Menu Plan Monday (9-5-11)

Monday:  Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenderloins,  Corn on the cob, Grape salad

Tuesday:  Crockpot Baby Back ribs, Wax Beans, Cheesy bacon mashed potatoes

Wednesday:  Cheesy potato soup, French bread

Thursday:  Spaghetti carbonara, Garlic sauteed spinach, Italian salad, Cheesy garlic bread

Friday:  Pizza

Saturday:  Cooper's Birthday Party Menu:

Appetizers:  Pan fried onion dip w/ Krunchers, Green herb dip w/ crudites, Salsa and tortilla chips, BLT bites

Main:  Bacon cheeseburgers and Hot dogs, Pretzel salad, Awesome salad, Baked beans

Dessert:  Birthday cake and ice cream


Linking up with Organizing Junkie Menu Plan Monday.

Rhubarb Cake

I know it has been forever since I have posted here.  I want to thank those of you who still follow me for sticking around.  I thought things would be settling down now that summer vacation is here, but with swimming lessons, football conditioning, baseball, and golf I seem to be running around more than ever.  I am planning on using this summer to get some organizing projects done around the house while balancing  sports and fun activities with the boys.  I plan on sharing lots of recipes this summer.  We have already made three batches of homemade ice cream and I must say that my family is spoiled by my ice cream making prowess.

The other day my mom gave me some rhubarb.  I have never made anything with rhubarb, but grew up loving a crumble that my mom would always make and a cake that my aunt makes.  I decided to go my typical Allrecipes route when searching for an amazing recipe.  That is my go to recipe sight and I always choose the most highly rated recipes.

Oma's Rhubarb Cake

Rhubarb Cake recipe adjustments:

1 1/4 cups white sugar    (I used 1 c white sugar and 1/4 c brown sugar)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup sour cream

3 cups diced rhubarb   (I used 4 c rhubarb)

1 cup white sugar   (I used 1 c brown sugar)

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

ground cinnamon, for dusting   (I used my Mc Cormick cinnamon sugar grinder)

Here is a photo of what is left of the cake after last night.  I have no idea why my iPhone rotates pictures sometimes (they come out flipped from how I took them).  And I am now without my MacBook for the summer and have to use our Dell desktop that I loathe.  To bottom line you, this photo is upside down and even though it is right side up if I look at the photo from my computer, when I post it in Blogger it's upside down.  So I guess it is not my computer's fault, but some weird Blogger quirk.  The important thing is that this cake is moist and delicious and must be served with whipped cream (IMO) ice cream is optional.  Enjoy!

I am linking up to I Heart Naptime's Sunday Scoop link.  Be sure to stop by for lots of fabulous ideas from some very creative bloggers.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday:  Grilled cheeseburgers, chips, fruit salad, chocolate malts

Tuesday:  Leftovers

Wednesday:  Taco/nacho bar, fresh fruit

Thursday:  Guinness corned beef, cabbage, boiled red potatoes, marble rye bread

Friday:  Homemade french bread pizza

Saturday:  Bacon wrapped turkey tenderloins, grilled potatoes, grilled veggies

Sunday:  Garlic lime chicken, brown rice, corn, fresh fruit

2011 Week One Goal Review

This is a list of my 2011 goals and I thought I would check in with all of you after the first week.  I have been very busy with being back into school this week.  I also went to the chiropractor three times this week (about 25 min from my home) so that took up a lot of my after school time.

I am laughing because looking at my goal achievement it would appear that beauty is my most important category.  LOL  Honestly yesterday it was after 4 PM and I had sat through two Rec BB games and Greg was starting to get dinner together and I DRAGGED myself to the nail salon (believe me it was COLD last night and I would have preferred to stay all nice and snug by the warm and cozy fire.  I ended up getting a VERY long overdue pedicure and brow wax.  It was so very necessary and I came home to a delicious home cooked dinner of cedar planked salmon, grilled potatoes, grilled romaine salad (if you have never grilled romaine you absolutely must, it is the bomb!), and garlic olive oil haricot verts. Not a bad menu for being on a detox, don't you think?!

