What's on the Menu?

I'm excited for this week because with the kid's on spring break I can get back to the weekly menu. 

With our involvement in our church's Passion play, it was difficult to be able to do this, so we pretty much stuck with "eating the shelves" for the last few weeks. 

Yesterday, I did make pasta sauce that can be used as a backup meal any time this week if we are running on a tight schedule.

Here is the menu:

Monday - 30 Minute Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken

Tuesday - Spinach & Artichoke Baked Pasta

Wednesday - Pork Piccata

Thursday - Creamy Shrimp & Mushroom Pasta

Friday - Chicken with Mushrooms

Saturday - Dinner Out

Sunday - Cheesy Chicken Meatball & Tortellini Soup

I also have pizza fixings for a quick meal too!

With the kids being home, we are going to do some extra baking so our desserts for the week are:

Peanut Butter Dream Bars

Fudgy Brownies

Chocolate Espresso Cookies

Stay tuned for our family ratings! 

Spring Break.....Spring Cleaning

This week is spring break for the kids and for us that means time to clean! 

When the kids were younger, I would deep clean while they were in school. Okay, mainly for Matt. Emily definitely inherited my cleaning, organizing gene. For the last two years, I've had the kids involved in the cleaning process. 

So, what will this week's cleaning entail? It means first in their rooms we will go through clothes in their dresser and closet, toys in bins and the closet and all of their books. As you can see from the picture, Matt is in major need of a cleaning intervention. He has more of a hoarding gene which I have no idea where that comes from.  

We will also tackle the basement/play area. Toys, books, DVD's and Wii games are going to be sorted through and organized. One thing we will be doing this spring cleaning that we have not done in the past is washing walls. We are preparing for the painting process that will be occurring in the weeks to come. On the painting docket: Matt's room, kitchen, hallway, dining room and staircase area. There is nothing like a new coat of paint or color to make things fresh and new!

We start our cleaning tomorrow but I don't want you to think that I am all business. Each day I have a fun activity planned to offset the work and I am hoping by Thursday and/or Friday we will have a special date to celebrate the work we accomplished.  

With the recent institution of daily chores, we have tried to explain to the kids that this is their home too and that we all need to work together in its upkeep. There is a wonderful feeling of accomplishment when you participate, working together to complete a task. This is something I want the kids to understand and strive for - the good feeling of working hard. Not looking for a reward but just knowing that they completed a job well done.  

So think of this week as we are cleaning and I will keep you apprised of our progress.  Oh, and I have a feeling a large garage sale will be happening in the next few months. 

Easter ....... More than a bunny

To our family, Easter means the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  

This Easter season we were once again invloved with our church's production of "The Jesus Story". Several weekends prior to and up to Good Friday, we are involved in this ministry. For the last two years, I've been blessed to be a part of the backstage small props crew. Last year Dave helped with the counting of the love offerings taken at each performance. This year with his appointment as our church's assistant treasurer he took a larger role in this portion of the ministry. Thankfully the kids are very easy going and willing to watch the production several times. We also have great friends that help with the supervising of them while we are both in the middle of performing our assigned duties. If you are interested in viewing this production you can click on the following link: The Jesus Story, Passion Play 2013.

Easter has changed a little bit with the kids getting older. This is the first year we did not do an egg hunt. Emily wasn't interested and Matt was very busy with baseball obligation - yesterday he had practice in the morning and then we had to fundraise for 2 hours outside a local business. We also didn't have Easter baskets. Emily was in the need of a new scooter so she got that as her Easter basket "gift" and Matt got a Lego he has been wanting for his "gift". No candy this year and that is okay because usually it either gets eaten by me or goes to waste. Plus we don't need any more dental issues for either of these kids.  As for dying eggs, well the eggs are in the fridge waiting to be boiled. 

This year with the kids we have tried to focus more on the true reason for Easter....not all the frills.  

And after all when it comes to the frills of Easter we have that covered by the blessing of our own bunny, Jingle.  

Praying all of you had a wonderful Easter season remembering the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Delivery Day

Today was delivery day for the message/information bulletin board.  

