diy with jen

We moved!

2012-07-16T11:13:00.006-04:00

DIY with Jen has moved!

Visit my new site at

www.diywithjen.wordpress.com

menu plan: week of july 15

2012-07-16T09:22:00.001-04:00

Well, hello again! It seems that I took a bit of a break this summer. Things turned a little crazy (crazier than expected at least) and I fell behind in posting. But, thanks to some encouragement I will try to get back into the swing of things. You can look out for at least 2 new recipes coming this week, and maybe a third or more if you're lucky ;)

I hope everyone's summer is going well!

breakfasts:
frosted mini wheats

lunches:
wraps, fruit
cheese cubes, crackers, fruit
leftovers
sandwiches, yogurt

suppers:
homemade pizza on whole wheat pizza crust
rotini lasagna casserole, cauliflower
quesadillas, rice
leftovers
breakfast night
with family

meal plan: week of june 10

2012-06-10T11:02:00.000-04:00

breakfasts:
individual sized baked peanut butter oatmeal topped with dark chocolate chips
special k cereal

lunches:
wraps
suddenly classic pasta salad
leftovers

suppers:
garden turkey burgers, red potatoes, zucchini & squash bake
baked pork chops, cauliflower fritters, spinach
bbq chicken enchiladas, mexi-rice
stuffed shells
leftovers x2
party with friends

I will also be making a birthday treat for a special someone and will be sure to post that recipe later this week!

mexican pizza

2012-06-07T12:49:00.000-04:00

I love Mexican food. Seriously, my love of black beans is borderline obsessive. I usually end up making one Mexican dish a week for supper. When we first were married, it seemed to always be tacos. Which are fine. Until they wore out their welcome and we demanded a change of pace. So then I made quesadillas. And then a really yummy Mexican casserole. And enchiladas. And today, Mexican pizza. Sometimes all of these are actually the same ingredients in a different form. If you are stuck in a rut with your beans and tortillas, I hope you try these!

what you'll need:

1 lb. ground turkey
1 can refried beans
1 package taco seasoning
2 6-inch tortillas per serving
optional toppings of your choice:

taco sauce
spicy ranch
sour cream
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce
chopped tomatoes
cilantro
queso dip
corn

how you'll do it:

place tortillas on a cookie sheet and leave in oven while it preheats to 350*

while oven is preheating, brown meat. then add taco seasoning and water and let simmer

when oven is preheated and tortillas are crunchy, remove from oven

they should be lightly brown on edges

spread refried beans on one tortilla

layer on the meat and top with other tortilla

bake for 8-10 minutes. remove from oven and add all of your toppings. YUM!

Seriously, these were so good! They are a new favorite of ours, and I will definitely be making them again!

no-bake energy bites

2012-06-05T11:21:00.003-04:00

I found this recipe on Pinterest from Smashed Peas and Carrots. These little jewels are such a great, healthy snack. They are a cross between no-bake cookies and granola bars. And the great thing is you can add or substitute other ingredients to your liking. These usually take less than 15 minutes to make and are ready in no time!

what you'll need:

1 cup oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup flax seed
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla extract

how you'll do it:

add all of your ingredients in a mixing bowl

mix everything together really well

scoop out some with your hands and roll into a ball

store in airtight container in the fridge

yields 27+ energy bites

menu plan: week of june 3

2012-06-04T15:38:00.001-04:00

This week is a pretty normal week with nothing to excitingly different to try. I am hoping to gear up for some more freezer cooking meals next week. I have some great recipe ideas so you'll want to check back!

breakfasts:
whole wheat waffles
special k cereal
triple chocolate muffins

lunches:
wraps
bbq pork sliders
green monster smoothies
leftovers

suppers:
spaghetti
buffalo chicken stuffed shells, sauteed spinach
mexican pizzas
chicken teriyaki stir fry
garden turkey burgers, cauliflower fritters, zucchini & squash casserole
rehearsal dinner for family
out to eat (FREE Melting Pot coupon!!)

nutella mug cake

2012-05-31T10:30:00.000-04:00

Ever have that sweet tooth craving that you just can't seem to satisfy after supper? You don't really want to bake a whole cake, or make a whole pie, or an entire batch of cookies. You really just want a single serving of something tasty. Well, look no further, you've found the solution! This sweet treat takes less than 5 minutes to make from start to finish and is melt in your mouth good! And if you don't like nutella, feel free to leave it out. You can't really even taste it, but I think it makes the cake extra moist.

