Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Fall Recipes

Need some inspiration for fall recipes?  Try these!

Apple and Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup rolled oats (ground in food processor)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 cup milk (or buttermilk)
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
2 tablespoons apple sauce
2 tablespoons rolled oats
1 apple (peeled, cored and chopped)

Directions:
1. Mix the flour, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
2. Mix the maple syrup, milk, egg, butter and apple sauce in another bowl.
3. Mix the wet and dry ingredients.
4. Mix in the rolled oats and apple.
5. Heat a pan and melt a touch of butter in it.
6. Pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into the pan and cook until the surface starts to bubble and the bottom is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
7. Flip the pancake and cook the other side until the bottom is golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.

Creamy Chicken and Spinach Tortellini Soup

1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated cheese tortellini

1 (14 1/2 ounce) can fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth

2 (10 3/4 ounce) cans reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 (9 ounce) package refrigerated cooked diced chicken breast

2 cups fat-free milk

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook tortellini in a Dutch oven according to package directions, using 1 can broth instead of water.  Add soup and remaining ingredients, stirring well.  Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until thoroughly heated.

Serves 6 ( 1 1/3 cup servings)

Fall Pork Dinner

1/4

cup packed brown sugar

1

tablespoon firm margarine or butter, cut up

1/2

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2

small acorn squash

1

small unpeeled red cooking apple

1/3

cup Bisquick Heart Smart® mix

1/2

teaspoon seasoned salt

1/8

teaspoon pepper

5

saltine crackers, crushed

1

egg white or 2 tablespoons fat-free egg product

1

tablespoon water

3

boneless pork loin chops, 1/2 inch thick (3/4 lb)

• 1Heat oven to 350°F. In small bowl, mix brown sugar, margarine and cinnamon until crumbly; set aside. Cut squash into 1/2-inch rings. Cut rings in half; remove seeds. Cut apple into chunks.
• 2In shallow dish, stir together Bisquick® mix, seasoned salt, pepper and cracker crumbs. In another shallow dish, mix egg white and water. Dip pork into egg mixture, then coat with Bisquick mixture.
• 3Spray 10-inch skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook pork in skillet 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until coating is brown.
• 4Place pork in ungreased 8-inch square or 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish. Arrange squash and apples around pork. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until squash is tender and until pork is no longer pink in center.

Fall Fall Fall!

Fall is such a fun time of year, I love love it!  I just wanted to write and give you ladies some inspiration to decorate, curl up under a nice cozy blanket with a fall drink, do a fun fall craft with your kiddos, and give you some fun fall activities to do with your kids!  

From my poetry days long ago:

 Warm sunlight, yet cold faces

Pumpkin carving and potato sack races

Turning leaves and cherry pie

Delightful aromas, wood smoke filling the sky

Daylight fading faster, nights becoming long

The soft spooky call of an owl's song

Colors soft and warm filling the skies

Fall arrives as the last of summer dies

Decorating for fall is SUCH fun.  One of my favorite things to do is go down to the basement and bring up my big box o' fall decorations, turn on some Michael Buble music ( i love his music!), and decorating every room in my home.  

If you are low on finances, here are some SUPER cheap things you can do.  These are pictures from around my home and they ALL come from my favorite place... the dollar store!   

Decorate all around your home with dollar packs of leaves over door frames, on the kitchen table, on top of your tv.  Set out cute bowls of dollar store candy corns.  Make cheap displays on top of bookshelves and table tops of pumpkins, gords, pine cones, baskets.  purchase a pack of 3/ $1 battery tea light candles that flicker and place them all around your home and inside pumpkins:                            

 

My husband's biggest love language is acts of service.  He loves it when he comes home to a clean house that smells warm and cozy.  This is a GREAT idea for fall to get your home smelling like a picture in a magazine and it's totally cheap!  

*You can pick up a big jar of cinnamon (or even cinnamon sticks) at the dollar store. 
*cut and peel orange skins... the more you use, the more it will smell.  
*sprinkle cinnamon on top of orange peels.  About 1/2 TBS. should do it.  Bring to a rolling boil and continue to simmer as long as you want.  Will make your house smell DEVINE!

