Monday Menu and Maidservants

"She also rises while it is yet night,

And provides food for her household,

And a portion for her maidservants."

Proverbs 31:15

Happy Monday! I hope you had a fun, productive, restful-- whatever-you-needed-it-to-be- weekend! I know we did. August is coming to a close this week, and it's hard to believe! Where did summer go? I don't know, but as it leaves, I hope it takes the 100+ degree heat indexes with it. Whew!

Last week we really enjoyed this Cheesy Beef Potato Bake. I'd made it before, but I'd forgotten how much everyone loved it. It's super easy and makes great leftovers. (Two of my favorite qualities in a recipe!)

Here's what I'm stirrin' up this week:

Monday: Baked Potato Soup, garlic bread, Caesar salad

Tuesday: Mini Meat Loaves, Broccoli Cheese casserole (Fix It and Forget It p. 224)

Wednesday: Chicken Enchilada Casserole (Fix It and Forget It p. 190) <--- told you I love this book!, black beans, corn

Thursday: Leftover buffet

Friday: Order Pizza

Weekend: Leftovers, out-to-eat after church, and going to my Grandmother's house for my b-day weekend (I know there'll be some good eating there!)

Visit Laura's for more menus, or to add your own. Thanks Laura!

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SO... what about that Proverbs 31 woman? Have you ever read the above verse and come to the part about "her maidservants" and thought, "Well, good for her! No wonder she can do all that. She has a staff! I could be a Proverbs 31 woman, too, if I just had maidservants. But, mine didn't show up today!"

I thought about this over the weekend as I was catching up on household chores and caring for my maidservants. Oh, yes, I have them. I bet you do, too! They're called "household appliances." Most of our homes are staffed with them to some degree!

My "laundry woman" (aka: washing machine and dryer) worked for at least one other family before she came to us. She is old and weathered-looking but she shows up faithfully to work just about every day. She doesn't have a large capacity, and due to her age isn't really "high tech," but I love her just the same for faithfully washing the dirt and grime out of my husband's work clothes each week, cleaning and freshening our linens, and keeping our clothing ship-shape for our activities. I just couldn't do without her! I hope she stays around awhile longer, as she would be expensive to replace!

My Head Dish Washer (aka: dishwasher) is just a few years old, having joined us when this house was built. She is a noisy one, though. She definitely makes her presence known! If she's washing dishes, she wants the whole house to know it! Often I have to "shush" her when the phone rings or if the kids and I want to read a book in the family room. But, oh how I'm glad she's washing the dishes instead of me, as I hear those dishes clank-clanking,the water loudly swishing, and her cycles loudly switching from washing to rinsing. While she's doing that, my hands are free to pursue other tasks that she's not made for. I'm really glad I have her!

My Floor Cleaner (aka: vacuum cleaner) is really cute. Her name's Eureka, and she's blue and perky. She's one of the newest additions to the staff, having just come from Target a couple of years ago. She has some "attachment" issues that we had to figure out initially, but now we work together just fine. She needs a push to get going, but when she knows one of us is behind her she really does her job, often multiple times per day. With two dogs in the house, she's really got her work cut out for her, especially in the family room! She always stands at the ready in the closet under the stairs, and leaves the room looking great after she's done her work. I love seeing her "tracks," around the house! She works well with both of the kids, who get to take turns with her each day. She really lights up a room while she's working! Couldn't do without her.

I've got many other maidservants I could go on about. They bless me everyday by heating my water, cooling my house, drying my hair, cooling our perishable food, cooking our dinner and keeping things frozen. One of them even has my coffee ready for me "while it is yet night." Isn't that great? They each require a "portion" of something to do their jobs- portions of water, electricity, detergent, filters,coffee, vacuum cleaner bags, and even portions of human energy. But with those small "portions" my "maidservants" accomplish great tasks and serve us everyday.

SO, have a great Monday, and don't forget to love on those "maidservants" as you go about your household work this week. We are blessed to have them, aren't we?