Perfect Spinach Salad
adapted from The Pioneer Woman
I found my new favorite salad and yes, it is this one. Really, it is just the concept but I have found some ingredients that I really love together and that is what matters, right? Now, if you want The Pioneer Woman's full recipe, click above on the link. I'll be super honest on this one, I did not care for the dressing. It had not a lot of favor and was really just. .. kinda greasy. My "version" is below.
Basic Ingredients:
Spinach (or your favorite salad mix - this week I bought spinach and than mixed greens to use all together)
Hard Boiled Eggs
Bacon (cooked and crumbled)
French Fried Onions (yes, from the can . . .like you use in Green Bean Casserole)
Sweet Vidalia Onion Dressing
(Some cheese would be good on this - I'm thinking crumbled blue cheese!)
(Of course, you can add any veggies you have in your fridge too!)
Combine everything in a big bowl and enjoy.
Friday, March 28, 2014
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Weekly Menu - The One with a Potluck
Yes, we had our turkey last week! We won't have another one until Thanksgiving, most likely. It was good - I made it Puerto Rican style and it was just about perfect!
This Sunday, we have a potluck at Church for the end of the missions conference. Lets keep this real, pot luck dinners freak me out. I cannot figure out what to take most of the time. I over think, over plan, over everything and then have a panic attack HA! Well, this time I have to bring a main dish and either a side dish or dessert. It's our "first" pot luck so I'm not really sure how this church does stuff so I want to bring stuff that doesn't need to be kept warm. (Can you see my "freakishness" yet?)
Here's the plan for this week:
Friday - I'm going to a home party tonight so I kept it simple. Spaghetti 4 ways. See, we all eat it differently right now. Nate eats his plain, Josh wants just some jar sauce on it, I eat it with my homemade sauce and Darryl eats his without sauce but with some mixed veggies, diced ham and a little butter.
Saturday - Mac and Cheese for the Kids; Ordering in for the Adults.
Sunday - The "Dreaded" Potluck. (hehehehe). So, my main dish will be Ham Salad Sandwiches. I just picked up some Hawaiian Rolls and deli Ham Salad and made some awesome sandwiches that were simple. I debated between dessert and a side dish for quite awhile. I finally decided on a dessert and made Boston Cream Cupcakes. They look nice and actually look like they took extra effort to make but they are so easy.
Monday - We ended up not having Turkey Noodle Soup last week so I have put it on the menu for tonight. Along with the boys favorite yeast rolls
Tuesday - I have a concert to go to tonight so Darryl and I will be passing ships. I've hotdogs and chips to feed to the natives on the island of "Home" and I plan on doing a drivethru run as I head out of town.
Wednesday - I think it is time for breakfast for dinner. So eggs, ham slices (for something different), hash browns, and toast.
Thursday - Chicken wings (since I have them to use up), mac and cheese (a potato for Darryl), and some sort of veggie from the pantry.
I'm really trying to use some of the last of the "winter" foods in the pantry/freezer. By that I mean 1) Things that heat up the kitchen big time so therefore I won't cook them as it starts to warm up and 2)Things that are, well, at the end of their shelf life. I also really should do some baking and put some stuff in the freezer. My kitchen is so hot in the summer, it is hard to ever bake . .. .. we'll see if I actually do that though!
This Sunday, we have a potluck at Church for the end of the missions conference. Lets keep this real, pot luck dinners freak me out. I cannot figure out what to take most of the time. I over think, over plan, over everything and then have a panic attack HA! Well, this time I have to bring a main dish and either a side dish or dessert. It's our "first" pot luck so I'm not really sure how this church does stuff so I want to bring stuff that doesn't need to be kept warm. (Can you see my "freakishness" yet?)
Here's the plan for this week:
Friday - I'm going to a home party tonight so I kept it simple. Spaghetti 4 ways. See, we all eat it differently right now. Nate eats his plain, Josh wants just some jar sauce on it, I eat it with my homemade sauce and Darryl eats his without sauce but with some mixed veggies, diced ham and a little butter.
Saturday - Mac and Cheese for the Kids; Ordering in for the Adults.
Sunday - The "Dreaded" Potluck. (hehehehe). So, my main dish will be Ham Salad Sandwiches. I just picked up some Hawaiian Rolls and deli Ham Salad and made some awesome sandwiches that were simple. I debated between dessert and a side dish for quite awhile. I finally decided on a dessert and made Boston Cream Cupcakes. They look nice and actually look like they took extra effort to make but they are so easy.
Monday - We ended up not having Turkey Noodle Soup last week so I have put it on the menu for tonight. Along with the boys favorite yeast rolls
Tuesday - I have a concert to go to tonight so Darryl and I will be passing ships. I've hotdogs and chips to feed to the natives on the island of "Home" and I plan on doing a drivethru run as I head out of town.
Wednesday - I think it is time for breakfast for dinner. So eggs, ham slices (for something different), hash browns, and toast.
Thursday - Chicken wings (since I have them to use up), mac and cheese (a potato for Darryl), and some sort of veggie from the pantry.
I'm really trying to use some of the last of the "winter" foods in the pantry/freezer. By that I mean 1) Things that heat up the kitchen big time so therefore I won't cook them as it starts to warm up and 2)Things that are, well, at the end of their shelf life. I also really should do some baking and put some stuff in the freezer. My kitchen is so hot in the summer, it is hard to ever bake . .. .. we'll see if I actually do that though!
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
A Song of Encouragment
One of my favorite artists right now is Laura Story. She has some great songs out and I thought I would "share" one with you. Hopefully it encourages you!
Monday, March 24, 2014
In a Slump . . ..
Sorry blogger friends. I've been in a slump the last few weeks without many ideas of what to write about. This is the first time this has really happened since I started writing several years ago. We haven't been doing much and that is, I'm sure, part of the problem since I have no crafts or fun kid ideas to share. My cooking has taken an nose dive so even coming up with new recipes and fun cooking ideas have been a little trying. Hang with me, though, and I'm sure I'll get back into it soon!.
Homeschool Corner - Dinasaurs galore!
This past Sunday we planned a family fun day. Without Football to watch (yes, we really are die hard fans of Sunday Football), we've found that planning fun activities on Sunday are the way to go. We are already out for church and it's nice to have something to do. Plus, this frees up Saturday for us to hang out at home and/or work on some projects.
On Sunday, the 16th, we headed to Church and Sunday School first and had a great morning at church. From there we headed out to dinner and decided to try out IHOP since it would be easy with the boys. Well, once is enough for us. HA! We were both craving a place called Mega which is near my parents house and hoped this might be a half way decent substitute but it was not . . . . oh well. Next time we will eat somewhere else that is for sure. Then we headed to the Grand Rapids Public Museum to see the Dinosaur Exhibit.
We arrived at the museum and got THE perfect parking spot which is beyond amazing when you consider we had to wait 45 minutes in line to get inside. Geesh! It was worth it though. Here's my confession - I haven't taken the boys to this museum because I find it kinda of, well, boring. I've been many times and figured they wouldn't like it. Boy was I wrong. They loved it and now, I need to take them back where they can just explore the place.
Nate was totally 100% intrigued by the dinosaurs from the moment we walked in. They are, after all, his favorite animals!
Josh, on the other hand, was intrigued by the windows and seeing how far up we actually were (it is very high due to the river that runs right by!)
The exhibit was fantastic. The dinosaurs move and make lots of noise. Nate wanted to know the name of every one of them and also wanted to know what facts were listed on the display boards.
On the other hand, Josh wanted to play. His favorite areas were the hands-on areas. Often times Josh and I stayed in those areas while Darryl and Nate walked through the dinosaur areas.
Once we finished with the dinosaurs, we wandered through part of the museum. The boys loved the old train car.
Josh dared to get on the huge bike.
The boys and I in "Old Town" Grand Rapids.
Darryl and the boys. Yes, Josh always makes funny faces.
We also rode the carousal. The boys loved it and had huge smiles on their faces. There was no way I could get a photo though. I was just trying not to get sick from going in circles over and over and over . . HA!
I'm looking forward to taking the boys back. I think going on a weekend day during the hot days of summer will be on our bucket list!
On Sunday, the 16th, we headed to Church and Sunday School first and had a great morning at church. From there we headed out to dinner and decided to try out IHOP since it would be easy with the boys. Well, once is enough for us. HA! We were both craving a place called Mega which is near my parents house and hoped this might be a half way decent substitute but it was not . . . . oh well. Next time we will eat somewhere else that is for sure. Then we headed to the Grand Rapids Public Museum to see the Dinosaur Exhibit.
We arrived at the museum and got THE perfect parking spot which is beyond amazing when you consider we had to wait 45 minutes in line to get inside. Geesh! It was worth it though. Here's my confession - I haven't taken the boys to this museum because I find it kinda of, well, boring. I've been many times and figured they wouldn't like it. Boy was I wrong. They loved it and now, I need to take them back where they can just explore the place.
We also rode the carousal. The boys loved it and had huge smiles on their faces. There was no way I could get a photo though. I was just trying not to get sick from going in circles over and over and over . . HA!
I'm looking forward to taking the boys back. I think going on a weekend day during the hot days of summer will be on our bucket list!
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Things my Kids Say
* Nate was talking to Darryl one evening and Darryl asked him when he got so smart. Nate replied, "Dad, that is just how God Made me!" and then he proceeded to show him how fast God made him too by racing around the house.
* I've mentioned before that Josh loves to be in charge. Well, he was in his element recently. On this past Monday, I went to choir practice. Darryl called me at about 9:30 (I was then at the grocery store) and told me that Nate had gotten sick so both boys were still up while he was trying to get everything cleaned up. I quickly finished the shopping and came home. I pulled in the driveway and as I got out of the truck I heard Josh yelling from the house, "Mom, Nate is VERY sick. I put my hand on his head and my hand is ON FIRE! I mean, he is SICK so you need to get in here." I came inside and he proceeded to tell me, "Mom, Nate cannot have any milk or anything to eat because he is so sick. He can only have juice and water. AND He cannot breath on any of us or we will get sick. I mean, mom, he is SICK and his head is on fire. I told him to go to sleep so he did.". Josh was in his glory, let me tell you!!! Twice during the night he came to tell me that Nate was coughing or he thought he had gotten sick and then, when Nate did get sick again, he came out to tell us and was beyond thrilled that he also got to stay up to see Darryl off to work HA! I don't think that kid slept more than a few hours because he was "His brother's Keeper!" On Tuesday morning it became Josh's job to pick out new clothes for Nate every time he puked.
* The boys often will exclaim the following, "Nate Alervis Nate Alerves" or "Princess Alervis, Princess Alervis" What does it mean??? Well, it is a combination of an alert and an emergency! So when Nate was puking I would here Josh yelling that or when the princess is getting into something she shouldn't, the boys will start yelling. I have no idea where that word came from but they say it with authority so I just refuse to correct it!
* Another night this past week, Nate said that he wasn't feeling well again. After several trips up and down out of bed, he went to sleep. A few moments later, Josh came out and said, "Mom, I will be your helper. I will get you if we need anything" HA! He's such a helper (and boss . . .)
* We were packing to go to Papa and Nana's - I told the boys they didn't need to take pillows or stuffed animals because Nana had that stuff for them. Nate looked at me with great concern and said, "But, Mom, my baby is too young to stay home, he needs me so I must take him." How can I argue with that logic? By the way, his "baby" is a Ernie toy that I have had for years and he claimed as his own. Some days he remembers his baby and some days, Ernie is stuffed under the bed . .. for weeks HA!
