September 1-30

Well, school has started and is off with a bang!  There's no stopping or slowing down now!  Guess we'll have to hang on to our hats and take a deep breath in December.  How many clichés can I put in an opening few sentences?

Anyway, Paul's classes are going well.  A little stressful at the beginning of the year because of very little adjustment time between his summer school reading program and the beginning of the actual school year.  But, as the year progresses, it is getting a little bit easier & the kids are starting to get the hang of it all.  Procedures, procedures, procedures, and more procedures ... oh the joys of 3rd grade!  Tim, on the other hand, is also having a go of it.  He's reworking his AP curriculum and really trying to help improve his kid's overall test scores on the exam. It's a ton of work & lots of extra time, but he thinks it'll pay off in the end.  Fingers crossed!

In other news, we've set a date!  Yes, the wedding date is finally set.  July 7, 2014.  We're still making plans (as we've just started thinking about this) and have LOTS to do (we know).  We have some basics known for the actual wedding in DC (still need to confirm, but it can be done), but need to nail down some event spaces, the band, the caterer, and all the other fun stuff for the KC reception in August.  Guess we should get started on that.....not to mention invitations, hotel reservations, and all sorts of other stuff!  EEK!  Does a Facebook invite count for the wedding?  I already feel overwhelmed & we haven't even started.  Although we did go to a fantastic reception last weekend ... and plan on stealing a TON of their ideas (space & band ... but that's the majority of the work we have to do here in KC, right?).

So, that brings you up to date on our lives ... for now.  This month's menu is based on "Back to Basics" for us.  We've tried a bunch of new recipes these past months and really wanted to revisit some of our old favorites & our "roots" ... yes, it's back to our Rachael Ray recipes from her magazine; they're what got us started on our menu & trying out our now "signature" dishes.  Many are already posted on the blog, so feel free to try them out with us!  Enjoy!

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

Sept. 1 - Snack Night
Sept. 2 - Bacon-Cheeseburger Meatloaf*
Sept. 3 - Skillet Chicken & Brussels Sprouts
Sept. 4 - Freebird
Sept. 5 - Kielbasa & Onion Pizza*
Sept. 6 - KC Royals game - BUCK NIGHT!!
Sept. 7 - TBD; Miss Saigon @ Starlight
Sept. 8 - Chiefs Season Begins!! Caesar Salad Nachos*
Sept. 9 - Pantry Pasta
Sept. 10 - Chicken Schnitzel
Sept. 11 - Farmhouse (Groupon)
Sept. 12 - Shrimp & Cheese Grits w/ Okra*
Sept. 13 - Beefy Tex-Mex Stir Fry*
Sept. 14 - Open
Sept. 15 - Open
Sept. 16 - Chicken Fried Steak
Sept. 17 - McAlister's Deli
Sept. 18 - Grand Street Café - KC REP
Sept. 19 - Bacon & Wild Mushroom Risotto
Sept. 20 - Chili-Beef Stuffed Zucchini*
Sept. 21 - Open
Sept. 22 - Open (9am Whisper Walk)
Sept. 23 - Mac 'n' Goat Cheese
Sept. 24 - Skillet Fried Chicken Legs*
Sept. 25 - Spicy Sausage Shepherd's Pie*
Sept. 26 - Indian Pizza
Sept. 27 - Grilled Philly Cheesesteak Tacos*
Sept. 28 - Open
Sept. 29 - Open
Sept. 30 - Pistachio-Crusted Pork Chops

*Recipe included on the blog