Easy Peasy 12 Day Menu Plan

Hi! It's Jilly. Last week I started telling you about our cruise, and told you about the reference guide I made for my sweet sister who was watching our kids. In the guide I had a menu plan, and I told you I would share it. Well, here it is! Nothing super fancy, but a week and a half worth of easy meals! I hope it gives you some inspiration, and not very much perspiration!

Day 1: Stuffing & Chicken Bake - like this recipe, but I put the stuffing on top after pouring on the soup. Serve with rice. (Our family loves Jasmine rice, btw.)
Day 2: Soup & Salad - a week or two before I left I made a big pot of soup and froze the leftovers in a gallon ziploc bag. So, all she had to do was get it out of the freezer in the morning to defrost, then heat it up at dinner time.
Day 3: Slow Cooker Coca Cola BBQ Chicken Sandwiches. (I've never added the lemon & onion like this recipe calls for, but it sounds like a yummy addition!)
Day 4: Spaghetti
Day 5: Chicken Quesadillas, using leftover BBQ chicken
Day 6: Taco Soup - just like this recipe, but I cook the meat with the taco seasoning like it says on the packet (or bottle, if you have the big one from Costco), then add it to the beans, etc that are already cooking together in a separate pot.
Day 7: Pizza & Movie Night!

Day 8: Spinach Lasagna Rolls - Love this recipe from SkinnyTaste!
Day 9: Honey Dijon Rosemary Pork Chops - one of my favorite recipes from the cookbook "Our Best Recipes" by Better Homes & Gardens. I should share it with you sometime!
Day 10: Baked Potato Bar with chili, cheese, etc.
Day 11: Baked Penne - recipe coming soon. It's super easy, I promise!
Day 12: Breakfast for Dinner! Scrambled Eggs, Pancakes, Fruit Salad

Yay! Your menu planning is all done for you. Now you have time to catch up on housework  watch HGTV! ;)

If you love this menu plan, Pin it or share it on Facebook! You can also follow me on Bloglovin'!

Might be linking up with:  The Gunny Sack, Craft-O-Maniac, C.R.A.F.T, I Should Be Mopping The Floor, More the Merrier Monday, Make the Scene Monday,Serendipity and Spice, Home Stories A to Z, Titus 2 Tuesday, Take It On Tuesday, The DIY Dreamer, My Favorite Finds, Weekend Wonders, My Turn For Us  

Surprise Party!

Hi! It’s Jilly. Sorry I’ve been kind of MIA this week on the blog! Things have been CRAAAAAZY! A few reasons why:

#1- My seester is coming into town next Tuesday and staying for a week!! Woot! So, I’ve been trying to make a place for her to sleep besides my couch, as comfy as it is. ;)

#2- The kids and I are in a play – A Gilbert & Sullivan Christmas Carol – and it opens next Friday!

#3- I’ve been planning a SURPRISE birthday party for my sweet husband. Want to see my plans? I thought you might!

I have a board dedicated to the party on Pinterest, if you’d like to peruse that, but here’s the main “gist” of it. 

On Saturday night the hubs thinks we are going on a date, and that our friends who live one floor down are watching the kids. So, I am taking the kids “down to our friend’s house” and checking on the party (which I am setting up today in our building’s community room).

Then, after I come back upstairs for our “date” a different set of friends (who also live in the building) are going to call hubster and ask him if we want to join them downstairs to play ping pong. He’ll probably say, “Well, Jillian & I are headed out on a date”, then I’ll say, “Oh, we can pop in and play for a minute before we head out.” Then, when we get downstairs—SURPRISE!! Ha ha! It’s gonna be SO awesome!

For the food, I am making BBQ pulled pork sandwiches using THIS delicious-sounding recipe from Dine Like A Pauper. I was going to do pizza, but this will be just as easy, more yummy, and probably cheaper, since the pork shoulder is on sale right now.

source- Dine Like A Pauper 

I will also make BBQ baked beans (saute some onion, pour in a can of baked beans, add BBQ sauce to taste. Voila!), and have some chips and soda.

For dessert I’m going to make cupcakes. I will probably cheat and use a boxed mix for the cupcakes, but I HAVE to make cream cheese frosting, ‘cause it is his favorite. I’m planning to use THIS recipe from Beantown Baker  for the frosting.

source- Beantown Baker

Now, the decorations! I am going to make some of these cute “fireworks” from I Heart Naptime to hang from the ceiling over the buffet area, only I will make them green, which is Hubby’s favorite color.

source- I Heart Naptime

I was planning to just make a birthday banner, but the kids had a great idea! I am going to cut out big letters spelling Happy Birthday, which the kids will decorate. Then, we will hang each letter from the ceiling with fishing line! Festive, eh? I’ll have to post a pic of how it turns out on Instagram. (Follow me so you don’t miss it!)

I found THIS awesome idea for a cupcake stand on Something From Cassie. SO easy, and simple to make work with any theme!

source- Something From Cassie

During the party we will have the adults play some Minute to Win It games, while the kids color, play, or watch a movie. (I don’t really care, as long as they stay out of our hair..ahem, I mean…I love kids!)

source- NBC.com

I think it’s going to be SO much fun, and he is going to be SO surprised! I hope it turns out like I plan, and all my wildest dreams come true. (Aack! I didn’t Vote for Pedro! Shoot!)