Menu Monday {5}

Y'all.

It's 11:48 on Monday Night.

Here's Menu Monday!

Tonight we did Mummy Dogs. And by we I mean Jay really did do most of this and was so proud.

Here's the rest of the week--
Tuesday-Italian Sausage Penne for the grownups and meatballs for the kiddos
Wednesday- Turkey Burgers
Thursday- I'm picking up a family dinner at Whole Foods because I have a coupon about to expire.
Friday- Big Salads for the grown ups and kids can pick their dinner tonight.

Full Disclosure: Last week was a tad crazy--we got back from a long weekend at the beach, Lizzy was at the doc with an ear infection, then Dad had to be out of town for 4 days and I hosted a baby shower. We abandoned our meal plan but my freezer supply saved us.

I'm back on schedule planning meals for next week--The Annual National Shrimp Festival kicks off next weekend in Gulf Shores and I have some new seafood recipes to try out soon! Stay tuned!

What's cooking at your house this week?

31 Days of What Is

I'm joining up with The Nester and many other blog and posting every day for 31 days on a specific topic.

31 Days of doing, living, knowing, sharing and believing WHAT IS.

This will be a truthful look at life and the many moments worth celebrating each day.

This will be a chance for me to focus on fully engage in what is really going on in our lives and not look at things with a mindset that is constantly in fast forward-planning and worrying about things to come; or in rewind- replaying memories from past experiences.


It is a challenge to myself to live more fully in the moment and open my eyes and thoughts to today's gifts.
Today's lessons.
Today's memories.

It will also be a challenge to post every day and reflect on what really is important each day.

I'm looking forward to learning more about myself, the many blessings I receive daily and living more in the moment.

I'll update this page with each day's post in the 31 Days Challenge.

Happy October. Here we go....

Day 1: What Isn't

Day 2: Home Tour, Anniversary, What our home is....

Day 3: Lizzy 18 months and what it is

Day 4: What is day by day

Grace will be there {printable}

Thank goodness for BooMama.

In a fun rambling post tonight she shared this post from Robin.

What a precious reminder that GRACE WILL BE THERE. So often we let our minds run on and on with what-ifs and maybes that we forget to remember that God's Grace will be with us as well.

Well said, Robin.

Here's a printable for you, per BooMama's request. :)

Click here to download and print

and some other options for your liking...


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click here to download and print


Pin Away.

Menu Monday {4}

Technically, it's Tuesday.

We've been in and out of town over the last few weeks and tonight's dinner was 2 different drive thrus (2 different vehicles)....we have lots going on this week, and Lizzy is up and down tonight which makes me think we may be visiting out favorite pediatrician during walk-in hour in the moring--but I still have to sit down and figure out dinner, so here we go!

Taco Tuesday! We just need a basic taco night tonight.
Lasagna from the freezer (factoring this in just in case Liz is sick)
Big salads (chicken, egg, nuts, bacon, kitchen sink, etc.)
Arroz con Pollo (which is Chicken and Rice) this is a new one from a new cookbook I picked up a few weeks ago....if it's good I'll be sure to share. I have high hopes!

That's our week!! Time to get cooking!

Five on Friday

1. I'm hosting two fun parties over the next month and have officially started gearing up! One is a baby shower for sweet Kimber and the other is a fall party that will be SO fun for the kids and a great day for moms.

Thankfully, the trees have gotten on board and started dropping some leaves this week.

2. I scheduled the kids pictures with the oh-so-talented ImagesbyNaomi just a few days after she updated her website. I am just LOVING the models she chose (click on Featured: Naomi's Favorites).

(and loving that folks I don't know have a peek inside my bathroom! Ha!!)

(Also, that photo of Jay was taken while he was laying in the floor of our garage ((IN HIS CHURCH CLOTHES!!)) refusing to have his picture made. Because she is a great photographer and never gives up, Miriam captured the essence of my boy at two-and-a-half)

3. We've started going to Wednesday night church and I am co-teaching the 3 year olds. Pray that God gives me whatever it is I need to help teach 12 or so preschoolers about His love for them. Pray that they will have fun and learn some Jesus from me!

