I can't believe the end of March is already here. It seems like I just did my February Top 5 list. It was VERY hard to pick my Top 5 for the month and as I was browsing for the pictures to put with each recipe I saw so many pictures of food items I still need to post. I ultimately settled on the following.

In no particular order here are my Top 5 eats from the blog this month. If you haven't had a chance to try these yet you must do so soon!

1) No Rise Pizza Crust-I love this because I can make pizza for dinner on a weeknight!


2) Baked Macaroni and Cheese-This was so good we couldn't stop eating it. A new favorite.


3) Meatballs-This is my absolute favorite thing to eat at home and almost the only meal my husband and I prepare together.


4) Secret Ingredient Brownies-I never would have guessed something so simple could make boxed brownies taste so good.


5) Buffalo Chip Cookies-These are the favorite among any sweet treat I take to work. A plate of them can be gone in minutes.

Since this is my week of cooking all new healthy food, I made a tofu recipe. I found this one through The Biggest Loser Season 1 and it is made for to people who are new to tofu. After giving it a good try, I must admit that I still feel the same way about tofu. It's just okay. I don't think that my fiance will like this so it won't be putting this on our list to do again. You might like it though if you are a fan of tofu because it is an easy recipe and has good flavoring. If I made it again I would probably add pineapple and red peppers.

Click here to get the recipe.

Last week I made Mexican Hot Cocoa and it made me curious as to what else you could do with your hot chocolate. I searched for new recipes and found the Hot Cocoa Shiver. It is 1/2 cup vanilla fat free frozen yogurt or ice cream, 1/2 cup milk, and 1 packet hot cocoa mix. Throw them in a blender and you are done! It was a fun little dessert and it made my night. PS Sheena, I think these are your old glasses that we somehow ended up with!

As for what you can expect from me this week, my fiance is going to be gone a lot with work so I am going to be trying a lot of new (aka healthy) things and seeing if he would like them. On my list this week is mashed (cauliflower) potatoes and 53 calorie brownies made with secret ingredient black beans! These are new recipes from Rocco DiSpirito and his book Now Eat This. I want to try them out before I buy the book but I usually love him. I will let you know how it goes! Check back and see! Also, don't forget that Sheena has her Menu Plan Monday this week and will be making lots of other fun recipes! Thanks for visiting and happy Monday!

A couple weeks ago I put Thai Chicken Fettuccine on my menu plan. The recipe I made was from Taste of Home and boy was it good! I am always looking for ways to use up extra cooked chicken that I have in the freezer. This seemed like a perfect way to get stuff out of the freezer and on the table.

These directions below are right from the Taste of Home website but I am putting them below to keep things easy. Take a look at their site for a better picture than I could ever take.

Thai Chicken Fettuccine

• 1 cup salsa
• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
• 3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions

• For sauce, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the first five ingredients. Cover and microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Set aside.
• Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until chicken juices run clear (obviously I didn't do this because I used pre-cooked chicken but if you don't have any than follow these directions). Add red pepper; cook and stir until crisp-tender.
• Drain fettuccine; top with chicken mixture and sauce. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Time for a menu plan again!! I found this week hard to do again since we were out of town all weekend and I got myself in a relaxed state of mind. I had to self motivate by telling my husband how good it is to make a plan before the week starts. I don't think he cared much about it but it put me back on track. Something about hearing myself explain all the benefits got me moving.

This week we have two Easter Celebrations to attend so I am off the hook for Saturday and Sunday! How exciting is that?!?! We may have to do some small dinner on Sunday night after our afternoon party but nothing like a full meal. We will probably have leftovers which would be perfect.

Without further delay here is my plan in all its glory.....at least it is glorious to me seeing it all on paper and knowing I don't have to think about "What's for dinner?" the rest of the week!

Dinner Plan

Monday: Mom and Dad's House

Tuesday: Stir Fry (of my own creation to use up a little of this and a little of that in the veggie drawer), fruit

Wednesday: Mexican Lasagna, Oops I Forgot to Make the Salad, banana muffins (this is a new recipe that I tried last week and they are sooo good!)

Thursday: Pork (since that is what I have) Tetrazzini, green beans, fruit

Friday: Chicken strips, Rice-A-Roni, peas, fruit

Saturday: Easter Party

Sunday: Easter Party


Breakfast Plan

Monday: Cereal

Tuesday: Cinnamon Rolls

Wednesday: Leftover Cinnamon Rolls

Thursday: Baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal

Friday: Leftover Baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal

This meal couldn't be any easier or more impressive. I used to make it almost every time we had company until my husband said I needed to switch it up a bit. It does take a little bit of advanced planning but not work.

