A Little Help

So...I kind of abandoned this challenge.  Sorry.  I think it is a great idea, but things came up and we got a little busy the past few weeks.  I've really enjoyed your ideas and am asking for a little help.

3 weeks ago we moved to Eastern Turkey.  We are pretty much adjusted and I am getting used to cooking here.  There are lots of good foods, but I am getting bored of the meals I know how to make and there are foods I don't know what to do with.  So I am looking for ideas for more meals.  Here are the foods that are readily available:

eggplant
green beans
potatoes
carrots
red/green peppers - my husband and I don't really care for them and our kids really dislike them, but we are working on changing that
squash - I have no idea what kind it is, but it's some sort of squash/zucchini that I could substitute for zucchini
pumpkin - it's not our traditional pumpkin - it's green on the outside, but looks like pumpkin on the inside
broccoli
cauliflower

chickpeas
bulgar - i have no idea what to do with this
other beans - mostly white, but i don't recognize them and cannot find any translation

chicken - our main staple
hamburger - i think I found ground beef, but it's like $12/lb, so I'm trying to use it minimally
lamb - we have eaten it and it's good, but I have no idea how to cook it

We don't have a microwave, but did buy a toaster oven that can bake things pretty well, just small scale. So....if you have any ideas/suggestions for what meals I can make....I would LOVE to hear your ideas!!

Thanks!!

Help!

I have a question. Not food related. Not menu related. 'I need advice from other wise mothers' related. The pre-story first:
Sweet baby Kate has always been swaddled when she sleeps but 9 times out of 10 she breaks her arms free. It wasn't a problem a few month ago but now that our house reaches arctic temperatures at night her little hands are freezing when she wakes up for a feeding. It may be wishful thinking but I'm hoping that maybe if the icicles attached to her wrists weren't so cold, maybe she'd sleep through the night (please, Kate, sleep through the night).
So, the question: how do you keep your babies warm at night? I've tried gloves, a little heater... nothing seems to work. 
Thanks in advance for your advice on this.

Love,
Shelly

P.S. Any other sleep-related tips are gladly welcomed. I had no idea getting a baby to sleep could be so challenging! Whenever we try to let her cry it out she reaches the point of hysterics and then it's guaranteed that everyone will be awake for at least two hours...

I'm Back!

So, I am sure that it might tell you what the past few weeks have been like for me if I say that this week (Christmas week) is my down week.  I am thrilled to be done and over with those weeks.  THRILLED!!! Anyhow, I think that it is safe to say that I failed the challenge. :(  But, I am here to give you this week's menu.  Honestly, I have to say that if I had planned out monthly like I normally do, I am sure that my last weeks would have gone by a little smoother.  And every little bit would have helped.  With Mike being gone 2 out the last 3 weeks, I was a single mother. And all I can say is any mother who does that full time or any extended period of time has my complete empathy; and vote for Mother of the Year!  WOW!!!

Monday: Chicken Pillows (Samantha's favorite dinner and choice for a birthday dinner)
Tuesday: Steak, Cheesy Potatoes, Salad, Shrimp Cocktail (A Christmas Eve tradition)
Wednesday: Christmas dinner with the Weston's (I am taking rolls)
Thursday: Pizza night
Friday: Popcorn shrimp, baked fries, beans
Saturday: Sausage Penne Casserole, Peas
Sunday:  Roast, Mashed potatoes, Gravy, Corn, rolls

Chicken Pillows:
Crescent rolls
Chicken chunks
Cream cheese
Ranch dressing powder
1 can of Cream of Chicken soup
Milk

I mix together a package of cream cheese, 1 large can of chicken chunks, drained, and 1 tablespoon of ranch powder.  Then I press out the rolls on the counter so that each triangle is flat. I evenly divide the mix onto each triangle before folding them.  Then I fold the triangle over the mix until it is completely covered and looks like a pillow. I spray a square baking pan with spray, place the pillows in the pan. I melt 1 tbs of butter and brush over top the pillows.  Then I sprinkle the pillows with bread crumbs (usually Italian or whatever I have). Bake them at 400 until the pillows are brown and look done. While the pillows are baking, I heat up a can of cream of chicken soup with some milk to make a gravy.  To serve, I cut the  pillows into squares for my kids as that helps it to cool down much quicker and then drizzle gravy over top.  They eat two of these now, each. They love them!

Cassie's Menu Week 6

I can't believe it's already week 6! Where did the time go?! I really have enjoyed this blog and am excited to keep it going with the favorite recipes or the menu's that might keep coming. Thanks for all the encouragment along the way and for all the great new recipes for me to try! This week I believe will be really low key with the holidays! I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!!

Week 6

Monday- Winger's Sticky Fingers/Potatoes (carried over from last week) 
Tuesday- Christmas Eve (my contribution will be twice baked potatoes)
Wednesday- Christmas (We'll be at my inlaws all day and they are having french dip and BBQ Chicken, I think it's a traditon) 

Thursday- Date Night ??

Friday- Cafe Rio salad/burritos (Family is in town)

Saturday- Left Overs (family in town??) 

Sunday- Swiss Chicken and Rice (carried over from last week) 

Week 6 Question

Favorite holiday must-have recipes...

Shelly's Week 6 Menu

Wow, the last week of our six week challenge. Can you believe it? Thanks for joining in on this meal-planning adventure! My hopes for this blog after this week is for it to turn into a place to post favorite recipes you discover or long-loved recipes from your collection as well as a place to post food related questions you may have. If you want to continue to post your menu, go for it! But I hope, regardless, that you'll come back to post and look often.

I stuck to my menu pretty well last week (meaning I didn't stray from the recipes I had planned) but I did end up skipping out on a few of them when I got snowed in at my parents house. Yea for getting to see some of you: nay for Jens not being with us. I did learn that I LOVE this recipe that Cassie posted for Crockpot Swiss Chicken. It really is worth a try. In fact, I made it for my little family on Monday and then again in Cache Valley for my big family on Thursday.

Here's the plan for this week.

