Half is More Than Enough

I'm Moving!!!

2011-03-16T20:17:00.001-04:00

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Menu Plan - Week of January 24 (2 weeks)

2011-01-23T16:25:00.000-05:00

I have been back at work full time for 4 months now and our diet has suffered greatly! I have been very convicted that I MUST take control back in the kitchen - for the sake of our hearts, waists, and budget. Thankfully, our 2 local grocers had great sales the past 2 weeks on meat, frozen veggies, and pantry staples. I love it when the Lord does that - convict me of something and then put opportunities in front of me to change my behavior. Thank you Lord!!

Here is 2 weeks worth of dinner menus. DH and I take lunch to work at least 4 days a week. We include leftovers mainly. I will sometimes make a big batch of pasta salad and we'll grill some chicken breasts to put over top. But, with it being a balmy 30 degrees here most of the week, grilling can wait.

Oven Roasted Chicken with * Macaroni and Cheese and Caramelized Roasted Carrots
Chicken burritos on corn tortillas with salsa verde, avocado, and shredded lettuce; refried beans (use leftover chicken from Sunday)
Meatloaf Cups with * Potatoes AuGratin and Broccoli (put the meat mixture together the night before so when I get home, I just portion and cook)
* Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole with corn
Homemade pizza and green salad
* Ratatouille over Polenta
* Pasta Fagioli soup with Italian Cheese Bread
Beer Cheese Soup with Sausage, fresh baked bread
Cashew Chicken with white rice and steamed broccoli

* denotes a slow cooker recipe

I hope you all find some inspiration to make tasty recipes in your homes. Enjoy!!

Setting Goals, not Resolutions

2010-12-31T21:58:00.002-05:00

I have a long standing disdain for New Years resolutions. I believe strongly in the power of setting stretch goals and doing your all to achieve them with the caveat that you are seeking the LORD'S will in all you do. He certainly challenges us to be better each day, to deny ourselves each day, to live for Him each day. That's my plan for 2011 - live more for God than I did in 2010. More tomorrow than I did today, more for my family than for me, more for His kingdom than for my ego and glory.

I'll share some specific things I have felt conviction about over the next few days. What is the Lord laying on your heart as we approach another year? Are you more willing now than last December to submit and be used by Him, for Him?

Menu Plan - Week of January 2, 2011!

2010-12-31T20:45:00.004-05:00

Wow!! It's amazing to me that another year is upon us. I am not a huge fan of New Years Eve celebrations. Perhaps as I've gotten older and now have a young child at home, I just have lost the thrill for staying up until midnight and over indulging. So, here I sit ... with 2 snoring children snug in their beds, watching the Chick fil A bowl with DH and planning, organizing, and feeling invigorated to take the reins back on our life after the Christmas season. Does everyone go through this - please assure me it's not just me?? Christmas is amazing, wonderful, and definitely one of my favorite times of year ... but, the unusual schedule, over indulgent once-a-year food, trying to squeeze in one more fun activity, and general over stimulation leave me craving a simple and quiet start to the new year. That starts with a menu plan, of course!!

Dinners:

Sunday: Slow Cooker Lasagna with green salad and cheesy garlic bread
Meatballs with Peppers and Pineapple, white rice (I will use some frozen meatballs we already have)
Sour Cream Salsa Chicken*, Spanish Rice, corn
Chicken tacos with leftover Sour Cream Chicken - lettuce, tomatoes, homemade guacamole, cheese, refried black beans
Pizza with green salad

I want to wish you all a New year full of blessings and leave you with a wonderful quote from Martin Luther:
"Glory to God in highest heaven, who unto man His Son hath given; while angels sing with tender mirth, a glad new year to all the earth."

Kid Friendly Weekend Ahead

2010-12-28T19:03:00.004-05:00

Our 9 year old niece is coming to stay with us this weekend. Our 5 year old son is over-the-moon! He is just about to bust with excitement. He is counting not just the days, but the hours, until her arrival. I want to make this weekend really special for her as it will be her first time away from home. We plan to visit the children's museum, go ice skating, and eat all sorts of yummy food.

On the menu:

Cream Cheese & Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls
Breakfast Puffs with Chocolate & Vanilla Drizzle
Make Your Own Pizzas with pepperoni, veggies, and oodles of cheese
Mini Lasagnas - I plan to use my favorite recipe and bake it in ramekins rather than a large dish
We'll eat lunch out both days she is here

Wishing you all a blessed New Year's weekend!!

Winter Wonderland

2010-12-28T07:41:00.006-05:00

Menu Plan - Christmas Week, 2010

2010-12-19T20:21:00.003-05:00

Sometimes I wish we were a family that had an elaborate Christmas menu, but sadly we don't. Although, our boring menu is steeped in tradition. Christmas day we will head to my parent's home and thoroughly enjoy a standing rib roast, baked potatoes, and salad. Same menu for about 7 years now. I told my sweet daddy I thought changing it might be a divorcable offense!

I will still make dinner for 4 nights this week.

Weeknight Dinners:

Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken, green salad
Ham with Pineapple Dijon Sauce, corn, and homemade mac & cheese
Cracker Barrel Hash Brown Casserole (add leftover ham) and green salad
Beef, barley, and veggie soup using leftover prime rib bones - sheer decadence!!

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas week full of the Savior's presence, comfort, and love!!!

We're still here!!

2010-12-18T14:22:00.003-05:00

It's been a wild few weeks with work. We have moved into a new office location and doubled our staff within 3 weeks time. I'm not sure what my name is some days!! But, I have been cooking, exercising, enjoying family time, and so many other things I want to share with you! Back to blogging this week, no more excuses!

Christmas Card 2010

2010-11-26T19:51:00.001-05:00

Faith Hope Family Religious Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly.com for elegant Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Holiday Motivation!

2010-11-19T18:19:00.002-05:00

I don't think I even posted than I participated in my first 5K on Halloween. It was so much fun! To keep myself motivated and to head off the weight gain from food and drink this season, I am joining in the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge. It should be a great way to stay accountable - and it's a super fun thing to say I'm participating in. What a fun name!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

2010-11-07T19:44:00.006-05:00

I had a craving this weekend for lasagna. The temps have been topping out in the low 50s and plummeting into the 20s at night. Lasagna, chili, soup, and stew are all beckoning for me! We also had a wonderful lunch planned with some dear friends from church today. So ... craving lasagna, little time, and far too frugal to go to the store ... I started reading recipes. I came up with the following list of ingredients after reading at least a dozen online recipes and finding myself short of at least one ingredient in each recipe. It turned out amazing, if I do say so myself :)

1 lb ground beef
1 t each garlic powder and onion powder
2 t each black pepper and Kosher salt, divided
Approx 6 C total of tomato based product. For me this was 2 C homemade spaghetti sauce and 2, 14.5 oz cans Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
Approx 10 lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 lb whole milk mozzarella cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
4 oz cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 C grated Italian style cheese (you can use mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmesan also)

1. Brown the ground beef with the garlic powder, onion powder, and 1 t each pepper and Kosher salt.
2. Add the tomatoes and sauce an heat through. Test the taste once it's warm - add the reserved 1 t each pepper and Kosher salt if needed.
3. In a 5-6 quart slow cooker, place about 1 C sauce mix and then a double layer of lasagna noodles (break them to fit into the oval shape of a slow cooker).
4. Top the noodles with half each of the cubed mozzarella and cream cheese.
5. Repeat layers - sauce, noodles, cheese and another layer of sauce.
6. Sprinkle with the grated cheese.
7. Cook on low 4-5 hours.
8. ENJOY!!!

A Well Stocked Spice Cabinet

2010-11-02T13:25:00.004-04:00

Several weeks ago, I posted about keeping our pantry well stocked. Along with the basics in the pantry, I find it essential to keep our spice cabinet well stocked. I do not use many fresh herbs and spices at all. First, I find them rather expensive and second - and maybe more important - is that they often spoil before I can use them. Throwing away good money is not something I am a fan of at all. So, dried it is for us. It's amazing what the addition of a bit of salt, pepper, or another spice will do to a plain dish. I love to experiment with spices and I love full-flavored food! Our essentials in the spice cabinet are:

Salt - iodized, Kosher, sea salt, Himilayan sea salt
Pepper - ground black, whole peppercorns, crushed red
Chili Powder - regular, dark, chipotle
Italian Seasoning Mix
Basil
Oregano
Paprika
Old Bay
Dill
Caraway Seed
Poppy Seeds
Mustard Powder
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Cumin
Cinnamon - regular and Pampered Chef's Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend
Allspice
Cloves - whole and ground
Minced Onions
Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
Cajun Spice Blend
Mrs. Dash - original, tomato & basil, hot & spicy, garlic & herb ... really, all varieties!
Chicken and Beef Boullion

I have found that using spices can really liven up a boring meal and can make a frugal meal seem like something restaurant-worthy!

Menu Plan - Week of October 18

2010-10-17T15:51:00.004-04:00

Fall has officially arrived in NC!! Yes, I know the calendar said it was fall a few weeks ago, but it was still 85 degrees here. Now the temps are down in the low 70s, overnight lows in the 40s ... NOW it's fall!! Time to celebrate the season with squash, pumpkin, and all the wonderful savory flavors that this season brings. I have also recent discovered the Noble Pig website. I absolutely love, love, LOVE this blog and her recipes. I also love that she has one child who is a super-picky eater, but she keeps trying and that gives me hope for our little man.

Weeknight Dinners:

Pumpkin, Barley, and Sage Soup with crusty French bread
Pork chops with cranberry sauce and Spiced Squash with Brown Butter Glaze
*Minestrone style soup in slow cooker with a bit of browned Italian sausage. I'll post the recipe later in the week if it turns out well.
Pizza night with cut veggies or green salad

Baking:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (double batch)
I am waiting (not so) patiently for my donut pans to arrive from Amazon. When they do, I plan to make these and these in copious amounts!!

Have a great week in your home!!

Menu Plan - Week of October 11

2010-10-10T19:27:00.003-04:00

This is our little man's birthday week! We started with a fun party at a local mini-golf place with friends. Tonight, we had a yummy dinner and watched a DVD my dad made of photos of his birth and first few weeks. So sweet!! Tomorrow is cupcakes at school and dinner with the grandparents. Then ... maybe, just maybe, by Tuesday we'll be back to normal! It's been so much fun to watch our son as he turns 5 and is enjoying every moment of his special time. On to the food:

Weeknight Dinners:

White Chili with homemade tortilla chips; I have leftover chicken from dinner tonight - I figure I can have this on the table in less than 30 minutes
Sideline Sausage Soup with corn muffins and honey butter
Shrimp Tacos with homemade guacamole and tortilla chips
Friday will bring something very easy - pizza, takeout, hubby making burgers on the grill

I would like to get a batch of Granola Bars and a double batch of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins made this week - we'll see how it goes!

Easy Pantry Recipes

2010-09-30T15:56:00.005-04:00

As promised, I am sharing some very easy and delicious dinner recipes that can be made mainly from the pantry tiems I detailed here. I do not have a good supply of meat in the freezer right now either. I have a few split chicken breasts, 1 roasting chicken, 1 lb ground beef, and a handful of thick cut pork chops.

Chicken with Peanut Mole Sauce and Cilantro Rice
Sideline Sausage Soup
Spicy Honey Chicken
Chicken, black bean, and corn enchiladas
Stir fry with pork or chicken
Spaghetti and baked pasta
Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
Toscano Soup - a blend of Italian sausage, white beans, orzo pasta, kale, chicken stock, and seasonings
Spicy Fatboy Sausage Pasta
Crock Pot Black Bean Salsa Chicken
Crock Pot Lasagna
40 Clove Garlic Chicken

These are some of my go-to meals. They are easy, inexpensive, and tasty - all importnat in our house!

A Well Stocked Pantry

2010-09-29T15:59:00.005-04:00

Over the past 3 weeks as I have returned to work full time, I am realizing more and more the value of keeping a well stocked pantry. Having basic supplies on hand makes it so easy to plan a menu or even throw something together at 5:30 if I have forgotten to plan. Don't ask how many times that has happened already! There are - literally - hundreds of posts out there about stocking a pantry, so I don't pretend to be offering something new, but this is what works for our family. Here is a list of what's currently in the pantry that I use most often for dinner. We all have oodles of cereal and kid's snacks available, but not everyone wants to eat that for dinner. Tomorrow I'll share several recipes that can be made mostly from pantry items.

