Haven't done one of these in a LOOOONNNNNGGG time but thought I'd make one again today.  I've still been planning my menu, just haven't been posting it.  When I started getting those Farmers Market Baskets it became harder because I would pick them up on Tuesday and usually plan my menu over the weekend.  It's hard to plan your menu when you don't know what sides you're going to have that week to pick from.

I've also started doing Zumba 2 nights a week and need to have dinner ready a little bit earlier on those nights so it definitely takes some planning.

I'm looking for a good gumbo or jambalaya recipe to make this weekend or for lunch on Friday.  I've got some okra that I need to use up.  Or, if you have a recipe for okra please share that too!

Monday - Homemade Pizza and salad
Tuesday - Chili slaw dogs and sweet potato fries- I need to find a good chili recipe for hot dogs
Wednesday - BBQ Chicken Sandwiches with slaw, Mac N Cheese, Beans
Thursday - Chicken 'fried' steaks, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Corn on the Cob, Something Green

Dessert - Fresh Fruit popcicles, Ziploc bag ice cream, WINE  :)

Have a good week!  Head over to MPM on I'm an Organizing Junkie for tons of other menu ideas and recipe links.

Well, it's yet another week but this one is short for me!  I'm heading to my 10 year high school reunion (gasp!!) so I won't be home to prepare meals the entire week.  Instead I will be dining at Cafe Mom.

I think Fall is finally here for the long haul in Georgia.  I do believe we'll still have some 90 degree days but the 70's and low 80's have crept in so I'm dusting off some fall recipes.

We went to the Miller Lite Chili Cook-off on Saturday and sampled from close to 300 competitors!  One day I WILL compete in this thing!  You can enter in 3 categories - Chili, Brunswick Stew, and Cornbread and I believe that I could compete in all 3.  So, in honor of that and fall we're having My Secret Chili this week.

Monday - Crock Pot Chops That'll Make You Eat Till You Pop
Tuesday - My Secret Chili - the recipe is state secret, sorry :)
Wednesday - Leftover Bonanza!

Head on over to Orgjunkie.com for hundreds of other MPM participants menus.

Okay, the next two weeks are going to be busy for me.  I'm having a baby shower this weekend and my baby turns ONE next weekend so we're having her party for that!  I'm doing appetizers/finger foods at both so I have to figure out recipes for that.  Also, I'm crazy and decided to make the cake for my daughter's birthday.  I've never decorated a cake before so this should be interesting.  I'll post pics afterwards.

I heard last week that you could bake in your crock pot.  Now, I use my CP frequently in the winter but never thought to bake in it.  Today I'm trying it!  Why don't I use it more in the summer when I don't want to turn on the oven??

Monday - Chile Rellenos Casserole, black beans, mexi rice
Tuesday - Heavenly Hamburger Casserole
Wednesday - Sandwiches (Mommy's not cooking)
Thursday - Creamy Burrito Casserole
Friday - Pork Chops Yum Yum, Green beans, another side TBD

For my apps and finger foods I'm thinking of a few different things:

Spinach Artichoke dip (frozen, I know...)
Pepperoni Pizza Dip
S'mores Pops
Tortilla Pinwheels
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Whew, that's a ton of recipes!  If you have any appetizer recipes to share that would be great!! Post a link in the comments section or post the recipe there.  I would be eternally greatful...  Now, go on over to orgjunkie.com for tons of other meal plans.

So, last week life happened and I didn't get around to every meal that I had planned so there will be some repeats this week.  I'm trying to watch our grocery bill and I've been couponing and saving between 20-30% each week but I'd like to try to still try to trim it back some.  This week I only bought a few staple items at the store and I'm going to be cooking from the pantry/freezer stock.

Monday - Chicken Ravioli Carbonara, Salad
Tuesday - Meatloaf Muffins, Mashed Potatoes, Green beans
Wednesday - Honey & Soy Chicken Thighs (maybe grilled though), Rice, Broccoli
Thursday - Meatball and Pepperoni pizza
Friday - Teriyaki Chicken and veggies (Okay, okay, it's from a box...)