Monday: Christmas Adam (Get it? Before Eve came Adam...): A friend in Seattle celebrates Christmas Adam by eating ribs. I kinda love that tradition but if we don't have ribs in the freezer then I'll probably cop out and have Spaghetti

Tuesday: Christmas Eve: Pho (our traditional Christmas Eve soup)

CHRISTMAS!!!: Ham (Jens won a gift card to Honey-Baked Ham at a work thing and we used the entire thing on one ham!!! I'm having a hard time believing that a ham can be $50 good but we'll see...)

Thursday: White Chicken Chili

Friday: Ham Fried Rice

Saturday: I'm hoping for a date afternoon/night with the hubby...

Sunday: Shepherd's Pie

Love you guys and hope that you'll all have a very merry Christmas!

Sarah's week 5

Okay, I have thought about what I was going to cook for dinner this week and I have decided that I am going on a dinner strike.  My husband is going to be gone every night this week but Tuesday and I am going to be super busy finishing Christmas presents, wrapping and all that goes with Christmas.  So my menu is this
Monday  Wing it
Tuesday teriyaki chicken
Wednesday  Wing it
Thursday Wing it
Friday Wing it
Saturday  probably out of town 
Sunday  Family Christmas party. 
As you can see dinner is not going to be high on my list this week.  We will probably have spaghetti, pizza, leftovers,  whatever I can find in the freezer.  I hope to be on track next week

Shelly's Week 5 Menu

We survived our clean-out-the-freezer week (even our 4-month-in-a-non-freezer-bag-in-the-freezer meat) and I've become a convert to freezer meals. There's something magical about having a warm tasty dinner with minimal dishes. What are the favorite freezer meals around your house?

Here's the plan for this week:
Monday: Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Tuesday: Chili Verde

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Swiss Chicken Recipe (Did you end up making this, Cassie? Did you like it?)

Thursday: Korean Beef

Friday: White Chicken Chili (I'm trying it with freezer turkey...)

Saturday: Crockpot Cheese Tortellini

Sunday: Braided Spaghetti Bread

I read about this soup on a blog and knew I had to give it a try. It was... delish! I present you with...

Crockpot Cheese Tortellini
from this website

1 bag of frozen cheese tortellini (the noodles got a little soggy so this time I'm going to try dry tortellini from WinCo.)
1 small bag of fresh spinach
2 (14.5 oz) cans of Italian style diced tomatoes
8 oz. of cream cheese or Neufchâtel
1 lb. of ground sausage or chicken/turkey sausage
4 cups of chicken broth

Brown the sausage and put all ingredients in crockpot,
chunking up the cream cheese. Cook on low for 4-6 hrs.

*Keep an eye on your tortellini, it may be done sooner.

*If still soupy, leave lid off for the last half hour or so of cooking.

*For a vegetarian version, omit sausage and use vegetable broth instead. 

As you can see, you've had a huge influence on my menu this week. It's exactly what I was hoping would happen with the creation of this blog. Thanks for sharing your ideas!

Cassie's Menu Week 5

Last week was a complete fail! Noah ended up being gone three nights, Kyle was sick one night plus a family birthday party/dinner another night. So needless to say we are carrying over A LOT from last week to this week's menu. I'm excited to get back on track this week and start some home cookin again! :)

Week 5

Monday- Shepherd’s Pie (carried over from last week)

Tuesday- Crockpot Cheese Tortellini (Thanks Shelly)

Wednesday- Chicken chipotle tacos or salad (freezer, carried over from last week) 

Thursday- Thai Lettuce Wraps 

Friday- Wingers Sticky fingers/twice baked potatoes (carried over from last week)

Saturday- Christmas Party and lights at temple square

Sunday- Swiss Chicken and Rice (carried over from last week) 

Week 5: Angela

Starting out with a question: What do you do when you're sick (flu and food sounds awful)? Leave kids to fend for themselves? Cook anyway? Invite everyone to have sprite and crackers too?

Managed to throw together a half-meal-plan tonight, but only because we have to go grocery shopping tomorrow.

Sunday: A fancy meal of taters and steamed carrots because my husband and I were too sick to make anything else. Wally (my 4 yr old) thought we were at a restaurant. This is why I wonder why I cook real meals on other days. Moving on...

Monday: Pizza
Tuesday: Grown-up tuna salad
Wednesday: Stuffed mexican sweet potatoes
Thursday: Work-party (taking a fruit side, suggestions???)
Friday: Spaghetti
Saturday: Baked potato soup
Sunday: A bunch of Christmas treats (and stuffed bell peppers)

Have a great week all!

Week 5 Question

Two favorite soup recipes. Ready? Go!

Weeks 2, 3,4
Ok, I am a little behind. I think week two was Thanksgiving, week three I made and dipped chocolates with my sisters so that was my main diet and here we are to week four.
I think that one of the weeks I was suppose to tell a little about me. I am lucky enough to be Shelly's mom. I love to cook and bake even if the last few weeks have been a little lean around here as far as meals. I think this blog is a great idea and even though I have not been a giver I have enjoyed taking from all of you.
I have six children, five boys and Shelly and they have produced the most beautiful and amazing grandchildren on the face of the earth. I may be a little bias but I do speak the truth.
We just got back from serving an 18 month mission in Hungary. It was fun to learn to cook there with what they had like a two feet by one foot oven. We enjoyed cooking for the Elders that we served with.
I love to fix all the Christmas traditional foods and I really love to eat them. I promise that I will do better in the future.
Here is my menu for Week Four
Monday - tacos ( furnished by the daughters-in- law)
Tuesday ? (we will be in Hagerman, Idaho celebrating our oldest grandson's b-day) I am guessing cake will be part of the menu.
Wednesday- graham cracker pork chops and garlic yams
Thurday - soup at Shelly's
Friday - ward party where we are having french dipped sandwiches with a 1/4 pound on beef on each bun. ( I am in charge of putting on the meat and the RS president asked if she needed to bring her scale, I told her I could eyeball it.)
Saturday - we are eating at a fast food joint on our way to the Utah State/UVU basketball game
Sunday - ham and funeral potatoes, tossed salad and rolls

My mother used to smash the porkchops into graham cracker crumbs that were finely crushed and bake them. I  love them with garlic yams or banana squash. For the yams I just cut them in fairly large pieces and then boil them in water until they are almost tender. Cool and peel and cute in one to two inch chucks. put in greased baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and minced garlic. My mouth is watering as I type.

