Living in a (Mostly) Happy SAHM World

My Valentines

2012-02-14T16:57:00.004-06:00

My Alison...

who comes up and gives me the biggest hugs ever and says, "Oh mama, I just can't get enough of you!"

My Christopher...

who is energetic, kind, funny and says "Excuse me" without being prompted in the stores when he walks by people.

My Katie...

my smiley little sweetheart who giggles and smiles right before she sneeezes.

I'm lucky to have the three sweetest Valentines ever!

Bread Machine Honey Wheat Buttermilk Bread

2012-01-31T08:37:00.000-06:00

I have making this bread at least once a week lately. It is easy to throw together, uses ingredients I have on hand, and makes the house smell terrific. I have yet to master making "real" bread (kneading for umpteen minutes, letting it rise for however many hours, etc.) so the bread machine is one of my best friends. This is a nice dense bread. My kids and husband love it and, between the four of us, we usually go through one loaf in two meals - the night I make it for a side for supper, followed by the yummiest toast you've ever had the next morning for breakfast.

Bread Machine Honey Wheat Buttermilk Bread

1 cup plus 1 T. buttermilk, at room temp (or warmed in the microwave for the few seconds)
1 T. butter, room temp and cut into small pieces
2 T. honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. yeast

Put the ingredients in the bread machine in the order listed. Use the whole wheat and light crust settings on your bread machine. (FYI: for my Oster bread machine, this takes 3 hours and 40 minutes until done.)

Menu Plan Monday - 1/30/12

2012-01-30T09:13:00.005-06:00

This week's menu plan is pretty short as the kids and I are leaving town on Thursday for at least seven days while we are having nearly the entire interior of our house painted. We'll be staying with my parents (about a 3 1/2 hour drive away) for the week. On a quiet farm with no internet access...should be relaxing (hopefully!) We will miss my husband dearly, who of course has to stay behind, work, and put up with the paint smell and mess for the whole week. Here is what I have planned for our very short cooking week:

Breakfasts:
Waffles and bananas
cold cereal and toast
Blueberry Muffins and yogurt

Lunches:
Leftovers
Chicken strips, carrots, cottage cheese
Cheese quesadillas, apple slices, chips and salsa

Suppers:
Monday: Spaghetti with slow cooker marinara sauce (from the freezer), fruit salad, garlic toast made with leftover buttermilk honey bread (recipe for the bread to come this week!)

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Chili (carryover from last week), cornbread, fruit salad

Wednesday: clean out the fridge night!

Thursday - next week: out of town!

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Friday Favorite Finds - 1/27/12

2012-01-27T07:32:00.008-06:00

Today I'm participating Friday Favorite Finds hosted by Finding Joy in my Kitchen. Here are some recipes I found this past week that look oh-so-yummy and I look forward to trying them out soon!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

CrockPot Ranch Pork Chops
from Living, Laughing and Loving

Caulifower Fried Rice
from Full Belly Sisters

Chicken Dumpling Casserole
from The Shady Porch

Check out Finding Joy in my Kitchen for more great recipes.

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

2012-01-26T07:14:00.002-06:00

I'm crazy about muffins. I like using what I have on hand to make a fresh batch of yummy-smelling and yummy-tasting muffins about once a week in our house. Muffin recipes that I have posted so far include Pear Blueberry Muffins, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, Banana Prune Muffins, Blueberry Muffins, Whole Wheat Muffins, and Raisin Bran Muffins.

Apparently I go a bit crazy with muffin recipes. Mmmm. Now I'm hungry.

And here's one more that I made this past week. I had some very ripe bananas to use up. I wanted my husband to be able to take whatever I made with him to work that morning for breakfast, so making my usual banana bread was out of the question because I didn't have one hour for baking time. So I came up with these muffins. Super easy. Super simple. Super quick. Super yummy.

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
3 large very ripe bananas, mashed

In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, mix together the bananas, egg, sugar and melted butter. Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Scoop into greased muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

This recipe makes 12 yummy regular-sized muffins.

A shout out to working moms

2012-01-23T07:30:00.012-06:00

I watched an old episode of Dr. Phil recently on the "mommy wars." Working moms (or "work outside the home" moms") versus stay-at-home moms. The debate got pretty heated on both sides.

Stay-at-home moms claiming they are doing the best thing for their families by raising their children at home and being there for their kids "full time", keeping their kids out of daycare where they are raised by someone else, tending to the household duties, and making whatever sacrifices they have to in order to live off of one income.

Working moms claiming they are doing the best for their families and themselves by providing a second income for their family, raising thriving children by sending them to educational, social and loving childcare environments, being a better mom because they are taking care of themselves by having a career and a "life" outside of the home.

I am a full-time stay-at-home mom. By choice. I quit my job as a litigator when my oldest daughter, now 4 1/2 years old, was only 4 months old. I had the daycare for my daughter all lined up. The deposit was paid. But, my husband is also a litigator and, at the time, it just wasn't workable to me to have both of us keeping the work schedules that our job required. There were trials, depositions, client emergencies, and last-minute briefs due. This type of work life does not lend itself well to the standard "drop off and pick up" from daycare schedule. Plus, I really just wanted to be there with my kid all day. So, with the 110% full support of my awesome husband, I quit my job and have been home ever since.

I now have a kid in preschool so our days aren't quite as lazy as they used to be, but for the most part, the kids and I lead a fairly laid-back life with few stressors. We have preschool drop off three mornings a week, but otherwise we are not rushing out or getting up early in the mornings. We eat lunch at home when we want to. The kids have a fairly routine schedule throughout the day consisting of meals, naps, play, books, errands and TV time. When they go to bed, I don't have too much else to do other than pay the occasional bill or clean up the kitchen and living room. It's a good life that fits us well.

And to you working moms, let me say that you are AMAZING. You make it all work. You have to stick to stricter schedules and be more organized than I could ever be. You get everyone ready and out the door on time. You get yourself to work on time and do an amazing job there. You come home and switch gears into "mommy mode" and tend to the needs of your family. And then, when everyone is in bed, you likely have some work from the office you need to finish or start getting things ready and organized for the next day. I can only imagine that there are many times when you are at work thinking of your family and are at home thinking of work. You have a lot going on and you make it work. It works for you. It works for your family.

I often get stuck in a rut of feeling sorry for myself..."stuck at home" all day with the little ones. The only adult conversation I get is with the cashier ar Target. A daily shower is not a given. But really, I have it easy. Yes, I work very hard all day long. I am proud to say that I have never sat on the couch and ate a single Bon-Bon. :-). But I don't have to drop off a preschooler, a toddler and an infant at daycare each day while juggling my previous 60-70 hour per week career. I won't have to figure out how to leave work in order to pick up a sick child from school. I can go to Target on a Wednesday morning in order to avoid weekend errands.

But let me say this: I praise every single working mom out there. I do not judge you or think you, for whatever reason, are doing wrong by your family for having a job outside of the home. I do not judge you for having your kids attend daycare or having a nanny come into your home to watch your kids. In fact, I think you must have super-strength and super organizational skills. Not only are you able to get yourself ready in the morning, but you also manage to wake up, feed and clothe your children. You manage to get your things in order for the day as well as getting backpacks, coats, homework, lunches and mittens ready for your little ones. Many of you do this while wearing a nice suit and a pair of heels. You figure out who stays home with the sick kid and how to stay in touch with work while doing so. You get everything done, and then some. God bless you for that.

There should never be any type of "war" between moms. We are mommies, first and foremost. Let's support each other and help each other. Stay-at-home moms: please don't think your neighbor is "getting off easy" when she drives her two girls to daycare each morning. Working moms: please don't think that stay-at-home moms do nothing all day but change diapers, watch Days of our Lives, and post pictures of our kids on Facebook. We all are strong, wonderful women trying to raise strong, wonderful children. Let's do it together.

That being said, I am grateful for my "job" as a stay-at-home mom. It works for me. And right now, I wouldn't have it any other way. Hooray for moms everywhere!

This post is linked to Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers.

Menu Plan Monday: week of 1/23/12

2012-01-21T09:41:00.009-06:00

This last week held two "firsts" for me: First, I made it out of Target with buying ONLY what was on my list...that has never happened. :-) Second, the list of suppers I had mapped out for the week went exactly as planned. Each supper was made on the planned evening, and that has NEVER happened before. Funny, though, that it was a week when I didn't post my menu plan! Anyway, I made barbeque sandwiches, tomato tortellini soup, homemade pizza, and spaghetti with meatballs (with plenty of leftovers, of course.) Here's what I have planned for this week:

Breakfasts:
Whole Wheat Banana Muffins, fruit
Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes (from freezer), bananas
cereal and toast
Yogurt and Peanut Butter Granola

Lunches:
Creamy Mac and Cheese, carrot sticks with ranch dressing
Kitchen Floor Picnic (sandwiches, chips, pickles, and juice boxes)
Cheesy Egg Sandwiches, clementines
Crackers and hummus, fruit, cottage cheese

Suppers:
Monday: Burritos (from freezer), chips and salsa, fruit salad
Tuesday: Crockpot Chili, cornbread, fruit salad
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: Teryaki pork tenderloin, roasted potatoes, green beans
Friday: Chunky Chicken Soup (from freezer), lettuce salad, whole wheat bread machine buttermilk bread (favorite new recipe coming soon!)
Saturday: Clean out the fridge night!
Sunday: ??

Check out more menu plans at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2012-01-18T09:17:00.008-06:00

Recently, on a bitterly cold morning when their daddy was traveling for business and we had no preschool or errands to hurry out the door for that day, my daughter asked me for "something special" for breakfast. I had a craving for something a little sweet - but also somewhat healthy - so I threw together this quick and tasty batch of chocolate chip pancakes. I tweaked a recipe from the Allrecipes.com site by substituting some whole wheat flour and cutting back the sugar. The results were yummy! The leftovers also reheat well in the toaster or oven.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 T. baking powder
scant 1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. canola oil
1/2 c. chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, eggs, and milk. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Fold in the chocolate chips. Pour onto hot and lightly greased griddle (about 1/4 cup batter makes a nice sized pancake). Flip when bubbles begin to form and cook until second side is browned.

What's new? My update.

2012-01-17T07:12:00.007-06:00

Happy belated New Year to everyone! Hope everyone had a blessed holiday season. My baby is now 3 1/2 months old and I finally am beginning feel back amongst the living. I gave up blogging for a while since it was pretty low on my priority list. Showering and washing clothes so that we all have clean underwear definitely took precedence over blogging my menu plan each week. :-)

My little baby is now sleeping through the night (hooray!) and all three of my kids are waking up at a fairly predictable time each morning, which has allowed me to get up a little earlier each day and shower, put on makeup, get dressed and fix my hair. What a difference this makes in my day - especially for my attitude and energy level.

I've also been able to cook supper again and stick to our weekly menu plans fairly well. I have even ordered a couple of new cookbooks on Amazon and look forward to trying some recipes in there. (As a side note, I've done waaaay too much online shopping lately. It is so easy to surf the web on my iPad while nursing my daughter and, before you know it, the UPS man is making daily stops to our house!) I hope to get back to posting recipes again soon.

What else is new? Well, I'm on an organizational kick. I hit the dollar aisles at Target for a few things to help clean up and organize our mudroom/laundry room. I have given up all hope of ever having the time to have a spring garage sale, so all of the clothes that I have been saving up for that are going to be packed up for donation or consignment shops. My pantry is a mess and that is my next project. I am also in the process of compiling a home management notebook, which I so desperately need after reading what other bloggers have said about them. Hopefully more on all of that to come...

Losing the baby weight is still a challenge but it's happening, thank goodness. I am currently 35 pounds down from the day I came home from the hospital. (How is it possible that you go into the hospital, give birth to an 8 pound baby, and only leave 9 pounds lighter? Yikes.) The first 30 pounds came off fairly quickly and easily, but these last few pounds are going to be stinkers. I need to start exercising, so that is another goal of mine. Definitely starting with sit-ups. My post-third-baby-stomach is in need of some serious help that diet alone certainly will not fix.

Well, I hear the baby stirring so that is my time for now. I hope to post more soon with some updates on the above. I've been reading all of your blogs regarding food, nutrition, organization, child rearing, and crafts and am so inspired by all of you! I'm looking forward to a great 2012!

The blog post that changed my outlook

2011-11-27T19:07:00.003-06:00

I haven't posted much lately because I have been tired, drained and a bit cranky. I had nothing creative, fun or inspiring to share. I was beginning to feel pretty sorry for myself, actually. I was the poor mom "stuck at home" all day with three needy little ones. This was my attitude.

And then I came across this post entitled "Embracing Neediness" over at Passionate Homemaking. It truly was the kick in the pants that I needed to change my attitude. I have read and re-read this post probably twenty times in the past few days. It is always in the back of my mind while fulfilling my daily mommy duty routines of diapers, teeth brushing, making meals, cleaning up, laundry, etc.

Everything about this post rings so true to me and, if you are ever overwhelmed as a mom, I highly encourage you to read it.

Menu Plan - week of 11/7/11

2011-11-07T10:39:00.005-06:00

I have been menu planning lately but the craziness of life with a newborn and two preschoolers (I can no longer say I have a toddler since my little boy turned three years old last week!!) has led me to not really follow my plan too much each week. Thank goodness I still have some of my freezer meals left (but not many!) which have made things a bit easier. So hard to believe my little girl is five weeks old already! While I am in absolutely no hurry for her to grow up any more quickly than she already is, I do look forward to the "normalcy" of life again in a few months when I'm able to cook more, plan more, and just relax a bit more.

Here is the menu for the week:

Breakfasts:
Who am I kidding? Lately my two older kids have been eating cereal bars or dry cereal out of a bag in front of the TV in the mornings. No planning here.

Lunches:
Poor Man's Pizza, orange slices
PB&J, carrots, chips
Creamy Mac and Cheese, apple slices
Chicken strips, cottage cheese, grapes
leftovers

Suppers:
Monday: Ham and Cheese Casserole (from my freezer stash), fruit salad
Tuesday: Slow Cooker Barbeques (or Sloppy Joes...whichever you call them), baked beans, carrots, chips and dip
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: Burritos (also from my freezer), chips and salsa
Friday: Lentil Soup, lettuce salad, fruit

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan - week of 10/17/11

2011-10-17T10:29:00.008-05:00

Back to menu planning! Hard to believe my new little baby is 2 weeks old already! I honestly think that was the fastest two weeks of my whole life. Life needs to slow down. My wonderful mom left last Friday after staying nearly three weeks with us, so today is my first day with just me and the three kids solo. So far, so good (with the help of my husband dropping my oldest off at preschool this morning!) But even with a newborn, we still have preschool, doctor appointments, soccer, swim lessons, and general life stuff to juggle so I am very grateful for my stash of ready-made freezer meals that I can pull out this week. Here is our plan for the week:

Breakfasts:
cold cereal and fruit
Pumpkin Spice Granola with yogurt
oatmeal and bagels

Lunches:
Mac and cheese, fruit and carrots
PB&J, cottage cheese, apple slices
Poor Man's Pizza, carrot sticks
Pita chips and hummus, cottage cheese, orange slices
leftovers

Suppers:
Monday: leftover homemade pizza from Sunday night, lettuce salad, fruit salad

Tuesday: Chicken tacos (meat from freezer), chips and salsa, fruit salad

Wednesday: Ham and cheese casserole ( from freezer), lettuce salad

Thursday: out to eat at McDonalds (the older kids have flu shots at 7pm so I am bribing them with the Golden Arches afterwards...)

Friday: leftover buffet

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Baby has arrived!

2011-10-05T15:41:00.003-05:00

We are now a family of 5.

We welcomed a girl, Kathryn Elise, into our family on Saturday, October 1st at 4:57 a.m. She weighed 8 pounds even and was 21 inches long. We are so blessed to have her. Big brother Christopher and big sister Alison adore her.

It was a quick labor and delivery. I started contractions about 11:30 on Friday night and we made it to the hospital by 2 a.m. Little Kathryn bounced into the world a few hours later. It was quick, intense, and so worth it!

No baby yet...

2011-09-28T13:16:00.002-05:00

And I'm getting a bit uncomfortable and cranky. And extremely anxious. And very excited.

