Saturday at home

Today has been a great Saturday. One of my New Year's resolutions was to be more planful of our meals. I have been very successful with this. I sit down every other Saturday and make a menu for 14 meals. If it is purchased and written down then I will most likely cook it. Greg loves having meals every night and I love only having to think about it twice a month.

All my children were home all day today and we cleaned, cleaned and cleaned. Jessica and I took off to the grocery, and I am excited to report that I planned 14 meals and some extra baking things for $118.00. For six people that is great. Tonight we have so many teens here I can not count so I made a huge crock pot of sloppy joes and 5lbs of fries. I also have chocolate chip banana bread in the oven to go along with fried eggs that Greg makes all the "Saturday night sista's" every Sunday morning.

I am trying something that Marybeth let me try one day at her house. It is homemade bread. I will let you know if it turns out. Olivia and I made it from scratch. Yeast,rising dough, rolling out dough and the whole nine yards.

Olivia has her final try-out Monday and is very nervous. I spoke with the coach last night and I don't think he is keep very many if any 6th graders. She is really wanting to play but understands that 7th and 8th graders will probably make up the biggest part of the team. She has just begun middle school so she will have plenty of time.

Madi is home and had the most wonderful time. She said it was very cold in Washington. They went to the Mickeys tavern, Monticello, Union station, lots of monuments and memorials, Air and Space museum, National museum of National History, Holocaust Museum, The tomb of the unknown soldier, Arlington Cemetery, National Archives, The Capital bldg.,Native American Museum, and they even went to a Senate meeting where she tripped and screamed out on National Television. Silly girl.

Here is the list of dinners we will be having for the next two weeks. I write the main dish on a chalk board and each night will add in side dishes. I am very lucky that all my children and husband love chili's, soup, salads and pastas. It makes it alot easier on me.

1.Sloppy Joes and Fries 2.Chili beans in crock pot 3. Cheeseburgars 4. Potato Soup with bread. 5.Meatloaf 6.Black bean soup 7.Beef Stroganoff. 8 Taco Squares. 9.Breakfast (pancakes or french toast) 10.Chicken Dumplins 11.Flank Steak salad 12.Chili cups (from left over chili) 13. Chicken Alfredo 14. Homemade soup (soup starter from the farm).