Menu and Grocery List (June 1 - 7)

Menu

Monday 
Hamburgers
Corn on Cob
Baked Beans
Tuesday
Bread Crumb Beef
Baked Potato
Peas
Wednesday
Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole
Green Salad
Thursday
Beef and Bean Chimichangas (Freezer Friendly)
Refried Beans
Friday
Pizza
Green Salad
Bread Sticks
Saturday
Thai Chicken Thighs (Reader's Featured Recipe)
Rice
Sunday
Free Day

First, I want to explain what I have called the 'free day'. I have used other meal planning services and found that there was always one day that my family would eat out. The free day is the opportunity for you to either eat out, catch up to my meals, if you are behind, or make something that you or your family loves.

Second, a great suggestion was made to have one meal a week that is freezer friendly. (Thanks Andrea, from MommySnacks) You can either make the meal and eat it, make it and freeze it, or double the recipe and do both. If you have the space, it is great having a few premade meals in the freezer. Just put the meal together, don't cook it, and freeze it. Then when it is time to eat it, defrost and follow the cooking instructions.

Grocery List

Bakery Item
4 Hamburger buns (Hamburgers)

Baking Supplies
1 1/2 cups Bread crumbs Italian Style (Bread Crumb Beef)
1/4 cups peanuts chopped (or cashews) (Thai Chicken Thighs)

Basic Cooking Ingredients
1/4 cup Olive oil (Bread Crumb Beef)

Beverage
2 tablespoons lime juice (Thai Chicken Thighs)

Canned Goods
baked beans (Suggested side)

Condiments and Salad Dressings
ketchup (Suggested Topping)
mayonnaise (Suggested Topping)
mustard (Suggested Topping)
pickles (Suggested Topping)
1/4 cup peanut butter (Thai Chicken Thighs)

Dairy, Eggs, and Milk
1 tablespoon butter melted (Beef and Bean Chimichangas)
1 (16 ounce) package Monterrey Jack cheese shredded (Beef and Bean Chimichangas)
1/2 cup Romano Cheese Grated (Bread Crumb Beef)
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded (Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole)
1/2 cup milk (Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated (Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole)
cheese (Suggested Topping)

Ethnic Foods
8 12 inch flour tortillas (Beef and Bean Chimichangas)
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans (Beef and Bean Chimichangas)
2 cups taco sauce (Beef and Bean Chimichangas)
Refried Beans (Suggested Side)
1/4 cup soy sauce (Thai Chicken Thighs)

Frozen Foods
1 1/2 cups corn whole kernel (Beef and Bean Chimichangas)
1 cup mixed vegetables frozen (Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole)
Frozen Pizza (Pizza)
Peas (Suggested Side)

Herbs and Spices
2 teaspoons chili powder (Beef and Bean Chimichangas)
1 teaspoons garlic salt (Beef and Bean Chimichangas)
1 teaspoons ground cumin (Beef and Bean Chimichangas)
2 teaspoons Parsley flakes (Bread Crumb Beef)
to taste Pepper (Bread Crumb Beef)
to taste Salt (Bread Crumb Beef)
1/4 teaspoon black Pepper ground (Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne Pepper (Thai Chicken Thighs)

Meats, Fish, and Seafood
1 pound ground beef lean (Beef and Bean Chimichangas)
4 tenderloin Steaks or your favorite (Bread Crumb Beef)
1 pound ground beef formed into patties (Hamburgers)
2 cups chicken cooked and cubed (Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole)
8 Chicken Thighs skin removed (Thai Chicken Thighs)

Pasta, Rice, and Beans
2 cups egg noodles medium, cooked and drained (Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole)
Rice (Suggested Side)

Produce
3/4 cup green bell pepper diced (Beef and Bean Chimichangas)
3/4 cup onion chopped (Beef and Bean Chimichangas)
3 to 4 cloves garlic finely chopped (Bread Crumb Beef)
Corn on Cob (Suggested Side)
Green Salad (Suggested Side)
Potatoes (Suggested Side)
lettuce (Suggested Topping)
onion (Suggested Topping)
tomato (Suggested Topping)
2 tablespoons cilantro fresh (Thai Chicken Thighs)
cilantro chopped, fresh (Thai Chicken Thighs)
2 teaspoon ginger root fresh, minced (Thai Chicken Thighs)

Soup
1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of Mushroom Soup (Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole)
1/2 cups Chicken Broth (Thai Chicken Thighs)

Be sure to check your refrigerator and pantry for any of these items that you already have. Also, don't forget to add items for breakfast, lunch and every day items. Going grocery shopping is much easier if you have a list of everything you need. Check out the Master Grocery List to make sure you aren't missing anything.

