Picture Perfect Cooking

Another week has passed and it is time for another menu plan.  When I look at my list, I can tell I am still in comfort food mode because of the dreary weather around here.  The snow that started collecting a week or so ago is finally gone, but it has been replaced by clouds and impending rain.  Oh, joy. 

The sun shone on Saturday and I was hopeful for a few days of it, but it was not to be, at least not yet.  Well, January is now half over and that means we are that much closer to springtime and sunshine and green leaves!  Yay!!!

C & I did get a little accomplished on our basement this weekend.  The plumber that we use came Saturday and finished hooking up the shower and installed a drain for a bar sink down there as well.  He is coming back later to install a gas line from our living room fireplace to the outdoors so we can finally get the fireplace working after 5 years!!! Now, we get to start hanging recessed light fixtures and running tv/telephone wires in the basement when we have time.

What basement project?  Oh, that’s right, I have never shared our “big project”.  When we built our house a few years ago, we did not take the time to finish off the basement.  C has a grand plan for a home theater and game room down there, so that is what we are working toward.  I hope to have a small kitchen area and a reading nook as well.  It may be several years before it is completely finished because we are trying to do as much of the work ourselves as possible.

Back to cooking…here is this week’s plan.

Hamburger stew

Cheesy Steak Sandwiches (2 nights)

Cinnamon bun pancakes & sausage

Pizza Night

Meatloaf

Double Chocolate Snowball cookies (C requested chocolate chip cookies this past weekend, so I am moving this recipe to next weekend.  Remember, only 1 dessert per week after the holidays. :))

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It’s Christmas week, folks, and that means I will be spending lots and lots of time in the kitchen.  Shew!  I am tired already…but it will all be worth it when we sit down with family and enjoy the fruits of my and others labors.  After this week, I think I may be ready for a little kitchen downtime.  I love to cook, but it’s time for a few days rest after the Christmas hustle and bustle.  New Year’s weekend is looking like a good time to enjoy the fruits of other people’s (namely restaurants) labors. 

This week is jammed packed with candy, dessert, main and side dishes.  Here is what I have planned:

Monday: pizza night (might be a late work night, so I decided to keep it simple)

Tuesday: ham slices & roasted potatoes-I will probably also make hamburger stew for my dad and in-laws for Wednesday night.

Wednesday: Sausage bake & fruit

Thursday: take out of some sort-I start my holiday weekend that day and will spend it making candy for Christmas Eve.

Friday: Peanut brittle (recipe coming soon), divinity (recipe coming soon), chocolate pecan fudge, peanut butter fudge, sweet potato casserole (recipe coming soon), butter roasted potatoes (recipe coming soon), Faux Red Lobster cheesy biscuits (recipe coming soon)

Saturday: Salisbury steak, butter roasted potatoes, Cole slaw, Faux Red Lobster biscuits, Oreo pie

I also want to show off a couple of things that I did this weekend.  I made candy gift bags for my co-workers and a few other workers at the judicial center.

I also made an Italian Cream cake for C’s big family Christmas party which was held yesterday.

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and gets everything that their heart desires!!

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It seems like just yesterday that I was making last week’s plan, and it is time to do another one.  Time goes by so fast and sometimes it is hard to stop and enjoy yourself.  There never seems to be enough time in a day to do all of the things that I would like to do!  I guess most people feel this way, but I wish there was a way to just say “Done!” and all of the boring chores would just magically be finished and I could do all of the fun things that I don’t seem to have time for.  Oh, well. 

At least I do make time for cooking. It is one of my greatest joys and brings me a lot of happiness and satisfaction, especially when I get to see people enjoy it! 

Last week’s plan went great except for the dessert.  I didn’t have enough eggs to make the cake.  Oops!  Good planning there, huh?  I made some fudge instead and those recipes will be on here in the coming weeks.  This week starts our Christmas celebrations.  One night my co-workers plus C & I will be traveling to a nearby town to watch “The Christmas Story” play and eat out for our Christmas party.  Then next weekend, C’s granny is having her Christmas meal.  There is a large family so they try to have their dinner on an “off” day during the holidays.

Spicy beef vegetable soup

Beef taco ring

Pizza night

Baked ham

Hamburgers and fried potatoes

Tomato soup & grilled cheese sandwiches

Italian Cream cake

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It is Monday again, and it is definitely starting to feel and look like Christmas around here.  South Central Kentucky is having cold temperatures and snow flurries flying through the air.  It makes walking an energetic dog an adventure early in the morning, but Ellie loves the cold air and would keep us outside all the time if she could. 

The cold air also makes me want comfort food!  C and I have both lost several pounds this year by cutting back on junk food and exercising more, but this time of year makes me want to eat, eat eat!  There are just so many great looking recipes that I would love to try, but I am trying to keep our regular meals fairly healthy so we can enjoy a treat every now and then.  Here is what I have planned for this week:

Chili

Grilled pork chops and roasted potatoes

Hamburger stew

Taco salads

Cheesy steak sandwiches with oven baked fries

Pizza night

Coconut cream yummy cake (new recipe)

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Whew!  Thanksgiving and Game Night are over and I am almost cooked out!  This week’s menu will probably be filled with quick and easy things to recover from this weekend’s rich and heavy food.  I love the food we have eaten in the last few days, but my stomach and waistline won’t hold up to much more.

Here is the plan for the next few days:

Tomato soup & grilled cheese sandwiches

Grilled pork chops & potatoes

Salisbury steak & roasted potatoes

Sausage bake & fruit

Pizza night

Grilled hot dogs & chips

Meatloaf

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Thanksgiving week is here and that means lots and lots of cooking.  C & I will celebrate Thanksgiving day lunch at his granny’s and I am providing dessert and baking the ham.  Thanksgiving supper will be at my nanny’s and I am contributing dessert, sweet potato casserole and roasted potatoes for that meal.  We will be stuffed to the gills that night and so happy about it, too!

Saturday night, C & I are hosting a game night at our house for some family and friends, so that means even more cooking.  That night will be all about soup and chili.  Here is this week’s list including something new I fixed yesterday…

Sunday-hamburger stew (recipe coming soon) with cornbread muffins

Monday: sausage cheese dip with chips

Tuesday: leftover sausage cheese dip with chips

Wednesday: pizza night so I can start on my Thanksgiving cooking

Thursday: Crock pot citrus ham (recipe coming soon), sweet potato casserole (recipe coming soon), butter roasted potatoes (recipe coming soon), and Italian cream cake (recipe coming soon)

Friday: LEFTOVERS!!!

Saturday: chili, spicy vegetable soup (recipe coming soon), pecan pimento cheese sandwiches, chocolate-pecan pie bars (recipe coming soon), and browned butter blondies (recipe coming soon).

I hope everyone has a blessed and safe Thanksgiving!

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Another week has passed and we are in the middle of November, folks.  Oh. My. Goodness.  Thanksgiving is less than 2 weeks away, and that means lots of cooking and eating and dishwashing going on here.  I have even started doing a small amount of Christmas decorating in the house since we are having a chili/soup/game night at our house on Thanksgiving weekend.  Like I said, there will be lots of cooking and eating and dishwashing!

Here is this week’s plan which, thankfully, is not quite as crowded as next week’s will be.

Taco soup

Baked ham slices with roasted potatoes

Banana pancakes with bacon

Sausage bake

Pork chops with roasted potatoes

Pizza night

Best Butter Cupcakes with brown butter frosting (2 new recipes!)

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