Why I Haven’t Blogged Lately

The past couple of weeks have been pretty full, and I wanted to share some of the things I’ve been up to! 

My mom came to visit, and like we do every time she comes, we crammed our days with shopping, crafting, and redecorating.  What started with, “Will you help me paint the family room?” ended up with complete makeovers in five rooms of our house! 

Ever since Todd and I got married in 1996, I have enjoyed rich jewel tones and autumn-y colors.  My kitchen was a deep purple and dark green.  My family room was dark green, brown, and burgundy.  My living room and dining room was brown and burgundy.  My bedroom was gold and dark green and burgundy.  See a pattern?  After almost 15 years, I came to the conclusion that I am TIRED of fall colors. 

I wanted to brighten everything up!

I got an awesome set of new dishes for my birthday…

So now my kitchen is teal and green!

I sewed new drapery and mom reupholstered my chairs.

Then…I painted my family room light blue.

And got a bright, happy new picture for the fireplace.

I hung new drapery in a pretty green for the living and dining area, but you will have to use your imagination because right now it is a homeschool/craft room/sewing room/playroom/piano lesson room…warzone.

But what I am most excited about is our bedroom makeover.  Before, I had an eclectic mix of hand-me-down furniture and dark colors.  Now, I have this.

It is so restful and peaceful!  We painted the walls a silvery gray.  I changed the bedding to all white with black/white/green accents.  A new headboard and picture pulled the look together. 

We painted all the furniture black and added new hardware.  I think it looks brand-new!

Thanks, mom, for all your help the past two weeks! 

How To Make a Pillowcase Dress

A couple of weeks ago, I invited two of my SAHM buddies over for a sewing playdate.  Between the three of us, we had nine children from age 4 months to 7 years old.  Despite the chaos, I managed to teach my two friends how to make a simple pillowcase dress for our daughters.  It was a really fun time of fellowship together!

I promised to post step-by-step instructions, so here goes:

Materials needed:

• 1 yard cotton fabric
• All-purpose thread that matches the base color of fabric
• 2 yards 1/2”-1” coordinating ribbon (Get more if you want to sew ribbon around bottom of dress above the hem)
• Fabric scissors
• Pins
• Basic sewing machine
• Fray Check (optional)

  1.  Cut two identical rectangles of fabric.  Length should be the desired length of dress from neck to hem plus about  3”.  Width should be about 18”. 

2.  Place right sides together.  Pin fabric together with identical pins 6” from top on each side for sizes Birth-2T.   Pin 7” from top for sizes 3T-6.  Pin 8” from top for larger sizes.  With right sides still together, sew 5/8” seam from marked pins (armhole) to the bottom hem. 

3.  Press both seams open all the way to the top, including the armhole opening.

4.  Reinforce armhole by sewing down one side, turning sideways across bottom of armhole, then back up other side.  

5.  Make casing for ribbon.  With dress still inside out, fold back a double casing a little larger than the width of coordinating ribbon across top of dress.  Iron it flat to make the sewing easier.  Repeat for other side of neckline.

6.  Sew  both seams very close to bottom of casing.

7.  Make hem.  Fold a double hem around bottom of dress.  Iron and sew.

8.  (Optional).  Sew extra ribbon a few inches above the hem.  It’s still just as cute without it!

9.  Cut ribbon into two 1-yard lengths.  Thread ribbon through casing on both sides with a safety pin.  

10.  I like to cut the ends of the ribbons at an angle and seal it with a little amount of Fray Check to keep it from unraveling in the wash.

VOILA!

Here is Grace modeling the dress I made for her at our sewing party.

You could also add a coordinating strip of fabric around the bottom, separating with a pretty ribbon.  The possibilities are endless!

  

Happy sewing!

Going Green With Baby Steps

About six months ago, I bought some really cute reusable shopping bags from Central Market.  They sat in the bottom of my pantry for four months.  I pulled them out and took them on my weekly shopping trips a few times, forgetting to take them into the store half the time.

