Planning meals two weeks at a time

1. Brainstorm a list of 14 meals.
They can be new meal ideas, old trusty favorites, and as simple or as complex as you would like. Just be sure that they will be ones you're open to cooking and the family is up to eating. I also try to stretch my ingredients out as much as I can. For instance if you're cooking something like hot dogs you can split the package and cook half in a weenie spaghetti or use half a pack of rice for beef stew and the other half for fried rice. Try to stretch them out and design your meals to work together.


2. Get on the computer and make a list 
Begin to write down a list of every ingredient you will need, including little stuff like salt and pepper. If you're cooking from a brand new recipe you've just found online simply copy and paste it onto your list. If I have two meals that need the same thing I write it like this:

Lettuce X 3  - That lets me know I'm using lettuce for three different meals so when I get to the grocery store I don't just buy one.



3. Print the list out and visit the pantry and fridge
Your list is probably huge but that's ok (don't let it scare you) because the next step is going to the pantry and crossing out anything you already have...which will usually eliminate a good bit ( sugar/ketchup/salt, etc). In the lettuce situation above, if I went to my fridge and saw I had a head of lettuce already in there I would just cross out the X 3 and leave "lettuce" so I still know I need it, just not that much anymore.




4. Take your list and shop
Your list should be everything and anything you need for TWO whole weeks of food. Once you have everything there's no more worrying over if you have an ingredient or what's for dinner. Everything is already there...saving you time and stress.



Tips:
 -Keep your storage space into consideration. I don't have a very large freezer so I don't plan a lot of meals  together that need large quantities of frozen chicken or ground beef.
- Add in leftover nights to make your meals stretch out even longer
- Remember that it doesn't have to be a production, there's nothing wrong with a grilled cheese night.
- I use a Meal Calender to show what options are available to cook. I don't always cook what's listed on Monday on Monday so it's nice to see what options are there and which ones we've used already. You can find that printable HERE
- If you're neurotic like me and want to write down your final grocery list without the scribbles ( don't judge me) you can find a cute little grocery list HERE

Here are a few of my FAVORITE weekday meals that we're currently loving to cook in my house:

Lemon Chicken
Fancy Hot Dogs
Monterey Chicken
Cheese Potato And Smoked Sausage Casserole
Baked Buffalo Chicken Taquitos
Chicken Fried Steak
Beef Stew
Smokey 15 Bean Soup With Sausage
Taco Salad
Apple Cinnamon Pork Chops
Sloppy Joes



Don't mind me...Just linking up at these fabulous places dearies. 
Serenity Now

The Top 15 Fall Recipes

1. Caramel Apples by Dashing Desserts
This list HAD to start out with caramel apples. I LOVE caramel apples and being the complicated dumb-dumb that I am I always tried making the caramel sauce from scratch and it always ended up being a ruined mess. I could have kicked myself after seeing how easy it is to do if you follow these simple steps using wrapped store caramels!

2. Quick and Easy Pumpkin Pancakes by Something Sweet Something Salty
We obviously LOVE the pumpkin flavor in my household so this one is a winner in our book. I just can't decide if I like these better with maple syrup on top or apple butter...hhmmm.







3. Mini Pumpkin Pie Croissants by Shaken Together
I saw this recipe and I'm fairly certain my jaw hit the floor. I didn't even think this was a thing! How could I have not known about some of my two favorite things: fall flavor and bread coming together so perfectly!?!






 
4. Butternut Squash Soup by Martha Stewart
The absolute best thing about this recipe (other than the fact that it's really easy) is that she gives you directions on how to freeze it a few days before you need it and how to perfectly thaw it out. Awesome.








5. Stuffed Pumpkin With Cheese, Bacon,and Chipotle by Homesick Texan
Don't let the ingredient list scare you off, you literally just throw them all in the pumpkin and bake. It looks ( and tastes) like it took you all day and hours of slaving away in the kitchen, yay!






6. Chocolate Halloween Bark by The Curvy Carrot
I LOVE making bark for the holidays and I had never seen a Halloween one that incorporated peanuts and chocolate yyuumm. So I cannot wait to make this one!










7. Baked Apples with Oatmeal Streusel by Cooking Outside the Box
I actually made this recipe last year and it was a HUGE hit. Everyone loved the flavor and it was SO easy to make!







8. Crispy Rice Candy Corn Treats by Baked Perfection
I've never made rice crispy treats before and this recipe most definitely makes me want to try plus I LOVE the fun colors.







9. Pumpkin Spice Trifle by 52 Mantels
Ok, anyone who knows me knows that I am a sucker for a delicious trifle and when I saw this one I literally called for Hubby to come and look. This looks AMAZING and I cannot wait to try the flavors together!

