Loving Home

Meal Plan Week #6

2012-02-07T11:40:00.002-06:00

Sorry I am a little behind. I had taken pics of this weeks groceries but I had trouble downloading them and now dh has taken the camera with him to work so maybe next time.

Meals for the week are:

Breakfast: choice of

cold cereal
eggs and toast
muffins
oatmeal

Lunch: choice of

sandwiches
leftovers

Dinner:

pizza
sandwiches
sloppy joes
chicken, sweet potatoes, veggies
spaghetti and meatballs
white fish, peas and carrots
salmon, corn and veggie

Snacks:

popcorn
cheese puffs
chips and salsa
veggie and ranch dip

Meal Plan Week #5

2012-01-28T18:10:00.002-06:00

Our weather is still crazy here. This morning dh and I had short sleeve shirts on and no coats. Wow !! This week I only have $30 for food so we are using mostly what we have on hand.

Went to the grocery store this morning and got the following:

1/2 gallon of skim milk
2 bags of salad mix
1 bag of pretzels
2 pkgs of sliced cheese
2 pkgs of pepperoni
1 pkg hot dogs
3 baking potatoes
2.1 lbs of bananas
1 bag of kiwis

Total after coupons: $20.39 I saved 29%. Not as good as some weeks but I just didn't get things that had coupons. One pkg of pepperoni and one pkg of sliced cheese went into the freezer.

Here is what I have planned to fix this week:

Breakfast: choice of cold cereal, muffins, oatmeal or toast

Lunch: choice of sandwiches, grilled cheese or leftovers

Dinners: -meatball subs
-chicken, baked potatoes, veggie
-chili
-spaghetti and salad
-pizza
-date night
-leftovers

Snacks: pumpkin bread, pretzels and popcorn, bananas

Simple meals for a yo yo week of weather. The chicken and the chili will be cooked in the crockpot. I love my crockpot !!!

Meal Plan Week #4

2012-01-23T07:43:00.002-06:00

I have made it through the first full month January. Is it just me or is this year flying already? :) I have been trying different ways to list my meals for the week as they don't always land on the days that I have planned for. The saying in Tennessee is "if you don't like the weather, just wait, it will change real soon." We have already had some strange weather for January and we try to eat different things in different temps. I guess most people do - lighter things on warmer days. I can't remember when we had a chance of tornadoes in January, but last night we did. Really strange .....

Well on to my menu for the week ...

Breakfast:

choice of: oatmeal, cold cereal, muffins, pancakes or toast

Lunches:

choice of: sandwiches, leftovers

Dinners:

baked pasta and salad
chicken, stuffing and veggie
spaghetti and meatballs
tacos and spanish rice
chicken, mashed potatoes and veggie
white fish, peas and veggie
pizza night

Snacks:

choice of: popcorn, pretzels or chips and salsa

You might notice that we eat very little rice or mac and cheese. Thing is as much as I love both dh will not eat either. Every so often I make it for me and fix him something different. I guess the good thing is both of my kids will eat both. ~smile~ Same goes for cooked cabbage, I love cabbage rolls but dh will not eat cooked cabbage. I have had to give up eating some foods now that it is just dh and I because it doesn't make sense just to make it for me.

Meal Plan Week #3

2012-01-17T19:44:00.002-06:00

This week I am behind because I was in a car accident on Saturday. So I am running behind. This week's menu plan:

Sunday, Jan 15

b. cereal
l. pizza
d. grilled cheese and soup

Monday, Jan 16

b. cereal
l. hot dogs and soup
d. baked pasta and salad

Tuesday, Jan 17

b. cereal
l. sandwiches
d. turkey sausage, mashed potato and broccoli

Wednesday, Jan 18

b. toast with peanut butter and hot tea
l. sandwiches
d. sloppy joes

Thursday, Jan 19

b. toast with peanut butter and hot tea
l. sandwiches
d. chicken, stuffing and veggie

Friday, Jan 20

b. cereal
l. sandwiches
d. date night

Saturday, Jan 21

b. eggs, toast and sausage
l. grilled cheese and soup
d. pizza night

Grocery shopping was done Saturday morning and I went over. I can't find my reciept but I will post when I do find it.

Book Review: 66 Love Letters

2012-01-13T21:23:00.002-06:00

I have recently finished reading a book by Dr. Larry Crabb called "66 Love Letters". It takes each book of the Bible and looks at it in a different way. You are encouraged to read each chapter and then wait a week before reading the next chapter in order to better understand how each chapter is written.

As much as I enjoyed this book, it is a time consuming read. For the everyday reader I truly believe that this book may be a challenge.

Meal Plan week #2

2012-01-08T13:28:00.004-06:00

Here we are at week #2 of the year with this week's meals. I did a little food shopping and added a little bit to food storage. Here is what I bought:

Kroger:

1 pkg Charmin toilet paper
2 pkg instant mashed potatoes
2 candy bars (I went shopping hungry)
2 pkgs shredded Italian blend cheese
2 boxes thin spaghetti (for food storage)
1 pkg chicken sausage
2 bags of baby carrots
1 can organic tomato paste
1 can organic tomato sauce
1 can mushrroms
2 pkgs salad mix

total after coupons: $30.75
left for the week:19.75

Aldi's:

4 cans chicken noodle soup
1 bag potato chips
1 bottle mild salsa
2 loaves of bread

total: $8.79
left for the week: $10.96

Here is what I plan to fix this week:

Sunday, 8th - breakfast: donuts
lunch: fried chicken, cole slaw and potato salad
dinner: hot dogs, cole slaw and potato salad

Monday, 9th - breakfast: dh McD; me I have a fasting blood test @9:30
lunch: sandwiches
dinner: eating out with friends to exchange gifts

Tuesday, 10th - breakfast: cold cereal or oatmeal
lunch: sandwiches or leftovers
dinner: meatloaf, mashed potatoes and carrots

Wednesday, 11th - breakfast: pancakes
lunch: sandwiches or leftovers
dinner: chicken sausage, noodles and veggie

Thursday, 12th - breakfast: muffins
lunch: sandwiches or leftovers
dinner: chili with cheese

Friday, 13th - breakfast: oatmeal
lunch: sandwich or leftovers
dinner: chicken cacciatorie

Saturday, 14th - breakfast: eggs, bacon and toast
lunch: soup and grilled cheese
dinner: pizza night

Snacks: choice of popcorn, chips and salsa or pretzels
Dinner: choice of ice tea, hot tea, lemonade or diet soda

Meal Plan Week #1

2012-01-04T15:12:00.002-06:00

This year I am going to try and post my menus and grocery trips each week. I have $50 budgeted for two adults and the occasional adult child. We are hoping to entertain once or twice a month also. My goal is to eliminate soda from our diet and junk foods. This week we are still using what is in the house but consuming far less of it than we used to. I normally plan on Fridays and shop on Saturdays for the next week as I don't have a car during the week.

Week #1 of the new year and I have a plan for dinners.

Sunday - turkey sausage, mashed potatoes, salad
Monday - Spaghetti
Tuesday - eat out at Olive Garden (gift card)
Wednesday - baked chicken, stuffing and carrots
Thursday - sloppy joes and broccoli slaw
Friday - date night (payday) or leftovers
Saturday - homemade pizza

breakfasts will be a choice of: eggs, oatmeal, cold cereal or toast

lunches will be a choice of: sandwiches, leftovers or mac and cheese

drinks: diet soda, ice tea, hot tea or lemonade

snacks: popcorn, pretzels or chips and salsa

I did not have to go to the grocery store as I had all items at the house already.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T17:48:00.002-06:00

I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. May you remember the reason for the season.

Just finished this yesterday ....

2011-12-10T15:50:00.002-06:00

Great E-book !!

2011-12-05T18:47:00.000-06:00

With groceries going up each week it seems this is a must for every family.

What I am making right now ...

2011-12-05T14:26:00.001-06:00

I am on my third one right now. I think they turn out so cute.

Menus Dec 4 - 10

2011-12-05T13:30:00.002-06:00

I know I have missed some weeks here. I just need to get in the habit of posting.

Breakfasts:

toast with peanut butter
pop tarts
eggs and toast
pancakes
cold cereal

Lunches:

mac and cheese
ham sandwich
leftovers
hot dogs
grilled cheese and soup

Dinners:

mushroom pizza
chicken, stuffing and veggie
sloppy joes
chili
taco soup
chicken, noodles and veggie
date night on Friday

Snakes:

apples
popcorn
cookies

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T18:44:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from our homes to yours.

Menu for Nov 13 - 19

2011-11-13T21:02:00.002-06:00

Here is what is being served in my home this week:

Breakfasts:

danish
cereal w/bananas
toad in the hole with bacon
oatmeal
scrambled eggs, toast and bacon

Lunches:

hamburger helper lasagna
sandwiches
leftovers
hot dogs

Dinners:

church dinner
chicken, stuffing and veggie or salad
turkey lo mein
meatloaf, mashed potatoes, veggie
baked pasta
Confetti Chicken Chili *new recipe*
fish sticks and slaw

Snacks:

popcorn
apples
chips and salsa

Farmer's Market

2011-10-28T14:07:00.002-05:00

Today my dd and I went to our farmer's market. This was the last Friday morning for the season and will start Sunday afternoon November and December. We knew some of our favorite vendors were not going to be participating on Sundays so we wanted to see them one last time this season. The gentleman that we get our goat cheese from was their. He had not been there for a few weeks so asked about his health. He had had a health scare but is doing better now. We purchased one container as I needed to save my money for our apple lady. She had the last of her apples for the season today so we bought a box of granny smith apples and we will have to make them last.

