PB & J Pancakes

One of my favorite parts about Sundays is our family brunch time. Sometimes we go out to eat, but most of the time we stay home. I tried out a new recipe today, and the whole family agreed it was like we were at a restaurant. These PB & J Pancakes just might give IHOP a run for their money.

I had this recipe in my New Recipes to Try File. I can't remember where I saw it posted, but the credits on the recipe say it's from Sunny Anderson @ Food Network. I love PB & J anything, so this recipe caught my eye.  This seemed like the right weekend to give it a whirl. 

I had a bag of blackberries in the freezer that I stumbled across when I put a few things away last week.  I typically will flash freeze blackberries and raspberries when they go on sale for $1 a pint at the grocery store. I'm so glad I have a few more bags stashed away in the freezer, because this recipe is definitely going to be making a repeat occurrence on our Sunday Brunch menu rotation.

The pancakes were very light and fluffy, and they taste almost like a fluffy peanut butter cookie. The syrup came together in just a few minutes and was definitely the star of the show. The sweet and tart on top of the peanut butter pancake was simply divine. I had a third pancake; I usually try to limit myself to just 2 pancakes. They were that good! I decided to just take an extra long walk tonight! 

Here's the recipe:

PB & J Pancakes

For the Pancakes:
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar
1 egg
1 cup + 2 Tbsp milk, plus extra to thin if needed
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, melted (I used Skippy Natural)
2 Tbsp oil

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
3. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until a smooth batter forms, adding more milk if needed.
4. Cook over medium high heat on a well greased griddle.

For the Syrup
1 pint blackberries
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp corn starch
3/4 cup water
1 Tbsp lemon juice

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Bring mixture to a boil and boil for about 2 minutes until it starts to thicken.

(I made the syrup first and then let it cool and thicken slightly while I made the pancakes)



What a scrumptious way to enjoy PB & J
Just add a tall glass of cold milk. . .
 

What's your favorite pancake flavor?

Simple Sweet Salad Dressing

I am part of the Hospitality and Staff Appreciation Committees at my middle daughter's elementary school. To show our appreciation to our staff, we (PTO) provide lunch for them once a month. The staff seems to really love this monthly opportunity to gather together and enjoy lunch. Several of the teachers commented that the lunch is so much more than just good food. It's a chance for them to visit and build community. They go back to their classrooms with full bellies and refreshed spirits. It's my pleasure to be able to give them this gift on a monthly basis.

We had our first lunch of the school year this past Friday. We had a Sandwich Bar with chicken salad and a ham and cheese plate with mini croissants and bakery breads. We asked for parent donations for desserts, chips, pop, and water.

I made a large simple greens tossed salad with this Simple Sweet Salad Dressing to go with lunch for the day. My salad had green leaf lettuce, red bibb lettuce, a few handfuls of broccoli slaw, sliced carrots, garden fresh tomatoes, and cucumbers. The broccoli slaw gives the salad a nice crunch and texture without adding too many new flavors into the salad. 

The recipe originally came from my Mother in Law who got the recipe from her high school home economics class. I love this recipe because it's so easy to put together. It has just 4 ingredients, and I almost always have all four ingredients on hand in my pantry.  The dressing is light, slightly sweet, and is the perfect accompaniment to a bed of simple greens.  It's amazing how this dressing can make a bed of leaf lettuces taste like something you might pay a lot of money for at Panera or another cafe.  The dressing will keep in the frig for a week or two.

Here's the recipe:

Simple Sweet Salad Dressing
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp canola oil
1 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together in a jar with a tight lid. Shake until well blended. Serve over your favorite salad greens.

What's your favorite homemade salad dressing recipe?

Summer Harvest Crock Pot Dinner

With the girls back in school and the start up of our extra curricular activities, it's time to get back into the routine of using the crock pot on a weekly basis. It looks like Wednesdays are going to be our Crock Pot Night. We have to eat in shifts because my middle one has gymnastics over the traditional dinner hour. Having a meal ready in the crock pot means she can eat a bit more heartily when she comes home from school before she leaves for gymnastics, and the meal can wait on the warm function until the other four of us are ready to sit down around the table.

A friend recently shared some of his garden harvest with us, and this Crock Pot Dinner was a great way to use some of the produce (potatoes, onions, beans) he had shared with us. We actually had this meal a couple of other times over the summer when we picked up produce at the Farmers' Market, and all three girls cleaned their plates. The simple combination of potatoes, sweet onions, smoked sausage, and green beans makes for a tasty dinner. The fact that it can be prepped and put in the crockpot in under 10 minutes is a bonus. Hearing my pickiest eater say, "I love that dinner!" when she peaks into the crockpot upon coming home from school makes this meal worthy of repeat on our family menu plan.

You can use red or white potatoes without too much variation in the overall taste. We like skinless smoked sausage, and I try to buy the turkey kind when I can. This particular batch was made with the John Morrell smoked sausage that was on sale last week for $1 each at Meijer making this a very budget friendly meal. You can use canned, frozen, or fresh green beans. If you use fresh or frozen, you may want to add just a little bit of water to the pot (1/3 cup or so).

We like to pair this dinner with sweet fresh fruit and bread or corn muffins. Some fresh corn on the cob would be a great accompaniment if you can still get your hands on some fresh corn from the fields or thought ahead to flash freeze some for your freezer.

Here's the recipe:

Summer Harvest Crock Pot Dinner

1-2 tsp olive oil
8-10 small red or white potatoes, cut into halves or quarters
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 sweet onion, cut into chunks and separated into pieces (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 lbs smoked sausage, cut into chunks
3 cups of green beans (2 cans, 1 bag of frozen)


1. Drizzle 1-2 tsp of olive oil in bottom of crock pot.
2. Place potatoes in bottom of crock pot.
3. Sprinkle with salt.
4. Place onion chunks on top of potatoes.
5. Place sausage on top of onion.
6. Place green beans on top of sausage. (drained if using canned)
(Pour water over the top if using frozen or fresh, about 1/3 cup)
7. Put lid on and cook on low 3-4 hours until potatoes are tender.

