Month: July 2010

  • Library Loot: July 31, 2010

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     July 31, 2010

    Library Loot Event is a weekly event hosted by Eva at A Striped Armchair and Claire from The Captive Reader.  This weekly event encourages bloggers to share the books they have checked out from the library. I always find many new books to add to my reserve list!

    I recently purchased a Kindle, but am still going to the library weekly to supplement my reading material. 

    bookline

    The following book found their way home with me from our local Library:

    The Privileges – Jonathan Dee

    Not Ready for Mom Jeans – Maureen Lipinski

    Grill It – Chris Schlensinger and John Willoughby

    The $5 Dinner Mom Cookbook – Erin Chase (blooger at www.5dollardinners.com – I have read for years)

    Blue Nude – Elizabeth Rosner

    Look Again – Lisa Scottoline

    Twelve Rooms with a View – Theresa Rebeck

    Downloaded from Audible.com

    Monkeewrench – P J Tracy

    Finished and Returned to the Library this week:

    The Good Wife – Stewart O’Nan

    Day after Night  - Anita Diamant

    Happy Reading!!

    Jen C

  • Menu Plan Monday: July 26th, 2010

    Menu2

    July 25th - August 1st

    Favorite meals from last week include, Grilled Shrimp/Cran-Peach Romaine Salad and Chicken Pesto / .  The grilled shrimp was the first recipe we tried from the menu service, E-Mealz.com and it was a winner!!   Chech out our blog post with pictures of our grilled shrimp, YUMMY!

    Monday - Home Late - Paul Cooking - Cheddar Bacon Hamburgers/Pasta Salad/Watermelon Slices (e-mealz -332) (Good add to Site)

    Tues - Quick Chicken Quesadillas/Watermelon/Tortilla Chips (e-mealz -334) (Good Add to Site)

    Wednesday - Easy Parmesan Pasta/ Cream-Corn Cornbread (e-mealz -334)

    Thursday - Stir Fry Kits/Steamed Rice/Crescent Rolls 

    Friday -(Movie Night)
    Supper:  Pepperoni and Cheese Crescents/ Salad

    Saturday - July 31st
    Beans and Franks/ Mom's Mac and Cheese

    Sunday- August 1- Lunch - Cobb Salad
    Supper:  Slow Cooked Ham  Mac and Cheese/ Carrots

    Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!  Just remember that a bit of planning will sure make your week go smoother and give you more free time!  For more Menu Planning inspiration stop by and visit Laura at Organizing Junkie and participate in Menu Plan Monday.  Weekly over 400 bloggers share what they have on their menu. 

    Happy Eating!!!

  • Recipe: Grilled Shrimp....

    grilling

    Tonights meal is worth blogging about.   It was a very, very simple meal that is sure to impress.  Yummy!  This year we have been trying many different things on the grill.  It all has been great so far.   This Grilled Shrimp is wonderful when grilled on cedar planks.   I told the guys this is a total date meal.  If some guy makes this easy meal, he will certainly impress his date! 

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    After marinating 3 pounds on shrimp, we put them on the grill on Cedar Planks.  

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    How yummy do those look??? 

    Grilled Shrimp

    3 lb frozen raw shrimp, thawed, peeled and deveined (3 @ 3.99 = $11.97)
    3/4 C olive oil
    1 -1/2 Tablespoon dried basil
    6 cloves of garlic, chopped
    3 Tablespoons of vinegar
    1-1/2 Tablespoons Worchestershire Sauce

    Mix oil, basil, garlic, vinegar and Worcestshire Sauce together in a large bowl.  Add Shrimp and toss.  Marinade and refrigerator for 2 hours before grilling.  Place shrimp on skewers and set hot grill.  Grill 10 minutes without turning on cedar planks.

    Cran-Peach Romaine Salad

    2 bags Romaine Lettuce (2 @ 1.89 = $3.78)
    2 peaches, diced  (2 @ .25)
    1 pkg of dried cranberries  (1.39)
    Ranch Almonds Salad and Veggie Topper  (1.99 - used 1/2 = 1.00)
    Balsamic Vineigrette dressing -  (.99 - used 1/2 = .50)

    Toss Lettuce with peaches, dried cranberries and almonds.   We served our dressing on the side. 

    The best part about this meal, in addition to it being wonderful is that everything can be bought at Aldi! 

    Salad ingredients were about 7.17 and Shrimp about 13.00.  =  Total cost of Meal = 20.17 or 3.36/person.  All the shrimp was eaten, with only a couple servings of salad left. 

    And hubby said the Shrimp was as yummy as Red Lobster.....but we spent so much less!!

