Monthly Archives: September 2016

October Menu 2016

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Menu
October
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
30 31 1
Aunt Sandi’s Stew Soup and Sandwiches Falafel/chicken
flat bread
olives
cucumbers
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Minestrone soup
French bread		 Chicken pot pie Chicken Fried Steak
Mashed potatoes
green beans
corn		 Haystacks Chicken Enchilada casserole
beans and rice
green salad		 Loaded baked potatoes Red Beans and Rice
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Chicken
Chimichangas		 Beans and Ham
Baked potato		 Halibut fingers
veggie tray
oven fries		 Meatloaf
acorn squash
Baked potatoes
spinach		 Gumbo
french bread		 Chicken Verde
rice
beans
green salad		 Carbonara
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Teriyaki Halibut
Rice
Green salad		 Taco Salad Halibut Melts
baby carrots
apple slices		 Fried Rice
Stir-fry veggies		  Popcorn Chicken French Dips Asian chicken
salad
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
Spaghetti
green salad
bread sticks		 Peanutty Pork
skewers
rice
cucumber salad		 Tuna noodle casserole
peas
green salad		 Mexican Veggie Soup Burrito/taco bar Pizza/Calzones Greek Chicken
Salad
humus
flat bread
olives

I haven’t posted a menu for some time, but I find them so helpful. I just want to be able to go to the monthly menu page and get some ideas. This blog is the place where I can organize my thoughts.

I’m trying to incorporate more slow cooker and oven meals because the school year gets so busy. There are days when I’m not home until dinner time. How am I supposed to cook something when I haven’t been home? I don’t do a lot of “30 minute meals” because it seems like too much work. I don’t mind something that takes an hour or two in the oven just as long as the prep time is short.

I also avoid slow cooker meals where you have to cook everything first. What is the point? I will say that I have made soups and stews early in the day and then transferred them to the crock pot until dinner time. I want to be able to do my prep work and cooking when I have the time. And that is rarely just before dinner time.

That said, Chicken Fried Steak is one of the most labor intensive (and messy) things that I cook. It is also high in calories and fat. (We don’t have it often, even when it is on the menu.) So, I schedule that dinner for a day that we have more time at home.

On the other hand Chicken Verde is just about as easy as you can get! It’s just chicken breasts and salsa verde (from a jar) in the crock pot. My family loves it. Even the child that complains that almost everything is too spicy likes it. Just buy a salsa that your family likes.

I am looking forward to Fall and all the cozy meals I can make. Can’t wait for Navy Beans! I love them in a bowl, on top of a baked potato or even on top of toast. I might have to move that up on the menu a bit. Getting hungry.

Nail Gallery

Posted in Nails, Uncategorized by

I love to do my nails. I love natural stuff and all, but I want my nails done. When I was in high school I had acrylic nails. I know, super bad for you, especially for a kid. Some time in college I must have stopped that. In beauty school, Miss Jenny taught us about the evils of artificial nails. Of course, Alaska had pretty lax rules concerning nail techs at the time, so she was just watching out for us. Anyway, when CND came out with Shellac my manicure schedule was changed. I used to paint my nails at least, AT LEAST once a week. I was a hairdresser, do you know how hard that is on your nails? Now that I am a housewife my nails still take quite a beating. But my polish looks great. Plus, I have Pinterest to get new manicure ideas.

So, I wanted a place where I could save pictures of the manicures I have done. Then I remembered I have a blog! I can make my own gallery! So much better than flipping through all the pictures on my phone. I’m still not skilled at adding pictures to my posts so this might take a little work. WordPress probably has a tutorial I could use, but that would require effort. I’ll just mess up a page and then I’ll look for help. It’s the way I work!

Pink Bikini
Naked Naivete and jewels
Studio White and Decadence
Clearly Pink over Studio White
Rubble and Iced Cappuccino Piggy Polish sparkles
Silver Chrome and Midnight Swim
Pink Bikini and Cerulean Sea with Studio White Polka Dots
Silver Chrome and Naked Naivete
Cake Pop with Color Club silver glitter dot
Studio White with blue and red loose glitter

 

 

Don’t think I need to do that Forth of July mani again, ever. Almost as bad as my gallery work. This blog may never be pretty. Or maybe it will become a job and I’ll get training and go to conventions and my life will change. But probably not. I think I’ll check out some more manicures on Pinterest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GF DF Coco-nutty Chocolate Muffins

Coco-nutty Chocolate Muffins

Makes 6 Jumbo muffins or 12 regular muffins

  • 3/4 cup GF flour blend (I used Montana Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix, it is mostly oat flour)
  • 3/4 cup ground flax seeds (remove and set aside 1 tablespoon)
  • 1/4 cup ground almonds
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/4 cup hemp protein powder (like Manitoba Harvest Pro50)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips

 

  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup coconut/almond milk (any dairy-free milk)
  • 3/4 cup organic sugar
  • 1 tablespoon old-fashioned molasses
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Optional toppings:

  • sliced almonds
  • coconut chips (big flakes)

 

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease muffin tin or use paper liners.

