Tasty Tuesday, Pinterest Fail.

It was bound to happen.  A pinterest project fail.  Yep, and something so simply went so wrong.
Mac and cheese recipe..... yea not so much.  I think it was more me than the recipe, or to be specific the cheese is where I failed.  I know, right?  Cheese fail- how could it be?  I don't know, but it happened.

Here is the recipe link:

http://www.macaroniandcheesecake.com/2011/09/revolutionary-mac-cheese.html

I have to say, while cooking the pasta in milk was a pain, it was very tasty- HOWEVER, I shoould have stopped there.  I added the cheese and the sauce turned grainy- grainy.  Don't know, but I am a little traumatized.  Pinterest fail, however.  I did try.  Oh well, bring on the hamburger helper!

Have a great day.

Thanks to Tasty Tuesday for the link.

http://beautyandbedlam.com/what-can-i-make-for-dinner-tonight/

Menu Plan Monday

Well, when I said I was getting back to a routine, it's a good thing I did not specify a time table.  Better late than never right?
Ummmm,  oh right menu plan.


Monday:  Macaroni and Cheese and spinach


Tuesday: Hamburger helper and corn


Wednesday: kidgits night


Thursday: Tilapia with mixed veggies


Friday:  Friends house Friday- mini cheese ravioli with homemade tomato sauce and garlic bread


Saturday: Well, Saturdays are tricky- if Lucy and Ethel don't make an appearance, we will be having creamy Italian chicken.


So there you go.  Menu plan?  Check.  Shopping? Check. (also was able to coupon 9 boxes of Kelloggs cereal and a gallon of milk for under 15 bucks!!!)  Fly lady routine, is taxing down the runway, clothes are in the wash and coffee is a'brewin and I am looking to drag Kateena to Zumba tonight!!! 

Lucy,Ethel and a Menu

EXHAUSTED!!! That is the only word that explains how I am feeling at 9:36pm on this Sunday night. I have been ready for bed for about 2.5 hours. Sorry Oscar but I will have to read about the wins in the morning. I have the Oscars recording but know that as soon as I turn on the t.v or the computer the winners will be flashed all across the screen .I did watch the red carpet show which is my favorite part..lol:)

The princess  has been on school vaca all week . The past  week was all about keeping a four year old entertained and not much of anything else as I was battling a cold at the same time. I eventully won  the battle   on FRIDAY!! Well maybe I shouldn't say I won the battle so much as just took enough NyQuil that it is probably still lingering in my system. Friday is also being known as the day I broke my "lady parts" in spin class at the Y...not good...STILL NOT GOOD!! So I think I should have used the sick card that day, ohh well you live... you learn, right, probably not because I'm quite certain that G will drag me to another class  this week. 

The weekend ended with a shopping trip with the family. My hubby is from Brasil and with a trip coming at the beginning of April we decided a trip to the mall was needed. While at the mall I decided to go ahead and make the switch to Bare Minerals make-up. I have thought about for a long time and since my Mama, Sis , Niece and Gretchen all use it and have nothing but good things to say I decided today was the day. Now I am all about the make-up but have always just bought mine at Target etc...or as my husband points out CHEAP!! I have never been a "make-up snob"  but as I am getting older my skin is changing and at 31 my skin is breaking out more than at 15.  I am really going to concentrate on taking care of my skin and think that switching to whichever brand is on sale might not be the best thing. I am also going back to get the Urban Decay NAKED eye shadow palette . I almost got it today but just could not bring myself to buying it and the starter kit for Bare Minerals. Lucky for me I have the bestest(yes I know bestest sounds cheesy but I do believe he his;)) hubby a girl could get and thinks that I deserve that splurge. He  told me to go buy it this week. Our mall trip wouldn't have been complete without a trip to the Disney store. Isabella may or may not have lead the way without our help, is that bad?!?!....Yes, yes my child can get me from any random location in the mall and direct us straight to the Mouse!! We ended out day with dinner at Olive Garden which was super yummy. I always say I am going to buy a bottle of dressing but always walk out empty handed. Next time the bottle comes home!!

I am determined to start the week fresh and getting back to a schedule so I am going to go ahead and post Menu Monday. This week I have also added in breakfast and lunch.

