Menu Planning Again!

I know that if anyone is still reading this blog, you no longer believe that I really am trying to be a better blogger! Really! I have great intentions, but life gets in the way.

Well, life and facebook! I'm telling you, it's like crack! I am so addicted! I think I love the ease of it all, the fact that I can communicate in just a few words (yes, even ME...I realize few words and Jennifer aren't words that seem to go together, but it works on fb!), and I get a bit of instant gratification when someone else leaves a quick comment. I can pop in and out quickly, it only takes a few minutes to catch up, and I'm done! Plus, it's even quicker to upload pictures there.

But I really do miss blogging. And I'll say it again...I am trying to make it a regular part of my life again!

Recently, my cousin Beth commented to me that she missed me sharing my menu for Menu Plan Monday. To be honest, for several weeks, I had gotten really lazy and was not planning my menus. But I'm back on track now. I had planned to post my menu last week, but the days got away, and I never got it on here. So I'll post the menu for this week. Plus, I'll post some links to some recipes I've made recently that I've really liked.

I'm just listing the dinners this week. Breakfasts and lunches look like they do most weeks - pretty boring! So here's what's for dinner this week:

Monday: Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lasagna (This turned out so good!)

Tuesday: Leftovers (we have lots!)

Wednesday: Tacos, Homemade Refried Beans

Thursday: White Lasagna, Salad

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Homemade Pizza

Sunday: TBD

Yes, I realize I have lasagna on the menu twice this week, but they are TOTALLY different!


Now, for a few recent recipes I've tried.

I've posted this link before, but I made Kirstin's Stuffed Zucchini again last week, and it is yummy!

This Cordon Bleu Casserole was very good.

I made Pioneer Woman's Olive Cheese Bread, and it was OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! Oh my goodness, was it good! I cooked half the night I made it and froze the other half. I pulled it out later on a night my parents came and ate with us. They loved it too. So, I made it again and shared it, and they loved it too. Chip doesn't like olives at all, and he even ate some and didn't hate it!

I tried Chick Pea Stew, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I saw the recipe here, but then clicked on her link to the original she got it from. After reading both recipes, I made it following the second link more than the first, but still made a couple of changes. I liked this so much that I ate all the leftovers myself! My parents really liked it, and Ruthi liked it. CJ wasn't crazy about it and Chip ate it, but said it was a little to "healthy" tasting for him.

I made Whole-Wheat Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Cookies that were absolutely amazing! I originally found the recipe at Money Saving Mom, but I can't seem to find it on her blog anymore, so I'll post it here. My kids loved these, as did some friends I shared them with. Chip doesn't like raisins cooked into things, but he loved the parts that had no raisins. So I plan to make a raisin-free batch!

Whole-Wheat Peanut Butter Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups oats
1 1/2 cups raisins (you could use chocolate chips instead)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream first six ingredients. Mix together next four ingredients and add to creamed ingredients. Mix well and stir in raisins. Roll into balls (1 1/2 inch or so). Place on greased cookie sheets and bake for around 10 minutes. Makes five dozen. Freezable

Apparently I made mine a little bigger, because I got just a couple more than four dozen. I'm telling you...these are amazing!

OK, so that turned into quite a long post for Menu Plan Monday! I'm going to link up since it is still Monday (barely). So for more recipes, be sure to check out Menu Plan Monday!