Menu: September 3-30

The new format for a monthly menu seems to be working fairly well for us. I am going to try it again this month to see how things go.

September 3-9
We are watching 4 of my nieces overnight (Friday/Saturday) so we're planning some fun meals.

• Happy Labor Day Grilling - It is tradition around here to grill out on most holidays (including the ones where we have 2' of snow outside) and this is no exception - brats/hot dogs, potatoes, mixed veggies, corn on the cob, and most likely a jello salad
• Comfort Food - Chicken stir fry over rice (I know this is not your "traditional" comfort food but to me it is)
• With it being the first night of King's Kids at church, we may opt to have leftovers or eat out. 
• Salad - Southwest grilled chicken salad - grilled chicken, black beans, red pepper strips, tortilla strips, corn kernels, red onions, fiesta blend cheese and still deciding on a dressing recipe
• Tex-Mex - Tacos and black beans with rice
• Soup/Sandwich - Subs, French fries, and fresh fruit
• Italian/Pasta - Spaghetti, mixed veggies, side salad, and French bread

September 10-16

• Breakfast for Dinner - Western Omelets and American fries
• Tex-Mex - Stuffed peppers
• Italian - Pizza (Caprese, veggie, and sausage/black olive stuffed crust)
• Comfort Food - Chicken Pot Pie (I froze a second pie last month)
• Salad - Simple Italian Pasta Salad (rotini, grilled chicken, olives, cherry tomatoes, peppers, onions, homemade garlic herb dressing, etc.)
• Leftovers
• Soup/Sandwich - Pulled pork and slaw and fresh fruit

September 17-23

• Sandwich - Chicken salad sandwiches and veggie tray
• Tex-Mex - Fajitas
• Italian/Pasta - Calzones and salad
• Comfort Food - Jambalaya
• Night Out - Jared is attending a seminar and I'm spending the day with my sister and her family, then out for dinner with friends. 
• Grilling - We've got a college/career's group activity and will be grilling steaks, baking potatoes in the crockpot, and enjoying some fresh veggies.
• Salad - Grilled chicken salad bar and fruit salad

September 24-30

• Soup/Sandwich - Black bean soup (still working on finding a recipe that I like)
• Italian/Pasta - Fettuccine with grilled chicken in a roasted garlic cream sauce, steamed veggies, and French bread
• Comfort Food - Red beans and rice
• Salad - Taco Salad
• Breakfast for Dinner - Quiche and Fresh fruit
• "Night Out" - We will be doing "Dinner at 8pm" again tonight. I am so looking forward to it!
• Appetizer/Soup/Salad - Spinach & Mushroom Soup
• Main Entree - Caprese grilled chicken with balsamic reduction
• Sides - Baby red potatoes & sauteed asparagus
• Dessert - Mini New York Cheesecake (topped with fat free caramel syrup)
• Tex-Mex -  White Chicken Chili and corn bread

Cleaning the Bathroom, Pinterest Style

I am going to admit something to you. I HATE cleaning, and the two things I hate to do most are washing the dishes (we'll save the reason for some other post) and cleaning the bathroom. I just plain do not like cleaning the bathroom, it's dirty, smelly, and takes a good chunk of time to get really clean. BUT, thanks to Pinterest, I have found a better way to clean my bathroom. In fact, it's so easy (and almost chemical-free) that Mr. R., who's only 5 1/2, can do about half of it. This literally takes 15 minutes if you clean the shower and wash the floor, even less if you're just cleaning the sink, countertops, and toilet area.

How to Plan a Menu

Last week our assistant pastor's wife asked me to speak to a group of our church ladies on how to plan a menu. It was definitely something new for me as I have never done any sort of public speaking regarding my menu planning. I am including my notes from this as a post to hopefully be a help to you as you write your menus.

Twisted Cinnamon Rolls

Our family loves cinnamon rolls. I found an absolutely delicious recipe before we ever had the kiddos and would make them for special occasions. Since adding 4 to our family, I don't make them as often do to time constraints so I decided to try my own variation on the traditional cinnamon rolls.

