Halloween Monster Munch

Here is a quick snack I surprised my kids with before our football game the other day. I even made some extra to send off in a care package to Minnesota to one of our players who is in his freshman year out there playing football.
All of their favorites: pretzels, M&M's, Halloween Oreos, and candy corn all wrapped in white chocolate! Yum!

Ingredients:
Package of white chocolate melting chips or lb. of white chocolate almond bark
Crumbled oreos
Crumbled pretzels
M&M's
Candy corn
Halloween Sprinkles

Directions:
1. Melt white chocolate in microwave according to package directions. While chocolate is melting, line baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper or no stick foil.
2. Pour layer of chocolate on lined cookie sheet, then quickly toss snack mixture into the chocolate. Sprinkle sprinkles over top. (You'll need to work quickly as for the chocolate to not harden.)
3. Allow to harden (or refrigerate to harden)
4. Break apart into pieces.

*(You could toss your snack mixture on the lined cookie sheet first, then pour the white chocolate over top, but I had so many pieces that were so thick with chocolate since it is difficult to spread, the above directions worked best for me!)

Inspired by: Your Home Based Mom
Linked to: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Here is another version of "Monster Munch" that includes popcorn.

Fine Weather!!

Please excuse my tardiness in posting my Finer Things Friday... spring break business!



Easter Morning...

Every Easter for as long as I can remember, we went down to the beach for the weekend. We would pack our Easter baskets, as well as our snowsuits, hats, gloves, and boots. It was always so cold! (The heat was always going, and I still remember the smell of the electric heat being used the first time of the year!!) Easter at the beach, a Finer Thing in my book!!

Well folks, not this year!!! It was 82° and sunny on Easter!! My daughter wore her sleeveless dress and we left the cardigan at home! We went to mass, (no sunrise service for us this year!! slackers...), then went out for brunch and quickly returned home so we could go on the beach!! It was absolutely beautiful! We got some much needed Vitamin D, and some color, and the kids played in the sand and the water until dusk! Then, at dusk, we had Papa's...I mean the Easter Bunny's... annual egg hunt on the beach.

The sun is setting at our egg hunt..

The next day was even hotter...a scorching 86°! Too bad Daddy had a baseball game and had to get home!!

We're home now from our little jaunt to the coast, but we were reveling in the beautiful, un-seasonal weather... as high as 88°!! I had to make a trip up to the attic to get some clothes for everyone! Alas, today we were quickly faced with reality, as it is 50°, and damp. Oh well, so much for the tease. We enjoyed it while it lasted!!

Pictures from last year's Easter here...

Wordless Wednesday: St. Patrick's Day Edition

Happy St. Patrick's Day!




Linked to: Wordless Wednesday

St. Patrick's Day Treats

Here are the cupcakes I made for my daughter's 1st grade class today. They came out just adorable!! I didn't snap a picture, since we were in such a hurry this morning after I frosted them (they came out exactly like the picture), and I put a gold chocolate coin on each frosting "cloud". They loved them. (I'll add an actual picture later, since I have to make another batch for my son's preschool class tomorrow. It is his day, after all, since his middle name is Francis-Patrick!!) Good Irish Boy!


Beware: Although they're cute...they take forever to make (like almost 2 hours!!)!! Imagine layering and spreading each of the 6 colors perfectly in each little cupcake cup, so the colors don't mix. Things we do for our kids!! (My batch of batter only produced 17 cupcakes)

Ingredients:
White cake mix (we used an 18-1/4-ounce box)
Food coloring (red, blue, green, and yellow)
Baking cups
Whipped cream (optional) (I used whipped frosting)
Chocolate Coins

Instructions:
Prepare your favorite white cake mix, then divide the batter evenly among six small bowls.

Following the chart below, dye each bowl of batter a rainbow color.
Purple: 9 red and 6 blue drops
Blue: 12 drops
Green: 12 drops
Yellow: 12 drops
Orange: 12 yellow and 4 red drops
Red: 18 drops

Line 16 muffin pan wells with baking cups. Evenly distribute the purple batter among the cups, then the blue, and so on, following the order shown. As you go, gently spread each layer of batter with the back of a spoon to cover the color underneath.
Bake the cupcakes according to your recipe directions. Before serving, remove the paper wrapping, and if you like, top each cupcake with a whipped-cream cloud.