Thankfully my mom came up to stay with us on Monday so we have Granny here now to watch the kids while we are at the hospital. That is a load off my mind and I'm so thankful that she is here!

Otherwise, it is business as usual until baby arrives. I made muffins this morning, made a double batch of hummus for lunch, and chili is in the crockpot for supper. Laundry. Errands. A trip to the library. A walk and bike ride with the kids. Soccer tonight. Life goes on as we try to wait patiently for the new addition to our family.

Menu Plan - week of 9/26/11

2011-09-25T01:40:00.000-05:00

Baby #3 is due to arrive this week....hopefully. I'm still hanging in there - trying to enjoy my two little kids before I head off to the hospital without them for a couple of days, trying to keep the house clean and laundry done, and still trying to menu plan because the family still needs to eat! Here is what we have planned this week:

Breakfasts:
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, melon
Cereal and toast
English muffins and scrambled eggs
Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Lunches:
Poor Man's Pizza, orange slices
Pita chips, hummus, carrot sticks with ranch dressing
Creamy Mac and Cheese, apple slices, raw broccoli with ranch dressing
PB&J, crackers and apple slices
leftovers

Suppers:
Monday: Slow Cooker Angel Chicken with broccoli, lettuce salad

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Turkey Chili, cornbread, melon

Wednesday: Chicken Wild Rice Soup made with leftover Angel Chicken, cornbread, apple slices

Thursday: leftover buffet

Friday: Hot and Sour Soup, potsickers and eggrolls (store-bought from the freezer), green beans

Please stop by I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu planning resources!

More nesting

2011-09-24T10:46:00.002-05:00

By 10:30 this morning, I have done the following:

- made a double batch of homemade applesauce in the slow cooker
- made ranch dressing mix
- finished two loads of laundry
- played Barbies with my daughter and son
- cleaned out and organized our freezer
- baked a loaf of banana bread
- organized three kitchen cupboards
- finally unpacked and put away our china in the hutch from the move in May

You think I'm nesting, per chance? :-) This is what happens when you wake up at 5:30 a.m. with a contraction, hop out of bed and get ready for the day thinking "this could be it", and then.....nothing else happens. :-)

Have a very happy Saturday!

Friday Favorite Finds - 9/23/11

2011-09-23T07:42:00.007-05:00

Today I'm participating in Friday Finds hosted by Finding Joy in my Kitchen. This is a short list because baby will hopefully arrive in the next few days so I'm trying to be realistic! I still have a lot of apples to use up from our recent apple orchard trip so I focused on a couple of apple recipes. Here is the list of recipes that caught my eye the past couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to trying soon:

Healthified Fresh Apple Cake
(Photo and recipe courtesy of Eat Better America)

Creamy Apple Cinnamon Quesadilla
(Photo and recipe courtesy of Eat Better America)

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches

(Photo and recipe courtesy of This Mom's Happy Life)

Please visit Finding Joy in My Kitchen for more great recipe ideas!

Finally...a manicure!

2011-09-20T17:11:00.005-05:00

I've wanted to get a manicure for some time now. I rarely get them - maybe once or twice a year. Pedicures - yes, I get them quite often during the summer. But manicures? I have a hard time justifying spending the $20 on something that looks good for a day or two and then starts peeling away. Plus, when I do get time to go to the nail salon by myself, my time without kiddos is so limited that I choose getting my toes done (which involves more pampering!) over getting my nails done.

So, I enlisted my own little beauticians in the making the other day who gave me a fabulous manicure. Their names are Alison, age 4, and Christopher, age 2. I highly recommend them. They are very friendly, talkative, and accept tips in the form of Goldfish crackers.

Here is the end result of my recent manicure. Beautiful!!

This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday.

This pregnancy - Gratituesday

2011-09-20T06:34:00.008-05:00

Only nine days to go till my due date. I'm huge, uncomfortable, and I have to admit, a little on the cranky side a good portion of the day. But, on this Tuesday when I'm linking up with Laura at Heavenly Homemakers for Gratituesday, I am taking a moment to be grateful for this wonderful pregnancy and savoring every minute of it. More than likely, this will be the last time I will be pregnant. I am trying to savor every single kick, squirm and roll in my belly. I thank God that He has allowed this pregnancy to go full-term and that it has been a relatively smooth nine months for me. I am in awe of how you can fall so deeply in love with someone whom you have not yet met, do not know what they look like, and don't even know if they are a boy or girl!

So, during these last few days of pregnancy, I am going to try to forget how hard it is to sleep, how much I miss being able to bend over to pick something up off the floor without grunting and acting like a contortionist, and how tired I am of going to the bathroom every thirty minutes (seriously, that last one isn't even an exaggeration.) Instead, I will focus on this blessing God has given us, how cute my kids are in their excitement of waiting for the new baby's arrival, and how grateful I am that I am able to be a mommy.

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Menu Plan Monday - week of 9/19/11

2011-09-18T13:36:00.012-05:00

Last week I made everything on our menu plan (that may be a first!) and everything turned out really yummy. As I posted earlier, we really enjoyed the Kielbasa Bow-Tie Skillet and I hope you give it a try! I'm looking forward to breaking into our freezer stash of this meal in the upcoming weeks.

The kids and I visited an apple orchard last Thursday and came home with a ton of apples, so I'm looking for some good apple recipes to use up my stash. I'm looking forward to making the Apple Pie Bread for breakfast one morning (thanks to April at Angel Foods Kitchen for pointing out this recipe last week!) I also made an apple pie and homemade ice cream on Friday evening (of which we are still enjoying the leftovers!) Any other ideas? Please leave a comment with your favorite apple recipe - I'd really appreciate it!

Anyway, still no baby...so I've planned another week of meals. Nothing to double or freeze because my freezer is nearly full. Here's what we have planned so far:

Breakfasts:
Cereal and toast
Waffles and bananas
Honey Crunch Granola (another great granola recipe from Sarah at Clay in His Hands) with yogurt
Apple Pie Bread (new recipe), fruit

Lunches:
Tomato soup, grilled cheese, carrot sticks with ranch dressing
Pita chips and hummus, fruit salad
Homemade Chicken Nuggets, cottage cheese, apple slices
Creamy Mac and Cheese, apple slices, carrot sticks with ranch dressing
leftovers

Suppers:
Monday: leftover buffet from the weekend (ham fried rice, pasta, whole wheat oatmeal pancakes, fruit salad)

Tuesday: Burritos (I have 17 of these babies in my freezer which I'm saving for after baby arrives, but I'm making a fresh batch for us to eat at my hubby's request. I use ground beef instead of chicken), chips and salsa, apple slices

Wednesday: leftovers or out to eat (soccer night)

Thursday: Homemade Pizza, lettuce salad

Friday: Hot Beef Cheddar Subs, sweet potato fries, green beans

Sat. and Sun.: ?? (I don't plan on the weekends anymore because everything is always so fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants)

For tons of menu planning ideas, please check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

One more freezer meal...

2011-09-17T08:36:00.009-05:00

This recipe wasn't included in my last post about my nesting and freezer meals, and I just had to include it. I made this Kielbasa Bow-Tie Skillet last night and it was AWESOME. (Yes, another Taste of Home recipe).

(Photo and recipe courtesy of Taste of Home)

I used lower fat, lower sodium turkey kielbasa and it still turned out delicious. I made a double batch and now we have a nice, large portion of this fabulous meal ready to go in our freezer once baby arrives. It was fairly quick and easy to put together. Both of my kids liked it (well, okay, my 2-year-old son picked the sausage out of it and ate only that with ketchup but still, at least he tried it...) and my 4-year-old daughter gobbled it up. My husband went back for three helpings, which is always a good sign! I highly suggest you click on the recipe link and give this yummy recipe a try.

That being said, I'm done freezer cooking. There is no more room left in our freezer and I think my husband believes I'm getting a bit obsessed with having a freezer full of ready-to-go meals. But he's been a good sport about it. This morning I'm going to whip up one more double batch of our family favorite Peanut Butter Granola, store half in the freezer, and that will be it for me.

Adios kitchen, hello new baby!

Some Serious Nesting and Freezer Cooking

2011-09-13T09:27:00.000-05:00

I have been busy in the kitchen the past couple of weeks. I'm 37 weeks pregnant with baby #3 and I feel the final countdown clock ticking away. More so than with my first two children. Perhaps this one will come a bit early? Anyways, I've been cooking, doubling, and freezing meals like a mad woman. Our little deep freeze has filled up quickly and I feel better knowing that once baby and I are home from the hospital, we will have some easy, homemade, nutritious meals to eat. Yes, I'm sure we'll be getting take-out once or twice for a few days, but at least we won't be eating it EVERY day and night. Here's what I've done so far:

Peanut Butter Granola - I made a double batch - put half in the freezer and we already polished off the other half. This will make for a quick and healthy breakfast or snack. Our favorite way to eat this granola is mixed with Greek Gods Honey Yogurt - so delicious! (and thanks to SnoWhite at Finding Joy in My Kitchen for the tip on using olive oil in granola - I used half olive oil and half canola oil in this recipe and it turned out nice and crunchy!)

Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce - I doubled the recipe which will allow for at least three to four spaghetti meals for us.

Chicken Tacos - I doubled the recipe and froze a big batch of shredded chicken taco meat for easy taco night. Just heat up some tortillas or taco shells (which I've stocked up on from Costco in the past week), set out some salsa and sour cream, and we have an easy meal.

Cheesy Beef and Rice - we ate this last week so I made a double batch and put one pan in the freezer. This is the easiest ever - just thaw the casserole and bake. Maybe I'll get crazy and throw together a side salad. Either way, easy easy easy.

Burritos - I tweaked this recipe by using ground beef and homemade taco seasoning. Double the batch - kept out a few for supper and I'm freezing the rest (15 burritos!) for quick lunches or suppers once baby arrives. This was a new recipe and one I'll be making again in the future - my whole family really liked them!

Lasagna - I made a double batch. I froze one pan and we ate the other for supper one night (with plenty of leftovers for the next day or two). This was my first time making this recipe and it turned out really well and tasty.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread - this recipe makes two loaves, so we ate one for breakfast and popped the second loaf in the freezer for a quick breakfast or snack. I tweaked this recipe by cutting back the sugar by at least 1/2 cup and substituted 1 cup whole wheat flour for the white. It still turned out very tasty and my kids loved it!

Chunky Chicken Soup - I made a double batch and froze what we didn't use after supper one night. We have two Ziploc gallon freezer bags FILLED with this soup in our freezer now, which will easily provide for two separate meals plus plenty of leftovers. I served this soup with some cheesy bread I made under the broiler and fresh melon. Yummy!

Ham and Cheese Casserole (or "Hotdish", as I call it in my neck of the woods) - made this last night and it turned out awesome! This is another recipe that makes a double batch so one pan went into the freezer. We made a 7.5 lb ham last weekend so this was a terrific way to use up most of the leftovers we had. I think my husband ate about half of the pan - he loved it! (And yes, this recipe uses canned cream soup. Although I use the "healthy request" kind, I know it could still be made healthier...but this was super quick and easy to put together using the canned soup. Sometimes a gal needs to use some shortcuts!)

I have one more freezer meal planned for later this week and that will be it because our deep freeze will be FULL.

By the way, did you notice that a lot of these recipes are from Taste of Home? I bought the little Taste of Home book "Fall Freezer Meals" after I eyed it at the checkout in Wal-Mart. So glad I did - there are lots of great little recipes in that book.

In addition to cooking, I have the baby's room all put together - clothes and bedding are washed, closet is organized, bottles have been sanitized, diapers and wipes are bought. I've also cleaned out my laundry room and gutted the mud room closet (what would my mother think of such a messy laundry room when she comes up to help after baby arrives??!) I cleared out two shelves in the laundry room closet (lower shelves so little ones can reach easily) for my kids' art supplies so they can easily grab what they need and want when grandmas are watching them in the coming weeks. I'm keeping up on laundry every day so there won't be any laundry when we go to the hospital and everyone will have enough clean clothes and pajamas to last them a week if need be. I think we're ready...now we just need baby to arrive!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 9/12/11

2011-09-12T13:17:00.008-05:00

I've been on another blogging sabbatical, so it seems. We've been busy with preparing for the new baby's arrival (only 2 1/2 weeks to go!), the start of preschool for my daughter, and a couple of VERY successful weeks of potty training my son. He's been in underwear for the last couple of weeks without an accident. I'm so proud of him - and it's so awesome that I will have about one month of no diapers or pull-ups to change or buy!

But I digress...on to menu planning. I've been nesting up a storm and doing a lot of cooking and baking for easy and healthy freezer meals once the baby arrives. I'll hopefully post more on that soon. But in the meantime, here is what we have planned for the upcoming week:

Breakfasts:
Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread (I doubled the batch and froze one loaf - I also cut back on the sugar and substituted 1 c. whole wheat flour and it still turned out yummy!), bananas
Cereal and toast
Whole Wheat Muffins, strawberries
Bagels with cream cheese

Lunches:
Egg and cheese sandwiches (our homemade version of the Egg McMuffin...my kids love these!), carrots and fruit
PB&J Sushi, crackers, fruit
Creamy Mac and Cheese, carrots and ranch dip
leftovers

Suppers:
Monday: Ham and Cheese Casserole (new recipe - this recipe makes a double batch so I froze one), fresh fruit salad
Tuesday: Homemade Pizza, lettuce salad
Wednesday: T-ball until 6:30 p.m. so it is "clean out the fridge" night!
Thursday: Sausage Bow Tie Pasta Skillet (new recipe - doubling so I can freeze half), mixed vegetables, melon
Friday: leftovers
Sat. and Sun.: our plans always change on the weekends so I've decided to go "meal-plan-free" on the weekends

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan Monday (the Tuesday version)- Week of 8/22/11

2011-08-23T07:55:00.008-05:00

Busy busy busy! Summer is wrapping up and we're trying to enjoy every last minute of it. Our days are filled with bike rides, walks, the swimming pool, and (for me) my OB doctor visits. Therefore, I haven't had too much time to blog these days (again...and as usual) but I did finally get around to making my menu plan for the week yesterday. I am planning on doubling some meals this week so I can save half for an easy, healthy freezer meal once the baby arrives (only 5 weeks away!). Here's what we have planned for the week:

Breakfasts:
Peanut Butter Granola (doubling recipe) and yogurt
Cereal and toast
Waffles and fruit

Lunches:
Sandwiches with carrot sticks, ranch dip, and crackers
Creamy Mac and Cheese, fruit
Homemade Spaghettios (new recipe), apple slices
leftovers

Suppers:
Monday: we had an impromptu day/evening at Valleyfair amusement park with the kids so we ate junk food there
Tuesday: Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos - double recipe (made on Monday but we were at Valleyfair too long...luckily it kept well in the CrockPot!), chips and salsa
Wednesday: Cheesy Beef and Rice (doubling recipe for a freezer meal), lettuce salad, carrot sticks and ranch
Thursday: Spinach Tomato Tortellini, fruit salad
Friday: leftovers
Sat. and Sun.: ??

Friday Favorite Finds

2011-08-19T06:05:00.002-05:00

Today is my first time participating in Friday Finds hosted by Finding Joy in my Kitchen. Here is the list of recipes that caught my eye the past couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to trying in the near future:

Homemade Spaghettios
(my kids love Spaghettios but the list of ingredients scare me so I'm really excited to try this recipe and hoping it is a winner!)
(Photo and recipe by Natalie at Oven Love)

Mandarin Orange Pie
(Photo and recipe by April at Angel Foods Kitchen)

Homemade Larabars
(we love Larabars in our house so I'm looking forward to making a big pan of the homemade version!)
(Photo and recipe by Sarah at Clay in His Hands)

Baked Zucchini Sticks
(I think these will make a great appetizer/side dish on spaghetti night! I'm hoping that I'll be successful in getting my son to eat a vegetable!)

(Photo and recipe by Gina at SkinnyTaste.com)

For more great recipe ideas visit Finding Joy in My Kitchen!