Rice-A-Roni Chicken

I have posted before on what I do when things don't go as planned and I have to whip up a dish unplanned.  Check out my previous post here.  Well, this happened to me again this week.  Even Carrie of CarriesCooking, who specializes in planning dinners has to put together unplanned meals.

Here is what I did:

I pulled out some frozen chicken defrosted it a little in the microwave.  While it was still slightly frozen I cubed the meat and then added pepper to taste and about a teaspoon of thyme.  I then heated oil in a skillet and browned the chicken.  After it is browned I put it on a plate to keep it warm.

Next, I get out a chicken flavored Rice-A-Roni and melt the butter as instructed and brown the rice.  I put 1 cup of chicken broth and the remaining measure of water (I substitute chicken broth for some of the water to add more flavor to the dish.)  Next, I added in the packet of flavor that comes with the Rice-A-Roni and added in the chicken.

The dish is covered and is to cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.  

It is a great quick unplanned meal when you add a green vegetable or salad to the meal.

Keeping Avocadoes Green

CarriesCooking Tips

If you have a avocado and only use half of it in order to keep it green follow these tips:

• Leave the seed in it
• Sprinkle the top with lemon or lime juice
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap
• Keep avocado in the refrigerator

Sign Up For Bisquick Recipes

I have about 5 boxes of Bisquick in my pantry.  I currently only use them to make pancakes.  I make a lot of pancakes!  I have so many boxes of Bisquick because I am always getting such a good deal on it.

I am so excited to be getting recipes to make other things besides pancakes.  If you would like to sign up too, click on the picture below.

Classic Crockpot Pot Roast

Crockpot Recipe Wednesday

Ingredients

3 to 4 potatoes, peeled and chopped into large pieces

4 large carrots, peeled and sliced into large pieces

1 large onion, peeled and cut into fourths

2 pound pot roast

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons thyme

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

Directions

1. Place potatoes, carrots and onions at bottom of crockpot.
2. Place roast over vegetables.
3. Pour Worcestershire sauce over meat.
4. Sprinkle all of the spices over meat and veggies.
5. Cook on low 6 to 7 hours.

Little One's and Oven Safety

CarriesCooking's Home Recipe

When I am cooking I almost always have one or two children at my side.  I try to let them help as much as I can but when it comes to the stove top or the oven I do my best to have them keep their distance.

One trick that has been a blessing to me is teaching my kids to sit before I open the oven.  When whatever I have cooking is ready I ask whomever is in my kitchen (only kids of course) to sit down.  They generally just sit right down on the floor.  Then I open my oven taking care of business quickly and getting it closed back up.  Then I tell them that they can get up.  

My two caught on to this very quickly.  But, when they decide things are just too interesting and start to get up, I find I have time to react before their little hands touch something hot.

Do you have a kitchen safety tip that you would like to share?

Cinnamon Chicken with Carrots

Crockpot Recipe Wednesday

Ingredients

4 to 5 large carrots sliced

4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

Pepper to taste

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions

1. Place carrots at bottom of slow cooker.
2. Place chicken on top of carrots and sprinkle with pepper.
3. Drain liquid from tomatoes into a small bowl and pour rest on top of chicken.
4. Add cinnamon and brown sugar to tomato juice and mix well.
5. Pour liquid over tomatoes.
6. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or until done.

American Cancer Society "Relay For Life"

Next weekend I am participating in my local Relay For Life.  It is the signature event for the American Cancer Society.  It allows teams of people to camp out and have fun while walking or running around a path and raise money to fight cancer.  Our event is 22 hours long.

