What Is WEYW?

Michelle commented on this post and asked the following question:

Now fend for yourself sounds great. What do you have on hand that they can make? YOur kids are the same ages of some of mine but I just dont give them that freedom...though I think its a GREAT idea. I'm just nervous about them eating all the food I'm saving for another meal. So tell me more. Can you do a blog post on it and comment on my blog to let me know? LOL. Asking much of you these days????

Well Michelle, I try to keep basics on hand for these days, and I actually have two pantries. The first one is a normal pantry filled with all the food our family would use on a regular basis. The second pantry is just a small kitchen cabinet where I keep any food that I am keeping for a specific meal, and any extra food that I might buy and stock up on when I find a really good deal on something. The kids know not to eat anything out of the second pantry without asking. I also have an extra freezer in the garage and I keep anything that I am planning to use in a meal in that freezer.

As for what they make, the boys usually end up eating pb&j or a ham or turkey sandwich. Sometimes they'll have a bowl of cereal. Kristen will either make a sandwich (usually grilled cheese on homemade bread) make herself a salad, or make some mac & cheese or ramen noodles. She would also be the one to heat up leftovers. (The boys don't seem to want to cook as much as assemble a meal) I also always have fruit and yogurt in the house and they can help themselves to that.

I try not to have a WEYW night very often, but sometimes life gets hectic and I don't plan ahead as well as I should. Currently Spencer has soccer practice every Wednesday from 5:30 to 7:00 and unless I plan ahead and have something in the crock pot, it's either WEYW for the other kids, or we don't eat until 8:00. (we usually eat around 6:30, so eating at 5:00 is way to early!)

I hope this answers your questions Michelle!

Menu Plan Monday

Well, after an extended absence, I am back to blogging again. With the kids back in school I am settling into a regular schedule, including planning my menus So, without further ado... here's the menu for the week.

Monday -

Polish Sausage

Sauerkraut

Corn Casserole

Homemade Bread

Tuesday -

Carmen Chicken

Rice

Corn

Biscuits

Wednesday -

WEYW*

Thursday -

Broccoli Ham Ring

Salad

Friday -

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Sourdough Bread

Saturday -

Homemade Pizza

Sunday -

Roast Chicken

Oven Fries

Carrots

Homemade Bread

Head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie for more great menus!

*WEYW stands for What Ever You Want. This is where the kids make their own dinner-as long as it's something they can make by themselves, and they won't burn the house down making it. (Does this make me a bad mom? I don't know, but my kids really like fending for themselves...maybe I'm not a bad mom, just a bad cook!)

I Could Get Used To This

If you read my post on Monday, you know that Kristen was preparing dinner on Thursday. Well, she made the entire meal from start to finish and did a wonderful job!

She planned the menu.

She did the shopping (with a budget of course).

She prepared the ingredients.
She stirred the ingredients together vigorously.

Here's the final product. Chili Grande served in a tortilla bowl! (She also made a salad, but I somehow lost that picture)

She even made Strawberry Shortcake!

And here she is enjoying the fruits of her labor. Andrew's enjoying it too.

The dinner turned out so well that we agreed that she will be making dinner next Thursday too!

Menu Plan Monday

Menu planning for me has been rather hit or miss of late. I usually end up staring into the freezer at 5:00 wondering why oh why didn't I think to take the chicken out that morning, then I'm left with either PB&J or take out pizza for dinner...again.

But no more! I have made a menu plan for the entire month of August. And I must say, it is wonderful to have the "what's for dinner" decision already made.

You will notice that Kristen will be cooking this Thursday. I have been meaning for some time to have her plan, shop for, and cook a meal for the family, and Thursday is the day! Kristen will be cooking dinner occasionally, and I hope to eventually have her cook dinner for an entire week.

Monday - WEYW (Whatever you want) I'm having dinner with friends, so the kids will fend for themselves.

Tuesday - Shredded French Dip
Carrots

Wednesday - Polish Sausage
Corn Casserole

Thursday - Kristen Cooks!

Friday - Spaghetti
Garlic Bread
Salad

Saturday - Homemade Pizza

Sunday - Breakfast - Cinnamon Rolls

Dinner - Greek Chicken Dinner
Salad
Homemade Bread

Head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie for more Menu Plan Monday!

Spencer Joins The Rest Of The World In Loving Pizza

Spencer is by far my pickiest eater. That boy has about 5 foods that he likes and he hates everything else.

Tonight, after years and years of hating pizza, (without really having tried it) Spencer decided that he does like it after all. This happened at dinner when he was faced with eating only salad for dinner since pizza was on The List.

And who could blame him, he hates salad dressing. (What good is a salad if it isn't slathered in creamy salad dressing, I ask you?)

Anyway, pizza is off The List.

