Is it Tuesday already? I wish time went by this fast when I was in high school! The days just seem to flip over one another now. I wish that I didn't require sleep. I would be able to get so many more things done! Just think of how much time we waste sleeping. I love working at night when everyone else is asleep and the house is quiet. I just regret doing it when its time to wake up the next morning! I still have oodles of coupons to organize tonight. I still haven't caught up from when Emme was sick. This may be one of those late nights. I think I may pull my hair out if I have to keep digging through envelopes to find my coupons. Its going to be time to get my Publix trip together for Thursday and these bad boys all have to be in the correct place! Speaking of Publix there are a few good deals going on this week. Nothing spectacular. My family is really excited about the pop-tarts! I wish they would run better deals on the meat. Until the chicken deal last week, I have been visiting other grocery stores to stock my freezer. I think I have still managed to pull together a great menu. Did you guys try any of the things from last week? What do you think of the Chicken Tacos and Moo-Shu Chicken?
Ricotta Chicken Parmesan- Wed 5/5
Chicken Fritters- Thurs 5/6
(didn't make the Lemon Garlic Shrimp Skewers as planned)
King Ranch Chicken Casserole- Fri 5/7
Peanut Butter Coffee Cake- Sat 5/8
Chicken Amandine- Sat 5/8 (didn't make!)
Pineapple Sherbet- Sun 5/9 (didn't make...but still planning to!)
Southern Pecan Cream Pie- Sun 5/9
Almond Veggie Stir-fry- Mon 5/10 (also didn't make!)
Creamy Taco Mac- Tues 5/11
Cranberry Almond Granola Bars- Tues 5/11
I will post the recipe and pictures after I make them on the designated day. To make it easier to cook with me, I decided to include a recipe ingredient break-down to make your shopping a bit easier. The items marked with an (*) refer to a sale item this week at Publix. I'm pulling a lot from my stockpile this week. Several of the items (Rotel, tortillas, chicken) I picked up this past week on sale. I also visit my local farmers market for produce throughout the week. Its on the way home and Ella loves getting the string cheese :)
And if you're shopping Publix, don't forget your $5/$25 Rite Aid coupon! Here is a new one (try zip 95677, radius 50 miles)
Ricotta Chicken Parmesan (Wednesday)
ricotta cheese *
milk
boneless skinless chicken breasts
fresh breadcrumbs * (pulse bread slices in the blender or processor)
parmesan cheese
pasta *
spaghetti sauce *
Lemon Garlic Shrimp Skewers (Thursday)
salt
sugar
shrimp *
olive oil
parsley
lemon
garlic
King Ranch Chicken Casserole (Friday)
chicken breasts (or 1 whole chicken)
chicken broth
butter
onion
green bell pepper *
garlic
Cream of Mushroom
Cream of Chicken
Rotel (2)
taco seasoning
cheddar cheese
flour tortillas (or corn tortillas)
Peanut Butter Coffee Cake (Saturday)
all purpose flour
baking powder
salt
baking soda
butter
peanut butter *
brown sugar
eggs
milk
sugar
rolled oats
Chicken Amandine (Saturday)
almonds *
bread crumbs
eggs
boneless skinless chicken breasts
Pineapple Sherbet (Sunday)
pineapple chunks *
sugar
vanilla extract
whole milk
Almond Veggie Stir-fry (Monday)
cornstarch
sugar
soy sauce
sesame oil (or olive oil)
broccoli *
red pepper
onion
garlic
fresh ginger (I get this at my local farmers market)
almonds *
*I may add chicken and additional veggies if I see fit Monday :)
Cranberry Almond Granola Bars (Tuesday)
butter
miniature marshmallows
Special K Granola * (or other cluster cereal)
Rice Krispies
Craisins
salt
I enjoyed Apple Jacks and Chocolate Cheerios for dinner tonight! Looking forward to the Ricotta Chicken Parm tomorrow night.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Coupons: Daily Round-up
Get your printers warmed up!
$1/1 International Delights Coffee Creamer (become a fan on Facebook)
$1/1 Pam Grilling Spray (try zip 53027)
$.50/1 Starkist Pouch (become a fan on Facebook)
New May Pillsbury Coupons (sign up and click on coupon banner)
$1.50/2 Kashi TLC Bars
$1/1 Al Fresco Natural Chicken Sausage (try zip 53027)
Here is my Zucchini Sausage and Feta Casserole where I used this kind of sausage!
