Add this to my list...

Of things that I should never, ever buy again. Not if I want to fit into my pants. I buy the boys granola bars, usually reduced sugar or fiber one bars....but I saw these and thought I'd get a box to try because I got them so cheap. My children won't get to eat these because the grown ups will have them eaten before they ever realize there is such a thing as a candy bar masquerading as a granola bar. Oh my heavens.

One of Those Days....

It's 4:33pm...I've been here at work since 4am, and I've finally gotten a chance to eat. Yes. A whole apple.

Lovely, huh? Looking forward to dinner!

Lemon Roasted Potatoes.

Tonight's lemon roasted potatoes were courtesy of Closet Cooking. I have absolutely fallen in love with this food blog. Pretty much everything looks amazing.

We looooooved these. Definitely worth a try!

Menu Plan Week of 2/1

I finally cleaned out the deep freezer yesterday. I am ashamed to say that I had been procrastinating about it for quite some time. The freezer had been pretty full and it was all from some ***very*** old items down at the bottom from before I got my act together on meal planning and stockpiling. I knew they were down there but I just was dreading the process. So finally yesterday hubby and I pulled everything out, got rid of the old items, and reassembled the freezer with the items I need to use up first at the front and center. I feel much more organized now, and with the freed up space, it will be easier to find things for sure.

I created this week's plan around items that I need to use, as well as hubby's creations from the smoker. Sunday's meal is much more than we typically spend for one meal, but it's the big game, and it's still a lot less than we would spend to go out. 7 dinners for 4 this week work out to about $37.

Monday 2/1
Pulled pork sammies $3.25
roasted potatoes .25 (thank you .79 5lb. bag!)
fresh cantaloupe .75
$4.25

Tuesday 2/2
London Broil in teriyaki garlic marinade $3.75
grilled asparagus .75
Spinach Salad $1.00
$5.50

Wednesday 2/3
Fish sticks .50
clam strips $1.50
french fries .75
corn .50
$3.25

Thursday 2/4
spaghetti w/ meatballs $3.50
green beans .45
salad .75
$4.70

Friday 2/5
pork fried rice $2.00
potstickers $1.75
$3.75

Saturday 2/6
chicken paprikash w/ egg noodles and peas $3.00
salad .75
corn bread .50
$4.25

Sunday 2/7
baby back ribs $9.00
baked potatoes $1.00
beans $1.00
$11.00

Check out what 100's of other families are having for dinner this week at Menu Plan Monday!

The new smoker is working at full speed

Hubby was at it again with the new smoker yesterday. He smoked a couple packages of italian sausage (yum!), some of which we had with tortellini pasta for dinner last night.

He also smoked a 7lb. pork butt that I had picked up for .99/lb this week. This turned out so well that I'm amazed there's any left today for dinner! Truly juicy, fall apart meat that we'll be having on sandwiches tonight, and freezing the rest before hubby can eat it as a late night snack for a couple other meals :)

I'm getting my spice rub for pork down pretty well. This can be used on ribs, roasts, and even beef or chicken.

2T kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2T black pepper (I use Penzey's California Pepper Blend and it lends a lot of flavor)
1/4 cup paprika
2T mustard powder
1T ground coriander
(if you like spice, you could also add in cayenne pepper to your liking. With the boys, I don't go there :)

Mix ingredients in a bowl...Use about 2T per pound of meat. Letting the meat sit in the fridge overnight with the rub on it is even better, but not necessary.

With the pork butt, we brought it out of the smoker when the internal temp hit 160, and then put it in a roaster pan, poured over a mop sauce that I made (see below), and baked for 2 hours at 350. Heaven.

Mop Sauce:
1 cup cider vinegar
3T brown sugar
1T kosher salt
1T black pepper.

Bring mop sauce ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens. You can use this to baste meat while it cooks for moisture and extra flavor.

Next weekend for football we're doing up baby back ribs in the smoker. My favorite!