The Giveaway!!!---CLOSED-----

This giveway is a more than a little bit special. I have to be honest it overwhelms me that people want to hear/read/see what I am cooking for my family. My blog started because I grew tired of emailing my meal plans to an ever growing list of friends and family, well that and I was bored (read that as 4000 people in this town bored, REALLY BORED) I had no idea what work a blog actually entails, but I don't mind cause as Ree would say "I love ya more than my luggage"

This giveaway is also special because I get to showcase some of the immense talent from some seriously good people here in my small, small, town. These amazing people can be found roasting away many an hour on the farm. I am totally serious. I get FRESHLY ROASTED COFFEE BEANS right here, in the middle of NOWHERE.

So. The giveaway, one lucky reader gets A Blue Collar Coffee / Meal Planning Mama gift pack! The gift pack will include 1 pound of freshly roasted Blue Collar Coffee, 2 Meal Planning Mama coffee mugs and 1 yet to be determined special goodie prize!

-MANDATORY ENTRY-
Visit Blue Collar Coffee Company and tell me which Blend you would want to enjoy.

-Extra entries_
1) Follow Meal Planning Mama on Facebook and tell me you do!
2) Join Blue Collar Coffee Company on Facebook and tell me you did!
3) Follow Meal Planning Mama on Google friend connect
4)Vote for me on Top Mom Blogs, I'll know if you do, plus you should tell me so that I really know :)The link is on the right hand side on of this page.

The contest will be open until June 14th! Good Luck!!!

A menu and a teaser

Another week has passed by, my gypsy friends have traveled on, the weather is once again crap-tastic, filled with rain and clouds, and I am seriously lacking motivation to do anything. But I did it for you, cause I promised I would, and well, cause I'm awesome ;)

On my facebook "like" page I have promised a giveaway when I reach 200 likes, I am teaming with a local business to "roast" up something yummy, so invite your friends! And I'll keep you posted! (Maybe even a special prize for whomever invites #200?!?!?)

Also I will be away with my minis for a week in June, is anyone interested in guest blogging their families meals that week? Or sharing a meal or two? You can contact me via email, facebook or post a comment here!

So without further ado, another week of yummy meals from your favorite Meal Planning Mama!


Monday- Garlic chicken & roasted veggies
Ingredients
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Warm the garlic and olive oil to blend the flavors. In a separate dish, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dip the chicken breasts in the olive oil and garlic mixture, then into the bread crumb mixture. Place in a shallow baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear.


Tuesday -Spicy Sauteed Chickpeas with yogurt (originally posted in Readers Digest) ***Super Yummy and next to no fat!!***
Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh gingerroot
1 tbsp curry paste or curry powder
4 cups cooked chickpeas (2 19 oz tins)
1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
4 oz fresh baby spinach
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup (125 mL) plain yogurt

Directions
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions; cook until very brown. Reserve half the onions. Add garlic and ginger­root to the onions in the pan and cook gently 1 to 2 minutes. Add curry paste and cook 1 minute longer.
Add chickpeas and stock or water, and bring to a boil. Cook gently 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in spinach until just wilted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with yogurt spooned over the top of chickpeas and sprinkled with reserved onions.


Wednesday -Kalbi (Korean BBQ Short Ribs)with salad and roasted potatoes (Sent to me by KC! Thanks KC!!)
Ingredients
2 pounds short ribs (trimmed)
1/4 cup soy sauce (I use low sodium)
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
4 cloves chopped garlic
1 inch ginger grated
4 green onions sliced
1/2 onion grated
1 Asian pear grated
1 tbsp sesame seeds toasted and crushed

Directions
Mix the marinade and marinate the ribs over night in the fridge.
Remove ribs from the marinade discarding the marinade.
Grill the ribs until they are slightly charred and caramelized on both sides

Thursday - Beef, Cheese and Noodle Bake and salad
Ingredients
1 (8-ounce)package small elbow macaroni
Cooking spray
1 cup prechopped onion
1 cup preshredded carrot
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound lean ground sirloin
1 cup tomato sauce
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese (such as Cracker Barrel), divided

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Lightly coat pasta with cooking spray. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion and carrot, and sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add ground beef; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes or until most of liquid evaporates. Add pasta to beef mixture in pan, stirring to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Place milk, flour, nutmeg, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan; stir with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add 1 cup cheese, stirring until smooth. Pour cheese mixture over pasta mixture; stir. Top evenly with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.


