Princess in the making....

So, we finally got around to doing some baby laundry last night. We washed a bunch of newborn/ 0-3 stuff last night. Also, some bedding, blankets, etc. I was making dinner, and Jeff went down to see if the stuff was dry.

It wasn't... cause the dryer was on low, but we didn't want anything to shrink too much. Anyway, he came back up from the laundry and said, "Everything's dry except for Ashley's stuff."

I said "Aww! Ashley's stuff... that sounds so cute!"

And he said with a smile "You know what else was cute? The dryer lint was completely pink!"

Yeah... I guess that is pretty damn cute! :)

Getting Ready...

I've been such a blogging slacker lately... cause hello? Tired... and 36 weeks pregnant. Okay... enough said! ;)

I have an OB appointment tomorrow... and an ultrasound scheduled to see whether Ashley is head-down yet. Please, please be head-down!!

Also.. I found a really cool meal-planning site via another blog... although my pregnant brain can't remember which blog... so sorry I can't give credit where credit is due. It's $7.00 a month... but really... a small price to pay...

Anyway.... in the interest of simplifying my menu-making/shopping list/meal prep process as we get closer to baby day... I thought this would be a great thing to try out. It's great!! You pick 5 of 15 available meals, tell it whether you're feeding 4, 6, or 8 people... and it imports the recipes, shopping list, etc. into a PDF... all beautifully organized, and neat... ready to be printed out. I love it.

There are also 10 freezer meals available per month... and I already have one all set and ready to go. It's Pork chops in an Orange-Herb Marinade. Prep took like 5 minutes, and when the time comes to cook it, I just need to defrost, drain marinade, and grill. Love it! :)

The freezer meals come complete with a checklist to stick on the fridge, including prep-instructions, and side dish suggestions. And, there are labels you can print out and stick directly on the freezer bag with directions on preparation, too. Ahh.... yay! I really needed some recipes of freeze-ahead meals for when the baby comes. Also, I don't have the luxury of a chest freezer any longer... so they have to fit into my regular freezer. Most look like they do, into the freezer bags, or disposable aluminum pans.

Anyway... for this week my meal plan is as follows:

Monday: Panko-Crusted Pork Chops served with veggies (Trader Joes frozen Organic Foursome with butter & garlic) and mashed potatoes

There's no official recipe for this... but I take boneless pork loin chops, salt and pepper both sides, brush top and sides with Maille honey mustard, and cover with a mixture of Panko and Italian bread crumbs seasoned with garlic powder, salt and pepper, drizzled with olive oil, and baked at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes (they were really thick chops... )


Tuesday: Knit night - Pasta with Barilla sauce and (frozen Trader Joes meatballs)
Wednesday: Honey Glazed Chicken (Relish recipe) veggies, brown rice
Thursday: Sauteed Chicken with Paprika cream Sauce (Relish recipe) roasted fingerling potatoes, sugar snap peas.
Friday: Dinner out

Menu Monday Week of Jan 20-25

Sunday:

Quick Pasta with Mushrooms, onions, and Tomato Vodka Sauce (Jarred from Trader Joe's)

Monday:

Having James & Mish over for dinner...

Italian Parm Breaded Chicken (this was a special request)

Red Wine Risotto with Peas

Green Beans Sauteed with Garlic

Tuesday: Knitting Night... something quick, dunno yet

Wednesday:

Smokey Chicken Cheddar Quesadillas with Pea & White Bean "Guacamole" (Robin Miller Cookbook Recipe)

Beans/Rice/Chips/Salsa

Thursday:

Mac & Cheese with Ham (Rachael Ray cookbook Recipe)

Friday:

Dinner out with my dad

Menu Monday

Several years ago, I had an epiphany. My husband and I like to go grocery shopping together... but oftentimes we didn't have A Plan.

As in, we'd go into the grocery store after working all day. (Mistake#1)

We'd shop when we were hungry, tired, or otherwise cranky. (Mistake #2)


We'd forget what we actually had in the pantry cupboards, and end up buying duplicate items. (Mistake #3)

We'd spend $75.00 and STILL have "nothing to eat" in the house. Yup. Mistake of all mistakes.

So, for the last 4-5 years or so.... I make a meal plan each week. I used to be a lot more anal about checking the sales, coupons, etc... which stores had what... planning my list to the exact item. And, although I could do that again... I don't necessarily want to, given the whole I have a toddler, and soon to be infant situation.

We go to Trader Joes, Costco, and Safeway most weeks. We spend quite a bit on groceries each week. I mean, yesterday, we spent about $160 between Trader Joes and Safeway. But, again, I was planning on making lasagna, and then we were having friends over, so we bought extra beer. :) Still, Travis and I have breakfast, lunch, and snacks at home every day during the week... and we eat at home most nights, except for the occasional lunch out - or the more frequent - pizza for dinner.

I really do enjoy cooking... as anyone who knows me can attest. My lasagna is renowned... and if not restrained, Jeff could probably eat 1/2 a pan in one sitting.... although not without facing severe consequences later.

My challenge is that right now, especially... I am really exhausted... so I want mostly no-fuss recipes, with lots of flavor... but that Travis will also eat.

So this week... here is my menu... we shop on Friday or Saturday most weeks, so this week my menu starts on Sunday:

Sunday: Lasagna/Garlic bread/Salad

Monday: Herb Roasted chicken with garlic and lemon/ rice/ broccoli

Tuesday: Mexican with black beans, spanish rice, chips & salsa

Wednesday: Hammy Mac & Cheese/ Salad

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Usually dinner out with my dad @ Chili's.

Saturday: Out of town @ in-laws