menu plan monday ~ july 28, 2008

It’s summertime and busy, but we take some time off now and then to savor the moments.

along the drive

Those busy things add up, though. This week we have softball, piano and guitar lessons, a visit planned to a daylily farm, a retirement party to attend, and lots of cleaning up to do because our church family is invited over for Sunday dinner. Here’s the plan:

Monday / softball
hamburgers / buns
sweet and sour cucumbers
tomatoes

Tuesday
chicken stir-fry
rice with summer squash
tomatoes

Wednesday / daylily shopping
eat out

Thursday
crispy baked chicken
steamed green beans
corn on the cob
spinach salad with strawberries

Friday
four cheese spinach pizza

Saturday / retirement party for a gardening friend
leftovers

Sunday / Church dinner at our house
sausage and potatoes in the crockpot
Alton Brown’s pot roast
spinach / strawberry salad
cookie bars

I have to say…I made Alton Brown’s pot roast for company at Christmastime and they practically licked the platter clean. 🙂

DH serving

More menu ideas on Laura’s site.

~~Rhonda

bubbles

A few weeks ago, DD spent about an hour playing with bubbles. She started out just blowing bubbles, having fun, watching them float away on the breeze.

bubbbubbbubbles

A few bubbles were caught by a web which held her attention for a while.

captured

The railing was wet with rain, so she experimented with sliding bubbles down the railing.

bubble train

I experimented with catching reflections and color on the bubbles.

reflections

She found out she could blow a bubble inside another bubble.

bubble in a bubble

one inside the other

Later, she discovered she didn’t need a bubble wand to blow bubbles.

who needs a bubble blower?

makin' bubbles

It was fun to watch her move from one discovery to the next. Lots to think about.

contemplation

~~Rhonda

daylilies

The daylilies are beautiful. We are just past peak bloom, but the yard is still loaded with color.

front yard, west side

‘Kindly Light’

daylily 'Kindly Light'

‘Monterrey Jack’

'Monterrey Jack'

‘Baja’

'Baja'

‘Shell Drake, MI’

'Shell Drake, MI'

‘Pink Super Spider’

'Pink Super Spider'

‘Royal Ebony’

'Royal Ebony'

‘Elegant Candy’

'Elegant Candy'

‘Moonlit Masquerade’

'Moonlit Masquerade'

Aren’t they beautiful?

~~Rhonda

menu plan monday ~ july 21, 2008

Another week ahead of us..we will have softball practice on Monday or Tuesday, so I planned easy meals for those days.

Monday
hamburgers / buns
veggies / chips / dip

Tuesday
spaghetti / sauce
corn
peapods
salad
garlic bread

Wednesday
crockpot chicken cordon bleu
spinach salad
green beans

Thursday ~ Softball tournament tonight.
hotdogs / buns
veggies / dip
grapes

Friday
Baked Dijon Salmon
crash hot potatoes
green beans, steamed
salad

Saturday
leftovers

Alton Brown has a great pot roast recipe that my family loves. We’ll have that for Sunday dinner…maybe we’ll invite company over. 🙂
Sunday
pot roast
mashed potatoes
corn
asparagus
carrots
green salad

You’ll find more menu ideas at Laura’s blog.

~~Rhonda

four generations twice

While DS29 and his family were here, we took a few pictures (well, OK, we took a LOT of pictures). I am especially glad we got these four generation pictures of both sides of the paternal family.

Our older son, myself, my parents, and the twins.

four generations on grandma's side

Our older son, my DH, DH’s mother, and the twins.

four generations on grandpa's side

My side of the family came over on Saturday to visit with DS and his family. It was a great day. Lots of fun. My sister, with her daughter and family, stayed over night and attended church with us Sunday morning, then stayed for dinner before heading home. Shortly after they left, DS and his family went home as well, after a good week’s visit. We had a great time while they were here.

~~Rhonda

menu plan monday / july 7

After a hectic but happy week of having six other people in the house, we are back to our usual routine of cooking for three. We have some busyness this week as well, that needs to be figured into the menu.

