Lasagna

When I prepare this I make a double batch and freeze the extra one for an easy go-to meal. I use the deep loaf pans b/c that is what works best for my family - and the clean-up is a breeze.

2 lbs ground beef
1 package lasagna noodles
1 jar spaghetti sauce or 2 cans tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
1 xlarge container of ricotta
1 egg
2-3 cups shredded mozzarella/cheddar
parsley
Italian seasoning
onion and garlic powder

Boil noodles till tender, drain and set aside.
Brown meat with onion, garlic and a couple shakes of Italian seasoning. Drain.  Then stir in tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.
In separate bowl stir together ricotta, some parsley, Italian seasoning and egg.
Spray pan with oil.
Start with meat mixture in bottom, then noodles, then ricotta. (Remember to ration your mixtures in order to make a 2nd dish.)

Repeat layers ending with meat.

Top with shredded cheese.

Repeat with 2nd pan.
I usually do about 3 layers per pan.
Bake at 350* for 45min or until bubbly *OR*
Cover tightly with plastic wrap then aluminum foil and freeze.
I bake straight from the freezer. Place on cookie sheet in cold oven.  Turn on and cook for approximately 2 1/2 hrs at 350*

Let set 10 min before cutting.
Serve with crusty bread and a salad or green beans.

Enjoy!

MadCounty Mama

Apple Cider Time!

One of my favorite things of Fall is when all the apples are ready to be picked.  We have our own apple trees this year but of the 5 only two of them produced fruit.  And one of those trees only had 9 apples! But they were huge - the size of large store bought apples, very sweet and crisp! The other tree produced a small fruit, a bit tart and makes a great baking apple.  I also have a crab apple tree (I guess that means we have 6 apple trees) that I made my first crab apple jelly out of.  It is really sweet with a pleasing apple taste - great on toast!
The apple trees at my parents house had a great year and that means lots of apple cider! We took a little field trip out to their place to spend the day pressing cider.

Official 1st Taste

It's a winner!

Working hard - Playing harder!

Great Grandma came up the hill for a taste.

In home school we learned all about Christopher Columbus and found a fun coloring activity that turned into a ship:

Off to explore the New World

I found these fun little lacing activities at a craft store 2 for $1:

Great practice for tying shoelaces

Matching colors

Next up we will start a unit study on the US States and the US Flag! I browsed some thrift shops this past week and found some great materials for that as well as other studies all for under $4. Here's my loot minus a few file folders I pick up for .10 ea:

We are also working on telling time, money and value, Spanish words (colors, numbers, animals) and with my oldest - our learning to read book.

MadCounty Mama

Oct-Nov Menu

Oct 24th - Baked Fish, Steamed Veggies, Brown Rice

25th - Tortilla Soup, Salad, Bread

26th - Hamburgers with all the fixings, Oven Fries

27th - Breakfast Night - Ham & Eggs

28th - Chicken 'n' Biscuits Bake, Salad

29th - Brats on grill, carrot sticks

30th - Leftovers

31st - Chicken Pot Pie w/ carrots & peas

Nov 1st - Pork Chops and Rice

2nd - French Dip, Oven Fries, Cooked carrots

3rd - Breakfast Night

4th - Spaghetti, Green Beans, French Bread

5th - Bean Soup, Cornbread

Montana Institute of Theology

PreacherMan has a website! 

And a Facebook page! 

Please check it out and give some feedback! 

We are currently meeting Saturday nights in our home at 6:30pm.  We are reading thru Luke right now and there are always refreshments and coffee! 

We also have a Wednesday night meeting at 6:30pm.  This group is reading thru Pilgrim's Progress, the updated version.  This is a great study for any Christian, new or seasoned!  Refreshments served as well.

Kids are welcome!!!

If you are interested in joining us at either or both groups, please leave me a comment with your contact info. 

