Menu Plan Monday

Don't forget to go to Orgjunkie for some inspiration!

Monday- Lemon honey chicken (new), green beans, corn on the cob

Tuesday- Kid's night- AKA; If you can find it, eat it!

Wednesday- French's crunchy onion chicken (new) with Creamy bow tie pasta, and peas

Thursday- Cheeseburger casserole 

Friday- King Ranch Chicken

Dessert- I"m going to practice for Easter and make some Bird Nests  I've see a few different variations, but I"m going to try these from BHG.

Recipes

Lemon Honey Chicken

 4-6 boneless chicken breast halves

 1/3 C. honey 

1 TBL lemon juice 

1 packet onion soup mix 

  Preheat oven to 375. 

Place chicken  down  in a sprayed baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Combine honey, lemon juice and onion soup mix in a small bowl and brush over chicken. Cook an additional 20-30 minutes. (Brush glaze over chicken every 5 minutes)

French's crunchy onion chicken

3-4 cups (4oz) french’s original friend onions 

4 TBS flour

4 -6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 

2 eggs, beaten   

Crush  french’s friend onions with flour in a plastic bag. Dip chicken into egg, then coat in the onion crumbs. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes, or until cooked.

Creamy Bow tie pasta

1 cup uncooked bow tie pasta

 1 ½ tsp. butter 

2 ¼ tsp. olive oil 

1 ½ tsp. flour

 ½ ts. Minced garlic 

dash of salt 

dash of basil 

dash of pepper 

3 TBL milk

 2 TBL chicken broth

 1 TBL water

 2 TBL shredded parmesan cheese

 1 TBL sour cream   

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in oil, flour, garlic and seasonings until blended. Gradually add the milk, broth, and water. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cheese and sour cream. Drain pasta and toss with sauce.

Cheeseburger Casserole

Brown 1 lb. hamberburger, add diced tomatoes or tomatoe sauce (with green peppers and onions). Simmer. Add a little bit of ketchup if dry. Add 1-1/2 cups macaroni already cooked (3 cups dry). Top with velvetta (as much or as little as you want!)and let melt. 

King Ranch Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Potato chips (about 1/2 bag)

½ can Ro-Tel (Original!) OR 1 can diced tomatoes (rotel makes it a little spicy, so I use diced tomatoes)

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 onion, chopped
8 oz. Sour Crème
¼ tsp. garlic salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 lb. cheese grated

Cook chicken in the crock pot on low all day; shred (or just boil on the stove top)
Layer chips at the bottom of a casserole pan.
Put chicken on top of chips. 
Combine all other ingredients except the cheese.  Stir thoroughly.
Pour mixture over chicken.
Top with cheese.
Cover with foil, cook at 350-degrees for 45 minutes. 
Remove from oven, take off foil and let it stand for about 10 minutes before serving…

Menu plan Monday and our dinner rules

This is my first official menu plan post, on my new cooking blog! My blog is titled, "Ya Get What Ya Get, and Ya Don't Throw a Fit", because that's what we help our kids say and remember at dinner time. When you have three kiddos, its difficult to always please everyone and I am NOT making special meals for everyone. I think its important for kids to learn, they don't always get their favorite or McDonalds, just because thats what they would like for dinner. Certainly there are meals that kids just won't like. I myself was a picky eater and still dont like certain foods, so its important to understand kids aren't going to like everything.  We have a few different meal rules in our house, and one of them is the kids have to at least try (if it's something new). What I make for dinner, is what I make for dinner. We try to balance the week with more kid friendly foods, one new thing, and food we will all like. It's also important to allow them to have their favorites and foods they really like, if I"m going to make them try new things I make! Our middle, Kai, used to eat chicken nuggets only. Serious. When I married into this family, Kai wouldn't eat ANYTHING! He's grown up and matured so much this past year, and will try and eat almost anything that I make for dinner. Now Keira, our youngest, has taken over Kai's pickiness. I dont know if this is the best method, BUT I tell her she's either going to eat or not. If she honestly doesn't like the dinner, she's stubborn enough to decide not to eat anything. She'll go put on her pajamas and get ready for bed. Now, She CHOOSES that instead of just eating dinner! Oh law! Of course it makes Edwin and I sad when any of our kids choose to make bad decisions, but I also think its important for them all to realize; dinner is dinner and we don't throw fits about it. Meal time used to be extremely stressful for me, and these rules have helped us all out tremendously! Dinner is dinner, and you're going to eat or not.  "Ya get what ya get, and ya don't throw a fit." 

