Sausage Meatball and Spinach Soup

Because of Pinterest I haven't subscribed to any magazines since 2010.  I decided this year to subscribe to Better Homes and Gardens and Traditional Home magazines because looking through them makes me happy.  I'm one of those that likes to buy the old-fashioned type books in paper and ink form instead of the digital version.  I still like Pinterest, but there's something about having the magazine to flip through, enjoy, and earmark pages to return to.  Last week, while flipping through the February 2017 edition of BHG I found a recipe for Pork Meatball and Escarole Soup.  I had all of the ingredients on hand except for the escarole, which to be honest, I have never heard of.  In the picture it looked like spinach and I had some of that, so that's what I went with.  My family thought it was tasty and the kids liked the fact that we were having grilled cheese for dinner with our soup.

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 slice loaf bread, broken up into small pieces
2 Tbsp milk
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 lb ground pork
1 Tbsp and 1 tsp parsley, divided
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
fresh spinach leaves
4 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper

Directions:
1.  Whisk together egg, bread crumbs, milk, nutmeg, 1/8 tsp each salt and pepper in bowl.
2.  Stir in pork, Parmesan, and 1 Tbsp parsley.
3.  In a 5-6 qt pot heat oil over med-high heat.  Add celery and onion and cook about 5 minutes or until tender.
4.  Add spinach, chicken broth, 2 cups water, and 1 tsp parsley and bring to boil.  
5.  Reduce heat to simmer and drop rounded Tablespoons of meatballs into broth.
6.  Press meatballs under broth, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through.

*  This article suggested making these meatballs another night by placing them on a foil lined cookie sheet and baking for 18-20 minutes at 375 degrees.  Serve over pasta with marinara. 

Meal Plan 1-15-17 - 1-21-17

Sometimes you make a meal plan and your schedule changes so you have to adapt.  Last week was one of those weeks.  So, I'm sharing what we ate last week instead of what we plan to eat this next week.  It's good to have a plan and it's good to be flexible.


Sunday - Baked Beans and Oreo Cake (fellowship meal at church)

Monday - Tacos, Refried Beans, Mexican Rice

Tuesday - Left-overs

Wednesday - Spaghetti, Broccoli 

Thursday - Chicken Pot Pie Soup and Parmesan Garlic Biscuits
*Biscuits (canned) and Chocolate Gravy (Discipleship Group)

Friday - DATE NIGHT!!! Leftover Spaghetti and Broccoli for the kids

Saturday - Homemade Biscuits and Sausage (made by hubby for brunch)
Left-over Chicken Pot Pie Soup (make another batch of Parmesan Garlic Biscuits)

Meal Plan: 11-7-16 --- 11-13-16

Last week I wrote a post about how I plan to share my dinner meal plan for the week.  I'm a little behind sharing, but here is what we are eating this week...


Monday - Cabbage, Potato, and Sausage Soup (It was so yummy!  My children gobbled it up and my husband went back for thirds!)

Tuesday - Pulled Pork Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli, Ciabatta rolls

Wednesday - Chick-Fil-A (church night)

Thursday - Left-over Pulled Pork, Macaroni and Cheese, Broccoli
*Sausage and Cheese Muffins for discipleship group

Friday - Taco Soup, Jiffy Corn Muffins

Saturday - Left-overs

Sunday - Turkey and Dressing Thanksgiving meal at church; taking Sweet Potato Casserole and Pecan Pie


When I sit down to meal plan I look up the weekly ad for the grocery store where I'll be shopping.  I choose meat and vegetables based on what is on sale that week.  I plan my meals for the week and write it down on my calendar.  I then look up the ingredient list and make my grocery list.  Friday is my typical grocery shopping day so I meal plan and make my grocery list on Thursday afternoons.

Meal Plan: 10-31-16 -- 11-6-16

Five other women and myself get together in my home every Thursday morning for a discipleship group meeting.  We hold each other accountable for Bible reading, prayer, evangelism, and scripture memory.  We confess our sins to one another.  We pray for one another.  We encourage each other in our faith.  And we discuss a lesson my husband (our pastor) has written about a key topic in the Christian life.  Last week several ladies mentioned they needed prayer that they would have joy and better time management in the discipline of serving their families and prioritizing their homes.  One friend mentioned it would be helpful if we gave her ideas for meals to cook for her family.  This post is just that.  I meal plan each week, so why not share it?  

Here's our (dinner) meal plan for the week:

Monday - order pizza (Happy Halloween!)

