Menu Plan Monday

Monday: Crockpot Night - Hearty Venison Stew, biscuits, apple butter


Tuesday: Freezer Pleaser - Kroutburgers


Wednesday: Breakfast for Supper - scrambled eggs, sausage, hashbrowns, oj


Thursday: Mexican Night - Carnitas, black beans, tortillas, and guacamole


Friday: Family Night - homemade pizza and a movie/games


Saturday:


Sunday: Football Fare - Meatball Subs

Simple Woman's Daybook

Would you like to linger on the simple things...then join me and many others in taking a little look into the day plans and thoughts of those who are focusing on simplicity...beauty of the everyday moments. @ Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY ~ Sept 14th 2010

::Outside my window... is a misty gray day.

::I am thinking...a coupon class that I will be teaching this friday. A little nervous.

::I am thankful for...convenient & fast instant oatmeal packets :)

::From the learning rooms...we are two weeks in to school. Its been mostly smooth :) We are all learning how to work/schedule around Keira and her playtimes & naptimes. I've been able to get more creative with teaching methods. Logan has been catching on to stuff very quickly, even wanting to do more than I've planned, and has learned almost all his letter sounds which I hadnt planned on doing yet!

::From the kitchen...getting ready to start marinating some chicken breasts for supper. Its a new recipe so was anxious to try it tonight....moved it up on the menu plan.

::I am wearing...shorts and a t shirt. Am actually chilly though with the breeze coming in the windows.

::I am creating...a quilt block with Ashleigh. She goes over to my mom's once a week for a sewing lesson. She loves using the sewing machine.

::I am going...to work on my handouts for the coupon class.

::I am reading...over and grading homework.

::I am hoping...Keira naps a little longer this aft.

::I am hearing...happy children! Ashleigh sing while she finsishes her lesson. Logan talking to himself while he builds a racetrack in the living room. Keira, through the baby monitor, playing and giggling in her crib.

::Around the house...dishwasher is running. Washing machine is running. Dryer is running. Now if the vaccum could run its own....and the toilets were self-cleaning.....sigh

::One of my favorite things...the beginning of fall. Apple season. Fresh-pressed apple cider.

::A few plans for the rest of the week: fieldtrip to Moore's Orchard. Coupon class. Church small-group potluck.

::Here is picture for thought I am sharing...what a differance a yr makes:

Keira, exactly 1 yr ago

Keira last night

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: Venison Steak, creamy mashed potatoes, corn

Tuesday: Spaghetti & meatballs, salad

Wednesday: Fred's mom's Chili Burrito's

Thursday: Sticky Garlic Chicken, rice, peas & carrots

Friday: homemade pizza & movie night

Saturday: church small group - havent decided what I will make yet

Sunday: Roast in the crockpot, potatoes, carrots....

Check out orgjunkie for more menu ideas and recipes. I was #262....thats a LOT of menu planners :)

Do you plan you use a menu plan? Weekly or monthly?

Friday's faves

A few highlights from this week:

1. Now that Keira is one, her vocabulary has doubled! I get the biggest kick out of hearing her say "look!" or "all done". She's even trying to say "elmo" and "cracker". So little and so sweet.

2. Our mops group started up for the fall last tuesday night. I love MOPS. Its like my own little mommy suport group. Friendships and food, free childcare, and most of all that having a place where its safe to be real, they're all mom's too, and know exactly the issues you are struggling with.

3. Ashleigh (our oldest) turned seven. How time has flown! We had a Fancy Nancy Tea Party, based on the books. Outdoors at the park, it was a gorgeous late summer day. There were seven little girls, all dressed-up in beads and boas and their mommy's high heels :) We decorated picture frames, posed for pics, made glass pendant necklaces, and had a lunch of ham&cheese/rolls, strawberries, and mini cupcakes. Was a day I'll never forget....and I'm sure Ashleigh won't either!

4. Yesterday was 67 degrees....and rainy. I had a pot of potato soup simmering on the stove. Ready for autumn.

5. Marked more off my to-do list :)

Outlive Your Life by Max Lucado

Life is a rat race.

A daily grindstone.

Passing us by.

We want our lives to matter. We want to live a life of purpose, on purpose.

This is what best selling author, Max Lucado, invites us to do in his new book Outlive Your Life. He delves right in, in that easy-to-understand way the he has. Through scripture, history, personal stories, and beautiful word pictures he reminds us that we were created by God to do great works. We can use our ordinary everyday lives to make a difference.

I loved how Max Lucado examined the Jerusalem church in the first 12 chapters of Acts. He shows us how they lived together, prayed together, endured together, and reached out to the bruised and broken together.

This book is inspiring. Pulls us out of our little boxes, Gives us pause, and we begin to think more outwardly. Our heart changes to become more Christlike. Helping us to see people as opportunities rather than problems. We have a once-in-history opportunity to glorify God however, wherever, right now.
To be Jesus’ hands and feet.

Max Lucado lives this. More than just encouraging his readers to make a difference, he himself is donating one hundred percent of his royalties from this book to "benefit children and families through World Vision and other ministries of faith-based compassion."


I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Works for Me!

WOW Wendy’s is offering a FREE Artisan Egg Sandwich with any purchase! So purchase a coffee for under $1.00 and get a sandwich free, breakfast for a dollar…you can’t beat that!

To get your free sandwich click HERE and click on the Wendy’s ad at the top. You may need to refresh to see it!

My week in a nutshell...

Sharing five high-lights from my week with you and the meme at Living To Tell the Story.

1. We started school this week. Ash in 2nd grade and Logan in pre-k. I have to be honest, I stressed and almost dreaded this first week. But it has gone sooo good! Our schedule flowed. Kids have actually been getting along so much better this week. Less squabbles, less talking back. More obedience. And its been fun! For all of us :)


2. I went to our first fall steering team meeting for MOPS. (mothers of preschoolers). Had such a good time planning September's meetings. Really looking fwd to MOPS starting next week and expecting God to meet a lot of moms there.


3. The new Jeremy Camp worship cd. Need I say more?!


4. Got to see my latest "secret project" come together and it looks SO good. I can hardly wait to reveal it to you :)


5. Also, had another freelance writing job open up. Its a one time project, but a very cool one. Will be reading the galley for a new christian novel coming out, by a best-selling author. Then writing the discussion questions for the book.

Perfectly Iced Coffee

Finally, I discovered the secret to the perfect cup of iced coffee!

It's all in the brew. Cold-brewing coffee grounds produces a smooth and less acidic cup of joe, not to mention cuts out the pouring hot liquid over ice step. This is usually done with a french press, but can also be done in a simpler method, without specialized equipment.

If you are an iced coffee drinker, the difference between cold-brewing it and just letting hot coffee cool off is remarkable.

What you need to do is fill a glass jar, (a clean recycled spaghetti sauce jar works great) with a mixture of cold water and med-course ground coffee. I use one rounded coffee scoop to a whole jar of water. Stir this mixture up and let it set overnight.

In the morning, strain through a filter or cheesecloth. This yields a more caffeinated brew and apparently is easier to guzzle down because of the lower acidity. Try diluting it with some water or milk, or beware of the caffeine jitter fest. I fill my cup about half full of the coffee, add a tsp of sugar and top it off the rest of the way with milk.

For my ice cubes, I fill a couple ice cube trays with this mixture, freeze, and then store them in a ziploc bag in the freezer. That keeps my melting ice from diluting my drink.

You can also throw this mixture in the blender with extra ice and make a blended drink!

Also good to know, this concentrated brew can be kept in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks.