Menu Plan Monday 12/1

Monday- Chicken fries, Chicken Nuggets, Tater Tots and homemade fries
Tuesday- Chicken and Rice Casserole
Wednesday- Breakfast for Dinner
Thursday- Olive Oil Pasta and garlic bread or peasant bread
Friday- Salsa Sloppy Joes with mac and cheese
Saturday- Leftovers/??
Sunday- Leftovers/??

Okay, I know that this shouldn't happen but another month came as a surprise.  I was thinking that I would worry about December after Thanksgiving.  Well, after Thanksgiving was December.  A little late to start planning but I am working on meal plan and what we are having for the month.  I started with the first two days and then went to a few things around the holidays including Christmas dinner and a few days around with visitors and then a weekend meal with my sister and brother in law.  I stopped because it was time to go to bed and was going to work on the plan the next day.  The day has passed and I don't have any more plans on the menu.  We need to get some ground beef and cheese.  We are running out of a lot of stuff which is a great in terms of getting ready to move but horrible in terms of getting an easy dinner on the table.

The Brothers Keeper Book Review

I picked out this book because it seemed like it was something totally different then I would normally pick.  Do you ever do that at a bookstore or the library?   I think that it is the only way to find new things.  It is how I found out that I like Amish fiction and mysteries.  I didn't used to read either but a book of each changed my mind.  It is always nice to read books that you like but it is also great to expand your reading base so that is why I picked The Brothers' Keepers by NLB Horton.

While cataloging looted antiquities in Brussels, archaeologist Grace Madison learns that her daughter has disappeared in France, and daughter-in-law has been attacked in Switzerland. But before the Madisons can save themselves, they must rescue an old friend. Navigating a deadly, four-thousand-year-old artifact trail that crosses three continents, they jeopardize hearts and lives against a foe as old as time--as time runs out.

I had a hard time getting into the book because the point of view kept shifting from one person to another.  The other problem was that there were way too many "main" characters so it was hard to remember which character was which.  Is that the mom or the daughter?  Is that the son or the boyfriend?  Having trouble connecting to the characters was my first problem but even farther into the book it was hard to connect with the premise that there would be an ex-CIA, Mossad, and MI6 operative working together.  It sounds like a bad joke with what do you get when the three of them walk into a bar.  I also just couldn't get into the idea that so many people were after the same thing but it started seeming more and more like Angels and Demon or Davinci Code with the hidden messages and clues from antiques so there is obviously a market for the genre.  I fought to pick it up and read it and every time found something different that gave me more trouble with the book.  After 150 pages, there was finally mention of the title and linking the book back to the title but it was too little too late.

I can say that I have been reading it for awhile and I am still not done but I can tell you that this isn't the book for me.  I have a hard time giving up on a book and always hope for an ending that brings it all together but I think missing the first book in this series, left me missing the mark on the whole book.  I felt like I was missing something the whole time and still haven't figured out what the missing piece is.  Have you read the book or others by the same author?  What do you think??

** I was provided a copy of the book for my honest review and opinion through the publisher at Litfuse Publicity.

Menu Plan Monday 11/24

Monday-???
Tuesday-Chicken Stir Fry with rice and/or noodles
Wednesday- Cheese Raviolis with garlic bread or peasant bread
Thursday- Dinner at Sister in laws for Thanksgiving (in charge of mac and cheese, rolls and pies)
Friday- Chicken and Rice Soup or Potato Soup
Saturday- Leftovers/ Chinese Food
Sunday- Leftovers/Whole Chicken

My parents are coming into town for the holiday weekend so I am trying to find things that are flexible because there are many times that we are out all day and don't get a chance to get the food in the oven in time to have things on the table at dinner time but we often eat bigger meals when they are here so it is nice to make a whole chicken so that it serves four instead of using all the leftover chicken.We are also going to try to clean out the fridge before they get here so Monday night is the last night to use up any leftovers so dinner is up in the air.

My other goal is to defrost this freezer before moving so I was hoping to do it after Christmas so we have a lot to eat before then.  I am digging through the freezer and trying to put as many meals on the menu from the freezer as possible but I think that we are going to be down to a lot of little odds and ends like brown rice, enchilada sauce and diced onions.  I guess only time will tell but hopefully we will be able to work in a lot of the food so that defrosting the freezer isn't the worst job in the world.

What do you have planned for the busy time with family in town???  Any make ahead dishes or ideas??

Pound Foolish Book Review

I picked a book that was a little outside my normal book reading but there was a note that the author also wrote the Yada Yada Prayer group and it sounded like a fun loving book so I tried it.  Pound Foolish by Dave Jackson and Neta Jackson showed up early in my mailbox so I got a chance to get a little early start on it.

The fourth in the Windy City Neighbors series, POUND FOOLISH explores the economic upheaval and uncertainties challenging every family.  In this book, Greg Singer coordinates consumer sports shows for powerboats, four wheelers, snowmobiles, and macho toys for outdoor men like himself. When the recession hits Greg's industry, he thinks the crisis is merely an opportunity for God to bless him with unmatched prosperity, a promise he hears preached each Sunday.  Every decision he makes sends him farther behind and doesn't put him on the path that he is looking for wealth and prosperity.  Does he hit rock bottom when his wife decides to leave him?  You have to read it and find out!  

