Menu Plan (Tuesday?) 8/31/09

Late yet again! Now that I'm going to school Monday nights, I'm going to have to try and post these as soon as it's up on Sundays! Monday was DH's birthday but I had class so we celebrated tonight! I'll post about my first try making a cake from scratch later this week!

I'm planning on posting recipes later this week if I get the chance!

Mon 8/31- Red Beans/Rice, Sausage, Broccoli
Tues 9/1- Steak/Mushroom Fajitas, German Chocolate Cake (from SCRATCH!)
Wed 9/2- Breakfast Bake, Pears
Thurs 9/3- Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Fri 9/4- Tacos, Beans, Chips/Salsa
Sat 9/5- BBQ at Mom's (My brother's girlfriend's birthday)
Sun 9/6- Roast Turkey, Stuffing, Gravy, Carrots


Check out OrgJunkie for more menus!

Updates On Us!

We have so much going on right now...it's a bit crazy!! (Ok ALOT crazy!)

First of all, WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!!! WOOHOO! :) We finally got the courage to just try and apply for a home loan last month. And to our surprise, we were approved! So we called the KBHomes community we had been wanting to buy a new home in...and they were sold out! Ugh! All of the other communities were out of our price range and so we decided we'd have to start thinking about getting an older home (we really wanted new because we won't have the time/money after we close to fix one up). Then DH went by a KB community we didn't want to even look at after seeing them online. They were detached condos that were 2 story. (We wanted one story.) Long story short, he LOVED them! I went after work and fell for them to! We put a deposit down, picked our options and they started building within 2 weeks. We're excited and nervous to own our first home! The house will be finished in October and we plan to move early November! :) Pics of the build later!

And now for the kids!

Hannah is in a bit of a funk lately. I'm not sure what it is but she's is whinging CONSTANTLY! She starts PreK in 2 weeks and we're hoping that will help! And yes...my little girl is starting school! I can't believe how fast time has gone. It's actually pretty sad that she'll be in school now until she's and adult...no more staying home with Mommy (even though it's only one day a week now that I work FT...). I know she's going to love school though and it'll be great for her to have a routine 5 days a week with the same friends!

Avery will be 2 in a little over a month! I don't have anymore babies! :( She's doing well...terrible twos aren't horrible yet (though I'm sure we'll see more soon! LoL). She's talking so much more and even stringing words together in sentences. We were worried about her lack of speech at 18 months...not anymore! Yay for Avery-baby! She'll be starting school with Hannah also (in the 2 year old class) so I'm sure she'll pick up even more language around all those other kids.

And I've started school again. Working FT and going to school, moving, possibly getting pregnant again, holidays, kids' school stuff...we're in for a BUSY Fall! But I am so EXCITED for FALL!!! :)

Look for a Picture Update SOON! :)

A Month Ago...

A month ago today, I miscarried our 3rd baby at 6 weeks 2 days. It was really early and it wasn't painful really (physically). We'd been TTC for 4 months so it was really devestating. My OB gave us the all clear to start TTC again right away. We've still been trying so now it's just up to God to decide when He wants to bless us with another healthy pregnancy. But for now, I pray every day for my AngelBaby and I'm sure God has a little Angel flitting around him. :) Never Forgotten, Forever Missed!

Menu Plan Monday~ 8/24/09

So I got to work this morning, and opened my day planner to mark off the days that had passed and realized I start school tonight! Ahh!! I completely forgot and am so not prepared. I normally have my bag packed the night before so I can just grab it and go after dinner. (Class is from 7-10pm) So I'm just doing a quick post and then have to shower and make dinner before DH gets home. Hopefully I can get to class early and buy my last book.

Anyone else SUPER excited that Fall is just around the corner? I decided I'm going pack away all of my regular decor for the move and pull out my Fall stuff in 2 weeks when the girls start school. That's not too early right? :) I figure I can just pack it all back up right before we move since that's what the decor will be in November anyway.

And I can't wait to start baking! Pumpkin bread anyone?

Monday 8/24: Chicken Stroganoff and Rolls (didn't make last week)

Tuesday 8/25: Chicken Potpie

Wednesday 8/26: Homemade Pizza

Thursday 8/27: Shake n Bake Chicken, Noodles, Green Beans

Friday 8/28: Chicken Taquitos, Chips and Guacamole

Saturday 8/29: Takeout? Need to go to Costco for more meat!

Sunday 8/30: Working a double shift so DH is on his own with the kiddos!

Have a great week all! Check out OrgJunkie for more weekly menus!

