dinner menu

I thought I'd share what I'm making the next week for dinner.  I really love when I plan out our meals; I feel so much more organized, I know which days I have to prepare things ahead of time, and our meals are probably much more nutritional since I'm not just throwing together whatever I have right on hand. 

 

This week we're having:

Today (Wednesday): green chili chicken enchiladas

Thursday: hearty hunter's stew

Friday: This day is actually still up in the air.  It's my birthday and Jared might have to work.  If he works, I'll make myself salmon; if he's off, we'll have steak.  Our sides will be boiled potatoes and steamed broccoli

Saturday: french toast, hashbrowns, and bacon 

Sunday: homemade chicken strips with homemade french fries and steamed cauliflower

Monday: bbq chicken pizza

Tuesday: white chicken chili

 

I can assure you that one of these days will probably end up being a leftover day because with just two of us, we don't often eat everything I fix :)  But just in case, I like to plan it all out still. 

 

Now a question for you!  Out of this menu, which recipe would you like to see next on the blog?

 

-Megan

greek yogurt fruit salad

This little recipe is extremely easy and yummy (I think I say that about almost every recipe...) but it is also really healthy!  I love finding recipes like that because they make my husband happy.  HAHA!  Who would ever think it would be the man that wants healthy food?  Not me, but alas, that's how it is in our marriage.  I could live on fries quite easily.

 

 

Greek Yogurt Fruit Salad

• fruit of your choice (apples, bananas, pineapple, mandarin oranges, kiwis, etc.)
• one 5 oz. plain greek yogurt (not the big containers, just the little one you would eat)

Chop fruit into bite size pieces.  Toss all the fruit together, taking care not to mash delicate fruits.  Mix the yogurt in bit by bit.  I often don't use the whole yogurt, especially if I am making this just for two people.  You just want to lightly coat the fruit with the yogurt, not have it dripping all over everything.  Serve immediately*.

*This doesn't keep well so I always make it very last right before I serve everything.  It will keep overnight in the fridge, but not well.  I often end up throwing mine out the next morning instead of eating it.  I just try to make the perfect amount...which doesn't happen very often :)

-Megan

a highchair makeover

I guess with this post I might as well announce that I'm pregnant.  We are expecting a little boy this fall and we're so excited!  I'm pretty sure everyone who looks at this blog already knows that though :)

 

Hubby is still in school so we are trying to be frugal (which is soooo hard!!  I want to buy all the cute baby things I see!)  I found this used highchair for cheap and decided to buy it.  The girl said it was in really good condition.  Well...when I went to pick it up I found out what condition it really was in.  First off, it was filthy.  Like didyouleavethisoutsidefor63years filthy?  And the material was a harder plasticky stuff and it had cracked and ripped in a few places.  So really, it was in pretty bad shape.  But here's a confession, I have a bad habit of not standing up for myself to strangers.  So I still bought it.  I had serious buyers remorse too.  But my mom reassured me that we would be able to get it cleaned up and looking great.  I literally took this thing outside and power washed it.  Like 4 times.  I was finally happy with the frame being clean and my mom and I went to the fabric shop.  I love how it turned out!  Let me put in a little disclaimer here.  I am NOT a seamstress.  My mom did most of the work on this thing, I pinned and gave opinions and helped where I could but without my mom, I probably would have trashed this thing and just ended up buying a different one.

 

Before.  The seat wasn't quite as ripped up when we got it but I forgot to take a picture so this is after we have started.

 

And After!  I love it!  I wanted to pick gender neutral colors so I can use it for future babies if we get a different gender one day. 

 

I don't really have a tutorial for this either.  I'm terrible I know, but since I don't really sew fancy things like this I have no idea what to tell you to do.  Luckily, someone else does though!  My mom and I loosely followed this tutorial.  We didn't do it exactly like she does but it helped to get a big picture and then adapt to our own needs.

 

Maybe next time I'll post about a receiving blanket I made Peanut all my by myself!  Then I can actually tell you how to do it :)

 

-Megan

DIY eyeshadow primer

How many of you have ever used eyeshadow primer?  Am I the only one who hadn't ever tried the stuff??  I have always wanted to but then I hear that if you want to use one you need to buy a higher-end brand and my curiosity ends at that.  My husband still has 5 years of school people!  We don't buy anything that's a higher-end brand.  If we did we'd have to eat the gum off the bottom of our shoes.  Then I found this blog.  First off, I fell in love with all of her tutorials.  I do NOT consider myself to be very good at hair and when I try something different with my makeup it almost always ends in a disaster that looks very much like what my 18 month old niece would create given paper and crayons in the colors puce, dirt, and dark dirt.  However, I decided to go out on a limb and try her makeup for every day (I believe she calls it her "mommy makeup").  It was a radical success!  Hubby loved it and I felt gorgeous all night!  I ran out of some makeup pretty soon after I started looking through her blog so when I went to buy new stuff I only bought stuff that she had used and loved.  Can I say again how much I love her blog?  I looooovvve it!  Anyway, I found this recipe to make your own eyeshadow primer and it only costs a few bucks so I figured I'd give it a try.  Boy do I love it.  First off, it was beyond easy and cheap to make.  Second off, it really works.  Now I know I don't have anything to compare with but let me just tell you why I love it.  I have pretty oily skin.  It's all good in the morning but by mid afternoon I usually want to put a light dusting of powder all over to mattify my face.  Eyeshadow is no exception.  I will have creases in my shadow way before being done for the day.  This primer has changed that!  I have worn it every day since making and I have never had creases!  Even the day that I had to get up early and didn't get in the shower until around 11:30 that night my eyeshadow still looked like I had just put it on.  It also helps with pigmentation.  I have to use less eyeshadow to get a darker or more dramatic look with the primer.  It really is just awesome.

