Weekly Menu

This week didn't go completly as planned but that's ok. Instead of not using recipes, I ended up having to make due a few times I thought we'd be out.  We had some great meals though so in the end, it all worked out!

This is the plan for the coming week.

Saturday - It's supposed to be hot again and, I fell off my "Hamburgers every week" wagon so we are going to have Burgers on the grill. We'll just have some chips with it to keep it cool and maybe some deli potato Salad.

Sunday - My husband has a concert and there is a pot luck with the group afterwards.  I'm going to make Southwestsern Tossed Salad (it's actually a dip) and chips.  For dinner - I'm planning on picking up a Pizza.  Depending on the weather, we may go to the beach after lunch so I really don't want to have cook when we get home.

Monday - We are going to have the Corn Dog Muffins that I actually didn't cook last Sunday evening because we were so busy moving rooms - we just got a Pizza. I think we'll just have chips with it and maybe some fruit. (This is a simple meal because I have to leave early to get to practice - no time to be wrapped up in the kitchen!)

Tuesday - Stuffed Shells with Cheese, Roasted Cabbage Wedges, Garlic Bread

Wednesday - Lemon Chicken, Cheesy Broccoli and Rice Casserole

Thursday - Coconut Chicken, Baked Beans, Green Beans, biscuits

Friday - Breaded Chicken Thighs, Parsley Potatoes, Corn, Garlic Bread

Yes, a lot of chicken!!!  That is what is in my freezer that needs to be used up :-)

The desserts this week are a Brownie Tart and Lazy Cake Cookies.

Food Friday - A "Two Fer"

This week I have two recipes to share because, well, they were on one plate! 

Chicken Pasta Salad
adapted from  . . well I've had it forever!

I first had this Chicken Pasta salad (show on the top of the plate) probably 25 years ago at a church pot-luck and it has been a favorite every since.  I've made it for showers, banquets, quests and just to eat for lunch :-) It's easy to make and you can stretch it by adding more pasta than the recipe calls for (I always do!)

Ingredients

1 cup shell macaroni – cooked

1 ½ cups cooked and cubed chicken
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cups sliced celery
¾ cups green grapes – halved
¼ cups slivered almonds
½ cup miracle whip salad dressing
1 cup cool whip
½ cup mandarin oranges, drained

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except cool whip and chill.  Add cool whip just before serving and stir well.

 

The second recipe comes from Pinterest!

 

Poolside Dip

adapted from Pinterest

 

This was a good dip recipe - especially to have in the fridge for a snack.  I had it both with crackers as shown in the photo and also with some celery - both were good.

 

Ingredients and Directions:

Pool-side dip: 1 red pepper, 2 jalapenos (unseeded), 1 can of corn, 16 oz cream cheese (softened), and 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dip seasoning mix. Serve with crackers. Delicious!!

 

Changes!

It seems that the last few weeks, Thursdays are not my day for a blog post :-)  I seem to remember that I had something I wanted to post about but I'm going to save that for next week.  This has been a busy week because . .. we changed rooms!!!  We decided that since we can't paint or put the floors in right this "minute" that we would go ahead and move rooms and then paint as soon as we can around the stuff in the room and hopefully put the floors in by the end of September. 

On Sunday we moved all of our stuff into what was Josh's room and we love it.  It's not quite done - I need to move a curtain, take down some vinyl, and order some new vinyl when I can (I have it picked out, just need to save for it!). We then just kinda threw Josh's stuff into what was our room thinking that the boys would want to keep sleeping in Nate's room.  Wrong.  We had to drag the toddler mattress into the new room and both boys slept there.  So, on Wednesday, I moved all of the rest of the stuff into their new room and they just love it.  They played in there most of the day.  Nate is very ready for his big boy bed so I don't think we'll be waiting for his birthday for that gift ;-)  Considering the fact that he can now climb in and out of his crib . . .what's the point, right?  I have some art to make for the walls still but I know what I'm making and hope to have it done by Labor Day Weekend. 

