Menu Plan ~ Week of March 28th

A lot of family favorites on the menu this week and nothing really exciting. We are eating out of the pantry and freezer trying to save a little money as gas price continue to go up and there are a few car repairs that need to be done. I am tired of winter type meals and can't wait for the lighter fair of spring and summer, but with the temps still in the 20s at night chilies, soups and such are still on the menu.

Monday

Breakfast: Homemade Yogurt and Maple Almond Granola

Lunch: Roasted Tomato Soup

Dinner: Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

Tuesday

Breakfast: Poached Eggs on Oatmeal Wheat Toast

Lunch: Creamy Mac & Cheese and Orange Slices

Dinner: On the Road Cooler Dinner

Wednesday

Breakfast: Oatmeal with all the Fixings

Lunch: Chicken Nuggets and Raw Veggies

Dinner: Haddock with Tomatoes and Spinach with Rice

Thursday

Breakfast: Banana Muffins

Lunch: Ramin Noodles with Mixed Veggies

Dinner: Chili and Cornbread

Friday

Breakfast: Crepes with Ricotta Filling and Fruit

Lunch: Rehearsal Day Picnic

Dinner: Homemade Pizza

Saturday

Breakfast: Cheese Omelets and Fried Potatoes

Lunch: Peanut Butter Sandwiches and Apple Slices

Dinner: Roast Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Stuffing, Peas and Pearl Onions

Sunday

Breakfast: Cold Cereal

Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Chili Stuffed Baked Potatoes and Salad

So what is your family eating this week? Not sure and need some inspiration, head on over to I'm An Organizing Junkie for her Menu Planning Monday.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by Amanda, aka Soule Mama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

~~~~~

~~~~~

In gratitude this week for:

• Signs of Spring even if it is still snowing
• Sister bonding
• A plan for high school
• Simplicity

Wishing you all a glorious weekend!

Yarn Along ~ Casting On

I missed last week's Yarn Along, and the week just wasn't the same. Not only didn't I have time to knit myself, but I didn't even have time to visit any of the others participating. It was just one of the weeks, and boy am I glad it's over. So this week I am so glad to be back, well sort of, in the swing of things. There still isn't much knitting, but I have picked a pattern, selected the yarn, cast on more time than I care to share and am now ready to knit! However, you'll have to wait a bit to know what as it's a surprise!

As for reading I have been thoroughly enjoying Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Knitting Rules. Oh my how funny she is. I just love her quips. My family keeps looking at me as if I've lost it for laughing so much at a knitting book. I highly recommend it especially for those not so new yet not truly experienced knitters. She shares lots of tips and tricks.

So if you have a love of knitting, crocheting, fiber and books you will find kindred spirits and plenty of inspiration over at the Yarn Along sponsored by Ginny of Small Things. Do pour your self a cup of tea and head on over. You wont regret it, except if you don't like your "to read" list or you "next project" list to be too long.

Our Morning Song

I have been enjoying reading through Seven Times the Sun these last few weeks. I chose the book as it was becoming clear that the rhythms in our home were a little off. I think some of it has to do with the large age spread of the girls - teen to tot, as well as we are still adjusting to dad's new work schedule. Anyway, back to rhythms. In the past of have always made schedules. I was good at that, making them that is. And I was pretty good at using them as a tool and not being a slave to them. But as I have aged, oh so gracefully, I have found that rhythms work better for us. A gentle flow to the day and week and year. They let us know what is expected. We have something to look forward to, something to be grounded in, but they also allow us so much freedom.

So back to our morning song. Rebekah has enjoyed the songs in Seven Times the Sun so much. She asks me to sing them over and over. And out of that we have created some of our own songs. It has been so much fun. Her little eyes light up. She wiggles and dances. And you have just to see how she tries to snap her fingers. She looks like she is flicking something away.

I thought I would share this simple song, that has brought us so much joy. It has been fun to great the day in this way.

Good morning, good morning, good morning to you

The sun has come what, what should be do?

Good morning, good morning, a new days begun

The birdies are singing let's have some fun.

So how to you go about your day? So you have a rythm or scheulde or you a fly by the seat of your pants type of gal. I would love to hear what works for your family.

Menu Plan ~ Week of March 21st

So I hope everyone is planning their menus and staying within their family's food budget. It is a little bit of work, but the rewards are so worth it.

