Menu Plan Monday 9/3

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and homemade fries and tater tots
Pasta
Salsa Sloppy Joes or Tacos
Grilled Chicken and rice

Homemade Pizza
?? Take Out ??

Leftovers

We had Chicken Wraps and homemade fries on Monday followed by Pasta on Tuesday before basketball practice.  Wednesday was Homemade Pizza.  Thursday was a long day at the pool and my husband and I had Chili with Fritos and my son had the last bag of microwave rice.  Friday my son used his coupon from the summer reading program to get a free pizza which we had for dinner after soccer practice.  The only thing left in the menu plan was Grilled Chicken and leftovers so I needed to make sure that I actually took chicken out of the freezer and I didn't do it until Saturday morning so I had to thaw in the microwave but I got it done.  Saturday was grilling out with family and we  had grilled chicken, brats, rice, corn on the cob, salad and corn bread.  Sunday was a busy day so we did an early dinner of leftovers where my son had rice, my husband had fried rice and I had chili and corn bread.  We also had lemon shortbread bars and brownies for dessert this week too.  We did great this week with the plan and getting dinner on the table.

Hoping for another amazing week and lots of time to get the food on the table.  Going with a similar plan for next week and hoping for the best.  I haven't put a lot of time into digging around to see what we are going to eat or what we have but after everyone is back to work and school and work then I will have time to look for one last meal for the week but it might be pizza at the pool over the weekend or something at the festival we are going to.

Restless Hearts Book Review

I grabbed some more books from the free shelf at the library and one of them was Restless Hearts Larger Print by Marta Perry.  I am not sure which library this is from but it was next in my pile.  It used to be that I would read the oldest ones first and work my way through them but my piles have gotten crazy of the different books that I have to read through.  I probably have enough books piles on top of my bookcase to last me a lifetime.  I hope that I get through them all and can finally get rid of some of them but that is my weakness!!  I hate getting rid of books which is why I went to getting them at the library in the first place because I was supposed to return them!!

A search for her roots brought midwife Fiona Flanagan to Pennsylvania Dutch country—and made her wonder whether she should turn back. The area's mixture of Amish and English culture confused her, and her first encounter with local police chief Ted Rittenhouse didn't help. he'd thought she was breaking into her own office!

I hope that you check out this book for yourself and enjoy this half Amish and half English town that has both working together in mostly harmony.  Fiona moves to the town to start her midwife practice and to get to know her fathers side of the family.  Little did she know that she would also meet her mothers side who she has never met and hasn't spoken to since her mother left the small town.  She is stopped her first night in town by Ted Rittenhouse, the local police officer for breaking and entering because she got lost on the way to see her new home.  It was the first of many adventures for Fiona so make sure you read it for yourself to find out what happens but I promise you will enjoy the crazy ups and downs of this small town.

Menu Plan Monday 8/27

Chicken Fries, Chicken Wraps and homemade fries and tater tots
Pasta
Chili and Cheese with Fritos
Grilled Chicken and frozen rice

Homemade Pizza
??

Leftovers

I can't believe how quickly a week goes by!  Monday we had my son's favorite dinner of chicken fries and french fries and even pulled out a bag of tater tots to enjoy while my husband and I had chicken wraps.  Tuesday was homemade pizza so we had pepperoni and buffalo chicken.  Wednesday came and I had taken nothing out of the freezer again so we went with leftovers!!  I made fried rice for my husband, I took out steaks for Thursday to enjoy as a wonderful treat with rice and green beans.  Friday we had family coming in so we had pasta but I decided to go with Cheese Raviolis and fried zucchini which was yummy (still made spaghetti for my son)!  Saturday was Chinese food from my favorite restaurant and we really enjoyed it and leftovers the next day for lunch.  We went to the pool until after dinnertime on Sunday so it was tempting to give up and order pizza but we went with quick leftovers where my son had some spaghetti and chicken fries and my husband had buffalo chicken pasta and I made a little chicken for me.  It wasn't the chicken I was planning on but we all had a little chicken so I will call this to plan!!

This week my son starts school and there are tons of things going on including the start of soccer season so we are going to be into the busy life right away.  I am hoping for a few easy meals so this should make it easy for me to get dinner on the table when we need it.

Beteween You and Me Book Review

I put a bunch of books on reserve a long time ago and this one was another that was chosen because I like the author.  I was interested in reading anything by the author but I haven't even figured out what was coming until it showed up on my reserve shelf.  Between You and Me by Susan Wiggs was the next in my pile to read.

