Category: Meals and Recipes

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids, Meals and Recipes

Friday Favorites {#216}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

These Fridays in July really are hitting differently! I’m starting to feel the time crunch of getting some things accomplished at home as well as starting to think about school. I’m always grateful for this time off, but I also always struggle with the reality of our summer coming to a close.

Anyway, as always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

Well, it’s the part of summer where I follow through with promises I said we could do this summer…and that included Hadley getting her second ear piercing. There’s a new place in Lexingon, Hey Rowan, that I believe is a chain, but registered nurses do their ear piercings. Just like when Hadley was eight years old, she opted to have both ears done at the same time. haha!

The place was super cute, and we were in and out within 30 minutes.

I haven’t purchased as many flowers this summer, but once I got back from KC last week, I made a trip to Trader Joe’s and picked up some tulips. They matched my “vanilla cloud” candle.

Last Saturday, Hadley and friends played in a sand volleyball tournament. This was her first time playing in a sand volleyball tournament. It was a doubles tournament, and Hadley and her friend went 3-2 on the day and had lots of fun.

The tournament had free t-shirts, and these girls chose the brightest colors.

Saturday night, we met friends for dinner at a new Sri Lankan place, and the food was really good.

After three days of volleyball boot camp and one evening of tryouts, this girl found out she made the high school volleyball team!

She was so nervous, but we’re proud of her and all the hard work she has put in during this past year. She’s pretty much been playing volleyball non-stop for the past year, so while I knew she was prepared for the tryout, I understood the nerves.

We can’t wait to watch her (and so many of her friends!) on the court for their first high school season.

(She was channeling her inner champion for tryouts while wearing her “lucky” Chiefs Super Bowl t-shirt, and we celebrated with the “red plate” and her favorite –salmon for dinner.)

Time at our favorite book store was a favorite this week.

Hayden’s been at running camp most of the week, and I think he’s been having a good time. I’m ready for him to be home, though!

(BTW – as we walked into the sparse college dorm room, he said, “oh…this is so preppy!” haha…oh the difference in boys and girls)

I tried two new recipes this week. A friend mentioned that she’d made ribs in the slow cooker, and my family loves ribs…but I never make them.

This recipe was easy and delish!

I also made this teriyaki chicken, and served it with snap peas and rice. Hadley said it was 10/11…so I will take that compliment!

Favorite Mom Meme:

I feel this deeply…but the other day I had a car full of girls who wanted frozen yogurt…and while I was ready to go home, I couldn’t say no to fro-yo, and enjoyed hearing all the gossip and laughs from the back of the car.

Weekly Recap:

I’ve still been a busy blogger this week. Here are my posts:

SUmmer Sunday: S’mores
PNW Vacay: Olympic National Park
PNW Vacay: Seattle
Enneagram TRavel
Throwback Thursday: Summer reading

I hope you have a great weekend! We finally have reasonable temps, so it’s nice to be able to be outside and enjoy the weather.

Posted in Amazon, Friday Favorites, Meals and Recipes, Travel

Friday Favorites {#211}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

Well, I feel like Fridays are arriving quicker than I like. It’s the opposite of during the school year…I’d like for time to slow down a bit.

As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

KC:

Usually, I write a whole post recapping our trips and vacations, but I just didn’t have time this week. So here’s a quick run down of what we did when we went to visit family.

We usually go to KC at the end of the summer, but just how our summer is this year along with high school sports starting in July, I wanted to make sure we got our trip in sooner rather than later.

Last Wednesday, the kids had 9:00 dental cleanings, and then we left around 11:00 for KC. It was a nine hour drive, per usual, but thankfully, it was uneventful!

Honestly, we didn’t do a ton which I think we all really appreciated. Coming off the school year and still being a bit tired, it was nice to just hang out and relax.

We’ve played Left, Right, Center, but my mom LCR Wild, and it was a fun twist on the game.

I definitely recommend it.

My mom’s neighborhood was having their annual garage sale, and the kids helped out a bit..or did they?!

Hayden went to the driving range a couple of times.

We went to the Royals game on Friday night. They were playing the Seattle Mariners. Since moving away from KC, I obviously don’t get to see them play a lot(in person), but we’ve attended a few games through the years with the kids.

