Tidbits

I haven't forgotten about you, my friends!  It just seems like every time I think I should write a blog post, there are other, more pressing things to take care of, like...well, I'm not sure exactly.  I've got 28 minutes before I need to be out the door for my next adventure (because a walk with a friend followed by a trip to a warehouse store definitely qualifies as an adventure), and I intend to fill them with writing random thoughts and sharing random unedited photos in this blog post to you.  Because I love you.

You're right.  That makes no sense.  But!  It doesn't have to :)

My turkeys!  Love them!

My youngest son, Bubby, has worn his shoes on the wrong feet so often (including to the dentist the other day, where the hygienist noticed and commented on his foot-shoe placement), that now, they feel wrong when they're right.  I'm sure there's a philosophical extrapolation we can make in this instance, but now I'm down to 22 minutes, so let's move on.

Bubby is in 2nd grade.  And AKD wanted me to show you these pictures.

Bubby finally consented to me reading the Chronicles of Narnia to him.  We have all seven books in one volume, so it's a really big book.

What I didn't exactly expect, was for him to be so wrapped up in the story that he would insist on reading it himself when I wasn't available to do so.

Yup.  He read all that.  I'm contemplating reading The Hobbit next, but since we don't own a copy, I'm trying to decide if I think we can read it in the amount of time the library is willing to let us borrow it.

I guess I should mention that these pics are not in chronological order.  You're ok with that, right?

AKD is in the STEM+ Academy at school.  No, I'm not sure what the + is.  Here he is posing with his group for their interdisciplinary collaborative project for fall semester.

I love how they're all wearing tennies with their fancy clothes.

Bubby went to work with his Daddy one day in March.  And when I say he went to work, I mean, he really went to work.

There were some organized activities for the kiddos, but there were also times when the kids were just with their parents.  Bubby and some of the kiddos decided to build a factory.  Here he is on the phone with the design group.  And in the conference room with the core team.

The boys and I went on a hike during spring break.

Doesn't necessarily look very springy, does it?

Two minutes left!  I'd say this was a successful photo dump.  I still have all these random thoughts to share, but those will have to wait until next time.  Til then--love y'all!

Menu plan for the week of April 25

Guess what, y'all!  Only six more weeks of school left.  I know this because I printed out the last school menu the other day, and thought to myself, what?  Last school menu for the year?  I know.  Crazy, right?

I say this to prepare you for the fact that I'm a slacker during my kids' summer "break".  I might publish some menus, but it certainly will not be every week, and maybe not at all.  It'll be ok, though.  I've got you covered--there are more than two years' worth of menus in the archives.

In the meantime, here's what's on the menu this week:

Supper:

• Texas jambalaya, broccoli/cauliflower/carrots, salad
• Tacos, tortillas, taco toppings, guacamole
• Out to eat
• Chicken tacos or mini pepper chicken nachos, tortillas, taco toppings, guacamole
• Texas toast garlic bread pizza, salad, fresh fruit
• Fajita chicken kabobs, salad, grilled cauliflower
• Hamburgers, with or without buns, salad, carrots, caramel apple salad

Other:

• Baked oatmeal (or, as my girl Lisa's kids call it: oatmeal cake)
• Fitabulous clean eating muffins
• Chocolate peanut energy bites
• Honey whole wheat bread
• Taco seasoned beef & turkey

Menu plan for the week of April 18

My friend gave me her bread machine, and I got a chance to test it out last week.  Truthfully, I was a bit disappointed by the loaf it baked.  It was super fun to listen and watch as the machine did its thing, but the loaf sunk in the middle and the crust was pretty thick.  Then, of course, there's the whole hole in the bottom where the blade was issue.  I also used the dough cycle to mix, knead, and rise my pizza dough the other day, and that bread machine did a phenomenal job.  That dough was so smooth, and elastic, and window pane-y.  I am so pleased, and excited by the bread-making possibilities.  Now I just need to figure out how I can do two loaves at once.  This week I'm planning on having it knead some whole wheat dough for me to make into cinnamon swirl bread.  Nummy!

