Cooking Thursday

This is the first time for me to participate in Diary of a SAHM's Cooking Thursday.

I’ve been trying quite a few recipes lately and found one that my whole family will eat without too much altering! It is a recipe I saw on the Rachael Ray show a month ago and decided to try out. It’s called:

Taco Pasta Toss

I made mine a bit different from the recipe. I used:

1 lb whole wheat penne pasta

1 lb lean ground beef

1 packet taco seasoning

1 can sliced black olives

And for toppings:

Tomato

Onion

Cheddar

Salsa

Everyone loves this! Even my picky son who changes his likes and dislikes every week and usually won’t eat anything not covered in mustard or bbq sauce!

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Sherry

Who Am I?

Since this is a new blog for me, I thought I’d write a post for anyone who just might be interested in following me.  (Which I would SO LOVE by the way!) 

Obviously I just turned 40, like 2 weeks ago.  I also made a huge change in my life and have been trying to make the most of it.

I have three children, SweetPea who is 13, THE BOY who is 11, and Daisy who is 10. 

I love birds, flowers, trees and nature in general, so I will be posting about that.

I also love to cook new recipes and participate in Menu Plan Monday most weeks.

I’m an avid reader and plan to post more book reviews.  I read mostly historical fiction, Christian fiction, classics, and the occasional mystery/horror book.

I’m trying to lose weight, so I will probably complain – uh I mean DISCUSS exercise, weight loss, etc.

I am a fan of television – namely Biggest Loser, Glee, Clean House, What Not to Wear, Dr. Who, My Big Life (Kirstie Alley) Ruby, and anything that starts with CSI.  I don’t watch regularly, but I also like House, Dancing with the Stars, Grey’s Anatomy, Trauma, and Mercy. 

I LOVE NETFLIX!  I have Netflix set up through our Wii system and we watch lots of great tv series, movies, etc.  I’m really in to Dr. Who season 1 right now.  SweetPea has discovered Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel – she is addicted!

I talk daily walks – sometimes alone, sometimes with the kids.  We visit lots of parks to keep it interesting.  We bird watch while walking and also look for things to keep in our “Nature Jar” – feathers, eggs, bones, rocks, etc.

I homeschool Daisy.  She is in 4th grade and this has worked for us for many years.  I have another blog dedicated to this, but I’m sure I’ll be bringing it up here as well.

I work about 15 hours per week doing bookkeeping for a medical practice – Daisy goes with me and has her own school area there.  I work another 20 hours a week doing medical transcription at home – which I really love. 

Big girl or not, I love fashion and subscribe to several fashion blogs.  I love makeup, jewelry, perfume, lotions, potions, etc.

Other things I may (or may not?) blog about:

FlyLady

Couponing/shopping/deals

Random photos

Travel (we are doing a historical vacation this summer! Colonial Williamsburg, Liberty Bell, Washington DC, Plymouth Rock, etc)

Writing (I love to write but don’t do much of it anymore – I’d like to change that, but I am already at the computer much of the time between work and FB!)

Current events

Memes

Other reviews

Ok, I think that about covers it!  Me in a nutshell.  If you read all of this – you are just about the awesomest person ever.  If you skimmed, hey, that’s pretty awesome too. 

I hope you will subscribe to my blog or at least come back and visit me again!

Please comment!

(Am I starting to sound desperate?)

Sherry – 40 and daring to change…

Cinco de Mayo

I just finished watching the Rachael Ray show, (I just adore her by the way and always have!) and she made some yummy-looking fish tacos.  I think that is what I’ll be having for dinner over at my parents’ house tonight – except ours won’t be fried, they will be a little more health conscious!

I wonder how many people know why we celebrate Cinco de Mayo?  No, it’s not for the margaritas. 

“Cinco de Mayo commemorates the victory of the Mexican people over the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.”

It’s also known as Mexican Independence Day – similar to our 4th of July. 

Here are some healthy recipes from the Whole Foods blog:  Inspired Recipes

One that I thought looked super yummy is the

Sweet Corn and Black Bean Salad

I’ll definitely be trying this!

What are you eating for Cinco de Mayo?

