Meal Plan week of 7/2-7/8

Dinner
Big BBQ Saturday: Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Chicken, Salads (total cost $? serves 4 ladies)

Sunday: Beer Bratwurts Sub with zucchini chips (total cost $4 serves 3)

4^th of July: Grilled beef kabobs w mushroom and eggplant and baked beans plus corn bread (total cost $4 serves 3)

Tuesday: All in one Porck Chop (total cost $6 serves 4)

Wednesday: Piled High Fish Sandwiches with carrot sticks (total cost $6 serves 4)

Thursday: Left-Over-Night (total cost $0)

Friday: Black Beans Nachos $15 serves 3

Snack-n-Sweets
Funnel cake (total cost $2.5)
strawberry short cakes (total cost $1.5)
Fresh Fruit (Strawberry-Bananas-Apples) $5
Yogurts $5

Breakfast&Lunch
French Toast with berries $3
Cereal, Coffee, Juice, and Milk $5
Sandwiches, chips, V8, water for Lunch $20
Pasta, Pizza, Nuggets, Fruit, Veggies for Monkey’s Lunch $7


These entire recipes can be found on kitchen monki, you search for the recipe or just find my recipe (Amanda Ann) 

I need a second eye

In my field of work, we always use another person to find what we are missing so I am going to use that principle here.  I am throwing our annual BBQ this weekend and starting to feel a little the pressure. We are expecting 30 adults and 15 children, yes it is a potluck BBQ
Here is the menu

Appetizer

Fruit

Chips

Side

Pasta salad

Potato salad

Tuna salad

Corn on the cob (me)

Main Course

Hot Dogs (me)

Hamburgers (me)

Chicken Wings

Sausage and peppers

Dessert

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Beverage

Beer (me)

Soda (me)

Water (me)

Sangria (me)

Juice Box

I am thinking for the last minute people who ask what they can bring, I am going to say a veggie platter or cupcakes.

Now the most important part.... Here is my work-in-process To-Do list

Am I missing anything?

Monday

Clean off dining room table

Clean out fridge and freezer (plan on eating whatever we can for the next week to this out)

Bake banana bread and make Ziti for the next two night's dinner

Tuesday (work till 6)

Move living room toys to Monkey’s room
Pull out decoration and start thinking where I want everything

Wednesday

Set up inside decorations

Thursday

Clean House

*Recycling night

Friday (work till 1)

Go Food Shopping

Prep corn-on-the-cob

Set up outside decorations and set up tables

Maybe paint my nails!

*Bulk pick up and garbage night

Saturday Morning

Walk through common area (we live in a townhouse community)

Set up baby pool and waterslide

Fill Coolers

Turn on the radio

My only goal today

is keeping my Irish frizzy hair calm for 8 hours

Thanks Mat. Anna for the Keepin' it Real Award!!

I'll pass it along to the next real blogger!

Momma Tool: Calorie Counter

It took me awhile to find the best calorie counter, I wanted something that was easy to use, I wanted something that I could type in what I am eating or ate and it would calculate the calories plus I needed to be able to access it on my phone.  Well I finally found the perfect calorie counter…Fit Day!  I love the how they even break down on what is carbs and what is protein and pure fat.  I can also can add any workouts that I have done.  Fit Day also has a great iphone app too!! I am one happy women!

Meal Pan week of Week of 6/25-7/1

Dinner
Lady’s Night Saturday: Pulled Pork Sliders, Spinach Dip, Fried Ravioli, and Mozzarella Sticks (total cost $? serves 4 ladies)

Family Dinner Sunday: Roasted chicken with mash potatoes and gravy, glazed carrots, corn, and biscuits $7 serves 6 (total cost $4 serves 3)

Monday: Grilled Ham steak with grilled pineapples and corn on the cob (total cost $4 serves 3)

Tuesday: Cheese Burgers with sweet potato fries and bell pepper slices $4.50 serves 2 (total cost $6 serves 4)

Wednesday: Baked Ziti with garden salad (total cost $6 serves 4)

Thursday: Left-Over-Night (total cost $0)

