Wednesday's Wonderful Shopping!

Only $8.90 spent!

Fall Centerpiece

On Sunday I went to a church women's lunch after the service. They had these cute centerpieces and I was happily given one to take home and enjoy! It is a mix of real and artificial flowers and leaves in oasis in the pumpkin. They even got resourceful and put lemon halves, leftover from cooking, on picks in the arrangement.

I recently saw a cute idea in Southern Living magazine that involved putting potted flowers and herbs in a pumpkin. Might have to try it out- in the meantime I will enjoy my blooming pumpkin and the scent of my pumpkin spice candle!

Fall Food

Lest you should wonder, I promise that I don't intend for this to become a food blog exclusively. I know you have been waiting on pins and needles for me to post my menu plan for the week.


Although a bit delayed here it is:

Monday: chicken and black bean enchiladas from freezer with Spanish rice and steamed veggies
Tuesday: butternut squash soup and focaccia bread
Wednesday: Turkey paninis on focaccia
Thursday: turkey kielbasa penne
Friday: BBQ sandwiches and oven baked sweet potato fries


We are enjoying some cooler fall weather this week and the soup was delicious tonight. I just love a good bowl of soup!

A few observations:
-lately when I cook I seem to be making bigger messes than ever (I am attributing this to the fact that I only have about a foot of counter space and no dishwasher :)
-I have never spilled so many things in one night as I did tonight (I am adding one of those wand blenders to my Christmas list...no more pouring soup into a blender)
-butternut squashes are next to impossible to cut up...I recommend implementing a husband and a very sharp knife

I will try to post about something other than food this week :)

I almost forgot...

Happy first day of Fall!

Yummy Taquitos!

Tonight I made these Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos that my sister recommended. The verdict: we loved them! We loved how they got crispy in the oven and the filling was very fresh and flavorful. I recommend these for sure!


I also mixed up some Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing which we used on salad and as a dip for the taquitos. This was quite tasty too. We aren't too crazy about mayo over here and I read a comment that suggested using plain yogurt. I did this and it turned out great.

Deals and Meals!

Last week I hit up some good deals at Publix. I got all that is below for about $14!

I do much better with meals if I have a good plan at the beginning of the week. Sorry if it bores you to death, but I love getting ideas from blogs where people tell what they are eating.

Menu Plan:

Monday: Sausage and Spinach Fettuccine- well we ate this tonight (see pic below), I am afraid I can't give it rave reviews. It was certainly super easy and quick to pull together. I wasn't crazy about the sausage though (I used Al Fresco chicken sausage that I got on sale at Publix)
Tuesday: Homemade pizza
Wednesday: Lemon Orzo Salad
Thursday: Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos


What are you eating this week?

Unexpected Bounty and a Meal Plan

A few days ago we unexpectedly and happily came into the possession of a rather large quantity of cooked chicken strips, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheese!! What a pleasant surprise! This morning I knew I needed to get to work on the chicken and use it in some dishes, so I had a mini freezer cooking morning.

The results:
Black bean and Chicken Enchiladas- a variation of this
Chicken Tetrazinni with Mushrooms
Diced Chicken and Sliced Mushrooms frozen for future projects
Pizza Crusts (1 consumed tonight, and one in the freezer for another time)
3 bags of Mojito Lime marinated raw chicken (love to thaw, cook and then use on top of salads or for tacos)




Now for our weeknight meal plan:
Monday: Pizza with mushrooms, chicken, and sun dried tomatoes
Tuesday: Mac and Jack (I book marked this recipe a long time ago and have been meaning to try it)
Wednesday: Salad with mojito lime chicken on top
Thursday: Leftovers

Today I am thankful for the bounty of the Lord!

Matthew 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"