Christmas Cookies 2020

White chocolate cranberry cookies

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Gingersnaps

Monthly Menu December 2020

 

Tis the season to be jolly - it's cookie baking season!

01 Tue Pasta with broccoli

02 Wed Sloppy Joes over potatoes, broccoli 

03 Thu Garden Harvest Minestrone Soup, rolls

04 Fri Leftovers

05 Sat Vegetarian Bean Tacos, Spanish rice, corn *note, omit jalepeno, add diced pepper

06 Sun Vegetarian Bean Soup, rolls

07 Mon Chicken breasts with gravy, potatoes, Brussels sprouts

08 Tue Vegetarian bean tacos, Spanish rice, corn

09 Wed leftover Vegetarian Bean Soup, rolls

10 Thu Taco Soup, chips

11 Fri Beef Stew, rolls

12 Sat pizza

13 Sun Chicken soup, rolls

14 Mon leftovers or takeout

15 Tue Minestrone Soup, rolls

16 Wed Sausage and Peppers with Italian sausage ravioli, bread

17 Thu Slow Cooked turkey breast, small potatoes, green beans

18 Fri Hot dogs, beans, tater tots, coleslaw

19 Sat Chicken Taco Soup, quesadillas

20 Sun Chicken and Biscuits cobbler, carrots

21 Mon Pizza takeout

22 Tue Tacos, Mexican rice, corn

23 Wed Middle Eastern takeout

24 Thu Salmon, wild rice, peas, zucchini

25 Fri Chinese Food takeout

26 Sat Prime rib, mashed potatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts

27 Sun Baked ziti, salad, garlic bread

28 Mon Rodney's BBQ

29 Tue Grilled Chicken, macaroni salad, bean salad

30 Wed Takeout

31 Thu Pasta with homemade sauce, salad, garlic bread

 

Monthly Menu November 2020

 

It's Gratitude Month! I am thankful that my kids will all be here for Thanksgiving, woohoo!

Here are the foods I plan to cook this month. My menu is planned for Tuesday - Monday (which is why Mondays are leftover or takeout days). These are the meals we will be eating during the week, but not necessarily the order that we will have them.

01 Sun Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Cabbage

02 Mon Leftovers or Takeout

03 Tue Hamburger Soup, rye bread

04 Wed Mississippi Pot Roast, baby potatoes, Brussel sprouts

05 Thu Takeout

06 Fri Tuscan Bean Soup, rye bread or rolls

07 Sat Pizza

08 Sun Marinated Pork Tenderloin, sweet potatoes, green beans

09 Mon Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts With Gravy, brown rice, zucchini

10 Tue Pasta with Vegetable Sauce, garlic bread

11 Wed Chunky Vegetable Soup, bread or rolls

12 Thu takout

13 Fri Hot dogs, coleslaw, baked beans, potato salad

14 Sat Anniversary takeout

15 Sun Chicken Soup, rolls

16 Mon  Sheet Pan Chicken and Veggies, rice

17 Tue Pasta with Homemade Sauce, broccoli salad

18 Wed Minestrone Soup, rolls

19 Thu Kielbasa and cabbage

20 Fri Southwest Zucchini Boats, Mexican rice

21 Sat Creamy Chicken Soup, rolls

22 Sun Pot Roast from freezer, egg noodles, gravy, peas

23 Mon leftovers or takeout

24 Tue Pot roast from freezer, gravy, egg noodles, peas

25 Wed Pasta with Homemade sauce, salad, garlic bread

26 Thu I'm not sure ;) Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, veggie soup, dressing (stove top), carrots, cranberry sauce, rolls (Pillsbury crescent), apple pie, sweet potato pie, chocolate chip pie

27 Fri Takeout

28 Sat Pork tenderloin, roasted potatoes, green beans

29 Sun Slow Cooker Chicken, sweet potatoes, broccoli

30 Mon Takeout

Emergency Lunch Ideas

 

• Tuna sandwiches (canned tuna, mayo, frozen bread, celery opt.)
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (obvious)
• Veggie Soup (omit fresh veggies and add rice)

Emergency Breakfast Ideas

 

• oatmeal (oats, water, sugar, nuts)
• pancakes (pancake mix, water, syrup, butter, frozen blueberries opt.)
• cereal (various cold cereals, boxed almond milk or regular milk)
• waffles (frozen waffles, butter, syrup, or peanut butter, chocolate chips (opt.)

