The Magic Mommy

Ok.  So we’re done with the baby shower.  And as everyone kept saying, “We don’t have to do that again.”  At which point, I would tack on, “At least for a couple of years.”  Crystal didn’t appreciate it.  Just a little big sister humor. 

Now, we’ve got to plan a birthday party for Matthew.  Boy the time is flying.

I’ve been getting way behind on recipe reviews.  I’m hoping to do a bunch this week.  For now, here’s the menu for the week.

Monday

ribs, baked beans, potatoes, broccoli
Crystal and Eric are coming over for dinner.

Tuesday

LO ribs or sandwiches

Wednesday

tacos

Thursday

nachos

Friday

Bruschetta Chicken

Saturday

homemade chicken noodle soup

Sunday

LO Bruschetta Chicken

Technorati Tags: Menu Plan Monday

Busy, busy weeks ahead.  Last week Jon spent some time in California and it’s very likely that he’ll be making another trip or two.  Thankfully it won’t be for another couple of weeks.

We spent the morning at the dentist and then a leisurely walk through the mall.

This weekend is crazy for us.  We’ll actually be spending half of it away from each other.  Crystal, Mom, and I are throwing Kim a baby shower.  So I’m taking the kids up and helping out with all the prep work for that.

This weekend is the 2nd anniversary at the dojo.  There are going to be demonstrations, awards, and a barbeque for members afterward.  Jon is doing a jujutsu and iaido demo.  If you are in the Ann Arbor area, or are free, head on over.  Take a peek at what all the people there can do.  They are a great family of people.

Monday

turkey sandwiches

Tuesday

pulled pork sandwiches

I froze some of this from the last time I made it.  Quick and easy to defrost.

Wednesday

Penne pasta with zucchini, grilled chicken

Thursday

LO pasta

Friday

I’m out of town.  Jon’s on his own.

Saturday

I’ll be at a baby shower.  Jon will be at the dojo BBQ.

Sunday

BBQ rib, baked beans, potatoes au gratin

Technorati Tags: Menu Plan Monday

Well, I didn’t get a plan up last week. After Emma’s birthday, I just couldn’t bring myself to to type it out. And then when I was ready, the site crashed. My blogs are hosted on a friend’s server and normally he would be available to get the server back up and running. But he was out of town and had no way to flip the switch.

With the great weather, I’ve been wanting to grill a lot more. So I get this bright idea that I’ve got chicken, and if I get some peppers, we’ve got the stuff to make fajitas! Sounded so yummy. Until it started to rain. Hard. Not a little misty rain or drippy rain. Hard rain. No way I was going out into that to grill. So I did the next best thing. Our stove came with a grill insert, so we used that instead. They didn’t come out too bad. I sprinkled the chicken with olive oil so it wouldn’t stick and then put some taco seasoning on it. The chicken had some flavor to it and wasn’t bland.

This week is going to be pretty boring and kid friendly. Jon is going to California for a couple of days. He’ll be away for 3 days total and I’m not trying anything new and exciting for Matthew, who hasn’t been eating for the last 5 days.

So on with the menu.

Monday

grilled steak, potatoes
UPDATE: We’re going to A&W.  Today they will make any soda a float for free!

Tuesday

LO chinese

Wednesday

mac & cheese, chicken nuggets

Thursday

quesadillas

Friday

pancakes & sausage

Saturday

Penne with zucchini & ricotta with grilled chicken

Sunday

Something, anything….but I’m not cooking it.

Technorati Tags: Menu Plan Monday

About a month ago, I showed Matthew how to make his bed.  At least a couple of times a week, he actually makes it on his own.  It’s pretty cute.  And definitely looks like a 4 year old did it.

You’ll notice the bulge halfway down the bed.  That’s all the sheets & blankets.  Bunched up.  It’s the first thing he does after we close the door.  Kick down the sheet & blanket, pull the comforter up and cover himself.  Or lay on it.  Either way makes him happy.

All of those animals are his night time friends.  There’s Pooh, Blue, Magenta, Periwinkle, Mickey Mouse, and Puss ‘n’ Boots.  Every night they must all be in the bed.  It’s getting a little crowded in there.

Here’s the proud boy.  He gets excited when I walk into his room and ask if he made is bed.  “Yes!” he screams at me as he bounces around.  And since he loves having his picture taken, here he is.

So, if you’re a reader of my other blog, Emma’s Grace, you’ve seem some pictures of Emma at my sister’s wedding.  If you’re not a reader, go check them out.  Emma is adorable and totally stole the show!  (Sorry Crystal.)

Well, I couldn’t post pictures of Emma and not post any of Matthew.  He was the ring bearer and I think he did a pretty good job.  He’s pretty active but listened well to direction and managed to do well during the ceremony.

First, here is the bride.  Isn’t she beautiful!

Small problem getting into her dress.

Coming down the aisle.  He’s so cute.

Me and my big boy.  He’s growing up way too fast!

And a little picture of Emma.  So cute!

All of these pictures are proofs.  The photographer was great!  If you are in need of a photographer, check out his website.

Technorati Tags: ring bearer, wedding

This recipe is pretty good. A good change to the usual BBQ pork sandwich. I put a slice of provolone and a slice of canned pineapple on it, which was a good combination. The meat was a little juicy, so it turned out to be a slightly messy eat. The whole recipe made a huge amount, so I took half of what it made and froze it.

Matthew didn’t eat his pork on a bun or bread. He went with a little pile on his plate. This was also a big hit with him as he excitedly nodded his head when I asked if it was good. Served with raw carrots & ranch, this was a good meal.

Click over to the Taste of Home site or below the picture for the recipe.

Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: Recipe Review, Taste of Home

What can I saw about this recipe. YUMMY! And so easy. Just toss the chicken in with the seasoning envelope and some water and walk away. The hardest part is remembering to let the cream cheese softened and getting it blended well. Which I did not do as well as I should have. Ours was a little lumpy, but was still tasty. I served it with linguine noodles. I also used chicken tenders since they are of a more appropriate serving size for us. We don’t really like mushrooms, so I left those out, as well as the fresh oregano leaves.

This was also kid friendly since Matthew seemed to really enjoy it.  He just had buttered noodles, but he cleaned up the chicken portion on his plate.

Go to the Taste of Home page or click below for the recipe.

Read the rest of this entry »

Technorati Tags: Recipe Review, Taste of Home

Hopefully everyone had a nice holiday weekend, for those of you in the States. We had beautiful weather and even an impromptu birthday party for Emma. Some of Jon’s family couldn’t make it for her actual party, so they came for the afternoon on Sunday, hung out, had a BBQ, and opened gifts. She got some really cool stuff that should be lots of fun to play with!

Monday

Club sandwiches, pasta salad, fruit salad

Tuesday

LO Creamy Italian Chicken (review)

Wednesday

Teriyaki Pulled Pork sandwiches (review)

Thursday

LO Pulled Pork sandwiches

Friday

Sweet Corn Risotto with Chicken & Tomatoes

Saturday

LO Risotto

Sunday

Spaghetti (in the freezer)

Technorati Tags: Menu Plan Monday

Come over here and wish our baby girl, Emma, a happy birthday!  She’s 1 year old today.

Emma’s Grace

On my counter.  My box arrived today!  And not only was there a box of butternut squash risotto, but there was a box of creamy parmesan risotto, whole grain rice penne, and sea salt rice chips!  Everything they sent me is gluten-free, and from the looks of their website, most of their products are.

The customer service was great and we’ll be trying out one of the boxes of risotto this week.  I’ll let you know how it is, but I have high hopes.

Technorati Tags: Lundberg Family Farms, Product Review