The things that make this event so special to me:

• I get to spend the whole day with family and friends.
• We spend the night in our camper.
• I raise money to help fight a disease that affects 1 in 3 people.
• Our local Relay was started by my friend Lynn, who lost her battle with cancer in 2005.

If you feel moved to help me reach my personal goal of raising $600 towards this event please visit my fundraising page here.  Any amount will be appreciated.

Thank you!

Carrie

Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

Baking with CarriesCooking

OK.  I didn't bake today.  I was super busy.  I dropped my daughter off at school and ran errands with my son.  Then went to park as it might be the last really nice day for a few days.  Then I spent the remainder of my day trying to catch up on my ironing.  (I hate ironing!)

But, I wanted to share this great recipe with you from my friend Erin at 5 Dollar Dinners.

Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

Does that count as baking?  I'm not sure, but it sounds yummy!

Dishwasher Knife Safety

CarriesCooking's Home Recipe

I have two small children in my house.  One is a 3 year old girl and the other is a 1 year old boy.  My 3 year old is pretty good about staying out of things she isn't supposed to get into now, but my boy is far from it.  

One of the things my son loves to get into is my dishwasher.  I will have it running and when I'm not looking he will have opened it just enough to stop it from running.  One day I had to restart it 15 to 20 times before the load was done.  Grrr.  

But, my main concern with my son getting into the dishwasher is his safety.  First of all he is very strong for such a little guy.  He once got out my 8 cup glass batter bowl from the dishwasher when my back was turned.  I afraid he would drop it and cut himself on the glass.  More than that I am nervous about knives.  Every dishwasher I have seen either has the silverware in the door or on the lower rack.  Both are easily reachable by a small child.  

This picture (though not very good) shows where I keep my knives.

I put my knives on the top rack.  My son can still reach it but not easily.  I always try to remember to get them out of the dishwasher first.  I feel so much better having the knives here.

What do you do to keep your children safe from knives in the dishwasher?

Grocery Shopping

CarriesCooking's Pricebook

My favorite this trip was the corn on the cob.  You will also notice all the light bulbs.  I think every light bulb in the house went out at the same time.  I went over budget this week but I blame it on all those light bulbs.

So this is how I did this week:

Spent:  84.67

Saved:  80.05  or 49%

If you want to save this kind of money too, join The Grocery Game with me (please don't forget to add CarriesCooking@gmail.com as your referral.)  And, if you would like to see the details of my shopping check out CarriesCookings Pricebook.

Do you use The Grocery Game too?  What was your big stockpile this week?

I also wanted to apologize that this post is late.  I was reading 'Twilight' and any spare moment not spent with my family went to reading it.

Menu and Grocery List May 4 - 10

Menu

Monday

Any Day Chicken

Carrots

Corn on Cob

Tuesday

Maple Dijon Pork Chops

Broccoli

Dinner Roll

Wednesday

Sausage and Turkey Pasta (Freezer Friendly)

Green Salad

Thursday

Foil-Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner

Refried Beans

Friday

Pizza

Green Salad

Breadsticks

Saturday

BBQ Ground Beef Volcano

Peas

Sunday

Free Day

First, I want to explain what I have called the 'free day'. I have used other meal planning services and found that there was always one day that my family would eat out. The free day is the opportunity for you to either eat out, catch up to my meals, if you are behind, or make something that you or your family loves.

Second, a great suggestion was made to have one meal a week that is freezer friendly. (Thanks Andrea, from MommySnacks) You can either make the meal and eat it, make it and freeze it, or double the recipe and do both. If you have the space, it is great having a few premade meals in the freezer. Just put the meal together, don't cook it, and freeze it. Then when it is time to eat it, defrost and follow the cooking instructions.

