I have to admit, I'm pretty sad that the Thanksgiving holiday is over. I love getting together with family and enjoying great food. We started our Thanksgiving by doing the Turkey Trot 5K in Springfield. Eric and I both got a 5K PR, and Corey had another good run after coming off of an injury during cross country. It's a very fun race because of all of the families spending time together doing something good for their bodies. There were over 8000 people there this year!

After the race, we headed to my mom's house in Monett. My brother Kevin and his family joined us, and we had a great time together. The weather was gorgeous so we all took a walk together after our dinner. My family stayed through the weekend to help mom get the house ready for Christmas. It was definitely a weekend focused on family, which is my favorite.



This week's menu has a couple of new items, so check back later to see photos. I have book club later in the week, and Eric's parents will be visiting on the weekend. Here's this week's menu. Enjoy and have a great week! Be sure to follow me on Facebook to get fast updates from the blog. :)

Sunday - Beef Fajitas, Strawberries (yes, I found some out of season that were good!)
Monday - Turkey and Dumpling Casserole, Green Beans, Salad
Tuesday - Leftovers from Monday
Wednesday - Baked Cheddar Chicken with Cream Sauce, Broccoli, Salad
Thursday -Salisbury Steak, Day Before Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad
Friday - Book club - I will be making Sausage Potato Soup
Saturday - Steak, Baked Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad

For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com.  

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casserolechicken

Baked Cheddar Chicken with Cream Sauce

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I've seen this recipe in several places online, and I adapted it to make it somewhat lower in calories. Ingredients 4 3 oz. chicken breasts 1 sleeve reduced fat Ritz crackers 1/8 t pepper 1/2 C skim milk 4 oz. reduced fat cheddar cheese, grated 1 t dried parsley Sauce 1 can ...

Cynthia Matzat

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casserolechickenThanksgivingturkey

Chicken (or Turkey) and Dumpling Casserole

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I thought this would be a great way to use some of the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. You could also use chicken (leftover rotisserie chicken would be perfect). It really does taste just like chicken and dumplings! Yum! Ingredients: 3-4 cups of cooked chicken or turkey 2 ...

Cynthia Matzat

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meatlesspasta

French Onion Pasta with Mushrooms and White Wine

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This pasta dish is my take on French onion soup - pasta style. :) It's loaded with super foods - caramelized onions and tons of yummy mushrooms. I use a high-fiber pasta, so this is pretty good for you. Even the hubby liked this one. I love when I make up a recipe and it is successful. Ingredients: 4 ...

Cynthia Matzat

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Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2011

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Thanksgiving dinner this year will be at my mom's house, but I still get to help cook (thanks, Mom!). :) I'm not going to experiment as much as I did last year (I haven't been watching Food Network), and instead, I'm going to focus on family favorites. Here's what's on the menu: Turkey ...

Cynthia Matzat

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cakesdessertsThanksgiving

Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Roll-Up

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I have to admit, I'm not a pie person. I'm especially not a pumpkin pie person. This isn't usually a problem until Thanksgiving comes around. Then, everyone expects you to eat pumpkin pie for dessert. Don't get me wrong - I'm not opposed to pumpkin - I just don't like it in pie ...

Cynthia Matzat

Last year around Thanksgiving, I watched a lot of Thanksgiving cooking specials on Food Network. I'm not sure why, because I really don't watch a lot of television, but I did. And, it got me to experiment with some different recipes for my Thanksgiving dinner menu. I tried a new stuffing recipe (it was ok, but I prefer my mom's recipe, or even better yet, my stuffing roll), I roasted fresh Brussels sprouts, and I made a "fancy" roux for my gravy (and yes, I forgot to get photos of these items in my rush to get dinner on the table). Now, you know me, I don't usually make a lot of stuff that calls for butter or pan drippings, but I have to admit, this was the best gravy I've ever made. Before adding the roux (recipe below), I deglazed my pan with a little white wine, added in a little water, and heated it through. I then whisked in the cooled roux. Best gravy ever! Follow the directions exactly (adjust proportions to match your needs), and you'll have an amazing, lump-free gravy that your family will love.


Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of pan drippings and/or butter
6 tablespoons flour

Directions:
Heat fat or over medium high heat. Add flour all at once whisking vigorously. When mixture thins and starts to bubble, reduce heat to low and cut back on the whisking. Cook until you smell a toasty aroma then cook 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

Roux can be used immediately to thicken a liquid that is at or below room temperature. To thicken a hot liquid, allow roux to cool to room temperature, or refrigerate.

Tightly wrapped, roux can be refrigerated for up to a month. Simply break off pieces and use as needed.

Makes enough roux to thicken 1 pint of liquid.

Recipe source - Alton Brown

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side dishThanksgiving

Savory Sausage Stuffing

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This is my mom's recipe for stuffing that she always uses to stuff the turkey on Thanksgiving. I modify it slightly by using turkey sausage (lower calorie), and I don't chop up the giblets and put them in the stuffing (just grosses me out). My family loves this stuffing and looks ...

Cynthia Matzat

Well, my "catch-up" menu from last week wasn't the most successful menu. :( My goal was to make the recipes I had skipped in some recent weeks. Three of the four items listed were new recipes -Chicken Enchilada Spaghetti,  Gnocchi with Sausage and Spinach, and  Biscuit Pizza Pot Pie. The chicken enchilada spaghetti is the only thing I would make again. The other two were definitely fails for my family. I still posted the recipes, though, because maybe they will be good for someone else, and I like to show that not everything you try in your kitchen is going to be a success. :)

This week is a short week for us at school. Corey and I are off for Thanksgiving vacation starting Wednesday, and our family will be with my mom from Thursday-Sunday. This past weekend we spent in St. Louis with Eric's family, so needless to say, I didn't get a chance to go to the grocery store or make up a menu. We're going to call this week's menu "scrounge" week. I'm just going to wing it a bit until Thanksgiving, and then I plan on eating leftovers. :) Here's this week's menu. I know it may not be that helpful, but I share it with you anyway to show you that we all have crazy weeks where we have to be creative. Enjoy and have a great week! Be sure to follow me on Facebook to get fast updates from the blog. :)


Sunday - Rotisserie chicken (from Wal Mart), Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Monday - French Onion Pasta with Mushrooms and White Wine (sounds fancy, doesn't it? - I'm making this up, so we'll see how it goes. If it's successful, I'll post a recipe later.), Brussels Sprouts, Peaches, Salad
Tuesday - Mini Pigs in a Blanket (turkey little smokies wrapped in reduced fat crescents - told you I was scrounging), Applesauce, Green Beans
Wednesday - Hamburgers on the grill (I have some patties I pre-made in the freezer), French Fries, Apples
Thursday - Thanksgiving (I'll post a separate Thanksgiving menu later tonight)
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - More leftovers :)

For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com.  

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menu plan mondaymenus

What's for Dinner Menu Plan

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Thanksgiving season always means lots of extra cooking, and for me, it starts now. :) This week at school we are doing a fundraiser for United Way that involves some cooking contests and special luncheons. I also have to teach two after-school computer workshops, and my friend Stefanie ...

Cynthia Matzat

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chickenpasta

Gnocchi with Sausage and Spinach

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Well, this recipe was definitely a fail for my family. We really didn't like the gnocchi at all. The texture was just too strange (not really a noodle, not really a dumpling, just weird), and it wasn't very flavorful. I have to admit that we actually dumped it and ate leftover chili ...

Cynthia Matzat

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appetizerspork

BLT Roll-ups

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These are a tasty appetizer, especially if you can use fresh tomatoes from the garden. Make them healthier by using low-fat/high fiber tortillas, reduced fat cream cheese, and light mayo. Ingredients: 8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese 1/2 cup light mayo 8-10 slices center cut ...

Cynthia Matzat

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menu plan mondaymenus

What's for Dinner Menu Plan

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What a wonderful weekend we had! Corey went on the state cross country trip and enjoyed being with the team. Eric and I had a great date night at our favorite local sushi restaurant. And today, our family had a great time running the Bass Pro 5K(Corey and me) and Half Marathon (Eric). ...

Cynthia Matzat

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chickenMexicanpasta

Chicken Enchilada Spaghetti

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This was easy and pretty tasty. I needed to use up some extra pasta, so you'll see spaghetti and wide noodles in the picture. Ingredients: 1/2 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed 1 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon ...

Cynthia Matzat