I was please to be able to deliver it and see it put in its "home". For the time being, white paper was placed on the tiles where messages will be displayed.

There was another task for me to complete at the church and that was the application of a wall decal which the Pastor and I created. There is an amazing website Wall Praise where you can order premade or create your own wall decals. The Pastor chose the verse to be used and we worked together on the fonts and sizing of the decal. 

This is my second time putting up one of their decals, so it went pretty smoothly. It is located in the main foyer just outside of the sanctuary. In the picture above, the doors to the sanctuary are closed when opened the right door is against this wall, so the decal was placed in the middle point between the sanctuary door and office door on the right.  

What is nice about the decal is that your eye is first drawn toward the emphasised words "near God, Lord God, and Your works". The decal is subtle but definitely pops. 

All in all we are pleased with the outcome of both items.  

Chinese Anyone?

Another busy weekend of Jesus Story performances led to on the go or quick meals. Yesterday, after getting home from a 4 p.m. performance, I raided the freezer for Chinese. But not just any Chinese, Trader Joe's Mandarin Orange Chicken - my recommendation for a delicious at home Chinese fix. Looking for quick and yummy....this is the meal. I also love Basmati rice and recently found Uncle Ben's makes a 10 minute version.......reminded me of making Minute Rice for Chicken Chow Mein when I was a kid. 

It was a quick meal but enjoyed by all. If you have a Trader Joe's in your area, this is my purchase recommendation for your next visit.  

Spring has Sprung - Inside the Wessel Home

Yay!!! I'm happy to say that I have completed all the spring decorating inside our home.

The weather outside is still not cooperating with the concept that it is officially spring but thankfully we did not receive the 2 - 3 inches of snow predicted for today, just rain. 

On my previous post Spring? Really?!!, I had laid the foundation for the dining room centerpiece. Today, I added some painted paper mache eggs and bought some beautiful yellow tulips to complete the "look". 

I also placed the remaining painted paper mache eggs in the window sill tray. My plan is still to put the kid's decorated eggs in this tray.

Here is a picture of my spring mantle scape. My previous post Spring Decorations - In Progress gave details on the photo cube word display made for the mantle.  

I chose to make this display dual functioning by having on the other side of the word "Bloom" the word "Risen" which will be displayed for Easter.

Using the same card stock from the photo cubes, I created this photo tray using pictures of my kids from last Easter. I used several sticker embellishments to make the tray pop.

The last mantle feature is the candlestick display. I will admit I do need to spend a little more time on my topiary skills but I'm happy with my first attempts. The "cones" were purchased at Michaels during the Christmas season and intended for a future Christmas display but I changed gears and used them here. I had previously painted them a pine green and covered them with burlap. On both, I used flower pieces and colored twine left over from the scroll piece decorating. For the final candlestick, I covered a Yankee candle with a piece of burlap and embellished it with twine.

In the end, I am pleased with the outcome and love the look of spring....now if only the weather would cooperate.  

Spring Has Sprung - In the Dining Room

Earlier this week I told you that I was laying the "foundation" for spring decorating in our home. Well, I did get a few areas completed, others are still in progress.  Sadly, our weather here in northeastern NJ is not indicating spring has arrived. My hope is these decorations will set the mood for the season of renewal that is hopefully on its way. 

The first area completed was the sideboard vignette in the dining room. I used the word "HOP" decorated last year and hung over it a small banner that says "hippety" which I created using my Cricut machine (Pretty Pennant & Lyrical cartridges). The eggs are paper mache that I painted in coordinating colors. The candy in the jar was changed to pastel colored jelly beans.

My second task was to make a display for the artificial Gerber daisies also purchased last year. The tall green pail was a sale purchase made at the end of season last year. In the bottom, there is a layer of stones securing the daisies and twigs in place. A layer of green Spanish moss was added at the top of the pail to cover the stem area. Of course, a green bow completes the look. This display is on a table in my living room and adds a nice pop of color to this corner.  

