Weekly Meal Plan {plus last week in review}

I really am liking this Weekly Meal Plan thing, it actually forces me to check out the publix.com circular, my coupons, and my menu box to plan out the meals. Otherwise, every morning I'm asking "What do you want for dinner?" and getting "I don't care" (not overly helpful).

MONDAY
We had a neighborhood Halloween Block Party (and a looooong weekend) which equals me not planning anything... so we had take out

TUESDAY
Halloween Party & Trick or Treating with the girls friends; so pizza & cupcakes (and CANDY!!)

WEDNESDAY
Baked Salmon (on sale this week!)  with baked potatoes and green beans

THURSDAY
Salmon (cooked the night before) , Pasta & Mushrooms

FRIDAY
Baked Split Chicken Breast (on sale) with Spinach Mac n Cheese
I wasn't exactly sure WHAT Split Chicken Breasts were so I had to google it; on Cooking with Baby I found out that it is "nothing more than a “regular” chicken breast with the skin on and the tenderloin and a bit of rib meat attached". Well I LOVE the skin, so you can't beat that! In that post, she mentioned that she serves it with Mac n Cheese; but since I'm going to have some fresh spinach on hand from previous recipes, I decided find a Spinach Mac n Cheese recipe (which I did!)

SATURDAY
PIZZA NIGHT (since we haven't had a family pizza/movie night in FOR-E-VER)


LAST WEEKS RECAP
I kind of got away from last week's meal plan... but oh well, it happens.

Hearty Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
(to be posted soon)

Chef Salad

Mushroom Chicken Bake

Sausage & Ravioli Lasagna, Southern Living Annual Cookbook 2010
This was perfect, I made it ahead of time so when we got back from
downtown trick or treating on Friday, I just popped it into the oven.

Then on Saturday for the Clemson game (ugh!) we had...

(based on) Pat Nealy's Peachy Hotwings

Piggies in a blanket that Charlotte helped with

Silicone Collegiate Cupcake & Cake Pans

Check out the cupcakes and cake that I made for last weekends

birthday weekend / trip to Clemson!!!

Click to enlarge

Talk about the PERFECT game day dessert!

You will be the envy of all other tailgates, in fact, I was!!! I had a girl from the next tailgate over (who happened to be from TN) ask to take a picture of my cake. I, of course, said SURE, and then once she took her picture I mentioned that they sell the pans for Tennessee too and I told her to head on over Game Day Tackle for all of her game day needs (including the awesome Silicone Pans).

I used a simple cake mix (I was running a little late the night before we had to wake up at 5am to head out to tailgate), and then we made a butter cream icing, dyed it orange (duh!), and, using my decorator bags, covered the top of the paw in dots. Finally, I sprinkled on some orange and white sprinkles. And... VOILA!
If I had a little more time (and hadn't dyed ALL of my icing orange, I would have used white and piped a thin line to outline the paw and in between the toes to make it pop more, but again... we were getting up at 5am for some TAILGATING!

The cupcake pan is ALSO perfect for molding dips for a little extra team spirit.

click to enlarge

The white dip in the back right is firmer so it held the "paw" shape better, but you still get the idea with the front left one! You may want to click the picture to enlarge it to see all the fantastic (hee hee) detail!

Top the tailgate off with some orange and purple jello jiggler shots and you've got one fun orange & purple Clemson tailgate!!

To purchase your own Silicone Cake or Cupcake Pan, head over to Game Day Tackle! Many schools represented: LSU, Auburn, Clemson, Michigan, UNC, Texas Tech, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Illinois, Boise State, Florida, and MANY more!

Jello Jiggler shots
(ie. Jello Shots with out a cup):
3 packages jello
1 box (with 4 packages inside) Knox Gelatine; found with the jello

Combine jello and the 4 packages of Gelatine in a large bowl.
While whisking, add 2 cups boiling water and stir 2 minutes until incorporated.
Add 2 cups vodka (yes, room temperature or cold is fine) and stir
Pour into a 9x13 glass baking dish and set in fridge until firm.

Once firm to the touch, turn jello out onto wax paper (plastic wrap works fine too).
Cut into shapes or squares and store in Tupperware.

So I didn't take a "finished" picture... but here is how I brought them to the game

Super easy to store! No trash after you "shoot" it :)

AWESOME DAY IN CLEMSON!