Serve straight out of crock pot or separate into different serving bowls.



Summer Harvest Crock Pot Dinner
Add some fresh corn on the cob and garden tomatoes,
and this is the perfect summertime garden harvest meal!



 

What's your favorite Summer Harvest Meal?

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Sliders have become quite the rage in the last few years making appearances on chain restaurant menus, cooking magazines, and many food blogs. While I'm not a fan of slider from White Castle, I do enjoy making different sandwich sliders for my family. I especially love when I find the package of those cute little buns on Manager Special at Kroger for under 75 cents! One time, I found them for 39 cents. I picked up 3 packages and put them in my freezer. We have Quick Bite Sandwich Night once a week, and I can always find something yummy to slap between those two little circles of bread.

I came across this recipe from Janelle at Comfy in the Kitchen last spring. Like me, Janelle enjoys making ministry meals, meals she takes to families in need. This is one of her favorite recipes because it can be made ahead, is easily transportable, reheats wonderfully, and pleases eaters of all sorts.

I've altered her original recipe slightly to fit our tastes and budget. I made these several times over the summer, and they've been a big hit around our table. I love that this recipe can be made ahead and then baked right before serving. They're perfect for a company lunch, a weekend gathering, or a simple dinner.  The secret to these little sandwiches is the sweet, savory sauce that you pour over the top after you make the sandwiches. When they bake, the sauce coats the sandwich and you're left with a finger licking delight! Pair with a simple green salad and some fruit, and you've got a real winner!

With kids, I like the smaller slider bun/dinner roll size. You could also make them on hamburger buns or even hot dog buns if that's what you have. They would also be really good on those little Hawaiian rolls, but those can be a bit more expensive.

I thought I had a photo of these from earlier in the summer, but I can't seem to find it right now. Click on Janelle's link up above, and you can see her finished product. Take some time to look around on her site, too. She has some really yummy family friendly recipes.

Here's the recipe:

Ham and Cheese Sliders (small version, enough for one family)

1 package of 12 slider rolls (or dinner rolls) - look for Manager Special items

1/2 - 3/4  pound deli ham, sliced thin (Prepackaged or fresh from deli counter)

1/4 pound swiss cheese, sliced thin

4 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp yellow mustard

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp poppy seeds

 

1.       Make sandwiches on buns. (I like to put cheese on top and bottom with ham in the middle; kids can also help assemble these if you like help in the kitchen)

2.       Place sandwiches in a greased 9x13 pan.

3.       In a small saucepan, bring butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and poppy seeds to a soft boil.

4.       Pour sauce over the tops of the sandwiches.

5.       Cover pan with foil.

6.       Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350.

 

 

Ham and Cheese Sliders (the Full Version, makes a full cookie sheet’s worth of sandwiches; great for a party/guests)

2 pkg slider rolls or dinner rolls (24 in all)

1 lb. deli ham

½ lb swiss cheese

¾ stick butter

2 Tbsp mustard

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

 

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tsp poppy seeds

1. Make sandwiches on buns. (I like to put cheese on top and bottom with ham in the middle; kids can also help assemble these if you like help in the kitchen)

2. Place sandwiches on a greased baking tray/cookie sheet with sides

3. In a small saucepan, bring butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and poppy seeds to a soft boil.

4. Pour sauce over the tops of the sandwiches.

5. Cover pan with foil.

6. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350.

 

 

What's your favorite way to use those cute little slider buns?

 

Menu Planning

Well, I received one comment on my MIA post, so I know at least one person is actually reading what I write out there!

The comment was for me to explain a little bit about Menu Planning.

Well, here's what works for me. I've been doing menu planning for years in a variety of ways, but I will give you some tips on what I think will work to help you get started if you're new to menu planning for your family.

First, I would advise to take BABY STEPS. . . . Over time, menu planning gets easier and pretty soon it just becomes a way of life. For me, it's hard to imagine going into a week without a menu plan because it just makes life easier on so many levels. But like learning any new skill, it does take some time to get it to come naturally.  Just take a few baby steps at a time. You'll get it.

Baby Step #1
Figure out what meals your family will eat without too much complaining. Write a list of them down. Try bringing up the topic one night at the dinner table and jot down ideas while the family lists off their favorites. You'll be amazed at what they say. You'll find that you do make quite a few things that the family already enjoys.

Baby Step #2
Plan 2 weeks worth of meals. To start, I would suggest using some sort of theme method. For example, have a Chicken Night, a Sandwich Night, a Breakfast for Dinner Night, a Pizza Night, a Pasta Night, a Crock Pot Night, etc. Start with 7 different themes. See if you can plug in any of the family favorites on that list. You now have 14 meals you know you can serve and the family will eat without complaining. That's a huge accomplishment. You can continue to add meals to this list and refer back to it in the weeks ahead.

When I first started menu planning, I went with a general list like this. I did not necessarily know what night we were eating what meal, but I knew that I wanted to fix chicken and noodles, tacos, spaghetti, etc. If cooking is not your thing, go with things you know how to fix well and things you know your family will eat. There will be time for recipe experimentation later on.

You can round out your meals with salad and fruit. I don't always plan out exactly what fruit and salad we will have, but we always have fruit and some sort of green salad with our meals. Just concentrate on planning the main dish/side dish to get you started.

I also always have some sort of dessert planned. It's not usually fancy. We eat a lot of ice cream around our house. But the kids really look forward to having dessert nightly. About once a week I do try to make something more traditional - like brownies, cookies, cake, etc. - if I have time or if the kids ask to help me bake something.

Baby Step #3
Take inventory of what you already have in the freezer and pantry. What can you make on that list of 14 favorites that you already have the ingredients for? What ingredients are you missing in order to be able to make those 14 dishes? Make a list of the things that you need. If you come across items in your pantry that you have no idea what to do with, donate them to a Food Pantry or set them aside and try to find a recipe to use them in the upcoming weeks. Do not just stuff them back into your pantry.

