Mandy and Jace

I learned something very important when searching for this recipe. Don’t Google the word “white trash”, always put the word “recipe” behind it. Wow! I feel like Phoebe, MY EYES! MY EYES!

One of my favorite Christmas time snacks is White Trash and it’s super easy to make. This year I’m going to be making several batches and giving as gifts. You can get really cute little containers at Wallgreens or Hobby Lobby, fill them up, tie a ribbon around them and you have a great gift for those people you want to give something to, but don’t want to spend a fortune on. Oh, and I became my husband’s favorite person again after he walked in and saw the white chocolate goodness spread over the counter in the kitchen.

White Trash
adapted from Alton Brown
3 1/2 cups of Cheerios cereal
3 cups rice chex cereal
3 cups corn chex cereal
16 oz of M&M’s plain candy
2 1/2 cups mixed nuts (optional)
2 cups mini pretzels
2 (11 ounce) packages of white chocolate chips
powdered sugar

Pour all ingredients except the white chocolate into as large of a bowl that you have. If you don’t have a huge bowl you may want to use two bowls.

Put the white chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl. Melt the chips in the microwave for one minute at 50% power. Stir. If there are still chunks microwave for 30 more seconds at 50% power. Stir again.

Pour the white chocolate over the cereal mix and stir, stir, stir.

When the chocolate is incorporated evenly pour the mixture onto the countertop lined with parchment paper or wax paper.

Sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top of the batch and let it sit and dry for about an hour or so.

Break it apart into pieces and store in an air tight container.

Can you believe next week is Christmas. It just hit me and now I am in absolute panic mode! I still have several gifts to buy and my head is spinning. Since the next few weeks will probably be very crazy my posting will probably be a bit sporadic. We have lots of parties so meal plans will be few and far between. But, I do have several holiday recipes and things to put up so keep checking in. I promise at the beginning of next year I will be back in full force with some new stuff and better meal plans and recipes.

Here’s what little plan I have for this week.

Tonight: Christmas party
Tuesday: baked ziti and green beans
Wednesday: not sure
Thursday: take out after praise and worship practice
Friday: date night

Happy eating!

Happy December everyone!

We had such a great weekend! Saturday my wonderful, amazing husband put up a television for me in my bathroom, twice. Yes, twice.

I had told him I wanted it closer to the ceiling so I can see it from the bath tub then when he put it up I noticed that it was a bit to high. I sat and thought about it for a while because I didn’t want to ask him to take it back down and move the wall mount, but finally I ended up saying something and he was so great. He took it down and lowered it for me. I know he was cursing me in his mind but bless his heart, he didn’t say a word. Now that’s love!

Sunday, I got to watch my baby brother, my cousin and some friends jump out of a plane. No, I didn’t jump myself. It was VERY cold and I think it would be much more pleasant when it’s warmer. I was freezing on the ground much less flying through the icy air. They jumped right at sunset though, and I took some beautiful photos of them jumping into the orange and pink sky.







This week I HAVE to eat healthy. I haven’t fallen down on my diet, I’ve jumped off a cliff. So even though it’s no fun I’ll be eating only what will keep me from starving. I hate doing that because I have a very loving relationship with my food, but I have to look good for all the photos at all the parties we are going to be at this month. The plan doesn’t look very healthy, but it’s all about portion size for me.

Here is this week’s plan.
Tonight: chicken and pasta in a veal cream sauce
Tuesday: Strip steak, potato cakes and corn
Wednesday: on-the-go burritos
Thursday: Christmas party
Friday: date night

Happy eating!

We had an excellent Thanksgiving here. Everyone fit into our house and the meal turned out great. I learned several things in the thanksgiving meal process. First, it’s much easier to defrost your turkeys in the bath tub; second, that two bags of potatoes make way too much mashed potatoes; and, third, home-made rolls make great sweet potato sandwiches the next day. The next morning instead of shopping we slept in late and then we went and bought our Christmas tree. This is the first time I’ve ever had a real tree and it turned out gorgeous. No, I’m not a black friday shopper. I don’t care for crowds of pushy people who haven’t slept so they are all in terrible moods. I’d rather shop online from my VERY comfortable bed in my pajamas. Saturday, Mom broke into the Christmas stash and let me shoot my gun that I’m getting for Christmas. We all went shooting and it was a blast. I’m slowly getting better!

Here are some photos of our weekend.

I named the turkeys Martin and Herman.

Here is this week’s meal plan.

Tonight: turkey pot pie made with some of the tons of leftover turkey
Tuesday: chicken and rice
Wednesday: pizza (not sure what kind)
Thursday: take out after practice
Friday: special service at church

Happy eating!

It’s Thanksgiving week! I am very excited to get things rolling towards the big day. I have my menu planned and a timeline set up to make sure everything gets done, I think I’m ready. Another thing that I am very excited about is the beginning of the holidays. The official start date to my Christmas is as soon as the Thanksgiving meal is cleaned up and put away. Cue the music and get the tree out of the attic, the Holidays are here! I’m getting out my Trans-siberian Orchestra, Harry Connick Jr. and Diana Krall Christmas albums now and making sure I have all of the decorations I’m going to need.

Here is this weeks meal plan up to Thursday.
Tonight: Beef tacos with refried beans plus making the cornbread for Thursday
Tuesday: Chicken and pasta in a veal cream sauce with herbes de provence. Also, make the brine for the turkey, make the compound butter to go on the turkey and make two pumpkin pies
Wednesday: Teriyaki white rice with veggies. Then put turkeys in the brine, cut the potatoes, clean house and set up tables and chairs. That’s going to be a busy night.

Last but not least here is the Thanksgiving menu.

• roasted turkey with an herb compound butter
• deep fried creole turkey
• honey glazed ham
• cornbread dressing
• mashed potatoes and gravy
• macaroni and cheese
• corn
• home made rolls
• cranberry sauce
• sweet sweet potatoes
• deviled eggs
• pumpkin pie
• pecan pie