It's DECEMBER... and a Menu!

It's a delicious new banner for
Menu Plan Monday!
It makes me feel so festive. :)

This week is an amazingly busy week: I have my holiday concert on Tuesday, my student teacher's last day is Wednesday, and then I leave for a trip with my chorus on Thursday (we return on Saturday).
So here is the schedule... such as it is.
Sunday~ our last dinner with all the boys home... ham, sweet potato casserole, corn on the cob, broccoli with cheese sauce, and breadsticks
Monday~ All the Thanksgiving leftovers you could possibly desire
Tuesday~ concert - out to eat afterwards
Wednesday~ either more leftovers, or breakfast
Thurs & Fri~ no sense planning anything, because hubby will change it to suit his mood!
Saturday~ I'd love a home-cooked meal when I come home, but we'll have to play that by ear.

Check out more menu magnificence at Laura's!

Scrumptious Sunday Swap!

What a perfect week to have a recipe swap. The recipe I'd like to share is a family favorite - my mother began making it years ago in an attempt to get all of us to eat green beans. Now we have it every year for every family gathering; it has become a tradition!

Swiss Beans
2 cans French style green beans

2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. chopped onion
1/4 tsp. salt
Dash pepper
1 c. sour cream

8 oz. grated Swiss cheese

Cook green beans and drain. Layer in casserole dish.

In small saucepan, melt butter; stir in flour. Bring to bubbling and continue for 1 minute. Add sugar, onion, salt, pepper, sour cream. Combine until well blended, and pour over green beans in casserole. Top with grated Swiss cheese. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Share your recipe faves at Happy to Be At Home.

Menu Plan... Thanksgiving Week

More delicious menus at Laura's...

Sunday~ crockpot roast, baked potatoes, biscuits, tossed salad
Monday~ Open faced roast beef sandwiches (using roast from Sunday)
Tuesday~ Must-goes (gotta clean out the fridge for all the food about to go in it!), or if there aren't any 'must-goes', it'll be breakfast
Wednesday~ Soup & Sandwiches
Thursday~ THANKSGIVING DAY!!! All my boys will be home for the first time since early spring, and I am very excited. We'll eat at my parents' house: Roast turkey, honey baked ham, sweet potato casserole, rice & gravy, mashed potatoes, rolls, swiss beans, corn casserole, deviled eggs, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, apple-cherry pie, and sour cream pound cake. NO ONE will leave hungry.
Friday~ Steaks on the grill (boys' request), mashed potatoes, tossed salad, crescent rolls
Saturday~ Turkey day leftovers :)

Count all your blessings and savor the meals AND the moments!

Menu!!!

Something amazing happened this week.
We followed the menu EXACTLY!!!! I should write it down somewhere, because that hardly ever happens. We'll see if this week is as successful....
Sunday~ Spaghetti, Caesar salad, garlic bread
Monday~ meatball grinders OR leftover spaghetti with meatballs (your choice)
Tuesday~ Chicken in mushroom gravy (crock pot!), egg noodles, broccoli, crescent rolls
Wednesday~ Breakfast: eggs, grits, bacon
Thursday~ Chili mac (chili from the freezer)
Friday~ Must-goes
Saturday~ Grilled burgers & sausages, butternut squash fries
Share what's cookin' in your kitchen at Menu Plan Monday!

Thankful Thursday

Ah.... but God is good.

After a month or so in a pressure-cooker atmosphere at work, I am finally feeling able to relax. That is MAJOR.... things have been so crazily busy and insanely stressful, so I am very grateful for this.
I am treasuring time with my family more each week. Last weekend, son #2 came home on leave (Air Force). This weekend, son #1 was supposed to come home, as he will not be here for Thanksgiving (USMC)... however, he called to tell us he has duty, and won't be home until December around Christmas (not sure of the dates just yet). Being a Military Mom is hard! But I savor the moments that they are all here in a way that is so unexpected, and now so sweet.
God is so consistently good, in so many ways that I don't always realize.
Don't forget to count your blessings and share at
Thankful Thursday.

