De and Doug's Den: Reading and Movie Goals Update

Here is an update of how I'm doing on my "entertainment" goals so far this year!!!

List of twelve varied classics I want to read this year, hopefully completing one each month:

-- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

-- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

-- Anna Karenina

-- Arabian Nights

-- The Catcher in the Rye

-- Great Expectations

-- The Hunchback of Notre Dame

-- Jane Eyre

-- The Last of the Mohicans

-- Mere Christianity

-- The Poems of Emily Dickinson

-- The Three Musketeers

List of twelve classic movies:

-- An Affair to Remember

-- Casablanca

-- Dial M for Murder

-- The Godfather Trilogy

-- It Happened One Night

-- Kiss Me Kate

-- The Maltese Falcon

-- Mary Poppins

-- The Postman Always Rings Twice

-- Pretty in Pink

-- Strangers on a Train

-- Vertigo

Delicious: Weekly Meal Plan

Even though classes are over (hooray!), I wasn't able to fully convert over to my normal two-week meal planning schedule straight away since I went out of town for my cousin's wedding!!!

This week begins our 10-day menu until my parents arrive to begin helping us pack!  As usual, I decided on some varied main courses that we can simply choose the day before.  Now that we have a little more time, there are some time-consuming dishes. (i.e. more than dump in Crock Pot or bake in oven, I didn't go too crazy!!!)

Broiled Lobster Tails w/ Spaghetti Squash
Steamed Shrimp w/ Spinach Alfredo
Tilapia w/ Corn on the Cob and Rice
Cheesy Tuna Pasta w/ Broccoli
Grilled London Broil w/ Baked Potatoes and Broccoli
Meatloaf w/ Corn on the Cob and Baked Squash
Chili Mac w/ Salad and Rolls
Steak, Chicken, and Veggie Fried Rice
Grilled Chicken w/ Broccoli and Rice
Chicken Quesadillas w/ Spanish Rice
Chicken Florentine Pasta
Zucchini Cakes w/ Baked Potatoes

Design: Weekly Goals (May 20-26)

What a crazy week!  I'm writing this goal post from my parents house in PA after a fun weekend celebrating my cousin's wedding, but I will be heading back to my home in VA soon ;)

May Goals
1.  Set up 1-2 more friends/family "dates" -- still working on this ;)
2.  Enjoy my cousin's wedding and time with family
3.  Play board games with Doug this week -- we watched movies instead, per his request

Housework/Errands
4.  Grocery Shopping/Menu Plan (and blog!) -- no blog because there was no plan! Long story...
5.  Laundry and Packing for trip to PA

Personal
6.  Begin reading Arabian Nights
7.  Watch Pretty in Pink and It Happened One Night
8.  Rest and relax at home!!!

This week of being able to be at home and relax with no schoolwork was great!  Now that we've gotten some much deserved R & R, we are ready to begin organizing and packing for our move!!!  Even though we are only moving a few blocks to a bigger apartment, there is a lot of packing and decluttering to do so that we aren't overwhelmed with boxes (or piles of stuff) on moving day ;)

May Goals
1.  Correspond and catch-up with family/friends
2.  Spend quality time with Doug this week (playing games, going to a movie)

Housework/Errands
3.  Grocery Shopping/Menu Plan (and blog!)
4.  Surface cleaning and decluttering

Moving Goals
5.  Clean Kitchen
6.  Laundry!  Sorted and stowed or bagged for charity/donations

Personal
7.  Begin reading Arabian Nights (!!!)
8.  Watch It Happened One Night

Design: Weekly Goals

Last week was a success because 1) Doug and I graduated with our Masters' degrees and 2) our house was clean enough to have company over!!!


May Goals/Personal
1.  Set up "date" times with 2-3 friends/family members -- one left to go!
2.  Watch Original Star Trek Movie with Doug
3.  Begin reading Arabian Nights

School/Homework
4.  Complete Psalms Reading and Exam
5.  Dance because I finished my Masters' Degree!!!

