Menu Plan Monday ~ 2 April 12

Happy Monday!

We spent an absolutely glorious weekend together as a family – it was bliss for me. Dinners eaten as a unit, good conversation, lots of laughter and even some special time for me with my man. I am a happy girl today thanks to such a nice weekend.

Looking forward to some fun this week – the girls are out for Spring Break. We’re not traveling – SuperMan and I have to work – but I am hoping to sneak some fun in nonetheless.

I’m also planning some yummy meals. Especially things that don’t require me to spend a lot of time in the kitchen (read: crock pots and grills will be involved).

So, let’s move on to the plan, shall we?

Monday: Pork Butt (a crock pot yummy) with some sticky rice and veggies
Tuesday: Baked potato bar & salads
Wednesday: Fajitas (I will share this recipe later this week)
Thursday: Grilled chicken thighs & legs (still cooking what I stocked up on when they were 98 cents a pound! they’re marinating in a vacuum sealed bag in my freezer, slathered in Italian dressing and herbs.)
Friday: Pizza night
Saturday: LUNCH: sloppy joes; DINNER: something yummy on the grill most likely
Sunday: Easter dinner: Crock Pot “rotisserie” chicken, rice, veggies, dinner rolls & salad.

I’ve also whipped up a batch of the infamous raisin bran muffins and made a dozen already. I have enough batter for probably 2-3 dozen more, so those will be baked up as needed for breakfasts/snacks this week.

I’m also hoping to try out making some homemade chocolate chip granola bars with the girls.

What’re you cooking this week?

NEED MORE IDEAS?

You can find more yummy recipes on orgjunkie.com where you can find some great recipes and menu plans.

I’ll be back tomorrow with some updates to my Project Life pages.

It’s Monday… again. (thoughtsalonglifeshighway.com)
Menu Plan Monday 2.6.12 (thoughtsalonglifeshighway.com)
Menu Plan Monday (thoughtsalonglifeshighway.com)

Saturday in the park…

Well, not the park, exactly. Just our lovely little yard.

Happy Saturday to you! How’s your day going so far?

SuperMan and I had a date last night – saw the move This Means War – and had a really nice time. Nothing better than eating gourmet chocolate, walking in the rain and then holding hands through a cute movie. Perfect night.

Today has been filled with chores – grocery shopping, laundry and the like but we’ve been enjoying time together as a family. I’ve also been enjoying some new sandals that I got last week.

Aren’t they pretty?

They’re from Orthaheel and are supposed to give you all sorts of support for your back, legs and feet. I love the arch supports they have and have been enjoying wearing them, although my back and legs are still getting used to the “adjustment” they are giving me.

Now I just need a new toenail polish. I didn’t realize this color was so light! My toes look like zombie toes. I’ll have to fix that (and soon!).

I’m linking up with Shoe Style Saturday today – what are you wearing on your feet today?

Chicken Stir Fry

I mentioned earlier this week that I’d made an absolutely awesome chicken stir fry for dinner the other night. I also made some terrific fried rice. (you can check out that post if you want the fried rice recipe)

I promised, at the time, that I’d share the recipe for the stir fry, so here it is!

I filled mine with all sorts of yummy vegetables. You can use some liberties here – use what you have, or what you find at the grocery store.

I put broccoli, carrots, garlic, Napa cabbage, onion and bell peppers in ours.

Next time, I’ll probably add some water chestnuts, bok choy and maybe some bamboo shoots. I just didn’t have any this time. You could also add some snow peas, shredded cabbage… the possibilities are endless.

The girls break out in hives when they see that many vegetables on a plate, so they ran for cover and opted for the fried rice with chicken only, pleaseandthankyouverymuch. But, they ate their entire dinners and there were “secret” veggies hidden in the fried rice so I didn’t worry too much.

SuperMan and I thoroughly enjoyed the stir fry, however. And we enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day, too. So good.

Give this a try sometime you have a craving for some “Chinese” food. I think it is so much better than the takeout you get. (and cheaper!)

