Monday Meal Plan

I like to spend my weekends meal planning for the week, then grocery shopping on Sunday afternoons so we have everything we need. (Sometimes I'll leave out produce we'll need for meals later in the week to make sure they don't spoil before I use them.) Here is my meal plan for this coming week -- keeping in mind that Saturday may change because of Labor Day.

All recipes with "*" after the description came from this month's Real Simple magazine, featuring 20 recipes that can be prepared and cooked in only 20 minutes. I haven't quite gotten into a work routine yet, so being able to whip up a quick dinner is going to be ideal until I find what works for our schedule. 

You can find Monday, Wednesday, and Friday's recipes here. Tuesday, L is on his own since I have a few meetings that evening on post. Thursday we're going to try this veggie pasta, and Saturday try this chicken tender recipe. 

By my estimates, here is what these dinners cost us:

Monday: $2.97/serving (2 servings - I already had salmon and olive oil on hand, got red potatoes instead of fingerling, and eliminated the olives from the recipe.)

Tuesday: $2.18/serving (1 serving)

Wednesday: $5.32/serving (2 servings - We still need to get goat cheese, so this is preliminary. We already had red wine vinegar, unsalted butter, honey, and olive oil on hand.)

Thursday: $1.98/serving (2 servings - We're eliminating the pine nuts from this recipe, already had olive oil on hand.)

Friday: $8.21/serving (2 servings - we already had onion and rice vinegar on hand. We still need oyster sauce so this is preliminary.)

Saturday: $1.11/serving (5 servings - We still need to get cheese crackers, and already had olive oil, eggs, dijon mustard, flour and paprika on hand.)

What do you think? Do any of these sound good to you? Do you have any other recommendations for quick and easy suppers?

My Other Half

Now, y'all, I love my husband. Like, I'm borderline obsessed with him. I have no doubt in my mind that he is my soul mate - and a saint because he puts up with me day in and day out. But, he's not my other half. No. I met my other half a little over 25 years ago when my little sister was born.

B and I are only 18 months apart and have been inseparable for our entire lives (well, except for like, 1 year in high school - we don't talk about it). Back home, we're just "The Gumpman Sisters" and everyone knows we're a package set. Sometimes we wonder if we're the same person - but then we remember that B likes ketchup with her hashbrowns and I hate ketchup with a passion.

We were roommates after we both graduated college, she is my partner in crime, the best maid of honor ever (no, seriously - you should've heard her speech. It was perfection.), and my other half. And 1 week from today she'll be HERE! What's on the docket? Well, according to the itinerary I drew up we'll...

...Brunch at Pancake Pantry

...get dinner, drinks, and play trivia at the Alley

...have a Cookout Club luau!

...hit up Pick'n on the Porch

...take a Tour de Clarksville kayak adventure

...visit Third Man Records

...visit Arrington Vineyards

Plus we have so many delicious dishes on the menu - including but not limited to bee stings, copycat Noodles & Co. Indonesian Peanut Saute, baked pasta with spinach and ricotta, and all of our guilty pleasure snacks like spinach dip, Harry & Larry, and salsa and guac.

I'll leave you with this precious video of a little girl who just doesn't want her little brother to grow up. Because siblings are adorable and I can't wait for mine to get here.

5 on Friday

Hello, everyone! I hope you are excited for your weekend. Here is what I have on my radar going into the weekend:

1. My tissue paper tassel garland - I love the way my little garland came out. I am not 100% in love with how it's hung on the window pane, but I may keep playing around with it. The teal paper matches the bar and our lamps perfectly, and the yellow is a great compliment. It was so easy to make as well - everyone should have one of these in their home. 

2. Sewing Machine - My Mom bought me this as a surprise - I am so excited. Plus, my friend CJ are I are having a "sew-down" tomorrow. (My friend KPB is expecting her first in November so of course I need to sew all the things for little baby ADB.) Like this, or this, or this!

3. Dinner - Since CJ is sponsoring my sew-down, and holding my hand while I re-acquaint myself with a sewing machine (home ec was about 12 years ago, cut me a break...), I am whipping up dinner. As much as I'd love to cook, I've been craving a light and fresh pasta salad recently. So, I'm thinking about trying this tortellini caprese salad. Yum!

4. Stella & Dot Fall Line - I get to start sampling the fall line today and need to beef up my display badly. How can you not want all of this? As soon as they're available for order I'll post link up here, I promise. You'll want to snatch up these goodies ASAP, trust me.

5. Furniture Thrifting - I envisioned his and hers matching desks in our office. I had been looking around but realized I wasn't going to thrift matching desks. Lucky for me, these perfect desks were at Target for only $50! It made is easier on my wallet to pick up two, and allowed me to do the great furniture shuffle. Try to follow me here - setting up my desk, meant I didn't have to use my old vanity for a desk anymore. I moved the vanity to the living room, and replaced one of the side tables. That freed up the side tables to be used as nightstands in the bedroom (another item I wanted matching which makes them much harder to thrift.) Now, I just have to find 1 side table for the living room rather than 2 nightstands for the bedroom. 

Confused yet? I promise to do a home tour as things come together a little more in the next few weeks.

Have a wonderful weekend - see you all on Monday!

Five on Friday

TGIF! I hope you all have big plans for the weekend. Today I plan on being as lazy as possible, hitting up the farmers market and thrift stores tomorrow before knocking out yard work, and heading to Pigeon Forge on Sunday to meet up with some family. (My Ya-Ya Sisterhood as we call ourselves - that's what happens when the women greatly outnumber the men in your family.)

