MPM - March 30 - April 5

Hey there!! Thanks for stopping by!

Another week of meals from our South Louisiana home. No true Cajun dishes this week but all very easy and mostly figure friendly.... Mostly...

A few of the recipes are available below.

Monday
Cresent Casserole
Chuck Wagon Corn

Tuesday
Family Dinner at my Mom's
(yay no cooking for me!!)

Wednesday
Johnny Massetti - Family Favorite
(pasted down from Jon's G-ma YUM!)
Garlic Bread

Thursday
Baked Tilapia
Carrot Souffle

Friday
Sausage & Pepper Baked Ziti
Green Beans

Saturday
Date Night!
Sushi @ Osaka w/friends

Sunday
Enchilada Casserole
Yellow Rice

Hope you enjoy some of these recipes.
This will be my 1st attempt at the carrot souffle... I'll keep you updated!

To see other fabulous menus and MPM participants click here.


Cresent Casserole - from Jon's Maw Maw

1 lb ground meat
1/2c Sour Cream
1/4c Chopped Onion
1 (8oz) can Dinner Rolls
1c Spaghetti Sauce
1/3c Grated Parmesan Cheese
6oz (1 1/2c) Shredded Mozzarella
2tb Margarine


Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Brown meat & onion, drain.
Add spaghetti sauce until heated.
In another bowl, stir mozzarella & sour cream.
Pour meat into ungreased baking dish.
Spoon cheese mixture over meat.
Unroll dough over cheese.
Mix parmesan and butter.
Spread over dough.
Bake for 18-25 minutes.


Johnny Massetti - from Jon's Grandma Maclynn

1 lb ground meat
1 stick of butter (I use 1/2)
1lb Cheddar Cheese
1 medium onion - chopped
1 medium bell pepper - chopped
1 can (5oz) Tomato Sauce
1 jar Button Mushrooms (I use 1 package of fresh)
1 (14oz) can Whole Tomatoes
1 can med Black Olives
1 pkg medium seashell pasta

Brown onion & peppers in butter.
Add meat.
Season to taste.
Brown & drain.
Add tomato sauce, whole tomatoes & mushrooms.
Boil pasta, to firm texture.
Melt in cheese to meat mixture, about 15 minutes.
Add pasta & pour into casserole dish.
Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.


Thanks for stopping by!!

Saturday 9 with James Lipton - kinda

This week we are answering the 9 questions asked of every guest of Inside the Actor's Studio.
I always love that part of the show... It's so telling!!

1. What is your favorite word? Mommy

2. What is your least favorite word? {{{MoooooooooooooooooooooooM}}}

3. What turns you on, creatively, spiritually, or emotionally? possibility

4. What turns you off? ignorance

5. What is your favorite curse word? Fuck

6. What sound or noise do you love? my children's breath in my ear as I bring them to bed

7. What sound or noise do you hate? screeching brakes

8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt? forensic profiler

9. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? i don't believe it does, so there would be nothing said

Want to visit more Saturday 9 participants check these out here

Things I Love Thursday

This is my first Things I Love Thursday. I really like this idea - mainly because I have too many "things I don't like" partial posts. I don't like always being negative but I always end up there in the end. So maybe this will help... and someone kick me if I get negative OK??

Things I Love!... that happened today....

When Walker says "I just want to sweet you Momma"... right after he gets caught doing something he knows he shouldn't. He then walks up and rubs my arm with this oh so guilty grin.

How do you argue with that?? I always lose this battle. He walks up giggling and smiling JUST so I'll start laughing too.

Yes I have some idea of what I'm in for when he's 15.

If he's anything like his Dad... I'm in trouble!!!


What did he get caught doing this time you ask. Weeeeeeell....

He found a pair of scissors in his room. Not sure how they got there yet. My kids are from the school of Admit Nothing.

So did he make a masterpiece of art with his new found Nip/Tuck skills??

You tell me...



Don't recognize it??

It usually looks much better on say...

A Toddler Mattress!!!

His sister's mattress!!




An Interior Designer in the making?? His father would surely faint.
A little boy destroying his sister's... well anything?? I think that would fit much better.