Deep within the peaceful heart of Amish country, a life-or-death emergency shatters a quiet world to its core. Number-one New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs delivers a riveting story that challenges our deepest-held beliefs.  Caught between two worlds, Caleb Stoltz is bound by a deathbed promise to raise his orphaned niece and nephew in Middle Grove, where life revolves around family, farm, faith—and long-held suspicions about outsiders. When disaster strikes, Caleb is thrust into an urban environment of high-tech medicine and the relentless rush of modern life.
Dr. Reese Powell is poised to join the medical dynasty of her wealthy, successful parents. Bold, assertive, and quick-thinking, she lives for the addictive rush of saving lives. When a shocking accident brings Caleb Stoltz into her life, Reese is forced to deal with a situation that challenges everything she thinks she knows—and ultimately emboldens her to question her most powerful beliefs.  Then one impulsive act brings about a clash of cultures in a tug-of-war that plays out in a courtroom, challenging the very nature of justice and reverberating through generations, straining the fragile threads of faith and family.
Deeply moving and unforgettable, Between You and Me is an emotionally complex story of love and loss, family and friendship, and the arduous road to discovering the heart’s true path.

I hope that you check out this book because it was an amazing read.  I couldn't put it down which is horrible because I couldn't put the last book down and now I am in a horrible sleep pattern but I have read some great books.  Only pick this book up if you have the time to not put it down or getting anything else done.  I thought it was great and I was amazed at the writing and characters.  Caleb has left the Amish world when he got the call that his brother and wife had been in an accident.  Caleb came home to raise his niece and nephew.  It is amazing to see how he has changed his life to make the best life for his niece and nephew.  Things go a little crazy when there is an accident and a disagreement over treatment.  Dr. Reese Powell is on the ER staff and takes an interest beyond the initial operation when she sees Caleb standing in the ER because no one has helped him find his nephew.  Their lives all change in the blink of an eye and you have to pick up the book to find out how.  It was a great journey and amazing story.  I hope that you enjoy it as much as I have.

Cottage By the Sea Book Review

I reserved a bunch of books at the library and this one came on my shelf.  I knew nothing about Cottage by the Sea: A Novel by Debbie Macomber except that I liked the author.  I was excited to start reading it and find out more! Who wouldn't want to with a cover like that!!

Annie Marlow has been through the worst. Rocked by tragedy, she heads to the one place that makes her happy: Oceanside in the Pacific Northwest, the destination of many family vacations when Annie was a teenager.
 
Once there, Annie begins to restore her broken spirit, thanks in part to the folks she meets: a local painter, Keaton, whose large frame is equal to his big heart—and who helps Annie fix up her rental cottage by the sea; Mellie, the reclusive, prickly landlord Annie is determined to befriend; and Britt, a teenager with a terrible secret. But it is Keaton to whom Annie feels most drawn. His quiet, peaceful nature offers her both comfort and reprieve from her grief, and the two begin to grow closer.

Then events threaten to undo the idyll Annie has come to enjoy. And when the opportunity of a lifetime lands in her lap, she is torn between the excitement of a new journey toward success and the safe and secure arms of the haven—and the man—she’s come to call home.  In this heartwarming tale, Annie finds that the surest way to fix what is damaged within is to help others rise above their pain and find a way to heal.

I thought this was a great book!  I couldn't put it down and was excited when I got a whole morning to sit home and read it.  I thought it was so interesting and I had a hard time putting it down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next for Annie.  Annie went through a lot of guilt after her whole family died in a mudslide that took out her family home and she decided to take a vacation to someone to remember the good times.  In doing so, she quickly realized that she couldn't go on living the way that she was and she moved and set up a whole new life in the small town that she used vacation.  It was amazing to see how quickly she was healing after having so many problems before and you have to pick up the book to find out how she makes these changes.  I am sure you will be amazed at the way that the small town makes her feel better and safe like it did in her childhood.  I hope that you check out this book and enjoy for yourself!!

The Quilter's Legacy Book Review

I picked up The Quilter's Legacy: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel (The Elm Creek Quilts) by Jennifer Chiaverini at one of the libraries I think.  was  It was in my reading pile which is sadly getting way bigger then the speed which I can read so I was settled that I was going to get back to it.  I knew nothing about it but I was interested in finding out what it was about.  After I read the book and I was preparing for the review, I found out this book was in a series and this was book 5.  I normally look up that information first but it was easy to read on it's own without any problems so I didn't even think twice.

