Menu Planning Monday-12/21/09

With Christmas being this week, meals are going to be light and easy to cook. I've still got a TON of Christmas baking to do (yay! More recipes to come!) and Christmas being on Friday (which means a big meal for us) I'm not looking forward to doing much else this week.

So...here we go...

Monday-

Cheeseburgers, mac and cheese, green beans

Tuesday-

bean soup, cornbread

Wednesday-

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn

Thursday-

BBQ Pork Ribs (w/homemade bbq sauce), not sure on sides yet..lol


Friday-

Christmas Dinner! We missed Thankgiving dinner so we're using it for Christmas!

Turkey
Bread Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole
Dinner Rolls (homemade)
Candied Yams
Mac and cheese (homemade)
Corn Pudding
Lemon Meringue Pie
Peanut Butter Meringue Pie
other goodies that Mom is baking...lol

Do you menu plan? Join us at Menu Planning Monday!

Sweetest Saturday-Peanut Butter Meringue Pie

Ah..desert. I love to bake so I thought that I would share my desert recipes with you each week. A new one every Saturday!

Peanut Butter Meringue Pie-

My aunt has been making this pie for as long as I can remember. It's so rich and soooooo good.

1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1 pie crust, frozen pet ritz deep dish, baked
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. milk, skim
3 large eggs, separate out yolks
2 Tbsp. margarine
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Combine powdered sugar and peanut butter; mix with a fork until mixture resembles coarse meal. Spread most of the mixture (3/4 of it) in the baked pastry shell; set remainder aside.

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in large saucepan then combine with cold milk and margarine.
Cook over medium heat until mixture is hot. Lightly beat egg yolks.
Mix some of the hot mixture in to the egg yolks to temper them, then add egg yolk mixture to mixture on the stove.
Continue to cook over medium heat until mixture thickens.
Remove from heat immediately.
Stir vanilla into hot mixture and pour pudding over peanut butter mixture in your baked pie crust.

Beat egg whites and cream of tarter with mixer until soft peaks form; sweeten with 1 teaspoon sugar and beat until stiff. Spread over filling. Sprinkle your reserved peanut butter mixture over meringue.

Bake at 325 F for 20 minutes.

Cool before serving. (Best if cooled at least 4 hours in fridge)

Makes 1 9-inch deep dish pie.

Yummy Carrot Cake

Dh's b-day is Sunday so I am making a carrot cake for him again this year. His fav...

Thought I would share my recipe here with you all.

1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla


Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar and oil.

With mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture.

Blend in vanilla, carrot and pecans.

Pour batter into a well greased 8 x 12 inch pan.

Bake in 325°F oven for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

When cake is cool, spread with cream cheese icing, below.

Note: Chopped peanuts or walnuts may be substituted for pecans.

This is such a yummy cake...

Here's the Cream Cheese frosting recipe I use with it.

• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons milk or cream, enough to aid in spreading consistency

Blend softened cheese and butter in mixer.Blend and whip in the sugar and vanilla. Beat in enough cream to arrive at the right spreading consistency.

So yummy....

Lemon Meringue Pie

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 dash salt
1 1/2 cups hot water
3 slightly beaten egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon, rind of
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 9 in.baked pastry shell
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon lemon juice
6 tablespoons sugar

Combine first 4 ingredients; Blend in water.

Bring to boiling over high heat;stirring constantly.

Reduce heat to medium;cook and stir 8 minutes more.

Remove from heat.

Stir small amount hot mixture into egg yolks;Return to hot mixture.

Bring to a boil over high heat,stirring constantly.

Reduce heat to low;cook and stir 4 minutes longer.

Remove from heat.

Add lemon peel and butter.

Stir in 1/3 cup lemon juice.

Cover entire surface with clear plastic wrap;cool 10 minutes.

Pour into cooled pastry.

COOL.

Beat egg whites with 1 teaspoon lemon juice till soft peaks form.

Gradually add 6 Tablespoons sugar,beating till stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved.

Spread over filling,sealing to edges of pastry.

Bake at 350 12 to 15 minutes.

Cool.