Menu Plan Monday. May 19, 2014

Hello! Hope you all had a great weekend! We sure did! It was sunny and slightly cool here in Charlotte...my favorite kind of weather.
We have company coming this weekend, so my menu plan may change a little , but for now this will work.

Monday- Tex-Mex Fajitas, fruit, and salad.
Tuesday- Hungarian Cottage Cheese Noodles with bacon, green peas, and rolls.
Wednesday - leftovers
Thursday- Fresh grilled salmon, salad, and quinoa.
Friday- pizza with friends.
Saturday Lunch- Out to Lunch Cafe 100
Saturday Supper- Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup, salad, and The Bread.
Sunday- Out to Lunch...Salsaritas?

Guess what! We have a new Farmer's Market in our area! We have enjoyed watching it grow each week and it has become such a fun time to see friends! Fresh fish, veggies, flowers, bread, cheese, honey. There is even a taco truck! So much fun! Do you have a farmer's market nearby? You should check it out!

Colorful Veggies at our local market.

What's cooking in your kitchen this week? I would love to know!
xoxo, Elizabeth

p.s. I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday! Come join me!

Menu Plan Monday and my Stitch Fix Dress! March 31, 2014

Hello Friends,
I hope you all had a good weekend! Ours was fun! My son took his first karate test and earned his orange belt! Little Polka Dot and her dad went to the Father Daughter dance at school, we helped at the church yard sale, and went bowling with our youth group.
What did you do this weekend?

I know most folks hate Mondays, but I like the fresh start...how about you?

What's cooking in our kitchen this week? So many good things! I have been eating gluten-free for the last 6 months. I can easily substitute gluten-free noodles and corn tortillas.

Monday- Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese (Without meat and with gluten-free noodles.)
Tuesday- leftovers
Wednesday- Tex-Mex Fajitas with fresh fruits and veggies. (I will use corn tortillas.)
Thursday- leftovers
Friday- pizza night! (I will have a big salad.)
Saturday- Fresh Spring Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Sunday- dinner with friends:)

I also shared my simple way to get my family to eat more veggies last week. I will be adding this at every meal.

I promised I would share a picture of my new dress from Stitch Fix! I'll share two...one with a scarf and one with a necklace! Which do you like best? Thanks for your help! You can follow my referral link if you would like a Stitch Fix box of surprises!

41 Hawthorn
Freddy Sleeveless Chiffon Dress 

41 Hawthorn
Freddy Sleeveless Chiffon Dress

Hope you all have a very happy day! Thanks for stopping by!
xoxo, Elizabeth

p.s. I am linking up with Menu Plan Monday! Come join the fun and get some fresh ideas for dinner!

Menu Plan Monday. March 24, 2014

Hello sweet friends! I hope you all had a good weekend! Ours was busy with scouts, shopping for Spring clothes for my daughter, a school play, and youth group activities. And Friday morning, I went to see the new movie, God's Not Dead. It was really good and very inspiring!

What's cooking in our kitchen this week?

Monday- Curried Red Lentil Soup with Chickpeas and Quinoa and salad.
Tuesday- leftovers
Wednesday- Healthy Mexican Sweet Potato Skins, salad, and fresh pineapple.
Thursday- Cottage Cheese Noodles w/Bacon, green peas, and rolls. (recipe from a friend)
Friday- Leftovers
Saturday- Vegetable Beef Stew, salad, and rolls. (recipe from a friend)
Sunday- Dinner out.

Hope you all have a great week! What's cooking in your kitchen? I'd love to know!
xoxo, Elizabeth

p.s. I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday! Come join me!

Menu Plan Monday. July 8, 2013

Our Pink Hydrangeas

  Happy Monday! We had a great weekend! My hubby was off for two extra days for the 4th of July. We enjoyed going to the pool and watching fireworks at our little neighborhood park. We learned long ago that it is the perfect place to gaze at the fireworks bursting all around our neighborhood. We set our chairs up on the peaceful little hill in the park and watch the show, just the 4 of us. I am glad my children are still amazed at the dazzling works of art in the sky!
  I am sharing a photo of our lovely pink hydrangeas. They are loving our shady backyard and all the rain this year! We have lived in our home 8 years and this is only the second time they have bloomed.

