Blog Frog Friday 10-01-10

I am happy to have you all here for Blog Frog Friday: a weekly stop at my Blog Frog community:-)

Today, hop on over to my pad for a conversation about winning the fight:-)

Until Next Year...

My dreams of a warm September ends in this pile of pool shrapnel:-)

You provided many memories for us this summer and I look forward to the day that we meet again:-)

My Day Planner Runneth Over

Happy Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on parenting By dummies!

I really need to stop volunteering for stuff:-)

Tackling a Pergola That is Done

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . That's right! It is finally done and here it is:

Whew! That was a huge undertaking but now, I have to get to work on moving the grapes over:-)

Angel Chicken

I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners and putting them together with great recipes:-)

This week is a little bit slower. I have a PTO meeting, a Girl Scout Meeting, a Parent Network event and we are meeting the youngest's new piano teach. Wish me luck.

Thank goodness Pick N Save is helping me out with my menu planning! They have chicken on sale for $1.99/lb. (normally $4.79/lb.)I bought a bunch to throw into my slow cooker to make some Angel Chicken. Check out the recipe below:-)

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Spaghetti (Cleaning Day)

Tuesday: Angel Chicken (See Reicpe Below) (PTO Meeting/Daisy Meeting)

Wednesday: Bean Night

Thursday: Leftovers (Meet Piano Teacher/Parent Network Event)

Friday: Eat Out

Angel Chicken
Ingredients:
6 boneless chicken breasts
8 oz sliced mushrooms
¼ butter
.7 oz pkg dry Italian salad drg mix
1 10 oz golden mushroom soup can
½ cup dry white wine
8 oz tub cream cheese with chive and onion

Directions:
1. place chicken and mushrooms in slow cooker. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan; stir in Italian drg mix. Stir in soup, white wine and cream cheese until combined…pour over chicken.

2. Cover and cook on low hear for 4 to 5 hours.

3. Sever chicken over rice or pasta

Servings: 6

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (15.4 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 661.74
Calories From Fat (33%) 219
% Daily Value
Total Fat 24.79g 38%
Saturated Fat 12.35g 62%
Cholesterol 189.08mg 63%
Sodium 3777.44mg 157%
Potassium 1030.53mg 29%
Total Carbohydrates 43.34g 14%
Fiber 2.83g 11%
Sugar 13.65g
Protein 60.82g 122%

Recipe Type
Chicken, Slow Cooker

Tips
(I didn’t have dry white wine and it still turned out yummy!)

Source
Author: Becca Hughes
Source: Whispering Willows Service Area

Recipe Cost: $20.71 ($9.74 with sale!!!)
Serving Cost: $3.45 ($1.62 with sale!!!)

Blog Frog Friday 9-20-10

I am happy to have you all here for Blog Frog Friday: a weekly stop at my Blog Frog community:-)

Today, hop on over to my pad for a conversation about living the dream:-)

Still Working On It

In between the raindrops, 3 parties and overnight guests....



...we are still working on it:-)

First Day of Fall?

Happy Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus! Today was the first day of fall so, even though it was 85 degrees, I still baked my apple pie.

Tackling a Breezeway Cabinet

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . With the busy al fresca dining season coming to a close, I found that my breezeway cabinets really needed an overhaul. I didn't take a before picture but here is the finished project:

What did you tackle this week?

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken

I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners and putting them together with great recipes:-)

And the maddness continues! This week is busier than ever! I have a Girl Scout Leader meeting, Enrollment Management Study Team meeting, School Organizer Idea meeting and a doctor's appointment for my Mom. I am certainly going to need a break by the weekend!!!

Thank goodness Pick N Save is helping me out with my menu planning! They have chicken on sale for $1.99/lb. (normally $4.79/lb.)I bought a bunch to throw into my slow cooker to make some Cashew Chicken. Check out the recipe below:-)

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Spaghetti (Cleaning Day/Girl Scout Leader Meeting)

Tuesday: Bean Night (Enrollment Management Study Team Meeting)

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken (See recipe below)(School Organizer Idea Meeting)

Thursday: Leftovers (Mom's Doctor Appointment)

Friday: Eat Out

Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken
Ingredients:
1 10.75-ounce can condensed golden mushroom soup
2 Tbs soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 lbs chicken breast tenderloins
2 stalks celery, sliced (1 cup)
2 medium carrots, shredded (1 cup)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms or one 4.5-ounce jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1 8[ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup cashews

Directions:
1. Hot cooked brown rice, optional

2. Green onion tops, sliced (optional garnish)

3. Combine soup, soy sauce, and ginger in a 3 1/2 or 4-quart slow cooker. Stir in chicken, celery, carrot, mushrooms, and drained water chestnuts.

4. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 - 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 – 4 hours.

5. Stir cashews into chicken mixture. If desired, serve over hot cooked brown rice. Garnish with sliced green onion tops.

Servings: 6

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 minutes
Total Time: 8 hours and 5 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (8.4 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 252.84
Calories From Fat (33%) 84.54
% Daily Value
Total Fat 9.84g 15%
Saturated Fat 2.12g 11%
Cholesterol 65.77mg 22%
Sodium 632.71mg 26%
Potassium 564.1mg 16%
Total Carbohydrates 11.09g 4%
Fiber 1.53g 6%
Sugar 2.43g
Protein 29.9g 60%

Recipe Type
Chicken, Slow Cooker

Source
Author: Dining with Debbie
Web Page: http://diningwithdebbie.blogspot.com/2010/04/crock-pot-wednesday-and-cashew-chicken.html

Recipe Cost: $10.85 ($6.64 with sale!!!)
Serving Cost: $1.81 ($1.11 with sale!!!)

Blog Frog Friday 9-17-10

I am happy to have you all here for Blog Frog Friday: a weekly stop at my Blog Frog community:-)

Today, hop on over to my pad for a conversation about socializing your kids:-)

Don't Forget to Save Those Seeds!!!

Remember this post from last year???

"Gardening is a way to say that you believe in tomorrow." If that saying is true, than I believe! And if that is true, I need to save some seeds to have tomatoes tomorrow...or in this case, the spring.

Saving seeds is easy if you follow these steps:

1. Seed a tomato

2. Place said seed into a very fine sieve:

3. Rinse the seeds gently. The goal here is to remove the gelatinous material that the seeds swim in and the thin membrane around each seed. This takes longer than you think because those membranes can be really stubborn. For the really difficult ones, you can gently rub them between two paper towels. This is what it looks like before and after:

4. Dry them on a paper plate. See how many seeds I got from a half of a tomato?

5. Once they are dried, wrap the seeds in a paper towel and place them in a labeled food storage bag.

6. Store them in the refrigorator until them at ready to plant in the spring.

Happy Saving:-)

Fall is in the Air

Happy Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus! Fall IS in the air...and everywhere:

I love how my old fall decorations look next to our newly decorated walls!

Tackling a Pergola

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . This weekend was erected this:

So, it will be the new home to my grapes:-)

Turkey Breast with Sweet and Sour Apricot Glaze

I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners and putting them together with great recipes:-)

Well people, I am back! The crazy mom who has to keep busy 24/7. Although, this week isn't looking too bad...I have a Girl Scout Service Area meeting, a Classroom Party Coordinator meeting and a hair cut. Doesn't sound too bad right? Well, my mom started back with her water aerobics so, you add me driving her to and fro twice a week and bamm! Busy mom again:-)

Thank goodness Pick N Save is helping me out with my menu planning! They have this incredible deal this week. If you buy a ham, you get a turkey breast for free (normally $18.00)! Check out the recipe below:-) I love the throw it in the oven and forget it nature of this dish!

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Spaghetti (Cleaning Day)

Tuesday: Bean Night (Girl Scout Service Area Meeting)

Wednesday: Turkey Breast with Sweet and Sour Apricot Glaze (See recipe below)

Thursday: Leftovers (Classroom Party Coordinator Meeting)

Friday: Eat Out (Hair Cut)

Turkey Breast with Sweet and Sour Apricot Glaze
Ingredients
1 turkey breast (4-6 pounds)
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1/2 Tbs Dijon-style mustard

Directions:
1. In (13 x 9 x 2 inch) roasting pan, place turkey breast on rack. Bake, uncovered, 325 degrees (Fahrenheit) 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until meat thermometer registers 170 to 175 degrees (Fahrenheit) in deepest part of breast.

2. In small bowl combine preserves and mustard. Brush glaze over breast during final 15 minutes of cooking.

Servings: 20

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 serving.
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information provided by the recipe author.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 172
Calories From Fat (33%) 55.95
% Daily Value
Total Fat 6g 9%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 56mg 2%
Total Carbohydrates 3g 1%
Protein 25g 50%

Recipe Type
Main Dish, Poultry

Source
Source: The National Turkey Federation
Web Page: http://www.turkeyfed.org/

Recipe Cost: $18.14 ($0.14 with sale!!!)
Serving Cost: $0.91 ($0.01 with sale!!!)

