{this moment}

Inspired by Soule Mama:

"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."


Happy Weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Wednesday..

And I just realized that exactly 3 weeks from today I will be sitting in a quiet house because my children will both be back in school. I truly thought I would be happier at the idea than I am...I'm not ready for summer to end, school starts way too early anymore, too many days of rigid institutional instruction and not enough days of fun and play. Oh for the days when school didn't start back up until after Labor Day.....

I think this calls for a day at the pool.....

Menu Plan Monday! (On Tuesday!)

So, I'm a slacker this week. We are having car problems and yesterday it was all I could do to focus on getting the van fixed up and back to working properly and so the grocery list/menu plan fell by the wayside until around 8 p.m. last night. Let's just say the 9 p.m. grocery shopping trip ended with a 10 p.m. trip to the liquor store. It was required (for sanity's sake).

So even though I am late I am still participating in Menu Plan Monday at Orgjunkie.com. Better late than never, right?!

• Monday~Leftovers/Potato soup/Salad-it was clean out the fridge night (I ended up switching around night's last week and we had more leftovers than usual so we saved a meal for this week!)

• Tuesday~Out to the movies and pizza buffet! Googy (what our kids call their Grandpa) is treating us to a movie at our second run theater (Thor...pretty excited!) and then the Cici's pizza buffet. The boys are pumped!

• Wednesday~Grilled BBQ Chicken, roasted beets and sweet potatoes, swiss chard, salad (I'm really curious to see how this one ends up playing out. Pretty sure I'll be breaking out the mac 'n cheese before the night is over)

• Thursday~Homemade vegetable soup and grilled cheese

• Friday~Chicken sandwiches, garlic fries, green beans (and for mom some baked tilapia...I'm the only one who'll eat it, so I gotta take advantage and make it when I can)

• Saturday~We're having friends over for a pizza buffet-thai chicken pizza, black bean nacho pizza and then your regular ol' pepperoni and cheese, salad with all the bells and whistles

• Sunday~leftovers/sandwiches/clean out the fridge day

So there it is. I felt so healthy walking to the check out with all my fruits and veggies last night...so I had to fix that and buy a pint of the most ridiculously chocolate icecream I could find ;) Sometimes you just have to treat yourself a little, ya know? (and that's not just the bourbon speaking..I promise!)

{this moment}

Inspired by Soule Mama:

"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."

a rare moment of accord....they do happen, occasionally....
Happy Weekend...

BBQ Chicken Skewers

We don't actually get to eat grilled food very often. Unfortunately we don't have a gas or charcoal grill, honestly there's just not much room for one on our patio, and it seems to get put on the bottom of the "want" list more often than not. However I have the good fortune to live right across the street from my own dear Mum and she has a seriously elite gas grill with all kinds of goodies and gadgets and she has said we may use it anytime we like. So now I'm thinking....what all can you cook on the grill???!

This past weekend, in honor of my dear Mother's generosity we put together a little dinner spread with all of the most delicious flavors of the season and our centerpiece was a great Kraft Foods recipe called Sweet BBQ chicken skewers. I changed it up, but not much, and OH they were delicious!! Unfortunately I did not get pictures...I was too busy swimming, cooking and then eating. Silly me!

We had fresh corn on the cob, salad, fresh farmer's market green beans (no one can make them like my Mom...I could eat the entire pot myself!), baked potatoes and our chicken skewers. Here is the Kraft recipe, I only changed the recipe by adding extra veggies to the skewers. We used green pepper, red pepper, pineapple, sweet vidalia onions and white mushrooms. I did marinate the skewers for just a bit before grilling. The sauce was just enough to add a kick to the chicken and veggies. Delicious! I was craving a good home baked potato but these would be even more delicious with basmati rice!

So now that I have access to a whole new level of food preparation....tell me: What are your great grilling tips, tricks and recipes? I'm dying to grill everything I can get my hands on now!

And I can't leave you without some kind of photo to pull this post together...or at least give you a giggle...and I have just the picture! While I was chopping and marinating the hubby took our boys to the Cincinnati Art Museum. Let's just say that Liam was less than impressed with the Africa room....


I think it's a little blurry because Daddy may have been giggling....just a little...

The all new Playaway View at KCPL

So, so hot here this week. I mean the kind of hot where it's not even pleasant to be at the pool because the water is 80 degrees by now and the wind blowing is so hot and humid it makes you feel like you are in a sauna. Add an overcast sky and occasional rain moving through and there's just no good reason to go outside.

