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Books, Books, Books - and a Little Self-Restraint?

My weakness is books. I just LOVE them. Especially children's books. I had a collection before I even had children (well, I did teach elementary school, so I used them). They are everywhere in our house.... closets, bookshelves, boxes, nightstands, random piles everywhere. I love books.

I have actually been avoiding a local bookstore that is on the way to our Thursday co-op. It is a local bookstore, right in the heart of historic downtown. Today I could no longer resist the temptation, so after co-op we decided to park in downtown and take a stroll...

past the historic courthouse and Confederate statue. We read some of the historic plaques along the way - we've never stopped to do that before.


I love the small town atmosphere and the fact that NO ONE was in the bookstore except for us, and the sweet lady who could help us with anything we needed.

This is just a sampling of what the store had to offer.

I think there was silence from Miss, GMan and I for the first thirty minutes we were in the store. It was just so much fun to look at all of the possibilities.

I have a budget for homeschool materials, and I was proud of myself - I only spent $39. I've spent very little on their curriculum this year - we are using the library A LOT! We came home with a puzzle of ancient Egypt, a read-aloud for both children, a math storybook, and a Martha Speaks chapter book for GMan. The woman in the store also gave us a lot of free samples to take home!


Do you have a weakness for books??

Wednesday - What's for Dinner? Slow Cooker Spinach Chicken Alfredo

I'm trying a new recipe here at home tonight, but for the post today I wanted to share a recipe I made over the weekend. It was very EASY and delicious! We ate three meals from this (it makes a great lunch reheated), too. I'll preface things by saying my kids are not big spinach fans. Sometimes I can sneak it in, but it's pretty visible in this dish. Since it contains noodles, I simply saved some plain noodles out for my children - buttered them and put parmesan cheese on top. They were happy with this, and I didn't have to go out of my way to fix something "extra".

Hope you like this recipe - it is a "keeper" in our house!

Spinach Chicken Alfredo

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken strips, cut into strips
8 oz. frozen chopped spinach
1 4 oz. can mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 cups chicken broth
2 T corn starch
1 8 oz. brick low-fat cream cheese
12 oz. whole wheat pasta, cooked according to package directions.

1. Place chicken, mushrooms, and spinach in a greased slow cooker.
2. Mix chicken broth, parmesan cheese, and spices. Pour over chicken mixture.
3. Cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours.
4. Stir in cream cheese, until smooth.
5. Add pasta, and cook for 10 minutes or until heated through.

What's for dinner at YOUR house tonight? Do you have any favorite "go-to" places for recipes? I'd love to know!