Running Time!

Monday, Monday!!!

So, this weekend was great!! We had some of our best friends over Saturday and enjoyed a wonderful meal, competitive game of Mad Gab, and settled down to watch a movie! 

Sunday, we woke up late and had to go to the 2nd service at church! Afterward, we really didn't feel like going out to lunch so we came home and I fixed Lemon Shrimp Parmesan Pasta! It was Amazing and I promise that I will post a recipe this week!! 

A conversation that we had with our 4 year old son on the way to church went a little something like this:

Dillon: "Dad, when we get home, can you build me a monster truck?"

Dad: "We will see"...most common answer in our household!

Dillon: "OK...sissy, dads gonna make a monster truck"

Few minutes later....

Dillon: "Tomorrow, can I get my drivers lessons?"

Dad: "I think you have to be 16 to do that son"

Dillon: " Ah MAN!"

I love those little conversations!!

No menu plan made out today...Will post hopefully tonight!

I finished the Pantry Challenge and I must say, it was easy!! I might even do it every 6 weeks or so!! How did you do on it?? At the end of the blog there is a Mister Linky so link up!!

Today I started the running program! Week 1...OH MY! 

I might be on this week for a couple of weeks! LOL!!

Its hard, but I can do it!!

I am also going to be counting my calories. I was doing Weight Watchers. Don't get me wrong, I like Weight Watchers, but with the new points plus system, I feel I get too many points. I haven't lost anything. What I am going to do is eat 1500 calories a day...for some that may be too many but for me its not! I purchased last year for my birthday, a Mio watch! It keeps up with your calories in/out, heart rate, and so on... I love it! If you burn 500 calories or eat 500 less calories each day, you can loose up to a pound a week. Hopefully I can loose more than a pound a week! According to my watch, I have burned 556 calories in 1 1/2 hours! Not too bad!!

Our local Kroger is having a major sale going on again!! I will be stocking up on some pantry items this week! More to come on this! 

What are your plans for this week? Link up below!!

Hope you have a Blessed day!!!

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Pantry Challenge Day 3: Mexican Night

Sleep 'til you're hungry, eat 'til you're sleepy.  ~Author Unknown

Mexican Night

Pantry Challenge Day 3

Seeing that we still have snow outside and schools were closed again, and we were going on our 3rd day of being snowed in, I decided the kids and I would go out for an adventure. I needed to pick up a few things from Walgreens (I will share my awesome savings tomorrow) and I really needed a new pair of rubber boots to wear out in the snow and to feed the chickens and dogs in! I have stuck to my challenge of not purchasing items for the pantry for the past 2 days and I am not about to jump ship either!! However, that being said, when I was at Wal-Mart getting my shoes, I came across some Craisins at an AWESOME DEAL and I didn't pass them up. I purchased 3 packages, but we do use these on our salads just about everyday!  

I decided that tonight was going to be Mexican night! I came across a recipe I wanted to try out the other day and found this was the perfect night to do so. This was my first time making this dish and I loved it. Dillon on the other hand is a very picky eater and didn't care for it but Emma liked like myself! Hubby has not ate his yet, but I am sure it will be good!!

 Ground Turkey Nacho Bake

1 lb Ground Turkey, browned

2 T Taco Seasoning, I will share my recipe for homemade below

1 cup salsa, mine is homemade

2 Cups refried beans, I made mine with homemade pinto beans

2 8 inch Soft Tortillas

1 can Kidney beans, drained ( I used Pinto Beans since I already was making refried beans. )

1 1/2 cups Shredded cheddar cheese ( I used Mozzarella )

1 cup additional salsa

Tortilla/Corn chips

Brown Ground Turkey and add Taco seasonings and salsa. Cook for about 5-6 minutes. Add kidney beans and cook 2 more minutes.

Spray a 8x8 or 9x9 casserole dish and place 1 tortilla down. Spread refried beans over tortilla. Spoon meat mixture over refried beans and add some crushed up tortilla/corn chips. Add 1/2 cup of salsa and half of shredded cheese. 

Repeat layer. Make sure you end with cheese on top. Bake on 350 for about 15 minutes. 

Let is sit for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving! 

Serve with a side salad! 

YUM!!!

(this picture was taken by my 6 year old daughter!)

You can make this your very own recipe by adding green chili's or jalapenos.  This recipe came solely from my pantry, with what I had on hand. See, cooking from your pantry isn't that hard...but I am only on day 3! 

Bonus recipe!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 T Chili powder

2 tsp Onion powder

1 tsp each Cumin, Garlic powder, Paprika, Oregano, Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

Mix together in a baggy and there ya go!! Homemade taco seasoning! IF you are feeling a little spicy, add in a pinch or 2 of Cheyenne pepper!

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Panrty Challenge Day 2

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.  ~Doug Larson

Pantry Challenge DAY 2

Today is Day 2 of my Pantry Challenge.  

Again, I have not wrote out my menu planning for the next 2 weeks, so I will be working on that today, hopefully! 

If you live in the Mid-South like I do, you know we have snow, and A LOT OF IT!!! We got upwards of 7 inches over the last 2 days. the county south of us got 13 INCHES!!!  That is enough to close down school and the whole county! You would think that being shut up in a house for 2 days, I would get everything on my list done....WRONG!!!

I did however, start back running! My mother gave me her treadmill the other day, ancient but it serves its purpose. Hubby cleaned it up for me last night and I began running again today. Back in April of '09 I ran my first 5K. I hope to run the same one this year and beat my time, if my injury doesn't come back to haunt me. I was sidelined after the 5k due to a stress fracture in my lower leg. UGH!!

Enough about running!!

Lets talk about the Pantry Challenge. It crossed my mind about 11 am that I had not laid anything out for dinner! I then began to read the blogs that I follow. One of them is A YEAR OF SLOW COOKING. She cooks in her crockpot everyday! I found a recipe that I just happened to have all the ingredients to and decided I would make it for dinner tonight. Instead of using the crockpot, I am going to be cooking it on the stove and as a side dish for steak (which I pulled from the freezer around noon). Now, my husband does not like green olives so I am going to hide them in the dish by mincing them. It will still have the same taste, just not visible, which is his problem! Here is the link to the recipe. I will give the verdict tomorrow as to how well it went over with my family. 


So, as you can read, I am using my pantry for dinner tonight. Are you?? If so, leave a comment on what you are having and your plan for your own Pantry Challenge!!

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~