Getting ready for a Pantry Challenge...menu for the month!

2012 is winding down, and we will be greeted with a brand new year.
A clean slate.
A chance to begin anew.

Set with my grandparents' silver, which was one of the few things we could salvage after their home was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan.  They are now deceased, so this is a sweet remembrance for me.

Each January, I plan a menu for the month, because we need to watch our budget after Christmas spending.  We also have a couple of big trips coming up to save for.  Jessica at Good Cheap Eats and Life As Mom is hosting a Pantry Challenge.  Jump in!

This weekend, I've been working on our menu and doing some shopping to get us set for the new year, and I think we've got a decent plan.  I'll be out of town for a few days, and the boys usually go out when I'm not here, but they've threatened to surprise me, so we'll see!  We have just harvested potatoes from the bed, and have a grapefruit tree that is loaded with fruit, so I'll be making good use of those.

My husband's green thumb produced this...

We will be incorporating a few meatless meals, which are always exciting at our table.  Hubs is definitely a meat and potatoes guy.  He did, however, LOVE this meal from last week:

Tiropeta, salad with Greek dressing, and homemade tomato soup with homemade whole wheat croutons. Yum!

We will start off this week with a BANG - my mother's famous homemade lasagna - I've never had any as good as hers!

For this week:

Sunday~ Mom's homemade lasagna, homemade garlic rolls

Monday~ possibly leftover lasagna, or a snacky dinner if we're not in the mood for it (which I doubt!!)

Tuesday~ HAPPY NEW YEAR! A pretty traditional southern New Year's dinner: ham slices (portioned out from our enormous Christmas ham), young blackeyed peas (harvested from our garden this summer), collards (also from this summer's garden), homemade macaroni and cheese (I'll sneak some butternut squash in there so we don't feel too guilty about eating it!!)

Wednesday~ Potato torte, tossed salad

Thursday~ An experiment: rice & beans with assorted toppings - taco meat, salsa, cheese, sour cream, jalapenos (a little like a taco, but with the emphasis on the rice & beans)

Friday~ Teriyaki chicken, jasmine rice, oriental vegetable stir fry

Saturday~ Eggplant parmesan (blanched eggplant in the freezer from the summer garden) or leftovers, depending on how much there are.

Share your menu marvels at Menu Plan Monday!

We are also going to begin incorporating at least two servings of vegetables into our evening meal (in colors other than white, as I have to say to my 12 year old).

6 - Pioneer Woman's chili (with added bell peppers from the garden)

7 - Chili-stuffed bell peppers, or chili-topped potatoes for those not fond of bell peppers, along with tossed salad

8 - Breakfast for dinner, to include eggs, bacon, waffles, grapefruit, and strawberry smoothies

9 thru 12 - Mom is out of town, so the guys will fend for themselves

13 - Spaghetti, tossed salad, homemade french bread

14 - Mom has an evening meeting, so it'll be a Fend For Your Self night (FFYS)

15 - Roasted vegetables and pasta, tiropeta

16 - Pizza (in the freezer)

17 - Breakfast for dinner

18 - Blackeyed peas, rice, collards, cornbread (veg from the summer garden)

19 - Roast turkey, mashed potatoes, roasted green beans (summer garden), corn on the cob (from the summer garden), homemade rolls or biscuits

20 - Open-faced turkey sandwiches, green beans, roasted squash (both veg in the freezer from the summer garden)

21 - Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday: Burgers & Dogs on the grill, coleslaw, corn on the cob (garden)

22 - Homemade turkey pot pie (with leftover turkey)

23 - FFYS - Mom is taking the girls in chorus to see the opera!

24 - Sweet & spicy kielbasa, cheesy hashbrown potatoes, green beans

25 - Breakfast for dinner

26 - Pasta fagioli, garlic rolls

The last week of the month is unplanned at the moment.  The above menus pretty well clean out our freezer, and I'm hoping there will be some decent sales on meat so I can round out the month.

Here's to minimal trips to the grocery store (milk, eggs, cheese...) 

and a frugal month of menus!

Christmas Menus!

I love Christmastime.  I love the traditions, the gatherings with friends and family, and especially now that my older boys have a choice where to be, I love that they want to come home for the holidays.

Hubs, Airman Son, me, and ds#3...
first photo together since Airman's graduation from Basic Training!

Last week's menu... well, we sort of followed it.  Everyone has finished their antibiotics and are somewhat back to normal.  There were many things that went undone last week, but so many adventures to report as well:

• A large gray cat was found in my classroom (he had been hiding for several days)
• We delivered goodies to our local USO (we've decided this should be a tradition)
• Our school had a tornado warning and we were in the hallways for almost 2 hours
• My choruses went caroling in the halls

 Ready to carol!

We didn't go see any lights last week - we were invited to a party with friends and opted to do that instead.  Hopefully we'll get to go this week.

