Menu Plan Monday

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I don't know about y'all, but these last two weeks over at our house have been c-r-a-z-y.  It is normally busy at our house, no matter what week it is, however, these last 2 weeks have been insanely chaotic.  We've been dealing with everything from illnesses and doctor's visits (stomach and nasty cold/sinus issues....among everyone in the family...not just the kids), an impromptu visit from the in-laws, renovating the flooring in our kid's room, a quick trip the Pumpkin Patch (my daughter has reminded us of it every week this month until we finally went 2 days before Halloween)...and of course...preparing for Halloween.  There also have been some other issues concerning my son that we have had to deal with.  I'm hoping our lives will slow down since the majority of everything has passed, but then I think, "who am I kidding?  Something else is bound to come up!"

Most of the meals that are going to be on this menu are repeats from the last menu, mostly due to the fact that I just didn't get around to cooking most of it.  This is great though because it should save us money on our food bill this upcoming payday ;)  I have also added a few new recipes to this menu.

***Meals in bold are recipes that are on this blog***

Breakfast

Hashbrown Quiche

No-Time For Breakfast Biscuits

Spiced Pumpkin Waffles

Sausage Cheese Grits

Lunch (served with fruit)

Cheese Quesidillas

Sandwiches On A Stick

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Tuna Sandwiches

Pizza Rolls

Dinner

Garlic Roasted Chicken, MaMaw's Cooked Creamer Peas, Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Creamed Chicken With Biscuits, Crockpot Garlic and Herb Corn On The Cob

Becka's White Bean Chili

Crockpot Spaghetti with Garlic Bread and Baby Lima Beans

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

Cheesy Spinach Artichoke Dip and Italian Marinated Vegetable Salad

Dessert & Baking

Banana Bread

Strawberry Fruit Muffins

Buckeye Bars

Chocolate Candy Cane Cupcakes

Pretty Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns

Click here for more MPM ;)

Mummy Dogs

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Today is Halloween!!!  I figured I'd post one last Halloween recipe before the festivities of the day begin.  These cute little mummies have been all over the internet lately.  I actually had them on my list of things to make for Halloween way before they started popping up all over the place.  I found the recipe in one of the many collectible Halloween magazines that I have acquired over the years, so I figured I'd make them this year.

My children are definitely not hot dog lovers.  They absolutely will not eat hot dogs, no matter how they are fixed.  They can be grilled, boiled, or baked and they will still refuse to eat them.  Unless they are "hidden" in something like biscuit dough or mac and cheese, they won't touch em'.

This recipe is an exception to the rule though.  Since they were wrapped in bread stick dough that resembled bandages, my children ate them up quick!  It was a hit with them ;)  And that made mommy very happy ;)

Once you see how easy these are to make, you'll be adding them onto your list of Halloween goodies to cook and bake ;)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees or to whatever the temperature on the biscuit dough can suggests.

We start out with just three simple ingredients............

hot dogs, mustard, and bread sticks (or croissant dough).......

Open up those whop em' bread sticks and cut them into little strips like so.......

Open up the hot dog package, take one hot dog and wrap one piece of dough around the dog.  You may need to use two strips to cover the whole dog. 

Place the rolled hot dog on an ungreased baking sheet.  Repeat this process with all the other hot dogs. 

Place the hot dogs in the oven for 10-13 minutes, or for however long the biscuit container says to cook em.

Let them cool.  Once cooled, place little dots of mustard at the top of the dog for the mummy's eyes. 

I had to take a picture of my lovely's eating these due to the fact that they never eat hot dogs.....

From our family to yours, have a Happy Halloween and be safe out there tonight!!!

Mummy Dogs

1 package hot dogs

1 can refrigerated bread sticks or croissant rolls

1 bottle of mustard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees or to whatever temperature the can of refrigerated bread sticks specifies.

Take each bread stick and cut them into thin strips to resemble bandages. 

Wrap each individual hot dog in the strips and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 10-13 minutes or however long the can of bread sticks specifies.

Let them cool down.  When cooled, place little dots of mustard on the top of the hot dogs to resemble their eyes.

Eat and enjoy ;)

Scarecrow Cupcakes

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Halloween is almost here!  Which means that it's time to dust off all those ghoulish decorations and scary costumes and start preparing for one of the most craziest times of the year. 

