Menu Plan Monday...

I can't believe it's Monday again!  We had such an amazing weekend - we were able to go play at the beach, no jackets needed!  This is going to be a busy week!  Company on Tuesday night!  Our young adults group at church is cooking our Wednesday night dinner and on Thursday my little man is having his tubes surgery (I'm one nervous Momma!).  Make sure you head over to orgjunkie.com and check out all of the other menus for the week - that's where I'm linking up!

Sunday - At home date night, little one had chicken nuggets and apple sauce. We had curried chicken & rice!
Monday - Ham, mac&cheese, roasted apples
Tuesday - Cajun Shrimp Linguine (we still haven't gotten to eat this but it will be perfect for dinner with our friends!)
Wednesday - Eating at Church
Thursday -  Take out or something from the freezer - we'll see how surgery goes
Friday - As usual... pizza!  I don't think my husband will ever have a take out pizza again!

Freezer Cooking...

 
Every now and then I get the urge to stock up our freezer.  Our little one is ready for dinner by six most nights and we're often barely home in time to cook.  Meal planning helps a ton and so does a helpful hubby!  Thankfully if I prep everything my husband can start dinner by the time I get home with the little man.  We are coming up on our "busy" season (I think busy has just taken over lately though) and I thought it'd be nice to ease into it with ready to go meals.  I have found a lot of inspiration for my freezer cooking from this blog.  She has some very simple, family friendly, toddler friendly ideas!

Here is what I stashed away in the freezer:
1 Batch of cheesy sausage english muffins
2 Mexican lasagnas
2 Shepard's pies
2 Chicken cacciatore sauces
2 Chicken pot pies
2 Chicken enchiladas

That's 10 meals and I was done by 11 am on Saturday morning!  My biggest time saver was to cook all the chicken I need in the crock pot the night before, then it was ready to be divided up for each recipe the next morning.  Another reason for picking this past weekend for freezer cooking was that my favorite local store was having some amazing sales that made it very inexpensive for me to stock up and cook ahead!  I also stuck with easy favorites and things that used several of the same ingredients.  The one thing I'd like to add next time is a few batches of pizza dough.  We love this dough and I don't always have time in the morning or get to head home at lunch and prep the bread machine so to have some dough on hand would be a great addition!

And I have to thank this little guy... Daddy was working and he did a great job of playing on the porch and watching Cars while I loaded up the freezer!

he was "helping" with the dishes!

Vote for some cuteness.... please...

 

Pure Adorableness

One thing I love about social networking is that everyday I come across something new, handmade, different, amazing.  Amazing is Modern Bird - their art is so unique and how they take a simple photograph and turn it into art - well, I just love it!  And you know what, they are having a photo contest and the winner will have their photo turned into a rockin' piece of Modern Bird art.  I submitted the picture of my little man that is above.  I melt every time I see it, I melt every time he gives me that look, that "Momma, what?" look.  Precious.  Adorable.  So could you please, pretty please, head over to their facebook page, like them, and then go to this precious picture and like it!  It would be a dream of a Mother's Day gift for me and I'd be forever grateful for the votes/likes! And please go check out Modern Bird's portfolio and blog... they rock!   

Menu Plan Monday

Spring has arrived, around here at least!  We're looking at 70s for most of the week!  This week we're going to try something a new meal and revisit a few meals that we have missed in the last few weeks for one reason or another! 

Sunday - Burgers on the Grill
Monday - Triggerfish at my inlaws house (we're never short on fresh fish around here!)
Tuesday - Pioneer Woman's Pot Roast
Wednesday - Cajun Shrimp Linguine
Thursday - Chicken Cacciatore (a post on my freezer cooking last weekend later today!)
Friday - Pizza (the best dough recipe for a bread maker I've found & it's wheat!)

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!  Looking forward to a little rain here to help ready the garden for planting!  I'm linking up over at orgjunkie.com please stop by over there and check out all of the other amazing menus and blogs! 

Lent...