It's time to plan the menu for the week!
Monday- Healthy Mexican Sweet Potato Skins and watermelon.
Tuesday- Curried Red Lentil Soup with Chickpeas and Quinoa and a salad.
Wednesday- dinner with friends
Thursday- leftovers
Friday- dinner with friends/family
Saturday- Tex-Mex Fajitas  and fresh fruit.
Sunday- Spaghetti with Veggie Bowtie Pasta (my daughter's favorite noodles from Barilla!) and a salad.

My birthday is this week, too! At least it is not the BIG 40 ! I dreaded that number last year!

I hope you all have a happy week! Do you have any pretty flowers blooming in your yard? I would love to know!

xoxo Elizabeth

P.S. I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday! And this is the week of the big Summer Sale at Polka Dot Skies!

Menu Plan Monday. July 1, 2013

Hello! I have missed you all! I took a little break from the blog while my children and I were visiting my parents for a couple of weeks. It was so nice to be in South Carolina. I grew up in the country and it will always be home to me!

What's on the menu this week?
Monday- leftover veggie spaghetti. My hubby cooked for us last night!
Tuesday- Tex-Mex Fajitas and fresh S.C. peaches.
Wednesday- Roasted Red Pepper and Mixed Green Salad. (from my friend, Amy)
Thursday- Grill out for the 4th of July!
Friday- Cottage Cheese Noodles with bacon and green peas.
Saturday- leftovers
Sunday- dinner out with friends

How have you all been? My parents do not have an internet connection and I don't have a fancy phone, so I feel like I am really "out of the loop". I have just reopened Polka Dot Skies and I am looking forward to catching up with my inspiring bloggy friends! Please leave a note and let me know how you are doing!

xoxo Elizabeth

p.s. I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday!

Memorial Day Thoughts and Menu Plan Monday,on Tuesday. May 28, 2013

Hello Lovely Friends!

I hope you all had a good weekend! Here in the states, we observed Memorial Day. For me this day is always a bit somber. We often take our freedom for granted. It was secured for us by brave men and women who fought for our country. My grandfather fought in WWII. He was one of the finest gentlemen I will ever know. He left my grandmother and a young child (my aunt) to go fight in the war.
 
My grandfather did not talk about the war when I was growing up. He was kind, good-natured, and deeply patriotic (in a very reserved way). Everyone in our small community called him Daddy Rob. He was always helping someone with home repairs, yard work, or stopping by to check on elderly neighbors in the community.

When my son was in 1st grade, he was working on a project and asked Daddy Rob some questions about the war. It was the first time I had heard him speak of it. He was there when his unit freed a concentration camp. He received a medal for protecting his unit during a battle. He spent many days and nights in cold fox holes. But he was some humble when he spoke of his part in the war. It just made me more proud of him.

One day, I will write more about my grandfather. He passed away a couple of years ago. He was 90. The last time I saw him was on his 90th birthday. He was one of the most special people in my life. I still get teary-eyed when I think about him being gone, but he had a strong faith and I know I will see him again one day.

I hope you all don't mind me getting sentimental. I know so many of you have special loved ones in your life who have served our country, too.

This week is busy.  We have guests coming this weekend!
Tuesday- Fresh Spring Rolls with Homemade Peanut Dipping Sauce
Wednesday- Curried Red Lentil Soup with a salad.
Thursday- leftovers
Friday Lunch- Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup and salad.
Friday Dinner- Sandwiches, Curried Chickpea Lime Rice Salad, and fresh fruit.
Saturday Breakfast- bagels w/cream cheese and fresh fruit. (Bagels and cream cheese from Panera.)
Saturday Lunch- taking our guests to Cafe 101 (one of favorite little places)
Saturday Dinner- Spaghetti , garlic bread, and a salad.
Sunday Breakfast- cereal and fresh fruit.
Sunday Lunch- ???
Sunday Dinner- dinner out with friends.