A Coupon Lover's Valentine...

Last year I made my husband this for Valentine's Day. He loved it. (I was trying to recreate this chipboard album...) So keeping with the theme (frugal and homemade), and being so in to coupons and all (isn't everyone??), it was fitting and so this year I went with the flow and made him an envelope of "coupons".

Coupons entitling him to a "Remember When" back scratch (before kids...when I had the time... and the pretty nails!!), a Romantic Movie night (where he picks the movie...oh, I can't wait...), A pass for a "Guilt-Free" night out (his unmarried coaching buddies will thank me for that!!), and I even threw in a "Wild Card" because I was feeling daring...(can't wait to see what that gets cashed in for!!)

I made a little envelope to go along with them, along with a little note. Just a fun, flirty gift for my Coach. It was fun to make, and didn't cost a thing!!

Pottery Barn Kids the Frugal Way

I must admit I am a bit of a Pottery Barn junkie...and that goes for Pottery Barn Kids, too. My heart shrieks with excitement every time I flip open the mailbox and see...the catalog. However, my pocketbook does not allow the financing of such a habit, so I clip out items and pictures and put them in my "Idea" file. I use the catalog for inspiration in decorating, gifting, and crafts. Many similar items can be found at Target, Marshalls, TJMaxx, and HomeGoods, and many things in the kids catalog you can actually make yourself!! Which is what I did for my kids Valentine mailboxes.

I have been eyeing these up for the past few years, but couldn't bring myself to spend the $26+ for each. (But can you believe they sell out every year??!! Who has the money??!!) So, this year was the year...I was making them myself. And had I known how easy it was, I would've made them long ago...

1 hour and $1.08 later...

My son's mailbox...he requested I not use so many hearts or make it look so "girly"...because hearts are for "giiirrrrrllllls"..... spoken like a true 4 year old!!



My daughter's mailbox...she decorated her own and went wild with the hearts. Because she's a giiiiirrrrlllll!!!

I used an empty cereal box and cut the top flaps off. I then glued (with a glue stick) red felt around the sides, tucked in the top and taped and glued inside the top, and then wrapped the bottom like a present and glued again.
I then stitched with yarn around the sides. Then I attached the top mail flap and stitched that on the back and stitched around the sides of that as well.

Then I attached a little "hook" by stitching a strip and attaching velcro tabs as a closure. The original PB one has backpack loops, but if I used those we wouldn't be able to use them on the chairs at home, so I just made one loop. Whatever works...

Don't let a low budget stop you from enjoying the things that you like (I'm talking holiday decor, crafts, etc...) Just use your imagination and try to figure out how to make it yourself!! A little ingenuity and patience is all you need! Monica has another Pottery Barn Kids craft idea , too!! I would've tried that one as well, but my printer is all out of color ink at the moment, and I'm all outta time!! Next year!!

Visit here to see what frugal "couponing" gift I made for my husband this year!!

Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!!

Linked to: Frugal Friday

2010...

Happy New Year to All!!

Wow....can you really believe it's 2010??!! Shouldn't we all be "driving" around in flying cars, having a robotic oven prepare our meals (think Jetsons), etc??!! Or that's what we thought 2010 would be like, way back when!!

We happened to have a super New Year's Eve last night. It wasn't looking too promising early on, with snow, a cancelled babysitter, and so on, but ended up being one of our most enjoyable. Each New Year's Eve since we've been married with children, we have never gone out. We always made a "snacky" dinner, with mini-sized foods, etc., donned our hats and tiaras, and blew a few horns. We danced with the kids, and had our own "Rockin Eve" of sorts. We were pretty much in bed by 10pm. We always had a great time.

Our New Year's Eve "venue"

This year though we were invited by two other couples to join them at a local restaurant for dinner. (One couple we knew, the other we didn't...but turns out I attended elementary school with the husband!!) We dropped the kids by my parents (with snacks, hats, and horns...oh they were thrilled to go to Nana and Papa's house by themselves!!) and had a great night!! We laughed, oh we laughed!! We shared dating stories, wedding stories, birth stories, and family stories. The food was great, and the company, even better.
We picked up our pajama-clad children, refreshed and excited for the new year, and headed home in the blizzard.

