Menu Plan Monthly

We are surviving! Ethan is adjusting really well now a days to his baby brother (even though there are still hitting and scratching going on daily), and I'm getting used to 2 kids too. It's hard right now because Zack wants to be held 24/7, but Ethan needs mama time too. I did order a Sleep Wrap on Friday, so hopefully that will get here soon and will help! I don't have much time to post today, but I did want to contribute to menu plan monthly!

Here is what I'm planning on for the month of January. Craig's birthday is on Thursday so I'm just thinking of grilling up some burgers with some yummy condiments.

Italian Pepperoncini Sandwiches with melty cheese on sourdough rolls
Lasagna and Texas Toast
Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
Lemon Pepper Chicken with rice pilaf and green beans
Spaghetti and meatballs
Bourbon Chicken with mashed potatoes and broccoli
Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
Honey Lime Enchiladas
PW Sloppy Joes with sweet potato fries
Thai Peanut Pork with lime and coconut rice
Meatloaf with roasted potatoes and veggies
Chili and Cornbread
Hot sauce chicken with grilled green beans and rice pilaf
Cafe Rio Pork with cilantro lime rice
Burritos with the leftover pork and rice
Tomato and Pesto Pizza

It's getting close, I'm 37 weeks and 2 days! At my last ultrasound I was measuring a week ahead, so I could be 38 weeks!!! I can't wait. I know I'm going to be completely exhausted, but I cant wait to meet Zach. Or Zac, we haven't decided lol.

As soon as I can find my camera charger, I'll post the fall garland I made out of silk leaves, pom poms and those bendy felt sticks...I cant recall the name at the moment.

Here is the meal plan for the week:

Monday:
Asian Peanut Butter Pork. I omitted the onions and chopped peanuts, and added in some bell peppers. We ate it with coconut rice...and it was amazingly good! Even Craig liked it, which shocked me. Ethan hated it so he ate pears, sweet potato fries and garlic bread. He has weird taste.

Tuesday:
Chili Chicken Sandwiches with fries

Wednesday:
Lemon chicken with roasted potatoes and green beans

Thursday:
Chipotle Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

Friday:
Leftovers

Saturday:
"Goop" baked beans + onions + garlic + spicy mustard + worchestershire sauce + corn

Sunday:
Easy Chicken Chilaquiles

Crochet Christmas Gift Ideas

I've barely posted lately because this third trimester is wearing me out! It wasn't this bad with Ethan, but I could nap whenever I wanted to then....now I have an 18 month old to take care of :)

Since money is tight this year, I'll be making a lot of Christmas gifts for the boys. So far I plan on making these:
- 3 crochet lightsabers (1 for Craig, he'd kill me if I didn't make him one too haha)
- Gigi Giraf. I've started this one for Zac but it's on hold until I finish up 1 more project
- Desmond the Moose for Ethan, this designer has such awesome patterns
- Some textured/colorful stuffed crochet blocks for Zac
- Some felt/crochet play food for both

That's just what I have on my list now, I'm hoping that's do-able lol. I have a bunch more I'd like to make...but I'm trying to be realistic since I'll have a newborn soon :D

I also plan on getting us some nice stockings since ours are from Dollar Tree, but Craig wants me to crochet some. I'd love to, but I don't have time to do everything I want to already haha. Target usually has pretty cute stockings though, I cant wait until all their Christmas stuff is out!


Meal plan for the week:

Monday:
Garlic Chicken, corn on the cobb and rice pilaf

Tuesday:
Quesadilla Casserole
This probably will have leftovers, so it will screw up my weeks plan lol

Wednesday:
Slow Cooker A-1 and Dijon Steak
Mashed potatoes
corn on the cobb

Thursday:
Meatloaf
Broccoli and Cheese
Garlic Toast

Friday/Sat:
Slow Cooker Pesto Spinach Lasagna

Sunday:
Zippy Orange BBQ Chicken Pockets, I haven't decided what to serve these with yet though!

Pumpkin patch this weekend!

We are taking Ethan to the pumpkin patch for this first time this weekend! Hopefully today, but who knows since Craig works today. I cant wait to get pictures! I am planning on getting a cute shot with a pumpkin and printing it out to send to family as a Halloween card, but we'll see if Ethan feels like cooperating :)

I have some projects that I'm almost done with that I'll be posting this next week, and I'm hoping one of them will be either a candy corn wreath or candy corn garland....if I can get around to it between my Etsy orders. I cant believe the baby will be here next month!! I'm so excited to meet him, and I'm excited to not be pregnant anymore LOL. As much as I love feeling the baby move, I cant wait to get my body back. I got pregnant in 2008 with Ethan, had him in 2009....breastfed him until May 2010, and by then I was already pregnant with this one. So I'm kind of excited to be done being pregnant and nursing for a little while, just be back to myself :) That is until baby #3!

I went to Sally's to pick up China Glaze nail polish in Ick-a-body to wear as a Halloween pedi, but all the polish was on sale for like $3.29 so I ended up picking up the other 2 colors of the Awakening collection! I'm really loving Zombie Zest, and normally I'm not a fan of greens. I might even do a Zombie Zest mani this weekend since it's so awesome.

Meal Plan for the week:

Saturday:
Ground Beef Stroganoff and green beans

Sunday:
Grilled burgers and fries

Monday:
I'll be at my parents house for my Mom's birthday so it's crockpot day!
Chicken Enchilada Chili that I will add in some corn, cheese and sour cream

Tuesday:
Leftover chili! Maybe with some cornbread or something too.

Wednesday:
Pork Apple Potato Saute

Thursday:
Penne with Ricotta and Bacon

Friday and Saturday (leftovers on Saturday):
The infamous "Goop" which is just 2 cans baked beans, 1 can corn, 3 tbs bbq sauce, 2 tbs spicy brown mustard (or Dijon if I have it), 2 tbs worcestershire and some salt and pepper. Topped with a dollop of sour cream!