When I learned that most grocery stores will give you a small credit for using reusable bags, I made a concerted effort to remember every week, but I still found myself forgetting about them in my pantry.  When my mom came to visit a few weeks ago, she suggested just keeping them in my car.  (Hello!  Why didn’t I think of that?!)

Now I use them every time I shop.  I even use them at places like Walgreens, CVS, Hobby Lobby, and Michaels.  In addition to not using plastic bags anymore, it’s easier to carry my groceries in the house…more stuff fits in the reusable bags. 

I also (gasp!) started buying recycled trash bags.  They work just as well as traditional trash bags, and cost just about the same when I combine coupons/sales. 

I haven’t quite joined the “organic only” produce bandwagon, but if given the choice with a comparable or slightly higher price, I’ll buy organic.  This is a good article that explains the benefits (health and environmental) of buying organic produce.  It also suggests the top 12 fruits/veggies to buy organic, based on residual pesticide percentages.

If you are thinking of using reusable bags, here’s an assorted 5-pack of really cute designer bags for $14.95 on Amazon.  Who wouldn’t want to go shopping with such a stylish bag?

Homemade Strawberry Jam

A while back, I saw an episode of Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics on the Food Network.  Ina made a very easy recipe for homemade strawberry jam.  I copied the recipe and filed it for a rainy day.

Well, today’s not actually rainy (dry and HOT), but I decided to see if I had the ingredients on hand, especially since I scraped the bottom of my Smucker’s jam jar when I made Grace’s PB&J for lunch!  I had everything I needed, so Grace and I went to work. 

The recipe is very simple and took almost no time to throw everything in the pot to boil.  This was actually my first time to make homemade jam, and I was so excited to see it turn out so well!  I could have totally sat down with a spoon and eaten the whole thing.  Grace tried to.

I altered the recipe by making a substitution for the Grand Marnier.  I don’t normally keep that around, but I do have a bottle of homemade vanilla vodka in the pantry.  I substituted one tablespoon of the vanilla and one tablespoon of orange juice for the Grand Marnier.  Yum!  Also, I used regular sugar instead of super-fine sugar.  (You can make super-fine sugar by pulsing it in a food processor.)

Oh, also, I used a small handheld immersion blender at the end to make it more jam-like.  This quick recipe would be great on biscuits, sandwiches, or as a topping for vanilla ice cream!  It would also make a great gift.

Easy Strawberry Jam

• 3 pints fresh strawberries
• 3 cups superfine sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
• 1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and small-diced
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Place the strawberries in a colander and rinse them under cold running water. Drain and hull the strawberries. Cut the larger berries in half or quarters and leave the small berries whole. Place the strawberries in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot such as heavy Dutch oven and toss them with the sugar and orange-flavored liqueur.

Bring the berry mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Add the apple and blueberries and continue to keep the mixture at a rolling boil, stirring occasionally, until the jam reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer. This should take 25 to 35 minutes. Skim and discard any foam that rises to the top. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and then store covered in the refrigerator. It will keep refrigerated for at least 2 weeks. To keep the jam longer, pack and seal in canning jars according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Courtesy of: Ina Garten

Frozen Lemonade Pie

I came across a new recipe for Frozen Lemonade Pie in my most recent copy of the Food Network Magazine.  I had some extra whipping cream in my fridge that needed using up, so Grace and I made a treat for daddy to celebrate his last day of school!

This was Grace’s favorite part…using a meat pounder to beat up the graham crackers for the crust!

Then we pressed it into the pan.

(Side note:  Notice her Band-Aid.  She used to be terrified of Band-Aids, and now she loves them.  Go figure.)

Then we made the filling.

Then she helped me “clean up.”

Here’s the finished product.  It was so delicious!  (Of course I had to try a LITTLE!).  I’ll include the recipe here because it was so incredibly easy and a huge hit with my husband who declared it “the perfect summer dessert…so refreshing!”

Frozen Lemonade Pie

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 7 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 can frozen lemonade concentrate
• 2 cups berries (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries – any combination)
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar and butter. Press firmly on the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes; cool completely.

