Menu Plan Monday: December 6-10, 2015

Welcome Monday!

This time of year there is always too much going on....good or bad.  Do you ever feel completely overwhelmed this time of year?

I've got a simple solution....plan more of your meals!

Menu planning can give you the time you need to tackle more important things on your agenda and give you your life back in the evening.

If you are not sure how to start, grab a pen and a piece of paper and start writing down things you like to eat or cook for dinner.  What are your family favorites?  

Next, buy a couple of food magazines (Cooking Light, Taste of Home and Eating Well are three of my favorites) and/or browse the Internet for recipes (recipes.com, epicurious.com and Foodnetwork.com are three of my favorites).

Keep all of your recipe ideas in a large file and every Friday or Saturday take 10 minutes and look at your calendar for the week ahead.  What do you have going on?  Meetings? Kids activities? Guests or travel?  Then plan the days that you need to prepare dinner by finding meals that you love to cook and eat in your recipe file.

Finally, put together your grocery list based on the items you need for your weekly meals. Don't forget to include extra fruit and veggies for breakfast and lunch (I usually make enough leftovers to cover us for lunch).

Head to the grocery store over the weekend and if you plan correctly and cook your planned meals, you shouldn't have to go to the store for anything other than an emergency item or something you forgot!

It's easy!  And if you don't believe me, check out Laura's site for more ideas!

Here is our menu for the week ahead!

Monday: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus
Tuesday: Crockpot shredded Chicken Tacos
Wednesday: Grilled Steak with Caesar Salad
Thursday: Weight Watchers Blue Cheese Chicken Burgers

Old Photo Friday: Christmas Eve with the Suter's

WHO: Sandra and Steve (a little sliver of Sandra and Steve's Grandmother, Pearl on the left)
WHAT: Christmas Eve
WHERE: Silver Lane in North Eugene, OR
WHEN: 1967-68

Merry Christmas Eve on Silver Lane.  Tinsel is hanging on the tree and presents have been opened. Sandra's on the phone to someone?  Some absent family member must be calling to wish everyone a Merry Christmas Eve.

Happy Holiday!

Stacy

Recipe of the Week: Easy Christmas Pecan Pie

Today is National Pie Day!  The American Pie council created this day to simple celebrate pies and it's a special day to bake and cook some of your favorite pies.

This day was created in 1986 to commemorate Crisco's 75th anniversary of "serving food and families everywhere."

I am not much of a baker, but Christmas is just around the corner and this is always a holiday favorite, plus this recipe looks super easy.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Easy Christmas Pecan Pie

Ingredients:

3 whole eggs

3 egg yolks

1 cup dark corn syrup

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon melted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoons bourbon

2 cups pecan halves

1 9-10 inch pie shell

prepared egg wash (1 beaten egg with 1 tablespoon water)

Whip topping, optional

Directions:

Heat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg yolks.  Whisk in the corn syrup and sugar, then add melted butter, salt and bourbon.  Stir in the pecan halves.

Fill the pie shell with the filling, so it just comes to the base of the top of the crust, careful not to overfill.

Bake pie in the center of the oven until the filling is set and the crust is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a rack before serving.

The pie will keep, covered and refrigerated, up to 6 days.

2015: Music Review

It's that time of year again....end of year lists!

Many of you know that I absolutely love music.  I listen to all kinds of genres, but I would say over the years that my taste centers around Adult Alternative and recently a bit of downtempo/deep house.

This year has been a great year for music and just recently, there are several songs that are getting serious playbacks on my MP3 player.

Here are my top albums/songs of 2015 (keep in mind that one of the albums was released in 2014) and they are in no particular order.

Enjoy!
Stacy



Lord Huron - Fool For Love (Strange Trails)

This Indie Folk band from Los Angeles released their second album Strange Trails on April 6, 2015. The band's name was inspired by Lake Huron, the lake which band founder, Ben Schneider grew up visiting, and would spend evenings playing music round the campfire.





Leon Bridges - Coming Home (Coming Home)

Leon Bridges is a soul/gospel singer from Ft. Worth, TX.  His debut album was released on June 23, 2015.

His style resembles 1960s R and B and the Wall Street Journal described him as a "throwback to Otis Redding and Sam Cooke"






Florence and the Machine - Ship to Wreck (How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful)

On June 2, 2015, Florence and the Machine released How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. Formed in 2007 in London, this Indie Rock band consists of Florence Welch, Isabella Summers and a collaboration of other artists. Their sound has been described as a combination of rock and soul.





