I’ve gotten a little antsy to plant (like I do every year).  I started a few things just to have something growing.  A little salad, a little parsley…  Not too much, just a bit to keep the urge at bay until it is a good time to start tomatoes and eggplant.  It was so warm last week (which always makes the urge to plant worse), with all sorts of snow melting.  However, yesterday and today brought more snow (about 12 inches) with more still falling.  So much for my early garden dreams!  This year it has been a little easier for me while I wait for the snow to melt.  Why, you ask?  Well, it’s because I am spending part of my time pining for my garden with research in the care and keeping of these guys:

Yep, we are looking into getting chickens.  It’s kind of a natural progression for our family.  The kids are quite excited about it and so am I.  There are actually quite a few people with them in my town, which is turning out to be a great chicken support system.  If anyone has some good advise about city chickens, websites, blogs, books or chicken coop designs (we obviously have tough winters and need good winter housing for the chickens) please feel free to let me know.  Thanks!

For tons of menu inspiration, head over to Laura’s for Menu Plan Monday.  For gluten free inspiration, see Gluten-Free Smiles, the host this week for the Gluten Free Menu Swap.   Michelle has picked garlic as the theme.  Yum!  If you have followed my site at all you know I LOVE garlic!  This weekend I’ll be making Slow Cooker Garlic Chicken which uses a bunch (40 cloves, baby) of garlic.  Don’t worry, that much garlic doesn’t over power the dish, but gets nice and sweet and mellow while braising in the slow cooker.  Perfect for those of you who may be fighting off a sniffle right about now…

Monday: No school/dance class/Boy Scouts/(Made extra pancakes for next 2 day’s breakfast.  Make 2 loaves bread.)

Peach Glazed Chicken, quinoa pilaf and salad

Tuesday: Play practice/piano lessons (need portable dinner)

Curry Beef with Cauliflower from Winter Harvest Cookbook by Lane Morgan

Wednesday: play practice/Dance class/youth group

Meatball sandwiches, fruit and salad


Thursday: play practice/Caddy Girl Scout meeting

Slow Cooker Pot-au-Feu with wide GF noodles

Friday: Mommy volunteer in school library/have a couple of my littlest girlie’s friends over/play practice

Slow Cooker Five-Spice Pork Roast with another GF biscuit (from Eliabeth Barbone’s Easy Gluten-Free Baking made dairy free and as a cut out biscuit, not drop) and stir fried sesame kale

For the weekend: Saturday- play practice and eye exams.  Sunday- possible chicken care class.  This weekend we’ll making:  Balsamic Sweet Onion Dehydrated Kale Chips,  almond cookies, Slow Cooker Garlic Chicken, and muffins to freeze for breakfasts.  I am also craving pot stickers, so I may make up a bunch with the kids to eat freeze for lunches.