Emergency Dinner 7: Barbecue

 

• 1 pound boneless chicken, cooked and shredded (or two cans chicken)
• 1 bottle barbecue sauce
• 1 large can baked beans
• 1 can corn
• 1 bag frozen collard greens (or canned)
• corn bread, frozen

Emergency Dinner 6: Chicken Soup

 Even though chicken soup is made with mostly perishable foods, it still works for a two week plan because the chicken can be frozen or canned, and the carrots and celery can be used for other items to keep them fresh. Just make sure to always have plenty of carrots and celery on hand and plans to use them. Chicken soup is a staple in this house during the cooler months so they will get used.

• about 1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken (can substitute with a couple of large cans)
• 6 carrots, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• small onion, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 box orzo 
• chicken bouillon for 12 cups of water

Simmer chicken in 3 quarts of water and bouillon (or canned or boxed chicken broth) for about 1.5 hours

remove chicken and add vegetables and pasta and cook for at least 15 minutes until all are soft

meanwhile, chop chicken

add chicken back to pot when pasta and veggies are done

Emergency Dinner 5: Vegetarian Fajitas

 

• 1 can refried beans
• 1 pound frozen peppers and onions
• 1-2 T olive oil
• tortillas (keep in freezer)
• jarred salsa
• seasonings of your choosing
• Spanish or Mexican rice mix

Thaw tortillas on counter, in oven, or in microwave.

Sautee peppers and onion in a little oil (or broth), season

Heat refried beans in microwave

Serve with rice

Emergency Dinner 4: Tuna Alfredo Pasta

 

Tuna casserole morphed into tuna pasta

• 12 oz. egg noodles or pasta (I bought fettuccini because it's easier to store since it comes in a box)
• 1 large can tuna
• 1 jar alfredo sauce
• 1 can LeSeur peas

Cook pasta according to directions

Heat sauce, tuna, and peas

Toss with cooked pasta

Can add basil or oregano as desired

Emergency Dinner 3: Taco Soup

 

Plan and store fourteen emergency meals.

This is a combination of the two taco soups I already have on here. You can substitute cooked ground beef or chicken for some or all of the beans.

Taco Soup

• 1/2 bottle V-8 juice
• 1 can corn
• 2 cans beans
• 2 T C taco seasoning
• 2 T C ranch dressing mix

Combine all ingredients in soup pot and heat on stove for about 20 minutes or

Combine in slow cooker and heat for four hours on low.

Serve with chips if you have them.

Emergency Dinner 2: Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

 

Compile a two week supply of meals.

The two week plan can include fresh and frozen food items, but the key is to always have the items on hand, which requires some strategy and planning to make sure you have the supply but also rotate it. Because of this, I would prefer to use freezer items than fresh, except for items such as carrots, celery, onions, and garlic, which I use weekly and will store for more than one week.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

• 0.5 C sliced almonds (these will need to be moved from my fridge to my freezer)
• 1 box Uncle Ben's Wild Rice
• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 large can cooked chicken (can substitute 1 pound cooked chicken from freezer)
• 1 can green beans (can substitute with frozen green beans)
• 1 t onion powder

Cook rice according to package directions.

Add rest of ingredients and pour into 8x8 baking dish.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Emergency Dinner 1: Pasta and Veggies

 

When I asked the Lord what He would have me do at this time in my life, His answer was to learn about and practice emergency preparedness food storage. My classroom is Inklings Institute on Instagram.

Task number one is to compile a food plan and the resources for two weeks of meals. Thanks to Covid-19, all of this makes sense. If we are exposed we have to quarantine for two weeks. When the reality of Covid first hit, I got myself to the warehouse store and bought food to get me through two weeks. We would have been eating oatmeal, peanut butter and jelly, bagels, and chicken and rice with frozen veggies for two weeks. Certainly not the worst thing in the world, but now I can plan out a bit of variety.

The problem with food storage is that you have to use it even if there is not an emergency, or you will have wasted food and money. This is another reason for planning for meals that you are willing to eat!

