Menu Plan for week of 1/17

We load up on oat bran in the morning so we'll live forever.  Then we spend the rest of the day living like there's no tomorrow.  ~Lee Iacocca

I know its a day late. I have been meaning to post this! Going along with my Pantry Challenge, I am using only items found in my pantry, freezer and fridge for this weeks menu! I am going to the store today though to pick up milk, bread and some other essentials. Our local Kroger is having a good sale this week so I will be doing a little shopping for those items that I can get at rock-bottom price and/or free!! 


Monday: (posted recipe last night)
BBQ Bacon Sloppy Joes, Mac-n-cheese


Tuesday:
Pork chops w/Mushroom Gravy and Brown Rice, Green Beans, Rolls and Salad


Wednesday: 
Roasted Whole Chicken, Twice Baked Potatoes, Mixed Veggies, Salad


Thursday:
Goulash, Veggies, and Salad


Friday:
Leftover Goulash, Veggies, and Salad


Saturday:
BBQ Chicken Sammies (leftover Chicken from Wed. meal)


Sunday:
Dinner out after Church, Soup and Grilled Cheese that night.


Once a month we eat out after church on Sundays. And we will occasionally eat out on the weekend, not every weekend, maybe once or twice a month. 


I have not planned out our menu for the week of the 24th yet, but once I do I will post. 


I will also post recipes on the days that I make the meal planned! 


Are you menu planning? Do you have any menu ideas? Comment below and leave a link to your blog!

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

BBQ Bacon Sloppy Joes

BBQ Bacon Sloppy Joes

New Recipe! 

I found a similar recipe in a magazine and thought I would revamp it to make it my own. When I first read it, I thought, BBQ and Cheese???? How is that going to taste. Well, surprisingly, it was DELICIOUS!!!

1lb ground beef (You can use turkey if you like)

2 Carrots, peeled and diced finely

1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cup BBQ Sauce

4 slices Bacon, diced

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, I used the Ragu Cheddar Cheese Sauce in a jar but the original recipe called for Velveeta.

salt/pepper

garlic powder/onion powder

Italian Bread or Hamburger buns

Saute Carrots in EVOO over med-hi heat. Add bacon and cook 5-6 minutes. (I used Laura Lean Ground Beef so I didnt have to drain bacon fat or beef fat off) Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Add BBQ sauce, Water, and Cheddar cheese. Add seasonings and stir until warmed through. Serve over Italian Bread slices or hamburger buns!! Really Good! 

One might think that this will have a strong BBQ taste or Cheddar Cheese taste. You must try this recipe. Neither one is strong. They blend very well to make this a must have dish!! I served mine with Annie Organic Mac-n-cheese!

 Sorry No Pictures, it got gobbled up!!

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Running Time!

My First 5k

In April 2010, I ran my first 5k. I finished in a little over 44 minutes. That is 3.1 miles. I had trained in the gym, inside, on a treadmill. I had it down to 3.1 in 38 minutes. I get outside... and I can't breathe! The air is so different! Not to mention that it had stormed right before the run. I also didn't take into account that the run, was mostly up hill. It was hard, one of the hardest things I have had to do as an adult. I had to push myself. My oldest sister ran with me and pushed me all the way. The middle sister was going to run with us but she had just had a baby.I started running in December '09. In February, encountered a leg injury. What one Dr thought was tendinitis, actually turned into something more serious. The first Dr put me on 1800 mlg of Ibuprofen, and told me to take it easy on the treadmill and come back after the 5k if it hasn't gotten better. So I ran, and I ran hard. The day of the 5k, I wore my shin brace, and prayed. I had my mp3 player blaring in one ear and my sister in the other! We are in the "crowd" at the start line. Then suddenly, the gun shot was heard and we were off! Little over 44 minutes later, I crossed the finish line! I finished in front of one of The Biggest Loser contestants, Liz Young.

I could not believe that I finished before her, but I did! She was one of my motivations to run! 

      This is me and Liz! Make sure you go to her website and check it out! 

After I ran my 5k, I was still having problems with my leg. I went to a different Dr for a second opinion. And boy, am I glad I did! I ended up having a stress fracture. I ran a 5k with a stress fracture. I was put in a boot for 4 weeks. Not fun. Needless to say, that was the death of my desire to run. I tried several times to run again but with no avail. I felt like my body was broke and it didn't want to run again. Having not ran for over 4 months, I decided to try it again. My mom gave me her treadmill. We cleaned it up (had been in the garage collecting dust and spiders), and I ran on it for the first time last week. It was an awakening. I realized just how out of shape I was. I then realized how much weight I have gained since I stopped running. UGH! SO, why am I telling you all this....Not sure!

