Nom nom nom

Day 9: What is your food philosophy?

I don't really have one except everything in moderation.  I wish it was a food philosophy I abided by all the time.  But, sometimes overindulgence wins!  I do ask my daughter to at least try new foods.  You never know what you are going to like if you don't try it.  She has to take a least one "no thank you" bite (if it's good for her, at least 3 bites).  She has discovered some stuff that she likes because of that suggestion.  Now, if that only worked for my husband.


Photo Day 9: Toy

My new "toy".  My new photo printer and it prints on CD's.  I haven't even got to use it yet.  

Paula's July Blog Challenge.

Menu Plan

I skipped last week's menu plan, because it was a CRAZY week.  Between the holiday, a funeral, and a snow day, nothing was normal.  I did cook, and we ate leftovers.  I am back this week.  This week I have prepared for the possible snow days/blizzard coming my way.  **On a side note - groundhog you are WRONG**  So, here it is...

Monday - Quesadillas or soup (family's choice)
Tuesday - Pot Roast (good comfort meal for blizzard night)
Wednesday - leftovers or Chicken alfredo bake
Thursday - Pork Chops
Friday - Stuffing Chicken in Crockpot
Saturday - leftovers
Sunday - The other choices from above choices.

I am keeping it easy and flexible.  Usually we have activities in the evening that doesn't allow us that much flexibilities when it comes to meals.

3 Musketeers Stuffed Triple Chocolate Cupcake

The title is a mouthful to say...

I had some leftover 3 musketeer hot cocoa minis from Christmas.  I decided instead of throwing them out, I would stuff them into cupcakes.  I used just a regular box cake mix that I had in the cabinet.  I used my pretty pink Kitchenaid mixer to prepare it according to the box directions.

I lined my brand new cupcake pan with cute little snowmen liners that were on sale after Christmas.  

I poured the batter about half way up and added the unwrapped minis to each cup (after, of course, I took a few photos of the chocolate).  I covered the minis with the remaining batter.

I slapped those bad boys in the oven for a quick 17 minute bake in the oven.

After taking them out of the oven and letting them cool completely...

I iced them with a chocolate cream icing.  I decorated one cupcake and had a little photo shoot with it.  

   

Menu for the Week

I did really good last week with the menu.  My family ate it and loved it.

This week is a weird week.  It's Valentine's week.  We don't go out for Valentine's Day so I had to plan for that day this week.

Monday (yesterday): Shake and Bake pork chops with green beans, baked beans, and mac and cheese

Tuesday (I knew it was supposed to snow): Roast and potatoes

Wednesday: Musical Theatre we eat out.

Thursday (Heart's Day): Lasagna, salad, garlic bread

Friday: Leftovers (I am sure we will have a ton)

Saturday: Anything goes

Sunday: Chicken tortilla bake

I also made cinnamon muffins already, banana blueberry oatmeal muffins (tomorrow), and oatmeal chocolate chip muffins again.  

I love cooking and baking at home.  It soothes me.  

Have a great week

Menu Planning

In order to help with our budget, I have been trying to get better at menu planning.  This week I am doing pretty good.  As tempting as it was to go out to eat last night since the hubby wasn't home, we didn't.  I have tried some new recipes this week for my family.  They are not at all shy about giving me feedback.  I need to tweak a few things in the new recipes when trying it again.  They ate what I fixed, but would have like it better had I "made it a little less ranch flavored".  My family did have some raves about the from scratch whole wheat soft dinner rolls I made.  Those I didn't think turned out well, but they LOVED them.

I love Pinterest because that is where I get a lot of recipes.  Also, I will just google search and pin to my boards.  I had to start a new board on stuff that we like, so I don't have to search through the hundred or so pins on my regular food board.  I need to split my food board into categories.  I have already put cakes and cupcakes in their own board along with cookies having their own board.  I love to bake.  I find it very soothing.  My husband and daughter are quite the picky eaters on way different things.  Like pasta...my husband will not touch the stuff.  E is getting tired of rice, but doesn't like potatoes (not my kid!).  Neither are big on vegetables.  I will pretty much eat anything.  I try to eat healthier now.  My only food aversions are: nuts, peanut butter (husbands fav), cheese, bananas, and pretty much any breakfast food.  There are some foods that I have texture issues with, but will eat if necessary (since I do the cooking I don't mind fixing myself a different meal).

My menu plan this week, was this:

Monday: Breakfast - chocolate chip oatmeal muffins Dinner: Shepard's Pie (must tweak onions and peppers)
Tuesday: Breakfast - muffins Dinner: Bacon Chicken Ranch (cut back on the ranch seasoning)
Wednesday: Breakfast - muffins (my kid really likes these) Dinner: out
Thursday: Breakfast - the last of the muffins or cereal Dinner: leftovers
Friday: Breakfast - donuts (yay Donut Friday) Dinner: sausage and peppers and chicken alfredo
Weekends are usually up in the air because of all the various activities.

I found the recipe for muffins here.
Bacon Chicken Ranch here. Crockpot recipe!!
Shepard's Pie here.

I will get better about taking/posting pictures of food.

I want to do a whole separate post on the rolls.  Really, I just want excuse to make them again.

Did I also mention I made triple chocolate brownies and strawberry cake batter rice krispy treats for an orchestra fundraiser?  What can I say...I love cooking/baking!!

I'm ready to plan my menu for next week...

Quests

So, I am on a quest to find the best chocolate chip cookie recipe.  I am thinking about trying the New York Times best chocolate chip cookie, but don't really want to have to commit 24 hours to it.  I made cookies to take to my new neighbors across the street.  I like trying new recipes for cookies.  I usually send them to hubby's work to be eaten.  I love Pinterest for the very reason of all the cookie recipes.  Some of my not-so-popular cookies have been the banana pudding cookie and the root beer float cookie.  People really enjoy the chocolate peanut butter cup cookies.  I might need to make a new batch of those.  I really want to make a lemon cookie of some sort.  I also want to make these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough bites. I am pretty positive my family will gobble these up.


My next quest is to get back to making crock-pot meals.  I live with two of the pickiest people ever!  Rarely can I make anything remotely healthy that they will eat.  My go-to recipe is chicken tacos.  chicken breasts (I use two and we always have leftovers), rotel, and a half a packet of taco seasoning mixed with 3/4 cup of water.  Four hours on high.  Yummy!!

Tomorrow I plan on going to the zoo to play around with my new camera I got for Christmas.  I just hope it is not too cold (I hate cold!)

I leave you with the cookies I made yesterday.