Menu Mondays: 11/28/11

Monday: KFC Style Chicken Bowl

• Cooked, diced chicken breasts
• Your favorite mashed potato recipe (or box mix)
• I make mine w/ half & half, seasoned salt, & butter
• Frozen corn
• Your favorite shredded cheese

1. Spread chicken on the bottom of a baking dish
2. Layer corn on top of chicken
3. Spread mashed potatoes over corn
4. Top with shredded cheese
5. Bake on 350 for 25-30 mins 

*I never measure the ingredients for this dish, which is why there are no measurements given for this recipe.

Tuesday: Texas Casserole

• 2 lbs. Ground beef or turkey
• 1 c.Brown rice
• 1 c. Oats
• 2 (15 oz) Cans diced tomatoes

1. Season meat and cook in a large skillet
2. Stir in remaining ingredients
3. Transfer to a baking dish
4. Cover and bake on 350 for 45 minutes, or until rice is tender

*Saute meat w/ onions and peppers if you'd like

Wednesday: Stir Fry Chicken

• Try adapting this recipe to your family's tastes

Thursday: Baked Ziti

Friday: Red Beans and Rice

• 2 c. Cooked brown rice
• 2 (15 oz) Cans red kidney beans w/ liquid
• 1 lb Kielbasa sliced
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper

1. Add rice, beans, and kielbasa to a large pot
2. Add salt and pepper to taste
3. Simmer on low until heated through

Saturday: Bacon and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast

Black Friday: Sylvia Enid Designs Special!

It's Black Friday, and Sylvia Enid Designs is in on the action. Everything in the shop is 15% off, plus receive a free pair of beaded earrings on all orders over $50!!! Click on the link to head over to the website. Sale ends Sunday, November 27, 2011. Happy shopping!

• All orders are custom made, so please allow 1-2 weeks for shipment
• Please specify color(s) for each item purchased at checkout

Menu Mondays: Thanksgiving

Monday-Wednesday: Last week's leftovers
Thursday: THANKSGIVING!!!

• Pineapple Honey Meatballs
• 1 (6 lbs) Bag of meatballs
• 3 c. Ketchup
• 1 1/2 c. Honey
• 2/3 c. Soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp Quick-cooking tapioca
• 3 tsp Allspice
• 2 tsp Ground mustard
• 2 (20 oz) Cans of pineapple chunks

•  Mix all ingredients except meatballs in a slow cooker
• Stir in meatballs and coat well
• Cook on low 5 to 6 hours

• Sweet Potato Bourbon Mash
• Coconut and Sweet Potato Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Friday & Saturday: Thanksgiving leftovers!

Funtastic Fridays: Happy Thanksgiving!

A little something to brighten your Friday and get you in the spirit of Thanksgiving. What would you do given the proper incentive?

Wisdom Wednesdays: Keeping Your Word

My dear mother-in-law made a promise to my baby boy last week. Of course he did not forget it. Thankfully, neither did she! This simple act inspired my quote for today.

It is not the oath that makes us believe the man, but the man the oath.  ~Aeschylus

Teach Them Tuesdays: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is just over a week away. Here are some fun activities to get your little ones ready!

• Reading:   
• The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger

• Activities:
• Donate to those less fortunate
• While you're out doing your shopping for Thanksgiving dinner pick up a few extra non-perishable items
• Find a local food pantry of shelter and take your child to donate the items
• Discuss what you are doing and why
• We are thankful for food, shelter, etc.
• Not everyone has these things
• It's kind to share what we have with people who need these things
• Have your child journal about the experience (ask children who can't write yet to draw pictures)

• Crafts & Cooking:
• Gobbling Turkey Hat
• the directions call for foamies, but construction paper will work just as well

• Turkey-Hand Cookies

• Worksheets
• Moose & Zee Feather Counting Game
• Thanksgiving Worksheets
• choose worksheets for your child's skill level
• Thanksgiving Math Worksheets 
• choose worksheets for your child's skill level
• Thanksgiving Coloring Pages

Funtastic Fridays!

Here's a quick and easy tutorial for a crochet rope scarf. Whip one up this weekend and be warm and stylish this fall. The materials are inexpensive at full price, but there are links to coupons after the jump to bring the cost down even more!

• 25% off entire order at Michael's 
• 40% off one regular priced item at Hobby Lobby
• 50% off one regular priced item at AC Moore

Thrifty Thursdays: Halloween Clearance

So, Halloween is over and it's time to think about shopping and preparing for Thanksgiving. Or is it? Not so fast! Now is the time to do next year's Halloween shopping. Most stores are trying to sell Thanksgiving and Christmas products at top dollar now. At the same time they're trying to get rid of their excess Halloween inventory. This translates to super savings for you!