In a cold medium bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, stir together the condensed milk and frozen concentrate. Gently fold the lemonade mixture into the whipped cream. Pour filling into the crust; freeze overnight.

About an hour before serving, make the topping: toss the berries in a medium bowl with sugar and lemon juice. Set aside until ready to serve.

Let the pie sit out for 10 minutes before cutting. Top each slice with berries.

Food Network Magazine 2009

Meat Storage

I received an excellent question from Parsley in my last post about freezing meat.  She asked how long meat could last frozen?  Up to a year?

I have never had a problem storing meat up to a year, but I did a little research to see if nutrition or quality or safety could be affected after several months.  The best source of information that I found was on the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service website.  They know what they’re talking about, so I’ll highlight the most important things I learned.

• Frozen foods remain safe indefinitely.  The freezer should be kept at or below 0 °F.  If the power goes out undetected or someone leaves the door open for a long time, safety may be compromised.
• Quality can decrease with time due to enzyme activity.  (See chart below).  When kept frozen at proper temperature, foods will retain color, flavor, and texture for specified times.
• Freezing does not affect nutritional value.  Good news!
• Packaging is important.  You can freeze meat directly in the supermarket package, but it’s not very airtight, so it only stays high quality for a couple of months.  The more airtight the storage method, the better the quality after defrosting.  Squeeze all air out of freezer bags.  Vacuum sealing is ideal.
• Freeze it fast.  Ice crystals will form if frozen slowly.  If freezing several packages, don’t stack them on top of each other…spread them out to freeze faster.
• Defrosting is key.  The best method for high quality is to defrost in the refrigerator for 1-2 days…plan ahead!  Defrosting in the microwave is safe, but it results in uneven cooking.  Never defrost on the kitchen counter.
• Refreezing is OK.  The quality won’t be as good due to lost moisture, but it’s safe as long as it’s handled properly.

This chart shows the maximum amount of months frozen food can maintain a high quality when kept at or below 0 °F:

Item	Months
Bacon and sausage	2
Roasts, uncooked	12
Steaks or chops, uncooked	12
Ground meat, uncooked	4
Meat, cooked	3
Poultry, whole uncooked	12
Poultry, parts uncooked	9
Poultry, cooked	4
Soups, stews, and casseroles	3

Play Date

Yesterday Grace and I went to a sweet friend’s home for a play date.  Mrs. Anita has been part of my life since I was a little girl, and I love that we still keep in touch.  Mrs. Anita lives in a beautiful farm house with lots of land for animals.  Grace’s favorite thing is the chicken coop!  Yesterday she found an egg in the henhouse, and was very proud to hand it to Mrs. Anita.

There were also two other sweet moms there with children, so Grace had lots of playmates.  Usually it takes her a while to warm up, but after just a minute or two, she was running around and playing with the other kids…inside, outside, upstairs, downstairs, etc…while the adults got a chance to visit and swap stories.

I am so thankful for friendships, old and new, and the joy that it brings to my life.  It’s easy to get lonely being a stay-at-home mom with one child, but days like yesterday show me the joy of fellowship.  I also truly appreciate the freedom I have to go and do fun things at my leisure instead of being a slave to the workplace.  This lifestyle is certainly not without sacrifices, but for us it is totally worth it!

Menu Plan Monday

I’ve completed my first week of my new eating plan, and it’s actually been fun.  Especially when I stepped on the scales this morning and saw that I had dropped 3.5 pounds this week. 

I went to the store this weekend and bought fresh meat and produce for the week.  For myself, I bought my favorite fruits and vegetables to supplement my program entree/shakes.  For Todd and Grace, I bought pork chops, chicken breasts, and ground beef.  For their meals, I will cook a portion of meat and serve it alongside my fruits/vegetables.  I also keep a stock of frozen dinner rolls/Texas toast that they enjoy eating. 

