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

Small Rant: That Would Have Been Good to Know

Let me start off by saying life is fantastic!

My husband is wonderful and supportive, my pups are (pretty) good dogs, and I've got amazing friends.

We might not be pregnant yet, but we still have three more months to try (including this one), and I've been feeling very positive about the whole thing the past couple of days.

OK, now onto the rant.  As I mentioned in my Sharing The Journey post, there have been several surprises on this whole ride towards (hopefully) parenthood.  And they're starting to kinda piss me off.  

So, here's my list of things it would have been good to know:

1) Long-term methotrexate use can lead to hormonal issues and infertility.  Which IS listed in the side effects roll call, but apparently this is NOT one of the side effects that reverse after MTX is out of your system.

That would have been good to know.

2) Long-term NSAID use has a high correlation with LUFS.  This supposedly self-corrects once the NSAIDS are out of your system, but you have to KNOW to stop taking them.

That would have been good to know.

3) Texas does not legally require insurance companies to cover IVF--so they don't.  At all.  Even when the same insurance company offers a policy that DOES cover IVF in another state.

That would have been good to know.

4) My insurance only actually covered Clomid treatment and monitoring until the dose made me ovulate.  This is referred to as the "testing" period.  Now, we're on our own.

That would have been good to know.

5) OK, so I already knew this from dealing with my RA meds, but it bears repeating:  ALWAYS check the list of covered medications and check which ones need prior approval BEFORE going to the pharmacy to fill the prescription. 

Whew.  I feel better now.  Thanks for listening.

And now it's time to clean this place up and figure out dinner for tonight--Bouncer and Alicia are coming over!  Yay!

Wedding Week 2011!

I confess that I think of my husband and his two best friends from growing up as the Three Amigos.  Bryan and Andy and Mark all met in the fifth grade.  In the years that followed, their group was joined by others, and the whole crew has stayed close all the way until present-day.  But the Three Amigos were the first core unit.

Bryan and I got married back in May 2008.

Mark and Alicia got married back in April of 2010.

And last week, October 2011, Andy and Iman had a beautiful backyard fall wedding here in Texas!

I don't have a wedding picture for them yet, so here's the beautiful couple on their last trip to Texas.

The wedding was so much fun, and so were the days leading up to it!

Originally, the wedding was going to be at a local venue, but as the day got closer, Andy and Iman realized that what they truly wanted for their wedding day was an intimate backyard wedding.  So, with that change of plans, we all got to work as soon as they got in town!

Iman and I ran errands Monday morning.  We picked up her wedding dress and I got to see her try it on!  It was the perfect dress for her--absolutely beautiful, classy and fun!  Then we picked Emily up from the airport and headed to Andy's parents' house.  The wedding was to be in their backyard (which is a couple of acres), so we made a game plan for decorating.  Then the girls and I made a Hobby Lobby run and finally met up with Andy and Bryan for dinner.

Tuesday it was back to the house to work on decorations.  The boys ran their own errands and went to pick up Andy's suit.  The rest of us has our own tasks.

Emily was painting signs for parking and the bride and groom table:

Iman started on the centerpieces:

Tori (Andy's sister) was working on the pumpkin photo-holders for each table:

And I was decorating the prayers/blessings/advice tree:

Towards the end of the day, the four of us combined our powers to knock out the centerpieces!

Tuesday night, Bryan, Mark and Brandon threw Andy a bachelor's party here at our house, so we girls took ourselves to Iman's hotel!  We mixed up some drinks and spent a relaxing evening watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding--after all, it was a topical movie!

Wednesday, the boys were focused on getting the pretty lights strung over where the dance floor would be assembled, so we girls plus Andy's mom headed to a girls' lunch and then to the nail salon!  Iman had NEVER had a manicure or pedicure, and I decided it was a necessary experience for the day before her wedding.  Emily and Tori emphatically agreed!  I took them to the salon by my house--it's the best place ever--and Iman loved it!

Wednesday was the rehearsal dinner, where we also got to meet Iman's family and friends PJ and Jerilyn, who stayed at our house.  We all headed to our respective sleeping spots and were back up early Thursday morning--The Wedding Day!!!  Emily and I worked frantically to assemble the programs, with help from Jerilyn and Tori once the backyard was decorated.

Bryan left early to go pick up our surprise for Andy and Iman--a rented white Ford Mustang convertible getaway car!  They thought they were going to use my Santa Fe...yeah, that wasn't going to happen.  I love my car but it is in NO WAY a suitable getaway car for such an amazing couple!

I jetted home with just enough time to spare to change into my dress and jump into the convertible.  Thanks to two stalled vehicles and a wreck, Bryan and I pulled in JUST in time!  I borrowed a hairbrush and Bryan ran up to get the instructions on playing the ceremony music.  Then the wedding started!  It was beautiful, and the weather cooperated perfectly, aside from a little wind.

I wish I had pictures to share of the wedding and reception!  Iman looked gorgeous and Andy looked so happy!  The wrote their own vows, which were heartfelt and very touching.  The reception was a blast--plenty of dancing and laughing and celebrating.  We sat with Mark and Alicia, Brandon, Ruth, Diamante and Jerilyn at the "Pasadena, CA" table.  It was a wonderful time, and then we blew bubbles as the couple left in the Mustang!

Tear-down went quickly, and we got home and tumbled into bed.  The next morning, we had breakfast with the families and the happy couple and got to wish them a wonderful honeymoon.  It was a busy, crazy week, but SO MUCH FUN!!!  And it was such an honor to be able to be a part of Andy and Iman's big day!