Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Menu Plan for the Week…and Are You Having Trouble Leaving a Comment On My Posts??

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I’ve heard from several of you that you’ve tried to leave a comment on a post sometime in the last couple of weeks, but my site hasn’t let you. How very rude of my site to not let you say what you would like to say. I’m so sorry. We’ve tried to get to the bottom of this, with little success. So, the only thing we can think of is that, since my site has recently been upgraded (on the back end), many computers are remembering my site as it used to be, and is therefore not letting you leave a comment.

Doesn’t that just totally make sense? No? That’s okay. I know what I mean. Sort of.

What I recommend to you is that you “clear your computer cache“. Hopefully that will take care of the problem. Because I reallllly want you to be able to leave comments when you want to leave comments. I always love hearing what you all have to say.

Not sure how to clear your cache? Here is a “how to clear your computer cache” tutorial, which is very helpful.

Don’t you wish there was some method of clearing your brain cache when you’re feeling bogged down and overwhelmed? If I ever find a tutorial for that, I will be sure and let you know. (Although I suppose prayer would do the trick, wouldn’t it? God is always good to take a load off our hearts and brains.)  :)

I am loving this time of year, with so many great, fresh fruits and vegetables available!! Can’t get enough! We are focusing on having two or three fruits and vegetables for each meal. It’s awesome!

Here’s what our menu looks like this week:

Sunday, July 22
Oatmeal, fresh peaches
Tuna salad, cherry tomatoes, applesauce, cucumbers
Calzones, cherries, baby carrots

Monday, July 23
Banana muffins, cantaloupe
Chicken burritos, watermelon, carrot sticks, kiwi
Cheeseburger zucchini boats, green beans

Tuesday, July 24
Whole wheat waffles, blueberries
Homemade chicken nuggets, peas, kiwi
Taco potatoes, smoothies

Wednesday, July 25
Pancake sausage muffins, cantaloupe
Pizza on the grill, peaches, peppers from the garden
Turkey sausage and red bean stew, watermelon, tomatoes

Thursday, July 26
Scrambled eggs with cheese, cherries
Grilled hotdogs (I use Applegate brand all beef hotdogs), watermelon, green beans
Italian pasta bake (on the stovetop so I don’t have to heat the oven), tossed salad, zucchini

Friday, July 27
Peanut butter honey toast, peaches and cream
Cottage cheese and pineapple, tomatoes, sweet peppers
Steak on the grill, zucchini, corn on the cob, cucumbers

Saturday, July 28
Granola, fruit
Leftovers
Bbq chicken, fried zucchini, green beans

 

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Menu Plan for the Week – and a Vanilla Announcement!

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I am blessed to have just arrived home after a lovely three day get-away with my sisters-in-law. I’ll tell you all about it on Gratituesday, but in the meantime, take a look at where I was on Friday:

Matt and the boys managed great on their own, eating much of what I had stocked away in the freezer. Now that I’m home, I’m anxious to get back in the kitchen. The break from the norm was refreshing, but now I feel the need to cook something. :)

Here’s what we’ll be eating this week:

Sunday, July 15
Oatmeal, fruit
Hamburger green bean casserole, cantaloupe
Leftovers

Monday, July 16
Turkey sausage and scrambled eggs, oranges
Homemade corndogs, fruit-kefir smoothies
Grilled bbq chicken, tossed salad, corn on the cob

Tuesday, July 17
Whole wheat pancakes, blueberries
Black bean taco salad, watermelon
Easy noodle stir fry

Wednesday, July 18
Mini breakfast pizza, strawberries
Fried zucchini, cantaloupe, peas
Chicken alfredo, steamed broccoli and carrots

Thursday, July 19
Granola, dried fruit
Tuna casserole, green beans, peaches
Creamy crock pot chicken and rice, tossed salad

Friday, July 20
Giant breakfast cookies, applesauce
Taco corn fritters, watermelon
Grilled steak, zucchini and yellow squash, tossed salad

Saturday, July 21
Chocolate chocolate chip muffins, bananas
Leftovers
One dish meat and potato casserole

And now for the Vanilla Extract announcement!