Airman Son arrived safely.  Family dinner was had on Saturday evening and there were no leftovers.

Which brings us to this week!

Sunday~ Out to dinner with extended family for a Christmas gathering.  No cooking!

Monday~ Spaghetti (which we have not had for the past two weeks) and those zucchini.  FINALLY!

Tuesday~ Christmas Dinner: Ham, scalloped potatoes, Swiss beans, fried okra (Airman's request...consider it a Christmas present), salad, homemade rolls, and plenty of desserts. Airman has duty on Wednesday, so we'll have an early dinner and he'll hit the road.

Wednesday~ Leftovers from Christmas Day :)

Thursday~ Greek salad and tiropeta

Friday~ Ds#3 gets his braces adjusted... so it'll probably be some soft pasta or soup

Saturday~ To Be Determined... the nice part of being on vacation!

From our family to yours, have a blessed Christmas and New Year!

Stop by Menu Plan Monday and share your celebrations!

December Menu #3

Last week my guys were both feeling under the weather.  Wednesday, Hubs finally went back to the doctor and got a diagnosis of bronchitis.  Saturday, I took ds#3 back to the doc and he's now on antibiotics for a sinus infection.  Gotta get these boys well!!!!!

Here's our plan for this week:
Sunday~ Zucchini chips (which we did not have last week) with spaghetti
Monday~ Leftover chili (the venison worked GREAT - no detectable difference at all.)  Ds#3 and I will also deliver treats to our local USO.
Tuesday~ Cheesesteak sandwiches.  We'll take leftover steak, saute mushrooms, onions & peppers, and melt cheese over the top.  YUM!  Hot chocolate & homemade cookies for after-dinner treat.
Wednesday~ Breakfast for dinner.  Deliver presents to teachers.
Thursday~ Nachos
Friday~ LAST DAY of SCHOOL - vacation begins!!!!  Woo Hoo!!!!  We are going to see Christmas lights, so we will probably eat out as well.
Saturday~ Airman Son comes in today.  We'll have one of his faves: beef tenderloin, mashed potatoes, salad, fried okra, and rolls.

How's your week looking?  Share at Menu Plan Monday!

December Menu #2, and a little lipstick fun

Last week is a blur... I had three concerts last week and ds#3 had a research paper (which, of course, he forgot about... until the night before it was due...).  I also played Christmas Carols at a Ladies' Christmas Tea for church, which yielded some deliciously fun pictures, but it was one more thing to add to the schedule (pictures and details below!).  It was extremely busy and almost nothing went according to plan.  We ended up going out to eat more than I would have liked, but we will make up for it this week. :)

Here's what's cookin':
Sunday~ Steaks on the grill, baked potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, homemade bread
Monday~ Beef and mushrooms over egg noodles (using up the last of the roast from last week)

Tuesday~ Jambalaya
Wednesday~ Pioneer Woman's chili (I tried it with some venison that was given to us... smells delicious but I'll let you know how it turns out!)
Thursday~ Nachos made with leftover chili
Friday~ Must-goes from the week
Saturday~ Spaghetti with zucchini coins (scored for super-cheap at the grocery store) But I'm also planning to roast a turkey from the freezer...so we'll see.

Stop by Menu Plan Monday to share what's cookin' in your casa!

And now... our pictures from the Tea...

My sister's sultry look while playing with CoverGirl flipstick in Stunner.

Sis & I after we both painted our lips with Stunner flipstick.

Mom & her best friend after they tried Minx flipstick.

I received some free samples of these CoverGirl flipsticks from BzzAgent to try - we had so much fun - some colors were less flattering (I cannot wear the Minx, but it looked great on my mom!) and some were unexpectedly fun (we thought Stunner would be too bright but it is perfect for a little holiday glam.).

It's a lipstick with two sides and two colors: one is a shimmery frost and the other side is a solid shade.  We loved mixing and matching and experimenting!  Although I don't usually wear lipstick, this was a nice moisturizing color that is exactly the punch my holiday look should have.  

So, if you're looking for an easy, fun way to dress up your look this December, try 'em... you will love 'em!!

December is here!

Last week's menu did not go exactly  according to plan (I know - you're shocked), but we managed.  We went out to eat twice... that is my husband's way of coping with stress.  So we did.  But it's okay - just means some meals moved down the calendar a bit.

Can you believe that these tomato plants are blooming in DECEMBER????  Not sure how long they'll last, but we'll take them while we can!

