Menu Plan Monday
25 August 2008
Click the pic below to check out all the great MPM menus!
Today didn't go quite as planned as far as breakfast goes. I'd planned to make breakfast banana splits, but the kids decided to concoct their own smoothie. It was really good!
This week I've included breakfast, packed lunches, and dinner. I hope ya'll enjoy!
Today didn't go quite as planned as far as breakfast goes. I'd planned to make breakfast banana splits, but the kids decided to concoct their own smoothie. It was really good!This week I've included breakfast, packed lunches, and dinner. I hope ya'll enjoy!
Monday
Breakfast Smoothies made with OJ, frozen bananas, and raspberry yogurt and toast
Lunch
Ashley- Cheesy Pretzel Dippers, carrot sticks, frozen fruit cup, strawberry kiwi flavored water
Tristen- Wrap It up Turkey-Veggie Melt, carrot sticks, pretzel sticks, frozen fruit cup, citrus flavored water
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Tuesday
Breakfast Toaster Waffle Sandwich, OJ
Lunch Homemade Pizza Lunchable, carrot sticks, grapes, flavored water
Dinner Chicken Tacos with all the fixings
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Wednesday
Breakfast Peanut Butter and Banana Sensation
Lunch Pollo Loco Chicken Wrap - made with leftover chicken taco meat, baked tortilla chips, apple, milk
Dinner Crock Pot Baked Ziti, salad, french bread
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Thursday
Breakfast Cheerios, milk, bananas
Lunch PBJ sanwiches, frozen fruit cup, pretzel sticks, milk
Dinner Unstuffed Cabbage (crock pot), gingered carrots, salad, bread
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Friday
Breakfast Strawberry Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie
Lunch Cranberry Tuna Salad Wrap, pretzel sticks, frozen fruit cup, apple juice
Eating Out at Home - Smoothies!
22 August 2008
I have been on a smoothie kick lately. It all started with the fact that I am awful about not eating breakfast, so smoothies seemed like a good idea. I also thought they would be good for the kiddos. Here are a few of our faves from the ones we've tried, as well as some I intend to try. Bottoms up!
These we have taste tested:
The Elvis Smoothie - In my opinion this is more milk shake than smoothie, but it's still yummy!
Orange Julius Smoothie - This was not what I had in mind when I started trying smoothie recipes, but I like it a lot. Not the greatest thing nutritionally, but a great treat.
Blueberry Blast Breakfast Smoothie - Oh my, this is good! A great way to start your morning!
Banana Oatmeal Smoothie - This was really good and filling.
Breakfast Smoothie Quickie - This was a huge hit with the kids!
These are on my to try list:
Best Breakfast Smoothie - Don't laugh, but I've never had tofu and I have this mental thing thinking I won't like it. Real grown up, right? Anyway, I am going to suck it up and try this one soon.
Alien Gut Smoothie - I really want to try this one, especially for Tristen. I am not so sure that I'll be able to find all the ingredients here in Podunk, but I plan to look the next time I go into Stephenville to HEB. I think it sounds yum! The title alone will get him to drink it! I also love the blog I discovered when I found the recipe, A Battle Worth Fighting. If you have an ADD/ADHD child it's a great read!
Finally, I want to try one of the green smoothies like those listed here. The problem is, if the kids see me make them, they will not drink them. So, I am having to be creative on this one. I may just start by adding some purple puree to one of the smoothie recipes above.
I'd love to hear what ya'll put in your smoothies! These are something I can see myself getting really creative with.
And the Winner Is
Well, since there were only four entries in my back to school book giveaway, and those from two different folks, you had 50/50 odds. So, this is what the random number generator said:
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:1
Timestamp: 2008-08-23 03:53:28 UTC
Post #1 belonged to quitecontrary1977! Congratulations!
Thanks for entering ya'll!
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:1
Timestamp: 2008-08-23 03:53:28 UTC
Post #1 belonged to quitecontrary1977! Congratulations!
Thanks for entering ya'll!
The Cost of Back-To-School
Some Parents Struggling With Back-To-School Buys
I just read this article on FOX News and found it very interesting. I know I have gotten very creative this year as far as school clothes are concerned. I've only picked up a few supplies thus far, we will be finishing this shopping in the next few days. While my kids will not go to school unprepared, it will put a pinch on our budget. This time of year is always a little tight, but this year especially so.
Gas prices alone have caused a lot of the problem. And I know that we are not alone. It is obviously a nation wide problem. Locally, I learned last night that 67% of the students at the elementary school are considered low income. I was honestly quite surprised! That's a lot of kids! And with the current state of the economy, it's likely to just get worse.
