The Menu Maker Mom Blogs Again!!!

Welcome back to The Menu Maker Mom blog!  Actually, maybe I should be looking in the mirror when I say that, since I'm the one who'se been away for so long.  I couldn't believe how long it's been until I looked at the date of my last post.  Wow!  A year has gone by quickly!

To get this blog started again, I'm sharing my menu for August. With the busy schedule that is just starting up, it's time to pull out the slow cooker for a meal here and there.  If you're interested in the recipes, I'll be sharing some throughout the month, and I have something fun that I'll be sharing, so please check back often!!!

For daily tips and recipes, please visit my page on Facebook. You can find me at www.facebook.com/themenumakermom. Hope to see you there, and I'd love to find out what's on your menu.


1 – Mexican frijoles and Iron Skillet Cornbread, tomato and avocado salad
2 – Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan, garden salad
3 – 7-Layer Bean Dip, tostadas (sewing party night!!)
4 – Take-out pizza
5 – Grilled T-Bone steaks, green salad with avocado dressing, grilled onions, steamed asparagus, smashed new potatoes, chocolate sheet cake and homemade vanilla ice cream!
6 – Cowboy Calzones (Pioneer Woman), green salad
7 – Cherry tomato and chicken pasta toss, garlic bread
8 – Bean chalupas
9 – Beef Bourguignon, steamed rice, steamed green beans
10 – Salmon patty sliders, buttery corn on the cob, Karen’s cole slaw
11 – Cast Iron Skillet Chicken, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots
12 – Lasagna, tossed salad, garlic toast, angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream
13 – Freezer surprise night!!
14 – Taco salad
15 – Omelets, biscuits, fruit salad
16 – Chicken spaghetti, roasted broccoli, garlic bread
17 – Hot Dog Bar!!
18 – MMM’s homemade pizza pie, salad, root beer floats
19 – Slow cooker swiss steak, butter-parsley noodles, steamed broccoli and carrots
20 – Freezer surprise night!!
21 – Picadillo, freshly made tortillas
22 – Oven fritatta, fruit salad, green salad, crescents
23 – Bacon-wrapped chicken thighs, pasta salad, relish tray, fresh melon
24 – Hamburgers, chips
25 – MMM’s deli!! (dried sausage, deli meats and cheeses, hoagie rolls… the works!!)
26 – Fried chicken, potato salad,
27 – {{BACK TO SCHOOL!!}} Steak manwiches, veggie dippers
28 – Slow cooker meatballs, spaghetti, green salad
29 – Migas, green salad, fresh fruit cups
30 – Kielbasa with onions, potatoes and green beans
31 – Subway sandwiches (Friday night football game!  Go Indians!!!)

Peace to you all!

The Menu Maker Mom
Feeding the family ~ One menu at a time!

Time to take control!!!!!

Hi y'all!!!   Have you ever gotten so crazy-busy that you feel like a little hamster running round and round, working feverishly but never seeing any progress?

That’s how I’ve been in my kitchen for the last two months…

So what happened, you might ask???  Well, high school started, and I feel like someone hit me over the head with my favorite big cast iron frying pan!  I walk around seeing stars all the time, wondering what the heck happened???!!!

Life with teenagers who love being involved in EVERYTHING has been a little hectic, to say the least...  We seem to go from activity to activity, from sun up to sun down!!   On top of working full time, my extra-curricular activities include driving kids to and from athletics, marching band, and FFA animal duties, FFA judging contest practices, and so on and so on....  Then there’s out of town volleyball games and Friday football games…. 

In case I didn’t have enough to do, I also became an officer in our Band Boosters club and was put in charge of a very busy concession stand, AND I signed up for a BOOT CAMP at my favorite gym!!!!  (www.nessasgym.com)

  

Thank goodness for Menu Maker Mom’s Make-a-Menu System, which has kept my family fed with yummy, budget friendly, healthy food!

This system is so easy, and anytime you make this Mama's job easy, it makes this Mama happy!  And everybody around here knows that  IF MAMA AIN’T HAPPY, AIN'T NOBODY HAPPY!!!

So without further adieu, I give you …..  {{{drumroll, please}}}

MY MENU  (for the next 2 weeks)

Oct. 3 - Monday -  Crockpot night - EASY Sirloin tips in savory brown gravy with roasted carrots and potatoes, pear crisp for dessert

Oct. 4 - Tuesday - Crockpot night - Spaghetti and homemade meatballs, salad, garlic bread sticks

Oct. 5 - Wednesday - Crockpot night - Mexican frijoles with cast iron skillet cornbread

Oct. 6 - Thursday  - Grilled chicken fajitas (thanks, HEB, for marinating these and pricing them at $1.00/lb. through Tuesday!), guacamole, and all the fixin's, tortillas (corn and flour), chopped salad

Oct. 7 - Friday - FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS!!! - Will be looking for some burgers in Natalia, Texas!

