Living in my season

There is nearly not a day that goes by when one of my girlfriends reminds me (Or I remind her ) that this is only for a season. ((One of my very best friends has a newborn. You know how much she needs to hear that! :))) When I was breastfeeding every 2 hours weather the sun was up or not, I really cherished these words knowing that this would not last forever. I would sleep again...someday.

Its a comfort in bad times. That trials and tribulations in this life will pass and a new season will rise in its place.

I live in Ohio, so we have seasons galore. I love each and every one of them. We are now headed into the lovely days of spring. New buds are poking through the soil and the air is warm enough for the kids to start whining that they don't want to wear a jacket. I love the season of new growth and limitless possibilities.

So why do I not feel that way in my everyday life? I am so quick to tell myself that it is only for a season, but am I really living in my season?

When my babies are small and I am physically and mentally worn to the bone, am I cherishing the season as well? Living in the season means realizing that this time of wanting to be held all the time will pass. In the blink of an eye. Being replaced by a squirming, talking toddler that I wish would just let me hold them again.

My toddler crying out to play just one more game or one more book when I have a sink full of dishes is only for a season as well. Soon there will be shut bedroom doors and refusal to talk. How I will wish that I read Green Eggs and Ham again or I passed the land of the sugar fairies for the hundredth time.

I have really been convicted the last couple weeks of living in my season and not just enduring it. Enjoying where my kids are NOW but also knowing that these challenges will pass. Its a hard thing to do when the phone is ringing, a little diva is crying and my toddler is pounding on his tool bench....and my nerves.

Dear Lord, Please help me to live in my season and not just endure it to the next. Help me to see the joy in each new moment, even the tough ones!

Works for me Wednesday: Celebrating St. Patricks Day!

I always try to make each month special for my kids. This includes decorating, doing fun crafts and activities and of course cooking! I thought I would share some "Irish" recipes to make today really seem like St. Patricks Day!!!

Shepherd's Pie

1 1/3 cups instant mashed potato buds
1/2/3 cup milk
2 Tbs butter
1 tsp salt, divided
1 lb ground beef
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 jar, 12 ounces beef gravy
1 package (10 ounces) frozen mixed veggies, thawed and drained
3/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat broiler. Prepare 4 servings of mashed potatoes according to package directions using milk, butter and 1/2 tsp of salt.

While mashed potatoes are cooking, brown meat in medium broiler proof skillet over medium high heat, stirring to separate meat. Drain drippings. Sprinkle meat with remaining 1/2 tsp salt and pepper. Add gravy and veggies. Mix well. Cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until hot.

Spoon prepared potatoes around outside edge of skillet, leaving 3-inch circle in center. Sprinkle cheese evenly over potatoes. Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat source 3 minutes or until cheese is golden brown and meat mixture is bubbly.

Shamrock Smoothies

1 ripe banana, peeled and cut into chunks
1 cup ice cubes
3/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp orange extract
2 or 3 drops green food coloring

Place banana, ice cubes, apple juice, yogurt, extracts and food coloring in blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and frothy. Pour into glasses and garnish with mints or cookies.

For more great WFMW ideas check out We are That Family!

Menu Plan Monday- last cold day recipes

I have to say that I am ready to break out the outside grill, butter up some corn on the cob and start eating from our garden! So I have decided to use these last weeks of cold to bake and crock pot! You guys know that I love simple and easy and the Lemon Herb chicken recipe could not be any more simple. Happy Eating Y'all!!!

Monday: Lemon herb grilled chicken (Recipe @ bottom) over rice, grilled asparagus, salad

Tuesday: Crock Pot Pork Chops , butter noodles, broccoli

Wednesday: Shepherd Pie with Shamrock smoothies for dessert (Recipe posted on Wednesday)

Thursday: Baked ziti, salad, garlic bread

Friday: Pizza Night!

Saturday: Marinated brisket sandwich's, mac and cheese, green beans

Sunday: Leftover Buffet- If its in the fridge, you can eat it but mama's not cookin!

Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken

1 3/4 cups Swanson® Chicken Stock
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 chicken breast halves, skin removed

Stir the stock, lemon juice, basil, thyme and black pepper in a small bowl.

Lightly oil the grill rack and heat the grill to medium. Grill the chicken for 35 minutes or until it's cooked through, turning the chicken over halfway through cooking and brushing often with the stock mixture. Discard the remaining stock mixture.

The best fruit pizza you have ever tasted!

I made this fruit pizza for my sons preschool snack. It was so easy and ridiculously delicious! I hope you enjoy it :)

A tip that I learned: After you remove the cookie from the oven, while its still warm, go around and make an edge with a spatula. This will make a rim that the icing will not run over. Making it look nice and neat.


Fruit Pizza

12" pizza pan
1 pkg. refrigerator sugar cookie dough
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
Several fresh or canned fruits of your choice
1/3 c. pineapple juice
1/2 c. powdered sugar

Thinly slice cookie dough and arrange on pizza pan, overlapping slightly, so whole pan is covered. Bake according to package directions. Cool.

Whip softened cream cheese, pineapple juice and powdered sugar together and spread on cookie crust. Arrange fruit in circles according to your taste. Chill.

WFMW: Shoe Basket

I try to give my kids responsibility. (As much as I can being that my kidlets are 2 and 4 :) ) I think that having little jobs that they are responsible for helps them to understand that they are part of what makes this family work. Not to mention it lays the groundwork for more "chores" yet to come.

As soon as the kids started wearing shoes on their adorable fat little feet, I started keeping a shoe basket. I keep it on the floor by their door. It keeps their shoes in one place and its accessible.

When we hit the front door the kids take their shoes off and march to their room. They know they need to take their shoes to their shoe basket in their room. It an easy task that they can fill good completing. It also gives mama one less thing to pick up...and that works for this mama!

This week in our home

Hey all!!! We are just back from spending time with our in-laws from New York. That means that we have been "busy" snowmobiling, watching movies, cooking good things and resting in each others company :)

What a blessing it is to have in-laws that genuinely love you and your children.

My little man got his very own snowmobile and proved that he cannot only drive it on his own but can keep up with his daddy.

We took the little princess out in the high snow. Bundled her up in a big pink fluffy mound and pulled her around on the sled. She had this odd look on her face the whole time that read..."why are we here? Who likes being cold?". She would point a pink fuzzy gloved hand to the house and say a muffled "INSIDE!" So most of the time princess and mama would just be looking at the men folk from the window. Maybe next year she will be a little more bold....or not. :)

Since we just got back, we have a bare fridge and busy schedule.(( Of course I just looked in my sons backpack since preschool is today and found out that he, of course, is the special person this week. )) I thought this would be the perfect week to do another eat from the pantry challenge.

Y'all know I love not going to the grocery store and I am proud to say that I have not gone for 3 weeks. (Minus sending the non coupon man I love for milk, fruit and veggies.)

Therefor I will not be doing a menu plan Monday. Instead I will be trying to come up with meals to use some of the ingredients in my pantry! (And it will be the perfect time to do a re-haul on our pantry....I will post pictures if I am not too embarrassed. It has gotten quite out of control.)

I will post some recipes that I find and use this week. I will also be posting the yummiest fruit pizza recipe I have ever gotten my little hands on!

Hope this is a yummy week for y'all!

Twice baked Potatoes - Fancy Smancy

So the picture just doesn't do these justice! I was having company over for dinner and really wanted a side dish with a little pizazz. I tried this recipe for twice baked potatoes and I cannot even tell you how good they were. They may look a little rough here....but on a plate they looked awesome! Pair with steak and some grilled asparagus and you have a positively yummy dinner!!

Twice Baked Potatoes

6 large baking potatoes

1/2 package (8 oz. size) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

Bacon crumbles

Bake potatoes at 400 until tender. Slice potatoes in half when cool enough to handle. Scoop insides of potatoes into a large bowl; place shells on a cookie sheet. Combine 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and remaining ingredients with potatoes. Beat till light and fluffy.

