Believe in the Magic Traci Diary

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  • Menu Planning Monday – Week of October 18

    I’m off of work this week!!!  A few of the meals take longer to fix than our usual meals.  I usually have meals on the table by 5 o’clock so my hubby can have dinner before going to work.  I’m excited to try the roasted kielbasa dinner.

    Monday –  chili, cornbread

    Tuesday – roast kielbasa supper, salad, rolls

    Wednesday – ravioli lasagna(freezer), veggie, rolls

    Thursday –spaghetti carbonara, cheddar bay biscuits, salad

    Friday – homemade hamburger helper, green beans, easy rolls

    Saturday – leftovers

    This post has been linked to Menu Planning Monday.

  • Snickerdoodles

    This is another Christmas cookie recipe. The Imaginative One loves these. In fact, this is one of his top two favorite Christmas or year-round cookies. I know he will have a big old smile when I make these.

    Last December, I found this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Cooking During Stolen Moments. As soon as I tried it, I knew this would be my go-to recipe for Snickerdoodles. They are so light and crispy.

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 1 c. butter or margarine
    • 1 1/2 c. sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 t. vanilla
    • 2 3/4 c. flour
    • 2 t. baking powder
    • 1/2 t. salt
    • 1/3 c. sugar  (I used green or red to make it look Christmas-looking.)
    • 2 t. cinnamon

    Steps:

    1. Cream butter or margarine and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat for 2-3 minutes.
      2. Whisk or sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add to creamed butter until combined.
      3. Place dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours.
      4. Roll about 1 t. of dough into a ball. Combine 1/3 c. sugar with cinnamon. Roll dough in cinnamon sugar until covered.
      5. Place dough on cookie sheets, flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until edges are very lightly browned.

    I’ve smademy Christmas cookie dough and then put it in the freezer. This way, they are ready to go when it’s time to do my Christmas cooking baking. I roll the dough into a log shape and then wrap it in wax paper. I then put the wax paper log in a freezer bag with instructions on how to bake it in the bag. (I have to admit that we do bake some of the cookies so that we can taste-test the dough.)

    This post has been linked to Potluck Sundays.

    Printable Recipe

  • Menu planning Monday – week of October 11

    Monday – porcupine meatballs, homemade applesauce, corn, homemade pumpkin bread

    Tuesday – creamy caesar chicken pasta, garlic bread, veggies

    Wednesday – pork chops with peppers and onions, veggies, rice

    Thursday – potato soup

    Friday – chicken nuggets, French fries, raw veggies

    Saturday – left-overs

    For more great menu plans, visit I’m an organizing junkie.

  • Mock Thin Mints

    I’ve baked cookies or made candy for the past ten years for Christmas. It is a tradition that was started by my grandma and mom. I remember past Christmases when they made various types of cookies and candy. They would then package them up and give them to friends and family for Christmas presents.

    Since Christmas is quickly approaching, I needed to start thinking of my baking/candy-making list. The goodies I made last year hit the spot, so I think I’m going to be making most of those types of cookies/candy if not all of them. I’ve decided to post a week of these goodies in preparation for the Christmas baking season.

    I’m posting the first Christmas “cookie” Mock Thin Mints. My MOPs group does a cookie exchange every December. A few years ago, one of the ladies brought these. I quickly fell in love with them.

    Last year, I made them. My mother-in-law, a girl scout advisor, tasted them. She could not believe they were made from Ritz crackers. She told me that they tasted just like Thin Mints. Coming from her, that was a compliment.

    Stars of the recipe

    • Bag of chocolate chips
    • 1 tsp. of mint extract
    • 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers
    • crushed candy canes

    Steps:

    1. Put a bag of chocolate chips with a teaspoon of mint extract in a microwavable bowl.
    2. Melt the chocolate chips at 75% power for 1 minute. Stir. If not melted, put it in the microwave for 30 secs at a time, stirring each time, until the chips are melted.
    3. Dip Ritz crackers into the melted chocolate and then place them on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper or foil.
    4. Put crushed candy canes on top.
    5. Let the chocolate harden, and then put the cookies in a container.

    Printable Recipe Card

  • Wordless Wednesday #13 – Sunset

    This post is linked up to Wordless Wednesday.

  • Young’s Dairy Pumpkin Bread/Muffins

    One of our favorite places is Young’s Dairy.  We love their ice cream, lunch items, and their sweet potato bread.  We also love feeding the goats, petting the animals, and all the fun activities there.  At over four dollars a loaf of sweet potato bread, it is not very economical to keep buying sweet potato bread whenever we visit there.  So I bought one of the postcards with the recipe to make it home.  When I made the muffins, the boys decided they were delicious and were like the ones from Young’s Dairy.

    Edited to add:  My boys will fight over who gets the biggest or last piece when they have this bread.  They absolutely love it!

    img_0419

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 3/4 c. butter softened (1 and 1/2 sticks)
    • 2 1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
    • 1 1/2 c. sweet potato puree (I used pumpkin puree instead.)
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 1/2 c. flour
    • 3/4 tsp. salt
    • 3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
    • 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
    • 1 and 1/2 tsp. baking soda
    • 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
    • 1 and 1/2 dashes of ground cloves
    • 1/2 c. water

    Steps:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
    2. Butter and flour pan or line with muffin papers.
    3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy with a mixer, and stir in puree and egg.
    4. Sift together dry ingredients.  Stir 1/2 into creamed mix.
    5. Stir in water, then remaining dry mix.
    6. Bake until dry on top and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean – serve warm!
    7. Muffins take about 20 minutes to bake.  Bread will take 35 minutes, depending on the pan size.