I hope you all have a good week!
xoxo Elizabeth

p.s. I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday!

Menu Plan Monday. May 13, 2013

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a very nice Mother's Day! My family cooked a special lunch for me and we celebrated with cupcakes and presents!
I would just like to say that I thought about you all often yesterday. I am so thankful to have wonderful bloggy friends who inspire me to be a better mama! Thank you all so much!

My daughter's last dance recital was Saturday. She is ready to move on to other interests. And that is fine. I just asked her to hang on until the recital. She was oh-so-cute in her jazz and tap numbers. And beautiful on stage for her ballet dance. Behind the scenes, there was a lot of arm crossing and "let's just get this over with" looks.

I am proud of her. Happy that she finished the year, but also happy that she is brave enough to try something new next year.

What's cooking in our kitchen this week? Lots of healthy things... I have enjoyed way too many cupcakes lately!
Monday- Tex-Mex Fajitas, black beans, and fresh fruit.
Tuesday- Creamy Pesto Pasta Salad
Wednesday- leftovers
Thursday- Quinoa and Veggie Salad
Friday- leftovers
Saturday- Healthy Mexican Sweet Potato Skins and a salad.
Sunday- dinner out with friends

Hope you all have a happy week!
xoxo Elizabeth

p.s. I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday!

Menu Plan Monday. April 8, 2013

Happy April! We just returned from a lovely Spring Break trip to Ocracoke Island. My brain is still on vacation. This is one of my favorite photos from our trip!

Kayaking around Ocracoke Island

What's on the menu this week?

Monday- Tuscan Vegetable Soup
Tuesday- Spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad.
Wednesday- leftovers
Thursday-  leftovers
Friday- takeout sushi
Saturday- Hungarian Noodles and a salad.

I am planning to make granola bars for a snack this week!
I made them a few weeks ago and they are delicious!

Homemade Granola Bars 

Hope you all have a wonderful week! Have you been on Spring Break yet? What did you do?
I'd love to know!
I added a fun gadget on the right sidebar. You can vote for your favorite Spring Break Location!

xoxo Elizabeth

p.s. I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday! Come join me!

Menu Plan Monday. March 4, 2013

Hello! First of all, I would like to thank all of you for your kind comments on my post last Thursday! I am so thankful for you all! 

Our Menu Plan this week:

Monday- Sundried Tomato Pasta
Tuesday- Loaded Cauliflower Casserole and salad. (New dish... saw it on Pinterest!)
Wednesday- leftovers
Thursday- dinner out with a friend. Hubby and kids can wing it!
Friday- Homemade Pizza and salad.
Saturday- Tuna Noodle Casserole, peas, and rolls.
Sunday-dinner with friends.

Also, I have a few new things in the shop!

Shamrock Ponytail Holders

Small Shamrock Wreath

Lovely Hair Ties

Pink and Black Polka Dot Wreath

Hope you all have a wonderful week! What are you cooking this week? I'd love to know!
xoxo, Elizabeth

P.S. I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday! Come join me!

Menu Plan Monday. Feb. 25, 2013 on Tuesday:)

Hello! I hope you all are doing well! The last few days have been busy, so I am just posting our menu for the week.

If you have children, I'd like to share this menu planning tip. I posted our menu (for the next few weeks) on the pantry door yesterday. I've always kept it in my calendar until now. My children came home from school and noticed it. They had the best time talking about upcoming meals and what they like best! It was a neat moment. One of those moments that reminds me all the little things we do as moms really matter. Sometimes making dinner can seem like such a chore. Knowing it is appreciated makes it more joyful!

Monday-Tomato Basil Parmesan Slow Cooker Soup and salad.
Tuesday- Ham and Cheese Roll-ups, sweet potato fries and fresh fruit.
Wednesday- Channa Masala and naan bread.
Thursday- leftovers
Friday- takeout
Saturday- something easy
Sunday- dinner with friends

Also, especially for my sweet bloggy friend, Billie Jo, this is the soup recipe I mentioned last week. (I use one small pack of frozen brocolli instead of 3 cups. And I use regular dairy ingredients instead of reduced fat.)