We have a batch of Homemade Vanilla Extract bottled and ready for sale. We will be offering this on Wednesday, July 18 on a first-come-first-served-while-supplies-last-get-it-while-you-can basis. :)  The sale will begin around 8:00 CST. Mark it down and come to the website early if you’re interested as we usually sell out very quickly. We have two, four, and eight ounce bottles to ship out.

If you’re interested in making your own vanilla, read instructions here. Now is the perfect time to start a batch so that you can bottle it and give it away as Christmas gifts!

 

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Menu Plan for the Week

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If you recall, three out of four of our boys were at their grandparent’s house for several days last week. I missed them like crazy. But I sure did get a lot of work done! I helped Matt paint the front of our house (leaving the high ladder parts up to him). And I was able to spend hours writing a new eBook that I’ve had tons of requests for. This felt like a great accomplishment, as I’ve been working on this book here and there for almost three years. More details coming, just as soon as I feel I’m far enough along in the process to get my hopes up about ever finishing it. ;)

Our boys are all home, so now all is right in my world. A great friend of ours got married this weekend. We are so excited for her and her new husband! Here’s a shot of our family, taken just before the wedding started.

Is it just me, or do any of you married gals feel a little sense of “vow renewal” after attending a wedding? I always leave a wedding with all kinds of sappy feelings of newly married affection toward Matt. Eighteen years and four kids later, I remember how I felt on the day of our wedding so clearly. They tell you on your wedding day that your love will continue to grow. At that time, you can’t imagine that it’s possible. But wow, it’s so very true. Okay…just needed to share all of that since I’ve been feeling all kinds of mushy since yesterday. :)

Moving on to talk of food, since this is my menu plan post, let’s talk homemade chicken nuggets. I find that if I prepare (cut and bread) several batches ahead of time, then freeze them – grabbing them out to make for a quick lunch is super easy!

In case you were wondering, I had served the nuggets with
peas and Creamy Mac and Cheese the day of this picture.

Here’s our menu for this week:

Sunday, July 8
Oatmeal, apples
Grilled marinated Italian chicken, grilled potatoes, tossed salad, peas
Grilled hotdogs, carrot sticks, watermelon (We use all beef, organic Applegate hotdogs that we get from our health food co-op, Azure Standard.)

Monday, July 9
Whole wheat pancakes, blueberries
Homemade chicken nuggets, peas, cantaloupe
Hamburgers, green beans, watermelon

Tuesday, July 10
Coconut flour banana muffins, applesauce
Tuna salad with tomatoes, cottage cheese and pineapple
Spaghetti, zucchini and yellow squash

Wednesday, July 11
Giant breakfast cookies, bananas
Calzones, watermelon
Cheesy beef and rice, green beans

Thursday, July 12
Whole wheat waffles, applesauce
Ham and cheese with crackers, smoothies
Cheesy salsa enchiladas, tossed salad

Friday, July 13
Whole wheat donuts (frozen and rewarmed in the toaster oven)
Corn dog muffins, raw veggies
Leftovers

Saturday, July 14
Scrambled eggs, oranges
Creamy mac and cheese, peas
Bbq chicken, corn on the cob, tossed salad

If menu planning is a struggle for you (or even if it’s not!),
be sure to check into Plan to Eat and enter to win a free year’s subscription!

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Our (Non) Menu Plan for the Week

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I have decided to give myself a week off from menu planning. Why? Because three out of four of our boys are at their grandparent’s house right now. This means that I only have three people to cook for. The three of us remaining at home do still have to eat, and in fact, since it’s just Matt, Asa, and me, I may even make some extra special meals. But I see this as being a very laid-back week. There’s not even a little piece of me that feels like making a plan. And so…I rebel. :)

Do you ever feel that way when some of your family members aren’t home? Planning and cooking a big meal three times a day just doesn’t seem as necessary when the whole family isn’t here, for some weird reason.

