A meal plan update is in order! We really stocked up for our family's visit and birthday party, and now we're able to be blessed by the abundance that created. Plans change, especially when we have visitors and I'm slowing learning flexibility :) We needed some frugal options and have two weeks worth of unconventional meals ahead, some are more "well rounded" than others! Here's the list...
*I only linked one recipe this week as I think all others have been linked on past meal plans or are pretty self explanatory!
Monday July 30 -
Pinterest inspired caprese salad topped chicken breast, vegetable gratin from the freezer stash
Tuesday -
cilantro lime chicken (for Matt), bland foods for Moriah and I who seem to have had a little bug
Wednesday -
roasted green beans, potatoes, and lemon (basically the chicken recipe, minus chicken!), baked beans, rolls
Thursday -
leftovers
Friday -
breakfast burritos with egg, bacon, and cheese in spinach wraps
Saturday -
veggie sandwiches with sweet potato fries
Sunday -
nachos with black beans, taco rice, Rotel, cheese, avocado
Monday August 6 -
egg plant lasagna from the freezer, bread, green beans
Tuesday -
fruit and yogurt parfaits, muffins/toast, eggs
Wednesday -
frozen pizzas (still in the freezer unopened from our previous purchase)
Thursday -
corn on the cob, Northern bean and rice salad
Friday -
pasta with marinara sauce (I'll decide which pasta looks best as I shop, maybe ravioli!)
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
a weekend in pictures
Here are pictures of our fun as promised! Enjoy...
reading with grandma before bed - the last night with a pacifier
her new highly desired watch!
patting a HUGE horse - the man was 6' 4" if that helps!
waiting for her turn to ride the pony
so much fun riding on her first pony ride
entertaining two uncles with some head stands
making pizza with a birthday gift
a reading blanket at her birthday - complete with puppy dogs and puppy stories
the food table!
more food!
patting Ruby the real dog who joined our party
Moriah's pink strawberry birthday cake
trying to get 3 little ones looking in the same direction is a difficult task
a close up of the table with birthday flowers and puppies
more food, flowers, and puppies
drinks and balls with bubbles in the background for playing at the park
Monday, July 30, 2012
thanks changes my perspective
I really agree that giving thanks and seeing the Lord's work in so many little ways can work to change my perspective. I tend to be an all or nothing sort, so when something is going on that's all I'm often thinking about as I prepare, and then when it's over I tend to be sad that it passed so quickly. Reflecting on those sweet times with a thankful heart helps me to cherish God's good gifts, and give Him glory. We're coming off of a weekend with family as we celebrated my little girl's birthday a few days early... you'll probably notice lots of remembrances listed below :)
791. hospitality in sharing our home
792. cleaning to welcome
793. space for guests, even when it's not much space I'm so thankful they'll come
794. my mom who thinks of details, like cereal for my husband (this may have made the list before!)
795. my brother who made the trip
796. computer help
797. a day trip to the Kentucky Horse Park
798. the wonderful span of God's creation
799. horses that are strong and graceful
800. a pony that gave rides
801. my brave little girl who was happy to ride
802. a generous brother who shared his recent door prize from work and bought our tickets
803. ice cream from Graeter's, even more special when shared with our company from out of town
804. swimming with happy little girls
805. Moriah floating with a lifejacket on inside a baby float - so silly!
806. my flexible schedule
807. more family making the trip, to celebrate Moriah's birthday with us
808. two uncles helping with a head stand, so happy to play
809. gifts shared so generously
810. organization
811. cooking for family
812. having some out to eat time
813. really good hamburgers
814. a birthday party!
815. pink strawberry cake, just as Moriah requested
816. special friends coming to celebrate
817. a dog as the guest of honor for a puppy birthday party
818. time to play as a family, Scattegories was the game of choice
819. laughing together
820. story telling
821. worshipping together
822. visiting one who longed for the Lord's presence even after his 95th birthday
823. finding out that only a couple of days later our church member is now with God who comforts
824. grandmotherly helping hands
825. a sweet weekend that leaves me a bit teary
826. dishes washed and dried before I even knew I hadn't gotten to them yet
827. fresh flowers that bring so much cheer - yellow sunflowers, orange Gerber daisies, and pink zinnias to be precise
828. moments to sing over my big girl as she calms to sleep
829. a pacifier traded for a pillow
830. praying with faith in the Lord who hears
*tomorrow I'll plan on a picture update to go with many of these, tonight I'm off to bed!