The book was very well written and had lots of great characters in it.  That being said, it wasn't really my type of book but I read it from start to finish.  There was too much God and Bible quoting for my tastes.  Although I like Christian writing and books, I would rather have any book show me the way to the conclusion instead of repeating Bible verses or messages through the church.  I was upset with Greg Singer's behavior through the book and not including his wife on any decisions that affected the whole family because he was insistent that the church told him to be the head of his household.  I am sure that made him a good characters because you were supposed to dislike him but it made it hard to read the book when all Greg kept doing was making bad decisions.  I dislike when people use religion to justify their behavior instead of just looking at the basics of good and evil to make a decision.  Overall a well written book but it wasn't my cup of tea.  If you like Christian fiction, feel free to pick up this and others int he series to see how you like them.

**This book was provided to me from the publisher through LitFuse Publishers for my honest opinion and review.

Thrifty Thursday: Free Calendars Now Available

I look forward to getting my Betty Crocker and Pillsbury calendars every year and last year I missed mine!!  I don't know what happened but I went on the website in December and found that they were already gone.  Darn it!  I marked it on the calendar this year to make sure to check at the beginning of November.  They weren't there at the beginning of November but they are now.

In order to get your free calendar, you need to be a member of pillsbury.com and bettycrocker.com before 11/17/14.  What this means is that if you already have a log on because you print coupons there, you can go and get your two free calendars now.  All you have to do is log on and then enter in a little information on where they are going to mail the calendar. 

You will be very excited in 6-8 weeks when the new calendars with the great pictures and recipes appear in the mailbox.  I use one of mine for my meal planning.  The boxes are really big and let me write in a lot of details on what I am going to make and even leaves a little room if I have to cross things off and move them around.

Free 2015 Pillsbury Calendar

Free 2015 Betty Crocker Calendar 

I can't wait for mine!!!  How about you???

The Secret Journal of Ichabod Crane Book Review

My husband and I have been watching the Sleepy Hollow show on TV.  Have you??  It is a really good show and has you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next adventure.  They have lots of scrapes and troubles but Abbie, police lieutenant, and Ichabod, awoken from 200 year sleep, work together to solve the mysteries of the more supernatural.  This book is written from the point of view of Ichabod Crane and covers all of what happened in the first season of the show.

In "Sleepy Hollow," a supernatural twist on Washington Irving's classic short story, Ichabod Crane has been pulled two-and-a-half centuries through time to find that he and detective Abbie Mills are humanity's last hope in the war against evil as the two watchers. Passionate, intelligent, and wryly funny, Crane has always used journals to collect thoughts and documents that may prove useful later, and The Secret Journal of Ichabod Crane offers an unprecedented look at the battle also raging inside his fascinating mind.

On the pages within, Crane shares new memories of the American Revolution; more amusing reflections on modern-day phenomena, from the Internet to Election Day; and private thoughts about Abbie, Katrina, and others. He also includes hidden case files; secret Freemason puzzles; selections from George Washington's mysterious Bible; and photos, letters, and drawings he has collected along the way. Filled with detail about past battles and vanquished monsters, as well as clues about those he and Abbie have yet to face, this journal is not just the ultimate repository for fans, but the key to Sleepy Hollow’s future—and the world’s.

I was really looking forward to the book and hoping that my husband was going to read it too.  When I opened to the first page to see how it started, I saw that it was written in the old English way that Icabod speaks and is very hard to get into.  The words don't flow as easily and quickly to read because you have to stop and make sure that you aren't missing words because of the difference in the cadence of speech but once you get into it, it is easy enough to follow.

I was also hoping for a little bit more then the show provided but reading the beginning of the book, I fear that I wouldn't get as much out of it if I hadn't already read the book.  They mention something that happened in the show over a 1 hour episode on one page so there isn't a lot of detail and I would think that if I hadn't already seen the show that I would be confused on what they were talking about with the lack of details.  If this was a book to go along with the show, I could see reading a certain section after watching the show on TV that week or reading the whole thing if you missed the season.  But to sit down and read it for more in depth information isn't going to bring you more insight into the show.  If you are just looking to extend the entertainment value of the show, this might be the right book for you.  I enjoyed the book and the funny musings of Ichabod about the new American lifestyles in contrast to what he remembers.

**This book was provided to me for my honest opinion and review from Blogging for Books.

Menu Plan Monday 11/17

Monday- Tacos with saffron rice
Tuesday- Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes
Wednesday-??
Thursday- Sausage or Cheese Raviolis
Friday- Chicken Nuggets with homemade fries and tater tots
Saturday- Leftovers/??
Sunday- Leftovers/??

Although I had a plan in place last week, we did a lot of shuffling around.  Luckily, I was ready for the whole week so we were able to move a few things around and did leftovers one night instead of pasta because no one was interested in eating or cooking.  I am hoping for a little bit easier week with nothing planned to make it more crazy.  We already had our week with lots of afternoon and evening meetings and this week is looking pretty easy which should mean that I am a little more flexible but that usually means that I try to fit too much into one day so we will see.  The only thing that we are out of for the week is cheese so I will have to go to the store to get some.  We are also out of olive oil and almost all other oils in the house.

Having the menu plan in place will help me get dinner on the table even after I have done something in the day to take me off track.  I thought being a stay at home mom was going to give me more time and not less but I always seem to fill it up and get a lot less fun things done then I would hope for!!  How about you??