Chicken Fried Rice

Sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp cornstarch

Stir Fry

1 pound chicken, cut in bite-sized cubes
1 tsp dried ginger
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1-2 cups broccoli florets
1-2 cups Napa cabbage, julienned
1 bell pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 cup carrot, julienned & diced finely
(any other veggies you want to add)

sesame oil

In a large measuring cup, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
In a large wok or sauté pan, heat sesame oil (about 1-2 Tbsp).
Sauté chicken until cooked; 7-8 minutes.
Add ginger, garlic, carrots, onion & pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes.
Add the remaining vegetables. Cook, stirring frequently. Veggies should be crisp, yet tender.
Pour the sauce mixture over the vegetables & chicken. Stir to coat everything thoroughly and let simmer for a few minutes to thicken.
Serve over fried rice or steamed rice.

Chicken Fried Rice (thoughtsalonglifeshighway.com)

And all was right with the world again…

I got a very pleasant surprise last night. SuperMan came home with a present for me. A very nice present. At least to me it was.

You see, about two (or three?) weeks ago, my dishwasher died. And I was very sad. You know how much I like to cook, and if you have been following this blog for any period of time you’ve probably heard about how messy I am when I cook.

I make a big mess – lots of dirty dishes.

And when you don’t have a dishwasher this is a very sad thing. I have been trying very hard to minimize my dirty dishes, but that is just not an easy thing to do…

So, I was totally and utterly thrilled when SuperMan told me he had a present for me – and I walked out to his truck to see a shiny new dishwasher in the back!

Hip, Hip, Hooray!

So, after dinner, I suggested that maybe, just maybe SuperMan might want to install my new toy for me?

And of course, he was only happy to do so. (yippee!)

Isn’t it a beautiful thing?!?

Yes, I’m a happy girl this morning.

Very happy, indeed.

Chicken Fried Rice

I had a hankering for fried rice on Tuesday. I had planned to do leftovers (quesadillas) for dinner, but I kept thinking about the fact that I needed to pre-cook some chicken for Wednesday night’s dinner and if I was going to do that, why didn’t I just make some stir-fry chicken and fried rice?

So, that’s exactly what I did.

And I have to say, it was one of the best stir-fries I have made and most definitely the best fried rice. Totally awesome.

I made it in stages – making the fried rice first and storing it in a pre-heated sauce pot (heated by boiling some water in it and then pouring the water out) while I cooked the chicken stir fry.

I found the source recipe for my fried rice here, but, of course, I modified it to suit my family’s tastes and what I had in the pantry. The only change I think I’ll make next time I make it is to add some toasted sesame seeds and maybe try to sneak in some more veggies. (diced teeny tiny so the kids will eat them)

This would be a good meal all by itself. With the edamame (soy beans) and eggs, you have your proteins and the addition of some veggies would make it a good, rounded meal. And it tastes SO GOOD.

You can find the edamame in the freezer section at the grocery store. Just be sure you get the hulled version. I wouldn’t want to be shelling soybeans if I didn’t have to!

Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten
1 cup rice (cooked, yield ~2 cups)
Sesame Oil
~ 1 cup carrots, diced fine
1 cup shelled edamame
1/2 onion, diced fine
1 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce (reduced sodium)
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Instructions:

Cook rice. Let cool.
In a large skillet or wok, spray pan with nonstick spray. Add your egg and cook until scrambled. Remove to plate and clean skillet.
In the same skillet, heat approximately 1 Tbsp sesame oil.
Add vegetables to the skillet & sauté until the onions begin to become transparent, stirring frequently. (about 4-5 min)
Add rice to skillet. Cook until the rice is browning and becoming crispy. Depending on how hot your skillet is, this can take 5-9 minutes. The pan does not need any additional oil or moisture at this time. You are trying to brown the rice.
While the rice is browning, whisk together the ginger, garlic, soy sauce & brown sugar.
One the rice is browned, add the egg and the soy sauce mixture to the rice/veggies and stir well.
Drizzle the rice with a little more sesame oil and serve.

I served it to the girls with some of the chicken I cooked for the stir fry that SuperMan and I ate with the rice. They gobbled it up happily.