One thing that caught my attention in the Fox piece was the part about fewer donations to places like Goodwill as people are instead selling via consignment stores. The local children's consignment shop down the street from me is no longer taking things because they are so well stocked. I personally have been selling outgrown clothing on Ebay to help buy clothes and supplies for this year. These things would normally had ended up at Goodwill, but I had to find a way to earn money to help with the back to school expense. Seems to be a common thing.
So, what are us parents to do? I wish i had all the answers. Here, I bought a lot of clothes at a "dollar day" sale at the local charity thrift store. I found a lot of great stuff and was thrilled. It was such a blessing! I have picked up a few supplies while they were on sale for mere pennies. I have cranked up the couponing again in an effort to save money on our grocery budget. I've been exploring healthy, yet affordable options for packing lunches so we don't have to pay for the school lunches. In short, I do all I can think of to stretch every cent as far as possible.
What about you? Is back-to-school shopping hurting this year? Are you going about things differently than in the past? I'd love to hear how other people are handling this time of year?
I just read this article on FOX News and found it very interesting. I know I have gotten very creative this year as far as school clothes are concerned. I've only picked up a few supplies thus far, we will be finishing this shopping in the next few days. While my kids will not go to school unprepared, it will put a pinch on our budget. This time of year is always a little tight, but this year especially so.
Gas prices alone have caused a lot of the problem. And I know that we are not alone. It is obviously a nation wide problem. Locally, I learned last night that 67% of the students at the elementary school are considered low income. I was honestly quite surprised! That's a lot of kids! And with the current state of the economy, it's likely to just get worse.
One thing that caught my attention in the Fox piece was the part about fewer donations to places like Goodwill as people are instead selling via consignment stores. The local children's consignment shop down the street from me is no longer taking things because they are so well stocked. I personally have been selling outgrown clothing on Ebay to help buy clothes and supplies for this year. These things would normally had ended up at Goodwill, but I had to find a way to earn money to help with the back to school expense. Seems to be a common thing.
So, what are us parents to do? I wish i had all the answers. Here, I bought a lot of clothes at a "dollar day" sale at the local charity thrift store. I found a lot of great stuff and was thrilled. It was such a blessing! I have picked up a few supplies while they were on sale for mere pennies. I have cranked up the couponing again in an effort to save money on our grocery budget. I've been exploring healthy, yet affordable options for packing lunches so we don't have to pay for the school lunches. In short, I do all I can think of to stretch every cent as far as possible.
What about you? Is back-to-school shopping hurting this year? Are you going about things differently than in the past? I'd love to hear how other people are handling this time of year?
Wordless Wednesday - Singing in the Rain
20 August 2008
I was hanging out laundry when a freak shower snuck up on us! We had a blast!
Check out 5 Minutes for Mom for more WW fun!
Tackle It Tuesday - Back to School Preparations
19 August 2008
Wow, today has been a busy day! The kiddos were little troopers and willingly helped me out a lot!We did about 7 loads of laundry thus far. It's been raining here for days and days, so we were behind.
Cleaned out their dressers, organized them, and did clothes inventory. I have a much better grasp on what clothes they will need before school starts.
Started dinner in the crock pot.
Cleaned out the fridge and scrubbed the kitchen.
Browsed Ebay for a Mork & Mindy lunch box. Yes, I said Mork & Mindy. Ashley wants one so badly! She keeps telling me they look old. Who knew that 30 year old lunch boxes look old?
Gathered new recipes to try for school day breakfast and lunches. My kids are not big sandwich eaters. We found this fun, special breakfast recipe we will be having for the first day of school.
Now I am waiting for the kids I sit to get here.
Here is what the kiddos are up to:
It was a fun, productive day and I really enjoyed the time with my kiddos. I'll miss them during the day once school is back in session.
Check Out These Giveaways!
Just a reminder, there are all sorts of great back to school giveaways going on right now! Here are just a few to check out.
Over at Mommies United they have an all week long event going on. They are giving away lots of cool prizes and sharing great info! Go check it out!
Check out this great giveaway from Bakerella and Nickelodeon!
An Island Life is giving away a great Sunflower Backpack from Oompa toys. It's very cute and functional. You don't want to miss it!
And don't forget about my own giveaway here! It ends this week so hurry and enter!
I will probably be adding to this post as I happen upon more great giveaways!
Have a great day!
Over at Mommies United they have an all week long event going on. They are giving away lots of cool prizes and sharing great info! Go check it out!