Friday: Order In Chinese and Easy Cesar Salad $15 serves 3

Snack-n-Sweets
Banana Bread (total cost $2.5)
Strawberry Sundae (total cost $1.5)
Fresh Fruit (Strawberry-Bananas-Apples) $5
Yogurts $5

Breakfast&Lunch
French Toast with berries $3
Cereal, Coffee, Juice, and Milk $5
Sandwiches, chips, V8, water for Lunch $20
Pasta, Pizza, Nuggets, Fruit, Veggies for Monkey’s Lunch $7

Strawberry Sundays

10 strawberries

3 scoops of vanilla ice cream

5 to 6 vanilla/almond cookie/biscuits

a few teaspoons of strawberry jam

whipped cream

Wash and dice the strawberries, crumble vanilla cookie/biscuits

Where I am at

I feel like I have been a little absent with my blog, so I wanna fill you in where I have been…

I have to throw out this week’s meal plan because I forgot about the Apostles’ Fast, lucky I have potatoes, cabbage, beans, and fish to last us a week

Monkey is talking in full sentences and it is driving me crazy, all weekend I kept asking him to stop growing because it is killing me and his response is “How Come Momma?”

I am starting to help plan a baby shower for my best friend since the 4^th grade!

Dealing with a lot of family issue that I will not get into details on here

Planning our 4^th annual BBQ, where we average about 50ish people for a 10 hour BBQ (starts at 2 ends around midnight)

My garden is still green and growing but no fruits are coming from it :(

Loving current book I am reading, I wish I had more time to read, its due in 2 days and I have only 100 more pages to go but with the fast I might have problems finishing

I am at work, it’s Monday morning so I don’t feel like working and I am snacking on my breakfast, naked cheerios (no sugar no milk)

  The more days of fasting there are, the better the healing is; the longer the period of abstinence, the more abundant the gain of salvation is.  

Blessed Augustine

Blogger Comment Problem

There has been an ongoing problem with blogger, I can't comment on most blog,  I can't even comment on my own!

Here is my comment that I want to response to my Meat Pancake post..

you just can’t to many they are very filling but so rich and creamy (from the pancake and egg) and sweet and salty (from the meat and pancake) it kinda tastes like a mcgriddle from McDonalds

Sarah from alittlebitofeverything, you son is soo cute and getting way to big, I can't believe he is 9 months old!

Matushka Anna I am skipping fruit too this weekend! and those personalized divine liturgy book for kids is such a great idea! I will be making one for Monkey in the near future!! 

Last but not least, Brittany you can come over anytime for dinner!

Meat Pancakes

Meat pancakes are the best pancakes you will ever have in your life

What you need (all depends on your family size)

Pancake mix (any will do)

5-8 strips of bacon

3-6 breakfast sausage links

4-6 eggs

2 frying pans (one for pancakes and one for eggs)

Cook bacon and sausage then crumble both

Prepare pancake mix, and pour pancakes onto the frying pan, then place crumble meat on top of the pancakes, finish cooking the pancakes.

At the same time start frying eggs and try not to break the yolks.

Plate two meat pancakes with one or two easy-side up eggs on top of the pancakes! Eat everything at the same time and you will be one happy camper!!

Meal plan week of 6/18-6/24

I am making all DH favorites this weekend, meat pancakes, ribs, black eye pea salad, pineapple upside down cake, and peanut butter buster sundae. I hope he feels the love!

Dinner

Saturday: family’s house (total cost $0)

Father's Day: BBQ Ribs with potato wedges and Greek black eyed pea salad (total cost $13 for 4 servings)

Monday: Sausage quesadillas with tomato-black bean salsa and corn bread (total cost $8.5 for 3 servings)

Tuesday: Slow Cook Cabbage casserole (total cost $7 for 4 servings)

Wednesday: Grilled Cheese with tomato soup (total cost $4 for 3 servings)

Thursday: Margarita Chicken with grilled corn and pineapple (total cost $6.5 for 3 servings) bumped from last week

Home-Date Night Friday: Potato crusted salmon with healthy mash potatoes and green beans plus biscuits (total cost $9.5 for 2 1/2 servings) I am still trying to prefect my healthy mash potatoes, last time there were alittle watery.

