Momma Aimone's Messy Life

I'm happy to share with you the menu for this week.  Today we are having Pumpkin Chili at our neighbor's house (yummo!) and Thursday we are going to see Jay-Z and Kanye West (fun!) so that's two days this week I don't have to cook (yippee!)  I will tell you though that the Chicken Taco Soup will change your life, it will become a staple in your household just like it has for me and my officemates.  So...here's what's cookin'! Monday Happy Halloween ya'll!  Our neighbor is making Pumpkin Chili for trick-or-treating tonight...we cannot wait to eat. Tuesday Pork Chops for the Slow Cooker  (adapted from allrecipes.com) Ingredients 3 pork chops 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup ketchup 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon minced garlic Salt and pepper to taste Directions -- Mix brown sugar, soy sauce, ketchup, ground ginger, garlic, salt and pepper in the slow cooker. --Add pork chops and stir to cover. --Cook on low for 8-1...

Pork Chops were on sale last week at Giant.  We love pork chops!  And you can do the same thing with pork chops you do with chicken - freeze it in a marinade or rub.  Below are a few recipes for my favorite marinades/rubs to help you stock your freezer.  Then, when you are running short on time in the morning, just pull out of the freezer, defrost while you are work and throw in the oven at 350 degrees for 45-60 mins.  Voila! Marinated Pork Chops  (from allrecipes.com) Ingredients 3 pork chops 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons ketchup Directions --In a small bowl combine soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar and ketchup. --Place pork chops in a Ziploc freezer bag and pour sauce into bag. --Zip, label and freeze. Spice-Rubbed Pork Chops  (from Weight Watchers) Ingredients 3 pork chops 1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon un...

The holidays are upon us.  Halloween is tomorrow and Thanksgiving is just around the corner.  It's also the time of year to start baking.  And who doesn't love to bake!  Problem:  Baking takes time.  Solution:  Bake once and freeze!  Today, I'm making pumpkin bars for a little shindig after our neighborhood Halloween Parade.  But I'm doubling the recipe so all I have to do next time is pull the bars out of the freezer, whip up some icing and voila!  And a big shout out to my girlfriend, Katie Cook Guymon, for bringing these bars into my life. Pumpkin Bars (recipe courtesy of Paula Deen ) Ingredients 4 eggs 1 2/3 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 1 can pumpkin (15 oz) 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 package cream cheese (8 oz), softened 1/2 cup butter, softened 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Direct...

As I said in an earlier post, the purpose of this blog is to help you plan ahead so you never have to ask yourself "What's for dinner?"  Or ask your spouse/significant other, "What do you want for dinner?"  Something I learned awhile back from a friend is that if you freeze your meat in a marinade, the flavor is more powerful and saturated because it marinades as it defrosts.  I've been using this tip for years now and it is amazing!  So, next time chicken is on sale, buy a few extra pounds and try this recipe. Teriyaki Chicken Ingredients -2 lbs chicken breasts -8 tablespoons teriyaki sauce -8 tablespoons chopped scallion -16 teaspoons lemon juice -4 teaspoons minced garlic Directions -Place chicken breasts in a freezer bag. -Add teriyaki sauce, scallions, lemon juice and minced garlic. -Seal, mix and place in the freezer. -When ready to use, just defrost and either bake in the over at 350 for 1 hour or saute in a skillet. Serving Suggestion...

It is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  I've also read that milk does a body good and that you are supposed to eat 5 servings of fruits/veggies a day.  That's great, but who has time to eat breakfast?  And, I hate milk.  And, lately when I buy fresh fruit it goes bad overnight.  Fail, fail, fail!  My solution?  A smoothie.  I get two servings of calcium (milk and yogurt), a couple servings of fruit and even a serving of veggies.  Problem solved!  But...what about time?  Time is precious in the morning.  Solution!  Freeze all the ingredients for your smoothie in a ziploc bag (minus the milk) and all you need to do is dump, add some milk, blend and...voila!  You've got the perfect way to start your day that is also transportable so you can drink it on the go.  So, here is what is for breakfast... Freeze Ahead Smoothie Ingredients -1 cup milk -6 oz of vanilla yogurt -1 banana (diced) ...

