Menu Plan Monday, November 30 - December 5

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving last week! I didn't plan a menu last week and really regretted it a few days, I hadn't realized how much I have come to rely on my menu planning. It's going to be a fairly simple week as far as cooking goes this week, I have a few items in my freezer I need to use up and I haven't been feeling very well so I just don't really feel like doing a bunch of cooking.

Here's what I have lined up for us this week:

Monday - Stuffed Pork Chops, My Grandmothers Green Beans, Sweet Dinner Rolls

Tuesday - Italian Skillet Supper Recipe, Bread Machine French Bread

Wednesday - Shrimp and Vegetable Stir-Fry, White Rice

Thursday - Chicken Fried Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Cornbread

Friday - Anna's Amazing Easy Pleasy Meatballs over Buttered Noodles (This recipe as written is for 24 servings so use the calculate button to adjust the recipe to fit your needs)

For more Menu Plan Monday ideas be sure to visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Show and Tell Friday - Images of Thanksgiving

I hope everyone else had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Here are some pictures from our day yesterday!

Our Table

I managed to snag these glasses and plates at our local grocery store on sale for 90 percent off. I paid only twelve cents a piece for them and I think they look beautiful. I made the napkins.

This is Bartholomew, our pilgrim that we found at Cracker Barrel.


Our turkey that my husband deep fried. It tasted great.

Our Pumpkin Cake - of course I forgot to take a picture of it BEFORE I cut it so here is a picture of the back side. It looked much better before we cut it.

Our German Chocolate Cake which was so moist it split in the middle. What is Thanksgiving without a few hiccups?

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies.....

For more Show and Tell Friday posts please visit My Romantic Home.

Thank you Tip Nut!

I don't know about you but I absolutely love Tip Nut. If you haven't taken the time to visit their website you really should, it's always full of really neat and useful information. I visit their website alot, so you can just imagine my suprise when I found my very own Bread Machine French Bread recipe listed in Tip Nut's recent post "22 Bread Machine Recipes: Breads, Rolls & More". Thank you Tip Nut!

Thanksgiving Blessing Tree

I have been meaning to post this for a while but time just got away from me this year. This year we decided to make sure and give Thanksgiving the honor it deserves in our home as a holiday.

We started out by counting down the days to Thanksgiving. I made this little pockets out of felt to help us count down the days. I then hung them from ribbons using clothespins starting twenty days before Christmas.

The pockets are sewn rough, they are meant to look like that I wanted to give them the rustic look.

In each pocket I placed seven leaves. One leaf had a bible verse for the day written on it and the other six leaves were left blank. Each night after supper we would read the bible verse, and then each one of us would write what we were thankful for on our leaf.

Once we wrote what we were thankful for on our leaf we would hang it on our Blessing Tree.

This is what our tree looked like at the beginning of the month, now the tree is completely covered.

My Grandmother's Green Beans

Growing up I always loved my grandmother's green beans, they were delicious and my favorite vegetable. Here is the recipe that she always used.

Quart Jar of Green Beans (you can use a can of green beans in place of the fresh green beans)

1/2 small onion, minced

3-4 slices of bacon

Salt and Pepper to taste

In the bottom of a skillet fry bacon, and set aside to cool a little. In the bacon grease fry minced onions until translucent. Dump the onions and the bacon grease into a saucepan. Be sure to add the bacon grease this is where the flavor comes from Add in the green beans. Crumble the fried bacon up into small pieces and add into the mixture. Salt and Pepper to taste, be sure to be generous with the pepper! Bring the beans to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for fifteen minutes.

Thanksgiving Dinner Menu

I love Thanksgiving it's the one time of year when I get to fix all of the goodies that we don't normally eat during the year. Here is what we have on our menu for tommorow:

Deep Fried Turkey (yes, I know this isn't healthy but this is where I give in to my husband)

Stuffing

Sweet Potato Casserole

Homemade Mashed Potatoes

Deviled Eggs

Candied Carrots

Stewed Tomatoes

Brocolli Casserole

My Grandmother's Green Beans

Cinnamon Apple Rings

Buttery Bread Machine Rolls

Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

My grandmother will be bringing Chocolate Pie, Blueberry Pie and Dutch Apple Pie.

