Have you been participating in 5 Minutes for Mom’s Ultimate Blog Party? I have and I have been having a blast doing it. My husband even took the children out of the house for a couple of hours yesterday so I could party hop in peace.  He is the best!  If you are participating in the UBP, feel free to leave a link to your party post in my comments. My comments are set to follow so you get linky love when you comment.

Last week, I started a new blog series called Surviving the Lien Years: Rebuilding after Financial Crisis and Bankruptcy.  I was unsure about whether to post this series or not but have decided to open up another part of my life online.  I hope you have a chance to read it.  If you do, please let me know your thoughts. I am currently on the installment Risking It All.

Now, on to the menu.

Monday Easy, Tasty Roast, carrots, potatoes, salad

Tuesday Chicken Pot Pie

Wednesday Salmon Patties, corn, broccoli

Thursday Crockpot Chicken and Corn Chowder

Friday Taco Ring, beans, salad

Saturday Leftover Buffet

Feel free to leave a comment to let me know you stopped by! As always, be sure to check out the other menu plans at OrgJunkie’s site.

Monday: Chicken in Cream Sauce (cooked in the crockpot), steamed corn, green beans

Tuesday: Sloppy Joes, Salad

Wednesday: Chicken and Corn Chowder (cooked in the crockpot), Fruit

Thursday: Taco Ring, Beans

Friday: Chicken, Rice, and Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:

• 6 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 14-oz cans of chicken broth
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, freshly ground
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 cup sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 tablespoons chives, chopped
• 8 oz sour cream (optional)
• 4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled (optional)
• Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Combine potatoes, onion, chicken broth, butter, salt, and pepper in a 5 quart crockpot.
2. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender (approximately 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low).
3. Mash mixture until potatoes are coarsely chopped and soup is slightly thickened.
4. Stir in whipping cream, cheese, and chives.
5. Top with sour cream, bacon, and or Cheddar cheese.

When I walk into a house that is filled with a warm fresh smell of something yummy simmering on the stove, I get an irrepressible smile on my face, stress seems to fade away, and I feel relaxed and at ease. For me the effect is particularly strong with smells that are associated with Christmas. Maybe certain scents trigger fond memories of Christmases past and take me to those happy times. But whatever the reason, I know I’m not alone in my love of the smell of Christmas.

Here’s a recipe that Mr. Right occasionally mixes up and puts in the Crock Pot or on the stove to simmer. This recipe is purely for smelling. We’ve never tasted it because it looks nasty and we just aren’t that brave. But it makes the whole house smell fantastic!

It’s also not an exact science. I never see Mr. Right using measuring cups or carefully portioning out the ingredients. He just mixes a little of this and a little of that until it’s the Christmas Scent is achieved.

Fill the pot about half way with Apple Juice or Apple Cider. Slice up 1 Orange and 1 Apple and toss those in. Stir in about a tablespoon of cloves, and drop in some cinnamon sticks or some ground cinnamon. You may also add a little bit of nutmeg and some vanilla extract.

Warm the mixture up over very low heat. Stir it occasionally while letting it simmer for a few hours. Keep an eye on it to add more juice or cider as it simmers down.

As the warm vapors and aroma of this concoction fill the house everyone within nose range will notice and be very pleased with the result. It will do a lot to add the Christmas Spirit to your house.

Merry Christmas!

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup rice
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 teaspoon pepper
• 1 can tomato soup (10 ounces)
• 1 can diced tomatoes

Directions:

1. Combine ground beef, rice, onion, green pepper, egg, salt, and pepper.
2. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls, approximately 20 meatballs.
3. Place meatballs in crockpot.
4. Pour soup and tomatoes (including juice from tomatoes) over meatballs.
5. Cover and cook on low for 7 – 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Note: The meatballs can be prepared ahead of time. You can prepare them the night before and refrigerate overnight. You can even prepare them weeks before and freeze them until ready to use.