Meal Planning with Connie

"Yes, we have no bananas We have-a no bananas today. We've string beans, and onions Cabbages, and scallions, And all sorts of fruit and say We have an old fashioned to-mah-to A Long Island po-tah-to But yes, we have no bananas. We have no bananas today." ~ by Frank Silver and Irving Cohn My day didn't start out with no bananas. Instead, I had an abundance of very ripe bananas that needed using! We eat a lot of bananas, and we almost never have this many that are going to ruin, if not used. What to do with all those bananas? Because he was off today, Larry and I were able to start our day with nice long walk. On the way home from walking, we noticed the Warren Construction Crew was working in our neighborhood. This is a great group of Christian men who built our house many years ago and spent most of last summer working here on some remodeling. They were guinea pigs for lots of my muffin recipes! Larry said if I'd fix the guys some muffins, he'd ru...

I truly only have two hobbies. Y’all know that one, of course, is cooking! But, I don’t sew, knit, paint, scrapbook, or weave baskets. So, in the hobby department, other than cooking, I read. That’s it. I so strongly identify with the slogan you see printed on book bags and mugs at Barnes and Noble - “So many books, so little time!” I'm sure there are many other activities I would enjoy, but I've never been willing to give up reading time to pursue any of them. So, I read - and cook! One of my favorite kind of books to read is cookbooks! I can spend hours leafing through a cookbook’s pages, dreaming of all the great meals I’m going to prepare for my family, thinking of which recipes will be well-liked by each family member. Cookbook reading is a love I learned from my mother-in-law. When a new cookbook came to her attention, she’d pick up a copy for herself - and one for me, too! I fondly recall many sweet times of sitting with my mother-in-law in her den, perusing rec...

Let The Older Women Teach The Younger Titus 2:4 One of my favorite things about blogging is reconnecting with people. Two, Ashley and Felecia, whom I heard from over the week-end, I’ve known since I was their age, and they were mere children. I was excited to "catch-up on them" through their blogs! A few years back, I began to feel very old as the kids I had taught at church as pre-schoolers began to graduate from high school - and then from college! Two very wise, mature ladies shared a couple of things with me that have caused me to change the way I feel about growing older. Ms. Mabel H., my sweet, former neighbor, told me - as a lady in her seventies, that life didn’t really begin until 40. Her reasoning was, that by 40, your marriage and career are both fairly well established, you’re making some headway on your mortgage and your children are beginning to grow-up a bit and are a little less dependent upon you for their every need. She said she had tried her best to...

Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2 The other day, Larry, Dude, the kids and I took Aunt Jean to Memphis for an appointment. Because the waiting room can sometimes be busy and crowded, Larry took Aunt Jean inside, while the rest of us found a nice, shady parking space and waited in the van. While we waited, the kids read and filled their ears with i-pod music. Dude worked a Sudoku puzzle, and I immersed myself in the new Pontotoc First United Methodist Church cookbook, which Aunt Jean had gifted me with earlier that morning. When my peripheral vision caught sight of a bit of movement, I turned to see a couple passing near the car. Because dozens of patients and medical personnel had been coming and going past us all morning, I turned back to my cookbook thinking these two were simply passing by, as well. A moment or two later, Logan said, “Momma, I think that lady is trying to get your attention.” I turned ag...

We have some great prizes to give away in July!!! Be sure to register by emailing us at: mealplanwithconnie@att.net Deadline for registering: July 30th at 10pm Baptist Memorial Hospital's Relay for Life Cookbook Better Homes and Gardens Grilling magazine, ice cream scoop & soda can covers Pontotoc First United Methodist Church Building Program Cookbook All names will be put "into the pot." We will draw for the prizes in this order: 1. Baptist Memorial Hospital Relay for Life Cookbook 2. Better Homes and Gardens Grilling magazine , ice cream scoop & soda can covers 3. First United Methodist Church Building Program Cookbook Good luck to all!!!

Congratulations to our Pampered Chef cookbook winners: Linda G., Felicia P., Nancy S. and Ashley W. We hope you all enjoy your prizes!!! Many, many thanks to Susan H. for supplying these great giveaways!!!

Penne Pasta with Spinach and Bacon, Best Green Beans Ever and Garlic Bread Last night was the first time I had made this pasta. Larry and I both really liked it. I will definitely make it again. While it has enough bacon in it to make it meaty, I do think chopped grilled chicken would be good added to this dish. Or, you could use the pasta as a side dish to accompany grilled chicken breasts. The kids aren't crazy about tomatoes, so I pulled some plain pasta from the pot before adding the spinach, drizzled it with just a bit of olive oil, and stirred in some Italian seasonings and Parmesan cheese for them. Nancy was so generous with her green beans, we still had a few left. Last night I added some Best Ever Green Beans to our meal. Larry and I both love these. The onions, garlic and broth give the beans a nice, savory flavor. This recipe is very versatile. If you like crisp-tender, "Yankee-style" green beans, cook your beans only until desired tenderness i...