Meal Planning makes a house run smoothly

One reason our house runs smoothly (or at least more smoothly than in the past) is our Weekly Meal plan. I take time each week to plan out our meals and create a shopping list from that. This strategy has also cut our grocery bill considerably and our gas usage – since I have a plan mapped out & can do all my shopping with minimal stops and no return trips to the store!! I’m working towards making shopping trips only twice a month, but that’s gonna take some time because the Hubster gets paid weekly and we’ll have to build up to that.

Anyway…you can find several GREAT meal plan sheets and websites out there. I’ve tried a few websites, but personally I prefer to just write mine out. This is the FREE Weekly Meal Plan sheet I use. (Here's another one that's free too.) I like that it also has the grocery list on the right whereas the meals are listed on the left! Saves time and paper. And let’s face it…the owl is super cute, right?!  I might try to make my own that go with the seasons (cause I like thematic things), so if that happens I will make those available to you all for FREE as well!

Because our shopping/payday week begins on Wednesdays, I usually try to make my meal plans by Tuesday evening. Then I make my weekly trip in the afternoon when the Hubster is up from sleeping and the middles are napping. Its my weekly “Mommy time” – not glamorous I know, but time for myself nonetheless!

If you find that nights are hectic because you and/or your husband work, try experimenting with slow-cooker recipes. They’ve made our busy days so much easier and smoother!! Its one of my most favorite kitchen appliances!! And, if you’re worried about healthy slow-cooker recipes, just search – they’re out there – or substitute your healthy options. I’ve also found that MANY bake-in-oven casseroles can easily be converted to slow-cooker recipes!! What a time saver! Wouldn’t it be just wonderful to come home with dinner ready for you? Not to mention the WONDERFUL smell that will hit you when you open the door! What a greeting!!

What are your favorite slow-cooker recipes? What healthy options have you found easy to substitute?

Happy Monday!!
Blessings,

Annette

Updated 10 Jan 2012
**Check out this post from (in)courage for tips & reasons why Meal Planning is a GREAT way to save!!!
**Here are some GREAT templates to use for Meal Planning, Recipes, Shopping Lists & MORE!!!

Monday Meals 9 Jan 2012

I plan to post our weekly meal plans every Monday in addition to my Maid for Monday post.  I’m working on re-vamping my site so I will have tabs, including a recipe tab that will also include prices (& where I shop for those prices).  Most of these recipes are ones I’ve found and tweaked. I also started using recipes I’ve pinned here and will review them Monday following the week we tried them (if they’re new to us or ones I haven’t reviewed on here yet). I have several different food categories on my Pinterest, so I’ll be sure to post the exact link to make it easier for you to find. But, while I’m at it – if you don’t have a Pinterest account, be sure to email me or comment below to request an invitation. TRUST ME – You won’t be sorry!!! I absolutely love, Love, LOVE this site!! I have pretty much anything and everything I could ever want in one place! I don’t have to search 50 million blogs or websites to find ideas for homeschooling, DIY crafts, gift ideas, decorating ideas (okay…I can’t decorate – that gift was not passed on from my mother, but I sure like to look!), recipes and SO. MUCH. MORE!!!! I’m sure once you take a look around Pinterest, you’ll become as addicted as I have! It’s just so much FUN!!

So, here’s this weeks meal plan! If you don’t understand what I’ve described – ASK!!! Let me know if you try anything from my meal plan and how you liked it or changed it! I’m always open to new ideas!! Happy Planning and Happy Cooking!

Monday 1/9

Breakfast: Oatmeal

            Lunch: Corn dogs, blueberries, chips

            Dinner: Crock-pot Italian chicken

Tuesday 1/10

            Breakfast: dry cereal (My kids’ favorite is Grape Nuts!)

            Lunch: Mac & Cheese w/ mini cocktail weenies (had these leftover)

            Dinner: Tacos/Burritos/ Salad

Wednesday 1/11

            Breakfast: Oatmeal

            Lunch: Fishsticks or Ham n’ Cheese, chips/pretzels, fruit

            Dinner: Leftovers (this possibly seems strange to have leftovers in the middle of the week, but my actual shopping week is Wed-Tues, so that’s how I actually plan my meals. This is the last day of our “week” so we often have leftovers to clean out the fridge! And, its church night, so we eat & run.)

