O.k..I said I was going to do this, and I am! I am still working out some kinks but this is my menu for this week. I try to leave one day free, as a cook’s choice sort of day to allow for weirdness in my week. We rarely have leftovers but it is a good time to use them if you have them. There are several recipes I am working on in the mix this week, as well as a new glaze for turkey that I am working on for Thanksgiving.

BBQ Chicken Pizza on Whole Wheat Crust

Monday nights are hectic because the kids have activities as church. Wenesday nights they have youth so that is another hectic night. Try to allow for those types of things by making as much ahead of time as possible. Learn to use your kids as prep coooks. Cooking is a great way to build relationship and I have heard more “secrets and confessions” from my prep cook of the day than you can imagine. Have a child that has trouble releasing emotion? Give them some onions to chop so they have an excuse to have a good cry.

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As I said I worked on my planned Father’s Day Menu today. Because I was developing the recipes I thought it would be good to do it when I had time to make adjustments. It turned out to be a good thing. Marc has to work Father’s Day so I just said, “Well, Happy Father’s Day, then!”

Pictured above are all of the items on the menu. I did it all in one day so I could better give you an idea of how to make things ahead, and what kind of time you are looking at. This post is the schedule and in the following few days I will get the recipes posted. It isn’t difficult at all, pinkie swear. If you plan well, and make some things ahead you should be able to knock this out really quickly. I shopped for, prepared, and served this all in one afternoon. I began the prep at 2:30 and served the meal at 6:30. Not all of that was work time.

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So, I wake up this morning and Nick (9) says, “I am not going to church, mom, I am feeling really sick.”

Marc has had a horrid cold, which he passed to Matthew (17) and Nick was sniffling and sounding stuffed up. I was not going to argue with him. I don’t like taking the kids out when they are sick, even a little. It exposes other people to what they have and, with their immune systems all ready compromised it adds to the likelihood that they will pick up something else.

My kids are a pretty healthy bunch, we get maybe a cold or stomach bug once or twice a year. I usually treat it with herbs and natural items, plenty of rest, and isolation from the germy public. Since I work at home, and we homeschool we don’t HAVE to be out and about the way others do..Just one more way that I am blessed.

Nick and Bella

Anyway, so Kyrie (5) decided since I was staying home she was going to stay home to “amuse Nicky because he is sick”. Matt had overslept and was still dealing with the residue of his cold..so he opted to just relax today, too.

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Just thought I would share! Baby showers are so much fun. I did not decorate for this one but I got some great ideas from the woman that did decorate! The complete menu is posted at Kettle and Cup.

The decorations were all vintage.

The vintage stuff was massed on tables. Great technique!

Isn’t this duck the cutest thing?

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It is no secret that my political leanings are definitely Republican.  I am not as thrilled as many of you, and would have preferred Colin Powell to be the first African American President, to be honest.

But, now that it is over…meh…we’ll see.

Anyway.  I thought you would like to know that the menu and recipes for the inaugural luncheon menu have been released and you can recreate the luncheon in all of it’s glory at home.   For some serious change.  Because these ingredients aren’t cheap.

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It would be because Marc Audet accidentally Read more

Lifestyles theme day today is A Blast from the Past.  I thought it would be fun to look at historic fourth of July Menus. Read more

There is something about Texas food. it is unassuming, not particularly fussy and usually easy to make with local ingredients. The flavors are as in your face as a drunk cowboy and it seems to be served in amounts that would feed a whole corral of hungry cowpokes.

For me, Texas foods and flavors are just exactly what summer is all about. Read more

Fourth of July is coming up and I thought that I would put together a few menus from our past holidays.

When I was growing up we had a pool and my parents did a big July 4th bash every year.  One year that I remember especially well was themed “Christmas in July” and they strung lights around the landscaping bushes that were around the deck.  They wrapped small gifts and had “Santa” deliver them to the guests. It was great fun, wonderful memories, and I think that they may have gotten through that entire day without one arguement.  Amazing. Read more