Monday, July 23, 2012
why give thanks?
"There is no real thankfulness unless it is to Someone and thankfulness only helps your life because who you are thanking is the One who is all your Help."
766. energy and health to care for my home
767. cleaning that makes our world feel a bit fresher
768. a little helper who gladly joins me
769. more produce, in SUCH abundance
770. a freezer full of food to save for winter
771. trying new recipes
772. summer salads, crisp and refreshing
773. vacation days
774. an extended visit with family
775. the excited anticipation Moriah has leading up to her 2nd birthday
776. a pillow traded for pacifiers, we hope the plan works!
777. friends to share with
778. rejoicing with others
779. an ice cream "pot luck"
780. baking and cooking on a Sunday afternoon
781. magic erasers that renew my walls
782. learning as I listen to those who've walked this way before me, moms and wives
783. a produce auction
784. the Amish horse and buggy which delighted Moriah and I both
785. an ever helpful mother (my mom, I mean)
786. summer coursework completed for Matt, more family time for us
786. summer coursework completed for Matt, more family time for us
787. forgiveness shared
788. a meeting without conflict when it seemed to be brewing (I'm reminded not to "borrow trouble")
789. the Lord showing me my sin while showing me His work in Christ, bringing much grace to turn from my sin and cling to Him, far more exceeding joy
790. two excited uncles
Saturday, July 21, 2012
what we're eating!
I totally forgot my meal plan post last week, so I'll let this be a catch-up with last week's and this week's plan...
last week first:
Saturday -
leftover taco filling from the Pinterest inspired taco casserole
(we had plenty of the bean/beef mixture left so I froze it to use for a second meal)
Sunday -
Pinterest inspired chicken breasts, zucchini, corn on the cob
(I baked the corn, husks and all for 30 min at about 350 degrees, it was SO easy and the corn was delicious - I'll prepare it this way again for sure!)
Monday -
leftover red beans and rice with edamame
(also from the freezer's leftovers of last week's creation while Matt was at a church meeting, so it worked out well, Moriah and I love the "crispy edamame" recipe though I realized we were eating lots from the bean "family" - oh well!)
Tuesday -
breakfast for dinner: Pampered Chef ham and vegetable egg strata, fruit and yogurt parfaits
(a friend shared the strata recipe with us after a small group pot-luck contribution she brought - it's yummy including asparagus and English muffins and is topped with hollandaise sauce, I left out the ham)
Wednesday -
leftovers
Thursday -
I was having a hurried night and knew my original plans wouldn't work, so I picked up a deli chicken salad crossiant sandwich for us to split with a summer veggie salad - thankful Matt's up for quick things like this!
Friday -
shrimp and grits, cornbread muffins
(this was an ambitious recipe for me, though I needed something to use the rest of the andouille sausage I bought for red beans and rice, when I searched allrecipes.com I thought I'd give it a try and prepared it during naptime so I could have plenty of time for chopping, and washing a few dishes!)
next week:
Saturday -
Dutch baby breakfast for dinner, eggs, bacon
Sunday -
frozen pizza
Monday -
middle eastern vegetable salad from The Barefoot Contessa
(we're going to our small group pot-luck tonight, so this will be our contribution)
Tuesday -
BLT sandwiches, corn couscous from Martha Stewart
Wednesday -
veggie sandwiches, leftover corn couscous
(my mom and brother will arrive tonight staying through the weekend, he's headed toward a vegan lifestyle so I try to be as thoughtful of that as I can be though he still eats eggs and doesn't get really upset about small concessions!)
Thursday -
nacho bar with black beans, avocado, cheese, Rotel tomatoes, olives
Friday -
lemon chicken bake, with roasted potatoes and green beans, frozen rolls, country blueberry dessert
(Matt's mom and brother will also arrive, so I needed something that would feed a big crowd, I plan to double the lemon chicken bake!)
