Menu Plan Monday

Is it just me or is December just flying by?

This week's menu is filled with lots of warm, comfort foods to take the chill of the cold weather that is settling in. I will be running around this week with a Christmas concert, my daughter's classroom Christmas party and last minute shopping so I'm hoping that I've planned this out so that it will work. (fingers crossed!)

Sunday - meatloaf w/ rice & gravy and baked carrot casserole

Monday - Pasta e Fagioli in bread bowls (new recipes!)

Tuesday - baked lemon chicken w/ buttered noodles (new chicken recipe!)

Wednesday - chicken tacos (leftover chicken from chicken parm. last week) w/ Spanish rice

Thursday - chicken 'n' biscuits

Friday - slow cooker Char Siu Pork Roast and veggies

Saturday - still up in the air

Be sure to take a look at what others are cooking this week!

Hanukkah Coin Cookies

These chocolate cookies will add a festive touch to your Hanukkah table. This recipe is easy enough for even the smallest helpers to get in on the fun. Their hard work will
really pay off!

What You Need:

1 box chocolate cake mix
2 eggs
1/3-cup oil
1 can chocolate frosting
1 can vanilla frosting
Yellow paste food coloring
Yellow sugar sprinkles

What You Do:

Heat oven to 350*F.

Beat together cake mix, eggs & oil. Roll cookie dough into 2 in. balls, place on an ungreased cookie sheet, and then slightly flatten. Leave room for the cookies to spread out while baking. Bake for 7-8 minutes - do not over bake, as they will harden slightly while cooling. Cool completely before icing.

While the cookies are cooling, tint the vanilla frosting dark yellow. Fill a small plastic Baggie with 1/3 of the frosting, creating a frosting bag. Barely snip one corner of the Baggie. Use this frosting to draw pictures on the chocolate frosted cookies.

Frost half of the cookies with the leftover yellow icing. Top with yellow sugar sprinkles. Frost the remaining cookies with chocolate frosting and decorate with the Star of David, a Menorah, "2007" etc., using the yellow frosting in the frosting bag.

To Freeze: Lay cookies in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Freeze. Once the cookies are frozen, they can be layered in a container in-between sheets of wax paper. Make sure to thaw in a single layer to avoid the cookies sticking together.

Cinnamon Sugared Nuts

These sweet and spicy nuts would make a perfect hostess gift if you are invited to a Passover Seder.

But not just for Passover, they would make a great gift for anyone!

What You Need

2 lbs Raw Assorted Mixed Nuts
1 1/2 C. Sugar
3-4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 C. Water
Parchment Paper
Cookie Sheet

What You Do

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lay the nuts out on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes to lightly
toast them. Allow to cool. Do not turn off the oven.

In a saucepan, mix sugar, cinnamon, & water. Stir over medium heat to dissolve sugar -takes about 5
minutes. Quickly stir the nuts into the cinnamon-sugar mixture, making sure to coat all of the nuts evenly
with the syrup.

Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spread the nuts out onto the sheet in a thin layer. Bake 15
minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to make sure that the nuts are baking evenly. Watch the nuts carefully
to make sure that they do not burn. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once the nuts have cooled they
will become crunchy. Store in a tightly sealed container.

Quick 'n' Easy Menu Plan Monday on Tuesday

Late again...boy, it's just tough to get things done on time right now.

I've been keeping the cooking quick and easy around here since I've been volunteering at my daughter's school, attending concerts, blood drives, parties...etc with my kids. There's just not enough hours in the day to make anything fancy.

Monday - chili mac & corn bread
Tuesday - homemade chicken noodle soup
Wednesday - breakfast for dinner-French toast, fried potatoes & turkey bacon
Thursday - chicken parm & spaghetti
Friday - meatloaf, rice & gravy and a veggie
Saturday - flounder sandwiches & spicy mac n cheese

For a look a what others are cooking this week, check out Menu Plan Monday.

I'm working to bring my blog up to showing off my Christmas spirit. Please hang in there with me while I get things set up!!