Head on over here to see what Orgjunkie and the rest of the MPM crew are cooking up in their kitchens this week.

Morning everyone!!  This week my MIL and my SS are here and today is their birthday.  I've prepared a menu for them but I need to find out what they would like to have for their birthday dinner.  SS wants either a cheese omlette or crab legs.  Well, eggs are in my cooking realm - crab, not so much. :)  So we'll see how this goes.

With a couple extra mouths to feed I'm going to go for recipes and extra sides to try to stretch our meals farther because we usually have leftovers for dinner the following day since DH works 2nd shift.  So, here's my attempt for this week:

Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans
Chicken Ravioli Carbonara, salad, bread
Chicken Pot Pie - MIL's recipe
Grilled BBQ Chicken, Corn, Squash and Zukes
Pork Chops Yum Yum, Corn Bake, green beans (maybe)
Breakfast for Dinner

Corn Bake

1 Box Jiffy Cornbread
1 Can Creamed Corn
1 Can Whole Kernal Corn - UNDRAINED
1 8oz Tub Sour Cream

Mix together and pour in buttered or sprayed dish and bake at 350 until golden brown on top.

I've been missing for the past couple of weeks but I'm back now!  I know, you were all worried to death, I'm fine. 

So, I'll keep it short and sweet this week.



Monday - Cheeseburger Twice baked Potatoes
Tuesday - Skillet Enchiladas
Wednesday - Homemade Corn Dogs
Thursday - Chicken Spaghetti
Friday - Pizza - Supreme and Pepperoni with extra cheese

Visit Orgjunkie.com for tons of other menu plans.

Last week we didn't stick completely to our menu plan.  But that's okay.  We had a couple of impromptu dinners with friends - and we love those.  So this week has some repeats.  Also with the holiday I'm behind my regular grocery schedule so I'm cooking mainly from what I have in the house this week.  And another wrench in the plan is that Hubby starts 2nd shift this week so I'm not sure yet how we're going to work out lunches and dinners.  Visit Orgjunkie.com for lots of menu ideas.

Monday - Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Tuesday - Chicken Ravioli Carbonara and maybe some bread
Wednesday - Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Thursday - Shrimp Tacos, Rice and Beans
Friday - Homemade Pizza - BBQ Chicken
Saturday - Grilled Bruschetta Chicken, Sides TBD

Now for a little C25K talk since it's been a while.  I'm on week 3 again this week.  I should have started week 4 but the past couple of weeks have been tough with my step son here.  He sleeps later than the time that I usually go to the park to run and he's not a morning person AT ALL.  I was also sick while he was here and it rained another day.  So between all of those things I missed a few days.  So I decided that I'd do week 3 again this week and start week 4 next week. 

In Atlanta they have the Peachtree Road Race every year on the 4th of July.  It's a 10K, one of the largest if not the largest, in the country.  This year there were 55,000 participants.  I started thinking that I might like to be in a position to be able to run in it next year.  I know, I need to get in a position to do a 5K first but I'm well on my way to that!

Another week gone of summer...  It's flying by!!

Last week feeding my step son was interesting.  The winning recipe of the week was the Cheeseburger Twice Baked Potatoes.  He said it was the BEST MEAL EVER.  Did you read that?  Better than a meal of pizza or mac n cheese!  Score one for Mom :)

Let's see if this week will have another one that hits home too.

Monday - Blackened Salmon, grilled veggies, rice
Tuesday - Enchiladas
Wednesday - Chicken Ravioli Carbonara
Thursday - Mexican Pizzas (didn't have these last week)
Friday - Probably dinner with friends - it's my step son's last night here before he heads back home.

Okay, so last week went mostly as planned.  I got sick on Thursday and had to call hubby home from work to help take care of the kids so that I didn't...  let's just say so that I didn't cause them to have to take 15 baths that day.  So hubby cooked Thursday night and we didn't end up having the Chili Dog Casserole but it's on the menu again this week.  It's a family favorite.

