Recipe Review: Grilled Chicken Tenderloins

I found this recipe on Christy Jordan's Southern Plate blog and I gotta tell you it was easy and delicious!  My kids loved it and there was not one leftover to be had.  I used 6 chicken breasts and doubled the marinade/sauce.  It took a little longer than an hour to cook and the smell coming from my kitchen was so yummy.  I served with rice, green beans and biscuits and everything was gobbled  up. 

This is a for sure keeper so I will put this recipe in our family cookbook for future meals!

Menu Plan for March 3 - 10, 2010

I have seriously been lacking when it comes to menu planning and it shows.  Not only have my food costs gone up but so has the nutritional value of the food we have been eating.  So, here is the plan:

Wednesday, 3/10
Grilled Chicken Tenderloins
Green Beans
Boiled Potatoes
Corn Bread

Thursday, 3/11
Slow Cooked Swiss Steaks
Rice
French Green Beans
Biscuits

Friday, 3/12
Texas Straw Hat

Saturday, 3/13
Easy Chicken & Cheesy Enchiladas
Rice
Salad

Sunday, 3/14
Ham & Potato Casserole
Green Beans
Cornbread
Dessert (have not decided yet)


So, there you have it!  A menu plan for the rest of the week....

Recipe Review: Brookies with Chocolate Ganache

I can't believe how fast time flies....I didn't realize how long it has been since my last post.  This winter has been long, cold and snowy and I am sure that I am not the only person ready for spring.  Winter has got me down!  So much so, I haven't even been inspired to cook and bake.  However, I decided to try out a new recipe yesterday from the Bakerella blog. I tried the brookies (brownies and cookies together) with chocolate ganache. 

 

Image courtesy of Bakerella

These were super easy to make because you use packaged brownie mix and chocolate chip cookie dough mix.  The hardest part was trying to keep my family away during the cooling of the brookies and then again to let the ganache set.  They will satisfy a chocolate fix or a sweet tooth.  However, I will only make these for special occasions or upon request because they are SUPER rich!

This is a recipe that I will add to our family book.

Recipe Review: Pumpkin Crumb Cake

I found a new website, Southern Plate.  I love her style...she cooks southern just like I do.  Not only is she just plain funny but it looks as if she has some very tasty recipes.  I tried one of her recipes, Pumpkin Crumb Cake.  It was easy to put together and very moist.  Not overly sweet.  My kids loved it.  Troy thought it was good, but seemed to be missing something.  I added a powdered sugar glaze and he thought it tasted better.  It was eaten before I could get a picture...maybe next time. 

The one thing that I really liked about the recipe was the crumb.  I have been looking for a Maple Muffin recipe.  When I was a working girl there was a company that came to our office and delivered muffins.  They had a maple muffin that a struesel bottom and top.  It was to die for....so good.  I have yet to find a recipe that duplicates it but that struesel recipe is very close to what I remember. 

Give this recipe a try.  You won't be dissappointed!

Baking: Do you love to bake?

One of my favorite things to do is bake.  I like to cook, but LOVE to bake.  There is something about baking a beautiful and yummy cake, or cookies or my personal favorite....brownies!  Brownies are yummy goodness....especially warm with fudge sauce on top with ice cream melting off to the side....oh sweet mother!!!!!

I found an awesome new website, Bakerella, today thanks to The Farm Chicks.  Does this website not scream YUMMY?  I am not a peach person, but that Peach Crunch Cake looks so good....something that would be delish on a cold winter day after filling up on soup or spicy chili.  It kinda reminds me of my momma's Peach Cobbler that our family loves.  You can't go wrong with that much butter! 

Image courtesy of Bakerella

The Smore Cupcakes looks devine!  My girls loves smores so I will be baking these up soon.  These look so much less messier than the original summer favorite.

Image courtesy of Bakerella

Ohhhhhh....these brownies look devine!  I will definately be making a batch of these....Brownie Candy Cups.

Image courtesy of Bakerella.

So, as you can see, this website had me at hello and I can't wait to start baking up some yummy goodness goodies!

Valentine Projects for the Girls to Take to School

I want to do something different this year other than the normal Valentine card.  We can't give out homemade goodies to the students but we can for the teachers.  I think this is a super cute idea from The Farm Chicks for the teachers and maybe the front office as well.


I like this idea for treat bags for them to handout to their classmates.

Valentine Treat Packages

Photo Provided by Martha Stewart Living

Or maybe something like this on a smaller scale for the teachers.

Photo Provided by Martha Stewart Living

Candy and Tulip Bouquet

As an avid reader, this is a cute idea:

Photo Provided by Martha Stewart Living

Heart Shaped Bookmark

This would be cute for the girls to give to their best friends:

Photo Provided by Martha Stewart Living

Knot Bracelets

This would be cute as classroom treats.  Super cute!

Photo Provided by Martha Stewart Living

Valentine Treat Cup

These are just a few of the projects that I have been looking at for Valentine's day.  I am going to keep looking because I am sure that there is more awesome projects.

