My Life as Annie

It’s been a fun weekend, but I do love Mondays. I guess it’s the thought of a fresh start, a new week! Saturday turned out to be a pretty nice day. It’s getting really hot here already, I guess that’s not unusual. Matt took Bailey to see Indiana Jones at the theater with a friend, so Emelia decided she and I needed to have a pool/pizza party. I haven’t really been into swimming the last few years, but since it was important to her… So I let her order pizza to be delivered and started working in the flower beds hoping to get hot enough that swimming would appeal to me. It worked! I got quite a bit done and was so thankful for that cool water! She also insisted we eat in the pool. Not an easy task. But she had a ball and when I told her we needed to get out she said she just didn’t want our party to end. We got Izzy in the pool with us and stayed in another hour or so. Izzy seemed to enjoy the swim party too.

Today church went well, I really do enjoy teaching the junior high girl class. Today we talked about Matthew 17:20 (about the mustard seed) and I had a package of mustard seeds in my bag so we planted some and made a scripture picture with some. I’ve been teaching them the books of the N.T. song and they almost have it. I promised to take them out to breakfast when they can all sing it without looking. Next week they get a reward if they can quote the above verse. They are sweet girls. I got this message on my myspace tonight from one of them, Ashley (14).

u did see me this mornin and it was an awsome mornin. i’m so glad your uor sunday school teacher. U ROCK AND I LUV YA. you know before i met you and got to know u, i always thought you never really talked, i guess i was TOTALLY WRONG, LOL no i’m kidin you don’t talk alot but you don’t talk as little as i thought you did b-4 i got to know ya. i mean i thought u never really talked at all but u do carry on some good conversations. intresting and laugh-able conversations. luv ya see ya wednesday.

The preacher from our old church, Louis Thompson, died last week. His funeral is this coming week. It’s sad to me, I have so many memories of Louis… from camp to mission trips. He was a good guy. I helped mom make food after church today to take to the family. After I made my part I rearranged her front room furniture. She’s been asking me to help her rearrange for a while and there is never time. I came home and took a nap with Izzy. She was a little irritated today. I am not sure why, her eyes were really red and she was tired. I made a *salad* to take to the potluck tonight, but didn’t make it so I had it for dinner (yum).

*broccoli cauliflower salad*

1 head of broccoli (cut off stems and chop)

1 head of cauliflower (cut off bottom and chop)

1 can sliced black olives

3-4 green onions, sliced

ranch dressing

mix together and refrigerate.

• monday … grilled chicken & salad
• tuesday … chicken spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread
• wednesday… grilled chicken & salad
• thursday … steak & baked potatoes
• friday … pizza delivery!

Have a great week!

Mother’s Day was a good day! It was the second time teaching the junior high girls at church and I was actually really early. The morning went unusually smooth.
Class went really well too.
Before church they had all moms draw a number and then right before service they drew out three numbers. I was really surprised when my number was the third one called. I was given a gift card for Chili’s (it works at on the border and macaroni grill too).
Amanda gave me a candle holder centerpiece and a funny but sweet card… my secret sister at church gave me a really pretty frame and sweet card… and my friend Miki who is vacationing in Mexico left a sweet card for me too. Mom gave all of us pretty plants and Matt’s mom gave me a gift set of Sung perfume and lotion! I loved the things Izzy and Emelia made for me at school.

We came home and I fixed a quick lunch and then took a nap. Too long!
I had to make corn casserole for mom’s… I almost slept too late!

corn casserole…
1 can cream corn
1 can whole corn drained
1 pkg jiffy corn bread mix
1 stick of butter
chopped onion (half)
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese

saute onions in butter until clear and mix with remaining ingredients saving half the cheese to sprinkle over the top. Bake at 350 for about an hour. Sprinkle remaining cheese and let melt.

This was really yummy. I take it almost every time we have a get together by request.
It’s not diet food for sure.
There was not one crumb left. Not one!

My brother Mike and his family were there and my oldest brother Jody was there with two of his daughters.

Here’s Emelia with my niece Candace’s baby… and my niece Toni with her hub…

Mom made ham and rolls, chocolate lush and apple dumplings…

My menu…
tonight we’re going to have tacos, because I have three avocados ready to make guac.
tomorrow we’ll have chicken and potatoes. (I’ll be at FLO)
wednesday we’ll have meatless spaghetti and garlic toast (ww) with salad.
thursday I’m going to try the recipe Paula brought…
Friday we’ll probably order pizza or get gyros to go.

I hope you all had a great Mother’s Day. I did!

Today (Sunday) was our first day teaching the jr. high kids at church. The first time in about four years that I have taught a class. It went pretty well. I have the girls, Matt has the boys. I have been going for church not class for years also. When asked to teach the class I hesitated, then debated with myself, then prayed about it, then waited. I just wasn’t sure. Isabelle and I have had our Sunday morning routine. Matt and the kids leave for bible school. We get ready and then come for church. It was a race every Sunday at that so why mess with it right? I felt like I got a clear “yes” about teaching and decided I would have to figure out a new routine to work for us. After I agreed I feel like a constant attack has been happening. Some pretty rough days honestly. Thursday was probably the worst day of the past week. But, I had my plan to get things together yesterday including everyone’s clothes for church and get up one hour earlier to get Izzy fed and ready. It worked. I put two pork tenderloins in the crock pot last night before going to bed. I poured a bottle of head country bbq sauce over them and turned it on low. I made potato salad last night while working on dinner and then made baked beans this morning while putting cinnamon rolls in for breakfast. I got all our clothes ironed and ready and this morning went pretty much like clock work. Pretty much. The lunch was wonderful. There is tons left which isn’t a bad thing. The potato salad was delish too! It was nice to have everything done. Matt finally finished getting the net up on the trampoline. There were many bolts and screw missing so I ended up making two trips to the lumber yard for replacements. You would think for $400 they would put all the parts in. It is up though so it’s all good. It is very sturdy and I know the kids will have years of fun on it. The netting on the last trampoline was never quite right so Matt was meticulous about getting it perfect. Tonight was a potluck at church. Cinco de mayo was the theme. I made a batch of guacamole. I love guacamole! That’s pretty much all I ate at the dinner, that and sopapilla casserole which was really good too. I need to find out who made it and get the recipe!

Tomorrow night (Monday) we’ll have leftover bbq because there is so much left!

Tuesday night we’ll have tacos.

Wednesday night burgers.

Thursday we’ll have chicken enchiladas.

and Friday Matt’s mom and aunt are coming so we’ll probably order pizza.

Saturday John is cooking for Mother’s Day… my favorite penne pasta with artichokes and stuff. Love it.

The diet is still going great. I think I’m down about 20 pounds now.

Well, I’m off to bed. I tried to take a short nap this afternoon after I finally finished Jan Karon’s new book (it was really good btw). It was enough nap to feel groggy and icky. So bed sounds really good to me right now.

(you can puruse menus over at org.junkie!)

I do plan to have time travel for Tuesday. So check back later!

Monday ~ calzone

Tuesday ~ tamale pie

Wednesday ~ $5 subs at Subway!

Thursday ~ BBQ chicken & baked potatoes

Friday ~ honey chicken, salad, veggies

Happy eating! Visit Laura for more MPMs!

I have to say I am glad the PROM is over. Is that terrible? It was just so much trouble all for one night. Reminds me of my wedding (badumpbum) … Seriously though, is it just me or has it been freakishly overdone just like just about everything else? Ok, I’ll quit griping. Amanda did look very pretty and that’s what’s important. Not that she looked pretty really, but that she felt pretty. I’m not making much sense, did I mention it’s Monday?

