*This post contains an affiliate link

 

My major kitchen accomplishment last week was canning peaches. These are so good!

 

 

A couple of months ago, I bought 20 pounds of chicken leg quarters, cut them up, and cooked them in bbq sauce. After cooling, I froze them in meal size bags. I have been enjoying the convenience of pulling those bags from the freezer. Just thaw and heat. Love it! Last week, I served it with crispy potato rounds from the store freezer, corn. and homemade applesauce from the pantry.

 

 

About 2 weeks ago, I ground a lot of venison meat in the food processor. I cooked it, and froze it. All I have to do is thaw and add to what ever I want. In this case, spaghetti sauce.

 

 

A favorite meal here is venison roast in the slow cooker. In this instance, I cooked it with carrots, and served it with rice. Which didn’t make the picture.

 

 

I went shopping at Aldi’s a week ago for school supplies. So of course I did some food shopping while there. I got some of their brand Italian Chicken Sausage to try. It was pretty good.

 

 

I served it with homemade mac and cheese, and peas.

 

 

A new family favorite is homemade trail mix.  I bought a store bought mix a few times, but the family didn’t like it the way it was. It’s much easier to make my own, then try to find several different bags to meet my family’s likes. And it tastes better, too! At least we think so. In the batch below, I used honey roasted peanuts requested by my daughter, cashews, M & M’s, and in the container on the right, raisins.

 

 

For a snack during the opening night of the Olympics, I served cheese and salami. Extra sharp Cheddar cheese, Colby Jack, some salami stuff that I don’t eat, and multi grain crackers.

 

Not what I was planning on serving for the 1st night of the Olympics. I always try to serve food from the country that is hosting the Olympics that year. I can’t find my Not Just Tacos cookbook though!

 

 

 

I need to hurry up & find it so I can make some Brazilian recipes before the Olympics are over!

 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

Saturday – quick & easy- Hot dogs & chips while watching the Olympics

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Oven fries, chicken strips, baked beans – Husband cooked!

Monday – chicken or turkey –  Scalloped Pork Chops – Granny cooked!

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Spaghetti with venison meat sauce, green beans

Wednesday – Taco Night- Tacos with all the fixin’s

Thursday – pork or beef – Beef Lo Mein

Friday – venison  – Venison roast & potatoes in slow cooker, Basil Glazed Carrots

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

*This post contains an affiliate link. If you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.

 

Well, I tried to take the week off while my youngest was at church camp last week. That didn’t work.  I’m not sure why I thought that Mom would be able to take the week off from kitchen duties. Or any other duties for that matter! lol Oh well, I tried. lol

 

I always say that I want to serve salad on pizza night. Then I walk in the door with pizza and everyone starts eating. So I just forget the salad. I don’t usually like to make salad ahead of time, but I did last week. Then when I came home with the pizza, I put both of them on the table. Score one for mom! lol

 

 

I had to grind some more venison so I pulled out my food processor. It works pretty good. The texture is not the same as ground meat from the store. I need to get a meat grinder. But until then, this works.

 

 

I ground a few batches and ended up with all this cooked venison hamburger.

 

 

I froze 2 – 4 cup bags and one 1 1/2 cup bag. 2 cups of cooked hamburger is about 1 pound.

 

I used 4 cups to make Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes. They are really good! Look for the recipe coming soon!

 

 

We had some Oreo Churros for a snack one night recently They were good. I am giving away 2 boxes of Oreo Churros, so click on over and enter to win!

 

 

 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

Saturday – quick & easy- – Leftovers and perogies

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Sandwiches, then a Fish Fry at church in the evening

Monday – chicken or turkey –  BBQ Chicken, crispy potatoes, corn, homemade applesauce

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – Spaghetti with venison meat sauce, broccoli

Wednesday – Taco Night- Tacos with all the fixin’s

Thursday – pork or beef – Sausages with onions & peppers, homemade mac & cheese, green beans

Friday – venison  – Venison roast, rice, Basil Glazed Carrots

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

I’ve been plugging away in the kitchen. Nothing spectacular. Just food and dishes. sigh…..the dishes never end! lol

 

I found some boneless pork loin chops in the freezer I had forgotten about. So I cooked those last week.