Yesterday, I made a 1/2 batch of the easiest yummy cookies ever, Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies. As of 12:37pm today, they are gone. Not a crumb left. Which means I need to make another batch before my husband gets home because I promised him I would save one. :)

Please tell me I'm not the only one who eats all the cookies in the house!

xoxo Elizabeth

p.s. I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday (on Tuesday) ! Such a rebel! :)

Menu Plan Monday, Feb. 18, 2013

Happy Monday! Did you all have a good weekend? Ours was nice. Not too busy. After a few busy weekends in a row, it was great to be home. And it snowed on Saturday afternoon! That lovely kind of light fluffy snow that is perfect for snowballs! The kids loved it! They had a good old-fashioned snowball fight with the neighbors!

What's on the menu this week?
Monday- Brocolli and Rice Soup and baked sweet potatoes.
Tuesday- Cottage Cheese Noodles and a salad.
Wednesday- Asian Roll-ups, fresh fruit, and salad.
Thursday- leftovers
Friday- takeout
Saturday- something easy
Sunday- Sweet and Spicy Bacon Chicken, rolls, and green peas.

Hope you all have a wonderful week! Any exciting plans?

xoxo, Elizabeth

P.S. I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday!

Menu Plan Monday. January 28, 2013

Hello, Sweet Readers!
I hope you all are doing well and enjoying a new week!

What's cooking in my kitchen?
Monday- Leftovers from the weekend. Easy... just what I need tonight!
Tuesday- Couscous with Apples, Cranberries, and Herbs (First time I've tried this... hope it's good!)
Wednesday- Salmon, green peas, and potatoes.
Thursday- leftovers
Friday- takeout sushi!
Saturday- Tomato Basil Parmesan Slow Cooker Soup & salad. (Made this 4 weeks ago and love it!)
Sunday- dinner with friends

For those of you who commented on The Bread last week, oh my goodness, it is Wonderful! Make some as soon as possible! (And then plan on running a few miles... it has tons of butter!)

Also, over the weekend, we made Meyer Lemon Pudding! I added an extra 1/4c. of lemon juice because I LOVE lemon! It was fun to make and easy too! I never knew how easy it is to make your own pudding. Have you ever made your own?

Sending you wishes for a happy week!
xoxo Elizabeth

p.s. I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday! Come join me!

Menu Plan Monday, Jan. 21, 2013

Happy Monday!

I'm sharing my menu plan for this week.

Monday- Curried Red Lentil Soup
Tuesday- Slow Cooker {Veggie-Full} Spaghetti , salad, and The Bread
Wednesday- leftovers
Thursday- Chicken and Black Bean Casserole and salad
Friday- takeout
Saturday-leftovers
Sunday- dinner with friends

Something special for dessert! No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies. I'll use Rice Krispies instead of Special K cereal. Saw this on Pinterest and it looks delicious!

The soup and slow cooker spaghetti are new for us this week. The casserole is a favorite.

Are you trying anything new or sticking with old favorites?

Have a great week!
xoxo Elizabeth

I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday! Come join me!

Menu Plan for Jan.14th

Hello!
I am a little late with my menu plan for the week because both of my children were not feeling well and stayed home from school yesterday. My son is much better and back at school. My daughter still has a fever , so we are getting lots of snuggle time today.
Just when I think I have it all figured out and life is running smoothly, someone gets sick!

What's cooking this week?

Monday- Stove Top Creamy Mac and Cheese and green peas.
Tuesday- Beans and Rice and a salad.
Wednesday- Oven Tacos, fresh fruit, and salad.
Thursday- leftovers
Friday- Noodle Soup. (More info later... my friend and I are making homemade noodles!)
Saturday- Crock Pot Cranberry Pork Roast, green peas,brown rice.*please note, next time I make this, I will add the cranberry sauce toward the end of cooking time. Maybe the last hour. The sauce lost a lot of it's color and got a title bit mushy. I think the flavor will be better, too.
Sunday- leftovers

Last week, we loved the Chicken Enchilada Crock Pot Soup. And the Sweet and Spicy Bacon Chicken is always a hit!

