General Conference Weekend!

Ahhh, it's supposed to be 65 degrees on Saturday and to make it even better, it's General Conference weekend! I'm certainly looking forward to it!
Here's my menu for the week:
Monday: Curried Lentil Soup (add about 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 tsp. salt to this recipe) and Pita bread
Tuesday: Easy Lasagna, French Baguettes, Spinach Salad
Wednesday: Crustless Quiche, Cinnamon chip scones, fresh fruit (This quiche is so easy--mix 2 c. cooked ham or chicken, 1 c. sour cream, 6 beaten eggs, and 1/4 c. grated cheese together. Put in square baking dish, cover with buttered breadcrumbs and bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with Tiger sauce or salsa.)
Thursday: Pizza Rolls (you'll need to scroll down for the recipe), dipping sauce, and spinach salad.
Friday: Leftover night!
Saturday: Going to Grandma's house for a little Conference get together!
Sunday: Family get together! I'm cooking the roast--we'll see what else comes!

Bread, bread, bread!

I love to make my own bread! I know you can find some pretty good breads out there, but there's something so satisfying about making your own and feeding your family with it. Do not be even a smidge impressed, because I totally cheat! My breadmaker does all the work and puts in all the time. The only thing I don't do with the breadmaker, is bake it in it. For some reason, I don't like the crust and it doesn't taste nearly as good when it's baked in the breadmaker. So, all of the recipes I use, I add the ingredients to my breadmaker and set it to the dough cycle. When it's finished, I rise it in my own bread pans and bake it in the oven. Oh, YUM! I actually don't eat a lot of bread, but my kids go through it quickly with sandwiches for their lunches and toast for breakfast. And now that I've found a delicious recipe for 100% Whole Grain Spelt bread, I can eat it without my thyroid going crazy on me! So, just for kicks, here are my favorite bread recipes. FYI--I made my own bagels today. They are SO GOOD!

Flax and Sunflower Seed Bread(I often substitute brown sugar for the honey, and olive oil for the butter. It's good both ways.)
Light Oat Bread (I refuse to have margarine in my kitchen, so I'll either use butter or olive oil in this recipe.)
Delicous, Nutricious Spelt Bread (I love this recipe! I use 4 cups of whole grain spelt flour (that I grind in my Vitamix) and no xanthan gum. I don't braid it, I just raise it in a regular bread pan and bake!)
Sweet Dinner Rolls (You cannot go wrong with these! I follow the recipe exactly!)
French Baguettes (I use this recipe for all the subs I make for my fam, and when I want some good french bread. Oh, and these with French Dip Sandwiches--YUM!)
Bagels (You can vary the toppings, I use sesame seeds or Parmesan cheese or Cinnamon Sugar)
Pita Bread (My family does not like store bought pitas, but they LOVE these! Who knew making pitas could be so easy, and that they could be so delish!)

While I was making my bagels my breadmaker started to sound sick! Yikes! I guess I've had it since I got married (15 years ago), but I'll be so sad if it dies!

Busy Week!

Busy but fun week ahead! Here's my menu:

Monday: Baked Chicken Taquitos, chips and salsa, fresh veggies
Tuesday: Beef Stroganoff (I absolutely love this recipe! I substitute stew meat and use Simply Apple juice rather than the wine), egg noodles, green beans
Wednesday: Chicken Tortilla Soup, Cheese Quesadillas
Thursday: Babyback Ribs, Baked Potatoes, Spinach Salad
Friday: Cobb Salad (have you tried BoltHouse's Yogurt Ranch Dressing--it' in the refrigerated section! Yum!) and cheese toasties
Saturday: Mom's night off! :)
Sunday: Dinner at Grandma's house!

Buckle fracture....oh no!

So, we had a blast this past weekend at a condo in Eden with some of our great friends! Their kids were ski racing at Wolf Mountain resort, so we decided to go up and watch the kids race and make it a family skiing/boarding weekend! Well, we really had a fun time with one exception....Chase broke his wrist! Such a bummer! The first day we got there, the boys went night skiing. Sure enough, Chase was doing the half pipe on his snowboard and hit some ice. He tried to catch himself with his hands, and snapped his left wrist. So many snowboarders break their wrists, it's like skiers tearing their ACL, it just happens a lot! Saddest part of the story--Chase has been preparing for piano Federation for the past six months. He's memorized and polished two very challenging pieces for him. Now no Federation, no piano recital, and he can't finish his basketball season. So sad! But he's being optimistic about it--he's excited he doesn't have to practice piano for 6 weeks, and he's excited to get a hot pink cast! Crazy kid!