Blog Frog Friday 9-10-10

I am happy to have you all here for Blog Frog Friday: a weekly stop at my Blog Frog community:-)

Today, hop on over to my pad for a conversation about local finds:-)

Bye Bye Basil

After 12 four-ounce and 2 eight-ounce jars of pesto plus a bunch of frozen basil, that's the last of it that I am drying-) See you next year:-)

Picnic Basket Dreams

We all get them for our weddings: those beautiful picnic baskets .

We all have dreamed about taking our picnic basket to the park to catch a little jazz...maybe catch a kiss in between the chardonnay and brie course and dessert of cabernet and dark chocolate covered strawberries. Or we have visions of hiking to the top of Lovers Peak and enjoying a sunset cocktail you dug out of your picnic backpack. We all dream it but few of us get to do it.

Well, dust off your picnic backpacks and hike on over here next year. We are going to erect this beaut:


Ok...it isn't going to be that big or that amazing but...a girl can dream, right?

Happy Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus!

Tackling a Labor Day Weekend

It's time for Tackle It Tuesday with 5 Minutes for Mom . This week, we tackled some Labor Day memories.This was my favorite:

Behold the artist at work:-)

Roasted Chicken with Orange and Cardamom

I am doing more menu planning with I'm an Organizing Junkie and finding more deals at Pick N Save for $5 Dinners and putting them together with great recipes:-) I am also linking up with Amy at Keeping Up with the Schultz Family for her Round Robin:-)

Happy Labor Day! I hope you guys are all having a fabulous holiday. We are having a great time but also gearing up to get back into full swing. I have a PTO meeting, Parent Information Night, the premiere of the Iron Cupcake: Milwaukee on All Recipes.com and a spaghetti dinner and football game. Whew!

Thank goodness Pick N Save is helping me out with my menu planning! They have chicken breast on sale for $1.96/lb. (normally $4.79/lb.) !! I was really inspired by the most recent Next Food Network Start Aarti Sequeira's I Ain't Chicken Chicken which is a roasted chicken with orange and cardamom. The only problem is, I like my boneless skinless chicken breast so, I came up with my own. Check it out below.

Here is everything that I am serving this week:

Monday: Grill Out (Cleaning Day/Labor Day)

Tuesday: Roasted Chicken with Orange and Cardamom (See recipe below)

Wednesday: Leftovers (PTO Meeting/PIN Night)

Thursday: Bean Night (Premire of Iron Cupcake: Milwaukee All Recipes.com video)

Friday: Eat Out (Spaghetti Dinner/Football Game)

Roasted Chicken Breasts with Orange and Cardamom
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter, softened but not melted
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 large orange, zested
2 tsp grated ginger
2 Chicken Breast
olive oil
salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. In a small bowl, combine the butter, ground cardamom, orange zest, ginger, salt and pepper, to taste. Stir together with a spoon until well mixed.

3. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and pound flat. Rub chicken with the butter mixture. Roll it up and secure with a toothpick.

4. Drizzle the skin with a little oil, for extra crispy skin. Season with salt, to taste. Put the chicken into a roasting bag and then into the oven, and roast.

5. Chicken is ready when an instant-read thermometer inserted registers about 160 degrees F. Remove from the oven and tent with foil. Allow them to rest about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve.

Servings: 4

Oven Temperature: 450°F

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe (4.9 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 291.93
Calories From Fat (60%) 176.01
% Daily Value
Total Fat 19.94g 31%
Saturated Fat 8.61g 43%
Cholesterol 96.28mg 32%
Sodium 114.48mg 5%
Potassium 304.16mg 9%
Total Carbohydrates 0.87g <1% type="text/javascript" src="http://cdn.printfriendly.com/printfriendly.js">

Blog Frog Friday 9-3-10

I am happy to have you all here for Blog Frog Friday: a weekly stop at my Blog Frog community:-)

Today, hop on over to my pad for a local find:-)

Pergola Plans

This week, we worked on plans to erect a pergola in our backyard. Our grape arbor is not only on it's last leg but should have been replaced last year.


We are looking at building a 16X12 foot structure however, my husband thinks it will only be 14X10 inside. Do you think that is enough room to entertain underneath? It doesn't seem big enough to me.

First Day of First Grade

Happy Wordless Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Mom and Wordful Wednesday on SevEn cLoWn CirCus!

Waiting for the bus...

The rain didn't dampened her spirits! She was so excited for school to start:-)