Menu for week of April 30th

Last week I didn't get to everything on my menu.  We had a few nights of take-out food which was a nice reprieve, but it time to get back to the plan.  Here is my plan for this week:

Monday:  Simple White Chili and Cornbread

Tuesday:  Pepperoni, Mozzarella Crescent Roll-ups in Marinara Sauce, Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Wednesday:  Chicken Burgers, Oven Fries, Root Beer Floats!

Thursday:  Crunchy Ranch Chicken, Spinach and Strawberry Salad (again! It's so good!)

Friday:  Turkey Smoked Sausage (grilled on the George Foreman), Bush's Grillin' Beans, Corn on the Cob

Saturday:  Cinco de Mayo!  (I hope I spelled that right.  I didn't do well in Spanish)  We are going to be celebrating at our time-share condo in Gatlinburg.  I'm making Burritos with Refried Beans, Rotel Cheese Dip and Chips, and I haven't decided what else.   Whatever it is will be in the Mexican theme.

Sunday:  We will be at Dollywood!  I think a Funnel Cake will be on the day's menu somewhere!  LOL


Have a terrific week.  Come back again.

The Homeschooling Mother's Journal

In my life this week…I haven't left the house since Saturday.  Went to my MIL's on Saturday for a birthday bash for my daughter who turned 13!  Yikes, a teenager in the house.  We brought home some lovely leftovers from that party to eat all week. 

In our homeschool this week…we accomplished quite a bit of work this week, enough to give Robyn the day off today to go to her Grand Mama's.  Mama is going to teach her how to plant flowers. They are at the nursery right now buying lots of plants.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…like I said, my MIL's last Saturday but otherwise I haven't left the house. Robyn did her usual "Robyn day" on Monday with her Grand Mama and Great Aunt and she is with her Grand Mama today and tomorrow.  "Robyn day" is a day out that includes a meal among other things with her Grand Mama and Aunt. Last night was our last Thursday watching a young boy while his father is in class.  It's always  a fun time for Robyn when he is here as they like to play the Wii together.

My favorite thing this week was…Rockin' Robyn's birthday party and seeing some family members I haven't seen in a while.  The food and fellowship were great.

Things I’m working on…I must remember to remind daughter to write some thank you cards for her birthday gifts.  I must get to the grocery store.  I hate going to the grocery store.  Ugh...I have my list and coupons all ready.  I just need to get up the motivation to go.  Hmm...maybe a cup of ambition would help.

I’m reading…same stuff.

I’m cooking…check out my menu every Monday to see what I'm feeding my family and occasional recipes.

I’m grateful for…God's blessings on my family.

I’m praying for…my husband to continue to get good scores on his tests at work, a good week of homeschooling next week so we can have a lighter following week while in Gatlinburg and for my insomnia to just go away!  Any helpful hints for nights when you can't sleep would be appreciated.

Thank you for visiting Second Star Academy at Chaos Cottage.  Please come back again and leave a message letting me know you were here.  Have a terrific weekend!

Pam

Menu for week of April 23rd

Just posting breakfasts and dinners this week. Lunch will consist of leftovers or sandwiches, etc.

Monday:

B-Sausage and Cheese Muffins (I will freeze some for later in the week), Scrambled Eggs
D-Chicken Burgers, Oven Fries

Tuesday:

B-Oatmeal and Raisins
D-(freezer meal), Chicken Tetrazzini, Asparagus and a Tossed Salad

Wednesday:

B-Granola and Yogurt Parfait with Strawberries
D-Turkey Pepperoni and Mozzarella Crescent Roll-Ups dipped in Marinara Sauce,  Tossed Salad

Thursday:

B-Whole Wheat Toast with Peanut Butter and Sliced Banana
D-SimpleWhite Chili and Cornbread from the freezer (I made this last week)

Friday:

B-Cream of Wheat
D-Grilled Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Spaghetti Salad, French Bread

Saturday:

B-(freezer meal), Sausage and Cheese Muffins, Scrambled Eggs, Fruit
D-Pork Chops with Potatoes Bake, Salad, Rolls

Sunday:

B-Granola and Yogurt Parfait with Strawberries
D-Turkey Smoked Sausage, Stouffer's Macaroni and Cheese, Green Bean Casserole and Rolls

The Homeschooling Mother's Journal

In my life this week…I have been making plans and not following through. Well, what else is new? Hey, that's just life. I have enjoyed my week teaching my daughter and spending time with her. I just haven't done too much on my To Do List.

