Calvin & Hobbes cartoon

LOL!

The best sugar cookie icing (WFMW)

I have looked this recipe up twice in the last two days, so I thought I'd post it here for safekeeping. This is the best icing-- it dries hard and shiny, which is great for decorated cookies that you're transporting to Christmas parties. Enjoy!

SUGAR COOKIE ICING:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk (keep adding spoonfuls until it's the right consistancy)
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon almond extract *This is the key to this recipe!
Optional: food coloring

Beat together the powdered sugar and the milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and vanilla until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick to work with, add a touch more corn syrup. Add in food coloring if desired. Use icing to paint cookies, or, my favorite method-- dip the cookie tops into bowls of colored icing. Let dry at room temperature- when dry cookies may be stacked for storage.

P.S. I decided to link this recipe up with the Works for Me Wednesday Christmas Edition, because I think it's a great recipe and very handy this time of year. Visit my main blog, Tiny Blessings, for my other WFMW tip regarding cards (what NOT to do) and having Christmas unwrapping supplies at the ready.

Menu Plan Monday 12/17

OK, time to get back to normal and actually have a plan this week-- I took last week off, and we ate whatever sounded good. That was nice for a change, but this week will be super-busy, so I need a plan! :)

MONDAY: Meatball Subs, homemade oven fries
TUESDAY: Pork Chop and Stuffing Casserole, green beans
WEDNESDAY: *new recipe* Slow Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken rice, stewed tomatoes
THURSDAY: Crockpot Ravioli ,salad, garlic bread
FRIDAY: BBQ Ribettes, corn
SATURDAY: Open.... out to eat or leftovers.
SUNDAY: Christmas party at my Grandma's- I'm taking my favorite Macaroni & Cheese with Tomatoes (I LOVE this stuff!) and mini cheesecakes.

Head on over to I'm An Organizing Junkie to share your menu
or see what others are eating this week!

No menu plan this week

Well, it's rare, but I'm not going to plan out all our menus for this week. We have all been sick at my house, and none of us are feeling too great yet. So, it's hard to tell who will be in the mood for what this week, not to mention that it's my husband's birthday on Wednesday (we'll eat out) and one evening we're planning to go Christmas shopping without the kids. I'll probably pull out a lot of family favorites (see sidebar) and I'm sure that my crockpot will be hard at work several times this week.

Menu Plan Monday 12/3

After the deal I got on chicken this week, you'll be seeing a lot of chicken (even more than usual) on our menus for the next few weeks! :)

• SUNDAY: Buffalo chicken subs, potato salad, carrots & celery
• MONDAY: roasted pork loin, some kind of potatoes, steamed broccoli
• TUESDAY: crockpot meatball subs (a family favorite), carrots & celery
• WEDNESDAY: *new recipe* Yummy & Comforting Chicken Tetrazzini, peas
• THURSDAY: I'm working really late-- DH and the kids will be on their own.
• FRIDAY: Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings (Not my usual recipe-- I got a deal on one of those premixed frozen crockpot dinners-- we'll see if it's any good!)
• SATURDAY: Left open, as usual, for meals we skipped or eating out.

Head on over to I'm An Organizing Junkie to share your menu

or see what others are eating this week!

Menu Plan Monday 11/26

I'm in the mood for familiar favorites this week- only one new recipe. The others have all been made many times in my kitchen, and a couple came from my mom originally.

SUNDAY: Copycat Beef Meximelts and Layered Taco Dip
MONDAY: *My Ham-Cheese Salad Spread on sandwiches with corn chowder (The corn chowder is a mix that my parents brought back for us from a trip they took last month- looks yummy!)
TUESDAY: *new recipe* Jolean's Crockpot Spanish Chicken over Noodles and asparagus tips

WEDNESDAY: my tater tot casserole, peas
THURSDAY: *My Mom's Crockpot Pizza, garlic bread, green beans
FRIDAY: *My Mom's BBQ Ribs (crockpot) and corn

*= you can find these recipe links in my sidebar!

Head on over to I'm An Organizing Junkie to share your menu
or see what others are eating this week!

Menu Plan, sorta

SUNDAY: We had this *new recipe* Season's Crockpot Chicken and Rice Soup (approx. 5pts per serving) and really liked it. It was warm comfort food- just what I needed.