Friday - Beer Bum Chicken, rolls, veggies and dip


Saturday - BBQ chicken pizza

Sunday -Beef Enchiladas
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb. (225 g) extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup each chopped green and red peppers
1 can corn
1 can refried beans
2 cups salsa, divided
1/2 cup Tex Mex Shredded Cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. calorie -wise Zesty Italian Dressing
8 flour tortillas (6 inch)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Directions
Heat oven to 400°F. Brown meat with peppers in large nonstick skillet. Stir in 1 cup salsa, corn and beans; simmer 5 min., stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 1/4 cup cheese.
Spread 1/4 cup of the remaining salsa onto bottom of greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Brush dressing lightly over both sides of tortillas. Stack 4 tortillas; wrap in large sheet of waxed paper. Microwave on HIGH 10 to 20 sec. or just until warmed. Immediately spoon 1/3 cup meat mixture down center of each warm tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-side down, over salsa in dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas and meat mixture; top with remaining salsa. Cover with foil.  Bake 20 min. or until heated through. Uncover; top with remaining cheese. Bake 2 to 3 min. or until melted. Top with cilantro.

Some of the camping deee-lites!

I am spoiled when it comes to camping food. Plain and simple spoiled. Some of my favorite weekend items included Tracy's Blueberry yogurt muffins, Ziplock bag omlettes (it really works!!!!) and our rotisserie ribeye (I'm drooling over here)

These muffins are MOIST. Now you know I loves me some blueberry muffins and this recipe is a keeper! Thanks Tracy!

3 cups bran muffin mix (or natural bran)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tblsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups plain low fat yogurt
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (or more!)

Preparation:
Combine dry ingredients and stir. Add wet to dry ingredients (do not over mix). Fold in blueberries and bake at 375F for 20-25 min. Let stand for 5 minutes before removing. Serves ~24 muffins.

Enjoy!

The rotisserie rib eye was our 30 person potluck dinner. One of the couples brought the meat and Mr C. rigged up a rotisserie for the campfire. I don't think we can all profess our love anymore than we did that day for my favorite Godfather, Mr C. It was DIVINE!

Now I didn't have a picture of the Ziplock omlettes as my batteries died BUT they are a new camping must!

Ziplock Omlettes

2 eggs
1 splash of milk
1/2 cup chopped peppers
1/2 cup chopped ham/sausage or bacon
salt & pepper to taste

Next get a big pot, one where the baggie won't touch the sides while it is boiling. Bring water to a boil, put bag inside and cook until done (about 10 minutes total, watch them!) Mr M took them out about halfway through and broke them up a little to ensure they cooked through.

The meals, the trip and fun guests!

Ok. The camping trip...AWESOME. The friends, the food, the beer, did I mention the FOOD!?!? I promise I will post some entries about the food, once the appropriate people send me the appropriate pictures...(AHEM Tray & Tanja GET ON IT!) Let's just say the blueberry yogurt muffins and crab dip Tracy brought were amazing! And feeding 30 people with a rather large hunk of rib eye roast over a flaming campfire, well truthfully I am still drooling! We ate, we drank, oh man did we drink, and generally we had a most unbelievable time. But enough about me....no wait my blog, still about me :P

This week is busy INSANE with Miss Lu's dance tech rehearsal tonight and performances tomorrow and Thursday, and company. We have our favorite band of gypsies living chez Meal Planning Mama for the next few days so without further ado....

