Menu Plan Monday 6.20

Hey everybody! I hope ya'll had a great weekend. We sure did! Saturday we stayed home all day and caught up on everything. Well, SOME things. I have decided to accept the fact that everything will never be done.:) Sunday we cooked out with  my dad, sisters and their families. More on that later.

 

Last week we had a plan, and we somewhat stuck to it. You can see it here. Monday we had pesto ranch chicken thighs and leftover pasta salad. Tuesday we had sandwiches. Wednesday we had fish sticks and mac & cheese. Thursday we had Italian sandwiches and vegetables, Friday we had sandwiches again, and Saturday we had spaghetti - but we had some squash in the garden so I sautéed them up with garlic and onions and added it to the marinara - it was SO GOOD! Sunday we cooked out at my dads - all kinds of fish they had from deep sea fishing, green bean bacon wraps, cowboy beans, fried chicken, French fries, Cockof the Walk cole slaw, potato salad, macaroni and cheese....I'm sure I'm forgetting something but I'm still in a food coma. You'll have to forgive me.

 

 

 

Here's this weekends meal plan:

 

Monday: PorkChopand Pineapple Pie  cucumber/tomato/onion salad, roasted asparagus

 

Tuesday: Rosemary chicken, faro, cream of cor

 

Wednesday: leftover boston butt sandwiches, pasta salad with peas

 

Thursday: Spring Vegetable Soup

 

Friday: out @ the base Independence Day Celebration

 

Saturday: Date night - Mawmaw has  the girls!

 

Sunday: egg salad sandwiches, chips/fresh veggies

 

 

I hope ya'll have a wonderful week. This week I hope to have a recap of the last several weeks, possibly a health update and hopefully a recipe post up.

 

As always, I'm linking up with Organizing Junkie!

 

Check out my YouTube video on this:

 

 

 

 

Show Us Your Life Friday - My Real Live Dining Room!

I'm linking up today with Kelly over at Kelly's Korner for her Show Us Your Life series (today it's Real Life Dining Rooms).

 

 

I literally have done nothing  to this room since we moved in 8 years ago. We are on our third table (the table from my dads house when I was growing up) and the matching china cabinet is in the living room. I did add a table runner this week that I scored on clearance from Target (like I need another reason to love that store) for $8. A few months ago, out of necessity, I changed out my seasonal centerpiece for the convenience of having the  napkin basket and salt & pepper shakers on the table 24/7.

Also, that decision saved the sure broken destiny of several pretty apothecary jars.

 

This is the view from the end of the couch in the living room.

Our house isn't very big - about 1400 sf - and it's all open.

I know the table is off center, and it drives me crazy But I am in a wheelchair and I need it placed like that so I can get the chair around it when wiping it down and sweeping/dusting/etc.

But still. It. Drives. Me. Nuts.

 

 

Here's a closer view of the table runner. It has the yellows, teals, and blues that I'm going with.

My kitchen is orange and we're getting ready to put board and batten up. I've got teal rugs in there. I'm still looking for mustard yellow accents.

 

 

Bakers rack in the corner. Still decorated the same as it was in 2007,...but now I'm noticing how awful the arrangement looks on the bottom. Time for something new! FYI - my sister gave us this bakers rack as one of our wedding gifts. I love it.

 

 

My favorite thing in the whole room. A picture of us that was taken after being married about 7 months., in Banbury, England. I really love this one so much.. Mike has a similar one in his office at work, but it's in color.We were so young and carefree. I miss those days, but I know I'll miss these busy days of school, work, housework, grocery shopping, shuffling children around even more.

 

 

Speaking of craziness, here's a VERY "real life" shot for you. Wild kids at 7:30AM! They were so energetic that I sent them out to play in the front yard right after this.

 

I hope ya'll have a great Friday! We are off to my aunt and uncles to go swimming.

Menu Plan Monday1 6-13 - 6.19

I'm linking up with Organizing Junkie for the Menu Plan Monday!

Last week we didn't eat out AT ALL.