Rolled oats
Beans - canned and dry
Tomatoes - diced, crushed, tomato paste, diced w/ green chilis
Whole wheat pasta - a variety of shapes from elbow noodles to spaghetti, pasta side mixes
Panko crumbs
Rice - brown, long grain, seasoned mixes
Salad dressing - ranch, honey mustard, several vinaigrettes
Mole sauce
Salsa verde
Adobo chilis
Diced green chilis
Chicken gravy mix
Peanut butter
Nutella (yummy!!)
2 cans of fiesta style corn
1 can of sauerkraut
Baking supplies - white & wheat flour, white & brown sugar, chocolate chips, baking powder, baking soda, powdered milk
Molasses
Soy sauce
Rice wine vinegar
Duck sauce
Stir Fry sauce
Olives - Kalamata and green
Roasted peppers
Sundried tomatoes

Notice what's missing? A lot of processed foods! As good a deal as those items are sometimes (especially with coupons), I don't keep much of that in the house.

This is the first post of at least 3 I will have about keeping your home well stocked. I will also share the contents of our freezer and spice rack. I hope to inspire some of you to stock up when you can on healthy options to make yummy meals any night of the week!

Change Is In The Air

2010-09-20T10:28:00.001-04:00

Big time change is on the horizon for our little family. God has been faithful and provided an amazing opportunity for me to go back to work full time. We are thrilled about this and look forward to our new routine and even the new challenges. I've been home over 3 years and this is going to be a change, no doubt! I will continue to post from time to time and will definitely be sharing our favorite recipes.

I spent some time over the past few days prepping items in advance, scouring my favorite websites and this AMAZING new cookbook and have planned out our menu for the next 3-4 weeks. I also went and did a big grocery run to get stocked up since I won't have the luxury of shopping 3-4 stores per week any more.

Menu Plan, Week of September 20:

Chicken and Black Bean Enchiladas with lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream (make 2 and take 1 to a family from church)
Spaghetti with homemade sauce and green salad
Chicken Marengo over Lemon Pepper Polenta
Mushroom & Fettuccine with Red Pepper Flake and green salad
Pizza night with salad or cut veggies

Have a blessed week in your homes!!

Chewy Granola Bars - Egg Free!

2010-08-31T07:21:00.004-04:00

I have been making homemade granola bars for about 2 years now. There are a ton of recipes out there - some more crunchy and crumbly and some more chewy and cake-like. This recipe yields a chewy granola bar that is texturally like a bar cookie or brownie. So decadent! The original recipe used one egg. While planning a trip with a friend whose daughter has a severe egg allergy, I tried using applesauce instead. I prefer that way and will not use egg in these again. I hope you enjoy!

Chewy Granola Bars:

1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup applesauce (homemade or all natural)
3 T honey
2 t vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt

1 1/2 cup crisp rice cereal
1 1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a 9x13 pan by spraying the bottom and sides with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar
Add in the applesauce, vanilla, and honey and blend until smooth
Mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl and then add to mixture. Mix just until incorporated.
Add in the cereal, oats, and chocolate chips. Use a large spoon or spatula to mix everything together. The blades on a mixer will crush the cereal.
Press mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 25-27 minutes or unitl lightly brown on edges.
Cool completely in pan, cut into bars and store at room temperature in an airtight container up to a week.

This recipe is linked to Tasty Tuesday and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday. Enjoy!

31 Days to Build a Better Home - Days 9-31

2010-08-30T19:51:00.002-04:00

I haven't totally forgotten about the 31 Days to Build a Better Home series over at Today's Housewife - honest! It has been a fun month in our house and I have been richly blessed to participate. I will be totally honest and admit that I have not done the suggested task every day, and some tasks I have done out of order. I find that it's not so much about following every single guideline with blog challenges - it's about gleaning ideas and inspiration to improve your life. And that, dear friends, I have done! A few highlights:

Day 30 - Start a Bucket List:
There are so many things I'd like to put on my list, most of them dealing with travel. A few places I'd like to visit with my amazing family - the Pacific NW, Colorado, the New England coastline.

Day 29 - Count Your Blessings:
I try to take a moment every day to thank God for my amazing family, our dear friends, and for the life we live. We are richly blessed and I never want to get complacent in that.

Day 19 - Start a New Book:I am currently reading "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper - WOW!! And, in preparing for our final vacation of the year, I have reserved several books at the local library.

Day 15 - Try a New Recipe:
One of my goals is to try at least one new recipe a week. It may not be something totally new - I often take a recipe we enjoyed and will tweak it the 2nd or 3rd time I prepare it.

Thank you to the team at Today's Housewife for inspiring me! What a great way to wrap up the summer and refocus on our home and our family.

Menu Plan - Month of September

2010-08-24T13:52:00.008-04:00

Is it really the last week of August? Oh my! We have had a wonderful summer traveling and spending time with family and friends. It's time to get back into a more consistent routing with eating, cooking, and cleaning though. Ten weeks of fun has taken a toll on our home and our freezer. I am going to start slowly restocking our freezer to help with not only dinner madness, but mornings too. Little man starts back to school soon, soccer practice starts back, Wednesday night church activities begin again, and on and on and on ... I need the order that comes from having tasty, healthy food on hand.

Dinners (* denotes a slow cooker recipe):

* Chicken & Corn Chili with homemade tortilla chips
* Toscano Soup with Italian Cheese Bread
* BBQ Ribs, rice, and corn
* Red Wine and Cranberry Glazed Pot Roast, mashed potatoes, and honey glazed carrots
* Pizza Soup with Buttery Breadsticks
* Creamy Turkey Dinner with green beans
* Puffy Pizza Casserole with green salad
Meatloaf Cups, mashed potatoes, green beans
Crispy Bean & Cheese Burritos, fresh pico de gallo, homemade tortilla chips
Grilled chicken salad with apples and walnuts
Pork Roast - shredded pork with slaw & baked beans ... use leftovers a few nights later for pork tacos
Spaghetti (X3)
Dinner at Church (X2)
Pizza (X2)
Take Out Chinese (X2)

Baking, Breakfast, Freezer:

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cinnamon Rolls
Bagels - cinnamon, whole wheat, and poppy seed & sea salt
Whole Wheat Sourdough Biscuits

What's cooking in your house this month?

Saving Money on Vacation Food

2010-08-18T16:08:00.007-04:00

We have been blessed to be able to travel frequently this summer. My parents have several timeshare weeks and we have made full use of them this season. One HUGE benefit to timeshare accommodations are that each unit has a full kitchen. A full size stove, microwave, and refrigerator are standard in most units; they also supply a basic amount of dishes, flatware, cutlery, and assorted mixing bowls, etc. I was spending some time this afternoon preparing for another trip and thought I'd share how we handle the exorbitant expense of food while traveling.

Take as much as possible from home with you. Whenever we drive, we always take a large cooler with cheese, lunch meat, butter, cream cheese, beer, wine, sour cream, yogurt, fresh fruit and veggies. We often make potato salad or pasta salad too for the week. Yes, the towns we travel too all have grocery stores. But, if I've shopped wisely in the weeks leading up to a vacation, I can take items purchased for pennies instead of spending full price once arriving.
Do research on your destination and check out their local grocery ad online. Next week, we are traveling south to a locale with a Bi-Lo grocery store. We don't have a Bi-Lo local, but I have checked the ad and know what's on sale. If you go to a certain spot regularly, sign up for that store's rewards card. We've had a Bi-Lo card for several years and use it every time we travel.
Now that you've checked out what's on sale where you are headed, you can plan a menu - just like at home. I am all for eating out a few times and treating yourself and your family. However, if you have a unit with a full kitchen, access to a grocery, and a bit of time each day - cook! Especially if your goal is to have fun, but not break the bank on a vacation.
Logistics - make sure to take a large cooler with you for taking things and bringing them home. We have often come home with more than we left with. How? An amazing Farmer's Market and Fishmonger near one of our fave vacation spots. I have toted home a cooler full or corn, melon, and fish before (all separately and tightly wrapped, thank you very much!).

How does this work in real life? Let me share ... this is our laundry basket full 'o goodies for next week's beach trip:

In the basket - cereal, cereal bars, oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, cooking spray, peanut butter, jelly, taco seasoning mix, dry ingredients to make chocolate cupcakes, laundry soap, dish soap and dishwasher tabs, dryer sheets, a variety of plastic bags, our cups and water bottles, aluminum foil, ketchup, mayo, mustard, a sturdy kitchen knife, extra kitchen towels and washcloth ... so far!! I'll post a photo of the cooler and it's contents later.

There is no need to spend all of your vacation budget on food. Particularly when you are driving. Make a list, shop the deals, make a menu, and go - ENJOY - your vacation!!

This post is linked to : Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.

Menu Plan - Week of August 16

2010-08-14T08:13:00.005-04:00

Summer is quickly drawing to a close here ... sniff, sniff! We are still planning, Lord willing, two more trips to the beach and then it's back into the Autumn and Winter routines full swing. I have thoroughly enjoyed this season and the extra time with little man at home. But, I can say with confidence it's been way too hot for my liking and I am eagerly anticipating the milder temperatures that Autumn brings. I am certainly hoping temperatures will be milder by the time late September arrives. I am participating in a 5K race - a first for me - at the end of September. We have 2 fun play dates planned this week with litte man's best buddies. There will definitely be a few batches of Sour Gummies made this week!

Sunday, August 15:
B - Blueberry Fritters with bacon
L - Leftover pork roast and potato salad from a BBQ on Saturday
D - Rotisserie Chicken, green beans, baked potatoes

Weeknight Dinners:

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta with a green salad
Ranch and mushroom pork chops, green beans (recipe coming later this week)
Egg rolls with crunchy Asian slaw (recipe coming later this week)
Grilled fish, saffron rice, green salad

Baking, Freezer Cooking, Etc.:
One of my goals this year is to get away from packaged spice mixes and make our own. We have a wonderful fajita seasoning in the pantry now and I want to try to make a few more this week.

Creative - and Frugal - Gift Bag

2010-08-13T20:43:00.004-04:00

Does anyone else have a boatload of stickers from their days of scrapbooking? A few years back, I was obsessed with stickers and bought just about every cute one I found. I have since discovered several creative uses for my stockpile. One of those uses is decorating gift bags.

It's no secret that a cute, decorated gift bag can range from $2.50 - $6.00. A plain colored bag can be found at most any Dollar Tree for $1.00. Add your own stickers, maybe some detail with a permanent marker or paint pen, and enjoy the recipient's smile at a unique presentation!

Days 5-8 - 31 Days to Build a Better Home

2010-08-08T17:29:00.002-04:00

Have you joined in the 31 Days to Build A Better Home Challenge? It's not to late to jump in!

Day 5: Get Rid of Some Paper Clutter
~ While cleaning off the back stairs on Day 4, I generated quite a lot of paper that needed to be shredded. Tonight is the night our trash goes out, so all those itty bitty pieces of info are heading out!

Day 6: Plan Some Family Game Time for the Weekend
~ DH and little man are big gamers in our home - they love the Wii and all games associated with the Lego product line. Occasionally, I will convince them to put away their games in favor of a sports game that I enjoy. We had a blazing HOT weekend here, so some indoor time was a must. We enjoyed bowling, Frisbee golf, and regular golf.

Day 7: Flirt with Your Husband All Day Long
~ Done! And oodles of fun, by the way :)

Day 8: Bless Your Parents and Your In Laws
~ We are very blessed to live close to our parents. My parents live less than 10 minutes away and DH's parents are about an hour. It's a Monday night tradition that little man and I eat dinner with my parents while DH has band practice at church. Today, I cut up some fresh peaches and added a bit of brown sugar. I plan to take those and some angel food cake tomorrow night as a healthy(ish) dessert for all of us.

GO visit the ladies at Today's Housewife and join in!

Days 3 & 4 - 31 Days to Build a Better Home

2010-08-04T15:36:00.006-04:00

I am absolutely loving this challenge over at Today's Housewife! A few moments a day really is all it takes to get something done. The challenge for day 3 was to teach your child(ren) to help in a new way. This is not exactly a totally new thing for us, but it's always a struggle - donating toys! We spent some time yesterday sorting and he did pretty well:The carton above will go to his new preschool in a few weeks. I am hoping to add much more to it before school starts.

The challenge for day 4 - today - is to clean a spot that no one sees. For us, it's our stairs leading up to the bonus room. Very few people see this spot - including me since there's a door I usually keep closed. It's far too easy to let things pile up on the stairs thinking "I'll take that up next time I go."

Well, I haven't been up there in several days. And on my last few trips, I have simply walked right past the piles. So, today was the day! And it only took 20 minutes - sheesh!! Why did I wait so long?It's not too late to join in!!

Day 2 - 31 Days to Build a Better Home

2010-08-02T17:01:00.002-04:00

I spent the most wonderful day today down at the coast visiting with a dear friend from high school. Her son is just a few months older than our little man and the boys have such fun digging in the sand, chasing waves, playing in the ocean, and attempting to boogie board. This trip has been planned for several weeks - we try to get together once a month or so.

