August Meals

It's back to school time in the Kudlas house.  Brad started back up to school on Thursday.  We sent the kids to South Carolina for 4 days for some time with Papa and Grammie for their last little summer break.  Brad and I were able to have a nice date night and then a day to work around the house.  The 8th is the big day.  I will have all my kiddos in the same school. (Only 2 years and then Aidan is off to middle school.)  I am excited and they are even more excited to have little sister finally there.  We are thrilled with the teachers they have and are so grateful to be in such a wonderful school system!  So, with football in full swing as well as Brad's cross country team and the girls at the gym, we jump right into this week with our "normal" Kudlas schedule.
Lots of new recipes this month.  I am a bit obsessed with Ree Drummond- aka The Pioneer Woman.  You can watch her at 5 pm on the Food Network or check our her blog here.  She has practical recipes that are inexpensive, simple and fast.  You have to check out her show.  Lots of her recipes are below.  Just click on the links. 
Thur 1st-We did a back to school surprise treat for Brad
Fri 2nd-Pizza (Yes, pizza night continues in our house..every Friday night..even when the kids are gone!)
Sat 3rd-Date night (Kids in SC)
Sun 4th-Chinese (Kids in SC)
Mon 5th-Crispy cheddar chicken (kids come home)
Tues 6th-slow cooker creamy chicken noodle soup
Wed 7th-chicken tacos (I used a rotisserie chicken, taco seasoning, soft and hard shell tacos and any fixings you want)
Thurs 8th-sloppy joes
Fri 9th-Pizza
Sat 10th-Grilled chicken
Sun 11th-Grilled porkloin
Mon 12th-Ritz cracker chicken
Tues 13th-Slow cooker beef and mushrooms
Wed 14th-fancy mac and cheese
Thurs 15th-BLT's
Fri 16th-Pizza
Sat 17th- Grilled Hamburgers
Sun 18th-Grilled BBQ Ribs (our 12th anniversary!)
Mon 19th-chicken spaghetti
Tues 20th-spicy pop pulled pork
Wed 21st-simple perfect enchiladas
Thurs 22nd-ranch chicken sandwiches
Fri 23rd-Pizza
Sat 24th-spicy roasted chicken legs
Sun 25th-bacon wrapped fillet
Mon 26th-Roast chicken
Tues 27th-slow cooker ranch porkchops
Wed 28th-strawberry stuffed french toast (my own recipe..message me if you want it)
Thurs 29th-Crispy steak sandwiches
Fri 30th-Pizza
Sat 31st-

Day 21-Final day!

Happy 4th of July!  What an amazing day to be spending at one of our National Monuments. 

We packed up the car for the last time this morning and checked out of our hotel pretty early.  Brad has gotten pretty efficient at packing the car.  There seems to be more room even though we have accumulated more items along the way.  We have less food, but more clothes and souvenirs to bring home.  It was just a short drive from our hotel into downtown St. Louis.  We didn't know when we got there about all the cool activities going on during the day.  

The kids in front of the arch.   

Riding the "pod" that only fits 5 people up inside the arch to the top.  I go crazy about closed in spaces like this.  I look happy, but inside I was freaking out!

Once at the top, I didn't have a problem with the heights, just the closed in space up there.  It is not big and the windows are not large.  Beautiful views, but not a happy momma!

There was a parade going on downtown.

The shadow of the arch.  So cool.

See the small windows and short ceilings.  Yeah, I didn't like that much.  I would rather be standing on the edge of a large platform with nothing around me than with everything closing in on me. 

View of the stadium.

Once we got down and large crowd had formed in the park.  There were concerts going on and an airshow that was about to start.  The kids had never seen anything like this.  I grew up going to and watching air shows.  I just loved that we got to see this!

Down by the Mississippi.

We left shortly after lunch to drive to Nashville to watch fire works.  However, the rain that has insisted on staying around much of the southeast this summer had invaded Nashville.  We took a vote and the kids voted to just keep driving the rest of the 4 hours it took to get home instead of hanging out in the rain waiting for fireworks.  We pulled in our driveway around 1 am. 

I am so grateful that we took this trip.  I will never forget the places we saw, the cool people we met and all the experiences we got to do as a family.  I have gotten a few questions like, would you do it all the same if you got to do it again?  Yes, I would plan it the same way and the only thing I would do differently, is be gone for a 4th week and gone into Montana and Canada.  I look forward to planning a trip similar in a couple years to go up the East Coast of the US.

What an adventure!