Woof Wednesday

Woof Wednesday

I've been very good, Santa!

Woof Wednesday

Thanksgiving nap!

Meal Plan Monday #118

It's exam week at school, so my schedule is weird. Since Darren works on a college campus, he gets to keep the university schedule, so we both have all of Christmas week off! Hooray! This week will be crazy, probably, but we are already looking forward to next week. We are planning to visit with friends and take our pooch to the dog park to run loose!

Sunday:  Macaroni and Cheese with Bacon & Artichoke Hearts and Salad

Monday:  Mississippi Pot Roast with Cheese Grits

Tuesday:  Oven Broiled Sandwiches

Wednesday:  Darren's Chicken Enchiladas

Thursday:  Science Department Pot-Luck! (Spinach & Artichoke Dip and Brownies)

Friday:  Date Night! Lib's Pick!

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #117

Darren's birthday is Monday, so I made a special dessert! The semester is winding down at school, and we are working on our holiday plans. I have initiation for the club I sponsor on Tuesday night, so we are moving takeout to Tuesday this week.

Sunday:  Ba-chan's Noodle-Rice Casserole and Salad

Monday:  Buttermilk Fried Pork Chops with Baked Sweet Potatoes and Lemony Lemon Brownies

Tuesday:  Tutorial Night Take-Out

Wednesday:  Potato Soup Topped Bacon and Cheese with Pretzel Rolls

Thursday:  Pan Seared Chicken with Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower

Friday:  Date Night! Darren's Pick!

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #116

Thanksgiving is over, and we have lots of turkey left over. College football's biggest weekend is over, and both of my teams (Ole Miss and Mizzou) came out on top! It was a great weekend with family!

Sunday:  Turkey and Sausage Jambalaya and Salad

Monday:  Meatless Monday! Black Bean Quesadillas with Grilled Peppers & Onions and Cheese

Tuesday:  Cornbread Skillet Casserole

Wednesday:  Tutorial Night Take Out!

Thursday:  Cast Iron Steaks and Sweet Potato Fries

Friday:  Date Night! Lib's Pick!

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #115

It's almost THANKSGIVING! I'm so excited to be able to eat Thanksgiving dinner with my parents. My mom and I are sharing cooking duties, and I'm starting by baking my sweet potatoes on Tuesday so I can turn them into sweet potato casserole on Thursday!

Sunday:  Seared Tuna Steaks, Rice, and Warm Corn Relish

Monday:  Round Steak with Mushrooms and Carrots and Mashed Potatoes

Tuesday:  Grilled Pork Chops, Cornbread, and Baked Sweet Potatoes

Wednesday:  Take-out!

Thursday:  THANKSGIVING! Turkey, Sweet Potato Casserole, Cornbread Dressing, Watergate Salad, and all the other fixings!

Friday:  Date Night! Darren's Pick!

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #114

We're getting ready for Thanksgiving and planning out the menu, so this week, we're trying to keep things pretty simple.

Sunday:  Roasted Vegetables (Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Potatoes) with Sausage

Monday:  Pasta (Ravioli?) with Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms (meatless similar to this or this)

Tuesday:  Darren's Fried Rice

Wednesday:  Slow Cooker Potato Soup with Pretzel Rolls

Thursday:  Fish Tacos with Cabbage and Avocado

Friday:  Date Night! Lib's Pick!

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #113

I have been looking up new recipes. I really enjoy Italian sausage with spinach or kale, and I like making spinach and parmesan orzo. I came across a recipe for spinach and sausage rice bowls, and I plan to replace the rice with orzo. I also found a recipe for salmon-BLT sliders, which I am turning into full-size seared tuna sandwiches. I have a great-tasting, super-easy recipe for tuna, and putting it on a sandwich with bacon, lettuce, and avocado aioli sounds amazing to me! 

Sunday:  Sausage and Spinach Orzo (based on this recipe) with Salad

Monday:  Black Bean & Rice Burritos with Grilled Peppers and Onions and Corn Salsa

Tuesday:  Seared Tuna BLTs with Avocado Aioli (based on this recipe)

Wednesday:  Tutorial Night Take Out

Thursday:  Bacon-Wrapped Burgers on Pretzel Rolls with Sweet Potato Fries

Friday:  Date Night! Darren's Pick!

