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Tag: Kids

  • Eating Healthy

    Eating Healthy

    Keeping our bodies healthy means eating right, exercising and getting the right amount of play time and rest time.

    That’s hard to balance for kids!  I’ve noticed my oldest Princess V struggling lately to communicate her feelings. We were experiencing meltdowns way too often for anyone’s enjoyment. One day after her dance class, when we left early because it became too much, I decided we need to talk.  At 6 years old, I feel she can understand more on what she can do to take care of her physical body and avoid the it’s’ just too much and I’m just TIRED meltdowns.

    The first place I decided to start was with food. She has always been such a picky eater (despite my best efforts to follow the baby advice at starting with veggies and moving to fruits…it still resulted in a picky eater). I do my best to offer healthy options at all meals, and for snacks, but sometimes – the chocolate milk wins out, the cookies are set out, and it’s just too hard to cut up carrots that will be pushed to the side for lunch.  Excuses excuses – I know. So she and I are both doing better.

    It’s only been a few days since we first talked about making healthier choices with Princess V, but already she complains less about her food, and seems a tad more willing to try it out.  I was shocked when she ate all her peas, chose to finish her potatoes over her pork, and even asked for an apple! 

    The best part – the daily (often more than once a day) tantrums and meltdowns have seriously become almost non-existent. She is more pleasant to be around, and when there is a problem, we’ve been able to talk it out before hysteria sets in.

    I am so proud of my girl and the example she is setting, both for her sisters and for me. Her effort has encouraged me to look at what I eat more, and stick to the healthier foods, with sugary snacks as more of a once in awhile treat.

    I was given Skinny Spices E-Book to review, and the whole introduction really resonated with me.
    You could easily call me a spice addict. I love spices, and adding different flavors to dishes. The best part is, most spices add little to no calories and processed junk to your food. In basic terms – it’s a great way to add flavor while keeping it healthy!

    It’s not just about the food though. Like I said earlier, we have to care for our bodies through food, exercise, and a well balanced scheduled. The author of Skinny Spices knows this too, and she doesn’t sugar coat it (pun not intended…)

    oh I just love the way she put that. Can you picture it? Coating yourself in curry powder? My kids attempted it with flour once…not such a pretty sight…or mess…to clean up.

    I’m excited to try out some of the spice blends from this book, and the recipes that go along with them. In the new enhanced E-book edition makes finding recipes a breeze for what you have on hand!

    BUY THE BOOK
     
    *I received a copy of Skinny Spices to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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    Monday – Fast Fiesta Soup
    Tuesday – Princess R’s birthday dinner: Home made Pizza and M&M cupcakes.
    Wednesday – Pork Chow Mein
    Thursday – Spaghetti with Garlic toast (using the Mild Garlic and Parsley Blend from Skinny Spices)
    Friday – Sandwiches
    Saturday – Hamburgers and Hot Dogs with friends
    Sunday – Steak and Potatoes
     
    menu-plan-monday 
  • Earth Day Craft: Milk Jug Planter

    Earth Day Craft: Milk Jug Planter

    Monday is Earth Day!  I love this day to celebrate our planet, and give a little back. It’s also a great day for teaching our children. I know, I should be better about teaching them every day, but I’m not.  We’re working on that though.

    School days always get away from me, so I thought, hey let’s do a fun little learning crafty thing on Saturday. The girls were at first just ho humming, do we have to turn the wii off mom? attitude when I told them we were going to plant flowers.  (by the way, I’m a mean mom and they only get to play wii on Saturday’s).  Once I pulled out all the stuff, and had them run outside to find some rocks, their attitudes changed pretty fast.

    This truly is a simple “craft” that anyone can do, with very basic supplies. You’ll want to start with an empty milk jug. Wash it out as good as you can, and then using a pair of kitchen shears (or other good scissors) cut the jug in half, just below the handle.

     Step 1

    While you, the adult, are handling the scissors, send your children out into the wild to find some rocks. Not too large, but not too small either (unless of course you have a gravel pit, then by all means get a bunch of tiny rocks).
    Now that the dangerous scissor cutting is done, and you have a pile of rocks, layer the rocks in the bottom of the jug. I would go up about 1 inch for good drainage. You don’t want your plants sitting in too much water. 

    Step 2

    Next cover the rocks with dirt up to the top of the jug. I used some extra seed starter I had, but you can go out and get some backyard dirt for this project too. My kids I know would love any excuse to go dig up some dirt.  

    Step 3

    Now you’re ready to plant. I let the Princesses choose from a myriad of seeds, just because I already had them (thanks Mom!).  So in our recycled milk jugs we’re growing Marigolds, Sweet Peas, and Daisies. Once the seeds are planted give them a drink of water, set out in the sun, and wait for them to grow. 
    Since putting ours outside, the Princesses have been checking on them every few hours, to see if they’ve come up yet. So far the idea hasn’t worn off, and they haven’t lost their patience. I just have to continue to explain that it takes a few days for them to grow. 
    Next on our spring crafty list – A Fairy House!
  • Kids and Doors {Think About It}

    Kids and Doors {Think About It}

    I never promised this meme would always be deep thinking. 
     
    With that in mind, I give you what was on my mind yesterday.
    (pun so not intended)
     
     Kids and doors.
     
    Have you ever noticed how many times a day you ask your child to “Close that Door” or “Leave the Door Open!”
     
    Think About It!
     
    Now that it’s spring, and the weather is perfect – not too cold, not too hot, just perfect – we have found ourselves outside most days. Kids always tend to forget something inside, or leave something out. So they seem constantly running in and out of the house.
     
    There are bugs outside. I don’t want bugs inside. So I find myself often reminding the kids to shut the door behind them.  They always seem to forget though. I guess the excitement of playing in sunshine is just too much to remember a door. Or perhaps it’s easier to just leave it open, because they know they’ll be running in and out.
     
    That then leaves me questioning other doors they leave open….like the bathroom.
     
    Think About It!
     
    Do your kids leave the bathroom door open?  I admit, we weren’t that great as new parents. Staying home alone with the kids, I would often leave it open, so I could hear them as babies, afraid to leave them alone for longer than 2 seconds. But I’m better now. Why aren’t they?  Why in the world do my kids need to go potty with the door wide open?  
     
    For that matter, why do they need to make it a group gathering as well?  My girls easily fit the stereotype that females go to the bathroom in groups – it’s like they just can’t stand being away from each other for that long.  But when not in the bathroom they can’t wait to get away from each other.  What is it about the bathroom that brings my kids together?  I’ll probably never know. I just wish they would “SHUT THE DOOR!!”
     
    Of course, then there are the doors, and times I want them to LEAVE IT OPEN!
     
    Think About It!
    Doesn’t it make you crazy, when the kids are really quiet, and you go searching just to find they’ve hidden behind a closed door with a permanent marker?
     
    Drives me batty!  Of course I know why they’ve shut their bedroom door, I just wish they wouldn’t.  In fact I tell them often, they can’t shut the bedroom door. I give you 3 reasons why the bedroom door should not be shut
     
    1. The three girls share that room. No one can be kicked out.
    2. I need to be able to hear them
    3. Someone’s fingers are bound to be slammed in it.
     
    There is only one time they can shut their bedroom door, and that is when they are getting dressed. But of course it’s the one time the door is never shut. 
     

    Think About It!  Do you battle the doors being opened and closed?

    Do you have a solution?

    

     
    

  • Thin Mint Chocolate Fudgesicle

    Thin Mint Chocolate Fudgesicle

    This week started out so beautiful. All the snow had finally melted, the kids were spending more time outside, and my Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies arrived by mail (yes, I supported a friend and had them shipped across the states to me!)
     
    Well, after eating box 1 of the Thin Mints and Caramel Delights, mostly by myself (I will not tell you how fast they went….that’s between me and my stomach), I decided maybe I should get a little creative with the last box of Thin Mints. I’ve seen ideas and recipes all over Pinterest for using “leftover” Girl Scout Cookies, that I thought maybe I should hang onto some. Mind you, these were not leftovers, I don’t believe in leftover cookies.  They were just put to a better use.
     
    These Thin Mint Chocolate Fudgesicles are delicious!
     