In the picture above, you can see on the wall next to the kitchen pass through the twig wall hanging that I've decorated in seasons past (Thanksgiving, Christmas). I decided to give this a little spring touch. I found small wooden flowers and tags at Micheal's and painted them in coordinating colors to the card stock being used on the items for my mantle scape. The letter tiles were glued on and I use fine twine to attach those and the flower pieces to the twigs.

Next week, I will have the mantle scape completed and also have flowers in the dining room centerpiece, so come on back! 

Happy Spring!!

A Little Gift

Most of you are aware of my LOVE for purses. 

Well, I'm happy to say that I have been able to get this "addiction" under control over the last year and half.  I did get one as my Christmas present (before I would just buy a purse at any time, not wait to get it as a gift).

Because of my LOVE of purses and not being loyal to using just one long term, I could never justify buying an expensive one. But as I've said, my appetite for purses has been brought under control.

About a month ago, Dave, the kids and I were at the mall.  I walked passed the Coach window and stopped in my tracks. There in the window was the most gorgeous spring purse. The watermelon color popped and oh, it was just beautiful. When I got home, I looked up how much it cost. Now you have to understand, I've never been drawn to a Coach purse, this was the first time. My eye always tends to go to Michael Kors but as I've already stated my "purse" appetite didn't justify buying costly items. 

Well, this purse has been on my mind so with the permission of my wonderful husband, I purchased the purse the other day.  How did I justify the cost? Well, I put my first bulletin board job payment toward it and it is also my Valentine's day, Mother's day, birthday and anniversary gift. The only "catch" was that I get to use the bag right away and don't have to wait until all these holiday's pass in order to use it. 

I am loving spring!!

Grandparents' Day

One thing I love about the kid's school is the way they involve the entire family into the educational process. 

Next week, the school is having Granparents' Day. Grandparents are able to come and spend the morning with the kids in the classroom, chapel and lunch. Sadly, both sets of grandparents live far away making this not an easy opportunity for them to particiapte but I still love the fact that the school wants to invlove them.

Mosaic Information/Message Board

Today, I spent a good part of the day working on an "information/ message" bulletin board for one of the churches I work for. 

To make the board a little more interesting, I decided to create the look of a stained glass window but in tile form making it more of mosaic.  

First, I stapled down a layer of black bulletin board paper. This will mimicking the lead you would find on a stained glass window. I tried to staple it so that the color tiles will cover them giving it a very clean look.

Next, I laid out the main feature of the board which is a cross. I wanted this to stand out, so I adhered the red card stock on small pieces of foam board. I did take the time to paint the edges of the foam board so no white would be seen, making it more seamless. 

This is how the cross looks adhered to the board. I used 3M foam tape to put it on the board. This creates a little more "lift". One important step when working with foam board is stapling under your element. If you don't do this, the background paper will get weighed down by the foam board and pull away from the board. 

The final and most consuming part of this board was cutting the pieces of colored card stock to complete the Mosaic style. First, I determined the size and location of the tiles that would be used to display information/messages. I'll be using 3M re positional dots on these "tiles" so information can be displayed and changed regularly. Although time consuming, it is important to make sure you have good flow of the colors being used. It is difficult to tell from the picture but the card stock does have a shimmer to it adding an extra element to the board.

This is how the board looks with all the card stock set in place. You will notice that in the lower right hand corner the church logo has been printed on a piece of the card stock. Tomorrow I will be adhering the card stock to the black background paper using 3M Super 77 (my favorite adhesive).  In order to make it more secure, I will do some stapling under the colored tiles. 

I will be delivering this board on Friday and will share a picture of it taken in its new "home". 

Spring? Really?!!

Its hard to get "into" decorating for spring when snow is still falling here in northern New Jersey. Last night, we got a light blanket of the white stuff. Thankfully, the temperature today and the sunshine have  helped in melting this white blanket. 

This afternoon I decided to lay the "foundation" for the spring decorations I will be using in the dining room. My living room decorations are still in the process of being completed, so I haven't started that room yet.

My first task was to "dress" the dining room table.

I found a "runner" roll of burlap fabric at Michaels which I cut to fit the length of the dining room table. In the pedestal vase, I inserted a smaller vase that I will use for spring flowers and put green Spanish moss around the base of the vase. I will be adding another feature to the vase, once I've completed it.  You'll just have to stay tuned to see what that element is.

