Last week was a super fun week with the Springtime Giveaway Carnival. Thanks again to everyone who participated! Hope you won something!!  Be sure to voice your opinion on whether or not we should have a Fall Giveaway Carnival!

This week everything will be back to normal on the blog, with new posts in the Feeding the Family and Women with a Mission series…Gratituesday…and if you’re lucky, I might go random on you. I’ve been feeling like a little randomness lately.

Here’s our menu for this week:

Sunday, May 3
Pumpkin muffins, bananas
Chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, carrots, brownie fudge sundaes (friends came over!)
Leftovers

Monday, May 4
Honey whole wheat bagels, applesauce
Shrimp pasta salad, boiled eggs, apple slices
Deer steak, mashed potatoes and gravy, peas

Tuesday, May 5
Barbara’s puffy pancake, scrambled eggs
Chicken-veggie stir fry
Tuna on toast, fruit salad

Wednesday, May 6
Kefir-fruit smoothies, sourdough biscuits
Grilled cheese sandwiches, strawberry-peach slushies
Easy chicken alfredo, steamed broccoli and carrots

Thursday, May 7 (Field trip day!)
Breakfast cookies on the road
Picnic lunch (Tortilla roll ups, carrots, apples, fruit leather, cookies)
Burger dinner at Elks Lodge (Asa is being honored for a soccer shoot-out he participated in.) (Thanks for dinner, Asa!)

Friday, May 8
Peanut butter honey toast, pears
Homemade pizza pockets, carrot sticks
Sourdough pancakes, turkey sausage

Saturday, May 9 
Fried eggs on toast, oranges
Something beany
Hamburgers on the grill, veggies, creamy cole slaw

What are you eating this week? Join Organizing Junkie for more Menu Plan Mondays!

Well…if I didn’t have ideas for cooking with beans before…I do now! Thank you so much! I can’t wait to start trying some of your recipe suggestions! 

Last week Donna asked if I would show a picture of my lamb chops. Hey…if you want to see my lamb chops…I can show you my lamb chops.

See how cute they are? They are super tiny. 
Six chops fit into my skillet.

I just brown them slowly and sprinkle on some onion salt.
Lamb chops are some of the most delicious things on the planet.

Here’s our menu for the week: 

Sunday, April 26
Applesauce bread, bananas
Potluck – take “angeled eggs“, frosted fudge brownies
Nachos

Monday, April 27
Whole wheat waffles, milk
Salmon patties, strawberry-peach slushies
BBQ chicken, baked beans, creamy cole slaw 

Tuesday, April 28
Scrambled egg sandwiches, clementines
Creamy mac and cheese, steamed carrots
Italian roast wraps, kefir fruit smoothies

Wednesday, April 29
French toast
Popcorn chicken, ranch potato wedges, fresh pineapple
Tuna casserole, peas

Thursday, April 30
Crepes with jelly
Tacos, fruit
Roasted chicken with potatoes and carrots

Friday, May 1
Orange muffins, applesauce
Pizza casserole, tossed salad
Lamb-burgers, homemade onion rings

Saturday, May 2
Peanut butter honey toast, pears
Bean and rice bowls
Steak, baked potatoes, green beans

Be sure to join us this week for the Spring Giveaway Carnival!!!!!  The post will go up at 8:00 CST Monday morning!

And…just so you know, we will still have Gratituesday as normal this week. The only difference is that the Spring Giveaway Carnival Mr. Linky will remain at the top of my blog all week. Please remember to scroll down for the Gratituesday post and for all new posts this week!
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Okay ladies. Your comments on this post had me cracking up ALL weekend long. I never knew so many of you had gas. Or wished you had gas. Or used to have gas. If you didn’t read this post…and read through all of the comments…you HAVE to. I was laughing at the screen everytime I sat down. You guys are great! 

We had SUCH a wonderful weekend working together on our garden!! I’ll tell you more on Gratituesday. 

We’ll be at the soccer field almost every evening this week, as well as Saturday morning. This is such a great time of year! 

Here’s our menu for the week:

Sunday, April 19
Oatmeal, fruit
Grilled chicken sandwiches on homemade buns, baked beans, cream cheese corn, angeled eggs, tossed salad, fudge brownies with frosting (some friends came over and joined us!)
PB&J, apples, milk

Monday, April 20
Puffy Pancakes (new recipe sent to me by Barbara)
Chicken quesadillas, strawberry-peach slushies, creamy cole slaw
BBQ meatballs, cheesy mashed potatoes, green beans

Tuesday, April 21
Baked oatmeal, scrambled eggs, oranges
Shrimp pasta salad, cottage cheese and peaches
Cheesy beef and rice, steamed carrots

Wednesday, April 22
Sweet potato streusel muffins, bananas
Cheeseburger macaroni, peas
Lamb chops, baked potatoes, tossed salad

Thursday, April 23
Honey whole wheat bagels, applesauce
Chicken fajitas, fresh pineapple
Grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, raw veggies

Friday, April 24
Giant breakfast cookies, pears
Bagel pizzas, cantaloupe
Homemade chicken nuggets and fries, carrot sticks

Saturday, April 25
Fried eggs on toast, clementines
Leftovers
Sourdough pancakes, turkey sausage

Here are a few great things going on that you don’t want to miss:

• The Virtual Great American Bake Sale is still going on. Go support this great cause!
• I’ve got a giveaway going on here on my review blog. Don’t miss it!
• Next week (Apr. 27-May 1) is the Springtime Giveaway Carnival. Make your plans now to join the fun!

Hope you’re having a lovely spring! Did you do anything fun or productive this weekend?
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We just arrived home after a weekend trip to Kansas City where our two oldest boys participated in LTC (Leadership Training for Christ). It was SUCH a full weekend, and the boys did great in all their events. We were also blessed to be able to spend two nights and enjoy Easter with our friends in KC. I’ll tell you more about it on Gratituesday! 

Here’s our menu for the week:

Monday, April 13
Whole wheat waffles, milk
Salmon patties, baked beans, strawberry-peach slushies
Shepherd’s pie, tossed salad

Tuesday, April 14
Scrambled eggs, toast, oranges
Sloppy joes, ranch potato wedges, hard boiled eggs, apples
Chicken veggie stir fry, homemade milkshakes

Wednesday, April 15
Breakfast cake
Homemade pizza, fruit salad, banana cake (friends coming for lunch!)
Lamb roast, carrots, potatoes, gravy

Thursday, April 16
Peanut butter honey toast, bananas
Tuna salad on toast, fruit-kefir smoothies
Popcorn chicken, angeled eggs, carrot sticks

Friday, April 17
Homemade whole wheat donuts
Creamy mac and cheese, peas
Taco potatoes, fruit salad

Saturday, April 18
Applesauce bread, clementines
Nachos, pears
Grilled chicken, italian pasta salad, green beans

Look for the new High Five Recipe:  Crispy Cheese Crackers this week! Also, be watching for a great giveaway (product valued at $149!!!).

Hope you had a great Easter weekend! Is it spring at your house yet?
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Soccer season for our boys starts up this week. Malachi is finally “big” enough to play. He’s been waiting his whole life for this moment. :) 

So, here we go. Four boys on four different teams…Matt coaching two of the teams…Evenings and Saturdays full of practices and games…Freezing our tushies off while we jump and cheer and say things like, “No! Go the other way!!”.

I’m mostly looking forward to the season…because it truly is delightful to watch each of the boys play at their different levels. I can’t wait to see Malachi in his uniform, which is surely going to look like a dress on him. 

Oh my word, I hope we have cleats to fit everyone this year. Usually this isn’t a problem because we have had soccer shoes of every brand and size handed down to us. It’s just a matter of finding them all and making sure there is a left shoe to go with the right shoe. Details, details.

This weekend I tried to work ahead in the kitchen so that we’d have some easy meals to pull from before we head off to play soccer. Everyone seems to need to eat before we leave and after we get home from practices and games. 

