"This world that we’re a livin’ in is mighty hard to beat; You git a thorn with every rose but ain’t the roses sweet!" ~ Frank L. Stanton

Have a great week.

"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." ~ Mahatma Ghandi

Have a great week!

What is The LuSHHus Dinner Plan? The LuSHHus Dinner Plan is a weekly feature at living a LuSHHus life that is meant to assist you in coming up with nutritious and delicious evening meals.  Visit living a LuSHHus life each weekend to obtain a list of five dinners and the lists of ingredients and directions. And your grocery list is already made out for you! The recipes come from my files, cookbooks, blogs, and anywhere else I can find them, and I will always link to the source when applicable.  Whether you make all the meals in The LuSHHus Dinner Plan or just pick one or two, I hope this planner makes your life a littler easier, healthier, and – of course – more LuSHHus.

It’s slow cooker week!  All of our recipes this week use the slow cooker.  I love using the slow cooker because I don’t have to cook dinner at the end of the day when everyone is tired and hungry!  Here is the list of dinners for the week of September 29, 2008, and each dish is linked to its recipe.

Monday: Applesauce Chicken with steamed broccoli - makes 4 servings

Tuesday: Pot Roast - makes 4 servings

Wednesday: LuSHHus Crock Pot Casserole - makes 8 servings

Thursday: Jambalaya - makes 4 servings

Friday: Taco Soup - makes 12 servings

You can click the image below for a printable list of meals and an included grocery list.

Here’s a related post from living a LuSHHus life that may be of interest to you:

• Why Use a Menu Plan Such as The LuSHHus Dinner Plan?

Cheers!

The LuSHHus Dinner Plan will feature a whole week of slow cooker recipes next week.  If you don’t have a slow cooker, this is the one I’d recommend.  You can get it at Williams-Sonoma.  Its best feature is the cast-aluminum insert that lets you brown meat on the stove top before placing it in the slow cooker all without getting out a skillet.  I don’t have this but I want it!

Stay tuned for The LuSHHus Dinner Plan Slow Cooker Edition.

Cheers!

YES!  Let me share a little story.  A few years ago, I had the bright idea to wear my contact lenses a little longer than the prescribed time in order to save a little money.  I could make a year’s supply of contact lenses last two years if I would just wear them four weeks instead of two.  After all, I need to get things like these so saving a little money here and there is important!  So I wore my contacts for longer than I should have for years.  And then I want for an eye exam last month and well the doctor called me out on it.  It turned out that I had keratitis and so I had to wear my glasses for weeks, use antibiotic drops, and use wetting drops very frequently while it cleared up.  Let’s just say I’ve learned my lesson, and no, you really shouldn’t wear your contacts longer than the doc says!  I thought I’d tell you this story with the hope that you learn from my mistake.

Cheers!

Winning is important to me, but what brings me real joy is the experience of being fully engaged in whatever I’m doing. ~ Phil Jackson

Have a great week.

Why try to come up with great ideas for Halloween when Martha Stewart has already done so?  I found a few Halloween projects in the latest Living magazine that I will be creating for my own home this year.  Here they are (click each image to link to the project homepage):

Halloween Crackers - what a fun and easy way to pass out favors or candy.

Hanging Decorations - I think my son and I will have fun making these to decorate our dining room.

Mouse Motel Pumpkins - I’m not much of a pumpkin carver but I think I can manage this and I think the idea is pretty funny.

Cheers!

What is The LuSHHus Dinner Plan? The LuSHHus Dinner Plan is a weekly feature at living a LuSHHus life that is meant to assist you in coming up with nutritious and delicious evening meals.  Visit living a LuSHHus life each weekend to obtain a list of five dinners and the lists of ingredients and directions. And your grocery list is already made out for you! The recipes come from my files, cookbooks, blogs, and anywhere else I can find them, and I will always link to the source when applicable.  Whether you make all the meals in The LuSHHus Dinner Plan or just pick one or two, I hope this planner makes your life a littler easier, healthier, and – of course – more LuSHHus.

Here is the list of dinners for the week of September 22, 2008.  Each dish is linked to its recipe.

Monday: Stir Fry Chicken and Broccoli - makes 4 servings

Tuesday: Hamburger and Macaroni and fruit - makes 4 servings

Wednesday:  Tortilla Casserole and green salad - makes 8 servings

Thursday: Poached Salmon with Creamy Piccata Sauce and brown rice - makes 8 servings

Friday: Roast Chicken Breasts with Garbanzo Beans, Tomatoes, and Paprika - makes 4 servings

You can click the image below for a printable list of meals and an included grocery list.  Print out this list and write the rest of what you need on the back

Next week is slow cooker week, so get your slow cookers out and ready!

Here’s a related post from living a LuSHHus life that may be of interest to you:

• Why Use a Menu Plan Such as The LuSHHus Dinner Plan?

Cheers!

If you’re a parent you have surely encountered the difficulties of getting a child to eat a well-balanced diet.  An article in The New York Times this week helps parents learn what not to do in this department.  Here’s a brief summary:

• Don’t send children out of the kitchen - kids who help prepare meals are more likely to try what is served
• Don’t demand that a child take a bite - the less pressure the better, and certainly don’t use food as a reward or bribe
• Don’t forbid treats - children will overindulge when the desired snacks are restricted
• Don’t diet in front of the kids - children emulate our behavior virtually all the time
• Don’t serve plain veggies - children are much more likely to eat their vegetables if they are dressed up with butter, dressing, brown sugar, etc.
• Don’t give up - kids’ eating patterns evolve so give it time

Read the article in its entirety here. 

Cheers!

Yes, there are just 100 days to Christmas 2008.  And I am pretty sure those 100 days will fly by, so let’s get ready for the holidays before they are upon us.  Doing so will leave you with more time to relax and enjoy the season! 

Here are a few preliminary tasks you can do to get ready:

• GIFT LIST - create a list of people you plan to give a gift to this year (no need to decide what you’ll give at this point; just try to figure who is on your list)
• MAILING LIST - make a list of everyone who will receive your Christmas card (once you create this list, it’s easy to maintain and update, and you will always have a mailing list at the ready)
• WISH LIST - think about what you want this year

Check back at living a LuSHHus life for much more on preparing for the holidays.

Cheers!

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear." ~ Mark Twain

Have a great week.

I got a Vivre catalogue last week and there are a few things I would not mind having!  First, these flower rings would make a great accessory.

I would not be opposed to having everything on this next page, but it’s the Cowl Neck Funnel Tunic, in particular, that would be a great addition to my wardrobe.

I don’t think Mr. LuSHHus would approve of this next item (he doesn’t have much of a dark side), but I sure would like to add this Bronze Skull Lamp to the LuSHHus home.

You can shop the entire catalogue here.

Cheers!