Menu Plan Monday ~ In Reverse ~ October 31st

I am participating in Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com, but unlike most of the other participants who plan their menus and post them that week, I'm always a bit behind, and I post my menus a week later. I do this so that I can let you know if I try a new recipe and it's not that great. I don't want to blog about a recipe if it's no good. I cannot emphasize enough how much menu planning has helped me out. I'm spending less at the grocery store, we are eating out less, and eating healthier foods. I'm not as stressed out at dinner time trying to pull something together with whatever ingredients I have on hand. It takes a bit of time on the weekends to create our menu plan, but all week long I'm thankful that I took the time to get organized and make a plan! I look at my calendar for the week while menu-planning and figure out what kind of meal would be best for each day. Busy evenings call for crock pot cookin' while Friday night family nights are a little more relaxed and I can take my time cooking. Participating in MPM has also inspired me to find new recipes for my family, and I hope that when you read this post you can find new recipes for your family as well!

Here's what was cooking at our house last week:
Honey Mustard Pork Chops
Balsamic Chicken & Wild Rice
Brinner (of course!) : Whole Wheat Waffles
Slow Cooker Chicken Terriyaki
Swiss Chard & White Bean Soup

What's cooking at your house?

Have a SUPER Halloween!

Our family wishes your family a very SUPER Halloween! 
From left to right:  Super Henry, Super Love Bug, Captain "Sam"erica, and Max Lightning. 
I found these fabulous capes at Superfly Kidz on Etsy, and the kids instantly fell in love with them.

Here's a glimpse of the kids in years past (I do love a theme for Halloween!)

Disney on Ice :: In Review

My family was treated to a magical experience this weekend.  We were lucky enough to receive tickets from Feld Entertainment to go see Disney on Ice.  Our seats were phenomenal, we were close enough to touch the skaters...in fact, a few times the performers interacted with us.  At the beginning of the show Goofy fell into the chair in front of Max and leaned back.  And Peter Pan gave the girls a wink and a smile.  Disney on Ice is a wonderful family event.  In this program Mickey & Minnie and friends were travelling, and along the way we were given a peek into several movies.  We saw a mini-version of The Lion King, Peter Pan, Lilo & Stitch and The Little Mermaid.  The skaters were awesome...especially those wearing big costumes (Flounder, Stitch, etc).  I can't believe how well they were zooming around with all that padding on!  The tickets were free, so I splurged a bit and bought some popcorn buckets for the kids...they were in heaven.  We are still saving for a trip to Disney World (and with a family of six saving their pocket change it could be a while), so for now we are happy to have special occasions like this where we get a glimpse of the characters in action.  

Thank you so much Feld Entertainment for treating us to such a memorable night!

The fabulous cast of Disney on Ice

Hello Flounder!

Max loved the show...but he also got a kick out of the Zamboni.

Tinkerbell watches as Peter Pan and the Darling Children fly off to Neverland.

Hook and his pirate crew

Disclosure: I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events.

{this moment}

Inspired by SouleMama: A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.



monsters on crafty crow!

I am super excited...today one of my posts (Monster Mayhem) was featured on the Crafty Crow!  It's an awesome blog with lots of great crafty inspiration!  Be sure to head over and check out all the cool crafty ideas. 

applesauce

a few weeks ago we went to evan's orchard and came home with an abundance of apples.  usually i make apple pies, but i wanted to do something different this  year, so i found this slow cooker applesauce recipe at a year of slow cooking.  it was so very easy to make, the house smelled amazing and it tasted delicious! i have been relying on the slow cooker more and more recently.  it's a huge help on busy days.  so i'm on the lookout for more slow cooker recipes...what is your favorite slow cooker recipe?

menu plan monday ~ in reverse ~ october 24

I am participating in Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com, but unlike most of the other participants who plan their menus and post them that week, I'm always a bit behind, and I post my menus a week later. I do this so that I can let you know if I try a new recipe and it's not that great. I don't want to blog about a recipe if it's no good.  I cannot emphasize enough how much menu planning has helped me out.  I'm spending less at the grocery store, we are eating out less, and eating healthier foods.  I'm not as stressed out at dinner time trying to pull something together with whatever ingredients I have on hand.  It takes a bit of time on the weekends to create our menu plan, but all week long I'm thankful that I took the time to get organized and make a plan!  I look at my calendar for the week while menu-planning and figure out what kind of meal would be best for each day.  Busy evenings call for crock pot cookin' while Friday night family nights are a little more relaxed and I can take my time cooking.  Participating in MPM has also inspired me to find new recipes for my family, and I hope that when you read this post you can find new recipes for your family as well!