Baby Step #4
Set a grocery budget and try really hard to stick to it. Using cash helps. We are able to eat very well for $100 a week. That might not be the case for you. You might have more to spend, or you might have to squeeze by on less. I love the challenge of using coupons. I know that the thought of using coupons freaks out many other people. You can still eat well even without coupons. Come up with whatever number works for you and learn to work with that number.

Baby Step #5
Browse the store weekly circular ads and make a list of needed items for the 14 meals that you want to make. Hopefully some of the needed items will be on sale. We have not had the most reliable delivery of our grocery ads with the paper. That frustrates me so much! Ads are also available online, but I prefer the paper kind.  I spend a few minutes looking at the ads when they come. Then I spend about 20 minutes looking at it more carefully a little bit later when I'm ready to make my list.

We're lucky because we have a choice when it comes to which store I visit during the week. I try to just pick one major store a week and do my shopping there. Trying to hit all the stores is just too time consuming. I like Kroger over Meijer, but only because it seems to take me forever to get through Meijer because the store is so big and the checkout is so slow. Plus I always end up putting more things in my cart than are on my list. The prices for non-sale items are higher at Kroger, but I do a better job of sticking to the list of sale items. I also have quite a few things that I regularly stock up on at Aldi. I can make a quick stop at Aldi and pick up what I need without having to worry about having coupons. The trick with shopping at Aldi is that the store is filled with all kinds of processed foods that are easy to toss into your cart. Those prepackaged items, even if they are cheaper than what you can get namebrand, still add up quickly. 

To keep your budget down, you need to buy items that you use often (like the ones for your top 14 family favorite meals) when they go on sale. For example, last week Kroger had Smart Taste Pasta for 49 cents a box. I bought 10 boxes. I know that I will be able to make use of them in the coming months because pasta is a meal that my family will eat without complaining. I will vary the sauces that we eat, but I know we will eat pasta 10 times in the next few months. The price will go back up to $1.59 or more next week, so it was a good time to stock up.

If you can match a coupon with an instore special, that's even better! There are several websites that list grocery store and coupon match ups. A couple of my favorites are Stretching a Buck and 4 Our 2 Cents. Both are written by Columbus area women. You can sign up for their daily e-mail blog updates or just visit their sites. I have my own system of using coupons, but I don't think it's the most efficient way. It works for me. If you decide to use coupons, you'll find what works for you.

Baby Step #6
Go to the store with a prepared list. Because I have browsed the store ads and I have made a list of meals that I want to make, I am able to go through the store and stick pretty much to my list. I buy almost exclusively the weekly store specials unless it is something we absolutely need and must have at that exact shopping moment. For example, we are all out of butter. Butter has not been on sale for several weeks, so I have to pay full price for butter because I need butter to make several things on our menu that week.

I shop with a list that has our menu on the bottom and my shopping list on top. I can check to make sure I have everything I need to fix the meals on my menu plan as I'm going through the store. My shopping list is divided into sections (produce, cereals, dry goods, canned goods, etc) I put all my coupons that match the items on my list in an envelope. Having the list and the coupons pulled out ahead of time helps me stick to my list and to stay on task.

One of the ways that I have been able to expand our weekly menu items and keep our budget down is to always keep an eye out for Manager Special stickers. These orange stickered items are often greatly reduced. Sometimes I luck out and the Manager Special items will actually be items I need to make the meals on my list. Sometimes they will not. If the item is something I can freeze and use later, I will pick it up and then add it into my next rotation of meals.

Try to refrain from just throwing items into your cart because they look so good. I'm especially bad about this in the chip and ice cream aisle. Restraint from this area will result in lower grocery bills and hopefully lower numbers on the scale!

Baby Step #7
Put all the groceries away when you get home. You'll have a sense of accomplishment that you have everything you need for 2 weeks of meals. Freeze what needs to go into the freezer. Just about everything can be put in the freezer. Organize the items you put into the pantry and the frig. If you have time, clean your fruits and veggies so they are ready to use. (except berries. . . I wash berries as we use them so they don't get slimy)

Baby Step #8
Hang your menu plan where you will see it daily. I hang mine on the frig. There's no need to panic about what to make for dinner. You've got it all right there in front of you. It's okay you don't know exactly what day you're making what. You know what you have available to make, and that's a big first step. Yea you!

Baby Step #9
Figure out at least one day ahead what you'll make for dinner the next night from your list of 14 meals.  Take a look at your list as you finish cleaning up dinner and figure out what will work for tomorrow night's dinner. Get the supplies gathered. Take anything out of the freezer that needs to thaw. Make sure you still have everything you need. For example, make sure you still have enough cheese to put on top of the pizza and that someone else didn't see the cheese in the drawer and decide to make nachos for a late night snack while you were out at a meeting.

Baby Step #10
Fix dinner confidently and enjoy time around the table with the ones you love. Mealtimes are precious. The kids are growing up so fast and research states family mealtimes are key to a child's overall wellbeing. Cook with confidence and love and it will come through in what you serve on the table.

There are lots of other helpful websites that give more indepth tutorials about menu planning. Here are a couple of my favorites if you want to do a little more research.

http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-we-meal-plan-for-our-clan.html
http://www.mealplanningmagic.com/
http://orgjunkie.com/category/menu-plan-monday

I'll do another post about some steps you can take after you've done these BABY STEPS. If you're new to menu planning, just start small. That's my advice. You can fine tune as you go along, but just start somewhere.

So. . . what's for dinner at your house tonight?

Turkey Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders

No finished product picture for this post, but these little mini burgers were just too tasty and too easy to pass up on sharing the recipe with you!

I purchase this package of Kraft Fresh Take last week using a coupon for under $1.




I mixed it with a pound of ground turkey I bought on sale and about 1/4 cup of honey bbq sauce.

