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

Shout out to my kiddos!

I'll take a little moment to give a shout out to my kids, they've been working really hard lately. Both Keaton and Chase had Piano Federation on Saturday and worked so hard to prepare. They both did a great job at the performance. Keaton has barely had time to breath, he's been so busy with school, lacrosse and his other activities. He brought home a first place in State at the State TSA (Technology Student Association) competition on Friday. He's been invited to Nationals which are in June in Nashville, TN. Chase continues to swim and swim and swim. He's increased his times tremendously and is really loving the sport. He's looking forward to Junior High come fall. Brooks is becoming a great pianist and even accompanied the entire singing time in Primary a couple of weeks ago. He is so smart, his teacher at school is always complimenting him. Landon is becoming a good reader and is really loving Kindergarten (although he tells me he can't wait for First Grade because that means he gets to be with his friends all day at school). We're all doing our best to find joy in the journey.
Here's my menu for this week:
Monday: Toastcups
Tuesday: Build Your Own Burrito Bar
Wednesday: Beef Stroganoff over Pasta with Asparagus
Thursday: Coconut Chicken Curry, Brown Rice, Green Beans and Mango Lassi
Friday: Crepes (I set out a variety of things to fill the crepes with, anything from scrambled eggs, cheese and spinach to fresh berries)
Saturday: Mom's Night Off!
Sunday: General Conference BBQ with the Wall family

A sad thing....the end of birthday week

There are a few weeks I love each year. Topping the list would be the week of our 'unique' family vacation, the week of Christmas, and the week of my birthday. There's just something awesome about people bringing you gifts, sending you notes, expressing love, taking you out to lunch, making your meals and feeding you cake! Pretty fantastic. I felt so loved this week. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, everyone. The only bad thing about birthday week is that it has to come to an end. :(

Here's my menu for the week:
Monday: Chicken Cacciatore, Angel Hair Pasta, Olive Garden Salad
Tuesday: Stromboli with Marinara Sauce, Spinach Salad, and Chips
Wednesday: Chili Verde (I cut this recipe in half) with Cheese Quesadillas
Thursday: Chicken Curry with Basmati Rice and Peas
Friday: Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Saturday: Mom's Night Off! :)
Sunday: Roast, Potatoes, Carrots and Sweet Dinner Rolls