My version of Jalapeno Poppers

We are jalapeno fans and we like jalapeno poppers a lot. We have tried wrapping them in bacon but the bacon does not cook crispy like we like it. So after several experiments, this is my favorite way to make and eat jalapeno poppers.

Take fresh jalapenos, cut them in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a grapefruit spoon.

This batch of jalapenos is from my brother, Rex's, garden. He has red and green jalapenos but they pretty much taste the same but the red ones are really pretty.

I also use grated cheddar cheese and bacon that has been chopped, cooked and drained.
Put a few pieces of bacon in each jalapeno. Then top with a big pinch of cheddar. Don't put in too much cheese or it will leak out when it cooks. Just try to put in as much as will melt down and fill each pepper.

I line the baking pan with foil so I don't have a baked-on cheesy mess to scrub afterwards.

Bake at 325 for about 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes.

Then, serve them to your family!

Weekend breakfast

Fresh cantaloupe

Homemade biscuits with apricot and strawberry jam

Menus for last week and this week

My menu planning is off track because we were traveling for a few days so this week, I planned for about 10 days. I try to keep our pantry, fridge and freezer stocked so I usually have the ingredients for lots of meals. But menu planning makes it all so much easier. I don't have to cook the planned menus and can change the order around. But having a game plan takes the decision making stress way and I am enjoying cooking even more.

Classic Shepherds Pie (weight watchers version)

I make old-fashioned mashed potatoes instead of the way the recipe suggest though, and add more vegetable to the meat mixture.

Pizza on 1/2 recipe of focaccia bread crust with a big green salad

Burgers with fried okra

Crispy Lemon Chicken with rice, and more fried okra, cucumbers and onions, cantalope and cinnamon rolls

Nina and John will be here for this Sunday evening meal

BLTs

Pork Roast with cabbage and hot rolls

Hearty Ham Casserole

Mexicali Pie

Pinto Beans with Mexican cornbread

Porcupine meatballs

I use this recipe, but I don't brown them. I just put them the meatballs in the baking dish, cover with the tomato mixture.

Meatloaf

Jimmy requested meatloaf sandwiches before he goes back to law school.

Quiche Lorraine

Christmas in August

I just finished a Christmas swap with Sharon, an online friend I met on YahooGroups. com Christmas list. My box came today and Sharon really spoiled me! She is a very prolific cross stitcher and she made this great ornament with my initials at the bottom.
The cardinal is a rubber stamp and Sharon did not know that both my grandmothers were fond of birds and one was especially fond of cardinals.
A group picture of part of it, sweet smelling Santa sachet, leather bookmark, Santa stocking with 2 skeins of DMC, a needle punch kit, Christmas purse tissues, ribbon, stickers, a candle, vintage cards and a peppermint ornament

A beautiful Christmas pillow, stitched my Sharon. It looks perfect on our green sofa too.
Gorgeous Santa toile fabric - I love toile, and have toile in every room in my home! Everything in the box was wrapped in toile tissue paper too.

Thanks so very much, Sharon!

more about swaps, I have only participated in swaps with people I "know" and they are really fun. (not frugal, just in case you think I only do frugal things, but so much fun) I have read about other swaps online that sound great too if anyone else is interested.

Jenny has been talking a fall swap at her blog, Lipstick and Laundry.

I've also read about some great swaps from Leigh Ann at No Place Like Home

Paper organizer for the kitchen

I belong to a few discussion - friendship groups on Yahoogroups.com. On one of the lists geared toward homemaking, we talked about recycling trash into useful home items. I told them about this organizer I made years ago and Tracey want to see pictures. It is a very low-cost craft. Start with a large flat style Priority Mail carton. Cut it diagonally through the middle and seal the ends. Glue the 2 box pieces together and that will be the base.
Side view
Cover the outside (I used fabric)

Cover the inside (I used scrap book paper)

Put 4 feet on the bottom (I used wood door handles)

Now, you are ready to organize your papers!