This week's menu

Updated with new links...

Hello there! Hope you had a good weekend and got through your Monday without too much of a struggle. I loved our menu last week. I'm sorry I forgot to post it. My favorite day was "Pizza, popcorn, and cupcake" night! Cora turned 5, and we had a couple of her close friends over for a little birthday celebration. It was so fun!

Here's what's on our table this week...

Monday- Burgers and Tots

Tuesday- Taco Cupcakes (healthier version) aka Wonton Tacos at our casa. Make sure and adjust the ingredients to your liking. For instance, I don't buy "fat free" because that usually means there is a chemical replacing the fat. I'm not using ground turkey; rather ground elk. Our family LOVES these. I always say I need to make a double batch. Maybe I'll remember tonight.

Wednesday- The Best Sloppy Joes' Ever well, according to the author of the recipe anyway. I'll let you know how they rate at our house. Let me know if you cook them and what your crew thinks too!

Thursday- One Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta I've never made this one, but it sure sounds good.

Friday- YOYO

Saturday- Black and Blue Steak Sandwich I can't wait for this one. I think it will be deeeelicious!

Sunday- Curried Chicken with Coconut Rice I'm making my kids (and Kelvin) step out of the box on this one, but I think they will thank me. (fingers crossed!)

I used a new-to-me feature on Ziplist for the recipe links this time. Hope it works for ya. I think I've mentioned here before how much I love Ziplist, but it's worth mentioning again. It's the best thing since sliced bread when it comes to saving recipes you find online, making shopping lists you can link to your smart phone and calendar, planning menus, sharing shopping lists, and on and on and on. Check it out at www.Ziplist.com. I wish I were getting paid to tell you about all the goodness that is their site, BUT I'm not. I just really like it.

Well, have a great week. I'll be back to share a couple of things tomorrow and the next day and the next (that is if everything works as planned and I don't forget or get sidetracked, which is always a possibility.) I know...crazy, huh? What's gotten in to me?

I leave you with this cuteness

These are the darling cupcakes from Cora's party...thank you, Amanda! I found the popcorn wrappers on Pinterest...fuh-ree printable, baby! Whoo Hoo! You can download them from this sweet lady's blog.

I'm Linking to the Organizing Junkie's Menu Planning Monday I always get excited when I see her menu plan pop up in my inbox. :) I usually find a couple of recipes to incorporate.

Five

Cora is five today. That seems impossible somehow. I can't remember so much of the time that she was little-little. The days are going by so quickly. She has always been an independent little thing, and even more so now..and so passionate.  She loves everything she sees (as far as toys are concerned.) She can quote her favorite characters with scary accuracy and cut a rug on the fly like nobody's business. She knows her letters and sounds and will be reading before we know it. She loves to pretend to talk on the phone (which could be anything from a piece of paper to a calculator) and she even does voice texting, complete with the spoken punctuation. I have to be so careful what comes out of my mouth and tone I use, because even the not-so-proud moments could be instantly replayed out of her mouth, i.e. "hel-looo people, let's go!" She loves her friends and wants to be with them every.single.day. I am envious of her energy--she might bust out in a full blown run around the house at any second or bounce around like Tigger for long stretches of time. She has a ginormous sweet tooth. She lives to play and swim and color and paint and all the wonderful things that come with being 5. She has a hard time understanding why she won't change classes today since she's not four anymore. She's becoming a good little gymnast but would also like to do ballet, tap, soccer, and karate. She is a spunky little chick, and we are so proud of her. 

We love you, sweet girl! Can't wait to see what's in store for you at 5!

On the Table Tuesday

Well, I'm back with our menu for this week! We have been eating all this time. I just haven't taken the time to post. Without further ado, here it is...