Also on Wednesday, I cleaned Nate's room, moved two banquet tables in that will be our desks for the time being and moved in two book cases from elsewhere in the house to use for storage of everything from scrapbooking to school supplies.  Right now, as I write this post on Wednesday night, the classroom looks like a storage room but my goal is that by Thursday evening, it will be all put together  The last of the school books/supplies are expected in this week so I want to have the room ready to finish  up my planning.  I want to pick up a few posters at the teachers store still and have one piece of vinyl I want to order for the door.  I should say that the new classroom will also house a space for my husband to record his music.  It should give him more opportunity to do so instead of having to move everything to the basement every time he wants to record. 

My living room is looking less like a toy closet and more like, well, a living room.  I still have a card table to clear off and move out (that I've been using for planning and scrapbooking the last few weeks) once I have cleaned up the classroom and made room for everything.  Even my dining room looks roomier since one of the afore mentioned bookcases used to stand in the dining room and just looked cluttered. 

Nope, no pictures yet.  I did attempt to get some before photos (my husband always seemed to be a few steps ahead of me so I never got the "true" room) and look forward to some after photos soon!

 

Give Them Grace - a Book Study

In July, I posted about my most recent book goal and . .. this book was not in it.  I came across this book just a few weeks ago and it really struck me as something I was looking for concerning my kids.  I want my kids to grow and know the love of God but struggle daily with how to make this a lifestyle for them and not just words.  The author does not mince words at all when it comes to how we share Jesus with our kids.  One of the first quotes that kind of hit me square in the face was this, "Lets face it, most of our children believe that God is happy if they're 'good for goodness sake'. . . . We have told them that being good (at least outwardly) is the be-all and end-all of their faith. "   I read this not long after I said to one of my kids, "I need you to stop disobeying and be good" I mean, what is "good" anyway? 

Chapter 1 - From Sinai to Calvary
One of the first truths this book brings out is the fact that too often we use the Bible as a rule book instead of a book of "Good News".  We are quick to list the do's and don'ts in the Bible but what about actually teaching the truths of the stories given and learning to understand why God thought each of those events was important enough to share.  I was reminded that in order to really use the gospel in my parenting, I have to know the gospel and love it myself.  Ok, I'll raise my hand now and say I'm guilty.  I don't put the Bible first in my day, in my week or sometimes even in my month!  How can I teach my kids the in's and out's if I don't know it myself?  I'm working on that both through starting personal Bible Study (again) as well as through Daily Bible lessons in our preschool which will start soon. The author shared 4 areas of obedience to help the reader understand where this idea of "grace" comes into the picture.  First, Initial Obedience is basically teaching your child to heed your voice (you know, when you say "no" you mean it or, when you call them, they come - in order to keep them safe!)  Second, Social Obedience which is learning basic manners.  We all want our children have good manners :-)  Third, Civic Obedience which is basically teaching them to obey the law.  Forth, Religious Obedience which is ". . .what we teach our children to do as part of a life of faith before them come to faith." An example would be praying before dinner or standing up in church to sing songs - these are just exercises in faith, not a saving faith. "Religious obedience is probably the most difficult and dangerous form of obedience simply because it is so easily confused with conformity to God's Law."  For me, what I gleaned from this chapter was to figure out how to instruct my children in such a way that they don't just learn the "law" - obey because God said so; but rather learn the Gospel - to understand that Jesus gave up all he had - all of his "goodness" and came to earth to live among sinners to teach them.  He gave the ultimate sacrifice for each of us.  In my heart, I want my children to learn to live the Bible, not just know the right answers.  I want the Bible to the reason they do what they do; not have it become a burden.  I know that this concept alone will impact how I teach Bible to my children. 

