Our Christmas

This year for Christmas Jeremy's Dad, Mom and sister Lisa came to visit us for one week and stayed in a timeshare right down the street from us. We packed lots of fun, food, and laughs into the week that they were here, check out some of the pictures below.

Lisa making a silly face

me and Jeremy

Jeremy making his silly face

me making my silly face

Lisa and Mom and Dad Mangerchine, enjoying a game of Phase 10

Since there were no Christmas decorations in the timeshare (where we spent most of our week) we decided to bring over our unused decorations and make our own Christmas tree out of the given shrubbery

If you've been following our blog for any length of time then you should be familiar with my collection of photos of Dad taking naps throughout the day, here's another pic for my collection. Does anyone else actually sleep with pillows on top of them???

Different angle

Mom making her delicious devilled eggs

Handsome

Check out the bowling shoes and cuffed jeans, stylin!

Dad bowling

Lisa and Dad

My Mom's husband, Francisco, working on a puzzle after church Christmas Eve

Jeremy enjoying our delicious Christmas Eve evening buffet of snack foods as we all hang out and play games

Dad posing by the food

Lisa, my Mom, Francisco and Mom Mangerchine working on the puzzle

Jeremy with "see food"

Dad and Lisa... don't you like her "got presents" shirt?

Francisco caught in the act of dancing to our Christmas music

Jeremy doodling all over his Yahtzee score sheet, you should see the way he fills up a whole piece of paper with doodles during class

This picture needs a little more explanation... it's our Mangerchine tradition that each year on Christmas Eve we all go to the dollar store and pick one present for each person (can be a gag gift or real useful gift), then we go back and exchange them. This has provided us with many laughs over the years and is one of my favorite Christmas traditions now. This Quince Anos (the Spanish version of a sweet sixteen, actually a sweet 15) was Mom's present from Lisa.

Jeremy's collection of police badge, gun and whistle from Lisa.

Lisa's pom poms from me.

Here I am wearing the tiara and earrings that Lisa gave me. I am holding the baby that Jeremy gave me... As he knows that my heart so desires children, but we have chosen to wait for a while before having them my man gave me a baby for Christmas, it was hilarious! I quickly named it baby Whose-a-what, we decided that it's a she and my motherly instincts started kicking in as I admired my little prize possession. Since then we've been playing around with little Whose-a-what and joking about who needs to change her diaper or give her a bath. Don't be surprised if you see her pop up in random family pictures from time to time.

Admiring my little bundle of joy

Daddy's little girl

Me opening gifts on Christmas Day, of course with baby Whose-a-what in tow

Dad with his pull up bar

Lisa with her new shirt

Mom opening her slow cooker

My stack of sewing and cookbooks that I received

Jeremy's Christmas gag vest... maybe this would be a good candidate for our tacky Christmas card outfits for next year

Dad reading us the story of Jesus' birth from the Gospels

Time for another nap

Different angle

Lisa wearing a new visor and tshirt

And another Mangerchine man down, that triptophan is powerful stuff

What did you do for Christmas?

Shannon

"No Poo"

For over 6 months I have been reading and researching the "No Poo" fad of restoring hair to it's natural PH by washing it with baking soda and rinsing it with apple cider vinegar and eliminating all commercial shampoos and conditioners that contain chemicals that are in recent years more commonly believed to be harmful. I have been anxious to try this "No Poo" method out to save money and contribute to less overall chemicals in our home. However being the frugalite that I am I refused to throw away the stocked up already purchased commercial shampoo and conditioner that I already had on hand. I'm happy to say that last week I FINALLY used up my supply of the commercial stuff and am finally giving "No Poo" a trial run!

My trial started on Friday. Since then I have been washing my hair every other day (I've read that with no poo you shouldn't need to wash your hair as often as you do with the commercial stuff). To wash I've combined one tablespoon of baking soda with one cup of water and then sprayed/ poured on my head and massaged in for one minute. Then rinse. Then spray/ pour on 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar combined with one cup of water. Rinse again. My wet hair does have a faint odor of vinegar that is only noticed if I put my nose against my hair, but once dry this smell is eliminated. The articles that I read indicated that there would be a detox period where my hair/ scalp are detoxifying themselves from all of the chemicals that have been put in them in prior years. During this period hair may appear more oily. In light of this I'm not sure that I can give an accurate assessment of no poo yet, but so far so good for me. So far I've noticed that my hair is slightly more difficult to comb when wet, and a little more prone to tangles when starting to blow dry, but once dry the finished product feels softer than my hair did previously, and the best part is the frizz reduction. I have VERY frizz prone hair, I step outside and little frizzies start popping up from my nicely flatened, straightened, styled hair. This Saturday there was 94% humidity outside (you could see and feel the thick fog) and Jeremy and I went out on a date. I was outside for several minutes at a time, several times, which would normally leave my hair completely out of control, and much to both of our surprise there was hardly any frizz as a result!