    Happy Grilling!!

     

  • Grocery Budget: 7/24/10

    dbet  Today was grocery shopping day.   I budget $100/ week for groceries to feed my family of 5 or 6 depending on the day.   My key to success is menu planning is to only buying what I will need for the next two weeks.   We had way more food spoil the last two weeks than I would like to see.  ARGH!  The leftovers aren't always gettin eaten in a timely fashion.  I need to remember to bring my lunch more often to work.  Tommy usually takes leftovers to daycare too!   

    Grcoery Shopping for 7/24/10
    Sam's Club -          $36.37 ( TP, Dawn and Bounce) 
    Aldi                      $108.72

    Total Spent for 14 days - $145.09  = $10.36/Day or 72.54

    I still have a couple of things I need to pick-up later in the week.  I am waiting to buy the produce for the second week of my menu, to hopefully decrease the food spoilage. 

    2- Gallons Milk
    Watermelon - 3.99
    Salad Greens
    Cantaloupe
    Knorr Pesto Mix
    White Chicken Chilli Seasoning

     

    Happy Savings!!

  • Menu Plan: July 24 - August 8th

    Hello Everyone -  This is my first menu plan using the new menu plan service, E-Mealz.com.  It sure made my planning easy this morning.  I like that!  I gave the menus to my hubby and he marked the ones he wanted to try.  I figured out which days they would work best based on if I was home or not.   And I am done!!  YEAH!!

    SAVE TIME AND MONEY WITH E-MEALZ MEAL PLANS

    My garden is producing cukes, so today I need to make some refrigerator pickles.  A family favorite.  Now, if I could only find the recipe!  Hubby will be so happy, this was a recipe I had actually added to our online cookbook of family favorites!  Whew!! 

    Saturday - Lunch - on the go - grocery day
    Supper:  Grilled Shrimp/Cran-Peach Romaine Salad (e-mealz -334)  (Good - Add to Site)

    Sunday -
    Supper:  Chicken Pesto / Salad/ Glazed Carrots

    Monday - Home Late - Paul Cooking - Cheddar Bacon Hamburgers/Pasta Salad/Watermelon Slices (e-mealz -332)

    Tues - Quick Chicken Quesadillas/Watermelon/Tortilla Chips (e-mealz -334)

    Wednesday - Easy Parmesan Pasta/ Cream-Corn Cornbread (e-mealz -334)

    Thursday - Stir Fry Kits/Steamed Rice/Crescent Rolls 

    Friday -(Movie Night)
    Supper:  Pepperoni and Cheese Crescents/ Salad

    Saturday - July 31st
    Beans and Franks/ Mom's Mac and Cheese

    Sunday- August 1- Lunch - Cobb Salad
    Supper:  Slow Cooked Ham  Mac and Cheese/ Carrots

    Monday (Working Late) - Spicy Pork Chops Over Steamed Rice/Italian Green Beans (e-mealz -334)

    Tuesday - Easy Cheeseburger Pie/Fries/ Watermelon (e-mealz -334)

    Wednesday - Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla/ Corn Tortilla Chips (e-mealz -335)

    Thursday - Italian Skillet/ Italian Salad/ Garlic Bread (e-mealz -335)

    Friday (Movie Night) - Deli Turkey and Cheese Bagels/ Chips (e-mealz -335)

    Saturday - Chinese Pork Roast/ Steamed Rice/ Stir-Fry Vegetables/Egg Rolls (e-mealz -335)

    Sunday - Creamy Pork Casserole/ Peas/Cantaloupe (e-mealz -335)

    Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!  Just remember that a bit of planning will sure make your week go smoother and give you more free time!

    Happy Eating!!!

  • Recipe: Grilled Wild Alaska Salmon

    grilling

    Jen's Grilled Wild Alaska Salmon

     

  • Wild Alaska Salmon Filet  - 1.5 Pound Filet
  • Salt 
  • Pepper
  • 2 - 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 4 teaspoons  butter, melted
  • 4 tablespoons fresh basil , chopped
  • Cedar Grilling Plank

    Prepare Cedar Grilling Plank by soaking them for 1 hour in water.  Turn Grill on High.   Take planks out of water and pat dry.  Put planks on grill for 2 minutes each side.   Take them off and let cool slightly, then brush on olive oil on both sides of planks.   

    Preheat grill by setting one side of the grill on low and the other side at a medium temperature to reach an overall ambient temperature of 350 degrees.  

     

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    Season both sides of salmon with salt, pepper, and minced garlic.  Mix melted butter with basil and rub over both sides of salmon. 

