BOOKS I FINISHED - FEBRUARY 2014

I don't know what changed with Amazon and/or Blogger between last month and this month, but trying to get pictures of each book was a huge hassle this time around and I gave up. Bummer, as I like seeing what the book looks like, but no big deal in the scheme of things.

Prayer for a Child, written Rachel Field and illustrated by Elizabeth Orton Jones
Caldecott, 1945.  Sweet bedtime prayer for kids.

The Little House, written and illustrated by Virginia Lee Burton
Caldecott, 1943.  I've read this story before, maybe for school, and I think it's cute.  It's the story of a house in the country that ends up in the middle of the city.  City life versus country life, contentment versus curiosity, times that are always changing.

Many Moons, written by James Thurber and illustrated by Louis Slobodkin
Caldecott, 1944. I loved this story of a king who is trying to fulfill his daughter's wish of having the moon.

The Light Between Oceans, written by M. L. Stedman
Fiction for me. I put this on my TBR list after seeing it on Sharon's book blog a year ago and really enjoyed it!  It's about a child who is rescued by a couple tending a lighthouse and the ripple effects of the decisions they make about what to do with the child.

The Year of Miss Agnes, written by Kirpatrick Hill
School for Naomi.  An all-time favorite book of mine!  It's the fictional story of a woman who comes to teach kids in rural Alaska, the story of how one person can make a huge difference in people's lives, a story of pursuing dreams, recognizing strengths, personalized education, and caring about others.

p. 64, That was a good thing to think about, always learning something new.  It wasn't like you had to hurry up and learn everything right away before the learning time was over, it was like you could kind of relax and take your time and enjoy it. 

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, written by Rachel Joyce
Fiction for me. This was on one of Sharon's weekly book lists last year and I added it to my TBR list.  I just got around to reading it and loved it!  An unexpected walk across England, a struggling marriage, wonderful friends, and lots of hurting people.  Adventure, closure, and healing. It's a fictional book, but I loved the reminder that everyone has a story, everyone has hurts that you will likely never know about. You may not agree with someone's decisions, understand their choices, be able to relate to their circumstances, or even enjoy them, but you can still show compassion, respect, and kindness.

Back to Normal: Why Ordinary Childhood Behavior is Mistaken for ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, and Autism Spectrum Disorder, written by Enrico Gnaulti, PHD
Non-fiction for me. The title of this book is pretty self-explanatory.  Although the author believes the listed diagnoses are valid and will/does treat them appropriately, he explains why their broadened and loosely defined descriptions can make it hard to distinguish normal developmental issues and actual medical problems.  Either way, the resulting challenges need to be dealt with directly, but the approach will vary depending on whether or not the behaviors fall on the spectrum of normal (appropriate to age, development, and circumstance) behavior.

Understood Betsy, written by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
School for Naomi.  This is one of my favorite school books and I love it more each time we read it.  It's the story of a girl who moves from the home of some loving, but very high strung, relatives to the home of some equally loving, but more relaxed ones.  City life to country life, fear to courage, and the lesson to love people right where they're at.

Greek Myths for Young Children, edited by Heather Amery and illustrated by Linda Edwards
School for Naomi.  This is my third time through this book and our kids have enjoyed it.  I don't get particularly excited about mythology, but I do think it's fun when they connect Greek mythology to everyday life.

BOOKS I BAILED ON
Pete Maravich, written by Wayne Federman and Marshall Terrill
I remember when Pete Maravich died and have wanted to read this book for a long time. I made it past my 50 page rule, but I just couldn't get into it.  I don't know if it was too much basketball stuff for my taste and not enough of the rest of life or just too many details in general. So I looked at the pictures, then returned it to the library.

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RAINY MORNING AT THE ZOO

About a week ago we scheduled a zoo trip with a friend for this morning.  Of course, that meant it rained today.  Not to fear, though.  We're Oregonians and a little rain doesn't stop us.  We just threw on an extra layer and headed out for a couple hours of walking, chatting, and looking at animals.  

Sheri offered to let Naomi feed the lorikeets, but Naomi wasn't thrilled with the thought of a bird landing on her and declined.  So Sheri fed the birds herself.

Then Silas gave it a try.

I turned away to look at birds with Teebs and when I looked back I saw this.

Yes, that's a bird on Silas' head.  I moved around and got a picture of both of the birds on him.  I confess that I was fully prepared to laugh if the one on his head and pooped, but it never happened.

The kids (minus Devon, who I missed having along for the fun).