What's on your menu for the big day?

Holiday Hustle and Bustle

You may have noticed that I haven't posted a lot over the past few weeks, it's a crazy time of year for me (as it is for most people) and I just haven't found the time to blog. I didn't even post a menu plan for this week because we are going without one (GASP!). On Monday night my husband fixed Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwiches for us all, and last night we ordered pizza. We have chili cooking in the crockpot for supper tonight, I like to take it easy right before a big holiday. We will be having fifteen people over for lunch tommorow with the possibility of another four stopping by in the afternoon.

I will be spending the day today cleaning the house, cooking, and getting ready for tommorow. I love holidays but boy are they work!

The good news is that I have almost all of my Christmas shopping done. I have one of my daughter's completely done, another daughter that I just need to find a set of pajamas for, and I just have a few more things to pick up for my youngest son. Now my oldest son is the only one I am having a problem with, at this point I have yet to buy the first thing for him.

I will not be getting out on Friday to go shopping. I avoid Black Friday like the plague. I know I am in the minority but to me it is worth the extra money to avoid the lines. I have gone shopping on Black Friday before but I have never gotten the great deals that everybody else seems to get. Instead of shopping I will be staying home, putting up my Thanksgiving items and pulling out all of my Christmas decorations!

Then on Saturday we will be going to my grandmother's to celebrate Thanksgiving with them and to visit with my sister who is in from Chicago.

And if that isn't enough I have to get my apron finished for the White Christmas Flirty Apron Swap by November 30th!

So if I don't post a lot over the next few weeks you know I am still here but I am just busy, busy, busy.

Menu Plan Monday, November 16th to 22nd

Last week was a busy week for us. We tried several new recipes, and for the most part they went well. We absolutely loved the Foil Pack Chicken Fajita Dinner. It was a great meal, but I didn't realize how much the rice would swell up and I used way too much rice. We had to run to town Saturday morning to take care of some paperwork so I didn't get to make Dad's Pancakes or the White Sauce.

This week is set up to be another very busy week. I have several new recipes planned, and on Saturday we are having my in-laws up to celebrate my father-in-laws birthday. Plus there is all the pre-Thanksgiving work that needs to be done.

Monday - Olive Garden's Chicken Marsala served over noodles, Bread Machine French Bread

Tuesday - Polynesian Sausage Supper

Wednesday - Steaks, Macaroni and Cheese, Baked Beans, Sweet Dinner Rolls

Thursday - Buttermilk Baked Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Sweet and Sour Green Beans, Johnny Cakes

Friday - Hamburgers, Homemade Hamburger Buns, Applebee's Onion Petals

Saturday - Carolina Pulled Pork with Lexington Red Sauce (I will be using a beef brisket instead of pork), Grilled Bacon Wrapped Cabbage, The Best Baked Potatoes, Baked Beans, Buttery Bread Machine Rolls, German Chocolate Cake


For more Menu Plan Monday Posts you can visit I'm An Organizing Junkie.

Giveaway at Living on 4th Street

Jody at Living on 4th Street is hosting her very first giveaway, and in the spirit of Thanksgiving is giving away a handsewn "Give Thanks" banner. You only have until Wednesday morning to sign up so be sure to head on over there, and even if you don't want to sign up for the giveaway you should definetly check out her blog, she always has the most interesting posts on there, as well as some delicious recipes!

After the Holidays Shopping Trip - What a Deal

Am I the only one who likes to shop for the holidays AFTER the holidays are over? I love shopping the after holiday sales and getting holiday items for as much as 90 percent off.