Here are some of the helpful sites that I visited in my research;

http://babyslime.livejournal.com/174054.html- This was the absolute best site. It provides a great explanation for what "No Poo" is, what the chemicals are in shampoo and conditioner and why you might want to avoid them, and how to get started with "No Poo" as well as recipes for homemade hair spray and other products.

http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/daily-green-tips/‘poo-for-you/

http://www.aboutmyplanet.com/daily-green-tips/‘poo-action/

http://www.naturemoms.com/no-shampoo-alternative.html

I'll continue to keep you posted on my overall assessment as time goes on, but so far I'm liking it and think that I'll be adding homemade shampoo and conditioner to the homemade toothpaste and cleaning products that we are already using. And I think I'm just starting to hit the tip of the iceberg on the things that you can do/ make with baking soda, vinegar and other common household items. What did people do a hundred years ago before all of our modern "conveniences" and concoctions existed? My next quest will probably be for some chemical free form of homemade deodorant and/ or shaving cream.

What homemade concoctions do you use?

Shannon

Praises for 2008

As the year is quickly drawing to an end I was journaling and reflecting on 2008 and I was humbled by some of the amazing ways that Jeremy and I experienced God in our lives this year. There are far too many ways to name as He has revealed Himself to us in new ways and provided for our needs far beyond our requests and expectations. Here are just a couple of the major ways that we experienced Him fulfilling needs, desires, concerns and requests that we had prayed over for months (or years in some cases);

-In July He delivered us from debt (besides our mortgage) which I had been enslaved to for ten years. He’s even enabled us to start saving a little now that we are free of that burden!
-He has brought us each individually and as a couple new friendships with people who love Him and share similar hearts to ours. Around the time that we got married we under went several transitions in our prior friendships and went through about a 10 month period where neither of us really had any close friends. That 10 months was a great period that the Lord provided us to build into our marriage and build a solid foundation with each other and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. That said, it has been very refreshing and encouraging to reconnect in fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ at this point in time!
-Our nephew Blake was born and him and his mother are both healthy and doing well.
-The Lord has continued to teach us more about Him and His love through our marriage, He has continued to make us more like Him through our union and He has actively been at work every time we have laid our anxieties, frustrations, and struggles at His feet. The sheer power of His peace and heart softening love is awesome!
-After several conflicts with my old boss and years of prayer by us, family and friends the Lord provided me a new boss, who is a believer and has made work an enjoyable place for me once again rather than something that stresses me out and sends me home crying each day.

Lord, thank you for all of these provisions that I’ve named and the numerous other blessings you bestowed upon us this year. Most of all thank you for the cross, and for your unfailing love. Had none of these things come to fruition you would still be God and still be worthy of all of our praise. We praise you for who you are, and for your Kingdom that is to come. Lord, let us not forget that you have blessed us that we may be a blessing to others and carry your message to the nations. We love you Lord. We give ourselves to you, we give the year 2009 to you, your purposes and your will and relinquish any plans and desires that we’ve come up with on our own.

What do you have to praise God for?

Shannon

The Hidden Art of Homemaking

I recently finished reading The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer and Deirdre Ducker. I enjoyed the definition of ‘hidden art’ as provided on the back cover of the book;

“I would define ‘hidden art’ as the art found in the ordinary areas of everyday life. Each person has, I believe, some talent which is unfulfilled in some hidden area of his being- a talent which could be expressed and developed.”

Edith takes this concept of hidden art and develops it in further detail in the follow categories; music, painting sketching and sculpturing, interior decoration, gardens and gardening, flower arrangements, food, writing- prose and poetry, drama, creative recreation, clothing, integration, and environment.

This book is a great handbook for any “Proverbs 31 woman”. It is filled with tips on how to use your home and life for ministry unto the Lord. It’s a great read for any woman who may be in a rut; finding her role as a wife or mother to be ordinary or boring. The book provides great encouragement reminding the reader of the numerous “small” things that a woman does around the home and the significant eternal impact that can flow from those. It provides ideas for creativity and twists on your old routines, all the while staying focused on keeping things simple, inexpensive and focused on relationships.

What are you currently reading?

Shannon

Weekend cooking

Here are some pictures and recipes from my weekend cooking.



Thai Chicken Curry

I had a roommate who was Thai who used to make this and has passed this recipe on to me, it is delicious! This dish is always better the next day so save the leftovers! Serve with white rice.

-2 (14 oz) cans coconut milk
-1 lb chicken, cubed
-3 tablespoons red curry paste (I like this out of the small red can that you can find in the Oriental section of a store, sometimes you’ll see it in a jar, but if you can get the canned. I find it at the Oriental market)
-2 tablespoons soy sauce
-2 tablespoons lime juice
-3 tablespoons brown sugar
-1/3 cup basil leaves, coarsely chopped (Thai Basil if you can find it at an Oriental market, it will be MUCH cheaper than buying basil at the grocery store and will taste more authentic)
-her recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of olive oil to cook the chicken in, I omit this and just use cooking spray though
-1 bell pepper, sliced thin
-1 yellow onion, sliced thin
-2-3 zucchini, shredded, cut into matchstick pieces, or peeled into long strands using a peeler (I do it a little different every time… the original recipe calls for shredded)
-several carrots, shredded, cut into matchstick pieces, or peeled into long ribbons
-1 can bamboo tips, rinsed and chopped into long thin slices

Heat a large pot over medium high heat. Cook veggies (in oil if desired) until soft and set aside. Add chicken (and oil if desired) and heat until cooked through. Set aside with veggies. Reduce heat to medium and add coconut milk. Stir in curry paste until well blended. Bring to a boil and let simmer 5 minutes. Add soy sauce, lime juice and brown sugar, simmer for 5 more minutes. Stir in basil. Return chicken and veggies to the pan. Stir to combine and simmer 5 more minutes.



Split Pea Soup with Ham

-4 ½ cups water
-5 cups chicken broth
-1 pound bag split peas, rinsed
-1 yellow onion, chopped
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 lb. potatoes, diced
-1 lb. carrots, diced
-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
-I lb. ham, diced

In large pot sauté onions and garlic in oil or spray over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Add split peas, water and broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 ½ hours. Add carrots, potatoes, ham and black pepper. Simmer 45 minutes.



Brownie Pudding Cake

This bakes a cake-like brownie, with a pudding/ chocolate sauce underneath. Spoon vanilla ice cream over this dessert while it's still warm.

1 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp. cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. milk
2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. walnuts
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. cocoa
1 1/2 c. boiling water

Mix first 5 ingredients together. Add milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir in nuts. Pour in greased 8x8 pan. Mix brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa, and boiling water. Pour hot water mixture on entire batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Cool for 40-60 minutes before serving.


Shannon

A gift for my husband

This Wednesday my friend Esther and I were talking about marital sex and mutually encouraging each other to be sexy for our husbands and to have passionate, spicy, creative marital sex lives. (I've actually been having a lot of these conversations lately with various friends, let's just say this is my soap box right now). Anyway, Esther said that she had read in a book somewhere that one of the best gifts that a wife can give her husband is to work out four days a week. The results of this will obviously be a leaner, firmer, more toned body... and the extra strength and endurance won't hurt in the bedroom either! I told Jeremy about this conversation and he agreed that a wife who works out and has a body to prove it is definitely something that a man can appreciate.

I am someone who LOVES to work out. I sleep better at night when I exercise regularly, I feel more calm, energized and just overall better when I exercise regularly. Unfortunately due to a busy schedule and shift in priorities lately I've only been working out about 1-2 days per week rather than the 4-5 that used to be my routine. That 1-2 days has mostly been cardio and my strength and weight training has been few and far between for the past few months. The result probably isn't that noticeable to the average person, but to me or my husband the little extra layer of cushiness is noticeable. What used to be more firm and tight isn't quite as much so anymore, not that I'm in bad shape by any means. All this to say, there has been a change, I could work out more, I could strength train more and have more shapely legs especially. And best of all is that when I strength train it's usually a date for Jeremy and I to go to the gym together and spend 1-2 hours exercising, talking, flirting and goofing off... now why don't I do this more again? All this to say I want to make more of an effort. I want to strength train my legs and arms each at least one day per week and do cardio several days. I can find ways to incorporate gym dates with Jeremy into this, or walks with friends or family so that my other priorities don't have to fall to the back burner, but I want to make more of an effort to get back on track with my exercise routine.

