Tuesday: Cheesy Beef and Rice

I am really excited to try this recipe out tonight! My plan is to make this ahead of time, stick it in the fridge and have it ready to go to pop in the oven for dinner!

Cheesy Beef and Rice

1 cup long grain brown rice
1 lb ground beef
3 T. minced onion, or fresh chopped onion
1/2 t. garlic powder
sea salt, to taste
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk
1 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Boil two cups of water. Stir in rice. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Brown ground beef with onion and garlic powder. Mix with rice and salt well. Stir in sour cream and milk. Spread into a casserole dish. Sprinkle cheese on top. Cover well and freeze.

To bake: Thaw casserole on counter all day. Place uncovered in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

*Recipe Taken from Heavenly Homemakers

The Plan...

I am sure many of you have noticed that the Meal Planning Mommies have been M.I.A. for awhile. As Katie posted, she was on vacation enjoying a much needed media break. I was in Northern Michigan last week enjoying some much needed family time and, thus I didn't have a meal plan last week...(unless you can count yummy bakery bread, Mackinac fudge, taffy.... oh I had some real food too!)

So this morning, I sat in Panera after some much needed reading time and came up with our meal plan for this week. I have decided to post a little bit differently this week. I will first post our meal plan and give you the links to the recipes. I will then post each recipe separately on it's own day, but since I will be actually making the meal that night.... there won't be pictures or feedback. I will give feedback the next day as to how our family enjoyed that night's recipe.

I found a fantastic blog called "Heavenly Homemakers" that has lots of great posts, including some easy, frugal and healthy meals. I have linked to the blog with each recipe that I have used, so that you can go directly there to get the recipe ahead of time!

Here is the plan for the week:

Monday: Sloppy Cornbread with Sweet Corn on the Cobb and Watermelon

Tuesday: Cheesy Beef and Rice with Steamed Green Beans

Wednesday: Pizza Pockets

Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner (my hubby's turn to cook!)

Friday: Three Cheese Garlic Chicken Pasta with Italian Herb Foccacia Bread


I am also hoping to make some of the snacks and desserts from the site Heavenly Homemakers. I will post those as we make them this week!

Happy Meal Planning!

A Week Without Media (and Meal Plannning!)

I have just returned from a week (minus one day!) without TV, computer, and with two exceptions even my phone. There was absolutely zero withdrawal. I did not miss them at all. My plan was to have posts set to pop up for each day that I was gone on vacation.

It did not happen.
When we arrived to the Smoky Mountains, settled into our cabin and stretched off the nine hour drive I thought about sitting down and posting. 

But an interesting thing happened.

I sat down. Outside. And stared at a thick green life filled forest. And, the Lord used the mountains to speak to my soul the absolute importance of living my life outside of the realm of all things digital and being tied to no gadget with a string of urgency or importance. And, here is something neat.....

Everything went on. My posts did not happen and yet here we are. Fine. 

This week I hiked with my family. We spent hours outside with an intentional focus on absorbing Creation, praising the Creator, and discussing our responsibility to care for the earth and all its inhabitants.

I have so much that I want to share and not a bit of it has to do with Meal Planning. I know Sarah and Alisha are feeling much the same. We are wondering, pondering, perhaps even hoping that perhaps we could change things up here on Meal Planning Mommies to serve as a source of encouragement for Mom's beyond just organization in meal planning.

Today, I have thoughts on Creation care.
I have thoughts on family bonding.
I have thoughts on motherhood, adventure, and the art of having both.

I, actually we (the three gals behind MPM's) are thinking of shaking things up around here...and I do not mean the salt shaker.  We want to proclaim Jesus as Lord. We want to encourage mother's. We want talk stewardship. We have creative kid ideas to share, family activities and messages of hope. We want to address justice, and yes still share recipes especially as we journey into a food lifestyle that is nourishing and whole. We might even want to vent here and there! (Amen!)

But, for tonight there will be no decision made. I am not posting a meal plan this week. There are recipes in abundance on MPM's that we encouarage you to search if you are in need of some inspiration. I believe things will resume as normal tomorrow, for a time at least.

While in Tennessee, sitting on my back deck in the midst of the Smoky mountains I read the book, Gardening Eden by Michael Abbate. Please read it. Even if that means you are not visiting our blog for a time just so you can read it, please do!

In the interim, I encourage you tonight to shut off the computer.
Smooch on your husband.
Pray over your sleeping children.
Take a deep breath of the night sky.
And, know the Lord who created the earth, the sea, the sky, and all its inhabitants great and small loves you deeply.



I hope your meal planning and kitchen time this week will be blessed, that and all the other hours of your days. May they be spent well.