Now you can see why I haven't posted as I would need to do a menu to post a menu.

sarah's week 4

It may be a day late and take me all day to post my menu but here it finally is.

Monday- Chicken and bacon rolls
Tuesday- pulled pork  (leftovers from freezer)
Wednesday- baked chicken thighs with mac and cheese
Thursday- Cheeseburger rolls and salad
Friday- Chicken noodle soup
Saturday  Christmas party.  I am not cooking
Sunday- Ham with some kind of potatoes

Week 4: Angela

The benefit of posting late is that you can steal other's ideas. So here we go:

Monday: White chili and salad
Tuesday: Pizza Puffs (from freezer) and Topical Smoothie
Wednesday: Mac'n'Tomato and broccoli
Thursday: Black bean and pumpkin chili
Friday: Thai Wraps (thanks Shelly!)
Saturday: Homemade tomato soup (from Freezer) and crusty bread


Good luck to us all!

Shelly's Week 4 Menu

** For those of you that have missed a week or two (or more!) of posting recipes and answering questions, please feel free to jump back in. I LOVE hearing from all of you. Just ask Jens- he keeps commenting about how happy this blog makes me. He's right. Anyway...
 
I actually followed my menu almost exactly last week: a Christmas miracle :)! Here's the plan for this week- I should title it 'Clean Out The Freezer Week':

Monday: Green Curry and Egg Rolls (both in the freezer)

Tuesday: Manicotti (freezer)

Wednesday: Stir Fry with BBQ Rib meat (you guessed it. Freezer)

Thursday: Tuscan Soup with crusty bread

Friday: Homemade Mac and Cheese- Anyone have a favorite recipe for this???

Saturday: BBQ Beef Sandwhiches (left over from Kate's Blessing and my parent's Homecomeing. I'm a little skeptical of what 4 months in the freezer has done to the meat...)

Sunday: Thai Lettuce Wraps- Kyle (my brother/Cassie's husband) made this for me back in his single days and it's been a delicious staple on our menu ever since.

Thai Lettuce Wraps 

(I even had to get up off the couch and go in our 'cold room' as we refer to it around here to get this recipe to type up. That should tell you something about how much I love you guys. And this recipe.)

2 Large chicken breasts (cut into chunks)
1/2 tsp. garlic salt (I always just use about one teaspoon of fresh garlic)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
1/2 red onion, sliced (I sometimes use yellow onion if I don't have red)
2 cups chopped veggies (any combination you want of broccoli, carrots, peppers)
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 tsp. fish sauce (I know this is a weird ingredient but I also use it for Pad Thai so it's worth having around)
4 tsp. sugar

PEANUT SAUCE
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. oil
1 tsp. minced garlic

*You'll also need 1 head of lettuce and you'll need to cook up a little white rice

1. Stir soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar until dissolved in a small saucepan. Set aside.
2. Heat frying pan and coat with oil. Add onions and garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Add sauce (from step one) and pepper and cook for 2 more minutes. Add chopped veggies and continue to cook until they are tender.
3. Mix peanut sauce ingredients separately (I just make in the now empty pan that I made the first sauce in). Heat until sugar dissolves.

Serve by placing some rice, chicken/veggie mixture and then a little peanut sauce on one or two pieces of lettuce. Wrap it up (basically just pick up the sides of the lettuce) and enjoy!

Cassie's Menu Week 4

Last week we ended up not going out of town due to the weather but somewhat stuck to our menu thanks to Sunday family dinner and a going away party. 

Week 3

Monday- Easy White Chicken Chili (not the recipe I posted, I ended up using one from Our Best Bites) 

Tuesday- Roast, mashed potatoes, rolls 

Wednesday- Going away party (Pizza, thanks Mom and Dad Flammer!) 

Thursday- Chile Colorado Burritos  (using the beef leftover from Tuesday)  

Friday- Took Kyle dinner to work (Ended up eating out) 

Saturday- Taco Soup 

Sunday- Flammer Family Dinner (Yummy Koren Beef Thanks Lauretta!)

Week 4

Monday- Tacos

Tuesday- Kings Hawaiian Baked Ham and Swiss Sandwiches (This will be a first, thanks to Pinterest)

Wednesday- Wingers Sitcky Fingers/Twice baked potatoes 

Thursday- Shepherds Pie

Friday- Ward Party (I'm taking brownies) 

Saturday- Chicken Club Quesadillas (This will be a first www.sixsistersstuff.com) 

Sunday- Swiss Chicken and rice 

Slow Cooker Swiss Chicken Recipe:

(Serves 6)

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 slices Swiss cheese

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1/4 cup milk

1 package herb stuffing mix

1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.  Place chicken breasts on the bottom of the slow cooker.  Cover chicken with slices of Swiss cheese.  In a small bowl, combine cream of chicken soup and milk and pour over chicken and cheese.  Sprinkle stuffing mix on top and drizzle butter over the top.  Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours.

Week 4 Question

I really loved reading the comments on last weeks question. I've already tried one of the recipes (and loved it!) and can't wait to try the others. For this week's question I'm going to turn it over to you guys! Is there a question you'd like to get some input on? If someone has a good lasagna recipe? What's your cheapest meal? What do you make when you're having company over?... Feel free to post your own if you have one and if not feel free to just answer this one. (As I was typing those sample questions I noticed that I really do need advice on one of them)

What do you like to make when you have company over? We're feeding my parents and in-laws this week and I'm trying to figure out what to make...

You guys are the best! I hope you have a great week!

Love,
Shelly

Week 3: Angela

Last night's dinner was so bad I didn't have the heart to post. Tried a new recipe and YUCK. We ate enough to break our fast and dumped the rest. So anyway...

Sunday: YUCK
Monday: Healthy Mexican Sweet Potatoes (so yummy, and gluten-free if you need a good meal for celiac friends/family)
Tuesday: Turkey Pot Pie
Wednesday: Spaghetti
Thursday: Pizza Puffs
Friday: Church party (making 100 baked potatoes :))
Saturday: Vegetarian Chili

Shelly's Week 3 Menu

Thanks for joining us again. I got to see a few of you this weekend and it was wonderful. It reminded me how grateful I am to have each of you (not just the ones I saw) as a positive influence in my life.