I got this recipe from my Grandma several years ago after we had it at her house. She makes her own BBQ sauce which I have done but I rarely have time to do it now. I usually use a bottle from my stockpile in the garage.

It makes a perfect warm weather meal that is oh so good!

Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Pork Roast of any kind (I usually use whatever is the cheapest, sometimes even country style ribs)
Hamburger Buns
BBQ Sauce

Seriously those are the only ingredients!

1 Day Before Serving
Put pork in crock pot and set to low. Cook for 6-8 hours depending on how big your meat is. I put it in when I go to work and turn it off when I come home for the day.

Once meat it cooled shred and put in the refrigerator.

Serving Day
There is tons of flexibility here. If I am doing a huge amount to serve guests I will put the shredded pork back in the crock pot with BBQ sauce and turn to low for 4 hours.

If it is just my husband and I, usually I will put the pork and BBQ sauce in a saucepan on the stove top set on low just until it warms. This doesn't take much time at all.

I imagine you could even do it in the microwave but I have never tired it.

Once the pork is warm serve it on toasted hamburger buns. I always serve it with coleslaw because the creaminess of the coleslaw compliments the pork so well.

Now if you have a roast sitting in your freezer begging to be used take this idea and go!

My fiance and I made up this treat one night when we didn't have anything for our sweet cravings. It is a simple take on a peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream, peaches (frozen, fresh, or canned), and cinnamon. Other times we use granola instead of ice cream if you want to be a little healthier. If you want to be really bad, we have made this with apples fried in butter instead of peaches. Any way you go, you can't go wrong! It is just that yummy!!

I just thought I would share this picture with everyone because 1. I think it turned out to be a pretty picture which is rare for me and food. And 2. We were out at our favorite organic lunch place and I took a picture of this vegetable because I didn't know what it was. I am not sure if this is a common vegetable and maybe I am just out of the loop somehow or what. When I got home I looked it up and I have definitely never had this before.

Now here's your turn...name that vegetable! Leave a comment with a guess. I will let you know later in the week so check back!

I saw this post last week on Picky Palate for Green Chili Chicken and Lime Soup. I had planned to make pulled pork sandwiches for dinner on Sunday night but this soup kept tugging at my mind. I finally gave in and left the pork in the freezer so I could make a big batch of soup for my husband and I. All I have to say is WOW!

The soup was so good and tasted amazingly fresh. We especially loved the cilantro. I know there are many people, including my Dad, who don't care for cilantro but in this recipe it just added so much.

I am sorry to say that I didn't take a picture of it but if you visit the link above there is a nice picture that is much better than anything I could have taken.

Put this in your menu plan and you will not be disappointed.

The first day of Spring! I am so excited for the weather to start getting nicer and nicer. Yesterday was a beautiful day here, I even got to eat lunch outside with my mom! Today wasn't quite as great but I did squeeze in a little after dinner walk with my husband.

This next week we are super busy with evening meetings, a birthday party, and then a weekend trip. I am hoping we can stick to my plan as well as we did last week but I am just not sure.

I wish everyone a wonderful week. They all seem to go by so quickly!

Dinner

Monday: Mom and Dad's House

Tuesday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches, coleslaw, fruit

Wednesday: Crispy Yogurt Chicken, potatoes, fruit, leftover coleslaw

Thursday: Pork Chops, Rice-a-Roni, carrots, biscuits

Friday: Out

Saturday: Out

Sunday: Meatballs, buttered noodles, fruit, and peas

Breakfast

Monday: Yogurt and banana bread

Tuesday: Breakfast Burrito

Wednesday: Upside Down Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake

Thursday: Leftover Upside Down Cinnamon Apple Coffee Cake

Friday: Cereal and milk

We celebrated my brother and Seanna's soon to be husband's birthday at the beach last weekend. We wanted to make an easy dessert that looked super fancy and decided on chocolate fondue. To dress it up even more we put the chocolate in this chocolate fountain and served it with an array of goodies.

My favorite was the bananas dipped in the warm chocolate. Seanna really liked the graham crackers with marshmallows. We also had brownies, Buffalo Chip Cookies, Oreos, Strawberries, and basically anything else people found and though chocolate would taste good on.

This is a dessert with great presentation. Makes your dessert a statement!

As Sheena is on her way with this weeks menu plan, mine got messed up because her brother and I are sick. We will be only having soup and hot cocoa this week : (

Since I still have a little bit of creativity, I decided to spice up my normal hot cocoa with a fun new recipe. To make Mexican Hot Cocoa you mix your normal hot cocoa with milk then add 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract. I think it's pretty good. I wish I had marshmallows to make it a little better!

