Meal Planning

Here's the thing. If I don't plan meals, we don't eat well. If I don't plan meals, we eat a lot of "breakfasts for dinner". (which isn't bad mind you, but cereal every night is meant for college students more or less, not a family of four) If I don't plan meals, I want to eat out. If I don't plan meals, I don't eat anything I like for dinner which in turn leads me to eat things I really like later after the kids go to bed.

So I plan meals. I have gone about this a variety of different ways over the 9 years of our marriage. But in the past couple of years, weekly planning with the help of All Recipes, Rachael Ray, Real Simple and Southern Living has posed to be the best way for me to plan. I often post on facebook what I'm cooking for that evening, and have even shared my recipes. After an old high school friend mentioned wanting my meal plan, I thought hmmmmm I'll just post the plan on my blog, and then you can all share in my meals. Call it our own virtual dinner club, just be sure to let me know what you thought of the recipes.

You should also know that a recipe has to really blow me away to merit remaking it again. Therefore, I rarely if ever cook the same meal twice. That's right....if I save the recipe it's because it was down right amazing and I plan one day to share it in some fashion with a friend or family member (more then likely that member is my mother). I also love to cook, hate to bake. However I recently discovered from friends commenting that I can make brownies....and by golly I found a new brownie recipe to try this week!

So here are my recipes this week, I don't know what order I will make them in, it'll just depend how I feel that morning or night before. Enjoy. Happy Cooking!

Almond Chicken and Rice (this is from the Kraft foods magazine, which is free! so sign up, great recipes!)

Broiled Tilapia Parmesean

Allie's Mushroom Pizza (I will make one pizza gluten free)

Asian Beef and Snow Peas

French Onion Soup with Cheesy Croutons

And for dessert!

Halloween Planning

In honor of the first day of fall, it seems only fitting that I discuss Halloween. I love Halloween. I love dressing up, I love giving out candy, I love going to Target and Party Central and checking out the newest costumes and decor, I love decorating for Halloween, I love having friends over to go trick-or-treating and have some Halloween fun.

This year, we will be in Disney for their Not-So-Scary Halloween Party hosted by Mickey Mouse...do you know how this excites me????? So what will we dress up as, that is the question.

Over the years, my mother (God love that woman!) has saved all my past Halloween costumes. And this year just like every year, I have every intention of dipping into the Halloween bin to pull out ideas. As I was thinking of past Halloweens I came across these two photos and I remembered how much fun Halloween was as a child, and how my mom was known in my childhood neighborhood as "Mrs. Halloween". She dressed up every year to hand out candy, always welcomed a party, and our costumes were always well thought through.

Halloween Circa 1992: Tim-Karate Man, Lisa-Tinkerbell, Me-60's Chick, Tyler-Jason, Cindy (exchange student)-Devil Girl, Mom-Peter Pan, Larry-Captain Hook

Halloween Circa 1993: Pernille: Bunny in a Hat, Me: Maid Marion, Lisa: Witch, Mom and Larry: Nerds, Tyler: Humpback Man, Tim: Vampire

I've inherited the love for Halloween from her! Looking forward to another good year....

Want to know what we are going to the Not-So-Scary Party as at Disney?

....hmmmmm well you will just have to wait and see.....

A little something I like about Fall....

Pumpkins and Hayrides! Hello Fall, I'm glad you are here.

Food

Here's the deal...I love food. And food tends to be my death...I think if I exercised for 3 hours a day, I could eat more, but unfortunately I don't have the desire nor the time to exercise for 3 hours. And alas I still eat. I feel for those Biggest Loser contestants....

This week I feel the need to make food. And tonight I'm making dinner for a friend, Bruschetta Chicken! Can you say yum! It took me 10 minutes or less to put together, and it takes 30 minutes to cook, add a salad and some bread, you have yourself a simple easy meal! Oh and I'm throwing in some Ben and Jerry's too.

Tomorrow night is hubby's guys group, and I've decided....GUYS=WINGS! So yup, I'm attempting to make Sesame Wings....I have no idea what they'll taste like, or if they'll be good...but wings and guys...I can't go wrong, right? We'll see about that one.....

But recently I found this recipe under the "Good and Healthy food" article in B&HG magazine...

GERMAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES! Chocolate+Healthy Food....yeah I'm making them, and I will eat them, and I will say it won't matter because they are "healthy" which equals "no calories" right????? Again, we'll see about that one....

So I was excited about all these recipes I had to share with my friends!

Bon Appetite....

or as Munchkin would say, "What's a Bird say just before eating?"

......."Bon Appetweet"

Today is Hokie Game Day!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been so preoccupied with planning our trip to Disney, today totally snuck up on me, and now it's finally here!

Virginia Tech vs. Alabama....

I wish I could say this game didn't matter, that it's an invitational, that it's all in fun between the coaches, that since they aren't in the same conference it isn't a big deal, etc. etc.

But tonight dearest Beamer and the Boys, DOES MATTER, and we Hokie Fans and Alum would really like a win, think of it as our one wish. So GO, FIGHT, WIN ! And just so you know, next week when we play Marshall, just remember the same wish....WIN!

We love you Hokies! Look forward to a good game!

Today for the first time....

I climbed these steps.

FIVE TIMES!

I have lived in Lynchburg for 9 years now, and I have only ever walked by these on my way to work, or honked for the Troops as I passed by. Today....I did "stadium steps"....Football season here I come. I'm thinking of doing Beamer's Women's Football Camp next summer, I think that would be awesome.

So if you are from Lynchburg and/or a History-Buff...here's what the "Wik" says about these steps of horror. Seriously if my legs didn't already hate me, enough.

Well that's fine cuz the feeling is mutual!

KJ out.

One Year ago....

Today was the first day of school for Bees....This year, we still have one week left, I'm not sure I'll make it! I have lots of stuff planned next week...I wonder if it will even get started.....

BTW we're going here in October:

Shhhhhh Don't tell the kids! We tell them in 2 weeks, it's their Christmas present! Stay tuned for deets on how we are going to tell them, as well as the plan while in the World....

I have lots to plan and do before we go!