Menu April 4-10, 2011

It is time for a spring-time menu.  While we are having a blustery and cool day today, it is supposed to warm back up to the 60s by midweek.  I have some left over chili in the fridge that needs to be frozen for another cool day in the future.  I need to start making meals that can “hold” until the Blue-eyed Farmer gets done with his farm work after sundown.
And I’m still trying to be more low-carb, so you will see some dual meals below.

Monday:  Homemade cheese & veggie pizzas, salad.  I’m going to make the dough early in the day and let it rise slowly, hoping for a more complex favored crust.

Tuesday:  Individual breakfast casseroles: eggs, sausage, biscuits, gravy, vegetables, cheese.  Fruit. 
I plan to double this and make some in muffin cups to flash freeze for quick breakfasts.

Wednesday: Grilled hamburgers, chips, baked beans, cole slaw. Baked Kale Chips for me and grilled veggies.
I may switch Tuesday and Wednesday depending on the weather.  I can’t wait to get the grill fired up again!

Thursday:  Spaghetti with meat sauce, garlic bread, salad.  Spaghetti squash with asparagus, mushrooms and peppers, salad. (brought over from last week)
The forecast is for rain on Thursday, so a favorite comfort meal will warm us.  I want to try making the sauce in the crockpot.  Usually my sauce is made on the stove-top, but I’m looking for some slower cooking/less attention needed meals.  We get so busy in the afternoons and evenings this time of year.

Friday:  Date Night for a good Fish Dinner.
Lent is almost over and the fish fries and specials will soon be over for another year.  We are busy the next two Fridays so I hope we can go out this week to enjoy a typical fish fry.  If we end up staying home, I have shrimp and salmon in the freezer for grilling or broiling.

Saturday: Lunch- Chicken strips and french fries. Cobb salad for me.  
Dinner- Oven-roasted root vegetables, bread sticks, salad.  Oven-roasted low-carb veggies, whole-grain crackers, salad or sauteed spinach.
Farmer will probably be doing farm work all day and will need a heartier lunch and supper.

Sunday:  Lunch will be fast.  We have dress rehearsal for our church’s Easter drama and I’ll need to be back to church quickly to help with the costumes.  Supper is always “catch as you can” on Sunday evenings.


Are you wondering how my Pantry Challenge is going?  Last week, I tried to only purchase dairy and produce.  I stopped at my natural foods store yesterday to get some Farm Eggs and picked up some marked down bakery breads: Jewish Rye, French and Wheat Germ.  I’ll double wrap those today and get them in the freezer.  I’ll serve the French bread with the spaghetti meal and the Jewish Rye if I make our seafood meal at home.  The wheat germ loaf will be an everyday bread for Farmer when we finish the loaves we have now.

Looking over my menu,  I anticipate having to get only loss-leaders and a some produce at the end of the week along with my usual dairy (yogurt and half-n-half.)
I’ll be watching for sales on the good canned baked beans; bbq sauce and the good hot dogs/brats for upcoming spring and summer meals.   I'll be looking for some quick healthy snacks for Farmer.  He takes a few minutes between getting home from the factory and going out to do his farmwork and I like him to recharge by eating something healthy (cheese & crackers, apple, homemade cookies, etc…)

How does your menu change in April?  Have you made out your Easter menu yet?  Drop me a line and let me know what you are cooking these days.

Hugs~
Kay

**  “The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring.”  ~Bern Williams

Genius Grandgirlies and a Menu Monday

It was a very nice long holiday weekend here on the Prairie Farm.  Nothing too much out of the ordinary happened, except the Genius Grandgirlies have begun homeschooling with sweet Mommy as their teacher (hence it being called “home” school).  They called to tell us the 5 European bodies of water, count by twos and tell Pappo thank you for their pretty new dresses.  (Yes, he spoils them.)  And we now know Baby#3’s name and I C.A.N.N.O.T wait to meet that little darling!  I have a very pink and flowered quilt kit waiting to be sewn for said Babe. 
I worked on Bff’s anniversary quilt... it now is a quilt top, rather than just misc. blocks.  I put the first border on this afternoon and will get the second one on this week.

