You are here for just a short time- for 20, 40, 60, or 80 years- to discover and believe that you are a beloved child of God. The length of time doesn’t matter. Life is just a short opportunity for you during a few years to say to God: ‘I love you, too’. -Henri NouwenMy friend Bekah shared this, and although I haven't read the book from which it came (yet) - Henri Nouwen's Spiritual Direction - I like this quote and think it is worth repeating.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Menu Plan 8/30/10
The next two weeks are going to be HECTIC around our house. But should be fun - for real!
Breakfast:
Baked Soaked Oatmeal - I can't remember if I have tried this recipe. Looks nourishing.
Breakfast Cookies (also soaked) - These don't count as treats! :) I figure they have no more sugar in them than granola. And might be easier for my kids to eat on quick mornings.
Milk
Lunches:
Sandwiches or Peanut Butter on Multi-Grain Crackers
Cottage Cheese
Blueberries or Apples
Dinners:
Monday - Leftovers from Sunday's Oven Nachos
Tuesday - Salmon Melts, Green Beans
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Egg Salad Sandwiches
Friday - Dinner with family
Saturday - Grilling with family
Sunday - ??
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Divided Lunchbox Container
I think I'm gonna like these...
...considering I pack 4 lunches somedays.
I've been wanting something like these for awhile, so when I found out Ziploc is making some that are approximately $1.25 a pop, I got a couple. Now I am thinking, "Why oh why did I only get 2, instead of 4?" I don't know where my brain was at the time.
Thanks to Jessica at Life as Mom for the heads up on these containers.
I've been wanting something like these for awhile, so when I found out Ziploc is making some that are approximately $1.25 a pop, I got a couple. Now I am thinking, "Why oh why did I only get 2, instead of 4?" I don't know where my brain was at the time.
Thanks to Jessica at Life as Mom for the heads up on these containers.
Two Articles
These make me say "Grr."
1. Is Your Favorite Ice Cream Made with Monsanto's Artificial Hormones?
Grr, because I used to think Breyer's or Haagen Daz was good. Breyer's was the only kind of ice cream that I prefer (preferrED) to buy... tsk, tsk. Sneaky, sneaky. Is homemade ice cream the only wholesome option in our household's future? Or shall we continue the unintended tradition from this summer, which was very little ice cream at all, except for the occasional DQ run?
(Thanks to Jo-Lynne at Musings of a Housewife for sharing this!)
2. Raw Milk Raids in Wisconsin and California
Grr, because this is how our tax dollars are being spent!!?? Seriously, what the heck?
(Thanks to Cheeseslave for sharing this!)
1. Is Your Favorite Ice Cream Made with Monsanto's Artificial Hormones?
Grr, because I used to think Breyer's or Haagen Daz was good. Breyer's was the only kind of ice cream that I prefer (preferrED) to buy... tsk, tsk. Sneaky, sneaky. Is homemade ice cream the only wholesome option in our household's future? Or shall we continue the unintended tradition from this summer, which was very little ice cream at all, except for the occasional DQ run?
(Thanks to Jo-Lynne at Musings of a Housewife for sharing this!)
2. Raw Milk Raids in Wisconsin and California
Grr, because this is how our tax dollars are being spent!!?? Seriously, what the heck?
(Thanks to Cheeseslave for sharing this!)
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Re-purposed Starbucks Bottle
Monday, August 23, 2010
Budget Basics
In order to get back on track and know where our money is going again, we are going old school. Cash budget. We have never done that. It is for the line items of groceries, pets, medical (if possible), gift-giving, entertainment, and allowances (discretionary spending, a small amount, for my husband and I).
When starting out with a cash budget (aka envelope system) there is no wiggle room. That means I can no longer view the grocery budget as a goal. It is a hard and fast rule, starting September 1.
Of course I still plan to give my family real, healthy food. But I will have to prioritize more. I really want to continue our raw milk, yogurt, grass-fed beef, and pastured chicken and eggs. Since these are higher up the food chain, I am going to focus on fitting these into the budget over and ahead of organic fruits and vegetables. I have read that you should give the high-on-the-food-chain items more priority in being raised naturally since they have the most chance to have accumulated bad things along the way, if that makes sense.
I will still seek out organic fruits and vegetables, but I will only buy them when they are the same or close in price to conventional. Since my goal price for produce is $1/lb., I think it is best to suspend our produce box for now, as much as it saddens me. Although it might not always be organic, I can find just as much or more produce for a better price.
