Apr
27

Monthly Meal Plan ~ May 2012

By | Recipes

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Hi everyone, look at me, early with the May 2012 Monthly Meal Plan! LOL!  I know I’ve been posting these right at the last minute, but this month I actually had a little breathing room so thought I’d get it out a few days early for you! I haven’t had a whole lot of time to add in our Weight Watcher’s meals, so I apologize for that. Maybe I can get to it this summer once school’s out and we’re on break. Download the May 2012 Monthly Meal Plan: May 2012 Meal Plan – PDF May 2012 Meal Plan – Word Doc (editable)   Each time I post this, I get a few of the same questions, so I wanted to answer them for you all: How strictly do you follow your plan? Honestly, the answer varies from week to week! I do try to do my grocery shopping using my list on the weekend, so that I’m prepared for the up coming week. But there are days when I simply don’t feel like having what I have on the list for that day, or when I just straight up don’t feel like … [Read more...]

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Apr
12

Banana Boat Recipe

By | Recipes

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Hi everyone! I’m sure this is nothing new, but it is for us, and I just had to share! This week we made banana boats for the kiddos. No, we weren’t camping or anything like that, just looking for a little fun on a plain ole’ weekday!   The good news is that these tasty treats are so easy to make, your kiddos can do the honors! Ingredients: 1 banana/person 1 bag chocolate chips 1 bag caramel chips, or peanut butter chips 1 bag mini-marshmallows Aluminum Foil Directions: Slice open banana along one side, but not all the way to the ends. Stuff chocolate chips, caramels, and marshmallows all over inside the peel. The more the better! Wrap each stuffed banana in aluminum foil and grill for about 5-10 minutes or until bananas are nice and squishy. Alternate method: Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until bananas are soft and ingredients are melted. Serve immediately and enjoy! Hope you enjoy this simple and tasty … [Read more...]

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Apr
03

Pioneer Woman Corn and Cheese Chowder

By | Recipes

8 Comments

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Pioneer Woman Corn and Cheese Chowder 4.5 from 2 reviews Print Recipe type: Soup Author: Erica Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 35 mins Serves: 6 Scrumptious soup for a cold day! Sure to be a crowd pleaser! Ingredients 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 stick) 1/2 sweet onion, diced 3 slices bacon, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 can corn, drained (Can also use creamed corn) 1/4 cup All-purpose flour 3 cups chicken broth (I used Swanson 100% natural, 99% fat free, no MSG, 14oz cans) 2 cups half-and-half 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1/4 cup green onion, sliced Bread Bowls (1 per person) Instructions In large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Cook onions for a few minutes, then add in bacon and diced bell peppers. Cook until soft. Add in corn and cook another couple minutes. Sprinkle flour over mixture, and stir. Then add in broth and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to low, then stir in … [Read more...]

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Mar
30

Monthly Meal Plan ~ April 2012

By | Recipes

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Hi everyone, I am actually on time this month with my monthly meal plan! I hope it’s helping you out some, and alleviating a little bit of your stress!   In the download there will be some recipes that are underlined. You should be able to click on those to get a recipe. I’ve also had a lot of questions about my smoothies! So I wanted to share a quick mix we use! Fruit Smoothies: Ingredients: 1 banana (frozen is better, but I will work at room temp.) 2 cups frozen strawberries (Again, room temp is okay) 1 cup milk 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (We prefer frozen yogurt) 1/2 cup orange juice Optional: 2-3 tablespoons honey to taste (The plain fruit can be a bit sour, but the orange juice helps with this, so try it before adding honey) Directions: Add all ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth! Pour into glasses and serve! This usually serves my 4 kiddos and me, but they all get half glasses. If I need a little more, I’ll just add in some more … [Read more...]

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Feb
29

Monthly Meal Plan: March 2012

By | Recipes

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Hi everyone! I hope you enjoyed your leap day yesterday! I have my March 2012 menu plan ready for download!     March 2012 Meal Plan PDF March 2012 Meal Plan Word Doc (Editable) Enjoy! … [Read more...]