Pour vinegar and dairy-free milk into small bowl or measuring cup. Set aside.

Mix that tablespoon of flax seed meal (you took out of the 3/4 cup) and mix with 3 tablespoons of water. Set aside

Combine first 8 ingredients through chocolate chips in large mixing bowl.

Stir together pumpkin puree, sugar, molasses, vanilla, flax mixture (egg replacer) and milk/vinegar mixture in a small(ish) mixing bowl.

Add wet ingredients to dry. Gently stir until combined. Divide batter into muffin tin. (I use a measuring cup.) Top with sliced almonds and coconut chips (optional).

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean (hard to avoid chocolate chips though).

Almond Joy Muffin

 

I have a problem with Almond Joy Granola (minimalist baker). Every time I make it, I must eat it until it is gone. I have one bowl for breakfast and another one for afternoon snack and one more before I go to bed. My children may get one bowl, if they are quick. Favorite granola, hands down! Now,we also have our favorite chocolate muffins, but they have whole wheat flour and wheat germ and I am trying so hard to keep my child gluten free. So, what if we substitute ground almonds for the wheat germ and add in coconut because coconut goes with chocolate and almonds? I’m thinking these could be the next favorite muffins. (wrote this before muffins were actually made)

(written after muffins made and eaten) These taste nothing like the Almond Joy Granola or the candy bar (from what I remember). These muffins are super chocolaty with coconut and almond accents. I’ll probably try again for a more pronounced coconut flavored muffin, but for now I’m happy with chocolate!

I made these muffins last night. After they had been baking half an hour, I turned off the oven and left them in there overnight. This morning I served my (wary) children, each half a muffin. One picked the coconut off of the top and left the rest crumbled on her plate. My other child didn’t leave a crumb. So a mixed review. I thought they were yummy. Gluten free, dairy free,vegan, high fiber, what is not to love? I’m thinking I’ll have another one for snack. Is it snack time?

Is It? Is It Here? FALL!

Posted in Holidays, Recipes, Uncategorized by

I clearly remember the first time I found that I liked Fall. It was my freshman year of college. School didn’t start until the end of September, so for the first time in my life I could see Autumn coming. I wasn’t dreading the beginning of school. I enjoyed the weather getting cooler and the leaves changing. Plus, after school began I felt pretty collegiate walking around campus under the canopy of colorful foliage. Now, holy cow, people are going crazy over fall. Were people always crazy about fall, but because we didn’t have Pinterest we didn’t know? I like pumpkin, but get a grip! Pumpkin doesn’t have to be in everything! So, I’m gonna share some pumpkin recipes. Just kidding, no really I am. Only my favorite one though. I found I don’t care for savory pumpkin. Pumpkin soup, pumpkin chili, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin pasties? I found a whole page of savory pumpkin recipes from the Huffington Post, go ahead knock yourself out. This recipe is from Grandma Velma. She wasn’t really my grandma. My dad called her Aunt Velma, but she wasn’t his aunt either. Grandma Velma was vaguely related to us. Her family and my grandparents came out to Oregon from Arkansas about the same time. She was a character. She sewed quilts and watched soap operas all day. I have five quilts in my closet she made, plus an afghan and we were barely related! Just imagine how many quilts her actual grandchildren have! She was a great, old-fashioned, Southern gramma. And a great cook.

Pumpkin Cake Roll-From Grandma Velma

  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Filling

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 8 oz vegan cream cheese (like Tofutti)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 tablespoons vegan butter (like earth balance)

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease and flour a jelly roll pan and line with wax or parchment paper.

Beat eggs on high for 3 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients, fold into pumpkin mixture. pour batter into prepared pan. Top with nuts.

Bake for 15 minutes. Lay out a tea towel and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

When the cake is done carefully turn it out onto the sugar covered tea towel. remove the paper from the back of the cake. Roll the cake in the towel and let it cool.

Beat all the filling ingredients together until smooth.

Slowly and carefully unroll the cake. Smooth the filling over entire cake and roll again (with out the towel).

Chill and slice to serve.

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