Menu Planning Monday! No, Really!!!

I CAN COOK AGAIN!!!

Seriously, one of the hardest parts of this whole pregnancy thing (aside from no alcohol and no deli meats) has been my inability to cook.  First, it was because of the nausea combined with pregnancy Super Nose.  I could barely stand the smell of cooked food, let alone stand the smell of cooking food.  Then there was the aversion to raw meat...yeah, that was less than fun.  That's still there to some extent, but I think it's at a manageable level.  At least, it is today, so I'm going to assume it will be this whole week!  Lol I know what assuming does...but we'll see how it goes!

This whole return to cooking thing is timely too!  Little Caylee is growing bigger every day!  And moving around like crazy!  Yep, I can finally feel her moving and I never get tired of it!  I can't wait until she really starts kicking the crap out of me so that Bryan can feel her too!  Plus, we generally save more money when I'm cooking and, at this point, every dollar saved will help when Miss Caylee makes her arrival.  So, without further ado, here's the Menu Plan this week!

MONDAY:  Meat muffins and veggies

TUESDAY:  Lasagna and veggies

WEDNESDAY:  Dump BBQ Jelly Chicken

THURSDAY:  Spaghetti and meatballs

FRIDAY:  Sushi.  Hey, California rolls are still fair game!!!

SATURDAY:  TBA.  Possibly our night out this week.

SUNDAY:  Pizza!

Menu Planning Tuesday!

Life is good!  It's been extremely busy lately, which explains the lack of posts.  However, I'm going to make a concerted effort to start posting regularly again.  Heck, I can always squeeze in a knitting post or two!  Speaking of, I'm almost done with my Gan Gan's Christmas shawl!

Other than that, Thanksgiving has come and gone.  It's strange to me that we're already at the end of November 2011.  Normally, we head to the hill country for Thanksgiving, but not this year.  I had some doctor appointments to sort out, so we stayed in town.  That's not to say we didn't still have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We celebrated with Bryan's Papa and Mimi, and Aunt Kris and the kiddos, on Wednesday night, and then we spent all day Thursday with Bouncer and Alicia and his parents!  It was a wonderful day and--thanks to Alicia--a wonderful meal!  The Aggie football game could have had a happier ending, but it was a wonderful holiday overall.

Oh, and Bryan finished painting the living room!  Now, we just have to touch up the stairwell, and paint our bedroom and bath!

Anyway, that's a brief update--on to the menu plan this week!

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich or PBJ for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

MONDAY:  We went out to eat.

TUESDAY: Grilled Shrimp Tostadas.

WEDNESDAY: Gan Gan's Meatloaf

THURSDAY: Feta and Basil Stuffed Chicken

FRIDAY:  Salad with Pan-fried Lime Chicken

SATURDAY:  Bryan has a ride, so I may or may not be on my own.  If I am--sushi!  If not, out to eat!

SUNDAY: Spaghetti with Meatballs and Garlic Bread

Menu Planning Wednesday!

Hello y'all! I promise there are posts in the works that have nothing to do with menu planning. There's a knitting project post and a life update post and a friends post and a faith post. But all of that has to wait until I can actually type on a keyboard again instead of playing hunt-and-peck on the IPad's touchscreen. Yes, the RA is still that bad. But things could still be worse! And let me just say I am so grateful for the blessing that is my wonderful husband. Anyway, here's this week's menu plan.
Breakfast: eggs w/ toast, yogurt w/ fruit
Lunch: Ham and Cheese Sandwich or leftovers
Dinner:
Wednesday: Feta and Basil Stuffed Chicken
Thursday: Fettuccine w/ Alfredo Sauce and Immitation Crab Meat
Friday: Big Salad w/ Lime Chicken Tenders
Saturday: Leftovers or out to eat
Sunday: Spaghetti and Meatballs w/ Garlic Bread

Menu Planning Monday!!!

I'm posting this from my hubby's IPad! Why? Well, I am SUPER-flared today and can't type on an actual keyboard. Heck, even this touchscreen is really hard because of my silly elbows. Gah. However, it is Monday and that means I need to menu plan! After all, I can't slack off only a week after determining to get back in the swing of things! Now, I have to admit that we ended up going out to eat several times last week with friends who were in from out of town, which means I will recycle most of my plan from last week. Also, this is going to be a pretty short post...I really don't know how long I can make my hands cooperate. On that note, here's the plan! Breakfast:  I have finally discovered Greek yogurt! I live the Chiobani in particular. That's breakfast, along with some fresh fruit! Lunch:  sometimes sushi, sometimes sandwich, sometimes a wrap Dinner: MONDAY:  Salad with Pan-fried Lime Chicken (we didn't have it last week) TUESDAY: Feta and Basil Stuffed Chicken WEDNESDAY: Rigatoni with Tomato, Basil and Olive Sauce THURSDAY:  Grilled Shrimp Tostadas FRIDAY:  Macaroni and Cheese with Carmalized Onions and (maybe) Ham Chunks SATURDAY:  Leftovers SUNDAY:  Spaghetti and Meatballs with Garlic Bread

Menu Planning Monday! Getting Back To It!

