I hope to try this recipe next time I have banana's to use up!

http://www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/3931

Week # 1: 5/22/11 - 5/29/11

It's Monday......Menu Plan Monday!  

Another week is upon us.  It seems like I just menu planned, but all our food is gone again.  Some new meals from the last two weeks that were a hit, include the following:

• Grilled Chicken/Roast Veggies/Baked Potatoes
• Chicken and Stuffing/ Salad Wedges/ Rolls
• Breakfast Scramble/ Blueeberry Muffins/ Fruit Salad
• Kiwi Chicken Salad/Crescent Rolls (a surprising fav)

Sunday -22 - Chicken Dijon/ Rice/ Corn - (Emealz -Aldi  376)

Monday 23- So-Good Chicken Enchiladas/ Lettuce Wedges/ Tortillas and Salsa (Emealz -Aldi 376)

Tuesday - BLT Salad - Cornbread (Emealz -Aldi 378)

Wednesday - Mexican Casserole/ Tortilla Chips/ Garden Salad (Emealz -Aldi 378)   

Thursday - Tuna Sandwiches/ Tater Tots

Friday -27 - Summer Subs/ Cukes/ Fruit Salad (make x2 for mealtrain)

Saturday 28 - Baked Spaghetti Pie/ Salad/ Texas Toast  (Emealz -Aldi 376)

Sun - Meatloaf/Mashed Potatoes/Green Beans ((Emealz -Aldi 377)

Week #2:  5/30/11 - 6/5/11

Monday - Pesto Pepperoni Wraps/ Chips/ Sliced Apples  (Emealz -Aldi 378)

Tuesday - Pancakes/Eggs/ Bacon

Wed - 6/1 - Stir Fry and Rice

Thurs - Chicken Salad/ Crossiants/ Pasta Salad/ Fruit (make x2 for MealTrain)

Friday - Hamburger Pizzas/ Tater Tots/ Celery & Dip (Emealz -Aldi 378)

Saturday - Portabella Pork Chops/Egg Noddles/ Steamed Carrots/ Dinner Rolls (Emealz -Aldi 378)

Sunday - Biscuit and Gravy/ Scrambled Eggs

Be Well.....

Love to read???  Check out my book blog: Reading in White Bear Lake

Hello - no you are not seeing things, it is me!!   I am working very hard to get back to a regular blogging schedule. I certainly miss my interaction with all my Xanga friends. I spend what little time I have for online socializing on Facebook.

Here is my week in review.........................

Saturday: I spent the morning cleaning up around the house in preparation of my parents coming to visit. I had not seen my parents since Thanksgiving so was looking forward to seeing them. Tommy attended a friend’s birthday party from 10:45 until 2:00. He had a great time the party. The had the Twin Cities Game Theaterthere. This is a mobile game party, what little boy doesn’t like video games.

After supper we played Wits & Wagers, a very fun game.

Sunday morning we all went to church for Mother’s Day together. Tommy had his last day of Sunday School for this school year. After church we came home and I made some Taco soup before my parents headed back to South Dakota. After my parents left I spent the rest of Mother’s Day having a nap and working on my other blog, Reading in White Bear Lake. Hubby gave me 2 dozen of the most beautiful roses and a lovely card. Tommy purchased me a cooking scale. Josh renewed the domain name for Reading in White Bear Lake, that he purchased for me as a gift.

Tuesday: - was unremarkable....Hubby and I finally paid our bills. We continue to follow the teachings of Dave Ramsey.  We pay our bills together each week and work out our budget for the week. Due to being busy on Saturday we didn't have our budget meeting as usual.   This is the first tie we didn't have our weekly budget meeting before the weekend. But things still went fine. We continue to make good progress towards becoming debt free. 

I was in alot of pain on Tuesday. As my longtime readers, might remember I was in a severe car accident 7 years ago. I have struggled with neck and back pain for those 7 years. I now have added migraines to the mix.   My hubby is wonderful and understanding, even when I get so crabby due to the pain.  

the windsheild and roof my head met 7 years ago.   OUCH!  I always amazed how well the roof maintained considering that I rolled the truck completely over.