Those of you who know me know that I LOVE to cook, so I’ve been trying to get creative with my veggie side dishes.  Today I’ll share my Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup recipe that I made yesterday as a side.  I made up this recipe, and it worked pretty well.  And it’s completely GUILT-FREE.  It doesn’t make a large portion…just enough for 3-4 servings.

Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup

• 3 large beefsteak tomatoes
• 1/2 purple onion
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 2 cups broth or stock (chicken or veggie)
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 t. basil
• Cooking spray (Pam)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Spray foil with cooking spray.  Cut tomatoes and onions into large chunks and put on sheet; add garlic cloves (unpeeled).  Give another light coating of cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes until veggies are tender and slightly caramelized.  Transfer veggies to soup pot (you will need to squeeze roasted garlic out of peel).  Add tomato sauce, broth, and basil.  Use immersion blender to blend to smooth consistency.  (If you don’t have this handy gadget, just puree in blender or food processor).  Enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday

My menu planning is taking a drastic turn this week.  I have long been contemplating a lifestyle change and I’m excited about embarking on a new culinary journey tomorrow. 

I hesitate to call my change a “diet”, because it’s really just the beginning to a healthier way of eating.  To facilitate my weight loss, I’ll be eating pre-packaged entrees and shakes from a local medically-supervised program, while supplementing my eating plan with fresh fruits and vegetables. 

Where does this leave Todd and Grace?  Well, I’ll still be cooking them the occasional entree, but I’ll mostly be grilling or baking different meats and serving them with my fresh fruits and vegetables.  While bread is out for me, I’ll keep dinner rolls and garlic toast in the freezer so I can quickly pop them in the oven to go with their dinner meal.

This actually suits Todd just fine, as he typically prefers the simple meat/potato/veggie/bread meal. 

I went to our local Whole Foods market to buy fresh, organic vegetables for the week, and I was pleasantly surprised at how inexpensive it was.  It’s really not that much more expensive overall compared to Wal-Mart, and it’s OH SO MUCH MORE fresh and beautiful. 

On this trip I bought fresh Honey Crisp apples, Mexican bananas, grapes, local tomatoes, zucchini, squash, purple onions, Idaho potatoes, garlic, broccoli, green beans, and red peppers.  I also bought some frozen mango, papaya, and strawberries to put in my smoothie shakes.

I’ll be steaming, roasting, and stir-frying these vegetables in a variety of ways to go along with my packaged entrees.  While I can’t use a lot of oils/butters, there are no restrictions on spices, so I plan to use spray Pam and experiment with lots of different spicy flavor combinations to keep things interesting.

For my next Menu Plan Monday post, I’ll share some of my favorite veggie dishes from this week.

Friday Fun

Fridays are the one day of the week that I try to keep open from any appointments or commitments.  I enjoy spending the day at home with Grace and finishing up any housework that I might have let slide during the week.  Today that list includes several loads of laundry.

Grace loves to help me with various household chores, and I like to use the opportunities to teach her not only housekeeping skills but academic skills as well.  Today she helped me separate the clothes into white, light, dark, and towels.  Then I set her on top of the washer and let her (painstakingly slowly) put each item of clothing into the washer.

Right now, she’s supposed to be sleeping for naptime.  However, the dryer buzzer just rang, and I heard her exclaim through the baby monitor, “Mama!  I have to help you with the LAUN-DWEEEE!”

As much as I love socializing and going and doing, these are my favorite days.  At home with Grace, with no other responsibilities other than with her in our home. 

I promised to play games with her after naptime, so I’m going to go get myself psyched up for an exciting round of Candy Land!

Works-For-Me-Wednesday Dinner History

I enjoy keeping a record of the dinner meals that I have cooked over the years.  For one, it’s fun to read back over the different things I have prepared and served!  Secondly, it helps me plan a better variety of things to feed my family.  I can look back and repeat things that were a success while keeping an overall picture of the different dishes I have tried.  It keeps me from getting in a rut!