Imagine my delight when I came home and checked in over at Today's Housewife to see that today's task in the 31 Days to Build a Better Home challenge is to "catch up with an old friend." Not a problem for me - today was full of laughter and fellowship.

Two days down, 29 to go - we're off to a great start here!

Day 1 - 31 Days to Build a Better Home

2010-08-01T16:46:00.004-04:00

Today's challenge is to plan a menu for the week. You all know that I love doing that anyway, so today is a nice way to ease into the 31 Day Challenge for me! Little man starts back to preschool this week, we have a day trip planning to visit friends, and I am trying to minimize our grocery expense this week.

Sunday:
Roasted Chicken, mashed potatoes, and Honey Ginger Carrots

Prep for Week - make banana pudding, Hummus, and put chicken carcass into slow cooker overnight to make stock

Weeknight Meals:

Homemade chicken noodle soup with Buttery Breadsticks
Spaghetti with homemade sauce, green salad, and remaining breadsticks
Taco salad with lettuce, garden tomatoes, homemade pico de gallo, and homemade chips
Parmesan Chicken Sticks, mac & cheese, green beans

Grocery list for the week:

Lettuce
Cilantro
Red onion
Vanilla pudding mix
Vanilla wafers
Coffee creamer
Green beans (farm stand)
Tomatoes & jalapenos (mom & dad's garden)

Visit Today's Housewife to join in the 31 Day Challenge and to be inspired this month!

31 Days to Build a Better Home

2010-07-31T15:33:00.002-04:00

As the summer draws to a close, it seems time to refocus and get things back in order around here. The 31 Days to Build a Better Home challenge at Today's Housewife comes at a great time! Want to join in?

Who Wants to Stay THERE??

2010-07-28T21:44:00.008-04:00

Our new(ish) home has 3BR on the main level. The layout lends itself well to having a little one. Yet, it also tends to cause our "guest bedroom" to become the dumping ground for the things I am too busy, er - lazy, to take upstairs. This is what we had after several weeks of neglect ...
I spent several hours sorting, trashing, and putting things where they belong. Thank goodness, we ended up with a much more peaceful space that seems inviting to guests now. I think our friends will be glad to come stay a few days!It is so nice to have another usable space in out home. This room also has my desk and Bible study materials in it. I am so eager to have a dedicated space to dive back into the Word. I am eager for a fresh breath from God and so glad to have a quiet, calm space to seek Him!

This post is linked to: Tackle it Tuesday at 5 Minutes for Mom

Menu Plan - Week of July 26

2010-07-25T18:57:00.004-04:00

We are in the middle of a tremendous heat wave here. As with many parts of the country, our average temperatures are at least 10 degrees above normal. That's simply too hot to grill ... sniffle! You all know how much I love having DH toss meat on the grill and calling dinner "done." We've actually used to slow cooker a few times this week! This coming week holds a few days of intense cleaning and re-organizing for me, as little man will be at the in-laws farm. I have a list longer than my arm of things I'd like to get done. I'll keep you posted!

Weeknight Dinners:

Creamy Corn Chowder with homemade French Bread
Beef tacos, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. with homemade guacamole and chips
DH and I will get sushi one night while little man is out of town
Chicken and gravy over saffron rice with green beans

Wishing you a blessed week in your home!

Menu Plan - Week of July 19

2010-07-19T13:25:00.003-04:00

There is a bounty of farm-fresh produce in our home right now. Corn, squash, tomatoes, basil, blackberries and blueberries are all filling our counters and 'fridge. We have some chicken and a small amount of ground beef in the freezer also. The plan this week is to stay out of the store - use what we have, enjoy the harvest, and stay out of the heat.

Weeknight Dinners:

Leftover chicken from grill night with Creamed Corn
Chicken and veggie quesadillas with homemade guacamole
Roasted Chicken with potatoes and carrots
Salmon patties (similar to crab cakes) with orzo, mozzarella, and tomato salad

Baking, Breakfast, Freezer:

Zucchini Brownies
Banana muffins - I started with this recipe, used half whole wheat flour, a bit less sugar, and baked it as muffins. Half are on the counter and half in the freezer already.

A Fresh Perspective

2010-07-19T13:24:00.001-04:00

I was watching Ratatouille a few days ago with little man for, oh the 400th time and was struck by a scene at the end of the movie. A waiter asks a famous food critic what he'd like for dinner and the food critic responds with "I'd like some perspective." I know I need some! What's important, what's first, what can I let go, who am I afraid to upset by saying "no," why do I think I should be perfect, what is perfect - anyway?!?!? You see the struggle, right? Please tell me you see it - and maybe feel some of it - too!

My perspective should come from remembering God's call on my life. Plain and simple. I stray from this very often and by NO means am I advocating a "follow me" philosophy. Girls, we'd all be going over the same high, dangerous cliff if you followed me. Follow Christ!!

I started a new Bible study last week with an amazing group of women. The scripture inspiration is from 1 John:4. "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." (1 John 4:10-11) As one of Christ's followers, the most important thing I can do is to LOVE. First God, then loving those around me. It sounds so simple, yet loving requires being vulnerable, being accessible, being sacrificial. Those things are much harder. I am working every day to become more loving. I pray you are too!

Menu Plan - Week of July 5

2010-07-05T17:06:00.000-04:00

July 4th ... fun, family, fireworks! It's not often that the holiday falls on a weekend and we get 3 days at home with DH. This year we are blessed to have one more full day to spend with him. How do we spend those days? Well, little man and DH often head out to the local par 3 golf course and play a round or 2.And, of course, we relax with family and friends, eat too much, and usually get a bit pink from the sun. Ahhh ... the joys of summertime!!

Weeknight Dinners:

Beer can chicken with roasted potatoes and fresh tomatoes with basil
Beef tacos with all the fixings and Refried Beans
Creamy Pasta Primavera with green salad
Spicy BBQ Chicken with Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad

Have a blessed week in your home!

Menu Plan - Week of June 27

2010-06-26T07:30:00.010-04:00

Hot, Hot, Hot!!! The local temperature hit 101 on Thursday, 100 % humidity. Too hot to even grill some nights. In light of the blazing heat, I am planning simpler meals and will build in several nights to use up leftovers. I am also trying to use up what we have on hand in an effort to NOT visit the grocery again this month ... we'll see! I'll be posting soon about our plans for the coming week. Free movies, parks, pools, and maybe a live baby crocodile are on the agenda!

Sunday: DH is playing in the praise band at church and has a Deacon meeting. We'll have a big lunch and then light dinner.
Overnight Coffee Cake and bacon
40 Clove Garlic Chicken with carrots and mashed potatoes
Grilled cheese sandwiches with pretzels and yogurt for dinner

Weeknight Dinners:

Beef Machaca on corn tortillas with homemade guacamole, cheese, lettuce, etc. (I'll use the leftover meat to make Beef Taquitos to put in the freezer for easy lunches)
Chicken Salad: leftover chicken from Sunday over green salad with all the fixings
Spaghetti with homemade sauce and Italian Cheese Bread
Pizza night with green salad (I have tried time and again to make my own pizza with no luck. We buy ours at a local store for about 7.00 for a huge pizza that leaves enough for lunch the next day)

Breakfast, Freezer, Snacks:

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothies
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Waffles with Mamma Callie's Syrup (I plan to make a double batch of both waffles and syrup. I'll probably make them one afternoon and then re-heat in the morning.)
Chewy Granola Bars - have I mentioned lately that little man can eat a whole batch of these in 3 days?? He LOVES them! I do modify a little bit - I'll post the recipe later this week.

Have a blessed week in your homes!!

Pocket Full of Ideas

2010-06-20T21:23:00.005-04:00

I am finding, this being our 3rd summer home full time, that there are certain activities readily available, relatively inexpensive, and fairly consistent in schedule. I want to share with you some of our standard weekly activities that will speckle our summer schedule. Checkout the links too - many are nationwide!

Free Kid's Movies!!
Family Film Festival at Regal Entertainment Group

Free Bowling!!
Kids Bowl Free

Letterboxing or Geocaching!!
Letterboxing
Geocaching

Day Trips!!
We live smack in the middle of a state rich with amazing opportunities - sand, surf, the Smoky Mountains, military bases, wetlands, marshes, lakes, rivers, fishing piers, boat landings, and on, an don, and on!!! I am confident your state provides just as many opportunities for free family fun. Start with your local county Parks & Recreation Department. Then, move on to the major cities and their local chamber of Commerce sites.

Google is your friend, moms!!! Type in what you want, what you dream, what you wish for ... and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised that someone has developed a day camp emphasizing the skills your little one needs to have fine-tuned. I would love for you to share what you are doing this summer!

Changing Things Up ...

2010-06-18T21:26:00.004-04:00

Summer is in full swing at our house and that means 2 major changes ... home full time with little man and using the grill almost every night for dinner. I am going to try something new over the next few months. I want to share not only what we eat, but how we spend our time. I don't have any delusions that my ideas will be earth-shattering or really even all that creative. But, what I share will be real - the successes and failures. I am praying to have many of each. I hope you'll join me to celebrate the fun days of summer! First post coming tomorrow!!

Menu Plan - Week of June 6

2010-06-06T17:29:00.002-04:00

Is it that time again, already?? I vowed to do better this summer staying on a plan and have failed woefully. Try, and try again, right?

We have a fun week planned here. I am praying that the Lord gives us the motivation and momentum to tackle all the opportunities presented in the next 7 days. I find it so easy to open up my planner and write down commitments without consulting Him first. I am being convicted daily by the words of King Solomon "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21.

And yet, here I am - making another plan! This time revolving around food. We have to eat though. And I am happier and more confident knowing we have options close at hand without running to the grocery every day for some obscure, one time use ingredient.

Weeknight Dinners:

Grilled salmon, green salad, and pasta with homemade pesto sauce
Teriyaki chicken and pineapple in the slow cooker with rice and broccoli
Italian sausage with peppers and onions on hoagie rolls
Pizza with green salad or Chinese take out
C.O.R.N. (clean out refrigerator night)

Snacks, Breakfast:

Chewy Granola Bars
Lemon Cake (my mom's recipe and a summertime favorite in our home)
Whole Wheat Cinnamon Waffles (double batch and flash freeze - so yummy!)

Have a blessed week in your homes!!!

Menu Plan - Week of May 22

2010-05-24T15:40:00.005-04:00

It's the last week of preschool for us and the first week with DH working his new job from our home every day. So, I am working harder to restock the freezer and pantry with quick, healthy, yummy meals and snacks. Since all 3 of us will be home now, it's essential to plan ahead to avoid the 12:00 rush for fast food and the even more costly 5:30 take out orders. We will be heading to the pool nearly every day starting next week and I am on the lookout for nutritious meal options that can be easily packed into a cooler.

Weeknight Dinners:

Baked Chicken Fingers (double batch), Baked Meyer Lemon Fries, and coleslaw
Grilled BBQ Chicken, pasta salad, grilled asparagus or corn
Cheeseburgers, baked beans, and tater tots
Pizza night with green salad
Margarita marinated grilled steak with homemade guacamole, Mango Pico de Gallo, and tortilla chips

Lunches:

My two biggest time savers when it comes to lunch are to prepare a batch of basic pasta salad and a huge green salad early in the week. Then, I can use leftover meat and add a yogurt to have a complete lunch in less than 5 minutes.
Baked Chicken Fingers over green salad with homemade croutons
BBQ Chicken over pasta salad
Quesadillas using leftover grilled steak
Steak sandwiches with horseradish cream and chips

Snacks:

Menu Plan - Week of May 15

2010-05-15T21:21:00.003-04:00

We just returned from a week in the desert Southwest. It was a great vacation and I am inspired to try out some regional flavors this coming week. Our Spring season is winding down rapidly as preschool is ending, vacations are beginning, and the Southeastern US heat is in full force. Now is the time for simple, flavorful meals that require little to no stove-top time. Have a wonderful week in your home and head over to see Laura for more menu plans each week!

Weeknight Dinners:

Grilled chicken with chipotle BBQ sauce, pasta salad, grilled corn with chipotle butter
Grilled Fish Tacos with Cilantro-Lime Viniagrette
Salad with chipotle grilled chicken (cook extra on grill), homemade tortilla strips, black beans, cheese, tomatoes, and the remainder of the Cilantro-Lime Viniagrette
Egg rolls with coleslaw

Baking:

Chewy Granola Bars

Menu Plan - Week of May 2

2010-04-30T18:05:00.002-04:00

What an amazing, and emotional, 2 weeks in our home. My sweet friend went home to be with Jesus, Spring arrived in full force, and our first extended travel of 2010 is just around the corner. God has been so present, so REAL, so forceful in our lives over the past 2 weeks. I would love to share with you every provision, every blessing, every fresh wind of the Holy Spirit we have felt. It's been simply amazing! We have been simply doing enough to keep our bellies from rumbling. The pantry is nearly bare, the freezers are almost empty, and I surely don't want to get on the scale. Back to the routine this week! One week of normal (whatever that is) and then 2 weeks of travel. I'm going to try something new this year and actually post our menus while we are traveling too. We'll see how it goes!

