Menu Plan Monday

Hey there! Yes, I'm still alive!! I've been shamefully ignoring this blog in favor of my virtual farm at Facebook. It's pretty addictive!! Sad, but true. Oh well. I'm trying to plant crops now that take days to grow rather than hours. That way I'll only have to get on there no more than once a day, allowing me to spend computer time on other sites....like this one! lol So, anyway, here's this week's menu. Hope you all have a great week!

Sunday- Hot Dogs

Monday- Hamburgers on grill

Tuesday- Ham & Potatoes Au Gratin

Wednesday- Salsa Chicken & Rice

Thursday- Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Friday- Italian Chicken

Saturday- Frozen Dinner

Italian Chicken

Large Reynolds oven bag

2 Tbsp. flour

1-14 oz. spaghetti sauce

3 chicken breast halves

1 med. green pepper, chopped

8 oz. pasta, cooked & drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shake flour in bag, put in 13x9 baking pan. Add spaghetti sauce to bag. Squeeze bag to blend flour. Add chicken and green pepper to bag. Turn bag to coat chicken with sauce. Arrange chicken in even layer. Close bag with tie and cut 6 - 1/2 inch slits in top. Bake until chicken is tender, 35-40 minutes. Serve over pasta.

What's Happening?

I haven't been super faithful with blogging lately, but I have good reason. I've been super busy finishing up our school year. I'm writing this on Sunday night, but probably won't post it until Tuesday (so you will know my perspective).

Last week we were "cramming" (not really, but it's what I call it) for testing this upcoming week. At the end of each school year, each registered homeschool child needs to be evaluated in one of 5 available ways. I choose a standardized test, which I then have evaluated by a certified teacher, who in turn gives me a letter of approval, which I then send into the county...whew! lol So, this week, Ashton and Indy will have their annual testing. This happens on Thursday and Friday, in the mornings, so if you think of it, please pray for them. Indy is a little nervous, as it's his first testing experience. Ashton just likes to see her friends. lol But seriously, the last couple weeks have been a little hectic, preparing for testing. Indy is done now, but Ashton still has a little more to go over tomorrow. I always give them the 2 days before testing off, just to kinda "chill" before the big day, especially since we've been working so hard lately. We're all wiped out.

Another reason I haven't been so faithful blogging is because I discovered Farm Town on Facebook. I created a farm and am having fun playing with that in my "spare time" (ha!). So when I have a couple minutes to play on the computer, I usually check email then go to my farm. Now with school coming to a close, I'll hopefully blog a little more.

This week coming up is going to be a busy one...wanna see?
Monday- laundry, dog to vet, S to school, schoolwork with A, L to golf
Tuesday- A to doctor, last park day, library books due, M to sign language (WAVE) practice in pm
Wednesday- banks, grocery shop at Publix and BJ's, zoo with friends, S to orthodontist, church in pm
Thursday- testing for I & A, food co-op distribution, M meeting in pm
Friday- testing for I & A, used schoolbook sale, playdate for L, youth group for A
Saturday- dog shots, party for A
Add to all that the regular stuff of getting Nicky up and off to work, Savannah to school and back home again, cooking, cleaning, laundry throughout the week, etc. Whew! I'm pooped just thinking about it! lol So, I may not be around too much this week either. We'll see.

Also, Indy went home with my inlaws today and he's staying with them until Wednesday night, when they will meet me at church for the "hand off". I will miss him. Levi already said he missed him a little earlier. He's gonna drive me crazy, needing someone to play with! lol Maybe with all our activities, he'll be entertained enough. We'll see.

