Menus and a recipe

Monday
Barbeque chicken
GF Mac and cheese
Caesar salad
Grapes

Tuesday
Gluten Free Penne with Sausage in Cream sauce

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can mini diced peeled tomatoes with juices
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning

• 1 pound Gluten free(Ronzoni) penne pasta

• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Melt butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until golden brown and tender, about 7 minutes. Add sausage and sauté until golden brown and cooked through, breaking up with back of spoon, about 7 minutes. Drain any excess drippings from skillet. Add wine to skillet and boil until almost all liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with juices and simmer
3 minutes. Add cream and simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Stir in Italian seasoning. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. (Sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
Cook GF pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain pasta; transfer to large bowl.
Bring sauce to simmer. Pour sauce over pasta. Add 3/4 cup cheese and toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
I freeze half of this and just thaw and warm in the oven.  Delicious.

Wednesday
Beans and rice in the crock pot

Thursday
Tacos with leftover Beans and rice.

Friday
Potato soup and chili in the crock pot.

Here I am again...

It's been awhile.
Life gets busy, so I keep trying to scale back and make it easier.
Starting over with menus:

Monday:
Ginger beef stir fry with broccoli and rice

Tuesday:
Baked Ziti(freezer meal)

Wednesday:New tradition- every Wednesday is beans and rice day
Beans and rice burrito bowls

Thursday:
Potato soup

Friday: left overs or out to eat.

Saturday: Day trip to Lafayette for Aaron's game and to see Amy
Hopefully Pizza since Aaron won't be with us :)

Sunday: Small group

Menus

I am sitting here thinking about how tired I am and how I have no idea what I am making for meals this week.                        hmmmm, I need to get on it!


Monday- staff meeting, hopefully I have time to make the meatballs!
Spaghetti and meatballs
garlic bread

Tuesday
Orange chicken- freezer meal
rice

Wednesday
chili in the crock pot - old stand by for fall and winter.  Since it willbe raining for days on end, Why not !?

 Thursday- Still not sure how this night will work out.  Joe is gone and I have 2 awards events to go to.
Leftovers

Friday-
Pizza

This is the printable I am using for Teacher Appreciation week gifts!

Menus and Smiles

Monday
Free Pizza from Papa Johns

Tuesday
Fish
Asparagus and brussel sprouts
(our house will smell great!)

Wednesday
Lazy cooks BBQ chicken
Broccoli cheese rice

Thursday
Hamburgers on the grill
mac and cheese
salad

 Friday
Chicken caesar salad

This pup makes me smile everyday!

This picture just makes me smile for so many reasons.  This is little Davidson from Haiti.  He was a year old when I was there and malnourished, with red ends to his hair.  He snuggled up to me and fell asleep, I fell in love.  I prayed as I held each of the kiddos, but he took my heart.  Now today he is 2 and has made it through the malnutrition program.  He is as ornery as ever here, walking his uncles dog! It makes my heart happy!

Menus

Ann Voskamp is one of my favorite writers.  Her Holy week devotionals this week are just what I needed.  My favorite quote today is "If my thanksgiving is fickle, then my faith is fickle."  Ouch!  especially after writing my tax checks today and draining our savings account.  I'm just  thankful we have enough to cover it.

Monday
Amy cooks
Spaghetti with meat sauce
garlic breadsticks

Tuesday
Ann cooks
Pigs in a blanket
mac and cheese
caesar salad

Wednesday
Crock pot chicken and dumplings
fruit

Thursday
Crock pot Chili

Friday
Free papa johns pizza

Menus

Monday
Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
New recipe(here)
Garlic bread
salad

Tuesday
Spaghetti and meat sauce
leftover garlic bread

Wednesday
Tacos

Thursday
Chili in crock pot

Friday
Pizza

Menus

Monday
Chicken bacon ranch penne pasta(ww recipe)
garlic knots (clearance at grocery)

Tuesday
BBQ chicken shredded
beans and rice

Wednesday
Taco Salad

Thursday
Pumpkin waffles
Bacon

Friday
Chili in the crock pot.

Menus

Monday
Pork chops
fried potatoes with onion
strawberries

Tuesday
Skillet Lasagna-yummy!

Wednesday
Tacos

Thursday
lazy cooks chicken
beans and rice

Friday- game at New Castle
eat out

Menus and a recipe

Monday
Spaghetti and meatballs
garlic knots

Tuesday
Potato soup
strawberries

Wednesday
Taco soup
corn chips

Thursday
Fettuccini Alfredo (Andrew cooking)
Italian dunkers

Friday
pizza

Italian Dunkers (recipe is straight from the school cafeteria)

Old hot dog buns divided
Spread with butter or margarine
Sprinkle with garlic powder
sprinkle with Mozzerella cheese
Broil for 5 minutes until melted and bubbly.
 