In our homeschool this week…we are nearing the end of our school year. I think we will finish up pretty much on time except for possibly math. We both are looking forward to our summer break :)

I am inspired by…my daughter's maturity and ability to help me with things I need her help with. Ninety percent of the time she helps me with no complaints. That is a blessing to me.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…Robyn left yesterday to spend a few days with her Grand Mama. Today is Robyn's 13th birthday! Oh my! Tomorrow we are picking up her bestie and going to Mama's to celebrate with a Rockin' Robyn birthday party. It will be a fun day.

My favorite thing this week was…spending time with my bestie, my hubby!

Things I’m working on…same stuff-different week :)

I’m reading…I have several books in progress but haven't done any reading this week.

I’m cooking…check back on Mondays to see my menu for the week.

I’m grateful for…the daughter the Lord gave me at 12:21 P.M exactly 13 years ago today! She is a joy and a loving daughter.

I’m praying for…my husband's continuing good grades at work in his training program, continued employment there, safe travels to and from work for him and for him to continue to adapt to this new vocation the Lord has given him.

Thank you for stopping by Chaos Cottage and Second Star Academy. Leave me a note saying you were here and stop by again!

Pam

Menu for the week of April 16th

I haven't been doing such a great job of following my menu plans. But, fortunately, my freezer and pantry are usually well stocked and I can change my plans without an expensive run to the store. I dislike grocery shopping. Ugh. Plus, breakfast makes such a yummy and quick dinner! Also, hubby likes to get take out now and then. This weekend he wanted to try out a new to us Chinese restaurant and we got lunch there on Saturday. The entree was okay, the rice was just rice, nothing special, and the egg roll tasted frozen. I like my Little China restaurant. It is the best. No one can touch them. Good thing I go by there now and then on my way to see my mom and dad or I would die of Chinese withdrawal! Oh my, how did I get off subject here?

Here is my plan for this week if I make it to the grocery store tomorrow :)

Monday:

B-Oatmeal and Raisins
L-Soup, Sliced Apple
D-Chicken Broccoli (I keep putting this recipe off-must use the fresh broccoli and make this today!)

Tuesday:

B-Whole Wheat Toast with Peanut Butter, Sliced Banana
L-Salad with Turkey Pepperoni and Cheese
D-Grilled Chicken, Spaghetti Salad, Cantaloupe

Wednesday:

B-Greek Yogurt, Granola, Strawberry Parfait (It's like dessert for breakfast!)
L-Grilled Cheese, Salad, Grapes
D-Grilled Turkey Sausage, leftover Spaghetti Salad

Thursday:

B-Oatmeal and Raisins
L-Any leftover Spaghetti Salad and Sammie
D-Potato Soup

Friday:

B-WW Toast with Peanut Butter, Banana
L-Leftover Soup
D-Out-Date Night? :)

Saturday:

B-Eggs, Toast, NF Bacon, Fruit
L-Party at MIL's for DD's 13th birthday!

Sunday:

B-Eggs in a Hole, Turkey Sausage, Fruit
L-Grilled Chicken Burgers, Oven Fries, Root Beer Floats

Please go to http://orgjunkie.com/ to see 100's of menus for inspiration. Have a terrific week! Pam

The Homeschooling Mother's Journal

In my life this week…late getting this posted this week. Couldn't find time on Friday to post this.

In our homeschool this week…enjoying homeschooling my daughter and relearning things I had forgotten.

Helpful homeschooling tips or advice to share…relax.

I am inspired by…gorgeous weather we are having. A couple of nights it got really cold though and am glad I haven't bought my annuals yet.

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…Friday daughter and I went to Hobby Lobby, which has now become her favorite store. Also, Friday night, we all went to see Tim Hawkins perform. He was fabulous. If you aren't familiar with him, check him out of Youtube. He is hilarious!

My favorite thing this week was…Tim Hawkins. What can I say? I think I split my side!

What’s working/not working for us…sticking to a schedule. But everyday is a do-over! LOL

Things I’m working on…thinking about starting a sourdough starter for bread and maybe even Amish Friendship bread. It's been years since I've done this and I'm thinking of doing it again.

I’m reading…same stuff.

I’m cooking…check out my Monday menus.

I’m grateful for…my Lord and Savior, my family, my pets. I'm blessed.

I’m praying for…my hubby to continue to do well on his tests at work, for energy to do the things I need to do, and for some friends who just sold their home and need to get everything approved for moving into their new dream home.

A photo, video, link, or quote to share… my daughter's rough draft of her sketch of Rapunzel from Tangled.