Today is day 10 of my latest friendship bread cycle, and I'm sending my yeasty friends off to the freezer for another extended stay.  Before I do, as a last hurrah before hibernation, I'll be making Pistachio Pineapple Coconut Friendship Bread Cake  and Chocolate Chocolate Coconut Friendship Bread Muffins.  Not because I'm particularly fond of coconut, but because these recipes both sound special and delicious--I'm hoping the chocolate coconut will taste a little something like Mounds.  I'm planning on pawning off most of them to unsuspecting teachers and Hubby-coworkers.

Here's what else is on the menu this week:

Supper:

• Kielbasa cauliflower stir fry, applesauce, carrots
• Tacos, tortillas, taco toppings
• Chicken pot pie, mixed veggies, salad
• Rice burgler, broccoli/cauliflower/carrots, salad
• Pizza or zucchini crust pizza, salad, fresh fruit
• Hot beef sandwiches, buns, cooked carrots, salad
• Grilled pork chops, baked potatoes, grilled green veggie, applesauce

Kielbasa and cauliflower stir fry
from Center Cut Cook

Other:

• Cinnamon swirl bread
• Pistachio Pineapple Coconut Friendship Bread Cake
• Chocolate Chocolate Coconut Friendship Bread

Crazy Dreams

I have been having some wild dreams lately.  Every night.  It's actually kind of fun, because I never know who's going to show up or what's going to happen in my dreams.  I'm not used to dreaming every night, or at least not remembering that I dreamed every night.

It was fun, that is, until the night I had a dream that reminded me of being 7 or 8 or even 13 years old, lying in my bed in the dark, afraid.  I remember trying to be as still as possible, with my blanket pulled up over my mouth and nose, not even breathing for fear that if I moved or made a sound, some unidentified threat would find me.

I woke from that dream, and I was right back there.  Lying in the dark, paralyzed by fear, except not, because I knew it wasn't real.  And after that dream, I can so understand why my boy wants reassurance in the middle of the night when he's scared.  He, at least, is brave enough to get out of bed and find comfort.

Interestingly, since I began having these crazy dreams every night, Bubby hasn't woken me up once.  I wonder if his dreams have transferred to me.  And, just in case you were still wondering, yes, I dream in color.  I remember that green ooze vividly.

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Menu plan for the week of April 11

It's my middlest child's birthday today.  He's a teenager.

According to my other, slightly older, teenager, that means we're going to need a lot more food now.  Good thing I have a plan.  Including MC's birthday dinner tonight: hot dogs.  And chips.  Can't forget the chips.

Here's what's on the menu this week:

Supper:

• Hot dogs or brats, buns, sour cream & onion chips, roasted Brussels sprouts
• Shepherd's pie, applesauce, salad
• Turkey ranch club wrap, carrots, fresh fruit
• Hamburgers with or without buns, salad, green beans, chips
• Individual chicken pot pies, salad, peaches
• Calzone or zucchini crust pizza, salad
• Grilled steak with portobello mushroom sauce, grilled broccoli, baked potatoes

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Other:

• Friendship bread cinnamon twists
• Warm me up sausage quiche
• Peanut butter cup "ice cream"
• Taco bean soup

Vat o'

Who buys baking powder 3.75 pounds at a time?  This girl.  I don't know why--we certainly don't need this much baking powder all at once--but it makes me peculiarly happy to know that we have this big ol' vat o' baking powder at our disposal.

And it's no mess!  Bonus!

I bought the vat o' baking powder in anticipation of baking lots of friendship bread.  Yes, it was totally excessive considering each batch requires a piddling 1 1/2 teaspoons of the stuff, and I'm planning nine, maybe twelve at most, batches this go-around.  Know how many 1 1/2 teaspoons are in my vat o' baking powder?  Two hundred thirty-six.  And a quarter.  Yeah.

I made these cinnamon twists on Thursday.  No baking powder required.  Aren't they just so stinkin' cute?!  They smelled heavenly.  I'm serious.  I'm pretty sure heaven smells like freshly baked cinnamon rolls.