Check out this great giveaway from Bakerella and Nickelodeon!
An Island Life is giving away a great Sunflower Backpack from Oompa toys. It's very cute and functional. You don't want to miss it!
And don't forget about my own giveaway here! It ends this week so hurry and enter!
I will probably be adding to this post as I happen upon more great giveaways!
Have a great day!
Menu Plan Monday
18 August 2008
Here is my menu for this week. It is mainly quick and easy, comforting food. I will be doing everything in the crock pot or electric skillet. This is my second week of watching my friend's children, so I tried to choose things that sounded kid friendly. I also have some nasty chest congestion, upper respiratory thing going on and m not feeling well, so easy and comforting seemed to be the way to go. Plus the seemingly endless gray, rainy weather has influenced my decision to make comforting dishes. Click the MPM pic above to check out more great menus!Monday: Chicken and Dumplings So good when you feel yucky! I'll be crock potting this.
Tuesday: Pan Fried Pierogies With Ham This will be served with steamed broccoli and a fruit salad.
Wednesday: Crock Pot Taco Soup This too is excellent when you feel bad. We serve it with cheese on top and cornbread.
Thursday: Creamed Ground Beef SOS This will probably be done over toast or rice. Tossed salad on the side. Chocolate pudding for dessert.
Friday: Creamy Burrito Casserole I am going to try to adapt this for crock pot use. It sounds so yummy, I can't wait to try it! I will serve a salad and mexicorn as sides, with fruited jello for dessert.
Blog the Recession
15 August 2008
I just happened upon this great post over at Motherhood Uncensored and I wanted to share! She has had the greatest idea and I'm jumping aboard!
"The premise is simple. If you read blogs, then for the month of August, make the "pledge" to click through from your feed reader. No obligation to leave a hilarious comment or send a long stalkerish email (although both, within reason, are always lovely). Just click through to the blog (not on ads unless you are so led) and if you're feeling generous, click around to their older posts.Just those extra page views can make a big difference for bloggers who could really use the help, or in my case, where page views don't matter so much, a big fat ego boost. "
I know that traffic to my site and comments can really brighten my day! So, I am pledging to do this. I am going to visit every site that signs up for this at Motherhood Uncensored as well.
Why not share a little bloggy love? You know you want to! Things are tough all over, so go ahead and make someone's day!
"The premise is simple. If you read blogs, then for the month of August, make the "pledge" to click through from your feed reader. No obligation to leave a hilarious comment or send a long stalkerish email (although both, within reason, are always lovely). Just click through to the blog (not on ads unless you are so led) and if you're feeling generous, click around to their older posts.Just those extra page views can make a big difference for bloggers who could really use the help, or in my case, where page views don't matter so much, a big fat ego boost. "
I know that traffic to my site and comments can really brighten my day! So, I am pledging to do this. I am going to visit every site that signs up for this at Motherhood Uncensored as well.
Why not share a little bloggy love? You know you want to! Things are tough all over, so go ahead and make someone's day!
Back to School Without Overspending
For those of us in Texas, it is tax free holiday weekend. I will be honest, we rarely do the bulk of our back to school shopping at this time. In my opinion, it is too much like black Friday and just not worth fighting the crowds. But, it can be a great time to snag some deals. You can get the skinny on tax free weekend here.
I recently wrote an article about buying back to school clothes and supplies without breaking the bank. You can find it here. Check it out for some ideas you might not have thought of.
I got really lucky with school clothes this week, as a local thrift store had an all you can get in a bag for $1 sale. I came home with clothes that still had store tags on them! It was a real blessing for our family!
Eating Out At Home - Golden Arches Breakfast
The four of us love to go to the golden arches for a weekend breakfast treat. Now that we've moved to a small town, that is no longer an option. So, here are the recipes I've used to keep us all from having fast food breakfast withdrawal.
Egg Mcmuffin - DH and I both love these!
Breakfast Burrito - Tristen devours these things!
Fruit and Yogurt Parfait - Yummy!
Vanilla Iced Coffee - Warning, these can be habit forming!
Ashley loves pancakes as a special breakfast, so her normal meal when we do golden arches breakfast is frozen pancakes, warm syrup, and a parfait. I always cook up some frozen hash browns and serve OJ as well. A great family friendly breakfast done frugally. I hope ya'll enjoy!
Egg Mcmuffin - DH and I both love these!
Breakfast Burrito - Tristen devours these things!
Fruit and Yogurt Parfait - Yummy!
