Menu Plan Monday - Week of September 7th + Updates

Jack started school last week!  Wednesday was his "meet the teacher" day where we went together for an abbreviated day.  He was kind of bummed that I went with him as he was ready to jump right in!  I, however, enjoy getting to see what he does while he's there.  He's not exactly forthcoming with information!  Friday was his first real day of school.

I'm so glad that Jack is back to school because he enjoys it so much and he learns a lot while he's there.  However, I'm going to miss having him around 3 mornings a week and we're going to have to figure out a whole new routine for those 3 days.

Friday we had our gutters replaced.  Super exciting, right?  This joins such illustrious projects as the Sewer Clean Out Valve of 2008 and the 'Create a Giant Hole in the Middle of the Front Yard That We Still Don't Know What to Do With' (A.K.A. Giant Tree Infected with Emerald Ash Borers Removal) of 2012 as our new favorite Most Underwhelming Home Improvement Project.

Behold, the amazing difference that brings joy to our lives and a hole to our bank account:

Oooooh, ahhhh!

I know... I know.  It's an incredible difference.

(No it's not.  *sigh*)

Despite my sarcasm, I do feel like I complained about this project less than the other 2 lame projects we had to throw money at.  I must be growing up.  I just don't think I'll ever get to the point where I appreciate a lack of leaky gutters more than I do the money we just laid down.

We have new garage and exterior doors sitting in the garage waiting to be installed.  Still not exactly an exciting improvement (especially the exterior door, which is going on the back of the house and isn't even a door we use *siggghh*), but at least it will be more notable than the gutters, not to mention less expensive!

We also have new furniture coming, which actually is relatively exciting!

Improvements.  They're happening.

Our gardening skills leave a lot to be desired, but we did have mild success this year with our garden.  We anticipated some beefsteak tomatoes - and then they died.  We had a great cherry tomato plant that was giving us lots of cherry tomatoes that the kids loved to eat right off the vine - and then it died.  And we have had some Early Girl tomatoes - until the plant looked like it was dying... and then came back!  And then looked like it was dying again.  And then rallied again!  And hasn't really produced much since it's 2nd brush with death, but there are a handful of green tomatoes on the vine.  We'll see what happens.

Despite half dying our zucchini plant has been flowering, but mostly the would-be squash just withers before anything comes of it.  We did have 2 zucchini actually grow.  Better than nothing (pretty sure I got nothing in previous years).

We have had green beans and our herbs are doing okay, which are so nice to have on hand!

We had two peppers nearly red until a squirrel ripped one down (we have an awful, evil little squirrel that shops our garden regularly).  I thought maybe the squirrel didn't care for red peppers since they had been left alone so long, but it seems he was just waiting for it to perfectly ripen, similar to the tomatoes he always snatches at the peak of ripeness.  ::shakes fist::

The star of our garden has been our jalapeno pepper plant.  It has been successfully producing plenty of jalapenos and is still going strong.  I'll take it!

I've happily used my overabundance of jalapenos in Jalapeno Cheddar Burger Buns, Bacon-wrapped Jalapeno Poppers, and Jalapeno Ranch Dressing, among other things.

Other than that, we've been trying to soak up what's left of summer.

Clockwise beginnging with top left:  Ponytail!, inside our fort, new shoes!, and fun at the splashpad.

Here's what we're eating this week:


Sunday:  Apps

Monday:  Grilled Burgers with Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Tuesday:  Tacos

Wednesday:  Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad

Thursday:  Leftovers

Friday:  Out

Saturday: Out


I'm linked at Menu Plan Monday hosted by OrgJunkie.com