"How To" Make Homemade Croutons

I'm not a big crouton eater, I've just never really cared for them. I think it's because they are so crunchy. I love a good crunch, but not something to crunchy. Okay, I'm picky, I like things the way I like them and that's that, lol! My husband on the other hand, looves croutons. He will not eat a salad unless we have some to top our salads with.

I don't much care for the store bought croutons. They are to salty in my opinion, and expensive. So when I found this simple recipe from Amy Loves It about making your own croutons, I just had to try it.

Instead of buying a loaf of bread from the store, I just used leftover slices of bread and the heels of some loafs. I'm not into eating the heels of bread, so this was the perfect thing to not let unused bread go to waste.

I started by cutting the bread into crouton sized pieces and throwing them into a big bowl. I melted some butter and tossed the bread pieces together. After the butter had well coated my soon to be croutons, I seasoned them with salt, basil, oregano, and garlic powder and tossed it all together again.

I spread all of my croutons out on a parchment lined cookie sheet and baked them in the oven at 375 for 20 minutes. After about 10 minutes of baking, my house smelled like an Italian Kitchen. I have to admit, I purposefully walked back and forth from my bedroom to the kitchen a few times just to get the first whiff. It was incredible. 

It was hard to resist munching on a few as they cooled down. They tasted so good. Not super crunchy, just the perfect amount of crunchiness. And the flavor was beautiful, and definitely not to salty! After my croutons had cooled I stored them into a labeled (cuz I'm OCD like that) ziploc bag and reserved about 1/3 for a smaller labeled ziploc bag for my parents. 

These are super yummy and super easy and definitely worth doing on my own. :)

Homemade Croutons

Heels, buns, and bread- cut into crouton sized pieces

4 TB melted butter, or maybe a bit more depending on how many bread crumbs you have

Sprinkle of Salt

1/4 tsp or more of Oregano

1/4 tsp of Garlic Powder, or more

1/4 tsp of Basil, or more

Heat Oven to 375 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Mix bread and butter in a bowl. Sprinkle with herbs and salt, mix well. Spread out onto the parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes or longer until golden brown and crunchy. Allow to cool and store in a ziploc bag :)

National Pumpkin Day brings Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love National Food days. They give me an excuse to bake and make my home smell good. And right now, my home is smelling like pumpkin spice and chocolate - is there any better combination? :)

I've never tried or made any kind of pumpkin cookie before, but I was just flipping through my dessert/baked goods binder and I came across this recipe in the cookie tab. (My friend Emily gave me the recipe so Thank You Emily :)) I had everything on hand, and I knew that if I didn't hurry up and use my bag of chocolate chips, Josh was going to get into the bag and use them to sprinkle on his peanut butter toast (a favorite late night snack of his - and trust me, he's sneaky about it...bags of chocolate chips have disappeared from my cupboard before, LOL)!

Weekly Menu 10/25-10/31

What a week this has been! My kids were sick all last week, which really sucked because the weather was beautiful and I had some fun things planned for them, but because of Grace having a fever and Eden having a cold, I didn't want to expose them to other people. Josh had an incredibly busy week. He helped teach two classes last week to a group of Personal bankers, as well as drove down to Salem to see his new branch that he'll be taking over November 1st. Josh, wouldn't you know it, ended up getting sick too. He started coming down with it on Friday and I told him,"if you could of picked a day to get sick, Friday would be be the best day" so he could spend the weekend recovering. Which he did.

Friday, I went to a Pampered Chef party. I'm so glad I went because it was actually something I was interested in. I've been to other parties like this before, but they never really interested me because it wasn't something I really wanted to buy or had the money to buy...but I found several things I really liked and I ended up making a wishlist of things that hopefully down the road I can pick up as I get more money or save for it. But, I had such a good time revisiting with friends from high school. Some of these ladies I hadn't seen since graduation and some of the others on rare occasions. So it was a treat for me, plus I was childless for the night...which was a bit weird since my kids are pretty much joined at my hip :) I did end up buying one thing. I bought a Chipotle Rub, (mainly because Josh loves the flavor) and I can't wait to use it. The dinner we made as a group used the rub and as soon as the rub comes in the mail, I'm going to make the dinner for Josh. It is delicious, it was called a Chipotle Chili Cornbread Bake and it was beyond yummy!