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Feb
10

Monthly Meal Plan: February 2012

By | Mom Stuff, Recipes

8 Comments

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Wow, this month has been a whirlwind and I totally spaced posting my February meal plan!  I only have a couple weight watchers meals on this but I am working on adding them, so you’ll see more to come. So better late than never…     In the meantime if you’re looking for meal ideas for this month feel free to download! February 2012 Meal Plan: PDF February 2012 Meal Plan: Word Doc … [Read more...]

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Feb
09

Lasagna Roll Ups

By | Mom Stuff, Recipes

12 Comments

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I found a really easy and crowd pleasing recipe today and wanted to share it with you all. By really easy, I don’t mean “throw a box in the microwave and voila” easy. But more like “I made this on my own and it didn’t take weird ingredients or too much time” easy. The best part is that everyone loved it!   Ingredients: 1 box lasagna sheets (the real kind, not the no-bake ones) 1 cup browned lean ground turkey (or lean ground beef) 1 cup frozen chopped spinach, squeeze out excess water 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, seperated 1 pint lowfat or skim ricotta cheese 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp onion salt 1/2 tsp basil, oregano, parsley Your favorite spaghetti sauce, I make my own. It’s a family secret. One that I’m still working on. I don’t think it will ever be the same as my mom’s sauce. Ugh. 1 cup (approximately) mozzarella sprinkled on top. Optional: Salad fixings and breadsticks   Directions: Preheat oven to … [Read more...]

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Jan
05

E-Mealz Review & Giveaway

By | Give Aways, Mom Stuff, Recipes

388 Comments

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Hi everyone! I thought with the new year here a new menu plan was in order! Since I’ve tapped out my own recipe ideas, I was really excited when the folks over at  E-Mealz asked if I wanted to check out their menus! I have to say they have some great options over there and I wanted to share them with you today!     What is E-Mealz? E-Mealz is an online menu planning website that offers weekly menu plans for busy moms and wives! They have over 20 menu plans for families ranging from 2-6 people and in addition to their traditional menus they offer low carb, low fat, and vegetarian options as well! One of the coolest things I think is that you can pick your grocery store! They plan their menus so that you get the best deals for your store! Each weekly menu also comes with a grocery shopping list, which many of you have asked me for! Here’s a sample of one of this years holiday menu just so you can see the different options they have based on your families … [Read more...]

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Dec
31

Happy New Year & 2012 Monthly Meal Plan

By | Mom Stuff, Recipes

18 Comments

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Hi everyone! I hope you are all having a safe and happy 2012! I can’t believe it’s already here. 2011 was kind of a blurr with school and blogging, so I’m definitely excited to see what this new year has for us!   Resolutions? Part of my plan is to start back up on weight watchers. This menu isn’t totally weight watchers friendly, but I will update it as I go replacing some of the menu items to fit a little better, so you can expect that change in February. So for now, here’s my January 2012 Monthly Meal Plan for you! Click below to download: 2012 January Meal Plan PDF 2012 January Meal Plan Word Doc (editable)   Hope the meal plan helps alleviate some of your stress! Here’s to a wonderful 2012!! … [Read more...]

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Dec
08

Reese’s Fudge Recipe

By | Recipes

5 Comments

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  I found a yummy recipe for Reese’s Fudge, and seriously, what could be better than a combination of Reese’s and Fudge? The original is here at Spell Out Loud, and thanks so much to Maureen’s sweet daughter for sharing this yummy goodness with us!   Ingredients: 1 can (14 ounce) sweetened condensed milk 1 bag of Reese peanut butter chips 1 bag of Nestle chocolate chips Vanilla Extract 8 inch pan 1 small microwave safe bowl Wax paper Instructions: 1. Line 8” pan with wax paper and set aside. 2. In a small bowl, mix peanut butter chips, 2/3 cup of condensed milk and a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 min. Stir mixture until smooth and spread evenly over wax paper in pan. Put in refrigerator to set.   3. While peanut butter layer is setting, pour 1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips into bowl. Mix in 1/2 t vanilla and remaining sweetened condensed milk. Microwave on high for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir … [Read more...]

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