to work with my own hands . . . (I Thessalonians 4:11)

Menu Plan Monday

• chicken breasts & potatoes
  
• taco salad
• spaghetti
• rice w/peas & mushrooms
• black bean tostadas
• vegetable soup

Fall Cleaning

An Autumnal Tea

~The Guests of Honour~

 six of my seven children

 ~On the Menu~

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Cake

Gala Apple Slices

Popped Corn

Assorted Tea Choices

 ~For Our Listening Pleasure~

 Autumn

from

The Four Seasons

by

Vivaldi

~A Craft~

decorating mini pumpkins

Autumn Master Supper Menu

Sundays

~salad/sandwich/soup combo

Weekdays choose one from each category

• ground turkey dish
  • stroganoff
  • tacos
  • sloppy joes 
  • chili
  • shepherds pie 
  • meatloaf
• meatless pasta dish
  • farfalle w/white beans & tomatoes & veggies(italian or kale or spinach)
  • primavera (penne, rigatoni, or fusilli)
  • orzo w/spinach, sun~dried tomatoes, & pine nuts
  • spaghetti w/pesto
• chicken dish
  • w/rice
    • creamy w/mushrooms & celery
    • tex~mex style
    • saffron w/pine nuts(or almonds) & golden raisins
  • w/noodles & veggies in creamy sauce
  • baked w/rosemary potatoes & carrots
  • pot pie
  • cacciatore
  • sauteed w/artichokes, olives, & tomatoes
• meatless
  • stir fry (w/ or w/out tofu)
  • blackeyed peas & cornbread
  • spanish rice & beans
  • black bean & corn tostadas
• salmon/tuna dish
  • salmon patties
  • salmon fillets w/rice or potatoes
  • salmon w/orza & spinach
  • tuna toasts
  • tuna tetrazzini
  • tuna mac

Saturdays

• pizza
• baked potatoes w/various toppings
• grill out
• ?

today is:

• Tasha Tudor Remembrance Day

• 17 weeks until CHRISTmas Day

start working on my gift list

• Thankful Thursday

Dear Father in Heaven,

I have so much to be grateful for.

I thank You that my family is safe and healthy and whole, and I ask You to help me to remember what a precious gift from You they are, and to treasure each and every moment I have with them.

I thank you for my home, and I ask You to help me to be a better steward of that which you have provided.

I thank You for my life and this day which You have made, and I ask You to help me to rejoice and be glad in it.

• The day my husband and three of my children (14yod, 12yod, and 10yos) travel to Saltillo, Mexico on a mission trip. 

Praying...

for this family.

Dear God,

Please comfort them and give them the peace that only You can.

Menu Plan Monday

This week's suppers include:

• chicken pie
• sloppy joes
• rice and salmon
• potatoes & toppings
• bean casserole
• chicken and noodles
• tacos

You can find more menus plans here, or add your own.

Menu Plan Monday

Here are the main dishes for this week.  I will fill in with veggies or salad day-to-day.

• chili~mac
• fajita chicken & rice
• beans & cornbread
• chicken nuggets and potatoes
• salmon patties
• make your own pizza

You can find more menus plans here, or add your own.

Menu Plan Monday

View More Menu Plan Monday Participants here.  Thank you, Laura, for hosting.

Wednesday is my oldest daughter's 18th birthday, so dinner that night will be her choice!  Other than that I have simple supper plans this week as I will be doing some major decluttering:

• chicken nuggets, potatoes, broccoli
• soft tacos, salad
• spaghetti or stroganhoff, green beans
• beans & rice, salad
• chicken, corn, zucchini on the grill
• pasta salad

Friday's Frugal Find

Today is payday, but the money isn't in my spending account yet.  We also have two young guests at our house today, so I was trying to figure out what to do for lunch.  I remembered that I had a stuff*mart shopping card with 20-something dollars on it, and I was going right by there after picking up one of my daughters from a babysitting job.  My 10yo son went in with me and we wandered around a bit while discussing what we should buy.  Finally, we ended up in the frozen foods, and we picked up two lean pocket value packs, figuring that those would work not only for today's lunch but throughout the weekend when everybody is coming and going.  These were just under ten dollars each. Now we just needed to get something that my deathly-dairy-and-egg-allergic younger son could have.  We couldn't find the beef-and-bean burritos or the chicken taquitos; then we saw the chicken nuggets.  The first brand we checked contained milk products; the second contained milk and egg (sigh).  We turned a corner and saw the Banquet brand.  I knew these were safe.  I checked the price displayed: $3.98; I was sure that I had at least that much more on my card.  We went to the self checkout, and started scanning.  The 28.8oz. bag of nuggets rang up at $1!  I checked my receipt; it wasn't a mistake.  I then had seven dollars left on my card, so my son and I darted back to the frozen section and grabbed seven more bags.