Monday
Breakfast: Bagels and Cream Cheese
Lunch: Ski Day Picnic - Hard Boiled Eggs, Apples, Cheese & Crackers, Almonds
Dinner: Ski Season Banquet

Tuesday
Breakfast: Poached Eggs on Oatmeal Wheat Toast
Lunch: Mac & Cheese and Apple Slices
Dinner: Roasted Tomato Soup and Sourdough Bread

Wednesday
Breakfast: Oatmeal and Orange Smoothies
Lunch: Noodles with Veggies
Dinner: Pancakes and Sausage

Thursday
Breakfast: Yogurt and Maple Almond Granola
Lunch: Humus, Pita Bread and Raw Veggies
Dinner: Frittata and Buttermilk Biscuits

Friday
Breakfast: Cheese Omelets and Toast
Lunch: Seven Layer Mexican Dip with Tortilla chips
Dinner: Homemade Pizza

Saturday
Breakfast: Banana Muffins and Cantaloupe
Lunch: Popcorn Chicken and Oranges
Dinner: Flounder, Rice and Spinach Salad

Sunday
Breakfast: Cold Cereal
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Spaghetti with Pork Ribs and Homemade Sauce and Garlic Bread

So what is your family eating this week. Really I would love to know. I get tired of the same old thing every week, especially for dinners. Breakfast and lunch I don't mind the good old favorites, but dinner. I am always looking for something new and yummy. And with Spring finally here and the weather starting to warm up a bit, I am ready to leave the soups and stews behind and think about pulling out the grill.

I've joined up with the menu planning madness going on over at I'm an Organizing Junkie. Please pop over for a TON of menu planning inspiration.

Happy Birthday Hannah!

It's hard to believe another year has passed! My beautiful little girl is growing into such a beautiful young lady. Eleven is such a milestone around here. You are no longer a little girl. We actually celebrated Hannah's birthday a day early. Don't think we've ever done that before, but dad had to work today. so yesterday started with breakfast out with dad. Hannah had raspberry pancakes a favorite. So we were off to a good start. Then we went out for a family walk. The blue skies tricked us into thinking it was spring, but boy was it cold. So back home with the wood stove cranking, we had a marathon of games, a special arts and craft project and of course the dinner of her choice - fish and chips with cole slaw - YUMMY! Hannah's big sister made the cake. Don't you just love the rainbow? It was a yummy three layer chocolate concoction! Hannah was blessed with some precious gifts and her choice of a movie. It was a great day!

And for those of you who aren't blessed to know Hannah in person, you are missing out on one of the funniest gals around. She is always quick with a joke or some goof ball move. She's eager to help out, loves her little sister (and the big one most of the time), horses, movies and music. She is imaginative and creative. You'll find her spending her days writing songs and sewing clothes, much more fun than the school work she tries so hard to avoid. She is strong willed and yet sensitive. She is our middle girl and we wouldn't change a thing about her, well most of the time.

A quick look back at some past birthdays we have celebrated with this special girl of ours. . .

Last year at 10 (oh I miss that hair)


At nine, with only horses on her mind and shirt already.
(check out the snow in the window. we have about that much this year too)


Seven seems so long ago.

At five all dressed up for a tea party.

(snow outside here as well)

Hope you had a fabulous day sweetheart!

Menu Plan ~ Week of March 14th

Wow! Has anyone else noticed that food prices are going up and the weekly sales, well they're just not great? We are still sticking to our $80 a week food budget and actually I am trying to shave a little off to put in the gas budget. Those prices are even worse. So anyway, I am trying to get creative with our meals as well as plan from the pantry and freezer. I stumbled across The Everything Beans Book and really wish the funds were available to purchase it. Maybe I can carve the money out of the food budget? Anyway, the cookbook looks fabulous and I have already seen a couple of the recipes included in others menu plans. If you have this book I'd love to hear your reviews.

Monday

Breakfast: Homemade yogurt and Maple Almond Granola

Lunch: Ski Day Picnic - Turkey Sandwiches, Orange Smiles & snacks

Dinner: Apres Ski Pizza Party

Tuesday

Breakfast: Poached Eggs on Toast

Lunch: Pork Fried Rice

Dinner: Black Bean Burritos

Wednesday

Breakfast: Oatmeal Bar with all the Fixings

Lunch: Tuna Wraps and Raw Veggies

Dinner: Swedish Meatballs, Egg Noodles and Peas

Thursday

Breakfast: Banana Muffins

Lunch: Mac & Cheese

Dinner: Corned Beef, Potatoes, Carrots and Cabbage

Friday

Breakfast: Pancakes and Corned Beef Hash

Lunch: Chicken Nugget & Apple Sauce

Dinner: Homemade Pizza

Saturday

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs with Peppers, Onion & Cheese with Hash browns

Lunch: Orange Smoothies, Pita Bread with Hummus, Sprouts and Veggies

Dinner: Fish and Chips with Cole Slaw (Hannah's choice for her Birthday Dinner)

Sunday

Breakfast: Toast with Almond Butter and Oranges

Lunch: Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce

Dinner: Roast Chicken, Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, and Carrots

I'm sure we can eat the above meals and stay within our $80 budget. My shopping list is only 10 items long, many which are on sale and/or I have coupons for. The big splurge for the week is the corned beef dinner for St Patrick's Day - luckily all those items are on sale for the holiday. And then there is Hannah's fish dinner. Can you believe the price of fish? Well, I lucked out and have a rain check for cod for only $3.99 a pound! So hopefully I will be able to squeeze out a little money for the gas tank as well as stock up on some good deals.