Linking up: Lamb Around, Fingerprints on the Fridge, Remodelaholic, Delicate Construction, Ladybird Ln, Faith, Trust, & Pixie Dust, Naptime Crafters, Lolly Jane, Creating my way to Success, Nifty Thrifty Thigns, Homework, Blackberry Vine, Not Just a Housewife, A Bowl FUll of Lemson

Halloween Playdate

In our playgroup (there are 60 of us with kids of varying ages) we rotate every 4-6 weeks for hosting play dates. That way there is plenty of opportunities for the kiddies to get together between the park (where the host brings light snacks and beverages), brunches, beach, in home play dates, and more.

So I decided to host a little HALLOWEEN play date at my house; the kids had a ball!

The spread

Cupcake tags via Accent the Party

Mummy Pretzels, seen EVERYWHERE

Favors of Ghost Poop bags (via DIY Crafts to Make ) and popcorn/candy corn filled hands

Food of course!

And a craft (yay 50% end of season last year)

Then we attemtped a group shot...

... and again...

... and then we just gave up!

Linking up: Fairly Fabulous,Crafty Blog Stalker, Momnivores Dilema

(REALLY late...) Matching Embroidered Shirts

I have had this post in my draft folder for.. oh... 3 months now!  I keep meaning to complete it (I mean, really... it's not that complicated of a post), but I never got around to it!

However, since I hope to soon have some embroidery shirts to show off for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I'd better get this (I'm embarrassed to admit this... ) 4th of July post out of the way.

4th of July... really?! Wow.

Since we were all going to be together, I decided to make my girls and their cousin matching shirts and hair bows. I appliqued a star burst of some patriotic fabric I had hanging around and then embroidered each girls initial on top (although... the stitching should have been a bit thicker).

I made the SUPER EASY fabric flowers (as seen here, but I can't figure out where I FIRST saw them) using the SAME fabric as the appliqued shirts and a large white button and then attached them to 2 headbands (for the little ones) and a clip for Charlotte.

Here is a close(r) up shot of both the headband AND the shirts

I think the outfits made for some super cute 4th of July pictures!

Pop pop, Gigi, & the girls

Weekly Meal Plan {plus last weeks review}

So THIS post is sort of delayed... but that is because we were out of town.... again! My birthday was during the week, but we celebrated ALL WEEKEND at my parents house and then in Clemson  (who, by the way, is ranked #5 now... woo hoo!!).

Birthday Celebration  #1
Notice my "funny" hubby included some "over the hill" candles.
I know he thinks he's funny but...he turns 31 this year!

Birthday Celebration  #2 (at my parents house)

Birthday Celebration #3
GO CLEMSON!!

We just got home this afternoon and I was in NO mood to plan out a menu, but I gave it a half-hearted shot:

SUNDAY
We were in GA and had mom's spaghetti sauce, YUM!

MONDAY - Finally home 8 hours later!
Was a mashup of leftover ham (thanks mom), a store bought quiche (ick) and some chef boyardee for the kiddos.

TUESDAY
Chef Salad (it was a calorie-heavy weekend, so we need a break!)

WEDNESDAY
Pasta with Salmon, Mushroom, & Spinach

THURSDAY
Dad's Favorite Spicy Garlic Shrimp

FRIDAY (downtown Trick or Treating AND....)
Sausage & Ravioli Lasagna, courtesy of Southern Living

SATURDAY
CLEMSON GAME!!! So.... I'm going to go with tailgate food, although I haven't decided yet.

LAST WEEKS MEALS:
I did ok with photographing last weeks meals... it's a process! Anyway, here are the shots I did get:

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Mushrooms & Rice
YUM YUM YUM!

Tilapia with Spinach & Tomatoes
Always a favorite!

Roadside Diner Cheeseburger Quiche
AMAZING!

So funny story about the Quiche... hubby does not do "egg" for dinner. Eggs are for breakfast (weirdo!). So I, who has been dying to try this recipe, do not tell him what we are having until after he has said "hmmmm house smells good" and it is almost ready.  I tell him, "it's a quiche" (quite happy with myself). Well he goes "I DON'T LIKE QUICHE, I've never liked quiche" (and so on a so forth). I, of course, get offended (I spent all day, blah blah blah and I didn't know you didn't like quiche), and say, well you HAVE to eat a bite, then if you don't like it, you can call for sushi.

With phone in hand, he tentatively takes a bite (and I'm sitting here fuming because hubby is an inconsiderate #$%*&*#$&$@*#) and I hear ".... actually it's pretty good".

Hubby had 4 helpings. Ha!

Last Chance for NeatNik Saucer Offer

Hey everyone, today is your LAST CHANCE to get the NeatNik Saucer Deal that I posted on my blog 2 weeks ago!