Menu Plan Monday~ 8/17/09

So I haven't posted as much as I thought I would but a 6 day stretch at work will do that to ya! At least I'm keeping up with MPM!

Sunday 8/16- Shrimp Chowmein
Monday 8/17- Eggs, Bacon, Biscuits & Gravy
Tuesday 8/18- Homemade Turkey Chili, Cornbread Muffins
Wednesday 8/19- Baked Potatoes with Leftover Chili, Cheese, Broccoli & Sour Cream
Thursday 8/20- Chicken Strognoff over Wheat Egg Noodles, Corn
Friday 8/21- San Diego!!!! Hopefully something cheap!
Saturday 8/22- At SeaWorld!!!
Sunday 8/23- Something on the way home from San Diego!

Have a great week everyone!

Head over to Org Junkie for more menu!

Menu Plan Monday~ 8/10/09

A day late but it's here! I've still been menu planning since I last posted I just haven't been blogging it. I'm actually doing a 2 week plan now which is working pretty well! I only shop once every 2 weeks with a quick stop in between if needed for milk etc. And for 2 weeks, I'm spending less than $80 on average! I'm not sure if I'm going to post to MPM weekly or every other week. Maybe I'll post the 2 weeks and if there are any changes to the 2nd week (which there usually are), I'll post that week as well. For today, I'll just post the end of this plan since my new one starts this weekend. :)

Monday 8/10- Nachos (Cheese, Black Beans, Turkey Taco Meat)

Tuesday 8/11- Steak, Shrimp, Grilled Corn, Grilled Potatoes and Onions

Wednesday 8/12- Burritos

Thursday 8/13- Subway (picnic at Thursday Night on the Square)

Friday 8/14- Cheese Ravioli, French Rolls, Green Beans

I'm Back!

Things have been so crazy the past few months and I've fallen off the blog bandwagon! Now I'm back and have a lot to post about. Coming later today: Update on the girls (with pics!), Our NEW HOUSE, and Menu Plan Monday!

Anyone have any favorite Daily MEMEs to keep me posting?

Menu Plan...Wednesday...5/27/09

I'm late again this week! But then again, I'm doing a 2 week menu so I'm technically early for next week! :)

I've decided to try and keep doing 2 week plans and only going grocery shopping once every 2 weeks. Less impulse buying and less time spent shopping! I only spent $80 this week for 2 weeks! :)

Sunday 5/24- Chicken Taquitos, Corn

Monday 5/25- Mom’s (Hamburgers)

Tuesday 5/26- Mom’s (Ham Bean Soup)

Wednesday 5/27- Chicken Noodle Soup, Grilled Ham and Cheese

Thursday 5/28- Potato Chip Chicken Nuggets, Mac & Cheese, Carrots/Dip

Friday 5/29- Chili Dogs, Veggies/Dip

Saturday 5/30- Shrimp, Spaghetti Squash

Sunday 5/31- Turkey Mushroom Burgers, Salad

Monday 6/1- Tacos, Rice, Beans

Tuesday 6/2- Shake N Bake Chicken, Stuffing, Broccoli

Wednesday 6/3- Tortellini Soup, Rolls

Thursday 6/4- BBQ Chicken, Salad, Rolls

Friday 6/5- Fish, Rice, Veggies


Head over to OrgJunkie for more menus!

Kitchen Inventory!

I am so glad I snagged this idea from my friend, Elizabeth! I did my kitchen inventory today and just typed it up. I think I can make a lot of meals with what we have so I can cut the grocery budget for June. I also realized we have barely any fruits and veggies in the house. How terrible! I'm not too sure how that happened...I just didn't think to buy any this week since we weren't going to be home much. Guess I'll be making another trip to the store soon! So this will be a really long post but here's my FULL kitchen inventory. Fridge, Freezer, Pantry and Spice cabinet. I'll update it as we use things or go shopping. Hopefully I can just use mostly what we already have! Oh and for the weird things in my freezer. I've decided I hate wasting the leftover tomato sauce and stuff so I've been freezing small portions. It actually works out great if I just need a tablespoon or something in a recipe.

