4/25/11 Menu

Wow! Classes are over . . . yay!!!!

Unfortunately, when I went back to work and back in my scrubs it was obvious by the bulges that I had indulged in a few too many free bagels and muffins while in class.

Oh well, such is life . . .

After taking a vow of healthy eating, I am ready to get back to menu planning and cooking!

Monday - Salisbury steaks, mashed potatoes, green beans

Tuesday - Mushrooms and Eggs, Biscuits and Gravy

Wednesday - Taco Salad

Thursday - Swiss steaks, buttered potatoes, spinach and strawberry salad

Friday - Deep dish pizza

Recipes I will highlight this week: Salisbury steaks, mushrooms and eggs and deep dish pizza

Love Me

3/6/11 Menu

Spring is just around the corner . . . ahhhh.

But just when life should be slowing down, my work schedule is getting more complicated.

I would bring out my crock pot to help . . . but it didn't fair so well after it fell from the tower of clean dishes in the dish strainer.

It looks like I am in the market for a new crock pot, but who has time to shop?

Monday - chicken and gnocchi soup, spaghetti and meatballs

Tuesday - brown sugar BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole

Wednesday - dilly egg salad and chips, fruit

Thursday - Chicken fettucini Florentine, salad

Friday - steak and onions, lentils with mushrooms and bacon, dinner rolls, green beans

Saturday - deli meat sandwiches, chips and cottage cheese

Recipes I will highlight this week: chicken and gnocchi soup, lentils with mushrooms and onions

Love Me

2/28/11 Menu

I got a good deal on a big package of cubed steaks! The boys can look forward to meaty meals this week!

Monday - chili with Fritos

Tuesday - country fried steak, mashed potatoes, peas

Wednesday - meatball subs. chips, fruit, applesauce brownies

Thursday - round steak supreme, sweet potatoes, salad

Friday - chicken fettucini florentine, garlic bread

Saturday - Basketball State Finals!!!

Recipes I will highlight this week: chicken fettucini florentine, and applesauce brownies

Love Me

2/21/11 Menu

Daddy and Me on Uncle Gene's horse, Kansas.

One of two times I have ever been on a horse!

Monday - Fish fillets, macaroni and cheese

Tuesday - Fried chicken strips, gravy, dinner rolls, broccoli florets

Wednesday - BBQ beef sandwiches, scalloped potatoes, peas

Thursday - eat out on way to away game

Friday - chili with Fritos

Saturday - Eggs Benedict (low cal version), low sugar peach-oatmeal bars

Recipes I will highlight this week: low sugar peach-oatmeal bars and low cal eggs benedict

Love Me

2/14/11 Menu

Monday - salsbury steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, fresh baked bread

Tuesday - salsbury steak, buttered bread, cottage cheese

Wednesday - Hot Pockets before church

Thursday - salsbury steak, biscuits, applesauce

Friday - salsbury steak, bread sticks, corn

I think we are in a rut.

Recipes I will highlight this week: salsbury steak . . . I am kidding!

Love Me

1/31/11 Menu

Megan looking stylish while keeping house.

Proof that Levi knows how to wash dishes but just chooses not to wash dishes.

The other day someone asked me what it was like living with all boys now.

It is different . . . definitely different.

Here are some differences bullet style:

• I never walk in the house and find that the dishes have been done.
• I am the only one who feeds the cats.
• We watch ESPN . . . a lot.
• We eat more meat.
• I have not found a bobby pin on the floor or in the laundry for weeks.
• Unless I want to smell like a man, I have no one's body wash to borrow when mine runs out.
• I haven't shaved my legs with a girl razor in weeks.
• Did I mention we watch ESPN . . . a lot.
• Scooby now has his own place at the table.

Monday - Frozen pizza

Tuesday - Swiss steak, egg noodles, peas

Wednesday - spaghetti and garlic bread

Thursday - Ham, au gratin potatoes, green beans

Friday - Manwich, twice baked sweet potatoes

Saturday - Turkey ManHattan, peas

Recipes I will highlight this week: Swiss Steak, twice baked sweet potatoes, and raspberry jelly roll.

Love Me

1/10/11 Menu

Weather forecasters are predicting a winter storm for our area tomorrow which means Walmart was packed today with people grocery shopping. You know, stocking up on the staples . . .

