Meal Plan~ Labor Day

Okay, let's try this again. Today (Saturday), we followed the meal plan. *round of applause please.  We ate tomato soup and grilled cheese for lunch (the boys also ate baby Lima beans). For dinner I make a pork loin in the oven with carrots, onions, and potatoes. It was so good I will insert a picture:

Anyways, this is Labor Day weekend so I am NOT looking forward to grocery shopping tomorrow, but it is a necessary evil. Here is my meal plan that I WILL follow!

For Breakfasts: Oatmeal, Raisin Bran (my personal fav), English muffins with egg and turkey sausage, or waffles.

Sunday:

• Lunch: Leftovers... we have plenty!
• Dinner: Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes, and asparagus

 Monday: 

• Lunch: Grill Food! Burgers and hot dogs with baked beans and mac&cheese... America! 
• Dinner: Shepherd's Pie (with ground turkey)

Tuesday:

• Lunch: Broccoli Mac&cheese
• Dinner: Leftover Shepherd's pie

Wednesday: 

• Lunch: Prorogues/ homemade pizza... quite a combo, I know.
• Dinner: BBQ Chicken sandwiches, broccoli, and mac&cheese

Thursday:

• Lunch: Crab legs and corn on the cob (the boys will prob not eat sandwiches #pickyeaters )
• Dinner: Torteloni & peas

Friday:

• Crazy day at Emmett's school and my work... we will probably grab lunch somewhere 
• Dinner: something quick and easy like PB&J with yogurt and fruit

Meal Plan FAIL!

It wouldn't be unusual for us to have to adjust our meal plan a little... Things come up, no big deal. This is the first week in the history of our family that we have literally not made one dish from our meal plan. My awful week began with getting sick.  I missed work Tuesday and was still worthless Wednesday. I was in survival mode all week and it's been rough. I really couldn't even tell you what we ate this week but I faintly recall my husband making pasta at some point. 

... Here's hoping next week goes a little more smooth. 

-Destinee

Case of the Sundays...and my Meal Plan

You know those weeks that are so stressful and awful that Sunday is hard to enjoy because you know tomorrow is Monday. =(
I literally spent my entire day doing load after load of laundry, picking up the boys' snacks off of the floor, and doing dishes. It was glamorous.
We ate really crappy during my crappy work week so I sat down to do some meal planning. I am missing those days when I had a freezer supply of "lazy night" or in this case "crappy week" dinners. I see a meal-prep day in my near future. For breakfast we do a lot of waffles, oatmeal, or eggs. Here is what I have come up with for this weeks lunches and dinners:

Monday:

• Lunch: tilapia and steamed veggies
• Dinner: Left-over pizza (don't judge)

Tuesday:

• Lunch: Shrimp and potatoes
• Dinner: Pork Loin with potatoes and carrots

Wednesday:

• Lunch: Tacos 
• Dinner: Grab night (husband is working 

Thursday:

• Lunch: Grilled cheese and tomato soup 
• Dinner: BBQ chicken sandwiches, corn, and mac&cheese

Friday:

• Lunch: Left-overs
• Dinner: Swedish Meatballs, asparagus, mashed potatoes. 

Let's see if I can stick to my plan... pictures to follow =)
-Destinee 

Operation Organization~ Pantry

Although I dream of someday having a GIGANTIC walk-in pantry with endless shelves and storage... for now I have two cabinets. Yes, I can fit a ton of food in them.. but right now they are a hot mess!

I already had all the organizing tools from previous pantry-cleaning attempts, the only thing I bought for this project is chalk-board stickers (from Martha Stewart at Staples) and I had a 40% off coupon, so they cost only $8 for two packages. I bought the chalk pen from Amazon and I don't particularly care for this one, but it works.