 

Sweet and Snacks

Pineapple upside down cake (total cost $3)

Peanut Butter Buster!! (total cost $2)

Fresh Fruit (Strawberry-Bananas-Apples) $5

Yogurts and string cheese $5

Breakfast&Lunch

Meat pancakes $3 (later I will write up a post on these fabulous pancakes)
 Cereal, Coffee, Juice, and Milk $5

Sandwiches, chips, V8, water for Lunch $20

Pasta, Pizza, Nuggets, Fruit, Veggies for Monkey’s Lunch $7


Peanut Butter Buster

Topping
1 cup of Chocolate Syrup
1/4 cup of Peanut Butter

Ice Cream Sundae
Chocolate Ice Cream
Salted Peanuts
Whipped Cream
1 Cherry

What You'll Need to Do

Chocolate & Peanut Butter Sauce:

Microwave the chocolate syrup for about 30-45 seconds. Stir in peanut butter until completely blended.

Wordless Wednesday

My son is an Orthodox child

He kisses everything, he tries to bless himself, he is also learning when to bless himself but let’s take it a step beyond that… my DH step family is Jewish and there is a new baby in the family so we went to temple Sunday to witness the bris.  I came prepared with my bag of tricks, I rearranged his nap for the day, I feed him a heavy meal before hand, and we came a little early so he can warm up to the different crowd of people.  Sadly with all that work I still lost the battle of well behaved son.  I don’t know if I was going to win now that I look back. It said the ceremony was going to start at X but it didn’t start till another 45 minutes later and by then I was all out of tricks.  When it did start it was so quiet and monkey wanted to sign, he didn’t understand why he had to sit till he wanted to move around, talk to everybody around him.  So I finally took him out of the temple (when it felt like it just started) and found a little playground outside where all the other toddlers were at.  The other moms thought I was nuts thinking Monkey would be good for a 20 minute ceremony.  I explained to them that he does pretty well in our church but also explained our services a little (which is why he is pretty well behave in church) but I also shared them my bag of tricks :)

My Bag of Tricks

In my Church Bag

Crayola Mess Free markers (monkey really just like to take the tops off and on because he usually isn’t allowed to have anything beside crayons)

Monkey’s favorite stuff animal

Books and a small photo album

Lace Cards (homemade to fit Monkey’s lesson)

Raisin! I love raisin, they are small, semi healthy, they don’t make a noise when eaten, easy to pick up off the floor, and it takes them a while to pull out of a small box.

The follow below I don’t use in church for one reason or another but I do carry them with me for friend houses, restaurants, any non kid friendly place

Magnetic Face and an Etch a sketch

Small color book, small box of crayons, and stickers

Few tiny small animals and cars

Lollypops (the only time he is allowed to have a lollypop is when I need him quite and happy and boy he is!)

And when times get really tough, I give him a PEN lol

Meal Plan week of 6/11-6/17

Dinner

Saturday: London broil with bakes sweet potato and biscuits (total cost $7 for 2 1/2)

Sunday: Margarita Chicken with grilled corn and pineapple (total cost $6.5 for 3 servings)

Monday: Italian Sausage Sub with carrot sticks and cucumber slices (total cost $7.5 for 3 servings)

Tuesday: Classic Salisbury steak on texas toast with veggie medley (total cost $5 for 3 servings)

Wednesday: Crispy Fish Fingers with rice and peas (total cost $5.5 for 3 servings)

Thursday: Hamburgers with sweet potato fries (total cost $5 serves 3)

Home-Date Night Friday: Scallops in Garlic Cream sauce over pasta with Cesar salad (total cost $10 for 2 1/2 servings)

Sweet and Snacks

Oreo Triffle (total cost $3)

Chocolate Heaven Sundays!! (total cost $2)

Fresh Fruit (Strawberry-Bananas-Apples) $5

Yogurts and string cheese $5

Breakfast&Lunch

Classic Sausage and Eggs with toast $3

Cereal, Coffee, Juice, and Milk $5

Sandwiches, chips, V8, water for Lunch $20

Pasta, Pizza, Nuggets, Fruit, Veggies for Monkey’s Lunch $7

Chocolate Heaven Sundaes

Chocolate Ice Cream

Chocolate cookie crumbs

Chocolate chips

Mix all three above and top with

Chocolate hard shell and chocolate syrup

Just add anything and everything that’s chocolate :)

These entire recipes can be found on kitchen monki, you search for the recipe or just find my recipe (Amanda Ann) 

BookClub: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

What really caught my eye was the title then the pretty girly cover (honestly) but then I saw how many people gave it such good reviews and after I read the sysnopsis I just had to read it.  I hope The Help works better than the last.