But I do want to share with you my weight-loss goals for this year! I joined weight watchers before Christmas...bad idea, but I am back on track! Not telling how many points I get but its a bunch! I sometimes have a hard time eating all them. Weight Watchers online is what I am doing. If you haven't given it a try, do so!! I am planning on loosing 65 lbs this year! I think I can do it!! That will put me at what I weighed when my hubby and I got engaged! ! My ultimate goal is to loose 80 lbs! But, I will get the first 65 off first! 

Also, today I started back on the treadmill. I am starting slow this time. Last week I did 10 minutes. I ran for a few of those minutes. Today, I ran a few more but off and on (20 min total). I am trying to condition my leg so I don't end up with another injury. I found a program that I am going to try and follow to see how it helps me. Here it is.

Week 1: Walk 5 min. run 2 min (repeat 2 more times) Walk 5 min
Week 2: Walk 5 min run 4 min (repeat 2 more times) Walk 5 min
Week 3: Walk 4 min run 6 min (repeat 2 more times) Walk 5 min
Week 4: Walk 3 min run 8 min (repeat 2 more times) Walk 5 min
Week 5: Walk 2 min run 10 min (repeat 2 more times) Walk 5 min
Week 6: Walk 1 min run 12 min (repeat 2 more times) Walk 5 min
Week 7: Walk 1 min run 20 min (repeat 2 more times) Walk 5 min
Week 8: Walk 1 min run 30 min Walk 5 min.

Slow and steady wins the race!!

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Valentine's Day Giveaway!

Valentin's Day is quickly approaching. Hop on over to www.colieskitchen.com and enter her contest for a $25 giftcard to Walmart! There are more then one chance to win!! 

Good Luck!!!

A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat.  ~Old New York Proverb

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Pantry Challenge Day 6 & 7

Pantry Challenge Day 6 & 7

Since its the weekend, not a whole lot is getting done around the house. Hubby had been working on the electrical ALL day. He found out that whoever wired the house when it was built back in '98, wired it wrong. Go figure.

Thank God I have a smart enough husband to fix someone else's mistakes.

Our daughters Children Church pastor and his wife had their first baby this past week. As I have mentioned before, I am over the Helps Ministry at our church. We prepare and have dinners arranged for those who have recently had a baby, death or illness in their family. 

I am making them my famous Lasagna! She loves it! And, everyone I have made it for loves it too. I am not one to toot my own horn, but it is really, really good! I give thanks in part to my mom for teaching me how to make it but I have changed it a bit to make it my own! My husband and I make the same Lasagna for roughly 60+ people once a month at our church. Its for new members and their families. We serve it with Green Beans, Garlic Bread and Caesar Salad, which is home cooked. My husband makes all the desserts and they get great raves!!

I decided that since I needed to purchase some of the items for the Lasagna, that I would purchase enough to make 4. Two will be going to them, (1 for tonight and 1 for the freezer for another night) and two will be for us (1 for tonight and 1 for the freezer).  Yes, I had to purchase the items. Yes, I guess you can say I didn't stick to the Pantry Challenge, but I think I have. Since I am making 2 Lasagna's for us, that means 12 meals (lunch and dinner). We don't mind eating on a pan of Lasagna if it takes us 3 nights! WE LOVE OUR LASAGNA!!! That my friends, is a frugal meal!! 

This will be our Saturday night meal, and our Sunday afternoon meal! Anything leftover will be eaten on during the week by me and the kids for lunch and possibly Monday nights dinner as well!! 

So, this is the time that I would normally put in the recipe! Not this time, I don't share my Lasagna recipe. SORRY........Hope everyone has a blessed weekend!!!

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Pantry Challenge Day 5 & Frugal Friday Finds

Pantry Challenge Day 5

This kids were out again from school today. They will out Monday too due to MLK day. That makes 10 days in a row...this momma needs a break! LOL 

Today is Pantry Challenge Day 5. This is an easy one. We had Chicken tenders last night and I made 2 batches. Thank goodness I did. I don't really feel like making anything tonight! So, we are having Chicken Tender Salads, Soup (Healthy Choice Tomato Bisque), and grilled cheeses! 