Back up and at 'em

2011-08-03T17:08:00.003-05:00

I've missed a week of posting, but I like to think I had good reason. After about a week and a half of not feeling well at all, and a trip to the Minute Clinic which told me nothing, a late night trip to Urgent Care two days later finally diagnosed me with strep throat AND mono. So, not only was I in extreme discomfort from the strep and suffering from extreme fatigue from the mono, but I am also 7 months pregnant on top of all that.

Needless to say, after one week of being on antibiotics and a blissful weekend of family who came up to help me out (thanks to mom, dad, niece and nephew) I am now feeling nearly 100% again. Looking forward to getting back to "normal."

Gratituesday - Summer

2011-07-26T08:39:00.007-05:00

Like much of the country, we had nearly unbearable heat and humidity here in Minnesota last week. With temps near the 100 degree mark and dew points in the 80s, the heat index was around 115 degrees for nearly four days. It was even too hot for us to go to the pool. The kids just wanted to stay inside in the air conditioning. (On a side note, this Gratituesday post should also be about showing my gratitude for our central a/c and the ability to pay our electric bill this month!)

Yes, it was hot. Apparently people were baking cookies on the dashboards of their car while at work during the day. BUT - I forced myself NOT to complain. I am extremely thankful for a warm, sunny Minnesota summer because, before you know it, we will be faced with a cold, snowy, LONG Minnesota winter. Below zero temps. 15 inches of snow at a time. Coats, hats, mittens, snowsuits. Unfortunately, we have that for about six months, too.

So I will not complain about the heat. Instead, I will enjoy this very brief time we have with running with sprinklers, shorts and flip flops, and Popsicles.

For more Gratituesday posts, please visit Heavenlyhomemakers.com.

Menu Plan - Week of 7-25-11

2011-07-24T17:31:00.005-05:00

What a crazy summer! Husband working terribly long hours, house guests in and out of our home for the past two weeks, and some crazy hot and humid weather haven't really allowed me to follow much of a menu plan the last couple of weeks. I still have carryovers on this week's menu so nothing too new or exciting. However, I am thrilled that we are blessed with a houseful of food this week. My husband took both kids to a Twins baseball game on Saturday (by himself...a brave man!) which allowed me an entire afternoon of do-whatever-I-wanted-to-do-by-myself. Being the crazy gal I am, I headed to Costco (where I've never been without the kids) and enjoyed roaming the aisles at my leisure and picking up LOTS of great deals. I spent a pretty penny but we are completely stocked up for months to come (plus I got some great deals on fresh produce, cheese, milk and eggs - I cannot believe Costco's great prices on organic items!)

Anyway, despite my Costco excitement...here's what we have planned for the week:

Breakfasts:
Cold cereal and toast
Blueberry muffins
Whole Wheat Pancakes (leftovers from Sunday)
Fruit and yogurt

Lunches:
leftovers
PB&J, chips, carrot sticks
Fruit salad and cottage cheese
Egg sandwiches, carrots and dip, fruit
Creamy Mac and Cheese, fruit

Suppers:
Monday: Slow cooker Chicken Tacos (carryover), chips and salsa

Tuesday: Dijon chicken breasts (new recipe + carryover), lettuce salad, sweet potato fries

Wednesday: T-Ball night so probably out to eat afterwards

Thursday: Homemade pizza, Caeser salad, fruit

Friday: leftover buffet

(I'm not planning anything for the weekends this summer - who knows what our plans will be!)

Check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu planning fun!

Wordless Wednesday - First T-Ball Game

2011-07-20T08:15:00.002-05:00

My 4-year-old daughter Alison had her first T-Ball game last week. How can she be this big already?

Gratituesday - My Husband

2011-07-19T10:07:00.007-05:00

What a crazy past few days. As I said in my last post, I started feeling ill on Friday which, unfortunately, coincided with my husband's five-day long terrible stretch at work while he was working on a big brief. Not only was I sick, weak, and achey, but I had the kids to myself 24 hours a day for five days straight. My husband's brief was due yesterday so I was so thankful when Monday finally rolled around.

I started to feel quite a bit better yesterday. Later in the afternoon, Christopher was still napping and Alison was up from rest time. I finally had enough energy to sit with my daughter and do some preschool workbook pages with her. We were having a really nice time and I was enjoying having some energy back that allowed me to do something my kids other lay on the couch watching Nick Jr. with them. Then the phone rang. It was about 5:10 p.m. It was my husband. I could tell from caller ID that he was on his cell phone. He asked, "Would you mind if I came home early today?". I shouted happily, "Yes, please!" to which he responded, "Then come to the front door and let me in!". WHAT?! I cannot remember the last time my husband was home so early! It was such a sweet surprise to see him home and I was so thankful that he made it home safely, given the fact that he had slept about seven hours total in the last five days.

Today I am extra thankful for my husband. All too often I get in one of my martyr moods when I think that I do everything around the house and with the kids. It's when my darling husband is away that I realize how much he really does help me out and how much I depend on him. And how much the kids and I love him and enjoy when he's home.

I am also thankful for his job. While I wish he didn't have to work so hard, he is an awesome provider for our family and gives 110 percent to his work to make sure it's done right. During this economy, I know so many people who are looking for work and I am extra grateful for my husband's job and his work ethic.

Thank you honey!! I love you!

This post is linked to Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers.

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 7/18/11

2011-07-18T08:14:00.005-05:00

Last week's menu plan was a bust. I didn't make a SINGLE thing for supper that was on my menu plan. For two reasons: hubby has been working his butt off and has been home just to sleep for an hour or two each night for the past FIVE nights - so no reason to make a big meal for me and the little ones when he's gone. Plus, I've been sick the last few days with aches, fever and sore throat so I haven't been up to cooking either. With the husband being at work and no family around to help out, it has been a challenge caring for a toddler and preschooler day and night while sick as a dog AND 7 months pregnant. But we survived - I'm feeling a bit better today - and my husband's brief is due today and his schedule will hopefully return to some normalcy tonight!

That being said, this week's menu plan is just a repeat of last week's menu plan - pretty much the same of everything. We are having the Angel Chicken with broccoli tonight, and then filling in the rest of the week with chicken tacos, veggie burgers, and dijon chicken breasts.

The good news is - very little grocery shopping for me this week!

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie and Finding Joy in My Kitchen.

Little Kitchen Helpers

2011-07-12T09:27:00.005-05:00

I admit it - I am NOT one of those moms who really enjoys cooking with her kids. I feel terrible for saying it, but they slow things down, make a huge mess, waste ingredients, and in the long run, just make a lot more work for me. But I'm trying to get better. Trying to be more patient. Trying to just enjoy their little minds' curiosities about what goes on in the kitchen. And for that I am truly grateful. My son and daughter LOVE to help out in the kitchen, and I'm hoping that continues on for many years when I will need...and actually want...their help.

Here are my two little budding chefs:

Alison, age 4: who says a princess can't cook?
Christopher, age 2: All dressed up and ready to cook!

This post is linked to Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers.

Tomato Tortellini Soup

2011-07-11T20:21:00.002-05:00

This is one of my 4-year-old daughter's favorite meals. I adapted this recipe from one I saw in Taste of Home a couple of years ago. It combines two of her favorite foods: cheese-stuffed noodles and tomato soup (or as my kids call it, "red soup"). It is easy and packed with flavor. I envy those who are able to can their own homemade tomato soup because that would be delicious in this dish (and make it a bit healthier)! My family of four will easily go through one pot of this soup, and if you'd like lots of leftovers you can double to make a nice big batch!

Tomato Tortellini Soup

9 oz. package cheese tortellini
2 cans condensed tomato soup (I use the Campbell's Healthy Request brand for less sodium)
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup half and half
3 cups low fat milk
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

Cook the tortellini according to package directions. While the noodles are boiling away, combine the rest of the ingredients in a large soup pot over low-medium heat. Drain the tortellini and add to the rest of the soup ingredients. Cook until heated through. Serve as is, or it's also really good topped with a little shredded parmesean cheese.

Menu Plan: Week of 7/11/11

2011-07-10T21:31:00.006-05:00

Back to "formal" menu planning - hooray! Pretty simple menu plan for us this week, as hubby will have a busy week at work and may be working late some evenings. Plus, I'm trying not to use the oven much to keep the house a bit cooler. Here is what we have planned:

Breakfasts:
Cereal and fruit
Scrambled eggs and toast
Yogurt
Whole Wheat Muffins and fruit

Lunches:
PB&J, carrot sticks, yogurt
Mac and Cheese, grapes
Pita chips and hummus, fruit
Poor Man's Pizza, carrot sticks, fruit
leftovers

Suppers:
Monday: Veggie/Black Bean Burgers (from the freezer), pasta salad, fruit salad
Tuesday: Slow Cooker Angel Chicken, lettuce salad, green beans
Wednesday: Daughter's first night of T-Ball so we'll be eating out afterwards or home for leftovers
Thursday: Dijon Chicken Breasts (new recipe), sweet potato fries, lettuce salad
Friday: Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos, fruit salad
Sat and Sun: ?? (I'm not really planning much on the weekends anymore during summertime!)

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Settled in.

2011-07-06T20:51:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's really a month between posts now. We are settled in to our new home and, thank God, we are now the proud owners of only ONE home as we closed on the sale of our beloved little St. Paul home on June 30th. We adore our new neighborhood, larger house, spacious backyard, and all of the niceties of suburban living. Who knew that having an attached garage and a driveway would make a girl so happy? While I loved living in the heart of a large city for nearly ten years, I do not miss the city bus barreling by my house starting at 5am every day or the near-hourly police/ambulance/fire sirens. Out here, it is quiet. It is peaceful. I have turkeys meandering through my backyard. My children have a quiet and safe street to play on. Our neighbors actually come out of their homes to talk to us. All of this is new to us - and we love it!

I am also a bit more settled in in the kitchen, too. Tonight I made a family favorite that I hadn't made in ages - Tomato Tortellini Soup with a
Caesar salad. I'll post the soup recipe soon! We are going to try do some painting this weekend, too, if my hubby has the time. My daughter has requested a light pink room, we will paint one wall in my son's room a dark blue, and then paint the baby's room a very light blue (no, we don't know the gender of the baby but I think a light blue will be pretty and calming either way!)

I started menu planning again a couple of weeks ago, too, so I will begin posting those on Mondays again, too. Blogging life will be back to normal - at least for two months until baby #3 arrives!

Update

2011-06-09T07:08:00.003-05:00

Has it really been a month and a half since my last post? Wow, I'm sorry. But here's an update:

1. We moved into our new home on May 14th. It was a cold, crazy, rainy day but we got the job done. We LOVE our new home, new city and new neighborhood. We are "settled" but no where near organized. I think that will take another year.
2. We finally sold our other home and will close on that home on June 30th!
3. I'm nearly 24 weeks along already with baby #3!! I feel great, other than still pretty tired. But I blame the tiredness on the fact that I have a very active 4-year-old and 2-year-old to chase after in addition to (already) being hugely pregnant. Really, I'm so big that I think I may have a 13 pound baby...

I am looking forward to posting more again ( and hopefully more regularly ) soon. Recipes, household stuff, menu planning...I miss all of that stuff since we've been moving and getting settled. Look for more to come soon!

Menu Plan Monday: Week of 4/25/11

2011-04-25T12:24:00.005-05:00

Talk about sporadic blog posts. Packing to move into a new house in three weeks, trying to sell our current house, a low-energy-want-to-sleep-all-the-time pregnancy while chasing after two kids, and planning and celebrating a 4-year-old's birthday has led to very little time (or desire, to be real truthful) to blog. But I hate entering the week without a meal plan, so sitting down and writing it out on my blog today actually helped me make one for this week. We have some delicious ham and mashed potatoes left over from Easter dinner yesterday, so we'll be using that up throughout the week. I'm also trying to dig into the freezer to use up some food before we move. Here's our plan:

Breakfasts:
Ham and cheese omelets, toast
cold cereal, toast
Whole Wheat Muffins, bananas
Oatmeal, raisins

Lunches:
Ravioli with marinara sauce (I just whipped up today a can each of tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and tomato paste, and added some garlic, basil, oregano, salt and pepper, and a little brown sugar = a quick and easy pasta sauce), orange slices
Turkey sandwiches, cottage cheese, carrot sticks
leftover pizza, apple slices
Mac and cheese, green beans

Suppers:
Monday: hubby working late - soup and sandwiches for me and the kids

Tuesday: pizza party fundraiser for my son's Early Childhood Education school

Wednesday: Cheesy Ham and Pasta Bake, mixed vegetables, lettuce salad, orange slices

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Cheddar Ranch Burgers (new recipe), potato patties (made from leftover mashed potatoes from Easter), peas

Saturday: Baked Ziti (from the freezer), lettuce salad, carrots

Sunday: leftovers

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan: Week of 4/4/11

2011-04-03T20:34:00.004-05:00

I have been half-hazardly menu planning since our decision to sell our house. Boxes everywhere + cleaning + an attempt to de-clutter = my desire to fly by the seat of my pants a bit with our meals. On that note, it's no surprise that we ate out a lot and ate a lot of unhealthy foods during this time. So, back to it. I'm trying to use up some foods we have in the freezer and pantry so there isn't much shopping this week. Here's what we have planned:

Breakfasts:
Applesauce bread
Oatmeal, bananas
Cold cereal, toast
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (leftover from Sunday)

Lunches:
Tomato Soup and grilled cheese, apple slices
Hummus, pita chips, carrot sticks
Chicken strips, cottage cheese, oranges
Creamy Macaroni and Cheese, peas, fruit salad
leftovers

Suppers:
Monday: Turkey Noodle Casserole (using leftover frozen turkey)
Tuesday: Tilapia, brown rice, peas
Wednesday: Sticky Chicken in the Crockpot, mashed potatoes, gravy (this will be my first time ever attempting homemade gravy - pray for me.), green beans
Thursday: Chicken Noodle Soup (using leftover chicken and broth from Wed.), grilled cheese, fruit salad
Friday - Sun.: in-laws are in town so it's up to the husband and probably out to eat a couple of times

Check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for menu planning ideas!

I'm back!

2011-03-31T11:34:00.004-05:00

The house is officially on the market. The market is slow, but we are praying that showings and interest will pick up when the warmer weather starts (hopefully!) soon. My patience and energy have really been challenged by trying to keep a house "show-ready" (clean, picked up, ready for someone to see at a moment's notice) with a 2-year-old and 3-year-old. The following sentence actually came out of my mouth the other day, as I told my husband: "I would rather take the bar exam again than try to sell a house with a toddler and a preschooler." I have NEVER said that about anything, so you know I'm a little stressed. (Granted, I think that a bit of an exaggeration on my part.)

Plus, throw the following into the mix - I'm pregnant with Baby #3! We are due in late September and couldn't be happier. So not only am I keeping a house "show-ready" with two little ones, I am doing so with the energy level of a sloth.

But I am feeling better these days and there isn't much more to do with the house other than WAIT. So I'm back, ready to blog about some stuff in the coming weeks. It's good to be back!

A blogging break

2011-02-21T08:13:00.002-06:00

Life is very busy around our house lately. Life is always busy, but extra busy these days. We made the decision to put our little home on the market next week. Needless to say, we have a LOT of work to do in order to get our home "show ready." Lately, it seems the only thing I've been blogging about lately anyway is my menu plan which, I hate to say, just isn't that interesting by itself. :-)

So, I'm taking a small break from blogging to give myself a little more time to concentrate on getting the house ready and my kids. I hope to be back in a month or two when the house is (hopefully) sold and we've found our new house!

Blessings to all,
Holly T.

Menu Plan: Week of 2/14/11

2011-02-14T09:19:00.005-06:00

Well, we're back from a great week's vacation in Florida. While we were gone, we had some work done to our house and let's just say that after returning late Saturday night, my house definitely was not clean. Sunday proved to be a laundry and lazy day. So here it is...Monday....hubby is back to work, the kids are already restless, my house is a disaster, and I don't have any food in the house. After a trip to the grocery store today, here is what I plan to make this week. (I'm only planning suppers this week - I have zero energy or desire right now to even think of what we'll do for breakfast or lunch.)

