My Menu Plan This Week:

Today:

Breakfast-Banana Bread, Yogurt
Lunch-Sammie and Chips
Dinner-Leftover Sausage Casserole and Fried Green Tomatoes

Tuesday:

Breakfast-Eggs, Bacon, Toast
Lunch-Pigs In Blankets, Baked Beans
Dinner-Chicken and Dumplings, Squash Casserole

Wednesday:

Breakfast-Pancakes
Lunch-Lovely Leftovers
Dinner-Franks and Cheese Casserole, Corn, Salad

Thursday:

Breakfast-Cereal
Lunch-Fried Egg Sammie
Dinner-Beans, Sauteed Cabbage and Onions, Cornbread

Friday:

Breakfast-French Toast and Sausage
Lunch-Calhouns on the River to celebrate Mama's birthday
Dinner-Celebrate America at church-good ole hot dogs and such!

Saturday:

Breakfast-Muffins and Yogurt
Lunch-Lovely Leftovers
Dinner-Grill Out-Turkey Burgers, Spaghetti Salad, Chips, etc.

Sunday:

Breakfast-Cereal and Toast
Lunch-Lovely Leftovers from the Grill Out and a nice dessert, yet to be decided.

Our week.

On Monday we went to a cookout at the Proctor house. Our small group is continuing to meet during the summer for fellowship even though we don't have any Bible study going on. I am going to have them over here in a couple of weeks for a game night! That will be a lot of fun!

On Wednesday we went out to Aunt Pat's lake house. I got to meet Robert's cousin, Rodney and his family from California. What a nice family! We ate a really nice meal with them and had a good time. Some other family members were that too and of course Lacey, Mama's d-o-g. Shhhhh... don't tell Lacey. She thinks she's a human!

Today, Robert and Robyn are eating lunch at Jason's Deli and bringing me back a club. I love those things! We may go to the movies later to see something Robyn wants to see. It's a nice sunny day here today. I probably should have watered the garden this morning instead of sleeping in. Ya think?

I'm feeling kinda blah today myself. Lower back is achy and I'm not feeling very motivated to do much of anything. And oh, as usual, there is much to be done around here. Why do you think it's called Chaos Cottage? Hmmm....

Went to see a new ob-gyn yesterday. She was super nice and came highly recommended by a friend. My fav doctor had to retire due to health problems and I had been putting off this appointment for a while. Glad to get it over with. I spent several hours afterward at the local bookstore perusing magazines and drinking diet lemonade. No coffee-too hot! I had to get caught up on the gossip on Jon and Kate, didn't I? Ugh...I've had my fill of them!

Tomorrow, we will attend church and then probably just take it easy the rest of the day. I like those lazy Sundays, don't you?

Have a wonderful weekend!

My menu plan this week

Monday:
Breakfast-slept through it (oops!) Dh and dd found something to eat.
Lunch- World's Greatest Potato Soup (loaded!)
Dinner- Cookout at friend's (small group)

Tuesday:
Breakfast-Eggs, Bacon, Biscuits and Jelly
Lunch- Wraps, Grapes
Dinner-Chicken Fried Chops (crock pot), Sauteed Squash(thanks Dad!) and Onion, Fetucinne Alfredo

Wednesday:
Breakfast-Cereal and Toast
Lunch-Fried Egg Sammies
Dinner-Any leftovers and tomatoes macaroni, green onions and cukes (thanks Dad!), Cornbread

Thursday:
Breakfast-Eggos and Sausage Links
Lunch-PB & J, Apple slices
Dinner-Pizza from the freezer, Brownies

Friday:
Breakfast-Banana Bread (from the freezer), Yogurt
Lunch-Cheese Quesadillas, Grapes
Dinner-Pigs in Blankets, Slaw, Baked Beans

Saturday:
Breakfast-Eggs, Pancakes, Sausage Links
Lunch-Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Dinner-Turkey Burgers, leftover Slaw

Sunday:
Breakfast-Peanut Butter Toast, Banana
Lunch-Colleen's Sausage Casserole, Fried Green Tomatoes (thanks Dad!), Rolls and a yummy dessert yet to be decided!

