January 2012 Meal Plan with links

I hope everyone had a wondeful Christmas and I would like to wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year.. come on 2012 I'm ready for a new beginning.... what a Year 2011 was!!!!!

January 2012 Meal Plan-
1st- Free Day
2nd- Subway Sandwiches (January Specials)
3rd- Sausage Wraps with Mac-n-Cheese
4th- Pulled Pork Sandwiches (Crockpot Meal)
5th- Chicken Taco Chili (Crcokpot Meal)
6th- Leftovers
7th- Mexican Chicken Lime Soup
8th- Pioneer Woman's Spicy Cajun Chicken Pasta
9th- Tatertot Casserole
10th- Angel Chicken (Crockpot Meal)
11th- Mexican Tinga Tostadas
12th- Mackenzie's 12th Birthday her choice
13th- Hot & Spicy Thai Chicken (Crockpot Meal)
14th- Breakfast for Dinner
15th- Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers
16th- Chicken Enchilada Soup (Crockpot Meal)
17th- Taco Night
18th- Green Chile Burros (Crockpot Meal)
19th- Hot bacon Spinach Salad
20th- Penne Pasta w/ Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
21st- Crunchy Garlic Chicken w/ mashed potatoes and 7-up biscuits
22nd- Quesadillas with Homemade Tortillas
23rd- Jalapeno Chicken Breast (Crockpot Meal)
24th- Homemade Pizza Rolls
25th- Leftovers
26th- Santa Fe Chicken (Crockpot Meal)
27th- Baked Lump Crab Cakes w/Red Pepper Chipotle Lime Sauce
28th- Beef and Bean Burritos
29th- Leftovers
30th- Dr. Pepper Ribs (Crockpot Meal)
31st- Chicken Cassoulet- Style Soup (Crockpot Meal)

I hope you enjoy this months meal.

-Kristina

Crockpot Ravioli Casserole

Here is yet another wonderful crockpot meal. Enjoy

Crockpot Ravioli Casserole

                                                                                     

1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt/pepper
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed (I used fresh spinach)
16 oz. bowtie pasta, cooked
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

*Brown ground beef with onion and garlic.  Put in crock-pot and add sauce, tomatoes and seasonings. Cook for 6-7 hours on low.  Add the last 4 ingredients during the last 30 minutes of cooking and turn crock-pot to high.  I added the fresh spinach, pasta, parmesan and 1 cup of the mozzarella and I mixed it all up really well.  Then I added the last 1/2 cup of mozzarella to melt on the top

-Kristina

December Meal

Can you believe it's already December?? I sure can’t….. Wow how this year has flown by, but I must say I’m ready for it to be over so we can start with a new beginning. This year had been rough for me and my family. I feel that 2012 is going to be a good year for us, I see new and exciting things happening… Let’s just hope it happens. Here is this month's meals hope you and your family enjoy!




1-Free Night
2-Free Night
3-Free Night
4-Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza Puffs
5-Crockpot Meal Ravioli Casserole
6-Sub Sandwiches
7- Hot Bacon spinach Salad
8-Pioneer Woman's Beef Fajita Nachos
9-Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole
10-Stuffed Hamburgers and FF
11-Free Night
12-Crockpot Meal Saucy Chipotle BBQ Pork stuffed baked Potatoes
13-Chicken Enchilada Puffs
14-Biscuits and Gravy
15- Chicken Salad Sandwiches
16-Pioneer Woman's Spicy Cajun Chicken Pasta
17- Spicy Chicken Tortilla Rolls
18-Crockpot Meal Classic Chicken Soup
19-Taco's
20-Stuffed Bell Peppers
21-Crockpot Meal Bow Tie Pasta
22-Oven Baked Chicken w/Sweet Potatoes and 7up bread
23-Free Night
24-Grilled Steak Roll up's
25-Christmas Breakfast
26-Baked Chili Dogs
27-Sweet Chicken Wraps
28- Taco soup
29-Ham and Cheese sliders
30-Little BBQ sausages with Baked Beans
31- Chicken Chimichangas


-Kristina

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

I found this OMG so dang good cake recipe over at http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/. This is now my husbands favorite cake, he is always asking me to make it. You have to try this recipe, you are going to love it.

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

found at www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

Mix in pan and bring to a boil:

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter

Sift the following and add to the above mixture:
1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

Mix and add to the above mixture:
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla

Stir well and pour into greased or parchment lined cookie sheet pan (jellyroll pan). Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.

Frosting
Mix in pan and bring to a boil:
3/4 cup butter
6 Tbsp buttermilk
1/2 cup peanut butter
Take off stove and add:
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp vanilla. Pour over warm cake.

