Pearls & Blue Jeans

Menu Plan Monday: 1/30 - 2/5

2012-01-30T07:10:00.000-08:00

I'm really excited about our menu this week! All three weeknight meals are things I've been wanting to try for a while now and I think my husband will really like them, too. Three meals might not sound like a lot, but Thursdays are a hectic day for us and leftovers are the perfect solution. We keep our weekend meals pretty basic so that we can maximize our time together. It also makes them easily adjusted if we get an invitation or decide to do something at the last minute.

Monday: Baked Ziti with Turkey Sausage (Weight Watchers)

Tuesday: Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry (Weight Watchers)

Wednesday: Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: pizza night

Saturday: hot dogs, tater tots, green beans

Sunday: chili and gourmet grilled cheese

Recipe Follow-Up: The Crock Pot Garlic Honey Chicken I made last week was a huge hit in our house!

Menu Plan Monday: 1/23 - 1/29

2012-01-23T05:23:00.000-08:00

I'm calling this week "something old, something new." Some of the weeknight recipes are tried-and-true favorites, but there are a couple of newbies, too. The other half are new-to-us recipes. Hopefully we'll find at least one keeper to add to the recipe binder. Thank you, Pinterest!

Monday: Spicy Beef Noodles

Tuesday: Flank Steak, Pinterest potatoes, salad

Wednesday: Crock Pot Garlic Honey Chicken, Mushroom & Barley Casserole (both new to us)

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: pizza night

Saturday: cheeseburgers, tater tots

Sunday: paninis, soup

I hope you have a great week! If you're trying any new recipes, I hope they're all successful. I'm off to browse your menus to get ideas for next week. Love how that works! :)

Menu Plan Monday: 1/16 - 1/22

2012-01-16T23:04:00.000-08:00

It's time for another edition of Menu Plan Monday! My husband is out of town for a few days on a business trip so it's just Peanut and I. When he's away, I tend to make recipes I've been wanting to try, but that I know he wouldn't enjoy because of a certain ingredient, texture or flavor. That's definitely the case this week. While we miss him terribly, I'm excited to try some of these dishes. I may end up switching things from one day to the other depending on my mood. Lunches will be dinner leftovers.

Monday: Fiery Shrimp with Bok Choy & Rice (from the new Weight Watchers One Pot cookbook)

Tuesday: Mushroom & Lentil Stroganoff (vegan)

Wednesday: Turkey Biryani (from the "meals for one" article in Weight Watchers Magazine Jan/Feb 2012)

Thursday: Hot Spinach Salad (from the article mentioned above)

Friday: pizza night

Saturday: cheeseburgers, oven fries

Sunday: grilled chicken salads with all the fixins'

Do you cook differently when a member of your family is away or when you're cooking for one?

I can't wait to see what all of you are eating this week!

What I'm Loving Wednesday: 1/11

2012-01-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

Woot woot! Two posts, two days in a row. How's that for getting back to blogging?! Okay, so yesterday's post was actually a day late and..well we're just going to overlook that part shall we? ;)

WILW is one of the reasons I missed blogging so much. Not only do I love sharing my latest finds, but I also love seeing what everyone else who links up is loving. I usually end up loving a lot of it myself.

So here's what I'm loving:

I'm loving working at Weight Watchers this time of year! We have so many new members joining and there's definitely a buzz in the air. The excitement takes me back to the day I joined. I was nervous, excited, skeptical and optimistic all at the same time. I won't launch into singing my praises for Weight Watchers because it's something I'm passionate about and I can get pretty windy if you get me started. Let's just say it worked for me.

While we're on the topic of things I love, the fact that this lovely lady (That's Jennifer Hudson.) is our spokesperson is one of them. Doesn't she look amazing?

I'm loving the PhotoShop Elements 10 I got for Christmas. Thanks, mom! There are so many things this can do! I've been playing around with it on my own, reading blog and watching online tutorials, but I've only just skimmed the surface. I can't wait to learn more. If anyone has any great resources about learning to use PSE, I'd love you to tell me about it in the comments.

I'm loving that The Biggest Loser is back on the air. Hard to believe this is Season 13. Last week I wasn't really feeling the contestants this time around, but after the most recent episode, I feel like it's going to be a good season.

I'm loving Goody Spin Pins. I'm sort of hair challenged and these are the perfect quick & easy styling gadget. The first time I used them, my husband (who is not one to notice my styling) said "You look so fancy!" Buy these just about anywhere Goody hair accessories are sold. They best part? They're super inexpensive.

I'm loving the Zoo Talkers Zoo from Fisher Price. Yes, this is Peanut's Christmas present but, after chasing all over God's green Earth searching for the extra animals to go with it, I believe I've earned the right to play with and enjoy it. For the record, she really does like it, too.

Well, that's it for now! I'm off to check out what you're loving in the linky party. I'm also hoping to sneak in some time for working on my newest post series. Curious? You'll have to keep checking back!

Menu Plan Tuesday: 1/9- 1/15

2012-01-10T06:05:00.000-08:00

Well, hello there! I bet you've missed me! Yes? No? Maybe? As I'm sure it is for everyone, life got really hectic around the holidays and I stopped blogging because I felt like I didn't have anything interesting to say. Never fear! I'm back now and I'm hoping to incorporate blogging much more into the coming year. I've been doing some brainstorming and working on a few projects to share. I can't promise that I'll blog every day (which just isn't going to happen), but I hope to at least be more consistent and have some interesting content.

My first order of business will be sharing our menu for this week, even if I am a day late. I love getting feedback on these and blog hopping to see what the rest of you are eating.

Monday: Weight Watchers Double Mushroom Soup (which was awesome!!!)

Tuesday: Crab Stuffed Ravioli (Sam's Club impulse buy. This is what you get for taking your husband to the grocery.) w/ marinara sauce

Wednesday: Spicy Beef Noodles

Thursday: Tacos w/ lean beef, black beans & all the fixins

Friday: Pizza Night!

Saturday: Cheeseburgers, tater tots

Sunday: Grilled Chicken Salads

Well, there you have it. I can't wait to see what all of you are cooking up this week!

Menu Plan Monday: 11/7 - 11/13

2011-11-07T19:49:00.000-08:00

Quick post today because I'm really tired. I spent the better part of the day about an hour away, shopping with my mom & aunt. We had a great time and a yummy lunch at Noodles & Co. It was my first time there and you bet your bottom dollar I'll be going back!
Our meals are pretty plain & simple this week. Tomorrow, I'm starting a 10-day herbal cleanse program. It's not a liquid fast (heaven knows I need to chew), but there are a few dietary restrictions I'll be following to help the process. Honestly, most of the "restrictions" are really common sense things I should be applying to my eating habits on a normal basis so it's not that bad.

Monday: Chili (DH volunteered to cook!)

Tuesday: Turkey Piccata (as seen on Biggest Loser)

Wednesday: Flat Iron Steaks, Baked Potato, Steamed Broccoli

Thursday: Mexican Black Bean Soup with Sausage (we use turkey kielbasa)

Friday: Super Saver Sloppy Joes for my husband, Grilled Chicken Salad for me

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner: omelettes, hash browns and pancakes for Peanut

I hope everyone's November is off to a great start!

Menu Plan Monday: 10/31 - 11/6

2011-10-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween, everyone! Our Trick or Treat was last Thursday. The first year we lived here I bought 5 bags of candy...and had 4 trick or treaters. The sidewalk doesn't extend out to our house and I didn't realize how that would influence the foot traffic. Since then, the tradition has been to go to my sister-in-law's house for the festivities. Peanut is still a little backwards around new people so we decided to help pass out candy there again this year rather than go door-to-door. My husband did take her to 3 of my sister-in-law's neighbors' houses, but they had to bring the candy out to her because she refused to go any further than the sidewalk.

Peanut was Minnie Mouse...minus ears, shoe covers & bow. So basically, she wore a red polka-dot dress (made by my mom), black leggins & a black long-sleeved shirt. Oh well. She was the cutest little earless mouse you've ever seen. :)

I've missed the last few Menu Plan Mondays. Life happened and things just got too hectic for me to be able to sit down and type up a post. I'm excited to be back with this week's plan, though!

Monday: Sausage & Vegetable Calzones

Tuesday: Chicken Noodle Soup Casserole

Wednesday: Flat Iron Steaks, Baked Potato

Thursday: The Most Amazing Pork Chops Ever, brown rice

Friday: Pizza Night!

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: Cookout for sister-in-law's birthday

I hope everyone has a fun (and safe) Halloween. My only remaining festivity is a special Zumba party tonight. It's sure to be frightfully fun!

Menu Plan Monday: 10/10 - 10/16

2011-10-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

It's another week of just Peanut & I for dinner. I've raided my list of 'want to make, but husband wouldn't like' recipes for our menu this week. I also threw in Here's what it looks like:

Monday: Linguini with Sun-dried Tomato Pesto (Weight Watchers)

Tuesday: Parmesan Crusted Tilapia, Steamped Broccoli

Wednesday: Chickpeas & Dumplings

Thursday: Sesame Chicken

Friday: Grilled Cheese & Soup

Saturday: Cookout @ Camp - Hamburgers, Brats, Pasta Salad, Baked Beans, Crudites

Sunday: Homemade Pizza

Hope everyone's week is off to a great start!

Menu Plan Monday: 10/3 - 10/9

2011-10-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated my grandmother's 96th Birthday! She's one of the most inspirational people I know. She still teaches needleart at the local senior center 2 days per week. If you ask her, she "teaches crafts to old people." :) Anyone who has ever asked where I get my spitfire need look no further than my grandma. <3

Next Sunday we're celebrating Peanut's 2nd birthday! I have a LOT to get done this week, but I'm enjoying every second of the planning process. I'll be sure to share pictures of the event.

Monday: Beef & Noodles (w/ leftover roast), Grean Beans

Tuesday: Spicy Beef Noodles, Salad

Wednesday: Parchment Packet Tilapia, Seasoned Rice, Mixed Vegetables

Thursday: Slow Cooker Sweet & Sour Flank Steak (Weight Watchers), Brown Rice, Steamed Broccoli

Friday: Peanut's 2nd Birthday! - going out to her favorite restaurant: Chipotle

Saturday: Pizza

Sunday: Peanut's Birthday Party: Chili bar, Hot Dogs (for the kiddos), Salad, Cupcakes

What I'm Loving Wednesday 9/28/11

2011-09-28T18:40:00.000-07:00

It's the last What I'm Loving Wednesday of September 2011. Hard to believe, isn't it?

I'm loving my crock pot. Maybe it's a silly thing to love, but I find myself using it more and more as the weather cools off.

I'm loving this pumpkin dress from Gymboree. I'm really considering getting it for Peanut.

I'm loving this coat from Anthropologie.

I'm loving the CrossFit games on ESPN. I saw them for the first time last week and was instantly hooked. I've DVR'd every showing since then. I can't decide if these people are insane or totally awesome. Or both.

I'm loving this Grinch-inspired subway art. How early is too early to put out Christmas decor?

Okay. Back to fall. I'm loving these placemats from Crate & Barrel.

I'm loving the new show Pan Am. The 1960s fashion makes me swoon, the acting is great and the plot is much deeper than I'd expected. My husband loved it too so definitely not just a chick flick.

Again I'm (current) pictureless, but I'm loving my husband and our little Peanut more than words can begin to express.

Menu Plan Monday: 9/26 - 10/2

2011-09-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it's the last week of September, isn't it? We have a less-busy-than-usual week because this is the off week for the church small groups we host. With the extra time, I'm hoping to get caught up on a few crafts and organizing projects.

Here's the meal plan for this week:

Monday: Tuna Salad Wraps, Chicken Noodle Soup

Tuesday: Chicken Primavera with Pasta

Wednesday: Crock Pot Chicken Taco Soup

Thursday: Slow Cooker Pot Roast (adding potatoes and carrots)

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: Homemade Pizza

Sunday: Subway (on the way home from a birthday party)

Chicken Meatballs

2011-09-22T06:31:00.000-07:00

This has been a favorite dish in our house since we were newlyweds. Now, even Peanut likes them! They're quick, easy, healthy and full of flavor. The leftovers reheat very well so sometimes I'll make a double batch. They're also great for the freezer.

Chicken meatballs are on regular rotation in our household so we switch up the way they're served to keep from getting bored. Put them on sub rolls with pizza or BBQ sauce. Toss them into your favorite spaghetti sauce (I usually make the meatballs smaller or cut them into fourths for this.) and serve over pasta. Put them atop a salad. They're even great as an appetizer for parties. Football, anyone? :)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup plain, dry breadcrumbs
1 pound lean ground chicken
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
3 large egg whites
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I use reduced fat.)
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray a medium baking sheet with non-stick spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Let stand until the milk softens the crumbs, 2 to 3 minutes. With your hands, mix well.

3. Split the mixture into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.

4. Place the meatballs at least 1/4 inch apart on the baking sheet. Bake until no longer pink inside, about 12 to 15 minutes.

I'm linking this post up at the following parties:

What I'm Loving Wednesday 9/21/11

2011-09-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

I'm loving that I get to go to my very first Zumba small group at church tomorrow! Yep. You heard me right. One hour of Zumba and one hour of Bible study. I've been a lover of both for a really long time so throwing them together can only be awesome!

I'm loving fall. Everything about it: cooler temps, crisp air, football, changing colors. Here's a pic a took on my run today:

I'm loving the Levi 512 Secretly Slimming jeans I bought last week. They help suck you in (without making you feel like you can't breathe) and allow for a cleaner silhoutte. Bonus: They come in short sizes!

I'm loving that HGTV is publishing a magazine starting Fall 2011!

I'm loving this olive/purple color combo for fall:

I'm loving these Garnet Hill riding boots. I'm loving all the equestrian-inspirted boots for fall. They take me back to my days of showing horses.

I'm loving all 4 of the brand new headband designs from Gussy Sews. She's hosting agiveaway for not one. Not two. Not three, but ALL FOUR headbands over on her blog. Hurry to enter, though! It's ending soon.

