Friday, August 31, 2012

Friday Favorties

It is Friday!!!!  What up? 

We have made it through our first week of school.  I am exhausted!  But, String Beane is loving first grade and Jelly Beane and Butter Beane are loving preschool.  I could not ask for more than that. 

Something about school starting makes me want to jump straight to Fall.  Of course, there are tons of Fallish recipes on the internet.  

Here are my top 5 favorites for this week:


Pumpkin Coffee Cake


Biscoff Granola Bars

Sweet Potatoes final 1
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Trick or Treat Salted Nut Bars Recipe
Trick or Treat Salted Nut Bars


Owl Treat

I hope you have had a great week.  I am linking up with Finding Joy in my Kitchen.  Go check her out.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Menu Plan Monday August 27th

Oh, we are the start of a big week around here.

Sting Beane started first grade today, at a new school.  I am a basket case.  I can't wait until 2:30 so I can go get him and find out how it went. 

Butter Beane will be 4 years old tomorrow!  It seems like he was just born.  I love him so much.  I am so glad that he is in my life.  He is such a joy and finds wonder and happiness in everything.  He is one of those little guys that everyone loves and everyone needs a Butter Beane in their life. 

Everything is starting this week.  Kindermusik, gymnastics, soccer, school, ..... it goes on and on.  So I am planning an easy and kid pleasing week around here.

Here goes.

Monday
IMG_8194
Long Boy Burgers
Tater Tots
Applesauce

Tuesday
Butter Beane's birthday dinner
Pizza, his favorite
Corn
Chocolate Chip Pizza, recipe coming!

Wednesday
Homemade Spaghetti Ohs!
Homemade Spaghetti Oh's
Broccoli
Fruit

Thursday
Post image for Chicken Tamale Pie
Chicken Tamale Pie
Salad
Cantaloupe

Friday

Waffles of Insane Greatness
Sausage
Strawberries

I hope everyone has a great week.  I am linking up with Menu Plan Monday.  Go check it out.

Friday, August 24, 2012

FridayFavorites

What up homes?

This is the last weekday off before school starts for my String Beane.

I got a few last minute shopping items bought today, thanks to my mom for babysitting ;-).  I  guess we are ready.  Ready or not, here we come.

I have been looking on Pinterest for some cool lunchbox food and easy school night dinners.  Here is what I came up with.


7-Up back to school  goodie
I love this!

 
 Goldfish  Lunch
 This Pepperidge Farm goldfish bread is milk free!

Cinnamon Blueberry Biscoff Breakfast Cookies
Biscoff Blueberry Breakfast Cookies
I think this would solve a lot of breakfast problems at our house.

Photobucket
Banana Bread Brownies
A healthy after school snack?


Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Pretzel Cookies
String Beane would love to find these in his lunch box.

What have you pinned this week?

I am linking up with Finding Joy in my Kitchen.




















Monday, August 20, 2012

Menu Plan Monday Aug 20th

So I am looking ahead for the week trying to plan our week's menu around our activities.  Here is what I noticed.....Butter Beane and Jelly Beane will be starting preschool Thursday and String Beane Starts first grade next Monday!  I am starting to get that nervous knot in my stomach that happens at the start of every school year.  I thought that would go away when I was not the one starting school.  Nope.  Only got worse.

I have a few leftovers and some carry over meals from last week.  That will help me our a lot this week since we have a preschool teacher conference one night and an Open house at String Beane's school another night.  Throw in some soccer, gymnastics and Kindermusik and that is why we are all tired and crazy!

Here is the plan for this week.

Monday
Fried Chicken
Green Peas
Cantaloupe

7-UP Biscuits

Tuesday

Dirty Brown Rice with Shrimp
Broccoli
Applesauce

Wednesday
Chicken Chili
Crockpot Chicken Taco Chili
Cornbread
Fruit

Thursday

Pork Lo Mein
I am substituting pork for the shrimp.

Friday
Breakfast for Supper
Sausage
Pancakes
Scrambled eggs
Fruit

Weekend
Chicken Pot Pie
Broccoli
Applesauce

So....what's on your menu this week?  How are you going to handle lunch box packing this school year?

I am linking up with Menu Plan Monday.  Go and see what everyone else has cooking.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Sourdough Bread

I am not a patient person.

