Crazy for Coral!

It all started when I went into TJMaxx one day and spied a gorgeous pair of Etienne Aigner sandals in CORAL!  I fell instantly in love, coaxed the sandals to come home with me by promising them a luxurious perch in my closet, and the rest is history.

Then, a week later, I went in search of more coral accessories.  After all, I wouldn't want my sandals to be lonely, right?  Money was a bit tight that week so I went to Cato,

where I know I can always find on-trend items for a reasonable price.

I picked up a cute giraffe print scarf for around $6

and a bracelet in coral and silver to match for about $5. 

Then another couple of weeks went by and I happened to visit a TJMaxx store in a different part of town.  I spied this cute clutch purse on sale for $20. 

It was fate!

I love the bamboo frame of the bag and the detail on the zipper pull inside.

I'm going to feel like I'm on a trip in the tropics whenever I carry this!

And finally, this past weekend I stopped by Kohl's.  There I found a beautiful satin tank with a butterfly wing motif in all kinds of pink, coral, yellow and blue hues. 

What color are you most drawn to this spring?

Weekly Meal Plan: March 26-March 30

Darn, you mean I have to come up with another week's worth of meals?  Just kidding.  Last week was a success, despite the fact that I left Bill to fend for himself one night.  I forgot there was a happy hour for a secretary at work who was leaving. 

He did okay.  He had pizza.  :-)

Here's what's on the menu this week:

Monday:  Turkey Sausage with Roasted Vegetable and Barley Salad

Doesn't this look sooooo yummy?!  I love barley, and the veggies look pretty darn good too!  And, really, how can you go wrong when there's feta cheese involved?

Tuesday:  Hot Dogs with New Potato Salad

Bill promised to fire up the barbecue grill and cook some hot dogs for us. 

It's been feeling a lot like summer here in St. Louis lately,

so I can't think of anything better than to have

a good 'ol summertime staple food like hot dogs!

And here's one of my favorite side dishes to serve with it - Ina Garten's New Potato Salad.

Ina uses lots of fresh dill in this recipe.  It's fantastic!

Wednesday:  Breakfast Casserole and Fresh Fruit

I watched an episode of Paula's Best Dishes on Saturday morning where Paula's friend "Bubbles" made a yummy-looking breakfast casserole with sausage, potatoes, mushrooms, cheese and bread.  What's not to like about that?

I'm a fan of breakfast *anytime* so I'm really looking forward to trying out this recipe! 

I'll serve it with some fresh fruit.

Thursday:  Monte Cristo Sandwiches with Oven "Fried" Pickles and Corn on the Cob

How delicious do these look?!

Fried pickles are one of our favorite appetizers at a couple of restaurants we frequent. 

I'm excited to try a healthier version at home!

And I'll bet you didn't know that I'm an Iowa girl at heart .

I lived there from the time I was 3 till I was 21.

So believe me, I know corn on the cob!

Hope I can find some good-looking ears at the store.

Friday:  Hamburgers and French Fries

This was a weekly tradition in my house growing up. 

Every Friday, Dad would make delicious hamburgers in the toaster oven,

seasoned with garlic salt and Worcestershire sauce. 

And Mom would make crinkle fries in the oven. 

Sometimes a few of the fries would come out warm and squishy.  I loved those!

And we'd have pop.  That was really the only time we drank soda during the week.

(I should try to do that now!)

I told Bill about this, and he agreed we should keep the tradition alive.

LONG LIVE HAMBURGERS AND FRENCH FRIES ON FRIDAY!!!

Spring, Spring, Spring!

Thought I would share the view from my back window today.

Our lilac bush is blooming! 

I couldn't help myself:  I walked right up to the lilacs and did my best imitation of

Ferdinand the Bull, practically inhaling those beautiful flowers.

Ahhhh! That's what I'm talking about!

I love spring!

What flowers are growing in your backyard?

Here's a First: Weekly Meal Plan

Hi there!  Sorry to have been absent for so long.  I know you secretly missed me.  ;-)

I'm on a mission in 2012 to streamline and simplify my life.  One way I think will really help is to plan a whole week's worth of meals at one time.  I'm notorious for telling Bill to stop and pick up a pizza on his way home from work because I can't decide what to make (and even if I could, I wouldn't have all the ingredients for it).  Well, no more!  From now on I'm getting serious and planning ahead.  Here's what I've come up with for this week:

Monday:  Tortellini with Snap Peas, Lemon and Dill
http://www.kelseyskitchen.com/uncategorized/tortellini-with-snap-peas-lemon-dill.html

Doesn't this look yummy?!  I can't wait to try it tonight.  I'm going to add a salad and some garlic breadsticks to complete the meal.

Tuesday:  Cowboy Casserole
http://thecuttingedgeofordinary.blogspot.com/2010/09/cowboy-casserole-looks-like-dog-food.html

I've actually made this one, and I can tell you it's GOOD!  I change up the original recipe a bit by replacing the can of corn with a bag of frozen broccoli cuts (cooked).  Also, I'm not a fan of cream of mushroom soup, so I use cream of celery.  I'm looking forward to making this again.  I love the Crispy Crowns on top!

Wednesday:  Greek Turkey Meatloaf with Roasted Lemon and Dill Potatoes
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/turkey-meatloaf-with-feta-and-sun-dried-tomatoes-recipe/index.html

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/roasted-potatoes-lemon-dill-00000000054470/index.html

This is a recipe from Giada de Laurentiis and it's delicious!  I call it Greek meatloaf since it contains feta and sundried tomatoes.  It's lighter than regular meatloaf and has a fantastic, complex flavor.  I'm pairing it with my new favorite side dish, Real Simple's roasted lemon and dill potatoes.

I made these a couple of weeks ago for the first time, and I've been dying to make them again ever since.  Roasting the potatoes and lemon together creates flavor that is, in a word, divine!  You'll thank me for these.  I'll also add a green veggie of some kind - we'll see what we feel like having on Wednesday.

 

Thursday:  Green Goddess Enchiladas
http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/2011/01/beef-and-corn-enchiladas-with-spinach-cream-sauce.html

Bill and I both LOVE Mexican food.  These sound good because they add an unexpected element:  spinach!  I plan to make some Spanish rice to go along with these.  Mmmmmm...

Friday:  Verdura Pizza

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sandra-lee/verdura-pizza-recipe/index.html

Pizza is *big* at the Perkins home.  We have it every Sunday after church, and it usually makes another appearance sometime during the week.  In this case, it's going to be on Friday.  When I watched Sandra Lee make this on Food Network, I knew it was going to become a favorite.  I'm making it even easier this time by starting with a ready-made frozen pizza as the base and just adding the goat cheese, spinach, red peppers, artichokes and olives on top.  I know it's cheating, but I don't care.  :-P

How about you?  Do you do weekly meal planning?