Menu Plan Monday - Week of 1/24/11

Can you believe it's already the last week of January?! Boy, this new year is flying by!  We've had a busy month, and I don't see things slowing down at all in February.  This week, however, will be relatively calm. Other than our normal after-school obligations, we have our evenings free. Hallelujah!

Because it's still chilly outside, I am pretty much planning on warm, comfort foods for dinner. On the menu for this week:

Monday - Shrimp & Sausage Jambalaya

Tuesday - Pork Loin, Baked Potatoes & Salad

Wednesday - Balsamic Chicken, Spinach & Tomato Pasta Salad

Thursday - BBQ Chopped Pork (leftovers from Tuesday) & Dressed Up Baked Beans

Friday - Black Beans & Rice with Cornbread

Saturday - Date Night <3

Sunday -Fend for Yourself Day! :)

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 1/17/11

Trey and I had a great, although quick, trip to Lakeland this past weekend. I got to meet some of Trey's family members for the first time and had a wonderful time getting to know them.  We came back Saturday night so that we could spend Sunday taking down Christmas decorations (I know, I know...we're slackers for not having done it already).  Then we will be spending Monday, blessed day off that it is, tackling a few projects around the house. We got a new deep, kitchen sink for Christmas (thanks Mom) and need to get a new faucet to go along with it. I'm so excited! Anywho....back to MPM....week #3 awaits!

Monday - Grilled Tuna Steaks with Asparagus and Spinach Salad

Tuesday - Baked Potato Bar - lots of possible toppings: salsa, broccoli, cheese, bacon bits, olives, peppers, etc....any combination we feel like! Did you know there are 101 ways to dress a potato???!!!

Wednesday - Flank Steak Pinwheels with Parmesan Zucchini

Thursday - Baked Chicken Breasts with tomatoes, rice, and skillet fried okra. 

Friday - Herb, Onion, and Tomato Omelettes (from last week's menu)

Saturday - Leftover Day

Sunday -Fend for Yourself Day! :)

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 1/10/11

A little late posting, but right on schedule during the week...Week #1 was a great success with our MPM! Trey loved all the meals and I feel very good about my meal selections. Although I didn't get a chance to plug it in online, I did manage to create and follow (almost) a solid menu for week #2.  Struggled with a busted water pipe on Wednesday, so dinner was scratched and we went out for pizza...bad for us? Yes. Easy when the water is turned off? Absolutely! Thankfully, Trey got it fixed Thursday afternoon. :)

Monday - BLT Pasta Salad (Thanks, Jeanne - this is one of our absolute favorites!)

Tuesday - Crab Cakes, Salad and Sliced Peaches (I canned the peaches myself this summer!)

Wednesday - Herb, Onion, and Tomato Omelettes

Thursday - Roast Chicken and Veggies with Cinnamon Oranges

Friday - Headed to Lakeland to visit family

Saturday - Back late from Lakeland

Sunday - Chicken Quesadillas (using the leftover chicken from Thursday)

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 1/3/11

Menu Plan Monday - 1/3/11

Well, the holidays are over and, if you are anything like me, you have eaten way to much and don't ever want to see another cookie again (or at least not for a really long time)! Plus, while I don't want to think of it as a resolution, I am resolved to try to shed a few pounds.  Between "happy marriage weight" and the holidays, I have a few lbs to lose.  So, my mission is to plan healthy meals for the year.  We've agreed to plan a meatless meal one night a week, as well as a no/low carb day.  Well, here we go - week #1 begins!

Monday - BBQ Pork Chops & Scalloped Cauliflower

Tuesday - Southwest Slow-Cooker Chicken Burritos

Wednesday - Eggplant Casserole

Thursday - Stuffed Bell Peppers

Friday - Leftover Night

Saturday - Date Night

Sunday - Fend For Yourself Night! :)

Going to the Chapel....er, Farm, that is...

Well, after 6 months of hard work, planning, pulling my hair, biting my nails, crying, laughing, and losing my mind, the day finally came and I had the PERFECT wedding! Everything was simply beautiful.  The day was the perfect marriage of vintage and modern; rustic farm meets simple elegance. I mean, it was gorgeous! So many people helped make the day special and complete and I am eternally grateful to each and every person. Big thanks to Dudley Farm, a state park in Newberry, Florida, for allowing us to host the event there.  Ours was the first wedding to be held at the farm due to strict park guidelines, but I begged and pleaded my case and they gave us special permission to use the park.  Because our wedding went so well, they are actually planning to allow future engagements there now!  You can visit my Facebook page for the complete album, but here are a few pictures to highlight the event.

 

 

 

Lysol Healty Touch System

Great deal alert!!!  Walmart has the Lysol Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System for an uh-mazing price right now! First of all, this thing is wonderful - it automatically senses when you raise your hand to it and it dispenses a perfect amount of hand soap in your palm.  Best part? No icky germs on the dispenser itself.  I really wanted one for my kitchen for the oh-so-many times I work with meat and need to wash my hands immediately.  I absolutely HATE pushing the soap pump with beef or chicken juice on my hands.  Now, I don't have to!

Walmart's normal price is $9.99, but they are currently marked down to $6, which is great.  But, hold the phone! If you got the Red Plum $5 off coupon, you can get these bad boys for $1 ONLY!!!!  I was super excited, as you can certainly imagine!

So, go stock up! I set mine up this morning and I am in lurve! <3

Layered Southwest Salad

Trey and I just got home from a fun evening in High Springs, where we joined family members to celebrate my Aunt Joy's birthday (just a smidge belated seeing as her birthday is Sept. 15).  Aunt Joy's sister-in-law Mary made chicken enchiladas, so I took a yummy, southwestern salad to go with the meal.  It's such a great and easy recipe, so I thought I'd share with you all.

Layered Southwest Salad

15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup salsa

lettuce, chopped

1-2 chopped tomatoes
15 1/4 oz can of whole kernel corn, drained

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

1/4 cup bacon bits

1 avocado, sliced

ranch dressing
tortilla chips

Anything this colorful has got to taste good!

Combine black beans and salsa in a small bowl.  Layer bean mix, lettuce and next 4 ingredients in a large serving bowl.  Place the avocado slices in a circle on top, then sprinkle cheese and bacon bits on top.  Serve with ranch dressing and tortilla chips, if desired.

Almost finished! Just needs cheese and bacon bits to be complete!

Love it! Such an impressive presentation, and oh, so yummy!

Not only is this a tasty, fresh dish, but it sure is pretty to look at, especially when served in a glass bowl or trifle dish.  It is simply beautiful once it's all put together and is a really nice spin on a traditional salad.  Enjoy!