Menu Plan Monday - December 31

Monday - Homemade pizza, salad

Tuesday - Chocolate Chip Pancakes, sausage, fruit

Wednesday - Stove Top Turkey Casserole, vegetable

Thursday - Hamburger Casserole, vegetable, rolls

Friday - Wild Rice and Chicken, vegetable, rolls

Saturday - Breakfast - Sour Cream Cherry Coffee Cake, fruit - Dinner - Crockpot Chicken Licken Good Pork Chops, ultimate twice baked potatoes, vegetable

Head on over to I’m an Organizing Junkie for more menu plans.

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December 31, 2007 | Filed Under Menu Plan Monday | Leave a Comment 

Our Christmas Day

Our family had a great Christmas.

Christmas Eve was spent attending the Christmas Eve service at church and then the annual trek to go look at Christmas lights before heading home for bed (the kids, not the adults).  My husband and I stayed up awhile longer to watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (we do this every year).

Earlier in the day Caleb and Camden decorated cookies for Santa.

Caleb…

Camden…

Our Christmas tree with all the gifts.  We scaled down a lot on the gifts this year for the kids.  We are trying to instill in them about the real reason for Christmas, the birth of Jesus.

Caleb Christmas morning.  He really enjoyed his new Leapster and is getting quite good at it already.

Camden Christmas morning.  Camden got a new ‘puter…a Leapfrog Clickstart.

Emma getting a nap before the next round of festivities.


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December 27, 2007 | Filed Under Family Life, Holidays & Celebrations, Our Children | 1 Comment 

Menu Plan Monday - December 24

Monday - Grilled Cheese, tomato soup, chips, pickles

Tuesday - Breakfast - Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup, maple roasted bacon, fruit - Dinner - Christmas Dinner at the in-laws

Wednesday - Ritzy Chicken, vegetable, rolls

Thursday - Bacon Cheeseburger Potato Pie, vegetable, rolls

Friday - Out with hubby

Saturday - Christmas for extended family at our house

Head on over to I’m an Organizing Junkie for more meal plans.

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December 24, 2007 | Filed Under Menu Plan Monday | 2 Comments 

Fall Into Reading 2007 - Wrap Up

It is time for the Fall Into Reading Challenge wrap up.  I only have 3 books left on my original list that I have not finished.  I did add a couple during the challenge, so that set me back a little.

Non-Fiction

Fiction

Bible Studies

Read-Aloud with Caleb, Camden & Emma

Chaptesr Book reading with Caleb

I did add Sunrise and Summer by Karen Kingsbury.

I really enjoyed all of the books I read and have already loaned Louder Than Words to a friend, whose son is being tested for autism.  Caleb has been enjoying reading Charlotte’s Web, but we took a break for December to start reading our Christmas books for the month.

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December 21, 2007 | Filed Under Books & Reading | 1 Comment 

Christmas Tour of Homes

It is time for the Christmas Tour of Homes.  I had the best intentions of putting this post up yesterday and then the day got away from me. This is the kids Christmas Tree that is in our upstairs hallway.  Every year the kids decorate it with their own ornaments.

This is my favorite centerpiece on our dining room table.
This is the Nativity that is displayed on the top of our entertainment center.  I just love Willow Tree figurines.
This is a stitchery sampler that I got last year.  I just love the saying on it.
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December 18, 2007 | Filed Under Holidays & Celebrations | 5 Comments 

Pasta e Fagioli Soup

I got a request for this soup yesterday from my menu plan.  I originally got this recipe from Monica.

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 4 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 can red kidney beans, drained
  • 1 can great northern beans, drained
  • 3 cans beef stock
  • 3 teaspoons oregano
  • 2 teaspoons pepper
  • 5 teaspoons parsley
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce, optional
  • 1 jar spaghetti sauce
  • 1 cup pasta

Brown beef in a skillet.  Drain fat and place meat in a crockpot.  Add everything else but the pasta.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.  Just before serving, cook pasta and add to soup.

