Easy Meal Planning

The question for Heart of the Matter is - How Do You Meal Plan?

The way that I cook is so easy. I definitely won't be impressing anybody in the culinary world. My motto is that it needs to be quick and easy, or I won't make it.

I've tried enough recipes over the last 18 years, that I pretty much know what my family will and won't eat. I don't force them to eat things that they don't like, because I won't eat things that I don't like. The kids aren't really picky though. They just have preferences. But I have figured out how to make meals that all 7 of us like.

Here are some things I do to keep it simple:

I like to buy big packages of hamburger and chicken. I cook all the meat and then divide it into small bags and freeze them until I need one for a recipe.

Sometimes I'll cook 2 of one thing (like a casserole) and refrigerate it to have a few days later.

My kids make their own breakfast and lunch. For lunch - they get to choose from foods like burritos, sandwiches, Top Ramen, leftovers, nachos, green salads, fruits and veggie sticks.

I'm teaching the older kids how to cook certain recipes. For example: my son does Tater Tot Casserole and one of my daughters does Chili Enchiladas. The more recipes that I teach them, the more often I won't have to cook. Plus it's educational for them. So, that is the next step in my plan - to teach each of the kids to become masters at making a few meals each.

Here are our favorite recipes for dinner:

• Tater Tot Casserole
  
• Chili Enchiladas
  
• Homemade Pizza
  
• Fish Sticks and Fries
• Hamburgers and Fries
• Chili Mac
  
• Chicken and Rice Soup
  
• Salmon Fillets
  
• Sloppy Joe Casserole
  
• Italian Rotelle
  
• Potato Soup with Rolls
• Chicken Noodle Casserole
  
• Chicken and Fries with Gravy
  
• Chili mixed with cooked white rice

Healthy Ideas for Picky Eaters

Heart of the Matter

Growing Tasty Vegetables
My kids aren't too fond of cooked vegetables. So during the Spring and Summer, we grow veggies that they like. I let them eat fresh peas, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and carrots right out of the garden. They help me pick beans and then we cook them with garlic and salt.

Buying Their Favorites
I try to get healthy foods that my kids like. Instead of forcing them to eat certain foods, I get their favorites: celery (with peanut butter), cantaloupe, tomato slices with a little sugar. The kids help me pick out healthy foods at the store, too.

Dipping Sauces
I've found that a lot more gets eaten if dipping sauces are available. My kids like to dip in: ketchup, BBQ sauce, honey, mayonnaise, ranch dressing, mustard mixed in mayo, taco sauce, and Heinz 57.

Pumpkin Muffins (lots of vitamin A)
Mix in a bowl:
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup oil
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten

Mix in another bowl:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 c. raisins or chocolate chips

Then combine all the ingredients together and mix well.
Fill 12 greased muffin tins 1/2 full.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Helpful Links for Picky Eaters:
Top 10 Ways to Get Kids Involved
The Food Network Site - Picky Eaters
Getting Kids to Eat Vegetables
Why It's Normal for Children to be Picky Eaters

Saturday Stirrings - The Many Ways to Serve Chili

Saturday Stirrings Meme

Last week, Guy Fieri from the Food Network visited Mike's Chili Parlor in Seattle. They were throwing chili on all sorts of foods like:

• French fries
• hamburger buns
• spaghetti noodles
• hot dogs

I have served chili:

• on corn bread
• mixed with cooked white rice
• mixed with a box of macaroni and cheese
  
• on scrambled eggs
• scooped with tortilla chips
• in corn tortillas
• on baked potatoes

You could also try serving it:

• on tater tots
• on taco salad
• in burrito flour tortillas
• with a "chili bar" (bowls of shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream, Fritos, chopped onions, etc.)
  
• over cooked mixed veggies - like corn and zucchini
  

Please let me know if you have other ideas for how to serve chili.

My Kids Make Their Own Birthday Cakes

Works for Me Wednesday Meme

This is very helpful for me, because I don't have the pressure of having to make my kids' Birthday cakes every year. It also doubles for a learning activity.

I'm not quite sure how this tradition started, but my kids love making their own birthday cakes. Since we homeschool, I like it that cake decorating provides opportunities for - creativity, art, math skills, and baking. The kids' favorite place to get cake decorating ideas is at the Family Fun Site. They provide instructions for how to decorate using: various candies, Twinkies, marshmallows, chocolate chips, fruit leather, mini donuts, licorice, etc.

Here are some photos from the site with all of the
cool ideas.














My Other Works for Me Wednesday Ideas:

• 10 Steps to Multiplication Memorization
• Save Time When Cooking Hamburger
  

Tater Tot Casserole

Saturday Stirrings Meme

This is a regular dinner meal in our house, especially since it has become my son's recipe to make. I love Tater Tot Casserole night, because I don't have to do the cooking and everyone in the family will eat it without grumbling.

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of milk
1 pound hamburger (cooked and drained)
1 bag (32 oz) tater tots (potato puffs)
1 (9x12) baking pan

Mix the 2 soups and the milk in the baking pan. Then, mix in the hamburger (cooked and drained). Arrange the tater tots, in rows on top of the hamburger and soup mixture. (You won't use the whole bag.)
Bake (uncovered) at 350*F for 50 minutes.

Time saver tip: Cook up a lot of hamburger and freeze it in individual 1 lb sections. Then, when a recipe calls for cooked hamburger, it will just need to be defrosted.

Save Time When Cooking Hamburger

Works for Me Wednesday Meme

This is what works for me:

I cook 4+ pounds of hamburger (or 10 pounds of chicken thighs) all at one time. When the meat has cooled, I freeze it in individual 1 - 2 pound bags. When a recipe calls for a pound of meat, all I have to do is thaw 1 bag of meat and add it to the recipe. It saves me time, because I don't have to cook meat individually and clean a pan each time.

Chicken and Fries with Gravy

1 bag (28 0z) frozen (fully cooked) Chicken Breast Chunk Fritters
1 bag of (32 oz) French Fries
2 packets of chicken gravy mix
water (for the gravy)
grated Mozzarella cheese (optional)

Heat the chicken fritters according to the instructions on the bag. Then, cut into bite sized pieces.
Cook the French fries according to the instructions on the bag.
Add the appropriate amount of water to the gravy mixes and cook according to the instructions on the packets.
Assemble the cooked ingredients onto each plate:
Lay the fries down first, then spoon on pieces of chicken, top with grated Mozzarella, and pour hot gravy over all.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

1 bag (28 oz) frozen Chicken Breast Chunk Fritters (they come fully cooked)
16 oz. wide egg noodles
3 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans water

Cook the noodles according the instructions on the package, then drain the noodles.
Thaw the chicken chunks and cut them into smaller pieces.
Mix together the 3 cans of soup and the 2 cans of water.
Stir in the cooked egg noodles. Then, mix in the chicken.
Bake at 350*F, covered, for 30 minutes.

Italian Rotelle

16 oz. rotelle or rotini pasta (dried)
1 or 2 cans (or jars) spaghetti sauce
pepperoni slices (cut up)
sliced olives
chopped onions (optional)
chopped green peppers (optional)
cooked sausage (optional)
cut up tomatoes (optional)

Cook the pasta following the instructions on the package. Then, drain the pasta and pour into a baking dish. Stir in 1 - 2 cans spaghetti sauce. Stir in the cut up pepperoni, sliced olives, and any other pizza toppings that you like. Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes or until hot.

Potato Soup

8-10 medium sized potatoes
3 cans cream of celery soup
3 cans water

Mix the soup and the water together. Heat in the microwave, stirring occasionally, until hot.

Peel and cut up the potatoes into bite sized pieces. Put the potatoes in a pot of boiling water. (Make sure the water covers the potatoes.) Boil the potatoes until soft enough to easily cut with a fork. Drain them.

Add the potatoes to the soup mixture and stir together. Then, serve

Sloppy Joe Casserole

Cook the following ingredients according to the instructions on the Sloppy Joe seasoning packets:
2 pounds hamburger
2 packets Sloppy Joe seasoning
2 cans (6 oz) tomato paste
2 cups water

Spoon the cooked meat mixture into a 9x12 baking pan.

