Menu: Nov 26 through Nov 30

What a great Thanksgiving week!  I cannot believe how quickly it flew by.  Back to reality.  We did get the tree set up this last weekend and are in the process of decorating.  It's sort of like I have to go back after my 2 elves decorate to make sure the branches aren't going to fall off because of all the weight.  Here is what I'm planning on cooking this week:

Monday: Leftover Thanksgiving Dinner
Tuesday: Ham and Egg Sandwiches (they never got made last week)
Wednesday: Basil Pesto Chicken Pasta
Thursday: Deer Tacos
Friday: Red-Sauce Free Pizza (I'm gonna work on this one this week)

If you can't tell, I have to be a little careful about what I'm eating because of MJ #2.  She's sensitive on a few things.  Pasta sauce is one of them.  She really is not a fan!

So that's this weeks plan!  I braved Walmart today with MJ #1&2 and survived!  We were out quick though - just an apple juice, milk, bread sort of trip.  And carrots - because MJ #1 watched Yo Gabba, Gabba and they were eating carrots.  So she said she needed some too!

Menu: November 15 through November 23

So I'm on a mission - clean out our freezer/deep freeze/cupboard.  There is SO much food in these three areas in our house!  I wonder why I go to the store and buy things sometimes because I have a lot of stuff right there in the freezer that is capable of being eaten.  Plus, if we don't eat some of it soon it's not going to be very good.  So, I inspected these spots and came up with a menu (minus Thanksgiving - I obviously had to purchase a few things for that!). The object is to purchase as little as possible at the store and use up what we have.  Just think of it as an early spring cleaning :)

So here it goes!  Here is what we're having for the next 7 days:

Thursday (Yesterday): Beef Fajitas
Friday: Deer Burgers/Fries
Saturday: Chicken Fried Chicken/Corn/Mashed Potatoes
Sunday: Ham/Egg Sandwiches
Monday: Parmesan Tilapia BLT's
Tuesday: Velveeta Chicken and Broccoli Skillet
Wednesday: Breakfast for dinner
Thursday: Thanksgiving! Turkey, Cheesy Cornbread Stuffing, Mom's Green Beans, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Cranberries, Rolls, Pumpkin Pie, and Pecan Pie
Friday: Leftovers! :)

For recipes not linked above for Thanksgiving I'll try and type those up this weekend so they're there a little early.  All are super easy.  It's going to be a traditional Thanksgiving meal for us this year.  Nothing fancy :) I'm pumped!

Christmas Sugar Cookies

This is a recipe I got from my mom.  These were staples in our home growing up.  Every Christmas we'd have these cookies.  They have a great texture to them that I think makes them unique.  If you need some tasty cookies that are easy - these are great.  The recipe makes 7-8 dozen too!

What you need:

1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp salt
4 cups flour

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cream the first 6 ingredients together with a mixer. In a separate bowl, sift the last four ingredients.  Mix creamed ingredients with sifted ingredients.  Drop on ungreased sheet.  Decorate. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown! :)

Yumm!!

Taco Soup

This is a really good recipe - and another that is good for large groups of people.  Its not really a 'soup' in the traditional form.  There is more substance than liquid, more like a stew, I guess.  This is an old recipe from mom that she gave me when I moved off to college many a year ago!

What you need:

1 pound of ground beef, browned and drained
1 can kidney beans, drained and washed (I have also used black beans and pinto beans too - what ever your preference is!)
1 can corn, undrained
1 can creamed corn
1 can Rotel
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 taco seasoning packet
1 dried ranch dressing packet
Tortilla chips
Cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
Sour cream (optional)

Mix all ingredients together well.  Simmer on low for around an hour.  Pour over chips and top with cheese and sour cream.Yes - that's it!  Good and consistent everytime, plus EASY!

My half eaten bowl ;)

Cost Breakdown:

Ground beef: $2.50
Cans: $3.75
Packets: $2.00
Toppings: $1.75

Total cost: $10.00
This meal is around 6 adult serving sizes.  So cost per person would be: $1.67

I have returned. Menu 10/21-10/27

Umm, yes.  I let the fast pace of life get the best of me.  I am back though and hoping that things sort of settle into a groove again.  I have done a lot of things in the last month and stayed pretty busy with school.  I have a lot of things that I want to do and therefore I am back to chronicle my journey, which hopefully doesn't flop under the pressure.

