Texas Girl Recipes

Menu Plan 2/22

2010-02-21T14:14:00.000-08:00

M - baked ziti/garlic rolls
T - baked potato soup w/homemade bread
W - Creamy Chicken and Vegetables
R - chicken parmesan w/spaghetti
F - not sure yet
S - swedish meatballs w/egg noodles
S - not sure yet

Menu Plan 2/14

2010-02-14T14:56:00.000-08:00

S - baked spaghetti
M - tacos w/cilantro lime rice (rice cooker cookbook)
T - leftovers
W - baked mac and cheese
R - drip beef sandwiches (Pioneer Woman)
F - grilled cheese & roasted red potato salad ($5 Dinners)
S - baked ziti
S - baked potato soup w/homemade bread

Two Yummy Dessert Recipes

2010-01-21T13:30:00.001-08:00

Chocolate Swirl Muffin Cake

Layered Peanut Butter Bars

Pork Recipe to Try

2010-01-17T13:27:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe here.

1 generous pork butt about 5 lbs.
1 large can green enchilada sauce
Dash garlic salt.

Trim any excess fat from the pork butt. Brown on all sides and put in crock pot. Cover with large can of green enchilada sauce. Cook all day until meat is tender and falls from bone and easily shreds. Use as taco or burrito meat.

Menu Plan 1-18

2010-01-17T13:24:00.000-08:00

S - chicken tacos
M - homemade pizza w/Italian sausage (crockpot tomato sauce)
T - Rice and Beans and Sausage (crockpot cookbook)
W - bbq pork sandwiches (crockpot)
R - baked potatoes w/leftover pork
F - spaghetti
S - turkey w/wild rice and sweet potatoes
S - turkey sandwiches

Menu Plan 1-11

2010-01-09T18:38:00.000-08:00

S - breakfast casserole (crockpot)/make basil pesto/thaw chicken
M - spaghetti
T - tuscan tomato soup w/grilled cheese (prep for chili and cook up all chicken)
W - white chicken chili (frozen assets lite) w/cornbread
R - Leftover chili
F - chicken salad sandwiches (thaw ziti)
S - beef soft tacos w/ rice
S - baked ziti (from freezer)

Menu Plan 1-4

2010-01-02T20:52:00.000-08:00

S - crockpot chicken (make stock)/thaw pot roast
M - enchilada soup (leftover chicken)
T - tacos (thaw turkey for Sat)
W - slow cooker italian pot roast (Dallas Morning News) w/ mashed potatoes
R - left over roast
F - grilled cheese w/soup
S - turkey w/wild rice and sweet potatoes
S - leftovers

also trying this new dessert (w/o the rum): Chocolate Bread Pudding with Rum Toffee Sauce

Menu Plan 12/28 & ideas for next week

2009-12-27T18:30:00.000-08:00

M - pancakes w/bacon & eggs (Sam's/thaw chicken)/prep cilantro
T - chili (BHG) (make double batch - freeze half) [make BHG meatballs]/thaw adobo
W - chicken fried rice (Frozen Assets Lite)
R - tex-mex beef enchiladas w/ mexican rice
F - parmesan chicken breasts with spaghetti
S - chicken fajitas with leftover mexican rice
S - enchilada soup w/quesadillas (w/leftover fajita chicken)

Ideas for next week:

White Chicken Chili (Frozen Assets Lite)

Crockpot Rotisserie Chicken

Creamy Chicken and Vegetables

Crockpot Red Beans, Sausage and Rice

Crockpot Pork Tenderloin

Santa Fe Wraps

Broccoli Cole Slaw

Menu Plan 11/22

2009-11-22T18:14:00.000-08:00

Mon - baked potatoes
Tues - pasta salad
Wed - leftovers
Thurs - Thanksgiving
Fri - Thanksgiving
Sat - breakfast
Sun - hamburgers w/waffle fries

My Deals of the Week 11/16

2009-11-16T10:07:00.001-08:00

I got some great grocery deals this week.