$1/2 Totino's Products (refer 2 friends)
$.50/2 Any Totino's Products
$1/1 Land O Frost Deli Shaved Lunch Meat
$1/2 Kellogg's Cereal (zip 63366)
$.50/1 Sister Shubert's Rolls (zip 63366)
$.75/1 Total Raisin Bran (try it in the Raisin Bran Muffins!)
Monday, May 3, 2010
Moo-Shu Chicken
I know a lot of you were looking forward to seeing this one. It did not disappoint! The best part about it was how quickly it came together. I sauteed the chicken breasts first and then assembled all the veggies. I did add a little bit of Asian Sesame dressing from my fridge towards the end because it seemed a little dry to me. Clay even ate it! He hates anything with lettuce, so I figured the cabbage part would be a total no-go, but he ate 3 of the wraps! He said he would have eaten more, but he was saving room for some cheesecake he picked up at Sam's Saturday :) I hope you guys enjoy this as much as we did. These are perfect for a quick weeknight meal!
1 tablespoon sesame oil (or substitute olive oil)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 10-oz. bag shredded coleslaw (or shred about 1/2 head of cabbage)
2 cups sliced or shredded carrots
2 scallions, sliced (I omitted these)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2-3 tablespoons Asian Sesame Dressing (optional)
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
10 flour tortillas, 6-inch size
3 cups shredded cooked chicken (3-4 chicken breasts or 1 rotisserie chicken)
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, carrot and scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook another 4 minutes.
Stir in the hoisin and soy sauce and cook 2 minutes (the hoisin sauce can be found on the Asian foods aisle. Its sort of the equivalent to an Asian barbecue sauce. Its priced around $2.50) Add the chicken; stir to combine with vegetables and heat through. This is where I added a squirt or two of Asian Sesame dressing, just to help combine the mixture.
To serve, heat tortillas following package directions. Spoon 1/2 cup of chicken mixture down center of tortilla and roll up.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Parents.com)
1 tablespoon sesame oil (or substitute olive oil)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 10-oz. bag shredded coleslaw (or shred about 1/2 head of cabbage)
2 cups sliced or shredded carrots
2 scallions, sliced (I omitted these)
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2-3 tablespoons Asian Sesame Dressing (optional)
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
10 flour tortillas, 6-inch size
3 cups shredded cooked chicken (3-4 chicken breasts or 1 rotisserie chicken)
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, carrot and scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook another 4 minutes.
Stir in the hoisin and soy sauce and cook 2 minutes (the hoisin sauce can be found on the Asian foods aisle. Its sort of the equivalent to an Asian barbecue sauce. Its priced around $2.50) Add the chicken; stir to combine with vegetables and heat through. This is where I added a squirt or two of Asian Sesame dressing, just to help combine the mixture.
To serve, heat tortillas following package directions. Spoon 1/2 cup of chicken mixture down center of tortilla and roll up.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Parents.com)
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Raisin Bran Muffins
When I saw Joy The Baker post this on her blog several weeks ago, her intro story alone had me hooked! Then, when I read the ingredient list and saw that the muffins were made with Raisin Bran cereal, I knew I had to give it a try. Let's face it, I'm sure most of us have like 20 boxes of cereal in our pantry. Oh wait...maybe that's just me! Cereal is always something that's on sale in the grocery stores. I can remember when McDonald's used to sell bran muffins. I went on a three week vacation with my grandparents when I was eleven. My Mawmaw was always on a diet. It makes me smile just thinking about it. While Pawpaw, my cousin Kathleen, and I would get biscuits and pancakes Mawmaw would enjoy her skim milk and bran muffin. She would do that so she could enjoy chocolate guilt-free later in the day! Just like Joy was describing in her original post, the bran muffin always gets back seat to the blueberry muffins. Nobody wants a bran muffin! Well, after tasting this one you might change your mind. These are muffins are not overly sweet. It is a clever way to use cereal to make muffins. Joy never disappoints! This muffin batter can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge for up to a week. It actually makes better-looking muffins after the cereal has had time to really soften (at least 6 hours). The first batch I made only sat for about 45 minutes before I baked them. It was like regular muffins with little flecks of Raisin Bran going through them. So, I made a second batch. Those were the ones in the picture. The ones I forgot about in the oven. Both batches tasted good. I just over did the second ones :) I've got more batter to make fresh ones in the morning before work. Fresh ones every morning this week before work if I want!
