So much happens in the course of a year. I love to throw together a list of some of the major events that occurred so I can look back and remember them. It feels like a REALLY long time ago that I ran in the Charleston Half Marathon and it was still less than a year ago. Of course, we did lots of other stuff in 2013, but here are some of the highlights.....
January 2013
Made some resolutions... more on how things went in a later post
Completed the Charleston Half Marathon with a personal best time!
Spent lots of time visiting my niece in the NICU
February 2013
Hosted a Supper Club Super Bowl Party!
Celebrated my niece coming home from the NICU
Celebrated Ryan's 29th Birthday
Got together with friends to start Nooks & Grannies book club
Found some lovely fabric for re-decorating our den
March 2013
Ran in my first 10K - Get To the Green St. Patty's Day Run
Discovered Thursday night jazz at Hunter Gatherer
April 2013
Spent a long weekend at the beach!
Trained & ran in the Heart & Sole 5-miler
"Ran for Boston"
Celebrated my sister & niece at a belated baby shower
Helped with my JWC's Annual Yard Sale
Played Ultimate Frisbee for the first time (my team was awesome!)
May 2013
Served as a guest speaker for a group of nurses state convention
Spent Memorial Day Weekend at the Beach!
June 2013
Quit Monthly Menu Planning
Began serving as the President for JWC of Lake Murray
Attended Brandon & Mary Kathryn's wedding!
Went Kayaking with friends... got inspired & bought our own kayaks!
It started raining... and it rained and it rained and it rained. Longest streak of rainy days in history.
July 2013
Celebrated my nephew's 3rd birthday & my niece's Baptism
Ryan started a new job... I went on vacation to the beach
I completed my PHI Pilates Instructor Certification
Hosted Nooks & Grannies book club at my house!
August 2013
Went on a weekend trip to Greenville
Started training for Georgetown Half Marathon
Taught my first Pilates class
Talked about and decided to put our house up for-sale-by-owner....
Were completely shocked when it was under contract in a quick 2 weeks
Packed liked crazy & searched for a new home
September 2013
Quit training for Georgetown Half (too busy moving!)
CLOSED on the Sale of our first home
Shopped and shopped and shopped for a new home
Moved in with my parents
Put a contract on our new home!
October 2013
Completed lots of inspections & paperwork for our new house
CLOSED on the purchase of our new home
Helped to host a baby shower for my college roommate Elizabeth
Attended Heather & Jeff's Wedding
November 2013
Ryan started another new job... a much better fit!
Moved into our new home!
Celebrated 10 years together (we started dating in November 2003)
Made a big long list of things "to-do" for our house & got started working
December 2013
Volunteered at our JWC 2nd Annual Tour of Homes
Celebrated our 4th Anniversary
Celebrated Christmas & New Years with family & friends
Celebrated my 29th Birthday
Showing posts with label Menu Planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Menu Planning. Show all posts
Monday, January 13, 2014
Monday, July 29, 2013
Catching up...
A whirlwind of a month and a half has passed by since I posted here. So many things have happened, but I’ll try and get back in the swing with the beginning of August in just a couple of days! Wish I had some more pictures to go along with this post, but just don't want to forget what we did this summer, so here it is in lots of words!
During June, we spent an afternoon kayaking with friends down our local river, which then inspired us to purchase our own kayaks. However, since we bought them, it has rained for a month in a row so the river has been too high. I’m hoping we’ll get to use them much more in August and September!
We also spent a few days at the beach and wrapped up the month of June celebrating my niece’s Baptism and my nephew’s 3rd birthday. Where does the time go??
For 4th of July, we spent time on one side of the lake with family in the morning and then headed to the other side of the lake for a cookout and fireworks with friends. I was reminded how AWFUL it is to work the day after a late-night holiday. They should give everyone the 5th of July off, too!
July has nearly completely passed me by without even a mention that my husband got to start a new job! There is a lot of new information to learn and a whole new schedule to adjust to, but so far he is enjoying it. He’s had to go out of town twice for training, and I spent a week at the beach, so we’ve been missing each other a lot.
