Menu 2023: July ??

It's been real busy here over the last 9 months with alterations projects, school, work, sports, and church stuff. My hubby finished his master's degree in December (and walked in May). Our oldest got his license in January. The hubby and I went to NYC for a conference in March and a mission trip to Italy in May/June. Our 2nd child started driver's education this month. We will have three high schoolers and one in Jr. high. The hubby took a new position July 1st and is now the administrator at the school our children attend, so this fall is going to be even busier. Life is really picking up speed!

I have had weddings nonstop since February 2022 (normally I have a 3-4 month break during the winter that I didn't get this year), so I am taking a 6 month break from alterations beginning August 1st. I'm hoping this will help me get back on track with menu planning, budgeting, and keeping my house from looking like there appears to have been a struggle. We are also getting the blessing of sharing our home with my sister, brother-in-law, and their children for a bit while they look for a house in the area. <3 With all that in mind here's what we had or are planning...

Menu 2022: October 2-29

It's been real busy here with alterations projects going out, school, work, and soccer/volleyball games.  Here's what we have planned. I will fill in the "??" as I go.

Menu 2022: September 4-17

Next week is the first full week of school and the kids already have games and tournaments for sports. I am in the thick of wedding season with bridal and suit alterations besides my regular job so I'm am really looking forward to having the long weekend to catch up on stuff at home. 🙌 Here's what we're planning...

Menu 2022: August 28-September 3

It's been an incredibly busy summer between work, church, and home, which means that I have gotten off track with my weight, spending, and meal planning. We are all getting ready to head back to school (including my husband who has 16 more weeks of classes till he finishes his Master's). I am hoping that the meal planning will aid in saving money and helping me get back to dropping weight. So, here we go...

July 10-16

Sunday - Salsa verde pork, pinto beans, and rice bowls

Monday - Personal pizzas on the Ooni (cheeseburger pizza, all meat pizza, pepperoni pizza, caprese pizza, etc.)

Tuesday - Beef Ramen Ended up having regular and eggplant lasagna and a side salad

Wednesday - Burritos

Thursday - Breakfast for Supper (pancakes, eggs, and bacon)

Friday - Pretzel coated walleye, fries, and mixed vegetables

Saturday - Brats and chips

Menu 2021: July 11-31

I took a couple of months off of menu planning as we've had a ton of summer stuff going on including a two week vacation. We spent a week in Wisconsin Dells with my sister's family where we rented a house at one of the resorts. Then we went to my parents' for a few days. Finally, we spent a couple of days camping up in Door County. I am trying to get back into routine with planning meals before the craziness of preseason practices and school begin again.

Without any further adieu, here is the menu through the end of July...

Menu 2021: May 2-29

This year seems to have flown by in so many ways. But then I think anything could feel like it is flying by in comparison to how slowly last year seemed to go. 

Tomorrow is Mother's Day (I know, the menu is late again). We have a week and a half left of school for the year and summer activities are looming ever closer. 

When your kids are little and days seem to last forever, people tell you to savor them because they are fleeting. You think to yourself that they're crazy and just don't remember that a day with toddlers and preschoolers is 72 hours long. But then you become the parent of your first teenager and the years seem to last a month and the days five minutes. (Yes, with my second child becoming a teenager next week I am a bit nostalgic and sentimental.) I say all this to remind you to live where you are. Don't long for the past and don't wish for the future, or you'll miss what you have right now in the present.

Before I get much more emotional, here is May's menu...

Menu 2021: April 4-May 1

The last year has been challenging for pretty much everyone. Last year we spent Easter apart - the kids and I home on the couch watching services and my hubby teaching adult Sunday school livestream with no one in the pews. I was such a blessing this year to be in-person for services rejoicing with my church family that Christ has conquered death and is alive forevermore. It made for an emotional day. We did our usual tradition of hiding gifts for the kids and picking up a Hughes dark chocolate Easter basket. It was a good day, but now for April's menu...

April 4-10

• Happy Easter / Resurrection Sunday! Deli wraps, veggie tray, fruit salad, and chips
• Smoked beef sirloin tip roast, Brussels sprouts, roasted baby reds, steamed asparagus, a veggie tray, dinner rolls, and individual cheesecakes with fresh blueberries
• Leftovers :)
• Philly cheesesteak pizza and veggies
• Garlic chicken and pasta with veggies
• A friend and I have birthdays a week and a half apart so we're going out while my hubby and kiddos hold down the fort. 