Hope you all are having a healthy week! What's cooking in your kitchen?
xoxo Elizabeth

I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday! OnTuesday:)

Menu Plan Menu January 7, 2013

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend and are ready for a good week! We spent the weekend at Edisto Beach, SC. My hubby's parents live there and we celebrated a late Christmas with his family. It was so much fun! We were blessed with: good chats, delicious food, pretty (but cold) weather, and tremendous fun with the cousins! I took my Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies and they were hit!

What's cooking in our kitchen this week?
Mon.- Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup and salad.
Tues.- leftovers
Wed.- Sweet and Spicy Bacon Chicken , green peas, and rice.
Thurs.- leftovers (For my family--I am going out with friends!)
Fri.- take-out
Sat.- Breakfast for dinner! Pancakes, bacon, and fresh fruit!
Sun.- Creamy Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup

Last week's Tomato Basil soup was fabulous! I have to admit that at 5:30 that day, I remembered that I was planning to make dinner in the crockpot. I decided to make it on the stove and sauteed the celery, carrots, and onion in a drizzle of olive oil before adding the other ingredients to my stock pot. I think the roux that is added at the end is what makes it so fabulous!

Do you ever forget to start your crockpot/ slow cooker in the morning? What do you do?

Hope you all have a happy week! I am so glad you stopped by today!
xoxo, Elizabeth

p.s. I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday!

Menu Planning Monday. Dec. 31st, 2012

2012. I am willing to bet I will type/write that at least 20 more times before I get the hang of writing 2013. Am I the only one who does this?

I have a confession to make. It is New Year's Eve and I am thrilled to be home in my comfy clothes looking forward to a quiet evening of board games and silliness with my family. I am not really a party gal, so to me, this is perfect!

What's on the menu for the week?
Mon.- Sweet and Spicy Chili (Great recipe--I make mine in the soup pot and don't use the jars. Then I make cornbread in a separate pan.)  Honey Jalapeno Cornbread
Tues.- Traditional New Year's Meal. Collard greens, hopping john, and cornbread.
Wed.- Slow Cooker Tomato-Basil Parmesan Soup with bread and salad.
Thurs.- leftovers
Fri.- dinner out
Sat.- potluck buffet with family
Sun.- dinner with friends

I hope you all have a very Happy New Year! Are you out celebrating or cozy at home? I'd love to know! Wishing you much happiness in 2013!
xoxo Elizabeth

Menu Plan Monday. Nov. 26, 2012

Hello, Sweet Readers!
I have missed you! Life has been so busy lately and blogging never made it to the top of my to-do list. I hope you all are doing well and had a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Our Thanksgiving started with friends and ended with family. We all got up early to run a Turkey Trot 5K with our buddies. There were 13 of us. The morning was beautiful and everyone was in a festive mood! We all agree if you run a 5K on Thanksgiving, you can eat as much pie as you want! After the race, my parents came to visit! Thankfully, my mom cooked the turkey and the traditional sides... homemade dressing, cranberry sauce, and macaroni and cheese. I made a pumpkin pie, a big green salad, and sweet potatoes. Little Polka Dot and my mom made a beautiful mincemeat pie. No real meat in there, I promise! Just spiced fruit. It was delicious! We had the best time cutting little leaves out of the dough to decorate the pie. My son even strayed away from the football game to help with the leaves. He made his into footballs... so funny!

Last night, we decorated our Christmas tree! It is one of my most favorite things we do as a family.
I'll add some photos soon!

Also, Polka Dot Skies is back open! I closed it for a while to prepare for two holiday shows. The shows were fun and now that they are over, I will be adding some new things to the shop! 15% off today with coupon code MERRY.