I'm loving that The Biggest Loser is back on TV! I know people typically have a strong opinion one way or the other about this one. Before my weight loss I HATED it. I thought they were making fun of overweight people and that it was degrading. Looking back, I think I was just too embarassed to face the reality of myself and just how badly I'd let myself go. Now I'm a huge fan of the show and find it incredibly inspiring. There are two new trainers this year. I've always liked Anna Kournikova and now I'm really liking Dolvett. He's an awesome trainer and (close your ears, husband) supah hot! :)

I'm loving Tervis Tumblers! These work for both hot or cold beverages. There are a ton of sizes and designs to choose from. You can even buy accessories such as lids (travel, straw, sippy, etc.) and handles as add-ons. Here are my two favorites:

Speaking of drinks, I'm loving Sam Adams Octoberfest beer. I'm not a big beer drinker. There are a few I like and this one tops the list.

More than anything, I'm loving being a wife and mommy to my wonderful husband and daughter. I don't have any pics to share from this week so let this be sufficient: <3

Menu Plan Monday: 9/19 - 9/25

2011-09-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome back for another episdoe of Menu Plan Monday!

With the cooler weather, we've taken a turn toward more comfort foods. Most of the time comfort foods = lots of carbs & butter. While I do enjoy both of these things, we try to keep our comfort foods on the healthy side. Whole grains, lean proteins, reduction in use of butter or unhealthy oils and bulking up our meals with veggies definitely helps. My husband is a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy and he actually prefers my lightened-up versions of most recipes.

Monday: Chicken Meatball Subs, Salad (rollover from last week)

Tuesday: Crockpot Cube Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Corn

Wednesday: Chicken Baseballs, Green Beans

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Panko-Crusted Pork Chops with Creamy Herb Dressing, Brown Rice, Broccoli

Saturday: Pizza

Sunday: Mother-in-Law's Birthday Celebration - Marinated Chicken Breasts, 7-Layer Salad, Baked Potatoes, Angel Food Cake, Strawberries

Menu Plan Monday: 9/12 - 9/18

2011-09-12T09:13:00.000-07:00

It's going to be a busy week! My husband and I are each leading a small group at church and they begin this week. They're always fun, but in the beginning it takes some time to settle into the routine of things. We're both excited to have been asked to serve for this semester of life groups and really hope we can share in fun and fellowship with the members of our groups.

My birthday is on Thursday. I've never been a huge "WOOHOO it's my birthday!" kind of person. I do like to use the day to reflect and give myself a little pat on the back for what I've done so far and smile about all that's in store for the future. I am looking forward to a fun date day with my husband on Saturday to celebrate!

Monday: Smothered Buttermilk Chicken, Biscuits, Sweet Corn

Tuesday: Flat-Iron Steaks, Onion Soup Roasted Potatoes, Salad

Wednesday: Spaghetti with Chicken Sausage, Green Beans

Thursday: leftovers (and make football snacks for DH's small group)

Friday: Cheeseburgers, Tater Tots, Salad

Saturday: Cincinnati Reds game! (late lunch at Montgomery Inn, stadium snacks for dinner)

Sunday: Homemade Pizza

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-09-07T20:13:00.000-07:00

I missed you all last week for What I'm Loving Wednesday! It was a crazy day and I just didn't get my post ready in time. Aren't you glad I'm back? ;)

I'm loving the crisp weather! It's a definite sign that fall is in the air. Hoodies & jeans? Yes please!

I'm loving the Mad Men Collection at Banana Republic. There are so many great pieces. This animal print cardigan is one of my favorites.

I'm loving these sneaks I saw on Project Runway last week. They're Heidi Klum for New Balance, sold on Amazon.

I'm loving this Everything Fits Gym Bag from Gaiam.

I'm loving Pumpkin Spice Muffin Lip Shine from Philosophy. It's one of my all-time favorites.

I'm loving parchment paper. Yes. It's a random thing to love, but I've been using it a ton in the kitchen lately to line baking sheets and to make perfect fish in parchment packets.

I'm loving these SO ankle boots from Kohls.

I'm loving Burberry London perfume. It's definitely not a summery fragrance so I'm glad to be pulling it back out to wear during the more cozy months.

I'm loving camp shirts. I want them for fall. All of them. Here are some of my favorites:

J.Crew Factory ($44.50)

White House Black Market ($98.00)

Old Navy ($19.00)

Maurice's ($26.00)

L.L. Bean ($39.50)

Finally, I'm loving that this lady (Rachel Zoe, in case you didn't know) is back for another season:

Menu Plan Monday: 9/5 - 9/11

2011-09-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

Just hopping on here for a quick menu post. We hauled the camper home early this afternoon and spent the rest of the day recovering from our weekend camping outing. It was a blast, but we're all exhausted.

My husband is back to being home for dinner! Most of the time he doesn't have much of an opinion when it comes to menu planning, but this week he had a few requests. Of all things, he said he's been craving Hamburger Helper. This isn't one of our usual (or ever, really) meals, but I'm happy to oblige since I'm so glad to finally have him back at the dinner table.

Monday: BBQ Pulled Pork Pizza (with leftover smoked pork from camp)

Tuesday: Hamburger Helper, corn or green beans

Wednesday: Tilapia Fish Tacos, leftover Baked Black Beans with Chorizo

Thursday: Chicken Meatball Subs, salad

Friday: potluck birthday party

Saturday: Cheeseburgers, steak fries, veggies & dip

Sunday: local Italian place with friends after church

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend!

Menu Plan Monday: 8/29 - 9/4

2011-08-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

Can you smell it? Can you feel it? FALL IS COMING!!! Saturday evening we built a fire in the outdoor fire pit and guess what I was wearing? Jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. It was wonderful. Summer is alright, but fall is definitely my favorite time of year.

Three days of my menu this week (Fri-Sun) have been planned for our camping trip. I'm excited for the little get-away and the long weekend means an extra day we get to spend with DH.

Monday: Bangin' Good Shrimp, whole wheat couscous, lima beans
NOTE: I know I'm *supposed* to be doing meatless Monday, but I'm swapping it for Tuesday this week. :)
Tuesday: Chipotle (Vegetarian Bowl)

Wednesday: Turkey Burgers, Baked Potato

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: (at camp) Foil Dinners

Saturday: (at camp) Smoked Pork & Turkey, Cole Slaw, Baked Black Beans, Pasta Salad, Veggie Tray and whatever other sides people bring

Sunday: wedding reception BBQ

In addition to our meals for the week, I'm also going to be making a freezer meal for our new pastor and his family. They're moving in this week and we want to make sure they have at least one week of heat & eat meals. I'm still not 100% sure what to make since I've never met them and don't really know their tastes. So far I know others are doing baked ziti and ingredients for tacos.

Any ideas for other freezer meals that would be a hit with any crowd?

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-08-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

Whew! I'm managing to squeeze in a late post this evening. It's another edition of (drumroll please)...

I'm loving The Columbus Zoo & Aquarium. Peanut and I went there yesterday and had an amazing time! I'm so glad we bought a season pass. It expires at the end of this month, but we're definitely renewing. The zoo is so well-maintained, the staff is knowledgable and friendly and the amount of things to see and do are astounding. Thank you, Jack Hanna!

And I'm loving my little safari buddy. She is just the sweetest thing ever and we had such a fun day together. This is her with the statue of the baby elephant, Beco.

I'm loving the 60-Second Manicure Hand Scrub from Bath & Body Works. I received it as a Christmas gift, but hadn't used it yet. My friend Kim told me about it's amazing powers so I dug it out of my medicine cabinet and gave it a whirl. It's heavenly.

I'm loving The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I finished it on Monday. It's one of the most well-written books I've read for a long time. I didn't like the ending, but the rest of the book was absolutely amazing. No, I won't be seeing the movie in the theater because I hate going there. I'll wait for it to come out on DVD, but I don't have high expectations of it living up to the book. Have you read it? What did you think?

I'm loving Orly Bonder. It's a rubberized basecoat and it makes my DIY manicures last much longer.

I'm loving this Women's Boyfriend Cardigan from American Eagle. The website doesn't show this color anymore. Maybe I'd settle for it in navy?

I'm loving this cameo from Etsy Shop Love Spell Jewels. There's something vintage, yet modern about it.

Last but not least, I'm loving the reality TV shows that inspire me to be creative in my wardrobe, my home and my kitchen.

Project Runway

HGTV Design Star

Food Truck Race

Top Chef: Just Desserts

I can't wait to see what you're all loving this week! I get so much inspiration from all of you.

Menu Plan Monday: 8/22 - 8/28

2011-08-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

We went camping this weekend. It was wonderful to get away, relax and enjoy family time. The weather was perfect. Warm, but not too hot. I was pretty tired, though, and slept for a really long time last night. That's not a bad thing, right? Today Peanut and I are resting up and getting some things done around the house so that we can go to the zoo tomorrow!

We're implementing Meatless Monday in our house starting this week. I lead one Weight Watchers meeting each week. The center where I work is starting a challenge/contest for our members to do this in their own homes. I can't wait to see the recipes they try and share what I'm doing in our home. I definitely get just as many new ideas from our wonderful members as they get from me.

Here's our plan for this week:

Monday: Cheese Tortellini with Spinach and Tomatoes

Tuesday: Unstuffed Yellow Squash

Wednesday: Chicken Noodles

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Homemade Sloppy Joes, Sweet Corn

Saturday: Cheeseburgers, Steak Fries, Lima Beans

Sunday: Homemade Pizza

Hope everyone has a great week! Good luck to all those moms (and dads) out there sending your kiddos off to school, especially if it's the first time.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

2011-08-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, my father-in-law's doctor told him that he needed to drastically reduce his sodium intake. One of the recipes my mother-in-law found and shared with me was for homemade taco seasoning with much less salt than store-bought.

I made my first batch a few weeks ago, tweaking the recipe just a bit to fit our family's taste. It's earned rave reviews used with both chicken and ground beef. Next time I'm going to try it with ground turkey.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup chili powder

3 tablespoons dried minced onion

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (more or less to suit your taste)

1 teaspoon ground coriander

Combine all ingridients. Store in a cool dry place in an airtight container (I used an empty bulk seasoning container, washed and dried first.). Will keep for up to 1 year.

Use 1/4 cup of seasoning mix to 1 pound of meat.

It's better for you, costs much less than the pre-packaged stuff and (in our opinion) tastes better. Win-Win-Win.

I'm linking up with the following fabulous parties:

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-08-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

I'm loving the Rose camera bag from Jo Totes. Actually, love might not be a strong enough word. I've been a bit obsessed with these lately. I love the Teal & Pewter, but I think the color I love most is Marigold.

I'm loving TOMS shoes. They're the awesome company that donates a pair of shoes to someone in need every time a pair is purchased. The red canvas is my favorite style.

I'm loving sun tea, clothes drying on the line and the 12-mile bike ride Peanut & I took today. It's all thanks to Mr. Sunshine!

(photo from **Mary** on Flickr)

I'm loving these camera lens coffee mugs. Aren't they awesome? They include a lid that looks like a lens cap. Coffee and photography, two of my favorite things in one!

I'm loving this new clutch design from Gussy. They're made from an upcycled vintage house coat. Environmentally conscious AND adorable!

Menu Plan Monday: 8/15 - 8/21

2011-08-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

Week #3 of just cooking for Peanut and I. I hate not having my husband at the dinner table with us. Hopefully his schedule allows that in the near future. In the meantime, I'm trying to look on the bright side and prepare dishes I love or want to try, but that I know he wouldn't care for. Then, on the weekend, we make all of his favorites.

We have a busy week so lots of quick and easy meals on the menu. This is when having a freezer stash really pays off.

Monday: Chicken Baseballs, mac & cheese, corn

Tuesday: Brown Rice with Turkey & Tomatoes (from the freezer stash)

Wednesday: Chicken Parmesan (from freezer stash), whole wheat pasta, lima beans

Thursday: Tacos (I know we just had tacos last week, but I'm on a kick and craving them again.)

Friday: Hot Dogs and Brats at camp

Saturday: Cheeseburgers at camp

Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner (pancakes, sausage, eggs)

Happy Monday to all of you! Hope your week is off to a great start and that it gets even better.

Fair Week: Day 8

2011-08-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

The county fair had their closing ceremonies last night. Today there was a steady line of campers and stock trailers streaming out of the fairgrounds. It was also pickup day for the Home Arts building. All of my projects are now safe and sound at home. My winnings totaled $26! Not bad for something I did 100% for fun and for the love of crafting.

My final project to share comes from the Wreaths department.

I won 1st place on my diaper wreath! When I picked it up, the ladies at the booth said they received lots of comments on it throughout the week. That made me smile. :)

In case you can't tell, the wreath is made by tying rolled-up diapers onto a wreath frame using ribbon, then adding baby washcloths and other small toys or baby gear as embellishments. I've made these for every baby shower I've attended for probably the last 2 years or so. They're always a huge hit!

I definitely can't take credit for the creativity of this project. I learned about the process from my friend Shannon. She has fabulous posts detailing the instructions and materials. Check them out here and here.

I'm a little sad that fair is over. I love crafting in general and don't need ribbons or kudos to continue doing so. However, there's something about the excitement of entering projects in the fair that I love. I think it's because it makes me feel like a kid again. :)

My sister-in-law said it best on the way back from recovering our projects: "Only 358 days until time to drop off our fair projects."

Here's where I'm linking up with this project:

Fair Week: Day 7

2011-08-13T07:17:00.000-07:00

Today's project comes from the Pot Holders department. There's a funny story behind this one.

My sister-in-law and I are both pretty competitive. Okay, we're really competitive. Put the two of us together, entering against each other in the same competition and it gets pretty heated. Fortunately, it's a good-natured kind of competitive spirit. We take competition very seriously, but we're not going to genuinely get mad if we don't win.

Last year we jokingly bantered back and forth about our fair projects, but we weren't entering anything in the same categories so there was no head-to-head competition. My father-in-law said this was a good thing because he didn't want to witness World War III.