Monday- Meatloaf Muffins (wow, I didn't even mean to use all of that alliteration!) per Carleigh's request. I have to say, they were a big hit with the entire gang! Kelvin raved about them, and Cora gobbled them down like a champ. They will definitely be added to the tried and true list. Click on the title for the recipe from Sarah Carey at Martha Stewart. I've said it before, but she is such a doll...love her and her easy recipes! I accidentally forgot to add the garlic, and I bet it would have made it even better! I left out the onion, because I didn't have time to sauté it first, and I hate crunchy onion in my meatloaf. I eye-balled the seasonings, and know I didn't have enough ground mustard, but it was still good. Don't be afraid to improvise. :) The secret ingredient is goooood! (Just remembered, I didn't have any whole dill pickles, so I used dill relish. It was great! Guess I just gave away the secret.) I also forgot to add the ketchup on the top, but I put it on the table and let everyone add it if they wanted it. Kelvin chose A-1 instead, as did Luke. They thought it was the bees knees...I'll take their word for it.

Tuesday- Tonight we're having Fish Tacos...one of my favorite things in the world. I'll probably try to remember to open a can of black beans to go alongside these delightful things.

Wednesday- Chicken, rice and broccoli casserole I'm using leftover rotisserie chicken for this one. I will probably hop on Pinterest and use one of the handy dandy tutorials for making your own cream of chicken soup. That can stuff kind of gives me the creeps (as Carleigh would say.) Is there anything more comforting than a creamy chicken casserole? Well, beside a snuggly blanket in front of a good fire with a hot cup of coffee? No, not really. ;)

Thursday- Stew in the crock pot YUM!

Friday- YOYO (I forgot to put the first Y on my menu board! haha) Something simple...leftovers, cereal or quesadillas or something.

Saturday- Surf n Turf with some friends. I am so looking forward to this! Let me know if you have an awesome appetizer I should try out.

Sunday- Chicken Enchilada Soup I miss soup! I didn't make near enough of it this winter. I think the weather is supposed to be yucky again over the weekend, so soup will be perfect! This one is a crockpot recipe, so it will be even more perfect since I have to be at church at the crack of dawn for praise team.

So, what's on your table this week? Share a link to your favorite recipe in the comments below. Have a great week! Stay tuned for some exciting before and after photos of our house. I should be painting as I type this. I'm headed there right now! I can't wait for the difference it's going to make. (insert squeal!)

Toodles!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

 

 

May I be more like St. Patrick.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Friday Favorites on Saturday

I sure have missed this little piece of blog land. I thought I would post today about a few of my favorite things. Of course, I started this post of Friday and finished it on Saturday.

I'm like a kid in a candy store when I receive new editions of  Southern Living and Coastal Living magazines in my mailbox. My kids laugh at me. I'm okay with that. What's your favorite way to read a magazine? In the Southern Living I like reading the story at the very back by Rick Braggs first. His stories always make me smile! Sometimes I read the story at the back of Coastal Living first, but mostly, I just love thumbing through the pages and dreaming about having another beach house. It's fun to imagine having fun at the beaches or lakes featured on the pages of the magazine.

I love sitting in the living room or on the back porch with Kelvin and drinking a cup of coffee. My favorite everyday coffee is Target's Kona blend. It's very reasonably priced and has a smooth flavor. I never thought I would drink it black, but I've gone to the dark side. ;) I find now that I prefer my java without anything in it.

I'm lovin' my new make-up and skin care, Neal's Yard Remedies. I'm all about natural and organic, and this stuff is great! I feel like I'm in a natural spa somewhere when I use the products.

We found a new little Cajun specialty foods shop in town before Emma's Bayou Bash. They cooked jambalaya for our gumbo cooking team the night before the Bash, and we are their new #1 fans! Our kids are huge fans too. If you're local, you must try UG-LEE's in Baytown on Hwy. 146. They have all sorts of wonderful things to offer. We stopped in today and bought some jambalaya and cream cheese and jalapeño stuffed chicken wrapped in bacon. Kelvin popped in on the grill with a couple of links of boudin this afternoon while we played washers, and we all wondered what the poor folks were eatin', because we were eatin' like kings and queens, y'all! It was SO good.

Speaking of washers, that's another one of my favorite things. It's always a good time to toss some washers or play a round of corn hole.

The last favorite thing for today is sleep. I like it a LOT! I went to bed the past two nights before 9 p.m...pure bliss! Lately, I can't get enough of it. We're not going to worry about resetting our clocks tonight. I'm so glad the kids are off for spring break next week so we can recover from losing an hour.

