Homemade hot cocoa mix

3 C Powdered Milk

2 C Nesquick 

2 C Powdered sugar

3/4 C powdered coffee creamer (we like vanilla carmel!)

2 pkg instant chocolate pudding 

1 1/2 tsp salt

Mix well and get all the clumps out if you can :) store in an airtight container

Mix 1/4 C with 1 C warm milk

December Menu

Ok, this month proved to be especially hard for me to put together. All I really want to eat is comfort food (aka carbs and more carbs), but the hubby and I have committed to eating better soooo, putting pen to paper was an internal struggle. I think I managed to plan some pretty healthy meals, but also threw in some comfort foods, ya know, for moral. Thank goodness we're heading out of town for the holidays, otherwise those extra 6-8 meals would have taken me all day to figure out! Here ya go!

(These first two were on last months and never materialized :/ )

Lasagna and salad
Taquitos and guacamole
Turkey burgers and sweet potato fries
Broiled Tilapia, green bean casserole, roasted red potatoes
Sweet n Sour Chicken, rice, and steamed veggies (you can also skip the bread and frying pan, just add a little cornstarch to your sauce and bake cubed chicken)
Thai Meatballs over spaghetti squash, edamame
Sweet Pork sandwiches with cilantro lime slaw, roasted veggies
Grilled chicken, brussel sprouts, Paleo sweet potato soufflé
Gyros, greek salad
Riobollita
Grilled pizzas
Chicken strawberry salad wraps, raw veggies
Tortilla soup
Tuscan Lemon grilled chicken, artichoke
French Dip sandwiches, canned peaches
Thai coconut curry noodles (ok, heres how I do this recipe...Grill up some chicken, make the sauce, steam some broccoli and carrots, pop edamame in the microwave and let the kids pop the pods, sautee green onion and mushrooms, throw it all together. The kids get noodles, us grown-up go no-carb)
Butternut squash soup, lots of homemade croutons. Lots.
Breakfast
BBQ ribs, cornbread, green beans
Avocado bacon chicken salad (this is a new one for us!)

Green Bean Casserole

Description:You'll never make the campbells soup recipe again! These take a little more prep time, but it's sooo worth it!

Ingredients:1 large onion (cut into 1 inch wedges)
1/4 cup cooking oil
3 Tbsp packed brown sugar
2 lbs fresh whole green beans, trimmed
6 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
6 oz cream cheese, softened
2-3 Tbsp milk

Directions:Preheat oven to 400.

In a large saucepan cook green beans, covered, in a small amount of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain.

In a large baking dish combine green beans and mushrooms

In a small bowl combine olive oil, soy sauce and vinegar. Pour over beans and mushrooms, tossing to coat.   Bake 15 minutes, stirring once, until crisp tender.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook onions, covered, in hot oil over medium-low heat until tender (about 13-15 minutes). Uncover and add brown sugar. Cook over medium-high heat until onions are golden and carmelized (about 3-5 minutes)

In a medium mixing bowl mix together cream cheese and milk until smooth.

Spoon cheese mixture lengthwise in the center over beans and top with carmelized onions.

Return to oven until cheese and onions are heating through (about 5-8 minutes).

Sherri's Pasta Fagioli

Sorry I don't have a pic of this soup I just wanted to hurry and publish the recipe for my November menu. AND it's a great soup to make when you're feeding lots of people for the holidays (and I mean L.O.T.S.) it makes a TON! So just imagine a yummy tomato-based soup with yummy sausage, beans, veggies and pasta. You get the idea...

This is a super easy, hearty soup that will feed 15-20 people, maybe more

1 pkg Jenni O sweet italian turkey sausage (casings removed)
1 pkg (20oz) Jenni O ground turkey
1/2 lb frozen carrots and peas (rinsed)
1/2 lb frozen corn (rinsed)
1 can white beans (drained/rinsed)
1 can kidney beans (drained/rinsed)
1 meduim onion chopped
3 29oz cans tomato sauce plus 3 cans water
1 Tbs minced garlic
2 Tbs dried oregano
1+ Tbs. (to taste) garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb (before cooking) whole wheat rotini pasta (cooked in salted water)

Brown the meats together with onion, minced garlic and salt and pepper, chunking into smaller pieces.