I was taking inventory of my pantry and freezers this weekend and keep finding ideas for meals.  It’s time to share some menus again, now that the weather has tempered and we’re eating more than just salads and watermelon.

Menu for September 6-11
Monday, (Labor Day)  We “labored” at home so today’s menu was pretty typical of that kind of day.
Lunch-Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Chips, Avocado Salad (for me), Zucchini Brownies
Dinner-Grilled Hot Dogs, Baked Beans, Fruited Pasta Salad (also known as Frog-eye Salad).

Tuesday: Chicken Kabobs, Rice Pilaf, Spinach/Lettuce Salad, Brownie Sundaes.

Wednesday:  Chili Soup, Corn Muffins, Carrots

Thursday:  Breakfast Night- Sausage Biscuits, Hash browns, Fruit Salad

Friday:  Grilled Steaks, Baked Potatoes, Salad

Saturday:  C.O.R.N.  (Clean Out Refrigerator Night)  or Date Night.

Sunday:  As usual, it’s Cook’s day/night off.

Have a wonderful first week of September!

Hugs,
K~

**"It is good to have leisure, to walk in the September sun slowly, humming a small hum and picking a few wild dark-purple grapes."
~~Gladys Taber, Stillmeadow Seasons

Musing on Monday

Nothing very new to report.... it's still winter, it's still cold & foggy and frizzle, freezing rain and a wintery mix are all in the forecast for the rest of the week. yippee.

I spent 2 hours figuring out the Wii Fit today. My Fit Age is 34. I feel pretty proud of that, considering my fluffy body and all.

I cooked a basic dinner of Meatloaf, Mashed potatoes, Gravy, Roasted Carrots and Biscuits this evening. Comforting and homey and good, but not very exciting.

So just to jazz up this post, I opened iPhoto to all my photos. I closed my eyes and scrolled up and down and then pointed my mouse and clicked. Here is my random photo for today:


Autumn leaves over our pond, October 2008.

Hugs,
K~

** "It is a good thing to be rich, it is a good thing to be strong, but
it is a better thing to be beloved of many friends."
-- Euripides (480-406 BC) Greek Playwright

Monday, Monday.... & zucchini cake

Zucchine


Happy Monday! I'm rejoicing in the day, even if it is suppose to get up to 97-stinkin' degrees this afternoon! **s-i-g-h~~~** I guess I can't complain. We did have an awesome July, cool and comfortable and wonderful. I got a little spoiled by those cool days and nights.

It's August. My month of "me time" is over. **another sigh** Back to doing all those projects on the list.

At the top of the list is something totally wonderful and awesome and all those teenage adjectives..... My dear, loved, "twin-of-another-mother" Girl Friend, LISA is coming to visit in 3 days!!!! She'll fly into Lincoln on Friday noonish. I'm bouncing with anticipation and eagerness. 5 days won't be near long enough but I didn't want to keep her too long from her dfamily.
Be watching for photos and reports on our time together.

In preparation for Leesie's visit, I have some decluttering and cleaning to do this week. And of course since the weather has decided to heat up to normal standards, I need to rethink the sleeping arrangements. She'll keep the guest room but we'll be on the fouton. I need to move it and add more padding to that sad little mattress. But no complaints, at least we'll be able to sleep in the cool.

And on a more irritating note-- I found mouse droppings in the pantry! OM Stinkin' Gosh!!! You all know how much I HATE, Fear, Despise those vermin!! My dear Blue-eyed Farmer set traps in the usual hole (lazy susan) and one in the pantry. I didn't find any chewed up food stuffs and I can't for the life of me, figure out why it would be on the lid of a newly canned jelly jar, 2 feet off the ground. But I'm not taking any chances of being surprised later.
I so need a cat in the house.. ... ** more sighs **

I will be working later today and so need to get at my to-do list. But I did want to share my favorite zucchini cake recipe (HERE) . It is that time of year. **wink** I love getting zucs from my neighbor. It is a very good thing.

Enjoy the yumminess and stay cool today. Zucchini cake goes with anything cold to drink.

Hugs!
Kay~

** "Whilst August yet wears her golden crown,
Ripening fields lush- bright with promise;
Summer waxes long, then wanes, quietly passing
Her fading green glory on to riotous Autumn."
~ Michelle L. Thieme, August's Crown