Yep, today I’m 31… 31, how the heck did that happen?!?
So the little guys were wishing me happy birthday, and Thade said to me, “don’t worry Mom, I’ll tell my friends you’re still 30.” Thanks for looking out for me Thade.
Monthly Archives: February 2011
Lunch Menu 2/14-2/20
This week I’m sharing the lunch menu that has been planned around my last grocery shopping trip. I try to shop weekly, but sometimes I forget an item (or two) and have to run back again. I’ve got a pretty tasty menu planned, and I’m using the help from leftovers wherever I can.
- 2/14/2011: Ham & Beans and Cornbread ( I made these over the weekend, and they are even tastier the second time around)
- 2/15/2011: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Black Olives, and Homemade Bread (the homemade bread is from the Valentine’s Day dinner)
- 2/16/2011: Beef Stew and Homemade Bread (leftovers from Valentine’s Day Dinner)
- 2/17/2011: PB&J for me and just J for Dylan, chips and dip (James is out of town, so Dylan and I are having a super simple lunch)
- 2/18/2011: Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Chips and Dip (Yay! It’s Friday, time for an easy lunch, and catch up on the kitchen cleaning)
- 2/19/2010: Pizza Sandwiches (Thade’s very favorite lunch)
- 2/20/2011: Homemade Pizzas ( Sunday is usually the day that we get take-out, and I’m making a take-out inspired lunch, and we’ll have the leftovers later in the next week)
I’ll post the final menu soon, and we’ll say hello to March. Wonder if I can talk the family into one more month of no take-out…
Half-way There
We are officially half-way through our month of no take-out. So far we have stuck to it, and I have to say I really haven’t missed take-out meals at all. I’ve been a little more than burned-out on the local restaurants, so cooking everything at home has been super tasty. I have been keeping up with the extra dirty dishes fairly well too, so I haven’t been living in the kitchen 24-7. I have also really enjoyed trying out a lot of new tasty meals for the family too.
There are a few things that I have been tricky this month… The snow kept me from making an Aldi run, so I had to shop locally only, and that is a little pricey. Also I was in need of an ingredient to make some awesome fried chicken, and had to hit up three different local stores, and yep, none of them had what I was looking for. I hope to make a run to K.C. and stock up, or maybe one day just move up there already, and then I won’t complain about shopping as much.
The family has been pretty good about the no take-out month. James has been really happy with the menu, but his co-workers are making things a little tough. They have been bringing in take-out meals non-stop to his office, and I know that bugs him a bit. I’ve made a lot of his favorite dishes, and he has liked the new desserts too. So far his favorites have been the Panko Crusted Fried Chicken and the Mini-Blueberry Pies.
Dylan hasn’t had any complaints. He has been really good about trying the new dishes and likes a few of them too. He happily ate the Cheese Grits at breakfast for dinner night, and he put away the Chicken Couscous. He is usually the pretty mellow one anyway, but I’ll count it as he is a happy camper and doesn’t mind the homemade-fare.
Thade, on the other hand, isn’t happy about the no take-out experiment at all. He keeps telling me that it is the worst month ever, and he hates February, and he wants Pizza Sandwiches. It cracks me up a bit, Pizza Sandwiches are a homemade dish, not take-out. I’m sure that by the end of the month, he will be a little less grumpy. I’ve been making a lot of his favorites too, and asking him for extra help in the kitchen. Helping out with the cooking seems to cheer him up a bit. Thade loves Spaghetti night, and Hot Dogs, I’ve served those a couple of times to make the little guys happy.
So far so good, I hope to keep it up for the rest of the month.
Simple Saturday: The Morning Rush
As you know by now, I am not a morning person. Multiply me not being a morning person, by a lot of snow, and three kids to get ready and out the door, and I can be a bit of a grumpy camper before I’ve finished my morning coffee. So I try to keep the task organized, and get the kids involved too.
How I wish we had a mud room (add that on to the dream house wish list), but we don’t so I set up a little backpack and coats station right by the front door.
When the kids come home from school there is a nice spot to hang backpacks, and a bin for all of their coats, gloves, and hats. The backpack-rack is at their height, so they can hang up their backpacks all by themselves. I think it is time to invest in new bins though, as they grow, we need a bit more room for coats.
Agnes has become the master of removing gloves and her hat, so I have to put her accessories on a few more times, but the boys are getting better about getting their items on, and us out the door. A little bit of organization helps those busy school mornings.
Lunch Menu 2/1-2/13
Yesterday I posted about my troubles with lunch, and it’s true. Lunch is the meal where my mind draws a blank, and I’m ready to head to the nearest Wendy’s and hit up the drive-thru. This month the drive-thru isn’t an option, so I’m planning lunches just like I plan my dinner menu. So far it has worked out really well.
If I have a plan in mind, and a little bit of time, I can get a tasty lunch on the table just in time for my hubby’s lunch hour. I am taking a little help from leftovers, and I had some kid-friendly meals on hand to make on the snow days. Here is my lunch menu from February 1st, all the way to the 13th, maybe you’ll spot a few family favorites.
- 2/1/2011: Pizza Sandwiches (the kids love this meal)
- 2/2/2011: Beef Stew and Homemade Bread (leftovers made in the Crock Pot)
- 2/3/2011: Steak and Hominy (I froze leftover cooked steaks for a fast lunch)
- 2/4/2011: Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, and Black Olives ( pasta is my friend)
- 2/5/2011: Hot Dogs and Chips for the guy’s, I had Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup
- 2/6/2011: Tacos, Tortilla Chips and Salsa ( the chips and salsa carried over to Super Bowl dinner)
- 2/7/2011: Panko Chicken Tenders and Hominy (leftovers from the Super Bowl party)
- 2/8/2011: Tacos, Pulled Pork Tacos, Bean & Cheese Quesadillas, Tortilla Chips and Salsa ( I raided the fridge and served up all of the leftovers from the week’s tasty Mexican dishes)
- 2/9/2011: Hot Dogs and Chips for the guy’s, I finished off the Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup
- 2/10/2011:Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and Black Olives
- 2/11/2011: Bean & Cheese Quesadillas, Tortilla Chips and Salsa
- 2/12/2011: Grilled Chicken, Green Beans, and Couscous ( I love couscous, let’s see what the family thinks)
- 2/13/2011: Chicken Chow Mien, Chow Mien Noodles, and Rice
I’ll be planning and sharing the rest of the menu for the month. So far so good on avoiding the drive-thru, but we still have a few weeks to go.