Vanilla Iced Coffee - Warning, these can be habit forming!
Ashley loves pancakes as a special breakfast, so her normal meal when we do golden arches breakfast is frozen pancakes, warm syrup, and a parfait. I always cook up some frozen hash browns and serve OJ as well. A great family friendly breakfast done frugally. I hope ya'll enjoy!
Time Flies!
The week has whizzed by in a blur! Where does the time go?
I started my new in home childcare job on Monday, so we've all been trying to adapt to that. The parents' work schedule varies a lot, so it's been interesting. Thank goodness the kids are sweethearts! The only real trouble has been from my daughter, who is not much liking having to share the attention. Having an infant in the house for the first time in eight years as been pretty interesting as well. I salute all you mamas with babies; I'd forgotten how challenging it can be!
I've also been ill with a nasty allergy/sinus/upper respiratory thing. Fun! At least I feel like I can breath today! Feeling like you cannot breath is not my cup of tea. I am hoping that it's finally getting better and going away.
Sorry for the sporadic posting this week. With both kids home together for pretty much the first time all summer, adding three more kids to the mix, feeling icky, and trying to get some sort of routine set, life has just been crazy. It is beginning to get better though. So, I do apologize and hope to be posting as usual from now on.
I started my new in home childcare job on Monday, so we've all been trying to adapt to that. The parents' work schedule varies a lot, so it's been interesting. Thank goodness the kids are sweethearts! The only real trouble has been from my daughter, who is not much liking having to share the attention. Having an infant in the house for the first time in eight years as been pretty interesting as well. I salute all you mamas with babies; I'd forgotten how challenging it can be!
I've also been ill with a nasty allergy/sinus/upper respiratory thing. Fun! At least I feel like I can breath today! Feeling like you cannot breath is not my cup of tea. I am hoping that it's finally getting better and going away.
Sorry for the sporadic posting this week. With both kids home together for pretty much the first time all summer, adding three more kids to the mix, feeling icky, and trying to get some sort of routine set, life has just been crazy. It is beginning to get better though. So, I do apologize and hope to be posting as usual from now on.
Bloggy Remodeling
13 August 2008
I am doing a bit of remodeling as I have time today. I should be finished by the end of the day.
Back to School Giveaway!
11 August 2008
Well, I promised another giveaway and here it is. I admit that I stole the idea for this giveaway from Frugal Hacks. Mine is a little different though. Since it is back to school time, I am offering you the chance to win the children's book of your choice from the great selection at Paperback Swap.
Here's how to enter:
Simply go to
, browse all the awesome books, then come back here and leave me a comment telling me what book you'd choose if you won. Pretty easy huh? If you are not already a member of PBS, you get two free books when you sign up and list your first ten books. So, you might want to give it a try. (Plus, you can earn book credits through referrals) You must have a US mailing address to enter. The giveaway will be open until August 22, 2008. I will pick a winner, via random drawing at 7pm CST on the 22nd.
All you have to do to earn a second entry is leave an additional comment telling me your all time favorite children's book, or just one you consider a must read!
Here's how to enter:
Simply go to
, browse all the awesome books, then come back here and leave me a comment telling me what book you'd choose if you won. Pretty easy huh? If you are not already a member of PBS, you get two free books when you sign up and list your first ten books. So, you might want to give it a try. (Plus, you can earn book credits through referrals) You must have a US mailing address to enter. The giveaway will be open until August 22, 2008. I will pick a winner, via random drawing at 7pm CST on the 22nd.All you have to do to earn a second entry is leave an additional comment telling me your all time favorite children's book, or just one you consider a must read!
1930s Housewife Quiz
09 August 2008
I found this on my sister in law's blog. Thanks for sharing Abby!
 | 77 As a 1930s wife, I am |
Back to School Event
08 August 2008
Mommies United is having a Back to School Event August 18th -25th. I like bloggy events a lot. And a back to school one sounds like fun to me! We are on the final countdown here, one kid thrilled, one not so thrilled, one mama counting down the minutes. Anyway, head over there and check it out! They even have prizes!
Eating Out At Home - Red Lobster Style
I have been really craving seafood lately. So today I decided to feature the recipes that make up my favorite meal at a certain well known seafood restaraunt. I am drooling while I type, lol. Enjoy!
For a starter we have Bacon Wrapped Scallops. My favorite entree is Shrimp Scampi and Shrimp Linguini Alfredo. With this I love a good Caesar salad (this recipe rocks!) and lots of warm cheddar biscuits. Then some yummy Chocolate Wave Cake for dessert. Now that's a yummy meal!
For a starter we have Bacon Wrapped Scallops. My favorite entree is Shrimp Scampi and Shrimp Linguini Alfredo. With this I love a good Caesar salad (this recipe rocks!) and lots of warm cheddar biscuits. Then some yummy Chocolate Wave Cake for dessert. Now that's a yummy meal!
Taking A Step Back - I'm a Coupon Junkie
07 August 2008
I have to confess something: I am a coupon junkie. Now you may laugh at that, but it's true. It took me getting away from how I'd been shopping to realize how much of an addiction I have. I felt that I HAD to go to CVS weekly, sometimes several times a week. Things didn't even have to be "money makers" there, if it came out to be free then I wanted it. It had nothing to do with need. It was a compulsion. The same thing with the grocery store. If it was free after coupon, I would go and get it. I felt that I must. Why not? After all it was a freebie.
Now, I have never been wasteful with things I get this way. We use them, donate them, send them to the troops, or pass them on to a neighbor. I don't want you thinking I have shelves full of things we will never use collecting dust. Waste was never an issue. I felt that I was doing a good deed by passing things along.
After moving to a new town, I've had lots of time to think and pray about things. I realize now that I was doing a good thing, but with wrong motivation. I loved the thrill of the hunt for great deals. I adored getting free stuff, regardless of what it was. I had a burning desire to shop, which is very much out of character for me. I was doing all of it for me, how it made me feel.
Now I know better. I still faithfully clip coupons and scope out fantastic deals. I am still passionate about frugal living, doing the absolute best I can with as little expense as possible. I still love teaching others how to live well on less. But, I don't do it for how it makes me feel. I no longer get anxious and tense over missing a great deal. Sure, I get disappointed from time to time. And I do sometimes really miss CVS, but it doesn't consume me. I no longer have the burning desire to rush out shopping. When the stockpile gets low, I restock, but I don't add to it all the time. I once felt like I had to do this or we'd starve. I would truly like to have a better food stockpile, but I now realize that will come in time. For the longest I was motivated by envy and jealousy, thinking"I want a stockpile like Jane Doe's! I have to get a huge stockpile RIGHT NOW!" This had very little to do with taking care of my family and everything to do with my selfishness and greed.
Things are different now. I do what I do because it is responsible, it is being a good steward, it blesses my family. And I feel so great! Before I was wound up rather tightly and all my focus was on how well I did with my couponing. I think a lot of us get caught up in the euphoria of scoring great deals. There is something extremely satisfying about knowing you are feeding your family better than ever on less than you ever dreamed. Just make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Don't let it consume you.
This has been on my heart for a while now. I know a lot of you bloggers out there are very like minded as far as why you do the things you do. I just wanted to share what I had struggled with so it might help others. Maybe I am in a select few who got "hooked on the coupon high" I don't know. But, I just felt this needed to be shared.
Now, I have never been wasteful with things I get this way. We use them, donate them, send them to the troops, or pass them on to a neighbor. I don't want you thinking I have shelves full of things we will never use collecting dust. Waste was never an issue. I felt that I was doing a good deed by passing things along.
After moving to a new town, I've had lots of time to think and pray about things. I realize now that I was doing a good thing, but with wrong motivation. I loved the thrill of the hunt for great deals. I adored getting free stuff, regardless of what it was. I had a burning desire to shop, which is very much out of character for me. I was doing all of it for me, how it made me feel.
Now I know better. I still faithfully clip coupons and scope out fantastic deals. I am still passionate about frugal living, doing the absolute best I can with as little expense as possible. I still love teaching others how to live well on less. But, I don't do it for how it makes me feel. I no longer get anxious and tense over missing a great deal. Sure, I get disappointed from time to time. And I do sometimes really miss CVS, but it doesn't consume me. I no longer have the burning desire to rush out shopping. When the stockpile gets low, I restock, but I don't add to it all the time. I once felt like I had to do this or we'd starve. I would truly like to have a better food stockpile, but I now realize that will come in time. For the longest I was motivated by envy and jealousy, thinking"I want a stockpile like Jane Doe's! I have to get a huge stockpile RIGHT NOW!" This had very little to do with taking care of my family and everything to do with my selfishness and greed.
Things are different now. I do what I do because it is responsible, it is being a good steward, it blesses my family. And I feel so great! Before I was wound up rather tightly and all my focus was on how well I did with my couponing. I think a lot of us get caught up in the euphoria of scoring great deals. There is something extremely satisfying about knowing you are feeding your family better than ever on less than you ever dreamed. Just make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. Don't let it consume you.
This has been on my heart for a while now. I know a lot of you bloggers out there are very like minded as far as why you do the things you do. I just wanted to share what I had struggled with so it might help others. Maybe I am in a select few who got "hooked on the coupon high" I don't know. But, I just felt this needed to be shared.
Thankful Thursday - Blessings Abound
The past few days have seen big changes for my family. I am soon going to be caring for a friend's children in my home. This is a blessing for us both. She can work and know that her kids are being well cared for at a reasonable price. It blesses our family with extra income, as well as gives my kids more time with their friends. I am really looking forward to it, as I've really missed working with children. Neither of us was looking for this, but I am so glad it happened! God works in mysterious ways!
I am just so thankful for how God has touched our lives since we moved. For the first time in many years I know we are listening to Him and it shows. I am thankful for the fact that our family is thriving, we have friends, great neighbors, and are making a real home here. Thank you so much Lord!
And the Winner Is......
04 August 2008
P.S. He loves you... said...
I could do this..great giveaway!
July 30, 2008 9:46 AM
Congratulations!
Thanks to all who entered the giveaway. Keep watching, there will be another giveaway up by the end of the week!
I could do this..great giveaway!
July 30, 2008 9:46 AM
Congratulations!
Thanks to all who entered the giveaway. Keep watching, there will be another giveaway up by the end of the week!
Menu Plan Monday
Click here for more yummy menu plans over at Org Junkie!
It's another week of crock pot cooking and/or not cooking at all. I love a nice crisp salad in the hot summertime! In case you think I'm crazy for planning soups, I'm having a lot of dental work done this week, so figured soup might be just the thing. Enjoy!
Monday:
Country Chicken and Vegetables - This sounds really yummy!
Tuesday:
Mexican Chef Salad - A summer time favorite!
Wednesday:
Lima Bean and Kielbasa Soup This one is new, sounds like DH's cup of tea.
Thursday:
Crock pot meatloaf, field peas, spinach
Friday:
BLT, tater tots, fruit salad
It's another week of crock pot cooking and/or not cooking at all. I love a nice crisp salad in the hot summertime! In case you think I'm crazy for planning soups, I'm having a lot of dental work done this week, so figured soup might be just the thing. Enjoy!
Monday:
Country Chicken and Vegetables - This sounds really yummy!
Tuesday:
Mexican Chef Salad - A summer time favorite!
Wednesday:
Lima Bean and Kielbasa Soup This one is new, sounds like DH's cup of tea.
Thursday:
Crock pot meatloaf, field peas, spinach
Friday:
BLT, tater tots, fruit salad
Fallen Off the Wagon
I confess, I've fallen off the wagon and I'm just sick about it. Since we've moved I haven't done any major shopping. Our stockpile is down to bare bones and I now don't have access to my awesome doubles & triples grocery store. It makes me a little panicky.I still clip and file my coupons, I'm all sorts of organized. I just very rarely leave the house. We did go to Stephenville and shop at HEB and Piggly Wiggly. The pig had awesome meat at a great price. HEB seems to have a few good deals. But neither allows me to shop the way I've been doing. I need to figure these new stores out. I will not admit defeat and start paying full price for stuff! There are deals to be had, I just have to find them!
So, to all you coupon queens out there in the land of no doubles, how do you do it? Here in Podunk my only options are Brookshires, Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Alco.
So, to all you coupon queens out there in the land of no doubles, how do you do it? Here in Podunk my only options are Brookshires, Dollar General, Family Dollar, and Alco.
I Love Christams Movies
03 August 2008
I've read several blog posts lately concerning preparing for the holiday early. That is something I will be doing and writing about over the next few weeks. The whole topic has me thinking about how much I love Christmas movies. They are truly one of my most favorite things. Oh and the Christmas TV specials! Granted they are not as good as they once were, but I have fond memories of many. Movies and specials like:
Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas to Remember - I loved the dancing and great songs. My mom taped this off TV onto VHS and we watched it every year until the tape no longer played. I miss it, but have been unable to find a copy to buy.
The Christmas Toy Another great childhood favorite! I wish I had this to share with my kiddos.
Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus This one was great! It features Charles Bronson, Richard Thomas, and Ed Asner
A Smoky Mountain Christmas Another Dolly Parton. Can you tell I grew up around country music? I loved it as a child and my kids loved it when we found it on CMT.