Finally, this past weekend, I attended my Pilates certification course and passed the test to become a Pilates Mat Instructor. After 4&1/2 years of practicing Pilates, this has been a goal of mine for a while, and I’m excited to see what my future as an instructor holds.
And… since we’ve been so busy, my sweet husband was sweet enough to plan out a menu for our week, so here it is! Our weekly menu for the week ahead…
7.29.13 – California Turkey Burgers, Guacamole & Chips
7.30.13 – Leftovers
7.31.13 – Thai Chicken Bites & Rice
8.1.13 – Bacon, Avocado, Tomato Sandwiches
8.2.13 – Headed to Greenville for the night to see our friends & enjoy some baseball and other fun!
8.3.13 – Homemade Pizza or Calzones
Oh, and as always, we’ve been spending plenty of time with this guy, who apparently thinks this is his bed....
Saturday, June 15, 2013
June 15 Weekly Menu
The heat of summer truly hit us last week and so I'm aiming for lots of summer crockpot meals so I don't have to sweat too much in the kitchen! I especially love making any sort of shredded meat for tacos in the summer. Who am I kidding? I love tacos year-round, but the veggies are fresh in the summer so that makes it a pretty inexpensive meal, too!
6.15.13 - Leftovers
6.16.13 - Fathers Day Plans TBD
6.17.13 - Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches (never made last week)
6.18.13 - Leftovers
6.19.13 - Grill out
6.20.13 - Shredded Beef or Pork Tacos in Crockpot
6.21.13 - Dinner Out
6.15.13 - Leftovers
6.16.13 - Fathers Day Plans TBD
6.17.13 - Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches (never made last week)
6.18.13 - Leftovers
6.19.13 - Grill out
6.20.13 - Shredded Beef or Pork Tacos in Crockpot
6.21.13 - Dinner Out
Saturday, June 8, 2013
June 8 Weekly Menu
6.8.13 – Grilling Burgers, Brats and Corn on the Cob, Making this Tomato & Blue Cheese Deliciousness
6.9.13 – Leftovers
6.10.13 – Hosting a Premier Jewelry Party, Making Baked Brie and Slutty Brownies for Snacks
6.11.13 – Making Spicy Sausage Pasta
6.12.13 – Leftovers
6.13.13 – JWC Happy Hour & Dinner at Liberty
6.14.13 – Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches
Saturday, June 1, 2013
June 1 Weekly Menu
Summer is one of those busy seasons that we barely know what's happening tomorrow, much less for the month ahead, so I'm forgoing the monthly menu for a bit and going back with weekly menus until things settle down a bit. We have had a busy last few weeks, including a long-weekend trip to the beach (see our new picture up there? Courtesy of the wonderful photography skills of my sister... need your picture or your kids pictures taken? I can get you in touch with her!)
This guy (and his short haircut) really enjoyed the beach too.... the not so great iPhone photography skills are mine :)
Now, for the menu....
6.1.13 - Brandon & MaryKathryn's Wedding! Our only wedding this summer, seems we're growing up and there aren't too many to attend anymore!
This guy (and his short haircut) really enjoyed the beach too.... the not so great iPhone photography skills are mine :)
Now, for the menu....
6.1.13 - Brandon & MaryKathryn's Wedding! Our only wedding this summer, seems we're growing up and there aren't too many to attend anymore!
6.2.13 - Thai Chicken Bites w/ Rice
6.3.13 - JWCMeeting/Girls Night with Leigh!!
6.4.13 - BBQ Peach Pulled Pork
6.5.13 - Leftovers
6.7.13 - Date Night Out!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
May Monthly Menu
Here is our monthly menu for the month of May! Lots of new recipes and old favorites, and tons of plans for grilling as the weather continues to heat up!!