This week I did go to the gym with Jeremy and train legs and spent several days in pain recovering from months of neglect to those muscle groups. Now I just need to start doing this regularly and work up some strength, fortunately I have a great trainer! This is my present to you baby, a wife who is committed to working out and staying in shape. It's also my present to our marriage as it will bear fruit in our intimate life and dating life as we enjoy gym dates together. Finally I even get to benefit healthfully, physically and emotionally from the overall impact. This is a win-win to me!

Is anyone up for a walk, or run?

Shannon

Progress on 27 before 28

Now that I have just over two months left until my birthday I thought I'd check in on my progress on my 27 before 28. (items in red have been completed)

1. Try making my own housecleaning products with recipes from the book Clean House Clean Planet
2. Try making my own toothpaste with the recipe from the book Big Ass Book of Crafts
Result: Have been using this for months and LOVE it!
3. Try the "no poo" method of using baking soda and vinegar rather than shampoo and conditioner as listed on the Babyslime blog
4. Finish knitting the scarf that I've started
5. Learn how to sew
6. Fix/ sew our items of clothing in need of repair
7. Paint my bathroom, touch up paint in Jeremy's bathroom
8. Start and finish Digital Creative Memories Honeymoon Album given to us as a wedding gift over a year ago
9. Enjoy a romantic candle light dinner at home with my sweet heart
10. Do something spontaneous... it wouldn't be spontaneous if I figured out what it is now, but I'm not naturally spontaneous at all... so do something completely random and fun with my husband sometime
Result: Drove to Charleston with Jeremy for the day one Sunday a few weeks ago.
11. Deep clean our entire home, it really needs it
12. Finish reading ALL of the books that I'm currently reading; the entire Old Testament, Putting Together the Puzzle of the Old Testament, Organic Disciplemaking, The Tightwad Gazette, A New Kind of Christian and various gift making, sewing, knitting and scrapbooking books
13. Read the following books; one on natural family planning, The Ragamuffin Gospel, Irresistible Revolution, finish Sacred Marriage which I put down over a year ago and just haven't picked back up since
14. Get the kitchen light fixed
Result: Jeremy got this taken care of, I didn't have to do a thing, thank you baby!
15. Make good rice again (the last several times that I've made rice in my rice maker it has turned out bad... either mushy or crunchy... what am I doing wrong? I did it right for several years and all of the sudden can't make rice to save my life!)
Result: I have been making good rice again for over a month, I think I'm cured of my bad rice ailment.
16. Run a mile with Jeremy (I used to enjoy running but haven't run at all lately, three weeks ago Jeremy and I went running in the middle of a very hot day and I quit just a few yards short of a mile)
Result: I ran a mile.
17. Learn to change a diaper
Result: I changed Hunter's diaper, and even got peed on also.
18. Spend some time serving someone in need
19. Go to a thrift store with Jeremy and try on the goofiest, ugliest and tackiest things we can find, laugh hard, and take pictures
Result: You can see our pictures here
20. Talk to my friend Esther in Nicaragua (we always miss each other every time that we call)
Result: Had a great conversation with Esther on 12/10 during my lunch hour!
21. Watch the sun rise over the ocean
22. Make something new for dinner that I've never made (I tend to stick to the same rotation of recipes as I'm a creature of habit)
Result: Have tried many new recipes including Sesame Chicken, Moo Shu Pork, Chicken Tortilla Soup, Lentil Soup, Black Eyed Pea Soup, Cranberry Spinach Salad, Soft Pumpkin Cookies, Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Brownie Cups, and Seven Layer Bars.
23. Learn to talk less and listen more
24. Find the perfect purple shirt that I've been searching for and buy it
Result: Bought it, and love it.
25. Enjoy a picnic with my sweetheart
26. Carve a pumpkin (I don't think I've done this since I was a kid), maybe even roast the seeds if I'm really ambitious
Result: Pumpkin carved and seeds roasted.
27. Take a drive with Jeremy, preferably going nowhere in particular but roaming somewhere off of the beaten path
Result: Drove to Charleston and back a few weeks ago

I've already started my 28 before 29 list and am thinking that I may need to transfer a couple of these over to it as well... I really don't want to paint that bathroom... is procrastinating one more year really going to make a difference?

