Monday, April 11, 2011

Menu Plan Monday: 4/10/11-4/17/11

Sunday
Lunch: Tacos, Enchiladas and Refried Beans (Slow Cooker Enchiladas: 1 can enchilada sauce or 1.5-2 cups homemade sauce, 1 package of at least 10 corn tortillas, .5-1 lb cheese, depending on your taste and health concerns.  :o)  In a 1.5-2qt slow cooker, pour a little enchilada sauce to coat the bottom.  Place a corn tortilla (or pieces of corn tortillas if they are not the same shape/size as the crock) on top then a layer of shredded or thinly sliced cheese; I like medium cheddar.  Pour more sauce over the cheese, and then add another tortilla layer, compressing everything.  Top with more cheese and sauce and tortilla, pressing each layer.  Repeat until you use the last of the enchilada sauce.  Cook on low for at least a couple of hours.  Serves 4-6.  Be sure to watch it; the edges will darken too much after a few hours.  I've found 2-4 hours works for me.)
Dinner: Chicken Tikka Masala, Aloo Gobi and Brown Basmati Rice

Monday
Lunch: Hopefully lunching with Daddy
Dinner: Slow Cooker French Dip and Cheesy Vegetable Bake (Some combination of frozen veggies and cheese with a Ritz Cracker and butter topping)

Tuesday
Lunch: Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese and Broccoli (We'll just pour the mac-n-cheese over the broccoli)
Dinner: Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce and Toast (Sauce: Brown ground beef with garlic, onion or shallot salt and garlic pepper; then add a jar of pasta sauce and veggies, like frozen spinach and grated carrots, and simmer while the pasta/squash cooks)

Wednesday
Lunch: Hopefully lunching with Daddy
Dinner: Chicken Green Bean Casserole (I skip the croutons and instead add a bag of stuffing mix to the soup/chicken/green bean mixture)

Thursday
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: Dining Out

Friday
Lunch: Hopefully lunching with Daddy
Dinner: Frozen Pizza, Salad and Crudites

We don't know what our weekend plans are yet!

Note: We serve fruit with every meal.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Logic of a three year old, applied to Christmas

This morning on the way to church, I was talking to Ellie about our upcoming visit from Nonni and Poppi (her grandparents) and how they'd be here for Easter.  I decided to tell her about the death and resurrection.  Evidently she liked the story because she asked me to tell her more Jesus stories.  I told her about Christmas.  I tried to convey the downsides of being born in a stable by calling it a barn - at which point she confirmed that there were cows present - and I reminded her of how stinky the cows are at the dairies by our house.  Then I told her about all of Baby Jesus' visitors and the gifts the kings brought: gold, frankincense and myrrh.  I explained that those are things that smell good.  Ellie interjected, "To cover up the smell of the cows?"  I laughed and agreed that was a possible use for the gifts.  She ended the story for me: "And then his Nonni came to visit and...[insert long list of Nonni-Jesus activities]."

What I learned: Only a three year old could make the birth of Jesus seem like any ordinary day.