Menu Monday

This week and next will be a little nutty for us as my 12 yr old daughter gets ready to perform in a children's theater production of the Wizard of Oz. My oldest daughter has also been helping with crowd control during the rehearsals, and the director has asked her to step in and fill a role in the Friday night production. With a solo and a lot of lines! My first thought for this week's hectic schedule was to do a lot of fast food...seriously. But that really was something not in the budget this week! And, yes, I know, it would also not have been the healthiest thing for us to do!

I usually plan a menu and grocery shop every two weeks. This week I did my menu planning out of my freezer and cabinets, making a list of what I already had, and planning meals around what we already had . My actual grocery list was only about 10 items at Sams Club, and another 15 or 20 at Kroger. The young man ringing me up at Kroger( I started to type, "checking me out" but that didn't sound right!) Has seen me several times before with my customary two, FULL shopping carts, and asked, "Is this ALL?" It was nice to be in and out of both stores in an hour. My children will tell you, grocery shopping for us is usually a several hour ordeal! So while my menu may not reflect what I would typically plan, it does serve the purpose of saving money this week and cleaning out my freezer and cabinets. I still have not found a use for the one can of cranberry sauce that remains from Thanksgiving! I also don't usually "plan" our breakfasts and lunches. We usually have cereal, toast, eggs, fruit, etc for breakfast. This week I will make pumpkin muffins, baked oatmeal and cinnamon rolls. Lunch us usually leftovers, pb and j, tuna, grilled cheese, yogurt, fruit.

Menu for April 4 to 17
Monday: Chicken, mushroom and spinach quesadillas, tossed salad
Tuesday: Baked chicken, baked sweet potatos and broccoli
Wednesday: Meatloaf, roasted potatos, corn
Thursday:chicken pot pie, salad, applesauce
Friday: Spagetti with homemade meat sauce, salad, garlic bread
Saturday:Black bean and chicken burritos, brown rice, peaches
Sunday: Black bean, chicken and rice soup!
Monday: Macaroni and cheese, peas and cornbread
Tuesday:French toast, bacon, peaches
Wednesday: Grilled hamburgers, baked beans, home made fries
Thursday: vegetable beef soup, cornbread
Friday: Dinner out, since we will be taking a day trip to the space center in Huntsville, Alabama
Saturday: Grilled chicken, green beans, baked sweet potatos
Sunday: potluck at church...apple pie andcrock pot bacon
wrapped "sausages"

I will post some more recipes later, but for now just this one pot luck favorite. One sunday a year or so ago, I was staring blankly at my fridge trying to come up with a quick dish for our church fellowship meal the next day. So I called my mother in law. She is truly a walking cookbook. I could tell her I have kidney beans, mayonaise and yellow cake mix in the house, and she would come up with something. On that particular day I had an abundance of hot dogs but no buns and some bacon that needed to be used up. She asked if I had any brown sugar and then brought me some toothpicks to round out my ingredients. When she first told me, I turned up my nose.. It sounded gross, not to mention hot dogs and bacon? Could we get any unhealthier? But I tried it and it was a huge hit. Now, I am not an advocate for the hot dog and all its mystery ingredients, but for an every now and then, fix it and forget it dish, this is great. I never bring any leftovers home, so I know I am not the only one who thinks hot dogs are ok every once in awhile!

4 packages hot dogs
2 packages bacon
4 cups brown sugar
Toothpicks

Cut hot dogs in thirds and uncooked bacon strips in half. Wrap each hot dog in a piece of bacon, secure with a toothpick. Place in crock pot. Cover with brown sugar. Do NOT stir. Cover and cook on low about 5 hours.

Back on the Blog Wagon

No use making excuses...yes, I havent blogged in 4 months. I havent been busy making every kind of milk concoction possible like my friend Anita at busy hands, busy minds. I havent been moving everything I own and a family of 6 into a lttle trailer the size of a walk in closet, like my friend, Emily, the accidental farmwife. I havent been sorting every lego in my home by color, while training for a marathon, like Roan, at Joyful Johnsons..

I have been reading thier wonderful blogs thinking..I am not doing much thats even worth blogging about!
but I am reminded that none of us are exactly alike...not our households, our children, our goals, what makes us tick...we are all so different! And while I may not be accomplishing what these amazing ladies are, I am accomplishing things..things that matter to me.
I may never make boatloads of butter, or run a marathon, but I am tickled that I know ladies that do...I love the little window into other families lives that blogging has given us. And whether I blog every day or just once a year, I am reminded that this is an opportunity to give a glimpse of our life..no matter if its silly, strange or downright boring...its all the things that make us the family we are!
So while I was not sprouting seedlings this week or milking a goat, there was still much going on...
some of the things we DID do this week were. ..
Blew bubbles, picked flowers and scribbled with sidewalk chalk all over our front walkway. Took several early morning walks through our neighborhood together before school. Fed the ducks. Finished reading Adam of the Road together. Started reading the Good Master together. Played peek a boo with a one year old at least 40 times. Spent hours with all of us sitting in a circle in the living room clapping and cheering as same one year old took unsteady first steps to each of us. Loaded everyone up in pajamas before bed one night and went for ice cream. Attended play practice with my 12 year old, who is beyond excited over playing Dorothy in a production of the Wizard of Oz. Listened to my 3 yr old sing her abc's...a lot...cleaned out and reorganized every cabinet in my kitchen . Joined friends at the animal shelter to walk and cuddle some of the dogs. Got dog poop all over me. Took my 14 year old to pick up her book to start studying for her permit..still 5 months away, but she wants to be prepared. Sat on our dock watching my 8 yr old fish. Laughed as my 12 yr old took her 3 yr old sister out to jump on the trampoline ...in tutus. Read together about Genghis Kahn. Sang hymns together as a family. Cried over long division with 12 yr old. watched the brady bunch together and cracked up. Bought mentos and diet coke and made a geyser in the front yard. Rocked 8 yr old in the middle of the night with horrible ear pain. Woke up in the middle of the same night to find 3 year olds foot on my cheek. Read goodnight, moon. Read it again. Sang Jesus loves me . Sang it again, and again. Worked on Lexies scrapbook.Looked at Lexies scrapbook with her again, and again, and again. Had 9 girls over for the last night of a 6 week Bible study that my 14 yr old led. Watched the girls design and model dresses out of newspaper, toilet paper and tape. Shared a sweet time with thier mamas. Wrote in my journal. Finished reading Crazy Love and No Other Gods. Enjoyed some quiet. Enjoyed some noise. Laughed a lot. Cried a little. Had a tea party with stuffed animals. Found a rotten apple under the couch. Reminded myself that life happens in the little things. Even when I think I am not getting anything done, I realize How much is getting done..every moment..every day...thank you Lord for the little things...someday we will look back and realize they were the big things...