Here's what we ate last week:
Monday ~ Dill Pot Roast with wild rice (a family favorite!)
Tuesday ~ Beef Barley Vegetable "Stoup" (super easy and super yummy)**
Wednesday ~  Brinner:  Whole Wheat Waffles, sausage, and hashbrowns
Thursday ~ Skillet Pork Chops with Rosemary Cream Sauce & Egg Noodles**
Friday ~ Homemade pizza
Saturday ~ Dinner at our school's Fall Festival
Sunday ~ Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola Sauce, herb-roasted potatoes, sauted snap peas & homemade slow cooker applesauce**

**I got several of my recipes this week from my new favorite cookbook: Eat What you Love by Marlene Koch I highly recommend it.  I borrowed a copy  from the library a while back and then ended up buying it because I loved it. 

What's cooking at your house?

herb roasted potatoes

I'm going to share my recipe for herb roasted potatoes.  But first I have to say again, I love my new camera  (s) so very very much.  They make these potatoes look amazing (which they are).  I still have not read my manual, so I know there's much more I could be doing.  But I do love it on automatic!  Now, on to the recipe for these pretty potatoes...

Herb Roasted Potatoes
3 lbs. Red Potatoes (washed & cut into wedges)
1/2 cup Olive Oil
3 spoonfuls minced Garlic
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Cumin
1 tsp. Paprika
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1/4 tsp. Ground Red Pepper

Toss all of the ingredients in a large ziploc bag.  Spread into a 9x13 glass dish.  Bake at 425degrees for 45-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

bath time

another perfect pout

i love capturing the perfect pouts in my family!

{this moment}

Inspired by SouleMama: A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

perfect pumpkin pennants

Isn't this pumpkin pennant garland adorable?  My friend Katy B. makes them and sells them on Etsy, she does not have many items in her shop, but she does custom orders.  She made a wonderful garland for Henry's 1st birthday party, she made it using the details about the party that I gave her (excuse the sloppy job I did hanging Henry's garland, I forgot to bring the removable clips that she sends with every garland).  Everyone thought Henry's birthday garland was very cool.  So if you have a party coming up and you are looking for a sweet decoration you can get in touch with her via her Etsy shop!

jars

I have some odd collections.  I collect salt & pepper shakers, buttons, old glass beads, state quarters, and more.  One of my favorite things to collect are jars.  I love glass jars of all shapes and sizes.  I especially love the older jars.  I find them so useful for storage, and fun for displaying items.  I have to thank my parents for always letting me root around for treasures in the basement, and for letting me swipe items off the yard sale tables...I've gotten some of my cooler glassware from them! 

Here's a peek at some of the many jars around our house...

the snack jar collection

perfect storage for kosher salt

my buttons

the "disney fund" (i've been told that it will take more than ten jars this size for me to be able to take our big clan to disney!)

the small jars, too small to hold much, but i like them empty

the marble jar

i use many jars to hold art supplies like jewels

michael inherited these jars from his grandfather, perfect tool storage

sharpie holder

pop tabs for the ronald mcdonald house, right by the sink where so i will remember to save them

what do you use glass jars for?  or what unusual collections do you have?

menu plan moday ~ in reverse ~ october 17

I am participating in Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com, but unlike most of the other participants who plan their menus and post them that week, I'm always a bit behind, and I post my menus a week later. I do this so that I can let you know if I try a new recipe and it's not that great. I don't want to blog about a recipe if it's no good. Participating in MPM has inspired me to find new recipes for my family, and I hope that when you read this post you can find new recipes for your family!


Here's what we dined on last week...I'd love to hear what your family is eating!

Monday ~ Tacos
Tuesday ~ Leftover Basil Burgers
Wednesday ~ Carryout
Thursday ~ Chicken & Pesto stir-fry with pasta
Friday ~ Homemade Pizza (thank you Michael for making dinner!!)
Saturday ~ We dined at Michael's cousin's Wedding
Sunday ~ Oven Beef & Vegetables

the apple orchard

Today we met our dear friends at  Evan's Orchard in Georgetown, Kentucky...it's our favorite place to pick apples and look for pumpkins.  I've written about it before...on Family Friendly Cincinnati, and here on the little things blog.  Please share your favorite apple recipes in the comments section!!

Disney on Ice :: GIVEAWAY - CLOSED!