Here is what we purchased:

1 box of apples = $30.00
1 container goat cheese + $6.00
2 peppers = $2.00 (kinda expensive but these are huge)
2 kholrabi = $3.00
7 tomatoes = $3.00
1 bag of kettle corn for dd = $2.00

Not bad for the end of October.

Meal Planning for Oct 23-29

2011-10-23T17:05:00.002-05:00

Here is the plan for this week:

Breakfast: choice of: cereal, eggs/toast, oatmeal, toast with peanut butter, zucchini or pumpkin bread
Lunches: choice of: meat sandwich, peanut butter and jelly or leftovers
Dinners: soup and grilled cheese
salmon, boiled potatoes, carrots
chicken, noodles, veggie
beef tips, mashed potatoes, veggie
chili
steak, sweet potatoes, broccoli
baked pasta, salad

At the farmer's market, Friday, I got: potatoes, cucumbers and apples. I still have a lot of homecanned pears from last year. I also have taken out of the deep freeze puree pumpkin and shredded zucchini to make loaves for snacks and breakfast.

Indian Summer again ... ?

2011-10-23T16:41:00.002-05:00

It seems like our weather can not make up its mind. mid 70's then mid 50's then back to mid 70's. No wonder I am not feeling well. The next couple of days will be mid 70's then around Thursday it will be mid 50's again. It makes it hard to plan a menu also. I will be back with the menu in just a few minutes.

This Year is Flying

2011-10-15T21:13:00.002-05:00

October 15 is here and I feel like it just started. A little more than two months until Christmas and I have barely started. The next couple of days will be spent thinking about possible gifts and money goals for the season.

I am not feeling well so off to bed I go. More later.

Septembers Goals

2011-09-18T20:55:00.002-05:00

Since I am already at the 18th this will be a mini list.

1. Continue to lose weight

2. Pick green tomatoes to make pickled green tomatoes for dh

3. Work on organizing craft room

4. Keep kitchen clean.

I am alive .......

2011-09-18T20:36:00.002-05:00

Wow, I did not realize that I have not blogged since May !!! There is so much to catch you up on.

May 2011
End of the year for dd in college and dh teaching middle school. We found out he was being displaced but we didn't know where so we had to pack everything and store it in his classroom until he found out where he would be placed. More on that latter. Dd made honor roll for the spring semester and we are so proud of her. We had to replant the lettuce and cucumbers thanks to a family of bunnies.

June 2011
Dh is taking a graduate level course as he is working toward his plus 30. It is in aerospace and he is loving it. He got a flying lesson and they travelled to Florida on a field trip. Ds was excited to pay off his car nine months early. It had been his goal to pay it off by June and he did it. We also celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary and my birthday. More replanting and harvesting the cabbage, broccoli and khorabi. The garden is not starting off to well for our summer garden.

July 2011
We entered a new phase of our marriage - empty nest. Both kids moved out the second weekend of July. They are roommates and are enjoying their new freedom. Dh wasn't home to help as he was in New Jersey for his sister's retirement party. She had taught kindergarden for 41 years. Wow !!!!!! Also this month dh and I travelled to Ontario Canada for a 60th wedding anniversary party. We had a wonderful, though quick, visit and got to see as many family and friends as we could. When we got home dh was told his placement. Not good - it is at a school 54 miles one way from home and he is teaching 7th not 5th like he wanted. She spend the last week of this month just finding the school and meeting the new administrators. Dd gets her driver's license this month also. Dh got the hall bathroom completely redone - new flooring (tile), new sink and faucets and he built a couple of shelves for me. We also painted. It looks so nice.

August 2011
First two weeks are spent moving dh into his new room. Wow he has a lot of stuff. Once he is settled and in a routine I must establish mine now. I have no vehicle now and if I need to go anywhere I need to call the kids. This is helped when dd purchased her first vehicle. She is so proud that she paid it in full and she has no car payment. I am pleased also. Both kids celebrate their birthdays this month. Ds is 24 now and dd is 22. Time has sure flown. We got new flooring in the rooms that the kids had and now one is an office and one is a craft room. I am still organizing the craft room.

September 2011
Dd is back at school now and is taking 15 hours. She also has acquired a second job. She actually starts that job tomorrow. She is learning how to juggle. Ds is doing well at work and is making friends. I have been canning tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash and pickles. This year I am making bread and butter. No salsa this year as well still have quite a bit from last year.

Well you are caught up now. I will try very hard to blog more.

My First Drug Store Deals

2011-05-02T21:51:00.009-05:00

Here is my CVS shop. They also had everything that I wanted. Here is what I got:

2 boxes of Colgate
4 bottles of Dawn
2 bottles of Pantene
= $5.94 +$2 RR

This is my Rite Aid shop. They had everything that I went in for, Here is what I got:

3 Scope
2 bags of pistachios
3 boxes of Colgarte
= $9.58 OOP

This is my take from Walgreen's. They did not have any razors so I will need to go back for those. Here is what I got:

1 Head and Shoulders Shampoo
1 Head and Shoulders Conditioner
6 Right Guard deodarant
= $13.49 OOP + $6 RR

I don't think I did that bad. I still have the razors to pick up. So today I spent $29.01 plus $6 RR

Menus for April 24 - April 30

2011-04-25T16:10:00.002-05:00

Well I am trying not to go to the store anymore this week since we ran to Krogers Easter Sunday for Sparkling Grape Juice. I have enough milk and bread for the week so I am not counting on going until Friday (payday) earliest.

Breakfasts:
choice of cereal, toast with peanut butter, eggs, bacon and toast or oatmeal

Lunches:
choice of sandwiches, mac and cheese or leftovers

Dinners:

Easter Sunday - ham, mashed sweet potatoes, asparagus, snow peas and honey bread bunny
Monday - chicken, red potatoes and broccoli slaw
Tuesday - ham, sweet potatoes and green beans
Wednesday - spaghetti and green salad
Thursday - sloppy joes
Friday - date night for dh and I, dd will have leftovers
Saturday - chicken, red potatoes and carrots

Snacks:
popcorn, chips and salsa or cookies (maybe later this week)

I have everything I need for this menu. Right down to the frozen cookie dough for the cookies. I plan on making the hamburger buns for the sloppy joes on Thursday or gather what is in the house and just use that.

Rain, Rain and More Rain

2011-04-15T15:53:00.002-05:00

This spring is promising to be one of the wettest ever. We got our spring garden in late due the excessive amount of rain. We got broccoli, cabbage, red leaf lettuce and kohlrabi. Now I am praying that they don't drown. We have so much work to do outside and it rains every other day recently. It doesn't really get to dry out a little bit in between. The first good weekend we will all be outside working.

We have been working on inside jobs for now. The bathroom is coming a long with the wall speckled and painted. The storage box that will be beside the sink has been built and installed. This weekend the tile floor will go down, Lord willing. After that we will install the new cabinet and sink, place the toilet in place and hang the new mirror. I can't wait until it is done as we are all sharing the master bath right now.

I need to start my spring cleaning. I am going to start this weekend in the kitchen as it is the busiest room in the house. So much to do and I need to get organized.

Menu Planning

2011-04-11T15:12:00.002-05:00

Here is what I plan to fix the week of April 11 -17

Monday - Breakfast - scones and milk
Lunch - sandwiches and slaw
Dinner - beef stir fry with noodles

Tuesday - Breakfast - pancakes
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner - chicken thighs, corn and carrots

Wednesday - Breakfast - cereal. milk and bananas
Lunch - sandwiches
Dinner - sloppy joes, slaw

Thursday - Breakfast - waffles
Lunch - sandwiches or leftovers
Dinner - spaghetti and texas toast

Friday - Breakfast - hard boiled eggs and toast
Lunch - sandwiches or leftovers
Dinner - date night

Saturday - Breakfast - eggs, toast and bacon
Lunch - grilled cheese and soup
Dinner - chicken, peas and carrots

Sunday - Breakfast - cereal and milk
Lunch - homemade pizza
Dinner - hot dogs and chips

April's Goals

2011-04-11T15:08:00.002-05:00

I know that it is the 11th but at least I will have them posted.

1. continue to lose weight

2. keep food budget to $75 a week

3. go through master bedroom looking for yard sale items

4. inventory deep freeze, pantry and refrigerator

5. start sewing

March's Goals

2011-04-03T16:49:00.002-05:00

Time to take a look at March's goals and how I did.

1. Remove junk food from house - for the most part I got this done

2. Lose 5 pounds - I think I lost 3 so I was close

3. 30 mins of activity daily - did not get it done daily and it is most likely why I only lost 3 pounds

4. check sugar at least 3 x daily - also had troubles with this too

5. Read up on Byette - I read but I don't know how I feel about it yet.

6. Finish FAFSA for Rachel - I am pleased to say that I did get this done.

This has been an up and down month for me. A lot of pain and struggling with finances - not a good combo. I hope to do better next month.

Ladies Weekend

2011-03-14T16:17:00.004-05:00

Last night I arrived home from a wonderful ladies retreat. There were 28 of us which included at least 10 guests of our members. We studied ACTS = Adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication. It was wonderful and I gained alot of insight from our speaker - Tina.

