happy 3 day weekend, menu for next week

ahh..the 3 day weekend. Not that I have anything special planned but I am looking forward to it anyways. The pool opens today and I am thinking about taking the boy for a quick dip.
here is next week's menu:

Monday:
Grilled pork steaks
Orzo pasta salad

1 pound orzo pasta
4 green onions, chopped
6 ounces cherry tomatoes (about 20)
1 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
1 cup kalamata olives, chopped
½ cup feta cheese


Dressing:
2/3 cup light extra virgin olive oil
4 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon sugar


Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Quartering the cherry tomatoes.Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a glass jar with a lid. Shake to mix.Initially add about 1/3 cup of the dressing to the salad mixture. Adjust seasoning and amount of dressing to suit your tastes.

Tuesday:
Sloppy joes
raw veggies and dip

Wednesday:
Crock-pot chicken curry
1 Tablespoon olive oil
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ teaspoon each – salt, black pepper and paprika or to taste
1 large onion, thickly diced
8-10 small red potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 cup chicken broth
1 (14 ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
1 Tablespoon corn starch
1 ½ teaspoon curry powder, or more if desired
½ teaspoon salt

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Place chicken in the skillet and sprinkle each side with salt, black pepper and paprika. Brown chicken by cooking over medium heat 3-4 minutes per side.Place browned chicken in a slow cooker.
In the same skillet you used to brown the chicken (don’t wipe it out!), sauté onions and potatoes on medium heat for 4-6 minutes, stirring often. It’s alright if they get a little brown. Add the sautéed onions and potatoes to the slow cooker with the chicken.Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Make sure the cornstarch is completely stirred in, as it often settles to the bottom.
Add the liquid ingredients in the bowl to the same skillet you have been using and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture starts to thicken. Pour this mixture over chicken, onions and potatoes in the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.Serve over rice.

Thursday:
Green salad
Tuna and tomato melts:

2 slices of multigrain bread
can of tuna
1 tbsp of mayo
a dollop of spicy brown mustard
1/2 a small vidalia onion, chopped
1/2 a Roma or plum tomato, chopped
Muenster cheese slices

Toast bread,Meanwhile, chop about half a sweet Vidalia onion and half a Roma tomato into bite-sized chunks. In a small bowl, mix the drained can of tuna fish, a tablespoon of mayonnaise, and a squirt of spicy brown mustard. Stir in onion and tomato. Place the bread on a baking sheet. Spread half the mixture on each slice of lightly toasted bread. Cover each half with one slice of Muenster cheese. Place the baking sheet under the broiler on Lo until the cheese has melted and the bread crust is starting to turn dark brown.

Friday:
Tacos
refried beans

Enjoy.
Garden pics to be posted sometime this weekend.

Back after a long hiatus!

I have been gone for so long..But now I am here. I was busy getting ready for my jam booth and then I have been sick. Time for review!
Well since I have not blogged for a while some pics are due.
Zach and Gene went to the kids fishing derby. While Zach did not get a big one, he did however win a new hat and had a great time with our friends from the Parker-Timms family.

We also attended a really fun May Day party, complete with May Pole. Here are some pics of the kids walking around it:

Amadeus and Daniel

Eli and Nonni

Zella and Ameera

Zach and River
The party was a really good time and where I picked up my wonderful illness. Too much meade sharing I guess.
The chicks are turning into fine ladies here are some new chick pics:

The ducks: Toot and Puddle and Big Bird

Zach's chicken Mariette

Tabitha our Barred Rock chicken (my favorite)

Breakfast time for the ladies

And now for the menu!

On Sunday we had a corned beef with new potatoes and baby carrots. And the leftovers will be recycled into a mid-week meal.

Monday:
Crock Pot BBQ Chicken
coleslaw
baked beans

I am using leg quarters because they were .30 a lb for 10 lbs, I broke the bag into 3portions so I can get three meals out of them.

Chicken:
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1 large onion sliced into rings
3 leg quarters or assorted pieces of chicken
garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 bottle BBQ sauce

Cut chicken quarters into two pieces each. Put butter into bottom of crock, lay sliced onions on top. Salt and pepper, and sprinkle chicken with garlic powder. Brown on all sides. Place in crock, and cook on low for 6 hours. Cover with sauce the last hour of cooking. Serve with coleslaw and baked beans.