Monday Menus

I need an extra day to recover from the weekend.  I guess that is a sign it was a good one :)

We started Saturday with a CC meet 1.5 hours away, and then off to a football game.  We came home for a an hour and then headed out to church.  We ended the day watching ND barely beat my Boilers.

Ann and I, along with my niece and sil drove to Fort Wayne for a a bridal shower for another niece getting married next month. I came home and left with Joe for a surprise date night to the Michael Buble concert.  A sweet parent at school gifted them to me and it was a huge blessing.  Buble puts on an incredible shoe, he is such a talented performer.  It was a nice night out, which we haven't had in probably a year!

Monday
Beef tips in the crock pot
noodles
watermelon

Tuesday
French dip sandwiches
watermelon
mac and cheese

Wednesday
Chicken caesar salad
fruit

Thursday
Tortellini with marinara
italian dunkers

Friday
Chili

Menus and a recipe

Monday
Crock pot chicken and dumplings(Amy's Birthday choice)

Tuesday
Broccoli and Beef(a new favorite)
strawberries

Wednesday
Spaghetti (carb loading for Friday track meet)
garlic bread

Thursday
Leftover pulled pork
beans
fruit

Friday
Out to eat

Easy Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

3 large Chicken Breasts, uncooked
2 cans Cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup butter
1 Quart Chicken or Vegetable broth
2 tsp(to taste) all natural seasoning salt (I use tastefully simple)

Throw all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Increase to high and add 5-6 frozen biscuits, thawed and cut into fourths.  Cook another 30-45 on high or until biscuits are done

Weekend and Menus

We had a fun weekend, starting with a Conference track meet on Friday night.  Aaron was able to break 2 conference records in the 1600m and the 2400m.  It was extra fun to have his grandparents and cousin John in to watch him.  It is always fun to watch him run, he truly has a gift.

I came down with the stomach flu Sunday and have not been that sick in years.  It makes me so thankful for my health.  All I could think about was a friend going through chemo.  I only have this for a day, she is enduring for months.  I just can't imagine.
Luckily I have a job that is relatively quiet in the mornings.  I can have time to rehydrate and feel less dizzy. I am sooo thankful to be feeling better and that no one else is showing signs of it yet.  I am sure I got it from the little darlings I clean up after every day at school :)

Last weeks menus weren't used much.  It was a busy week and we ate out fast food more than normal(maybe that explains my sickness).  Joe is gone all week again, so who knows if these will get made either, but I will try.

Monday
Beef and Broccoli
rice

Tuesday
Tacos in the crock pot

Wednesday
Chili in the crock pot

Thursday
Leftovers

Friday
pizza?

Menus and a few Pics

It was Prom weekend.  Amy, Cameron, and Haley all looked so beautiful! We all had such a great time, and are still recovering :)  Mom is not used to being up all night anymore though.  Afterprom lasted until 3am, and I got in bed around 4:30. I am still feeling it today!  It was worth it to see all the kids enjoying themselves. 

Here are our menus for the week.
Monday
Nacho Chicken and rice(freezer meal)
strawberries

Tuesday(track meet)
Grilled Chicken
Caesar Salad

Wednesday
Beef and Broccoli(new recipe)

Thursday
Tacos in crock pot (freezer meal)

Friday
County track meet in Lafayette

Menus

Monday
Chicken Parmesan
Salad

Tuesday- Track meet, Soccer practice and meeting
Crock pot Chicken and dumplings

Wednesday
Hamburgers on the grill
vegetable

Thursday
Marinated Chicken on the grill
vegetable
fruit

Friday
Cold again-BOOOO!
Chili

Monday

Not ready to be back to work!  On top of that, KLove is still having pledge week!  NOOOO!
My Monday didn't start out well at all.  Up at 4, for no reason.  Prayed, cause thats what I do when I awaken at 4am.  Drove Joe's car to school since the muffler is falling off and it.is. LOUD!  The kids were embarrassed to drive it to school and Joe has a job interview this afternoon.  BUT, my keyfob and ID was in the van, so I had to go to the high school anyway. 
It was locked and I had no key.  Oh, the joy! 
My drink then spilled all over my lunch bag which then leaked onto the seat, which then leaked down my pants as I walked into school.  This after I announced my arrival with my muffler, or lack of, and had to wait for someone to come to the door since I had no fob. 
After my pity party for myself and maybe a couple tears, I pulled myself together to laugh at the situation and be thankful for so many things.
#1 that I did not come home from Spring Break to a burned down house, as did a nearby family.
a job
a car, who cares if it's loud!
healthy kids
great friends
family
a husband whose back is feeling better
getting paid while looking for a new job
trusting that there is a new, perfect job out there for us!