Monday: Spaghetti with CrockPot Marinara Sauce, lettuce salad
Tuesday: Vegetable Barley Soup (from the freezer - carryover from two weeks ago), grilled ham and cheese sandwiches
Wednesday: Chicken Parmesan (using leftover marinara sauce), green beans, whole wheat pasta
Thursday: Barbeque sandwiches, pasta salad, peas
Friday: Homemade Pizza, lettuce salad
Saturday: Clean out the Fridge Night!
Sunday: ??
This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan: Week of 1/31/11

2011-01-30T13:13:00.004-06:00

I cannot believe it's almost February! Despite being cooped up during this long, cold Minnesota winter, we are still eating fairly healthy in our house. I'm trying to clean out some things from my freezer and pantry this week, and so far my grocery list only has 5 items on it for the week! Here's what we have planned for the week:

Breakfasts:
Blueberry and Spinach Smoothies (new recipe - we'll see how my kids like this one!)
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (leftover from Sunday), bananas
cold cereal, toast
bagels with cream cheese, fruit

Lunches:
Fish sticks (a new kid favorite - not from scratch but it's a treat every now and then!), apple slices, crackers
PB&J, crackers, grapes
Tomato soup, grilled cheese, carrot sticks with ranch dressing
Hummus and pita chips, orange slices
leftovers

Suppers:
Sunday: Homemade Pizza, lettuce salad
Monday: Vegetable Barley Soup (from the freezer), grilled ham and cheese, pineapple
Tuesday: Turkey and Spinach Enchiladas, refried bean dip (half of this recipe), chips
Wednesday: leftovers
Thursday: Beef and Bean Chili (yes, for the THIRD week in a row! My husband loves this stuff!)
Friday: Chipotle take-out!
Sat. and Sun: ??

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Computer area clutter - finished!

2011-01-28T07:23:00.011-06:00

As I've mentioned at least 5,000 times since I started this blog, we live in a very small house. The only place we've found to put our computer is, unfortunately, on our kitchen countertop. Not the prettiest of all places, but it works. This space gets very cluttered with incoming mail, recipes and coupons, notes, magazines, preschool information, pens and pencils, etc. It is a part of my home that causes me anxiety because there is really no hiding it when people come over. So, as part of my de-cluttering for 2011 resolution, I decided to tackle this mess.

Here is the before:

I decided the vertical magazine holder (which you can't even see because it's hidden behind so much stuff) wasn't cutting it anymore. I wanted my stuff even more hidden. So I found this great, small (and cute) hanging file folder container at Target for $9. The hardest part was picking the color...so many cute ones...but I went with a muted orange. Here's my new baby:

I tossed a bunch of old and/or outdated and unread magazines. I organized my piles of stuff into categories like bills, household information, preschool information, coupons, recipes, etc. Here is the "after" of my file folder box:

A good cleaning later, here is the finished space:
Hooray!

Pear Blueberry Muffins

2011-01-26T07:31:00.005-06:00

My little two-year-old is a fruit lover. His recent favorite is pears (I found a great deal at Aldi and got 8 pears for $2!) And forget about blueberries...I can't keep enough of them in the house for my little guy. So, I decided to make a pear/blueberry combo muffin which turned out really well. I found a base recipe but changed quite a bit of it to make it a bit healthier and suit our family's tastes. (Note that I'm still getting my family used to the taste of sucanat so I'm making a gradual transition - you can use more in place of the brown sugar if you like, or just use brown sugar if you don't have sucanat.) These also freeze very well. Enjoy!

Pear Blueberry Muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
2 T. butter, very soft
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sucanat
2 eggs
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1 cup pears, peeled and diced
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together the flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger. In a medium bowl, cream butter with brown sugar and sucanat. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the yogurt. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until combined. (The mixture will be quite thick.) Stir in the pears and blueberries. Fill the muffin cups evenly with the mixture. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Menu Plan: Week of 1/24/11

2011-01-23T19:29:00.008-06:00

My husband has FINALLY surpassed the two weeks of "Phase 1" of the South Beach Diet (no carbs, no fruit, no sugars) and we have now entered a much more enjoyable and menu-planning-friendly "Phase 2" (whole grain carbs and most fruit allowed). However, two the "Phase 1" meals are such hits that we are having them again this week: the Beef and Bean Chili and Chicken Parmesean were delicious! (And I made the Pork Satay last night and husband said it was some of the best pork he's ever had). So, despite eating very healthy, we are also eating very well. Here is what is in store for us this week:

Breakfasts:
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (leftover from Sunday), bananas
cold cereal, toast
Pumpkin Spice Granola (didn't make last week), yogurt
Whole wheat bagels, cream cheese
Pear Blueberry Muffins (from the freezer - recipe to come soon!)

Lunches:
Chicken strips, cottage cheese, carrot sticks
PB&J, pickles, apple slices
Creamy Mac and Cheese, orange slices, green beans
Vegetable soup, crackers, cheese sticks, apple slices

Suppers:
Chicken Parmesean, whole wheat noodles, lettuce salad
Beef and Bean Chili, lettuce salad
Chipotle Beef Burritos, whole wheat tortilla chips, salsa and sour cream
Chicken Quesadillas, green beans, applesauce
Tilapia (didn't make last week), broccoli

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan: Week of 1/17/11

2011-01-16T19:44:00.008-06:00

This week, I'm still trying to be a good, supportive wife and help my husband out with his second week of "Phase 1" of the South Beach Diet. But let me tell you, the cookin' ain't been easy, ladies. Yes, I'm getting lots of great recipes from The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook, but I miss my make-ahead meals of casseroles, crock pot meals, and spaghetti. The good news is that we are eating lots of fresh, nutritious, whole foods during this grand experiment. With the exception of the chili, all of the recipes for suppers are new this week.

Here's what's in store for us:

Breakfasts:
cold cereal and toast
Pumpkin Spice Granola (new recipe), yogurt
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes (with blueberries, leftover from Sunday!)
Cinnamon Swirl Toast (new recipe), fruit

Lunches:
Creamy Mac and Cheese, orange slices, peas
Hummus with pita chips, carrot sticks, apples
Cheese Quesadillas, refried beans, chips, pears
PB&J, crackers, cottage cheese
Fried Egg Sandwiches, fruit

Suppers:
Chicken Parmesean (with some whole wheat noodles for me and the kids), broccoli
Beef and Bean Chili (yes I made this last week and I'm making it again!), lettuce salad, carrot sticks
Pork Satay, green beans
Tilapia, lettuce salad
Tomato Basil Soup, cannelini salad

This post is linked to Menu Plan Mondays at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

The Great Pantry Clean-Out - completed!

2011-01-13T10:46:00.012-06:00

We live in a very small house. But one of the many things I love about our little cozy house is that, despite its small size, our house has a very nice-sized kitchen and walk-in pantry. I often wonder what I would do without my pantry. But...as shameful as it is, my lovely pantry is often turned into the "shove it in there for now because I don't want to deal with it" spot. Plus, because our house is so small, the pantry also holds the recycling, kids' art supplies, brooms and mop, step stool, and extra folding chairs. There have been times when I haven't even been able to walk in to our walk-in pantry. As I stated in my previous post, my pantry just one of the areas of my home that needed good gutting and organizing. Here is the shameful "before picture"...(blush):

(Yes, that is a 12-pack of Diet Coke floor. And yes, I wrote a few a months ago about how I was giving up Diet Coke. But in my defense, my mother had come up for a visit and she drinks Diet Coke, so I bought some for her during her stay. I'm not going to lie and say that I haven't snuck one or two during naptime since, but I'm doing much better.)

Wow. I threw out nearly a bag of stale and old crackers, chips, and some expired beverages. (What a waste, right?) I also emptied TWO bags of dried up Play-Doh containers, broken crayons, used up coloring books, and old art projects. I moved some things around, cleaned the floor and shelving, and...
The "after":

It feels so good to have this cleaned out and organized. Not to mention it's great to be to actually walk in to my walk-in pantry.

Menu Plan: Week of 1/10/11

2011-01-09T10:30:00.008-06:00

We are leaving for Florida in less than a month!! Hooray for vacations in warm, sunny weather. We cannot wait to escape the sub-zero temps of Minnesota in February. But, my hubby is a bit concerned about hitting the beach after this cold, comfort-food-filled Minnesota winter. So, he is following the South Beach diet this month in preparation for a beach life in a few weeks. We both followed the South Beach diet a year or so before we had children, and with great results. While I am not a fan of fad diets, this one really promotes healthy eating, whole and unprocessed foods, and low sugar. I felt terrific when I generally followed the South Beach eating plan. Don't we all strive for that every day?

That being said, I'm trying to help him out and support him this week by creating a menu plan following the "Phase 1" foods of the South Beach Diet. All of these recipes I found in this cookbook I bought about four or five years ago, The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook by Arthur Agatston. Should be a tasty week! The kids and I will eat with hubby in the evening (but will secretly eat our carbs during the day when he's at work!)

Breakfasts:
Blueberry Muffins
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (freezer), fruit
cold cereal and toast
oatmeal, bananas

Lunches:
Poor Man's Pizza, pears
Hummus, pita chips, carrot sticks
Tomato soup, grilled ham and cheese, apples
leftovers

Suppers:
Monday: Beef and Bean Chili, cantaloupe

Tuesday: Greek Meatballs, Creamy Cauliflower Soup, lettuce salad

Wednesday: Kale and lentil stew (and probably some sandwiches for the kids)

Thursday: Chinese Steamed Chicken (and probably Creamy Mac and Cheese for the kids)

Friday: Mexican Chicken Soup, spinach salad

Saturday: Baked Barbeque Chicken, Sweet Potato Fries

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm An Organizing Junkie!

The kitchen organization - completed!

2011-01-08T07:21:00.005-06:00

So far, I'm doing pretty well on getting rid of stuff and organizing various parts of my home that have been driving me batty. One of the items on my list was my kitchen - cupboards were stuffed with way too many things that I haven't used in years, Tupperware containers with no lids, and kitchen gadgets I never used...or even opened.

After a couple of good nap-time cleaning sessions, I got it done. I am a tad ashamed of the "before" pictures, but this is all about honesty amongst us moms, right? Here are the before and after pics:

The area above my microwave...cluttered with vitamins and unused glassware and bowls:

I got rid of a box of glassware for donation, threw out old, cracked dishes, and moved the vitamins into the cabinet:

One of my kitchen cupboards that housed everything from our griddle, colanders, pasta bowls, Ziplocs and juice pitchers.

I gave away plenty of unused items, filled up another box for donation, and made room for everything we still need and use:

The dreaded Tupperware cupboard. Now that my kids are old enough that they aren't opening this up and playing in it every day, there was NO EXCUSE for how bad it had gotten. In my purging haste, I forgot to take a picture of the "before". I filled an entire large garbage bag with unused or mismatched containers for donation. No threat of items falling out on me when I open it now:

And another "cannot get this door closed" cupboard, filled with mixing bowls, baking pans, muffin tins, cookie sheets, and cooling racks. Again, I forgot the "before" picture. This is the one cupboard that I didn't get rid of anything in, since I use everything in there. It just needed a good organizing and cleaning:

I have plenty left to do to get my little house in order, but cleaning out parts of my kitchen was a pretty good start. Even my husband was impressed. :-)

Hot Cocoa Mix

2011-01-06T17:10:00.008-06:00

I live in Minnesota. I don't think my feet or hands have been warm since October. Therefore, you can understand my affection toward hot, comforting beverages (like my favorite Chai Tea Latte mix). I finally stopped buying the packages of hot cocoa mix because, at the rate my kids and I were drinking it this winter, I kept running out of it and it was eating up too much of my precious grocery budget - plus some of the ingredients were a little scary. So I started making my own mix, made with only three ingredients that I always have on hand. This isn't as sugary-sweet as some store-bought mixes, but it is more cocoa-y. (Like that word?) Here's our new favorite recipe:

Hot Cocoa Mix

1 c. sugar
2 c. powdered milk
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

Pull all ingredients in blender or food processor. Cover and blend until powdery (about 15 seconds or less). Store in an airtight container for up to six months (although it will not last that long!). I use about 2 -3 heaping tablespoons of mix per small mug of hot boiling water, but you can adjust to your taste.

Oh yeah...and don't forget the marshmallows.

This post is linked to Frugal Friday over at Life As Mom ... check out her great blog!

The kids' room - completed!

2011-01-05T11:45:00.004-06:00

This is my first follow-up to last week's post regarding simply being overtaken with too much stuff. Number one of my list - and my highest stressor during the day because I was on the verge of falling and breaking a leg if it didn't get cleaned up - the kids' room.

The day of my post, here is what my kids' room looked like. Gulp...the "before".

This is only a 10x12 room that is shared by both of my kids, ages 2 and 3. (Yes, my oldest still sleeps in a crib. We have taken the front off two different times to convert the crib into a daybed, but she hates it and says she will fall out. Whatever makes her happy!) My awesome hubby took three - yes, three - days off recently and was able to entertain the kiddos in the basement and living room while I purged their room of too much stuff. Unused baby dolls. Unused stuffed toys. Shape sorters that haven't been touched in seven months. Trucks that have been stuck under someone's bed for six months and therefore won't be missed. It all went ... and amounted to three large grocery bags plus one large box full of stuff for Goodwill. (I must admit that I was saddened to think of how much money I could've made by selling this stuff at a garage sale, but I have absolutely NO place to store the stuff until this Spring.) I was even able to drop it off for donation that afternoon so it didn't just sit there in a corner of my bedroom for three months.

And happy sigh...the "after."

Granted, these pictures were taken after everything was picked up before naptime. As I write, Princesses are strewn all over the floor again. But the important part is that there is now a place to STORE the princesses and trucks neatly. And that makes me a happy SAHM.

Menu Plan - Week of 1/3/10

2011-01-03T11:01:00.004-06:00

Nothing too crazy or spectacular with this week's menu plan. Just trying to keeping it simple (and healthier than how we've been eating lately!) and also trying to clean a few things out the freezer. Here's what's in store this week:

Monday:
Hubby took the day off (hooray!) so he's cooking. Not sure what he'll make.

Tuesday:
Vegetable Barley Soup (freezer), grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, cantaloupe (on sale at Aldi this week for only $1.49!)

Wednesday: Spaghetti with Crockpot Marinara Sauce, cantaloupe, lettuce salad

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Cheddar Turkey Enchiladas (freezer), hot bean dip, pears (another Aldi sale this week - 4/.99!)

Saturday: clean out the fridge night, or soup and salad

Sunday: maybe out to eat?

Check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas.

Too Much Stuff.

2010-12-30T07:46:00.005-06:00

December 30th. Yes, I'm one of those people who make yearly resolutions. And yes, mine typically involve eating healthier and starting an exercise program. Not this year. This year, I'm focusing on my home. My tiny, cozy home that I adore. My tiny, cozy home that is now stressing me out because it is overtaken by TOO MUCH STUFF.

Perhaps coming home after five days on the road for Christmas made me realize I no longer have room to put stuff. The kids' room (they share a room) is now filled to the brim with toys. They love them all. And they really do play with nearly everything in there. But it is just too much. I'm sick of stepping on princesses, tractors, and robot parts. I'm tired of not being able to buy that wonderful, dreamy KitchenAid Stand Mixer that my husband told me to finally get for myself this year because I have zero - zippo - nada place to store it. I'm tired of Tupperware falling out of my cupboard every time I open it because it's so jam packed. I'm tired of wondering what exactly IS in those dusty old boxes behind the furnace in our storage/laundry room that haven't been opened in four years?!

So this year, I will hopefully accomplish the great SAHM "de-clutter and simplify my home" event for 2011. I hope to get this all done by the end of February. Yeah, that's not a lot of time, but it needs to be done. Quickly. Now.

But where to start? If I don't make a starting point, I'll never start. And I'm hoping by sharing my "get organized" hopes for 2011 with you all that it will make me more accountable and actually get it done. Here is my list so far:

1. The kids' room. Organize toys. Sort through toys no longer played with and books no longer read for Goodwill donation. Clean under the beds and changing table/dresser. Clean the baseboards and ceiling fan (we don't need to discuss how long it has been since I've done that last part. Yikes.)

