I Tri and Craft

thoughts from a mother of boys, a marathoner, a triathlete, a crafter, a wife, and a scientist

Tag Archives: food


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Menu Plan Monday Dec. 30

EEEGAADD!!!

What happened to the time?  Is it really gonna be a new year this week?

I have had a nice break from cooking on a regular basis, but I really need to get back into the habit.  I had to figure out something to cook last night and it was torture!

It is times like those that I really appreciate meal planning.

Right now the meal planning website I use, Plan to Eat, is offering 20% off gift subscriptions.

At first I was hesitant about spending money on this kind of service, but since I signed up two years ago I have not regretted it.  The service just keeps getting better.

I love how easy it is to add recipes and search for them.  It makes planning my week of meals so fast!

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You can put recipes in your queue making them easy to find, that way you don’t end up cooking chicken all week-long.

Another wonderful feature is that once you plan a recipe, the ingredients go into your shopping list.  Which you can go through and indicate the things you already have.
They have really tried to make the program more useful by combining the same ingredients.  So if you are making chicken twice in one week it will add the two amounts together.

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Since I have signed up in Sept of 2011, I have spent over 51 hours on the Plan to Eat website.

This discount is a great way to get someone you love organized with their meal planning.

Simple Meal Planning - Plan to Eat

Menu Plan 12/30-01/5

Mon: Rustic Skillet Chicken 

Tue: New Years Eve ~ Taco Bake with Spanish Rice

Wed: Garlic Rosemary Pork Tenderloin with Garlic Rosemary Potatoes 

Thr: Pesto Chicken Tortellini Soup {I will use cheese Tortellini and add cooked chicken to my soup}

Fri: plans with friends

Sat: kitchen is closed

Sun: dinner out

 

Happy Cooking

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Need something to help plan your meals?  I use the Plan to Eat online meal planner.  Try it free for 30 days

Simple Meal Planning - Plan to Eat

Find more recipes at I’m an Organizing Junkie


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Menu Plan Monday Dec. 23 ~ Candy Cane Shortbread Blossoms

Ah, it’s finally the week of Christmas.  Oh wait, holy cow! it’s the week of Christmas.

I was really sure I had so much more time.

The holiday week means less meal planning for me.  So I decided to share a cookie recipe.  We made some cookies for Ian’s school party and I decided to try a new one.

These cookies are inspired by the peanut butter blossoms.  You know the ones with the Hershey’s Kisses placed in the warm cookies?

During the holidays Hershey’s makes a Candy Cane Kiss.  They are super scrumptious.   I’m not gonna lie, I have taken a bag (or two) to ‘share’ (with myself) before.

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Candy Cane Shortbread Blossoms

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

  • Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped
  • 2 1/2 c. Flour
  • 1 c. Butter, softened cut into cubes
  • 6 Tblsp Sugar (6 tablespoon= 1/4 c. + 2 tablespoons)
  1. In a mixing bowl combine flour and sugar.  Cut in butter using a pastry blender or a blade attachment for your stand mixer.  Add butter squares one at a time and blend until mixture resembles fine crumbs and starts to cling.
  2. Form into a ball and knead until smooth.
  3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, place on cookie sheet and flatten.  (shortbread doesn’t behave like other cookie dough so it will not flatten out when bakedMS_CandayCaneShortbreadBlossoms_01
  4. Bake in 325° oven for 20-25 minutes, until center starts to set.  While cookies are baking unwrapped enough kisses for the number of cookies.MS_CandayCaneShortbreadBlossoms_02
  5. Immediately press a Candy Cane Kiss into center of cookie and let cool on cookie sheet for five minutes.MS_CandayCaneShortbreadBlossoms_03
  6. Transfer to a wire rack, let cool until kisses harden.

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Menu Plan 12/23-12/29

Mon: Slow Cooker Parmesan Chicken with Rice

Tue: Christmas Eve ~ out with family

Wed: Christmas dinner at my Sisters.  We will be having ham, potatoes, rolls, caramelized carrots. 

Thr: Hopefully we will be out going to see our Zoo Lights

Fri: Aunt & Uncles Christmas Party

Sat: Kitchen is Closed

Sun: Do I really have to start cooking again?

Happy Cooking

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Need something to help plan your meals?  I use the Plan to Eat online meal planner.  Try it free for 30 days

Simple Meal Planning - Plan to Eat

Find more recipes at I’m an Organizing Junkie


Top Mommy Blogs - Mom Blog Directory

Happy Thanksgiving

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HappyThanksgiving

 

 

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Halloween Popcorn Box printable

Ian is in preschool now.  I know I can’t believe it either.

His school is having little Halloween parties on two days.  That way everyone gets to participate, since it is preschool, not everyone goes everyday.  The day that he gets to attend, Wed., is my day off!  That means I get to go too!  Whoo Hoo!

The great thing about him going to preschool at a private school with about twenty students is that I can make treats for the kids!

While browsing the blog Ginger Snap Crafts, I came across a guest post by I Dig Pinterest.  It was a recipe for Gooey Caramel Apple Monstercorn.

Image from ‘I Dig Pinterest’

Doesn’t that look fantastic?!

Christine (I Dig Pinterest) made caramel popcorn and then poured melted Caramel Apple Taffy over it and accented with candy eyes.  (For her recipe click on the picture above)

I just knew this would be the treat I wanted make for the kids at school.  I thought about just putting some in little plastic bags, but realized that is a bit too simple for me.

So I designed these popcorn boxes.

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I used the graphic from a couple of Halloween kits from Just So Scrappy.

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You can download this printable here.

The PDF file has two pages to print on cardstock or other heavy-duty paper.  Each page is for two sides of the popcorn box.  Simple cut each out and glue/tape them together then secure the bottom (download includes instructions).

Enjoy!

Happy Crafting

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