#TEACHERWEEK2015...Make Ahead Meals!

So, I can hardly wait to check out other posts today because this has got to be every teachers most unfavorite time of the day!  When I learned about make ahead meals my whole school/mom life changed!  I actually became decent to be around at dinner time!

I was really into 5 dinners in 1 hour for a long time!  That site is great and she shares very reasonably priced meals along with yummy and easy to make!  I'd spend Sunday afternoon (a few hours) knocking out meals for the week and it made me a happy camper!

Then a brilliant Pampered Chef Consultant started doing Dinners Done with Pampered Chef.  She created a zillion freezer meals using PC spices and created a party atmosphere to come together with friends and make a bunch of freezer meals.  We did that all last season and let me tell you there was not one bad meal in the bunch!  I was a consultant so this worked out great for us!  If you are interested in this put it out on Facebook and I am sure you will find a consultant who can help you out!

Now, the new school year has started and I am not doing PC anymore and I'm looking for some new ideas.  My favorite go to place is my Pinterest Board...What a Crock!

It's a bunch of crockpot recipes which I love!  It makes me happy just knowing that while I am hanging out with small people, dinner is cooking!  And when I get home, I don't have to think about anything but feeding my peeps!  That's good stuff right there people!  

I'd have to say my most favorite fall go to meal is White Chicken Chili!  Super easy to make and always a crowd pleaser not to mention the fact that it cooks in the crockpot all day!

The ticket is this little gem right here!  McCormick's White Chicken Chili Season packet!  I doctor it some with Mojo Seasoning to cook the chicken and various be a types and I also cook it in the crockpot all day so the flavors really merge together.

Enjoy!

Come see me tomorrow and the super-awesome-spectacular-classroom tour will be here!

In the meantime, head back over to Blog Hoppin' and see what great meals you can cook up!

Five for Friday

It's Friday Friends!  I hope you have big weekend plans!

As promised...an updated shot of my room.  Please just humor me and notice the big difference! I have now spent approx 20 hours in my room.  No joke.  I have hauled away 39 empty boxes, because our custodian is the bomb.com and I didn't want him to have to do it and I have filled 4 big trash bags and schlepped a car load home.  And still...this remains!

Moving from a space with space to a space with no space...well, ummm, praise Jesus I have a job! :)  Monday we hit Ikea and then back to the room to whip it all into shape!

This happened last Saturday.

I tend to keep away from the nightly news.  It always leaves me depressed and irritated at the one sidedness of every stinkin story (and I don't like that even when it's my sided) so I just don't watch. Before you judge, I'm not completely ignorant, I just get tired of all the nonsense that comes with the story.  Perhaps I should have been in on the nonsense last Saturday!  In case you too stay away from the news, I'm a resident of the silly state that thought it needed to fly the confederate flag on the state house grounds.  Well, after years of fuss and an incredible tragedy that resulted in the death of 9 African American residents of Charleston, the flag came down two weeks ago and the protests immediately began.  Last Saturday my two boys and I were passing by the state house and noticed a lot going on.  So we parked.  And walked up.  And nosed around.  And found out that the group on the steps was the New Black Panthers but the KKK was on the way.  There were no less than 250 uniformed police officers from every branch of our police services and just as many media people.  We chatted with a few officers and got out before the KKK arrived.  Although it may not have been one of my better mother choices, i wanted my kids to know that we are so very lucky to live in a country were people are allowed to assemble and do it safely in order to speak their mind.  That is a lucky, lucky thing, wether we agree with what they say or not.

This chick right here is one of my most favorite Christian writers out there.  Her name is Jen Hatmaker (obviously) and I stumbled upon her a few years back and read 7: an Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, and it rocked my world.  Then I heard her at a conference and then I lead our women summer Bible Study with her book 7 and then I watched her show and now, well, I'm just a groupie.  It's new for me because I don't tend to swoon over anyone famous.  But this chick right here?  She's the real deal and I love her to pieces!  This is her newest book and it's coming out soon but she is giving away schwagg if you preorder!  Get you some girls!  And check out her blog in your spare time!

Are you following along with the fabulous Krista Wallden of Creative Clips?!?!  OH MY HECK!!!  She is giving away, selling dirt cheap and discounting all sorts of fabulous stuff in honor of 34,000 followers!  Check it out today!

This is my most favorite, go-to dip!

One can black beans, one can Ro-tel and one container crumbled feta.  I use any brand of all of the listed ingredients.  I am an Aldi shopper and they keep bringing in different flavors of feta so sometimes I use peppercorn feta and sometimes sweet and spicy and sometimes regular!  Any way you mix it, it is the bomb!  Serve it up with those little scoops chips and it is a hit!  I always keep the black beans and diced green chillies and tomatoes in the cupboard.  Best part is that it costs about $4 to make!  Great for tailgating and parties!

Now hop back over to Doodle Bugs Teaching and see what other people are sharing this fine Friday!