Sorry for the lack of photos. I finally got a new phone last month, (which I should have included in my favorites list) but I can't figure out how to post pictures from it to my posts. Maybe I'll figure it out soon. I know I need to get out my good camera, but I just don't always have it with me. Anyway, photos to come later. Ta-ta for now.

M I A

Well, shoot! I can't believe I haven't carved out even a second to talk about what is going on in our world right now. We have been planning Emma's Bayou Bash.

I can.not.BE.LIEVE it's already here! All I have done the past couple of months is eat, drink and breath Bayou Bash. The event is Saturday, March 1, from 4-7, at McLeod Park Community Building in Mont Belvieu. If you're local, or even semi local, please come by and eat some yummy gumbo cooked by my mega fine man, bid on some of the INCREDIBLE auction items, and listen to some really good music by Market Junction. Mont Belvieu is only about 30 minutes east of downtown Houston. The community building is spitting distance from I-10. ;)

It is amazing how much people have given to this event...from our faithful planning team, to the underwriters, to the auction donors, to the team of volunteers who will come work Saturday! It's just awesome.

If you don't have a clue what Emma's Bayou Bash is, let me 'splane it to you, Lucy:

At two years old, Emma, Kelvin and Christy Dunnam’s third child, was diagnosed with a fatal disease, which took her life two years later. Wanting to memorialize the happier times in Emma’s life—the times she laughed, played, and gave big hugs, the Dunnam family founded Emma’s Hugs in 2009.
 Emma’s Hugs assists families with long-term patients in the Texas Medical Center with free parking chips. Since its inception, Emma’s Hugs’ volunteers have given 16,000 days of free parking to families in the Texas Medical Center. The organization uses a “random act of kindness” philosophy. Free parking is given to anyone, and does not discriminate for anything, including income or need, because serious injuries and illnesses do not discriminate either. Emma’s Hugs believes everyone needs a hug, especially those in long-term hospital settings. Please visit www.emmashugs.com for more information about Emma’s Hugs.
Emma’s Bayou Bash was organized in 2009 by friends to help Emma. The event was a tremendous success and carved a place in the heart of the community. The subsequent Emma’s Bayou Bashes have benefited Batten Disease Research and Emma’s Hugs. We are proud to continue this event for the purpose of gathering great friends, making new friends, and securing the funding needed for Emma’s Hugs to impact our community. 

That's it in a nutshell. So, please come to Emma's Bayou Bash and have a good time supporting a great organization.

As for me, I hope to be back to my regular sporadic blogging schedule next week. Just for fun, here's what is on our menu this week...

It's gotta be quick and easy this week, y'all!

Well, now you know why I've been Missing In Action. Be back soon!

Four Years

This is the fourth year February 1st has come along. Each time my heart still aches. I miss her. I miss what should have been. I still don't understand. It's still hard.

I think the hardest part about losing someone, is that even though the ones left behind feel like it, the world has not stopped. Everything keeps going. People still drive to work, the mail still runs, the school doors still open (even though my child isn't walking through them), people still eat and drink, and life.keeps.going.

As the times passes, the wounds aren't as raw. The gaping whole has been stitched up and there's no longer flesh exposed. But, the scar is still painful, especially when touched or squeezed.

Butterflies have held a special significance since Emma was diagnosed with Batten Disease. Since she died, every time I see a butterfly I think of her and how she was able to spread her wings again...she is free...no longer bound by Batten Disease.

A few weeks ago the big kids found a couple of cocoons on a leaf in our flower bed, which was weird because it's so late in the year. They should have all migrated to Mexico by now. Luke gently took the leaf  and placed it in a jar on the back porch. When the weather turned so cold the other day, I brought in the jar and left it on the dryer. I really thought the cocoons wouldn't do anything since they had been in such a cold climate. A few days ago Cora and I were walking out the door to go to school, and we noticed a butterfly perched on the edge of the jar. I was amazed! I left it there, and when I retuned home, it was gone. I looked for the butterfly throughout the week but couldn't find it. I figured it must have flown out the door when I wasn't looking. Last night, as we were eating dinner, one of the kids spotted the butterfly on the floor. I couldn't believe it! I picked her up and Kelvin took a photo...

Such a gift. Thank you, Lord.