Simple enough huh! The soup is from a stock-up sale that went on at my local Kroger back in Oct '10. I purchased 22 cans for $.49 a piece!! GO ME!!!! 

What are you doing for dinner tonight and how is you pantry challenge coming along?

A NEW Addition I am adding to my blog is Frugal Friday Finds! This is where I will tell you what frugal deals I have found this week and what frugal living changes we have made! This week I went to Walgreens. Here are the deals I made!

2 Lysol wipes (2 bottle pack):$3.69 BOGOF sale plus a $1 off coupon = $2.69 for 4 containers

Gain Dish Soap: $1.99, $1 off Walgreens coupon plus $1 off mfg coupon = FREE!!!!

2 12pk 7up and 2 12pk A&W Rootbeer = $11.00

2 Lysol Spray Cans $4.49 ea, BOGOF sale plus $1.50 and $1.00 off coupon = $1.99 for 2

2 pkg StayFree Pads $6.79 each: 2 $3.00 off Walgreens coupons plus BOGOF coupon plus $1.00 = $.58 for 2

With tax I paid a total of $18.65 

WAG Coupon Savings: $7.00

WAG Advertised Savings $17.14

MFG Coupon Savings $11.50

Savings total: $35.64 

 How awesome is that? Do you have a Frugal Friday Find that you would like to share?

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Pantry Challenge Day 4: Italian

If God had intended us to follow recipes,
He wouldn't have given us grandmothers.
~Linda Henley

Pantry Challenge Day 4:Italian

Wow! What a day! Only thing that got done was the kitchen getting cleaned and a couple of loads of laundry! That is what kind of day it has been!

Whew.....

 On to the challenge!

Tonight we are having Italian Chicken Tenders! Back in November I bought chicken tenders in bulk, and packaged them into separate servings. I took 2 out of the freezer this morning. One for tonight and one for tomorrow night! 

 All I did to the chicken was rub it in olive oil, pepper, paprika, garlic and onion powder, and poured 3-4 tablespoons of Italian Dressing over the tenders, baked at 425 for 20 minutes!! How easy was that! 

I wanted to serve it with some hearty and filling, so why not pasta salad?! 

I mixed 1/2 cup low fat mayo that I had on hand with 1 teaspoon mustard, and 3 T relish, (we like dill relish) and a few pinches each of garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and paprika. I added about 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon sugar and mixed well!

 I cooked about 2 cups bow-tie pasta to al denta and rinsed in cold water. I mixed the two together and added some mozzarella cheese (1/4 cup).

I know it sounds crazy, ?dill pickle relish?, but we like the salty tang that it adds to the pasta. You can substitute green olives instead but my hubby doesn't like green olives.  

To lighten the dinner up a bit, I know, after the whole pasta thing, I added some green beans! 

Everything came from my pantry and freezer! Items I had on hand! The left over chicken will be used for tomorrow's dinner! Check back to see what that is going to be!!

What did you have for dinner tonight??

ps: the dinner plate is a 6x6 in plate, we use smaller plates for smaller portions!!

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Pantry Challenge Day 3: Mexican Night

Sleep 'til you're hungry, eat 'til you're sleepy.  ~Author Unknown

Mexican Night

Pantry Challenge Day 3

Seeing that we still have snow outside and schools were closed again, and we were going on our 3rd day of being snowed in, I decided the kids and I would go out for an adventure. I needed to pick up a few things from Walgreens (I will share my awesome savings tomorrow) and I really needed a new pair of rubber boots to wear out in the snow and to feed the chickens and dogs in! I have stuck to my challenge of not purchasing items for the pantry for the past 2 days and I am not about to jump ship either!! However, that being said, when I was at Wal-Mart getting my shoes, I came across some Craisins at an AWESOME DEAL and I didn't pass them up. I purchased 3 packages, but we do use these on our salads just about everyday!  

I decided that tonight was going to be Mexican night! I came across a recipe I wanted to try out the other day and found this was the perfect night to do so. This was my first time making this dish and I loved it. Dillon on the other hand is a very picky eater and didn't care for it but Emma liked like myself! Hubby has not ate his yet, but I am sure it will be good!!