Multi-Grain Bread

I decided not to use my loaf pans the day I took the picture,
which is why it looks more like French bread.

I decided to try my hand at making a multi-grain bread for Miss S.'s birthday. I wanted something that combined oats, wheat, flax, and something with a little extra texture so I included sunflower seeds. The bread turned out delicious and everyone enjoyed it! Love it when that happens. :o) Here's what I used:

Cinnamon Craisin Oat Bread

Delicious!

I have loved cinnamon raisin bread ever since I can remember. It was always a special treat when we would visit my grandparents, who happened to live just up the road from us. I've wanted to attempt making some for quite a while now and today was the day, since I was out of bread and didn't want to take the time to load 4 kids in a minivan and run to the store for some. I didn't have any raisins on hand but had just picked up some craisins on Friday so I decided to try my own variation on the traditional cinnamon raisin bread.

Savor it!

Jared and I believe that God has completed our family and we do not plan to have any more kids. (We've heard it all where that topic is concerned so please do not judge, or at least keep your judgments to yourself with regard to our family's size.) With that said, my baby girl is now going on 14 months and I am officially done with the baby stage of life. I have never had one of those longing moments where I wonder if we made the right decision in choosing to have "only" the 4 kids, but I do think to myself quite frequently lately that I wish time would just slow down a bit... Mr. R. will start Kindergarten this year and Miss E. preschool. Miss A. is potty trained, and Miss S. is weaned and walking. They are getting so big so fast and lately I feel like they grow all the faster with each blink of an eye. I recently read an excerpt from a book and it made me think and reflect a bit, which I seem to be doing a little more of lately. 

The excerpt goes something like this, "life is not an emergency...life is our only dessert - too brief, too sweet, too delectable to hurry..." (Ann Voskamp)

In all my extra pondering lately, I have come to the conclusion that life is just too busy and I must slow down and savor the moments. I rush through my day to get everything "finished" - the house cleaned, laundry done, sewing work completed, shopping lists and menus filled out, etc. but feel as though I've missed out on some much needed and neglected TIME with my little ones. 

Yes, there are days where I feel like I am on the verge of insanity with the constant pulling in 5 different directions by the people I love so deeply. Yes, there are days that time cannot seem to move fast enough toward bedtime for my four little blessings. Then I think about the time that my own mother spent with my sisters and I reading books, working in the garden, and just being there for us. I want to duplicate that for my children. I am just forewarning any of you who follow my blog on a regular basis that posts may end up being a little late from time to time as I am learning how to balance my hobbies in light of the need for both my children and me to have more time (both in quality and quantity) with each other. I must learn to savor the moments (both mundane and exciting) and lean more fully on God's grace for the difficult ones.

[Chocolate] Banana Oat Muffins

[Chocolate] Banana Oat Muffins

This is one of my "concoctions", of sorts. I've learned how much of this you can substitute for that and such so I decided to try something new for one of our usual breakfast-on-the-go Sunday mornings. It turned out wonderfully delicious! Most of the kiddos had theirs finished off before we were even halfway to church.

Men's T-Shirt to Peasant Top Upcycle

I happened upon a $3 men's t-shirt at JCP a few months back and finally got a chance to "upcycle" it. :o) First off, I wear an XL and decided to buy a XXL so I'd have more fabric to play around with, but going up a full size probably isn't necessary. 

I started the project by turning the shirt inside out. 

cutting out the shirt front and back

"Philly Cheesesteak" Pizza

Bottom: Completed and delicious!
(BBQ Chicken Pizza is at the top of the picture)

I was making up homemade pizzas for dinner on Friday and Jared just happened to get home from work a bit early so he decided that we would attempt some homemade Philly Cheesesteak Pizza.

1 pound pizza dough (I had some whole wheat dough in the freezer from the local grocery store)
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic herb butter (just minced herbs, garlic, and butter)
1 1/2 tablespoons of flour
2/3 cup skim milk
1 dollop of light sour cream.
1/2 lb steak, thinly sliced
1/3 of a green pepper, thinly sliced
1/3 of a medium onion , thinly sliced
1 cup Italian blend cheese, divided
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese