Monday, October 24, 2011

Weekend Happenings, New Cookbooks, Menu, and Goals

This past weekend we stuffed our tiny apartment with 8 people and had oodles of fun. Andrew's family came to visit, and we filled the weekend with a steak dinner, s'mores, craft shopping (with my sister-in-law!), book shopping, coffee, root beer floats, a fall festival, and nutella hot chocolate. {The events were a post unto themselves.}

Smores, minus the campfire.
We perfected the art of making s'mores over the grill

I came away from the book sale elated, because I found Volume 1 and 2 of Julia Child's Mastering The Art of French Cooking (for a total of $14!). I also added Betty Crocker's cookbook to my collection.

I've been perusing my cookbook collection and trying to incorporate more recipes from my cookbooks in our weekly menu plan. My cookbook shelf holds some awesome resources that I have left somewhat untapped. This week I'm trying two recipes from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook (the 1996 edition).

Here's this week's dinner menu: 

Monday--Eggs Benedict
Tuesday--Stuffed Buffalo Chicken with carrots
Wednesday--Pinto Bean and Brown Rice Burritoes
Thursday--Spicy Peanut Chicken with Brown Rice (from the Betty Crocker Cookbook)
Friday--Pizza Night
Saturday--Hungarian Goulash (also from Betty Crocker's Cookbook)
Sunday--Leftovers

I'll let you know what we think of the recipes!

Next, weekly goals. Last week I crossed off the following: 
  • Exercise x 3. Yes! I did it!
  • Finish Around The World in 80 Years. Made progress on this book, but didn't quite finish it.
  • Finish The Mission of Motherhood (and write blog post outline). I finished the book (yay!!!), but not the outline.
  • Finish the letter to my friend.
  • Gather Operation Christmas Child supplies. I got a start on this. I have the box and a few starter gifts (crayons, pencils, chalk, etc.).
  • Plant herb seeds. I need fresh parsley in my life again. Nope. The basil is still lonely.
  • Work on wedding scrapbook for one hour. Nope. Instead, I worked on editing pictures because there are tons of great photo deals around right now.
  • Consistently go to bed by 10 pm and wake up at 6 am (getting up at 6 gives me at least an hour before the little one is up!). Hm. I think I did this 3 days in a row and then I had trouble sleeping and woke up later.
  • Arrange for a friend and I to take our kiddos to storytime at the library. Not yet.
 
Now, for this week:
  • Exercise x 3.
  • Write outline for blog post reviewing The Mission of Motherhood
  • Finish Around The World in 80 Years.
  • Schedule a hair cut for Squishy (he is looking pretty..um...shaggy these days).
  • Schedule a doctor's appointment for Squishy. I have a very hard time remembering to make appointments.  
  • Work for one hour on a photo project.
  • Order Christmas cards.
  • Arrange for a friend and I to take our kiddos to storytime at the library.
  • Oh yes, and I haven't ditched the bedtime/waketime goal. Bedtime goal=10 pm. Waketime goal=6 am.


Are you ready to tackle this new week?



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8 comments:

  1. I won't even tell you how jealous I am that you found The Art of French Cooking for $14!! It's been on my "want" list for a couple of years. I gave it to my best friend for her wedding gift this summer and nearly kept it for myself. Haha!

    The hardest time for me to stick to a good bedtime routine is during the end of my pregnancy. I try waking up by 6 every morning, but if I don't get a lot of sleep, then it just doesn't happen. Kinda like this morning....

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  2. I love your to-do list! I desperately need one, oh, and a menu plan. How novel-lol. Having a plan may get dinner on the table in some better fashion than me staring into 'frig thinking "Dinner speak to me":). I even pre-cook grains in a rice cooker and beans in a dutch oven and freeze them, just so I can be ahead. I think I need to write that menu list!

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  3. WOW! What a great find! I adore cookbooks, thought half of mine are currently packed away in storage :-( I really need to use your idea and set goals, maybe my week would go more smoothly.

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  4. You inspire me to make goals for every week, I tend to make my goals way too big, so I like the fact that you make small goals like work on photo's for one hour. That's doable. Thanks! Love Amelie

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  5. I really need to work on a good bedtime/wakeup goal too! Thanks for the inspiration this week!

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  6. Did you say nutella?! I've lost all other thoughts...

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  7. I love cookbooks too & have a growing collection.

    Your menu looks great!

    I have just recently started making goals for myself, it helps keep me in check and to prioritize.

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  8. Oh your dinner menu sounds awesome and the s'mores look delicious!!

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