Inklings Institute advises us to come up with seven dinners, lunches, and breakfasts and then double it to have two weeks of meals planned and ready to make. I am formulating an organizational plan for storing these items and a plan to use and rotate them so that the food does not go to waste.

Dinner #1 Amounts are for one dinner, based on what my husband and I will eat, with the possibility of leftovers for lunch

Pasta and Veggies

• 0.5 - 0.75 pounds pasta
• 1 jar marinara sauce
• 1 pound bag of frozen peppers and onions
• 1 pound bag of frozen broccoli
• 1 can beans (chickpeas, kidney, cannellini, or black)

Another option is instead of having beans, add 1 pound of cooked ground beef from the freezer, but this would have a shorter shelf life.

Pork Tenderloin in Marinade

 This recipe is from Le Creme de la Crumb. The instructions are for grilling the meat, but it was getting dark so I cooked it in the oven at 450 instead. It still came out very good, so either is an option.

• 1.5-2.0 pounds pork tenderloin (I think mine was 1.5 AND I bought a pork loin (not tenderloin) by mistake but it was still good)
• juice of half a lemon (I used 1 T bottled lemon juice)
• 2 t minced garlic
• 1 t Italian seasoning
• 0.25 C olive oil
• 0.5 t salt
• 0.125 t (1/8) cracked black pepper
• 2 t dijon mustard
• 2 t honey

Pat tenderloin dry with a paper towel.

Mix marinade ingredients and pour half in ziplock bag with meat

Marinate for 30 minutes

Roast or grill for 20 minutes or until thermometer reads 145 degrees, turning at least once and basting during cooking.

Let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Cabbage

 This recipe comes from Brooklyn Farm Girl, It is so easy to put together and very tasty. A great choice for a Sunday meal that I can throw together and my hubby and I can go off wandering around Georgia, come home and eat! It's also a great Sunday or Monday choice because they are at the end of my grocery week and I don't have to worry about the meat expiring before we get to it.

My amounts were a bit different so I will use mine.

• 12 oz. package of turkey kielbasa or cooked sausage (I used sausage because that is what they had in the store), cut in two inch lengths
• 1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped in fairly large pieces
• 1 24 oz. package of baby potatoes, left whole
• 1 pound back of baby carrots (the recipe doesn't call for it but they would be great to add)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 0.5 t salt
• 0.5 t pepper
• 1 t chopped garlic
• 2 T brown sugar

Mix all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Oven Roasted Sausage and Peppers

 This recipe comes from wellplated.com and is absolutely delicious and easy.

General oven roasting directions:

• heat oven to 400 degrees (unless otherwise stated)
• line sheet pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper (foil is easier if you want to capture the juices)
• mix ingredients in a large bowl with the liquids and seasonings
• spread on baking sheet

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. package pre-cooked Italian chicken or turkey sausage, sliced
• 3 bell peppers, various colors, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 t red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (2 t)
• .5 t kosher salt
• .5 t basil
• .5 t oregano
• .25 t ground black pepper
• .25 t red pepper flakes

Roast for about 35 minutes, stirring halfway

Sheet Chicken and Vegetables

 This recipe comes from wellplated.com and is absolutely delicious. I am done struggling with stir fry, this is my new go-to. The seasoning is perfect. I did not use sweet potatoes (if you do, you are supposed to start them first, see original recipe).

boneless chicken (I used three breasts)

veggies of your choice, I used:

small head of broccoli, cut up

2 peppers, cut in chunks

1 large zucchini, cut in chunks

sliced carrots, about 1.5-2 cups

place in a bowl and mix with

3 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)

2.5t Italian seasoning

1 t salt

1 t garlic powder

1 t onion powder

.5 t pepper

stir well and roast in 400 degree oven, stirring once in between

It took about 45 minutes with the amount of food I had on the tray. If you use less and the items are spaced out a bit, it will be a lot less time, just keep an eye on it.

Monthly Menu October 2020

 

It is officially Pumpkin Spice Month!

