Meal Planning with Connie

It’s meal plan day!! Don’t forget to tidy your fridge and sort your coupons before planning next week’s menu! Sunday Coupon Preview A man who is eating or lying with his wife or preparing to go to sleep in humility, thankfulness and temperance, is, by Christian standards, in an infinitely higher state than one who is listening to Bach or reading Plato in a state of pride. ~C. S. Lewis I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30 Monday - Chili Topped Ziti and Easy Focaccia Bread Chili Topped Ziti 2 pounds lean ground beef 1 onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 (16 ounces) jar pizza sauce 1 -2 teaspoons cumin 1 - 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon sugar (optional for a sweeter sauce) salt and pepper to taste 16 ounces dry ziti pasta 1 cup shredded cheese Brown ground beef, onion and garlic until the meat is no longer pink; drain fat. Pour in pizza sauce, cumin, chili powder and sugar; mix thoroughly. Add sal

We had depleted most of our leftovers, so I concocted this chowder for supper.  The kids wouldn’t “touch it with a ten foot pole,” but Larry and I thought it was very good.  I love succotash!  This is almost fat free and contains loads of fiber! I threw together a few corn bread sticks to go with it.  Yummy!! Succotash Chowder Succotash Chowder 1 (14 ounce) bag frozen lima beans 2 cans chicken broth 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced 1/2 onion, chopped (I used ½ cup of frozen.) 1 can Ro*tel tomatoes, drained (If you don’t want the “heat,” just use stewed tomatoes.) 1 can creamed corn 1 can Mexi-corn Cover limas with broth, bring to a boil.  Boil for about 3 minutes. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes.  Add potatoes and onion. Continue to cook until potatoes are fork tender - about 10 minutes. (Depending on how thick you like your soup, you may want to remove a bit of the broth at this point. Just use a measuring cup to scoop out a bit of it.) Add drained Ro*tel, and both

I don't know about y'all, but about this time of year we end up with odds and ends of candy from now through Christmas.  This is a great way to use some of that extra candy and share it with others.  This makes the perfect amount for gift giving - not too much or too little.  Just right!  Cut this into squares and place in a pretty plate or container lined with wax paper, parchment paper or a paper doily.  This makes 2+ pounds of fudge - depending on what you stir in.  The cost runs about $5.00 - $6.00 - again, depending on what you add to the fudge. Watch for a sale on the chocolate chips and milk, especially the time of year. Or, there are some good store brands of both these ingredients. Super Easy Fudge with Butterfingers and Cocoa-coated Truffles ("hiding" at the back of the plate) Super Easy Fudge One 12-ounce package (2 C.) semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 ¼ cups chopped nuts or