Menu Planning Monday - March 15, 2010

Wowza, I can't believe it's Monday again! Time flies when you're having fun right? I don't know if what I've been doing necessarily counts as fun - been SUPER busy at work & have had no time to Nest or blog! In any event, I am here to confess that last week's menu planning Monday was a epic FAIL. Out of my list, I only made the WW Pan-Fried Flounder. I am still going to definitely try to make the rest of the meals soon, but our weeks have just been so hectic!

What's that saying though? If at first you don't succeed, try try again....right? So, I am trying again with my third edition of Menu Planning Monday. hopefully I'll make most, if not all, of the meals this week!

• Monday, March 15th: Spicy Chicken Alfredo (I am going to take a photo of this dish & post the recipe tomorrow), garlic bread.
• Originally found this in my first-ever cook book my momma gave me - Sandra Lee's semi-homemade meals! It's amazing...seriously.
• Tuesday, March 16th: Campbell's French Onion Burgers w/ cheddar cheese, tater tots, tossed salad.

• Yummy in mah tummy good! We have made these once before & this one was a special request from the mister as we were grocery shopping this weekend. These are sooo good! And even better...they are quick & easy to make! We use whole gran or whole wheat buns & 2% milk cheddar cheese slices to lessen the fat content a bit. :o)
  
•  Wednesday, March 17th: EMFH night!

• Woot, no cooking! I try to give myself a break during the week.We actually have a neighborhood watch meeting this night, so it's best that we don't plan to cook.
• Thursday, March 18th: Either BBQ baked or pan fried pork chops, rice, green beans.
• I know, I know - fried is so bad for you...but we rarely eat fried foods, so I don't think there's anything with indulging every once in a while!
• Friday, March 19th - Sunday, March 21st: Absolutely NOTHING...well, we will be eating, but I won't be cooking, hehehe. Our 1st anniversary is on Sunday - yay!!! I will be posting a little year in review later this week, but we are going on a mini-vacation up to New York from Friday-Sunday & I can't.freakin.wait. I've never been to NY & I'm looking forward to doing as much as we can in the 3 days, 2 nights we are there!  

Stay tuned the rest of this week for my New York trip plans - it would really be great if anyone from or familiar with NY gave me some pointers on must see/must do stuff! Good luck with any new recipes you try this week - if you decide to try any of mine, please let me know what you think. I promise if you hate it, it won't hurt my feelings...most of the recipes I use, I got from other people or from cook books. Happy Monday!

Mood Board Monday - March 8, 2010

Here is my contribution to Sarah at pewter+sage's blog link party:

 

 Today's challenge was to design a room around one of two beautiful & bold area rugs. I choose to do my room around this Andalusia Rug.

 

Well, I have spring fever & am ready for warm weather, so I decided to do my mood board for a beautiful & bright sun room:

3/8 Mood Board Monday by Jen J. on Polyvore.com

Items in this set:
Andalusia Rug, 5'x8', Horizon/Ivory | west elm, $230
Seagrass 3-Piece Sofa | Pottery Barn, $125
Carved Wood Serving Bowl : Target, $30
Textured Solid Pillow Covers | Pottery Barn, $25
Furniture, Home Accents, Dining, Gifts & More, $1.95

I use Polyvore to do my mood boards...it's very user friendly & simple. Only a few links to the sources are listed here - and the good news is, most items were very affordable! Any items not listed here, are listed on the main page of my "3/8 Mood Board" Polyvore set.  I love the way my room turned out - what do you think of it? Sigh. It makes me wish I had a sun room & unlimited budget to get all these cute items!! Anywho, I digress - head over to Sarah's blog link party to check out all the cute mood boards everyone made today!

Menu Planning Monday - March 8, 2010

Hi there everyone! Just checking in for another edition of Menu Planning Monday! But first, I'll recap how last week went. I will admit, I am new at formally planning my menu ahead of time, sure I go to the grocery store & try to buy stuff to make for the next week or so, but I have never made a formal, written plan. Therefore, the Dennifers will likely go off course from time to time, but I am going to try hard to stick to the plan! Last week, I did make Gia's Chicken Puffs, which were amazing! So yummy & my hubby loved them too! I did not get a chance to make Ashley's Sloppy Joes, but plan on making them this week for sure. And we did breakfast for dinner last night instead of Saturday. Everything was so yummy, but I didn't take pictures. I promise to be more on top of it this week!

