Wordless Wednesday

Today's Tot School

Today we got out some new "school" items, it's really not school...just a play that is more structured and new!  I have been working to put together some Montessori centers so that the boys could have some more structured play on their rugs.  I love this website-www.1plus1plus1equals1.com!  It gave me a lot of ideas!  

Here's what we were doing today!

 We affectionately call this one spooning, it is sorting pastel colored pompons with a large spoon--

This one is Silas' favorite!
I bought all of the pompons, the little bowls, the spoon, and the silver trays at the Dollar Tree. 

 This one is just moving one pompon over at a time into a different bowl--they are just learning to use their fingers in a new way.  I have two different pairs of tongs and plan to get a smaller, easier pair...this one is harder for them.  But, they loved trying! The only thing I had to buy for this one is the pompons...everything else is from my kitchen.

 This is our spaghetti sorting...putting the spaghetti into the small holes of a Parmesan cheese shaker and salt and pepper shakers that I also purchased at the Dollar Tree. 

I found some great cutting pages on a Montessori website--I plan on putting them on a tray for tomorrow! 

Our Easter memory verse this year is Matthew 28:6--"He is not here; He has risen, just as he said..."  Hopefully they'll have it memorized by Easter morning!  Have a blessed week!

Amanda

Deals!

I got a few deals today that I just have to share! 


Today I got a great STEAL from GROUPON!  I got a Groupon $8 for One Large Any-Topping Pizza at Domino's Pizza (upto $20 value) I had a Groupon credit and was able to buy 3 for $14, which was even a better deal.  You can use 1 at a time, but for us that is three different dinners for $14.  Can't beat that! The link is HERE, but hurry...it is over tonight at midnight!

Also, Coldwater Creek is having a sale on their clearance merchandise.  You get an additional 40% off the already reduced clearance price, check it out HERE.  Plus, I looked them up on Retail Me Not and got a code for an additional 30% off and free shipping.  I got three items for $20 shipped! Click HERE for the Retailmenot codes. 

I also got some freebies in the mail today

I am a member of Vocalpoint and signed up for the Breve' Sample a few weeks ago.  It cup came in the mail and contained a coupon for a free bottle of Breve' Creamer and coupons for friends!  I also got the Nestle-Taster's Choice samples I signed up for--Since it is still really cold here on a daily basis, I'll have no problem using these right up.  I also got some good coupons from Vocalpoint today for the new Frosted Mini Wheats, and from Finish on their facebook page!  Become a member of Vocalpoint today, they send out good samples when you sign up for them on their website. 

Menu Planning Monday

This is a short menu week for me I am only planning through Friday--due to our Easter plans. 

Monday- Tonight I am making Chili, it was on the menu for last week--but due to my headache and my husband's frozen pizza rescue, I'm making it tonight--with cornbread!

Tuesday- Roast with potatoes and carrots, celery and onions.  I am using meat from a 1/2 cow we split with Aaron's parents.  I put it all in the crock pot, sprinkle liberally with steak seasoning and seasoned salt and add some water.  My crock pot is very hot, so I watch it and add more water if needed. 

Wednesday-This week, we're eating at home--Chicken Enchiladas with Philadelphia Cooking Cream. 

Thursday- Island BBQ Tilapia, couscous that I bought in Shipshewana, and salads.

Friday-Salads, with blackened chicken on top. 

I plan on making resurrection rolls sometime this weekend with our kids.
I also have some ripe bananas and plan on making our family recipe for banana bread this week to...I'll share that sometime this week. 

What are you making for dinner this week?

Blessings to you,

Amanda

Hamburger Vegetable Soup--A family recipe

This recipe is a family favorite.  I have eaten it since I was a child.  It is an easy, nutritious soup to make and freezes well.  I usually make this in a double or triple batch and freeze a couple of bags for later.  

1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 16 oz. can tomatoes
5 cups water

2 medium onions
2 medium carrots
2 stalks celery
1/2 cup barley (pearl)--if you are eating this quickly, you want to use quick barley, if not, the regular barley will be just fine
1/4 cup ketchup
1T beef bouillon
1 tsp basil
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper

Cook the ground beef or turkey with onion, add the carrots, celery, basil, salt and pepper.  Add the tomatoes, water, bay leaf, bouillon, and barley, so that everything is mixed.  Cook until veggies are tender. Remove the bay leaf and serve. It is a great, warming soup for the whole family!  Enjoy!

Amanda

Shipshewana Saturday!

Today our family had a great time going to Shipshewana, you know...Amish Country, Indiana.  It is only about a 1/2 hour from our house and totally worth the drive. Our plan for the day was to check out some Amish furniture stores to price furniture so we would know how much to save toward getting a super sturdy, Amish made table and chairs.  Our current ones still work, but not for long.  We walked into our first store...and I found the one I wanted...it was absolutely perfect AND amazing...only problem was--today it was $7,000!  If I waited until their open house in a couple weeks, I could get it for around $5,000.  I had a very hard time walking away, we were only window shopping in the first place, but I was in love.  I should have taken a picture, but didn't think about it--if  you're up here and have $5,000-$7,000 to spare, it is at Lambright Woodworking and it is totally worth the drive to check out.  After I came back from my dream world--we left, after eyeing some fantastic potential Christmas presents for the boys, and headed to the popcorn shop.  The boys loved it and ate every piece of their free bag of popcorn!  We asked the ladies there where the best place to buy furniture was, and they suggested another place down the road.  It was much smaller, but great quality--and they'd customize, and the prices were MUCH more down to earth! So I walked away knowing the type of table I wanted, and chairs, and benches, and I even picked out the finish. It was a good size and even had 4 leaf inserts.  Now to save for it!  It will be a TON easier when we sell our previous house, we need to sell it yesterday!  But I'm in no hurry to purchase the table...I'm still unpacking BIG time!  After finishing our furniture window shopping, we went to a bulk foods store...it was SO much fun--all kinds of great things! I took a picture of the things we got there--we got Organic Bread Flour (there were so many to choose from), Pizza Dough Mix, Chicken Broth Powder (this was a seconds item in the back), a big bag of pretzels, cinnamon butter, rice cakes, couscous with chives and saffron, garlic salt (because we were out and it was CHEAP!), coloring books for the boys, and some yummy black bean salsa (if anyone out there has a good recipe for black bean salsa, I would love to have it!).  From there, we went to Guggisberg Cheese Factory, and then had lunch at the Essen Haus.  All in all, it was a fantastic, casual, family day and we all had a great time!
 

These buggies were all at the bulk foods store...I can't believe I forgot to take a pic of their sign or something!

These buggies were at a flea market...there were TONS of them there!

This is the cheese factory.

...and our finds for the day!

Today in my mailbox came a 10 sample bag of Tide Stain Release that I signed up for on their facebook page. Along with a detergent sample and coupon.  As well as samples of miracle whip that I signed up for on their website too!  It was kind of fun--so I decided it was definitely picture worthy! 

I am also posting a picture of our garden starts just over one week after planting them!  They are doing SO well!  This morning Silas came in the room to look at them with me and after I opened it, he got so excited to "See what God did last night"!  He called Levi in and they were both mesmerized.  They both were going on about what God did and how we are going to eat the plants...they have awesome faith and I LOVE watching them so taken by God.  I pray that they will always be so amazed by what He has done!  Our little planting project fits so well into this Easter season, so remember today to-- "Look what God has done!"

Blessings to you and yours,

Amanda

Menu Planning Form

I found it...when I was doing my post earlier this week I tried finding the link to the menu planner I have used in the past...I finally found it! Here it is! Enjoy!