Super Bowl Sunday!!!

My family equals fans for the Chiefs, Cowboys, and the Colts.  Well none of our teams made it BUT there is always next year!!!  Today it will be just us three celebrating the Super Bowl.  I honestly could care less who wins or loses.  I like sports but find watching it on TV bores the heck out of me.  However the Super Bowl makes up for that boredom with commercials and a half time show.  Then not to mention the food!!!

Here is our menu for the day.  Will post pictures and recipes this week but I have to get back into the kitchen. 
1-Banana Pudding (hubby said to double the batch this time)
2-Sausage Balls
3-Little Smokies
4-Mississippi Sin
5-Spicy Queso
6-Cinnamon Rolls (homemade which is why I need to get back to the kitchen)

Hope you all have a wonderful Sunday whether you celebrate the Super Bowl or not.  Happy Sunday!!

Preschool Adventures

Yesterday I spent all day organizing and turning the spare bedroom into a bedroom and mini classroom.  Come Monday, Gabriel will start PreK-2 here at home.  Also known as, a routine to help STOP the many I am BORED meltdowns he has graciously has been giving me lately. 

Before

After - still have a few things

to hang on the wall

Working with what I have but it works. 

Today I will label - I love a good label maker!

I went to the Cincinnati Home School Convention last year with some friends and another day with Nathan.  I went to get an idea of what is out there for homeschoolers and check out some curriculum.  Mind you I taught inner city 3rd grade students before I became a mom, but I have never looked into homeschooling our kids.  As of right now, I plan on sending Gabriel to public or private school as soon as his age allows him to go.  Until then, Gabriel and I need something to do during the day.  This fly by the seat of your pants stuff doesn't work for me.  I have to have organization, structure, and a game plan. 

The game plan is Flowering Baby 2-3 and Carson the Caterpillar.  As well as planned outings for the park, museums, play dates, the library, and other resources I may pull from such as No Time For Flash Cards, Confessions of a Homeschooler, Star Fall, Enchanted Learning (few of the many sites that I like).  

Nathan and I did not see many Preschool curriculums at the convention.  The few that we did see, seemed to have a lot of worksheets or were geared for the PreK 4 and 5 year olds.  I am not a fan of worksheets and hardly used them in my classroom when I was teaching (yes they have a place but not for everyday use IMO).  I think that is why I went with Flowering Baby and Carson the Caterpillar.  They are fun, creative, hands on, focused on age appropriate activities and learning for PreK school aged kids of 1-5 years old.  

Yesterday while I was getting the daily lessons together and organizing the room, I became really excited.  I felt like I was back to my summer days getting my classroom ready.  Mind you I have no desire right now to go back into a "real" classroom but I am really excited to be in the teaching mode.  Excited because it is my own child whom I will be teaching!  

Best of all I think Gabriel is excited.  He helped (as much as a 2 yr. old can help) set up the mini classroom and all day I heard wow, oh, and momma look.  Then not to mention how bananas he went over the puzzles and paint brushes.  Yeah I really think he is going to enjoy daily activities. 

I hope you come back each week and check out what we have been doing! 

Flashback Friday

Nathan with his mom and grandparents celebrating his OTS Graduation.  I elected to be behind the camera because it was July, in Alabama, and I was about 4 months sick as a dog pregnant.  It was a day full of congratulations, hugs, tears, and some fear of this is really happening.

Fabulous Giveaway!!

One of the Blogs I follow is having a truly wonderful giveaway.  $50 gift certificate for Red Envelope and ProFlowers.  I highly suggest your Blog Hop on over - HERE  Good Luck everyone!! I have a dear friend in mind that I would like to use this giveaway for, if I win of course.

Salmon - Recipe

Living for a few years in California I was blessed with having fish and fresh fish at that.  I'm not sure if I really liked it back then but I do remember lots of Trout and Salmon.  Mom would know the answer though!  A couple of years ago my MIL made us dinner and she served Pistachio Pesto Salmon.  Talk about fabulous!!!  It was our dinner tonight and thought I would share.  Enjoy!!!

Pistachio Pesto Salmon
-Salmon fillet (wild caught and fresh best but I always make sure it is at least wild caught)
-Pistachio nuts (couple hand fulls)
-Pesto (I prefer the basil garlic pine nut pesto)

-Grind pistachios into fine mixture.
-Lay Salmon into baking dish and cover with pesto (as much as you like)
-Then cover pesto with the pistachios
-Bake at 350 until Salmon is done (flaky)

I like to serve it with angel hair pasta but tonight was Mac-N-Cheese and Peas.

Pistachios now finely chopped

Salmon covered with Pesto

Yummy goodness

  Just wish camera took a better picture

Wordless {Wordful} Wednesday

I get surprise photos like this usually daily.  Either hubster or Gabriel will

get ahold of camera and snap a few. 

Last night at dinner.  He was cracking us up while

trying to eat the peas with just his fingers.

Yeah 29 years old and I finally burn part of dinner.

House still smells today.  Oh they were homemade chips.....

Whats better than using a strainer to strain food???

Use strainer has a hat and dance in the kitchen with your mom!!

Note Bailee's expression in the back LOL

Two Week Menu -

I have forgotten to post our menus for last and this week.  I am still using the menu planner that I talked about HERE.  Both sheets are working out fabulously.  Even the hubster made a comment of "WOW I like" talking about the menu sheet.  Here is what has been planned -

Last week
Sunday
B-Pancakes
L-Soup
D-Chicken Spaghetti
Monday
B-Pop Tarts w/Fruit
L-Grilled Cheese
D-Salad with left over Chick. Spagh.
Tuesday
B-Fruit and Eggs
L-Pizza
D-Take Out
Wednesday
B-Cereal w/fruit
L-Grilled Cheese, Veggies, and Chips
D-Basil Chicken
Thursday
B-Oatmeal w/fruit
L-Tortilla Roll Ups
D-Meat Loaf, Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, and Corn
Friday
B-Yogurt
L-Mini Sandwiches
D-Sloppy Joes
Saturday
B-French Toast
L-Left over Sloppy Joes
D-Pineapple Fried Rice

This week
Sunday
B-Pop Tarts w/Fruit
L-Zaxby's
D-Left Overs
Monday
B-Oatmeal and Raisins
L-Mini Sandwiches
D-Chicken Quesadillas
Tuesday
B-Cereal w/Fruit
L-Pizza
D-Mustard Chicken
Wednesday
B-Pancakes and Sausage
L-Veggie Plates with Chicken Nuggets
D-Spaghetti and Meatballs
Thursday
B-Cinnamon Rolls
L-Left Over
D-Dirty Rice
Friday
B-Donuts w/Fruit
L-Sandwiches
D-Salad Night
Saturday
B-Bacon and Biscuits
L-Left Overs
D-Sushi

Here is a picture of the Sloppy Joes we had last week.  They are yummy but want to change some of the recipe before I post.