Menu for week of April 9th

We had a wonderful Easter meal out yesterday. Sometimes it is nice to eat out and not have to deal with the cooking, the dishes, and all those leftovers. :) Here is my plan for this week:

Monday:

Breakfast-Oatmeal with Raisins
Lunch-Leftover Taco Fixin's
Dinner-Stouffer's Chicken Lasagna (didn't have this on Friday), Italian Bread, Salad
Snack-Cantaloupe

Tuesday:

Breakfast-One Eyed Sailors, Sausage
Lunch-Leftovers or Sammies and Sliced Apple
Dinner-Beans (cooked with a ham bone), Fried Taters, Cornbread
Snack-Frozen Fruit Sticks

Wednesday:

Breakfast-Oatmeal with Raisins
Lunch-Egg Sammies
Dinner-Chili (made with leftover Tuesday beans)
Snack-Strawberries and Yogurt

Thursday:

Breakfast-Omelet and Toast
Lunch-PB&J, Sliced Apple
Dinner-Sausage Casserole, Corn, Crescent Rolls
Snack-Bananas and Strawberries

Friday:

Breakfast-Oatmeal with Raisins
Lunch-Leftovers or Pretzels, Cheese, Sliced Apple with PB and Vanilla Yogurt Dip
Dinner-Something quick, maybe a sammie, because we have tickets to see comedian, Tim Hawkins! We are super excited!
Snack-Frozen Fruit Sticks

Saturday:

Breakfast- Eggs, Bacon, if I'm ambitious, Pancakes or Biscuits)
Lunch-Out
Dinner-Country Casserole (new recipe), Salad
Snack-Cheese Sticks and Pretzels

Sunday:

Breakfast-Muffin and Yogurt
Lunch-Wild Rice Chicken, Green Bean Bundles, Sourdough Bread
Dinner-Leftovers, unless we have been little piggies!
Snack-Fruit of some sort

Country Casserole

(we will eat 1/2 and freeze the other half)

2 cups small shell pasta, cooked and drained

3 cups frozen mixed vegetables, cooked and drained

2 cups shredded cheddar, divided

One can French fried onions, divided

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (can use canned chicken)

1 can cream of chicken soup

¼ cup milk

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine everything in a large bowl, reserving half of the cheese and half of the onions for topping later. Spoon into 9×13 casserole dish. Bake for twenty five minutes. Top with remaining onions and cheese, bake until cheese is melted, about five minutes more.

Freezing options: Instead of freezing this in your casserole dish, simply spoon it into a gallon ziploc bag. Lay the bag flat so that it will thaw out quicker and place it in your freezer. On the day you want it, take it out the night before and refrigerate or place in fridge that morning.

If you forget to do all of this, no sweat! Just microwave the bag until it thaws just a bit, pour into your casserole, and bake!

That's what's cookin' at my house. Go to http://orgjunkie.com/ to see 100's of menus!

It's Resurrection Sunday. I hope all of my readers have a blessed day with their loved ones, friends and family!

Jesus said...

"I am the resurrection and the life ,

he that believes in Me,

though he were dead ,

yet shall he live!"

John 11:25

***

"Jesus Christ is risen today,

Our triumphant holy day;

Who did once upon the cross,

Suffer to redeem our loss.

Hallelujah!

--from a Latin hymn of the 15th century

Pam

The Homeschooling Mother's Journal

In my life this week: Robyn and I volunteered to serve the seniors lunch at church on Monday. We always enjoy that and eating a lovely lunch with them too. I want Robyn to want to serve others and build a strong work ethic. Many of the seniors comment on how pleased they are to see children working there. Sometimes, there are other homeschool children there volunteering.

In our homeschool this week: This week we didn't get any schooling as we volunteered at church on Monday morning and Robyn had the afternoon with her Grandmama and Great Aunt. On Tuesday I took her to her other grandparents to spend time through Friday. Today, I go and get her and we do plan on doing some schooling tonight and through the weekend. We are a little behind but I'm not worried. I know we will get it done. I don't stress about it. Robyn and I really enjoy homeschooling and that makes my heart glad.

I am inspired by: my daughter's personality and sense of humor. She is so much fun to be around and is the joy of my life. She has also shown quite the talent for drawing and for photography lately. My little one is growing up :)

Places we are going and people we are seeing: Last Saturday, Robyn went to Dollywood again, this time with her dad. They had a good time. I don't know if we will get back over there this month, we might try at least once. But the first week of May we plan on going several times, as we will be staying at our condo in Gatlinburg that week. I enjoy Dollywood in the spring. It gets terribly hot in the summer, and I just can't handle it then. Monday, after volunteering at church, we went to our favorite bookstore to hang out for a while. Robyn's grandmama and great aunt came there to get her and take her to dinner. Robyn spent three nights at my folks this week getting in a good visit with them.

My favorite thing this week: Getting several nights of good sleep were the highlight of my week. How sad is that? But really, being able to sleep through the night is a God send for me. Insomnia is nothing to joke about. It's harder when you get older. We need our sleep. It is so important for us physically as well as emotionally.

