BANANA BEIGNETS & CREAM CHEESE DIPPING SAUCE

BEIGNET is typically a French pastry made of  deep-fried choux pastry but is synonymous in English with the term, fritter, or fried dough.  Choux pastry is a pastry made of only butter, water, flour and eggs and does not use a leavening agent. Instead it uses a high moisture content to create steam during cooking to puff the pastry. Ironically the chef given credit for the original recipe is Chef Pantarelli from Florence Itlay and the original name was pâte à Pantanelli from 1540. He left Italy with Catherine de’ Medici and her court when she married King Henry II and became queen of France.

As with all things over time, the dough recipe evolved, and the name was changed to pâte à popelin, which was used to make popelins, small cakes made in the shape of woman’s breasts. Then, Avice, an 18th century pâtissier created what were then called choux buns with the same recipe and the name of the dough was changed to pâte à choux, as Avice’s buns resembled cabbages.

This recipe however uses a more traditional dough with baking powder.  But, only a true connoisseur can tell the difference though and they disappear just as fast as any French made pastry.

BANANA BEIGNETS & CREAM CHEESE DIPPING SAUCE
makes 2 dozen
BEIGNETS
2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 JUMBO egg
1 cup mashed bananas (2 large)
1/2 cup WHOLE milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 CRISCO stick for frying

  • In a small bowl whisk together the FINISH sugar ingredients ans set aside. You will be using this last.
  • In a large bowl mix sift together the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt. Set aside.
  • In medium bowl whisk egg and milk until well blended. 
  • Add oil and mashed banana blending well.
  • Fold egg mixture into flour mixture until just blended.
  • Drop by small spoonfuls into HOT oil.  DO NOT CROWD PAN!!!!! Fry about 1 minute each side until golden brown. 
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Roll warm beignets in Finish sugar an cool on rack.
  • Serve with Cream Cheese dipping sauce.

FINISH SUGAR
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup PACKED brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

CREAM CHEESE DIPPING SAUCE
4 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup Powdered Sugar
½ tsp PURE vanilla
5-6 teaspoons whole milk

  • Mix together softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. 
  • Add vanilla and 5 teaspoons of milk, stirring until incorporated and smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add an additional teaspoon or two of milk, until you reach desired consistency.

GRILLED PEPSI CHICKEN

I’m continuing my experimentation streak with a recipe torn from the pages of an unknown magazine that was originally titled Grilled Chicken with Cola Sauce.  I made a few changes to accommodate my family’s likes and my pantry and am VERY pleased with the final recipe.

Since it’s just the 2 of us I also make two recipes at a time when I need to use the grill – it’s just plain easier! LOL the hard part is making sure that I use the right sauce on the right meat.

 GRILLED PEPSI CHICKEN
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1 large shallot, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounces (3/4 cup) Pepsi
1/3 cup Hunt’s Jalapeno ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
PAM

  • Preheat grill to medium high.
  • In a sauce pan over medium high heat swirl oil to coat. Heat oil for a minute or two.
  • Add shallots and saute for 2 minutes.
  • Add garlic sauteing for a minute more until fragrant, stirring constantly.
  • Add Pepsi, Hunt’s Jalapeno ketchup, apple cider vinegar Worcestershire sauce and chili powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes or until sauce has reduced to 3/4 cup. Set aside 1/3 cup in reserve, keep warm.
  • In a small bowl combine sugar, paprika, salt and cumin until well blended.
  • Rub chicken completely with sugar rub.
  • Spray grill rack with PAM.
  • Arrange chicken on the grill and baste with sauce.
  • Grill 5 minutes, baste again and cook another 5 minutes.
  • Serve with reserved sauce.

BREAKFAST for DINNER ~ HAM & CHEDDAR SAVORY BREAD PUDDING

I’ve been trying really hard to work through my stack of recipes for experimenting.  This one was labeled as breakfast for dinner, which was FANTASTIC, but it would also be REALLY GREAT for a Sunday brunch or holiday brunch since it can be prepared in advance and reheated as needed.

HAM & CHEDDAR SAVORY BREAD PUDDING
8-10 slices multi-grain bread with seeds*, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 (3/4, 1/4 divided) cup SHARP cheddar cheese
6 large green onions, chopped
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup chicken broth
Fresh ground black pepper
8 ounces ham steak, chopped fine
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
3 large egg whites
Sour cream

  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • Coat 15×10 jelly roll pan and 4 large ramekins with PAM.
  • Place bread cubes on jelly roll pan and bake for 10 minutes, turning as need or until lightly toasted.
  • Cool toast.
  • Combine bread cubes, 3/4 cup cheese, 3/4 of the onions, milk, chicken broth, pepper, ham, and egg yolks, tossing to mix and coat.
  • In a small bowl beat egg whites at high speed until foamy.
  • Gently fold in egg whites.
  • Spoon 1 cup into prepared ramekins or see note.
  • Top the ramekins with the remaining cheese and onions.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until toasted brown.
  • Top with sour cream and ENJOY!

