This week's menu... 4/28/14-5/4/14

Monday:  BBQ chicken legs & garlic mashed potatoes

Tuesday:  Brats and sauerkraut

Wednesday:  veggie curry

Thursday:  pizza night

Friday:  leftovers

Saturday:  veggie stir fry

Sunday:  smothered chicken (recipe coming soon)

What's on your menu this week?

...

I feel like I've been a slacker -as far as my blogging goes- lately...  I just don't know where I want all of this to go.  Not that it has to go anywhere, really, but I feel like it's turned into a place to plan my menus and that's not all that I want it to be.

So, for that reason, I'm taking a break from posting my menu planning on here (for now, at least).  I feel like I've done it enough to give you a good example of how to go about it, and I really don't think that anyone cares about what I'm cooking for my family anyway.  Really, the only feedback I've ever gotten have been negative comments from a guy that I hardly knew in high school that I repeat certain meals too often.  So I'm done with the sharing of my menus for the time being.

On a different note, I've been doing well with my #100daysofyogachallenge...  today was day 41!  Yay!  I'm feeling better and my general mood has improved.

Also, I started a challenge that I saw on Facebook this morning...  the "40 Bags in 40 Days 2014 Decluttering Challenge" (want to know more about it?  Click the link)...  I'm sure I'll share more about it in the future.

I've also created a printable cleaning chart and I hope to do a post about it soon.

Anyway, just putting all that out there for whoever might be reading my blog..............

.............is there anyone who reads this?  ...or am I doing this for myself?

(I think every blogger has this question at some point)

If you're reading this, please leave me a comment and let me know.

This week's menu... 2/17/14-2/23/14...

So last week was an off week... I kind of planned the menu in my head, but my life was too busy to make time for a blog post.  Frankly, I'm proud of myself for getting around to it at all this week, albeit a little late...

This week's menu... 2/3/14-2/9/14...

It's only Tuesday and so much has happened this week...  Life is full of experiences to learn and grow from.

...this week's menu...

This week's menu... 1/27/14-2/2/14...

Thanks to living in an arctic tundra (otherwise known as the Chicagoland area in the winter of 2014), the kids' schools were closed today...  and will be again tomorrow.  Thus preventing my usual early week grocery shopping trip, since I can't take the little ones out in these frigid temperatures.  Hence, the first couple of meals on our menu this week...

...this week's menu...

This week's menu... 1/20/14-1/26/14...

...this week's menu...

Monday:  leftovers

Tuesday:  lemon chicken thighs and potage parmentier (never got around to it last week, what with a sick husband, then getting sick myself...  don't worry, a post will still be coming up on Create! Don't Consume! sometime this month)

Wednesday:  campanelle with Nikki's and my homemade marinara

Thursday:  pizza night

Friday:  BBQ sliders on pretzel rolls (the ones from Costco, YUM!) with peas (a "use what's in the freezer" meal)

Saturday:  beef and broccoli stir fry (another "use what's in the freezer" meal)

Sunday:  brats with homemade buns and corn

What's on your menu this week?

This week's menu... 1/13/14-1/19/14...

Menu planning went incredibly smoothly this week.  Country ribs were on sale last week, so I picked some up for this week...  Nikki and I did our planning for Create! Don't Consume! and I decided to try out potage parmentier (I've been reading Julie and Julia and am feeling inspired to try some classic recipes)...  and tonight we found a family pack of steak on sale.  It just all fell into place.

...this week's menu...

This week's menu... 1/6/14-1/12/14...

Apparently I'm in the mood for Italian food this week...

...this week's menu...

This week's menu... 12/30/13-1/5/14...

So, long time no post.  Sorry guys, the holidays are always a little crazy around here...  basically, from mid-October-Halloween-planning through mid-April (my Mom's birthday), I'm pretty busy...  but especially from Thanksgiving through Valentine's Day...  then come more birthdays...  anyway, I'll get into more of that in a future post.  This one is about our menu...

...this week's menu...

This week's menu... 12/9/13-12/15/13...

Oh, man...  I love the holidays, but holycrapamIexhausted!  Seriously, there's so much going on that I don't even feel like meal planning (which is something that I'd normally look forward to).  I'm sure I'll get over it once the holidays are through...

...this week's menu...

This week's menu... 12/2/13-12/8/13...