I wonder what he'll put on The List next? I hope it's good with salad... I don't know what I'll do if it actually is salad.

Menu Plan Monday

Yesterday Kristen and Andrew arrived home safely after their trip, so we are back to our normal summer routine. I missed them terribly while they were gone, but they had a great time performing and ministering at different churches throughout the state.

Anyway, I'd better get to the menu plan!

Monday - Bacon Swiss Meatloaf
green beans
homemade bread

Tuesday - Tacos

Wednesday - Spaghetti
Salad
Bread sticks

Thursday - Beef Stew in the crock pot

Friday - 4th of July- we will be eating corn dogs, cheese curds and funnel cakes at the carnival!

Saturday - Grilled Pizza

For more great menu plans, head over to Heavenly Homemakers!

Menu Plan Monday

This is my first time participating in Menu Plan Monday (nothing like a giveaway to get me involved.)

Monday - Parmesan Chicken
Scalloped Potatoes
Salad
Homemade Wheat Bread

Tuesday - WEYW (Whatever You Want. It means the kids fend for themselves for dinner.)

Wednesday - Spaghetti
Salad
Bread

Thursday - Easy Goulash (new recipe)

Friday - Carmen Chicken
Rice
Corn
Bread

Saturday - Homemade Pizza

Sunday - Chicken Italian (new recipe)
Rice Pilaf

Momala's Favorites

It's been a while since I posted a recipe. Today I made one of our favorite snacks, $100 Salsa, so I thought I'd share the recipe.

We got this salsa recipe many years ago when we lived in Illinois. We started calling it $100 Salsa after my husband won a salsa contest with it last year.

Enjoy!

$100 Salsa

1 large can of crushed tomato (I use Contadina)
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 bunches green onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Serrano peppers, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, minced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 C vinegar
1/4 C water
1/8 C pickled jalapeno juice
1 tsp. cumin
hot sauce to taste( I use Cholula)
salt & pepper to taste

Mix everything together and serve with chips.

Let me know if you try it!

43 + 1 Day

Yesterday I (gulp) turned 43. I guess I should have blogged about it yesterday, but I just forgot. (I didn't forget that it was my birthday, no I milked that for all I could get, I just forgot to blog about it!)

I had a wonderful day with my family. My husband got me this, this, and this. Is he a great guy, or what! The kids ordered some books from my Amazon wish list but they haven't arrived yet, and they each made me a homemade card. Making cards for birthdays is one of the things the kids have been doing for years, and their cards are my favorite gifts every year.

My husband also showered me with all kinds of yummy treats like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Diet Coke, Cheddar Cheese Pretzel Pieces, and Girl Scout Cookies. Then, we all went out to my favorite restaurant for pizza and cheesecake!

It was a fattening, yet fabulous day!

WFMW - Greatest Hits Edition

Shannon is having us re-run our favorite WFMW tips. Here's a tip that I use all the time:

At our house, I am all about saving time and money. I was always annoyed when I wanted to make a recipe that needed cooked chicken because before I could put together the dish, I had to cook the chicken. Well, now I buy a jumbo pack of chicken at Sam's and roast it as soon as I get home from shopping. When the chicken has cooled off, I shred it and put it in individual freezer bags and toss them in the freezer. Now I have cooked chicken whenever I need it.

It works for me! Head over to Rocks In My Dryer for more WFMW!

Conquering My Fried Chicken Phobia

I did it! I made fried chicken! And if you're sitting there thinking "this lady is really running out of blogging material" go read this post.

My family has been bugging me for months to give it a try, and yesterday I finally did it! Thankfully I didn't feed my family raw chicken, which was my greatest fear.

Here's the chicken bubbling away. I'm not sure how to make it so that the part that touches the pan doesn't get so dark. I did cut into the chicken after I took it out, just to make sure it was fully cooked, and it wasn't, but did I panic? No, I just put it in the oven to finish cooking.

Happy Family

I still think it's easier just to pick up a bucket of the stuff.

Momala's Favorites - Cheese Fry Casserole

It's time for another one of Momala's Favorite recipies. My kids dubbed this recipe Cheese Fry Casserole. They love it and I must say I love it too. Beware, this is not a low fat dish. But it is yummy!


Cheese Fry Casserole

2 lb. frozen hashbrowns

2/3 lb. velveeta

8 oz. sharp cheddar - shredded

1 pint half & half

1 C. butter


Heat half & half and 1/2 C butter on stove until butter is melted. Add cheese and stir until that's melted. Grease a 9x13 pan. Spread hashbrowns in the greased pan. Pour cheese mixture over the hashbrowns. Let sit at least an hour in the fridge. When ready to bake, top the cheese mixture with pats of the remaining butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake 350 for 45 - 60 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.