Next, I worked on the side board. 

I used more of the burlap "runner" on this unit. The rest of the elements are in the works. Stay tuned!

Finally, I worked on the front window sill.

Several years ago, I purchased a long tin "tray" that I use on this window sill (and sometimes on my dining room table) to display seasonal decorations. This time, I placed some of the green Spanish moss in tray. My plan is for the kids to display their colored Easter eggs on the moss.  

My goal is to have the rest of the decorations, minus the Easter eggs, in place by the weekend. Come on back and see how it all looks!!

The Jesus Story

This is my first post since Thursday and that has to do with the fact that this weekend started our church's production of The Jesus Story. 

Friday, I was busy getting the last few items needed for the spring bulletin board at church. The rest of the day was spent with the kids and getting ready for the weekend.

Saturday started early with an 8 a.m. practice which lasted until noon. A lunch break and coffee run were enjoyed before returning to the college theater for the 3 pm preparations to be done for the 4 p.m. first performance. It was a real blessing but the day was long and tiring. Dave had the kids for the day and they came to the evening performance. After dinner out, we headed home and after a short period of time I called it a night in anticipation of the next day's events.

Sunday was just as busy with Sunday school, church, taking Matt to a farm league baseball practice that got canceled (we didn't know), making & eating lunch then I headed back to the theater at 3 for the evening's performance at 4. Dave and the kids came for the performance but Dave had money counting duties for the love offering that was collected, so I gathered the kids after the play and headed home.  Once again, I was very blessed and very tired.  

If you are local to the northern NJ area, I want to extend an invitation to you to come and see this production of "The Jesus Story". There are performances this Friday, Saturday and Sunday and then next Thursday and Friday.

Thursday - Creamy Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup

When I was planning the menu for this week, I never considered what the weather would be like. Thank goodness today was a soup day. Here in northeasten New Jersey the temperature took a bit of a nose dive and the wind was howling most of the day.

Now, this particular soup is not new to the family. I made it several weeks ago and it was a big hit. In order to keep the family interested in trying new recipes, I included two recipes we already tried and added to the family menu binder. 

This soup is so yummy, I must share the blog where it is found again Heather Likes Food, I promise if you try it you will like it.

Enjoy!!

Spring Decorations are in Progress

Spring is coming and our home decorations are in the works. 

Normally, I would decorate a word appropriate to the season for my fireplace mantel scape. This season I decided I wanted something a little different. 

When I started crafting, the first projects I made were decorated photo cubes. So, I returned to my "roots" and decided to make these photo cube holder that display the word "Bloom". 

I painted the cubes a mustard yellow, then mod podged on a multi floral card stock. I used the other side of that same card stock (yellow dotted) for the word portion of the craft.  The "bloom" flowers were cut with my Cricut machine along with the letters. When I completed the cubes and word, I felt it needed a little something so I added the turquoise jewels to the top of the cubes.

Now, part of the spring season includes Easter and I didn't want to have to make a whole new fireplace scape so, I decided to make these photo cubes multipurpose. I used the other side of the word "bloom" and spelled out "risen".

To finish the mantle scape, I'll create a photo tray using the same card stock. I also painted some wooden flower shapes in coordinating colors with the card stock that I will hang on the scroll work that hangs above the mantle. 

For the completed mantle scape, you will have to come back and check in later next week (I'm hoping to have it done by then). In the dining room, I usually create a small vignette on my side hutch. I will be using the word "HOP" I made last year and creating a small banner above that says "Hippety". For my dining table centerpiece, all I can tell you is that it includes the eggs painted below and green Spanish moss.  

I'm looking forward to both designs coming together and of course to the change of season they signify. 

The Kids in School Project Mode

The past two weeks both kids have been in school project mode. 

Emily submitted her report on the state of Hawaii Tuesday and is finishing the second part of the assignment which is a brochure or post for the state. Of course, Emily opted for doing a poster.

Matt's class had to do research on an animal that was assigned to them from reading the book "The Mitten". His animal is the snow shoe hare. Last night, we worked on creating his diorama. Dave had him cutting and "shaving" a styrofoam evergreen tree. The projects are complete and due next Monday.  It is nice that they got them done ahead of time as this weekend is going to be particularly hectic with the beginning of our church's performances of "The Jesus Story". Saturday, I have pratice from 9-12 and then the first performance is at 4pm. Then, Sunday there is a 4 pm performance after church in the morning. Dave will also be help at these too.  As you can see, it leaves little time for project work.  

Well done kids!!!

Wednesday Menu - Sweet and Spicy Greek Meatballs

Tonight's dinner was a little more "exotic" in flavor than our usual meals. I'm trying to expand the family's taste buds and decided to go with mediterranean flavors. This recipe uses mint, cinnamon, oregano, parsley and cumin. Now the original recipe suggests using lamb but I decided the herbal flavors were enough of a new thing to introduce, so I went with beef instead. I have to say the flavors do have a true mediterranean flavor. Dave and I really enjoyed it so we gave it a thumbs up rating. Emily liked it but thought it was too spicy, so did Matt - I guess that would be a side thumb rating for the two of them.   I will try the recipe again but I think I will omit the cayenne pepper to see it it takes some of the spiciness away. 

Here is the full recipe if you want to give it a try. It was a "Weeknight Meal" in Redbook Magazine:

Sweet & Spicy Greek Meatballs

Prep/Total Time: 40 mins.

1 lb. ground lamb or 80% lean ground beef

1 cup cooked and cooled couscous, plus extra for serving

3 scallions (white and pale green parts), chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1 large egg (at room temperature), beaten

1/4 cup chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley

5 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. dried mint

2 tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tbsp. dried oregano

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. each ground black pepper and cayenne pepper

2 cups marinara

2 cinnamon sticks

In a large bowl, mix ground meat, couscous, scallions, garlic, egg, parsley, 2 tbsp. of the olive oil, mint, 1 tbsp. of the cinnamon, oregano, cumin, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Form mixture into 14 to 16 meatballs, 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. 

Heat the remaining 3 tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and cook until they are browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Add marinara sauce, the remaining 1 tbsp. of the cinnamon, and two cinnamon sticks to pan. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, turning meatballs until they’re cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Discard cinnamon sticks.

Serve meatballs on top of extra cooked couscous.

Oh my YUMMY Goodness!!!

Yesterday, Emily and I prepared our dessert for the week - No Bake Chocolate Eclair dessert. 

Definitely the most difficult part of this recipe is the "refrigerate overnight" step. The vanilla pudding, graham crackers and chocolate sauce created scrumptious aromas. Well, those aromas were nothing compared to the taste. Its amazing!!!! It tasted so close to an eclair and let me tell you preparation of this is minimal compared to the making of an eclair. And that annoying overnight step, well it softens the graham crackers (not making them mushy) to perfection.

This dessert is so good I could eat the whole thing myself. Usually when a recipe makes something this large I try and share with others so it doesn't go to waste. Well, there will be absolutely no wasting and I know I will be part of that effort.

Oh, so you want to know where to get the recipe? Hmmm.....should I share? Of course, it can be found at the blog The Kitchen is my Playground. I will be forever thankful and making this recipe quite often.  Enjoy!!

Tuesday Menu - Chicken and Spinach Pasta Bake

Tonight was pasta night and this recipe got 4 thumbs up from the whole family. 

I made very few changes to the original recipe which can be found at Saving Money Living Life. Instead of rigatoni, I used mezza rigatoni which is just a shorter rigatoni noodle. Also, I used an 8oz container of the 1/3 less fat Philly chive and onion cream cheese instead of the full fat version. The only "complaint" I got was regarding the tomatoes from Matt and even those were few enough that he could pick them out and have me eat them. Thankfully he didn't even notice the onions or "crunchies" as he calls them.

This is definitely a recipe that will be added to the family recipe binder. 

Enjoy!!!

Monday Menu - Greek Steak Pitas with Dill Sauce

Last night started our weekly dinner menu.  