My Aggie Football Menu Planning post aside, I've really been slacking on my menu planning.

Bad stay-at-home wife, bad!  Lol.

Honestly, I've been suffering from cooking burnout--and since we don't have a kiddo yet, I just decided to take a hiatus.  We've been eating out quite a bit.  However, it's time to get back up on the cooking horse.

Why?

Well, my wonderful hubby has informed me that he misses my cooking!  I didn't realize that my cooking was good enough to miss!  Add that to the fact that I've been watching our food budget slowly creep up the past couple of months...yeah, it's definitely time to start menu planning and cooking once again!

I'm actually writing this post this past Friday (hello future self!), mostly because I've got plenty of time today to really look at recipes and try to liven up my routine dinner choices.  So, anyway, on to the menu plan for this week!

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich or PBJ for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

MONDAY:  Chicken with Creamy Mushrooms and Peas

TUESDAY: Sit and Stitch!  I'll pick something up on the way.

WEDNESDAY: Rigatoni with Tomato, Basil and Olive Sauce

THURSDAY:  Grilled Shrimp Tostadas

FRIDAY:  Salad with Pan-fried Lime Chicken

SATURDAY:  Bryan has a ride, so I may or may not be on my own.  If I am--sushi!  If not, out to eat!

SUNDAY:  Macaroni and Cheese with Carmalized Onions and (maybe) Ham Chunks

Menu Planning Monday: Aggie Football Season is here!!!

I'm so excited to get back to regular menu planning!  Bryan was gone for 10 days for work, and it's nice to get back to normal...and to make progress on our home projects that were put on hold while he was gone.  Specifically, we're making progress on painting the interior of the house!

The dining room is now done, and the kitchen will be finished tonight!  I wish I could say I was a big help, but it's really been all my wonderful hubby.  My hands have been a wreck, so my contribution has been cleaning out the roller and paint brush after he's done painting, and helping pick all the paint stuff up.  

Other than that, Aggie football is FINALLY back!!!  WHOOP!!!

Bryan's Papa and Mimi invited us to go to the Idaho game this last Saturday, and we had a blast!  We got to see my cousin Morgan and his girlfriend Ariana and Bryan's cousin Brooke--all Class of 2015!  

We spent some time before the game tailgating with Bryan's Uncle David and Aunt Amy (both Aggies as well) and Brooke and Claire (a future Aggie!), and then headed to the Fan Zone outside of Kyle Field to meet up with Morgan and Ariana for a bit.  At the game, we also got to see my cousin Joseph--Class of 2004--and wife Jill!

The game itself was a blow-out!  The final score was Aggies 37, Idaho 7.  That said, our boys were a bit sloppy, especially on offense.  Hopefully they tighten up their game by this coming Saturday for the Oklahoma State game.  I love getting to go to Aggie football games with Bryan's Papa and Mimi--they're such amazing people and it's so wonderful to get to spend time with them!  I'm super-excited that we get to go with them next week too!  I love Aggie football season!

On that note, here's our menu plan for the next week!

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich or PBJ for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

MONDAY: Crab Meat Salad w/ fresh fruit and a roll.

TUESDAY: Sit and Stitch!  I'll pick something up on the way.

WEDNESDAY:  Spaghetti and garlic bread!

THURSDAY: Salad with Pan-Fried Chicken Strips

FRIDAY:  Pita Pizzas

SATURDAY:  TEXAS A&M vs. OSU

SUNDAY:  Gan Gan's Meatloaf 

Menu Planning Monday

This last weekend was a good one, and, of course, I forgot a single picture!

It was my mama's birthday, and she, Dad, Aunt Candy, Gan Gan, Brooke and her friend Halley all headed down this way.  Austin came in from Austin (which always makes me giggle a bit) and the whole lot of us went down to the island for Mexican food and Italian ice and custard at Rita's.  Then we came back to the house and drank wine!  Well, mom and I did lol.  Everyone else watched a movie and Bryan and Austin went and hung out on the back porch.