Delayed gratification is not for me.

I generally want things right now, or at least some kind of action towards what I want.

There are a few things that are worth the wait.  Pregnancy is definitely worth the wait.  It seems like it lasts forever and never will end, but the sweet little Beane is totally worth waiting for.  The longer my children are home for the summer, the more I am thinking that the first day of school is worth the wait. 

And....Sourdough bread is also worth the wait.

Sourdough bread is a tricky matter.  There is starter, starter feed, rising, kneading, baking etc.  It goes on forever and takes forever.  And the worst part is that you can't have it the very moment that you want it.  You have to wait...and wait.  But it is such a reward!

Most people don't really have the patience to make bread.  And some people are intimidated by yeast for some reason.  So when you make this bread and give some away, people will think you are super smart. 

Here are the steps.

1 cup warm water
1/2 cup sugar
1 package dry yeast
3 level Tablespoons instant mashed potatoes.  (if you need this bread to be milk free, like me, check the ingredients on the box of mashed potatoes to make sure there is no milk ingredients in there.  Food Lion brand is milk free)

Mix the ingredients and let ferment on the counter for 2 days.


I normally just put all the ingredients in a jar and give it a good shake to mix it up.  Then I remove the lid and put a paper towel over the jar opening and secure it with a rubber band.  Then it sits on the counter for two days.


If you have fallen victim to Mommy Brain and can't remember your shiz anymore, then right on the paper towel the day that you make the starter and what day it will be ready.  

After two days, you need to make your starter feed.

In a bowl, mix up 
1 cup warm water 
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons instant potatoes.
 
Add  this to your starter.  Let stand on the counter for 8 hours and.  Screw on the jar lid and put in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.  



Now you are ready to make your bread.

You will need a large bowl.  

6 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup sugar

Mix together.  

Add 1 cup of starter.  1 1/2 cups of warm water and 1/2 cup of oil. 
 
Mix the dough and kneed it like biscuit dough until it comes together.

Put 2 Tablespoons of oil in the large bowl and add the dough.  Give it a flip around in the oil to coat the dough.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for 8 hours.


Then you will have a puffy cloud of dough.

Spray two loaf pans with cooking spray.  Divide the dough in half and put in the loaf pans.  Cover the loaf pans with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 8 hours. 


Now it is time to bake!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the plastic wrap and bake the bread for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Let cool in the pans for a few minutes and then turn out on to cooling racks and let cool. 

Use a bread knife and cut you a slice.  I love mine with butter and honey!


So does my Jelly Beane.


You will have some starter left over.  Just keep the starter in your refrigerator and you will be ready to make some more bread on a moments notice!  

I am linking up with Metamorphosis Monday, Allergy free Wednesday and these other Awesome Parties!  
 

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Menu Plan Monday August 13

We have a busy week at the Beane house.

String Beane will be going to music camp this week.  He also has his final T-ball game followed by an end of the season party.  On the topic of T-ball, String beane hit his first coach pitch last week!  He was so excited.  is smile was huge!! 

So this week we will be having some easy meals and some crock pot meals.

Here is the line up:

Monday

Crock pot Sticky Chicken
Boiled potatoes
Broccoli.
(I did not get around to this last week)

Tuesday
Baseball party - we are eating out!

Wednesday
New Orleans Red Beans And Rice Recipe
New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
Corn Bread

Thursday

Slow Cooker Coke Chicken
Rice
Broccoli

Friday
Pizza using Beer Batter Pizza Crust
Corn
Cantaloupe

Weekend
Chicken Chili
Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili
Corn Muffins

This is the plan.  What do you have on your menu this week?  I am linking up with Menu Plan Monday.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Friday Favorites

It is Friday Peeps! 

I am so happy to start the weekend.  My mom and I are going to see Hope Springs tonight.  There will be no little Beanes with us!  I can't remember the last movie I saw with no children and no one asking me for stuff all through the movie.  I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited.

We also have some excitement tomorrow.  My brother is turning 40!  My sister in law is having a party for him Saturday, so we will be going to visit them. 

I have been searching for a fun cake to bake for his birthday.  I think I have settled on the Cookie Dough Cake I featured last week.  My brother and I have similar tastes in desserts.  The more cake batter or cookie dough, the better!  

