Hello! Last week, I shared my Easter decorations, and today I’m sharing how I decorated my kitchen table for our pre-Easter dinner.
Last weekend, my mom and Gma were visiting. After my Gma mentioned picking up a ham at Aldi, we decided to have an early Easter dinner.
Kind of like “If you give a mouse a cookie…” Well, if you give Jen a ham, she feels the need to throw together an Easter tablescape. So, I’m sharing what I got together pretty quickly to make a festive table for our dinner this past Sunday.
After Aldi, I stopped by Michael’s because I couldn’t find the craft paper at home that I used last year as a table runner. Well, Michael’s was out of craft paper, but I picked up these cute egg shell baskets to fill with decorative eggs.
While at Kroger, I picked up some flowers and put them in Mason jars. I cleared off the normal tray items (napkins, S&P) but kept my mini Antique Candle Co. candle out on the small white pedestal.
I pulled out some placemats and chargers that I’ve had forever, and added in the cloth napkins and napkin rings.
In April of 2020 when just the four of us were home for Easter, I traced the bunnies and glued a cotton ball on as a tail. I just tape them to the napkin ring. Last year, we hosted Easter, and I made a few more and laminated them before adding the tail. Now I keep all the bunnies in a baggie to reuse each year.
The table looked pretty and spring-like very quickly with just a few touches.
That being said, it was driving me crazy because I couldn’t find the craft paper that I used last year as a table runner. I’m not a big fan of tablecloths, and most runners and pretty small for our farmhouse table. The craft paper was perfect last year, but it’s still missing. {I’m going to buy more and make sure it stays with the wrapping paper which is where it should be anyway.}
Once we decided to have a nice dinner, I wanted the table to be special as well.
The menu:
We had…
ham
Bob Evans Mashed potatoes
bagged Caesar salad
Sister Schubert rolls
green bean casserole
Last year:
I’m sure I shared this last year, but here’s how I set the table in 2021 when we hosted Easter for Trav’s side of the family.
The kids’ table was cute too!
With Easter just a few days away, I’m hoping you’ve found a few ideas if you are hosting!
Your faves from high school/college in March (I didn’t do LL in March)
This month, we are looking at:how you plan / do date nights
Date night. What’s that? Does a night at the ballpark count because that’s where we were last night. 😂
Well, date nights were easier before we had two kids pulling us in ten different directions. (Although I always say we’re blessed to be busy!)
We’ve been together since 2001. Travis says he’s never ‘gone with’ anyone as long as he’s ‘gone with’ me! 😆
2001
It’s very rare for us to have a traditional date night. We always go out to dinner around Valentine’s Day and for our anniversary in June. Do we go out other times just the two of us to eat? Yes, but we make an effort to make reservations somewhere for those two occasions.
Since we don’t have family in town, we’ve always had to schedule sitter when trying to go to football games, celebrate special occasions, and more. Thankfully, it usually worked out, but it’s still more effort than being able to rely on a grandparent in town.
Honestly, we just do simple things together when we can like run an errand, go for a walk, or watch a show together. Ozark is a fave show of ours.
Now that the kids are older, we are able to go out with friends spur of the moment if we can’t find a sitter. Just last Saturday, we went to see a concert with some friends pretty; those plans came together pretty quickly. (My mom and Gma held down the fort while we were out.)
In October and April, we try to get out to Keeneland for a few races. Travis goes out there quite a bit during the meets, but I try to take a Friday afternoon to join him at least once a meet.
I’ve been fortunate enough to tag along on some work trips which gives us stretches of time together.
We went to Del Mar last August which is one of our favorite places.
I remember after our first vacation as a family, the kids had a scheduled doctor’s appointment when we got home. Our pediatrician said leaving town, even to the beach, is more like a trip than a vacation while kids are little. I agree!
That being said, now that the kids are older, I do feel like we are on more of a relaxing vacation when we go out of town. On vacay, Travis and I will drink our coffee on the beach while the kids sleep in…
…or catch a sunset while on vacay with a glass of wine.
We are so busy that anything outside of the house probably needs to be scheduled. We are fortunate now that the kids are old enough that we can leave them home a bit to run an errand together or go to dinner.