The bummer of suspending the produce box delivery, is it means I will have to go to the grocery store more frequently. Which besides being a pain, also means I will have more temptation to spend money. I will have to be good about sticking to a list. I can do that. And as far as the hassle, if it doesn't cost me any extra fuel, and if it puts more money in our savings account, I am willing to do it.
I am starting to learn more about grains. I would like to give sprouted bread a try. Hmm. I don't know if that is going to fit into the hard and fast budget :)
More to come on all this in September. Any tips or suggestions are welcome. I think it is about time to catalogue the grocery shopping excursions once again.
When starting out with a cash budget (aka envelope system) there is no wiggle room. That means I can no longer view the grocery budget as a goal. It is a hard and fast rule, starting September 1.
Of course I still plan to give my family real, healthy food. But I will have to prioritize more. I really want to continue our raw milk, yogurt, grass-fed beef, and pastured chicken and eggs. Since these are higher up the food chain, I am going to focus on fitting these into the budget over and ahead of organic fruits and vegetables. I have read that you should give the high-on-the-food-chain items more priority in being raised naturally since they have the most chance to have accumulated bad things along the way, if that makes sense.
I will still seek out organic fruits and vegetables, but I will only buy them when they are the same or close in price to conventional. Since my goal price for produce is $1/lb., I think it is best to suspend our produce box for now, as much as it saddens me. Although it might not always be organic, I can find just as much or more produce for a better price.
The bummer of suspending the produce box delivery, is it means I will have to go to the grocery store more frequently. Which besides being a pain, also means I will have more temptation to spend money. I will have to be good about sticking to a list. I can do that. And as far as the hassle, if it doesn't cost me any extra fuel, and if it puts more money in our savings account, I am willing to do it.
I am starting to learn more about grains. I would like to give sprouted bread a try. Hmm. I don't know if that is going to fit into the hard and fast budget :)
More to come on all this in September. Any tips or suggestions are welcome. I think it is about time to catalogue the grocery shopping excursions once again.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Menu Plan 8/23/10
Breakfasts:
Granola with Milk
Soaked Oatmeal Pancakes
Fruit
Lunches:
Sandwiches
Cheese
Fruit
Dinners:
M - BBQ Chicken Crispy Pizza
T - Spinach, Quinoa, & Cheese Casserole
W - Chili Cornbread Salad, Fruit, Swiss Chocolate Chip Cookies (making for my Bible Study group)
U - Egg, Tomato, & Cheese Sandwiches
F - Burgers, Fresh Green Beans (from the freezer)
Sa - Leftovers
Su - Oven Nachos
Monday, August 16, 2010
(Healthy?) 1st Birthday Cake
Cupcakes, rather.
I made 2 types of cupcakes for my son's 1 year old birthday party... We kept the party pretty low-key with just some family over. Actually, we will celebrate more with other family later this month, so the party isn't over yet. What a lucky guy :) Anyways, back to the cupcakes. Please excuse the drinking glasses in the way. This is not a fancy photo.
Just like I had for my daughter's 1 year old birthday, I made a batch of Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting. (I used unsweetened applesauce, not cauliflower puree. I used multi-grain flour and sucanat.) My baby boy devoured his! He tried to eat his plate when he was done.
I also made some Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes. However, I only used the filling recipe from that recipe. For the cake part, I used the Green Baby Guide's Chocolate Beet Cake. There are lots of Chocolate Beet Cake recipes out there, but this is the one I have found that uses the most beets and the least sugar. I occasionally get a pound of beets in our produce box, and I always just puree and save them for this. It is the perfect amount. Note: I use 1/2 teaspoon salt (not listed in the recipe). And I almost always use coconut oil in place of vegetable or canola oil. Another note: I don't sprinkle any chocolate chips on top since I am adding the cream cheese and chocolate chip filling. I have made these twice now, and the filling doesn't sink into this cake batter, so I try to layer it in the middle of some batter. But the first time, I just put the filling on top, and it was fine that way, too. I think I baked them for 25 to 30 minutes in a silicone cupcake pan. Made 18 cupcakes.
As you can see, we also had cantelope and peaches, as well as iced tea, water, and homemade lemonade made with the ratio of 1 cup organic lemon juice, 6 cups water, 3/4 cup white sugar.
I made 2 types of cupcakes for my son's 1 year old birthday party... We kept the party pretty low-key with just some family over. Actually, we will celebrate more with other family later this month, so the party isn't over yet. What a lucky guy :) Anyways, back to the cupcakes. Please excuse the drinking glasses in the way. This is not a fancy photo.
