Meal Plan Monday...Even Though It's Tuesday

I am a little late on this weeks menu because I was enjoying celebrating the Fourth of July with my family too much to blog!

Here is the menu for this week:

Tuesday: Grilled hamburgers for the adults and grilled chicken tenderloins for the children (usually I don't make separate meals, but I don't want my daughter eating beef that is not raised as corn fed) and grilled asparagus

Wednesday: Slow Roasted Turkey Breast and mashed cauliflower

Thursday: *Cream of Lentil Soup with Chorizo Croutes

Friday: Brenner (Breakfast for Dinner)

Saturday: *Turkey Veggie Meal Loaf Cups and roasted carrots

Sunday: *Rosemary Roasted Pork Tenderloin and spinach salad

I hope you all have a wonderful short week!

*Indicates new recipes

Goodwill, the thrill of the hunt!

OK, so you may not know this about me, but I am a Goodwill junky! Since high school, I have loved roaming through antique, thrift and Goodwill Stores in pursuit of my next little treasure.

I have recently discovered several fabulous local Goodwill Stores, and as of this past May, St. Louis has opened up a (insert drum roll here)...Goodwill Outlet! The Outlet is a warehouse with large bins filled all kinds of goodies and every twenty minutes they bring out new bins. YEAH for me!

Recently while reading several money saving and thrifting blogs, I came across a wreath that a fellow blogger had just picked up from her local Goodwill Store. The wreath had some broken wooden petals, but nothing a glue gun couldn't fix. I thought to myself, I never find anything that cute! Well low and behold, I was recently in my local Goodwill and walked by the SAME wreath. It is a wreath that Target is currently selling, but because it also had a broken wooden petal, it was sent to Goodwill.

I said a big HELLO my new little wreath friend, snatched it up and brought it home. I got out my glue gun, fixed the broken piece and hung it up over the mantel.

Can you say...WINNER?

I also found this cutesy little milk glass soap pump that goes perfectly by the kitchen sink. Huge fan of milk glass!

So, for the last two years I have been wanting a table and chair set for the kiddos play room. However, I hadn't found a set that I could live with, without paying mucho dinero. I saw this little set for only a few dollars at The Goodwill. It now has a lovely home in the play room. I loved how my kids squealed with delight upon seeing it! But I also love the fact I didn't pay more than a few dollars for the whole set. SCORE!

I love the moto of The Duggar Family, "Buy used save the difference". I am all about that, but to be honest, for me, it's more about the thrill of the hunt.

Meal Plan Monday

I have wanting to blog, but the time has just gotten away from me lately. I have just been enjoying my little family too much to take the time and blog. I am having so much fun with our newest little addition. She is so amazing. I am blessed with a little angel that just smiles and coos. She sleeps through the night and everyone in our family is just enamoured with her. Sissyboo and Double D can't seem to keep their little lips off of her and neither can I!

Hopefully this week, I can show you pictures of the kids, our garden and my newest Goodwill finds!

Here is our menu for this week.

Monday: Pad Thai Chicken

Tuesday: Creamy Garlic Penne

Wednesday: Oven baked BBQ Chicken

Thursday: Grilled Shrimp Scampi

Friday: Simply Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada's

Saturday: Baked Ham and Swiss Sandwiches

Sunday: Grilled Ribeyes with asparagus

In the Garden

I started my garden just a little over a month ago now. I have been hearing how great and wonderful pole green beans are, so I decided to grow some this year. I had read about a green bean tepee on many on-line blogs and thought it would be cute for my little ones if we had one as well. There were suppose to be more poles on the tepee but every time my hubby put one in the ground it would break due to his brute strength! Ha ha. So we were left with only three poles.

In this first garden, I planted green beans and acorn squash to the right of the tepee.

In the second garden there are plum and cherry tomatoes and one eggplant. When I was shopping for plants, Sissyboo put the eggplant in my cart, so I had to buy it and bring it home and plant it for her. So, now that little eggplant is all hers.


Here is my little garden as of yesterday. The tomatoes are coming in nicely and I will put them in cages this weekend.

The most fun of all has been watching my green beans reach to the top of the tepee! Every morning we would look out and the plant would reach a little higher. I am only sorry that the poles are not taller. I think they would reach heaven if we had a long enough pole.

