Menu Plan Monday 12/6/10

Save, save, save! That's my motto for the week.


M- Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Oranges

T- Chicken Nachos w/ Black Beans and Corn

W- Shepherd's Pie, Homemade Biscuits

Th- BBQ Sandwiches, Green Beans, Mac & Cheese

F- Taco Soup (posting recipe soon... it's one that doesn't use packets of taco seasoning or ranch seasoning!)

Weekends are up in the air around here right now with it being Christmas season! I've got 2 cups of frozen, cooked shredded chicken in the freezer for the nachos. Rob's dad got us a smoked boston butt that I froze and it will be great for sandwiches this week! I love thinking ahead and having these kinds of things on hand... though it doesn't always happen!!

I'm planning on making these Orange Muffins for snacks/breakfasts too. Last week I made some yummy banana bread! I really had gotten out of making yummy homemade snacks and breakfasts. The boys just loved the banana bread! And it was so healthy! So, I've got to get back to having those kinds of things around!

What are you having?

Visit Orgjunkie.com for more menu planning and recipe ideas!

Links You'll Want To Check Out!

Have you got some time on your hands today? If you're like me, you don't! But maybe you're taking a break from all of the busy! I've got some wonderful links for you to take a look at!

Ten Things To Do On Christmas Morning: When All of the Gifts Are For Him ~ Wonderful ideas! I've been praying for God to show us what He wants us to do on Christmas Day... for Him.

I mentioned this blog post from Sally Clarkson a few days ago but I must mention it again. It's so good. And it's something I needed to read. And read again. It's all about living with Him.. living in grace... knowing Him in the everyday, even mundane... being close to His heart. "You can’t just read God’s Facebook profile and suppose you can be close to His heart."

Check out these Christmas Table Decorating Ideas from Courtney at Women Living Well. There are some beautiful Christmas tables here! I love them all! And Courtney gives some tips on how to create on a budget! I'm actually going to go out today and see what I can find for really inexpensive! I don't have a need for anything fancy.. candles and anything breakable is no good with my little monkey. But I am looking for something simple to go on my kitchen table. I think making our homes beautiful is just one way to glorify Him! It's an area that I struggle with because I don't have much decorating sense! But I'm attempting! :)

I made these cookies this week and they are yummy! I used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped pecans. I wanted to add cranberries but we didn't have any! They were really yummy and it makes a lot! So give some away or freeze!

Have a great weekend!

More real. Less fake.

I've decided to take a break from Facebook for the month of December. FB sucks my time. And I hate it. So, I'm letting it go for a month. And in the process I'm going to pray about where it fits in my life. If at all. I enjoy keeping up with people and sharing pictures of my kids but it's not real life. Real relationships. I read this today from Sally Clarkson.. actually it's a quote from her daughter, Joy, but it's from Sally's blog.

“You know, online media just can’t substitute for a real person. You can see words or a picture, but you can’t see the movement of a nervous gesture, or smell the perfume or odor of someone or look into their eyes, or hear the tone of their voice. There is no substitute in a relationship for the real thing.”

And she's right. I want more real life. Less fake. I pray this will help me focus on the real.

I still plan on blogging, though... and I plan on blogging more about this later. I have a husband to spend time with now! :)

Oh and that blog post I mentioned.. soo good. It was definitely something I needed to read today.

Fudgy Pecan Pie

Before the Thanksgiving holiday I scoured the internet for something yummy I could make. While on facebook I saw a link from Bakerella come through my feed. So, I checked it out! And after reading the recipe and looking at the yummy pictures, I knew I was making the Fudgy Pecan Pie! And let me tell you, it was a great choice! I got rave reviews from it and it was so easy! I'm not going to post the recipe here because I want you to head over and check out Bakerella's site and drool over the pictures!

My notes: I had to bake my pies a little over an hour to set up, as opposed to her 45 minutes. I also suggest covering the edges of the pie the entire time and then the whole pie the last 20 minutes! It's soo good!