We were at Hy-Lake Camp in Tennessee and it was absolutely beautiful. The cabin was nice and clean and the kitchen facilities were amazing. Here are some pics from it.

March's Goals and Doc's Words

2011-03-04T16:03:00.002-06:00

I went to the doctor today for my three month diabetic checkup. Well my A1C is 9.3 way not good. My blood pressure is elevated and I had gained 10 pounds. So on to this months goals.

1. Remove junk food from house.

2. Lose at least 5 pounds (a must)

3. Do at least 30 mins of movement a day (either walking, Wii or swim class)

4. Check my glucose at least three times a day. Record it for doctor.

5. Read up on Byetta and let the doctor know what I think.

6. Finish FAFSA this month for Rachel.

Revisiting Feb. goals

2011-03-02T17:32:00.002-06:00

It is the 2nd of March and it is time to see how I did last month.

1. Lose 5 lbs. = I only lost 1.5 pounds.

2. Cull through my clothes = I did a little bit more of this but still not done.

3. Get my taxes done as well as Ian's and Rachel's = they are all done but I need to fix Ian's and send it back out.

4. Pay down bills = Success !!!!!!!!!!!! I paid off two more bills for a monthly savings of $326.56. For the year so far: $439.56

5. Start Christmas gifts for 2011 = well I did some planning but did not finish the afghans.

6. Finish organizing coupons = I did get this done.

7. Stay in food budget = once again I was a little over.

First Shop of February

2011-02-05T14:52:00.004-06:00

Ok today I did my first shopping on the month.

First off: Sam's Club

1 box Fiber One Bars
2 dozen bagels
1 pkg of Bath Tissue
1 case of Sun Drop (for dd)

$35.99

Food Lion

10 boxes pasta
6 jars Ragu
2 Red Barons pizza
1 Texas Toast Cheese bread
1 TGIF potato skins
1 pkg chocolate chip cookie dough

$16.85 I saved $46.68. I got the 10 boxes of pasta for free. I also got the cheese bread, potato skins and cookie dough were free with the purchase of the pizzas. I had coupons for the pasta, Ragu and pizzas. The cashier at Food Lion was kinda nasty when I asked for a rain check for the Dove deodorant.

Spent: $52.84
Saved: 46.68
Left for the pay cycle (two weeks): $97.16

February's Goals

2011-01-31T16:17:00.004-06:00

With a new month starting tomorrow I took the time to think about goals for February. Here we go.

1. The weight loss goal will stay the same = 5 pounds

2. I will continue to cull through my clothes and donate to Goodwill.

3. Get my taxes done as well as Ian's and Rachel"s. Have them all e-filed by the end of the month.

4. Continue to pay down bills. Total saved per month so far: $113 per month.

5. Start working on Christmas gifts. Finish afghans this month.

6. Finish organizing my coupons and start using them more consistently.

7. Stay within our budget. #6 will help a lot in this area.

Like I did this month I will revisit at the end of the month.

Revisiting January Goals

2011-01-31T10:08:00.002-06:00

Well it is the last day of January already. It seems like it was just New Years and here we are staring February in the face. I thought I would revisit my goals for this month.

1. Lose 5 pounds = not good. I gained 2 pounds. When I am stressed I eat and this was a stressful month. Even too much of good things are not good.

2. Cull through my clothes = I have started this but I am not done yet.

3. Get better organized for next tax season = Success !! I found an expandable folder that is designed for taxes and it has been placed where I can find it. I already have some of this years info in it already.

4. Don't buy craft supplies just because = I have had to buy some to finish a piece I am working on. I did buy some for my next project but I haven't spent a lot this month.

5. Pay down bills = Success again !! We have paid off a hospital bill this month. This has freed up $113 a month. Now on to the next bill.

Now on to next month.

Got to Love ..... Turkey

2011-01-27T14:15:00.003-06:00

The other night I cook an 11.6 lb turkey. It was falling off the bone almost when I served it at dinner along with stuffing and green beans. A little taste of heaven ... yummm We have had turkey sandwiches today and tonight I think I am going to try turkey tetranzzi. I have found a new recipe that sounds good and I have all of the ingredients. :) If it is a keeper I will post the recipe. What are some of the things that you like to fix with cooked turkey? I will sometimes make a "thanksgiving" casserole. I also like to fix turkey stir-fry.

Tomorrow I might serve some turkey with baked potatoes and carrots. Yummy

Weird Winter and Grocery prices

2011-01-22T16:00:00.003-06:00

So far this winter we have had more snow then I can ever remember having in Tennessee. I have lived in Tennessee for 21 years now. I have enjoyed it as long as I have not had to go out in it. My concern is that the southeast is not use to so much snow and cold. A lot of fragile crops grow in these areas and they are already talking about prices going up due to crop damage.

I have already started to see prices going up. Everything from fresh foods to tuna are higher than last month. I have been surprised that apples (that are in season right now) are still very expensive. Dh and I went to do a little shopping yesterday and just like that we spent $27.05. We got 4 thick hamburger patties, 4 servings of white fish, a half pound of bologna, one pound of sliced ham, bag of baking potatoes, sour cream, tortilla chips and sliced cheese. The hamburger patties will be reshaped into a total of 8 thinner patties. With the tortilla chips I made nachos with cheese for dinner. I added 1/2 pound of ground turkey to the velvetta and rotel. Lunch was hot dogs and dinner will be ? . I have not decided yet.

Got to go and do some sewing.

Can we not catch a break .....

2011-01-13T13:42:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we had no heat -- just what we needed on a cold, snowy day. Tech came out last night and said that he needed to order a piece and it would be today before he could fix it. Something about a piece that the company knew to have problems and ours just went out yesterday. The piece was covered under warranty but the labour was not. $214 gone. Actually borrowed from dd.

More snow !! and good news

2011-01-11T22:07:00.002-06:00

Wow !! As I type we are getting more snow. Schools are closed for the third day straight. I am so glad that I don't have young children anymore. My teacher husband is fine with it. He has been working on lesson plans that will go into next week now.

On to the good news -- my ds who has been out of work since the middle of October has found himself a full time job !!!! Yeah !! Praise God. He will start on Jan 21. He will keep his weekend job until he gets past the 90 day window and then will consider quitting the weekend job. He is going to work really hard at getting his bills caught up and then paid off. We are so happy for him.

School starts on Thursday for dd. Her classes are MWF but her internship is Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I wish she was being paid for this but she is enjoying it. She is taking 15 hours this semester and she is done with her general required courses. So she is in her major now. She has maintained her GPA so her hope scholarship is still in place. She is motivated.

Snow !!!!

2011-01-10T22:37:00.004-06:00

We awoke to snow this morning. We have already received more snow this year then we normally get all winter. My dd was kind enough to take some photos for me. Enjoy.

Time for Goals

2011-01-07T17:58:00.002-06:00

With January usually comes with setting goals for oneself. I am no different. However this year I have been trying to be more realistic. Setting a goal to lose weight is to general but I tend to be to specific also. So here is what I have come up with so far:

1. I hope to lose 5 pounds a month. I think this is doable.

2. I will cull through my clothes and remove those that no longer fit or something I will never wear again. Take to Goodwill.

3. I need to be better organized with our tax information so next years goes easier.

4. I need to focus on the craft supplies that I already have and try hard to not purchase anything that I don't absolutely needs.

5. Start to focus on paying down debt. I have one that will be paid off in January and one in February. I need to look at the rest of it to gauge the rest of them.

That is it for now. I hope to have monthly goals also. I need to be held more accountable with my goals.

Happy New Year

2011-01-02T13:38:00.001-06:00

Here is to wishing everyone a happy new year.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T12:27:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas from the Brangenberg household. All the gifts have been unwrapped, dad is sleeping on the couch, son is reading his new book and daughter has gone to celebrate with her boyfriend's family. Dinner for us will be this evening so that daughter and her boyfriend can join us.

We actually had a dusting of snow for Christmas morning. Here in middle Tennessee that is unusual. It was nice to see. Here is to hoping that all of you have a blessed day.

Days are just flying now ......

2010-12-16T08:45:00.002-06:00

I can't believe it has been so long since I have written here. December is just moving at top speed - Christmas is 9 days away and I still have a lot of sewing to do. David's last day with the students is today. Tomorrow is his last day at Wright Middle. I went with him yesterday and got a good amount of packing done. It has not helped that they had snow days Monday and Tuesday this week. Rachel is with him today to hopefully finish packing up. We are hoping to move everything to Gra-Mar Middle tomorrow. The animals are coming home for at least the break. So tonight we will start playing host to: 2 breaded dragons, 1 trantula, 2 geckos, 1 plated lizard, 1 skink and one other animals that I can't recall right now. The neon blue lobster and the snake both died recently. I need to make spots for them so they aren't in the way and the dog can't get them.

Are you ready for Christmas? I am about half way there. We have bought all we are going to and now it is time for me to shine. I wish I could get motivated sooner but oh well. Most go for now but I wish all of you a wonderful day.

Changes are coming .....

2010-12-03T21:58:00.002-06:00

My dear sweet hard working hubby has been offered a job at a different school in the same city. The difference you ask...... it is to teach 5th grade. He had been moved from 5th to 7th this year and I have known that he has not been happy. He really truly loves teaching 5th. So when one of his old principals call asking if you are interested in filling a void she will have starting in Jan 2011 he jumped at it. It sounds like his current principal will allow it. So this winter break will be spent moving his classroom and his classroom animals. It is on the northeast side of Nashville so he will have a longer commute each day and he will not be able to carpool as much as this semester but he will be happy.