The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story - Oh how I wish I could find a copy of this wonderful movie! I remember watching it with my grandparents. In my opinion it is one of the most beautiful Christmas movies ever made! It features Lee Remick, Angela Lansbury, and Polly Holiday.
The Night They Saved Christmas Another one I'd love to share with my kiddos!
The Christmas Gift John Denver and a great cast! Yet another I loved as a child.
I'll Be Home for Christmas This plays sometimes on Lifetime during the holidays. My mother and I would watch it every Christmas. Great, yet a tear jerker.
I so wish I could find any of those listed above on DVD.
White Christmas I love the classics. When I was about 8 I had the biggest crush on Bing Crosby. Plus, I could watch Vera-Ellen dance for hours on end! The woman was top notch! It's funny that when you grow up watching classic movies, you have no grasp of how old these movies really are.
It's a Wonderful Life Do I really need to explain?
Christmas in Connecticut Fun, fun, fun! The remake's not bad, but this one is better!
3 Godfathers The Duke does Christmas. Truly touching movie.
The Christmas Box Maureen O'Hara, I love her.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever This was a made for TV movie as well, but I have been able to find it on DVD.
Wow! Now I'm all in a holiday mood. I think Ashley and I'll go snuggle up with How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the original of course. So what if it's 102 outside!
I'd love to hear what your favorite holiday flicks are!
Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas to Remember - I loved the dancing and great songs. My mom taped this off TV onto VHS and we watched it every year until the tape no longer played. I miss it, but have been unable to find a copy to buy.
The Christmas Toy Another great childhood favorite! I wish I had this to share with my kiddos.
Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus This one was great! It features Charles Bronson, Richard Thomas, and Ed Asner
A Smoky Mountain Christmas Another Dolly Parton. Can you tell I grew up around country music? I loved it as a child and my kids loved it when we found it on CMT.
The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story - Oh how I wish I could find a copy of this wonderful movie! I remember watching it with my grandparents. In my opinion it is one of the most beautiful Christmas movies ever made! It features Lee Remick, Angela Lansbury, and Polly Holiday.
The Night They Saved Christmas Another one I'd love to share with my kiddos!
The Christmas Gift John Denver and a great cast! Yet another I loved as a child.
I'll Be Home for Christmas This plays sometimes on Lifetime during the holidays. My mother and I would watch it every Christmas. Great, yet a tear jerker.
I so wish I could find any of those listed above on DVD.
White Christmas I love the classics. When I was about 8 I had the biggest crush on Bing Crosby. Plus, I could watch Vera-Ellen dance for hours on end! The woman was top notch! It's funny that when you grow up watching classic movies, you have no grasp of how old these movies really are.
It's a Wonderful Life Do I really need to explain?
Christmas in Connecticut Fun, fun, fun! The remake's not bad, but this one is better!
3 Godfathers The Duke does Christmas. Truly touching movie.
The Christmas Box Maureen O'Hara, I love her.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever This was a made for TV movie as well, but I have been able to find it on DVD.
Wow! Now I'm all in a holiday mood. I think Ashley and I'll go snuggle up with How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the original of course. So what if it's 102 outside!
I'd love to hear what your favorite holiday flicks are!
Sunday Waffles
Our "big" breakfast every week in on Sunday. We eat a late breakfast in bed, with the whole lot of us piled up in bed watching old movies. We all look forward to it every week.
This week, DH had a mandatory store meeting, so he decided to spend the day at my grandparents house helping Pop since it was closer to the store. A kill two birds with one stone type of thing. So, he left early without breakfast. I offered him a pop tart, but I think he was going to get the yummy breakfast burritos on the way out of town.
Anyway, I wanted to stay in bed, I'd slept awful, having nightmares about Dick Van Dyke all night. But, I had things to do. I threw on a robe, went out and started a load of laundry. Pretty good for 6am I thought. Then back in to make Little Miss some waffles. They stuck. No matter what I did, they stuck to the waffle iron. Two out of a batch of 14 came out and they were so sweet tasting you didn't want to eat them. No more Mrs. Butterworth's mix for this family! Little Miss greedily ate these two and asked for more, but by that time the batter was gone and I was a very frustrated mama. So, we had Count Chocula, breakfast of champions, with coffee and OJ. So much for waffles.
From now on, Sunday breakfast will always be our norm: cowboy scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, and toast. No more spur of the moment ideas.
Hope you all have a great Sunday!
This week, DH had a mandatory store meeting, so he decided to spend the day at my grandparents house helping Pop since it was closer to the store. A kill two birds with one stone type of thing. So, he left early without breakfast. I offered him a pop tart, but I think he was going to get the yummy breakfast burritos on the way out of town.