what you'll need:

4 Tbsp. self-rising flour
4 Tbsp. sugar
1 egg
3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
3 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. canola oil
3 Tbsp. nutella
an extra large mug

how you'll do it:

put all ingredients in your mug and mix well with fork

put in microwave for 1 min; take out and stir

put in for another 30-60 seconds as you watch it rise

be sure to watch it because if it cooks too long it will be dry,

and a dry cake is no good

if all goes well, it will look something like this:

now pour yourself a glass of ice cold milk and enjoy!

recipe adapted from Family Kitchen

cauliflower fritters

2012-05-30T16:18:00.002-04:00

I know, the name itself sounds daunting for some. I mean, cauliflower?! I don't think this vegetable lives on the "top 5 favorite" list of most of us, especially kids. But this recipe could be the turning point for that! I'm not kidding. When Ryan mentioned that he would like to eat more vegetables (and he meant more variety from my broccoli-potatoes-and-zucchini favorites to a fault, ahem...whoops!) I completely agreed! Always searching for something new, I stumbled across this recipe at Skinnytaste while searching for the perfect Green Monster smoothie recipe. I adapted it to what I had on hand, and I'll never look back.

I am a fan of cauliflower.

Okay fine, maybe that's stretching it since I've only eaten it once, disguised in cheese-y, whole wheat-y, spice-y goodness. But I'm at least willing to try it again. ;)

what you'll need:

4 cups cauliflower
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2-3/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
2 tsp. garlic powder
3 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. dill weed
sea salt, to taste
less than 1/4 hot water
1/2 cup olive oil

how you'll do it:

cut up your head of cauliflower to about 4 cups worth

steam cauliflower

coarsely chop the cooked cauliflower with a knife

mix everything together but the water and oil

add water a little bit at a time as needed to make the "batter" a little sticky

let oil get hot in skillet and cook until each side is golden brown

yields 24 fritters

YUM!!

Side note: I am not good at seeing how much a recipe yields and toning it down for the two of us, and this recipe was reminder of that. If you are cooking for 2-4 people, take it from me and cut this recipe in half! I now have a bag full of these fritters in my freezer hoping they will be freezer friendly and that I didn't accidentally waste perfectly good ingredients.

Update: I thawed and baked some of these last night for supper after freezing my excess and they were just as good as the first night I made them-maybe even better because they seemed a little crispy/crunchy. This is definitely a freezer friendly recipe!

menu plan: week of may 27

2012-05-29T15:11:00.001-04:00

This week doesn't involve to much cooking because I took the whole week off to celebrate our anniversary, and we have an adventure packed week! Still, I will let you know what's going on:

breakfasts:
whole wheat waffles
granola bars
smoothies
special k cereal

lunches:
leftovers
subway
smoothies
packed lunch
lunch on the road

suppers:
cookout with friends
jumbalya (fireside)
chicken cordon blue
out to eat x3
freezer meal if needed

the thing

2012-05-29T14:17:00.001-04:00

This is Ryan's favorite summer dessert to make (and it's usually in high demand when we sign up to bring dessert to our Bible study group!) Only 3 ingredients makes this dessert super simple and almost too easy. But the consistency of the cool whip mixed with the ice cream is a dream!

what you'll need:

1/2 gallon natural vanilla ice cream
1 small tub of cool whip
1 package oreos

how you'll do it:

get your ingredients ready

put the ice cream in large bowl and let it get melty

crush oreos

add oreos to ice cream bowl; then top with cool whip

stir together

then, put in freezer and let freeze completely

now it's ready to serve!

This cool, creamy dessert is definitely a favorite on hot summer nights!

whole wheat waffles

2012-05-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

After supper tonight I whipped up a quick batch of these whole wheat waffles, which means that I got to use our brand new, beautiful waffle iron for the first time since we've been married! Needless to say, we don't cook waffles for breakfast very much. But, Eggo waffles are a favorite of ours to pop in the toaster and top with Nutella for a quick favorite. So I go to thinking, there has to be a cheaper, healthier way. And about that time, MoneySavingMom posted her recipe for freezer friendly waffles. Talk about perfect timing! Hers are big fluffy Belgian waffles, but my waffle iron makes thin, slightly-crispy/crunchy ones like Eggos which is fine by me.

what you'll need:

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 oil or melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla

how you'll do it:

in separate bowls, mix dry and wet ingredients

pour wet ingredients into flour mixture and combine thoroughly

note: batter will be really thin; this freaked me out a little, but they cooked just fine

pour about 1 cup batter into waffle iron and let it cook

yield: 6 waffles

Freezer directions: lay waffles out on wire cooling racks so they don't get soggy. Once they are cooled, store in freezer bags.