Housework/Errands
6.  Grocery Shopping/Menu Plan (and blog!)
7.  Surface clean the apartment (for friends to be able to visit!)

This week is "transition week" in our house; we are taking the week off to relax and get ready for our new school-free schedules, as well as get some much needed rest before beginning to pack up our apartment to move in June!  Still, it's nice to have some goals ;)

May Goals
1.  Set up 1-2 more friends/family "dates"
2.  Enjoy my cousin's wedding and time with family
3.  Play board games with Doug this week

Housework/Errands
4.  Grocery Shopping/Menu Plan (and blog!)
5.  Laundry and Packing for trip to PA

Personal
6.  Begin reading Arabian Nights
7.  Watch Pretty in Pink and It Happened One Night
8.  Rest and relax at home!!!

Distinctive

Distinctive (adj):  different, unique, original

Today, my life is taking a new turn.

I have completed all the work necessary in order to graduate with my 90-hour M.Div, a process that has taken the entirety of four years of my life, almost to the day.

And I have no idea what to do with it.

Let me explain:  I have a lot of options and choices ahead, but none of them seem "right."  Maybe I just don't want to "grow up" and "be an adult" that is out of school, but even continuing my education seems like the wrong step to take.  And for someone who tends to plan out (in detail) the next, oh 40-50 years, not knowing what I'll be doing in 3 months or 6 months or a year is kinda super frightening.

However...
I have spent that last year and a half slowing down and enjoying my life instead of merely "doing" life, and it has been a huge transformation for me.  Even the fact that I am NOT rushing into the next "thing" after graduating is contrary to my nature.  Taking a break is not something I naturally strive to do.  But here I am, graduating with a supercharged degree, having absolutely no answer to "what are you doing after graduation?" or "what's next for you?".  And I'm okay with that.  If there is any proof of change in me, and of God's peace in my life, it is that I am completely okay with not knowing what will happen next.  In fact, I'm not even worried about the options and what I'm going to do next.  Whoa.

But, hey, let's not get crazy.  I still have some short term goals and plans ;)  After all, moving in 6 weeks will take a lot of time, effort, and organizational stamina. (PS Today is my two-year apartment-versary!)  Once we are settled in our new apartment, I think the dust will begin to settle, and I will look around and realize I need something to do.  I need a plan.  I need to figure things out.

But I know there's no rush.  And that is completely foreign to me.

Delicious: Weekly Meal Plan

With graduation around the corner, Doug and I are still banking on quick and easy meals.  Plus, we are working to clean out our pantry items before we move!

Here are our main meals for this week:
Broiled Lobster Tails w/ Zucchini, Butter, and Garlic Pasta (nice celebration meal)
Broiled Salmon w/ Wilted Spinach and Alfredo
Baked Pork Chops w/ Roasted Squash and Cheesy Rice
Grilled Chicken Tacos w/ Peppers, Onions, and Mexican Rice
Grilled Steak and Cheesy Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes

Design: Weekly Goals (May 7-12)

Oh my goodness, what a week!  Between lease signing, paper-writing, studying for a Final, and my little cousin's 5th birthday party, I have barely had a chance to breathe!


May Goals/Personal
1.  Set up "date" times with 3 friends and family members -- Only set up one (with my Gram) which was practically already set before I even began focusing on friends and family!  Still, I'm counting it.
2.  Go see Iron Man 3 with Doug this week

School/Homework
3.  Write and Submit my Psalms Analysis Paper
4.  Study for upcoming Greek Final (5/6)

Housework/Errands
5.  Grocery Shopping/Menu Plan (and blog!)
6.  Begin decluttering/packing for our move to a new, bigger apartment ;) -- My dear husband put a stop to my decluttering and packing madness with a sweet reminder that we have SEVEN weeks until we move, but only ONE week until graduation.  He is so wise.

This week should be a bit easier and revert back to normal since I only have one Exam between me and graduation!  We will have some friends in town this weekend, so much needed cleaning is in order ;)

May Goals/Personal
1.  Set up "date" times with 2-3 friends/family members
2.  Watch Original Star Trek Movie with Doug
3.  Begin reading Arabian Nights

School/Homework
4.  Complete Psalms Reading and Exam
5.  Dance because I finished my Masters' Degree!!!

