Menu Plan Monday

What a busy weekend! The addition started and it's exciting! Hope you all have a great week!

Monday: Steak Tips, Rice & Salad
Tuesday: Pioneer Womans' Chicken Parmesan
Wednesday: Mexican Pizza
Thursday: Tater Tot Casserole
Friday: Takeout :)

I'm linking up over at orgjunkie.com!

SJC Graduation!

Last Saturday, we headed up to St. Joesph's to see Cynthia & Katelyn graduate! I first met Cynthia when she was 6(somewhere I have a photo of us from back then), so to watch her walk across the stage and receive her college degree was special to watch :)

Pete, Cynthia and me the day after I moved from Boston. She had just finished the 8th grade :)

There is something about a bagpiper that always make me cry. I think because I hear them at poignant times in life. Graduations, weddings, funerals. Endings but new beginnings at the same time. Here come the graduates!

Katelyn has her diploma!

It's official!

Diploma in hand for Cyn!

Happy Graduates!

Ceremony is over... photo time!

We then headed over to Katelyn's parents house to celebrate with a graduation party!

Jack has just noticed the chocolate fountain.....

On our way home from the party, Peter told us "Mom, I had fun with all the girls."

We Have A Winner.....

....and the winner for the Live Smile Celebrate Giveaway is, Robin Ramirez!! I have sent your name along to Laura at LSC, so contact her to redeem your $50 credit!

Thanks so much to Live Smile Celebrate for hosting my first giveaway and don't forget to check out her shop for all your announcement and party needs!

Thanks to all who entered and I will be hosting another giveaway in June! Stay tuned!

New Blogging Adventures!

I have become a blogger over at momsinmaine.com!!! I'm looking forward to this opportunity to blog about being a Mom! Check out my first post and I hope you keep reading my blog and the other mothers who write!

Menu Plan Monday

Pete made the best Mother's Day dinner last night! Rib eye with a gorgonzola cream sauce, twice baked potato and salad. YUM!! This rainy weather is really starting to annoy me and I'm not feeling to creative on the menu sense this week! What is on your menu this week? Reminder..Live Smile Celebrate ends tomorrow!!! Don't forget to enter! Enjoy your week :)

Monday: Up to Nonni & Poppi's for dinner
Tuesday: English Muffin Pizza
Wednesday: Dijon Garlic Herb Panko Chicken
Thursday: Tacos
Friday: Takeout :)


I'm linking up over at orgjunkie.com
 

Book Review - The Help

Book Description: Abileen is a black maid in 1962 Jackson, Mississippi, who's always taken orders quietly, but lately she's unable to hold her bitterness back. Her friend Minny has never held her tongue but now must somehow keep secrets about her employer that leave her speechless. White socialite Skeeter just graduated college. She's full of ambition, but without a husband, she's considered a failure. Together, these seemingly different women join together to write a tell-all book about work as a black maid in the South, that could forever alter their destinies and the life of a small town...

Book Review: I waited a long time to read the book. Sometimes when certain books or shows are wildly popular, I resist because I just don't want to fall into the hype. The first chapter I had a hard time getting into to. I kept thinking, maybe I should go and rent the movie instead. Once I had a free moment to really start reading it, I never wanted to put it back down. The story grabs you. I stayed up until a little after midnight to finish it because I couldn't put it down! I thought it was an excellent book. The characters were fantastically written, these women blew my mind. What strong, courageous women. A heart-wrenching account of the civil rights era. The only thing now is that I want to know more about Skeeter, Minny and Abileen. How does Skeeter do? What's next for Abileen?

Movie Review: After reading the book, of course I had to watch the movie! Normally, I don't like watching movies after the books because they lose so much in the translation. While they can't fit everything into the movie from the book, I thought they did a great job on this one!! The acting was fabulous. Bryce Dallas Howard was phenomenal as Hilly! Cicely Tyson's appearance as Skeeter's maid,Constantine, brought her to life for me much more on screen then in the book, even though she was in it for probably a total of 2 minutes, she conveyed the message of love beautifully. As someone who has been in the childcare business for years now, I cried at the end of the movie...broke my heart. This movie had me laughing, crying, and cheering. A very moving movie.

Whether you read the book or watch the movie, I don't think you'll be disappointed!

Chicken Wings

We love Chicken wings! Pete makes them often in the summer always experiementing with making different sauces! So far, every batch he has made has been delicious! A few Saturday mornings ago, we decided to make them for dinner so we headed over to Hannaford to get our ingredients and supplies!

Pete used our turkey fryer. He filled it up with a bottle and a half of Canola oil.  The oil needs to reach 350 degreees before you can drop the chicken in.

While the oil was heating up, Pete cut up the wings.....

....then placed them in a bowl with flour to coat them.

Making Sauce #1

After about 8 minutes in the oil, the chicken should start floating so you know they are done!

Pouring sauce over wings

Single breaded, sauce #1 wings

Double breaded, sauce #2 wings

Sauce #1

1 stick of butter

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 bottle of Frank's Hot Sauce

dash of garlic powder

salt & pepper to taste

*to double coat wings, coat wings in flour, then dip into egg wash before coating with flour again*

A quick photo of our spread before everyone started to dig in!!