PLANNING OUR MENU

How did you do using something from your freezer this week, and making note of what you have in there?
(Lindsay told me that I have the meat that I need for Sunday's dinner in HER freezer.  That's a $15.00 savings for me this week :)

Do you have a 30 DAYS/30 MEALS plan?  (I still only have 14 meals on my list.  My expectations are really high for a permanent spot :) 
Do you have a 30 Days/30 Meals plan?  What are some of your favourite, easy, cheap or convenient recipes that qualify?  We would love for you to share with us.

SATURDAY-  I adapted an easy recipe from Melissa d'Arabian's show, "Ten Dollar Dinners" on Food Network.  The Huevos Ranchero recipe is below.  It was good, fast, and easy.
SUNDAY-  (This is one of my favourite Sunday dinners because it is soo easy.)  Navajo Tacos with scones bought from SCONE CUTTERS on Saturday.  I also made a new dessert that was a hit.  I found SOPIAPILLIOS CHEESECAKE BARS at "Lick The Bowl Good".  This recipe was EASY.  (Not too cheap, and I do not usually have crescent rolls in the fridge.) 
I put the extras in the fridge over night, and they were good the next day.  Not so good the third day.  Cold and at room temp.  (The top was still crisp.)  I also enjoyed these with a honey drizzle.  We will serve these with fresh fruit at the side next time.
This is my second recipe from her blog in the last 2 weeks. 
MONDAY- Doug and I had left over Navajo Tacos.  (I am so glad my husband likes left overs :)
TUESDAY- Everyone went to IHOP for free pancake night- except for Me and Doug.  I made what was on my menu plan for today.  I made "12 14 Cloves of Garlic Pasta" from "Stirring The Pot"  (kind of far down the page).
I really liked this.  The flavour and colour were great.  I will make this again.
I think next time I will cook the bacon and then remove it.  (We wanted it crispier.)  Then I will cook the garlic in the pan with 1 tea. butter and 1 tea. olive oil. (Just to make it healthier.) (Oh man.  The fresh basil does not show.)

WEDNESDAY - I had a recipe from my 30 Days/30 Meals list, but Hilary picked up PANDA EXPRESS for everyone to help with a cousin's fundraiser.  it was fun because we ended up having almost everyone here for a (disappointed) basketball game.
THURSDAY - I had a recipe planned for Wed., but found a new one I wanted to try.  Immediately.
I ended up making it today.  I loved it.  The meat had a great flavour.  (It marinated for 29 hours.)  Some of the taste testing kidults thought the lemon was too strong in the pasta.  I did not.  (Neither did Doug and some other kidults.)  We liked this so much that I put it on my 30 Day/30 Meals list. 
I found Lemon Chicken Pasta over at Creations By Kara (via Mel's Kitchen Cafe- which I also read)
(My chicken breast were really large so I only needed 2.  Instead of 2 table. olive oil, I used 1 teas. butter and 1 teas. olive oil.)
FRIDAY - (Usually we have Pizza Friday (like much of the blog world:), but I was gone (Ah, freedom) most of the day.  So we had Thursday planned overs.
SATURDAY - Lots of the family came over for the basketball game (our team won) and so we did Cafe' Rio salads.  (We really do not eat out this much.  Strange week.)

We have big family brunches at least 4 times a year.  And Doug and I like breakfast for dinner, so I am always on the lookout for breakfast ideas.  This is an easy one we will save.

HUEVOS RANCHEROS
I adapted this from "Ten Dollar Dinners"

about 2 table. melted butter/margarine

6  8 inch flour tortillas- thin style
1 can diced tomatoes with chipotles-undrained (about 16 oz.)
1 can black beans- rinsed and drained (about 16 oz.)
6 eggs
grated Monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese
salt and/or pepper to taste

For this recipe I use an over sized (large) muffin pan.  I do not spray it. 
Brush both sides of each tortilla with melted butter, sprinkle the outer 2 inches of the inside with kosher salt, and make a pleat on 2 opposite sides of your tortilla and set in the muffin cup.

Mix the beans and tomatoes.  Put about 2 table. in each tortilla cup.

In a sprayed skillet, fry 6 eggs to barely, or not quite, over very easy.  Then put an egg in each tortilla cup.
Bake 8 mins. at 400*.
Remove and top with the grated cheese.
Put back in the oven and bake 5-6 min.. 
May cover with foil if it looks like it is getting to dark.  Mine was fine.)

Can serve with the usual.  Guacamole, sour cream, salsa...

