30 Meals and Recipe Card Printables!

September is here!  Isn't that crazy?!  I am still in disbelief!  Where did summer go?  Today I dawned my first cool weather outfit in months and although I LOVE summer (and would actually move to Hawaii, hands down, in a heart beat, if give the opportunity) there is something welcoming and homey about the coming of fall.  Trips to the apple orchard and the fair, our large Maples turning red and golden, hot soups and stews with fresh baked bread (of course!)- it's a captivating season!

So, to kick off this season I thought I would share a very cool idea that I recently ran across on the web, along with an accompanying printable that I think you will all enjoy!  Have you heard of Nannygoat and the 30 Meals project?  Well, if not, you must head over and check it out!!  The beautiful ladies behind this blog, Kathryn and Melissa, have written a series of 7 different posts that lay out all the details on how to simplify your meal planning by narrowing your recipe file down to your 30 favorite (or about that many- I hope to go over a bit), creating a database of all the needed ingredients, and placing your recipes on laminated recipe cards that are easily accessible.  You really should just go there and read it because they have it so well laid out I could not possibly do justice to it here, and well, it's their idea!

I am planning on doing a variation of the 30 Meals, although I think those of you who know me won't be surprised that I intend to not only do our 30 favorite dinners but also our 30 favorite breakfasts, lunches, snacks and side-dishes!  I also plan to have a few recipes that rotate in and out with the seasons- such as hearty soups and stews that we normally cook more in the fall and winter than the summer.  Once the project is complete I think it will be such a helpful tool and really aid in simplifying my monthly meal planning.  It is going to be a great deal of work but I am really looking forward to it!

Since part of the project is putting all your recipes on nice and neat recipe cards, I decided that it would be fun to put together some of my own with a few digital scrapbooking supplies that I have been collecting.  As I was working on them I realized that you ladies would probably like a copy of them too, since I am so sure that once you read the details on the 30 Meals project you won't be able to help yourselves but jump right in too!  Plus with the holidays coming we could all use a few cheap gift ideas, and wouldn't it be great to surprise a friend or family member with their own beautified 30 Meal recipe card set?!

My goal is to come out with a few new recipe cards every month, and maybe, just maybe, I will trow in a few with recipes actually on them as well (but that is for another day!).  My cards are sized at 5x7 instead of the 4x6 that normal recipe cards are, because I figured you could fit more information on them and they would be easier to read.  If you really want them smaller I am sure you could easily size them down though!

So here is my Start of Fall set!  There are two versions- one with a spot for a picture of your recipe and one without.  I think that these cards will be perfect for my shepherds pie, pot roast, and bountiful stew recipes!  What do you think?

(click to go to download)

Go ahead and grab your copy (or a few!)!  Also, I would love to hear about how you are going to use them or if you have any requests or suggestions for future cards!  So, if you grab the download it would be just peachy if you left a comment and let me know!

I hope you enjoy, and Happy 30 Meals planning!


PS. Most of the design elements were freebies by Michelle Underwood at Two Peas in a Bucket.

Things to Share!

First off, for all of you who, like me, are going to have a very budget-conscious Christmas this year, I wanted to pass along a great blog I found called Skip To My Lou!  There is an entire handmade gift guide with the best and most affordable gifts!  I am definitely adding some of these to my list to tackle!




I also just have to mention the giveaway going on this week at The Cloth Diaper Whisperer!  Check this out:

This week's giveaway includes (a $260.00 + retail value!):

1-Flip Stay-Dry Day Pack

1-bumGenius one size diaper sample Pak

1-Flip Video Camcorder! (model to be posted soon)

I would LOVE that camera!!!  So, that is what I have to share for now!  Have a wonderful weekend all!

Christmas already?

Yes, that time of year is rolling around again and as we begin to embark on these months of holidays I am setting out to create new traditions for our family (as we have faced many big changes in recent months) and keep things focused on what really matters. 

In addition, since finances have been tight I am trying to figure out how to bless my family and those around me with gifts from the heart that don't require much cash.  We'll see how that pans out, since those gifts tend to require good bits of uninterrupted time which I do not currently have!  On any hand, I thought I would post the link to a fabulous blog I recently found- Life in Grace.  Edie is hosting a "12 days of Handmade Christmas" party that has some wonderful little ideas, so hop on over and check it out!



I would also love to hear about some of your unique family traditions!   Things you bake, make, spend your days on or give special meaning to this season and create lifetimes of memories- please share!