To serve: cook in microwave, toaster, or toaster over. I suggest topping with Nutella, peanut butter and a few dark chocolate chips, or a little butter and cinnamon.

I got 6 and about 3/4 waffles out of this batch. Had I thought to take a picture of my first try before I slathered it with Nutella and ate it for dessert, you could have laughed with me at its pitifulness. But, I can assure you what it lacked in looks it made up for in flavor! Enjoy!

rotini lasagna casserole

2012-05-23T08:42:00.005-04:00

I have been following MoneySavingMom's "4 week to fill your freezer" series and when she posted this recipe, I thought it was a keeper because it was just a variation of an old favorite of ours. I haven't had another chance to do a full "freezer cooking day," so instead of making this in a 9x13 pan, I was able to make this in two 8x8 pans and freeze one of them. I tweaked the recipe to our liking, and it's actually quite like my Amish lasagna except with rotini pasta instead of lasagna noodles. And, surprisingly, we like this version much better! I think it might be because there are more noodles in this recipe and it just serves easier. And it's freezer friendly...what more could a girl ask for?? :)

what you'll need:

1 jar Ragu sauce
1 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 box whole wheat rotini pasta
16 oz. cottage cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella
Italian spices to taste

how you'll do it:

cook noodles; meanwhile,

brown your Italian sausage in a skillet & rinse, then

pour your Ragu into a 2 quart pot and add your meat and heat on medium-high

mix the cottage and mozzarella cheeses and spices in a medium bowl

turn off heat for sauce. put a little sauce on bottom of pans

next, layer as follows:

noodles>sauce>cheese>noodles>sauce>cheese

bake for 20-ish minutes, until cheese is bubbly and gooey

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

menu plan: week of may 20

2012-05-20T14:41:00.001-04:00

breakfasts:
lemon berry muffins
zucchini carrot muffins
oatmeal + peanut butter + chocolate chips
special k cereal

lunches:
wraps
ham and cheese croissant melt
bbq pork sliders
leftovers
+salads, grapes, strawberries, oranges, applesauce, crackers

suppers:
pizza
tacos/quesadillas
lasagna casserole
grilled chicken, red potatoes, zucchini
leftovers
supper with friends

blue cheese burgers

2012-05-20T13:12:00.000-04:00

Want to throw a twist into your regular burgers? Try these blue cheese stuffed burgers! They are easy to make and are freezer friendly. We had them for lunch today with steamed broccoli and pasta and the whole meal took less than 15 minutes to have ready... talk about convenient! Ryan's vote was that they were a little too blue cheesy, and my vote was yummmmmy! (It just depends on your personal preference for blue cheese :) ) I would even suggest for next time stuffing with a piece of swiss cheese, a few blue cheese crumbles, and spices to mix it up.

what you'll need:

1 pound ground beef (or ground turkey)
2 oz. cream cheese
2+ oz. crumbled blue cheese
1/8 tsp. onion powder
1 Tbsp. parsley
salt and pepper to taste

how you'll do it:

in a small bowl, combine cream cheese and blue cheese

add in the onion powder and parsley

season with salt and pepper

divide ground beef into 8 equal pieces

(I divided into 4 parts, and then halved those)

flatten out the halves and spread the cheese mixture in middle of one

top with the other half and squeeze edges to seal

cook on grill until done

be careful when you are ready to eat them, the center will be extra hot and gooey

(you may want to cut your burger first)

makes 4 burgers

Freezer directions: Place on cookie sheet and flash freeze. Place in gallon freezer bag, label, seal, and freeze. To serve: Thaw. Cook on grill until done.

recipe adapted from onceamonthmom

bbq chicken enchiladas

2012-05-18T09:14:00.000-04:00

This recipe is a funky version of a favorite meal. These aren't just regular enchiladas, they have a secret weapon of bbq sauce mixed in. That's all it takes to take a [possibly worn out and overused] favorite recipe and spice up your life! Hope you enjoy it!

what you'll need:

10 whole wheat tortillas
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
28 oz. can red enchilada sauce
½ cup of your favorite BBQ sauce*
½ large sweet onion, sliced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375*

In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil on low-medium.

