Meal Planning with Connie

I am taking a short break from blogging to meet the needs of my family! I hope to be back soon!

It's Finger-lickin' Good Recipes Friday!!! I'm on the run, as I have "sick folk" this week. My dad had surgery and is in the hospital. I would greatly appreciate your prayers for him.  I made this dish several weeks back and was saving this post for a Finger-lickin' Good Friday. I hope you'll enjoy! Larry, Logan and I really like it! Grillades - Tender meat in a savory gravy! Grillades - [gruh-LAHD; gree-YAHD] 1. French for "grilled (or broiled) food," usually meat. 2. A creole dish of pieces of pounded round steak seared in hot fat, then braised in a rich sauce with vegetables and tomatoes. Grillades is customarily served with grits. ~ Definition from Food Lover’s Companion On-line “One of the things I find most interesting about grillades is that it is one of those dishes that has a place on all rungs of the social ladder. Grillades may be found on the sharecropper's breakfast table or on the grand buffets of New Orleans.” ~ Chef ...

Ham-and-Swiss Croissant Casserole I made this for Sunday school this past Sunday, and everyone seemed to like it! I will definitely make it again! Ham-and-Swiss Croissant Casserole 6 large deli croissants 2 cups chopped,cooked ham 2 cups shredded Swiss cheese 12  large eggs 2 cups half-and-half 1 tablespoon dry mustard 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon  pepper Coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Slice croissant open, sandwich-style. Cut each half into 4 to 5 pieces. Scatter croissant pieces into prepared baking dish. Top with ham. Sprinkle with cheese. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, and seasonings. Pour egg mixture over mixture in baking dish, pressing croissants down to submerge in egg mixture. Cover tightly with foil, and chill 8 to 24 hours. To bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees/ Bake, covered, for about 35 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 - 30 minutes or until golden brown and set. Let stand 10 minutes before serv...

Line pan with foil leaving about a 2" overhang. Using foil, lift treats from pan. Cut into pieces and serve! No Bake Graham Cracker Fudge Squares These little bars are a great way to make an easy treat without heating the kitchen! We like them chilled. No Bake Graham Cracker Fudge Squares 1 stick butter 1 egg, at room temperature ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheets) ½ cup chopped pecans and/or ½ cup coconut Line an 8x8-inch dish with foil. Spray foil well with cooking spray. In a large sauce pan, melt butter; cool until only slightly warm. Beat egg well. Add beaten egg to cooled butter whisking briskly to incorporate well. Stir in brown sugar. Return sauce pan to stovetop and bring mixture to a boil, cooking for one minute while whisking continuously. Remove from heat and quickly add cracker crumbs and nuts. Press mixture immediately into prepared foil-lined pan. Chill until firm and top with Fudge Frosting. F...

Yesterday was the official end of the 2009-2010 school year for our family, as the kids took the last of their finals. I made these cookies for Logan to carry to a post-exams get-together. He said they were well received! Many thanks to the Morris family for opening their lake home to the kids! Maple Brown Sugar Cookies The maple syrup gives these treats an interesting flavor. The texture is a bit complex too, with crispy edges and soft, chewy centers.  Maple Brown Sugar Cookies 2 1/3 cups firmly packed brown sugar 2 sticks softened butter 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon maple syrup 2 cups all-purpose flour Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat cookie sheets with cooking spray. Cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer. Add eggs, vanilla extract and maple syrup to creamed mixture; blend well. Gradually add flour, mixing well. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto prepared pans, spacing them several inches apart, as this dough really spreads when ba...

B acon Spaghetti Casserole I made this dish last night for supper. It got thumbs up from all. The bacon adds a nice twist to this baked spaghetti dish. In a hurry? Skip the baking step; plate noodles, top with sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bacon Spaghetti Casserole 8-ounces dried spaghetti, cooked according to package directions 8 slices bacon, chopped 1 pound ground beef 1 small onion, chopped 1 small green pepper, chopped 1 (26.5 to 32-ounce) container spaghetti sauce 1 cup shredded cheddar or Italian cheese blend Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Cook bacon until crisp. Remove from pan, crumble and set aside. Pour bacon grease from pan, but leave bacon bits and residue. Brown meat, onion and pepper in pan where bacon was cooked; drain when done. Return cooked beef mixture to skillet; add spaghetti sauce and bacon. Simmer ten minutes. Pour sauce over cooked spaghetti noodles, tossing to coat well. Spoon mixture into pr...

Peanut Butter Texas Sheet Cake This cake is fairly quick to make and is very yummy!  It got good reviews at Sunday school and at home! I love peanut butter! My favorite is Jif Extra Crunchy! I like "natural" peanut butter, too! Larry was the first (and almost only) person I ever met who didn't like peanut butter. I didn't realize a person couldn't like peanut butter!! He said it wasn't that he didn't like peanut butter, he just didn't like it  in things - like cookies. After more than 25 years, I've pretty much changed that, although he'll still say something peanut butter flavored isn't his favorite! I guess I've still got some work to do! ;) He did brag on this cake, though! I hope you all have a wonderful week! We will finish our school work this week, so we're pretty excited about that. Summer Break is just around the corner! Many blessings to all! Did you know that p eanuts are not actually nuts? They are legumes, like be...