Shannon

I Am

I saw Rachel do this on her blog Simplicity Soup and wanted to join in also. You can view her list here.

I...

I am a child of God and wife to my husband Jeremy.
I want to have children and raise them to love the Lord.
I have an amazing husband.
I wish I lived closer to my and Jeremy’s families.
I know the Truth.
I hate sin.
I fear the Lord.
I crave sweets.
I search for true community; closeness, fellowship, vulnerability, accountability, encouragement and friends who are like family.
I always have egg whites and black coffee for breakfast .
I usually spend an hour a day praying, reading the Bible, journaling or just listening to the Lord.
I miss being in a small group or home church and the closeness and community that goes with that .
I love Jesus, Jeremy, my family and friends… I am truly blessed to have such amazing people in my life!
I rarely sleep a whole night.
I cry easily. At movies, books, commercials, TV shows, weddings, church services or during deep conversations. I am easily and frequently emotional.
I lose sight of the eternal perspective at times and become caught up in my cicumstances and anxious.
I should spend more time serving others in the community.
I worry about how my plans for the future will unfold when I loose touch with my communion with the Spirit and His peace.
I dream of ministering to hurting women.
I was lost, but now I’m found.

Shannon

Rethinking Christmas

One of our friends told Jeremy about the site RethinkingChristmas.com who in turn quickly sent the link to me. If you've followed our blog for any amount of time then you've already seen this post that I wrote on handmade gifts. In efforts to save money and express creativity I have tried to give as many handmade gifts as possible. However, this site brought me to a whole new line of thinking. You hear the cliche "Put Christ back in Christmas" so often that it becomes meaningless. I like how this site is in a large way trying to do just that, in a non-cliche sort of way. Many of the gift ideas are focused on serving and loving those in need, some in other nations, who may be considered "the least of these" that we are called to serve and love as unto the Lord. Many of the gift ideas are focused on spiritual, relational or love gifts such as spending time with, thank you letters etc. To me, gifts like these are definitely putting Christ back in Christmas. Focusing on the spiritual needs, focusing on time spent with our loved ones and loving those in need, isn't that what a Christ centered Christmas should look like?

What are you doing to keep Christ in Christmas in your family?

Shannon

Menu Planning

I've recently read several posts on menu planning, and as I'm someone who loves organization and planning I've decided to adopt some of the practices that I've read about and get even more organized in this category.

I'm planning on starting a whole menu planning binder like Jenny talks about in this post.

I found downloadable daily/ weekly blank menu planning pages available here and here.

I've also constructed the Mangerchine Master Menu Plan and Master Grocery List which can be found below and were inspired by this menu plan and this grocery list found on the A Simple Walk blog. I love how Kate's grocery list even includes the prices of the items to help her plan her budget... I'm hoping to get that organized, I'm just not there yet.

This is also a good post on menu planning strategies and various methods for how far in advance you plan.

I've read lots of tips by individuals who incorporate a certain number of vegetarian meals per week into their dinner rotation in order to keep their food budget down. Buying meat in bulk, or when it's on sale and freezing it is also another great strategy to help reduce overall grocery cost. Incorporating a "breakfast for dinner" night is another great way to cut down on meal costs. For me, weeknight meals are all about ease, nutrition, and being relatively low in price. I come home after a day of work and want to have some time to read, exercise, or relax before I cook and then some quality time to connect with my husband. Therefore I don't want to spend the entire evening in the kitchen. Due to our budget I keep our weeknight meals fairly simple, and frequently vegetarian, and cook more elaborate food during the weekend. Finally we eat very healthful during the week, and mainly as a means of nutrition, and splurge a little more on the weekends. Our weeknight meals generally consist of a pot of soup that I can usually stretch for dinner a second day also, a nice salad with assorted veggies, fruits, cheeses, nuts etc, chicken salad sandwiches, turkey burgers, or beans and rice... all very simple, healthful, and economical. On the weekends we experiment more with new recipes, or our good old favorites.

