Menu Planning Madness

Menu Planning Madness

I want to start this entry with a huge success from last Friday.  I made a shrimp pizza.  My original intentions were to make the crust from scratch as well as make the pizza.  However, I got busy and could not find a way to get it done and get the pizza made and have us eat before 10:00 pm, so I cheated and used Pillsbury refridgerated pizza crust.  So here is what I did:

Sauted cooked shrimp, green peppers, and red onions in olive oil, garlic powder, and basil.  Then on the pizza crust I added a little spaghetti sauce (had some left over), the sauted items, and then covered with italian cheeses.  I baked it based on the instructions on the Pillsbury packaging.  Then I took my another pizza crust and brushed on olive oil and covered with cheese to make cheesy bread.  My MIL's response "You can cook this every Friday night during Lent.  Actually you can cook this every Friday night".  I love when my experiments go right!!!

Here is this week's Menu:
Sunday - Brats, Salad, and Mac and Cheese
Monday - Something light due to gymnastics
Tuesday - Taco Salad and refried beans
Wednesday - Sandwiches before soccer
Thursday - Pork Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes, Green Veggies
Friday - Trying to decide between shrimp pizza again or lazy man's lasagna
Saturday - Hamburgers, veggies on the grill (I am hoping to go to a local Farmer's Market)
Sunday - Roast a chicken in hopes for good leftovers!

Leftovers is something I am working on this week.  I did not have good leftovers for lunches last week, and we bought too many at work!  I am going to really try and cook enough each meal for each of us to have lunch atleast once!!!

Kroger's Instant Win Game

Have you played Kroger's Instant Win Game? 

It is very easy.  Just make sure you have signed up on Kroger.com and play!!! 
You can:
Play once a day
Each time you play you are entered in the Grand Sweepstakes
Win 2 items (I have heard of people winning $5 off next purchase, free CPK pizza, free coffee)
Even after you have won two items you can continue to play to be entered in the Grand Sweepstakes.

Good Luck!!!

Finding time to Exercise

Or maybe I should title this "Finding time to catch up with friends".

Two of my big struggles are finding time to exercise and finding time to catch up with friends.  However on Monday night I was reminded of a way to do both.  A great friend of mine and I have decided to start walking twice a week.  We would love to do it more, but there are only so many hours in a day.  We met at 9:00 pm and walked for almost an hour.  I was amazed at easy it was to walk at a brisk pace when you are catching up with a friend. 

Even though we see each other a few times a  month, it is usually during playdates.  This was our time to talk about what ever we wanted and we did!!  When I got home, my husband asked what we talked about and there were so many random topics he just smiled and nodded. 

I had posted this on my facebook status and one of friends who is a trainer in Austin responded with "I tell my clients this all the time! Even chatting on your cell makes the time go by much faster." 

What a great idea.  Do you have a friend (or two) that you really want a good 30 minute conversation once to twice a week?  Schedule a walking date.  Even if they don't live close - we all have cell phones.  Just grab your tennis shoes and your cell phone (or your friend) and head out walking!  Thanks Karen!!!