I loved working with this dough--it was super easy to put together and super easy to work with--and I loved that the twists rose overnight, so I was able to easily get a warm, tasty treat on the table for my boys on a weekday morning.  I will definitely be making these again.

Know what I'm really enjoying about this round of friendship bread making?  It's knowing that my friends have some of my starter, and they're on the same schedule as me.  We're feeding our starter on the same day, baking on the same day, chatting about recipes and variations.  I think of my girlfriends every time I stir my yeasties, which is a couple of times a day since they've been so active.  The yeast, not the girlfriends.  It's given me such a feeling of community.  And that feeling of community has inspired me to share my baked treats with unsuspecting innocents, too.  I dropped off cinnamon twists for two different families on Thursday, and I made Hubby take 3 dozen friendship bread snickerdoodles to work with him Friday.  So. much. fun.

In conclusion, I have a vat o' baking powder, and I like baking with friendship bread starter.  Let me know if you would like some of either.

P.S.  I'm pretty sure I could make a rather impressive mess with that baking powder if I really put my mind to it.  Possibly even without trying very hard, or at all.  I'm skilled like that.

Menu plan for the week of April 3

Happy Monday, y'all!

I've been thinking a lot about making bread lately.  Our family eats a lot of bread, and it's inexpensive to buy, but it's also inexpensive and easy to make.  And my homemade bread doesn't have preservatives or high fructose corn syrup in it.  I would like to start making all the bread for our family, but there's one thing holding me back.  The need to knead.

I have been making yeast breads for a long time, which means I've been kneading for a long time, but recently, like in the last half year or so, I've been wondering if maybe I'm doing it wrong.  Because you know how recipes say to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic?  Yeah.  That never happens to my dough.  Ever.

I even watched how-to knead videos.  And I feel like what I'm doing should work, but I've never ever gotten a bread dough to pass the windowpane test, until the other day when I made friendship bread cinnamon twists.  The recipe said to use a stand mixer to knead the dough, but since I don't have one, I used my hand mixer.  And it worked!  That dough was so smooth and so elastic and so windowpane-y.  But I'm afraid of burning out the motor on my hand mixer if I attempt to knead a larger or heartier batch with it.

I started wondering if I should try to find a bread machine to do my kneading for me, but at the same time, I'm afraid that if I had a bread machine, I would never want to bother hauling it out to use it.  So I put it out there on Facebook.  I asked my friends if they had a bread machine, and if so how often they use it.  What I suspected was correct: lots of people have them, but few of those people ever use their bread machines.

In any case, I'm getting a chance to find out: one of my friends had actually just cleaned out her pantry the week before, and during the pantry clean-out decided to get rid of the bread machine that she had used once in 15 years.  It was sitting in her mudroom waiting for her to take to Goodwill, and she said I could have it.  I'll let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, here's what's on the menu this week:

Supper:

• Ham & swiss crescent braid, salad, carrots
• Chicken taco casserole, green beans
• Fend for yourself
• Nachos/mini pepper nachos, guacamole, taco toppings
• Pizza, salad
• Hot beef sandwiches, 100% whole wheat friendship bread rolls, broccoli/cauliflower/carrots
• Grilled pork chops, grilled green veggie

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Other:

• Friendship bread waffles
• Chocolate spinach muffins
• Stir & pour bread
• Greek yogurt
• Taco bean soup
• Pressure canned black beans

The Gap

A friend of mine was looking for soccer cleats.  Size 5 1/2 soccer cleats.  I thought we might have some we could spare, so I took a look in our soccer box.

Yes.  We have a soccer box.  Doesn't everyone?  The soccer box is filled with cleats, shin guards, and socks from past soccer seasons, waiting expectantly for the youngest Bluefield to grow into them.

I was right.  Sort of.  In the box, I found two pairs of size 5 cleats and two pairs of size 6 cleats, and I passed one of each on to my friend.  Know what I didn't find?  I didn't find any soccer cleats in Bubby's current size.