The goal of this blog is to help you feed your family without the stress of planning a menu and putting together a shopping list.  Chicken was on sale last week at Giant ($1.99/lb) so I bought 15 lbs and that is why we are having so much chicken this week.  But honestly, we just eat a lot of chicken.  It's cheap and it is good for you.  What I don't use for the recipes below, I will marinade and freeze...but that is a separate post.  So, here is what we are having for dinner this week (shopping list to follow). Monday Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken BBQ (from allrecipes.com) Ingredients -2 lbs chicken breasts -1 bottle BBQ sauce -1/2 cup Italian salad dressing -1/4 cup brown sugar -2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce -1 onion (cut into rings) -2 teaspoons minced garlic Directions -Mix BBQ sauce, Italian dressing, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and minced garlic in slow cooker. -Add chicken breasts and coat. -Place onions on top of chicken breasts. -...

What I've heard from so many people, but mostly moms, is that menu planning is easy.  It's the shopping list that is a pain.  Part of my goal with this blog is to help you with all aspects of feeding your family.  Below is the shopping list for the items you will need to make the main meals included in the Weekly Menu for 10/24/11-10/30/11.  If you are like me, you will already have a lot of this stuff on hand.  But if not, here you go!   WARNING : This shopping list does NOT include anything you will need for side dishes - I'll leave those up to you! Meat 5-6 lbs of chicken 2.5 lbs bottom round roast 2 lbs ground beef or turkey Produce 6 onions (I suggest buying a bag) 1 3/4 lbs red potatoes (I suggest buying a bag) 1 lb bag of baby carrots 1 green pepper Refrigerated Items Butter 1 package of refrigerated biscuits Canned Goods 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 can mixed veggies 1 can chicken broth 2 cans beef broth 2 cans black beans 2...

Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest...right?  But truthfully, Sunday can be the busiest day of my week.  Just one more reason I love my slow cooker!  I can "set it and forget it" while running errands, doing laundry, cleaning the house or playing with my son.  So, here is what is for dinner... Roast Beef in the Slow Cooker (adapted from allrecipes.com) Ingredients -3 lb. rump roast -1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup -1 can condensed beef broth -1 package dry onion soup Directions -Place rump roast in the slow cooker -Add mushroom soup, beef broth and dry onion soup -Cook on low for about 8-10 hours Serve With - Mashed potatoes -Green beans -Homestyle biscuits

This past week, Italian Sausage was on sale at Giant (our grocery store) for $3.99.  I had a coupon for 50 cents off, and Giant doubled that coupon.  So I was able to purchase the package of Italian Sausage for $2.99.  And since I had all the other ingredients for this in my pantry, dinner tonight only cost $2.99!  Here is what's for dinner... Slow Cooker Italian Sausage with Sauce (adapted from allrecipes.com) Ingredients - 1 package of Italian Sausage - 1 onion (sliced) - 1 green pepper (seeded and sliced) - 1 tsp minced garlic - 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes - 2 (6 oz) cans tomato paste - 1 (15.5 oz) can tomato sauce - 1/2 cup water - 2 tablespoons white sugar - 1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil leaves - 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning - 1 tablespoon salt - 1/4 teaspoon pepper - 2 tablespoons dried parsley Directions -- Boil Italian Sausages in water for 10 mins --While the Italian Sausage is boiling, combine the r...

It is no secret to those who know me that I love my slow cooker, or Crock-Pot as it is known to some.  The truth is I love it even more after going back to work after having my first child.  It is a life saver, especially on days that my husband does pick-up and I work late.  The slow cooker allows us to have dinner together without spending a lot of time, energy or money.  So, here is what is for dinner... Cilantro Lime Chicken ( adapted from allrecipes.com ) Ingredients - 2 lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breasts - 1 jar salsa (16 oz) - 2 packets dry taco seasoning - 2 teaspoons lime juice - 1 can corn kernels (drained) - 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed) - 6 tablespoons fresh cilantro Directions -Combine the salsa, taco seasoning, lime juice, corn and cilantro in the slow cooker. -Add the chicken breasts and stir until coated. -Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 8-10 hours. -Shred chicken using two forks before servi...

I am no different than many of you.   I'm a full-time working mother and wife who strives to put dinner on the table seven days a week.  But, let's be honest, it's tough!  I work 40+ hours a week with a commute that can take up to two hours one way.  And all I want to do when I get home is hang out with my boys.  The last thing I want to think about is "what's for dinner."  So...I plan ahead.  What does that mean?  It means creating a menu, buying in bulk, filling my chest freezer and working my slow cooker to death.  And by doing this, I am able to put dinner on the table at least five nights a week, sometimes even six. I'm not saying it is easy, because it's not.  But the alternative is eating out, or ordering in, which is expensive and unhealthy.  So, after some prodding from friends, I've decided to create this blog so that other working moms (or whoever) can maybe start planning ahead, saving money and eating a balanced meal ...