Tuesday:
Slow cooker beef and broccoli
steamed rice
2 lbs round steak, cut into small cubes
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon each salt and black pepper
3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup beef broth, divided
1/8 cup soy sauce
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger root(i use the jarred stuff)
1 bunch fresh broccoli cut into florets

Coat the meat with flour, paprika, salt and pepper.
Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. When hot, add ½ of the flour coated beef.
Brown the meat on all sides.
Place browned meat in a slow cooker.
In the same skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of oil and sauté the onion and garlic. Add ½ cup of beef broth, the soy sauce and ginger root. When this liquid is hot, pour over the beef in the slow cooker.
Cook on low 5-6 hours for ½” beef pieces. If beef is in 1”pieces or larger, cook on low at least 7-8 hours or until beef is tender.
Stir in steamed broccoli when meat is done. Mix well. Serve over hot rice.

Wednesday:
leftover meal
Corned beef hash
scrambled eggs
fruit

hash:
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked corned beef
2 cups frozen hash browns(the cubed style)
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 finely minced small onion
Vegetable oil (for frying)

Saute the onion in a small amount of veggie oil until just softened, add the potatoes and a more oil and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the corned beef and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the beef broth and cook on high until the liquid is absorbed.
Cook until a soft crust forms. Serve hot with scrambled eggs and fresh fruit.

Thursday:
Homemade clam chowder
garlic bread

Chowder:
3 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams
1 cup minced onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cups cubed potatoes
1 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart half-and-half cream
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
ground black pepper to taste

Drain juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.
Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil.
Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

Friday:
Spaghetti and meatballs
green salad


I had an uneventful jam booth at the preschool 5K. I made far less than I expected, but I have some people who want jam, so I won't worry too much.
The garden looks wonderful and prospect of yummy veggies makes me very happy. I will try and post some pics of the garden soon.

Menu for next week:

Sunday:
Roast chicken with potatoes and aparagus

Roast Chicken with potatoes, lemon and aspargus


1 1/2 lbs new potatoes, halved
3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
salt and pepper
1 ( 2.5-3 lb) package chicken (any pieces with skin will be fine)
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
6 sprigs fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place potatoes and half the butter in a shallow roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until potatoes are golden, 20-25 minutes. Place chicken, skin side up, on top of the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Roast until chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes.
Scatter asparagus, lemon, remaining butter, and thyme around chicken.
Roast until asparagus is tender and chicken is cooked throughout, 5-15 min.
Serve with pan juices.

Monday:
Leftover Chicken Quesadillas with jarred roasted red peppers and spinach
I am making these with shredded mexican cheese on whole wheat tortillas.
Serve with refried beans.

Tuseday:
Slow cooker lamb masala

Take 1.5-2lbs lamb (any cut is fine), cook in slow cooker with 2 15 oz cans Masala sauce and one can chick peas. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove meat and take out any bones. Return meat to sauce and serve over hot cooked basmati rice.

Wednesday:
Potluck night for us
Lemon Spinach rice
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups cooked long-grain rice
1 bunch fresh spinach
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dill weed
1/8 teaspoon pepper


In a skillet, saute the onion, mushrooms and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in the rice, spinach, lemon juice, salt, dill and pepper.
Transfer to an 8-in. square baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through.

Thursday:
Whole Wheat Penne with Pork Ragout

1 lb whole wheat Penne
2 tbsp Butter
1/3 cup Chopped celery
1/3 cup Chopped carrot
1/4 cup Chopped onion
2 cloves Garlic minced
1 lb Ground Pork
28 oz Undrained whole tomatoes chopped
15 oz Tomato sauce
1 1/2 tsp Oregano
1 cube Beef bouillon
1 tbsp Parsley
1 tsp Basil
1 tbsp Olive oil
Parmesan cheese

In large saucepan over medium heat melt butter and add olive oil. Sautee garlic, onion, celery and carrot for 8 min stirring occasionally.Increase heat to medium-high and add meat, cooking for 3-5 min. Stir to separate. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the pasta, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 40 min. Cook and drain the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, and toss with tomato sauce. Serve with sprinkled Parmesan cheese.
Serve with a green salad and skip the bread!