Last Weeks Actual
Monday: Mushroom Crepe Melt Thingy from Family Fun

Tuesday: ???

Wednesday: Turkey Noodle Soup

Thursday: I actually really did eat what was on the menu this day! I was reminded how much I love my mom's homemade rolls. With turkey. And mashed potatoes. And gravy. Mmmmmm.

Friday: Pizza with the fam. Yum!

Saturday: Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

Sunday: Ribs with baked sweet potato

So, maybe you've noticed that my planned menu rarely matched my actual menu. Sometimes I wonder waht the point of having a menu is if I rarely follow it. I've concluded a few things. Just having something written down and having my fridge stocked with everything I need for a weeks worth of dinners really does make my week go more smoothly. If I decide to cook Thursday's meal on Monday, who cares? I like to have a little wiggle room. The other thing that really helps me is to think about it in the morning before I get too caught up in the day. If I think to pull the meat out of the freezer in the morning so it can be defrosting, it makes dinner time run more smoothly. So, here's to another week of hardly followed yet very helpful dinner plans.

Monday: Stuffed French Bread

Tuesday: Oriental Salad (You know, the one with cabbage, toasted ramen noodles and sesame seeds, chicken (or in our case, turkey) and mandarin oranges)

Wednesday: Baked Potato Soup (this is my go-to soup. Cheap. Easy. Yummy.)

Thursday: Lasagna

Friday: Turkey Pot Pie

Saturday: Sweet Potato Bisque with grilled cheese (this is new territory for us. The bisque- not the grilled cheese :) )

Sunday: Meaty Nachos.

Cassie's Menu Week 3

Week 3

Monday- Easy White Chicken Chili (carried over from last week) 

Tuesday- Roast, mashed potatoes, rolls 

Wednesday- Chile Colorado Burritos  (using the beef leftover from Tuesday) 

Thursday-  Taco Soup

Friday- Out of town

Saturday- Out of town

Sunday- Out of town

Chile Colorado Burritos

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds stew meat or other beef cubed (top sirloin is great)
• 1 large can mild (red) enchilada sauce* (at least 19 oz.)
• 2 beef bouillon cubes (or just one--or none--if you want it less salty AND you do NOT add water, just the bouillon)
• 1/2 can refried beans (optional)
• 5-7 burrito size flour tortillas
• 1 cup or so of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Put beef, whole bouillon cubes (do NOT add water), and enchilada sauce*** into a crock pot and cook on low for 7-8 hours**, or until meat is very tender. (Can also cook on high for maybe 3-4 hours.)  I've also cooked it in a dutch oven for about 4 hours at 325 degrees.  More meat, more time.  A third option is to cook it in a large heavy saucepan--bring it to a boil on high heat, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is tender.  If you go with a method other than the crock pot, make sure the pot is covered and pretty well sealed to minimize evaporation of the liquid.

When beef is done (very tender and flakes off when stirred), taste and add more salt, if desired. Heat up refried beans in the microwave (covered and in a microwave-proof dish, of course)and put your oven on broil. On an oven-proof plate, or cookie sheet even, lay out a tortilla.  Place on tortilla about 1/2 cup of the meat, drained by using a slotted spoon, and a spoonful or two of beans. Roll into a burrito (hopefully you know how to roll these). Pour some of the remaining enchilada sauce from the crock pot over the burrito to cover it. Sprinkle with some cheddar cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly, about 2-4 minutes.


Serve.
Makes 5-7 burritos, depending on how full you make them.

Sarah's week 3 menu

Last week went pretty good.  I stuck to my menu every night but one.  Life happens and we were not able to eat rice crispie chicken.  We are going to try it again this week.

Monday  Enchiladas from the freezer
Tuesday  Rice crispie chicken with coleslaw and baked beans
Wednesday  Sweet and sour meatballs with rice
Thursday  Chicken wraps
Friday  Spaghetti with breadsticks
Saturday  grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup
Sunday  Potato soup

Week 3 Question

What are two of your most used recipes that you feel like sharing with the world (or at least the 6 people that read this blog :) )?

This week's "MENU"

Sunday: Flammer's (Yummy Britt!)
Monday: Ham/Potato Casserole, Beans, Rolls
Tuesday: Salmon, Fried Rice, Carrots
Wednesday: Crock pot Lasagna, Salad, Garlic Bread
Thursday: Thanksgiving
Friday: Cream cheese Chicken, rice pilaf, peas
Saturday: Sloppy Joes, baked beans, corn, chips

PS. How in the world do I add a recipe from yumprint again?

How was your week? HMMM!
I have to chuckle (since Sister Hinkley said its better to laugh than to cry as crying gives her a headache and I agree) at the way this last week turned out.  Life happened! Three sick kids with three different sicknesses and a rs dinner show switched up the plan a bit.  So, the main change I HAVE to tell you about is the Saturday night switch.  I didn't get food in the crock pot soon enough so I decided on breakfast for dinner.  My breakfast board had lots of good options but I settled on this recipe.  It was so dang yummy.  And easy! My kids ate them right up and you can freeze them for a quick breakfast reheat in the microwave. :-)
They are called Delicious Omelet and Potato Breakfast Bites. LOL! But so good!
Delicious Omelet and potato bites

