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This kid just keeps me laughing!
In Our Arms
9 years ago
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
A month of meals!
Jeremiah had some things to do this evening so I have some free time to blog my heart out.
Here is our month o' meals. Each week follows the same basic pattern: Monday - frozen meal, Tuesday - breakfast for dinner, Wednesday - frozen meal, Thursday - help yourself night, Friday - big casserole to feed 10-12 people, Saturday - leftovers, Sunday - pizza night! I stock my freezer with frozen veggies for side dishes and since casserole eating isn't the healthiest option, I try to make sure we eat a lot of veggies with each meal.
Also, I have all the breakfast foods we eat stocked up (eggs, tortillas, cereals, yogurt...), lunch foods (lunch meat, veggies, bread, cheese) and snacks. We snack on fruit a lot, so I will have to do a produce run to keep us stocked next week.
Here goes nothin'!
January 1 - Beef stroganoff, fresh bread (made fresh, but it would freeze well minus the noodles and sour cream)
2 - Leftovers
4 - Chicken fried steak, potatoes, veggies, left over bread from Friday (this meal was not frozen, made fresh)
5 - Breakfast for dinner (biscuits, gravy, eggs - Trader Joe's has a great multi grain baking mix!)
6 - Huevos
7 - Help yourself night
8 - Enchiladas (on Fridays, someone else brings a side and a dessert, so it's not on my list)
9 - Left overs
10 - Pizza - topped with ground beef and turkey bacon (the toppings are ready to go, in the freezer)
11 - Out of town
12 - Out of town
13 - Burgers and fries
14 - Lasagna and veggies
15 - Meat loaf (2 recipes worth)
16 - Left overs
17 - Miah's spaghetti
18 - Chicken Potato Casserole
19 - Breakfast for dinner
20 - Hot dogs and fries
21 - Help yourself night
22 - Potato soup (will be made fresh)
23 - Left overs
24 - Pizza night - topped with turkey pepperoni and green chile
25 - Goulash and veggies
26 - Huevos
27 - Burritos
28 - Help yourself night
29 - Stouffer's lasagna
30 - Leftovers
31 - Tortellini with cream sauce
After doing that I am fairly certain I won't be putting up recipes or a shopping list. I just don't have that kinda time! :) But if anyone has any questions on anything I made just let me know! I can also email my shopping list.. I have it on the computer divided by aisle at the grocery store :)
When you do the shopping for a month you may be able to fit it all into one cart as you gather it, but once the food is bagged you will need two carts to either be prepared to do that yourself or bring a helper!
I buy chicken thighs in bulk and then put them in the crock pot overnight with water and seasonings. In the morning the chicken is ready to be shredded and I cool the broth, drain the fat and freeze it for soups. Works great! You can also freeze it in smaller portions to use as needed.
On the day I will be doing all of the cooking I start with a clean kitchen and empty dishwasher. I lay out each recipe and put the ingredients for each recipe on top of it. I figure out how much cooked ground beef I will need and I cook it all at once. I chop all onion, garlic, etc. for all of the recipes so that I don't have to do that each time I start a recipe.
As for storing everything, for right now I use those disposable aluminum trays, Tupperware, and freezer bags. I make sure I have lots of freezer paper, heavy duty aluminum, and labels. Each recipe has a label on top that tells me what it is, how long it needs to cook and at what temperature.
Sometimes for a larger recipe (like lasagna, for example) I divide the recipe in half because my little family can't finish and entire recipes worth!
Happy shopping!
Managing the chaos.
Man, things have been nuts around here! The main contributor to my craziness has been fatigue, I think. A one year old plus being 24 weeks pregnant makes for one tired mama! As a result I have been trying to find ways to streamline my life. I want to make sure I manage my home well, and get the rest my body so desperately needs. It has been trial and error, but I have found some things that work. If anyone is interested, here is what goes on around here on a daily/weekly basis!
Bills - they get paid right as they come in the door. No waiting around on them or I will simply forget!
Meal planning - This month I am trying something new. I planned my entire month's meals at the beginning of the month, purchased what I needed and made everything ahead that would freeze well. I will have to go to the store occasionally to buy milk and fresh produce, but that's it! I'm hoping this will cut down on cost since everything was bought in bulk. We shall see! Sometime this week I hope to get our meal plan, recipes and shopping list up. I will also try to post how I streamline the whole process, too.
Cleaning - Oh cleaning. Darn cleaning :) I am half joking, but man! Being a SAHM means that I clean things that get dirty in minutes. BUT I will stop the complaining before it really begins. Each morning I try to get up before Moses and make the bed, wipe down the bathrooms and empty the dishwasher. If a load of laundry needs to be thrown in, I do that, too. Things I don't do: wash bottles and sippy cups until the end of the day and I do not pick up toys until Moses goes to bed. No way, Jose! :) Mondays - floors. Tuesdays - bathrooms. Wednesdays - kitchen. Thursday - bedrooms and laundry. Friday - prepare for the guests that come each week. Saturday and Sunday - I just enjoy my family time! *Disclaimer! This list serves me, and not the other way around! If I'm not up for cleaning and need to rest, that is what I do!
I have also been trying to fit exercise in each day. Not much, just 20-30 minutes on the treadmill and some weights. I try to do this while Moses naps and then I take a quick shower and spend the rest of nap time off my feet! It is a perfect time to fit in some Bible reading and a short nap.
Alright, that's it! I'd be interested in how you other SAHM's manage your days!
