eBook Winner & New Tested Recipes

Thanks for your interest in the Plan It, Don't Panic ebook giveaway.  And the winner is...
             Beth!  
You will be receiving your free pdf copy via email shortly.

If you missed out on this giveaway and you're interested in the book (see my review), head over to Keeper of the Home and purchase the book for just $4.99.

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This week I tried some new recipes that were all very tasty.
Here are some links and my comments:

Chicken Santa Fe by Lea

Crockpot Chicken Santa Fe from Closet Cooking:
I made this into a 'quick' meal (no crock pot) using canned shredded chicken from our butcher shop.  In place of fresh cilantro, I thawed some cilantro sauce mixed in with everything else.

Baked Oatmeal by Lea

 
Baked Oatmeal To-Go from The Faux Martha:
Great for a quick breakfast on the go!

  
 Meatloaf (beef) adapted from 'Kara's Meatloaf' in my workplace cookbook: The secret ingredient is oats! 
1  lb. ground beef
1  egg
½  cup skim milk
1  cup oats (old fashioned)
chopped onion (to taste)
½  teaspoon salt
Sauce 
²/₃  cup ketchup   
½  cup brown sugar  
worchestire sauce (to taste)

1.    Mix egg and milk together 
2.    Add oats and mix 
3.    Add onion and salt 
4.    Combine all ingredients with the ground beef 
5.    Form into loaf in greased bread pan 
6.    Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done 
7.  Spread sauce on top of loaf after 30 minutes; keep some reserve for dipping, or make extra

Pair with mashed potatoes and a green vegetable

Menu Themes & A Free Book Offer!

Stephanie Langford from Keeper of the Home just released a new e-book called Plan It, Don't Panic: Everything You Need to Successfully Create and Use a Meal Plan. 

This handy e-book will walk you through various methods of meal planning, with specific examples, to help you figure out what works for you!  You'll learn tips on planning healthy meals, effectively using leftovers and what's stocked in your pantry, and how to save money and time in the process.  Also included are several printable worksheets from List PlanIt to keep you organized. 

Here's something to try with your upcoming meal planning session.  Create a theme list and fill in the week with meals that match the theme of the day.

Mon: Chicken

Tue: Soup
Wed: Fish

Thur: Ethnic

Fri: Crock pot

Sat: Leftovers

Sun: Breakfast for Dinner

This week I received a free copy of the book to give away for writing a review on Amazon.  So here's how you can be entered into a drawing to win a free copy of this book (3 entries per person):  

1. Post a comment telling me why you would like a this book, or what your goals are this year for meal planning.
2. Visit Keeper of the Home and post a comment here sharing one thing you learned. 
3. Tell me if you follow Lea's Corner Kitchen

Entries will be accepted until Sunday, January 22nd at 5pm.  I'll use a random number generator to select the winner and announce it on Monday, January 23rd.

Happy planning!

Meal Planning

I've mentioned I'm new at this meal planning concept.  I continue to try and plan each week with a well-rounded combination of meals, including several new recipes.  Sometimes, however, I get a little lost in what sounds good and forget to look at the plan from that 'well-rounded' vantage point.  This happened last week when I ended up with lots of heavy, rich meals.

Mon: Ham, spinach, and cheese quiche (New Recipe!) 
Tues: Tortellini topped w/ pesto, feta, walnuts
Wed: Honey barbecue turkey meatloaf, broccoli, potatoes
Thur: Sweet potato soup
Fri: Homemade pizza
Sat-Sun: Left overs


So this week is a recovery week.  Also, this week my husband is not eating any meals at home, as he is working night shifts at the hospital.  So, the meals are chosen a bit more to my personal style!

Mon: Sweet tomato basil bisque (New Recipe & Shockingly Delicious!)
Tues: Fresh veggie wraps (New Recipe!)
Wed: Tortellini w/ red sauce
Thur: Lentil quinoa salad
Fri: Traveling

Homemade Granola

Recently, I've been trying to revampt my approach to common menu items, namely moving from boxed foods to from-scratch alternatives.  I've had success with homemade bagels, pizza crust, dish washer detergent, and granola. Anyone have a good recipe for pancakes sans Bisquick? 

Among leaving several friends behind in OH this year, I also lost my favorite cereal, Blueberry Flax Granola.  It is a store brand (cheaper!) granola cereal.  While all the Kashi cereals I've tried are delicious, I can't bring myself to spend 5-6 dollars on a box of cereal.  So, the quest for homemade granola began.

There are a thousand variations, of which I've tried several: oil-free pumpkin granola, maple almond granola, and applesauce granola.

My recipe of choice is a combination of these:

Granola by Lea

Mix these liquid ingredients together in a large bowl:
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup unsweetened (homemade) applesauce

Add these dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until well coated:
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup wheat germ

Bake a 300 for 35 minutes.  Keep an eye on this, stirring every 7-10 minutes.  Cool completely and store in air tight container.   Add mix-in's (almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, craisins, blueberries) as desired. 

Quiche with Homemade Crust

Finally, a quiche success!  I tried this Ham, Spinach & Gruyére Quiche from A Cozy Kitchen last night and it was so good.  I've never made my own crust before, and I felt a little bad using a whole stick of butter.  But then I thought, "what must be in those store-bought or restaurant crusts/quiches?"  At least it's home cooking.

What is fun about quiche is that once you get the basic crust and filling down, you can add whatever mix-ins you want.  In this recipe, I just substituted whole milk with skim milk and Gruyére cheese with shredded mozzarella. Delicious!