We didn't get around to carving pumpkins this weekend. The rain and Josh's cold stopped that from happening, so I think we'll try and do it this week sometime. Speaking of rain, oh my gosh, it's a constant downpour here, which I'm loving. It's a nice change and it makes warmer meals seem that much better because it's colder outside. And it was really cold, rainy, and windy last night so I made the Pumpkin Nutella Bread and it is so tasty! Josh was against trying it, but once it had cooled and I cut myself a slice and offered him a bite, and that was it, he had to have his own slice plus one for his lunch today :) Silly Boys :)

Monday

Sliced Chicken with apples and pears and mashed sweet potatoes

It's a new Rachael Ray recipe from last week and it looks delish!

If you click the link you can watch the video :)

Tuesday

Roast with carrots and red potatoes and gravy with a side of green beans

Wednesday

Lasagna with a Cesar salad and garlic bread

Thursday

(Awana Night)

Chicken nuggets and mac and cheese

Friday

Stuffed Peppers and not sure what else

Saturday

Maybe Josh will make his Sausage Ziti??

Sunday

(Halloween night)

We have a yearly tradition of Chili and Cornbread before we go trick or treating

I have a new cornbread recipe I'm itching to try :)

In case our Saturday meal doesn't work out with Josh cooking, I have a back up meal of my Soy Chicken I can make. 

Snacks/treats

I felt really bad for Gracie because I had promised her she could help me with the Pumpkin Nutella Bread, but because she's been sick and coughing all over the place, I told her I would find her a special treat to help me make.

Chocolate Chip Cookies...

Pumpkin Muffins of a kind, maybe...

Not sure...

if we carve pumpkins, I'll be roasting some seeds as well :)

Do you have any special Halloween food traditions you do with your family?

Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup

I was sick a lot as a little girl. Not sick as in I needed a hospital, but I just caught all the little cold's and flu's that circulate through the school system. I loved the idea of staying home and missing out on school, but how much can you really enjoy staying home from school when your under the weather. I was lucky though, my mom was a stay at home mom for most of my school life ( something I've always loved and admired about her) and she always did such a great job of taking care of me when I was sick. My mom would make sure we had a glass of water constantly filled by our bedside table ( at the time I wished she would stop pestering me to drink water, but now I appreciate it) and she would pick up little surprises to help us feel better. For me, that was usually a book I had been wanting. Sometimes, depending on how sick we were, she would take out her special Bell from the antique case we had and let us ring it when we needed her. But my favorite thing was the food she made when we were sick. Sometimes it was just regular toast and applesauce ( much like my little Gracie has been eating this week, because she is sick), other times scrambled eggs or mashed potatoes. But I always liked lunchtime. At lunchtime I would get my favorite soup...Broccoli Cheese Soup.

The soup wasn't homemade but that didn't matter to me. It was one of those soups we only got on rare occasions. My mom makes the best soups so we didn't buy a lot of canned soups. The Campbell's soup version is really yummy and what could be easier than mixing premade soup and milk together.

To this day, when I'm sick...I want Broccoli Cheese Soup and since I hate to cook when I'm sick, that normally means Josh has to make a run to Quiznos to bring me home a cup of their soup, which is really yummy. But, I really wanted to have a recipe that tasted like my yummy childhood soup, but for the crockpot. I don't have loads of time to stand over a stove and stir a soup, and the crockpot normally does a great job of  simmering soups, so I began my search for a delicious broccoli cheese soup.

Years ago, I did have a recipe...but I threw it out and I haven't made it since. Such a shame :( I did a lot of hunting around. None of my cookbooks had anything that was helpful and there were tons of recipes online, but I wanted it fairly simple. That's how I like my soup...simple. I finally found a recipe at Food.com, (formally Recipezaar.com) that seemed to fit my idea of what I wanted it to be like and the reviews looked promising. So last Friday, I gave it a shot.

I have never used evaporated milk, let alone ever bought it. When I think of the word evaporate...I think of something missing. So inside my blonde brain, that meant I was buying a can without any liquid in it, lol....of course I know that's silly...but that's where my brain goes. And I know you see Cheddar Cheese Soup cans in my pic too...I much prefer that to Velveeta Cheese. I came across a lot of recipes that called for Velveeta,  but it tastes weird to me...and I just prefer good ol' Campbells.