Here's my menu for the week:
Monday: It's my Birthday! I'll let Jud take care of this meal!
Tuesday: BBQ Chicken Pizza and Spinach Salad
Wednesday: Steak Fajitas (Fajita marinade)
Thursday: Baked Slowcooker Chicken, potatoes and carrots (I put them in the bottom of the crockpot instead of the foil)
Friday: Meatball Subs, fresh veggies, and chips
Saturday: Mom's night off!
Sunday: Dinner at Grandma's house!

15 man tubing run!

We had a great time this weekend with my family at a cabin in Heber that my parents rented. The highlight was the tubing at Soldier Hollow. Imagine a 15-person, hooked together, down the big hill, tubing run! It was hilarious! You really fly with that many bodies! Landon was next to me in the mass of tubes, and giggled hystericallly the ENTIRE time! It was hilarious!

Here's my menu for the week:
Monday: Cheesesteak Subs, Baked Sweet Potato Fries, and pears (I can't wait until I can bottle some more, I'm running out! :)
Tuesday: Scratch Baked Macaroni and Cheese and green peas
Wednesday: Slowcooker Split Pea Soup with Bread Bowls (of course I'll use my bread machine!!!), and spinach salad
Thursday: Baked Chicken and Sharp Cheddar Cheese Taquitos(you have to scroll down for this recipe), and Southwestern Salad
Friday & Saturday: We promised to take the kids boarding and skiing this weekend! I'm always too tired to cook afterward, so I'm guessing grilled cheese sandwiches!
Sunday: Roast, Potatoes, Carrots and Dinner Rolls

Have a GREAT week!

March...yay!

My favorite month is upon us! Not just because I was born in the wonderful month of March (although that helps!). But it's also the time when Spring starts showing it's face! I love the little crocus flowers that start peeking through this time of year, and I'm hoping to see our daffodil varieties that we brought home from Amsterdam and I planted in December (I know, crazy!). Ahhh, spring! May it come soon, and may it last long!!!!!
Here's my menu for the first week of MARCH!
Monday: Provolone Turkey Bagel Melts (Layer turkey, tomato, and Provolone cheese onto cheese bagel halves. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and dried basil. Broil until the cheese is melted), hummus and carrot/celery sticks
Tuesday: Chicken and Dumplings (I'm using leftover chicken from last week. Makes it easy! And try making your own dumpling mix!)
Wednesday: Beef Enchiladas, Black Bean and Corn Salad, Spanish Rice (BTW--my enchiladas I make are so easy! Fill tortillas with shredded cheese and ground beef browned with onion, salt, and pepper. Place in greased 9x13 pan. Mix 1 1/4 cup El Pato Enchilada sauce (less for less spicy) with 1 14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes. Pour over filled tortillas and then generously sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375 for 30 to 45 minutes depending on how crispy you like your enchiladas! Yummy and easy!
Thursday: Puffed Oven Pancake, fresh berries, spinach salad (Just FYI, I basically triple this recipe twice and put it in a 2 9x13 pans)
Friday: Pizza and Green Salad!
Saturday: Mom's Night Off!
Sunday: Ham and Twice Baked Potatoes, Spinach Salad, and rolls

Better late than never!

Yesterday, my grocery shopping day, I decided to take my three oldest skiing and snowboarding! We had a great day trying out a new resort! The weather cooperated and I even got a bit of a sunburn :) But, I didn't get my menu and grocery shopping finished. Better late than never, right?

Monday: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and Cranberry Orange Muffins (I had this soup frozen, so it was perfect for a ski day! When I make this, I add noodles to half, then freeze the other half without the noodles. When I thaw it, I add the cooked noodles. It is really good!)
Tuesday: Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers, Sweet Pepper Rice, and spinach salad
Wednesday: Night out because my hubby declared we are going shopping for baby chicks after work on Wednesday! We already have six on order, but they don't get here until the end of March and he can't wait to become a farmer! So, we're going to IFA to hand pick our chicks....
Thursday: Spaghetti and Meatballs, Green salad, and my favorite French Baguettes
Friday: Open faced tuna melts, veggies and dip, chips and salsa
Saturday: Mom's Night Off!
Sunday: My brother in law and his family are in from Virginia! So, dinner at Grandma's house!