Menu Plan Monday ~ Sept 20th
I hope you all had a lovely relaxing weekend! We had our first overnight guests visit us at our new home yesterday. It was all very exciting. One of the guests, along with my son, follows a gluten free, dairy free diet. So for dinner I served a delicious family favorite dish, Baked Chicken and Acorn Squash, along with a side of rice. Yum and such a nice fall dish! Hard to believe how chilly our weather is here already.
We are HUGE popcorn fanatics in this house and have it almost every evening for a snack. Back where I use to live we could purchase a big bag of addicting and divine kettle corn popcorn through a local company and it was such a great treat. I was really missing it the other day and decided I would try and make it myself in my Schneider’s popper. Best popcorn maker ever by the way!
I found this awesome How to Make Your Own Kettle Corn tutorial on the blog Fun On a Dime and it turned out great and totally satisfied my craving! I had a question on exact measurements and she answered it in the comments for me. Hope you like it!
I noticed with school back in session more and more ladies are getting back to menu planning or even starting up for the first time. So very cool and I hope you noticed that your week went so much more smoothly because of it. If I can be of help in any way please don’t hesitate to ask away in the comments. Keep up the good work! And if you’ve been hesitant to join us here feel free to just jump right on in. Everyone is welcome!
Today’s menu plan resource comes from The Happy Housewife ~ 5 Simple Ways to Get Dinner on the Table.
So here’s what we’ll be eating this week:
Monday: Baked Cheesy Turkey Ziti
Tuesday: Teriyaki Sandwiches (missed from last week)
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Corny Chili
Thursday: Leftover buffet
Friday: Chicken, Broccoli & Fusilli in Garlic Cream Sauce
Saturday: Chicken Caesar Wraps (using up leftover chicken)
Simple Supper Sunday (or as my youngest calls it “picking” night…usually this involves breakfast for dinner or pizza buns or something else quick and easy to throw together)
WHAT’S ON YOUR MENU THIS WEEK?
Menu Plan Monday guidelines and banner selections are here.
The baked ziti looks great! The weather is changing so quickly… stay warm!
My parents had that popcorn maker. Then one day my dad put it on the stove, turned the stove on and walked away to look for the popcorn. Then he got a phone call, and forgot about it. 45 minutes later he smelled smoke and realized the kitchen was on fire!
Toni
Oh no I hope everyone was okay. Very scary!
The kettle corn sounds wonderful! Love the popcorn maker too! My family loves kettle corn so I am going to check that link out, thanks!
Every Christmas my boys buy me a kitchen appliance that we can all use as a family, I’ve received a S’More maker, Hot Cocoa maker, etc.
The popcorn maker would be great! Thanks for sharing it and for hosting! Have a great week!
~Liz
The baked chicken and acorn squash looks good. We’ve still got temps in the 90s. I’m not sure fall weather is ever going to get here.
We love popcorn but don’t have a maker or even a good pan in which to make it. That one looks great. Have a wonderful week!
That squash and chicken looks great. I used to have a popcorn maker like that and loved it. My only complaint was that it was a little hard to clean. Thanks for sharing the kettle corn idea.
Baked Chicken and Acorn Squash – am going to have to try this – just picked up a few beautiful acorn squash at the market yesterday and this looks like a fun twist for squash…thanks and yum!
Your pictures always make me want to eat at your house. LOL Yum!
Thanks to your review last week, tonight we’re trying the Italian Sausage and Potato Roast. I am looking forward to it! So thanks. 🙂
(plus I found the turkey sausage on sale, then a coupon, so it was over a pound for less than $2!)
Have a great week!
I hope you enjoy it!!
Wow! That baked chicken and acorn squash looks fabulous! I bet I could even make it with sweet potatoes, don’t you think??!!!
Thanks for hosting! 🙂
Oh definitely!
I’m so lazy I usually buy the microwave popcorn!
FYI – There is a link on my menu plan to my $65 CSN giveaway this week. Thanks for hosting Laura 🙂
The kettle corn sounds really good!
Thanks again for hosting! =)
Hurray!! It worked this week!
I am still doing something wrong. I can’t get it to post. Here is my link:
http://msheriff.xanga.com/weblog
I think it might be because you use xanga. That’s all I can think of.
Laura ~
The Chicken, Broccoli & Fusilli in Garlic Cream Sauce sounds delicious and one that I will have to mark to try in the future. Thank you for hosting the Menu Plan Monday each week…it’s been a great outlet for sharing recipes and exchanging menu plan ideas.
Blessings ~
It is my pleasure! Menu planning has been such a lifesaver for me and I just really want everyone to experience the benefits of it! 🙂
I have been a fan of making popcorn on the stove, but have not tried a popcorn maker. Do you notice a difference with the popcorn maker from just a pot on the stove? I may have to look into one, I love popcorn!
