Menu Plan Monday- May 30th

Monday has pasted and Tuesday is upon us, but on the up side I am posting. :) I can gladly say we are completely out of our rental. We finished cleaning yesterday, loaded the last of our things in the van and turned in our keys to our landlady yesterday afternoon, before dinner even. It was a long process. I spend most of my time last week over at the house (even though we have been living at my in-laws since the 21st) to pack and clean. We have put the majority of our things in a storage unit, keeping clothes, toys and other odds and ends with us. Hopefully when we find a house the moving in process will be easier. Especially since we can do it slowly with no rush to get out of our currently living space.
Living with extended family is certainly a different experience. After a week I can say we are slowly making routines that work. So far I think things are going very well. My mother-in-law and I are splitting the cooking. I'm cooking Monday- Thursday and she cooks Friday- Sunday. Yesterday was an exception since it was a holiday and we ended up cooking out at Mark's sisters. It was fun for all really. The  boys played in the baby pool and we all sat, chatted and ate. Other than being the first dreadfully hot day, it was great.
Anyway, here is the menu for the week.  Wish me luck, this is the first week without preschool. Last Wednesday was the very last day of preschool. Summer is Here!

Note: I got new cookbooks from the library. I'm in need of something new, so new we shall have ;)

Monday: We cooked out with family
Tuesday: Chinese Lemon Chicken (from Faster! I'm Starving! by Kevin Mills and Nancy Mills), Asian Noodles on Sesame-spinach Salad (from the Phytopia cookbook by Barbara Gollman and Kim Pierce)
Wednesday: Fusilli with Asparagus (from Faster! I'm Starving!)
Thursday: Meatballs Stroganoff, broccoli, salad
Friday-Sunday: Eileen cooks

Check out Organizing Junkie for other menus this week.

Menu Plan Monday- May 16th

I apologize for the long absence. And I can not guarantee a normal update schedule the next few weeks. We are moving into my in-laws next weekend. Our lease is up at the end of may and our landlady wanted us to sign another year. Not wanting to commit to a full year since we are currently looking to buy we are living with Mark's folks for the summer to give us some time to see if we can find a house we like. Wish us luck. This buying business is very stressful. Not to mention the stress of moving and living with others. :) Preschool is quickly coming to an end which means 3 boys at home everyday, all day. Changes are upon us. Here is this weeks menu by the way. I'll update here as I have time and energy. But I make no promises.

Monday: Ultimate Vegetarian Chili  in crock pot and corn bread (we have T-ball practice at 5pm)
Tuesday: Protein- Packed Grilled Cheese (from Double Delicious! by Jessica Seinfeld) with Fresh Pea Soup
Wednesday: Midweek Meal at Church
Thursday: Black Bean Burgers (from Double Delicious!) with roasted potatoes and broccoli
Friday: Freezer Chicken and rice casserole with side veggie
Saturday: Moving Day- order pizza
Sunday:  leftovers

For more menus visit Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday- April 25th

Happy Monday everyone! I hope that if you celebrate Easter, your celebrations were filled with joy. It was odd not celebrating with my mother this year. Having only 10 people around the table (rather than 18) was also a different feel. But it was all good. Watching little boys search the yard for eggs and then sharing a big meal with family was wonderful.
Meals all went according to the menu until Thursday. We ended up spending Friday afternoon at my sister-in-law's dying eggs and making pizza. So I didn't want to have pizza on Thursday as well. And the asparagus I had picked up at the grocery store was calling my name. So instead of switching Thursday and Friday around, I made Lemon Asparagus Pasta out of Simply in Season on Thursday. It was marvelous. The perfect taste of spring. Saturday we had a popcorn picnic, with apple slices and string cheese. We then watched baseball and skyped with my mothers. A good Saturday evening.
Some note worthing children activities.

• Aiden is now throwing himself onto the floor and hiding his face when he doesn't get his way. At least he doesn't scream too. In fact, without the screaming, it's kinda cute. 
• Cai is in the why stage. Today at the coffee shop he asked "Why is that man wearing a hat?" I asked back "I don't know. Why did you wear a coat?" Really, despite what my children think, I don't have all the answers. Sometimes the answer is simply "because." Wish it wasn't. I can only answer why to a certain point. 
• In the car with Grandma Saner, Cai asked Grandma what her favorite color was. He than went on to tell her Ian's and his favorite color. He is really starting to pick up language and how to start conversations. :)
• Ian has started T-ball. And is very excited about it. It's fun watching his excitement. 

Ok on to our menu for the week. Hopefully it won't be too crazy of a week.

Monday: Lentil Chili on buns (I've got some frozen so I'm choosing not to make homemade ones like I thought I would last week)

Tuesday: Pea soup and leftover Easter bread- maybe grilled cheese to go with?