Well, it's Sunday night as I'm posting this, and my schedule for the week has just taken an sudden turn. My dad is unexpectedly in the hospital (your prayers would be appreciated) and having an unplanned surgery sometime this week. This week will likely become a blur of running back & forth to the hospital and then running home to get quick meals.

So, I'm doing something I never do-- simply making a list of quick meals that can be made without much effort, based on what's in the house already:

• Turkey roll-ups (tortillas, turkey cold meat, cheese, ranch dressing), chips
• Breakfast for supper: eggs, hash brown potatoes, toast
• 7-layer taco dip and my "Hot Soup"~ (Combine 1 can each in saucepan and heat through: chicken rice soup, canned chicken, diced tomatoes, cream of mushroom soup, diced green chili peppers, and chicken broth. Season to taste with red pepper, dried minced onion, etc. Sprinkle shredded cheese and/or croutons in each bowl for serving.)
• Grilled cheese sandwiches and this yummy tomato-basil soup
• Baked chicken fingers, instant mashed potatoes, veggies

That's all I can think of off the top of my head (tommorow was supposed to be grocery day), but it will do for now.

As I said above, your prayers would be appreciated! I know that's a strange thing to be posting here on my cooking blog, but that's OK... any extra prayers will help!

Head on over to I'm An Organizing Junkie to share your menu

or see what others are eating this week!

Sausage Pizzaiola Subs- my way

Last Sunday, I wanted to make this Sausage Pizzaiola Subs recipe, but I didn't have the right ingredients on hand. So, I improvised, and we really enjoyed the results. Here's the recipe, done my way:

Amy's Sausage Pizzaiola Subs

1 lb. hot and spicy ground pork sausage

1 can diced tomatoes with peppers and onions (undrained)

1 large onion, sliced into rings

canned jalapeno pepper slices, to taste

hoagie buns= I got four large sandwiches out of this, using 8" buns

two slices provolone cheese per sandwich

• Brown sausage in skillet & drain grease. When browned, add in canned tomatoes/ pepper/ onions with juice and seasonings. Simmer until thickened.

• In another small skillet, saute onion rings with a small amount of olive oil. Season to taste with garlic-pepper and salt. Cook until onions become translucent and remove from heat.

• Meanwhile, toast buns under broiler. (I spritz mine with a bit of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray before toasting.) Top toasted buns with sausage mixture, then cheese, and pop back under the broiler for a few minutes to melt cheese. Finish off sandwiches with sauted onions and jalapeno slices. Enjoy!

I think this might also be good with some pepperoni or mushrooms added in. At any rate, it was easy and tasty!

"Gobble, Gobble" Carnival- fall desserts

g I wanted to participate in this fun Thanksgiving recent carnival, but today was just too busy for blogging long recipes. So, here are a couple of quick links to two wonderful fall treats:

The first is one of my personal favorites, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies- I just posted the recipe here a few weeks ago. I usually make a big batch of these to take to the various places we go on Thanksgiving.

The second link is a bonus- it's a link from my friend Sarah's blog-- it's for her Layered Pumpkin Loaf. I tasted it at her recent Stampin' Up party, and it's delicious. She just posted the recipe on her blog, and you won't want to miss it!

to c

I'm Not Martha... Thanksgiving Funny

For all of you coming to my home for Thanksgiving:

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Thanksgiving. I'm telling you in advance, so don't act surprised.

Since Ms. Stewartwon't be coming, I've made a few small changes: Our sidewalk will not be lined with homemade, paper bag luminaries. After a trial run, it was decided that no matter how cleverly done, rows of flaming lunch sacks do not have the desired welcoming effect.

The dining table will not be covered with expensive linens, fancy china or crystal goblets. If possible, we will use dishes that match and everyone will get a fork. Since this IS Thanksgiving, we will refrain from using the plastic Peter Rabbit plate and the Santa napkins from last Christmas.

Our centerpiece will not be the tower of fresh fruit and flowers thatI promised. Instead we will be displaying a hedgehog-like decoration hand-crafted from the finest construction paper. The artist assures me it is a turkey.

We will be dining fashionably late. The children will entertain you while you wait. I'm sure they will be happy to share every choicecomment I have made regarding Thanksgiving, pilgrims and the turkeyhotline. Please remember that most of these comments were made at 5:00 AM upon discovering that the turkey was still hard enough to cut diamonds.