Brooke and Halley were supposed to stay here with us until Tuesday.  We were going to go see a movie today and hang out, head to the beach tomorrow, and then on Tuesday we were going to go to the zoo on the way to my parents' house.  But just before the parental units left on Saturday, we figured out that Brooke was running a fever.  She was sick so she and Halley ended up going back with everyone and I believe back home yesterday.  I wish they could have stayed, but it's important that she get better soon...after all, her senior year is just around the corner!

So, Brooke, if you're reading this:  FEEL BETTER SOON!!!  :-D

The upside was that Austin did get to stay the weekend!  I love it when he and Diego come to visit!  We spent yesterday watching a documentary about the Dark Ages--or rather, I watched while Bryan and Austin napped.  Then Austin and I watched several episodes of Bleach and Bryan worked on building the first of our cedar end tables for the game room upstairs--it's not completely finished yet, but its already so pretty!!!  We're still deciding on whether we want two or three up there---we'll see how the first two look and decide from there.  I love my hubby so much!  He's so skillful at so many things...I'm so proud of him!

So, that was our weekend!  And here's the menu plan for this week:

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich or PBJ for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

MONDAY:  Garlicky Shrimp Bake--I didn't actually end up making this last week.

TUESDAY: Sit and Stitch!  I'll pick something up on the way.

WEDNESDAY:  Spaghetti and garlic bread!

THURSDAY:  Nice big salad with imitation crab meat and bread!

FRIDAY:  Pita Pizzas

SATURDAY:  Probably out to eat.

SUNDAY:  Perhaps Feta and Pesto Stuffed Chicken

Menu Planning Monday!

Happy Monday everyone...and I hope that's not too much of an oxymoron for everyone today.

Things here are pretty good.  It's been a quiet couple of weeks, which is a nice change from the pleasant business of the rest of the summer.  This next weekend we're keeping Teddy, and my cousin Brooke and a friend of hers are coming to stay for a few days!  I foresee lots of pool time while they're here, at least one trip to the beach, probably a movie trip, potentially shopping/bookstore runs, and lots of fun stuff!

Speaking of fun stuff, here's our menu plan for the week:

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich or PBJ for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

MONDAY:  Garlicky Shrimp Bake--I didn't actually end up making this last week.

TUESDAY: Sit and Stitch!  Bryan's on his own.

WEDNESDAY:  Feta and Pesto Stuffed Chicken

THURSDAY:  Nice big salad with imitation crab meat and bread!

FRIDAY:  Pita Pizzas

SATURDAY:  Brooke and her friend will be in town, so we might order a pizza or two, or go out to eat.

SUNDAY:  Out to eat, or spaghetti with garlic bread.

Menu Planning Monday!

Let's get this straight.  I am actually menu planning ON A MONDAY?!?

And the world ISN'T ending?!?

Fantastic!

Maybe this means I'm getting back in my blogging groove.  I hope so, because, as lax as I've been, I really do miss writing on here.

Since my last post, my frame of mind has been generally better, even if my physical frame has not.  That's right, I'm still flared.  BUT I go to Dr. C on Thursday and am hoping for some relief in the form of cortisone joint injections.  Those needles might be huge and scary looking, but it's totally worth it!  

Why?

Because I miss being active (well, active for me) so much!  

I've tried walking--bad idea--and tried using the WiiFit--again, bad idea--but both of them exacerbated my flare.  I tried going to the gym and getting on the recumbent bike--horrible idea.  I miss water aerobics SO MUCH, but the water resistance kills my wrist, so I haven't been going.  I'm hoping next week I can go again!  In the meantime, I'm getting desperate.  I even bought an adult hula hoop on amazon.com today so that I can be active here at the house.  Hula hooping is impact free, and my back and hips are unaffected, so I'm hoping this will give me something I can go do for a few minutes a few times a day just to get up and moving.  Oh, and the one I bought has bright and happy colors!

Anyway, I'm hoping that having something to do other than sit on the couch and read (which, don't get me wrong, I LOVE) will help me sleep at night (stupid insomnia) and help me get some energy back.  Alright, enough about output!  Here's the plan for this week's input!

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich or PBJ for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

MONDAY: Tonight we had big salads with (fake)crab meat and rolls!  It sure hit the spot.

TUESDAY: Sit and Stitch!  Traditional Sonic night!

WEDNESDAY:  Pecan-Crusted Chicken

THURSDAY:  Garlicky Shrimp Bake

FRIDAY:  Pita Pizzas

SATURDAY:  Bryan has a ride, so I'll be on my own!  I might just enjoy another big salad--I've been salad-hungry lately!

SUNDAY: Probably out to eat!  If not that, then I might try that new Weight Watchers recipe for Chicken Pasta in a Creamy Walnut Sauce that I've been excited about!

Menu Planning...Thursday? Yes, Thursday!

This week I swear that my head would have long since fallen off my shoulders if it hadn't been connected!

It's been wonderful in a lot of ways--family coming in is always fun!  On the other hand, it has been a very stressful couple of days, mostly because we had a water leak.  We're still in the process of working out what exactly happened and finding out who we need to talk to about repairs, but you can probably bet on a post about it in the coming weeks.  That said, most of the damage is over the garage, so at least our house is still liveable while we figure all this out.

In the meantime, my cousin Carol and her husband Calley and their boys are coming in next week!  It's going to be SO MUCH FUN having them here!!!  We always have a good time hanging out together.  Since we have about a week until they come, I figured I'd menu plan for the days in between!  We'll figure out next week once they get here and I can get input on what the boys like to eat!  So, without further ado, here's are menu plan for this short-week!  

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich or PBJ for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

THURSDAY:  Coconut Shrimp

FRIDAY:  Pita Pizzas

SATURDAY:  Bryan will be out of town, so I'll figure something out!

SUNDAY: Basil and Pesto Stuffed Chicken

MONDAY: Pasta with Chicken and Creamy Walnut Sauce--a new recipe I'm REALLY excited about!

Menu Plan Wednesday!

This week has been going by so quickly!  

Monday Bryan's dad and Angie were still in town from this weekend, so I got to spend most of the day hanging out with them!  I don't really remember what we did for dinner...probably grabbed something to eat because I sure didn't cook!  Tuesday my right wrist was flared pretty badly, but I still ended up doing my Sonic run and Sit&Stitch night at Park Avenue Yarns.

Today I got lunch with Lisa at a local tea shop.  The food was really good and the raspberry tea was delicious!  We then walked around the little antique and boutique shops nearby before we headed our separate ways.  It was quite an enjoyable start to the afternoon!  And I was able to buy a couple more things to send to my friend along with her other surprise!

Now, I'm just relaxing here at the house, thinking about doing laundry and watching a new anime.  There's no news on the baby front yet, which I'm trying not to get too down about.  I know stressing about it and worrying about it are counterproductive...I'm just starting to get impatient lol.  Other than that, I have a full house right now--Tiberius and Abby are here for the week again!

And that's all there is to say about all that.  Here's the menu plan for the rest of the week.

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich or PBJ for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

WEDNESDAY:  Gan Gan's Meatloaf maybe.

THURSDAY:  Coconut Shrimp

FRIDAY:  Pita Pizzas

SATURDAY:  We might be going out to eat with some friends.

SUNDAY: Basil and Pesto Stuffed Chicken

Sleeping with The Koyote and Menu Planning Monday!

Whew!  Last week was a super-busy week!  After my Menu Planning post last Tuesday, I expected my week to slow down and actually planned on posting at least one more time before now.  How wrong I was!  Tuesday night was Sit&Stitch and then Wednesday was a day of cleaning.  My focus was our master bathroom.  It took my two hours, but I'm proud to say out bathroom is now as clean as it was when we bought the house!  Very shiny!

And of course, after that type of effort, I was totally flared on Thursday.  So, it's official--gone are the days where I can stage a mass cleaning in one day's time.  I'm going to have to remember to remember that lol.  I think it will work best if I plan cleaning projects out over a few days.  For example, I could break the bathroom into a counters-mirror-toilet day and then a bathtub-shower-floors day.  Live and learn!

So, Thursday I took it easy and only did the laundry and straightening up that I needed to accomplish before Bryan and I headed out of town.  We packed up Thursday night and headed out nice and early to meet up with Ethan and Julie!  Bouncer and Alicia are fantastic and watched the pups for us while we were gone.  I love our friends!

After a couple of hours lost to Ethan's stubborn battery, the boys finally rode off and Julie and I started our road trip up to Koyote Ranch!  It's a beautiful ranch a little south of Kerrville.  Somehow, Julie and I beat the boys to the ranch and got checked in and unloaded.  Our cabin was BEAUTIFUL! 

I wish I'd taken more pictures!  Bryan and I took the loft bed--I love lofts--and Ethan and Julie were on the ground floor.  We even had AC and our own bathroom!   It was great!  On top of all that, the cabin also had an amazing back porch!  We all spent quite a bit of time on the porch, especially in the mornings and evenings.

We hung out at the pool with all the SOT family and Ethan, Julie and Bryan went and rode the roads known as the Three Sisters on Saturday.  Since I can't ride for an extended period of time, I went for a walk with Kim and hung out at the pool and on our cabin's awesome porch.  The views were beautiful and it was altogether an enjoyable trip.

The only bummer was that I was hoping to get to spend some one-on-one time with the hubby while we were there, and that didn't really happen.  That's ok though, because we're hoping to take another mini-vacation some time in August or September, just the two of us!  That means I have some researching of places to go to do!  I love researching traveling!

Anyway, yesterday morning we packed up and headed out.  Julie and I had a good ride, except that she had to keep fixing the air conditioning in the truck lol.  It got a bit hot.  We finally made it home and took it easy until bedtime.  Today, I'm unpacking and doing laundry and generally getting ready for the rest of the week.  I finished watching a new anime on NetFlix: Ouran High School Host Club!  It's really cute and I actually went to HPB.com and found good deals on the first 10 volumes of the manga!  That's right, I've actually cracked open the door that I long ago shut on my manga addiction lol  Oh well--at least I can always sell them back at a Half-Price Books store if I want to. 

Other than that, my clothes order from Old Navy came in today!  The jeans are perfect, and two of the pairs of shorts fit fine, but the other two pairs--even though they are the same style, size and product DON'T fit!  I don't understand it.  Oh well--at least I can return them at the store at Baybrook!  Not to mention, that will give me a good excuse to run to the Barnes and Nobles and Starbucks across the street!

This week should be pretty low-key.  I'm planning on going to water aerobics Tuesday and Thursday, and Sit&Stitch tomorrow night.  Other than that, we'll see how the week goes!  And on that note, here's the menu plan this week!

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich or PBJ for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

MONDAY:  Bryan's working a bit extra late today, so we're going to grab something out-to-eat whenever he makes it home.

TUESDAY: Sit and Stitch!  Traditional Sonic night!  After all, it's not MY fault we're eating out tonight, which makes tomorrow two nights out in a row lol.

WEDNESDAY:  Pecan-Crusted Chicken

THURSDAY:  Coconut Shrimp

FRIDAY:  Pita Pizzas

SATURDAY:  I'm thinking Taco Night!

SUNDAY:  Beef and Ricotta HALF lasagna!  I'm going to try to figure out how to make half a lasagna from the Weight Watcher's recipe I have.  Once we have a kid big enough to eat lasagna, the full-sized one will be great...but right now, we end up eating lasagna for a week!  So, half-size is what we need!

Menu Planning Tuesday!

I know, I know.  It's a day late.  AGAIN.  Oh well.

Yesterday was a good day--I slept in quite a bit to make up for the lack of sleep Saturday night.

Yesterday afternoon I went over to Alicia's house and got my hair done!  I'll post pictures later--today is a lazy day lol.  Then last night Bryan and I watched Robin Hood on Netflix.  It was a wonderful continuation of the weekend's relaxation!

Anyway, here's the menu plan for this week!

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

MONDAY:  Gan Gan's Meatloaf

TUESDAY: Sit and Stitch! I think this is gradually turning into a Sonic night for me...and I'm completely fine with that!  It's turning into a tradition lol.

WEDNESDAY:  Feta and Pesto Stuffed Chicken

THURSDAY:  Pita Pizzas

FRIDAY:  Not sure yet!  Bryan's possibly taking Friday off, so we'll see what we end up doing!

SATURDAY:  Out to eat!

SUNDAY: Honestly, we'll probably go out to eat again.  Lol.  Lots going on this weekend.

Menu Planning on a Wednesday!

Normally, Bryan and I run on a Monday to Monday food schedule.  That is, I would plan Monday to Monday and then we'd go to the grocery store Monday evening for the next week.  Well, the introduction of out-to-eat nights and family events has slowly backed our schedule to a Wednesday to Wednesday time frame.  Now, this probably won't stop me from still posting the Menu Plan on Mondays most weeks, but this week it's Menu Planning Wednesday!  On top of that, Mama Lynn is coming on Sunday!!!  So, I'm going to try to plan out some non-chicken/beef/venison dishes for while she's here!

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

MONDAY:  We had spaghetti!

TUESDAY: Sit and Stitch! I think this is gradually turning into a Sonic night for me...and I'm completely fine with that!

WEDNESDAY: Garlicky Shrimp Bake

THURSDAY:  Gan Gan's Meatloaf

FRIDAY:  Pita Pizzas!  Bryan will be out of town for Guys Weekend with SOT, but I'm still gonna get my pizza fix!

SATURDAY:  I'll be going out to eat with Bryanne-Michelle if the plans align...otherwise, leftover meatloaf!

SUNDAY:  Mama Lynn will be in town!  Honey-Glazed Tilapia either tonight or tomorrow night.

MONDAY:  Coconut Shrimp

TUESDAY:  Sit and Stitch!  I'll probably grab something quick again.

Menu Planning Monday

Howdy howdy!  Here we are at the start of a new week.  Glad we all made it!

This weekend was crazy busy.  Saturday, our friends Ethan and Julie came over for lunch and beer brewing during the day, and then that evening Bryan and I headed over to the west side of town for my step-cousin Melanie's wedding.  She and Eric (the groom) had a beautiful outdoor ceremony and a very nice reception, complete with a photo booth!  It was a good time.

Sunday was Mother's Day!  Happy late Mother's Day to any moms reading this!  We got up and headed up to my mom and dad's house and took them and my brother out for lunch at Luby's!  My dad's side of the family had plans to get together at my cousin Casey's new house that afternoon, but Bryan and I really wanted to make sure that the five of us had some time with just us and my mom.  After lunch we headed to Casey's and hung out around his very shiny cool new pool.  My little cousin Max was so fun to watch--he LOVES the water!  That evening we went to Lindsay's birthday party, which was a ton of fun, and then we headed home.

And today is Monday.  Monday monday monday.  Mooooonday.  And it's one of those Mondays where I'm just exhausted and feeling completely blah.  I don't have the motivation to be productive--though I will have to get a few things done today or this week will snowball on me.  I don't have the motivation to knit--which is mostly due to the fact that my right wrist is killing me.  I'm not in a chipper frame of mind over all--and that's because I didn't go til bed til late, got woken up early, and tossed and turned for a few hours before giving up and getting out of bed.  So, in an attempt to alleviate the funk I'm in, here's the menu plan for the week!

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

MONDAY:  Coconut Shrimp

TUESDAY: Sit and Stitch! Honey-Glazed Tilapia

WEDNESDAY:  Crispy Pecan-Crusted Chicken--since I didn't make it last week!

THURSDAY:  Beef and Ricotta Lasagna

FRIDAY:  Pita Pizzas!

SATURDAY:  Even though the actual date is Monday (May 16), we're celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary this weekend!  So, either out to eat OR left over lasagna, in case we go out during the day.

SUNDAY:  Leftover lasagna!

Menu Planning Monday!!!

Laura over at OrgJunkie.com has a new Menu Planning Monday button!  I think it's cute!  Maybe one day I will make me own blog button just for kicks.  Anyway, this weekend was wonderful!  Saturday Bryan and I slept in and then spent time together around the house that morning.  We started watching Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, but didn't get to finish it.  We'll have to NetFlix it because it was fantastic!  Around lunch time, we headed over to Bouncer and Alicia's.  Alicia had to work, but the boys got a good jump on building Bouncer's keezer.  I took my knitting and got quite a bit done on Bryanne-Michelle's scarf!  I made one trip to Park Avenue Yarns early in the afternoon and bought my BEAUTIFUL maroon Banana Silk yarn from Frabjous Fibers!  That's what I'll use on my next scarf project!

Later, after Alicia got home but before we all went out to dinner, she and I went back to the yarn shop.  She bought the green banana silk yarn (SO PRETTY!), and I got another skein of Tuareg from Malabrigo Yarns.  Why?  Well, I was a bit short on Bryanne-Michelle's scarf AND I have an idea for a secret project for a particular holiday that's coming up...yikes, I have less than a week!  I'd better get cracking...I mean knitting lol.

Sunday morning, Bryan and I got up and got ready for a day at the waterpark!  Which meant running to the store for sunscreen and beach towels.  Somehow, we didn't own a single beach towel!  But that's remedied...and I love my new beach towel!  It's so fun and festive!


We picked up Bouncer and Alicia and headed to SplashTown!!!  It was the NASA Family Picnic--BBQ, beer and water rides!  I didn't take any pictures while we were there, but we had a blast!  The weather was perfect--partly cloudy and NOT sweltering-- and Lindsay and Ben brought his two kiddos.  They are adorable and so much fun!  Bryan said having kids at the water park really made the trip--which made me smile.  Maybe in a few years we'll have a kiddo who will be old enough to go with us and run us ragged lol.  That said, I sure enjoyed going on the big kid rides!  And Bryan even went on one really scary one with Lindsay and Bouncer and me, one medium one, and then he, Bouncer and I rode another one TWICE!  Since he really does NOT like those kind of rides, I was really happy that he went on that many with me!  Other than that, Bouncer was my ride buddy.  Alicia and I had a blast on the lazy river and in the wave pool!  Of course, after a full day at the water park, my right ankle and feet are killing me, and my wrists and hands are achy.  Totally worth it, but I'm going to be out of commission for a few days.  Hopefully I can at least get to water aerobics tomorrow, even if I just walk around in the water instead of doing the exercises.  But I sure wouldn't go back and change a thing--yesterday was a BLAST!!!

