Weekly Menu Plan

Welcome to Menu Plan Monday, hosted by the Org Junkie! Here is my menu for the week:

SUNDAY:

Breakfast: Banana pancakes and turkey sausage

Lunch: Chicken noodle soup

Dinner: Spaghetti with mini meat balls, green beans

*Cook ahead: Boiled eggs, breakfast burrito filling

MONDAY:

Breakfast: Breakfast burrito (similar to this link)

Lunch: 1/2 pita sandwich, yogurt, banana

Dinner: Arroz con Pollo side of broccoli

TUESDAY:

Breakfast: Oatmeal w/ PB2 & banana

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Lemon pepper tilapia, green beans, bulgar pilaf

*Make extra tilapia & bulgar pilaf for tomorrow

WEDNESDAY:

Breakfast: Boiled egg w/ turkey sausage, banana

Lunch: 1/2 pita sandwich, soup

Dinner: fish tacos, bulgar pilaf salad (Will use leftover bulgar pilaf, chilled, and add a can of Mexicorn, lemon juice, cilantro, and some black beans)

THURSDAY:

Breakfast: Breakfast burrito to go

Lunch: 1/2 pita sandwich, banana, yogurt

Dinner: Parents' house

FRIDAY:

Breakfast: Cinnamon raisin bagel w/ PB2

Lunch: OUT?????

Dinner: Mexican Chicken and Rice Casserole from Spark Recipes

*Make extra chicken breast for tomorrow's lunch

SATURDAY:

Breakfast: Omelet bar (will make mine with Egg Beaters)

Lunch: Cajun chicken salad wraps

Dinner: Parent's house

FASHION POST: AKA I WANT! I WANT! I WANT!

I'm broke. Beyond broke. Thanks to my work closing for a week and then getting behind on paying us, I have emptied my savings, borrowed, begged, and - ok, well I haven't stolen. But I'm digging myself out of the money pit right now! But that doesn't mean that I am not secretly (or not so secretly?) coveting some lovely spring items right now!




I really and truly want this bag from handbag heaven:

Tina at T-Minus T-Plus twittered a link to this really cute pink scarf. Not sure what I'd do with it - but I love it! Sparkly and pink.

I think the reason why I want this is because of a post I read of Case's yesterday - where she paired a bubblegum pink tank with a gray shrug and pink flower-broach. Really cute.













I also want a pair of wedges - but I have "weak ankles" - aka I've sprained them each about ten times and broken the left one twice. HOWEVER - that doesn't make me not want cute shoes.



I most definitely want to try out a couple of the looks from Fab Finds Under $50's May Inspiratrion Calendar!


I also want some espadrilles, lettuce-edged tanks, a new maxi dress, and some black summery shoes with a flower on top - something like these and these pink ones are cute too!



So these are a few of my favorite (coveted) things - what are yours?



By the way - the only thing I will be adding to my wardrobe this week is 2 lettuce-edged tanks from Fashion Bug - IF I can use my coupon that is ;)



S

*Edited to add: I did go to Fashion Bug! I got a black tank top with small sequins all over the front, a black pj top with cherries on it (already have pj pants) a purple lace and lettuce-edged tank top, and a black and white tank top - used my coupon plus b1g150% off - total? 37 dollars!

Starting Over at Forty (GASP!) One!

So I've most definitely neglected my blog for some time now. But there is just so much going on in my head that I really need somewhere to "unload".

I turned 41 last week. I've made a whole lot of changes in the past year! There are still a lot more that I need to make.

My best friend in the world came to visit me about 10 days ago. We had a great time just doing fun girly things. Made me realize how much I miss spending time with my girlfriends! I will most definitely be accepting invitations now instead of always turning them down. My bestest and I went to downtown Detroit for an authentic Greek dinner with a couple of my other close friends and my sister, then hit the casino. (Not my scene - but an adventure and fun nonetheless!) We went to a mall I've never been to and a store I have never gone to before that I adore (Torrid). Went to an indoor trade center, several restaurants, and out to a bar with an old friend. I miss her bunches!

Last week my Sweetheart and I spent several days together over my birthday. He spoiled me rotten. What a guy. *sigh* He has a way of making me laugh with just a look. He makes me feel loved, cared for, and even (gasp!) beautiful. He's breaking down walls - I'm tellin ya! There are still a few remaining, but I know those will be gone with time as well. I love this man more than I can express in words.

Anyway - on to the nitty gritty for the rest of the week!

My menu plan:

Tuesday: Roast chicken, rice pilaf, steamed veggies & green salad

Wednesday: Priya's Chicken Vindaloo over rice with a side of green beans

Thursday: Dinner with my parents

Friday: Having a "girls night" with my daughters - so I'm thinking we will have something fun, like tacos, fresh veggies and dip.

Saturday: Dinner with my parents again!

My TA DO list for the rest of the week:

Tuesday:

Take dd14 to school, laundry x2, dishes, vacuum, menu plan, homeschool, shopping, work x6 hrs, errands, take dd11 and dc2 (dear cat, 2) for a walk to the park, and watch special 90-minute GLEE!

Wednesday:

Take dd14 to school, work 9-3ish, spend time doing something fun with the kidlets, homeschool, post office, bank, walk or ride exc. bike, sweep kitchen/bathroom floors, dust. 2 hours work @ home.

Thursday:

Take dd 14 to school, work 9-3ish, homeschool, pick up THE BOY after school, go to my parents house until about 7ish with the kids. Weather permitting, go for a walk with the girls. Watch Grey's Anatomy (I hope).

Friday:

Take dd14 to school. Pay rent. Big homeschool day - lots of fun stuff going on - will post. Walk or bike - weather permitting. Pick up dd from school. Come home for girls night. Dinner, nature walk, and a movie - not sure what yet.

