Meal Planning with Connie

 More than anything else, I want the folks back at home to think right of me. I never expected to be anybody important. Until we meet again, may God bless you as he has blessed me. ~Elvis Presley quotes We're from "Elvis Country", living 15 minutes from his birthplace, and about 90 minutes from Memphis. Both of my parents, like most people of that generation who grew up in this area, saw Elvis perform live at the county fair. I love to hear people around here tell about when and where they first saw "The King" sing!  In honor of what would be Elvis's 75th birthday, there are lots of festivities going on in our little neck of the woods this weekend! My tribute will be to share this recipe with you guys! I honestly have no idea why it is called Elvis Presley Cake. I just know that it's delicious! My friend, Judy, shared the recipe with me about 20 years ago!  It's one of Larry's favorites. The original recipe is for a 9x13 sheet cake...

 I did weigh-in this morning, prior to eating the Bacon and Cheddar Scones ! ;) Somehow, I managed to lose a pound this week. I don't really know how! We still have lots of holiday food around the kitchen and something about "being snowed-in" always causes the munchies! I did try to make some lower-fat choices this week and walked just a bit. I think the tempts are suppose to be a good bit warmer next week, so I hope to really get back to my walking. Best wishes to all as we strive to get healthier!

 Our snow-frosted magnolia tree Another “snow day” in our portion of the “Magnolia State!” We understand that we are laughed at for the big hoopla we make over teeny, tiny bits of snow. But, snow is such a novelty for us, we don’t really care for having a bit of fun poked at us! As a matter of fact, we even laugh at ourselves and how at the mere mention of that four-letter-word, "snow," by the local t.v. weatherman instantaneously causes our grocery stores' shelves to be emptied of milk, bread, peanut butter, crackers, "tater" chips and Little Debbie Cakes - the major components of the average Southern family's "snowed-in" diet. In all fairness, we usually only get ice down here, not snow, which often causes us to loose electrical power. So, we're just being prepared! ;) Larry, the kids and I enjoyed a fun snowball fight yesterday afternoon. One never gets too old for a good snowball fight! Our fun didn’t last long, because, well, we r...

We awoke to a snow-frosted lawn, a rarity here in Mississippi. As a treat, I made Easy Lemon Scones for breakfast.. They were a hit with everyone! The kids and Larry thought they were tasty, and I thought they were an easy, convenient recipe to make. They went together really quickly and all needed ingredients were in my pantry/fridge! No fresh lemons on hand? Substitute a teaspoon of lemon flavoring for the lemon rind in the batter. For the topping, mix sugar with 2 tablespoons milk and use as directed. Easy Lemon Scones Easy Lemon Scones 2 2/3 c. biscuit mix 5 tbsp. sugar 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional) grated rind of one lemon 1 egg, beaten 1/2 c. milk or buttermilk Topping: 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine first 4 ingredients. Mix egg with milk. Add to dry ingredients. Mix into soft ball. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Gently roll or pat dough to about...

I made a  little deviation from my original meal plan. I have been wanting to make this for a couple of weeks.  When I ran across a package of cooked, chopped chicken in my freezer this morning, I decided we’d have it for supper tonight. My friend, Donna, shared this recipe with me over the holidays. Her sister-in-law brought it to a family gathering, and Donna thought it was yummy! We do, too! It’s simple and easy to make. Donna’s sister-in-law used it as a side dish. I added the chicken (a couple of cups) and made this into a one-dish meal for our supper. Either way, it’s great and makes a large dish! There's plenty for our supper tomorrow night, too! I did use a tablespoon of olive oil in place of the butter called for on the Rice-A-Roni package. Chicken Rice-A-Roni and Green Bean Casserole While I cooked the Rice-a-Roni, I sautéed a couple of cups of fresh mushrooms along with a cup of chopped onion. My kids don’t like canned mushrooms, but love fresh. Go figure...

  These are a favorite with the kids! I did use Heart-healthy Bisquick tonight. You can use 2% cheese, but I highly recommend freshly grating it. It will melt better without the powdered coating on pre-shredded cheese. This coating works great for keeping the cheese from clumping together. It does inhibit melting, though - IMHO :) Garlic and Cheddar Cheese Biscuits 2 cups Bisquick. baking mix 2/3 cup milk 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 cup melted butter 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss cheese with baking mix. Add milk and mix until soft dough forms.  Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet or roll out on floured board and cut with a biscuit cutter or glass. Bake  until golden brown, usually about 10 - 15 minutes. Mix melted butter and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet.

My first loaf of bread from  Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day After reading much praise about the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day cookbook , I ordered it awhile back. I made my first batch during the holidays. If you like homemade bread, but you are intimidated by the time and effort needed for most homemade bread recipes (like me!), I highly recommend this book.  The authors have made homemade bread doable for all us non-bakers! The bread is delicious, and from my experience and reading the experiences of others, the recipes/directions seem almost foolproof! I love that the dough will keep for 2 weeks in my fridge! I can have a fresh baked loaf in just about an hour with truly only about 5 minutes of work!  And, the bread is delicious! White Pizza I used some of my dough to make the crust for our White Pizza tonight. We were all very pleased with it.  I'm still on the basic recipe. (I am looking forward to branching out a bit in the coming weeks.) ...