Thursday 1/12 (Dad’s day off!!!)

            Breakfast: Pancakes, bacon, eggs (whatever the kids want)

Lunch: Homemade Bacon & Pepperoni Pizzas 

            Dinner: Corn dogs for the kids & Creamy Potato Soup for small group (aka My Guinea Pigs!)

Friday 1/13

            Breakfast: Pop-tarts (this week I’m going to make this healthy option & see how that goes.)

            Lunch: Cheese Quesadillas

            Dinner: Sweet Chicky Nuggets, mashed potatoes, corn, salad

Saturday 1/14

            Breakfast: Dry cereal or Oatmeal

            Lunch: Fishsticks or Ham ‘n Cheese, chips, fruit

            Dinner: Tater-Tot Casserole, green beans

Sunday 1/15

            Breakfast: OvernightCrock-pot Breakfast Casserole 

            Lunch: Crock-pot White Chicken Enchiladas

            Dinner: Homemade Macaroni & Cheese (this is our typical Sunday night meal. The hubster works overnights & so on Sunday’s he’s usually up until after lunch & then sleeps the rest of the day away until he returns to work that night. So, the kids get a yummy meal and mom takes it easy!)

Well, there ya have it!! As you can probably tell, my kids are VERY PICKY eaters! I’m slowly working on them, but as I quickly figured out – I can’t change their entire menu in one week. So, we’re trying new dinner dishes and seeing how those go for a while and then we’ll try changing up the lunches. My middles don’t like sandwiches (really the cold meats & sliced cheese is what they don’t like, but they’ll eat shredded cheese – WEIRD!) or certain kinds of pastas either. So, I try to sneak in new pastas when I can!

We’re getting there – slowly – but moving forward nonetheless. Meanwhile, I’m learning to enjoy the journey!!!

Blessings,

Annette

This email will post each Monday. I hope to have tabs/buttons soon to make it easy to subscribe to specific daily posts if you like! Be patient with me as I re-work my website. Thank you!!

Scriptural Sunday - 8 Jan 2012

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; 

the old has gone, the new has come."   

II Corinthians 5:17

This week has been full of emotion, trial and the normal stresses. But, one verse has comforted me throughout it all - 2 Corinthians 5:17. As with many people, the beginning of a new year causes me to reflect on my failures and successes of the previous year. And this year was no different. However, I felt that I had MANY more failures than successes and that, that discouraged me. Until I read 2 Corinthians 5:17 - I am a new creation because I am in Christ!! HALLELUJAH!! I may have failed at reaching my weight-loss goal after delivering baby #4, but I can start fresh and new in 2012! I may have failed at getting rid of my temper AT ALL TIMES - but I am given another chance in 2012. I have few successes for 2011, but I am so very thankful that I serve a MERCIFUL and MIGHTY God that will allow me to start fresh and new. I hope you'll join me in this new journey!! So, get up. Get started. And ask Christ to guide you through 2012!! With Him in charge, I know 2012 is going to be GREAT! Sure we're going to have bumps & bruises along the way. But nothing will come that He can't handle. In fact, he already knows what's coming. I just need to trust Him through it all!! I'm so excited and ready to see what 2012 has to offer - aren't you?


Blessings,
Annette

If you'd like to go deeper in your walk with Jesus, here is a GREAT site to get you started. They have many different newsletter types (topical, chronological) and frequencies (daily, weekly, 2x week...) to meet any need.

2012 Posting Schedule

Over the past few months, I’ve realized one main reason I wasn’t consistent with my blogging was I had no plan! I had not been intentional about topics and scheduling time to write. I decided I wanted that to change. Thus began a whirlwind of thoughts, ideas and topics in my head. So, I began jotting down things I enjoy, love, like and want to share with you, my readers. Here’s the list I came up with:

• Cooking: tips, reviews, recipes
• Homeschool: tips, observations, curriculum choices, methods, reviews
• Housekeeping: maintaining a clean house in a busy, hectic family
• Faith: thoughts on my daily devotions, lessons from my kids (cause we all know that happens now that we’re parents), observations from my daily reading, general thoughts
• Organization: my thoughts, tips, tricks & observations as I strive to organize our home
• Photography/Scrapbooking: digital pages I complete, tips on how to get started, tips on completing an album quickly & MORE!
• Reviews: books I read, homeschool curricula, recipes, my week, DIY projects
• Sewing/DIY projects: mostly things I find on Pinterest will go here
• Tyler’s thoughts: this is something I would like to happen as he learns typing and where he can practice his creative writing skills.