Review: Glucose Tolerance Drink

Just kidding.

I had to take my gestational diabetes test yesterday, which actually was kinda nice because Ethan stayed home with Craig and I brought my crochet for an hour of uninterrupted crafting time. I got to finish a whole beanie!

Today I think I will brave the library, they have a baby/toddler story time....I know Ethan wont sit there and listen, but he would like to see the other kids and just get out. We try to go somewhere every day because I'm always worried he's bored. He probably is int but I always freak that he needs more stimulation lol.

Dinners this week:
Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings. Which was amazing by the way!
Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
Tacos
French Dips


This is just a quick post because Ethan is waking up. Have a great day :D

Meal Plans and I love William Sonoma

I hate when I cant go back to sleep after Craig leaves for work, but at least I can do some window shopping online!

Williams Sonoma has some of THE CUTEST stuff. Seriously. Halloween pancake molds? Star Wars cookie cutters? Mugs that have tops so they look like pumpkins?

To bad they can be $$$$ too.

I have quite a few projects that I need to start working on, 1 is a custom order from Etsy, the pumpkin crochet-a-long, and I STILL haven't finished Ethan's Brobee beanie. I've just been so exhausted at the end of the day I am even to tired to crochet!


Tonight for dinner I'm making Honey Mustard Mozzarella Chicken and Sweet and Spicy Sweet Potatoes. Craig is not normally a fan of sweet potatoes but I love them so we can have them every once in awhile :P Ethan is even starting to like them!

I made lasagna earlier this week and we've been having leftovers on that (that's why I heart lasagna), I'll post the recipe once I get it all down....I tend to just throw things in lol. Tomorrow we'll be having  Tex Mex Cheesesteaks again, I cant help it, they are just waaaay to yummy!

Sunday is tacos. We usually just marinate in salsa and some seasonings, but I have a Baja Chipotle marinade that has been wanting to be used, so I think I'll try that. Just top them off with cheese, sour cream, avocados and salsa and it's mmmmmm.

I've been craving the WEIRDEST things this pregnancy. I barely craved anything (but sour things, soymilk and chocolate) with Ethan...but this time around I've been wanting pumpkin. I normally am not the hugest fan of pumpkin, but for some reason anything pumpkin sounds amazing. To bad I cant find canned pumpkin in the stores, so I've been having to make due with pumpkin Pop Tarts and pumpkin butter lol. I was craving chocolate badly over the summer, but luckily that's gone. Now I want red beans and rice, and I've only had it once. Pregnancy is so weird.

Blogger is being all wonky.

I think I'll take Ethan to the Harvest Festival at the fairgrounds today, he'll love to see all the people. It looks pretty cool from the website, and I have a free ticket! Although trying to wrangle him by myself in a crowd does not sound fun lol.

Orders shipped, now do I nap?

Woohoo big order is all shipped out and I just got another order for a cupcake beanie! I think I'm also going to make my niece (that's so weird sounding to me lol) one for her 1st birthday.

Now I cant decide if I want to have a cup of coffee and get stuff done around the house....or take a nap. Ethan might be up at any time but I'm exhausted, so I'm thinking nap.

Even though the crafter in me says more coffee!

*yawn*

Or maybe sleep.

My parents came up for a few hours today so I was able to get a few errands done, like going to the grocery store and getting enough (well, almost) groceries for the week!! AND it only took half an hour! If Ethan was there it would of been an hour, minimum lol.

Recipes I'm making so far this week:
(I didint get to a few of these last week, there were substitutions so I'm making them this week)

Tex Mex Cheesesteaks
Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta
Chipotle Orange Pork Tacos
Bowtie Lasagna

Meal Plan

Here is what I'm thinking for dinner this week:

Monday:
Butter Chicken

Tuesday:
"Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich"

Wednesday:
This depends on if I can find canned pumpkin in the store...I haven't seen it yet but we'll see!
Pumpkin Chili
If not, then Bowtie Lasagna

Thursday:
Either leftover pumpkin chili, Bowtie Lasagna (or if there was no pumpkin and I made the lasagna lol) Chipotle and Orange Pork Tacos

Friday:
Leftover pork tacos

Saturday:
Takeout

Sunday:
Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta

A few days ago I bought a binder and some page protectors to make my own cookbook, and it's already getting super full! I've only really been cooking about 2 years, and I've made a few yummy dishes that I wish I had kept around the recipe....I tend to just make it off the website and then forget. But that is a problem no more :)

The French Onion Soup I made yesterday was pretty good, I've never had real french onion soup so I have nothing to compare it to. The only changes I made from her recipe was I only had red onions in the house, I added some worcestershire sauce and a little bit of flour. Oh yeah and I did saute the onions in the butter for a few minutes before putting them in the slow cooker, I just wanted to make sure it would be done. I had made this soup (although I'm not sure if it was this recipe) before and I remember it being reeeallly good....but I also kinda remember adding in more ingredients, like beer. I wonder if it's in my AllRecipes recipe box lol.

Meal Plan Monday

Here is the plan for the week, although usually throughout the week it changes some lol.

Monday:
Pioneer Woman's Sloppy Joes
Frozen sweet potato fries tossed with basil/salt/pepper and a dipping sauce:
¾ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon lime zest

Tuesday:
An enchilada recipe similar to this one, I'll post it once I make it

Wednesday:
Leftovers!

Thursday:
Chicken with Scallion-Lime Sauce and Sweet Carrot Rice

Friday:
Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
Easy Quiche

Saturday:
Hopefully leftovers, if not then Chicken Spaghetti

Sunday:
Either leftovers or takeout!