Sunday, February 9, 2014

menu for the week

i shop for groceries once a week. usually i would make my menu and grocery list on sunday night then shop for groceries on monday after gymnastics and after lunch, and when sadie and i were both tired from a busy morning.

instead i've started buying groceries on friday (the day my mom watches sadie) and it's worked out so much better.  i can zip through the store, buy and unload groceries SO much faster and easier now.

i always shop with a grocery list. otherwise, i'll wander through the aisles and get things i don't really need.  i think it's key to have both a menu for the week and a list-you only buy what you need/are going to use, and there's no wondering at 5pm what you're going to make for dinner!

i always make breakfast and dinner at home during the week. for breakfast, mike eats a yogurt every weekday morning, so i don't cook anything for him. but sadie and i will usually have french toast, rice cakes, peanut butter toast, banana bread or something like that with yogurt and always BACON. that girl could and does eat bacon almost every day of her life!! and i always make myself a hot chai tea to drink. lunch is a different story. i am a eat lunch out girl. like way too much. almost every day during the week. i justify it that we're usually already out running errands, doing gym or ballet or library, so it's just more convenient. which it is. but the truth is, i don't like making lunch. being a stay at home mama, we spend a lot of time at home. so it breaks up our day to have a nice lunch out. some of our favorite lunch spots are chick-fil-a, mcalister's, and chuy's.  so it's ironic that my picture for this post is a rare lunch at home day.  i made sadie a heart peanut butter and honey sandwich, grapes, and goldfish!

so back to dinners...i try to change up dinners so i don't make the same thing every week or even every two weeks, but some dishes we eat a lot like spaghetti or certain soups in the winter...i also DO NOT make a different dinner for sadie. never have. unless we're having something not kid friendly, like steak and sauteed spinach or something very spicy, she eats what we eat. and i don't do the "you can eat this or else eat cereal" thing. she's a really good eater, and i think part of the reason is i haven't ever given her a choice to be otherwise!

i cook 4-5 nights per week, with one pizza night and one out to eat night usually..i try to stick with that schedule, but some weeks it changes!

here's what we're eating this week:

monday-patty melt with mushrooms and swiss, parmesan oven fries
tuesday- leftover enchiladas from last friday
wednesday-chicken tortellini soup with mozzerella toast
thursday-parmesan crusted tilapia, sweet potatoes, green beans, yeast rolls
friday-pizza night
saturday-out to eat (out of town family staying with us)
sunday-out to eat

have a great week!

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

anybody out there?

well...hello.  after a year and a half of no blogging, i have no clue if anybody will even read the ole blog anymore, but i want to write again. first a little update to let you know what we've been up to...

our first trip as a family to disney world. it was magical. and beautiful. and we were all sick. hello reality.

 i ran my first "race". and let me tell you something...when i sign up for a 3.2 mile race, that's what i expect to run. not 4.1 miles. that is just wrong. no wonder i felt like collapsing that last 1/2 mile.
 sadie belle learned how to ride a bike. no more baby girl here.
 we went to my happy place. well yes, i visit target weekly, but i'm talking about seaside, florida. it was perfect. and our next summer trip is already booked. cannot wait to go back.
celebrated our 11th anniversary with a trip to NYC and upstate New York...
 and a family dinner at my mom's house! aren't the girls in our family looking so colorful here?!

another item to note: instagram has taken any photography skills i thought i possessed and thrown them out the window. i never use my real camera anymore and don't even know where the sd card is! ha! well that's going to change. hello 2014-it's going to be a great year!