Cherry Cheese Pie

I take after my dad in that I love desserts made with cherries. This is an easy, refreshing dessert for the summer--just don't trip on your way to put it in the fridge in the garage to chill like I did last fall!

1-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice from concentrate
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1-9 in. baked pie shell of graham cracker crumb crust
1-21 oz. can cherry pie filling, chilled

In large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla.
Pour into crust; chill 4 hours or until set. Top with desired amount of cherry pie filling before serving. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Pea and Cauliflower Salad

I was looking for a way to use a nice big head of organic cauliflower, so I found this recipe on allrecipes.com for Pea and Cauliflower Salad. I made a half recipe; I think making the whole recipe would be great for a BBQ or other gathering, but for our family half was enough.

3 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 head cauliflower, chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 cup pitted green olives, chopped
1 cup thinly sliced celery (I didn't have any celery, but I added some thinly sliced carrots)
1/4 cup ranch dressing
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt (I used light sour cream)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup cashew nuts

1. Mix the peas, cauliflower, olives, and celery together in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the ranch dressing, yogurt, and garlic powder together in a small bowl. Pour over pea mixture, and stir until ingredients are evenly coated. Sprinkle cashews on top just before serving.

Menu Plan Monday

I made a few changes last week to the menu. I used the leftover chicken from Monday to make a chicken salad with ring noodles, craisins and shredded apple and Parmesan dressing. We had BLTs on Tuesday instead of Thursday, Wednesday we had tacos made with ground turkey and black beans, Thursday was steak on the grill, potato salad and lettuce salad, and Saturday we grilled a ham and had sides from the deli. I don't have a very specific plan this week, but at least it's a start! Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday--Leftovers
Monday--Brats, cole slaw, baked beans, cherry cheese pie
Tuesday--Chicken & Rice, salad
Wednesday--A pasta dish
Thursday--Breakfast for supper
Friday--Pizza
Saturday--Birthday girl's choice
Hopefully I'll get a few new recipes up this week, like cauliflower/pea salad, rhubarb bread and cherry cheese pie.

Menu Plan Monday

The only thing I changed on last week's menu was on Tuesday when we grilled chicken breasts instead of having cashew chicken. Saturday we had ribs (slow cooked in the oven then finished on the grill) with deli coleslaw and potato salad. I have a menu planned for the week, but it may change after I go grocery shopping. Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday--Chicken burgers, fresh fruit, raw carrots
Monday--Tomato bacon chicken in the crockpot, mashed potatoes, carrots
Tuesday--Chicken soup or hotdish with leftover chicken from last night, crescent rolls
Wednesday--Chili mac made with ground turkey
Thursday--BLT's
Friday--Pizza
Saturday--TBD

Menu Plan Monday

Last week I stayed pretty close to my plan. On Thursday we had fish, noodles and peas and Saturday hubby and oldest son were gone, so the rest of us had leftover spaghetti. I often find that I don't plan a specific meal for Saturday as I never know if there will be leftovers, who will be home, what we'll be doing all day, etc. Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday--Pork tenderloin, homemade baked beans, corn on the cob
Monday--Birthday boy's choice of bacon cheeseburgers and curly fries, plus raw carrots and birthday cake and ice cream of course
Tuesday--Cashew chicken and rice
Wednesday--Tacos
Thursday--Perch and sides TBD
Friday--Pizza
Saturday--TBD

Menu Plan Monday

Here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday--Out to Green Mill for Mother's Day
Monday--Hot dogs on the grill, chips, veggie
Tuesday--Chicken, potatoes, carrots
Wednesday--Spaghetti, salad
Thursday--Pork tenderloin, baked potatoes, veggie
Friday--Pizza
Saturday--TBD

Menu Plan Monday

Yeah, it's already Wednesday up here, but here's what we're eating this week:
Sunday--Five Guys Burgers and Fries (my first time!) in Duluth
Monday--Creamy Baked Chicken Breasts, baked potatoes, veggies
Tuesday--Steak on the grill, fried potatoes, sweet corn, fruit salad
Wednesday--Enchiladas, Spanish rice
Thursday--Ham, mashed potatoes, veggie
Friday and Saturday--Going to be out of town for my sister's wedding. Woo hoo!