01 Thu Ham, sweet potatoes, peas

02 Fri Take out - burgers

03 Sat (General Conference) Pizza

04 Sun (General Conference) Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts With Gravy, baby potatoes, carrots, Brussel sprouts

05 Mon Hot dogs, beans, home fries

06 Tue Chicken Fajita Enchiladas, Mexican rice, corn

07 Wed Sheet Pan Chicken With Rainbow Vegetables, brown rice cooked in chicken broth

08 Thu Minestrone Soup, rolls

09 Fri Pork Tenderloin from freezer, sweet potatoes, green beans

10 Sat Marinara sauce (from freezer) with pasta, zucchini

11 Sun Chili, cornbread

12 Mon Leftovers or takeout 

13 Tue Grilled Pork Tenderloin, mashed sweet potatoes, green beans

14 Wed Ham and Bean Soup, rye bread

15 Thu Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Cabbage, rye bread

16 Fri Tortellini with Sausage and Peppers, garlic bread

17 Sat Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken, brown rice, grilled zucchini

18 Sun frozen fish filets, rice-a-roni, brussel sprouts

19 Mon Leftovers or takeout

20 Tue Grilled burgers with mushroom gravy, corn on the cob, baby potatoes, green beans

21 Wed Tarragon Chicken, wild rice, zucchini

22 Thu Garden Harvest Minestrone Soup, rye bread

23 Fri pizza takeout

24 Sat takeout

25 Sun Slow Cooker Honey Pork Chops, sweet potatoes, peas, Brussel sprouts

26 Mon Chicken fajitas, salad, corn

27 Tue Lentil soup, rye bread

28 Wed Hamburgers, corn on the cob, baby potatoes, sauteed onions and mushrooms

29 Thu Creamy Chicken Soup, bread

30 Fri Ham from freezer, scalloped potatoes, green beans

31 Sat Fasting

Garden Harvest Minestrone Soup

 This soup was so good, I am making it again tonight, but with turkey kielbasa instead of the sausage. It comes from the website Handmade Farmhouse. I'm posting it as I made it but she gives lots of alternative suggestions.

• 5 C broth (a combination of chicken and beef was yummy)
• 1 T Italian seasoning 
• 1 t minced garlic
• 1 t onion powder
• 1 pound ground turkey sausage or turkey kielbasa
• 1 can white beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes, NOT drained
• 1 can corn, drained (or one cup frozen)
• 1 C chopped carrots
• 2 small zucchini, diced
• 2 small yellow squash, diced
• 1 handful kale leaves, chopped

1. Brown sausage in soup pot, if using.
2. Add all ingredients (the original recipe calls for adding the kale for a few minutes at the end, but I will add it with the rest of the ingredients)
3. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts With Gravy

 Usually I will try a new recipe two or three times before permanently posting it here, but I found a couple of recipes last week that were so good, they are getting posted after one time. This recipe comes from Dinner At the Zoo.

• 2 T olive oil, divided
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used four but they were large)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 t Italian seasoning
• 1 C chicken broth
• .25 C soy sauce
• 2 T balsamic vinegar
• 2 T brown sugar
• 2 t minced garlic
• 2 T corn starch
• 1 T butter
• 2 T chopped parsley
• carrots, optional

1. season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning
2. brown in 1 T oil on medium high heat, about 5-7 minutes per side
3. place chicken in slow cooker (I sliced some carrots and put them in the bottom, then chicken on top)
4. mix together remaining oil, broth, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and garlic, pour over chicken
5. cook on low 4-5 hours, or high 2-3 hours (I cooked it for 4-5 hours on high, worried because the pieces were really big, but they were cooked longer than necessary.)
6. take out chicken and pour liquid in a pot, bring to a simmer
7. mix cornstarch with .25 C water and stir into broth, bring to boil and cook one minute
8. stir in butter (I forgot to do this and it was still really good), pour gravy over chicken (sliced), sprinkle with parsley

Monthly Menu September 2020

 