Target:

10 lb. bag russet potatoes: $1.99
2 Pillsbury pie crusts: $1.75/ea (w/$.50 off 2 coupon)

Kroger:

Rotel: FREE! ($.99 w/$.50 coupon that doubled)
4 boxes Honey Nut Cherrios: $1.00 each ($1.50 when purchase 4, 2 $1 off coupons)
4 boxes Cinnamon Toast Crunch: $1.00 each ($1.50 when purchase 4, 2 $1 off coupons)
Ragu: $1.09 ($1.99 w/$.30 coupon that tripled)
16 oz pecans: $3.99/bag

Tom Thumb:

2 boxes Chex: $1.17 each ($1.67 w/$1.00 off 2 coupon)
Lucerne butter: $1.77
93% lean ground beef: $12.18 ($1.99/lb, saved $18.36)
Chicken breast: $7.04 ($1.99/lb, saved $3.54)
Green giant veggies: $.39/can

Wal-Mart:

5 lb Gold Medal Flour: $1.50
2 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls: $1.38/ea ($1.63 w/$.50 off 2 coupon)
2 Hillshire Farm Lit'l Smokies: $2.00/ea ($2.50 w/$1.00 off 2 coupon)

Menu Plan 11/15

2009-11-14T19:00:00.000-08:00

Sun - chicken fried rice
Mon - Pioneer Woman pot roast w/creamy mashed potatoes
Tues - breakfast (eggs, bacon, biscuits, maybe PW Breakfast potatoes)
Wed - leftovers
Thurs - corn chowder
Fri - Black Bean and Cornbread cobbler
Sat - beef soft tacos w/spanish rice
Sun - spaghetti w/meatballs and garlic bread

Menu Plan 11/8

2009-11-08T08:44:00.000-08:00

Sun - chicken tenders w/waffle fries
Mon - crockpot chicken w/mashed potatoes
Tues - italian sausage lasagna
Wed - leftovers
Thurs - grilled cheese w/potato soup (thinking of this one)
Fri - spaghetti
Sat - chicken fried rice
Sun - corn chowder

New recipes to try:

Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Mustard Sauce

Some New Recipes I Want to Try

2009-10-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

Neely's Red Beans and Rice

Neely's Seasoning Mix:

8 ounces paprika
4 ounces sugar
2 teaspoons onion powder

Mexican Rice (Homesick Texan)

Vegetarian Black Beans and Rice

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins (Pioneer Woman)

Menu Plan - 10/12

2009-10-11T18:49:00.000-07:00

m-steak, baked potatoes
t-cheese quesadillas w/rice
w-pasta, meatballs, garlic bread
r-mac and cheese
f-chicken fajitas w/spanish rice
s-chicken pot pie (Guy's Bird in a Pie)
s-crockpot southwestern bean soup (BHG)

Menu Plan - 6/29 & 7/6

2009-06-28T18:02:00.000-07:00

We are getting ready to move, so I'm planning out the next 2 weeks in an attempt to use up as much in the freezer and pantry as I can.

S spaghetti
M fajita chicken salad - fajita chicken, greens, corn, black beans, red bell pepper
T Spicy Rice, Bean & Cheese Skillet
W stir fry
R mac & cheese w/veggies - freeze leftovers for Sun
F oot
S oot

S mac & cheese
M spaghetti
T hamburgers w/fries
W tacos w/spanish rice (this is a new recipe - I've been trying to find a good rice recipe to make from scratch rather than using a boxed mix or premade rice)
R frozen pizza
F have to clean out fridge
S movers come

Menu Plan - 6/15

2009-06-15T08:06:00.001-07:00

M - beef stew w/cornbread
T - leftover stew
W - chipotle chicken enchiladas w/spanish rice & refried beans
R - beef tacos
F - leftover enchiladas
S - pancakes
S - TBD - Daddy will pick for Father's Day