4. There's nothing like being in charge of a room full of 3 year olds to tell you "YOUR THREE YEAR OLD IS TOTALLY NORMAL." For better or for worse this is a fun age and it seems to be universal.

5. I've been on a serious canning kick in case you missed it. I will try to post a "What-I've-Learned-So-Far" post next week, because I have learned a great many things starting this new hobby.

Thanks for stopping in for Five on Friday! This is a fun link up!!

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I think I can....

So, if you follow me on instagram you're aware of my new hobby.

Canning has become a creative outlet for me.

I have fallen hard for mason jars. The Ball Blue Book is a page turner for me these days.

I spent last Friday night driving to 4 grocery stores in search of a watermelon with a thick enough rind to use for watermelon rind pickles. (Who knew we have all but eliminated watermelon rind?)

So far I've made
4 pints of Fig Preserves (Our very own figs from our very own tree in our very own yard!)
11 pints of Apple Butter (with apples from the Oswalt's farm)
9 half-pints of Muscadine Jelly (with Miuscadines from Dede and Papa's)
5 pints of Watermelon Rind Pickles

I just LOVE it. and last weekend when I was a Target I noticed this....

...so, I must not be the only one who has rediscovered canning and preserving and am trying it out.


Everything about it reminds me of my grandparents. I can remember sitting on Grandmommy and Grandaddy's patio helping to shuck and silk corn to put up and breaking bags and bags and bags of beans with my mom, aunts and cousins.

I remember Gaga sharing preserves and jellies on his famous Gaga bread that folks would like up for. I can remember sharing biscuits and jelly with Nanny and Gaga on their deck the morning of my wedding because I just stopped by before going to the church.

Inside those jars are sweet memories.

I understand now why they didn't seem to mind all of the work that went into making jars of jellies, pints of corn, loaves of bread. The satisfaction that comes with taking one thing and creating something that you can keep or share is wonderful. I can only imagine that it's simlar for artists or crafters, this medium is just a delicious one and the studio starts in the field and ends in the kitchen.

and let me say this- I am NOT what you would ever describe as a perfectionist. I am have ZERO OCD-tendencies. I sometimes wish I did, but oh well.

But I can do this and you can, too! I thought it would be too hard or tedious or impossible to do with toddlers, but I was wrong.

I'm learning as I go and careful to follow instructions, but I love it.

Here's to sweet memories and many, many delicious biscuits for breakfast.

Weekend Breakfast: Chocolate Monkey Bread

A few Saturdays ago, I baked up a treat for breakfast and I am so glad I did!

We had several "drop in" visitors that day and it was so great to have some of the leftovers from this sweet treat to snack on all day long.

I also made it Labor Day weekend and it was another all day hit.

I came up with my Monkey Bread on the fly. I guess I should explain my methodology here. I read recipes all the time, but very rarely actually follow a recipe while cooking. I'll come across something that sounds good, read the recipe then store it on a mental shelf.

Then I usually pick up some needed ingredients along the way, and throw together my version. It's always based off of an actual recipe, but not terribly scientific. It works for me 99% of the time. I will refer directly to a recipe if it's a technique I've never tried before and of course when baking, because that's like science.

All of that to say, I read a few Chocolate Monkey Bread recipes. If you're looking for one, this looks like a good one and Shay's recipes seem to be easy to follow.

I read this one, among others....but what I actually did was

Preheated to 350 and sprayed my bundt pan.
Opened 3 cans of fridge biscuits, cut each biscuit into quarters. (I used Grands Flaky Layers Original) (why there are so many types of canned biscuits just boggles my mind)
Metled 2 sticks of better
Dipped each is biscuit piece in butter
Then dredged it in one large box of chocolate pudding powder (not prepared)
Randomly stacked the pieces and added a few layers of milk chocolate chips
Poured the remaining melted butter over that bad boy and baked for 28-30 minutes.

Y'all it was awesome for breakfast. Again at 10, 12, and 2...and for a midnight snack, too.

I would definitely take this to a tailgate, or any sort of all day function.

Saturdays may officially become Monkey Bread Monings at our house!