[organize & make: Tiger Butter & Meal Planning]

First off - life has been good around here. We've been purging the boy's toys into "donate" and "throw away" - which makes me SO happy. Too much clutter makes me go crazy. Tomorrow I'm going out with some friends from Elementary school *crAZy* and am looking forward to a night out ... my husband is playing hockey 4 times this week - so don't feel bad for him *grin*. And yesterday, I lead worship at our church and I haven't done that since August, with all of our traveling messing that up. It was so wonderful to be apart of it all and I'm feeling recharged and ready-to-go.

OOOooo ... so, I thought that if I was accountable to all of YOU for getting my meal planning done - I'd have a little added pressure for making sure my meals had a bit of thought put into it. I did this last night, and did the grocery shop while Tias was in preschool today. And tonight's dinner is so easy - I won't have to worry about it until 5pm ... whoo hoo!! Now, to just fold the laundry that's beeping. *sigh*.

Monday: Paninis with prosciutto, mozzarella & roma tomatoes. Veggies & dip.

Tuesday: Whole Grain fettuccine w/rosa sauce and salad.

Wednesday: Pureed Cayenne Corn & Bacon Chowder with buttermilk biscuits

Thursday: Chicken fried rice w/ brown rice, eggs, red peppers & peas.

Friday: Tacos for the boys - taco salad for the grown ups *grin*.

Saturday: goin' out ... yay!

And people seemed to like having baking recipe ideas - so here's another standard one in our home. It comes from the "Best of Bridge" series of cook books.

Tiger Butter

1 lb white chocolate (I use the bulk wafers ...)

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

2 oz dark chocolate

Directions:

- Melt white chocolate and peanut butter on low heat (or double boiler) until smooth.

- Pour onto cookie sheet LINED with wax paper.

- Melt dark chocolate and drizzle over the white chocolate/peanut butter mixture. Swirl with a knife to get the "marbled" effect.

- Refrigerate to set. Break into pieces. Freezes well (if you can keep it in your house long enough).

On a little side note - I never measure anything in this recipe *grin*. I put as much white chocolate as I have; I guess-ti-mate the peanut butter ... and I use milk chocolate wafers instead of dark chocolate. In other words, this recipe is FOOL proof. I'll be making some this afternoon - then peeling my sons off the walls from their sugar overload while helping me *grin*.

AND - would you like a couple of "alternatives" to the peanut butter? I've used Nutella before *yum*. OR you could just melt the white chocolate, and pour in some rice crispy cereal (not too much ... just enough for some crunch - say 1 cup) and some chopped dried cranberries and cashews. That idea was from a friend's mom ... Or you could melt the white chocolate and pour in crushed candy canes. THAT one is my favourite ... ooo. LOVE peppermint.

Peppermint lattes. Peppermint gum. Peppermint candy canes. I've even owned peppermint perfume before *grin*. (going on a tangent here ... are you sensing that??)

I opted to not buy the Candy Cane Ice Cream in the store today ... it's my favourite. I'd eat the whole thing if it was in my house *grin* and I'm not prepared to run the 10 miles per day I'd need to, to keep up the habit. And who are we kidding? I have candy canes in the house. I have vanilla ice cream (splenda, double churned, just to make me feel better about it). You do the math *wink*.

Enough already. Go make some and let me know if you liked it *grin*.

Have a GREAT day.