Menu Plan -

I did really great last week on my menu plan.  Actually did what I had planned. :)  Let's keep up the tradition. :)

Monday - Monterey Chicken
Tuesday- Salsbury Steak, green beans, rolls
Wednesday - Church
Thursday - Sloppy Joes
Friday - Family Night
Saturday - Cheesy Chicken an Rice Bake
Sunday - I have more chicken recipes, if needed, but I think that we will probably do something that can grow with a crowd :)  I believe it is Superbowl Sunday :)

The Wild West meets Victorian England

The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck was a humorous book that had me laughing immediately. It is an interesting combination of wild west and Victorian England. One of the stories even included a display Buffolo Bill put on in Englad. It is (of course) a love story in a world and time where marriages were often arranged to be convenient to both families involved. Charlotte is a strong minded woman, longing for the opportunity of both education and business experience. She's young, strong willed, and, perhaps, self-centered. Alex Hambly on the other hand is also intelligent, mature, and by nature prone to put others ahead of himself. The meeting of these two independent thinkers will keep you amused as will every encounter thereafter. Thanks WaterbrookMultnomah for providing me with a copy to review. My opinions are my own.

Blogging for Books - The Canary List

My most recent read from the "Blogging for Books" program was The Canary List by Sigmund Brouwer. It is the story of an unloved foster child and the world she gets wrapped up in. It is a fictional look at the Catholic church, and all the inner workings of the Vatican City, complete with how it might be affected by that same foster child.
I enjoyed the book, but some of it was a little to close to home, and other parts were completely far fetched. I know that the Catholic church isn't perfect, as much as I know that there are both good and bad men that have become priests. Some of those men who have not made Christ the center of there lives may have even worked themselves up in the hierarchy of the church, but this author takes it to the extreme. The book as interesting, viewed as a work of fiction, but I am sure some will be offended by the portrayal. That being said, you may enjoy it :). I'm going to give it a 3 out of 5 star rating.
You can check out the book here. You can even read the first chapter while you are there.
Thanks to WaterBrooks Multnomah Publishing Group for providing a free copy for me to review. My opinions are my own.

Menu Plan Monday 1 -23

It is a new week, and time for a new menu. I am going to try a lot new this week if everything goes according to plan, and I am really looking forward to it. I also was able to squeeze in a mini freezer cook day and I am hoping to squeeze in another one before week end.

Freezer cooking session (completed) -
Chili
Sloppy Joes
Chocolate Peanut butter Oatmeal

Freezer cooking session(planned) -
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffins
Some kind of dinner roll

And now for the menu...
Monday- chicken pasta bake (ok, I really just want to clean some veggies out, so I'll cook up some chicken and throw it in a bunch of pasta with all the veggie leftovers, add a little bit of olive oil and cheese)
Tuesday - Slow cooker Fajitas
Wednesday - church
Thursday - Monterey Chicken
Friday - family night
Saturday - Sloppy Joes (from freezer - I will make rolls that day to put the sloppy joe filling in).
Sunday night - salisbury steak

Should be a fun week. We will see how it all goes. For more great ideas check out http://orgjunkie.com

Booking It January 2012

I love to read, and I have loved Booking It, because it  not only reminds me to take time to read, but also makes me a least sit back for a few moments and think about what I have read.  This month (and over Christmas) I read a few books, but I have a couple in progress right now that I can't wait to tell you more about next month. 

Naturally Skinny: 100 Organic Recipes under 350 Calories
 This was a cookbook - there are some interesting recipes in it that I will try, but I was glad that I got the free kindle version - I'm not sure that I would use it often enough for it to pay for itself.  That being said, it is always nice to get another viewpoint on dinner, and this has great snack and breakfast recipes as well.  I'm sure it will see some use in the upcoming months. 

O Little Town
I love Christmas books.  I love the nostalgia, and even the craziness  and sadness of things not going the way it is expected to.  It took me awhile to get into this one because it jumps around from character to character at the beginning, I was sucked in as soon as I saw their lives intersecting, it just took me a moment toget there.  It showed fragile, imperfect people, trying to make it through life regardless of circumstance, and I loved it.  It was a story of forgiveness- Forgiveness both given and received. 

The Cheapskate's Guide to Grocery Savings
This was a very quick read.  There were a lot of suggestions to help cut grocery spending, and I felt like I already do most of them, however I can pass up a book of this title on the offchance that they may have one more trick up their sleeves.   It is also great to have a reminder of things that I should be doing to help keep down my costs - It's a great motivation to keep on keeping on - It is also FREE at amazon right now for your kindle if you want to check it out.

I also started a new bible reading plan this year and have actually stuck to it for 3 weeks - it helps that there is a built in day with no reading.  I've made it to Genesis 50 - now if I can just continue with that great pattern - I always get a lot out of it- It is God's word, and it will not return void - I just need His help to carry through with my good intention. :)