Kitchen Inventory 5/12/09

Fridge

½ Tub light sour cream
Large Tub Light Margarine
3 sticks margarine
4lbs shredded Cheddar/Mozzarella Mix
1 ¼ gallon 1% milk
5 sugar free pudding cups
1 sugar free jello cup
1 tube crescent rolls
½ 1/4 Large jar plain applesauce
2 individual serving Pedialytes
½ onion
1 pack baby carrots
1 bottle white wine (for cooking)
11 eggs
Bacon
Turkey bologna
10 hotdogs
13 cheese slices
Turkey pepperoni
1/2 wheel laughing cow cheese wedges
2 1 pack deli ham
2 1 pack deli turkey
1 pack light salami
1/3 pack hot sausage
Salsa
General Tso sauce
Ginger dressing
Light Mayo
Minced Ginger
Stir Fry Sauce
Pizza Sauce
Strawberry Jelly
Spray butter
Shredded Parmesan
Ketchup
Apple Juice
Orange Juice
Italian Dressing
Mustard (2)
Minced Garlic
A1 steak sauce
BBQ sauce
Teriyaki sauce

Freezer

1- 3 meat pizza
½ Jar Enchilada sauce
½ Jar Tomato sauce
Turkey Gravy
2 cups (in ½ cup portions) Buttermilk
2 1 Sliced Banana
Graham cracker crumbs (for pie crust)
Fat Free Orange Sherbet
Pedialyte Pops
1 big stick popsicle
1 ¼ lb pack ground turkey
2 Pack Gorton’s Garlic Butter Fillet
1 Cooked chicken breast (for pot pie)
4 slices Turkey Meatloaf
3- 2packs boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ bag popcorn chicken
2 breaded tilapia fillets
½ bag broccoli cuts (for soup)

Pantry

Peanut butter
2 English muffins
8 tortillas
½ loaf wheat Sandwich bread
4lb jar Spaghetti Sauce
½ box instant white rice
1 box Spanish Rice A Roni
Lasagna noodles
½ box fettuccine
Whole Wheat Spaghetti
3 boxes Macaroni and Cheese
1 box Whole Wheat Rigatoni
1 pack Chow Mein Noodles
½ container StoveTop stuffing
2- 3oz packs tuna
½ bag Whole Wheat egg noodles
1 beef Top Ramen
Croutons
Quick Grits
1 can hot dog chili sauce
1 can Rotel
1 can Manwich Sauce
1 can Italian marinated olives
1 can creamed corn
1 can Mandarin oranges
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 large can veggie soup
1 family size chicken noodle soup
Potato Corn Chowder mix
Tortellini soup mix
Cheddar Potato soup mix
1 Cup O Noodles
4 Tuna lunch kits
Saltines
1 container Carnation Instant Breakfast
¼ box Cheerios
Rice Krispies (almost gone)
Honey Oat cereal
6 packs oatmeal
6 100 cal pack microwave popcorn
Twizzlers
3 packs fruit snacks

Baking

1 1/2 bag semisweet chocolate chips
Mini candy canes
Marshmallows
Plain bread crumbs (2)
1lb Quick oats
5lbs Whole Wheat Flour
Gingerbread cookie mix
10lb White Flour
Brown Sugar
Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
Splenda (large bag)
1 bottle Karo Syrup
4lb white sugar
Peanut Butter cookie mix
1 Chocolate ready crust
1 pack instant chocolate pudding
½ pack sliced almonds
Powdered sugar
Sprinkles
Food Coloring
Banking Soda/Powder
Cornstarch
Quick Yeast/Active Yeast
Hershey’s Unsweetened Cocoa (2)

Spice Cabinet

2- ½ full bottles Syrup
½ bottle sugar free Syrup
2 ¾ “bears” of honey
¼ gallon soy sauce
1 box lipton tea bags
2 bottles Worcestershire sauce
1/3 bottle vegetable oil
½ can Kool-Aide
1/8 can Nesquik powder
4 Sugar free lemonade tubs
1 box Mocha Splenda packets
6 packs diet Swiss Miss
Mocha latte creations
White Sesame Seeds
1/3 bottle Franks Red Hot Wing Sauce
White vinegar
Flavacol (for popcorn machine)
Popcorn oil
Popcorn kernels
Lime juice
A1
Small package ground coffee
Large bag coffee beans
1 pack Hot and Spicy Shake N Bake
1 pack Ranch Dip Mix
Pizza packets (red pepper flakes etc)
2 packs Stroganoff mix
1 pack meatloaf mix
1 pack hollandaise sauce mix
Salt and salt substitute
Pepper
Season salt
Olive Oil (almost gone)
Nonstick spray (2)
Garlic Salt
Chicago steak seasoning
Garlic Powder
Oregano
Cinnamon
Cumin
Ground Red Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
Mexican seasoning
Pumpkin pie seasoning
Paprika
Italian seasoning
Chili powder
Onion powder
Whole black peppercorns
Montreal Chicken seasoning
Pure Vanilla Extract
Pure Almond Extract
Nutmeg
Ground Mustard

What's everyone think? What staples should I add (other than the obvious fruits and veggies!)?

