meal plan 7-31 through 8-6

Nothing too exciting this week. I had to bump a couple of things from last week as we ended up having an extra eat out night and also had a quick fix night! You know, essentially, life gets in the way of our best laid plans!

Tonight: BLT with homemade jo-jos (my grandma's recipe- hopefully mine are as good as hers) and fresh picked green beans. Everything but bread and bacon is fresh picked from the garden! I'm sooo excited!
Mon: Pillsbury biscuit calzones with salad from Krista's Kitchen.

I switch it up and use pepperoni, green peppers, onions etc.

Tues: BBQ pulled pork sandwich (bump)
Weds: Grilled chicken with peach sauce (bump)
Thurs: Spaghetti
Fri: Out
Sat: Pig roast/cook out. I'm taking either potato salad, mexican bean salad or brownies.

Becoming Chloe & Heaven is For Real Book Reviews

I'm a little behind in my book reviews. I apologize. Since reading The Book Thief, I have read 2 other books. I did take a hiatus from reading after TBT because I needed time to digest such a great tale and decide what I wanted to read next. I chose "Heaven is For Real". Honest, I thought it was good. I enjoyed hearing what happened to Colton Burpo in Heaven and what he experienced. I found myself excited and reassured about/of my faith. It also helped me realize just how much Jesus really does love the little children and how I should have a better attitude toward my own (even in those rough moments where a time out is needed for both of us - more on that in a post later this week). I would suggest reading it but do know that I also feel that some of the story seems to be written just to prolong the book. It is good though. This is a non-fiction piece.

Now, the opposite end: Becoming Chloe. Fiction written by the author of "Pay It Forward". UGH! I wasn't sure about it as it opens with a rape then it starts to get better- so I continue, of course. I just finished it a few hours ago. I must say I was disappointed. On my shelfari page I gave it 2 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the adventure and thought it was going well until the last 10 pages. The characters didn't seem to really grow much. Stagnation is no fun in a person or character! I will say I was inspired and desired to join the characters on their bicycle journey across America

Before and After. :]

So I made my choice at the Minor Crossroad (See June 26). Here's a before (YUCK! I do not take good pictures) and an after.

Of course, trying to get a 2 year old's attention doesn't help with this camera angle. Also sans make up.

The glare is a little harsh. Poo! I'll load another.

I think I took about 3 inches off and added a few layers. I love it! Best yet, I can still pull it back when I want to- like on this wonderfully hot and humid day.  Can you tell which is before and which is after????
My narcissistic episode is over for now! Thanks for putting up with it! :)

New to Me shelf

Every summer I go through this phase where I want to redo every room in the house. Of course, that's not practical for us - AT ALL! Some days, thrift stores are too expensive for us. Thank goodness for garage sales.

I'm been looking for things to help me organize my little precious keepsakes for a while and thought a shelf would be perfect. I have searched a few garage sales and while they have had plenty of shelves - some of which were sooo perfect- the asking price was more than I wanted to pay and since the person wasn't wheeling with anyone on deals (I overheard- yes, I eavesdrop but admit it- you do too!).

One warm Saturday morning, my son and I left my sleeping husband to go looking for treasure.We did too! I found a shelf that wasn't perfect, but could certainly work for allowing me to hold a few items on different levels. Is it the most beautiful shelf, no. Is it good enough to get me by for a little bit until I can afford something better? Absolutely! Here it is:

So not beautiful, but $0.50 for my little keepsakes? Sure.

When I brought this home, my husband laughed at me and said "It's the ugliest thing ever - no wonder why it was so cheap." My response "For 50 cents, I'll see what I can do with it. If I don't like it, I'm out 50 cents."

Here's what I did (I had everything except for the paint I used which I bought for this project and a few others).
1. Remove the ugly decoration at the top. Whatever that's called.

I was left with an ugly box with holes in the top of it. Yippee!!

2. Fill said holes with wood filler. (PLEASE DO IT FAST!)

I made sure to smooth out the filler so there were no bumps for the person at Goodwill who may get this item. It's not looking promising, but a little better.

3. Paint it. This took a few days. Remember that heat and high humidity we had... yep. I couldn't paint in that kind of weather. The shelf would never dry then. First, I tried painting it white. It didn't match the room- I didn't bother with a picture because it looked hideous in white in a room filled with wood trim and furniture and other paintings/pictures that were dark framed. Time for new paint. I got the Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint and went to town. Here's the end result that is holding my precious keepsakes:



Is it the most spectacular thing ever seen? No. Is it better than in bought condition? I think so. Does it serve its purpose? Yes. Each of these keepsakes has special meanind to me:  a Holly Hobbie figurine I've had for years that my dear grandmother gave to me, a Rhino from Africa from an old friend - yes LO, I still have it, a turtle figurine from a dear colleague at school who introduced me to costuming and one of the best times ever, and lastly a wonderful plaque about motherhood from my stepfather's mother (stepgrandma- Is that a word? Should be in today's society). These items would otherwise still be homeless if it weren't for my $0.50 shelf. I think it's a keeper even though it's not fantastic. I have another idea up my sleeve for it, but I've got to finish the rest of the room first! Up next, painting the frame on the $5.00 mirror I found. :) 

Do you have trinkets displayed in your home? I didn't really, but didn't like that they hid in a box. What do you do with your trinkets and precious keepsakes? 



Minor Crossroads.....

