Sun: Dinner at the In-Laws (Thanks Maggie!!)

Mon:  Grilled chicken breast lightly seasoned, served over fresh salad with romaine, cucumber, bean sprouts, celery, tomato and carrot

Tue:  Grilled strip steak, lightly seasoned, served over fresh salad with romaine, cucumber, bean sprouts, celery, tomato and carrot

Wed:  Pasta with fresh cut tomatoes, zucchini, onions, garlic, olive oil

Thur: Black bean soup -or- grilled chicken, with salad

Fri: lovely leftovers (aka more salad

Sat: Out to dinner…friends coming in from Vermont

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I really need to stock up on my healthy veggie packed recipes, my recipe list is getting pretty redundant and boring!!

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Grocery List

This week we need little for us to make it through the week.

eggs
sugar
bread
chicken breast
steak
romaine lettuce
cucumbers
bean sprouts
tomatoes
carrots
oranges
bananas
apples

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Happy cooking!!

This is also another easy one, where you can adjust it to suit your taste.  I make it as follows, but you can increase/decrease the garlic, tuna, and olive oil to your liking.

Also note that I don’t actually measure anything when making this so the measurements are a bit of an estimate.

1lb pasta (I prefer bow ties for this one)
4 tbsp Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
3 cans solid white tuna, drained
1 tsp salt
fresh grated parmasean
fresh ground pepper

Cook pasta following package directions

While pasta is cooking pour olive oil in small sauce pan, add garlic. Cook over medium heat until garlic just starts to brown.

Add tuna to the olive oil/garlic mixture and stir well. Continue to cook over low-medium heat until pasta is done cooking.

Before draining pasta add 1 cup of the pasta water and the salt to the tuna and mix well.

Drain pasta well, do not rinse.

Mix pasta and tuna mixture in a serving dish, top with parmasean and ground pepper, serve immediately.

This tote is created using tea towels as the fabric - what this means is little cutting of crazy big pieces of fabric.  Just a little trimming, a little sewing and voila - a tote is born!!

I definitely need to improve my technique - this was my first time ever putting piping on anything.  It definitely was a little rough.  The lining needs some work too - or maybe the outside does…I don’t know they didn’t match up perfectly in size…but overall I am calling it a success - it is definitely a tote that I will use, which I guess is the point of it…right?

I can’t believe I finally made it and I am going to show a picture….

One thing I really want to be able to do is make little fun stuffed dolls and stuffed animals for my boys and for my friends.  While on Etsy the other day I found these wonderful patterns for incredibly cute little stuffed friends.  I tried the elephant first (big mistake - probably the most difficult) and then I made a little owl.

Say Hello to Olivia!!

I am pretty proud of this little gal.  I am not sure that I absolutely love the fabric combos, but they were scraps I had lying around and I really didn’t want to use anything really special until I had her mastered.  I need to perfect her a little bit, but I am happy with the way she came out and I can’t wait to make a million more like her…and maybe some bunnies, and puppies and goats to go with her!!

Short and sweet this week.

Mon: Personal pizzas topped with fresh veggies
Tue: Corned Beef (well I did marry an Irishman), potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbage
Wed: Meatloaf patties, broccoli, rice
Thur: Chicken Cutlets, corn, salad
Fri: Pasta with beans, garlic, oil, spinach
Sat: Dinner out
Sun: Artichoke/olive chicken bake, new red potatoes, green beans

The Grocery List:

Veggies -
Green giant frozen veggies (they are on sale this week - time to stock up)
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Mushrooms

Meat
ground beef
chicken breast
chicken drums & thighs

Dry Goods
5lb Sugar
Prince Pasta
Brown Rice
Bread crumbs
Pizza crusts

Canned stuff
Tuna
Hunts Tomato Sauce/paste
Canned corn

Dairy
Milk 1% & Whole (buy at CVS its cheaper!!)

Now I just have to get my butt in gear and actually go shopping!!

The wheels are turning, hopefully.  Keep an eye out - If you want to know what to do in RI/Mass with your family I plan to have the info for you.  I hope that some of these ideas will give you ideas for what to do with your family, regardless of where you live.

But now I am throwing it to you as well.  What do you do with your family?  Are there any fun outings that you and your little ones go on that is kind to your wallet?  Is there something you want to try or have been thinking about?

Tell me what you do for fun!!

         So this is my pattern binder - tossed on top of some of my fun new fabrics and projects of course…space is limited…In the front pocket are some letter print outs that I will probably use for appliques and the like as the need arises, I am not cutting them out until I need them.    

       In the first page protector are a couple bib patterns.  There are two different sizes - baby and toddler.  I made these from paper grocery bags.  I found the paper may be a little stiff, but it can take the repeated abuse and holds up great.  Also the cost is perfect and once they get too beat on I can just add them to the recycle bin. 

 If you flip through the book you will find more page protectors containing other patterns I have collected recently.  I also have some directions put in the binder with the patterns, these have been printed out, I punched holes in them, and put right into the binder - no sheet protector needed. I do need to get more page protectors, and I am thinking that I will eventually split the patterns/directions up based on grouping (clothes, toys, accessories, etc).  But for now this is what works for me - especially in my tiny little sewing space.