Add sliced onions and let caramelize until soft and golden – about 10 minutes.

Combine enchilada sauce and BBQ sauce in bowl

Add shredded chicken to onions; Mix thoroughly.

Pour in about a half of a cup of enchilada/BBQ sauce mixture, and add 1 cup cheese

Stir until mixture comes together and turn off heat.

Pour a drizzle of enchilada/BBQ sauce in the bottom of two 8x8 baking dishes.

Take each tortilla and fill it with chicken mixture.

Roll each up and set it in the baking dish.

Dump remaining enchilada/BBQ sauce on top of tortillas and add remaining cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Makes 10 enchiladas

I served with Uncle Ben's microwavable mexi-rice and topped with salsa and sour cream!

Freezer directions: Don’t bake. Cover with foil, label and freeze. To Serve: Thaw, remove foil, then bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until hot and cheese is bubbly.

*note about the bbq sauce: I use sweet baby ray's and like the name says, it is sweet. Almost too sweet for this recipe, so next time I would decrease the bbq to 1/4 cup. It has a nice flavor, but seemed on the verge of being overwhelming.

recipe adapted from onceamonthmom

buffalo chicken stuffed shells

2012-05-16T09:30:00.000-04:00

My husband loves typical stuffed shells (aka cheese and spinach) so I was a little skeptical of what he'd think of these, since they are completely different and have buffalo wing sauce in them. To my pleasant surprise, they were a big hit with him, receiving and "I'd definitely eat them again" reaction. Hooray! :) Next time I would probably add some Mozzarella to the stuffing as well just to make the inside more cheesy and creamy!

what you'll need:

12 oz. box jumbo shell pasta
2 ½ cups marinara sauce
½ cup buffalo wing sauce
2 cups cooked and shredded boneless, skinless chicken breast
16 oz. cottage cheese
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

how you'll do it:

Preheat oven to 350*

Cook pasta shells according to package; drain

Combine marinara and buffalo wing sauce in a bowl

In another bowl, combine shredded chicken, egg, and cottage cheese until well-combined

Spread 1 cup sauce on the bottom of two 8×8 baking dishes

Stuff shells with chicken mixture, about 1 Tbsp. per shell

Place in sauce-covered dish

Cover shells with remaining sauce and sprinkle with shredded Mozzarella

Bake about 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted

Freezer Directions: Prepare as above, except DO NOT bake. Instead, cover with foil, label, and freeze. To serve: Thaw in fridge. Bake at 350* about 30 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

recipe adapted from onceamonthmom

ham and cheese croissant melts

2012-05-15T14:00:00.000-04:00

I've never really thought about preparing sandwiches ahead of time to eat later, but this recipe enlightened me. Plus, the croissants hold up really well and the Dijon sauce is just so tasty!

what you'll need:

2 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ Tbsp. honey Dijon mustard
6 large croissants
6 slices provolone-mozzarella cheese
¾ lb. sliced deli ham

how you'll do it:

combine the cream cheese and honey Dijon mustard

slice the croissants in half

spread top half with some of the cream cheese mixture

layer the ham over the bottom half of each croissant and top with a slice of cheese

cover sandwich with top layer and place on a baking sheet

bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until slightly golden and crispy and cheese is melted. Serve immediately

Freezer directions: Prepare sandwiches as above, but do not bake. Wrap each sandwich in foil and place in indicated number of freezer bags. To serve: remove from foil. Microwave until hot and cheese is melted, or bake at 350F 15-20 minutes or until slightly golden and crispy and cheese is melted. Serve.

recipe adapted from onceamonthmom

apple-spinach chicken nuggets

2012-05-14T13:12:00.000-04:00

I know, I know. Some of you are thinking, "seriously?!" Apple-spinach "chicken nuggets" sounds pretty funky to me! Don't worry, I thought the same thing when I found this recipe. So did my husband when he looked at them and then gave me a funny look and I said, "Always try something once, right?" to which he responded, "Yep, and if I don't like it, I'll tell you!" :) I appreciate his honesty about my cooking. Sure, I've cooked some duds in the past year, the kind that were okay to eat but the kind meal you don't really want again soon, but thankfully there has only been one meal that we threw in the trash and went to Chick-fil-a! Ha, that was a fun night!