But for now, here are my 5 on Friday:

1. Blue Blue Blue! Blue is one of my go-to colors and these Stella & Dot pieces are to die for. I own two of those necklaces, one of the bracelets, and a tech wallet - but my friends fill out many of the other items. They're all perfection - and the Juniper necklace is even on sale!

2. I hear wedding bells! One of my best friends, teammates, roommates, and Chung Mung babies is getting hitched! Her boyfriend finally popped the question this week - congrats you two!
3. Sip and Cycle - My sister visits so soon and I'm trying to plan a girls only trip to Nashville for a Sip and Cycle tour of Midtown. I always see these when we go into town and think it would be such a fun way to play tourist while B is in Tennessee.

4. DIY Project - I plan on knocking this out this weekend -- wish me luck! Has anyone tried this before? Tips? Tricks?
5. Cookout Club - This month is a Fiesta theme, so I'm bringing my version of the Pioneer Woman's salsa, some of my homemade guac (avocado, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, and a little bit of salt), and some jalapeno cilantro dip (jalapeno, Greek yogurt, cilantro, mayo, and lime juice). I'm so excited!

Have a good weekend!

Fit July

My sister and I were talking the other day about how we've gotten into a funk with our food and exercise habits. (Although, she works out much more frequently than I do.) So, we decided to hold each other accountable, provide moral support, and give each other meal tips. 

She is picking workouts on the odd days, I'm picking on the even days. We're checking in with each other with our weight and sharing recipes and juicing ideas. Yesterday, we did this little routine:

I am s-o-r-e today, but am so proud of us for getting it done. Today was my day to pick, and I decided we'd go on a quick 3 mile run. As a matter of fact, I'm hoping to get mine in as soon as this post goes live! 

As far as food, we're both doing our best to juice 2 times a day, and keeping meals healthy and portions small. On our menu this week is salmon, tilapia, and a few chicken recipes. 

What are you trying in July to get healthier? Any tips for us?

Weekend Wrap-Up

I hope everyone had a great weekend! L and I kicked off Friday with some Sweetwater Brew and some homemade pizza. We decided to have a "Band of Brothers" Marathon, since my husband is in the famous 2-506 (and is a Platoon Leader in Easy Company - talk about big shoes to fill.) Saturday, however, was a big day!

It started off with a 4 mile run with Loola at the Greenway (L went for a run with another Platoon Leader at a faster pace) then back to the apartment for some sun tanning with some friends. Then we packed up and went to a birthday party - and let me tell you, 1 year olds know how to party.

Then we met friends up at MB Rolland Distillery for a tour and tasting - it was so much fun! We probably tried a dozen whiskeys, from good 'ole Kentucky Moonshine to flavored whiskeys that went down way too easy. L's favorite was the Black Patch Whiskey, while I came home with some of the Kentucky Pink Lemonade. But really, you couldn't go wrong. It was all delicious.

Then we grabbed dinner at Cloud 9 - an excellent dinner to top off the best day. I got the grilled cheese - yum! - while L got the white cheddar mac and cheese with grilled chicken. 

Yesterday was the kick off of Allie and my's June Photo Challenge #oddsareIam. I decided to share my brunch date with my old roommate E in Nashville at the Stone Fox. (Again, another delicious choice.)

Here is what other participants were up to yesterday:

Caroline spent her day by the pool - not a bad idea! 

Claire - a fellow Army wife and Sweet Briar alumna - is gearing up for her husband's return from deployment by sprucing up their home.

Laurel - another Sweet Briar alumna - spent time fishing out of her kayak. 

Don't forget to participate every odd day in the month of June and check out the hashtag #oddsareiam to see what others are up to and to gain inspiration!

Happy Monday!

Derby Weekend

Did you celebrate the Kentucky Derby this weekend? We sure did! As if I needed an excuse to break out my Lilly, play some cornhole, and be social with friends.

Our party was pot-luck style - and I decided to make my family's famous Pimento Cheese!

My favorite ways to enjoy pimento cheese? Wheat thins are an obvious choice, but I also love it on a BLT, or even with some scrambled eggs! Want to kick it up another notch? Try adding some Cayenne Pepper or Siracha to the mix as well!

I also made The Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Silk Pie. I bought a pre-made crust, but this pie was perfection - I was very proud of myself! We had so much fun - as you can tell from the photos below.

Me and that handsome man of mine! I found when your alma mater's school colors are pink and green, it tends to rub off on your husband. Also, how Sweet Briar is that "She's a Fox" print? 

 All the beautiful ladies!

 With our handsome men, and some pups! (Scout is the puppy on the far left - he stole the show! And Max and Maya are patiently posing by R and T in the middle.)

Everyone loves a candid when the photographer makes you laugh!

We also each chipped in $5, drew 2 names of horses out of a hat, and broke down the winnings. (1st place, $30, 2nd place, $15, 3rd place, $5.) And lucky me - I drew the winner! Yay, California Chrome!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! 

Date Night

 

I love this movie - and it's perfect timing since tonight is Extra Special Date Night. L and I have had some hectic schedules - and I've been spending time in Virginia - and we wanted to have a nice, quiet night just the two of us before I have to head out for another work trip and he heads to the range for a long week of training.

We both love Noodles and Company, so I'm making a copycat recipe of his favorite dish - the Indonesian Peanut Saute. I hope it comes out okay - I was pretty intimidated at first but I think I have a grip on it.

 

Then tonight, there's a big festival in downtown Clarksville called Rivers and Spires - we're going to go catch some live music, if the weather holds. 

Hopefully it's the perfect night together before two more weeks of craziness. What are your plans for the weekend?