Menu Monday

It's Menu Monday time....link up with Rachel to play along.

This is what we'll be eating this week...

Mon: Slow Cooker Swiss Steak

Source: pillsbury.com via Rachel on Pinterest

KB's grandparents are coming over this evening to help us till up and plan our garden. I'll be making this with venison instead of beef. You can sub out most recipes that call for thick cuts of beef with venison. It's better for you and it's free (if you don't count the money spent on various hunting apparel, gas money to go wherever KB is hunting, bullets, guns, etc)

Tues: Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Source: realmomkitchen.com via Rachel on Pinterest

I really like fajitas but I'm also pretty lazy when it comes to making them.  This looks really easy - you just pop everything into the oven and go do fun other things....like watering flowers....folding laundry....walking the dogs.

Wed: The Best Pot Roast Ever

Source: mariescookingadventures.blogspot.com via Rachel on Pinterest

I'll actually be making The Best Stew Beef ever, but it's close enough. I had a few random packets of dry ranch and italian dressing mix laying around and this recipe happens to use both (and my slow cooker...double bonus!). I never really feel like doing much on Wednesdays and all the good TV shows are on. I want something easy so I don't spend have the night in the kitchen and can spend it on the couch where I belong.

Thurs: Black bean burgers, slaw and chips

Source: singerskitchen.com via Veronica on Pinterest

While it's probably not going to be as festive as the one above - we're having some black bean burgers on Thursday. KB is a huge fan of black bean burgers and actually prefers them to regular ones. He's been asking for them for a while now. They're really easy to make so I'm not sure why it's taken me this long to put them in the lineup.

What will you be eating this week???

Weekly Work It Out

I feel like I haven't posted in weeks.  We've been pretty busy with house stuff and cleaning out the yard.  My workout consisted of moving and pulling a stump out of the ground yesterday.  Glamorous.

I've done a few workouts recently that I haven't posted about.

I did this workout last week and it was actually really good if you like pliometrics.  I thought that this was an hour long with 3 circuits.  It ended up having 6 circuits and was more like an hour and a half.  I was pretty sure I was going crazy by about the middle of the fifth circuit.

This workout was a little weird.  I felt like I got a really good workout, but the intervals were really easy and she acted weird throughout it.  I'm not a Jillian Michaels fan at all, but she seemed kinda out of it the entire time.

I'm a really big Jackie Warner fan and this one didn't disappoint.  I was sore for 3 or 4 days after I did this.  It was weird that she only worked with one person at a time and the other people just sat there.  The leg workout was really hard.  My legs are still a little sore.

This week I'll be working out to this...

I'm thinking this will be similar to the Michelle Dozois workout I did last week, but I like her so I don't really mind. This has an upper body workout and a lower body workout that's split.  I'll probably do them together.

What workouts have you been doing recently???

Pinteresting Wednesday

It's time for another Pinteresting Wednesday post....link up with The Vintage Apple to play along.

Here are my favorite pins of the week....

Source: pillsbury.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: knockoffdecor.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: rstyle.me via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: penniesonaplatter.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: hungry-girl.com via Rachel on Pinterest

What are your favorite Pins this week???

Menu Monday

Here's what the Browns will be eating this week.  Link up with Rachel to play along.

Mon: Spicy Thai Noodles

Source: asmallsnippet.blogspot.com via Rachel on Pinterest

I love noodles and KB likes spicy things so hopefully we'll both like this one. I actually broke down and bought sesame oil for this. It's so expensive and I normally just use regular oil in recipes that call for it because I'm a cheapo. I figured I might as well take the $7 plunge.

Tues: Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad

Source: lifeonleroy.blogspot.com via Rachel on Pinterest

I have about a half a jar of buffalo sauce leftover from last week's garbage bread (which was amazing by the way) so I wanted to be able to use it up to clear out some room in the fridge. I'm not sure how 2 people get so many condiments. This looks tasty and easy.

Wed: The Best Pork Chops You've Ever Had

Source: crazyhorsesghost.hubpages.com via Rachel on Pinterest

How can you not make a recipe that claims to be the best? These actually do look pretty good and have lots of ranch dressing and italian dressing mix in the breadcrumbs. I'll be serving this with broccoli - but probably not the best you've ever had.....just regular broccoli.

Thurs: Pepperoni Pizza Hand Pies

Source: pillsbury.com via Rachel on Pinterest

I seemed to have gathered lots of stuff to make pizza with recently but no pizza dough - just lots of canned biscuits. This recipe is actually a repeat, but I need to clear out some room in our teenee tiny fridge so this is going to do!

What goodies will you be eating this week???

Pinteresting Wednesday

It's time for another Pinteresting Wednesday post!  Link up with The Vintage Apple to play along.

Here are my favorite Pins of the week...

Source: asmallsnippet.blogspot.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: addicted2decorating.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: wanelo.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: norikoburky.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: bettycrocker.com via Rachel on Pinterest

What are your favorite Pins this week???

Yard - a - Rama

Here's some lovely before photos of our yard.  We had actually done a little bit of work when this was taken and there aren't any true before pictures.  It was scary.  Even I didn't want to see it.

Hopefully there will be some after pictures soon!

This is part of our front yard.  It's scary and has lots of honeysuckle, ivy and poison oak.

This is the side yard.  It's also scary, but it has blackberry bushes and strawberries that have taken over.

This is more of the front yard.  This was after we had already pulled out a TON of bamboo.  Seriously - who plants bamboo any more?

And just for fun - here are some of my new hanging baskets I got yesterday.  It's pretty much the only yard I'll have this summer so why not.

This one's my favorite.  It's like a little mini petunia.

Menu Monday

It's time for another Menu Monday post.  Link up with Rachel to play along.

Here's what we'll be eating this week:

Mon: Monterrey Chicken

Source: kimmccrary.blogspot.com via Rachel on Pinterest

This look amazing. The bacon and cheese really make me want to eat it this morning instead of having to wait until tonight. KB is turkey hunting tonight,but I'm still making it for myself. We'll be eating this with some green beans - woo hoo boring.

Tues: Crock Pot Tangy Meatballs

Source: sixsistersstuff.com via Rachel on Pinterest

My in-laws are coming over on Tuesday to help us in the yard. This is a crock pot meal so I can just come home and work (and probably get more poison ivy) instead of having to cook.

Wed: Buffalo Chicken Garbage Bread

Source: emmalinaviolet.wordpress.com via Rachel on Pinterest

This looks wonderful and so buffalo wing-y good. A friend of mine made this and said it was pretty good. Hopefully mine will be too. I got the sweet chili wing sauce from Frank's Red Hot. I've heard good things about this and am excited to try it out.

Thurs: Easy Garlic Chicken

Source: food.com via Rachel on Pinterest

This looks easy and good. I love chicken that has brown sugar in the marinade. The garlic looks good too. We'll be having this with some roasted carrots in olive oil and rosemary. Fancy for a Thursday!

What will you be eating this week???

Thoughts on a Thursday

There's not that many thoughts in my head this Thursday, but here are the few.....

Since we've been working in the yard so much this week, both KB and I have poison oak like crazy.  I have it all over my arms, the back of my neck and on my ankles.  It itches like crazy.  I've tried a few different home remedies but nothing is really working.  So far baking soda and vinegar has worked the best.  Know anything better?

KB will be gone this weekend turkey hunting so I'll have some time on my hands.  I'm planning on hitting up the local thrift store to see what I can find for under $20.  I just went into a thrift store for the first time a few weeks ago and I really liked it. I'm hoping I can find a treasure!  Maybe something like this.....

Source: apinterestaddict.com via Rachel on Pinterest

I got a pedicure on Monday and got the best color!  It's OPI's Ate Berries in the Canaries - very summery!

I'm trying to step up my dinner game and cook more real meals.  I mostly cook one main thing and that's all we eat.  Growing up we always had at least one side dish and I don't feel like I ever cook them.  This week I've experimented with adding in some side dishes and so far so good.  I can't wait to try this one....

Source: eat-drink-smile.com via Rachel on Pinterest

What are your thoughts this Thursday????

Pinteresting Wednesday

It's time for another Pinteresting Wednesday post.  Link up with The Vintage Apple to play along.

Source: fortheloveofcooking.net via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: skinny-before-summer.tumblr.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: theyellowcapecod.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: kalynskitchen.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Source: allrecipes.com via Rachel on Pinterest

What are your favorite Pins of the week?

Menu Monday

Link up with Rachel to play along.

I had to make my weekly shopping list when we still didn't have the internet so I mostly chose things that I already knew how to make or were in cook books I already had.  It's going to be a bit of a boring one!

Mon: Pinto Beans and Cornbread

Source: stockpilingmoms.com via Melissa Jennings on Pinterest

Pinto beans is one of KB's favorite meals. It's also easy and can be made in the crock pot. These will be cooking all day while we get some yard work done.

Tues: Antipasto Pasta Salad

Source: thenakedkitchen.com via Pam on Pinterest

This is super easy to make and you can just throw together anything antipasto-y in there. We'll be having salami, olives, zucchini, tomatoes and all that good stuff.

Wed: Crock Pot BBQ Chicken sandwiches

Source: forkinit.blogspot.com via Torie on Pinterest

I like to make this because it takes 2 ingredients and you don't really have to cook it. I got some hot and spicy BBQ sauce and I can't wait to try it out. I'll also be making some chopped slaw to go with this.

Thurs: French Dips with Chips

Source: beckyhiggins.com via ssmith525 on Pinterest

This is another easy one to make. Just pile up some good bread with roast beef, peppers, onions and provolone and you've got it. I always serve it with some french onion soup for dipping. I just got the store bought kind because I'm lazy, but you could make your own.

What will you be eating this week???

And we're back....

After many days of silence we are in our new home!  There was definitely some drama that included the bank threatening to pull our loan at closing because we got too much money back, but we're here now and that's all that matters.

Here's the new pile.....

It's definitely rough inside and out.  The yard is overtaking the house at this point so that's going to be our focus for now.  We're also going to have to do some major kitchen work.


Be on the lookout for some before and after photos!