Weeknight Dinners:

Grilled Pork Chops with Mango Pico de Gallo, homemade corn chips, and some veggie (maybe asparagus if it's on sale)
Beer Battered Fish, Garlic Fries, and coleslaw (one of my FAVORITE meals ever!)
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta, green salad
Pizza Night with green salad or cut veggies & ranch dressing

DH starts a new job this week, little man and I leave Friday for a week, and it's supposed to be in the upper-80's every day. So ... no baking, no freezer cooking, just dinner and scrambling for breakfast and lunch.

Have a great week! Look for God in the little things and you will find that He's doing big things in your life!

Taking a Break

2010-04-28T06:34:00.003-04:00

I will be back next week. My sweet friend who had been struggling with cancer for several months went home to be with Jesus on Sunday night. I am taking a little break to grieve, minister to her family, and spend time with my sweet family. I have loads of things to catch up next week, one of the first will be responding to Holly's nomination for a blog award. Thank you Holly!

See you all next week!

Finer Things Friday - Skipping in the Streets

2010-04-23T07:16:00.007-04:00

I LOVE springtime! After being hunkered down inside for what felt like the worst-winter-ever in the south, we have been celebrating mild temperatures, low humidity, and sunshine. One of my favorite parts about spring and summer is the assortment of festivals and fun days in our downtown area. We live in the state capital and every weekend from April to November offers something fun, and usually free! Last Saturday, we went to a BBQ and Bluegrass festival hosted by one of the downtown restaurants. We had an amazing lunch, saw some great friends, and were very pleased with how much little man enjoyed the day. My favorite part? Watching DH and little man skipping through the downtown streets. Spending time together is definitely a Finer Thing! Head over to Amy's Finer Things to see what other bloggers are celebrating this week.

And I have to share this too - last night while the boys were outside cooking dinner, little man came running into the house with a HUGE smile on his face. He pulled the most beautiful rose from behind his back and said "God made this just for you mommy." So sweet!!

Menu Plan - Week of April 12

2010-04-13T07:27:00.002-04:00

The weather has been beautiful here in the South and we have been enjoying grilling, playing, and relaxing outdoors. My oomph with menu planning wanes during these months - somehow it seems silly to document that dinner most nights is "something on the grill." But, that's usually what we eat! I am going to be cleaning out the final items in our freezer stockpile over the next 2 weeks to make room for the bounty of fresh strawberries available at local farms. I love to go and get buckets full, wash them, and flash freeze them. I am also looking forward to making our first trip of the season to the farmer's market. Here's the plan for our week ...

Weeknight Dinners:

* Chicken Parmesan with green salad
* Scalloped Potatoes and Ham with corn or broccoli
Grilled chicken, pasta salad, Buttery Bread Sticks
Pizza with green salad

Breakfast, Baking, Snacks:

Menu Plan - Week of April 5

2010-04-04T20:40:00.003-04:00

Hmmmm ... what to eat? It's been a great weekend with family and friends - come tomorrow it will be odd to be back to "normal." I have not really given much thought to our menu this next week. We are short on groceries, so creativity is definitely in order!

Weeknight Dinners:

White Chicken Enchiladas - we did end up spending Friday with my parents, so these did not get made last week
Creamy Ranch Pork Chops with rice and a veggie
Spaghetti with Italian Cheese Bread and green salad
Pizza night (or grill night depending upon the grocery store deals published on Wed.)

Baking, Breakfast, and Freezer:

Banana Bread (my sweet friend suffering with cancer adores this bread, so I'll be making extra for her)
Homemade Granola Bars

Menu Plan - Week of March 28

2010-03-28T19:53:00.002-04:00

It's Holy Week! The week we remember and celebrate the incredible sacrifice made by - and through - our Savior. I have been eagerly anticipating this week. Little man is on Spring Break, my mom is retiring this week, DH gets a 3 day weekend to celebrate Good Friday, and we have a fun trip planned to visit friends. There are so many wonderful things happening in my life this week and reasons to celebrate. The absolute best thing about the coming week though will be the Easter celebration - not the bunnies, Peeps, or plastic colored eggs. Our Easter celebration will focus on our risen Savior and how we can serve Him. I can't wait! Yes, we will eat this week too ...

Weeknight Dinners:

Grilled chicken salad - I cooked up 3 lb of honey Dijon marinated chicken and have a huge salad in the 'fridge. Put them together an call it dinner!
Grilled pork chops with pineapple salsa, asparagus, and Buttery Bread Sticks
* Pork Carnitas with lettuce, salsa, cheese, etc.
I would like to make White Chicken Enchiladas on Friday, but I highly suspect we'll end up at mom and dad's grilling out. Maybe I'll just bookmark the recipe for another night.

Breakfast, Baking, Freezer:

I have about 8 lb split chicken in the freezer - I plan to thaw it, cook it in the slow cooker, shred it, and plunk it back in the freezer for future use. I got it when it was on sale and was too lazy to prep it properly. Hence, it's still in the freezer.
Strawberries and Cream Bread (I may enough berries for 2 loaves)
Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Cinnamon Rolls (over the weekend)

Menu Plan - Week of March 21

2010-03-21T15:23:00.003-04:00

I have been really bad about sticking to a menu plan the past few weeks and we must get back on schedule around here. It's really be a little out of control - the 6:00 dinner rush, rooting through laundry baskets for clean socks, stacks and stacks of papers accumulating, and I really couldn't tell you the last time I cleaned toilets. There - all the skeletons are out of the closet. Now, to start dealing with them!

Weeknight Dinners:

Bourbon Chicken, broccoli, rice
* Chicken Parmesan, spaghetti noodles, green salad (carryover from last week)
Salmon patties, fries, coleslaw (carryover from last week)
Pizza and green salad

Lunch:

Pizza Pasta Salad
Green salad with grilled pork or leftover Bourbon chicken
Leftovers for DH
Little man eats a rotation of chicken nuggets, PB&J sandwiches, grilled cheese, spaghetti, sometimes leftovers

Breakfast, Snacks, and Freezer:

Whole Wheat Graham Crackers
Smoothies
Homemade Ice Pops

Self Control - or lack thereof ...

2010-03-20T06:46:00.000-04:00

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23

Several weeks ago I attended a womens conference and listened to Priscilla Shirer speak. She briefly mentioned her battles with food and referenced the verse above from Galatians as one that helped her break the bondage to food. For her, it was all about self control. Food itself is not bad, liking food is not bad; the problem comes when we have no self control and we overindulge.

God has been working on my heart over the past few weeks. I have read those verses over and over and over again and I am also being "smacked in the face" with my sheer lack of self control. Every decision I make throughout the day speaks of what I value and how much I trust God to fulfill His promises. When I make impulsive, over-indulgent, unwise, foolish, or plain old bad decisions, it reflects on me and the God I serve. I am also realizing that God has big plans for my life, my husband, our family and our little man. He could use all of us much more fully if I would display more self control. Practical examples? How I speak to people and the words I choose, how I choose to spend time, how many things I commit to doing, how I choose to spend resources, and many more things each day give me the opportunity to exhibit Biblical self control in my life.

I often try to convince myself that I have an area of sin under control - that I have overcome it. Self control was one of those area for a while. Until I realized that I had begun to control only the worst - or most obvious - things that caused me to exhibit a lack of self control. God continues to peel back layers and expose more opportunities for me to think differently and act differently. I am so thankful He's not done with me yet!

"...he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."
Philippians 1:6b

Is Your Personality Different From Your Child's?

2010-03-13T15:29:00.004-05:00

Somewhere along the way through schooling and the adventures into adulthood, most of us have taken a personality assessment. The widely used Myers Briggs test can be found everywhere from college dorms to workplaces to - yes! - even churches. I just had to go take this again - the short, free online version - because I had long since forgotten my type. I firmly believe my personality has changed over the years. I am now an ISTJ although I am sure I used to be an EN something something. So ... back to the original question. Is your personality style inherently at odds with your child's personality?

Mine is and I am praying every day that God gives me the grace to nurture our sweet little man and that He gives me just enough discomfort to know that He is the only way I am succeeding. How is my personality different from our son's? Let me count the ways ...

Little man is a complete and total extrovert. He is happy as a lark when around many other children in a loud place. I, on the other hand, am generally pretty anti-social. I enjoy the company of a few close friends and family, but am just as content with a book and the quiet of the back porch.
Little man requires little - if any - time to decompress and "chill out" during the day. We are working VERY hard on a consistent schedule that includes quiet time. Both for his sanity and mine :)
Little man is an avid talker! I do know, thanks to my sweet mom, that I was exactly the same as a child. So, I can't be too upset about this one. But, DH and I have decided on our new favorite game - who can be the quietest for the longest time. Little man never wins!

What about you? Are you finding yourself pushed, challenged, extended, and learning new and different things due to your child's personality?

Menu Plan - Week of March 14

2010-03-12T17:08:00.003-05:00

Remember last week when said I thought Spring might be here? Well, the green film on the driveway and cars proves it - Spring is here! And so is the warehouse club pack of generic Zyrtec. DH got a new grill last weekend and we have been putting it through a vigorous initiation period - we've grilled 3 times this week, so far! I hoped to continue the trend on into next week, but we are due for rain most days.

Weeknight Dinners:

* Chicken Parmesan with green salad
Salmon patties, pan fried potatoes, coleslaw
* Ribs, baked potatoes, corn
Chicken taco casserole with Mexican style rice

* Indicates a Slow Cooker recipe

Baking, Breakfast, and Freezer:

Homemade Egg McMuffins - make these first and then assemble
Chewy Granola Bars
I'll be cooking up chicken and ground beef this week to restock the freezer - it makes weeknight meals come together so much quicker to have the meat already cooked.

Go visit I'm An Organizing Junkie for over 300 menu plans each week!

Menu Plan - Week of March 7

2010-03-07T17:45:00.003-05:00

I don't want to jinx us here in the mid-South, but it appears that Spring has sprung!! Hooray!!! The 7 day forecast calls for at least 60 degrees every day the next week. DH is a deacon at our local church and we are having a revival this week. He'll be at church at least 3 nights early in the week, so dinners will be pretty simple.

Sunday:
B: Oatmeal
L: An assortment of leftovers and pantry items
D: Grilled salmon and roasted asparagus

Weeknight Dinners:

Steak burritos (using leftover steak from Saturday) with salsa, cheese, lettuce, and sour cream
Chicken gravy over rice (chicken is already precooked in the freezer), green beans
Spaghetti, Italian Cheese Bread, salad
Pizza and salad
Chinese take out (DH gets paid and this is such a fun treat for us ... under $10 and we can be stuffed!)

Baking, Breakfast, Freezer:

Banana Bread (2 loaves - one to share)
Sour Gummies - little man LOVES the ones from the store; not sure these are any more nutritious, but they'll be fun to make
Apple Chips

Have a wonderful week in your home. Go check out the hundreds of amazing bloggers at Laura's each Monday - most of the recipes I link to have been found there.

March Menu Plan

2010-03-01T20:33:00.005-05:00

Here's the rough plan for the month of March in our home. I will post additional plans each week which will include baking. I hope you gain some inspiration from this post!

Dinner with mom and dad - 4 times
Dinner at church - once for the whole family, 4 nights for DH
Creamy Ranch Pork Chops with rice and broccoli
Grilled cheese sandwiches with butternut squash soup
Chicken gravy over rice with sweet corn
Oatmeal with cinnamon, brown sugar, and raisins (DH will be at church - little man and I can indulge!)
Spaghetti with Italian Cheese Bread - 2 times
Pizza and green salad - 2 times
Taco Casserole with lettuce and tomatoes
Baked Lemon Chicken with rice and roasted asparagus
Salmon patties, pan fried potatoes, coleslaw
* Cranberry and Red Wine Glazed Pot Roast with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots
* Black Bean Salsa Chicken with homemade tortilla chips
* Chicken Parmesan with green salad

* Indicates a slow cooker recipe.

Menu Plan and Catching Up

2010-02-27T21:07:00.005-05:00

It has been an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G week in our house! God has been mighty, powerful, merciful, and gracious beyond measure. He is so good! Three sweet friends and I spent the weekend at a Going Beyond conference near our nation's capital and were all richly blessed. I was searching for a fresh word from the Lord, and wow!, did I get it. He never fails me, never disappoints me, and always leaves me hungering for more. Thank you Lord!

