Tuesday, July 20, 2010

July 19-25 Menu Plan


















We have broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, cabbage, green beans, lettuce, cucumbers, garlic, onions, tomatoes, peas, eggplant and green peppers from our garden this week.



Breakfast:

Monday: Cereal

Tuesday: Cereal

Wednesday: Starbucks Coffee Cake, and Yogurt

Thursday: Starbucks Coffee Cake, and Apples

Friday: Hot Cross Buns, and Waldorf Salad (Low-Fat)

Saturday: Country Breakfast

Sunday: English Muffin Breakfast Sandwiches, and Fruit Salad



Lunch: Leftovers



Dinner

Monday: Ham and Cheese Pockets with Green Beans

Tuesday: Spaghetti, Salad, and Garlic Bread
Waldorf Salad (Low-Fat)

Wednesday: Eggplant Parmesan, Salad
Cherry Delight Cake

Thursday: Tuna Noodle Casserole, Spinach

Friday: Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

Saturday: Sassy Spaghetti, and Green Beans

Sunday: Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans, and Steamed Yellow Squash
Blueberry Crumb Cake


Submitted to:
Visit I'm an Organizing Junkie to see more menu ideas

Ham and Cheese Pockets
















24 white frozen rolls
9 oz package of thinly sliced ham or turkey
8 oz shredded mozzarella, swiss, or cheddar cheese
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
Grated Parmesan cheese
Italian Seasoning or any other seasoning (optional)

Let rolls thaw at room temperature for 2 – 3 hours, but don’t let rise. Flatten the rolls out into a circle, put meat and cheese on one side.
Fold the dough over, forming a half moon. Make sure to press along the edges so there are no holes for your cheese to bubble out of. Assemble pockets on a greased baking sheet and bake according to the normal rolls times. Cook on 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Sprinkle a little extra cheese or seasoning on top for a garnish.

English Muffin Breakfast Sandwiches

24 English muffins, toasted and buttered 2 dozen eggs
24 ham, bacon, Canadian bacon slices or sausage patties
24 slices cheddar cheese

Scramble eggs in a large skillet. If you want a uniform shape, cook in greased canning rings. Assemble sandwiches with one egg, one slice of meat, one slice of cheese. Wrap each sandwich individually in plastic wrap, then freeze and place in zip-top bags.

Iced Coffee
















6 Tbsp. ground coffee
3 cups cold water

Place coffee in filter in brew basket of coffee maker. Add water to coffee maker; brew. Cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve over ice.

Cinnamon Iced Coffee: Prepare as directed, sprinkling 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon over coffee grounds before brewing.
 
Or prepare with flavored coffee such as Vanilla or Hazelnut.
 
Makes: 3 servings, 1 cup each
Calories: 15

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Strawberry-Blueberry Frozen Yogurt Sundea


















The ingredients:

Sugar Free Blueberry Preserves 1 Tablespoon 10 calories
Strawberry Frozen Yogurt 1/2 cup 100 calories

Put 1 tablespoon of the Sugar Free Blueberry Preserves in a small dish and microwave it until liquid. In a small dish add 1/2 cup Strawberry Frozen Yogurt and pour Sugar Free Blueberry Preserves over top. Add a Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints.

I used the blueberry preserve to make the cookies so they are lower in calories than the recipe calls for. Most preserves are 5o calories per tablespoon and the sugar free is only 10 and I used 1/4 teaspoon per cookie.


















You may like to visit my other ICE CREAM and FROZEN DESSERTS recipes:

Cheese Cloche Remake

I bought the cheese dome months ago after participating in the Holiday Cloche Party and knew I had to have more than just my dessert cloche. And then I started seeing the cheese dome cloche project done all over bloggland so I started looking for a base for mine. Well today I went to goodwill and found one and brought it home to put together just in time to use it for the Summer Cloche Party. I know I can use it for a decoration as well as dessert and of course cheese. I think it is cute.

Visit My Holiday Cloche Party post.


















Cheese Cloche $3.00 GW
Candle Holder $3.00 GW


Take the Little feet off.

And glue the bottom of the wood cheese plate to the candle holder base and let dry.

For Dessert I served Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints and Iced Tea.


Visit the Summer Cloche Party at A Sroll Thru Life

Friday, July 16, 2010

Flowery Purple and Yellow Tablescape

For Dessert I will be serving Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints and Iced Tea.















































































The tablescape items were collected over the year:

Placemats $1.50 set GW
Milk Glass Plate $1.00 GW
Milk Glass Candlesticks set $2.00
Yellow Candles $1.00 set GW
Glass Bowl $3.00 GW
Jar Candle $4.00 Clearance
Flowers from My Garden

Submitted to:

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Pretty Gelatin Molds























1 package (3 ounces) orange gelatin
3/4 cup boiling water
3/4 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 medium navel orange, peeled and finely chopped

In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in cranberry sauce and orange. Pour into four 1/2-cup molds coated with cooking spray. Chill for 3-4 hours or until set.
 
