MPM - 07/23/07

Well, nobody reminded me that it was Monday. So here I am, again, posting my menu a day late. Oh well. Here goes:

Monday - Turkey Meatloaf (from Sue Gregg's Main Dishes cookbook), mashed potatoes, green beans (we actually ended up having leftovers at G & P's house tonight, so this might be used somewhere else in the week).

Tuesday - Chili Con Carne (also from the Main Dishes cookbook), corn bread, raw veggies (this may end up being the Turkey Meatloaf, since I already have the ground turkey thawed).

Wednesday - Ranch Chicken and Rice, corn.

Thursday - Round Steak Italiano (from the July/August Simple & Delicious), baked potatoes (cooked right in the crockpot with the steak), salad.

Friday thru Sunday (Monday, actually) - The Hubster and I will be in Washington for my baby shower.

Okay, there it is. Enjoy! And have a great week!

MPM - 7/16/07

Okay, I realize today is actually Tuesday (almost Wednesday, in fact). But I made out a menu today, for the next two weeks, and wanted to share. So, here is my menu for the week of 7/16.

Monday - Pizza from Papa Murphy's.

Tuesday - It was supposed to be Pasta with Sauteed Chicken and Broccoli, but we were in town for some (surprise) business, and had Subway instead.

Wednesday - Three-Cheese Baked Spaghetti, salad, refrigerated garlic breadsticks. Then it's off to a baby shower, where I'm sure I'll have some great finger foods and desserts.

Thursday - Potluck for Bible Study. Jenner beef hamburgers, and who knows what else. We are bringing burger toppings.

Friday - Yummy Honey Chicken Kabobs, rice, salad.

Saturday - Thought we were having an anniversary dinner for DH and me, and sister- and brother-in-law. But now I'm not so sure. We may end up having the pasta from Tuesday this day.

Sunday - Beef roast cooked with carrots, potatoes, and onions, and smothered in gravy, with refrigerated biscuits.

So, there is my menu for this week. Hopefully I remember to post next weeks menu next week. Somebody remind me if I don't.

We're back!

We got back this evening from a great weekend visiting friends in Veneta, OR (near Eugene). We did lots of fun things, which I have some pictures of. Unfortunately, I am very tired right now. I have to work in the morning, which means I have to get up early. So, I am not going to post about our whole trip, with pictures, right now. Maybe tomorrow night. But I will share with you our newest family picture, taken by our friend Stephanie, in Florence, OR. Enjoy!

28 weeks

Okay, here is my 28 week picture. I am getting stuff ready for our trip this weekend, so I don't have much time to post anything. Just wanted you all to see. There's not a whole lot of difference between 28 weeks and 24 weeks. I think I got wider this last 4 weeks.

Here is 24 weeks, for comparison.

Homemade Microwave Popcorn

Okay, so here is a recipe for homemade microwave popcorn. I made this last night. It was super easy, and pretty tasty. Of course, it's not store bought microwave popcorn. No fake buttery goodness. But still pretty good. And the bonus is, I know what's in it. It is simple, healthy ingredients. No hydrogenated oils, no trans fat. Just good for ya' stuff.

Plus, per bag, it's probably a lot cheaper than the store bought stuff. I paid $1.29 for a package of 50 lunch bags ($.03/bag). And I paid $2.78 for a container of Orville Redenbacher popcorn kernels. This has 24-1/4 cup servings in it ($.12/serving). This equals out to $.15 per bag of popcorn. It's been a while since I bought microwave popcorn from the store, but I know it's a lot more expensive than that per bag! I think the bag sizes are comparable to the "snack size" bags of popcorn. Like I said, it's been awhile since I bought it at the store, so I'm not sure. It could be in between the snack size and the regular size.

I'm making this again tonight. Two bags, actually. One for the Piddos (as in, kiddo piddos) to share in the tent with Daddy while they are camping out in the yard. And one for me to eat in the bathtub while said Piddos and Daddy are outside. Woo hoo! Okay, here is the recipe.

MICROWAVE POPCORN

1 brown paper lunch bag
1/4 C popcorn kernels
1 tsp olive oil, optional
Sea salt

Place kernels, olive oil, and salt in bag. Fold bag closed three times and shake. Lay bag on it's side in microwave (I did this with my second bag tonight, and it seemed to pop more kernels this way). Microwave about 1 minute 30 seconds (mine stopped popping at about 1 minute 20 seconds when upright, but went the full 1/30 when on it's side). Eat as is or add more seasoning (I added Johnny's Seasoning Salt to mine, but I've got a couple of other recipes for things like Cheesy Popcorn and Chili Cheese Popcorn). Be sure to put a paper towel down in your microwave (and on your counter), as the oil will soak through the bag.

Okay, there you go. Go try it out!

A little movie fun...

Okay, here's how it goes. First, I thought of seven of my favorite movies (okay, one's not a movie, but it won't be hard to guess). Then, I went to IMDb and found the plot keywords for those movies. I'm going to list the keywords below, and you have to try to guess what the movies are. You can leave a message in the comments section with your guess. ***Kim, you have to email me your answers, 'cause this might not be as hard for you as for some!*** As you guess the correct answers, I will post them in a different color. Okay, here goes.

#1: Boyfriend Girlfriend Relationship / Recording Studio / Broken Arm / Military / Church

#2: Judge / Gymnastics / Coach / Courtroom / Melodrama

#3: Female Killer / Honeymoon / Police / San Francisco California / Serial Killer

#4: Teenage Girl / Catholic School / Dog / Stuttering / Talent Show

#5: Cartoon / Blob / Blue / Bull / Bus

#6: Secret Passage / Father Daughter Relationship / Moving / Prayer / Rooftop

#7: Tree / Car Accident / Female Doctor / Drawing / Tree Planting

Okay, so there they are. I have to admit, some of these are pretty obscure. I'm not even sure how a few of them relate to the movies. I'll give you a few hints. #3 is a comedy. And one of these is a brand new (still in theaters) movie. Okay, that's it. Figure them out!!!