Tuesday - Grilled Chicken (with garlic and herb marinade), baked sweet potatoes, and Strawberry Spinach Salad with Homemade Dressing

Wednesday - left-overs (minus the sweet potatoes) (church night)

Thursday - Chicken Bundles, rice, green beans, and pineapple (double recipe to take to a friend who just had a baby)
*Pumpkin Muffins for discipleship group

Friday - left-overs (enjoy two family meals at home from all the hard work you put in to making dinner last night)

Saturday - spaghetti, broccoli
*Sausage Balls for breakfast

Sunday - Beef Tips and Rice, green beans, and rolls (double recipe for out of town friends coming over for lunch after church)

I normally wouldn't make green beans and rice as the side for two meals in the same week, but that's just how it happened this week since I'm making these meals to also share with other families and these are common sides.  And some people in other countries eat rice every day with every meal, so we should be just fine.  My goal is to share our meal plan for the week on Sundays so others can have ideas for the upcoming week.

I love sharing a meal with my family around the table at home.  There is something so special about the family gathering together to eat a meal, laugh, talk, and in our case make a lot of messes.  With four children ages 1-8 years old, dinner time rarely goes by without a spill, reminder that we don't dance and sing at the table, and encouragement to finish eating before the timer goes off.  :)  (Eventually we have to move on)  There have been numerous studies showing the benefits of sharing family mealtime at home!  A few of the benefits are less stress, eating healthier, better grades, less substance abuse, and it's a more frugal option than eating out.




"The routine of family meals can generate feelings of closeness and comfort. Even when mealtimes feel hectic or disorganized, take comfort in the fact that the simple act of regular mealtimes may be providing your child with stability."
-Journal of Marriage and Family

Coffee Punch

I hosted a small baby shower (a sprinkle) in my home for a friend last week and served this punch for the first time.  I have had this punch over the years at Christmas parties, weddings, and other events and was always intimidated to make it.  My pregnant friend LOVES coffee and the sprinkle was in the morning, so we had breakfast foods and I wanted a special drink to serve that the honored guest would especially like.  I asked a church friend for her recipe and found some on Pinterest that I ended up combining to come up with this creation, which if I do say so myself, was delicious!  It was so easy to make also!  When I have looked at recipes for this in the past I feel like they have had numerous time consuming steps, but that is not the case with this one.  The ice cream melts during the party and serves as the ice to keep the punch cold.  One of the main recipes I got ideas from was this one.

Ingredients:

1/2 gallon whole milk

2-3 pints vanille ice cream (I use Bluebell, of course)

1 pint coffee ice cream

1/3 cup powdered instant coffee

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1/4 cup chocolate syrup

Directions:

1.  In a saucepan over medium heat, mix the water, coffee powder, sugar, chocolate syrup until all ingredients are dissolved and well mixed.

2.  Allow mixture to cool to room temp.  Refrigerate in airtight container until ready to use. (at least 4 hours, can be stored overnight)

3.  Before guests arrive, pour chilled syrupy mixture in punch bowl. Pour milk over and stir.

4.  Add all ice cream by scoops and stir to mix.

Keep in mind I served this to a small group of ladies.  Most of the time the recipe would probably need to be doubled. 

Broccoli, Cheese, and Potato Soup

Our family loves soup this time of year, and on Saturdays I usually try a new soup recipe.  We enjoyed this one last weekend so I'm adding it to my list.  It's one of those warm and cozy, fill you up type soups and pretty easy to make.


Ingredients:
32 oz box chicken broth
3 large carrots, peeled and diced
4 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tsp onion powder (or throw in some fresh diced onion)
2 small broccoli heads, cut into small pieces
3 Tbsp butter
1/3 cup flour
3 1/2 cups milk
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic pepper
lots and lots of bacon, cooked and chopped (because you can never have enough)

Directions:
1.  In a large pot, bring your potatoes, carrots, broth, and onion powder to a boil, then cover and simmer about 10 minutes.
2.  Add broccoli, cover and simmer another 10 minutes.
3.  While simmering, melt butter in a large saucepan.  Whisk in flour and cook for about a minute until it turns brown.  Whisk in milk, and cook an additional 5 minutes until it thickens. 
4.  Add cheese to milk mixture and stir until melted.  Add salt and garlic pepper.
5.  Pour cheese sauce into large pot of vegetables.  Add milk, salt, and pepper if needed.
6.  Garnish with bacon pieces.


We are trying to not eat as much bread, but this soup is really good with some homemade bread!

Sweet Potato Casserole

Although it's still 90 degrees in West Tennessee, September means fall and casserole season are right around the corner.  (Who am I kidding?  I make casseroles all year long, but more so in the fall and winter months.)  I can't believe I haven't shared this recipe yet!  I've been making it for over a decade and my family has been eating it at holiday get togethers for as long as I can remember.  As a child growing up in AL, my Aunt Cheryl brought it to our house every Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I love sweet potatoes, so what could be better than smothering them in butter, sugar, and pecans?

Ingredients:

5 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed

1/2 cup sugar

1 stick butter

3 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla

1/2 cup milk

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup butter, room temp

1/2 cup flour

1 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

1.  Mix first 6 ingredients in bowl and pour in 9x13 baking dish.

2.  Mix topping ingredients and cover sweet potato mixture.

3.  Bake at 350 degrees covered lightly with foil for 25 minutes.

4.  Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes.