Menu Plan Monday: Memorial Day Style

This is the last week of work/school for us. What a relief. The kids have drained me this year. That and all the catering and dealing with The Jerkwad. This week, all I have planned are FINALS. And my finals are 100 questions and I've planned for the classes to take them over the course of two to three days. If there's time available, the kids can watch movies or bring in food for a pseudo party.

I'm really looking forward to having time to spend with Ivy - during the week it's pick her up, feed her, bathe her and send her to bed. I don't get much play-time with her and I'm so excited that I'll be able to now. Problem is, I don't know what to do with Ivy during the summer though. She's only 18 months. Area activities are designed for 3+ crowd, expensive and not entirely local. Sure there are a lot of things we can do at home but... we don't have a backyard for all those backyard activities the internet suggests and... CABIN FEVER.

But I know I do have plans for meals. What a segue, huh?

Menu Plan Monday

Sunday - Fried catfish, mashed potatoes and key lime pie
Monday - BBQ! Sure, we've been using the grill for a few weeks, but still, it's the BBQ holiday that kickstarts the summer. Peak grilling season. Anyway... BBQ sausages and chicken, grilled corn on the cobb and maybe mac and cheese.
Tuesday - Leftovers
Wednesday - Hamburgers
Thursday - Pizza
Friday - Lasagna
Saturday - Early dinner out with family?? Or leftovers

More menus at OrgJunkie.

PS: Since I will have more time on my hands, I plan on blog-hopping and commenting. I would like to make some internet buddies and I know I have to be the one to put myself out there. I'm also hoping to generate some more ideas for my menus. Hamburgers and pizza are weekly dinners and... well, I want something different!

Menu Plan Monday

I was starting to complain about things on here and decided to stop. It isn't worth the hassle. I'm tired and angry and I don't know why. So, there it is.

I'm a bit peeved that I've got students requesting my friendship on facebook. There goes my anonymity. No, I don't intent to return their request until they have graduated. They're on their way out anyway. But still... they will still be in connection with people who are still students and there's that can of worms. Do not want.

I'd like to just shut all the windows and doors and just not come out for a while.

While I do that, enjoy this week's menu!

Sunday - BBQ sandwiches - Ryan's parents were visiting over the weekend and brought us some tasty BBQ.
Monday - LO's; I catered this evening
Tuesday - Hamburgers
Wednesday - Enchiladas (beef or chicken, I don't know which)
Thursday - Chicken fettuccine alfraedo
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Fried catfish and french fries or something

Hit up more menus at OrgJunkie

Bittersweet Chocolate Chip Cookie

This has quickly become one of the top contenders of my favorite cookie list (peanut butter cookies, crinkle cookies, snickerdoodles). 

I don't know the original source - my husband found it. But I'll try.

Bittersweet Chocolate Chip Cookie

4 ounces roughly chopped bittersweet chocolate
½ C cocoa powder
4 tsp. sugar
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup + 2 Tbsp unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Heaping 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chip-sized pieces

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment, set aside.

In a heat-proof bowl placed over a pot of simmering water, melt the 4 ounces of chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, 4 tsp of sugar, and butter, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on high until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Turn mixer to low and add melted chocolate in a thin stream until combined.

Add flour mixture and stir until just combined. Using a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate chunks.

Drop heaping tablespoons of batter on prepared cookie sheet, 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until cookies are dry and cracked but still soft in the center. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer on parchment to cooling rack. Repeat with remaining batter. If you want your cookies to be the most attractive, spoon all of the batter out while it is still warm. As it cools it will harden, resulting in a slightly thicker cookie with a little less of a crust. 

Source: Mr. Husband modified from THIS RECIPE which was a modified form of another recipe.

Mother's Day and a Menu

For Mother's Day:

Free breakfast at one of my favorite places: Chiloso.

Stopped by Target and PetSmart.

Put Ivy down for a nap and then put myself down for a nap.

Got to work on some ... work. Ugh. Lesson plans, FCCLA display board and grocery shopping for catering tomorrow.

Once back home, I made hot wings!

And now, Ryan is making some awesome chocolate cookies. Possible recipe later.

Yesterday, we went to Dallas (which we were going to do today instead but changed it around because of my work junk).

Ryan took me to Twisted Root for lunch and we stopped by Central Market too.

Menu Plan Monday

Sunday - Hot wings and potato salad. Buffalo sauce from PW; she didn't batter hers, I did. Ugh SO GOOD.

Monday - I'm catering so Ryan gets leftover wings

Tuesday - Hamburgers

Wednesday - Cheese enchiladas, guacamole and possibly queso. Ryan's brother is visiting and he's vegetarian. Ivy will be so thrilled!!

Thursday - Hot links unless there are leftovers

Friday - Spaghetti and meatballs

Saturday - Fried catfish and french fries

For more menus, hit up OrgJunkie!

Weight loss

Well, the weight loss challenge at work is over.
Beginning weight, 127.5 (shut up, that's heavy for 4'10"). I don't remember the beginning date.
Final weigh in, 119.
Total loss of 8.5 pounds in a, what, 8 week period. Not as much as I would've liked to have lost, but it's pretty good!

And to make this even sweeter, I won the pot! A whole 83 whopping dollars in my pocket! Several people just stopped checking in or gave up. Ryan and I kept at it.

So, I took my money to the cafeteria and paid off my lunch tab. The leftover money will go towards savings for a house. It isn't much, but it certainly helps!

Crock-Pot Chicken Parmesan

I'm looking forward to trying this recipe I found here. It looks easy and yummy.

Crock Pot Chicken Parmesan


3-5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 egg beaten
4-6 mozzarella cheese slices or more
1 jar marinara/spaghetti sauce

Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil all over bottom of your crockpot. Beat egg and pour into medium bowl. In another bowl mix bread crumbs, spices and grated cheese all together and set aside. Now dip each chicken breast into egg and then dredge in your breadcrumb mix - coat all sides. Place coated chicken on bottom of crockpot. Add sliced mozzarella to top of chicken and pour your jar of spaghetti sauce over everything. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours and that's it.

Menu Plan Monday - May 1

We are planning on buying a house. In order to help with costs and saving money, I'm planning weekly menus and STICKING TO IT. I do this all the time... Say I'm going to do menus and then let it slide. But this time, I need to get serious. Plus, summer vacation is right around the corner and it'll be so much easier to do this.

This week, there are a lot of things going on at school/work for us. Thankfully, I'm not catering at night this week. I have a thousand cookies the kids need to make and blueberry muffins - but that's easy.

Sunday - Fried chicken and potato salad; I use canola oil to fry because it's healthier.
Monday - Leftovers
Tuesday - Hamburgers and chips
Wednesday - Pizza
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Hot links on bread and chips; This is a throw-back to my hometown. Organizations regularly have hot link sales on street corners and you're hard-pressed to find an empty street corner during the summer.
Saturday - Steak, twice-baked potatoes; These are both freezer fixers because they are premadend wrapped (well, the steak isn't cooked). So there isn't much prep involved with these.

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