Menu Plan - Worksheet

It is my goal for 2016 to cook a little more at home.  Use things up before they look like a science project that somehow made it to my fridge.  So I am keeping this basic log of what we had and it could actually help me in future years, too.  We seem to have the same holiday meals every year.  Apparently, this is a requirement at my house.  So some of the post holiday meal leftovers will probably be the same.  Gosh, I hope I don't get too bored doing this.  We'll see.  I created this blog for my own and possibly for the interested family members who wanted my recipes.  But anyone is welcome.  It is not fancy, but if it helps, I say, "Go for it!"  Sometimes we have lunch, and sometimes not.  (I am a bad mom).  On the weekends, we go camping in the summer and often have breakfast, but then usually don't have lunch.  And we are actually more likely to have "breakfast" for dinner.  Who knows, I might actually save a few bucks this way, too.  We'll see.  (Be prepared for lots of take out meals though.  My family loves Steak 'n' Shake and our hometown non-chain pizzas from Tobin's, Grady's and Beningo's.)  

By Date:

December 24 - Roast beef, noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans, veggie platter, ranch dip, rolls butter, black olives, sweet midgets, pumpkin pie, whipped cream, French silk pie, Verdi moscato (from Schnuck's) for adults, pepsi and coke for kids

December 25 -  Lunch - Hot roast beef open faced sandwiches, mashed potatoes with gravy on both, veggies platter, pie 
Dinner - frozen Butch's White Garlic pizza, and Totino's sausage pizza for son

December 26 - Romaine mixture salad with either 1000, or sprayed with olive oil, sprinkled with pomegranate red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and teaspoon sugar. Also a pretzel rod and a spoon of leftover Ranch dip.






Camping Food


May - 

Dessert Pineapple Cake (Angel Food Cake/20 oz. Pineapple in own juice - Mix. 350 degrees 30 minutes.  

June



July - 

August

September  

Drunken Pups pkg little smokies, 3/4 cup Sweet Baby Ray's 1/4 cup Jim Beam

October

Swiss Cheese and Bacon Dip (also known as Heroin)

My friend, Janine, got this recipe from her daughter who is the head of a NICU unit at Rush Hospital in Chicago.  They nicknamed this stuff Heroin because it is so addictive.

• 8 slices fried bacon, fried and crumbled
• 8 ounce package of softened cream cheese (soften in a dish in microwave,stirring every 15 seconds)
• 1/2 c. Hellman’s mayonnaise
• 2 rounded teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese
• 3 scallions chopped

1. Ritz crackers and cocktail sized pumpernickel. 
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
3. Brown bacon in a non-stick skillet until crisp.  Drain on paper towels.  Crumble the bacon.
4. In a bowl combine cream cheese, mayo, Dijon, Swiss and scallions with crumbled cooked bacon.
5. Transfer to a greased small casserole and bake until golden and bubbly at edges, 20 minutes. 
6. Serve with crackers or cocktail sized pumpernickel.       
7. Enjoy!

Sweet Italian Sausage Sandwiches

• 5 pretzel long rolls (I find them at Cub Foods)
• 5 sweet Italian sausages in casings (I found them at Kroger’s)
• 3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (the refrigerated kind in a jar)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion
• 1 green bell pepper

1. With a fork, poke holes in the sausage casings to prevent the casings from splitting.
2. Place sausages in  a large skillet.
3. Add one cup water.
4. Braise until the liquid from the sausages evaporates and then brown on all sides.
5. Split the rolls lengthwise.
6. Mix the lite mayonnaise, mustard and garlic together well.
7. Spread the mixture on the inner surfaces of the rolls.
8. On aluminum foil, toast roll surfaces in a regular oven at 400 degrees, watching closely.
9. In a small skillet, saute coarsely chopped onion.
10. When slightly browned, add the chopped green pepper and saute a few minutes more.
11. Assemble the sandwiches.
12. Serve and enjoy.

Crockpot Turkey Breast

• 4 lb. turkey breast
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1/3 cup sugar
• Dutch oven filled with cold water for brining
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/4 small container of poultry seasoning
• 1/4  teaspoon of pepper

1. Fill Dutch oven 1/3 of way full of cold water.
2. Add salt and sugar and mix.
3. Remove covering from turkey breast and put in the water mixture.
4. Fill dutch oven with water until it covers the turkey breast.
5. Put in refrigerator for 24 hours.
6. To Prepare for Crockpot:
7. Remove the turkey breast from the refrigerator and Dutch oven.
8. Place the turkey breast in the Crockpot.
9. Rub all over the turkey breast with butter.
10. Mix poultry seasoning and pepper to use as a rub.
11. Apply the rub to the turkey breast.
12. Add 1/4 cup water to the bottom of the Crockpot.
13. Place lid on the Crockpot and cook on low for 10 hours.
14. Remove from pot and let set for 15 minutes before slicing.
15. Use drippings and juices in the Crockpot to make pan gravy if desired.

Ellen Thompson's Chili Recipe from Aunt Sara

This is a good recipe if you want a chili with a little spice to it and no beans.  Thank you, Ellen, for sharing it with me.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of it and now it is all gone.  

• 1 ½ lbs. lean ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves crushed garlic (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds (not powder)
• ½ cup chili powder
• 1 – 4 ounce can chopped green chiles
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 – 8 ounce cans tomato sauce
• 16 ounces of water

1. Brown ground beef, while stirring.
2. Add onion and cook until clear.
3. Add garlic, cumin, chili powder, chiles, salt, pepper, tomato sauce , and water.
4. Simmer on low heat for one hour, stirring frequently.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

• Seeds separated from the pulp of one pumpkin
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Melt butter in the microwave.
2. Stir the salt into the butter.
3. Rinse and drain the seeds in a colander.
4. Mix all in a mixing bowl.
5. Spread in a pizza pan.
6. Roast at 300 degrees, stirring every 15 minutes.
7. Roast to the degree of brownness that you prefer.  

Nancy's Chili with Brown Sugar and Beer

This is my chili cook-off recipe from 2006 for people who liked beans and a chili that was not too spicy.   It didn't win (a fiery hot one did), but it got a lot of votes.  

1 lb. ground beef

2 T. onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon chili powder

½ teaspoon crushed garlic

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules dissolved in 1 cup warm water

3  15.5 oz. cans light red kidney beans, drained but not rinsed

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1  46 oz. can tomato juice

2 tablespoons regular chili powder

1 tablespoon white sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

6 oz. beer

Brown first group of ingredients.  Add second group of ingredients.  Bring to boil and simmer for 45 minutes. 

Add brown sugar and beer and cook 15 minutes more, stirring frequently.