 10. Pumpkin Pie Milkshake by Sassy Mama In LA
One of my favorite treats when the fall season came rolling around was a pumpkin pie milkshake from Jack in the Box. Sadly, we do not have them down here at the beach. BOO! So you can imagine that when I found this little recipe I jumped for joy! She also uses almond milk which I had not even thought about using so I can't wait to see how it tastes.







11. No Bake Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes by A Family Feast
I LOVE how adorable these look and they sound delicious too. It seems like an easy dessert to make in the morning and then make pretty and serve right before you need it. Awesome.







12. Butterfinger Popcorn by Cookin' Cowgirl
You guys know how much I LOVE making flavored popcorn and I also love butterfingers so this combination of the two is sure to be delicious! I only wish my Mom ( aka the most butterfinger lovin' person ever) was here to taste it!







13. Apple Rings by How To: Simplify 
I saw this and thought it looked like a really original and fairly easy recipe. I had never heard of fried apple rings and we love apples so I think we're going to give this one a shot soon. 






 14. Smooth and Sweet Caramel Apple Dip by Zesty Cook
This dip looks so easy to make and sounds amazing plus it needs a few hours to set up so it would be the perfect crowd dessert to make the night before then get up the next day and walla you have an awesome dessert ready to go!






15. DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte Starbucks Copycat by Who Needs a Cape? 
I of course had to end this list with a copycat of the most favorite fall drink known to man: The Pumpkin Spice Latte!   

Did I feature you today? If so then feel free to grab a " Featured " button for your awesome blog.

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Describe thyself in a recipe. Harder than it sounds

I'm a member of the Circle of Mom's blogging world. It's really neat, they basically asks bloggers ( and other mommies too) random questions and if they like your answers they'll feature you within their posts on their main webpage at Popsugar Moms. It's pretty cool, and a great way for your blog to get exposure. I've only been featured once Here and it almost made me wet my pants with excitement.

They recently sent me an email asking for a recipe that describes my blog, and I was like...hhmmm. I went to their recent submissions from other bloggers who apparently are world class chefs. The ingredients are hard to pronounce, much less the actual name of the dishes.Very polished and perfect looking which makes me wonder if they're cheating or lying about their blogs. I'm onto you people.....

This of course got me thinking. What would my dish be? It couldn't be fancy, I only have two pairs of jeans and they are both from Walmart. It could be a dessert because I adore any type of sweet treat and I'm also kind of chunky...chunky fudge maybe? Then I was thinking that my site is all about the hilarious and sometimes horrible things that happen in real life, mistakes even. So if I truly followed that rule and gave them a recipe that was true to my website it would be one that was pretty messed up looking and not at all how it was suppose to turn out, but still pretty awesome tasting.

I may send them the recipe for " Sweet Corn Muffins" with no corn mix. Who knows? If you have any ideas I would love to hear them!

Dessert Pineapple Kabobs

OOHHH YYEEAAHH Kabobs are what's for dinner! BAM! 

I thought about posting a recipe for chicken kabobs, but then I realized that it would be the most pointless recipe ever...excluding THIS recipe for ice cubes. First cut chicken, veggies, and pineapples into chunks, then skewer them, grill them, and eat them.

Most people know how to grill kabobs, but what you might not know how to do is grill dessert pineapple. It is amazing people. It's very light, and flavorful plus it has just the right amount of a savory/sweet combination to make people lick their plates clean ( or sticks) ( wait...pretend I didn't say that). I definitely recommend it.

* Pineapple Chunks ( we bought the packages that are fresh cut in the produce section, but I'm sure from a can would be just as good)
* 1 Cup of Brown Sugar
* 1 1/2 Tablespoons of Ground Cinnamon

Add the brown sugar and the cinnamon together in a bowl and whisk them until they are combined. Take the pineapple chunks and coat them heavily in the mixture. We didn't coat ours completely and we were very sorry that we didn't. Get your grill going to about 275 degrees and let those puppies cook for about 25 minutes (we like to grill slowly and let all those flavors really cook together). When the time is up pull them off the grill and enjoy the sugar/cinnamon fruity amazing-ness.

Speaking of food, in case your mind was going blank over what to cook, here are a few recipes that I've found mainly on Pinterest and actually tested out. Most are surprisingly easy and they are all delicious. Happy Tuesday!

Teriyaki Chicken  

Monte Cristo Sandwiches 

  

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos

Italian Beef Sandwiches

15 BEST Party Recipes

 1.Tyson's (Crockpot) Party Meatballs by Cupcake Diaries Blog
Normally I would not drool over meatballs, but these look to die for. Seriously I think I could gobble them up by myself. The brilliant thing is that if any are leftover you put mozzarella over them and have meatball subs the next day!








2. Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls by Plain Chicken
I have actually made this before making this list and OH MY GOSH. Hubby and his buddies devoured this. It's so easy to make and is delicious, I promise....I mean c'mon bacon, ranch, cheese and bread..hello? Do I really need to say more? 







3. Buffalo Chicken Dip by About.com Home Recipes
I'm a sucker for anything Buffalo chicken. We could drink Frank's RedHot Wings Sauce straight out of the bottle in this household so this recipe is definitely a must try.







4. Brownie Batter Dip by Stick A Fork In It
You need sweets to balance out all that savory food and this dip is sure to be devoured. Instead of slaving over a stove and whipping up two or three boxes of brownies give this quick dip a try.

5. Mini Tacos by Quick and Easy Recipes
I LOVE this idea because it's so original and they are perfect for a party. You can whip up a bunch super fast and have them out before you know it ready to please those hungry guests.








6. Desser Kabobs  by The Inspired Collection
I love an easy dessert that feeds a lot of people and is delicious. I have never seen Kabob sticks used in anything other than savory foods so kudos to this lady for using them in an original idea! 

 7. The Marginators Crockpot Wings by The Feaux Cajun Kitchen
She puts these into the broiler to get the outside all crispy and then puts it all into a crockpot to cook and soak up all that bbq goodness! This recipe is technically a long one, but only because its a crock pot meal and you let it cook overnight so it counts as easy.

8.Cake Batter Cracker Dip by Tasty Kitchen
Ok, this recipe had me at cake batter. Do yourself a favor and only make this when you're having a party so you don't lick the bowl clean all by yourself.

9.Artichoke and Spinach Dip by Food.com
This is suppose to be a dupe of Applebee's Artichoke and Spinach dip which is my absolute favorite so it made the list easily. The cooking time is a bit long, but you just combine everything and bake so it's SO easy and doesn't require much attention.







10. Creamy Rotel Dip by Plain Chicken
I finally got to try Rotel with sausage a few weekends ago and I was in love. This is the BEST recipe I have found that incorporates the sausage. She really is awesome at coming up with easy, cheap crowd pleasing foods.







11. Mexican Dip Trifle by Comfy in the Kitchen
I am becoming somewhat addicted to trifles. They are usually found as sweets, but the idea of making a savory mexican one for a large group sounds awesome. PLUS it looks really pretty and it's super easy.








12. Baked Mozzarella Sticks by Skinny Taste
See? It's baked...so it's healthy...right? Seriously these look amazing, are quick and they are baked not fried so there's no guilt!






 13. Jalapeno Popper Dip by Simply-Gourmet
I'm not a HUGE fan of Jalepenos but this dip sounds awesome. You can never go wrong with cream cheese and peppers. Ever. Plus it's another throw it in and bake meal so of course it's a great crowd dish.

14.Caramelized Onion, Gruyere, and Bacon Spread by Elizabeth's Edible Experience
OK, I know this sounds really intimidating but literally the only thing you "cook" are the onions for five minutes. Everything else is thrown all in and baked, and you look like a culinary genius.

15. Parmesan Heroin Wings by Just a Pinch
If the wet wings aren't your style then check out these dry rubbed parmesan wings that make my mouth water just looking at the picture. I think the name really says it all...

Bacon Wrapped Pepperoncini Pepper and Steak Kabobs

I know we haven't known each other long, but I feel that I can be honest with you guys...I don't really like bacon. I know, I know....unheard of...but it's true. I will eat it in the morning if it's REALLY crispy and even then only a few pieces. I don't really like to cook with it or add any to meals. I do however....LOVE these kabobs. I was skeptical, but once I tasted them I ate all my kabob stick and some of Hubby's too! Seriously...it is that good. The Pepperoncini peppers are not hot, they're more of a spicy-ish, sweet-ish flavor ( I know...it's like listening to bobby flay himself with all these technical terms) and we marinade the steak at least two days in advance and once you grill and char it to perfection the result is pure heaven! So here it is, just do yourself a favor on this one and make these soon. 

* Thin Strips of Steak( or fatter steaks cut up into thin strips whatever works for you)

* Pepperoncini Peppers ( one jar or two depends on how many you want to make)

* Bacon ( we buy whatever is cheapest, and thin NO thick cuts)

* Kabob sticks

First you want to start out with the marinade. We usually get the marinade together in a zip-lock, throw in our steaks and let it sit in the fridge at least a day in advance, usually two. The following is a list of things that we put into our marinade. We never really measure we just taste as we go, but this is everything we add and "basically" how much of it we add, but like I said if you like more of something add it, just taste as you go...you can't go wrong. 