I can hardly believe it. But I set a goal to eat at home as much as possible for the next 30 days, with the exception of one date night (but I'll add on a day at the end.) Our eating out has gotten out of hand. I did cave today though, and suggested the new stuffed crust pizza from Little Caesars to Mike in hopes that he would actually feel like having it after his atrocious week of chemo, and he agreed! And he ate two pieces! YAY! So I'm totally justified, right?

| M O N D A Y |

Pesto ranch chicken thighs from How Jen Does It. These things are SO good and I"ve never made a bad dish from her. I'm serving them with broccoli that I toss in the skillet with garlic and a tiny bit of olive oil and brown rice.

| T U E S D A Y |

Fish sticks, macaroni & cheese, and peas.

Dinner of champions, ya'll.
Served mostly because I can't get to the grocery store til Thursday due to scheduling conflicts.

| W E D N E S D A Y |

Once around the fridge & cabinets

- AKA find what you can and get it down!

| T H U R S D A Y |

Spaghetti. Simple, fast, and....that's pretty much what we need on a Thursday night after a day of errands and grocery shopping with and 8 year old and a 6 year old!

| F R I D A Y|

dill and caper butter salmon served with orzo, a radish, carrots and cilantro salad and asparagus.

| SA T U R D A Y |

Italian sub sandwiches with tomato/onion/cucumber salad.

| S U N D A Y |

I messed up on the vlog below. I totally spaced that it was Fathers Day! We are going to my sisters house for Fathers Day lunch with my dad. We're having red fish and angel fish they caught deep sea fishing a while back. My sisters are pretty good cooks and I'm sure we will come up with something fabulous!

Five on Friday! 6.10.16

Hey ya'll! I'm linking up with the ladies  for their FIve on Friday post!  Go check them out!

| O N E |

I LOVE summer - that's no secret! Two things I love about summer (among the oh-so-many) are sno cones (specifically the Fuzzy Navel or Pina Colada flavors) and Dippin' Dots, in pretty much ANY flavor except banana split.

Funny thing. I love banana splits, but don't like banana split flavored things...

I enjoyed several of these bad boys in the past week.

| T W O |

I signed the girls up for the Summer Reading Program at the local library.

We LOVE the library! Especially being a homeschooling family, but we would make use of it either way. We go to weekly story times, weekend story times, and pretty much any other activity they provide. Doesn't hurt that it's across the street from a small playground and free splash pad. :)

This week (first week) of the summer program was about reptiles. They had a tortoise named Shelly, a lizard with no legs, an African bullfrog named Bubba, a milk snake and a boa constrictor. 

A boa constrictor.

Because I'm the nerd and chose to sit right beside the guy doing the show, I got front row footage.

Which mean THE THING ALMOST ATE ME.

Practically.

Anyway, do you see that snake heading for that poor mans head? It's not just the angle of the photo, either. It was really going (slowly) for his head. And he was totally ok with it.

I was not.

Sara and June LOVED it, though.

| T H R E E |

| F O U R |

I caught this sweet picture right here earlier this week. My sweet baby still takes naps almost every day. We all have quiet time and she generally falls asleep. We put the girls in bed by 8 or 8:30 every night, but she can never fall asleep right away. Neither can Sara. I think they read far longer than we think. I'm okay with that. :)

| F I V E |

And ya'll - this man right here finises his LAST five-day stretch of chemo today, FOREVER!

About two more weeks of shots and two small chemo doses and he is D to the O to the N to the E with chemo! God has blessed him so much. It's been neither easy nor fun, but he's bore it like a champ. This cycle was MUCH easier than last, and whether you want to account that to God or to a change in medicine is up to you. I'll continue to thank God.

I hope ya'll have a great weekend! Since Mike will be recovering, we don't really have any plans. May go to the library tomorrow, maybe play in the park and splash pad some. Lots of sprinkler/pool fun at home. And church on Sunday!

Meal Plan Monday 6/6-6/12

I've been missing for a couple weeks, but it's because the first week Mike had his second round of chemo and I didn't care one lick about getting on the computer. The second week we went on vacation to Panama City, FL! My niece had a cheer competition (which they won several awards at AND have th eopportunity to cheer in the 2016 Orange Bowl! Go Panthers!) down there so my sisters on my dads side, their families, and my family went down for a long weekend. We had a blast! Pictures to cme on the Five on Friday post. Be on the lookout!