I must admit, before I had my children, I had never been one to partake in the events of Halloween.  The only thing I ever did that came remotely close to celebrating this event was watching the Nightmare On Elm Street Marathons on tv.  We all remember those....right?  Heather Langenkamp trying not to fall asleep and hoping she wouldn't meet Freddy in her dreams.  Johnny Depp being eaten alive by his own bed with loads of blood rushing up to the ceiling.  Ahhhhhh the memories. 

Now that I have children of my own, I would never dream of watching those movies with them....until they are old enough to understand what is going on.  Of course by then, they will probably come up with a whole different line of horror films. 

One thing I will let them participate in, however, is helping me make treats and snacks for our upcoming evening of trick or treating and fun. 

Since having my children, I have collected oodles and oodles of festive Halloween magazines filled with recipes, costumes, and decor ideas. 

I found this recipe for Scarecrow Cupcakes and figured I'd give it a shot.  It was pretty simple and my children enjoyed helping to make them.  You can make this for either fall or Halloween, that is what is great about them ;)  This is also a good treat to make for school or Halloween parties.

Scarecrow Cupcakes

1 box (18.25 oz.) yellow cake mix (or white)

1 can (16 oz.) vanilla frosting

1 tube brown decorator's icing

Keebler Deluxe Graham Cookies

24 Twix Brand Caramel Cookie Bar Minis

4 Shredded Wheat Biscuits or Triscuits

1/2 cup M & M's Brand Candy

Make the cupcakes as directed on the box.

Tint the vanilla frosting beige by blending it with a tablespoon of brown decorator's icing.  Spread the beige frosting on top of the cupcake, generously.

Proceed to decorate the cupcakes as seen in the picture.

Hats:  Place a graham cracker on the top of each cupcake, and top with a TWIX Brand Caramel Cookie Bar.

Hair & Neck:  Arrange strands of shredded wheat under the hat and around the neck.

Face:  Use M & M's for the eyes and nose.  Create the mouth by piping it with brown decorator's icing.

***You can use raisins for the nose and licorice or shredded coconut for the hair***

I will be entering this recipe in Mommy's Kitchen's Pot Luck Sunday.  When you get a chance, head on over there and check out all the different recipes ;)

What To Do With Refrigerated/Frozen Biscuits

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Refrigerated biscuits and rolls....who doesn't love em?  I must admit, even though I thoroughly enjoy making homemade buttermilk biscuits and yeast rolls, I have been known on occasion to pop a batch of these babies in the oven before dinner. 

I don't always have the time to make everything from scratch, and when I don't, it's nice to know that I can rely on these lovely creations to save the day :)

During a recent trip to our local grocery store, I was pleased to find out that they were selling oodles and oodles of these cans for only a dollar each!  Needless to say, I stocked up on them. 

It wasn't until I sat down and made our bi-weekly menu when I realized that if I didn't think of more creative ways to use them, that we were going to have canned biscuits as a side dish for almost every meal.

Which brings me to this post. 

 I have compiled a list of recipes that I have made over the years that involve canned biscuits.  These biscuits are so versatile that the possibilites really, truly are endless as to what you can make with them. 

If any of you have recipes or other ideas, please feel free to post them in the comment section.

By the way, I am not being paid to advertise for Pilsbury, just a big fan of their lovely biscuits ;)

Thunderstorm Caramel Sticky Buns

Chicken Croquettes

Pigs In A Blanket

Creamed Chicken With Biscuits

Whop Em' Doughnuts

Crockpot Chicken-N-Dumplings

Menu Plan Monday

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October 17th-November 1st

Since I'm doing the menu every two weeks, we have LOTS of meals to make in the upcoming few weeks. Some of these will be repeats of the meals on my last menu, others will be new.  I've added some Halloween goodies to our menu this time ;) 

***Meals in bold are recipes on this blog***

Breakfast

Hashbrown Quiche

Buttermilk Pancakes and Bacon

No Time For Breakfast Biscuits

Bagels with Cream Cheese

Spiced Pumpkin Waffles

Sausage Cheese Grits

Lunch (served with fruit)

Cheese Quesidillas

Sandwiches On A Stick

Tomato and Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Tuna Sandwiches

Pizza Rolls

Mummy's On A Stick

Dinner

Quick and Easy Chicken Enchiladas with spanish rice

Garlic Roasted Chicken , MaMaw's Creamer Peas, and Homemade Mac and Cheese

Pot Roast Meatloaf and biscuits

Creamed Chicken With Biscuits and Crockpot Corn-On-The Cob w/ Garlic n Herb Butter