Fast forward to Christmas. My mother-in-law pulled out two identically wrapped gifts, handed one to each of us and said we had to open them at the same time. They were pot holder weaving looms, the kind with the plastic square of pegs and a bag full of brightly-colored loops. These particular kits were specifically packaged for kids and even said "For ages 5+" on the box. I'm not sure whether or not my mother-in-law meant them to be gag gifts, but my sister-in-law and I didn't take them as such. We both had the exact same thought when we opened them. "Game on!"

Guess what? I won 1st place! LOL

And in case you're wondering, my sister-in-law got 3rd. I'm going to guess there will be some purchasing of extra loops for a rematch next year. :)

Fair Week: Day 6

2011-08-12T05:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday! We have a pretty exciting weekend planned. I'm loving the MUCH cooler temperatures and praying the rain holds off.

Ready to see another of my fair projects? Of course you are! :) Today's department is Creative Card Making.

3rd place in the Get Well category. I found this idea on Pinterest and thought it was adorable. It took me about 5 minutes to make.

2nd place in the Christmas category. I actually made and mailed these cards for our first Christmas as a married couple back in 2008. Oh, the memories! I actually learned this design in a card makihng class. I love that it's Christmasy, but with a more non-traditional color palette.

I was a teensy bit disappointed that this card didn't place. I'm excited to actually send it to someone for their birthday, though. (It's supposed to be a vertical card. Not really sure why they displayed it horizontal.)

In the humidity, the adhesive holding the cardstock together on either side of the window let go and it was a hot mess in the display case. This is the picture I took just after completing the work. The saying and the cracker idea originally came from this idea on Pinterest. I guess it's better as a favor box gift than as a card. :(

I submitted a sympathy card too, but I didn't take a picture pre-entry and I couldn't find an angle to take a picture of it in the display case. It wasn't anything super facy so you're not missing out. :)

Fair Week: Day 5

2011-08-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit obsessed with fabric flowers lately. I've pinned tons of various ideas and tutorials, but have only gotten around to trying a few. The project I'd like to show you today is actually part of a necklace I made from this tutorial over at The Polka Dot Chair. The only change I made is to do 3 layers rather than 2. I originally tried to enter it in the Jewelry Making department, but they couldn't really find a category. They encouraged me to remove the necklace portion and enter it as a pin in the Home Sewing department.

4th place! This is a really competitive department so I was honored to have placed.

Fair Week: Day 4

2011-08-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

Today's department is a brand new endeavor for me: Handmade Jewelry.

I won 3rd place in the beaded necklace category! This is my very first attempt at making beaded jewelry. What's even more exciting than that ribbon is that I discovered how much I really enjoy it. Jewelry making is definitely something I want to learn more about and do more. Like I really need another craft genre to add to my list. :) Still, it's fun to find something new that really excites you.

I'm linking this project up over Sew Much Ado for We Did It! Wednesday.

Speaking of link parties, I'm loving the tutorial that served as my guide for this project. I'm selecting it as my What I'm Loving Wednesday this week.

The tutorial is from Eighteenth Century Agrarian Business (ECAB for short). The instructions and illustrations were super easy to follow, even for a novice like me. I love it!

Fair Week: Day 3

2011-08-09T11:49:00.000-07:00

I'm happy with all of my accomplishments at the fair this year, but today I'm going to share the department in which I'm most proud: Cross Stitch.

I've been cross stitching since I was really little and it's something I love to do. I remember looking at this department last year and thinking there's no way I could compete with this talent. Imagine my surprise when both of my pieces placed very well!

I won 1st place in the Small Picture (less than 5x7) category! This looks bigger than that, but that's because it's matted and framed in 8x8. If the design looks familiar, it may be because it came from the free DMC brochure in the aisle at Hobby Lobby. :) Or, if you've been a reader for a few months, it may be that you saw my post when it was completed.

Second place in the Medium Picture (5x7 - 8x10) category! It's hard to see, but that's a daisy and it says "Live Simply" across the bottom.

Menu Plan Monday: 8/8 - 8/14

2011-08-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a little break from Fair Week posts today to share my menu with you for this week. Don't worry! I'll be sharing more projects starting again tomorrow. I know you're on the edge of your seat. :)

I do have a quick update on my photography entries. My black & white still-life photo (the petunia) got 5th place and my animal picture (the penguin) earned 3rd place! There were SO MANY photos entered in the department and I just felt happy to have my works displayed.

Okay. Now for my weekly menu. It's another week of feeding just Peanut and I for dinner Monday through Thursday. Lunches will be leftovers or salad.

Monday: Linguini with Zucchini and Chickpeas (didn't get to this one last week)

Tuesday: Chicken Salad Wraps, Lima Beans

Wednesday: Weight Watchers Capellini

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Taco Night with loads of toppings

Saturday: Husband's Company Party - catering by Schmidt's Sausage Haus

Sunday: BLTs, salad

* * * * * * *

Recipe Reviews:

Last week I made two new-to-me dishes, both things I found on Pinterest.

Asian Noodle Salad from Pioneer Woman - This was pretty good. I think it'd be a good dish to take to a potluck. I subbed snow peas in place of one of the bell peppers and I used whole wheat linguini. The sauce had great flavor, but it was a little too oily for my taste.

Greek-Style Egg Rolls with Garlic-Dill Dipping Sauce - These were really good and very easy to assemble. The shrimp makes them pretty rich, though. I ate two of them for dinner with a side salad and was definitely full. I think they'd make a better party food than they did a meal.

Fair Week: Day 2

2011-08-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

Today's department is Scrapbooks.

I love to scrapbook and frequently go to all-day or overnight crops. When it came time to select my fair entries, I discovered that I started a lot of albums this year, but didn't finish any. Instead I decided to enter one that's been completed for a couple years, but that I've never entered before.

This is an album I made to document my husband and I's trip to Washington D.C. in December of 2005. We were just boyfriend and girlfriend back then.

It didn't place. It was still on display, but they had it turned to the most plain page in the entire album. The rest of the album is better. I promise. :)

Fair Week: Day 1

2011-08-06T14:28:00.000-07:00

Today was drop-off day for home arts projects at our county fair. The volunteers did a fabulous job of making the process smooth and easy. That's no small feat considering the huge amount of projects that are exhibited each year. All 19 of my projects are now safe and sound in the home arts building for display all week. Judging is going on as we speak. *fingers crossed*

What did I enter? Well, each day this week I'll be posting my entries in a specific department. First up is Photography.

This was my first year for entering photos. I was reluctant to submit anything because this is one of the most competitive categories and I'm really just starting to learn about my camera and its settings. There's no fee to enter so I had nothing to lose other than the time I spent choosing mats, framing the photos and wiring them for hanging.

Here's what I entered:

Color Still-Life

Black & White Still-Life

Color Animal

Black White Animal

Color Landscape

Black & White Landscape

Color Portrait

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-08-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm CRAZY busy this week getting my fair projects finalized. I'll post more about those later, but today I wanted to share a very quick What I'm Loving Wednesday post with all of you.

Today I just have one to share, it's a site called Cleaning with Vinegar.

I knew vinegar was a great cleaning tool, but I had no idea there were so many uses for the miracle product. This site details several ways to use vinegar for cleaning. There's everything from kitchen cleaning to laundry. These tips are great whether you're trying to go green, save a few bucks or both!

My particular favorite is the All Purpose Cleaner. I tried something similar when my husband and I were first married, but he HATED the smell and begged me to stop using it. I did, reluctantly. Cleaning with Vinegar gives the suggestion to add 12 drops of essential oil to the mixture to cut the smell. I tried this a few weeks ago (with tea tree oil) and didn't tell him. Guess what he said when he got home? "It smells good in here." I've been using it exclusively ever since.

Well, back to work! I've got 50 pieces of ribbon to cut before bedtime. :)

Menu Plan Monday: 8/1 - 8/7

2011-08-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

Happy August! I feel like everyone is posting this, but where the heck is the year going? The past 7 months have flown by! I'm not really complaining, though. I won't wish my life away, but every day that passes is one day closer to Christmas...which I adore.

This week, my husband won't be eating dinner with us until Friday so I'm just planning for Peanut & I. I'm trying some new-to-me recipes I've been acquiring (mostly via Pinterest) that look good to me but that I know my husband wouldn't like. I'm scaling back the number of servings when possible and, if that's not possible, we'll eat the leftovers of those dishes for lunches.

Monday: Pioneer Woman Asian Noodle Salad

Tuesday: Baked Chicken Fingers, Steak Fries, Cabbage Salad

Wednesday: Greek-Style Egg Rolls with Garlic-Dill Dipping Sauce

Thursday: Linguini with Zucchini & Chickpeas

Friday: Husband's softball tournament (pre-game Subway with the team)

Saturday: Date Night!

Sunday: Cheeseburgers

I hope your August is off to a great start! Can't wait to see what all of you are cooking up this week.

Menu Plan Monday: 7/25-7/31

2011-07-25T06:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! I'm looking forward to the short break in the heat this week and a much-needed lunch & shopping date with my momma tomorrow. My parents took a 2-month road trip from mid-May to mid-July and haven't seen her much since they returned.

You can probably tell from our menu, but we have zucchini, yellow squash and lettuce coming out of our ying yang. Having a productive garden is so exciting! At first I was overwhelmed by it, but now I'm enjoying the challenge of finding new recipes and new ways to prepare it. Pinterest has proved a GREAT source for this research.

Monday: chicken meatballs, whole wheat pasta, zucchini rounds

Tuesday: tilapia in parchment packets, baked potato, sweet corn

Wednesday: Cheesy Zucchini Enchiladas, brown rice

Thursday: leftovers on the run (hub's softball night)

Friday: grilled chicken breasts served over salad w/ lots of toppings

Saturday: homemade pizza

Sunday: hamburgers, steak fries, salad

What I'm Loving Wednesday

2011-07-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

Hey, hey, hey! Look at me, posting on a Wednesday and something other than a weekly menu. I've been eyeing this linkup for a very long time and I'm happy to be participating in my very first What I'm Loving Wednesday today!

I'm loving this dress, the Calm tunic by Lole. It's amazing. It's been in regular rotation since I bought it a few weeks ago. It's so comfortable and super versatile! I wore it for Peanut and I's trip to the zoo. The wicking fabric kept me dry even in the 90+ degree temps. I've also worn it with heels for date night and with fun sandals to a baby shower. I love multi-purpose clothes!

I'm loving this set of The Pool Party shower gels by Philosophy. These scents are all summer! They leave my skin feeling so soft and refreshed.

I'm loving these fabulous chrysanthemum earrings from Colored with Love. I have them in aqua, pink & teal. They add such a fun pop of color to any outfit!

I'm loving Pinterest. Basically, you create categories (called "boards") and "pin" your favorite things from the interwebs to them. It's so much fun and a little on the addicting side. Definitely check it out! Already signed up? Follow me so I can follow you back and see what you're pinning!

And as always, most of all...I'm loving these two:

Menu Plan...Tuesday? 7/4 - 7/10

2011-07-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a fabulous 4th of July holiday weekend. We did. It was pretty low-key and very relaxing. Peanut went swimming for the very first time in a friend's pool. She loved it!

I'm trying 3 new-to-us recipes this week and I'm pretty excited about them. Here's what we're eating:

Monday: cookout with friends

Tuesday: Chicken Pitas with Yogurt-Dill Sauce

Wednesday: Bangin' Good Shrimp (imitation Bang Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill)

Thursday: Salsa Chicken (slow cooker)

Friday: BLTs (with fresh lettuce and tomatoes from our garden!)

Saturday: cheeseburgers @ camp

Sunday: probably grab pizza on the way home from camp

Menu Plan Monday: 6/27 - 7/3

2011-06-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a week we have in our house! VBS started last night at our church and I'm volunteering. The theme is Panda Mania.

Last night was the first night and it was an absolute blast! As a "Crew Leader," I took the kids in my group (all 6th and 7th grade girls) around to various stations. We learned and acted out Bible stories, watched a movie, made crafts, played games, sang songs and had a snack.

We're very fortunate to have a WONDERFUL team of ladies providing childcare for the volunteers if they have kiddos who are too young for regular VBS. It's called Panda Preschool and this is where Peanut gets to be. They sang, colored and did other age-appropriate activities that were relevant to the theme. Pretty sure her favorite part was snack, though. Her teachers said she ate hers, 1/2 of one of the teachers' and most of what was left by the other kids. That's my girl! lol

Speaking of eating, dinners are definitely a challenge this week. Peanut and I have to be out the door around 5:15, but my husband won't be getting home from work until sometime between 6:30-8 most nights. I've tried to plan a menu of things I can make for Peanut and I, but that can be easily reheated and still be tasty when my husband walks in the door.

Monday: turkey bacon BLTs, salad

Tuesday: Bubble Up Pizza Casserole, corn or green beans

Wednesday: Coyote Quesedillas from Guy Fieri

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Cheesy Crockpot Spaghetti (subbing shredded chicken breast for the canned)

Saturday: Smoked Brats, salad

Sunday: Cheeseburgers, french fries, cole slaw

Some days...

2011-05-25T13:23:00.000-07:00

...I'm just in awe.

I don't know what I did to get so lucky. Being the mom of such a sweet, funny, loving little girl is the most amazing gift God has ever given me.

We had a picnic in the back yard.

It was her first peanut butter & jelly sandwich. (No allergic reaction, thank goodness.)

She devoured it.

She made silly faces.

She did some exploring.

She drank almost all of my iced tea.

But that's okay. I don't mind sharing with my very best friend.

Menu Plan Monday: 5/23 - 5/29

2011-05-23T12:59:00.000-07:00

What a weekend! Things were pretty hectic around here, but lots of fun. I ran a 5k Saturday morning. Then, we attended the wedding of my husband's uncle Saturday evening. Sunday was church and lots of hurried gardening as we tried to beat the thunderstorms.