Oct. 8 - Saturday - Menu Maker Mama's Pizzaria!!!, soda and ice cream floats

Oct. 9 - Sunday - Annual FFA bbq fundraiser!  YUMMM!!!!

 
Oct. 10 - Monday - Herbed oven roasted chicken with gravy, steamed rice, sauteed green beans, angel fruit salad

Oct. 11 - Tuesday - Crockpot night - Mama's chicken and rice soup

Oct. 12 - Wednesday - Roasted pork loin with fresh sage and root vegetables, baked apples with raising and cinnamon

Oct. 13 - Thursday - SUPER EASY Southwest chicken, rice, and black bean tortilla wraps.  YUMMM!!!

Oct. 14 - Friday - VOLLEYBALL AND FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS!!! - Concession stand hot dogs!

Oct. 15 - Saturday - AREA BAND MARCHING COMPETITION! - Out to eat at a local steakhouse, Hermann Sons Steakhouse, with a fab reputation for good old fashioned yummy food!  

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Please drop me a line and let me know how your cookin' is coming along!

Love y'all!

Menu Maker Mom

MENU PLAN MONDAY

Can't believe our summer has gone from full-speed ahead to a skreeeeching HALT!  Of courses, this halt is on the eve of a school schedule that starts BEFORE school, and this new schedule is also FULL-SPEED AHEAD.  We just don't know "slow" around here!!!

This week we're keeping it simple.  I'll pick up the Menu Maker Mom pace next week!  Check back often!

MONDAY :: Pan-fried kielbasa with potatoes and onions, fresh spinach and romaine salad

TUESDAY :: EASY beef tips with mushroom gravy over steamed white rice with parsely, steamed green beans

WEDNESDAY :: Frijoles borrachos (drunk beans), cornbread, fresh salsa

THURSDAY :: Asian stir fry of chicken, broccoli, and carrots and whatever else we can find in the fridge!

FRIDAY :: Bean and cheese tacos on fresh tortillas

SATURDAY :: Shopping day!  After a long, hard day of shopping, we'll arrive home to a fresh crockpot of Taco Soup.  I don't care if it's 105 degrees outside...  We still love Taco Soup!!!

SUNDAY :: Finger-lickin', slow bar-b-que'd pork ribs with a huge garden salad and au gratin potatoes.  Will be so good it'll bring tears to our eyes!

The Weekender Menu

Menu making in the summer has been totally unplanned and haphazard around here.  As a die-hard list maker and menu maker, I’m surprised that it hasn’t bothered me in the least bit!   We’ve pretty much made sure to have a variety of ingredients on hand, then we made whatever we were hungry for at the time that we were hungry!!

We've had LOTS of cooking fun around our house, and we made lots of happy foods like:

LOTS of cupcakes

Tex-Mex Ceviche

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos

 

We enjoyed the fruits of our garden by making loaves and loaves of zucchini bread

 and salads with fresh tomatoes and cucumbers

And we grilled out as much as possible.

Now that the calendar page is turning to a new month, those lazy, unplanned summer dinners are being thrown out along with our previously uncluttered summer schedule!  As of August 1^st, I head back to the office, and my kiddos start athletic 2-a-days, marching band practice, and they start training a new batch of FFA animal projects.  Kitchen play time is over!

To get us back into the swing of things, I’ve put together a mini-menu just for the next few days.  We’ll pick up the pace next week with our regular menu planning. 

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Here’s what’s on tap at Kitchen a la Menu Maker Mom for the next few days:

Friday:

Lunch prepared by 3 teenagers – Their version of chicken spaghetti!!!  (recipe to follow)

Dinner – Grilled ranch-style hamburger patties, herb crusted oven fries, garden salad, iced tea

Saturday:

Breakfast – Omelets made with fresh eggs, freezer biscuits

Lunch – Grilled cheese sandwiches, Claussen pickles, carrot dippers, Quinoa salad

Dinner – Roasted sticky chicken, rosemary oven potatoes, fresh steamed green beans

Sunday:

Breakfast – quick cinnamon rolls from the can, make peach cobbler to take to church.

Lunch – Fellowship potluck dinner after church service.  I just love this!

Make-ahead – Chicken salad, quinoa salad, chocolate chip cookies

Dinner - Homemade pizzeria pizza and side salads

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Please visit me again over the next few days.  I’ll be sharing a few of my recipes like the teenage version of chicken spaghetti, money-saving freezer biscuits, flavorful and nutritious quinoa salad, my delicious chicken salad, the totally homemade Menu Maker Mom’s Easy Pizzeria Pizza, Rosemary Oven Potatoes, and Krystal’s Peach Cobbler.