The adults.

We got home just in time for naps and down time, so now I'm enjoying a quiet house for a while before I pick up Devon and tackle our evening.  Fun morning!

2/27/14 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for mornings that start with a toddler crawling on my lap to snuggle.

What's one thing that you're thankful for?

MENU: 2/27/14 - 3/5/14

I want to share some recipes with you before we look at the next menu.  The first is a new dessert recipe we tried and the other is a couple of veggie pizza suggestions.  All recipes are linked in green.

homemade Twix bars - Heather posted a link to these on her two week menu earlier in the month and they were a hit with our whole family.  I don't think they taste like a Twix (too much chocolate and the cookie part is too soft), but they are still delicious.

veggie pizza - I made a double batch of focaccia one day and turned it into two veggie pizzas.  Both had store-bought marinara and mozzarella, one had marinated artichoke hearts and olives, and the other had homemade roasted yellow bell peppers and spinach.  So good!

BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings 
     - with cottage cheese and fruit x2
     - with yogurt, fruit, and spinach smoothies x1
* scrambled eggs (ours are always made with a ton of chopped spinach, sometimes some chopped tomatoes, a bit of pepper, and always a sprinkling of some type of cheese)/toast x2
* baked oatmeal

SCHOOL DAY LUNCHES
* meat & cheese sandwiches/pea pods/apples
* pb&j/apples/cukes 
* green hummus/crackers/carrots/pistachios
* pumpkin pancakes with cream cheese/applesauce/dry roasted almonds
* quesadillas/black bean dip/red bell peppers

DINNERS

* leftovers

* tacos (new meat recipe and crockpot beans from the freezer) 

* lentil & ham soup (crockpot)/buttermilk biscuits with chives & black pepper

* pesto chicken pizza on homemade crust/kiwi smoothies
* gorgonzola & onion burgers/cranberry spinach salad
* cheesy green beans/rice
* tortellini salad with pecans, cranberries, & feta (taking to home group)

SNACKS & DESSERTS

* produce

* hummus for veggies

* nuts - pistachios & dry roasted almonds

* popcorn (kernels from the Winco bulk department & a West Bend Stir Crazy to pop them in)

* Alton Brown's granola (plain, with milk, or on yogurt)

* Nantucket cranberry pie

THE LATEST ON THE JOB FRONT

First, with the exception of federal holidays, two snow days, and one random day, Tim has been subbing full-time since Christmas break ended.  I'm so thankful for that!  Most of those jobs have been 2-10 minutes from our house, which I'm also thankful for from a time and gas standpoint.

Second, hiring season has started.  This gives me hope that Tim will have a regular job next school year. It also means I get stressed out when I think of the possibility of a third school year without a regular job if he doesn't get hired this season.  I try to focus more on the hopeful aspect, but some days that's hard.

I would love, love, love for him to get a job in the Woodburn or North Marion districts, simply because that's home for us.  If that didn't work out, then a job within 20 minutes of home would be really nice. Otherwise, something in the greater Portland or Salem areas would still be a blessing.

We would really like to stay in the area, but he did apply to a job earlier in the year that would have required a move.  I know it sounds strange, given our situation, but we were thankful he didn't even get a second glance for that job.  Right now he has applications in (or is getting them in after work today, depending on the job) for both teaching and administrative jobs, schools both very close to home (Woodburn) and with a little bit of a commute (Canby and Oregon City), permanent for next school year and temporary for this school year, that he's a prime candidate for and that he has minimum qualifications for. We'll see what happens.

I don't get my hopes up, though. Most teaching jobs require health and PE (he can only do PE), require girls' locker room supervision (obviously unqualified for that), or are for elementary schools (only endorsed for middle and high), and most administrative openings have been for principals (doesn't have the experience that's essential for that job). It's still early in the season, but there have been too many crickets and tumbleweeds over the last two hiring seasons to get all excited about new possibilities.  Countless applications, tons of other (sometimes far more qualified) applicants, very few interviews, and no job offers makes it hard to be hopeful.  I don't think it's pessimistic, just realistic.  Other than applying, there's nothing more we can do.  So we just look for openings every day, send in applications, and continue on with life.

I don't know what he'll do for an income this summer.  I don't know what we'll do if he doesn't get a job for next school year.  We haven't really talked about it yet, but we'll need to soon.

Meanwhile, he's working today. And that's a good thing. One day at a time, right?