Thank you for visiting my little garden with me.

Bloom Where You Are Planted Wednesday

If you don't know how much I love living where I do, I do (besides not living close to my family)! Living near a big city like St. Louis does have it's advantages. Like spending a Saturday morning at one of my favorite St. Louis havens, the Soulard Market.



The Soulard Farmer’s Market has been in operation since 1779. Shopping at the market is an institution for many St. Louisians. Where else can you shop for fresh produce, elk, free range chickens, herbs and spices while sipping a Bloody Mary?

On most Saturdays from April until the Fall, the market takes on a fair like atmosphere with enormous crowds packing the market, street musicians playing jazz, and vendors trying to sell their wares.



A visit to the Soulard Market is a wonderful way to start the weekend.

Menu Plan Monday

I have been really bad about blogging lately. Maybe it has something to do with having two toddlers and a newborn. Maybe that's it! Yes, I think that is it!

I am hoping to have some time this week to share a few things that are going on with around here. Here is my menu for this week.

Monday: Brenner (Breakfast for dinner)

Tuesday: Pasta and a salad

Wednesday: Cobb Salad with Grilled Chicken and Homemade Ranch Dressing

Thursday: Grilled Turkey Burgers with Mexican Street Corn

Friday: Beef (grass fed beef) Chalupas with Chips and Guacamole

Saturday: Grilled Chile Lime Shrimp with Corn Salsa

Sunday: Taco Soup (use ground turkey instead of beef)plus this makes extra to put in the freezer

Have a wonderful week!

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

I made these for an after dinner treat this week and it was a huge hit with the family.

Ingredients:
20 whole large strawberries, hulled
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup confectioners' powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
2/3 cup chopped pecans or crushed graham cracker (if using graham crackers, crush up and put a few crumbs and place in the bottom of the strawberry then add the cream cheese filling. It looks better that way then to have a bunch of crumbs on top of the strawberry).

Directions:
Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each strawberry so the berries stand upright. Place berries, cut side down, on a serving platter. Carefully cut the berries into 4 wedges, cutting almost to, but not through, the bottoms with a criss-cross cut. Fan wedges just slightly, taking care not to break them. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until combined but still stiff. Using a teaspoon or pastry bag with decorative tip, fill the strawberries with the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle chopped pecans on top of the stuffed strawberries. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

This recipe and the picture were adapted from FoodNetwork.com.

Community Helpings Co-Op

Over the past few months My Sweetie and I have been discussing joining a produce co-op. To feed our family with the freshest food available was our main reason that began our search to find a local co-op.

We were thrilled to find that the St. Louis Area Community Helpings Co-Op was right down the road from us.

This week we just ordered the typical fruit and veggie box that is pictured above. However, next time we will be ordering fresh eggs and other fresh food available.

If you live in the St. Louis area, click on the link above and check it out! The best part of being a part of the co-op is you never know what is going to be in fruit and veggie box from one week to the next. This week I was surprised to find little wonderful apricots! How fun!!

Meal Plan Monday

Good Monday Morning. I took a small break from blogging to tend to my sick little family. Our house should have been quarantined for at least a week. This weekend I started sanitizing everything so the sickness wouldn't continue to spread! Today's big chore will be to sanitize all the toys in the house. Oh the fun and joys of being a Mommy. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Here is the menu for this week:

Monday: Turkey Burgers on the grill with a chickpea salad with lemon and Parmesan

Tuesday: Tomato Bisque and Toasted Cheese

Wednesday: Beef Roast with Iceberg Wedges with Tomato Vinaigrette

Thursday: Turkey Legs and White Bean Mash

Friday: Macho Nachos

Saturday: Dinner out to celebrate my anniversary

Sunday: One-Pan Sage-and-Onion Chicken and Sausage

My Extreme Couponing

Here is the number one reason why I like to use coupons:



Everything I purchased in the above picture was FREE! You read that right, FREE!

Recently Similac had a $5.00 off any formula coupon. So I used several coupon clipper sites and ordered quite a few of these coupons.

The coupon was for $5.00 and the formula Missymoo uses only cost $3.84. Meaning Wal-Mart pays me to take it off the shelves! So that I don't get cash back, I used the remainder of the balance to purchase other items I need.