In the meantime combine tomato sauce, water, veggies, beans, oregano, and garlic salt in a large pot and simmer until your meat is ready to be added . Simmer together 20 minutes, add cooked pasta last. Serve with parmesan cheese

This will freeze better without the pasta, just make your pasta when you are ready to eat.

November Menu

I haven't had the opportunity to try many new recipes lately, so most of this is just same ol' same ol'. But hopefully it'll still get you going on your own menu :)

Thai Coconut Curry (plus chicken)
Pot Roast (large roast, use leftovers for Taquitos later in the week)
Pesto Chicken Wraps and raw veggies
Taquitos with Spanish rice
French Dip sandwiches with chips and fruit (use a large roast and use leftovers for BBQ beef later in the week or vise versa)
Lasagna with green salad
Chocolate Chili and Sweet Cornbread
Pasta Fagioli with garlic bread
Cordon Blue with green beans and mashed potatoes
Broiled Tilapia with brussel sprouts and dinner rolls
Pot Pie
Peach Whiskey BBQ chicken (I use 3/4 C Whiskey, 2/3 jar peaches, 16oz BBQ sauce) with broccoli and mashed potatoes
Sweet n Sour chicken (stay tuned for my paleo version!!) with rice and steamed broccoli
Tortellini Soup
Basil Lime Chicken with green salad and corn
Pistolettes and fruit
Egg Salad Sandwiches and raw veggies
Breakfast
Fajitas with chips and fresh salsa
BBQ beef over sweet potatoes
Turkey Noodle Soup (A VERY rough recipe: chicken broth, shredded, cooked turkey, chopped carrots and celery par boiled, dry Italian dressing packet, bay leaves, cooked noodles...you can't really get it wrong ;))

Paleo Sweet Potato Soufflé

So, my husband and I have been experimenting with a Paleo diet lately (we aren't perfect by any means!) and we are both liking the results! I have this killer Sweet Potato Soufflé recipe that we'll make a few times a year, not just at Thanksgiving, because it's just too good. I experimented tonight to turn it into a Paleo recipe and it turned out awesome!! Hope you like it :)

3 C cooked/mashed sweet potatoes (about 2 large potatoes)

3/4 C real maple syrup

1/2 C raw honey

1/4 C coconut oil

1/3 C coconut flour

3 eggs

1 Tbsp tapioca flour

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything, minus potatoes, then add potatoes and mix (I like mine a little chunky) pour into medium greased casserole dish

Topping:

Mix together

1/3 C soft butter

1/3 C almond flour

1/3 c chopped pecans

1 Tbs real maple syrup

Dash cinnamon

Put in even "glops" on top of potato mixture

Bake in a preheated oven at 350* for about 45-60 min, or until it sets up and topping is lightly brown 

July Menu

Just a quick re-cap on how I menu plan: Write out your menu and make a shopping list with all your pantry and freezer items for the month and the produce broken into weeks. Shop at the beginning of the month for all your pantry/freezer items and your week 1 produce. Shop each Monday for produce and other fresh necessities. Shop the sales mid-month and stock up as much as your budget and storage space will allow. Ideally, you want to be using meats and pantry items that you bought on sale the previous month(s) in your menus.

You can find the detailed blog here


BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, fruit salad
Thai Meatballs
Gyros (with chicken), Greek salad
Taco Shells, chips and guac
Grilled cheese, pineapple, and ham sandwiches
Philly Cheesesteaks
Sweet and Sour Chicken (we like double sauce!), Rice, Steamed broccoli
Chicken Berry Salad, dinner rolls
Lasagna, garlic bread, salad
Broiled fish and steamed veggies
Cheeseburger Salads (we use ground turkey and double the sauce), sweet potato fries
Enchiladas, cilantro lime rice
Beef and Snow peas
Pesto Wraps, raw veggies and dip
Homemade Mac n Cheese (made casserole style)
Fish Tacos
Meatball Sandwiches (I half the recipe and use ground turkey, 1/4 C breadcrumbs and omit the onion soup...serve on crusty rolls with cheese, olives, red onion, or whatever else you like)
Lettuce Wraps
Honey Pork Chops
Cordon Bleu, mashed potatoes, green beans
Homemade Pizzas
Chicken Caesar Sandwiches
Crepes and eggs