Found this article here: http://myhighercalling.blogspot.com/ It really hit home for me. Thought I would reprint it here for my married girlfriends!

Words of Praise
I talk to so many wives who are discouraged about their marriage and their relationship with their husband. It really breaks my heart to see so many marriages that are not experiencing the blessing that the Lord intended marriage to be.

One of the easiest (and most often overlooked) ways that a wife can improve her marriage is to just simply praise her husband. You need to tell your husband every day how much you love, respect and appreciate him.

As much as we ladies love to talk and give complements, I wonder why, when it comes to our husbands, the words that are normally directed at them are complaints and nagging? Do you like to be around someone who is always critisizing you and nagging you about everything under the sun? No, you don't and your husband doesn't either.

Ladies, we cannot underestimate the power of our tongue. We can use our words to either tear down our husband or to build him up. Which one do you think will improve your marriage?

Never, ever, ever pass up the opportunity to praise your husband to his face AND behind his back *smile*. Yes, I know some of you are thinking that there isn't anything you can praise your husband for... but if you think about it, I am sure there is... after all, he must have been pretty smart to choose YOU for his wife *smile*.

Does your husband go to work to provide for the family? Tell him how blessed you are that he is such a wonderful provider!
Does your husband save you the last of the dark chocolate because he knows that it's your favorite? Tell him how thoughtful he is!
Does your husband keep your car maintained? Tell him how loved you feel that he is looking our for your safety!
Does your husband invite you to go Lowes with him? Tell him "Yes" and that you appreciate that he wants to spend time with you!

These are just a few examples, but if you look for opportunities each day to praise your husband, you will see them (sometimes you just need to train yourself to look for them).

After a bit of practice, praising your husband will just come naturally, and you will find yourself more in love with him than ever... and it will be because you have opened your eyes to his good qualities that were there all the time!

Have a blessed day,
Dana

Thank you Dana for this message.

Happy Father's Day to my Hubby!

I am so thankful that God sent Robert to me to be my husband over 11 years ago! Our love for one another has only grown deeper over the years. Thank you dh for all you do for me and the Pooh and for being an exceptional father! I love you!

Pooky

Robert and his job hunt

Robert got good news today. He is on the top 10 list for a job out of a list of 45 applicants. Interviews will begin at the end of the month. Please pray for him to find and get the job the Lord would have him to have. We both are excited about this news. He has only had a few nibbles since beginning his job hunt and no interviews thus far. So this is very good news indeed.

Tuesday happenings

Well, this week got off to a slow start yesterday. I did nothing! I even put a Stouffer's frozen meal in the oven for dinner, which is on the menu for next week, so I did the old switcharoo. For dessert we had Sara Lee Cheesecake from the freezer. I am so happy I have freezer meals for those days when I just don't have the gumption to cook!

Today I have chicken cooking on the stove for soup at lunch and cooked chicken for meals later in the week. I was going to make some banana bread for the freezer but need to go to the store first. I'm all out of eggs!

Dd is missing her GG Aunt and Grandmother. They are on a cruise to Alaska. She usually sees them every Monday. She calls it "Robyn Day" and they usually go out to eat or do other fun things together like swim in Aunt Pat's pool.

Dh didn't have to go into school for more IT stuff. He will finish up that this week and then takes his test to be certified. This is something he has wanted to do for a while but didn't have the time. He is still actively seeking employment. Times are tough! With the Lord's help, we are surviving.

Robyn is going up to spend a couple nights with Mom and Dad this week. Dad might take her fishing. She wants to spend time with them and mom says she really NEEDS some Robyn time.

Over the weekend our small group ladies did a community type reach-out thingy for a neighbor who is expecting. Her husband is unemployed due to a back injury and she is the sole income for that family. She is having a third son so needed mainly consumable items like disposable diapers and such. We were truly blessed to help her. She is such a sweet lady.

Well, off to work on the chicken soup. Have a terrific Tuesday!