I made 12 mini size patties to go on top of the mini slider buns I found on Manager Special at Kroger for 49 cents. (Remember to make a thumbprint indentation in the center of the patty so they don't puff up in the middle as your grill them).

John grilled the patties for about 12-15 minutes, and we placed them on the mini slider buns. We topped them with fresh tomato and lettuce and a little bit more bbq sauce. They were delcious! The 8 year old ate as much as Daddy!

If you're looking for a tasty Labor Day grill idea, this would be a sure fire winner!

This was my second time buying the Fresh Takes. I did not care for the recipe on the package the first time; it tasted very artificial/processed. Mixing the bread crumbs and cheese in with the meat and bbq sauce was much better. It gave the meat just the right amount of flavor and moisture. It was a very easy dinner to throw together in just a few minutes of prep time.

Have you tried any of the Fresh Take recipes?

MIA. . . . . The Queen is Back!

It's been a long time since my last post. . .. .

Too long. . . .

So long that I kind of got out of the blogging groove.

It's time to get back into the groove.

Let me catch you up on a few things that have been happening around here, no particular order of significance. Just a few things as they pop into my head, and the 3 year old is playing Polly Pockets quietly in the family room.

1. Summer was great!
I so enjoyed having the girls at home all day, despite the bickering that 3 girls can do. We made many fun memories, saw lots of friends and family, and tried our best to stay cool during the hot, dry days!  We loved the pool, VBS, vacations, movies, crossing items off our Summer Buckets Lists, playdates, and eating popsicles daily.

2. My freezer is well stocked with summer produce!
Despite the drought and the heat, I managed to take advantage of lots of summer produce at the farmers' markets. I froze lots of strawberries, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, zucchini, beans, and corn. I love having these items to use throughout the cold weather months.

3. I read a lot of books this summer!
My bookshelf was full all summer long with a wide variety of titles. I tried to squeeze in lots of reading while we were on vacation and in the evenings. While I prefer to read outside in the warm weather, it was so stinkin' hot this year, I spent most of my evenings in the AC on the couch. I was quite inspired by The Kitchen Counter Cooking School. I realized how many women (and men) really want to become better cooks, but they just don't know how or where to start. It got me to thinking about how I might be able to inspire others to take baby steps to becoming more confident in their own kitchens. I also read up on food blogging, food photography, Facebook, and Twitter trying to decide what direction this blog might take in the future.

4. I joined the Pampered Chef Team as a Consultant!
I have attended many Pampered Chef parties over the years and feel they do make quality products. After much prayer and discernment, I was inspired to join the team in late July.  I have had lots of fun learning more about PC products and trying out lots of PC recipes. I'm specializing in Cooking Shows that feature budget friendly, easy to fix, family favorite meals. I'm using many PC recipes, but also some of my own. I've had 4 parties so far, and I hope to continue to do 4 parties a month. I may be blogging a bit about these experiences, too.

5. The girls are back in school!
Three girls, three schools, three schedules. It's going to be a challenge this year! Menu planning and easy meals are key to keeping my sanity!  I can't believe how quickly they have grown up. My oldest is 6th grade, the middle one 3rd grade, the baby is in preschool! Seriously. .. where did the time go? I'm often reminded of the wisdom of a mentor mom many years ago, "These days are long, but the years are short." I'm grateful for these exhausting days. Cooking helps me stay focused and is a creative outlet for me.

6. My pantry is organized and inventoried!
My first task of the school year was to clean out my kitchen junk drawer. Too many times over the summer the kitchen island got cluttered, so I did the ol' "dump it all in the junk drawer before the doorbell rings" a few too many times. I found all kinds of odds and ends. That inspired me to then move on from the junk drawer to our other cabinets, kitchen pantry, and mudroom pantry. I am proud to say I didn't find anything too out of date, but I did find a couple of things I had forgotten about. I also made a list of the items I need to restock in my pantry so that I can put together meals easily on busy nights (boxes of pasta, etc). We did a good job of eating up what we had over the summer, so it's time for a couple of big stock up trips in the next few weeks.

7. I've been experimenting with some different bread recipes.
I still have not perfected bread the way I had hoped to. I read just last week on another blog that it's possible to make the Artisan Bread in the crock pot! I tried it last week; not completely satisfied with the results, so I'll keep testing and keep you posted. I still want to learn how to make good, easy sandwich bread.

8. Our goal for the coming school year is to sit down for dinner nightly as a family.
I've plugged in all the dates on the calendar for the upcoming school year, and it looks like we'll still be able to manage having dinner together nightly. We have a couple evenings where we may only 4 of us around the table (my middle daughter will be at gymnastics over the dinner hour), but I have a few ideas in mind so that she can eat what we're eating either before or after practice.

9. Our goal is to spend around $100 a week for groceries for the 5 of us.
We went to an all cash grocery budget in January, and most weeks it's very doable to get us all well fed for under $100 if I watch the in store specials and use coupons. I still put very processed foods into our cart, although those potato chips and ice cream seem to make their way into our cart every week! Having a well stocked freezer and pantry helps. This could not be possible without a weekly/monthly menu plan. I don't always stick to it 100%. Flexibility is key, but having a plan helps immensely.

10. I have organized many of my recipes.
One of the goals to starting this blog in January was for me to organize my recipes. I have done that. I have only posted a handful of the recipes that I have typed into my computer and placed in my recipe binders. I like to include pictures because I know that inspires readers, but finding time to photograph every item I make is time consuming and became a bit stressful when my photo didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. I had to keep reminding myself that one of my goals was to just get the recipes organized. And that I did.

So, that's been my last several weeks of random thoughts and projects.  What about you?

What's been filling your days?

What goals do you have for the upcoming school year?

How can I help you make mealtimes/snack times/family times more enjoyable?

Pineapple Cheesecake Apple Salad (Dessert)

I'm not really sure if this delicious dish qualifies as a salad or dessert!  I suppose it might depend on at what point of the meal you enjoy eating it. If you take a few bites of this sweet, tart dish between bites of your savory main dish, I suppose it's a salad. If you save all the bites of crunchy apple wrapped in cheesecake flavored fluff, it's more like a dessert. Any time you decide to dig in, it's delicious.

