Very Merry Christmas Cookies

To start of our Winter break, we made Christmas Cookies on Saturday!  Everyone got to help with the fun.  DH mixed and rolled out the dough.  The kids took turns with the cookie cutters making fun shapes.  (We even have an Easter bunny or two in there.)  Then when they cooled we frosted and decorated them.  There ended up being plenty to share with neighbors, employees, and the girls at the bank!  As for the rest...well, I'm sure we'll figure out something!

Menu Monday

Well, it's the last day of October and I am ready to face a new month.  November is one of my favorite months.  Not just because we have three birthdays in November to celebrate, but because family gathers together for Thanksgiving, and this year, my Brother in Law is returning home from Afghanistan and he and his fiance will be joining us here in town for the holiday.

Tonight's meal is already in the crockpot, so it will be waiting for us after a fun round of "Trunk-or-Treating" in the parking lot of my in-law's ACE Hardware.  I also baked banana-chocolate-chip muffins for snack this afternoon.

Monday: Round Steak and Rice
Tuesday: Chicken Enchilada Soup
Wednesday: Tater Tot Casserole
Thursday: Chili and Corn Bread
Friday: Breakfast
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Pizza Night

Have a wonderful week!
~Melissa

Menu Monday

Last week was a good menu week!  Everyone liked the dinners I had planned.  The sweet and sour meatballs was a huge hit.  I had a friend request the recipe so I'll just share it here.  I actually got the sauce recipe from a friend in a "freezer meals swap."  We got together with 5 other couples and each of us made our recipe for all the other couples.   So the meatballs and sauce are freezable, but make the rice fresh.  The meatball recipe I used is just a simple recipe from All Recipes.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Ingredients for meatballs:
2 T. Olive Oil
1 (20oz package) ground turkey
1 egg beaten
1/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with the olive oil, and place it in the oven while preheating.

2.In a medium bowl, mix together the ground turkey, egg, and bread crumbs using your hands. Using an ice cream scoop if possible, form the meat into golf ball sized meatballs. Place about 1 inch apart in the hot baking dish. Press down to flatten the bottom just slightly.

3.Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn them over, and continue baking for about 5 more minutes, or until somewhat crispy on the outside. 

Ingredients for sauce:
1 (20oz) can pineapple chunks
3 T. vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
approx. 1/3 cup water
1 T. soy sauce
3 T. Cornstarch
1 large green pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
1 onion cut into chunks
1 clove garlic

In a large skillet saute onion and garlic. Add the green pepper and cook for a few minutes.  In a bowl, combine the pineapple juice with enough water to make 1 1/2 cups. Stir in the vinegar, brown sugar, soy sauce and cornstarch. Add to the skillet and stir till thickened. Add the meatballs and pineapple. Simmer until the meatballs are hot and the green peppers are tender-crisp.  Serve over rice.

If you are going to freeze this, cool sauce completely and then just store it in a gallon freezer bag or a freezer safe container.  When you are ready to eat it, I recommend thawing it in the fridge over night.  I have never tried putting it directly from the freezer into the skillet.

And now, on with this week's menu!
Monday: Parmesan Chicken with rice and veggies
Tuesday: Italian sausage skillet with Penne Pasta
Wednesday: BBQ Chicken sandwiches (from last week because my in-laws surprised us with pizza one night)
Thursday: Turkey bacon paninis
Friday: Spaghetti
Saturday: Breakfast
Sunday: Leftovers!

Sometimes I end up doing leftovers mid week if our fridge is starting to fill up.  It's just nice to have a menu in place so I know that I have the ingredients and I don't have to think about what I have in the cupboard come dinner time.

I'm going to have to make some banana bread (oh darn...) this week because we didn't eat all our bananas in time.  I might even add a few mini chocolate chips if I'm feeling like a sweet treat.  There are also a lot of pumpkin recipes floating around out there this time of year that I wouldn't mind trying. :)

Have a good week everybody!

~Melissa

Menu Monday

Whew!  It's been a hectic day, and I am posting this as I wait for the rice to cook up for tonight's dinner.  We are actually having last week's Sweet and Sour Meatballs tonight, because we had a couple of sick days in there last week when I had to alter my menu a bit.

