Slow Cooker Corned Beef

Posted on March 16, 2014 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

You will need: a crockpot large enough to hold your corned beef brisket, potatoes, carrots, cabbage and the corned beef brisket.

Scrub your potatoes and carrots and cut into 1-2″ chunks (whatever works best for your family) and set aside.

In a small bowl mix together 2 teaspoons yellow mustard, 2 Tbsp. brown sugar, and 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar. Add contents of seasoning packet from corned beef (or if you don’t have the seasoning packet, use 1 1/2 tsp. pickling spice).

Rinse corned beef (there probably isn’t a real reason to do this, I just do it ) and place in crockpot. Rub with the mustard mixture to completely cover the top and sides (and bottom if you have enough).

Add 1 cup of water (I generally pour this around the sides to avoid washing off the rub that I just put on the meat).

Add potatoes and carrots on top of the meat. Cover, and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6-8 hours.

We cook our cabbage on the stovetop.

I will have to have my hubby share his amazing gravy he makes for this meal. Hopefully, I will get that from home later.

Happy Cooking!!

Menu Plan Monday: March 17th

Posted on March 15, 2014 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

March 16th – March 30th, 2014

Sunday, March 16th – (Soccer) Country Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and Corn

Monday, March 17th – Corned Beef, Cabbage

Tuesday, March 18th – FPU – Crockpot Sticky Chicken (marinated over night) Parmesan Cheese Noodles and Corn

Wednesday, March 19th – Spaghetti and Meatballs

Thursday, March 20th – Chicken Noodle Soup

Friday, March 21st – Baked Tilapia, Roasted Potato Wedges and Veggie (Emeals 524)

Saturday, March 22nd –

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb ground beef
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
(1 t salt, 1 t onion powder)
(¼ c water, 1 t beef bouillon cube)
1 pkg egg noodles
1 pkg frozen peas

In large skillet, brown the ground beef; drain. Add sour cream, soup, salt, onion powder and water to skillet. Heat to a low boil; add bouillon. Stir to dissolve; reduce heat to simmer.

Boil noodles while preparing meat mixture. Serve stroganoff over cooked noodles. Serve with steamed peas

Sunday, March 23rd – Broccoli Cheese Soup

Monday, March 24th – Garlic -Rosemary Chicken, Steamed Veggies and Apples (Slow Cooker) (Emeals #522)

Tuesday, March 25^th – FPU – Mac and Cheese

Wednesday, March 26th – Hearty Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Peas (Simple/Delicious April/May 2014 – Pg 25)

Thursday, March 27^th – Turkey, Cheddar And Apple Sandwiches – French Fries and Strawberries (Emeals #522)

Friday, March 28th – Shrimp Scampi over Angel Hair – Salad – (Emeals # 524)

Saturday, March 29th – Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup – Tortilla Chips (Emeals #522)

Sunday, March 30th – Smoke Sausage and Potato Casserole – Crescent Rolls (Emeals # 524)

Food Budget: We decided to start tracking how much we spend on food/household expenses each month again in hopes to budget appropriately. Wanting to keep our budget at $100 per person each month. We are a household of 4 adults, 1 growing boy who eats like an adult.

Month of March Totals
Aldi – $105.39 +72.50 = $ 177.89
Walmart – $ 89.71+$85.19 = $ 174.90
Sam’s Club – $48.48 + 174.51 = $ 222.99

Total of food for March: $575.78 = $ 115.16 per person or $143.95 per week on groceries.

For more Menu Planning inspiration stop by and visit Laura at Organizing Junkie and participate in Menu Plan Monday. Need help getting started menu planning – Emeals is a great solution. Many meal plans to chose from at a very affordable price.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!!!

Happy Cooking!!