Menu Plan - 6/8

2009-06-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

M - leftover lasagna
T - cheese quesadillas w/rice and beans
W - breakfast for dinner - biscuits & gravy, eggs, bacon
R - Thai peanut chicken w/rice
F - chicken nuggets w/roasted veggies
S - beef stew in crockpot
S - leftover stew

Menu Plan - 6/1

2009-06-01T09:43:00.000-07:00

M - spaghetti
T - frozen pizza or eat out (busy tonight)
W - Chipotle chicken enchiladas (Becky's recipe looks yummy!)
R - burgers on the grill
F - leftovers
S - sloppy joes
S - lasagna

Menu Plan - 5/25

2009-05-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a week at Disney World! Whew - we are tired but had a wonderful time. I'm trying hard to motivate myself to stick to the meal plan for this week and not spend any more money eating out!

M - burgers and fries
T - chicken salad sandwiches
W - bbq sandwiches
R - pasta w/meatballs and garlic bread
F - leftovers
S - frozen pizza
S - some kind of pasta dish

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2009-05-13T15:31:00.000-07:00

I made these cookies for a cookie swap playdate and they turned out very soft and rich. I just substituted 8 oz of semi-sweet baker's chocolate, roughly chopped, for the chocolate chips. I also left out the nuts. I find that the trick to really soft cookies is slightly under-baking them.

Better Homes and Gardens Chocolate Chip Cookies

Menu Plan - 5/11

2009-05-11T05:37:00.001-07:00

Planning for a little over a week since we'll be leaving for vacation next Monday.

mon - rotisserie chicken w/mac and cheese and rolls
tues - Easy Veggie Pizza
wed - spaghetti w/meatballs and garlic bread
thurs - sandwiches (not sure what kind yet)
fri - chicken enchilada soup (see below for recipe)
sat - frozen pizza
sun - sandwiches or eat out
mon - leaving for Disney!!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

2 cans cream of chicken soup
~14 oz milk (I fill one of the soup cans with milk)
1 can (small) enchilada sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 can cooked chicken (or one cooked chicken breast chopped)
pickled jalapenos to taste, chopped small

Pour soup and milk into large pot over medium heat. Whisk together until combined. Add remaining ingredients and heat through. Serve with cheese and crushed tortilla chips.

Menu Plan - 4/27

2009-04-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

This week, my daughter and I will be leaving to go out of town on Thursday morning, so I'm only planning meals for three days.

Monday - Frito pie (hubby's request)
Tuesday - Beef enchiladas w/spanish rice
Wednesday - Tacos w/leftover spanish rice

Menu Plan - 4/20

2009-04-20T06:39:00.001-07:00

Mon – meatloaf (didn't make last week)

Tues - homemade sausage pizza

Wed – ~~chicken fajitas (we love McCormick's Mesquite Marinade for fajitas)~~ chili (from freezer)

Thurs – Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Pork Loin

Fri – breakfast for dinner

Sat – pot roast (crockpot)

Sun – pot roast sandwiches

Find more menu plans at orgjunkie.com!

Yummy CrockPot Rotisserie-Style Chicken

2009-04-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

I tried this recipe from the A Year of CrockPotting blog:

CrockPot Rotisserie-Style Chicken

It really does taste like a rotisserie chicken that you'd buy at the store. Very easy and yummy! A definite keeper.

Menu Plan - 4/13

2009-04-13T05:50:00.000-07:00

Trying to keep it simple this week and use up some things we already have.

Mon – crockpot chicken
Tues - meatloaf
Wed – chicken tortilla soup (usually use Mr. Food's recipe and add any corn, beans, veggies I might have on hand) and cheese quesadillas
Thurs - leftovers
Fri – baked potatoes
Sat - breakfast (waffles, eggs, bacon)
Sun – homemade pizza

Check at more menu plans at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan - 4/6

2009-04-05T18:28:00.000-07:00

Is it already time to plan another week? Yikes, last week went by fast!