2. The kitchen. Clean out bottom cupboards storing Tupperware and pots and pans. Clean out top cupboards storing glassware and plates. Donate unused items. Wipe down the inside of cupboards.

3. The basement. No, wait...I'm not ready for this one yet. Let's procrastinate a bit, shall we?

3. The guest room closet. The "shove it in there where no one will see it" hell-hole. Unfortunately, this is also where my husband keeps all of his suits, shirts and ties. I'd love for him to open that closet in the morning and see a nice, organized space. A lot can be taken to consignment. We also have a metal filing cabinet in there that holds old tax returns, household documents, etc. I'm dreading organizing that thing because nothing is "filed," just shoved in there. Clean out clothes/bedding/purses, wrapping paper - organize and donate. Clean out filing cabinet - organize in folders and shred the rest.

4. The living room closet. What to do with a closet that stores old coats and sweaters, kids' toys and maxi pads? Really?! Time to clean out the old clothes and toys for donation, move the "personal items" to a different space (under the bathroom cabinet, perhaps?) and define this space a bit more.

5. My pantry. This really isn't in too bad of shape on the shelves. Everything is rotated and organized fairly nicely. But it's what is on the floor that scares me. We keep our recycling, brooms/mops, heavier items, and kids' colors/playdough/craft items all o the floor of the pantry. It's a mess and needs to be cleaned out and organized.

6. And finally....I'm ready for it now. The basement. We have a small unfinished part of our basement that holds our furnace, hot water heater and softener, washer/dryer, freezer, cat food and litter box, and some storage shelves. There is TOO MUCH UNUSED STUFF stored down there. It will take a lot of dirty work (the spider webs alone are enough to make we want to move right now) but I would really like to make this a nicer space. Step 1: get rid of aforementioned spider webs. Shudder. Step 2: clean out the "newer" boxes of stuff and donate. Create more shelving space. Step 3: The icky part....delve into the boxes on the shelves behind the furnace that are dusty, gross and haven't been touched in 4+ years. Donate....throw out...and more donation.

Boy, do I feel naked now. Yes, I have some icky parts of my home. But hopefully, in two months, the ickiness will be replaced with organization and serenity.

And maybe even some "before and after" photos if I'm feeling REALLY brave.

Menu Plan: Week of 12/19/2010

2010-12-19T08:29:00.006-06:00

I toyed with the idea of not menu planning this week due to Christmas and traveling. We will be heading out of town for six days at the end of the week for our yearly Christmas roadtrip (first to S.D. to visit my husband's family, and then down to southern MN for my family). But the thought of not having at least a little menu plan made me stressed out, so here is what I've come up with for the week.

Sunday: Barley Vegetable Soup(new recipe - doubling to save half for freezer), lettuce salad, grilled ham and cheese sandwiches

Monday: Homemade Pizza (didn't make last week), lettuce salad, fresh pineapple (at Target for $2.99 this week!)

Tuesday: leftovers

Wednesday: Garlic Chicken Pasta, green beans, apple slices

Thurs. - Tues.: Out of town!

Happy Holidays!!! For more menu planning, please visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan: Week of 12/13/10

2010-12-13T07:35:00.005-06:00

The big hit from last week was the Italian Roast Wraps. I used a large arm roast I dug out from the depths of my freezer, sprinkled one packet of Italian seasoning mix on it, and let it go on low all day in the slow cooker. I couldn't believe how tender it came out. However, the taste really wasn't too Italian-y. I think next time I'll use some taco seasoning instead. But it was still fantastic, and I made Beef Stroganoff the following night with most of the leftover roast. My husband said it was the best beef stroganoff he'd ever had. :-)

I'm flying by the seat of my pants in this week's menu plan. I have 16 inches of new snow in my backyard and a forecasted high temperature of 3 degrees today. Let's just say that venturing out for a big grocery shopping trip isn't in the cards today. So, I am trying to build a menu based on what I mostly have on hand in the pantry and freezer, with an anticipated run to the store on Wednesday.

Breakfasts:
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (leftovers from Sunday morning), bananas
Cereal and toast
Bagels and cream cheese, fruit
Egg and Cheese Muffins, fruit

Lunches:
"Kitchen Picnic" (today) (turkey sandwiches, crackers, apple slices, cookies and juice boxes on the kitchen floor!)
Poor Man's Pizza, pears
Pita chips and hummus, carrot sticks, raisins
leftovers

Suppers:
Monday: Slow Cooker Turkey Chili (husband's request as he was heading out the door this morning in -9 degree weather) (half will go in freezer), cornbread, orange slices

Tuesday: Crockpot Thai Chicken (carryover from last week), brown rice, pineapple

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: (my parents are visiting!) Cheddar Turkey Enchiladas, Hot Bean Dip, chips and salsa

Friday: Lentil Rice Casserole, green beans, lettuce salad

Saturday: Clean out the fridge night!

Sunday: Homemade pizza, carrot sticks, fruit

Check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu plans and recipes!

Homemade Chai Tea Latte Mix

2010-12-10T07:14:00.008-06:00

I may have given up drinking my beloved Diet Coke but sometimes I'm still in need of a little afternoon beverage enjoyment, and this homemade Chai Tea Latte is my favorite wintertime indulgence. (I say "indulgence" because I acknowledge that this drink isn't super healthy since it contains coffee creamer and a fair amount of sugar, but you gotta treat yourself every now and then!) If you buy a Chai Tea Latte at a Starbucks or Caribou, you're looking to spend at least $3-$4 for a small cup - but this drink mix is frugal AND tastes just as good as any you'd buy from your local coffee shop. I've had this recipe for a couple of years now and I apologize that I cannot give credit to the website I originally got the recipe from a few years ago since I didn't write that down on my old, ratty copy of the recipe.

This recipe makes a nice large batch and will fill your food processor up to the top, so I recommend combining all ingredients in a big mixing bowl and then splitting up the mix into two different batches in the food processor. During the holidays, I double the batch and make at least four different gifts. Just visit your local dollar store, pick up a festive little jar or tin, fill with the mix and tie with a bow. Instant holiday warmth!

Instant Chai Tea Latte Mix

1 cup dry milk
1 cup dry coffee creamer
1 cup dry French vanilla coffee creamer
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups plain instant tea
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. allspice

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour half the mixture into your food processor and blend into a fine powder. Repeat with the other half of the mixture. Use 3 heaping spoonfuls per mug of boiling water. (You can use a little less if you don't want it quite so sweet.)

For more frugal ideas, please visit Frugal Fridays at Life As Mom.

Menu Plan: Week of 12/6/10

2010-12-05T15:07:00.006-06:00

Another week of trying to get organized, regain some sanity and calmness, and put forth my weekly menu plan. Last week's menu produced a couple of new yummy hits in our family: the Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken was not only delicious, but easy to make ahead during naptime and keep in the fridge till baking time. We also enjoyed the Lentil Burritos, which were healthy, tasty, and a very affordable meal.

This week, I'm trying more new recipes. You may notice my many links to the Heavenly Homemakers blog. I really enjoy all of Laura's recipes and her quest to make healthy, unprocessed, nutritious meals for family is inspirational. Here is what I have planned for this week:

Breakfasts:
CrockPot Apple Oatmeal (carryover from how many weeks ago?)
Cold cereal, toast and bananas
Bagels and cream cheese, strawberries

Lunches:
Hummus and pita chips, apple slices, string cheese
PB&J, carrot sticks with ranch dip
Ham & cheese wraps, pickles, cottage cheese, grapes
Leftovers

Suppers:
Monday:
Turkey Noodle Soup (made with leftover turkey and broth in the freezer from Thanksgiving), honey whole wheat bread (new recipe - I’m cutting this recipe in half)

Tuesday:
Italian Roast Wraps (new recipe), lettuce salad, cantaloupe

Wednesday:
Leftovers

Thursday:
Turkey n’ Biscuits (new recipe), lettuce salad, grapes

Friday:
Homemade Pizza, Caesar salad, green beans, cantaloupe

Saturday:
Crockpot Thai Chicken (new recipe), brown rice, orange slices

Sunday:
Clean out the fridge night!

Please check out I'm an Organizing Junkie for menu planning ideas and recipes.

Hot and Sour Soup

2010-12-03T07:19:00.005-06:00

When my husband and I were attending college in small-town South Dakota, there was a Korean restaurant on Main Street that was the BEST. I have lived in a large metropolitan area for over 12 years now, and to this day, after trying countless other Korean, Thai, and Chinese restaurants, the best Asian food (and perhaps the best food, period) I have ever had was at that little restaurant. I know, in South Dakota, right?! Anyway, that chef made the most awesome hot and sour soup. This recipe doesn't quite compare to how great that soup was, but it is definitely good.

Hot and Sour Soup adapted from Miserly Meals: Healthy, Tasty Recipes Under 75¢ per Serving by Jonni McCoy

2 c. low sodium chicken broth
½ c. thinly sliced mushrooms
1 tsp. minced ginger
1/2 can thinly sliced bamboo shoots
1 T. cornstarch
1 T. low sodium soy sauce
2-3 drops Tabasco sauce
½ package firm tofu cut into ½ inch pieces
1 egg, beaten
¼ tsp. pepper
3 T. red wine
1 green onion, thinly sliced

In a large saucepan, heat the broth over medium heat.
Add mushrooms, ginger and bamboo shoots.
In a small bowl, make a paste with the cornstarch, soy sauce and Tabasco.
Add the paste to the soup and stir to mix in. Continue boiling and stirring until the soup reaches a thicker consistency.
Add the tofu.
Drizzle the egg slowly into the soup. Remove from heat.
Let it cool for 1-2 minutes.
Add the pepper, vinegar, and green onion and stir. Serve immediately.

Menu Plan: Week of 11/29/10

2010-11-28T08:08:00.005-06:00

The weather on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving made us cancel our travel plans for Thanksgiving, so we actually ended up staying home and cooking a turkey feast for the four of us. (My husband made the turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, and gravy - I made the green bean casserole and pumpkin pie.) Although we missed our family, it turned out to be a very nice, cozy day for our little family.

I'm looking forward to more of a "planned" menu this week. I'm trying a couple of new dishes and just trying to keep things simple and healthy. (I'm focusing on "healthy" because, I must admit, my jeans are fitting quite a bit tighter as I type this.) :-)

Here's what we have planned for this week:

Breakfasts:
Whole Wheat Pancakes (Freezer)
Granola bars
Cold cereal and bananas
Cinnamon Raisin Toast and yogurt

Lunches:
Tomato soup, grilled cheese, carrot sticks
Chicken strips, cottage cheese, apple slices
Hummus and pita chips, carrot sticks, raisins
leftovers

Suppers:
Monday: Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken (new recipe), pasta with marinara sauce, broccoli

Tuesday: Lentil Burritos (new recipe), mixed vegetables, apple slices

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: BBQ Chicken Sandwiches, oven fries, corn

Friday: Chicken Noodle Casserole, lettuce salad, orange slices

Saturday: Father-in-law visiting so probably out to eat

Sunday: clean out the fridge night!

Please visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for great menu planning ideas.

Menu Plan: Week of 11/22/10

2010-11-21T07:55:00.004-06:00

First, allow me to apologize for my total lack of blogging lately. Life has been busy. I have realized this past week that I have definitely bitten off a bit more than I can chew with some of my obligations and volunteering, and while I'm happy to do it all, it certainly doesn't leave a whole lot of time for the "extras" like blogging. I'm hopeful things will slow down soon and get back to normal (once I learn how to say "no.")

Second, can you even call this a menu plan? Nope, not really. We are traveling to South Dakota for the Thanksgiving holiday and will be gone the majority of the week. (Thanks in advance to my mother-in-law who will do all of the cooking while I sit in front of her glorious fireplace in my slippers sipping a hot cup of coffee or cocoa. Yes, I really am quite spoiled when we visit.) That being said, there is not much cooking for me this week. Since we'll be gone, I don't want to go grocery shopping and I don't want to have any leftovers, so this is what I have (kind of) planned so far:

Breakfasts:
Cold cereal and toast
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (freezer) and bananas

Lunches:
Poor Man's Pizza, carrot sticks
Chicken strips, cottage cheese, apple slices

Suppers:
Monday: Three Cheese Garlic Chicken Pasta, romaine salad, green beans, apple slices

Tuesday: Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, orange slices

Wed. - Sun.: out of town!

For menu planning ideas (and most certainly some great recipes to use leftover turkey!), please visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan: Week of 11/15/10

2010-11-15T08:02:00.007-06:00

This week’s menu is pretty simple. I’m using mostly what I have on hand, in addition to carrying over some items from last week. Here's what we'll be eating this week:

Breakfasts:
Giant Breakfast Cookies (carryover from last week)
CrockPot Apple Oatmeal (carryover from last week)
Cold cereal, toast and bananas
Whole Wheat Muffins (freezer)

Lunches:
Ham and cheese melts, tomato soup, orange slices
Hummus and pita chips, carrot sticks with ranch dip
Chicken strips, cottage cheese, apple slices
Leftovers

Suppers:
Monday:
Tator Tot Hotdish (made with ground turkey)(carryover from last week), lettuce salad, orange slices

Tuesday:
Leftovers

Wednesday:
Hubby working late – soup and sandwiches for me and the kids

Thursday:
Hubby working late again – Egg and cheese English muffins, bananas

Friday:
Spinach Stuffed Shells (doubling recipe for friend who just had a baby), lettuce salad

Saturday:
My birthday – out to eat!

Sunday:
Chicken Tacos, refried beans, chips and salsa

Please visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas.

Today is one of those great mornings...

2010-11-09T07:04:00.007-06:00

where I'm happy and really, really enjoy my job as a stay-at-home mom to my two kiddos and wife to a very busy husband.

But then again, I'm the only one up and the house is blissfully quiet.

I woke up early (5:20 a.m. - thanks to not having adjusted to Daylight Savings Time yet) and turned on the coffee pot. I showered, did the whole makeup/hair/get dressed routine, and then wandered into the kitchen to make this yummy Applesauce Bread as a morning breakfast treat for my hubby and lil' ones. It is 7:05 a.m. I'm dressed and ready for the day. The bread is done and waiting for my family to tear into it. The house smells fantastic. The coffee is awesome. And the house is still blissfully quiet. Which is good because we have a busy day ahead of us, filled with preschool for the 3-year-old and an early childhood class for me and the 2-year-old.

I thank God often for this opportunity He has given my family. He has blessed us with the ability to have me stay home full-time with my kiddos. I know there are plenty of moms who love their careers and having that career outside of the home is a great thing for them and their families. But I also know there are moms who long to stay home with their kiddos but are financially unable to do so. And because of that, I can never forget give thanks for the blessing of being a SAHM.

SAHM, I am.

Now, I need to make sure I bookmark this post. I need to read...and re-read...and re-read again - when I have that inevitable day (likely this evening) when I'm exhausted, the kids are fighting and yelling "Mama!" every 6 seconds, supper is burning, and the cat puked on the rug. Remember, it's all a blessing....

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Menu Plan - Week of 11/8/10

2010-11-08T06:28:00.004-06:00

Ahhh….home sweet home. I am glad to be home again with my little family and settling into our routine. I love traveling to see family but it is always sooooo nice to get home, get unpacked, get the house cleaned, and sigh a little “I love my house and my family” sigh.

And part of that routine is menu planning. I haven’t posted a menu plan for weeks and I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things again. Here is what I have planned so far for the upcoming week:

Breakfasts:
Giant Breakfast Cookies
CrockPot Apple Oatmeal (new recipe)
Cold cereal, toast and bananas
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (from freezer)

Lunches:
PB&J, raisins, pickles
Cheese quesadillas, carrot sticks with ranch dip
Chicken strips, cottage cheese, apple slices
Leftovers

Suppers:
Monday:
Stir fry made with leftover grilled pork chops, green beans and mushrooms from Sunday night

Tuesday:
BBQ Chicken Drumsticks, Ranch potato wedges, Mixed vegetables, Apple slices

Wednesday:
Black Bean Salsa Chicken (new recipe), Chips with salsa and sour cream

Thursday:
Hubby working late – leftovers for me and the kids

Friday:
Hubby working late again; Three Cheese Garlic Chicken Pasta (new recipe) and fruit for me and the kids

Saturday:
Tator Tot Hotdish (made with ground turkey), lettuce salad, orange slices

Sunday:
Hubby’s choice…probably out to eat!