WOW!!! After looking over the list I realized one thing…I like a LOT of things! So, I decided that I needed a schedule to make it more manageable. That’s where it became a little more difficult. I wanted to think of cute little names for each topic/heading and it just wasn’t flowing. I was getting frustrated and quickly. (I hate when I can’t think of cute things like I see on other blogs. Why can’t I be cute like that?) So, I decided I needed to pray about them and share my ideas with my husband to get his input and maybe he’d have some ideas. So, here’s what we’ve come up with so far (feel free to add your own cute names in the comments below. I’m open to change!):

• Maid for Mondays: tips on housekeeping, keeping a busy house running smoothly and home organization.
• Teachable Tuesdays: topics pertaining to Homeschooling
• Baking Bits (Wednesdays): you guessed it – this day I will post about my cooking tips, reviews, recipes I’ve tried, our favorites, etc.
• Thursday Thoughts: my reviews (ones that don’t fit in another category like Homeschooling), a funny quip from the week, lessons from my kids, etc. I’ll also post Tyler’s Thoughts here once we get him going (hopefully later this semester).
• 52 Fridays (See yesterdays post for more on this) and Foto Fun: tips for recording your life through pictures and albums! (This is one of my most favorite hobbies, so I can’t wait to share it with you!)
• Sew its Saturday: (hehe, I like this play on words…yes, I’m goofy!) Favorite pins from the week, DIY projects I’ve done with a review & tweaks, etc.
• Scriptural Sundays: This is where I will post a short weekly devotion, a Scripture for the week and my thoughts.

So, whatcha think? I’m liking the names I came up with and I’m SUPER excited about where 2012 is going to take this blog and me!!! Will you join me?? What are your plans for 2012 - personally & as a blogger?

Blessings,

Annette

52 Fridays - Week 1

When approached by my friend Crystal about doing a link-up on Fridays I thought…“Who? Me? Really? I can’t do this! No way!”  Then I remembered why were were doing it – DISCIPLINE. Our word for the year. I commented on her post about choosing this particular word for 2012, in that having already outlined some changes I needed/wanted to make, I wanted to use the same word! And out of that birthed a GREAT idea that will hopefully take-off for us and those of you that want to join us.

52 Fridays to a more disciplined life!!  That’s right – every Friday this year we’re going to link to each other with tips, thoughts and our experiences in changing our lives to be more disciplined.

As I began outlining my goals for this year, it hit me that maybe our idea of DISCIPLINE is skewed. Why do we shy away from it and why is it such a “dirty” word? Jesus taught about discipline as well as Noah, Moses, Paul and more. The people in the Old Testament had to be disciplined if they wanted to earn favor with God. So, how have we strayed so far from this practice? I think it has everything to do with the fact that we live in such a fast-paced world that DISCIPLINE takes too much time, effort and energy. So, my goal this year is to change that perception within me (and others) to show just how great of a word it can be.

So, for Week 1 I’m posting my goals (broken down, of course, into manageable feats). Now, these may change or evolve as the year progresses, but this is where I am today.