Here's our amended plan:
1 ~ Roast in the crock pot, mashed potatoes, green beans we had the chili nachos that were scheduled for Friday instead
2 ~ Roast in the crock pot, mashed potatoes, green beans3 ~ Open-faced roast beef sandwiches concert night
4 ~ Frozen lasagna concert #2
5 ~ Chicken with mushroom gravy, egg noodles
6 ~ Ds#3 is in this concert, so we'll go out after it's over
7 ~ Steak, baked potatoes, salad (ds#3's request)
8 ~ Sausage, homemade mac'n'cheese

Every year in December, I put up a Christmas countdown for my son.  When I decided to do this, my big boys were too old for it to be much fun for them, but I've done this for my youngest boy since he was three.  He is getting older, and I wanted to make this a more spiritual experience than just opening candy.  Here's my list for the days leading up to Christmas.
1: plant grass seeds (to be the bed for Baby Jesus in our nativity) late getting this put out, and hubs didn't get the grass seeds, so he got a note and chocolate :)
2: show God's love to another person (along with heart stickers for him)
3: remember God's faithfulness and sing Christmas carols around the piano
4: make someone happy/laugh (smiley stickers)
5: show God's love (piece of chocolate)
6: concert tonight! Out to eat afterward
7: favorite dinner for ds
8: decorate the tree

I'd love to hear how you celebrate the season!

Share your menu marvels at Menu Plan Monday!

The last week of November, and some plans for December

The end of November is already here... I can hardly believe it.  We had a feast for Thanksgiving Day...

...including, but not limited to tons of homemade rolls, pumpkin pie, swiss beans, turkey, gumbo, rice, mashed potatoes... and the list goes on.


My mom & sis & I always shop on Black Friday.  One year, we were up with the crazy people and witnessed some truly insane behavior.  After that, we decided we did not need the deals enough to lose sleep and our tempers.  We met for breakfast at a leisurely 7:30 a.m., and after eating and chatting for about an hour, we shopped.  It was a productive, fun, AND relaxing day together!

This weekend, I've been busy making lots of plans - we booked plane tickets to Hawaii to see our oldest son this summer.  He is stationed there, and will not be home at all for the holidays this year.  We had discussed making the trip, then put it off, but have decided to go for it.  Yes, it's expensive, but we'll never have another excuse to go to Hawaii, and we'll make memories that we'll never forget.

I also planned out menus for the next two weeks... this is concert prep week, and next week, we have THREE concerts scheduled, so life will be REALLY BUSY until next Saturday.  Here's my plan:
Sun., 25th ~ chicken, baked beans, salad
Mon, 26th ~ Pioneer Woman's Chili (a fave around here, and a GREAT make-ahead)
Tues., 27th~ Frozen Pizza ... or leftovers... either will work ;)
Wed., 28th~ Spaghetti (made it this weekend and will enjoy it mid-week)
Thurs., 29th~ Leftover Turkey (Thanksgiving) or chicken (Sunday) hubs has class
Fri., 30th~ Chili-topped baked potatoes or Macho Nachos made with leftover chili

Then it's DECEMBER!!!!

1 ~ Roast in the crock pot, mashed potatoes, green beans
2 ~ Open-faced roast beef sandwiches
3 ~ Frozen lasagna concert night
4 ~ Fend For Yourself (which means leftovers or the boys can go out) concert #2
5 ~ Chicken with mushroom gravy, egg noodles
6 ~ Ds#3 is in this concert, so we'll go out after it's over
7 ~ Steak, baked potatoes, salad (ds#3's request)
8 ~ Sausage, homemade mac'n'cheese

Every year in December, I put up a Christmas countdown for my son.  When I decided to do this, my big boys were too old for it to be much fun for them, but I've done this for my youngest boy since he was three.  He is getting older, and I wanted to make this a more spiritual experience than just opening candy.  Here's my list for the days leading up to Christmas.
1: plant grass seeds (to be the bed for Baby Jesus in our nativity)
2: show God's love to another person (along with heart stickers for him)
3: remember God's faithfulness and sing Christmas carols around the piano
4: make someone happy/laugh (smiley stickers)
5: show God's love (piece of chocolate)
6: concert tonight! Out to eat afterward
7: favorite dinner for ds
8: decorate the tree
9: family devotional
10: put up nativity scene (minus Jesus)
11: play 'Uno' as a family
12: bake nativity cookies (cookie cutters at Amazon via FishMama's recommendation)
13: pop popcorn and watch a movie
14: get donuts for the weekend
15: shop for family members with Mom or Dad
16: download a song on iTunes
17: take a treat to the USO
18: drink hot chocolate and eat cookies
19: deliver presents to teachers
20: family game night
21: go see local light display
22: local ice skating
23: gift exchange with extended family
24: bake our annual 'Happy Birthday Jesus' cake

I'd love to hear your ideas if your family has a similar tradition! 

Here's to a blessed holiday season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I've been trying to practice being thankful this month, and posting one thing I was thankful for each day.  This has made me very mindful of little things that I often take for granted.