When the kids were probably six or seven, we went to a game, and they were losing in the first inning 10-0 (or maybe more!). Well, this team is better but the game started off the same way. They were down 7-0 at the end of the first inning, and then 8-0. Eventually, they started to chip away at the score, and we wondered if they’d make a comeback.

Well…they did! A walk off win was very exciting to see in person.

Bobby Witt, Jr. (#7) is definitely one of the favorite players.

Every Friday night of the season, there are fireworks (win or lose)…and they are even better after a big win!

There was a little bit of rain in the middle of the game, but otherwise, it was a really nice evening of baseball.

On Saturday, we took Crumbl cookies to my dad’s house.

While at my dad’s house, we watched the final episode of Wheel of Fortune with Pat Sajak as the host. This has always been a favorite show of mine!

Then, we went to Gma’s house for dinner, and we watched the UK baseball game and then played some more LRC Wild. Just like last year, Hayden is very into watching these games. We got home on Sunday just in time to go to the last super regional game with Travis and cousins.

It was a really great visit seeing family and enjoying some downtime.

Again, thankfully the drive home was pretty easy, but with only me driving, I was ready to get home!

When I got home, I was excited to see that my Trader Joe’s peonies had bloomed even more than before we’d left.

While we were in KC, we missed our “Homerversary”…

…so we got him DQ ice cream on Monday night. He’s five(ish) now, and we love him so.

After his dessert, we took him for a walk.

Fave Follow:

Do you follow Kara on Insta? (@karaskorner123) She’s a hoot!

Fave ‘fit:

I bought this set from Amazon a couple of weeks ago, and it’s great!! I ordered my regular size, and it looks like the price has dropped a bit…to less than $26. I’ve worn it a couple of times, including to summer school on Monday.

Now I kind of want to buy the shorts version I’ve saved as well.

I did get a little pool time this week…even though it was brief. Of course the one afternoon I could go, the pool closed early for a swim meet.

I’ve been on a reading roll lately…including listening to two audio books. I used my nine hours each way to KC wisely. Real talk: those are the first two audio books (The Office BFF’s and Birdie & Harlow) I’ve ever listened to…and they were both memoirs (ish), so that’s why I chose them. I’m still not sure I can focus and follow the plot of a book while listening.

Favorite dinner:

On Tik Tok a few weeks ago, I saw this simple recipe shared. I buy the “cook in the bag” pork loins pretty often, but this person took the pork loin out of the bag, added it to the slow cooker, poured in a can of beef broth, and a can of water and cooked on low for 6 hours.

Then, you do need to drain the meat, but we put it on sliders with some BBQ sauce, and shredded mozzarella.

This was my easy and delicious dinner the other night with a microwave baked potato and watermelon:

Favorite Mom Meme:

hahaha!

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

I love this memory from 2013. The kids shared a bedroom for their first 3.5 years of their lives. We had four bedrooms, so we turned their nursery into the guest bedroom, and then they each got the remaining rooms.

Hadley hugged Hayden goodnight and said, “See you next time!” before going to her own room the first night.

Weekly Recap:

I had a couple of posts this week:

Summer Sunday #2
Share Our Lives
Let’s Look

What are your weekend plans? I’m sure we’ll celebrate Trav on Father’s Day, and I hope to start crossing some things off my summer “to do” list and maybe get in a little pool time.

I hope to have another Summer Sunday post this weekend too.

Thanks for reading,

Posted in Meals and Recipes, Not Just a Mom

Share Our Lives: June 2024

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

Did you catch my second Sunday post of summer? It was all about self-care.

Well, I don’t want to dwell on it, but how is it already the second Monday of June?!

As always, I’m co-hosting today’s link up with some of my favorite bloggers.

So far this year, we’ve discussed:

  • Introductions and jobs you’ve had in January
  • How me met our significant others in February
  • 5 items you can’t live without in March
  • Favorite make up and hair products in April
  • 5 favorite and least favorite foods in May

This month’s topic is…foods to make for someone else.

Do you know what the first thought I had when I realized this was the topic for today’s post?…That I don’t think people cook for each other like they used to. Maybe I’m wrong….but even when people create “meal trains” for others, it’s a lot of carry out food or sending food via Uber Eats.

That being said, I’m not judging because I can relate…it feels like at this busy stage in my life, I want to help others, but feel like I don’t have as much time as I’d like to….Venmo and gift cards are a “go to” for me as well.

I also think that I’m a little “burned out” on cooking for others because I do that every single day….which I also truly don’t mind…if they’d just come to the table when I say, “dinner’s ready!”

Anyway, that might not be the point of this post, so I will reel in those random thoughts and share a few ideas.

1. Coffee Cake

Call me Mother of the Year, but my kids feel like I’ve really done them a solid when I make the Krusteaz coffee cake for them for breakfast.

It’s easy and delish.

2. Casseroles

Casseroles of any kind are a good way to make someone a lot of food. Or, I should say anything in a casserole dish.

Some favorites are Million Dollar Spaghetti and Chicken Noodle Bake.

3. Soup and Chili

Turkey rice soup is a favorite family tradition after Thanksgiving.

While I guess chili is more for fall and winter, we love to make beef chili and chicken chili. Both of those are great to make and share with others.

Next month’s topic is…day in the life, summer edition! I always love seeing “day in the life posts,” so we hope lots of you will share your days as well.

What about you? What’s a food you enjoy making for someone else?

Sorry this post is pretty short and sweet…The kids and I got back from Kansas City last night. We were able to visit family for a few days, and it was nice to be there. That being said, somewhere in the middle of Illinois, I sure would have been thankful for if one of the kids could have driven for a bit. haha

And — this morning, I’m headed to school for a few hours as it’s our first day of our first summer school session. Thankfully, my responsibilities are minimal, but the first day is always pretty hectic.

I hope you have a great Monday.

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Posted in Friday Favorites, Meals and Recipes

Friday Favorites {#199}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Friday!

TGIF…am I right? I think I’ve gone most of my life without actually saying that phrase, and now I really feel like I’m living for the weekends. The month before spring break always has me hanging on for dear life.

As always, I’m linking up with Erika and Andrea for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites from the week:

Thanks for indulging me this week, as I “celebrated” this blogging milestone. I’ve had fun looking back on posts and sharing those recaps this week.

WordPress even gave me a virtual “pat on the back.”

On Saturday, Travis and I finally had a quick coffee date before Hadley’s volleyball games.

Last Saturday, my brother and his family came over for corned beef, cabbage, and Irish soda bread.

The meal was a hit!

Hadley had games on Saturday and Sunday, but with Sunday being St. Patrick’s Day, most of the teams were looking pretty festive!

On Sunday, I had a quick errand at my favorite book store. I wish I could have stayed longer!

I picked up one of these bunny plants at Trader Joe’s last year, and I couldn’t resist getting another one this year.

One of Hayden’s Christmas gifts was this “plunge tub.” Like we need more thing in the garage…haha

He’s been using it though! I have to commend him for his dedication.

Favorite Foods:

Well, besides corned beef and cabbage, we had a couple of other delicious meals this week.

I tried two new recipes, and they were a hit.

Sunday night, I made this easy pasta dinner.

Then, Wednesday night, I made Creamy White Chicken Enchiladas, and we had leftovers last night.

The lazy dish

Friday Funny:

If you don’t follow @walksauce42_ on Instagram, you should check him out. He’s too funny. I’ve reposted a couple of his reels in my Insta stories…and they always make me chuckle.

Favorite Kid Quote:

Since we adopted Homer, we don’t know his exact birthday. Hayden mentioned that Homer is almost five, and I said he probably is actually five based on how old he was when we adopted him in June of 2019.

Hayden said, “Wow! He’s 35 (in dog years), and he still sleeps in his parents’ room!” 😆

Favorite Mom Meme:

Not to name names in my house, but rhymes with “badly.”

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday:

I love this Facebook memory from 2014. Hayden wearing Trav’s shirt from when he was a kid while shining a “spotlight” on his food using his flashlight. He’d told me he was “inspecting” his dinner!

I never had time for a blog post, but Amazon is having their “Spring Sale” now through Monday. I’ve been highlighting some of my favorite Amazon items this month in my Instagram stories, but I will try to share a few more favorite sales as well.

Weekly Recap:

I had five blog posts this week! Who am I?! 😆

1,000th Blog post
Lifestyle Blog 2
Let’s Look
LifeStyle Blog 3

I hope you have a great weekend.

Posted in Meals and Recipes

Bloganuary 1.20.24

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Saturday from snowy Kentucky.

We got about five inches of really pretty snow yesterday, and had a great snow day.

Today, I’m continuing with…

In the past, I’ve shared many Trader Joe’s hauls and even a few Aldi finds too.

Since Saturdays are typically when I pick up my Kroger Clicklist order, I got to thinking about some of the things that I buy every week. I’m sharing those with you today.

Clicklist has been doing the most for me for probably eight years or so…

Of course, I meal plan our dinners and plan a few of my school lunches. Those items tend to change week to week although I almost always pick up green beans, a bagged salad, eggs, and fruit.

The kids’ requests can vary as they go through phases of what they want to eat, but here are some things I every week….lately.

(and…of course, I’m typing this on a Friday when I don’t have all of the things on hand…so I turned to the Kroger app for pics too)

1. Cinnamon Swirl Bread

This has been Hadley’s favorite thing for the past couple of months. While I don’t typically eat breakfast, one slice is a nice afternoon snack. This week, while being home, I’ve decided to embrace the relaxed schedule, and I’ve had a slice with my coffee most mornings or as a part of my lunch.

2. Frozen Waffles

If Hayden’s not eating oatmeal or cream of wheat, he’s on a waffle kick. For quite a while, I bought Eggo chocolate chip waffles…and all of the sudden, they are nowhere to be found. So, we’ve transitioned to these cinnamon toast ones.

Sometimes, if I have a lazy dinner for myself, I have a waffle along with fruit and a hard boiled egg.

3. Chocolate Milk

I buy a few of these pints of chocolate milk every week for Hayden. He likes to drink one after he runs.

We also tend to have chocolate syrup on hand because Hadley likes to drizzle some on her vanilla ice cream. Hayden will also use it to make chocolate milk if we are out of the pints.

4. Adult Lunchable

I call these Oscar Mayer Naturals “adult lunchables” because sometimes I take them for a quick lunch option. Usually by Friday, this is what I’m having for lunch…or I sometimes have one on the weekends instead of being tempted by Chick-fil-A or Chipolte when I pick that up for the kids.

5. Grab the Gold Bar

These are my newest obsession. They are a good snack and good source of protein and fiber. Again, I oftentimes put one in my purse to eat on the go if needed.

6. Cheezits

When my dad visits, he opens the cabinet and questions if there’s a snack we won’t buy. haha

Also, of course, the kids like a variety of things. Hadley prefers White Cheddar Cheezits, and Hayden likes original. Both kids (and me!) like this snack mix kind, so we buy it the most.

Another favorite of the kids is the colorful goldfish…and I love Dots pretzels.

7. Baked Potato

Whoever invented this seven minute microwaveable baked potato is a genius. I buy one or two a week to have as a side for dinner or for lunch. Usually, I just eat half of one, and it’s easy for me to take for lunch.

8. Bob Evans Mashed Potatoes

Well, I know who invented these…and thank you Bob! There is no easier or delicious side dish than these microwave mashed potatoes.

9. Ramen

Hadley is going to thrive in college because she loves ramen. These are a great weekend lunch for her or even something to eat if dinner isn’t ready, and she has to head to practice…(and then she eats dinner when she gets home)

10. Premier Protein Shakes

I’m always working on finding ways to get more protein in, and these shakes have 30g each. I usually buy a pack every week…and sometimes a couple of packs if Hayden wants them too.

11. Drink Flavor Packets

Fun fact about me: I will drink more water if it’s flavored. I’m still filling up my tumbler at least twice a day to get my water in. I only use one flavor packet a day…usually I fill up my tumbler and add one packet, and then add more water after drinking about half. This grape flavor is my favorite.

12. Ice cream

We buy ice cream every week. Even though I have a sweet tooth, I can say no to ice cream at home. We’re to the point where I typically buy two cartons, and the family fave tends to be Oreo/cookies and cream.

Lately, if I want ice cream, I have one of these Kind ice cream bars that I find at Target, and I feel better about my choices 😉

What are some of your “go to” grocery items?

Posted in Meals and Recipes

Aldi Finds

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Tuesday!

I’ve heard nothing but good things about Aldi, but it is rarely a place I shop for groceries. That being said, there was a stretch of time these past few months where I was near Aldi, so I stopped by once a week or so.

Today, I’m sharing some of my favorite finds.

Pretzel tray, Oreo muffins, crackers, and cranberry cinnamon goat cheese!

  • The preztel tray I bought on a whim when my mom and Gma were visiting. It was a Sunday afternoon, and I thought it would be good to have a snack on hand. This tray comes with two bags of pretzels and two dipping sauces. This was definitely a great buy! We all enjoyed them. That being said, baking them in the oven is the way to go. Hadley microwaved a couple, and they were as hard as a rock.
  • I bought the Oreo muffins as a dessert, and the kids loved them. What’s not to love?!
  • I’ve purchased the goat cheese a couple of times, and it’s a great snack or appetizer with the crackers.

Up next: some snacks

  • I’ve purchased the pretzel and cream cheese packs from Kroger before, so I knew I’d like these.
  • These “Sweet Snack Selects” are actually why I was making time to stop by Aldi once a week. Now, I buy quite a few of the 3 packs at a time. They are the perfect (healthy-ish) sweet treat. They have white cheddar cheese, milk chocolate chunks, dried cranberries, and graham crackers bites. 10/10 recommend!
  • I LOVE the caramel rice cakes. Actually, last time I went in there, they didn’t have any, and I was so bummed!
  • The prosciutto, provolone, and breadstick pack is an easy and delicious snack.

All of these are convenient for me to pack at for school or just enjoy at home.

…and…a couple of lunch items…

  • The “Everything” Bagel Skinnys are perfect for making sandwiches.
  • The Panera soup is a great option for a school lunch for me.

Do you shop at Aldi? Amy is who got me to go back there…she shared about the pumpkin K cup coffee they had, so I went there for that, and have continued to find things that I love.

Posted in Meals and Recipes, Not Just a Mom

Not Just a Mom

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

It’s one of my favorite posts of the month linking up with these ladies:

This year we’ve discussed:

This month’s topic is…comfort food.

This is definitely the time of the year for comfort food.

To me, comfort food is warm and hearty like chili, soup or a casserole.

Here are a few of my “go to” recipes that are definitely comfort foods:

I shared this recipe in my Friday Favorites post. I just saw it on Instagram, and decided to make it. It will definitely go into my cooking rotation as we move into winter.

It’s almost time for me to make our traditional Turkey Rice Soup. We use Thanksgiving turkey the day after for this soup.

Crockpot Cheese Tortellini soup

Bev’s Simple Chicken Pasta Soup

Chicken Chili

Taco Soup

Major’s Chili

Pumpkin penne sausage pasta (My favorite thing to make in the fall!)

Andrea’s Creamy Rice casserole is so good!

One Pan Chicken Alfredo

Spaghetti: Million Dollar Spaghetti and Chicken Spaghetti

One pot Roasted Red Pepper and Sausage Alfredo

Mac and cheese! Mac and cheese has always been one of my favorite foods. While Hadley can live on the box of white cheddar shells from Trader Joe’s, my favorite is this one that I occasionally make, and when I do, I always wonder why I don’t make it more often. (maybe because of all the calories…haha)

Anyway, this was quite the list…and it’s inspired me to make some of these recipes soon! I can’t wait to see what others share as well.

What’s your favorite comfort food?

I can’t believe next month will be our last Not Just a Mom post of 2023. Our topic is favorite books/series. We’d love to have you join us!

I hope you have a great week!

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Posted in Meals and Recipes

Monday Meals

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and happy Monday!

How was your weekend? Overall, ours was pretty good. Now, I’m ready to tackle this week! We only have two more weeks until fall break which is so hard to believe.

It’s been a minnnnute…since I’ve shared a Monday Meals post, so that’s what I’m doing today.

I swear, I feel like I spend a good portion of my life meal planning, ordering groceries, putting away groceries, and cooking dinner. Sometimes, I don’t feel very inspired or feel like I’m in a rut when planning meals for the fam.

I usually consult other blogs and Pinterest first for meal ideas as well as some of my recipe books and recipe box as secondary sources.