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December 18, 2007 | Filed Under Recipes | Leave a Comment 

Ice Candles

This would be a great craft idea to do with your kids.  Caleb and I are going to be making these this week as part of his teachers Christmas gifts.

What you need to get started:

  • scissors
  • cylindrical cardboard container (salt or oatmeal)
  • paper towel
  • cooking oil
  • knife
  • white tapered candle
  • large tin can
  • 1 pound of paraffin wax
  • large saucepan
  • wooden skewer
  • crayon pieces
  • large spoon
  • crushed ice
  • bowl

Have your child prepare a mold by cutting off the top of the cardboard container.  Use a paper towel to coat the inside with cooking oil.  With a knife, trim the bottom from the taper so the taper is the same height as the mold.  Meanwhile, fill the tin can with the wax.  Then place it in a saucepan filled with 2 inches of water and set the pan over low heat.  Use a wooden skewer to stir the melting wax.  Mix in crayon pieces to get your desired candle color.  Pour 1/2 inch of wax into the prepared mold and immediately stick the taper into the center, wick end up.  Hold the taper in place for a minute or two while the wax sets.   Spoon 2 inches of crushed ice around the taper, then cover the ice almost completely with melted wax. Add more ice, then more wax, alternating until the mold is filled.  Set the mold in a bowl for about an hour (it will leak water), letting the wax harden completely, then peel off the cardboard.

from Family Fun December 2007

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December 17, 2007 | Filed Under Crafts & Activities, Holidays & Celebrations | Leave a Comment 

Menu Plan Monday - December 17

Monday - Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwiches, chips, pickles

Tuesday - Spaghetti, caesar salad, garlic bread

Wednesday - Fiesta Taco Bake, vegetable, honey cornbread

Thursday - Pasta e Fagioli Soup, salad, breadsticks

Friday - Ritzy Chicken, vegetable

Saturday - Breakfast - Chocolate Chip Pancakes, sausage, fruit - Dinner - Out for dinner, the family is going to the Festival of Lights

Check out I’m an Organizing Junkie for more meal plan ideas.

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December 17, 2007 | Filed Under Menu Plan Monday | 3 Comments 

Christmas In Chicago

We took Caleb and Camden up to Chicago on Saturday for a little shopping and fun.  Emma stayed at home for some grandparent time.

The boys first train ride.
The Christmas display at The Hancock Building.
Caleb playing at The Lego Store.
Camden playing at The Lego Store.

We had a great day, minus a couple of meltdowns.  The boys had fun seeing all of the Christmas lights and going to the Disney Store and The Lego Store.  I did discover a little place for a great hot chocolate, Ethel’s Chocolate Lounge.  I ended up buying a few little treats for our stockings and enjoyed a wonderful drink.The only big challenge was the train ride home.  We were a few minutes out of Chicago when the train stopped and it stayed that way for 2 hours.  Something happened to the brakeline and we had to wait for a replacement engine to get us home.  We finally made it home at 10:00 and were greeted by yet another ice storm.Tags: , , , , ,

December 11, 2007 | Filed Under Family Life, Our Children, Photos, Travel | Leave a Comment 

Menu Plan Monday - December 10

Monday - Baked Pork Chops, cheesy potatoes, vegetable, french bread

Tuesday - Stove Top Easy Chicken Bake, salad

Wednesday - Brown Sugar Meatloaf, cubed seasoned baked potatoes, vegetable

Thursday - Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast, potatoes and carrots, peas, biscuits

Friday - Dinner out with the in-laws

Saturday - Breakfast - Homemade Biscuits, scrambled eggs, fruit - Dinner - Pepperoni Bread, salad

Head on over to I’m an Organizing Junkie for more meal plan ideas.

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December 10, 2007 | Filed Under Menu Plan Monday | 2 Comments 

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