~Our Menu~ May

I find it hard this time of year to cook.  A) I just rather be outside in the spring weather B) I've been working and playing outside that I'm exhausted and don't feel like making dinner or C) What do I make?  Casseroles and crock pots are fall and winter.  Not quite able to grill everything.  Either the meal I picked out is too "wintery" or too "summery" and doesn't fit in with my mood or weather doesn't cooperate.  Problems... huh?!?  :-D

Well, here's what I've come up with... lots of salads.  It's "springy" and healthy!  Unlike the winter carbs we mow down eating casseroles and pastas!

Menu....

(Note: FM=Freezer meal *= double meal, one to eat, one to freeze for freezer meal, CP=Crockpot)

Chef Salad w/ homemade dinner rolls

Burgers, baked beans, sweet potato fries

FM  Pulled Pork BBQ, peas, rice & black bean mix

Chicken Pineapple Kabobs over rice

Quesadillas

* Chicken Pot Pies

Grilled chicken thighs, salad

French Toast with Fruit


BLT Salad  (link is here to recipe. Doesn't that look amazing!?)

Meatroll & garden veggies

Chicken veggie pasta salad

Blueberry chopped salad

Brats, sweet potato fries and applesauce

Grilled chicken fajitas

Just Today

Yesterday was raining but nice temps.  Today was SO STINKING COLD.  C'mon Mother Nature.  It's April 10.  It was 40 degrees with a very cold wind for most of the day.  Brrrrrrr.

Matt was home today.  Home but busy.  Still home, and let me tell you how NICE that is.  After three weeks of him being gone almost all day every day we were all so happy!  Madison clung to him like glue, which is very unusual.  Ha.  When Matt and I went on a quick lunch date Madison walks towards us crying, I put my arms out to give her a hug goodbye and she sneaks right by me to Matt.  :-)  So sweet.  That's how we all feel!  Just want to hold him home for awhile.

The girls seemed to be feeling great this morning and then crashed soon after breakfast. Arg. Back to the couch they went.

Matt headed outside to start construction on a swing set for the girls.  A project in the making for awhile!!!  Maybe not in the making, but we've wanted it for awhile... just no time.  After working on it for a better part of the day I decided it was a good time for Daddy to be Daddy and left him with the girls while I got groceries.  I do not get the girls taken off of my hands much, it was a welcomed break, even though I hate grocery shopping :-).

By time I got back another April Shower had swung in and the kids were out with umbrellas.  What's more fun than playing in the rain!?!?  Sitting in the garage with Matt watching the kids play in the rain!

Good time for a walk! 

Splashing around with OUT RAIN BOOTS!

Group Picture!  Jaxon busy watching his Daddy drive by.

Fun times in the rain!!

Thunder, Lightning & Lots of Rain

Early this morning we were woken up by the sounds of a thunderstorm.  Lightning was flashing and flashing, the rain was hitting the windows, it was wonderful!!  We had a couple good booms that woke Madison, the light sleeper up.

The rain has continued all day!  A good heavy rain for most of the day, wow.  I can already see the grass turning green.  Robins are in their glory today as all the worms have come out from hiding and are EVERYWHERE.  The weather isn't slowing them down.  The birds have been singing all day and gathering grass, leaves and twigs for nest.

So nice to see so much good activity going on outside.  Inside, it hasn't been so fun.  We've definitely made the best of it and had many great moments.  Sickness has been passed and passed around for the last month and made things very trying.  I was really sick for a week and a half, 3 of the days I was really down and out.  Of course, because that's how timing works, Matt is super busy at work and worked late nights and Saturdays leaving us to fend for ourselves.  And that's exactly what we did!  Took it a day at a time and we've gotten thru each day.  We've had a LOT of TV time, that's for sure.  Makenzie and Madison now are pretty down and out, but I can tell they are on the up swing out of it.  Perfect timing for a rainy day as they don't feel compelled to run out and play with friends.

Here's to hoping this is the end of sickness for awhile!!

Madison fell asleep on my one day she wasn't feeling good while I
was chatting on the phone for a few minutes!  This was a first!

Baby Hensley fell asleep as I was giving her her bottle!
She was sick too :-(

Carseat nap on Easter Sunday

Was snoozing on Mommy until Daddy woke her up for a picture!
(Hence my face... Did you really just wake her up!?)

This was yesterday... we've spent a LOT of time cuddled up on that couch!

Makenzie took a bath yesterday and got out went right to couch and fell fast asleep!

After Madison woke up from nap today the rain let up a little.  I decided we were putting our rain boots on and heading out.  I was done being inside and a little fresh air might be good.  Both seemed to be doing ok so out we went!

Big Sister didn't want to wear her rain coat, which was good,
because Madison insisted SHE wear it!

Puffed out cheeks trying to blow all the worms away!

Trying to squish the worm!

"Ewwwwwww!" 

So. Stinking. Cute.

Makenzie didn't last very long but Madison seemed great.  And by bedtime both girls were running around being silly. Matt has tomorrow off!  SO excited, first day in weeks that he will be spending the day with us.  The girls and I are very, VERY excited!!

Our Wednesday

Before I got up this morning I was pretty confident it wasn't going to be a great day.  I woke up on and off all night with a nasty headache and by this morning it was a full blown migraine.  I sent off a warning text to Matt telling him that I may need him coming home early, so plan his work day accordingly.  In the meantime, I took ibuprofen, made myself some coffee (for the caffeine, I NEVER drink coffee and if I do I girly it up... bad!), without DR-ing it all up, put some pain gel on and took a HOT HOT bath and that made things a TON better!!

Which was great because it was a beautiful sunny day, a great day to be outside!  Not a great wintery/ snowy day to be outside... folks we're headed into spring.  We hauled out the rain boots, sunglasses & stroller and ditched the snow pants & sleds!

I didn't realize how sick of winter I was getting until this week.  The birds are singing, I can see some grass and we just love playing in puddles!!!!

Madison went down in a puddle and totally didn't mind at all!  We headed back down the road to our house changed pants and socks and continued the play.  Boy was she upset when she had to go down for a nap.  Can't say I blamed her.

After nap time Matt and Madison went one direction and Makenzie and I went off to her swim lessons!  For those of you in the loop, her swim lessons that she did last winter was horrible.  So the fact that she wanted to take them again is HUGE.  She is being very brave and really doing very well.  There is definitely some fear there still, so it's probably not going as well as it would for other kids, but under the circumstances we're pumped!

~Our Menu~ March

So since I've made this menu, the weather has changed and now I just don't really want some of these "winter/fall" meals!  Grilling season is pretty much here.  WHICH is exactly what we will be doing tonight.  Grilled burgers, fruit salad... yum yum!  It's sunny and almost 50 degrees!!  Matt WAS suppose to be home early to grill, but with issues at work... means he will be working late and it will fall on me to do.  I do not grill.  It took me two years to learn how to start the charcoal grill (please keep all comments to yourself).  I grill if I need to but it typically doesn't go well.  At all.  Keeping my fingers crossed I can nail these burgers tonight because doesn't a big juicy burger just sound delicious!?!?!?!?  

Yes, yes it does. Is anyone's stomach growling yet??  Or planning on going to the store to get burgers??  Ha.  Okay here we go....

Menu....

(Note: FM=Freezer meal *= double meal, one to eat, one to freeze for freezer meal, CP=Crockpot)

Hamburgers, Fruit Salad and Fries

French toast w/ fruit & Bacon

Philly Cheesesteak (from left over smoked roast), Baked Beans

Tacos

Pork & Black Bean Enchiladas

Reubens & Salad.... St Patty's Day!!!

Baked Chicken over Carrots, Sweet Potatoes and Red Skin Potatoes

CP  Buffalo Chicken & Green Beans

Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups & Asparagus

Creamy Tomato & Spinach Pasta

Smoked Beef Roast, Baked Sweet Potato, Beans

Frozen Ravioli & Sauteed Spinach

Beef Barley Soup

Dijon Pork Chops, Baked Potato & Veggie

Makenzie had to make her grocery list too!!  Blueberry, grape, onion, candy :-)  Not sure why the onion!!  LOL.

Happy Friday the 13th for the 2nd month in a row!!

Weekend

What a fun weekend we had!!  Didn't have a lot going on and we sure enjoyed our time!  Here's a few pictures....

Very proud to show me the slinky was "stuck" in her teeth!

Ruger was left out of the meeting! 

Church Nursery Sunday morning.... no kids showed up!!  So we played :-)
Guess the time change threw everyone off because by second service it was full!

That's a good place for your nursery name tags to go!!
Silly girls!! (They were fully clothed seconds before this!)

We have growing flowers!!

Makenzie teaching Madison how to dance, on their stage.

So cool right!?

It's above freezing so that means Matt can wash the car!
Since this car is "aging" Makenzie was actually allowed to help.
(Matt is a BIT OCC about washing his vehicles and help is
really not wanted or allowed. This was a first!)

All sleds were washed after this too.  And the stroller!

Someone stole sisters hat!

Sunrise on Monday.  Foggy & beautiful!

Breakfast Burritos

We LOVE Breakfast Burritos.  Really love.  Best part is we make a lot at once, wrap them in wax paper and freeze them!  Super easy and quick breakfast when needed.  Great for Matt to heat up in morning to head for work or out hunting.

My mom gave me this recipe and it is a definite keeper!

Breakfast Burritos

1 lb of your choice of Meat (Bacon/Sausage)
Bag of Hashbrowns (cubed or shredded)
1 Dozen Eggs
Cheese
Tortillas (2 dozen fajita size)

Optional Adds
Peppers
Onions
Black Beans
Ham
Hot Sauce

* This makes about 2 dozen, depending on how much you stuff them & if you add anything else to mix! Make sure you have plenty of tortillas!*

I start of cooking my meat, sometimes I do half sausage half bacon.  Any way is good!  I use a big electric skillet, that way I'm not dirtying a bunch of pans, but it does take awhile.

Once meat is done I throw meat into big mixing bowl and throw in hashbrowns with diced peppers & onions.

Add finished hashbrowns to mixing bowl and cook dozen eggs in skillet.

Mix all in mixing bowl with cheese!

Roll burritos up and wrap in wax paper, then put in freezer bag.  To cook: put burrito WITH wax paper still on in microwave for about 2 mins... then... enjoy :-)