Week 1: May 1-5
Week 2: May 6-12
Week 3: May 13-19
Week 4: May 20-27
Week 5: May 28-31
Week 1: May 1-5
- Dinner w/ family for Travis' (my brother) Birthday
- Pantry Cleanout meal
- Grilling Out
- USC Baseball Game
- Dinner at Gervais and Vine for Girl's Night
Week 2: May 6-12
- Dr. Pepper Crockpot BBQ
- Grilling Out
- Leftovers
- Salads and Sandwiches
- Meeting friends at Pasta Fresca
- Buffalo Chicken Pizza
- Stuffed Corn and Black Bean Quesadillas *New Recipe*
Week 3: May 13-19
- Bacon & Mater Pasta
- Sesame Chicken Tenders and Veggies *New Recipe*
- Leftovers x2
- California Turkey Burgers
- Roast Beef Panini with Carmelized Onions and Horseradish Cheese Spread *New Recipe*
- Out to Eat
Week 4: May 20-27
- Salads and Sandwiches
- Grilling Out
- Cheddar Ranch Chicken *New Recipe*
- Crockpot Shredded Beef Tacos
- Leftovers
- Memorial Day Weekend at Beach
Week 5: May 28-31
- Pork Tenderloin & Sweet Potatoes
- Grilling Out
- Leftovers
- Out to Eat
Monday, April 1, 2013
April Monthly Menu
Spring is hopefully here to stay so lots more nights of grilling on the menu this month! Also tons of our favorite recipes and just a few new ones. Happy April!
Week 1: April 1-7
- Homemade Pizza or Calzones
- Grilling Out
- Leftovers
- Dinner Out
- Cauliflower Bacon Cheddar Chowder *New Recipe*
Week 2: April 8-14
- Freezer Chicken Burritos
- Grilling Out
- Leftovers x2
- Out to Eat
Week 3: April 15-21
- Breakfast for Dinner
- Leftovers
- Cheddar Ranch Chicken *New Recipe*
- Homemade Tacos/Nachos with Ground Turkey
- Dinner Out
- Salads and Sandwiches
Week 4: April 22-28
- Leftovers
- Thai Chicken Bites & Rice
- Grill Out
- Sunday School Picnic *Bringing Dessert*
- Out to Eat
Week 5: April 29-30
- Leftovers
Friday, March 1, 2013
March Monthly Menu
Wow - check out all the *New Recipe's* for March! It's gonna be a fun month of trying some new stuff. Luckily, most of these new recipes have ingredients common to things I normally make, so if all else fails, we can fall back on an old faithful!
Week 1: March 1-2
- Girl’s Night at Pasta Fresca
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Spinach, Tomatoes, Goat Cheese (never made in February)
Week 2: March 3-9
- Buffalo Chicken Pizza
- Crockpot Beef Gyros *New Recipe*
- Leftovers
- Dinner and Jazz Night at Hunter Gatherer
- Burritacos *New Recipe*
- Supper Club
Week 3: March 10-16
- Baked Potato Soup (Taking to friends with new baby!)
- Grilling Out
- Homemade Calzones
- Soup/Salads/Sandwiches
- Crockpot Pork Chops and Apples *New Recipe*
- Out to Eat
Week 4: March 17-23
- Freezer Chicken Burritos (made in February)
- Grill Out
- Spicy Sausage Pasta *New Recipe*
- Sesame Chicken Tenders and Rice *New Recipe*
- Shrimp Scampi *New Recipe*
- SURPRISE!
Week 5: March 24-31
- Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups *New Recipe*
- Leftovers
- Soup/Salad/Sandwiches
- Grill Out
- Cheddar Ranch Chicken *New Recipe*
- Leftovers
- Out to Eat
- Cheesy Taco Soup *New Recipe*
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
New Recipes Reviewed
Well, we’re nearly half way into our second month of monthly menu planning, so I thought I should tell you how it’s going, and let you know whether those new recipes were actually worth it! Also, I found out a few weeks ago that my friend Ginny from my pilates class reads this blog and wonders whether or not I actually cook all the stuff I post about. And, that made me suddenly realize….. There are actually some people out there reading this that I do know in real life!
Confession: I stalk lots of people through their blogs. And I’m guilty of not leaving comments. This is something I want to get better about. I hope you’ll leave a comment here (or let me know in real life if you have the opportunity) if you’re reading. I’d also love to read your blog(if I’m not already lurking)!
So the answer is… I do use the menu plans to make a grocery list, and generally follow them pretty closely, but it is often hard from week-to-week to follow an exact schedule. Lots of things get bumped around just to fit in our day-to-day activities, but I’m ok with that. The main point is, to have food in the house for recipes we like so we don’t end up eating out all the time. So, on to the recipe review….