Other than prom prep this weekend, we had my brother Mike’s birthday party last night at Mom & Dad’s house. Mom cooked tons of food as usual (taco chicken, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, hot rolls, fruit salad, cheesecake, and dad bbq’d ribs)… It was tasty. I’ve been dieting so hard I didn’t eat much because I wasn’t too hungry, but it did taste good. My oldest brother Jody was there too for a change. It was a fun party. Except for Mike constantly putting fruit salad in front of my face. Why is that so funny? I hate fruit. Get over it.

Church yesterday was good, I went without Matt. Izzy woke up sneezing and snotty so she stayed home with him. I’m assuming it’s allergies. It seemed like a lot of people were sniffling yesterday. This weather is crazy, cold hot cold hot cold hot…

Here’s my (subject to change) menu for the week:

monday: spaghetti french bread salad

tuesday: taco salad

wednesday: subway

thursday: pasta (bertolli) french bread, salad

friday: pizza

For more menu ideas, visit org. junkie!

Not a difficult week. Oh well, I hear Izzy sneezing (she’s just waking up) so I guess my blog time is over. Happy Monday.

Happy Birthday Mike!

This week I’m trying some new recipes! Two of which call for feta cheese! I rarely use feta cheese. We are having a guest speaker Sunday evening through Wednesday evening, so we’ll be going to church every night. I’m not assigning the meals to a particular day this week…

Meal 1: Creamy chicken…

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small white onion, sliced and split into rings
1/3 cup white wine
2 tablespoons dried parsley
3/4 cup whipping cream

In a shallow bowl sift together the flour, salt and pepper. Coat chicken with flour mixture and pat firm caking the flour into all the crevices. In a large skillet heat together the butter and olive oil. Saute’ the onion rings until browned and beginning to caramelize. Add the chicken and cook until brown on both sides and cooked through. Remove the chicken and onions and set aside. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes until heated through. Add the parsley and whipping cream, cooking over low heat until sauce thickens. Serve over chicken and mashed potatoes. Top with the onions.

Meal 2: Greek Tacos

Ingredients:

* 1 pound ground beef
* 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
* 2 teaspoons Greek seasoning
* 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 2 cups fresh baby spinach
* 1 can (2-1/4 ounces) sliced ripe olives, drained
* 1 package (4-1/2 ounces) taco shells
* 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
* 1/4 cup chopped red onion

Directions:
In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomatoes, Greek seasoning, garlic and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 8-10 minutes or until thickened. Add spinach and olives; cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until spinach is wilted.
Meanwhile, place taco shells on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 300° for 3-5 minutes or until heated through. Spoon about 1/4 cup beef mixture into each shell. Top with feta cheese and onion.

Meal 3: Bacon-Feta Stuffed Chicken

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2- 14 1/2 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. dried basil

1. In a small bowl, mix bacon and cheese together lightly.
2. Cut a pocket in the thicker side of each breast. Fill each with 1/4 of bacon and cheese. Pinch shut and secure with toothpick.
3. Place chicken in slow cooker. Top with tomatoes and sprinkle with basil.
4. Cover and cook on High for 1 1/2 hours to 3 hours, or until chicken is tender, but not dry or mushy.

Meal 4: $5 subs at Subway!

Meal 5: Burgers

Saturday: Dinner at the Waterford (Jane Ellen & Ron’s 25th Anniversary dinner)

For more great menus, visit org. junkie!

Monday (that’s today!)

I made a pot of spaghetti… some whole wheat rolls… green beans… and a veggie tray

Tuesday

Subway

Did you know subs are $5 for a footlong through the end of April?

Wednesday

Ham (that I never cooked Sunday because we went to mom’s) and scalloped potatoes…

Thursday

leftover ham…

Friday

Small red beans with leftover ham and cornbread

Whew… I feel better now that a plan is in place. Happy Monday.

If you want to see more (a lot more!) menu plans, visit org. junkie.

Matt and I made a HUGE pot of stew before church yesterday morning.  We would have had it for dinner, but instead we went with a group from church to “taco bell.”  I hadn’t been inside a taco bell in years.   It wasn’t bad.  I’m not a big taco bell fan (like amanda).