So, I have a 6 year old peering over my shoulder antsy for me to give him things to do so I'll make this short and sweet.

Monday - Spaghetti with Zukes from the garden, salads
Tuesday - Mexican Pizzas, black beans and rice
Wednesday - Cheeseburger Twice Baked Potatoes, baked beans
Thursday - Chili Dog Casserole, Mac N Cheese (Mom's group and hubby has class so it's got to be easy!)
Friday - Homemade Pizza

Well, this week I get to have 2 kids!!  No, I'm not having another baby.  My step son is coming to stay with us for a couple of weeks and he'll be here tomorrow.  This means that my menus have to be kid friendly and I might have to do some easy lunches too.

Monday - Spaghetti and homemade bread sticks - no recipe yet
Tuesday - I'll be on the road picking up my step son so dinner will be whatever is available at the closest exit when I get hungry.
Wednesday - Maple Rosemary Chicken (new recipe), sweet potatoes, green beans and stuffing
Thursday - Chili Dog Casserole, baked beans
Friday - Homemade Pizza - pepperoni or cheese for the kiddo and a yummy combination of something else for the grown-ups (not sure yet)
Sunday is Father's Day so we'll have a whole day (maybe on Saturday) of hubby selected foods. 

Visit orgjunkie.com for tons of other menu plans and recipes!

Good Morning out there!  Whew, what a busy weekend we had.  We ripped up some monster bushes in front of our house and planted a little flower bed in it's place, went garage saling ALL day, went to an auction, church and spent time with friends.  And the biggest accomplishment of all??  Drum roll please..... My daughter slept in her bed all night long!!  Oh, and throw into the mix that my new crawler is now pulling up on things.

This morning I started my 3rd week of the C25K running program.  I started week 2 today and I am really proud of myself.  I was supposed to run for about 9 minutes and was able to do 8 of them.  I counted up and the 18 weeks will hit the week of my daughter's first birthday so that should be an interesting goal.  I'm thinking of signing up for a Labor Day 5K.  We'll see.

Now onto my menu plan:

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
Pork Tenderloin, Wild Rice, Veggies
Mexican Pizzas
Rosemary Maple Chicken, Stovetop Stuffing, Sweet potatoes
Homemade Pizza - Buffalo Chicken this week!

View more menu plans at Orgjunkie.com.

And here we are in yet another week.  It's the first week of summer for the kids here which means that traffic is automatically 50% better!  Why is this important to me as a SAHM you ask?  Because I've decided to try and start the C25K program.  It's an interval running program designed to get you from the Couch to a 5K in 9 weeks.  I think I'll take it a little slower and go 18 weeks because I'll be pushing a jogging stroller carrying a 20+ pound baby...  Nevertheless I'm doing it!

I decided that I don't want to run in my neighborhood becuase it's full of hills and there are no sidewalks either so I'm going to drive to a park with a track.  Hopefully I can stick with this and make it through.  It would be a HUGE accomplishment for me because I've never been an active person. E.V.E.R.  So this will be a huge test to my will power but I know that it's something that I need to do for my health and for my family.  I want to be around to enjoy them for the rest of my LONG life.

So, now on to my menu plan for the week.  It's gonna be kind of light because Hubby is going on a camping trip this week so I don't want to cook for myself.  I'll stock up some leftovers or grab something out with a friend.

Monday - Honey Pecan Glazed Salmon
Tuesday - Bourbon Chicken - I double the sauce and make it in the crock pot
Wednesday - Hamburgers on the grill - hubby doesn't know he's cooking yet :)
Thursday - Up in the air
Friday - Up in the air
Saturday - Pork Chops on the grill
Sunday - Cook out at friend's house

As always you can visit Org Junkie for tons of other menu plans and recipes.

So I'm back from my trip for my sister's graduation and I'm ready to get back into the swing of things.  I got together a menu for this week and hopefully I can stick with it the whole week.  Sometimes it's difficult to go back to normal when you get back from vacation.