Tuesday - Chicken burgers, salad, and sweet potato fries

Ingredients
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup sliced red onions
1/2 cup green pepper strips
1 Tbsp. oil
1/3 cup your favorite Barbecue Sauce
4 whole wheat rolls, split
4 Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese Slices

Directions

Heat grill to medium-high heat.  Grill chicken 8 min. Meanwhile, cook and stir vegetables in hot oil in large skillet on medium heat 5 min. or until crisp-tender. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm. Turn chicken; brush with barbecue sauce. Grill 7 to 9 min. or until chicken is done, turning and brushing occasionally with remaining sauce.  Serve on whole wheat buns!

Wednesday - Taco salad
Ingredients

1 bag iceberg lettuce
1 tomato, chopped
Red onion, chopped
Cilantro
1/2 can corn
1/2 can black beans
1 avocado, diced
shredded cheese
1 packet taco seasoning
1 package ground beef
Newman's Own Southwest Dressing
Thin tortilla chips

Prepare ground beef according to directions on the taco seasoning packet. Layer the other ingredients in order, starting with lettuce on bottom. Pour hot, cooked beef on top.

Thursday - Buffalo Chicken Wraps (not buffalo'ed for the kiddies....)


Ingredients

2/3 cup franks red hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon cooking oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup ranch dressing salad dressing
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
4 10-inch flour tortillas (warmed)
1 teaspoon garlic powder, to taste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste

Directions

Pre season chicken with garlic powder, salt and black pepper to taste. Combine 1/3 cup of hot sauce and 1 tbsp of cooking oil in a large plastic storage bag. Add the chicken and shake a bit to ensure chicken is evenly coated with marinade. Marinade chicken at least 30 minutes. Grill chicken until done. Slice chicken into strips. Place chicken in bowl and add 1/3 cup of hot sauce and dressing and cheese, mix well. Place chicken mixture and lettuce down the center of the tortilla. Roll tortilla in same fashion as a burrito. Cut in half. Enjoy!

Friday -Salt & Pepper Pork Chops, grilled veggies and rice


Saturday -salmon...either this Wasabi Salmon or I have a "Sweet & Salty Mango rub I might try.


Sunday- Nachos, & chicken wings

SORRY!

We just got home...meal up tomorrow!

And the kickoff to summer is here!

Every year millions of us crazy Canucks (no not the LOSING hockey team, it's a slang for Canadians) anticipate the arrival of Summer. May long weekend is traditionally a weekend for beers, friends, lakes, sunburns and well CAMPING! We are lucky this year to break away a few days early and extend our may long into more of a week than a weekend. So Thursday to Sunday are camping meals, and for the record next week's plan will be posted Monday not Sunday!

Enjoy your summer kickoff my friends!


Monday- Sweet & spicy cashew chicken stir fry (didn't make last week)

T-Steak and veggie kabobs on the bbq

W- Chicken, tomato & Mozza salad (leftovers for lunch Thursday )

Ingredients
2 breasts Cold Grilled chicken
approx. 1 cup Fresh Mozzarella cubed, or 1 container Mozza balls
1 carton grape Tomatoes
1 package Fresh Basil
Garlic Salt – to taste
Pepper – to taste
Balsamic Vinegar enough to coat the salad

Directions
Cut tomatoes, chicken, mozzarella into small bite size pieces
Grill the chicken the night before…OR grill and cool in fridge
Grape work well…If using regular tomatoes, remove the seeds so its not to juicy.
Combine with fresh basil - you can leave the basil in leaves or chop, depending on your taste.
Add garlic salt & pepper to taste

Thursday- Potato salad, brown beans and bbq chicken breasts marinated in ????

Friday - chili, rolls and garden salad (leftover for lunch Sat)
Ingredients
1 pound hot Italian sausage, removed from casing (we use mild...the chili has quite a kick as is.)
1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 envelope chili seasoning mix
1 16 ounce can of kidney beans, drained (optional)
1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 can corn
1 6 ounce can of tomato paste
1 15 ounce can of chicken broth

Crumble sausage and ground beef into large skillet. Add onion. Over medium high heat, partially cook sausage, ground beef and onion. Place cooked meat mixture in crock pot. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on:
Low-8 hours OR
High-4 hours
This recipe is for the 3 to 5 quart crock pot.

Saturday- steaks, roasted baby potatoes w/peppers, carrots, mushrooms, garlic & corn

Sunday - burgers/ hotdogs , chips, veggies and dip

My Friday Night Confession....or how I REALLY made the Mexican Lasagna....

I must confess. I did not make Sweet and Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir Fry tonight. Why you ask? Well lemme fill you in. Wednesday I was tired. So I called Jimmy and he cooked. MMMMMMM MMMMMMM MMMMMM DE-YA Jimmy makes a good ginger beef :)

So last night we did the pork chop thing and tonight, well tonight I made the Mexican Lasagna. Well kinda. The recipe....didn't follow. The original recipe looked like this, my modifications are in red....

Thursday - Mexican Lasagna
Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning cumin, chili pepper, minced garlic, minced onion, garlic powder, garlic salt TO TASTE
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (low sodium) 1 can stewed diced tomatoes
16 ounces salsa or picante sauce
1 2 cup light cottage cheese
1 eggs
8 corn tortillas
4 ounces light monterey jack cheese, shredded didn't have
1 can refried beans
1/2 red pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
4 ounces light cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Brown ground beef, drain (if necessary).
Add seasoning packet seasonings, onion, tomato sauce and salsa. tomatoes
Simmer 5-7 minutes.
Combine cottage cheese and egg in small bowl.
Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.
Assemble lasagna in the following order: 2 tortilla shells, spread refried beans, 1/2 meat mixture, 1/2 tortillas, 1/2 cottage cheese mixture, 1/2 cheese, repeat.
Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Confused?  Me too.  Serve with wine, it'll be ok...I promise :)

EEK!!!! Lookie what I got....

Sadly it's not a kitchen-aid mixer, or a fancy new knife but it's ALMOST as good!!!!  Tracy from The Daily Mom Diaries awarded me the SUNSHINE AWARD!!!!  I never win ANYTHING, well except for the really cool Rusted Chain Giveaway thanks to Tidy Mom.  Ok I digress.....

TRACY from The Daily Mom Diaries gave me this cool award, I'm not sure why but to me it means I'm cool. (okay, okay, stop the snickering....) No but seriously, the rule is I have to give it to 5 other bloggers, I'ma gunna try to keep it Canadian, so let's see

1 - Cynthia - Crumbs in the Minivan And check out the new design!!!

2 - C from Life on Manitoulin

3 - Deanna from Money Saving Canadian Mom

4-  Mom vs. the Boys

5.Christine from From An Igloo

Happy Friday!!!

As Lex would say....

Mmmmm, mmmmm, mmmmm DE-YA! (translation this is really good stuff)

When I was a kid my Mum would WOW me with this desert. It is easy, light and simply DE-YA :)

Chocolate Wafer Desert.....

Ingredients

Yep that's it, or if you feel like making whip cream, fly at 'er :)

Directions

Take cookies and top with whip cream, make a "log" covering with whip. Seal with Saran wrap and pop in the fridge 4 hours or until cookies have softened. When it's done it looks like this....

OH NO What happened to the rest of my cake?!?!?! hehehe.....Enjoy my friends!

Where did Summer go???

So the weather here has been ummmmm how do you say COLD!?!?!?  We celebrated Cinquo De Mayo with beautiful white flakes of snow (yes seriously) and as I type my toes are freezing and I may have to get gloves :)

At any rate, for those of you in tropical climates, some of these meals may be a little wintry for your tastes, but for everyone else, ENJOY!! And until next week...
 
