Menu Plan Monday: Just because


Another Sunday night and I'm ahead of things for this week. So far ahead, actually, that tomorrow night's dinner is made. And Tuesday night's dinner is almost ready.

Despite having a busy weekend here, I've gotten a tonne of stuff done. My little guy has been home sick since Wednesday night, and while he's better now, it has meant that instead of all of us doing things, we've taken turns so that one of us was always home. And I took advantage of that time to do a few things, like making meals.

So here is my contribution to this week's Menu Plan Monday:

Sunday: It is Grey Cup day (CFL football, for those of you who don't know) and I managed to throw together a last minute little buffet party. We had nachos, perogies, stuffed potato skins, pita with hummus and spinach dip, and some little appetizers made from crackers, cream cheese and hot pepper jelly. All finger foods that would be eaten on a little plate while watching football.

Monday: Lasagna. Currently sitting in the fridge ready to bake.

Tuesday: Slow cooker ribs. Still no idea what kind of sauce I want with them though.

Wednesday: Meatball subs with salad. Put frozen meatballs in pot with some sauce, jar or homemade, who knows, until heated. Toast buns, add meatballs, top with cheese, broil for 30 seconds. Then hand out the napkins!

Thursday: Tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches. I want to try making my own soup, but if it can't happen then, I'll find a can or two of some soup.

Friday: No plans yet. PD day for the kids, hubby staying home with them, we will see what happens.

Monday morning now, and my car has snow on it. Real snow, white and cold. I guess I will finally have to stop wearing my crocs outside. Bleh.

Have a nice Monday.

Menu Plan Monday: Thinking ahead for a change


It is Sunday night here, and I'm actually ready to post a menu plan for the week and get it onto Menu Plan Monday. What a change from the last few weeks! I hope some of it is from getting used to being back at work, but I know some of it is from too much changes to my plans lately. I've had good intentions, but it seems that by Thursday I am always picking something up.

A few changes from last week: The crock pot chicken was great, but we had it on Caesar salad, not with cheesy potatoes. Thursdays possible shrimp turned into Subway, and Friday's fish and chips turned into homemade chili. At least I still cooked on Friday.

Actually, I cooked this weekend too, mostly because I really wanted to. Yes, I'm tired and really did not want to mess up my kitchen more than it already was, but I also missed the calmness and creative outlet that cooking can be for me. I need to keep that in my mind this week when I'm leaving work at 6:15 and know I still have a 25 minute drive ahead of me before I start dinner.

So here is this week's plan, starting with today, Sunday:

Sunday: Pot luck dinner with our Taekwon-Do school. I made Spanikopita, feta cheese and spinach pie, made with phillo dough. I'm not sure if I've posted this recipe before, so I will do a search later and if I haven't, I'll take a picture of my left overs and get it up here!

Monday: Teriyaki pork tenderloin with carrots.

Tuesday: Pad Thai with shrimp - I'm trying out a new jarred sauce.

Wednesday: Homemade chicken fingers with salad.

Thursday: Meatloaf with mashed potatoes.

Friday: Spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread.

I hope everyone has a good week!

Menu Plan Monday: I'm back!


Did you miss me?

I had a nice weekend in Toronto with my youngest child. Didn't do much of anything, completely forgot to call Cream Puff until I was almost at Toronto, so didn't see her, and did not eat anywhere that did not involve fast food, but still managed to have a good time.

My little one and I were going for the purpose of seeing my uncle, who is a testament to how important organ donation is - he would not be alive today without someone's foresight and generosity. If you haven't done so, sign your organ donor card today and talk to your family! Even if you sign your card, or have it on your medic bracelet the way I do, your family can overrule you, so let them know you want to be an organ donor!

I admit I did not make my menu plan for the week until sometime this afternoon. We got in last night after 6pm, and were both very tired. Today we tried sleeping in but it didn't work very well for us, so we packed up his brother and went shopping in the US. The price of butter alone makes the trip worth while for me, plus the boys like to pick out things they can't get here, like Goobers, a combination of peanut butter and jelly in the same jar. Ugh to me, but they love it.

Here we go, still a work in progress, but what I'm submitting for this week's Menu Plan Monday:

Sunday: Sheppard's Pie, made by the hubby.

Monday: Pizza and salad, a chicken pizza and a 5 cheese pizza, from Costco.

Tuesday: Steak fajitas

Wednesday: Crockpot chicken and cheesy potatoes.

Thursday: Happy Shrimp with rice. I think. Maybe. Oh, who knows!

Friday: Fish and chips, homemade.

Life is good when you can make a little boy deliriously happy simply by taking him on the subway. For him, life is over the top fabulous when a subway trip is combined with a trip on the GO train and then a walk up to see just how tall the CN tower really is. Especially when he can follow on a map and see how far he walked and what the next stop on the train is.

Btw, I think my youngest child is in love! It is a toss up between Potter Barn for Kids and Crate and Barrel!

Menu Plan Monday: More cow and some paint


Paint and a cow is not a combination you expect to see when it comes to a menu plan, but this week, that's what I've got. First, I picked up my 1/4 of a cow last night, with the "help" and company of my Little SC. Then my oldest helped me count out the various packages as I put them into the freezer.