Friday:
Baked Whitefish and leftover Lemon spinach rice

1 lb whitefish(whiting, tilapia whatever)
olive oil
salt and pepper
lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced garlic

Arrange fish in a buttered baking pan and salt and salt and pepper fish. Drop the garlic on and then drizzle olive oil and lemon juice over fish. Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes or until it flakes easily with a fork.
Sorry the menu has not been posted for a few weeks, but time has a way of getting away from me :) . Evie

Thurs..

Not a whole lot to report here. I am sad because I am losing my full time daycare kiddo. But the summer will bring lots more kids, and crazy income. So I am not going to worry too much. Gene is now refusing to purchase a mini-van..he says he needs a new vehicle more than I do. He is such a jerk sometimes.
Our garden is growing and the prospect of garden veggies looks pretty good! I hope to do more canning this year since we will have so many good things to eat. The spinch continues to thrive, even though it was planted as a fall crop. I guess it was the mild winter.
I am still gearing up for my booth at the 5K run for the preschool. I am excited to sell some of my yummy jam wares. I have a quite a few flavors this time around..and I could you use the money since I guess I will be buying a van on my own now.

Serious update

Well I have been gone for more than a week..but now I am back! I had to go to my parents house to take care of my mom after a minor surgery. She is fine..in fact she did not really need my help much at all. I ran a few errands for her and did some housework..and she managed to drive me crazy and I mananged to leave ealier than I planned on staying! That usually happens...I did stay for 5 days..a record for me since I ususally only last about 3.
In other news..I have been growing a cherry tomato plant over the winter. I rescued it from the compost pile last fall. Now its over 4 ft tall!

In a few weeks I will be moving it outside and staking it up.. I am guessing we will have cherry tomatoes before anyone else..yay!
Since I had to take Zach to my mom's for Easter, Gene and Zach and I dyed eggs befreo we left..it was very fun!
We used recycled yogurt containers for dying cups..and followed the directions on the food coloring box for making dyed eggs. Gene used an old wire hanger for making egg lifters. All of this saved us from buying a new egg dying kit, and saved us from getting yet another item made in another country.



The boys and I had a great time together.
Here is one of my mom and Zach:

And the most exciting news of all..our new family additions.
CHICKS AND DUCKS!
When we went to stay with my parents in Salina I took Zach to an easter egg hunt at a farm and garden store. They failed to tell folks that the prizes were chicks and ducks. Since many folks were unable to keep them we gladly told people we would take them. We now have 5 chicks and two ducks. My parents have chickens and we were able to keep them at thier house until we returned home.
Here are the little sweeties:



They are so cute and fun to have. Of course we named them all.
Ducks: Toot and Puddle
New Hampshire reds: Mariette and Juliet
Black Autralorp: Opal
Barred Plymouth rock: Tabitha
Gene is in the process of building a chciken coop for them, but they have to be under the light for a few more weeks.

I know I am behind in my meal planning, but I will get one posted by this afternoon.
Thanks for bearing with me. evie

Menu for next week, 5 meals each one under $10

Monday:

Spaghetti Carbonara:
1 pound spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 slices bacon, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
3 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pinch salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (can use dried)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb fresh asparagus cut and steamed

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti pasta until al dente. Drain well. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.
Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook chopped bacon until slightly crisp; remove and drain onto paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and heat in reused large skillet. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add wine if desired; cook one more minute.
Return cooked bacon to pan; add cooked and drained spaghetti. Toss to coat and heat through, adding more olive oil if it seems dry or is sticking together. Add beaten eggs and cook, tossing constantly with tongs or large fork until eggs are barely set. Quickly add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and toss again. Add salt and pepper to
taste (remember that bacon and Parmesan are very salty). Add cooked asparagus.
Serve immediately with chopped parsley sprinkled on top, and extra Parmesan cheese at table.

Spag: 1.29
OG Eggs 2.49 per DZ so .20 each use 3 eggs for .60
bacon sale price $1.99 use 5 pieces save rest for another meal so 1/2 pack 1.00
Aspargus 2.19 per lb
shredded parmesan cheese 2.49 about 6 uses from container so .42
Total meal cost: $5.50 or $1.37 per person for 4 ppl.

