missing menu, missing camera, missing my laptop, and missing you.

Better late than never, right?  Friday morning I awoke to a major disappointment.  My laptop was dead.  There is nothing.  I power it on, and it's black.  No noise.  Nothing.  Tears and sad clown faces.  That's how I feel.  So, what is an internet addicted mama supposed to do?  Steal her teenager's laptop.  Mah, she doesn't really need it.  She's at school all day, and when she's home doing homework, I'm usually in the kitchen.  It all works out eh?

I forgot about spring sports starting this week.  Really, I don't know how anyone can stick to menu planning when you have a preteen and teenager that are both in spring sports.  It's a good thing that we have one more year before the littles start spring sports.  I don't know how we'll do it then, but we might be taking some friend's parents up on those ride offers.  For now, we split dinner times.  Kids eat when they can -either before or after practice.

Sunday: leftovers
Monday: leftover sandwiches/pancakes/soup -Nice mashup?  Not all together, but don't put it past us
Tuesday:  Spaghetti
Wednesday:  Quesadillas -chicken/cheese
Thursday:  steamed chicken, brown rice, and broccoli
Friday:  drive-thru :) -heading out of town for the weekend
Saturday: eatin' out
Sunday: eatin' out

The week before last, the kids and I decided to try out a new cookie recipe.  Family Circle's Double Chocolate Cookies um.  Yeah.  These were great to work up with the kids - all four of my crazies helped out.    We made them exactly as the recipe said - no substitutions needed.  And they were great!  They were quick to put together and pretty darn good.  One comment was heard, but it was minor.  The big kids wanted chunks in their cookies.  So next time we make them, we'll definitely leave some of the milk chocolate in bigger pieces.  If you have trouble viewing the recipe link let me know, I have no problem writing it up.  Also, sorry no pictures.  They're on the missing point-&-shoot Nikon.  *sad face*

Happy Valentine's day! and a Monday Menu

Well, we had a successful Valentine's Day at the Cross compound.  The festivities started last Thursday with Lucy's preschool party -and while she had been counting the days until her party, I believe she was a far from impressed with how it turned out.  For one thing she was under the impression the Valentine's Day party would focus on her, not the other six kids in her class too.  And secondly, she thought that it would continue on forever.  She felt that EVERY DAY should be Valentine's day.  Bring on the chocolate!

Today was Natalie's preschool party, as it should be, on Valentine's Day.  I must say, since when did Valentine's Day cards/candies turn in to full blown gift/swag bags???  Hello, a four year old does not need, nor should anyone receive this much candy.  I'm trying to get away with a few chocolates and an itunes card at home and you all are sending full size candy bars, toys, baskets, jewelry, spa days and Starbucks gift cards home with my kid(okay, slight exaggeration there at the end), but seriously, how can I compete with that?  Oh, and guess what the camera battery died.  Who knows when, but obviously sometime after Lucy's party -it was probably shocked by all the shit they received.

Tonight we take it easy, and will not be eating the traditional Valentine's day grub for dinner.  We won't be indulging in filet mignon, baked lemon herb crusted salmon, or even heart shaped pizzas.  Nope, it's our Meatless Monday night and so we are having a giant delicious SALAD!  Hmmm.... hear my heart singing?  Yep, really it's singing, and those are tears of joy, not sadness.

As for the menu... here goes

Monday: Big ass salad!