 Ground Turkey Nacho Bake

1 lb Ground Turkey, browned

2 T Taco Seasoning, I will share my recipe for homemade below

1 cup salsa, mine is homemade

2 Cups refried beans, I made mine with homemade pinto beans

2 8 inch Soft Tortillas

1 can Kidney beans, drained ( I used Pinto Beans since I already was making refried beans. )

1 1/2 cups Shredded cheddar cheese ( I used Mozzarella )

1 cup additional salsa

Tortilla/Corn chips

Brown Ground Turkey and add Taco seasonings and salsa. Cook for about 5-6 minutes. Add kidney beans and cook 2 more minutes.

Spray a 8x8 or 9x9 casserole dish and place 1 tortilla down. Spread refried beans over tortilla. Spoon meat mixture over refried beans and add some crushed up tortilla/corn chips. Add 1/2 cup of salsa and half of shredded cheese. 

Repeat layer. Make sure you end with cheese on top. Bake on 350 for about 15 minutes. 

Let is sit for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving! 

Serve with a side salad! 

YUM!!!

(this picture was taken by my 6 year old daughter!)

You can make this your very own recipe by adding green chili's or jalapenos.  This recipe came solely from my pantry, with what I had on hand. See, cooking from your pantry isn't that hard...but I am only on day 3! 

Bonus recipe!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

1 T Chili powder

2 tsp Onion powder

1 tsp each Cumin, Garlic powder, Paprika, Oregano, Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

Mix together in a baggy and there ya go!! Homemade taco seasoning! IF you are feeling a little spicy, add in a pinch or 2 of Cheyenne pepper!

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Panrty Challenge Day 2

Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.  ~Doug Larson

Pantry Challenge DAY 2

Today is Day 2 of my Pantry Challenge.  

Again, I have not wrote out my menu planning for the next 2 weeks, so I will be working on that today, hopefully! 

If you live in the Mid-South like I do, you know we have snow, and A LOT OF IT!!! We got upwards of 7 inches over the last 2 days. the county south of us got 13 INCHES!!!  That is enough to close down school and the whole county! You would think that being shut up in a house for 2 days, I would get everything on my list done....WRONG!!!

I did however, start back running! My mother gave me her treadmill the other day, ancient but it serves its purpose. Hubby cleaned it up for me last night and I began running again today. Back in April of '09 I ran my first 5K. I hope to run the same one this year and beat my time, if my injury doesn't come back to haunt me. I was sidelined after the 5k due to a stress fracture in my lower leg. UGH!!

Enough about running!!

Lets talk about the Pantry Challenge. It crossed my mind about 11 am that I had not laid anything out for dinner! I then began to read the blogs that I follow. One of them is A YEAR OF SLOW COOKING. She cooks in her crockpot everyday! I found a recipe that I just happened to have all the ingredients to and decided I would make it for dinner tonight. Instead of using the crockpot, I am going to be cooking it on the stove and as a side dish for steak (which I pulled from the freezer around noon). Now, my husband does not like green olives so I am going to hide them in the dish by mincing them. It will still have the same taste, just not visible, which is his problem! Here is the link to the recipe. I will give the verdict tomorrow as to how well it went over with my family. 


So, as you can read, I am using my pantry for dinner tonight. Are you?? If so, leave a comment on what you are having and your plan for your own Pantry Challenge!!

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Chi Chi Chi Chili

 

Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.  ~Voltaire

What a true quote! 

I started the "Cooking from the Pantry" adventure challenge. Since today was a snow day and I forgot to lay anything out for dinner and I have not done my meal planning for the next 2 weeks, (I know...I know) I looked in my freezer to see what we had. I really didn't want to cook a big meal or spend a lot of time in the kitchen tonight. So, I was thrilled to find a freezer bag of Chili that I had made back in December and froze the rest! I ran it under hot water for about 2-3 minutes, enough to get it out of the bag, and warmed it up on the stove....And there ya go!! It was just as delicious as it was the day I made it!! 

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Its Snowing, and you know what that means!!!

  Hubby stayed home from work today and the school system closed down for the next 2 days. There is 7 inches of snow on the ground and we are expected to get another inch in the next day.  When my husband goes to work, I try to stick to a routine. When he is home, it goes out the window most of the time!! I had planned on getting a lot done this weekend and this week. Starting out, haven't don't much at all. See my list here.

Today started at 5 am for my hubby and I. He wanted to see what the roads looked like and if he was going to go to work or not. Needless to say, he didn't go, so there goes my routine. I love having my husband home from work! Kids woke up around 7ish and I started breakfast around 7:45ish. We had bacon and cheese sammies. We let the kids play their games on the Wii while hubby and I looked at activities to do at Disney World when we go this fall. We all then watched a movie on NETFLIX about Disney! NETFLIX by the way is awesome! Check it out! Then, it was time to go out and play in the snow!!! We had so much fun!!