1. Intentional, DAILY quiet time in the Word of God. I’ve gotten so caught up in my housework, chores, kids and frankly, just life, that this has gone by the wayside. It is now going to be a priority for me! My goal is to set aside 30 min a day for this.
2. LOSE WEIGHT!!!  To say I want to lose “x” amount of weight by this date scares me to death! I look at that total weight-loss # and immediately freak out, give up and sulk. Not any more! I’ve broken it down into weekly goals that I can manage and see myself meeting. So, my weekly goal is to lose 2 lbs. (Although, total I’d really like to lose about 65lbs.) There…I said it. Whew! Now…moving on…
3. Get rid of processed sugars!!!! I know this is going to be KEY to my weight-loss as I love a good brownie, just like anyone else. But, I also know I need to look at healthier ways to cook such sweets for my family. So, that process has started. In fact, I’m looking at using Vintage Remedies' 8 weeks to Real Foods to help me change these (and other) habits.
4. Make homeschooling more FUN!! Who doesn’t want more fun while their learning? Over the last 1.5 years I’ve been so consumed with what T’s doing and what curriculum to use, that I lost sight of a main reason we chose to homeschool in the first place: to create an environment where learning was challenging yet FUN at the same time. Thus far, I’ve been all business and no play (other than the occasional field trip). I’m going to be more deliberate about planning FUN time into our learning schedule.
5. Get my house (& life) ORGANIZED!! I’m following this blog to help me break things down weekly. She’s already gone through most of the year & posted her weekly challenges. I figure if I need to move mine around to fit the needs of my family (and address my stress for the week), I can!! At least I have a plan to follow and can be held accountable weekly. (I’m SUPER excited about this one!)
6. Stay caught up on laundry, dishes, school, general housework and STAY organized. Once I get things organized weekly, I want and need it to stay that way!!
7. Get my blog changed, updated, organized and just the way I want it!! I’ve got a vision (one that we’re still working on bringing to fruition) – I just need to get it done. I’m also going to be more deliberate about my posts. Check back here tomorrow for my Blog-Post schedule for 2012.

So, there ya have it. My goals for 2012. What are your goals? What would you like to change in 2012? Check back here every Friday for updates, tips & encouragement to keep going!!!

Blessings,

Annette

Pinterest Food Reviews - Week 2

Since I have become OBSESSED (more or less) with Pinterest, I decided I could do some good with my new obsession!! So, I plan to do weekly reviews of main dishes, desserts, snacks, candy, etc. on Pinterest. I will always link back to my own Pinterest page so you too can find the recipes and enjoy them along with my family. So, here’s my week 2 reviews:

Bacon-Chicken Crescent Ring

This recipe was SUPER easy to make and absolutely scrumptious!!! My kids loved it (again, except for the 2-yr old who has decided that his diet should only include pretzels and BBQ chips!). I did make a few changes to the recipe though, so here are my changes & thoughts & some pictures to help explain the directions a little better. Hope this helps!

 *You want to make sure & overlap the crescent rolls like this – so it looks like a nice, pretty sun.

*You will spoon the “stuff” into the middle of the crescent like this.

(TIP: Place the crescent rolls further out on the pan/stone so you have a larger sun than we did. It will make for less “stuff” in each bite, plus it will go further!)

 *It should look something like this when you’re done scooping. YUM!!!!!

*Now you’re going to fold the outside tips towards the middle & press them into the flat-side of the crescent rolls in the center.

*And, when you’re done – VOILA!!!! A nice, pretty, symmetrical crescent ring!

Now just bake & enjoy!!!! Mmmm...my mouth is watering just thinking about these!

Here are the changes we made:

**We used cheddar instead of swiss (our kids don’t like swiss cheese).

**We omitted the red peppers (again – for the kids!)

**We used minced onions instead of chopped (yep, you guessed it – for the kids! If I use minced onions, they don’t know they’re in there and the hubster and I get to enjoy the flavor of onions without the drama!!! Hehe)

**We were in a pinch for time, so we used real bacon bits instead of bacon and it was just fine. (Not as healthy I know, but the taste was there.)

**I also used this homemade Italian Dressing dry mix. (Yet another mix to add to my obsession collection!!) I have the dry mix stored in a glass jar in our pantry to use on various recipes. But, then I also have it available if I want it for a salad I whip up or a dip for some veggies! YUM!!!

Again, this was a HUGE hit with the Hubster and my kiddos. We will definitely be adding this to our menu rotation!! Yes, I said menu rotation. I’m still working on it, so when that comes to fruition I will write about it and fill you all in on the glorious-ness that makes my menu planning life so much simpler!

Another recipe we had this past week are these wonderfully delectable Sweet Chicky Nuggets. Oh my are they YUMMY!!!! I’m not the professional on these, the hubster is, but I do know they are WONDERFUL!!!! My kids eat these like they’re going out of style! Seriously, we cook nearly double what the recipe calls for and they are STILL gone in a matter of minutes!