Mon – Chili leftovers
Tues - Apple puff pancake
Wed - Creamy orzo with grilled chicken
Thurs - Broccoli noodle supreme
Fri – Meatloaf (Deceptively Delicious)
Sat – Crockpot chicken
Sun – Easter meal with family

I'm also going to try two yummy looking desserts this week:

Fudge Puddles
Tres Leches cake

A Keeper

2009-04-02T18:26:00.000-07:00

Honey Chicken Stir-Fry - I tried this recipe tonight and it is definitely a keeper. Super easy. I didn't even do the step with the cornstarch at the end. Yummy!

Peppery Monterey Jack Pasta Salad

2009-04-02T06:37:00.000-07:00

This is from the April 2009 Cooking Light and was a recipe that hubby wanted to try. I left out the banana peppers and used pepper jack cheese instead of regular jack cheese. It is really yummy! Kind of pricey since it uses some ingredients I don't usually keep on hand, but it makes a ton and I probably have enough ingredients to make it again. Probably better as a lunch than a dinner.

Peppery Monterey Jack Pasta Salad

Menu Plan - 3/30

2009-03-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

Well sickness has thrown my menu planning out of whack but I'm getting back to it this week. I'm trying to focus on using up things we already have in the freezer and pantry.

Mon - pancakes

Tues - baked potatoes

Wed - Slow Cooker Chili with cornbread

Thurs - spaghetti

Fri - chicken stir fry (frozen veggie mix in freezer) with rice

Sat - Creamy Chicken & Pasta Bake (Kraft)

Sun - pasta salad (from the new Cooking Light - hubby's request but can't find recipe right now)

Menu Plan - 3/16

2009-03-15T14:58:00.000-07:00

Daddy is in town this week, yay!, so we are back to a more normal meal plan. Hoping to use the crockpot more this week.

Monday - Tortilla Soup (using leftover fajita chicken)

Tuesday - Giada's Orecchiette with Mixed Greens and Goat Cheese

Wednesday - Slow Cooker Chili with cornbread

Thursday - Lasagna with Italian Sausage

Friday - Chicken Breast in crock pot (haven't decided on recipe)

Saturday - Meatloaf (Deceptively Delicious) w/mashed potatoes

Sunday - Pizza (using homemade crust from freezer)

Check out more Menu Plan Monday menus at $5 Dinners.

Recipes to Try

2009-03-10T15:32:00.000-07:00

This will be my ongoing list of recipes I find that I want to try. Gotta love Cooking Light and Food Network for ideas!

Chicken

Slow Cooker Chinese Chicken Curry (Full Bellies, Happy Kids)

Chicken and Rice Casserole

Chicken Florentine

Chipotle Chicken Enchiladas (Doctor Domestic)

Soup

Broccoli Cheddar Veggie soup

Pasta

Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce (Cooking Light)

Tomato-Ricotta Spaghetti (Cooking Light)

Slow Cooker Lasagna (came in coupon book in the mail)

Creamy Orzo with Grilled Chicken (Full Bellies, Happy Kids)

Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce (Finding Joy in My Kitchen)

Lots O'Meat Lasagna (Paula Deen)

Misc

Minted Potato Salad (Sandra Lee)

Cherry Tomatoes with Buttermilk Blue Cheese Dressing (Tyler Florence)

Mexican Lasagna (The Pioneer Woman Cooks)

Turkey Cornbread Casserole (Lucy's Life)

Sandra's Jambalaya (Full Bellies, Happy Kids)

Beefy Bean and Salsa Wraps (What a Crock!)

Bread

Freezer Crescent Rolls (Fun Foods on a Budget)

Vidalia Onion Cornbread

Zesty Roasted Garlic Bread (Paula Deen)

Dessert

Frozen Limeade Pie (The Neelys)

Menu Plan 3/9

2009-03-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling somewhat worn out in this third consecutive week of hubby being out of town. So this week will be simple.