These were really easy and I had everything on hand,  A bonus =) 
I added corn and cilantro to the extra bean, tomato mix and used it for salsa over the week end.  You can also use it to make one of our fast, easy recipes, Corn Tortilla Bake.  (This is on our 30 Days/30 Meals list.)

THIS IS WHAT I AM MAKING TODAY!

I am making this today during a basketball game.  Logan saw the pictures and can hardly wait to plat pirates.  (He is 3 and he really likes Jake and the Neverland Pirates, too.) The boys will get hours (and days) of playtime from it.

4 Crazy Kings: Kids Craft: A Pirate's Life For Me...  THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS EASY, CHEAP AND FUN IDEA.  THIS IS HER PICTURE!

HAPPY MARCH FORTH! (FOURTH)

 I found this idea last year over at Prudence Pennywise's food blog (http://prudencepennywise.blogspot.com/) - and loved it.  I did not need to write it down because it lodged deeply in my brain. 

MARCH FORTH - the perfect day to grab hold of the day and accomplish some of those things that we have been procrastinating!  WHAT CAN I GET DONE?  Make a list and share with us if you would like to. 
Take a pat on the back, high five and thumbs up, if you decide to participate.
Thank-you Prudence Pennywise for a motivating idea!

I (finally) got the mistletoe taken down.
Got a package mailed.
Fed Exed a phone that needed to be returned.
Went thru all the toys in the playroom.  Got rid of of a bunch of them.
Caught up on cutting out coupons (and reading the paper).
Went thru videos and got rid of a lot.
And switched my fall/winter throw pillows for the spring/summer pillows in the family room.  (I do hope it is spring.)
Successful March Forth.

DO YOU WANT TO PLAY?

Usually on Thursday I post a tried and true recipe.  I got it ready last night and realized that when I made it, I had not taken a picture:(   Luckily Doug loves it so I will make it this weekend.
  
So... I decided I would respond to some comments-and start a game.

I have heard from several people saying they want to play our walking game.  Here is my plan.
If you want to play

#1  Be a follower.
#2  Decide that you want to walk more each day than you normally would EVERY DAY IN MARCH.  You do not need to buy a pedometer if it is not in your budget.  Run up and down the stairs more times a day.  Walk around the block a couple of times...  You get it.  (We all try for the recommended 10,000 steps a day.)
#3  Commit by posting your name on THIS post.  (You are welcome to leave a comment, too.)
#4  Be consistent (and honest).

I will do a random.org drawing on 15 March and 31 March for a small, health related prize.  (It has to be small to fit in my budget :-) 

Everyone and anyone (that is a follower) is invited. 
Happy walking!

(I am posting another post tonight that you might want to read before you plan your day tomorrow.)

WHAT I BUY WEDNESDAY

Last week we talked about cleaning garbage disposals.  There were comments and ideas and I decided
to re-post about a cleaner that I really like.

LEMI SHINE - A hard water remover sold at Walmart for under $4.oo. It really works great. It is made for dishwashers, and made mine look new.

I also tried the recipe for cleaning drains. Into my kitchen sink I poured (in order) 1/3 cup LEMI SHINE, 1/4 cup baking soda and 2 cups water. I don't know if it cleaned the drain, but the explosion was cool. After the foam goes away, rinse drain well.
I also tried the spray, which worked great! In a squirt bottle mix 1/8 cup LEMI SHINE and 8 oz. of water. Spray on surface. Let set if desired and rinse well. CAUTION - Test to see if spray will cause damage in a small area. Although this worked amazingly well on my bathroom granite, it seems to have left a whitiesh look. It worked super on shower doors.
(from my 7/17/10 post)

UPDATE-  Vinegar is supposed to be great for hard water deposits. 
Here is my horror(ible) story.  As I began to recover from my surgery, and wanted to take on house jobs, I tackled the hard water deposits that had accumulated around the faucet handles.  I put white vinegar on a damp rag and worked on the hard water spots.  It was working.  But then, I decided it would be easier if it pre-soaked.  I soaked the rag and set it around the handle.  Several hours later I found, to my horror, the vinegar had etched the pattern of the rag into my granite.  Thoroughly traumatized, I have still not finished the job.
There is a moral.  Don't let the deposits build up - even if you are not allowed to use your arms to clean. And, do not blame anyone else for this.  You should have tried it on a small (hidden) area.  All directions tell us that, and we should have read them.  (I am so sad (and embarrassed) about this that I can not even post a picture :(
(Vinegar still works great in laundry, dishwashers...)

Next week- How I extend the life of a product I use daily.    

10 THINGS THAT MADE ME HAPPY THIS WEEK

WELCOME TO SHAYLEI HALLING, OUR NEWEST FOLLOWER!  THANK -YOU.

