5 Question Friday

1. If you had $1,000 to donate to a charity, which would you choose?  Hmmm.  My gut reaction is, of course, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  I'd probably donate half to them and half to the nursing home where I work-- our Activities Department (my dept.) has NO budget, and there are quite a few things we could use!

2. Snow days: Do you welcome them happily or are they a pain in your butt?   It totally depends on what day of the week it is.  Some days, love them, we don't have to leave the house in bad weather.  If it's a day I have to work, though, I hate them-- I don't like making my kids spend a whole day at the babysitter's house (love her, it's not that, just wish they could be at home instead).   On the other hand, those two hour delays?  Hate them.  Of course I want everyone to be safe, but wow, those really mess up our days in terms of me getting to work on time and finding transportation for our preschooler.  

3. What talent did you wish you had and why?   I'd love to be able to play piano.   It would be great for work, and, it's just something I always wished I could do. 

4. Are you a news, politics or celebrity gossip junkie?   News/politics.  I don't write a lot about that stuff here on the blog, but DH and I like to argue talk about whatever is going on in the world.  I read the news online, and Fox news is on in our house a couple of hours each day.  I listen to it while I'm doing other things, like making dinner.   I'm a big fan of Glenn Beck.... and yes, I heard the door slamming as you ran away from my blog.  ;)

5. What is your favorite "cocktail"? (Are you a beer person, a kiddie cocktail junkie, or perhaps your more the "Cosmo" kind?! Anything flies...doesn't hafta be alcoholic!)   Ha!  These days I have an alcoholic beverage about three times a year- we don't keep alcohol in the house, and we very rarely go out.  My favorites: Corona with a lime or a Mai Tai.  Yum!

Share your own 5 Question Friday answers and link up HERE! 

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

Menu Plan: Weight Watchers, week 2

I'm a day late, but after figuring this all out I'm posting it anyway! ;)

My menu this week is kind of vague.  That's because I'm reading through new-to-me recipe blogs whenever I get a few free minutes to play online in search of great new recipes that are WW friendly. 

• MONDAY:  Little Smokies, WW Baked Macaroni &Cheese with Broccoli (7pp)    
• *Recipe Review: This was nice and creamy... but kind of bland.  To be fair, I left out the mustard as my family usually does not like macaroni recipes with mustard, so that probably would have provided a little more flavor. 
• Yes, I know, Little Smokies are an odd menu item... but I had one package left after the holidays! The kids think they're a big treat.  :)
• TUESDAY: something to use up thawed stew meat 
• my homemade vegetable soup (that's my recipe posted on Food.com) (6pp as written- I'm making some substitutions and it should be around 2-3pp per cup)
• or beef stew?
• WEDNESDAY: buffalo chicken-- over chef salads?  on sandwiches?
• I'll grill some chicken tenders in the George Foreman grill and then shake them in our favorite wing sauces.  The kids will probably have chicken nuggets.
• THURSDAY: ham omelets-- everyone can pick what else they want in them: peppers, onions, cheese, mushrooms, etc.    I'm looking at various recipes but will probably make them my usual way with Egg Beaters.
• FRIDAY:  WW chicken fingers with BBQ sauce (5pp), oven fries (3pp), steamed broccoli (0pp)  
• I didn't get to this meal last week- we had baked chicken & mixed veggies instead.
• SATURDAY:  our usual homemade pizza    
• Last week I experimented with a new crust and sauce, and both got mixed reviews.  I'll be trying new recipes again this week, but I haven't decided which ones yet!

And with every meal I'm adding in fresh fruit of some sort-- apples, oranges, bananas, and blueberries

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

Menu: back to Weight Watchers edition

I officially joined Weight Watchers Online yesterday.  I've done WW at home before,  using the materials I bought off eBay, but now, with the new PointsPlus system, everything is different.  I never thought I'd pay for something like this, but I got a good deal (no joiners fee with 3-month membership), and so far, I'm pretty impressed with their online tools.    And no, nobody is paying me to tell you this- it's just my personal opinion!

I'm still learning the new PointsPlus system, so some of these meals are a little high in points.  I hope to find other ways to prepare the dishes and lower the points as I go. There will definitely be some tweaking!  ;)

• MONDAY:  family favorite meatloaf (7pp), ww mashed potatoes (4pp), green beans (0pp)
• TUESDAY:  Kids's request: pancakes (still searching recipes), bacon (3 pieces=4pp), fruit salad
• WEDNESDAY: WW chicken fingers with BBQ sauce (5pp), oven fries (3pp), steamed broccoli (0pp)
• THURSDAY: my homemade vegetable soup (that's my recipe posted on Food.com) (6pp), grilled cheese sandwiches (6pp)
• FRIDAY:  pork roast & veggies (no clue on points, LOL) in the crockpot, tossed salad (0pp)
• SATURDAY:  homemade pizza using my favorite bread machine dough

If you have any pointers or know of any great WW blogs, I'd love to hear from you!  :)
 
This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

Living Simply: great book, author needs prayer

I just finished a book that had been on my to-read list for a while now: Living Simply: Choosing Less in a World of More by Joanne Heim.  Everything about the book, from the author's conversational style to the pretty blue cover, appealed to me, and I was not disappointed.

I found that this book really resonated with my goal of focusing on my word- PURPOSE- in this new year.  Mrs. Heim advocates really looking at your life and seeing where you can cut back-- on stuff, on committments, on whatever it is that gets in the way of living simply.  She's realistic, though-- she doesn't expect anyone to simply get rid of all their belongings or to clear the calendar completely.  Instead, she proposes small changes and focusing on one thing at a time.   

She also makes frequent references to scripture, which I enjoyed- they don't seem forced or heavy, but they fit right in to the overall ideas she is talking about.  Combining more time to listen to God along with reducing all the other "stuff" that takes up our days... now that is the kind of simplified life I am looking for!

In a strange twist of fate, I was reading through some of my favorite blogs today when I came across the news that the author, Joanne Heim, is in need of prayer.  Clicking over to her blog, I discovered that she's in intensive care and fighting for her life after having a stroke this week.  She is certainly in my prayers!

This is not a sponsored book review- it's simply a book that appealed to me.  I obtained my copy for free by swapping with others via PaperBack Swap.  If you're not familiar with PaperBack Swap, I highly recommend it-- it's a great way to declutter your book collection and trade your used books out for new books that you want to read!

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

My Word for 2011

I love the concept of choosing a word for the year, rather than making New Year's Resolutions.  I've done this in the past and had some success with focusing on the concept throughout the year. 

I hadn't really given much thought to a new word for 2011 until I heard Lisa and Eric on KLOVE talking about the concept a couple of weeks ago.  I've been thinking about it on and off since then, and a quick Google search shows that I'm not alone. 

Finally, after thinking long and hard, I think I've landed on my word: PURPOSE.  I originally typed out a long post about all the areas this applies to my life, but then I realized the irony there-- what's the purpose giving my readers a long, detailed list that only applies to myself?  LOL!  

I'll give you the short version: I want the things I do with my time and the objects in my life to serve some {good} purpose.  No more wasting hours away, no more clutter to clean around (love it or it's gone), and no more spending time doing things I feel obligated to do when there are so many things I truly want to do.  I seriously debated between purpose and focus, but purpose just feels right to me.

So, what about you?  Have YOU chosen a word to focus on in 2011?

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

Menu 1/10: Family Favorites

Everything here is a tried and true family favorite... I think this bitter cold weather has me craving some comfort foods!   I normally just plan the menu myself, but thought I'd see what DH and the kids (ages 7 and 4) wanted me to include this week.  So, here you have it, "Family Favorites" week:

• MONDAY:  our favorite Unbelievable Baked Buffalo Wings (I make some with super-fire hot sauce for DH, red hot for me, and chicken nuggets for the kids!) with celery and Ranch Roasted Potatoes
• TUESDAY:  DH's favorite: fried pork chops, mashed potatoes, green beans
• WEDNESDAY: kids'/DH's request: hamburgers, zesty baked fries, grape tomatoes
• THURSDAY: kids' request: kielbasa, alien shaped Kraft macaroni, corn  :) 
• FRIDAY: my favorite: Chicken and Cheese French Bread Pizza, tossed salad
• SATURDAY:  homemade sausage pizza using my favorite bread machine dough

We're on our second box of clementines, so those will be dessert until we run out.  My kids just love those!

What about you-- are you craving comfort foods or trying new recipes this week?  

Local Officer Down

Ever wondered about this Thin Blue Line symbol?  It's used to identify Police Officers and their families, and to show support.

 

 I don't often post things about my husband or his job as a Police Sergeant ... but this week, police officers are constantly on my mind. A local officer was shot and killed in the line of duty.  Another officer was shot and seriously wounded in the same event, but he will survive.  

These officers were not from my husband's department, but the incident happened fairly close to our home.  I just happened to drive past the scene (completely unaware of what was happening) and saw more than 20 cruisers there, with more absolutely flying to the scene.  I knew then that there was an officer in trouble--call it a gut feeling-- but I knew there was no other reason for the additional units to be flying to the scene when there were already that many there. 

When something like this happens, EVERY Police Officer is affected.   It's true what they say- cops really are like one big family.  They expect up to a thousand cruisers to process for the fallen officer's funeral on Friday.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the officer who was killed, the injured officer, and ALL law enforcement officers in our area- because they're all hurting. 

This post may contain sponsored reviews or affiliate links.  You can read my policy here. I always provide my honest opinions.

First Menu of 2011

 It's back to school with a new evening activity (Tae Kwon Do) starting for the kids... yep, the week ahead promises to be pretty busy!  Here's the plan:

• MONDAY:  ham, leftover (new recipe) homemade macaroni & cheese, broccoli salad 
• TUESDAY: pork roast (tossed in the oven with potatoes & whatever spices sound good at the time), tossed salad
• WEDNESDAY: my crockpot Italian chicken/ pasta (cook chicken pieces all day on low in Italian dressing, shred, serve over tri-colored rotini with grated Parmesan), green beans
• THURSDAY:  baked potato bar (broccoli, cheese, etc) for the kids and I; chili for DH  
• FRIDAY:  Chicken & Cheese French Bread Pizza, tossed salad
• SATURDAY:  homemade pizza