Now, as I type this up, I have a child laying on the living room floor, the other sitting on the couch, and my biggest baby (hubby), asleep on the chair!  

In all the excitement of the snow, I forgot to lay anything out for dinner. OOOOPS!!! But, have not fear, dinner will be made, from scratch, from something.....LOL!!

I am also starting this week a "Clean out your pantry" week. Some blogs that I am reading are doing it for the month of January. I on the other hand am starting late so I am only going to do it for a week, maybe 2. The whole point of this is to use what you already have in your pantry and freezer. I have enough meat to last a month, I bet.  And, my pantry is stocked well too! This week, I do my shopping on Tuesdays or Thursday, I will only be purchasing the necessities: milk, lunch meat (if not able to use meats from dinners), cereal bars (the kind with fruit in the middle, haven't attempted to make them homemade yet) and any household item that I run out of and don't have a stock pile for. My local Kroger is having a meat sale this week. I MIGHT and I mean MIGHT be purchasing some meat items if I think I can get them for bottom dollar, if not, not buying it. Our meals this week and next will be Pantry and Freezer Meals. Not only will this use what I already have, but I can make room for more stocking and biggest of all, SAVE MONEY!! Who doesn't like to save money?  I know I do! 

I hope you are enjoying this blog and any feedback will be greatly appreciated! 

BTW, you can still get the TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE deal at TARGET. I purchased mine for a grand total of $5.24!! It was a $40.99 DVD/BLUE RAY Combo!! Who got a good deal?? Yep, that's me!!!

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

TWILIGHT SAGA:ECLIPSE BLUE/RAY + DVD COMBO PACK

TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE BLUE/RAY + DVD COMBO  at TARGET.COM is on sale for $10.00 was $40.99!!! What an awesome deal in itself BUT enter in this code:

TGTWGT08

and it will take an additional $8 off your order making it $2.00 plus S&H. I ended up paying a little over $5 for my DVD. a savings of almost 90%!! Can't get better than that!!! And its a combo meaning it plays both Blue/Ray and DVD!!! 

Hop on over and purchase either as a gift for yourself!

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

MmmmMmmm Good!!

This weekend I wanted to get a lot accomplished! Its Sunday morning and I have yet to do the first meal planning, coupon filing, house cleaning and such. I did get a little, and I mean little, freezer cooking done! Last night I made up a batch of pizza dough and cut into 4. We ate 1 and I froze the other 3 for later uses in the month. I found a recipe on one of the blogs that I read, Life as MOM. Here is her site http://lifeasmom.com/ .

They are calling anywhere from 3-7 inches of snow where I live, in Tennessee. People usually freak out and rush to the grocery store and clean off the shelves. Not me, I am stocked up, however, yesterday I wanted to pick up another gallon of milk and some toilet paper. Hubby and I loaded up the 2 kids and went to town, 12 miles away, and bought Dog Food at our local TSC store. We then went to our local Kroger store and all I wanted to get was milk and toilet paper! Once we were there, I decided that I wanted to check out the meat prices and good thing I did. They had some Pork Sirloin chops on sale. I purchased over 4 lbs of Pork Sirloin chops for 1.99 lbs regularly 4.99lb. Good deal if you ask me. In the packet was 12 chops. That is 3 different main dishes and their leftovers. Today I had planned on making loaded potato soup for lunch.

Didn't Have Potatoes...main ingredient....

But, I did have the Pork Chops in my fridge waiting to be divided up. So, I used 4 today! Before church I put 4 chops seasoned with black pepper, onion and garlic powder, in a 9x9 casserole dish. I mixed together 1 can of Campbells Cream of Mushroom soup, refilled that can with milk and poured in bowl, 1 T Worcestershire Sauce, and the secret ingredient, 1 T Dijon Mustard! Add some shakes of garlic powder, onion powder and pepper too! Mix together and pour over chops. Cover with foil and cook on 400 degrees for 45 minutes! Serve over brown rice and a side of veggies!


IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! I hope you enjoy!!!




