Big Brother 9 Finale

Can you believe that Adam won? Over Ryan?? I was a little surprised at how the final vote went (6-1), but I had a feeling Adam was going to win after watching the jury's questions earlier in the program last night. Before that, though, I'd have thought Ryan had it hands down-- I think he was a better player and he won more competitions. But, as they say, it's Big Brother, so you never know what will happen. Edited to add: This post was supposed to appear over on my main blog, but somehow I posted it here instead! Since it already has comments here I guess I'll just leave it as is, LOL! :)

Menu Plan Monday 4/28

Another crazy mixed-up week ahead.... DH & I are both working different hours than usual, and a couple of nights we won't all be eating together. Why do I have a feeling that this is just foreshadowing what's ahead when our kids are old enough to be lots of activities? :)

MONDAY: My Crockpot Potato Soup & ham sandwiches

TUESDAY: *new recipe* Slow Cooker Enchiladas, corn

WEDNESDAY: Zesty Italian Roast in the Crockpot, parslied potatoes, green beans

THURSDAY: broiled pork chops, macaroni & cheese, peas

FRIDAY: *new recipe* Savory Sweet Crockpot Chicken, noodles, mixed veggies

Visit the home of Menu Plan Monday for more great menus & ideas!

Baking with Amish Starter

I'm baking today.... wish me luck. I joke about the fact that I can cook nearly anything, but baking is definitely not my forte. But, today is day ten of the Amish starter that has been circulating among my friends at work, so today I must bake. If it comes out well, I'll come back later and share some pictures. :) Edited to add: it came out great, but we ate it all before I remembered to take a picture- sorry! :)

Menu Plan Monday 4/21

NOTES FROM LAST WEEK: The crockpot Pizza Potatoes were a flop... DH called me before I even got home from work to say that nobody would eat them, and I wound up picking up pizza on the way home. :( The crockpot chicken and stuffing was good, but a the stuffing got a little mushy... next time I'll cut back on the liquids a bit.

This week we're having all tried and true recipes that I know my family enjoys.

• MONDAY: our favorite beef enchiladas, stewed tomatoes
• TUESDAY: mozzarella hot sauce chicken, steamed veggies, my red smashed potatoes
• WEDNESDAY: crockpot round steak and gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans
• THURSDAY: our favorite crockpot spaghetti sauce, garlic bread, steamed broccoli
• FRIDAY: sour cream salsa crockpot chicken, rice, stewed tomatoes

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and see what others are cooking this week.

My Red Smashed Potatoes

This is how I make 'em.... and all measurements are approximate, because I never really measure anything. ;)

AMY'S RED SMASHED POTATOES
1/2 bag red potatoes
1/2 stick of butter
1 onion, chopped
a generous splash of milk (maybe half a cup)
1 large handful of shredded cheddar cheese (maybe a cup or so)
2-3 TBSP dried parsley (or sometimes I use green onions if I have them)

Wash potatoes and cut into halves or quarters (don't peel). Place potatoes and onions in a large pot with water to cover. Boil under potatoes are fork-tender and drain well. Add in milk and butter, stir. With large spoon or potato masher, mash about half of the potatoes, leaving the rest in large chunks. Stir in cheese and parsley, serve and enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday 4/14

Another week with DH home on vacation and me working some weird hours.... I think I've got it all worked out, though. :)

NOTE FROM LAST WEEK: Kim's Pork Loin with Apples in the Crockpot recipe was wonderful. DH requested it again soon, which is a high compliment from someone who isn't all that crazy about pork. :) Thanks, Kim!

MONDAY: cheddarwurst, my smashed red potatoes (recipe to follow this entry), peas

TUESDAY: eating out :)

WEDNESDAY: *new recipe* crockpot chicken & stuffing, steamed broccoli

THURSDAY: *new recipe* pizza potatoes in the crockpot, salad (New recipe from a friend... if it's good, I'll type it up and post it later this week!)

FRIDAY: our favorite beef enchiladas, stewed tomatoes

Share your own menu and see what others are eating this week at Menu Plan Monday!

Menu Plan Monday 4/7

It's going to be another busy week in my house.... I'll be making use of my beloved crockpot to help us stay away from fast food.

SUNDAY: broccoli soup, garlic bread

MONDAY: my recipe for General Tso's chicken, stir-fry veggies, rice

TUESDAY: DH and I are actually going out-- whoo hoo! :) We'll be eating at the ball park (local city team, a league below MLB). The kids and sitter will likely have chicken nuggets and macaroni, or something similar.

WEDNESDAY: *new recipe* Kim's Crockpot Pork Loin with Apples and parslied potatoes

THURSDAY: *new recipe* Crockpot Beef Stroganoff , green beans, biscuits

FRIDAY: broiled pork chops, stuffing, steamed broccoli

SATURDAY: pepperoni stromboli (my grandma's recipe-- to be posted later this week) and tossed salad

Check out other's menus and share your own at Menu Plan Monday!

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

I got up and baked ice cream cone cupcakes at 6:30am on Wednesday for my daughter's birthday celebration at her preschool class. I had read that these ice cream cone cupcakes can get soggy after several hours, so I was afraid to do them the night before. I also managed to make the blue and yellow swirled icing to match her Scooby Doo napkins. I was pretty happy with them- baking is not my forte! :)

TIP: These cupcakes are top-heavy in their cones, and tip easily. (I redid the icing on some a few times!) What finally worked for me was putting a small blob of icing on the bottom of the cones, then standing them up on a waxed paper-lined cardboard tray from a case of Frappucino. I then taped plastic forks upright along the edges, and put plastic wrap over top of the forks so it wouldn't smoosh the icing. It wasn't the most elegant mode of transportation, but it worked great! :)

Chicken Fingers & Potato Wedges: Frequent Repeat

Forgive the repeat, but I wanted to bring this entry from my old cooking blog to this blog for easy reference on how I make chicken fingers.

October 4, 2006

Do you have some menus in your house that you repeat over and over again? I do. As much as I LOVE to try new recipes, sometimes I just want one of my favorite meals.

One of my favorites is what I made last night: chicken fingers, baked homemade fries, and steamed broccoli. I vary the seasonings slightly, but the basic menu is the same. It's a meal I never get tired of.

Last night, I did everything with ranch. I took chicken breasts, cut them into strips, and marinated them in ranch dressing in a ziplock bag for a few hours. Then I threw in a lot of dried parsley (I use it often and buy it in bulk) and about half a tube of crushed Ritz crackers. I dumped that out into a 9x13" casserole, and topped it with the rest of the tube of crushed crackers.

Then I chopped up 4-5 potatoes, and shook them in a ziplock with olive oil and dry ranch dressing mix. I put them on a foil-lined cookie sheet that was sprayed with non-stick spray... the only problem with these potatoes is that they often stick to the pan!

I popped both pans into the oven on 375 for 45 minutes. After they were done, I steamed some broccoli in the microwave, and dinner was served!