    I am at the moment wishing I had saved more of the thin mints. These were absolutely delicious!  I happened to try out a new ingredient with these fudgesicles as well – chocolate extract. Did you know they made chocolate extract? It’s a very new discovery for me, and I’ve already got my head spinning around the things I can create with it! 
    Thin Mint Chocolate Fudgesicle
    Creamy delicious Thin Mint Chocolate Fudgesicles
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    Ingredients
    1. Ingredients
    2. 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
    3. 1 cup 2% Milk
    4. 1/2 cup sugar
    5. 2 egg yolks
    6. 1/8 tsp salt
    7. 1 tsp corn starch
    8. 1/3 cup Rodelle Dutch Processed Cocoa powder
    9. 1/2 tsp Rodelle chocolate extract
    10. 5 Thin Mint cookies
    Instructions
    1. In a medium saucepan mix together the Cream, Milk, sugar, eggs, salt and corn starch.
    2. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Whisk every few minutes.
    3. Remove from the heat and add the Cocoa Powder.  Mix well.
    4. Return the pan to medium heat. Cook for another 10 minutes, whisking every few minutes.
    5. At this point if you stick a spoon in and let it drip off, it will look and feel like melted ice cream.
    6. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate extract.
    7. Cool on the counter for 1-2 hours.
    8. Meanwhile, place your thin mints in a small Ziploc bag. Using a potato masher (or bottom of a cup, or rolling pin), crush the cookies.
    9. You’ll want to use approximately 10 Popsicle molds.  Evenly distribute the crushed cookies into the molds.
    10. Once the chocolate mix has cooled, pour it on top of the crushed cookies.
    11. Using a chopstick (or skewer), slide into the molds to help the chocolate surround the cookies and reach the bottom of the mold.
    12. Add the popsicle handles, and freeze for 3-4 hours.
    13. Once frozen, run the mold under hot water for a few seconds to help loosen it.
    14. Remove from the mold and enjoy!
    Adapted from Shop Cook Make
    Adapted from Shop Cook Make
    Home Maid Simple https://www.homemaidsimple.com/
     
      Kids enjoying Thin Mint Chocolate Fudgesicles
    I kid you not, the Thin Mints permeated the whole fudgesicle so every bite was full of that girl scout cookie goodness. This easily tripled my cookies and made sharing them with the kids not so hard. 
     
    And would you know it, I woke up to it snowing this morning!  Thank goodness it didn’t stick, but it sure is cold here again.
     
     
    Thank you for joining us at Foodie Friday! Make sure you check out my co-host Diane at Simple Living and Eating.

    ~FEATURES~

    I just need to say this – It’s getting too hard to pick features!! You all have so many wonderful looking recipes!  So since Diane and I can’t feature you all, please please go check out the linky, and visit some of the other blogs. You are sure to find something yummy to add to your menu’s!
      
    Family Favorite Pork Chops
    Family Favorite Pork Chops
    from Wyoming Girl *Turned* Coastie Wife
    Pork is our families choice of meat, so I know these won’t disappoint. Plus they are super simple!
     
    IMG_4786-003
    Ranch Dressing
    from A Bright and Beautiful Life
    We run out of Ranch too often in this house! Now I can always have some on hand, because yes it does go with everything.
     
  • Spring Cleaning Day 4 – Toys and General Clutter

    Spring Cleaning Day 4 – Toys and General Clutter

    Welcome back to Day 4 in the Spring Cleaning Challenge!
     
    Today we are going to focus on toys, and the general clutter that every home seems to collect. I made another fun printable checklist. Print it off, and get to work!
     
     
    Gather 2 Boxes (or trash bags)
    Label, or designate one box for donations, and one for trash. Spring Cleaning is all about starting fresh. Let’s stop stepping over broken toys, or staring at toys that never get played with.
     
    The Floor
    Now I know we did a general pick up and put away on Day 2 with the Living Spaces, but if you have kids, 2 days is plenty of time to mess it all up again with toys. Don’t bother putting things away right now. Just start picking up and making decisions. Is it broken? Trash.  Do the kids play with it? Donate if they don’t. Create a Keep pile if they do. Just designate an area for toys being kept.
     
    The Toybox
    Now that the floor is cleaned off, head to the toy box. One effective way is to dump the whole box out. Then as you sort through it, you can move your keep pile into the toy box. Do not put anything back in that is broken! Just don’t!  Have your children help, if they are old enough to understand what you are doing. My 6 and 5 year old are pretty good (sometimes they want to donate every single toy they own), while my 3 year old can often just be in the way as she rearranges the piles.
     
