Hello!! So, we had a pan of brownies in our house ... and they didn't last long at all. lol! Brownies are a hot commodity in our house! So, I thought I would make my next door neighbor's gingersnaps... another family favorite! I remember going over to her house (I visited a lot!) and we enjoyed these gingersnaps with orange pudding. It was such a delicious combo! I got smart this time - doubled the recipe (doubled it made 8 doz!) and froze most of them...just took out a few at a time...hoping they will last. smile emoticon I may try to make some ice cream sandwiches with @Edys Slow Churned Caramel Delight ice cream! smile emoticon

Tips & Tricks Tuesday! Bacon is a sure hit in our house! ...however, I hate cooking it in the fry pan. Grease everywhere!! We love it with breakfast for dinner....or on BLT's (tomato season is a-coming!). I always keep 1# in my freezer. It thaws easily and quickly in hot water. Then, here's the best part - cooking it in the OVEN!!! Heat your oven to 400 degrees. I layer a cookie sheet with foil and parchment paper for easy clean up. Then, cook for approx 18-25 min... then, wah-lah, crispy bacon! smile emoticon

Meal Plan Monday is back again! It's another exciting week and "short" week in our house as the "big" kids are headed to Tampa for my cousin's wedding! Looking forward to crazy family and fun times! 

Monday - Chicken Parm, White Pizza, and Salad

Tuesday - Ham Steak, Mac & Cheese, and green beans

Wednesday - baked chicken tenders, baked potatoes, and salad

Thursday - Hamburgers, French Fries, and raw veggies/dip

Friday - Florida

Saturday - Florida

Sunday - The big "I Do!"

Have a great week!

So, I asked you to bear with me while I am navigating our new schedule with a practice/activity every day after school. It's crazy...but I love it! I thought I would share some of our "heavy" snack ideas. On lacrosse days, we have some time once we get home from school, which is nice, but it also pushes dinner back quite a bit. So, we all have a "heavy" snack to tide us over. Here are some of our favorites -

*yogurt with ALL-BRAN bites or granola and an orange
*whole wheat toast topped with jelly and a banana
*hard-boiled eggs and toast
*cheese and crackers
*peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat toast
*ham roll up and a cheese stick
*popcorn and apple slices
*apple slices and peanut butter
---all kid-tested and mom-approved! smile emoticon

Hope this helps give you some tasty, filling, and healthy snack ideas! smile emoticon

Howdy!! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Our spring break is finally over...all 13 days... and our "school" routine is back in swing! Here's our plan for the week ahead...

Monday - Lemon Chicken, baked potatoes, mandarin orange salad

Tuesday - PYO (pick your own) sandwiches, chips, raw veggies, and fruit 

Wednesday - ham steak, mac&cheese/rice pilaf, green beans

Thursday - spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, and garden salad

Friday - "mock" Chicken marsala (http://www.adashofsanity.com/…/rustic-chicken-marsala-bake/…, french bread

Saturday - W's 1st Holy Communion dinner...stay tuned! smile emoticon

Sunday - {crock pot} pork BBQ, baked beans french fries, and salad

Enjoy your week ahead!!

Rustic Chicken Marsala Bake - A Dash of Sanity

Chicken Marsala pasta bake, with a rustic twist. Made with portabella mushrooms, penne pasta and marsala wine cream sauce.

ADASHOFSANITY.COM

...and the results are in....the Tuscan Chicken Meatball sandwiches were a hit!! I will be honest - I have never worked with ground chicken and I had my doubts, but they were sooo yummy!! I will share with you my modifications...

1) I couldn't find sundried tomato pesto -- so, made my own by using my mini food processor and combining an 8 oz jar of sundried tomatoes, a big squeeze of garlic, salt, pepper, basil, parsley, and minced onion (loosely using this recipe - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sun-dried-tomato-pesto/)

2) I have no idea was the Garlic Everything Spread is - so, I made my own garlic bread topping with melted butter, garlic, and garlic salt. 

3) I totally forgot to add the sun-dried tomato mayo, that would have been an outstanding addition!

4) I made the meatballs early in the day, then heated them up while I toasted the garlic bread and cooked the French fries. 

5) I used Italian cheese instead of plain parmesan...I like the flavor of the 5 cheese variety, although I am sure the parmesan would be great too. 

I think that's it - you could totally double the recipe and save some for another time. Also, you could use ground beef and I think it would work out just as well. ...in fact, my guys asked for that! smile emoticon Yeah - another one to add to the mix!

Happy Monday, friends!! Wow - it's been awhile since I posted. I have to share - we had an amazing experience in the Big Apple! We saw amazing sites, ate incredible food, and had the chance to catch up with some family and close friends while we were there. 4 days full of wonderful memories to last a lifetime! smile emoticon

On another note - we hit the ground running with Easter on Sunday and now the start of the week. I am very grateful for the week of Spring Break ahead to relax, tackle the mountains of laundry and start some spring cleaning (first on the list, the kiddo's closets!). 

Here's what the week ahead looks like at our house:

Monday - Tuscan Chicken Meatballs (http://www.momontimeout.com/…/tuscan-chicken-meatball-sand…/), french fries, raw veggies and dip

Tuesday - BBQ chicken on the grill, grilled portobella mushrooms, mashed potatoes/gravy, and salad

Wednesday - grilled shrimp, garlic/olive oil pasta, and salad

Thursday - Tacos, chips, salsa, black beans, and toppings

Friday - chicken prosciutto bake, white pizza, and salad

Saturday - steak, grilled asparagus, zucchini, and portobella mushrooms, {crock pot} garlic parmesan potatoes (http://damndelicious.net/…/slow-cooker-garlic-parmesan-pot…/)

Sunday - creamy chicken and pasta (http://iowagirleats.com/…/creamy-chicken-pasta-no-pasta-p…/…)

Have a wonderful week!!

Tuscan Chicken Meatball Sandwiches - Mom On Timeout

Enjoy the amazing flavors of Tuscany with these family-friendly Tuscan Chicken Meatball Sandwiches!

MOMONTIMEOUT.COM