As you probably know by now, I'm always up for trying something new! And this recipe sure fits the bill. If any of you are looking to spice up to packed-lunch routine, I suggest you try these. I don't think you'll be sorry.

what you'll need:

1 pound ground chicken
½ cup onion, peeled and diced
1 cup apple, peeled and grated
1 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1 tsp. dried parsley
2 cups frozen spinach
1 cup panko crumbs
2 cups canola oil (for frying)

how you'll do it:

Combine first seven ingredients in a bowl

Mix together with your hand

Put bread crumbs in a shallow dish

Shape into small patties and press into the coating

Heat enough oil for shallow frying in a large frying pan.

Add nuggets and cook about six minutes, three minutes per side, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through.

Dry on a paper towel and let cool

* TO BAKE: Bake at 425 for about 15-20 minutes until firm to the touch.

I ate mine with Ranch dressing, and Ryan requested meatloaf sauce (aka bbq and ketchup). So good!

Freezer Directions: Put 4-5 nuggets into small freezer bags for individual servings and freeze. To Serve: Microwave for about 30-60 seconds if thawed, 60-90 seconds if frozen.

recipe adapted from onceamonthmom

menu plan: week of may 13

2012-05-13T20:30:00.000-04:00

As you can see, this week's menu looks a little similar to last week's menu. That's because I made enough freezer friendly meals that we are still eating on those. We also were super blessed to be invited to eat with other people last week that some of what was planned for last week got saved for this week! I will be posting recipes for quite a few of the meals listed this week, and you'll definitely want to try the homemade chicken nuggets!

Breakfasts:
zucchini carrot muffins
lemon berry muffins
special k fruit and yogurt cereal

Lunches:
cheesy hot dog roll-ups
bbq pork sliders
homemade chicken nuggets (my favorite!)
ham & cheese dijon melt
turkey & cheese wraps

Suppers:
pork chops, creamed spinach, corn on the cob (Happy Mother's Day, Mom!)
buffalo chicken stuffed shells, salad
bleu cheese stuffed burgers, pasta, steamed broccoli
leftovers
enchiladas, mexi-rice, black beans
spaghetti
out to eat

braided spaghetti bread

2012-05-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

This recipe is definitely unique and probably not one that I would have thought up on my own. But since it's something new, and you know how I feel about that, I decided to give it a go. The end result was okay, not super-duper awesome, but tasty nonetheless. Ryan was not a big fan, but then again I think I accidentally called it a pizza loaf, so when your mind is thinking about pizza and your mouth can almost taste the mouthwatering pepperoni and sausage and whatever else you love on pizza, this is a bit of a let down. :) The bread was thicker in some areas so we slathered on butter and Parmesan cheese and went to town. I would also suggest serving it with extra spaghetti sauce on the side for dipping the bread.

what you'll need:

1 Loaf Rhodes Bread Dough, thawed to room temperature
6 oz. spaghetti, cooked
1 cup thick spaghetti sauce
½ pound of cooked Italian Sausage
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, cubed or shredded

how you'll do it:

preheat oven to 350*

spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray

roll loaf into a 12x16-inch rectangle

cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10-15 minutes

cook spaghetti. drain completely and pat dry

remove wrap from dough

place spaghetti lengthwise in a 4-inch strip down the center of dough

top with sauce, sausage, and cheese

make cuts 1 ½-inch apart on long sides of dough

start braiding the edges, alternating left/right

(my dough wasn't even so the left side is looking a little rough)

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown

Cool slightly and slice to serve

Freezer directions: Cool baked loaf completely. Cut in half, and store each half in a freezer bag. Freeze up to 3 months.To eat: Thaw. Unwrap and bake 350* for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.

recipe adapted from onceamonthmom

cheesy hot dog roll-ups

2012-05-11T10:29:00.000-04:00

I know I often say that a recipe is easy, but this is super easy. With only 3 ingredients (all of which are ready to be cooked), you'll have these roll-ups ready in 5 minutes + baking time!

what you'll need:

1 can crescent rolls
8 hot dogs
4 slices cheese, cut in half

how you'll do it:

preheat oven to 375*

unroll biscuits or crescent rolls

wrap cheese around hot dog

wrap dough around cheese-wrapped hot dog

pinch to seal

bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown

Freezer directions: Allow to cool, then place in gallon freezer bag and freeze. To eat: Reheat in microwave about a minute or until heated through.