I first had this dish at a family potluck at the lake several summers ago. I took a bite expecting something like a waldorf salad.  My taste buds detected the crunchy, tart apple pieces and the sweetness of the pineapple, but it took a few more bites to put my tongue on just what made this dish so incredibly dessert-like. The secret ingredient? Cheesecake flavored pudding mix. The best part? This pudding flavor from Jell-o comes only in a sugar free, fat free version. Mixed with fruit and some fat free (or low fat cool whip) and you've got a low calorie dish that can easily replace many of the fat laden dishes that often appear on potluck tables around the country.

I have taken this dish to many gatherings over the years and it always disappears quickly. I decided to make a batch today because I thought the sweet tartness would be a good ending to our pork carnitas dinner. Tonight we'll enjoy it as "dessert".  We're still recovering from the extra calories we consumed while on vacation a week ago so any low calorie treats I can fit on the menu are welcomed.

This dish is one that is relatively inexpensive to put together if you're in need of a dish to bring to a potluck gathering. I picked up cans of pineapple for 50 cents a can using store specials and coupons. The pudding is a little trickier to find. I usually can find it at Walmart for under $1, but I have not had as much luck finding this particular flavor at local Kroger or Meijer. I almost always have a container of $1 Cool Whip on hand in my freezer. I've made it with both fat free and low fat; I can't tell a huge difference in the end result. I picked up a couple of Granny Smith apples on my last grocery trip for around $1.

Here's the recipe:

Pineapple Cheesecake Apple Salad
1 can crushed pineapple
1 pkg cheesecake flavored pudding mix
2 large Granny Smith apples, chopped
1 container Fat Free or Low Fat Whipped Topping














1. Place crushed pineapple (and juice) into a large mixing bowl.
2. Add pudding mix and stir to combine.
3. Add chopped apples and mix.
4. Fold in whipped topping.
5. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. (actually tastes better the next day!)

Pineapple Cheesecake Apple Salad
Tart, crunchy apples, sweet pineapple held together by cheesecake fluff. . .YUMMY!



What's your favorite recipe that can be placed into two categories?

Weekly Menu Plan July 16-22

Wait a minute! How did it get to be the middle of July already? Didn't the kids just get out of school? Didn't summer just start?

Our days have been full and blessed and seem to have been flying by! We thoroughly enjoyed our weeks of VBS ministry in June, gathered with family for vacation at the start of July, and have been getting back into the groove of summer with sleeping in, visits to the pool, and having friends over this past week. The 4H fair is this week, and my oldest will be participating in a few events at the fair.

It's a good thing I've kept up with my monthly and weekly meal plan to help keep food on our table this summer! As I've mentioned before, meal planning is a bit different in the summer. I find myself planning more simple meals, sandwiches or grilled items, because it seems to better fit our schedule and tastes.  I've been trying to make better use of the crock pot this summer so that dinner can be ready when we come home from our afternoon summer adventures. Also, I don't always have our vegetables and fruits planned out, but we eat a lot of them in the summertime. We've been stopping at various farm markets and just picking up whatever looks good.   We had some super sweet corn this past weekend, so I definitely want to enjoy that again this week some night.

I'm also finding the need to better plan out our lunches and snacks or I find myself staring at the pantry at noon saying, "Looks like it's peanut butter, peanut butter and jelly, or peanut butter and honey today, kiddos!" While they don't mind a PB sandwich a few times a week, they get bored (as do I) with the same thing day after day. So, I've started planning out what we can have for lunch, sort of like I do for breakfast. I have a list of options and we sort of just pick from that.

So, here's what's cookin at our house this week:

MONDAY - Pork Carnitas, Rice and beans, avocado salad, pineapple cheesecake apple salad
TUESDAY - Pizza, Salad (treat at the fair after judging)
WEDNESDAY - Teriyaki Turkey Burgers on Hawaiian Sweet Buns (saw this in a magazine and plan to tweak it a bit for our tastes), Sweet Potato Fries, Blueberry Cobbler
THURSDAY - Sweet and Sour Chicken, Rice, Sesame Green Beans
FRIDAY - Grilled Italian Sausage, Pasta with sauteed zucchini, yellow squash, and garlic, watermelon
SATURDAY - Jazz and Rib Fest
SUNDAY - Grilled fish, Rice Pilaf (some sort of salad or veggies from Farmers Mkt)

BREAKFAST CHOICES:
Cereal, cinnamon swirl toast
Sausage links, chocolate chip pancakes
yogurt, pumpkin muffins
Sausage, egg, cheese burritos
Banana and peanut butter burritos

LUNCH CHOICES:
Peanut butter sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches
Leftover pizza
Turkey Hot Dogs
Black Bean Nachos
Sloppy Joes
Salad

SNACK CHOICES
Granola Bars
Snack Mix (Honey Kix, pretzels, nuts, M&Ms, raisins, Bugles, marshmallow bits)
Pretzels/Cheese Crackers
Crackers with spreadable cheese
Veggies/Dip
Fruit
Popsicles

What's on your table this week? Do you always follow your summer menu plan?

Need some inspiration? Check out what's on the tables of families around the country this week over at Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com

Spicy Peanut Noodles

Summer is the season for get togethers.  If you're in need of a new recipe to share at your next gathering, try this one for Spicy Peanut Noodles.  I first tasted this dish at my parents' house a few summers ago when my whole family gathered for a long weekend.  To ease the stress off my mom in preparing the meals, each family took a turn making things over the course of the weekend.  My sister brought this delicious noodle dish saying it was her new favorite.  After a few bites, it quickly became mine, too! 