Debris piled up after Ivan

When Hurricane Ivan hit us a few years ago, everything in our city - and in the surrounding area - was devastated.  The salt water killed everything, and there was no green - everything was brown.  I was struck at how it affected me.... I do not consider myself an 'outdoorsy' kind of girl, but as I looked around my once-tree-filled yard, now filled with broken limbs, snapped trees, and huge logs waiting to be hauled off, it depressed me.  So, my youngest son (who was then four) and I decided to make a Thankful Jar.  We used a simple Mason jar, and each day, we wrote down one thing we were thankful for.  His innocence helped me to appreciate many things I would have otherwise missed.  On Thanksgiving Day that year, after my loved ones had lost so much in that storm, we read our notes from the Thankful Jar.

Since that year, each Thanksgiving brings new events - additions to our family, as well as passings.  With joy and tears, we are thankful for our lives together.

And with that, here's the menu.
Sunday~ Leftovers - red beans & rice, or hotdogs.  Trying to clear out some room in the fridge.
Monday~ Fend For Your Self (FFYS).  Mom has a dinner meeting, so the boys with either go out, or eat something from the fridge.
Tuesday~ More leftovers...
Wednesday~ Breakfast or Sandwiches or Whatever's Left In The Fridge.  Whole lotta cookin' goin' on!

pumpkin muffins

Thursday~ Our traditional family feast.  Turkey & gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, sweet potato casserole, Swiss beans, 7 Layer Salad, homemade macaroni & cheese, rolls, and all manner of desserts of every kind.

Swiss beans

Friday~ shopping and chili in the crock pot

Saturday~ Thanksgiving leftovers...can't wait for my turkey sandwich!

May you and your family have a Thankful week.

Stop by Menu Plan Monday and share.

November Menu #2... Happy Veteran's Day!

May I take a moment to say 'thank you' to all our veterans and active duty military?
Becoming a Military Mom has made me keenly aware of how so many in society never say thank you to our service men & women, and how many more actually treat them with disdain.  This makes me sad, because my boys are protecting the freedom that allows them to express that ungratefulness.  So thank a Vet, or an active duty person TODAY!

Well, my house has been sick with the flu, and so far, I have managed not to get it.

We got a dog - a miniature schnauzer named Henry.

And life continues to move on so fast I can hardly catch my breath.

Not to mention the time change.... I still haven't adjusted to that!

The family's gotta eat, so here's our plan.
Sunday~ Leftovers
Monday~ Hotdogs & chips, baked beans
Tuesday~ Spaghetti is the plan.  I'll be gone until late, so it's already made.  All the guys have to do is boil noodles.
Wednesday~ Roast in the crockpot with gravy, mashed potatoes.  Gone again today, but hopefully not home too late.
Thursday~ A 'normal' day! Red beans & rice with sausage.
Friday~ Open-faced roast beef sandwiches
Saturday~ Today is the actual for real bowling tournament that I thought was last Saturday.  So we'll play it by ear.  Trying not too cook too terribly much as Thanksgiving is next week and we'll need the space!

Share what's cookin' in your casa at Menu Plan Monday!

It's already November??! and a menu

Well.
My son got the flu this week.
And hubby got it this weekend.
And I am trying very hard to stay well.

So...toward the end of the week last week, I did not cook, because ds did not eat, and hubs and I managed on leftovers.

I hope hubby bounces back quickly... we don't have time to be sick. :(

Sunday~ chicken noodle soup
Monday~ beef tenderloin, loaded mashed potatoes, tossed salad  more chicken noodle soup
Tuesday~ leftovers beef tenderloin, loaded mashed potatoes, tossed salad from Monday's plan
Wednesday~ pasta fagioli soup sticky chicken, twice baked potatoes (that I made over the weekend)
Thursday~ chicken burritos and ground beef tacos pasta fagioli soup
Friday~ sandwiches leftovers
Saturday~ ds has a bowling tournament, so we'll plan for dinner at home, but play it by ear

Check out Menu Plan Monday for tons of ideas!

Here's hoping...and a menu between the months

October is wrapping up, and November will arrive this week.
The last two weeks have been so insanely busy that on Sunday, we all hit the wall and crashed at home ALL DAY... a rare and unusual treat.
We did not follow the menu at all after Tuesday last week... so I'm moving most of those meals to this week.
We worked in the garden and picked an AMAZING amount of peppers...

I chopped two gallon-sized bags, sliced some, and these will be used for stuffing.  We are also giving some away.  Still to be dealt with:

...green tomatoes, jalapenos, and banana peppers. Hubby is really the only one who eats the jalapenos, and he likes them stuffed.  I use them in salsa too, but we don't have enough ripe red tomatoes for that at the moment.  If you have ideas, I'd love to hear them!

(We've also got potatoes and a stray zucchini... wondering how long it will stay warm enough for it to grow...)

