Menu Plan for the Week of April 17th

Last year's Easter picture: Lacey, Ellie, Robbie, and Kate. This year we'll have Cora and Holly, too!

I am so grateful that I don't have to fix a big Easter dinner for everyone. Not yet at least. Instead, we will be enjoying lunch at my parents' next Sunday after an action-packed weekend of egg hunts, weddings, and lots of food! I'm looking forward to some time with family, especially people we only see at major holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Breakfast

Oats with peanut butter
Cinnamon toast with oranges
Cereal with strawberries and bananas
Breakfast burritos
Fried eggs and toast

Lunch

Black bean burritos with pineapple
Tuna sandwiches with carrots
Nachos
BLTs
Leftovers

Dinner

Sunday: Visiting Granny and Pop Pop (eat out)

Monday: Breakfast for Supper [Spinach & mushroom frittata, bacon, cheese grits, and biscuits with jam]

Tuesday: Spaghetti with homemade meat sauce, salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing, and rolls

Wednesday: Pinto beans, corn on the cob, and cornbread

Thursday: Mahi-mahi fish tacos with refried black beans, Spanish rice, and fresh salsa

Friday: Easter / Birthday Dinner for Jeff (Daniel’s brother) at the in-law’s

Saturday: Easter lunch at Mema Jean’s and then a wedding

Our Easter Project

Creativity is NOT my strong suit. When I have to be creative, I call my mom or an elementary teacher friend for help. But thanks to the internet I don't have to look far for ideas to keep my two-year-old actively engaged in something besides picking her nose. So, when I came across this kid-friendly Easter project that involved glue sticks and multicolored tissue paper, I knew Kate would LOVE it.

All you need is a piece of cardboard, glue, tissue paper cut into different size pieces, and scissors. Simply glue the tissue paper pieces all over the cardboard. (On her site Jennwa uses a mixture of water and glue to paint over her completed cardboard, but I didn't have any regular glue.) Then, cut into whatever shapes you want. Like Jennwa, I went for the Easter egg and cross. And Kate chose to hang our finished products from our dining room chandelier. Rather pretty I think.

What I also liked about this art project was that it gave me a chance to discuss with Kate what Easter is really about: the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Pinecone Bird Feeder: A Fun Toddler Project & A Walk Down Memory Lane

Every Sunday I plan the week's activities. This is a must-do with an energetic toddler...at least it is for me. If I don't have plans in place, I find she watches a lot of TV and pretty much drives me crazy all day long. But we have a limited budget, so the activities must be free or pretty cheap. So, after working in the garden this morning, I found we still had some time to spare before lunch and nap time (Cora took an exceptionally long nap this morning) and I began to panic. Then, I saw the pine cones. Kate had found them in the yard this past winter and we'd put them on her bookcase in her room. So when I saw them my mind went back several eons to elementary school when we made bird feeders with pine cones, peanut butter and birdseed. Do you remember doing this in school? I wonder if they still do it.

Of course Kate was thrilled at the prospect of feeding the birds, so we set to work. I didn't have any birdseed so we used oats instead. Kate really just enjoyed eating the peanut butter out of the jar.



After gathering the peanut butter, some oats, and tying some kitchen twine around the pine cone, I proceeded to slather peanut butter all over the pine cone--top and bottom, inside and out. Kate helped a little with this but preferred eating the peanut butter.





Then, we rolled the peanut butter-covered pine cone in the bowl of oats until it was completely covered. So easy a 2-year-old can do it. Although it was a bit messy.



Then, we went outside and hung our beautiful pine cone in the tulip poplar tree in the front yard.



Now Kate and I are both watching diligently for a bird to land on our pine cone. As we went back in the house, my little innocent child was calling, "Here birdie, birdie, birdie..."

A fun, quick, and easy activity that anyone can do and that will keep Mama from resorting to Dora or Mickey Mouse.

MODIFIED Menu Plan for the Week of April 10th

MODIFICATION: So, after reading the recipe for the Goulash over Smashed Red Potatoes, I decided this did not sound very appetizing to me. I like the goulash my mom used to make: with okra and all kinds of vegetables. So, the Latina half of me opted for Beefy Bean Burritos with homemade salsa. We're still using the ground beef that defrosted in the fridge, just in a slightly different way!

Also, when Kate and I were working in the garden this morning, we discovered enough kale to fill a gallon-sized plastic bag. So, we will be having some on Wednesday with our beans. Yum!

I'm home with a sick baby this morning so decided to post our menu plan for the week. I also decided to add breakfast and lunch as well as snacks too. I'm always looking for fresh ideas, especially for lunches and snacks, so feel free to comment and let me know what you serve your kiddos throughout the day.