I also decided that since I post the menus on Mondays, that it makes sense to do the menus from Monday to Sunday, so this week's menu is from Monday, March 8, 2010 - Sunday, March 14, 2010. Using my Really Crafty Studio meal planner, this is the Dennifer menu for the week:

• Monday, March 8th: Pan-Fried Flounder (I use tilapia, because it's easier to find at the store I regularly shop at), broccoli, Lipton chicken noodles.
• As a former Weight Watcher, this is a recipe I have made many many times. My husband even loves it! He actually likes all of the WW meals I have made. If you like mild, white fish & want to try a new recipe, I highly recommend this one!
• Tuesday, March 9th: Ashley's Sloppy Joes, tater tots, salad.

• Since I never made it last week. :o/ Can't wait to try it!
• Wednesday, March 10th: Every Man For Himself (EMFH) night!
• Yay, off the hook from cooking!
• Thursday, March 11th: Sweet & spicy shrimp with mixed veggies, white rice.

• This is a WW meal out of a magazine I bought - it's super yummy & I added in the veggies on my own. I thought it was missing that element. I'll post the recipe & a pic of the actual dish this week after I make it! I know you will love it!
• Friday, March 12th & Saturday, March 13th:  EMFH &/or date night!
• We tend not to cook on Friday or Saturday since we either are not home, and if we are, we usually eat out. This will probably stop after we have children, but for now, that's our routine.
• Sunday, March 14th: Double-Decker Shepard's Pie.

• New recipe I found in the February edition of Rachel Ray's magazine (yes, I'm a subscriber!) & it looked good, so I decided to try it out. 

And that's it! ::drools:: Everything looks so amazing & I can't wait to try it all. I'll probably head to the grocery store tomorrow since I have all the ingredients for tonight's meal already. If you have any recipes on your blog that you'd like me to try out, please comment on this or any future menu planning Monday post with the link or shoot me an email at worldofdennifer@gmail.com. If I try it out, I'll post a  review along with a link to your page! Stay tuned today for my first installment on Mood Board Monday, being hosted by my Nestie/blog friend Sarah over at pewter+sage. Hope everyone has a great week!

Wordless Wednesdays - my two guys :)

Sorry - a couple of words: starting to participate in the very bloggy-popular feature "Wordless Wednesdays" & I am going to try & post a new pic every week, in addition to my everyday posts. Hope you enjoy!

  

  

 Dizz likes to smush himself against the hubby when he's in his floor space (which is basically anywhere my hubby sits, hehehe).

Being lazy on the stairs.

Blog Parade Giveaway + Interview!!

I read about Rear Window's cute blog party & giveaway on a blog friend's blog & decided to link up! You all know I'm a sucker for a good giveaway & Abigail is giving away some cool items to a select few people who join in on the fun. So, I decided why not?  I'm off right now & this will be a good way for some of my followers to get to know me! Enjoy & please feel free to leave a comment if you have any follow up questions. :o)

1. What's your favorite time of the day, and why?

 

Hmmm, I guess I like 6pm (during the week), when I get home from my 12- hour days (I work 9 hours & commute 1.5 hours each way, so I'm away from home from 6am-6pm every day I go into the office, which is only 3 days a week!). My hubby, puppy (okay, maybe he's not a puppy anymore, but still a cutie) & I just get time to spend with each other & to have dinner together - very relaxing part of my day. I love my guys so much & can't wait until we add to our family & get to spend this time with our children as well!

 
2. If health wasn't an issue, what food could you live off of?

 This is an easy one! Chipotle. I freakin' love that place - it's quick & sooo yummy. If you have them in your area & you've never been, definitely head over & try it out. My fav is the Chicken Burrito Bowl w/ rice, black beans, fajita peppers & onions, corn salsa, lettuce, a teeny bit of cheese & sour cream on the side; served with their yummy homemade tortilla chips. ::drool::

3. If you could have one wish granted (besides wishing for more wishes), what would it be?

 To add to our family with a little bundle (or two, possibly three eventually) of joy! I can't wait to experience pregnancy, deliver our children & raise my children w/ the most wonderful man I know - my husband - who I'm sure will be an amazing dad!