I don't know where these gaps come from.  You see, we have three boys.  That means that we have two boys who are older than our youngest boy. One would think that after clothing and sports-equipping those two older boys for a cumulative twenty-eight years, we would have all of the clothing we need, in all of the sizes we need, for our youngest.

MC played soccer when he was Bubby's age.  Why don't we have Bubby-size cleats?

But we don't.  And I have no idea why we have gaps.  I don't know why I am all of a sudden having to buy soccer cleats and shorts and t-shirts and who knows what else for that kid.

Toilet troubles

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We are having toilet troubles at our house.  It's been going on for a while, and we were able to make it work with generous applications of the plunger, but it finally came to a head* a couple of months ago when one of our toilets refused to flush.

We took it apart and cleaned out the trap.  We poured water down the drain.  We poured water down that drain in copious amounts, and it went down ok, so we were sure it was the toilet itself that was the issue and not the waste pipe.

But then we put the toilet back and it's not wanting to flush again.  There is one more thing we need to try before giving up and calling the professionals, but at this point, it's not very useful to us.  Well, me specifically.  No one else seems to be having any trouble, as long as they're flushing only liquids (read: no TP...or anything else!).

On Monday, someone, who shall remain nameless, but I will say it wasn't me, broke one of the hinges that holds the seat onto another of our toilets.  It's still usable, but it's...shall we say...precarious.

We have another toilet, but that's our last one.  If anything happens to that one, we're plumb** outta luck.

Last night, my husband (I am not even joking.  I wish I was) said to me, "maybe we should buy a new toilet and I can use the old one for parts!"

I laughed.  Out loud.  Because, what?!

Now, I'll tell you, I wouldn't mind getting a new toilet or two, because then we'd have working, shiny clean potties in our house (because let's face it: at this point, after years of boys with less than perfect aim using these toilets, no amount of scrubbing will be able to get some of the crusty gunk off).  But there is no way.  Absolutely. No. Way.  That I'm going to let him keep the old one.

Unless he does this.

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The end.

P.S. I think we're going to move the seat from the non-flushing toilet to the broken-hinge toilet.  It's not like anyone is using it over there anyway.  And Hubby's always wanted a urinal.

*Ha ha.  The toilet troubles came to a head.
** I know.  But I couldn't resist.

Menu plan for the week of March 28

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I brought my friendship bread starter out of stasis in the freezer.  It's doing great, enthusiastically bubbling away.  And guess what, y'all!  I actually handed some starter off to not one, but two friends last cycle!  So that means that, in the almost 2 years since I started this starter, I have given away a grand total of ... four?  Wow.  I am super friendly.  Day 10 is Thursday,  so I'll be baking.  I think I'll do one more cycle, then freeze my starters.  Unless any of you wants one?  Really, I'd love to share.  After all, I'm super friendly.

Here's what else we're eating this week:

Supper:

• Angel hair or zucchini noodles with meat sauce, grilled garlic toast, broccoli/cauliflower/carrots
• Tacos, tortillas, taco toppings
• BLTs, carrots, fresh fruit
• Wild rice casserole, green beans, pears
• Baked almond chicken fingers, carrots, salad
• Pizza or zucchini crust pizza, salad
• Fish or hamburgers, chips, fruit, carrots

Other:

• Friendship bread: Cinnamon Twists, traditional recipe, snickerdoodles
• Chocolate peanut butter "clif" bars
• Chocolate spinach muffins (don't tell the kids there's spinach in these!)
• Canned pinto beans and black beans

Climbing hills

I climbed a hill yesterday.  It was a long hill.  It was a steep hill.  It was a long, steep hill.  It was the kind of hill that, just when you think you're reaching the top, you walk around a bend and realize the hill continues.

It was hard.  And there was a point, about halfway up, but not really, because of the hill continuing beyond the bend, when I wanted to stop and turn around.  I really did.  I did not want to climb that hill.  I really didn't.

But then I remembered what I did want.  I did want to walk a circuit around the river formerly known as Little Falls Lake.  And in order to do what I did want, I had to do something I didn't want.  Sure, I arranged my path to make it the easiest I could, but there were still obstacles in my path, including that hill.