Check out I'm An Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas.

Yes, I'm still here...

2010-10-28T07:09:00.003-05:00

but just taking a brief blogging break. Life has been a bit crazy lately. My grandmother passed away so I was out of town for a while for her funeral. And then I come back to a crazy house, crazy weather, and no electricity for a while. And now I'm heading out of town again for a few days for a college friend's wedding this weekend.

I'll be back sometime next week, I promise. All is well, and I'll have lots of blogging catch-up to do. Take care everyone and a Happy Halloween to you and your family!

Menu Plan: Week of 10/18/10

2010-10-17T17:00:00.008-05:00

I'm trying two new soup recipes this week and starting a weekly "soup night" for us. (I would normally make only one soup but I've been craving Hot & Sour Soup and I know the kids wouldn't care for it). The weather is cooler and the kids and I love soup, so why not? It's usually pretty simple to throw together, can simmer until hubby finally arrives home, and it keeps really well for leftovers. I'm looking forward to relaxed, fun week of cooking! Here's what's in store this week:

Breakfasts:
cold cereal and toast
Granola bars (for the preschool mornings when we need to be out the door quickly)
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (from freezer), bananas

Lunches:
leftovers
Poor Man's Pizza, oranges, carrot sticks
Pita chips and hummus, apple slices
PB&J, apple slices, pretzels

Suppers:
Monday: Soup night! Hot and Sour Soup for me and hubby (new recipe - will post it soon if it turns out well); Tomato Tortellini Soup (new recipe) for the kids; Italian Breadsticks

Tuesday: Homemade Chicken Nuggets, oven fries, peas

Wednesday: Tator Tot Hotdish, lettuce salad, honeydew melon

Thursday: clean out the fridge night

Friday: Slow Cooker Lasagna, lettuce salad, green beans, melon

Saturday: Homemade Pizza, fruit

Sunday: clean out the fridge night

Visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas.

A Healthier Apple Crisp

2010-10-15T10:45:00.004-05:00

You just can't beat Autumn in Minnesota. The colors are beautiful, the air is crisp (with the exception of last week with temps in the mid-80s...) and the orchards are packed with scrumptious apples. So far this season, the kids and I have been apple picking THREE times, which has amounted to an abundance of apples. One of my favorite dishes is apple crisp. I have this great recipe from my hometown's hospital cookbook that is out-of-this-world good, but it also calls for nearly two cups of sugar. Yikes. I found this recipe that calls for much less sugar and tastes nearly as good, is nice and easy to put together, and makes your house smell absolutely wonderful. Enjoy!

"Healthified" Apple Crisp (adapted from Eat Better America)

6 c. (about 6 medium) sliced, peeled apples
1/4 c. frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
1 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
3/4 c. old-fashioned oats
1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. butter, softened
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 8-inch square (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix apples, apple juice concentrate and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon until well mixed. Spread in baking dish.
In the same medium bowl, mix oats, flour, brown sugar, butter, ginger and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples.
Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown.
(Terrific served with vanilla ice cream!)

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2010-10-12T16:31:00.006-05:00

I recently located a delicious banana chocolate chip muffin recipe and decided to try to make it a bit healthier by adding some whole wheat flour, taking out a bit of sugar and oil, and adding some applesauce. The result was fantastic! My kids (and myself!) loved them and they freeze beautifully for a quick thaw/reheat in the morning. Enjoy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (adapted from this AllRecipes recipe)

1 c. all purpose flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. applesauce
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. mashed, ripe bananas
1/2 c. miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt and vanilla. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for about 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for at least 5 minutes and then remove muffins to wire rack to cool.

Menu Plan: Week of 10/11/10

2010-10-11T07:29:00.013-05:00

We are coming off of a very busy, hectic week last week. There were days when I felt like I had buckled the kids in and out of their carseats at least 15 times, running between preschool, playdates, appointments, and errands. This week I hope to settle down a bit, stay home a bit more, stress a little less, and enjoy my kiddos.

As for menu planning, I really didn't start doing it until I sat down to write this post. We visited another apple orchard this weekend (our third time this season!) so we have a lot of Haralson apples to use up this week. I'm looking forward to baking with them and just munching away, as well. My menu, so far, only requires me to get one thing from the store: potatoes. I consider that a pretty good "eat from the pantry/freezer" week. Here's our plan for the week:

Breakfasts:
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (freezer)(I'll try to get this recipe posted this week)
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (freezer)
Cold cereal and toast
Apple Cinnamon French Toast (carryover from last week)

Lunches:
Poor Man's Pizza, apple slices
Creamy Mac and Cheese (the kids' new favorite lunch!), orange slices, carrot sticks with ranch dressing
PB&J, pretzels, cheese sticks, apple slices
Homemade chicken nuggets, cottage cheese, pickles and carrots

Suppers:
Monday: Cheesy Green Enchiladas (made with leftover frozen pork), chips and salsa, pineapple and strawberries

Tuesday: Chicken wild rice soup made with leftover CrockPot Angel Chicken from the weekend, Honey Mustard Salad

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: hubby working late; grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and tomato soup for me and the kids

Friday: Slow Cooker Beef Roast (new recipe), mashed potatoes and carrots, lettuce salad

Saturday: leftovers

Sunday: Hubby is cooking or out to eat?

Baking and extras:
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread (for a treat for my son's early childhood class, and an extra loaf for us!)
Granola bars

For more menu planning ideas, please visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

2010-10-05T07:05:00.011-05:00

We don't visit the Golden Arches much in this family, but when we do, my kids get super excited about getting those little fried nugget goodies in their Happy Meals. (My husband loves them, too, but I personally think they are disgusting.) I decided to try a homemade and much healthier version for a lunch-time treat at home, and both my 3-year-old and almost-2-year-old loved them. I'm not going to say they taste like the ones from the Golden Arches because they don't (which, in my opinion, is a good thing. I just watched this video last night about how fast-food chicken nuggets are made and I'm not sure my kids are ever touching those things again.) They are much more flavorful and very tender. The best part is, I was able to assemble them during naptime and keep covered in the fridge until I was ready to bake them. Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Nuggets (adapted from Miserly Meals: Healthy, Tasty Recipes Under 75¢ per Serving by Jonni McCoy)

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ c. low fat mayonnaise
1 c. bread crumbs
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. paprika
2 tsp. Italian seasoning (I used Italian-seasoned bread crumbs so only added 1 tsp. Italian seasoning)
½ tsp. sea salt

Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. Pat them dry with a paper towel.

Combine the dry ingredients in a shallow dish.

Brush the chicken pieces with mayonnaise. Roll the chicken pieces in the seasoning, then place on a baking sheet.

(Warning: your fingers will get very messy during this process!)

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. I served mine with some ketchup, homemade ranch dressing, a fruit salad and green vegetable. And there you have it - a healthy, kid-friendly meal!

(Tip: the leftovers freeze very well! Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the leftover chicken nuggets on the pan so they aren't touching. Place in the freezer for a couple of hours, and then remove to a plastic freezer bag. When reheating, just bake them in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 10-12 minutes. They turn out great!)

Menu Plan: Week of 10/4/10

2010-10-04T06:49:00.009-05:00

Why do I find such joy in menu planning? I love sitting down in the early-morning hours on a Saturday or Sunday with a hot cup of coffee and planning the coming week’s menu. I take the time to take stock of what we already have in the house, think back to any requests my husband may have made throughout the week, and plan accordingly. It is a simple (and nerdy) pleasure of mine.

Here’s what’s in store this week: (and yes, there are lots of apples splattered throughout this week's menu, as the kids and I visited an apple orchard twice last week!)

Breakfasts:
Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins (from the freezer – recipe to come soon!)
Oatmeal with bananas and raisins
Cold cereal and toast
Apple Cinnamon French Toast (for the weekend when mother-in-law is here)

Lunches:
Creamy Mac and Cheese, turkey dogs, apple slices
Poor Man’s Pizza (made with Flat-Out wraps I found at Costco – wow, these make a great easy pizza!), orange slices
Tomato soup, grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches, carrot sticks with ranch dressing
Bento Box day – cheese and crackers, raisins, apple slices, animal crackers

Suppers:
Monday: Slow Cooker Turkey Chili (a hubby request), served Cincinnati-style over whole wheat spaghetti noodles, fresh pineapple

Tuesday: BBQ Chicken Drumsticks (carryover from last week), pasta salad, mixed vegetables, apple slices with maple whipped cream

Wednesday: Mongolian Beef and Broccoli (new recipe – one of my husband’s favorite dishes so I hope it turns out!), pineapple

Thursday: Hubby working late - Clean out the fridge night for me and the kids

Friday: Slow Cooker Barbeques (we'll have these ready to go when mother-in-law arrives later at night), chips, baked beans

Saturday: CrockPot Angel Chicken, broccoli, fruit

Sunday: Hubby's choice or out to eat!

Baking and Extras:
Apple Pie (daughter's request to make with mommy)
Croutons
French Bread (for the Apple Cinnamon French Toast and Croutons)

Too busy? Really?!

2010-09-30T14:56:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't been posting very often lately. If it weren't for Menu Plan Monday I feel like I wouldn't post at all. The truth is, I have quite a few recipes stacked up that I need to post. I have a few fun kids-craft-type things to post, too. But seriously, I have had NO time. Or no energy? Tough to tell the difference sometimes. Really, how can a no-work-out-of-the-home-stay-at-home-mom have no time? Well, now I know...naptime has been filled with cleaning, organizing, paying bills, laundry, and grabbing a quick lunch for myself. By the time the kiddos are in bed, I'm too exhausted to even think about being creative with a post. I usually love posting in the early-morning hours - before the kids are up, a quiet house, and nice hot cup of coffee. But the kids have been getting up earlier...and crankier (but that's a whole 'nother story.)

The moral of the story is...I'm still here. I'll post something (hopefully) worth reading soon.

Menu Plan: Week of 9/27/10

2010-09-26T14:55:00.008-05:00

The darling, super-duper-extra-hard-working-for-his-family hubby will not be home in the evenings most of the week this week, so I'm planning kid-friendly (yet healthy...therein lies the trick, right?) meals for me, my toddler and my preschooler. Nothing fancy, but hopefully the kids won't mind that I decided NOT to feed them boxed mac and cheese and spaghettios all week long (as tempting as it is!)

Here's the plan for the week:

Breakfasts:
Raisin Bran Muffins
Breakfast Cookies
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (freezer)
oatmeal with bananas and raisins and toast

Lunches:
leftovers
Turkey wraps, crackers, apple slices
PB&J, chips, carrot sticks
Vegetable soup, crackers, orange slices

Suppers:
Monday: Creamy Macaroni and Cheese, carrot sticks with homemade ranch, cantaloupe

Tuesday: Homemade Chicken Nuggets (recipe to come soon), oven fries, green beans

Wednesday: (Hubby should actually be home this night) Chicken pot pie (made with leftover crockpot chicken from last week), lettuce salad, cantaloupe

Thursday: Spaghetti with slow cooker marinara sauce, applesauce

Friday: Out to eat!

Saturday: Clean out the fridge night

Sunday: BBQ chicken drumsticks, pasta salad, mixed vegetables

Please visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu planning inspiration!

Things I Love Thursday - Mendota Sparkling Water

2010-09-23T06:44:00.006-05:00

As some of you know, I gave up Diet Coke nearly two weeks ago. It has been amazingly easier than I anticipated. Around noon every day, I craved that yummy goodness of an ice-cold Diet Coke. I thought giving it up would cause me to be sluggish and cranky since I figured it was the caffiene I needed and wanted. Well, the day I gave up Diet Coke, I bought a six-pack of Mendota sparkling lemon water. Now I have one of these every day instead of my Diet Coke and they are awesome. The ingredients: Carbonated water and natural lemon flavor. That's it.

It turns out that it wasn't the caffiene I necessarily craved from my Diet Coke, but instead it was the carbonation. I really need that extra little zip in a drink in the afternoon that tap water doesn't provide. So the new "thing I love" is now sparkling water, which has allowed me to (almost) kick my Diet Coke habit!

This post is linked to Things I Love Thursday at the Diaper Diaries.

A lazy, tired SAHM's supper

2010-09-22T16:37:00.005-05:00

After a terrible night's sleep, hosting a playdate that morning, chasing around two kiddos, cleaning up after the playdate, and a hubby that was having a work-related dinner out on the town and wouldn't be home that evening, I had zero - zippo - nada - absolutely NO energy or desire to cook a supper for myself or my children on Monday evening.

So what to do? My daughter actually suggested a picnic lunch (despite the fact it wasn't lunchtime), which sounded like an excellent idea to me. So five minutes and one full muffin tin later, supper was served. I cut up a PB&J sandwich and put each piece in a muffin tin, surrounded by pretzels, pickles, apple slices, and a cheese stick for each kid. I spread a blanket on the kitchen floor and we had ourselves a little kitchen-floor-picnic. Hardly any dishes or cleanup and the kids loved it. I even got a chance to sit and rest for a few minutes on the floor with my kiddos, which allowed me to gather up enough energy to take them to the library after our meal. Everyone was happy!

(And yes, those are tattoos on my children's forearms. You send your kids to the zoo on a Sunday afternoon with their dad, and they come back with tattoos).

Nutritionally, would I do this every night? Certainly not. But I'm tucking this idea away for future very-tired-SAHM-by-herself nights. So maybe every other night, then?

Menu Plan: Week of 9/20/10

2010-09-20T14:10:00.003-05:00

A few meals didn't get made last week so are carried over to this week. We're mostly eating from the pantry and freezer again, which provided for only grocery shopping for necessities this past weekend (fruit, bread, milk, and cheese).

Here's what's on our menu this week:

Breakfasts:
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (freezer), bananas
French toast (leftover from the weekend)
Honey crunch granola with yogurt and stawberries
cold cereal and toast

Lunches:
Tomato soup, grilled cheese, grapes
PB&J, carrot sticks, pretzels
Cheese quesadillas, apple slices
leftovers

Suppers:
Monday: husband won't be home so the kids and I will likely have sandwiches

Tuesday: Taco Mac and Cheese (carryover from two weeks ago - made with ground turkey instead of beef), lettuce salad, fruit

Wednesday: CrockPot Chicken (carryover from last week), baked potatoes, green beans

Thursday: Chicken Pot Pie (with leftover chicken), lettuce salad

Friday: Clean out the fridge night

Saturday: Three Cheese Ziti (freezer), breadsticks, orange slices

Sunday: Homemade pizza, lettuce salad

Extras and baking:
Granola bars
Banana bread

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Frugal Friday - save on shopping by donating clothes!

2010-09-17T07:12:00.003-05:00

Do you have a Herberger's near you? If so, there is a terrific opportunity to save 20% on nearly every item you buy by bringing clothing donations to their store for Goodwill. Near the entrance of the store, you will find a table where a clerk will collect your clothing donations and give you a 20% off coupon for each item - yes, each and every clothing item - you donate. That can really add up to a LOT of coupons! The best part (besides, of course, cleaning out your closet and donating clothing to a good cause) is that these coupons can also be used on most sale items as well.

I haven't typically shopped Herberger's (I've been trying to stay out of department stores lately!) except in the last few months I have scored some great deals on kids' fall clothes and some items in their kitchen department. I believe this Goodwill coupon deal goes for another week or two, so check it out if there is a Herberger's in your area.

This post is linked to Frugal Friday at Life As Mom.

