Meal Planning Love!

The first half of this year I was rockin' in the meal-planning, home-keeping department!  I mean seriously!  I was following Fly Lady like nobody's business, we had home-cooked meals every night and the house was generally spotless!

Then I had Lion Cub (the most bored baby on the planet who lets you know how bored he is every minute of the day!) and all was lost!

Well, November is my fresh start!  I figured, why wait for New Years?  I need to get back on my game NOW (or I may loose my mind and run out of money to feed my family!)!

So, here is what I am back to doing- planning out a whole month of meals at a time!  I know, I know, it sounds daunting, but after you put a little bit of work into it you will save yourself so much time and money!  Plus, by planning the whole month in one sitting I can ensure that we aren't repeating any meals during the month (besides leftovers), which drives my husband crazy!  So, it is a win-win-win!

So, how do I do it?  I'm so glad you asked!

First- I print a blank calendar off my computer.

Second- I make a hot cup of tea (essential!) and sit down with my recipe binder, calendar, and Control Journal (a Fly Lady thing, I have added my own sections to it including one with past meal calendars for inspiration and ideas!).

Third- Formulate the plan!  I go through the month trying make a good mix of flavors, cooking methods and types of veggies and meat throughout each week so we are certain to have a well-balanced diet.  I try to place crock-pot meals on days when I know things will be more busy, or schedule leftovers for such days.  Busy days are also good time to put to use any meals you made duplicates of and froze the month before (I'll talk more about this later).  If it is a more complicated meal I try to figure in days when my husband will most likely be home early or weekends so that he can help with the kiddos.
       I also figure in which days would be good to try new recipes on.  I generally try to include 3-4 new recipes a month to keep things interesting and expand my repertoire of family-loved recipes (if you don't try things you will never know!).  I go through my cookbooks for things we haven't tried or look for recipes on some of my favorite blogs.  My main go-to sources tend to be:

• My Kitchen Cafe
• Crockpot 365
• Food Network
  

Fourth- Gather my recipes!  Some this may already be done for my new recipes, but for the rest I pull out all the recipes I will need for the month and then divide them into weeks and place them behind my meal calendar in the Meal Planning section of my control journal. This way they are easy to find and reference, should I need to.

Fifth- I write my shopping lists for the whole month!  By doing this all at once it allows me to buy certain things in bulk (that will last through the month) that I would have ordinarily bought in smaller, more expensive portions had I planned by the day or week.  I can also buy in bulk for certain recipes that I plan to make more than one of at the time I prepare the food so that I have meals to put in the freezer.   Plus, getting this all done at once helps me to not leave anything out and saves me a great deal of time over the next three weeks of the month!  It also allows me to clearly budget out our money over the month and minimize the number of trips I need to make to the store.

Sixth- Look for deals and coupons!  I am not always that good at this one, but I do try to divide my shopping list between a couple of different stores where I know I can get the best prices on certain items.

Seventh- Go shopping! I try to really stick to my budget but if I see a great deal on something I will need later in the month then I buy it!  Having a well-planned list helps me get in and out quickly.

Eighth- Prepare!  I keep a few things in mind as I prepare each meal-

• Am I using any of these ingredients again soon that I can prepare now to save myself time later?  Things such as onions, celery and so on, can be chopped all at once.  If I am making numerous spice mixes throughout the week or month, why not make them all at the same time while I have everything out?
• Do I have enough ingredients to make more than one meal so that I can put one in the freezer?  I find that I usually have enough of the ingredients I bought for sauces, glazes and so forth, to at least make the recipe twice.  Having a second meal prepared and frozen saves me time and money next month and allows me to apply that whole "buying in bulk principle" if I keep this idea in mind when I am writing my shopping lists.
• Are we eating this as left overs tomorrow?  If so, are there certain ingredients that would be better to add in fresh tomorrow, such as grated cheese in Tortilla Soup, that I can prepare now so I don't have to tomorrow?