 

 

I tried something new last week, Ranch Glazed Carrots. They come out great! Recipe coming soon!

 

 

I served both of those with some fried potatoes and homemade cinnamon applesauce. The family was very happy. lol

 

 

Saturday, after grocery shopping, I didn’t feel like cooking. So I quickly heated up some leftovers and boiled some water to cook these perogies.  I served them with my favorite jarred spaghetti sauce and some parmesan cheese. Yum! My family really loves perogies. They very much dislike having to follow a serving size. lol

 

This week, my son is at church camp. Taking one person out of the house really makes a difference. Especially when it is a teenage boy that is always hungry! lol So I’m taking it a little easy this week in the kitchen. I sure would like to take a whole week off. That’s not going to happen, though! lol

 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

Saturday – quick & easy- – Leftovers and perogies

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Chicken strips and homemade macaroni & cheese – My daughter cooked!

Monday – chicken or turkey –  Venison, left over mac & cheese, beets

Tuesday – pizza/pasta – pizza and salad

Wednesday – Taco Night- Taco salads from the local restaurant

Thursday – pork or beef – Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes, glazed carrots

Friday – venison  – Venison roast, potatoes, carrots, and onions in the slowcooker

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

*This post contains an affiliate link. If you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.

*This post contains an affiliate link

 

I should know better. I do really. But for some reason I skipped making a menu the last couple of weeks. Our meals have suffered. Our nutrition has suffered. I have suffered.

 

Making a menu keeps me on track. It cuts down on the time I spend in the kitchen. Seeing our menu written down in black and white helps me to see what we are lacking in our diet, usually vegetables, and what we have too much off, usually carbs. ugh. I am better able to see what we are eating and what I need to do to get our nutrition where it should be.

 

Another plus to making a menu is I usually stick to what’s on the menu so I save myself the time of walling around the kitchen trying to come up with something to make.

 

I know that I am not alone with all of that. That’s why I encourage everyone to make a menu.

 

Now onto some yummy food pictures!

 

We, well, my son, cooked hamburgers over our fire pit.

 

 

I tried a new recipe from the Venison Cookery cookbook that I have. Bacon Wrapped Venison Tenderloin. My pork bacon got lost, I later found it hiding behind the eggs, so I used turkey bacon. I think it would be better with pork, though.

 

I seasoned the tenderloin with salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, then wrapped the bacon around it. I secured it with toothpicks. I then browned it in butter.

 

 

After browning, the recipe said to cover the skillet, and let it cook, turning occasionally.

 

It came out great!

 

 

It looked good after slicing!

 

 

And looked great on my plate! I served it with homemade cheesy noodles and corn on the cob. Corn was on sale when I went shopping!

 

For the cheesy noodles, I cooked a package of egg noodles and drained them. I added some milk, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. I didn’t measure anything, lol. Surprisingly, lol, they tasted pretty good!

 

 

Sunday, we had BLT’s. Actually BLTC. Gotta have the cheese. Cheddar cheese slices to be exact. Yum!

 

 

Now that I made a menu for this week, I should have a much easier time in the kitchen this week!

 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

Saturday – quick & easy- – Hot dogs, baked beans, salad

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – BLT sandwiches, chips

Monday – chicken or turkey –  Turkey, slow cooker mashed potatoes, peas

Tuesday – pizza/pasta –  Chicken Pasta salad made with turkey

Wednesday – Taco Night- Beef tacos with all the fixin’s

Thursday – pork or beef – Boneless pork chops, fried potatoes, ranch carrots, homemade applesauce

Friday – venison  – Venison roast, potatoes, carrots, and onions in the slowcooker

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

*This post contains an affiliate link. If you click the link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission.