Menu Plan Monday: March 3, 2014

Posted on March 1, 2014 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

March 2nd – March 16th, 2014

Saturday, March 1st – Rotisserie Chicken, Stuffing and Corn

Sunday , March 2nd – (Soccer) – Mom’s Mac N Cheese (Double) – Sausage

Monday, March 3rd – (Soccer)(Working Late) Crockpot Chili

Tuesday, March 4th – (FPU) – Tater Tot Hotdish

Wednesday, March 5th – Chicken Salad and Croissants – Pasta Salad

Thursday, March 6th – (Sorting) – Slow Cooked Beef Stew

Friday, March 7th – Turkey, Cheddar And Apple Sandwiches – French Fries and Strawberries (Emeals #522)

Saturday, March 8th – Pork Loin with Cranberry Sauce (Wknd) (30 mins) (Emeals – #519) Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Rutabagas

SUnday, March 9th – (Soccer) Crockpot Sticky Chicken (marinated over night) Parmesan Cheese Noodles and Corn

WEEK #2

Monday, March 10th – (Soccer) – Hearty Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Peas (Simple/Delicious April/May 2014 – Pg 25)

Tuesday, March 11th – (FPU) – Chicken Tacos (Crock Pot), Corn Sassy Black Beans (Emeals #522)

Wednesday, March 12th – Easy Beef Macaroni and Cheese

Thursday, March 13th – Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup – Tortilla Chips (Emeals #522)

Friday, March 14th – Philly Cheese Brats – Potato Chips (Emeals #523)

Saturday, March 15th – Garlic -Rosemary Chicken, Steamed Veggies and Apples (Slow Cooker) (Emeals #522)

Sunday, March 16th – (Soccer) Country Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and Corn

Shopping Trip: 3/1/14
Aldi – $72.50
Walmart – $ 85.19
Sam’s Club – $174.51

Total for 2 weeks of food: $332.20/6.5 (count baby as 1/2) = $ 51.10 per person or $166.10 per week on groceries.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!!!

Happy Cooking!!

Desserts

Posted on February 16, 2014 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

Cake & Pie

Chocolate Delight Dessert

Menu Plan Monday: February 17th, 2014

Posted on February 15, 2014 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

February 17th – March 2nd, 2014

Saturday 15^th – Sloppy Joes and Corn Soufflé (Wknd) (1+ hrs) (Emeals – #519)

Sunday 16^th– Pork Loin with Cranberry Sauce (Wknd) (30 mins) (Emeals – #519) Garlic Mashed Potatoes & Rutabagas

Monday 17th – (Holiday) Paul’s Chicken Noodle Soup

Tuesday 18th – FPU – Pizza Casserole – (1hr 20 mins) (Emeals – #519)

Wednesday 19th – Spicy Pork Noodle Bowls – Egg Rolls (35 mins) (Emeals #519)

Thursday 20th –Biscuit and Gravy, Scrambled Eggs –

Friday 21st – Pizzeria Burgers & Seasoned Fries (Simple & Delicious – Dec/January 2013)

Saturday 22nd – Crispy Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Corn

Sunday 23rd – (Soccer) – Pioneer Woman’s Baked Ziti and Cheddar Bacon Salad

Week #2

Monday 24th – (Soccer) – Soup and Grilled Cheese

Tuesday 25th – FPU – Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Wednesday 26th – French Toast, Scrambles Eggs and Bacon

Thursday 27th – Crockpot Chili

Friday 28th – Hot Dogs with Chili and Fries

Saturday, March 1st – Mom’s Mac N Cheese (Double) – Sausage

Sunday – 2nd – Classic Lasagna/ Garlic Bread (Emeals – 473)

Shopping Trip: 2/15/14
Aldi – $ 136.50
Walmart – $ 44.78
Sam’s Club – $ 147.09
Festival – $ 13.88

Total for 2 weeks of food: $ 342.25/ 6.5 (count baby as 1/2) = $52.65 per person or $171.13 per week on groceries.

February Food/Household Total – $383.88 (2/1)+ 342.25 (2/15) = $ 726.13
Monthly Total: $111.71 per household member.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!!!

Happy Cooking!!

FPU: Big Tax Return = Big Screen TV! NOT!!

Posted on February 9, 2014 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

There may have been a time in our lives when a large tax return meant some new expensive toy for the family. We are no longer those people and have really changed how we look at our tax returns.

In 2010 we embarked on a new journey to become debt free after attending Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University class at our church. We are still working on that journey. The entire experience has been life changing for us. This experience changes how we look at our tax return. Most of our tax return is earmarked before we even receive it. We fully fund irregular expenses we know we will experience in the upcoming year.