Menu Plan: Week of 9/13/10

2010-09-12T21:38:00.007-05:00

Dear ol' hubby was gone a lot of evenings last week so we didn't stick to last week's menu plan much. (I don't cook big suppers when it's just me, a toddler and preschooler). I'm looking forward to carrying over last week's meals into the coming weeks. We are still without ground beef and our freezer supply is slowly dwindling, which is a good thing. What a blessing to ever have to say, "Man, we have too much food in this freezer!" Here is what we have planned this week:

Breakfasts:
Honey Crunch Granola with yogurt and fruit
cold cereal and toast
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (freezer)

Lunches:
picnic lunches outside on the nice days
leftovers
tomato soup, grilled cheese, and apple slices

Suppers:
Monday: hubby won't be home in the evening so it's Poor Man's Pizza and leftovers from the weekend for me and the kids

Tuesday: Swiss steak, baked potatoes, corn on the cob

Wednesday: Spaghetti with slow cooker marinara sauce, lettuce salad, orange slices (Does it seem like we have this spaghetti with this sauce at least every other week? Well, we do. It is awesome, my kids love it, and it's a great way to get them to eat some veggies!)

Thursday: Lentil Rice Casserole, lettuce salad, fruit

Friday: Clean out the fridge night

Saturday: Cheesy Green Enchiladas (new recipe - made with leftover frozen pork instead of chicken), chips and salsa, green beans

Sunday: Crock Pot Chicken (new recipe - my first try at making a whole chicken), roasted potatoes, carrots

Please visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas.

Today is the day...

2010-09-11T07:30:00.003-05:00

that I will enjoy my last...yes, last...Diet Coke this afternoon.

I'm giving it up cold turkey tomorrow. So when I say I'm going to enjoy it today, I mean really enjoy.

I do only drink one (usually one...okay, sometimes two) each afternoon. I really look forward to it. It is my afternoon pick-me-up during naptime (okay, usually a little before naptime). But seriously, look at the ingredients on the side of the can. Is this what I'm putting into my body each and every day? I stress over feeding my kids the occasional non-organic grape or apple, yet apparently see nothing wrong with putting aspartame and phosporic acid into my body each day?

The start of my downfall was that darn lure of the siren song of McDonald's. "$1 soft drinks, any size." And any soda-loving, caffeine-addicted mama knows just how goooood McDonald's fountain soda is. Seriously, do they put crack in that stuff? Why is it so good? I often found myself pulling in to the drive-thru this summer to get my cheap-o (just $1.08 with tax...) super-duper extra-large Diet Coke as my afternoon, 0-calorie "treat." Nothing wrong with this, right?

Well, two things happened:
The first instance: While running errands one day, my daughter sweetly asked her obviously-cranky mama from the backseat, "Mama, do you need a Diet Coke?"
The second instance: My 3-year-old and 1-year-old were playing in the living room. My daughter grabbed their sippy water cups, handed one to her little brother, and said, "Here, let's drink our Diet Cokes."

That about broke my heart. I'm trying to set a good, healthy example for my kids, and here they are thinking that it would be neat to drink Diet Coke out of their sippy cups. Yikes. Yes, I know it could be worse. As I told this story to a fellow SAHM yesterday, she laughed and said, "It could be a lot worse. They could've said 'Budweiser' instead of Diet Coke."

Everything in perspective, right?

Anyway, today is my last day of cold, refreshing, aspartame-filled, caffeinated yumminess. May God help me and family in the days to come.

Menu Plan: Week of 9/6/10

2010-09-05T08:53:00.004-05:00

I'm still in the same boat as last week with no ground beef and trying to use up various cuts of meat and chicken found in my freezer. (My deep freeze is now less than half full! I can't believe the progress we've made in using up what we've had in there.) This is a pretty big "eat from the pantry and freezer" week with a couple of new recipes thrown in for good measure. Here's what's in store for the week:

Breakfasts:
Whole Wheat Strawberry Banana Muffins (freezer)
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (freezer), bananas
cold cereal and toast
Cinnamon Raisin toast (from Finding Joy in My Kitchen), bananas

Lunches:
Tomato soup, grilled turkey and cheese, apple slices
Chicken strips, cottage cheese, carrot sticks
PB&J, carrots and chips

Suppers:
Monday: Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff (new recipe), broccoli, lettuce salad

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos (carryover from last week), chips and salsa, canteloupe

Wednesday: leftovers

Thursday: Barbeque Chicken Drumsticks, tator tots, frozen mixed vegetables, fruit

Friday: Taco Mac and Cheese (new recipe from the $5 Dollar Dinner Mom), green beans, honeydew melon

Saturday: clean out the fridge night

Sunday: grilling or out to eat?

Baking and Extras:
Croutons
Banana Bread
Carrot Puree (from Finding Joy in My Kitchen) to keep in the freezer

This post is linked to Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Things I Love Thursday - EasyLunchBoxes!

2010-09-02T08:49:00.006-05:00

I am one of those sorry little people that walk around all the time saying, "I never win anything." But that never stops me from entering a good giveaway - and I was lucky enough to win the giveaway for Easy Lunch Boxes hosted by My Life As A Domestic Nerd (check out her site for really great recipes, like this Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake...need I say more?!)

At first, I thought I won a set of four containers, which I was thrilled with. But then yesterday I received the awesome box from the UPS man, opened it up and was even more thrilled to find out the giveaway also included a terrific insulated cooler tote! Let me tell you, these lunch kits are not the kind of plastic lunch containers made by your favorite storage bag company that you find next to the sandwich bags and trash bags at your local store. The Easy Lunch Boxes are super-sturdy and extremely well made; these things are going to last for a LONG time! My daugther, who starts preschool next week, was excited to help me wash them up and get them ready for her lunches next week. She will get to pick which color lid she wants each day, as well. Check out the website Easylunchboxes.com for cute, fun and different lunch ideas - this will help me get out of my PB&J rut!

I love these lunch kits! And from someone who previously "never wins anything" this giveaway really takes the cake! Thank you A Domestic Nerd and EasyLunchBoxes.com!

This post is linked to Things I Love Thursdays at Diaper Diaries.

Menu Plan: Week of 8/30/10

2010-08-30T07:29:00.002-05:00

I enjoyed my week of all new suppers last week and was so surprised that, for the first time in a LONG time, I made nearly all of the dishes on my meal plan! (the exception was the creamy corn chowder; an evening at the State Fair followed by a night of pizza delivery didn't allow for the poor lil' chowder to be made.) We all liked the Pizza Roll-Up Burritos which were easy, yummy and really good leftover! I also liked the Ginger Orange Chicken, which also kept well for leftovers.

I was saddened by the discovery yesterday that I pulled the last pound of ground beef out of my freezer. We split a purchase of a grass-fed, hormone-free, organic, good ol’ South Dakota cow every year with my mother-in-law. I love having a stockpile of good ground beef, roasts and steaks in our freezer. Well, so much for the stockpile. We are now left without ground beef for a while, unless I discover some good, organic, and reasonably priced (now there’s the kicker) ground beef at the grocery store or at a farm near the Twin Cities. So you’ll notice two big things about this week’s menu: (1) it’s unfortunately ground beef-free; and (2) I’m giving my CrockPot a major workout this week. Until we make our next trip to South Dakota, I think there will be lots of chicken and different cuts of beef on this girl’s menu.

Here’s what I have planned for the week:

Breakfasts:
Whole Wheat Banana Strawberry Muffins (from the freezer – the kids and I made these for the first time last week and they are awesome!)
Granola and yogurt
Cold cereal and toast
Granola bars

Lunches:
Picnic lunches (sandwiches, crackers, carrots, pickles, etc.)
Chicken strips, cottage cheese, apple slices, carrot sticks (this is where I need to give a huge shout out to Laura at Heavenly Homemakers for this terrific homemade Ranch dressing/dip recipe...so simple, healthy, and my kids LOVE IT and now can't get enough carrots to dip in this yummy ranch!)
Leftovers

Suppers:
Monday: Crockpot Angel Chicken with broccoli, lettuce salad

Tuesday: Chicken Wild Rice Soup (made with Angel Chicken leftovers), Honey Mustard Salad, fruit

Wednesday: Chicken Tacos, chips and salsa, green beans

Thursday: Round Steak with black beans (new recipe), brown rice, mixed vegetables

Friday: clean out the fridge night

Saturday: Three Cheese Ziti (carryover from a couple of weeks ago), broccoli, lettuce salad

Sunday: leftovers or out to eat?

Please visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas.

Taco Soup

2010-08-26T07:57:00.003-05:00

We love this super-easy soup in our house. Made with lean ground beef or turkey, beans and tomatoes and corn, it's a great way to get plenty of protein and even some veggies into my kids' diet. This soup is awesome served with sour cream and crushed tortilla chips on top (and my hubby and I enjoy a couple dashes of Tabasco in ours, as well). Enjoy!

(This photo makes me realize I need to research how to take good blog photos. I realize this bowl of soup doesn't look the most appetizing in this photo, but it's good...take my word for it.)

Taco Soup
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
32 oz. low sodium beef broth
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 pkg. low sodium taco seasoning (I use 3 T. of this homemade taco seasoning mix from Laura at Heavenly Homemakers)
1 can corn with peppers, drained

Brown beef or turkey. Drain.
Stir in broth, beans, tomatoes, and taco seasoning.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
Stir in the corn right at the end of simmer time.

Menu Plan: Week of 8/23/10

2010-08-22T07:50:00.005-05:00

I’m in a rut…so this week I’m celebrating an “All New Recipes” for supper week! Since it’s supposed to be another warm week (which, in Minnesota, I’m thankful for because the snow will be flying before I know it), I also searched for recipes that required very little or no oven time. I’m looking forward to trying these new recipes and testing them out on my family.

Breakfasts:
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes (Freezer), bananas
Cold cereal and toast
Honey Crunch Granola (from Clay in His Hands)with yogurt and fruit

Lunches:
Picnic lunches with sandwiches, crackers, and fruit
Leftovers
Chicken strips, cottage cheese, apple and orange slices

Suppers:
Monday: Huevos Rancheros (recipe from a friend; hope to post it soon), chips and salsa, apple slices

Tuesday: Pizza Burritos (from Debbie Does Dinner), Caesar salad, green beans

Wednesday: Ginger Orange Chicken, brown rice, snow peas, fresh pineapple

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: Skillet Tacos, chips and salsa, fresh fruit

Saturday: Creamy Corn Chowder (from Our Best Bites), grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches, fruit

Sunday: Clean out the fridge night!

Extras and baking:
Croutons
Raisin Bran Muffins (for freezer)

Visit I'm an Organizing Junkie for more menu planning ideas and recipes.

My new fall wardrobe...for how much?

2010-08-19T21:32:00.007-05:00

I did a ton of my fall/winter clothing shopping last weekend at my local consignment store. I cleaned out my closet earlier this summer and consigned quite a few items. Instead of cash, I opt for receiving store credit (which gives me 55% of what the store sells the item for, compared to 45% if I were to receive cash). I called the store and they informed me I had over $70 in store credit waiting for me. So, hubby stayed with the kiddos while they napped and off I went to happily shop (by myself - sans kiddos - bliss).

Here is what I got:

1 Josephine Chaus jacket (outerwear)
2 casual jackets (one was Talbots)
1 Express sweater
1 American Living shirt
1 pair of jeans
1 Arden B. jean skirt
1 pair of Liz Claiborne khaki pants
1 pair of Levi’s shorts for next year for my little guy
1 pair of Levi’s jeans for my little guy

And what did I pay out of pocket?? .... $12.05!!

Even my husband was impressed. I hit some great end-of-the-season sales where some items were only $2 (which, oddly enough, weren’t even summer items, like my boy’s Levi jeans, the Express sweater and the jean skirt.) Yes, I sadly used up all of my credit but that’s what it’s there for, right? This is better than garage sales!

This post is linked to Frugal Friday hosted by Life as Mom.

31 Days to Build a Better Home Challenge Update

2010-08-18T07:19:00.006-05:00

I've fallen miserably behind in the 31 Days to Build a Better Home Challenge hosted by Today's Housewife. I'm trying to keep up/catch up, and here's my progress:

Day 12 - Bless your church staff and volunteers.
I would've totally been on this one...if we actually belonged to/attended a church. Sadly, we haven't gotten around to making this part of our Sunday routine. We use the excuses of "not enough time," "kids are too young", and "I don't trust strangers in the nursery watching my kids." Well, this daily challenge was a great reminder that it's time to put those excuses aside and start visiting some churches to find one we like.

Day 13 - Have dessert.
Done. Completed. And then some. Thank you Dairy Queen!

Day 14 - Visit a farmer's market or road-side stand.
This didn't get done on this day, but we have visited the farmer's market twice this month. I always go overboard and buy too much, but I love me some affordable, fresh, organic produce.

Day 15 - Try a new recipe this week.
It's in the Crock Pot right now, as I type. I am making these pork chops (never tried them before but they smell wonderful!).

Day 16 - Clean out a closet.
Um, this was totally on my weekend to-do list while the kids would be away. Well, hubby's work schedule didn't accomodate so now he is not taking the kids to the grandparents. No mini-vacation for this SAHM, but hopefully I'll tackle this closet during tomorrow's naptime. Just too much cooking during naptime for me today to think about my messy closets.

Day 17 - Do something your husband would normally do around the house.
Check. Our van got broken into overnight. Windows smashed and stuff stolen. So I was the one that called the police, the insurance agent, and the glass company. Everything was cleaned up, replaced and ready to go by the time hubby got home from work. Normally he would like to take charge of these things, but this SAHM took care of it all.

Day 18 - Write a love letter.
I'm going to do this right now...bye bye. :-)

Menu Plan: Week of 8/16/10

2010-08-16T06:54:00.005-05:00

So last week's menu plan was a bit of a bust. My husband ended up having a crazy week at work and really was only home for supper once or twice all week long, so I didn't prepare a lot of the things I had planned. I managed to make him the Vegetable Lo Mein with pork postickers a few days later than planned, which made for one very happy hubby.

Now on to this week - how short it is! This mama is looking forward to my second SAHM vacation at the end of this week. Dear Hubby is planning on taking the kiddos to South Dakota for a visit with the grandparents...by himself! I plan on staying home, doing a little fall/winter clothes shopping for the kiddos (I did my own clothes shopping on Saturday...more to come on that later this week!), cleaning out a closet or two, and relaxing a bit. I will miss my kiddos and hubby dearly but the time by myself will be awesome.

So, I only have three nights of meals planned this week - all simple but yummy, nonetheless. These meals are all based on things I already have on hand, as the only grocery shopping I did this weekend was for milk and bread! Here's our plan for the week:

Breakfasts:
Banana bread, fruit
Cold cereal, toast
Yogurt and bananas

Lunches:
I foresee picnic lunches all week long.

Suppers:
Monday: Spaghetti with homemade marinara sauce (sauce from the freezer), broccoli, cheesy garlic toast, caesar salad, canteloupe and grapes

Tuesday: Honey Mustard Lime Chicken Drummies, brown rice, romaine salad, leftover broccoli, fruit salad

Wednesday: Pork Chops (new recipe), hash browns, frozen mixed vegetables, leftover fruit salad

Thurs. - Sun.: vacation!

For more menu planning ideas, tips and recipes, please visit I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Need help with lunchtime!

2010-08-12T16:49:00.002-05:00

So my daughter has been big into her "picnic lunch" this summer. We usually pack a lunch and eat it at a park or in our backyard. However, on the not-so-nice days, we find ourselves stuck inside with a mommy standing in her pantry, staring blankly at the shelves and wondering, "What to make today?"

I give in every so often and make Mac'n'Cheese from the box or Spaghettios (a very occasional treat in this house) but would really like to steer clear from processed foods. So Please Help Me!!

I'm looking for quick, yummy, healthy, toddler/preschooler friendly lunch ideas and recipes. Do you have a staple lunch item for your little one? Do you freezer-cook and make your yummies ahead of time? Any help is appreciated! Please leave me a comment and/or a link to your great (and much-needed) lunch inspiration!

31 Days to Build a Better Home Challenge Update

2010-08-11T07:16:00.006-05:00

Given the current state our home (or as I like to call it, "SnotFest 2010") I have fallen miserably behind with Today's Housewife 31 Days to Build a Better Home challenge. Here is my update:

Day 7 - Flirt with your husband all day (and all night)
- Miserable fail on this one. Sick kids. Husband working extremely long hours. Very tired mama. This one just didn't get done. Raincheck?

Day 8 - Bless your parents and in-laws
- I sent my mom a letter with pictures of our visit to their farm last week.

