November Meals

Happy Thanksgiving!  This is one of my favorite months for food!  Although I am on some diet restrictions for the lovely kidney stone I had, I am not doing keep me from having some good food while we are on vacation.  I am going to try something new and put a link to all the recipes and if it is one of mine, that I will try to get it written out below the calender.  Hope that will help you all!  We have football for 2, maybe 3 more weeks, basketball has started for both the older two and Brad's xc season is starting to slow down and basketball starts this week.  Out of any months, this has got to be the busiest! 

Thurs 1st cheesy chicken noodle casserole (make 2- 1 for next month)
Fri 2nd      Pizza
Sat 3rd     BBQ sandwiches
Sun 4th   Extra creamy mac and cheese and hotdogs
Mon 5th    BLT's 
Tues 6th      crockpot cream cheese chicken chile (make ahead)
Wed 7th     chicken alfredo and rice casserole  (make ahead)
Thurs 8th     crockpot ranch porkchops  (make ahead)
Fri 9th       Pizza
Sat 10th    Grilled chicken burritos
Sun 11th      honey glazed dump chicken (make ahead)
Mon 12th     goulosh
Tues 13th     chicken enchilada pasta bake   (make ahead)
Wed 14th     pork and veggie crockpot  (make ahead)
Thurs 15th     hot and cheesy chicken casserole  (make ahead)
Fri 16th       Pizza
Sat 17th  ???
Sun 18th vacation
Mon 19th vacation
Tues 20th vacation
Wed 21st vacation
Thur 22nd vacation-Happy Thanksgiving
Fri 23rd vacation
Sat 24th vacation
Sun 25th    chicken tortilla soup  (make ahead)
Mon 26th    beef strogenoff
Tues 27th   easy chicken and cheese enchiladas
Wed 28th     chicken pot pie  (make ahead)
Thurs 29th    Tacos
Fri 30th         Pizza

Cheesy chicken noodle casserole by Anna
1 box spaghetti noodles
1 jar of cheese wiz
4 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
crushed saltine crackers or bread crumbs for top

Cook chicken and cube.  Cook noodles and drain.  Combine cheese wiz and cream of chicken soup and warm on stove.  Stir cheese mixture into noodles and combine everything into casserole dish.  Top with crushed crackers or bread crumbs.  Bake at 350 until warm and bubbling.

Beef Strogenoff  by Joy Belt
1lbs ground beef
1 medium onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
1 can beef broth
1/2 cup water
3 cups uncooked noodles (I use egg noodles)

In skillet brown beef and cook onion until tender.  Drain and blend all ingredients into pan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 10 min or until noodles are done.  Stir often.

Goulash   by Joy Belt
1lb ground beef
1 medium onion
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
3/4 box of elbow macaroni
cheddar cheese for top

In skillet brown beef and cook onion.  Drain and blend all ingredients into pan.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 10 min or until noodles are done.  Top with cheese and let melt before serving.

Chicken potpie  Parenting magazine 06
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts cubed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 jar of chicken gravy
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup frozen veggies (I used mixed bag)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
9 inch refrig pie crust

I bowl, combine all ingredients except pie crust.  Pour into 8 or 9 inches round foil pan.  Place pie crust on top and tuck edges under.  Cut steam bent in crust.  Cover with foil and freeze until you need to use or bake covered at 400 for 45 minutes.  If frozen, bake for 1 hour and uncover and bake for 20 more minutes.  Cool for 10 min, before serving.

7 years and counting

Brenna kept asking me when I was going to ask her "all those questions."  She insisted that she see what she answered last year, but I didn't let her until she was finished.  She just giggled the whole time that I interviewed her.  I don't know if she giggles when she is just excited or happy, but she also giggles and has a huge smile when she is playing defense in basketball.  It is hilarious!  She has the basketball defense shuffle down to near perfection for a 7 year old, but she can't wipe that smile off her face and "look mean."  I will try to get a picture of it sometime during the season.  Anyways, here is the interview from my 7 year old....

Mom (M)- What is your favorite color?
Brenna (B)- Silver, because it has sparklilies in it and has gray in it and I like that color too.
M-What is your favorite food?
B-Mommy's homemade mac and cheese
M-What is your favorite song?
B-"Call me maybe" by Carly Rae
M-What do you want to do when you are Mommy's age?
B-A mommy and gymnastics coach.
M-What is your favorite activity to do in school?
B-Science!
M-Why?
B-It is now a special in our school and we have a new science lab and we learn lots of new things.  (This is pretty cool...I would have loved this in elementary school!)
M-What about your least favorite?
B-The daily 5.  (Not sure what this is, but she had that "gross" look on her face!)
M-Who is your best friend.
B-I changed it.  It use to be Gabby, and now it is Olivia.  (I think it changes every week.)
M-What do you love about your brother?
B-He is sweet.....sometimes!
M-Your sister?
B-She plays with me all the time.  (This is an understatement people..these girls are glued at the hip.  I only play it will be that way when they are teenagers!)

M-What is your favorite thing to do at church?

B-Singing and singing, "Jesus is a good friend."

M-What makes you happy?

B- When people are kind.

M-What makes you sad?

B-When people are mean to me.

M-What do you love about Daddy?
B-(While giggling with a huge smile...) He is my favorite daddy in the whole world!

M-What do mommy and daddy do? 

B-Daddy coaches basketball and mommy does chores.  (Really?!!?)