 

I used my new Chalkboard labels to replace the existing labels that were slightly faded... Plus, I like the look and versatility of the chalkboard labels. =)

 

I love these Rubbermaid containers. They come in two sizes for just a few dollars at Walmart. I have had them for years and while they hold up well they don't like the dishwasher. =/

 

 

Here is look at the finished bottom cabinet. I have also purchased new stacking Tupperware to replace the bin of mis-matched containers. =)

Here is the top cabinet! I love that I can now find everything easily and I have so much more space! =)

 

 

Total cost for this project: $8

Operation Organization ~ Deep Freeze

 It lives in the garage and is never seen by guests... so it's okay if it's a mess, right? WRONG! I was sooo tired of spending time searching for something or accidentally re-purchasing food we already had all because my deep freeze is a hot mess... or a cold mess... whatever.

Although it is extremely utilized in our household it is always over-looked when it comes to organization. So I decided it was time to tackle this mess once and for all! I started by taking everything out and checking expiration dates. Thankfully, everything was still in date =)

I didn't want to spend any money on this project so I looked around for something I already had. I found this crate (shown below) that I purchased from Walmart for less than five dollars and was no longer using. What I think is so great about these crates is if I ever need more storage I can easily stack on another and Viola, more food space.
On the other side of the freezer is a little blue crate (pictured above) used for pop sickles =)

I used the top sliding storage bins for things I access daily, such as frozen veggies.

In the second sliding bin I put things that I keep on hand for quick lunches... easy for the husband to find!

Now for the finished product! This picture doesn't do justice for how much more functional my deep freeze has become. It took less than a half-hour and cost no money! It could use a little de-frosting, but that's for another day.

***After***






Freezer Meals~ How to

All Moms are busy: working, stay at home, or anywhere in between I think we all sometimes struggle to get a home-made dinner on the table. After eating out twice last week for dinner, I decided I needed to replenish my freezer and crock pot meals. I started yesterday getting some freezer meals set aside. I made a HUGE batch of meat sauce and a pot of Chili. I set a bowl of each aside for my Hubby and froze the rest. It is also helpful to make double-batches of the meals you are already making for dinner so you don't have to spend all day cooking.

*What You Need*

• good-quality freezer bags
• measuring cup, a sharpie (not a fine-tip as it may puncture the bag... found that out the hard way)
• baking sheet to stack the bags flat for freezing
• and of course food =)

 Once you are ready to use the meal you may choose to either thaw overnight in the fridge or place in the sink under cold running water. Heat in a pot (or microwave) and enjoy. =)

Meat Sauce =)

Chili



Make sure to label each bag with what is inside and the date. Once frozen, everything starts to look the same. If you are prepping food for the crock-pot it is helpful to add any instructions and cook time.




Since I use Meat sauce in many recipes, I decided to measure the amount placed in each bag.

I found is is better to use a measuring cup to fill the bags, because it makes much less mess than a ladle.



Lay flat and place in freezer or deep-freeze... I left it over-night.

This is how thin my Chili froze. It's a full meal and barely uses any space =)



Front view of frozen Chili =)

Turkey Noodle Soup

Growing up, I always dreaded the week after Thanksgiving... Why? We would eat nothing but ham or turkey sandwiches... no thanks. I became determined to make something out of the left-overs- something more than a sandwich. Since necessity is the mother of invention, I  invented some Turkey Noodle Soup.

The great thing about this recipe is that it is extremely adaptable.. you can use whatever you happen to have in your kitchen.

                          

 

Here's What you do:
~In a large stock pot place your turkey carcass (hate that word) in plenty of water- cover and boil. I also add plenty of garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper (add to taste). This takes time, how much time depends on how large your turkey was and how much water. You will know when it is done when your water starts to look like broth and smell amazing... Mine took about an hour. The next step is VERY important: Make sure you double strain your stock- you don't want anything crazy in your broth.
~Next, place the strained broth back into your stock pot (I rinse mine out to save dishes) and while waiting to return to a boil, cut your veggies. I used what I happened to have in my fridge which was celery, and carrots, I also added a can of corn towards the end (we love corn). When the veggies begin to soften add your egg noodles (or rice) and add some shredded turkey. Once the noodles are done, so is the soup. I serve with dinner rolls, and enjoy =)