My mother cooked one day last week. It was the first whole meal that she had cooked after being in the hospital for 4 months, and about 2 more months recuperating at my house. She made Goulash. All her grandkids always ask for her to make this. She usually puts peas in it, as well, but didn’t this time. She was really tired after cooking, but her first meal was a success.

 

 

I don’t usually cook for breakfast. I do like to keep french toast and pancakes in the freezer for easy breakfasts. This day, I wanted some extra protein, so I make a cheddar cheese omelet. Yum!

 

 

I used five pounds of hamburger to make taco meat. We used some that night, and I put two bags in the freezer. I love freezer cooking!

 

 

Some of us like to have taco salads instead of a taco. My daughter always has tortilla chips on hers.

 

 

I made Homemade Taco Sauce last week. It had been a while since I had made some. It’s good on the tacos, and very good on the taco salads.

 

 

This week is a very busy week for me. It’s vacation Bible school week at our church. I have to be at church at 5 every night, Sunday through Wednesday, to work in the kitchen. I am planning easy meals for the beginning of the week. I will make everything earlier in the day. If it needs to be warmed up, my older daughter and mother and warm it up in the microwave.

 

Hopefully, I survive this busy VBS week and have enough energy to cook Thursday and Friday!

 

 

 

In the Kitchen with Linda & Dinner Menu

 

Now…. to answer the question that I get asked about a hundred times a day……….What’s For Dinner?

 

Saturday – quick & easy- – Hot dogs, baked beans, green beans

Sunday – soup & sandwich day – Hot ham & cheese sandwiches, chips

Monday – chicken or turkey –  Turkey, mashed sweet potatoes, peas

Tuesday – pizza/pasta –  Chicken Pasta salad made with turkey

Wednesday – Taco Night- Beef tacos with all the fixin’s

Thursday – pork or beef – Ham & Bean Soup, garlic bread

Friday – venison  – Venison roast, potatoes, carrots, and onions in the slowcooker

 

 

For more ideas, visit Menu Plan Monday

 

*This How to Pick the Perfect Watermelon post contains affiliate links

Watermelons are 92% water by weight. That makes them cool and refreshing. Perfect for the summer time, they will help keep you hydrated on hot days.

 

Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamin C, a very good source of vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B1, magnesium, and potassium. A whole cup of watermelon contains only 48 calories. It delivers more nutrients per calorie, which is an outstanding health benefit!

 

Have you ever cut into a watermelon and it wasn’t what you expected? And then you tasted it. It wasn’t sweet and didn’t taste good at all. I know I have!

 

Here are five tips to help you pick the perfect watermelon.

 

 

How to Pick the Perfect Watermelon

 

Pick the watermelon up. Is it heavy for it’s size? You want to pick up a watermelon and say, Wow! That’s heavy! A watermelon heavy for it’s size will be nice and juicy inside.

 

Tap on the watermelon. It should sound hollow when you knock on it. It should be an echoing, hollow sound, not a thud.

 

 

Look for a watermelon that has a prominent yellow spot. This is where it sat on the ground ripening. If it doesn’t have a yellow spot, it was picked before it ripened.

 

 

Look for “webbing” on the watermelon. This is the brown, course web looking material on the surface of the watermelon. This is caused when bees pollinate the flower and scar the membranes that later forms the fruit. Watermelons that have more webbing are usually sweeter than watermelons with no webbing.

 

 

Look for black, hard globs on the surface of the watermelon. The watermelons in my store didn’t have any, so no picture, but you should look for black, hard globs on the surface of the watermelon. Those globs are sugar seeping out. Which means you will have a sweeter watermelon.

 

Using these tips will help you find the perfect watermelon. Sweet, Juicy goodness that is so good for you.

 

 

I think it’s a southern thing, but I like salt on my watermelon!

Let me help you prepare for your next cookout!

 

Check out these watermelon tools!

Extra Large Melon Cutter

Watermelon Slicer

2 in 1 Waterelon Fork Slicer 

 

*This post contains affiliate links. If you click the links, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.