2/24/14 MEMORIES ON MONDAY

This picture was taken at Capitol Park in Sacramento, CA on my first birthday.  There's a whole lot of lace in that outfit, don't you think?

2/20/14 FORMING FAMILIES - CARD KIT (FUNDRAISER)

Seth and Natalie are a couple that we know from church who are waiting to bring their son home from Korea.  His name is Caden and you can read about his adoption process at A Mighty Hope. Some ladies, including a friend of mine, are selling the Hip Hip Hooray Card Kit from Stampin' Up to help raise money to put toward adoption expenses and you have an opportunity to buy some! Here's a picture of all the items in the kit, but you can click the kit link above to see pictures of completed cards.

WHO: Kelli (my friend who is selling card kits) and you

WHAT: Everything you need to make 20 cards for $20, with all proceeds going toward bringing Caden home.

WHEN: You can purchase kits anytime between now and 3/3/14.  (I know the post on the adoption blog about this fundraiser has a different date, but the 3/3/14 deadline is the most current information.)

WHERE: You can purchase card kits from the comfort of your own home and whatever screen you're viewing the internet from.

WHY: Every child should be part of a family.  Sometimes we get to be the family, other times we get to support the family.  

If you love making cards or want to give a kit to someone who does, enjoy financially supporting adoptions, or were just sitting around wondering how you could spend $20, then please leave a comment and I will put you in touch with Kelli.  I don't want to post her contact info for the general public to access, but I will connect you with her quickly.  

2/20/14 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for a working washing machine in my own home, a luxury that keeps me from hauling quarters and clothes to laundromats or scrubbing all of our dirty clothes by hand.

What's something that you're thankful for?

MENU: 2/20/14 - 2/26/14

One new recipe and a one week menu, with links to the recipes in green.

* spinach salad with almond butter dressing - Asian flavor, crunchy almonds, and lots of leafy greens.  Yum!

BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings 
     - with cottage cheese and fruit x2
     - with yogurt and fruit smoothies x1
* scrambled eggs (ours are always made with a ton of chopped spinach, sometimes some chopped tomatoes, a bit of pepper, and always a sprinkling of some type of cheese)/toast x2
* egg & shrimp scramble/toast

SCHOOL DAY LUNCHES
* meat & cheese sandwiches/pea pods/grapes
* peanut butter/apples/cukes/apple buttermilk bran muffins (from the freezer) 
* crockpot beans/rice/sour cream & salsa/pea pods/carrots
* tuna/crackers/pea pods/carrots/pistachios
* oat & almond bars/applesauce/cheddar/red bell pepper

DINNERS

* leftovers

* tacos (meat and crockpot beans from the freezer) 

* Swiss ham wreath (with rice instead of crescent rolls)/apple & cranberry green salad
* veggie pizza on focaccia
* honey lime chicken enchiladas/crockpot beans/carrot sticks/Leslie's salad
* salmon chowder (from the freezer)/cracked wheat & honey bread
* grilled ham & cheese on sourdough/tomato slices/balsamic roasted brussels sprouts

SNACKS & DESSERTS

* produce

* hummus for veggies

* nuts - pistachios & dry roasted almonds

* popcorn (kernels from the Winco bulk department & a West Bend Stir Crazy to pop them in)
* homemade Twix bars
* sugar, banana spice, and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for a bake sale fundraiser  

BITTERSWEET

Sonja.  We met when I was 19 and she was 18.  We've been friends for half of our lives. She moved over 2000 miles away the month before Naomi was born and the amount of time I've seen her since then is small enough to be counted in hours.

She's getting married right this very minute.  It's a small ceremony, one that our family was invited to. Not near her home across the country, but three hours away from me.

We weren't able to go.

In the scheme of life, today is a blip on the radar.  In the last several months, and especially today, it's really, really, really hard for me.

I'm not meeting her new husband.  I'm not seeing the winter wedding she's dreamed and talked about the whole time I've known her.  I'm not watching her walk down the aisle.

I'm missing out on something that is so very important to me. I've anticipated missing this day for several months and thought I'd shed as many tears as I possibly could over it.  I was wrong.  I'm been crying for two days straight.

I'm so happy for her. I'm so sad for me.

MENU: 2/15/14 - 2/19/14

I have used two week menus for as long as I can remember, but I'm going to experiment with weekly ones for a while.  I don't know if it will be a permanent change or not, but our menus are going to run from Thursday through Wednesday for now.  This menu is shorter, as I already had a menu in place for the first half of the month.