Here is an example of my record.  I use a simple Excel spreadsheet:

Date	Entree	Side	Side	Salad	Notes
1/20/09	1-2-3 Jambalaya	Rice	French Bread	Caesar Salad	easy!
1/22/09	Burgers	Baked Fries	Fixins	Fruit Salad	Todd’s favorite
1/23/09	Chicken Quesadillas	Spanish Rice	Salsa		20 min. meal
1/25/09	Chef Salad	Deli meats	Veggies		extra good = homemade dressing

I’ve been keeping records for almost two years now, and I hope that one day my daughter can look back and see the meals we prepared together as she builds her own repertoire of cooking.

For more Works-For-Me tips, visit Rocks In My Dryer.

Play Dates

Today was a busy day for us.  We got up early and quickly straightened up the house before running out the door to a play date.  I recently discovered that a friend of mine in choir is a stay-at-home mom of a 3-yr-old daughter and 16-month-old son.  And, they live in our neighborhood!  We were invited to their home this morning, and Grace had a grand time.  They played with Play-Dough, baby dolls, Memory, Hungry Hippos, basketball, tea cups, and lots of other things. 

Grace was shy at first because she didn’t know the little girl from church (they are in different Sunday School classes).  But, she warmed up and made a new friend.  We left from there and drove to pick up Caleb from pre-school.  We got home, ate lunch, and they quickly fell asleep for naptime.

When they woke up, Caleb’s older sister had arrived and we all played games, danced, had snack time, and built with Legos. 

Even though Grace is an only child, she has lots of opportunities to be around other kids.  I like it this way.  Between play dates, my babysitting, and Sunday School/church activities, it is actually rare to have a day at home alone with just the two of us.  I usually try to keep Fridays this way, because I feel that alone time is important too. 

I am thankful, though, that there are so many options to interact with sweet kids (and moms!) throughout the week.

Menu Plan Monday

I’m a little late planning my menus this week because we’ve been caught up in Todd’s birthday plans.  Here it is:

Monday – Todd's Birthday Dinner - takeout from Outback!

Tuesday – 1-2-3 Jambalaya, French Bread

Wednesday - leftovers

Thursday – Hamburgers, Baked Fries, Fruit Salad

Friday – Chicken Quesadillas, Spanish Rice

Saturday – leftovers

Sunday – Chef Salad

I’ve never made the 1-2-3 Jambalaya, but I recently found it in an issue of Southern Living.  Nothing bad ever came out of that magazine, so I’m sure it’ll be good!  Here’s the recipe:

1-2-3 Jambalaya

• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 3 cups uncooked long-grain rice
• 2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans French onion soup, undiluted
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can beef broth
• 2 to 3 teaspoons Creole seasoning
• 2 to 3 teaspoons hot sauce
• Garnish: fresh cilantro sprigs

Sauté first 3 ingredients in hot oil in a Dutch oven 4 to 5 minutes or until sausage is browned. Stir in chicken and next 6 ingredients.

Bake, covered, at 350° for 40 minutes, stirring after 30 minutes. Garnish, if desired.

Don’t Make Me Count To Three – Intro/Ch. 1

Welcome to the first week of our book study through Ginger Plowman’s Don’t Make Me Count To Three!  I hope everyone had the opportunity to get the book and read through Chapter 1.  If you didn’t, no worries!  Just join along with us anytime.  It’s a quick read and easy to get caught up.

Right off the bat, Ginger throws a small dart and pricks my heart on p. 13. 

“Could it be that parents avoid these [discipline] issues because they are uncertain of how to handle them?”

Bingo.  I thought of all the times I have purposefully ignored Grace when she was misbehaving, just hoping that she would straighten up on her own.  Or gave her too many warnings.  Or threatened a spanking.  Guess what?  It doesn’t work.  I need to have a game plan.  I need to change my way of thinking.

Not only that, but I need to think beyond Grace’s outward behavior and focus more on her heart.  In today’s world, when one thinks of the word discipline, one might equate it with spanking, or punishment, or something quite negative.  Actually, the roots of the word discipline come from the Latin word discipulus (“pupil”) and discere (“to learn”).  The process of assigning some sort of punishment or consequence is only one part of discipline.  When we focus on the whole process of discipline including biblical teaching, Lord willing we will reach the heart of our child to promote lasting change and set the foundation for their future salvation.