I must admit: This practice would most likely not be endorsed by Dave Ramsey. He would like you to manage your money and not have the government hold onto it for you all year. For us, it works as it actually forces us to live beneath our means. It is a fool-proof way to save funds that we know we can’t touch until we file our taxes. If the government makes an extra 5 bucks in interest off of our withholding, then they can keep it and we’ll appreciate that this money was saved for us Smile

That being said, you can bet we file our taxes very early in the tax season. We file our taxes the first Saturday in February. Since we both claim “single-zero” on for payroll deductions our return is usually pretty big.

For 2014, the following will be fully funded from our tax return:

Debt Reduction – we will pay off our last credit card, if there is still a balance once we receive our tax return. (That card is down to about 1 and 1/2 payments til zeroed-out.)

Emergency Fund – will be fully funded at $2000.

Car Insurance – set aside enough funds to pay car insurance on all vehicles every 6 months to receive a discount.

Christmas – yes, we fully fund Christmas in February! What peace of mind! (Because you know Christmas is going to happen again this year.)

City of WBL – irregular bills are hard to budget for so we fully fund them from our tax return. This a quarterly bill that used-to sneak up on us at times….not anymore!!

Soccer Fees – our youngest plays traveling soccer

Camp – our youngest goes to camp each year.

Duct Cleaning – This year we are having the ducts in our home cleaned. Between illnesses and allergies, it seemed like a good thing to get done. This was last done in 2007.

Summer Fun – this is a new category we are funding this year. We found that small parties, mini-weekend-vacations and other fun events over the summer wreaked havoc on our budget. This year we set aside extra money to go to participate in summer fun!

Training – as a licensed social worker, I need to attend 40 hours of training every 2 years to renew my license. I need to complete 26 hours this year. This will fund the conferences, meals and lodging for me to complete my training hours.

We should be able to fully fund all of these items from our tax return. This is a huge relief to us to know these expenses will not have to be worried about! As you can see there is no Big Screen TV on our list, but instead many other things that give us a huge sense of relief knowing they are fully funded for the year. The concept of saving for future expenses is called a “Sinking Fund”. If you want more info you can read our blog post about “Sinking Funds” and how we organize our finances.

We are different people with different priorities….we live a simpler life striving towards our goal to be DEBT FREE, (and financially secure when we retire!)

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

Blessings…

Paul and Jen
Joyfully Living Below Our Means

Menu Plan Monday: February 3, 2014

Posted on February 1, 2014 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

February 1st – February 16th, 2014

Week #1

Saturday 1^st – Sunday Chops and Stuffing (Simple & Delicious –Dec/Jan 2014 – pg 13)
Dessert: German Apple Cake (need to use up some apples that are getting a bit too ripe)

Sunday 2^nd – (Super Bowl) Chili Con Carne, Seven Layer Dip, Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

Monday 3rd – (6:00 Soccer – Mom Working Late) – Rosemary Chicken and Vegetables (Crockpot 6-8hrs) (Emeals # 518)

Tuesday 4th– Creamy Burrito Casserole and Avocado Rice (50 mins) (Emeals # 518)

Wednesday 5th– (4:00 Meeting) – Spicy Pork Noodle Bowls – Egg Rolls (35 mins) (Emeals #519)

Thursday 6^th – (7:15 Soccer) – Seasoned Chick Strips / Mac and Cheese and Carrot Sticks (30 mins) (Emeals # 518)

Friday 7^th – (6^th Grade Retreat) – Bacon Ranch Toasted Subs / Fruit and Chips (25 mins) (Emeals – #519)

Saturday 8^th – Pizza Casserole – (1hr 20 mins) (Emeals – #519)

Sunday 9^th – Country Fried Steak Bits and Gravy and Mashed Potatoes (40 mins) (Emeals – #519)

Week #2

Monday 10^th – (6:00 Soccer) – Chicken Broccoli and Rice (quick meal) – Salad

Ingredients:
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups water
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
2 cups Broccoli (I use frozen, straight out of the freezer)
2 cups Instant Rice

Process:
In a large skillet, make sure that you chicken is warm and put aside in a bowl. Then mix water and soup together and bring to a boil (now is when you add any seasonings). Turn down and mix in all ingredients remaining. Cover and cook on medium/low for 5 minutes. If you are using frozen broccoli it will take up to another 5 minutes.