Happy Cookin'!!

MENU MAKER MOM DOESN'T HAVE A MENU!!!!

I don't have to cook this week!!!  I don't even have to have a menu!  My mom, the girls, and I are going on vacation to New York City!!!  (and yes, I am shouting!)

I'm doing the HaPpY DaNcE!!!!  Yipee!

Oh, don't worry about the Man of the House... he has meals prepared for the entire week.  (SPOILED!)

As I've cooked over the last week or so, I packaged up a plate and froze the containers.  And if you're going to ask me why they're not labelled... 

He will just have to be surprised.  (I'm evil that way!)

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I won't be posting much this week, since I'll be livin' it up.  But I'll be back next week with photos of our week in the Big Apple! 

Have a WONDERFUL week, friends!!

Menu Plan Monday :: July 19 - July 25

How do Mondays seem to creep up faster and faster?  Summer is just racing by.  We are loving every last second of it!

As I cook this week, I'll be making enough to freeze in single-serving portions for hubby.  He'll be feeding himself next week as the ORIGINAL Menu Maker Mom (my mom), this Menu Maker Mom (ME), and the Teenage Twins head to New York City. 

Yes, I said NEW YORK CITY!!!!!  I'm so excited!  I'll fill you with more details this week...

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Here's what Menu Maker Mom's family will be eating this week:

Monday - Cheese Enchiladas (stay tuned for the recipe and photos later in the week!), Spanish Rice, Avacado salad, Tortillas, Lemonade

Tuesday - Porcupine Eggs (from the freezer!), steamed fresh green beans, brown rice, gravy, iced tea

Wednesday - Frijoles with leftover spanish rice, cornbread, lemonade

Thursday - Cheesy Saucy Crockpot Chicken (dump chicken in the crockpot; cover with Campbells cheddar soup & 1/2 a can of Rotel), buttered egg noodles, fruit salad, iced tea

Friday - Out to Chilies (thanks for the gift certificate, Candi!)

Saturday - GAME NIGHT!  Grilled hot dogs, Homemade Chili, grilled stuffed jalepenos, Grandma's Potato Salad, relish tray, fresh watermelon, Fritos

Sunday - Sunday Roast with potatoes and carrots, Angel Salad, rolls, gravy, pumpkin pie, iced tea

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Have an AWESOME week, my friends!  Life is good!

Menu Plan Monday - The Camping Edition!!!

Hi Friends!  Welcome to my Menu Maker Mom.  We just returned from enjoying the beautiful outdoors this past week, and we were roughing it at one of Texas' most fabulous rivers, The Frio!

 I use the term, "roughing it" rather loosely.  If you have wi-fi service, cable tv, a refrigerator and air-conditioning, is it still considered camping??? 

Well, I say it is.  And I deserve to say it is.  After all, my dear husband and I enjoyed tent camping with twins from babyhood on into childhood.  It was quite an adventure! 

While I was sad to see the end of our tent-camping era, I barely looked back as we loaded our first travel trailer with our camping supplies.  Air-conditioning!  Indoor plumbing!  Air-conditioning!!  Refrigeration!  Air-conditioning!!!  Okay - I mentioned air-conditioning thrice because we live in South Texas. 
Air-conditioning is a BIG DEAL!!!

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Here's what we dined on during our trip:

Day 1
Breakfast at the taco joint on our way out of town!

Lunch - Frio Pies (bagged Fritos, chili, cheese), Mini carrots with ranch dip

Snack - Chips and Queso

Dinner - Grilled Hamburgers, Ranch Style Beans

 

Day 2

Breakfast - Pancakes, sausage, Mom's Sticky Syrup

Lunch - Sandwiches, chips, fresh fruit, sliced cucumbers

Party Appetizer - Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Bombers (stuff fresh peppers with cream cheese, top with a shrimp, wrap with  bacon, and grill.  WOW!!!)

Dinner - YUMMY Q'd Baby Back Ribs, Grilled polish sausage, pasta salad, BLT salad

Day 3

Breakfast - Migas (fry corn tortilla strips, add breakfast sausage, pour on some whisked eggs, top with cheese.  Stick it in a tortilla and pour on the hot sauce.  YUM!!)

Lunch - Hot Dogs, Mac 'n Cheese, Veggie tray, fruit

Snack - Layered Mexican Dip with Tortilla chips

Dinner - Taco Salad

Dessert - mini brownie cups

Day 4

Breakfast - Bean and Cheese Tacos, salsa

Lunch - Sausage wraps, grapes, chips, sliced cucumbers

Snack - summer sausage, crackers, sliced apples, sliced cheeses

Dinner - Mesquite Grilled Chicken Thighs, fresh Green Beans and Potatoes, sliced garden tomatoes

Day 5

Breakfast - Pancakes, sausage, Mom's Sticky Syrup

Lunch - Tuna sandwiches, chips, pickles, fruit, veggie platter

Snack - Queso, guacamole, tortilla chips

Dinner - Surf & Turf!  Grilled steaks and salmon, baked potatoes w/ fixins', green salad

Dessert - SMORES!!