~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Chicken Pot Pie

About 2 weeks ago, our Associate Pastor and his wife had their second child. I am over the Helps Ministry which provides dinner for a week for those who have had surgery, a baby, or a death in the family. I was the first one to cook their dinner and decided I wanted to make them Chicken Pot Pie, not knowing it was one of her favorite meals. I didn't have a recipe to follow but I had made it several times before and it turned out good. I cooked it in 4 individual ramekins. They loved it!


My husband also loves chicken pot pie. I think he got kinda of jealous when I fixed it for them and didn't leave any for us. It was the day after Christmas as we were heading to my parents once I dropped off the food. So I told him I would make him one next time I had leftover chicken. As promised, I did! Tonight! We ate bone-in Roasted Chicken quarters Tuesday night and I fixed 2 extra so I could fix him Chicken Pot Pie. It turned out just a delicious as before! Here is the recipe:


Chicken Pot Pie


In a pot, melt 3/4 stick of butter, I use unsalted.
Add 1 small onion diced, and 2 cloves garlic, diced and saute 2 minutes.
Add 3 cups Frozen Veggies, I used Green beans, Lima beans, brown Lima beans, and Carrots.
Mix around for about a minute and then add 1 1/2 T flour. Stir until mixed well and add 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup. I use the healthy heart lower sodium can. Stir well and add 1 can evaporated milk. Mix well and lower heat to simmer. It will thicken fast. Turn off heat after about 4-5 minutes. You really don't want to cook this very long on the stove. You want you veggies to still have a bite to them when you eat it. Place in individual ramekins or you can place in a casserole dish. Unroll 1 Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust and if you are using ramekins, cut into 4 even pieces. Place over ramekin and press down on sides to seal. Beat 1 egg with a teaspoon of water and brush over crust. Cut 2 small slices into each ramekin to allow steam to escape. Sprinkle salt and pepper over crust and place in a 400 degree oven until crust is brown, usually about 30 minutes.


This picture is a little foggy due to the homemade chicken stock letting off steam beside it.

If you want to make this into a freezer meal, it easily doubles. I would stop at the point of putting the filling in the ramekins or casserole dish. Thaw completely in the fridge over night and add the pie crust before baking.

ENJOY!!!

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Let's get started!!

I am one who loves, loves, LOVES to make list....but not one who likes to follow them all the time! I love having a routine...but I don't like to follow it all the time. I LOVE having a menu plan...but I don't like to follow it all the time...getting my drift?? This year, one of my personal goals is to stick with whatever I am doing! If I make a list for the grocery store...stick with it. So on and on...

Over the weekend, I am planning on tackling my freezer planning meals, grocery list, cutting coupons and organizing them, meal planning for the rest of the month, chore planning, and catching up on house work! In with that, I am going to get hubby to help me inventory our pantry/fridge and both freezers. WHEW, come Monday I am going to be ready for another weekend! There are many, many blogs that I love to read and follow! I get ideas and learn lots from reading them. Though I have had a blog since 2009, I have only mostly been posting recipes and a few couponing adventures. This is what I am revamping my blog with this year:

* Coupons- how to, where to, organization, and using. Deals that I get and how you can get them too!

* Frugal cleaning tips

* Menu Planning

* Freezer Cooking

* Our journey to saving money

* And my life in general- very exciting, I tell ya! LOL

My husband has been blessed with a awesome job. Though he works long hours most days, we have been blessed! I have been able to stay home with our 2 children since I had our oldest, Emma, 6 years ago! I did hold a Real Estate license and plan on getting back into it part time this year. We are a 1 income family. Its works for us. Our grocery bill use to be around $800 a month for a family of 4. I have cut that down to less than $500 a month with couponing and menu planning and so on. I will share with you how I do it later on in more post! My ultimate goal is to get down to $75 a week, including all personal and toiletries items. It can be done! That doesn't mean we will be living on oatmeal, beans and rice, It just means, MENU PLANNING and FREEZER COOKING!! Some of the ways I plan on doing so is by:

* Gardening (we have had a garden the past 4 years and last year we got over 500 tomatoes which I canned)

* Freezer Cooking

* Eating less processed foods and more made from scratch.

* Getting local farm raised beef, pork and chicken

That is just a few. Late last summer we added a Chicken coup to our backyard so we get fresh eggs everyday!! I make my own Chicken stock (most of the time) and I make homemade bread and rolls (some of the time). I will be doing this a lot more than I did last year! Another one of our goals I have set for us is to see how frugal we can get. We are planning a trip to Disney World this year so we have to get frugal!!