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #112

It has really gotten cooler here. We decided a couple of months ago that we were going to try meatless Mondays, but I keep forgetting! This week, I remembered. Last week, we got some crispy jalapeños to go on a salad. There were delicious, and we thought they would make a great topping for macaroni and cheese, so that's going to be our meatless Monday this week.

Sunday:  Pepperoni Pizza Rollups with Salad

Monday:  Macaroni and Cheese with Crispy Jalapeno Topping

Tuesday:  Breakfast for Dinner! Bacon, Eggs, Grits, and Biscuits

Wednesday:  Fish Tacos with Cabbage and Avocado

Thursday:  Darren's Fried Rice

Friday:  Date Night! Lib's Pick!

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #111

We had a great Saturday in Tuscaloosa. We went shopping and had a nice lunch. It was sunny and beautiful, but much warmer that the past few days. I knew the cool was too good to be true... It is supposed to warm back up here into the 80s. We have the Science Carnival at school this week - science demos for thousands of elementary students. I hope it goes well!

Sunday:  Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with Pretzel Rolls

Monday:  Twice Baked Potatoes with Ham and Cheese

Tuesday:  Pepperoni Pizza Roll-ups

Wednesday:  Broiled Sandwiches

Thursday:  Grilled Chicken (a la Plain Chicken) with Roasted Vegetables

Friday:  Date Night! Darren's Pick!

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #110

The weather is getting cooler. The food will be getting heartier over the next few weeks.

Sunday:  Chipotle Lime Salmon with Roasted Potatoes

Monday:  Chicken Quesadillas with Homemade Tortillas from the Farmers' Market

Tuesday:   Pepperoni Pizza Rollups and Salad (Ice Cream Lab!)

Wednesday:  Tutorial Night Take-out

Thursday:  Grilled Chicken with Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower

Friday:  Date Night! Lib's Pick!

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #109

Columbus Day! A day off of work, with lots of work to be done...

Sunday:  Chicken Stew and Biscuits

Monday:  Bean, Chicken, and Cheese Burritos

Tuesday:  Pepperoni and Jalapeno Pizza

Wednesday:  Tutorial Night Take-out!

Thursday:  Fried Rice

Friday:  Date Night! Darren's Pick!

Woof Wednesday

So full of love!

Meal Plan Monday #108

We went to Oxford this past weekend and saw the beginning of College Game Day from the Grove. This week will probably be extra busy, because I took the weekend off from grading, but it was worth it!

Sunday:  Hamburgers and Hashbrowns

Monday:  Cornbread Dressing with Chicken and Black-eyed Peas

Tuesday:  Ba-Chan's Noodle Rice Casserole with Italian Sausage

Wednesday:  Jimmy John's Sandwiches

Thursday:  Roasted Vegetables with Italian Sausage

Friday:  Date Night! Lib's Pick!

Meal Plan Monday #107

Darren wants to start trying Meatless Mondays. I'm not against eating vegetarian, but I just don't have that many meatless main dish recipes.

Sunday:  Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

Monday:  Sliced Baked Potatoes, Steamed Vegetables, and Salad

Tuesday:  Mississippi Pot Roast with Cheese Grits

Wednesday:  Japanese Curry with Rice

Thursday:  Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Claussen Spicy Pickles and Sweet Tots

Friday:  Date Night! Darren's Pick!

Meal Plan Monday #106

I'm actually writing this post on Friday, because I am sitting in my office dreaming about what I haven't cooked in a while and what I want to cook up next week. Now that it isn't quite so miserably hot, I want to eat all the foods I haven't eaten all summer because it's been too dang hot to cook them. And I have buttermilk in the refrigerator that I want to use.

I made some DELICIOUS, FLUFFY cornbread last week. It was so good - I used homemade baking powder (2 t. cream of tartar + 1 t. baking soda) and buttermilk and it rose up so beautifully, I wish I had taken a picture. I froze the leftovers for a future batch of dressing. I will probably make another batch this week so that I'll have enough cornbread for dressing, and because we have most of a half-gallon of buttermilk in the refrigerator, and I don't want it to go to waste.