Mangerchine's Master Menu Plan

(F)= Can be frozen

Breakfasts
Egg whites
Quiche
Grandma Judy’s egg casserole (F)
French toast casserole (F)
Omelets
Fried egg sandwiches
Frittata
Pancakes (F)
Breakfast burritos (F)

Breads
Jalepeno cheese cornbread (F)
Mom Mangerchine’s banana bread (F)
Zucchini bread (F)

Sanwiches etc.
Quesedillas (F)
Curried chicken salad
Tuna
Fruited chicken salad
Grilled cheese w/ garlic
Peanut butter and banana

Appetizers
Carolina caviar
Spinach artichoke dip (F)
Olive dip
7 Layer dip
Fresh tomato salsa
Deviled eggs
Chex snack mix
Guacamole
Sweet and sour meatballs
Sausage balls (F)
Hummus
Fruit dip w/ fruit tray
Spicy ranch w/ veggie tray
Crab dip

Salads
Greek salad
Fruit salad
Spinach salad w/ cranberries
Taco salad
Curried couscous salad
Black bean and corn salad
Pasta salad

Soups
Lentil (F)
Black eyed pea (F)
Baked potato (F)
Vegetable beef (F)
French onion (F)
Chicken noodle or rice (F)
White bean (F) Taco soup (F)
White chicken chili (F)
Split pea (F)
Black bean (F)
Beef stew (F)

Vegetarian
Spinach and ricotta stuffed shells (F)
Spinach artichoke stuffed portobellos
Veggie not-sagna
Vegetable biryani
Boca lettuce wraps (F)
Peanut noodles
Vegetarian chili (F)
Eggplant parmesan (F)

Seafood
Sesame crusted tuna steak
Baked fish w/ simple marinade
Tuna noodle casserole (F)
Shrimp and grits
Shrimp etouffe
Shrimp creole
Gumbo

Poultry
Sesame chicken
Fajitas
Peanut noodles
Chicken marsala (F)
Chicken saltimbocca (F)
Chicken divan (F)
Chicken curry (F)
Stir fry
Biryani (F)
Oven fried chicken
Chicken piccata (F)
Chicken cordon-bleu (F)
Pad thai
Fried rice
Chicken enchiladas (F)
Burrito bowls
Chicken parmesan (F)
Turkey and tater tot casserole
Chicken bog
Sweet and sour chicken
Chicken fettuccine alfredo w/ broccoli
Kung pao chicken
Chicken tetrazini

Meat
Moo shu pork
Shepherds pie (F)
Lasagna (F)
Beef stroganoff (F)
Pot roast
BBQ pork chops (F)
Steak
Sloppy joes (F)
Hamburgers (F)
Mangerchine meatballs (F)
Swedish meatballs (F)
Kielbasa, onion and pepper stir fry
Lettuce wraps (F)
Tacos (F)
Mexican lasagna (F)
Jambalaya (F)
Baked ziti (F)
Meatloaf (F)
Red beans and rice (F)
Shredded pork BBQ (F)
Chili mac (F)
Salisbury Steak (F)
Meatloaf cups (F)
Not-sagna
Ginger lime sirloin

Side dishes
Roasted rosemary garlic potatoes
Potato salad
Baked sweet potatoes
Sweet potato fries (F)
Mashed potatoes (F)
Twice baked potatoes (F)
Sweet potato casserole (F)
Green bean casserole (F)
Dressing
Asian cole slaw
Roasted portobellos
Roasted zucchini & squash
Refried beans (F)
Potato casserole
Macaroni and cheese
Grandma Lou’s butter beans & corn( F)
Black beans and rice
Grandma Mary’s baked macaroni
Mashed cauliflower (F)
Roasted asparagus w/ parm
Roasted broccoli w/ garlic
Grandma Judy’s squash casserole (F)
Brown rice
White rice
Cheesy broccoli rice casserole
Pierogi (F)
Couscos
Cheesy grits
Pesto spaghetti squash
Corn on the cob
Green beans sautéed w/ cranberries
Wilted spinach w/ garlic

Desserts
Apple Cake
Pumpkin Cake
Cheesecake brownie cups
Chocolate chip cookies
Chocoholic cake
Turtle pumpkin pie
Carrot Cake
Cheesecake
Dirt cake
Dump cake
Cobblers or crisps
Fried bananas
Baked apples
Rice pudding
Dirt trifle
Grandpa Hayes’ peanut butter pie
Banana pudding
Brownies
Chocolate fondue
Pineapple upside down cake
Italian cream cheese cake
Pound cake
Peanut butter cake
Peppermint patty brownies
Rice crispies treats
Peanut blossoms
Snickerdoodles
7 layer bars
Pumpkin cookies