Tonight we’ll have the soup again with whole wheat crackers.  I had been making corn bread with the stew, but it’s just too many points so I decided to hold off on that for a while.

With the kids home all week it changes the way we look at meals…

Tuesday we’ll have burgers, with pretzels and salad.

Wednesday I’ll make a pot of small red beans with ham.  (and maybe some cornbread)…

Thursday we’ll probably have something leftover… or carryout… or both.

Friday I’ll make the chicken strips I made the other night that Bailey LOVED! and some veggies on the side… with whole wheat rolls and salad.

That’s it.  My week.  Subject to change, and it probably will.

Visit Laura, Org. Junkie… to see more menus.  I found tons of recipes while perusing last weeks menus.

It seems like Mondays just come too soon after a busy weekend huh? I do love Mondays though, it’s like a startover… every week. Emelia is still floating around thrilled with her birthday present. I’m very relieved to have the birthday party over. over! Me & Emelia ran to Edmond between churches yesterday. She bought this and this. We have a little bet going at our house… how long will it be before she loses her phone. She seems to lose things very easily and is looking now for her phone charger. She lost somewhere between coming home from her friend’s house and getting ready for church. She’s very upset.

My friend Miki did the lesson last night. It is March Madness at church which is a youth month… and last night the youth did the service, since she is the youth pastor… she spoke. She did a great job and pointed out how important it is to make Christian friends and then pointed out that she had a Christian friend, me. It was sweet and a little embarrassing. She is a really cool person and I’m glad that we have become friends too.

I feel so much better today, still coughing… but better. I hope to make a date today (and everyday this week) with mr. treadmill. (and mr. mop..and mr. vacuum…) sound fun?

I started this post to get my menu lined out. You’ve distracted me.

Today I’m going to the store while Izzy is at school to buy some food. Then I’m coming home and feeding that birthday cake to the dogs or trash or something other than my face that can’t seem to stay away from it!!!! Not exactly weight watcher friendly. Seriously.

Tonight I’m making a HUGE pot of stew… the one that starts with sirloin steak and then add in everything else until the pot is too full. I love that stuff. I’ll probably make a batch of cornbread for Matt and some ww crackers for me

Tomorrow we’ll have soup again. or something.

Wednesday Matt has requested that I make beans and ham.

Thursday we’ll have steak and potatoes.

Friday we’ll have company and will probably order pizza. or something.

That’s it. Nothing fancy like Sheryl’s coconut cake that I’ll be thinking about all morning!

Oh… one last thing. These are great for scratchy throats/coughing. They taste good too.

For more (probably more thought out) menus, go see Org. Junkie.

OH one last thing!  For time traveling tomorrow, the assignment is this:  Look around your house, pick an item that you like a lot and travel back to how you came to own it.  Did you buy it or was it a gift?  A picture of your item would be a bonus!  See you tomorrow.

Can you believe it is March? already? Seriously… true story. I was paying for something Saturday and when I wrote the date (March 1, 2008) on my check I spoke outloud, “It’s March already?” and the checker said, “Just wait until you are my age, see how fast the months go then.” I looked at her thinking she wasn’t much older than me and said, “How old do you think I am?” She guessed in my twenties. I refrained from jumping the counter to hug her neck! LOL! So, Happy March!

Monday Matt and I are going to a jazz lounge, Laura’s son plays there (he goes to UCO) and so we’re going … Hopefully we’ll eat at McAllisters, a new place my friend Miki and I ate lunch at last week and I loved it. I’m also hoping we can walk around Mardels for a bit.

Tuesday I am making beans with ham and cornbread. I know there is something planned for Tuesday but can’t remember what at this point. I have lunch plans, but not sure what else.

Wednesday is church night. I plan to make chicken spaghetti in the crock pot.

Thursday we’ll either have carryout pizza or leftovers…

Friday I’ll grill some steak and bake potatoes too.

That’s the week, now I’m off to search for those drawstring bags/backpacks for our next FLO event because I can’t keep my mouth shut!