This is a very quick recipe to assemble. The only time-consuming part is waiting for it to bake. It was a very yummy loaf of bread.

Ingredients:

Filling:

1/3 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

(mix together)

Batter:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup white sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

In large bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and 1 cup sugar. Add egg, milk, and oil to flour mixture. Stir until just moistened.

Pour half of the batter into pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and 1/3 cup sugar. Cover with remaining batter. Top with more cinnamon/sugar if desired. 

Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. 

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Wrap in foil and let sit overnight before slicing.

Recipe Source: A Whisk and a Prayer

The first full week of school is on the books, and I've definitely got fall fever. The air has been cooler, the leaves are starting to fall (unfortunately because of the drought), and the farmers market has apples! I love fall and can't wait to break out my fall recipes. You'll see a hint of that in this week's menu (yep, there's chili on the menu). We've got a busy week ahead so that pot of chili is going to be very useful. We've also got friends coming to town this weekend for the holiday, so my meal plan might change.

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 - leftovers (we had quite a bit since I actually cooked this week)

Monday - Chili, Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Salad, Peaches

Tuesday - Spaghetti Chili, Salad, Peaches

Wednesday - Chicken Fajitas, Salad, Apple Slices

Thursday - Cowboy Stew, Sinfully Sweet Cornbread, Salad

Friday - leftovers

Saturday - Southwestern Egg Rolls, Salad, Strawberries

For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com.

Oatmeal is one of those breakfast foods that I know I supposed to like because it's good for me. But, I can't stand it! I've tried and tried to eat it, and it just makes me gag. It's something about the texture that just doesn't work in my world. But along comes the idea of baked oatmeal. You've got it - oatmeal in handy bar form that's not mushy and gaggy! :) I LOVE this recipe. I make a batch of these, cut them into 12 bars, wrap them individually, and freeze them. Then all I have to do for breakfast is microwave one for a minute, and I'm good to go. Just add fruit and a glass of milk and you've got a hearty breakfast without the mush!

Ingredients:
3 cups old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup flax seed meal
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 t cinnamon 
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup nonfat milk 
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

Directions:
Mix together oats, flax seed meal, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together applesauce, yogurt, milk, oil, and eggs. Stir into oat mixture. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes until browned.

Serving Size: Makes 12 servings

I'm back! I apologize for my recent menu slacking. For those of you who follow me on Facebook, you know that I've been overly busy with back-to-school tasks and just didn't get the menu up. I have now survived the first week back, and I told myself that I would get this menu posted, no matter what! I did make a couple of new recipes the last week. Be sure to check out the Southwestern Egg Rolls and the Bacon Cheddar Ranch Burgers. Both were hits with my family!

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 - Brisket with Burgundy Sauce, Green Beans, Salad, Peaches

Monday - Ott's House Casserole, Broccoli, Salad, Strawberries

Tuesday - Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Hot Dogs, Salad, Peaches

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - Red Beans and Rice, Salad, Strawberries

Friday - Leftovers (yes, again - it's Friday!)

Saturday - Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Creamy Cilantro Sauce, Cilantro Rice, Green Beans, Salad, Peaches

For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com.

These were very tasty burgers. Be careful when you make them as they are very juicy and tend to want to fall apart.

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
4 oz shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
4 slices Oscar Meyer Center Cut Bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 T fat free sour cream

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Form meat mixture into 4 patties. Grill until done.

 I have a hard time finding meatless meals that both boys in the family will eat. This recipe was a winner! Everyone loved them! This will definitely find a place in the regular dinner rotation. 

Ingredients

2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1-15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-9 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry with paper towel (sometimes I leave this out)
4  oz shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
4 oz can diced green chiles, drained
2 green onions, finely chopped
3 T chopped cilantro
Juice of one lime
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 package of egg roll wrappers

Avocado Ranch Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup reduced fat ranch salad dressing
1/4 Wholly Guacamole (or you can use half of a mashed avocado)
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
Juice from 1 lime

1/8 t cumin 

(To make the sauce, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate to let the flavors meld.)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl mix all the egg roll ingredients together (except, of course, the egg roll wrappers). Place about 2-3 T of filling in the center of an egg roll wrapper. Roll according to the directions on the back of the wrapper package. Place the rolls on parchment paper sprayed with olive oil on a baking sheet. Brush a small amount of olive oil onto each roll and cook for 15-25 minutes until they are golden brown. Serve with the avocado ranch dipping sauce. 

Recipe modified from Budget Savvy  Diva

I'm back from a fabulous vacation! Well, actually I've been back for a week now, but I was too pooped out (a.k.a. lazy) to post last week's menu. We spent 10 days traveling to Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Teton, Glacier, Devils Tower, and Mount Rushmore. Hiking vacations, especially those that involve waterfalls, are my absolute favorite, so I was in heaven on this trip. Here are a couple of family pics, just because I like to share. :) We took over 1500 photos, and I know you aren't that interested in my vacation. ;)

Now that it's close to August, school preparations are starting. I had a technology workshop I had to present at last week, and this week I have leadership team meetings and library prep work. I'm trying to spend a little time each day getting some extra things cooked and stored in the freezer for those busy school evenings when it's hard to get meals on the table. I have lots of extra technology training I'll be doing this year after school (3 out of the 5 weekdays - eek!), so purposeful meal planning will be essential to make sure my family eats well and doesn't live at McDonald's (yuck!). I already have several bowls of turkey and gravy in the freezer, as well a batch of split pea soup for lunches. Today I'm making some chili and a pork roast.

Here's this week's menu. Because our temperatures are continuing to stay well over 100 degrees, I'm trying to use my crockpot and the grill as much as I can. Enjoy and have a great week! Be sure to follow me on Facebook to get fast updates from the blog. :)


Sunday - In-N-Out Burgers, Foil Pack Potaotes, Corn on the Cob, Peaches, Salad

Monday - Pork Loin Roast (just seasoned with pepper and garlic powder and cooked all day in the slow cooker), Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli, Salad, Peaches

Tuesday - Taco Salad, Peaches

Wednesday - Tuna Noodle Casserole, Green Beans, Salad, Applesauce

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Steak Pizza (using this crust), Salad, Peaches

Saturday - Grilled Salmon, Cilantro Rice, Green Beans, Salad, Peaches


For more menu ideas, visit orgjunkie.com.