Tuesday:
Beans and Sausage stoup:
1lb smoked sausage cut into slices
1 15oz can black beans
1 15oz can red kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced dried onion(used because I had no fresh)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 bunch of fresh greens diced
1/2 bag dried macaroni
2 cups chicken broth.

Add a tablespoon of water to frying pan, add dried onions and sausage. Cook until sausage is slightly browned. Add to crock pot. Add remaining ingredients except pasta. Cook on high one hour, low until ready to add pasta. Add pasta cook on low for another ½ hour. Serve with warm bread.

Sauasge: 2.50
1 can organic red beans 1.29
1 can organic black beans 1.29
1 bag macaroni 1.29 use 1/2 so .65
1 can organic diced tomatoes 1.59
1 bag organic frozen spinach 2.19 use 1/2 bag so 1.09
TTL cost of meal: $8.41 for 6 servings or 1.40 per serving
This yields enough for dinner and a few bowls lunch too.

Wednesday:

Breakfast for dinner, always a big hit here!

Scrambled eggs
Remaining bacon
pancakes from a mix
cantaloupe

6 eggs at .20 each or 1.20
remaining bacon from package approx 1.00
pancakes from mix: mix cost 2.29 and we get about 8 uses per box so about .28
Light syrup: 1.50 we get about 8 uses from one bottle so .18
1 cantaloupe 1.68 we get 3 meal uses from one so .56
TTL cost for meal: 3.22 or .81 for 4 servings

Thursday:

Cheesy baked chicken and tomatoes:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs about 1 1/2-2 lbs
¼ cup flour
2 Tablespoon dried oregano or basil, divided
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
2 Tablespoons, olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
6 ounces, softened cream cheese
1/3 cup skim milk
1 Tablespoon, softened butter
½ cup, parmesan cheese


Combine flour, 1 Tablespoon of dried oregano, salt and paprika in a shallow dish. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Dredge each piece of chicken in flour mixture and place in heated skillet. Brown both sides of chicken and transfer chicken to a 9x13x2glass baking dish.
In the same skillet, sauté the onions, add the un-drained tomatoes and 1 Tablespoon of dried oregano. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine cream cheese, milk and butter. Spread the cream cheese mixture over each piece of chicken. Pour the tomato mixture over the cream cheese coated chicken and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Bake uncovered at 350° for at least 30 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Serve with cooked basmati rice and peas.

1/2 bag boneless skinless frozen chicken breast 4.99 so 2.50 (I buy a few bags when they go on sale at this price)
1 can organic diced tomatoes 1.59
1 brick of cream cheese 1.59
bagged organic peas 1.99
rice bulk (pantry)
milk (pantry)
TTL cost of meal $7.67 for 4 servings so 1.91 per serving

Friday:
BBQ Pork steaks
Butter noodles with spinach

Season pork steaks on both sides with salt and pepper. Broil on high on each side until cooked, cover with BBQ sauce and cook for an additional minute.

Butter Noodles:
one package egg noodles
parmesan cheese
garlic powder
salt and pepper
butter
parsley (dried or fresh)
6-8 0z fresh or frozen spinach

Boil noodles ans spinach for 7-8 minutes or until done. Drain. Place 3 tablespoons butter into pan. It will melt but do not place on heated burner. Add to the butter, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 tablspoon parsley, and 1/2 tsp salt and pepper each.
Add noodles and 2 tablspoons parmesan cheese, mix well with spoon.

Pork steaks 2 large steaks are enough for 4 or 5 ppl about $5.00
1 bttl BBQ sauce 2.29, we get about 3 meals from one so .76
16 oz bag of egg noodles 2.29
1/2 bag of leftover frozen spinach 1.09
butter 1/2 stick, one whole stick costs about .53 each so, .26
TTL cost for meal: 9.40 or 2.35 per serving.

The cost for week night meals: About $35.00, if you are on a budget of $75.00 this leaves $40 for other food and household needs! WOW..that's incredible. Some ppl spend that much on one take out meal alone. Goes to show a little planning can go a long way. Have a fantastic week folks. Evie

Great night

Well I had a great night last night. I was able to sell some jam at the co-op potluck last night. I made enough money to pay for my co-op purchases and still brought home $40 extra! I ended up making my chicken wraps to share and they were a huge hit with everyone, I brought home an empty pan. I am cleaning my house today because it has been so neglected..despite my effots to do some spring cleaning.