I also made some Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes. However, I only used the filling recipe from that recipe. For the cake part, I used the Green Baby Guide's Chocolate Beet Cake. There are lots of Chocolate Beet Cake recipes out there, but this is the one I have found that uses the most beets and the least sugar. I occasionally get a pound of beets in our produce box, and I always just puree and save them for this. It is the perfect amount. Note: I use 1/2 teaspoon salt (not listed in the recipe). And I almost always use coconut oil in place of vegetable or canola oil. Another note: I don't sprinkle any chocolate chips on top since I am adding the cream cheese and chocolate chip filling. I have made these twice now, and the filling doesn't sink into this cake batter, so I try to layer it in the middle of some batter. But the first time, I just put the filling on top, and it was fine that way, too. I think I baked them for 25 to 30 minutes in a silicone cupcake pan. Made 18 cupcakes.
As you can see, we also had cantelope and peaches, as well as iced tea, water, and homemade lemonade made with the ratio of 1 cup organic lemon juice, 6 cups water, 3/4 cup white sugar.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Menu Plan 8/16/10
We have a lot of yummy fresh fruit to eat this week. Yay for summer! What we can't eat, I hope to prepare and freeze... perhaps for smoothies this winter? We'll see if there is actually fruit leftover to do that with. :)
Breakfasts:
Granola with Milk
Eggs and Toast
Fruit
Lunches:
Leftover Chicken Soup from the weekend
Leftover Macaroni and Cheese after Monday
Sandwiches
Yogurt
Fruit
Dinners:
Monday - Macaroni & Cheese, Salad
Tuesday - Tuna Cheesies, Salad, Sweet Corn
Wednesday - Beef and Bean Chimichangas, Salad
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Grilled Chicken Wraps (still haven't gotten to these, and I really like them), Potato Wedges
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Tomato & Spinach Pasta Toss
Dessert:
Fruit
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Videos Worth Watching
1. Bust the Cholesterol Myth (short)
2. Sugar: The Bitter Truth (longer)
(I am linking to the posts in which I found these videos on the Food Renegade, because I think she gives a nice introduction to them.)
2. Sugar: The Bitter Truth (longer)
(I am linking to the posts in which I found these videos on the Food Renegade, because I think she gives a nice introduction to them.)
Groceries: 3 Stores
So, I eat my words about no longer frequenting the conventional grocery stores. I made it to 3 in one morning this week, with the kids! The sales were too good to pass up. I put a cooler in the trunk and off we went for 2 hours and 15 minutes. Everyone cooperated and the service was great; phew!
The sweetest deals: peaches (regionally grown) for 68 cents a pound, cantalope for 99 cents apiece, lettuce for 38 cents apiece, and fresh Italian sausage (no fake ingredients; I checked) marked down to $1.49 a pound because it needed to sell.
Have you ever looked at the ingredients in cottage cheese? We love cottage cheese around here, but one time I looked at the ingredients of the kinds from Costco and Aldi and was appalled: artificial flavors and colors! Who needs those in cottage cheese? The kind I purchased this week was on sale at the grocery store for the typical Aldi price and appears a little less modified. My best bet would be to buy it from the farm with our milk, but it is pretty expensive there, compared to what I am used to. I have been getting yogurt from the farm, though.
I spent 90 cents on 3 boxed dinners that I figure we can save to donate. The sugar and Kool-Aid are for when we get together with friends and need to provide drinks. They were a great sale. The bag of chicken breasts is not my favorite purchase because they are enhanced with so much solution, but they will come in handy when I need to make some meals for others (who don't really care about where their chicken came from). I don't mean that to sound harsh; I'm being honest. The Sara Lee bread is a Michael Pollan no-no, I know, but it was on sale and my husband likes it. Although, after watching some videos that I will share with you soon, he wasn't so excited about some of the treats that I brought home for him. I'm ok with that. Actually, I'm a little pleased!
Total: $53 and change, including tax.
I calculate that I saved about $40 by strategically shopping at these 3 stores. And that's without using any clipped newspaper coupons or printed internet coupons. I did use store coupons from the sales flyer at one store and a frequent shopper coupon at another.
It was a satisfying shopping excursion.
The sweetest deals: peaches (regionally grown) for 68 cents a pound, cantalope for 99 cents apiece, lettuce for 38 cents apiece, and fresh Italian sausage (no fake ingredients; I checked) marked down to $1.49 a pound because it needed to sell.
