I have come to the conclusion that Menu Planning for the entire week at my house is nearly impossible.  Last week I almost got everything back together and then Jon went out of town for 2 nights and then we went on a (awesome) spur of the moment mini-vacation.  That is how our lives are.  Eventually I will learn how to really get it all together.

So with that revelation, I will take it one day at a time.  Here is my “Menu” for tonight.  Mini Turkey Meatballs and Penne w/green beans and corn.  I found this recipe from Giada on Food Network, but tweaked it to make it a little more healthy (i.e. I baked the meatballs instead of frying them)

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, grated (dry off excess water)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup Italian dried bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/2 cup Italian Blend Cheese (Parmesan, Romano, Asiago…)
• 1/2 teaspoon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground dark turkey meat
• 26 ounces Simple Tomato Sauce or store-bought marinara sauce

Directions

Add the onion, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, ketchup, parsley, Italian cheeses, salt and pepper to a large bowl and blend. Mix in the turkey. Shape the turkey mixture into 1 1/4-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a large plate or baking sheet.

Bake in the oven at 350 for about 25 min.  Turning over halfway thru. Add the marinara sauce, about 3 cups. Return all the meatballs to the pan. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend, 15 to 20 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the meatball mixture to a serving bowl.

You can serve this alone as an appetizer or with pasta

I made this Sunken Chocolate Cake for small group on Saturday night and it was a total success.  There was only one tiny piece left and I was glad because I forgot to grab my hubby a slice.  It is incredibly rich.  I intended to do the raspberry whipped cream topping, but my raspberries were bad.  So, it was just whipped cream. 

Cake:
8 oz. (250 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup butter, softened or cut into chunks
6 large eggs
1 cup sugar

Topping:
1 pint raspberries or blackberries (optional)
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar, divided

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9″ springform pan with a circle of waxed paper or parchment – use the bottom of the pan to trace a circle on the paper, then cut it out with scissors. Don’t grease the pan – the batter needs to be able to cling to the sides as it rises.

Gently melt the chocolate with the butter in a glass or stainless steel bowl set over a bowl or pot of hot or gently simmering water, or do it on low in the microwave. (If you have a double boiler, use it, but it’s not essential.) The thing to remember when melting chocolate is to do it gently, and not let it come in contact with intense heat; chocolate scorches and can seize up easily.

Separate 4 of the eggs, putting the yolks and whites in separate medium-sized bowls. Add the remaining 2 eggs and half of the sugar to the egg yolks. Whisk in the warm chocolate mixture and stir until it’s smooth.

Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until the egg whites form soft mounds but aren’t yet stiff. Fold about one-quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, and then gently fold in the rest, without deflating the egg whites. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cake is puffy and cracked on top, and the middle isn’t wobbly. Cool the cake completely in the pan without loosening the sides; the batter needs to cling to the sides of the pan as it cools so that it can properly sink in the middle and keep its high edges.

If you’re making fool whipped cream for on top, gently crush the berries with half the sugar - did this with a potato masher. Set aside to macerate for 10 minutes or so. When you’re ready to serve the cake, beat the cream with the rest of the sugar (if you are making fool whipped cream - otherwise just with 2-3 Tbsp. sugar) until softly stiff and mound the whipped cream in the middle of the cake. Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake, remove the sides of the pan and transfer it to a serving plate, leaving the cake on the pan bottom. Serves about 12.

This recipe came from Dinner with Julie’s blog

I am always looking for easier, cheaper, cleaner (get the point) ways to do things. Since I have entered the blogsphere, I have been blown away by how many awesome blogs are out there for this stuff, (and they are even better than Martha Stewart).

Because it is so easy for me to get carried away looking at each one and clicking on links to the next one, i thought I would share with you a new blog series called Friday’s Five. This will be a short list of my most recent favorite sites, so you can enjoy them with me.

1. Simple Mom - this site motivates me to be a better Mom/homemaker. It takes everything I see as impossible and makes it all do-able. Also, The *giveaways* are fantastic. Like this week they are doing a series on Cloth Diapers 101 and they are giving away lots of them! I am seriously considering trying out cloth diapers on my boys.

2. My Blessed Life - My friend Lora has a beautiful, “homely” blog with all kinds of recipes, meal planning, and just a lot of Godly motherly insite.

3. Frugal Coupon Living - If you like free stuff (Burt’s Bees, Candy Bars, Victoria Secret etc.) she knows where it’s all at!

4.  Simple Kids - I haven’t even had a chance to check out this place, but I know it’s awesome because Simple Mom is awesome.

5.  Dinner with Julie - I stumbled on this blog somewhere?  The only thing I know is that I’m going to make this, Sunken Chocolate Cake with Blackberry Raspberry Fool, and I will let you know how it goes. 

This concludes today’s episode of Friday’s Fantastic Five.  Tune in every other Friday for the DL on my favorites sites.

Do you have any sites (they don’t have to be blogs) that are in your Fantastic Five?  Please share!

Recently I have been inspired to do many things. Unfortunately, when this happens I do not have enough money to finish what I start. So I have had to change my perspective, and here is my new “green-ly” inspired list of to do’s. I guess you could call this is my self-evaluation sheet of being a mom (and wife). I like doing this because it makes all of our lives around here better.  

• Menu planning for our family meals - This is hard to do every night, but I’m getting the hang of it with our schedule.  Hopefully I will share some new recipes and ideas here soon.
• Coupon clipping like *this* - I need some helpful hints for this area from my local moms.  There are not many easy ways to do it around here.  We have Wal-mart and Harps.
• Making Jonah’s baby food - working on it, and just found out my friend Amy is going to help me!
• Spring Cleaning - I was kicked into gear by Simple Mom.  (You need to check out this site if you haven’t!)  It has taken me twice as long to get everything together, but I have almost finished.
• Women’s Bible Study - A group of us moms decided we would all go together, and I am stoked (and there is childcare!)
• Attempt a “Garden” - Hopefully my few little plants will survive!
• Get Out of the house - We have been going to the park almost every other morning to walk and ride the train.  I also bought a pool for Jad.  
• Potty Train Jadon - Well, you know how that one is going. 
• Have the best summer possible!  I want to have so much fun with my family.  I don’t care if it’s crazy busy like the last few weeks.  That is how our life is and I have learned that I can’t change it.  

Overall, my goal is to become a better home manager this summer. I am satisfied with this list (for being a mom of two little ones).   I’m sure that many interesting posts will come from my adventures…

Do you have any tips?  What have you been inspired to do lately?

So tonight Jon and I had a great, much needed, date night.  We went to Joe’s Pizza Pasta, which is one of those hole-in-the-wall awesome authentic restaurants.  

We were in line to pay and this man was in front of us.  He is a picture of a true older Arkansan.  Sorry for the bad phone quality.  He has the dress shirt with the nylon vest, jeans (with boots), the Arkansas ball cap and look at his ear closely…

Complete with a blue tooth head set!  Who said older people are set in their ways?