Our local grocery store has had these guys in their holiday aisle for quite a while now, and I noticed them everytime I went by but they wanted $24.99 a piece for them before Halloween.
That would be $80.21 after taxes for all three. I just could not see spending that. So I watched them, and I watched them and.....

yesterday I went into the store and they were marked 75% off. In my head that was still around $6 or $7 a piece, not bad but still more than I wanted to spend. So I asked the cashier to scan them anyways to make sure exactly what their price was AND......

they scanned for $2.49 each! I paid $7.99 after taxes for all three of these guys! What a deal when compared to the original $80.21 the three of them would have originally cost me! So for now they are going to go into a tote until next Halloween!

Show and Tell Friday - Wall Art

When visiting other blogs I find myself coveting their beautiful vintage homes. I would love to have a beautiful turn of the century home, it wouldn't even have to be a big one, I would settle for a small farmhouse, but instead of the chic country look I am stuck with a modern house full of shades of browns and reds. I really guess stuck isn't the correct word but sometimes it's how I feel. This past Sunday our pastor spoke about contentment, and I must admit it is one place where I fall short. Believe me I feel very blessed to have my home, and all that God has given me but many times I find myself wishing for more. I sit in my house and think about the new carpet I want, or the tile floors I want in my dining room, or the new countertops, or the new bedroom furnishings I want, the list goes on and on but I forget that I need to be content with what God has given me. He has blessed me with so many things, and provides for me in so many ways. So today instead of thinking about all that I don't have for my home I thought I would share what wall art I do have.

This painting hangs in my living room above my couch. I love the bright red flower, it always cheers me up.

This painting is in our family room. It is based on the picture of God and Adam painted on the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo. It reminds me of the fact that while we are reaching up to God he is also reaching down to us.

These giraffes hang in my hall. They are not my favorites but they are large enough to fill the space.

This plague hangs in our dining room. I bought it shortly after we moved in. Our family is very blessed, as all families are, but our family has had to overcome several huge obstacles in the past year. My husband was in a severe car wreck in March of 2008, and suffered some very serious injuries. He broke three vertebrates in his neck (which required surgery several months later to fuse the vertebrates), he broke his sternum, tore his rotator cuff, broke several ribs in several different spots, suffered from several internal injuries, and has a Traumatic Brain Injury. He can walk, talk, and still function but he can no longer work. He has good days and bad days, but he is here. This plague reminds me of how blessed our family is to still have him, and how God has provided for us since. Thanks to him I am still able to stay home with my children, as had been our plan, and still survive. We have had to readjust our spending, and have significantly changed our lifestyle but we are making it, which is such a blessing in today's economy. So when I think of all I want, the nice furniture, the new house, all the things that I do not need I try to remind myself of how blessed I really am and this plague really helps to remind me of this.

For more Show and Tell Friday posts please visit My Romantic Home.

The Simple Woman's Daybook, November 9th

Outside my window....yesterday's sunny skies are gone, now it's gray and overcast.

I am thinking....I can't believe Thanksgiving is almost here!

I am thankful for.....the little things in life, like chocolate.

I am wearing....a blue and white striped shirt and blue jeans

I am remembering....how much fun the kids had climbing the trees Saturday night when we were enjoying the unusually warm weather and cooking out.

I am going....shopping tommorow to try to find long sleeve red shirts for the girls to wear to school Wednesday for Veterans Day. It's proved harder to find a nice long sleeve red shirt than I thought it would be.

I am reading....still nothing! Promise you won't tell on me!

I am hoping....that this migraine goes away soon.

Pondering these words...."Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God hath done." From the song Count Your Blessings written by Johnson Oatman, Jr.

From the kitchen.....it's getting late and it's time for me to start on supper.

Around the house....I have the kids doing their least favorite thing - cleaning their rooms right now.

From my picture journal....

For more Simple Woman's Daybook posts please visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Seasoned Potatoes

We had originally planned on taking the kids to the Children's Museum yesterday but the weather was so beautiful we did not want to be indoors. With 70 degree days in November, the museum can wait until the yucky winter days when there is snow on the ground. Since we decided not to go to the museum we decided to stay home and grill out. We cooked steaks out on the grill along with our Bacon Wrapped Cabbage and our Seasoned Potatoes. It was a very delish meal and perfect grilling weather.