M-What is your favorite restaurant?

B-Taco Bell

M-What don't you like to do?

B-Homework!

M-If you could be a dog or a cat, what would you be?

B-Dog, because I had a pet dog and they get to go inside.

M-What do you look forward to most about being 7?

B-Learning bigger and larger words.  (Interesting...we had just talked about this in her conference about using more complex words in her writing.)

M-If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?

B-Papa and Grammie's

M-Do you think you are going to get married and have kids?

B-Yes mom!  I have no idea, maybe 3 kids.



Add caption

M-What is your favorite memory from this year?

B-Winning one of my soccer games!

Here is to another year!  You have got to love this girl!

Happy 7th Birthday

Happy 7th Birthday to our Brenna Caroline.  When your brother turned 7 I thought, "Cool, he is 7!"  With my oldest daughter I thought, "Oh my goodness, she is 7!"  You are kind, compassionate and love your little so much, there is nothing you would do without her.  You are every little girls best friend.  You look past what they look like or who they are friends with and you just ARE their friend...just because.  You love everything girly and can't wait for your 8th birthday to get those ears pierced.  You have really hit your stride with reading and your sister especially loves that you can read to her in bed.  You love your daddy more everyday.  You always have been a daddy's girl, but you take it to a whole different level.  I really hope it is that way when those boys are coming to ask your daddy to take you on a date.  You frustrate your mommy and daddy almost daily.  Quick temper and a read head....what can I say?  You are just like me!

Bren, you make your mommy and daddy so proud.  We look forward to watching you grow more and more into a young lady!

Happy Birthday! 

A way to celebrate

Even though Brenna's birthday is Friday, we celebrated this past weekend while my parents were in town. The girls and I drive to Michigan tonight and are there until Sunday, so we will be doing a lot of celebrating up there.

After Aidan's football game we all met up at Chick-fil-a per Miss Bren's request.  We set up everything there and they even gave us free ice cream.  My mom, dad, my cousin Doug, his wife Angie and son Logan were able to celebrate with us.  This girl couldn't be happier!

 She wanted to ice skating, but I got the open skate hours messed up, so we went across the street to the rollerskating rink.  We had just as much fun!

My dad, Carsyn and cousin Doug

 Mom, Bren and Brad

 Hotshot, Aidan

You are never to old to hold your dad's hand! 

                                                                         Bren and I

Aidan ran into some of his buddies!



My crazy dad running into the wall.

We had such a great time!

Fall time

I know I say this every year, but I just love this time of year!  I realized this morning that I have been taking more pictures on my phone then I have with my camera and I have not figured out how to move my pictures from my new phone to the computer.  So, I can't include all the fun fall activities we have been doing in my post.  Here goes a few...

1.  Football, football and more football!  Need I say more...

 2.  Somebody is turning 7???

 3.  Pumpkins and cute kiddos.

 4.  Somebody turned 15??  We love having family live so close now.  The kids get to enjoy time with an older cousin and get to play fun games...

 5.  Fall doesn't always bring cooler temps.  When it is warm, we are outside!

October Meal Plan

I am shocked I am getting this out on time considering the week I had last week.  I did however have a lot of down time, so I was able to work on it here and there.  I am going to try to add some ideas for the sides we would eat with each meal.  Remember, I don't make this complicated.  Sometimes I add a fruit for desert, ie strawberries or blueberries with a little bit of sugar..works for desert and fruit.  My kiddos already eat lots of fruit throughout the day, so I am really never worried about that.
Mon 1          Broccoli cheese soup and rolls
Tues 2          crockpot chicken salsa dip with chips
Wed 3          Beef strogenoff with green beans
Thurs 4         crockpot cheesy chicken spaghetti with broccoli
Fri 5             Pizza-sometimes I add a fresh salad
Sat 6            Grilled steak, rolls, corn on the cob, green beans and some fruit
Sun 7           Ranch chicken kabobs with rice and fresh cut veggies
Mon 8          Pasta alfredo with broccoli
Tues 9          xc dinner
Wed 10        crockpot chicken tacos (veggies included)
Thurs 11       crockpot mac and cheese with fresh veggies
Fri 12           Pizza-sometimes I add a fresh salad
Sat 13          worlds best chicken with green beans and rolls
Sun 14         out to eat to celebrate Bren's b-day
Mon 15        Grilled chicken burritos with fresh veggies
Tues 16        Left over loaded potato soup with rolls (frozen from last month)
Wed 17        Girls and I in Michigan for a wedding.  Boys have frozen Stoffers Meal
Thurs 18       Girls and I in Michigan for a wedding.  Boys have prepared chicken wings
Fri 19           Girls and I in Michigan for a wedding.  (Brenna's 7th birthday) Boys have Pizza
Sat 20          Girls and I in Michigan for a wedding.  Boys have frozen Stoffers Meal
Sun 21          Girls and I in Michigan for a wedding.  Boys have a frozen Stoffers Meal or leftovers
Mon 22        Sloppy joes with fresh veggies
Tues 23        Steak fajitas with veggies included
Wed 24        Jambalaya veggies included
Thurs 25       Tacos with veggies included
Fri 26            Pizza-sometimes I add a fresh salad
Sat 27           Chipotle chicken salad with veggies included
Sun 28           Sesame chicken with rice and carrots
Mon 29         Goulash
Tues 30         BLT's with fresh veggies
Wed 31