On a different note, it looks like ds will have a job sometime this month. Now they are saying another ten days. The price you pay for federal jobs I guess. His car gave me a lot of issues the last two days so I hope we are not looking at a big repair bill down the road. Neither he or us have the money for it.

2011 is going to start being interesting right up the bat.

Meal Plan Monday

2010-11-29T08:53:00.004-06:00

Have you ever had one of those days where nothing sounds good to eat. I am there friends. Meal planning this week has been so hard because nothing sounds good.

However it most to done for planning sake so therefore this is what I am planning on.

Monday - turkey casserole

Tuesday - turkey lo mein

Wednesday - taco soup

Thursday - baked pasta

Friday - leftovers

Saturday - homemade pizza

Meal Plan Monday

2010-11-22T15:44:00.003-06:00

ok, with this being a holiday week the menu is simple.

Sunday - fellowship meal for lunch, soup and sandwiches for dinner

Monday - flat iron steak, mashed potatoes and carrots

Tuesday - baked pasta, salad

Wednesday - taco soup

Thursday - Thanksgiving: turkey, stuffing, mashed sweet potatoes, broccoli salad, brussel sprouts, cranberry sauce, rolls, pickles, apple cider and pumpkin pie.

Friday - turkey casserole (turkey, green beans, mushrooms mixed with cream of mushroom soup, topped with leftover stuffing)

Saturday - pizza night

The best thing is I have everything already bought. The worst case is I will need milk but that should be it. Love it !!! Hope everyone has a blessed holiday.

Meal Plan Monday

2010-11-15T16:31:00.002-06:00

Well the weather is to be fallish the entire week - finally. Here is what is on the menu this week.

Sunday - L. homemade pizza
D. leftovers

Monday - sloppy joes

Tuesday - chicken, mashed potatoes and carrots

Wednesday - baked pasta

Thursday - soft tacos, spanish rice

Friday - chicken, stuffing and broccoli

Saturday - open face reubens

All I need at the store really is milk but I want to get at least one more turkey while they are 59 cents a pound still.

Veteran's Day

2010-11-11T10:59:00.002-06:00

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have serve or who are serving to keep America free. Your sacrifice has not gone unnoticed.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-10T16:17:00.002-06:00

Meal Plan Mondays

2010-11-08T10:42:00.004-06:00

This week is starting off cool and crisp and will end in the mid 70s. I wish the weather will make up its mind. So our menus for the week will be as such:

Monday - taco soup
Tuesday - Chicken, new potatoes and green veggie
Wednesday - Baked pasta (we are having company) and salad
Thursday - Shake and Bake chicken, new potatoes and veggie
Friday - mom and dad eat out, kids on their own
Saturday - homemade pizza
Sunday - sloppy joes

The sloppy joes are not from a can. I make it from scratch. It is so easy.

Sloppy Joes

3/4 lb ground meat
1/2 cup black beans
1 small onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 c ketchup
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c white vinegar
chili powder to taste

I brown the ground meat, add veggies and cook until veggie are crisp. I then add the black beans mashing them as I work them in. I then add the ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar. Once this has heated up I add the chili powder and continue to cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Serve on hamburger buns or kaiser rolls. This will feed four of us.

Fall in Tennessee

2010-11-06T15:33:00.003-05:00

this is a picture of our front door. We got the gourds and the larger pumpkins for 50 cents each. The same ones were 5 for a $1. the mums were buy one get one.

Meal Plan Monday

2010-11-01T11:50:00.002-05:00

Here is the plan for this week

Monday: B. cereal with skim milk
L. sandwiches, carrot and celery stickls
D. sloppy joes and slaw

Tuesday: B. pancakes with syrup
L. sandwiches, carrot and celery sticks
D. chicken and corn chowder

Wednesday: B. cereal with skim milk, bananas
L. leftover chowder
D. baked pasta

Thursday: B, eggs, turkey bacon and toast
L. leftovers
D. soft tacos and spanish rice

Friday: B, toast with peanut butter, orange juice
L. tuna sandwiches, carrot and celery sticks
D. homemade pizzas

Saturday: B. eggs, turkey bacon and toast
L. grilled cheese and soup
D. baked chicken, stuffing and green veggie

Sunday: B, cereal with skim milk, bananas
L. chicken lo mein
D. hot dog with slaw

Time to start giving thanks .....

2010-11-01T11:21:00.004-05:00

Wow it is November already. Has this year been flying by. Are you ready for Thanksgiving yet? I have already celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving in October so I have had a rehearsal already. I though I would list some things that I am thankful for.

- I am thankful for my Lord and his saving message
- I am thankful for my dear, sweet, patient husband of 26 years. Here is hoping for more years.
- I am thankful for my children Ian and Rachel. As much as they frustrate me I love them dearly
- I am thankful for my on line friends and my friends irl
- I am thankful for our furry, noisy dog who keeps me on my toes
- I am thankful for my pain, that I deal with daily, for it makes me remember to be thankful for the good days and to slow down more.

I hope this helps you think of what you are thankful for during this month of blessing.

Home from Vacation

2010-10-31T13:09:00.002-05:00

Got home about a week ago but I have not been feeling well the entire week. Today it is a headache and belly ache. Hopefully by morning I will feel well enough to go to my swim class.

Meal Plan Monday

2010-10-11T16:17:00.002-05:00

This is a short week as dh and I go on vacation Friday night. Ds and dd will be on their own for a week. Hope my kitchen is still in one piece when we get back.

Breakfasts: cold cereal, oatmeal, eggs, english muffins

Lunches: leftovers, tuna sandwiches, ham sandwiches

Dinners:

Monday - Canadian Thanksgiving: turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, brussel sprouts with carmalized onions, green beans with mushrooms, rolls, cranberry sauce and pies.

Tuesday - Turkey casserole (use leftover turkey and stuffing with asst veggies)

Wednesday - Baked Pasta with any veggie leftovers tossed in

Thursday - Turkey lo mein

Friday - on the road

Saturday - visiting brother in law and family

Canadian Thanksgiving

2010-10-10T18:00:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow we celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving. After going to four, count them four, grocery stores I finally found a big enough turkey that was not outrageously priced at Aldi's. Thank you Aldi's. Boy did I get some strange looks at Kroger. I know I am a month early for you but I needed to have one to celebrate. So the menu for tomorrow is:

Turkey
stuffing
sweet potatoes
green beans
brussel sprouts with caramelized onions yummmm
cranberry sauce
broccoli salad (maybe)

apple pie
pumpkin pie

I wish everyone a day filled with family, friends, love and thanksgiving.

October's Goals

2010-10-01T16:09:00.003-05:00

Ahhh, October 1 and finally the weather is starting to feel like fall. I have decided that I need to spend my time more wisely and have a plan of attack. I will try to list my goals and I hope to revisit them from time to time to see how I have done.

Homemaking:

-clean blinds and make curtains for laundry room and craft room
-clean hardwood in living room
- clean ceiling fan in living room and craft room
- look into getting new light fixture for kitchen dining area (I think ours has a short)
- go through my clothes and cull out those that don't fit or I don't wear

Feeding The Masses:

-rearrange and manage better my home canned goods
- make and can barbecue sauce
- make and can pinto and black beans
- inventory deep freeze, cull what is freezer burnt
- inventory pantry and rearrange for better usage
- inventory freezer/fridge so all can be used before spoilage
- make a weekly menu and try to stick to it to avoid last minute panic

Crafting:

- work on grocery bags (christmas gifts)
- finish crocheting blankets
- cross stitch ornaments
- finish ornaments so they can be used

Personal:

- continue water aerobics 3x a week
- stay focused on weight loss
- read my bible more

I know that this looks like a lot and I know I may not do all of it but it is a starting point

Fall ..... where are you?

2010-09-18T18:19:00.002-05:00

I don't know about you but I am so ready for fall. I am tired of high 80's low 90's weather. It seems the last couple of years summer comes early and stays late.

I look forward to:

leaves turning colors
cool mornings
long sleeves but not quite sweater weather
Canadian Thanksgiving
then .... American Thanksgiving
getting ready for winter
getting ready for Christmas

I honestly get ready for Christmas year round. It just makes it so much easier. I am not as far along with getting ready for winter then I would like to be right now. I need to go to the farmer's market and do some more canning. I want to check out Palmer's Produce also. I want to try to can carrots this year. My dream is to be able to avoid the grocery store during the winter if I can help it. David is really good picking up a little of this or that, so is Ian. I need to make a list of what I still want to do.

Getting Into a Routine

2010-09-16T11:40:00.002-05:00

This is my first "at home" day in a long time. So what am I doing? Sleeping in and then computer. What a waste of a good morning most folks would say but for me it is heaven.

Thursday is the one day that Rachel has a ride to and from school. So Thursday shall become my day to stay home and let David have the car. Don't get me wrong, I don't mine running Rachel here and there but it really tires me out and I need a break. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I go swimming and by Thursday I am sore so it is good.

Ian has adjusted to his job and it is kinda strange to think of him working in an office setting. They are having a pizza party during lunch and if Ian had had a football shirt he could have worn jeans but alas his first paycheck has not arrived yet so he was unable to buy one last night. Hopefully by next time he will have one. He is hoping that his first check will arrive in the mail today. Once he gets his first full five day check then he can work on a budget. This first check is for three days, the second will be for four as it was Labor Day week and then finally a five day check. He is continuing to work for McDonald's on Saturday and Sunday. I am so proud of him.

Rachel has decided to work on Sunday nights this semester. Since she went through her money so fast and we can not repay her immediately she is needing a source of income. Just one night a week should not be that bad. She is enjoying most of her classes. The one that she is struggling with is in her major, of course. She will work it out though.

David is still struggling to stay ahead in the coursework. Learning to teach something new is never easy. Social Studies is not the challenge, science is. He will eventually get ahead and more comfortable with it as the year goes on.

Me, I need to get motivated to use my time more wisely. It is a struggle right now with me hurting so much. The Lord will be with me as I work on this.

Ian's first "real" job

2010-09-02T14:57:00.002-05:00

My dear son, Ian, started his first job, post graduation yesterday and he is already thinking of continuing the search. I had to laugh. He has never had to travel through a "rush-hour" to work before and I know he is his mother's son, I dislike interstate travel. He was 6 minutes late his first day and on time his second but he is so stressed that he is finding it hard to relax once he is there. I was afraid that this might happen. He has promised to not quit until the next one has been located. Tennessee is one of those states that can fire without giving a reason. I will counsel him to wait until he has decided that it is not a good fit. Two days is not a good indicator of a good fit or not.

Please keep him in your prayers as he adjusts to real life.

How Would It Change?

2010-08-25T17:22:00.002-05:00

As both of my children ponder moving out I began to wonder how things would change. How would your life change? The big area I was looking at was my food storage. Right now I am storing for four adults plus guests. Soon it could just be 2 adults plus guests. I would buy slightly different food also. Dh and I are diabetic and I could see slightly changing the way we eat. Our garden would shrink a little bit also and I can see planting more fruit trees instead. Of course, I most likely will keep storing for four adults just in case they come back home or have a rough month with their bills. My dear sweet mother in law helped us through some very tough times. I need to be their for my children also with out being a crutch. They will need to make their own mistakes as we made ours.

Other things that could change would be my utility bills. Both my children shower everyday and sometimes twice a day, plus their laundry, etc. It sure would be quiet around here also. ~smile~

So much to ponder.

Getting Organized

2010-08-19T13:22:00.002-05:00

This is definitely one area that I need a lot of work in. My style of filing leaves a lot to be desired. I think I am going to make a goal or two for the next couple of months.

1. Get to the filing cabinet and use it. ~smile~ it is not in the best of spots and I need to figure out where to put it so I can use it more.

2. Reorganize my kitchen. I really want to get this done before Rachel starts school on August 30. She is such a great helper and with her not going away to school this year getting it organized will help us both.

If I can get going on these two others will fall into place. If I can work on these two things on good days then on the bad days I am not fretting about how bad the house looks.

Canning Again .....

2010-08-17T17:23:00.002-05:00

It has cooled down enough to can again. I have two quarts of diced tomatoes in the canner right now and then I will have pickled sweet banana pepper rings to can. Not sure how many 1/2 pints I will get. After this I will officially be out of pint and half pint jars. I really need to go through and find the cranberry salsa I made last year. David did not like it so I need to dump and wash the jars.

I also need to make barbecue sauce and cranberry sauce to can. I need to make zucchini bread and cake to use some of the shredded zucchini from last year in the deep freeze.

Next couple of days will be busy busy.

Meal Plan Monday

2010-08-16T11:04:00.002-05:00

Okay, I just went through the freezer and my deep freeze and through out 1 1/2 garbage bags of very old or freezer burn items. I also moved all of my protein (except for beans) into the freezer in the kitchen. I don't have as much as I thought. I have:

Salmon
Tilapia

2 whole chickens (on the small size)
3 meals of chicken

1 pkg turkey bacon
1 roll of ground turkey
1 roll of pork sausage

1 hamburger patty

I thought I had more ground meat. Not good. Payday is not until Friday so here is my meaus:

Breakfast:
cereals
eggs, toast and bacon
waffles or pancakes

Lunches:
leftovers
peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
tuna sandwiches

Dinners:
chicken thighs, boiled new potatoes and veggie
salmon, corn and veggie
sloppy joes with a bean stretcher added
whole chicken, peas, carrots and onions
spaghetti
tilapia, peas and carrots

Also on Friday we are going out to eat to celebrate Ian's college graduation. Not sure where yet. I will not need anything from the grocery story. I have the basics: flour, yeast, sugar, Bisquick, etc to bake bread and rolls. The bean stretcher is already cooked and in the freezer. I have enough milk (I think) and the only fruit I have are bananas, and home canned pears.

Garden is winding down

2010-08-16T10:19:00.002-05:00

It seems early for the garden to be winding down but with the heat we have been having my poor garden could not handle it. We are still getting banana peppers and tomatoes. But the zucchini, yellow squash and cucumbers are gone. We have four watermelons that I pray will make it but the cantaloupe is gone to. I will be making pickled banana pepper rings and can more diced tomatoes but not much more with what is left. I hope to get to the farmer's market for peaches and other veggies that we didn't plant.

How are your gardens doing? Our yield is substantially less than last year. We did plant a peach tree and will plant more fruit trees next year. We are talking about planting a fall garden and we are hoping the heat breaks long enough to prep the area for it and get it planted. I think we will try cabbage, peas, broccoli and cauliflower. Hope it works out.

It is getting to be that time again.....

2010-07-20T12:02:00.004-05:00

Even though summer is in full swing - can we say way to hot - it is time to start thinking about school. My bff goes back in two weeks, she teaches high school Spanish and my dh goes back in three weeks, he teaches 7th grade science. Our tax free weekend is coming up in August (the first weekend) and so plans are being made. My dd starts college on August 30 and my son graduates on August 20. He will be in the "real" world then.

Are you ready for school to start again? We look at it as the "normal" routine. It is a day to day, same each week day that we enjoy. As much as we enjoy summer we enjoy the routine more. Go figure.

Homemade V-8 juice

2010-07-17T18:00:00.002-05:00

Today I made homemade V-8 juice. Last year when I made it dh loved it. This year I added more "greens" to the mix. It is in the canner right now. I love it because it is all veggies - no salt, no sugar, no nothing other than veggies. It is a great way to get hubby to eat his veggies. ~smile~

Also shredded some zucchini. Got 6 cups of shredded and froze two of the bags. Will make bread with the other two cups.

Rosemary and Canning totals

2010-07-05T18:30:00.003-05:00

Last night I stayed up late to finish canning. I got 13 pints of dill pickles, 8 pints and 1 half pint of zucchini relish and 3 quart bags of summer squash. Shelves are looking wonderful.

Today, I processed the rosemary that has been hanging in my pantry. I have a 9 x 13 pan over half full. I love the smell of rosemary and my plant survived the winter and is huge now. I may end up giving some away but I know I will have lots for me.

Busy Day and Happy 4th

2010-07-04T19:55:00.002-05:00

so far this has been a very busy day in the kitchen and I am not done yet - just taking a break. We have already baked a zucchini spice cake, a double batch of peanut butter cookies and a double batch of chocolate chip cookies. I have two double batches of zucchini relish waiting for me and cucumbers ready to be made into dill pickles. I need to run to the store for white vinegar and dill seeds as I do not have enough dill.

Need to get it done tonight so I can stitch tomorrow without feeling guilty.

Happy 4th everyone.

Yard Sales - Jackpot !!

2010-07-03T15:32:00.002-05:00

Today we went yard saling again and I hit the jackpot with snowmen and found 6 quart canning jars. I picked up 7 snowmen items for $6.50 and the canning jars were $2. A little more than I would normally pay but they are clean and no chips.

I couldn't get over how many had way overpriced items. I think folks don't realize that if it is in a yard sale then you really want to get rid of it and you will take bottom dollar for it. Last week we found a set of books that dh wanted to buy for his classroom. When he asked the price one of the women said that she wanted them and they weren't for sale. I found that extremely rude so we left everything that we were going to buy and left. They had the nerve to fuss about us so loud that I heard it. Not cool.

Hopefully when we have our sale this fall I will not act like that.

Canning !!!!!!!!!

2010-06-23T13:38:00.002-05:00

Today I did the first canning of the year. I made dill pickles. 10 pints and 1 half pints. This is a new recipe so I hope that we will like them. It calls for dill seed so I went and bought a little tin and it only did nine of the jars so I remembered that our dill from last year came back in and I had just enough fresh dill for the other two jars. I need to find a bigger container of dill seed next time. Pickles wise I am only making dill this year as I still have a lot of bread and butter and relish.

Tomorrow I will turn my attention to the zucchini and yellow squash. I am looking at zucchini relish and use the yellow for part of it. Yesterday I baked a zucchini cake and two loaves of zucchini bread. Yummy. The cake was soooo moist it was amazing. I will make it again.

My Heart Breaks .....

2010-06-20T22:37:00.001-05:00

for my son. His fiancee, his high school sweetheart, has broken up with him and would like him to come and get the ring. They had dated four years and been engaged for 18 months of that time. He is beyond sad. He needs our prayers. Thanks.