4. What's one thing that you get teased about a lot?

Well my hubby likes to tease me about my retainers. I had braces for about 3 years from 2006 until right before our wedding in 2009, and still wear retainers in the evening. So, he likes to tease me by calling me 'tainer all the time or if I mention tater tots...he calls them 'tainer tots! LMAO, no worries though, I tease him equally as much!

5. If you could choose one movie, book, or TV show to spend your life in, which would you pick? What type of character would you be?

 OMG, this is an easy one for me!! I'd be on Desperate Housewives...I LOVE that show & have been a fan since it first started. I could totally see myself being good friends with all of the "girls" on the show. I think I'd be kinda a mix between Gabby & Bree: I'd be a career woman & working mom (like Bree), but I'd be glamorous, sexy, witty, funny & have killer style when it's time to dress up (like Gabby). 

6. If you could have one talent that you don't already have, what would it be?

Sewing...like being able to sew clothes, items, pillows, etc. I follow lots of blogs where there are sooo many talented young wives & mothers who make such cute things for their homes & kids! I wanna learn how to do that....waaaaah...it is on my list of things to try & learn this year.

7.If money were no object, where would you go on vacation?

I'd go on a Mediterranean luxury cruise of Greece, Spain & Italy, where we docked in each country for at least a few days & were able to travel around to major sites/places of interest in each country.

8. If you were an awesome singer, which genre would you sing?

Probably R&B/soul - like Mariah! I love how she sings & she's beautiful to boot!

9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, what would it be?

Hands down - Pottery Barn & PB Kids (for when I have children. I LOVE their stuff, but usually can't afford any of it, hehehe.

10. If you could live in any point in time, when would it be?

Hmm, I kinda like living in the time we live in now. I can't really imagine living in another time, and of course, there is always good & bad about each time period.

11. If every outfit in your wardrobe had to be one color, what would it be?

Some form of blue - I love aqua blue especially! My bridesmaids wore aqua/Tiffany blue for our wedding & my reception theme was "Something Blue"!

12. If you were one of the seven dwarves, which one would you be?

 Happy! He was always so cheerful (hence, the name) & I'm a pretty happy person so he fits best for me!

13. What's the last album you listened to?

::runs to check iPod:: TI vs. TIP...love TI - he's just so smooth when he raps!!

14. What's something we'd be surprised to know about you?

I am a BIG time worrier & (attempted) perfectionist - another way I'm like Bree (from Desp. HW). The funny part is, I have NO clue where that part of my personality came from - my mom (who I was raised by) is the furthest thing from a worrier - or maybe she is & I just never noticed it?! I hope I don't pass that trait on to my kids...life seems so much easier when you can go with the proverbial flow!

That was so much fun - hope you got a chance to learn a little more about me. Head on over to Abigail's blog, check it out & enter yourself! But hurry, the party ends on March 8th! If you decide to enter, please leave a comment on this post, along with the link. Since you guys show me so much, I'd love to check out the survey questions for my followers! And, since I have been on this recent kick of winning blog giveaways, I think it may soon be time for my own. I'm going to start brainstorming a nice giveaway item & let you guys know about it very soon!

Okay, Menu Planning Monday, err Tuesday re-do!

So, I finally nailed down the menu for this week using the Really Crafty Studio meal planner. This will likely be a short one for a few reasons: 1) I'm starting on Tuesday, rather than Sunday like a good menu planner should ::slaps self on hand:: (although I will list what we made/did on Sunday & Monday); 2) I'm going to dinner & happy hour this week with my girlfriends - one dinner "meeting" is for wedding planning for one of my friends, the HH is to meet up with some girlfriends I haven't seen in a while; 3) I have been feeling under the weather, so I have been making my hubby cook/run errands this week; and, 4) I have not gotten to the grocery store yet this week. But, since I'm furloughed from work, I figure I may as well go & get it done today. Oh & 1 last note about meals I make - I am a former Weight Watcher; lost 40 lbs on the program before my wedding & I still keep a close eye on what I put into my mouth, so most of my recipes are modified with light ingredients/modifications wherever possible. Almost all recipes can me made lighter by using reduced fat ingredients, cooking pasta dishes with whole grain pastas, etc.