I also had a free coupon for the coffee creamer!

There is nothing like walking out the door and not having to pay anything for two cart fulls! LOVE IT!

What the Lady Loves this Wednesday

Years ago, the best cook in my church came up to me and handed me a knife. I thought to myself, well this is a strange gift. But then she went on to tell me that this is the best knife she ever used and that I would have to give it a try. I thought well if it is good enough for this fabulous cook, I should give it a try.

Nowadays, if there is one thing in my kitchen that I can not live without, it is my Rada Paring Knife. I use it for everything, everyday. So when several weeks ago my knife went missing, (I assume it is in the trash after I cut up oranges) I felt almost helpless in the kitchen. This knife is so easy to use, so light weight and do I dare, say a joy to use.

Not only is is light weight, super sharp the best part is, it is extremely inexpensive. At $5.10 per knife, I have now stocked up on several.

So if you are looking for a good everyday knife check out Rada Cutlery. I even have my Mom hooked on them.

Toddler Tuesday: Peanut Butter Play Dough

In my home, my kids love play dough. The problem however, is Double D always eats it! There is nothing I hate worse then looking over at him with a big mouthful of green play dough. While I know all kids eat it, I wanted to make my own edible play dough. This way it wouldn't hurt them if they took a bite or two or in Double D's case a handful.

Here is a recipe I found for peanut butter play dough:

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
2 cups powdered sugar

Mix together and let them have at it!



The play dough looks sticky and gooey, but it doesn't stick to anything.


Here is Double D, doing what he does best! Eating the play dough!

Meal Plan Monday

(This is one of the gorgeous tulips I purchased for my Easter table centerpiece.)

What a wonderful warm and sunny weekend we have had here in the St. Louis area. We were finally able to get out doors and work in the yard and gardens. I was able to plant my tomato plants and one rogue eggplant. Sissyboo was helping me pick out vegetables at our local nursery and she put an eggplant plant in my cart. So in the midst of quite a few tomatoes will grow one lonely eggplant.

My Sweetie picked the entire menu this week which includes some of his favorite meals.

Monday: Cream of Chicken Soup

Tuesday: Breakfast for Dinner which includes Ham, Eggs and Biscuits with hollandaise

Wednesday: Chipotle Tamale Pie

Thursday: Oven Roasted Chicken Wings

Friday: Cobb Salad with homemade Ranch Dressing

Saturday: P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps

Sunday: Beef Mushroom and Onion Tart

Have a glorious week.

Will You Be Watching?

I have to admit that I am a little bit obsessed with the Royal Wedding taking place tomorrow. My husband just rolls his eyes at me when I say that I am going to get up at 3 in the morning to watch, but I just can not help myself.

Maybe it's my love for all things English (my Great Grandmother Elsie Attwood came to America from England to be a governess in 1906). Maybe it's my love for fairy tales and princess. Maybe it's my love for hats and formal wear. I am not sure exactly what it is, just know that at 3 am tomorrow morning, I will be sitting on my couch with a hot cup of tea (with my tea cup made in England of course) watching the ceremony.

Will you be watching?

Meal Plan Monday: April 25, 2011

Wow, it has done nothing but rain lately. Taking a look at this weeks forcast doesn't show any improvement either. While I am dying to get my hands in the garden and start my spring planting, I long to have my kids playing outside more. It has been a long winter and the kids need to be outside as much as possible.

Here is this weeks menu. Most of this menu is gluten-free as I am trying to stay away from gluten as much as possible these days.

Have a joyous week friends.

Monday: Bourbon Chicken

Tuesday: Ham and Bean Soup

Wednesday: Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Potatoes and Salad

Thursday: Baked Potato Bar with a Spring Salad any my favorite Balsamic Vinaigrette

Friday: Chicken Lime Taco's

Saturday: Spanish Chicken with Chorizo and Potatoes

Sunday: Oven Roasted Beef, Corn on the Cob and Roasted Tomatoes

Oops ...I forgot to post this last week!

Toddler Tuesday: Shaving Cream Painting

I have been wanting to try this project out for years but never had the right materials on hand. So with Easter upon us, I ran out and purchased the supplies to make Easter Egg cards for family.