Here's what I'm cooking this week:
Monday: Sweet and Sour Meatballs over rice
Tuesday: BBQ Chicken Sandwhiches
Wednesday: Stew in the Crock Pot
Thursday: Breakfast - French Toast with extras for the freezer
Friday: Steak and Potatoes
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Stroganoff

I'm still experimenting with muffins for snacks but this week I want to try pretzil bites also. :)

Last week's juice making session was fun, but I didn't get as much apple juice as I would have liked.  It turns out that it makes great apple cider though, so that's a bonus now that we are getting into fall weather.

Have a great week all!
~Melissa

Menu Plan Monday

This is starting to become a regular thing for me again, and I LOVE it!  Today's dinner, Crock Pot Italian Chicken and Potatoes, is already in the crock pot.  That means no fuss and no frustration for me around dinner time! 

Before I share the rest of this week's menu, let me just say that muffins for snacks and breakfasts have been a huge hit here lately!  I have to say, I never knew it was so easy to bake my own muffins from scratch.  I don't know exactly how healthy they are, but they've got to be better than your typical boxed kind, right?  (And cheaper.)  The favorite this week was blueberry muffins with orange glaze.  I have to give credit for these delicious muffin recipes to Tiffany, over at Eat at Home.  In fact, I get a lot of my favorite recipes from there, so if you need some menu planning ideas, hop on over there and take a look around! 

Monday: Italian Chicken and Potatoes in the Crock Pot
Tuesday: Green Salsa Chicken Enchiladas
Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Meatballs over Rice
Thursday: Baked Potatoes
Friday: Homemade Chili
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Waffles (Will make extras for breakfasts next week.)

I'm still working on apple chips.  They are a big hit with the kids and my dehydrator only fits 7-8 apples at a time, so I've been making a batch a day.  I'm also going to make apple cider with my MIL this week so I'll let you know how that goes!

Have a great week all!
~Melissa

Menu Monday

Last week worked out so well that here I am again, menu planning!  The favorite dish last week was Pizza Chicken over Rotini.  As my DH would say, it was "a keeper."  Here's my plan for this week:

Monday: Turkey, BLT Quesadillas (Carried over from last week due to leftovers night.)
Tuesday: Goulash with home made bread
Wednesday: Pizza Night!  The school is having open house and providing the pizza. :)
Thursday: Pulled BBQ Beef Sandwhiches (crock pot)
Friday: Meatball Subs
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: Breakfast

Things I'm baking for snacks and breakfasts this week: Bagels, Muffins, and apple chips in the dehydrator from the leftover apples.
Of course, now we have all kinds of peaches and applesauce for sides and snacks too! :)

If ever I get organized enough, maybe I will post recipes and grocery lists here too.  For now, I'm keeping it simple.

Have a great week!
~Melissa

A Pantry Filled With Love

Labor Day weekend we went over to my In-Laws and canned sweet pickles.  It is actually a three day process, and let me tell you, I'm glad that we did it at their house instead of mine.  Mostly because it stinks!  Her kitchen smelled like vinegar for hours!  I gladly endured the smell for a time though, in exchange for 16 beautiful jars of pickles. :)

After pricing out what a jar of peaches cost now a days, I talked my Mother in Law into helping me can some for my pantry.  I'd done it once before with my Sister-in-Law while living in Spokane.  There's something satisfying about grabbing a jar of fruit from the pantry that you know how much hard work went into it, and exactly what ingredients! 

The three boxes of peaches we bought on Tuesday were ripe enough a day early on Thursday to peel and can.  Luckily, my MIL was willing to change her plans and come over to take care of things!  We used the small kitchen in the basement to work.  I'm told that it's the perfect "canning kitchen." 

Originally my Sister in Law had planned to come out and can applesauce with us, but she was unable to make it. That left us with 4, 40lb boxes of apples to make into applesauce!  We gave one to a friend of mine and set to work on the rest yesterday, bright and early.  My MIL arrived at 8:00am, ready with the supplies needed.  We set up the kitchen and recruited everyone to help.  The kids removed stickers from the apples while my MIL and I sliced them for boiling.