Day 6

Breakfast - Migas again (recipe is above)

Lunch - Hot Dogs, Mac 'n Cheese, Veggie tray, fruit

Snack - Shrimp cocktail, veggies & ranch dip

Dinner - Grilled chicken kabobs, Uncobbed corn (2 teens in braces!), Karen's slaw

Day 7

Breakfast - Pancakes, sausage, Mom's Sticky Syrup

Lunch - Sausage wraps, grapes, chips, sliced cucumbers

Snack - eat it all up!  (clean out the snack basket!)

Dinner - King's Buffet (eat up all the leftovers!)

Day 8 - going home day

Breakfast - Muffins & fruit

Lunch - sandwiches at home

Snack, Dinner, Dessert - Megan's Wedding!!!!

Menu Plan Monday:: Sun, June 27 - Sat, July 3

Welcome to Menu Plan Monday at Menu Maker Mom!  For those of you who are new, Menu Plan Monday is hosted by OrgJunkie.  Stop by and visit!

It'll be an easy week for the cook (that's ME!  Menu Maker Mom!) around here.  Taking the girlies to Camp Nana and Grandpa for a few days of fun and games, which will give MMM time to paint the hallway.  I love having a summer painting project, big or small.  It makes the house smell fresh and somewhat new for a couple of weeks.  When I head back to work in the fall, I will look back at my painted hall and feel like I really accomplished something.  It's proof that I was productive!

I'll be cooking just for my man this week, until the girls come home.  I say that I'll be cooking "for" him for two reasons:  First, truth be known, when the kids are gone I wouldn't cook at all if hubs didn't need to be fed.  I could survive on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and bowls of cereal easily!  Second, I LIKE doing this for him.  He appreciates it, and it makes me feel good to make him happy.  I hope he feels the same happiness knowing that I appreciate it when he mows the lawn or washes the dishes!

To those of you who aren't married, or maybe are newly married, it might seem rather silly to find so much joy in mundane tasks like cooking a meal or washing a dish.  It took my husband quite a few years to begin to understand that the way to a woman's heart is not by buying her expensive jewelry, even though a nice bauble here and there is VERY appreciated.  Truly, the way to her heart is through the dish water! 

Yes, it's those mundane tasks like cooking, mowing, washing dishes, and folding clothes that when done for each other can lead to warm, fuzzy, loving feelings... sometimes even HOT feelings!!  If so many couples would understand this concept, think of all the marriages would be saved.  :)

Sorry for being so sappy.  Hmmm....  Sappy rhymes with happy. 

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Well, here's what I'm servin' up this week:

Sunday - Homemade pizza made on crescent dough, Garden salad

Monday - Bean and Cheese Nachos with fresh, homemade salsa

Tuesday - Chef Salads with fresh rolls

Wednesday - Grilled Hamburger Patties, Country Green Beans and fresh New Potatoes

Thursday - Oven-Fried Chicken Tenders, sliced fresh tomatoes, macaroni-'n-cheese

Friday - Spaghetti and meatballs, salad, garlic bread

Saturday - Beef Tacos, Layered Bean Dip, fruit salad

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Coming next week:  My Camping Menu (includes breakfasts)

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Menu Maker Mom~
Makin' Yummies... Stuffin' Tummies

Menu Plan Monday

What a busy weekend! Sleepovers, Junior High Dance, Saturday shopping trip, hubby and I went to a dinner/dance, then took the kids for a fun-filled day at Sea World. Glad I’m at work so I can get some rest!

I’ll be cooking a couple of meals from my new favorite cookbook, Southern Living’s “Busy Moms Weeknight Favorites”. I just love all the delicious recipes from this picture-filled cookbook. Everything is super-easy and very quick, while being extremely flavorful and kid-friendly. If you’d like a copy, I’ve got a link to the left.

Our week will start off super-busy, but then will ease up after Wednesday. The girls have volleyball games tonight, then I’m going to see the musical, Rain, on Tuesday (YIPEE!!!), and to wrap it up the girls have the usual showmanship practice followed by CCD on Wednesday. Looks like we have no scheduled activities for the rest of the week! WOW!!!!

I hope you’ve been sticking with me long enough to learn how important your menu planning is. On busy days, if I didn’t have a menu and ingredients, I just wouldn’t be able to get anything on the table and we'd be eating at Dairy Queen!