Housework/Errands
6.  Grocery Shopping/Menu Plan (and blog!)
7.  Surface clean the apartment (for friends to be able to visit!)

Design: May Goals

May = Graduating with my MDiv, packing up my home in order to move, and celebrating my cousin's wedding!  Whew!

2013 Spring Goals
As I said last month, giving my time and focus to my friends and family can never truly be a checklist of goals, but must stem out of habitual change in my own life.  I tried to ease into things last month, but now I need to move things up a bit ;)

1.  Plan regular "dates" with friends and family members (even if they are Skype dates).
2.  Begin corresponding more with long-distance friends and family.
3.  Go out of my way to do something fun with Doug each week. (He's a quality time guy.)

Other Goals
4.  Read the Poems of Emily Dickinson; read Arabian Nights
5.  Watch It Happened One Night, Pretty in Pink, and An Affair to Remember
6.  Complete all my schoolwork in order to GRADUATE!
7.  Have fun with friends and family at my cousin's wedding
8.  Begin packing for our move!

Delicious: Weekly Meal Plan

De to the stress of finals and exams, I have returned to shopping and planning for one week at a time.  This should also help with our upcoming move so that all freezer and pantry items do not need to be moved with us!

These are all quick and simple meals that take little hands-on time!  Perfect for healthy eating during a busy final week of classes.

Viola Chicken Florentine Meal -- one skillet meal
Frozen Pizza -- fire up the oven!
Broiled Salmon with Pasta and Squash -- oven and one pot, some chopping required
Sauteed Scallops with Pasta and Spinach -- one pot meal
Grilled Steaks with Potatoes and Broccoli -- grill and microwave on this one!
Grilled Chicken with Cheddar Broccoli Rice -- grill and one pot

Document: April

April has been a blur.  Quite honestly, I barely remember most of what happened (apart from Melissa's Wedding, our quick Baltimore trip, and Leslie's Baby Shower)!!!  I know there was a lot of Psalms reading and Greek......

2013 Spring Goals
It has been so refreshing to be praying over my friends and family intentionally and working to make them a focused part of my life!  I have been able to reach out and connect with more friends and family this month, but I will be working to be more intentional about giving them focused time.

Other Goals
I finally finished Great Expectations, and ready to dig into Emily Dickinson and Arabian Nights!  (I just haven't been feeling Tom Sawyer-ish.)  Doug and I finally watched Dial M for Murder (which was really good), and It Happened One Night is next in our Netflix Queue.  Out of everything from April, celebrating Melissa's Wedding and Leslie's Shower, along with a small break to see some friends in DC and go to the Aquarium in Baltimore!  (Sorry no pictures; we thought we had lost our camera!)

Design: Weekly Goals (April 29 - May 5)

This has been a crazy week!  I'm a day behind because I got so caught up reading over the material from the Ultimate Homemaking Bundle I got yesterday!  So many of my favorite bloggers gathered together with other bloggers to put together a huge bundle of 97 eBooks and eCourses (along with some fun extras), and I just can't say no to books and knowledge!

Anyways, here how my goals from last week looked:

April Goals/Personal
1.  Maintain relationships with my friends and family
2.  Go out of my way to show love and respect to Doug this week

School/Homework
3.  Greek "mi" verbs
4.  Psalms Reading (100+ pages) and Essay (925-1200 words)

Housework/Errands
5.  Grocery Shopping/Menu Plan (and blog!)
6.  Spring Cleaning:  Decluttering -- the task that keeps on giving ;)

This week, I start my May Goals (which will be posted in full tomorrow)!  I also have a big paper and a Final Exam to study for, making this week kinda hectic.  Oh, a signing a lease to move to a new apartment in a few weeks.  Crazy!!!