Menu Plan...uh Tuesday~ 5/12/09

Better late then never! This is a 2 week menu plan because Jason left this morning and is gone for 2 weeks. I took almost a week off since my mom is also out of town and I had no one to take the girls to day care. So we're having a fun girls' week! And next week we'll be staying at my mom's a few nights. I'll be so happy when Jason is back and I can plan again!

I'm also planning on trying something my friend Elizabeth just did on her blog, a kitchen inventory. I want to take a full written inventory of everything that's in the pantry, freezer and fridge. Then I'm going to try and really cut my food budget for June and use up a lot of the stock we already have! Look for my inventory post later this week!

Saturday 5/9- Red Beans and Rice, Turkey Sausage, Broccoli

Sunday 5/10- Mother's Day! DH made steak and broccoli stirfry

Monday 5/11- Swedish Meatballs and Potatoes

Tuesday 5/12- Submachine (Takeout Sandwiches)

Wednesday 5/13- Going to the Aquarium...probably grab something on the way home or make a frozen pizza.

Thursday 5/14- Pigs in a Blanket

Friday 5/15- Going to the Zoo...probably eating with my sister.

Saturday 5/16- Quesadillas/Enchiladas, Beans

Sunday 5/17- BBQ at a friend's house

Monday 5/18- Mom's (probably Kogel hotdogs and chili sauce that my aunt brought us from Michigan!)

Tuesday 5/19- Mom's

Wednesday 5/20- Eggs, Bacon, Toast

Thursday 5/21- Homemade Pizza

Friday 5/22- Clean out the Fridge

Head over to OrgJunkie for more menus!

Menu Plan Monday~ 5/4/09

This week is pretty basic but it's my next "real" menu plan for 2 weeks! DH leaves next week for a 2 week trip. Not much a menu plan when it's just me and the girls!

Last week we found a new family favorite recipe! Check out my previous post for the Stromboli recipe. You can also check out my new list of favorite recipes on my side bar!

Saturday 5/2- Date Night! Snacks at the Movie!

Sunday 5/3- Grilled Steak, Baked Potatoes, Corn

Monday 5/4: Chicken, Rice, Broccoli

Tuesday 5/5: Happy Cinco De Mayo! Stacked Burrito Pie

Wednesday 5/6: Eggs, Bacon, Biscuits/Gravy

Thursday 5/7: Frozen Pizza, Mac and Cheese (Mommy had a Bio Test...blah!)

Friday 5/8: Making Spaghetti (I'll post this "recipe" later!) at my Mom's.

Head over to Laura's for more menus!

New Stromboli Recipe!

RecipeZaar has got to be my favorite recipe website. It's the first place I turn when I'm looking for a new recipe. And of all the recipes we've tried, I can't think of any that we haven't liked! I'm going to start a list of fave recipes on here but here's one to start!

I bought a roll of Hot Sausage last week to use as a topping for my personal pizza. I wanted to find a recipe to use the rest (well I still have a little left...) and I found this recipe for Stromboli and we made it tonight. It is definately a keeper! Everyone loved it. Super-picky, eats like a bird Hannah even ate her whole piece!

I made a few changes though. I've never used frozen bread dough so I followed the reviewer and used refrigerated. I was a bit worried because I thought it would roll out bigger but It turned out perfect (I wasn't even sure what stromboli was supposed to look like...LoL) I didn't have the individual spices so I substituted garlic salt and Italian seasoning. The toppings I used were browned hot sausage, turkey pepperoni, black olives, mushrooms and a little cheddar/moz cheese. It was so yummy! We'll definately make it again!

New Design!

Now that Spring is here, I thought I'd get rid of my Winter layout. Thanks again to my friend, Elizabeth, for making me a great banner and siggy! Welcome to Spring Everyone!

Menu Plan Monday~ 4/27/09

DH has been out of town so the girls and I were at my Mom's for most of last week. So no menu plan. DH gets homne today so I can actually make some of the meals we didn't get to weeks ago! (Thank your, Freezer!)

Saturday 4/25: Poppy Festival! (Fair food)

Sunday 4/26: At Mom's (again!)