Saturday -
eat out/carry out after Moriah's birthday party
(we're having a late afternoon/evening party with some finger foods - pinwheels, cheese and crackers, fruit kabobs, and strawberry birthday cake - but no dinner, and I know we won't be up for cooking afterwards so we'll pick something up)
Sunday -
breakfast burritos with yogurt parfaits
*I also made these other things, or have the ingredients on hand for lunches or supplementary side dishes as needed with company...
- Gretchen's muffins
- homemade yogurt
- homemade granola* recipe to come soon!
- broccoli slaw salad* recipe to come soon!
- sweet potato fries
- Northern bean and rice salad
- macaroni and cheese - from a box :)
last week first:
Saturday -
leftover taco filling from the Pinterest inspired taco casserole
(we had plenty of the bean/beef mixture left so I froze it to use for a second meal)
Sunday -
Pinterest inspired chicken breasts, zucchini, corn on the cob
(I baked the corn, husks and all for 30 min at about 350 degrees, it was SO easy and the corn was delicious - I'll prepare it this way again for sure!)
Monday -
leftover red beans and rice with edamame
(also from the freezer's leftovers of last week's creation while Matt was at a church meeting, so it worked out well, Moriah and I love the "crispy edamame" recipe though I realized we were eating lots from the bean "family" - oh well!)
breakfast for dinner: Pampered Chef ham and vegetable egg strata, fruit and yogurt parfaits
(a friend shared the strata recipe with us after a small group pot-luck contribution she brought - it's yummy including asparagus and English muffins and is topped with hollandaise sauce, I left out the ham)
Wednesday -
leftovers
Thursday -
I was having a hurried night and knew my original plans wouldn't work, so I picked up a deli chicken salad crossiant sandwich for us to split with a summer veggie salad - thankful Matt's up for quick things like this!
Friday -
shrimp and grits, cornbread muffins
(this was an ambitious recipe for me, though I needed something to use the rest of the andouille sausage I bought for red beans and rice, when I searched allrecipes.com I thought I'd give it a try and prepared it during naptime so I could have plenty of time for chopping, and washing a few dishes!)
next week:
Saturday -
Dutch baby breakfast for dinner, eggs, bacon
Sunday -
frozen pizza
Monday -
middle eastern vegetable salad from The Barefoot Contessa
(we're going to our small group pot-luck tonight, so this will be our contribution)
 |
| I enjoyed this as leftovers while I worked, and got the recipe! |
BLT sandwiches, corn couscous from Martha Stewart
 |
| this was also a former lunch at work! I'm thankful for good leftovers to sample |
veggie sandwiches, leftover corn couscous
(my mom and brother will arrive tonight staying through the weekend, he's headed toward a vegan lifestyle so I try to be as thoughtful of that as I can be though he still eats eggs and doesn't get really upset about small concessions!)
Thursday -
nacho bar with black beans, avocado, cheese, Rotel tomatoes, olives
Friday -
lemon chicken bake, with roasted potatoes and green beans, frozen rolls, country blueberry dessert
(Matt's mom and brother will also arrive, so I needed something that would feed a big crowd, I plan to double the lemon chicken bake!)
 |
| after discovering this on Pinterest, I've made it a handful of times while entertaining we LOVE it as have our friends! |
 |
| I can't remember if my in-laws enjoy blueberries as much as my mom and brother do, hopefully so! |
eat out/carry out after Moriah's birthday party
(we're having a late afternoon/evening party with some finger foods - pinwheels, cheese and crackers, fruit kabobs, and strawberry birthday cake - but no dinner, and I know we won't be up for cooking afterwards so we'll pick something up)
Sunday -
breakfast burritos with yogurt parfaits
*I also made these other things, or have the ingredients on hand for lunches or supplementary side dishes as needed with company...
- Gretchen's muffins
- homemade yogurt
- homemade granola* recipe to come soon!
- broccoli slaw salad* recipe to come soon!