Party themes
Mexican Fiesta: tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, taco salad etc. served w/ chips and dip
Taste of the Orient: moo shu, lettuce wraps, pad thai, sesame chicken, peanut noodles
Comfort foods: traditional like spread Thanksgiving/ Christmas
Football: chili, 7 layer dip and chips
Chips and Dip
Salad Bar
Pasta Bar: pasta, red sauce, pesto and alfredo sauce
Little Italy: lasagna, garlic bread, salad

Favorites to serve to company
Taco soup w/ cornbread
White chicken chili w/ cornbread
Lettuce wraps w/ asian slaw
Peanut noodles
Dark chocolate fondue


Mangerchine's Master Grocery List

Produce
( ) Bananas
( ) Bag of oranges
( ) Pears
( ) Peaches
( ) Lemons
( ) Limes
( ) Bag of green apples
( ) Yellow onion
( ) Red onion
( ) Garlic
( ) Potatoes
( ) Sweet potatoes
( ) Mushrooms
( ) Celery
( ) Bag of carrots
( ) Bag of baby carrots
( ) Salad Mix
( ) Spinach
( ) Iceberg lettuce
( ) Cole slaw mix
( ) Cucumber
( ) Grape tomatoes
( ) Large tomato
( ) Broccoli
( ) Zucchini
( ) Green pepper
( ) Cilantro
( ) Parsley
( ) Gingeroot

Bread
( ) Whole wheat bread
( ) Whole wheat tortillas
( ) Whole wheat hamburger buns

Frozen
( ) Spinach
( ) Corn
( ) Mixed veggies
( ) Butter beans

Dry Beverages & Treats
( ) Coffee
( ) Decaf
( ) Green tea
( ) Flavored green tea
( ) Snack cakes

Condiments
( ) Mayo
( ) Mustard
( ) BBQ sauce
( ) Ketchup
( ) Relish
( ) Soy sauce
( ) Salsa
( ) Hot sauce
( ) Worcheshire sauce
( ) Vinagrette dressing
( ) Ranch dressing
( ) Balsamic vinegar
( ) Rice vinegar
( ) Cider vinegar
( ) White vinegar
( ) Peanut butter
( ) Preserves
( ) Honey
( ) Hoisin sauce
( ) Sesame oil

Canned and Dry
( ) Tuna
( ) Chicken
( ) White rice
( ) Brown rice
( ) Canned black beans
( ) Canned chick peas
( ) Canned black eyed peas
( ) Canned pinto beans
( ) Canned northern beans
( ) Canned kidney beans
( ) Dry black beans
( ) Dry black eyed peas
( ) Dry split peas
( ) Dry lentils
( ) Dry red beans
( ) Dry pinto beans
( ) Dry white beans
( ) Canned corn
( ) Canned artichokes
( ) Canned peas
( ) Canned green beans
( ) Canned diced tomatoes
( ) Canned tomatoes w/ chiles
( ) Can tomato paste
( ) Can tomato sauce
( ) Can crushed tomatoes
( ) Can stewed tomatoes
( ) Can chile peppers
( ) Canned soup

Snack foods
( ) Wheat crackers
( ) Pretzels
( ) Roasted almonds
( ) Popcorn
( ) Sugar free Werther’s candies

Fruit and Juice
( ) Canned pineapple slices
( ) Dried cranberries
( ) Raisins

Baking
( ) Olive oil
( ) Cooking spray
( ) Vegetable oil
( ) Flour
( ) Sugar
( ) Brown sugar
( ) Baking soda
( ) Slivered almonds
( ) Chopped pecans
( ) Chopped walnuts
( ) Chocolate chips
( ) Cocoa
( ) Vanilla extract
( ) Salt
( ) Pepper
( ) Garlic powder
( ) Cumin
( ) Chili powder
( ) Cinnamon
( ) Dried oregano
( ) Ground nutmeg
( ) Ground cloves
( ) Ground ginger

Cereal/ Breakfast
( ) Grape nuts
( ) Protein bars

Paper
( ) Toilet paper
( ) Butt wipes
( ) Paper towels
( ) Kitchen trash bags
( ) Garbage bags
( ) Sandwich bags
( ) Freezer bags
( ) Foil
( ) Plastic wrap

Dairy
( ) Milk
( ) Eggs
( ) Sour cream
( ) Butter spray
( ) Butter
( ) Margarine
( ) Yogurt
( ) Cheese singles
( ) Cheddar cheese

Meat/ Poultry
( ) Chicken breasts
( ) Ground beef
( ) Ground chicken
( ) Ground turkey
( ) Pork chops
( ) Ham
( ) Turkey kielbasa

Household
( ) Dish soap
( ) Dishwasher detergent
( ) Laundry detergent
( ) Toilet bowl cleaner

Personal
( ) J deodorant
( ) S deodorant
( ) Rolaids
( ) Pain reliever pills
( ) Shaving cream
( ) Ravors
( ) Mousse
( ) J shampoo

Extras



What are your menu planning strategies and tips that work for you?

