Jul 8

June’s Favorite Photos

June was a fun month. We kicked off Summer vacation with a family tradition. We hid out indoors when the weather was too warm. I have lots of favorite photos to share today.

Thade has been enjoying the Summer break.

Dylan is anxious to get back to school though.

Agnes received this dress from Aunt Sarah, she loves it so much. She calls it her princess dress, and she twirls around and around.

I’ve been working on a few crochet projects this Summer.

Aunt Sarah brought me these pretty roses too.

I’ve been keeping Mia indoors. The fireworks started early on our block, and she was not a fan.

The big kitty just wants to nap, and avoid the heat.

I agree with the big kitty. It is a little warm for me too.

Jul 7

Budget Busters…

I’m at a loss, and I need some help. We’ve been going over the monthly budget, and trying to figure what else we can cut to save a little bit more. I’m just out of thoughts on what to cut next.

We still have our satellite service, but we are down to just the essentials when it comes to the house. I don’t think we can cut the electric bill, the kids might not like that.

The groceries have been my biggest hurdle. I’m just not saving… I’ve couponed in the past, and shopped Aldi too. With gas prices, and multi-buys on the coupons the savings just aren’t there. I cook a lot, and try to make as many of the kids snacks that I can. That leaves me with a lot of extra dishes to wash. Today Dylan said to me, you really do live in the kitchen.

I’ve been making many things from scratch like, Salsa, Desserts, Dog shampoo, and even some clothing. I’m thinking of giving homemade laundry powder a try to see if that helps the grocery budget a bit.

Ugh, my head hurts, and my kitchen is a mess, and I have nine loads of laundry waiting for me. Help…

Jul 2

June’s Tasty Treats

June was a funny month. I don’t really think I cooked too much, but I never left the kitchen. There were lots of dirty dishes to keep up with. I do have a few photos to share, and I tried a new recipe too.

Well the first two I didn’t make, but we did enjoy. We visited the Good ‘Ol Days and shared lots of tasty goodies. It is mandatory to have at least one funnel cake at the Good ‘Ol Days.

Lately I’ve been making Giant Chocolate Chip cookies, just like you would buy at the bakery. The family loves them, and I make them once or twice a week. They go fast.

I made a batch of Chocolate Ice Cream.

It made a pretty tasty treat for an all too warm Summer day.

I also made a batch of Vanilla. As you can see I like a little bit of Bundt Cake, and a bunch of Vanilla Ice Cream. I’m going to make a few more batches for the Fourth of July.

More Giant Cookies! Maybe I should turn these into giant ice cream cookie sandwiches.

Since there was a bit of vanilla ice cream hanging out in the freezer, I made a Cherry Pie to go with it.

I made a batch of cupcakes for the kiddos snacks.

Agnes loved the cupcakes.

Summertime lunch for me.

When I was little, my mom would make me an amazing dessert. It was Blackberry Duff, and she would top it off with half & half, or full on heavy cream. It is still the dessert that I always request from her. I had some fresh fruits hanging around, and I thought let’s caramelize them in some brown sugar and butter, and make a tropical Duff.

I made a batch of Caramelized Banana, Coconut, and Pineapple Duff. The aroma in the kitchen was amazing as this was baking. I couldn’t wait for it to cool a tiny bit, so I could try it.

I topped mine off with lactose free 2% milk. How I wish I had just one scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream left to top off the Duff, but the kiddos ate all of the ice cream. They didn’t want to try the Duff though, and I didn’t mind. I had it for breakfast the next day. It was delicious. I think the next batch I might omit the banana and coconut, and just go for the caramelized pineapple.

July has arrived and already I’ve been busy in the kitchen. I’m prepping all of the desserts for the Fourth of July a little ahead of time. Yesterday I made a big batch of vanilla ice cream, and today I’m making triple chocolate ice cream for the holiday. Time to get to it.

 

 

Jul 1

July’s Monthly Menu

I’m so excited for the Fourth of July. I have lots of cooking to do, and two batches of ice cream to make too. I’ve also got some Summertime favorites planned for the month. So here we go it’s July’s Monthly Dinner menu.

  • 7/1/13: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 7/2/13: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, Cheese Dip, and Re-fried Beans
  • 7/3/13: Chicken Chow Mien, Rice, Broccoli, and Chow Mien Noodles
  • 7/4/13: Happy 4th of July! Panko Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Corn on the cob, Dinner Rolls, Salad, and Watermelon
  • 7/5/13: Panko Chicken Sandwiches and Chips
  • 7/6/13: Belgian Waffles and Bacon
  • 7/7/13: Steak Fajitas, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 7/8/13: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, Cheese Dip, and Re-fried Beans
  • 7/9/13: Salmon Bites, Salad, and Homemade Breadsticks
  • 7/10/13: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 7/11/13: Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches and Chips
  • 7/12/13: Nacho Bar
  • 7/13/13:  Popcorn Chicken and Tater Tots
  • 7/14/13: Pot Roast, Potatoes, and Dutch Apple Pie
  • 7/15/13: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 7/16/13: Chicken Chow Mien, Rice, Broccoli, and Chow Mien Noodles
  • 7/17/13: Tostadas, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 7/18/13: Panko Crusted Cod, Corn, and Dinner Rolls
  • 7/19/13: Chicken Burritos, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Homemade Salsa, and Re-fried Beans
  • 7/20/13: Pancakes and Bacon
  • 7/21/13: Panko Chicken Tenders, Hominy, Green Beans, and Homemade Bread
  • 7/22/13: Pulled Pork Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Cheese Dip, Homemade Salsa, and Re-fried Beans
  • 7/23/13: Spaghetti and Homemade Breadsticks
  • 7/24/13: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 7/25/13: BBQ Pork Sandwiches and Chips
  • 7/26/13: Tostadas, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 7/27/13: Pizza Rolls and Pasta Salad
  • 7/28/13: Chicken Fajitas, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, Cheese Dip, and Re-fried Beans
  • 7/29/13: Tacos, Tortilla Chips, Homemade Salsa, and Cheese Dip
  • 7/30/13: Chicken Chow Mien, Rice, Broccoli, and Chow Mien Noodles
  • 7/31/13: BBQ Chicken Sliders and Chips

Time to make some shopping lists, and get to it. Happy July everyone!

 

 

Jun 28

This Week

This week we’ve been home cleaning, catching-up, and getting the dryer fixed. I’ve got a pretty good amount of laundry to get to.

We’ve been working on the front yard a bit. I trimmed the trees, and had the kids pick up sticks. I hope to have the front yard and the back yard cleaned up for the Fourth of July.

We’ve been indoors during the afternoon, the weather is already way too warm. We had a head advisory last night until 8:00 p.m. It seems that the hot weather has arrived a bit early in KS.

I’ve got to run to the store tomorrow, and finalize the menu for the Fourth of July. I can’t wait for the holiday this year!

Hope you are having a happy Friday. Stay cool if you are out and about.