Mother's Day!

What a great day I had today.  I admit, I am hard core spoiled!    My husband made sure that every nook and cranny of today was wonderful, what a guy!  I hope I fit into my exercise clothes tomorrow, I did some serious eating today!  Ha!  Yes, he made this amazing breakfast and this delicious dinner with a fantastic pineapple upside down cake for dessert.  I know, he's dreamy!

Here's my menu for the week:

Monday:  Chili and Cornbread (I love the chili recipe in the BHG cookbook)

Tuesday: Teriyaki Chicken and Vegetable Fried Rice

Wednesday:  Smoked Turkey and Artichoke Paninis  with Kale Chips and Apple Slices

Thursday:  Beef Enchiladas with Garden Salad and Fresh Fruit

Friday:  Mom's Night Off :)

Saturday:  Scrambled Eggs and Toast

Sunday:  Dinner with friends

Couples Retreat

Judson and I received a gift to go on a 'Couple's Retreat' this past weekend.  It was so nice to get away and spend some uninterrupted quality time together.  I think the highlight for me was dancing on Friday night.  The retreat had a professional come in and teach the couples some country dancing--so much fun!  I used to country dance 4-5 times a week before I got married (yes, the grades suffered!).  The dancing took me back to my college days, and I loved it!  The best part....Judson declared afterward that he'd love for us to go on some dancing dates!

Here's my menu for the week:

Monday:  Bourbon Chicken, Brown Rice and Stir-fried Vegetables
Tuesday:  Taco Pie
Wednesday:  Panini Caprese Strata (2nd place with the casserole contest) with Strawberries and Salad
Thursday:  Marinated Turkey Cutlets, Sweet Potatoes and Spinach Salad
Friday:  Pasta Bar!
Saturday:  Mom's Night Off!
Sunday:  Mother's Day Dinner--I'll let my family take care of this meal :)

Casserole anyone?

Honestly, I'm not a huge casserole lover.  But for the next couple of weeks, I'm going to be brave and try some casserole recipes I ran across from ldsliving.org.  They had a casserole contest a while back, and they posted the first, second and third place winners on their website.  This week, I'm going to start with the third place winner.  Also, if you want a yummy lemon cookie recipe, use this one:  Lemon Crinkle Cookies (but use the juice of one whole lemon instead of just 1 Tbsp. and bake them for only 8 minutes and let them set on the baking tray for about 5 minutes).  Delicious!

Monday: Chicken Cordon Blue Florentine Casserole, Caesar Salad and Fresh Fruit
Tuesday:  Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup with Tortilla Chips and Garnish
Wednesday:  Sloppy Joes with Cottage Fries and Veggie Plate
Thursday:  Smothered Pork Chops with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans
Friday:  Mom's Night Off!
Saturday:  Pizza Night!
Sunday:  Chicken Fettucine Alfredo with Spinach Salad and Garlic Bread

Brooks' Birthday!

Brooks' birthday was this past week. Don't you just love birthdays? I keep them simple, but that way I can be consistent. I always hang up a poster the night before that says 'Happy Birthday, _________' and surround it with balloons. During their birthday day they don't have to do their jobs, they get to choose any dinner they want, and then after dinner we open presents with cake and ice cream. Because Keaton had a mandatory festival he had to attend the night of Brooks birthday, we had pan'cakes' for breakfast which got lit up with candles. He was so excited he got to open his presents before school instead of after dinner. That way, he got to wear his new 'Bountiful Lacrosse' shorts to school on his birthday!

My menu for the week:
Monday: Steak Fajitas 
Tuesday: Chicken Fettucine Alfredo, Spinach Salad and Fresh Fruit
Wednesday: Turkey and Quinoa Meatloaf, Fresh Asparagus, and Strawberries
Thursday: French Dip Sandwiches, Cottage Fries, and Vegetable Plate
Friday: Omelets and Muffins
Saturday: Mom's Night Off!
Sunday: Lemon and Garlic Roast Chicken with Sauteed Vegetables and Crusty French Bread

The return from Belize!

I have to admit some jealousy here. The 'boys only' Spring Break vacation has come to an end and it was phenomenal! Jud and Keaton returned from Belize earlier this week and had an amazing experience sailing, diving, fishing, snorkeling, and sailing some more. Beautiful weather, beautiful scenery and as I have reminded Jud time and again, the only thing missing was ME! Maybe next time....

Here's my menu for the week:
Monday: Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs and Mediterranean Rice Salad and Fresh Fruit
Tuesday: Loaded Baked Potato Soup with Cheesy Garlic Biscuits
Wednesday: Taco Pockets withCorn Salsa and Apricot Smoothie
Thursday: Brooks' Birthday Dinner! In and Out Burger...here we come!
Friday: Chicken Tikka Masala (in the slow cooker), Cucumber Relish, Basmati Rice and Green Beans
Saturday: Mom's Night Off!
Sunday: Larson Family Dinner

Lehi...land of adventure

The younger boys and I took a 'mini' Spring Break vacation and adventured to the land of Lehi, Utah! I know, we are very exciting around here. But seriously, we had such a fun time. The hotel we stayed in had a huge indoor pool and hot tub along with a hot breakfast buffet. Landon was so funny, one morning he announced proudly as he was eating some Lucky Charms, "Now I have had Lucky Charms two times! I'll remember this forever!" (I obviously don't buy sugared cereals around here). We went to Trafalga, a REAL Soccer game, Boondocks, Tepanyaki, the movies and Provo Beach resort over our three day get away. We were all exhausted when we arrived home. My bed never felt so good! (Okay, that's a lie. It felt even better when I got home from Trek!) And our great week was topped off by a spiritual feast at church today.

Here's my menu for the week:
Monday: Chicken Tortellini Bake, Steamed Veggies, and Fruit Salad
Tuesday: I hate to say it, Leftovers from Easter dinner.
Wednesday: Smoked Turkey Baked Chimichangas, Green Salad and Bottled Fruit
Thursday: Chili, Corn Muffins and Spinach Salad (I use the chili recipe out of the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)
Friday: Grilled Cheese and Soup
Saturday: Mom's night off!
Sunday: Lasagna, Spinach Salad and French Bread (This is the sauce I use with my lasagna--yummo! Bottled Spaghetti Sauce)

An UPlifting weekend!

I really enjoyed the down time that General Conference weekend brought. It was so nice to sit and be still. I was inspired by the beautiful messages and now I am determined to be better!

Here's my menu for the upcoming week:

Monday: Chinese Chicken Salad with Potstickers and a Fruit Plate (I have a bunch of leftover salad from our family get-together today and decided this would be the perfect way to use it! I love salads!)
Tuesday: Rachel Ray's Sloppy Joes, Deviled Eggs and a Vegetable Tray
Wednesday: Spring Break Restaurant Night!
Thursday: Pizza with Green Salad and Apricot Smoothie
Friday: Baked Omelet Pie, Blueberry Muffins and Bottled Pears
Saturday: Leftovers! (I say yay! But my kids pretty much hate leftover night!)
Sunday: Easter dinner with Grandma and Grandpa!
Barbecued Boneless Beef Ribs, Potato Casserole, Sweet Dinner Rolls, Sauteed Green Beans and Molten Chocolate Cakes with Sugar Coated Raspberries