It seems I'm always at a crossroad in life. There are always decisions to make and I'm not the most eager or greatest decision maker. It actually drives my husband insane (literally- and I've turned his hair gray with this behavior!) that I cannot make a definitive decision about anything as I second guess a lot of things. Maybe it's because change is hard; commitment is scary; and a fear of failure or imperfection or looking like an idiot. If you can't tell, I'm hard on myself to be perfect even though I know I will never be as I'm not supposed to be. I am to simply rely on the only Perfect Person ever (Jesus Christ) to get me through the major things in life. The funny thing, I can do that usually without much problem as I know I can't control it. Shoot, I made a decision to change my major and add 1.5 years of schooling to my degree when I could have easily finished up in a year- but I followed what I believe God was asking me to do. More on that in another post. My question is what about the little things?

This post is coming about as tomorrow I am getting my hair cut and colored. Nothing major as I have done this too many times to even attempt to count. I've been blonde, dark brown, bright red, even a beautiful mahogany/purply color. It was my favorite and absolutely beautiful. I've had it cut boy cut short (bring out the shears, I'll take number 5) and flowing down my back in many layers. I've been permed, straight, wavy and anything in between. Now, at 35, I can't seem to make a decision of what I want to do with my hair. I want it short, but hubby likes long. I want it long, but I don't have a clue what to do with it so it goes in a pony tail (well then cut it off!).   Why can't I make a decision about my hair? I want a change and I need a change, but what? Maybe I should just get a bunch of wigs and be a different person every day.... hey, I know some people who did that. Maybe they can help???

It doesn't stop there folks. When I'm really hungry and we're running around. I'll tell hubby how hungry I am and he asks what I want. I tell him "I don't know".  I'll want to do something but have no clue what I want to do. It's aggravating for him and for me. Really? Why can't I make a choice about something and not get all wishy washy about my decision? Can this be normal? Are there others out there like me?

I would like to think it's just a phase or a mood thing, but I don't think it is. Maybe it's genetic... I think I'll have to do more talking with the family!
Tomorrow, I will make a decision- to change or not to change. I bet it will be not to change as I think I simply fear it. Isn't that what old people do? Am I really getting old? Change is not something to be feared but something to be embraced- I've heard this many times and cannot tell you where it came from. I used to believe in it. I practice it in my teaching all the time as I can't teach each student the same, yet in my personal decisions I want comfort and experience. Such a silly post- all because I'm getting a haircut tomorrow. Stupid hair cut- making me think too much.

Garage Sale Find!

I enjoy spending Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings going to garage sales with my husband and son. It's a great time. I'm learning to get over the feeling of having to buy something from each one. That is freeing! I do enjoy talking to the sellers and getting the story behind items they are selling or just hearing why they are selling everything. These people like to talk. I've also learned that if you linger long enough at an item, people will generally take a price other than the one listed. They know your trying to decide if it's the amount you want to pay for something like that. It's great! I've also learned that you should always ask for a lower price, but be willing to walk away if the answer is no and it's a price you don't want to pay.

Here's a find from a garage sale. This table, quaint design and small enough to be used for my night stand without being bulky (something we have plenty of in our house- bulk!), was marked $5. It was a little questionable as to whether I should pay $5 for the table when I noticed one of the legs about to fall off. Here's the deal though, I loved the simplicity of the table. I saw it's potential - another key in buying used items. $5 wasn't a terrible price, but since I knew I would have to paint it and glue it, I wasn't going to pay that. I think I offered $3 but was willing to settle for $4. I know- what's $1, but I wanted a cute vase too and the $4 allowed me to stay under budget and get both items.

Needs a little work, but cute. Don't mind Boston, our 10 year old boxer, making his blog debut. :)

Umm... yeah. Needs work.

So, the black table in crazy condition was transformed into a nice enough night stand with a couple coats of white paint. It looks so much better and I now have a night table where I can place my novel, sudoku book, Bible and book light- so much better than the floor which is where they were staying while not in use!

I later went to another yard sale and found a cute lamp for $2. The shade isn't perfect, but I liked the glass lamp and it's the perfect size for the dainty table. Here they are paired together, with my books and booklight. :)

So the lampshade is crooked, but Everett plays with this lamp all the time! It's his favorite.

Speedy Jambalaya Recipe Review

Tonight, we tried out a new recipe: Speedy Jambalaya from Taste of Home (Annual Recipe Cookbook 2010). My family usually likes my simple Jambalaya recipe that takes a total of 15 minutes to make, but this was a great twist!

The one thing I wasn't too sure about was the Blackeye Peas. I had never had them and to be honest, while eating them, I was hoping that all of a sudden my body would morph into one similar to Fergie's. I wasn't a huge fan of the peas, but they added a nice texture to the dish. Hmmm... speaking of Fergie, maybe I should try singing now that I've eaten blackeye peas. There has to be some benefit to them right??? :)  Okay they weren't that bad- just different. I prefer black beans and maybe next time I'll substitute a different lentil in there.

Back to the recipe: This was EASY to make. It was quick. The layered flavors were nice as well. It makes a lot so this is good for dinner guests.

Looks scrumptious doesn't it? BTW, No, that's not a fly, it's a spice on the onion!

 I made a few adjustments to the recipe: Only added 1 can of blackeye peas and 2 bay leaves. I was out of paprika so I didn't add that.
What I'd do differently: add more hot sauce. I didn't think it had enough kick to it- shoot, I tasted next to no kick, but lots of other delicious flavors. Add a different bean/lentil.

Family review: Everett wanted more meat and actually at some blackeye peas and rice too. He doesn't like peppers or onions, so that was a no go. The recipe was Everett friendly which is important when living with a child with allergies.

 Jay thought it was fantastic and loved the chunky veggies. That's a huge compliment from someone who only eats veggies when they're hidden in something! This man is not a veggie lover at all. The fact that everyone enjoyed the recipe speaks volumes. It was really good. To make it healthier, you could use cooked turkey or chicken sausage, but we loved it as is. We'd definitely make this again. YUM!  Of course, we have enough left overs for the week!