Here is our menu that starts tonight - I know its a little odd to start a menu on a Friday, but hey - at least I'm starting one, people.

Friday: Hoagie Bake (will post recipe later - this is really good and easy)

Saturday: Taco Soup

Sunday:  Beef Fajitas

Monday: Greek Chicken Burgers

Tuesday: Growth Group (I will explain this later)

Wednesday: Meatballs and Pasta

Thursday: Chili

Tonight's dinner is already in the oven.  I guess it might be slightly easier to plan this and execute starting on the weekend.  The follow through just may not be there come Monday.  We shall see.

Southwest Chicken Stromboli

As requested!  Here is the dinner we had tonight.  It is from the April/May 2011 issue of Taste of Home.  Another bootleg recipe.....

This recipe reminds me of the little deep fried southwest egg rolls you use to be able to get at Chili's or Cheesecake Factory.  Minus black beans.  So it was solid.  It would be really good to find some light, avocado ranch dip for it.....this has me thinking for next time!

I am only going to include the recipe for the insides (that sounds so strange).  I make my own pizza dough  (minus the fresh herbs for this recipe) and some places you can actually buy fresh dough in the stores.  If nothing else, buy the pizza dough you can get in the tubes.  The longest part of this recipe for me today was making the dough from scratch.

Here is what I used for the filling:

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small sweet yellow pepper, finely chopped
1T canola oil
1.5 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
3/4 cup salsa
2/3 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
1/2 cup refried beans
3/4tsp ground cumin
1/4tsp garlic powder
1/4tsp chili powder
1/4tsp dried oregano

Preheat oven to 350F.  Prep dough. 

In a skillet, saute onion and pepper in oil until crisp-tender.  Stir in the chicken, salsa, cheese, beans and seasonings; heat through.  Remove from heat; set aside.

Spread filling over half of dough to within 1/2 inch of edges.  Fold dough over filling; pinch seams to seal and tuck ends under.  Brush dough with an egg wash (1 egg white, beaten & 1T of water).  Cut slits in top.

Place on an greased baking sheet.  Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown (this is key - I had to cook mine more like 35 minutes).  Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.  Serve with sour cream and guacamole if desired.

Fresh out of the oven. I think I'm finally getting the concept down of cooking stromboli.

Not as pretty as I'd like, but it was an iPhone photo....I was starving and ready to eat :)

Cheesy Cornbread Stuffing

Made this with our turkey dinner last night.  Its from my mom - not sure where she got it.  It could be considered a meal on its own.  Its really good.

Here's what I used:

1 pound breakfast sausage
2-8oz packages cornbread stuffing
2 slices white bread, cubed
1 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp pepper
2 - 14.5oz cans chicken broth
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp chopped parsley
1/2 cup shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 350F.

Crumble & brown sausage; drain.  Combine with stuffing, bread, onions, celery, 1 cup cheddar, poultry seasoning, pepper, broth & eggs.  Pour into a 3 quart baking dish.  Sprinkle with parsley & 1/2 cup cheddar.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.  Serves 8.

Lemon-Sage Chicken

This was a pretty 'busy' recipe.  I didn't slow down much.  But it turned out well.  It is a Taste of Home recipe, but you have to have log-on information to access it, so I will give you a bootleg version!

Here's what I used:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan and Romano cheese blend
1T minced fresh parsley (I used dried)
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2T olive oil

SAUCE:
2T chopped shallot (I used an onion)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup white wine
4 1/2tsp lemon juice
1T minced fresh parsley
1tsp dried sage leaves
1tsp grated lemon peel
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3T cold butter, cubed

Step 1
Flatten chicken to 1/2-in. thickness.  In a shallow bowl, combine the eggs, cheese and seasonings.  Place flour in another shallow bowl.  Coat chicken with flour, then dip in egg mixture.

Step 2
In a large skillet, brown chicken in oil in batches.  Transfer to a greased baking sheet.  Bake, uncovered, at 375F for 15-20 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170F.