Ninth- Enjoy the fruits of your labor- nutritious meals, saved time, and saved money!  It is so worth it!

I hope this post can help some of you in your mission to feed your family healthfully and economically!  If it does, please share how!  Also, if any of you would like me to post my plans for the month with shopping lists, please let me know (I don't want to do all the extra work unless people are actually interested!)!

How not to get sick!

There is so much controversy brewing over the Swine Flu vaccine that I just couldn't resist putting up the link to a very compelling and informative video on Dr. Mercola's website.  Make sure you are getting the full story on all vaccines that you inject into yourself or your child's body before you do.  From there it is your decision, I just want to encourage you all to be informed consumers.

In addition I thought I would post an article that I recently received in my in-box that I think has a lot of valuable tips for how to avoid getting sick during these winter months (wish I would have found it sooner since I am now battling a raging cold!).  Enjoy and I hope it helps:

Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MMBS,DRM,DNB (intensivist and thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital, Bombay Hospital, Saifee Hospital, Tata Memorial, etc. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and
Critical Centre, Malad (W).

The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.
While you are still healthy and now showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps not fully highlighted in  most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):

1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).

2. “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

4. Similar to 3 above, * clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. * Blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). * If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

*Drink as much warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc.) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.

And last of all, I just want to throw this little link out there with lots of ideas on how to combat and avoid the flu naturally.  Get your Vitamin D and Elderberry ladies- they could save you this season!

My new little (cheap!) love!

This, ladies and gentlemen, is my newest kitchen appliance!  A 2-Quart Crock-pot! 

I have wanted one for quite some time to cook the smaller portions of chicken, pork chops, or steak that I usually fix for our little family.  The other day I was at Wal-Mart and saw this gem on sale for only $10.88!  Very budget conscious, I didn't buy it, but then last night I realized that I was going to be cooking pork chops today that were supposed to be slow-cooked and my resistance failed! 

So, I sent my husband by the store on his way home from work, and guess what?  They had dropped the price to $9.00!!!!  Woohoo!!!  So here is my new little beauty, working away!

"Leaving Carolina" Review

I LOVED this book!  It was exactly the kind of light-hearted, chick-book I needed to read right now!  Such a wonderful distraction from real life!  Following Piper Wick on her trip to the town of Pickwick North Carolina to take care of family business was such a joy!  Piper had just the perfect amount of realness, attitude and honesty to make her very relatable and just so much fun to "tag along with!"  

I especially liked Tamara Leigh's writing style.  Everything was in first-person from Piper's perspective (something I have rarely found in fiction- or at least done well).  I really felt like I was inside her head, hearing her honest and interjecting thoughts.  It reminded me very much of my own thought processes and I think that made the book all that much more intriguing to read.

Here is the publisher's summary:

Piper Wick left her hometown of Pickwick , North Carolina , twelve years ago, shook the dust off her feet, ditched her drawl and her family name, and made a new life for herself as a high-powered public relations consultant in LA. She’s even “engaged to be engaged” to the picture-perfect U.S. Congressman Grant Spangler.

Now all of Piper’s hard-won happiness is threatened by a reclusive uncle’s bout of conscience. In the wake of a health scare, Uncle Obadiah Pickwick has decided to change his will, leaving money to make amends for four generations’ worth of family misdeeds. But that will reveal all the Pickwicks’ secrets, including Piper’s.

Though Piper arrives in Pickwick primed for battle, she is unprepared for Uncle Obe’s rugged, blue-eyed gardener. So just who is Axel Smith? Why does he think making amends is more than just making restitution? And why, oh why, can’t she stay on task? With the Lord’s help, Piper is about to discover that although good PR might smooth things over, only the truth will set her free.

If you are looking for a truly wonderful, fiction read with both whimsy and depth, then I highly recommend Leaving Carolina.  To purchase your own copy you can visit Waterbrook Press.

Want to join in the fun of reviewing books for Waterbrook Press?  Check out their program here!

This book was provided by the publisher for honest review.

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!