty Tuesday - Better Breakfasts

Here's to making it homemade!

1. Almond Maple Granola
Jlscharp @ Allrecipes.com

2. CrockPot Granola
A Year of Slow Cooking

3. Multigrain Buttermilk Batch Pancake & Waffle Mix
Razzle Dazzle Recipes

4. Banana French Toast
The Full Table

5. Ham & Potato Hash
Simply Recipes

6. Chocolate Chip Breakfast Biscuits
Cooking During Stolen Moments

7. Camper's Breakfast Hash
Taste of Home

8. Aunt Melissa's Granola
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

9. Homemade "Maple" Syrup
Little House in the Suburbs

Tasty Tuesday - Bountiful Breads

Well, we finally made it back to that food co-op I have a membership with. We had a small shopping list as I wanted to see the taste and quality comparison.

The condensed verdict- the skim milk tastes horrid. I don't know why. This isn't organic or unpasteurized. It hasn't expired yet. The 2% milk tasted fine though making me wonder if their skim normally just tastes bad or if it was a bad batch. I'll be stuck saving this for recipes only as I wouldn't exactly call it drinking quality.

The apples taste like... apples. The bread though- oh my, what can I say there?

I bought 2 loaves a day past their sale date for 50% off, the sourdough is the only one we've tried yet and it is AMAZING! Best loaf of bread I've had in ages! However, they do have a large variety of bulk bins for different grains and such. This leaves me wondering- perhaps I might be able to achieve similar results at home? One can always hope.

1. Simple Round Bread
Hillbilly Housewife

2. No Knead Bread
Rocket Bread

3. Grape Nuts Banana Bread
Sara.Scruggs @ SparkRecipes

4. Nutty Quick Bread
Melissa Walworth @ Allrecipes

5. Easy Oat Bread
Three Ladies and a Dad

6. Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (with or without whole wheat)
Skip to my Lou

7. Pizza Monkey Bread
(Note: tested and tasty)
Gourmet Mom on the Go

8. Rosemary Peasant Bread
Make and Takes

9. Zucchini Bread
Simply Recipes

Tasty Tuesday: I Feel Like Chicken Tonight

Anyone else remember that old commercial?

1. Very Easy Marinated Chicken Skewers
Just Bento

2. Oven Baked Ranch Chicken Strips
The Full Table

3. Cheesy Broccoli & Rice w/Chicken
The Finer Things in Life

4. Chicken Lasagna Florentine (Crockpot Recipe)
Meal Planning Mommies

5. 40 Clove Garlic Chicken
La Fuji Mama

6. Salsa Chicken
Ngibsonn @ RecipeZaar

7. Chicken Thighs w/Green Olives, Cherries, & Port Sauce
*Note: Tried and true, so very tasty!*
EatingWell

8. Mochiko Chicken
JustJENN Recipes

9. Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo
Flipflops & Applesauce

Tasty Tidbit - Banana Butterscotch Muffins

So, last week our local MOMS Club had a Muffins for Moms membership drive and I happened to commit to making some. Fast forward to the night before I need to drop them off. It's late. I'm tired. I need a bath (which I did fit in prior to cooking btw) and I have no muffins made yet. I dig around in my cupboard to find a decent recipe I can make with what I had on hand. I strike gold. I had to change the chips and in the end it turned out quite tasty.

Banana Butterscotch Muffins

Makes 18 Muffins

Ingredients:

2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
3/4 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
4 mashed bananas
1 c. oil
2 eggs
1 c. butterscotch chips


Directions:

Combine all ingredients except chips until blended. Add chips. Pour into greased or lined muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 25-35 min. Cool and remove from tins. Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday #10 - Last Chance to Get Your Bake On

The weather's heating up fast. If you're a baker like me, now is the time to enjoy the last of the season. Here are a few recipes to help you with that:

1. Chipster Topped Brownies
Supplicious

2. Chocolate Cookies w/Cocoa Nibs & Lime
Simply Recipes

3. Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
La Fuji Mama

4. Strawberry Bread
Martha Stewart

5. Margarita Cupcakes
Hostess with the Mostess

6. Vegan Mocha Brownies w/Raw Chocolate Ice Cream
Holistically Heather

7. Margarita Bars
Mermaid Sweets

8. Pumpkin Mochi
JustJENN Recipes

9. Sunny Day Rainbow Cake
Omnomicon

Hearty Camper Cookies- Another Satsuki Original

I don't know what it is but I'm terrible at taking food-related pics. Oh well. I whipped these up as a late night snack, had to get rid of that horrid cereal I bought. They're actually pretty tasty though, in spite of it....