Here are links to a few new recipes I've liked, then we'll look at the current menu.

* zesty pork stir fry - I wouldn't describe this as zesty, but it's good!

* simple bread, cracked wheat & honey bread, simple focaccia -I talked about all of these in my post about learning how to bake bread.

BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings 
     - with cottage cheese and fruit x1
     - with yogurt and fruit smoothies x1
* scrambled eggs (ours are always made with a ton of chopped spinach, sometimes some chopped tomatoes, a bit of pepper, and always a sprinkling of some type of cheese)/toast 
* waffles (Tim's cooking, not sure what recipe he'll use)

SCHOOL DAY LUNCHES  

* meat & cheese wraps/apples/red bell peppers

* oatmeal pancakes/applesauce/cheddar/dry roasted almonds

DINNERS

* tacos (meat and crockpot beans from the freezer) 

* creamy shells with broccoli & ham/balsamic roasted brussels sprouts
* Lebanese-style red lentil soup/lemon Greek salad

* lemon garlic tilapia/rice/spinach salad with almond butter dressing
* black bean & couscous salad (using quinoa instead of couscous & taking to home group)

SNACKS & DESSERTS

* produce

* hummus for veggies

* nuts - pistachios & dry roasted almonds

* popcorn (kernels from the Winco bulk department & a West Bend Stir Crazy to pop them in)

* pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (I've been asked to take some to a meeting, but we'll also keep some for our family)

2/13/14 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for a stack of movies from the library that will entertain and educate some little Ws today.

What is one thing that you're thankful for?

A TEETER TOTTER MET MY DAUGHTER

Eleven days ago I asked a random question of my Facebook friends.  What do you call the piece of playground equipment where two people sit at opposite ends of a board that moves them up and down? Teeter totter or seesaw?

This evening someone asked me how to spell teeter totter.  That person was the FNP at a local urgent care clinic who was typing up the chart notes for the little W whose head they just put three staples in after the little W injured themselves falling off a teeter totter.  

I guess I better be careful what kind of things I ask about on Facebook.  

Kidding.  The timing was funny, though.

Naomi is not the first little W to need pieces of their head put back together, but she is the first one to have staples.  Her hair was still bloody from the injury, greasy from various meds, and all tangled up, but here's a picture of her newest accessories.

Tonight I'm thankful for two of Devon's classmates, girls who were with Naomi when she got hurt, brought her to me, and got ice for her before any of us knew there was anything more than a possible bump under all that hair.  I'm thankful that the ladies I was working with at the time were understanding when I had to bail in the middle of a big project.  I'm thankful I had already asked Tim to come pick up the little Ws when he was done subbing so that I could keep working uninterrupted, which meant he walked in the door right after Naomi got hurt and was able to take the boys home while I took her to urgent care.  I'm thankful that the injury wasn't worse than a little gash.  I'm thankful that she was numbed with a topical ointment, rather than a shot.  I'm thankful that the staff were so nice and the ordeal so low-key that Naomi was able to relax to the point of almost falling asleep while she waited for her skin to get numb, especially after being pretty distraught at the idea of needing stitches.  I'm thankful we walked out of urgent care in time to ride to Bible study with the guys. I'm thankful cleaning up her head was an uneventful process tonight. I'm thankful that she doesn't sleep on the side of her head that got stapled. I'm thankful for Tylenol.

2/10/14 MEMORIES ON MONDAY

Today would have been my mom's birthday and as I was going through old pictures to find one to post, I came across this one of my parents.  I don't know when it was taken, but it was before they were married.  Notice the bracelet on my mom's arm?  It's the same one I wear.  This is one of my favorite pictures of my parents!

BETHANY BAKES BREAD

How's that for an alliterative and miraculous title?!

I have a well-earned reputation as a bread baking failure when it comes to anything that includes yeast. However, last year I gave a new recipe a try, one that was made in a Dutch oven and that people said was super easy. It was a success!  Looked great and tasted even better.  My confidence was boosted and I've made it a handful of times since then.  The only problem with that particular bread is that it's a long process from start to finish, sorta inconvenient.

I decided at the beginning of this year that I was going to master the art of baking with yeast and branch out from the one recipe I had been successful with.  I wasn't going to tell anyone of my plan until I'd had success with three different recipes, though.

1/29/14 - I made two loaves of white bread.

I don't think I've ever bought white bread and the kids, who don't mind the bread I buy, thought it was a huge treat.  It was plain ol' white bread, not a lot of flavor or anything, but it turned out perfectly.

"Wow, you made those?!"

"This is like the best bread ever!"

2/7/14 - I made two loaves of cracked wheat and honey bread.

We had soup and toast on the menu and were snowed in, so I figured it was a good day to give another recipe a try.  If it failed, then I'd just used store-bought bread for our toast.

"Oh, this is really good!"

"I can taste the honey."

2/8/14 - I made focaccia.

I didn't have any intention of baking bread yesterday, but a friend posted a link to this recipe on Facebook. I was already in the kitchen baking 3 1/2 dozen apple buttermilk bran muffins, so I decided to dirty some more dishes and give it a shot.

"I want this for my birthday dinner!  Or every day."

"I give this a 20 (on our scale of 1-5 for new recipes)."


There are two things I've done differently with these recipes than with previous ones, which I think is why they've turned out as something other than bricks.

First, I bought yeast at Costco.  I used to buy the little packets at Winco, but so many friends who are successful break bakers say they get their yeast at Costco that I figured it couldn't hurt to do the same.  I don't know if it's fresher or not, but it was worth a try for me.  I just put the big package in a ziploc bag and store it in the fridge.

Second, I started letting dough rise in the oven with the light on.  We keep a cool house and I think that's why I've always struggled to get my dough to rise.  At some point in the past someone mentioned that oven lights put out just enough heat to let dough rise.  They were right!

Three new yeast recipes.  Three successes.  And we're not even halfway through February!  Guess it's time for a new goal.

2/8/14 WORTH REPEATING

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Make today's decisions with tomorrow in mind.

~ Gideon, written by Priscilla Shirer (I haven't done the study, but I liked this quote when a friend posted it on Facebook)


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They forget that it is not a present experience that ensures fruit unto maturity, but a patient continuance in well doing.  To taste the grace of God is one thing;  to be established in it and manifest it in character, habit, and regular life, is another.

~ George Goodman, quoted by Miles J. Stanford in The Complete Green Letters, on the time necessary for growth and the difference between the emotional high of an experience versus the solidity of being grounded in scriptural facts


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Although my husband might not agree with this assessment, I really do try not to complain a lot, especially online. Not because I want to appear like I have the perfect life but because I think sometimes when we verbalize or write down the negatives, they become even bigger and harder in our hearts and minds.

~ Mandi Ehman at Life Your Way


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Motherhood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you though you would have. It's about understanding that he is exactly the person he his supposed to be.  And that if you're lucky, he just might be the teacher who turns you into the person you are supposed to be.

~ The Water Giver: The Story of a Mother, Her Son, and Their Second Chance, written by Joan Ryan (I haven't read the book, but a friend shared this quote on Facebook and I liked it) 


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Aligning my heart with God's heart results in a stillness of heart and less 'responding'. Just because self-defense feels good doesn't mean it glorifies God.

~ Belinda Moffit


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2/6/14 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that we have two functioning vehicles - one that seats our whole family, one that gets better gas mileage, and the combo that allows me to take care of stuff outside of the home while Tim's working.

What's something that you're thankful for?

A MOMENT OF CHILDHOOD CAPTURED

 

WINTER WALK TO THE LIBRARY

Blue skies

Forty degrees

Plaid shorts

Smooth bare knees

Cold ears

Tiara in place

Cowgirl boots

Desire to race

Striped hair

Stick for walking

At cars waving

With mom talking

Pink camo

Jeweled fleece

Head high

Heart at peace

Half mile

Sidewalk cracks

Off to get

Books in stacks

GRATEFUL FOR A NICE MAN

Right now Tim is talking to a retired principal. A man who is giving him feedback on his resume and cover letter. A man who is taking time out of his weekend to help Tim increase his odds of getting a job for next school year. A man Tim played softball with in the early years of our marriage, years before Tim was ever involved in teaching. A man who was my principal, years before I knew Tim.

 The cool thing about this man is that people from two totally different seasons of my life know who he is. Friends from Brookings know him because he was their principal or the principal of their kids or siblings. Friends from Phoenix and Ashland know him for the same reason or because they went or go to church with him. 

His name is Jeff Schlecht and there are three times in my life that I've been very thankful for him. 

The first time was in December 1991. He had called my dad's place of employment in Brookings for some unknown reason irrelevant to the story. My dad took care of business, then mentioned that he had a daughter at Mr. Schlecht's school (that would be me) who was concerned about missing final exams. You see, at that time my mom was dying and my dad planned on taking my siblings and I on vacation the week after she died. The way things were going it was beginning to look like that vacation would be during finals and I was a little stressed about how my grades would be affected. 