Monday - Nacho Casserole
Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 can corn
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup mayo
1 cup salsa
1 bag nacho chips

Directions
Brown beef and anything else you may want to throw in...lol
Add corn, mayo, cheese, salsa

Take a casserole dish. crush nacho chips on bottom. Layer beef mix, chips, beef mix, chips top with cheese. Bake 30 mins at 350...SUPER EASY and yummy!


Tuesday - Garden Veggie & Cheese Tortellini soup
Ingredients

1-2 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium red bell pepper or orange bell pepper, cut into strips
1 small onion, cut into 16 wedges
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 medium zucchini, chopped medium
1 cup baby peas
3 (14 ounce) cans ready-to-serve beef broth (or 2 cans beef broth with 2 cans water)
1 dash red wine (optional)
1 cup uncooked cheese tortellini
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil or oregano or tarragon (or a combo of two or three)
4 teaspoons tomato paste or ketchup
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese or crumbled feta


Directions
In a good sized pan or dutch oven heat 1 t.of the oil over medium high heat.
Saute the peppers, and onions, for 4 or 5 minutes, stirring often if not constantly.
Add the tomatoes, broth, peas, tortellini, herbs and paste or ketchup.
Bring to a boil,reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 5 minutes.
Add zucchini and cook another 10 minutes.


Wednesday - Honey Ginger Pork Chops, PW's simple sesame noodles and Asian broccoli
Ingredients
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 pork loin chops, 1/2 inch thick, trimmed
3/4 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbs rice vinegar
2 clove garlic minced
1 tsp minced gingerroot
1 tsp liquid honey
1 green onions, chopped

Directions:
In nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; fry pork chops, turning once, until just a hint of pink remains inside, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to plate; keep warm.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine stock, soy sauce, cornstarch, vinegar, garlic, ginger and honey. Add to pan and bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and cook until thick enough to coat back of spoon, about 2 minutes.

Return pork and any accumulated juices to pan, turning to coat with sauce. Sprinkle with green onion.

Broccoli
Cut 1 bunch broccoli into small pieces. Cook in boiling salted water until broccoli is tender-crisp, 3 minutes. In skillet, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil over medium heat. Cook 1 tsp (5 mL) minced gingerroot; 1 clove garlic, minced; and cooked broccoli until hot. Stir in 1 tbsp (15 mL) oyster sauce and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper.

Thursday - Mexican Lasagna
Ingredients

1 lb lean ground beef
1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce (low sodium)
16 ounces salsa or picante sauce
1 cup light cottage cheese
2 eggs
8 corn tortillas
4 ounces light monterey jack cheese, shredded
4 ounces light cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Brown ground beef, drain (if necessary).
Add seasoning packet, onion, tomato sauce and salsa.
Simmer 5-7 minutes.
Combine cottage cheese and egg in small bowl.
Spray 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.
Assemble lasagna in the following order: 1/2 meat mixture, 1/2 tortillas, 1/2 cottage cheese mixture, 1/2 cheese, repeat.
Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.


Friday - Sweet & Spicy Cashew Chicken Stir Fry

SAUCE
½ cup ketchup
4 tsp. soy sauce
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp sugar
1 ½ tsp sesame oil
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ cup chicken broth

THE REST
2 tbsp. cornstarch
½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 small onion
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced
¼ cup oil
2-3 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 red/green or yellow pepper, or all 3!
2 carrots diced
2 cups snow peas
1 ½ cups cashews
toasted sesame seeds

Directions
Combine sauce & set aside
In a bowl combine corn starch, sugar & salt, add chicken and toss
Heat Wok or deep frying pan, add oil and heat to hot
Add chicken, ginger garlic & onion
Stir until chicken is opaque ( 1min…)
Add peppers & carrots stir 2-3 minutes
Add peas & sauce, cook until sauce boils
Add noodles (if using, can also use rice)
Add cashews & sprinkle with sesame seeds
ENJOY!