Monday 4/27: Sandwiches, Leftover Mac and Cheese, Chips/Dip

Tuesday 4/28: Chicken Potpie

Wednesday 4/29: Steak Sandwiches with Mushrooms

Thursday 4/30: Stromboli (using pepperoni, cheese, spicy sausage, mushrooms, olives)

Friday 5/1: Tacos (This homemade seasoning is great! It's pretty peppery/spicy though so I added a little tomato sauce and it was perfect!)

Head over to Laura's for more menus!

5 Things I'm Thankful For!

My wonderful friend, Elizabeth, posted on her blog today about 5 things she's thankful for. I thought that was a wonderful thing to do and wanted to remind myself of all the wonderful things in my life. Jason and I have had some ups and downs in the past few years and things are finally starting to look up for us. But right when we were getting ahead, I blew a hole in my motor in my car (well the motor blew a hole in itsself!). And you know what? We stayed positive. We were at a loss on what to do but we figured it out and the car is fixed! We used our house savings but we're still chugging along and determined to get that house!

Anyway, I want to post 5 things I'm thankful for today!

1. I have a husband who I can honestly say I'm completely myself with. In the past, I've changed for men in relationships. I've hid my likes and tried to only be interested in theirs. I haven't changed for Jason...I've changed because of him. I've learned a lot about myself and realized who I am and what I enjoy doing. We have different hobbies (trains for him, books for me) and we're ok with that. I'm not a big fan of his hobby (and he's not a big reader) but we respect our differences.

2. I have two little girls who really are good kids. I get frustrated with them but that's my own fault. They're actually very warm, loving, pretty well behaved kids. They make me want to be a better parent and really focus on enjoying time with them.

3. I love my job. It's not ultimately my career (well sorta...I don't want to be a secretary forever...but I plan on working as a nurse! LoL) choice but it's shown me that I made the right choice in going back to school to become an RN. With past jobs, I hated going to work every day. My bosses were awful and I hated my job. There was no respect and no positive feedback. At the hospital, the only reason I don't want to go in the morning is the drive! LoL My bosses, doctors and nurses tell me constantly that I'm great at my job. It's an amazing feeling. And it tells me that I'm going to be a great nurse!

4. I'm thankful that Jason and I have the same goals right now. It's not just one of us who wanted another baby or who's working to save for a house. We're in the same place which makes things much easier. We're partners, through and through.

5. I'm thankful that this school semester is half over! I over did it with classes I don't need and I'm so tired. Between going back to work FT and taking classes I don't want to take, it's very frustrating. It make take me longer to get my RN but I'm going to take one class a semester until I get into the program. And hopefully during the day. I can't stand having to go at night on the only day I have off with the kids! Only 2 more months left!

What are you thankful for today?

5 Things I'm Thankful For!

Patience...

I think I need to start working on some of my bad traits. I find that writing things down makes them easier to acheive (I'm a list maker...you should see my grocery list!). So the first thing I'm going to work on is Patience.

I find myself losing patience very quickly especially with Hannah. This morning I've yelled at her and sent her to her room for not getting dressed when I told her to. I think my view of time is so different from hers. She doesn't realize how long its taking and I really should give her more time. Yelling (me) and crying (her) are not a good way to start our morning. And really, I make them wait to get ready while I take my long shower in the morning. It's more my fault we're late!

So I'm going to work on being more patient (and along with that, not losing my temper over nothing!) especially with the girls.

How do you all learn more patience?

Time to Go from 4 to 5!

DH and I finally decided to start trying for baby number 3! I am SO excited! We're officially trying now. I just finished my first cycle off the pill! Hannah was a surprise and Avery took 5 months of TTC. We're hoping it takes even less time this time!

I'm hoping for a boy...so send BLUE dust this way!

Finding My Way To Him!

I was raised Catholic. I went to a Catholic school from 1st-8th grade. You would think that would have cemented my faith and kept me on the path to God. But for me, I found that the Catholic church wasn't the best fit. I believe in God and Jesus but I typically don't take the Bible so literally. I found myself being drawn more towards the Christian church once I entered highschool and chose not to be confirmed as a Catholic. After highschool, I fell away from religion in general and haven't been to church much since.

Now that my girls are getting closer to school age (Hannah at least), I decided I want them to experience school the way I did. I feel that I was better off and more stable in my beliefs and values because I went to a religious school. While I ended up not staying in the same religion, I was able to make that choice myself. I think a lot of people my age follow a certain religion because their parents did. Without really being immersed in religion, they can't really make the decision themselves. So I decided to send the girls to a Christian school. Making that choice has made me realize I need to start to practice for myself. I went to my sister's Chrisitian church yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It's too far for us to go on a regular basis but the church at the school the girls will be going into is not.