I misplaced the recipe in one of my many attempts to get my large collection of recipes in order, but I recently came across it again and decided it was time to make up a batch of this tasty, cool summer side dish.  This dish comes together in less than 20 minutes of prep time, but it does taste better if it is refrigerated at least 4 hours or even overnight.  The flavors just sort of go through it better.  I like this dish for summer because it goes great with just about anything on the grill and is very picnic friendly.  I took this dish to our VBS potluck tonight, and the bowl was scraped clean in about 10 minutes.  I got several rave reviews for those "spicy noodles".  This is one that the kids don't like too much because it is a little spicy, but grown ups seem to really like it.  I used a box of pasta I had in the pantry that I picked up for less than 50 cents using an instore special and a coupon making this dish economical, too.

I have played around with the original recipe just a bit to fit our tastes and also make enough to take to fill the larger bowl that I often take to potlucks.  The only ingredient(s) that you may not have on hand is Sesame Oil and/or sesame seeds.  You can find both in the Asian aisle of the grocery store.  The sesame oil runs about $3.50 a bottle or so.  The toasted sesame seeds are a nice touch on top, but I have also made the dish without them, and it didn't affect the overall taste/texture too much. The fresh cilantro is key to this recipe, however.  I have made it without the fresh cilantro and it just doesn't taste the same.  I usually use spaghetti noodles, but you could also use fettucine or thin spaghetti.  I have not ever used a tube pasta with this recipe, but I imagine if that's all you have, that would work too. 

I did not manage to get a photo of this dish before the potluck.  Here in central Ohio, we were under a severe thunderstorm watch, and a BIG storm passed through here just as I was finishing up the dish.  Winds of up to 80 mph were recorded just a couple miles from our house and we had some pretty bad roof/shingle damage.  Needless to say, I was more concerned about finding the insurance info than setting up the photo shoot.  I'll try to snap a photo when I make them the next time and upload it then.

Here's the recipe:

Spicy Peanut Noodles
12 oz spaghetti (I used a full box of Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta)
6 Tbsp canola oil
4 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 1/2 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion (3-4 green onions)
1/3 cup chopped peanuts (I used my Pampered Chef chopper)
1-2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1.  Cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente (about 10 min)
2.  While spaghetti is cooking, heat the canola oil, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes over medium heat in a small saucepan for about 2 minutes.
3.  Add honey, soy sauce, and salt and stir to combine; remove from heat.
4.  Drain the cooked spaghetti.
5.  Combine the spaghetti with the soy sauce/oil mixture. 
6.  Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
7.  When ready to serve, add chopped cilantro, peanuts, and green onions.  Stir to combine.
Top with toasted sesame seeds.

What's your favorite summer side dish to share?

American Girl Theme Dinner - Julie's Hot Dog Roll Ups

We should probably own stock in American Girl Company!  My girls have been fans of the American Girl Company for several years.  They love to play with their dolls and create mini American Girl worlds up their bedrooms.  I could go on and on about how much I love American Girl!  I love all that American Girl has taught my girls about history, friendship, courage, determination, and being true to yourself. 

Over the years, we've read all the books about the historical characters, watched all the movies, poured over the magazines and catalog, and visited American Girl Place in Chicago 2 times.  Our girls have taken their American Girl dolls on vacation, to the store, around the neighborhood, on sleepovers, and various other places. 

On our first trip to American Girl Place several years ago, my oldest daughter brought along her first historical doll, Julie, the American Girl Doll from the 1970s.  While we were shopping, she stumbled across an American Girl cookbook, Julie's Cooking Studio.  The book contains several recipes that were popular from the 1970s, cooking tips, historical facts about the time period, table talker conversation starter cards, and a cookie cutter (to make Jello cutouts).  Many of the recipes were easy to fix and budget friendly, because Julie's mom had to go back to work after the divorce from her dad and Julie was often left to start dinner on her own.  My oldest bought the book with her own money, and planned out the first of many American Girl Theme Dinners to be served around our family table.

I wanted to share about this themed dinner in today's post for several reasons.  First, Eat at Home Cooks was having a recipe link up about Hot Dogs and Sausages.  I thought this might be kind of a fun post to share with others.  Secondly, I wanted to share this post because if you ask my kids what meal they remembered most from that summer, this meal of hot dogs, watermelon, and jello jigglers would be near the top.  Not because it was so fantastic and delicious, but because they had a hand in planning and making the dinner.  Sure, these hot dog roll ups have made repeat appearances on our dinner menu over the years, but the kids ALWAYS talk about the first time they made them with their American Girls sitting right there with us at the table.

I know it's easier to try to make dinner without the kids' help at times, but I know how important it is that they help me - both in the planning and the preparation.  So, I'm trying to include them more, especially during the summer months when we have more flexibility.  The girls like to plan "theme nights".  We have a whole collection of American Girl books that spark their creativity.  We also try to pick up a new cookbook at the library when we visit.  Just last week we found a Kids Cooking Crock Pot Cookbook, and the 8 year old has a few recipes tagged to try out next week.

So, here's the recipe for Hot Dog Roll Ups.  They remind me of Pigs in a Blanket, but not quite as greasy.  We like how the bread gets a little crunchy on the edges.  We usually hold the bread down around the dog with some toothpicks, but it doesn't make for a very glamorous photo.  (This photo was taken that first night we made the dinner before I started paying attention to food photo details)

A favorite in the 1970s or today. . .
Hot Dog Roll Ups is a kid friendly meal

Hot Dog Roll Ups

Ingredients:
1 pkg hot dogs
3 Tbsp butter, melted
8 slices white bread (you can use wheat, too0
1 1/2 tsp mustard
4 slices American cheese
pickle relish (optional)
ketchup (optional)


1.  Preheat oven to 375.
2.  Use a pastry brush to paint one side of the bread with the melted butter. (great job for the littlest one!)
3.  Place the bread, butter side down, on a cookie sheet.
4.  Spread about 1/4 tsp of mustard on top of each slice of bread. (if your kids HATE mustard, just leave this step out, but it does make them really good)
5.  Cut each cheese slice in half diagonally so you have 8 triangles. 
6. Place 1 cheese triangle on top of the mustard on each slice of bread.
7. Place a hot dog on top of each cheese triangle.
8. Fold the bread over the hot dog and fasten shut with 2 toothpicks.
9. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. 