Saturday - Out

Sunday -BBQ burgers, fries and veggies
 

Have a slice!

A while back I received a tip from an old friend about these incredibly delicious bars. Now, this friend is currently awaiting the arrival of her very first bundle of joy, so send her some happy pushing vibes (Go Mrs. Brown!) Warning these bars are addictive!

REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER SLICE
Ingredients:

2 c. icing sugar
1 c. peanut butter
1 c. melted margarine or butter
2-1/2 c. graham wafer crumbs ( I took 1 sleeve of graham wafer crackers and threw them in the blender)
2 pkgs chocolate chips

Mix first 4 ingredients together and spread in a 9 x 13" pan.

Melt chocolate chips and spread on top.

Cool slightly then cut before chocolate becomes too hard.

Ridiculously delicious.
 

What a week!

WOW what a week!!!!  I launched my facebook fan page this week!  In only 3 days I have 72 fans!!!  WOW! (did I say that already?)  I had my first guest poster (Thanks again Shauna!) And I think I have some changes on the way (Did someone request shopping lists?)

At any rate I wanted to say thank you all for your support!  It feels great to know people are there for me in my foray into the wonderful world of food and blogging. 

And don't forget Mom this Sunday!  Take her out for dinner, at least that's what I am hoping for!!!  Until then Take Care and Happy Planning





Monday - Beer Bum Chicken, green salad and dinner rolls

Ingredients
1 whole chicken
approx 1/3 cup olive oil
a handful Montreal Chicken spice
1/2 can beer


Directions

Remove neck and giblets from chicken and discard. Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub chicken lightly with oil then rub inside and out with spices. Set aside.
Open beer can and take several gulps (make them big gulps so that the can is half full). Place beer can on a solid surface. Grabbing a chicken leg in each hand, plunk the bird cavity over the beer can. Transfer the bird-on-a-can to your grill and place in the center of the grate, balancing the bird on its 2 legs and the can like a tripod.
Cook the chicken over medium-high, indirect heat (i.e. no coals or burners on directly under the bird), with the grill cover on, for approximately 1 1/4 hours or until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F in the breast area and 180 degrees F in the thigh, or until the thigh juice runs clear when stabbed with a sharp knife. Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Tuesday- BBQ chicken pizza - using leftover chicken from Monday

1 (12 inch) pre-baked pizza crust
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup shredded leftover beer bum chicken grilled chicken
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 bulb of roasted garlic

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Place pizza crust on cookie sheet. Spread with barbecue sauce. Scatter chicken over top. Sprinkle evenly with red pepper, green pepper and onion. Cover with cheese.
Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Wednesday - Crockpot Taco Soup(this can also be made in a pot on stove)

Ingredients
1 pound (500 g) hamburger
1 package taco seasoning
1 package dry ranch dressing
1 14 oz cans of kidney beans
1 14oz can brown beans
1 can Niblet corn or frozen corn
1 14 oz can tomato sauce
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can water
1 bag cheese flavored nacho chips

Directions
Brown ground beef in on stove, add taco seasoning and water. Drain and add to crockpot. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer on high for 3 - 4 hours or low for longer. Serve topped with cheddar cheese and crushed cheese taco chips.


Thursday- leftover soup


Friday - Hamburgers & Hot dogs , veggies and dip(camping) 

For our hamburgers we take the ground beef and add, oyster sauce, seasoning salt, garlic salt and powder, diced garlic and shredded cheese.  Then grill.


Saturday - steak, salad & beans


Sunday - WHO CARES I AM NOT COOKING!!! Happy Mothers Day!

Introducing my very first guest blogger!