May Goals/Personal
1.  Set up "date" times with 3 friends and family members
2.  Go see Iron Man 3 with Doug this week

School/Homework
3.  Write and Submit my Psalms Analysis Paper
4.  Study for upcoming Greek Final (5/6)

Housework/Errands
5.  Grocery Shopping/Menu Plan (and blog!)
6.  Begin decluttering/packing for our move to a new, bigger apartment ;)

Delicious: Weekly Meal Plan

This week is full of quick and simple recipes!

Tuna Melts w/ Cheddar Broccoli Rice
Calamari Citrus Salad w/ Alfredo Pasta
Broiled Salmon w/ Butter and Garlic Pasta, Baked Squash
Quesadillas w/ Mexican Rice, Peppers, and Onions
Broiled Pork Chops w/ Pasta and Broccoli
Grilled Top Round Steak w/ Baked Potatoes and Steamed Veggies

One of our go-to quick and easy meals is Tuna Melts!

--  Mix canned tuna, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
-- Scoop tuna onto English Muffins or Hamburger Buns
-- Add a slice of Cheddar Cheese on top
-- Broil 6 in from heat for 5-7 minutes.

Simple, easy, filling, and packed with protein!  Add different spices or change up the cheese for a change.

Design: Weekly Goals (Apr 22-28)

This week has felt so long even though it was a short week for us!  I think I accomplished quite a bit ;)


April Goals/Personal
1.  Go out of my way to demonstrate love to Doug, one friend, and one family member this week
2.  Finish Great Expectations

School/Homework
3.  Greek Infinitives and Imperatives
4.  Psalms Reading (100+ pages) and Book Review (1200-1500 words)

Housework/Errands
5.  Menu Plan (and blog!)
6.  Spring Cleaning:  Floors and Decluttering

Well, I have 18 days of my Master's degree left, and only 4 Greek classes!  I can't believe that I will have my M.Div in just over two weeks!  It's crunch time ;)

April Goals/Personal
1.  Maintain relationships with my friends and family
2.  Go out of my way to show love and respect to Doug this week

School/Homework
3.  Greek "mi" verbs
4.  Psalms Reading (100+ pages) and Essay (925-1200 words)

Housework/Errands
5.  Grocery Shopping/Menu Plan (and blog!)
6.  Spring Cleaning:  Decluttering

Delicious: Weekly Meal Plan

We have a short week this week, so I only have four main meals planned!

Turkey Quesadillas with Spanish Rice, Peppers, and Onions
Pork Chops with Herbed Pasta
Clam Chowder
Veggie-Loaded Pasta

For our Turkey Quesadillas, I just boiled some Turkey Wings (that I found on Manager's Special) in salt, pepper, and Old Bay seasoning; I "shredded" the meat (It fell off the bone.) and stored it in the fridge over this weekend.  We use Canola Oil spray for the skillet, warm a tortilla shell, add cheese ad meat, then fold in half and press to seal!

Pepper and Onion Spanish Rice is a great side; you can control the level of spiciness for the overall meal!  Even on my most tired days, this only takes 15 minutes from start to finish.

Design: Weekly Goals (Apr 16-21)

I'm off to a bit of a late start this week due to our trip to Chesapeake and Inner Harbor over the last few days!  We "lost" of camera after the wedding and did not find it until we were on our way home, so no pictures!  Still we had a great time ;)  Luckily, I completed most of my goals before our trip.

April Goals/Personal
1.  Connect with three friends/family members this week
2.  Show love and respect to Doug daily
3.  Enjoy Liss's Wedding (and our excursion trip)
4.  Watch Dial M for Murder; Finish Great Expectations

School/Homework
5.  Greek Infinitive Verbs
6.  Psalms Reading (~200 pages) and Quiz/Test

Housework/Errands
7.  Grocery Shopping, Menu Plan (and blog!)
8.  Spring Cleaning:  Kitchen

Since this week is short, I really need to focus on school and keeping up my health/daily habits.  Only 25 days until I complete my Masters' degree!!!