Have you ever looked at the ingredients in cottage cheese? We love cottage cheese around here, but one time I looked at the ingredients of the kinds from Costco and Aldi and was appalled: artificial flavors and colors! Who needs those in cottage cheese? The kind I purchased this week was on sale at the grocery store for the typical Aldi price and appears a little less modified. My best bet would be to buy it from the farm with our milk, but it is pretty expensive there, compared to what I am used to. I have been getting yogurt from the farm, though.
I spent 90 cents on 3 boxed dinners that I figure we can save to donate. The sugar and Kool-Aid are for when we get together with friends and need to provide drinks. They were a great sale. The bag of chicken breasts is not my favorite purchase because they are enhanced with so much solution, but they will come in handy when I need to make some meals for others (who don't really care about where their chicken came from). I don't mean that to sound harsh; I'm being honest. The Sara Lee bread is a Michael Pollan no-no, I know, but it was on sale and my husband likes it. Although, after watching some videos that I will share with you soon, he wasn't so excited about some of the treats that I brought home for him. I'm ok with that. Actually, I'm a little pleased!
I calculate that I saved about $40 by strategically shopping at these 3 stores. And that's without using any clipped newspaper coupons or printed internet coupons. I did use store coupons from the sales flyer at one store and a frequent shopper coupon at another.
It was a satisfying shopping excursion.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
From Last Weekend...
Yeah, I'm a little slow.
We eat well when we go to the lakehouse with friends and family :) We have fallen into the routine of a late big breakfast with snacks in the afternoon, and then something on the grill for dinner.
I promised a breakdown with recipes. Here's what we had this past weekend.
Day #1
Breakfast (planned and prepared by my husband):
Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
Scrambled Eggs
Tator Tots
Orange Juice
Snacks:
Swiss Chocolate Chip Cookies
Multi-Grain Crackers and Pepperjack Cheese
Izze Drinks
Dinner:
Shish-Kabobs: Chicken, Red, Yellow, & Green Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms (All items had been marinated in Italian Dressing. These were delicious!)
Cheesy Potatoes
Corn on the Cob
Garlic Bread
There was also watermelon, but I forgot to serve it.
Dessert:
Key Lime Pie (with Graham Cracker Crust)
Day #2
Breakfast:
Overnight Breakfast Casserole (using bacon)
Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
Sliced Strawberries, Blueberries, and Bananas
More snacks, and then we went home!
We eat well when we go to the lakehouse with friends and family :) We have fallen into the routine of a late big breakfast with snacks in the afternoon, and then something on the grill for dinner.
I promised a breakdown with recipes. Here's what we had this past weekend.
Day #1
Breakfast (planned and prepared by my husband):
Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
Scrambled Eggs
Tator Tots
Orange Juice
Snacks:
Swiss Chocolate Chip Cookies
Multi-Grain Crackers and Pepperjack Cheese
Izze Drinks
Dinner:
Shish-Kabobs: Chicken, Red, Yellow, & Green Peppers, Onions, and Mushrooms (All items had been marinated in Italian Dressing. These were delicious!)
Cheesy Potatoes
Corn on the Cob
Garlic Bread
There was also watermelon, but I forgot to serve it.
Dessert:
Key Lime Pie (with Graham Cracker Crust)
Day #2
Breakfast:
Overnight Breakfast Casserole (using bacon)
Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake
Sliced Strawberries, Blueberries, and Bananas
More snacks, and then we went home!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Menu Plan 8/9/10
I guess the menu plan still needs some work for this week...
Here's what is floating around in my head: sticky chicken, some grilled chicken wraps, crispy pizza, definitely BLT's (gotta take advantage of those tomatoes I just bought), perhaps breakfast for dinner, ??? You may notice some repeats from last week.
We've really been winging it this summer on the dinners - as opposed to last spring when I planned out a month at a time! But I think we've been doing better with the grocery budget, actually, even with all the fresh food I've been buying. Maybe because I've been forced to make-do since I don't feel like shopping often in the heat...
Any suggestions on getting my littlest one to drink milk? I've been giving him some whole milk from the store, because I want to know that he tolerates that before I give him anything else. But he pushes it away and doesn't want more than one taste... At least he likes yogurt and cheese, right?
Here's what is floating around in my head: sticky chicken, some grilled chicken wraps, crispy pizza, definitely BLT's (gotta take advantage of those tomatoes I just bought), perhaps breakfast for dinner, ??? You may notice some repeats from last week.
We've really been winging it this summer on the dinners - as opposed to last spring when I planned out a month at a time! But I think we've been doing better with the grocery budget, actually, even with all the fresh food I've been buying. Maybe because I've been forced to make-do since I don't feel like shopping often in the heat...