Day 9 - Do something nice for a neighbor
- I had every intention of baking chocoloate chip cookies to bring to our new neighbors who moved in across the street last week. Well, a heat index of 103 degrees kind of put a wringer into my plans, since I didn't feel like heating my house up to 90 degrees with the oven running. Plus I didn't think the new neighbors would appreciate my toting along my two snotty lil' kids (mmmm...that would really make the cookies look appetizing.) The forecast calls for only 80 degrees this weekend, so I PROMISE to do my baking then!

Day 10 - Take a picture
- I take pictures of my lil' ones almost daily so this one wasn't too challenging for me. Even snotty and sneezy and teething(are those three of the Seven Dwarfs?), my kids are still cute and photo-worthy!

Day 11 - Clean your computer
- Yikes, thanks for the reminder on this one. Lysol wipes and swiffer duster in hand, I got this job done. Now I just need some of the keyboard air spray stuff, though. Oh well, the job is 90% done.

To join the challenge or get inspiration from other's (much better) accomplishments, please visit Today's Housewife!

Craziness

2010-08-10T15:26:00.002-05:00

What's been going on in this mom's life lately:

1. Two kids sick with bad colds.
2. A major lack of sleep due to said sick kids.
3. A husband that is super-busy at work and is essentially home only 4-5 hours in the middle of the night to catch a few winks of sleep.
4. Super hot and humid weather upwards of 100 degrees.
5. Numbers 1 through 4 above lead to number 5...no time to blog or be creative at all. Hope to return to normalcy soon...

Menu Plan: Week of 8/9/10

2010-08-08T11:11:00.008-05:00

This week's menu was compiled a bit differently than normal. I went grocery shopping yesterday morning (the fridge and cupboards were pretty bare after the kids and I were gone for five days!) and then planned this week's menu this morning based on what I have on hand. (Perhaps not the most efficient way of doing it but time was limited this week.) I'm looking forward to trying two new recipes as well as making a favorite of my hubby's that I don't make too often (the Lo Mein!)

Here's what I have planned for the week:

Breakfasts:
Raisin Bran Muffins (freezer)
Parfaits (made with Honey Crunch Granola, plain yogurt with a little honey mixed in, blueberries and bananas)
cold cereal and English muffins

Lunches:
our standard picnic lunch on nice days (sandwiches, cheese sticks, crackers, raisins and juice boxes)
chicken strips, cottage cheese and apple slices
leftovers

Suppers:

Monday: For mom and dad - Vegetable Lo Mein (hubby's fave request) and Trader Joe's potstickers; kids will eat buttered noodles and/or leftover pizza from Sunday night

Tuesday: leftovers

Wednesday: Salsa, Black Bean and Beef Skillet, tortilla chips, pineapple

Thursday: Slow Cooker Pork Chops, hashbrowns, frozen mixed vegetables, lettuce salad, pineapple

Friday: Cheeseburger Pie (new recipe and I'll try it using this homemade crust), carrot sticks, apple and orange slices

Saturday: Leftover buffet - It's "Clean out the fridge" night!

Sunday: Three Cheese Ziti (new recipe), broccoli, caesar salad

Freezer cooking extras and baking:
Cinnamon Raisin Bread
Banana Bread
Chocolate chip cookies (for new neighbors across the street)
HashBrowns (for freezer)
Croutons

This post is linked to I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Raisin Bran Muffins

2010-08-08T07:09:00.005-05:00

I love to have a yummy, healthy breakfast on hand and ready to pull out of the freezer at any given moment, and these Raisin Bran Muffins fit the bill. I've tweeked this recipe from a very popular, very yummy, but not-so-healthy recipe that calls for all white flour, a lot of oil and a ton of sugar. After a few tries, I think I found the winning combination to "healthify" this recipe a bit.

Raisin Bran Muffins

4 cups Raisin Bran cereal
1/2 c. Fiber One cereal (or All Bran, but I had Fiber One on hand).
1 c. white flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. oat bran
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. canola oil
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 c. buttermilk

Mix all ingredients together in large mixing bowl. Bake muffins at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes (mine only took 15). These muffins freeze well, or the mix also keeps well in the fridge to bake as you need them. I make these in muffin-top pans and usually yield a baker's dozen.

The Memory Game - free!

2010-08-06T09:17:00.006-05:00

We survived the trip to and from my parents' farm this week. The kids and I enjoyed four nights/five days of fun and relaxation with the our family. It's always so great to spend time with family (my kids adore playing with their cousins!) and, although I love living in the Twin Cities, it makes me a little sad that we don't live closer to them so we could see them more often.

But - now we are back in full swing. I got up extra early this morning to make sure that everything was unpacked and put away before the kids got up so we could hit the ground running and get back into our "at home" schedule, routine, chores and fun.

Part of our at-home fun is playing the game Memory. I loved this game as a kid. My daughter is three years old and will be starting preschool next month and this is the perfect game for her to start developing some of the matching and memory skills that this game provides. However, I didn't buy the game - I made one myself for free. All it took was a quick trip to your local home improvement store and collect some paint samples (I chose the Disney colors because they come shaped liked Mickey Mouse!) I chose two of a few primary colors and there you go - your very own "do it yourself" Memory game!

This is a great way for my kids to practice matching and color identification. Both my preschooler and toddler love this frugal, fun game.

This post is linked to Today's Housewife - check out their "31 Days to Build a Better Home" challenge - as well as Life As Mom Frugal Friday!

31 Days to Build a Better Home

2010-07-31T15:53:00.006-05:00

I'm joining the task of 31 Days to Build a Better Home at Today's Houswife. (Thanks to Amber at Half is More Than Enough for posting this and bringing it to my attention!)

The kids and I are traveling to my parents' farm tomorrow and will be gone for five days. I am looking forward to the time away from the city, the crowds, the noise, and (gasp!) even the internet (as my folks don't have internet access...love 'em!) So I'll miss posting the first few days of August but I'm looking forward to hitting the challenge at the end of the week - refreshed, renewed and energized! (Or perhaps completely drained and cranky from traveling by myself with a toddler and carsick preschooler). Either way, see you in a few days!

What kind of cook am I?

2010-07-29T17:42:00.004-05:00

Is this telling of the kind of cook I am (or apparent failure of a cook)?

I was wiping down the kitchen the other day when my 3-year-old daughter came into the room. She loves to help and wanted to know what she could do. So I gave her a dishrag and told her to wipe down the front of the dishwasher, which she did. Then I told her to wipe down her and her brother's chairs. Which she happily did. Then I told her to wipe down the front of the stove. She looked at me, perplexed, and asked, "What's the stove?" I said, "It's that that big white square thing where Mommy stands and does her cooking." So my daughter turns and starts wiping down the microwave.

Kids...gotta love 'em.

For more Friday Fails, please visit Myra's blog My Blessed Life.

Two more blog awards!

2010-07-29T07:06:00.013-05:00

I was so pleasantly surprised recently when I received two more blogger awards! Thank you to those who are reading my blog (I'm up to 25 followers now...hooray!) I really enjoy blogging and find it to be a great creative outlet for this mostly-happy SAHM.

The first award was the Versatile Blogger Award from Angie at Angie's Healthy Living. Angie has a great site filled with terrific, healthy recipes and the stories of her weight loss journey are inspirational!

The rules for the Versatile Blogger Award are:
1. Share 7 things about yourself, and
2. Pass the award on to 5 fellow bloggers (with links to their blogs).

So here goes - 7 things about me:
1. I got married when I was only 21 years old and, this August, will celebrate 14 awesome years of marriage to my terrific husband;
2. My lil' cozy home is only 925 square feet on the main floor;
3. Up until I became a SAHM, I never...and I mean never...cooked. (I've always loved to bake, but the stovetop scared the heck out of me.)
4. I know it's terrible for me, but I LOVE my one can of Diet Coke each day.
5. My dream vacation would be two weeks in Germany. Not a "European Vacation", but just Germany.
6. My favorite color is purple.
7. And, perhaps coinciding with number 6, one of my favorite singers is Prince. (Hey, I'm Minnesotan...it's sort of a requirement.)

And here are 5 fellow bloggers who are very deserving of the Versatile Blogger Award:
1. Amy at The Finer Things in Life - "encourages frugal, simple, at-home living; nurturing relationships as a faith-filled mother and wife; and living well for less"
2. Heather at Frugal Reality - "Helping you pinch that penny in the real world"
3. Cynthia at What's For Dinner - "One mom's quest for meal-planning bliss" (and we all know how I love meal planning!)
4. Erin at The Journey at our House - "Living & learning with 5 kids, autism & homeschooling"
5. Messy Mommy - "Please don't feed the dust bunnies!" (my current favorite post is titled "Poop in the pool"...need I say more?) :-)

And the second wonderful award is the "Sunshine Award" from Amy at A Foodie Fairytale. This award goes to bloggers "whose positivity and creativity inspire otehrs in the blogging world." Isn't that awesome? So sweet of Amy - thanks! Please check out Amy's site for awesome recipes (I've been having dreams about these S'mores Cookie Bars) and meal planning inspiration.

Here are the rules for the Sunshine Award:
1. Post the logo on your blog
2. Pass on to 12 bloggers with links their blogs (I will only do 4 this time...sorry.)
3. Let the nominees know of the award by commenting on their blog
4. Share the love and link to the person you received the award from.

Here are my "Sunshine Award" nominees!

1. Myra at My Blessed Life - "inspiring peaceful hearts and beautiful homes" - a very popular blog and I love her "Friday Fails" posts and frugal design ideas!
2. Laura at Heavenly Homemakers - "Making our homes heavenly, striving toward heavenly homes" - again, a very popular blog but I get a lot of inspiration from Laura's site!
3. Amanda at Savings in VA - she has terrific frugal shopping and budgeting tips.
4. Krystal at Recipes of a Cheapskate - the "ultimate cookbook!"

Happy blogging everyone and thanks for the support!

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes

2010-07-28T07:30:00.007-05:00

I'm not even going to pretend like I've ever made these pancakes, because I haven't. This recipe is from my mother-in-law and my husband has perfected it. He makes these pancakes nearly every weekend and my kids (and their mommy!) love them. They are hearty, healthy, and delicious. Not to mention they freeze beautifully for an easy breakfast throughout the week.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Pancakes

2 eggs, beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 T. sugar
1 T. vegetable oil
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder

Mix eggs and buttermilk in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Stir the egg/milk mixture into the dry ingredients and let the mixture rest for a few minutes. Cook pancakes in pan over medium heat or on an electric griddle set to approximately 375 degrees. Flip the pancakes when little bubbles apprear. Enjoy!

Menu Plan: Week of 7/26/10

2010-07-26T08:49:00.005-05:00

I went grocery shopping yesterday afternoon (by myself while hubby stayed home with the kiddos during naptime...bliss!) and was proud to come home and say that I only spent $60 on groceries for us for the week. I'm trying to use up a lot of what I already have in the pantry and freezer. Here is what our menu looks like for the week:

Breakfasts:
cold cereal (since my son will only eat Rice Krispies for breakfast!) and toast
Honey Crunch Granola with blueberries and yogurt
Raisin Bran Muffins

Lunches:
Grilled ham and cheese, tomato soup
Picnic lunches (sandwiches, cheese, fruit) outside on nice days
leftovers

Suppers:
Monday: Cheese Tortellini with slow-cooker marinara sauce, kiwi fruit, lettuce salad

Tuesday: Vegetable Beef Skillet (new recipe), lettuce salad, orange and apple slices

Wednesday: leftover buffet

Thursday: Taco Soup (recipe to come soon), tortilla chips and salsa, pineapple

Friday: Baked Spinach Pasta (freezer - this poor lil' guy has been on my menu for weeks and keeps getting carried over...), lettuce salad

Saturday: Clean out the fridge night

Sunday: hubby's on his own - the kids and I are heading out of town to Nana and Papa's farm for the week

For more menu planning ideas, please check out I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Marinated Teryaki Pork Tenderloin

2010-07-23T07:08:00.008-05:00

I save most of my go-to recipes in Word documents on my computer and this marinated pork tenderloin recipe is saved under a document called "Family Favorite Recipes" because this is definitely a family favorite.

A few times a year, Cub Foods has a "mix and match" meat sale where you can pick four or five selected meat products for $20. Hormel pork tenderloin (original and unseasoned) are almost always included in this sale so I make sure to stock up my freezer with a few pork tenderloins whenever this sale hits. My husband and three-year-old daughter love this pork. It is easy and it meets my SAHM-cook criteria that I can prepare it in the morning before the kids get up. Last week, I served this with homemade hash browns, green beans and lettuce salad. Perfect!

Teryaki Pork Tenderloin

1-2 lb. pork tenderloin (unseasoned)
5 T. soy sauce (I use low-sodium)
2 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground ginger (I use freshly grated ginger)
1 tsp. black pepper

Mix the sauce and spices in a large plastic resealable bag. Trim any fat off the pork and add the pork to the bag. Marinate in the fridge for at least 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 425. Drain and discard the marinade. Place the pork in a baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Bake uncovered for about 25-35 minutes or until meat reaches 160 degrees. (My oven took 40 minutes to get as done as I like it, but the recipe says 25-35). Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
(My family ate this up before I had a chance to take a picture so here is a photo of what was left!)

Slice the leftover cold pork into thin slices the next day for an awesome pork sandwich!

(Please visit Joy In My Kitchen for more great healthy recipes!)

Menu Plan: Week of 7/19/10

2010-07-18T16:58:00.007-05:00

Here it is, Sunday evening, and I haven't done a stitch of grocery shopping for the week. We are expecting my in-laws to come for a visit this Thursday through Sunday, so I expect I will be doing some grocery shopping mid-week. For now, though, the first part of this week's menu is based solely on what I already have in the house.

Breakfasts:

Raisin Bran Muffins (will post recipe soon)

Breakfast cookies

Buttermilk pancakes (will post recipe soon - from the freezer)

cereal and toast

Lunches:

Picnic lunches (PB&J, fruit slices, chips)

leftovers

chicken strips, cottage cheese and fruit

Suppers:

Monday: Spaghetti with slow-cooker marinara sauce, frozen green beans, apple slices

Tuesday: leftover spaghetti and/or Poor Man's Pizza made with leftover sauce

Wednesday: Layered Cheesy Salsa Enchiladas, fruit

Thursday: Chicken Tacos (made in the slow cooker and ready whenever the in-laws arrive in town), chips, refried beans

Friday: BBQ Chicken Wings on the grill, corn on the cob, pasta salad

Saturday: grilling out - hamburgers, hot dogs and all the fixins'

Sunday: ??? my vote is out to eat! :-)

Extras and baking:

Banana bread

Cupcakes (for my daughter's "Princess Pool Party" on Thursday)

For menu planning ideas, please visit I'm An Organizing Junkie.

Sweet Blog Award!

2010-07-13T13:30:00.012-05:00

I was honored by April at Angel Foods Kitchen with the Sweet Blog Award. Please check out April's great blog with some very yummy recipes. I admire her for traveling the non-processed-food path!

Here are the Sweet Blog Award rules:

- Give this award to 10 sweet bloggers.

- Make a post about the award including the picture and mention the person who gave it to you.

- Put the award on your blog.

- Let your nominated 10 know you’ve awarded them by leaving a comment.

Here are 10 great, sweet blogs you should all check out! These women put a lot of time and consideration into their blogs and I really enjoy and appreciate the ideas and encouragement I receive from them.

1. Moderate Means ("Living Green. Living Frugally. Living with Diabetes.")

2. A Quest for a Balanced Life (great decorating ideas and recipes!)

3. My Life as a Domestic Nerd (Doesn't the title say it all? Love it!)

4. Encouraging Mom (a great new blog re: striving to be domestic goddess!)

5. Half is More Than Enough (recipes and family fun ideas!)

6. Clay in His Hands ("Family, Frugality & Faith")

7. Clipping, Sipping and Beautiful Chaos ("Encouraging women in their service to the Lord, fulfilling the roles He has designed for us!")

8. Angie's Healthy Living Blog (again, the name says it all!)

9. Mommy's Blessings (loving the current tips for surviving motherhood...)

10. A Foodie Fairytale ("Making magic in the kitchen!")