Mix together the following ingredients:
2 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 1/3 cups milk
6 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs

Spread the dough mixture evenly over the hot meat mixture.
Bake (uncovered) at 450*F for 18-22 minutes, until the top is a lightly golden brown.

(Check the part of the cooked dough that touches the meat mixture. If it still seems doughy, in the middle, then cover it all with foil and bake it a little longer. The foil will keep the top from burning.)

Salmon Fillets

1 - 2 pounds frozen salmon fillets (already cleaned and bone free)
olive oil
garlic powder
basil
salt and pepper
lemon juice

Thaw the frozen salmon fillets.Preheat oven to 375*F. Place the fillets in a greased baking pan. Brush on some olive oil. Season with a little garlic powder, basil, salt, and pepper. Drizzle on some lemon juice. Bake for 20-25 minutes - until the fish flakes when pierced with a fork.

Chili Enchiladas

2 cans cream of mushroom soup
3/4 can water
2 (15 oz) cans chili (any kind)
2 (15 oz) cans chili beans
3+ cups of grated cheese (Cheddar or Mexican blend)
18 corn tortillas
2 (9x12) baking pans

Mix all of the ingredients, except for the cheese and corn tortillas. Divide the mixture in 1/2. Ladle a scoop of mixture into a tortilla. Roll over the edges of the tortilla and place (with edges down) into a baking dish. (It's OK if the tortilla breaks and the mixture oozes out.) Continue doing this until there are 9 filled tortillas in each baking pan. With the remaining 1/2 of the mixture, spread it on top of all the filled tortillas. Then, top with grated cheese.
Bake (uncovered) at 350*F for 35 minutes.

Homemade Pizza and Breadsticks

Mix together:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. cooking oil

Stir 3 tsp. of yeast into 1 cup of very warm water (but not hot).

When all of the yeast is dissolved, pour it into the flour mixture. Stir all together, with a wooden spoon. Gradually add a little flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Flour your hands and knead the dough while it is in the bowl, for a few minutes. Then let the dough stand for 5 minutes. Spray a 13x14 (or about) baking sheet with cooking spray. Stretch and press the dough onto the baking sheet. Then, I let my pizza dough rise for 15 - 30 min to have a thick crust.

Spread spaghetti sauce over the pizza dough. Then, cover with grated Mozzarella. Add your favorite pizza toppings.

Bake at 400*F on the lowest baking rack for 18 minutes.

Time saver tip: Make 2 pizzas and save the rest for leftovers.

Bread Sticks

Make up another batch of the pizza dough.

Knead it and let it rise for 5 min.

Then, stretch it onto a greased baking pan.

Let it rise 30 minutes in a slightly warm oven.

Bake at 400*F on the lowest baking rack for only 10 minutes.

Take it out of the oven and butter it with the end of a stick of butter or margarine. Then, shake on garlic salt.

Cut it into bread sticks and serve with hot spaghetti sauce for dipping.

Chili Mac

2 boxes macaroni and cheese
1 stick margarine
1/2 cup milk
2 cans chili
2 cans chili beans

Using the first 3 ingredients, prepare the macaroni and cheese according to the instructions on the boxes.
Mix the cans of chili and chili beans together and heat in the microwave until hot (stirring occasionally).
Mix the completed macaroni and cheese and chili mixture together. Then, it's ready to serve.

Chicken and Rice Soup

Chicken (cooked and cut into bite sized pieces)
White Rice (cooked, about 2 cups or less)
3 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
3 cans Water

Stir the soups and the water. Add the amount of cooked chicken and cooked rice that you want to. Warm up in the microwave for about 10 minutes (stirring occasionally). I use the microwave for this recipe. When I heat soup on the stove, I usually end up letting it burn in the bottom of the pot.

Time saver tip: Cook a lot of chicken at once. Then, cut it up and freeze the cooked meat in smaller portions. All you will have to do is defrost the amount that you want to before adding it to a recipe. I usually get a large amount of the cheapest chicken (like leg quarters or thighs). Then, I arrange them on a large baking pan and cook them at 350*F for about 1 1/2 hours, turning once 1/2 way through.