Eight years without being out for a New Year's celebration, just the two of us, was too long. This night was just what we needed! We're so thankful, and grateful, to have true, generous friends, old, and new!!

Cheers to the New Year!!

Linked to: Finer Things Friday

Thrifty Christmas Finds

I love thrift stores. We have a few around here, and one of my favorites is at one of our local churches. Check out a few of the things I picked up last week:

A vintage ceramic Santa boot .45 cents

A Boyd Bear Christmas Moose .50cents

He fits right in on my Boyd Bear Christmas tree. (We have two trees...an heirloom, heritage tree in our Living Room with all of our family treasured ornaments, and a "kids tree" with my Christmas Boyds and all of the kids favorite ornaments in the Family Room).

I also picked up a vintage Santa metal serving tray in excellent condition for .10cents! No scratches, etc, so I will be using it next weekend for our Open House! It's beginning to look a lot like an old-fashioned Christmas!!

Linked to: Finer Things Friday and Frugal Friday

M.I.A.

Yes...I'm still alive. I have been Missing-In-Action for three weeks now. In those three weeks I have hosted two fourth birthday parties (one involving 13 little boys), helped my sister endure her youngest's emergency surgery, run a preschool Thanksgiving Feast, made two Thanksgiving costumes, attended Thanksgiving dinner with each family (thank goodness I didn't host this year!), attended Black Friday festivities, as-well-as hopped online at 4 am for the best deals, made two dozen cinnamon rolls with hot chocolate and organized a craft for 13 first graders in honor of my daughter being Star of the Week, helped my husband organize an Alumni Basketball game for the day after Thanksgiving and ran the snack bar. (Yes...the day after Thanksgiving marked the opening of basketball season here, and my husband is the head coach...) Oh, and visitied with my sister who I rarely get to see who was in from Italy for all of 13 hours!!! Did I also mention I'm hosting a Pajama Party for 8 little girls here next week celebrating my daughters 7th birthday, and then the next night having 52 people for a holiday open house??
Yes...I've been missing around here, but hopefully not for much longer. I have so many things to share...ideas, recipes, decorations, and this-and-that's. I hope to see you back here soon!
'Tis the Season...I guess!

Finer Things Friday- Classroom Halloween Party Ideas

When I was a teacher, I had Mom's chomping at the bit to be "Class Mom". One year I even had two grown women ready to "duke it out" in my reading corner in order to capture the title! I thought to myself, this is insane! Fast forward 11 years and here I am...First Grade Class Mom!!

I have so many ideas running through my head for the Halloween Parade and Party in a few weeks, and found a few great websites that are great inspiration for healthy alternatives and better options to a sugar filled, junk food fest, as well as unique ideas for crafts and decorations!

Betty Crocker Hassle-Free Halloween

Disney Halloween Crafts & Recipes

Family Fun Halloween

Amazing Moms Halloween

Teachers Corner Classroom Halloween Ideas

Your Home Based Mom (not only for adorable Halloween treat ideas, but she's got wonderful recipes, craft ideas, and decorating tips!!)

Being Class Mom with so many resources available on the Internet now is so much easier... and that, to me, is a Finer Thing!!

*Just added...a new recipe for Halloween Monster Munch!

A Holiday Feast

Chestnuts roasting on an open firepit...Jack Frost blowing from your central air...

Yes, it's Christmas in July folks! And today's topic on the Ultimate Recipe Swap is Christmas Dinner Dishes.
Two holiday meals that made their way to our homes come Thanksgiving were Mincemeat Pie and a French Canadian Torterrie Pie (pronounced "tootkay" pie). I never liked either when I was a child...but now as an adult I cherish these recipes, because they bring back memories of when I would peer out my window a few days before Christmas and see my Nana and Gramps driving up the road in their little Ford Granada, wearing their Santa hats, singing Christmas tunes, bearing Christmas pies. Oh, those were certainly the days...

French Canadian Tourtiere Pie (meat pie) or ("Tootkay" Pie)

1 refrigerated pie crust
1/2 pound of lean ground beef
1/2 pound lean ground turkey
l large onion, finely chopped
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed (I run through processor)
1/2t. ground cloves
Spices to taste: parsley, sage, flavored salt, pepper

Directions:
Cook meat slowly, adding about a cup of water. (Do not brown meat, just cook slowly with water) Simmer onions until soft and add with crackers to the meat when meat is cooked.
Add your spices.
Place bottom of pie crust into greased pie plate.
Pour mixture into prepared crust, top with remaining crust and bake at 400 degrees until crust is brown, about 30 to 40 min.
Slice and serve with ketchup on top or on side.
Can be frozen: Bake only 25 minutes and freeze. Defrost and bake until crust is brown.


Easy Mincemeat Pie:
1 9 inch pie crust
1 jar mincemeat
3-4 apples, diced (Macintosh are best)
1 t. orange zest
1/2C. OJ
1/4C. sugar

Directions:
Place crust in prepared pie plate.
Combine all ingredients and pour onto crust.
Sprinkle some sugar over top.
Bake at 350° until bubbly, about 45 mins.

Photo credits: sylndave, crd!

Birthday's Abound!

We celebrate three birthdays in two days around here..."Lady America", my sister who is also "Born on the 4th of July", and her first born son the day before. So for years we've combined all parties into one festivity...on the 4th of course! We start out with our tinytown parade, then head back to someone's house for swimming, a BBQ, and cake. I have made this cake (above) in the past...a regular yellow or white cake mix and whipped cream frosting adorned with strawberries and blueberries in a flag motif. But this year I'm going to change things up a bit.

This year I'm going to be making a patriotic fruit pizza (above). Instead of raspberries I'll use strawberries to our liking. Strawberries and blueberries are so inexpensive these days (at least around here, anyway!) and the recipe looks easy-peasy! The makings of a great dessert!

Patriotic Fruit Pizza:

1 tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1 carton blueberries, washed and set to dry

1 carton strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced (top to bottom)

8oz. cream cheese

1/2 C. sugar

1T. vanilla extract

Roll out cookie dough into round, flat pizza shape. Bake on a pizza pan and cool as to manuf. instructions. In medium bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla and mix until creamy. Spread atop cookie crust. First shape strawberries in star shape (or if you choose you can just place them in a circle) then fill in white areas around star with blueberries. Or...create your own design! Refrigerate before serving.

Happy 4th Everyone!!

Mother's Day Brunch Ideas

"Happy Mothers Day"

"Happy Mother's Day" means more than have a happy day.

Within those words lie lots of things we never get to say.

It means I love you first of all, then thanks for all you do.

It means you mean a lot to me, and that I honor you.

But most of all, I guess it means that I am thinking of

Your happiness on this, your day,

with pleasure and with love.

Unfortunately, this Mother's Day I won't have my mother with me. She is spending it with my sister who lives down south...the first time my sister gets her for Mother's Day (I guess sharing Mom is the right thing to do!) On Mother's Day we like to have a breakfast or brunch. So before Mom left on her trip, we fixed her a surprise brunch and brought it over to her house. This Mother's Day we will meet my Mother-In-Law out at our favorite Diner and treat her to breakfast.
Here are a few of our favorite brunch recipes:

Quiche:
Ingredients:
10 slices white bread decrusted and cubed into quarters
8 eggs
3C. whole milk
2 C. shredded cheddar
1/2 pkg. crisp bacon
1T. onion powder or flakes

Directions:
Line bottom of greased 9x13 pan with bread cubes.
Sprinkle with cheddar.
Beat eggs with milk slightly. Pour on top of bread and cheese.
Sprinkle with onion flakes/powder.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
In morning, crumble crisp bacon on top, cover with foil and bake at 375° for 40mins or until golden bubbly.

Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole...Copycat Recipe:
Ingredients:
1pkg. frozen hash browns, thawed
1/4 C. melted butter1/2 of prepared cream soup (recipe here) with 1 T.chicken seasoning and 3-4T. chicken stock added ( I used half of the prepared "soup"...saving the other half to use in another recipe)
1/2 pint sour cream
1T. onion powder
2 C. shredded cheddar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray an 11x14 baking dish with cooking spray
2. Mix the above ingredients together, spread in prepared pan and bake for 45mins. or until golden brown on top.

Stuffed French Toast
Ingredients:
16 slices white decrusted bread
2 8oz. pkgs. cream cheese (I buy lite)
8oz heavy cream
1 doz. lg. eggs
3/4C. pure maple syrup (you can use Aunt Jemima type...that's fine)
2t. pure vanilla
Cinnamon

Directions:
1. Spray 9x13" glass pan w/ cooking spray
2. Line bottom with bread
3. Slice cream cheese and put on top of bread (in thin slices...I get about 3-4 out of each block)
4. Place remaining bread on top of cream cheese
5. Mix eggs, cream, syrup, and vanilla with whisk
6. Pour over top of bread
7. Cover and refrigerate overnight
8. Preheat oven to 350
9. Bake uncovered for 50mins, then sprinkle with cinnamon, and bake another 10mins.
Serve with warm syrup.

For more Mother's Day menu ideas visit LifeasMom's Recipe Swap!

Lemon Poundcake with Lemon Glaze

Here is my contribution to the Great American Bake Sale:

Cozy Country Poundcake

Ingredients:
1 1/2C. butter
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3C, sugar
6 eggs
3 C. flour
1 t. vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar together.
Add eggs one at a time.
Add vanilla extract and then flour slowly.
Pour into a bundt pan sprayed well with cooking spray
Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Let cake cool completely and serve.

***Do not try and rush and cook faster in hotter oven!!***

Supper Time: April 5th-11th

*Meals are subj. to change w/o notice due to unforeseen circumstances, change of plans, migraines or meltdowns!!

Sunday: Palm Sunday
Nephew's Birthday Celebration (a few days early)
BBQ at "Auntie and Cousins" house
(Guess I'm not going to be able to make my ham...I'll have to plan it for another weekend!)

Monday: Volunteering @ school and Daisy scouts after school today...need a quick fix supper!

Rotisserie Chicken (will make chicken stock with leftovers and bones, skin, etc)
rice
green beans

Tuesday: Crockpot Smothered Meatloaf (recipe below)
peas

Wednesday: Parent Teacher Conference (quick meal)
Chicken soup (prepared with stock from Mondays meal)
Homemade Bread

Thursday: Pigs-in-a-blanket
corn on the cob
organic tater tots

Friday: Good Friday
Pizza and salad and visit with another "auntie" and uncle, grandma and another set of cousins
For a traditional Good Friday breakfast, I will be preparing Hot Cross Buns in my bread machine(I'll bring them tonight too, along with these for dessert)

Saturday: We're at the beach...not sure what's on the menu, but I'm sure it'll be fun!!

Crockpot Smothered Meatloaf

Ingredients:
4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 pound lean ground beef
1C. breadcrumbs (I make my own)
1/4C. parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 (12-ounce) can condensed Cheddar soup, divided (I make my own using this recipe...adding in shredded cheddar)
1 (10-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I make my own, but instead of mushrooms I just add 1T. beef bouillon seasoning)
1T. onion powder divided
1t. garlic powder

Directions:
Place potatoes in the bottom of a 5-quart slow cooker and sprinkle with 1/2T. onion powder. In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, the rest of the onion powder and egg. Set aside. Add cheddar soup to meat mixture. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands mix thoroughly and form into a loaf. Place in slow cooker on top of the potatoes. Make sure meatloaf does not touch the sides of the slow cooker. Stir together remaining cheddar soup with cream of mushroom soup. Pour over meatloaf. Cover and cook on HIGH setting for 1 hour. Reduce the temperature to LOW setting and cook for an additional 5 to 6 hours.

Happy Easter everyone!
For more menu ideas visit orgjunkie

Easter Ham

Our most recent Easter's have been spent as a "picnic" at the park after the annual egg hunt at my parents. We bake a ham beforehand, bring it, along with other BBQ foods, and gather the family together at our beloved "spot" at the state park...right on the beach, next to the playground. We fire up the grill, warm up our ham slices for hot ham sandwiches, peel and eat our Easter eggs, throw some hotdogs and hamburgers on the grill while we're at it, and enjoy potatoes in chip and salad form, rather than the traditional holiday mashed. It's a great change of pace and the kids in the family love it...the weather is usually milder so they're happy to not have to be "cooped up" inside at a sit down dinner.