Anyway, I wanted to stay in bed, I'd slept awful, having nightmares about Dick Van Dyke all night. But, I had things to do. I threw on a robe, went out and started a load of laundry. Pretty good for 6am I thought. Then back in to make Little Miss some waffles. They stuck. No matter what I did, they stuck to the waffle iron. Two out of a batch of 14 came out and they were so sweet tasting you didn't want to eat them. No more Mrs. Butterworth's mix for this family! Little Miss greedily ate these two and asked for more, but by that time the batter was gone and I was a very frustrated mama. So, we had Count Chocula, breakfast of champions, with coffee and OJ. So much for waffles.
From now on, Sunday breakfast will always be our norm: cowboy scrambled eggs, bacon or sausage, and toast. No more spur of the moment ideas.
Hope you all have a great Sunday!
Eating Out At Home - Chinese Style
01 August 2008
My whole family loves Chinese food! But, taking all 4 of us out to eat runs over $50! So, I went on a mission to find great tasting Chinese that I could cook at home. I will freely admit that we ate some yucky stuff before finding the things we enjoyed. This process took several years. So, these are the recipes we love. I want to acknowledge my wonderful family for putting up with the Chinese experiments until I found the "right" recipes.
Shrimp Toast - Little Miss could eat her weight in these!
Crab Rangoon - These are in my top 5 favorite foods on earth! This recipe is great! We had tried at least 5 others, and this was the hands down favorite!
Egg Drop Soup - This was actually much easier than I thought it would be.
Egg Rolls
Sweet & Sour Chicken (or pork)
Moo Goo Gai Pan
General Tso's Chicken - We had all sorts of hot peppers in the garden this year, so this was a great way to use them!
Lemon Chicken - Both the kids just devour this dish! I cannot make it without thinking about "Everybody Loves Raymond" and how lemon chicken seems to be the only thing his wife can or does cook.
When we cook Chinese food or just a quick stir fry, we always make Dan's fried rice. It's really simple. He cooks white rice, using slightly less water than called for. You want your rice done, but not in the overcooked, mushy stage. He sautes chopped onions, zucchini, and mushrooms in a little oil, then adds stir fry sauce (we love House of Tsang). Then he adds a small bag of frozen peas and carrots, the cooked rice, and more stir fry sauce until everything gets browned and the veggies are crisp tender. Then he scrambles a couple of eggs into the mix and that's it!
And to top it all off we have my favorite, almond cookies. I really, really like these!
I haven't gotten brave enough to try making my own fortune cookies, but I will one day. Sounds like a fun project for me and the kiddos.
I hope you and yours enjoy these recipes as much as our family does.
P.S. If there are any restaurants you'd like me to feature in Eating Out At Home, just leave me a comment and I'll do my best. I have hundreds of recipes and copycat recipes from lots of places and I love sharing them.
Shrimp Toast - Little Miss could eat her weight in these!
Crab Rangoon - These are in my top 5 favorite foods on earth! This recipe is great! We had tried at least 5 others, and this was the hands down favorite!
Egg Drop Soup - This was actually much easier than I thought it would be.
Egg Rolls
Sweet & Sour Chicken (or pork)
Moo Goo Gai Pan
General Tso's Chicken - We had all sorts of hot peppers in the garden this year, so this was a great way to use them!
Lemon Chicken - Both the kids just devour this dish! I cannot make it without thinking about "Everybody Loves Raymond" and how lemon chicken seems to be the only thing his wife can or does cook.
When we cook Chinese food or just a quick stir fry, we always make Dan's fried rice. It's really simple. He cooks white rice, using slightly less water than called for. You want your rice done, but not in the overcooked, mushy stage. He sautes chopped onions, zucchini, and mushrooms in a little oil, then adds stir fry sauce (we love House of Tsang). Then he adds a small bag of frozen peas and carrots, the cooked rice, and more stir fry sauce until everything gets browned and the veggies are crisp tender. Then he scrambles a couple of eggs into the mix and that's it!
And to top it all off we have my favorite, almond cookies. I really, really like these!
I haven't gotten brave enough to try making my own fortune cookies, but I will one day. Sounds like a fun project for me and the kiddos.
I hope you and yours enjoy these recipes as much as our family does.
P.S. If there are any restaurants you'd like me to feature in Eating Out At Home, just leave me a comment and I'll do my best. I have hundreds of recipes and copycat recipes from lots of places and I love sharing them.
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