A Simple Mother's Day Gift Idea

I think everyone is strapped for cash right now, which makes holidays such as Mother's Day difficult. What can you give your mama that will still make her feel special yet not break the bank? Well, why not some homemade products to pamper you mom? This year I decided to make bath salts, bath tea and milk bath for the special mamas in my life (my mom, mother-in-law, grandma, and all the women who will be attending my homebirth). All the recipes were fairly simple and cheap to prepare, but heartfelt and should provide a nice dose of pampering and relaxation! Here are the recipes if you want to try some or gift some yourself!


Clearheaded Relaxing Bath Salts

• 1 Cup Epsom Salt
• 1/4 Cup Sea Salt
• 2-3 Tbsp Baking Soda
• 5-10 drops essential oils (I used Lavender, Tea Tree and Eucalyptus)

Optional:

• 1-2 tsp Glycerin
• 1-2 Tbsp Ground Oatmeal

Directions: Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix well
For Bath: Use 1/4-1/2 cup


Oatmeal Milk Bath

• 2 Cups Powdered Milk
• 1/2 cup Ground Oatmeal
• 1 Cup Corn Starch
• 1/2 Baking Soda
• 1/2 Cup dried herbs (I used Rose Buds & Lavender- Rosemary or Chamomile would also be good choices)

Directions: Blend oatmeal and herbs in blender or food processor. Add milk to blender. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
For Bath: Use 3 Tbsp


Healing Citrus Green Tea Bath Tea

• 1/4 Cup Green Tea
• 1/4 Cup Calendula Petals
• 1/4 Cup Ground Almonds
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 5-10 drops Lemon, Lemongrass and/or Orange Essential Oil

Optional:

• 1/2 tsp Jojoba Oil (left out because of expense)
• 2 Tbsp Dried Mint Leaves (couldn't find at the store I went to)

Directions: Mix all ingredients in a bowl until thoroughly dispersed and saturated
For Bath: Good for 2-3 baths. Steep for 10 minutes on stove and pour into bath water through a strainer.

Pieces of Art

Well, Roman and I both expressed our creative sides this week, just in different ways.

Mine...

A knitted sweater for a friend's baby shower.

His...

Crayon masterpieces using the back of our couch as a canvas! Sadly, this wasn't the first time he has deemed this spot as a perfect location for his creations, but luckily he used crayon instead of ball point pen (like last time) and it came out pretty quickly (you can see I had already begun scrubbing when I decided to take the picture). I became aware of the situation when things got very quiet and then Roman ran into the office squealing, "Mama! I write AND color!!" Uh-oh! Not a good combination, especially with that bright green crayon poised in his victorious fist! Oh well- he's two! At least he didn't brake something! And hey, I think he has a future as an artist- don't you?!

Something Pink... and something brown!

Well, first of all, let's talk about the pink! Yup you guessed it- it's that little hat up there! You see, my adorable 8 year old niece, Natanya, has been up from Texas visiting our side of the family for the past two weeks and while she stayed at our house for a couple of days she wanted to do something crafty (the first thing out of her mouth every year when she sees me is, "Can we scrapbook?!). Well, we did do a little scrapbooking but mostly I tried to teach her how to knit. She lost interest pretty quickly but of course wanted me to finish the project- a hat for her 3 month old baby sister Sienna. I think it turned out pretty cute- fun easy pattern called a Baby Pip Hat. However, I am not so sure how much use Sienna will be getting our of it since they live in Texas! Oh well, it's cute anyway!


And then comes the brown! Well, while Natanya was over we stopped over at my parent's house so Jer could look at some work they want him to do in their house. While we were there the kiddos wanted to jump in the hot tub with Papa (my dad), who of course happily obliged. At one point Roman wanted to get out and, thinking he was done, we took off his shorts and wrapped him in a towel. Of course, after a few minutes he decided he wanted to get back in, but we figured it would only be for a few minutes so we just put him back in the hot tub with Natanya (Papa had already gotten out) without his shorts- big mistake!! Soon we heard poor Natanya screeming "POOP!!" The look on Roman's face said it all! I quickly snatched him out of the water and ran him to the bathroom as my dad fished for sinkers and Natanya jumped out of the hot tub and half way across the yard! Needless to say, baths for all quickly ensued and the hot tub was drained and cleaned. Luckily my dad had good humor about it and said, "He's just a little boy!" All in all, I am sure this is a trip that Natanya won't be quickly forgetting!

Christmas is Coming!

Okay- you may think I am crazy but Christmas has been on my brain lately! Probably because I am planning out my Christmas projects and I have a lot of them! I figure that if I want to get even half of what I have planned actually accomplished then I had better get started soon! My first big goals are the afghans I am crocheting for my grandparents. In addition I have a long list of other fun items that I am either sewing, knitting, or craftily making in general, but I can't post them just yet for fear of some of the recipients finding out! All in all, I think it will be lots of fun and if I start now it hopefully won't be too stressful! So, Merry Christmas All!