For other recipes and menu ideas, check out Orgjunkie. 

Sunday- Italian Chicken over buttered spaghetti 

Monday- Lantham Stew (layered casserole). 

Tuesday- Grilled chicken, parmesan potatoes with zucchini, and peas 

Wednesday- Brisket, corn on the cob, baked beans

Thursday- Good ole spaghetti with garlic bread

Friday-Sunday- We're off to Dallas for Edwin to attend a job fair! 

RECIPES

Italian Chicken 

Place 4-6 boneless, skinless breast halves in bottom of casserole pan. Sprinkle both sides with some Italian seasoning ,(as much or little as you want!) then cover with Pasta Sauce. Cover pan with foil and bake on 400 for about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and cook another 10-15 minutes without foil. Serve over buttered speggetti. 

Parmesan Potatoes

6 medium potatoes

1/3 Cup butter

1/4 Cup flour

1/4 Cup grated parmesan cheese 

1/4 ts. salt

1/8 ts. pepper

1/4 ts. dried italian seasoning 

Peel potatoes; cut each potato into 4 rounds (or chunks). Pour melted butter into baking pan. In a large plastic bag; combine the flour, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Add several potato rounds to the bag at a time; and shake to coat potatoes. Place potatoes on top of butter in baking pan. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes. Turn potatoes over and sprinkle with italian seasoning. Bake another 30 minutes. *Boil and cook zucchini and add chunks to finished potatoes

My new cooking blog

I just started my new cooking blog; for those of you that are interested! I participate in Menu Plan Monday from Orgjunkie, and desire to post more recipes and tips from the Twitty kitchen! Some people really want recipes and menu plan ideas, and some of my other readers couldn't care less! Ha. That's why I'm starting this blog; cooking only! I'm a new cook and love to try new recipes; if it will put smiles on my families faces!  This is my cooking journey; to cook in a life filled with baseballs and barbies! 

Parmesan Herb Chicken

Recipe-

Parmesan Herb Chicken

2 c. parmesan cheese

1/4 c. fresh parsley

2 TBL oregano

2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

6 chicken breast halves

1 cup butter

In a shallow dish, combine the first 6 ingredients. Dip chicken in butter then coat with parmesan mixture. Place in greased baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 45 minutes. 

Cheeseburger casserole

Cheeseburger Casserole

Brown 1 lb. hamburger, add diced tomatoes or 1 small can tomatoe sauce. Simmer. Add a little bit of ketchup if dry. Add 1-1/2 cups macaroni already cooked. Top with velvetta and let melt.  

Chicken tortilla soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup (by Jessica. so yummy!)

1/2 chopped onion

1 clove minced garlic

1 sm bunch cilantro-chopped

2 cans Fat Free Chicken broth

1 sm can tomato sauce

1/2 package of Taco Seasoning

1-16 oz can Mexican style Tomatoes

1 can Corn Drained

1 Tbs Worchestire sauce

3 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts

salt & pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a crock pot on low all day. Break up the chicken into small pieces (chunks or shredded; you're preference!). Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, and sour cream (we just use cheese and break up tortilla chips in the soup!) yum

Chicken citrus glaze

Chicken citrus kabobs

I'm combining a few different recipes, and just trying to put some simple foods on a stick for the kids! I'm using chicken, biscuits, broccoli, and oranges. I haven't tried this recipe yet, but here's the recipe for the citrus glaze:

1/4 cup bbq sacue

2 TBL lemon juice

2 TBL soy sauce

2 TBL honey

In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients and brush on food. 

