Menu for 10/28/13-11/3/13

My weekend was jam packed with exciting activities!  First we had portraits with Li'l P Friday morning, dinner with Grandmother and Papaw Friday night, I had to work Saturday morning, and then I came home and made cupcakes for Nightmare Night.  At Nightmare Night we got to meet some ducks and a goose (just like the game!) and interrupt everyone's games, and dance to some dubstep with a glow stick!  This was actually the first time Bailey has ever thrown a fit over being put in the car seat.  Actually, she usually climbs in all by herself.  And finally on Sunday night we visited Admiral and played with crayons and stack cups and finger puppets after dinner.

Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta Florentine

Whenever I find a recipe that I know Aaron won't eat I volunteer to cook dinner at Yaya's house.  I use them as guinea pigs and if dinner turns out well I trick Aaron into trying it by making it for his parents.

This recipe will never fly with him.  He won't eat spinach or diced tomatoes and he definitely won't go for a meal with no meat so he will never ever try this, but I thought it was fabulous!

My Big Little Girl

I will be the first to admit that I don't do everything right as a parent.  Some things I don't realize that I'm doing wrong.  Like it took me 3 months to figure out that all I had to do was tell Bailey to push and she could put her arms in her sleeves all by herself or that if I say "Step in," she will just step right into her pants like a big girl.

I mostly let Bailey do things by herself.  She's a pretty independent kid.

Menu for 10/21/13-10/27/13

I was going to tell you about my week but somehow a horrible headache crept up on me.  I'm having a little trouble seeing the computer screen so I'm just going to jump right to the menu.  Maybe sometime this week I'll have time to catch you up.

Fried Apple Butter Turnovers

Have you ever had a non-traditional birthday cake?  Personally I prefer brownies to cake.  In fact I prefer blondies to brownies.  I have been known to request brownies instead of cake on my birthday.

My brother would rather have apple butter turnovers.

I got lucky with these because I have a jar of Nana's homemade apple butter which makes these some of the very best turnovers I've ever had.  They are not like traditional turnovers with the flaky pastry.  They are made with canned biscuits (though you could probably do them in the oven with crescent rolls) making them more like a hand pie than a turnover, but my family has always called them turnovers.  They are fried in salted butter creating an interesting dynamic between the salty, crispy outside and the sweet, soft center.

Ginger Chicken with Broccoli

I love Chinese takeout.  I really love Chinese takeout.  Seriously, I am super in love with Chinese takeout.

Ya know what I don't love? I don't love driving to pick up Chinese takeout.  I don't  love calling to order Chinese takeout.  I don't love paying for Chinese takeout.

Folks, I may have found a way to have Chinese takeout without having Chinese takeout.  You can make it at home, and it is amazing, and easy!

Menu for 10/14/13-10/20/13

We had a fun week!  Nana got to come home from rehab this week, and I feel like I actually accomplished things this week.  I don't know why but I was on top of the cooking and cleaning stuff every day.

We switched our weekly plans with Yaya to Mondays instead of Tuesdays leaving me four blissful days in a row to do home things.  I do laundry, clean the bathroom, living room, and Bailey's room, buy groceries, plan meals... I even worked in a cupcake order this weekend.  I am so on the ball!

Mozzarella and Pepperoni Stuffed Chicken

This month will see two versions of chicken cordon bleu.  This is the first, and the second (in a couple of weeks) will be an actual traditional chicken cordon bleu.

Menu for 10/7/13-10/13/13

Bailey made a new friend this week and we are having a play date with her tomorrow.  I can't wait!  Her new friend is four years old, but she's a small four and Bailey is a big (almost) two so they look like two three year olds playing together, except that Bailey can't talk as well.  Thursday they played with pine needles in the parking lot until Bailey's hair was full of needles and leaves and dirt.  We had to do bath time before nap time.

Shredded Beef Enchiladas

Tonight was the last night of leftovers from that amazing roast beef I made Monday night.  I'm sad that all of my roast beef is gone, but I'm also really glad that I made the most of it.  I'm also glad that I got to try something really out of the box with this recipe.

Leftover Roast Beef Stew

Sooooo I'm an idiot.  I admit it.  I willingly admit that I'm a nerd and a dork, but tonight I am a total idiot.  Dinner tonight was supposed to be made in the crock pot.  I put all of the ingredients in the crock pot just like I was supposed to.  I turned the crock pot on low and went to sit down in the living room.

Death by Chocolate Bundt Cake

Lately I feel like I've pinned every recipe on Pinterest that I'm interested in.  I spend more of my time looking through my own pins than looking for new ones, but the other day I came across one that I hadn't seen before and I couldn't wait to try it.

Yaya's Crock Pot Roast Beef

Aaron is always asking me to cook him meals that his mother cooked when he was little.  He wants these sour cream chicken enchiladas that she used to make (which I've tried to make twice with different recipes and he still says they're not right), her beef stew (which as it turns out is just like Mom's vegetable beef soup only a bit thicker), and his favorite food to ask for is roast beef.  Now, Mom always made roast beef in the crock pot.  She would put it in the night before and cook it really low overnight.  By morning the beef was cooked and we could have a roast beef sandwich for lunch!