Tuesday:  Ham & Cheese Panini's and soup

Wednesday:  Chicken Quesadillas & salada

Thursday:  Lasagna & salad

Friday:  Pizza or Pancakes

Saturday: eating out with family -we'll be out of town through Monday :)

Peace and love my friends.  Lots of dancing hearts -with hoola hoops.

menus and why we plan

We're sitting here watching football.  Yes, we watch football occasionally.  Me?  Not so much.  I'll sit here and pretend like I'm into it, I'll snack on the mass amounts of football food that I've prepared, and I'll surf the internet, because really anything on the internet is more interesting than football on Canadian television.  Today, I was bad.  I went with prepared food.  We were at Costco and I couldn't help but think of the things that I could be doing, rather than sitting in the kitchen slaving away over greasy, fatty, stomach turning football food.  So, I picked up and heated up some Hum bao, vegetable spring rolls.  Set out a plate of crackers, warmed pita,  and Spinach Artichoke Parmesan dip.  Mixed up some salmon and mayo.  Opened a couple of bags of chips and called it good.  Oh, and "football" food isn't complete without a Corona.  Personally, I would have paired this all with a Session, but I'm not into football and the man get his choice today.

I've been picking away at weekly dinner menus and probably next month I'll line it up for a few months like I usually do.  But for now, I will lay out what we had last week for ya, and then throw together the upcoming week's menu.  I found that with planning our menus out, I make fewer trips to the grocery store and I don't have that last minute panic attack over what to cook for the gang.  So not only is it going to help save money, but your sanity as well.

I usually have the kids (yes, all four of them) write out (the youngin's with the help of the older kids) their top seven favorite dinners to have at home.  I then mark off the repeats and work out a menu for the week with what we already have on hand.  Checking the refrigerator and freezers to make sure that we have enough to accommodate a meal or more.  I like to make extra for lunch for the next day, but it doesn't always work out that way.  Usually, someone finishes it off by the end of the night.  We rarely deal with leftovers, and if we do, it's gone within a few days.

Last weeks menu:

Monday:  Chicken vegetable stir fry over rice
Tuesday:  Crockpot shredded beef sandwiches
Wednesday:  Spaghetti
Thursday:  Hamburgers & salad
Friday:  Pizza
Saturday: Mashed potatoes, ground beef gravy, steamed broccoli with mizithrah cheese


This coming weeks' menu:

Sunday: Leftover hangover from football food
Monday:  taco salads
Tuesday:  grilled cheese sandwiches & tomato soup
Wednesday: Beef enchiladas
Thursday:  Tuna noodle casserole
Friday:  Children will fend for themselves.  Gma & Gpa will feed them, 'cause me & the hubs are heading to Victoria, BC ALONE.  For the weekend!

Crockpot shredded beef sammies


A quickie and simple dinner idea is the Crockpot shredded beef sandwiches.  I take a frozen beef pot roast.  sear the sides of it in a cast iron fry pan.  I then sprinkle it with salt and pepper and douse it with worcester sauce.  When the outsides of the roast have a nice crisp brown to it, remove and put in the crockpot.

I then add some onion (dried or fresh chopped), more worcester sauce, and a package of (dare I say it's processed) au jus gravy mix.  Yep, I do keep this on hand.  The flavor is one that I haven't been able to reproduce and we all just love it so much.... sorry.  Add a cup of water and close that puppy up, set it to low for at least six hours.  The aroma that is about to fill your home is mouthwatering and coma inducing.  Come dinner time the family is practically climbing the walls and I have to slap their fingers/hands to keep them from tasting too early.  Here is where I like to remind my husband how much I like jewely, his eyes are always glazed over and he nods his head a lot.  I think bits and pieces get through, but time will tell.

I pull it out and put it on a plate to sit for about 20 minutes before shredding it up with a fork.  I put out hoagie rolls, mayo, worcester, and A1 sauce.  I personally only need mayo on my hoagie.  A delicious side to go with this and on your hoagie is COLESLAW!  I have yet to find the perfect recipe, so if you have a favorite, send it my way.  But I definitely love the crunch that goes along with my sandwich.  YUM!

Here is where I lack in my commitment.... I always forget to take pictures of the finished product.  I will I promise.  It's a favorite here so I have many more opportunities.

Weekly dinner menu

Below I've included our dinner menu plan through Sunday, September 26th. I won't claim that we stick to this exclusively, sometimes something like a volleyball game, soccer, or life gets in the way and we have to switch things up for convenience, but I'm hater on drive-thru so usually it's exchanged for some breakfast dinner or snack night.