I think it is safe to say I won't run out of ground beef any time soon - not with 54 lbs of it!

No roasts in my freezer, though, just 'summer cuts' in steaks and braising ribs. That's fine, we'll live with that.

Now the connection to paint....

We've lived in this house for almost a year now and living with the decorating choices of the former owner has been pulling me down. Budget wise, however, I had to. That and the total repaint of our old home before we sold it had my hands cramping up every time I even thought about picking up a roller.

I finally could not stand it anymore, the gold glazed wall in my kitchen, with the sponge painted underside of bulkheads above my cabinets. And, more importantly, my hubby 'volunteered' to paint! Goodbye gold, glazed sponge paint!

So my kitchen has not exactly been functioning the last few days, which means the plan of sausages with tomatoes and mashed potatoes from last night is likely to happen tonight, and last night became pick up pizza on the way home night.

And my kitchen is so much lighter and brighter, so that was well worth a few pizzas!

Sunday: Left overs (I had a work meeting and ate there.)

Monday: Pizza from the local bar, pretty good.

Tuesday: Sausages with tomatoes and mashed potatoes (or sausages on a bun with chips.)

Wednesday: Rib eye steaks with salad.

Thursday: Homemade hamburgers

Friday: I'm out of town with my little one, so my two "big boys" get to fend for themselves.

Saturday: They are still on their own, I think they can handle it fine.

And that's my plan for the week, which I will be adding in to the plans from hundreds of others on Menu Plan Monday.

Pictures of my newly painted kitchen next week. Or after I find curtains for it.

We interupt this menu plan to purchase a cow

Yes, I said a cow.

Not a full cow. A quarter of a cow.

(And in answer to the Little Sous Chef's question, no, not a live cow.)

Turns out that someone I was working with at Saunders Farm during October has a working farm, and they just happened to have 1/4 of a cow available for purchase at a very good price.

In one shot I get to support a local farmer, support a new friend, and get a freezer full of fresh, local beef.

SOLD!

No menu plan until I've picked up my 1/4 of a cow (probably tomorrow), and see what exactly I have in the way of cuts of beef. Afterall, I don't want to plan for steaks and then find I only have roasts. Or vice versa.

I can tell you that I plan to make sausages in tomatoes with mashed potatoes for dinner tomorrow. Yummy!

Right after that, though, I'm going to go get my cow.

"Guest" Post: Chef Joey's Cupcake Creation

A little while ago I was contacted by Brenda Tuttle, author and creator of Chef Joey's Cupcake Creation and asked if I would be interested in doing a review. While I wasn't, my Little Sous Chef was very interested and could not wait to get the book and start baking.

My Little Sous Chef is 7 years old, and while he can read quite well and has been a helper in the kitchen over the years, he is still 7.


Hi, I'm the Little Sous Chef and I want to tell you about a book called Chef Joey's Cupcake Creations. I liked this book and the cupcakes were so good. You could even put peanut butter in the icing. And that's what I did for two of them.

My mom is going to ask me some questions about the book and here are my answers:

Was the book easy to read? Yes, it was easy to read.
Did you like the pictures? Not really cause they were a bit babyish.
What made the pictures babyish? Cause there is a baby in it and then it skips until he is a grown up, there is no "years later" showing he growed up.
Did you need anything special to make the cupcakes? Yes I needed cake mix.
Could you make the cupcakes without my help? Not yet but later, when I'm older.
Why couldn't you make them without help? Because I can't measure things and I can't put things in the oven. And I didn't understand the numbers.
What numbers? The numbers of the measuring, like 1/3.
What else do you want to tell me about the book? I didn't use orchids (what's an orchid?). I had Lightening McQueen paper cups and I put little silver and gold balls on the cupcakes.


How many cupcakes did you eat? By now I've aten about 8. Me and my brother have had all of them.
Did your Dad and I get any? Well ya, you both had 1.
Would tell other people about this book? Yup! I will.
Who will you tell? I don't know.
Will you share this book? Yes, I will share it with my friends.
Do you have anything else you want to tell me? Nope. Hope you like the book!

Menu Plan Monday: When delayed posting doesn't work


Delayed posting is a wonderful thing - when it works. It doesn't work when you put in the wrong date and time. Human error.

Oh well, at least the intention was there.

With Halloween done, I won't be at Saunders Farm every weekend, so there will hopefully be more time for baking and planning. Sunday was the 1st of November and also my first "day off" in awhile, so I took advantage of that time and made Lemon Yogurt Bread, with cranberries in it. Going to have a piece in my lunch today.

On to Menu Plan Monday!

Sunday: Roast beef with roasted potatoes, cauliflower and carrots, with gravy.

Monday: Chicken wings, wedge fries and salad. Last minute pick up when my initial plan was missing items.

Tuesday: Spareribs with Hawaiian sauce, rice and green beans.

Wednesday: Penne with tomatoes and garlic, with garlic bread.

Thursday: Chicken Tikka Masala with rice and naan bread.

Friday: French toast. Maybe with bacon.

Have a nice week!