Allllll By Myselllllllllllff

Nick is off at a basketball game with his friend Dave, and I'm here all by my lonesome tonight. I've been kind of bored since I'm done with classes for two weeks and have no papers to write. But I've kept myself occupied with grading my students' vocabulary tests from today and getting ready for teaching again tomorrow. Now I think I'm headed to watch a girly movie and have popcorn. I miss my hubby, but have to admit I didn't miss making dinner tonight!!

Good deals and missed deals

I went to Walmart, Rite Aid, Walgreens, CVS, Target, and Kohl's this morning. It was quite the morning. I got some good deals, including cheap capris at Kohl's and free Vitamin Water at Target. CVS, though, was a bust. They didn't have anything I was planning to get. Rite Aid and Walgreens each had only one of the items I was planning to buy at each store. So I'll have to find another of each of those sometime this week to finish out my deals. All in all, though, it was a productive morning and I did enjoy my morning out.

I just turned in my last paper of the semester, so I think I'll relax this afternoon before my final Monday night class. After tomorrow night, I have two weeks' break before my last semester begins!

Menu plan hiatus

I do have a menu plan for this week, but since I haven't followed my posted menu plan in about a month, I'm taking a break from menu plan blogging this week. Maybe THAT will be the key to my actually following it....

Off to run errands - hopefully an interesting post about what I get when I return!!

Freezer meals

This morning I got together with Emily, her mom, and our friend Annette (who watched the kids) and we made some freezer meals. No pictures because they are all in my freezer now. We made:

Chicken Marsala
Bombay Satay chicken
Monterey Jack stuffed chicken
Parmesan pork medallions
and some other pork recipe that I don't know the name of

Except for the fact that my hands still smell like raw pork (EWW), I'm really happy to have 15 meals in my freezer. And it was fun to get together and do it too!

If anyone wants the recipes, just email me and I'll post them.

Long week

I've not been too bloggy this week. It has been a long week. I taught longer than usual today, subbing for the afternoon teacher. And I'm finishing up projects for the semester and grading research papers (I'm about halfway through). Plus I had two doctor's appointments earlier this week. So less time for doing anything interesting to blog about!!

I went to Kroger today to buy a bunch of chicken and pork. Emily and her mother and I are going to assemble freezer meals tomorrow - I'll blog about that when I get them made and post recipes too if anyone is interested. I got some good deals - free toilet paper, chicken at $1.99/lb, pork tenderloin for $1.99/lb, and milk for $1.99.

Now to think about dinner...

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - chicken stuffed manicotti, garlic bread, salad (this has been on the menu plan for three weeks now but we haven't had it yet - we've been eating lighter dinners...so cross your fingers that we actually eat it tonight)

Tuesday - calzones, salad

Wednesday - scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon

Thursday - grilled chicken, seasoned rice, green beans

Friday - soft tacos

Saturday - Barber chicken, noodles, broccoli

Movie storage

After filling up two entire DVD stands with our 200 movies and 35 seasons of television, we decided we needed another DVD stand. It came today so I put it together and reorganized our storage. No need to stop buying DVDs!! :)

58% savings at Kroger

Last night when I realized we were out of eggs and milk and Bisquick, I decided I had to make a grocery run today. So I headed to Kroger, where I knew of a few other freebies I could get as well. I spent $21.17 and saved $30.07, a savings of 58%. Not too bad considering I got five blocks of cheese and fresh fruit in addition!

Here is what I got:

• 3 boxes Barilla whole wheat pasta - $0.26 overage on each
• 4 boxes Piccolini pasta - $0.26 overage on each
• 3 bags Quaker rice snacks - FREE
• 3 sticks Suave deodorant - FREE
• milk - $2.58/gallon
• eggs - $1.19
• 5 blocks of cheese - $1.25 each
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup - $1.50 each
• Bisquick - $2.45 (I need a good sale on this!)
• 1 bunch of bananas - $0.56/lb
• 3 apples - $1.73/lb
• blueberry bagels - $1.99 (the overage from the pasta paid for this treat that wasn't on my list!)
  

Countdown 'til the end

Spring Break is over and I'm on the downward slope toward the end of another school year. I know it will go by quickly. Yesterday and today were looooong days and the students are feeling that itch for summer break almost as much as I am. But as I reminded them, we've got to finish the year strong! So I'm going to try to take my own advice and keep working diligently on grading papers, even if I don't want to!

Another end is in sight for me, as well. In two weeks, my second to last semester of grad school will be over. I'm nearly done with all my projects and papers and I still have two presentations to get through, but I can see the end. My last two classes will take place in May and June. The May class will meet for three weeks straight every night of the week. I will be a very tired person by the end, but I know it will go fast. Then in June, I'll be in class twice a week for 4 hours each night for four weeks. But then on June 30 I will have a master's degree!!

So I'm looking at a nice summer (well, once July 1 comes)! I can't wait!

Chicken dance

Caleb found a chicken that sings and dances to the "chicken dance". Nick taught him how to do the chicken dance and so this is what we heard and watched all afternoon yesterday!

CVS and Publix

No picture today, but I did well at CVS and Publix today. I won't do the run down of everything I got today, but I did want to share I did MUCH better than the lady in line in front of me at Publix who spent $438 on groceries and saved $22. I was hoping that she had been out of town FOR A YEAR, because otherwise, WOW. I could live for more two months on that much food. Maybe she had eight children at home (but she looked to be about my age and had a 3 or 4 year old with her, so I was doubtful).

Menu Plan Monday

Monday - FFY - Nick working late, Molly in class

Tuesday - FFY - Nick working late, Molly in class

Wednesday - Chicken stuffed manicotti, garlic bread, salad

Thursday - Calzones

Friday - Chicken nuggets, tater tots

Saturday - Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans

Sunday - Pot roast, red potatoes, carrots, salad, rolls

Easter traditions

The year we were dating, Nick's family shared with me their Easter tradition of coloring and hiding eggs, and then once found, hitting them with a baseball bat. Big egg smelling mess.

This year we decided to do it again, but no one had a baseball bat. So we used golf clubs.

Happy Easter!

Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Lo! the Sun’s eclipse is over, Alleluia!
Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!

Vain the stone, the watch, the seal, Alleluia!
Christ hath burst the gates of hell, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids His rise, Alleluia!
Christ hath opened paradise, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Hail, the Lord of earth and heaven, Alleluia!
Praise to Thee by both be given, Alleluia!
Thee we greet triumphant now, Alleluia!
Hail, the resurrection day, Alleluia!

King of glory, Soul of bliss, Alleluia!
Everlasting life is this, Alleluia!
Thee to know, Thy power to prove, Alleluia!
Thus to sing and thus to love, Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!
Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!
Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
Sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

But the pains that He endured, Alleluia!
Our salvation have procured, Alleluia!
Now above the sky He’s King, Alleluia!
Where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!
Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
Who did once upon the cross, Alleluia!
Suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

Girls' night out

Last night some friends and friends of friends went to a tapas restaurant for a girls' night out. They had a flamenco dancer who tried unsuccessfully to get us to dance with her. We also enjoyed the interesting food. In case you aren't familiar with tapas, check here for some information about it. It was pretty good, and as Nick would call it, "frou-frou food."

Here is me before I went out:


Today I'm braving possible tornadoes to go and spend some time with my mom and siblings. Hopefully the worst of it will miss us, but it makes me nervous all the same. I'm just glad we're not camping today, which we had originally intended to do. Today is NOT the day for being in a tent!!

Frigid morning errands

It did indeed snow here today. None of it stuck, of course, but it was coming down pretty hard for several hours this morning while I ran my errands. It made for a couple of wet trips, but it was fun to see snow.

I hit CVS and BJs today. I just used an expiring ECB at CVS to roll it for next time. Nothing too thrilling there. I got a coupon for a free 2 month membership to BJs (we let ours lapse when it ran out last year) but there are a few things I like to buy in bulk, so I got them today. Nick will be happy - we now have 96 slices of American cheese in our fridge. And he will eat all of them, too, because I don't like it!

In a few minutes, I'm headed to lunch with a friend, and then I plan to spend the remainder of the day curled up on the couch writing papers!

Snow on April 7th!?!

Snow is predicted overnight tonight and tomorrow morning. We'll see if it actually happens, but I can't remember the last time it was this cold this late. Normally by now it is warm and stays warm. But I'm all bundled up in my slippers and sweats for class tonight! BRRR!!!!

(And yes, I'm happy about it! :P)

Menu Plan Monday - the Spring Break edition

Monday - breakfast (eggs, bacon, biscuits)
Tuesday - pork paninis, salad
Wednesday - chicken stuffed manicotti, breadsticks, salad
Thursday - hamburgers, oven fries
Friday - camping
Saturday - birthday celebration for father-in-law
Sunday - not sure yet

Fun girl outing

My mother-in-law and I went today to have a manicure/pedicure and then to the Cheesecake Factory for lunch. It was a very girly outing (even though there was a husband and wife there getting manicures and pedicures - I wonder if I can talk Nick into that someday!). We got solar nails, which I can't really explain except to say that they are really fun and pretty and nearly indestructible. After our lunch, Emily met us at the mall and we did a little clothes shopping. What a fun Saturday!!!

Already going stir crazy

I was feeling like I needed to get out of the house today, so thanks in part to Emily's inspiration I decided to get my grocery shopping done for next week. I loaded up on the deals for the week as well as everything I need for next week's meal plan (which I already made, thank you very much). I spent$21.64 and saved $41.84, a savings of 66%.

After sales and coupons:

• 3 Kraft dressing - FREE
• 3 bags of Steamfresh veggies - $0.05/bag
• 3 brownie mixes - $0.60/box
• 3 cake mixes - $0.13/box
• 2 Breakstone sour creams - $0.45/carton
• 3 lbs butter - $1.00/lb
• 1 lb bacon - $2.00
• 4 Old El Paso taco seasoning packets - $0.37/packet
  
• 4 boneless pork chops - $6.25
• loaf of Italian bread - $1.59
• birthday card for my grandmother - $3.29

And now we're set with a week of groceries (as well as a FULL freezer, fridge and pantry!).

Spring Break!!!!

Actually, I just looked outside and this is more like what it looks like out there:But either way, I'll take it! The rain is actually much more conducive to my current activity, which is lying on the couch and taking it easy. I do plan to do a lot of work over Spring Break, but this afternoon I'm going to enjoy my freedom! No school until April 15th!!!