     

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    Put coated salmon on plank, skin side down and place on the low temp side of the grill.   Close cover.   Grill salmon without turning for 45 minutes from a completely frozen state for a 1.5 pounds filet.    Internal temperature of salmon when done should be about 130- 140 degrees.

     

    Brush on leftover basil butter every 5 - 10 minutes while salmon grills. 

     

    Happy Grilling!!

  • Menu Plan Monday: July 19th - 24th

    Menu2

    July 19th - July 24th

    We are having the best summer.  Hubby and I have been trying alot of new things on the grill and enjoying the variety.  Last night we tried Grilled Wild Alaskan Salmon and really liked that!   I discovered a new menu planning site that I signed up for the summer.  It is called E-Mealz.com, it has a menu focus on recipe with ingredients that can be purchased at Aldi.   I am trying that menu currently.   Next week will be the first week we will be trying this menu service. 

    Monday - Brats / Beans /Potato Salad

    Tuesday -  Chicken Pesto / Glazed Carrots

    Wednesday-  Beans and Franks/ Mom's Mac and Cheese

    Thursday- (Book Group) - Spaghetti

    Friday- French Dip Sandwiches/ Chips and Dip

    Saturday- Tacos

    Sunday -  Slow Cooked Ham  Mac and Cheese/ Carrots

    For more Menu Planning inspiration stop by and visit Laura at Organizing Junkie and participate in Menu Plan Monday.  Weekly over 400 bloggers share what they have on their menu. 

     

    Happy Eating!!

  • Grocery Budget: Update 7/10/10

    dbet  Today was grocery shopping day.   I budget $100/ week for groceries to feed my family of 5 or 6 depending on the day.   My key to success is menu planning and only buying what I will need for the next two weeks.   When I was buying food for a month, I was finding I was losing money to food spoilage.  That wasn't good either.   But the less I go to the store, the less I spend is still very true!  And never shop without a list! 

    Grcoery Shopping for 7/10/10
    Bread Thrift Store    $2.99
    Sam's Club -          $38.55 ( ranch, potato Salad, plates, yogurt, bananas and green beans.)
    Aldi                      $111.14
    Cub Foods -         $  41.21

    Total Spent for 14 days - $193.89  = $13.85/Day or 96.94/week

     

    Happy Savings!!

  • Menu Plan Monday: July 12th

    Menu2

    July 12th - July 18th

     

    Monday - (Amy Cooking) - Primavera Pasta Pie/ Salad

    Tuesday -  (Book Group @ Our House) - Guys Out for Supper

    Wednesday- (Paul Coming Home) - Pizza

    Thursday- Turkey Fajitas/ Guacamole / Spanish Rice

    Friday- (Movie Night) - Pepperoni and Cheese Crescents/ Salad

    Saturday- Lime Grilled Chicken/ Parmesan Potatoes/ Corn

    Sunday -  (Grad Party) - Grilled Fish/Rice and Green Beans

     

    For more Menu Planning inspiration stop by and visit Laura at Organizing Junkie and participate in Menu Plan Monday.  Weekly over 400 bloggers share what they have on their menu. 

     

    Happy Eating!!

  • Menu2

    July 5th - July 11th

     

    MONDAY - Grilled BBQ Chicken, Potato Salad, Coleslaw, Brownies

    Grilled BBQ Chicken

    Yield: 8 Servings

    4 Lb chicken parts (we like 2 cups favorite BBQ sauce* or favorite

    boneless, skinless) BBQ sauce recipe

    Place chicken in container and pour BBQ sauce over your chicken, reserving some of the BBQ sauce for basting. Turn chicken over to coat well. Let marinade at least 30 minutes.

    Preheat outdoor grill for medium-low heat. Spray rack lightly with oil spray to prevent sticking. Place chicken on grill rack and grill about 5-10 minutes, basting with remaining BBQ sauce as you desire. Turn chicken over and cook on other side about 5-10 minutes more or until juices run clear

    Tuesday -  LEFTOVERS

    Wednesday - BISCUITS  AND GRAVY (Family Fav)/ Scrambled Eggs

    Thursday - Chicken Risotto - Peas

    Friday - Hotdogs

    Saturday- Pork Tenderloin (Grill),  Quick Seasoned Rice , Veggie

    Sunday - Picante Chicken and Rice  (good, but a bit spicy, Tommy would not eat)

    For more Menu Planning inspiration stop by and visit Laura at Organizing Junkie and participate in Menu Plan Monday.  Weekly over 400 bloggers share what they have on their menu. 

     

    Happy Eating!!

    • Ostara

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