April 11-17

• Pulled pork and slaw
• Grilled Mahi Mahi with brown rice quinoa medley and steamed asparagus
• Southwest chicken salad
• Chicken and rice casserole 
• Pork Roulade, creamy polenta, roasted asparagus, and a side salad (we had friends over and the husband is a chef so he cooked 🥳)
• Leftovers

April 18-24

• Beef tenderloin (we got a great deal at New Year's and I've been saving them in the freezer), roasted baby reds, and whole green beans
• Chick-fil-A 😁
• Baked cod, quinoa and rice, and wsteamed green beans 
• Bacon cheese burgers, roasted potatoes, and mixed veggies
• Pizza

April 25-May 1

• Chicken taco soup
• Lo Mein (pork or chicken)
• Brats, waffle fries, and mixed veggies
  
• Chili
• Spaghetti, mixed veggies, and side salad

Menu 2021: February 28-March 27

Spring is almost here and that makes me excited! The worst of winter is (most likely) over in the Midwest and we are starting to have more days where the temperature is above freezing. Basketball season is over for my kids and we only have 2 1/2 months left of school. Wedding season is just starting and I am working on a couple of dresses for a wedding this month along with helping my girls make their first formals for a school event. I am thankful for the time my mom invested in teaching me how to sew as well as the opportunities that I had to learn from some great employers over the years. I am looking forward to seeing how my girls do. :)

Here is the menu for March:

Menu 2021: January

Oh, what a crazy year 2020 was! There were good parts and bad parts as with any other year, but there were also parts full of fear that required faith in an Omnipotent, Omniscient God who had everything under control. I am so thankful that I know Who holds tomorrow and that He also holds my hand. With all that in mind, we enter 2021 with anticipation for what God can do through us and hope that you can do the same. We have lots of goals for 2021 but that will have to wait for another post. So without any further adieu, here is the menu.

January 1-9

• Chicken tenders with Chick-fil-A sauce (you can buy it by the 8 oz bottle now 😱), cheesy hashbrown casserole, and a side salad
• Venison chops, eggs, and toast
• Chicken and rice soup with fresh bread
• Taco Salad
• Pizza and a side salad
• Spaghetti squash carbonara
• Sloppy Joes, mac'n'cheese, and veggies
• Roasted Rabbit with herbs, steamed broccoli, and risotto
• Happy Birthday to my DS! BBQ ribs, Brussels sprouts, and smashed red potatoes

January 10-16

• Chili
• Concessions 😁
• Asian lettuce wraps and vegetable fried rice
• Red beans and rice
• Slow cooker ravioli lasagna and mixed veggies
• Leftovers
• Brats, baked potatoes, roasted veggies

January 17-23

• Roast beef sandwiches, roasted vegetables, and side salad
• Brisket, fingerling potatoes, veggies
• Concessions 😊
• Smoked chicken thighs, veggies, quinoa and rice medley
• Staff Retreat💓

January 24-31

• Beef tenderloin, smashed potatoes, steamed broccoli
• Concessions 😊
• Jambalaya
• Chicken Ramen
• Thai green curry
• Meatloaf, mac'n'cheese, and mixed veggies
• Pulled pork buns, roasted vegetables, and side salad

Menu 2020: October 25- November 28

Summer is over and fall is upon us. Fall has always been my favorite time of year. We got married in the fall and most of our family pictures have been taken in the fall. This fall is a little different for us with all the COVID-19 considerations and restrictions. Our favorite fall field trip locations have gone virtual. Athletic tournaments are being canceled. Sometimes it is hard to look on the bright side. BUT, I was reminded the other day of a couple of things: 1. God is sufficient for everything, and 2. God's mercies are new every morning, great is His faithfulness. Through these crazy times we're living in, I constantly feel like I am inadequate, which is true. I am not enough for anything, but my God is so much more than enough and His grace will be sufficient in my weakness. 💕

Since I am a month behind, let's get back to the menu...

Menu 2020: August 23-September 27

It hasn't been a normal summer by any means, but it has been busy. We went on vacation in July and then on to camping in the middle of August. The kids have started conditioning practice for fall sports and school starts in a week. I am looking forward to having a few days a week to myself so I can get to some of more cleaning and organizing done around the house. I also picked up some bridal alterations and a curtain project that I start on this week. 

We're trying to get to some much-needed work done around the yard. We spent the weekend "grubbing out" a bunch of trees and such that the previous owner let take over the backyard. We took out about 20% of the stuff it already looks better.  

August 23-29

• Omelets and roasted baby reds
• Pizza and salad
• Chicken alfredo with roasted cauliflower and carrots
• Salmon filets (gotta love a Piggly Wiggly sale), smashed red potatoes, and a side salad
• Taco Salad

August 30-September 5

• Pizza, salad, and chips
• Tater Tot Casserole
• Chicken pot pie
• Spaghetti, steamed veggies, salad, and French bread 
• Subs, fresh fruit, and chips

September 6-12

• Happy Labor Day - pulled pork, beef brisket, and a few other things on the smoker :D
• Breakfast for dinner - venison chops, fried eggs, and hashbrowns
• Chicken quesadillas and black beans
• Chili
• Cobb Salad

September 13-19

• Tacos 
• Subs and popcorn 
• Carbonara and a side salad
• Pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon 
• Smoked ribs, mashed potatoes, and veggies

September 20-26

• Pulled pork and fries 
• Potato soup and dinner rolls
• Lasagna roll-ups, steamed veggies, and a side salad
• Eggplant parmesan over spaghetti with a side salad
• Burgers, veggie tray, fruit salad, and fries 

Menu 2020: July 19-August 22

I wish that I could say we are getting closer to being back to life as "usual". It is nice to be able to take the kids out and about to different places. We have always been a family of "people people" so not being able to have much interaction with people was really hard on us, but especially on our kids. 💗 

I'm starting to get back to a normal work schedule between my secretarial job and my alterations business. The kids are working summer jobs doing yard work, picking berries, cleaning for people, etc. My hubby found a pellet smoker for a great price back at the end of May and we've had lots of fun coming up with things to cook in it. Here's what we're making... 