* Don't worry if yours aren't this "golden". I put them in the oven and went outside to do yard work. When I came in, the timer was going off. I forgot about them! So, I don't know how long these over cooked, but they were still edible. Just a little drier than they should have been! Thank goodness I only made a few because I still have batter in the fridge to make some this week. I won't forget about them next time!
1/2 of a 15-oz. box of Raisin Bran Cereal (I used about 4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable oil (could probably substitute applesauce)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk
In a large bowl mix together Raisin Bran, flour, salt sugars and baking soda.
In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, vanilla extract and buttermilk.
Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. If you plan on baking the muffins right away, allow to sit on the counter for 45 minutes before baking. This will allow the cereal to soften.
If you'd like to bake the muffins throughout the week, place the batter in an airtight container and store in the fridge. Scoop into the muffin cups (either sprayed or paper-lined) when ready to bake. Sprinkle with a spoonful of granulated sugar if desired.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Joy The Baker)
* Don't worry if yours aren't this "golden". I put them in the oven and went outside to do yard work. When I came in, the timer was going off. I forgot about them! So, I don't know how long these over cooked, but they were still edible. Just a little drier than they should have been! Thank goodness I only made a few because I still have batter in the fridge to make some this week. I won't forget about them next time!
1/2 of a 15-oz. box of Raisin Bran Cereal (I used about 4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable oil (could probably substitute applesauce)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups buttermilk
In a large bowl mix together Raisin Bran, flour, salt sugars and baking soda.
In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, vanilla extract and buttermilk.
Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. If you plan on baking the muffins right away, allow to sit on the counter for 45 minutes before baking. This will allow the cereal to soften.
If you'd like to bake the muffins throughout the week, place the batter in an airtight container and store in the fridge. Scoop into the muffin cups (either sprayed or paper-lined) when ready to bake. Sprinkle with a spoonful of granulated sugar if desired.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Enjoy!
(adapted from Joy The Baker)
Saturday, May 1, 2010
BBQ Rub Ribs and Corn Bread Bites
Let me start out by saying how incredibly full I am! Today has been filled with great things to eat. I need to pull out the stroller and push the girls around the neighborhood tomorrow! First, it was the Snowball Cookies I snacked on all afternoon. Then, it was the delicious BBQ Rub Ribs and Corn Bread Bites! In the words of our friend, Robbie, "These are the best ribs I've had in a long time!" They were delicious, if I do say so myself. Ribs are not on the top of my list of favorite things to eat, but they will be after today. These are simple and fuss-free. Quick and easy. And the little Corn Bread Bites are just so darn cute. My husband would have preferred me to leave out the green onions, but I loved the flecks of green color it gave the muffins. This is the perfect recipe to get the grill going outside for a cookout with friends. They will love you even more than they already do. I know Robbie does!
BBQ Rub Ribs
Baby Back Ribs (I purchased 3 slabs- 1 pack- from Sam's at $2.98 lb)
Stubb's BBQ Rub (found mine at Bruno's)
Salt
Worcestershire Sauce
Take the ribs out of the plastic and rinse in the sink. Pat dry. Season both sides lightly with salt. Then generously season with the Stubb's Rub (this rub is also great for roasting potatoes in the oven). Flip over so that the "meaty" side is facing up. Sprinkle with the Worcestershire Sauce and rub slightly. Let them sit on the counter for about 10 minutes while the grill is heating up.
Put the grill on low heat (I use a propane grill). Grill the "meaty" side down first for about 15 minutes or until browned. Flip over and grill another 10 minutes or until browned. At this point, transfer the ribs to the top rack of the grill to get off of the direct heat. Leave on the grill another 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. If you don't have the small top rack on your grill just turn off some of the flames and leave the ribs on the grill away from the direct heat. Remove the ribs from the grill onto a platter and let rest on the counter for about 10 minutes covered loosely with foil. Cut and serve!