We tried several new recipes last week. The Chipotle Sloppy Joes were a HUGE hit and we really liked the Makeover Poppy Seed Chicken. The Ravioli with Pumpkin Sauce, not so much. I don't think it's because the recipe was bad. I think we've just decided that we're not fans of pumpkin in savory dishes. If you are, this one might be worth a shot.

Here's our menu for this week. A few are new recipes and a few are tried-and-true favorites.

Monday: Taco Salad with beef/black bean mixture

Tuesday: Pork Lo Mein (from the Weight Watchers Ready, Set, Go cookbook)

Wednesday: Feta-Stuffed Chicken Breasts (also from Weight Watchers Ready, Set, Go), salad

Thursday: leftovers in a hurry (church league softball night for my husband)

Friday: Campanelle with Zucchini, Ham, Yogurt & Scallions (subbing whole wheat rotini for the campanelle)

Saturday: Homemade Pizza (fresh mozzarella, basil & tomatoes)

Sunday: Cheeseburgers & French Fries

Hope your week is off to a great start! And I hope that everyone living in an area affected by these storms is safe.

Menu Plan Monday: 5/16 - 5/22

2011-05-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday! After a week of warmer temperatures, we're back in the 40s. It was chilly and rainy yesterday when I was doing our menu plannning and I think that may have influenced my decisions. Most of the dishes this week seem comfort food-ish to me.

Monday: Makeover Poppy Seed Chicken, brown rice, salad

Tuesday: Chipotle Sloppy Joes, Simple Cole Slaw

Wednesday: Cheese Ravioli with Pumpkin Sauce, green beans or corn

Thursday: Tuna Salad on sandwiches (for my husband) or salad (for me)

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: wedding reception

Sunday: Cheeseburgers, french fries, salad

We may flip-flop Friday and Sunday if my husband's in the mood to grill when he gets home from work on Friday. Seems like he has been the last few weeks and I'm not one to argue when he volunteers to make dinner. :)

Do you ever plan your meals around the weather?

Good to the Last Drop

2011-05-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

I hate to see anything go to waste. I definitely inherited this from my father. He grew up with absolutely nothing and the habits he learned in his youth to get by carried over into his adult life. I remember him always making sure he got every penny's worth out of every single thing. He'd rinse the bottom of the spaghetti sauce jar out with a little water and pour it in the pot, just to make sure no sauce was wasted. Usually resorting to a spatula, you have never seen a man work so hard to get every single itty bitty last scrape of peanut butter or jelly out of the jar. He was freecycling way before anyone knew what that meant. He merrily accepted anything someone was getting rid and was constantly coming home with things people had set out on the curb marked as "trash." Okay, so maybe that second part is more dumpster diving than freecycling. Potato. Potahtoe. :) Some people snickered at his extreme efforts to save a dime or get something for nothing, but I always found it endearing.

A couple months ago, my husband came across an article in Readers Digest about ways to stretch your dollar in the kitchen. He chuckled when he showed me the article and said "This is so you!"

You bet your bottom dollar it was! One of the suggestions was to use the last bits of mustard in the bottle to make a vinaigrette salad dressing. Just because you can't squeeze anything else out doesn't mean there's nothing left!

You'll need:

a jar of mustard you *thought* was empty
balsamic vinegar
seasonings and herbs to your liking (I used garlic powder, Italian seasoning & onion powder)

Remove the lid from your mustard container. Add in the desired amount of seasonings. (I used 2 teaspoons of each spice.)

I made a little funnel out of a leftover grocery list. This made adding the spices a lot easier and a whole lot less messy.

Pour the balsamic vinegar into the mustard container. I added enough to nearly fill the jar, but not quite to the top so there was still room for everything to mix together.
Shake like crazy to combine all ingredients.

Taste and add more spices as desired.

I'd also recommend labeling your creation. I don't know about you, but someone reaching in the fridge thinking they were getting mustard and accidentally putting vinaigrette on their sandwhich would NOT go over well in my house. :)

We usually buy our balsamic vinegar in bulk so that does help with the cost-effectiveness of this project. Otherwise, I don't think salad dressing really costs much more per ounce than the balsamic vinegar to make this version. Besides just price, I do like that it's using up leftover mustard that would normally go to waste and that there's more control over the flavor to suit personal tastes. I had a little of my creation on a salad at lunch today and it's really tasty!

Menu Plan Monday: 5/2 - 5/8

2011-05-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

It's good to be back! We just wrapped up another round of meal swap with the families at church. It was a little different this time in that we didn't do a planning session at the beginning since we already knew likes/dislikes of the other families. It still worked well, but I couldn't really post my menus because I had no clue what we were getting until we got together to swap on Tuesdays.
I'm back to planning weekly menus for just our family and I'm hoping to keep up with posting them. Here's what we're having this week:

Monday: Spicy Beef Noodles

Tuesday: Ground Turkey Chili (recipe from The New Rules of Lifting for Women)

Wednesday: Weight Watchers Salmon Patties, Dijon-Roasted New Potatoes

Thursday: Tex-Mex Tostadas

Friday: cheeseburgers, chips

Saturday: dinner out before a concert at church

Sunday: leftovers
Hope everyone has a great start to the week!

Menu Plan Monday: 3/14 - 3/20

2011-03-14T07:28:00.000-07:00

Usually the Spring Forward time change is difficult for me. Not this year! I woke up feeling rested and ready to tackle chores. That's a good thing because I have quite a bit I want to accomplish around the house today. I've made my to-do list and have already crossed a few things off the list so far this morning.

Anyone else feeling especially motivated today? What's on your to-do list?

Here's what's cooking in our house this week, most things thanks to our church meal swap. We've put a few in the freezer over the last couple of weeks when we had other dinner plans, but we're pulling some out this week and putting them into the rotation.

Monday: King Ranch Chicken (made by E), corn

Tuesday: Our Anniversary! :) We're grabbing pizza at the local parlor before bible study.

Wednesday: cheeseburgers, french fries
Thursday: Beef & Noodles (made by E), mashed potatoes, mixed veggies
Friday: Manicotti (made by J), green beans
Saturday: TBA (whatever H made)

Sunday: TBA (something from Sunday meal-swap pickup)

My contribution to meal swap this week was a recipe from Kristan over at The Stepford Wife. It's called Dad's Pork Chops & Rice. A huge thanks to Kristan for sharing this recipe and for answering the questions I had along the way!

This recipe was really fun to make! It lends itself easily to the assembly line process, making it perfect for meal swap. Each batch made enough to feed 2 families in our group.

Menu Plan Monday: 3/7 - 3/13

2011-03-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I've missed posting my Monday menu plans the last few weeks, but it was mostly because I had no idea what we were eating. :) I knew there'd be food on the table because we've started back up with our church meal swap. We didn't plan out the whole month like last time so it's a surprise at Tuesday's pickup day. Everything's been delicious so far, but I haven't known what we're having in time to post it for the link-up.

This week I do know so here's the plan:

Monday: late lunch, leftovers or sammies for late dinner after bible study

Tuesday: Greek Quinoa Salad

Wednesday: Spicy Beef Noodles (DH's request for belated b-day dinner)

Thursday: King Ranch Chicken (made by E)

Friday: Manicotti (made by J)

Saturday: Pecan-Crusted Chicken (made by H), Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Veggies

Sunday: homemade white pizza

My contribution this week is Tater Tot Casserole. Better get cooking and make some room in the fridge!

Finally Finished

2011-02-18T14:46:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to have finally finished this cross stitch! I just dropped it off to be framed this morning and, honestly, it felt a bit like leaving my child with a stranger. Obviously I get attached to my projects.

The pattern for this project came from a free brochure I found in the embroidery aisle at Hobby Lobby. You can also find the chart on the DMC website here. It's stitched on 14 ct. white aida and the finished piece measures 5" x 5". I loved working with Color Variations floss! The verigated affect really brought the design to life.

Menu Plan Monday: 2/7 - 2/13

2011-02-07T08:17:00.000-08:00

Success! All three of the new recipes we tried last week were huge hits and will be going into regular rotation.

Mexican-Style Brown Rice Casserole was hands down our biggest hit of the week. It's actually classified as a main dish, but I couldn't get my husband to bite (no pun intended) on that because it doesn't have any meat. Instead, we had it as a side dish with enchiladas. The recipe says it makes 6 servings as a main dish so I made it into 10 side-sized portions instead. That was plenty. The reheated leftovers are as good, if not better, than the first night.

The Dijon-Roasted New Potatoes were a fantastic side dish option. The Dijon mustard gave great flavor without overpowering the potatoes.

The Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese was delicious. I was afraid it would be too dense, but it wasn't super heavy. I did cut it into 8 servings rather than 6 as recommended in the original recipe. That was plenty for a portion. Instead of serving my broccoli on the side, I piled my mac & cheese right on top. It was great! My husband and I both think this would be great with some mixed vegetables added in before baking, even possibly subbing them for 1/2 the pasta.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

After so many new recipes last week, we're going back to mostly tried-and-true dishes for the upcoming week. Wednesday's Spicy Beef Noodles will be new to us, but the rest are pure comfort foods in anticipation of the cold temperatures this week.

Monday: Super Saver Sloppy Joes, Mixed Vegetables

Tuesday: White Bean Chili, Corn

Wednesday: Spicy Beef Noodles, Green Beans

Thursday: Smothered Buttermilk Chicken, Biscuits (for hubby), Brown Rice (for me), Salad

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Dining Out

Sunday: Cheeseburgers or Homemade Pizza

Snow Day = Sew Day

2011-02-03T14:44:00.000-08:00

Actually, Tuesday was more of an ice day here in Southern Ohio, but that didn't rhyme quite as well. ;)

The January 2011 issue of Martha Stewart Living had a great article about log cabin quilting. As a novice to the sewing world, I haven't attempted any quilting yet, but it's something I'm really interested in learning. After reading the article, I was inspired to try a couple of the projects, starting with the iPod case.

I knew by the forecast that I'd likely spend most of the week indoors. So, I decided it would be a good idea to head to the craft store and get the few supplies I needed to work on the projects. Okay, who am I kidding? The only thing I didn't have was batting and I could just as easily have picked that up where I grocery shop. However, it was a good excuse to go to Joann's!

The iPod case in the original article was made of denim, but I decided to make it out of felt (like the eyeglass case in the same article) because I have a TON in my stash from a sale last year.

When I sat down to begin the project, I realized there were great instructions on how to create the log cabin pattern, but no step-by-step directions in the magazine or online for this particular project. The Type A side of me started to freak out a little bit. I've often said that I'm "crafty, but no creative." I like to be told EXACTLY what to do when it comes to most projects. After some deep breathing, I carefully examined the picture and came up with a plan.

Since there were no measurements given, I measured the iPod and then guesstimaed based on the picture. To start, I cut several 1.5" strips of the teal felt. Since the center piece wasn't a square, I started with a 3.5" section and built outward from there. I used 1/4" seam allowances throughout.

Sewing the front and back pieces together was by far the hardest part. I decided to add batting to both the front and back panels for a little extra padding. My machine made it through 4 layers of felt and the batting with only one broken needle. I'm calling that a success.

Then came the true test. Would the iPod fit? Like a glove! Height wise, the end of the iPod lines up exactly with the end of the case.

This was a fun 1st foray into quilting. Although it's not perfect, it helped me build my confidence to try more. I really like the process of the log cabin and I'm eager to create more with this newly-learned technique.
I'm linking up my project to this parties:

Menu Plan Monday: January 31 - February 6

2011-01-31T11:45:00.000-08:00

Wow! The end of January already?!? Where did the month go? We weren't really that busy with extra things, but the time sure seemed to fly by. Looking forward to February, I'm excited about our Life Groups starting up at church and the huge scrapbooking day I plan to attend with my mom, mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

I'm trying three new recipes this week. I've linked to those on the menu. You may notice that chicken sausages are on the menu twice this week. My husband actually requested both of these meals. I asked him if he was sure he wanted to have the sausages twice in the same week. His response was "Yes, because they're just that good." LOL

Here's what's cookin' at our house this week:

Monday: Spinach & Asiago Chicken Sausages on Wheat French Loaf, Dijon-Roasted New Potatoes, Green Beans

Tuesday: Shrimp Macaroni & Cheese, Steamed Broccoli

Wednesday: Beef Enchiladas in Whole Wheat Tortillas, Mexican Style Brown Rice Casserole

Thursday: Whole Wheat Spaghetti, Chicken Sausage Meat Sauce, Salad

Friday: Homemade Pizza

Saturday: Cheeseburgers & Popchips

Sunday: leftovers

Apparently all of our meals last week were huge hits. I can tell because there are no leftovers in the refrigerator! Hopefully this week will be just as successful.

Better Late Than Never

2011-01-28T16:41:00.000-08:00

I was going to do this post as a Wordless Wednesday, but I thought it needed a bit of explanation.

My aunt gave me a Christmas lily bulb when she was visiting for Thanksgiving. She gave me very brief care instructions and told me that it would bloom by Christmas.

I took it home, carefully followed her instructions and waited. A few days later, the stem started to emerge from the bulb. I waited some more.

And waited.

And waited.

Christmas came and went without so much as a bud on the end of the stem. I was just sure that I'd done something wrong and that it would die rather than bloom.

Wednesday, January 26, it looked like this:

Yesterday, January 27, it finally emerged. Absolutely beautiful.

Menu Plan Monday: 1/24 - 1/30

2011-01-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

Another Monday means another menu plan! This week I'm trying to make do with what we have in the pantry, refrigerator and freezer. I had a fairly large grocery bill last week because I stocked up on meat from the Manager's Special bin and put it in the freezer. The only things I need to buy for this week's menu are a loaf of Italian bread (which costs 99 cents) for Tuesday's sausage sandwiches and a jar of pickles for our cheeseburgers.

