The King of all challenges...

So remember this post??

I'm sure that you've all been waiting with bated breath to discover the answer to this mind boggling puzzle...

Well, the King and I decided that we have been spending entirely too much money eating out. A Sonic happy hour here, a donut there, a 32 oz steak (what can I say, Radley can put it away!) later... it all adds up! We have committed to not eating out for 30 days. This means no restaurants, no drinks, no fast food, not even popcorn if we venture out to the movies. Now, while this is not the craziest thing that one family can do, it will take some planning on all of our parts.

Ryan doesn't always like to pack a lunch because as you know, it's pretty hot here in Texas. Well multiply that heat by 10000 and that's what it feels like inside the UPS truck. Throw a lunch bag in there complete with a PB&J and you have one nasty sad little sandwich for lunch. YUCK!

He won't have the luxury of stopping at a convenient store for some tasty treats like corn nuts, chips, or even a drink for the next 30 days. Poor guy.

But it's not just Ryan that will do without... I love a Sonic happy hour. L-O-V-E it. All that fountainy goodness for half the price!?!?! I miss it already. And a sweet tea?!? EVERY fast food chain has sweet tea now... and for good reason. Heaven on earth, I tell ya!

And I won't lie that we had gotten into a Shipley's habit.



And maybe we went to Dairy Queen a lot this summer... but it's celebrating 25 years, so we were just supporting a good cause.




And well, McDonald's did have dollar drinks all summer.



And....

We are currently seeking counseling to handle the withdrawal symptoms.

I'm excited to see how much we will be able to save. Emersyn begins daycare in November which will put a kink in our "savings" plan for a few years. I'm also excited to see if my waistline shrinks any while my bank account grows... wouldn't that be lovely!?!

And who knows... maybe this will be easy and we will wonder why we hadn't done this before. Maybe it will be the jump start to a healthier life. Maybe I don't need things like Gulf Coast Shrimp...



and the Pilgrims did without unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks... so can I!

We've already made it to day 3 (we started on Wednesday)... only 27 more to go!

I may need some encouragement over the next month, so feel free to send me FB messages, texts or leave your comments with encouraging words!

Here's to a life free of bussed tables, unlimited refills and to go boxes...

Tiny Tales Thursday

KK picked Radley up from school on Monday and Emmy started to cry a bit in the car. She wouldn't settle down and was getting pretty upset when Radley started to laugh.

KK: Rad, it's not nice to laugh at your sister. Do you want people to laugh at you when you cry?

Rad: No

KK: Well, it's not funny when she cries either.

Rad: But it's funny to me, KK.

I don't think Empathy is one of his top five strengths.


On Tuesday night we were putting Radley to bed and saying our bedtime prayers. We always end with "Now I lay me down to sleep" and then of course bless those that we love.

Tuesday we added a few new friends to the mix:

Rad: God bless... Radley (always him first), Daddy, Mommy, Emmy, GiGi, Pops, KK, Buzz Lightyearrrr, Cars, 'Itning McQueen, Rex, Pete, Bok, and all our friends.

God watches us all, I guess! :)

Power Cooking for the Fall...

We had a jam packed weekend filled with a birthday celebration for Jeremy, a bridal shower for sweet Kerri Tuley (can NOT believe she's getting married... she's supposed to be 17 years old), a run to the library, grocery shopping and the new American past-time Power Cooking!!

This version of PC was a bit more difficult because the crew of 4 each had to do it at our own houses. We all apparently lead crazy, busy lives and couldn't find a time to meet, socialize and cook. **Note: NEVER try to do this alone if it's your first time... you will go crazy. I suffered about 2 panic attacks on Sunday and I'm a pro!**

I made three dishes this time, Turkey Tetrazzini, Chicken Ranch Tenders and Chicken Spaghetti. You can see the first two recipes here.

Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1 medium onion diced

2 cans diced tomato with oregano, basil and onion (undrained)

2 cups diced chicken

8 oz spaghetti

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

5 oz Velveeta cheese

I quadrupled the recipe to make 4 casseroles with 6 servings each.

Step 1: Gather ingredients

Step 2: Chop bell peppers

Step 3: Saute bell pepper and onion (once again I just used frozen chopped onions)

Step 4: Add canned tomatoes and worcestershire; bring to a boil and cook 8 minutes. Meanwhile cook spaghetti according to package directions

Step 5: Mix ingredients and place in baking dish. Cover and freeze! When ready to eat thaw overnight and bake at 35o degrees until heated through.

Ryan and Emmy helped me get stuff together this time...

We had food EVERYWHERE!

This is what each family got from the Kings!

All together each family received 17 meals and one side of twice baked potatoes for the low low cost of $5.88/meal!! ISN'T THAT AMAZING!?!?!

We are making big batch soups in November so if you have a yummy recipe send it my way!!