Menu Plan Monday

Here's what we plan on eating this week:

Monday: Shipwreck Casserole, Peas, Tossed Salad

Tuesday: Dijon Chicken (Been on the menu for a few weeks, but I still haven't made it yet...), Asparagus, Mashed Potatoes

Wednesday: Katcha Korma (NEW- in crockpot) with Rice, Mixed Veggies

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Pizza & Veggies/Dip

Saturday:  Leftovers

Sunday: Cheeseburger Soup

Menu Plan This Week

Last week, my menu was changed up a little bit because my Dad came over and surprised us with a rotisserie chicken, which was so nice. So, I ended up making a huge batch of chicken noodle soup with the bones/scraps and then shredding the rest of the meat and saving it for later use. Mennonite style chicken noodle soup is my absolute favourite way to make it, seasoned with onion, carrots, celery, ginger, star anise, peppercorns, salt, and cloves served with lots of fine egg noodles. The sour cream noodle bake was just okay. I probably wouldn't make it again. The Pizza Hut copycat recipe was pretty good and made a very thick, golden crust, but I will likely stick to my simpler pizza dough recipe for the most part. In an effort to keep this pregnancy weight gain to 40- 55 pounds instead of 60-75 pounds, which is where I'm heading if things don't change, I am trying to eat a bit healthier and use a few Trim Healthy Mama (THM) principles throughout the day even though I'm still eating off-plan most of the time. I'm aiming for 1 or 2 on-plan meals a day (S, E, or cross-over) and then trying to choose healthier snacks instead of my typical junk food choices.

Here's the plan for this week:

Monday: Cheeseburger Pie, Mashed Potatoes, & Tossed Salad (This was my first time making this, and my husband really liked it. He was surprised when I told him it was a THM recipe. I skipped the mashed potatoes to keep it "S").

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Dijon Chicken, Brown Rice, Tossed Salad, Steamed Asparagus

Thursday: BLT Sandwiches & Potato Wedges

Friday: Homemade Pizza

Saturday: Potato Soup & Biscuits

Sunday: Leftovers

Menu Plan Monday

It looks like winter has officially arrived. I am sure I would not miss winter if it never came :-).
I finished my monthly shopping trip this past weekend. It's always a huge, exhausting ordeal, but I'm glad it's over with for the month, and it is nice to have lots of fresh fruits & veggies in the house again.

Here's what our menu looks like this week:

Suppers

Monday: Sour Cream Noodle Bake & Steamed Carrots (NEW) (don't tell my husband what's in this casserole...pretty sure he won't notice the sour cream and cottage cheese, but we'll see :-D)

Tuesday:  Leftovers

Wednesday: BLT's & Potato Wedges

Thursday: Dijon Chicken (NEW), Herbed Rice, & Steamed Asparagus

Friday: Pizza Hut Copycat Pan Pizza (NEW) & Caesar Salad

Saturday: Potato Soup & Favourite Baking Powder Biscuits

Sunday: Leftovers


Lunches This Week
Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup (modified this recipe slightly)
Vegetable Soup & Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (eat this 2 times for lunch this week)
Tuna Salad Sandwiches & Fresh Fruit
Cheese Quesadillas & Fresh Fruit & Veggies
Mac N' Cheese with Mixed Veggies
Leftovers

Breakfasts
We eat very simple breakfasts. The kids usually have toast & fruit or a fruit smoothie. On Sundays, they have cereal & milk. Hubby usually has bread with jam every morning. I am the only one who likes to mix it up a bit more. My typical breakfast choices are scrambled eggs & cheese in a whole wheat tortilla, toast & fruit, a yogurt fruit smoothie, or oatmeal. On Saturday mornings, I usually make pancakes for the whole family.

Our Stance on Halloween

We don't celebrate Halloween. We don't even really acknowledge it, to be honest.  I get that there are plenty of people who disagree with our decision. I've examined the issue a few times and read various opinions on why it might be okay, why it's not okay, maybe some of it's okay, etc. When I examine what the Bible says about these kinds of issues, our family is convinced that it is not okay for us to partake in, and it cannot be sugar-coated.

This article is one of the best articles I've read regarding the subject:

10 Reasons I Kissed Halloween Goodbye

You may disagree with the article's reasons (though be sure you are disagreeing with the article rather than Scripture :-) ). I hesitate to even post anything about it as I'd kind of rather ignore it in some ways as it is so controversial and touchy for most people, but I decided to post it anyway because the article's reasons are so closely aligned to our family's reasons. I don't really want to get into a huge debate over it, but this is our view in case you are interested. And if you disagree....I'll still love you, anyway :-).

Funny Things Toddlers Say

Nathanael shared a tender moment with the vacuum cleaner today. After I finished vacuuming and was getting ready to put it away, he went up to the vacuum cleaner, hugged it and whispered,  "I love you. Goodbye."

Love that little monkey :-)

Menu Plan & Weekly Goals

Thank you all for your kind words & prayers. They are much appreciated :-). I am feeling significantly better now since being on antibiotics, which I don't love to be on, but are sometimes necessary.

Here's what we plan on eating this week:

Monday: Crockpot Ginger Beef & Veggies (NEW) over Rice

Tuesday: Leftovers

Wednesday: Fluffy Meatloaf (NEW meatloaf recipe I'm trying) & Mashed Potatoes, Mixed Veggies

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Chili & Cornbread

Saturday: Homemade Pizza Night (NEW copy cat Pizza Hut Pizza recipe), Salad

Sunday: Leftovers

A few goals for the week:

1) No-TV Week for the Kiddos. Since we have been sick so much lately, the kids have been watching far more tv than I prefer. We are aiming for a completely tv-free week for them, at least from Monday through Friday. Hubby & I will still watch some tv...we hardly watch any tv as it is, so I don't think a no-tv week is really necessary for us.

2) Get to Bed on Time! This is one we really need to work on...we are night owls, but the lack of sleep is catching up with us in a nasty way. The goal is in bed by 10:30, which could be a challenge since lately our bedtime has been more around 12:30 to 1 am the past few weeks. Yikes.

 3) "Tomato Stake" the kids....aka....spend more time with them rather than shooing them off to do their own thing.

4) Bake 6 Loaves of Bread

5) Plan Menu & Grocery List for November. This is a huge monthly task that takes almost a day to complete since I'm building up my monthly menus and ingredient lists slowly. Doing this is definitely saving us money, though, so the time is worth it.

And....

Bronchitis.

I decided I needed to see a doctor today because I was feeling so much worse again last night and couldn't sleep due to coughing so much and feeling miserable, crashed on the couch all day today. Thankfully, I did go in this evening and will hopefully feel better soon now that I'm on antibiotics.

I probably shouldn't be writing this blog post right about now... mainly because I have been feeling incredibly discouraged and frustrated lately. I'm having a hard time seeing how everything will work out...trying to trust the Lord that it WILL, but honestly my faith is weak right now and my body feels like it's been through the ringer these past several weeks. It feels like one thing after another, and the stress just keeps multiplying. It's all getting to be a bit much.

Prayer is appreciated. For health, strength, and most of all, for greater faith.

Paul's secret to contentment in every circumstance? Christ strengthening him, thus allowing Paul to do all things, including being content, come what may.

11Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 12I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 13I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.…



P.S. Sorry to be such a pessimist, but I'm trying to keep it real without laying it all out there. Yep, feeling a little rough today.