Hozier - Someone New (Hozier)

Hozier is the eponymous debut studio album from Irish recording artist Hozier.  It was released in September of 2014, but this track, Someone New was released as a single on May 11, 2015.

48/52: Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a quiet Thanksgiving weekend at Rebecca Lane this year...Brian, Chick and I.  This year, Pop, Rosemary and Steve spent Thanksgiving (and Aunt Judy's birthday) in Ohio. Our table may have been small, but we had a wonderful and relaxing day with lots of good food and laughs.  

Our LONG weekend kicked off with our traditional Italian food night on Wednesday, after all the prep cooking was completed....it was time for a few glasses of wine and some good food and music. This year, Brian made a lasagna from scratch and it was really good.

Thanksgiving Day was a bit of the Marcy's parade, a 6 pound Black Friday newspaper, good food, football, naps, and Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving Special.  

Friday, Sandra and Brian hung Christmas lights on the house and we all enjoyed a nacho bar and an Oregon Ducks Civil War victory!

Brian left for Seattle early on Saturday morning and Sandra and I began to decorate the house for Christmas. This year, we concentrated on everything but the trees on Saturday. It only took us a few hours, but in the end we were glad that we started early so we could enjoy the rest of the day including binge watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel in our jammies!

Sunday we finished up the decorations on the outside including a laser light with lights shinning on our garage, courtesy of Home Depot ($39.95) and fulling decorating two Christmas trees!

Now our house is completely ready for the holidays and we will be able to enjoy the decorations each night when we get home from work.

Tell me about your Thanksgiving weekend and all the fun adventures you had.  Leave me a comment.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Menu Plan Monday: After Thanksgiving!

Whew!  Does everyone need to un-button that top button on the pants!?  What a meal!  We had a great dinner on Thanksgiving.  How about you?

We are starting the Christmas season off right with some amazing meals this week.  Using up a bit of turkey and storing the rest.

For more great planning and organizing ideas, check out Laura's site.

Here is our menu for the week ahead!

Enjoy!
Stacy  

Monday: Beef Pot Pie (leftover from Pot Roast on Saturday night)
Tuesday: Yumm Bowls
Wednesday: Fish with a Salad and 1/2 baked sweet potato
Thursday: Bridget Jones "Turkey Curry Buffet" over Jasmine Rice

Old Photo Friday: Merry Christmas, Grandma Marie

WHO: Etta Marie Volgamore Brady
WHAT: Christmas 
WHERE: Oakridge, OR 
WHEN: December 1946 (I recognize the Christmas tree from a picture of my father's 3rd birthday)


My paternal Grandmother, Marie looks so forlorn for Christmas, not to mention that you could likely mistake her for some 1940's screen legend (think Joan Crawford or Dorothy Lamour).  The camera is rolling, she's smoking a cigarette and sipping on vodka after a long day at the diner.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Happy Thanksgiving 2015

Thanksgiving

By Edgar Albert Guest (1881)

Getting together to smile and rejoice,

And eating and laughing with folks of your choice;

And kissing the girls and declaring that they

Are growing more beautiful day after day;

Chatting and bragging a bit with the men,

Building the old family circle again;

Living the wholesome and old-fashioned cheer,

Just for while at the end of the year.

Greetings fly fast as we crowd through the door

And under the old roof we gather once more.

Just as we did when the youngsters were small;

Mother's a little bit grayer, that's all.

Father's a little bit older, but still

Ready to romp and to laugh with a will.

Here we are back at the table again

Telling stories as women and men.

Bowed are our heads for a moment in prayer;

Oh, but we're grateful an glad to be there.

Home from the east land and home from the west,

Home with the folks that are dearest and best.

Out of the sham of cities afar,

We've come for a time to be just what we are.

Here we can talk of ourselves and be frank,

Forgetting position and station and rank.

Give me the end of the year and its fun,

When most of the planning and toiling is done;

Bring all the wanderers home to the nest,

Let me sit down with the ones I love best,

Hear the old voices still ringing with song,

See the old faces unblemished by wrong.

See the old table with all of its chairs

An I'll put my soul in my Thanksgiving prayers.