On to menus:
Monday
Tacos
salad

Tuesday
Frozen Lasagna

Wednesday
Chicken on the grill
salad

Thursday
Meatloaf

caesar salad

Friday
Chili

Menu Monday and a recipe

Be careful what you wish for.
 I have been wanting just one or two days free to get some much needed cleaning done.  Joe and the boys went to a basketball tourney Saturday and Sunday, and the girls and I stayed home.  The girls had some events and things going on that we didn't want to miss.  I hate not going to the bball games, but it is needed sometimes. 
The girls and I had fun shopping 3 different Goodwill's and a consignment shop.  We found lots of great finds.  We even found Amy's prom dress for $75, so that was a score.  It is modest and looks great on her.
After shopping I got to work cleaning.  I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned.  Sad to say it doesn't look much different!  But I feel so much better about it.  All of the little things I don't normally have time to do, got done.
 I cleaned all of the drains (I'm weird),
scrubbed the bathrooms from ceiling to floor,
cleaned out my linen closet and a bunch of cabinets,
changed out all of the our flannel sheets because I am sick of winter,
dusted,
cleaned out the kids totes and found many of the "I can't find it" items,
cleaned and organized our bedroom,
purged a bit,
blew out the garage of all the leaves and dirt,
cleaned out the magazine pile,
grocery shopped,
hosted 5 teenage girls for a sleepover,
cleaned the top of the refrigerator off (gross, by the way),
and did 1 million loads of laundry.
This list isn't meant to impress, but to help me remember what all I did!  My legs were hurting last night!
On to menus:
Monday
Steak fajitas
chips and salsa

Tuesday
Crock pot potato soup
bread
salad

Wednesday
Crock pot chicken teriyaki( I still haven't made this :)
rice

Thursday
Italian baked chicken
green beans
boiled potatoes

Friday

Pizza

I made up a Tortellini Soup last Friday when I didn't have time to use the crock pot version.  It was so yummy!

1 box of chicken broth
1 bar of cream cheese
2 T minced garlic
2 cans, undrained, Italian diced tomatoes
2 cups milk
1 package frozen tortellini
2 cups tore up baby spinach leaves
1 pound turkey sausage

Brown the sausage then add broth and CC.  Stir until cream cheese is melted. Add the rest of the ingredients except the tortellini.  Cook tortellini according to package directions and then add to soup. Cook until all ingredients are incorporated.  Serve with a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan.

It was a hit with everyone.  Aaron and Ann picked out the tomatoes of course.

Menus

Busy week with lots of crock pot meals!

Monday
Chik fil a night for afterprom

Tuesday

Chili in crock pot


Wednesday
Crock Pot chicken teriyaki


Thursday
Crock pot Tortellini Soup


Friday
Pizza

Monday Menus

I left my notes at home as to menus that I wrote down on Friday when I had a minute!  This is what I remember. 
Monday
Sausage tortellini dish
apples

Tuesday
Chicken Parmesan
salad

Wednesday
Spaghetti and meatballs

Thursday
Lemon chicken breasts
vegetables
fruit

Friday
chili

Now I am off to instill the virtue of showers and deodorant to a bunch of stinky 4th graders!

Menus

What a difference a week makes.  This weekend I went on the 7th grade retreat as the nurse.  I came home with a sore back, I can't stand up straight without pain.  Grr, luckily it usually is short lived.  A minor inconvenience.
My house is a wreck again, and laundry piles are plentiful.  Oh well, life is well lived at our house:)

Monday
Pork Chops(never had them last week) I "fry" them in a skillet with coconut oil and Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper seasoning.
Salad
fried potatoes
Strawberries

Tuesday
Slow Cooker Carmalized Onion Pot Roast in the crock pot with potatoes and carrots

Wednesday
Ham and cheese quiche

Thursday
Chicken strips
mac and cheese
salad

Friday
pizza

Menus and a recipe

We have the day off today, I so love 3 day weekends.  My laundry is caught up, house is somewhat clean and I am rested! Woohoo.  I took the kids to see "Parental Guidance" this afternoon.  It is the second time I have seen it and I cried again today.  It really is a clean, cute movie.
 Here are our tentative menus for the week.
Monday
Taco salad

Tuesday
Crock Pot chicken and dumplings
strawberries

Wednesday
Meatloaf
baked potatoes
salad

Thursday
Pork Chops
caesar salad
fruit

Friday
Chili

Weekend
I am off on a 7th grade retreat. They are on their own.

I tried out this new recipe a couple weeks ago.  It was a hit.  I took it to a friend who is pregnant with twins and not feeling so great, and she asked for the recipe.  That usually tells me it is pretty yummy!

Creamy baked Ziti

4 cups  ziti pasta, uncooked

1

jar  (24 oz.) marinara sauce

1

can  (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained

6

oz.  (3/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, cubed

3/4

cup Sour Cream

1

pkg.  (8 oz.) Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/3

cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 pound turkey sausage, browned

 Preheat oven to 350. Cook ziti according to package directions.

Mix all ingredients and place in greased 9x13 pan.

Bake for 30 minutes