To make things a little simpler (or whatever), I planned our bigger meals during lunchtime this week, saving our grab and go food for the evenings. At least this way I can try to make sure we get enough veggies in, right?

Sunday, April 5
Honey whole wheat bagels, applesauce
Friends took us out to lunch!
Chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, carrot sticks

Monday, April 6
Simple sourdough pancakes
Oven fried chicken, mashed potato pancakes, peas
Beef and cheese burritoes, apples

Tuesday, April 7
Biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, oranges
Beefy enchilada bake, tossed salad
Homemade pizza pockets, peaches

Wednesday, April 8
Chocolate chip muffins, pears
Lamb chops, baked potatoes, green beans
Baked spaghetti, tossed salad, corn

Thursday, April 9
Fruit-kefir smoothies, granola
BBQ chicken, potato salad, creamy cole slaw
Cheesy quesadillas, carrot sticks, apples

Friday, April 10 – Sunday, April 12
LTC and Easter weekend with friends!!

On the blogging menu for the week:

• I’ll share some simple Easter basket fun (less sugar, less money!)
• Gratituesday (I LOVE reading about what you’re grateful for!)
• Gardening 101:  How to plant potatoes
• Homeschool Hubbub:  Why we chose to homeschool
• I’m taking a break from sharing High Five Recipes so that I can share my Honey Whole Wheat Bagel recipe. High Five Recipes will return next week!

Have any Easter weekend plans?!
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Remember a few weeks ago when I showed you a picture of my frozen chicken and told you about Matt’s reaction to me taking a picture of my chicken? Ah, the life of “the blogger’s husband”. 

Well, today I’ve gotta tell you what my kids have learned by having a blogger for a mom.

Last Wednesday, a friend of ours was coming over for lunch, and since it was her birthday, Justus wanted to make cupcakes. He did it all from start to finish. I figured he was ready to go play after he was done. Instead, he said, “Okay. They’re done. Let me get a picture real quick.”

Apparently, my children think that before we can serve food,
we need to take a picture first. 
I don’t know where they get that idea. :) 

Here’s our menu for the week: 

Sunday, March 29
Cinnamon swirl bread, pears
Roasted chicken with potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions and herbs
Nachos, fruit

Monday, March 30
Whole wheat waffles, milk 
Salmon patties, ranch potato wedges, fresh pineapple
Lasagna casserole, tossed salad, corn

Tuesday, March 31
Cheese omelets, orange slices
Taco potatoes, strawberry-peach slushies
Three cheese chicken pasta, steamed broccoli and carrots

Wednesday, April 1
Baked oatmeal with whipped cream and blueberries
Chicken tostadas, pineapple-orange slushies
Sloppy joes on homemade buns, “angeled” eggs, carrot sticks

Thursday, April 2
Orange muffins, bananas
Grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup
Chicken tortilla soup, tossed salad

Friday, April 3
French toast
Homemade pizza, peaches
Lamb-burgers, homemade french fries, fruit

Saturday, April 4
Giant breakfast cookies
Leftovers
Tacos

Come back for fun recipes, Gratituesday and more Women with a Mission this week!

Have you signed up to win the $25 Gift Certificate yet?

:)
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Visit Organizing Junkie for all kinds of menu planning help!

With the hint of spring in the air…I’m having a very hard time wanting to make soup anymore. (In fact, I’m so excited about gardening and the idea of fresh veggies and trying new things, that last night for dinner I made parsnips AND beets for the same meal. Both of these were new to the kids. It’s a good thing Daddy grilled steak.  The beets were good…but I’ve gotta figure out something else to do with the parsnips.) 

I’m a little bit out of control. I need a little sunshine in my life. I am SO hungry for “summertime” foods like tortilla wraps and salads and cookouts. The next couple of days are supposed to be pretty decent. BUT, later in the week, we may even get snow.  I may need to trade in one of these meals for a big pot of potato soup. I LOVE potato soup. I just don’t want it anymore. I WANT SUNSHINE!!! (Be glad you can’t see me kicking my feet and swinging my arms in the air while I scream that.) 