- sweet potato fries
- Northern bean and rice salad
- macaroni and cheese - from a box :)
Friday, July 20, 2012
nanny notes mid-July
This was a short week for me at work, as my little friends were off for vacation mid-week. While they were here early in the week, we had plenty of fun like this:
Monday -
Mr. S. attended his last day of "summer camp" while the girls and I enjoyed a morning of Baby/Toddler story time at the public library nearest our home. I've found that each library and librarian has a different version of story time which keeps things interesting. On Monday, the librarian read one board book to the little ones then took song requests and shared a few finger plays during our 30 minutes together. Moriah and Miss M.K. both like the lap song "A Bouncy Mouse" and "The Grand Old Duke of York" (which is new to me, in the last few months!). Here are the fun words to "A Bouncy Mouse" in case you'd like to sing and bounce with your little one, they'll love it :)
Holding your little one on your lap bounce throughout the rhyme, with an extra big bounce at each asterisk... have fun!
"Boing, boing, squeak*!
Boing, boing, squeak*!
A bouncy mouse
Is in the house
He's been there for a week,
He bounces in the kitchen (lean left),
He bounces in the den (lean right),
He bounces in the living room,
Oh there he goes again*!"
Tuesday -
On Tuesday morning we tried a new-to-us sprayground at the Creekside Park within the new Parklands being developed. It's in a very nice, new area of town that I'd never seen in Louisville! I've discovered Louisville has all sorts of newer suburbs popping up, that we don't even realize. This sprayground offered all sorts of fun for the little ones. Since it's still very much under construction we really enjoyed watching the tractors, dump trucks, and excavators at work! The sprayground was busy, but Mr. S. and Moriah had their fair share of fun running in and out of the water, though Miss. M.K. at just over 1 year doesn't seem too fond of the spraygrounds yet. As a new park, there was also a very modern looking playground with new and different equipment than we've played on before which offered added entertainment. On our way back from the hot morning of fun we picked up a free Wendy's frosty (with a coupon from Moriah's completed summer reading program at the library) to share. Frosty's are HUGE now, and Mr. S. and Moriah both really enjoyed the small bowls of such a "special treat" after their rest time!
Wednesday -
Mr. S. left town early in the morning for a flight with his dad, so the girls and I were alone again for a quieter day. I took them both with me to a rural produce auction where we met a couple from our church who were happy to show us around and help me bid! We left after about an hour, due to the mid-day heat as the auction was outside, the girls were hot and restless in the stroller (and in our arms), and we all needed lunch. I'm excited to see if they found any good produce for us on Sunday at church and really enjoyed the fun of an unconventional outing. Moriah was thrilled to see an Amish horse up close as we left and walked to area where they rest while the Amish men sell and bid on their produce.
This was the week at work. Moriah and I enjoyed another sprayground and park with friends yesterday, and spent today grocery shopping and birthday party shopping as well. I'm not sure what fun the weekend holds, though I know we're headed to the DMV to renew our driver's licenses, hoping that they'll be quick with a toddler in tow :) Enjoy the weekend with your little ones!
If you'd like any fun ideas for indoor fun on a hot day, check out my guest blog here for a friend with a few of our favorite creative play ideas for little ones...
Ordinary Parent
Monday -
Mr. S. attended his last day of "summer camp" while the girls and I enjoyed a morning of Baby/Toddler story time at the public library nearest our home. I've found that each library and librarian has a different version of story time which keeps things interesting. On Monday, the librarian read one board book to the little ones then took song requests and shared a few finger plays during our 30 minutes together. Moriah and Miss M.K. both like the lap song "A Bouncy Mouse" and "The Grand Old Duke of York" (which is new to me, in the last few months!). Here are the fun words to "A Bouncy Mouse" in case you'd like to sing and bounce with your little one, they'll love it :)
Holding your little one on your lap bounce throughout the rhyme, with an extra big bounce at each asterisk... have fun!
"Boing, boing, squeak*!
Boing, boing, squeak*!