It has been a wild and crazy few weeks here full of blessing and trial. Many of you know that my wonderful sweet friend has been suffering from terminal cancer. Time is short now and every moment precious. God has blessed us so much with moments where we have both clearly felt His arms, His presence, His reassurance, His calm cool breeze, His power, His love, and His grace upon both of us. I am so thankful to be in this place at this time!

Some of you tune in weekly for the food, so let's get to it. My plan for the month of March will be posted Monday or Tuesday this week.

Weeknight Dinners:

Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan and green salad
Slow Cooker Black Bean Salsa Chicken with homemade tortilla chips
Creamy ranch pork chops, rice, and broccoli
Shrimp Alfredo with green salad and breadsticks

Baking, Breakfast, Freezer:

Cinnamon Oatmeal Muffins
Bagels (maybe with cinnamon and raisins)

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Finer Things Friday - Feb 19, 2010

2010-02-18T19:04:00.006-05:00

It's been a wild week around our house - lots of emotional and spiritual up and down. We are clinging to the promise "that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6b). God is faithful when we are not; God is merciful when we don't deserve it; God is gracious beyond measure. These things I KNOW to be true and I rest in them. Just a few glimpses into our week filled with grace ...

My 2 Snow Angels:
Shaking off the Chill with Hot Chocolate (and charming blue eyes!):

An Oldie, but Goodie, to Remind Me How Far We've Come:

Choosing to focus on the blessings in my life, the goodness in each day, and the joy in my family is definitely a FINER THING!

This post is linked to Finer Things Friday at Amy's Finer Things.

WFMW: Craft Cabinet

2010-02-17T12:06:00.005-05:00

When we moved into our new house several months ago, one of the main selling points for me was the huge eat in area/breakfast nook right off the kitchen. The area has 3 large windows plus a sliding door accessing the screened porch and is becoming one of my favorite spots in the house. I love to cook and we have a very active 4 year old little man. Combining all 3 things together, we decided to move all of little man's craft things into the breakfast area in the beautiful pie safe my MIL got us years ago.

Little man is close enough that we can talk while I am cooking and he has enough freedom to get out whatever he chooses. What's in the cabinet, you ask? Paints (washable paints plus paint with water books), markers, crayons, scissors and paper, coloring books, reusable sticker books, oodles of regular stickers, play-doh and writing practice books. His dry erase board is also in the breakfast area. This definitely works for me!

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.

Oh So Yummy - Faux-Reos

2010-02-16T19:43:00.006-05:00

These are scrumptious! I started with this recipe I found at King Arthur Flour and made a few changes. I would love to say that my changes made the cookies markedly more healthy, but really - it's an oreo! There's no redeeming health value in these. The only comfort I have is that I know exactly what's in these and I know to limit myself to just one.

Changes/Recommendations:
I did sub one half cup of whole wheat flour and found I needed to add one more teaspoon water to the filling mix. The extra water may have been needed since it's been cold and dry here today.

Also, the recommended size makes a rather large cookie. I will make them with no more than 1 teaspoon of dough for each cookie next time. These came out at least 2.5 times the size of a regular oreo cookie.

Menu Plan - Week of February 15

2010-02-14T19:52:00.004-05:00

This past week brought us another round of snow in the south and we are all just about D.O.N.E. with winter now. I desperately need to do some cooking and baking this week and restock the freezer. Things have been wild here for several weeks and I am praying for a calm week to focus on making our home a haven and taking care of my men. Head over to I'm An Organizing Junkie for more inspiration each week!

Weeknight Dinners:

Chicken and veggie stir fry over Basmati rice
Beef tacos, refried beans, and Spanish rice
Pizza Pasta Bake with green salad
Roasted Pepper Soup with grilled cheese sandwiches
one night at church

Baking, Breakfast, and Freezer:

Menu Plan - Week of February 8

2010-02-08T14:29:00.003-05:00

I always have trouble figuring out what to write at the beginning of a menu planning post. It all seems sort of silly to me since the point is to share the food with you. So, that's what we're diving in to today. And I have a head cold, so I'm not in a great mood ... sorry, just the facts this week!

Weeknight Dinners:

Crock Pot Peanut Chicken, orzo pasta, green salad
Spaghetti, rolls, green salad
Loaded Potato Soup with rolls
Beef tacos
I am looking for an easy, and frugal, recipe for fried rice. Likely I will make chicken fried rice one night too once I find a good recipe.

Baking, Breakfast, Freezer:
The first round of freezer jam turned out very good, if I do say so! I used this recipe as a start, but used blackberries and raspberries instead. It turned out so good! A bit overly sweet for me, but that's okay.

Chewy Granola Bars (made this morning - such a good way to start the week!)
Sweet Potato Cake

What's cooking at your house this week? head over and see Laura if you need inspiration!

February Menu Plan

2010-01-31T10:35:00.004-05:00

The month of February is beginning with snow here in the South - an unusual sight and one that inspires soups, chilis, stews, and all arrays of comfort food. This month, I will continue to use some of the skills learned during last month's Eat From the Pantry Challenge. I will also though be making a major trip to the warehouse club to restock - after the ice melts!

Dinners:

Spicy Fatboy Sausage Pasta with green salad
Loaded Potato Soup with homemade rolls
Cuban Sandwiches and fries
Tacos, refried beans, and Spanish rice (using this recipe for the meat mixture)
Chicken a la King with roasted asparagus
Chicken Pot Pie
* Jambalaya in Slow Cooker
Herb Marinated Pork Tenderloin
Spicy Fried Chicken
* Slow Cooker Orange Chicken with rice and broccoli
Super Bowl Dinner - * Chicken Nachos deviled eggs, and other assorted artery clogging yummy things!
* Meatballs over rice with green salad
Pizza Pasta Bake
Spaghetti and green salad (2 times)
Pizza night (3 times)

Baking, Breakfast, Freezer:
I am trying to decide how best to use up almost 15 pounds of frozen berries in our freezer. Freezer Jam will be my first choice. Then probably smoothies and on to baked goods. I will share plans and recipes as the month goes along.

Menu Plan - Week of January 31

2010-01-30T21:33:00.003-05:00

The month of January was amazing in our house. We participated in the Eat From the Pantry Challenge and reduced our grocery spending significantly. We also had our first snow of the season in NC and we thoroughly enjoyed it. God has continued to richly bless our family over the past month and we are so grateful! This week, I am cleaning out the last few items from our freezer and pantry and will be making a big run to the local warehouse store to restock. Here's what's cooking at our house. Head over to I'm An Organizing Junkie for more inspiration!

Weeknight Dinners:

Spicy Fatboy Sausage Pasta with green salad
Slow cooker soup with Italian Turkey Sausage, mushrooms, carrots, and tomatoes (recipe on Tuesday is it turns out good)
Spaghetti with green salad
Pizza night

Baking and Breakfast:
We had a snowstorm this week and lost our heat at home, so I have been hunkered down at my parent's house with little man. Not much baking has been done, so there is a lot of carryover. Not too exciting, but - hey - it's life!

Menu Plan - week of January 25

2010-01-24T20:13:00.003-05:00

It's the final week of the Eat From The Pantry Challenge and it's been quite a lot easier than I thought it would be. One of my favorite parts of our house is the huge pantry. It's been so fun to fill it up, but we don't need a full pantry with only 3 people. That is another area of discipline I need to work on - just because the space is there, I do not have to fill it.
Here's what's cooking this week:

Weeknight Dinners:

Slow cooker roast with carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms
Aussie Chicken, broccoli, and rice
Spaghetti with Carbonara sauce, green salad
Pizza night

Baking and Breakfast:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Homemade Poptarts (did not get to these last week)

Head over and see Laura for hundreds more menu plans each week.

Menu Plan - week of January 18

2010-01-17T15:34:00.006-05:00

After a wonderful 4 day vacation to celebrate our 10 year anniversary, DH, little man, and I are all getting back into the swing of normal life again. I am continuing with my goal of Eating From the Pantry and cleaning out our food stockpile. Tonight is the last night of vacation style low key cooking, and then back to the routine tomorrow. Go visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more inspiration.

Weeknight Dinners:

Homemade Chicken Nuggets, carrots and applesauce
Taco Pinwheel with lettuce and tomatoes
Quick Homemade Tomato Soup with grilled cheese sandwiches
Oven roasted pork butt, Hash Brown Casserole, green beans
Homemade chicken noodle soup with rolls
Pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, and fries

Baking and Breakfast:

Homemade Poptarts
English Muffins (making these in the hopes of making lunch size pizzas for little man)
Strawberry Fruit Leather

Menu Plan - week of January 4

2010-01-03T16:46:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year! School starts back for us this week, as does consistent out of the house work. It's also going to be the coldest week in over 20 years according to the weather forecasters. There will be lots of soups and chili style meals this week because I firmly believe nothing's better than chili when it's cold. As part of the Eat From the Pantry Challenge, I am making note of which meals are freezer/pantry meals with the note "F/P". I am aiming high this week to do all dinners from our supply to minimize our grocery trip this week.

Weeknight Dinners:

Chili and cornbread (F/P)
Beef stew with homemade bread (F/P)
Chicken and gravy over rice with corn or green beans (F/P)
Chicken egg rolls with Asian style slaw (F/P)

Snacks, Baking, Breakfast:

Banana chocolate chip muffins (F/P)
Gingerbread Waffles - while not made yet, I do have all the ingredients in the pantry
Bananas Foster Sauce for ice cream, waffles, over top of cardboard (just kidding!) - I have some bananas about to go bad and will use some for a replacement batch of muffins and some for this recipe
Little man is trying to convince me to make an apple pie ... I have all the ingredients, just not the oomph. I've not had any luck with pies before, but I might try again for him.

What's cooking at your house this week? Go visit I'm an Organizing Junkie if you need inspiration!

Resolutions & Goals ... or Simple Faith?

2010-01-02T17:30:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!! It's time for resolutions and goals and planning the year to achieve the ever-elusive "balance." I have read - 2 times - in the past few months Nancy Ortberg's "Looking For God." First - if you have not read this - go buy it! it is so amazing and so very liberating. I want to specifically share some quotes from the chapter titled "The B Word." and how her thoughts illustrate my everyday life - as a wife, daughter, mom, friend, and sister in Christ to many fabulous women.

"You'd be hard pressed to find a person in the Bible who was noted for his or her "balanced life.""

" You can build a case for a lot of things from the Bible - picking up your cross, denying yourself, abandoning yourself to a good God, paying the cost of discipleship - but there aren't a lot of case studies on balance."

"Balance gives the illusion of control. The comfort of order."

We love the idea of balance because we love to be in control - it's part of our sinful nature. Leading an un-balanced, Christ focused life means giving up our control. We make lists, charts, color coding systems, labeling systems, ad nauseam to try to gain control over this wild ride called LIFE. You know what? God hasn't designed us to be in control - news flash, I know!

Just to give you a glimpse of a totally un-balanced life ... let me share what we've been going with a 2 week break from school and work. Spending time with family, sharing meals with friends we have not seen in ages, comforting a dear friend diagnosed with cancer, laughing hysterically while we attempt to learn a new video game and having play dates. Are there other things on my never ending list - sure! But, I am learning to give up some control, enjoy the days God has given me, find His glory in the circumstances of every day, and to try - desperately - to soak it all in.

As the new year dawns, I have things in my mind that I hope to accomplish in 2010, who doesn't? But, rather than be a slave to my list or to enlist someone to keep me accountable to a set of goals, I am seeking prayer warriors to keep me totally committed to living each and every day for the glory of God. The rest will fall into place. Will my house always be clean - nope. Will all the laundry always be done - nope. Will every wall of every room be decorated - nope. But ...

Will we always have room for visitors - absolutely. Will we laugh, hug, kiss, and love every day - absolutely. Will we give God all the glory for it - absolutely!! Will we live by simple faith, knowing that God is all powerful, all knowing, and sovereign - ABSOLUTELY!!!

January Menu Plan

2009-12-30T18:03:00.005-05:00

Since committing to the Eat From The Pantry challenge, I have actually gotten excited about seeing how low we can go with our grocery budget this month. We have several things already prepared in our freezer and I have ingredients on hand to feed us healthy and flavorful meals all month. I will admit, yes, there's not as much variety as some months, but it's a challenge folks! We're out of town 4 days this month and will continue our weekly dinners at my parent's house also.