Inside is much cooler but "boring" if you believe my kids (who, by the way, say this while tripping over a kazillion dollars worth of toys and Legos). Enter the Playaway View, a brand new handheld video player we picked up at the library. Honestly, you'd think my kids had never seen Elmo before...or watched a movie. Somehow putting in a little personal, handheld device makes it SO much more enticing!

We got the chance to check out a few of these little guys and my kids are hooked. I wrote about it in my post over at Family Friendly Cincinnati this week...check it out!!

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Wednesday...

Menu Plan Monday!

I'm taking part in Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday, don't forget to hop over and take a peek at everyone's menus for the week...serious inspiration!

I am having a very uninspired week. I just cannot seem to get on the "let's make this week interesting" game plan! Having had a screaming headache for the last 24 hours or so is decidedly not helping, I can say that much. Perhaps this plan will change before I make it to the store but for now I'm trying to stay with the program even though the only program I want to get with is the one that involves my bed!

• Monday~homemade pizza, salad

• Tuesday~Cincinnati style chili 3 ways, salad (requested by hubby)

• Wednesday~From scratch pancakes, scrambled eggs

• Thursday~Chicken sandwiches, mashed potatoes, green beans (requested by the boys)

• Friday~Spaghetti with marinara sauce, garlic bread, salad, broccoli

• Saturday~Burrito skillet nachos

• Sunday~sandwiches, leftovers, whatever you can find!

Hopefully next week I will be more inspired. Now that it's in print I can really see how boring all of these fall back meals are this week...but what's a girl to do?? I do have a recipe to share later in the week...the chicken skewers we made Sunday on the grill were delicious!

Happy meal planning!

A trip to The BonBonerie

The boys and I took a little ride up to The BonBonerie this past week and brought home some goodies...and I have to be thankful there isn't one just down the street because I could very quickly become addicted!


It took us quite awhile to look over all of the deliciousness they had out on display. I didn't even get pictures of the cakes and tortes and pies and oh SO many other things because we were spellbound by the cookie case and didn't get much further.


We came home with a small box of cookies, 2 for each of us. They were absolutely delicious and so adorably decorated! Unfortunately I didn't even get pictures of the rest of our loot...tuxedo brownies and opera cream cupcakes! I think that gives me an excuse to head back up sometime soon...it's not fair of me to tell you how absolutely mouthwatering the opera cream cupcakes were and not at least show you a picture. I must remedy that. Soon.


As you can see, we couldn't make it home without dipping into our stash. Daddy is lucky, we did show some restraint...we did manage to make it home without eating his share too.

If you get a chance to visit the BonBonerie I suggest you take your sweet tooth and your appetite. Not only do they have a delicious bakery but there is also a tea room/cafe perfect for afternoon shopping breaks!

The BonBonerie is located at 2030 Madison Road in Cincinnati. Check their website for directions and hours of operation. And then try to keep yourself from driving straight up first thing in the morning to grab a box of goodness. I dare you.

{this moment}

Inspired by Soule Mama:

"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."

Happy Weekend...

When simple is best

I happened upon a sale this past week...lovely fresh mozzarella on sale. And right next to the mozzarella? Beautiful tomatoes (okay, not farm fresh...we haven't seen those yet...but still so delicious and ripe). And next to the tomatoes? Fresh organic basil. That sounds like lunch to me!


A little salt, pepper and a drizzle of sweet balsamic vinaigrette and I had the perfect lunch. Sometimes simple is just what the doctor ordered.

Wordless Wednesday

And this is what they call their "poker faces" ;)
Happy Wednesday...

Sweet treats!

We made an impromptu trip to the Dari Crest this weekend...I had forgotten how important ice cream is, especially soft serve, during the hot summer months.


It was our first trip to the Dari Crest as a family. I remember stopping there for ice cream cones once upon a time. Truly delicious. The boys gobbled it up!

Of course, then we came home and bathed...because we wore quite a bit of our treats. But Oh, it was worth it.

Menu Plan Monday!

Monday again...is it just me or do the weeks seem to be flying by way too fast this summer? I'm already dreading next January/February when the time drags to a standstill. Summer just doesn't go slow enough for me.

I'm taking part in Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday, don't forget to hop over and take a peek at everyone's menus for the week...serious inspiration!