Hope to be cooking again soon...

So far this week I am doing good with my meal plan all the way down to sides. I guess I should remember it is only Tuesday before I pat myself on the back. I am happy though because some weeks we are totally off right from the start so I am at least taking a step in the right direction.

Tonight's dinner was Sloppy Joe Pizza. I used a no-rise recipe for the crust that I saw on Amy's Finer Things blog. It was delicious and so easy! I was very excited about it when I pulled it out of the oven and it looked perfect. I will definitely be putting this in my recipes to keep binder.

The topping for the pizza came from a recipe that a friend gave to me at a wedding shower when I got married a few years ago. It is a very simple meal to throw together with few ingredients and a great way to use leftover cooked ground beef. I will not assume everyone has leftover cooked ground beef in my directions. If you do have some though it makes this meal come together even quicker.

Sloppy Joe Pizza

1 Pound Ground Beef
1 Can Condensed Tomato Soup
1 Pillsbury Pizza Crust (I made the dough using the recipe above instead)
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef until browned, stirring to separate meat. Pour off fat. Add soup. Heat through. Spread beef mixture over shell, leaving 1/4 - 1/2 inch at edge for crust. Top with cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 minutes or until cheese is melted.

We just returned from a weekend trip and it is so challenging to make myself get back in the swing of things. I find I want to keep my relaxed vacation state of mind so meal planning is especially hard today.

I am slowing trying to use up all the miscellaneous stuff in the freezer so this week will be doing that. We also have a wedding to go to on Saturday so no cooking that night!!

As usual I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. How do they always go by so fast!?!

Dinner

Monday: Dinner at Mom and Dad's

Tuesday: Sloppy Joe Pizza, salad, and fruit (I am going to use this No Rise Pizza Crust recipe that I saw today...looks easy!)

Wednesday: Thai Chicken Fettuccine, fruit, green beans, jello

Thursday: Baked Creamy Pork Taquitos (I am using pork but the recipe is actually for chicken), salad, fruit

Friday: TBD because my hubby will be at a rehearsal dinner and I don't plan to make an elaborate meal for just myself.

Saturday: Wedding

Sunday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches, coleslaw, pickles, chips


Breakfast

Monday: Cereal

Tuesday: Banana Bread

Wednesday: Waffle

Thursday: Breakfast Burrito

Friday: Banana Bread


Other things I plan to do this week:

• Mix up a big batch of Buffalo Chip Cookie dough and freeze it
• Make beef broth in the crock pot because we are totally out
• Find a way to use up two boxes of Pumpkin Pudding Mix...any ideas?

See more menu plans at I'm an Organizing Junkie

Just so everyone knows that we are almost never close to perfect I had to post this picture of my mishap from Sunday. My friend Kelly and I were making Corn Dog Mini Muffins, we had a perfectly clean pan ready for a great blog picture, got them in the oven, and were patiently waiting for the timer to go off.

With about 4 minutes to go it dawned on me that I didn't put anything in the batter to make it rise. With panic we pulled the hot pan out of the oven, plunked all the little cut up hot dogs out of the scorching batter, dumped the batter into the sink, mixed up new batter, sloppily poured it into the pan and put them back in the oven. AHHH! They turned out a good but what an ordeal. Have you ever had a day in the kitchen like this?

Over the weekend I tried yet another chocolate chip cookie recipe in my quest for the most perfect chocolate chip cookie out there. I found this recipe on Cookie Madness called Felix K's Don't Even Try To Say These Aren't The Best You've Ever Eaten, Because They Are Chocolate Chip Cookies. These were really good and the dough was spectacular. It was good enough that we didn't even make our old standby which we normally do when we are unhappy with the experiment batch.

In our last cookie challenge we kept our old favorite as our new favorite after trying two new recipes. After this one I have to say our old favorite might be in jeopardy of loosing it's spot! Now we have three awesome recipes. If you make any of these three please leave a comment and let me know what you think.


Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes You Should Try
1) Best Chocolate Chip Cookie
2) Marlene Cain's Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies
3) Felix K's

I love everything Disney and follow a few Disney blogs for that reason. Today on the Disney Food Blog there was a recipe for Mom’s Meatloaf From 50’s Prime Time Cafe. It is fun so if you have time go take a look!

As promised here is the recipe I made last week that was new to us. I usually make a semi-healthy macaroni and cheese but needed to use up some American cheese I had in the freezer. This turned out so so good! My husband loved it as well as my Dad. To me is tasted more restaurant style then my usual recipe.