Happy Thanksgiving from our home to yours!

Enjoy!
Stacy and Brian

*Edgar Albert Guest was an English-born American poet who was known as the people's poet. His work still occasionally appears in periodicals such as Reader's Digest.  His popularity led to a weekly Detroit radio show which he hosted from 1931 until 1942.

48/52: Back home!

We drove back to Portland on Friday night under starry skies and cooler temps, met by our adorable cat at the front door when we arrived home.

Saturday, we took an amazing early morning walk down to Lincoln Park.  Temps were barely above freezing and the sun glistened off the Olympic mountains freshly glazed in new snow.

We swung by my Mom's church to take a peak at their holiday bazaar.  They had lots of holiday treasures, books and homemade goods.  We bought $5 worth of goodies (to go along with our presents from True Value's annual open house)!

It was a bittersweet departure to Portland on Sunday fueled by an amazing breakfast (potato works) at Circa in West Seattle.  I will not be back to Seattle until the first weekend in December.  I did manage to plant my spring bulbs as our temps will continue to be cool to freezing this week.  In 12 weeks I hope to see three rows of daffodils and tulips!

This week is Thanksgiving mode.  Grocery shopping, prep cooking and preparing for the big day!  Brian arrives back in Portland on Wednesday.

How did you spend your weekend?  Did you travel or stay at home?  Leave me a comment.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Menu Plan Monday: THANKSGIVING WEEK!

Welcome to Thanksgiving Week!

Thursday is Thanksgiving Day and we will be celebrating all long weekend long with some really good meals and lots of traditions.

Our hearts will be full even if our table is set a bit smaller this year.  We are still over flowing with gratitude and love and celebrating all the things that make our family so wonderful.

How are you celebrating Thanksgiving?  Don't forget to check out Laura's blog for more menu and planning ideas.

Enjoy!
Stacy

MONDAY: Garden Burgers (I'll pick up the turkey at lunchtime) 
TUESDAY: Tacos (quick easy meal after grocery shopping for the big day).
WEDNESDAY: Off work at 1PM and home to prep cook.  Lasagna, Salad and Bread (thanks, Brian)
THURSDAY:

Happy Thanksgiving!

Appetizers

Marcona Almonds

Aged Sharp Cheddar Cheese and Crackers

Vegetable Platter with Dip

Champagne Mimosas

Entrée

Roast Turkey & Gravy

Mashed Potatoes

Classic Stuffing

Brussels Sprouts with Marjoram and Pine Nuts

Buttery Peas

Sweet Potato Gratinwith Caramelized Onions

Relish Tray with Deviled Eggs, and Black Olives

Cranberry Relish

Rolls

Desserts

Pumpkin Pie

FRIDAY: Nacho Bar (Civil War at 12:30)
SATURDAY: Pot Roast
SUNDAY: Turkey Enchiladas

Old Photo Friday: Happy Birthday Aunt Judy!

WHO: Uncle Roy, Tina, Aunt Judy and Tangi
WHAT: Family portrait
WHERE: Edgerton, OH
WHEN: 1971-72

Happy birthday to my Aunt Judy who celebrates her birthday tomorrow!  I hope you are having fun with your brothers, Jim and Steve and SIL, Rosemary as they celebrate your birthday and the Thanksgiving holiday.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Recipe of the Week: Thanksgiving Side Dish #3 - Edamame Succotash

One of the only things that I won't eat (and this is coming from a girl who grew up on fresh venison, fried oysters and liver and onions) is lima beans.  A popular southern side dish at Thanksgiving is succotash, but instead of traditional lima beans, this dish is made with edamame (which is a fancy word for soybeans).  A complete recipe changer for me and something that I might consider as a side dish on my holiday table.

This dish is in memory of Brian's late brother, Ken.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Edamame Succotash

Ingredients:

1 red onion, chopped

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 medium orange bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1 yellow pepper, seeded and diced

1 1/2 cups frozen whole kernel corn

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 16 oz package frozen edamame

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon fresh basil

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Saute onion in hot oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until tender. Add peppers and corn and cook for 5 minutes longer.

Stir in broth and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low.  Stir in edamame and cook for 3 minutes.  Add butter and stir until melted.

Remove from heat and add basil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

47/52: Quiet November

This past weekend was another quiet weekend in West Seattle. It was also quite wet (over 4 inches in rain gauge from Thursday to Sunday).

