Friday Outing

The Peanut and I were able to go visit Grandma at her work yesterday. It's too funny how exciting it is for her--and the Peanut had a lot of fun too. Sometimes I wonder if I don't take the Peanut enough places...either that or she is enthralled by just about anything.

I am trying to be better about remembering to take the camera places, so I can blog about such outings. Now, if I can just remember to make sure the battery has a full charge. Even with the slight charge, I was able to get a few priceless ones...

I {heart} sepia tones...don't you?

Just one of the many, many things I will miss about leaving Hometown....

Look at me!

The Peanut is getting to be sooo big. I left her in her "play area" for a few minutes and she had emptied out all her toys and climbed in the basket, and was looking out the window contently. By the time I got my camera and got back she was already crawling out to come see me. Wish you could have seen it!

Mommy couldn't get there fast enough.

I wouldn't quite say she is "walking" yet, but she is certainly getting braver each day on two feet. At this point, however, she still crawls if she wants to get somewhere fast or if she is tired.

Discovering new things each day!

Her "shy" look.

Didn't want to walk to Mommy.

Mommy's personal favorite of the bunch.

And SOMEONE has now figured out how to swing her foot over the edge of the crib. I told her "No!" and she just looks at me, "What?" Daddy can't get home fast enough to lower the crib to the lowest peg! I don't know what we are going to do!?!!??! (And Mom, I know you are laughing as you read this and that is SO not even funny!) Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings...

Chicken Parmesan with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

This ranks right up there on my top 10 favorite recipes of all time. It is so good and so easy. It's really, really fast and simple to make. Sadly though, I cannot claim the rights to this recipe. It comes from a cookbook that is a collection of recipes from some cooking classes that my mom and her best friend took together for several years. There are some pretty amazing recipes in it. I would link up to it, however it is not sold in stores. :( I do modify it just slightly, as I think it calls for too much salt.

Parmesan Chicken

1 cut up fryer or chicken pieces of choice (I usually use boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

1 cup dry bread crumbs

2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 c minced parsley

2 tsp salt (I usually use less than 1 tsp)

1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 1/2 cubes butter, melted

4 cloves of garlic, pressed (I usually mince mine)

Blend bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. Combine melted butter and garlic. Dip chicken into butter, then into breading mixture, coating thoroughly. Arrange chicken in single layer in shallow baking dish. Drizzle any remaining butter. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for about 1 hour or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 165.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2 pounds of red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed

2 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup butter

milk

salt and pepper

Place potatoes and garlic in stove pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are fork tender. Drain off water, add butter and mash potatoes, adding milk for desired consistency. We prefer ours pretty creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with a vegetable and enjoy. Our green beans were from the garden this year! Thanks, Dad!

Menu Plan Monday

Better late than never right? Last week went really well. So without further ado, for this week we will be having:

Monday-French Onion Soup, rosemary bread, green salad

Tuesday-Chicken Parmesan, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans

Wednesday-Baked Potato Bar with chili, broccoli, grated cheese, sour cream, and real bacon bits

Thursday-Leftovers

Friday-Homemade Pizza with homemade sauce and crust, green salad

For other great menu inspiration, visit the Organizing Junkie!

In Place

It was quick weekend, but we got a lot accomplished. I can now say that we have renters for our house and we now have a new home to move into in Smalltown! Our renters came and signed a lease with us. Then bright and early Saturday morning we drove to Smalltown and finalized the details of the new place we will call home.

Phew! I am so glad that neither of those are still up in the air. Here are a few pictures of the place we will call home for the next few years:

This is the view...of the place we stayed last night. Not our new home...but what a view, huh?

Our new front door...

and living room (don't mind my purse)

the little breakfast nook (don't mind my arm)....

the nook again...


the new teensy kitchen--but notice the big pantry....


the half bath....



the master bedroom...

from the other side....

and the Peanut will have an area to play outside (fully supervised of course).

So that is it in a nutshell. A new place to call home. Just about the time it is actually starting to feel like home, will probably be when we will be leaving. But I hope it doesn't take that long. To feel like home. Or to come home. :)

Just two months ago we thought this was only a remote possibility. Then it became a reality and I was so overwhelmed of all that had to be accomplished. Finding renters, packing our belongings, finding a new home...I am in complete awe of how it is all falling in place. There is simply only One explanation. God simply has perfect timing. And I would really like Him to work on Jackie-Time, but let's all be thankful He doesn't work that way. His way is much better. And I know that. But I need His reminders. A lot. Thank goodness He is so patient.

And there is still much more to be done--like actually moving and saying goodbye. I still have some apprehension, but I am learning to trust. And it's a good lesson.

Getting ready.....