I am afraid of making my healthy version now that my husband loves this!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1 Pound Macaroni
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Tablespoons Flour
2 Cups of Milk
1 Pound Sliced American Cheese
2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook, stirring occasionally for 7-10 minutes, or until macaroni is just cooked. Pour macaroni into a colander and drain.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in the same saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and stir constantly until mixture starts to bubble. Add 1/2 cup of the milk and stir until smooth. Add remaining milk and cook, stirring frequently for 10 to 15 minutes or until it comes to a boil.

Remove pan from heat, add American cheese slices, and stir until cheese is completely melted. Add macaroni and stir gently until it is completely coated with cheese.

Place macaroni in a large baking dish and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Meatballs at our house is something we always go back to when we want a guaranteed dinner success. The recipe comes from my Great Grandma and we LOVE them. They are the best meatballs you will ever eat. I usually make a large batch, freeze them, and then eat them whenever the night is hectic and we need a quick dinner. They are also the only meal my husband enjoys helping me make. I mix the meat and roll the meatballs and he fries them.

One thing we both agree makes these divine is the slight crunch on the outside. It is so good. Wow talking about these makes me want to heat some up. I will try to restrain myself. But seriously if you don't have a magnificent meatball recipe up your sleeve try these.

Great Grandma's Meatballs

1 Pound Ground Beef
1 Pound Ground Sausage
1 Cup Bread Crumbs
2 Eggs
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon Chili Powder
3 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Onion

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Make small balls and fry with salt and pepper.

I always like to serve these with Jamaica Me Crazy sauce but they are even good plain.

Welcome to another week of Menu Plan Monday. I love getting my plan online each Sunday because I feel I am starting the week out on a good note. This past week's menu plan went very well. With the exception of Saturday, we stuck to the plan everyday which is very unusual for us. My husbands two favorites last week were Peanut Butter Pork and Baked Macaroni and Cheese. The Macaroni and Cheese recipe was new for us and something I tore out of a magazine a while back. I will share it later this week.

This week will be short for us because we are off to the beach on Friday to celebrate my Brother's birthday! I also have fewer links this week because I am using recipes from one of my all time favorite cookbooks, "Robin Miller Quick Fix Meals." Check back though because after I make each meal I will post pictures and recipes. I am also going to plan out breakfast again because it really helped keep the mornings less hectic last week.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Don't forget to enter our giveaway for Sandwich Thins coupons. We will pick a winner Wednesday.

Dinner Plan

Monday: Mom and Dad's for Dinner

Tuesday: Chicken Enchiladas with Re-fried Beans and Jack Cheese, broccoli, jell0

Wednesday: New Orleans Flank Steak with Olive Oil's Orzo, Cauliflower, Rice Crispy Treats or Marshmallow Candy

Thursday: Pork Fried Rice with Veggies, fruit

Friday: Beach

Saturday: Beach

Sunday: Meatballs with Jamaica Me Sweet Hot and Crazy, buttered noodles, and peas (this is our go to meal for whenever we are busy)


Breakfast Plan

Monday: Baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal (One of my husband's favorites. I always 1/2 the recipe since I don't like peanut butter it is all his.)

Tuesday: Baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal

Wednesday: Banana Bread

Thursday: Pop Tart (never did finish the box last week)

Friday: Pop Tart

See more menu plans at I'm An Organizing Junkie.

A few weeks ago my Grandma made brownies for us that were super delicious. I asked her what was different and she shared her secret....caramel topping! She dolloped it onto the brownie batter once it was in the pan and used a knife to swirl it around. What a great idea!

Her brownie's were made from scratch but I didn't have time to do that last weekend but using a boxed mix and the caramel secret these turned out perfect. I couldn't stop eating them! For that reason I will not be making these unless company is coming over because they are just too tempting.

If you are planning to make brownies anytime soon you owe it to yourself to try them with caramel...my mouth waters just thinking about it!

I made these cookies last week and took some into my office. Upon the request of one of my co-workers I made another larger batch this week and took them into work. I set them down and within 30 minutes the whole plate was gone and the person who had requested I make them never even got to try one. I felt so bad that I didn't pull one out for her but I had no idea people would eat these so fast! I owe her another batch, maybe next week if the spirit moves me. I had so many requests for the recipe I thought I should share it here.

I always make a half batch of these because the original recipe is so big it doesn't really fit in my Kitchen Aid Mixer. Below is my half batch recipe.