SUNDAY:  Country Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Black-eyed Peas, and Cornbread

MONDAY:  Twice-baked Potatoes with Broccoli and Cheese

TUESDAY:  Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Lima Beans, Roasted Eggplant, and Biscuits

WEDNESDAY:  Pepperoni, Mushroom, and Jalapeno Pizza and Salad

THURSDAY:  Chicken and Sausage Pasta with Salad

FRIDAY:  Date Night! Lib's Pick!

Meal Plan Monday #105

We went to Oxford to see the Ole Miss Rebels win their first home game of the season! So we didn't cook anything on Sunday.

Sunday:  Chicken Wings and Salad

Monday:  Chicken Quesadillas

Tuesday:  Black Beans and Rice with Pork Chops

Wednesday:  Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya and Biscuits

Thursday:  Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Burritos

Friday:  Date Night! Darren's Pick!

Meal Plan Monday #104

This week will be extra busy. A colleague is out for a family emergency. Darren is filling in for her, and I have some extra planning and lab prep work to do!

Sunday:  Ham Steak with Corn Pudding and Lima Beans

Monday:  Pizza and Salad

Tuesday:  Darren's Fried Rice

Wednesday:  Jimmy John's Sandwiches

Thursday:  Fish Tacos with Cabbage and Avocado

Friday:  Date Night! Lib's Pick!

Meal Plan Monday #103

Wow! We've been gone for a long time. A lot has happened in the weeks we've been missing. We sold our house in Arizona. It was sad - our first house. But I have started a new job that I love! I'm working harder than I've worked in a while, but I love the school and the kids! And my new co-workers couldn't be more amazing!

Now that we're getting settled in our new digs, it's time to start cooking up some dishes! And since I'm back at work, meal planning is a must for me.

Sunday:  Fried Pork Chops, Slow Stewed Snap Beans, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, and Cornbread

Monday:  Hamburgers with Grilled Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms, and Sweet Potato Tots

Tuesday:  Broccoli and Cheese Baked Potatoes

Wednesday:  Darren's Japanese Curry with Rice

Thursday:  Chicken Fajitas with Homemade Tortillas from the Farmers Market

Friday: Date Night! Darren's Pick!

Woof Wednesday

Woof Wednesday

Woof Wednesday

Woof Wednesday

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #102

Sunday:  Pasta with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

Monday:  Quiche with Spinach and Gouda

Tuesday:  Fish Tacos with Cabbage and Avocado

Wednesday:  Oven Sandwiches with Chips

Thursday:  Dinner with Darren's Dad

Friday:  Date Night! Darren's Pick!

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #101

This week is a pretty regular week. We're both in town, and aside from packing up the house, nothing special is going on, except Independence Day on Friday! Woo-hoo! Three day weekend for Darren!!

Sunday:  Cajun-Style Jambalaya and Salad

Monday:  Bulkogi, Green Beans, and Rice

Tuesday:  Take-out for Game Night!

Wednesday:  Grilled Chicken Caesar Salads

Thursday:  Hamburgers and Sweet Potato Fries

Friday:  Date Night! Lib's Pick!

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #100!

And... we're back! Darren and I have both been doing some traveling. He went to Los Angeles for a week to visit friends and do some work, and then the next week, I went to Mississippi and Texas to look for a new place to live and to attend my brother's fellowship completion ceremony. Neither one of us did too much cooking for one, so we didn't do any meal planning. The next few weeks will probably also be hectic, because we are packing up for the move, but this week, at least, I'm going to plan some suppers!

Sunday:  Take Out - Hamburgers and Fries

Monday:  Chicken Pasta Bake

Tuesday:  Baked Beans with Conecuh Sausage and Cornbread

Wednesday:  Pepperoni Pizza and Caesar Salad

Thursday:  Beef Curry (with some adaptations) and Rice

Friday:  Date Night! Darren's Pick!

Meal Plan Monday #99

School's out for summer! And I'm changing jobs!

Sunday:  Baier Girls' Graduation Party

Monday:  Fish Tacos with Cabbage and Guacamole

Tuesday:  The Lodge

Wednesday:  TJ's Tartes with Caesar Salad

Thursday:  Spinach Salad with Strawberries

Friday:  Date Night! Lib's Pick!

Meal Plan Monday #98

Exam week is finally here! Summer is coming!

Sunday:  Cajun Jambalaya with Salad

Monday:  Ribs and Baked Beans with Sweet Potato Fries

Tuesday:  Grilled Pork Chops with Spinach and Parmesan Orzo

Wednesday:  Country Fried Steak with Mashed Potatoes

Thursday:  Fish Tacos with Cabbage and Roasted Corn Guacamole

Friday:  Date Night! Darren's Pick!

Throwback Thursday

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #97

It's the last week of classes! Exams begin after Memorial Day. HOORAY for the end of the school year!

Sunday:  Papa Murphy's Pizza and Salad

Monday:  Broiled Sandwiches with Chips

Tuesday:  Philly Crescent Pockets with Sweet Potato Tots

Wednesday:  Slow Cooker Round Steak over Mashed Potatoes

Thursday:  Darren's Fried Rice

Friday:  Date Night! Lib's Pick!

Throwback Thursday

Grad School Portraits (Early 2005)

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #96

Lots to do this week! It's the last week of regular classes before the test moratorium begins and Saturday is prom and a friend's birthday!

Sunday:  Mother's Day Dinner with Darren's Family

Monday:  Grilled Ham Steak and Corn Pudding

Tuesday:  Tricia's Chicken Noodle Casserole

Wednesday:  Hamburgers with Grilled Vegetables

Thursday:  Papa Murphy's Pizza with Salad

Friday:  Date Night! Darren's Pick!

Throwback Thursday

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #95

The countdown to the end of the school year is ON LIKE DONKEY KONG! We had Senior Dinner Friday night. It was long, but a nice night, and I am so delighted with the kids I got to honor. This weekend is Mother's Day, and then next weekend is Prom. Busy, busy, busy!

Sunday:  Thai Curry with Rice Stick

Monday:  Philly Cheese Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries

Tuesday:  Chef Salads with Turkey, Avocado, and Bacon

Wednesday:  Spinach Ricotta Pasta and Grilled Chicken

Thursday:  Breakfast Tacos

Friday:  Date Night! Joint Pick!

Throwback Thursday

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #94

It's almost May! All of the end-of-the-school-year activities are just around the corner. Senior dinner is this Friday, and prom is in two weeks. In the middle of that, we have Mother's Day. Exams and graduation will be here in a flash!

Sunday:  Chipotle-Lime Glazed Salmon with Pineapple Fried Rice

Monday:  PW's BBQ Bacon Sliders (as juicy lucys) and Chips

Tuesday:  Chicken Fajitas with Avocado and Refried Beans

Wednesday:  Pepperoni Pizza Crescent Roll-ups with Salad

Thursday:  Bachan's Potato Casserole with Ham

Friday:  Senior Dinner!

Saturday:  Date Night! Darren's Pick!

Throwback Thursday

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #93

This week will be a busy one! We're looking forward to seeing Avenue Q at the Phoenix Theatre on Saturday with friends.

Sunday:  Easter Dinner with Darren's Family

Monday:  Cajun-Style Jambalaya with Salad

Tuesday: Ham Sandwiches and/or Other Easter Leftovers

Wednesday:  Grilled Pork Chops and Roasted Asparagus

Thursday:  Darren's Green Chile Enchiladas and Guacamole

Friday:  Date Night! Lib's Pick! (Baby Kay's, maybe?)

Saturday:  Avenue Q!

Throwback Thursday

Snow in Mississippi - Early 2000s

Woof Wednesday

The little girl loves hanging out in the window.

Meal Plan Monday #92

I'm not writing a meal plan this week, because our AC is broken. Darren gets home from Boston today, and we'll get some takeout, and we're going to a birthday party on Tuesday. Hopefully the AC will be fixed by Wednesday, and we'll have some meals at home on Wednesday and Thursday.