On to the menu:
Sunday~ Pioneer Woman's chili
Monday~ Spaghetti (with mushrooms for hubs & me; without for ds#3)
Tuesday~ Some amazing feat that I will accomplish when I come home early from a rehearsal before the boys make it home from school
Wednesday~ Chili dogs (using leftover chili)
Thursday~ Roast in the crockpot
Friday~ Pizza for the masses.... hubs is taking a group to Washington DC this spring, and Friday night they are preparing for a massive yard sale.  We'll all be working ;)
Saturday~ Something easy and wonderful which has yet to be determined...

What menu marvels have you created?  Share at Menu Plan Monday!

October Menu #4

We did a GREAT job of following last week's menu - SURPRISE! :)
This week will be just as busy, so here's hoping we do just as well.

Sunday~ sandwiches for lunch, then steaks on the grill for dinner, with green salad
Monday~ late rehearsal after school.  Sandwiches or panini with chips when I get home.
Tuesday~ Mom goes out of town for the afternoon/evening, so the boys are on their own.  They'll probably go out - they usually do!
Wednesday~ Chili dogs, in honor of the World Series
Thursday~ another late rehearsal.   Leftover chili when I get home.
Friday~ Spaghetti - true comfort food for my fam.
Saturday~ Ds#3's 12th birthday... party day!!!

October menu #3... what a WILD week!

I'm not sure what it is about the month of October, but looking back through old posts, it seems it's always hectic.

This week, Hubby's back went out, and I mean it WENT OUT...as in, we had to go to the hospital.  Not fun.  Hopefully his doctor appointment this week will offer some help.

The schedule is no less busy this week, with Hubby's classes and my rehearsals.  It's a full plate.

Sunday~ Leftover Greek Festival food.  YUMMMMM!!!!!
Monday~ Chicken breasts in mushroom gravy, egg noodles (hubs has class)
Tuesday~ Turkey, sweet potato casserole, swiss beans (possible after-school rehearsal)
Wednesday~ Beef stroganoff in crockpot, served over noodles, salad
Thursday~ Leftovers (daytime concert, after-school rehearsal, and Hubs has class)
Friday~ Pasta fagioli, baguette (teacher plan day)
Saturday~ TBA!

Share your menu marvels at Menu Plan Monday!

October has arrived, and we are busier than ever!

Some days it seems that life will never slow down!
Ds#3 has been sick this week; we've been to the doc twice and finally are on antibiotics that seem to be knocking it out.
Hubs hurt his back this weekend and is having a really tough time.
And of course, our schedule has slowed to accommodate these issues....
NOT!

However, this too shall pass.

We followed our menu until Friday - I made the jambalaya earlier in the week and planned to make breakfast on Friday, but we ended up going out to eat.  Other than that, things went as planned!

On to this week:
Sunday~ Pioneer Woman's Simple Perfect Enchiladas, rice, refried beans
Monday~ Beef tips with gravy, rice
Tuesday~ BBQ chicken (on the stovetop), baked beans, homemade mac'n'cheese
Wednesday~ Sliced turkey, mashed potatoes, tomatoes and cucumbers
Thursday~ Leftovers
Friday~ Local Greek Festival - woo hoo!!!!!!
Saturday~ Going Greek!!!

Stop by Menu Plan Monday and share your menu marvels!

Hello, October!

My sweet husband always thinks he's doing me a favor when he suggests going out to eat... and he's almost learned the lesson that eating at home is better.  All around. :)

So we followed last week's menu pretty well, except Wednesday's lapse (when darling husband suggested an eat-out, even though I told him I had a plan).  Then afterward, he told me that he wished we had eaten what I had on the plan.

So here's what we've got for this week:
Sunday~ Leftover spaghetti and eggplant parm
Monday~ Ham and scalloped potatoes
Tuesday~ Perhaps breakfast for dinner... it's Scout night
Wednesday~ Mom has a hair appointment.  It'll be chili when I get home (already made)
Thursday~ Hubby has class and I have an after school rehearsal.  Something ... not sure what, yet.
Friday~ Jambalaya
Saturday~ Ds#3 has a b-day party.  I'm thinking we'll grill something for dinner if the weather is nice.

And you? What menu marvels have you planned for the new month?  

Share at Menu Plan Monday!

September's Last Menu

We followed the menu last week really well until we got to Friday afternoon... and my car was dead at school.  Lovely way to end the week!  Hubs came back up to work and jumped the car, and I drove home.  And he said, "Let's go out to eat."

So we did.
(The car simply needed a new battery, so we were glad that it was an easy repair.)

I had a ton of leftovers in the fridge, and we put a dent in them on Saturday, but I'm still working on getting rid of the rest of them.  I picked up a honey-baked ham and a turkey breast to accommodate meetings and busy schedules for the upcoming week.  I also did lots of baking.  In addition to the pics below, I also baked cookies and pepperoni bread, which has proven to be a lunchtime hit with ds#3.

Whole Wheat Honey Oatmeal Bread

Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping

Here's the plan for this week:
(and I can't believe it's the last full week of September... where did it go???)