Here’s the lineup for the week:

Monday – Porky Stew and biscuits, baked apple dumplings

Tuesday – Crocked Polish sausage, white rice, steamed green beans, cookies

Wednesday – Chicken Burritos (from Southern Living’s Busy Moms Weeknight Favorites cookbook), Spanish Rice, Black beans and pinto beans (from cans), ice cream

Thursday – Chicken & Rice Bake, steamed carrots, sliced tomatoes

Friday – BBQ Muffins (from Southern Living), garden salad, corn on the cob, quick apple pie

Saturday – Chicken Paninis (from Southern Living), potato soup, Root Beer floats

Sunday – Pork Loin Chops with Cinnamon Apples, buttered & parsleyed noodles, steamed peas & carrots, warm brownies with ice cream.

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Menu Maker Mom ~
Makin' Yummies. Stuffin' Tummies.

Menu Plan Monday

Okay, Okay.... Please forgive me... I'm sorry... I never posted those blasted chicken recipes! My day job really gets in the way of my recipe posting! I just wish I'd win the lottery... Okay... I know... You have to actually play the lottery if you expect to win!!!

Well, I promise to get you some new recipes this week. Really!

In the meantime, here's what we'll be eating around here this week:

Monday - Volleyball Game Day - Venison Chili (Thanks, Deanna, for the venison!!)
Tuesday - Spaghetti and meatballs, garden salad, garlic bread
Wednesday - Enchilada Casserole, green beans, tortillas
Thursday - Chix 'N Dumplin's!
Friday - Stuffed Taters and Salad, lemonade!
Saturday - Mom & Dad are going out!

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Here's a recipe I think you'll enjoy:

Enchilada Casserole

Ingredients:
2 lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 (10-3/4 oz.) can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 (10-3/4 oz.) can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 (15-oz.) can Enchilada Sauce
2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated
1 pkg. (12) corn tortillas

1. Brown ground beef and onion.
2. Stir in Enchilada sauce and soups.
3. In a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish, layer the tortillas, sauce, and cheese. Be sure to start with a thin layer of sauce. Ending with cheese.
4. Bake at 325, covered, for 45 minutes; uncover and bake 15 minutes longer. Makes 8-10 servings.

** You can make this in two 9 x 9 pans and freeze one for eating later. Just thaw and bake as directed.

Menu Plan Monday

This week we're going healthy at Menu Maker Mom's house. I've started the Flat Belly Diet, or as I'll call it, the FBD, and I'm looking forward to some tasty and healthy MUFAs. "What in the world is a MUFA," you ask? Well, it's monounsaturated fat, but it's more FUN to call it a MUFA! You say it like this: "moo-fah".

I just love saying it. It's so much fun!!...

"MUFA, MUFA, MUFA"

Mufas are yummy, delicious foods like avacados, olives, nuts and seeds. Oils like olive oil and canola oil are also included. These fats are good for you and make foods taste yummy. Two of the principles of the Flat Belly Diet are that you consume one MUFA with each meal and that you consume four 400-calorie meals per day. Cool. I can do that!

I started the FBD this morning, and I'll re-evaluate it in 32 days, which will be on November 5th. Hopefully by then I will have lost at least 15 pounds and be almost near my goal of 25 pounds of weight loss.

I hope you'll follow me over the next few weeks! Be sure to comment with ENCOURAGEMENT, as I will need it. If you want to join me, let me encourage you too! If you want more information about FBD, you can pick up the diet book or cookbook. (I have a link in the "MMM Favorites" section of my sidebar).

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Monday: Marinated and Grilled chicken breasts, steamed green beens, oven-roasted red potatoes (MUFA - olive oil)
Tuesday: Pan-seared tilapia, herbed brown rice, sauteed mushrooms, steamed English peas (MUFA - olive oil)
Wednesday: Leftover/freezer buffet! (Busy night)
Thursday: Grilled herbed salmon in foil packets, sauteed yellow squash and onions, herbed brown rice, yellow corn for kids (MUFA - olive oil)
Friday: Chicken Tortilla Soup (MUFA - avacado)
Saturday: Out to dinner with hubby and kids (I'll choose wisely!!)
Sunday: Chix n' Dumplin's, Walking Salad

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Menu Maker Mom ~
Makin' Yummies. Stuffin' Tummies.

MENU PLAN MONDAY

Sigh. Sniffle, sniffle. The weekend is over. It was waaayyy too fast. I loved every minute of it, and now I'm sad to see it end. Why do Saturday and Sunday seem to fling by at lightening speed while Monday and Tuesday just tick by so slowly???

Please stand by while I pout for just one more moment.... Sigh. Sniffle, sniffle, pout.

Now that I've gotten all that whining out of my system, it's time to get on to the business of planning for another awesome day and another week of opportunities to enjoy life! First item on my agenda is to make sure I have my family fed and happy. On that note, here is my menu.