Congrats to Melissa, who won the family four pack of tickets to see Disney on Ice!  She is taking her nephew who is 2 1/2 years old, it will be his first show!  And thank you to everyone who entered the contest!  Stay tuned, I'm working on some new giveaways for the coming months :)
If you did not win but still want to see the show look below in this post for the links to other giveaways, as well as a link for a discount code if you are buying tickets!
Thank you to Feld Entertainment for generously giving the tickets for the giveaway and for my family!

It's time to escape the monotony of your everyday life!  You have the opportunity to win tickets for a trip with Mickey & Minnie on their adventure!  Feld Entertainment is bringing Disney on Ice: Mickey & Minnie's Magical Journey to US Bank Arena in Cincinnati in just a few weeks!  And they shared tickets with me to give away to one lucky reader (they were also kind enough to share tickets with my family so we could enjoy the show).

Here's a bit about the show:  “Make imagination your destination when Disney On Ice presents Mickey & Minnie’s Magical Journey! Join Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse on a journey into the magical worlds of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Peter Pan and Lilo & Stitch. Celebrate the music, beauty and laughter in a journey so magical, you’ll never want to go home.”


Giveaway Details:  One comment below will be chosen using Random.org on Thursday, October 20th at 2pm.   The winner will receive a family four pack of tickets to Disney on Ice for FRIDAY OCTOBER 28th at 7pm, please only enter the giveaway if you are able to go to the show on that date.  The winner must live in the Cincinnati area.  The winner will be announced here on the blog and on the little things facebook page.  The winner will have 24 hours to respond or another name will be chosen.  Please be sure to leave your email address in your comment, and I will try to reach you by email. 

How to Enter:

1st Entry:  Leave a comment telling me why you want to win these tickets (don't forget to leave your email address!)
2nd Entry:   "Follow" this blog:  Add it to your Blog Reader, become a fan of the little things blog page on facebook, OR sign up for Email Notifications for new posts (see box at the top of this page to the left), if you already "follow" me, then leave a comment saying so. 
3rd Entry:  Share this giveaway with your friends!  You can do so with Twitter, Facebook, Email or even by Phoning a Friend, and then leave a comment telling me how you shared the contest. 

A few more notes, please remember you can purchase discounted tickets to the show by clicking here.  Take advantage of a special discount by clicking on the Family 4 Pack offer. This package includes 4 tickets to any Disney On Ice performance of your choice, 4 small popcorns, 4-16oz lemonades and 4 lollipops – all for just $99! It’s not valid on Circus Celebrity or VIP seats; no double discounts; minimum of 4 tickets per order.

Also, if you feel like having more chances to win tickets, there are a few more blogs having giveaways:
Family Friendly Cincinnati
Little World Afterall
MasonMetu
I'm Living the Good Life


GOOD LUCK!


Disclosure: I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events.

a quick trip to the wild west

Do you remember me telling you about the Old West Festival a while back?  I even had a set of tickets to share in a giveaway.  I was lucky enough to receive tickets to the festival for my family as well.  The folks behind the festival are so generous that way. I had read all of the descriptions of the festival, and I had heard from so many people how cool it was, but it wasn't until this weekend when I went with the kids that I realized just how very cool it is.  It was so much more than I had expected.  Going to the Old West Festival is truly like stepping back in time.  Once you pass the ticket counter you are in Dodge City, back in the days of yesteryear when can-can dancers were all the rage and cowboys & deputies wandered the dusty streets.  Train whistles are heard in the distance and a covered wagon carries people through the fields.  There was so much to do at this festival, there's food, entertainment, crafters, games for the kids, music, and of course action.

Dodge City, circa 1878

Max takes a ride on Lightning (this was his favorite part of the festival!)

The kids were sworn in and deputized by the sheriff

These ladies on horseback were amazing - and the horses rode right past us, we felt like we were inside the fence with them!

Cowboy Sam

Ok, so you see this covered wheel-barrow?  There was a baby inside, a precious little baby girl in a bonnet.  It was adorable!  And do you see that guy bending down talking to her?  He was shot down in the street by a roaming cowboy while his can-can dancing lover looked on.  It all took place just moments after I snapped this photo.  The kids loved all the wild west action in the streets!

And here is sweet prince Henry.  He had that look of wonder on his face all day, he loved all the sights and sounds!

Here's Max with one of his cowboy friends.

If you live in our area did you make it to the Old West Festival this year?  What was your favorite thing?