I love that Chapter 1 focuses on the high calling of motherhood.  As a former career woman, I admit that at times I have questioned the importance of my place at home with Grace.  I think of all the children I taught and mentored and helped over the years, and I wonder if my life would be of better service in the “mission field” of our public schools.

Then I think of Psalm 129:3 which says:

”Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.”

And the command in Proverbs 22:6 which says:

“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

And the promise in Proverbs 31:27-28 which says:

“She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.  Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”

And I realize that, yes, working with children in the public schools was a great use of my time.  But working with Grace in my home is a greater use of my time.

And, in closing, I also love that Ginger warns us to not let the ugly head of pride enter as we start to enjoy the fruits of biblical discipline in our children.  Just yesterday, I was humbled once again as we waited (forever!) for a table in Todd’s favorite restaurant to celebrate his birthday lunch with some friends from church.  Grace was fussy and complaining and impatient as we passed time in a crowded waiting area.  After taking her out for discipline a couple of times, she was better, but she certainly didn’t win any awards for behavior yesterday.  And I had to check my attitude several times when I found myself getting frustrated!  Thankfully, God answered my prayer and she settled down and let us eat in peace once we were seated.

That said, there is no “magical” or “biblical” formula for getting children to obey all the time.  Enter sin.  There has been only one person on this earth who has never sinned.  Our Lord Jesus Christ.  (Can you imagine what it must have been like to be his mother, Mary?).  Children sin.  It is a result of the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden.  We need to expect our children to sin.  We need to not be surprised when they sin.  And we need to learn how God would have us deal with their sin in our growth as parents.  Funny thing, at the same time we end up dealing with our own sin!

I hope that many of you will join in and comment on what particularly struck you in this week’s reading.  Even if you didn’t read, feel free to comment below on the topics raised.  Perhaps consider one or more of the following questions:

What do you hope to gain from this parenting study?  How do you feel about the calling of motherhood?  Why is it important to focus on the “heart” of discipline rather than just outward behavior?  How can we keep pride from entering when things start to get better?

I look forward to reading your comments!  Next Monday stay tuned for a post on Chapter 2!

Menu Plan Monday

This week, we have family coming to visit for several days. That makes menu planning much more fun! Also, this is the last menu plan I'll post for a couple of weeks because we're going home for the holidays. So, I get to eat my mom's fabulous cooking! I can't wait to get in the kitchen and cook with her. I pray that one day Grace will have the same special memories of cooking with me.

Monday - Leftovers

Tuesday - Sirloin Steaks, Mashed Potatoes, Lemon Broccoli

Wednesday - Spaghetti with Meatsauce, Garlic Sticks, Green Salad

Thursday - Restaurant

Friday - Leftovers or Pizza?

Saturday - Over the river and through the woods, to grandparent's house we go....

Sunday - Mom's cooking!


This week, I'm including one of our favorite veggie recipes. This is Todd's and Grace's favorite!

Pan-Roasted Lemon Broccoli

3 T water
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
2 T oil
2 broccoli heads, separate into stems (julienned) and florets
4 T butter
2 t. minced garlic
1 1/2 t. lemon juice

Heat oil. Add stems in even layer - 2 min. Add florets - 2 min. Add water, salt, and pepper - cover and steam 2 min. Uncover and cook 2 min. Remove from pan. Melt butter over medium heat and cook 1 1/2 min. Add garlic - 1 min. Add lemon juice and broccoli. Stir and serve.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Crockpot Chicken Casserole, Green Beans

Tuesday - Leftovers

Wednesday - Dinner at church

Thursday - Macaroni and Beef, Green Peas

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Texas Potroast, Mashed Potatoes, Green Salad

Sunday - French Dip Sammies (leftover from potroast)

This week, I'm including my favorite pot roast recipe. It couldn't possibly be any easier, and the flavor is better than slow roasting in the oven for hours. It makes the most delicious au jus sauce which I always use for dipping french dip sammies the next day!