The project is simple, but very messy. We first started by spraying a cookie sheet with sensitive shaving lotion. Next we dropped globs of acrylic paint onto the shaving lotion.

I then had the little ones mix it up using their hands.
Notice Double D used more then just his hands. He also mixed the paint with his face and hair and what ever body part was available.

Then we dipped card stock that I had cut in egg shapes into the shaving cream and paint mix. After that was complete, I used a squeegee and scraped off all the shaving cream and paint mix to reveal a beautiful mix of colors and textures.

Here are all the egg cards hanging in a row to dry. I think they turned out rather nice. It was a fun project, but VERY messy. As soon as we were finished I stripped down Double D and stuck him in our dump sink to be hosed down.

I hope everyone enjoys these cards as much as we enjoyed making them.

Meal Plan Monday

Well, here it is Tuesday again, and I am just blogging about my Monday meal plan. It seems like my Monday's are always so busy. I usually clean house during the day on Monday and finish up the laundry. Then the afternoon is spent meal planning, couponing and preparing my grocery list for my trip to the grocery stores on Monday evening after the kids go to bed. So blogging is usually the last thing on my mind.

This week we have a lot of things planned this week. Shaving cream finger painting with the kids, coloring Easter eggs, trips to the park, preparing for Easter during this Holy Week and celebrating my 37th birthday which includes a date night with My Sweetie.

Here is the menu for this week:

Monday: Brenner (Breakfast for dinner) waffles and turkey bacon

Tuesday: Cobb Salad with Homemade Ranch Dressing

Wednesday: Dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and then going to Busch Stadium to watch a Cardinals game

Thursday: Bowtie Lasagna

Friday: Brats and sauerkraut

Saturday: Bourbon Chicken

Easter Sunday: Meal Plan to come



As we prepare for Holy Week, I would like to leave you with this prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ,
in this sacred and solemn week
when we see again
the depth and mystery of your redeeming love,
help us to follow where you go,
to stop where you stumble,
to listen when you cry,
to hurt as you suffer,
to bow our heads in sorrow as you die,
so that, when you are raised to life again,
we may share in your endless joy. Amen

What the Lady Loves Wednesday

After a long and freezing winter, warmer weather is starting to make an appearance here in the St. Louis area. Along with warmer weather comes the thoughts of summer clothes and sandals. Oh how this girl loves her sandals.

After wearing socks and boots for the last few months, it's time to break out those piggers and get them buffed and polished and ready to wear sandals (I always have my toes painted but in the winter, I usually wear a dark color nail polish). For me, heading out to the salon every couple of weeks to get a pedicure is kind of out of the question, so I found a great little tool to do my own french tip pedicure. I love the lighter colors which are perfect for spring and summer.

Sally Hansen makes a French Manicure White Tip Pen that makes doing your own mani or pedi quick and simple. Just use the pen and paint on a white tip on your toes or fingernails and then top with a light pink coat of nail polish. Easy peasy!



Now everyone can have that fresh out of the salon look, right from home.

Toddler Tuesday: Homemade Finger Paints

What is there to do on a rainy day with two toddlers? Whip up some homemade finger paints of course!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp. liquid detergent
Food coloring or powdered tempera paint

1 Combine flour, water and detergent in a mixing bowl.

2 Stir until the mixture reaches a paste-like consistency.

3 Divide the mixture into several bowls and add different colors of food coloring or powdered tempura paint to each bowl. Alternatively, blend the color into the paste as you paint with it.

4 Experiment with different types of paper.








Because of the detergent that is incorporated in the mix, it makes for an easy clean up.

Meal Plan Monday

Good Morning! Even though it's Tuesday, I still want to post my meal plan for this week. If for nothing else, to retain the new recipe I am using.

My hubby and I are quite taken with the chef Nigella Lawson and have incorporated one of her *recipes in this weeks menu. So far, every recipe of Nigella's that I have prepared has been amazing!

Monday: Roast Chicken and Pasta Con Broccoli

Tuesday: Cream of Chicken Soup (using leftover chicken)

Wednesday: Grilled Hamburgers and grilled asparagus

Thursday: Roasted Scallops with lemon and thyme

Friday: *Crunchy Pork Chops with Garlicky Spinach and Tomato Salad

Saturday: Black Bean Soup