Weekly Dinner Update...

In one of my bartering deals last week I was the happy recipient of a sack of ground elk meat (organic and free range of course)

After browning the meat I place it and 2 quarts of home canned pasta sauce in the crock pot on high and let it simmer all day... then I added some (free) cooked egg noodles... Delish... I suppose this is the poor mans version of Hamburger Helper... or maybe it's the smart man's version of hamburger helper...

Buffalo Stir Fry... YUMM A LICIOUS...
made by the girl who thinks she's a bird...

Buffalo Soft Tacos...
(we actually ate soft taco's twice this week)

Beef & Broccoli... with mushrooms and water chestnuts...

And of course...cereal...
Cinnamon Life in case you were wondering...

Weekly Dinner update... week 8 of 52

Monday night we had pulled pork (I found it at the bottom of the freezer) organic rice, home canned green beans and biscuits.

Tuesday it was oatmeal with banana's a raisins...

Wednesday was waffle night with yummy peach butter
and home canned peaches...

Thursday night was stir fry and pork fried rice...

Friday was yellow garlic soup...

Saturday the handsome husband demanded hot dogs and french fries...

On Sunday we had guacamole and chips...

...and then some sort of garlic cheese spinach sausage from the depths of the freezer, mashed potatoes and home canned green beans. If I have any hope of eating all the canned goods by July 1st I better get crackin...

One thing is for sure... this year I plan on making 52 jars of canned salsa. One jar for each week of the year. We are all out... and unless I can get it for free...I guess we will have to go with out until the tomatoes are ripe :(

Weekly dinner update 7 of 52...

Monday Night was baked potato night... We stayed at a hotel with a kitchen on our snowboarding trip...so OF COURSE I brought food along to prepare so we wouldn't have to go out to eat (ie: pay super crazy prices for food/sending me into shock thus saving a trip to the ER)...I happened to bring along some large baking potatoes...(and sour cream) and when we were loading up the car to leave... a potato rolled out of the bag and onto the garage floor... "Oh C'mon... WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU... potatoes? Who brings POTATOES with them on vacation?" The handsome husband was not amused. I personally... thought it was a Kodak moment... even the girl who thinks shes a bird said "Why does Dad always freak out like that? I like baked potatoes"


Tuesday night we ate cheese quesidillas...

Wednesday night the handsome husband made chicken stir fry...
Kung Pow (Po?) Chicken... and fried rice.
I just recently discovered they sell sugar snap peas & bean sprouts at the store (I can't wait for fresh ones from the backyard)


Thursday night was tuna melt with red pepper & carrot slices...
simple & delicious...


Friday night we ate Chicken fajitas... I got the idea from Tori's picture... and I had all 4 of the ingredients on hand... well actually... I had to trade Mrs. Hillbilly for an onion... I traded her a new (free) razor for 1 onion. Now... if only I could find someone in the neighborhood who likes body wash... I'd be set.


For Saturday nights dinner I pulled out the remaining chicken wings (from the chicken bbq last summer) from the freezer and yet another package of frozen sausages from the worst party ever... I don't like chicken wings (I have a thing about eating meat off the bone) and I wasn't in the mood for smelly sausages... so I just had a biscuit... with jam... and 1 piece of asparagus... (the handsome husband MADE me try it) and HH if you are reading this... I STILL DON'T LIKE ASPARAGUS!


Sunday we had ....surprise surprise... soft tacos... with a tortilla full of guacamole... and it was goooood! We only have 3 avocados left to last us til March 1st... (I only have $10 for food dollars for the rest of the month) I hope I make it.

Weekly Dinner Update... week 5 of 52

Monday night it was chicken soft tacos... or actually according to the handsome husband... chicken burritos... "because a taco is open on the top"... I have no idea what he is talking about... I just smile and try to look like I'm listening to his jibberish...

Tuesday night I made beef enchilada's...with lot's of cheese... with an avocado on the side of course...


Wednesday night the handsome husband and the girl who thinks she's a bird made chicken stir fry together... Monkey boy and I don't make stir fry...because for some reason it's "their job"... they're the only ones allowed to make it...and I have no idea why... but why question it?

Thursday night we had pasta (with home canned tomato sauce) and bread from PANERA... this time I didn't burn it...

Friday Night we had avocado, bacon, onion and cheese sandwiches...
Yummm a licious!


Saturday Night... Salad with canned beets & avocado and a giant baked potato...
with a ton of sour cream...


Super Bowl Sunday we went to the Hillbilly's for Dinner...
I have no idea what I ate... but I had a great time :)

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Enough about me...
what did you eat last week that was exciting?

Weekly Dinner Update... Week 4 of 52

Monday night we had cheese quesadilla's and a yummy cheese/bean dip...

and homemade Vanilla Bean ice cream with warmed peach butter sauce...

Tuesday night was left over night... basically... grab a plate and eat what you want. I of course choose beans and rice...other choices included vegetables, chili, rice and left over homemade mac & cheese...I think the canned peaches were an after thought...as in.. here... put these on your plate... canned peaches and cauliflower go so well together...

Wednesday was Ham (left over from Christmas... I froze it) with apple butter, mashed potatoes and corn... I was planning on making thyhand's ham casserole but I didn't make the time...

Thursday night was pasta, stuffed peppers with cheese & french bread from PANERA that I managed to slightly burn... It appears that everyone thinks I should take cooking lessons... I can't imagine way...


Friday was French toast...
it's my secret way of getting the Handsome Husband to eat eggs...


Saturday night we ate baked chicken, rice and carrots...

Sunday we ate giant burritos... I stuffed mine with chicken, homemade refried beans, rice, cheese, salsa and 1/2 an avocado...

My new favorite thing is avocado's...
I LOVE THEM...
they are my new bff...

In fact...
I think I'll go make myself an avocado sandwich right now...

Weekly Dinner Update... Week 3 of 52

Monday night we had homemade chicken soup, baked potato and popovers...
I added lemon curd to mine...

Tuesday night we were at the school and ate a yummy dinner of Pad Thai.
One of the kids parents owns a Thai restaurant and donated enough food for a small army... it was my favorite meal out of the whole two weeks.


Wednesday night at the school we ate pasta with garlic bread and salad.


Thursday night they were serving soft tacos at the school... the taco meat looked gross so we just ate the free homemade cookies and ate beans and rice when we got home...


Friday night...the last night of the play... someone had donated pizzas and cesar salad... and there was like 11 pizza's left over so we brought one of the extras home... and also a bucket full of salad... which was pretty cool since after spending 5 hours a day for the last two weeks volunteering down at the school I planned on spending my entire Saturday in bed... and I saw the free food as an added bonus... (as in I wouldn't have to leave my bedroom to make the people who live in this house breakfast or lunch the next day).


Saturday we ate yummy buffalo soft taco's with homemade refried beans.
Camille's refried beans are my new best friend... I made a second batch this week and I just can't get enough of them...

Sunday... after picking up 15 bags of free cheese on a hot coupon deal... I decided to make a batch of homemade mac & cheese...Yummm...

I suspect next weeks menu will include A LOT OF CHEESE...

Does anyone have any (cheesy dinner) suggestions?

Weekly Dinner Update .....Week 2 of 52

Monday we ate "crunchy bean chili"... I dubbed it "crunchy" because apparently you need to soak pinto beans longer than 8 hours.... Who knew?....Well...now I do... when the tribe started to complain I reminded them about the starving kids all over the world and how they would be happy to eat my crunchy bean chili... So then basically ... the rest of dinner was eaten in an awkward silence (except for the crunch...crunch...crunch sound)
And since I had no takers for a round of seconds... I wised up and dumped the whole pot of crunchy chili in the crock pot and let it cook on low overnight... and what do you know... it softened those beans right up!

Tuesday we had nachos (with the leftover chili) for both lunch and dinner...

Wednesday we ate left over pancakes...


Thursday I got sucked into helping at the school again (so we ate there...pasta and crunchy ice burg lettuce and garlic bread (hey, it was free).

Friday night was free food again (helped out at the school til 8pm) and it was "sandwich night"... I think this was turkey... and a couple of Doritos's and carrots...


Saturday we ate beans and rice... not the most exciting dinner on the planet... but it was gooood....Kinda like comfort food... but without all the grease... and really... when you think about it... most people around the world...probably eat beans or rice on a daily basis...


Sunday I made oven roasted chicken, carrots...and wild rice...


I'm kinda proud of this dinner... we normally eat white rice...so this organic wild rice was an improvement...apparently it's 100% whole grain...(is white rice not a whole grain?) I'm not sure why there is a crane on the package...do cranes hang out in rice fields? And another thing... I didn't know they grew rice in California...interesting.

So... to recap...

I tried 3 new things this week:

#1 Real homemade chili

#2 Real refried beans...that weren't fried

#3 Nutritious wild rice...

Hey... this whole trying to eat healthier thing is kinda fun!

Did you try something new this week? C'mon...what was it????