Also, this past year has also proven that the kids have very busy social lives and there have been a handful of times when both kids have had impromptu overnights with friends leaving us with a free evening. Honestly, sometimes that means we order takeout sushi and watch a movie at home rather than go out on the town.
We are at least intentional about spending time together when we can. Even if it’s not a huge “to do” like going to a restaurant.
So, that’s a peek at how we do date nights. I know we should be better at scheduling these, but I’m thankful that I have someone that I enjoy spending so much time with even if it’s grabbing a Starbucks and wandering around Home Depot!
We’ll celebrate 17 years of marriage together in June.
Time flies!
Thanks so much for reading. I hope you have a great day.
I know y’all are used to my Trader Joe’s hauls, but today I’m sharing something different…my recent trip to Aldi.
We have an Aldi in Lexington, but I rarely shop there. Honestly, when I do, I always wonder why I don’t go back often. I guess I’m just used to my routine of Kroger and Trader Joe’s but Aldi has lots to offer.
Some Facts about Aldi:
Aldi is known having a basic layout and “no frills.”
Bring a quarter because that’s how you get your cart. When you return your cart, you get your quarter back.
Bring your own bags because there are no Aldi bags at checkout. There are often a few boxes that you can use to bag your purchased items.
Speaking of bags, you do the bagging yourself!
Some Aldi purchases:
Well, this past trip all started with a ham. My Gma was visiting, and suggested picking one up to have an early Easter/Palm Sunday supper. She shops at Aldi, and says they have the best ham for the price, so that’s where we headed to get our supper planning started.
I think she found the biggest ham in the bunch.
Since I hadn’t been to Kroger yet, I decided to pick up some things I knew we’d eat for the week.
Oven roasted deli meat
Grilled chicken breast strips
I would have picked up the deli meet and chicken strips at Kroger anyway, so I thought I’d give these a try.
Bagel Skinnys – I had one of these with turkey and cheese that I picked up at Aldi. Very good!
Mini Bagels – I picked these up for Hadley. I got up something similar at Target a few weeks ago, and she loved them.
Crackers – We got these to go with a goat cheese log for an appetizer.
Mini quiche- We put these in the air fryer to have as another app, and they were so good!
Mini bear grahams: I thought the kids would enjoy these for a school snack.
Honey Crisp apples: I started buying a similar pack at Trader Joe’s because I like how small the apples are. The ones at Kroger are always too big for one person.
Chex Mix: A fave for all.
Bob Evans mashed potatoes: Of course, these are at Kroger too, but I snagged them for a side dish to serve with the ham.
Aldi has a huge cheese and meat selection as well as charcuterie options. Some pre-packaged ones included meat, cheese, olives, nuts, dried berries and more!
Gouda – to go on the crackers or sandwiches
Goat Cheese (Cranberry Cinnamon) – This goat cheese (served with crackers) was SO good. I would go to Aldi just to pick it up!
Caramels – My Gma said how great these chocolate covered caramels are, and they didn’t disappoint.
I didn’t do a ton of price comparison, but I do feel like most everything was a bit cheaper.
The thing about Aldi is I don’t feel like I can go in with a specific list. Of course, I know they will have cheese, crackers, meats, etc., but, for example, if I want Sparkling Ice drinks, those are at Kroger. Kroger really is one stop shopping whereas Trader Joe’s and Aldi have specific finds that make them unique.
That being said, one of the things I like about Trader Joe’s is just going in there to pick up whatever looks good or something knew I’d like to try. I can do that at Aldi too.
Do you have an Aldi near you? Do you shop there? I hope to stop in there more often now that I have a few faves from there!
Hello! How was your weekend? We had a great one with quite a bit of downtime. We have family visiting, so we hung out at my brother’s on Friday night, and we all went to lunch on Saturday. Travis and I went to a concert with friends on Saturday night, and then Sunday’s weather was beautiful. It finally felt like spring.
Today, I’m co-hosting our NJAM link up with these awesome bloggers:
I have a love/hate relationship with lunch. Somehow it always gets brought up with my students, but in 20 years as a teacher, I only buy the cafeteria lunch once a year for the Thanksgiving meal! That means, I pack my lunch the other 175 days in the school year…
It’s not even that I get bored with lunches, I just hate having another task like packing a lunch.
I often make something that will at least provide two lunches for the week like shrimp fried rice or a salad. Otherwise, I will pack cheese and crackers, a chip (pretzel, popcorn), carrots and hummus, a hard boiled egg, or fruit (strawberries or grapes). I typically pack a protein shake as well. Sometimes, I will include a small sweet bite like a Built bar or granola bar.
Lately, my “go to” has been a Cheeseburger salad. It’s delish.
If I’m home, I love to make a “snack plate.” I’m not sure why, but it feels like a treat!
The kids often took their lunches in elementary school. Now that it’s middle school, Hayden buys lunch every single day, and Hadley brings her lunch every single day. She tends to eat the same thing every day in her Yumbox: an Uncrustable in the big section, Gushers or fruit snacks in the small middle circle, fruit or vegetable in one section, and then a chip in the last part. She typically packs a granola bar for a snack. She occasionally will pack something in her thermos and then bring a chip and other snack for lunch.
What are some of your “go to” lunches?
We hope you’ll join us next month when our topic is: go to gift ideas.
If you are a blogger, we hope you’ll link up with us today.
I hope you have a great week. We have lots going on, but I hope to post pretty regularly.
Hello and Happy Friday! I’m so happy to see Friday.
I feel like I’m limping into the weekend. We went from 0 to 100 between last week and this week. We’ve had two late nights at the ball park and a late night on Wednesday at a cold and rainy track meet. I’m very ready for more spring like weather. Well, joke’s on me…tomorrow’s weather includes some snow flurries!
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.
Favorites from the week:
Last weekend, I was at Trader Joe’s and this miniature bouquet of peonies were calling my name.
Last weekend, I started watching Season 2 of The Home Edit. I love this show. It’s always fun to see Clea, Joanna and their team work their magic.
This meme is relatable after watching the first few episodes.
I saw that the ladies shared this on their Instagram. What’s your Get Organized name?
I’m sentimental denim…and this isn’t wrong! It’s very hard for me to throw things away…including my jeans.
Yesterday, Clea shared that she has breast cancer and is undergoing surgery today. She was so eloquent on Instagram stories sharing her journey. Prayers for her during season of life.
I still feel new to Antique Candle Co candles, but I couldn’t pass up the Country Pear scent being on sale. It arrived this past weekend and smells amazing.
Reading has been another favorite recently. I read two books over break. Both were good, but I cried until I had a headache at the end of Pack Up the Moon. I will share both books and whatever else I read this month in my April What I’ve Been Reading post.
The neighborhood kids playing outside was definitely a favorite of the week. Everyone seemed kind of scattered for Spring Break but by Sunday my driveway was full of kids playing basketball and running around. It made my heart so happy.
On Sunday, instead of having a slow cooker dinner (I saved that for Monday), we grilled out since the weather was so nice. The cousins were over and playing with the neighborhood kids, so we decided to make an easy dinner to enjoy outside.
Baseball Boo is back! Hayden had his first game of the season on Tuesday. He looks so cute in his uniform.
Tuesday was soggy, but the rain cleared just in time for the late night game. They played in the cold under the lights, and Hayden was the starting pitcher. It was fun to see him back out there.
The kids’ first middle school track meet was another favorite. The weather for the meet was miserable with a capital M. Mis-er-able. It rained all day long, but they still had the meet.
Let me tell you who loves a track meet…even in the rain. Travis White.
(not kidding) Here is his setting his watch before one of the kid’s races.
I texted him during the day because I’d seen the email from the coaches about wearing black under their uniforms, and he responded that he’d laid everything out and packed bags (snacks, rain gear, extra shoes, etc) during his lunch. This is his skillset, and I am here for it.
I love watching them participate, and I think it’s so fun that they are doing this together.
They both ran the third leg of the 4×800 in the pouring rain.
Then Hayden ran the 1600 and Hadley the 400. They both did an awesome job considering it was their first meet, they were running with 7th and 8th graders, and the weather was horrible.
Hadley said, “I love track!…I’d love it more if it wasn’t raining, but I loooove track.” The best!
Like cross country, I think track teams have so much fun together supporting one another and growing and improving with each and every race.
Favorite Kid Quote:
Travis was telling Hayden about the importance of having a pre-race routine. I said, “Routines are good. Help you stay focused…in life, school, workouts, etc…” Hadley said, “Yeah, like I have a nighttime skin care routine which is important.” 🤣 (She is in the bathroom no less than 22 minutes every night…*sigh*)
Favorite Mom Meme:
OMG…especially at bedtime.
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:
I’m feeling pretty sentimental this baseball season. This is Hayden’s 12-year-old season, and may be his last baseball season (for now? forever?). As the kids get older, it’s time to start making choices, and I do think Hayden’s main focus will be on running in the fall and the spring. We’ll see. With anything, we just want him to have fun, do his best, and know that we will always support him.
Here he is as a 4-year-old before his first ever t-ball game:
….and he had the best teammate: his sister!
Weekly Recap:
I was busy posting this week! It was a good week of this and that: some quick meals, Amazon purchases, Easter decor, and all the details on our few days in Asheville last week.
On Monday, the Not Just a Mom crew is hosting our monthly link up.
This month’s topic is: What’s For Lunch
If you’re a blogger, we’d love to have you join us for the link up.
What are your weekend plans? Due to more rain and even colder temps than Wednesday, tonight’s track meet is cancelled. Honestly, we don’t have much on our agenda, and I couldn’t be happier!
Hello! How has your week been? We’ve been extra busy now that baseball games have started and the kids have had track as well. Just last week, we had very little on our agenda, and now we are back running from one place to the next.
Last week we visited one of our favorite places for a few days of our Spring Break, and today I’m recapping our trip to Asheville, NC.
We typically treat Spring Break as a time to go somewhere nearby. I swear, as a teacher (and I guess as a parent, too), March-May kick my tail. It’s the busiest time of the year for a teacher, and then the kids are busy with sports and activities as well in the spring.
It’s no secret I’m a homebody, but I do love to go somewhere when we have extended time off. I love that we started break in a very lowkey way with just hanging out at home. We were able to do things around the house, run errands, cross things off our never-ending “to do” list and more. Then, it was nice to get away for a few days going to a place we all enjoy and then having a few more days at home before break was over.
We had a couple of appointments on the Monday of break, so we left Lexington around 4:00 and drove about 3.5 hours to Dandridge, TN. We’ve stopped there before, and know it’s a good pitstop. We checked into the hotel, grabbed a quick dinner, and then the kids splashed in the pool for a bit. What is it about kids and an indoor hotel pool? Hard to resist, apparently!
We slept in a bit on Tuesday, grabbed breakfast at the hotel, and then left for Asheville around 10:00.
We arrived in Asheville around 11:30. We didn’t really have any plans, so headed downtown, parked and walked around for a bit.
We’d never been to Rocket Fizz, but we couldn’t resist after seeing all the candy.
I saw this and showed it to the kids…I said, “This is how we used to pass the time on a road trip.” No phones, no movies. Only our imagination, a book, or Road Trip BINGO.
We walked a bit more, and ended up the Mast General Store. It’s not a trip to Asheville unless we stop there. It’s always fun to look around. Often times, we pick up a souvenir or a snack, but we didn’t make any purchases this time.
We walked around a bit more and ended up at Wicked Weed. This is one of Trav’s favorite places, and I don’t think we’ve ever visited Asheville and not eaten there.
Trav got chili, I had a salad, and both kids ordered the pretzels. Hayden had fun with is pretzel!
Technically, our hotel check in wasn’t until 4:00, but we arrived at Grove Park Innaround 2:00, and our room was ready. We’ve stopped at GPI to meet friends once before, but this was our first time staying on the property.
It’s a beaut!
Welcome!
Right when we walked in, we saw this view! While Travis got us checked in, Hadley and I headed outside.
Once we came back in, Hayden was reading about all the history and about all the famous people who’ve stayed at GPI. They have photos all throughout the hotel, and I don’t think Hayden missed the opportunity to look at the photos.
We stayed in the Biltmore Wing. Our room was quite nice with a pretty view and enough space for the four of us.
We unpacked a bit before walking around and exploring the property.
Next stop! The pool. Hayden and Hadley had it all to themselves.
There’s this indoor pool in the Sports Complex along with some other activities. After they jumped in, they both emerged and said, “It’s salt water!” haha
There’s an outdoor pool and then a pool at the spa as well.
FYI: GPI apparently has an amazing spa, but you have to book way in advance. The website suggests 6 months in advance. I’d love to try it some time, but we rarely know what we are doing that far out!
Some of our Lexington friends were stopping in Asheville for the night on the way to their Spring Break destination. We met up with them at CatawbaBrewery and enjoyed a beer. The girls hung out and played Racko, and outnumbered Hayden stuck with us!
Then, we walked to Pie.Zaa Pizza to grab a quick dinner. We’d never been to this pizza place before, and the slices of pizza were huge! We took our food to go, and ate at the picnic tables at Burial Beer.
The sun was setting and there was a chill in the air, but the kids had fun playing…
..while the adults enjoyed a beverage.
We ended up staying for a bit and the adults played Racko while the kids hung out.
After that, we went back to GPI. Our friends joined us for a drink while the kids got ice cream. (It was nice that right off the lobby there were a few restaurant choices as well as the market that had snacks, coffee and ice cream.)
I swear I think it was the fact that we were staying in the Biltmore Wing that Hayden got to thinking about our 2018 trip to Asheville and the Biltmore tour that we took. He was adamant about visiting again. I finally relented (who could say no to a boy who wants to take an educational tour?!) and booked two tickets for the 3:30 tour on Wednesday. We went to bed around 10:00 that night after a great first day.
Honestly, I had the worst night sleep ever for a variety of reasons….(not the hotel’s fault!) We still had a slow start to the morning. We hung out in the room for a bit as everyone got ready, and I drank some coffee.
We’ve been to Biscuit Head one other time and wanted to go again. We visited a different location, but the food was amazing just the same.
We were little limited on time due to the 3:30 tour, but wanted to take a little hike. Trav and the kids had previously been to the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor’s Center for a trail run, and it was nearby. It was a nice two mile hike…In the past, we’ve always hiked where there are more views or even waterfalls, but at least we got out in the fresh air and got some exercise.
When we got back to GPI, Trav and the kids went to the Sports Complex and played ping pong and basketball. While they did that, I sat on the patio and read for almost an hour. It was glorious.
Then, it was time to head to the Biltmore. Travis and Hadley dropped us off.
Hayden obliged for a photo…
…reminiscent of this one from 2018…minus a sister!
The Biltmore is just so magestic!
We had the audio tour where they give you a handheld device. When you get to each room, you press the room number and hear about the details and history of the room.
The entryway:
The dining room:
The tapestry gallery:
My favorite room: the library
Amazing!
Some of the bedrooms:
The pool and kitchen were in the basement. Hayden thinks the pool is so neat! I loved the view from the kitchen.
Once the tour was over, we stopped in the shops to get a fridge magnet. Then, Hayden got a root bear float, and I got a diet coke before Travis and Hadley picked us up. We were there for about an hour and a half.
We went back to the hotel, changed our clothes and headed to one of our favorite places: White Duck Taco. There are two locations, but we always go to the one by the river.
We came back to hotel and that was about it. I was seriously so tired from the lack of sleep the night before. While the kids got ice cream and hung with Travis in the lobby, I showered, read, and watched a bit of tv.
I slept MUCH better on Wednesday night. We all slept in a bit on Thursday. Then, the kids and Trav went for a run while I got us packed up.
Once they got back, we picked up quick breakfast at the market.
Coffee with a view
The kids waited by the fire while Travis checked us out of the hotel.
We got a quick family photo. I love it 🙂
It was nice not to rush. Usually, when we are out of town, we get up and leave ASAP, but we enjoyed the property a bit on Thursday morning. Around 11:00, we said goodbye to the Grove Park Inn and headed for the outlet mall.
I’d mentioned to the kids if we had time that we could stop there before heading home. Hadley, especially, needed some running shorts. Her legs just keep getting longer!
After the outlet malls, we stopped by Hillman Beer for lunch. Travis and Hadley actually ate a few appetizers there the day before while Hayden and I were at the Biltmore.
The atmosphere was great, and the food was delish! I ordered the rice bowl with chicken, and it was amazing. The perfect way to end our trip.
We left around 2:00 and were home around 6:30. Homer is always happy to see us 🙂
You know I love coming home, but we really could have used one more day in Asheville. I think I felt this way because we were staying on such an amazing property. We still wanted to do so many of our “regular” things that it would have been nice to spend one day just staying at GPI and relaxing a bit more. It’s a resort in the sense of having multiple pools, restaurants, shopping, a trail, a golf course, and more.
I’m always so glad we take the kids to a variety of places throughout the year. We tend to go on a bigger beach vacation in the summer, Asheville in the fall, and then somewhere nearby in the spring. Past Spring Breaks have included trips to Indianapolis, Knoxville, Hilton Head, Asheville, KC, and Nashville. While it’s always nice to experience a new place, it’s also comforting going somewhere we all know and enjoy.
Hello! Today, I have a quick post sharing my few Easter decorations.
I don’t do much at all for Easter, but I love a few touches of bunnies here and there. Unlike fall and Christmas decor, my Easter decorations take me five minutes to put out. This past Saturday, I pulled out a few of my favorite bunnies…which is apparently the only way I know how to decorate for Easter.
This post probably looks pretty similar to last year’s post, but I still thought I’d share!
The chevron bunny door hanger is my fave! Changing the garden flag is always a quick way for me to keep up with the holidays.
peep Homer in the window
Also, once it’s April, I start buying fresh flowers on the regular from Trader Joe’s. Peonies are my fave, and I saw this miniature bouquet and knew it would be perfect on the living room coffee table. The turquoise bunny is another fave that I’ve had forever. My new Antique Candle Co (Country Pear!) candle arrived just in time for spring. It smells amazing.
Two bunnies and the egg plate are in the entryway and living room. The cottontail bunny next to plant was a cute find at Landyn’s store in Nashville that I picked up last Spring Break. I’m glad I got it when I did since she closed her store last fall.
The two bunnies in the eggs were finds at Kroger (grocery store) last year. I usually have faux plants that sit on those pedestals, but I swapped them out for the bunnies.
That’s about it! I love these little touches for Easter, and it was nice to be able to decorate in a matter of minutes!
Tomorrow, I’m recapping our trip to Asheville, so I hope to see you back here!
Happy Tuesday! Well, we survived the Monday after break. The early alarm was rough, but it felt good to get back into a routine. That being said, we had school, and then the kids had track, baseball, and dance. We sure had a busy Monday.
Now, on to Tuesday business. It’s the first Tuesday of the month, so I’m linking up with Tanya for this month’s Prime Purchases post.
This was a pretty light Amazon month. I did actually return a few things like shorts for Hadley, a dress and pair of joggers for me.
This month I bought:
Hayden’s toxic trait is losing at least one water bottle per athletic season. With the ending of basketball season and the start of track season, Hayden needed a new water bottle.
I purchased two of these knowing Hadley may need one as well.
I’m trying to drink more water, and I purchased these straws to go with the tumbler I like to take to school. They come in so many cute colors.
I used this jewelry cleaner for years and then quit buying it for some reason. Recently, I wanted to clean my rings, and decided to purchase this bring again.
Tina (to_mimishousewego on Instagram) shared this cardigan. I purchased the “Cadet gray” color and couldn’t love it more.
It arrived right before we headed out of town to Asheville. I wore it with a tank and leggings on the car trip two and from. It’s perfectly lightweight, comes in lots of colors, and has pockets. I wore it to school yesterday with a tank, a pair of skinny pants, and ballet flats.
Headed home from Asheville
Easter
Did you see my Easter basket ideas post? If you still need a few ideas for your kids, there’s still time to get a few things.
On Sunday, I ordered the rest of what I needed to finish up the kids’ Easter gifts :
Racko– I’d never played this game, but others have shared it. So, I included it in my Easter ideas post. Then, when we were in Asheville, we met up with some friends. They brought the game for the kids to play to pass the time at a brewery. They had so much fun playing it. Then, the adults played! I highly recommend it.
I think Hadley will like these bracelets and I loved the Chicken Soup books growing up.
Hadley prefers books with shorter chapters and Chicken Soupbooks don’t have to be read cover to cover.
Hayden will be receiving yet another water bottle 😅 He’s already lost the one I purchased earlier in the month. Maybe I should encourage him to velcro it to his hands?!
What have you been Priming lately? I honestly think I might order that cardigan in another color, and I have my eye on a pair of sunglasses from Amazon too. I will share next month if I purchase those things.
I hope your week is off to a great start. Hopefully, the alarm will be a bit easier this morning, and we can tackle Tuesday.
Hello and Happy Monday. Well, *sigh* it’s the Monday after break which always proves to be difficult.
My friend sent me this yesterday and it’s very relatable!
That being said, today also marks the downhill slide to summer!
After Spring Break really is our busiest time of the year. Nothing fills up a calendar quicker than baseball practices and games. Well, of course Hadley also has dance, and now both kids are doing track this spring with meets during the week as well. The good news is that our weekends will now be lighter, but the week days will be booked solid.
I’m sharing some quick and easy meals that I will turn to while making dinners these next couple of months.
I really do try to have something home cooked Sunday-Thursday. Even on a really busy night, I don’t want to do drive-thru if possible.
I’ve shared before that I try to cook something Sunday that will provide leftovers on Monday. Even if we don’t have much on a Monday, I rarely feel like cooking. Tuesdays tend to be Mexican theme, and then Wednesday is often pasta or something can make leftovers on Thursday. This isn’t always my schedule. If don’t have leftovers to serve, I often will do pork loin, brinner, or soup and sandwiches.
With our schedule filling up on week nights, I’m sharing a few meals that I turn to in order to get dinner on the table as quickly as possible.
A few “go to” meals:
Andrea’s Creamy Beef Casserole: This meal is a family favorite. We definitely eat this more in the colder weather months, but it’s such a great hearty meal to eat all year long.
Lazy Enchiladas: These are so easy and delish. All you have to do is cook taquitos as directed. Then, you pour a bit of enchilada sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish, put the taquitos on the sauce, cover the taquitos with sauce and shredded cheese. Then, you bake them at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. That’s it!
Trader Joe’s Carnitas: I make these at least once a month. Put the carnitas in the slow cooker, cover with salsa verde, and cook on low for 3-4 hours. I then put the meat on half of Trader Joe’s Southwest Chopped Salad while the kids and Travis will put the meat on hard or soft taco shells.
Cheeseburger Salad: I actually have been eating this quite a bit for lunch lately. It’s so good!
I brown the turkey in a skillet and then add some taco seasoning and water to let it finish cooking. I add chopped lettuce to the bowl, top with cooked ground turkey, add chopped pickles, a sprinkle of shredded cheese, and then a drizzle (1 Tblsp) of this awesome sauce from Trader Joe’s.
*I get at least three salads out of 1 lb. of meat.
Shay’s Frito Pie: I’ve made this a couple of times, and it’s a family fave.
Baked Chicken: I’ve shared this recipe many times, and it’s such a good one. I always get two nights out of it, and the chicken is easy to pair with bagged salad or Bob Evans mashed potatoes.
Brinner: Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner?
Pork loin: I often buy the Smithfield brand that you just cook in the bag. There are a few flavors, and my family loves these. The only thing is that they do cook for about 45 minutes, so I just need to remember that as far as timing goes.
Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken – I’ve been making this for years! It’s so easy, delicious, and makes so much!
With the warmer weather, we’ll grill out when we can.
Other time savers:
Rotisserie chicken
Sides:
Bob Evans microwave mashed potatoes
Bagged salad – Dole chopped Caesar is a fave!
Fruit
Biscuits or Jiffy cornbread
I’ve been picking up this Bisquick mix recently, and it’s perfect for making a few biscuits quickly.
Shay‘s Simmers cookbook is a perfect resource for having meals ready right when you get home.
What are some of your quick “go to” meals? I’d love to add to my list. Sometimes I feel like I’m in a cooking rut. Not to mention, the grocery store can be hit or miss with what they have in stock. I swear, lately my Clicklist order has felt like March 2020. My order this past Saturday had 14 substitutions and 3 items not in stock at all. Also, the most random things are hard to find…cotton balls, for example!
At the start of break, knowing we were headed out of town, I didn’t go to the grocery and it was nice not having to plan for food. It was all fun and games until Friday when the kids complained we were out of food. haha
I hope you had a great weekend! This early alarm on a Monday morning hurt. Ouch.
Well, you know I love a Friday…but dang, today means we only have a few days left of break.
We’ve had a great week of downtime, productivity and activities.
As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites...
…Spring break edition…
Since Spring Break is always a favorite, I’m recapping Spring Break and sharing the favorites from each day.
Last Friday:
Last Friday, Spring Break officially started at 3:30. I picked up Hayden from school, came home and on my pjs. It was a cold and overcast day, so we didn’t make any evening plans. I picked up Hadley at 5:00 from a school event and texted to say, “Don’t make me come inside. I’m in my pjs!” 😂She promptly came out to the car.
I read, we watched basketball games and had takeout for dinner. Truly, this was a favorite way to start break.
Saturday & Sunday:
Saturday and Sunday looked much the same. We were able to sleep in, we watched basketball games, I read my book and did some things around the house. The kids had no sports, and, again, it was just nice to have time at home.
I did run a few errands on Saturday, and Hadley and I went to our favorite nail salon. I got a pedicure while Hadley got a manicure. After I saw her color choice, I did same for my toes!
I seriously don’t think I left the house on Sunday. We tidied up, did laundry, and watched basketball games. For dinner, we had a family favorite…brinner!
Then we watched our March movie: Cheaper by the Dozen. It was cute and very modern day. We all enjoyed it, but I think we all prefer the 2003 version.
Monday:
Monday was busy, busy, busy. We had some errands, had a Target pick up, a stop at the library, and an ortho appointment for Hayden. Then, we came home and packed and left for our Spring Break trip. We drove to near Knoxville to stay for the night.
books for all of us
Tuesday :
On Tuesday, we drove the hour and a half to Asheville. We arrived mid-morning, and got started on our trip. I plan on recapping the trip next week. We stayed at Grove Park Inn, and had a great time.
The kids had fun checking out the property when we arrived.
Wednesday:
On Wednesday, we had an action packed day that included a hike…
and Hayden and I visited the Biltmore. This wasn’t necessarily on our “to do” list since we did that a few years ago, but Hayden was insistent! I couldn’t say no, so he and I went on the tour.
Thursday:
On Thursday, we eased into the day and enjoyed one more day in Asheville.
obligatory family photo before checking out of GPI
We got home around 7:00, unpacked, hung out with Homer (he missed us!), and caught up on American Idol.
The last few days of break will be spent with a little bit more downtime, errands, and getting ready for a busy upcoming week. Next week, of course we have school, but baseball games and track meets begin, and I have a couple of longer school days with the after school tutoring program.
Favorite Food:
We always eat a lot of great food in Asheville (& go to some great breweries), but White Duck Taco Shop is a fave. We eat there every time we visit Asheville.
Favorite Kid Quote:
Travis and Hayden were talking about some of the activities at GPI. Travis looked at Hadley and told her about a cycling class. She said, “You do you, dad.” 🤣 She takes after me and likes to relax on vacay.
Favorite Mom Meme(s):
These memes feels accurate:
Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday
For memory sake, here are the kids at the Biltmore for Spring Break 2018.
Weekly Recap:
I had a couple of posts this week…memes to make you laugh and a recap of the two books I read in March. Here they are:
showmeandsweettea.com 