Lentils with Beef

Lentils and Beef



1tsp onion powder
3 whole cloves 
6 cups water
1 pound lentils
2 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
1 pound ground beef, browned 1/2 Cup ketcup
1/3 Cup molasses
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder

Into a large saucepan, put onion powder, cloves, water, lentils, salt, and bay leaf. Simmer for 30 minutes.

While lentils are simmering, in crockpot, combine rest of ingredients. Stir in simmered ingredients from saucepan. If needed, you can add additional water.

Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours or until lentils are tender. We like this over mashed potatoes.

Menu for the Week

Yeah, so this week, I discovered the brownie covered Oreos and confirmed they should NOT be made when you're the only adult in the house for the week.

Sunday- Frozen Ham and Spaghetti Bake
Monday- Pork Fried Rice (made with frozen leftovers)
Tuesday- Lentils with Beef and Mashed Potatoes
Wednesday- Skinny Fettucini Alfredo
Thursday- Sasha's Chicken Curry
Friday- Spicy Shredded Pork with macaroni & Cheese
Saturday-
Hosting a brunch, menu to include:
Sausage & Egg Casserole
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
Fruit Salad
Mimosas

Dinner: Peppery Fish Chowder

Journal Your Christmas...

Here's my page from yesterday.  I struggled on what photo to use but am happy with the end product.

Journal Your Christmas Day 6

Kit- It's Cold Out by DeCrow Designs

Template- Roadside Designs Freebie

Cluster- Ruth Melody Designs Freebie from MScraps

Why I love templates...

Seriously, 20 minutes.  How cute is this kit?  It's not the first one I'd grab to pair with a more "elegant" template but I had fun making this.  Hope you like it as much as I do... has me drooling for a cupcake!

SAS Cupcakes

Adorable kit new last week at TwoPeas by Lauren Reed: Yummers

template is from Tiffany Tillman- Storyteller 4 from Design House Digital

Menu Planning... back in the game

This week's menu is important for a few reasons...  it's a TDY menu, it's my recommittment to counting my calories again & well... I guess that's it.  Here goes:

Monday: Leftover truck stop biscuits over spelt bread (should be about 450 calories)
Tuesday: Dinner out with friends (will check menu online tonight so I can plan my calories tomorrow and allow myself to not feel guilty at dinner)
Wednesday: Beef & Cheese Burritos
Thursday: Tex Mex Calzones
Friday: Cheesy Chicken Cups
Saturday: Date Night- yay!  (If you're new to my blog, this is bedtime for the kids --> me + hubby + movie from netflix + wine + bread + cheese)  And it's the night I don't count calories
Sunday: Ham & Spaghetti Bake from Freezer

FWIW, I always end up with something that just doesn't get made.  Last week, it was the pork fried rice, so I'm freezing the pork to be used for next week.  Two weeks ago, it was my friend Megan's casserole.  Does that happen to you, too?

Journaling Your Christmas... Catch up

for the blog anyway...  I am caught up, but here's the 3 pages you're owed. ;)  If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out Shimelle's Site for details.

All templates are from the generous designer at Roadside Designs.

Kit: Dec Collab from Owl Tree Studios

Kit: Dec Collab from Owl Tree Studios

Kit- It's Cold by DeCrow Designs

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great week!

Pumpkin Bread with Streusel

I love this recipe from the Pioneer Woman for two reasons...  it's delicious and it makes two.  It also freezes beautifully.  I thawed one for a party and you'd never know I hadn't baked it that day.  I did make a few modifications.  My recipe is below:

Steusel Topped Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
•¾ cups Butter, Softened
•¾ cups Granulated Sugar
•¾ cups Dark Brown Sugar
•1 teaspoon Vanilla
•4 whole Eggs
•2-½ cups Pumpkin Puree
•1 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
•1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
•3 teaspoons Baking Powder
•¾ teaspoons Baking Soda
•1 teaspoon Salt
•1-½ teaspoon Cinnamon
•¼ teaspoons Ground Ginger
•¼ teaspoons Allspice
•¼ teaspoons Grated Nutmeg
•½ cups plain or vanilla yogurt
_____


•FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
•¼ cups Butter, Softened
•½ cups Brown Sugar
•¼ cups Oatmeal
•¼ cups All-purpose Flour
•1 teaspoon Cinnamon
•3 Tablespoons Ground Flax Seed
•¼ cups Chopped Pecans (optional)


Baking Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350º F. Grease and flour the bottom of two 8″ loaf pans. To make the topping, mix together all the topping ingredients using a fork or pastry cutter until combined thoroughly.


In a large bowl or mixer, cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated. Stir in pumpkin puree.

In a separate bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cardamom. Whisk together until no lumps remain. Add half of the flour mix to the pumpkin mix, blending well. Beat in yogurt. Add remaining flour mix and beat lightly until smooth.

Pour batter evenly into the two prepared 8″ pans. Cover each with half of the topping mix. Bake at 350º F for 70-80 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Slice and enjoy.

Journaling Your Christmas

I don't make this stuff up...  I pay more organized people than myself to hold my hand and lead me through it, which Shimelle does every Advent season since last year. ;)  You pay her once and she's generous enough to let you participate every.year. in the class.

I also love blogs because on blogs designers give away free stuff.  Like Roadside Designs who is giving away a template a day.

So with their cute templates & Shimelle's direction (adding in this adorable kit from Torta Gialla Designs who I'm 99% sure just created it because she knew somehow that I truly adore penguins & some word art by Karla Dudley in Handwritten You) and bam.  I'm journaling my Christmas.

Journaling my Christmas...

It's an awesome class done by Shimelle each year.  Pay once and you can do your Christmas every year.  I did it last year and had a wonderful memory book of our last December in our old home...  *sniff*


So here is my manifesto for this year:
Manifesto 2010

Credits:
Template from Roaside Designs (blog freebie- daily in Dec)
Kit- Torta Gialla Winter Love from Owl Tree Studio

A fabulous template out & on sale today!

Need a layout to feature all the holiday pictures we snap?  Or an event layout (birthday, etc)?  Check out the newest template from Simply Kelly Designs

15 Photo Template
Here's what I created with it...

Credits:

Simply Kelly Designs 15 Photo Template
Velvet Papers by Simply Kelly Designs- Blog Freebie!

Kit- Christmas joy by Ettes Design

Fonts:

Title- CK Becky & Brotbuttier

Journaling- Hero

(All free)