So here are my favorites from around the Internet this week.....


Cinnamon Roll Stuffed Cupcakes
Only a genius could come up with this idea!!!  This could be breakfast right?


Thai Pork Burritos
These will be making there way to our dinner table soon!


Pimento Cheese Crisps
I can't wait to try these....my mouth is watering.


Southwest Chopped Chicken Salad
This is a copycat from California Pizza Kitchen!


Mocha Coconut Frappuccino Cupcakes
OMG!

These are my top 5 picks for this week.  What are your favorite finds?

I am linking up with Finding Joy in my Kitchen

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Ice Cream Sundae Cupcake Tute


I know that baking cupcakes in ice cream cones is not new information.  I have seen different versions of it for a while now on the internet.

I tried making them a few years ago and they didn't turn out so good.  They were sort of flat or ever so slightly domed.  They were always a disappointment.  They never looked good decorated.

Then I tweaked the baking technique.  I went upside down.

Here are the steps.

Mix up your cupcake batter.  I used Duncan Heins.

Spray your cupcake pan with cooking spray.

Fill your cupcake pan about 1/2 to 2/3 full.


Easy peezy.  Now turn your cupcake cones upside down.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes.

One of the great advantages to this technique is that you don't have to worry about any of the batter filled cones toppling over on the way to the oven.  I hated that.

When they are finished baking, let the pan cool for a few minutes on a cooling rack.  Then you can lift them out and you will have this:


Doesn't that look pretty? .... and easier to decorate?


If you have any little nubs like in the picture above, just use a knife and slice it off.  Icing will cover all ills.

Ice the cupcake cones with butter cream.  Drizzle on some Magic Shell.  Add some sprinkles and a cherry on top!  Look what you got!  Put these in the fridge for just a few minutes so the Magic Shell will harden. 

When these are being made, I need to move fast!  All the little Beanes heard me getting out sprinkles and came running.


String Beane loves these.  It is nice to have an ice cream sundae looking option when you are allergic to milk.  (Notice little Jelly Beane's face?  She thought he was taking hers away.)  



 Butter Beane has inherited my sweet tooth.  It is one of the many things I love about him.


 My sweet Jelly Beane woke up from her nap and came running at the smell of cupcakes.  

These cupcakes freeze beautifully too!  Just freeze them in a zip lock bag.  When you are ready to eat them.  Just take them out of the freezer, ice them and decorate.  Then you have an impressive dessert on a moments notice. 



I am linking up with Metamorphosis Monday, Allergy free Wednesday and these other Awesome Parties!

Monday, August 6, 2012

Menu Plan Monday August 6

It is the beginning of a new week.  Where are all the weeks going?  My little Beanes will be starting preschool and first grade 3 weeks!  Ugh.  I guess we will need to get in as much pool time as possible for the next few weeks.  Then reality hits.

On to the menu plan.

 I am going to try some new recipes this week.  They are both Asian, so we should like them.

I am also throwing in family favorites as a buffer in case the new recipes bomb.

Here is the line up:

Monday

Easy Egg Rolls

TPW_1367
Simple Sesame Noodles
Edemamme

Tuesday  ~This will have to be a quickie... we have gymnastics and a baseball game!
Spaghetti with Meat sauce
Salad
Corn

Wednesday


Lettuce Wraps
left over Sesame Noodles

Thursday

Asian Dumplings
Fried Rice
Edemamme

Friday

Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken
Boiled Potatoes
Broccoli

Weekend
Hot Dogs
French Fries
Slaw

That is our plan for this week.  I hope you have a great week.

I am linking up with Menu Plan Monday.  Go check out all of the recipes!



Friday, August 3, 2012

Friday Favorites

It is Friday Ya'll!

Well, I have started a new diet.  Boo.  It promises fast and good results if I stick to it - to the letter.  You see the problem here?  I have to stick to it....to the letter.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

In the meantime, I am pinning what I would be eating, if it were a part of this diet.


Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cake


Funfetti Icebox Cake


Biscoff Peanut Butter Chip Cookies


Lava Flow


Almond Joy Frappe

I am linking up with Finding Joy in my Kitchen.  Go by and check out what everyone else has pinned.