Remove toothpicks before eating.  Top with pickle relish and ketchup if desired.

We completed our meal with Jello Jigglers, Watermelon, tossed salad, and Watergate Cake (another recipe from the cookbook).  Our conversation was sparked with questions like, "Julie bites her fingernails when she was worried. Do you have any nervous habits?" and "When Julie spent three weeks traveling in an old-fashioned covered wagon, she felt like Laura Ingalls.  If you could be any book character for 3 weeks, who would you be?" and "What's more fun: sleeping over at a friend's house or having a friend sleep over at your house? Why?"  The girls had their dolls right up at the table with us throughout dinner and had a great time planning our evening activities.  It was one of those evenings when I wished I could just stop time, so I spent every ounce trying to just soak it all in and then capture it on a scrapbook page so we can remember it for years to come.

Remembering this fun night has sparked my creativity.  I can't wait to share some details of the theme night I have in mind for the coming weeks. . . . Stay tuned!

What theme night dinner has been a big hit with your family?

Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

We belong to our community pool, and the girls LOVE to go swimming on hot summer days!  In years past, we have spent the early part of the afternoons at the pool and then headed home so the littlest one could get a nap before dinner.  Now with the 3 year old just about giving up her afternoon naps, we're finding that we like going to the pool in the late afternoons when the crowds die down a bit.  My girls say they can do just as much in a two hour swim session when the crowds are less than they can in a 3 hour session when the diving board lines and slide lines are so long.

The only downside to going late in the afternoon is figuring out what to have for dinner because the girls are STARVING after a couple hours of swimming. If they have a big snack while I try to get dinner together, they won't eat much dinner.  So, I've been trying to use my crock pot in new and different ways to have meals ready to eat as soon as we get home, showered, and changed. 

Maybe the rest of you already know about baking potatoes in the crock pot.  I had not ever tried it because I usually just fix our baked potatoes in the oven or the microwave.  I also usually just fix the number of potatoes we'll eat for one night.  I never really thought about making extra baked potatoes to re-purpose later in the week.

As I was reading through some other food blogs and recipe books about crock pot cooking, however, many reported how much they love making baked potatoes in their crock pots.  So, I gave it a whirl last week. 

The verdict?  I'm sold!  The potatoes were cooked perfectly and ready to be topped with the small crock pot of chili I had going on the other kitchen counter when we walked in the door, exhausted from a 3 hour swim session and ready for something to eat.  I also loved that the two littler girls helped me wash and season the potatoes before we headed off to the pool.  Because they had helped with the prep work of the meal, they were excited to try their creation without complaining.  I'm not sure I would have had the same results if I would have just placed a baked potato as the main dish on their plates at the dinner table.

I had about 10 small to medium sized potatoes in my pantry that I picked up a couple of weeks ago at Meijer for around $3 for 8 pounds of potatoes.  We filled the kitchen sink with some water and the 8 year old set off on her mission to scrub those potatoes clean.  The 3 year old perched upon a bar stool and helped me rub the potatoes with a little canola oil and sprinkled them with salt before we wrapped them up in foil.  Then we placed them in my large slow cooker and set the control to cook on high for 4 hours.  My largest crock pot has automatically switches to "keep warm" at the end of the cook cycle, so the potatoes were cooked but not overcooked when we were ready for dinner.  I had premade a tossed lettuce salad and a fruit salad and placed some shredded cheese in a bowl before we left for the pool.  All we had to do was set everything out on the table and sit down to eat.  The kids gobbled up their dinners and the 3 year old even asked if she could have the leftovers for breakfast.  That's endorsement enough for me!

I used the leftover baked potatoes to make a batch of home fries later in the week.  I just cubed them and cooked them in a couple tablespoons of canola oil in a large fry pan on the stove over medium high heat.  I seasoned them with just salt and pepper and added in some sauteed onions at the end.  They, too, were a hit with all the eaters around the table.

Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

Potatoes (as many as you want to fix; the leftovers make great homefries)
Canola Oil
Kosher Salt
Aluminum Foil
Toppings of your choice (butter, sour cream, chili, cheese, bacon, chicken, veggies, etc)

1.  Wash and dry potatoes. (great job for kids)
2.  Rub the potatoes with a little canola oil (or even use canola oil spray)
3.  Sprinkle with a little kosher salt.
4.  Wrap each potato in foil.
5.  Cook in slow cooker on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.

Crock Pot Baked Potato Night will definitely be making a repeat appearance on our weekly menu due to its low cost, ease of prep, and the clean plates that were the end of result of our dinner table that night! While we topped our baked potatoes with chili and cheese this particular night, I can think of a whole slew of other ways we can top them in the weeks to come.

What do you like to put on top of your baked potatoes?

Fresh Blueberry Pie

I know it's been awhile. . . . . . .

The kids are out of school.  Our days are still full, but in a different way.  We're still gathering around the table nightly for dinner, but our summer meals sometimes are much more simple.  My free time for photographing food preps and then documenting them via the blog has been a bit more limited.  I think I should have been saving up blog entries.  As I read other mom bloggers, I think that's what they do.  I want to spend my time with my kiddos, not in front of the computer. 

But I assure you, I've been shopping frugally using coupons and weekly sales items keeping our grocery budget around $100 a week.  I've been keeping up with my favorite food/mom bloggers commenting when I have something to share and filing away recipes I want to try in the future.  I've been doing much more meal planning for our lunches and snacks which has helped greatly this summer.  I've made meals to share with friends, meals to celebrate the good moments in life, and had a few new recipe family favorites (and a few flops!) I've been including my girls in more of the meal preps, and they've had fun creating a lunchtime/bakery cafe in our basement.  It's been heartwarming to watch my babies share in my passion of creating easy to fix and serve food that others love to eat.