My menu this week:

Monday:

Breakfast-Bagelfuls-coffee
Lunch-Sammies
Dinner-Chicken and Rice, Salad, Rolls

Tuesday:

Breakfast-Oatmeal and yogurt
Lunch-Homemade Chicken and Noodles Soup, Cheese and Wheat Thins
Dinner-Beans and Rice, Sauteed Cabbage, Cornbread

Wednesday:

Breakfast-Eggs, Bacon, Toast
Lunch-leftovers
Dinner-Chicken Enchiladas and Salad

Thursday:

Breakfast-Cereal and Toast
Lunch-Fried Egg Sammies
Dinner-Fish/Popcorn Chicken, Oven Fries, Slaw

Friday:

Breakfast-Muffins and Yogurt
Lunch-Grilled Cheese Sammies, Carrots and Dip
Dinner-Pigs in Blankets, Baked Beans, leftover Slaw

Saturday:

Breakfast-Pancakes and Sausage
Lunch-Potato Soup - loaded
Dinner-Stove Top Stuffing Chicken Casserole, Green Beans, Rolls

Sunday:

Breakfast-Toast and Cereal
Lunch-Leftovers
Dinner-Chicken Fried Chops, Macaroni and Cheese, Broccoli and a yummy dessert yet to be decided

I found this at Ivman's Blague


What She Wants in a Man, Original List:

1. Handsome
2. Charming
3. Financially successful
4. A caring listener
5. Witty
6. In good shape
7. Dresses with style
8. Appreciates finer things
9. Full of thoughtful surprises
10. Imaginative and romantic

What She Wants in a Man, Revised List (age 32)

1. Nice looking
2. Opens car doors, holds chairs
3. Has enough money for a nice dinner
4. Listens more than talks
5. Laughs at my jokes
6. Carries bags of groceries with ease
7. Owns at least one tie
8. Appreciates a good home-cooked meal
9. Remembers birthdays and anniversaries
10. Romantic at least once a week

What She Wants in a Man, Revised List (age 42)

1. Not too ugly
2. Doesn't drive off until I'm in the car
3. Works steady - splurges on dinner out occasionally
4. Nods head when I'm talking
5. Usually remembers punch lines of jokes
6. Is in good enough shape to rearrange the furniture
7. Wears a shirt that covers his stomach
8. Knows not to buy foods I don't like
9. Remembers to put the toilet seat down
10. Shaves most weekends

What She Wants in a Man, Revised List (age 52)

1. Keeps hair in nose and ears trimmed
2. Doesn't belch or scratch in public
3. Doesn't borrow money too often
4. Doesn't nod off to sleep when I'm venting
5. Doesn't retell the same joke too many times
6. Is in good enough shape to get off couch on weekends
7. Usually wears matching socks and fresh underwear
8. Appreciates a good TV dinner
9. Remembers your name on occasion
10. Shaves some weekends

What She Wants in a Man, Revised List (age 62)

1. Doesn't scare small children
2. Remembers where bathroom is
3. Doesn't require much money for upkeep
4. Snores only lightly when asleep
5. Remembers why he's laughing
6. Is in good enough shape to stand up by himself
7. Usually wears some clothes
8. Likes soft foods
9. Remembers where he left his teeth
10. Remembers that it's the weekend

What She Wants in a Man, Revised List (age 72)

1. Breathing
2. Doesn't miss the toilet

WHAT SHOULD SHE HOPE FOR AT AGE 82?!

quotation...

"God will spare no means in order to be the center of your attention and affection." - Andrew Franseen

Cajun Chicken

I had a reader request this recipe so thought I would post it to share with everyone. Enjoy!


Cajun Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts (boneless/skinless)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
Cajun seasoning (to your taste ... a lot if you like it spicy)

Spread cream of chicken soup in the bottom of the crock pot. Place chicken over the top, sprinkle with Cajun seasoning and cook. We serve ours over rice or mashed potatoes.

Could it be any easier?

What's been happening at my house

Last Friday we went to Dollywood with some friends. We had a good time there. We always do. But we had to hurry home because it was Free Babysitting Night at church and we wanted to take advantage of that and have a date night together.