Corn Bread Bites
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow corn meal
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1 cup cream-style corn
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Combine cheese and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened.
Divide batter evenly among miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray (it will fill 36 cups- my pan only had 24 so I had some batter leftover. It also fills 12 standard muffin cups). Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in cups 2 minutes then move to wire racks.
Enjoy!
(Corn Bread Bites adapted from Cooking Light)
BBQ Rub Ribs
Baby Back Ribs (I purchased 3 slabs- 1 pack- from Sam's at $2.98 lb)
Stubb's BBQ Rub (found mine at Bruno's)
Salt
Worcestershire Sauce
Take the ribs out of the plastic and rinse in the sink. Pat dry. Season both sides lightly with salt. Then generously season with the Stubb's Rub (this rub is also great for roasting potatoes in the oven). Flip over so that the "meaty" side is facing up. Sprinkle with the Worcestershire Sauce and rub slightly. Let them sit on the counter for about 10 minutes while the grill is heating up.
Put the grill on low heat (I use a propane grill). Grill the "meaty" side down first for about 15 minutes or until browned. Flip over and grill another 10 minutes or until browned. At this point, transfer the ribs to the top rack of the grill to get off of the direct heat. Leave on the grill another 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. If you don't have the small top rack on your grill just turn off some of the flames and leave the ribs on the grill away from the direct heat. Remove the ribs from the grill onto a platter and let rest on the counter for about 10 minutes covered loosely with foil. Cut and serve!
Corn Bread Bites
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow corn meal
1 tablespoon sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
1 cup cream-style corn
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, corn meal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Combine cheese and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened.
Divide batter evenly among miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray (it will fill 36 cups- my pan only had 24 so I had some batter leftover. It also fills 12 standard muffin cups). Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in cups 2 minutes then move to wire racks.
Enjoy!
(Corn Bread Bites adapted from Cooking Light)
Snowball Cookies
Who doesn't love a good cookie? I liked this recipe because it uses the box cake mixes that always go on sale at the grocery stores! They came together pretty quick. If I would have rotated 2 baking sheets at a time in the oven, it would have gone faster. They are cute and fun, and the perfect size to pop in your mouth. I have already had my fair share! I need to save some for the rest of my family. I love baking in my pajamas in a quiet house. Clay took Ella to the movies and I whipped these up while Emme was taking a nap. If I would have thought about it, my iPod would have been a nice addition to that scenario! The cookies are done, and now I'm relaxing with a cup of coffee watching Emme play with some new toys. Yep...I love Saturday!
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/4 cups quick cooking oats
1 package Pillsbury White Cake mix
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla (clear if you have it)
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil and oats. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in cake mix, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Fold in nuts. Form into 1-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Remove cookies to a cooling rack. Wait about 1-2 minutes, then roll in powdered sugar while slightly warm. Yield: about 5 dozen small cookies.
Enjoy!
(adpated from Taste of Home)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/4 cups quick cooking oats
1 package Pillsbury White Cake mix
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla (clear if you have it)
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil and oats. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in cake mix, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Fold in nuts. Form into 1-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Remove cookies to a cooling rack. Wait about 1-2 minutes, then roll in powdered sugar while slightly warm. Yield: about 5 dozen small cookies.
Enjoy!
(adpated from Taste of Home)
Coupons: New Ones Available!
The first of the month means new coupons! I've seen some pretty good ones today. I'll update the post throughout the day as I come across some and daily as they put more out!
$1/2 Jimmy Dean Sausage Rolls
$.60/2 Old El Paso Products (In case you missed it!)
$2/1 Oscar Mayer Lunch Meat (become a fan on Facebook and enter the contest to print)
$1/1 Nature's Own Premium Bread
$.50/1 Wacky Mac Pasta
$1/2 Any Hillshire Farm Sausages
$1/2 Jimmy Dean Sausage Rolls
$.60/2 Old El Paso Products (In case you missed it!)
$2/1 Oscar Mayer Lunch Meat (become a fan on Facebook and enter the contest to print)
$1/1 Nature's Own Premium Bread
$.50/1 Wacky Mac Pasta
$1/2 Any Hillshire Farm Sausages
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