I noticed there is a large blemish on one of the apples. Oh well, this is real life! Wow, it has been four years since I have posted a monthly menu for September. I've probably been too depressed to bother since my kids have been out of high school! Wow, so much more has changed. My older son has moved to a new apartment in Connecticut and works full time and is rocking adult life. My daughter is MARRIED! and started TEACHING SCHOOL! in Utah. And my younger son (who will turn 22 at the end of this month!) is starting his junior year of college. In Utah. All are away from me. Sob! Ooh, it's been a tough adjustment, but it is getting easier. Man, I love my kids; they are the best people. So, now I will plan meals for me and my hubby, but it's still exciting to be September because I love autumn! Although it doesn't really become autumn in Georgia until November, lol. I'm not complaining, because I also love the extra long summer - leaves stay on the trees longer, fresh summer produce is available longer, and we don't really have winter, usually. Not complaining! Onto menu planning:

01 Tue Grilled kielbasa, corn on the cob, leftover potato salad, macaroni salad (store bought), leftover beans.

02 Wed Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts With Gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots, green beans

03 Thu Garden Harvest Minestrone, cornbread 

04 Fri Fried Rice, egg rolls

05 Sat Fasting

06 Sun Pizza

07 Mon Spaghetti with meat sauce, broccoli salad

08 Tue Garden Harvest Minestrone (add leftover kielbasa), bread and butter

09 Wed grilled burgers with sauteed mushrooms, potato salad, macaroni salad, beans, corn on the cob, watermelon

10 Thu Grilled Salmon & Veggies, brown rice

11 Fri Tangy Slow Cooker Pork Roast, baby potatoes, Brussell sprouts

12 Sat Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken, steamed sweet potatoes, peas, cornbread

13 Sun Kitchen Sink Quesadillas, Spanish rice, broccoli

14 Mon Leftovers or Take Out

15 Tue Barbecue beef from freezer, mashed potatoes, zucchini

16 Wed Bean Soup, cornbread 

17 Thu Chick Fil-A

18 Fri Pizza

19 Sat Tortellini with sausage and peppers, broccoli and olive salad

20 Sun Grilled chicken legs, coleslaw, baked beans, corn on the cob

21 Mon  Chicken Stir Fry, rice

22 Tue Pork Tenderloin from freezer, gravy, sweet potatoes, peas

23 Wed Beef Stew, rye bread

24 Thu Lemon Garlic Tilapia, Uncle Ben's wild rice, green beans

25 Fri Spaghetti with Vegetable Pasta Sauce, rye bread

26 Sat Creamy Chicken Soup, rye bread or biscuits

27 Sun Baked ham, mashed potatoes, steamed Brussel sprouts

28 Mon Leftover soups, cornbread

29 Tue Leftover vegetable pasta sauce, ziti

30 Wed Chili beans with rice, zucchini

Better Burgers

 When I've made someone's recipe enough times it is time to put it permanently here in it's own post. I haven't bought store made ground beef patties since I've been in Georgia. The first time I made burgers from store bought ground beef, they were not very tasty, so since then I've been doctoring it up using a recipe from KyleeCooks. I lessen the salt and pepper but other than that, it works well for us.

• Ground beef (the packages are usually about 1.3 pounds)
• about 1/2 t salt
• cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 T dijon mustard
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce

Mix it together well and form four beef patties, grill, and devour. Lately we have been eating them bunless with sauteed mushrooms and onions.

Monthly Menu August 2020

01 Sat Chicken legs, raman salad, beans

02 Sun Grilled kielbasa, broccoli salad, leftover beans, corn bread

03 Mon Leftover chicken, kielbasa, beans, broccoli salad

04 Tue Tortellini with sausage and peppers (use Rao sauce from freezer), tomato and cucumber salad, garlic bread from freezer