I know that these are not the healthist choices, but weekends are very difficult to cook for.  I figure that having chicken nuggets for one meal a week over the next two months isn't too terrible, and at this price it is certainly is a blessing.

Thank you, LORD for daily bread!

Decluttering Challenge Update

Well, I took up Rashel's decluttering challenge one week ago.  How am I doing?  Unfortuately, not very well.  Thusfar I have decluttered...

nothing. 

But I am not giving up.  We are on a two-week break from our academic studies starting tomorrow, so while my kids are sleeping in, playing video games, and reading just for fun, I hope plan to do some major decluttering.

I am working on that plan now, and I will post it here tonight or tomorrow morning.

Menu Plan Monday

To read more or to join in click here.

I am trying out some recipes this week from Meals For You  website (link on my sidebar):

• chicken with dill & potato salad
  • use more potatoes
  • use less chicken
  • serve with green beans
• smoked turkey (sausage) casserole
  • leave off cheese
  • sub soy sour cream for yogurt & mayo
  • use organic blue corn tortilla chips
  • serve with green salad
• pasta shells with mushrooms & almonds
  • have everything except mushrooms
  • serve with fruit salad
• Egyptian black-eyed pea & spinach salad
  • maybe less lemon juice(?)
  • serve with carrots

and a couple of tried-and-trues for the weekend, probably:

• tacos (a requested repeat from last week)
• home-made pizza

and one more meal to be chosen and prepared by the person-of-the-week.

A Declutter Challenge . . .

is being hosted at Homestead Refuge. 

I need to do this right now; no more procrastinating.

Thank you, Rashel.

note to self...

when pasta salad ~

is what's for supper ~

remember ~

to cook the pasta ~

earlier in the day ~

so that it has time ~

to chill

Menu Plan Monday

• rotini pasta salad w/salmon & green beans
  • have everything I need
• chicken, broccoli, & brown rice casserole
  • have everything I need
• soft tacos
  • have corn tortillas
  • buy ground turkey, lettuce & tomato
• chicken & artichoke pizza
  • make dough in bread machine ~ may need to buy yeast
  • buy mushrooms
• baked potatoes
  • buy potatoes, 1 can of chili, and cheese
• veggie stir-fry w/ramen noodles & edamame
  • have everything I need
• pinto beans & rice & green salad
  • beans have been in pantry for quite a while ~ soak well overnight
  • make salad dressing

This week's shopping list

Money is really tight this week, so I am trying to use what I have and only buy what else is necessary.

• lettuce
• tomato
• mushrooms
• potatoes
• carrots
• apples
• bananas
• oranges
• toasted oats
• corn flakes
• yeast
• 1 flat of ramen
• 1 can of chilli
• frozen burritos
• ground turkey
• cheese
• milk

I am hoping that this will be all I need and that I can get it for under $50.

Meal Planning

Issues:

1. food allergies (no eggs or dairy)
2. money (not very much ;~)
3. time (plan ahead ~ choose meal before lunch & start prep no later than 5:00)
4. shopping (once a week if possible)

Breakfasts:

• cold cereal/granola/oatmeal 

Lunches:

• sandwiches
• flatbread/tortillas w/beans
• ramen (I know it's terrible nutrition, but it's cheap and easy)
• left-overs
• soup
• & raw veg:
  • carrots
  • celery
  • cucumber
  • lettuce/other salad greens
  • tomato

Snacks:

• fruit
  • apples
  • bananas
  • oranges
  • seasonal/on sale
• carb
  • popcorn
  • homemade whole grain muffins
  • homemade whole grain biscuits
  • triscuits
• protein
  • nut butter
  • yogurt
  • cottage cheese
  • cheese sticks
  • hummus
  • nuts/seeds

Suppers:

• protein:
  • beans
  • chicken
  • salmon
  • tuna
  • turkey
• starch:
  • corn
  • pasta
  • potatoes
  • rice
  • sweet potatoes
• vegetable:
  • broccoli
  • chinese cabbage
  • green beans
  • kale
  • mushrooms
  • peas
  • spinach
  • zucchini/yellow squash