Delicious Dessert

Applesauce Bars

1 1/4 c. quick cooking oats
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c. softened butter

Mix all this together, cutting butter in last.  Mixture will be crumbly.  Set 1 c. aside for topping.  Spread remainded on the bottom of a 9x13 pan and press into place.  Top with about 1 c. applesauce (I just put enough to cover the crust pretty well).

Add 1/2 c. coconut to the 1 cup of topping you reserved and sprinkle over the applesauce.

Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes.

Cool and slice!  These don't last long as they get mushy after a few days, but that's never been a problem for us. :)  Enjoy!

Big News!

We are expecting!  I've been keeping pretty quiet in real life, but since no one I know follows me here, I figured I can start airing out some of my meal planning ideas here so I don't lose them.

People have expressed mixed reviews of my plan to prepare about 60 meals in advance of baby, but I usually cook about 30 meals to use over the course of two months.  Somehow they never last as long once we start pulling them out for work lunches and such.  I have made a list of meals I hope to make and over the course of the next few weeks I plan to break it down into a workable plan.

By a plan I mean, identifying which dishes contain similar ingredients or needs. Wild rice casserole for example - I plan to make it with chicken, beef and turkey so it will probably end up on the same cooking day so I can make one huge pot of wild rice.  Another example would be soups, many require the requisite onion, celery, carrot in butter mix to start.

I usually store these meals in gladware style containers, but I am planning on using tin foil pans, foil wraps, and freezer bags this time around for space and simplicity sake.

After determining exactly what I am cooking, I am going to create a month long menu plan so dh knows what's available and there are plenty of simple things ready to go when I am hungry, but short on time or energy.

I am posting my list below in case you want to use it as a guideline.  I don't have all the recipes electronically available, but I will try to post them over the next few months.

After Baby Meal Plan

Bread

·         Pumpkin

·         Banana

·         Zucchini

·         Garlic pinwheels

·         waffles

Muffins

·         Blueberry

·         Poppyseed

·         Pumpkin

·         Zucchini

·         Chocolate pumpkin

·         Chocolate zucchini

Soup

·         Butternut squash bisque

·         Venison chili

·         Chicken soup (to add noodles, rice or make dumplings)

·         Vegetable beef

·         Potato sausage

Chicken

·         Caprese stuffed chicken

·         Stuffing stuffed chicken

·         Flautas

·         Enchiladas

·         Pot pies

·         Chicken basil meatloaf

·         Wild rice casserole

Turkey

·         Rosemary loaf

·         Burgers

·         Wild rice casserole

·         Sheppard’s pie

Beef

·         Lasagna casserole

·         Meatballs

·         “up-north” burgers

·         Taco meat

·         Meatloaf

·         Wild rice casserole

·         Sloppy joes

·         Sheppard’s pie

Pork

·         Shredded (for bbq sandwiches or tacos)

·         Sausage

·         Stuffing stuffed chops

Dessert

·         Red velvet cake

·         Red velvet cupcakes

·         Chocolate chip cookies

·         Peanut butter cookies

·         Apple pie

·         Apple crisp

·         Rhubarb crisp

Other

·         Spinach balls

·         Granola

·         cocoa