Where have I been?

I just realized I haven't posted since Sunday! Oops!

So what have I been doing?

Reading....resting.....enjoying time with my husband. See, my kids are on vacation. Without us. And I've realized just how very much I need their chatter and noise to make my day complete.

Oh, I've enjoyed the time to myself. When they return, I'll be ready and recharged!

While I'm missing them, they are hanging out by the pool and eating Cheetos.


And hiking through the West Virginia wilderness.


Not to mention eating some good food!


I'm glad they're having so much fun and making some great memories. Now I'm just counting down the days until they get home!

Menu Plan June 26 - July 2

Do you hear that? The quiet?

It's the sound of my house without children. Mr. Lego and the Princess have gone to West Virginia to spend two weeks with my parents. It's a necessary part of summer for them, my folks included! So they're getting spoiled and having fun and Charles and I get some wonderful alone time.

This week's menu is going to include some dishes the kids don't particularly like. They'll eat almost anything, but Indian butter chicken isn't a favorite of theirs, though it is one of ours. What better time to fix it than when they're enjoying Grandma's home cooking?

Here's the plan:

Sunday
Leftovers from last week's grill night

Monday
Ladies Night Out at church, pizza for the menfolk

Tuesday
Jambalaya

Wednesday
Indian butter chicken over rice

Thursday
Green chile enchiladas

Friday
Lentil sausage soup

Saturday
Out to eat

For more meal planning inspiration, visit Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.

Southwestern Bean Salad

If you need a fabulous summer dish to take to a cookout or potluck, this yummy bean salad is for you! Plan ahead because it needs to chill. The longer it sits, the better the flavors blend together, so make this the night before if you can. This tasty dish also doubles as a dip for tortilla chips - my favorite way to eat it!

Feel free to adjust the spices to your family's tastes!

Here's what you'll need:
1 can black beans
1 can cannellini beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/2 cup chopped green or red pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion (red onions are really pretty in this dish)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 TBSP sugar
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP lime juice
2 teas cumin
2 teas dried parsley
1 teas garlic powder
1 teas chili powder
1 teas sea salt
1/2 teas black pepper

Drain and rinse all the beans.


Mix the remaining ingredients in a measuring cup.


In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, pepper and onion. Pour the dressing over the bowl and stir gently to mix.


Aren't all those colors lovely?

Cover and refrigerate until time to serve.


For more yummy recipes, head over to Miz Helen's Full Plate Thursday.

Homemade Barbecue Sauce

I'm trying to make more convenience items from scratch, and I've played with some BBQ sauce recipes. It's been really hard for me, because I love Sweet Baby Ray's. But this recipe tastes very similar and I'm satisfied with it!

It couldn't be simpler. Just stir the ingredients together and simmer!

Here's what you need:

2 cans (15 oz each) tomato sauce
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup white vinegar
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP mustard
1 1/2 teas garlic powder
1 1/2 teas onion powder
1 teas sea salt
1/2 teas chili powder
liquid smoke, adjusted to taste

Whisk all the ingredients together in a saucepan. Cover and simmer for an hour or more, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings to taste. Cool and store in the fridge.

I put my sauce in squeeze bottles for ease of use. Mr. Lego loves BBQ with fries or chicken nuggets and on sandwiches. This sauce wins his stamp of approval!

Summer Time Treats that won't heat up your kitchen!

With temps staying in the 90's most days, I dread turning on the oven to make treats for the kids. So I turn to no bake or frozen desserts to keep things cool around here. Here are a few of them:

No Bake Granola Bars - great for a summer trip or picnic!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats - chocolate and peanut butter. Need I say more?

No Bake Cookies - an old favorite that can't be beat!

Chocolate Banana Pops - so good and refreshing! Healthy, too.

White Chocolate Berry Pie - take advantage of fresh berries for this yummy dessert!

Chocolate Mint Freeze - saving the best for last! Like a fudgesicle on a plate with a minty twist.

Keeping my kitchen cool in the summer works for me. For more helpful tips, visit We are THAT Family's Works for Me Wednesday.

Menu Plan June 19-25

This week my niece and her husband are coming to visit. They'll be here tomorrow, then we're all going to Six Flags on Tuesday. I'm not sure what their plans are for the rest of the time they're here, but I've got a good, easy menu planned.

Here's what I've got:

Sunday
BBQ chicken in the crockpot, Cajun potato salad, apple coffee cake (requested by my husband)

Monday
Sandwich night - a variety of meats and cheeses with different types of bread

Tuesday
Six Flags and leftover sandwiches

Wednesday
Spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread

Thursday
Grilled chicken and brats, potatoes, sweet cornbread

Friday
Pizza night - BBQ chicken pizza, meat pizza, cheese pizza

Saturday
Wedding reception for friends

For more great meal planning ideas, head over to Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.

Happy Father's Day to my Dad!

I'm so thankful for the father the Lord gave me. He's not perfect, but he has been a great example of godliness and generosity. He loved me enough to say no when it was necessary but tried to give me and my brothers a good life. He made sure we were in church and doing right. He taught us the value of hard work by working hard himself. He rose early to read his Bible and spend time in prayer. I know that a lot of that prayer time was for his children and now his grandchildren. I really can't put into words how much he means to me.

I love you, Dad!