05 Wed Hot dogs, home fries, corn on the cob, coleslaw

06 Thu Chick Fil-A

07 Fri Take out pizza

08 Sat Fasting

09 Sun Easter ham from freezer, sweet potatoes, doctored frozen mixed veggies, Uncle Bens wild rice

10 Mon Salmon from freezer, vegetable confetti salad, melting potatoes

11 Tue Sausage tortellini with lentil sauce from freezer, salad

12 Wed Take out from Steak and Shake

13 Thu Take out from Chick Fil-A 

14 Fri Take Out from Bar-B-Cutie

15 Sat  Take Out from Fish Thyme

16 Sun Peach Barbecue chicken legs, doctored baked beans, macaroni salad

17 Mon Barbecue beef from freezer, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli

18 Tue Burgers, leftover chicken, leftover macaroni salad, leftover beans, corn on the cob, corn bread

19 Wed Take out from O'Charley's

20 Thu Asian food take-out

21 Fri Zucchini hummus wraps, brown rice salad

22 Sat Grilled kielbasa, bean salad, coleslaw

23 Sun Leftover salads, steamed brussels sprouts

24 Mon Chick Fil=A grilled chicken sandwiches, leftover bean and brown rice salad

25 Tue Pork tenderloin, mashed sweet potatoes, collard greens

26 Wed Chicken tacos with peppers and onions, refried beans, corn

27 Thu Pasta with meat sauce, cucumber and tomato salad, garlic bread

28 Fri Chicken legs, brown rice pilaf, brussels sprouts

29 Sat Hot dogs, store made potato salad, baked beans

30 Sun Chicken soup, corn bread

31 Mon leftovers or take out

Broccoli Slaw

Again I have found the ultimate recipe for broccoli slaw and the key is the dressing. It's not sweet, although it does call for some sugar. I had to make four times the dressing that the recipe calls for. I started with two large bunches of broccoli crowns and I cannot deal with cutting it in julienne strips so I just chopped it all up in my Ninja. Then I shredded four large carrots and threw in what was left of the slivered almonds I bought for another salad (about 1/2 C?). It made SO MUCH. It filled my largest bowl and we will be eating this for a week. In the future I will just buy the bags of broccoli slaw mix because I cannot judge amounts and it makes such a mess to cut up broccoli.  But this is the recipe I will use. It comes from the website Add A Pinch.

2 12 ounce bags broccoli slaw

1/2 onion, chopped

1/4 C mayonnaise

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sugar

juice of 1 lime - I used a T of lime juice (x 4)

salt and pepper to taste (I used 1/2 t salt x 4)

(I will add some sunflower seeds if I have them)

I love this dressing! 

Mashed Potatoes

I have been converted to baby potatoes, and for a long time they were the only ones I bought. Super easy to prepare (no peeling) and taste the best to me (less starchy). If I wanted mashed I would simply mash them with a fork on my plate. But the other day I was in the mood for some creamy mashed potatoes and came across instructions on the All Recipes website. I use one more potato that the recipe calls for, but they are still creamy and delicious.

Four large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in half lengthwise

.25 C butter

.5 C whole milk

salt and black pepper to taste (I use about a teaspoon of salt and eyeball the pepper)

Cook potatoes in salted water for about 25 minutes

Drain and place back in pot on stove for 30 seconds to dry them a bit

Mash potatoes twice around the pan

Add butter and milk and continue to mash until smooth

Whisk in salt and pepper

Delicious!

Coleslaw

This is Hellman's mayonnaise's simple coleslaw recipe (and their picture).

My mother in-law's coleslaw is the best but this is so easy to make that it is my go-to. Plus the dressing amounts are catered to a bag of store bought slaw. I cut the amount of sugar in half.

1 lb package coleslaw mix

1 C mayonnaise

2 T lemon juice

1 T sugar

.5 t salt

Mix dressing ingredients and then mix with coleslaw mix.

The Best Bean Salad

I go on quests to find "the" recipe that I will always use. Sometimes I will try something different just for fun but will go back to my standard because it's the best. I shared a recipe for Cowboy Caviar which was pretty good but this is the recipe I will repeatedly use. The ingredients are pretty much the same (this one called for just black beans but the ingredients could be whatever I want) but the key is the dressing. Equal parts oil and vinegar and NO SUGAR. This recipe came from the website CookieandKate but I did not make it exactly like she did. I used canned beans and corn and bottled lime juice but it was still absolutely delicious. (I am still seeking THE go to baked bean recipe.)

VEGGIES

3 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or 4.5 C cooked)

1 can corn, drained, or from 2 ears of corn, or 1 C frozen, thawed

chopped peppers (I used 1 orange, 1 yellow, and 1 red this time)

chopped onion

small tomatoes halved or quartered (she called for 1 cup but use as much as you like)

.5 C chopped parsley (or cilantro)

DRESSING

.25 C olive oil

.25 C white vinegar

2 T lime juice

.5 t chili powder

.5 t ground cumin

.5 t salt

Combine veggies, combine dressing ingredients, and mix the two together.

