Weekly Menu 1-28-2014

Tuesday:  Chicken and Dumplings & fruit
Wednesday:  left-overs & salad
Thursday:  Pizza Chicken Roulades & steamed broccoli
Friday: Skinny Crock Pot Taco Stew & chips and salsa
Saturday:  Bunco
Sunday:  Stuffed Sirloin Tip Roast from the Cajun Meat Company and other Super Bowl Snacks
Lunches this week:  Cabbage Soup

Weekly Menu 1/19/2014

Sunday:  Enchilada Cheese Rolls, fruit and salad
Monday:  Shrimp and Tortellini, garlic toast, fruit
Tuesday:  Shortcut Chicken Cordon Bleu & fruit & veggie
Wednesday:  The Vortex Bar and Grill's White Chicken Chili & corn bread
Thursday:  I leave for Oregon to attend my Grandpa's funeral.  There should be enough left overs to keep the family going for a few days.
Friday:  Weekend with Daddy
Saturday:  Weekend with Daddy
Sunday:  Weekend with Daddy
Monday:  I get home at 6am after flying red-eye all night.  I have no idea what my sleepy self will make for dinner.

This Week...

This Week:

My poor baby got sick and missed two days of school.

It was only a low grade fever and sore throat but it's not like my baby boy (who's 7) to take a three hour nap in the middle of the day. 

(especially on his top bunk...he's not a fan of the top bunk)

This Week:

We found a new appreciation for "Choose Your Own Adventure" Books.

We read one we had at home (over and over again) and then made a trip to the library to check out another.

This Week:

We finally got a new library card since mine was stolen along with my purse.  Grrr!

We checked out a bunch of books from the library.

(Lauren's books)

(Tyler's books)

This Week:

We went to Pet Smart to get some more fish for our fish tank.

Our current record is O for 5.

At Christmas, Santa gave us money to buy some fish but unfortunately they all passed away quite quickly.

(RIP: Lacario, Hyper, Juliette, Dr. Pork Chops and Cat Food)

Today we asked the Pet Smart fish specialist for her suggestions for a "hearty fish."  She was a great help and I'm pleased to introduce you to our new batch of schooling tetra fish:

This Week:

The kiddos watched Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules for their weekend movie.

They both pointed out similarities and differences from the book.

I love that they both love to read.

This Week:

My Grandpa, my Dad's Dad, (Great Grandpa Bob to the kids,) passed away.

He was the most gentle and kind-hearted man and is painfully missed.

This Week has been quite the Week.

Cat Condo

Remember when Matt had no interest at all in adopting a sweet little baby kitten but he eventually came around?

 Look how little Romy was!

(in his bassinet)

 (in the latrine)

I forgot he used to cower before Chloe.

(Now he attacks her and lets her know he's in charge.)

Well Matt, the documented Cat not-lover, took a lot of his spare time to build our cats a

Cat Condo!

I'm impressed at all my man can do.  Check this thing out!

Romy loves it and has taken complete possession of it.

He owns every level.

He also really enjoys the enclosure which makes Matt very happy since he spent a lot of time making it.

 While Romy is off on outdoor adventures Chloe takes advantage of her time on the Cat Condo.

This actually isn't the first Cat Condo Matt has made.

Remember this one from back in 2004?

Lookit Little 3-yr-old Chloe!

(that was for you Susan)

Let me know if you want one.  His prices may be astronomical but he sure has a knack for these Cat Condos!

Christmas 2013 - The Food

Christmas this years was so FILLING.

My heart was filled with love just hanging out with my family and thoroughly enjoying the day but my tummy was also filled with the delicious food.

Fill your eyes with these pictures!

For breakfast we enjoyed our traditional Cinnamon Rolls.

(easy to make...you should try them!)

The fancy Christmas Dinner included:

Honey Baked Ham

(Matt's new company gave all of their employees $50 gift cards to Honey Baked Ham for Christmas.  Matt's start date wasn't until the 29th but they were nice enough to give him one anyway.)

Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Green Bean Alfredo with Cheese Ravioli

Super Fancy Baked Beans

(recipe so secret I can't post it) (wink)

Grandma Anna/G.G.'s Cornbread

The food is served.

Ready to eat us some Christmas.

(when I grow up I will take awesome and not hazy pictures)

Can't forget the Dessert!

Hot Fudge Cake

I'm full all over again just posting these pictures.

I hope you all had a deliciously filling Christmas!

Weekly Menu 1-5-2013

Sunday:  Chicken Bouillabaisse with Pimiento-Garlic Sauce over egg noodles  (made this yesterday and YUMM!)
Monday:  Shrimp Lo Mein & Trader Joe's Instant Miso Soup  (made this tonight and I thought it was great, Matt said it could use some more sauce, and the kiddos thought there were too many noodles and thought it took too long to eat since they insisted on using chopsticks.)
Tuesdays: Tomato-Basil Pizza Margherita (on flat-out bread) with salad  (couldn't find the recipe on-line)
Wednesday:  Chicken Pot Pie Soup & Easy Garlic Cheddar Biscuits
Thursday:  left-overs or pantry meal
Friday:  Neighborhood Bunco (Matt and kiddos on their own)
Saturday:  Parents Night Out at the YMCA = FREE child care = DATE NIGHT!!
Sunday:  Hearty Lasagna & Bread

Stay Warm and Happy Eats!

A Post Mostly for My Mom(s)

With our new fish tank smack in the middle of my junk counter we had to make some adjustments.

(Ignore the goofballs and you'll see the fish tank.)

We took a trip to IKEA and got all the supplies we needed.

Mr. Awesome doesn't even need the IKEA picture directions to put stuff together.

It's in his blood. (wink)

Once Matt put the shelf together we slid it in between the washer and the utility sink.

It now holds the cat food (and cat litter after I took the pic.)

We also got some "hanging hooks" to allow for extra bag storage on the wall left of the window.

On the wall opposite from the washer and dryer we bought a shelf to hold my displaced junk from the fish tank area.  Underneath the shelf we hung another set of "hanging hooks" to hold my bags.

(a view from the back of the laundry room)

I really like the new laundry room.

It's amazing what a couple of small changes can do.