Monday, March 5, 2012

Dear Monday: Menu Plan, Goals and {Giveaway!}

I have a fun, menu-planning related giveaway for you today!

One of my favorite recipes, Sticky Chicken, came from my friend Jenna's blog (read how, with this recipe, I can stretch one chicken into four meals!). Recently Jenna has put together a beautiful ecookbook filled with over 45 recipes--everything from Chicken Fried Steak and Gravy to Creme Brulee!

elicious

Personally, I've tried several recipes from Jenna's cookbook, and my family has enjoyed all of them. Besides my much-touted Sticky Chicken recipe (which is included in the ecookbook), we've also quickly downed Jenna's Friendship Casserole and Thai Turkey Tacos. This week, I'm trying her Shrimp Stir-Fry for the 1st time.

A few of the ecookbook's perks, in my opinion:

1) For an ecookbook, E-Licious is quite a volume! Over 45 recipes is a lot for an ecookbook...it's probably the biggest ecookbook I own.
2) Variety. There's a section for appetizers, desserts, crockpot meals, and even a section devoted entirely to pumpkin recipes!
3) Pictures with every recipe. Love that!
4) Practical, every-day ingredients.

Any cons?
There are a few recipes in the ecookbook that have ingredients that I use alternatives for:

Cream of Mushroom soup--I just make my own if a recipe calls for this ingredient...but it does make for a few extra steps.
Vegetable oil--I easily substitute coconut oil
Shortening--I substitute butter.

As a whole, I found Jenna's ecookbook to be stocked with family-pleasing recipes...I recommend it! See the bottom of this post for how you can enter to win a free copy for yourself.

Now for my menu plan and weekly goals:

Dinners for This Week:

Monday--Creamy Grilled Chicken Piccata with Roasted Asparagus and Garlic Bread
Tuesday--Chili and Cornbread
Wednesday--Shrimp Sitr-Fry (from Jenna's E-Licious ecookbook!) with Rice
Thursday--Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings
Friday--Pizza Night with Salad
Saturday--Zucchini Parmesan with Garlic Bread
Sunday--Leftovers.

On to goals...

How I did with last week's goals:
(I didn't do so well this week....)
  • Memorize Deut. 8:11-12 (breaking it down into smaller pieces this week).
  • Read 2 chapters from The Great Omission
  • Have two learning sessions with Squishy (think I can pull it off this week?). Not so much. *sigh*
  • Pack Andrew's lunch 3 days this week (and add notes!). Turns out that his new rotation location provides lunch most days! I'll have to save this for a different rotation...
  • Exercise x 3. I exercised twice, and then I finally came down with my hubby's cold....and took it easy for the rest of the week.
  • Make a quadruple batch of pizza dough. Skipped this because I was sick.
  • Clean out the basket on )my desk. Nope. Will try again this week!
  • Edit 15 photos. I edited 9 photos...so at least that's something! :)
Goals for this week:
(A bit repetitive since I missed so many of last weeks' goals...)
  • Memorize Deut 8:14.
  • Read 2 chapters from The Great Omission.
  • 2 learning sessions with Peter. 
  • Make a quadruple batch of pizza dough.
  • Make a triple batch of chili.
  • Exercise x 3.
  • Pray with Peter before naptime.
  • Write post #2 for a blog series that I'm working on.
  • Edit 15 photos.
We're into the month of March now...are you still plugging away at those new year's resolutions or yearly goals? How's it going?
__________________________

Giveaway is now closed.
Ok, now for the giveaway!

To enter to win a copy of the E-licious Ecookbook, leave a comment on this post with your email address included. :) Easy peasy.

Extra entries (leave a comment for each):
  • Follow Jenna's blog (The Newlyweds).
  • Like Jenna on facebook.
  • Follow Jenna on twitter.
  • Tweet or facebook about this giveaway. Example: "Enter to win @newlyweds_sp's lovely E-Cookbook over at @AliciasTweeting's blog! http://bit.ly/ydkkzu"
  • Subscribe to Alicia's Homemaking via email or RSS

If you'd like to buy this ecookbook directly, Jenna is offering readers of Alicia's Homemaking a 20% discount. If you buy the book and then win the giveaway, your money will be refunded! Use the code ELICIOUS20 to make the E-Licious cookbook only $4.00.
    This giveaway will close on Tuesday, March 13th.



    This post is linked to Menu Planning Monday and Money Saving Mom.

    Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of E-licious to review. I am now an affiliate of this ecookbook. All opinions are 100% my own.
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    33 comments:

    1. Looks like a great cookbook! I'd love to win it! (You have my email and it's link to my Blogger acct anyway!)

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    2. I'd love to win! The sticky chicken recipe is awesome - on my menu plan this week!
      newlywedtrek@gmail.com

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    3. Simple and delicious? Yes please!

      sara.n.ochs@gmail.com

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    4. mhhh the front cover of the book looks so delicious
      I'd love to win the book
      mary.hausberger@web.de

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    5. This looks great! :)

      arestfulplace @ gmail . com

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    6. I'm always up for trying new recipes. Yum!

      joycelau319 at yahoo

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    7. I would love to win - I've been trying a lot of new recipes lately.
      kduffy @ sdcc . edu

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    8. i follow you via email
      eric.n.jennifer@gmail.com

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    9. i follow jenna via rss
      eric.n.jennifer@gmail.com

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    10. I love to make new recipes! I collect cookbooks and I'm a softie for all recipes!

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    11. I would love to win this e-cookbook. The sticky chicken recipe looks delicious!

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    12. Oh yeah my email is growinginhisglory@gmail.com!

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    13. I want to win :). (email's linked to my blogger account)

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    14. Subscribe to your blog by email.

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    15. Tweeted:
      https://twitter.com/randi094/status/177111842567622656

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    16. Follow Jenna on twitter. @randi094

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    17. Also, I already have you on my RSS feed, like Newlyweds on FB, AND follow her blog by RSS :)

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    18. I love reading your weekly goals...I am plugging away at my own, and I've found this year that blogging about them really helps! This ebook sounds great, thanks for hosting this giveaway!

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    19. I follow your blog via RSS. =)

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    20. If you are recommending recipes, I'm definitely interested. And so is Laura from orgjunkie.com too, apparently. =)

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    21. I subscribe to your blog through Google reader.

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    22. I subscribe to your blog :) Fingers crossed!

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    23. How do you make your own cream soup? I hate buying that stuff, but haven't found a good alternative yet. :)

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    24. Yum! I would love to win her book!!
      bjamarrsfam@msn.com

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    25. I tweeted about this awesome giveaway!
      https://twitter.com/#!/JenniferMarrs/status/179314881084932096

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