Here are the hubster’s tips:

*cook 4 pounds of chicken tenders (they are easier to dice up & have

LOTS of meat for what you get)

*follow the rest of the directions exactly

*use peanut-oil to fry them in if possible (it doesn’t get mucky & gunky

when you’ve fried as many chunks as you’ll have. In fact, we’ve

used the same oil at least twice in our little fryer and it still looks

good! Regular canola oil gets murky very quickly & just feels heavy.

Peanut oil feels lighter when you’re eating it.)

*Plan ahead so you can really give the chicken a good soak. It really will

make the difference!

The last recipe we tried this week were these Chicken Roll-ups. They were good, but I think we’re going to make some changes next time to see if they can be even better! The hubster and I felt the filling was a little too rich for us. So, next time we plan to actually use 2 cans of 8ct crescent rolls (we only used 1 can (8ct) this time) to help spread out the filling. I also left out the salt and it wasn’t even missed. We also left off the bread crumbs, because I didn’t think my kids would like that part; however, since the 2 yr old isn’t eating anything but pretzels anyway I think I’ll add them back in next time! Overall, this recipe is one I think we’ll keep and tweak until it suits us.

Let me know if you give any of these recipes a try. And as always…your insight, tweaks and tips are welcomed!!

Happy Cooking!!!!

Annette

P.S. If you’re not on Pinterest and you’d like an invitation, shoot me an email or leave me a comment and let me know! I’ll be glad to send you an invite so you can join in my obsession too!!! 

Pinterest Food Reviews

Week 1 of Pinterest Food Reviews

Since I have become OBSESSED (more or less) with Pinterest, I decided I could do some good with my new obsession!! So, I plan to do weekly reviews of main dishes, desserts, snacks, candy, etc. on Pinterest. I will always link back to my own Pinterest page so you too can find the recipes and enjoy them along with my family. So, here’s my week 1 reviews:

I tried two new recipes for our small group last week (they are often my guinea pigs for new recipes – and such good sports too!). First, I made the Chubby Hubby bars. I originally intended to make these as my 4^th dessert for Thanksgiving, but since that didn’t happen, I made them for our small group. (You see…it’s a win-win making new things for my small group! 1) If it’s good, they usually eat most of it, so I don’t have the leftovers to tempt me at home and 2) they will be honest with me & I can taste things to see if my kids would actually eat it & not be left with ¾ of a recipe for leftovers they won’t eat!!)

Anyway…the Chubby Hubby bars were SUPER easy to make and oh-so-yummy!!! I followed the recipe exactly and they were WONDERFUL!!! Here are a few tips that I think will make them even better!

1) Be sure you allow the top layer of chocolate to completely harden. It wasn’t completely hardened when we took them to group & they were a bit gooey. We had some leftover & kept those in the fridge overnight and BOY HOWDY were they even better the next day!!

2) I would increase the amount of pretzels you use to 2 cups (at least). They were super-dooper yummy when you got a good bite of the pretzels & chocolate!! I just think there needs to be more, so you can experience that goodness with each bite!!

I’m all about the sweet & salty combo and these absolutely deliver!!! I can’t wait to have an excuse to make them again!!

The 2^nd recipe I tried this past week was the Hawaiian Sweet Roll Sammies. I was so excited to make these for our small group. I was able to eat them at a women’s event a couple weeks ago, but honestly wasn’t that impressed with them and I just knew they had to be better than that! So, I decided to make them myself and try them again. And, boy was I right!! They were DE-LI-CIOUS!!!!! And, they were GONE in a matter of minutes! I even had several ask me for the recipe before we left small group! They were super easy to make too! (I say that a lot, don’t I? But it’s true – I promise!)

The only thing I changed was that I used dried, minced onion rather than fresh. It was a short-cut & out of necessity with 4 young children not in cooperating moods that afternoon. I just used 4 TBSP of dried, minced onion per recipe. However, I would recommend using fresh onion if possible! Ours tasted GREAT, but I don’t think the onion was quite strong enough & the mixture didn’t spread as well as hers does in the picture! And, that irritated me – yes, because I’m super silly about things like that. If I see a picture of them I want mine to look just as good (if not better, which is rare)!!

Anyway, those are the two we tried last week and as you can see – they were a complete success!!!! Check back here next Monday for the Bacon-Chicken crescent ring review and more!!

Blessings friends!

Annette