Lauretta's Intro:
1. I hate the winter! If it's winter, my kids are sick. I hate sick kids! Therefore I hate winter.  Not to mention I don't like to be cold, I don't like to drive in the snow and I hate that my kids can't get outside and use up their over abundance of energy. If it weren't for family, I'm pretty sure I would live somewhere much warmer.
2. I'm a control freak.  I didn't know this about myself until my mission where I had to learn that there are just some things you can't control. It's a daily battle as we all know how completely predictable being a mother is (snarkasm).
3. I love, LOVE a clean house. But alas, the saying is true,  "Cleaning a house while children are growing is like shoveling the walk while it's still snowing". Some days it just makes no sense.
4. I was the third child of nine and loved being with my family and having so many siblings. To this day we are all great friends and never fight. I always thought I would have a large family, but feel so very lucky and blessed to have the kids I have.  7 years of infertility, followed by 7 years of child bearing have us our 4 beautiful children. They each really are a miracle.
5. Speaking of infertility, during those years (the hardest years of my life as of date), I was medically induced into menopause, had 2 surgeries, was on hormone replacement therapy,and fertility drugs.  So, I tend to give myself a break when my brain doesn't function because my body has been through the ringer. Especially considering that following all of that, I was pregnant 4 times in 3 1/2 years with one of those a miscarriage.  So, I'm a mess.
6. I'm rambling because my 18 month old has ran a high fever all day, sleeping through it, and it finally broke now at 10:30 pm and he is ready to play. Feeling tired but so grateful for a smiling baby after a long scary day.
7. I'm such a small town girl. I lived on a ranch 7 miles from town which populated 650 people.  I graduated with 36 in my class and my whole high school grades 9-12 had 190 students.  Having said that, I really never thought I would travel like I have.  I've been to DC, California, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Vegas, Oregon, Yellowstone, Carribean, Mexico (4 cruises), and Arizona. The majority of those have been with Mike, and I hope for many more.  K. Ramble over!

Sarah's menu recap and new menu

I try to make a menu every week and stick to it pretty closely.  This last week was the exception to that.  Between the whole family being sick on different days, a change to my husbands work schedule and unexpected extra kids I am glad we even ate something.  Most nights it was fend for yourself.  I hope to do better this week. 

Monday  Chicken salad
Tuesday  Slow cooker beef and potatoes  (from last week)
Wednesday  Chili from the freezer
Thursday  I am making mint chocolate cookies and butterscotch oatmeal cookies for Thanksgiving
Friday  Rice crispy chicken with coleslaw and baked beans
Saturday  beef stroganoff
Sunday  Roast with carrots and potatoes  (from last week)

Rice Crispy Chicken

Fill a gallon Ziploc bag about 1/2 full with rice crispies  Smash until they are coarse crumbs.  Add season salt (or what ever seasonings you like)  I put about 2 tsp. of salt in.  Cut boneless skinless chicken breasts into strips.  Roll the chicken in melted butter then the rice crispies.  place in a greased pan and cook until done.  I cook mine at about 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. 

Angela Intro and Answer to Questions 1 & 2

I really just need to say "ditto" to Brittany's post below. But here are a few things:

-- My inner temper scares me but can be quickly calmed by alone time. It's just hard to come by in a house of three littles.
-- I know Shelly from Seattle and cried when she moved. Then we moved to Utah too so it's all ok now.
-- I'm rediscovering how much I love to read (Try the Happiness Project, it makes me smile)
-- I'm a horrid planner and keeping track of life in general (so thanks Shelly for this challenge)
-- I have beautiful children whose good looks make things easier when they don't sleep.
-- I love baking, chocolate, reading, running (because that equals alone time), singing, and mountains

Answer to Question 1: YUMPRINT
Answer to Question 2: Spaghetti with Crushed Tomato Sauce

Recipe:

1 large can crush tomatoes
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic
2 Tble lemon juice
Salt (usually 1.5 tsp) and Pepper to taste

We love it and will never by a jar of sauce again. I'm excited to try it on this spaghetti bread y'all posted and are putting on your menus.

ps. How does everyone here know Shelly? And this has nothing to do with food, but it was about a year ago this week that Shelly and I were in our friend's garage who hosted crossfit workouts and I watched in awe as Shelly cranked out beautiful, perfect pull-ups. Was it 15 of them non-stop? Regardless, she came off the bar with bloody hands :)

Britt's Week 2

I'm with Cassie...I'm leaving off salads, fruit, etc...unless it's noteworthy. 

Monday:  Easy peasy crock pot chili + cornbread

Tuesday:  Green chicken enchiladas (awesome twist on enchiladas)

Wednesday: Veggie lasagna

Thursday:  turkey!!

Friday: Creamed peas and potatoes

Saturday:  Leftover lasagna + breadsticks

Sunday:  Flammer family dinner

I haven't had a chance to look at the yummily website yet, so I'm just adding my recipe right here:

Easy Crock pot Chili

1 lb hamburger, thawed (I never use that much, maybe 1/3 or 1/2 lb)

1 can kidney beans

1 can tomato sauce (whatever size I have, usually small)

1 can peeled, diced tomatoes

1 can corn

1 can chili beans

1 can green chilies

taco seasoning (1-2 T)

Toss everything into the crock pot and mix it in.  Cook on low 6-8 hours.  My crockpot cooks fast, so it only takes 3-4 hours, but it's so easy.  

Sarah's intro

'

So just a little bit about me. 

• I have four crazy wild fun kids that keep me extra busy.  I spend all my time taking care of my kids and attempting to keep my house semi clean.
•  When I am not taking care of kids I love making quilt tops for other people. I use to make them all the time and keep them but you can only have so many quilts.  I have ran out of time to make many more.  When I get a chance to make one I end up giving it away. 
• I love cooking and spending time in the kitchen.  I grew up learning to cook by my mom's side.  She taught me to enjoy cooking.  James laughs at me on a daily basis because I hate measuring anything I cook  I just put stuff in until it looks good.  So if I put a recipe on here it may not have measurements on it. 
• I love to travel.  I dream of some day to continue to travel around the world.  I have been to almost as many countries out side of the United States as I have States.
• I do not enjoy putting clean dishes away.  I cannot wait until my kids are old enough to put them away for me. 
• I hate talking or writing about myself.  I am a pretty quite person and prefer to listen rather than speak.   

Brittany Week 1: Planned vs ( Actual)

As usual, things didn't go according to plan.  I generally use the meals I plan, but inevitably they get switched around and simplified.  Here's what I planned vs what we actually ate.