Spoon potato mixture back into shells. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar and lightly sprinkle with bacon. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or till heated through and cheese is bubbly on top.

Works for me Wednesday

When you are a mama, you and the pediatrician are friends. As in....you have basically paid for their children's college with the amount of visits in the first couple years alone.

Then you have another child (Or a couple) and you start to pray before you hit the door that the doctor will not be running behind.

You know the scene.

A sick, whiny child crying or laying on the floor. ewwww. Another child trying to get in the drawers or touch things they shouldn't. My son used to play rocket man with the doctors chair while I was trying to get my daughter out of the big paper roll cabinet.....good times.

A couple of months ago I started taking crayons with me to the offices. It saved my patience, tolerance and sanity :)

I now plop both kids promptly on the table, hand them crayons and watch them go to work. They can draw and color on the paper to their hearts content. There has even been a game of tic-tac-toe or two. The paper gets thrown away after every visit so there is no guilt and the kids stay entertained.

And that works for this crazy mama!

Menu Plan...errr Tuesday?

I am ready for spring Y'all! Can I just say that after being well on the road to recovery, we all got the stomach flu. Thus, the late meal planning. Its going to be a lite one since we are not quite ready to jump into heavy dishes. I pray to the good Lord that this is our last bought of sickness...at least for a little while :) Happy Eating !!!!

Monday: Oops...no food Monday :)

Tuesday: Chicken noodle soup, yeast rolls

Wednesday: Grilled chicken strip salad with cranberries and walnuts

Thursday: Steak Fajitas, (Recipe follows) black beans and rice

Friday: White Pizza, salad

Saturday: Leftover night- If its not movin you can eat it...but mama is not cookin!

Sunday: Beef pot Roast, mashed potatoes, green beans

Steak Fajitas

1 pound lean steak, cut into strips
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, cut into thin strips
1 julienned green bell pepper
2 lemons, quartered
salt and pepper to taste
6 (12 inch) flour tortillas

Combine the lime juice, ground pepper and cilantro in a shallow dish. Place steak strips into the marinade and refrigerate for two to four hours.

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak strips, and fry until cooked to your liking. Remove meat and set aside.

Add remaining oil and onions to the skillet. Cook over medium low heat, until translucent, stir in green peppers and steak. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the top and stir. When the green bell peppers are just tender remove the pan from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the steak fajitas with tortillas and lemon wedges on the side.

Works for me Wednesday: Birthday wishes

My baby girl is going to be 2 on Friday. ~sniff~ sob....okay I will pull myself together.

I realized that I decorate my front door for every possible holiday in the world....except birthdays! Since we are between Valentines and St. Patricks day, I thought it would be the perfect time to create a fun, whimsical birthday wreath.

I figure the kids can help me hang it for their birthdays and it would be a fun way to announce to the world (well at least the neighbors and passer by's) that my little babies are turning a year older.

I just took an old ugly ivy and wretched purple flower wreath that someone gave me and stripped it bare. I then searched through my things until I found some festive ribbon and then some purple star shiny wire stuff. (Because I like to use technical names.)

I weaved the ribbon in and out of the vine. I then went through my party favors and found some children's whistles and the ball/ cup game thingy. (Again, I am s tickler for proper names.) Throw in some star wands and a birthday candle that says. "Happy Birthday" ...and WHALAH.

The fun thing about this wreath is that almost all of us has old party things hanging around our house. I would have loved to use a pink boa I found but I didn't think my hubs and son would like that on their birthday.

I would like to think that this makes my people feel special around their special time.

And that works for this mama.

For more great Works for me Wednesday visit We are that Family!

Cheese stuffed meatballs

My meal plan is a yummy one this week! Lots of family favorites! So I wanted to share my cheesy meatball recipe...hope your family loves it as much as mine does!

Cheese Stuffed Meatballs!

4 sticks (1 oz. size) mozzarella string cheese, cut into 3/4" cubes

1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs

1 jar (48 oz. size) tomato pasta sauce, divided

1 1/2 pound lean ground beef

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 egg

12 ounces uncooked spaghetti

2/3 cup shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

Put cheese cubes in small resealable freezer plastic bag; seal bag and freeze at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 15x10x1" pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray.

In large bowl, mix bread crumbs and 3 tablespoons of the pasta sauce. Stir in beef, onion, salt, oregano and egg. Shape mixture into 2" balls.

Press 1 cheese cube into center of each ball, sealing it inside. Gently place in pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour remaining pasta sauce into 5 quart Dutch oven. Cover; heat to simmering over medium high heat, stirring frequently. Gently stir in meatballs; reduce heat to medium low.

Cover; simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are cooked and not pink in center. Cook and drain spaghetti; keep warm. Serve meatballs and sauce over spaghetti.

Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Menu Plan Monday: I'm Back!

After a full week of antibiotics, I actually feel up to cooking again! I fully realized the value of a meal plan when I don't have one. It involves alot of standing in front of the fridge, foot tapping and sighing. My saint of a husband picked up the slack and cooked for us several times. (I think he may have not wanted me coughing over his food but I can't be sure:) )

Anywho, this week has so many great recipes that I will be posting them throughout the week! Happy Eating Y'all!

Monday: Stuffed green peppers, Crescent Rolls

Tuesday: Spaghetti and Mozzarella meatballs, Italian green beans, garlic bread

Wednesday: Steak, twice baked potatoes, grilled asparagus, salad

Thursday: Leftover buffet

Friday: Pizza, salad

Saturday: Fish and Chips (Recipe follows)

Sunday: Grilled chicken, roasted carrots, broccoli

Oven Baked Chips

4 medium baking potatoes

seasoning of your choice (I like Kosher salt and pepper)

Dry bread crumbs

Wash each potato and cut into wedges.

Soak potatoes in water for five minutes then drain and pat dry. Place favorite seasonings and bread crumbs into a large resealable bag. Place potato wedges into bag a couple at a time, seal and shake to coat.

Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and bake until crispy, about ten minutes.

My finds at Odd Lots

Just wanted to let y'all know that I went to Odd Lots today. (All by myself!! I am still amazed at how much I can get done without little ones.)

Anywho, they have their Easter stuff out and OH MY the prices were awesome!

I got the most adorable Peter Rabbit chocolate bunny for $2 and my son a race car rabbit for $2. They also have many Easter basket fillers for a great price..something to think about :)

I also got a great coupon for 20% my entire order all day Sunday. Its their friend and family day.

Just something to think about :)

Sick and Tired

Sorry Y'all.

Everyone (but my hubby of course) is sick in this house. Add about 20 inches of snow on top of that, mix with two weeks of cancelled pre-school and you have a mama that is praying desperately for sun and warmth and a night out.

So there has not been much meal planning or cleaning going on here.....just alot of whining.

From me and the kids.

I don't have the strength to post very much but I did want to share a chicken pot pie recipe that was delish...... coming from Ms. Paula Deen. (Love her !)

I really REALLY promise to get back on the blogging bandwagon hopefully by the end of the week......

Someone pass the NyQuil please.

Chicken Pot Pie
2 1/2 cups peeled and coarsely chopped potatoes (about 2 small)
1 cup peeled and sliced carrots (about 2 medium)
1 (15.25-ounce) can corn, drained
1 (14.5-ounce) can cut green beans, drained
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth
1 pint half-and-half
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (12-ounce) can refrigerated biscuits

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish.

Combine potatoes and carrots with enough water to cover in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 minutes. Drain well.

In a large bowl, combine cooked potatoes and carrots, corn, green beans, and chicken. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add chicken broth and half-and-half, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, for 7 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in parsley, salt, and pepper. Pour butter mixture over vegetable mixture, tossing gently to combine. Spoon into prepared baking dish.

Separate biscuits, and place evenly on top of casserole. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until biscuits are brown and casserole is hot and bubbly.