Recipes

Recipes

Doggie bones-¾ sugar, ½ melted shortening, 2 eggs, beaten, 1 ts. Vanilla, 2 cups flour, 2 ts. Baking powder, ½ ts. Salt

blend sugar with shortening. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Sift together in another bowl; flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the eggs and shortening mixture. Mix well and chill until its easy to handle. Place the dough on a lightly floured piece of waxed paper. Roll to 1/8 inch thick and cut with cookie cutter or shape into dog bones with a knife. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Ice with frosting if desired.

Parmesan Potato treasure coins-6 medium potatoes, 1/3 cup butter, ¼ cup flour, ¼ gratedparmesan cheese, ¼ ts. Salt, 1/8 ts. Pepper, ¼ ts. Dried italian seasoning

Peel potatoes; cut each potato into 4 rounds. Pour melted butter into baking pan. In a large plastic bag; combine the flour, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Add several potato rounds to the bag at a time; and shake to coat potatoes. Place potatoes on top of butter in baking pan. Bake uncovered at 350 for 30 minutes. Turn potatoes over and sprinkle with italian seasoning. Bake another 30 minutes. 

Lemon cream sauce (to top any pasta)- 1 T garlic, 1 T oil, 2 cups heavy whipping cream, zest of 2 lemons, juice of 2 lemons, 1 ts. pepper, 2 ts. salt

Stir and simmer all ingredients. Top pasta, and top with cheese! 

Pumpkin pie spice balls - ¼ cup sugar (or colored sugar for seasonal décor!), ½ ts. Pumpkin pie spice, 1 11.5 ounce refriegerated breadsticks

Stir together sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Unroll breadsticks; separate and cut into 1 inch pieces; form into small balls. Roll each into the sugar mixture. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Serve warm. 

Edwin's chocolate chip cookies

I made homemade chocolate chip cookies yesterday and you need the recipe. I usually double the recipe since there's five of us! These are "Edwin's ultimate cookies".

3/4 Cup butter flavored crisco

1 3/4 cup flour

1 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 ts. salt

2 tb. milk

1 tb. vanilla

3/4 ts. baking soda

1 egg

2 cups chocolate chips

1 cup pecan pieces (finely chopped) opt. 

Heat oven to 375. 

Cream butter flavor crisco, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in large bowl. Blend until creamy. Blend in egg. In another bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture, gradually (in mixing bowl or with hand mixer). Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  Drop rounded Tablespoonfuls of dough on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake  10 minutes for chewy cookies (they will look light and moist) DO NOT OVERBAKE or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. 

2 Recipes

 Mini Meat Loaves

2 lbs ground beef

1 small onion-finely chopped (you might opt to use half of an onion and make sure its FINELY chopped!)

2 packets instant oatmeal

2 large eggs

¾ cup ketchup

½ cup lowfat milk

2 tbs worchestershire sauce

1 tsp salt

glaze: 1/3 cup ketchup

3 tbs. light brown sugar

 Heat over to 375.

In a large bowl, mix meat, onion, instant oatmeal, eggs, ketchup, milk, worchestershire sauce and salt. Divide meat mixture into 8 servings and shape into individual loaves. Pleace meat loaves in 9x13 baking pan.

 Glaze- in a small bowl, blend ketchup and brown sugar. Brush top and sides of meat loaves.

 Bake 35-40 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.

 King Ranch Chicken

Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

10-12 corn tortillas (or use chips)

1 can Ro-Tel (Original!)

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 cup chicken broth (or 1 can)

1 onion, chopped

8 oz. Sour Crème

¼ tsp. garlic salt

¼ tsp. black pepper

1 lb. cheese grated (you can use a variety for different flavors; I usually buy the 3 cheese Mexican, already shredded)

 Cook chicken (I do it in the crock pot; add 1 cup water). Shred or cube when its done.

Put the chicken broth in a small saucepan, simmer

Dip tortillas in chicken broth, tear into strips, layer the bottom of a casserole

Put chicken on top of tortillas

Combine all other ingredients except the cheese.  Stir thoroughly.

Pour mixture over chicken.

Top with cheese.

Cover with foil, cook at 350-degrees for 45 minutes. 

Remove from oven, take off foil and let it stand for about 10 minutes before serving…