Monday - I caved and got fast food. Hadn't had it in a while and it actually didn't taste very good. Shifting my planned recipes by a day.

Tuesday - tacos w/black beans (cooking the meat now for tomorrow)

Wednesday - Corn and Black Bean Quesadillas

Thursday - spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread

Friday - pancakes w/eggs (if I'm feeling up to it I may make a large batch of pancakes and freeze the extra. Hubby will be home so I may actually be able to accomplish this!)

Saturday - homemade cheese pizza (I made and froze pizza dough on Saturday)

Sunday - ??

Check out more Menu Plan Monday menus at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Mom's Chicken Salad

2009-03-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

I had a friend over for lunch and made this chicken salad recipe that I got from my mom. It's one of my favorites. I used the breast meat from a rotisserie chicken to make it super easy, and then used the rest of the chicken to make broth!

Chicken Salad

Chicken Breasts - how many depends on how much you want to make
Cranraisins ~ chopped
Walnut halves - toast and then cut up
Celery - diced
Hellmans Real Mayonnaise

Bake the chicken and chop up the meat and refrigerate until cold. When the meat is cold add the cranraisins, walnuts and celery. Mix together with mayonnaise.

Eyeball the amounts on the cranraisins, walnuts and celery depending on how much chicken and then mix with the mayo until it's a nice consistancy. You can chop the chicken before or after it's cooled, but chicken should be cold before putting this all together.

Menu Planning

2009-03-04T20:09:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to be better about planning out our weekly menus so that I can make my grocery list and have everything I need to actually make dinner. I've been pretty good for the last few weeks, but hubby is out of town this week which makes it a bit more complicated. I usually don't mind cooking something different for my daughter, but when it's just the two of us, I want to make something we can both eat. So here's the plan for this week:

Monday - Quesadillas with Mexican Rice (made in rice cooker)

This turned out ok. I'm working on perfecting the mexican rice recipe which is from The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook.

Tuesday - Pancakes with eggs

Microwaved some frozen pancakes. Super easy. I would like to find an easy way to make a better recipe for pancakes. Maybe pre-make and freeze? Freezer cooking is something I'm working up to. Possible recipes here.

Wednesday - Baked Ziti with garlic bread

Actually I used farfalle since I didn't have enough ziti. It turned out ok. The dish sort of falls apart because of the pasta shape. DD loves pasta and bread so this was a hit with her.

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Pizza

I'm planning to make homemade pizza crust using this Honey Pizza Dough recipe. I made it a few weeks ago and it's pretty good. I want to make a double batch and freeze the extra. I'm using a jarred sauce and just topping with mozzarella cheese. I want to find a good pizza sauce recipe that I can make and freeze. Tomato sauces are so messy to make from scratch because the sauce pops all over the cooktop. I saw a crockpot recipe though which sounds promising.

Saturday - Eating out for hubby's b-day

Sunday - Whole Chicken in Crockpot

I've been looking for another recipe for cooking a whole chicken in the crockpot. The one I have uses basil and I want something more mexican flavored. I'm going to try this recipe.

First Post

2009-03-04T18:40:00.000-08:00

I'm starting this blog as a way to keep track of the recipes I've tried and liked, and to keep track of links to other recipes I find online that I want to try.

I became a full-time stay at home mom in December. One of the things I'm trying to do as a SAHM is to cook more. Ideally I'd like to cut out eating out all together. But if I'm going to cook dinner all the time, I need it to be as easy as possible (I do have a 2 year old running around) and as yummy as possible. If I don't like it, I won't keep it up. So I've turned to the web as a source of new recipes. I've found a lot of great websites and blogs, but it's hard to keep track of all the recipes I find that sound good. So begins this blog...