Chicken & Ravioli Carbonara - new recipe this week
Shephards Pie - with leftover meatloaf muffins, mashed potatoes, corn, carrots and some cheese
BBQ Grilled Salmon with rice and veggies
Homemade Pizza - need a new crust recipe though

Visit OrgJunkie for tons of other meal plans and recipes.

So, this week I've had to put extra work into planning my menu because I'm flying home for my sister's graduation next week but the hubby is staying home.  So, because I'm such a good wife (and he doesn't really need to lose any weight)  I'm going to make meals this week that I can freeze for him to have again next week.  You can view lots of other menus at Menu Plan Monday at Orgjunkie.com.

Monday - Chicken Spaghetti (not sure if I'm going to freeze this one or not)
Tuesday - Lasagna X 3 (one for now, one for next week, and one for a friend)
Wednesday - Drum roll please......   drrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..............
       I get my braces off after 2 long years so I'm going to dinner for ribs and wings. 
Thursday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans
Friday - Chicken Enchiladas & Quiche so that he can have breakfast all week too... :)

NOW, on to the recall!!
Johnson & Johnson has issued a recall of their Children's/Infants Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec & Benadryl.  I have 4 bottles of recalled stuff at my house alone and I've been giving my teething/allergy laden daughter doses of this stuff for weeks now!

They are saying that the recall is a voluntary recall and that there aren't health concerns involved.  Just that the products don't necessarily measure up to their safety standards.  Click here to visit the recall page to see if your products are included.

Here we are on yet ANOTHER Monday...  Funny how that works, they just keep coming!!  Well, we didn't totally stick to our plan last week but we made it through all the same.  The Chicken Suiza Sammies were absolutely fantabulous!  They will definitely be going into our recipe box.  This week I'll be trying a couple of new things so we'll see how it goes.

Monday - Grilled Salmon with Datil Pepper Mustard, veggies and rice
Tuesday - Stew & cornbread - it's supposed to be in the 60's so I can use some of my frozen stew meat
Wednesday - Chicken Spaghetti (or tacos and Waterboy with friends - he just graduated USMC bootcamp)
Thursday - Homemade Pizza and salad (making salad for my Mommy's group so I'll make extra for dinner)
Friday-Sunday - leftovers and dinner out as usual

Wanna see more menu ideas and recipes?  Check out the MPM post at I'm an Organizing Junkie hosted every Monday.

Okay, so last weeks menu didn't exactly go as planned but we made it through.  The weather didn't exactly work for the Bruschetta Grilled chicken so I had Honey & Pecan Glazed Salmon and my potatoes weren't adequate size to use as a baked potato so for that I made a shepherds pie instead.  That was my first attempt at one and I thought it turned out wonderfully!

So, today is my birthday and I don't want to do much cooking.  We also will be leaving for the beach for Spring Break this weekend so this week will be kind of hectic so we're having quick easy meals.

Grilled Bruschetta Chicken (gonna to it today!!  or at least hubby is :) )
Goulash
Pulled Chicken Suiza Sammies

That's all I'm planning for the week.  I might try to bake some bread for the first time this week!  Please pardon any typos or spelling errors.  My daughter is in my lap and loves moving the keyboard tray back and forth and back and forth and well, you get the picture... :)

So, hopefully we'll stick to it better this week but who knows?!?  Go on over to Org Junkie to see other recipes and meal plans.

I've been following Menu Plan Monday at Org Junkie where over 400 people post their weekly menus.  I'm finding that it's been a big help to plan out our meals for the week because when it's time to cook dinner I'm not standing in the kitchen scratching my head wondering 'what's for dinner.'  So, here's my menu for the week in no particular order:

Chicken Pot Pie
Grilled Bruschetta Chicken (if I can get up the nerve to grill chicken myself)
Spaghetti for the masses
Cheeseburger Twice Baked Potatoes
Leftover Buffet