Menu Plan Monday Sept. 21st

As I'm being more diligent about this meal planning thing, I'm realizing I don't need to cook nearly as often as I thought I did. We had leftovers three times this week. And, there are still some in the fridge. This especially happens if David has several lunch meetings in a week or I don't go to the office. I take leftovers to the office. At home, I'll eat cereal for lunch.

So, I'm rethinking even now what I've planned for this week and think I'll do leftovers on Sunday night as well. Hmmmmmm....

Monday: Small Group - We're splitting up - guys and girls - for a few weeks. The guys are going to be at our house so I said I'd cook and leave something for them each week. Easier than someone sending food with their husband with explicit instructions on what to do to set it up once they get here. They guys will be having:

Taco Soup and Brownies

Tuesday: Sloppy Joes - from the freezer - I made them during my Big Cook a couple weeks ago.

Wednesday: Chicken Macaroni Bake - I'll be using chicken I cooked in the crockpot, chopped, and then froze in 2 cup increments - huge time saver. New to me recipe.

Thursday: Crispy Baked Chicken - New to me recipe.

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: HUGE GARAGE SALE DAY - Pizza for dinner

Sunday: Leftovers

I'm excited to try the two new recipes. Both of them were found through org.junkie's Menu Plan Monday. Head over to her site to find lots more menu ideas!

What are you cooking this week?

Works For Me Wed: Parchment Paper

I was making cookies for a PTA function at school, but was super lazy and didn't want to do actual cookies because then you have to cook each batch, there are more stones (I ONLY bake on Pampered Chef stoneware) to clean, etc. So, I decided to make bar cookies.

Then I remembered that if I put parchment paper in the pan, it would be easier to get out and of course easier to clean the stoneware (um, you just wipe it out). AWESOME!

So, the cookies cooled - I just pulled the whole chunk of cookie out of the pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Then, I thought, hmmm... I can just transfer this chunk, parchment paper and all, onto my cutting board and cut them right on the parchment paper. I used my handy-dandy Pampered Chef pizza cutter and sliced those cookies right up.

Guess what - no mess on the cutting board either. Then - my most brilliant thought - I can just lift this parchment paper chunk of cookies right into the container.

Look at that! It fit right in! Well, actually I had to do a tad of adjusting with one row, but it was so quick and easy. And guess what - minimal mess in the container!!

I have decided that parchment paper is my new best friend in baking!

So that's what works for me. For more ideas go to We Are That Family.

What works for you?

Oh! I almost forgot. The cookies I made? One batch was regular chocolate chip - I just made bar instead of drop cookies. The other were Snickerdoodle Blondies. They were a new recipe and delish!!!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Things I Love About My Hubby (Challenge)

So, a couple weeks ago I was "talking" to someone on Facebook and learned that she was getting divorced. It made me very sad. What's even sadder is that I know several couples my age that are going through this horrible thing. As a child of divorced parents, divorce breaks my heart. It so upsets a child's balance and understanding of unconditional love. Not to mention what it does to the adults who are going through it. And, I know that wanting to get divorced doesn't happen over night. It's a decision you slide into.

As I was "talking" to my friend I realized that we all need to remember (often) why we married our spouse in the first place. Even when we are angry with them, there are things we love about them. And, we need to tell them those things. How often do you look at your spouse and think, "Oh, I love that he..." and keep that thought in your head. They need to hear you say it. You need to hear them say it - right?

That day I sent an email to all the folks in my small group and challenged them to stop what they were doing immediately and write down/type out five things they loved about their spouse. Then, when they were together that evening, they were supposed to share their list with their spouse. The stories that came back were great!! Everybody did it, and everybody benefited from it.

So here is what I wrote for my hubby plus five more...

The Top Ten Things I love About My Hubby:

1. He loves me no matter what - the greatest gift I could ever get.

2. He loves our daughter.

3. He will play endlessly with said daughter and make her giggle with delight.

4. He works hard at his job - both for us and for the people he serves there.

5. He listens to me - REALLY listens to me.

6. He challenges me when I'm wrong.

7. He can make me laugh in just about any situation.

8. I fit just right in his arms for a hug.

9. He is the best in-home IT department I could ask for.

10. He mows the lawn.

What are the top ten things you love about your spouse? I challenge you to stop what you're doing, write them down, and share them. Who knows, it might make a huge difference today.

For more Top Ten lists visit ohamanda.com.

Menu Plan Monday Sept. 14th

So, last week's meal plan was a TOTAL bust. My BFF is still in the hospital, so lots of time was spent in the actual building at the beginning of the week and later in the week on the computer communicating things about her health.

My father-in-law's quadruple bypass got postponed to until Friday (from Tuesday) so my sweet hubby was gone ALL WEEK. With just me and the girl to cook for, it became a let's eat what's there and easy kind of week.