Broccoli Slaw

I was going to just cook broccoli but why do that when I had the ingredients to make this salad when it's 90 degrees outside? Cold foods for the win!

This is adapted from acouplecooks.com

@ 1.5 pounds broccoli florets, chopped

2 medium carrots or as much as you like, shredded

@ 1/3 C sunflower seeds

Dressing:

.5 C mayo

2 T apple cider vinegar

2 T maple syrup (or sugar)

.5 t celery seed

.5 t salt

Mix veggies and seeds. Mix dressing ingredients, pour into veggies, stir, refrigerate. Done. Quick and easy.

Monthly Menu July 2020

01 Wed grilled kielbasa, leftover salads, barbecue beans from freezer, corn on the cob

02 Thu Chick Fil-A

03 Fri Salmon from freezer, coleslaw pasta salad, broccoli, pineapple cobbler

04 Sat Hamburgers, macaroni salad, baked beans

05 Sun Pizza, cake

06 Mon London Broil from freezer, cucumber and tomato salad, rice pilaf from freezer, leftover pasta salad

07 Tue Grilled turkey burgers, homemade baked beans, zucchini

08 Wed Grilled kielbasa, cowboy caviar pasta salad, broccoli, corn bread

09 Thu take out

10 Fri Corned beef, coleslaw, smashed potatoes, cooked carrots

11 Sat Fasting

12 Sun Bbq chicken legs, leftover pasta salad, leftover beans, leftover corn bread

13 Mon beans and veggies over rice

14 Tue Bbq meatballs, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, cucumber and tomato salad

15 Wed Chicken Fried Rice, broccoli

16 Thu London Broil from freezer, wild rice pilaf, zucchini, cauliflower

17 Fri Leftover bbq meatballs, baked beans (canned), cauliflower

18 Sat Chick Fil-A

19-24 on vacation

25 Sat ham from freezer, perogies, green beans

26 Sun Food supplied by our church and supplemented with pulled pork, corn, and bbq beans from freezer

27 Mon Salsbury Steak (grilled) with sauteed mushrooms and onions and gravy, mashed potatoes, tomato and cucumber salad, corn on the cob

28 Tue Brisket, coleslaw, sweet potato fries (from freezer)

29 Wed Grilled salmon, black bean salad, wild rice

30 Thu Peach bbq chicken, macaroni salad, baked beans

31 Fri Take out

Cowboy Caviar

• .5 C olive oil
• .25 C sugar
• .25 C white wine vinegar
• 1 t chili powder
• 1 t salt
• 1 pound roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can black eyed peas
• 1 can sweet corn
• 1 red onion, diced
• .5 C diced green pepper
• .5 C diced red pepper
• parsley

mix dressing, add beans and veggie, toss, and refrigerate

Peach Barbecue Chicken

I won't be winning any awards for my photography. I got this recipe from Six Sisters Stuff. The only thing I am tweaking is the amount of ginger. Their recipe called for a tablespoon, but I am going to cut that in half. It tasted fine on the chicken, but the sauce by itself was too gingery for me. I marinated it for almost 24 hours. They suggested oiling the grill and I forgot, but it didn't stick at all.

These amounts are for the marinade. I made another half of a batch for basting while grilling.

• 1/2 cup peach preserves (3/4)
• 1 Tablespoon vinegar (1.5)
• 1 Tablespoon ground ginger (1.5)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (3/4)
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper (3/4)
• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce (+ 1/3)
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Mix marinade ingredients in a microwave proof dish. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and another 30 seconds, stir. Marinade chicken for up to 24 hours (the longer the better).

Grill, turning every four minutes until done, basting with fresh marinade.

Childhood Comforts

I have found that in dealing with hiding from the Covid-19 virus by staying home all.of.the.time that I have relied on some comforts from childhood. In the form of food, of course. Two things that I have indulged in that I hadn't eaten since childhood are:

• cinnamon toast (with lots of butter)
• peaches with milk and sugar

Georgia peaches do not need any sugar, they are so incredibly delicious, but I just wanted to see if it was as good as I remembered. It was, although I had to use almond milk thanks to becoming lactose intolerant.