This recipe is easssy! You just throw everything into the crockpot and let it simmer. Oh, how I love my crockpot!!! It makes my life so much easier. Friday's are always long & busy days. Josh comes home late and school seems to take longer than usual. So I am very grateful for recipes that just go in together at the same time :)

On this particular Friday night, I had planned a last minute date night for Gracie and I. I had been wanting to take her out to do something fun, just her and I and our schedule for Saturday was filling up fast, so I decided that as soon as Josh got home Friday, she and I would leave and do some Fall shopping for her. Which is what we did. We had a blast! But when we got home, we were starving. I had given her the option of getting something out, but she wanted to try the soup I made, ( bless her heart) so when we got home, Josh had some milk warming up in a saucepan for hot chocolate and two bowls of Broccoli Cheese soup waiting for us.  It was delicious and Josh said," it tastes just like the soup from Quiznos" which I know isn't true because the soup from Quiznos has shredded carrots in it and I didn't add shredded carrots, lol...but I could of :)

The soup is tasty, filling, and everything I had hoped it would be. And since Gracie is still sick, I'm going to warm her up a bowl of some of the leftover soup that's in the fridge. I think it will make her feel better :) I hope, poor thing :(

Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup

from: Food.com

1 (32oz ) pkg frozen chopped broccoli ( I had to adjust this. In my store I had to buy 3 invididual bags of broccoli that made 32oz, but after adding 2 of the bags to my crockpot, it looked like the perfect amount for our family. So you may want to adjust the portion size. 

2 (10 3/4 oz )cans of Cheddar Cheese Soup

2 ( 12 oz) cans evaporated milk

2 TB Mrs. Dash ( I didn't have Mrs. Dash, so I used garlic powder, paprika, and lemon pepper

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion ( which I didn't use after I had last weeks reaction to the red onion) I used a bit of onion powder instead.

Combine all ingredients in the crockpot and stir it together. Cover and cook for 4-5 hours. Don't overcook, it can become mushy. 

( I cooked mine for 5 hrs and I would of done another 30minutes)

Blueberry Muffins with an Orange Glaze

Muffins are one of my most favorite breakfast items. Some people like pancakes for breakfast, I love Muffins. They're just a great way of shaking up the breakfast menu and pleasing the family at the same time.

A couple of months ago, Blueberries were everywhere. Josh and I took advantage of one of the sales our store was having was for a 5lb box of blueberries. I was so excited because I prefer to buy fresh blueberries and freeze them for the Fall and Winter months.  The first thing I did was take inventory of all the blueberries recipes I had been storing away and setting them aside. I washed the berries and began measuring out cups of blueberries for labeled ziploc bags. I was pretty fortunate; I had enough blueberries for all the recipes I wanted to try.  One of the recipes I was curious about was Blueberry Muffins with an Orange Glaze, thanks again to Tiffany at Eat at Home!

I had this orange sitting in my fridge looking rather lonely. I'm not a big orange person, per se. I much prefer the little Clementines and Orange Juice than the big fruit itself. I had originally bought to go in addition to another meal I had thought about making...but Josh, who is completely opposed to Pork Chops vetoed my recipe and I ended up with only the Orange and one less meal on my grocery menu.

So, what's a girl to do? Inspiration hit last week when I was trying to break out of the cereal and toast mold. I saw my lone pitiful orange sitting in the fruit drawer of my fridge and took pity on him. He was going to become breakfast, er brunch, I mean. I had gotten a late start to the day.

I got all the batter mixed together and then it was time to add the best part, the zest of my orange. If you haven't had the opportunity to zest an object yet, I sincerely feel sad for you. It's way way fun!

The little zest spirals just look so friendly! They make you want to smile don't they? Go on...smile! Atta Girl :)

The spunky bits of zest get mixed into the muffin batter while the blueberries get folded in. ( Since my blueberries were previously frozen, I leave them in the freezer until they go in the batter. That way they don't stain the batter)

The muffins baked at 400 degrees for about 18 minutes. By this time, we were starving and the muffins smelled so delicious. But...I had to let them cool before I topped them with their crown of orange glaze.

I did drizzle the muffins at first, but I ended up taking Tiffany's advice and dunking the muffins in the bowl of orange glaze in the end. It just covered them better, was less messy, and looked prettier. :)

The muffins were a hit and lasted us about 3 days. I think Josh really enjoys having the occasional muffin for breakfast, rather than oatmeal and I know the kids love it :) So if you have an orange lying around your kitchen begging to be used, this is the perfect recipe to try :)

And like with most of my posts, the recipe is in the link on the 2nd paragraph :) Enjoy!

