Menu Monday: Week of July 4th

4th of July Edition!!

 She thought of this all on her own!  I love her creativity.

I almost didn't put a menu post up this week since it is the 4th and I figure everyone state-side is doing BBQs and visiting friends and family today!  However, there is always the rest of the week to check in on what's cooking!

One exciting note from this past week is that the rest of our garden finally finished going in.  I know we probably looked foolish putting tomatoes and hot peppers in the ground on July 2nd, however, with all the graduation and back going out and what-not, this was the soonest it could happen.  Since we have lived in this town, we have found every year to have long warm summer days (a benefit in the more northern latitudes) and an extended warmth in fall, usually not fearing frost until sometime in October.  Hopefully this will provide plenty of time for a bountiful crop!

We still need to put the mulch down but we ran out of steam.  We don't have a rotor-tiller so all ground breaking and loosening was done by hands and backs (grateful for hubby and son to lend theirs to the task!)  Sorry I don't have a better "before" picture, apparently the only front-of-house pictures are from when we purchased it last fall... and taken from the sidewalk at that!

Food to share from this past week:
I didn't take as many photos this week.  The biggest, however, would be Ashley's big 18th!  Her cake was sort of young and fun.  Another ice-cream cake.  She chose chocolate peanut butter cup with peanut m&m garnish.  I forgot to buy candles so I did one of each kind from the leftovers of other birthdays!!  I kept messing up the making process as well, however, she loved it, it was fun!

New Recipes 
My husband was starting to complain about my old Pillsbury cookbook recipe for BBQ sauce.  I've used it for years but even I have to admit, it seemed more catsup-y then BBQ.  My hubby is an ole Masterpiece man so I had to try something.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and then began to modify.  He LOVED it!  Here is the adjusted final recipe:

BBQ Sauce

• 2 cups ketchup
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar or regular vinegar
• 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
• 6 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 5 tablespoons dried bbq rub*

*As mentioned in June 20th's Menu post, we were blessed with some rub through one of my husband's co-workers.  This sauce would be fine without the rub... but the rub was what seemed to draw all the flavor together and really kick it up a notch.

I used it straight after mixing but you could boil it to mesh the flavors, cool and then store in the refrigerator.  I plan to make a large batch one day soon and can it, we loved it that much!

This week
Tuesday we will have our middle school girls Bible Study at the DQ. I cancelled Tuesday night's adult study at least for this week, and possibly for the summer.  We will still be meeting Thursday nights though and dinner will either include guests or require us to eat early.  Doctor's appointments Tuesday will also keep us on our toes and good meals energizing our evenings so we can be working on thinning out the bushes on our property line so we can be in code and avoid a fine!  (The down-side to owning a corner lot!)

Menu for this week...

BREAKFAST....
- cereal/oatmeal
- eggs
-pancakes


LUNCH....
hubby: fried summer sausage and rice, chicken salad
me and kids: leftovers, mac n cheese, sandwiches


DINNER....

Monday

BBQ Pork Ribs, Baked Potato, Salad, White Cheddar Rolls and Flag Cake for dessert:

It's an old recipe I think I saw in Woman's Day years ago.  It has become my signature 4th of July dish.  Modified through the years I now do a sort of poke-cake underneath.  My recipe:

1 box Lemon flavored cake mix cooked in baking dish according to package instructions.

Cool

Use wooden skewer or chop stick and poke random holes in cake

Prepare 2 small or 1 larger package of strawberry jello mix according to basic instructions (don't refrigerate)

Pour jello over cake, it will soak right in.

Refrigerate cake for 4 hours or over night

"frost" with one small container cool whip

arrange blueberries and quartered strawberries in flag design

keep chilled until ready to serve or place on party table!

Tuesday

Fish Burgers on Homemade Buns with Side Salad

Wednesday
Mexi Beef and Rice Casserole
This is a new recipe I am trying... I will let you know how it goes!

Thursday

Oven Roasted Chicken, Mashed Potato, Greens
Our grill isn't working right now.  Thankfully we have air conditioning!  Not sure if we will do green beans or a salad with this.  I made too many mashed potatoes last night so I spread them in a pie tin, covered and froze.  I will pull them out on Thursday and pop them in the oven with the chicken making this dinner an easy low-mess meal which is great with company coming!

Friday
Burgers and Home-made Crinkle Chips


Saturday
Fried Tacos

  
What are you doing and cooking this week?


Blessings,

Linking up today with some of these...