Once we got the first pot boiled, my MIL taught me how to use the "Victoria."  It was a very impressive machine!  You put the boiled apples in the funnel, core, seeds, peels and all.  The sauce comes out one end, while the waste comes out another.  We took turns cranking the handle...even RL and JS gave it a try!  It was definitely a family event. :)

After we had enough applesauce, we poured it into jars and began the processing.  I would have to say, one of my favorite parts of the day was celebrating when we would here the "popping" noise of a jar sealing.  It was a very fun filled day and I am so thankful that my MIL is willing to come over and take the time to teach me the art of canning.  It is a very useful skill to have, and very cost effective.  

Cost of peaches including fruit and supplies: Just under $1.50/jar.  In my local grocery store right now, a jar of Dole Sliced Peaches goes for $3.59!

Cost of applesauce per jar including fruit and supplies: $0.58!  Yes, that's 58 cents per jar!  I don't know what applesauce is going for in the store right now, but it's not that!  It would have been even less, but we left some apples for slicing and dehydrating as snacks this week. :)

Time spent with family learning a valuable skill: priceless!

Now that I have all these wonderful jars of pickles, peaches, and applesauce, I needed a pantry space to store them.  I decided to make over a room at the bottom of my stairs that already has built in shelves.  It originally had paint in it, but it serves much better as a pantry!  Now, I have the perfect pantry filled with lots of love! :)

Before

After

The Other Side of After

What We're Eating this Week

As a part of my new-found motivation, I decided to record my menu here, at least for the time being.  Something about publishing it on my blog keeps me accountable.  Everything I'm making this week is already in my pantry.  (Aside from fresh fruits/veggies) What a great feeling!

Monday: Pizza Chicken over Rotini
Tuesday: Cheesy Ham and Hash brown Casserole (Crock Pot)
Wednesday: Pork Chops with Potatoes and Gravy (Crock Pot)
Thursday: Stroganoff
Friday: Skillet Chicken and Rice
Saturday: Turkey BLT Quesadillas
Sunday: Teriyaki Chicken and Rice

Here's what I'm making for snacks and breakfasts:
Muffins: Banana, and Blueberry w/orange glaze
French Toast for the Freezer (Need to use up some bread)

What's on your menu this week?
~Melissa

Coffee, Pie, and other Things to Enjoy

Last night I made my first apple pie. I've had my eye on the recipe for a while now. It was simple, with minimal ingredients, and used a ready-made pie crust. The kids gave it two thumbs up! If I can follow the recipe, anyone can do it. I'd offer you a bite with your coffee, but it pretty much got devoured in one sitting after dinner last night.


You can find the recipe and try it for yourself at one of my favorite blogs: Eat at Home. She posts more than desserts. Every week she posts a menu, the recipes, and a grocery list to go with it! It's one of the most useful tools I have ever come across. If you menu plan, or want to start, I would recommend checking it out.

I'm sitting here watching my youngest son sword fight with his dad using spatulas from the kitchen. It sure is fun having one kid at home still. My husband would argue that he's going to be the most spoiled because he's the youngest. (Of course, that's coming from someone who's the oldest of 5 siblings!) I guess, in a way, he's right. No other kid gets to stay at home with mom alone for two whole years. Or gets to sword fight with dad on his day off. I'd say that the other kids get their share of 'spoiling' around here too though. There's plenty of love to go around. :)

This week I've been thinking a lot about the pace of life. I don't know about you, but it seems like for me, everything is moving too quickly. I zip around my house doing chores, sometimes forgetting to slow down and play with my son. I wait impatiently in the grocery line instead of stopping to say hello to the clerk, or the person behind me that's waiting as well. All for what? A few extra minutes of time in my day? No. Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day.

So this girl is going to slow down and enjoy the life that God has given me. Enjoy my husband, my children, and my friends. I'm going to take the time to make that phone-call (instead of an e-mail), and maybe even write a letter, put a stamp on it, and mail it. And yes, I'm going to take time to bake home-made apple pie.

Have a great weekend everyone!

