Here’s the last day of March. Hopefully warmer weather is right around the corner. I look forward to opening up all the windows.

Monday: Pork chops, baked potatoes, veggie

Tuesday: Salmon, rice, veggie

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Crispy panko chicken thighs, pecorino fries, veggie

Friday: Cheeseburger pie, veggie

Saturday: Slow cooker ribs, homemade fries, veggie

Sunday: Honey mustard chicken fingers, pecorino fries, veggie

Ahh the best laid plans and all that. The past week was a bit of a mess. Hubby had to work late Tuesday, then was home late Wednesday, and found out at the last minute he had to work late Thursday too. That messed up the week’s menu. My son and I just ended up eating leftovers and salad. Finally sat down together Friday for homemade pizzas. We did try to go to Outback yesterday for our anniversary, even had a coupon! The wait though was over an hour so we went to Houlihans instead. A very rare dinner out anywhere makes me happy.

At the eye doctor Friday found out my little guy is not nearsighted but extremely farsighted. They had to send out his glasses to be made because the prescription is so strong. Almost 400 bucks later he’ll have his glasses sometime this week. At least they were buy one pair get one pair free. They also include shatterproof/scratch resistant lenses. That’s not something I had as a kid.

The good thing is I have the vacation fund pretty much ready to go to spend the day with the family at Dutch Wonderland, so that money I was saving each check can go back towards bills like paying off his glasses. I just had to pay for summer camp at KinderCare for the little guy too. He finally gets to go on field trips this year there. Sometimes they have a field trip twice a week! Money well spent for his education along with the phonics and cooking classes he takes. Besides, there are plenty of free things to do in the summer. Just pack a lunch or eat it before you go to the park or a million other fun things.

Our two Costco rebate checks came in just in time. We go bulk meat shopping there every 6-7 months or so. Their Kirkland fish sticks had a 3 dollar coupon (no limit) this month so we picked up 3 bags of that (like last year). The whole chickens though were sad looking. Much smaller than usual. We didn’t pick up any whole chickens, but we may get some at Wegmans as they are the same price per pound but bigger. With summer coming though I might not pick up any whole chickens. Plenty of other things to make and I still have one more chicken left. Loads of stock left as well from previous chicken bones. All the meat prices were the same as the last time we shopped. I’m thankful for that.

Monday: Chicken/bean tacos, Mexican rice, (not) refried beans

Tuesday: Beer battered fish, homemade fries, veggie

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Kielbasa, cheesy tater bites, veggie

Friday: Loaded potato soup

Saturday: Crispy baked drums, pecorino fries, vegge

Sunday: Monterey chicken, mashed potatoes, veggie, some sort of bread

I saw this recipe a few months back on someone’s site listing a bunch of Superbowl recipes. I finally planned an appetizer night last week and made these. They are VERY rich, you can only eat maybe one or two at most. The leftovers were a hit at work and made for a good breakfast.

Crispy Bacon Cheddar Bites

Ingredients:

 
2 sticks salted butter, room temperature
1/3 heaping cup brown sugar, packed
2 cups flour
2 cup shredded cheddar
5 strips bacon, cooked crispy and then crumbled (grease reserved)
3 tsp. bacon grease
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder

Instructions:

 
Fry bacon until crispy; reserve the grease. Drain bacon on paper-towel-lined plate. Crumble
when cool.

 
Preheat oven to 325.

 
Cream together butter and brown sugar. Beat flour gradually until it is fully incorporated and
dough is stiff.

 
Beat in the cheese, bacon bits, and spices.

 
Spread the dough into a greased 9×13″ pan, using your palms to spread it into the corners and
flatten it. Bake for 40 minutes or until edges are browned and center is golden-brown. Remove
from oven and immediately cut into squares, then let cool completely before removing from
pan.

I’ve been meaning to make this for awhile now. This turned out better than the restaurant version. Chicken came out tender and juicy.

Monterey Chicken

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts (one per person)
2-3 pieces of cooked bacon per breast
Barbecue sauce
Shredded monterey jack (or cheddar) cheese
Garlic powder, onion powder, and sweet paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°
Place chicken breasts in a 9 x 13 oven proof baking dish (cookie sheet is fine too)
Sprinkle garlic powder, onion powder and paprika on the chicken.
Top each chicken breast with about a tablespoon of barbecue sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 2o minutes.
Fry bacon and drain and set aside.
After 20 minutes, top with a little more barbecue sauce, bacon strips, and a sprinkling of cheese. Return to oven for about 5 more minutes or until the cheese has melted and become bubbly.

It is finally beautiful outside again. Warm and in the high 50′s/low 60′s. I didn’t have to wear a coat yesterday when I took the trash out and did some outside stuff. If only it could stay no higher than 75, but this is Maryland so we’ll be sweating soon!

