Happy 2014!

Here's to a Happy (and sweet) New Year!  Cheers!

Candy cane vodka

I think this may be the start of something very good. 

Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Hanukkah!

Menu Plan Monday - October 14, 2013

Another week?  Really?  That phrase "the days are long but the time is short" seems to be sticking with me right now.  There just is so much to do and my head feels like it is spinning.  But perhaps it's just this sinus headache that is settling in?  I don't know.

Menu:

Monday - Sweet and sour tofu, brown rice, broccoli

Tuesday - Pasta, maybe penne ala vodka

Wednesday - Grilled chicken tacos/salad

Thursday - Homemade pizza

Friday - not sure yet, perhaps pecan chicken since I didn't get to make it the other week? carrots, challah

Looking for more recipes, check out MPM at orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - October 7, 2013

Ok, it's Tuesday.  I know.  Keeping it brief.

Menu:

Monday - Baked potatoes with veggie chili and toppings bar.

Tuesday - Ravioli and salad

Wednesday - Grilled Chicken, veggies, ?

Thursday - Homemade Pizza, crudite

Friday - Pot roast with onions, carrots, potatoes, challah

For more menus and ideas, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - September 30, 2013

Is it really the end of September? I can't believe it.  My big boy turns five at the end of October, so I really need to get going on those plans.  Made a trip to the Asian food store this weekend, so we're all socked up for a little while.  Made some veggie sushi yesterday.  The kids got to take leftovers for lunch today...lucky kids :)


Menu Plan:

Monday - Hamburger steaks on the grill, mushrooms, onions, grilled potatoes, baby bok choy.

Tuesday -Pasta Primavera, green beans

Wednesday - Sweet and sour tofu, veggies, brown rice

Thursday - Homemade pizza

Friday - Pecan chicken, carrots, challah, not sure what else?

For more recipes and menus, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

Tiny Torah Treats for Simchat Torah

Today's project-

1.)Make the chocolate leather. Melt one pound of chocolate in the microwave. Stir to make sure all the chocolate is melted. Add 7 tablespoons of corn syrup and stir to combine. The chocolate will tighten up into a ball. Allow it to cool. This will make a lot, but it can keep covered in the fridge for a long time.

2.) Dip the ends of pretzel sticks with white chocolate and then into sprinkles. Place them on parchment paper and allow the chocolate to dry.

3.). Roll out chocolate leather and cut into strips. 

4.). Roll out and cut airheads candy for decoration. I used the white and layered some strips of blue on top. Tip - I used a mini fondant rolling pin and pizza cutter. 

5.) Place a pretzel stick on either end of a  strip of chocolate leather. Roll up to look like a scroll and then wrap the airheads to keep it together. Store then at room temperature on parchment paper lined container. 

Menu Plan Monday - September 23, 2013

Well, last week's menu plan worked for the most part.  In my haste to get it posted last week I forgot that Wednesday was "Sukkot under the Stars" event for the kids with hayrides, s'mores, and square dancing.  I changed the meal to pasta instead (Bowties and Broccoli) for something quick.  Friday night's meal didn't go as planned either.  I ended up getting a rotisserie chicken instead, but still made homemade challah in the morning.  

This week's plan:

Monday - Broccoli and cheese soup with homemade sourdough baguette

Tuesday - Turkey Burgers, grilled veggies (if the weather cooperates)

Wednesday - Fish Tacos

Thursday - Homemade Pizza

Friday - Second attempt at  - Moroccan meatballs, hummus, tabbouleh, challah

Looking for more recipes and menu ideas, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - September 16, 2013

Ok. Wow!  It's been a long time since I posted a menu.  Now that we are settling in here in Florida and school is well under way for the year, I'm trying to get back in to the routine of menu planning and sharing recipes.

Menu for this week -

Monday - Tried this recipe for Black bean lasagna last week.  DH and I liked it, but the kids picked around the black beans.  This week I'm going to try it again, but omit the beans and add some shredded cheese to the top.  I know that means it's not quite as healthy, but it still eliminates the ricotta cheese mixture from the lasagna.

Tuesday - Pretzel dogs and roasted potato wedges.

Wednesday - Italian Wedding soup (with homemade chicken broth), using Ina Garten's recipe, minus the milk and cheese and using just ground turkey for the meatballs.

Thursday - Homemade Pizza

Friday - Moroccan meatballs, hummus, tabbouleh, challah


Looking for more menu ideas, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - April 29, 2013

Wow!  I can't believe I haven't posted since Passover.  What a month it has been.  As some folks already know, we are in the process of moving to Florida.  Kids still have another month of school and plenty of activities to keep us very busy.  I'm not sure how often I will be posting in the next month or two, so I am apologizing upfront.  I'm keeping the menus simple and trying to use up things from the pantry/fridge/freezer.


Monday - Leftovers, crudite

Tuesday - I need to make Sweet and Sour Chicken for a school event, so I will just make extra for our dinner, rice and veggies.  I plan on using a recipe similar to this one. but add in some veggies like carrots and peppers.  I've made this recipe before and it is really good.