~Melissa

Psalm 90:12 Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Ingredient Spotlight: Diced Tomatoes

I'm linking up with Eat at Home for her Ingredient Spotlight this week: Diced Tomatoes. I agree with her that diced tomatoes deserve a special pantry spotlight because they are useful in so many ways! The recipe I'll share today is so easy and only has 6 ingredients, all of which I keep on hand. It was one that a friend brought over to share and soon became a favorite around here. We named it after her, but I'll just call it Black Beans and Rice Casserole here. :)

Ingredients:
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (drained)
1 lb ground beef
1 can black beans (drained)
1 box rice pilaf
1-1 1/2 cups shredded mexican cheddar blend
taco size flour tortillas (can use wheat if you prefer)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Prepare rice as instructed on box. Brown ground beef in large pan on stove. Add tomatoes and beans to pan and simmer until warm through. Place two tortillas at the bottom of a 2 1/2 qt casserole dish. They will overlap some. Spoon rice on top of that. Pour meat mixture on top of rice. Top with cheese. Bake, covered for 25 minutes.

Use extra tortillas to spoon casserole into or just eat plain. (My husband likes it without tortillas but with a little sour cream.)

Enjoy!

Monday Miscellany

It's Monday, and I'm ready to face another week! If only I hadn't stayed up so late last night!

Do you like the new look of my blog? I figured, as long as I'm giving my laundry room a makeover, I might as well do the same for my blog! Thanks, A, for letting me be your guinea pig as you learn a new program! :) I love how colorful it is.

Speaking of the laundry room, I'm still making progress. I have cleaned off the desk and am ready to take it apart. The huge "L" shape just does not fit well in there, so for now, we'll just keep the hutch. I'll be spending quite a bit of time down there today doing laundry, so hopefully I'll get a lot more accomplished.

I took Saturday off from the project to spend the morning at a friend's house making projects of a more creative kind. My sweet friend A (the same one who designed my blog) let me use her craft supplies to make valentine boxes for my kids. Last year the valentines that they brought home got spread all over the house. This way, they can be kept in their special containers. Thanks again A!

Today over at Home Sanctuary Rachel Anne is helping us Menu Plan for an entire month! I tend to be a weekly planner, (I have about 9 weeks of menus, recipes, and grocery lists saved on my computer so far) but if you've never menu planned before, her instructions are a great way to start! Then there's no guess work involved in what's for dinner. :)

Well, I had best get started on my laundry and other chores for the day!
Have a great week all!
~Melissa~

The Sights and Smells of Fall

This morning it is cold outside. I woke up to our first official "frost." There is was, blanketing the lawn, toys, and windshields of our vehicles sending a signal that winter is just around the corner. We usually get our first snow on or shortly after Halloween here. So before winter settles in, I thought I would share a few of the sights and smells of Fall around our house.

Leaves...piles and piles of them! My daughter was disappointed because they finally started to build up in the yard, and then the rain hit! We never had a chance to rake them and jump in them. Yesterday the weather cleared and she went outside and started to rake. There are still plenty of leaves yet to fall, so hopefully the weather will stay clear this week.Toothless grins! LR, who turns five in 17 days, just lost her first tooth yesterday! It's been wiggly for a while now. She was so excited. My baby girl is growing up.Cookies! Friday my DH got into baking mode and whipped up a batch of sugar cookies to cut, bake, and decorate with our kids. They turned out great! The close up picture turned out blurry, but my MIL called it the "Easter basket" cookie. There are sprinkles of every kind piled high. It was decorated by a very eager 6 year old. :)Cinnamon rolls anyone? This morning I got motivated and the smell of cinnamon filled the house as I baked up a nice surprise for my children. (No, sorry, they are not homemade!)This week we will have some pumpkin fun. I'm looking forward to letting my kids show their creative side painting pumpkins. Last year I had my own fun and after Halloween I made the pumpkins into pie! Pumpkin pie is another sight, and smell that I love, love, love, this time of year. I keep a bunch of pumpkin spice candles on hand to fill my home with that fresh baked aroma. :)

While we are on the topic of aroma, a passage of Scripture came to mind this morning when I was baking cinnamon rolls.

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?" -2Corinthians 2:14-16

The "fragrance of life." Now that's a fragrance worth wearing. In any season. How will you spread the aroma of Christ today?