Since I’m down three kids, I plan on taking a little vacation from the “norm”. What kind of vacation am I taking, you ask? The kind of vacation that includes painting a house, getting extra writing done, cleaning out closets and cabinets, and you know – other very “vacation-y” type activities that can be done much more easily when you are neither cooking for a crowd nor doing boat-loads of laundry.

Kudos to my dad and his lovely wife, Tacy, for being the ones who are making it all possible this week. I already miss my kids so much that I find it’s best if I don’t think about it too hard. Denial about my true feelings is a happier place to be. I know they are having a wonderful time with grandparents. (And they are probably enjoying ice cream every night before bed…)  :)

Asa did request Homemade French Fries this week saying,
“It will be much easier for you to only make fries for three of us instead of six…” 
He’s so thoughtful. 
And yes, all three of us will enjoy not having to share the fries like we usually do!

If you typically look at my menu plan each week to help you figure out what your family is eating, go ahead and sift through my archives of menu plans to see if you can find something that looks good.

Right now, my non-menu making self is going to take a nap. I figured that would be a good idea before I started my painting and writing filled vacation… :)

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Menu Plan for the Week

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Lookie how pretty this is. I love this Gratitude plate from Blessings Unlimited. What a great way to start my day, with a reminder to be grateful. And well, hot pancakes and fresh milk – what’s not to be grateful for? :)

Here is our menu for this week:

Sunday, June 24
Oatmeal, fruit
Roast, carrots, potatoes, gravy
Leftovers

Monday, June 25
Peanut butter pancakes, bananas
Taco corn fritters, pineapple
Grilled bbq chicken, okra, green beans

Tuesday, June 26
Coconut flour banana muffins, apples
Tuna salad, tomatoes, crackers, carrot sticks
Chicken fried steak strips, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas

Wednesday, June 27
Granola, dried fruit, milk
Black bean taco salad, fruit
Burgers on the grill, watermelon, green beans

Thursday, June 28
Scrambled egg sandwiches, oranges
Meat and cheese burritos, cantaloupe
Italian chicken, asparagus, steamed carrots

Friday, June 29
Peanut butter honey toast, applesauce
Calzones, grapes
Nacho bar

Saturday, June 30
Easy egg casserole, fruit
Pulled pork (family gathering), cheesy potatoes, green beans
Hamburgers, fruit, carrots

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Menu Plan for the Week

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I hope you’ve had a great day honoring the important men in your life. I had a nice phone chat with my dad this afternoon. (I caught him before his Sunday afternoon snooze. Aren’t I such a nice daughter?!)  The boys and I have been trying to spoil Matt today, and based on his reaction at lunch, I’d say we’ve been successful.

Before church, I started marinating some chicken legs in barbecue sauce so that they were ready to grill when we got home. While they were grilling, Justus picked lettuce from our garden for a salad, and I made some sweet corn (the last of what we froze last summer) and some okra (also frozen from last summer). Matt loved the feast, but then I reminded him to save room for his dessert… :)

I typically make Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie about once a year – on Father’s Day. Wowza, this is a rich treat only to be had on rare occasions! But hey, it sure was fun to honor Matt and you know…participate in sharing in his Father’s Day treat with him. And here Matt thought I made the pie especially for him. ;)

I’ll post both this pie recipe and our Grilled Barbecue Chicken recipe later this week. 

Here’s what our menu looks like for this week:

Sunday, June 17
Apple crisp
Grilled barbecue chicken, fried okra, sweet corn, tossed salad, chocolate peanut butter pie
Pasta alfredo, steamed broccoli and carrots

Monday, June 18
Scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, creamy orange cooler
Corn dog muffins, carrot sticks with ranch, fruit-kefir smoothies
Popcorn chicken, tossed salad, green beans

Tuesday, June 19
Cream cheese pastry, bananas
Salmon patties, smoothies, peas
Taco corn fritters, watermelon, carrots