Dd attended VBS at her friend's church every morning last week. She really enjoyed it. Their theme was an Australian one and they learned some really cute songs. They had a family night on Thursday and we got to see them perform all their songs.

This weekend we went to the Midtown Drive-in at exit 350. They were showing Night at the Museum and Land of the Lost. It is really cool, because on Sunday night they flip the order so that you can see the second one, if you are old like us, and can't stay up that late to watch two movies in a row! lol It's a neat atmosphere to see a movie at the drive-in. Dh and I are both old enough to remember attending these with our parents when we were little. We brought our own sandwiches, chips, rice krispie bars, drinks, etc. Some families bring in pizza, KFC, and such. There is a restaurant there that serves food and popcorn, etc. But bringing your own food and snacks is much more frugal. We had a good time!

This week, dd is attending VBS at her own church and it is in the evening. I will probably hang out at some bookstores while she is there. It's always nice and quite there.

Dh is still actively searching for a job. He got a few nibbles last week which excited us. We are just still praying that God sends him the job He wants him to have.

We participated in our neighborhood yearly yard sale on Saturday. We only made a little over $70. I was a bit disappointed in that. But when you are pricing things at .50 and $1.00 it takes a lot to add up to much. All the clothing and most knick-knack kind of things went straight to KARM afterwards. The books that were left will go to McKays. I am glad that this stuff has left my Chaos Cottage. But we still have lots of decluttering to do. Will it ever end? I'm thinking not.

Dh is still doing his IT certification at Grace and will be doing that most of this week to try to finish up. He may or may not sign up for another one. He has promised me he will work in the basement this week. We want to set up a TV/Media room down there. He has all the Best Buy gift cards he needs to buy the flat screen TV of his choice. I know we will really enjoy the cooler temps in the basement. We have yet to turn on the AC. I know, can you believe it? Fans help a lot. When we start painting upstairs we will have to have the AC on or dh and I will pass out! lol

Well, that's about it for now. Have a great day!

What I'm feeding my family this week:

Gonna start putting my breakfast and lunch menus on here too.

Breakfasts:
Monday: Oatmeal, Apple Slices and Peanut Butter
Tuesday: Pancakes and Bacon
Wednesday: Banana Oatmeal Muffins, Yogurt
Thursday: Cereal and Toast
Friday: Eggos, Mixed Fruit
Saturday: Ham, Eggs, Biscuits
Sunday: Cereal and Toast

Lunches:

Monday: Tuna Salad Sammies or PB Sammies for dd
Tuesday: Egg Salad Sammies or PB Sammies for dd
Wednesday: Leftovers
Thursday: Homemade Chicken and Noodle Soup, Cookies and Milk
Friday: Meatloaf Sammies
Saturday: Potato Soup

Dinners:

Monday: Frank Corkscrews, Pasta Salad, Brownies
Tuesday: Cajun Chicken Rice, Green Veggie of some sort
Wednesday: Eggs, Sausage, Gravy, Biscuits and Jelly
Thursday: Pintos, Fried Potatoes, Cornbread
Friday: Tuna Helper, Salad, Rolls
Saturday: Chicken Enchiladas, Mexican Rice
Sunday: (haven't decided yet!)

I'm a winner!

I visited Rona's website http://berrymorinbits.blogspot.com (inserting link didn't work) and I won a $25 gift certificate to spend on an etsy website! I'm gonna enjoy this. It is for those neat vinyl letters everyone is putting on their walls and plaques etc. Read more about it on Rona's website.

Pam (doing the happy dance!)

Very true!

What's for Dinner this Week:

Monday: Easy Pastafazool, Salad, Breadsticks

Tuesday: Chicken and Dumplings, Green Beans, Carrots Cosmopolitan

Wednesday: Barbecue Grilled Chicken, Salad, Baked Potatoes

Thursday: Pizza

Friday: Bean and Wiener Biscuit Casserole, Slaw

Saturday: Crock Pot Pork Chops, Rice Pilaf, Corn, Slaw

Sunday: Church Potluck - Yum-o!