    One Drawer at a Time
    Great, you’ve done a lot already!  I think it’s safe to say, we don’t just have 1 toy box. We have a couple different areas we keep toys. So after I go through the main toy box, we move onto all  the other toy storage places. Treat it like the toy box. Dump it out, and one item at a time decide – Trash, Donate, or Keep. Put them away, and move onto the next one.
     
    Clean and Sanitize
    Unless a toy has been puked on, they don’t get cleaned all that often. Periodically I’ll find the kids “bathing” their dolls, but even then it’s not a good deep clean. Now that you have your piles sorted – put your donate in the car, and take the trash outside.
    Grab a bucket of hot water, and your favorite cleaning agent. Since we’re cleaning toys here, I like to keep it safe, and use something I know won’t harm the kids if they stick it in their mouth – because you know it’s going to go in a kids mouth at some point!  A small amount of ammonia mixed in a large bucket of hot water is my personal favorite cleaner, but switching the ammonia out for distilled white vinegar will be safer on the toys. Have a decent pile of rags on hand, and get to work scrubbing the toys down. At this point, you can involve all your kids! It will teach them responsibility for their stuff, as well as hard work. Plus, you get to spend a little extra time with them while getting housework done.
     
    General Clutter
    If you no longer have kids at home, or you didn’t spend your whole day cleaning toys, this is a good time to take care of the general clutter. Clean off your dressers, office area, junk drawers. The places in your home that attract clutter and never let go of it.
     
    Wahoo! You’ve finished Day 4! 
    Go grab your extra entry into the Affresh Giveaway.
    
  • Sale on Little Girls Aprons

    Sale on Little Girls Aprons

    We bought some of these aprons for the Princesses for Christmas. I absolutely love seeing them in their cute aprons, helping me in the kitchen.  And we do spend a lot of time in the kitchen!

    Flirty Aprons is having a 30% OFF Little Girls Aprons plus Free Shipping Sale, now through March 7th (tomorrow)!  They have a good selection to fit you and your child’s style, so go check them out!

    Use Code
    GIRL30
    at checkout

    *This post contains affiliate links
  • Sick Kids with Vicks #BehindEar thermometer

    Sick Kids with Vicks #BehindEar thermometer

    I had the most interesting weekend.

    It began Thursday afternoon when Mark left for a 2 day Music Educators Conference. In the past we’ve packed up the kids and made it a family trip. With Princess V in school now, and the amazing school district seeing the conference benefits (read – they paid for the whole trip), it just wasn’t possible this year.  (Also sad, because my favorite Food Blogger, Baking with Blondie was there!)

    After a very rough night trying to get 4 kids to bed on my lonesome, and taking care of a dog, I was pooped. Prince L then woke up in the night with a raging fever. I kid you not, it felt like putting a hot iron on my skin holding him. I popped out the Infant’s Tylenol, just hoping it would calm the fever and allow Prince L to sleep. Friday’s mail couldn’t have come at a better time, since it brought my new Vick’s Behind the Ear Thermometer. I was just having a discussion with another friend on how we didn’t trust our temporal thermometers anymore. They worked great until we put in new batteries, and then they just didn’t seem right. I’m hoping we don’t experience the same case here. So this beauty is pretty easy to use, as long as you get it in the right spot behind the ear. My favorite feature though, is the memory! It stores the last 8 temperatures you take, making it easy to keep track of your child’s temp. let’s face it, I have a really bad memory when it comes to numbers all close together.

    So Poor kid had a mild fever, and by the afternoon, he couldn’t keep anything down, and was having a terrible time getting any rest. So basically a rough day. I knew I needed to approach bedtime differently this night for peace of mind. To my astonishment, the girls were extremely well behaved and after we sang a few songs together they all dropped off peacefully before 9pm. Bliss, I tell you!

    The poor boy was still feverish through the day on Saturday, but was keeping food down at least. He just wasn’t eating as much either. His fever broke during the night Saturday, but Sunday he woke up with a rash. Dealing with this before, I self diagnosed him with Roseola. Gosh I hate this rash though.