(that’s a o sooo good food MB says) – I found this typed in my blog writer after I got back from taking the girls to school. I guess that is her editorial contribution. Smile

I’ll share the stir fry recipe later this week. It was the perfect accompaniment to the fried rice. I can’t wait for lunch today to eat the leftovers!

Project Life Tuesday 3.27.12

Hello and welcome to Project Life Tuesday!

If you are stopping by from The Mom Creative, welcome & thanks for clicking over!

If you are not, you might want to click over there when you’re done here for some more great Project Life inspiration!

Can you believe March is almost over?

It feels strange.

Especially so since we never really had a winter here. We went from fall to a pseudo-spring-winter-type season and then spring/summer has begun. Crazy.

Of course, the kids and I can’t wait for school to be out and we’re looking forward to spring break next week – no early mornings and a much easier schedule. I’ll still be working, but I’m sure we’ll fit some fun adventures in during the week.

Here are my pages for the past week. Somewhat simple, but I like them. I stuck with a color scheme of peaches, light blue, and pinks… in keeping with my Project Life journal cards I had chosen. It was fun to find other things to add to the mix that complemented those colors.

Here’s the two page spread with and without the insert: (you can click on the image to make it larger)

The Left page:

Close ups:

And the Right page:

and a close up:

LOVE using my chats and capturing the little things – also loving this picture of Big Girl and Superman from Saturday.

Like I said; sweet and simple this week. But I like it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Project Life Tuesday ~ 2.28.12 (thoughtsalonglifeshighway.com)
Project Life Tuesday 1.31.12 (thoughtsalonglifeshighway.com)
Project Life Tuesday ~ 2.6.12 (thoughtsalonglifeshighway.com)

It’s Monday… again.

Hello, all, and happy Monday (I think – it is probably too early to tell just yet)

After a happy, but busy, weekend, we’re kicking off the week with a countdown to spring break… the girls and I can hardly wait. Not waking up at 5 AM is certainly something to look forward to! We have not finalized our plans yet… they have changed several times in the past week or so and so I’ve just about decided to not worry about PLANS and just roll with the tide. Maybe we’ll stay home, maybe we’ll go somewhere. Just not sure yet.

Planning some grill cooking this week – the weather is so beautiful, it is hard to resist dinner on the grill. On Saturday, we cooked our entire meal on the grill. I made these yummy three-cheese potato pockets. They were so good. Although, next time I make them, I’ll probably only put the onion in the pocket for SuperMan. Too much onion for the girls and me. But yummy nonetheless.

We grilled ribs, corn (wrapped in foil and slathered with butter) and the potato pockets. It was a yummy, yummy dinner. Made especially good because there were very few dirty pots to wash. (my dishwasher is dead)

Sunday night we had guests for dinner – our friends from our Bible Study group at church. I made a nacho bar. I have to say that this is a terrific idea when you are feeding a crowd. I would think it would be great for a bunch of teens, too.

I made shredded “taco” chicken in the crock pot on Saturday and then browned ground beef on Sunday for a second crock pot-full. We had toppings galore – cilantro, onion, lettuce, olives, cheese, jalapeños, three kinds of salsa, and on and on and on. I also made a cheese dip with some Velveeta and salsa. Yeah, not the healthiest, but it sure was good.

I served this warm bean dip as a side item, but most of us just put it on our nachos. It was a huge hit (another one of my finds from Pinterest)

Everyone was able to fix their own plate of nachos to their liking. I have to say, there were very few leftovers and I like it that way!

This week I’m still working out my menu plan – so far I know we’ll be doing the following:

Monday: Creamy chicken & rice (crock pot)

Tuesday: Leftovers from Sunday – probably turned into quesadillas

Wednesday: Asian Chicken Salad (new recipe for us) – I’ll share this recipe later this week. It’s a yummy salad recipe shared by a friend. After I’ve made it, I’ll let you know all about it!

Thursday: Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak (new recipe for us) Big Girl has a doctor’s appt for her tummy so we will go with slow cooker recipes to make it easier for mama.