Anyways, on to today's Menu Planning Monday!  If you want to read other Menu Plans, or share your own, you can go over to Laura's Menu Plan for today!

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

MONDAY: Gan Gan's Meatloaf

TUESDAY: Sit and Stitch!  Hopefully I'm up to going!  So, dinner will be spaghetti!

WEDNESDAY: Coconut Shrimp

THURSDAY: Crispy Pecan-Crusted Chicken

FRIDAY:  Pita Pizzas!

SATURDAY: My step-cousin Melanie and her fiance Eric are getting married!  We'll probably eat at the reception.  

SUNDAY: Not sure yet...maybe out to eat?  We'll play Sunday by ear, I think.

Menu Planning Monday!

I completely skipped menu planning last week, as well as most of my other planned posts.

I guess when I've got a lot on my mind, that tends to happen lol.  Time to get back in the swing of posting!  For starters, this weekend was a ton of fun!  Like a complete dummy, I brought my camera to everything we did...and totally forgot to take pictures.  So, it will have to be a purely verbal sum-up.

Thursday we had our own family Muster with Bryan's Papa and Mimi, his cousin Jimmy, his Uncle David, and cousins Brooke (who goes to A&M in the fall...WHOOP!) and Claire.  It was a wonderful time, chatting with everyone, swapping stories from our respective days at A&M.  Saturday, we had Bouncer and Alicia, Ethan and Julie and Lindsay and Ben over for a crawfish boil!  It was a ton of fun--Bryan did a great job with the crawfish and we all laughed and hung out til the evening.  Sunday was Easter.  We actually overslept and didn't make it to church (ooops) but we did have a wonderful Sunday brunch, just the two of us.  Then we trekked up to Spring for Dad's side of the family's reunion and spent the day with my parents, grandparents, Aunt Stacey and Uncle Joey and Cody and Shelby, plus the extended family.  Bryan played in the softball game and got some awesome hits!  Then we went out to eat with mom and dad, and went to the house in Spring to play with the pups and visit for awhile.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend!

And now starts the new week!  Today has been productive so far.  The house is clean, except for Bryan's crawfish pot and ice chest.  The laundry is in the process of being done and I changed up a few of my decorative touches.  Later I'm going to run to Hobby Lobby for a bit--I need to get out of the house for awhile.  This week should be much quieter than last week (I hope) until next Sunday, when we're going on a NASA trip to SplashTown!  I'll definitely have to remember to take AND USE my camera then!

Now, on to the food!  I'm still using a lot of Weight Watcher recipes, and most of them are scrumptious!  However, I am NOT weight in today.  This weekend was my first holiday since joining up with WW and let's just say I belly flopped lol.  Beer and margaritas and crawfish and two rounds of Mexican food PLUS the Sunday brunch...yeah, I have a lot to make up for this week before I weigh in again!  On that note, here's the menu plan for this week!

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

MONDAY: Leftover Beef and Ricotta Lasagna

TUESDAY: Possibly Lasagna again...I made a lot and it needs to be eaten lol.

WEDNESDAY: Garlicky Baked Shrimp

THURSDAY: Feta and Pesto Stuffed Chicken

FRIDAY:  Pita Pizzas!

SATURDAY:  Gan Gan's Meatloaf

SUNDAY: SPLASHTOWN DAY!  We'll probably just eat our fill of BBQ before coming home for the evening lol.

Menu Planning Monday!

This weekend was awesome!

There will be a post tomorrow all about it, I promise, but I'm a little short on time today.

So, without all the usual ado, here's our menu plan this week!

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

MONDAY: Coconut Turkey Fingers with Peach Sauce

TUESDAY:  Gan Gan's Meatloaf

WEDNESDAY:  Oven-Fried Chicken with Buttermilk Brine

THURSDAY:  Coriander-Mint Lamb Chops

FRIDAY:  Pita Pizzas!

SATURDAY:  Left-overs or out to eat

SUNDAY:  Beef and Ricotta Lasagna

Menu Planning Monday!

Wow!  I got so caught up in the new book I'm reading on my Kindle, I almost completely forgot to menu plan today!  And since the hubby will be home soon and we're planning on going to the store this evening, that would have been quite inconvenient!

That said, this book is awesome!  It's Entwined by Heather Dixon--a really well-done retelling of a classic fairy tale.  I discovered this book through Arena over at The Nerd's Wife, and will probably write a review for it some time this week.