Monday: Chicken & Ham "Pot Pie", mixed green salad

Tuesday: Italian Turkey Sausage, Pepper & Onion Sandwiches, french fries

Wednesday: Chicken Taco Soup from the freezer stash

Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner! (pancakes, turkey sausage patties, fruit cup)

Friday: Homemade Pizza

Saturday: Cheeseburgers, Potato Skins, salad

Sunday: leftovers

Menu Plan Monday: 1/17 - 1/23

2011-01-17T08:11:00.000-08:00

Hmmm. Not much exciting happened in our house this past week, hence the back-to-back Menu Plan Monday posts. It's not that we haven't been doing much

Both of my new recipes from last week were huge successes! The beef & tortellini soup and italian turkey spirals will both be added to our repetoire. The homemade sauce I made to go with the turkey spirals was so delicious that my husband has suggested we stop buying jarred sauce and use that for all our pasta dishes instead. Comments like that make me really, really proud. Knowing that I'm serving my family healthy, homemade meals and saving money by cooking in always makes me proud. Getting kudos is just the icing on the cake and makes me even more proud to be a home cook.

Here's what's slated for this week:

Monday: Chicken Baseballs, roasted brussel sprouts

Tuesday: Jamie Oliver's Crunchy Garlic Chicken, baked sweet potatoes, cole slaw

Wednesday: BBQ Beef Cups, mixed veggies

Thursday: Crock Pot Pork & Mushroom Gravy, brown rice, peas

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: Chicken Taco Soup, Grown-Up Grilled Cheese

Sunday: Homemade Pizza

Meal Plan Monday - 1/10-1/16

2011-01-10T17:36:00.000-08:00

Looks like my menu planning will be getting a lot easier again in just a few weeks. My church friends and I have decided to start up round 2 of our meal swap group at the beginning of February! While I love cooking for my family every night, it's also fun to sample what others enjoy cooking for their families, too.

Monday: nacho bar (carried over from last week)

Tuesday: Italian Turkey Spirals w/ Fresh Tomato & Basil Sauce, whole wheat spaghetti

Wednesday: Spicy Turkey Meatloaf, baked potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts

Thursday: Beef & Tortellini Soup (Thanks for the recipe, Holli!), gourmet grilled cheese

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: cheeseburgers and steak fries (husband is cooking!)

Sunday: breakfast for dinner

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

2011-01-07T13:11:00.000-08:00

And when I say easy I mean really, really easy. :D
You only need two ingredients:

-a box of cake mix, any variety
-15oz. can of pure pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

Preheat your oven according to the cake package directions for cupcakes.

Line your muffin tin(s) with cupcake liners. (This recipe can make 12-24 muffins depending on the size you want. That's up to you. I like doing 18.)

Dump cake mix and pumpkin both into a large mixing bowl.

Stir the ingredients until well combined. The mixture is dense so use some elbow grease! The result will look like this:

Divide the mixture evenly amonst your muffin tins.

Bake according to the cake package directions. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool completely, then wrap individually in clear plastic wrap for a quick grab-and-go treat. They're not the prettiest things to look at, but they are sooo delicious! You can also top them with a little cream cheese frosting if you're so inclined.

I'm linking this post up to FUNtastic Friday over at Inside BruCrew Life.

Intention Words: 2011

2011-01-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

My very first post here at Pearls & Blue Jeans was about my intention words for 2009. The intention word idea was important enough to me that I created an entire blog just to share them. (Nevermind that I didn't post again for over a year.) I didn't post mine for 2010 because, well, I was frankly too exhausted. My daughter was 3 months old at the turn of the new year. I didn't even know which end was up at that point, let alone think about my hopes and dreams for the coming year.

This year I have a little more time to focus on those hopes, dreams and priorities. I've given a lot of thought to my intention words this year and it all boiled down to one word: Simplify.

At Home: I had a perfectly laid out homekeeping plan when we made the decision for me to be a stay-at-home mom. Monday I would do this. Tuesday that. Wednesday something else and so on. That lasted approximately 14.2 minutes before I realized that I hadn't taken the time to factor a child into the equation. I promptly ditched that plan and have been flying by the seat of my pants ever since. I think I've done a fairly good job of keeping up with the housework in the year that I've been a full-time mom and my husband frequently commends me on my efforts. However, it's something I stress about constantly. I actually enjoy cleaning and organizing. Time management is the hard part. Looking at the big picture is overwhelming and I think this is the cause for my homekeeping stress. Simplifying my list by breaking everything down into daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal categories will help me accomplish more and stress less. I feel confident that I can keep the list more realistic and liveable this time around I have a year of stay-at-home-mommyhood under my belt.

In addition, I'd like to simplify our home in the most literal sense. I want to clear the physical clutter. It's going to be an ongoing task that lasts the whole year and possibly even later. I know doing so will be freeing. It will also help make homekeeping easier because the best way to keep up with "stuff" is by having less of it.

As a Wife: Now that we're parents, I think it's easy for my husband and I to put so much energy into parenting that we lose a little bit of ourselves as a couple. I love my daughter with everything I've got in me. I also love my husband with my whole heart and soul. I want to have more date nights. I want to write him more love notes. I want to find a time when I can really listen to him rather than just hearing him talk and nodding while I'm cleaning the kitchen or wiping a snotty nose. I don't want to lose site of the things that made me fall, and stay, in love with him.

As a Mother: Whoever said "The days are long, but the years are short." in regards to being a mother really knew what they were talking about. My daughter turned one in October of 2010. It seemed like it happened in the blink of an eye. One minute I had made the recliner my permanent home to nurse her on demand and the next she had become her own little, somewhat independent person. I can't slow time, but I can savor it more. I want to spend more time doing nothing with her. I want to stop what I'm doing, sit on the floor and play with her for hours, even if the house isn't spotless and dinner won't be ready on time. I want to take the time to sit still and watch her. Really watch her. She's at the age where she's learning so much and discovering her own likes and dislikes. I want to take the time to do nothing more than to simply watch her be.

In my Faith: I thank God every single day that my husband and I found a church this year. It's a place where we're welcome, where God is obviously very near, where there's a big focus on youth and where we can grow as a couple. We've connected with many people at the church and have made friends quickly. We've found ourself invited to many activities, both church-sanctioned events and more social gatherings. I love all of these things and am excited about what is to come. This year, I want to bring my faith to a deeper personal level. Without giving up any of the amazing opportunities I have to share my faith with others, I also want to take more time by myself to simply do one thing...pray.

At Work: I love my job with Weight Watchers. I care passionately about the people I'm helping, the people I work with and the mission of the company. I'm extremely blessed that my husband is able to provide 100% of what our family needs financially. I do this job because I want to and not because I have to. I don't want to lose sight of that. The flexible schedule is absolutely perfect for me given that my #1 priority right now is staying home with my little one. I'm currently working the perfect number of hours each week to be able to pursue what I love, but also spend the vast majority of my time with her. More hours are constantly being offered to me. I don't mind picking up some extra hours here and there to help someone out or cover a busy time period, but I don't want to overcommit myself out of a feeling of obligation. I want to keep this aspect of my life as simple and unstressful as possible so that I don't lose sight of why I'm there. I've never woken up, dreading going to work. I want it to stay that way. I'm there to help people. Plain and simple.

What are your intention words for 2011?

First Menu Plan Monday of 2011!

2011-01-03T08:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I hope everyone's 2011 is off to a great start. Mine is. I don't typically get too worked up about the change on the calendar, but this year I'm feeling very refreshed and motivated. I find it pretty ironic considering everyone around me is talking about how anti-climactic 2011 seems to them.

After a hectic holiday season, I'm excited to resume "normal" menu planning. Here's what our first week of 2011 looks like:

Monday: Panko-Crusted Pork Chops with Creamy Herb Dressing , twice-baked potatoes, green beans

Tuesday: Nacho Bar (seasoned ground beef/black bean mixture, baked Scoops, sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, green onions, jalapeno peppers)

Wednesday: Sweet & Sour Chicken, brown rice

Thursday: Italian Beef Sandwiches, corn & lima beans

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: We're taking our dad's out for a joint birthday dinner at The Montgomery Inn!

Sunday: pizza or cheeseburgers

Can't wait to see what you all have on your menus this week!

Menu Plan Monday: 12/20 - 12/26

2010-12-20T16:04:00.000-08:00

The final countdown to CHRISTmas is on! I'm so excited. The stretch between Thanksgiving and New Year is my favorite time of the year with CHRISTmas being my absolute favorite part. My shopping is finished and my kitchen table has become wrapping central. I'm trying to slow down, soak it all in and keep the reason for the season present in the front of my mind.

We're trying to keep our menu pretty simple this week. We want to keep the fridge as cleared out as possible to make room for holiday groceries.

Monday: Date Day with my husband, dining at The Montgomery Inn

Tuesday: turkey or roast beef paninis, soup

Wednesday: homemade pizza

Thursday: crockpot taco soup (carryover since I didn't make it last week; freezing the leftovers)

Friday: tradition of Christmas Eve dinner with my grandma (meatloaf a la my dad, baked potatoes, salad, cheesecake)

We're hosting Christmas at our house for the first time this year. Our daughter is the only grandchild on both sides of the family. Since she's pretty much the center of the universe, it's easier for everyone to come here than for us to try to pack her around to multiple houses in multiple cities, all in one day. I'm grateful that everyone is willing to make the day easier for us, but I'm also a bit nervous about playing hostess to people who are awesome hosts themselves. My in-laws are local, but my parents are out of town. They'll be coming over Christmas Eve night and staying in our "guesthouse" (the camper) so that they'll be here for the festivities without having an early morning commute.

Christmas Breakfast: breakfast before casserole (courtesy of my mother-in-law), breakfast pizza (courtesy of my mom), coffee cake (courtesy of my sister-in-law)

Christmas Lunch: pinwheels, coctail weiners (totally giggled typing that), deviled eggs, veggie tray, fruit salad and whatever other finger foods I decide on between now and then

Christmas Evening: cheeseburges, grilled chicken breasts, all the sandwich fixing, chips, pretzels, steamed broccoli

Our CHRISTmas evening meal may sound meager, but that's because we'll break out the big guns on Sunday. We're having our daughter dedicated at church the day after CHRISTmas so my parents are staying another night to be here for that. We're hosting a little luncheon afterwards for family and some church friends. I haven't completely finalized the menu for this one. Feel free to make suggestions!

Dedication Lunch Menu: Honeybaked ham, roasted redskin potatoes, green beans, salad, cheese board, some sort of dessert

What are your holiday food traditions? What's your go-to dish to take to holiday gatherings?

The Reading List

2010-12-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

The BBC says most people have only read 6 books from this list of 100.

The 17 books in bold are what I have read. I consider myself an avid reader and fairly well-read, but maybe I'm just reading the wrong things. I'm a bit embarassed by how many of the classics I haven't read. Probably about half of the these books are on my shelves at home. I don't do New Years' resolutions, but I do set a reading goal every year. Maybe my 2011 goal will be to read at least X number of books from this list.

The Reading List

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible (some, but not cover to cover)
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma -Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Inferno - Dante
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - E.B. White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Menu Plan Monday: 12/13 - 12/19

2010-12-13T05:31:00.000-08:00

We have quite the week ahead! Christmas festivities are in full swing as are preparations to lead my very first Weight Watchers meeting on Wednesday. I'm extremely excited about both! I love having a menu plan in place, especially during busy weeks. I can focus my time and attention on other things rather than racking my brain all day about what to make for dinner.

Monday: cheeseburgers (My husband volunteered to cook!), homemade steak fries, lima beans or carrots

Tuesday: chicken sausages, macaroni & cheese, steamed veggies

Wednesday: marinated pork loin, baked sweet potato (for my husband), baked potato (for me), mixed veggies

Thursday: crockpot taco soup (Thanks Kristan!)

Friday: tuna salad pitas, chips and salsa

Saturday: family Christmas party on my husband's side

Sunday: homemade pizza

Breakfast with Santa

2010-12-11T14:29:00.000-08:00

Peanut had her second Santa encounter this morning at the local fire station. She wasn't afraid, but she couldn't figure out why this strange man was dressed so funny or why she had to sit on his lap. We did manage to get a great big "Ho! Ho! Ho!" out of her. We've been practicing for a couple of weeks. Well, hers sounds more like "Ack! Ack! Ack!" but you get the point.

What a difference a year makes! I was just checking out last year's photos from this same event and I can't believe how much she's grown.

Menu Plan Monday: 11/29 - 12/5

2010-11-29T08:04:00.000-08:00

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving, but it's nice to be back to a "normal" week. My mother-in-law is pretty stingy with her Thanksgiving leftovers so we don't have any of those to incorporate into the menu this week. :) Most of what I'm making this week is coming from the pantry and the freezer so my grocery bill tomorrow should be minimal.

Monday: chicken baseballs, macaroni & cheese, steamed broccoli

Tuesday: meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, corn

Wednesday: Rotel chicken, pasta, cheese & veggie skillet

Thursday: Bar-bea-Q beef (on sammies for hubby, over rice for me), green beans

Friday: leftovers

Saturday: turkey pastrami subs, salad

Sunday: homemade pizza

There is something VERY exciting happening this week at work and I'm putting in some extra hours. Weight Watchers is introducing their BRAND NEW plan called PointsPlus. It's based on the latest and greatest science and the plan as a whole is truly revolutionary. I've been living this plan since the beginning of October and LOVING it! If you're already a member, I'd highly suggest getting your behind into a meeting this week. If you're not a member yet, now would be a fabulous time to join! :)

Meal Swap Recap

2010-11-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

I've been posting about our church meal swap in my Menu Plan Mondays for the last month. A couple of my readers e-mailed me questions and I've had a few requests for more information. I decided to dedicate today's post to the logistics of what we did and my thoughts on the experience.

Getting Started

First, we very briefly discussed food allergies or strong aversions to certain foods via Facebook messages. Luckily, there were no food allergies so that wasn't a concern. The only things to work around were a husband who doesn't like chunks of tomatoes in anything and two husbands who don't like casseroles or too many textures in the same dish. At the end of September, we had an initial planning session that lasted about one hour. Each person brought 12 recipes they felt comfortable making for others. The only guidelines for the recipes were that they needed to a) be freezeable and b) reheat well and fairly easily.