First up were these steak pitas. I've made these before and they get mixed reviews. Dave and I love them so we would be a thumbs up rating. Emily doesn't care for steak (or chicken, or beef, or pork - you get the idea) although she would be happy to eat the pita just filled with the dill sauce, lettuce and feta. I guess she would give it a side thumb rating along with Matt. He likes steak but I do have to eliminate the lettuce. One of his favorite things about this meal is the cheta (translation = feta). Of course, if you are not a steak eater, I'm sure you can substitute with chicken. 

As for where the recipe came from, I honestly don't remember as I already had this recipe printed out for my family planner.  Here are the details if you are interested in giving it a taste. 

Greek Steak Pitas 

(Serves 4 - 2 stuffed pita halves)

Sauce:

1/2 cup plain f/f Greek yogurt

2 tsp. chopped fresh dill

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

Steak: 

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound flank steak, trimmed

cooking spray

4 - 6 inch pitas, cut in half

4 romaine lettuce leaves, halved

1/4 cup crumbled feta

To prepare sauce, combine first 5 ingredients, stirring with a whisk. To prepare steak, combine lemon juice through steak in a large zip top plastic bag, seal. Marinate in refrigerator 10 minutes, turning once. Remove steak from bag and discard marinade. Place steak on grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray; cook 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Line each pita half with one lettuce leaf half. Divide steak evenly among the pita halves. Spoon 1 tablespoon sauce and 1 1/2 teaspoons feta into each pita half. 

Enjoy!!

It all Starts with a Thought

Lately, I've been being asked how I come up with the bulletin boards I've created. As with anything "creative", it all comes from a momentary thought or idea. Some boards are based on a preset idea or theme but the majority that have been made are without direction. Of course, seasons may dictate the direction in which my mind wanders. The most recent bulletin board I did was spring themed. Above is the sketch that was produced while talking out the concept with my creative sidekick, Deborah Cabrera, who is also very creative and talented. To make some of the elements, I will sometimes look at photos or clip art images to accurately reproduce them. Here is the end result from the above sketch.

One thing I've learned is that when an idea comes to mind I must get it down on paper in some form. Recently, while in church, I had two ideas come to mind.  One has to do with being on a journey and the other came from a statement made by my Pastor regarding broken vessels. I quickly sketched these ideas on my sermon notes paper. 

Most of the time these small sketches are enough to start the creative wheels turning and ultimately the idea morphs into something more than the original sketch. There are times though when I do have to do a more detailed sketch of the idea to make sure that it will be able to work the way it is planned. Also, I do this to keep from wasting product while making the finished board. Right now, I'm working on a board that is suppose to look like stained glass and I found it necessary to detail sketch it so to avoid any paper waste and additional frustration on my part. I still need to color in the tiles according the color tones of the paper I have decided to use. This will keep me from having the same color being next to each other. 

When it comes down to it though, my ability to create these boards are a result from the gift God has bestowed on me. When I was a teenager, I remember drawing up floor plans and making room scapes with the intention of being an interior decorator. Then, in college, I chose to pursue communications and enjoyed writing.  While married, I got into stamping and creating cards and with the birth of my children came scrapbooking. Then, I settled in to doing crafts for my home and friends. All along God was showing me my abilities. 

In August of 2010, I got asked to help with the creating of a few bulletin boards at my church and since then God has been blessing me with ideas and honing my talents to take the bulletin boards to a new level. Here is one of the first boards that I helped create.  

I consider these boards my offering to God. He has blessed me with this gift and He gives me great joy in creating these. My prayer is that these boards minister to those who see them - a tool that will help them draw nearer to God. In the past year, I've been praying (along with my dear friend) that God would take this creative effort to where ever He wants it to go. My desire is to be in His will bringing glory to Him. God has blessed me with another church that I'm creating boards for along with the opportunity to make a few for my children's school.  

Another way that God has blessed me is with the viewing of these boards via this blog and also on Pinterest. It gives me personal joy to be able to share these boards and have others desire to create them and spread the message they have. 

God is truly showing me that this is the path He has for me at this time and I want to be wholly in His will so that He can use me as He desires.