Then, a friend emailed that they had read the blog and would like to make my BBQ for me for Sunday (it was on my menu). How sweet was that!? It was super yummy and we have leftovers. I've had lots of good friends dropping notes, little gifts. It's awesome to be surrounded by the Body of Christ. Thank you so much for loving me this week.

So, with things hopefully returning to somewhat normal, here's the menu.

Monday: Small Group Night - not my night to cook. Wahoo....

Tuesday: Leftovers - the yummy BBQ mentioned above plus a few other things hanging out.

Wednesday: Chicken Quesadillas (from last week)

Thursday: Meatloaf (see below), Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Friday: Beef Stew

Saturday: Leftovers (did I mention there is only 3 of us - we never finish anything)

Sunday: Stufffed Shells (already in freezer from a "Big Cook" I did last week)

Meatloaf

This if from a Kraft mini-cookbook I bought YEARS ago.

2 pounds ground beef/turkey

1 pkg (6 ounces) Stove Top Stuffing Mix (any variety)

1 cup water

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup ketchup/Barbecue Sauce (divided)

Preheat oven to 375

Mix all ingredients except 1/4 cup of ketchup.

Shape meat mixture into oval loaf in 13x9 inch baking dish; top with remaining ketchup.

Bake at 375 for 1 hour or until center is no longer pink.

For TONS more recipes and meal plans, go to orgjunkie.com.

You Gotta Have Faith

So today was Kidstuf Sunday at my church. Kidstuf is a program between services where kids take their parents to learn. We sit on the floor with the kids and learn about what they are learning about during their small group time for the month. This month is all about FAITH.

Now, anyone who has been following me for this last week knows that this is HUGE for me right now. A BFF battling cancer, my dad-in-law just had a quadruple bypass, not to mention the random everyday moments when you have to have faith as a mom. HUGE!!

I can honestly say that I am not doubting my faith right now. I know with certainty that God is there, He is in control, and He loves me. However, I'm having trouble giving Him all my pain, fear, and worry. I know He's big enough to handle it. I just have to have faith and hand it over.

By the way, the illustration they used in Kidstuf for faith brought me to tears. Reminded me that even though I can's see it, the mighty Army of God is surrounding me. That is VERY comforting.

All - Skate

Mags and I had so much fun tonight. It was one of those great nights when you and your kid are just in sync. It was fabulous.

We went to a birthday party at a skating rink. I knew it was going to be hard for her to get the hang of the whole skating thing. We had been one time before, and she had quickly become frustrated with her inability to learn how to do it quickly. And, it was a Friday afternoon - usually a prime meltdown time. So, to say I entered the rink with trepidation would be an understatement.

Well, I sadly underestimated her and her attitude. She did GREAT! The party had the rink to ourselves, so the lights were up, and everyone was of the younger set, so everyone was learning. This made it a lot easier to go slow and easy. She did one lap on the carpet, then decided she wanted to go down on the rink, but holding my hand. We made it all the way around. It only took about 15 minutes. :)

This is my cutie proudly taking a rest after her lap around while holding my hand.

The next lap around she let go, but wanted my hand to be near her so she could grab on if needed. Notice the wild windmill arms to keep her balance. We did a couple laps like this. She fell down several times, but we both just laughed each time. Then, we would laugh as I attempted to help her get up and her feet would slip through my legs. It was quite comical.

She had the best attitude about it. She was trying her hardest, but didn't hit frustration level or have a meltdown. I was SO proud of her. She just kept trying and trying, determined to do it. And, she was having a blast.

Then it came time to totally let go of Mommy and head out on her own. She went out near the middle and went round and round. SO awesome. I was told I could go sit down. She fell down several times, but managed to get herself back up. It was great to watch.

Then, it was time to take off the skates. That was when there was a near meltdown, but she recovered when they started playing music for them to dance to. Here she is doing the YMCA.

It was a fun night. I can't wait to take her again!

Pantry Overhaul

So, my project for Labor Day was to totally clean out and reorganize the pantry. It was a HUGE mess. As you can see by these two pictures.

I pulled everything (well, almost everything) out and checked expiration dates. I think the oldest I found was 2003. Pretty embarrassing that. Stuff that was expired was of course thrown out. Stuff that was close to expiring, and I knew I wouldn't use in time went into a box for a local charity. Also into the charity box went random stuff that was bought for a recipe I never made. You know what I mean - the three cans of tomato soup that were supposed to go in something and now you can't remember what. Below is what my counter looked like at one point.

Not long after I took the above picture, I ended up going to the hospital to be with my friend Katie. So, when I came home that night, that lovely sight was waiting for me. It took me several days to get to where I had hoped to be at the end of Monday night. But, I am now done.