Mrs. H

Book Reviews

Last weekend I went with my parents and my youngest daughter to Atlanta to visit my sister and my nephew.  I had a lot of time to read on that LONG car ride (12 hours) and finished up 2 books.

The first was “Summer of the Midnight Sun” by Christian author, Tracie Peterson. 

Obviously, the book is set in Alaska.  A brother and sister run a trading post in a small town.  There is a lost love, a mystery, an accident, a police investigation, and a cliffhanger. 

I really enjoyed this book and have already ordered the second in the series.  It didn’t blow me away, but it was entertaining, enjoyable, and kept my attention.  On a scale of 0-10, I’d rate it a 8. 

The second book that I read, a gift I received for my 40th b-day from my sister (who is in her 20’s, darn it) was “Saving CeeCee Honeycutt” by Beth Hoffman. 

I was drawn in by the writing immediately.  I sat down to read the back cover and ended up reading the entire first chapter.

CeeCee Honeycutt is a young girl living with a mom who suffers from psychosis.  Circumstances bring her to live with her great aunt in Savannah where she meets many colorful characters and finds a whole new life.

This was a very good read.  I’d give it a 9 on a scale of 0-10. 

That’s what I read last week, what did you read?

 

Mrs. H

Welcome to another week of Menu Plan Monday, hosted by the Org Junkie! Make sure to check it out and get a ton of great recipes and menu ideas every single week!

We had one of our new family favorites tonight, Taco Pasta Toss, another Rachael Ray find! 2 out of 3 kids will eat it, so that is a hit! (The other one eats plain noodles and veggies) I found another bloggie review for this recipe too! Just like pictures above, we top ours with taco fixin's and we also have a salad on the side.

Tomorrow night I am going to utilize Zatarran's Jambalaya mix and add shrimp, turkey sausage, bell peppers, onions, chicken, tomatoes and maybe something else too if I think of it at the time! I love the spices in the mix and never quite match it when I make jambalaya from scratch. I'll serve it up with some steamed veggies and a big green salad.

Tuesday night we'll be having oven-baked tilapia, risi e bisi, steamed broccoli & cauliflower, and green salad.

Wednesday night we go to my parents' house.

Thursday night I'm going to a friend's house for dinner, so the rest of the family will have pizza.

Friday night I'll be making Spaghetti ala Philly and garlic-cheese biscuits with green beans and salad. (The spaghetti a la Philly was found at one of my fav food blogs!)

Have a wonderful week,

Mrs. H

Menu Plan Monday: Last Week of March

Please check out Org Junkie for more great menus!

 

Sunday:    Out to dinner – Red Lobster

Monday: Buffalo chicken legs, oven fries, steamed veggies, salad

Tuesday: Greek Chicken with Everything Orzo (Rachael Ray) Salad, roasted vegetables

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Pizza Night! 

Friday:  Shrimp Asparagus Pasta w/ green salad

Saturday: Dinner with Family

Menu Plan Monday – March 23

 

Our family tries to stick to a budget while eating pretty healthfully.  It’s not always easy, but it’s something we strive for.

Menu planning is a very important part of our routine.  Organizing Junkie’s weekly meme helps HUNDREDS of people with their menus! 

BREAKFASTS:  Reduced sugar instant oatmeal, cereal w/ skim milk, eggs with turkey bacon and light whole wheat toast

LUNCHES:  Turkey sandwich on light whole wheat bread with yogurt and baby carrots, soup with Goldfish crackers, Lean Pocket w/ raw veggies and dip, leftovers

DINNERS:

MONDAY:  Baked fish, baked potatoes, steamed vegetables

TUESDAY:  Crockpot Beef w/ Broccoli over rice w/ salad

WEDNESDAY:  Roast chicken, Brussel sprouts, roasted potatoes, salad

THURSDAY:  Chicken parmesan w/ whole wheat spaghetti, steamed broccoli

FRIDAY:  Make-your-own burrito bar (lean ground beef w/ taco seasoning, fat free refried beans, reduced fat cheddar, olives, onion, tomato, salsa, lettuce, etc.)

Have a very blessed week with your families!

Scarlett