We made it through our whole menu plan last week with no substitutions! We even got to those Skillet Red Beans last week and oh my it was delicious!! If you haven't checked out The Kentucky Fresh Cookbook yet you need to! Since my menu actually worked with no switches this time that leaves us ready for a fresh start this week. I want to clean out my freezer a little so we are eating from the freezer and pantry quite a bit this week. Here's what it looks like:

• Monday~The boys and daddy are on their own, I'm having a girl's night out with a dear friend! (Oh Boy is it needed too!) They are helping me clean out the freezer..chicken nuggets and fries for Oldest, Cincinnati style chili (homemade, one of my frozen dinners) for Daddy and Littlest.

• Tuesday~Fish, mac and cheese, broccoli and fries...requested by the family (and on sale this week)

• Wednesday~3 Cheese Pasta bake, salad, garlic cheddar biscuits

• Thursday~Asian Chicken, basmati rice, salad (this is coming from the freezer stash as well)

• Friday~Homemade pizza, salad-this is quickly becoming a standard for Friday

• Saturday~BBQ Chicken Skewers, fresh corn on the cob, salad, garlic fries (if these turn out to be as tasty as I think they will a recipe will soon follow!)

• Sunday~Leftovers, sandwiches, finish cleaning out the freezer day

Most of these dinners are quick to throw together or easily premade so we can spend more time enjoying our last month of summer break. My next goal is to find at least 2 weeks worth of easy, delicious crockpot recipes I can have on hand for our first month of school so that we can still take advantage of the warm weather and pool while we can. I'd really like to have dinner ready to go so we can hit the pool as soon as school lets out and not have to worry with making dinner. As a rule I give in and let myself be lulled into the school rhythm from the start but this year I intend on fighting that as long as possible and making sure we don't take these long, hot days for granted. It is important to get back in the school groove, but it's equally as important to make sure we enjoy every bit of sun and fun we can!!

Do you have a easy to throw together crowd pleaser when it comes to your slow cooker? Please share in the comments!

{this moment}

Inspired by Soule Mama:

"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."


Happy Weekend :)

by the way, that hair would be due to lots of swimming, lots of chlorine, sun and sunblock. Reminds me a bit of Sid Vicious...hehe

Easy, versatile pasta salads!

During the summer months I like to keep easy but delicious side dishes in the fridge that I can grab to go into the cooler for picnics at the park or pool. I have a pasta salad recipe that my mom passed on to me, that is easy and that everyone loves. You can switch things up really easily-add, subtract, even completely change it by switching out veggies or dressing. So versatile!

The original pasta salad went like this:

• 1 box tri-color spiral pasta
• 1 large bottle Italian dressing, zesty
• 1 packet 7 Seas Italian dressing mix
• 1 container grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 green or yellow pepper, diced
• 8 oz. pepperoni, sliced into strips

Cook pasta according to package directions and set aside. Slice tomatoes in half, dice peppers, throw everything together into a large bowl, sprinkle seasoning packet, dump in Italian dressing and mix well. Chill and serve.

Easy, quick, no brainer. To that original recipe we started adding diced cucumber, onion and parmesan cheese. Delicious! Then my sister in law made it and added broccoli. Why didn't I think of that?!

Upon further searching I found this recipe as well....the same basic principle but such a different flavor! I substitute as needed depending on what I have on hand or what is easy to grab at the store and like most other recipes tweaked it until it suited us perfectly.

Southwest Pasta Salad

• .5 box (approximately 8 oz.) tri-color spiral pasta~whole grain or wheat pasta preferably
  
• 1 can sweet white corn~drain and reserve liquid
  
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional..I always cut this at least in half)
• 1 green, yellow or red pepper, diced
• Cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne~to taste I just sprinkle and mix and taste until it's where I want it

Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Toss in drained/rinsed black beans, corn, salsa and bell pepper and mix. Adjust seasonings and mix well. If it seems a bit dry add a touch of the reserved liquid from the corn or even more salsa until it has the consistency you want. If I am taking this as a side dish to a party I top with the cheddar cheese and mix in when we arrive. You can omit the cheese altogether to lower calories and fat (I actually prefer to leave it out altogether)

Such a similar recipe, 2 completely different flavors! Now I can't stop thinking of other combinations! I think this will be our next combination.....pasta, fresh mozzarella, basil, diced tomatoes and a balsamic/olive oil dressing. Mmm!!!

