Here’s our menu plan for the week…

Monday – pork chops and scalloped potatoes

Tuesday – grilled chicken salad and garlic bread

Wednesday – leftover buffet

Thursday -meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn, rolls

Friday – chicken enchiladas, Spanish rice

Saturday – spicy beef sandwiches (recipe to come later!)

Sunday – crab legs, shrimp, corn on the cob, baked potatoes and lots of football munchies for the playoff games!

Don’t forget to head over to Meal Plan Monday for even more meal and recipe ideas!

This post provide courtesy of: My Weekly Menu Planner where you can find meal planning tips, recipes and more.

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I’ve been meaning to share my favorite chili recipe for some time now, and with all the snow and cold weather we’ve been getting, now couldn’t be a better time to make a big pot of chili.

This chili recipe is very easy, but also very delicious. My family loves it and asks for it over and over again.

My Favorite Chili Recipe

Ingredients:
1 ½ – 2 lbs ground beef
½ chopped onion
1 green chili pepper
Large can crushed tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomatoes
Chili powder to taste
Red pepper to taste
Salt & pepper to taste
Chili seasoning – ½ of packet
3 small cans V-8 juice

Directions:
Brown ground beef (season with salt & pepper) and add chopped onion, chili pepper and chili seasoning.
Combine remaining ingredients in large pan or crock pot.
Add ground beef mixture. Add remaining seasonings. Mix and simmer.
I use a dutch oven to cook my chili in right on the stove top, but a crock-pot would work great as well.
Serve with crackers and corn bread.

That’s it! See… I told you it was easy

This post provide courtesy of: My Weekly Menu Planner where you can find meal planning tips, recipes and more.

It’s Chili Season!

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My mother in law is usually in charge of making this dish, but she shared her recipe with me so I can make it at home as well.

This sweet potato casserole uses pecans as the topping instead of marshmallows.

The recipe follows. What’s your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients

* 1 (40 oz) can cut sweet potatoes, undrained
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 eggs
* 1/3 cup butter
* 1/3 cup milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 cup chopped pecans
* 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Cook sweet potatoes in a medium saucepan for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and mash the potatoes.
2. Mix the mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, 1/3 cup butter, milk, and vanilla extract. Spread evenly into a buttered 2 quart baking dish.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar, chopped pecans, flour, and 1/3 cup melted butter. Sprinkle on top of the sweet potato mixture.
4. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

This post provide courtesy of: My Weekly Menu Planner where you can find meal planning tips, recipes and more.

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1. Go with a List: Yes, I know…it’s a pretty obvious suggestion, but it’s amazing how effective it can be. You can purchase only what you need and avoid all the other yummy distractions of the grocery store.

2. Meal Planning: Planning your meals in advance makes it easier to get your list together and ensure you buy only exactly what you need. You can get help with your meal planning at Dine Without Whine AND they actually put your grocery list together for you too.

3. Eat Before You Go: Another classic tip. If you’re hungry, you’ll want to buy (and instantly eat) everything! Have a meal or good snack before you go to avoid impulse purchases.

4. Stock Up on Staple Items When They’re On Sale: If you see ketchup or your family’s favorite sauce on sale, stock up. Or if it’s a certain type of soup or frozen vegetable your family eats all the time, buy a bunch of it. As long as it doesn’t spoil and you have space to store it, you will save money in the long run. The nice thing about this is if you continue to stock up on a variety of items, you’ll have a nice pantry full of food at any given time.

5. Cook from Scratch More Often: Yeah, yeah…it sounds easier said than done, but it doesn’t have to be too complicated. It’s no secret that pre-packaged items and convenience foods come at a premium price. They save you time in preparation, but they eat up your budget and let’s face it, time IS money. Plus, if you’re using Tip #2 and planning your meals, cooking from scratch more often is a whole lot easier.

6. Comparison Shop Before You Leave Home: No, I’m definitely not suggesting you go from store-to-store looking for the best deal. That takes too much time. Check the flyers that come to your door and see who is offering the best deals on what you actually need. If you don’t have any flyers at your door, visit the store website as they generally post flyers online.

7. Use Coupons Sparingly: Sure, coupons offer a great deal, but most coupons you’ll find are for items you don’t really need or use. Resist the urge to think, “Wow, that’s a good deal” and search for coupons based on items you need to purchase instead.

8. Keep the Little Ones At Home: If you have young children that want everything that they see, it’s easy to get into the trap of buying items you don’t need, treats that aren’t healthy and become victim to other grocery store distractions. Keep the kids at home with Daddy (it’s a good bonding opportunity) or a relative. You can even swap grocery store shopping times with your neighbor. Not only will you save money, but you’ll save your sanity too!

9. Make Quick Stops for Fresh Ingredients: This may not be easy if you’re on a tight schedule, but if you can work it in, it can save you a bundle. One of the biggest culprits in grocery budgets gone bad is spoiled food. If your fruits, veggies and other perishable items are always going bad, consider shopping for them more frequently, but in smaller quantities and restrain yourself from buying items you don’t need. If you have any teenaged kids, this would be a great chore for them too.

There you go – 9 ways to save on groceries. But in order to make these tips work, you really need to have a plan in place. You need to know what your family needs and what you’ll be eating. To make your meal planning a whole lot easier, sign up for you 1 ¢ no-risk trial at Dine Without Whine. You and your grocery budget will be glad you did.