Weekly Menu 10/18-10/24

At this moment, that wonderful husband of mine, has run out to our grocery store across the street to pick up the remaining grocery list items we failed to pick up yesterday. We would all be out together, except that my dear Eden is sick. She has a cold, I want to keep her inside as much as possible so she has a chance to get better. Colds and Flu's seem to be epic right now. Everyone is sick. Even my mom, who is never ever sick has the flu. :( I'm praying hard, that I don't get sick. I've been invited to a Pampered Chef party at the end of the week and I'm looking forward to having some time away. I rarely accept invites out because I would almost always prefer to be with my family. But I think it's important for me to get away once and awhile.

Last week, I made some delicious muffins ( be on the lookout for that blog soon) and my mom's amazing and incredible Apple Crisp that I will never ever post, per her request. It's a family secret :) And the day I was going to make the day before I was planning on making the Pumpkin Bread, I had an allergic reaction to purple onions. So, I won't ever be buying, cooking, or eating those again. Are there any foods your allergic to?

I have yet to make the roast...which is fine since I have 3 roasts camping out in my freezer right now, ( I love the bogo sales at Albertson's) and instead of the Roast, Josh made incredible breakfast burritos last night. We were going to take pics so he could blog it, but we lost track of time and he got to involved in the cooking before we remembered.

Monday

Since Eden is sick...I think we're just doing a frozen Pizza...

Josh was going to find something at the store

Tuesday

Sloppy Joe's with homemade sauce and ground turkey breast

and maybe some Kettle Chips on the side

Wednesday

Lasagna and a side salad

(new recipe)

Thursday

Awana Night

Pig's in a Blanket...something easy and filling and the kids love it.

Friday

Josh is on his own tonight since I'll be at the Pampered Chef party

unless I get sick :(

Saturday

Chicken Stew with herb and cheese biscuits

Sunday

Slow-Cooker Stuffed Peppers with ground turkey breast

(new recipe)

I also have two back up meals in case I have to switch it up.

As far as snacks and treats go, I haven't given it to much thought. I know I'll make the Pumpkin Bread recipe...but other than that, not sure.

Snacks/treats

Pumpkin Nutella Bread

& 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

What's on your menu this week?

Shepherd's Pie

When I first married Josh, I was a very basic cook. I don't even really think you could call me a cook, since everything I made either came out of a box, a jar, or a freezer bag. I do think that our first year of marriage would of turned out differently in the cooking department had I not been pregnant or been pregnant but wasn't sick all the time. I've mentioned to you before that for the entire 9mths of being pregnant with Grace, I was sick. I remember praising God for the days I made it through without throwing up. Granted, it could of been a lot worse, but when I think back to my first year of marriage, I recall being sick, tired, and feeling a bit like a failure. This was not how I had envisioned my first year of marriage to be.

 I still remember my silly list I wrote for my pre- marital counseling about what expectations I was placing on myself for our first year of marriage. The two things that stand out in my mind are a) I would have dinner ready and waiting for Josh when he got home and b) I would brew him coffee daily. Haha, it's laughable now that I wrote that, considering I was working 2 jobs our first year and I was lucky to eat dinner with him 3 days a week and in our 7 years of marriage I have not made him coffee once. I've poured him coffee...but never actually made it. LOL!

The first real meal I do remember making for him was after Gracie was born and I was getting back into the swing of things...which took awhile because Gracie also had the worst colic our families have ever seen! It took me a good 3 months before I was capable of handling a baby and cooking meals at the same time. But I got there and the first meal I made him (aside from spaghetti and other boxed meals) was Shepherd's Pie.

As a bridal shower gift, my sister in law, Jennifer made a recipe box with a bunch of family favorite meals inside it. That gift has proven to be priceless to me!

There are several different version's of Shepherd's pie, but this is the only one I've ever made. It's delicious, comforting, and warms the soul. What more could you ask for?

I love this meal because of the yummy layers of flavor. I use Ground Turkey Breast for the meat. I'm sure ground chicken would be delicious or you could always use beef. But I rarely buy beef unless it's for a specific recipe and by cutting the beef out and using ground turkey, your saving a lot of calories. Because we had this dinner on Monday, ( which was Columbus Day) Josh was home and able to help cook. Whenever he's around I almost always have him brown the meat. The smell really bothers me. I think it goes back to my pregnancy with Grace and the smell of ground beef cooking always made me sick. So he browned the meat for me while I peeled potatoes. 

