Menu Plan Monday Week of 11/28

I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving.  Ours was quiet, we visited family and spent the last part of the evening visiting with our neighbors.  My son comes home tomorrow after a week away, I can hardly wait!

I've enjoyed my week off, playing with my new toy.  In fact, I enjoyed my iPad so much that I didn't start on report cards until today.  After putting in a good 2 ours of work, I promptly lost all the work I had done. Talk about frustrating!  I came back home and cleaned the kitchen (with my stepson's help) and went back to work on report cards.  So frustrating!  With all that work to do this week, its essential that I have a plan this week.  If I don't we will eat out almost every night!

Here's this week's plan:
Sunday: Turkey Tortilla Soup

Monday: Sausage and Rice Casserole
               (Crock pot Moday)

Tuesday: Tacos

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Chicken and Broccoli rolls with salad

Friday:  Pizza (probably ordering out, since report cards go home today)

Enjoy your week!  More menu planning at www.orgjunkie.com

Christmas Gift Ideas

Every year, I make my in-laws a calendar for Christmas.  My mother-in-law hints every year that she wants one, so it makes her gift on the list easy!  The first year I made her one was the year before I married my husband.  My stepson was 14 and my son was 3.  I was able to gather my pictures and upload them and make a beautiful calendar for her, my son's grandma, and I even snuck in one for me at work and one for us here at home.  Unfortunately, my step-son, now 17 1/2 thinks he's too cool for pictures.  I have to scrounge or hide to get pictures of him.  Fortunately, my 6 year old is eager to have pictures taken.  Its a wonderful personalized gift and happily received by the people in my family!

As for Christmas Cards, I am trying to decide between a few...

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/charming-dotted-ribbon-christmas-card?sortType=1&storeNode=93496

or this one

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/frosted-frame-christmas-card-5x7-flat?sortType=1&storeNode=93491

or

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/cards-stationery/2010-wishes-christmas-card-5x7-flat?sortType=1&storeNode=93491

Now to just get the pictures I want to use this year!

If you'd like to participate in the 50 card giveaway that Shutterfly is doing for bloggers, go to this link and send them your information!

Pinecone Turkey

My son is with his dad for Thanksgiving this week. Before he left, we made these together. So fun and so cute!

Here's the tutorial from Family Fun:

http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/tiny-toms-661426/

I also made them with my first graders this year since I have lots of kids with allergies and have to be very careful with food projects.

Menu Plan Monday week of 11/22

My husband has been working a lot lately. His company has been forcing overtime. Its hard when he works all those hours, but this year, I got a new toy because of all those hours! I am posting this week's menu plan from my new iPad! I have to admit, I'm in love! It's so fun to play with and read on! We even found a lavender case for my iPad! OK enough about my love for apple products, now to this week' meal plan...

Monday: I made spagetti and meatballs last night, tonight we are having meatball sandwiches

Tuesday: panini sandwiches with prosciutto, fontina and artichokes

Wednesday: Crispy pepper and Parmesan pork cutlets

Thursday: thanksgiving with in-laws and dessert with our neighbors

Friday: leftovers

Happy thanksgiving!

For more menu planning ideas, visit www.orgjunkie.com

New shirt from old!

Last weekend, I decided to take an old shirt and make it new again.  I cut circles for a couple old t-shirts that had shrunk or were looking a bit worn.  I folded the circles in quarters and hand-sewed each one on my shirt.  Here's what the finished product was:

Sorry the picture is bad, I used my phone to take it.
I inked this post to:



www.somedaycrafts.blogspot.com

Yummy snack

I made these today and decided I wanted a pumpkin dip to go with is.

Here's my pumpkin dip recipe:

1/2 can pumpkin
1/2 cup 0% Greek yogurt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup powdered sugar

I wanted to use agave syrup, but I was completely out and didn't realize it!

Mix together all ingredients.  I went for more on the tart side with this because the pretzels are on the sweet side.  What a delicious snack!

Easy Spinach and Turkey Lasagna

This was a big hit in our house tonight, so I thought I'd share the recipe.

1 lb ground turkey
3 cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups fresh spinach, cleaned and shredded
2 cups part skim mozerella, grated
2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes
1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese
no-boil lasagna noodles
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown turkey in skillet.  As it begins to brown, add garlic, salt and pepper.  Cover bottom of square baking dish with a light layer of olive oil.  Layer noodles, turkey, 1 can of tomatoes, 1 cup of spinach, and mozerella.  Repeat layers again.  Add parmesan to the top of the final layer.  Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

I'm linking to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday over at Blessed With Grace

Awesome Giveaway!

I just love these quilts!  Thought I'd share!

Good luck!

http://pinkfigdesign.blogspot.com/

Injured!

I'm not sure if I mentioned it last week or not, but I hurt my knee last week.  It has gotten worse by the day.   On Thursday, after my son's dentist appointment, we went to see the doctor who did my knee surgery 4 years ago.  I've decided that between my knee and ankle on my left side, I am going to just try to get a replacement!

So the doctor prescribed an anti-inflammatory, sent me to get an MRI and to do PT for a month.  Getting to PT after a long day of work and a long day at school for my little man should be interesting.

On Saturday, my dad, my husband, little man and I went to the Cal football game.  Getting to these games requires a lot of walking.  By the end of the day and yesterday, I was in a lot of pain, even with the prescription from the doctor.

So, the reason I am telling you all this is that despite my endeavors to post a meal plan and go grocery shopping yesterday, I am not sure how well cooking will go this week after a long day at work.  I didn't get the lasagna in the crock pot last night, but I am hoping to make it when we go home and get it in the oven before we leave for karate.  I'm very thankful for pizza night tomorrow after my first PT appointment!  I'll keep you posted.

Menu Plan week of 11/15

I have another week of work, and then I have a week off for Thanksgiving.  Report cards will have to be done that week, along with a bunch of appointments and a couple lunches with friends.  I'm also looking forward to finishing up a couple projects I've been working on.  I am also hoping to finish the books I'm reading.  When my son is gone with his dad, I try to keep myself busy so I don't think about how much I miss him!

OK, back to this week.  Here's our plan:

Monday: Crockpot lasagna
Tuesday: pizza out with friends
Wednesday:  leftovers
Thursday: Broccoli, Chicken and Rice Casserole
Friday: Fish sandwiches with garlic oven fries

More meal planning at www.orgjunkie.com

Yes, I know I'm mostly a food blogger, but...

This year, you are not going to find forays into the goings on in my kitchen for Thanksgiving.  In fact, you will probably only get craft stuff from me and some whines!  My son is with his dad for Thanksgiving this year.  My husband and I have been going back and forth about how we want to spend Thanksgiving this year.  If it were up to me, my wonderful hubby and I would take off for a few days and we would pretend it wasn't Thanksgiving.  This is so contradictory for me and the way I live my life.  I am generally a positive, look at the glass half full, see the silver lining type person.  The years he's not with us for Christmas are hard, but we just reschedule Christmas.  The fact that I get 2 week off that time of year make it easier.  Thanksgiving is one of those days I just can't get over.  Its not like Thanksgiving can be rescheduled.  So, I am being thankful for what I have this Thanksgiving, but I'm still going to miss my 6 year old a TON!  And I've decided we need to win the lottery tomorrow so we can take off for the weekend!

What do you do when holidays hold painful memories?  How do you get past those memories and enjoy the present?

Veteran's Day

On this day that I have off and on a day when we honor those who have fought for our country,  I want to take a moment to say thank you to all the men and women who have fought for us and our freedoms.  I am proud to have a Grandfather, father, and brother who have been in the Army and given part of their lives to ensure that we have those freedoms.  Thank you!

Later today, I will post more of my latest craft designs and my macaroni and cheese recipe that's famous at least with my 6 year old!

Yummy!

I think I will have to have one of these this afternoon for my afternoon snack!  YUMMY!

http://alli-n-son.com/2010/11/07/pumpkin-spice-latte/

Weekly Menu Plan 11/8

Today, I woke up to my husband calling from work, he's not working tomorrow!  I should be cleaning house and getting chores done today, but I've been pretty lazy.  I started sewing a patchwork rug for our kitchen, and I'm watching football.  I think it will soon be naptime!  I have Thursday and Friday off next week, so it will be a short week.  I made a huge pot of BBQ beef last night, so I think we're going to be eating leftovers for a while!

Here's what I'm making this week...

Monday: Beef burritos with leftover beef from Friday

Tuesday: Chicken Cordon Bleu sandwiches

Wednesday:  leftovers

Thursday: macaroni and cheese

Friday: dinner at my in-laws after a trip to the aquarium

Saturday: football game!

Sunday: pumpkin soup

For more menu planning ideas, go to www.orgjunkie.com

Crockpot Lentil and Mushroom soup

I've been in the mood for fall meals lately.  Fall and winter foods mean comfort food to me!

Last week, I stopped by Whole Foods and grabbed a cup of soup for myself.  The soup I grabbed was a lentil and mushroom delight.  Here is the recreation I made for Crockpot Monday in our house:

1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 32 oz. containers of chicken stock
1 lb bag of lentils
1-2 portobello mushrooms, cut into small cubes
2-3 sprigs of thyme
2-3 bay leaves, dried
salt and pepper
1/4-1/2 c. heavy cream

Place onions, garlic, 1 container of chicken stock, lentils, and spices in the crock pot and refrigerate over night.  In the morning, add the 2nd container of stock.  I find if I don't soak my lentils over night, they are crunchy in the soup the next day.

Cook on low for 6 hours.

Right before serving, add cream and stir.  I served it with a garlic cheese bread toasted and topped with avocado and a small amount of shredded cheese.  My son and I both had seconds!  I can't wait for leftover night tonight!