Makes: 4 servings
1 serving (1/2 cup) equals 93 calories

Submitted to:
Ultimate Recipe Swap

June 2010 Reading List


















Prairie Legacy Series by Janette Oke


A final series featuring the beloved characters from the Love Comes Softly Series. This series is about Virginia Simpson the granddaughter of Clark & Marty Davis.














The Tender Years book 1

Virginia has a rough time dealing with becoming a teenager and a troubled friendship. She felt her parents were too strict. She had a friend Jenny that frequently talked her into doing things that her parents would not allow her to do or without their permission. One of the main events in the book was a rafting trip with a stolen raft. Virginia did not have permission to go and it was during the winter thaw and unsafe to raft. Virginia and Jenny got into a fight and Virginia went home. After she left the kids went rafting and the boat overturned and they were injured, one of the boys died after being in Acoma for several weeks.

Jenny’s parents were divorced and her mother abandoned her to her dad and he did not treat her well. Virginia tried to maintain a friendship with Jenny even after she realized that it wasn’t a good friendship for her because she wanted to help Jenny come to Christ and to see the love of God.














A Searching Heart book 2

In this book Virginia experienced disappointment when her boyfriend Jamison breaks up with her. Later in the story her friend Jenny gets into a car accident and is in coma and when she eventually wakes up and healed enough see is allowed to return home for further care. She eventually has to go back to the city hospital for physical therapy and falls in love and marries her therapist. Virginia’s sister has a second child and older brother gets married and she is disappointed that her life doesn’t seem to be moving anywhere. Virginia’s elderly neighbor dies and after several months the house is bought by an elderly woman whose grandson moves in several months later. He eventually buys a farm where he hopes to board horses and asks Virginia if he can court her.














A Quiet Strength book 3

Virginia is disappointed that marriage has not turned out the way she expected. He and Jonathan got married soon after he returned to from the west with the horses for his stable and plans to build a home. They could not take a honeymoon and did not experience a honeymoon period in their marriage because the house building and stable work keep Jonathan gone until bedtime. They like with Jonathan’s Grandmother Wither’s until their house was finished enough to move into that left Virginia feeling like she had no home to tend for her new husband along with no time to spend together.

A short time after they moved to their new home Jenny showed up with her now 3 year old daughter Mindy who she decided she no longer wanted and left in Virginia and Jonathan’s care. Virginia had a baby Martha as Grandmother Wither’s broke her leg and had to move in. Grandmother’s Wither’s sold her home and gave some of the money to Jonathan to help the family pay for their mortgage after a couple of hardship on the farm left them low on cash. Not long after Grandmother Wither’s was well enough she decided to more to a boarding house and several months later became seriously ill with a cold as was told she had a bad heart and moved in with the family again. Jonathan’s mother and nephew come to visit and after a week or so Virginia receive news that Jenny’s ex-husband has died in a car accident and wants Virginia to come visit her. After she is back a few weeks Grandmother Wither’s dies and Jonathan’s mother returns home. The nephew who is 16 years old stays to help with the horse farm. Virginia finds that she is expecting another baby.















Like Gold Refined book 4

Virginia is a very busy mother of 4 children including the child of her friend Jenny. In this book they struggle with how best to care for the now very elderly Clark & Marty Davis who does not want to leave there home. They try several arrangements but at the end of the book they are to finally move in with their youngest daughter Virginia’s mother.

Jenny shows up out of the blue after not hearing from her for probably 5 years. She finally confesses to Virginia that she has lung cancer and is going to die and abruptly tells her she is taking her daughter Mindy. They do not let her take her but a court battle ensues because Jenny’s ex-husband who died forgot to take her off the life insurance and she inherited some money. Virginia & Jonathan decide to let Mindy go live with Jenny because the child things that she can help her and bring her to Christ before her death. In the end Jenny’s asks for forgiveness of her sins before she dies. Jenny’s father takes Mindy back to live with Virginia and the family decides to find out how to get guardianship of her. After 2 weeks papers com in the mail saying that Jenny had given guardianship of Mindy to them after her death. Virginia finds she is pregnant with a 5th child.

I also read:


















Country Living Cottage Style by Hearst
Cottage Retreats by Schlang
Mary Jane's Ideabook Cookbook Lifebook by Mary Jane Butters

Recipe for the Pretty Gelatin Molds

Submitted to:
Life As Mom I’m Booking It in 2010!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Creamy Cucumber Salad


















1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Makes: 7 Servings
81 Calories per serving

Submitted to:
Ultimate Recipe Swap

Cucumber-Dill Salad


















2 cucumbers
3 tablespoons cider or white vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
salt and pepper, freshly ground
1 small onion, sliced and broken into rings
3 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped

Wash the cucumbers and partially remove the peel in lengthwise strips using a vegetable peeler or fork and leaving a little skin between each strip. Thinly slice the cucumber lengthwise. Place the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the cucumber, onion, and dill, toss well. The salad can be served at once, but it will improve in flavor if you let the ingredients marinate for 5 minutes.
 
Makes: 4 Servings
Calories: 31 per serving

Submitted to:
Ultimate Recipe Swap

July 12-18 Menu Plan


















We have broccoli, zucchini, yellow squash, cabbage, green beans, lettuce, garlic, and onions from our garden this week.