~Melissa~

Pockets of Time

Today over at Home Sanctuary, Rachel Anne asked us to think about what we can accomplish during small "pockets" of time during the day. This is a list that I have made before, but I often revisit, and revise it as I think of new things to do.

De-clutter my Car: Are you early for a meeting or waiting to pick kids up at school? De-clutter your car! Gather up all the recyclables, including plastic bottles, soda cans and paper, and put them in a bag. Put all trash in another bag. Use a damp cloth or disposable wipe to clean all surfaces. Group any remaining things that you need to remove from your car later, such as clothes and newly purchased items. When you leave your car, take all the trash and recycling with you. Remove the other items as soon as you get a chance.

Prep for a Meal: When you have an extra 15 minutes at night or in the morning, use it to prepare a meal. Slice some sourdough bread and make your favorite sandwich for a bag lunch. Or your meal prep might include tossing some meat, spices and vegetables into a slow-cooker or crock pot.

Clip, Sort, and File Coupons: If you are a coupon clipper like me, you might have a stack set aside to sort and put away! Coupons can be organized with minimal time and effort. That way when you think of something you need or find something on sale, you don't have to shuffle through a mess of coupons to find the one you need!

Match the Socks: Grab a container and pile all solo socks inside. Match what you can.

Clean up "Message Central:" Wherever messages are taken, clutter seems to arise. Go through any miscellaneous messages or notepads and discard items no longer needed. Test the pens; get rid of those that don't work. Clear off your answering machine.

Clean Off The Fridge: If you have kids' artwork wallpapering the front, consider featuring them in an alternative style. If you keep reminder notes on the fridge, straiten them up and remove outdated notes.

Sort the Mail: Gather all the mail into one place. Don't read the mail--just make piles. Create a pile for garbage, one for bills, one for to-read items and additional piles for other people in the home (i.e. give to husband, child, mother.) When done transfer the piles for others to somewhere they will see them. Put the to-read items in a place you will read them. Toss the junk in the garbage. Return the bills to the inbox.

Go through the Bills: This is best to complete after the task above. Remove all bills from their envelopes and lay flat. Staple of paperclip those with multiple pages. Tuck the return envelope around the bill. Throw out all the miscellaneous offers included in the bills. Stack them in three piles... receipts/file only (if you use auto-pay), to pay within the next 14 days, to pay after 14 days.

Wipe Down the Appliances: Grab the Windex and wipe down the front surfaces of your kitchen appliances.

Clear the Junk Drawer: Empty the drawer entirely. Go through each item and either throw it out or return to its proper place. There is no reason to use up prime storage to hold "junk."

Wipe Down the Microwave: Give your microwave a thorough cleaning--inside and out!

Wipe Down a Shower Door: Spray the front and back and let it "set" for a couple of minutes while wiping down the vanity area. Return and wipe down the shower door. Go ahead...set your timer! You'd be surprised at how much you can get done in only 10 minutes.

Wash a Window: Wash a window (inside or outside--your pick). Be careful on this one though, if you only have 15 minutes you need to have the discipline to stop at one window!

Match-Up Your Media: Return CDs, DVDs, video games and computer programs to their proper storage cases.

Go through Your Media: Do you need to keep the install disks to printers you no longer own or programs you no longer use? Get rid of any unneeded items to make it easier to find what you do need.

Check the Medicine Cabinet: Check the expiration date of all vitamins, prescriptions and medicine cabinet supplies, discarding any expired items.

Toss 10: Find 10 things in your house to donate or throw away.

Sweep the Entry Way: Take a moment to sweep the outside entrance of your home.

Wipe down your mirrors: Take your Windex and and clean a few mirrors in your home.

Change a light bulb: Quit walking by that burned out light bulb! It only takes a couple of minutes to replace it with a new one.

Load or unload the dishwasher: If you don't have a dishwasher then put the dishes in the sink to soak, or put away the ones away that have finished drying.

My list continues on, but you get the idea. The important thing is to take advantage of those priceless pockets of time during your day that you don't actually have anything "scheduled." Sometimes if I only have five minutes, I take a water break. I fill my cup, sit down, and enjoy an ice cold glass of water while I re-focus. It's important to take time for yourself too!