MadCounty Mama

Shredded Beef Enchiladas

Summer weather has gone away and the chilly Fall days are upon us.  It is time once again to heat up my oven and enjoy some comfort food! These enchiladas require some amount of prep but I cook enough to make two batches.  One for dinner and one for the freezer!

First, cook a roast in crock pot either on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours until meat is tender enough to shred.  I put 2-3 cups water and 1/2 cup taco seasoning in with it.  When done shred meat and simmer on stove top with a little extra broth for about 10 min.

 Next you will need:
Tortilla shells - I made 8 enchiladas per 9x13in pan.
Shredded cheddar cheese - about 3 cups; 1 1/2 cups per pan
One XL can (29.2oz) enchilada sauce
One can cream of mushroom soup
Cooking spray - coat each pan evenly
Two 9x13 pans - I use aluminum foil pans.
Mix together 1/2 can enchilada sauce, cream of mushroom soup and meat in bowl. Spoon onto tortilla about 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup each.

Begin rolling tortilla by folding in sides. Then roll from unfolded side.

Continue to roll until closed.  Place in greased pan, seam side down and repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

When pan is full, pour 1/2 of remaining enchilada sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese.  Remember to split remaining sauce and cheese between both pans. Bake at 375* for 30 min or until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.
*If freezing cover tightly with plastic wrap and then with tin foil.  Use within 3 months.

ENJOY!!!

MadCounty Mama

October Menu

Two week menu for October:

Monday Oct 10 - Cheesy Ham & Potato Bake, Jello w/ Fruit

Tuesday - Pork Chops, Rice and Cauliflower

Wednesday - Cajun Chicken Pasta, Broccoli and Applesauce

Thursday - Breakfast Night!! Eggs, Bacon, Hashbrowns

Friday - Homemade Hamburger Helper

Saturday - Fish sticks, french fries, carrot sticks

Sunday - Grilled Tuna sandwiches and salad

Monday Oct 17 - Lasagna, Garlic bread, green beans

Tuesday - Rice & Bean Burritos with lettuce, tomato, onion, sour cream and cheese

Wednesday - Meatloaf, mash potatoes, peas

Thursday - Date night! We're going out for dinner and to a concert - Grandma is coming to stay with kids!

Friday - Shredded Beef Enchiladas, refried beans

Saturday - Pizza and Salad

Sunday - Breakfast Night!

Back in the Swing of Things!

This week we started home school and I finally prepared a menu again after not having one ALL summer!
After a bit of rough start on Monday, we went outside and made a new friend!

Lots of Straw

A hard worker

Meet "Franklin"

My eldest is 4 1/2 and since we did preschool last year, he is working at a Kindergarten/1st grade level. I am still making up my own curriculum based on others I've found online.  We are doing less worksheets and more hands on this year!  We've started Teach Your Child to Read in a 100 Easy Lessons.  The first lessons are a lot of review for him but we are moving quickly and he is already sounding out words in our Bob Books. We're also using flash cards to learn sight words and are learning about short/long vowel sounds.  When school supplies were on sale, I picked up a dry erase board to encourage proper handwriting and he loves it! It has shapes, numbers and letters on it to trace.

Handwriting practice

 For math I printed out a 100's chart.  I really like this one b/c you can customize it - I printed out a counting by 2's chart and a 5's chart and laminated them. We're also learning to tell time, roman numerals, even & odd numbers, simple addition/subtraction, lacing activities, patterns and comparison.
I found this great book, Simple Science Fun, for our hands on science lessons! So far it has been great!

Excited Student

A kabob skewer thru a balloon w/out popping it!

My middle, 2 years, is doing the phonetic alphabet, sign language, number recognition, reviewing shapes and simple counting. 

Busy Bee

We also do a Bible story/lesson with a craft every Monday and learn our memory verse for the week.
Friday is extra-curricular - Music theory-the ground rules for starting piano and eventually guitar; computer time; field trips and/or playdates.

More to come, stay tuned!!

MadCounty Mama