Menu 2014: June 2-29

School is almost done for the year and I CANNOT wait!!! I've got a wedding gown and two bridesmaids dresses going out in June and I also get to start sewing lessons with Miss E now that she can read. :) Our neighbors are helping us with a garden this year so that we can both deal with the upkeep and also reap the benefits at harvest. I am really looking forward to fresh veggies. Since things are bound to get busy, I need to keep the menu simple. Here's a printable copy.

[Crockpot] Tex-Mex Rice Bowl

I thoroughly enjoy a good crockpot meal on Sundays (or any day that I'm at the office).
You know, the kind that's simple, quick, and ready to eat as soon as I get home from church. Well, this is that kind of dish. It takes about 15-20 minutes of prep time and 4 or more hours in the crockpot. Our family loves Tex-Mex food so it's also one of those meals that I don't have to "force" the kids to eat. Bonus!

Milwaukee Brewers Tickets for $6.20 on 6/2/2014

The hubby and I really enjoy tailgating at a game. It doesn't matter if it's football or baseball, it's just an all around fun activity for us. Last year we were given free tickets for the whole family to go to a game and we had a blast. So, naturally, when my hubby sent me a text at 6:26am that you could get tickets for $6.20 each to the Monday, June 2nd, Brewer game I jumped at the chance!

Menu 2014: April 28-June 1

Oh, wow! Time has just flown yet again. I hardly know if I'm coming or going most days, which explains (but does not excuse) my delay in posting the May menu. I am hoping that the weather here gets nice enough to eat out on the deck sooner than later. Since it is now wedding season and I am busy with alterations, I'm really trying to keep things simple this month with a menu plan of: crockpot, grilling, salad, spicy, and misc. Here's a printable list if you're interested.

[Allergy Friendly] Coconut Minis

Bite-sized Coconut Cookies

With so many of my favorite (non-familial) people being gluten free, I've been looking for some new recipes to have on hand in case of company. I am a big fan of coconut, which made my choice of flour an easy decision. I've done a little experimenting with coconut flour and it is a very absorbent flour. You need to bring a ton of "moisturizers" to the party or the coconut makes it really dry. I did some peeking around and found a cookie recipe that sounded interesting so I decided to give it a try. I did make a few adjustments since I just can't leave well enough alone. :)

[No sugar added] Tropical Yorbet

The other day I was cleaning the kitchen and came to the realization that my pineapple and two
mangoes were getting dangerously close to overripe. I didn't want a smoothie because I prefer my smoothies with banana in them and I was out of bananas. A fruit salad wasn't sounding terribly appealing to me either. I decided to grab my blender and ice cream machine from the cupboard and play. I tossed in the mangoes, half the pineapple (I let the kids munch on the rest), a cup or so of coconut milk, and 16 oz. of plain Greek yogurt (although vanilla would go nicely as well).

Foodie Wedding Favor Idea

Spice Blend Wedding Favor

I love weddings - planning, sewing, decorating, attending, singing, playing piano, etc. - so I was really excited to attend the 1920's themed wedding of some friends. They had fabulously simple and elegant decorations, which makes me wish I would have remembered to bring my camera. The dresses worked perfectly with the theme as well as complementing every body type (yes, the seamstress in me comes out hardcore when I attend weddings). But the things that I loved most were the little expressions of who the bride and groom are. The groom is a chef so the favors were little packets of a spice blend that the he'd put together. They are simple, unique, and inexpensive. All you need to create these are:

• jewelry sized ziptop baggies
• printable labels and a computer to design them on
• spice blend of your choosing/creation

They had these in little baskets all around the reception for guests to take home. Since we're total foodies, my hubby and I loved it!