There are, already, two things that I've soured this book to me just slightly.  One, the author writes in an over top fashion - using, sometimes, difficult explanations and wording to get a point across.  It is written as a counselor would write (which is what she is) but not written as the average parent would read.  Two, she seems to be slamming one particular religion, which I won't state, but twice she has said negative things about parents who are in that group as a whole.  I was really taken aback by it - I firmly believe that Bible is God's one true word but you don't influence others by attacking what they believe either.  As with any book, when you reading it, take it one chapter at a time and look for the truth

If you've followed my "way" of reading, you know that I often read multiple books at once and plan to share what I learn, if it is worth sharing.  With that said, not all of my "Book Study" posts will pertain to the same book.  :-) 

Too Cute Not To Toot

I'm in total homeschool prep mode so when I saw this idea from Burton Avenue, well, I loved it.  I don't plan on getting this up this fall but I do love it for the future.  One of these days when I get to Ikea there are a few things on my list - I'll have to check on their whiteboards :-)

I don't know if I will ever actually make these but they were too cute to not share.  The idea comes from One Dog Woof.

Sorry, short list this week.  I buried up to my eye balls with rearranging rooms and preschool lessons.

Summer Fun - Week 11

To catch up on past weeks, just click HERE
As I mentioned last week, I wasn't really sure how much "fun" we'd have this week . . . It's been a little bit of a crazy week with me trying to get way too much done  . . with prepping for homeschool preschool, cleaning on this wonderful cool days, and trying to knock things off my to do list.  So this week I'll share some photos of fun that the kids accomplished!

Monday - Mondays are always busy here - I have laundry to do, things to clean, recovering from the weekend and making sure the details of the week are planned.  The boys decided to go to a "hotel" today . . I heard them "packing" but was in the kitchen getting meatballs made, cooked and in the crock pot for dinner so I didn't pay attention (yep, you read that right HA).  Then I walked into the living room and thought, "Wow, it's really clean in here" . .. until I turned the corner to Nate's room. 

See all of that?  That is every single toy, pillow, blanket, from the living room and the boys rooms and yes, there is even a mattress in there.  They took brushes, toothbrushes, and my contact case from the bathroom all in order to go to a hotel.  Josh would come up to me and say, "Bye mom, I need a Kwiss (i.e Kiss) and then proceed to grab ahold of my cheeks with his hands and kiss me good bye!  He would then proceed to tell me that he was "going to a hotel and would ride the elevator, watch TV, go to the pool, take a bath, brush his teeth, and go to sleep" while there.  I think he really loves going to a hotel.  Now, cleaning up from their imaginary trip was quite the ordeal :-/  They also helped me mop the bathroom floor - this week I clean the floor with a scrub brush . . .before I even knew what was happening, they both had rags, and we had a small flood on the floor HA!  I thanked them for their wonderful help but then told them that I would finish it up :-) 

Tuesday: Our fun today was unexpected. At lunch time, Nate was not happy with me because I served leftovers for lunch.  He was bound and determined to have Mac and Cheese so he started getting pans out while the rest of us ate lunch (Yes, I was mean and told him lunch was on the table or he could go hungry - it was his choice HA!).  Then he said, "Mom, I need a towel to clean up the water".  Well, at first I figured there was just water left in a pan from the dishwasher until I walked in the kitchen and noticed that almost every pot had inches of water in it . .. yes, the sink was leaking :-(   We cleaned up the water, put a big pan under the drip until Darryl got home.  Then he and his "good jobbers" fixed the leak :-)

 Josh was a great helper - he was holding the sink drain so it wouldn't turn while Darryl was tightening it.

 Checking things out below to make sure that Darryl was doing ok :-)

 Then he got distracted and started playing with our Guest Cat Tommy !!

 Well, and Tommy had to put in his two cents worth so he crawled into the cupboard too.

 Darryl with his two helpers - this photo makes me laugh!!

The boys have flashlights and are checking for anymore "drip drips".  (We also have a leak in our roof somewhere that we are trying to find and fix - so every time it rains Josh walks around the house, shining his flashlight at the ceiling in every room looking for drip-drips - he actually found a new spot in the dining room the other day!!)