However, this year we've decided to go "back to our roots" so-to-speak. Every Easter from the time I can remember was spent at the beach. We would stay there for a few days, the entire family would all meet up there. So, that's where we're heading! Looking forward to sunrise service on the beach (packing the kids snowsuits and boots for that...I remember wearing my pajamas under mine!), an egg hunt just over the sand dunes, and dinner out at a "fancy" restaurant. (The last part I'm not totally looking forward to...I know...it sounds nice, but a holiday dinner out at a fancy-pants restaurant with my rambunctious three year old is not a great combination. And, I admit, I will miss making my traditional holiday ham. Although I'm planning on making it for Palm Sunday instead...)

So, I thought I'd share the recipe with you...

Our Traditional Easter Ham:

Ingredients:

5lb. spiral sliced ham (or whatever size you'll need)

1C. orange juice

1C. ginger ale

Glaze:

3C. orange juice

1 C. dark brown sugar

1/2C. honey

Directions:

Prepare your spiral sliced ham according to timing and degrees on directions, mixing together 1C. OJ and 1C. ginger ale together and pouring over ham before cooking. Tent ham with foil and baste throughout cooking. About 45mins before ham is finished, start to prepare your glaze:

Mix OJ, brown sugar, and honey in med. saucepan over med. heat until melted. Turn off heat and let sit to thicken. (About 8 mins).

Remove ham about 30mins before done and cover with glaze. Return ham to oven uncovered, increase heat by 25 ° and continue to bake until finished. Glaze will become crispy. Remove from oven when done, baste with pan juices and let sit to rest about 10 mins.

Need more holiday menu ideas? Check out LifeasMom's recipe swap.

Gratituesday...St. Patrick's Day Edition

There are so many Irish blessings...I could probably post a different one each day for many years to come. I am grateful for my heritage and the ability to share with my children the blessings passed down through our family for generations. My grandparents knew these by heart, and I can still see my 6 foot 6 inch Irish grandfather in his green shirt and St. Patricks Day tie singing "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" and "Danny Boy", then reciting these blessings for us children. For this St. Patrick's Gratituesday I wanted to share with you some Irish Blessings that are dear to my family, but are universal.

An Old Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Another Old Irish Blessing
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!

And one I still say with my children daily:
A Morning Blessing
Christ be with me,
be after me,
be before me,
and be at my right and left hand.
May everything I do be for Christ.

For more Gratituesday gratefulness go here ...

Supper Time- March 15th-21st

*Meals are subj. to change w/o notice due to unforeseen circumstances, change of plans, migraines or meltdowns!!

Sunday: Crockpot Smothered Meatloaf (*recipe below) I added organic baby carrots to this tonight
homemade bread

Monday: Pasta alfredo with grilled chicken (didn't end up making this last week so I'm going to make it tonight)
broccoli
cheesy breadsticks

Tuesday: St. Patrick's Day ...Erin Go Bragh!!
Shepherds Pie
Irish Soda Bread (I'll probably buy this)
Irish Vanilla Sponge Cake or Dublin's Finest Caramel Apple Cake (not sure which one yet...they're both so delicious! We don't have any of the Vanilla cake left from the weekend, and it was so good, but I can always make the apple cake for breakfast (I do omit the alcohol...btw!!! I sub. almond or vanilla extract), that way we can have both in one day!! It's a day of celebration, right??!!

Wednesday: Ravioli
Italian bread (won't make this as it's on sale for .99cents this week)

Thursday: Quiche (leftover from a breakfast playdate I'll be hosting...recipe below)
salad

Friday: Lenten Friday...meatless
homemade pizza
watermelon or fruit salad

Saturday: Family Fun
BBQ in celebration of National Wildlife Week
Cheeseburgers on homemade rolls
watermelon
sweet tea and lemonade
brownies

Crockpot Smothered Meatloaf
Ingredients:
4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 pound lean ground beef
1C. breadcrumbs (I make my own)
1/4C. parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 (12-ounce) can condensed Cheddar soup, divided (I make my own using this recipe...adding in shredded cheddar)
1 (10-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I make my own, but instead of mushrooms I just add 1T. beef bouillon seasoning)
1T. onion powder divided
1t. garlic powder

Directions:
Place potatoes in the bottom of a 5-quart slow cooker and sprinkle with 1/2T. onion powder.
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, the rest of the onion powder and egg. Set aside.
Add cheddar soup to meat mixture. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands mix thoroughly and form into a loaf. Place in slow cooker on top of the potatoes. Make sure meatloaf does not touch the sides of the slow cooker.
Stir together remaining cheddar soup with cream of mushroom soup. Pour over meatloaf.
Cover and cook on HIGH setting for 1 hour. Reduce the temperature to LOW setting and cook for an additional 5 to 6 hours.

