Monday, September 19, 2011

Menu Plan Monday

This week starts a change at our house.  I am beginning the Couch to 5K training program and with that I am working hard to change our menu, eating habits, etc.  I was so proud to go through the checkout line at the grocery store with at least 50% of my items being produce!  That was big for me.

Here is our first week....

Lunches -
Homemade Chicken Salad with whole wheat bread or wheat saltines
Taco Soup
Turkey Sandwiches

Dinners -

Saturday - Gameday Chili

Sunday - Savory Chicken and Rice, Green Beans, White Corn

Monday - Baked Chicken, Roasted Potatoes and Onions, Roasted Asparagus, Rolls

Tuesday - Hungry Girl's Chicken and Sausage Gumbo with Cheese Biscuits

Wednesday - Grilled Chicken (on the Forman grill), roasted squash and zucchini, corn, and baked beans

Thursday - Cheeseburger Macaroni, green beans, and garlic toast

Friday - Grocery Shopping Night!  Not sure what's on the menu!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Friend Makin Monday....on a Tuesday


1.  What are your talents?  I take pictures - they are pretty good, I cook - love to try new things.

2.  What is your best habit?  Wow.  Honestly, I don't know!

3.  If you had to be stuck with someone in an elevator for 8 hours, who would you want it to be?   Ian Somerhalder. He seems very well-rounded and it would be wonderful scenery for 8 hours. 

4.  Share one odd fact about you that we'd never know to ask.  I know the words to virtually every Elvis song.

5.  What's your latest project (work, home, whatever you care to share?)  Becoming a runner.  Beginning Couch to 5k next week.  Also, I have a new puppy and she's definitely a project!

6.  If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be?  I have/had psoraisis on my thumb nails.  It literally looks like my fingers have been smashed.  I hate them.  I try to wear acrylic nails whenever possible.  I keep thinking it will go away so when new nail grows, it will be normal.  But, I guess I should count my blessings that is only my thumbs and not every nail.

7.  What do you do in your spare time?  Read, veg in front of the television

8.  What is your biggest pet peeve?  People spelling the term "y'all" wrong.  It is not "ya'll"!  We (Southerners) made up the dang word so the least we can do is spell it correctly!

9. Why do you blog?  My blog is currently a mess of things that interest me.  It is not devoted to anything (except maybe me).  I just enjoy writing things down even if no one ever reads it.

10.  Are you tidy or mess?  I'm both.  BUT even when I'm being "messy" it is like cluttered messy not dirty.  I never have dirty bathrooms or kitchen sinks.  But there might be a basket of laundry that hasn't been folded.

11.  What's the last song that played on your ipod?  Backstreet Boys.  I was boy-band jamming this morning.

12.  Do you cook?  Yes.  Almost every night.  I love to cook.  And I love to try new recipes.

13.  Do you like sports?  If so, list your teams.  I'm a big college football fan and my favorite is the Alabama Crimson Tide.

14.  How often do you read and/or watch the news?  Never watch.  Always read.  More than once a day generally.

15.  Do you stick to your New Year's resolution this year?  I never make them.

16.  What are you looking forward to most in the remainder of 2011?  A random week of vacation in November (a staycation!), starting the Couch to 5K with one of my oldest friends, the Holidays

17.  Shoes, sunglasses, or handbags?  Shoes and handbags! 

18.  How do you feel about sleeping on satin sheets?  I prefer cotton or flannel.  I like to sleep in shorts but I always freeze.  I sleep better when I'm cold.

19.  Do you sing in the shower?  Yes and recite poetry and practice my Oscar acceptance speech, etc.

20.  Describe yourself in one world.  Distinct.


Go participate in Friend Makin' Monday over at All the Weigh. 

Monday, September 12, 2011

Our New Addition

Last week, Hubs rescued this sweet girl from the streets of downtown Birmingham.  She was wet (with thanks to Tropical Storm Lee), limping, and hungry.  Her pretty brown eyes and sweet personality instantly won Hubs heart.  He is not usually affected in such a way but he totally fell for her.

 We named her Shelby and she is right at one year old.  She weighed in a 40.2lbs which is massive compared to our old weinie dog who tops the scale at 10lbs. She is literally the most laid back dog I have ever met.  She loves to play but Coby isn't having that at all.

 We took Shelby over to our friends' house on Saturday.  They have boxer named Brody who loves to play so we thought they would have fun.  They played all afternoon.  We took their almost two-year-old out to meet Shelby and just like I thought, she was a complete doll to EK. 


Shelby just hung out while baby girl rubbed on her.  It was precious.

Menu Plan Monday


So we have half followed our menu plan last week.  And we ended up eating out twice (which was not a part of the plan!).  But it is a new week!  Here goes....

Saturday - Grilled Out with Friends for football game

Sunday - Onion Chicken (baked chicken covered in crushed French's fried onions), green beans, corn, and mac n cheese

Monday - Cheeseburger Casserole and veggies
Tuesday - Chili

Wednesday - Savory Chicken and Rice (since we skipped it last week) with green beans

Thursday - Hamburger Helper Cheeseburger Macaroni and Corn

Friday - Out

Need Menu help like I do??  Visit Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday for hundreds of ideas.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Where were you?