Once the meat is cooked you have to have seasoning. This recipe calls for taco seasoning. In my opinion, this Shepherd's Pie has a Mexican flavor to it, because of the seasoning and it smells delicious while cooking too. 

Shepherd's pie always has a mashed potato topping. So if your not going to use the easy way out and use potato flakes from a box...get the water boiling first before browning the meat. You'll save yourself some time. 

Once the meat has simmered sufficiently, soaking in all that festive flavor, I poured the meat into a greased casserole dish and layered a can of drained corn on top of that. To top the corn off this is where you need your potatoes. I use a hand masher and a little milk to make my mashed potatoes. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. I always like some pepper sprinkled into my potatoes and then layer it on top of the corn. The the "ta da" factor is shredded cheese...Sharp, Cheddar Cheese if you have it on hand. 

Once the masterpiece is completed, it goes into the oven for about 35minutes. That's enough time to do the dishes, set the table, and throw a side salad together...and if your lucky, (which I was) have minutes to spare to sneak some smooches in with your special someone ;)

Ooh, that picture looks so good. I regret suggesting to Josh that he take the leftovers to work :( This meal is hearty and amazing. I only make it during the colder months and I'm so glad it's finally on the cooler side, because taking the first bite was like taking the first "fall" walk of the season; completely delightful!

I might mention that this is a great make ahead meal if you've got the time to do so. :)

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb. ground meat- any kind you like ( I use ground turkey breast)

1 pkt of mild taco seasoning or 1/4 cup

3/4 cup water

6 baking potatoes or instant mashed potatoes (enough for 6 servings)

milk ( for the potatoes)

1 can (15 oz) corn, drained

grated cheddar cheese

Pepper

Cook meat in a pan. Add seasoning and water. Simmer 15-20min. In a 2 qt baking dish, layer cooked meat, corn, mashed potatoes, and cheese ( sprinkle mashed potatoes with pepper). Bake uncovered for 30-45min. I usually cook mine for 35-45min or until hot all the way through.

Weekly Menu 10/11-10/17

How was everyone's weekend? Ours was good and still going actually :) I love the excuse for any little holiday because most likely, the bank will be closed which means more time with the husband :) always a good think in my book :)

This weekend, we needed to run a few errands. Nothing big...but I really wanted to go to Ross to look around. For those of you who know my husband, he despises Ross. He hates how busy it is, and how there are never enough associates to ring you up, and he hates the disorder of the store. But, I was able to convince him to take me there on Saturday and make him stay while I looked around without any complaining. He did it. He was so perfect while we were there, I was so proud of him. We picked up a Pizza Stone set for $7.99 which got really good reviews online and I got a shirt and one of those draped cardigans I'm always wearing and I found Josh a new barbecue scrub brush.

Sunday, we said goodbye to our sister,  Jessica, ( my SIL) because she left for Ecola Bible School in Cannon Beach. It was sad, but I know she is going to have a fantastic time.

For dinner last night, we did finally make our very 1st homemade pizza. We'll Josh made it and I helped. I cut olives and made sure there was plenty of cornmeal for the dough. It was an experience and maybe I can get Josh to blog it because it is a really funny story. It turned out...thicker than we would of liked. We don't like thick pizza at all, but it was still really really good. The Pizza Stone is amazing!

Well, here's the menu for this week.

Monday

Sheppard's Pie, (with ground turkey breast)  with a side salad 

and I'm finally going to make my Apple Crisp

Tuesday

Maple Roasted Chicken with veggies and potatoes

Wednesday

Tater tot Casserole with green beans (maybe) and some bread

Thursday

I think Josh is planning on making his Vodka Penne with a salad, 

and maybe some French bread

Friday

Crockpot Broccoli Cheese Soup with maybe a side sandwich

Saturday

Breakfast Burritos with sausage, hot sauce, eggs, and potatoes :)

Sunday

Roast with potatoes and veggies

Saturday is up in the air a bit...I'm hoping that maybe Josh and I can go on a date. There's a movie I really want to see and we have some gift certificates for dinner out options. But this is the plan for the week. I'm really excited about a few of these recipes because 2 of them are new, (Maple Roasted Chicken & Broccoli Cheese Soup) so I am looking forward to how those may turn out. 