As accompaniment to the children's recital, I will play a recording of tribal drumming. If the children should mention that I don't own a recording of tribal drumming, or that tribal drumming sounds suspiciously like a frozen turkey in a clothes dryer, ignore them. They are lying.

We toyed with the idea of ringing a dainty silver bell to announce thestart of our feast. In the end, we chose to keep our traditional method. We've also decided against a formal seating arrangement. When the smoke alarm sounds, please gather around the table and sit where you like. In the spirit of harmony, we will ask the children to sit at a separate table. In a separate room. Next door.

Now, I know you have all seen pictures of one person carving a turkey in front of a crowd of appreciative onlookers. This will not be happening at our dinner. For safety reasons, the turkey will be carved in a private ceremony. I stress "private", meaning: Do not,under any circumstances, enter the kitchen to laugh at me. Do not send small, unsuspecting children to check on my progress. I have an electric knife. The turkey is unarmed. It stands to reason that I will eventually win. When I do, we will eat.

Before I forget, there is one last change. Instead of offering achoice between 12 different scrumptious desserts, we will be serving the traditional pumpkin pie, garnished with whipped cream and small fingerprints. You will still have a choice: take it or leave it.

Martha Stewart will not be dining with us this Year. She probably won't come next year either. I Am Thankful!!!

I received this in an email forward. I've seen it before, but it still made me laugh out loud while reading it this morning, so I thought I'd share it!

Menu Plan Monday 11/12

I'm late, I'm late... LOL! I usually menu-plan on Sundays, but yesterday I was stamping and dealing with a sick child, so it's now Monday afternoon and I have no menu yet. DH and I are trying to get back on some sort of reasonable eating plan, so WW points are included when possible... ignoring, of course, the delicious but fattening subs we had last night. ;) This week is full of tried and true family favorites.

• SUNDAY: We had my version of Pizzaioli Sausage Subs.
• MONDAY: Low-fat Italian Chicken & Vegetable Packets (6pts) over alphabet pasta (3pts)
• TUESDAY: Easy Crockpot Burritos, fat-free refried beans,
• WEDNESDAY: broiled pork chops (2pts), some kind of potatoes, steamed broccoli (0pts)
• THURSDAY: So Easy Crockpot Pepper Steak (1lb meat, 4 servings= 5pts) over mashed potatoes (2pts)
• FRIDAY: Calzones (6pts each, including crust) and carrot sticks (0pts)
• SATURDAY: I always leave Saturdays open for meals we skipped during the week or eating out.
  
  

Head on over to I'm An Organizing Junkie to share your menu
or see what others are eating this week!

*Attention scrappers, card makers, and stampers: check out my new weekly meme!

* And check out my main blog for Christmas shopping ideas from the Christmas Shopping Carnival!

Menu Plan Monday 11/5

As usual, I'm actually posting this on Sunday.

NOTES FROM LAST WEEK: I finally got around to trying the Macaroni & Cheese with Tomatoes from a few weeks ago.... wow! It was so good, I may replace my old favorite Macaroni & Cheese recipe! Also on last week's menu were the Sausage Melts... another winner. Those were SO good and easy.

Here's the plan for this week~ it's not as detailed as usual since I'm not trying any new recipes. :)

SUNDAY: leftovers

MONDAY: My Crockpot Vegetable Soup and Sandwiches

TUESDAY: Sweet & Sour Chicken over Jasmine Rice, Pineapple Chunks, Steamed Veggies

WEDNESDAY: Roasted Turkey Breast, Stuffing, Gravy, Steamed Broccoli (Didn't have this last week- we ordered pizza instead!)

THURSDAY: BBQ Ribettes, Corn, Hash Brown Potatoes

FRIDAY: Hamburgers, Homemade Oven Baked Fries, Carrots & Celery

Head on over to I'm An Organizing Junkie to share your menu

or see what others are eating this week!

Attention scrappers, card makers, and stampers: check out my new weekly meme!

New Turkey Recipe (joke!)

This was actually an email forward that my sister sent me, but it was just too funny for me not to share this new "recipe"!


NEW TURKEY RECIPE


Your dinner will be the talk of the TOWN!!
You should try this!
Sure to bring smiles from your guests!
Here is a new way to prepare your Thanksgiving Turkey.
1. Cut out aluminum foil in desired shapes.
2. Arrange the turkey in the roasting pan, position the foil carefully. (see attached picture for details)
3. Roast according to your own recipe and serve.
4. Watch your guests' faces... >


Scrappers, stampers, and card makers: check out my new weekly meme, Sunday Scrappin'!