Brian's schedule has been hectic and he's in the middle of a long run of 7 weeks of teaching back and forth between Seattle and Portland.  It's the perfect time for us to stay close to home!

Saturday was spent making some wonderful and hearty meals!  Brian cooked Cowboy Hash on Saturday morning while I worked out indoors.  In the afternoon, I made a huge crockpot full of beef stew and Brian made some wonderful homemade Italian Herb bread. The house smelled incredible!

I dodged the ending rain showers and cool temps early Sunday morning, but I finally got the front flower bed cleaned out (pictures next week).  I am hoping to get some spring bulbs planted with Brian's help before Thanksgiving.  The squirrels run amok in the bed and take off with my bulbs if I don't lay down some chicken wire.

Sunday was bittersweet. A quiet morning...then packing the car up again for another drive to Portland.  Brian's fighting a cold and we have a big week ahead. Let's hope we all remain healthy for the holidays ahead.

How was your weekend?  Did you have rain/snow/sunshine?  Please leave me a comment and let me know what you did to make the weekend memorable!

Enjoy!
Stacy

Menu Plan Monday: Middle of November 2015

Welcome to Monday!

Brian is in town this week and we have an after work meeting with our web developer and my parents and Steve are in Portland one night (flying out of PDX for Ohio) so a mixed up dinner week at Rebecca Lane.  I am so glad that I have a menu plan to rely on!

Remember to check out Laura's site for more menu planning ideas

Here is our menu for the week ahead!

Enjoy!
Stacy


SUNDAY: Bellagios Pizza - Seahawks on at 5PM
MONDAY: Meeting up with our web developer and grabbing dinner on the go!
TUESDAY: Yumm Bowls
WEDNESDAY: Dinner out at the Airport with my Parents and Uncle Steve
THURSDAY:  Grilled Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo with a Garden Salad

Old Photo Friday: Happy Thanksgiving 1981

WHO: My dear sweet "maternal" family (clockwise): Great-Grandma Bea, Aunt Laura, my cousin Matt, Uncle Mickey, cousin Corey, Uncle Larry (at head of table), step-dad Kenny (just one of his eyes), my mother Jennifer and her mother (my grandma) Virginia. Missing is my aunt Charley who most likely took the picture
WHAT: Thanksgiving Dinner
WHERE: Grandma Virginia's in Junction City, OR
WHEN: back of picture says Thanksgiving 1981

Happy Thanksgiving!  These holiday memories are always so strong and clear.  Most likely, I was with my Dad at Aunt Pat's for Thanksgiving but my mother's side of the family gathered together for dinner in Junction City.  This was probably my great-grandma Bea's final holiday.  I believe she died sometime in 1982.

I hope where ever you spend this holiday weekend that you are surrounded by the memories of family and the love, hope and comfort of giving thanks.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Recipe of the Week: Thanksgiving Side Dish #2 - Cheese Muffins with Bacon and Chives

These savory muffins are perfect for Thanksgiving Day.  They can be made ahead and if you don't serve them with your Thanksgiving meal, they are perfect for Thanksgiving morning.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Cheese Muffins with Bacon and Chives

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup fresh minced chives 

2 eggs

1 cup milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cups AP flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Cook bacon until crisp.  Cool and crumble; then set aside.

Preheat oven to 350F.  Prepare muffin tins by spraying with vegetable oil spray.

Melt butter (in microwave for 15 seconds) then add chives.  Cool down to room temperature.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs and milk and whisk together.  Add butter/chive mixture, cheese and crumbled bacon.

In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Add to the egg mixture, stirring until blended thoroughly.

Spoon mixture into prepared muffin cups, filling about 2/3 full.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until muffin tops just begin to brown.

Cool on a wire rack until ready to serve.

Yields 12 muffins

46/52: Rain and Blues

Friday night was my first commute to Seattle entirely in the dark.  I miss the long days, especially when I travel on Friday nights.  It's cold, dark nights like Friday that I am reminded how lucky I am to travel by train (or in this case, the Bolt Bus). I did manage to sneak in a quick dinner downtown at the Veggie Grill before the bus headed north!

We spent Saturday night listening to a bit of music at the Easy Monkey Tap House.  My step-dad Kenny played two sets on bass with the Rusty Williams Band.  Their music is toe tapping rhythm and blues with some original songs and some classic oldies thrown in for good measure.  