As I was cooking the potatoes I realized that I had not yet shared my Seasoned Potatoes recipe here yet. So here we go!

Ingredients:

3-5 large potatoes, cubed

1 small onion, diced

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon seasoned salt

In a small bowl mix potatoes, onions, and seasoned salt. Place mixture in an aluminum pouch, and add butter to top of mixture. I usually break the butter up and spread it across the top of the pouch. You can cook these on the grill for about forty-five minutes, or if you are not using your grill you can cook in a 450 degree oven.

Menu Plan Monday, November 9-15

Last week was another busy week, and our menu didn't go exactly as planned. While for the most part we did stick to our menu the Smoked Sausage Potatoes, Peppers & Onions as well as the Vegetable Soup with Hamburger got dropped from the menu. Although our Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup did find it's way onto the menu. I am hoping that I can stick to this week's menu a little better! Although I am wondering if I am doing the right thing this week since we are trying four new recipes this week, five new recipes if you count the White Sauce for Saturday's breakfast. I have said before I was going to keep it to two new recipes a week but there are just so many recipes on my list of things I want to try! I will let you know next week what I thought about all of the new recipes this week.

Monday - Foil Pack Chicken Fajitas (New recipe for us), Dressed-up Refried Beans

Tuesday - Saucy Ground Beef and Noodles (New recipe for us), Bread Machine French Bread
Wednesday - Carolina Pulled Pork with Lexington Red Sauce, Seasoned Potatoes, Bacon Wrapped Cabbage, Homemade Hamburger Buns

Thursday - Farmhouse Chicken (New recipe for us), Sweet Dinner Rolls

Friday - Super Easy Crockpot Meatball Hoagies

Saturday Breakfast - Dad's Homemade Pancakes, White Sauce

Saturday Dinner - Cubed Steaks with Gravy (New recipe for us), Mashed Potatoes, Corn, Buttery Bread Machine Rolls

Sunday - Eat out after church and leftovers for supper

For more Menu Plan Monday posts please visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Friday Show and Tell - Halloween Bags

I know it's been almost a week since Halloween, and I promise this will be my very last Halloween post for this year, but I just couldn't resist sharing the really cute Halloween bags I made this year.

Unfortunately I procrastinated this year and by the time I got to the store the majority of the Halloween fabric was already gone so I didn't have a lot to choose from. These are the bags I made for the boys, the inside of the bag is lined with solid black.

And these are the bags I made for the girls. These were my favorite, they are lined with hot pink satin, and they received so many compliments on them. I wish the boys bags had turned out this good!

For more Show and Tell Friday posts please visit My Romantic Home.

There's Nothing Better than Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

What's worse than having all four of my kids sick at the same time?

Having my husband sick.

Don't get me wrong, I love him to death but when he is sick he is the biggest baby in the world. Well, in case you haven't guessed it yet, he's sick. He has a cold and a sore throat, and last night he wanted soup for supper. So we moved around our menu for the week and had homemade chicken noodle soup.

Here's my recipe

8 cups water
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, diced (missing from the picture above because I didn't have any)
3 cubes of chicken bouillon ****see below****
1 bag of egg noodles

Mix all ingredients except the egg noodles into a stock pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-low heat to simmer. I like to allow the soup to simmer for about an hour, but it is not necessary, I didn't last night. About ten minutes before you are ready to serve add in the bag of egg noodles.

****Note about chicken bouillon****

I wanted to share the type of chicken bouillon that I use. It is Maggi brand it is absolutely my favorite, it has the best taste of any that I have tried. It can be kind of hard to find, and I can only find it at Meijers and one Kroger so I added a picture so that you can see what the box looks likes.

Wordless Wednesday - November 4th

For this week's Wordless Wednesday I thought I would share some pictures from this past weekend's camping trip.

The girls were upset that they had to wear sweatshirts with their costumes because it was soo cold....


Riding on the golf cart was the highlight of the weekend for the kids....

Sunshine's pumpkin that she painted (of course she got more paint on her shirt than the pumpkin).....

The boys were so excited to ride next to Cindy Bear on the hayride.....

Crockpot Wednesday - Chili Con Queso

This is one of my favorite crockpot recipes, and it is one that I cooked just this weekend at the campground. It is easy to make, and can be used as a main dish in a pinch.

Ingredients

Block of Velveeta Cheese
Jar of Salsa
1 1b of ground beef, browned (when I made this at the campground I browned the hamburger at home and then took it with me)





Cut up the block of Velveeta Cheese into cubes, and put into the crockpot. Add in the jar of salsa and ground beef, stir to mix ingredients together. Cook on low for two to four hours, the main idea is to just melt the cheese. If needed you can stir the cheese to keep it from burning. Serve with tortilla chips.

For more crock pot recipes visit Dining With Debbie.

The Simple Woman's Daybook, November 2nd

Outside my window...it's a bright shiny day! Where was all this sunshine this weekend?

I am thinking....how nice it is to have a nice, normal week this week with no major events going on.

I am thankful for....my healthy family. I read on a blog today the story of a woman whose son died at just 17 days old and it just broke my heart. I forget at times how blessed I am to have such healthy children.

I am wearing....blue sweatpants and an old white tee-shirt. Yes one of my goals has been to dress up each day, but I just don't feel good and I am still worn out from this weekend.

I am remembering....all the fun times we had this summer camping, and wishing camping wasn't over for the year. It's nice to have the time to spend with the kids without all of the distractions of home.

I am going....to try to catch up on some writing this week.

I am reading....nothing right now. How horrible is that? Do blogs count?

I am hoping....that a week at home with no extra running will help the kids settle down some.

On my mind....the holidays. I can't believe it's time to start thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Pondering these words..."Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord." Ephesians 5:22

From the kitchen...I have pork chops thawing out for our supper tonight and need to get my rolls started.

Around the house...I can tell we were gone a lot last week and the house needs a lot of TLC to whip it back into shape.

From my picture journal....

The kids (they're not all mine) at Yogi Bear this weekend. Only the two teenage boys were missing.

Herb Crusted Pork Chops

6 Boneless Pork Chops
2 tablespoons Thyme
2 tablespoons Fresh Rosemary
2 tablespoons Fresh Basil
2 cups Bread Crumbs
2 Eggs
2 tablespoons Canola Oil

In a small bowl beat two eggs, in a second bowl combine the herbs, and place the bread crumbs in a third bowl. Dip each pork chop in the egg and shake off any excess, rub the pork chop with the herb mixture, and dip back into the egg mixture. Shake off excess egg and roll in the bread crumbs. In a large skillet heat the 2 tablespoons canola oil. Cook pork chops until golden brown on each side, five to six minutes total, turning once.

Menu Plan Monday, November 2nd -8th

It's been a long, long week for me, and I am absolutely exhausted! We had a great time on our camping trip but now I have all the post-camping mess to deal with. Sheets to wash, clothes to get the mud out of, you know all the fun stuff. After last weeks crazy week, it's nice to be able to get back to a normal schedule.

Monday - Herb Crusted Pork chops, Mashed Potatoes, Lima Beans, Buttery Bread Machine Rolls

Tuesday - Smoked Sausage, Potatoes, Peppers & Onions

Wednesday - Baked Ham, Macaroni and Cheese, Corn, Sweet Dinner Rolls

Thursday - Vegetable Soup with Hamburger, Bread Machine French Bread

Friday - Pizza Braid

Sunday - Eat out after church and leftovers for supper

I am not planning anything for Saturday night because we may take the kids to the museum that day.

For more Menu Plan Monday ideas please visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.