When I’m really stuck for ideas, I usually ask the kids what they would like for dinner. Hadley suggested Shay’s Easy Enchilada Skillet recently, so we had that.

I tend to try to follow a system of cooking something Sunday for leftovers Monday. Taco Tuesday. If I’m lucky, I will cook something Wednesday with leftovers for Thursday. I do think it’s easier to get two or three meals out of fall and winter recipes since we eat more soups and casseroles then.

I used to always plan meals Sunday-Thursday, but now I just plan Sunday-Wednesday and hope we have leftovers for Thursday. If we don’t have leftovers, I will do something quick like pork loin and Bob Evans mashed potatoes or breakfast for dinner. In the winter, we’ll have tomato soup and grilled cheese sometimes.

Last Thursday, we ended up having sheet pan nachos because Travis wasn’t home for dinner, and I wanted to make something quick and easy.

Anyway, in case you are in a cooking rut, I’m sharing what we’ve eaten recently and what we’re eating this week:

Last week we had:

Sunday – Crockpot Crack Chicken and waffle fries. I’ve made this many times, and it’s a family favorite. The recipe says it can be a dip, and I can definitely see that being true. The kids had their chicken on buns, but this time, for me, I put the chicken in a tortilla and rolled it up and ate it that way. I think that’s my preference now. I was able to take tortillas for lunch a couple of days too.

Monday – Crockpot Cheese Tortellini and Sausage soup. It’s another family favorite that hits the spot.

Tuesday – I tried a new recipe: Meatball Bombs. We had green beans and fruit too. These were a little sloppy to make, but they were a hit. I used one and a half cans of biscuits in order to make a few more for leftovers. Also, the meatballs I had were smaller, so I cut up two to put in each biscuit.

Travis has been super busy with work, so I’ve been doing most of the parenting things…I decided to give myself a little “break,” and we had dinner on paper plates.

Not an Earth shattering tip, but it was just nice to not have to clean dishes after dinner.

Wednesday- We just had leftovers from the previous nights.

Thursday- I made Sheet Pan Nachos. I don’t know why, but the kids love the fact that I just put the sheet pan on the table, and they just eat from there. Actually, I guess now I can see why that’s fun for them 😉 Again, another night with minimal dishes to clean.

This week we’re having:

Sunday: I made Million Dollar Spaghetti and green beans as a side dish.

Monday: leftover spaghetti and bagged salad

Tuesday: I had extra meatballs from last week’s dinner, so I decided to try this new recipe: Meatball and Tortellini Soup and biscuits.

Wednesday: I’m making Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken and rice. This has been a “go to” recipe for me years because it makes a ton. We have an extra busy week of evenings, so I wanted to use the slow cooker as much as possible and not worry about cooking on Thursday….and I bet I will have enough leftovers for lunch one day too.

Thursday: Wednesday leftovers.

Looking ahead, I think next week, I’m going to make Pumpkin Sausage Penne Pasta. I always look forward to this dish!

…and Bev’s Simple Chicken Pasta Soup.

It’s nice to already have a few ideas for next week!

What’s your “go to” meal?

Posted in Friday Favorites, Kids, Meals and Recipes

Friday Favorites {#144}

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Friday!

This week was super busy, but it did include a snow (icy) day! Now, I think we have milder temps on the way.

As always, I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for this week’s Friday Favorites.

Here are some favorites of the week:

Hadley and I baked a cake last Friday. We’re trying to make a cake a month, and this was our first one of the year. Hadley did most of the work, including decorating it. We made this Chocolate Chip cake, and it was really good.

On Saturday morning, we went to my nephew’s basketball game. He did such a good job, and his sister did some cheers at halftime!

My brother gave my niece his phone, and then sent me this selfie she took. Too funny.

On Sunday, Hayden had an indoor track meet in Louisville. With basketball going on, he has only been running a couple of days a week, but still had a PR in the mile.

Of course, my household was super excited with the Chiefs big win! We are close to Bengals country, so that made this win even more exciting. We can’t wait to cheer on the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Snow day pancakes on an icy Tuesday morning hit the spot!

Hayden’s basketball team is off to a solid start. They had two wins this week!

Fave Mom Meme:

This made me laugh…but it also reminded me that I want to pick up a couple of things for the kids for Valentine’s Day.

Bonus Fave: Flashback Friday

With Hayden’s basketball season starting up, I love this 3rd grade throwback to these two cute ballers. This is the year that Travis coached Hadley’s team to the championship victory! Hayden was on a team with a great group of kids too.

Weekly Recap:

Well, I continued with Bloganuary on the weekends, so I have a full week of posts:

Share 4 Somethings
Birthday Cakes
Memes
January Books
Snow DaY Diaries
Blog Challenge 5

I guess my blogging streak of 33 posts is coming to an end. I enjoyed tackling some Bloganuary posts on the weekends this month. Honestly, I have a bit more time to blog on the weekends, but readership is down on the weekend, so obviously, Monday-Friday blogging makes the most sense. Who knows, maybe I’ll throw in a random weekend post every now and then.

What are your weekend plans? Hadley has some fun planned with her friends tonight, and Hayden has basketball this weekend. I’m not sure what else we’ll do. See you back her Monday for my Amazon purchases this month.

Have a great weekend!

Posted in Meals and Recipes, Weekend Top 5

Weekend Top 5

Posted on by jgalvinwhite

Hello and Happy Monday! I hope you had a great weekend. Ours sure seemed to go by so quickly.

Today, I’m linking up with Sarah and Holly for Hello Monday…

to tell you about my:

Here’s a peek at our weekend:

It’s probably a lame #1, but the fact that I was able to come home straight after school on a Friday with no errands or other things to do was a highlight of my day. I was home by 3:45 and had time to workout, tidy up, and get ready for the weekend. The kids had an after school activity, and I picked them up at 5:30. While we were out, we went ahead and picked up dinner to eat at home. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to watch a movie as a family because Travis worked really late. Instead, the kids and I ate dinner and watched a few episodes of The Goldbergs. We’re almost caught up with last season. Anyway, it was just a great way to start the weekend.

The weather on Saturday was perfection, and there were touches of fall everywhere.

I had a few minutes to eat lunch after running some errands and decided to sit out on the front porch and get some fresh air. I had the best fall view.

It was the state cross country meet in Paris, Kentucky on Saturday. Travis had a long day because his 6th graders ran in the morning, and then the 7th and 8th graders ran in the afternoon.

Hayden hurt his IT band while playing on the beach, and he’d been to PT and stretching all week. He didn’t feel 100%, but he felt good enough to run. While Hayden was disappointed with his finish, he still had a PR for the 4k and scored points for his team. The boys finished in the top 10 in the state which is so amazing. They’ve worked so hard, and Travis has done a fantastic job training them this season. I’ve loved watching Travis coach Hayden and the team. We had a fantastic group of 8th grade boys that we’ll miss next year! Overall, it was an amazing season.

Hayden will continue to rehab his injury and run in the post season with Travis as one of his coaches. (More on that, I’m sure as that season gets going!)

We made it to the pumpkin patch yesterday. The weather was overcast, but we headed there right after church and beat the rain. The kids went straight to get hot apple cider and apple cider donuts.

Then, they picked out their carving pumpkins before we headed home.

I remember when we used to spend hours at the pumpkin patch, so they could run around and do all the activities. Now, we probably spend more time in the car getting there than wandering around, but I’m still glad we can make this tradition happen.

Besides the memories, the second best part of the pumpkin patch is picking up the apple cider donuts. Ugh…I had two yesterday, but they were worth it. Back on track today!

This week, I’m trying three new recipes, so I thought I’d go ahead and share those too!

  • Amy inspired me with her lasagna cups. I used to make an appetizer (recipe courtesy of a friend) that used wonton wrappers, and thought I’d give a new recipe a try. I found this Muffin Tin Lasagna Cup recipe on Pinterest, and we had it last night for dinner. They were delish!
  • I saw this soup recipe on Instagram, and I’m going to make it tonight or tomorrow.
  • On Wednesday, I’m going to make Andrea’s One Pot Bow Tie Pasta recipe.

This week’s meal planning feels a little “carb heavy,” but ’tis the fall season.

How was your weekend? Let me know a highlight! Also, what are you eating this week?

I hope you have a good one!