Any suggestions on getting my littlest one to drink milk? I've been giving him some whole milk from the store, because I want to know that he tolerates that before I give him anything else. But he pushes it away and doesn't want more than one taste... At least he likes yogurt and cheese, right?
Swiss Chocolate Chip Cookies
A friend gave me this recipe in high school and I still have it! I hadn't made these in forever, and had forgotten how soft and good they are. And easy, too! Perfect for using up half a bag of chocolate chips.
1 box Duncan Hines Swiss Chocolate cake mix (This is hard to find and/or discontinued so I used German Chocolate and they still turned out just like I remembered.)
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
You can add nuts in addition, in you like.
Mix all together. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
Thanks Abs!
1 box Duncan Hines Swiss Chocolate cake mix (This is hard to find and/or discontinued so I used German Chocolate and they still turned out just like I remembered.)
2 eggs
1/2 c. oil
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
You can add nuts in addition, in you like.
Mix all together. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
Thanks Abs!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Menu Plan 8/2/10
Last week, I made a cold pasta salad spinoff of this BLT Pasta recipe. I truly just experimented and added stuff in until I liked the way it tasted. Here's what I included:
- whole wheat rotini pasta
- crumbled nitrate-free bacon
- cheese - fresh mozzarella cubes and parmesan
- chopped leftover uncooked veggies - carrots, zucchini, tomatoes
- red onion sauteed in a little bit of bacon drippings
- For the dressing I used more bacon drippings (gasp!), some vinegar, some lemon juice.
- garlic powder, onion powder, parsley, basil, salt, pepper
It was really good. We all liked it, and it made for an easy one-dish dinner.
Ok, on to the plan for this week...
Breakfasts:
Eggs and Toast
Simple Soaked Pancakes with Syrup
Milk
Fruit
Lunches:
PB&J Sandwiches*
Yogurt or Cheese
Carrots
Fruit
Dinners:
Monday - Soft Tacos, Salad
Tuesday - Leftovers
Wednesday - Easy Sloppy Joe's on Buns, Baked Zucchini & Tomatoes with Cheese
Thursday - Leftovers
Friday - Homemade Pizza (didn't get to it last week), Salad
Saturday - BLT's, Seasoned Potato Wedges
Sunday - Leftovers
Dessert:
Healthy Strawberry Shortcake
*Is it possible that I have PB&J'd my 3 year old out at so early an age? :) She now requests "just jelly" sandwiches. However, she will eat a couple handfuls of raw almonds on the side or for a snack. So I feel ok about it. Do any other 3 year olds ask for raw almonds? I probably should soak them or something to make them more digestible, but I haven't gotten there, yet.
I am thinking of going "no sugar" again (more like "no sweet treats"). I'll let you know. Probably after my baby turns one next week (!)
For my daughter's first birthday, I made these Carrot Cake Muffins. I am thinking of making them again for my son's first birthday. Any other semi-nutritious suggestions?
Have you noticed that we have been eating less chicken lately? That might change in the winter when I am not buying fresh chicken from the local farm (that is pricier) and so then I buy the cheaper stuff. I know some people store up a bunch of fresh summer food for winter but we don't have a deep freeze, and so I don't worry about it too much. Having limited options simplifies things in a way. I am enjoying our summer food now, though. We are eating more locally produced food than we ever have before.
I know this is nerdy, but I used to look forward to checking out the grocery ads each week. I still look over them, but I don't get nearly as excited about them as I used to. The good deals that I actually want to buy are fewer and farther between. I've probably mentioned before, I almost always have my kids with me when grocery shopping. So with produce, dairy, and meat being from alternative local sources, keeping the remainder of the shopping limited to Costco, Aldi, and Whole Foods is where I'm at these days. And the occasional run to Target/Wal-Mart (not my fav) if there is other random stuff we need. That still sounds like a lot of shopping, doesn't it? I feel bad about not going to my local grocery stores as much as I used to, though. I really like them.
As for my 2 new Costco items, I like them. As far as taste, I can't tell any difference between regular and nitrate-free bacon. But then again, as much as I like bacon, I am no bacon connoisseur. I wasn't sure on the tortillas at first, but I have decided they are a great compromise. They are like homemade tortillas without the mess and work. You do have to cook them, but that part is easy, easy. They do contain canola oil, which I am not a huge fan of (I'd rather they contained butter or coconut oil), but with only a few other ingredients, they are much more wholesome than the premade ones which are full of ingredients that I cannot pronounce.
Happy food planning.
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