The Giant Carrot

How can this be? Click on The Giant Carrot in my profile (listed as one of my favorite books), and you will find that (as of today) I am
THE ONLY PERSON IN ALL OF BLOGGER-LAND that has fallen in love with this whimsical book by Jan Peck. Maybe it's the southerner in me that gets into the twangy dialect as I read this out loud to my adoring fans this summer (and that includes the 15 yr old who overheard as I was reading to her younger siblings). Or, could be that the star of the book is a fun-loving little girl, of which we have four! It's most likely NOT the recipe at the end of the book. That's probably not fair to say, though, since I haven't tried it yet. Bottom line-I feel it is my moral obligation to introduce you to this adorable book! You might find a copy at the local library--ours has 13 copies, all of which are currently on the shelf. Go figure.

Menu Plan Monday

One week left before school starts here, and I'm still trying to get used to the old school routine. We're doing better with getting to bed at a decent hour. And, I started the week out with a bang making about 3 dozen of my favorite Vegan Blueberry Muffins; by Wednesday, however, we slipped back into our old routine of cold cereal. I'm back in the saddle, though, to try again!

Meatless Monday

Breakfast: Cheese Omelets

Dinner: Chili Non Carne

Tried and True Tuesday:

Breakfast: Yogurt with mix-ins

Dinner: Mac and cheese, peas, sliced fruit (repeat from last week since we didn't get to have it)

Work less on Wednesday:

Breakfast: Even Better Orange Julius (recipe below) and buttered toast

Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie

Thanksgiving Thursday (named after traditional post-Thanksgiving menu planning):

Leftovers!

First Time Friday:

Breakfast: Banana Blueberry Smoothies

Dinner: Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

Simple Saturday:

Breakfast: Cereal

Dinner: Hot dogs, slaw, baked beans, chips

Slow Cooker Sunday:

Breakfast: French Toast

Dinner: Crockpot Chicken and Rice, green beans, garlic bread

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remember my post about one of my favorite drinks?....the Orange Julius? Well, I've found another recipe that I have tweaked a bit that I like even better!

Even Better Orange Julius

2 cups of OJ
1/2 c powdered milk
1/4 powdered sugar (less if you want)
1 tsp vanilla
8-10 cubes of ice

Add the first four ingredients to the blender and mix. Add ice cubes one or two at a time until totally crushed. Serve immediately. Makes 3-4 servings in our house.

Freebie: GeoTrax Children's DVD

I just couldn't wait until Friday (again!) to tell you about this freebie. It comes to you courtesy of Sarah who posts at Blissfully Domestic. Order this GeoTrax DVD for FREE, including the shipping! Although I've never heard of this Fisher-Price toy line (sniff, sniff--my kids must be growing up!), it might make a great Christmas present for the little ones in your life since the shipping is 12-14 weeks (while supplies last, of course!). Thanks, Sarah!

Thrifty Thursday - Make-A-Note

Have you heard of Make-A-Note? It's a great little newsletter that you can subscribe to by sending an email to subscribe-make-a-note@hub.thedollarstretcher.com. While the website doesn't appear up-to-date (when I clicked Current Issue it actually displayed a very old issue), the newsletters are distributed faithfully (once or twice a month) and are chock full of tips: money saving tips, time saving tips, recipes, etc...it's a good mix. This week, however, the one snippet that caught my eye included a link to this article: 10 Cool and Creamy Desserts Under 300 Calories, posted at MyRecipes.com. YUM, YUM!

Freebie Monday?...Free Film Developing

I couldn't wait until Friday to talk about Walgreens' free film developing that will take place THIS WEDNESDAY, so I'm posting my Freebie Friday on Monday. I hope that made sense! Even if it doesn't, click the link above to snag your coupon then head on over to Walgreens on August 6th to unload one of the one-time use cameras that you have piled up in your cabinet that you've been meaning to develop for the past 5 years. I think I only need about eight more of these freebies to clean out my stockpile. :)

Edited to add: The coupon is good for all types of film (not just one-use cameras). Read the fine print for more details!

Menu Plan Monday: Breakfast and Dinner Edition

We're counting down the days until the return to school, so I'm going to add a breakfast item to my menu beginning this week (we have gotten too attached to cold cereal and milk!). I'm easing myself into more hardy breakfasts so that I'm sending my kiddos off to school with a healthy start and full tummy come August 18th. Where I can, I'll make double or triple batches and freeze it so that there are leftovers for the first week or two of school when things start to get a little more busy around here.

As far as last week's menu, we had a few changes, but I was able to make the Rich and Creamy Tomato Basil Soup. It was delish with a dollop (or two, or three...) of sour cream. And, I let mine simmer quite a while since I like it to thicken up a bit. Mmm, mmm good! I highly recommend it if you like tomatoes. On with the menu so that I can cozy up with my newest book, Breaking Dawn (can't wait to read it...the reviews on Amazon have been very mixed!).

Meatless Monday

Breakfast: Vegan Blueberry Muffins (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these!)

Dinner: Ravioli, salad, crusty bread

Tried and True Tuesday:

Breakfast: Cereal

Dinner: Sausage and Rice Casserole (scroll down for the recipe once you click the link)

Work less on Wednesday:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with dried fruit

Dinner: Mac and Cheese, peas, sliced fruit

Thanksgiving Thursday (named after traditional post-Thanksgiving menu planning):

Leftovers!

First Time Friday:

Breakfast: Peanut Butter Blender Bread with jam

Dinner: Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing

Simple Saturday:

Breakfast: Grits (It's a southern thing!) and eggs

Dinner: Hamburgers, fries, green beans, fruit salad

Slow Cooker Sunday:

Breakfast: Cereal

Dinner: BBQ Riblets, corn, baked beans, garlic bread

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Visit Orgjunkie.com for more menu plans!

Freebie Friday: Potty Training Kit

Thanks to Money Saving Mom, I bring you a link to this free potty training kit from Pampers. Go here to claim your gift!