Tuesday 11^th – (6:30 FPU) – Tacos for a Crowd (Crock Pot)

Wednesday 12^th – (4:00 Meeting) – Cheesy Bakes Fish, Parmesan Pasta and Green Bean Tomato Salad (30 mins) (Emeals # 518)

Thursday 13^th – (3:30 Meeting/7:15 Soccer) – Beef Fried Rice and Salad (45 mins) (Emeals # 518)

Friday 14^th – (Valentine’s Day) Baked Shrimp Scampi/ Wild Rice/ Vegetable

Dessert: No-Bake Cheery Cheesecake

Saturday 15^th – Pork Loin with Cranberry Sauce (Wknd) (30 mins) (Emeals – #519)

Sunday 16^th– Sloppy Joes and Corn Soufflé (Wknd) (1+ hrs) (Emeals – #519)

Shopping Trip: 2/1/14
Aldi – $ 190.87
Walmart – $ 123.15
Sam’s Club – $ 67.45
Kowalski’s – $2.41

Total for 2 weeks of food: $ 383.88 / 6.5 (count baby as 1/2) = $59.06 per person or $191.94 per week on groceries. A bit over budget, but we did buy some special items for Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day meal.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!!!

Happy Cooking!!

Frugal Friday: Re-Dye Faded Pants

Posted on January 24, 2014 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

First, I wanted to apologize to my subscribers, for some reason some old posts were sent out the other day. I can’t figure out why this occurred, but hopefully it won’t happen again!

Today, I want to share a tip with you that I have been meaning to try for YEARS!!! This was actually my hubby’s idea. Hubby and I both have jobs in which we wear dress pants each day for work. While, I have bought many different colors of pants through the years, I prefer to wear black pants. I try to keep my wardrobe as simple as possible.

While my pants have stayed in good condition, the color had really faded. I was about to go out and buy new pants when I decided to try to dye my pants. I could just throw them away if it didn’t work out, so no great risk. We purchased a bottle of Rit Liquid Dye for about $2.00 and decided to go for it.

I was a bit nervous, but I decided to attempt the dyeing process in the washing machine. I followed the directions on the bottle and was very happy with the results. Over the holiday weekend I dyed 4 pairs of Docker like dress pants and two pairs of black jeans. This little experiment saved me about $125 as I would have otherwise gone out and bought 5 new pairs of black pants, if I could have found some on sale for $25/each.

I made sure to clean out the washing machine by running a empty load of very hot water, detergent and 1 cup of bleach before washing any other clothes. Seemed to work just great!!

I am not sure how the dyeing job will hold up, but so far we are very happy with the results! Definitely something that I will do again in the future and it was for the savings.

Happy Savings!

Simple Living in 2014: Dresser

Posted on January 22, 2014 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

Hello Friends,

How are you doing with your goals for 2014?? I am still plugging away on my January goal of Spring cleaning our bedroom. As the weeks go by I find myself wanting to spend more time in my bedroom. It is nearly done and brings me much joy!

Believe it or not, we are still battling the illness that started on Christmas for hubby and I. Through it all I continue to do a little de-cluttering as my energy level permits. Today, I take my last dose of prednisone, so I anticipate a decrease in my productivity. I am moving pretty slowly due to strained muscles in my ribs due to excess coughing. But I have been able to keep up with my goals by doing a little bit at a time, slow and steady wins the race.

DRESSER: Another area that tends to get out of hand quickly, my dresser. While I love baskets to contain items, they tend to become a dumping ground for me. I rather throw something in the basket instead of putting it away where it belongs.

AFTER: This really was an exercise in putting things away where they belong. Most items in the basket didn’t belong there, I simply neglected to put them away.

DECLUTTERING WITH YOUR SPOUSE:

My hubby is a very wonderful and supportive man, but getting rid of things is not easy for him. I have learned that while I like simple, clean spaces, he likes to keep things that he might need. It is a careful dance we do, but I never get rid of anything of his without his permission. This weekend he did help me with the bedroom a bit. He went through his dresser and closet and decluttered his clothes! He did a great job and has a lot of space in his dresser now!

Hubby’s donate pile!

Other Tasks crossed off the “to do list” this week: Scrubbed the walls and floor, washed the curtains and cleaned out the headboard.

As you can see we are nearly done with our bedroom. We only have the bookcase left to de-clutter and then we are moving on to the Living Room for February! Looking forward to a good Spring Cleaning of the living room before our our new furniture is delivered.