So, that said, here is this week's menu plan (with my comments (if any) below in italics):

• Sunday, Feb. 28th - French's Crunchy Onion Chicken, green beans, whole grain Velveeta mac & cheese
• This meal is sooo simple & yummy. If you have never tried it, try it soon! Next time I make it, I'll take a pic to post what it actually looks like, hehehe.
•  Monday, March 1st - Every Man For Himself (EMFH) night!
• Yay, off the hook from cooking!
• Tuesday, March 2nd - Chipotle night - YUMMY!!
• One of my close friends is finally having the wedding ceremony she has been dreaming of for years (she got legally married last year). So, she, I & another friend are having an informal bridesmaid meeting to discuss wedding particulars, our schedules, etc.
• Wednesday, March 3rd -  Gia's Chicken Puffs, side salad, Lipton Chicken Noodles side dish

• I have never tried this recipe before & excited to try it. I have been following Gia's blog since November of last year & her food always looks so yummy!
• Thursday, March 4th -  Ashley's Sloppy Joes, tater tots

• OMG, the first time I saw these, I drooled. they look amazing & I can't wait to try it! The recipe looks quick & simple - just how I like it!
• Friday, March 5th - Jen's HH night out with the girls!
• The hubby will likely go to HH with a couple of his guy friends as well & we will both just eat apps @ the bar for dinner.
• Saturday, March 6th - Breakfast for Dinner (B4D): scrambled eggs with cheese & onion, turkey sausage, hash browns
• We haven't done the B4D thing in a while, so what better night than a relaxing Saturday to do it?!

So, using my Really Crafty Studio meal planner, I have listed everything I'll need to make these dishes in the "Grocery List" section, along with some extras for snacks & quick breakfast options that we can grab & go during the week. As I make these meals, I'll try to post pics or do a weekly recap of my reviews of the meals.

Menu Planning Monday, maybe Tuesday + furloughed. :o/

So a couple of weeks ago, I won this really cool Really Crafty Studio meal planner download from Linda over at Craftaholics Anonymous!

It's so easy to stay organized & on top of the week's meals with this planner! It's only $5 in Kim's Etsy Shop & it's totally worth it! I haven't quite nailed down everything I'm going to make this week, which maybe defeats the purpose a bit, but I'm going to try & stay organized & plan this out every Sunday from now on. I usually try to make new dish each week, then a few classics that I always make - spaghetti, pork chops, baked ground turkey & ziti, stir fry, etc. We also usually have an "every man for himself night", a left overs night & usually end up eating out 1-2 days per week. The eating out thing will likely change once we have kids, but since it's just the two of us now, we can afford to still eat out a couple times a week - that & I'm not too fond of cooking on weekends, lol. I am going to attempt to take photos of the meals I make & do a re-cap at the end of the week. Hopefully this will give some of you ladies in search of new meal ideas some good ones! I'll be working on this week's plan tonight & hope to have it up by tomorrow morning.

*************

Also, IDK if any of you know about the funding stuff going on with parts of the US Department of Transportation, but some craziness has been going down in Congress. The basic gist is - several Federal DOT sub-agencies were funded by the Highway Trust Fund Legislation & it basically expired last night at Midnight. Congress attempted to pass an extension, but it was blocked by Senator Jim Bunning (R-KY), so the funding for my agency lapsed & all non-essential employees (ahem...me) are being furloughed until Congress can reach a decision (read full story here & here). This means that several important state & federal highway projects have been halted across the country; just an example of how "politicking" affects regular people every day. I have heard that in the past, when the government has furloughed employees, Congress usually passes some measure to pay employees retroactively, so I'm hoping that's what happens in this case. For now, I am going to stay optimistic & just look at this as a few extra days to sleep in, clean my house, run some errands & maybe get a St. Patrick's Day craft done...maybe one from the Craftaholics Anonymous St. Patty's Day link party!

Here are a few beauties from Linda's party:

Linda's own "Lucky" Pillow:

Unfortunately, I CAN'T sew anything that requires a sewing machine, but that's on my list of things to try this year. :oP

Traci's really cute "Lucky" Blocks:

Patricia's adorable DIY gift tags:

Michelle's c-u-t-e Lucky Clover:

Head over to the party to see all the other very creative St. Patty's Day projects - so cute! And a perfect distraction since I'm not working for the next couple of days!