NOTE: If I’m cooking just for us I will use a shallow baking dish and cook it as a casserole.  By using the shallow baking dish you get a toastier crunch effect.

*ALSO works well with a really SOUR sourdough, but you’ll want to add some extra seasoning!

ONE WATER CLOSET AT A TIME – DAY 253

When we decided to come here and take on this project it was supposed to be some paint, a little remodel and updating and A LOT of sweat labor for a couple months. We were told the carpet was salvageable and the appliances worked. NONE of which was actually true.  Unfortunately it took us almost 10 weeks of cleaning out the trash and donations to even be able to properly assess the situation.

Had we been told the REAL story with the condition of this house we would NEVER have come here!  Now, we just can’t wait to be done!!  Day 253 and we just pray we will be done by day 365 with this nightmare.

This week is about FINALLY bringing the laundry area into the 21st century and up to code. When we arrived the laundry area contained my grandmother’s OLD washing machine, an almost as old dryer that was not vented to the outside despite an opening cut through the wall, and a fairly new water heater that had been installed NOT UP TO CODE on top of the original base that was now rotting through and home to all sorts of critters.  First of all I’m quite appalled that SEARS would install something so poorly and wary of ever using them in the future.

Above is the before pictures AFTER we cleaned out all the crap short of the actual base and wall behind it. We were able to get the actual floor for the water closet portion laid down and the insulation for the outside wall and the inside closet walls.

Above is AFTER our “normally”wonderful plumbers were here, but before we installed the interior walls, ceiling, light and the cabinet above the washer and dryer. I did get the cabinet stained to match the kitchen cabinets over the weekend. We did get the remaining floor laid after they left for the day.

I say “normally” wonderful plumbers because Henry, the estimator was here two weeks ago and we planned this whole project out and booked for the 1st of July.  Then after being rescheduled two separate times due to their workload I expected perfection. Unfortunately perfection was not their forte’ today.  They did not have ALL the parts they needed to accomplish this project according to the original plan so in our opinion they half-assed it and “changed” our original plans for us and we will now be going to Lowe’s or Home Depot tomorrow to purchase the parts needed to change the things they did not do properly to get OUR plan back on track:

  • elbow and long enough gas line so the line doesn’t cut through the middle of the broom closet.
  • Elbows and NEW PVC so the discharge line for the pan hugs the pan and wall and doesn’t prevent the door from closing as it does today.

On Friday we will be putting the washer and dryer on “SLIDERS” also and starting to work on the walls, ceiling, cabinet, new LED light and the actual water closet door and broom closet.

PIZZA CHICKEN

PIZZA CHICKEN
1 tablespoon avocado oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, flattened to even sizes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
20 slices pepperoni
1 small red onion coarsely chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • Preheat oven to 375°.
  • In a small skillet heat oil to medium high and saute onion and garlic until fragrant and softened. Drain off oil and toss with lemon juice.
  • In a lightly greased baking dish arrange chicken pieces in a single layer.
  • Generously salt and pepper.
  • Cover and bake 15 minutes. 
  • Remove from oven, uncover and layer pepperoni in a single layer over chicken pieces.
  • Top with onion garlic mixture.
  • Top with mozzarella cheese and return to oven uncovered for another 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
  • Top with Parmesan, oregano and parsley.
  • Serve over angel hair pasta.

CINNAMON PECAN BRITTLE

When I saw this recipe I thought I was going to fall in love.  Then I made a couple changes and KNEW I was in love! IT IS LIKE EATING A HEATH BAR WITH THE BONUS OF A HINT OF CINNAMON!