Monday: Zucchini Corn Chowder (Zucchini Corn Chowder)
Tuesday:  Hamburger Gravy (chicken noodles soup with grandparents)
Wednesday: Crock pot Italian Chicken + broccoli bake (hamburger gravy)
Thursday: roast, potatoes, and carrots in crock pot (roast, potatoes, and carrots) - the roast was from the freezer and had been marked Febrary, so I figured it would still be okay....but I'm pretty sure it was from February of a different year, because it was NASTY!!!!!!! - we didn't eat it).  Note to self...put the years on the freezer bags.
Friday: Brinner (Italian chicken + broccoli bake)
Saturday: Leftovers (brinner)

Angela's recap and Week 2

Typing "haha" just doesn't quite cut it for how this week went. Oh man, oh man, it was a doozy. After 3-4 weeks of various sickness, baby Isaac (8 days older than Shelly's Kate) became the worst sleeper ever. Up every 45 min or so. So we had to re-sleep train and it was so rough. (We're down to one waking a night though.) Add to that my husband's super busy work schedule and family in town and this is what happened...

Sun: Curry
Mon: BBQ Baked Beans
Tues: .... I can't even remember right now.
Wed: Sweet potato pancakes (forgot to add the sugar, yuck!)
Thurs: Cereal. (**I heard tell of those who did this and always shook my head. Now I'm one of those people too.)
Fri: Baked Potato Soup (mmm!)
Sat: Tomato Soup

SO, let's try again:

Sunday: Spaghetti
Monday: Tuna Salad Sandwiches (thank you Shelly!)
Tuesday: Curry
Wednesday: Pizza and broccoli slaw salad (Again, thanks Shelly for the salad idea)
Thursday: THIS PIE (w/ graham cracker crust. Always.)... and Thanksgiving dinner
Friday: Sweet Turkey Chili
Saturday: Spaghetti/left-overs

The turkey chili is suuuuper yummy and my husband says it tastes like those sweet chili dorritos.

Brittany's Intro

Sadly introducing myself seems hard.  I have 3 kiddos and I kinda feel like I lost my identity when they came along.  So, this is taking major thought:

* I love my hubby and kids, but they are also the ones that can drive me crazy the fastest.  Funny how that works!
* I hate to clean, but it drives me crazy when things are left out, disorganized, or dirty...therefore I feel like I'm constantly cleaning.
* I have a temper.  I didn't realize this until I was married.  It was a hard realization, but I definitely have one.  I get angry/irritated and loose my cool (over dumb things), but then I get over it pretty quickly and it's like nothing ever happened.  I like to throw things, but when my oldest daughter started mimicking that, I weaned myself of that!
* Although I do have a temper, most people wouldn't know it because I also hate confrontation...and avoid it!
* I love to travel.  We haven't done much since having kids, but hope we'll be able to give our kids that experience as well.
* I love people watching.
* I love dealing with finances.  I enjoy listening to Dave Ramsey and absolutely love thinking/talking about budgets, savings plans, etc....

Cassie’s Week 1 Recap and Menu Week 2

We also had a couple of menu changes from last week. Below is what I cooked instead. I also decided that I won’t post the side dishes because most of mine changed depending on if we had leftover salad, fruit needing to be used, Noah wanting a different veggie etc.

Monday- Chicken French Bread Bake

Tuesday- Sweet and Sour meatballs over rice

Wednesday- Taco chicken bowls

Thursday- Leftovers

Friday- French Dip (Flammer family party)

Saturday Ziti Casserole

Week 2

Monday- Chicken Cordon Bleu, garlic toast, baked potatoes (carried over from last week) 

Tuesday- Chili over Cornbread waffles (Thanks Shelly) 

Wednesday- Braided Spaghetti Bread (Excited to try this)

Thursday- Thanksgiving (I can taste the turkey now) 

Friday- Leftovers

Saturday- Easy White Chicken Chili (This will be a first thanks to Pinterest) 

Sunday- Roast, mashed potatoes, rolls 

5-Ingredient Easy White Chicken Chili

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2-4 Servings

Ingredients

o    6 cups chicken broth

o    4 cups cooked shredded chicken

o    2 (15-oz) cans Great Northern beans, drained

o    2 cups salsa verde (storebought or homemade)

o    2 tsp. ground cumin

o    optional toppings: diced avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, sour cream, crumbled tortilla chips

Method

Add chicken broth, shredded chicken, beans, salsa and cumin to a medium saucepan, and stir to combine. Heat over medium-high heat until boiling, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for at least 5 minutes. Serve warm with desired toppings.

Cassie's Intro

I love this idea to get to know everyone on here. Thanks Shelly! Hopefully you guys will learn something new about me. 

• I love being a wife and a mother. Kyle, Noah and Brooklyn are my everything. I love to spend every moment I can with them.
• From the above it’s probably a given but I LOVE family! I love to do anything and everything with family and I’ll go to any length to make sure I’m there to support anything we are invited to. I kind of wish at one point we’ll move away so we can experience and rely more on ward members and friends rather than family. I’ve also heard you grow more as a couple and family because that’s all you have. (No plans yet but we’ll see what the future brings.)
• I would rather bake than cook. I don’t mind cooking but baking is my favorite. I think our neighbors are slowly figuring that out because I usually bake and send it out to them so we don’t have it here for me to eat. J
• I also love most anything that is sweet except for chocolate but since having Brooklyn I am slowly becoming a chocolate fan. Hopefully it goes away soon!
• I have worked at the same company for almost 10 years. I am now working from home which allows me to be with the kids but also is a challenge to juggle it all. On that note I really don’t love talking on the phone, I would rather be face to face which is ironic because that’s all I do is talk on conference calls all day. (maybe that’s what did it to me)
• I am never satisfied with my hair. If it’s short I want it long, if it’s blonde I want it brown, if it’s up I want it down. Maybe I should just shave it and get a wig?!
• I hate confrontation and will avoid it at all costs except lie. So if it comes down to that I get to step up to the plate and pray no one gets offended.
• I love pictures (Not necessarily to be in them but to take them and see the story they tell later on). I could spend hours on blogs, IG, FB and just going back through old pictures and remembering the memories. 

Week 2 Question

What are your favorite last minute recipes?