This weekend was lots of fun, even if Bryan was out of town Friday and Saturday.  SOT had their Spring Kick-Off ride to San Antonio this year, and that's just too far of a ride for me these days.  Instead, Lindsay and I had one of our every-two-month lunches on Saturday and spent three hours catching up on life.  Then I went to the dollar theater to seen Tangled...and LOVED it so much, I bought it the next day!  I also went to the beach for a little while on Saturday evening and enjoyed sitting in the sand and watching the waves roll in to the tunes of Great Big Sea.  Sunday was church and then Bouncer and Alicia came over again for beer brewing.  Alicia and I knitted and watched Tangled!  Brewing only took until 5:30 this time, and then I made Coconut Shrimp for dinner and Bryan and I spent the evening watching Naruto!

Anyway, no WeightWatcher update today because, well, I slept through the meeting.  Ok, I did not sleep until 12:45 today, but I did sleep until it was too late to make the meeting.  I was really tired for some reason.  So, I'll just have to be extra-good this week and go weigh in next week!  Now, on to the Menu Plan this week!

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

MONDAY:  Honey-Glazed Tilapia

TUESDAY: Tacos

WEDNESDAY:  Crispy Pecan-Crusted Chicken Breasts--since my hubby has been asking for them!

THURSDAY:  Garlicky Baked Shrimp

FRIDAY:  Pita Pizzas!

SATURDAY:  My friend Kim is getting married next weekend, so we'll be at her wedding on Saturday!

SUNDAY:  Gan Gan's Meatloaf

 

There's also this amazing Creamy Lemon Pie recipe that I'm wanting to try this week--though I might use Lime instead! 

Menu Planning Monday! On Tuesday!

Whew this weekend was rough!

In a fun way, of course, but I'm still recovering.  Bryan and I undertook the task of remulching the flowerbeds.  And by "Bryan and I" I mean Bryan lol.  I weeded as I could, but even just that has me out of commission for a few days.  At least the flowerbeds look beautiful!  And this week we'll put up the picket fence border!

Other than that, my beta Mr. Fish died.  I cried like a little girl.  I know he was just a pretty swamp fish, but I'd had him since 2006, when I rescued him from Kelyn, Bryan's sister.  She was tired of him and was going to flush him to that great swamp in the sky.  I stepped in and took him home with me.  I figured I already had Rurouni and they could share food easily enough.  I dubbed him Mr. Fish, and ever since then he had lived on the counter in my bathroom.  To be specific he had lived in four bathrooms--Aggie Station, WUGA, The Landings, and here at the house.  He loved to swim in random circles and to surge up from the bottom with his bent tail in order to chomp two or three food bits at once.  I never expected him to make 5 years, but he did--and now that he's gone I will miss him.

We also joined our church Sunday evening at the Church 101 class--I'm super-excited about it, and Bryan is happy and a little excited that we've joined as well!  When you join a UMC, you pledge to uphold the church with your prayers, presences, gifts and service.  Prayers and presence are easy enough and we're going to fill out our donation commitment card and our service surveys this week, once we discuss the budget and time commitments.  I'm hoping to be able to volunteer with the youth--but we'll have to see which opportunities are compatible with my RA and disability.

Bouncer and Alicia came over for dinner Sunday night, and we girls had our own mini Sit&Stitch while the boys bottled and kegged one batch of beer and brewed a second.  I finally finished my second knitting project and it was fun, even if it did go entirely too late.  1 am is really late/early, especially since they all had work on Monday.  As for me, sleep is the best thing for preventing/controlling flares, and not getting enough after this weekend has made recuperating a bit of a flary bitch.  But that's ok!  Now that I knit, I can feel productive even on days when all I can do for the most part is sit around.  Like today--today is a sit and watch InuYasha while knitting day, with occasional standing/walking around to keep me from aching too much from sitting and to do laundry and dishes.

Yesterday was much the same, except I did go to my Weight Watchers weigh-in!  I lost another .8 pounds, which made me happy!  I didn't actually go to the meeting--instead, I sat in my car in front of the meeting place for thirty minutes talking on the phone with my little brother!  I hadn't talked to him in a couple of weeks, so it was good to catch up!

Speaking of catching up, it's definitely time to plan out this week's menu.  So, here we go!

Breakfast:  some combination of egg, toast, fruit and/or yogurt with cottage cheese with milk

Lunch:  turkey and cheese sandwich for me, leftovers or buying for Bryan

Dinner:

MONDAY:  Gan Gan's Meatloaf

TUESDAY:  Sit and Stitch=Taco night!

WEDNESDAY:  Since I didn't actually make this last week--Feta and Pesto Stuffed Chicken

THURSDAY:  Coconut Shrimp

FRIDAY:  Bryan will be out of town, so I'm thinking a large salad is in order--or maybe some Chinese takeout!

SATURDAY:  Pita Pizzas!

SUNDAY:  Honey Glazed Tilapia