So we're going to start going to church when we can. I work every other weekend but there's no reason we can't go the weekends I'm home. I also want to do something for myself and join a bible study. I plan on going to school during the day in the Fall (I go at night now) so I should be able to join a group them.

I'm very excited about my choices and can't wait to become closer to God again!

Menu Plan Monday~ 4/13/09!

Ok seriously...someone needs to point me in the direction of some other daily blog posts. This is the only day I've posted 3 weeks in a row...I need something to post Tuesday-Sunday!

I am SO excited about the new Mexican recipes I've made lately! We normally only have tacos made with ground turkey and a packet of taco seasoning. That gets old after a while. So a few weeks ago I made Chicken Taquitos that turned out so yummy! And this past week, I decided to try to make a different version of tacos. I finely diced about half an onion (I'm trying to include onion more since I've been trying to eat more things I didn't "like" in the past.) and sauted it with some garlic. I added 3/4 lb of ground turkey and then added this seasoning (about 1/2 of what it makes). I tasted it and it was a bit too spicy and peppery. I remembered I had some tomato sauce frozen in the freezer. I broke off a few chunks and mix it in. It turned out perfect! I then fried it in tortillas with a little cheese.

Both were so good but I don't like to fry things. So I'm going to try baking both of them next time to try and get the tortillas crispy. If that doesn't work, they'll just be a treat every once and a while!

And now on to this week!

Saturday 4/11- Steak and Mushroom Fajitas, Watermelon

Sunday 4/12- Easter at Mom's! Ham, Cheesy Potatoes, Mac and Cheese etc. I brought 2 homemade Pecan Pies (I'll post the recipe later this week when I get the link to work!).

Monday 4/13- Easter Leftovers!

Tuesday 4/14- Steak Sandwiches (cube steak, cheese, mushrooms, pizza sauce), Fruit

Wednesday 4/15- Turkey Bacon BLTs, Fruit

Thursday 4/16- Spaghetti with Meatballs, Salad

Friday 4/17- Pizza Pockets, Salad

Head on over the OrgJunkie for more weekly menus!

Menu Plan Monday~ 04/06/09

One of these days, I'll actually start posting something other than MPM! :) At least I post these...LoL

The Broccoli and Cheese Soup from last week's menu turned out really good! I added minced garlic to the onions while they sauted and used about 1/3 of a small package of velveeta. Even Hannah (the super picky, no veggie eater) liked it. Avery LOVED it. DH was impressed and he's really into Broccoli and Cheese soup lately. The only downside was that it didn't reheat well. I think that might be the Velveeta. I'd still make it again though!

This week I only spent $28.01 on groceries! I tried to make a plan based on mostly what we already had on hand. It doesn't hurt that we just made our monthly Costco trip and have most of our meat for about 2-3 months!

Saturday 4/4: Grilled Steak, Mushrooms, Corn on the Cob, Salad
Sunday 4/5: BBQ at Mom's
Monday 4/6: Shake N Bake Chicken, Rice, Asparagus
Tuesday 4/7: Tacos, Black Beans, Chips/Salsa
Wednesday 4/8: Passover at Dad's
Thursday 4/9: Pizza Pockets, Salad, Fruit
Friday 4/10: Spaghetti with Meatballs, Bread, Salad

Check out OrgJunkie for more Menus!

Menu Plan Monday~ 3/30/09

Can you believe it's almost April?!? This year is flying by...I'm thankful for the warmer weather though! Time to break out the grill this week. We've been really light on the veggies lately so I'm trying to make the effort to include more. We're going to start trying for baby #3 in a few weeks and I need to focus on eating healthy (and hopefully losing a few more pounds before I actually get pregnant!). So I'm going to really start looking at what we're eating and keep the junk out of the house!

Saturday 3/28: BLTs, Fruit, Popcorn (Movie Night!)
Sunday 3/29: BBQ Chicken, Baked Beans, Corn
Monday 3/30: Turkey Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes/Gravy, Green Beans
Tuesday 3/31: Eggs, Turkey Bacon, Biscuits/Gravy
Wednesday 4/1: Ham, Stuffing, Asparagus
Thursday 4/2: Broccoli/Cheese Soup, Bread, Salad
Friday 4/3: Frozen Pizza, Velveeta, Fruit

DH has been really into Broccoli Cheese soup lately so I decided to try and make it at home for him. I tried a Potato soup recipe a few month back and it turned out awesome (we've had it many times since!). So I went to the same website (RecipeZaar) to get the new recipe. It has 5 stars with 100 reviews so I'm hoping it's good! I'll post the recipe once we try it!