. . . bread and milk. Because heaven forbid you get snowed in without any bread and milk.

I can think of a lot worse things to be snowed in without - toilet paper for one. Although I have never seen Charmin being hauled out of Walmart in mass quantities during the threat of snow. Oddly enough I did hear that strawberry jello sells out in some areas when snow is predicted.

I don't quite understand that one.

For me, however, being snowed in without some form of chocolate would induce a severe case of cabin fever within hours. So today, I skipped the bread and went straight for the brownie mix.

Although I am fairly confident that the weathermen are once again overreacting, I am now stocked with milk and brownie mix.

Let it snow!

Monday - chili with Fritos, left-over cheese cake bites

Tuesday - spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, spinach salad with oil and vinegar dressing

Wednesday - California baked beans, cottage cheese

Thursday - chicken fettucini with vegetables, crescent rolls

Friday - eat out on the way to Joel's basketball game

Saturday - baked chicken, green bean casserole, Au gratin potatoes

Recipes I will highlight this week: snow ice cream, blonde brownies, sour dough bread starter.

Love Me

9/7/10 Menu

I am hoping for more fall-like weather this week because I am in the mood for soup and comfort food made in the crock pot!

Monday - spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, salad
Tuesday - BBQ beef sandwiches, Doritos, applesauce, celery w/cream cheese, chocolate chip cookies
Wednesday - chicken corn soup with rivels (before church)
Thursday - chili with peanut butter sandwiches, oatmeal raisin cookies
Friday - eat out after Joel's game
Saturday - french toast (breakfast/brunch) potato soup, cheesy spinach croissants

Recipes I will highlight this week: french toast, apple cake

Love Me

8/30/10 Menu

Busy week this week - it seems all of us are going in different directions! Hopefully we will all meet up around the supper table at least a couple times this week.

Monday - Date night with Joel! He and I ate at Subway - Joel's favorite (well second to Long John Silvers).
Tuesday - Shepherd's Pie, applesauce, buttered bread, simple spinach salad with ranch dressing
Wednesday - grilled cheese and tomato soup
Thursday - Swiss steak in the crock pot (using the last of our venison tenderloin), green beans, brown and serve rolls
Friday - Eat out after Joel's soccer game
Saturday - Brian's family reunion - take zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, and banana nut bread

Recipes I will highlight this week: Shepherd's pie, zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, and banana nut bread (made from basic bread recipe).

8/23/10 Menu

After 4+ hours cleaning the kitchen, refrigerator, and pantry, I now finally feel on top of things again!

Hooray! for a clean kitchen!

Monday - turkey Manhattan, frozen corn, left-over German chocolate cake
Tuesday - crockpot meatballs and rice, cheesy spinach croissants, and salad
Wednesday - egg salad sandwiches, chips, dill pickle spears (before church)
Thursday - venison stew with biscuits, fruit cup and cookies
Friday - birdnests (lunch) eat out after Mitch McVicker concert
Saturday - Family Reunion! Take cornbread salad and fruit tray!

Recipes I will highlight this week: cheesy spinach croissants and cornbread salad

Love Me

Once again a menu-less week has led to haphazard suppers thrown together at the last minute and way too many trips to Walmart.

One of these days I will get my life back together and plan menus and grocery shop. Settling into the school year should help.

In an attempt to make forward progress toward this goal, my early exit from work will be used to clean the kitchen and . . .

. . . dare I say it, the REFRIGERATOR!

Supper tonight will, therefore, be a hodge-podge of left-overs and near expiration items.

Nice thought isn't it?

You might call it a half-price supper.

Love Me

8/9/10 Menu

There is no menu this week.

It's been too hot to cook . . .
too hot to eat . . .
too hot to blog.

I would wish for fall . . .
for chili . . .
for pumpkin pie . . .

But I don't want to wish my life away.

I rather want to enjoy each and every day -
whether they be hot or cold!

This is the day that the Lord has made -
I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Praise God for HOT summer days . . .

here is my list of cold, summer foods to rejoice and be glad in:

garden tomatoes chilled in the fridge
fudge pops from IGA
watermelon
even better - seedless watermelon
grapes and whipped cream cheese
COLD pickled beets
cream cheese and cucumber sandwiches
homemade ice cream
lemon shake-ups
fresh frozen blackberries served slightly thawed
chilled Pepsi Throwback

Yes, I am a bad girl.

