Menu Plan - Week of June 27

Hot, Hot, Hot!!! The local temperature hit 101 on Thursday, 100 % humidity. Too hot to even grill some nights. In light of the blazing heat, I am planning simpler meals and will build in several nights to use up leftovers. I am also trying to use up what we have on hand in an effort to NOT visit the grocery again this month ... we'll see! I'll be posting soon about our plans for the coming week. Free movies, parks, pools, and maybe a live baby crocodile are on the agenda!

Sunday: DH is playing in the praise band at church and has a Deacon meeting. We'll have a big lunch and then light dinner.
Overnight Coffee Cake and bacon
40 Clove Garlic Chicken with carrots and mashed potatoes
Grilled cheese sandwiches with pretzels and yogurt for dinner

Weeknight Dinners:

• Beef Machaca on corn tortillas with homemade guacamole, cheese, lettuce, etc. (I'll use the leftover meat to make Beef Taquitos to put in the freezer for easy lunches)
  
• Chicken Salad: leftover chicken from Sunday over green salad with all the fixings
• Spaghetti with homemade sauce and Italian Cheese Bread
• Pizza night with green salad (I have tried time and again to make my own pizza with no luck. We buy ours at a local store for about 7.00 for a huge pizza that leaves enough for lunch the next day)

Breakfast, Freezer, Snacks:

• Peanut Butter Banana Smoothies
• Whole Wheat Cinnamon Waffles with Mamma Callie's Syrup (I plan to make a double batch of both waffles and syrup. I'll probably make them one afternoon and then re-heat in the morning.)
• Chewy Granola Bars - have I mentioned lately that little man can eat a whole batch of these in 3 days?? He LOVES them! I do modify a little bit - I'll post the recipe later this week.

Have a blessed week in your homes!!

Pocket Full of Ideas

I am finding, this being our 3rd summer home full time, that there are certain activities readily available, relatively inexpensive, and fairly consistent in schedule. I want to share with you some of our standard weekly activities that will speckle our summer schedule. Checkout the links too - many are nationwide!

Free Kid's Movies!!
Family Film Festival at Regal Entertainment Group

Free Bowling!!
Kids Bowl Free

Letterboxing or Geocaching!!
Letterboxing
Geocaching

Day Trips!!
We live smack in the middle of a state rich with amazing opportunities - sand, surf, the Smoky Mountains, military bases, wetlands, marshes, lakes, rivers, fishing piers, boat landings, and on, an don, and on!!! I am confident your state provides just as many opportunities for free family fun. Start with your local county Parks & Recreation Department. Then, move on to the major cities and their local chamber of Commerce sites.

Google is your friend, moms!!! Type in what you want, what you dream, what you wish for ... and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised that someone has developed a day camp emphasizing the skills your little one needs to have fine-tuned. I would love for you to share what you are doing this summer!

Changing Things Up ...

Summer is in full swing at our house and that means 2 major changes ... home full time with little man and using the grill almost every night for dinner. I am going to try something new over the next few months. I want to share not only what we eat, but how we spend our time. I don't have any delusions that my ideas will be earth-shattering or really even all that creative. But, what I share will be real - the successes and failures. I am praying to have many of each. I hope you'll join me to celebrate the fun days of summer! First post coming tomorrow!!

Menu Plan - Week of June 6

Is it that time again, already?? I vowed to do better this summer staying on a plan and have failed woefully. Try, and try again, right?

We have a fun week planned here. I am praying that the Lord gives us the motivation and momentum to tackle all the opportunities presented in the next 7 days. I find it so easy to open up my planner and write down commitments without consulting Him first. I am being convicted daily by the words of King Solomon "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21.

And yet, here I am - making another plan! This time revolving around food. We have to eat though. And I am happier and more confident knowing we have options close at hand without running to the grocery every day for some obscure, one time use ingredient.

Weeknight Dinners:

• Grilled salmon, green salad, and pasta with homemade pesto sauce
  
• Teriyaki chicken and pineapple in the slow cooker with rice and broccoli
• Italian sausage with peppers and onions on hoagie rolls
• Pizza with green salad or Chinese take out
  
• C.O.R.N. (clean out refrigerator night)

Snacks, Breakfast:

• Chewy Granola Bars
• Lemon Cake (my mom's recipe and a summertime favorite in our home)
• Whole Wheat Cinnamon Waffles (double batch and flash freeze - so yummy!)
  

Have a blessed week in your homes!!!