I plan on blogging everyday if possible! I may have to switch blogging sites but I will make sure y'all know!! If you have any suggestions, please comment!! and Follow my blog....who knows what you might read! LOL!!!



~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Its a New Year, Its a New Day!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

We rang in the new year with some best friends at our house! We played a few games, ate some delicious food and dessert, and drank some sparkling grape juice and apple cider at midnight! When they left, around 1:45 am...We finally went to bed! Our kids stayed up with us, yes, they are 4 and 6 and our friends little boy is 3. Despite our efforts of trying to put them to bed early, they stayed up. Our son woke me up around 9 and our daughter and my husband didn't get up till 10:30ish! Our New Years day tradition is to go to my mom's house and eat black-eyed peas and cornbread. This year we did not do that. We stayed home, lounging around the house! It was a wonderful day! The following day, we went to church, came home, lounged some more! Once Monday came along, hubby had to go back to work...booo!!! But, I got to spend one more day with my babies before they headed back to school. Emma is in kindergarten and Dillon is in preschool 2 days a week! Tuesday came along, the kids were back in school, and I TRIED, TRIED to get back into a routine. Boy has it been hard...I have always heard it takes 21 days to create a habit. Wonder how long it takes you to get off the wagon....


My husband and I sat down and set our goals for 2011. Our list got very long! But, they are all attainable, realistic goals! Our biggest goal is to pay off our only car payment!! With God's help, we will have it payed off by April! We are planning on starting some renovations on the house! Small to begin with and then later on they will get bigger!!

Oh, and we are also planning a trip to Disney World in October!! Needless to say, I will have to stretch out grocery planning, meal planning and extra spending. We have a budget program that we use on our computer and we love it!! I have planned out our budget for Disney and how much we have to save/pay for the trip! More to come about Disney.

I have mentioned before that there are changes coming to this blog. I am planning on vamping up the blog a little! Not only blogging about recipes, but our life as trying to be frugal, couponing, freezer cooking, home maintenance, and whatever I feel like blogging about!! I love the fact that I can sit down and write!

I hope you enjoy!!


~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Vegetable Beef and Noodle Soup!

This past weekend we celebrated our Saviors birth! We over indulged in food and sweets! Having done so, we paid for it with belly hurts all weekend! Yesterday, before my husband was getting ready for work, we both mentioned how our belly's were still hurting, 3 DAYS after Christmas! I told him that dinner that night was going to be soup and grilled cheese! He totally agreed with it! But, even though we had canned soup in the pantry for such nights as this, I wanted to make some homemade soup! I decided, after reading a couple blogs that I follow, I wanted to try out a recipe for Vegetable Beef Noodle soup. I combined 2 recipes that I had come across and made it my own! It was so delicious!! Now, Emma loves soup but doesn't like Green Beans. She ate every bite, except the green beans that she saw! Eric, my husband, doesn't like chunky veggies but he ate just about the whole bowl I fixed him, (which was 2 cups worth)! Our son Dillon wont even go near soup so he opted for peanut butter sammy. I fell in LOVE with this soup! I made a big pot full and thank goodness I did, I have enough leftovers to last me a couple of days (lunches around here will be very yummy)! I paired this soup with Grilled Cheeses, made my way!! I am giving you a rough recipe! It depends on your taste on how many veggies you want to add! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!!

Vegetable Beef Noodle Soup

2 T EVOO
3 T Butter ( I use unsalted)
1/2 Onion (diced small)

Add: 1lb Ground Beef ( I use Laura's Lean Beef 8%, this way I don't have to drain the fat off)
Cook until beef is browned.

Add:
2 Medium Garlic cloves, Diced

Saute additional 4-5 minutes.

Add:

1 Jar of your favorite Spaghetti Sauce
1 Box container of Beef Stock ( I use low sodium organic)
(If you have sauce that's hard to get out of the jar, add some of the stock to the jar and shake, it will clean the jar of the sauce and you wont have to use water or waste sauce!)
1 small can Tomato sauce ( I use no salt added)
1 14 oz can Diced Tomatoes ( I use no salt added)
1 t Onion powder
1 t Garlic powder
1 t Black pepper
1 t Salt ( I use Sea Salt)
1 t Parsley, dried
1 t Oregano, dried
1/2 t Celery Seed

Bring to a Simmer (5-6 minutes)

These are the frozen Veggies that I added, you can change these up according to your taste!