Sunday~ Ham, homemade mac'n'cheese, blackeyed peas
Monday~ Mom has a meeting out of town - it's a Fend For YourSelf kind of night.
Tuesday~ Another meeting, and Scout night.  The guys will have ham or turkey - their choice.
Wednesday~ A meal together!!!  Eggplant parm on spaghetti, baguette.  YUM!
Thursday~ Hubs has class.  Sandwiches for ds#3 and me.
Friday~ Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, sliced cucumbers, collards
Saturday~ ANOTHER out of town meeting, so it'll be Pioneer Woman's chili in the crockpot.

Whew!

What's cookin' in your casa?  Share at Menu Plan Monday!

Our new normal menu

WOW!  Life is busy.  CRAZY busy.
Monday night, hubs has a grad class.
Tuesday night is Scouts.
Wednesday night, we are home.
Thursday night, hubs has class.
Friday night, we are dead.
I kid... but it feels like it.

So....after the Boy Scout campout this weekend, I wanted to make sure my guys got some yummy home-cooked grub.
Sunday~ Sticky Chicken, homemade mac'n'cheese, blackeyed peas (frozen, from our garden this summer)
Monday~ Shred leftover chicken for BBQ chicken sandwiches before hubs dashes to class
Tuesday~ Lasagna before Scouts
Wednesday~ Taco night!
Thursday~ Leftover roast beef with mushrooms over egg noodles (hubs will eat after class)
Friday~ Macho nachos, something like this, using leftover taco fixin's
Saturday~ Planning for leftovers to clean out the fridge

How's life in your world?  Share your menu at Menu Plan Monday.

Could it really be...fall?????

Last week's menu went almost exactly according to plan!
(Such a rarity that it really is cause for celebration.)
Temps have begun to drift below 80, and humidity is falling below 50%.  Woo hoo!

This week is our first full week of school since August, because of hurricanes (Isaac) and holidays (Labor Day).  We also have Open House this week, so it's gonna be BUSY.

Sunday~ Burgers & Dogs on the grill
Monday~ Crockpot roast with mushrooms, carrots and green beans (Hubs has grad class tonight)
Tuesday~ Open-faced roast beef sandwiches (Scout night and hubs has a meeting at school)
Wednesday~ Breakfast for dinner
Thursday~ Out to eat after Open House
Friday~ Boy Scout campout.  The guys will be roughing it....
Saturday~ I will join the boys at the campout for dinner.  I think low-country boil is on the menu...

Share your menus at Menu Plan Monday!

You say it's your birthday!! menu :)

Happy September!
We survived the non-event of Hurricane Isaac here, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the people who had to endure the rain and the wind that did not come here.

Since we had three days off last week to prepare for the storm, I did some extra baking:

Hallee the Homemaker's whole wheat honey oatmeal bread

(we love this bread for sandwiches)

Pizza bread - yummy!

This month, my family celebrates my birthday, Airman Son's birthday, and my dad's birthday.
And we're getting into the real swing of school and everything that entails.
It's a busy month!

Here's the plan for our menu this week:
Sunday~ nachos for lunch, and pasta for dinner (some chose alfredo with their pasta, and some chose leftover red sauce with mushrooms)
Monday~ LABOR DAY Holiday, and my birthday!  Hubs will grill: beef tenderloin, sausage, and chicken. We'll have baked potatoes and sauteed mushrooms to go with it.  (I'm using the chicken and some sausage later in the week, so grilling today is doing double duty for us!)
Tuesday~ Scouts tonight.  Fast supper of spaghetti and stuffed peppers.
Wednesday~ Jambalaya and cornbread. Use the chicken and some of the sausage from Monday.  Yum! And easy on ds#3's teeth, which have been sore.
Thursday~ Hubs has class, so we'll probably go with leftovers.
Friday~ Pioneer Woman's chili, served over shells, because my guys love their pasta.
Saturday~ TBA!

Share your menu marvels at Menu Plan Monday!

Well hello, hurricanes....and the end of August menu

What would back-to-school be without a hurricane to make things exciting?
Just as the kids are getting trained, and we're all back in a routine, we have a couple of days off thanks to Tropical Storm / soon to be Hurricane Isaac.
The joys of the Sunshine State. ;)

Last week went relatively smoothly, getting back to school, and the menu worked well too.  A few days were flip-flopped, but everything worked well.  On Saturday, we spent the day prepping for a potential hurricane, and hubby grilled instead of having roast.  Yum!!!!  
For this week?

Here's hoping we have power all week long!

Sunday~ leftovers from the grill for lunch (burgers & dogs), spaghetti for dinner
Monday~ BBQ chicken sandwiches, coleslaw, corn on the cob
Tuesday~ Pasta fagioli in the crockpot
Wednesday~ hoping that we keep power.... Breakfast for Dinner
Thursday~ again, hoping we have power... Taco Night
Friday~ PAYDAY!  If all is well, let's go out to eat!  (If nobody has power, we'll grill some sausage and chicken)
Saturday~ TBA, depending on what we live through this week! :)

Share your menu at Menu Plan Monday!