New recipes we’ve made so far this year….
Chicken Pot Pie … excellent recipe (ThanksLindsey!) I will definitely make this again. Also, I will take my indigestion medicine before-hand because it gave me major heartburn, but I LOVED it, and so did my hubby, so that’s a win-win. Probably need to get it back on the calendar before the weather gets warm though, cause this is a definite winter comfort food.
Crockpot Lasagna …. Forgot to put it in the crockpot, so just emailed the ingredients to my husband with modified directions for the oven and he made it (he volunteered). It was FANTASTIC. I love Lasagna. Can’t wait to actually try it in the crockpot though. Also, don’t think I’ll ever get Ryan to volunteer to make it again, apparently he had no idea how much work goes into Lasagna.
Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches… oh.my.goodness. I should’ve known by the frequency that these show up on Leigh’s menu plans that I should’ve made them sooner! I absolutely love any type of shredded meat in the crockpot (if you’ve read my menus, you already know this), and this was the easiest recipe yet. We will absolutely eat this again and again.. and again!
Chicken Enchilada Soup… oh, boy did I flub this one up. I cannot tell you if I like it or not because I messed up not only the ingredients, but also the instructions. It was heartbreaking because it was a TON of food, and we ended up wasting it all because it turned out so badly. I often substitute ingredients in recipes when I don’t have exactly what it called for, and it has never turned out quite this bad. The only other recipe I remember being this bad was when I mistakenly put Italian tomatoes and peppers in my shredded beef tacos instead of tomatoes and green chiles (that’s the last time I buy store-brand Rotel… the cans for Italian tomatoes looked EXACTLY the same). If anyone tries this recipe and it turns out good, I’d like to know. But I think I’m too chicken to try this one again anytime soon!
Friday, February 1, 2013
February Monthly Menu
Week 1: February 1-2
· Breakfast for dinner
· Leftovers/Pantry Meal
Week 2: February 3-9
· Supper Club Super Bowl Party... making Crockpot Dr Pepper BBQ for sandwiches and Oreoballs for something sweet!
· Cheesy Lime Chicken &; Rice
· Grilling Hotdogs/Hamburgers with fries
· Buffalo Chicken Pizza
· Soup, Salad & Sandwiches
· OUT to eat once
· Leftovers/Pantry Meal
Week 3: February 10-16
· OUT to eat once
· Thai Chicken Bites with Rice and Green Veggie
· Leftovers/Pantry Meal x2
· Three Cheese & Beef Stuffed Shells with Salad
· Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup *New Recipe*
· Grilled Pork Chops & Sweet Potatoes
Week 4: February 17-23
· OUT to eat once
· Bruschetta Chicken Bake & Salads
· Grilled Steaks & Baked Potatoes
· Cheesy Chicken & Rice *New Recipe*
· Leftovers x2
Week 5: February 24-28
· OUT to eat once - Celebrating Ryan's Birthday!
· Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Goat Cheese, Tomatoes and Spinach
· Leftovers x2
Friday, January 11, 2013
resolved... 2013
Well, now that we know how 2012 turned out, it’s about that time to talk about goals for 2013. I liked paring down the resolutions to four categories last year, so I’m going to stick with that again.
1. Faith – for real this year, going to read the Bible, cover-to-cover. Well, actually, I’m going to read everything between the front and back cover, but not exactly in order from beginning to end. I’ll be reading along with our church using the Discipleship Journal Reading Plan. I’m already 11 days in and you can use the YouVersion App for this reading plan, so I have the paper PDF calendar cut up in tiny pieces for my regular calendar, but I’m also checking off the readings using the app. Double the accountability, right?
2. Budget – we’re sticking to our budget this year (seriously, we must!). We’re REALLY trying to save money on our biggest area of spending (food) so that we can pay off our student loan debt. We would absolutely LOVE to kiss those payments GOODBYE! You can see we switched over to a monthly menu plan, and so far I'm loving it. It is hard work once a month, but then it simplifies things a TON for the rest of the month.