Wednesday - last week I saw my regular Dr about my frequent migraines that I have been experiencing.  I was referred to Physician's Neck and Back Clinic in Woodbury.   Today was my initial exam and appointment there.   The Dr felt their aggressive physical therapy will help me and alleviate my migraines headaches.  After my exam from the Dr I worked with the Physical Therapist for a bit. She  reviewed stretches with me and put me in what they call the neck machine.   Isolates everything, but your neck muscles.  I lifted a few weights in the neck machine and then was done.  At the time it didn't seem to bad.   I went home after the therapy and 6 hours later I had a terrible headache and had alot of pain. 

Josh was wonderful and came home and helped me to pick up the snacks for Movie night at the school.  While laying down I worked on our menu and shopping list.  After supper, Hubby helped me to get groceries.  I was so glad to get that all done and be able to lay down!

Thursday - I barely did any therapy on Wednesday, but I was really in pain on Thursday.  It was very hard to get through the work day and remain sitting at my desk.  I left work early because I needed to volunteer at church. After volunteering I came home and rest for a bit before needing to go to the MPTP board meeting. I lasted over an hour at the meeting, which considering how I had been feeling all day, that was good.  

Then home to watch my recording on American Idol with my hubby.   While watching Tommy and I did my back exercises. I can't believe that James was voted off of American Idol. I was so disappointed!! ARGH.

Friday....so glad to see the weekend around the corner!   This morning I had my first Physical Therapy session.   I worked on two of the medical machines, the neck and back machines.  Then I worked on three other machines, abdominal machine, back machine and an arm one.  I don't know what they were called.  It was a good workout, broke a sweat and though painful at times, was ok.  

After my session I had to go to work for two home visits.  I headed to Burnsville and Rosemount and them finally home for our weekend to start!!!!!    I made these interesting sandwiches for supper, can't decide if I liked them out not.   Hoagie bun with poppy seed dressing, turkey, apple slices and provolone cheese.   For movie night we watch Yogi Bear.

Our weekend is looking very good.  We have no where to be...which is very appreciated.  My plans for the weekend are to get caught up on laundry and reading!  I have two books to finish for book groups this month and one I have not even started!   the first book, The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet I need to have done by the 17th. The other book, The Secret Kept I need to have done by the 26th.

   Oh, I almost forgot to mention the one important thing we will be doing on Sunday!   This cute little guy is going to be celebrating his 23rd Birthday!!  

Happy Birthday, Joshua!!!

Love you!!!

New posts at Reading in White Bear Lake  (my book blog) include:

• Beyond Words Posts - weekly feature to build your vocabulary.  May 8th and May 11th

• Library Loot: What did you find at the library this week? 

• It's Monday!  What are you reading??  

Be Well......................

Menu Plan Monday on Wednesday.....I have been having a terrible time with back and neck pain and it seems like everything is taking me longer and I am slower.  I started a rehab program today at the Physicians Neck and Back Clinic, which made me move slower and hurt more.  Hubby helped me to get groceries or else we would have starved.   I relied heavily on E-Mealz.com for our meals for the next two weeks.  My computer at home is not set up very ergonomic so it is difficult for me to be on the computer for any period of time.

Here is our menu for the next week and 1/2

Wednesday -11th - Brats, Fries and Baked Beans

Thursday - 12th (Board Meeting)  Stir Fry

Friday - Gobbler Sandwiches/ Cucumber & Celery/ Chips

Saturday - Meatloaf/Mashed Potatoes/Green Beans

Sunday - Grilled Chicken/ Roast Veggies/ Baked Potatoes
(Make meal for Syd - Chicken Ceasar Wraps)

Monday - Chicken and Stuffing/ Salad Wedges/ Crescent Rolls

Tuesday - Breakfast Skillet/ Blueberry Muffins/ Fruit Salad

Wednesday - Kiwi Chicken Salad/ Crescent Rolls

Thursday - Sloppy Joes/ Mac and Cheese/ Strawberries

Friday - Hot Subs/ Tortilla Chips

Saturday - Baked Spaghetti Pie/ Salad/ Texas Toast

Sunday - Chicken Dijon/ Rice/ Corn

Monday - So-Good Chicken Enchiladas/ Lettuce Wedges/ Tortillas and Salsa

Well at least we have a plan for meals and the groceries to go with it. We stayed under our $200 budget for these two weeks of grocery.   Hubby is needed to help me more as I struggle with back and neck discomfort. He is great!!

Be Well my Friends.....

I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day - celebrating those who give never ending love to those they love!   Hope you had a wonderful day!

Be Well.....