A Simple 'Thank You'

Monday . . . Menu Plan

It's November... officially Fall. Even down here, where the temps are usually warm, there's a crispness in the air, and at night, we dip into the 40s. Of course, next week, we could jump back up to 80 during the day, but that's the beauty of our weather... if you don't like it, just be patient. It won't be long before it changes. ;)
So a recap of last week:
Sunday's butternut squash slaw was yummy - perfect for a fall day. Monday's sticky chicken yielded enough leftovers for me to use this week too (woo hoo!). Tuesday, we watched election returns by a bowlful of leftover chili, which meant that Breakfast got pushed to Wednesday, and hubby had a meeting Thursday night, so it was just ds & me. Friday, hubby wanted to go out for pizza and Saturday went as planned. It was my goal last week NOT to eat out, and I almost made it. It had been a very crazy week at school, and going out to eat was somewhat of a stress reliever for hubby & me, so I relented.
This week.... I am EXCITED! It's the first week in a L-O-N-G while that I don't have something major happening - it's just a regular week at school (if there is such a thing with middle schoolers) - with Veteran's Day on Tuesday.
So the menu:
Sunday~ Pasta fagioli (I add meat to mine - this was leftover from 3 weeks ago when I made a huge batch and froze the leftovers) and grilled cheese
Monday~ Club salad and twice baked potatoes that we never got to...
Tuesday~ VETERAN'S DAY HOLIDAY - Thank a Vet!!! Marinated flank steak, baked potatoes, tossed salad, and some kind of patriotic dessert (probably something with apples, since they are in season)
Wednesday~ Chicken noodle soup (from a mix, using leftover sticky chicken from last week!), biscuits
Thursday~ Waffles, bacon, scrambled eggs
Friday~ TBA
Saturday~ our local Greek Festival - YUMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What are YOU cookin'? Get inspired at Laura's Menu Plan Monday.

A Scrumptious Sunday!!!

What a fun thing to participate in - the Scrumptious Sunday Swap - hosted by Happy to Be At Home.

So here's my recipe - I tried it last week with my family, and it was unusual, but we all liked it. And it uses seasonal ingredients, AND it's healthy!! How can you beat that???

Butternut Squash Coleslaw with Honey Goat Cheese Dressing

(from Tyler Florence on Food Network)

4 ounces fresh creamy goat cheese, room temperature (I did not have this, so I omitted it)
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 medium butternut squash
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves

Special equipment: mandoline (another thing I did not have - I just used my food processor)

In a large mixing bowl, combine goat cheese, honey, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Stir well with a whisk until fully combined and creamy.

Remove the top narrow portion of the butternut squash and peel. Discard or use the bulb portion for something else. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, cut the peeled cylinder into fine long matchsticks (julienne). This should yield about 4 cups. Fold into the cheese dressing along with dried cranberries, walnuts and chopped fresh parsley.

This looks like a variation on carrot salad, because of the bright orange color of the squash. It is crunchy because it is raw, and a little sweet. The cranberries add a yummy punch and the toasted walnuts give just the right crunch. I did add a touch of brown sugar to sweeten it up.

Today's Public Service Announcement

Monday's Menu Plan

Well, even though I didn't post last week, we did actually eat. Ds#3's birthday was Monday, so we went out. Tuesday night was a HUGE county-wide concert for me. Wednesday was out again, Thursday was spaghetti, Friday was out again, and Saturday was lasagna. Crazy busy, but we survived. This week should be MUCH calmer.
Sunday~ family celebration of ds#3's birthday: chili, mac'n'cheese, butternut squash coleslaw (this looked so yummy that I just had to try it!), cornbread, and cupcakes.
Monday~ sticky chicken in the crockpot (based on this recipe), rice, tossed salad
Tuesday~ breakfast for dinner: waffles, eggs, bacon, grits
Wednesday~ twice baked sweet potatoes, turkey, and something green
Thursday~ mashed potatoes from the freezer, beef tips and gravy with mushrooms and pearl onions (cooked in the crockpot)
Friday~ concert that day at school - MUST GOES for dinner! (anything that 'must go')
Saturday~ beef tenderloin on the grill, baked potatoes, green salad, rolls

More menu madness at Laura's!