Shannon

Quantity vs Quality

I've been asking myself the questions of quality versus quantity. My thoughts started off pertaining to clothes, however this overall theme can be taken much deeper. First a little bit of background is in order... Jeremy and I don't buy each other Christmas gifts, since we don't buy things for ourselves throughout the year we use Christmas and birthdays as a chance to get a spending allowance and buy those things that we really have been wanting (i.e. books, clothes, kitchen gadgets, electronics etc.) throughout the year. Usually what I do is take my money and go to Target and buy as many cheap shirts or pairs of shoes as I can get with the allowance for that occasion. On a recent trip where I spent $15 of my Christmas money on two shirts at Target Jeremy tried to encourage me not to buy them. He said that I have so many shirts just like those since I tend to always flock to the exact same type of shirt; something that can be washed in a washing machine, can be worn with slacks to work or with jeans for dates and is comfy, loose and flowy. I thought that I was smart in doing this, that I was stocking up on a good wardrobe or reasonably priced pieces, that can be easily cared for and used for any occasion. Jeremy is convinced that I have as many of these pieces as I could ever need. He thinks that I have plenty of clothes that I'm just lukewarm about. He is trying to encourage me to save up some of my money and make more of an "investment" (okay, that was the best word I could think of, I know that clothes are not an investment!) purchase. Instead of buying several cheap pieces, buy one or two really good quality articles of clothing that I love, that are well made and look really great on me, the type that just give you confidence when you wear them. So I've been mulling over this philosophy and have been questioning... what is more important to me, quantity or quality? I've looked through my closet and looked at all of the clothes I have, several of the clothes that I bought at bargain prices I hardly ever wear because I just don't love them. I bought them because they were deals that I couldn't pass up, but then I get them home and don't like them as much as other things I have and hardly ever wear them. Because I try to be so frugal I only buy jeans that are on sale and are $16 or less, but then I end up with a bunch of jeans that I'm lukewarm about and none that I really love. What would it be like if I had just one or two pairs of jeans that I really loved? I would have a lot more room in my closet for sure! It would take me less time to get ready as I wouldn't have to spend so much time trying to figure out what to wear. So as you can probably sense, I'm starting to see some value in the clothes philosophy of quality over quantity. The hard thing is that I've spent so much time living the other way, and making decisions the other way that it will take hard work to start slowly making steps towards quality over quantity when everything in me just wants to run out and spend my money on quantity vs quality. But I'm going to at least give it a shot!

Now I'm just starting to hit the tip of the iceberg in other areas of my life and reflect on how I've focused on quantity or quality in friendships, food we eat, time spent together, sex and so on. Am I savoring, appreciating, and encouraging the quality? It may not always be a choice of one or the other, sometimes it may be both.

What is your philosophy on quantity vs quality?

Shannon

Christmas Cards and 80's Photo Shoot

This year Jeremy and I sent out two different types of Christmas cards. We sent out the homemade cards pictures below to most of our family.

And we sent out the photo cards below to most of our friends.



The whole picture card started with a "contest" between us and our friends Lucas and Christie Waschkowski. When we were in Simpsonville visiting them in September we all came up with an idea for the creepiest Christmas card contest. The premise was to find outdated outfits (Jeremy and I went 80's) and take some fun and/or creepy poses and then send them out as our Christmas cards. We had a whole photo shoot filled with great pictures and ultimately chose a fun picture that we thought better captured the mood of the 80's rather than some of the other pics taken. We had a blast with the costume selection, photo shoot and all. We loved it so much that we've even thought of having an 80's inspired party. So without further delay, here are some of the funny, creepy and fun pictures from our photo shoot.

I hope that you had a few laughs, or at least smiles from enjoying the photos. We certainly did posing for them!


Shannon