We packed up the car up on Sunday and headed to Portland dodging rain showers the entire trip south.

How did you spend the first weekend in November?

Enjoy!
Stacy

Menu Plan Monday: November 9-12, 2015

Happy Monday!

Welcome to our blog!  Thanks for stopping by.

If you are new to the blog...welcome!  Every Sunday afternoon, I post my menu for the week ahead with links to the recipes (if I have them)...and then on Monday, I link up with Laura's website and share my recipe with dozens of other bloggers.

I hope you have an amazing week.  Please share your menu plans and recipes and send me a comment about what you are cooking this week!

Enjoy!
Stacy

Sunday: Grilled Hamburgers with Fries
Monday: Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Pasta Shells (Weight Watchers)
Tuesday: Tasty Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas
Wednesday:Tortilla Crusted Tilapia with Salad
Thursday: Chicken Curry with Jasmine Rice 

Old Photo Friday: Making Thanksgiving Pies

WHO: Stacy Dare Brady
WHAT: Making Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pies
WHERE: The Cones Apartment - Seattle, WA
WHEN: Thanksgiving 1983

I started baking pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving around 1983.  After my parents divorced, I spent most every Thanksgiving with my Mom and Kenny.  Over the years, I've mastered the art of baking the perfect pumpkin pie.  It's one of the only things I feel confident baking.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Recipe of the Week: Thanksgiving Side Dishes #1 - Creamy Brussels Sprouts

You either love or hate brussels sprouts.  In my house, they are a Thanksgiving staple.  The secret to delectable sprouts is to avoid overcooking them...oh, and cover them with butter, cheese and cream!

Enjoy!

Stacy

Creamy Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

Non-stick cooking spray

1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons butter

2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

3/4 cup reduced sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly coat a 1 1/2 quart oval gratin baking dish with non-stock cooking spray.

In a 12 inch skillet, cook onion and garlic in butter over medium heat for 3 minutes or until softened.  Stir in sprouts and thyme.  Cook for 4 minutes or until onions begin to brown.

Add broth, and bring to a boil.  Cook, stirring occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes or until broth is nearly evaporated.  Add whipping cream and nutmeg.  Cook for 4 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken.

Transfer to the baking dish.  Stir in half the cheese and season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle top with rest of cheese.

Bake, uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until brussels sprouts are tender.

Makes 8-10 servings

45/52: Halloween Weekend in West Seattle

Last Thursday night, I arrived in Seattle for the Halloween weekend!

Brian and I had drinks and dinner at The Lodge, just down the street from the Amtrak Station using a Living Social coupon that is set to expire this week!  We got $30 of food and drink for $15, so not a bad way to cut down on the bill.

Friday was a quiet day at home!  Thank you Serena at Chill Massage for an amazing 60 minute therapy massage.  I then made a huge batch of crockpot chili for dinner and it was nice to spend a Friday evening with Brian who had to work downtown this week.

Saturday kicked off the Official Holiday Season!  The day was dark and wet, with a bit of clearing at dusk.  We carved our pumpkin for the front porch, lit candles and set the mood for our little Halloween party complete with a spooky mix of music and Halloween sounds ranging from howling ghosts and scary winds to murmuring mummies and creaking crypt doors!

After some wine and passing out candy to 31 kiddies, we made our traditional Halloween pizzas then dove straight into the leftover candy!  

Sunday was an Italian feast and Seahawk football at my Mom and Kenny's.  Brian made a wonderful lasagna from scratch and Mom and Kenny made salad and bread.  A magnificent way to end the weekend!

How was your Halloween weekend?

Enjoy!
Stacy

Menu Plan Monday: Welcome November!

Welcome Monday!  Wow...it's so hard to believe that we are entering the second the last month of 2015.  Time flies!

Here is our menu for the week ahead!  Don't forget to check out the Organizing Junkie for more helpful ideas and menu plans.

Enjoy!
Stacy

Monday: Garden Burgers with Fries
Tuesday: "Healthy" Chicken Tortilla Casserole
Wednesday: Grilled Steak with Mushroom Sauce, Cauliflower Puree and a Garden Salad
Thursday: Happy Hour?  We have not been out in ages!  Let's go to Watson Hall