Thanks Rachel Anne, for the reminder that there are so many things you can do in small increments of time!

Company Girl Coffee on Saturday

Good morning! Come on in and grab a cup of coffee. Yesterday I found myself without coffee. In fact, my cupboards and fridge were quite bare! I ended up making a very long grocery list and heading for the store yesterday afternoon when my DH got home. I was very proud of myself because I was very organized and took advantage of the sale going on at our local grocery store. The deal was if you bought $30 in certain products, you would get back $15 in coupons towards your next shopping order. So I separated out my list and made three different transactions. The $15 I got back on the first one went towards the second one (which I only paid $8 for after coupons) and then the $15 I got back on the second one went towards the third transaction. There was a girl behind me in line that was asking all kinds of questions because she had just started using coupons and wanted to know how I was saving so much money. I love catalinas! The trick is to be prepared (know what products are included in the deal) before you go to the store and then stick to your list!

It's quiet here this morning. The kiddos are sleeping in. Before very long, Saturdays will be the only day that they can do that! I can't believe there are less than three weeks before school starts. We're headed out for vacation on Monday so what's left of summer will slip by quickly. Sadly, we have to leave their daddy behind because he doesn't have enough vacation stored up yet to go with us. We're going camping as a family Labor Day weekend though, so that will be fun.

I've been reading a book lately that I just can't seem to put down. It's called "Three Cups of Tea." I highly recommend it! My mom read it and then gave me a copy. Once I finally picked it up and started reading, I couldn't believe I waited that long.

Here's a review from the web site:

In Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time , Greg Mortenson, and journalist David Oliver Relin, recount the journey that led Mortenson from a failed 1993 attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain, to successfully establish schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. By replacing guns with pencils, rhetoric with reading, Mortenson combines his unique background with his intimate knowledge of the third-world to promote peace with books, not bombs, and successfully bring education and hope to remote communities in central Asia. Three Cups of Tea is at once an unforgettable adventure and the inspiring true story of how one man really is changing the world—one school at a time.

If you go to the Three Cups of Tea Web site and purchase the book there, 7 percent of your purchase will go toward a girls' education scholarship fund in Pakistan and Afghanistan. If you haven't already read it, I would encourage you to check it out yourself!

Well, the kiddos are finally stirring so I better get some breakfast started. I'm glad I could share coffee with you. Thanks for stopping by!

Company Girl Coffee 4.24.09

This week at Home Sanctuary we were challenged to try a new recipe. Usually I jump at the chance, but I already had my menu set for the week, groceries bought and all! So I decided to take something on my menu and try a new version of it. That's a sneaky way to get my points, but it's still new to me. The great part is that if it works out, I've just found an easier, less messy way to cook my meatballs...in the crock pot! I love my crock pot. Any meal that I can start in the morning and have very little to no fuss at night is just perfect in my book! :)

Meatball Hero Sandwiches:
Makes 4 Servings * 10 Minutes Prep Time
1 lb lean ground beef (I am using seasoned ground turkey)
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 jar Ragu
4 Italian rolls (6inch) halved lengthwise
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (about 4oz)

1. Combine ground beef, egg and bread crumbs in medium bowl. Shape mixture into 12 meatballs.

2. Arrange meatballs in crock pot. Pour pasta sauce over meatballs.

3. Cook on LOW 8-10 hours or on HIGH 4-6 hours or until meatballs are done. Serve meatballs and sauce in rolls, topped with cheese.

Voila! No-fuss Meatball Hero Sandwiches. Yum!

Have a great weekend all! I look forward to meeting with you for coffee! :)

Menu Planning

When better to get back on track Menu Planning than the first Monday of the year? Rachel Anne over at Home Sanctuary has some great advice on how to plan an entire month's worth or more of meals with some very easy, very practical steps.

I have been menu planning for a while now. We have a large family, and the last thing I need to worry about during the busiest time of my day (the evening) is that ever lingering question "what's for dinner?" So I sat down and broke out some files and some paper and began to gather some of our favorite meals. From there, I started to piece together a few weekly menus. I tried to do a month at a time, but I just couldn't commit to sticking to it. Something always came up or ingredients got used too soon. With just one week and a grocery list though, I can stick to a budget and for the most part, be faithful to make what is on the menu for each day.

