MENU PLAN MONDAY (ok so I'm a day late!)

MONDAY...quick chick, mashed potatoes (chicken in the crockpot, not very good; my crockpot overcooks everything!)
TUESDAY...IHOP for free shortstacks with $1 donation to Children's Miracle Network
WEDNESDAY...ranch onion meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans
THURSDAY...Taco Nite
FRIDAY...spaghetti pie, garlic bread
SATURDAY...fried chicken, butter potatoes, green beans
SUNDAY...breakfast for dinner...french toast casserole

HASHBROWNS

I've never made hashbrowns from scratch before thinking it would be too much hassle. Not only are these super easy, they are also DELICIOUS!! I didn't know what I was missing with the frozen kind. (Recipe from allrecipes.com.)
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1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
5 cups peeled and shredded potatoes
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 onion, minced
1/3 cup vegetable oil

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder. Add potatoes, 1/3 cup oil, eggs and onion and mix until evenly blended. Heat 1/4 cup oil in large skilled over medium high heat. Drop heaping tablespoons of the potatoes into the hot oil, flattening slightly. Cook until browned on the bottom and then flip and cook the other side.

MENU PLAN MONDAY

Monday....fend for yourself I have bible study
Tuesday...crockpot meatballs and leftover homemade hashbrowns
Wednesday...chicken alfredo with garlic flat bread
Thursday...TACO NITE
Friday...chicken tortilla crisps, mexican rice
Saturday...butter chicken, cheesy hashbrowns
Sunday...french toast casserole

BAKED KALE CHIPS

BAKED KALE CHIPS

OK, I know they look really gross but they were soooooo good!! They taste alot like regular potato chips. Again, this recipe comes from allrecipes.com

1 bunch kale

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

seasoned salt

Preheat oven to 350. Line a non insulate cooke sheet with parchment paper. (I didn't have any so I just Pammed a cookie sheet). With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces (not too small because they shrink). Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoned salt. (I put it all into a bowl and mixed it up. It got a lot better coverage that way). Spread out on cookie sheet. Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt. About 10 minutes.

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MENU PLAN MONDAY (ok so I'm a day late)

MONDAY--chili dogs
TUESDAY--cheddar meatwhirl, potato rounds
WEDNESDAY--taco chicken, mac & cheese pie
THURSDAY--Taco Nite
FRIDAY--spaghetti, garlic bread
SATURDAY--garlic ranch burgers, fries
SUNDAY--breakfast for dinner...bacon & eggs

SPANAKOPITA

These are the yummiest!!! On the way to Vegas we stopped for dinner in Baker at Mad Greek. I just had a grilled cheese sandwich. But I saw these little pastry looking things and it said they were phyllo dough filled with spinach and feta cheese. T had said I could order whatever I wanted and I wanted to try these. The were soooo good! It took me awhile to find a recipe for them. It's a lot of work, too, but it was fun to make. I got this recipe from myhusbandcooks.wordpress.com.

SPANAKOPITA
16-20 sheets phyllo dough
1/4 up butter (melted)

Filling:
1 1/2 cup fresh spinach
1/4 lbs feta
1/2 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

Special equipment:
pastry brush
silicon mat or parchment paper (I used neither)

1. Follow directions for use on phyllo dough for defrosting and preparing to use.
2. Preheat oven to 400.
3. In a food processor (I just used my little electric chopper), add the spinach and process for 10 seconds or until the leaves are well chopped. Add the onion (chopped into chunks to make it easier to process) and whole garlic cloves. Process again for about 5 seconds or until the onion and garlic are small pieces. Now add the remaining filling ingredients and pulse a few times until all of the ingredients are integrated.
4. Carefully unroll the phyllo dough. It's delicate. You want to unravel it, so the sheets are laid out and easy to get to. Take one sheet and lay it out on a wide open surface. Next you want to take your pastry brush and melted butter and light brush the sheet. Then lay down another sheet over the top of the first sheet and brush with butter. Repeat until you have 4 sheets down. NOTE: cover the unused phyllo dough with a lightly damp towel, it dries out really easy.
5. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, slice the brushed sheets from short side to short side, making them about 2"-3" wide.
6. Dab about a tablespoon of filling on one of the far sides of the dough strips. Fold over one of the corners and cover the filling to make a triangle. Push the triangle over, continue this all the way to the end of the strip. It's like folding a flag.
7. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat (like I said, I didn't have either, I just "Pammed" the cookie sheet. They can be fairly close together because the don't really expand.
8. Brush the tops again with a bit of melted butter. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Serve warm.

POTATO SKINS

Another great recipe from allrecipe.com. These were sooo yummy!!!!
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4 lg baking potatoes, baked
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or olive oil)
1 tablespoon grated parmesan
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (I just used bacos)
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup sour cream
green onions, sliced

Cut baked potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out pulp, leaving about 1/4 inch shell (save pulp for another use). I then cut them in half horizontally also, made them easier to handle as appetizers. Combine oil, parmesan, salt, garlic powder, paprika and pepper; brush over both sides of skins. Bake at 475 for 7 minutes; turn. Bake until crisp, about 4-5 minutes more. Sprinkle bacon and cheddar inside skins. Bake 2 min more or until cheese is melted. Serve with sour cream and onions.

MENU PLAN MONDAY

MONDAY--little weinies and mac & cheese
TUESDAY--amazing chicken, mashed potatoes
WEDNESDAY--meatball hash
THURSDAY--TACO NITE
FRIDAY--chili dogs
SATURDAY--deep fried steak strips, mashed potatoes, country gravy
SUNDAY--breakfast for dinner: scrambled eggs, amish hashbrowns, and bacon

FROZEN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH BALLS

I got this recipe from allrecipes.com. Oh, my goodness!!!!! These are LETHAL!!!!!!!

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1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon water

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup MINI semisweet chocolate chips

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Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in the vanilla, water, flour, and chocolate chips and mix until well blended. Roll dough with hands into small balls (about the size of a melon ball). Place on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Stor balls in resealable plastic bags in the freezer.

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