"Happiness is not a destination you arrive at, but a manner of traveling."  Margaret Lee Runbeck

13 February - 27 February, 2011

#1  Doug used 1 of his left over vacation days from last year.  He took Tuesday off, giving us a 4 day holiday together.

#2  We got a pre-paid Visa card for Christmas from Doug's parents.  Doug also still has his birthday birthday money from his birthday in August.  And his birthday money from his birthday in August, 2009.  (I know.  Weird, huh?  That's Doug.  Few needs and easy going.)  Anyway I wondered if he wanted 2 new suits at a buy one-get one free sale, and he did.  (The truth is this- .Doug is not a clothes-or spend money on clothes man.  We have been married 32 years.  In all that time he has gotten 1 new suit.  His mom bought it for him (custom made) in Hong Kong when they picked his sister up from her LDS mission there.  She got home in 1989.  (No, he is not still wearing it.)
Since then we have bought suits from thrift stores.  (The last one was when Lindsay got married in Sept., 2005.)
I still need to hem them.  To frugal to pay for that.

#3  On Monday (President's Day) Emily and Hilary used their deals and coupons to take the family to "Incredible Pizza", which has now changed hands and is "Planet Play".  (If you have coupons, use them quick while they are still being honored.)  We had a really fun afternoon.  Logan, Layne, Lincoln and Ari participated in the dance contest.  We had no clue that they would dance for 1/2 an hour, but they ALL stuck with it.  They were each rewarded with a $3.00 game card.  Layne played "THE CLEW" game and won a very big monkey(?).  
Very fun day.  Thank-you Emily and Hilary.

#4  One night I was watching t.v. (Blue Blood.  What can I say.  I like crime shows.  I was reading my father's childhood Frank and Joe Hardy books by 7.)  Any way, there was someone that looked familiar.  And older.  I could not place it, so I re-wound it and asked Doug.  He did not know, BUT the next morning when I woke up, he told me what show the guy had been on.  (He had remembered in the night.)  AND HE WAS RIGHT.  (He had never watched that 10 year old show either.) 

We are the part of each other that is missing.  I am so happy we have each other.  We each think we got the better deal.

 #5  On Wednesday we enjoyed a great play date at FREE ZOO DAY.  Leslie did all the work pulling the wagon since both Lindsay and I have had surgery.  Thank-you, Leslie.

#6  We really enjoyed the RUSTIC TOMATO TART that I made last week.  It was fun to make the free hand tart crust, and the tart was so good.

#7  GUESS WHAT!  Emily won an IPAD from KSL television.  She was watching the news while she was getting ready for work on Friday, and they asked what you would not give up in this down economy.  She emailed that she would not give up her daily deals/discount coupons.  They read her response on the air - and said she won an IPAD.  (She needed that.  And of course she is thrilled.)
She and Logan took TRAX downtown that afternoon to get it.

#8  I tried 2 new successful recipes this week-end.  Both of them are ones I will keep.  I will share them on Saturday with the "PLANNING OUR MENU" post.  (A main dish/breakfast and a dessert.)

#9  Do you watch "Amazing Race"?  We do.  It is a family game/activity.  This week they were in Australia, and one challenge had the teams dressed as kangaroos - and wearing cool shoes with rollers that helped them to bounce.  It was so funny - and fun.  It was especially fun when there were several teams together forming a TROOP or MOB (yea, I looked it up :).  We were all laughing. A lot.  (We missed you, Christy.)

#10  Even though I can not drive, yet, I have my van back.  (Yea, another $450.00 in car repairs.)  But it is back.

WELCOME MARCH & SOMETHING NEW FOR THE GIVE AWAY BASKET

IT'S MARCH!
NO, I am not putting a pedometer in the give away basket.
Some of my kidults and I, and 2 of my sisters and a friend of my sister,  are starting a fun challenge today.
We have all bought pedometers and are ready to start walking.  Even Logan wants to "play".  He used $5.00 of his birthday money to buy an inexpensive "nomiter" at Wal-mart.  It is not accurate :) 
The one we bought was from Amazon and rated highly at several sources.  Because I ordered more than $25.00, the shipping was free.  It took less than 1 week to get here.  (When we ordered ours it was $23.00.  Now it looks like it is $19.99.)
My kidults and I are each putting $5.00 in for the person with the most March steps.  (Incentive, not gambling ;)  I will also be doing some other little contests and prizes for our group.

To help you play with us (sort of) I am putting a $5.00 STARBUCKS card in "MY FAVOURITE THINGS" basket.  (A healthy treat while you are out.) 
I will do a 'random.org" drawing when I have 60 Dear Followers (*_*)