Meal Plans

So I have received a few emails on what my meal plans consisted of, so here are a few items I cycle through in my month meal plans.

Tuna Salad

French Bread Pizza

Ham and Potato Soup

Chicken Taco Soup

Ham and Homemade mac and cheese

Chicken Cord on Bleu

Shredded beef tacos

Meatloaf

20 Garlic Chicken

French dips

Ranch chicken Wraps

Oven Stew

Roast

Chili Dogs

Soup and sandwiches and salad

BBQ chicken

Pigs in a blanket

Chicken pot pie

Baked spaghetti

Baked chicken Fried steak

Grilled cheese and homemade tomato soup

Hamburger gravy

Beef stroganoff

Frito Pie

Ranch Burgers

Rancher Roast chicken

London Broil

Orange Cinnamon rolls- Breakfast

Chicken Casserole

Lasagna

Carne Asada salad or burritos

 BLT’s 

If anyone wants a recipe for one of the meals let me know. I also have side dishes that go with most of the meals. 

Organizing Queen!

My mission to get the house in order before school starts is almost complete! It has been wonderful even though it has taken a little longer than expected. The boys' room got finished Wednesday  and all I have left is some last minute things on my desk and in the toy room. We got rid of SO much stuff, it felt wonderful. I love purging things!
 My next step has been organizing myself for the next few months. I have been making meal plans for full months along with grocery lists. It has been amazing. I have some meals made ahead and frozen and quick meals planned for those busy nights. I am planned out until November right now and plan to make and freeze some soups and casseroles for this winter. I have been canning like crazy and have lots more to can in the next month. Pasta sauce, salsa, chili, pears, apples, applesauce and freezing zucchini, carrots, and maybe some summer squash. I love planning and organizing once I get started!!!

In Less Than 24 Hours....

I have done a lot!! Man, not having the weight of school on my shoulders sure does make it easier for me to let my hair down!

             Last night we had movie night with some awesome Jiffy pop and treats

And what is movie night without a fort???

I woke up early this morning to cool of the house and let the morning air waft through the windows and doors. So, while I did that, I decided to try my hand at a new recipe for cinnamon pull apart bread. 

 It took a while to do, but it was well worth it!

 Flour mixture, Egg, and butter mixture

 Cinnamon and sugar mixture ( I added a bit of brown sugar too and nutmeg)

 Almost like making cinnamon rolls

 Layered up

 Stack in the pan

DROOL. 

It was SO yummy! 

There is still some left.... so far 

 While I waited for the dough to rise and bake, I ventured to my flower garden and front porch to admire these beauties.

Summer is grand in deed!

Cool Websites-- 4 Weeks of Freedom List, Updates, and the Power of YES

First of all, I am alive... barley. I honestly think math is going to kill me, but so far I am surviving. These last two weeks of summer school have been awful.

That aside, I have found a fabulous site that has so many yummy recipes and the pictures are so pretty! Check it out! I am catching the canning bug bad this year! I have my list and all my jars, lids, rings and towels out and ready to go! Peaches, pears, pickles, salsa, spaghetti sauce, and jams! Oh so much fun! I am already starting to freeze zucchini that I tend to sneak into many meals with out the picky husband and children knowing! Ha ha ha!!

So my 4 weeks of freedom list is all the things I want to do once summer school is out.

In no particular order here is what I have:

Watch as much Gilmore Girls as possible
Canning
Making and Freezing soups for the winter
Freezing veggies
Gardening
READING!!  
Going to the library
Rearranging the kitchen
Cleaning the computer desk
Get 2 kids ready for school (YIKES!)
PAYING OFF AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF DEBT.. can you say awesomeness!!???
Road trip to Boise
Getting ready for fall semester

I am looking forward to fall. It is truly my favorite season of the year and I look forward to it the moment winter hits! I love making pumpkin bread, homemade cider, soups, apple pie, raking leaves.. ahhhh I can't wait!

Life has been upside down crazy busy. Church is always busy, and I hate to say I have fallen short lately as school has taken up a lot of my time. One of my dearest friends who was my first visiting teaching when we joined the church, and never missed a month of visiting, never forgot a birthday  of anyone in our family, always remembered what was important to us and even came to the Temple with us for the first time on her birthday, passed away on Tuesday.  She was only 77, and I say only because she was so spunky, spry and witty. I suppose it was her time. I have been having a hard time with it, harder than I thought I would. I tried going to the funeral today, but couldn't even bring myself to do that. Maybe I will go by myself soon and take some flowers to her . I think it is harder because it has almost been a year since Trenton's little friend Zach passed away tragically last year. ughh.. death is hard on the living.

On a more upbeat note... Mr. Ben is 99% out of diapers! WOO HOO!! He has taken a little longer than the other 2 boys, but each child is different and he has taken to the idea very well the past few months and we are so close to freedom!!!