Green Beans
Baby Lima Beans
Butter Beans
Carrots

If you add too many veggies, the soup will become very thick, we still have noodles to add. I usually add half the bag of each frozen veggie!

Add:
1 cup of your favorite noodle. I used mini Ziti!

Bring to a boil for about 15 minutes! The soup will thicken while at the same time the veggies are thawing and adding liquid! It is sooo yummy! I hope you enjoy and make it your own!


Grilled Cheese made my way

Butter your bread on one side and add mayo to the other. Place buttered side down in skillet. Add one slice Colby Cheese (or your favorite), several slices Dill pickles, a few chunks of feta cheese, and another slice of Cheese. Add the other piece of bread cook to liking!!

My daughter and I love to add pickles to our Grilled Cheeses!!
~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Sausage Rolls/Dip

Sausage Rolls/Dip

2 lbs sausage (mild,medium or Hot)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 T EVOO
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese
3 pkgs Crescent Rolls
Cook sausage (do not add spices yet) until cooked through, drain very well, add back to pan. Cook on low heat and add spices. Add all 3 cheeses and mix until well blended and cheeses have melted. Remove from heat. Unroll Crescent Rolls and add 1 spoon full to each one and roll up like you would a crescent roll. Spray each roll with Pam butter or olive oil spray and bake following directions of Crescent Rolls pkg. I cooked mine for 9-10 minutes.


You will not use all of the filling with the rolls. I take the leftover filling and add to a casserole dish, top with cheese and bake till cheese topping is melted. I served these with Frito Scoops and they were delish!!

You can also freeze the filling if you want to use it for future rolls or dip!!

This can be served has a finger food or at a brunch or for Breakfast!
~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas!!!


I Love Christmas!! Not only do you get to spend time with your family but you get to celebrate the best birthday of the year!! Happy Birthday Jesus!! I hope that you take a minute out of your busy day to thank God for sending his one and only son to be born, and to one day die for our sins.

My family will be meeting at my house on Christmas Eve for a night of food and games and HOT CHOCOLATE!!! Then on Christmas Day my husband and I will get to see the joyous smiles of our 2 children when they open all their gifts! Then, we will make a delicious breakfast and then head to mom's to open presents there and have a very scrumptious dinner!! We decided to have Cornish hens this year instead of Turkey and Ham! What?! No Ham on Christmas?? I know, that was my reaction too, but I think that the Cornish hens are going to be delish!! I will be making the homemade Mac-n-cheese (recipe to follow)! Mom and I will be making a new soup recipe too! Its the soup from the Dixie Stampede show! I hope it turns out good! I will post the recipe once we have tasted it!!

Again, I ask that you take a moment out of your busy day to reflect on the blessings that you have received this year. You may say "What blessings?". You are past due on bills, you or your spouse lost a job, insurance, that second income...or something worse, your house burnt down, you didn't a good report from the doctor, you have lost a loved one... BUT, you are blessed because you are able to breathe another breath, live another day, have the luxury of having a computer and internet to read this! I hope you and your family have a Very Merry Christmas!!!


~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Ham Crescent Rolls!

I hope that you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday! I know mine did! We had family visiting from out of town and it was a wonderful visit at that!!

The other day I was going through my fridge looking at the leftover ham that we had from Thanksgiving (it was Tuesday)! I had made a simple fried chicken salad for dinner and wanted some kind of bread to go with it. When Kroger had their MEGA 10 event a couple of weeks ago, I stocked up on crescent rolls. So, I came up with this little recipe that I found to be delicious! I used about a cup of diced ham and a cup of shredded cheddar cheese. They were the perfect addition to our dinner. They were not stuffed with ham but just enough to get the salty ham taste!! You can change this recipe of anyway you want. Change of the cheese and meat! I love making them with cream cheese and bacon with sun dried tomatoes!! Those are great to parties! I hope you enjoy this recipe and are gearing up for the Christmas season!! It is my favorite season!!!


Ham Crescent Rolls

1 pkg Crescent Rolls
1 Cup diced leftover ham
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
Pam Spray

Preheat your oven according to the directions on the Crescent roll pkg. Unroll Crescent rolls and separate. Place a small amount of ham and cheese and roll Crescent rolls up. Place on baking sheet and spray with Pam spray (you can do an egg wash if you wish but this was easier and quicker at the time.). Bake according the the pkg directions and ENJOY!!!!


I hope that you take the upcoming Christmas season to remember what its all about. Not just the presents and decor, but its about the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!!



~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~