I could use some help with quick "Movie Night" dinners. I typically grocery shop Saturdays and I work every other weekend (so I shop on the way home). We do "Movie Night" every Saturday so I like to make something fast and simple (sandwiches etc). I want to limit ordering pizza or whatever to once a month. Does anyone have any fun ideas for "Movie Night" dinners? BTW, I bought DH a popcorn machine for Christmas so we have to save room for theater style popcorn! LoL

Head on over to OrgJunkie for more menus!

Menu Plan...Err...Tuesday? 3/24/09

DH and I had an extra day off this week and it threw my schedule off! I didn't even notice I had missed MPM until today! :) Oops!

I'm really trying to stay on track because our budget got out of control earlier this month when we ate out too much! We were out of town for a few weeks and our fridge was cleaned out. I finally went shopping and spent $90 instead of my usual $60. Now we're stocked up on everything but meat (Costco run on Friday!) so we should be ok now! :)

Now that I'm working FT, I've moved my grocery shopping day from Wednesday to Saturday. That means my menus now run Saturday-Friday.

Here's this week's menu!

Saturday 3/21: Steak/Mushroom Fajitas, Refried Beans
Sunday 3/22: Take Out at California Adventure!
Monday 3/23: Chili, FF Cornbread
Tuesday 3/24: Chicken Parmigiana, Pasta
Wednesday 3/25: Baked Potato Bar (Toppings: Chili, Cheese, Light Sour Cream, Broccoli)
Thurday 3/26: Chicken Taquitos, Refried Beans, Spanish Rice (Still searching for a recipe!)
Friday 3/27: Chili Dogs, Chips, Fruit

Head on over to OrgJunkie for more menus!

Menu Plan Monday~ 03/01/09

I'm finally back! I've still been doing my menu plans but I feel like I stick to them so much better when I post them on here! We only have half a week here since we're headed to the snow for the weekend. :)

DH made dinner completely on his own this weekend! Yesterday was pretty simple (sauce and meatballs in the crockpot) but today he tried to re-create a meal from a Mexican place we liked. It was the Steak and Mushroom fajitas from On the Border. We were craving them a few weeks ago and went to go to dinner and they had closed down! (The recession kills another business!) DH marinated cubed up steak in the following:

Ground chili pepper, garlic, cumin, paprika, soy sauce, worscheter sauce, EVOO, and a bit of Frank's Red Hot

He grilled it on the griddle with some sliced mushrooms and onions and some cheese on top. We had it with corn tortillas and sour cream. It was AWESOME! Not something we'll have often because steak is expensive but it's a great treat!

Now onto the full plan.

Saturday 2/28- Meatball Subs, Salad
Sunday 3/1- Steak/Mushroom Fajitas,Black Beans
Monday 3/2- Chicken/Mushrooms, Rice Pilaf, Asparagus
Tuesday 3/3- Italian Chicken, Spaghetti, Broccoli/Cauliflower
Wednesday 3/4- Pancakes, Eggs, Sausage
Thursday 3/5- Clean Out The Fridge
Friday 3/6- Mammoth!

See ya all next week! Head on over to Laura's for more great menus!!

Change Your Thinking

It's been about a month sinc eI last posted and I thought I'd get back on track with this. My mom sent me this story today which really amazed me. I hope it touches you as well.


Change Your Thinking

It will take just a minute to read this and change your thinking.

Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.

One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon, when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.

The man in the other bed began to live for those one hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.

Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats.

Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite details, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine this picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon, the man by the window described a parade passing by.

Although the other man could not hear the band - he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days, weeks and months passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep.

She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.

He strained to slowly turn to look out the window besides the bed.

It faced a blank wall.

The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall. She said, 'Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you.'

Epilogue: There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situations.

Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.

If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.

'Today is a gift, that is why it is called The Present.'

I pray you will forward it to all your friends to whom you wish God's blessings.

Picture Tag

Ok so I wasn't actually tagged for this one but it looked like fun! Thanks Kylee!

Here are the rules:


1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.


2) Select the 4th picture in the folder.


3) Explain the picture.


4) Tag 4 people to do the same.


Ok so I kinda fudged on this one because technically the 4th folder is something called iPod Photo Cashe and there's nothing in it but more folders! LoL So I skipped to the next folder!

