
Serving This Week 5-11 To 5-15-2020
Come and see what I will be cooking up on Marilyns Treats this week!
This is what I featured the week of 5-11 to 5-15 on my blog. On Tuesday was Crock Pot Chili Poor Man’s Style. Wednesday was GF Raspberry Lemonade Cake. Thursday was Easy Homemade GF Bread. And winding up this Week my How To Meal Plan 101.
If you missed what I served up last week please click Serving This Week 5-4 to 5-8
Crock Pot Chili Poor Man’s Style

I was getting low on groceries. The next pickup slot was 4 days away, so I had to get creative. I guess in these days of having to stay at home are making it hard to get items you need for your pantry.
In the pantry I only had 1 can each of kidney beans and stewed tomatoes. That wasn’t enough for 5 of us so I scrummaged deep to the back.
I found all the different beans and a small can of tomato paste.
So I crossed my fingers and fired up the crock pot. It was only a few hours into the cook time when I could smell the delicious aroma of all the beans marinating together with the tomatoes.
Eventually the family could smell it too. My husband found a bag Frito scoops corn chips to add to the meal.
We divided up the chili into our 5 bowls pouring it over a layer of the corn chips. My son sprinkled a bit of cheese and a dollop of sour cream on his portion.
This was the best chili I have ever made. It sounds a bit unconventional though. Each of the beans brought out their flavor and didn’t compete with each other. The additional seasonings added a subtle heat to the chili.
This recipe is a keeper for sure. And it is a great use of those leftover ingredients that alone isn’t enough for another dish.
When you don’t have all the ingredients you need you need to raid the pantry. That means you just have to throw ingredients together and cross your fingers. This Chili is better than any cookbook recipe I have tried!
Raspberry Lemonade Cake

This is an intermediate level recipe that children can make with supervision. These Lemon Bars are Gluten Free.
This recipe is one my granddaughter chose from her Raddish Kids Box. If you don’t know, it is a monthly subscription for kids to introduce them to cooking. They get a kitchen tool every month and a new skill to learn. There are 4-6 different recipes for them to try with each skill and tool in the box. And they get a badge once they have accomplished all the tasks.
So far the last 2 weeks she has chosen a lemon dessert to make. They are both advanced recipes, but she wanted to try them. The original recipe for these bars called for a cake mix crust and to juice her own lemons. She actually did the lemons. I got to remove the seeds and do the final squeezing. She modified the recipe to fit her needs. It came out very tasty.
Even my non lemon loving husband ate his allotment of 2 slices!
I have included her recipe changes here instead of the actual recipe. So in the end I guess she has become a recipe developer at the tender age of 11.
If you have kids this idea is a great way to spend creative hour during stay at home “season”.
The bonding time and life lessons give them an education they need as they grow.
The Easiest Loaf of Bread You Will Ever Bake Gluten Free

With the shelter in place order I couldn’t get bread. So I made it myself.
I have never made a yeast bread so this was a bit of experience.
Whether you have a snowstorm, no car, or are not able to go to the store for any reason this bread is a keeper.
Don’t be put off by the amount of steps to take. I included every answer for questions you may have!!
Please enjoy this Gluten Free Bread as much as we did!
With just five everyday ingredients, simple instructions, and no advanced baking techniques, this recipe for European style crusty bread is a great introduction to yeast baking.
You will want to start the bread in the morning due to the amount of resting times. This is about 2 hours to rise initially and then 45 minutes for the kneaded dough to rise
It truly is “the easiest loaf of bread you’ll ever bake” thanks in large part to the Gluten Free flour. It guarantees great texture and a high rise no matter how novice a baker you may be!
Meal Plan 101 and Why You Need to Do It

Meal planning can feel like an overwhelming task or something to be avoided at all costs.
I tend to think about meal planning when everything is already done.
I tried to put a plan together when all the recipes have been selected, when all the groceries have been shopped for, and a week of dinners were successfully made. But this is backwards!
LET’S PUT THE PROCESS DOWN INTO THREE KEY STEPS:
Selecting recipes we want to make
Shopping for those particular ingredients
And preparing your meals.
These steps might seem pretty obvious. But there is a strategy within each of them.
It’s the strategy that makes meal planning saving you both time and money when dinner time rolls around.
No looking at the clock half an hour before the meal should be serve. No panicking what to make and wondering if you have all the ingredients.
This article will show how to craft your own meal plan so the question of “what’s for dinner” can be asked and answered calmly.

Everything looks so good, thank you for sharing!
Thank you Kristin! And thank you for the party. Enjoy your week.