Special Treats

I'm making Apple Crisp tonight 

and as previously planned for the last few weeks

I want to make that Nutella Pumpkin bread. 

I would also like to make some muffins this week- I'm thinking blueberry muffins with an orange glaze :)

A whole other enchilada- Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

Mexican food is a favorite in this house, can't you tell? I'm perfectly happy eating Josh's amazing Chicken Tacos almost weekly or making my mom's amazing Cheese Enchiladas monthly. But sometimes, variety is the spice of life or even sometimes a little bit of change can do ya good. I like change, as long as it turns out good :)

I came across Tiffany's Bean and Cheese Enchiladas recipe a few months ago and thought it looked yummy and easy and a nice change, so I went ahead and copied the recipe down. Have you checked out Tiffany's blog Eat at Home? It's awesome. I love her and her meals :)

What I like about this recipe is you kind of make your own refried bean mix. You get to get down and dirty with the beans and mash them till they burst :) Sounds like fun doesn't it?! This recipe is super easy. It's really only a matter of mixing things together in a skillet. 

I know that picture probably looks a bit insane, but I promise it is tasty stuff. Once I mashed the beans, I put them in a skillet along with some tomato sauce and taco seasoning. And then I just got it all warm and bubbly.  I let that simmer for awhile, while I heated up the tortillas in warm/hot oil...careful...don't burn your pretty little fingers with that oil...it get's mighty hot!

I poured some of the bean mixture into the middle of the tortilla with some shredded cheese and tucked the ends in and rolled.

( I have to admit, I made a mistake and wrote the recipe down a bit wrong. I poured in some of the enchilada red sauce into my sauce pan and I didn't reserve any of the red sauce to pour over the enchiladas. They came out super tasty anyways)

I baked it at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Which gave me time to clean up my mess of dishes and let Josh cook our side of rice. These enchiladas tasted awesome. The kids loved them. Eden loved them so much she was wearing some of it on her clothes, haha! 

This recipe is a Mexican favorite now and I can't wait to make them again...so I can make it right, lol. Please forgive this last picture...it's not the best, but we were starving, hahaha! Btw- might I mention these Enchiladas are very very filling, so do yourself a favor and start with one :)

Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

Source: Eat at Home

2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 TB butter

15 oz can Tomato Sauce

1/4 cup taco seasoning

10 oz can enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded cheese

8 flour tortillas

Mash the beans in a bowl. Melt the butter in the skillet. Stir in the beans, half the can of tomato sauce and the taco seasoning. Cook until hot and bubbly. 

Mix the enchilada sauce with the remaining tomato sauce. Pour in a bit of a 9x13 baking dish and spread it around.

Spread some beans on a tortilla and top with shredded cheese. Roll up and place in the pan. Fill the rest of the tortillas. Pour the sauce over the top and more cheese to the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

How we do milk...(Tips of the Trade Series)

When I was a little girl, (very little) we lived in N.E. Portland and I remember getting into the car with my mom and driving into town to go get our milk...in a drive through. Yes, back in the good ole' days there was a dairy drive-through called Senn's Dairy (I'm sorry, that's the closest link I could find for it) where you could purchase the best milk in beautiful glass bottles. I remember the people being friendly and always smiling to me...but most of all, I remember the way the chocolate milk tasted. It was out of this world crazy good, and I have never found a place that has carried milk that can replicate it's flavor. 

We all have heard the dangers of plastic. It's filling landfills, it can cause cancer, and now...from what my mom and Dr. Oz and other news stations have said, that certain plastics being released into the air are causing the hormones in our children to speed up and for whatever reason...puberty tends to be hitting earlier than usual. ( you hear that mom's better start putting leash's on your kids, lol)

So I've begun following in my mom's footsteps and we have begun by buying glass bottles to store our milk in. I would rather be proactive (maybe even foolish) and safe than not do anything at all. 

The Benefits of using glass vs plastic are, it's BPA free of course, the milk stays colder, and the milk just tastes better to us. 

The only con I can come up with for using bottles is they can be hard to find and when you do, they are spendy. The deposit for one is usually $1.50.

If your interested in looking for some glass bottles to store your milk in for your home, I would suggest going through some of your grocery stores. Our local Thriftway carries them and you can also find them sometimes at Antique Shows. For us locally in Oregon, my mom has found another place in Happy Valley that sells them. But you could always go straight to the internet and order from some sweet Amish folk. This Website, sells the bottles and my mom says she has dealt with these people before and they are very friendly. 

