Bride of Magazine Challenge: Cherry-Oat Cereal Bars

So.
In my high school, there were 2 things worth buying to my 16 year old mind:  the fries and gravy and the Rice Krispie squares.  If you timed it right before second period, the rice krispie squares would still be warm in their saran wrappings.  Delicious.
I haven't had a Rice Krispie square in years.  I usually choose a baked good that doesn't include marshmallows.  But when I saw these in the September 2006 issue of Everyday Food, I thought that they'd be worth a second look.
These are a square that I can take in my lunch to work - no peanut products in sight.  They're also a little different with the Cheerios instead of the typical Rice Krispies.  The dried cherries make them a little more high-brow.  I would love to put chocolate chips in these, but they'd melt with the warm mixture.  Ah well.  They were good as they are too.
I present to you now from the September 2006 issue of Everyday Food, Cherry-Oat Cereal Bars:

Potluck Perfect: Meatball Pizza Casserole

So.
Over Thanksgiving, after a very exciting Michigan win over Penn State, we went to my mom's.  We heard about her adventures in Italy, enjoyed a delicious stuffed pork tenderloin meal, and I caught up on my What's Cooking reading.
The problem with moving as much as J and I have is that I no longer get What's Cooking Magazine.  As one gigantic advertisement for Kraft, it's absolutely brilliant.  That you have to pay for it?  Eh, not nearly as much.  So when it stopped showing up, I ended up embarking on the Magazine Challenge of the past 2 years.  Perhaps not getting the magazine is not all bad.  I've actually made lots of new stuff that is really good.
But when given a chance to watch some TV and flip through magazines, I found myself drawn back into all the interesting things you can make with Kraft.  I saw this, and knew we'd enjoy it.  We did.  For many, many nights.  It would freeze well, too.  I probably should have done that.
I present to you now Kraft's Meatball Pizza Casserole:

Planning: October 25-31, 2014

So.
As I was digging through the freezer for something this week, I realized that we have been in the house more than 2 years and I have yet to defrost my freezer.  The reason I realized this?  Large amounts of frost on the walls.  I have now determined that we need to eat to the bottom of the freezer so that I can defrost and restart the process of filling for the purposes of not having to cook as much.
I figure that it will take a while until I can get to the actual process of defrosting.  Like, maybe Christmas vacation.  In the meantime, there will be lots of things to eat that I've previously made, and I am fairly sure that I also have a good deal of meat that will need to be used up.  Not a bad thing on the food budget either.
As a result, I see a lot of chicken in our future.  And pork tenderloin.  Life is rough.
J and I have a fairly normal week, so meals need to be easy and quick or I won't want to make them.  Here's the plan:

Saturday:  J's making chili.  It's been bubbling on the stove since about 10:30 this morning, and smells wonderful.  I need to make cornbread.  I've also finally made the Cherry Oat Cereal bars that I bought marshmallows for more than a month ago.  A month.  Yikes.
Sunday:  Lunch is leftovers - Shake n Bake drumsticks, and the dust from a bag of broccoli mixed into hot rice.  Dinner is Chicken Fajita Salad and Garlic Bread.
Monday:  Something from the freezer - Salisbury Steak Meatballs over noodles and broccoli.  Have I mentioned that Costco has changed the packaging on my 5- pound bag into smaller interior steam and eat bags?  I'm not a fan.  I liked the 5-pounds, take what you need approach.
Tuesday:  Beef Pastry Pockets.  These were so good, and used up that last little bit of roast that always seems to be left.  I promised J that I will make more of these...after we eat our way through the freezer.  I think there are even a couple of roasts in the freezer that we can use for this later.
Wednesday:  Chicken Ranch Foil Packets.  I can assemble these before my guitar lesson, and pop in the oven when I get home.
Thursday:  Grilled Steak, Crispy Oven Fries and broccoli.  

Sounds like a great week!  Let's see how it goes.

Bride of Magazine Challenge: October Planning

So.
Life happened.  Since the end of #10DaysofTailgate, I have been overwhelmed, under pressure and otherwise incapacitated.  And beyond all that, we're talking about getting a kitten.  Cause, you know, life's not crazy enough.
The October edition of Everyday Food features Easy Comfort Food.  I have also made and blogged 1 recipe from this magazine:  Potatoes Gratin.  They're delicious.  I highly recommend them to a friend.  I'm sure there will be some more winners this month.
Easy is the name of the game right now.  Frankly, we've been eating out or eating frozen meals.  I'm kinda enjoying the frozen meals I made in the summer.  Baked Spaghetti, Beef Pastry Pockets, and soup with Chicken  Bacon Taquitos have been fantastic after a busy day when I just want to put on pajamas.
In better news, we're home for 18 nights.  Sleeping in my own bed!  Sleeping in on my birthday!  Cuddling and playing with a new kitten!  Making the current cat feel important!  Making myself a birthday cake!
Here's what we're planning this month from the October 2006 issue:

• Rocky Road Bars
• Roast Beef with new potatoes and shallots
• Crispy Oven Fries
• Red and Black Bean Pies
• Ginger Pumpkin Bread
• Roasted Broccoli with Manchego Cheese

Here's to what's left of the month!

Secret Recipe Club: Apple Cider Bread

So.
It's time for the Secret Recipe Club again!  This snuck up on me this month:  between #10DaysofTailgate and the craziness that is my life, I suddenly realized that I was supposed to have made a recipe for this too and I really didn't have a whole lot of time to get it done.
I try not to be as day late and dollar short as I seem to be in my own eyes.
This month, I was assigned the blog Dancing Veggies.  Amanda is an ovo-lacto vegetarian, and has tons of interesting sounding recipes.  The problem?  My husband is suspicious of entrees that don't include animal-based protein.  When I announced that I had been assigned a vegetarian blog, he asked if I was going to make a dessert.
Time ran short, and I decided that I wasn't fighting with him on this one. But when I started looking at potential recipes, I found this bread and thought that it just sounded like fall.
I haven't been on an apple kick to celebrate fall this year, despite the things I've pinned on Pinterest.  Perhaps this is the beginning.  Today was the first day where I actually thought that I might need to wear socks and shoes.  Fall is close, and my pedicure is going into hiding.  Sigh.
To celebrate the beginning of October, and the fruits of fall, I present to you now Dancing Veggies' Apple Cider Bread: