First two Recipes

Here are the recipes for the first two days' menu items. I have made both of these before and they are always positively received by my family. This time was no exception.

I don't think I'm going to make the meal for tonight (the chicken). We have so much of the lentil stuff left that I think I'm going to serve it in tortillas tonight for leftovers.

Spaghetti Pie--From The Potluck Club book 3


8 ounces spaghetti, broken in to 2-inch pieces
2 T melted butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 lbs ground chuck (I used ground turkey)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped green pepper (I didn't use this, didn't have any)
2 T vegetable oil
1 jar (15 1/2 ounces) thick spaghetti sauce
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. leaf oregano, crumbled
1/2 t. garlic salt
1 cup cottage cheese (I used ricotta because that's what I had)
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded

Cook spaghetti in boiling water following label directions; drain. Place in 9x13 inch baking dish. Stir in next five ingredients until thoroughly combined. Spread mixture evenly in pan. Saute chuck, onion, and green pepper in oil in large skillet until meat is brown; drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce, sugar, oregano, and garlic salt. Spread cottage cheese over spaghetti layer and top with meat mixture. Bake at 350 for half hour. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top and bake and additional 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and just begins to brown. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.
Serves 6.

Sweet and Sour Lentils and Kielbasa over Rice

3 cups dry brown lentils, rinsed
1 package turkey kielbasa, sliced.
3 Tb. vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 med to large zucchini, shredded
3-8 to 10 ounce cans pineapple chunks
2-3 Tb fresh ginger, chopped fine
6 Tb. soy sauce
6 Tb. brown sugar
6 Tb. ketchup
1 tsp. pepper

1. Put lentils in a pot and add twice the amount of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium-low, simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. Drain lentils in a strainer.
2. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and zucchini. Cook until onions are soft.
3. Add pineapple and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add lentils and kielbasa and the rest of the ingredients. Cook, stirring regularly, for 20 more minutes.
5. Serve over rice or wrap in tortillas.

Menu for This Week

Surprise, surprise, I actually have it together enough to post my menu for the week.

Monday: Spaghetti Pie

Tuesday: Sweet and Sour Lentils and Kielbasa over Rice

Wednesday: Chicken Tikka Masala

Thursday: Ham and bean soup with beer cheese bread

Friday: Pizza Pockets (doubling recipe for lunches)

I really need to be better at cooking a "real" meal more than twice a week. I know we're busy, but it's no excuse.

Just had to Share

My hilarious eight year old daughter is extremely creative, but she cannot spell AT ALL. I can almost always tell what she's trying to say, but I got the biggest chuckle out of her spelling sentences from last week. I had my husband scan it in so I could post, but he did it in a PDF file and I can't figure out how to convert. So I'll just type it out.

She wrote:

We are going to orgie for Thanksgiving.

What she MEANT--We are going to OREGON for Thanksgiving.

Tears came to my eyes I was laughing so hard. That is one to save for the scrapbook.

Pumpkin Streusel Bread

This year we grew some pie pumpkins, and this was the first recipe I made from the pumpkin. Yummy, it's already half gone and it's very delicious. I think I could have added more pumpkin for my family's liking, I'll probably tweak the recipe a little when I make it again.

Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Bread

Combine, stir and set aside:
2 eggs
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup pumpkin

Sift together:
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 teaspoons salt

Stir mixtures together. Add 1/2 cup raisins and 1/2 cup nuts if desired. Pour into greased loaf pan.

Make streusel topping and sprinkle on top of pumpkin batter.
1/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon firm margarine or butter

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 50 minutes.

Title Trakk Blog Tour

Welcome to the 1st ever
TitleTrakk.com Blog Tour!

This week we're chatting about:

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Whispers of the Bayou by Mindy Starns Clark
Rachel's Secret by BJ Hoff
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White Soul by Brandt Dodson
The Legend of the Firefish by George Bryan Polivka
Finding Marie by Susan Paige Davis
The Power of Praying Through the Bible by Stormie Omartian
A Man After God's Own Heart by Jim George
Evidence for Faith 101 by Bruce Bickel & Stan Jantz

CDS:

Wake Up! Wake Up! by Everyday Sunday
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Sunday by Tree63
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Nothing Left To Lose by Mat Kearney
I Am Free Worship Collection
Salvation Station by Newworldson
Not Without Love by Jimmy Needham
Pages by Shane & Shane
Colors and Sounds by Article One

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Love's Unfolding Dream
The Ten Commandments Animated
Between the Walls

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About TitleTrakk.com:
Founded in 2006 by Tracy & C.J. Darlington, TitleTrakk.com is an interactive website spotlighting Christian books, music & movies. Updated weekly, we feature author and musician interviews, album and book reviews, music videos, movie reviews and interviews, book excerpts, surveys, polls, and fun contests. Learn more: http://www.titletrakk.com/