Encouraging the next generation

2010-06-19T19:06:00.002-05:00

I have put a lot of thought into encouraging the next generation of young people to garden, canning and preserve. These are among topics (with needlepoint, tatting and sewing) that if we don't teach these skills they will be lost. Last summer I concentrated on the daughter and she loved it. It made this momma proud. She did entire batches by herself and saved me a lot of time in our very warm kitchen. Yes she was 19 almost 20 but still, she had not shown any desire to learn so when she wanted to learn I struck while the iron was still hot. She has already told me that she wants to help this summer also, I was hoping she would, but that she wants me to teach a friend of hers who is a newlywed. Sure I said and then I seconded guessed myself, can I teach someone who isn't my child? I am disappointed that my future daughter in law is not interested in helping just the eating part. Oh well maybe with time.

First of all, it seems like I am not going to have one student but upwards to four now. All different ages too. Should be fun !! With the economy the way it is more people are looking at having gardens. Even my sister, who is 19 hours away, is going to need help this summer as she has planted her first garden. I am so proud of you girl !!!! We will need to sit down and find out what they want to start with. We all need to do this. This year for me is going to be weird because I don't need to make relish or bread and butter pickles as I went way over board last summer. So I am only going to make dill pickles. However, if they want to do bread and butter pickles or relish we will do this in a class that they take all of it home. ~smile~

The second thing I will need is a huge dose of patience. The Lord knows that I struggle with this. My kitchen is on the smallish size so it will require a great deal of patience if I have more than two students. Hopefully it will not be one of our very hot and humid days.

And my third thing will be organization to make sure we have enough jars. Last year I had to purchase three dozen more jars than what I had. Once they have committed to come I need to have a list of items ready for them. I am donating my time so I can't really donate my supplies also.

Lastly I ask for your prayers. As an "older woman" I know it is one of my God directed duties to teach the younger women. As I strive to become a Proverbs 31 women this is a step that I need to take more seriously.

Still hot and muggy

2010-06-19T17:21:00.003-05:00

Well we are still sweating away in Middle Tennessee. The next seven days the "coolest" day will be 93. Not my idea of cool. With the heat index we will be at or above 100 still.

My garden is happy to have the heat, they just want a little bit more rain. We lucked out this morning and we had a good rain that cooled us for about two hours before it got really humid again. We have been picking zucchini, yellow squash and cucumbers. We have gotten a few green peppers and banana peppers. Our hot pepper plant is not the kind we thought it was. Oh well. I will be making my first batch of dill pickles this weekend. We finally have enough. I have one large zucchini that I am going to shred to make bread. The rest will be eaten or frozen. We are trying very hard to eat instead of freeze as we have not had a lot of luck remembering the frozen squash.

I am going through my deep freeze as we are looking at buying an upright freezer. I have been fighting it put I am having difficulties reaching the bottom now so it makes more sense. We are looking at a 21 c foot one. I am attempting to eat from the freezer right now. I recorded what meat I had in there and they are all ready tired of chicken ~ smile~. Last night we had the last of the turkey burgers, the night before we had the rest of the fish. Tonight is chicken night or the rest of the hot dogs. Not quite sure yet even though I should be fixing it now. It is too warm inside and our gas grill has died and gone to grill heaven. It didn't owe us anything as it was 16 yr old. No money yet though to buy a new one.

Well off to take out Snowball and to figure out dinner. God Bless

Heat and Crafting

2010-06-13T17:22:00.003-05:00

We are in our third day of heat with a heat index above 100. I can not handle normal summer heat but couple it with high humid and I must stay inside. It looks like the entire week will be the same or very close. I will leave for swim class and grocery shopping but if I can help it that is it.

Staying inside means more time to craft. Yeah !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am working on a Christmas gift and a cute piece for me that I think I am going to stitch again for Christmas. My bff will be here to stitch the entire week so I should get a lot done. I don't think she has plans for us to travel somewhere. We will have to see what the weather is like. ~smile~

Menu Mondays

2010-06-13T17:16:00.002-05:00

Menu for June 13 - June 19

Breakfasts:

boiled eggs and toast
eggs, bacon and toast
waffles
pancakes

Lunches:

left overs
hot dogs and slaw
hamburger helper
burgers and mac salad
soup
tuna sandwiches

Dinners:

chicken lo mein
chicken fajitas
salad with grilled chicken
spaghetti with meatballs
baked chicken thighs, corn, zucchini and summer squash
fish, peas and carrots
barbecue chicken leg quarters, corn and zucchini and summer squash

The garden is giving us: kale, broccoli, zucchini and summer squash. We harvested a huge bunch of rosemary that I am going to dry and store.

Grocery Shopping

2010-05-29T16:11:00.004-05:00

Went this afternoon and even though some of this will be eaten before June 1 it is still from my June food budget. I have a little bit more this month for canning and processing supplies. Today I got:

1 bag pretzels
1 box kitchen garbage bags
1 bottle salad dressing
2.28 lbs grapes
2.26 lbs banana
1 pkg provolone cheese
1 triangle parmesan cheese
1 tub sherbet - my Memorial day splurge
1 loaf of bread
3.89 lbs asparagus
1 bottle laundry detergent
1 container raspberries
3 boxes Kroger brand cereal

The asparagus was $1.99 a pound so we will some for dinner and the rest will be frozen for this winter. The cereal was a close out of a family favorite. I wanted more but we only have so much storage room. The raspberries were $2 a container. I spent $43.05 but I saved $13.55 or 25%. Not my best but not bad. I will post my menu Sunday night/Monday morning.

Meal Plan Monday

2010-05-24T14:15:00.002-05:00

I am on the ball this week with my meal planning. It has been extremely hot and humid the last couple of days so I am miserable. I have breathing issues in hot weather so I have been trying to stay inside and not heat up the house. I went to the farmer's market last Friday so I am going to incorporate those items into my meals this week. I also picked my first cabbage yesterday. Yeah it is beautiful. Back to my meal plans.

Breakfasts:

eggs, bacon and toast
oatmeal
cereal
pancakes
boiled eggs

Lunches:

leftovers
sandwiches

Dinners:

hamburgers
grilled chicken salad with french bread
chicken stir-fry
BLT's
chicken, new potatoes and carrots
hot dogs and coleslaw
eating out Friday night

I should not need anything for this week grocery wise. I did some shopping over the weekend for cereal, popcorn and milk.

Farmer's Market Fun

2010-05-22T16:11:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I went to the farmer's market for the first time this season. I was sooo excited. I took four 20 year olds with me. Why? Well with my daughter, Rachel, I took her boyfriend and their best friends who happen to be married. She had never been to the farmer's market before but wanted to start eating better. So this was a teaching visit also. She actually had more money than me - go figure. I purchased: tomatoes, green and red leaf lettuce, 1 gallon of yummy strawberries, green onions, red potatoes, beets and sugar snap peas. I have broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and kale in our garden so I didn't have to purchase those. I will be pickling beets and have already had blt's for the first time this season. I spent $24 - more than I wanted too but the strawberries looked to good. They were $12 a gallon. A little pricey for me but they are delicious.

Rachel's friend? she bought: cabbage, strawberries, green lettuce, tomatoes and feta cheese. She paid $7 for the cheese and I hope it is good. She wasn't going to purchase it but her husband was insistent. We have decided next time to leave the guys at home. ~smile~ she had to ask me what to use the cabbage for. It is so sad that alot of our young adults do not know how to use fresh ingredients. She has not been in touch with her folks for over a year now and their is no reconciling in sight. She has asked me to mentor to her. I am honored and I pray that I can teach her what needs to be taught. My daughter is becoming a good little cook so she will help also. I might invite them over for dinner where we eat food bought at the farmer's market and from our garden to see what they think.

We are making the move closer to locavores (not sure I have spelt it right). We are trying to eat within a 100 mile radius of our home. Katherine had never heard of that and was interested. We are not there yet but it is a work in progress.

Meal Plan Monday

2010-05-17T10:55:00.002-05:00

Here it is:

Sunday, May 16 - B. cereal w/skim milk
L. ate out
D. graduation party

Monday, May 17 - B. cereal w/skim milk
L. sandwiches or leftovers
D. chicken lo mein

Tuesday, May 18 - B. pancakes
L. sandwiches
D. baked pasta

Wednesday, May 19 - B. pancakes
L. leftovers
D. fish, peas and carrots

Thursday, May 20 - B. eggs, bacon and toast
L. sandwiches
D. chicken, corn and broccoli

Friday, May 21 - B. cereal or oatmeal
L. sandwiches
D. hamburgers and broccoli slaw

Saturday, May 22 - B. eggs, bacon and toast
L. hot dogs and macaroni salad, leftover broccoli slaw
D. sausage, corn and carrots

I have already gone shopping and spent $78.53. found fish on sale, and chicken and hot dogs at a decent price.

Wrinkled Ladies

2010-05-12T07:41:00.000-05:00

Meal Plan Monday

2010-05-09T18:58:00.002-05:00

ok IU know that it is Sunday night however, the menu is ready.

I am excited that I don't need to go to the store for anything but milk. Yeah !!!!!!!!