Grocery List

Bakery Item

Dinner Rolls (Suggested side) 

Baking Supplies

1/2 cup maple syrup pure (Maple Dijon Pork Chops) 

Basic Cooking Ingredients

1 teaspoon vegetable oil (BBQ Ground Beef Volcano) 

Beverage

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (Any Day Chicken) 

1 1/2 cups water hot (Foil-Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner) 

Canned Goods

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (BBQ Ground Beef Volcano) 

Condiments and Salad Dressings

1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (Any Day Chicken) 

1 cup BBQ Sauce (BBQ Ground Beef Volcano) 

2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard (Maple Dijon Pork Chops) 

Dairy, Eggs, and Milk

2 tablespoons butter (Any Day Chicken) 

1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded (BBQ Ground Beef Volcano) 

1/2 cup Cheese Mexican style, shredded (Foil-Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner) 

Ethnic Foods

1 tablespoon Taco Seasoning mix (Foil-Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner) 

1/2 cup salsa (Foil-Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner) 

Refried Beans (Suggested Side) 

Frozen Foods

Frozen Pizza (Pizza) 

8 to 10 ounces green beans frozen, defrosted (Sausage and Turkey Pasta) 

Broccoli (Suggested Side) 

Peas (Suggested Side) 

Breadsticks (Suggested Side) 

Herbs and Spices

1/2 teaspoons salt (Any Day Chicken) 

1 teaspoon onion powder (Any Day Chicken) 

to taste salt (Maple Dijon Pork Chops) 

to taste pepper (Maple Dijon Pork Chops) 

1/2 teaspoons pepper (Sausage and Turkey Pasta) 

Meats, Fish, and Seafood

4 count chicken breasts boneless, skinless, halves, rinsed (Any Day Chicken) 

1 pound ground beef (BBQ Ground Beef Volcano) 

4 1 pound total chicken breast boneless, skinless, halves (Foil-Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner) 

4 count pork chops boneless, loin (Maple Dijon Pork Chops) 

1/2 pound Italian Sausage Bulk (Sausage and Turkey Pasta) 

1/2 pound turkey cooked, shredded (Sausage and Turkey Pasta) 

Pasta, Rice, and Beans

1 1/2 cups rice instant white rice (Foil-Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner) 

8 ounces ziti or other shaped pasta (Sausage and Turkey Pasta) 

Produce

1 small onion chopped (BBQ Ground Beef Volcano) 

1 small green bell pepper chopped (BBQ Ground Beef Volcano) 

4 to 6 Potatoes (BBQ Ground Beef Volcano) 

1 small green bell pepper cut into strips (Foil-Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner) 

1 small red pepper cut into strips (Foil-Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner) 

1 large onion chopped (Maple Dijon Pork Chops) 

Green Salad (Suggested Side) 

Carrots (Suggested Side) 

Corn on Cob (Suggested Side) 

Soup

1/4 cup chicken broth (Maple Dijon Pork Chops) 

1 can cream of mushroom soup (Sausage and Turkey Pasta)

Printable Grocery List here.

Be sure to check your refrigerator and pantry for any of these items that you already have. Also, don't forget to add items for breakfast, lunch and every day items. Going grocery shopping is much easier if you have a list of everything you need. Check out the Master Grocery List to make sure you aren't missing anything.

Sausage and Turkey Pasta

Ingredients

1/2 pound Bulk Italian Sausage

1/2 pound cooked shredded turkey

8 ounces uncooked ziti (or other shape pasta)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

8 to 10 ounces frozen green beans (defrosted)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Cook Italian sausage in skillet until no longer pink.
2. At same time cook ziti according to package directions.
3. Drain all but about 2 teaspoons of oil from cooked sausage.
4. Add turkey, mushroom soup and pepper to skillet and heat.
5. Add ziti (after draining) and green beans
6. Serve when hot.

My kids loved this.  My 20 month old had three servings!

Any Day Chicken

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, rinsed

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

1. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Add Chicken and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.
3. Reduce heat and cook about 5 minutes.
4. Transfer to a platter, and keep warm.
5. Add lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and onion powder to skillet and cook, stirring, to bring up the brown bits, about 1 minute.
6. Add chicken back to skillet and cover to cook chicken until done.

This is a great recipe to try out my Chicken Cooking Tips.

It's May! A New Month

It is May today.  I just wish the rain would leave and bring on the flowers!

I am cleaning out my coupons today.  It is a good thing to do this at least once a month!

How often do you clear out your expired coupons?