 January 2011

This year winter hit Minnesota HARD!!  This was the result of the first blizzard of the year and there were numerous blizzards! 

December and January were crazy busy months for our family.  My husband's mother was in the nursing home and not doing very well there.  We worked very hard between Christmas and New YEars Day to get my father in law moved from their apartment and into assisted living.  Once my FIL was all moved in and used to the new place we moved my MIL out of the nursing home and in with my FIL.  We were all so very grateful that have them back together, with an apporpriate amount of services to keep them safe. 

Books Read in January:

• Red Hook Road - Ayelet Waldman - 3.5/5
• Henry's Sisters - Cathy Lamb - 4/5

February- as far as I can remeber passed with little trouble.  We were very busy getting hubby's parents situated in the assisted living.   They had a few medical problems, but overall we made it through the month! 

The environment at my office in February was very bittersweet. Many of my co-workers took advantage of the retirement packaged offered by our employer. We had overall over 100 retirements in the month of March. Argh. So we are very short staffed at the office and it is very stressful.

 
Retirement of a good friend, Sandra.

Books Read in February:

•  In the Woods - Tana French - 3.5/5
• Saving Max - Antoinette van Heugten - 4/5
• Glass Castles - Jeanette Walls - 4/5

March - was a very exciting month for our family!  Josh asked Amy to marry him and she said "YES!".    They will be getting married on July 21, 2012.   We are so very happy for them!!

 
Josh and Amy are engaged to be married!

 
Reading.. Tommy and Daddy have been reading many books - Here they are reading The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan. .

Books Read in March:

• I Am Not A Serial Killer - Dan Wells - 4/5
• Secrets of Eden - Chris Bohjalian - 3/5
• Mothers & Other Liars - Amy Bourret - 3.5/5
• Days of Grace - Catherine Hall - 4/5
• Major Pettigrew's Last Stand - Helen Simonson - 4/5
• Men and Dogs - Katie Crouch - 4/5

April  -

MCS  Gala  is an annual fundraiser for Tommy's school.  This year we were very blessed to be able to share the evening with good friends.  The picture below includes us all: My son and his fiance (Josh and Amy) , hubby and I, hubby's sister and her hubby (Bonnie and Danny) and good family friends (Linda and Paul) 

Bonnie and Dan                                                            Josh and Amy

Hubby and I  

The big winners of the Night:  Paul and Linda/ Bonnie and Danny won 4 tickets to a Twins game with seats in the Legends Club.

 
Josh and Amy won the raffle for the Wall of Wine!  They won everything you see here - which was about 24 bottles of wine and related items!

On a sad note, we said farewell to a loved pet, Robbie.  He was 16 years old...

Family time watching movies - Tommy discovered Harry Potter and we watched the movies with him.  All of them!  He is now very busy reading the books! 

 After Easter, I was off to Duluth for Mommy's Annual retreat weekend. I stayed in Duluth for 4 nights relaxing and attending a conference for work.  

Books Read in April:

• Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
• Whistling in the Dark by Lesley Kagen
• Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards.
• Kitchen House – Kathleen Grissom (Review)

Whew....if you made it to the end of the picture intensive post, my dear reader, I am very impressed! I hope this is the last post like this. I have been struggling to carve out time each week for myself and to blog. I hope to be able to post a weekly update on a regular basis.  That is the goal anyway!!

Thanks for stopping by and hpe to catch up with you all!!

Be Well..........

Hello everyone and Tommy!!

Well I am behind in my updated to Tommy so I am combining two days into one posts! 

Day #2 - Saturday

I slept terrible my first night here!  The pillows are so uncomfortable.  I woke up numerous times and finally took some nyquil at some point in the night.  I woke up very late, after 10:00.   The black out curtains in this room sure keep it dark!  I decided on Saturday that I would just stay in my pj's all day and read in my room.   Can you believe I have not turned on the TV since I got here??  Very peaceful, but if something major happens in the world, I will totally miss it.

I read my book once I woke up until hubby called.  Each Saturday we always pay bills and work out our budget for the week.  Would you believe we did this over the phone?  Dave Ramsey would be so proud of us!  It actually worked out very well. 

The sun came out and the view from my window was lovely!  After being in the room most of the day and finishing my book, I decided I should figure out my way to the DECC through the skyways.  So I took a little walk before supper.  So yes, I did actually have to shower and get dressed, but not until 4:00pm!  I found my way easy enough and returned to my room.  It is about a 15 minutes walk one way. 