Becka’s White Bean Chili

Crockpot Spaghetti with garlic bread and lima beans

Crockpot Turkey Breast with veggies and cornbread

Desserts and Baking

Banana Bread

Strawberry Fruit Muffins

Homemade Apple Crisp

Mousse Filled Witches Hats

Scarecrow Cupcakes

Whop Em' Doughnuts

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Doughnuts.  Yum.  Doughnuts with chocolate and powdered sugar on them.  Even yummier.  Can you guess what these doughnuts are made of?  Of course they are made of dough...but if I tell you what kind, you probably wouldn't believe me.  Are you ready for it??  Hold on to your seats......

They are made from....you guessed it....refrigerated canned biscuits ;)  A few months ago, a friend of mine mentioned that she was making them for her son.  When I heard the news, I automatically thought back to my childhood when my mother used to make these for all of us.

One would usually call them refrigerated biscuit doughnuts, however, I call them Whop Em' Doughnuts because that is what you do when you open a can of refrigerated biscuits.  You whop em' on the counter until the can splits open.  Right?  Or am I the only one who does that??  ;)

To make these, all you need are the ingredients in this picture.....

1 or 2 cans of refrigerated biscuits (they must be the regular buttermilk kind....NOT the flaky kind), 1 to 2 cups of vegetable oil for frying, 1 cup of powdered sugar in a brown bag, 1 cup plus 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon in another brown bag, and cookie candy sprinkles to decorate the doughnuts (if you are making ones with chocolate frosting...which is not pictured).

To start, heat 1 to 2 cups of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat. 

Take an individual biscuit out of the can and cut out a circle in the middle.  I used the cap to the Children's Tylenol Bottle...washed of course ;)  Repeat this action with all of the biscuits.

When finished, you should have a plethora of doughnut shaped biscuits with little mini-balls to match....

By this time, the oil should be ready for frying. Take your biscuits and drop them in the oil....one by one.  You can tell the oil is ready for frying when the bubbles start forming around the biscuits.

It shouldn't take but a minute or two for them to turn a light brown color.  Make sure they stay a light brown color on both sides before you take them out.  You don't want them to dark.  When they start puffing up, that means they are finished.

Place them on a plate lined with paper towels so the oil can drain off and they can cool down.  While they are cooling, make the chocolate frosting mixture if you want.

Once they are finished cooling, take a few doughnuts and place them in paper bags.  Gather up the children and have them shake the bags up.  My kids loved this part!

Ice some of the doughnuts with the chocolate icing and let the kids decorate them with cookie sprinkles and candy.

And voila....you have your very own assortment of yummy doughnuts..........

When it comes to frying food, vegetable oil and I do not get along.  However, I think I did pretty good with making these.  Just ask these little angels below...........

What do y'all think?  ;)

Whop Em' Doughnuts

1 or 2 cans of refrigerated biscuits (the regular buttermilk biscuits....NOT the flaky kind)

 1 to 2 cups of vegetable oil for frying

1 cup of powdered sugar in a brown bag

1 cup plus 1 tsp. ground cinnamon in another brown bag

Cookie candy sprinkles to decorate the doughnuts

Chocolate Frosting (recipe below)

Heat 1 to 2 cups of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium heat.

Take an individual biscuit out of the can and cut out a circle in the middle.  Repeat this action with all of the biscuits.

Take your biscuits and drop them in the oil....one by one.

Keep them in the oil for a few minutes or until they start turning light brown on both sides and reach the puffiness stage.

Take them out of the oil and place on a plate lined with paper towels.

While cooling, make the chocolate frosting.  Once the frosting is made, frost and decorate with cookie candies as desired.  You can also take some of the doughnuts and shake them up in the paper bags with the sugar inside.

Chocolate Frosting:

2 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate squares (equal to 2 squares)

1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup boiling water

2 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar

Place chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute.  Take it out and stir.  Place back in microwave for 1 more minute.  Stir until everything is melted.

Combine the rest of the ingredients until smooth.  Drizzle over doughnuts as desired.