Quiche:
Ingredients:
10 slices white bread decrusted and cubed into quarters
8 eggs
3C. whole milk
2 C. shredded cheddar
1/2 pkg. crisp bacon
1T. onion powder or flakes

Directions:
Line bottom of greased 9x13 pan with bread cubes. Sprinkle with cheddar. Beat eggs with milk slightly. Pour on top of bread and cheese. Sprinkle with onion flakes/powder. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In morning, crumble crisp bacon on top, cover with foil and bake at 375° for 40mins or until golden bubbly.
This is absolutely delicious and can be a breakfast, lunch, or dinner meal served with a green salad!

Note: try to use free-range organic or all-natural chicken and beef, and organic fruits and vegetables when possible...and always try to use organic dairy!!

Go here for hundreds more inspiring menu ideas!

Family Fun- St. Patrick's Day in the Country

One of the many great bagpipe groups in the parade...brings back memories. We had bagpipers at our wedding!

St. Patrick's Day around here is special...St. Patrick is my son's patron saint, who he's named after (his middle name, actually) Francis-Patrick... can't get more Irish than that! We celebrate every year going to the St. Patrick's Day parade in our small, tiny town, then I typically make an Irish meal after. This year the parade's Grand Marshall was my high school principal... a Catholic priest "right off the boat" so-to-speak from Ireland. It made it that much more meaningful, seeing students marching in the parade from my high school (present ones and ones I went to school with and their own families!), and students from my Catholic elementary school. This year it was more like a "homecoming" of sorts. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law and her family drove to visit and enjoyed a day in the "country". It was beautiful weather and great Family Fun for all!!

Only in the country...haybails and tractors pulling along the floats!

Erin go Bragh!!

Irish recipes are the theme for this weeks recipe swap at LifeasMom. And seeing that we're a big Irish family and I'll be having an Irish meal here on Saturday after our St. Patrick's Day parade, I thought I'd share what I'll be making for dessert.



Irish Vanilla Sponge Cake

Ingredients:
1-1/4 c. sifted cake flour *
1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar
3/4 tsp. baking powder
6 eggs at room temperature
2 tbsp. cold water
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
1 c. granulated sugar

Oven: 335°

Directions:
Sift cake flour, powdered sugar and baking powder together; set aside. Beat the eggs with water until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes; add vanilla and salt. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar. Add 1/4 of the flour mixture at a time, blending well after each addition.
Pour batter into a 10-inch round cake pan sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 335° for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert onto wire rack to cool completely.

Frost with Buttercream frosting.

* Easy substitute for cake flour: If you need 1 cup of cake flour, put 2 tbsp. of cornstarch in the bottom of a 1-cup measuring cup, then fill the cup as usual with all-purpose flour and level top. Repeat process to get two cups.
If you only need 1/2 cup of cake flour, put 1 tbsp. cornstarch in bottom of 1/2-cup measuring cup, then fill and level as above.
If you only need 1/4 cup of cake flour, put 1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch in bottom of 1/4-cup measuring cup, then fill and level as above.

And on St. Patrick's Day I will be making Shepherd's Pie...

Shepherds Pie
(this has been passed down through my family for generations...from my great grandmother from Ireland. Nothing is written or actually measured and through the years it has changed from lamb stew meat to ground beef, and other things have been omitted/changed) This is our family's favorite version.

Ingredients:
1-2lbs. cooked and drained ground beef (depending upon how large your crowd is) cooked with a little onion powder for added flavor
1 bag frozen corn (or 1 can drained corn and 1 can creamed corn)
Mashed potatoes (when I make this from scratch I use the amount equivalent to two prepared pouches of instant...such as Betty Crocker)
3 slices of american cheese (or 1 cup shredded cheddar)
parmesan cheese

Directions:
In greased baking dish layer ground beef, then corn, then top with mashed potatoes. Dot potatoes with butter, top with cheese, and sprinkle with parmesan). Bake at 350° for 45 mins or until brown and bubbly on top.