We went around the table, each person giving the names of their recipes and a brief description if it wasn't self-explanatory. From there we started narrowing down the lists to 4 recipes per person, one for each week in October. The most important thing about this step was HONESTY! If we heard a recipe that we knew our family wouldn't enjoy, it was important to speak up so that it could be removed from the list of possibilites. On the other hand, it was equally as important to chime in when we heard somehing that sounded really good. I was a little nervous that all of one person's recipes would get vetoed or that someone woudn't hear any recipes that sounded good to them. It was a pleasant surprise to see how easy it really was.

The final thing we did in our planning session was to decide which meals would be prepared in which week. We tried to keep a little variety within each week (i.e. not all Italian dishes, not all chicken recipes, etc.)

The Logistics

The exchange: We decided that 2 of us would bring our meals on Tuesday when we met for our mommy & me group and the other 2 would bring meals to church on Sunday mornings. We're fortunate that our church has a refrigerator with plenty of space so that the "bringers" could put their food in their when they arrived and the "takers" could grab it out of the fridge as they left. This way the meals would be fairly fresh. We also wouldn't be juggling a ton of food and children at the same time.

Containers: Each person was responsible for providing containers for each of their meals. If the container was reusable, it was the responsibility of the recipient to wash and return the container. I personally found it the easiest and most cost-effective to purchase foil pans with lids. I bought 30 of each at Sam's Club for around $13 total.

Side dishes: Main courses were the focus of our meal swap. If the dish required rice, pasta or buns to really be complete (i.e. spaghetti and meatballs, stir fry, pulled pork sandwiches), then the "cooker" provided those. If the dish was a meal in and of itself (i.e. enchiladas, marinated/breaded meat) then there was no accompaniment. When pasta or rice was provided, we chose to do it uncooked so that it would be fresh at the time of serving. We all bought in bulk, portioned it into plastic bags and wrote the cooking instructions on the outside.

Reheating instructions: Each "cooker" included suggested reheating instructions with each of their dishes. One of the ladies read that it's best not to write directly on aluminum foil pans because it can rub off. We also didn't want to write the instructions directly on plastic containers since they're reusable. Instead, we wrote our instructions on either plain white labels or masking tape and adhered them to the container.

What Dishes Worked?

meats cooked in sauce (beef stroganoff, curry chicken, spaghetti and meatballs)
soups and stews
doughy things (stromboli, calzones)
things that could be assembled ahead of time and baked just before eating (enchiladas, lasagna) although it is important to specify any timeframe in which the dish has to be baked
stir frys
I've been told by others that casseroles work extremely well, too. We didn't have any of these in our meal swap because of the two husbands who don't like casseroles. Weirdos. :)

Luckily, all of the meals worked. The ones I posted above were just the types of dishes that froze and reheated the best. We had a few marinated/breaded meat dishes that were delicious, but challenging to reheat without them drying out or the breadng getting mushy. They got an A+ for freezeability, though.

My Thoughts

I was a bit apprehensive about the whole thing in the beginning for a couple of reason. First of all, I was nervous about my cooking being "good enough" for other families. Secondly, I like to cook and I was afraid that I'd miss cooking each night.

Turns out, I loved it! I was a little shocked the first week at how long it took to prepare my contribution, about 3 hours start to finish. There was a definite return on investment the rest of the week, though. I didn't have to spend more than 30 minutes preparing dinner each night. Being able to get extra things done around the house in the time it would normally have taken to make dinner was nice. I still still put a homecooked meal on the table for my husband and little one which made me not miss the cooking as much as I thought I would.

My husband and I really liked trying new things and having a peek at what's on normal rotation in the other families' homes. I requested several recipes from the "cookers" and plan to add a couple of the dishes to our own usual rotation.

If you have any other questions about our meal swap, please comment on this post or e-mail me and I'll be happy to respond.

Menu Plan Monday - 11/1 - 11/7

2010-11-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

It seems strange to plan a full week of meals this week! For the last month, my friends at church and I have been doing a meal swap. It was definitely a success! Everyone wants to do it again, but we've decided to wait and resume after the first of the year. It's hard to believe that schedules are already getting busy with the approaching holidays. I've received several e-mails and comments asking me for more informtion about the meal swap. Ask and you shall receive. :) I'll be posting more information about it on Wednesday.

I happed to pull out an old issue of Cooking Light magazine last weekend. I usually find 3-4 recipes in each issue that I want to try and 1-2 earn the husband's approval. I hit the jackpot with this one, though. All of our new recipes this week came from the October 2009 issue.

Monday: Italian Beef Sandwiches

Tuesday: Spicy Turkey Meatloaf with Ketchup Topping

Wednesday: Grilled Chicken with Mustard-Tarragon Sauce

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: dinner on the road (I'm hoping for Bonefish Grill.)

Saturday: attending my cousin's wedding (I've been told they're serving Polish fare!)

Sunday: pizza when we get home from the wedding weekend

Pouch Project

2010-10-28T12:52:00.000-07:00

Growing up, it drove me nuts when my mom would refuse to buy me a piece of clothing that she deemed ridiculously expensive because, as she'd say, "I could make that for next to nothing." I definitely respect her thriftiness now that I'm older and trying to live frugally.

The other day I had a need for a good old fashioned zippered pencil pouch. It was actually much harder than I thought it would be to find one at the store and, when I did, it was $12. Highway robbery! I bet you can guess what I said out loud right there in the aisle. "I could make that for next to nothing."

And that's exactly what I did yesterday. I used the Zakka Inspired Pencil Pouch tutorial over at Noodlehead. Anna does an amazing job of writing clear, step-by-step instructions and taking pictures to demonstrate every step along the way. Even as a novice seamstress, this tutorial was easy to follow and fun to make. I skipped the applique step and substituted the linen with another cotton print. I also added some height to better suit my intended use. It needs a bigger key ring so I'll pick that up the next time I'm at the fabric store.

I'm really proud of the finished piece:

Total, I'm guessing this project cost around $2. Amount saved: $10!

Menu Plan Monday: 10/25 - 10/31

2010-10-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

Monday: beef stroganoff (made by H)

Tuesday: lasagna (made by J)

Wednesday: whatever E made (I forget!)

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: hot dogs @ the campground

Saturday: Mexican black bean & sausage soup @ the campground

Sunday: late luncheon @ church

* * * * *

I made a dish called California Chicken for meal swap this week. It's one of my mother-in-law's go-to recipes and quite a crowd pleaser. Thank goodness it's pretty easy, too. I was out of town all day Saturday and too tired to cook after the baby went to bed. Of course she decided not to sleep Saturday night so I was up early and cooking Sunday morning on 4 hours of sleep.

California Chicken

Ingredients

-1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

-1/2 cup flour

-1/2 teaspoon celery salt

-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

-1 tablespoon cooking oil, such as olive or canola

-3/4 cup pineapple juice

-1/4 cup soy sauce (I use reduced sodium.)

-2 teaspoons sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Combine all dry ingredients. Dredge chicken in the mixture.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet. Brown the chicken on both sides.

4. Combine pineapple juice, soy sauce & sugar. Place chicken in an oven-proof dish. Pour liquid over the chicken.

5. Bake the chicken for one hour, basting every 15 minutes.

Menu Plan Monday: 10/18 - 10/24

2010-10-18T07:56:00.000-07:00

Quick post today! I've gotta get in the kitchen and get to work on my contribution to meal swap for this week.

Monday: Spaghetti & Chicken Meatballs (made by me)

Tuesday: Puffy Chicken (made by H)

Wednesday: Chili (made by J)

Thursday: Chicken Tacos (made by E)

Friday: Cheeseburgers or Pizza

Saturday: leftovers for my husband; A and I will eat at scrapbooking

Sunday: whichever we don't have on Friday

For the Birds

2010-10-13T16:35:00.000-07:00

Mommy & Me Discovery group at church yesterday was wonderful. The kids' devotional was all about empathy. We talked about what it meant, why God wants us to be empathetic and different ways that we can show empathy in our everyday lives. While Audrey is still too young to really "get" the lessons or participate in the conversations, I don't think it can hurt for her to hear them and I love listening to the older kids share their thoughts on the day's topic.

Our hands-on activity was to make pinecone bird feeders. Our group leader explained to the kids that this time of year is harder for birds to get to their food and that sometimes they're hungry. She asked the kids how they would feel if they were hungry, but there was a gate in front of their food. Our pastor's daughter, age 3, said "I'd just open the gate and go get it." Out of the mouths of babes. :)

We made the bird feeders with just pinecones, yarn, peanut butter and bird seed. The hardest part was keeping the kids from eating the peanut butter before it actually made it to the pinecone.

Audrey and I took our birdfeeder out in the yard today and hung it in a tree. I picked one we can easily see from the living room window. I have a feeling we're going to feed more squirrels than birds, but they gotta eat too, right?

Menu Plan Monday: 10/11 - 10/17

2010-10-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

Week 1 of meal swap with my mom's group at church was a HUGE success. My husband and I liked all three meals we were given: stromboli, enchiladas (The Pioneer Woman recipe) & curry chicken. The pork chops I made were a hit with everyone, too. My friend's 4-year-old told her, "They're yummy in my tummy" while eating dinner and then asked for more the next day at lunch. Even one of the husbands (who's a pretty picky eater) approached me before church service on Sunday to tell me they were good.

Here's what we're eating this week! I'm excited to try all of it.

Monday: Mexican Black Bean Soup with Sausage (made by J)

Tuesday: Chicken & Noodles (made by H)

Wednesday: Chicken Tacos (made by E)

Thursday: Sweet & Sour Chicken (made by me)

Friday: cheeseburgers & homemade potato skins

Saturday: wedding

Sunday: leftovers

My contribution to the meal swap this week was Sweet & Sour Chicken. I doubled this recipe from The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. Just one modification on my part. It's quick, easy and one of our favorites. My husband isn't a big fan of Chinese food, but he loves this one and requests it on a regular basis. I hope the other families like it as much as we do!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound trimmed boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2" wide strips
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/2" wide strips (any color bell pepper works, really)
2 tablespoons freshly minced garlic (reduce to 1 Tablespoon if using jarred)
1/4 cup bottled sweet & sour sauce (I use Kroger brand)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add the chicken and toss until thoroughly coated.

2. Place a large nonstick skillet or nonstick wok over high heat. When hot, add 1 teaspoon sesame oil, onion, green pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic softens and the vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Be careful not to overcook or the garlic may burn. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and cover to keep warm.

3. Return the pan to high heat and add another teaspoon oil and half the chicken in a single layer. Cook until the pieces are lightly brown on the bottom. Flip the pieces and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the cooked chicken the the bowl with the vegetables. Return the pan to high heat, add the remaining oil and cook the remaining chicken.

4. Return the vegetables and chicken to the pan to reheat if needed. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the sauce, and mix until well combined. Divide the stir-fry among 4 bowls, and serve.

Number of Servings: 4

A Year of Audrey

2010-10-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

My baby girl turns 1 today.

It seems like just yesterday that we were headed to the hospital, but I don't remember life before her.

October 2009 - about 2 hours after birth, snuggling with Daddy

November 2009

December 2009

January 2010

February 2010 - 1st cereal


March 2010


April 2010


May 2010 - Mother's Day

June 2010 0

July 2010

August 2010 - county fair

September 2010

Panko-Crusted Pork Chops with Creamy Herb Dressing

2010-10-06T11:54:00.000-07:00

You may have noticed that I didn't include my contribution to the food swap on this week's Menu Plan Monday post. That's because I made batches for the other families, but not for ours. We just ate it a couple of weeks ago and I didn't want to repeat it so soon. I did want to share the recipe with you all. It was a hit with our family and I've gotten rave reviews from the two other church families who ate their meal swap portions for dinner last night.

I made the Creamy Herb Dressing first and popped it in the fridge so the flavors could marry.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup sour cream2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions: Put all the ingredients together in a non-reactive bowl. Stir until well blended. (NOTE: It may look runny when you first make it, but it will thicken up.)

Then it was on to the Panko-Crusted Pork Chops!

Ingredients

4 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 large egg whites

2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (Japanese breadcrumbs)

4 boneless center-cut loin pork chops (4-ounces each, about 1/2 inch thick)

1 tablespoon canola oil (not pictured)

non-stick cooking spray (not pictured)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Combine the first 6 ingredients (flour through cayenne pepper) in a shallow dish. In a seperate dish, combine the egg whites and soy sauce. In a third shallow dish, spread the panko into an even layer.

3. Dredge pork in the flour mixture.

4. Dip pork in the egg mixture.

5. Dredge pork chops in the panko breadcrumbs.

6. Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork to pan and brown; about 3 minutes on each side.

6. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray. Place pork on the baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 5 minutes. Flip pork chops and bake for another 3 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

7. Plate pork chops, top with creamy herb dressing and serve.

Sorry about the crappy photo lighting, but I think you get the picture. (Pun intended.)

This dish paired well with just a side salad. The pork chops were very filling and we didn't miss a the starchy side. If you did want one, a baked potato or baked sweet potato would probably be good choices.

Source of Original Recipe: Cooking Light

Recipe Notes: The original recipe made 2 pork chops so my amounts are doubled from that. The cooking times are also modified here because the pork did not reach a safe internal temperature following the original recipe.

Menu Plan Monday : 10/4- 10/10

2010-10-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

This week is pretty exciting for us in the food department. It's Week 1 of a meal swap program I'm taking part in along with 3 other ladies from our church.

We sat down one day last week to plan what each person would make and work out logistics. Every week, each person will make three batches of the meal they're scheduled to bring that week. Then, each person will deliver their food to the others on their designated day. Two people will deliver their meals when we see each other at church on Sunday. The other two people will deliver their meals when we meet for Mommy & Me Discovery group on Tuesday.

It works out to be cook once, eat four meals (assuming you make a batch of your meal for your family, too). I'm super excited! We have our menus planned for a month's worth of meals. If it goes well, we plan to do another round next month and into the future.