Wednesday, June 20
Orange muffins, applesauce
Easy noodle stir fry
Italian pasta bake, tossed salad, asparagus

Thursday, June 21
Banana bread, apple slices
Tuna casserole, peas
Teriyaki chicken and veggies

Friday, June 22
Giant breakfast cookies, grapes
Meat and cheese burritos, watermelon, raw veggies
Grilled burgers, cantaloupe, fried zucchini

Saturday, June 23
Granola, dried fruit
Leftovers
Turkey/cheese melts, grapes, strawberries

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Menu Plan for the Week

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We had about seven extra teenage boys join us for part of the weekend to help us celebrate our oldest son, Asa, turning 15. They are all great boys, and as you can imagine, I had a lot of fun feeding them!

For breakfast on Saturday, I made a batch of Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls, per Asa’s request. He also requested that I frost them with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting. Wow, was that good (if I do say so myself). I used this Cream Cheese Frosting recipe and added 3 Tablespoons of orange juice concentrate. So tasty!

Here’s what our menu looks like this week:

Sunday, June 10
Leftover homemade cinnamon rolls, fruit
Cheeseburger macaroni, peas
Sub sandwiches, carrots, fruit

Monday, June 11
Peanut butter pancakes, applesauce
Tuna salad on crackers, tomatoes, fruit and kefir smoothies
Taco potatoes

Tuesday, June 12
Breakfast burritos, oranges
Spaghetti, tossed salad, green beans
Grilled salmon, rice, steamed broccoli and carrots

Wednesday, June 13
Pancake sausage muffins, grapes
Chicken burritos, watermelon
Black bean taco salad

Thursday, June 14
Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins, apples
Alfredo sauce with pasta, steamed mixed veggies
Easy noodle stir fry with chicken, broccoli, carrots, and asparagus

Friday, June 15
Peanut butter honey toast, oranges
Salmon patties, applesauce, carrot sticks
Chicken fried steak strips, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas

Saturday, June 16
Breakfast cake, bananas
Leftovers
Grilled steak, asparagus, corn, watermelon

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Menu Plan for the Week

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Our oldest is turning 15 this week. (As my lovely sister-in-law assures me each year on Asa’s birthday – I am much too young to have a 15 year old. I’m hanging on to that!)

Turning 15 means that he is getting his learner’s permit and will soon be driving me to the store. I think every time I look at him he is taller. Wow. Love my teenager!

He’s working to figure out what meals he wants to eat for his birthday, and has almost landed on Peach Crisp or Cobbler for breakfast. No one around here is arguing.

Here is our menu for this week:

Sunday, June 3
Oatmeal, fruit
Italian roast with carrots and green beans
Nachos

Monday, June 4
Peanut butter pancakes, bananas
Cheddar ranch burgers, creamy cole slaw, baked beans
Easy noodle stir fry, tossed salad

Tuesday, June 5
Scrambled egg sandwiches, oranges
Black bean salsa, organic corn chips, fruit
Taco salad

Wednesday, June 6
Hashbrowns, turkey sausage, creamy orange coolers
Tuna salad on tomatoes, smoothies
Cheesy salsa enchiladas, tossed salad

Thursday,  June 7
Mini breakfast pizzas, apples
Creamy mac and cheese, peas
Bean and cheese burritos, watermelon

Friday, June 8
Asa’s bday choices! – waiting to hear…

Saturday, June 9
Giant breakfast cookies, fruit
Sloppy joes, raw veggies
Leftovers

What will you be eating this week?

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Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Pancakes (and My Peanut Butter Addiction Confession)

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Peanut Butter Pancakes? Oh yes.

I have no idea what my deal is lately, but during the past few weeks, I have become completely addicted to peanut butter. I can not seem to get enough. I want peanut butter in and on everything. Well, maybe not everything. I suppose spooning a dollop of peanut butter onto my taco salad or chicken fried steak would not be as tasty. But bread and pancakes and cookies – bring it on. I am, of course, okay with you giving me a little chocolate with my peanut butter. But you probably already figured that one out.