Now so pretty.....

I got the awesome brown baskets at Walmart in the seasonal area. They are nice and deep and hold lots. I used one to hold all the chips that took up half the shelf before. I used another one to hold all the different kind of baking chips, and yet another to hold the various lunch boxes that we have.

I used the top shelves that I (short person) have to use a step stool to reach to put baskets of all my paper goods - one for paper plates, one for paper cups, and one for party napkins. The VERY top shelf (that you can't see in these pictures) holds all the storage containers I use when I bake during the holidays.

The MOST exciting part and a major goal of the operation was to get the floor clean and have no storage on the floor. Success!!!

So, what do you do to organize your pantry?

How Are You?

How often do you get asked or even ask this question? It's an American standard. You see someone and you ask how they are. But, do you really want to know? You expect to hear the answer "fine" or "good" and are shocked when that's not what you get. You might even stumble in the conversation and not know what to say next.

Then, you have those really good friends, that when they know you're in a crisis and ask "How are you?" they really mean it. It's said in a different tone with warmth and compassion in their eyes. It's not flippant, and they don't expect "fine" or "good." They really want to know how you are.

I have some good friends like that. And, they've rallied around me in the last few days. As I type this and think of them, there are tears running down my face. I am so blessed to have these people in my life - friends and family - who really care about how I am. That know I am in pain and want to take some of that burden from me. I am so thankful for them, and I'm not sure how to tell them. They are very special gifts, and I treasure every one.

To answer the question. I'm doing "OK." And, I am blessed beyond measure to walk through this valley with my friends on every side.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Things I Learned in the ER

I spent yesterday in the ER while my friend Katie battled against the infection that is ravaging her body. For more information on Katie's status visit her Caring Bridge site.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katieburson/journal

This is what I learned while sitting in the ER waiting room....

1. NEVER touch the counter where you talk to the nurse when you first come in. Everyone leans on it and sneezes on it and places their sick kids behinds on it. YUCK!

2. Keep a large bottle of hand sanitizer with you at all times. See the above, plus you don't know who else has touched what.

3. My brother is a sweetie - he offered to come and sit with me since my hubby is out of town.

4. You need to double check your computer bag for your power cord before leaving the house. Even if you're sure it's there, you need to check. Because, running out of power while miles from home is not good.

5. Just because your iPhone battery says it's full, if you've been on it all day, it's probably NOT.

6. You can do A LOT of research and correspondence on an iPhone.

7. You can get really tired just sitting all afternoon.

8. The staff at Northside Forsyth are SO kind. They were warm and helpful to everyone who came into the ER and to me asking questions.

9. It is amazing to watch the body of Christ in action. There has been such an outpouring of support for Katie and her family yesterday. It's awesome.

10. God is good, and He is all powerful.

See more Top Ten Tuesdays over at ohamanda.com.

Menu Plan Monday Sept. 7th

So, I'm going to try this linking to other blogs thing. I've been very intrigued by the whole process for awhile so here goes...

This week's menu took a drastic change as hubby had to go to Charleston to be with his dad who is having quadruple bypass surgery tomorrow (prayers appreciated). So, Mags is at my mom's and I'm all alone. However, I'm sitting in the ER waiting room as my BFF KB is having some issues recovering from her chemo last week. I'm hanging out just in case I am needed. So, it's not a normal week as we're not sure what's going to happen. So, I planned, but it may be scrapped totally. Only God knows.

I've menu planned for years and encourage everyone to do it - saves sanity, time, and money. I'm sure I'll share more about that on future blogs. :)

This week:

Monday: Hmmmmm, hopefully not hospital fare - maybe Chinese on my way home.

Tuesday: Chicken quesadillas, fruit

Wednesday: Hubby's b-day!! If he's back in town, it will be Mellow Mushroom!

Thursday: Spaghetti and Meatballs

Friday: Birthday party at the rolling rink... dinner included

Saturday: Leftovers

Sunday: BBQ pork

Chicken Quesadillas:

1 lb pre-cooked chicken breast - shredded

1 to 2 tsp. Pampered Chef Southwestern Seasoning (to your taste)

(You can substitute taco seasoning here)

Shredded Mexican Blend cheese

Flour tortillas

Shred up chicken breast in microwave safe bowl and add seasoning and enough water to moisten. Microwave until warm - stirring every 30 seconds.

Place tortilla in pan and top with chicken and cheese. Cover with another tortilla.

Cook until brown on both sides.

Continue with remaining ingredients.

Let sit at least one minute before cutting.

**I usually make these pretty mild so Mags will eat them too.**

You can find more recipes at orgjunkie.com. Go check them out!