    The recipe says it would make 1 loaf of bread or 12 muffins.  I ended up making 12 muffins and 3 mini loaves.

    For great recipes, visit Colleen’s Kitchen Recipe Swap, Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays, Ingredient Spotlight, and Potluck Sundays.

    Printable Recipe Card

  • Menu Planning – Week of October 4 (with recipe)

    Monday – mini meatloaf (freezer), butter noodles, veggies

    Tuesday – crockpot chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans

    Wednesday – cornbread pizza, raw veggies, or salad

    Thursday – creamy caesar chicken pasta bake, veggies, garlic bread

    Friday – hot dogs, French fries, raw veggies

    Saturday – leftovers

    Buttered Noodles –

    • 1/2 package of egg noodles (I used wide noodles.)
    • 1.5 to 2 Tbsp. of butter
    • salt and pepper
    1. Boil the noodles according to the directions on the package.  Drain the noodles (save about 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water).
    2. Melt the butter in the microwave for about a minute.  Add some of the cooking water to make a sauce.
    3. Add the drained egg noodles.  Stir to cover the noodles.
    4. Season with salt and pepper.

    My oldest son loved the noodles.

    This recipe is linked up to Menu Planning Monday.

  • October meals

    The Wee One got to pick a couple meals for this month.  He decided hot dogs with French fries and chicken nuggets with French fries would be good menu items.  Even though the Imaginative One didn’t choose any of the meals, I’ve included one of his favorite meals this month.  He loves crockpot chicken with mashed potatoes. 

    For the third month in a row, I’ve included spaghetti carbonara.  That is one of our favorite meals.  Hubby and I fight over the leftovers!  Week of October 4

    • hot dogs, French fries, raw veggies
    • mini meatloaf (freezer), butter noodles, veggies
    • crockpot chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans
    • creamy caesar chicken pasta bake, veggies, garlic bread
    • cornbread pizza, raw veggies, or salad
    • leftovers

    week of October 11

    • pork chops with peppers and onions, veggies, Easy Rolls (freezer)
    • ravioli lasagna (freezer), garlic bread, salad, applesauce
    • chicken nuggets, French fries, raw veggies
    • potato soup (freezer), biscuits, salad
    • leftovers

    October 18 (I’m off this week for fall break!!!!!)

    week of October 25

    • lemon basil pasta, salad
    • pinto beans and ham, cornbread
    • grilled cheese and soup (TBA)
    • molasses chicken (freezer), noodles or rice side dish, veggies
    • Monterrey chicken quesadillas for the adults, plain cheese ones for the children, veggies
    • leftovers

    This menu has been linked to This Mommy Cooks and Mommy’s Kitchen.

  • Homemade Hamburger Helper

    I found this recipe on Cooking During Stolen Moment’s blog and made it many different times.  I love this recipe because I know exactly what is in the food I’m cooking.  I feel it’s more nutritious that way.  Another thing I love about this recipe is that the ingredients come straight out of my freezer, pantry, or fridge.  This is a no-frills recipe.

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 1 lb of hamburger
    • 1/2 onion, chopped
    • 1 to 2 c. of pasta (I’ve used shells, elbow macaroni, and farfalle pasta.), cooked and drained
    • 2 Tbsp. butter
    • 2 Tbsp. flour
    • 2 c. milk
    • 1.5 c. shredded cheese (I usually use cheddar cheese, but it’s your choice.)
    • 2 Tbsp. ketchup
    • 2 Tbsp. Mustard (You can use regular mustard, honey, or dijon mustard.  Again, it’s your choice.)
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Steps:

    1. Brown the hamburger meat.  When it’s almost finished, add the onions.  Cook until they are translucent.  Take the skillet off the heat.
    2. Using the same pot you cooked the pasta in, melt the butter.  After it is melted, add the flour.  Cook it for a minute or two.
    3. Add the milk and raise the heat.  Stir until the butter/flour mixture is incorporated into the milk.
    4. Let the milk mixture boil.  Take off the heat.
    5. Add the cheese, ketchup, and mustard to the milk.  Stir until the cheese is melted.
    6. Add the hamburger and pasta.  Stir until it is all covered with cheese sauce.
    7. Enjoy!

    This post is linked to Potluck Sundays, Delicious Dishes, and Tempt My Tummy.

  • Yummy Sugar Cookie Recipe

    Last Christmas, I found this recipe in the Food Network magazine.  I loved the hint of orange in these cookies and the ease of the recipe.

    Stars of the recipe:

    • 2 sticks of unsalted
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
    • 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
    • 2 egg yolks
    • 1 tsp. vanilla
    • 1 tsp. orange zest
    • 2 and 1/4 c. flour
    • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp. salt

    Steps:

    1. Beat butter, granulated sugar, and confectioners’ sugar until fluffy.
    2. Beat in egg yolks, vanilla, and orange zest.
    3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl and then add it to the butter mixture.  Stir until well incorporated.
    4. Chill for 30 minutes.
    5. Roll tablespoons into balls and flatten; sprinkle with coarse sugar.
    6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

    This recipe is linked up to Colleen’s Kitchen Recipe Swap.