I am loving my NeatNik Saucer for many reasons:

• I can attach toys to the saucer (and not have to keep leaning down to pick them up)
• I am not picking up half of the meal from the floor at the end (which I'm sure the server appreciates as well)
• I can feed Jillie RIGHT OFF of the saucer "tray" (because of COURSE she will dump a plate in like 2.5 seconds) and I don't have to worry if the restaurant cleaned their highchair tray well enough.
• The bib is my new best friend because it has a snap (not Velcro) and Jillie cannot pull it off

... I could go on! But why don't you check it out for yourself?

Happy Jillie in the Saucer

Spaghetti... really! NOTHING on the floor

Today is the LAST day on this special offer:

To request an invoice from our friends at Seaboard Traders of South Carolina click the link below:

NeatNik Saucer Offer

Offer Rules –

• Saucer & Bib Special : $37 + $4.50 Shipping
  • Savings of around $12.55, based on standard retail cost for :
    • Saucer ($32.75)
    • Bib ($11.75)
    • shipping ($9.55)
• Offer Valid once 12 people accept.
  • A PayPal invoice will be e-mailed to the email address you provide in the form.
• You may pay with either credit card or PayPal account
• Tax applies to South Carolina orders

Weekly Meal Plan {plus last weeks review}

I think I'm getting better at this whole "meal plan" thing:

SUNDAY we had
Pecan Crusted Chicken with Mushrooms & Rice

MONDAY
Daddy is on his own and the girls are having left overs from hamburger, rice & veggies (I'll post recipe later) because mommy has a Junior League Meeting.

TUESDAY
Tilapia with Spinach & Tomatoes (tilapia is on sale this week, woo hoo)

WEDNESDAY
*NEW *Roadside Diner Cheeseburger Quiche (ground beef is on sale this week)

THURSDAY
 Crock Pot Chili (again... ground beef is on sale this week)

FRIDAY
We are heading out of town for a CLEMSON GAME ... so we're eating at mom & dad's in GA after the 8 hour drive

Last weeks Meals
We didn't end up doing pizza night because Daddy was at Army drill until LATE... boo...

Creamy Fettuccine with Shrimp & Bacon
NOT A KEEPER - we need to spice it up a bit... way too bleh, but still edible

Feta-topped Chicken
Yummy! Should try it on the grill though. The broccoli & cheese stuffed potatoes (homemade) didn't quite fit the meal.
I should have made those with the Flank steak.

Marinated Flank Steak
ALWAYS GREAT!

PS - If you are interested in any recipe, please email me or ask in a comment.

Don't forget abut my NeatNik Saucer Deal; act soon because it is a limited time offer!!

DIY Pretend Makeup Set

Charlotte is obsessed with "makin-up" (makeup). Occasionally, when running late, I will bring my makeup bag and mirror to the breakfast table to throw some on before running out the door. So NOW... Charlotte wants to put "makin-up" on too. I tried letting her play with my brushes once but she immediately started jabbing them bristles down onto the table, so that idea got shot down real quick.

Thus began my search for a play makeup set.

Toys R Us has a Disney Princess makeup kit that looked promising, but after further research I found out that it was REAL nail polish (quite flimsy according to one review) and pasty lipstick; so... no thanks.

Toys R Us also had some vanities... but that's not what I really wanted.

I was oh so tempted by this Mini-Play Makeup set... but $34 it a tad pricey in my opinion.

I HAVE purchased a $12 plastic vanity set from Target but it's not exactly what I was looking for. It also has a (plastic) hair dryer, straightener, and some clips. Also, I don't like giving my kids toys and presents for no reason because then they'll want everything NOW... so I am holding onto it until Christmas (if ever).

So in the meantime, I have decided to make her her own make-up set. Searching through my makeup box I found a shattered blush compact from a drug store, so I emptied the contents in the trash and wiped it out. Then I used a pinkish nail polish and brushed the inside of the compact. Voila.... pinkish blush.

Add in some hardly ever never used brushes and some chapstick "lipstick" and you've got yourself a toddler makeup kit. Ooooh, also... just YESTERDAY I received a free makeup bag and sample lotions/shampoo stuff from target... PERFECT!!

Here was this morning at the big reveal:

Trying the blush

yay!!

Next I am going to give this eye shadow that I saw this morning a shot from Parenthacks.com and from Smashed Peas and Carrots AND at Polka Dot Daisy (clearly I was not the first to come up with using nailpolish as fake makeup, lol).

I'll let you know what else I find!

Enjoy!

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