Recipe for Eyeshadow Primer:

• 1/2 teaspoon all natural chapstick
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons liquid foundation

Run the chapstick under some warm water so it mixes well.  Mix all three ingredients in a clean container (I used a really small tupperware container so I had a good lid).  You're done!

I ended up mixing it all together and then microwaving it for like, 5 seconds so the chapstick was really mixed in.  The wax in the chapstick is also what is good about this stuff so I made sure to get one where wax was pretty high on the ingredient list.  I even used two different kinds of foundation because I was using an old one and it ran out so I just finished it off with my new stuff.



It looks like this!  Nothing special really.  I was super skeptical when I made it but like I said, it has transformed my eyes! :)

 

You can find her original post here.  She explains lots and the comments were pretty helpful.

 

Let me know if you try it and if it works for you.  I hope it does!

 

-Megan

cookies and cream popcorn

Are you ready for the easiest treat ever?  I hope so, because it's coming your way whether you like it or not.  This popcorn is so easy and has been a hit whenever I take it somewhere.  My husband loves it and if I have to make a treat to take anywhere he always requests this.  The recipe is really small, it only makes one bag of microwave popcorn so whenever I make it I usually times it by 3 or 4, depending on how large a group I'm taking it to.

 

 

Cookies and Cream Popcorn:

• 1 bag microwave kettle popcorn
• 8 Oreos, crushed finely (it's really important to crush very finely.  If you have big chunks it won't stick and you'll end up with lots of Oreo pieces in the bottom of your bowl.)
• 6 ounces white chocolate

Pop the popcorn according to package directions and poor out onto a piece of waxed paper.  Separate out all the unpopped kernels (we don't want any cracked teeth!).  Combine the popcorn and Oreos in a large mixing bowl.  The Oreos will fall to the bottom, it's ok.  Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments until smooth.  Poor over the popcorn mixture.  Stir from bottom until evenly coated with chocolate and Oreos.  Poor back onto wax paper to let it set up (about 15 minutes, sometimes mine sets out for a couple of hours while I get ready or something, it's not too picky).  Put back in bowl and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from: here 

The only change I make to the original recipe is the amount of Oreos, I found 12 to be way too many.  If you like more or less feel free to add or take away :)

 

Enjoy!

 

-Megan

calzone

This is a delicious way to dress up an ordinary pizza.  I also love to make this before a road trip and then take it with me, pre-sliced.  It changes up the routine from sandwiches made in the car and hubby loves it too...therefore, I am sold!

 

As with all the recipes I post, this one is really easy!  The recipe is just for the dough but I'll explain how to make it as well.

Calzone:

• 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) yeast
• 3 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
• 1 cup very warm water

Combine yeast, sugar, salt, and one cup of the flour in mixing bowl.  Add the warm water and oil and mix.  Stir in remaining flour slowly until dough is soft but not sticky.  Knead until smooth.  Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes before making the calzone. *Note: you will need one batch of dough for each calzone you make.*
Roll the dough out into a rectangle shape on a pizza stone or cookie sheet.  In the middle third, put down pizza sauce and all ingredients, saving cheese for last.  I use whatever we are in the mood for and we like on our pizza.  Everyone will be a little different.  I also often split it in half, because I like more on my side than the hubby does on his.  When you get done putting the ingredients, cut the third on each side into strips (I put pictures further down to explain what I mean because I know it sounds a little weird).  Then "braid" the strips, alternating each side.  Bake on 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, or until done all the way through.

Recipe Source: here




This is what it will look like after you have all the ingredients on it and the sides cut.

This is what it looks like after you "braid" it.  I just start at one end and alternate, it's really easy.  The dough sticks to itself and the last piece or two I just stick down really well.  The ingredients sometimes squish out the sides a little, I don't worry about that too much.

 Enjoy!  Let me know if you have any questions on this one :)

 

- Megan

a little gem

I found this little gem today while perusing the internet.  It's such a good message I had to share.  And while I don't drink rum I do believe in the message in the video at the end :)  After all, that's what galumphing is all about right?

http://forwardwalking.com/2013/05/16/true-loves-kiss/

-Megan