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 Cooking Quote of the Week: “We are not building a rocket ship here, people. We’re cooking - plain and simple.” -Emeril Legasi Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant. - Robert Louis Stevenson Monday - Chicken, Crab and Shrimp Gumbo and garlic bread 1 tablespoon light olive oil 2 tablespoons flour 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 cup of chopped onions 1 green pepper, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 3 cups chicken broth 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes (with the juice) 1 cup cooked, chopped chicken 1 cup sliced okra (optional) 1/2 cup long-grain rice 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce salt, to taste black pepper, to taste 1 cup corn 1 can crab meat 1 cup fully cooked shrimp, tails removed Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Combine the flour and cayenne, then whisk into oil. Reduce heat to medium-low and con...

This is an easy to make, tasty little cake. Larry really likes it. I left the cinnamon out, as he's not a fan, but I think it would be good with the cinnamon. The original recipe calls for a teaspoon of nutmeg. Simple Sweet Potato Pound Cake Simple Sweet Potato Pound Cake 1box Betty Crocker® pound cake mix 1cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes ( I zapped 4 of those little frozen sweet potato patties in the microwave and mashed them up. ) 1/2cup milk 1teaspoon ground cinnamon or nutmeg (optional) 3eggs ( I used 2 eggs and 1/4 cup of Egg Beaters. ) Heat oven to 350°F. Coat a 10-inch tube pan with Baker’s Secret. In large bowl, beat cake mix, sweet potatoes, milk, cinnamon and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on medium speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Spread in pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake is golden brown. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire...

We had our Canadian Bacon and Pepperoni Pizza last night. I used Hormel's turkey pepperonis and their Canadian bacon, that is the same size as the pepperonis. We really like these two products. I cut back on the cheese a bit to save a few fat grams and calories. Logan still gave the pizza an 8 out 10 rating! Canadian Bacon and Pepperoni Pizza Canadian Bacon and Pepperoni Pizza 1 tube refrigerated pizza crust 1 jar pizza Sauce 1 small package of pepperonis 1 small package of Canadian bacon 1 cup shredded provolone cheese 1 cup shredded mozzarella Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat baking pan with cooking spray. Pat dough into prepared pan. Layer ingredients on top of crust in order. Bake for about 15 minutes or until crust is golden.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup Monday - Chicken Pot Pie Soup This was a quick and easy little soup! Yummy and very chicken pot pie-like! It is also very low in fat. I think there is only about 15 fat grams in the whole pot of soup! 2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast meat 1 (16 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of potato soup 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup 2 cups half-and-half or milk ( I used fat-free half-and-half ) crackers, crumbled ( I used oyster crackers ) In a medium sauce pan combine chicken, mixed vegetables, cream of potato soup, cream of chicken soup and milk. Heat through and serve with crumbled crackers on top. For more great recipes, visit: Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays Tasty Tuesday Tuesdays at the Table Crock Pot Wednesdays I would think you could throw all this soup's ingredients into a crock pot and cook for a few hours on high or on low most of the day. Be sure to register for our O...

Weight Loss Goal for my 25th Anniversary 15 by the 15th Weigh-ins on Thursdays Anyone want to join me in losing a little weight before the holidays? Today is the day. I've procrastinated way too long! My goal is to lose 15 pounds by my 25th anniversary, which is on December 15th. You guys are going to be my accountability group! If you'd like to join me in tossing a few pounds, let me know! I'd love to have some company! Don't forget to register for our October giveaways!! Details HERE !!

Okay, this is really just sausage gravy dressed up a bit with some chopped mushrooms and onions. Everyone one in Sunday school seemed to enjoy these. If you don't like mushrooms and/or onions, just leave them out and have plain old country-style sausage gravy! I used Mary B.'s frozen tea biscuits for the biscuits. Breakfast Shortcakes Breakfast Shortcakes 1 lb. bulk pork sausage 1 container mushrooms, chopped 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup flour 3 - 4 cups (depending on how thick you like your gravy) half-and-half or milk salt and freshly ground pepper Biscuits, baked (I use frozen tea biscuits) Cook the sausage, breaking up chunks, in a large skillet over medium heat until done; Remove from pan and drain. Return to pan and add the mushrooms and onion; Cook until onion and mushrooms are tender and any liquid is evaporated. Add the flour, stirring until the sausage mixture is well coated with the flour. Slowly stir in the half-and-half; cook until thickened....

Shrimp Creole Shrimp Creole This was quick, easy and tasty! I left out the butter, so this dish was almost fat-free! This recipe inspired by one in Quick and Easy Weeknight Favorites , one of the cookbooks in our September Giveaways. Be sure to register to win our October Giveaways! Details HERE ! 2 tablespoons butter ½ cup chopped green pepper 4 green onions, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 (14 ½ ounce) can Cajun-style stewed tomatoes, undrained 1 (6-ounce) tomato paste 1 cup chicken broth ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper 1 pound peeled, medium-size fresh shrimp Hot cooked rice Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; add green pepper, green onions, and garlic. Cook stirring constantly for about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, salt and red pepper; cook about 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Add shrimp, and cook about 4 minutes or until shrimp are pink. Serve over rice. Since we're all trying to shed a few pounds, I just made s...