Go over to Organizing Junkie and link up!

This week is a slow one for the girls and I, but busy for my mom and Mike, because he has five straight days of chemo and she drives him. I'll be cooking all suppers, which is no big deal.

Monday: tomato basil chicken sausage sauteed with mini red bell peppers, fresh carrots, and pasta salad

Tuesday: seasoned whole chicken with onions and carrots in the crockpot, served with roasted new potatoes

Wednesday: cheese tortellini in alfredo sauce, green beans

Thursday: Not gonna lie - cheesy Hamburger Helper and peas on the side

Friday: spaghetti

Saturday: bean soup - basically black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, corn, diced tomatoes, onion and celery. Pretty much a meatless chili.

Sunday: again - not gonna lie - fish sticks and steamed veggies

We are recovering from vacation so I planned this weeks menu solely around whats on hand. No money spent + no grocery trip = great relief for a family dealing with a parent in chemo.

Have a great Monday!

P.S. Go check out my meal plan video on YouTube!

Meal Plan 5/23-5/29

Last week we didn't really have a meal plan put together for the week. We had plenty of groceries in the house, it was a busy week full of chemo every day for Mike, and we just went with it. We did have (in no particular order): 

- meatloaf, mashed potatoes, speckled butterbeans

- leftovers

- with asparagus

- chicken and dumplings with leftover chicken

- sausage & gravy biscuits

- grilled steak, goat cheese stuffed mini peppers (next time I'll wrap pancetta around it)

- smoked ribs with cornbread salad and roasted acorn squash

Here is this weeks!

Monday: lobster ravioli in alfredo sauce with broccoli

Tuesday: egg roll in a bowl

Wednesday: BBQ pork chops in the slow cooker, roasted new potatoes in a garlic sauce, steamed mixed veggies

Thursday: orange chicken, rice and peas

Friday: salmon croquettes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole

Saturday: spaghetti

Sunday: slow cooker steak fajitas

Head on over to Organizing Junkie and check out all the inspiration!

Five on Friday 5.20

Ya'll know I love me some Five on Friday! 

Head on over to check these great ladies out and enjoy the linky party they host.

It's a great way to discover other bloggers.

Here are my five things I have been enjoying this past week:

Fresh produce. I can't get enough of it! We have some sort of fresh produce almost the whole year here in Alabama. Our farmers markets or roadside stands don't shut down until around November/December, and will open up again around February. Some places stay open year round and will bring in things from Florida. Also, fresh eggs and local meats are always available.

Shop local, ya'll! Not only is it better for your body, but small businesses are the best way to go, hands down. They are vital to your community, no matter how big or small.

 

These girls are the best! I have two tomboys that can also be princesses - what better can you ask for? Not afraid to bait their own hook and are looking forward to climbing up in a tree stand with daddy one day, but also likes to wear big hairbows and dress up with mama. Best of both worlds. :)

 This, my friends, is my new favorite breakfast. Steel cut oats with fresh berries and coffee. I've also been including a fruit smoothie, which is GREAT! I add in whatever fruits I have on hand, milk and a scoop of Reliv, and it helps fill me up!

  

We have been existing on snowcones lately. In other parts of the world, it may be known as shaved ice - but here in southeastern Alabama, it's snowcones! My favorite flavor is Fuzzy Navel, but my cousin had the Pina Colada flavor at her daughters birthday party, so I tried it. Instant love.

I sound like a lush, but I promise there was no alcohol involved!

And even way out here in the country, the ice cream truck comes by - on Sundays in the afternoon, no less! Here, Sundays in the summertime  = relaxing in my lounge chair out back while my kids play in their little pool/sprinkler, reading a good book and at 2 pm, getting a strawberry snowcone delivered to me. :)

We completed our first year of homeschooling last week!

Sara finished second grade and June finished Kindergarden! 

She didn't know she had a diploma coming and was so surprised and happy!

I'm so proud of both my girls AND myself for taking on this task and doing it with our whole hearts. Both got A honor roll!