I think a soon-to-come post will be about my summer goals. Since I will only be schooling the boys next year, my schedule will work a little easier. They will be going to VBS at a local church the week of June 8. I thought I'd start school the next week, which is June 15, but I think I might wait til June 22. We'll see. Yes, I usually start school in the summer. First of all, it's too stinkin' hot outside to do very much, except in the evenings, so doing school during the daytime is better than them watching tv all day. Second, any school I get done in the summer, puts me that many weeks ahead when the regular schools start, relieving me of pressure to keep up. Third, having those weeks ahead allows me to take a week off when my mom comes down in the fall or even the whole month of December or time off when the weather is beautiful here in January, without guilt that I'm falling behind. I really like starting in the summer, but we'll have to see when I'm actually ready. It will be either the 15th or 22nd.

Sorry, I chased a rabbit about school. I was talking about summer goals. That'll have to come, after I have 5 minutes to think. I have a bunch of ideas swirling around in my head, but I want to organize them before posting. So, I hope you all have a great week and if you don't hear from me, you'll know where I am....either running around town or working on my farm. lol See ya soon!

Menu Plan Monday

Ok, it's that time again....so here's this week's menu.

Sunday- BBQ Chicken, baked beans, corn on cob

Monday- Steak and Mushrooms

Tuesday- Taco Casserole

Wednesday- Some kind of chicken

Thursday- Eggplant Parmigiana

Friday- Sloppy Joes

Saturday- Shrimp Scampi Bake

Taco Casserole

1 lb. ground beef

1-8oz. sour cream

1-8oz. tomato sauce

1 cup cottage cheese

2 cups Monterrey jack cheese

1 small onion

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 envelope taco mix

2 cups crushed tortilla chips

Brown beef. Add onion, garlic, taco mix, and tomato sauce. Mix and set aside. Combine sour cream and cottage cheese. Set aside. Spray Pam on 13 x 9 pan. Place 1/2 crushed chips in bottom of pan. Add enough meat mixture to cover chips, then add 1/2 sour cream mixture and 1/2 grated cheese. Repeat layers. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

***This dish can be tweaked to your own tastes. Basically, everything is cooked before it gets baked, and the taste will still be a "taco" type taste, but the textures can vary depending on your family's taste. I usually use more chips and tomato sauce. I think I use a little more cheese, too. But, I would suggest to make it following the recipe the first time and see how you like it. Then next time you can change it, as desired. Have fun!! :-)

Happy Mother's Day!

We had a very nice day today!

We got up this morning and made it to church, not on time, but at least we all were there! lol Both boys' choir groups sang in service, separately. First went Levi's preschool choir. Needless to say, it was a hoot and Levi was the main entertainment! I have a good friend who has twin girls just a few months older than Levi and the three of them have been friends their whole lives. Anyway, the girls are in the choir group with Levi. One of them was standing right in front of him and one right beside him. During the first song, Levi decided to pull on the pony tail of the one in front of him. She swatted him away. He did it again, and she swatted him away again. This went on several times with her getting a little more miffed each time. About this time, the twin beside him started poking Levi in the back of the head to get him to stop bothering her sister. He swatted her away. Then he decided to mess with the back of her dress, the bow or something. This elicited yet another swat, which led to her turning around and telling him off right there. Then the twin beside him grabbed his hand and held it down. He tried to get it away, just a bit, but decided he didn't actually need that hand and he could use the other hand just as easily. Everyone in church was cracking up at this whole spectacle. Nicky and I were nearly crying (me from laughing too much and him from embarrassment). lol Mercifully, about this time the song finally ended and Levi got distracted and actually started to sing some of the second song. It was quite the show. And, don't ya know, I forgot the camera!! Argh. That video would have been fun, huh?

Next, Indy's choir sang and he did marvelous, standing so still and following the choir director and singing all that he should. We were proud of both of them. :-)

We drove through McDonald's for cheap cheeseburgers and hamburgers for lunch, then I played on the computer and took a short nap. Unfortunately, I was awakened by Indy screaming. He and Levi were outside playing in the new little pool I bought them and they decided to put their little plastic slide to land in the pool. Great idea, but when Indy stepped up on one of the steps, he stepped on a bee. Yes, it's true. He stepped on a bee. Poor thing! That's what he was screaming about!! I jumped out of bed and ran, while everyone else was running, too. I washed his foot off and the stinger was still there. Yuck! Poor baby. So, I gave him some Tylenol to help with the pain. He's not allergic, so I didn't need to give him benadryl. Besides, Nicky's parents were coming over and I didn't want Indy passed out, so the Tylenol worked well.

A little later, I shucked some corn, with help from Ashton, Indy, and Levi. They all had fun with that! We wrapped the corn in foil with butter, and Nicky put it on the grill with the chicken he was cooking for dinner. Around 4:30, his parents showed up and we had a nice visit. They liked meeting Big Mac and the boys kept them entertained quite a bit. lol We had a very nice dinner and time with family. And, big bonus: My house is clean!! We cleaned it yesterday, getting ready for today. Yay!! Now, the girls are doing dishes for me....mostly Ashton. So, I'm enjoying blogging right now. Ahhh.....

Hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day, too! :-)

Homeschooling At Its Best

The other day I was out hanging laundry on the clothesline (The weather's been so nice lately!) and when I go outside, I'm followed by two little boys. So we were all out there and I looked up and saw this:

I thought this was sooo funny! There's Levi playing golf in his pj's, just having a great ole time! I sent Indy inside to get the camera and I took a few pictures. See the turtle in the background? If you're barefoot around the turtles, you have to be careful because they'll try to eat your toes! lol Isn't he cute??
So I put the camera down and kept hanging the clothes. I looked up again and saw Indy this time. He was sitting in Nicky's boat, which is off the trailer and on the ground (from last hurricane season), with his math book open, counting on his fingers, doing his math....also in his pj's. Too cute!
He didn't know I had taken a picture, but I guess he saw me moving in his perifial vision and looked up. That's when I snapped this one.
Finally he gave me a cute smile. Isn't that boat on the ground, next to the high grass, funny?
Stuff like this is what I love best about homeschooling and having the kids home with me. What a blessing. :-)

Menu Plan Monday

Well, it's that time again, so here is this week's menu. I've even included a couple new recipes. Enjoy!

Sunday- Corn Dog Casserole

Monday- Saucy Beef over Rice

Tuesday- Crockpot Chicken

Wednesday- Onion Baked Pork Chops

Thursday- Baked Ziti

Friday- Hot Dogs in Crescents

Saturday- Frozen dinner


Corn Dog Casserole

2 cups thinly sliced celery
2 T. butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups sliced green onions
1 1/2 lb. hot dogs
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
2 t. rubbed sage
1/4 t. pepper
2- 8 oz. pkg. corn muffin mix
2 cups shredded cheddar, divided

In a skillet, saute celery in butter for 5 min. Add onions, saute 5 min. Place in large bowl, set aside. Cut hot dogs lengthwise in quarters, then into thirds. Saute hot dogs 5 min., til browned; add to veggies. Set aside 1 cup. In another large bowl, combine eggs, milk, sage, & pepper. Add hot dog mixture. Stir in corn muffin mixes. Add 1 1/2 cups cheese. Spread into shallow 3 quart casserole dish. Top with reserved hot dog mixture & remaining cheese. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 30 min. or golden brown. Makes 12 servings.

**I have never made this recipe, but I'm going to be trying it this Sunday (I'm writing this on Friday). I probably will not use the sage since I don't have any and don't want to go buy it for this. I'll let you know how it goes. If you try it, or any of my recipes for that matter, please let me know what you think.

Onion Baked Pork Chops

1 envelope Golden Onion soup mix (or onion or savory herb)
1/3 cup plain dry bread crumbs
4 pork chops, 1" thick
1 egg, well beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In small bowl, combine soup mix & bread crumbs. Dip chops in egg, then bread crumb mixture, until evenly coated. In lightly greased 13x9 pan, arrange chops. Bake uncovered 20 minutes or until done, turning once.

** Funny enough, I haven't tried this one either, but I will be cooking it this Wednesday. I'll let you know how this one works.