- Happy Thanksgiving
Kristina

I'm sharing this recipe over at
http://www.remodelaholic.com/

Taco Soup- Crockpot style

Yummy! This is one of my family's favorite meals. Per my Memaw the secret to this recipe is the ranch dressing mix, without it it's just not the same.  My grandmother also likes to use hominy instead of corn, however my family doesn't care to much for the hominy so I make mine with corn instead.

Taco Soup- Crockpot Style

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, with liquid
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cups water
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1 (1-ounce) package buttermilk ranch salad dressing mix

Directions

1. In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef until browned over medium heat. Drain, and set aside.
2. Place the ground beef, onion, chili beans, kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, water, diced tomatoes, green chile peppers, taco seasoning mix and ranch salad dressing mix in a slow cooker. Mix to blend, and cook on Low setting for 8 hours.
3. Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Hope you enjoy

-Kristina

This delicious recipe is being shared over at:

http://www.alittlenosh.net/

Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps

I love me some Paula Deen. She has the pretties’ eyes I’ve ever seen and she can cook. I really like her recipes because for the most part they are simple and they do not call for off the wall ingredients that you will most likely never use again. This recipe was a big hit at my home. Hope your family enjoys it too.

                                                        Sweet Chicken Bacon Wraps

                                                             (found at Paula Deen)

Makes 12-15 wraps

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
1 (1-pound) package sliced bacon
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chili powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes. Cut each bacon slice into thirds. Wrap each chicken cube with bacon and secure with a wooden pick. Stir together brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge wrapped chicken in mixture. Coat a rack and broiler pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken wrap on rack in broiler pan. Bake 350 for 30 to 35 minutes or until bacon is crisp.

-Kristina

What are you Thankful for ????

Thanksgiving is a time of reflection and giving thanks for those things we hold dear. How often do you pause to appreciate what you have in life? Sometimes it’s easy to feel bad because you’re going through a tough time in life. However, remember no matter how bad your situation may seem, there are things to be grateful for in life. Unfortunately, we often look at what we don’t have instead of what we have, and we end up complaining instead of being grateful. Sometimes when we're stressed, it helps to count your blessings. Focusing on the positives in our lives, thinking of what you love can bring a smile to your face and make stress less...stressful. Life’s journey can be difficult and trying at times, but it’s important to stop and remember the things that have gone “right” in your life.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I would like to take a moment to put into words what I’m truly grateful for. I would love to hear what you are grateful for as well.

As for me, I am most grateful for my grandparents especially my Memaw.  My Memaw is an amazing woman; she is my best friend and has made me the woman that I am today. At the age of 50 years old, she had to start all over with being a mother again. After raising 6 kids of her own, and now enjoying retirement she was faced with having to raise 3 of her grandkids ages 8, 3 and 12 months old after losing her daughter (my mother) in a horrible car accident. Without giving it a second thought she took us in under her wing and loved us just as much as she loved her own kids.  There is no way I could ever put into words just what she means to me only the good lord knows. I love you Memaw and thank you for loving me and caring for me, I will be forever grateful for you.


I also thank God for my 3 healthy beautiful kids.  Mackenzie, you truly are a beautiful girl that has a lot of love to give, you have a heart of gold and a beautiful voice just as my mother did I know she’s looking down from heaven smiling every time you sing.  Chase, you crack me up you are always making everyone laugh around you. You are a silly little boy that loves everyone and when dads not home you are the little man of the house always taking care of mom, sister and brother.  Austin, my little love bug you have a beautiful smile that everyone loves. You have never met a stranger; you would talk to a fence post if it would talk back to you. People fall in love with you because you have a BIG loving heart.


Thank you God for my husband of almost 11 years, he is a wonderful husband, father and friend, even though we have had many challenges and obstacles in our marriage this year. You have never given up on our marriage and have done your best to hang in there and work things out. It’s easy to give up, it takes a true man to hang in there and keep his family together.  May 2012 bring us a new beginning.


Dear lord Thank you a million for my Aunt Pam and Uncle Fred, for loving my kids as if they were their own grandkids. My kids look up to you two and will for the rest of their lives, you have 3 kids that love you both more than words can ever explain. I know Tina is looks down from Heaven and is so proud to see what kind of “grandparents” you two are to my kids.


I thank God for my family and sending me wonderful people who believe in me. I also thank God for food, clothing, warm shelter, a car and a good job.

I realized the world is so beautiful, and we’re lucky to live in such an amazing world.

May God bless you and your family this Holiday Season!

-Kristina