This is a picture Jason took on the way home from work in December (about 2 weeks before Christmas). We live in SoCal where it NEVER snows...(or at least not enough to stick). Well it snowed for an entire day and REALLY stuck! Jason actually got snowed in at work because they closed the freeway. The girls and I spent all day watching and playing in the snow! We even had a little patch in our front yard left until Christmas day...that's a SoCal White Christmas!

I'm going to tag:

1. Elizabeth

2. Taryn

And two others I will decide after nap time! LoL

Menu Plan Monday~ 1/12/09

DH is working late every night again so I'm continuing to make dinners that he can take for leftovers the next day. That keeps me making dinner even though he's not home instead of resorting to take out or sandwiches every night!

I'm trying a bunch of new recipes this week and will post them as well as reviews once I make them!

Monday 1/12: Crockpot Chicken and Mushrooms, Rice, Corn
Tuesday 1/13: Broccoli and Cheese Pasta (Rachel Ray Mag?), Fruit
Wednesday 1/14: Turkey Meatball Subs, Green Beans
Thursday 1/15: Pizza Pockets (didn't get to last week), Salad
Friday 1/16: Chicken Stirfry, Rice
Saturday 1/17: BLTs, Homemade Chicken Soup
Sunday 1/18: Hotdogs, Chips/Carrots/Dip
Monday 1/19: Frito Pie, Green Beans
Tuesday 1/20: Frozen Pizza, Buffalo Popcorn Chicken

Head to OrgJunkie for more menu plans!

Simple Woman's Daybook

Read other daybooks at Simple Woman.

For Today: January 5, 2009

Outside my window... It's freezing! Well at least for SoCal...cold enough to turn on the heater and fireplace as soon as we walked in the door!

I am thinking... About what needs to be done tonight. Definitely need to write the grocery list for tomorrow…probably not much more than that!

I am thankful for... My little girls. It was so nice to see how excited they were when I picked them up from daycare today.

From the kitchen... We just had a snack of crackers and cheese to tide us over until dinner. I’m making tacos tonight and using my nifty new chopper to mince carrots to put in the meat. They’ll never know!!

I am wearing... My scrubs and a sweatshirt. I haven’t changed from work yet.

I am going... nowhere tonight. We’ll be going grocery shopping first thing in the morning though because we’re out of juice and milk!

I am reading... Eclipse (Twilight Series) for the 2nd time. A friend of mine said she’s reading them much slower this time around and I agree. It’s taking a lot longer to read this time but I still love it. I’ll be on to Breaking Dawn tonight or tomorrow. Afterwards, I think I’ll re-read the Eragon series again!

I am hoping... They post the jobs for the new local hospital soon. I want to work FT close to home SO badly!

I am creating... Nothing…I’d like to start writing again soon.

I am hearing... Dragon Tales on TV. The girls and I have had a LONG day (I was up at 4:15 to get them ready for daycare…ugh!) and we’re relaxing before dinner.

Around the house... Is a TON of junk. The house seems to be so messy lately. Probably because we had a week off and stayed home most of the time. I’m ready to do a deep clean tomorrow!

One of my favorite things... Relaxing in the bathroom with the shower running while reading a good book. I know it’s a total waste of water but it’s something that’s been my favorite thing to do since I was a kid. The sound/steam etc is so relaxing!

A few plans for the rest of the week... I’m off until Friday so we’re grocery shopping and cleaning. Our cracked window is being replaced Wednesday. Hannah and I decided to have a picnic lunch in the living room one day since it’s too cold to go outside much.

Menu Plan Monday! 1/5/09

I've been SO bad with menu planning lately (as you can tell from the lack of posts...). I've actually still been doing them since my last MPM...actaully sticking to them has been another story. We've eaten out WAY more that I'd care to say lately and it's time to get back on track.

DH got a new wok and I got a new crockpot for Christmas so I'm trying to use each of them once a week. DH has also decided to try and cut out all red meat and pork products as much as possible. He's hoping it will help his cholesterol as well as spur some weight loss. Fortunately, we used ground turkey in place of ground beef already and rarely have anything other than that and chicken breasts at home. We do have leftover ham in the freezer from Christmas to use up this week though!

Monday 1/5: Tacos
Tuesday 1/6: Turkey Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Corn
Wednesday 1/7: Chicken Parm, Pasta, Salad
Thursday 1/8: Shrimp Chow Mein
Friday 1/9: Ham, Stuffing, Asparagus
Saturday 1/10: Pizza Pockets, Salad
Sunday 1/11: Veggie Omlettes, Biscuits/Gravy
Monday 1/12: Crockpot Chicken and Mushrooms, Rice, Salad

Head on over to OrgJunkie for more menus!