When a menu is a success, I enter the recipes and the groceries needed into my computer. I then print off a master copy, put it in a protective sheet, and place it in a binder. That's how I am up to 8 weeks of working menus for my family. Now and then I try a new recipe, and I keep those in a separate protective sheet until I can work them into their own menu.

I try to keep my menus pretty simple. I use crock pot meals on nights when I know my husband will be home late. I will put at least two nights of chicken in so that I can cook the chicken for Thursday while making Tuesday's meal, or put beef together with beef. (You get the idea.) I schedule leftovers on a weekly basis. I will even confess that sometimes when I'm cooking something elaborate for my husband and myself, I feed the kids cereal. (They love it!)

Menu planning is all about what works for your family and your schedule. It doesn't have to be some complicated, perfect plan. I've tried several ways and this is what has worked best for me so far. If I could give any advice though, I would say definitely save your menus from weeks/months past. That way you can look back and see what worked and use it again. Take it from someone who's tried many ideas. It will save you time in the long run.

Well, I'm off to see what's for dinner this week and maybe even make a couple more new menus by gathering recipes from my stash. : )

Have a great week!

A Perfect Thanksgiving

This year I had everything set up (at least in my mind) for a delightful Thanksgiving Day here at home. I decided to keep it easy and just go with a simple menu.

• Smoked Turkey Breast
• Homemade Scalloped Potatoes
• Fruit Salad
• Green Beans
• Biscuits
• Apple Cider
• Chocolate Pie for Dessert

I bought everything in advance and planned out a schedule for prep work and baking time. As the big day drew closer, I was feeling kind of smug. Pretty organized for my first time doing this alone. Little did I know how quickly plans can change.

First glitch...We had company over on Tuesday night. No problem. It was our usual night of the week when we get our family together with our good friends. Dinner was in the crock pot for the evening so it would be a breeze. All I had to do was remember to put the turkey in the brine after they left so it could soak for 24 hours. Oops. That's a problem. I was so tired that I just crawled into bed and forgot all about the turkey. Until 7:00am the next morning when I opened the fridge and slipped into a panic! I'm happy to report, though, that soaking it for 5 less hours didn't ruin the turkey. : )

Second glitch...Tuesday morning I took 4 out of 5 of my kids to the doctor to get a flu shot. (One had already gotten hers) It was time for my two youngest children's annual appointments anyway, so I thought I would just get it all out of the way at once. I wasn't, however, thinking about possible side effects and the fact that Thanksgiving was only two days away.

Wednesday passed with no visible side effects. LR had her 4 year shots, so her leg was a little swollen, but not bad. I woke up early Thursday morning to the wonderful smell of smoked turkey roasting in the oven. Whew! My husband remembered to put it in before he came to bed.

Things were looking good. But wait...what's that I hear? Yep. It's a kid throwing up in the bathroom! Oh no! I went in to comfort him, helped him get washed up, and settled him on the couch with cartoons while I set to preparations. Next thing I know, I hear him back in the bathroom again. Huh? He's still on the couch! Not another one! Sigh.

Despite these little glitches, our Thanksgiving was a happy one. We spent a quiet day watching the parade, napping, and cheering our favorite football teams. Dinner did come together and we sat around the table as a family, sick kids and all. The two that were sick in the morning felt better that evening so even though I can't prove it, I'm pretty sure it was the flu shot.

The turkey turned out great and we have plenty of leftovers. It was nice to have my brother in law at the table with us, knowing that soon he will be going on tour with the military over seas. We'll see him again around New Year's, but then his nieces and nephews won't see him again for a year.

If there's one thing I learned this year on Thanksgiving, it's that there is much to give thanks for, no matter what your circumstances. Glitches happen and plans change, but I am forever thankful for family.

I Thess. 5:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

From Pumpkins to Pie

From This:
To This:

I am no Betty Crocker, but I just had to take a quick minute to share about my recent adventure in cooking with my Sister-in-Law. She and I sometimes like to take on projects together in the kitchen. One summer it was canning peaches. This fall, it happened to be making pumpkin pie from scratch.

