Monthly Menu: July 2024

 

Wow, it's been a while. This roller coaster called life has definitely had its ups and downs the last few years. So, I'm trying to reestablish some habits that have been really helpful to me in the past. Posting monthly menus was always a big help, so even though we are already halfway through July, here are my dinner plans for the month:

 Week 1 Menu
1. Korean Beef with Rice
2. Buffalo Chicken Quesadillas/ Pepperoni Quesadillas
3. Eat Out: Torchy's Tacos

4. BBQ Ribs, Creamed Corn, Patriotic Berry Pizza

5. Buttered Steak Bites & Mashed Potatoes

6. White Chicken Chili


Week 2 Menu: 
7. BBQ Beef Sandwiches
8. Chicken Fried Rice
9. Taco Salad
10. Sub Sandwiches

11. Tator Tot Casserole

12. Hot Dogs & Chips

13. Spaghetti & Garlic Bread, Salad


Week 3 Menu:
14. Roast with potatoes & carrots
15. Pork Chops & Green Beans
16. Sticky Chicken Ramen
17. White Chicken Chili

18. Leftovers

19. Eat Out: Pizza

20. Breakfast for dinner: pancakes & scrambled eggs


Week 4 Menu:
21. Homemade Lasagna

22. Pulled Pork Sandwiches
23. Sausage & Fried Potatoes
24. Chicken Parmesan

25. Leftovers

26. Eat Out: Burgers & Fries

27. Grilled Chicken & Salad

Week 5:
28. Beef Chili
29. Baked Potatoes
30. Chicken Alfredo with Ravioli

31. Homemade Burgers & Fries

Monthly Menu: June 2021

 Here are my dinner plans for 30 days of June.

*This summer our mornings are busy with camps, so I stocked up on quick breakfast items like mini quiches, sausage/pancake corndogs, etc.

*Lunch is usually leftovers or sandwiches.
*We usually only eat-out once a week. The rest of my meals are homemade, mostly from scratch.

 Week 1 Menu
1. BLT Sandwiches/Strawberry Shortcake
2. Garlic Chicken & Mashed Potatoes
3. Chicken Caesar salad

4. Chicken Fajitas & Street Corn

5. Eat Out: Pizza

6. Roast with potatoes & carrots
Snacks: berries, popcorn, yogurt, trail mix

Week 2 Menu:
7. Chili Frito Pies
8.Chili Stuffed Baked Potatoes
9. Taco Salad
10. Enchiladas

11. Spaghetti

12. Eat Out: Anniversary Dinner (Pizza for kids)

13. Leftovers
Snacks: honey roasted peanuts, fruit cups, string cheese

Week 3 Menu:
14. Grilled Steak & Fried Potatoes
15. Steak Caprese Salad (Leftover steak, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, black olives, & Italian dressing)
16. Grilled Chicken & Green Beans
17. Chicken Alfredo

18. Chicken Fried Rice

19. Leftovers

20. Eat Out: Chinese Food
Snacks: cheese & crackers, bananas, carrot sticks, cookies

Week 4 Menu:
21. Shredded BBQ Pork & Green Beans

22.  Pork Tamales & Spanish Rice
23. Burgers & Fries
24. Spaghetti & Garlic Bread

25. Breakfast for Dinner: Pancakes & Bacon

26. Eat Out: BBQ

27. Leftovers

Snacks: yogurt, berries, popcorn, jello cups

Week 5:
28. Meatloaf & Mashed potatoes
29. Homemade Lasagna
30. Leftovers

Snacks: no-bake cookies, bananas, chips & salsa

Book Review: The Border

This story of four teens running for their lives is full of raw emotion and intense moments. Regardless of your opinions on immigration, this story gives a vivid picture of the dire situations many people face and should cause us to be more thoughtful about this complex issue.

This is a great read for adults and mature teens due to some language, mild sexuality and violence.