Ahh, Springtime!

**WARNING: Parts of this post are graphic in nature and might be offensive to some readers.**

Springtime is such a busy time, especially in the animal kingdom! There is a bird who has made a nest in the top of the pine tree in our front yard, and we assume, has eggs and/or babies in it. How do we know this? Well, almost any time of day or night for the last 2 weeks, this bird has been fussing at our cat every single time he walks by....or even if he's just hanging out somewhere nearby. It's sooo funny to us and that stinkin' bird is soooo loud!! Argh! But, it is funny and even though it's also annoying, we're enjoying the show. I even took some pictures.

See? Here's the bird, sitting atop the window fussing at Chaser (our cat), who is comfortably laying in the window....on the inside....just watching the bird fly and flutter about. See the cat in the lower left of the picture?

Here the cat has moved to the other side of the window. I'm not sure if the bird realizes that there's glass between him and the cat or if he actually thinks the cat is an immediate threat. Either way, the cat has pretty much gotten used to him and just ignores him, though he seems to enjoy watching the show the bird puts on.

The bird usually starts on the roof, leaning over, to glare inside the window and fuss at the cat.


Then he flutters about and moves to the top of the window, again leaning over to fuss at the cat.

Then when he gets tired of flying here and there, he goes to the ground and literally paces back and forth, fussing the whole time up at the cat in the window. Isn't that funny?? The boys are getting a big kick out of the whole thing!

Now to the graphic part....

You know what else goes on in springtime, right? Well, the turtles are all going crazy trying to mount each other. Every time I turn around, someone is on someone else's back. And, worse....the dogs. Argh.

See, we got Bessie in early March. We kept her for about 2 weeks before deciding for sure we would keep her. I immediately called the local Humane Society to make an appointment to have her spayed. I got someone who didn't make appointments and she took my name and number and told me someone would call me back within 48 hours. I waited and waited, a whole week. Finally, I decided to call them again, which I did, every other day for the last 3 weeks or so, only to get a ringing phone with no answer. Not even a machine. I got so frustrated that I finally got in the car and went over to the Humane Society near my house to make an appointment. When I got there, the waiting room was plumb full and they told me that they were short staffed and that in order for me to make an appointment, I would have to sign in and wait with everyone else (who actually had animals with them) and when they got to me, they could take the time to make the appointment. The wait was about a 30-35 minute wait and I was on a tight schedule. I was so frustrated!! I have to go back on Monday or Tuesday.

Unfortunately, in the meantime, Bessie went into heat. Man! I just knew that was going to happen!! I'm so mad! If they had actually called me back when I first called, we could be all done with this by now, but no, they had to ignore me! Now, I'm dealing with a dog in heat and two males who are going crazy! First, she's bleeding everywhere. Second, we have to keep her away from Mac and Elvis, which is nearly impossible. Third, we have to keep her inside almost all the time, as we've had neighborhood dogs sniffing around and I don't want them digging under the fence to get to her. This is such a pain! I can't even go with her out back to let her go to the bathroom, because Mac and Elvis won't give her a minute's peace just to pee!! So, we have to walk her on the leash out front just to let her relieve herself. Oh, and feeding her is so much work! I have to let her out back with just Elvis, while I stand guard the whole time to keep him away from her, just so she can get some food and water. Then, I have to put her inside and bring out Mac so he can eat. Man! I wish this was over already!! I'm so stressed with this whole thing, I can't believe it! So, even though they'll spay her while she's in heat, it costs $20 extra. I wouldn't' mind paying this, but I'm a little concerned that she could have gotten pregnant before we realized she was in heat. If so, I wouldn't want them to spay her and kill any puppies. So, I think I'm going to wait out her heat cycle, then watch for a month and see if she's pregnant and if by some miracle she's not, then I'll make the appointment. How frustrating is all that??? Argh! Don't you just love animals?!? lol I'll let you know what happens.