Week 152 Menu

Sunday:  Out for a light supper; there will be a movie night tonight....if they play their cards right, I'll make them some homemade, chocolate-covered popcorn!!
Monday: Snacky food - Individual pizzas (the 4yo can't get enough!!), steamed edamame, Sourdough pretzels, summer sausage/cheese & crackers, apple crisps?
Tuesday: New Year Good Luck food - Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Preserves, Blackeyed pea hummus, sauteed greens
Wednesday: Enchiladas with leftover pork, greens and hummus
Thursday: Pasta with cauliflower pesto (got The Smitten Kitchen cookbook for Christmas...couldn't wait to make something from it!)
Friday: Crockpot baked potatoes with taco toppings
Saturday: Out?

Week 151 Menu

The festivities have already begun for Christmas this year! One set of grandparents and two uncles are already in town! The excitement is growing to a fever pitch!

Sunday: Steak, mashed potato/celery root, green salad, pumpkin pie

Monday: Christmas Eve feast
Tuesday: Dinner for 11!!

Wednesday - Saturday: Family in town; but I suspect we'll eat leftovers (if there are any!!), go out several times and whip up some quick, yummy meals

Christmas Dinner 2012

This year, we're sticking with some old favorites (Snack-y Christmas Eve feast, rib roast, and yummy roasted Brussel sprouts) and adding some new components - namely in the veggie side dishes. I've heard/seen yule logs mentioned in magazines, blogs and podcasts this year and I'm extremely intrigued. I'm lobbying for this to become a new family tradition. I can't even count the different flavor variations we can try for years to come!

I'm looking forward to all of it. I had a great time coming up with the menus!

We'll throw some pictures onto the post after we've created our masterpieces (but before we tear into them!).

Christmas Eve
Individual pizzas
Summer sausage, cheese and crackers
Nut bread topped with cream cheese and olives (or not...depending on your taste )
Creamed Swiss chard
Christmas cookies! Nom, nom!!


Christmas Dinner
Standing Rib Roast
Sweet Potatoes with Maple and Bourbon
Cornbread Stuffing
Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries
Butterhorns
Yule log!

Week 150 Menu

150 weeks of menus! Woot, woot! Some call it anal retentive, I call it planning ahead. :) The last full week before the holidays. We'll be eating out of the freezer this week so we don't have to introduce too many more ingredients to the fridge!

Baby Pete has turned up his nose to baby food and is fully integrated to table food. The little beast eats almost as much as his sister! He can really tuck it away, and he's not picky. I say the only food he doesn't like is the food that's too slow coming to his mouth! What's even better is that he's started to grab the food off the high chair tray. So, it gives Mom and Dad a chance to eat their own dinners!

Sunday: Make-your-own pizzas with friends; we also made our own gingerbread houses!! Very fun.
Monday: European Street
Tuesday: Chicken pot pie over quinoa
Wednesday: Italian beef with Publix hoagie rolls.....heaven!!!
Thursday: Leftovers
Friday: Big spinach salads
Saturday: Out?

Week 149 Menu

Sunday: Steak and sweet potato fries

Monday: Chicken legs in the slow cooker and cornbread

Tuesday: Steak enchiladas

Wednesday: Chicken pot pie over quinoa
Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Twice Baked spaghetti squash

Saturday: Date night!

2012 Lawrence Year in Review

Merry Christmas, friends and family! 2012 was an amazing year for the Lawrence family!

Our most exciting news was welcoming our son Peter to the world! He was born March 20th - which is also Scott's birthday! Pete has a set of blue, ladykiller eyes and the nickname "Chunky Monkey." Pete has just learned to crawl. So, we have the challenge of baby-proofing a house full of Shelby's tiny toys and ponytail holders! And, this boy loves to eat! Bananas, carrots, pot roast and even salmon are among his favorites! He is such a low-key, loving, baby. If you say at least two words to him, he's got a huge smile for you!

Shelby turned four this fall. For her birthday, we took a family vacation to Disney World with the Lawrences - Nancy, Dave and Uncle Mike. She had a great time! Shelby waited patiently to take pictures with The Princesses and her favorite characters, rode the new, little roller coaster in Fantasyland, and loved riding Small World with her little brother. She danced in her first recital this summer. She tapped to "Puttin' on the Ritz" in sequins, feathers and tulle. Not many people can say their first stage appearance was to a sell-out crowd in a 450-person theatre! She loves dance and is continuing lessons this year. She also seems to have a natural talent for gymnastics.



Scott has been busy with work this year. He's picked up some extra responsibilities in the northeast region. And, he's traveled to New York several times. Scott dove into the Volkswagen lease program and started driving a Passat this fall. The program allows him to switch out vehicles on fairly often. So, ask him what he's driving on a regular basis! When he has spare time (haha!), Scott continues to take portraits of friends. And, recently, he has started to ride his road bike again with a friend from church.

Bonnie is still loving her job at Volkswagen - and no she's not driving a VW or Audi yet! She took two months off work to stay home with Pete. Bonnie is still cooking up a storm. She's perfected some signature dishes: sourdough pretzels, homemade pizza, and faux Cadbury Creme Eggs. Besides having a baby, Bonnie's biggest accomplishment this year was running a half marathon! She ran in the Thanksgiving Day half marathon through the Mandarin neighborhood. She ran 2:17 - which was better than her goal. Now Bonnie's looking forward to the Donna Deegan half marathon in February!

Week 148 menu

Wow. I didn't post a menu last week! I've put together some pretty questionable menus in the past, but this is a first.

We've had grandparents coming and going, Scott traveled for work last week. And this week is my turn. Luckily, mine is only an overnight trip!

Sunday: out for Mexican
Monday: Christening a new slow cooker with a pot roast!
Tuesday: Grandparents, Dad and kids are on their own!
Wednesday: Pumpkin pancakes
Thursday: Tacos with leftover, shredded pot roast
Friday: Homemade calzones
Saturday: At a friend's house learning about Hanukkah with the kids! Latkes!!!