1 Cup Dale's Steak Seasoning              2 Tbs. McCormick Grill mates Montreal Steak

1/2 Cup Brown Sugar                           1 tsp. of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

3 Tbs. Soy Sauce                                  1/2  tsp. of  Garlic Powder    

3 Tbs. Worchestire Sauce                     Pinch of Salt       

After the steak has been marinating for a day or so you line up them up with the peppers,bacon and kabob sticks then get ready to assemble. Cut the bacon strips in half (one whole strip of bacon is WAY too big). First take the steak and wrap it around the pepper, then wrap the 1/2 strip of bacon around that. Hold it all together and skewer it with the kabob sticks and repeat until the steak runs out. After you get the kabobs assembled you're ready to grill. When grilling, start them out on the top rack or away from the hottest part of the grill. The steak will cook slower than the bacon so slower cooking is best, but right before you take them off put them on some direct flames and let the bacon get a few places of char on it. Be sure to spoon the leftover marinade onto the kabobs while you're grilling them. This started as a ballgame favorite and now it's a must have dinner meal at least once a week, we LOVE this stuff!! It takes a while to explain but this is SO easy and delicious I promise you're gonna love it!!!!!

Delicious Barnacle Chicken!

 

Alright, here it is. This is my go-to recipe for the best, most amazing chicken strips ever. I don't mean to toot my own horn but....I get requests from family members all the time to make this chicken strip recipe because seriously they are that awesome. We like eating ours with cheesy mashed potatoes, dipping in honey mustard or in salads. We call it barnacle chicken because it's made with crackers and they sort of stick out after they've been fried and it looks like barnacles. The crackers give it a really flavorful taste and texture, but when you combine it with Tony's and garlic it is pure heaven. Here is the recipe: 

* 4 Chicken Breasts (cut into strips)                   * 1/4 Cup of All Purpose Flour 

* 4 eggs                                                                * 2 Tbs. of Tony's Chachere's Creole Sesoning

* 2 Sleeves of Saltine Crackers                           * 1 tsp. of Garlic Powder

1. Whisk the eggs into a bowl, then add the chicken strips to them. Turn them in the egg mixture making sure to coat them all.

2. Put the two sleeves of crackers into a large ziplock bag and crunch them together until most of the crackers are a fine powder then add the flour, Tony's, and Garlic Powder.

3. Take the pieces of chicken one or two at a time, and put them into the bag. Shake until all sides are covered and coated in the cracker mixture then set them all aside.

4. Get your oil heated to 350 degrees ( I use a medium sized pot filled 1/3 of the way with veggie or canola oil) and then add your coated chicken strips one or two at a time. ( I use a handy dandy candy thermometer to keep my grease the right temp)

5. Flip the chicken occasionally while it fries. You'll know when it's done because it starts to turn golden brown and starts to float but be sure to double check it with a meat thermometer when it gets out.

6. Lay the strips when they come out of the oil on a plate with a paper towel to soak up any leftover oil.

My family LOVES this recipe and I really hope yours will to. It can take a bit more time than your average weekday meal to make with all the breading and frying, but trust me it is WORTH IT!

FLIPPIN' amazing caramel corn recipe!

 

The other day I told you guys about this amazing caramel corn recipe that my mother-in-law had and I was going to attempt to replicate. I had everything that she said I would need for the recipe except one crucial ingredient: the right popcorn. She has a popcorn machine that allows her the ability to measure out cups and decide not to add any salt or butter while I on the other hand do not. What I did have however was a very promising box of store brand movie theater butter packs. After sampling them both I have come to the conclusion that they are both AWESOME, it just depends on what you are going for. If you want a more sugary flavor then use the popcorn machine, no sugar or salt to pop it. If you want a buttery sweet flavor that tastes JUST like Cracker Jacks then use the bags like I did. Either route you take will be delicious, here it is:

3 Bags of  Popped Popcorn ( I used movie theater butter)
2 Sticks of Margarine (She uses Butter..mine had enough with the popcorn flavor)
2 Cups of Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup of Light Corn Syrup
1 tsp. of Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. of Baking Soda

Pre-heat the oven to 225, and pour the three bags of popped popcorn into a LARGE bowl. Put the Margarine, Brown Sugar, and Corn Syrup into a pot on med. to high heat. Stir all together until the mixture is blended and begins to boil. When it starts to boil set the timer for five minutes and do not stir it. After the five minutes is up remove from heat and add the Vanilla and Baking Soda. Mix those together, it will get really foamy and weird looking. Pour slowly over the popcorn and mix it all together. Then spread out the popcorn on two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper on them. Slide them into the oven and let them bake for one hour. Every 15 minutes pull the pans out and stir them all up to ensure they cook evenly. When the hour is up let it cool on the counter for about 10 minutes then store in an airtight container. This is seriously my family's new favorite snack and if your house is anything like mine it wont be sitting around long enough to get stale. Trust me.