Sunday, May 9 B - cereal with skim milk
L - ate out for Mother's Day
D - spaghetti with salad

To Do: - make muffin mix - thaw sausage - prep carrot and celery sticks

Monday, May 10 B - muffins and fruit
L - sandwiches
D - sausage, corn and veggie

To Do: - take out bacon and chicken thighs - prep carrot and celery (if needed)

Tuesday, May 11 B - eggs, bacon and toast
L - sandwiches and carrot and celery sticks
D - chicken thighs, corn and veggie

To Do - soak pinto beans - thaw meat - make hamburger buns

Wednesday, May 12 B. cereal, skim milk and fruit
L. sandwiches
D. - sloppy joes, salad or veggie

To Do - make muffin mix - prep carrots and celery - thaw meat

Thursday, May 13 B. muffins
L. sandwiches with carrot and celery sticks
D. baked pasta with veggies and meat

Friday, May 14 B. eggs, bacon and toast
L. sandwiches
D. date night

To Do: - thaw chicken - make pizza dough

Saturday, May 15 B. cereal with skim milk and fruit
L. person pizzas with pepperoni and veggies
D. chicken stir fry with noodles and veggies

Record Flooding

2010-05-02T17:12:00.002-05:00

Yesterday and today we have experienced record rainfall. Nashville, just about 30 mins away, has had the most rain ever. Every one of the rivers that are in Middle TN have reached flood stage and higher. There are no schools tomorrow for most counties in Middle TN. As I type this it is still raining in Murfreesboro. I will update later on.

My Story ...

2010-04-28T16:36:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday at church we were encouraged to write down our conversation story and to keep it to four minutes in length (when you share it verbally). Well here is my story....

I was raised by a Catholic step-mother and an athiest father. We (my sister and I) attended whatever church was closest to the house that we could walk too. They wanted us out of the house for a few hours Sunday mornings. This left me confused at all of the different groups that we had worshipped with. During my eighth grade year in school my dad and stepmother decided to send me to a boarding school. Without going to visit any, they decided on Great Lakes Christian College in Beamsville, Ontario. I would be a boarding student and only come home at holidays. God surely played a hand at this decision. GLCC is the only "Church of Christ" backed school in Eastern Canada. It was a same school that most teens in the churches in Ontario attended. We had daily Bible classes that wet my appetite for more. That first year there I could not go home for Thanksgiving, my parents were taking a cruise, I got to spend the holiday with a local family and say for the first time how a God lead home should look. Wow, I wanted that.

The following spring the chorus that I was a member of, at the school, travelled to sing at local churches. When we arrived at St. Thomas in southern Ontario a group of college students from Harding were up working with the church during their spring break. That night one of the young ladies was talking with me about my faith and she answered alot of questions for me. At 1:30 am I was baptized. I had finally found my comfort and the God of my nana (father's mother). I was excited.

When school let out that June I wanted to attend the local church and had to find a ride. One wonderful family decided to pick me up and drop me off each Sunday. The first couple of weeks my folks were okay with it. However, they were not happy when I chose church before "sunday activities". Within a month all of my belongings were on the front yard and the locks were changed. My dad told me to chose and I did. Evan and Debbie Whittington loaded up my belongings and took me to his (Evan's) parents home. By the end of the summer they had "adopted" me and to this day I call them mom and dad.

God knew where I needed to be and gave me the strength to make the hard choices. He put me in a home where I would see Godly people raise their family and love each in their marriage. I knew that there was hope of not repeating the cycle of divorce and children out of wedlock that haunted my family. I have never regretted my choice. He has been faithful leading me to a godly man, allowing me to raise two of his children the best I can and giving me the support I need now with my health issues.

It is not a "wonderful" story but it is mine.

Weird Weather

2010-04-28T06:49:00.002-05:00

Yesterday we had hail and we have lost some of our tomato plants. We typically don't plant them until May because of this but it had been so nice we did anyway. Today I will check to see how many while I am weeding the garden.

Last night was very cold, but by tomorrow it is to be in the 80's again. Strange very strange.

I love a GREAT deal

2010-04-26T16:50:00.002-05:00

This morning I stopped at the grocery store for light bulbs. I knew that this is about the time that the meat is marked down soI decided to check it out. SCORE !!! They had just marked down sl/bl chicken breasts to $1.58 a pound. WooHoo so I got three packs. Wished I had picked up more but I only had so much money. They had also marked down one package of chicken thighs to $2.56 for the pack. I came home and separated the into meal size portions and got 15 meals. I paid $17.05 so that equals $1.14 per meal. This is for approx. 10 pounds of chicken. I was almost out of chicken so this is great.

Just wanted to share.

Wow !!!!!!!!!!!! Wonderful news

2010-04-16T14:26:00.002-05:00

For those that read my blog and wrote recently that I went to the doctor on April 1 and he told me once again to lose the weight. So I took it seriously and have been a lot better than before. Well I weighed myself on April 14 again and I had lost 11.6 pounds in two weeks !!!!!!!!!!!!! I could not believe it. I am 272.4 now and if this doesn't motivate me nothing will.

Some recipes to share

2010-04-13T10:18:00.002-05:00

Last night we had stir fry which is a wonderful way to use leftovers in. In the past I have slipped in shredded brussel sprouts, shredded zucchini and asparagus bits. Did members of the family have sworn that they would never eat one or more of these foods. ~smile~ I guess what they don't know ..... Last night I used leftover spaghetti noodles. Dh thought it rocked.

Tonight we are having chicken lo mein. I am using the other half of the chicken breast that I used last night. I thought I would post my recipe that amazingly every one in the family loves. I got it out of a magazine from 2000.

Chicken/Pork lo mein

5 cups water
2 pkgs ramen noodles
1/2 pound of pork or chicken cut in thin strips
2 tbsp cornstartch
2 tbsp soy sauce (I use low sodium)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp minced, peeled ginger or 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 pkg frozen sugar snap stur-fry vegetables.

In a large suacepan bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat, add ramen noodles without the seasoning packets and boil 2-3 mins. Reserve one seasoning packet. Rinse under cold water, drain and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine pork or chicken and cornstarch and toss to coat well. Set aside. In another small bowl combine remaining 1 cup water, the seasoning packet and soy sauce. mix well.

In a large skillet heat vegetable oil over med-high heat. Add pork or chicken and ginger and cook about 5 mins until meat begins to brown; stirring constantly. Stir in soy sauce mixture and frozen vegetables. Cover skillet and cook 3-5 mins, or until vegetables are heated through. Stir in noodles and cook until heated through. Serve immediately.

Once again, this is a wonderful meal to slip leftover vegetables and noodles in. I have also used beef in the with good results. The other recipe I want to share is one that was past down for dh's sister. Dh loves it so much he has been known to eat the entire bowl. I make it alot in the spring and fall when broccoli is in season.

Broccoli Salad

1 bunch broccoli, finely chopped
1/2 cup bacon bits (we have used turkey bacon and loved it)
1 cup cheese

Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Mix dressing together the night before; refrigerate. Toss the broccoli, bacon bits and cheese in a bowl the next day and add dressing right before serving. I have successfully doubled this.

We have been working in the garden to try to keep the clover under control. The broccoli, cabbage and kale are looking good. It is hard to tell how the lettuce is doing yet. Our days have been much hotter than normal so we have not gotten out the beets and radishes. We will plant in the fall instead. We are getting antsy to plant our summer garden. I can't wait for fresh vegetables again.

Warm weather is back again.

2010-04-10T17:36:00.002-05:00

Tennessee's wild weather is continuing -- 50 to 80 then back down to 57. The running joke is if you don't like the weather just wait and it will change. I love the weather in the high 70's/low 80's. I can be outside without breathing difficulties and I don't need the air on inside.

I have spent the day looking through cookbooks to find healthier recipes. I found a couple that sound good. If they work out I will post them. We are having the last of the hot dogs this evening and tomorrow lunch we are having chicken lo mein. This is a great way of using leftover veggies and stretching one chicken breast to feed four adults.

Got to go start dinner. God bless and I will post the recipe later.

Changes are in the Air

2010-04-07T13:42:00.003-05:00

I went to the doctors last week and after fussing at me suggested some changes. Well it was a little stronger than suggested * smile *. I had already started a water aerobics class called "Gentle Joints" a couple of months ago and have been going three times a week. Doctor L suggested that I go five times a week and start walking around the neighborhood. Hopefully I can get either David or Ian to go with me. Snowball will be so happy to be walked consistently. No more snacks also !!!! Sad sad :( No more chocolate, pies, cakes, cheese dip, etc until I can get my weight under control. My A1C has come down but not as much as my dear Dr would like. So I have three more months and then I am adding insulin if it is still high. David and I have decided to start eating more fresh foods and that is why the spring garden is so important. I will be visiting the farmer's market twice a week for things that don't grow well for us. Also no more white stuff (flour, sugar, potatoes, bread) David is not happy so I might have to buy him some and wheat for myself.

I am going to post my weight here so I can be accountable not only to me but to those that might read here. On Thursday April 1. 2010 I weighed 284 lbs. Just reading it causes me to be angry and sad at the same time. How could I have let myself get this bad. I am a stress eater and have not tried anything to stop it. I need to start stitching, sewing and creating again. These take my mind off of food.

Well need to go and work on my messy kitchen. God Bless.

Where is the Year Going?

2010-04-04T18:42:00.002-05:00

I can't believe that it is April already. This year is flying by !! A lot has happened recently...

My son and his fiancee have decided to postpone their wedding a year. the stress of school, work and wedding planning was taking a toll on them. My son also has a lot of debt and wants to have time to pay down this debt. This includes student loans, car payment, computer payment and a Kay Jewelers card payment. They had just bought wedding bands so this last bill is a lot larger than normal. she has no debts right now so I think this is really smart on their parts. Her parents are tickled that they have postpone it.