So what should I do?? What can I do??

Yes besides take them away. And tell him that it wasn't very nice.

How do you punish a 4 year old when he starts to show destructive behavior?? And all you can do is laugh because 1-he's very proud of himself and 2-he just wants to "sweet you."

So here is my Things I love Thursday post... wanna see more??
Check them out here.

Wordless Wednesday - Welcoming Spring

My front flower boarder is EXPLODING!! I'm so excited that Spring is HERE!! Another couple of weeks and my house will look totally different from the road!


Check out other Wordless Wednesday pics here, here, here, and here.

Positive(ly wrong) Lyrics

Walker was "singing" with Rock Band earlier today.

He chose the Yeah Yeah Yeah's song Maps.

His version of the chorus...

Oh They They They
Oh They They They...

They all love you like I love you.
They all love you like I love you.

Laughs Laughs Laughs Laughs
Oh They



I love my kid!!

His version of Nirvana is even better....

Sure Sure

Living vicariously through a 16 year old girl via a Vampire Saga has been both good and bad.

The Twilight Saga was initially written as Young Adult fiction by Stephanie Meyer. Well it didn't take very long for many woman, who do not fall into that category, to become completely, compulsively, and passionately obsessed about this fantasy world.

Yeah me too.
I know. I know. I know.

I have always loved vampire novels and shows. Interview With a Vampire was one of my favorite books in high school. I preferred Angel over Buffy though... and now I watch Bones too. Not about vampires I know but he's still pretty great to look at and it's very well written.

So I knew that Twilight was coming to the theater last November and I much rather read the book first if I want to watch the movie. With a 10 hour road trip ahead of me over the Thanksgiving holiday, I grabbed what I thought would be a good read to pass the time. So Twilight it was. I really couldn't tell you how many times I zoned out on the drive to the Ozarks. I was really surprised that I got sucked in so quickly. Before Twilight I wasn't able to finish a book since I had Bennett Claire (who turned 2 in August). As much as I love to read I just had way to much to do... so I thought.

My FIL sure thought I had lost it and Jon was thrilled that I wasn't bitching about having to watch MORE football. I was flipping out over a book written for teenagers.
I couldn't tell them that a book written for teens was better than listening to them talk about NCAA teams, shotguns, whiskey, blah blah blah. I was over it. Time to escape

As cold as it was outside, sitting on the ground completely and utter captivated by the story of these fantasy creatures was exactly what I needed. The deeper I got into the story, the more I realized that I was sitting in the woods, in the mountains, in rainy and misty weather. Oh the irony. Yeah I know it sounds silly but I startle easy. So I closed the book and went for a ride, through the woods.
It wasn't long before I realize how secluded we were and I would need to get my hands on New Moon. I called the closest "big box" store (read HellMart/Wally World) only to find out that New Moon was the only one they DIDN'T have. grrrr
So I called the next closest, then the next, and yet another. Jon and his dad thought it was pretty funny that I was working this hard to find "just a book." They all told me the same thing.
I called the 4 closest stores. The drive time ranged from 30 mins (closest) to almost 2 hours. Yeah that wasn't gonna happen.
The other bookstores in the area.... Well let's just say that a vampire book would not have been anywhere near their order forms much less on their shelves. We were in the Bible Belt/Folk Life Central ya know.
And all that hard work and spazing out for nothing. We ended up being tourists more than I thought so I didn't have as much time to read as I thought I would.
We were 20 minutes from home when I finished. Since nothing was open at 2 am, I waited until we got some sleep and went out and bought the other 3.
I was not going to be in that position again!



Now I can't stop reading... Future post on my FAV new books.... Non-fiction (well mostly) and side splittingly (not a word, yes I know) hilarious!!!

Coaxed Out of Inhibition

I love to people watch. Call it nosey if you will but I enjoy it. Before I had kids there was a bar near my hometown that I could sit and watch people all night and be utterly amazed.

This morning, when we were waiting for the childcare room to open at the gym, a woman drove into the parking lot on her cell phone. Talking a mile a minute and her non-driving hand waving around as if her wrist was dislocated. I couldn't look away. Seriously!