Today is Father's Day, and my dear husband has taken his girls to see a movie at the Dollar Theater as it's a rainy afternoon here in OH.  While he is gone, I put together a Strawberry Rhubarb pie, sorted through a few piles of recipes in the kitchen, and made a list of the recipes I hope to get posted in the next few days.

Here's the first one I want to share because it's one of my very favorite summertime recipes - Fresh Blueberry Pie!

I got this recipe from my neighbor, Ingrid, back when we first moved to Perrysburg, OH, in 2000.  Ingrid was one of those women that God knew I needed in my life and sent her just when I needed her most.  We had just moved to town, I was pregnant with my first baby, we had our first house, my husband had his first post-collegiate job as a chemistry professor, and I was trying to find my way into this new role of wife and stay at home mom.  Ingrid welcomed me to the neighborhood with open arms and always had a space around her kitchen table for me.  We shared many good times during our three years in Perrysburg.  We shared a love of frugal living, kids, family, God, hospitality, and most importantly - food!  Ingrid had a small collection of favorite recipes, where my recipe files have always been bursting at the seams, but her favorites were all really good, just like this fresh blueberry pie!

One of my favorite memories of this pie is from when we went blueberry picking in MI near my parents' home when my bigger girls were just 3 years old and 9 months old.  We came home with blueberries as big as nickels and sweet as can be.  I made this pie, and we enjoyed it for dessert that night.  The 9 month old kept signing "more" after each bite and cried and cried and cried when we finally took the pie out of her sight for fear of what might happen if she ate any more blueberries!  She just could not get enough pie! 

The key to this pie is that you have to use FRESH blueberries.  While we can't pick blueberries straight off the bush here in central Ohio, I love when I can find them on sale for just 99 cents at the grocery.  Last week was one of the weeks that Aldi ran their berries for 99 cents.  I picked up 4 pints and put together a fresh blueberry pie on Friday night to serve as dessert following our grilled turkey burgers that we shared with the new pastor from our church.  The other key ingredient to this pie is the addition of FRESH grated lemon zest.  That little zing makes this pie unlike any other blueberry pie that you might have tasted.  (or at least that's what everyone says after they take a bite). 

This pie comes together in less than 30 minutes, but it needs about 2 hours to firm up.  I usually use a pre-made crust for ease, but if you have a favorite crust recipe, go ahead and use that. (and share your recipe with me; I'm no good at pie crusts!) Feel free to top the whole pie with Cool Whip or just add a dollop of Cool Whip as you serve it.  I like to decorate the top with additional blueberries and lemon slices.  The pie will hold up for a couple of days in the frig before it starts to liquify, but it's definitely best the day it is made.

Here's the recipe:

Fresh Blueberry Pie

4 cups fresh blueberries, divided

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp grated fresh lemon peel
3 Tbsp corn starch
Pie crust, baked and cooled
Cool Whip (light, fat free, creamy, or regular)

1. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup blueberries, sugar, water, lemon peel and cornstarch.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil and thickens.
3.  Let cooked fruit mixture cool.
4.  Fold in remaining 3 cups of blueberries.
5.  Pour filling into baked and cooled pie crust.
6.  Cool in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
7.  Top with cool whip and garnish with additional blueberries and/or lemon slices.

Fresh Blueberry Pie

What's your favorite way to enjoy fresh blueberries?

Turkey Burgers

It's burger and grill season, and I'm happy to share a new turkey burger recipe I read about over at Mom on a Mission.  We had these over the weekend, and they met the approval of the eaters around my table.  In fact, we liked them so well, I put together a batch for our freezer this afternoon.

Ground turkey has been much more reasonably priced recently than ground beef.  Last week, I found lean ground turkey on sale at Marc's for $1.99/lb.  I picked up 3 lbs and made a batch of meatballs in addition to 2 batches of these turkey burgers.  My freezer is well stocked for busy summer days ahead.  The burgers came together in just about 10 minutes of prep time and 15-20 minutes of grill time.  We enjoyed them for lunch on Saturday and topped them with our favorite burger toppings (lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mustard, pickle, and mayo).  One pound of turkey yielded 6 bigger patties and 2 smaller patties, just perfect for our family of 5 with a couple leftover for lunches.

This turkey burger recipe contains shredded zucchini and cheese mixed in with the ground turkey, kind of like the gourmet stuffed burger patties you find in the butcher shop of the grocery store.  I wasn't sure how the the addition of the zucchini would affect the taste or texture of the burger.  I'm happy to share that the zucchini made the burgers very moist and juicy, and the kids didn't seem to notice too many green specks in them.  I put the burgers on the buns before I served them, so they didn't have too much time for close inspection.  That might have helped.  My middle one did notice the addition of the basil flavoring saying "it tasted a lot like that new pizza crust", so if your kids don't like basil, maybe leave that out or substitute parsley.  The bread crumbs kind of held it all together, but it did give the patty a bit of a meatloaf/meatball texture.  For the cost, ease, and taste, however, this is a recipe that will be making a repeat performance in our meal schedule.

Here's the recipe:

Turkey Burgers
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 medium zucchini, trimmed and shredded (about 1 cup)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp bread crumbs

Pick up ground turkey on sale for 1.99/lb or less

1.  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients with a fork (or your hands) until well combined.
2.  Divide meat mixture into large balls, compressing mixture slightly as you form the ball.
3.  Flatten each meat ball into a patty, about the width of your palm, making a slight indentation in the center (this keeps the patty from shrinking and swelling during grilling)

Make an assembly line on your kitchen cabinet and get ready
to stock your freezer with a meal for the grill

4.  Grill for 8-10 minutes per side until cooked through.

or

4.  Freeze individual patties between sheets of wax paper and place in ziploc bag.
5.  Thaw completely in frig overnight.
6.  Grill for 8-10 minutes per side until cooked through.

Serve turkey burgers on buns with your favorite toppings.




Grilled turkey burgers
(this one did not get the pretty grill marks on it;
must have been why it was last picked on the plate!)

What's your favorite way to top a grilled burger?