Wednesday - Shredded beef tacos or pasta.  Not sure yet, depends on how everyone is feeling.

Thursday - Homemade pizza

Friday - Spaghetti and Meatballs, challah

Looking for more menu ideas or recipes, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - Pesach Edition

Happy Passover!  I'm taking a bit of a break to write and post some pictures (mostly taken last year).  It's going to be a crazy, busy week.  I haven't planned out all the meals for the week, especially since I'll need to pack Passover-friendly lunches for the kids and DH this week.

Menu plan:




First night Seder: (Monday)

Hard-boiled eggs and salt water
Haroset
Gefilte fish and horseradish (For B)
For the kids:  Baby Moses salad
Mock-chopped liver (for me!)
Matzah ball soup
Cranberry compote
Mini Veggie Kugels
Potato souffle with caramelized onions
Aunt Babe's Brisket
Steamed Asparagus
Dessert:  Passover brownies (tried a new recipe this year - I need to share later), coconut macaroons, Matzah toffee bark, and Rainbow cookies

Matzah Ball Soup

Potato Souffle with caramelized onions and mushrooms

Mock Chopped Liver

Baby Moses Salad

Mini Veggie Kugels

Brisket

Rainbow cookies

Second Night : (Tuesday)

Repeat on most, but I may make carrot souffle to add to the veggies.

Wednesday ; Leftovers (hopefully)

Thursday:  Matzah Pizza

Friday - Roasted Chicken, sauteed spinach, potatoes, ?

Lunches. etc.:  Farfel and cheese, Spinach Souffle

Farfel and Cheese

Looking for more menu ideas or recipe, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - March 11, 2013

Still working on cleaning out some of the pasta/rice stash and the freezer.

Monday - Sweet and Sour Tofu, Green beans, Brown rice

Tuesday - Pasta

Wednesday - Fish Tacos

Thursday - Homemade Pizza (lots of dough in freezer)

Friday - Spaghetti and Meatballs (from the freezer and into the crock-pot)


Looking for more menu ideas and recipes, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

Menu Plan Monday - March 4, 2013

Keeping this short today.  Can't seem to get my head in the game.  Trying to clean out the freezer a bit to prepare for Passover (3 weeks-yikes!) 

Monday - Grilled Chicken salad and quinoa. 

Tuesday - Pasta...maybe frozen ravioli?

Wednesday - Roasted chicken with shawarma seasoning, schug, hummus, leftover quinoa, roasted sweet potato fries.

Thursday - Eggplant parmagiana (use up some bread crumbs)

Friday - Chicken Piccata (EVOO for the butter in the recipe), sauteed spinach, challah

For more recipe ideas and menus, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com

Purim Wrap-up

Gingerbread Hamentaschen

I wanted to post some pictures of  the treats we made and sent out last week for Purim.  I tried out a few new recipes this year to mix things up a bit.  First, I made gingerbread hamentaschen.  I used a basic gingerbread dough added a bit of apple butter for the filling and finished them with a bit of royal icing drizzle. The kids loved these and I will definitely make them again.  I think they love anything with a drizzle of icing.  A few of them didn't stay closed through the baking, so I don't know if they needed a bit more flour or just more pinching to stay closed.

Blondies

Another new-ish recipe was for the blondies.  I have made the Pioneer Woman's recipe for "Knock-you-naked" brownies a few times.  I thought I would run with the idea.  I used a box of vanilla cake mix (actually the valentine's one), omitted the nuts to the batter, and added white chocolate chips and shredded coconut for the center.  Another keeper of a recipe and super easy!

Chocolate pretzel candy

Last new recipe which is not really a recipe at all.  Something I saw while scrolling pinterest one day and thought "that looks good".  Little pretzel squares topped with chocolate hearts placed in a low oven (200 F) for 8-10 minutes.  Remove and top with an M&M.  Let cool (that's the hard part!).

Pumpkin Bread

I also made pumpkin bread.  Yes, with more royal icing on top  :)

Brownie covered oreos

This is an old picture, but I also made brownie covered oreos from this recipe.

And of course the star of the show was the Hamentaschen.

Packages getting ready

And the kids really enjoyed helping make the baskets inside.  I saw the idea here.

After all the baking and packing, I decided to get a bit festive with my Challah for the week, too.

Menu Plan Monday - February 25,2013

It's hard to believe it's the last week of February already.  Spring does seem to be on it's way here.  I survived the winter break.  Our menu plan from last week got a bit jumbled up because the kids were under the weather for a few days.

Sunday:  I made sushi for Purim.  The kids have been begging for sushi all week and it just didn't happen for Friday last week.  I decided to try to make them triangular-shaped to be more festive.

Monday:  Korean Beef.  I'm thinking of trying my own variation of this recipe.  Leftover sticky rice and steamed veggies.

Tuesday:  Baked Ravioli

Wednesday:  Baked tilapia, broccoli

Thursday:  Homemade Pizza.  Last week we had both New York style and Chicago style

Friday:  Roasted Chicken, Challah, Sweet potatoes, ?

Looking for more menu ideas and recipes, please visit MPM at orgjunkie.com