So I continued.  I kept lifting up one foot and placing it in front of the other until I reached the top.

That's life.  In order to do what we really want, we have to do some things we don't.  And there will always be obstacles in our path.  Things that are hard.  In the face of obstacles it is so easy to forget our overall goal.  And if we let those things discourage and defeat us, we will never accomplish what we set out to do.  That's when we need to just do the next right thing.  We need to keep moving.  We need to take the next step, in faith, putting one foot in front of the other, not knowing if ultimately we will be successful, but knowing for certain that if we give up, we will not succeed.

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My friends, what is the obstacle you're facing today?  How can you do the next right thing?  How can you take the next step?

Wisdom from old me

I came across this post today.  My menu from a year ago.  It caught my eye, number one, because it had snowed, and we're staring down a snowy forecast for tonight into tomorrow, and number two, because I was planning to have chicken taco casserole this week last year, too.  In individual ramekins, which is a fantastic idea.

It's ok, and not conceited, for me to say that my own idea is a fantastic idea because I'm not really that person anymore.  So much has changed in this year, in me, in my family, in my home, in my community, in my nation, in my world.  So that idea that old me had, a year ago?  Fantastic.   I think I'll do that this year, too.

But here's what really caught my eye in that year-ago post:

...it's never a waste of time to do something you love, something that fills you up and gives you a smidgen of joy.

Old me was talking about shoveling, which, you know, most people wouldn't associate with anything even approaching joy, but old me was really on to something.

So here's new me's challenge for you today: do what brings you joy, even if the world thinks you're foolish for doing it.

What brings you joy?

Spam

Although I generally don't, lately I've been checking my Spam filter.

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Not that kind of spam, sillies.  The unwanted email kind.  

I do wonder what a Spam-of-the-weird-processed-food-kind filter would look like, though.  What do you think?

Anyway, I've been checking the email that my spam filter has caught for me and I noticed a new one.  I've been seeing the "Suspicious Activity on your Account" one for a while.  I always go, separately, not clicking the link in the email, to the site to check.  And there's never any suspicious activity.  But this morning there was an Order Pick-up Failure notice.  As in, I ordered something for in store pick-up, and they had notified me five times that it was available, but I never showed, and I needed to pick it up.  Now.  Except I had to click on a link to see what I had ordered and even at which location I needed to pick it up.

Unfortunately, these tactics must work, because the scammers keep using them.

Here's something interesting, if you're wondering why spam is called spam.  Might be true, but only the originators know for sure.

And in conclusion...for your Spam-y viewing pleasure...

Menu plan for the week of March 21

Happy Easter this week, y'all!  Here's what we're eating this week.

Supper:

• Angel hair or zucchini noodles with meat sauce, broccoli/cauliflower/carrots, grilled garlic toast
• Tacos, tortillas, taco toppings
• Fend for yourself
• Beef stroganoff, corn, salad
• Pizza or chicken crust pizza, salad
• Chicken taco casserole. green beans, fresh fruit or peaches
• Honey glazed ham, au gratin potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts, caramel apple salad

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Other:

• Monster cookie oatmeal creme pies
• Double chocolate and lemon chia friendship bread
• 15 minute Korean beef and quinoa
• Warm you up sausage quiche
• Peanut butter cup smoothie

Our printer

I'm typing on a laptop right now--it's my main computer, used for most of my computing needs.  Since it's a laptop, and therefore portable, I will, from time to time, unplug and take it elsewhere to work.

When I decide to print something, I will click "print" and whatever it is will go to a queue to digitally wait until such time as the laptop is connected to the printer again.  Our wireless printer went caput, so we're using our "old" printer which requires a physical connection to print.

Quite often, AKD will be the one to turn the computer on after it's been away from its home for a while, and the printer will start making its noises and spitting out printed pages, which are often coupons or recipes.

And then AKD will tell me that the printer wants us to buy...oreos, or jellybeans, or Mars candy...or wants us to make...whatever delectable recipe has just magically appeared in our printer's tray.

The really fun part is, sometimes I forget what I've sent to the printer.  Then AKD and I are both surprised :)

French Silk

My husband reads my blog.  Sometimes.  Usually.  He would say Always, but I'm not so sure.  Sometimes he skims, maybe.

Anyway, Monday was pi day, and I made mini cherry pies in ramekins for my pie-loving boys.  Also on Monday, my husband read my blog post (so he'd know what he was eating this week), and Hubby accused me of lying being mistaken about his request for French Silk pie.  That's a lot to have happen in one day.  Whew!

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"I don't even know what French Silk pie is," he said, "why would I request something that I don't even know what it is?"

First of all, I don't know why he does approximately 53.8% of what he does.  Wait.  Maybe that percentage should be higher.

And second,  I know!  I know absolutely that my husband does not know what French Silk pie is!  That's why I was so surprised that he suggested it (in an off-the-cuff, throwaway comment, but it was a suggestion none-the-less).  That, and the fact that, if he did know what French Silk pie was, it would definitely not be anywhere near his first choice.

"I didn't get much pie," he said by way of explanation, as he was scooping out another bite of flaky, juicy cherry pie perfection.  Like, when he was growing up, he didn't get much pie.  I can see that.  And I'm so glad that we're avoiding that particular pitfall for our children.  Well, at least the one who is willing to eat pie.

Anyway, now Hubby does know what French Silk pie is, and he's not planning on suggesting that I make it anytime soon.

Beware

I neglected to mention, or plan for, the Ides of March in my "special holiday" menu plan on Monday.  Whoops.  Missed another "holiday."  What would you serve for an Ides of March party?  Caesar salad?  Blood oranges?  Things on skewers?

The good thing is, March has an Ides every year, so I get more chances.  The even better thing is, I can continue to ignore it if I wish.

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The folks over at the radio station I listen to most are calling today John 3.16 day.  I like it.  Even though it doesn't involve food.

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Locusts and wild honey, maybe?  I'm plumb out of locusts, but maybe I should whip up a batch of homemade "Clif" bars.  They have honey in them.  Or bread, I suppose.  Bread containing wild honey and locusts?

*****

Whew, that was quite a night last night!  I'm not sure if I can continue to blame it on daylight savings, but Bubby has been having a heck of a time falling asleep this week.  Isn't it generally accepted that it takes 1 day per hour of time change to get a body back on schedule?  But here it is, four days in, and Bubby and I both are not sleeping (and not just because he's keeping me awake).  Last night, Bubby ended up sleeping in a sleeping bag on our bedroom floor.  At least he did fall asleep eventually--at 1:18 and 2:37 and 3:14 a.m., and every time in between, that was not a sure thing.

For Bubby, it's not just a disruption to his inner clock that's disturbing his sleep rhythm.  He's also experiencing fear of an unspecified nature.  Like, he's scared to tears, but not sure why.  And that scares me.  Because irrational fear is not only impossible to reason away, it is also crossing into territories that I don't want to visit, alone, or with any of my children or my husband.

I'm trying, and mostly succeeding, not to panic, but panic resides closer to the surface in a sleep deprived landscape.  Fortunately, we have the assurance of God's unfailing love to chase away the darkness--the fear, the hurt, the confusion, the panic, the anxiety.  Here's praying for a sleep-filled and fear-free night, tonight.

Meat Sauce for Canning

I ended up doing both yesterday.  Both canning and freezing the meat sauce for spaghetti.  I sextupled the meat and octupled everything else.

And apparently octupled is an actual word.

AKD came home and said, "it smells like spaghetti," and it did.  So good.  Tomato...garlic..oregano...  Mmm!

I octupled and sextupled because I was concerned that my usual sextupled recipe wouldn't yield enough for a full canner load plus supper.  Also?  This sauce is very meaty--it could stand a little more sauciness.

