Monday, May 23, 2011

Peace, Peace Wonderful Peace.... Menu Monday



Do you know this drill?  "Yikes it's 4pm and I have no idea what we are having for dinner!"  Picture in your mind frazzled, crazy woman with stand on end hair.... Then the mad dash to the freezer, (praying all the way) hoping that there is something easy in there to fix!  I've done it countless times!  That's why I added the praying part!

I've gotten back into making menu's.  There are so many incredible blogging ladies that do Monday Menu's that it's so easy to get some good ideas.  I still maintain that your menu's shouldn't be something so creative that you don't have time to prepare, or no one likes but bless God they are going to try something new everyday until they see Jesus or even things that knock you out of your budget ball park! (it is baseball season!)

As a rule, I keep basic pantry and freezer items on hand.  I always have pinto beans cooked up and frozen, rice, different cuts of meat and frozen chicken.  With these few items you can cook so many tasty dishes that your family won't complain about having the same thing over and over. 

I have said that we are bipolar eaters.  We eat mostly healthy foods with some chips and white rice mixed in.  I do make many of our foods from scratch, but for the sake of time have been buying our breads at the bread store. 






So here is my menu for the week. 

Monday: Eggs and toast, Beans and Cornbread, Fajita's and all the fixings
Tuesday: Oatmeal and Cinnamon Toast, sandwich, chips and fruit, Baked Chicken, rice and spinach salad
Wednesday: Pancakes, Nacho's and sliced fruit, Spaghetti, salad and garlic bread
Thursday: Cream of Wheat and or Banana Bread, Kid Pick, Chicken Enchilada's, rice and fruit salad
Friday: Eggs, sausage, biscuits, Sandwich and chips, Birthday Party so a desert dinner!
Saturday: Leftover Birthday Cake, Sandwich, fruit, Grilled Steak, baked potatoes, salad 
Sunday: Cereal and milk, Mexican Soup, chips and salsa, Pancakes and sausage

So there we are in all our glory.  Some great meals and some really quick meals.  I use menu's because they bring me peace.  I don't have to think about what I'm having.  I don't always have Monday food on Monday, but I do have seven planned meals to choose. 

One extra blessing that has come from meal planning is no quickie trips to the grocery store!  That's a savings on gas and time and certainly money!  Last Friday I got in the van and I had gone 32.8 miles since the previous Sunday.  We live a bit out, so there isn't any store close.  I was doing the happy, happy dance with so few miles.  I had stayed home most of the week.  I was amazed at what staying home accomplishes. 

Psalm 85: 7-9
 
7 Show us your unfailing love, LORD,
   and grant us your salvation.

 8 I will listen to what God the LORD says;
   he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants—
   but let them not turn to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him,
   that his glory may dwell in our land. 


When I purpose to seek peace and do the things that I know that bring peace in my home, we have much less hurry and scurry before Paul gets home.  The house looks nice, dinner is made on time and there are far fewer arguments of who did or said ________.  It's the not turning to folly part that can really trip you up.  I'm not talking about blatant sin, but just allowing time stealers to eat up my time.  The menu's are just one more way of preparing our day for peace.

I pray you have wonderful peace in your home.  I pray you have wonderful tasty meals around your family table.  I challenge you to set a pretty table, enjoy a well planned meal, have a wonderful visit with your family at the end of the day and enjoy His presence and His peace! 

Hilltop Blessings,
Sheri

Friday, May 20, 2011

Hello From Down Under!

No Time For Rocking The Days Away Here!



Have you ever been to "Down Under"?  It's been way down here.  We've been trying to finish school, get the flower beds done, garden done, chicks hatched without snakes eating them first and just the daylight and dishes of life!

I find that during the Winter, I can keep on top of my daily chores and activities, but during the Spring, I'm outside so much that I don't realize that it's time to start dinner and then we eat much later and then the children go to bed later and I'm still "doing" MUCH LATER.  That's all fine and good except, I get up earlier, because the sun comes up earlier!

Since there are so many wonderful "things" to do, I've begun to gauge our activities by distance.  If it's far, we might go, but will do errands on the way home, otherwise, I'm trying to stay home as much as possible!  I was so excited to get in the van this morning and see that I had only driven 30.8 miles since Sunday!  Today is Friday!  I'm doing the happy dance!

Living out here on a bit of land is always a bit of a learning curve for me.  I didn't grow up with critters, but I did read the Little House books over and over!  Needless to say Laura didn't tell me about sick raccoons!  Yesterday I was wishing that I knew how to shoot a gun.  The neighbor came over and took care of business!

Well friends, I leave you this:

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 
I Corinthians 10:31


It's so easy to get caught up in the business of life and forget everything we are doing is for "The Glory of God"! 

Hilltop Blessings,
Sheri