Tag: recipes

Menu Monday 5

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menu Monday

I’m linking my menu plan over at Mary Ellen Barrett’s Menu Monday feature.

Here’s some good stuff that someone linked to on Facebook yesterday:  8 dinnertime tips from Mario Batalli. This is not serious-chef stuff–it’s simple strategies that make home cooking easier.

make and take coffee cake (1)SUNDAY:  We visited friends and had Chinese takeout. I brought dessert:  Make-and-Take Coffee Cake with apples. This cake is so easy to make, which was great, because with Mass at noon followed by rehearsals for both me and Little Brother, there wasn’t time to fool around.

Easter ham and cheese bakeMONDAY:  I’m putting together a Ham and Cheese Bake for dinner and leaving Little Brother directions for putting it in the oven to bake; I’ve got a doctor’s appointment in the late afternoon and Little Brother has a rehearsal in the early evening. Cutting it CLOSE! I think the only thing I dread more than a gynecologist appointment is the dermatologist, which is the one I’m seeing today. With my family history, it’s always a stressful experience (we’re Irish. Need I say more?)

TUESDAY:  Pot roast in the slow cooker, noodles and gravy. And a vegetable of some sort. Shame on me:  my gravy comes out of a can. Maybe someday I’ll learn to make the Real Thing.

WEDNESDAY:  Spaghetti and meatballs, our Wednesday-night tradition! I might change it up and serve cheese tortellini instead of regular pasta.

Tandoori (4)THURSDAY:  Tandoori chicken, roasted asparagus, and roasted potatoes. All in the oven at the same temperature, and it’s all easy to clean up if you line the pans with foil. Since Little Brother has an early-evening rehearsal, I’m all about making it easy.

singapore noodles 4FRIDAY:  Singapore Noodles with Shrimp. I can’t figure out if Little Brother likes this because he gets to squeeze lime juice all over everything or what, but he’s a big fan of this dish. And it’s not too hard to make!

SATURDAY:  Leftovers.

Menu Monday 3

franciscanmom2 Comments

menu MondayLinking up with Mary Ellen Barrett’s Menu Monday feature.

IMG_0237-0As I suspected, we didn’t keep to the plan last night. We went to the diner instead.

And after I posted this menu plan this morning, I headed to the supermarket to get the roasting chicken we were supposed to eat tonight. But they didn’t have any. THIS is why I write the menu plan in pencil.

MONDAY:  Chipotle pork carnitas with rice and Burrito Beans.

TUESDAY:  Spaghetti and meatballs (I’m switching it up and fully expect that there will be a small mutiny because pasta night has migrated to Tuesday!)

WEDNESDAY:  Pork chops with fennel and oregano, Portuguese rice, vegetable. I still have to write up that pork recipe. It’s based on a Frugal Gourmet recipe and tastes like Italian sausage!

Monday's dinner: burrito bowls.
Monday’s dinner: burrito bowls.

THURSDAY:  Chicken and noodles

FRIDAY:  Pizza

SATURDAY:  Leftovers

SUNDAY:  Roast chicken, mashed potatoes and carrots–IF ShopRite has chickens the next time I get there.

 

 

Small Success Thursday: Easter Vacation Edition

franciscanmom6 Comments

It’s Thursday! That means it’s time to join up with the rest of the CatholicMoms and celebrate some Small Successes.

Small-Success-Thursday-400pxThis week’s Small Success Thursday linkup at CatholicMom.com is titled “Time Well Wasted.” That’s also the title of an album I enjoy by the Freddy Jones Band. My favorite track is Take the Time. It’s good stuff. Take the time to listen!

And on to the Small Successes:

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It’s Easter vacation, so everybody’s home (including Hubs) and I am trying very hard to just go with the flow here. Sometimes that means I get to be a little bit lazy too. That part is easy. Other times it means I try to say “yes” to those last-minute schedule changes that everyone else in the house come up with. My first response is still usually “no” but if I have 15 minutes to think about it, I can generally get to “yes.”

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Easter Sunday Mass was a wonderful celebration. We had so many people show up for the folk group that we ran out of chairs for everyone in the choir area. That’s the best problem to have! We sang our hearts out. We celebrated. After both the prelude (“Tell It Out”) and the responsorial psalm (“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad”) a little kid somewhere in church yelled, “YAY!” It was sweet, and I think it broke the ice a little bit. Mass  was super-crowded, with plenty of kids, and everyone was there in their Easter best and probably feeling a bit stiff. That kid gave everyone a chance to chuckle and relax a little, and there was plenty of smiling and people joining in the singing. And that’s what it’s all about:  sing once, pray twice.

After Mass there was plenty of joking among the folk group members that we should hire that child to come to our Mass every Sunday and cheer for us.

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I’ve been cooking, which I love to do! Here are the latest recipes I’ve gotten up on the cooking blog:

Beef Fajitas beef fajitas

 

 

Granmas rollsGranma’s Rolls

 

 

Easter ham and cheese bakeEaster Ham & Cheese Bake

 

 

 

Enjoy! And Happy Easter!

Small Success Thursday: New Blog Edition

franciscanmom8 Comments

Small-Success-Thursday-400px-1-

Shortly after Little Brother was diagnosed with diabetes, I received a message from my friend Katharine Grubb (she’s also an author! You should read her books!)

She was urging me to begin a new project. As if I need more new projects. She wanted me to use the information I was gathering about cooking for my Type 1 Diabetic child and share it with others who could use it.

I knew she was right, but I had to let some things settle in first. Finally, yesterday, I took the plunge and pressed the “publish” button on my new cooking blog.

Cook and Count has the carb-per-serving count for each recipe I feature. I also plan to include Little Brother’s story as well as other things we learn about dealing with diabetes as a family.

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I taught FIRST grade the other day when they needed a substitute at school! I used to teach first-grade Spanish, but I had a new batch of kiddos every 35 minutes. All day long is another story entirely, but we had a great day. Best line of the day, after I wrote my name on the blackboard:  “I can’t say your name! It has too many words!”

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I’m taking advantage of the better weather (and lack of early-morning ice)–I got to Mass twice this week and the gym once. I’m hoping to do better on both counts, but it’s a start.

Stop over to CatholicMom.com and read about everyone’s Small Success! Share your own in the comments or link to your own blog!