I’ve actually made a full menu this week and I’m trying not to eat out as much (especially with the boys). I’ve also done some things prior to menu planning in order to help us save money.
1. Start with my freezer. Since it is my smallest place for food, I don’t like to let it get too crowded (maybe in a few more years I’ll have room for a deep freezer). Then I plugged in some ingredients into Pinterest and came up with a few meals.
2. I made a shelf in my pantry for all the items I will need this week. That will help to ensure I have everything I need and also help in time management. It is much easier to look on one shelf than 5 shelves, especially with two toddlers wanting to help.
English Muffin Pizzas (Little Chef recipe coming soon)
Chili (freezer meal) and spoon bread
Vietnamese Chicken Salad. Good thing about this salad is the one thing I needed to buy was some of the produce. I love having a diversely-stocked pantry and spice cabinet
Fusili pasta with veggie sauce
Oreo Brownies with homemade chocolate sauce and homemade caramel sauce and whipped cream (for a grill out with friends)
This is a bit of a different week for us, but I still always want to be about using my creative nature in the kitchen for my family and others.
And lest you think I always cook, the drive-thru ladies at our neighborhood McDonalds and the guy at Wendy’s know us! And our boys love making them laugh and saying hello!
A pound cake for a special person and a guest coming over (real whipped cream on the way, folks)
I didn’t grow up on homemade cookies. The closest we got were a couple of Christmas goodies I remember my Mom training me to bake and Publix cookies. Oreos were always my favorite and of course I was a Girl Scout so the peanut butter sandwich cookies were my favorite thin – now, it is the Thin Mints, hands down.
But, now, sometimes, I wake up thinking about chocolate chip cookies. Who knows? But, I woke up this morning thinking about cookies. It was raining. I have boys. Friends were coming over. No time to go to the store. This is how these amazing cookies started.
A new friend gave me some toffee on a recent trip to the Triangle. I had mini chips in the freezer. My mom always stocks my pantry full of pecans, and I had bars of chocolate in my baking stash.
These are the perfect chewy consistency. Nice and big but not too flat. I tweaked a recipe and it turned out great. I hope you enjoy!
Dark Chocolate Pecan Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Cookies
Author: kd316
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 24-30
These chewy chunky toffee cookies will be a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
Half cup each:
chopped toffee
mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
chopped milk chocolate
1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375. Lightly spray baking sheets.
Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
Cream together the butter and the sugars.
Add eggs and vanilla.
Add in the dry ingredients and stir together.
Fold in the add-ins.
Do not over mix
I got 6 cookies per baking sheet – so these are pretty generous cookies.
Bake for 12 minutes.
Do not over bake.
Let cool for 1-2 minutes and remove to a cooling rack. If you let them stay on the baking sheets, the toffee will stick to the pan.
My husband would quickly tell you that my favorite meal would either consist entirely of macaroni and cheese or maybe just throw a good medium steak topped with onion and mushrooms on the side for some more protein.
So, since my younger son is teething and longs for soft foods, I decided today would be the day to make some homemade cheesy goodness for their dinner – and to have as a side to some leftover bbq sliders for my husbands dinner.
Cast Iron Macaroni and Cheese
Recipe Type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Pasta
Author: kd316
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6-8
Southern, baked, double the cheese, heavy cream – how delicious!
Ingredients
1 box elbow pasta, cooked to al dente according to directions
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1 T dijon mustard
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cup whole milk
7 oz grated sharp white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup italian bread crumbs
2 T cold unsalted butter
2 oz shaved Parmesan cheese
Instructions
Cook pasta according to directions. Cook with oil and salted water – so your pasta doesn’t clump together.
In a 10 inch cast iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add in flour and whisk together until no clumps remain.
Add in milk and cream and spices.
Add in sharp cheddar.
When all is blended together, fold in pasta.
When pasta is all coated, sprinkle on Italian bread crumbs.
Cut the butter in tiny pieces and place on top of the pasta.
Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes until cheese on top is melted and browned.
I have a love hate relationship with Pinterest and Instagram.
Pinterest gives me so many options but sometimes the recipes just aren’t any good. Then I’ve wasted a meal and may not even serve it to my family and resort then to pbj or cereal!
Instagram shows me lovely ways to style food and tells me what food days are coming – and I usually tend to bake or cook something that I don’t need. But its fun!
We love brinner at our house and I have tons of eggs in the fridge.
I do love to bake with the boys and these will be a fun treat to have in the house. I just can’t eat them all!
Love fish tacos. Nothing beats grilled or fried mahi but we have swai so I will use it.
