Week 53: Last Week of School!

This is always a strange week for me because I'm excited for the change in routine that summer brings, but I'm also a bit resistant to the change in the schedule I've established over the last 9 months!  Overall, I think I'm more excited for the change than anything, but I feel this rush to get as much done as possible while the girls are in school all day!  Since I grow to be a greater procrastinator each year, that makes every year a little bit more difficult.  Is that why time seems to fly faster each year?

All of the kiddos (Annabelle, Emilie and Zach in front of our cul-de-sac garden)

I'm not sure if I've mentioned our cul-de-sac garden yet on this blog, but we have started hosting the community garden in our cul-de-sac every Spring and it's SO awesome!  Alain is really the gardener in the family.  I kill every plant that's given to me, so my hubby always takes care of any plants that are given to me as gifts.  Anyway, we have 5 houses in our cul-de-sac and everyone contributes to the garden each year.  Each year we try a few new things, but this year we have tomatoes, basil, jalapeños, zucchini, radishes, green beans and I'm not sure if that's all, but it sounds like a lot to me.  We all share the harvest and it's a great project that brings us all together!

Oh, he's so cute!  Love that little man of mine!

The last two weeks of school are crazy busy around this house.  There's a few parties this week at school and swim team started last week, so we've been out practicing every night with the girls!  It's fun, but I'm looking forward to swim team practice in the mornings after school is out so that we'll have the rest of the day free to play!  

Weekly Menu #53:

Sunday - Roasted chicken legs, corn on the cob, broccoli

Monday - Thai shrimp with basil, cabbage, white rice (didn't get to this last 2 weeks, so I'm really craving it this week)

Tuesday - Mexican beef tacos, black beans, white rice leftovers (this is crock pot meal, so I'm hoping this will be easy while I'm packing the night before we leave to go out of town)

Wednesday - Leftovers

Thursday - out of town

Friday - out of town

Saturday - out of town

Have a great week!  Let's see your menus now!  I'm out of town this weekend, so menu probably won't be going out until late next week!

Sarah

Week 52: Happy Mother's Day!

I'm so grateful for my family!  The kids really spoiled me this weekend!  Emilie (5) had a Mother's Day Tea on Friday (and made me all kinds of gifts) and Annabelle (8) made me cards and a handprint flower bouquet with a poem!  Zach (3) even painted me a flower pot with sweet little flowers in it!  I'm awed and amazed by my sweet children every day.  An extra bonus this year was that I got to hang out with my mom and my sister on Saturday and we went to Antico for the best pizza ever!

My husband made me eggs benedict for breakfast and we decided to try the hollandaise from scratch this time.  For years, we've bought the little packages, but those require milk and we thought it would be better to make the sauce from scratch because it does not contain milk (only egg yolks, butter and lemon juice).  Here's where we remember the importance of measuring ingredients.  Alain squeezed one whole lemon into the saucepan, but it was supposed to be only one tablespoon.  This was a particularly juicy lemon, so the sauce was very tart!  ;)

Onto the menu planning!  Our calendar has been so crazy busy, that menu planning is getting difficult.  Might be a few more 'out to eat' days that usual just to accommodate the craziness.

Weekly Menu Plan #52

Sunday -  Homemade pizza, salad
Monday - Out to eat for me (maybe spaghetti for the family?)
Tuesday - Out to eat
Wednesday - Community Group Dinner (we just bring burgers and a side)
Thursday - Beef tacos, black beans, white rice, seared zucchini
Friday - Thai shrimp with basil, cabbage, leftover white rice
Saturday - Grilled salmon, corn on the cob, roasted mixed veggies

Have a great week!  Looking forward to seeing your menus too!

Sarah

Week 52: Baking Again. . .

It turns out I'm a total sucker when my kids want to bake with me!  I have no self-control and I can't help but say 'yes' to all reasonable offers.  So, Zach wanted to bake snicker doodles on Friday after lunch and we had a wonderful time.  He's getting really good at measuring out the flour and sugar, leveling it off and even cracking the eggs.  Alain's taught him to crack the eggs, but we still open the egg and dump it in the bowl.  For 3 1/2, I think he's doing very well.  He still can't say the whole word, but he said, "Mommy, can I help you make snicker cookies?"  I feel like I honestly had no choice.  ;)

Vermont Honey Wheat Bread - Recipe to be posted!

Weekly Menu #52

Sunday - Grilled mahi-mahi, grilled asparagus, yellow rice
Monday - Mexican beef, black beans, rice, steamed green beans
Tuesday - Something with shrimp. . .
Wednesday - Out to eat
Thursday - Marinated chicken (seared), steamed broccoli, wild rice
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Grilled salmon, roasted cauliflower and potatoes

Have a great week!  I would love to see some menus this week!  ;)

Sarah