tgiff

not sure about you mamas, but dinner time has been  much more 

enjoyable around our house the last three weeks.

if you have any favorite recipes that you would be willing to share for food friday, 

please send me an email: rae@armommy.com i would love to hear from you.

so, what's for dinner next week?

M . turkey bolognese 

{use leftovers for turkey tomato soup}

Tu. chicken & vegetable curry

W. turkey tomato soup + grilled cheese

{using leftovers from monday}

Th. slow cook greek stuffed peppers

F. cornbread & beef pie

Sa. chicken enchiladas

Su. eggs florentine with spinach + goat cheese

the recipe sheets weren't working out very well, so now i have made individual recipe cards.  you can print them out one at a time or copy, paste and arrange them onto a document together.

let me know if you have trouble!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

now for some table top inspiration

{as seen at my friends wedding}

a bow tie napkin

lay your cloth napkin out flat.

{we use ours almost everyday and as you can see, i don't worry about ironing!}

fold it in half.

and again.

then two thirds of the way over.

  

and again.  then grab a piece of string, fabric, ribbon or the like.

use it to cinch the middle.

tie a bow {or partial bow} so it's easy for little eaters to untie.

and wallah!  a bow fit for a fancy dinner or mac & cheese.

a great project to keep your children busy while you make dinner.

or let them loose with small pieces of paper and coloring utensil and ask them to create 

name tags.

fun + simple.

happy eating!

and friday.

and weekend.

xo . rae

a toot {tutorial}

last week while visiting with my friend emily, i pointed out {a tad embarrassed} that my spring wreath was STILL occupying space on my front door.  because she is crafty, creative, resourceful and just plain talented, she promptly offered some ideas for an update and we set a date to make a new wreath.

here is the:

and:

much better!

i highly suggest {for more reasons then this tutorial} that you hop on over to her site for the details.

you won't need a sewing machine, just a few materials from the store and odds and ends lying around your home.

it would also be cute hung in a window, over a bed, in an empty frame or in the bathroom

{among other places}

what updates are you ready to make for fall???

what is your biggest challenge when it comes to preparing your home

for seasons + holidays?

tgiff

welcome to the second installment of

t.g.i.f.f

just one more reason why i love fridays!

don't forget we have a free menu + shopping list to download

{located along the right side of the blog}

hope it makes jotting down meals + groceries a little more... cute.

my mom {jane} did our menu this week and it's delish.

can't wait to put the recipes to use next week!

part i
what's for dinner?

M. chicken marsala + brown rice

Tu. meatball sandwiches + french fries + fruit

W. breakfast for dinner – yeah!

Th. meatball soup + applesauce

{using leftovers from tuesday night}

F. apricot glazed chicken

Sa. sausage supper + garlic bread

Su. five hour stew


you can click the images below and print.
you may have to change your printer setting to "landscape" so they print
on a full page.

some pictures from our own "chicken marsala" dinner:

{mmm...  i wish we were having this tonight!}

{pops needed to make sure and give his fave brew a shout out}

{some very meaningful, clearly spoken conversation going on i'm sure}

{not a big fan of peas, but they look delish in a striped red bowl, yeah?}

+ lastly, a quote i read the other day that i wanted to share...

{so true. don't you think?}

..................................................................

part ii

let me introduce you to... a vey good option for breakfast or snack-time on the go!

breakfast in a cookie

i included the recipe with the meals above.

{easy to make, even for lil' helpers}

{scrumptious even before they bake}

the recipe makes a ton.  we stuck half of them in the freezer for the next time

a busy week sneaks up on us!

my little brood of three loves them.  especially tilly, who even after having several, 

still refers to them as "cookies".

if you are interested in their nutritional value:

per 2 cookies - 220 calories . 7g fat . <1g sat. fat . 5g fiber . 127mg sodium . 6g protein

37g carbohydrates . 17g sugar {mostly natural}

have a super weekend y'all!

loves . rae

fall.ing for it.

some autumn love.

{your favorite thing about the fall?}

and the start of our to do list for the season.

{what is on yours?}

and due to my love for antlers - the greatest picture ever.

{i only wish it was me in the frame.  i would hang it by the hubs bedside for sure}

{have any fun infatuations lately?} 

and the fall fashion that i am saying 

"yes, please!" to...

s o c k s .

for 3 reasons

1. my feet will be happier warm 

2. it's an inexpensive, layer inducing, interest building accessory

3. it reminds me of my childhood.

-which is sadly something my mom would have said-

{what fall fashion are you excited about?}

anything else that you are fall.ing for this fall?

{images from we heart it}

tgiff

thank goodness it's food friday




food friday is here!  and i am excited to announce that it will be joining us every friday.




what is food friday, you ask?

1. a weekly meal plan and {easy to print} recipes.

2. a little inspiration for anything food related. 




why are we doing food friday, you ask?

1. happy tummy = happy brood + husband + anyone else that wanders over to your home.

2. feeding a family is a big task and we want to help you do it with grace + style.  audrey hepburn like.

3. my {rae} week is 75% better when i have a meal plan.  i'm 75% more fun at dinner time when i know what's cookin'.  it will be 75% less torture making the plan if it blesses someone else.




to top it off, we've created a free weekly meal plan and shopping list you can download.  look for the link at the top right side of our blog page.  don't forget to share with your friends. 

y o u   l i k e y ?  

let me know.  or leave a comment.  it would be great to hear some thoughts, ideas + suggestions from our lovely readers.

part uno.

{ h e r e ' s   l e   m e n ú   f o r   l e   w e e k }

M. chicken pockets with grilled veggies + orzo

Tu. tuna salad wraps

W. grilled pizza on {easy} homemade dough

Th. chicken, ham + cheese rollups {my fam went gaga for these}

F. soy glazed flank steak

Sa. mini turkey burger + sweet potato fries

Su. pasta with alfredo sauce + glazed carrots 

recipe cards are at the bottom of this post.

part dos.

now for a couple

after school, after nap, not too filling, super quick, good to chat over

{ S N A C K i e s }
perfect for mixing and matching.

we used vanilla greek yogurt and if your wanted less sugar and more protein "all natural", "organic", "live culture", plain or vanilla yogurt are usually the best options.  if opting for plain yogurt try adding a little honey for some natural sweetness.  


then top your yogurt with granola {homemade recipe below}, grape nuts or other crunchy cereal or diced fruit.
{yum.}

top your favorite brand of english muffin with a delicious sauce 

{bbq, marinara, pizza sauce, alfredo, pesto... for some ideas}

then add grated or sliced cheese and topping{s}

{deli meat, sliced peppers, basil....  or something left over from dinner the night before}

place your prepared english muffins on a baking sheet and place under a low broiler

for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.  let cool.  then serve! 

part tres.

{ t h e   r e c i p e s }

just click on the images and then print on a regular sheet of paper.

enjoy.

and happy weekend.

xo . rae . vp + mom . armommy