Here’s my “I Wish It Was Springtime EVERYDAY” menu…

Sunday, March 22
Leftover breakfast cake, fruit
Lamb roast, carrots, potatoes, gravy
Tuna tortillas, “angeled” eggs, fruit salad

Monday, March 23
Whole wheat waffles
Grilled cheese sandwiches, guacamole dip with chips, carrot sticks
Easy chicken alfredo, tossed salad

Tuesday, March 24
Fried eggs on toast, oranges
Popcorn chicken, creamy cole slaw, fruit kabobs
Cheesy beef and rice, green beans

Wednesday, March 25
Apricot breakfast bars, pears
Creamy mac and cheese, steamed carrots
BBQ chicken, ranch potato wedges, peas

Thursday, March 26
Scrambled eggs, turkey sausage
Garlic butter shrimp, stir fried rice and veggies
Meatballs, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli and carrots

Friday, March 27
Applesauce bread, bananas
Pizza casserole, tossed salad
Bean and rice bowls, fresh pineapple

Saturday, March 28
Breakfast burritoes, clementines
Chicken and cheese quesadillas, carrot sticks, strawberry-peach slushies
Fish and chips, tossed salad

On the blogging menu this week:

• High Five Recipe:  Popcorn Chicken
• Basic Organic Gardening Tips
• A little Homeschool Hubbub
• Chatter about why we don’t eat out much
• Gratituesday
• Final week for the little Green Project! Join us Saturday!

And now…since I can’t have all the sunshine I want to have this week…I’m going to go pray for a contented heart. Rejoice in ALL circumstances. I can do that. I can DO that. I CAN….

Thanks for putting up with me. :)
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Last week, when I talked about the meat in my freezer (and showed you the beloved picture of my frozen chicken)…several of you asked to see inside my freezer. Your wish is my command…I opened my freezer….held the door open with my foot….and snapped a shot of it for you. 

See all the great meat in there!? 
Cow, chicken, lamb, deer, ground turkey…and a little fish somewhere in there. 
Oh, and yay…a frozen lasagna I made a week ago to have on hand. 

Several of you have asked if we eat pork since I don’t have it on my menu very often.  We love ham, sausage and bacon…but rarely eat it because it is not as healthy as other meats (according to the Nourishing Traditions book). We consider it a “compromise” food…and you better believe as soon as I get my hands on a fresh tomato…we’ll be having a BLT. :)

You really get to know a girl when she opens her freezer for you, huh? What…now I suppose you’ll want to see inside my sock drawer? How about just a look at our menu for the week?

Sunday, March 15
Oatmeal, fruit
Grilled steak, ranch potato wedges, tossed salad, corn
Hotdog cookout at friend’s house…taking fudge brownies and carrot sticks (we can’t help it…we’re pretending it’s spring)

Monday, March 16
Simple sourdough pancakes, milk
Picnic in the park (cuz it’s gonna be 74°!) Sandwiches, carrots, apples
Lamb chops, baked potatoes, peas

Tuesday, March 17
Scrambled egg sandwiches, orange slices
Chicken quesadillas, pears
Swiss steak over rice, tossed salad

Wednesday, March 18
Orange muffins, bananas
Fried chicken legs, fruit-kefir smoothies, leftover muffins
Beefy enchilada bake, taco salad

Thursday, March 19
French toast
Spanish rice with chicken, apple slices
Cheesy turkey sausage stromboli, fruit salad

Friday, March 20
Peanut butter honey toast, pears
Salmon patties, strawberry-peach slushies
Tacos

Saturday, March 21
Biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs
Clean out the fridge
Homemade pizza

This week on the blogging menu…

• A new High Five Recipe…Peanut Butter Honey Fudge
• Encouragement from a new post in the Women with a Mission series 
• How to make Ricotta Cheese
• Gratituesday…join us!
• Teaching your kids about dinosaurs
• The little Green Project

If you haven’t signed up for my giveaway (TWO rubber stamp sets)..go there right away!

Here’s to a great new week! What do you have going on this week?
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Menu Plan Monday is being hosted by $5 Dinners.

You should see my freezer!