And if anything else, the glass bottles full of milk look beautiful in a fridge :)

End of September grocery summery

I left Wilsonville when the trees were just in the new beginnings of Fall. And I came back home from vacation to a whole new month and a sure sign that Fall had indeed arrived in the great Northwest. I guess I can officially pack away the kids last summer clothes that they have been clinging too.

I think Josh and I both expected to be over budget this month with groceries. We not only bought a few b-day gifts with the grocery money, but also some much needed items for our trip to Sunriver. If we hadn't paid for the b-day gifts out of the grocery money, or if I had just added it up separately we would be under budget believe it or not; but, if it's included in any grocery receipts...I'm adding it up :)

Our Budget is $300.00

We spent $ 333.86

over budget by $ 33.86

With coupons we saved $38.21

Not my best month with coupons...but that's okay. There was a lot going on in September and I'm happy to say I'm glad it's over and we're well into October now.

Let's hope I do better with October...I've already scored some awesome deals on our last grocery trip ( Monday) so please let the money saving streak continue :) However, when I reported to Josh our spending, he was very surprised and quite happy about the outcome :) So I guess I shouldn't beat myself up to much about it.

Tasty Travels

As much as I could remember, I did take pictures of most of the amazing meals we ate on our week long vacation. I really wish my pictures did the food justice...because they tasted and looked incredibly amazing.

We got to Sunriver around 6:15pm and after we unloaded everything and got the kids bed set up, we met my parents out a Mexican Restaurant in the Sunriver Village. I didn't take any pictures of that meal because we were tired from traveling, ( Eden never napped in the car) we were starving, and we were busy trying to get Eden to stop dunking the chips in her water glass....oh kids!

The next night, we went out to The Trout House with my parents. We had a window seat and the view was quite lovely. However...Eden's behavior was majorly stressing me out. She was tired and in no mood for a restaurant.

we split the Grilled Caprese Bruschetta with my parents...

IT was to die for!

I had the Seared Wild Salmon that was brushed with an Apricot Garlic glazed with caramelized pears

fried capers and garlic mashed potatoes and it was INCREDIBLE!

The next day (Tuesday) we spent most of the day driving to the Crater Lake Lodge for lunch and of course the views. I highly reccomend going there to eat. All four of us adults got the Northwest Fish and Chips which was made with Alaskan Halibut that was fried in a beer batter with fries and their homemade Slaw...and it was all incredibly amazing and filling.

Yes, I had to sneak a bite before I remember to take the picture...I just couldn't help myself it was so good!

Our kids got Hot Dogs and these were amazing gourmet hotdogs...super yummy. Grace ate all of hers and Eden ate half...which she ate later on as leftovers one afternoon.

That night Josh and I brought the girls back to the cabin and he made Tomato Soup (out of a can) and grilled cheese sandwiches while I got the girls bathed.

It was super delicious!

Even Eden loved the soup...especially after she discovered she could dunk her grilled cheese in it :)

Wednesday, we did some more bike riding and came back home to the cabin where Josh made us all Turkey sandwiches out of croissants.

It was yummy and it hit the spot. My man makes some amazing sandwiches!

After lunch drove into Bend to our favorite area; The Old Mill District. We walked along the stores and gazed at the Deschutes River and it was a great time and that night we ate at Blondie's Pizza. And it was sooo good! I ate so many slices...of course we had been biking miles and miles every day so I was earning that pizza. I wish I had taken a picture of it...but we ate it to fast, lol! The Pizza is very similar to Abby's Pizza and Pietros Pizza. Very very Yummy.

Thursday night, we made my parents dinner. Our favorite Summer Grilling meal, Grilled Chicken Bruschetta. We would of gladly taken pictures, but the grill stopped working so we had to transfer everything inside and then the smoke detectors were going off which made Eden scared...so no pictures. But we did have a salad and Bread with it...I have a pic of the Bread.

Lovely shape to it eh?