Slow Cooking Thursday: French Dip Sandwiches

This is one of my favorite sandwiches. You don't taste the beer at all, but the meat comes out tender and juicy.

French Dip Sandwiches
1 3-4lb roast
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 bottle of beer (your choice, though I wouldn't use a dark one)
4-6 hoagie rolls
Optional: cheese (we like provolone), peppers, onions


Place roast in crockpot, sprinkle in soup mix, and then pour beer over top. Cook on low all day (6-8 hours). Shred meat with a fork and serve on hoagie rolls.

Use the juice as a dip,"au jous" style.

Optional: We like to serve these with sauted peppers and onions and slices of provolone or other kinds of cheese on toasted buns.

Check out Diary of a SAHM for more Slow Cooking Thursday recipes!

Goodbye to the Pink

It was fun turning my blog pink in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, but today I'm changing over to a template that's a little more "me". I'm sure there will be tweaking and modifications in the days to come, but so far, I'm happy with my new look!

Linkage: Kraft 1 Bag, 5 Dinners

Mandy at Biblical Homemaking planned her menu this week using this neat site from Kraft: One Bag, Five Dinners. I'd never seen this site before, but I really like it. It gives you an entire week of dinner menus made from one bag of groceries. Like Mandy, I'd be making a few substitutions and using generics, but overall, some of those menus look really good. I'm sure you'll be seeing some of these meals on my menus soon!


P.S. This blog is PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness month!

Menu Plan Monday 10/29

Yep, I'm actually posting this on Sunday... I don't know if I'll have time later tonight or tommorow! ;)

NOTES FROM LAST WEEK: I wound up creating my own Ham & Hash Brown Casserole recipe instead of using the one I'd picked out-- I posted my version here. The Crockpot Beef & Noodles would have been boring as written, but with added onions, celery, and mushrooms, it was OK. And I didn't get to make the Pizza Casserole... I'll save that one for another time.

Here's this week's plan:

• SUNDAY: *new recipe* Sausage Melts and hash brown potatoes
  
• MONDAY: *new recipe* Quickie Chicken and Noodles with biscuits and peas (I got a bag of homemade noodles last week at the local turkey farm... they will be perfect for this!)
  
• TUESDAY~ Trick or Treat Night: Chef's Salads with Spicy Chicken Strips; Tortilla Soup (here's my recipe) in the crockpot; and maybe some of our favorite corn bread
  
• WEDNESDAY: Zesty Italian Roast (including potatoes and onions) with green beans
• THURSDAY: Roast Turkey Breast, Stuffing, Gravy, Corn, Pumpkin Pie
  
• FRIDAY: *One of my favorites*: Ham, Potatoes, and Green Beans in the Crockpot
• SATURDAY: Eating out-- family party.

Head on over to I'm An Organizing Junkie
to share your menu or see what others are eating this week!


P.S. This blog is PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness month! It's been fun being pink, but I'll be changing to a new template later this week. :)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my favorite fall cookies! I got this recipe off the internet a few years ago, unfortunately I don't remember the original source. I'm making a batch this morning to take to my daughter's preschool program.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 (15oz.) can pumpkin
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsps cinnamon (I use a little more)
• 4 tsps baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda dissolved in 2 tsp of milk
• 1 12oz. bag of chocolate chips
  
• Preheat oven to 375. Mix pumpkin, sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and milk mixture and set aside. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; after sifting combine with pumpkin mixture. Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet & bake for 10-15 minutes.
  
  This blog is PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness month!

Crockpot Ham & Hash Browns- my way

I had a couple of different recipes for ham/hash brown casseroles that I was considering yesterday. Then I decided it would simplify things if I just threw something into my crockpot. I didn't have a recipe for exactly what I wanted, so this is what I came up with:

Amy's Crockpot Ham & Hash Browns

1 28oz bag diced hash browns with peppers & onions
1 1-lb. package diced ham (fully cooked)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 tsp. garlic pepper
1 tsp. onion powder

Stir everything together in crockpot and cook on low for 3-4 hours.

That's it! It was easy to throw together. It could have used some more seasoning, or maybe some more chopped onions... but at any rate, it was good comfort food. My husband had ketchup on his (ick!) and then topped it with jalapeno peppers.

This blog is PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness month!