The kids are coming...August Menu #3

Our students are back at school this week.  If last week's orientation is any indication, we're going to be swamped!

Last week went mostly according to plan, but toward the end of the week, we discovered that lightning zapped our garage door opener and our telephone.  And, I think, our oven.  It's not turning off unless I flip the breaker. :(

Here's what's cookin' this week:
Sunday~ Meatballs with brown gravy and mashed potatoes for lunch, leftovers for dinner
Monday~ Frozen pizza to wrap up our first day with students!
Tuesday~  Chicken Pesto Pasta (Scouts night)
Wednesday~ Taco night!
Thursday~ Leftovers/Sandwiches (hubs has class tonight)
Friday~ Out to dinner @Olive Garden with a gift card.  YUM! (And a nice way to end our first week)
Saturday~ Crockpot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans

I made some homemade Chocolate Cookie Dough Larabars for lunches.  My son loves these, but they are pricey!  These are a perfect homemade treat, and he (and my husband) like them just as well, if not better than the store-bought version!  I also made a chocolate cake - one for my house and one for my parents.  My mom was in the hospital this week, so that's her treat for coming home!

Share your menus at Menu Plan Monday!

Officially back-to-work menu

This week, teachers go back to work.  We don't have students yet, but we'll be plenty busy with meetings and preparing to greet our kids.

Last week's menu worked pretty well, with the exception of a couple days.  I needed some emergency dental work done, so we adjusted, and some things will carry over to this week.

Sunday~ leftovers for lunch; burritos for dinner
Monday~ Pioneer Woman's Chili (I made a double batch earlier in the month, so I'll pull it from the freezer)
Tuesday~ FFYS...Mom's got a meeting and the guys have scouts
Wednesday~ Taco night
Thursday~ Chicken with mushroom gravy, whole wheat egg noodles, salad
Friday~ Potato Torte, salad
Saturday~ Eggplant parmesan

What's cookin' in your casa?  Share at Menu Plan Monday!

August is here...a menu and getting back in the routine

July was a busy month.
The garden was in full swing, so I put lots of tomatoes and peppers in the freezer, and we had cucumbers coming out of our ears.
We tried to savor the last vestiges of our vacation.
My youngest boy entered the world of orthodontia.
And here's August.

It's time to get back into routines, to buy new clothes (because he outgrew all his other clothes!), time to get ready for school.

So, after a chat with my hubby, who will taking a grad class and a gifted-endorsement class this semester, we decided to formulate a simple plan for meals.

Sundays~ probably crockpot or grill, something that takes a little more time (because we have it)
Monday~ comfort food, until his grad class starts.  Then it will probably be sandwiches on the run.
Tuesday~ Scouts night, so quick and easy.
Wednesday~ Taco night!
Thursday~ hubby's gifted class night, so leftovers
Friday~ Pizza night.  Hubs even said he was open to making pizza - this is a HUGE shift and one that excites me!!
Saturday~ grill, or something more labor-intensive.  Catch up on the week.
Of course, we reserve the right to change the plan without notice.

And with that, here's our menu plan for this week!
Sunday~ BBQ chicken (in the crockpot), baked potatoes, tossed salad for lunch.  Dinner was a huge batch of Pioneer Woman's Chili (I stuffed some peppers with it, I froze half of it for another night, and we ate dinner with what was left!)
Monday~ Spaghetti and tossed salad
Tuesday~ Bourbon chicken, rice, mandarin oranges, cucumber salad
Wednesday~ Taco night!!!  Everything from taco salad to burritos to nachos.  Yum!
Thursday~ BLT's, chips, pasta salad
Friday~ Grill! Burgers and Dogs.
Saturday~ Sticky chicken, scalloped potatoes, cucumbers, blackeyed peas

Share your menu at Menu Plan Monday!

Last menu of July...and Pantry Challenge update

Last week's menu was pretty much a schedule of which restaurant we were going to. :/
You can see what we ate every day right here.
Share your accomplishments on the Pantry Challenge at Good Cheap Eats.

I must say that posting our meals every day really helped me to keep track of exactly what was happening.  Lunchtime in the summer is always a weak spot; my man loves to eat lunch out, and I think it's not going to change.  A girl can try, right?
We will probably continue our challenge into August, so I think I'll keep posting our meals.  When we go back to work, we'll all be taking lunch every day, so that will cut down on our eating out.