Safeway Deals: Fruit Snacks, Pillsbury Rolls and more

I stopped in Safeway for some good deals today.  Here is what I got:

3 - 12 packs of soda...Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew and Mug RB
    @ $2.66 each
2 - boxes of Annies Mac & Cheese
    @ $.99 each 
     used this coupon (printed twice) and got both boxes free!
6 - boxes of Betty Crocker fruit rollups, gushers and bugs
    @ $1.00 box (used this coupon, or here, plus this cellfire coupon) and got 6 boxes for $3.00
2 - 5 pack Mac & Cheese
     @ $4.49 each (the pack had a coupon for Nabisco Snack Packs)
2 - Nabisco Snack Packs - 12 pack variety
     @ $4.49 each (used the coupons on the Kraft Mac & Cheese boxes) and got them for $1.99 each
2 - boxes Stash Chai Spice Tea
     @ $2.99 each (used this coupon) and got them for $1.99 each
1 - Quilted Northern TP 12 pack
    @ $5.99
2 - Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
    @ $1.99 each (used this coupon, plus this shortcuts coupon, and cellfire coupon) made
      them $1.98 for both
2 - Pillsbury Orange Sweet rolls
    @ $1.98 each (used this coupon, plus this shortcuts coupon and cellfire coupon) made
      them $1.88 for both
2 - Pillsbury Toaster Strudels
    @ $2.50 each (used this coupon, plus this shortcuts coupon and cellfire (coupon) made
      them $2.90 for both
1 - 18 pack of eggs
    @ $1.99
1 - gallon of milk
   @$1.99 each
4 - Safeway piecrusts
    @ $.99 each
1 - bag of mixed veggies
   @ $2.50
 
I also used a $2.50 catalina that I had.
 
My total was $54.89.  I saved $53.59. 
I also received 3 more catalinas.
  - $2.00 off from Pillsbury
  - $1.50 off from General Mills
  - $1.50 off from General Mills
 
Not bad for snack items and yummy rolls! 

New Blog: Knock Off Wood

While I was reading through one of my fav blogs (EVER!), they shared a new website.  OMG!  This has to be one of the best blogs!  Ana, the blogger, makes furniture and she has full plans to make knock off furniture.  Like this.....

Photo Source:  Pottery Barn

or how about this????

Photo Source:  Pottery Barn

Can you believe it?  I have already made a list of all the projects that I would like my husband to accomplish this year.  (But, because I won't remember next week, I better write it down....lol...)  All of the possibilites and money saved get me all giddy inside!

You have to check out this blog!

Redorating Sparkles and NayNay's bedroom....

It is time to redecorate Sparkles and NayNay's room....or as I like to call them, Abby and Zoey.  They had a black metal bunk bed that had a twin on top and double on the bottom.  They never slept on top because they like to sleep together...although there are nights when they don't even want to speak to each other, let alone sleep together.  But on those nights, if you sneak in their room after they have gone to sleep, you will find them "nuggled" (another Abby-ism) next to each other.  Anywho......

I bought them Shabby Chic bedding for the old bunkbeds.  Now that they are moving on, I gave Hailey the full size Shabby bedding for her fabulously pink and all girl room.  I need to decide what we want to do now for Sparkles and NayNay.  Temporarily, they had they help of their daddy's decorating talent.  He brought up our camping tent and purchased two sleeping bags for them.  See where this is going????  Yes, my daughter's are camping out in their room every night.  They love it and it is so much fun (again, ???) tucking my daughter's in their sleeping bags and tent at bedtime.  Hey, at least they have all the modern conveniences....TV, heat, fan, pretty flower lights....(pics to come soon once I clean up the room.)

Their room is not very big.  I would like for them to have their own bed.  I am not sure if I got single bunk beds that they would sleep properly....well, really does it matter?  Between 1AM and 3AM every night, the girls creep in my room and get in bed with me.  I love my babies, but it is so hard to get sleep when you are forced to the edge of the bed and you have sleep talkers.  So, maybe I should decorate this room for me?  So at 3AM when I am forced out of my bed, I can sleep in their room....and maybe not work on my blog like I am right now????

Here are some possibilites brought to you by Pottery Barn Kids (love them!)....

Aren't owls all the rage right now?  This room is cute and kinda simple.

Photo Source:  Pottery Barn

Morgan Bedroom with Bedtime Stories

I LOVE this room!  And the bird cages hung above the bed are adorable. I can see it now, Abby and Zoey hanging and swinging from them....oh, I can dream about fabulous decorations, but I am limited to what I think my scheming babies can do to them....

Photo Source:  Pottery Barn

Kelsey Bedroom

Now this room my girls would go crazy for.   They are into butterflies big time!

Photo Source:  Pottery Barn

Lindsey Butterfly Room

Now, this room is right up my ally!  I love all things Shabby for little girls.  There is something about that style.  It is just so sweet.  Look...those girls like my babies in about 2 or 3 years!  But let's not think about that right now because it makes me cry!

Photo Source:  Pottery Barn

Romatic Floral

Here is another owl room, but with some butteflies thrown in as well.  Super cute!

Photo Source:  Pottery Barn

Owl and Butterfly Room

My girls like fairies too!  This room is cute and I love the Fairy Canopy, but I don't see it listed on the website.  But, it is still a great idea!

Photo Source:  Pottery Barn

Fairy Bedroom

Here is a cute bunk bed set up.  I like the bunk bed idea, but making the top bunk is not alot of fun.

Photo Source:  Pottery Barn

Bunk Beds with Floral Bedding

I like this bunk bed room too!  So many options.....

Photo Source:  Pottery Barn

Bunk Beds in Pink Room

So many cool ideas...and that is just looking at Pottery Barn.  I would like to get this room done in the next 4-6 weeks.  I guess that depends on how fast the "coolness" of sleeping in a tent in your room lasts.  I will keep searching for ideas and I guess, I could ask the girls what they would like.....nah!  lol....

Yes, it has been awhile.....

Yes, it has been awhile.....

Blogging took a back seat to family life and all it's craziness.  And when I say crazy, I mean CRAZY!  For realizies as my beautiful and funny Abby (or Sparkles or Princess...whatever her other name is for the day!)

But, I am determined that I will not let my blog get interrupted while I make dinner, clean the house, do homework and all of the other fun jobs that I have.  Surely, between the daily ten loads of laundry and three baths, I can find sometime to blog.....right?