Meal Planning with Connie

One word - DELISH!! We scraped the pan! I halved the recipe and made it in an 8x8-inch pan.  I didn't halve the sauce, since I knew it would be the kids' favorite part.  It was!  So, if you like lots of sauce, you might want to double the sauce, if making a 9x13 dish of this. I think it would be perfectly fine with the amount given in the recipe, though. One other thought, I think some chopped red or green peppers sauteed along with the mushrooms and green onions would be nice! Although there are several steps in this recipe, I still had this on the table in just over thirty minutes.   All-In-One Egg Casserole   All-In-One Egg Casserole 12 bacon strips, diced ( I used precooked slices. ) 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms 1/2 cup sliced green onions 1/4 cup butter, cubed ( I used fat-free squeeze butter. ) 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 cups milk ( I used fat-free. ) 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese ( I used stirr...

15 by the 15th Connie This week: 2 lbs.!! Total Lost: 7 lbs.!! The good news is that I am almost halfway to my goal!  The bad news is I only have about 7 weeks until the "big day," and Thanksgiving is in between!  I think it's going to be close! I am going to hang in there, though!  I got to walk more this week, and that really helps.  Unfortunately, it seems to rain more days than it doesn't here lately, which puts a real "damper" on walking. It's not too late to join us in losing a few pounds before the holidays. Leave a comment or send me an email at: mealplanwithconnie@att.net You can weigh-in any day you like. My weigh-in day will be Thursdays. Product Review:  Smart Food's Popcorn Clusters I bought a couple of boxes of these popcorn treats this week.  I think they are pretty good!  Each flavor contains about 2 fat grams per packet.  Like most prepacked, individually-wrapped snacks, they're not cheap.  These ran...

Fine Arts Club Recipe Butter Pecan Cookies   1 package white cake mix 1 package butter pecan instant pudding mix 1 cup pecans 1 cup oil Mix above ingredients and add one egg. Roll into balls and flatten with fork. Cook 10 minutes at 350 degrees .

Chicken Rice Salad 1/3 cup orange juice concentrate, thawed 2 tablespoons sugar 1/3 cup corn oil 2 tablespoons vinegar 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard 1/2 cup mayonnaise 4 cups cooked rice 2 cups cooked, diced chicken 1 can Mandarin orange sections, drained Mix orange juice, sugar, corn oil, vinegar, salt and dry mustard in large bowl. Blend well. Add mayonnaise, rice, chicken and oranges. Toss until well mixed.

Fine Arts Recipe Hidden Valley Ranch Pinwheels 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened 1 (1 ounce) package Hidden Valley Ranch Original Dressing Mix 2 green onions, minced 4 (12-inch) flour tortillas 1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimentos 1 (4ounce) can diced green chilies 1 (2.5 ounce) can sliced black olives Mix first three ingredients, spread on tortillas. Drain vegetables and pat dry on paper towels.  Sprinkle equal amounts of remaining ingredients of cream cheese.  Roll tortillas tightly.  Chill at least 2 hours. Cut rolls into 1-inch pieced. Discard ends.

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.) ...