A bouncy mouse
Is in the house
He's been there for a week,
He bounces in the kitchen (lean left),
He bounces in the den (lean right),
He bounces in the living room,
Oh there he goes again*!"
 |
| playing in the water is bliss for my sweet girl! |
Tuesday -
On Tuesday morning we tried a new-to-us sprayground at the Creekside Park within the new Parklands being developed. It's in a very nice, new area of town that I'd never seen in Louisville! I've discovered Louisville has all sorts of newer suburbs popping up, that we don't even realize. This sprayground offered all sorts of fun for the little ones. Since it's still very much under construction we really enjoyed watching the tractors, dump trucks, and excavators at work! The sprayground was busy, but Mr. S. and Moriah had their fair share of fun running in and out of the water, though Miss. M.K. at just over 1 year doesn't seem too fond of the spraygrounds yet. As a new park, there was also a very modern looking playground with new and different equipment than we've played on before which offered added entertainment. On our way back from the hot morning of fun we picked up a free Wendy's frosty (with a coupon from Moriah's completed summer reading program at the library) to share. Frosty's are HUGE now, and Mr. S. and Moriah both really enjoyed the small bowls of such a "special treat" after their rest time!
 |
| usually just a gentle helping hand :) |
Mr. S. left town early in the morning for a flight with his dad, so the girls and I were alone again for a quieter day. I took them both with me to a rural produce auction where we met a couple from our church who were happy to show us around and help me bid! We left after about an hour, due to the mid-day heat as the auction was outside, the girls were hot and restless in the stroller (and in our arms), and we all needed lunch. I'm excited to see if they found any good produce for us on Sunday at church and really enjoyed the fun of an unconventional outing. Moriah was thrilled to see an Amish horse up close as we left and walked to area where they rest while the Amish men sell and bid on their produce.
This was the week at work. Moriah and I enjoyed another sprayground and park with friends yesterday, and spent today grocery shopping and birthday party shopping as well. I'm not sure what fun the weekend holds, though I know we're headed to the DMV to renew our driver's licenses, hoping that they'll be quick with a toddler in tow :) Enjoy the weekend with your little ones!
If you'd like any fun ideas for indoor fun on a hot day, check out my guest blog here for a friend with a few of our favorite creative play ideas for little ones...
Ordinary Parent
Monday, July 16, 2012
one thousand gifts continued
732. a bit of quiet in the middle of a day with little ones
733. library story times
734. dressing like cows for free supper
735. an abundant harvest shared... this week our church members generously gave us 12 ears of corn, quite a few zucchini, summer squash, 2 onions, 4 cucumbers, and 3 green peppers
736. time for cooking and preserving the abudance
 |
| the zucchini bread was unbaked, a zucchini casserole, zucchini tots, vegetables to be frozen for sandwiches, and corn on the cob |
738. babysitting swaps with a dear friend, and a date night for us
739. encouragement in the Lord in all seasons, He is near
740. reading something a bit different and learning from it
741. rocking with my big girl who just wasn't feeling so well
742. rain
743. summer flowers still blooming in our pots
744. a little time off coming soon
745. free laundry while I work
746. time alone to plan and prepare, my husband blesses me with his care
747. finding really helpful bargains on lovely, modest, simple clothes - I could build my wardrobe from Land's End (especially now that I discovered the Sear's Outlet store in town!)
748. Matt's bike repaired, a hobby continued for him
749. another tea party here with Moriah's friends
 |
| this was a tea with plenty of sweet treats! |
751. sharing ideas with others
752. early bedtimes to ward off allergies coming with weather changes
753. helping Matt in preaching preparations with a bit of organization
754. Matt's God centered vision for our life ten years from now, articulated in a recent paper for class
755. fresh summer foods
756. Moriah's growing vocabulary, this weekend Daddy taught her about "surgery" as she plays doctor with a toy knife from her kitchen... oh my!
757. neighborliness, sharing nutmeg for zucchini bread
758. library books
759. a good dentist visit with an onlooking little girl who was mesmerized
760. sticker rewards as a potty training boost, all the motivation she needed!
761. a little girl who LOVES pink toes
 |
| she also likes to notice the toes of strangers in public restrooms :) |
763. Believers who read their Bibles and believe the Word to be true and "plain"
764. Matt's example to me of growing faith as he seeks the Lord and is taught by Him
765. sandbox play time
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