Menu 2020: March 29-May 2

March was an interesting month to say the least! I am hopeful that April will be less crazy, or it will at least stay consistently warm enough to be outside more often than it was in March. This "Safer at Home" order is causing a bit of the (stir)crazies at our house. I am thankful that we have more square footage during this time than we did a couple of years ago or things would be much less manageable. :) How has the "quarantine" affected your family?

I didn't follow my menu plan very well after we returned from our mission trip with the kids as things were just starting to get crazy, so I will be using some of last month's ideas this month.

Menu 2020: February 1-March 28

February marks the end of the basketball season for our kids. It's been fun to see them learn a new sport and participate on a team, but I am definitely ready for a more open schedule! This month we are taking our oldest two kids on their first mission trip and my FIL is coming to stay with the youngest two. All four of the kids are incredibly excited about each of their adventures. I am including the menus for both February and March.

Menu 2020: January 1-31

I think that am finally settling in to being "back at work" outside the home. Our schedule is still more hectic than I would prefer but at least we're getting used to it.
Since our family word of the year is "Reset," I am going to attempt to do a better job at organizing a monthly menu in 2020. Writing and sticking to a menu plan helps me to stay on track with both calorie intake and budget, which both my bank account and clothing tell me are needed. :D Here is what I have for January.

Menu 2019: July 1-28

We are settling into life in our new home slowly but surely. It's always interesting to see how long it takes to figure out a new normal. Since we have moved twice in the last year, I am hoping it doesn't take as long to get settled. There are still plenty of boxes to be unpacked and either put away or given away/sold. We are attempting to only keep what we need, love, and have space for. We're still working to get some final remodeling finished up, but I think that's normal for anyone who owns a home. :D
Anyway, here's the menu for July.

Menu 2019: June 3-30

Whew! We made it to June. It's been a crazy 10 months for our family, but we've finally settled all in the same place. The kids and I moved into our house completely the last week of May and I am thoroughly enjoying having my hubby and kids all under one roof. There is still going to be some adjustment time for everyone - new house, new schedule, new church, and new friends. We got a good deal of our unpacking done on weekends over the last couple of months but there are still boxes to go through and basement space to set up. Most of the remodeling has also been finished. We have a few projects left to finish, but they shouldn't take too long.
We were blessed by our new church family doing a "Pack the Pantry" project for us. It was a completely unexpected, but wonderful, thing. I was able to skip grocery shopping for the whole first week that we were in the house. It also helped get me further along on writing up my menu for June as I already had full cupboards to choose from. :D

Menu 2019: December 30-January 26

Since my last post, God has given us clear direction as to the where we are to go. My husband has been offered a job at a church on the other side of the state and he starts work on the 3rd. We are still working through all the logistics of commuting till we find a house. I would greatly appreciate your prayers as we transition to this new ministry over the next several months.
In the meantime, here is my proposed menu for January. I am trying to work off what we currently have in the fridge, freezer, and cupboards so a few of them might be a little out of the ordinary. :D

Menu 2018: December 2-29

We had a very enjoyable Thanksgiving break spending time with both sides of the family at different points in the week. 💓 We didn't do a lot Black Friday shopping, which was fine because we don't really have the space (or budget) for extra things right now. I was able to get a lot of my Christmas shopping done though. We are traveling a lot throughout the holidays as my hubby is preaching out 3 of the 5 Sundays in December.

Menu 2018: November 4-December 1

Life has been crazy the last several months. At the end of April we determined that it was time for us to move on to a different ministry so my hubby resigned the end of May. By July we still didn't have an answer for question of "where" we were to go so we moved across the state and in with my parents the first week in August. The kids have settled into being in a school vs. homeschooling, and I am working to settle into the routine of being home by myself most days. I am not one to watch the clock so it has been harder than I thought to get used to not having the school day to fill my time. I have picked up some alterations jobs and my hubby has been filling in for other pastors besides his part-time consulting job. We also spent nine wonderful days away with friends on a cruise in the western Caribbean for a combined anniversary/birthday celebration. God has been so good to us amid the challenges we've faced. 💕

I am going to attempt getting back into the swing of posting my menus on the blog instead of only on the Facebook page so wish me luck. 😁