Friday: Pizza night

Saturday: Grilled goodness (not sure what yet)

NEED MORE IDEAS?

You can find more yummy recipes on orgjunkie.com where you can find some great recipes and menu plans.

I’ll be back tomorrow with some updates to my Project Life pages.

Menu Plan Monday 2.6.12 (thoughtsalonglifeshighway.com)
Menu Plan Monday (thoughtsalonglifeshighway.com)
Menu Plan Monday ~ 27 February (thoughtsalonglifeshighway.com)

What’s in your magic toolbox?

And by magic toolbox, I refer, of course, to the toolbox of wonders used by most of us modern women – the Makeup Bag!

I thought I’d share some of my absolute favorite products today – things I don’t ever want to run out of and usually keep “backups” just in case I run low.

Moisturizer: My newest favorite is Alba Botanica moisturizers. I have such sensitive skin and I find it hard to find something that doesn’t irritate my skin instead of moisturizing it. I stumbled on this at the drug store one day and LOVE it. I’ve tried both the Jasmine & the Aloe versions. Love them both. The Aloe one is lighter (good for summertime heat) and the Jasmine one smells heavenly. Love them both.

Foundation: I am hooked on the ones by Cover Girl – you know the ones? The ones that have the Olay moisturizers? Simply Ageless. They are nice. Stay on all day. Not too heavy, although I rarely wear foundation in the summertime anyway (it slides off in this Southern heat) COVERGIRL and Olay Simply Ageless Foundation

Powder: I’m in love with Clinique’s compacts. I use the SuperPowder Double Face makeup as powder most of the year, and then in the summertime I use it as my foundation/powder. Love the coverage. (and it doesn’t irritate my skin)

Blush, Eye Shadow: I am in love with Bare Escentuals’ eye shadows, blushes and bronzers. I love that they last forever, they have a TON of colors and they stay on all day long. They also have fabulous brushes. I usually buy their brushes and they are very high quality and last forever. I think I haven’t bought a new make up brush in four or five years. They are great and easy to care for.

Eye Liner: Another Bare Escentuals item I can’t live without. LOVE them. They brighten your eyes and last without smudging. I think I have one in every color!

Mascara: You can’t go wrong with the old standby here. I’ve tried tons of different mascaras. They all have pluses and minuses – clumpy, glumpy, crazy brushes, great length, etc. But I always seem to go back to the basics: Maybelline Great Lash mascara. It works. It’s inexpensive. Why not?

Lips: And this is one area where I do diverge quite a bit. I have a few “old standbys” that I use regularly, but to be completely honest, I don’t wear lipstick very much. I work from home. Who is going to see it? I wear it if I’m going out – usually applied looking in the rear view mirror as I drive – and that is about it. The rest of the time I wear some sort of chapstick-type product to keep my lips moist. (Nivea is my favorite here)

BUT, if I do wear lipstick, here are some of the ones I love:

BUXOM by Bare Escentuals. Love them. Love the colors, the minty tingle you get when you wear them, the fact that they are not sticky-icky on.

If I’m going for more color (i.e. a punch of red on the lips) I usually use Bare Escentuals Pretty Amazing. I have this in a beautiful red/rose shade. Love it, although it is a bit gloppy to apply.

Okay, so that is about it for me. What about you? What are your must-have beauty products?

Bare Escentuals 2.0 and 4.0 (beautygrind.wordpress.com)

I knew I should’ve taken that left turn at Albequerque

I’m back!

Did you miss me??

Just in case you don’t get the reference in the title:

(I love Bugs Bunny)

I did manage to get my Project Life pages finished and thought I’d share with you, even if I am a couple days later than my usual Tuesday posts.

If you are stopping by from The Mom Creative, welcome & thanks for clicking over! If you are not, you might want to click over there when you’re done here for some more great Project Life inspiration!

This week I have an insert – at the beginning of the week I was worried I wouldn’t have enough pictures – then we went to Mom’s for the weekend and I ended up printing 20+ pictures to fit into the week! Happily so, though.

So, I will share the pages along with some close-ups of them.

It is gloomy here so I hope they are not too dark for you.

The Left page: