What's For Dinner {May 20th}

It felt good to get back into my cooking groove a little bit last week. It was still a very busy week around here though and I was only three for three with the meals on the plan, but you've gotta be flexible though, right?! ;) So I've got a rollover or two to this week, but that's okay. Just makes this week's planning easier.

Also, last week I got a chance to go to my favorite store for "deals". We live in an area where there is a large Amish and Mennonite community and they have some wonderful bulk food stores around here. I love shopping at them!! And there is one that has a combination bulk foods and (what I call) "dented can" store. One half of their store is filled with (majorly) discounted grocery store items that have been slightly damaged (dented cans, smashed boxes, or simply discontinued or clearanced items). I find the most amazing buys there!! I like to go once a month or so to sort of stock up on things like cereal, canned veggies, bread (I generally find Pepperidge Farm loaves there for .99 and freeze them), and whatever goodies they may have in at that time.

You should check your area and see if there is a store that sells discounted items like this. When we lived in Arkansas we also had a store like this and it wasn't Amish or Mennonite, so even if you don't have their style of stores in your area you may have a "dented can" store. Yes, you do have to sometimes check expiration dates, but the deals are worth it to see what's available.

Now let's talk about what's cooking this week:

Monday: Grilled Tuna Melts with Grilled Asparagus

Tuesday: "Man Pleasing Chicken", Roasted Potatoes, random veggie from freezer (I need to clean them out!)

Wednesday: Fish Stick Po' Boys

Thursday: King Ranch Chicken

Friday: Out to celebrate my mom's birthday

Saturday: {leftovers/snacks/takeout}

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

The Making of an Egyptian Death Mask

We are learning all about the ancient world this year with Story of the World I and loving it! We've been learning a lot about Egypt, of course, which is completely fascinating. Most recently we have studied the New Kingdom of Egypt, which includes the story of King Tut. So we decided making an Egyptian death mask in the style of King Tut's would be a fun project. First since it was too cold at the time to paper mache in the garage (it probably would have frozen instead of dried-ha) and it was too messy to do it in the house, we decided to pick up a couple of cheap craft masks at Hobby Lobby. Next we cut out cardboard shapes to complete the shape of the death mask, attaching them with hot glue. Vince even put a little detail on the *beard* with the hot glue per The Princess' request. Then the kiddos started to paint them with this metallic gold tempera paint. It worked okay for the cardboard, but would not coat the plastic of the mask. We thought maybe a second coat ...

One Way I Refresh During the Summer as a Homeschool Mom

As our homeschool takes some time off this summer, my mind almost never stops thinking of and planning ahead for the upcoming school year. This is probably because I'm Type A and an obsessive planner...lol Whatever the reason, I do enjoy this season of planning. But I also need to be refreshed as a homeschool mom. Homeschooling can be incredibly exhausting and all-consuming. It's not easy and it's a lot of responsibility. And I take that very seriously when I am researching curriculum and planning toward the next school year. So also taking some time to rejuvenate and refocus myself is very important. How do I do this? Each summer I take some time to read something inspiring and motivating that speaks to me as a homeschool mom. Some of my fave reads from past years--that I have nearby on my shelf and refer to often--are Educating the Wholehearted Child, The Well-Trained Mind, The Charlotte Mason Companion, A T...

Arkansas' Crimson Clover

One of my favorite things about Spring is the crimson clover that grows along the highways and interstates here in Arkansas. I say Arkansas because this is where I first grew to love it. We actually saw some in Mississippi on our way here and I saw it in our town in Alabama for the first time this year. But it spreads like that, each year it grows and looks even more beautiful. I'm not sure who decided to plant it in the medians of the interstates , but it was genius! It seeds itself and just comes back more lush the next year. I always want to take pictures, but of course it's almost always in the median of a very busy interstate~which is a little dangerous for photography. However, the other day I found the perfect patch of it on the side of a not-too-busy highway, so Vince obliged me and pulled over:) Isn't it beautiful? I just had to share it with you...

my blessed life

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