Banana Berry Oat Muffins

2 Cups quick oats
1 1/2 Cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 Cups white flour
1/2 Cup flax meal
1/2 C sugar plus 2 Tbs
1/2 Cup honey
3-4 ripe bananas
2/3 Cup milk
1 Cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
12 oz berries (I have used blueberry and sliced strawberry OR chocolate chips)

Mix all ingredients minus berries in a high capacity mixer or mix wet ingredients and then add dry and mix well, folding in berries last.

Use an ice cream scoop (or about 1/3 C) to fill well greased muffin pans. Sprinkle all muffins with a bit of sugar. Bake in a preheated oven at 350* for about 20 min, or when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Makes 2 dozen

We like to eat them fresh out of the oven or chilled in the fridge

Easy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

I got this recipe from my dear friend, Sarah. It's super simple and very yummy!! Makes 4 servings

1 box Uncle Bens Wild Rice, Original Recipe
Water per box instructions
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken, drained (Costco)
1 C sour cream
1/4 C white cooking wine

Simmer all ingredients about 25 min or until rice is tender.

I'm baaaack!! (and Jan/Feb menus)

Well, for those who don't know me personally, I apologize for being MIA for such a long time; I found out in Aug that I'm pregnant and I have been sick, sick, sick. From Aug to Dec with pregnancy sickness and then for a whole month with pneumonia. But I have my January and February menu for you! Just don't count on anything regular with a new baby coming ;) Sorry, it's the truth.

Pork Sandwiches with Cilantro Lime Slaw (I use slaw mix)
Asian BBQ Chicken with Cilantro Lime Pineapple Rice
Steaks and creamy mashed potatoes
Chicken Spaghetti (this made 2 batches for my family so I froze one)
Broiled fish and Barley and Asparagus
Homemade Pizzas
White Chili (I'll have to post my recipe soon!)
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Pesto Wraps (this time I just threw some chicken breasts in the crockpot in the am, then shredded and added pesto before serving!)
White Chicken and rice (another one I need to post)
Tortellini Soup (I threw everything in the crockpot with some frozen tortellini, cooked on low for about 5 hours, YUM)
Cube Steak Sandwiches
Cheeseburger Salads (I use ground turkey and double the sauce, also for the croutons I melt the butter and toss with the buns, then bake at 350, turning every 8 min or so until golden brown..this is easier for me)
Butternut Squash Soup and Homemade Croutons (I omit celery and use 1 tsp celery salt, bake my squash instead of peeling {pain!} and top with sour cream and Sriracha {a must!!} make croutons, LOTS of croutons!)
Pot Roast
Chicken Cordon Blue (this is a diff recipe than I normally use and we LOVED it!! KEEPER!!)
Meatball Sandwiches (half this recipe, I use ground turkey so use less breadcrumbs or they'll be dry, bake as directed and serve on crusty rolls with cheese, olives and whatever else you like)
Peach Whiskey BBQ Chicken and Mashed Potatoes (I use 3/4 C whiskey, 16 oz BBQ and 2/3 jar peach jam)
Thai Coconut Curry Noodles (I add chicken)
Chocolate Chili
Beef with Mushroom Sauce (roast with 1 pkg onion soup mix, 2 cans cream of mush-in the crockpot, serve over rice)
Fish Tacos
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Lasagna
Chicken Rolls
Tortellina Pasta Salad (I omit tomatoes and add red bell pepper. I also add spinach)
Sweet Pork Salads
Stuffed Pistolettes
Ham steaks and funeral potatoes
Ginger Steak Salads
Riobollitta
French Dip Sandwiches