Buffalo Chips (Originally from Hometown Recipes a section of American Profile)

1/2 Cup Margarine
1/2 Cup Shortening
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Sugar
2 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup Quick Oats
2 Cups Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Cup Coconut
1 Cup Rice Krispies
3 Ounces Chocolate Chips (I always just throw in a few handfuls and call it good)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl cream margarine and shortening. Add sugars, eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in oats, flour, baking soda and baking powder. When well blended stir in coconut, Rice Kripsies, and chocolate chips. When batter is thoroughly mixes drop on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are golden.

Right out of the oven they are amazing!

Here it is, my new obsession!!! When I was at the health food store this week I picked out a few blood oranges and thought I would give them a try. To my very *sweet* surprise, they were wonderful! The taste is a little more like a fruit punch than an orange and it left me wanting more. I think I will be going back to the store very soon!

They are in season now so if you get the chance you must try them!

Recently I was selected by House Party to host a sandwich party featuring Sandwich Thins. I had never tried these before and I wanted to use them in more ways than just having sandwiches. I thought about what to do for a long time and decided on three things. The first was roasted garlic with toasted Sandwich Thins, then I made Pesto Chicken Paninis, and Mini Cheese Pizzas. Everything was yummy. My favorite was the toasted thins with roasted garlic and I had quite a few people who loved the paninis.



Roasted Garlic with Toasted Sandwich Thins

2 Bulbs of Garlic
Sandwich Thins (I used four but you can make however many "chips" you want)
Olive Oil
Salt

Cut top off garlic bulbs and place in foil. Drizzle cut side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Enclose in foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Just before garlic is done split the Sandwich Thins, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Using a pizza cutter cut the thins into fours. Put in 350 degree oven and bake until they reach your desired crispness (I did mine for 10-15 minutes).

When done serve the toasted thins with the roasted garlic. Delish!


Pesto Chicken Panini (Not a great picture above but I was trying to show how good the insides looked)

Desired Number of Sandwich Thins
Prepared Pesto
Mayo
Chicken
Swiss Cheese

Spread pesto on one side of the bread and then spread mayo on the other side. Fill with chicken and cheese (Spinach would also be good to add but we didn't have any). Put inside of a panini press or George Foreman Grill. Cook until the cheese is melted and bread is toasty.

Mini Cheese Pizza (Didn't realize I forgot to picture these..bummer)

Desired Number of Sandwich Thins
Pizza Sauce or Pasta Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese

Split Sandwich Thins and spread pizza sauce on the bread. Top with cheese and cook in 400 degree oven until cheese is melted and bread is toasty.

There are so many other ways these Sandwich Thins can be used. Right now I am going to take the few we have left and fill them with peanut butter and jelly then freeze to make my own "Uncrustables." The only thing that would probably make me like them better is if the whole wheat white ones were available at my store. I know it isn't the healthiest but I do love white bread.

If you are interested in trying Sandwich Thins I have three $1.00 off 1 coupons left. Leave a comment with your email address and I will pick a winner on Wednesday, March 10th. They are good until 6/30/2010 so you have plenty of time to use them. Enjoy!




**These coupons were given to me by Oroweat to use at my house party. Oroweat did not pay me to have the party or this giveaway (I wish they had though-how cool would that have been?!?!) but did give me coupons to use for myself and guests of my party. I am sharing with you some of the leftovers.**

This has got to be one of the simplest but most fun desserts I have made in a while. We had these for the party I talked about in February. I took mini shot glasses that my mom has from an entertaining set and filled them with three layers. We put them on a platter and served with spoons. Everybody had at least 2 because they are so good and just the right size. Perfect for portion control.

Mini Trifles with Oreos

Crushed Oreos
Instant Chocolate Pudding (prepared according to package directions)
Cool Whip
Sprinkles

Layer each cup with crushed Oreos, chocolate pudding, and then cool whip. Add sprinkles to the top if desired. Let sit in fridge until chilled and serve with spoons. So good!

Let me start out by telling you a funny story about my trip to the grocery store today. I usually go to a big chain store but today I was found myself next to a health food store so I decided to do my shopping there. As I was in the produce aisle I heard some music and out walked a person playing the trumpet, another person playing the accordion and harmonica, and lastly a person with some cymbals?!? I am still not sure what to think about all this and they continued to do loops around the store for the duration of my shopping. Needless to say, it was very interesting but fun. Perhaps I will have to go back next Monday to see if this is normal.

Looking back at the month and all the different meals we had I decided it would be fun to make a list of my top five. It was hard to narrow it down to only five. I really had seven but my top seven just didn't seem right. So after much deliberation and in no particular order here are the five that made the list.