As far as finances go we have been keeping all our receipts and really have only spent money on groceries, gasoline, hot lunch for Drew, and preschool for Cooper.  We have to pay off our monthly balances on all our CCs so that is why we are really watching spending this month.  It helps that I am doing the detox so we are buying nothing processed at the grocery store, but the fruits and veggies are not cheap this time of year.  We loaded up on some things at Sam's club.  Our Sam's bill was much less than normal because we only bought essentials.

We did our first family game night ever last night and it was a raging success.  We played Busytown (Cooper's choice) and then Guesstures.  The boys love Guesstures and it was lots of fun.  They asked if we could do game night again tonight.  :)

I do need to get on track with my Project 365.  I want to remember the ordinary things in life, because they are soon forgotten, but so extraordinary when I look back on them as the boys get older.

Here are the goals and the check mark means I did that this week.

1) Spiritual:

*Attend church regularly  √

*Visit at least THREE other Presbyterian churches to see if we can find one we like that is closer to us

*Say prayers before bed 

2)  Financial:  

*Follow Dave Ramsey Steps

*Make a monthly spending plan and track ALL expenses  √

*Use envelope system for certain spending categories

*Boys commission (chore charts)

*Monthly budget meeting

3)  Fitness/Health:  

*Do a month long detox (starting next week under the advisement of a nutritionist) √

*Chiropractor appts √

*Exercise 90 min per week

*Healthy eating √

4)  Beauty:  

*Morning/Evening routine √

*Manicures/Pedicures monthly  √  (Pedi)

*Schedule brow wax every 6 weeks √

*Keep nails polished √

5)  Home:  

*Make home binders

*Keep house clean (daily tasks) 

*Keep better laundry schedule

*Organize office and closets

*Make a list of decorating/painting needs and set a schedule

6)  Career:

*Organize Module Binders

*Continue on BCT √

7)  Family:

*Weekly date night with Greg √

*Family game night 3x/month (each boy decides plan for night) √

*Greg and Sherrie overnight getaway 2x/year

*Family vacation

*Plan  thoughtful holiday/birthday celebrations

8)  Personal:  

*Blog regularly here at Organizing Diva and my family blog  My Life With Boys

*Plan dinners out with GFs and Mom

*GNO monthly

*Dinner w/ friends

9)  Hobbies:

*Project 365

*Scrapbooking-plan one night per month to scrap

*Take a class at the Scrapbook Store

*Organize scrap supplies and set up an area for scrapping

*Make 10 layouts for each boy for 2011

10)  Menu planning:  

*Monthly menu plan

*Weekly menus √

*Grocery lists √

*Inventory freezer

*Inventory pantry

*Clip coupons

I am really happy with my goal achievement for the first week of 2011.  How did you all do on your goals?

Menu Plan Monday 1-3-11

I am starting a detox later this week so trying to figure out a weekly menu plan was a challenge.  I have a basic idea of what I will be able to eat, but won't know for sure what I am restricted on until my appt tomorrow.  I still want to make meals that my dh and boys will enjoy.  No sense in all of us suffering.  ;)

Monday:  Glazed meatloaf, Butternut squash puree, Baked potatoes

Tuesday:  Turkey sandwiches, chips, veggies

Wednesday:  Baby Back Ribs, Corn, Cheesy bacon mashed potatoes for guys (dinner out for me)

Thursday:  Leftovers

Friday:  Frozen pizza for the guys (salad for me)

Saturday:  Salmon, grilled veggies, grilled potatoes, salad

Sunday:  Garlic lime chicken, brown rice, corn, fruit

Shopping list:
Veggies for grilling
Fruit
Salad ingredients

Check out Menu Plan Monday at Organizing Junkie for links to many menu plans.  Maybe you will find a new recipe to spice up your menu plan.

Using Binders to Organize

Some people are binder people and some aren't.  I am definitely a binder person.  I think my love affair with using three ring binders to organize myself began back in the early 90's when I started to organize all my teaching units in three ring binders.  Old school teachers were using manila file folders, but not me.  I instead chose to use a three ring binder for my school units.  I couldn't even begin to count how many binders I have assembled/organized over the past two decades, but I assure you the number is great.

I am a bit anal when it comes to binder organization.  You see I need everything in a sheet protector.  Forget about three hole punching something and putting it right into the binder.  Who wants the three punched holes showing up on copies?  Not me to be sure.

Now everyone is not as crazy does not have to be as anal as me when it comes to binder organization.  Remember the key is to do what works FOR YOU.  I personally love to buy the four pack at Sam's Club.  I already took the packaging off them so I am not sure the brand name, but if you shop at Sam's you will know what I am posting about. You get four one inch binders in green, blue, pink, and white.  I don't remember the cost, but I think the pack is under $10.  Of course any old binder will do, I just love the cute colors!  I also always buy my sheet protectors from Sam's.  I get the Samsill Non-Glare 200 count heavy weight sheet protectors.

I also purchased the Avery Big Tab Extra Wide Insertable Dividers (you can get 5 or 8 tabs, I always go for 8).  I bought these at Office Max and was shocked that they cost $2.59 a set.  I am not that big of a fan of Office Max, but there is one in my city so it was convenient to stop there the other day.

I have plans to set up several different binders to help me get organized in 2011:

*Household

*Coupons

*Gift Cards

*Recipes

*Financial

*Holidays

*Ben

*Drew

*Cooper

(I already have a binder for each of the boys to put important school related items, but I need to do a better job of using them, it would save lots of time looking for where important papers were placed).

I am starting to work on my Household binder first.  I have two excellent resources for setting up a household binder the first link will explain the general concept,  Organized Home's household notebook of setting up a household notebook.  Printable pages you can use for your own notebook.  I love that website and have used it for years.  Another suggestion is Flylady's Control Journal.  I know people seem to either love or hate Flylady.  There are some valuable resources on her website to help you organize your life.

I suggest you spend some time perusing the links I have shared and decide what works for you and get started on your own household notebook (which I call binder).  I spent some time this morning printing out things from all the links I shared and now will be putting together a hybrid of the two.  I will definitely share my finished product and how I ended up setting it up.  I will also share the other binders I have mentioned above as they get finished.

Please share with me if you do make any binders for yourself.  I would love to see the finished products!

Life Goals 2011

Happy New Year!  2011, you have got to be kidding?  Can someone just explain to me where the last decade two decades have gone?  I am starting off the new year posting my goals for 2011.  One of my goals is to blog regularly.  Thanks for all of you who have stuck with me, through some big gaps in blogging.

I have to admit that I cheated a bit and used my Life Goals from 2007 (that I found while in the home office) as a starting point for this coming year.  I promise to do a monthly Goal Review (and encourage you all to do the same) to assess progress.  

1) Spiritual:

*Attend church regularly 

*Visit at least THREE other Presbyterian churches to see if we can find one we like that is closer to us

*Say prayers before bed 

2)  Financial:  

*Follow Dave Ramsey Steps

*Make a monthly spending plan and track ALL expenses

*Use envelope system for certain spending categories

*Boys commission (chore charts)

*Monthly budget meeting

3)  Fitness/Health:  

*Do a month long detox (starting next week under the advisement of a nurtrionist)

*Chiropractor appts

*Exercise 90 min per week

*Healthy eating

4)  Beauty:  

*Morning/Evening routine

*Manicures/Pedicures monthly

*Schedule brow wax every 6 weeks

*Keep nails polished

5)  Home:  

*Make home binders

*Keep house clean (daily tasks)

*Keep better laundry schedule

*Organize office and closets

*Make a list of decorating/painting needs and set a schedule

6)  Career:

*Organize Module Binders

*Continue on BCT

7)  Family:

*Weekly date night with Greg

*Family game night 3x/month (each boy decides plan for night)

*Greg and Sherrie overnight getaway 2x/year

*Family vacation

*Plan  thoughtful holiday/birthday celebrations

8)  Personal:  

*Blog regularly here at Organizing Diva and my family blog  My Life With Boys

*Plan dinners out with GFs and Mom

*GNO monthly

*Dinner w/ friends

9)  Hobbies:

*Project 365

*Scrapbooking-plan one night per month to scrap

*Take a class at the Scrapbook Store

*Organize scrap supplies and set up an area for scrapping

*Make 10 layouts for each boy for 2011

10)  Menu planning:  

*Monthly menu plan

*Weekly menus

*Grocery lists

*Inventory freezer

*Inventory pantry

*Clip coupons

What are your goals for 2011?