*Special thanks to Sourcebooks through Netgalley.com for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book Review: This is Where it Ends

Disclaimer: I can not recommend this book to teens for two reasons. First, for the use of the F-word. If it's not allowed in TV or movies for teens, it should't be in books for them either. (See my notes below.) Secondly, two of the main characters are females who claim to be in love, and although there is a strong push to make it a cultural norm, many parents and teens, like my family, still find homosexual relationships inappropriate. (See my notes below.) I will however review this book for it's literary quality.

This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

Tyler feels he has lost everything - well, more like everything has been taken from him. He's angry, lonely, desperate, and feels the only way to make it right is to take his frustration out on the world that has betrayed him - Opportunity High School. His method - a deadly shooting spree - that's how he will not be forgotten.

Caught in the firestorm of Tyler's wrath, this story is told from the perspective of the four people he seeks to destroy - Claire, Autumn, Slyv, and Thomas.

Like: This book is extremely well written from a teenage point of view - not adult thinking, but emotional based and invincible mentality.

Like: It's not political, it's not a social commentary, or philosophically motivated - just telling a story.

Dislike: Culture's misunderstanding of love. Autumn & Sylv's relationship is a perfect best friend relationship, it doesn't need to be physically intimate. Like most teen relationships, it lacks the maturity it needs to really understand the commitment required to make it last.

Dislike: F-word just seems randomly thrown in there and is completely unnecessary when there is very little language in the rest of the book.


*Special thanks to Sourcebooks through Netgalley.com for sharing this book with me in exchange for my honest opinion.

Summer Fun: Beating Summertime Boredem

Keeping kids busy during the summer months can be quite a task and unless you have an unlimited budget for camps and activities, you might have to get creative to avoid the "B" word (BORED!).

Here's how we kept busy last summer:

Make It Monday 
       -craft projects: get on Pinterest and finds some cool ideas, then hit the craft store and make      something cool
       -dig through the recycle bin and build something: a city for cars, a robot, and house for stuffed animals

Take a Dip Tuesday
       -hit the local pool, turn on the sprinkler, or have a water balloon fight


Work Day Wednesday
        -what projects need to get done around the house: yard work, sorting toys, cleaning out closets; give kids simple tasks to help big projects get done


Thinking Thursday 
        -exercise your brain with board games, read aloud books, science experiements


Fun Day Friday
         -take day trips to local museums, parks, cultural markets, go to the movies, or work on a project from earlier in the week

A couple of fun apps we used this summer:
Geocaching (go treasure hunting wherever you are)
DIY (try new things, make cool projects, and earn badges for completing challenges)


Here's my Pinterest board for more inspiration:
Summer Fun!

Hope you have a fun and exciting summer!

Let's Have a Lego Party

My Kids LOVE Legos! One of their favorite events is a free Lego build at the Library a couple of times a year. They have giant piles of Legos and kids just build and create to their heart's content.

I have a son and daughter who both have February birthdays, so we had a Lego Party to celebrate them turning 9 and 10.


It was so easy to plan and everyone has so much fun! We dumped a huge pile of Legos onto the rug, turned on "The Lego Movie", had a few themed snacks, and everyone had a great time. The kids played, the parents talked, and the clean up was easy.



Fun ideas we tried:

- Use dollar store yellow paper cups - draw "Minifig" faces on them.

- Frost brownies and/or rice cereal treats with red, orange, yellow, green, and blue - top with M&M's (M side down) to look like building bricks.

- Buy silicon molds in the shape of Minifigs and Bricks to make chocolate treats and ice cubes.

Hope you find these ideas helpful.
Here's my Pinterest board for more great ideas: https://www.pinterest.com/traulston/lego-birthday-party/


What easy birthday party ideas have worked for you??

Cheddar Bacon Potato Soup

4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 c. cooked, crumbled bacon
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
2 c. milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 4 hrs. Stir occasionally. Serve with rolls or  in a bread bowl.


This is another family favorite! Hope you enjoy!

Looking for more easy crockpot meals? Check out my Pinterest board: Slow & Easy Crockpot Recipes