*You can also reuse the peels.  Simply drain and refrigerate until the next use!


Another great way to show your husband or family  some support after a long day's work:  FOOD!  Food is the way to anyone's heart... right?  Here are some YUMMY fall treats that I'm dying to have right now. To keep this post shorter, I'm adding these onto the recipes tab at the top of the blog.  Simply match up the photo and it will be located there for you.
                                                         

Stay tuned for a big blog post on some fun fall crafts for your kiddos and some fall time activities you can do as a family!

Prayer and ponderings

Moms!  I know I cannot be the only one out there feeling this way.  In fact, I know I am not.  I LOVE pinterest.  Love it.  If I actually had the time to do so, I'd sit there for hours repinning (most of the time probably pinning things that I will never get to).  Things that I want, ways in which I wish my house to be, ways to be a more spiritual parent, crafts I want to make, recipes I want to try.  I get on there with such high expectations of myself, such as getting inspired to take the plunge into trying to cook with only my crock pot for an entire year.  It can be done, but that's not who I am.

      Do you ever come off of a website like that feeling inadeqate?  I do, all the time.  Why can't I be like Martha Stewart?  Why can't my house smell of roasting oranges and cinnamon for my husband when he comes home from work? Why can't my child's room be so put together that it looks like something out of a magazine?  Why can't I cook like that?  Why can't I ever put together outfits like that?  Why can't I come up with unique and original ideas?  Why aren't I a size 2?  WHY?  WHY? WHY?

        I'll tell you why.  It's because in my own life, the minute I start comparing myself to the perfection of others, I fall short.  My #1 ministry (as I am learning a LOT lately) is to my family.  But if I am so engrossed in taking time to research how I much better I could be doing at my job, it's a sin to me.  God wants ME.  He wants ME.  He wants ALL of me.  He wants WHAT I have, creative or not.
            I  just bet you that if you really got on there and researched into someone's life, such as someone with a story book kitchen, that you would see that their kitchen may very well be the ONLY thing that's like that.  I'm not saying there is anything wrong with having a beautiful hobby, or cook a fantastic meal.  But it's the moment when you start second guessing yourself that isn't right.  I am guilty of it first.
        My family wants ME!  My 2 year old Blake doesn't come to me and say "Mommy thank you for my awesome crafts that you let me do" or "Mommy the house looks AMAZING" ... he comes up to me and says "Mommy, I need you" or "Mommy I love you"...or he comes up and tickles me.   He wants Mommy, not mommy's perfection.
        I have decided that instead of pouring over magazines and webpages and books about how I can constantly better myself, that I will take some of that time, praying for my son.  He's only 2 years old, but still needs prayer. (I'm not giving up pinterest completely, I'm just not going to obsess anymore)
Ironically, I found this on pinterest :)   But how TRUE.  I always have dreamed of being the kind of parent to pray for my children.  I think I will actually sit down and do it now that I have a physical list in front of me.
Be encouraged ladies. We are in this thing together to encourage one another in love and prayer.

encouragement and announcements

WHAT an awesome meeting we had yesterday!  I feel like we are all getting to know the ladies at our tables a little better, and I don't know about your table, but mine went so smoothly.  Everyone had something to share, we stuck to the topic, AND I came away feeling really encouraged.

Rachel's C.H.A.T. acrostic was really great, I think it's genius!  It's great and applicable for any gathering of women, MOPS or not.

Let's all remember to:
C
H
A
T

      The message this week was great! Plunging into relationships with other women creates an impact!  There will be a BIG SPLASH and will affect a lot of areas of our lives and families.  Plunging is all about going deeper and being authentic in our friendships, taking risks to use the gifts and talents that the Lord has given each one of us!  We encourage you to find that gift inside that you have and use it as your expression of love!

Some notes and reminders:

Thank you to Dana B. for coordinating our first big group play date!  "Picnic in the Park" Weather permitting, we will be meeting at City View Park on Tuesday, Sept. 25th from 10:00-12:00.  Bring your lunch!  Address: 2073 Kempsville Rd., VA Beach

                                                                                  

Our next group play date will be the "Holy Ghost Wiener Roast" at the New Life.  More details to come!