I usually serve this as a side dish to chicken or beef. Round the meal out with some veggies or a salad. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Momala's Favorites

One of my favorite recipes is called Carmen Chicken. The reason it's called Carmen Chicken is that my neighbor Carmen gave me the recipe and she didn't have a name for it so we started calling it Carmen Chicken. It is actually a recipe for a marinade that can be used with all kinds of different meats. I have made Carmen Pork Tenderloin in the past, and Carmen uses this marinade on Salmon. ( I don't eat fish so there will be no Carmen Salmon at the Momala Household)

Carmen Chicken

4 Tbsp. Olive Oil
4 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried Basil
3 Whole Cloves
Pepper to taste
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Mix the first eight ingredients together in a ziplock bag. Add boneless skinless chicken breasts (or whatever meat your prefer). Refrigerate and let the chicken marinate for 2-3 hours. Sometimes I put this together first thing in the morning and add frozen chicken and let the chicken marinate as it thaws. As for cooking the chicken, usually we will use the grill, but I have baked it, broiled it or sauteed it and it still turns out well.

I usually serve Carmen Chicken with rice and corn.

I hope you enjoy Carmen Chicken! I'll be posting more of Momala's Favorites from time to time.

Teenage Boys

Go over to DebtFree-Revolution and check out this post. If you don't already have a teenage boy, start saving now. You are going to need it.

WFMW Backwards Edition

If you read my last post, you will know that I am afraid of making fried chicken. I have never made it, my mother never made it, and as far as I know, my grandmothers never made it. I'm sure we can go back for generations of my Swedish heritage and not find one fried chicken maker in the bunch. They did, however, make lutefisk. Not that I ever ate it.

Anywho, please help me! My husband and children want me to make fried chicken and I don't know what I am doing. So if you have any recipes, tips, warnings, etc. about fried chicken, please help a girl out. Thanks!

For more backward WFMW, head on over to Rocks in My Dryer!

WFMW

At our house, I am all about saving time and money. I was always annoyed when I wanted to make a recipe that needed cooked chicken because before I could put together the dish, I had to cook the chicken. Well, now I buy a jumbo pack of chicken at Sam's and roast it as soon as I get home from shopping. When the chicken has cooled off, I shred it and put it in individual freezer bags and toss them in the freezer. Now I have cooked chicken whenever I need it. I works for me!

Head over to Rocks In My Dryer for more WFMW!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Over at BooMama's there is a soup extravaganza going on! Here is our favorite soup, the recipe is from my mil. It's not your typical really thick version of Broccoli Cheese Soup.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

6 C. chicken broth
1 C. chopped celery
1 C. chopped carrots
1 C. chopped leeks
1 C. chopped broccoli
1/2 C. chopped green onions
2 Tbsp. melted butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 C. shredded Havarti Cheese
1/2 C. half and half
dash Cayenne (optional)

Heat broth to a boil. Add vegetables & simmer for 5 minutes. Mix butter with flour until smooth. A flour mixture to broth and simmer until slightly thickened. Add in cheese and simmer until melted. Stir in cream. Serve with warm sourdough bread. YUMMY!

Hope you enjoy it! Head on over to BooMama's for more great soup recipes.

Frugal Cookies

When I am making cookies that call for either chocolate chips or nuts, like this recipe, I will reduce the amount of chips and/or nuts I add. So, instead of adding the full 2 cups of chocolate chips, I will only add 1 1/2 cups. The kids don't notice the difference, and since the chips are the most expensive ingredient, I am saving money!

For more frugal tips, head over to Crystal's blog for Frugal Fridays!

Meal Idea For Busy Families

Like most families today, our family is busy. Between the four kids activities and my husbands work schedule, we are so busy that we don't always get to sit down together for dinner. I was really bothered by this because I know how important it is for us to have meals together. So, our solution was to sit down to breakfast together. It has been wonderful!

We have been doing this now for over a year and I love it! It's nice to sit down together first thing in the morning and touch base and talk about our plans for the day. And, I also know that they are starting the day with a healthy breakfast and not just cold cereal. At the end of the meal my husband will read from the bible and pray, and we work on scripture memorization.

So, this is what Works-For-Me! Hop on over to Rocks In My Dryer to find other great tips!

Kitchen Tip Tuesday - Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

Nothing makes my kids happier than when they walk in the door after school and are greeted with fresh baked cookies. This recipe happens to be their favorite.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

2 1/4 C flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 C butter - softened
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp. vanilla
2 C chocolate chips

Mix together flour, salt & baking soda and set aside. Cream together butter and sugars. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Mix in pudding mix and vanilla, remembering to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in flour mixture. Add in the Chocolate chips. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet in a 375 oven for 13 - 15 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Stop by Tammy's blog for more great kitchen tips!