April Goals/Personal
1.  Go out of my way to demonstrate love to Doug, one friend, and one family member this week
2.  Finish Great Expectations

School/Homework
3.  Greek Infinitives and Imperatives
4.  Psalms Reading (100+ pages) and Book Review (1200-1500 words)

Housework/Errands
5.  Menu Plan (and blog!)
6.  Spring Cleaning:  Floors and Decluttering

Delicious: Weekly Meal Plan

I am continuing my new Menu Planning Method called Grouping that I began at the end of March. (You can read more about Grouping here!)

Due to a wedding this weekend (and our excursion to Baltimore for a few days), I only needed to plan five main meals this week!

Main Meals This Week:
Scallops with Broccoli Pasta
Buffalo-Breaded Pork Chops with Spinach Alfredo Pasta
Sausage, Pepper, and Onion Hoagies with Fresh Fruit
Veggie-Loaded Spaghetti Squash Pasta
Grilled Turkey/Ham Cheese Sandwiches with Fresh Fruit

I tried to plan some simple (and easy to clean up) meals so that we can focus on school and packing instead of keeping up with dishes and cooking.  Most of these meals can be prepped and ready to go in 15-20 minutes!!!  One thing I am doing to save time is roasting my spaghetti squash in advance.  By prepping it a day earlier, I can simply prepare my veggie-loaded sauce and add the squash!

Recipe for Veggie-Loaded Spaghetti Sauce:
1.  Roast and Prepare Spaghetti Squash.  I am roasting my squash whole, but there are method where you can halve and then roast the squash.  I am using these step-by-step instructions.  You can serve the "spaghetti" straight away or refrigerate for another day (preferably no longer than 3 days).

2.  Saute extra veggies for your sauce.  I melt butter in a medium or large pot, then add chopped mushrooms and onions.  Feel free to add peppers, garlic, tomatoes -- anything you want!  Cook until soft and browned.

3.  Add spaghetti sauce to the veggie mixture.  For this dish, I like using a chunky or loaded tomato sauce (extra veggies!).  For a creamy side, alfredo would work well.  If you want something light and fresh (which would go well with fish or shellfish), go scampi style with butter, lemon juice, pepper, and parmesan cheese.

4.  Mix and Serve!  Plate the squash and top with sauce.  If refrigerated, you can stir the squash into the sauce to warm through before serving.

** You can make this a heartier dish by adding some ground turkey or bacon, serving bread on the side, or adding some thin whole wheat pasta to the dish!

Design: Weekly Goals (Apr 8-14)

For someone who still thinks it's February, it surprises me d a i l y that we are in our second week of March April!  We had a freak snow storm earlier this week, but today is warm and sunny!  I may never get comfortable with Virginia springtime ;)

Even with the weird weather, I think I did quite well on my goals for last week:


April Goals/Personal
1.  Make a friends and family prayer list to pray over this week
2.  Show love and respect to Doug daily
3.  Finish making gift for my friend Leslie's Baby Shower
4.  Watch Dial M for Murder -- foiled again!

School/Homework
5.  Begin Greek non-Indicative Verbs
6.  Psalms Reading (100+ pages) and Essay (925-1500 words total) -- I'm a bit behind on my reading

Housework/Errands
7.  Menu Plan (and blog!)
8.  Begin Spring Cleaning (Living Room and Guest Room)

Bonus:  Maintain my "daily priorities" for eating, exercise, and sleep

This week I need to kick things into high gear; I only have a month left of school!  Now is the time to buckle down and put in the hard work so that Finals aren't as stressful.  Another reason to work hard this week is so that I can take full advantage of the long weekend Doug and I have planned in Chesapeake and Baltimore's Inner Harbor ;)

April Goals/Personal
1.  Connect with three friends/family members this week
2.  Show love and respect to Doug daily
3.  Enjoy Liss's Wedding (and our excursion trip)
4.  Watch Dial M for Murder; Finish Great Expectations

School/Homework
5.  Greek Infinitive Verbs
6.  Psalms Reading (~200 pages) and Quiz/Test

Housework/Errands
7.  Grocery Shopping, Menu Plan (and blog!)
8.  Spring Cleaning:  Kitchen

Delicious: Weekly Meal Plan (Apr 1-7)

Last week I tried a new planning method by grouping my meals (Breakfasts, Mains, Snacks) and coming up with options for each group.  That has been working out really well!  It's great to have a few options for each day, and it is pretty easy to keep on track with what's available.