If anyone is still interested in joining the "Good Morning Girls" bible study group on facebook, please send Cresta  a friend invite and she will get you added.  Cresta can be found on our MOPS facebook page.http://www.goodmorninggirls.org/2012/09/how-to-soap-your-quiet-time/


Please be SURE to label your child with a bright yellow allergy sticker if they have an allergy. 

The book "Mom Connection" is available for purchase for a very discounted price of $7.  If you would like more out of MOPS and to follow along with the studies and get encouragement from them, the book is available.  Please contact Shawna M.    #530-604-9606

Check out these GREAT muffins!

Cheese & Bacon Breakfast Muffins

3 slices bacon (rind removed and chopped)
1 tablespoon olive oil
400 g button mushrooms (finely chopped)
1 1/2 cups plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (freshly ground)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
1 cup cheese (grated, tasty, cheddar is good)
2 tablespoons chives (finely chopped)
80 g butter (melted)
2 eggs (lightly whisked)
2/3 cup milk (skim milk was used)
Directions:
In a frying pan (skillet) fry bacon over a medium-high heat until light and golden stirring often, about 4 minutes.
Remove to a kitchen paper covered plate.
Increase heat to high, add oil and mushrooms to the frying pan and cook for 5 minutes till tender and then set aside to cool.
Preheat oven to 200 degree celsius.
Grease a 12 hole muffin tin (regular size) or a 6 texas size (3/4 cup) muffin tin.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt and pepper into a bowl and add cheese and chives and mix together.
Whisk butter, egg and milk in a jug and pour into dry ingredients, stirring gently until almost combined.
Fold through the bacon and mushrooms.
Spoon mixture into prepared pan.
Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes for regular size muffins and about 20 to 25 for texas size.

Read more at: http://breakfast.food.com/recipe/cheese-bacon-breakfast-muffins-264533?oc=linkback

Some more recipe ideas!

Breakfast Hash Brown Casserole

1 package simply potatoes southwest hash brown
1 lb breakfast sausage (I like the Sage flavored. )
1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese or 1 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 dozen egg
2/3 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup water
Directions:

Follow cooking instructions on sausage packaging and crumble while cooking. Drain any excess liquid when finished. In a large bowl, toss together hash browns, sausage and cheese, set aside. In a separate bowl combine the remaining ingredients and whisk or use a hand blender until the eggs start to foam on the top. Coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spay or butter. Place hash brown mixture into baking dish and pour egg mixture over the top. Make sure the egg mixture completely saturates the potatoes. Cover and place in the refrigerator if baking in the morning. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Place foil over the casserole about half way through as the top will start to brown.

OPTIONS: You can sprinkle additional cheese on the top before taking it out of the oven.
I usually use some freshly grated cheese in the recipe, as it seems to have more moisture and I find the packaged shredded variety a little dry. This usually will make a difference when refrigerating and reheating leftovers, so the casserole won't become too dried out.
Try adding any leftover or fresh vegetables you might have on hand. Remember that frozen veges will contain some water, in which you would need to increase your baking time.
Substitute the sausage with precooked crumbled bacon. Not sure how much you would use.
Serve with salsa.

Breakfast casseroles!

here's some fabulous ideas for some easy breezy breakfast casseroles!

Sunrise Breakfast Casserole

What you’ll need: 
12 ounces Johnsonville breakfast sausage links
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion minced
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
salt/pepper
4 cups frozen hash browns – thawed
1 1/4 cups cheddar cheese – shredded, divided

What to do: 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sausage links into an oven proof dish. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes OR until no longer pink. Slice cooked sausages into 1/4″ sections. Set aside.

2. WHILE sausage is cooking, into a small saute pan add oil and onions. Cook until softened. Allow to cool.

3. Into a large bowl add: eggs, milk, mustard salt/pepper. Whisk together to combine. Add: potatoes, 1 cup cheese, sausage, sauteed onions. Mix to combine.

3. Spray a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray. Pour mixture into dish. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup of cheddar on top.

4. Increase oven temperature to 375. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes OR until set and lightly golden. Allow to set for approximately 10 minutes prior to serving.