Here's our menu for this week:

Monday: pepperoni & mushroom stromboli (made by H)

Tuesday: chicken enchiladas (made by J)

Wednesday: curry chicken (made by E)

Thursday: pancakes & sausage for my Peanut's 1st birthday (her favorite)

Friday: cheeseburgers & homemade potato skins

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: Peanut's 1st birthday party! (ribs, frittata, green beans w/ ham & potatoes, corn bread, veggie tray, fruit salad, whatever my mother-in-law and sister-in-law decide to bring & CAKE!)

Coffee Catastrophe

2010-10-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

Did you know that this past Wednesday was National Coffee Day?

It also happens to be the day that the lovely machine you see below went kaput. Oh, the irony.

To make it even better, my almost-1-year-old decided that this would be a good day to break her streak of sleeping through the night and wake up at 3am, laughing and talking to me as I tried to rock her back to sleep. I don't do well on 4 hours of sleep and I don't do well without my coffee. Put the two together and it's exponentially worse. A raging headache and little NoNaps McGhee went strong all day. Good times. I did resort to hot tea. Four cups of it to be exact, but it just wasn't the same.

Maybe you're thinking "catastrophe" is a strong word to describe anything relating to coffee. Clearly you've never met me. I'm an 8-cup a day *cough*minimum*cough* coffee drinker so yes, it really was that big of a deal. We live in an extremely rural area. The only coffee options within a 20-mile radius are the gas station and the grocery store. Both are repulsive. The grocery store offers free coffee from 7-9am, but I'm fairly certain it's leftover from the employee breakroom the day before. The gas station isn't undrinkable, but it's certainly not good and you have to time it just right to even get a cup before the old men drink it all.

Yesterday I hit the motherload. I recently started working a few hours every Thursday morning. I'd previously spotted a little coffee shop along my route there and decided now was prime time to give it a whirl. The cafe just happens to be a Crimson Cup location! If you've never heard of Crimson Cup, you should check it out. As their website describes, they're "a network of 400 independent coffeehouses, grocers, colleges & universities, and food service operations across 28 states." Their coffee is grand and their efforts to promote and support local coffee houses are even better. The staff was super friendly and my nonfat venti frosted pumpkin latte knocked the socks off the pumkin spice lattes I've had recently from that other famous coffee franchise.

You would think that 20 ounces of delicious espressoness would get me through the day. Not so much. After work, I swung back through the drive through and got a large cup of their signature blend coffee. It's pretty bad when you amass two large, matching cups from the same coffee house in less than 4 hours. Oh well. It got me through the day as a happy human being.

Today I was torn. I didn't want to make the 30-minute trip for decent coffee, but I also didn't want to do without or drink sub-par caffeine and I really didn't want to go another day without. As luck would have it, I remembered that the little Amish store just down the road sells locally-roasted coffee by the cup. As soon as the wee one woke up, we had breakfast and headed that way.

They only have one size and that's small, but for 50 cents a cup you can afford more than one. I'll let the picture speak for itself and yes, that's all for me. There also may or may not have been a cup consumed before this picture was taken.

My husband should be home tonight and we're headed to get everyone accessorized for a wedding we're attending tomorrow. Peanut needs tights, my husband wants new shoes and I have high hopes of getting a new coffee pot. :)

Menu Plan Monday 9/20 - 9/26

2010-09-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

Hello bloggies! I've missed you all the past few weeks. First, there was nothing even remotely exciting going on to blog about and then there was so much fun stuff (and not so fun stuff) happening that I didn't have time to blog. I'm going to try to get back in the swing of things this week, starting with our meal plan for the week. I'm linking up over at I'm an Organizing Junkie and checking out others who have linked up for meal ideas.

Monday: tater tot casserole, salad

Tuesday: corn, black bean & zucchini enchiladas

Wednesday: sweet & sour chicken, brown rice

Thursday: panko-crusted pork chops with creamy herb dressing, steamed broccoli

Friday: turkey pizza burgers, steak fries, salad

Hope everyone had a good weekend and a great start to the new week!

Menu Plan Monday: 8/30 - 9/5

2010-08-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

My husband is back to day shift this week, thank goodness! That means a much more normal eating schedule and, more importantly, a non-zombie for a husband!

Monday: homemade pizza (sausage, mushroom, banana pepper, extra cheese and onion on half

Tuesday:chicken meatball subs, sliced tomatoes and cottage cheese

Wednesday: beef and noodles, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans

Thursday: bruschetta chicken bake, salad

Friday: chili and/or hot dogs at the campground

Saturday: fish fry at the campground

Sunday: smoked turkey & pork loin at the campground

Goin' to the Zoo

2010-08-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

Friday, Peanut and I took a field trip to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. I've been wanting to take her for a very long time, but it's been a scorcher of a summer and it just didn't seem like it would be fun in the extremely hot weather. Thankfully we got some relief from the heat last week and I decided it was a good opportunity to make a break for it.

I wasn't sure if she'd really "get it" because she's still pretty little. She absolutely loved it from the word go! That little mouth was gaped open with wonder from the moment we entered the gate.

It could not have been a more perfect day! The weather was fabulous and I felt like it was a great bonding experience. I'm with her pretty much 24/7, but seeing her in an environment other than home or our other usual places (grocery, craft store, families' houses) was extremely eye-opening. It really made me appreciate her as an individual with a personality all her own.

I thought she'd probably pay the most attention to the biggest animals because they're easier to see. Wrong! She couldn't have cared less about the lions, tigers, elephants and other animals that seem to be kids' favorites. Nope. Not my kid. What did she like? Things I never thought she'd give a second glance.

The manatees were probably her favorite. It's a really great exhibit. We were in there for a pretty long time.

She also really liked the otters:

I thought she was going to try to escape from my arms and into the penguin exhibit. I can see how that one might interest little ones if the penguins were swimming or jumping in and out of the water. They were all asleep when we were there, but she was still fascinated.

The flamingos might have been the favorite that surprised me the most.

We covered a lot of ground over the three and a half hours we were there. I wasn't sure how long she'd last without a nap. My plan was just to see whatever we could see before she fell asleep and then head for the car. She stayed wide awake the whole time! Our only breaks were for the restroom/diaper changes and water refills. Here are just some of the other animals we saw:

elephant family

orangutan

chimpanzee

aldabra tortoise

bonobo

Angolan colobus

komodo dragon

kangaroo

koala bears

black rhino

Our last stop was at the zoo's newest exhibit, the polar bears. The setup was pretty incredible and we got lucky that one of the bears was feeling playful.

After seeing the bear from above, we went down to the lower observation tunnel. The bear was sitting right on top of the glass. Audrey thought the bear behind was hilarious!

He even waved to us!

Being the ~~pushover~~ loving mother that I am, I caved and bought her a stuffed manatee in the gift shop. We originally went in to get change for the smashed penny machines, but she kept reaching out for this one particular toy and saying "Awww! Awww!" She slept with him in her car seat the entire way home.

I'd say the day was a hit for both of us, well worth the hour and forty-five minute drive to get there. I'm also really glad I went ahead and bought a season pass. It's good for a year from the date of purchase so we'll be able to go as much as we want this fall, see the Christmas lights display this winter and then go even more next spring and summer.

Kudos to the Columbus Zoo for such a great experience. The animals are clearly well taken care, it's fantastically educational, the facilities are clean and the park is beautifully designed. I can't wait to go back!

Super Saver Sloppy Joes

2010-08-26T16:13:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, Manwich was the go-to meal for my dad to fix whenever my mom wasn't home for supper. He cooked on a regular basis, but my mom really didn't like Manwich so he'd wait until she wasn't going to be around to fix it. He LOVED the stuff.

I'm sort of 'meh' about the stuff. I don't hate it, but I'd never request it, ya know? My husband, on the other hand, is as big of a fan as my dad. I usually make up a big batch if I'm going to be away from home for a stretch so that he has an easy at-home meal to reheat rather than eating out.

That's where this whole thing started. I was planning to be out of town for a long weekend and promised him I'd make up a batch of Manwich and stick it in the fridge. No big deal, except that when I went to the pantry we were *gasp in horror* out of canned Manwich.

Instead of abandoning the project all together, I googled Sloppy Joe recipes and came upon this recipe on Allrecipes.com. I wasn't sure how it'd compare to the name-brand, but I gave it a go. The result was a hit. My husband raved about it for weeks and said he liked it waaaay better than the real Manwich. I shared the recipe with my dad and even he said he'll never buy the "real" stuff again.

I've made it several times and tweaked it each go-round to better suit our tastes. With these revisions, I can actually say I like the stuff. I never measure anything when I make it, but here are my (very rough) estimations for how I make it:

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, chopped
3/4 cup ketchup
1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons garlic powder
pinch of red pepper flakes (not pictured)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown the ground beef with the onion. Stir in all remaining ingredients. Bring to a bubble. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes.

Ta da! Easy peasy, right? Not difficult to make, yummy and very, very inexpensive. If my calculations are correct, it's less than 25 cents per batch for the sauce. That's a considerable amount of savings over the canned variety. (This amount does not include the meat.)

I don't like juicy things like this on a sandwich because I cannot stand soggy bread. Instead, I serve mine over pasta. You can never go wrong with pasta. :)

I forgot to take a pic before we ate, but here's the closeup view of our leftovers.

Crop 'til You Drop

2010-08-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

Don't pay the ransom, I've escaped!

(That's what my dad always used to say when he'd been gone for a long time and was calling to check in. :)

No, I didn't forget about the blog. I woke up Wednesday to a completely dead laptop even though it'd been plugged in to charge overnight. Thank goodness it was just the power cord, but no one within an hour radius of ~~BFE~~ our teeny tiny town carries any kind of Mac accessories. I decided to wait to go to a Mac store since my weekend plans put me near one.

The reason I was in the "big city" this weekend was for a scrapbooking retreat with my mom. My cousin came to watch Peanut while we worked on our albums. It was nice to have her right there, but still be able to focus on my pages.

I go to several retreats every year and it seems like I always lose my creative juice as soon as I walk in the door. Not this time! I was brainstorming layouts in the shower and in the car on the way there. It was so nice to sit down, pull out my pictures and immediately get to work instead of sitting there for the first 3 hours with a blank stare on my face.

I didn't get a ton accomplished because I still had to take time out to feed Peanut, feed myself and tend to her when she needed her mom. It was still more than I've accomplished in the last 10 months. It felt so good to get started on her album and fun/emotional/sad to look back at pictures of her when she was first born.

I wanted a girly album for Peanut's first year, but not light pink or anything with cheesy baby graphics on it. I fell in love with the color of this one and bought it. The picture doesn't really do it justice. It's somewhere between a bright pink and a coral.

I'm not going to post the title page because Peanut's full name is the majority of the layout and blurring it out would pretty much leave a blank page. :)

Here are some of the layouts I completed. Nothing too fancy or overly creative, but they're finished. I took a lot more time than usual figuring out what to say in the journaling boxes. I want Peanut to know not only what happened, but how we felt.

I think I'm headed out for a run to wake myself up. I'm going to fall asleep if I don't get up and moving. That's one thing about spending the whole weekend away from home. I'm always worthless the next day.

I'm also linking this post up to the following parties:

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Joann's Haul

2010-08-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went shopping at the nearby outlet mall with my BFF on her day off. She's 4 months postpartum and in that weird "maternity clothes are too big, pre pregnancy clothes don't fit" stage. We've been BFFs for about 20 years and like similar things, but our tastes in clothing are very different. She asked me to come to be her honest opinion and so I'd encourage her to try things on that were outside of her clothing comfort zone. She found some really great pieces at great prices!

I didn't buy a single thing...until I made a pit stop at Joann's on the way home. :)

In my defense, I had a $10 coupon that I earned with a previous purchase and I didn't want to forget to use it. I also needed some embroidery floss and new embroidery needles for a cross stitch project I'm ready to begin. I found those right away:

That didn't add up to my $10 and I wasn't about to let any "free money" go to waste in a craft store. I decided to use the other coupon I had for 50% off one cut of regularly priced fabric. After literally 45 minutes of wandering the aisles, I finally settled on the damask that kept catching my eye:

That still put me just shy of my $10 so I ventured to my favorite place in the fabric store: the remnant bin. I absolutely love digging through the remnant bin. Besides the fabric there being discounted (always a plus), it's fun to see what other people have been buying that resulted in the leftovers. I always wonder what they used their cut of fabric to create.

My hunt for a remnant to fill in the gap resulted in my buying 9 remnants:

All of them cost $1-$3. I don't have specific plans for any of them yet. They're all just cotton so they're versatile and I'm sure I'll find something.

Oh, dear. Those are the famous last words of someone with a fabric addiction, aren't they? :)

Menu Plan Monday: 8/16 - 8/22

2010-08-16T13:57:00.000-07:00

Planning a menu this week was tough because our schedule has been turned upside down. My husband is working night shifts for two weeks. He's out the door between 4pm and 5pm, but I'd like to eat as a family before he leaves. Considering we don't normally eat until between 7pm and 8pm, that's quite a change.

Monday: BLTs (with tomatoes fresh from our garden!)

Tuesday: Black Bean Lasagna (from August 2010 Reader's Digest)

Wednesday: Chicken Sausage with Onions & Mushrooms on Italian Bread

Thursday: Crispy Parmesan Chicken with Posh Ham (from Jamie Oliver)

Friday: Cheeseburgers, Mac & Cheese

I also whipped up a batch of tofu pad thai today. My husband doesn't like this one so it will be for me to eat this week as an early lunch or later in the evening in case our late afternoon meal doesn't stick with me until bedtime.

Easy Company Squares

2010-08-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

I made these delicious bars for a family get-together yesterday. They were an extreme hit! My uncle (who is a total foodie) absolutely RAVED about them the entire day. You would have thought we gave him a million bucks when we put the 4 leftover bars on a plate and gave them to him before we left. My aunt messaged me on Facebook yesterday to get the recipe and said he hasn't stopped talking about them. Little does he know that these are the world's easiest and quickest dessert to make. They're yummy cold, but still taste great at room temperature which makes them a great idea for potlucks and picnics.

Ingredients

two (8 ounce) blocks of cream cheese, softened (I used reduced fat.)
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
two (8 ounce) packages of crescent rolls (I used the seamless sheets.)
1 large egg white
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spray a 9x13 inch pan or baking dish with non-stick spray
Combine cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk & vanilla. Mix well.
Unroll 1 can of dough, press into bottom of the pan. Top with cream cheese mixture.
Whisk egg white. Unroll second can of dough & place on top of cream cheese mixture. Brush top of pastry with the egg white.
Combine sugar & cinnamon. Sprinkle over pastry.
Bake for 25 minutes.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Makes 36 squares, but no one can eat just one. :)

My Fair Baby

2010-08-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and I took Peanut to her very first county fair.

It was a bajillion degrees and extremely crowded. Blech! We didn't stay very long.

Of course my sister-in-law and I had to check on how our Home Arts projects faired in the judging and take pictures of our items on display. This was my main motivation for even wanting to

My digital scrapbook took 1st place in its category:

My vacation scrapbook got a 5th place:

Neither of my sewing items placed. No shame there considering I'm an extreme novice. You should have seen the incredible pieces they were up against! Not gonna lie, I swelled with pride when I saw them on the display shelves even though there were no ribbons there. Regardless of how well they did, I made those and other people saw them. :)

I kinda wish they would have at least straightened the letters before putting it on the shelf. Oh well.

My sister in law did pretty well with her gift wrapping and baked good projects. This is sort of pathetic, but we're already planning projects and categories to enter for next year. The 2010 fair isn't even over yet!

Clean Out the Pantry: Week 2 Review

2010-08-09T14:54:00.000-07:00

Week 2 of shopping from the pantry, fridge and freezer went well. My husband ended up having to stay out of town 2 nights for work so one meal was moved to the weekend and one was shifted to the menu for this week.

Here are the meals we did eat this week:

Tuesday
whole wheat angel hair pasta with chicken sausage & mushroom/ripe olive sauce

Thursday

Coyote Quesedilla a la Guy Fieri (so good you HAVE to make this one)

Friday

sweet & sour chicken (from The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook) with brown rice

Saturday

cheeseburgers & steak fries (I think you know what those look like.)

Other than most of the ingredients for the quesedilla, the only other thing I had to buy for these meals were 2 bell peppers. The rest came from our pantry, fridge & freezer. Here's the list of everything I used up for dinners:

~package of Sam's Club chicken sausages
~jar of spaghetti sauce
~finished up 1/2 a box of whole wheat angel hair pasta
~2 pounds of boneless/skinless chicken breasts
~2 tomatoes from our garden
~onion
~1 pound package of hamburger patties
~sourdough english muffins
~bag of frozen steak fries
~finished a can of parmesan cheese

I went to the grocery today and did really well. The only things I bought for meals this week were turkey bacon and a head of romaine lettuce, both for BLTs tonight. I reserved a few whole leaves of the lettuce for sandwiches and chopped the rest up to use for salads. I also bought stuff for my husband's lunches, baby food, a few staples that we've used up and need to keep on hand (Worcestershire sauce, Parmesan cheese, jelly, Dijon mustard) and the ingredients for two dishes to take to a family get together next weekend.

Oh, and I did buy several outfits for the little one. All of the summer stuff is on clearance at $2 or $3. I spent $20 and got a ton of darling clothes to put back for next year.

Off to the fair!

2010-08-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

I just got home from entering my projects in the county fair!

I showed horses at my hometown county fair when I was younger, but I've never entered anything as an adult. My sister-in-law entered things for the first time last year and has been trying to talk me into it since then. Until recently, I wasn't diggin' the idea. There's just something about putting my work out there for people to see and judge that makes me nervous.

As the fair actually drew near, my sister-in-law's excitement was contagious and I decided to enter a few things. It would be nice to win for pride and for the cash prizes, but I'm not going to be devastated if I walk away empty handed. I'm just really proud of myself for letting go of my insecurities and it will be neat to have my projects on display.

Here's what I entered:

honeymoon scrapbook (digital category)

Girls' Cruise 2006 scrapbook (vacation category)

felt ABC pillow (miscellaneous pillow category)
template from Martha Stewart

stuffed fish (stuffed toy - cloth category)
Thanks to Kristan for introducing me to this Stanley pattern from Fig Tree & Company. I did sew a smaller piece of black felt onto the eye after taking this picture because it just didn't stand out enough for me.

I also entered a plate of 5 Roma tomatoes from our garden. I'd hoped to have more veggies to enter. Unfortunately, our hot peppers peaked too early and our squash haven't come on yet because we were a little late in planting. :(

The judging is tonight at 5pm. Any good vibes would be much appreciated!

Clean Out the Pantry Days 4-7

2010-08-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

Okay. So I sort of cheated for the latter half of my Clean Out the Pantry week.

Day 4, Thursday: I had Chipotle for lunch at 3pm so I knew I wouldn't be hungry come dinner time. When I got home from town, I threw together a quick tuna salad (tuna, eggs, light Miracle Whip) and threw it in the refrigerator. I'm not a big fan, but my husband loves the stuff. He had some on toast for dinner and finished it up with crackers for breakfast on Saturday. Yes, tuna for breakfast. Weirdo. :)

Day 5, Friday: My husband ended up having to work really late Friday night and ended up staying out of town because he also had to work Saturday. I never really got hungry enough to sit down to a meal so I just fixed a quick PB&J sandwich and called it a day.

Day 6, Saturday: The last time we went out to dinner alone, as a couple, was for our anniversary back in March. That streak was broken on Saturday when we dropped the baby off at my sister-in-law's house and headed to a nearby steakhouse.

Day 7, Sunday: Pizza for dinner. Enough said. It wasn't that I didn't want to cook and it's pretty unheard of for us to eat out once a week, let alone twice. We were both just hungry for it and there were coupons in Sunday's paper.

I'm still calling Clean Out the Pantry Week 1 a huge success. Here's a list of all the things we used up from the pantry, refrigerator, garden and freezer:

6 tomatoes from our garden
can of dark red kidney beans
bag of croutons
large sirloin steak
package of organic hearts of romaine lettuce
bag of shredded 2% cheddar cheese
leftover coleslaw
box of reduced sodium Stove Top stuffing
1.5 lb. package of pork chops
1 onion
box of long grain & wild rice
19oz. bag of shrimp
1 lime
3 cans of tuna
2 eggs

Clean Out the Pantry Day 3: Garlic & Jalapeno Shrimp

2010-07-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

Last night I made the Garlic & Jalapeno Shrimp from the May 2010 issue of Martha Stewart Living . I had everything to make it except for the jalapeno pepper which I picked up at the grocery last week for 38 cents. Bank breaker right there ladies and gentlemen. :)

My husband and I both liked it. A lot. I'll definitely be making this one again.

On the side, we ate this seasoned rice that's been taking up space in the pantry since I got it free with a coupon.

The recipe also specified to "Serve with cold beer." I'm not gonna argue with Martha so...

Grocery Update: This morning I did my menu planning for next week and discovered that I could easily do another week of cooking with what we already have. I went to the grocery today and only spent $10 on ingredients for those meals. It would have been less, but my husband specially requested a dish. I have the chicken and the sour cream, but had to purchase the rest.

The only others things I bought were bread, produce, beer and things for my husbands lunches next week. All of these are things we will consume in a week.

My credit card was very, very happy. It was also nice not having to unload 2,000 bags of groceries and spend an hour putting everything away.

Clean Out the Pantry Day 2: French Onion Pork Chop Skillet

2010-07-28T15:18:00.000-07:00

Last night's dinner was one of my husband's favorite. I found the recipe in a Kraft Foods magazine shortly after we got married and it's been a semi- regular feature on our menu since then. We haven't had it for a while so my husband was excited to see it finishing up on the stove when he got home.

You can find the original recipe here. The only modifications I made were to use one pound of pork chops instead of 1.5 and I used 2% shredded cheddar cheese instead of part-skim mozzarella.

I swear there really are pork chops in there, under the onions.

I didn't have to buy a single thing for this meal. Even more exciting was that this dish used up my last box of stashed Stove Top stuffing. I don't really know how I amassed so much of that stuff, but at one point I had about 10 boxes on the lazy Susan. Either there was one heck of a sale or I had some mad coupons. Or both. :)

On the side, we had salads made from our fridge stash of lettuce, tomatoes from our garden and croutons from the pantry.

Clean Out the Pantry Day 1: Garbage Salad

2010-07-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

Kristan's post about having a ton of food stocked in her pantry and wanting to cook for one week using only ingredients she had on hand. I decided to challenge myself to the same thing since I have a ton of non-perishables in the pantry, meat in the freezer and things in the refrigerator that need to be used up.

Yesterday I hit the trifecta. I used not only two items from the pantry, but also an item from the deep freeze and a few things from the refrigerator.

The steamy weather yesterday was not conducive to a heavy dinner. It was, however, perfect grilling weather so my husband threw a sirloin steak (from the deep freeze) on the grill for our protein. Instead of serving it with a starchy side, we decided to just throw it onto a salad. Every one of the toppings were things we already had on hand and some of them were things that would have gone bad had they not been used up this week.

I present to you my Garbage Salad:

spring mix, tomatoes (from our garden), dark red kidney beans, croutons, coleslaw & sirloin steak

Yes. That says coleslaw. My husband looked at me like I had lost my mind.

I wanted a slaw-like dressing for my salad, but we didn't have any because I'd used up the last jar toward the end of last week in a batch of homemade coleslaw. We ate it as a side dish with several meals, but there was still quite a bit leftover that would have gone spoiled in the refrigerator. I threw it on top of my salad to keep that from happening. Lo and behold, it was actually really good.

It was a perfect meal for a hot summer evening. We weren't overly stuffed and the veggies were extra refreshing.

Prisms

2010-07-25T08:43:00.000-07:00

My junior year of college was a rough one. When spring break rolled around I needed an escape. While most of my friends were venturing to Cabo San Lucas or Miami for a wild week, I went a completely different route and headed to Virginia Beach...with my mom. Not exactly what most college students would picture as their idea of a fun vacation. It turned out to be the most relaxing getaway I can ever remember. There was absolutely no agenda. We spent the week reading & walking on the beach, dining on fabulous seafood and sleeping with the balcony door open to enjoy the sound of the waves.

We also explored several little boutique shops, my favorite of which was full of beads. The walls were lined with tiny drawers, each one housing a different bead. I felt like I was on a treasure hunt as I walked around the store, pulling out each drawer and discovering its content. I've never been very good at making jewelry, but I've always had a love for beads. There are so many different shapes, sizes, colors, styles and materials. I fell in love with a few beads, but couldn't really justify buying them since I had no purpose for their use. As we were leaving, we passed a display case that held shelves and shelves of gorgeous prisms. They were beautiful. As is almost always the case with me, I couldn't settle on just one. I asked the cashier to hold two for me and I hurried back to the little drawers, this time with purpose. I bought enough of the beads I'd previously coveted to string with the prisms.

I'm not sure why, but those beads and prisms sat unused in a drawer...until yesterday. One of my child development books said that little ones love prisms. When I read that, I remembered seeing the little plastic bag of prisms and beads when I reorganized my crafting supplies a few weeks ago. I dug them out, strung them on some fishing line and hung them in the living room windows where we get plenty of early morning sun. When I got the baby up for the day, the living room was full of dancing rainbows. The walls, floors and furniture were polka-dotted with them. Her face lit up and her little eyes danced from one speckle to another. After breakfast, still mesmerized with the new addition to our decor, she crawled across the floor and tried to pick the spots of color up in her hands. Watching her play, laugh and shriek with enjoyment at something so simple takes me back to that vacation and to that bead shop. The trip was none too wild, but sometimes those chances to slow down, relax & discover can be just as exciting.

Wordless Wednesday: A Walk in the Park

2010-07-21T07:24:00.000-07:00

Fresh Start

2010-07-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

Can you really call it "starting over" when you only made one post before taking the hiatus? :) Probably not, but I'm excited to revisit this blog I created over a year ago and see the potential for the future. I don't have a specific purpose in mind for this blog. It will just be a collection of my life happenings, thoughts, projects, photos and whatever else pops into my brain that day.

I should probably catch you all up to speed since I've had a couple major life changes have taken place for me since my first/last post.

Last October, I made this (with the help of my husband):

Which has now turned into this:

My husband and I are both head over heels in love with this little girl.

Major life change #2 is that I quit my job in the world of finance last December to stay home with her full-time. I feel truly blessed to be able to watch her learn and grow every single day. It's the hardest job I've ever had, but also the most rewarding.

Taking Time for Myself

2009-03-03T07:07:00.000-08:00

The intention words I selected for 2009 are: flow & self. I chose flow because I constantly need to have control over things and I want to learn to let go and relax. Self was fitting because I often find myself putting the needs and wants of everyone around me at the top of my list while my own needs and wants find their way to the bottom.

The spa is one of my favorite places in the entire world. I love the tranquility and how you're basically forced to push all of your worries out of your head while you're there and just relax. There are two things that keep me from going their regularly: time and money.

I had some down time last night and decided some pampering was in order. Instead of a visit to the spa, I recreated the experience in my own bathroom. I lit candles all over the room, put in a relaxation CD and filled the tub with enough hot water to soak my feet and calves. I gave myself a nice pedicure and opened a brand new bottle of body lotion that I received as a Christmas gift and have been dying to try. Afterwards I put on my favorite, comfy fleece pajamas and curled up on the couch with my husband and my dog to watch our Monday night TV shows: The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother.

It only took about an hour for me to feel perfectly pampered and relaxed to the point of being almost Jell-O. It's amazing how something so simple and DIY can make me feel so great. I'm thinking about making regular "appointments" with myself in the future so I don't get too wrapped up in other things to forget how enjoyable it was.