Turns out I was wrong about the yield (I blame the head space), which is why I ended up doing both.  I canned a full load (which is five, in my "little" canner) of quarts, and had enough left over to freeze another two quarts, as well as having enough for our evening meal and a little left over from that.  I did think about doing a second, partial load, or canning some in half-pints or pints for AKD, so he wouldn't have to open a whole quart when he got the hankering for spaghetti, but decided freezing would be both easier and less time consuming.

So...we're all set for spaghetti sauce around here for a while.  I seriously love cooking once and getting eight meals for my trouble.  The fact that most of it is self-stable is an added bonus.

If you'd like to can some spaghetti sauce too, just sextuple or octuple or however-many-tuples-you-want the recipe.  Pack in hot jars and pressure can at 10 pounds of pressure: pints for 60 minutes or quarts for 75 minutes.

Menu plan for the week of March 14

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Hi everyone.  Lots of "holidays" this week.  You know, the kind of holidays some parents (usually the mamas) live for, and others dread?  I'm somewhere in between. I celebrate, sometimes, and other times just let them go.  First up is pi day, 3.14.  That's today!  My pie-loving boys (and there are only two of them) have requested cherry, pumpkin, apple, and French silk.  French silk?  Seriously?   Methinks it's been too long since those boys had pie.  Next is St. Patrick's Day, when everyone sorta pretends to be Irish.  Finally, the first day of spring, or, more cryptically, the vernal equinox, happens this week.  I'm sure there are more--I'm just not in the mood to look 'em up.  Do you celebrate any of these?

Here's what's on the menu this week:

Supper:

• Meat sauce with spaghetti or zucchini noodles, roasted brussels sprouts, grilled garlic toast, individual cherry pies
• Tacos, tortillas, taco toppings
• Brats or hot dogs (or taco bean soup, for those among us who can't bring themselves to eat either) with or without buns, carrots, green stuff
• Green, shamrock shaped pancakes, scrambled (possibly green) eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, leftover green stuff, brownie cups with mint ice cream
• Pizza or chicken crust pizza, salad
• Grilled chicken, grilled broccoli, salad
• Grilled steak, mashed potatoes, asparagus (if available) or broccoli, cauliflower, carrot medley

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Other:

• Large batch spaghetti sauce--I haven't decided yet whether I'm going to can or freeze the extra.  I'd better decide soon, though, because I'm making it this afternoon!
• Spinach muffins--these are bright green, and I'm told you can't taste the spinach.  There's a chocolate version, too, which obviously, I have to make soon, but I love the bright green color for St. Patrick's Day.
• Granola
• Spaghetti squash breakfast cups--I'm using up the last of the spaghetti squash from the freezer.

Menu plan for the week of March 7

Hi everybody!  Are you feeling as springy where you are as we are over here?  It's spring break for my kiddos this week.  At least the weather matches this year.

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And since it's spring break, I'm taking care of chickens again.  I am so thankful to be able to borrow our friends' chickens from time to time--so much nicer than having our own ... and having to clean their coop!

When I was thinking about how to use eggs this week, I decided it was finally time to bring Shirley back from her sabbatical.  She's been sleeping in the freezer since 2014, so out she comes this week.  She's capable of using 9 eggs in one fell swoop.  As for baking, I'll for sure be doing double chocolate, and I will probably do lemon poppy chia seed, but other than those, I'm open for suggestions.

Speaking of bringing old friends back, I'm tapping a tree or two this year to make my very own maple-ish syrup.  This time, I'm canning it in half-pint jars, though.  Click here to take a look at how our syrup making went the first time.

Aside from eggs and Shirley and syrup, we'll probably eat something this week, although since it is spring break, our plans are sort of ... fluid.  Here are some things we may or may not get around to eating this week.

• Tacos, tortillas, taco toppings
• Cheesy mini burgers, brown rice, salad, green beans
• Pizza
• Hamburgers with or without buns, chips, carrots
• Grilled pork chops, grilled green veggie
• Spaghetti or spaghetti squash with meatballs, broccoli/cauliflower/carrots
• Pancakes, fresh fruit
• Warm me up sausage quiche