2/27-3/4 

 Monday-B cereal and bananas

               L leftover pasta

               D Chicken stew over rice, salad

Tuesday-B bacon,egg and cheese biscuits

               L tuna salad,wheat thins

               D hamburger stroganoff, salad and corn

Wednesday- B cinnamon toast(Bella requested)

                     L ham and cheese sammys

                     D leftover for the hubby Kidgit night for Bella and myself

Thursday- B oatmeal 

                 L soup and crackers

                 D pork chops, mashed potatoes and broccoli

Friday- B peanut butter and bagels,yogurt

            L turkey sammys and pretzels

            D dinner @ G's so I am taking dessert which will be Ooey gooey bars...YUM!!

Saturday -B cereal

                L free for all....if we are home but that never is the case it seems on Saturdays no matter how hard we try....lol.. For example this past Saturday excursion was suppose to last 2 hrs max and be home by 1:30 and well it ended up being more like 5:30 and 2 yes I said 2  ROUND TRIPS to Rhode Island!!! We are the REAL modern day LUCY AND ETHEL!!! 

                D---See above !!

Sunday- B Eggs and toast

              L-out with the family

              D Baked chicken, potatoe casserole and green beans

Homemade sweet treat will be a new recipe I am trying for banana cake...The hubs and princess love anything banana .

Good night Ya'll and happy Menu planning!!

Check out our friends over at http://orgjunkie.com/2012/02/menu-plan-monday-feb-2712.html for more menu ideas.

Vacation week survival slacking

UGGHHHH, the manlet was home this week and I got NOTHING done.  By the look of Mount Dirty Clothes, close to no laundry was done.  I think I cooked maybe twice this week ( shameful- I am aware ), I flaked off Friend's House Friday altogether.  Kateena took it in stride ( thank's T).  We were supposed to go spinning with a friend of mine in the island of rhode, forgot completely- sorry April :(.  Play dates with numerous friends that never materialized- apologies all around guys, I really meant to get together with you all.


We did a tour of local gyms.  Kateena and I both decided on one to join, took a spin class- where due to TERRIBLE bikes, we are both experiencing pain in place where no one should endure outside the confines of childbirth.  Make no mistake- Kateena and I are a spin veterans!  Not so long ago we would spin twice a week.  The bikes were horrible at this class and the music..... ALL WHITNEY HOUSTON!  Don't get me wrong, I like the late Ms. Houston, and have been more apt to listen to her in recent times, but her genre was not of the spin suited variety.  I need a strong up beat, I need tempo sir, TEMPO!  Plus the instructor getting off his bike and dancing in front of Kateena and I was most distracting.  Maybe we are spoiled, our former instructor was all about the boot camp mentality- the shout at us " ladies, quit your giggling and GET YOUR KNEES UP!" and " you are all right- no one dies in my class" oh! and the heavily rotated " if your legs aren't burning right now, something is terribly wrong."  We loved the way ( ok I loved the way) she would see I was lagging and play  Ozzie Osbourne's "Crazy Train" to get me to push thru.  siiigghhhh I miss Sue.  But the upshot is this place offers many classes including the dance-like-a-fool-zumba, and water aerobics, the pool, hot tub (which never fails to amuse Kateena when I step into and do the "eeccch oooch ouch, that's really hot" dance.  The sauna and steam room are nice too.


MONDAY, fresh start, routine to return!  New routine too. Return to Menu Plan Mondays, Tasty Tuesdays and the rest.  I am also going to resurrect my Fly-lady routine.  Fly Lady, if you don't know, is a site that helps you develop a routine to make cleaning your house easier.  I am not a neat person by habit.  Never have been,  just my nature I guess.  So years ago I googled 'become a compulsive neat freak' and Fly Lady came up.  I tried it, didn't really stick and some years later I met Kateena and she told me about the site.  Like exercise, cleaning is easier when you have a buddy.  Kateena is a AWESOME homemaker, I just don't have her talent or motivation, with this site and her encouragement, the cleaning bug seems to bites harder.  


The site is Flylady.net and I thoroughly recommend it.  This post is silly long, so I am going to close and go wash and shine my sink.  


Have a great day!

Blah, but wait! there are Kateena doughnuts!

I have been having a real case of BLAAAHS lately.  I don't know why.  I think I have a small underlying cold, that thankfully has not gotten ugly, but is just lightly lingering.  I think that is why I haven't posted really. That and the manlet is home for February vaca and underfoot ALWAYS.