Here's my list of Main Meals for this week:
Tuna Melts w/ Fries
Scallops in Herbed Pasta w/ Steamed Green Beans
Broiled Pork Chops w/ Alfredo Spinach Pasta
Chicken Enchiladas w/ Spanish Rice and Corn (leftover meal)
Grilled Chicken w/ Cheesy Rice and Steamed Broccoli
Sausage Sandwiches w/ Broccoli Pasta
Grilled Cheddar, Apple, and Onion Sandwiches

Here's my recipe for Quick and Easy Chicken Enchiladas:
1.  Prep Shredded Chicken your favorite way.  The quickest way is to boil the chicken (with some salt) for 20 minutes and then shred in my KitchenAid Stand Mixer (use the Stir setting, and then a slow setting) for 1-2 minutes.  Another easy way is to put frozen chicken in a Crock Pot with a can of Cream of ______ Soup (we used Cream of Chicken) on Low for 6 hours; it falls to pieces.  Let cool, refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze to use later.  By making the chicken in advance, these enchiladas come together in about 5 minutes for me!

2.  Get together any other "filling" ingredients you want.  Doug and I just used the chicken and some shredded cheese, but canned beans, corn, or cooked onions and peppers are great add-ins.

3.  Roll enchiladas using cold fillings and 8-inch tortillas shells.  The shells are the perfect size for a 9 x 13 baking dish.  We used a large spoon to line each shell with shredded chicken (if frozen, defrost first) and some cheese; you want to have enough room to easily roll the shell into a log.

4.  Top enchiladas with your favorite sauce and some cheese.  We like Red Enchilada Sauce, but any sauce you like will work.  Friends have even used alfredo sauce!  We like to sprinkle some cheese across the top to make it extra gooey.  If preparing in advance, cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated; let stand at room temp for 5 minutes before baking.

5.  Heat in oven for 10-15 minutes.  Bake uncovered at 350-375.  If you have more fillings, use the higher temp and the higher time.  Remember, you just need to heat through the enchiladas!

Design: Weekly Goals (Apr 1-7)

I really cannot believe that April is here!!!  Thanks to a snow in late March, it truly feels like I time-warped from January to April.

Anyways!  A new month means a new set of goals!  (You can read about how March ended here.)

April Goals/Personal
1.  Make a friends and family prayer list to pray over this week
2.  Show love and respect to Doug daily
3.  Finish making gift for my friend Leslie's Baby Shower
4.  Watch Dial M for Murder

School/Homework
5.  Begin Greek non-Indicative Verbs
6.  Psalms Reading (100+ pages) and Essay (925-1500 words total)

Housework/Errands
7.  Menu Plan (and blog!)
8.  Begin Spring Cleaning (Living Room and Guest Room)

Bonus:  Maintain my "daily priorities" for eating, exercise, and sleep

Design: April

Spring has sprung!!!  April is here, which means more sunshine and showers, but less time until school ends!

2013 Spring Goals
Since I want to build my relationships with Doug, our families, and our friends, it is difficult to make a checklist of goals!  I think the best thing I can do is begin habits in my own life to make me a better friend and communicator, though I am starting slowly ;)

1.  Make a Prayer List for my friends and family; pray over it daily
2.  Make it a point to reach out to a handful of family and friends
3.  Do something to show love and respect to my husband every day

Other Goals
4.  Finish Great Expectations; read the Poems of Emily Dickinson; begin Tom Sawyer
5.  Watch Dial M for Murder, It Happened One Night, and An Affair to Remember
6.  Celebrate at my friend Leslie's Baby Shower and my friend Melissa's Wedding
7.  Enjoy a long weekend in Baltimore with Doug