Breakfast

Oats with blackberries and blueberries
Cinnamon toast with oranges
Breakfast burritos
Eggs and toast
Cereal with bananas

Lunch

Ham sandwiches and fruit
Black bean and cheese quesadillas
Pizza bread and yogurt
Leftovers

Snacks

Granola bars
Yogurt
Fruits & Veggies (I'm lovin' the organic carrots at Kroger...so sweet!...Kate even eats them.)
Cheese & crackers

Dinner

Sunday: Roasted garlic chicken, potato salad, baked beans, biscuits & cantaloupe

Monday: Goulash on smashed red potatoes with sautéed zucchini

Tuesday: Bowtie pasta with chicken sausage and steamed green beans

Wednesday: Northern (white) beans with smoked sausage and corn cakes

Thursday: Chicken and dressing with roasted corn on the cob and broccoli

Friday: Pizza Night!!

Saturday: Leftovers

Finer Things Fridays: More Blessings Than I Deserve

And the beat goes on! I love thinking about what I have done this week and praising God for His great blessings in my life. It puts my trials into perspective and reminds me of how much He loves me!

(25) Daniel's 33rd Birthday! What a blessing to have someone in my life who knows how to make me laugh when I desperately need it and keeps me balanced. Plus, CAKE! I made a Boston Cream Pie in celebration.

(26) Cora sleeping through the night for an entire week and both of us getting much-needed rest

(27) Watching Kate share her toy phone with Cora who only wants to chew on it

(28) Seeing the look on Cora's face--her eyes lighting up and grinning from ear to ear--when Kate comes to play with her

(29) Finding tiny lettuce shoots coming up in the garden and knowing it won't be long before we can eat fresh organic greens

(30) Having time to read a lengthy book but also realizing what a literary snob I am

(31) Laughing as Kate dons her orange Home Depot apron and "Olympic" gold medal on our trip to the library and realizing how innocent and cute she is but also, more importantly, that it isn't worth the battle to make her take them off

(32) Having the energy to do some much-needed spring cleaning including washing curtains and rugs--Thank You, God, for the sunshine!

(33) Learning how important it is to LISTEN to God instead of TELLING Him what I need and want

(34) My wonderful parents and their love of serving others and how they have so richly blessed me in their influence

(35) A patient and compassionate Father who never gives up on me!!

A Prayer Request

I'm one of those people who is never happy. Ask my husband and he will quickly agree. I am always wanting more. Not more stuff necessarily but to be more, to do more, to excel. I have always been this way. When I was in school, I worked hard to be in the top of my class. When I got my first job as a paralegal, I couldn't just be a paralegal: I had to take classes at the university and even study and pass the paralegal certification test. When I first started couponing, I couldn't just clip the newspaper coupons: I had to make a price book, pore over all the ads, run to all the stores and get the best deals, and stockpile like there was no tomorrow.

I take pride in my ambition because it opens up new opportunities for me. However, it is also Satan's way of worming into my heart and mind and making me constantly question who I am and what I'm doing. I can't sit still. I have a hard time relaxing and just being because there is always more to do.

My heart is heavy right now because I know God's plan for me is to raise my girls and love and support my husband, and yet I want to do more, to be more. For a while now, I have felt a burden on me to serve others. And while I'm not a great cook like my mom, I do enjoy preparing food for others. There's just something about the feeling you get when you know you have lightened someone's load. When you know that food was the last thing on that person's mind because they have lost a loved one or are taking care of a sick child or a new baby.

I know that God is glorified when we serve others, and I want to serve Him as He has so richly blessed me. My prayer request this week and for the weeks and months to come is for wisdom to see what God wants me to do and for courage and strength to carry out His will. Help me, Lord, to see the opportunities You lay before me to serve Your people that You may be glorified.

If you are a praying person, please pray for me like Paul did for the church at Colosse:

"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding" (Colossians 1:9).

Menu Plan for the Week of April 3rd

Tomorrow, April 3rd, is Daniel's birthday. The big 3-3! We're actually going to my parents' house for his birthday dinner after the girls get up from their naps, so my plan is to have my b-day meal for him on Monday since we won't be home until tomorrow afternoon.

Here is my menu plan for the week:

Sunday: Mom's home cooking! Yea, I don't have to cook!!

Monday: Rib-eyes, mac and cheese, green beans, and a special birthday cake

Tuesday: Breakfast for supper (sausage, eggs, fried taters, biscuits and homemade strawberry jam that I made last week)

Wednesday: Black bean tostadas with fresh salsa

Thursday: Chicken Parmesan on whole wheat linguine with steamed broccoli

Friday: Pizza Night!!

Saturday: Leftovers