Last month I got my kids four small pumpkins from the grocery store to decorate. When I looked on the bottom of them, there was a recipe for pumpkin pie. The recipe said "Easy Pumpkin Pie," but I am not sure it could be qualified as easy. It took us all afternoon to complete the task. The results were well worth it though. When we were done we had three delicious, made-from-scratch-with-love, pumpkin pies!

Thanks for trying something new with me La! Cooking with company is always twice as much fun! : )

Come on in for Special Breakfast!

I love Saturday mornings! Especially this time of year. The kids are back in school, so Saturday becomes our "lazy day". We lounge around in our pjs in the morning cuddling, and watching cartoons together. Then around 8:00am or so, I make "special breakfast." The kids have gotten to where they wake up with excitement, wondering what they're having each week. I like to mix it up with a variety of homemade items, along with french toast, pancakes, eggs, potatoes, and bacon. (Not all at the same time, of course!)

On these mornings I am often reminded of my childhood and our own "special breakfasts" Whether it was in my own childhood home, or visiting at my grandparents, there was sure to be some sort of great smelling "brunch" being thrown together in the kitchen. Some of my fondest memories of my grandparent's house are going out to dig up some potatoes, scrub them, and prepping them for fried potatoes and ham. Yep, we were a breakfast family alright. We even sometimes had breakfast for dinner!

Ok. So my breakfasts aren't quite that homemade. I get my potatoes from the store, not my garden. But I put just as much love and preparation into my cooking. And this morning, I just happen to be using a recipe handed down to me from my grandma. We call it Pull-Apart. Some people call it monkey bread. It's quick, easy, and yummmmmmy! : ) I've been helping to make it or making it myself ever since I can remember.

For Company Girl Coffee this week, (and the small thing for Tuesday) I thought I'd share this yummy recipe with all my friends. (Hope you don't mind, grandma!) I have cut it in half to work in a bread pan, but my grandma used to make it in a round bundt pan. Enjoy!

Grandma's Pull-Apart:

2 cans biscuits

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tbsps cinnamon

1 stick butter or margarine

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cinnamon and sugar. Cut biscuits into quarters and roll in cinnamon & sugar mixture. Place in bread pan in two layers. Melt butter over medium heat. Add remaining cinnamon & sugar mixture and stir until boiling. Pour over biscuits. Bake for 25 minutes. Flip upside-down on plate and enjoy!

Oh! There's my timer now! I'm off to enjoy some yummy cinnamon Pull-Apart with my kiddos! : )

Birthday Fun

July is the month of birthdays in this family. We have 3 of them really close together, just in our immediate family. JS turned 6 on the 13th of this month. RL turned 7 on the 18th. Then my DH turns ??? (we'll keep that a secret for his sake!) tomorrow. Plus my DH's brother's birthday is on the 17th, and his grandmother's birthday is also the 18th. I wouldn't dream of forgetting our best friend's sweet little girl, who turned 3 on the 6th. We end the month with a grand celebration of our 14th anniversary! Yes, I would say that July is a month of celebrating for us.

With lots of birthdays comes lots of...you guessed it, cake! I already posted a picture of the "mud" we had in Walla Walla to celebrate the myriad of birthdays while we were there. We have a tradition of celebrating birthdays with our best friends together, so we had cupcakes for KK's birthday. For JS's birthday we had ice cream cake from DQ.

For RL's birthday we had a princess crown cake that was a joint effort between me and my husband. I made the cake and cut/baked the cookies, and he decorated them! It was fun to work together to make her day a special one. Who knew he could decorate cakes??? I was pretty proud of the outcome but I have to say, that was one of the sweetest cakes I have ever tasted, with all that frosting and sugar!

Then of course, with birthdays, come presents! JS was happy to receive some TransFormers so that he could finally play them with his buddy Ty.




RL, waiting here so patiently to open her gifts, got some new books, (great to read to her dad at bedtime!) amongst other fun gifts.

Yes, July is packed full of fun at our house. I think I'm all caked out for a while! Maybe we'll just stick to ice cream for DH's birthday. Or perhaps his favorite - rootbeer blends.