Menu Plan, sweetened condensed version

I am leaving, on a jet plane, in less than 72 hours. I can't believe that we actually pulled the trigger on this trip to Hawaii, but I am so proud of us for doing it! Parenting is the most exasperating and wonderful thing I have ever done, and it's tough to make your marriage a priority when you're in the trenches of 2 small boys. But, I would really like to stay married to the guy who calls me Spiffy Biscuits, forever and ever, so I know this trip will be good for us. Okay, enough mush! Cleaning out the fridge, lack of creativity edition;

• Sunday; I made fajitas. I had all these random bits and pieces on the counter trying to figure out what to make, and my husband walked in and said, "make fajitas, you can use the steak, the onion, the mushrooms, and the peppers" Why couldn't I think of that?



• Monday; Giving this a shot, I love anything with cabbage lately!



• Tuesday; More allrecipes.com to the rescue, the Pesto has to go.

Like the gratuitous shot of my kids? I saw this magical pic on Pinterest of a baby fascinated by Christmas lights, so I wanted to recreate it. Great job Megan!

Dear main dish salad, you rocked my world.

So I made this salad a couple of weeks ago, and though I can't take credit for the dressing that makes it amazing, I still wanted to share it with you. I looooove main dish salads. Usually Steak Cesar is my standard, but I somehow learned of the existence of Warm Bacon Salad Dressing, and felt an immediate urge to update my standard. This is the recipe I used, and of course I had to mess with it a bit, once I had made it a couple of times. I decreased the sugar to 1 cup, and altered the technique just a bit (thicken the dressing, then put the bacon back in so it stays crisp), but trust me when I say this dressing is fab. My most recent use of it then was over a spinach salad with grilled chicken, (which I marinated in some random oil/vinegar mix that was leftover from a pork roast my darling husband had done) sliced pear, hard boiled eggs, and cranberries. It was sooo good. Make it! Unless you don't eat bacon.

Source: blogs.babble.com via Megan on Pinterest

And then have this for dessert. After all, you ate a super healthy salad for supper.

A menu plan in preparation for VACATION baby!

So we're going to Hawaii in a couple weeks. Like how I said that so casually, as if I go to Hawaii annually, and I'm really not even excited about it? Don't believe anything I say, cause it's nonsense! I have never been anywhere exotic, and I am SOOOOOO excited! My big bro is getting married, and his wife to be is obviously a genius, as evidenced by the destination! I'm freaking out of course; we're leaving our kids behind, and while I know beyond any doubt that Grammie and Grandad will take ridiculously good care of them, it's still hard. Not to mention that my traveling partners include my husband (hurray!) and my breast pump (Lord help me!). But it's good. So I'm working on using up all fresh stuff on the premises.

• Monday; Quiche, cottage cheese, green salad


• Tuesday; Chicken spinach salad (I hope to share this one, I think it's going to rock)


• Wednesday; Beef stew from the freezer


• Thursday; Chicken/tomato pasta (the only long cut pasta I have is Angel Hair, how did that happen?)


• Friday; French Toast, citrus salad


• Saturday; Pizza night!


• Sunday; some Sausage/Gnocchi thing I saw on allrecipes, since I must use up a package of gnocchi, ASAP

I plan to make some Samoas inspired bars that I saw on Pinterest too, cause momma needs sweets. If they are good I'll find the link for you!

So I flaked out for a year, no biggie right?

What can I say. I don't do guilt, but I'm sorry I quit writing because I miss it. I find myself thinking, "ooh, I should blog that", and then I have a twinge of missing out on the creative process that it brings. So I'm going to give it a shot. Here's what I've been up to the last year by the way!