My days for the last several weeks have been filled with packing, packing, and more packing. As such, this is what our home looks like in almost every nook and cranny....

Boxes,


boxes (these are strategically placed so the Peanut can't mess with the stereo),


and, yep, you guessed it--more boxes.

I am also removing all the wall decor, filling holes and touching up the walls.

How the heck do you pack lamps?

I have never moved this far before. This was aside from the time I worked as an intern for the state legislature for 3 months in college. Even then, 85% of what I packed was clothes. I didn't even come close to moving a whole household!

I have only ever moved across the county, and things like lamps and pictures got thrown (not THROWN, but you know what I mean) in the back of someones car for the ten+ trips being made back and forth between old home and new home. When you move 300 miles away, you pretty much have one shot and you better pack it good, otherwise you are either replacing it or doing without. I prefer not to do either.

These are the problems and dilemmas I have been facing lately...but the biggest is we are going to the "new" hometown this weekend to finalize the details of our new home and I won't get to see this face

(Daddy and Grandpa LOVE Fantasy Football and have taught me "Touchdown")

for more than 24 hours! I am going to miss that little Peanut SO stinkin' much. But she is a busy little girl and she L.O.V.E.S. her Grandma and Grandpa so I am glad that she won't even know we are gone. It will be good for her to be a big girl and spend the night and it will be good for us too, to have some time to ourselves. But good grief...does it ever get easier?

Is it over already?

I have never claimed for summer to be my favorite season...most of you know this. My friend and I used to talk about how she loved summer and had tons of tank tops and summer clothes and I LOVED fall and winter and I had tons of cozy sweaters and warm clothes. Our closets seem to be full of clothes for our favorite season. She was saying the other day how she is ready for fall, and I am too, however, as I get older I am learning to appreciate all the seasons. In addition, I am realizing that each season goes by way. too. fast. (Just like each month of the Peanut's life...but that's a whole other post!)

I won't miss the record breaking temps this summer (no central AC), but I will miss swimming and spending time at my parents, taking the Peanut for walks in the morning, being able to cook outside without the ever present rain, and getting fresh produce from my parent's garden. Of course this is even more bittersweet as this will be our last summer with family close by...at least for a while. God willing, we will come back--and hopefully sooner rather than later! But as I was cooking dinner tonight, all my thoughts were swirling around this and all our changes that are coming. It made me sad to think that this was one of our last days of summer menu dinners (even though I lack creativity when planning them) so I thought I would take a picture, as you know they last longer. ;)

Peanut enjoyed hers too, but will wonder someday why Mommy

is taking a picture with macaroni salad all over my face?

As I write this, it also reminded me of this post from Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer. She is SO much more eloquent at phrasing her thoughts than I am! Head on over there and read it! I'll wait... I am almost always crying by the end of her posts! Of course, that doesn't mix too well with a sap like me. :) Anyway, although our lives are different, the theme is still the same.

~Summer, you will be missed~

Menu Plan Monday

I am starting to get antsy because after this week, we move in just THREE weeks! Oh Mylanta! (That's for you, C!) I cannot even believe it's getting that close....with that we have a gift card we need to use before we move to Smalltown, so I am incorporating that in along with our "new" leftover night.

Monday-Macaroni Grill

Tuesday-BLT Chicken Salad

Wednesday- Grilled Hot Dogs, Macaroni Salad (I omit the bacon)

Thursday- Leftovers

Friday-Homemade Pizza with homemade sauce and crust, green salad with "Olive Garden Dressing"

For other great menu ideas, visit the Organizing Junkie!

Easy Peasy

I love brownies. Ooey, gooey, fudgie brownies. They are my go to, quick and easy dessert when I haven't planned too well. Not that I ever do that. Ahem.

I don't know about you but when it comes time to cut those ooey, gooey, fudgie brownies, they always gunk up on the knife and they don't cut too well. A friend from work told me this tip forever ago and it really works. Simply cut up your brownies with a plastic knife! That's it. Too simple. Brownies don't gunk up on the plastic for some strange reason--but that definitely works for me!

This post is linked to We are THAT Family.

Menu Plan Monday

Gosh, I've been so bad lately. I truly have been menu planning, however time is just getting away from me and I haven't had a chance to get it up on the blog. I noticed without the DH having to bring lunch to work any longer, I need to incorporate a leftover night in order to make sure we are eating everything in the fridge. So that will be nice on the budget!

Monday-Chicken pot pie, green salad

Tuesday-Enchiladas with homemade red sauce, green salad

Wednesday-Leftovers

Thursday-Baked Potatoes with chili, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and broccoli

Friday-Homemade Pizza with homemade sauce, crust and green salad

This post is linked to the Organizing Junkie.