    It began just on his tummy, but this morning I found it has crept across his back, up his neck, across one cheek and is headed down his arms. But hey, the fever is gone, he’s eating and back to his very happy self.
     
    

    On another note, I was also left with the dog for the first time on my own. Meaning I had to get him up and out first thing in the morning, feed him, and basically make sure he’s doing alright. Plus, Mark upgraded his 30 gallon fish tank to a 50 gallon tank, and added about 8 more fish. Friday morning comes along, I’ve let the dog out, fed the kids breakfast, and am finally getting myself ready before Kindergarten drop off, when the kids tell me Tank (the dog) has pooped in the baby’s room, and a fish has jumped out of the tank. A conversation on facebook led me to creating this poem for your enjoyment

    By the time Mark made it home, 2 more fish had died (they did not commit suicide like the first), and Tank had once again pooped in the house. I think we’ve got things mostly back to normal now.  I sure hope the rest of you had an entertaining weekend, that did not include sick kids, poop or dead animals.

    *I received a Vick’s Thermometer for free from Klout perks. I was under no obligation to mention them. All thoughts and opinions are 100% honest and my own.

  • A new Addition to our Home: Tank the Pug

    A new Addition to our Home: Tank the Pug

    Well, we did something I always said we would do, but continually pushed to the side. We bought a dog.  Mark is a dog lover – always has been. I’m more of a dog – there, me – here, kind of person. Much like any fear, everytime I gave myself moments to think about bringing a dog into our home, I came up with a list of cons much greater than the pros. And the more I looked at it, the more anxiety I felt.
    Of course I felt guilt too, always telling Mark “not this year” “let’s wait” “I’ll think about it”. But for once, my anxiety fully outweighed any guilt I could feel.

    Until Saturday that is. We had a very productive morning cleaning, and doing chores. The one day I insist everyone pitch in with the bigger cleaning.

    OK admittedly the before picture wasn’t that bad Saturday. That was taken when we first moved in. But this room was our unpacking zone, so it was still quite cluttered. Doesn’t it look so much better?

    I digress. We have promised the kids that if they do well on their Saturday chores, then we can have an adventure in the afternoon. We started this two weeks ago, and had great success. That week, our adventure was to McDonald’s PlayLand – so fun!

    Last Saturday, our adventure was supposed to be an afternoon of sledding. That quickly changed. While waiting for Prince L to wake from his nap, Mark was browsing Pugs for sale. He just loved Pugs, and showing them to me with his own puppy dog face. This time, the pug wasn’t too far away, and the owners were willing to meet us halfway (near my parents). So our afternoon of sledding turned into an afternoon in the car to potentially check out a dog – although in my mind we were just going to visit my parents. It helped keep the anxiety at bay.

    Of course once we saw Tank, the girls fell in love, Mark was in love, and I was outnumbered 5 to 1. Nope not even Prince L was on my side. We loaded Tank into our mini-van and headed to PetSmart to purchase the neccesary dog items – Food, bed, harness, kennel, and of course a dog tag with his name and our address.

    Top of my list was the Kennel.  I don’t feel comfortable having a dog running about our house when we’re not home, or in the middle of the night. So far, he’s not a fan of the kennel. It may be too small – so we’re looking into a bigger one, or finding some other way to keep him contained but with more room to move about.

    Today happens to be the first day I’ve had Tank alone. Mark is back at work after our 3 day weekend. I was nervous to tell you the truth, but so far so good. He’s been a good dog, and most of my anxiety has gone away. He did get pretty rambunctious at one point, and showed his teeth while making some awful noises, that he followed up with whining. I remedied it by taking him out back, and just walking around with him. Seems like he just wanted a little company while he explored the backyard further.

    There was also the incident of running off down the road, just as we needed to be loading the car for Kindergarten drop off. Once I got the kids to stop chasing him however, he came bounding back. A biscuit for listening, and into the kennel he went until we came back home.

    How do you feel about pets? 

  • Menu Planning with Kids

    Yesterday I cooked up some Chicken Cordon Bleu for dinner. Sunday is always my favorite night to cook, since I have the time, and Mark home to help with the kids.
    Normally I will let the girls help me cook, unless I’m handling raw meat and sharp knifes.  That was the case last night.  Princess C really wanted to help though. Since I hadn’t made our menu plan for the week yet, I told her she could help by picking a dinner. I handed her a couple of my Taste of Home magazines, and stopped cooking to look at her selections.  Princess V later joined us as well.
    I really enjoy having my kids in the kitchen with me, and I think they enjoy it too.

    Monday – chicken curry
    Tuesday – three cheese ravioli
    Wednesday – chicken and egg hash
    Thursday – crockpot beef tacos
    Friday – gumbo in bread bowls
    Saturday – leftovers
    Sunday – roast and potatoes


  • She Couldn’t Breathe

    She Couldn’t Breathe

    What a long weekend! I don’t remember what we did on Saturday.

    Saturday night, however, is a night I will never forget.

    I was struggling to sleep, and just starting to doze off, when Prince L (9 months) woke up. While I was settling him back down, Princess V (6) came running up the stairs – she had just thrown up all over her bed, with a little splattering onto Princess R’s blanket.  Mark is amazing with these things, and he got right up and cleaned her off, then took to stripping her bed and sisters, and getting her settled in on the couch with towels and a bowl. 

    I was once again on the verge of dozing, possibly even halfway to dream land, when we hear her calling from the couch. Again, Mark got up and went to her, and I was gone to dreamland – trusting in his ability to care for her, and my need of sleep.

    I was woken suddenly to “I need you. Mom I need you to come help. Quickly.”  Mark was calling. Weird I thought, but I jumped and ran to do whatever I could. What I faced that night, was something I never expected. Princess V was all cleaned up, but Princess C (4) was sitting on the bathroom floor, shaking, and coughing and struggling to breathe. I thought she was going to throw up, so I sat next to her and rubbed her back and held her hair out of her face. After a few attempts, I knew she didn’t need to. Something else was seriously wrong. I called for Mark to get me a blanket because she was shivering and shaking, I was hoping from the cold bathroom floor, but in hindsight I think it was that coupled with trying to get air into her body. Mark turned the shower on high heat, and then left to finish cleaning the couch.

    I sat there rocking my girl on that bathroom floor wrapped in a blanket, looking into her eyes, listening to her struggle to breathe, and trying to understand what she was trying to tell me. My face was dripping with tears, because the worst fears were going through my head. We had never lived so far from a hospital, or even a late night urgent care. We are a good 20-30 minutes away. Plus we have 3 other kids, that would mean I or Mark would have to stay home if we went to the hospital, and when it comes to our kids in pain/sickness we both want to be right there with them.

    As Princess C got one word out at a labored time, this is what she told me “it’s. my. black. hair.”
    I almost laughed. Princess C has had beautiful blond hair since birth. Earlier that evening, while combing her hair, I found a solitary black hair. She had been distraught over this black hair on her “yellow” hair. I told her it was unique. My little 4 year old had decided that that black hair must be the problem.

    Through all the commotion Princess R (3) woke up and began crying. Princess V, even though sick, was a big help and took her back to bed and laid with her until she fell asleep again, so we could take care of Princess C. 

    Mark finished up the couch, and when he returned he was carrying Prince L again. Thankfully the steam worked, and Princess C was able to breathe a little better….by which I mean she could actually breathe without struggle…it was still labored. We exchanged children, and while I fed Prince L, Mark blessed Princess C.  For which I am ever grateful that he holds the priesthood and can bless our children when the need is there.

    The rest of that night and Sunday night, I spent sleeping on the floor. Too worried that she would struggle for breath and I not know, I needed to be there next to her.

    This morning I called our local doctor, who got us in before lunch. She has a cold. She will be fine (though a simple call will send a prescription out if needed). The kids are once again all in their own beds, with clean sheets and blankets. Before falling asleep though, all 4 began coughing at one point this evening. I feel the bug has spread.

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

    But hey, I still managed to make a menu plan!  Everyone chose one meal, so we will all get a comforting meal this week.  It could all quickly turn into chicken noodle soup though.

    Monday – hot dogs and corn
    Tuesday – Lasagna
    Wednesday – Chicken Cordon Bleu
    Thursday – Gumbo and Rice Casserole
    Friday – leftovers
    Saturday – Bean and Cheese Quesadillas
    Sunday – Pizza

    And at some point this week, Princess C has requested a cake be made.