Any ideas for me to try???

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!

Menu Plan Monday! (4th of July Edition)

Another Monday, another menu plan, but this week my schedule will be all out of whack since we're celebrating the 4th of July when I'm normally grocery shopping! I hope that right now you are out celebrating because that's exactly what I plan on doing today! However, we do have to eat the rest of the week so I figured I better come up with a plan. Orgjunkie.com's Menu Plan Monday keeps me motivated when I'd rather just blow it all off and wing it. Winging it usually lands us in the McDonald's drive though and I DON'T want that to happen!

Here's our plan for the week:

Monday~Happy 4th of July! We're having a taco bar lunch with my sister in law and niece...burrito skillet, tacos, tortillas, all kinds of fixings, pinto beans and mexican rice with homemade salsa and pico de gallo. Ole!

Tuesday~Potato soup and BBQ pulled pork sandwiches left over from Sunday's pork roast dinner

Wednesday~Cincinnati style chili 3 ways

Thursday~Italian sub sandwiches/grilled cheese sandwiches (for the boys) with salad and potato wedges

Friday~Homemade pizza and salad

Saturday~Red Beans and Rice, french bread, salad (yet again, another carry over...we ended up being lazy and eating leftovers one night instead of making the red beans. I'm not sure why it's always this particular meal that gets passed over...maybe because most of the ingredients are shelf stable so it's an easy one to save)

Sunday~Pancakes and scrambled eggs (because I got some great ideas for pancakes from last week's post!!)


I have a couple of batches of muffins to make still...banana nut and cinnamon streusel. I'm hoping to find some zucchini at the farmer's market to make zucchini bread with as well. It just sounds delicious, I've been craving it. Do you have a great quick bread recipe you find yourself going back to time and again? Not only do I go back time and again to zucchini bread (with icing sometimes, like my Granny used to make it) but I've also found a great banana bread recipe I stick to because I know it's always going to turn out moist and delicious. If you have a great bread recipe, please share!!

Have a great week and happy menu planning!

Happy 4th of July!

I just wanted to take a minute to say Happy Independence Day to everyone, to hope that you all have a wonderful day full of fun, food and possibly even fireworks. I realize it's a day early, but I plan to swim and play tomorrow too and I didn't want to miss out on wishing you all a great day!!



We plan on hitting the pool for awhile tomorrow, then the boys are heading out to play a little Lazer Kraze for a friend's birthday celebration while Mom gets our taco/burrito bar ready for lunch (it became official when hubby bemoaned the lack of burrito skillet as of late). After our own little lunch celebration we are heading out to finish celebrating our friend's birthday with a cookout and maybe some fireworks. What a fun filled day!


I hope you all have a safe, happy day tomorrow! Happy 4th of July!!!

What's on the menu for your July 4th feast?

4th of July 2009

Well the 4th of July has snuck up on me this year and I haven't got any idea what we'll have on the menu to celebrate! There is the old standby of burgers and hot dogs and typical cookout fare but I'm in the mood to change things up a bit this year. I've tossed around a few ideas in my head but none of them are hitting the mark, really, and now I'm 2 days from the event and stumped!

Something I can prepare in advance and either heat up or keep hot in the crock pot would be best...I don't want to miss out on valuable swim time because I'm chained to the kitchen chopping and cooking. Something everyone can personalize would be great too...that way everyone gets the perfect meal!

My ideas so far are:

• pasta bar (though this isn't at the top of the list, it's a last resort)

• baked potato and salad bar (um Yum! Definite possibility...can think of a thousand toppings for potatoes that sound delish!)

• taco/burrito bar (at the top of the list! Homemade salsa, burrito skillet, re-fried beans, pico de gallo, and so much more!)

• pizza feast (lots of different and unusual pizzas...BLT pizza, Mexican pizza, etc. This idea is actually stolen from my dear friend Katie at the little things blog, she comes up with the best ideas and always shares the best recipes!)

Trying to please a wide variety of tastes certainly factors in...hopefully one of these will fit the bill! Any ideas on great "bar" menus for me? Any you've tried in the past that were a huge success? Share please!

And just in case I don't have a chance to say it again...Happy 4th of July to all of you out there, may your weather be fine, your drinks be cold and your food be delicious! And may your day end looking like this:




And not this:

Happy 4th of July weekend!!

{this moment}

Inspired by Soule Mama:

"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."

Happy Weekend..