Pigs In A Blanket

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This recipe is a throwback to my childhood.  I think my mother only made this a few times, but I remember eating them, none the less. 

This recipe is so very easy.  And it only takes................

two ingredients!!  That's it! 

Just biscuits and hot dogs.  Oh...and shredded cheese.  But the cheese isn't pictured here because it's optional :) 

The typical Pigs In A Blanket is made with Crescent Roll Dough.  However, I did not have any on hand and had to improvise with just good ole' buttermilk biscuits.

Once you see how easy this is, you'll wonder why you never thought to make them before ;)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees (or to whatever temperature the rolls require). 

Cut 4 or 5 hot dogs in half.

 

To start, take a single biscuit and place it on your work surface. Flatten the biscuit and form it into a thin circle.  Use your fingers. The circle needs to be big enough to fit half of a hot dog (and other ingredients) inside. 

Next, take your shredded cheese (only if you want) and place it on top of the flattened biscuit.  Like so.....

After the cheese is placed on the biscuit, take one of your hot dog pieces and place it on top of the cheese.  Make your place it in the middle and towards the edge of the biscuits that's facing you.

Roll them up, like you are making a burrito....making sure to seal any open edges.  I like to form the edges into a round shape so they make an 'oval like' shape.

Place biscuits onto an ungreased baking tray. 

Place in oven for a good 10-12 minutes or for however long the biscuits are required to cook.

Let them cool and serve with a nice side of fruit :)  My kids love to eat them with ketchup :)

May I also add that you don't have to use just hot dogs and cheese for this idea.  You can use cheese, pepperoni, and pizza sauce to make rolled up pizza balls.  Or you can use left over breakfast foods such as scrambled eggs, bacon pieces, and cheese to make breakfast balls.  The possibilities are endless ;) 

Pigs In A Blanket

4 or 5 hot dogs (cooked)

1 can of refrigerated biscuits (not the flaky kind)

1 package of Shredded Cheese

Other optional fillers....pepperoni, pizza sauce, scrambled eggs, bacon pieces, crumbled sausage, etc...

Preheat oven to 400 degrees or to what the recommended temperature is for the biscuits.

Cut 4 or 5 hot dogs in half.

Take a single biscuit and place it on your work surface. Flatten the biscuit and form it into a thin circle. Take your shredded cheese, hot dogs, or any other toppings you may have and place it on top of the biscuit.

Roll up the biscuit like your rolling a burrito...making sure the ends and any openings are sealed.

Place biscuits onto an ungreased baking tray. Bake in oven for a good 10-12 minutes or for however long the biscuits are required to cook.

Cool before serving.

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Libby has been a featured guest speaker/teacher for the following organizations:

Guest Culinary Arts Teacher for the Querbes Park Summer Camp Program in Shreveport, Louisiana

(July 2011)

Recipes from Cooking With Libby have been featured in the following publications and websites:

Mommypage.com

Get Dinner and Dessert Recipes from Libby

March 27, 2013

Angels Homestead~Saturday Spotlight #3

Ice Cream Bread

February 9, 2013

ScrumptiousCyn.com

Cherry Kool-Aid Pie (Orange Creamsicle Kool-Aid Pie)

January 26, 2013

The Breakfast Club-Ordinary People Who Love Extraordinary Food

Cherry Kool-Aid Pie

January 23, 2013

NorthWestMilitary.com

Military Spouse Cooks On Blog (featured our Slow Cooker White Bean Chili)

December 10, 2012

RecipeLionBlog

Food Trends: Cheesy Casserole Recipes-King Ranch Chicken Casserole

November 2, 2012

Katie's French Language Cafe'

French Cuisine Friday Recipe Link Up #3-Slow Cooker Pizza Dip

October 11, 2012

Military Spouse Magazine/Baseguide.com

A Recipe for the Picky Eater

September 17, 2012

Semi-Homemade Mom

30 One-Step {Crockpot} Meals-Slow Cooker Vegetable Breakfast Casserole

September 15, 2012

Military Spouse Magazine/Baseguide.com

Cooking and Combat Boots Article

August 18, 2012

Craft Foxes.com 

10 Pretzel Craft for Kids and Adults-Chocolate Butterfly Pretzels 

April 25, 2012

Red River Mom's Magazine

(November and December 2010 Issues)

(February and March 2011 Issues)