I've already written this post once, but our internet connection sucked for a few minutes and I lost everything, so blah-blah-blah...  busy week...  this post is late....  blah, blah, whatever...

Here it is.

...this week's menu...

This week's menu... 11/18/13-11/24/13...

So, last week's menu didn't go quite as planned...  While the recipes were fantastic,  I got bored eating the same meals so often.  If you look at the action plan, you'll see what I mean - lots of eating the same soup for dinner, then lunch, then dinner two nights later...  I just couldn't do it.  Maybe I'll try again after the holidays.

On a different note:  I'm officially down 25 lbs. since January!  Yay!

...and now for today's business...

...this week's menu...

This week's menu... 11/11/13-11/17/13...

So, I'm doing things a little differently this week...  My friend, Nikki, recently sent me a message saying that she wanted to do this:  wholeliving.com's action plan

Well, my weight-loss could use a kick in the butt, that's for sure.  To be honest, I've hit a BIG plateau and haven't really been motivated lately (thank goodness I haven't gained anything, but I haven't been losing the weight I'd like to either).  I figure that a little motivation from my friend and from Martha Stewart won't hurt.

Because I'm a mother and a wife, I'm planning my meals *around* Whole Living's action plan, I'm most likely not going to follow it exactly (this time, at least).  I'll be adding in extra proteins and making minor changes to keep my husband and kids happy and full.

(we'll be sharing more about this on Create! Don't Consume! as we go)

So, here it is...

...this week's menu...

This week's menu... 11/4/13-11/10/13...

When I started my menu planning for the week, I was interrupted and set the planner down on the kitchen counter....

...at which point, my husband decided to help with the planning...

...this week's *real* menu...

This week's menu... 10/28/13-11/3/13...

...this week's menu...

Monday:  Asian marinated salmon with broccoli

Tuesday:  Buffalo chicken pasta with peas

Wednesday:  Outback's potato soup copycat

Thursday:  MUMMY pizza night!

Friday:  Spaghetti night

Saturday:  Leftovers

Sunday:  Musaka

What's on your menu this week?

This week's menu... 10/21/13-10/27/13...

I realized as I was typing up this week's menu just how lazy I'm feeling toward cooking this week...  and you know what?  I'm gonna go ahead and allow it.  Time needs to go toward more important things this week...  like Halloween costumes and winter knitting.  Especially with the possibility of snow in tomorrow's forecast.  

REALLY, Illinois???  Snow in October?!?!  

Lamesauce.

This week's menu... 10/14/13-10/20/13...

...how many days have I missed now?  ::sad face::

It's okay 'cause I've still posted a heckuva lot more than usual this month.  Keep on the sunny side, right?

The past few days have been crazy busy...  The kids had a four-day weekend, so we filled it with a pumpkin farm, some housework and our city's Scarecrow Fest.  Lots of fun!

This week's menu... 10/7/13-10/13/13...

...this week's menu...

Monday:  buffalo chicken pasta (never happened last week, so here it is again)
Tuesday:  maple glazed turkey breast
Wednesday:  soup and salad
Thursday:  meatloaf and broccoli bites
Friday:  pizza night!
Saturday:  peppered salmon with roasted root vegetables
Sunday:  leftovers (or pasta)

What's on your menu this week?

100th post! ....and my first GIVEAWAY!!!

Wow!  100 posts!!!  To thank you for taking time to read my constant blabbering on, I'm going to do my first ever giveaway!

"What can I win?" you might ask...

This menu planner!
(the background is very light blue and swirly...
You can't see it very well with the filter on the image, sorry)

...and an embroidered flour sack towel to go with it!

Made just for you by me!

"Wow, that's awesome!" you might say, "...How can I win it?"

...Funny you should ask...

1. Follow this blog.
2. "Like" my Facebook page.
3. Check out friend's and my other blog, Create! Don't Consume! and answer both of our surveys there.  (There is a link to our surveys under the "Create!  Don't Consume!" blog header) 
4. Comment on this blog post letting me know that you completed the other requirements and what your favorite part of fall is.

...a winner will be chosen using random.org on 11/01/2013 and will be announced on this blog and on my Facebook page.

Good luck!

This week's menu... 9/30/13-10/6/13...

...keepin' it short again this week...  lots to do, so I'm sticking with our go-to recipes.