In the fall of 2001, I was in college at a local community college and worked two part-time jobs - one as a daycare worker at my church in the afternoons and the other I worked in the office of my cousin's service company two days a week in the basement of his house.

On September 11, 2011, I walked into my cousin's house to find my uncle standing in front of the tv.  He said "Come look at this.  It is unbelievable."  The scene on the television was of first tower just after being struck.  We stood in silence as the newscasters frantically tried to figure out what happened.  Then tragedy struck again as the second tower was hit.

I watched and listened to the news all day long.  It was unbelievable what they were saying....terrorists.  How could that happen in our country? 

I went to my job at the church early in the afternoon.  We were informed by the elementary school that they had not informed the children of anything.  We kept a small radio on behind the front desk but the day was otherwise the same for the children.  It was so hard to try to make the day normal when it was anything but. 

Our church happened to be having revival that week.  Our pastor was a chaplain with the National Guard.  His patriotism was always there and that evening's service was no different.  It was an opportunity to be together, to pray, to worship, and to both honor those who had and would perish in the events and to celebrate the spirit of the people of the United States of America.

On the evening of September 11, President Bush said (paraphrased), "Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts....Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve."

There were a total of 2,977 innocent deaths of which 411 were emergency workers.  There were countless other victims and millions of Americans who could only stand by and watch.

 We will never forget.  Not 10 years later.  Not ever.  

 
God Bless America.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Friend Makin Monday


I'm joining Friend Makin' Monday over at All the Weigh! 

1) What is your favorite food? 
This is a hard one!  It depends on my mood.  Sometimes I am desperate for chinese food and other times I'm craving Italian.  Probably my most favorite food(s) are my mom's homemade specialities - veggie soup, tomato gravy, etc.  Or my granny's chicken and dumplins. 

2)  What is your favorite childhood memory?
My dad's brother owns a horse ranch where he buys/sells/boards/gives lessions.  Because of that influence, we had horses when I was young.  I almost always had a horse or pony all to myself.  I have such vivid memories of riding my pony (Little Man) and running through the pasture with my dad's favorite Quarter Horse (Penny) and her baby (Prissy).  Those horses were as much a part of my childhood as real people.

3) What is your favorite way to burn calories? 
I love the exercise bike at the gym..they have several different kinds to help with upper body as well as cardio.  It makes me want a bicycle of my own.

4) What is your favorite mode of technological communication? 
Text.  I have never been a big phone person and I don't check my home email enough to matter.  I love texting.  It isn't always instant so sometimes if I am texting my mom and I really need an answer quickly it is best to pick up the phone.

5) Who is your favorite actor/actress? 
Oh man!  I don't know!  My husband's top 2 fav actors are Denzel Washington and Liam Neeson.  I would have to agree.  Also add Mark Walhberg and Leo DiCaprio.  I love a good shoot 'em up movie with any of those guys!  For actress, I'll watch just about anything with Reese Witherspoon.

6) What is your favorite lip color?
I am currently using an Avon lip gloss called "Mocha Latte" and I love it.  It isn't too pink and puts just enough shine.

7) Who is your favorite historical figure? 
I'm not good at this chosing one favorite thing!  I have a list of inspirational people of history and those whom I would loved to have had a conversation with - Martin Luther King, Jr., Teddy Roosevelt, Robert Kennedy, and Anne Frank is definitely up there too!

8) Who is your favorite athlete?
I am a HUGE Alabama Crimson Tide football fan and Mark Ingram could defintely be considered a favorite.  He is a Heisman winner, NCAA National Championship winner, and now he plays for the New Orleans Saints.  I think he's not only an amazing athlete but seems like a pretty awesome person who didn't always have the easiest life but he did his best and used his talents.  And he really loves his mom.

9) What is your favorite TV network? 
I haven't had cable in my house in maybe 4 years.  I watch 99.9% of my television shows on the internet via their network stations, Netflix, or (my favorite) Hulu.  So my favorite tv network is any network that makes alternative-viewing (internet) easy.

10) What is your favorite site on the web?
Honestly, probably Facebook.  I just love keeping up with people and their lives.  I love to see that a great friend from high school now teaches at our high school or that my "baby" cousins are no longer babies but pretty awesome leaders in their communities.  I'm a sucker.

Menu Plan Monday

Getting back to it!  I have been MIA from MPM for quite a while!  I have been a bad blogger and bad planner the past few months.  I'm on a quest to get organized in all aspects of my life!  Ha!

Here is our Menu Plan for this week!

Saturday - Went to the Alabama opening game.  We had a late lunch so just did dinner on our own.

Sunday - Snacks and a Movie Night.  We had velveeta/rotel dip, pigs in a blanket, and sausage balls.  No healthy at all!

Monday - Labor Day!  It rained ALL DAY LONG thanks to Tropical Storm Lee so we had to move our grilling plans indoors.  I made steaks in the oven (broil!), sauteed shrimp, baked potatoes, and cheese biscuits

Tuesday - Red Beans and Rice with cornbread

Wednesday - Hubs' favorite - Savory Chicken and Rice Casserole with Green Beans

Thursday - Kraut and Weinies with Mac N Cheese, Purple Hull Peas, and Corn Muffins

Friday - Grilled Chicken, Roasted Potatoes, Corn, and Green Beans

Come join up at OrgJunkie's Menu Plan Monday!  Find lots of food ideas and resources!