Ramblings..

Thought I'd jump on here real quick for an update. Right now I have potatoes boiling and eggs boiling on the stove for the potato salad tonight. Things are going well. Yesterday I made chocolate zucchini bread! It was soo yummy!

I started my little babysitting girl on preschool yesterday. It was fun she enjoys it. I do too, I used to want to be a teacher, so I find it fun. We just work for about 30 minutes everyday. And I found a great website that pretty much lays out the lesson plans for me. Its called letteroftheweek.com. I found it really interesting!

Emma got her shots yesterday. She is such a trooper though, she didn't even cry! I sent my husband to get them with her though., because if she would have cried so would of I:( He said she didn't even flinch. Maybe its all the padding she has in her legs:)

I found out Ben starts bowling league this week!! He's excited, I'm not. But I guess its good for him to get out. His golf league just ended last week so there was not even one week in between. Oh well.

We are starting to get green peppers out of the garden now..Finally!! I don't want to let any go to waste. Does anyone know if you can freeze them?

Hamburger Zucchini over Rice

Someone asked for this recipe. I got this recipe from my friend Stephanie and changed it a little bit to suite my families taste buds. Its very good and easy!!


Hamburger Zucchini over Rice
Ingredients:
1 lb. hamburger
minced garlic to taste
1 med. onion
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 can tomatoes or 4 fresh tomatoes (peeled and chopped)
3 small zucchini-sliced

Brown hamburger, garlic and onions. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rice and season with soy sauce.

With the soy sauce this reminds me of like a stir fry!! It also calls for Lima beans but I haven't had them when I make the dish, so we have never tried them in it.

Menu plan Aug. 25

Wow, I cant' hardly believe its the end of August already!! Summer is coming to a close. Do you change the things you eat with the seasons? I know we have more hot soups and such in the winter time. Well here is this weeks menu, please understand that this is very likely to change depending upon my mood. We will most likely eat everything on here just maybe not the days that I had planned. The main reason for this is I know I have a plan for everyday of the week and I have that food on hand, so I don't have to worry about not having things to make supper for my family and not having to run and eat out!

Monday- spaghetti & bread sticks with salad

Tues- hot dogs, potato salad, creamed cukes

Wed-hamburger zucchini over rice

Thurs.-pork chops, pot., corn

Friday-kids eating at moms, Ben and I going out with my sister

Sat.-lunch, biscuits and gravy dinner-pizza

Sunday-ham steak, baked potatoes, green beans

Just another day...

Today was a good day. I planned out the next 3 weeks worth of menus using pretty much what I already have on hand. Of course I will have to buy things like milk and eggs and stuff but most everything else I already have. Today for dinner we had BLT's on homemade bread with pasta salad and fried zucchini. It wasn't' what I had planned for dinner but it sounded so good and we are getting quite a few tomatoes coming our way.

The kids are sure enjoying school. They seem to be doing well with everything so far. Of course usually the first couple weeks are review. They are enjoying getting to see their friends. I have been considering homeschooling my kids, but that is one of the main things holding me back, them not having that outside contact with all the other kids that is. But that contact is also something making me want to home school, some of the things they come home saying is just ridiculous that other little children have told them!!! I remember my daughters first day of kindergarden. I picked her up and she told me that she needed to become one of the popular kids!! I didn't think popular was even in kindergartners vocabulary. Anyways, it started with that and only got worse from there. I love my kids and I just worry about outside influence. I did some crazy things when I was younger just because I thought they were "cool".

Tomorrow I am going to try to sweep and mop the whole house, do the dusting, and try to figure out what to make to take to the family reunion. I'm thinking maybe peanut butter and jelly cookies, but I'm not sure yet.

Babies

Yesterday my sister called and wanted me to watch her baby for a little bit while she took her hubby to the doctor. Here they are playing in the exersaucer and walker. It went pretty well. Until it was time to eat and they both wanted food at the same time. It got a little stressful then but I think when she starts coming more on a regular basis hopefully we can work out a schedule. They are so close in age, hopefully they will be great friends!


Today is one of the little girls birthday that I babysit for so her and I made cupcakes. When the older ones get home from school we will sing happy birthday and have cupcakes, and I will let her open her present then. I got her a Dora the explorer play dough set.. She's 3 and very much into "Dora". She is gonna love it I'm sure.

Since the older kids are in school now, in the afternoon the little ones take a nap so I actually get some quiet time. Its nice! It gives me some time on the computer and also time to get exta work done that is hard to complete with them awake.. Have a great day!

Whats you opinions on stocking up??

Sometimes I think I'm going crazy! (Isn't that a great starter sentence) No but seriously, I don't know if its because I'm home so much without adult conversation, but my mind is constantly going a hundred miles a minute! I'm always thinking about things and planning way ahead in my brain. But rarely do things ever end up happening like I plan them out. My main thoughts as of lately have been finances. I try not to worry myself about things, but constantly thinking about it and trying to find solutions in my head I guess is my way of dealing. Anyways here is my latest dilemma that I've been thinking about and I would really like feedback from anyone reading this to. You can remain anonymous if you'd like.
My usual way of thinking is to buy things when they are on sale. You know, like stock up. Even if I don't particularly need that item I know that I will use it eventually so I figure I should get it if its a good deal. But lately I've been thinking if I am short on money already maybe it wouldn't be very wise to buy things that I am not in need of at the time. My husband kind of pointed that out to me, I told him I wanted to go to CVS(because I always can get awesome deals there), and he said I thought we were short on money, to which I replied, "but I am saving money", and he said"BUT YOU HAVE TO SPEND MONEY TO SAVE MONEY". Which of course at the time I got all irate and mad at him, but now I see how he kind of makes sense. (don't tell him that).:)
So I think that maybe for the time being I should only buy what we absolutely NEED. Because there is always going to be come kind of sale somewhere, and when we need that item, if I look around I can probably find a good deal.
What do you guys think? How do you do it?

Menu Week of 8/18

Ok, well last weeks menu plan got soooo messed up, but I pretty much made everything that was on the menu, just kept switching the days around. And on Sat. I made the most delicious meatballs ever!!! Well we thought so at least. So that is a new one that I'm gonna start adding to our menus. So here is this weeks menu....

Monday-tuna noodle casserole/french bread

Tuesday-zucchini pizza\cheese bread

Wednesday-spaghetti/garlic bread

Thursday-pork chops/rice/zucchini patties

Friday-pizza

Sat.-???we have a family reunion this day so we will be eating there for lunch, not sure about dinner

Sunday-roast\potatoes\carrots

For more great menu ideas check out orgjunkie.com !!