recipe adapted from onceamonthmom

3 layer chocolate heaven

2012-05-10T09:25:00.000-04:00

If there ever was a dessert that was super rich, super creamy, super chocolate-y, gives you your chocolate fix for a week, it was this dessert right here. I won't be making it too often because it is just so rich, but will definitely make it again! I think this is a great dessert to take to a group supper or party because it's best eaten right out of the oven when it's warm and gooey, and not after it's cooled off and has been sitting on the counter for a day. But then again, who would let this sit around without being eaten for that long? ;)

what you'll need:

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups dark chocolate chips
1 pkg. Double Stuffed Oreos
1 Family Size (9×13) Brownie mix (and needed ingredients)
chocolate syrup

how you'll do it:

preheat oven to 350*

in your mixer, whip butter and both sugars until smooth

add eggs and vanilla until combined

in separate both mix flour, baking soda, and salt

add flour mixer a little at a time until blended well

fold in chocolate chips

spray 9x13 baking pan with non-stick spray

press cookie dough into the pan

cover cookie dough with oreos

in a separate bowl, mix brownie mix according to directions

pour brownie batter over oreos

squeeze chocolate syrup over batter

bake for about an hour, start checking it at 45 minutes with the toothpick test

I took this to our monthly Bible study supper, and we served it with vanilla ice cream. It was so good that I didn't even have time to get a picture of the finished product. Here is the picture from my board on Pinterest, where I found this recipe!

bbq pork sliders

2012-05-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

Good BBQ is sometimes hard to come by. I remember my favorite BBQ joint in SC that would serve it only on 3 major holidays: memorial day, 4th of July, and labor day. Although this is definitely not the same, it's super easy and freezer friendly! And the best thing about this one is it's a forget-about-it (aka crock-pot) recipe!

what you'll need:

3-4 lb. pork shoulder roast
1 1/2 cups your favorite BBQ sauce (I use sweet baby ray's!)

how you'll do it:

put the roast in the crock-pot

cover with sauce

cook on high for 8+ hours, until super pull-apart-with-a-fork tender

made 12 servings

Serve immediately on rolls and coleslaw (if you like!). This is such a great meal for summer nights!

Freezer instructions: fill muffin pans with aluminum liners, fill with pork. flash freeze. take out of pan and individually wrap with plastic wrap or store in freezer bag. to eat, heat in microwave for about a minute, serve on dinner rolls.

recipe adapted from onceamonthmom

menu plan: week of may 7

2012-05-08T13:10:00.001-04:00

I know that some weeks it is just down right difficult to think of ideas for supper, let alone a menu for the whole week. I am going to start posting my menus for each week so hopefully you can find inspiration in the recipes!

Breakfasts:
lemon berry muffins
zucchini carrot muffins
special k fruit & yogurt cereal
breakfast with a friend

Lunches:
cheesy hot dog roll-ups
bbq pork sliders
homemade chicken nuggets (so yum!)
ham & cheese dijon melts

Suppers:
beefy-cheesy casserole, baked yellow squash, Caesar salad
braided spaghetti bread
leftovers
buffalo chicken stuffed shells, Caesar salad
supper outing
supper with family x2

I will be posting recipes that go along with most things on this week's menu, so check back.

What does your menu look like this week? Post it in the comments below!

lemon berry muffins

2012-05-08T08:22:00.000-04:00

If you can't tell, I'm on a muffin kick! I just love muffins and think that they are such a convenient breakfast, not to mention a healthy one, too! And there is such variety in muffins-sweet, savory, hearty, light, heavy-you name it. [And let me tell you, if you haven't tried my triple chocolate muffin recipe, stop what you're doing and go bake those now, or at least plan to make them ASAP... You won't regret it!] Without further ado, here is the latest of my muffin baking obsession, this time tangy, yet sweet. Plus, it's another tasty recipe that is freezer friendly.

what you'll need:

1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
6 oz. plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 large egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries (I used frozen raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries)

how you'll do it:

preheat oven to 400*

fill muffin tins with liners (or use non-stick spray)

combine all ingredients in mixing bowl.

[zest the lemon first, then juice it completely]

then, fold in berries

fill muffin tins about 2/3 full and bake for 15-20 minutes

yields 18 muffins

Freezer instructions: let muffins cool completely. place in freezer bags and press out all of the air. to eat, heat in microwave 30-60 seconds

Alterations: The whole wheat flour made them a little heavy, so next time I plan to half and half it with all-purpose flour.

recipe adapted from once a month mom