Dinners:

Chili and cornbread (2 times) - freezer
Beef stew with homemade bread - freezer
Chicken and corn chili with homemade tortilla strips (2 times) - freezer
Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce, rice, broccoli
Creamy Ham Casserole, corn
Chicken & gravy over rice, corn
Chicken a la king over puff pastry, broccoli
BBQ pork (Boston butt), homemade mac and cheese, green beans
Pulled pork sandwiches, fries, coleslaw
Pork burritos with black bean salsa
Bean soup, homemade bread
Grilled cheese sandwiches and Quick Homemade Tomato Soup
Breakfast for dinner (2 times)
Baked pasta, green salad (2 times)

Baking, Freezer, Snacks:

Eat From the Pantry

2009-12-28T20:17:00.005-05:00

I am constantly amazed at the way God works in my life. I have been fretting a bit over cutting our expenses further as I may be facing some changes at work this year. Then, while trolling around my favorite blogs tonight, I saw this post at Amy's Finer Things. I followed the links and ended back at one my all time favorites, Money Saving Mom. I have followed Crystal of and on for several years and am always inspired. So, I could not pass up this challenge. If you want to join us, go visit Crystal at Money Saving Mom!

My Goals:

A complete inventory of 2 freezers, 2 refrigerators, and one big pantry
Cap our grocery budget for January at $50 per week. We are in need of some paper products from our local warehouse club, but I will work to source those items at the grocery and use coupons to our advantage.
Get rid of all the complete junk in our pantry - how does this accumulate so quickly over the holidays?
I have been doing monthly menu plans for a little over a year now. My continued goal is to refine them, reduce trips to the store, and overall increase nutrition while reducing cost.

Menu Plan - week of December 27

2009-12-26T18:34:00.004-05:00

We shared a wonderful long weekend with our family celebrating Christmas. We have 3 days of laughter, fun, stories, food, and love to reflect on. Little man is home from school for one more week and I am looking forward to spending some time with him. We'll be visiting our favorite children's museum, driving a few hours to visit a friend with a new baby, having a fun filled all day playdate, and much more this week! Meals will be simple and easy to prepare this week. I would much rather spend time playing with our sweet little man than over the stovetop. What's cooking at your house this week? Go visit Laura for hundreds more menu ideas weekly!

Weeknight dinners:

Spaghetti and green salad
Chicken enchiladas with rice
Ham and bean soup, green chili cornbread
Beef barley soup (using leftover prime rib bones to make the stock), rolls
Chicken egg rolls and Asian slaw

Baking, Freezer, Snacks:
I did not get everything done from last week's list, so I will try to accomplish the following this week -

Spaghetti Sauce
Gingerbread Waffles
Brown and freeze 10 lb ground beef
Chocolate chip cookies (we'll do these Monday during our playdate)

Tackling the Pantry

2009-12-22T15:50:00.005-05:00

I have posted time and time again about keeping our pantry neat and organized. Yet, time and time again, I end up with this ...Yep, total CHAOS - half empty boxes, unlabeled bags of random things, food purchased because it was "such a deal" that has lingered far too long. Please tell me I'm not the only one! So ... I set about organizing and cleaning out. Snacks went into individual containers and then into the snack basket, baking supplies were transferred to the right bulk containers, 3 bags were filled to take to a needy family at church, and order was restored! See ...I'm off to make a cup of cocoa, now that I know where the cocoa mix is - 2nd shelf, left side, behind the gourmet popcorn!

This post is linked to:

Tackle It Tuesday at 5 Minutes for Mom

Beer Cheese Soup with Sausage

2009-12-22T03:49:00.001-05:00

My sweet hubby made this for dinner over the weekend and the house smelled amazing. We both kept sneaking into the kitchen and tasting it :) That's the sign of a great recipe- one you can't stay away from! He made a few changes from the original recipe his co-worker gave him. DH's variations are below.

12 oz mild Italian sausage - ground/bulk
2 stalks celery, finely diced
2 large carrots, finely diced
1 medium yellow onions, finely diced
2 russet potatoes, diced into bite-sized pieces
1 bunch broccoli, diced into bite-sized pieces

2 sticks (1 cup) butter
2, 12 oz bottles lager style beer
4 C chicken stock

1/2 lb Velveeta cheese, cubed
2 C sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Hot sauce - we used Tabasco brand Chipotle flavor

1/3 cup butter, room temp
1/3 cup flour

1. Brown the sausage in a large stock pot
2. Remove sausage, do not drain pan. Add butter and melt. Add veggies and potatoes.
3. Saute veggies for about 8 minutes, until they begin to soften
4. Add beer, chicken stock, and add browned sausage back in
5. Bring to a rolling boil and add cheeses, slowly, stirring to melt
6. Add spices - I have no exact measurements on these. Just do it all to your taste. Start with a small amount and increase as needed, adjust heat to keep soup simmering
7. If needed to reach desired consistency, make a roux from the last portion of flour and butter. Add it in while soup is simmering, stirring constantly.

ENJOY!!!

This post is linked to:
Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace

Menu Plan - Week of December 20

2009-12-21T07:24:00.004-05:00

It's Christmas week!!! Little man is out of school for 2 weeks and I am so excited about spending time with him - watching movies, cooking and baking, visiting our favorite places in town, visiting friends and family. Somehow over the past 6 weeks, our house has been turned on it's head. So, I am certainly looking forward to some time to get things organized again. On to the food!

Weeknight Dinners:

Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, broccoli
Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce, rice, creamed corn (company's coming for dinner)
Spaghetti with No-Knead Fococcia Bread
We'll be at DH's parent's house for Christmas Eve and then going to church. We will likely have leftovers late Christmas Eve after church.
We'll be at my parent's house for Christmas dinner. Dad and DH do standing rib roast / Prime Rib and mom and I will make potatoes and salad. I am also taking a Dark Chocolate Cherry Cobbler for dessert.

Baking, Breakfast, Freezer Re-stock:

I go through highs and lows when it comes to keeping a stocked freezer and pantry. The past few weeks, I have been neglecting this all important area. So, back to it this week!

Spaghetti Sauce
Applesauce
Brown and freeze 10 lb ground beef
Gingerbread Waffles
Banana Cinnamon Waffles
I also need to divide out some bulk packs of snacks into more manageable containers. I love buying things like Goldfish crackers and pretzels at BJ's, but then I put them into smaller packages for little man.

What's cooking at your house this week?

This post is linked to:
Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie

Mocha Chip Muffins

2009-12-18T18:16:00.004-05:00

This seems to be the week for adaptations in our kitchen - trying to use what we have rather than head to the store...again! I found this recipe at Someone's In The Kitchen With Daddy. It sounded wonderful, but I wanted to make it a bit healthier - I used olive oil for part of the butter, mainly whole wheat flour, and used sour cream instead of the yogurt since I did not have the flavor required. My variation is below. Enjoy!

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

8 T butter, softened
2 T olive oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1.5 C sour cream mixed with 6 T instant coffee

1 heaping cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375, spray 16 muffin cups with non stick spray or use paper liners
2. Mix first 5 ingredients in a bowl
3. Cream butter, olive oil, and sugar until creamy
4. Add eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Stop to scrape down sides a few times
5. Alternately add sour cream mix and dry ingredients, starting and ending with dry ingredients
6. Fold in chocolate chips
7. Scoop batter into muffin cups (I use an ice cream scoop), cups should be no more than 3/4 full
8. Bake in center of oven for 20-22 minutes

Creamy Ranch Pork Chops with Rice

2009-12-18T16:58:00.002-05:00

This recipe has become one of or favorite comfort foods. It is an adaptation of this recipe found on Recipezaar. I am not a fan of condensed soups, so I try to make substitutions when they are called for.

4 boneless pork chops, cut 1 inch thick
salt and pepper
2 T olive oil
6 T butter, divided
1/4 cup + 2 T all purpose flour
8 oz mushrooms, fresh chopped or drained from a can in a pinch is fine
3 cups liquid (I use 2 cups milk, 1 cup chicken stock)
1 package dry ranch dressing mix

1. Heat oven to 350
2. Heat olive oil and 2 T butter in a large skillet
3. Season chops with salt and pepper and sear on both sides. They do not need to be cooked through, they are going into the oven also.
4. Transfer seared chops to 9x13 baking dish, set aside
5. Put remaining 4 T butter into skillet - do not drain or clean pan
6. If using fresh mushrooms, saute them in the butter
7. Add flour to skillet and cook 5 minutes until smooth and starting to brown
8. Add liquid and ranch mix, slowly, while whisking. If using canned mushrooms, add them now. Simmer until desired consistency. We like ours about the same as a gravy.
9. Pour sauce over chops and bake 15-20 minutes or until chops are cooked through.

I serve these with brown rice and broccoli. Enjoy!

Menu Plan - Week of December 13

2009-12-12T16:51:00.002-05:00

Is it really less than 2 weeks until Christmas? WOW! Our season is staying busy as I am sure yours is too. We did not get to eat all the meals I had planned for last week, so there will be some repeats this week.

Sunday, December 13 -
B: Overnight Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
L: leftover soup - we have 2 kinds in the fridge to pick from
D: Chili with green chili cornbread

Weeknight Dinners -

Ranch pork chops and rice with green beans (recipe on Tuesday)
Pizza and salad
Carbonara Pasta with salad
*Chicken and Corn Chili with homemade tortilla chips

For hundreds more menu plans each week, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan - Week of Dec 7

2009-12-06T19:43:00.003-05:00

This week will be busy for us as my dad is having surgery on Tuesday. I will be taking little man to the in-laws on Monday and staying with my mom all day Tuesday. DH has band practice Monday night, we have church on Wednesday, Christmas party at church on Friday, and are trying to stay available for mom and dad as the week goes on too. My meal plan for this week is a bit loose and has lots of flexibility built in. I have all the ingredients on hand for each of these recipes, so that's a relief.

The word of the Lord that I am holding strong to this week is from Proverbs: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." ~Proverbs 3:5-6

Weeknight Dinners:

Pinto beans in slow cooker with chopped peppers, onions, and rice
Chili with green chili cornbread
Toscano Soup in slow cooker with Italian Cheese Bread
Spaghetti with remaining bread

Head over and visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for hundreds more menu plans each week.

Chocolate Coated Popcorn Mix

2009-12-05T15:33:00.006-05:00

I don't have a name for this concoction yet, other than yummy! I was wanting to make a fancy popcorn mix for little man's preschool teachers for Christmas, but found that I did not have all the ingredients to make any of the recipes I found. So, I worked with what I had :) You can adjust all the ingredients as need - the main thing to have is the popcorn, something salty and something sweet. SO ... no peanuts, use pretzels or another type of salted nut. No chocolate chips - shame on you! - but you could use M&Ms or those mini Hershey kisses. No raisins or don't like them - leave them out or how about cranberries, or Raisinets? This is essentially a double batch, so adjust as needed. Enjoy!!

2 bags microwave popcorn without butter, popped and cooled
1 heaping cup of salted peanuts
1 bag of Heath Toffee Bits
1-1.5 C raisins
1-1.5 C semisweet chocolate chips

2 bags white chocolate chips
5 T shortening, divided 4 and 1
1 C semisweet chocolate chips

wax paper
BIG mixing bowls - I mean HUGE ones!!

1. Stir together 1st 5 ingredients in a BIG bowl - I used the inside part of a cake carrier. You need something really big. Spread wax paper or parchment on your largest table - ours is 60" and this mix almost covers it.
2. Combine 2 bags white chips and 4 T shortening in a microwave safe bowl (use plastic if you can to prevent scorching). Heat at 70% power in 1 minute intervals until smooth and all chips are melted.
3. Pour white chocolate over the mixture created in step 1 and roll up your sleeves! Get out a big spoon and start "folding" everything together until most pieces have some chocolate on them.
4. Pour out onto the wax paper. Mix a bit more by hand if you find all the toffee pieces have settled to the bottom and fall out in one big clump (ask me how I know this!).
5. Head back to the microwave and heat the semisweet chips and remaining 1 T shortening in 30 second intervals on 70% power until smooth.
6. Use a fork to scoop up, then shake and drizzle the dark chocolate over top of the mixture. Resist the urge to lick the bowl! By the way, I use the same bowl as I use for the white chocolate. Why make more dirty dishes than needed?
7. Let it sit for at least 2 hours, then break apart and either devour it yourself or package it for gifts.

December Menu Plan

2009-12-01T06:50:00.002-05:00

The plan for this month is to keep things quick, easy, and centered around things we love to eat. We'll also be preparing yummy treat boxes for a variety of people - preschool teachers, Sunday School teachers, our church staff, and our neighbors. I have several ideas in mind that can be made in advance and are simple - mocha mix, Peppermint Bark Popcorn, fudge, Frosted Pecans - I'm still looking for more!