Readers of Jennifer Chiaverini's popular and engaging Elm Creek Quilts series are treated in each successive volume to storytelling that expertly weaves the joys and intricacies of history, quilting, and family ties. In The Quilter's Legacy, a daughter's search for her mother's treasured heirlooms illuminates life in Manhattan and rural Pennsylvania at the turn of the last century.
When precious heirloom quilts hand-stitched by her mother turn up missing from the attic of Elm Creek Manor, Sylvia Bergstrom Compson resolves to find them. From scant resources -- journal entries, receipts, and her own fading memories -- she pieces together clues, then queries quilting friends from around the world. When dozens of leads arrive via the Internet, Sylvia and her fiancé, Andrew, embark on a nationwide investigation of antiques shops and quilt museums.
Sylvia's quest leads her to unexpected places, where offers of assistance are not always what they seem. As the search continues, revelations surface about her mother, Eleanor Lockwood, who died in 1930, when Sylvia was only a child. Burdened with poor health and distant parents, Eleanor Lockwood defied her family by marrying for love. Far from her Manhattan home, she embraced her new life among the Bergstroms -- but although warmth and affection surrounded Eleanor at last, the Bergstroms could not escape the tragedies of their times.
As Sylvia recovers some of the missing quilts and accepts others as lost forever, she reflects on the woman her mother was and mourns the woman she never knew. For every daughter who has yearned to know the untold story of her mother's life, and for every mother who has longed to be heard, The Quilter's Legacy will resonate with heartfelt honesty as it reveals what tenuous connections bind the generations and celebrates the love that sustains them.

This book switches from generation to generation of the different people in the family to tell the story of the quilts . I thought it was really interesting to see the changes in the stories and lives of the people because it was really interesting.  The mystery of where the quilts have gone is amazing and I loved following along with the hunt for them.  I am not normally one for historical books but this one was really good and easy to follow with lots of great characters to pull for.  The biggest problem was that it just ended when I thought that there was going to be a little more wrap up.  I am assuming that the next book in the series will have the next steps but only time will tell.  I enjoyed the story and the characters in this book and I can't wait to see others in the series to get the rest of the story.  I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I have!

Darling Daughters Book Review

I grabbed another book off the reading pile and got to read the book on our trip to visit family.  It was two short stories in the same book so it was fun to have two different books to read.  Darling Daughters: Yours And Mine\Lone Star Lovin' by Debbie Macomber was Yours and Mine and Long Star Lovin' short stories in one great book.  It seems when I look at the description that it was an older book that I was just lucky enough to find.

If you're a single parent and your daughters decide you should get married again, give up now! Especially if they appoint themselves your matchmakers...

Yours and Mine: Joanna Parsons is a single mother who insists that marriage is an experience she doesn't plan to repeat.  But her eleven-year-old daughter, Kristen, has different scenario in mind- and it involves Tanner Lund, her best friend's dad.  Both Tanner and Joanna are determined to resist marriage, but they've reckoned without their daughters...

Lone Star Lovin': He's a hardworking, good-looking rancher, but single father Cody Bailman has neither the time nor the patience for "courtin' a woman."  His twelve-year-old daughter, Heather, is determined to teach him about romance. She's got her eye on a physican assistant Sherry Waterman, who's "just perfect for Dad"!

I looked every where for the summary on this book and it wasn't available on Amazon, Good Reads or Debbie Macomber's own website.  I typed up the information on the back with a quick change on the second book because it was wrong on Sherry's title.  I really enjoyed the two stories and didn't even think about what linked the two stories together until writing this summary.  The first book was all about Joanna Parsons who decides that she is done with marriage but her daughter decides otherwise.  Kristen decides that Joanna would be perfect with her best friends dad, Tanner.  They work hard to keep them together and get the two married so that they can be sisters.  The second story is about Cody who has decided not to marry again after his first wife died.  His daughter Heather has decided to get him married and made a big production of trying to find him a wife.  The entire small town is in on Heathers plans and then Sherry comes into town and they click.  It is amazing to see how much they fight the attraction but fun to watch the ups and downs to the relationship.  I hope that you enjoy this book as much as I did.  It was a great short read with the two stories giving you a good breaking point.  I hope that you enjoy these short stories.