CINNAMON PECAN BRITTLE
Parchment paper
Vegetable cooking spray
1 1/4 cups butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon instant espresso (Yuban instant coffee)
1 tablespoon dark unsulphured molasses
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 cups Fisher cinnamon pecans
2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels

  • Line a 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with parchment paper, and lightly coat with cooking spray.
  • Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat.
  • Stir in granulated sugar, brown sugar, espresso, molasses, salt and 1/3 cup water. 
  • Cook, stirring constantly, until a candy thermometer registers 290° (soft crack stage), about 17 to 20 minutes. 
  • Remove pan from heat, and stir in pecans. 
  • Immediately pour mixture into prepared pan spreading in an even layer, and sprinkle bittersweet and semisweet chocolate morsels over top. 
  • Let stand 5 minutes and then spread and swirl the chocolate pieces using an offset spatula. 
  • Chill 1 hour or until firm. 
  • Break toffee into pieces. 
  • Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 7 days. 
  • Serve cold or at room temperature.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

I hope everyone has plans for a restful time with family and friends today and that you had a great weekend. Ours was productive, but quiet as by afternoon the heat and humidity have gotten the best of me and I’m forced to take some down time.  I did try and do mainly indoor activities like sorting pictures and negatives, staining cabinets, baking cookies, marinating the carne asada for today, etc… We will be staying home, barbecuing, watching a couple movies and the fireworks.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE
It looks so pretty with big fluffy clouds and sunny skies.  You would think it was spring.  Then I opened the door and the 90 degree heat and 70% humidity hit me like a frying pan in the face.  I think I will be staying inside again except for grilling the meat later.

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE
Honey Nut cheerios with a sliced banana and green tea.

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE
I’m glad I got all the cleaning done yesterday so I can just relax and read all day or do what I want.

TO DO FOR THE WEEK/HOUSE PROJECTS
The plumbers were supposed to be here last Friday and we were planning on having the laundry area almost finished by today, but they ran into problems on their previous job and asked if they could reschedule.  They are so good at what they do we agreed and adjusted our sails to other projects for the weekend.

CURRENTLY READING
I have not been very focused lately on reading and only manage to get a few pages read before my eyes are just to tired so I’m still reading:

TELEVISION / DVR
We’ve been trying that new series, BRAIN DEAD, but still aren’t sure about it yet. We’re also trying the new AMERICAN GOTHIC, but I think they are trying to hard to be “unpredictable”.  ZOO started again and we really enjoy that along with AMERICAS GOT TALENT and HOME FREE.

CRAFTS & PROJECTS
Nothing new this week, but seriously getting closer to being able to spend some time working on quilts and Christmas projects.

KITCHEN WISHES
Even here in the kitchen I have been paring down and cleaning cabinets, but there are a few things I would like to replace some items tat have reached the end of their life. I’m thinking of replacing my 20 year old pots and pans with these copper ones.  Does anyone have these and have any reviews?

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
CEREAL & FRUIT
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
YOGURT & FRUIT
MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
PANCAKES & BACON
TOASTED FRENCH TOAST
LUNCH
FRUIT & CHEESE
SOUP & CRACKERS
SANDWICH
OUT
MEAT & CHEESE
LEFTOVERS
SANDWICHES
DINNER
CARNE ASADA & CORN ON THE COB
CHILI CHICKEN & VEGGIES
C.O.R.N.
PORK & TOMATILLO STEW
MEATLOAF & SALAD
RECIPE EXPERIMENT NIGHT
DESSERT







SUCCESSFUL RECIPES and their links FROM LAST WEEK

ON MY MIND
What is going on with people?  Hubs and I were at Walmart (not my favorite store, but it is what it is some days) and waiting in line 3rd back.  The woman in front was making the cashier price match EVERYTHING! (honestly she should have just gone to the other store she had the ad from) and it was taking FOREVER!

A new cashier  opened next to her and said next in line.  The woman in front of us (2nd back) already had all of her things on the conveyor belt so told us to go ahead, but before we could get there the person from the end of the line (about 7th back) was there and then the mouthy rude witch behind us had grabbed one thing from her basket and run over to put it onto the conveyor belt and was motioning for her friend to get there.  Now mind you we are already there and she is physically moving our basket and preventing us from putting anything on the belt all the while telling us we should have “moved our asses) faster. I truly believe if we had insisted she would have begun a brawl.

Her friend was mortified (good for her) and we just said go ahead we’ll just stay in the other line and trade you. Then the guy behind them accuses us of cutting in front of him all because he was on his phone and not paying ANY attention at all.  While we were still waiting to pay, the mouthy rude witch then flips us off as she walks by!!

Just one more example of why we will NOT be staying here! Ironically, I heard on the news yesterday that Miami, Florida won the title of MOST RUDE in the U.S. which I find really ard to believe there is any place worse than here!

THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY

Whiskey hanging out with me while I cook.

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA

My violets LOVE this window.

INSPIRATION

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

CHILI CHICKEN – ALLOW MARINATING TIME

I’m finally getting around to a few of the recipes that have been hanging around waiting to be experimented with.  This one turns out to be a great recipe for both the grill or the oven and can be frozen and pulled out to thaw for even a weeknight meal. I prefer it best on the grill and use bone-in for that.