Rex and I have tried taking on a little bit of a new approach to parenting the past few weeks. A while back I read an article about parents having a harder time saying yes than saying no to their children at times.  This really struck a chord with me, and made a lot of sense. the boys often ask if they can play with the hose and get each other wet, my first response without thinking, is no. It's messy, it's wet, they could fight and get mad at each other.... but really, would it be that big of a problem? True, it might be a bit of a headache for me, but really what is the harm? Saying yes really is harder than saying no a lot of the time. It is so easy to tell the boys no, its fast and effective and saves me hassle from messes and arguments. But saying yes... gives the boys more to do, a bit of slack on the tight leash Rex and I have at times. now don't get me wrong, we are not going around saying yes to their every whim, there are still rules and boundaries, and things that just are not acceptable. "Mom can I have ice cream for dinner.." NO, But if I hear, " Mom can we paint with watercolors outside and make our own lunch to have a picnic and play in the sprinkler?" Yes... It has been a good experience so far :)

So, one more week of math tests and paper writing and I will post lots of pictures and updates!

Garlic Cheesy Rolls

INGREDIENTS:

5 1/2 cups flour, divided (as needed)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 package (1/4 ouce size) active dry yeast
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons dried chives
1 teaspoon dried Italian Herb seasoning
2/3 cup sharp cheddar, grated

 

PREPARATION:

Combine 3 cups flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl. Combine milk and 1/2 cup water in saucepan, heat to 120F. Gradually stir milk mixture into flour mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter. Beat at low speed with electric mixer about 30 seconds, then beat at high for 1 minute.

Gradually stir in enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Turn dough onto floured surface. Knead until smooth, 6-8 minutes. Place dough in a large bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour until double in bulk.

Punch down dough, cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Combine remaining ingredients; 1/4 cup butter, olive oil, chives and Italian seasoning in a bowl. Divide dough into 24 pieces. Place a heaping teaspoon of grated cheddar in center of each dough piece and roll into a ball. Dip the balls in butter mixture and place in muffin tin. Drizzle remaining butter mixture over dough balls. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk, about 45 minutes.

Heat the oven to 375 F. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 14 minutes. Serve warm.

12th Day, Christmas Eve, and My Not So Mollly Mormon Moment

Night 12

We've had so much fun and we hope you have too. So on Christmas Eve day, this is our last gift to you, A calendar to look to the 12 months so near and ice cream to use with your 12pack of root beer.

And so we wish you a joyous Noel,
We know that you're hoping our name we will tell.
But our name stays a secret, we just cannot share.
It wouldn't be right, no it wouldn't, so there!
Merry Christmas!

Along with the calendar and root beer, we also joined up with our Bishop and got them a set of much needed bunk beds, a My Little Pony Set for the little girl and a farm play set for the little boy. I really hope they enjoyed our holiday fun! This will be interesting to maneuver and haul the HUGE box that the bunk beds are in while trying to maintain our anonymity. We are calling in reinforcements and lots of helpers so we can move quickly! 

Christmas Eve is super busy for us, hence why I am posting now instead of 1am. Rex works until 5pm, we are meeting him in Twin Falls, heading to Walgreens to pick up a picture for Nana, then to Nana and Deb's house to give them their gifts, then onto my mom's house for a quickly hello and presents, then back to Jerome to meet up with the Dickinson's to help us deliver the bunk beds and stuff, (eat dinner at some point) and we still have gifts to deliver to the Pease and Lloyds, presents to wrap for each other, set up the Scavenger hunt for the boys in the morning, stockings to stuff, cookies and carrots to eat (for Santa and reindeer), and then I think I can go to bed. I love Christmas Eve and all the hustle and bustle. Tomorrow we are planning our tasty dinner and having the missionaries over to join us. Ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, green beans, carrots, stuffing, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, baked beans, pumpkin bread, and pies. Tasty stuff!. 

 There would be a ribbon salad to join the group of food, but that is where my not so Molly Mormon moment comes into play. I cannot for the life of me make a jello salad. They have never ever turned out. My attempt last night was a mess and very frustrating. Never trust a recipe that has mayo, cream cheese and pineapple in it. what a joke! Maybe next year, right???? 

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and can travel in safety. This holiday season has flown by, way too fast if you ask me. I will miss the lights, garland and sparkle of it all. I really hate January, and I am trying to find the best outlook of it for the new year ahead.  

Merry Christmas Everyone! 

5 grateful things

helpful friends* good jokes* planning and sneaking* peace of mind* Christmas vacation!  

 

My Day In Canning

So this is my first experience canning, and boy did I learn A LOT!! I got some beautiful plums given to me and decided to have a go at plum jam .
First I pitted my huge box of plums


then a finely chopped them
added water, sugar and spices

I heated my lids and jars and boiled my plums. and boiled and boiled and boiled. I took a loooonnnnggg time to get to the jelling point.

Then in the pot they went. I got about 3 jars worth. It tasted really good when I was tasting. It did not get as thick as I had wanted but it still resembles something close to jam or jelly.. or preserves. Maybe a fruit spread. I dunno.
My next venture is apricots! Then zucchini relish.I think I am going to need many more jars!

A Day Of Posts......PEACHY MUFFINS!

Ok, Ok, I know...third post of the day, but I HAVE to share this recipe with everyone! These are AWESOME muffins!

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup peach or vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1/8 cup milk
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped peeled fresh or well-drained canned peaches

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Combine egg, yogurt, butter, milk and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in peaches. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.