Wednesday: I just thought I would share a few fun photos :-)

 So, I walked into the dining room and found Nate taking all of my music out of my binder.  I did what any good parent would do and said "NATE what are you doing?". Then I saw his crestfallen face and changed my ways.  I think said, "oh wow, Nate, you look busy, what are you doing?" He smiled a big smile and said, "I'm working, Mom" :-)  He was so intent on working on that binder - what could I do except take a photo!

While Nate was  busy working, Josh got up to the piano and "played".  He also requested that Nate sign with him, which he did.  It was quite interesting to say the least.  And yes, we are starting piano lessons in a few weeks ;-)

Thursday: My boys love matchbox cars.  The cars go everywhere and do anything.  They also have certain cars that belong to certain people.  By that I mean, there are a couple of cars that look like our blazer so they will say they are playing with mommy's car.  There is a truck that looks like the Munchkin's vehicle so, again, they associate it with him. Well, Nate has 4 cars that are Papa and Nana's and they make me laugh:

So the water truck and that hot rod red car?  Those are Papa's cars, according to Nate.  And that little yellow car and the HUGE green one - well Nana apparently drives those.  Every single night he searches for those 4 special vehicles.  I didn't realize my parents drove such vehicles, they must only bring them out when the kids are visiting HA!

Friday: We did something today YEAH!  I took the boys (all three of them) and we went to the grocery store.  My boys love to go - they love to help put things in the cart and remind me of important things that we are out of (i.e. chocolate chips, fruit loops, juice, etc HA!).  The store is a great learning experience for them and it totally teaches me patience :-)  Today they did fantastic which always makes me happy!!  The best part?  We actually went as a family back to the store to run a few errands before dinner, when we were leaving Nate said to me, "Mom, today was a fun day.  I had fun at the store with you".  THAT makes it worth it.  Now, the boys love their sunglasses and today, apparently it was bright in the store because they wore them the entire time HA.  Nate REALLY enjoys them . . .

Yes, his sunglasses are pushed up on his forehead and Josh's are upside down (Nate's favorite way to wear glasses) just above his eyes all while he is enjoying a special treat - a cookie.  I should also mention that while in the store with Darryl, both boys walked in carrying their bags (Nate had a Train bag and Josh actually was carrying a small barn).  Well, inside Josh's barn was a hair clip of mine that looks like a big claw . ..  .well he stopped and put it in his hair and continued to walk through the store.  Darryl and I just rolled our eyes and laughed.  He was so proud of his "hat"!!

That was our week :-)  Nothing big - just some fun photos more than anything.  This next week, the munchkin is on vacation so I've planned some special things to do with the boys. 

The Things My Kids Say . ..

The kids have been "quiet" this week (ok, not really - they have been screaming, running, and playing non-stop . . just not full of quirky things!)  Plus, if I don't write them down right away, I forget!

Here's a few for you:

On Thursday, we were expecting some storms; the boys asked to go outside and I told them they could until it started raining (we were expecting some lightning so I didn't want them outside in the rain).  Nate put on his sunglasses and said "I need my glasses so my eyes don't get wet" HAHA  That made me laugh - who knew?  Sunglasses DO have a purpose other keeping the sun out of your eyes!

I mentioned this last week but Nate is against meat.  If he sees a speck of meat on his plate he says "I don't like Meat" and walks away.  Now though, he looks at his plate and says "I don't like THAT" and walks away.  My once "eat almost anything kid" has now turned ultra picky and it is not fun. 

One night I had to run to the store  - the boys are always sad when I leave but on this night, Josh stood on the porch as I walked to the truck and said, "Mom, please come back, ok?"  How sweet is that?  Then he said, "Oh, and don't forget the chocolate chips, we need more" HA! 


And I thought I would include one thing my husband said this week.  We noticed that our neighbor was digging something. . .. I told my husband it looked like he was going to bury someone.  His response?  "I don't care if we live next to a murderer as long as he likes us" HA!  (Now, just so you know, the neighbor was repairing his sump pump lines)