Recap of last week's goals:

• Stick to this week's menu plan which uses all food I have on-hand: picnic potluck, ham and scalloped potatoes, either pack a picnic or grab fast food as we hope to go away, soft baked tacos/burritos, chicken rice, chicken quesadillas, and burgers on the grill all but chicken rice as we had left-overs one night.
• Make at least two more freezer meals
• Go on at least 3 walks
• Attempt to clean living room carpet with an at-home remedy
• Determine what work clothes fit me and put away maternity clothes
• Cut, organize and file away coupons
• Continue to work on issues with: the library, trash service, and insurance.
• Go to the fabric store

This week's to do - short list since we were gone all day Sunday, worked on the house most of Monday, and will be out of town on Saturday.

• This week's menu plan: dinner at mom and dad's house, pizza, turkey meatball subs, hamburgers/hot dogs, chicken rice, two-timin-pasta bake, and restaurant (we will be out of town)
• Create two more freezer meals
• Research: deep freezers and carpet
• Can corn and possibly peaches
• Seriously this week find and try on (and maybe have to buy) work clothes
• Tour house if still on the market. If it is and we like, email XXX for advice on what to do with our current house
• Go to millennium park and to downtown Rockford
• Order labels for daycare for Elias

We finally were able to all hit up the beach - a little late in the season but better late than never, right :)

Friday, after Mike got outta work, we loaded up in the Vue with our picnic dinner, enough towels for a small army, and a very excited 3 year old.

Mike and I took turns swimming with Colin while the other entertained a happy but slightly unsure Elias. In between turns, we put Elias' feet in the water. It was a little chilly for his liking but there were no tears, so we will call it a success.

As promised from yesterday's freezer meal post, here are a few of my recent recipes.

photo credit: http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com

Crockpot Italian Chicken
4 chicken breasts, frozen or thawed, full breasts or tenders
1 stick of butter
1 packet dry Zesty Italian dressing (Regular works as well)
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken soup

Melt butter in crockpot. Once the butter is melted, stir in dry dressing packet. Add chicken to the crockpot and thoroughly coat in the butter mixture. Cook on low until done. Remove chicken and set aside. Add cream cheese and soup to crockpot. Whisk together until smooth.

To serve: Add chicken and serve over prepared noodles or rice.
To freezer: Add chicken and sauce to either pan or freezer bags.

Chicken Alfredo

1 bag Broccoli florets

1/4 c. butter

1 lb chicken breast, cooked and cubed

1 bottle Alfredo sauce, 16 oz

1/2 c. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp Garlic powder

1/8 tsp black pepper

In a saucepan combine broccolli, chicken breasts and sauce. When it's warm add the butter, cheeses, garlic powder and pepper. Let simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Once cooled, pour into a gallon sized freezer bag.

photo and recipe credit to: joelens.blogspot.com

16 buttery crackers (such as Ritz), crushed (about 3⁄4 c)
6 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1-2 stalks scallions, thinly sliced {I omitted}
kosher salt and black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 Tbsp butter, melted

Heat oven to 350° F. In a bowl, combine the crackers, cheese, garlic, scallions and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.

Pound the chicken to about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thickness with a meat mallet. Dip the pounded chicken in the butter, then in the cracker mixture, pressing gently to help it adhere, and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle any remaining cracker mixture on the chicken and drizzle with any remaining butter. Bake until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

* To make ahead/freezer meal - Prepare the chicken as directed above. After coating it in the cracker mixture, place chicken in a gallon sized freezer bag, seal and freeze flat in your freezer. When ready to prepare, place on a baking sheet and drizzle with melted butter. Bake as directed above from frozen until cooked through, possibly 30-35 minutes depending on thickness.

One of the things I'm trying to do to prepare for going back to work is creating some freezer meals. With working funky hours, too often, we eat crap and it's crap late at night. But many days I work until at least 7pm, so by the time I get home it's about time to get Colin ready for bed. After reading books, brushing teeth, changing into a pull-up and jammies, saying prayers and singing songs, it's typically close to 8:30pm. The last thing I feel like doing is BEGIN making a dinner only to eat it after 9pm and then have to clean up afterwards. It's easier to order a pizza, send Mike to a drive-through, or make something super easy (tortilla pizzas, burgers on the grill, mac'n' cheese and quesadillas are often our go-to). It's not great on our waist lines or a wallet especially when most days I don't have lunch at work either.

So I'm hoping that I can create some freezer meals in ziplocks (since I don't have room for pans in my freezer) that I can just pull out in the morning. There's a good chance that we won't be eating much earlier since Colin's bedtime hasn't really changed but at least our meal will be more healthy and we will hopefully be avoiding the dreaded, but oh so tasty, drive through.

I made two dinners, some muffins, and a breakfast last week. My goal to make at least two more this week, which I should probably get to it since it's already Friday afternoon. We will see how many more I can make after that since I'm running out of space in my freezer. I'll post recipes either later today or another day.

Oh September how I have been dreading you this year. You see September is when I have to go back to work. September means my maternity leave is coming to an end.

September means my days won't revolve around this sweet chubby face.

I will be heading back to work where I can't have conversations with people while sitting on the floor in my pjs.

I'll be heading back to a place where I will not hear "Mommy I love you" a million times a day from a sometimes frustrating but incredibly sweet and loving boy.

My most frustrating part of the day won't be trying to feed both boys at the same time and problems won't be solved as easily as Colin "needing!!!" a snack part way through our morning walks and thankfully finding a granola bar at the bottom of the diaper bag.

I won't be playing in the backyard, reading a million children books on the couch, or making lego creations. I won't be kissing away owies, putting on bandaids, or singing yet another naptime song. Instead of using time-outs as discipline, I'll have to go back to corporate America ways.

But even though September is officially here, I still have a a little more time left; a little time left before I have to re-learn how to juggle a full-time job while trying to keep a clean house, groceries in the house, and clean clothes to wear. Before I have to remember what it's like needing to get everyone fed, dressed and out the door by a certain time everyday. Before the stress and unhappiness of work slips back into my life. But I have still have some time left and I plan on using that time to love on my babies and now wish that September 12 doesn't come. In my PJs, of course :)