My fancy meal plan

As I mentioned in my last post, we do our grocery shopping on a monthly basis.  This month I decided I would make a realistic meal plan (for once in my life) containing meals made out of ingredients that we actually eat and that I know I would be able to actually find in the stores we frequent.

To do this I first posted a question on facebook, asking my friends what their favorite, easy meals were.  I got so many ideas.  I was able to match the friend to their pinterest page and then to find the recipe they were talking about there.  From that I got about 6 recipes.

From there I continued perusing meals on pinterest.  The criteria for meals included that they had to be easy to make (super quick or a crockpot meal), contain ingredients I knew we would eat, have as limited processed food as possible, and be available at the discount stores we go to once a month.

I found tons but I was also finding a surprising amount of recipes that call for chicken.  While I love chicken as much as the next girl, my husband is not too keen on eating nothing but chicken, chicken, chicken.

So I switched it up a bit with some familiar stand bys I make and I found a couple of recipes from magazines I have.

Here's what I came up with...

Fancy system, huh?  I did a column for each meal and then rows for each day.  My original plan was to actually have those meals on those days but what I have found is that sometimes we just don't feel like having what is on deck for that day so I switch it around.

Here are some of the ideas I've had for low budget, nutritious foods:
Potato Soup
Tuscan Bean Soup
Corn Chowder
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Crockpot Beef Stew
Crockpot Chicken Cordon Bleu
Homemade pizzas
Meatloaf
Spaghetti Night
Quesadillas
Chili

You can find lots more things I've posted on my Pinterest Page here.

I'm not listing all of my meals this time, maybe some month I will :)  But I hope this encourages you to plan meals out, shop wisely to find bargains, and above all have fun with food with your family and feed them well!  By having a plan and knowing I have all the ingredients for dinner ready to go, I am a much calmer, happier Mommy.

Some months I do the Once-a-month cooking but I know not everyone is up for it and I can't do it every month.  So this is a good compromise for me.  Last month was so hurried that I was trying to throw meals together at the last minute and it was horrid.  HORRID I tell ya!  :)   So this month so far has been lots better!  Happy planning, friends :)

These Tentacles are Tantalizing!

Do you like our lunch?  This is one of the most asked for lunches in our house...by the kids anyway.  Nick and I aren't that big of a fan! 

Isn't the little guy cute? 

Here's what it is...all you do is take a hot dog and about 3/4 of the way up you cut slits.  Microwave for about 45 seconds and his legs spread apart and kind of curl up...I cut little eyes and a smile into him too before nuking him to a firey death!  hahahaha...but if your kids aren't afraid of things called condiments you could give him a ketchupy smile or a little olive hat...the possibilities are endless. 

He then sits on macaroni with some goldfish crackers scattered on top for some sea-like ambiance and voila!  Lunch is served! 

Thought I'd share this because sometimes lunch with kids gets a little blah...at least it does here. 

Today's mac and cheese!
Soup!
Grilled Cheese
Peanut butter!
Chicken nuggets!

That's really about all I have in my arsenal for things the kids will eat for lunch. 

For dinner they have to eat whatever I make!  But for lunch it's a whole different game. 

Hope your little ones like the octopus-macaroni special :)

Salted Caramel Mocha Latte

Thanks, MomAdvice!

I would like to introduce you to the website of Mom Advice!  Mom Advice is Amy Clark's blog and while I've never met her (I saw her in Target once!), I consider her a friend.  Yep, that makes me sound like a weirdo stalker but I'm not I promise! 

I just consider Amy a friend because 1) we share a butt load of friends, 2) we live super close to one another (again, not a stalker, promise!), and 3) I've been reading her blog since the day when she was journaling about their journey out of debt long ago. 

Anywho, Amy does this crazy awesome thing in which she gets super high on caffeine in the process of copy-cating Starbucks' coffee specials.  The one she has put together this time is the Salted Caramel Mocha Latte.

The kids were good today, I managed to get out of bed at the correct time (it's the little things, right?) and so I thought I would treat myself so I followed her recipe jobby and made this. 

One word...amazing!!! 

The only thing I didn't have though was Caramel Syrup but I did have some weird Caramel Cinnamon (or Vanilla?) creamer so I used that.  I was a happy camper. 

Here is my reasoning for making these at home: I don't have the luxury of having a Starbucks right down the street...close it is, but I just hate schlepping the kids out to get myself a coffee.  Also the last Starbucks coffee I had was horrible!!!  I can't even tell you how bad it was.  Bleh.  Thirdly, I always feel bad buying coffee.  It's 5.08 for the pumpkin spick dealy and I don't make the money around here so I always just feel bad.  Sometimes I even call Nick and ask permission in which he acts like I'm this huge waste of space and time and tells me, yes for God's Sake just get the stupid drink. 

Okay then.

So now I can make them at home and everything will be right in the world.  Birds are singing, angels are all aflutter.  Ah, it's a beautiful thing. 

So click on one of the many links I've snuck in here to get the recipe yourself or click here to get it.  Just know that I couldn't get the exact recipe's link to work so if this doesn't take you to it just explore her blog until you find it.  It will be worth your time! 

Breakfast Smoothie

I love Fruit Smoothies for breakfast.  They are the ultimate go-to meal for moms.  Quick and easy to make they pack a punch of vitamins, protein, and nourishment...all in a smoothie that can be taken anywhere. 

I try to make a fruit smoothie every day.  Sometimes I just get too busy, but on the mornings I can actually REMEMBER to make the silly thing, the smoothie always seems to make my day go "smoother". 

Really, I'm horrible. 

If you're new to Smoothie's they are so super easy to make.  Here's my recipe/combo for a smoothie:
1 cup of orange juice
1 banana
1 cup of blueberries (or strawberries, raspberries, anything)
1 6 oz. carton light yogurt

Just thrown into blender and blend.  Easy peasy! 

Some of my notes are:
I think the banana and yogurt are musts.  These really help bind it all together and make it creamy. 

I hate light yogurt.  Bleh.  I bought some and hated it but had so much left I had to find something to do with it.  So I used it in this.  And I promise you can't taste the light-ness of it.  Just trust me on this one. 

Sometimes I add powdered flax or kelp...it adds extra nutrients and protein and you really can't taste it.  In that too comes spinach.  If I have spinach on hand I throw some in.  I know it sounds disgusting...that's what I thought too but I PROMISE you can't taste it.  It does give it a funky cool green color though.  Just be warned. 

So there you have it.  Now we can be smoothie buddies and drink our smoothie's together. 

One of the things I love about the smoothie is that it packs so much stuff together.  Seriously, it would take me FOREVER to eat everything on its own.  Yogurt, then 2 servings of fruit, then a glass of orange juice.  With the smoothie I just pour it into a glass and carry it with me through the house as I'm tidying and getting the kiddos ready.  On mornings I take Cal to preschool I just throw it into a travel mug and go.

As Emma says that's Easy-Peasy-Lemon-Squeezy :)