Monthly Menu June 2020

My how life has changed, especially since I've last posted monthly menus. My husband and I now live in Georgia, our kids are grown and for the most part out of the house (one married, one living in another state and working full time, and the youngest going to school full time and working out of state). We are loving the weather and the good food and produce (especially the peaches!) here in Georgia, but we miss our families. And, we are in the middle of the Coronavirus outbreak, which means a lot of cooking homemade meals. We still get food to go once or twice a week (you will see Chick Fil-A a lot, lol), but that still leaves a lot of meals to prepare for the two of us.

Two new additions to my kitchen are an electric griddle (we had one but got rid of it when we moved because we were not using it, regretted it and bought another) for our new Sunday morning breakfast tradition of blueberry pancakes, and an electric knife sharpener which has CHANGED MY LIFE! New additions since moving to Georgia: a cast iron skillet (got rid of all teflon coated pans) and a gas stove (the best thing ever!). We have natural gas here and I love it!

I may include the detail of our take out meals so that I can see what I'm eating on a weekly basis.

01 Mon Chicken tacos with sauteed peppers and onions, frozen corn, re-fried black beans

02 Tue burgers, baked potatoes, brussels sprouts, salad

03 Wed Grilled chicken basted with ranch dressing, corn on the cob, Farm Stand Potato Salad

04 Thu Chick Fil-A

05 Fri Five Guys

06 Sat Fasting

07 Sun Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings, salad (instead of putting the biscuits in the crock pot, I baked them as usual and then we had the chicken over the biscuits. Hubby and I are not fans of wet dumplings.)
08 Mon leftovers.
09 Tue leftover chicken over egg noodles, peas, cucumber and tomato salad

10 Wed  Pasta with Vegetable Sauce, bread and butter

11 Thu Peach Barbecue Chicken, corn on the cob, baby potatoes, zucchini, corn bread
12 Fri grilled kielbasa, coleslaw, baked beans, carrot sticks, corn bread
13 Sat take out
14 Sun  chicken and beef from freezer, rice, vegetable medley from freezer.

15 Mon Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup, corn bread

16 Tue Grilled chicken with barbecue sauce,baked beans, coleslaw, corn on the cob

17 Wed Burgers, Farm Stand Potato Salad, roasted asparagus, baked beans

18 Thu Hot dogs, macaroni salad,  baked beans

19 Fri American Goulash, salad, garlic bread

20 Sat take-out

21 Sun Grilled marinated chicken, cowboy caviar, leftover macaroni salad, blueberry cobbler

22 Mon Leftover American Goulash, garlic bread

23 Tue London Broil, steak fries, broccoli

24 Wed grilled chicken, German potato salad, green beans

25 Thu grilled salmon & zucchini, rice pilaf, tomato & cucumber salad

26 Fri grilled kielbasa, cowboy beans from freezer, corn on the cob

27 Sat Take out

28 Sun Freezer meal: ham, perogies, veggies

29 Mon  Chicken Salad, brown rice salad, corn bread

30 Tue tacos, rice, refried beans, corn bread

Monthy Menu May 2020

27 Wed Pot roast (from the freezer) with gravy, baby potatoes, brussels sprouts

28 Thu kielbasa and peppers, baked beans, corn on the cob

29 Fri Cracker Barrel to go

30 Sat grilled salmon (from freezer), collard greens, sweet potatoes

31 Sun lentil sauce, whole grain penne, mixed green, arugula, and tomato salad, Italian bread and butter

Monthly Menu March 2020

Oh my, what a time in our lives. The Coronavirus is raging and we are asked to stay away from other people to help slow the spread of the virus. All church meetings have been suspended throughout the world. It is scary at times, especially when reading the many different reports coming from the news and social media, but THE LORD IS IN CHARGE, so that is what I care most about. Now that grocery shopping is a dangerous activity (and there are all kinds of shortages), the dynamics of menu planning have completely changed and will be based on what I have or what is available in the stores. I have enough food to last us a 3-4 weeks but I want to hold onto what I can in case we get sick and then CANNOT go out in public for about three weeks.

14 Sat: Veggie soup, bread (already have everything I need)
15 Sun: pasta, salad, bread (already have it)
16 Mon: leftover soup
17 Tue: