Tasty Tuesday

Menu Rut

I don't know about you, but in my house menu rut is an often occurring phenomenon. We find something we like and then have it at least once every week. Sad but true. With this summer heat we have been doing the burger and dog thing WAY too much.

There are many sited that can help you plan a menu. Just a few are Hill Billy House Wife, Organized Home, and I'm an Organizing Junkie.

When I create a menu I try to have variety. I try to have a meatless night. I also like to have a rice night as well as pasta. Sometimes I plan all three meals(during the school year) but mostly just a weeks worth of dinners.

An example menu for a week might look like:

(quick fix)Sunday: Soft Tacos/Burritos w/carrots and olives

(meatless & pasta)Monday: Penne w/spaghetti sauce w/green beans

(rice) Tuesday: Easy vegetable rice medley with kielbasa

(beef) Wednesday: Meatloaf (or mini meatloaf) w/veggie and homemade rolls

(chicken) Thursday: BBQ chicken and pineapple skewers with fresh veggies

(out of a box)Friday: Mac'n'Cheese and whatever else we feel like ;)

Saturday: Dinner out or leftovers

See I need menu help too! I fully intend to look at the links posted and get some better ideas.

I know I know....

I promise I will get back on the blogging boat soon. It has been beyond crazy around here. Sorry!

Sunday

"Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail. This is the cradle of humanity, where life on this earth began in the Garden of Eden. This is the place of the new Jerusalem. This is the place that the Lord said is favored above all other nations in all the world. This is the place where the Savior will come to His temple. This is the favored land in all the world. Yes, I repeat, men may fail, but this nation won't fail. I have faith in America; you and I must have faith in America, if we understand the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are living in a day when we must pay heed to these challenges.

I plead with you not to preach pessimism. Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world. This is the favored land. This is the land of our forefathers. It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through. (Ye Are the Light of the World, 350-51)

Harold B. Lee

Money Monday

Dave Ramsey is a financial guru and very well regarded in the financial realm. Here are is baby step to becoming debt free and in control of your finances.

Baby Steps

1. $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund

2. Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball

3. 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings

4. Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement

5. College funding for children

6. Pay off home early

7. Build wealth and give! Invest in mutual funds and real estate

Here is his printable. Want to know more about Dave? Click here to go to his site. Still need help with a budget (I do!!)? Want a free budget guide? Go here.

Where are you and where do you want to go? Have you done or tried Dave's plan? Did it work for you? Do you think this might work for you?

Sunday

Alma 60:36 Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country. And thus I close mine epistle.

Summer Madness

Sorry I went missing. This is a busy month in my house but I will be on this ball this week. I hope ;). I got a lot of post rattling around in my head so...we will see. ;)

Sunday

No constitution on earth has endured longer than ours. We seek and usually find the answers to today’s hardest legal questions within this document of yesterday. The Constitution was and is a miracle. Both Washington and Madison referred to it as such. It was an inspired document, written under the divine guidance of the Lord. James Madison, commonly called the Father of the Constitution, recognized this inspiration and gave the credit to “the guardianship and guidance of the Almighty Being whose power regulates the destiny of nations whose blessings have been so conspicuously displayed to the rising of this republic.” (Prologue, p. 95.) We believe that the Constitution was brought about by God to insure a nation where liberty could abound, where his gospel could flourish. Joseph Smith said, “The Constitution of the United States is a glorious standard; it is founded in the wisdom of God. It is a heavenly banner.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 147.) Again from Brigham Young, “[The Constitution] was dictated by the invisible operations of the Almighty.” (John A. Widtsoe, ed., Discourses of Brigham Young, Deseret Book Co., 1966, p. 359.) From our current living prophet, Spencer W. Kimball, “One of the reasons America is great today is because those men who formulated the Constitution had vision. They looked ahead to today, and all of us here are recipients of their wisdom and foresight.” Among other things, the Constitution guarantees the religious freedom that allowed the Reformation to continue and flourish. The great religious reformers began to throw off the rituals and dogmas that had been attached to Christianity during the dark ages and sought to return to the pure and simple truths of the New Testament.

The above quote is taken from Elder L. Tom Perry, “God’s Hand in the Founding of America,” New Era, Jul 1976, 45

Happy 4th of July!

Thrifty Thursday

I have got nothing this week so I am sending you over to Christy's wonderful blog!!

The Bargain Jargon

Also check out ALL the blogs in the frugal living catagory on the left hand side bar!!

Whatever Wednesday

Garden Tips

Parade magazine had some good tips on Sunday. The link to the whole article is here. The tip I am most eager to try is the one about eggs shells and tomatoes.

Eggshells are a good source of calcium, essential for tomatoes; without it, they develop brown patches known as blossom-end rot. Just crush the shells and sprinkle the bits on the soil.

I'll let you know if it works!

Making resumes work

The News Tribune had a great article Sunday on making the most of your resume work. Be sure to check out other links on their page. There is even a free trail at a networking site. You may think you need not worry about this but odds are you know at least one person who is unemployed right now. So if you don't need it for yourself think about those you know.