Not to worry. Mr. Schlecht said he'd take care of it. A day or two later I saw all my teachers walking out of his office before school started one morning. He called me in later, saying he'd explained the situation to all of them and given them each two options - let me take my final late without penalty or let me skip it and adjust my grading scale accordingly - and that I could work things out with each teacher individually when I went to their class that day. My mom died a short time later and I went on vacation without any worries about the finals I was missing. 

The second time was in 2005 when Jeff (that's what he'd told me to call him when we reconnected several years later and I was adult) welcomed Tim, who he'd met when they played on a softball team together, into his office one day for a meeting. Tim was at the end of his MAT program in Ashland and Jeff did a mock interview with him, giving him all sorts of useful information that proved helpful in the job application and interviewing process. 

The third time is today. Tim now has several years of teaching under his belt, an administrative license, and really needs a job. We've lost contact with Jeff over the years, but a friend relayed a message from us to him earlier this week and he promptly called Tim to set up a time to talk this weekend. Today, with Tim having several years of experience under his belt and and some different circumstances than last time the two of them talked, Jeff gave Tim helpful feedback, information that Tim can use as he continues applying for jobs. 

If I were to state my feelings like I write many of my Facebook posts, then I guess this is what I'd say ...

Blessings.  Jeff Schlecht.    

MENU - FIRST HALF OF FEBRUARY 2014

I've had a few people ask me recently if I make the doughnuts that are always on our menu, so I wanted to clarify that I don't.  Our church serves doughnuts at the service that we attend, so we all grab one there.  Although I don't list it, we also usually grab a bit of real food before we head out the door for church.  Some people like some cottage cheese and pineapple, others grab some almonds and an apple.  It varies from week to week. 

I have two new recipes to share with you this time around. 

kiwi smoothies - These are delicious!  Almond extract is the magic ingredient, but the smoothies are packed with several other yummy ingredients.

Nantucket cranberry pie - Eva linked this recipe on Facebook during the holiday season and I bookmarked it for a later day.  That day finally came last week and we were all very grateful.  It has a ridiculous amount of sugar in it, especially if you make up some whipped cream to go with it, but it's a tasty indulgence!


BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x2
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings 
     - with cottage cheese and fruit x4
     - with yogurt and fruit smoothies x2
* scrambled eggs (ours are always made with a ton of chopped spinach, sometimes some chopped tomatoes, a bit of pepper, and always a sprinkling of some type of cheese)/toast x4
* apple buttermilk bran muffins/yogurt
* egg & shrimp scramble/mandarins
* Rebecca's granola (as cold cereal or over yogurt)

SCHOOL DAY LUNCHES  
* meat & cheese sandwich

     - on tortillas/apples/red bell peppers

     - on regular bread/apples/pea pods

* crackers/cheddar/cukes/olives x2

* peanut butter & jelly sandwich

     - on regular bread/apples/red bell peppers

     - on oatmeal pancakes/apples/pea pods

* pumpkin muffins/applesauce/cheddar/dry roasted almonds

* quesadillas/black bean dip/red bell peppers

* deviled eggs/mandarins/pea pods

DINNERS
* leftovers x2
* tacos (meat and crockpot beans from the freezer) x2

* steak salad (we'll use pork chops ... never made this from the last menu)

* potato & carrot soups (from the freezer)/grilled cheese sandwiches

* surprise soup (adding a bunch of fresh produce and leftover meats and veggies from the freezer to some broth)

* BLTs/kiwi smoothies

* grilled chicken salad/toast

* penne and sausage casserole (sauce from the freezer)/roasted broccoli

* quinoa patties/lemon garlic cukes/new recipe

* Silas' chicken/rice/winter fruit salad with lemon poppyseed dressing  (as in ... green salad with winter fruits, not a fruit salad)

* broccoli cheddar quiche with a brown rice crust/peppered tomato slices

* mostaccioli with sausage and tomatoes/garlic roasted cauliflower

* zesty pork stir fry/rice

SNACKS & DESSERTS

* produce

* hummus for veggies

* nuts - pistachios & dry roasted almonds

* popcorn (kernels from the Winco bulk department & a West Bend Stir Crazy to pop them in)

* white chocolate cherry almond cookies (some to share, some to keep)

* sugar cookies (taking to an event)