Step 3 - Sauce
In the drippings, saute shallot until tender.  Add garlic; cook 1 minutes longer.  Add the wine, lemon juice, herbs and lemon peel; cook over medium heat until liquid is reduced by half.  Add cream; cook until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Stir in butter until melted.  Serve sauce with chicken.

I served this with my Mom's green beans.  Very good side I will post some time in the future.  If you like bacon - you will like these beans!

This was a great meal, but just took some time.

There were so many items in this meal, that I'm not going to do a cost breakdown.  I would guess it costs less that $1.50 a person.  With the green beans, I would say around $1.75.

Kelli's Unofficial Rules of 'Fan-dom'

Brandon said I might get some feedback from this post.  So bring it on.

I don't get people sometimes.  I was born in Houston, Texas, raised in Lousiana, California, Illinois, and spent much of my grade-school years back in Houston.  I had the opportunity to cheer for many teams.  But I choose to cheer for just a few. 

I don't get people that cheer for teams they have absolutely no business cheering for.

Growing up in Houston I loved the Astros and the Oilers.  Yes, the Oilers.  I remember the pep-rally we had for them when I was in 5th grade when they went to the playoffs.  We loved Warren Moon.

I then remember in high school when the Rockets won not one, but two national championships.

And I was there when the Astros made it to the world series in '05, even though they didn't win a single game against the White Sox's, I still was so proud of my team.  They are making me question my loyalty this year :)

I never cared for any other teams in Texas.  Those were my teams.  I was an H-town girl.

I have jumped on the bandwagon of the Texans, even though the Texans joined Houston after I left the city.  Is that ok?  Good question.  Here are my UN-solicitated, un-verified rules of 'Fan-dom':

1)  If you were born in the city, you may cheer for that city.

If you're from Philadelphia and live in San Fran - then YES, you have a right to cheer for Philly.  This should be a no-brainer.  We all have a birth place and should be given the right to remember.  So my previous question is therefore answered - YES, I can cheer for the Texans.

2)  If you live in a city for more than 6 months, then you are permitted to cheer for that cities teams.  Even if you are not originally from this city.

I know there are territorial people out there (just ask any fan from the Northeast).  But get over it - the more people cheering for you the better.  If you live within driving distance of the stadium and can attend a game you should be given the right to cheer for them.

3)  If you did not attend college, you may pick a team to cheer for. 

We all want to feel that excitement come football season.  It is completely fine to get involved with a university.  I went to Texas A&M, so I cheer for the Aggies.  My dad went to University of Florida, and I STILL cheer for the gators.  Brandon did grad work at U of Delaware, we cheer for the Blue Hens...Its ok - as long as....

4)  If you did not attend the college you choose to root for, you are NOT permitted to talk trash about other schools.  

I'm sorry - BIGGEST PET PEEVE EVER.  If you did not go to, let's say, TEXAS, you are not permitted to talk trash about other schools that might be associated with Texas.  You can cheer for them all you want.  But if you didn't go there, you don't know what its like.  You don't know the rivalry, the history, the traditions - and you can say all you want to that you might, but YOU DON'T.  So don't act like you do.

5)  If you move, you need to pick a team.  

I lived right outside of St. Louis for 4 years growing up. We followed the Cardinals - in the Ozzie Smith era.  Great baseball.  We then moved back to Houston.  Could I root for both the Cardinals and the Astros?  No.  Conflict of interest.  Pick one team, people.

6)  If you do not live near a pro-team, then you should try to pick the ones nearest to you to root for.

I live in MS.  There is nothing here.  Just like there was nothing in DE.  The people in this area are Saints fans.  More power to them - and I get it.  They are going to get the Saints on TV probably more than other teams, so why not root for them?  I say 'should' in that statement due to previous statements (like the hometown team).  If you still have an attachment to your birth-place team, then it is fine to stay in tune with them. 


I may have addendum's later, but for right now this is just a start at how you become a fan that, in my opinion, is tolerated by other fans.  When you break these rules, you become the people cannot stand.  The fan that people don't get. The fan that doesn't get asked to go anywhere because you can't keep your mouth shut.

I feel better after getting this off of my chest.  If you do not agree, fine.  I said this was my opinion.  And honestly I have better things to do with my time then argue with you over this.  MJ just woke up and I'm going to go play with her.