Shelly's Menu Week 2 and Recap from Week 1

So, here's what really happened for dinner around our house last week:

Monday: Manicotti. It was Jens' first day at his new job so I wanted to make his favorite.
Tuesday: Tater Tot Casserole. Carrie's recipe inspired to me make this old favorite. It also helped because I was trying to clean out our freezer to have room for leftover turkey from Sunday. This happens to be another of Jens' favorites.
Wednesday: Tostadas
Thursday: Korean Beef (bless you Lauretta for introducing me to this recipe. YUM!) It's on my yumprint if you want the recipe.
Friday: Tortellini with zucchini and carrots (I have Angela to thank for this recipe. She made it for us during our Seattle days and I can't count the number of times I've made it since.)
Saturday: Grown-Up Tuna Salad Sandwiches. This is basically the recipe we use every time we need a picnic food. Even if you don't like tuna I think you'll still love this. I get asked for this recipe more than any other recipe I make.
Sunday: Thanksgiving Trial Run. We're doing our own mini dinner so we can enjoy the leftovers.

As you can see, looking at your ideas really influenced what we ate this week. I found myself thinking about you guys as I was preparing meals and it made it brought a smile to my face to think that I wasn't the only one going through meal prep at the time. Thank you!

Here's the plan for this week:

Monday: Sweet Potato Burritos (another recipe from Angela)
Tuesday: Stuffed Spaghetti Bread
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: THANKSGIVING!!! WAHOO!
Friday: Cowboy Quesadillas (this is a favorite for a quick, tasty meal)
Saturday: Ribs in the crockpot and baked potatoes
Sunday: Turkey Noodle Soup


I'm having a rough time with the formatting but click here for the recipe for Stuffed Spaghetti Bread (isn't it pretty?!)

Shelly's Intro

Maybe I don't need to do this, since you all know more about me already than is probably necessary or needful but since I asked you to do it, I'll do it too. I'll try to share some things you may not know about me (which is a little tricky considering my mom will read this...)

- I love to try new foods- thanks to my husband. I used to order the same thing every time I'd go out to eat or I'd make the same things over and over (which wasn't too hard considering I knew how to make roughly 3 things before I got married) but now I like to branch out a little. Unless I'm at Costa Vida: Nothing's getting in the way of me and my Sweet Pork Salad.

- My favorite color is pink. Ok. Pretty sure everyone knows that one.

- I'm a huge fan of the game/app '7 Little Words'

- Sweeping the floor is my least favorite household chore and therefore gets neglected quite regularly. There's usually no question about where the 2 year old in the family sits. Pretend not to notice next time you're over, ok?

- I used to be terrified of calling strangers on the phone (dentists, doctors, insurance poeple...) but I'm getting much braver since I don't really have a choice in the matter.

- I have a huge need for validation which was a little rough for me once I stopped being able to get it from teaching. My two year old and newborn aren't much for thanking me for how clean the floor is (on the rare occasion that it is).

- I LOVE reading comments on my blog and sometimes consider removing everyone from the reader list who doesn't leave a comment every once in a while. It's not a thought I'm proud of but sometimes it crosses my mind anyway.

- I have a pretty awesome embarrasing story about Wheelchair Hill. Ask me to tell you about it sometime.

Well, there you go. A little more about me. I'm excited to learn more about you guys too although you're welcome to stick to the well-known facts about yourself if you'd like, since most people on this blog won't even know those. Hope to hear from you soon.

Well, as you can see it isn't Sunday anymore so I will just tell you that yesterday menu was delicious, poppy seed chicken and a chicken and bacon salad that I hope Britt will post next week even if they don't have it on their menu. I finally figured this thing out with a second invite (thanks Shelly) and here is the rest of the week menu for our house. Steve will be so excited to think that we will have a real meal every night. I used to do a monthly menu and just write it on the top of each day on the calendar. I always used the Sunday meat in one or two other dishes throughout the month.
Monday
Baked porkchops dipped in egg and graham cracker crumbs
Banana Squash
Tosssed Salad
Green Beans

Tuesday
Potato Soup
Toast

Wednesday
Veri Veri Teriyaki Chicken over rice
Tossed Salad

Thursday
Bacon and Tomato Sandwiches

Friday
left overs

Saturday
Three Bean Crock Pot Chili This is a first, it is from the WW handout this week

1 large onion
1 medium clove garlic, minced
30 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
30 oz canned pinto beans, rinsed and drained
30 oz canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
30 oz canned diced tomatoes with chilies
15 oz caned tomato sauce
1 1/4 oz chili seasoning mix
14 oz frozen corn
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice, or to taste

1/2 cup fresh minced cilantro

Combine onion, garlic, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasoning mix in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for 2 to 3 hours (or low heat for 4 to 6 hours). Add frozen corn during last hour of cooking. Stir in lime juice and cilantro just before serving. Yields about 1 1/3 cups per serving.

Serves 10.
6 points per serving.

Joslin Meal Plan

Hi Everyone,
I am excited to try y'all's dinner ideas! I am getting a lot of my ideas from Pinterest lately because we're pretty tired of having the same things. Here goes:

Monday: Potato and Spinach Soup
Tuesday: Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps
Wednesday: Cowboy Casserole
Thursday: Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas
Friday: Mexican Pizza
Saturday: Bacon Cheddar Potato Soup
Sunday: yummy Chicken Dinner

Cowboy Casserole (I haven't tried this yet, but it sounds good and easy.)

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 bag tater tots
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Sauté onions til done. Add garlic. Then add meat, brown and set aside. In a bowl combine sour cream, cream of mushroom soup, and milk. Wisk until blended. In a large bowl mix meat, soup mixture, corn and 1 cup cheddar cheese. Grease a 9x13 pan and layer tater tots on bottom. Spread mixture over then do another layer of tater tots. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Cassie's Meal Plan- Week 1

I'm so SO excited to start this because I am usually very last second (whatever I can throw together) or crockpot dinner girl so this will force me to plan ahead and not make the same things over and over again!! :)
I also love all the ideas you guys are sharing! I especially love the monthly menu idea and I love what Lauretta said about each day a different meat group. Just typing this week's menu I realized we are doing a lot with Chicken! OOPS! Next week I'll plan better and try and do different meats!