Sunday - FFA Barbeque lunch/dinner
Monday - Chicken Quesadillas & Tortilla Soup
Tuesday - Arroz Con Pollo & Green Salad
Wednesday - Pork Carne Guisada, Salad, and Tortillas
Thursday - Wine and Herb Chicken, Uncle Ben's Ready Rice, St
Friday - Salmon Pattties, Betty Crocker boxed potatoes, Caesar Salad
Saturday - Chicken Nachos (movie & game night!)

If you'd like more ideas for your menu planning, please visit http://orgjunkie.com/

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Menu Maker Mom ~

Makin’ Yummies. Stuffin’ Tummies.

MENU PLAN MONDAY

Hi Friends! I'm so sorry to have been away for so long, but my family has been enjoying Spring Break. We loaded up the kids in the RV and took off for the lake. We had a great time doing a whole lot of nothing! Getting back to work was hard. I just love Spring Break! But all good things have both a beginning and an ending, and now I'm back at work... Sigh....

Have many of you heard of BeCentsAble? Be CentsAble is a company I work with in terms of sharing the awesome savings that the humble little coupon can provide. Be CentsAble also is a great place to visit to find the latest deals at your local grocery stores. Over the last 4 weeks, I've been writing a series on the Menu Maker Mom Make-A-Menu System. Stop by here to read what I've been writing! (And don't forget to visit the Grocery Gathering, where you can find the latest deals and printable coupons!)

With all the hustle and bustle of work, blogging, sports, kids, and animals, I always thank God for my Menu!!!! Here's what we're eating at my house this week:

Monday:
Pork Tacos (country pork ribs baked with paprika, chili powder, onion, garlic, cumin, seasoned salt, pepper, tomatoes; then shredded and used to fill corn tortillas along with lettuce, tomato, and avacado.... YUMMM!!), Spanish Rice, Salad, Strawberry Shortcake for dessert

Tuesday:
Orange Sticky Chicken (CROCKPOT - recipe to follow), Steamed Green Beans, Buttery Rice

Wednesday:
Frijoles (beans - CROCKPOT) and Texas Cornbread, ice cream for dessert

Thursday:
Salisbury Steaks (from the freezer!), Cheesy Potatoes (recipe to follow), English Peas

Friday:
Go out to dinner - Fried catfish & all the fixin's

Saturday:
Little League Opening Day - Hot Dogs, Fries, Carrot Chips

Sunday:
Carnitas (recipe to follow!), Refried Beans, Fideo (recipe to follow), Salad
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STAY TUNED FOR THE FOLLOWING RECIPES:
Orange Sticky Chicken (crockpot)
Cheesy Potatoes (stuff the freezer with bargain priced potatoes!)
Pork Carnitas
Fideo

MENU PLAN MONDAY

Monday: Chili with cornbread.
Tuesday: Salisbury Steak with gravy and egg noodles, boiled English peas
Wednesday: Grilled sausage, pan-fried potatoes with green beans
Thursday: Chicken-stuffed shells, salad
Friday: Mama's Mac-n-Cheese, salad
Saturday: Pizza at the local pizza joint! (Youth Group Night)
Sunday: BBQ Ribs, baked potatoes with all the fixin's, garden salad

MENU PLAN MONDAY

It was a fun and busy weekend for our family. We headed out to the San Antonio Rodeo! We enjoyed festival food (gorditas, fajita tacos, funnel cake, foot-long corndogs, pizza, and general JUNK FOOD!), riding rides at the carnival, shopping in the marketplace, checking out the steers, horses and goats, and watching the buckin' broncos and bull riders! The evening ended with a concert by Alan Jackson! What an awesome evening!

When I have time, I'll put some pics on this blog!
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Here's the menu for the week. I'm just posting dinners this time:

Monday: Almost Famous Chicken Patties (we didn't get around to making them last week), mashed potatoes, green peas, tea, and devils food cupcakes (thanks Grandma!)

Tuesday: Smorgasborg Night! (Eat up the leftovers!)

Wednesday: Tex Mex Chalupas, fruit salad, lemonade

Thursday: Grilled Chicken Kabobs, Salad, Baked potatoes, iced tea

Friday: Grilled Hamburgers with the works, potato chips, soda

Saturday: Valentine dinner at a restaraunt!

For more menu ideas, go to Menu Plan Monday!

MMM's FAMILY MENU :: MONDAY 1/26 - SUNDAY 2/1

Hello fellow busy moms! I'm late posting my menu because I've been, well... you know... BUSY!

