Menu for 6/24/13-6/30/13

Well, I finally got my hair cut this week.  I was supposed to have had it cut for my birthday last month.  I love to have my hair short but it doesn't flatter my face.  I have a very fat, square jaw that looks even more fat and square when my hair is short.  I tend to leave my hair shoulder length or longer so my face doesn't look so fat.  I love layers though and they make my fine hair look more full.  The girl cut it shorter than I had expected, but this time it worked out.  Though it took a few days to get used to I'm really happy with it.

Unfortunately I only have two decent pictures of it.  This one that I took the day I had it cut to show my best friend how the girl had styled it,

and this one that I took after I tried to style it myself.  I can't get it to do what she did, but I can get it to do something I like.

I spent a few hours this week working on the menu for July.  It's shaping up to be a good month.  Aaron and I were talking to his parents this weekend and they kept saying, "Ya know what we haven't had in awhile?" followed by everything I had already put on the menu for next month.  I love it when I can tell they're looking forward to the meals I planned.

Since July 4th falls on a Thursday I may only get to have 3 new recipes in July.  I'm okay with that because I'm going to try some new side dishes instead.  I found a recipe for a scalloped type potato, I've gone back to making twice baked potatoes (and I'm wondering why I ever stopped making them), and I'm hoping to get some fresh produce worked in as well.  I have to say, the fresh green beans have been a wonderful change the past few weeks.

We have had to switch up the schedule a bit for the summer.  Yaya and a group of teachers who she works with have formed a club devoted to hiking.  We live only about an hour away from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and there are tons of great trails to hike there.  This week they are hiking to Mount Le Cont.  I've done the hike before (as have most of the group) and it's not an easy hike.  It's long and there are some very steep sections.  We have taken at least two different routes and both are lengthy.  Since Yaya won't be getting home before dark we had to switch dinner to Monday this week.  We may keep moving it around all summer; we'll just have to see what the rest of the hiking group plans.

This is my meal plan for the week.

Monday:
Breakfast- yogurt and berries
Lunch- tuna salad on honey yeast knots
Dinner- Yaya will provide dinner

Tuesday:
Breakfast- yogurt and berries
Lunch- Nana will provide lunch
Dinner- chicken taco casserole and refried beans

Wednesday:
Breakfast- steel cut oats with Nutella and strawberries
Lunch- chicken pasta Caesar salad
Dinner- Cracker Barrel grilled chicken tenders, mashed potatoes, green beans, and macaroni and cheese

Thursday:
Breakfast- yogurt and berries
Lunch- tuna salad on honey yeast knots
Dinner- herb crusted chicken in basil cream sauce, mashed potatoes, and roasted broccoli

Friday:
Breakfast- yogurt and berries
Lunch- chicken pasta Caesar salad
Dinner- bacon cheeseburgers, french fries, macaroni and cheese, and baked beans

Saturday:
Breakfast- doughnuts and sausage
Lunch- grilled ham and cheese sandwiches
Dinner- Parmesan crusted pork chops, simple pasta, salad, and garlic knots

Sunday:
Breakfast- cinnamon sugar pull-apart bread and bacon
Lunch- broccoli and cheddar macaroni and cheese
Dinner- Admiral will provide dinner