Mostly Homemade Mom: August 2012

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Penne

Lemons were $.25 this week at Weis so I knew I wanted to make this recipe. But of course, being the crazy blogger that I've turned into, I needed to make it my own. I had a 1 lb bag of frozen raw shrimp from Target in the freezer and I thought, why not? This smelled wonderful from the minute the garlic hit the pan to the minute we cleaned our plates. I think Paul had thirds. This is a winner, people!

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Penne adapted from Recipe Girl
3 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 lb raw shrimp zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon) juice of 1 lemon (about 1/3 cup) 16 oz sour cream 1 cup parmesan cheese, divided 16 oz box penne pasta

Heat olive oil in pan. Add garlic and shrimp and cook over medium heat until shrimp is almost opaque.

Add lemon juice, lemon zest, sour cream, and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese. Simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, cook penne pasta and drain. Spray 9x13 dish with non stick spray. Add pasta to shrimp mixture and stir to coat pasta.

Spread in baking dish, cover with foil, and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove foil, stir, and sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup parmesan cheese over top. Bake for an additional 5 minutes until shrimp is done.

I was feeling fancy and I sprinkled some parsley over the top. It didn't need it. :)

Linking up to these fabulous parties. Check them out!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

NEW Show & Share Wednesday #1

I am so excited to start our first every Show & Share link party here at Semi Homemade Mom! I can't tell you how much I love link parties. I get SO many great recipes and ideas every week. Thank you for joining us!

Show & Share link party rules:

Link up your newest recipe, diy project, kid activity, anything you are proud of and want to share.
While I love Etsy shops and giveaways, they are not in the spirit of this party.
I reserve the right to remove any link that is not family friendly.
Grab a button below to display on your post or provide a text link back either in the post or on your link party page.
Some link-ups will be featured on Semi Homemade Mom's facebook page . Check back next week to see who got the most clicks!

Alrighty, let's get this party started!

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Menu Plan Monday 8/27 ~ Back to School!

NEW Show & Share link party starts this Wednesday, August 29th. Come share your newest recipes, diy projects, kid activities, whatever you're proud of. Link party opens Wednesday at 8am. See you there!

My Silas starts preschool on Tuesday. When I actually sit and think about it, I'm a mess! I can't believe how big he has grown. As a teacher I know he is beyond ready to start practicing social skills with his teacher and new friends (!!) at school. I'm still a lot in denial! I guess I can be excited for him, too...
Not only does Silas start school on Tuesday, Paul starts his semester on Tuesday. The busy fall season is beginning. Here's our menu plan this week:

Baked Lemon Spaghetti (I'm adding shrimp)

Source: recipegirl.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole - new recipe

Baked Ziti (freeze half)

Source: millerfamilyorganizer.blogspot.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Chili Cheese Nachos

Chicken Pot Pie Muffins - new recipe

Breakfast - Mini Veggie Frittatas

Source: millerfamilyorganizer.blogspot.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Dinner - Slow Cooker Fresh Tomato Sauce

Source: millerfamilyorganizer.blogspot.com via Kelly on Pinterest

Breakfast - Leftover Mini Veggie Frittatas

Dinner - YOYO (you're on your own!)

~hoagies
~Pizza Grilled Cheese
~Aunt Renee's mac & cheese
~chicken nuggets
~leftovers

I'm linking up at Menu Plan Monday, Stone Gable, and Scraps of Life.

Corn Chip Taco Salad

This taco salad was such a great weeknight meal. Can I add, absolutely perfect to throw together on a school night! Make it even easier on yourself and cook up the ground beef with taco seasoning and freeze in 1lb packages, that way when you're ready to make this tasty salad it's just a matter of thawing the meat in the fridge that morning! Silas really got a kick out of the corn chips, and the Catalina dressing was the perfect compliment to the Mexican flavors. Definitely added this to our regular rotation. Try it!

Corn Chip Taco Salad serves 4-6 from Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom
1 bag romaine lettuce blend 1 lb ground beef 1 pkg taco seasoning 1 can of black beans 1 bag Steamfresh corn 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese 2 cups corn chips Catalina salad dressing

Cook and drain ground beef, return to pan and add taco seasoning and 2/3 cup water. Simmer about 10 minutes until liquid is absorbed. In a salad bowl, place lettuce, taco meat, black beans (drained and rinsed), corn, and tomatoes. Top with cheese and corn chips. Toss together to combine. Serve with dressing.

Have some taco seasoning in the pantry? Check out some of my favorite past recipes:
Bubble Up Enchiladas
Taco Mac Casserole
Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup

Linking up to these fabulous parties. Check them out!

Thursday, August 23, 2012

25 Must Try Apple Recipes

Our favorite local orchard sent around an email yesterday announcing that apples are now ready to be picked!! Specifically gala and their golden supreme, the honey crisp variety should be ready in about a week. I have been an apple-pinning fool! Apple pie/apple crisp has always been my favorite dessert. Ok so it was hard to narrow it down, but here are my 25 must try apple recipes (click on the link under the picture to visit the source, please don't pin my page for their recipe!):

Baked Breakfast Apples - Macheesmo