CHILI CHICKEN
1 bottle chili sauce (12 ounces)
1/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup avocado oil
10-12 garlic cloves, minced
4 DOROT basil cubes*
Salt and pepper to taste
8 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless **

  • Whisk together chii sauce, white wine, oil, basil and garlic until well blended.
  • Prick each chicken thigh several times with a fork and place in a tupperware marinader or ziploc bag.
  • Pour most of the marinade over chicken pieces.  Seal and refrigerate. Refrigerate the remaining marinade for basting during the grill time.
  • Turn frequently for 8 hours or overnight.
  • Drain chicken and discard marinade.
  • Place chicken on greased grill rack/pan.
  • Cover with foil and grill 10-15 minutes.
  • Uncover and baste pieces with marinade.
  • Turn pieces and grill another 10-15 minutes until cooked through. DO NOT RECOVER.

NOTE: You can also also freeze the ziploc of chicken with 1 1/2 cups of marinade and remaining marinade in a separate small ziploc for future cooking.  Just defrost overnight in the refrigerator and cook at dinner time.

*I love these frozen herb cubes.  With just the two of us  fresh herbs go to a huge waste many times so these are a fantastic alternative.

**Original recipe called for bone-in, skin-on thighs, but I changed it and they taste just as good.

MID WEEK UPDATE on the MINIIMIZING DONATION PROJECT

Just a quick update.  In the past three days we’ve gotten quite a bit done despite my lack of energy! 897 items since Sunday have been donated, now some of those are things like Pendaflex folders and recipe cards that I counted individually because they weren’t in sets. The items below are yet to be wrapped and boxed, but we did drop off a load this morning at the Women’s Shelter Resale store which made more room.  There were 3 BIG bags of baskets taking up a lot of space as well as the three 30 gallon totes so I was happy to empty the car.

I did get the baseboard all painted in the living room and atrium as well as get the whole house vacuumed.

But the greatest find was this super sweet letter our niece, Amber wrote us back in 2008 when she left for home after a 2 week visit. 

SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS

I originally found this recipe in COOK’S ILLUSTRATED  and changed it very little.  I served it with rice here for a change, but really prefer it served with mashed potatoes or buttered noodles since it makes such a nice gravy.

SMOTHERED PORK CHOPS
3 slices bacon, diced
2 tablespoons Avocado oil
2 tablespoons Wondra flour
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
4 bone-in thick pork chops
2 sweet onions, halved and sliced thin
2 tablespoons water
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme
1 tablespoon minced parsley 
salt and pepper to taste

  • Fry bacon over medium heat, stirring frequntly for 8-10 minutes until browned. Remove with slotted spoon to a paper towel and allow to drain.
  • Reduce heat and add oil to make 2 tablespoons total in pan.
  • Whisk in flour and cook until golden like the color of peanut butter.
  • Slowly add broth and increase heat, whisking continuously until you reach a slow boil. Cover and set aside.
  • Pat pork chops dry.
  • Season both sides with salt and pepper.
  • In a large skillet bring 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil to high heat. Add pork chops and brown 2-3 minutes each side. Transfer chops to a plate.
  • Add remaining oil to skillet and bring to heat.
  • Add onions and water to skillet browning until just beginning to caramelize.  Be sure to scrape up any browned bits from the skillet.
  • Add thyme and garlic cooking until fragrant.
  • Add pork chops back into pan and pour sauce from other pan over top.
  • Simmer 20-30 minutes until pork is tender and cooked through.
  • Remove chops to a warming platter.
  • Stir in parsley and season sauce with salt and pepper.  Continue cooking until it reaches a gravy like consistency.
  • Spoon over pork chops and top with reserved bacon.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER and MENU PLAN MONDAY

My plan last week was to get tons of things done and post about them too.  Well, as I always say, Man plans and God Laughs. That is the type of week I had last week.

I did have 2 days of routine follow-up testing for my cancer scheduled and they went well – NED (no evidence of disease) YAY!, but left me quite dehydrated and fatigued.  I thought I got a handle on re-hydrating, but evidently not when I had to be medic escorted away from the Skeeter’s game Friday night.  The humidity, heat, dehydration and fatigue just caught up with me and then I was forced into 2 additional days of down time to recover. So, I have HIGH hopes for this week to play catch up.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE
It’s already quite warm and we have a threat of rain ALL week so the humidity levels are also already quite high!

AS I LOOK OUTSIDE MY WINDOW
The clouds are gray and  a bit threatening and there is NO breeze so I’m planning to get out and do my errands early and get back before the heaven’s open up.  Lately it seems to rain EVERY day and rain HARD, but not for long – just long enough to make it miserable outside and then it repeats itself 2 or 3 more times throughout the day.