This post provide courtesy of: My Weekly Menu Planner where you can find meal planning tips, recipes and more.

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Today, less than half of American families eat dinner together and when they do, these meals last less than 20 minutes and are lacking in proper nutrition.

The fact is our life styles have changed from those magical days of Ozzie and Harriet. Thanks to the Internet, cell phones and palm pilots, business is conducted on an almost 24/7 basis. Even conversations with our children are often times through text messages or cell phone.

Sporting events and outside activities for children have become almost maniacal in the demands made upon the family. It has become a race against time so that we can fit it all in. Something has to give, and that unfortunately has been the family dinner hour.

When we squeeze out the family dinner we sacrifice more than you could ever imagine. According to a study conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, the children that dined regularly with their families were 31 per cent less likely to smoke, drink or take drugs and do better in school.

Healthy self-esteem for children can be built around a family dinner table. Parents can take the time to listen and help their children sort out the struggles of the day without interference of phones, tv’s and computers.

Our hectic life styles only give time for overly processed foods or even worse “fast foods.” This poor nutrition has resulted in children contracting what was once considered “adult diseases” at an alarming rate. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity all stem from poor nutrition and processed foods.

Not only is the family dinner hour a great time to catch up on each other’s lives, it also offers more tangible benefits. Family dinner hour can improve grades at school and promote a richer vocabulary. Younger family members that do not have the interaction of speaking within the family group often struggle with poor communication skills. In troubling times such as these, the routine of a family meal helps to ease tensions and frustrations of teens and young children by receiving guidance and assurance through other family members.

Planning these meals, shopping for the ingredients, and to a lesser extent, cooking the dinners, is a time consuming task. In many cases, time needed for both professional careers and for the children’s extra-curricular activities make it nearly impossible to coordinate the family dinner. However, now more than ever, it is important to invest this time. The dividends are worth the effort. Today, make your family feel special. Prepare a nutritious meal and sit down to a family dinner. Find out what is up with your children and make the time to talk with each one. Unplug the world and plug into your children for one hour ever day.

Continue reading.

This post provide courtesy of: My Weekly Menu Planner where you can find meal planning tips, recipes and more.

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But first, if you find the idea of family meals daunting, take a look at Dine Without Whine. It’s a monthly subscription, which gives you weekly meal plans, recipes and grocery shopping list. Dine Without Whine definitely simplifies meal planning and preparation.

Ok, now back to my challenge. It’s been hard, but here you go, 10 OTHER reasons to gather around the dinner table:

1. You’ll have a ready audience for your jokes.

2. You can get instant feedback on new recipes you’ve been wanting to try.

3. You’ll have a venue to plan family activities, such as your next vacation, or a child’s birthday.

4. Your family members can help you stick to your diet.

5. Family mealtimes can teach responsibility. It’s a natural time to give children chores, such as setting the table, clearing up, and washing dishes.

6. Enjoy your good china and silverware, instead of saving them for special occasions. Because any time you’re together IS a special occasion.

7. Family dinners give structure and routine to your day, which is especially important for small children.

8. By having meals together, you can reduce the time your kids spend watching TV, playing video games or surfing on the Internet.

9. Family meals are good times to give each other props – talk about everyone’s latest accomplishments, such as good grades, a new drawing, a new skill learned.

10. Family dinners remind you daily of your blessings: food on the table, a roof over your heads, and loved ones all around you.

Having family dinner every night may be hard for most families nowadays. But if you can manage it on most nights, then you’ll enjoy the benefits.

Cut down and simplify on other areas of your life, so you can cook a meal and sit down to dinner together. Dine Without Whine provides a weekly menu of kid-tested recipes, as well as a grocery list to simplify your shopping as well. Go here now and try Dine Without Whine for only a penny.

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If you have diabetes, it’s important to watch what you eat to maintain your health. Meal planning can help manage your diabetes, as well as save you time and money.

The bestselling Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy is a comprehensive but easy-to-understand guide to all aspects of meal planning for you.

Meal planning is one of the most crucial—and sometimes most difficult—aspects of managing diabetes, but this book makes meal planning simple.

This newest edition incorporates the most recent nutritional recommendations of the American Diabetes Association (more…)

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Monday – hubby is grilling ribs, baked beans, corn on the cob

Tuesday – spaghetti and meatballs, salad, garlic bread

Wednesday – grilled chicken, mac & cheese, corn

Thursday – chicken enchiladas, Spanish rice

Friday – baseball game… hot dogs & beer at the ball park!

Saturday – brisket on the grill

Sunday – headed to family’s for dinner

Don’t forget to head over to Meal Plan Monday for even more meal and recipe ideas!

This post provide courtesy of: My Weekly Menu Planner where you can find meal planning tips, recipes and more.

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1 lb ground beef
1/4 onion (grated, you want the juice from the onion for moisture)
1 egg
Parmesan cheese (1/2 cup)
Italian bread crumbs (1/2 cup)
Milk (1/4-1/2 cup depending on how moist you want the meatballs)
Salt
Pepper
Garlic salt

1 jar Ragu Parmesan and Romano spaghetti sauce

Comgine all ingredients except spaghetti sauce. Form meatballs, and brown in large skillet or dutch oven. Simmer in spaghetti sauce on low for 30 minutes.

Oven: you can bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes instead of simmering on the stove-top.

This post provide courtesy of: My Weekly Menu Planner where you can find meal planning tips, recipes and more.

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