Breakfast:


Monday: Cereal

Tuesday: Cereal

Wednesday: Cranberry Orange Bread, and Yogurt

Thursday: Cranberry Orange Bread, and Apples

Friday: Hot Cross Buns, and Waldorf Salad (Low-Fat)

Saturday: Country Breakfast

Sunday: Breakfast Casserole


Lunch: Leftovers



Dinner


Monday: Chopped Steak, Roasted Baby Potatoes with RosemaryGreen Beans and Garlic and Cucumber-Dill Salad
Waldorf Salad (Low-Fat)


Tuesday: Homemade Egg Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, Herbed Broccoli w/ Mushrooms, and Creamy Cucumber Salad


Wednesday: Chicken & Zucchini Pasta
Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

Thursday: Chili, Corn Bread, and Salad


Friday: Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, and Steamed Yellow Squash

Saturday: BBQ Meatballs, Buttered White Rice, and Peas


Sunday: Hamburgers, All Day Macaroni & Cheese, and Herbed Broccoli w/ Mushrooms
Blueberry Crumb Cake


Submitted to:
Visit I'm an Organizing Junkie to see more menu ideas

Homemade Pinto Beans


















The bag of pinto beans pictured cost $1.39 at Aldi. At $0.69/# I can make the equivalent of 4 cans of beans.


Sort through the dried beans removing any stones or defective beans. Rinse thoroughly. Place in a large stockpot and cover with water. Allow to soak overnight.

The next day, rinse and place beans, onion and water in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover slightly. Stir frequently, adding water if necessary. We prefer to mash the beans slightly and season to taste with garlic powder, salt and pepper.

1 pound dried pinto beans
1 onion, chopped
salt
pepper
garlic powder

Baking Day

This is what I made last week on my baking day:

4 Loaves of Peanut Butter Bread




















I put 3 loaves of  Peanut Butter Bread in the freezer and we ate 1 over the week. I put 4 dozen of  the Lemon Zucchini Cookies into the freezer packaged into 2 dozen each bag and we ate 2 dozen.

Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints



















1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

GLAZE
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon milk


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and white sugar until smooth. Mix in 1/2 teaspoon almond extract. Mix in flour until dough comes together. Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Make a small hole in the center of each ball, using your thumb and finger, and fill the hole with preserves.

3. Bake for 14 to 18 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let cool 1 minute on the cookie sheet.

4. In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 3/4 teaspoon almond extract, and milk until smooth. Drizzle lightly over warm cookies.

Makes: 3 dozen
Calories: 104 per cookie

Waldorf Salad (Low-Fat)



















2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup raisins
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1/3 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
3-4 tablespoons nonfat sour cream
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg


In a medium bowl, toss apples with lime juice. Add the celery, raisins and walnuts and mix.

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, nonfat sour cream, and nutmeg. Spoon some of the dressing over the apple mixture and stir to blend, adding more as needed. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Makes: 6 Servings 1/2 cup each
Calories: 71 per serving

Submitted to:
Ultimate Recipe Swap

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Baking Day


















This is what I made last week for my baking day:

3 dozen Muffins of Banana Oatmeal Bread
4 loaves of Zucchini Bread
8x8 pan of Lemon Sponge Cake

I put 2 loaves of Zucchini Bread, and 2 dozen Muffins of Banana Oatmeal Bread in the freezer and we ate the rest of it over the week.

4th of July Tablescape

Lemon Sponge Cake, Strawberries, and Fat-Free Whipped Topping

I got these strawberry shaped bowls at the Thrift Store for $4.20 for 6 last fall.


















Submitted to:
Tablescape Thursday

Monday, July 5, 2010

July 5-11 Menu Plan











We have broccoli, zucchini, lettuce, garlic, and onions from our garden this week.


Breakfast:


Monday: Cereal


Tuesday: Cereal


Wednesday: Peanut Butter Bread, and Yogurt


Thursday: Zucchini Apple Bread, and Apples


Friday: Zucchini Apple Bread, and Oranges


Saturday: Country Breakfast


Sunday: Breakfast Casserole



Lunch: Leftovers



Dinner


Monday: Taco Soup*, and Corn Casserole
“odds and ends” from the refrigerator

Tuesday: Grilled Steak, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, Skillet Zucchini, and Herbed Broccoli w/ Mushrooms

Fluffy Cheesecake and Basil Blueberry Sauce


Wednesday: Chili, Corn Bread, and Salad


Thursday: Chicken & Zucchini Pasta


Friday: Grilled Chicken Breast, Roasted Baby Potatoes with Rosemary, Green Beans and Garlic

Lemon Zucchini Cookies

Saturday: BBQ Meatballs, Buttered White Rice, and Peas

Sunday: Hamburgers, All Day Macaroni & Cheese, and Herbed Broccoli w/ Mushrooms

Submitted to:
Visit I'm an Organizing Junkie to see more menu ideas

Corn Casserole















1 can of whole corn
1 can of cream style corn
1 Individual package of cornbread mix
1 cup of sour cream
1 stick of melted butter or margarine
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients and pour into a greased baking dish. Bake until firm, approximately 30-45 minutes.