Spicy Honey Chicken, saffron rice, and green beans
SOS Gravy over biscuits: ground beef in milk gravy with lots of pepper - one of my favorites growing up
Pepperoni Cheese Bread and green salad
Turkey and wild rice soup with French Bread
Pork Chops with Raspberry Sauce with green salad and corn
Ranch pork chops and rice with green beans (recipe next week)
Chicken a la King over puff pastry, asparagus
Chili and cornbread
Pizza (x3)
Carbonara Pasta
Chicken Pot Pie
*Toscano Soup with Italian Cheese Bread
Chicken tacos
Spaghetti
Aussie Chicken, rice, and corn
*Beef and barley soup (we have prime rib for Christmas dinner and I love using the bones for soup)
*Chicken and Corn Chili

* denotes slow cooker recipe

Prepare the Way

2009-11-30T15:29:00.004-05:00

"In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God." ~Isaiah 40:3

As we enter the season of Advent, I wait eagerly for the celebration of Christmas. My heart has been convicted over the past several years to return my focus to the real reason we celebrate. Not the gifts, not the food, not even the time with our own family and friends. We are celebrating the birth of a sweet baby boy who grew into the man who wants to bring us all into a relationship with Him and with God Almighty. I have heard the verse above from the book of Isaiah for several years and every year I find deeper meaning in the words of the prophet. How often have I let my heart become like the desolate wilderness - barren, inhospitable, and uncomfortable? Why would Jesus want to hang out there? My challenge this year is to yield to the Holy Spirit and lay down a highway for Jesus to enter in on. Having grown up in Southern California, I am thinking about a huge, 20 lane highway - not just a little 2 lane road.

Jesus and His abundant love for me is the reason I want to clear out all the nasty stuff in my heart. His love for me is also the method to accomplish the task. I cannot change my heart on my own. I have proven that time and time again. The softening of my heart that has happened over the past 15 years has happened only through the incredible grace of God. That gives me plenty of reason to celebrate.

This post is linked to: Homemaker's Haven at A High and Noble Calling

Menu Plan - Week of November 29

2009-11-28T17:48:00.004-05:00

Whew! The whirlwind weekend is drawing to a close. We have had a wonderful weekend with our families and are eager to enjoy the rest of the holiday season. We're back to a normal schedule this week, which mean 2-3 nights away from home. Dinners will be quick, easy, and often in the slow cooker.

Sunday, November 29: We'll be at church all but 3 hours today, so I"ll have both slow cookers running!
B: oatmeal with raisins or cranberries
L: *Lasagna, Cheesy Garlic Swirls, and salad (carryover from last week)
D: *Ranch Chicken, rice, and green beans

Weeknight Dinners:

Enchiladas using leftover turkey - use this sauce recipe and serve with rice
Spice Honey Chicken and coleslaw
Pepperoni and Cheese Bread and green salad
SOS Gravy over biscuits - this is basically a milk gravy with browned ground beef served on top of cooked biscuits

Head over and see Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie for hundreds more menu plan each week!

Thanksgiving Menu

2009-11-25T16:39:00.002-05:00

One of the most wonderful things about living close to our families is that we get to see both sets of parents over the holidays. Years ago, my parents decided to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas on the day after each official holiday since my in laws have a larger family. We've been doing 2 day celebrations for almost 10 years and it's been wonderful.

On Thanksgiving day, we will be at my in laws home and my mom in law will serve all the traditional Southern Thanksgiving foods - turkey, creamed potatoes, pinto beans, cornbread, and an assortment of veggies. On Friday, we'll be at my parent's house trying something new - a variety of appetizers throughout the day rather than another large meal. The menu includes:

Ham and Cheese in Pufff Pastry
Sliders (mini burgers, like White Castle or Krystal)
Bacon Water Chestnuts
Ro-Tel dip - we mix 2 cans Ro-Tel, 1 lb ground beef, 1 lb hot sausage, and 1 lb Velveeta until heated and serve with tortilla chips
Cut veggies with Spinach Dip
Deviled eggs
Fruit and chocolate dip

Wishing you and your family a Thanksgiving richly blessed with laughter, hugs, and full of opportunities to make new memories - Happy Thanksgiving!

Vegetable Beef Soup

2009-11-23T19:48:00.002-05:00

Well, it's just Monday evening and I've already deviated from my menu plan this week. But - it's okay since I had all the ingredients on hand. Mom and I decided I would bring dinner tonight during our normal Monday night visit and dad does not like lasagna. So, I started thinking about what else I had on hand and came up with veggie beef soup. This meal is a true testimony that with a well stocked freezer and pantry, you can pull off yummy, homemade meals in no time. And, the bonus for me was this required no additional grocery shopping.

Vegetable Beef Soup:

1.5 lb ground beef (I had this in the freezer already browned with garlic and chopped onions)
2 c tomato sauce (I had some of mom's homemade marinara in the freezer that I used)
6 c water
1 small box green peas, frozen
1 - 16 oz bag corn, frozen
1 c lima beans or butter beans, frozen
2 small cans tomato paste
beef bouillon, 3-4 T
Mrs. Dash seasoning mix, original - 3-4 t
black pepper, 2-3 t

Heat the ground beef in a large stock pot with about 2 T olive oil. If not pre-cooked, cook until beef is no longer pink.
Add the tomato sauce, water, and bouillon
Add frozen veggies and tomato paste
Add 3-4 generous shakes of Mrs. Dash and approx 2 teaspoons black pepper
Cook until everything is well mixed
I did this on the stovetop, but you could easily do this in the slow cooker - just dump it all in and cook for 6-7 hours on low.

I served this with Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls and a tray of Pillsbury simply Chocolate Chip Cookies.

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

30 Day Giving Challenge Update - week 2

2009-11-22T20:50:00.002-05:00

What an amazing week we have had of giving! Many of you know I am an avid baker and it has been a pleasure to share some homemade goodies this week. I also turned back to a favorite hobby - writing cards to my dear friends. We have definitely been blessed over the past 2 weeks. However, I am not a believer at all in the philosophy of giving to receive. So ... I will gladly share ways we have given to other people, but will refrain from any sort of discussion about things received.

Continued our donations to the Salvation Army at our local Wal Mart. We probably should visit less so this does not show up on my weekly digest. Although, we did not spend much on this week's visit. I have been letting our 4 year old son put the donations in and it has been wonderful to see his smile.
Made a batch of Chewy Granola Bars for a dear friend and her son.
Made a batch of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins to share with the music minister at church and one of little man's preschool teachers.
Wrote a note of encouragement to a girlfriend from college who is going through a divorce.

Visit Kingdom First Mom to see how other bloggers are giving this month and to join in!

Menu Plan - Thanksgiving Week!

2009-11-22T16:57:00.002-05:00

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." This passage from 1 Thessalonians is one of my favorites and is particularly inspirational at Thanksgiving is upon us. There will, of course, be food in abundance this week. There will also be many opportunities to model and share what we have to be thankful for - our families, friends, and the amazing grace of God. I pray you all experience joy and thankfulness in the small things this week.

Sunday, November 22:

Sunday School brunch for the adults, little man had a Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin
Chicken and cheese quesadillas
Spanish style chicken and rice skillet

Weeknight Dinners:

*Lasagna, green salad, and Cheesy Garlic Swirls
Smoked sausage, *Macaroni and Cheese, green beans
Leftovers on Wednesday night
* denotes a slow cooker recipe

I will post our Thanksgiving menu a bit later in the week. We are trying something new this year with my family. We'll be having an assortment of appetizers throughout the day. There are lots of yummy sounding recipes that I will link up on Tuesday. Also, no baking this week - we have plenty of muffins in the freezer and bagels for breakfast.

Head over and visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for hundreds more menu plans each week.

Morning Routine

2009-11-15T19:01:00.003-05:00

I thought I would share what I *TRY* to get done each morning to make our house run a bit smoother. Remember, little man is in preschool each day and I work outside the home while he's there. Your routine may certainly be different depending on your circumstances.

Prayer time
Shower, clothes, make up, etc
Pick up bathrooms after little man and I get ready - wipe counters, re-hang towels, etc.
Make beds - little man does his and I do the master
Unload the dishwasher and start loading it back up
Make lunches for DH, little man, and me
Check email and Facebook (sometimes spending far too much time online!)
Start a load of laundry (usually every other day)
Breakfast for me and little man - I am trying very hard to consistently be reading God's word while we settle in over Cheerios.
Help little man get ready - clothes, brush teeth, hair, etc.
Out the door by 8:50!

What works for you in the wee hours of the morning??? This post is linked to:

The Homemakers Haven at A High and Noble Calling

30 Day Giving Challenge Update - week 1

2009-11-15T13:52:00.002-05:00

I started the 30 Day Giving Challenge a week late, but I am so enjoying being a part of it! We had many opportunities to give of our time and resources this past week, including:

Donated 3 complete Operation Christmas Child boxes and filled one half full for little man's preschool
Took lunch one day to my boss - we had 3 days of cold, rainy weather and Toscano Soup really hit the spot mid-day
Took the last of my maternity clothes to our local church run thrift store
Made Cranberry Oatmeal Muffins and gave them to preschool teachers and the administrative staff at our church
Donated to the first Salvation Army donation site we've seen this year at our local Wal Mart

It's been a great week and I look forward to finding more creative ways to give next week. Want to join in? Head over to Kingdom First Mom and sign up!

Menu Plan - Week of November 15

2009-11-15T13:19:00.002-05:00

Is it really less than 2 weeks until Thanksgiving? WOW!!! The next 2 weeks - and the 4 afterward leading to Christmas - will be busy for us, as I am sure they will be for many families. I am planning to double up on certain foods this week and freeze them. It's so great to have dinner in the freezer as the holidays approach and our days get busier.

Weeknight Dinners:

Sicilian Casserole and green salad (make 2)
Creamy Corn Chowder with grilled cheese sandwiches (carryover from last week)
*Chicken Stroganoff, yellow rice, and green beans
*Lasagna, green salad, and Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls (I made the rolls this week and found that using the recipe for only 12 rolls yields massive ones ... so, I am going to stretch the dough to make 18 and freeze the extras)

Head over and visit I'm An Organizing Junkie for over 300 menu plans each week.

Baking Day - the "plan"

2009-11-09T14:59:00.002-05:00

I am feeling the urge to have a baking day where I will precook and bake - duh! - several things to stock the freezer. This method of bulk cooking has been a wonderful thing for us. I will either get complete meals ready to do the majority of prep work so putting dinner together is a snap on busy days - or tired days. Here are some recipes I am considering for an upcoming day. I am hoping to fit in at least a half day session this week.

Brown 10 lb ground beef with garlic and onions; portion into meal size bags and freeze
Roast 10 lb split chicken with butter, salt, and pepper; shred and freeze in meal size portions
I have about 5 lbs of baby peppers that MUST be dealt with before a good deal goes dreadfully wrong
Oh, and some baby carrots too - probably should chop those up so as not to let another good deal get away from me

Breakfast and Snack Options:

30 Day Giving Challenge

2009-11-08T14:37:00.003-05:00

I am sitting here on our back porch while little man and DH sleep and am overwhelmed by how good God has been to me. I have an a amazing husband, wonderful friends, a supportive family, and the sweetest little man a mom could pray for. I was catching up on some of my favorite recipe blogs and saw the 30-Day Giving Challenge at The Finer Things in Life. I am going to join in this, even though it is now day 8. I'll do 30 days from today! The general idea is that every day for the next 30 days, I will give something to someone. I write down each day in a journal what I have given and also record things that come our way. I think this will be a great way to stay focused on doing God's work during this time of year and staying out of focus on the advertisements, decorations, and "must haves" of the approaching Christmas season. Want to join in?

Menu Plan - Week of November 8

2009-11-07T17:47:00.003-05:00

Sunday, November 8:

Overnight French Toast Casserole and bacon
Sandwiches, quesadillas, or leftovers for lunch
Chicken Taco Soup with green chili cornbread

Weeknight Dinners:

Creamy Corn Chowder with grilled cheese on homemade French Bread
Spaghetti, green salad, and Garlic Knots
Breakfast for dinner - maybe a frittata with French bread toast and homemade apple butter
Chicken Stroganoff, egg noodles, green beans
One night at mom and dad's house

Baking, Breakfast, Snacks:

I made a double batch of Banana Muffins today, so we are set for the week on muffins
Chewy Granola Bars

Need more inspiration? Go visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for over 300 menu plans each week!

Menu Plan - Week of November 2

2009-11-01T19:27:00.002-05:00

I said to DH tonight over dinner ... "Sometime this week we need to talk about Christmas." YIKES!!! It's the first of November - this year has flown by for us (well, for me at least). We are finally having a consistent week of cooler weather here in the south also, so I will be pulling out some slow cooker and casserole meals. There is just something about a daytime high in the 50s that make the slow cooker very appealing! We are looking forward this week to an early Christmas present for ourselves - we're going to the Casting Crowns and Matt Redman concert - fun!!