3. Health – run another half-marathon (going to accomplish that next week) and plan for my 4th ! Also want to make better decisions regarding food and keep up a regular fitness routine, to include running at least 3x/week, and perhaps picking up speed. Talking to my running buddies about starting this plan after next week's race!
4. House – I’ve got MAJOR plans in the works for our house this year. We got a new TV for Christmas and that is snowballing into a big re-arrangement of furniture in our house, new chairs for our den, and I hope the plans also will include new paint throughout, getting countertops re-done and a few more improvements along the way! Stay tuned for posts on our progress! **Since I originally wrote this post, we have already purchased some super cute recliners from Marshall's.... Let me just tell you, never hesitate to negotiate with the manager for a better deal... hurrah extra 20% off and getting two chairs for less than the original price of one!**
So those are just a few things I'm looking forward to in 2013... what are your goals this year??
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Monthly Menu - January 2013 - Happy New Year!
Part of the reason I considered no longer posting my menus is because I felt like I was in a rut and not getting too many new ideas. The truth is, we've settled into certain "favorite" dishes, and I just make them over and over again, so my menu's tend to repeat certain things week after week. However, I went back through the last two years' menus and made a list of our favorite recipes, and realized, there are about 60 different things we love, and we've just not been mixing it up too much.
Enter, the MONTHLY menu. I know it seems daunting, but putting together a monthly menu wasn't all that hard, especially when I had the list of all our favorites right at my fingertips. I tried to plan at least one crockpot meal a week, a night out for dates or other plans, and a few leftover/pantry clean-out meals each week. I also tried set aside at least one weekend day to try new recipes. Often, when I haven't made something before, we end up eating really late at night because I haven't given myself enough time for preparing a new recipe. Monthly planning also assures that we don't eat the exact same meal (unless its leftovers) within the same month, hopefully cutting back on some of the boredom I was feeling about our menus.
And, since it's the new year, let's face it, I'm hoping this will also save us some money! So here's to trying something new in 2013!
Enter, the MONTHLY menu. I know it seems daunting, but putting together a monthly menu wasn't all that hard, especially when I had the list of all our favorites right at my fingertips. I tried to plan at least one crockpot meal a week, a night out for dates or other plans, and a few leftover/pantry clean-out meals each week. I also tried set aside at least one weekend day to try new recipes. Often, when I haven't made something before, we end up eating really late at night because I haven't given myself enough time for preparing a new recipe. Monthly planning also assures that we don't eat the exact same meal (unless its leftovers) within the same month, hopefully cutting back on some of the boredom I was feeling about our menus.
And, since it's the new year, let's face it, I'm hoping this will also save us some money! So here's to trying something new in 2013!
Week 1: January 1-5
· Thai Chicken Bites with Rice and Edamame
· Pork Chops and Baked Sweet Potatoes
· OUT to eat once
· Leftovers/Pantry Meal
· Grilling Burgers, French Fries, Salads
Week 2: January 6-12
· Chicken Pot Pie *New Recipe*
· OUT to eat once
· Leftovers/Pantry Meal
· Grilling Steaks, Salads, Easy Onion-Roasted Potatoes
· Breakfast for Dinner
· Crockpot Lasagna with Salad and Garlic Bread *New Recipe*
· Leftovers
Week 3: January 13-19
· OUT to eat once
· Leftovers/Pantry Meal
· Dinner in Charleston before Half-Marathon!
· Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches with Potato Salad and Cole Slaw
· Buffalo Chicken Crescents (with Leftover Chicken) and Salad
· California Turkey Burgers, Homemade Guacamole with Chips, Black beans
· Beer, Cheese &; Corn Chowder (Freeze Half for Later)
Week 4: January 20-26
· OUT to eat once
· Chicken Chili with Cornbread
· Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches *New Recipe*
· Leftovers
· Grilled Pork Chops, Potatoes and Salad
· Baked Chicken Parmesan, Spaghetti, and Salad
· Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Soup and Salad
Week 5: January 27-31
· OUT to eat once
· Chicken Burritos, Blackbeans, Rice (Make double recipe and freeze for later)
· Leftovers
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