Love Me

8/2/10 Menu

I am giving up cooking and instead giving in to a life of eating from the drive-thru.

Joel is away at soccer camp this week, the heat here has returned, Megan and Levi are gone most evenings, and all Brian ever wants to eat anymore are BLTs now that tomatoes are in season.

Who needs a menu when all you eat is BLTs?

Does anyone have any McDonald's coupons I can have?

Monday - chicken patty sandwiches with lettuce and tomatoes (of course), spinach, applesauce, oatmeal cookies
Tuesday - meatball subs, cottage cheese and chips
Wednesday - eat out after church
Thursday - crock pot rotisserie chicken, creamed spinach, sweet potatoes, pickled beets, bread pudding with lemon sauce (It's my birthday and I can cook what I want to! Ha ha)
Friday - celebrate both mine and Brian's birthday at my parents (Homemade ice cream, angel food cake and strawberries are on the menu!)
Saturday - venison roast with potatoes and carrots (we didn't have it last week as planned), Hawaiian bread, chocolate freezer pie - Joel will be home!

Recipes I will highlight this week: freezer pies!

Love Me

7/26/10 Menu

Another crazy, busy, hot week here - which doesn't make spending a lot of time in the kitchen that appealing.

Did I mention it was hot?

Between the kids' work, school, dates, practices, and games - it is a toss-up as to which, if any, of the kids will be home for supper.

Maybe the lure of blackberry cobbler will be what it takes to get them all home on the same night for supper!

Monday - Levi's final in Interview and Interrogation. Joel soccer practice til 8pm. Megan guards til 4 pm then out with Adam. (Brian surprised me with steaks on the grill, Hawaiian bread, tomatoes, and red velvet cake!)
Tuesday - Joel's final summer league basketball game (eat out at Chick Fillet). Levi's final in Cultural Awareness then hang out with Hope. Megan guards til 8pm.
Wednesday - church (bacon and tomato sandwiches)
Thursday - Joel soccer practice til 8pm. Megan guards til 8pm. Mary Martha's (church ladies' group) here - salad pitch-in (chicken salad on croissants).
Friday - cheeseburgers on the grill, baked beans, Georginia's salad, blackberry cobbler with ice cream
Saturday - French Toast and bacon (brunch)
Sunday - venison roast, potatoes, carrots, left-over Georginia's salad, cake

Love Me

7/19/10 Menu

Life is back to usual - all the kids are home!

For two weeks that is . . . Joel goes to soccer camp the first week of August.

But for now - we are all here.

I love late summer - I always have. It was even better back in the day when school didn't start until after Labor Day.

Back then late July and August were full of hot and lazy nights, lightning bug catching, tomato and watermelon eating, bike riding, and running around the house with a dish soap bottle down your underpants.

We didn't have a pool growing up.

Anyway, one of the best things about late summer is the fresh produce - fruits and vegetables that taste the way God intended them to taste. Unlike those hot house varieties that Walmart sells.

I am going to do my best to incorporate as many of these into our menu this week as possible!

Monday - BLTs, corn on the cob, cantaloupe
Tuesday - fresh green beans and new potatoes, ham steaks, angel food cake with black berries and cool whip
Wednesday - egg salad sandwiches, chips, applesauce
Thursday - cheeseburgers (on the grill), corn (on the grill), relish tray, cottage cheese and chips
Friday - pulled pork, fried green tomatoes, Georgina's salad, cheesecake

Recipes I will highlight this week: Georgina's salad and pickled beets.

*I am still searching for recipes for Megan and Adam's reception. I will post them periodically as I narrow them down.

Love Me

7/5/10 Menu

The extended weekend meant meals this week have been ANYTHING but planned and organized. You would think that after my trip to Jungle Jim's we would be eating exotic and exciting food every night!

We did have a decent supper last night - ham steaks, green beans, Hawaiian bread, and fresh corn on the cob (from the Farmer, a/k/a Daddy, himself). Yummy!

Looking ahead, this next week is going to be all messed up too because the kids are all going to be gone at church camp.

A whole week of date nights!!!! Well we will see. Ha ha.