Over Memorial Day weekend, my dad’s wife made a delicious Peanut Butter Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting, which may have been one of the best desserts I’ve ever eaten. And I may have topped it with Homemade Butterfinger Ice Cream. Twice. (And yes I am a little sheepish to admit that.)  Remind me to get that cake recipe, because I think I need to adapt it and share it with you, don’t you think so?

Because I can’t come up with a better reason, I have decided that my peanut butter addiction is most likely because of all of the workouts I’ve been doing. Yes, walking and weight lifting make a person very hungry for peanut butter. I believe there is even some extensive research and scientific data to back up that statement. As a matter of fact, I even found and read an article recently which stated:  Be sure to drink plenty of water…and eat lots and oodles and gobs of peanut butter after exercise!!!

Okay, not really. Or if I did, I would surely have been the one writing it.

In all seriousness (if I can, in fact, write something in all seriousness), I truly do believe that the real reason I am loving peanut butter so much right now is because my body needs the extra protein to help me along in my fitness goals. Jen, my trainer friend, agrees with me, and tells me that in fact, I do definitely need extra protein now. She’s the expert, which makes me feel better about my peanut butter consumption so that I know that I am not completely nuts. Get it – nuts? (Oh brother.)  Anyway, I am definitely eating plenty of protein in the form of good meat, eggs, and yes…peanut butter.

(Now, what excuse can I come up with to justify eating chocolate do you suppose? Jen, do you have anything for me on that one?? Please?)

I went into all of that simply to let you know why I created a Peanut Butter Pancake recipe. It sounded like a great way to add protein to our breakfast, so I gave it a try. And, it made it possible for me to feed my addiction first thing in the morning. Yay for me. :)

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter PancakesYum

Whole Wheat Peanut Butter Pancakes (and My Peanut Butter Addiction Confession)
 
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Author:
Ingredients
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour (I use freshly ground)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 5 Tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup natural peanut butter (I use homemade creamy peanut butter)
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 eggs
Instructions
  1. Mix flour, baking powder, and sea salt. In a small sauce pan, melt butter and peanut butter together, stirring so that it won't scorch.
  2. Pour melted butter and peanut butter, along with the milk and eggs into the flour mixture.
  3. Whisk until well mixed.
  4. Cook the pancakes on a buttered griddle or skillet, flipping halfway through cooking.
  5. Serve with real maple syrup or your favorite pancake topping.
  6. Makes about 20 three inch pancakes.

Peanut Butter Pancakes

Incredible with a glass of milk…

My apologies to all of you who have a peanut allergy and had an allergic reaction simply by reading this post that was so full of nutty information.

Are you a fan of peanut butter? Which do you like best, creamy or crunchy? Ever tried making homemade peanut butter? It is the best stuff ever!!!

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Menu Plan for the Week

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We’ve been blessed to be able to spend time with many of our extended family this weekend and are looking forward to more time tomorrow. I hope you are enjoying your Memorial Day weekend!

Here’s our menu plan for the week:

Sunday, May 27
Oatmeal, fruit
Roast, carrots, potatoes, gravy, green beans
Pizza

Monday, May 28
Pancakes, cantaloupe
Family get together – Cook-out with homemade ice cream
Leftovers

Tuesday, May 29
Chocolate chocolate chip muffins, applesauce
Homemade calzones, tossed salad, smoothies
Chicken pasta alfredo, steamed broccoli and carrots

Wednesday, May 30
Honey whole wheat bagels, fruit salad
Bean and cheese burritos, peaches
Bbq brisket, baked potatoes, asparagus

Thursday, May 31
Creamy orange cooler, toast
Cheeseburger macaroni, peas
Italian cream cheese pasta, tossed salad

Friday, June 1
Easy breakfast casserole, oranges
Corn dog muffins, mock frozen yogurt
Hamburgers, homemade fries, carrot sticks

Saturday, June 2
Whole wheat cinnamon rolls, fruit
Leftovers
Beefy enchilada bake, tossed salad

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