Monday- Chicken French Bread Bake, cottage cheese, chips
Tuesday- Poppyseed Chicken over rice, green salad, parmesan rolls
Wednesday- Taco Chicken Bowls(everything goes in crockpot), dish on tortilla topped with toppings if desired (tomatoes, avocado, sour cream, dressing etc.)
Thursday- Leftovers (we always have leftovers and have to leave at least one night to eat those)
Friday- Ziti Casserole, corn and mandarin jello
Saturday- Chicken Cordon Bleu, garlic toast, baked potatoes
Sunday- Flammer family dinner

Easy and Yummy Recipe for this week.

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken, cooked and diced
2 cups Ritz crackers, crushed
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
1 (10.75 oz) can cream of chicken soup (I used 98% fat-free)
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together chicken, soup and sour cream in a large bowl. Add in Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and lemon juice, if desired. In another bowl, mix together crushed crackers, poppy seeds, and melted butter and stir until butter is completely incorporated.
Spray a 9x13" baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Spread chicken mixture on the bottom and top with cracker mixture.

Cover pan with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 15 more minutes. Serve over rice.

Recipe from http://www.sixsistersstuff.com

Side note: I also never use the Worcestershire but always put the garlic and lemon juice in. 

Whoops..

I just realized Flammer meal plan's might not work...I should call it Britt's meal plans.  Sorry other Flammers!!

Also - I never responded to Shelly's question.  I used to do a monthly meal plan.  I liked that, but inevitably the day I did the meals would switch because life happens and I also like to shop according to the sales. Since baby #3 has arrived I haven't done monthly plans - I'm just not that organized.  So, I plan out one week after I've looked at the grocery ads and try to make meals out of what I have in my pantry plus what is on sale.

As a side note, I also like to have a few meals made ahead and frozen in case something comes up.  For example, when I make lasagna or chili I'll double it.  We eat some for dinner and freeze the other.  That comes in handy.

Flammer Meals - Week 1

Monday - zucchini corn chowder + homemade wheat bread
Tuesday - hamburger gravy over homemade bread (leftover from Monday) + frozen veggie + green salad
Wednesday - crock pot italian chicken over rice + broccoli bake + green salad (left from Tuesday)
Thursday - roast, potatoes, and carrots (all in crock pot) + gravy + salad
Friday - wheat oatmeal pancakes + hash browns + eggs + fruit
Saturday - leftovers
Sunday - we do a joint family dinner and our contribution is pulled bbq with rolls


Homemade Bread - I love this recipe because it calls for basic ingredients I always have on hand

2 c hot water
1 T yeast
1/2 c brown sugar or honey
2 tsp salt
1/4 c butter, softened
6 cups flour (4 wheat 2 white)

Mix water and yeast.  Let bubble.  Add brown sugar and salt.  Mix in well.  Add 2-3 cups flour.  Slice butter on top.  Turn on mixer and mix well.  Gradually add remaining flour until dough does not stick to sides of bowl. Let mix for several minutes.  Raise until doubled.  Put in bread loaf pans.  Let raise again.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Lauretta's Meal Plan this week:

OK, so to be honest! I don't have a meal plan yet. But sitting down and typing this a good thing, right?  It gets me to meal plan. Shelly, you're a genius. :)  So, I have to say that my biggest priority in meal planning is variety.  I make sure that I always have a day scheduled around the following: Chicken, Beef, Pork, Fish/Seafood, and Pizza night.  Those are only for weeknights as Saturday and Sunday are pretty unpredictable around here.  So I will "plan" something for those days, but it may or may not happen.
Also, to answer your question Shelly.  I do the VERY best when I meal plan for the entire month.  I spend 2 or so hours planning breakfast, lunch and dinner for every day of the month.  On Saturdays, when daddy is home, I hit the store to get the stuff that I need for that week.  I coupon shop as well, so I tend to meal plan based on the storage items that I have.  That way I can shop from my own pantry.  I love it!!  Now, I miss a few months depending on how crazy life gets. But, like I said.  I do so much better with sticking with my meal plan when it is all written out on a calendar. So, good luck this week everyone.  :)

Sunday: Chicken Salad Sandwiches, broccoli and cheese, carrot sticks with ranch, apple slices, chips
Monday: Pineapple pork chops, Mexican sour cream rice, Peas, artisan toast
Tuesday: Fish sticks, Sesame noodles, Salad
Wednesday: Beef Stew, Bread sticks
Thursday: Homemade Pizza, Salad, Jello cups
Friday: Honey mustard Pretzel chicken, Baked potato, Beans
Saturday: Crock pot Ravioli, Buttered Corn, French Bread

Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken (trying it this week for the first time: I'll let you know how it turns out.)

Ingredients

2 cups panko crumbs

2 cups pretzel crumbs*

1/2 cup neutral tasting olive oil

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/3 cup honey (Iike clover or orange blossom)

1/4 cup bottled water

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 + 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts 

 

1/2 cup flour, plus more if needed

 

See a Zesty Sausage Cheese Balls Recipe

 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Lightly grease with oil a large, non-stick baking sheet or roasting pan. If you don't have a non-stick pan line a regular pan with parchment and lightly grease with oil.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat toast the panko crumbs until lightly golden, stirring constantly. Remove from the pan and allow to cool.
3. In a food processor pulse the pretzels until coarsely ground (small crumbs with some small pretzel pieces) then add them to a medium bowl and mix with the panko crumbs. Wipe the crumbs out of the food processor.
4. Add the oil, mustard, honey, water and vinegar to the food processor and pulse until smooth.
5. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the flavor to suit your own tastes by adding more mustard or honey.
6. Pound the chicken breasts out to an even thickness using a mallet. Season well with salt and pepper.
Set up a dredging station:
7. Pour half of the dressing into a large shallow bowl or dish, put the flour on a large plate and add half the pretzel mixture to a large, shallow bowl or dish (add the remaining half pretzel crumbs to the dish as needed).
8. Working one at a time and using tongs dredge the chicken in the flour then into the dressing allowing excess to drip off then into the pretzel crumbs patting them on if needed. Place on greased baking sheet.
9. Bake 16 - 25 minutes depending on their thickness/size or until cooked through (internal temperature 165 - 174 degrees F.).
10. Let the chicken sit 5 minutes before serving with the remaining honey mustard dressing.