Throwback Thursday

Mike and Ralph, early 2000's

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #91

Sunday:  Cheeseburger Macaroni (I'll try to post my version soon)

Monday:  Fish Tacos with Cabbage, Avocado, and Lime

Tuesday:  Sausage, Onions, Peppers, and Potatoes

Wednesday:  Jimmy John's Sandwiches

Thursday:  TJ's Tarte and Salad

Friday:  Date Night! Lib's Pick!

Throwback Thursday

My house in Missouri - August 2002

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #90

Hooray for Spring! The weather has been beautiful lately, and with the warmer temperatures and longer days, it is about time to start grilling!

Sunday:  Shrimp Boil with Corn and Potatoes

Monday:  Spicy Chicken and Sausage Pasta and Salad

Tuesday:  Chicken Philly Crescent Pockets with Sweet Potato Fries

Wednesday:  Broiled Sandwiches with Chips

Thursday:  Cheeseburger Macaroni and Salad

Friday:  Date Night! Darren's Pick!

Throwback Thursday

Alpha Chi Sigma, Big Sib Hunt, University of Missouri, Fall 2003?

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #89

This week, it's back to the grind. Spring is in the air, and I am excited to have some brighter colors in my wardrobe. Almost all of my winter clothes involve black or brown. It's time for orange and pink and yellow!

Sunday:  Twice Baked Potatoes and Salad

Monday:  Hamburgers and Sweet Potato Fries

Tuesday:  Chicken Fajitas with Refried Beans and Guacamole

Wednesday:  Papa Murphy's Anniversary Pizza!

Thursday:  Pork Chops and Baked Sweet Potatoes

Friday:  Date Night! Lib's Pick!

Saturday:  Fancy Anniversary Brunch!

Throwback Thursday

My favorite picture of Ralph in our house in Missouri

Woof Wednesday

Watching TV.

Throwback Thursday

July 5, 2000 - My new best friend

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #88

This is the last week before SPRING BREAK! And boy, am I ready for it! There's lots to do this week, but I think I'm just about ready for it. I'm making ice cream with my chemistry students this week to cap off our discussion of colligative properties. It's always a good time!

Sunday:  Loaded Baked Potatoes with Bacon, Cheese, and Broccoli and Salad

Monday:  Pork Chops and Roasted Brussels Sprouts (similar to this)

Tuesday:  Chicken Quesadillas with Roasted Corn Guacamole

Wednesday:  Fish Tacos with Cabbage and Avocado and Fried Corn

Thursday:  Breakfast Burritos with Eggs, Hashbrowns, and Sausage

Friday:  Date Night!

Throwback Thursday

Winter Formal, MSMS '93

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #87

Count down to spring break is on! Two weeks!

Sunday:  Salad, Seared Steaks, and Roasted Potatoes

Monday:  Pepperoni Roll-Ups with Salad

Tuesday:  Green Chile Enchiladas with Guacamole and Refried Beans

Wednesday:  Ham Steak, Corn Pudding, and Sauteed Green Beans

Thursday:  Fish Tacos with Cabbage and Avocado

Friday:  Date Night! Darren's Pick!

Throwback Thursday

MSMS, Fant Hall, W-104, '94-'95

Woof Wednesday

I love car rides!

Meal Plan Monday #86

It's getting warm here in AZ, and our meals will be changing soon to lighter fare and things cooked on the grill. Until then, I want to indulge in a few more hearty "winter" meals.

Sunday:  Chipotle-Lime Salmon with Fried Rice and Salad

Monday:  Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole (something like this)

Tuesday:  Grilled Pork Chops with Black Beans and Rice

Wednesday:  Pizza Roll-Ups and Salad

Thursday:  Breakfast Tacos and Quesadillas

Friday:  Date Night! Lib's Pick!

Throwback Thursday

The Tin Roof, Boyle, Mississippi, 2001

Woof Wednesday

Meal Plan Monday #85

Monday is a holiday! Hooray!

Sunday:  Grilled Sausage Dogs and Macaroni and Cheese

Monday:  Ribs and Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Tuesday:  Chicken Casserole and Salad (based on this recipe)

Wednesday:  Fish Tacos

Thursday:  Grilled Chicken Caesar Salads

Friday:  Date Night! Darren's Pick!

Throwback Thursday

The cat I found at James' Food Center '97 or '98

Woof Wednesday

Here's Halley!