Visit I'm An Organizing Junkie for over 200 menu plans each week!

Dinners:

Taco Casserole (use chicken instead of ground beef), green salad
*Toscano soup in slow cooker (see recipe below), French bread
Aussie Chicken, yellow rice, and roasted butternut squash
Homemade pizza with green salad

Baking, Breakfast, Snacks:

Banana chocolate chip muffins
Baked Cinnamon Chips
Bacon cheddar biscuits for DH

Slow Cooker Toscano Soup
adapted from Fix-It and Forget-It 5-Ingredient Favorites

1 lb Italian sausage links (I use Johnsonville brand) - sweet or hot depending on your taste
4-15 oz cans Great Northern Beans, do not drain or rinse
1 large bunch of kale - remove tough stalks and tear into bite size pieces
approx 6 cups chicken broth, or water with boullion or base
pepper to taste - black or red flake are great

1. Slice sausage into disks approx 1/2 inch thick
2. Brown sausage in non stick skillet just to get a bit of color - they will finish cooking thoroughly in slow cooker
3. Place browned sausage, beans, broth, and prepared kale in a LARGE (5-6 quart) slow cooker
4. Cook 6-8 hours on low
5. Taste and add pepper if needed. It should not need salt with the chicken broth, but adjust the seasonings as needed.

November Menu Plan

2009-10-31T13:50:00.002-04:00

As we approach the holiday season with its inherent over-indulgences, I am setting my mind to keeping things simple in our home. From food to gift ideas to how we choose to spend our time these next 2 months, we will be focusing on how we can serve our Lord and celebrate with our families.

Dinners:

Taco Casserole (use chicken rather than ground beef), green salad
Aussie Chicken, yellow rice, roasted butternut squash
*Toscano Soup (recipe this week), French bread
Homemade pizza and green salad (x2)
Chicken Pot Pie (using puff pastry topping), green salad
*Chicken Taco Soup
Creamy Corn Chowder with grilled cheese on French bread
Breakfast for dinner (x2)
Spaghetti with homemade sauce, green salad, and Garlic Knots (x2)
Meatloaf Cups, baked sweet potatoes
*Chicken Stroganoff, egg noodles, green beans
Sicilian Casserole, green salad
*Sideline Sausage Soup, cornbread muffins
Chicken a la king over puff pastry with broccoli
Grilled steak and fries
*Lasagna, Garlic Knots, and salad
Beef tacos

* Denotes a slow cooker recipe

I do not have a detailed plan yet for baking and snacks - I will post those from week to week. Stay tuned!

Enjoy this month with your friends and families and "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done." Psalm 105:1

Menu Plan - Week of October 26

2009-10-24T20:08:00.003-04:00

Last week's menu plan didn't go quite like I had planned. When we returned from Florida, two of my cousins came into town to help my parents do some home renovations, so we spent 2 nights at mom and dad's for dinner. There are some carryover meals this week because of that. Also, I am trying hard to cut our spending as we approach the holidays so we can enjoy the season with friends and family without stressing about money. And, since I know what ingredients I have on hand, I'll be sticking with the plan this week - Lord willing!

Dinners:

Beef roast in slow cooker with carrots and potatoes
Honey Roasted Acorn Squash and Chicken (I'll use split chicken breasts rather than legs)
Whole wheat pasta with Carbonara Sauce and salad
Crock Pot Lasagna, Italian Cheese Bread, and salad

Baking, Lunch, and Breakfast:

Pumpkin Soft Pretzels
Apple Pancakes (triple batch to freeze)
Stuffed Bread Sticks (little man can eat these for lunch)

Head over and visit Laura for hundreds more menu plans each week!

Menu Plan - week of October 18

2009-10-17T17:08:00.004-04:00

Fall has arrived!!! We spent a week in the "Land of Mouse" in central FL and returned to find beautiful scenery with changing leaves, cooler temperatures, lower humidity, and we are thrilled! I went to the grocery and the warehouse club today and have already made apple muffins, French bread, and DH has a pot of beef stew bubbling on the stove. As for the rest of the week ...

Dinners:

Crock Pot Lasagna, salad, and Italian Cheese Bread
Pork chops, apples, and sweet potatoes in slow cooker
Aussie Chicken and baked sweet potatoes
Slow Cooker Chicken Stroganoff with rice and green beans
Whole wheat pasta with Carbonara Sauce and salad

Snacks, Breakfast, Baking:

Overnight French Toast Casserole and bacon (Sunday breakfast)
Pumpkin Soft Pretzels
Apple Pancakes (double or triple batch and freeze)
Apple Chips

Menu Plan - Week of October 5

2009-10-05T15:18:00.002-04:00

I am amazed that it is October already! Friends and family always tell me that time flies with children in the house and I firmly believe it this year. October will bring many fun things to our house. Little man is turning 4, we are heading to Florida for a dream filled vacation with our favorite mouse, a trip to the pumpkin patch, and much more. This is our favorite time of year in the South!

Weeknight Dinners:

Vegetable beef soup with Italian Cheese Bread
Chicken a la king over puff pastry with green salad
Homemade pizza and cut veggies
Beef tacos

Baking:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins (made in mini size - for freezer)
Banana muffins (use this amazing bread recipe and make into muffins - for freezer)

October Menu Plan

2009-10-01T15:53:00.002-04:00

As promised! We will be out of town for a week, so the number of meals is reduced this month. I hope you find some yummy ideas for your own families!

Dinners:

Sideline Sausage Soup
40 Clove Garlic Chicken with mashed potatoes and carrots
Vegetable beef soup in slow cooker
Chicken a la king over puff pastry with broccoli
Beef tacos
Chicken tacos
Beef stew and homemade bread
Slow cooker Chicken Stroganoff with rice and green beans
Salmon patties, pan fried potatoes, coleslaw
Crock Pot Lasagna, salad, bread
Chili and spicy cornbread
Burgers and fries
Crock Pot Red Wine & Cranberry Pot Roast with mashed potatoes
Slow Cooker Toscano soup (recipe coming later)

Desserts and Treats:

Apple Dumplings
Homemade Pop Tarts (I wasn't happy with the taste using store bought pie crust, so I'm making my own this month)
Homemade Donuts

Breakfast, Baking and Freezer Cooking:

pancakes and waffles for freezer
Bacon Cheddar Biscuits for DH
Bacon Mushroom Breakfast Strata
Cinnamon and Orange Rolls

Brisket in Slow Cooker

2009-10-01T15:35:00.002-04:00

I had plans to make a beef brisket in the slow cooker on Monday. I had all my ingredients picked out and sent DH to the store for the meat. He came back with a large sirloin roast instead - brisket looked bad and was too expensive. The nice thing about this recipe though is the meat can be swapped out, no problem. This would be good with any large cut of meat - brisket, chuck roast, or sirloin roast. It would probably work well also with a hearty pork roast. Did I take even one single picture? NO! Many other bloggers photograph their ingredients, equipment, and final products. I probably should do that to - note to self. Anyway, I can definitely share the recipe with you though. Try it and send me a picture of what yours looks like!

2-3 lb beef roast
5 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1 large sweet onion, quartered
4-5 carrots, cut into bote size pieces
3 cups beef stock
2-3 cups red wine (something you'd like to drink - don't buy the really cheap nasty stuff; it will get sour after cooking all day)
2 T Mrs. Dash or other salty free seasoning blend
2 t black pepper

1. Put the veggies in the bottom on a lrge (5-6 quart) slow cooker
2. Put the roast on top of the veggies (this way the meat dripping season the veggies and the meat doesn't get too greasy)
3. Pour the beef broth and wine over the ingredients
4. Season with Mrs. Dash and black pepper
5. Cook on low 6-8 hours

Just before serving, DH took the liquid and reduced it into a yummy gravy. We served it with egg noodles and ate the carrots and onions also. Enjoy!

Menu Plan - Week of September 28

2009-09-27T18:07:00.002-04:00

Another glorious week is upon us here in the South. We have had a few days will fall-like temperatures and the weather man promises more this week. Fall is my absolute favorite time of year - pumpkins, apple picking, clear October skies, breaking out the coat for the first time - I just LOVE this time of year. I am planning some yummy treats over the next several weeks to embrace all the wonderful flavors Fall has to offer - applesauce cake, pumpkin muffins, baked apples, and of course more regular use of the slow cooker. Head over to visit Org Junkie to see how hundreds more bloggers are celebrating Fall!

Weeknight Dinners:

Beef brisket in the slow cooker (I will post the recipe tomorrow, provided it turns out well!)
Sicilian Casserole, garlic bread, and salad
Pizza and cut veggies
Chicken Spaghetti with corn and garlic bread
At my parents house for dinner. We usually bring dessert. I will likely make pecan pie muffins (recipe coming later this week)
Cookout with church friends - We will take deviled eggs and some dessert. Maybe the rest of the batch of pecan pie muffins.

Baking, Freezer Cooking, Breakfast:

Caramel French Toast and bacon
Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins (recipe coming tomorrow)
Breadsticks - add garlic powder for dinner 2 nights this week

Chicken Spaghetti

2009-09-25T18:52:00.002-04:00

So - 2 of my favorite cooking blogs have posted chicken spaghetti recipes just today! Must be that this meal is destined to be on the menu plan next week at our house. Check these 2 ideas out and let me know what you think - I will likely have a 3rd recipe to add to the mix after Monday night!

Chicken Spaghetti at Stolen Moments Cooking
Baked Chicken Spaghetti at $5 Dinners

Menu Plan - Week of September 21

2009-09-21T07:03:00.005-04:00

We had a wonderful week last week capped off by the delivery of a new oven. Yes, I know it means I have moved to a whole new level of domestication that a new oven is thrilling to me. But - this oven is very cool! It is huge, for one. Beyond sheer size are all the cool functions - recipe storage library, convection bake, delay start, and on and on. Enough about the oven ... on to the food! Go visit Laura for hundreds more menu plans each week!

Weeknight Dinners:

Meatloaf Cups, Hash Brown Casserole, and green beans (carryover from last week)
Skillet Smoked Sausage & Garbanzo Beans over brown rice
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken with broccoli and rice
Chili with cornbread muffins
Turkey soup with carrots, potatoes, and corn with french bread rolls

Baking, Freezer Cooking, and Breakfast:

The Gift of a Meal

2009-09-15T16:18:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite things about cooking is being able to share with friends and family around us. Tricia just posted about this today and it is such a timely and heartfelt video that I have to share it. I am on my way shortly to deliver a meal to family with a new baby. Last week we shared with a family who had just lost their child. Next week - we'll see who God puts in our path.

I know that I will be able to pull something together though from our stockpile and freezer. It is such a blessing to share God's love in a tangible - and edible - way!

The Power of Gifting Food from Once a Month Mom

Menu Plan - Week of September 14

2009-09-12T17:46:00.002-04:00

Fall is in full swing in our house - all of our schedules are packed and that means one thing ... slow cooker meals!!! We are having a new stove delivered on Monday - an early Christmas gift from mom and dad. I will do some baking this week, but I am not sure how the new oven will work, so I am not really planning too many meals that need to be baked.

Weeknight Dinners:

Crockpot Lasagna with Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls and green salad
Teriyaki Chicken in slow cooker with rice and broccoli, cauliflower, carrot mix
Creamy Ranch Pork Chops and rice with corn (double recipe and take one to a family at church)
Meatloaf Cups, Hash Brown Casserole, and salad
Date night - little man is heading to the in laws for a few days :)

Head over to Org Junkie to see hundreds more menu plans!

September Menu Plan

2009-08-31T20:10:00.004-04:00

School has started back and there is a chill in the air this morning. Time for some of our favorite Autumn and Winter recipes to be dusted off! We have a pretty quiet month ahead of us, Lord willing. No plans for major travels again until October. I'm looking forward to cooking, cleaning out some areas of the house, and working in the yard.

Spicy Honey Chicken (using chicken breasts), coleslaw, and some type of potato
(2) Spaghetti, salad, and Cheesy Garlic Bread Swirls
(3) Homemade pizza and salad
Creamy Corn Chowder with Chicken-Bacon Stuffed Pizza Rolls
Chipotle Beef Taquitos, guacamole, and Spanish rice
Chicken and Corn Chili with cornbread muffins
Sour Cream Chicken, corn, and pasta with pesto sauce
Beef Stroganoff with egg noodles and green beans
Spanish Chicken and Rice Bake
(2) Burgers and fries
Crock Pot Lasagna with green salad
Goulash and corn
Creamy Ranch Pork Chops & Rice with broccoli
Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and corn
Meatloaf cups with Hash Brown Casserole and salad