Menu for 12/30/13-1/5/14

A belated Merry Christmas and an early Happy New Year to all of you!

We have been so swamped with family visits that I've hardly had any rest at all, but it was totally worth it. We got to spend some quality time with all of the family. We have one more big visit tonight (I'm making lasagna for Dad's family) and then we get almost the entire week off. Well, we at least get four out of the next five days off (I do have a dentist appointment on Thursday) so I can finally get the house clean, a full run at the grocery store, some bills paid, and all the laundry done.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oatmeal is one of my favorite healthy foods. A warm bowl of sweet oats with fruit and nuts on a cold morning really hits the spot. My family uses oatmeal as filler in meatloaf instead of bread crumbs or crackers, and oatmeal adds a lovely chewy texture to chocolate chip cookies (or Dad's favorite, butterscotch cookies).

Menu for 12/23/13-12/29/13

This week is going to be tough. It seems like we have something planned for every single day. In fact, it seems like we have pre-nap and post-nap plans every day.

We have dinner with Yaya, a visit with Aaron's Mamaw, Christmas celebrations with Nana, Yaya, Admiral (whose family has all come in from out of town to visit), and Grandmother and Papaw, a birthday celebration for my cousin, and at some point I'm going to have to do some grocery shopping and laundry. Who needs sleep, right?

I got to spend some quality time with my bestie on Saturday making cookies! I came home with tons of cookies, and I do mean tons.

Honey Lime Marinated Chicken

I don't often marinate chicken... or meat in general. I have been trying some marinade recipes lately, but usually I have a difficult time remembering to marinate the meat long enough before dinner. It's kind of like when I use the crock pot. Sometimes I don't get the crock pot going until 2:00 in the afternoon because I completely forget how long crock pot meals can take.

Orange Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

These cookie swap things are awesome. I've never actually participated in one but I made the cookies for Yaya to take to hers. It gave me an excuse to try a new recipe before the big Christmas baking day with my bestest friend (coming up this Saturday and I can't wait!) and again I didn't have to choose the new recipe this year because Yaya did it for me.

Menu for 12/16/13-12/22/13

How do you gear up for Christmas?

For us, part of it is decorating the house and tree. We also enjoy driving around town to see other family's decorations. Bailey loves the lights. Every time we get in the car to go somewhere after dark we hear from the back seat, "Pretty lights!"

Meatball Sliders

I love a good recipe that utilizes leftovers and this one absolutely takes the cake for me.

However, sometimes I just want these sliders without having spaghetti so this time I made a batch of meatballs and sauce specifically for this purpose. (I actually saved most of the sauce to use in my lasagna on Saturday.)

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Last Christmas one of my friends had a bit of cabin fever. She had lost her job recently, she doesn't drive, and her mother had suddenly become very busy at work. The result was that my friend was pretty much stuck at home all day, every day.

Menu for 12/9/13-12/15/13

You know what I love about holiday baking? I get to try new cookie recipes!

This week I made cookies for Yaya to take to a cookie swap and I have to say they turned out fantastically well! She chose chocolate covered cherry cookies (which I made for the first time last Christmas) and a new recipe, orange cranberry oatmeal cookies.

I promise to share the recipes with you soon (as in this week soon) because how could you resist this...

Crock Pot Pineapple Chicken

We have been fortunate this week to have Aaron home with us during the day. First he had a four day weekend, then it rained him out of work part of this week. Needless to say, Bailey has been thrilled to death. She really enjoys having him home during the day, though it is a bit more difficult to get her to go down for a nap.

Dinners have been easy. Tacos on Tuesday, pizza on Wednesday, and tonight...

Menu for 12/2/13-12/8/13

Christmas preparations are going to drive me batty. I've spent the weekend trying to schedule every family gathering, baking get-together, and coffee date with my friends up through the end of the year, and then I realized I forgot that Dad's family is coming in for Christmas as well.

I haven't put up the tree yet. I wanted to do it Friday but I was so exhausted from Thanksgiving that I slept in and then spent the day just being lazy.

Yaya's Broccoli Casserole

What is your favorite thing about Thanksgiving?

I love spending time with family we don't often see and I love the delicious food. Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only two days of the year that I get to have pumpkin pie and it's my absolute favorite pie. I do enjoy the turkey, and the ham (especially when we get honey glazed ham, oh-my-yummy-goodness!), but my favorite part of dinner is definitely the broccoli casserole.

Menu for 11/25/13-12/1/13

Can you guys believe it's just a week until December? I'm amazed how quickly this year has gone. I keep thinking Is it really almost Christmas?

The week of Thanksgiving has finally arrived. Our family is still a little unsure of what our plans are. Usually we would have Thanksgiving lunch at Nana's around 1:00 and then run out to Aaron's parent's house for a second lunch around 3:00. I am generally responsible for mashed potatoes (I make these delicious loaded mashed potatoes with red skin potatoes, turkey bacon, and fat free sour cream) and Yaya is responsible for my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner,

Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

How many spaghetti recipes can one girl post?

I must confess: I love pasta. Pasta is probably one of my favorite foods whether it's the main course or on the side. I'm sure anyone who likes spaghetti has a favorite sauce. Mine is actually the sauce from Louis' Drive-In here in Knoxville, TN. It's probably one of the only ground beef sauces I truly enjoy.

Menu for 11/18/13-11/24/13

I cannot believe I have made it more than halfway through November with only 5 posts!  It was not intentional, I promise.  I even had plans for extra posts the past few weeks that have yet to make it past my brain.  I keep forgetting to take pictures or the pictures turn out grainy or dark or the recipe isn't what I was hoping it would be.

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Dinner tonight was A-MA-ZING!!

I really need to stop cooking such incredible food because I can't keep myself from overeating.  I probably had three bowls of this soup.

Menu for 11/11/13-11/17/13

Who has seen the new Thor?  I have!  I have!

Thankfully, Aaron gave me Friday night off to spend an evening child-free with Dad, his girlfriend, and my brother.  We are huge Marvel/Avengers fans!  In fact, my brother and I are already making plans to go see the new Captain America and the new X-men when they come out sometime in May, conveniently right around my birthday.

Soy and Ginger Marinated Pork Tenderloin

For some reason I can't get in the mood to write lately.  I know I've been neglecting the blog the past few weeks so I'm trying to get motivated.  It's hard when Bailey has all of these new toys and wants me to play with her all the time.  I'm having trouble finding the motivation to even clean the house or cook dinner.  All I want to do all day is color.

Menu for 11/4/13-11/10/13

I know I'm a couple of days late posting the menu for this week, and that I failed to post any recipes last week, but I was just so busy.  On top of all of my normal Mommy duties I also had to make this:

and these:

Menu for 10/28/13-11/3/13

My weekend was jam packed with exciting activities!  First we had portraits with Li'l P Friday morning, dinner with Grandmother and Papaw Friday night, I had to work Saturday morning, and then I came home and made cupcakes for Nightmare Night.  At Nightmare Night we got to meet some ducks and a goose (just like the game!) and interrupt everyone's games, and dance to some dubstep with a glow stick!  This was actually the first time Bailey has ever thrown a fit over being put in the car seat.  Actually, she usually climbs in all by herself.  And finally on Sunday night we visited Admiral and played with crayons and stack cups and finger puppets after dinner.