I so love having a stocked pantry and freezer. There is such a sense of peace that come with the knowledge I can feed my family well without blowing the budget. Check back later in the week to hear about how I stock my pantry and freezer. Hopefully, many of you will share your tips as well.

And of course if you are looking for more meal planning inspiration head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by Amanda, aka Soule Mama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

~~~~~

~~~~~

In gratitude this week for:

• Dinner made by my husband and children
• Fresh snow
• Morning Singing with Rebekah
• Simplicity

Wishing you all a glorious weekend!

Yarn Along

Joining in the fun again this week of Ginny's Yarn Along, a time and place to share what we are knitting and reading, two of my favorite things to do. It is such fun, and inspiring, to see what everyone else is creating and reading. You really should try to stop by and visit with some of these wonderful ladies.

On the needles is a pair of socks for the littlest one. It is a pattern I have knit before, so they are coming along quickly. Oh how I wish everyone had feet the size of a toddler - foot binding anyone? The yarn is Rhythm by Jojoland, and is okay, but not one of my favorites.

Here are the socks I had been working on for the last couple of weeks. They're DONE!!!! I am putting the finishing touches on the pattern and hope to post it over the weekend for those interested. this yarn was/is fabulous. It is a hand spun hand dyed sock weight made by a local woman. Just fabulous! I would love to get my needles on some more of it.

As for reading the books haven't changed. Still working slowly through Easy to Love Difficult to Discipline. I found myself taking so many notes that I actually ordered my own copy. That says a lot for a parenting book. Most of those I sort of skim through and return to the library. Also Rebekah and I are enjoying Seven Times the Sun. We have been singing lots of morning songs together.

So what are you knitting (creating) and reading. I'd love to hear, because you know I have tons of time and not enough projects. Oh a girl can dream can't she?

Menu Plan ~ Week of March 7th

Monday

Breakfast: Banana Muffins

Lunch: Ski Day Picnic

Dinner: Apres Ski Party

Tuesday

Breakfast: Crepes with Ricotta Cheese Filling and Fruit

Lunch: Roasted Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

Dinner: Swedish Meatballs over Egg Noodles and Peas

Wednesday

Breakfast: Poached Eggs on Oatmeal Wheat Toast

Lunch: Mac & Cheese with Orange Smiles

Dinner: Cod, Brown Rice and Spinach

Thursday

Breakfast: Yogurt and Granola

Lunch: Noodles and Veggies

Dinner: Baked Chicken, Fried Potatoes and Corn

Friday

Breakfast: Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Lunch: Perform It Picnic

Dinner: Pizza

Saturday

Breakfast: Pancakes and Bacon

Lunch: Tuna Melts and Apples

Dinner: Gnocchi, Italian Sausage with Pesto and Garlic Bread

Sunday

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Lunch: Left Overs

Dinner: Bacon & Cheese Burgers and Seasoned Ranch Fries

Looking for a little more meal planning inspiration head on over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.

~this moment~

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by Amanda, aka Soule Mama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

~~~~~

~~~~~

In gratitude this week for:

• A few quiet moments to read
• The warmth of a wood stove
• A few corners cleaned and organized
• Simplicity

Wishing you all a glorious weekend!

Yarn Along

In a week that has been beyond crazy, there is some comfort found in joining Ginny's Yarn Along. A place to share what's on my needles and nightstand. Knitting and reading, two things that when chaos stikes help keep me grounded and focused.

The knitting isn't much different than last week. Still working on this pair of socks. I am really loving how they are coming out and the yarn is beyond fabulous. It is a hand painted yarn from a local artisan.

As for reading, I am slowly working through easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline. So far this is fabulous. It is more about changing oneself. Isn't that usually the case? When something isn't how we would like, we need to look within to find the solution. Really we are the only ones we can change, and with that change others will respond to you differently.

I've just started Seven Times the Sun. Only a few pages in but enjoying it. I'm looking forward to creating more of a flow to our mostly crazy days. I find it hard at times having teenager to toddler. So many different directions to go. So many different needs to meet. I'm hoping to find tidbits in this book to help it all flow with a few less rapids.

The children and I will be reading Elissa's Quest. They picked it out and I don't know much about it. So we shall see. I'd love to hear from any of you that have read it.

Elsa Beskow is one of our favorite authors of the little one. She just love all of her book. The Sun Egg is the newest one in our collecting. Such a sweet story of a little Elf who discovers a "sun egg". I know this one will become a treasured favorite.

Hope all of you are having from creating and reading, two things that truly feed the soul.