Saturday:

Hang out with my girls. No plans. Just fun :) Going to my parents about 4. Going home at 7 with THE BOY for his special night. Probably going to just watch a movie here at home with some popcorn - unless there is a hockey game on - then it's hockey all the way!

Sunday:

Make a special breakfast - banana pancakes and turkey sausage for THE BOY. Take the BOY to his dad's house. CHURCH. Going to my old church this weekend. I've been feeling the call to go and visit old friends there. Miss everyone and the pastors. Sunday afternoon is lesson planning, laundry, overall home blessing, more work!

Menu Plan Monday

So we did a whole lot of shopping last week, stocking up with the Kroger sale and our monthly trip to Sam's Club. This week I am just going to get a few things from Aldi and we'll be set!

Tonight I am making a really simple beef and gravy in the Crock pot and will serve it over mashed potatoes (noodles for the 2 of us who don't like mashed) with a side of steamed broccoli and a green salad.

For Monday night, it's jambalaya. Just from a lower-sodium mix - adding onion, green pepper, shrimp, turkey sausage, and chicken. Side of steamed veggies. Kids will be eating chicken nuggets and fries. (Can't please them all. LOL)

Tuesday is my long work day, so I need another Crock recipe. So I headed on over to a Year of Slow Cooking blog and searched under chicken. There I found 69 recipes. The one I chose for this week is Chicken Adobo. It looks amazing! It also looks like something my girls will eat, lol.

Wednesday I have off from work. I thought I'd make a family favorite, Rachel Ray's Taco Pasta Toss.

Thursday we spend at my parent's house for dinner.

Friday I'm going to try a new recipe, Chicken and Potato casserole. I'll serve it with a side of mixed corn, peppers, and asparagus (frozen veggies)

Saturday we'll spend with my parents again!

Have a very blessed week everyone,

Sherry

Shopping, reading, and movie update!

I hit some of the sales today. At Kroger I got some super cheap frozen veggies, boxed potatoes, cereal, noodles, pies, and lots more. I ended up paying 69 dollars for a huge basket full. I still don't have the focus and skill of some of you super shoppers! But I do love seeing the numbers come down when they take the coupons off!

I began watching Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman today. So far just the pilot. It's funny, but Sandra from Diary of a Stay at Home Mom seems to have almost the same taste in movies, tv shows and books as I do! If she says she is loving a series, I generally do too :) So that is why I put Dr. Quinn in my Netflix queue. And yes, of course, I absolutely LOVED the pilot! I am super excited because now I will have 9 full seasons to watch! Woohoo!

Reading-wise, I just started the 3rd book in the Rock Harbor Mysteries by Colleen Coble. She is a Christian author that I enjoy quite a lot. These are set in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan - near places I've been and the most breathtaking scenery! The books center on a woman, her son, and her search and rescue dog. Very enjoyable reading.

Tonight for dinner I'm making what is becoming an old stand-by - chicken and vegetable curry over basmati rice with a green salad. I didn't use to like anything too spicy or anything with heat - and now I just love it! The kids are eating plain rice, plain chicken, and plain veggies. My kids do NOT have an adventurous spirit when it comes to food! Especially my two older ones.

Oh, back to shopping - I went to Target's 4-day pre-Thanksgiving sale today. I am participating in the Salvation Army's Angel Tree and I chose 2 six-year-old girls and one elderly woman. The girls need clothes, pajamas, and socks and the elderly woman needs pajamas and slippers. The girls wanted games and Littlest Pet Shops and the woman, baking pans. Just about everything on their list was on BIG sale at Target today! I was blessed to be able to get everything they wanted and needed and some special surprises for them as well.

Dinner is just about done - better get the food on the table before the kids revolt!

Sherry

And God Leads the Way

My mind is a jumble lately. I feel like I'm being led in a certain direction, yet I don't know if I have the courage to follow it. I'm at a crossroads and it's going to take a lot of very hard work to do what God is asking me to do.

Do you ever feel led? Or do you ignore those strong feelings that you should do something remarkable? Do you just think it's a fleeting thought, or do you realize that God is telling you what He expects from you?

I'm stuck in the here and now. On the little things. On the things I can control. The simple. The WIDE path.

I can't do both. I can't continue doing what I am doing AND do what I feel led to do.

Joyce Meyer once said to think of having a locker in Heaven, filled with gifts from God. If you don't take them when you are here on earth, you'll get to Heaven and see all the exciting and wonderful things He had planned for you that you missed out on!

I guess I'm scared because I don't know all the details. HOW I'm going to get from here to where He wants me to be!

For now I'm going to pray about it.

But tell me - have you ever felt like this?

Sherry

October Accomplishments

So I made some good progress this October with my Mama's Mission. Here was the plan:


I'd quit one of my jobs - DONE
I would not care so much about material things - Um, still working on this.
I'd make arrangements for someone to do part of my "chauffeuring" - Less chauffeuring due to no more football.
I'd watch less television and be on the Internet less - yeah, working on that one too.

I would spend more time in nature - walking, taking pictures, drawing - Em and I went on several outings in nature and started a nature journal with drawings.
I would do family read alouds - Just reading to Em - still want to do this.
We'd do family movie nights - The kids and I have been watching a few shows together, but no movies.
I would go to church regularly and participate in the extra activities with my kids - I am involved with my new church and love it! We did trunk or treat and donated pillowcases for Little Dresses for Africa.
I'd listen to music more - I've been doing this too!
I would make time to write - I've always wanted to and I keep saying I will return to it after the kids are grown - I've been writing! :) And I signed up for Nanowrimo! Exciting!

So overall, it was a pretty good success story. I did enough to pat myself on the back and say:



Let's see what November brings!

Sherry