For this week:

Sunday~ out for a steak dinner before ds#3 gets braces on Monday.  We had a gift card so we only spent $4.  For dinner, we had stuffed peppers and spaghetti.  We had some gorgeous strawberries that weren't getting eaten, so I made strawberry cupcakes.
Monday~ "B" day.  After the braces go on, we'll go wherever ds wants to eat lunch (probably Moe's).  For dinner, mac 'n' cheese.
Tuesday~ planning noodles or baked potato for my boy; for dinner, tomato soup.  I'm trying a gazpacho recipe for hubby & me.
Wednesday~ lunch will be chicken noodle soup from Chick-fil-A for ds and a wrap for me;  for dinner, breakfast with grits, eggs, and bacon.
Thursday~ ds & I plan to take lunch to my mom; for dinner, mashed potatoes, meatballs with brown gravy, and a salad for hubs & me.
Friday~ scheduled school shopping with my mom and grandmother, so we'll probably be eating out.  I'll put something in the crockpot for dinner.  Hopefully ds will feel like chewing something today!
Saturday~ for lunch, LEFTOVERS!!  Gotta clean out those bits and pieces.  For dinner, I'm going to try to convince hubby to grill - it's been too hot, but maybe he'll give in. ;)

Share your menu marvels at Menu Plan Monday!

July Menu #4, Pantry Challenge wk 4

This is an eventful week for us -
ds#3 will be in bowling camp all week (which he loves) and hubs & I will begin working in our classrooms to prepare for the school year.  If we wait until teachers actually go back to school, we will be behind, because we'll also be getting the low-down on all the new initiatives for the year and attending a bazillion meetings.  Hence the preparatory classroom visits.

Last week's menu... worked some and changed some.  You can see what we actually ate here. Ds#3 gets braces next week, so this week, we're spoiling him with his favorite foods.  (If you have any suggestions on sore-teeth food, I'll take 'em.  Got some ideas, but always open for more.)

Because we've had LOTS of rain which has kept temps more moderate, our garden is experiencing a kind of rebirth - it had gotten so hot that nothing was bearing anymore, but now we've got all kinds of blossoms everywhere.  Our bell peppers have exploded, and I can't wait until our beautiful roma tomatoes are ripe!  I have a couple eggplant on my counter to use and one growing in the garden now.  Yea for extending the life of the garden!

What we plan to eat:
Sunday~ leftovers for lunch after church, and plan to morph leftover chili into Macho Nachos for dinner
Monday~ lunch at bowling camp; out to dinner to celebrate Grandpa's birthday
Tuesday~ lunch at bowling camp; for dinner, chicken in mushroom gravy over egg noodles, tossed salad, biscuits
Wednesday~ lunch at camp; for dinner, cookout at a friend's birthday party
Thursday~  lunch at camp; for dinner, out to eat for a steak dinner with a gift card
Friday~ lunch at camp; for dinner, grilling out at the beach, then a candlelight tour of a Civil War era fort
Saturday~ the Olympics begin!! Sandwiches for lunch; for dinner, spaghetti, tossed salad, breadsticks (I plan to prep some eggplant this week, and will probably have a variation of eggplant parm tonight)

Share your menu at Menu Plan Monday

and get some ideas or share your progress at the Pantry Challenge!

July Menu #3, and week 3 of the Pantry Challenge

On the Pantry Challenge...

My goals were to use what we have, incorporate more veg, and minimize grocery trips. 

Using what we have
I think I’ve done pretty well at using what we have.  Not much waste here, and when I do have to throw out a cucumber that’s past its prime, it goes into the compost pile. So we can’t eat it, but it will still benefit us in the long run. (like my justification???)

Incorporate more vegetables

More veg…still working on this one. The garden has slowed, so there aren’t as many tomatoes, and the cucumbers are all but finished. However, bell peppers and eggplant are coming in, and they require a little more creativity.  

Minimize grocery store trips
I’m not sure yet if I’ve spent less, though I do feel like I’ve shown lots of restraint in my spending. I had to go to the store the first week of the challenge to get items for a fruit salad to take to a big gathering, and to get crackers, cheese, and milk. I’ll have to go get more milk this week. We are going through it.

Can’t believe July is half over!  Here's what we've been eating each day, and here's our plan for this week.


Sunday~ BLT sandwiches for lunch, Tossed salad & spaghetti for dinner
Monday~ A concoction we call 'Eggplant Pie' for lunch, along with leftovers; Breakfast for Dinner (eggs, bacon, grits, fruit)
Tuesday~ BBQ chicken sandwiches (chicken leftover from last wk); Taco night for dinner
Wednesday~ probably out for lunch; some kind of chicken with rice, green beans, and corn on the cob for dinner
Thursday~ Leftovers for lunch; Burgers on the grill & oven fries for dinner
Friday~ Lunch is open; Picnic dinner: pasta salad, chips, sandwich wraps and cookies
Saturday~ Meatballs with brown gravy, mashed potatoes, cucumber salad

Jump on into the Pantry Challenge at Good Cheap Eats

Share your menu marvels at Menu Plan Monday!