Never the less, I made doughnuts for the men.  Proof positive I am just a bit off- I am not really wanting to eat them.  Kateena made these for the kids a few weeks ago and they were DEE LISH!!  So I re created them myself, manlet is completely sticky right now and I am certain the hubs will enjoy them as well.  This may be one of those well known things to do, but I was flabbergasted when I saw Kateena do it.


Easy PEASY to do.  Fill a pan with about and inch of cooking oil and heat over medium heat.  Take a can of biscuits, lay them out and cut holes out of each one.  I could not find a small enough cookie cutter ( shocking as there are more than 100 in this house) so I improvised and used the wrong end of my baster....that's right, it's not just for turkeys anymore.  ooohhhhh turkey. yum.

When I was finished cutting the holes, I took a small bit of dough and tossed it into pan to test the oil temp.  When it starts to sizzle you are good to go.

Carefully place ( I used my hands, but you could use a spatula or other utensil if you are more cautious) each doughnut and or whole into the oil.  Allow to cook in oil for about 45 -60 seconds, you want to make sure the dough cooks all the way thru.  Flip to cook other side using a bamboo skewer.

When the dough is cooked thru, remove from the oil and place on a paper toweled plate to drain off excess oil.

Glaze?  Too easy!  Milk, powdered sugar, and a teaspoon and a half of vanilla.  Mix till you have the thickened consistency you would like and BATHE, yea I said it BATHE the doughnuts in it.  

It's a good thing we are joining another gym- more on that later- because we are going to need it with these hanging around.

We interupt this Tuesday for Menu Monday!!

So I know we normally post our menus on Monday but I have been sick and well here in lovely Massachusetts it is also February vacation week for the kiddies from school .I was still working on my meal plan as I headed to the store yesterday. I did get my list made and stuck to it for the most part . I did put several...okay alot of "extras"in my shopping cart but I still managed to do pretty good overall with the amount I spent. 


Menu 2/20-2/26
Monday- Oven baked Tacos, spanish rice  (These were a huge hit with my family) Thank you Pinterest once again!!

Oven Tacos

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 can refried beans
• 8 ounce tomato sauce
• 1 pkg taco seasoning or homemade taco seasoning
• 1 ½ cups shredded cheese
• 18-20 hard taco shells
• lettuce, salsa, sour cream, etc for serving.

1. Brown ground beef. Drain off any fat and add refried beans, tomato sauce, and seasoning.
2. Spoon mixture into taco shells.
3. Place filled shells into a 9×13 pan, standing up. Sprinkle with cheese.
4. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes or until heated through.
5. Enjoy!

Note: For those of you with a smaller family you may want to half this recipe. You could also easily stretch this for a larger group and get a few more tacos out of it by adding extra beans.

Tuesday- Creamy Italian chicken, egg noodles, salad

Wednesday- Kidgit night at the Mall for Isabella and myself . The hubby will have leftovers

Thursday- Chicken Stroganoff, white rice

Friday- Dinner at Gretchens . I will be making Ooey gooey butter cakes ala Paula Deen..YUMMO!!

Saturday night-Cowboy steaks, mashed potatoes and corn

Sunday- Spaghetti with meat sauce , salad and garlic bread

Friends house friday's

Good Lord did I ever eat too much tonight.  Kateena's night for dinner and she made Paula Deen's chicken pot pie..... Sooooooo gooooood.  Here is the link for the recipe- FYI she left out the egg.  I am ready to burst, and of course I was responsible for desert- which came from the local bakery-I got the kids cupcakes and indulged Kateena and I with lobster tails.  Let me tell you, short of going to Mike's in the North End of Boston, these were the best lobster tails around.  That being said, I am currently having a hostile debate with my body over keeping all this food down.  Holy Moley, I am in actual pain from eating too much, curse you delicious food, curse you!!!


You'll have to excuse me now, Kateena is peer pressuring me into buying 10 boxes of Hamburger helper as it will be on sale for .39 a box after our coupons.  Yikes, forget the over eating, I feel sick just thinking about where to put all the boxes.


Once I have tabled the matter of the Hamburger helper, she and I then have to start hashing the details of the birthday parties of the manlet and his quite frequent accomplice.  It's months in away, but a party planned in advanced with some careful thought can be spectacular.