Friday was our date night. Josh and I were incredibly blessed and fortunate by our extremely generous friends who offered to buy us a nice meal out...which we did :) Thanks guys...you know who you are :) Josh and I had originally planned to eat at the South Bend Bistro in Sunriver...but after spending a few hours in the Old Mill District of Bend a few days earlier we decided to eat there. It was a toss up between Anthony's  and Greg's Grill. But after Josh walked into Greg's Grill and was met by the manager who took an interest in Josh, asking him about his family and work and then proceeded to give him a tour of the restaurant along with facts like when the best time to eat it, Josh was sold...and impressed and after I peeked inside...I agreed that is where we should eat. So we did...And...I might even dare to say that it outdoes Portland City Grill. It's completely different...still fancy and nice, but more casual. I can't wait to go back and eat there again :)

We started by having a Field Green Salad with dried cranberries, toasted hazelnuts, and poached pears with a raspberry honey dressing...AMAZING!

Josh had the Oregon Beef Filet Mignon ( those sweet potatoes in the back of the plate-

OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! They tasted like candy...no joke)

I had the Grilled Salmon which had this amazing Chili and honey glaze...I could always eat Salmon like that!!!

One of the best Salmon's I've ever ate...easily!

And for dessert, we each had the 4 berry cobbler (Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries) with a poppyseed pound cake and vanilla bean ice cream to top it off. I ate in record time ( it was sooooo incredible) that Josh was laughing at me at how fast I inhaled it.

We had some seriously good food...but not only that, we were seated in such a fantastic area. We had a table at a window on the far right side of the restaurant with a beautiful view of the Deschutes River and we were so lucky we got to see the sunset and all the ducks and geese flying around. It was perfect...completely perfect!

Our view after dinner when we were walking along the waterfront :)

So romantic!

Saturday was our last full day in Sunriver :( and we met up with my parents again at Blondie's Pizza for pizza and beer. Again, the food was fantastic...and the mood of everyone at the table was reminiscent and somber. None of us, were ready to leave. :(

Sunday morning, after we got the cabin cleaned up and back in shape we went to the Trout House again, but this time for breakfast. As a rule, we normally go there once for dinner and once for breakfast. All week long in Sunriver, the weather was always sunny and in the mid-80's. But Sunday morning we woke up to clouds...which was fitting since we were leaving.

We were lucky to get a window view again and it was beautiful...though we were all so sad. Grace had French Toast for breakfast which she inhaled. Eden ate half a slice of the french toast and some of Josh's and Mine Wheat toast...and Josh and I both got the Carnivore Omelette.

A ham, bacon, and sausage omelette with country gravy on top and a side of toast, and yukon potatoes. 

The Trout House Excels in their breakfasts!

After we ate, we walked along the water for a moment before saying goodbye and heading out of Sunriver to come back home. 

We didn't want to leave. It was the best family vacation we've ever had and were counting down time to whenever we can go again. I'm missing it so much already. 

So there are my tasty meals from our trip to Sunriver. I highly encourage you to hit up some of those places if you ever venture to that part of Oregon. Your stomach will thank you for it :)

Weekly Menu October 4th-10th

I'm back everyone!!!

Did you miss my posts? I missed posting; I found myself wanting to share things with you all...but because of cheap-o me...I only had the free version of blogpress on my phone...and I just got Josh last night to gift me the $2.99 version.  So Yay....maybe in the future, I will blog from afar.

I have so many posts ideas floating around in my head and I can't wait to get the oppertunity to share these posts with you. I am coming upon a very busy week...so please...bear with me. Grace and I, officially start 1st Grade tomorrow and I'm not to sure about how the schedule will go...I doubt Eden will be happy that I'm stealing away her playdate 4 days a week...and I don't really want to school during naptime...because...well I use that time for me to do whatever I want...is that selfish??? I mean, we, mommies need our time too.

Monday

We're having our friend Jared over tonight :)

Josh is grilling Steaks with a Mesquite Marinade

 with Sweet Potatoes with a melted butter & brown sugar topping and Foccasia bread with Garlic and Olive oil.

Tuesday

Spaghetti with whole wheat pasta, corn, and Garlic bread.

Wednesday

Bean and Cheese Enchiladas and spanish rice

Thursday

Leftovers

Friday

Homemade Pizza ( yes, I'm finally getting around to it)

Saturday

Sheppard's Pie and Salad

Sunday

Pot Roast with veggies and potatoes

Special Treats:

Tonight, I'm making my mom's "Famous" apple crisp

(unfortunatly, I have promised my mom I would never post the recipe :( so sorry guys...)

Nutella Pumpkin Bread