Breakfasts
Monday - Bean & cheese tacos, orange juice
Tuesday - Oatmeal with apples
Wednesday - Pancakes & bacon
Thursday - Egg, bacon & toast
Friday - Egg, potato & bacon tacos
Saturday - Eggs, pancakes, sausage, Mom's Sticky Syrup
Sunday - Cinnamon rolls, sausage

Lunch - (Lean Cuisine & Progresso Soup, with salads for me)
Monday - kids buy school lunch
Tuesday - Turkey pastrami hogies, cucumber slices, chips, pudding, grapes
Wednesday - Ham & cheese wraps, chips, carrot sticks, fresh pineapple
Thursday - same as Tuesday, with apples
Friday - Same as Wednesday with grapes
Saturday - Pizza & salad
Sunday - Chicken salad sandwiches

Dinner
Monday - Grilled pork spareribs, homemade mac & cheese, sauteed green beans, corn
Tuesday - Soupy chicken & rice (chix in crock with cream-of-whatever soup), salad, peas
Wednesday - Rosemary porkchops, steamed broccoli & carrots
Thursday - Potato Soup with Kiolbassa, fresh veggies (carrots, celery, cucumber), french bread
Friday - Grilled german sausage, fried potatoes, sauteed green beans
Saturday - Almost Famous Chicken Patty burgers, chips, ranch style beans
Sunday - Sunday Roast with gravy, roasted potatoes and carrots, fresh rolls,

MENU MAKER MOM'S FAMILY MENU:

Breakfasts:
Sunday - Cereal. I'm tired...
Monday - Oatmeal.
Tuesday - Eggs, bacon, toast.
Wednesday - Muffins and fruit smoothies.
Thursday - Bean & Cheese tacos.
Friday - More bean & cheese tacos.
Saturday - Breakfast casserole. Yumm!! This is good! (recipe to follow)

Lunches:
Sunday - PB&J sandwiches, fruit smoothies.
Monday thru Wednesday - We are taking the easy way out. Girls are buying lunches at school. I will have my usual, which is Lean Cuisine or Progresso Soup. Hubbs is eating out.
Thursday - Take ice chest to the stockshow: Cold cut sandwiches, chips, cookies, cheese sticks, carrot sticks, apples and clementines.
Friday - DITTO
Saturday - Eat out at the Auction

Suppers:
Sunday - Tex Mex Style Pork Chops, Green Salad with avacado, iced tea.
Monday - Baked potatoes with all the fixin's, green salad with avacado, iced tea.
Tuesday - Grilled chicken kabobs (marinated in italian dressing all day), spanish style fideo, green salad with avacado, iced tea.
Wednesday - Crockpot full of Frijoles (beans), homemade tortillas, fruit.
Thursday - Crockpot Saucy Chops, Steamed broccoli, egg noodles.
Friday - Crockpot full of Chili Con Carne, cornbread, homemade ice cream.
Saturday - Little Caesar's Pizza (kids are having a sleepover!)

MENU MAKER MOM'S FAMILY MENU

Here's what's cookin' in MMM's kitchen this week:

Breakfasts

Sunday - Help yourself to cereal!
Monday - Muffins
Tuesday - Oatmeal
Wednesday - Pancakes
Thursday - Muffins
Friday - Oatmeal

Lunches (The following weekday lunches are for the kids. I will have canned Progresso soup at work all week - 2 Weight Watchers points each! Hubby eats out with coworkers or customers.)

Sunday - Homemade tortillas, pork taco meat, spanish rice, shredded lettuce & chopped tomato
Monday - PB&J, oranges slices, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
Tuesday - Ham & cheese calzones, carrot sticks with ranch dip, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
Wednesday - PB&J, orange slices, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
Thursday - School lunch
Friday - School lunch

Suppers

Sunday - Ham & Cheese Calzones
Monday - Chicken Enchilada Casserole (in the freezer), salad, spanish rice (cooked on Sunday)
Tuesday - Pancake Supper with fruit salad, sausage, bacon, and homemade syrup... YUMMM!!!
Wednesday - BBQ pork on a bun, oven fries, ranch style beans (from a can)
Thursday - Potato/Ham Chowder, Toasted sliced bolillos
Friday - GAME NIGHT!!! - Pizza, chips, soda... Your regular junk-food nightmare!
Saturday - DATE NIGHT!!! - We'll go out to eat while the kiddos hang out at a friend's house.