Texas Pot Roast

3-4 lb. beef roast
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 small jar picante sauce (I like Pace Medium)
1 12 oz. can Coke (Diet does NOT work)

Place roast in crockpot. Sprinkle with onion soup mix. Cover with picante sauce and Coke. Cook on LOW for 8-10 hours.

Menu Plan Monday

We have our first Christmas Party of the season this week, and that means I'll be starting my holiday baking. Since my kitchen will be busy this week, I'm sticking with fast, easy go-to meals for our suppers.

Monday - Spaghetti with Meatsauce, Green Salad

Tuesday - Leftovers

Wednesday - Dinner at church

Thursday - Grilled Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Friday - Todd's Faculty Christmas Dinner

Saturday - Leftovers

Sunday - Lunch with friends


This week I'm including my favorite Christmas treat recipe. Peanut Butter Balls have long been a tradition in our family. I package them prettily and give them as gifts every holiday season. My sweet friend Estelle refers to them as "Heaven Balls" and eagerly anticipates her box of treats every year.

Peanut Butter Balls

1 jar crunchy peanut butter
3 sticks butter (salted)
1 t. vanilla
2 lbs. powdered sugar
1 1/2 packages chocolate almond bark (Ghirardelli is best)

Melt peanut butter and butter together in a large bowl in the microwave. Add vanilla. Stir in sugar. Form balls and dip into melted chocolate. Let cool on waxed paper.

Yield: 100 balls

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce, Garlic Rolls, Salad

Tuesday - Leftovers

Wednesday - Dinner at church

Thursday - Red Beans & Rice w/ Sausage, Cornbread

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Chicken Tortilla Soup w/ Fixins

Sunday - Leftovers



I usually only fully prepare three meals per week because I cook enough to last for at least two suppers. Leftovers are eaten the next day for dinner and throughout the week for lunch if there is enough! If I happen to come up short on a leftover night, I'll just usually cook breakfast for dinner (which Todd loves) and eat the leftovers during lunch.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - leftover BBQ

Tuesday - Harvest Moon Macaroni, Green Salad

Wednesday - leftovers

Thursday - Multi-grain french toast, bacon, fruit

Friday - Grilled chicken, wild rice, roasted veggies

Saturday - leftovers

Sunday - dinner with friends


The Harvest Moon Macaroni was recently featured on 30-Minute-Meals with Rachel Ray. It is a sneaky way to get kids to eat butternut squash. When made with whole grain pasta, it is a healthy vegetarian meal. I'm not going to tell Todd or Grace it has squash in it...we'll see if they notice!

Living Simply Saturdays

Today's post on living simply has to do with an effective way to organize toys in households with preschoolers. We only have one child in our home, and we struggle to stay on top of random toys scattered throughout the house. I can imagine that it is even more challenging with multiple kids of different ages!

For me, the key to keeping toys neat and tidy is in the storage. Every toy has it's place, and Grace knows where it goes. The larger toys go in the toybox. The books go on her bookshelves. For toys that have several small pieces, they are stored in individual Ziplock bags or plastic bins. I also have a medium-sized plastic storage box that contains all random, smaller toys (figurines, costume jewelry, Happy Meal toys, etc.).

The other key to keeping toys neat and tidy is in the access. The boxed games, Ziplock bags of toys, and storage boxes are kept out of her reach. She only has immediate access to her toy box and books. If she wants to play with a "special" toy, she must first show me that she has cleaned up her toy box and books. When she finishes with the "special" toy, she must put it back in it's storage container and give it back to me.

This method is particularly effective when I babysit other kids in my home. They quickly learn that in order to play with a new toy, they must first clean up the other toys. The result is a neater and more organized home with less things to trip over!

Grace rarely fusses about cleaning up, and she actually enjoys picking up her toys and singing the clean-up song. I can only pray that this trend will continue through adolescence!

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