Nesting

So, I have been noticeably absent for quite some time from the blogosphere.  Without rehearsing the reasons for my absence, I would like to say that I have resolved to work a little harder on getting all these homemaking ideas out of my head. 

We are expecting our second child in October (I can't believe our babies will be so close in age).   Many things are starkly different this time around.  In addition to Dr. mandated bed rest for 6 weeks (ahhh!!!), I have begun what the pregnant mom world refers to as nesting.  Apparently, my body did not get the memo during Grace's pregnancy because she was a week late and I never nested.  However, it seems this baby would like to enter this world and go home to a clutter-free zone of organization.  I have to say, I think I agree! 

So, some of the things that have been going on around here in just the last two weeks:

• A MAJOR clean out of all kitchen cabinets, drawers, and the space above the cabinets where I have all the extra decorative items. 
• Cooking dinner every night with absolutely no obligation to write about or take pictures of it. 
• An inspired substitution for the usual cabbage on fish tacos (more on that later)!
• The creation of what I am calling an entertainment pantry (hopefully, pictures to follow)! 
• Grace's first pancake breakfast (oh, I think we took pictures somewhere) which I hope becomes a family tradition for Saturday mornings.
• The beginnings of what I hope to be one major, major garage sale.

Nesting, indeed!

I am also almost done with teaching Bible study until September, so I am hoping to devote a little bit more time to taking pictures of and writing about all the things homemaker-y going on around here.  So, stick around, we might learn something together!

Advent Calendar: 25 days

So here goes on the advent calendar thing:

I have been waiting somewhat impatiently to watch my favorite holiday movie since Thanksgiving day.  It is normal for us to watch it on Thanksgiving night, but I didn't get a quorum on movie watching, so we just looked at Black Friday ads.  Well, tonight I will demand that it get watched.  Or.  I will watch it myself. 

My favorite Christmas movie is Elf!  My niece who has seen it with me a couple times says that I laugh at it every time like it is the first time.  And I do.  It is so classic to me - every single scene makes me smile and it kicks off the holiday season for me in just the right way! 

So, you might be wondering why I am calling this a foodie treat.  Feast your eyes upon this perfect scene:

There you have it, all that a holiday season should have:
Family dinners
the Four Food Groups
and guests that stay too long

Time for me to go pop some popcorn and pour myself a soda; it's 25 days til Christmas!!

What movie makes your holiday season?  Leave a comment and let me know what you will be watching this year.

A Fresh Start

So, it has been ridiculously long since I last posted.  It seems pregnancy can make wanting to cook and then write about it something that I just didn't have the energy for.  And then a new baby and breastfeeding really has a way of sapping that desire altogether.  Thus, I am making an effort to start things fresh this month.  This blog may switch gears just a little bit and focus a little bit more on EASY cooking with some tadah things every once in a while.  It is just the place our life is right now.  So bear with me as we adjust to life in the kitchen with a new baby.  Oh, and for your viewing pleasure, here she is:

So stick with us as we figure out how to get food on the table on a somewhat regular basis.  This week, I am hoping to work on lunches and dinners:

Lunch plans: egg salad sandwiches, pimento cheese sandwiches, freezer burritos
Dinner plans: burgers, roast chicken with brown rice and squash
Snack plan: homemade roasted red pepper hummus
(This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday over at Organizing Junkie)
As you can see this is not a full menu plan, but it is a realistic goal for the week considering our schedule.  Here's hoping...