Of course you can score candy (to eat now of course) and decor at rock bottom prices, but don't stop there. Little ones love to play dress up. I suggest indulging their creative play and purchasing a few costumes in different sizes since they'll probably be wearing bigger clothes before next Halloween. You may also want to set one aside for your child to wear next Halloween. That of course saves you time and money.

Another way to make the most out of Halloween clearance sales and add a little spice to your relationship is to purchase a few cute costumes for yourself! Get a babysitter an be a naughty nurse or cheeky cheerleader for a night. The possibilities are endless!

Kmart has children's costumes for as low as $6.24. Target has some starting at $4.90.

Wisdom Wednesdays

Yesterday's sudden passing of rapper/actor, Heavy D at the age of 44 is another reminder of how absolutely precious life is. I shudder to think about the amount of time I waste doing things that just don't matter, like surfing the net idly while my precious baby boy is waiting for me to play with him. I can't get back the time I've squandered, but I will definitely be using my time more wisely from now on. With a family, home, and business to take care of I really can't afford to spend large amounts of time doing things that aren't moving me towards my life goals.

Tell someone you love how much she or he means to you today, because tomorrow is not promised.

RIP Dwight Arrington Myers, aka, Heavy D. Check out one of Hev's last performances at the 2011 BET Awards last month. I got "Nuttin But Love" for ya baby!

Teach Them Tuesdays

I went straight to winter after our snowstorm last week. This week we're heading back to fall.

• Reading:   
• The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger

• Activities:
• Nature walk
• Be sure to collect fallen leaves and other goodies to add to your nature book!

• Crafts:
• Falling Leaves
• Nature Book
• glue leaves and other items collected on your nature walk onto different colored construction paper
• staple sheets together
• be sure to decorate the cover

• Worksheets
• Fall Worksheets
• there are plenty of reading and math worksheets for many different skill levels
• How Do Trees Change?
• Coloring Pages

Menu Mondays

Monday: BBQ Chicken w/ Macaroni & Cheese & Veggies

1. Use chicken strip recipe from 10/03/11
2. When strips are cooked brush tops with your favorite BBQ sauce
3. Broil on high for 3-4 mins
4. Turn over and repeat steps 2&3

Tuesday: Sloppy Joes w/ Veggies

• I use Great Value Sloppy Joe seasoning and follow the directions on the packet

Wednesday: Baked Chicken w/ Brown Rice & Veggies

• Season chicken to taste
• Bake on 350 degrees for about 20 mins
• Broil each side on high for about 3 mins to brown

Thursday: Tortellini w/ Meat Sauce & Veggies

Friday: Pizza

Saturday: Sesame Chicken

• This week we're using the recipe from Irma S. Rombauer's classic, Joy of Cooking

Funtastic Fridays!

Each Friday I will post a video, picture, activity, or story to get you in a cheery weekend mood. This week's clip comes courtesy of Jimmy Kimmel Live. Watch what happens when parents tell their children they ate all of their Halloween candy. The two brothers at the end are my favorite!

Thrifty Thursdays

Each Thursday I will be giving you money saving tips. This week's tip is how to make your own pore strips. If you're anything like me, you love removing unsightly blackheads with pore strips, but hate spending $8.00 or more for a box of 6. I also hate the fact that the strips never reach the tiny patch of skin between my nostrils, which is where my blackheads like to congregate. Watch this video and learn how to make your own for a fraction of the price! The recipe is for a gel you brush on allowing you to reach areas the strips miss. 

Wisdom Wednesdays

As I continue to tend to the business seeds I have planted my dear hubby reminded me of an oldie, but goodie. "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you'll fall among the stars!" I'm shooting for the moon!

Teach Them Tuesdays

We had a huge snowstorm here in the northeast on Saturday. My three year old has been so excited about it. Every time we go out he stops to pick up a handful of snow to throw. His curiosity inspired my lesson plan for this week. Here are the activities we'll be doing.

• Read The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
• Make hot cocoa w/ marshmallows
• Click the link above for a recipe. I haven't tried this yet, so let me know how you like it!
• Make paper snowflakes
• Click the link for instructions.
• Do some snow themed worksheets and activity pages
• Circle What Belongs: Snowy Day 
• Snowman Race
• Winter Worksheets Mix
• And of course... play in the snow!!!