Things I'm working on: Still getting the house in order and staying on top of things. Tuesday we had some lawn guys come and they trimmed hedges, cleaned up and mulched beds, got all the leaves out of the backyard and it looks so good now. I hope to get some flowers bought and planted tomorrow. It's springtime and our yard was really looking scruffy. It looks so much more manicured now. That makes me happy :) I've also been doing a little planning ahead. I have been perusing menus and planning ahead meals and planning ahead our homeschooling work so I don't have to think about that for a while. I am hoping to tackle my craft room soon. It is a disaster and has become quite the catch-all room for a while. I may not get to that until next week.

I'm reading: I downloaded a free book called A Confident Heart by Renee Swope and have begun reading that. I met Renee at a women's retreat and am familiar with her as well as her blog. I was happy to see I could get it from Amazon for free. I read my Bible at night before retiring, and have gotten a little behind in my plan and am trying to catch up. I also got a free book in the mail this week called No Longer a Slumdog (Bringing hope to children in crisis) by K.P. Yohannan and I'm looking forward to reading it. The foreword is by Francis Chan and I enjoy his writings and find him very challenging. I hope it is good and inspiring.

I'm cooking: I made a good blueberry bread this week. I had and still have frozen blueberries in the freezer and the bread turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. You can always check my menu post on Mondays to see what I am feeding my family.

I'm grateful for: so much that I have been given. God has blessed us more than we deserve. I am thankful for our church and look forward to worshiping our Lord this Easter Sunday.

I'm praying for: some contractors where my husband works who may be losing their jobs. There seems to be some cutting back going on already where my husband went to work in January. So, I am keeping his position in prayer as well. I'm praying my my Mother-In-Love to find some answers to some things that she has on her mind lately and to get closure in that area, and for her to have improved health. She is taking my husband and daughter to Ireland in July and I want her to be at her best so that she can enjoy that trip to the fullest!

Thank so much for stopping by my little humble blog. Please come back again.

Menu for the week of April 2nd

It's a new month and a new beginning! I'm going to try to get in more veggies and fruit. Summer is just around the corner!

I'm purposely planning all three meals to try to keep me on track with the eating and not reaching for foods I don't need or aren't as nourishing. Snacks will be fruit, peanut butter, veggies and dip, string cheese and turkey, etc. Here's my plan:

Monday

B-Oatmeal and some sort of Fruit, Coffee
L-Eating at church (serving lunch to the Seniors)
D-Angel Hair Pasta, Grilled Chicken, Alfredo Sauce, Spinach and Strawberry Salad (getting my fruit and veggie in a salad!), Iced Tea


Tuesday

B-Cereal and some sort of Fruit, Coffee (we have two open boxes of cereal that needs to be eaten-we don't eat cereal that often and we keep milk in the house mainly for a certain cat LOL)
L-Not certain about this meal-taking daughter to visit her grandparents for a few days we will either eat here or up there or get a healthy take-out meal from Chick Fil A.
D-Our favorite Chinese take-out! Yipee!

Wednesday

B-Yogurt and Homemade Blueberry Bread (Oh yeah!) oh and some Java!
L-Healthy Sammie and Sliced Apple and/or Veggies and Lite Ranch
D-Dump Sticky Chicken (new recipe), Long Grain and Wild Rice, More Spinach and Strawberry Salad

This is a freezer meal-meaning you can make this up ahead and freeze in the portions you want to cook in your crockpot. I haven't made this before but it sounds yummy. I plan to just make some for hubby and I and freeze some for a future meal.

Dump Sticky Chicken

Put in a zip lock bag, 2 T oil, 1 T soy sauce, 3 T smooth peanut butter and 3 T ketchup. Add your meat (we will be doing boneless chicken breast), smoosh it around and then freeze. When cooking from frozen, just dump into your crock pot (I'm thinking you may need to thaw a bit to get it out) and let it cook. Sounds super easy and tasty.

Thursday

B-Same as yesterday
L-Leftovers maybe?
D-I'm hoping for a date night if Hubby can get away from his studies for a short while :)

Friday

B-Oatmeal and some sort of fruit, Coffee
L-Egg Sammie and Fruit and/or Veggies and Dip
D-Chicken Lasagna, Tossed Salad, Homemade Italian Bread, Iced Tea

Saturday

B-Eggs, Nitrate Free Bacon, Whole Wheat Toast
L-Leftovers or Sammies
D-Tacos made with Ground Chicken, Refried Beans, Salsa, Queso and Tortilla Chips and Soda Pop!

Sunday He is Risen!

EASTER
B-Homemade Muffins and Fruit?, Coffee and then to Church service
L-Dinner out with Family
D-On Your Own! :)