My daughter will be transferring to the university here in town this fall so in a little over one month she is moving back home. I am not sure where we are going to put all the extra things we had purchased for her dorm room but we will work it out. She really missed my home cooking and her boyfriend though I am not sure in what order. *smile*

The garden has started being planted. We have red and green cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and sunflowers. I still have beets, radishes and snow peas to plant. We purchased a peach tree this weekend and put it on the edge of the garden. We plan to also buy plum and apple trees.

I have started my spring cleaning though it was 87 today. It sure doesn't feel like spring. I have been working in the kitchen. I took the curtain down and washed them. Cleaning windows is not my favorite job but they really needed to be done. Tomorrow I hope to clean the hutch and file those things that need filing. Tuesday I hope to finish the kitchen though it may be Wednesday depending on how much I hurt. My laundry is really behind so I need to work there also.

Easter was wonderful today with Ian and Allison, Rachel and Nick and David and I. I am getting use to having six for holiday meals. I didn't go as overboard this time by fixing way to much. We have leftover ham, green beans and David already ate the leftover broccoli salad. We had ham, sweet potatoes, rolls, green beans, Brussels sprouts, broccoli salad, home canned pickles, home canned cranberry sauce and asparagus. We had apple pie for dessert. Yumm Nick is already back at school and Rachel is almost to her school. Ian and Allison went by her home to spend time with her folks.

Things are calm again. David is watching Yankee baseball (he lives for Yankees ball - - trust me) and I am going to get off here to stitch. Yeah !!!!!!!!!!

Hopefully I will post more this month. I am still trying to eat down the deep freezer. I will let you know how it is going.

Menus for the rest of March

2010-03-21T18:03:00.003-05:00

Well my honey has asked me to spend as little as I can on groceries for the next month or two. More like two and a half at least. We are needing to pull money to savings to help pay for ds's wedding in December and he is wanting me to empty out the deep freezer so we can get an upright for me. I have been having trouble reaching items in the freezer now and honey is worried. We also need to get some work done around the house before then since there will be a lot of company then.

So in the house meat-wise I have:

meatballs (about half a bad)
chicken breasts
ground turkey
pork tenderloins flavored with herb and garlic.
hot dogs
maybe some whole chickens (don't remember)

My first trip to the grocery store netted the following:

1 box of spaghetti
1 box raisin bran (store brand)
1 box shredded wheat (store brand)
1 bag pistachios
1 box kitchen garbage bags
1 jar mayo
1.53 lbs of bananas
1 12 pk diet coke
1 gallon skim milk

total spent: $21.25

the pistachios and the soda were honey's treat for doing so much outside for me. ~smile~

Here are my menu ideas and are subject to be moved and changed based on weather, etc

3/21- lunch - church fellowship meal
-dinner - hot dogs and slaw
3/22- taco soup
3/23- pork lo mein
3/24- chicken with orzo
3/25- spaghetti with meatballs
3/26 - soft tacos
3/27- pork barbecue
3/28- lunch - baked pasta
- dinner - grilled cheese and soup
3/29- chicken stir fry
3/30- turkey burgers with slaw
3/31- pork tenderloins with mushrooms and onions

Rain and garden

2010-03-21T17:53:00.002-05:00

This past week has been my honey's spring break and the garden was our priority. He had already gotten it tilled but we need it to dry a little to plant. After testing the soil we found it had a ph of 8.0 so we then had to research how to fix it before we planted. It needed sulfur to balance out. Finally we got to plant our spring garden. In went red and green cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce. We also have beets, radishes, snow peas and kohlrabi to plant. That will be done this week.

Today we are having rain again. We are to get it tomorrow also. We tore out 2 of 5 bushes up front and ripped out some candy tuffs that had long died. Going to replace some of it with mugo pines. They tend to spread out more than up. I have sunflower seeds and lavender seeds in soil to germinate before planting.

Can't wait to make pickled beets again. We are out and the kids are wanted me to buy some but I won't because I don't like them. In the next month or two we will have our own beets to pickle. Yeah. We are also out of homecanned peaches and grapefruit. Running low on homecanned barbecue sauce.

I am going to try to keep up with this years totals better than last year.

Pantry Basics

2010-03-17T15:41:00.005-05:00

After reading on $5 Dinners what different readers had as their pantry basics I thought I would list mine.

Pantry :

flour (AP and bread)
sugar (white and brown)
sugar substitute
shelf stable milk
pasta
canned tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and Rotel type
canned green chilies
canned black olives
cereal
oatmeal
rice
some boxed cereal
boxed chicken broth
asst spices, must have chili powder though
tvp
tuna
some canned veggies
soy sauce
chili sauce
Worcester sauce
ramen
corn starch
canning salt
homecanned fruit
homecanned apple and pear sauce
tea bags
peanut butter
crackers
popcorn
some canned beans
canned mushrooms

I am sure that I am forgetting something but my mind has gone blank. I am sure you get the idea though. I home can all I can and try to buy basic foods. I do have a can or two of cream of whatever soups though I would rather make home made.

Frozen items I try to have are: frozen veggies including stir fry or japanese veggies for the lo mein my family loves. I also have butter, walnut, pecans and chocolate chips (found on sale for 50 cents each). I only buy meat and chicken on sale so I do have some sale meats in the freezer also.

Back after a Break

2010-03-17T15:41:00.002-05:00

Life got really busy and I had to take a break from blogging. But back I am. Hoping to be able to post more.

Super Bowl Sunday

2010-02-08T12:23:00.002-06:00

We were invited to a Super Bowl Party so my menu was moved to tonight. It is a good thing that we ate something before going because besides nacho and cheese everything else was desserts. Not good for this diabetic and her diabetic honey. At least they remembered diet coke this year. Next year I will make sure I bring something that we can eat like a veggie tray at least.

Here is what we ate yesterday:

Breakfast: cereal, banana and skim milk
Lunch: salad with french on the side, grilled chicken and a small side of spaghetti with brown butter and garlic
Dinner: a grilled chicken sandwich and cookies

grocery shopping and feb challenge

2010-02-07T15:07:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was a generally lazy day. My ds got us lunch and we ate leftovers for dinner. I went to Kroger after dinner and got:

2 bags of tortilla chips
2 jars of salsa
1 lb of white beans
2 lb of carrots
1 container of cheese dip
a half gallon of milk
2 bags of pistachios nuts

Total spent: $17.90

Yesterday we ate:

Breakfast: cereal, banana and skim milk
Lunch: burgers and fries
Dinner: leftovers

Feb Challenge

2010-02-05T23:33:00.001-06:00

Ok today was a rainy day again. I didn't go anywhere until my bff came and got me to go to the cross stitch shop. ~smile~ My favorite shop.

Meals today were:

Breakfast: cereal, banana and skim milk
Lunch: broccoli and cheese soup
Dinner: date night with my honey- Mexican
snacks: chocolate cookies

Feb Chaallenge

2010-02-05T08:07:00.002-06:00

Rain, rain. I guess it is better for Tennessee then snow snow. ~smile~ I love snow though. My honey has already used all of his snow days though so I guess we better not have much snow. As for our meals yesterday:

Breakfast: cereal and skim milk, banana
Lunch: leftovers or cereal
Dinner: baked chicken, broccoli with cheese, peas and carrots.
Snack: popcorn

Today is normally my shopping day but I do not have a car. So I will plan menus around what I have and see what I absolutely need. I will pick it up tomorrow or Monday. Sunday I like to try and stay home and relax after worship. Of course, this Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday so I might have to purchase a few things for that.

God Bless

Feb. Pantry Challenge

2010-02-04T07:22:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I over did it. I went to my swim class in the morning and then in the afternoon I went mall walking. Today my neck is killing and I can't see the chiropractor till this afternoon. Eating wise was not bad.

Yesterday we ate:

Breakfast: cereal and skim milk
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: baked fish, asparagus (from the freezer), peas and carrots

Finally.....

2010-02-03T07:21:00.002-06:00

We are back to "normal". After three snow days and a five day weekend my honey is back to work. We heard on the radio, on the way to his carpool site, that his school district has used all of there snow days for this school year. Yeah. This means if there are anymore they are either go on weekends or tack it on the end of the year.

I need to carry over the eating from the pantry challenge to this month. I didn't realize how much we eat out until last month. So I am hoping to eat from my pantry this month with only buying milk, fresh stuff and non food items unless I find an amazing deal on something we use.

I am going to start today -- better late than never.

Snow !!!!

2010-01-30T16:53:00.002-06:00

Yesterday we had a snow day in which we actually got measurable snow. Being from the north I really miss snow but folks here are not sure what to do in it My honey was off and my son only had to go for three hours before they closed. It started about 10:30 and by noon had over 2 inches in the front yard. It changed to sleet last afternoon and into the evening. This morning we had flurries again. My honey and I went for a drive and the main roads are good but the side roads - yuck - that is where it is really dangerous. They are so bad my congregation cancelled worship tomorrow.

I had purchased soda and snacky foods on Thursday in anticipation of my honey being home as he is a teacher. So I did not panic like most people were. They normally forecast snow but we rarely get "snow".

Meals yesterday were:

Breakfast: cereal
Lunch: hot dogs and chips
Dinner: spaghetti and meatballs

Meals today are:

Breakfast: cereal
Lunch: mexican
Dinner: fish, carrots and either corn or potatoes