Wednesday: Baked chicken, leftover broccoli and rice casserole, bread and corn

Thursday: Chicken Pasta Primavera, side veggie, bread

Friday: Rachel is cooking for us ;)

Saturday: Spinach and ham Quiche

Sunday: Breakfast or other simple meal

Sorry no recipe links this week. Go on over to Organizing Junkie, there'll be plenty over there. :)

Menu Plan Monday- April 18th

So I've noticed I'm behind on blogging. Really I have lots to share, and yet I'm not taking the time to sit down and write. No promises, but soon perhaps. Last weeks meals all got made, and we have been enjoying the leftovers for lunches. It's always nice to have a fridge full of well loved leftovers. Not all meals make good leftovers, but for some reason my family seems to like chicken pot pie and fried rice even better the day after. Plus I've been enjoying the taco leftovers. :) This week I'm going to try and keep things simple. Trying to make the week a smooth as possible. Give my attention and energy to other things than my kitchen. Hard to believe Holy Week is upon us. Makes me miss home, knowing I won't be going to my mother's this weekend. But new traditions will be embraced. And I'm looking forward to spending Easter with the Saners.

Here is the menu this week:
Monday: Dinner with my in-laws (Mark's uncle and aunt are still here from Maine and we are spending some time with them before they head out early tomorrow)
Tuesday: Spaghetti and tomato sauce
Wednesday: Mid-Week meal at church
Thursday: Pizza using this crust (Cai's request- which he asks for almost every time I ask him what he wants)
Friday: Salmon Loaf, veggie, and roasted potatoes (this is new for us, I'll let you know the verdict)
Saturday: Lentil chili served on homemade buns
Sunday: Easter dinner

So what's cooking at your place? Visit Organizing Junkie for ideas and tips. Really she's great.

Menu Plan Monday- April 11th

Wow, it's Wednesday? Really? Where did the days go? Slowly we are getting back into the swing of routine after our week long Spring Break. And boys are healthy again. Although my poor husband is still fighting a cough. Last weeks meals went as planned until Friday hit. But on the upside we had grilled hotdogs and hamburgers at my in-laws our on Sunday. It was fun to get together and sit outside in the sun. Spring is indeed here. Although now it's supposed to get cooler again this weekend. :( I was so enjoying the warmer weather. Ok, on to our menu. Here is the plan.

We had
      Baked chicken, mashed sweet potatoes, peas and biscuits on Monday
      Chicken pot pie on Tuesday
For the rest of the week
      Wednesday: Taco salad
      Thursday: Chicken fried rice
      Friday: dinner with family (Mark's Aunt and Uncle from Maine are in town)
      Saturday and Sunday- LLL of Indiana conference in Indy :)

I know it's late in the week, but feel free to go check out Organizing Junkie. It's never too late to look for ideas.

I'm Grateful

Today I'm grateful for

• Antibiotics, cough meds and Tylenol that are currently helping my loved ones feel just alittle better
• Loud crocking frogs that make my boys smile

• Little spring flowers that promise Spring is here
• Sticks that look like stag beetles and 4 year olds that can see it

• Warm(er) air even with cloudy skies
• Yummy soup and hearty bread paired with good fellowship after a long day of fasting 

PJs, Popcorn and Ear Infection

As I mentioned in my last post, all three boys had ear infections last week. It started with Ian. Late Tuesday night, or early Wednesday morning depending on how you look at it, Ian woke up screaming that his ears hurt. It was a miserable night, he was up and Aiden was up and even Cai woke up a few times. So I took him in Wednesday to see the doctor. And just like I had guessed he had an ear infection.

 Now I know that for some the use of antibiotics for ear infections is frowned on. Some argue that the over use of antibiotics actually is causing more ear infections to happen. However I must stated that while I'm all for letting my kids fight off infections on their own, there are times when the use of antibiotics is welcomed with open arms. The turn around in one day after starting his meds was amazing. And I found myself thankful that I live somewhere where I can easily get such medicine without hassle. I so often take for granted the blessing that is medical technology, including simple things such as antibiotics.

  So on Thursday when Ian was feeling much better but I won't let him go out cause I wanted him to rest another day, I declared the day Pajama Day. We all wore our pjs. We watched PBS shows Dinosaur Train and Sesame Street. I have to admit to growing to love PBS's Dinosaur Train. My boys love the dinosaurs and I love the new facts I get from watching it. At the end of each segment there is a paleontologists. who will talk about the things they know about dinosaurs today along with making comparisons to todays animals and environments. It's pretty fascinating.

 On top of PBS, we read books, and cuddled alot. It wasn't a perfect day, but it was something. We ended the day by making a comfy pad on the floor with blankets and pillows. I popped popcorn, sliced apple and cheese. And we had a picnic in the living room for dinner. Again we watched TV. Somehow, even with little boys not feeling well, the ability to just lounge felt like a nice change of pace. Of course now I'm longing for some normalcy.  I'm very much ready for healthy, happy boys again.