MENU PLAN MONDAY

Here's what's cookin' this week:

BREAKFASTS:
Monday - Peanut butter on toast, chocolate milk
Tuesday - Cinnamon Oatmeal with apple chunks, milk
Wednesday - Bean & cheese tacos, milk
Thursday - Scrambled eggs & toast, milk
Friday - Peanut butter on toast, chocolate milk
Saturday - Cinnamon rolls, bacon, fruit, milk
Sunday - Sausage 'n gravy, homemade biscuits, fresh fruit

KIDS' LUNCHES:
Monday - Left over pizza, yogurt, apples
Tuesday - Deli Ham Sandwiches, brownies, carrot sticks, chips
Wednesday - Peanut Butter & Honey sandwiches, apples, brownies
Thursday - Mac 'n cheese with sliced franks, pudding cups, sliced cucumbers
Friday - Deli Ham Sandwiches, snickerdoodle cookies, carrot sticks, chips

SUPPERS:
Monday - Sausage kolaches, Salad, ice cream for dessert
Tuesday - Beans with bacon and cheese topping, homemade tortillas, fruit cup
Wednesday - Taco Soup with tostadas
Thursday - Slow Cooker Orange Chicken over steamed rice, green beans w/ fried onion topping
Friday - Family Fridge Buffet! (ada, leftover night)
Saturday - Day at Fiesta Texas! Every year we go to China Sea to pig out at the buffet after hanging out at the park all day.
Sunday - Sunday Chicken Casserole, peas & carrots, rolls

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Next Sunday, October 26, will be a mini freezer-cooking day. We'll work on the Make-a-Menu system again. Join me as we do a "chicken session" and cook up some $1.29 chicken breasts into Sunday Chicken Casserole, 2 pans of Chicken Enchiladas, Stuffed Shells, and my Almost Famous Chicken Patties.

Hello Again!

Well, hello old friends!! I'm sorry I haven't posted in such a loooonnnnggg time, but this busy life of working mom to two tweenagers just has seemed to leave me no extra time! I thank the good Lord for my menu... It has SAVED me over the past 2 months!

What has captured so much of my time lately, you ask? I have been driving and driving and driving. I have waited at soccer fields and church parking lots. The calendar is BURSTING, life is GOOD, and here is the Fall line-up:

* FFA - Goats arrived in late August. Our girls, the Tweenkies (okay - they are twins and they are tweens. I'm being clever and corny and dorky all at once!), work with their animals daily and they have already participated in their first all-day prospect show of the year. Tweenkie #1 came in 4th place, and Tweenkie #2 came in 3rd place. I'll post pictures of Spotneck and Buddy soon!

* Soccer - WOW! All our games are at 8:00 a.m. on Saturdays. Practices are on Mondays and Thursdays. Those games, though, are WAY too early!!! I need a nap!

* Pep Squad - The Tweenkies are having so much with Wednesday afternoon practices and Thursday football games. They get to ride the bus to out of town games and cheer at the games, and the fact that they have grown old enough to do this just takes my breath away. Where has the time gone?? ((Sigh))

* CCD - The CCD year is off to a running start and Tweenkies have lessons every Wednesday night.

* Youth Group - My friend, Red, and I have started a Junior High Youth Group at our church. We had a blast at our first meeting! The group named their group the "J'Town Saints". They are too cute!

This crazy life is so awesome! I wouldn't trade it for the world. It is a blessing to be able to share all the excitement and thrills that my girls are experiencing as they grow up.

So what about that Make-a-Menu stuff, you ask? Well, I'm still at it, and what a life saver (AND A MONEY SAVER!!!) it has been!!!

Here's the line-up for this week:

BREAKFASTS:
Sunday - Pan sausage & scrambled egg breakfast tacos, juice & milk
Monday - Peanut butter on toast, chocolate milk
Tuesday - Cinnamon Oatmeal with apple chunks, milk
Wednesday - Bean & cheese tacos, milk
Thursday - Scrambled eggs & toast, milk
Friday - Peanut butter on toast, chocolate milk
Saturday - Fried eggs, bacon, fruit, biscuits, milk

KIDS' LUNCHES:
Monday - Left over pizza, yogurt, apples
Tuesday - Deli Ham Sandwiches, brownies, carrot sticks, chips
Wednesday - Peanut Butter & Honey sandwiches, apples, brownies
Thursday - Mac 'n cheese with sliced franks, pudding cups, sliced cucumbers
Friday - Deli Ham Sandwiches, snickerdoodle cookies, carrot sticks, chips

SUPPERS:
Sunday - Savory stroganoff-style beef stew over steamed wild rice mix, peas, asparagus, rolls, Grandma's cheesecake
Monday - Beans with bacon and cheese topping, cornbread, fruit cup
Tuesday - Pancakes, sausage, applesauce, scrambled eggs
Wednesday - Crockpot roast chicken, homemade mac 'n cheese, garden salad, garlic toast
Thursday - Family Fridge Buffet! (aka, leftover night)
Friday - Chalupas, fruit cup
Saturday - Kids go to Nana's, Mom and Dad go on a date!!!

Now that I've got my blogger hat back on, I promise more Make-A-Menu lessons real soon! We'll be entering the world of using the FREEZER for our menu planning. Stay tuned!!!