Sunday, Sept. 12 - BBQ Salmon with steamed baby reds and green beans - or it'll be pancakes

Monday, Sept. 13 - steamed veggies with rice noodles

Tuesday, Sept. 14 - minestrone and fresh whole wheat bread

Wednesday, Sept. 15 - Chili dogs and home fries

Thursday, Sept. 16 - baked macaroni & cheese with green beans

Friday, Sept. 17 - homemade personal pizzas

Saturday, Sept. 18 - leftovers/new recipe

Sunday, Sept. 19 - keilbasa, potato salad, & homemade rolls

Monday, Sept. 20 - rice noodles, with cabbage, cilantro, & sprouts

Tuesday, Sept. 21 - won ton soup and cabbage salad

Wednesday, Sept. 22 - scrambled egg burritos

Thursday, Sept. 23 - chicken/beef/veggie skewers

Friday, Sept. 24 - Crepes! Sweet or Savory

Saturday, Sept. 25 - leftovers/new recipe

Sunday, Sept. 26 - Turkey Dinner!

If ever, you have a question about how I do my menus or recipes just send me a message. I'm more than happy to share.

mmm...what's that taste like?

Holy moley, I have been busy! With our camping vacation behind us, and we're now to the half-way point of our remodel -more of that to come on a later post -I've got more time to spend here, surfing the internets, my farm, baking, and POSTING AS A CONTRIBUTING BLOGGER at HOMEGROWN.ORG!!!! Yes, that noise you hear is me jumping up and down and screeching like a 14 year old girl at a Justin Bieber concert -I know this because I experienced this first hand only a few weeks ago. See.

You can check out my posts the fourth Wednesday of every month over at HOMEGROWN.ORG! Oh, the giddyness is worse than the jimmy legs!

Okay, now seriously. I know you are all dying to read about my weekly menus so I'll post the plan for the next two weeks. All menus are subject to change, shirt and/or shoes are not required-hell, clothes are optional at most meals.

Monday, July 26th - Yakisoba noodles with veggies

Tuesday, July 27th - Bean soup with homemade wheat bread -too frickin' hot man!

Wednesday, July 28th - White rice with Chinese BBQ beef

Thursday, July 29th - Tacos beef/chicken/veggie -to be determined

Friday, July 30th - buttermilk pancakes or if I get my way strawberry crepes!

Saturday, July 31st - leftovers/new recipe or we'll eat out -lazy asses

Sunday, AUGUST 1 - Crockpot chicken with rice and veggies

Monday, August 2 - warm chicken salad pitas (use leftover chicken from sun.)

Tuesday, August 3 - Grilled tomato and cheese sammies with salad

Wednesday, August 4 - Rice stick noodles with stir fry noodles

Thursday, August 5 - Spaghetti with olive oil and veggies

Friday, August 6 - buttermilk waffles and strawberries

Saturday, August 7 - leftovers/new recipe or eat out 'cause I'm tired as hell

Sunday, August 8 - Keilbasa and Eggs!

Monday, August 9 - Pasta salad with veggies and bread

and there you have it. If you are interested in any of the above recipes, just ask. I'm more than certain I haven't posted many of them and I'm happy to share. More pictures to come as well.

If your interested, the following is what we'll have for breakfasts. In no particular order and of no particular nutritional value. Hey, we're working on this one.

Oatmeal, Eggs -anyway you want 'em and with whatever I'm handing out at the moment, toast, english muffins, yogurt, granola, fruit, boxed or bagged cereal -pretty much whatever was on sale except for the sugary shit, pancakes, waffles -usually not frozen, but every once in-awhile I get a wind up my skirt and pick up eggos, and/or hashbrowns -the real stuff, just like at the restaurant with clarified butter and all that fatty goodness.

I'm up for questions anytime. Just throw 'em at me. You'll either get a great answer or one with absolutely no value to you at all. Cheers!