I’m looking forward to this next weekend, this past week has been hectic. I need a break! Taking Friday off to take Eli to the eye doctor and get him fitted for glasses, then depending on the time we’ll probably do our every six month big meat shopping at Costco. We received our yearly rebate coupon from AmEx, it was over 100 bucks! That will take a nice chunk out of the shopping trip. Friday is also our 6th anniversary, we’ll be celebrating it Saturday. Of course, I have a coupon for that! Hubby doesn’t like anything fancy pants so we’ll be heading to Outback with a $10.00 coupon for dinner. Not too shabby. Also helps he’s paying.

Monday: Spaghetti with meatsauce, garlic bread

Tuesday: Salmon, rice, veggie

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: BBQ drums, homemade fries, veggie

Friday: Homemade pizza

Saturday: Date night

Sunday: Roast chicken, mashed potatoes, veggie, cheddar bay biscuits

I only had dark chocolate squares available so I used those instead of the semisweet. If you have dark chocolate use that instead! This is much thicker than a normal mousse due to the cream cheese. Rich and delicious, simple too to make it.

Chocolate Cheesecake Mousse

Ingredients

 
1 cup heavy whipping cream (cold)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate squares
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions

 
Melt chocolate using a double-boiler (a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan of simmering
water) until smooth. Remove from heat while you do the next steps.

 
Add the cold whipping cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Whisk on high speed until the cream holds a stiff peak. Add the softened cream cheese and
beat on medium speed until combined and smooth. Gradually pour in the melted chocolate
followed by the vanilla. Finally, add the powdered sugar until it all comes together.

 
Pipe using a piping bag fitted with a large tip or pour the mixture into 6-ounce ramekins or
other small dessert vessels. I just used a spoon to scoop it into the ramekins.

 
Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours

This year has started out with a bang. Emergency car repair at the end of last year, followed by emergency dental care in January. February had my hubby in a car accident and now his car needs a lot of body work done. Now we are looking to take my son to a pediatric eye appointment because of his amblyopia and not being able to see things on the board at school. So glasses and patches will be up at bat in the next couple of weeks. I wish he didn’t inherit my awful eyesight!

On the good side we used our tax return for regular maintenance on both our cars so they keep running well. Mine is almost paid off! Our savings account is in the positive numbers again and I have put some money away so we can pay cash only for vacation. We paid off two credit cards with the tax return and I began preparing for Hanukkah presents and dinner in November. So while our future is filled with not going out and home cooked meals every day, our fiscal future is looking a little brighter. Not going out to dinner or lunch (we pack every day) is more money towards our dream of a down payment on a house in a couple of years. People may not understand why we say no to going out and spending money, but in the long run it’s best for our family. Sitting cuddled on the couch together on Friday nights for Family Movie night costs us nothing, but grows us stronger together.

Monday: Pork chops, baked potatoes, veggie

Tuesday: Salmon with buerre blanc sauce, rice, veggie

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: BBQ drums, homemade fries, veggie

Friday: Kielbasa, cheesy tater bites, veggie

Saturday: Appetizer night (going to try at least 1 new recipe, with bacon of course)

Sunday: Crispy chicken, spicy aoli with bacon fat fried potatoes, veggie

Last week of February! This year is moving right along.

Monday: Spaghetti and meatsauce, garlic bread

Tuesday: Fishsticks, homemade fries, veggie

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Parmesan chicken nuggets, tequila lime blue cheese dipping sauce, pecorino fries, veggie

Friday: Honey mustard chicken fingers, homemade fries, veggie

Saturday: Monterey chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, veggie

Sunday: Crispy baked drums, pecorino fries, veggie, beer bread

The basic easy beer biscuit recipe is simple and tasty enough. I wanted to add more flavor to it this time. With the addition of thyme, bacon, and cheddar they were transformed into a new savory recipe.

Beer Bacon Cheddar Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups homemade biscuit mix (Bisquick if you must)
1 tsp dried thyme
9 oz (little over 1/2 bottle) of beer
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
1/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray and put in oven while
it’s preheating. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and beat for about 30 seconds until
well combined.  Mixture should be wet, add more beer if needed. Wet, but not loose.

Fill the muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake about 15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with
butter.

I want to make some cupcakes this weekend, if not today then next Saturday!

Monday: Chicken tacos, Mexican rice, refried beans

Tuesday: Beer battered fish, homemade fries, veggie

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Chicken apple sausage, cheesy tater bites, veggie

Friday: Homemade pizzas

Saturday: Slow cooker ribs, pecorino fries, veggie

Sunday: Loaded baked potato soup, bacon cheddar scones