What's on the menu this week?
Monday- Curried Chickpea Lime Rice Salad and fresh fruit.
Tuesday- Beans and Brown Rice with a salad.
Wednesday- Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala with naan bread and green peas.
Thursday- leftovers
Friday- takeout sushi
Saturday- Hungarian Noodles-- an old recipe from a friend in Atlanta.
Sunday- dinner out with friends

Hope you all have a wonderful week! Any big news since I last saw you in October? I'd love to know!

xoxo Elizabeth

p.s. I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday!

Menu Planning Monday... on Tuesday :) Sept. 25

Hello! I am behind on blogging my menu plan for the week. The shop was extra busy this weekend and yesterday I spent all day making more inventory and packing orders! Today, I went for a long bike ride with one of my buddies. I also went to Goodwill to find the perfect outfit for a Murder Mystery Party. (I am the character from the wrong side of the tracks... if you know me at all, you will find this very humorous.) The party is set in the late 1950's... I am pretty much trying to look like Sandy at the end of the movie Grease... you know... the fitted black outfit and curly puffy hair. It should be a fun night!

So what's on the menu this week?
Monday- Beans and Rice with a salad.
Tuesday- Breakfast for dinner. Pancakes, bacon, fresh fruit.
Wednesday- Sweet White Corn Chowder with a salad.
Thursday- Carbonara with Sausage and Mushrooms. Serve with green peas.
Friday- leftovers
Saturday- Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos with rice, black beans, and lime wedges.
Sunday- takeout

This past weekend, my daughter asked if we could make fondue, so we tried this recipe. It was delicious with cubes of sour dough bread, pumpernickle bread, and apple wedges. Of course, we also made chocolate fondue for dessert. Easy peasy... we just melted chocolate chips over a double boiler and stirred in a few marshmallows.(We heated the marshmallows in the microwave first to make the soft.) For dippers we had strawberries, oreos, pretzels, and marshmallows. It was fun. The kids loved it! My daughter made menus on the computer...it was really cute! (And I did not take a single photo... too busy eating chocolate, I guess!)

Hope you all are doing well! Has your week been busy or slow?

xoxo Elizabeth
p.s. I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday!

Menu Plan Monday. Sept. 17, 2012

Happy Monday! We had a wonderful weekend! I went out with friends Friday evening and Saturday evening, my son had a sleepover for his birthday. Six of his buddies came over and they had too much fun (and probably too many sweets)! He asked me to make a creeper cake... a strange character in the Minecraft game. So here is my "Betty Crocker" picture of me with my handmade cake!

How funny is that? Not the prettiest cake I've decorated, but all those middle school boys sure loved it!

What's on the Menu this week?
Monday- Crockpot (Chicken, onions, & potatoes) with a salad.
Tuesday- Curried Chickpea Lime Rice Salad with pita bread.
Wednesday- leftovers
Thursday- Sweet and Tangy Meatballs (crockpot) with brown rice, peas, and carrots.
Friday- Breakfast for Dinner--pancakes, bacon, and fresh fruit.
Saturday- takeout
Sunday- leftovers

What are you cooking this week? I'd love to know!
xo Elizabeth

p.s. I'm linking up with Menu Plan Monday!

Menu Plan Monday. Sept. 10, 2012

Happy Monday! I sure hope you all had a great weekend! We enjoyed being home! I always feel like it have it more "together" after a quiet weekend!

What's cooking this week?
Monday- Confetti Pasta Salad
Tuesday- Chicken, Spinach, and Cannellini Bean Quesadillas with Mexican Rice and fresh fruit.
Wednesday- Sweet and Spicy Bacon Chicken with rolls and green peas.
Thursday- Pancakes, Bacon, and Fresh Fruit
Friday- leftovers
Saturday- Pizza, Salad, and Breadsticks
Sunday- leftovers

What are you cooking this week? Any new dishes? I've never made the Chicken Spinach quesadillas or the Confetti Pasta Salad, so it will be fun to try some new things!

Have a happy week!
xo Elizabeth

p.s. I'm linking up with Menu Planning Monday!