* I've mentioned before that Josh loves to be in charge. Well, he was in his element recently. On this past Monday, I went to choir practice. Darryl called me at about 9:30 (I was then at the grocery store) and told me that Nate had gotten sick so both boys were still up while he was trying to get everything cleaned up. I quickly finished the shopping and came home. I pulled in the driveway and as I got out of the truck I heard Josh yelling from the house, "Mom, Nate is VERY sick. I put my hand on his head and my hand is ON FIRE! I mean, he is SICK so you need to get in here." I came inside and he proceeded to tell me, "Mom, Nate cannot have any milk or anything to eat because he is so sick. He can only have juice and water. AND He cannot breath on any of us or we will get sick. I mean, mom, he is SICK and his head is on fire. I told him to go to sleep so he did.". Josh was in his glory, let me tell you!!! Twice during the night he came to tell me that Nate was coughing or he thought he had gotten sick and then, when Nate did get sick again, he came out to tell us and was beyond thrilled that he also got to stay up to see Darryl off to work HA! I don't think that kid slept more than a few hours because he was "His brother's Keeper!" On Tuesday morning it became Josh's job to pick out new clothes for Nate every time he puked.
* The boys often will exclaim the following, "Nate Alervis Nate Alerves" or "Princess Alervis, Princess Alervis" What does it mean??? Well, it is a combination of an alert and an emergency! So when Nate was puking I would here Josh yelling that or when the princess is getting into something she shouldn't, the boys will start yelling. I have no idea where that word came from but they say it with authority so I just refuse to correct it!
* Another night this past week, Nate said that he wasn't feeling well again. After several trips up and down out of bed, he went to sleep. A few moments later, Josh came out and said, "Mom, I will be your helper. I will get you if we need anything" HA! He's such a helper (and boss . . .)
* We were packing to go to Papa and Nana's - I told the boys they didn't need to take pillows or stuffed animals because Nana had that stuff for them. Nate looked at me with great concern and said, "But, Mom, my baby is too young to stay home, he needs me so I must take him." How can I argue with that logic? By the way, his "baby" is a Ernie toy that I have had for years and he claimed as his own. Some days he remembers his baby and some days, Ernie is stuffed under the bed . .. for weeks HA!
Saturday, March 22, 2014
St. Patrick's Day Fun!
One of my March goals was to plan some fun things for St. Patrick's Day. I almost totally failed but in the end I think I pulled out a few fun things and it was just enough for the boys.
I picked up the shirts for the boys about a month ago. They say, "I make my own good luck". I think holiday shirts are the best!!
Our morning started out with breakfast. Lucky Charms, of course! Now, Nate does not like the Marshmallows (say it isn't so!) but he loved picking out all of the cereal shapes. He gave his marshmallows to Josh who loves them. Lucky Charms were a huge hit!
For lunch we had all things orange (since we are Protestant, after all!) so it was Mac and Cheese and Goldfish crackers for lunch. I also put some "gold coins" (aka as Rolo's) on the table and told them the Leprechaun had visited and left them. Well, let the stories begin HA The boys wanted to know if I saw him and where he went and if he would leave more (which he did - they found them all over the house all afternoon).
For dinner, we had our annual "feast" of Stuffed cabbage, Crash Potatoes, and Rainbow Jello.
St. Patrick's Day (or as the boys say, Patrick's Day) ended with a bang, though. Nate decided to toss his cookies at about 9:00 Monday night and keep me on my toys with a bucket near by most of the day Tuesday. Hopefully that is one gift that does not keep on giving!
For dinner, we had our annual "feast" of Stuffed cabbage, Crash Potatoes, and Rainbow Jello.
St. Patrick's Day (or as the boys say, Patrick's Day) ended with a bang, though. Nate decided to toss his cookies at about 9:00 Monday night and keep me on my toys with a bucket near by most of the day Tuesday. Hopefully that is one gift that does not keep on giving!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)