Hope you are finding ways to Simplify Life in 2014!!

Blessings,

Menu Plan Monday: Jan 20th, 2014

Posted on January 19, 2014 by jmcoyan@gmail.com

January 19th – February 2nd, 2014

It has been a wonderful weekend and very productive!! Love a long holiday weekend that includes my birthday! Hubby made my requested birthday meal, Broccoli Cheese Soup! I love a weekend off of cooking and washing dishes. This allowed me plenty of time to relax, cross stitch and do a few projects around the house.

Birthday flowers….SPRING will come!!

Our oldest son hung out with us for the weekend and built a snow fort ( technically called a quinzee) with our youngest. It was a two day adventure that kept them busy in the mild winter weather. For some reason they said it was my birthday present…..no way this Mama is going into the quinzee and would definitely not sleep in it over night!

New Favorites from Last Week’s Menu:

Southern Breakfast Casserole (Emeals # 515), Italian Casserole (Emeals # 514), Pepperoni Rolls (Emeals # 515)

Sunday 19^th– (Soccer) – Spaghetti – Bread Sticks and Salad

Monday 20^th – (HOLIDAY) – Beef with Red Wine Sauce (Crockpot) (Emeals # 515)

Tuesday 21^st – Wild Rice Casserole, Glazed Carrots (Emeals # 514)

Wed 22^nd – Meatball Soup – Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (Emeals # 516)

Thurs 23^rd – (Book Group) – Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (Simple & Delicious –Dec/Jan 2014 – pg 10)

Friday 24^th– Corn Dogs – Fries

Saturday 25^th – Spinach Cheese Manicotti – Green Salad – French Bread (Emeals # 216)

Sunday 26^th – (Soccer) Fontina Chicken & Pasta Bake – (Simple & Delicious –Dec/Jan 2014 – pg 10)

WEEK #2

Monday 27^th– (Soccer) – Broccoli Scalloped Potatoes (Simple & Delicious –Dec/Jan 2014 – pg 12)

Tuesday 28^th– Chicken Tortilla Soup (Emeals # 516)

Wednesday 29^th– (Working Late) – Chili Beef Corn Bread Casserole (Simple & Delicious –Dec/Jan 2014 – pg 11)

Thurs 30^th– (Sort) – Taco Spaghetti (Simple & Delicious –Dec/Jan 2014 – pg 15

Friday 31^st– Meatball Subs – Strawberry Parfaits (Emeals # 516)

Saturday 1^st– Chicken Dijon, Mashed Potatoes , Pear Spinach Salad (Emeals # 516)

Sunday 2^nd – Sunday Chops and Stuffing (Simple & Delicious –Dec/Jan 2014 – pg 13)

Food Budget: Decided to start tracking how much we spend on food/household expenses each month again in hopes to budget appropriately. Wanting to keep our budget at $100 per person each month. We are a household of 5 adults, 1 growing boy who eats like an adult and 1 toddlers.

This weekend was our HUGE shop. In that we were out of most cleaning supplies and paper products that we purchase at Sam’s Club. This is about a twice a year level of purchasing.

Shopping Trip: 1/18/14
Aldi – $139.19
Walmart – $103.12
Sam’s Club – $354.00 (Toilet paper, plates, klennex, dish soap, paper towels, furniture polish, laundry soap, fabric softner, wipes, – are items that are not purchased monthly)

Total for 2 weeks of food/Household Items for 6 months: $596.51/ 6.5 (count baby as 1/2) = $91.77 per person or $198.26 per week on groceries.

January Food/Household Total – 1/4/14 = $260.76 + 596.51 (1/18) = $857.27
Monthly Total: $131.89 for 6.5 members of the household.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!!!

Happy Cooking!!

Living in White Bear Lake

Recipes, Frugal Living, Family Fun and So Much More!

Author Archives: jmcoyan@gmail.com

Slow Cooker Corned Beef

Menu Plan Monday: March 17th

Menu Plan Monday: March 3, 2014

Desserts

Menu Plan Monday: February 17th, 2014

FPU: Big Tax Return = Big Screen TV! NOT!!

Menu Plan Monday: February 3, 2014

Frugal Friday: Re-Dye Faded Pants

Simple Living in 2014: Dresser

Menu Plan Monday: Jan 20th, 2014