On Wednesday we entered into the Lenten season.  A time for reflection, a time for resetting priorities, a time of seeking God, waiting, patience.  Many people give up things for Lent and there are many things in life I could and probably should give up (coffee, so much internet, so much smart-phone, so much.... stuff that really doesn't matter anyway.) but this year I'm not giving up anything.  As a family we've been through a lot lately, not to say I shouldn't have to give up something because of this, but because of everything we've been through these last few months I've decided to take on something new for Lent.  I'm taking on the search for inner peace and grace (finally getting to some of my New Year's resolutions).  I am trying to let go of my desire to control every major decision and trust that God will show us the right path to follow.  And I'm working on my parenting patience skills - a toddler will really test you on that. 

This won't be easy and anyone who knows me would agree. 

When we got word last week that my husband didn't get a desperately needed job, I was flat out angry, disgusted even - and they hired - um, wow (it's a small industry, everyone knows everyone, and well, I had not a single thing nice to say).  I even asked God, really are you not done with us yet?  Really, you did give us a child to support after all, and this house, well, it won't pay for itself.  And then Wednesday, when I got home, my husband was on the phone, and still on the phone an hour later.  It was God reveling his plan for us.  Okay, it's not like God was on the phone, but things are finally coming together that he will soon have a job.  There are still so many things I'm worried about and so many things I'd like the answers to right.now. but that's not for me to decide. 

What are you giving up or taking on the Lent?

A Six Week Challenge - Week 6

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This six week challenge has been so wonderful for us.  We learned remembered so much about taking time for each other by making ourselves take the time.  In the past six weeks we've done things for each other that we had forgotten about doing, we've made it a point to go out of our way for one another, and we've embraced our time together sans little man.
Week six however brought with it some unexpected twist and turns.  We found out that Alan would not be getting the much needed job we have spent countless hours praying for.  After the emotional toll of the news we decided to forgo a date to ourselves and have time as a family.  We took little man out to eat at our local Mexican place - he loves it (almost as much as he loves Chick Fil A!).  We spent time relaxing and talking about other job options and where to go from here.  It was nice to do that as a family and we agreed that a Family "date" night once a month could be just as important as two or three dates to ourselves each month.  We will continue to trust in God's plans for our family and we have faith that the right doors will be open for Alan and a job soon.
Bottom line from our challenge, it's fun to date your spouse and we'll be much more mindful of doing this from now on.

Menu Plan Monday

We had a great weekend!  It was very refreshing to accomplish so much!  I took advantage of some sales this week and managed to get 15 meals in our freezer for the coming weeks (more to come on freezer cooking)!  I also managed to get out of cooking a single meal for dinner all weekend long - Friday was dinner with the in-laws, Saturday was dinner with friends, and Sunday we had dinner with our Youth!  I hope everyone else had a productive weekend too! 

I'm linking up over at orgjunkie.com for Menu Plan Monday! Please stop by and check out all of the other fantastic menus that linking up with her!

Monday - Mexican lasagna
Tuesday - Pancake supper at Church!
Wednesday - Soup & grilled cheese
Thursday - Cajun shrimp linguine
Friday - Pizza & movie night

I hope ya'll have a wonderful week!

PillowCases...

Here in the land of the ACC March Madness is a big deal :)  I've just sent out a custom order of pillowcases in rival collegiate prints for a family with boys who have divided the house in two.  I'm talking Duke vs. UNC people.  March will be rough at their house.  But if you want a pillowcase to help you dream your team to winning - let me know :)

Happy Birthday Dr. Suess

We love Dr. Seuss at our house!  My personal favorite is Oh the Places You'll Go and I have to admit that I often tear up reading it to my little guy thinking about the places he will go.  And little man, he is in love with There's a Wocket in My Pocket (he thinks the Wocket is a monster and "roars" at it!).  We hope that you enjoy a Dr. Seuss book today - we will.  We do - almost everyday!

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“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” ...Dr. Seuss 

Sick Day...

A stomach bug invaded our house.  It was no fun.  A pukey baby and whiny husband are no fun.  I was the only one left standing.  Armed with my lysol and bleach I have attacked the enemy into retreat.  I had so much planned for yesterday - work right now is unusually busy, I'm finishing the last of the custom sewing orders from January (so I may be able to offer that again soon!) and I was rushing around as fast as the wind when I got the sick kiddo call - all Mommas dread that call.  But yesterday turned from total chaos to simply caring for my boys - and while it was a late late night of cleaning and comforting and Momma is tired today, my boys are better.  Hubby is back at work and my sweet baby is back at daycare!

Tonight it will be my turn to rest and relax...