We had been running low on hamburger meat, so I ordered some from our great Nebraska source, North Star Neighbors. I figured that while I was ordering and paying a delivery fee, I might as well order some stew meat and cube steak. And while I was at it I should get some chickens too. So…last week two great big boxes of meat showed up on my door step!

PLUS…Smart Chicken brand boneless skinless chicken breasts have been on sale at our grocery store for $2.49 a pound (WOW!) so I bought the entire shelf a lot of packages. Here’s part of it:

P.S. Matt looked up from his work at the computer while I was taking this picture and said, “Oh, did you get a good deal on chicken?” It was at this moment that I realized that only a weird food blogger such as myself takes a picture of her chicken before she puts it into the freezer. Oh the stories my husband could tell. 

AND…it just so happened that this very same week, the lamb I ordered was ready to be butchered.

So, now our freezer is very full of meat. I love having so many choices for meals!

Sunday, March 8
Oatmeal, toast
Beef stew, cornbread
Leftover homemade pizza, cantaloupe

Monday, March 9
Whole wheat waffles
Homemade chicken nuggets and fries
Grilled salmon, stir fried rice and veggies

Tuesday, March 10
Mini breakfast pizzas, oranges
Cheeseburger mac, steamed carrots
Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas

Wednesday, March 11
Applesauce bread, bananas
Sloppy joes, deviled eggs, carrot sticks
Roasted chicken, ranch potato wedges, green beans

Thursday, March 12
Kefir-fruit smoothies, toast
Alphabet soup, homemade soft pretzels
Leg of lamb, baked potatoes, steamed broccoli and carrots

Friday, March 13
Blueberry muffins, applesauce
Bean dip with tortilla chips, pears
Lamb-burgers on homemade buns, onion rings

Saturday, March 14
Giant breakfast cookies
Mashed potato pancakes, cottage cheese and peaches
Lasagna, tossed salad, corn

Well…it seems that Ranch Potato Wedges wins the vote for the next High Five Recipe you’d like me to share. Be watching for that this week! 

Thanks to everyone who joined in and shared a little Green Project over the weekend! Be sure to plan on joining us again this weekend for another round of green!

If you haven’t signed up to win an iPod Touch…or a Card Design from Hinton Creations….HURRY…the giveaways end Monday!

Thank you so much for being understanding about my taking a bit of time off last week from “normal blogging”. I had a VERY productive week. I met the deadlines for the extra writing I was doing…made significant progress on couple of ebooks I’ve been working on (for like, over a year) and I fine-tuned the new ideas I wanted to unleash for you. I’m really looking forward to hearing your ideas for The little Green Project…and I can’t wait to start sharing some High Five Recipes! 

And now, I’m energized and ready to start a new week. Here’s what we’ll be eating this week:

Sunday, March 1
Oatmeal, toast
Fundraising dinner for Youth Missions
Oven mac and cheese, steamed carrots

Monday, March 2
Simple sourdough pancakes
Popcorn chicken, strawberry-peach slushies
Italian roast wraps, tossed salad

Tuesday, March 3
Fried eggs on toast, clementines
Melting snowflakes, pears
Steak, baked potatoes, green beans

Wednesday, March 4
Pumpkin bread, bananas
Stir fried rice and veggies (with chicken)
Shepherd’s pie

Thursday, March 5
Sourdough biscuits, applesauce
Grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup
Creamy garlic shrimp pasta, tossed salad

Friday, March 6
Peanut butter honey toast, peaches
Black eyed peas, apples with strawberry yogurt dip, cornbread
Hamburgers on homemade buns, onion rings

Saturday, March 7
Mom is Great breakfast cake, oranges
Beefy vegetable soup
BBQ chicken, peas, steamed carrots

And now…I’m gonna go make Malachi some chocolate pudding because he’s been asking me to make it for a long time and well…I like me some chocolate pudding too. :)  And then, the two of us are going to re-organize the school room and his “school supplies”. 

Psst….watch for a post on making Mozzarella Cheese in the next few days!! 

I hope all of you are thinking about your little Green Projects!!!
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