I am excited to host my very first guest blogger Shauna from  It's a Vinyl Thing!!!   Shauna's sister started It's a Vinyl Thing and Shauna "guest posts" there all the time! Don't forget to head on over and enter their Grand Re-opening contest.  Shauna is a busy Mom of 3 kids and offered to give me some wicked breakfast ideas!  So without any further ado........

Basic Morning Meal Plan by Shauna

My kids like to eat...a LOT! Fortunately, they got their dad’s metabolism to help them with that. Unfortunately, that means a lot of our monthly budget goes to feeding them! We used to go through a Costco size box of Cheerios in just 2-3 days feeding just 3 children. That’s insane, right? It was my life.

I decided last year that the kids could no longer have cereal during the week before school...cereal was eating us out of house and home. They could only have cereal on the weekends. After almost a year of this, the kids have gotten to the point where most of the time, even on weekends, cereal is wasted. They don’t like the taste or texture of it anymore. Two weeks ago, the middle child told me I should just stop buying it when I, yet again, had a fit over the bowls of soggy cereal left on the table. She said they would just continue with our other breakfast foods. Now, this does mean a little more work for me every day...but it is worth it to know that they are actually full when they leave the house in the morning.

It used to be that I would get up at 6:00 am and scramble around trying to find something to make. Do we have enough eggs? Is there anything to make muffins with? It seemed like I was only doing meal plans for supper, and, since cereal is no longer an option, I needed to change that. Thankfully, my kids are okay with routine breakfast plans so I created a weekly meal plan for breakfast as an outline to follow. The chart below shows how we roll in our house…some days have more than one choice and so we just choose one depending on the week. I love having a basic breakfast menu to follow; we add things like fruit and milk to drink to round things out.

Notes & Recipes:
German Pancakes: The recipe is really simple. Preheat oven to 400 degrees - this is really important. The oven has to be hot. Combine 9 eggs with 1.5 cups of flour, 1.5 cups of milk and 1 tsp salt in a blender. Whizz it all for about 2 minutes. Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and melt the butter in the preheated oven. Swirl it over the parchment paper and then pour the batter into the pan. Pop it in the oven and bake it for 22-25 minutes. The pancake will puff up nicely. My kids like to fight over the bumps and lumps. We usually top this with a 100% fruit juice concentrate that we thicken into syrup.


Pancakes:
I like to make up 6 bags of mix at a time and store them in the fridge so it is easy to mix the pancakes up. I’m not a fan of store bought pancake mix...especially when it so easy to do it myself! Doing it this way, also lets me add some fresh ground whole wheat flour to the mix.

Into each gallon-sized Ziplock bag, add 1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup white flour, dash of salt, 2 tbsp sugar & 2 tbsp baking powder. Seal and knead to mix together. Store in the fridge or freezer if using fresh whole wheat flour.

When mixing it, dump the contents of the bag into a bowl, add 2 cups of milk, 2 eggs, 4 tbsp oil and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir until just mixed but not until smooth. Cook on a preheated griddle over medium heat. This makes around 10-12 good sized pancakes.

We have also tried oatmeal pancakes, power pancakes, and pumpkin pancakes. We look forward to trying out other versions of pancakes as well. We alternate between maple syrup and fruit juice syrup too.

Muffins
I found this great site (Super Healthy Kids) that I love to read and she has a recipe for muffin mix. I tend to make up a bag of it and then use it to make blueberry muffins. (I use her recipe for raspberry muffins but substitute blueberries and I leave off the topping.) Using a mix saves a lot of time in the morning too. I keep a gallon size Ziplock in the fridge with this in it too.

We will alternate with any relatively healthy muffin recipe too. One of our favourites is Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Blender Wheat Pancakes
This is another easy recipe. This one, also from Super Healthy Kids, is very similar to our recipe so I’ll just link up there. We like to top these with sliced fresh strawberries and real maple syrup. It’s a nice Sunday treat!

Thanks Meal Planning Mama for letting me share my breakfast plans here.


WOW great ideas!  Thank you Shauna!!!!!!