For supper I ordered Pasta from a place called Sammy's.  It was pretty good, but way too much food for me.  #3 strike against the Holiday Inn - no microwave in the room.  Normally when I buy a meal like this I will save the leftovers for the next day to save some money.  I have a fridge but no microwave and cold noodles are not very appealing.  YUCK!

The nighttime view from my window...........

My new best friend....this hotel does have a pillow program.  They have 4 different pillows you can request so I am going to hopefully sleep much better with his neck support pillow.

Day #3 - Sunday

I woke up early this morning after a good nights sleep!!  Though I did hear security once during the night knocking on a door near mine yelling, "Hotel Security, Open Up!"  I knew it wasn't for me and went right back to sleep.  My new pillow is definitely my best friend!!!!

I was up and reading for a bit when I got an idea.....yep, that still happens once in a while.  I was looking up a word from my book and thought to myself, "I really should write these words down that I am always looking up so I would remember them!"   So I came up with the idea for a new weekly feature for my book blog called Beyond Words.    So I worked on setting up this feature until it was time to head to my first shift of volunteering at the conference. 

I volunteered at the registration desk at the conference for a little over an hour, then went to a symposium called "Disempowering Anxiety: Empowering  Adult-Child Relationships" given by Tina Feigal.  It was pretty good.  I actually have heard her speak before.  After that I was STRAVING!!   I decided to walk over to subway to grab some supper.  Once I had eaten, I was too tired to head back to the conference for the mental health plan that I wanted to attend.    So I returned to my room and have been there every since reading, writing book reviews and blogging.   Definitely some of my favorite things to do!

I need to go to bed soon as I have to be back early in the morning to the conference for my next volunteer session.  I have to work form 7:50 until 9:00 at the registration desk again.   That should be interesting...we all know what a great morning person I am.  ARGH!!

Love and miss you, Tommy and Daddy!

Mom/ Jen C

 It is the time of the year again.  I am in Duluth for work and as is tradition I leave some lovely pictures and things for Tommy to know Mommy is thinking of him each and every day.

Mommy's Annual Respite Weekend:  Day #1 (Friday)

I spent the morning before heading out of town at Tommy's school.  I finished up a project for the end of the year program.  I so enjoy my volunteer time at the school.  Our favorite friend from across the pond brought a wonderful cake in to celebrate the royal wedding with the children!  

Next, I ran home to pack for my trip and run a few errands.  One of my errands was to get some cash from the bank.  We all know Dave Ramsey wants me to use cash, even when I travel.   I happened to run into the most handsome man at the bank.......my husband.  It was so nice to be able to say good bye to him before leaving town. 

I took my time driving to Duluth, I was in no hurry!   I stopped first at Tanger Outlet Mall.  Ok, my favorite Liz store is gone, but I still love Famous Footwear outlet!   Did I decide to spend some of my cash there......of course!!

Two new pairs of black shoes...can you really ever have too many black pairs of shoes.  I really did need new boots!  My old pair can now go into the trash!  Two pairs of shoes for $45.00, plus I received a $10 off coupon for my next visit, which just might be on the way home.  I saw two more pairs I liked...but I needed some money to eat for the next 4 days!  We will see what I have left for cash on the way home.

My next stop of course was at  Kettle River Rest Area - the weather was so gorgeous I had to sit outside for a bit.  I hated to get into the van, but I was listening to a very good book on tape so I was motivated to return to the van!

Finally, I made my way into Duluth. I checked into my room at the Holiday Inn.

My room is on the 10th floor - here was my view the first night!  I moved the table in front of the window so I could enjoy the view. 

After getting checked in, I headed to the grocery store to find some food for breakfast. This hotel does not have a free contiental breakfast like the other places I always stay on the Canal. A big strike against this place!

I decided to order from room services for supper and had a lovely steak!    It was pretty good!

The rest of the evening I spent reading my book and listening to the little doggy next door yipping.  Strike #2 - this hotel allows pets!  I was tried and turned out the lights by 10:30!!

So that is how exciting my first day/night was......below is the trailer for the new Harry Potter movie Deathly Hallow - Part 2 coming out in July I think.  I thought you might like to see it since you have been devouring the books!  I am so glad you are enjoying reading the books.  Enjoy!

Mommy loves and misses you, Tommy!

See you Tuesday!