Monday / My sister and her dh are coming for supper and to “shop” the yard for plants.
BBQ pork steaks
Crash Hot potatoes
green beans, steamed
corn on the cob
green salad

Tuesday / softball this evening
choice of ham sandwiches or hotdogs
chips / veggies

softball

Wednesday / Plant sale from 1-7pm (raising money for missions), so I’m preparing a meal that can sit on the counter. Our helpers (mission team members) will be able to run in and get something to eat any time they like.
BBQ beef in the crockpot / buns
chips / veggies
grapes
cookie bars
lemonade

Thursday
spaghetti
garlic bread
peas / corn
spinach salad

Friday / DH is participating in RAIN this weekend, so meals will be leftovers for today.

Saturday
eat out

Sunday / church dinner
pork chop and potato casserole
spinach salad

Another busy week ahead of us, not to mention all the projects hanging over my head…I want to remodel and redecorate DD’s room, clean up the scrapbook room so I can work on some projects, start quilts for DD and the three grands…

You can find more menu ideas at Laura’s place.

~~Rhonda

the grands

We had to say goodbye to DS and his family today, including the babies. 🙁

my grands

Unless I can swing a trip to their house before then, we won’t see them until October.

~~Rhonda

menu plan monday ~ june 30, 2008

I made this post last week, but forgot to post it on Monday. We have six extra people in the house, so I put more detail into the menu than usual.

Monday lunch
turkey or ham sandwiches
chips / veggies / dip

Monday supper
Fuss-Free Ravioli and Cheese Bake
garlic bread
corn
Snappy Green Beans
salad

Tuesday lunch
pizza

Tuesday supper
sloppy joes / buns
corn
chips
celery / carrots

Wednesday lunch
zoo trip

Wednesday supper
roasted hotdogs / buns
veggies / chips / dip
S’mores

Thursday lunch
Dairy Queen

Thursday supper
fried chicken
Crash Hot Potatoes
biscuits
corn on the cob
asparagus
spinach salad

Friday lunch
parade / lunch at the park

Friday supper
potluck with friends
potato / sausage casserole
2 apple pies

Saturday / Family Potluck at our house
BBQ ribs / BBQ chicken
hotdogs / hamburgers / buns
pickles
Cowboy Beans
2 cookie sheet pies (apple / peach)

Sunday
roast beef
mashed potatoes
green beans
corn
salad

I made the baked ravioli for supper Monday evening, but used tortellini instead of ravioli. The store we shopped had no ravioli, fresh or frozen. Everyone liked the tortellini and I will be making it again, though I will make a few changes. I’ll mix in some cheese before it’s baked and I made my own sauce instead of using store-bought. It’s too easy not to. I may just leave out the can of diced tomatoes altogether because I used crushed tomatoes in my sauce.

baked tortellini

You can find more menu ideas and recipes here.

~~Rhonda ::who is having great fun with babies in the house::

apricot, anyone?

Grandpa picked apricots for Great-grandma and decided to let Tab try one.

Wanna try an apricot?

wanna try an apricot?

Ewwwwww!!

ewwwww!

What did grandpa give me?

what did grandpa give me??

::cough, cough, gag!::

::cough, cough, gag::

That was yucky!

that was yucky!

It’s a good thing Grandpa loves me.

it's a good thing grandpa loves me.

baby fun

Entertaining Grandpa after her bath…

baby fresh

Great-grandma was very happy to meet great-grandbabies number eight and number nine.

Great-grandma

Not quite crawling yet. The softsquatch was made by their Aunt Julie. She made one for each and they *love* them!

it's MY softsquatch

While DH and I helped pot plants for a mission sale, the girls helped by babysitting. They did a great job and kept the babies happy.

babysitters' club

How cute is this??

fireworks in her hair

baby grins

baby blues

daddy's eyes

We’re having lots of baby fun! ~~Rhonda 🙂