I have a Breast Cancer Support Group meeting on Monday night, church on Wednesday . . . BUT we are staying at a secluded cabin on Thursday night! And we STILL have an Olive Garden/Red Lobster gift card to use.

So . . . in lieu of posting our weekly menu for next week (I don't want to make anyone jealous with all of the lobster and caviar we will be eating - ha ha!) I plan on posting something different.

Since Megan is getting married in SIX short months, my thoughts lately have been on the wedding and reception.

And . . . since the wedding will be in January, I have dug out some of my holiday/winter cookbooks hoping to get some inspiration for the reception menu.

Talk about Christmas in July!

Paula Deen and Taste of Home have not let me down! Next week I will start posting some potential contenders for the big day!!

Love Me

6/28/10 Menu

Another busy week - but thank goodness for a cold front that will be bringing us a break from 90 degree heat!

And thank goodness for my crock pot!

I think the crock pot is typically thought of as something to use in the winter - to make cozy soups and stews. But I love my crock pot even in the summer - especially because I don't have to heat up the oven!

Monday - Date night at Richard's Brick Oven Pizza! (Thanks to my SIL, Bree, for the review!)
Tuesday - pulled pork BBQ, baked beans, cottage cheese
Wednesday - eat out after church
Thursday - crock pot roasted chicken, corn pudding, salad
Friday - ham steaks, green beans, scalloped potatoes, brownies
Saturday - spaghetti and meatballs, creamed spinach, lemon cake

Recipe I will highlight this week: lemon cake.

Love Me

6/21/10 Menu

It seems like the summer is getting busier and busier. I hate that it is already the end of June!

I am pledging to sloooooowwwww down! If not in deed then at least in spirit.

I am going to take time to have a cup of coffee in the morning and enjoy flipping through cookbooks - instead of being so caught up in rushing around.

We are in the last few months of being together - the 5 of us! I am going to take advantage of EVERY moment.

With crazy work and school schedules, our family time is limited and precious. Thank goodness for my crock pot! Who cares if we don't eat supper until 9 pm! At least we are eating supper together!

Monday - Breast Center Support Group Cookout (take cole slaw)
Tuesday - Jambalaya, flavored snack crackers
Wednesday - slow cooker pork tacos (grab and go before church)
Thursday - cheese ravioli with chunky tomato marinara, salad, garlic bread
Friday - swiss steak supper, lime blue berry tiramisu

Recipes I will highlight this week: jambalaya, slow cooker pork tacos, and swiss steak supper.

Love Me

6/14/10 Menu

Not a real exciting menu week here at Farmer's Daughter Cooks. The summer is heating up both literally and figuratively.

The boys are excited about the church's men's camping trip this Friday. They should have a blast making pee rocks, having shooting competitions, and swapping stories.

My plans for Friday night include a birthday party and a late night movie. Maybe some ice cream too!

Monday - homemade bean burritos, chili cheese fritos
Tuesday - super easy salsa chicken, rice
Wednesday - chicken nuggets and applesauce before church
Thursday - BBQ chicken in the crock pot, scalloped potatoes, green beans
Friday - boys' camping trip/birthday party at my parents
Saturday - lemon poppy seed muffins (breakfast)

Recipe I will highlight this week: blueberry tiramisu.

Love Me

6/7/10 Menu

I started my new summer work schedule this week, and I am loving it.

I have never been a fan of working on Monday mornings - there's always too much mess from the weekend to clean up. But since the breast clinic moved from Tuesday afternoon to Monday afternoon - I now have Monday morning to get the house in shape for the week and plan the week's menu!

Tuesdays are now a full day at home for projects! This Tuesday - tackling Brian's office!

Monday - sloppy joes, baked beans, cottage cheese, pasta salad
Tuesday - turkey manhattan, corn on the cob, strawberries with pie crust
Wednesday - California pizza before church
Thursday - super simple baked chicken, layered Mexican dip and chips, chocolate peanut butter parfaits
Friday - hamburgers on the grill, chips, fruit salad
Saturday - cinnamon fruit biscuits (breakfast) chicken hot dish (supper)

Recipes I will highlight this week: California pizza, chocolate peanut butter parfaits, cinnamon fruit biscuits, and chicken hot dish.

Love Me