Hearty Camper Cookies

Ingredients-

1/2 c. plain nonfat yogurt
1/2 c. spread, melted
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. maple flavoring
3/4 t. butter flavoring
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. wheat flour
1 c. oatmeal
1 c. Post Trail Mix Crunch cereal
1/4 c. wheat germ
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. ground cinnamon
3/4 t. ground cloves


Directions-

In a mixing bowl combine the yogurt, spread, and sugar. Beat in the egg and flavorings. Combine the dry ingredients; gradually adding to wet mixture. Place heaping tablespoons on sprayed baking sheet 2" apart. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Enjoy!

Makes 36 Cookies.

You can find the nutrition stats here.

Tasty Tuesday #9- Sea Food

They say fish are supposed to be healthier.
I've never been a big beef and pork person anyway.

1. CrockPot Cioppino
A Year of CrockPotting

2. Crab Fondue
Simply Recipes

3. Catfish Gumbo
Yumsugar

4. Smoked Trout Pate w/Pita Crisps
Martha Stewart

5. Peppered Tuna Skewers w/ Wasabi Mayo
Epicurious

6. Shrimp Lemon Pepper Linguine
Skini @ Allrecipes.com

7. Creamy Salmon Slice
Emmabe1 @ SparkRecipes

8. Barbecued Mahi-mahi w/Yellow Pepper-Cilantro Pesto
Ezra Pound Cake

9. Caramelized Shallot & Yukon Gold Frittata w/Thyme & Emmentaler
Cafe Johnsonia

Tasty Tuesday #8- Condiments

Oddly enough I haven't dropped off the face of the planet. Things have just gotten a bit hectic. (I know, what else is new, right?) So, quick life update: As of today I am the Administrative VP for our local MOMS Club. I'm also heading out in about two hours to check about switching colleges, my major, signing up for summer courses, and getting financial aid taken care of before then. Did I also mention my house is a mess from me being distracted during finals week? Oh, good news- I scored a 200/200 on that pesky Algebra final that had been freaking me out. Thanks goes to D for pushing me to study.

Anywho, on to Tasty Tuesday- For those of you who have the time and similar love for experimentation and frugality, here are some nifty homemade condiment recipes. Enjoy!

1. Easy Homemade Sour Cream
Little House in the Suburbs

2. Violet (or Dandelion) Jelly
5 Orange Potatoes

3. Bread and Butter Pickles II
David @ Allrecipes.com

4. Peppermint Syrup
Think Inside the Icebox.com

5. Pancake Syrup
Hillbilly Housewife
(Note: I tried this one and liked it.)

6. Basil-Garlic Tomato Sauce w/Canning Tutorial
These Boys Are My Joys

7. Crockpot Yogurt
A Year of CrockPotting

8. Fantastic Marshmallow Fluff Clone
Kittencal @ RecipeZaar

9. Chili Powder
Mille @ RecipeZaar

More Sugar

Sometimes I just can't help myself. Today is one of those days. I think I'll make dessert tonight.

1. Sippin' Pretty Strawberry Smoothie
No Fuss Fabulous

2. Margarita Pie
Swanky Tables

3. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Make and Takes

4. Nutty Peanut Butter Caramel Bars
Culinary in the Country

5. Dandelion Flower Cookies
5 Orange Potatoes

6. Ice Cream Jello
Just JENN Recipes

7. Rhubarb Sorbet
Simply Recipes

8. Black Bottom Cupcakes
La Fuji Mama

9. Cantaloupe Sherbet
Cafe Johnsonia

Tasty Tuesday #6- Scrumptous Soups & Stews

There should be a law against catching colds when the weather's nice....

1. Christian's Carrot Ginger Soup
Within the Corners of my Kitchen

2. White Bean Chicken Chili
Meal Planning Mommies

3. CrockPot Lobster Bisque
A Year of Crockpotting

4. Dumpling Soup
JustJENN Recipes

5. Corn and Bean Chili
Ezra Pound Cake

6. Market Street Clam Chowder
Cafe Johnsonia

7. Curried Squash & Chicken Soup
This Week for Dinner

8. Spring Green Soup
Mountain Pulse

9. Corn Chowder
Simply Recipes

Preserving Butter?

Did you know it was possible to can butter? Apparently it can last for 3 years or more that way! The Hillbilly Housewife tells us all about it.

Tasty Tuesday #5- Veggietastic

For the plant lover in all of us...

1. Cheesy Filled Shells with Marinara
Meal Planning Mommies

2. Asparagus Pesto with Pasta
Simply Recipes

3. Electric Green Popsicles
Eco Child's Play

4. Spaghetti Squash with Veggies
Little Window Shoppe

5. Broccolini with Garlic-Lemon Butter Sauce
Ezra Pound Cake

6. Black Bean Hummus
La Fuji Mama

7. Winter Vegetable Stew
Flipflops & Applesauce

8. Vegetarian No Noodle Crockpot Lasagna
A Year of Crockpotting

9. Kabocha Squash Ice Cream
Messy Vegetarian Cook