Wives In Bloom~The Online Magazine of Christian Military Wives Ministry

MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers)-Shreveport, Louisiana Chapter

(November/December 2010 Newsletter)

Cooking With Libby has been a featured Guest Blogger for the following blogs:

Lark's Country Heart (Cinnamon and Apple Bread Pudding)

September 1, 2011

The Farmer's Wife (Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings)

June 3, 2011

The Country Cook (Homemade Buttermilk Cornbread)
April 13, 2011

Mommy's Kitchen (Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownies)

March 29, 2011

Steph's Bite By Bite (Homemade Waffles)

March 29, 2011

Menu Plan Monday

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After 2 long months away from us for Military Schooling, Husband Man is FINALLY back home!  The kids and I are so overjoyed to have him back with us :)  When he was away, I made our menus weekly...due to the fact that it was just the kids and I...and we didn't really need much food-wise.  Now that he is back, I will go back to making our menus bi-weekly.  The menu for this upcoming 2 weeks is full of new and old recipes.  Some of them also are carry-on's from last week's menu.  I have incorporated some of Husband Man's favorite meals since he has been gone a while.  Eating at the good ole' chow hall (or DFAC as it is called now) couldn't compare to him having a good home cooked meal, so I am planning on making him the best home cooked meals on the planet ;)

***Meals in bold are recipes that are on this blog***

Breakfast

Homemade Buttermilk Pancakes and Bacon

Bagels with cream cheese and fruit

Homemade Waffles and fruit

Hash Brown Quiche

No-Time For Breakfast Biscuits

Lunch (fruit will be served with all meals)

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

Cheese Quesidillas

Pigs In A Blanket

Sandwiches on A Stick

Tomato and Bacon Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Tuna Sandwiches

Dinner

Parmesan and Mozzarella Chicken with Baby Lima Beans

Quick and Easy Chicken Enchiladas with Spanish Rice

Melanie's Texas Beef Skillet with Corn On the Cob

Beer Braised BBQ Pulled Pork on top of Baked Potatoes with Red Beans and Rice

Chili and Baked Potatoes

Dessert/Baking

Whop Em Donuts

Banana Bread

Homemade Apple Crisp and Vanilla Ice cream

Strawberry Fruit Muffins

Click here for more Menu Plan Mondays.

Jello Fruit Cocktail Dessert & A Winner!!

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What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Jello?  Is it Bill Cosby dancing on the tv screen with a bunch of little kids?  Is it warm, long, and lazy days in the summer time?  The first thing that comes to my mind is the picture above :) 

I don't remember when I learned to make this or even who gave me the recipe for it, however I love making it because it only requires the two ingredients in the picture below.......

How awesome is that?! 

My kids LOVE this dessert.  Absolutely, positively <3 it.  And who wouldn't love it?  You have Jello and Fruit Cocktail and Whipped Cream, all combined into one ;)  Heck, you can even make it sugar free by using the sugar free Jello.  You can even try putting fresh fruit inside instead of the canned.  With most of us watching our weight these days, these are good options to have.  This is such a versatile recipe.   So if you have any left over Jello and Fruit Cocktail just sitting in your pantry, I invite you to go ahead and give this dessert a try.  Even better if you have little hands in the kitchen to help make it ;)

Jello Fruit Cocktail Dessert

1 small box (4 serving) of Jello Gelatin Dessert (could be any flavor...but we prefer Strawberry)
1 to 2 cups of Fruit Cocktail (or any other fresh fruit that you may have on hand)
Whipped Cream and Cherries for garnishing

Make Jello as directed on the box.  Before putting it in the fridge to thicken, add the fruit (juice and all).  Place in the fridge until Jello has thickened.  Garnish with whipped cream and a cherry on top ;)

Do any of you remember this post?  Well, we have a winner! 

I took the liberty of having Pookie and The Dude help me pick out a name......

And the winner is (of course you can't really see the name in this picture.  I had to take it really fast because we were headed out the door on the way to school).........................

......Sharon LeClair......

Congratulations Sharon!!!  I will be contacting you soon for more details ;)  Thank you to all those who entered.  It was so fun to read what y'all's favorite fall dishes were!  I had a blast reading the entries.  More giveaways will be coming up so stay tuned for them :)

I'm also entering this into Tina's Potluck Sunday over at Mommy's Kitchen.  Please go check them out for more great ideas ;)