People amaze me sometimes. Driving down the road or in a parking lot you would swear that some people don't realize that you can see them. Between the singing, eating, screaming at their kids, or picking their noses (don't kid yourself! you aren't fooling anyone with that one!)... sitting in a vehicle allows people to let their guard down.


It's not that they aren't aware of their surroundings. They feel safe behind the glass and enclosed in metal (or fiberglass). So is it the safety or is it that they feel that they are in their own world.... or do they just not give a ??? (Yes I curse like a sailor normally but this really doesn't need an expletive)
I know when I'm driving and the kids and I are singing that people look and giggle but I also do that in the grocery store... and I really don't care/mind that they are laughing. I'm having fun with my kids and that's what matters right?

But back to the inhibition or really the lack of...
The combination of a cellphone and a vehicle are pretty equal to a few stiff drinks when it comes to their lack of restraint. I'm not saying it's a bad thing. I'm just amazed at how quickly it can happen.
Most people wouldn't act the same way if they were on their phone walking through, say, the mall.... Yes I know that some people have no tact and will scream and curse while on their phone in public, this is totally different.

What are the little things that people do that amaze you??

Weekly Menu Plan March 23-29

It is so much easier for me to shop when I know what we are eating... and I spend alot less money this way as well.

To do this I really try to make out my menu for the week. Once I comb through various magazines that come to my door and a few of the other fabulous bloggers who post their menus, I get the "OK" from the people who are forced privileged to eat what I cook each week. I only plan dinners. This is because I stay home with my 2 youngest and I don't cook all day! I don't mind cooking on the weekends. Our breakfasts usually consist of cereal, bagels, fruits, and/or granola bars. Lunch isn't much different, if we are home. Sandwiches or leftovers are par for the course.

If you'd like tips and helpful printouts so that you can start menu planning as well, check out these sites:
Menu Planning Central
Menus 4 Mom
Organizing Junkie - Menu Planning Monday


So here goes my list:

Monday
Meatloaf w/Mozzarella, Mushrooms & Pepperoni (All You)

Tuesday
Chicken, Chili & Cheese Enchiladas (All You)

Wednesday
Crispy Parmesan Baked Chicken Breasts (adapted from a bag of Tilapia)

Thursday
Crock Pot Beef Stew (McCormick packet)

Friday
Tuna Casserole (Amalie is cooking)

Saturday
Walker's Birthday!! He picks.

Sunday
Walker's Party - Kart Ranch Pizza

Great part about this menu is that I only have to go to the store for 1 (ONE!!) thing, a rotisserie chicken for the enchiladas!! But I could always bake one myself..... Albertson's is just so much easier.

So what are you cooking this week?? Any healthy cheap new recipes you've found lately??

Don't forget to check out the other menu planners listed above.

Thanks for stopping by!!


Edit: A very helpful reader suggested I post my recipes. Thank you so much! I will def do that next week.

The battle Ensues

The war with thy self?

The battle from within?

The constant bickering in my brain about why I can't seem to loose weight!!!

I started at a new gym early in January. My sister (size 6 mind you) is getting married in October. What better reason to shed the luggage than that right?

Well it's now almost the end of March and not even so much as a small wallet has fallen off as I walk/run on the treadmill.

My measurements have not changed.

The scale hasn't budged.

My clothes don't fit any differently.

And my doc says all the compartments in my baggage are in healthy working order.

WTF

I've changed the way I eat.

Go to the gym at least 3 times a week.

And I log my food and exercise on Sparkpeople.

I even cook 2 different meals some nights. 1 for me and 1 for the rest of my family. And that is getting old!

I finally talked to the owner of the gym. So what does she tell me???



I need to EAT more.
Do what?? That makes no sense to me so I laugh. She then explains it all to me (which I won't bore you with) and I kinda get it.
So I try.
And it works!! I was down 3 lbs at my next weigh in! Little happy dance!!
My measurements have gone down 3 inches total. I'm kinda excited my change purse fell out.
I have a long road ahead but this little carry on sure does help to keep me moving.

I'm sure I'll talk alot more about my weight loss journey so I hope you can stand it and keep reading.