Menu Monday

Here's the plan for the week! (One item is a repeat from last week...we all got sick and I made soup for a couple of nights!)

Monday- Tacos, beans and rice
Tuesday- Breakfast for dinner- eggs, hashbrowns, biscuits, gravy and bacon
Wednesday-Lentil Stew and garlic muffins (I leave out the onion)
Thursday-Cheesy chicken pot pie (a new recipe for me from a Gooseberry Patch cookbook)
Friday- Spinach Artichoke Cheesy Tortellini(see below for recipe)
Saturday- Homemade pizza- my dough recipe here
Sunday- Crockpot White Chicken Chili over rice (recipe below!)



White Chicken Chili
**Sorry! I just realized I pasted in the wrong recipe for this. Here's the right one!
White Chicken Chili- Crock pot
1 can great northern beans-drained
2 chicken breasts
1 small can of diced green chilis
3 cups chicken broth
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
2-4 garlic cloves chopped
1 cup onion chopped
1 can corn (optional) I usually don't add it but I did this time!

Add all ingredients and cook all day on low. Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream. Chopped cilantro and green onions are good on it, too. Serve alone or over rice.

Rachel Rays Spinach artichoke cheesy tortellini (I use regular pasta)
**here are the directions with a couple of my changes...
1 10-oz box frozen spinach
2 tablespoons EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), twice around the pan
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small onion, peeled and halved
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
A couple handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Salt and black pepper
1 pound Pasta (Rachel uses cheese tortellini...I use whatever pasta I happen to have that day!)

Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta.
Microwave the spinach on high for a few minutes to defrost.
Heat a deep skillet over medium heat with the EVOO and butter. When the butter melts and is hot, add the garlic. Using a box grater, grate the onion directly into the skillet.
Saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the stock, then the cream, and bring the sauce to a boil.
Season the sauce with nutmeg(I leave this out) and reduce the heat to low.
Place the defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring it dry. Separate it as you add it to the sauce.
Stir in the chopped artichokes and a couple handfuls of cheese, then season the spinach-artichoke sauce with salt and pepper.
Salt the boiling water and cook the tortellini (or regular old pasta!) according to the package directions. Drain it well and toss with the spinach artichoke sauce. Serve immediately.

See orgjunkie.com for more great menu ideas!!!

A new layout

Here's a layout I made for the color challenge on Scrap 4 Life. We had to use blue and white with a little bit of green and yellow. This is for Abby's scrapbook. (The layout is a bit brighter in person...not sure why it's so dark! LOL)

I hope you are having a great day!

How do you photograph your layouts?

I have the hardest time photographing my layouts! Either I can't get the colors to look right, there's a glare, I can't get the angle right...OR little heads, feet and paws get in the way!

Does this happen to anyone else??? LOL

Anyhow, here's my layout for Paper Popsicles week one challenge for March. The theme for the month is "green" and we had to create a monochromatic green layout...all green and only green!

Menu Planning Monday

Ok, it's time for me to start menu planning again!! I haven't been very good at it for a couple of months but I am ready to plan, plan, plan!

Here's what we are having this week-
Monday-BBQ chicken, Ranchers Potatoes(recipe below!! Soooo yummy!) and garlic peas
Tuesday- Tacos, pinto beans
Wednesday-Crockpot pork chops with gravy (new recipe), baked potatoes, green beans
Thursday- Lentil Stew, Garlic Muffins (I leave out the onion) or cornbread muffins.
Friday-Meatballs & Pink Sauce (this was my favorite meal as a kid!!! See the recipe below.), rice and brocolli
Saturday- Chicken Tortilla Soup
Sunday- Crockpot beef roast, mashed potatoes, a veggie (not sure what yet)


Breakfast- cereal, oatmeal, waffles and homemade egg mcmuffins.
Lunch-PB&J sandwiches, quesadillas, grilled cheese, cheese and pimento sandwiches, tuna sandwiches
Snacks-Hummus and veggies, PB toast, cheese and crackers, tortilla roll ups, fruit

Meatballs and Pink Sauce
*This was my favorite meal growing up! I don’t really have exact measurements, I wing it as I go. But here’s a guideline.

Ground beef and meatball fixings (I use egg, milk, bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper and any other seasonings that happen to sound good that day!)
1 cup (or more) beef broth
Flour/water paste (maybe a couple tsp of flour and water each)
Sliced mushrooms
Lemon Peel- a couple of good size strips
1 Bay leaf
½ cup or so sour cream
3 TBS or more ketchup
Cooked rice

Directions:
Make your meatballs as you normally would.
Brown meatballs in a skillet and drain the grease.
Remove meatballs to a plate.
Mix beef broth with the flour/water paste in the skillet. Whip it to remove any lumps. Bring to a boil. Add the meatballs back into the pan.
Add lemon peel, sliced mushrooms and a bay leaf.
Simmer for about 15 minutes.
Add sour cream and ketchup to taste. Heat to hot (but not boiling).
Serve over white rice.


Rancher's Potatoes
by Dirt Road Scrapper in the ScrapShare cookbook
6 large potatoes, washed & cubed into chunks
1 can chopped green chilies
5 strips bacon, cooked & chopped
8 oz. sour cream
3/4 c. Ranch dressing
1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
Place potatoes in a large casserole dish with a dash of water and microwave on high until almost tender. While they're cooking, combine all other ingredients and stir well. Stir into potatoes. Place dish in oven and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

For more great menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com!!

Sneak Peek-Sketchapalooza starts soon!!!

Sketchapalooza starts in a few days!!! I am so excited!! Here's a sneak peek at one of my layouts. Shhhh...don't tell Jayne I am posting this! LOL It's not too late to sign up for the class!! Check out the details here- http://feelingscrappyclasses.blogspot.com/search/label/Classes

Layout contest

My local scrapbook store had a layout contest using the new MME Penny Lane line. I submitted my layout and they are up for voting on their blog: http://heartlandpaper.typepad.com/heartland_paper/2009/02/my-minds-eye-layout-contest.html

Mine is called Beach Time. Of course, vote for the one you think should win...but if happens to be mine, thank you, thank you!!!! :) (The email link to vote isn't working...but here it is- heartlandblog@gmail.com They reposted it in a later post.) It was a fun page to create!!! Here's my layout-

Readers

I really hope my kids continue to love reading as they grow older. Here they are just a few minutes ago. They love to look at books and to have me read to them. (No, they can't read on their own yet! LOL but Joshua has been learning quite a few "sight" words.) We have books everywhere! They end up in every room!

A new layout

I went to a crop last night and got a few pages finished. All but one are for the Sketchapalooza class starting in a couple of weeks!! (I can't share those until after the class is over.) Here's the info if you are interested in taking it. The sketch classes at Feeling Scrappy are always a lot of fun and I get a TON finished. http://feelingscrappyclasses.blogspot.com/search/label/Classes

Here's the one page I finished that wasn't for the class. I used one of Becky Fleck's sketches on Page Maps. Love her sketches!!! We were challenged to use this particular sketch on Scrap 4 Life.

I hope you are having a great weekend!!!

Year of Cheer

We recently finished up our Year of Cheer class on Feeling Scrappy. We had a blast hanging out and sharing our creations. Here are a few peeks at some of my cards and the box I made.

Free stamp!!

Anyone want a free stamp?? Go check out my friend Sheila's new blog to see how to get one! Everyone who visits can get one!!!! Woohooo! I have several of Sheila's stamps and they are great quality...you should check them out!
http://letsgetjazzy.blogspot.com/