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE
A banana and green tea.

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE
It’s STILL a mess from ALL the sorting I’ve been doing, but I did make a HUGE dent in the pile that had been in the spare bedroom so I’m feeling pretty good despite the mess. 

TO DO FOR THE WEEK/HOUSE PROJECTS
I am still amazed that SEARS did this install less than 2 years ago.  They actually installed a brand new hot water heater onto a collapsing 40 years old base and came NO WHERE close to bringing it to code.  Fortunately our plumbers are coming on Friday to do it correctly, but it really burns my butt that we are having to spend the money! I can’t wait to show you finished pictures next week. Hubby and I came up with a GREAT design for this area and I’m really anxious to see it completed not to mention that I can get several totes of things off my dining room floor once the cabinets are hung.

  • Monday – drop off donations, run errands and grocery shopping
  • Tuesday  – caulk molding in both bathrooms, kitchen and living room
  • Wednesday – paint living room baseboard, more sorting to complete the donation project
  • Thursday – paint bathrooms, rake backyard
  • Friday – Plumbers will be here to bring water heater to code and install new plumbing so we can finish the laundry are next week.
  • Saturday – Cleaning and laundry
  • Sunday – Not a darn thing! except what we want and watch the race.

CURRENTLY READING

TELEVISION / DVR
We’ve been trying that new series, BRAIN DEAD, but just aren’t sure about it yet. We’re also trying the new AMERICAN GOTHIC.

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
I’m trying another entire week of experiments.  I also have a couple success recipes from the last time I did that to still post.
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
YOGURT & FRUIT
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
YOGURT & FRUIT
MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
OUT
FRENCH TOAST
LUNCH
FRUIT & CHEESE
SOUP & CRACKERS
SANDWICH
OUT
MEAT & CHEESE
LEFTOVERS
SANDWICHES
DINNER
FRENCH ONION SALISBURY STEAK & SALAD
SLOW COOKER PORK & TOMATILLO STEW
OUT CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN
MEATBALLS &MARINARA & ASPARAGUS with PEARL ONIONS
PAN SEARED CHICKEN with WINE & HERBS
CHILI SAUCE CHICKEN & SALAD
APRICOT GLAZED PORK KEBABS and SAVORY BREAD PUDDING
DESSERT


THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY

  • Getting more and more decisions made on what to keep and what to donate. At the very least this experience has allowed us to regroup, get EVERYTHING under one roof and sort it out. I have to tell you we are LOVING the minimization that’s going on here!
  • We’re planning a few trips for the fall that we’re looking forward to. We picked up some maps and tour books to read up on where we are going.

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA

INSPIRATION

 

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

I hope everyone had a wonderful Father’s Day weekend.  Ours was quite busy, but nice.

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE
It is starting to cloud up a bit.  We’re supposed to have a little rain the next couple days and then hopefully “dry” out again.  I’m really hating the humidity lately.

AS I LOOK OUTSIDE MY WINDOW
I can see squirrels playing on the oak tree and for some reason the birds which I cannot see are seriously LOUD this morning.

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE
A bit of egg salad and a cup of tea.

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE
I see the remnants of a VERY busy weekend and am hoping to finish today and get the vacuuming done.

TO DO FOR THE WEEK

  • Paint cabinet bottom support and baseboards in living room.
  • Finish caulking both bathrooms.
  • Paint Master Bath final coat.
  • Paint Spare Bath final coat.
  • Clean.
  • Vacuum.
  • Laundry.

CURRENTLY READING

TELEVISION / DVR
I think there are a few new shows this week, but I haven’t checked yet. There are also a few movies coming out this month that I’d like to see and I might need to go to AMC for a matinee or two on warmer days. We did see Now You See Me 2 this past week and really enjoyed it.

CRAFTS & PROJECTS/HOUSE PROJECTS
I recently did an update here. We’re hoping to keep working forward to get this place finished once and for all.

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
YOGURT & FRUIT
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
YOGURT & FRUIT
MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
EGGS in the CLOUDS
BACON & EGGS
LUNCH
FRUIT & CHEESE
SOUP & CRACKERS
SANDWICH
OUT
MEAT & CHEESE
LEFTOVERS
SANDWICHES
DINNER
CHILE & CORNBREAD
PEANUT BUTTER BURGERS
C.O.R.N.
GLAZED STUFFED PORK CHOPS
SLOPPY JOES
CHICKEN & NOODLES
ORANGE CHICKEN & CHOW MEIN
DESSERT

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA

INSPIRATION

Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.