P.S. this book is soon to be a major motion picture from DreamWorks!

Synopsis from Barnes and nobles
Be prepared to meet three unforgettable women:

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women-mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends-view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.

Sweet Heat Pull Pork BBQ Sandwiches

I am a lover for all sweet heat BBQ, everything I make this recipe it keeps getting better, feel free to add ingredients to make it your own.

1 can Beef Broth

1 can of Beer

2 pounds Boneless Pork Ribs

1 tablespoon Honey

1 tablespoon Cayenne Pepper plus 1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon Chipotle Pepper plus ½ teaspoon

1 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon plus 1 teaspoon

1 teaspoon Ground Dry Mustard

1 tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 tablespoon Kosher Salt

1 1⁄2 teaspoons Pepper

1 bottle BBQ Sauce

4 Rolls

2 cups Coleslaw

Combine 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of cayenne, 1 teaspoon of chipotle, 1 teaspoon of mustard, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Mix prepared seasoning with a can of beer and beef broth, set aside. Rub salt and pepper on ribs. Pour season beer broth mixture into slow cooker, and add boneless pork ribs that were ribbed with salt and pepper. Cook on Low heat for 8 hours. Remove meat, and shred with two forks.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the shredded pork to a Dutch oven or iron skillet, and stir in barbeque sauce adding 1 teaspoon of cayenne, ½ teaspoon of chipotle, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until heated through.

Serve on Rolls with coleslaw.

Momma Tool: Calorie Counter

I’m pretty happy with my weight (140 pounds) but my silly doctor told me that I’m close to being overweight for my height (5’3”) he asked me about my daily diet which is ok but he told me to keep an eye on my intake. We ended the conversation with, I am not worry about my weight because I’m not done having babies.   However I thought to take the doctor’s advice and count calories.   To be honest, I don’t know how much calories I intake in a day, I just try to eat lots of colors a day…does fruit loops count as color?

So I’ll be searching for the easiest and fastest calorie counter on the web and phone.  If you use any please share :)   

Meal Plan for week of 6/4-6/10

Happy Summer! I am an ice cream lover, so this summer I would like to make one crazy Ice cream Sunday a week, which will keeps us away from the ice cream parlor therefore saves us some money!

Dinner
Busy Saturday: Slow cook BBQ Pork Sandwiches with chips (total cost $7 serves 3)

Sunday: Grilled chicken legs and corn on the cob and cucumber salad (total cost $4 serves 3)

Monday: Grilled Ham steaks with broccoli and cheese (total cost $4 serves 3)

Tuesday: Salsa chicken and rice casserole (total cost $6 serves 4)

Wednesday: Eggplant Parm with biscuits (total cost $6 serves 4)

Thursday: Skillet macaroni with meat sauce and a garden salad (total cost $4 serves 4)

Friday: Order in veggie pizza $15

Snack-n-Sweets
Alphabet Shape Rice krispies treats (total cost $2.5)
S’mores Sundays! (total cost $1.5)
Fresh Fruit (Mangoes-Bananas-Apples) $5
Yogurts $5


Breakfast&Lunch
Ham and cheese omelets $3
Cereal, Coffee, Juice, and Milk $5
Sandwiches, chips, V8, water for Lunch $20
Pasta, Pizza, Nuggets, Fruit, Veggies for Monkey’s Lunch $7

S’mores Sundays
Chocolate Ice Cream
Little Marshmallows
Broken up gram cracker
Hot fudge

These entire recipes can be found on kitchen monki, you search for the recipe or just find my recipe (Amanda Ann)