It’s definitely easier on your arms 🙂 And because it has a piece inside that turns it cooks it evenly.
I just linked up, first time! 🙂
Welcome Erin!
Thanks for the menu ideas! I’m going to try the chicken, broccoli & fusilli in garlic cream sauce this week.
Have a great week!
april
OOh I want to come eat at your house on Friday!
To be honest, I am a bit worried about this week’s menu since I tried finding recipes for all the strange Holidays… you know, as opposed to our regular scheduled fare! Guess we will see!
That chicken dish looks AH-MAZ-ING. I also can’t wait to dig into all these awesome link-ups! Tons of menu planning galore! Oh my!
I am glad you shared your chicken and acorn squash! I have some growing in my garden (completely unintentional) and I have never cooked them before. And there are at least 12 in my garden, so I definitely need recipes! 🙂
I have to join those who like that acorn squash and chicken recipe. I’m doing a roasted butternut squash soup this week because I do love autumn and squash. Old-fashion popcorn sounds pretty good as the nights cool off.
Wendy
Menu looks great! I just did my first menu plan today and linked up to Menu Plan Monday. (Hope I did it right and it shows up) Thank you for inspiring me!
~Amy
Thanks for joining us Amy!
I need to put some of your menu items in practice! I’m in such a food funk!!!!!!
We love popcorn! My grandma makes the best kettle corn…. now you’ve made me hungry for it!
This is my first time linking up here but I already love it.Thanks for the great ideas, I’m always looking for new ideas.
Welcome Kim!
The Teriyaki sandwiches sound yummy.
I recently started making popcorn on the stovetop. I burned it a twee bit the first time, but it has turned out great since then.
I’m glad you liked the recipe…. I need to do more menu planning. I always intend to, but it never happens. Thanks for the inspiration! I’ll get my act together this week and hopefully be jumping on this train next week!
Wow! I just stumbled upon your blog, and this menu planning Monday is going to save my life!
Alish, I’m not kidding when I tell you it saved mine. Really.
I look forward to the menu plan monday each week. I never seemed to stick with menu planning, but seeing your menus and the other menus linked, I realized that planning can include easy foods too – it doesn’t all have to be elaborate, and that has completely changed my view of menu planning. I can plan for bfast for dinner one night, a new dish another, a tried and true for a couple of dinners, and then some easy meals with convenience items (meatball subs with packaged meatballs in the crock for example). Its really helped me and I hope to continue to add in new dishes and rediscover old ones so that meal planning comes more naturally and I reduce the last minute scramble to feed the kids and get out the door for an activity right after ending my work at home day. Thanks for hosting and thanks for all the folks who link – I’ve really enjoyed the variety!
You are so right…a menu plan can be as simple or as elaborate as we make it and have time for. So glad it’s been helping you, yay!!
Kettle Corn recipe
1/3 cup popcorn
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sugar
and we add 1/2 t. sea salt
Add it all at the beginning, then stir. Pour onto cookie sheet to cool and store in airtight container. You can generally make 3 batches before you have to wash the popcorn maker. To wash, run water until hot, then fill the popper with hot soapy water and let the lid close on the suds, let soak until sugar melts off. Do not scrub with anything harsh, only like baking soda and non-abrasive rags.
Alternately,
1/3 cup popcorn
1/3 cup red hots
1/8 cup (2 T.) oil
You can add food coloring to the kettle corn before you mix it up and have colorful corn. I do red and green for Christmas.
We love this corn, we just made it this weekend.
Thanks Deb! I’ll definitely have to try that 🙂
Hi Laura,
Well…. I’m sort of doing a menu… which is BIG for me considering I’ve been following you for a couple of years now & have just NOT gotten this silly plan ahead stuff down yet…. but hey, it’s getting there…. And YES!!! You are sooooo right!! It is easier when dinner is planned… I’m heading into my 2nd week of somewhat planned menus…. What helped me tons was organizing my freezer – it needed thawing/cleaning out/organizing, I was finally able to find bins to do this job. I have a chest freezer & needed to have stacking bins that I could lift when full. Found them in the school supply aisle – they were locker crates – 2 wide & 2 high times 3 rows…..I have a list of what is in each bin & the hanging baskets that come with the freezer. …. Then that avalanched into pre-cooking/pre-paring: 4 meatloaves, taco meat (3 meals) 12 doz meatballs (4 meals), 10#’s of deboned chicken (3 meals)…. Now when we’re getting dinner ready, we get out the next night’s meal & stick it in the fridge. Wow – easy peasy!!!! Thanks Laura!!!
Okay seriously, emails like this get me all teared up. So fantastic!! Way to go girl!!