Becoming Frugal

What does "Becoming Frugal" mean?

Well....This is what the dictionary defines it as:

Frugal:  [froo-guhl]

–adjective

1. economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful: a frugal manager.

2. entailing little expense; requiring few resources; meager; scanty: a frugal meal.

—Synonyms
1.  thrifty, chary, provident, careful.

I agree with this definition but I would also like to add that it means, spending less and saving more. It means that you use the resources that you already have. Spending you money wisely!

My family is slowly but surely becoming frugal in our daily living. If you read in previous blogs, I have mentioned that we are spending less in our grocery bill department. I also tested out a recipe for homemade laminate floor cleaner. My mom uses this on her hard wood floors too. I used it on my kitchen floor and it seemed to do a good job. Next time I think I am going to mix a few drops of Lemon juice/oil in it to make it smell much better. 

We have chicken, so we get our own eggs. 

 I use coupons when I shop.

I make bread but I also by regular wheat bread at the bread store in town.

We grow a garden every year and I can and freezer veggies.

There are more but I want to also share with you the fact that we are going more GREEN too. WE make our own fertilizer for our garden. Since we have chicken, and their poo is rich it nitrogen, we mix a little bit into our garden. This is the first year we are doing so... I will let you know how it goes later on in the summer!

I try and combine all my errands in to one days worth since we live about 13 miles from town. We live 2 miles from the school our daughter attends kindergarten at and about 11 from the preschool our son attends. My husband works 45 miles from home so I try to control my driving around so we don't spend too much in gas each month. 

We are also buying our meats from Whole Foods. It has none of the antibiotics or fillers or harmful "things" that are bad for you. Yes, it is more pricey but if you learn to cook frugally, you can make it stretch! My parents and I are going to be going in together on purchasing a side of beef. We should be good on beef for at least 9 months! We know where the cow was raised and how, since it is going to be coming from a farm right down the road. I buy foods that are lower in sugar, sodium (just for health reasons), and artificial additives.

Our daughter and son take their lunches to school. Once a week, I let Emma buy her lunch, (on fridays they have hamburgers and fries, her treat for the week lol) I don't see how it takes over 60 ingredients to make a small pizza 6 in. in diameter but, that's what the pkg said when I looked at what the other kids were eating on pizza day. 

I purchase Sun & Earth Organic laundry soap at Whole Foods also. It took me a LONG time to switch over since I though all the organic soaps wouldn't work. But, to my surprise, its works just as well. The smell isn't as strong as Tide or Gain, but seriously, do you really need it to be that strong if you are going to be putting perfume or lotions on???? Its nice knowing that I am wearing clothing free from harmful chemicals.

These are just a few ways we are becoming frugal and GREEN. 

In the coming blogs I will be sharing my adventure in clearing out clutter and going even more GREEN!! 

What are you doing to save money, go green or becoming frugal?

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

Expanding our Chicken Coop!

      Last week, Wednesday to be exact, I needed to make a run to TSC (Tractor Supply Company) to pick up some dog food. While I was there, I picked up 2 baby ducks. I have wanted some ducks for a while and they were just born the day before and we soooo cute! SO, we have 2 ducks and will hopefully get some duck eggs out of the deal! The next day, I went to see about some baby chicks at the local Farm supply place. I ended up purchasing 3 baby Rhode Island Red Chicks and reserving 2 Arhicanas. They will give me blue and green eggs. My parents decided that the next day (Friday), they wanted to get some chicks too. But, they live in a subdivision and can not have farm animals. Seeing that the prices of food is on the rise, we came to the decision that if they would help us expand our chicken coop, we would allow them to put their chicks in with ours. So, they purchased 6 chicks, 3 Rhode Island Reds and 3 Dominique. We are also checking prices with our local beef farmers for getting some freezer beef. 1/4 side of beef will feed my family for more than 6 months! All in the name of saving money!!!

     I went up to Whole Foods today and purchased some meats, cereal bars (since I can not seem time to make my own), cheeses and bulk oatmeal. I spent more than I wanted to but I got what I needed. After recovering from the sticker shock, I went to Wal-Mart....my most unfavorite place to be! I have been researching homemade cleaners and decided I wanted to give them a try. While I was at Whole Foods I picked up some Castile Soap. At Wally World, I picked up Borax and More Distilled While Vinegar along with some more spray bottles and a new mop! Once I try these cleaners out, I will post them and do a review! If you have any suggestions on cereal bars, or homemade cleaners, leave a comment!!
~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

Fajita Roll-ups

 Fajita Roll-ups

I found this recipe in the Family Circle mag. that I received in the mail the other day. I tweaked it a bit!

1 Flank steak or Flat Iron steak

2 T EVOO

1 Medium Onion, Chopped

1 Green Bell Pepper, Chopped

2 tsp Chili Powder

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 to 1 tsp Ground Cumin, depending on your taste of Cumin

1/2 tsp Dried Oregano

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 Beef Broth

1 14oz can Diced tomatoes, Don't drain

1/2 cup cooked brown or white rice

6 Tortilla wraps

Monterey Jack Cheese

Sour Cream

In a medium sauce pan, warm 1 T EVOO over medium to high heat. Place Steak in  hot pan and sear on both sides for 4-5 minutes each. Remove Steak and place on plate to catch liquid. In same sauce pan, heat remaining 1 T EVOO. Add Onion, Pepper, Cumin, Chili Powder, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, and Salt. Saute for 5 minutes. Add in Oregano, and Beef Broth, cooking another 3 minutes. Make a hole in the mixture in the middle of the pan and place steak and all liquids on plate, back into pan. Pour tomatoes over steak. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer for 1 hour. After an hour, remove steak and turn heat up to medium and cook mixture for an additional 3-5 minutes to reduce some of the liquid. Let Steak rest for 3-5 minutes and then shred with 2 forks. Add back to pan and mix well. Remove pan from heat and stir in rice. Warm Tortillas in Microwave. Place 2 tsp Sour Cream in Tortilla, 1/3 cup of Fajita mixture, and a couple T of Monterey Jack Cheese. Roll up like a burrito and serve! You can also add a little salsa to top of burrito! I sprinkled some extra cheese on top and melted it in the microwave. I love this recipe!! I will be making it again! MY hubby is not a big fan of peppers and onion if he can see them, but he ate it and like it! I will be chopping my onions and peppers smaller the next time but overall, I give this a great taste rating!! I hope you  enjoy!

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

Worn OUT!!!

 I decided that I needed to get back in the gym. Working out at home was just not cutting it for me. I would do good for a couple of days, and then I would miss a few and not go back for a while. I am just not that disciplined I guess. I stopped by the YMCA and renewed my membership for the same rate that I had it 4 months ago. I added it back into our budget and it works well right now! I am so excited about getting back! After dropping Emma off at school this morning, Dillon and I went to the gym. My main goal today was to spend 30 min. in the elliptical and 25 min strength training. Well, when I got there I checked out the spinning schedule. If you are not familiar with spinning, you are on a stationary bike for 45 min...sounds easy but, its really not, especially when you have a teacher who likes to do a lot of up and down stuff!! I decided to take the 8:15 class this morning and was very pleased to find that our Pastors wife was teaching the class!

I wore my Mio watch (which I purchased for myself last year for my birthday and I love it!!) Follow the link and it will explain it you! I only put it on before the class started at 8:15. As of right now, 3:30pm, I have burned 3379 calories!!! 3500 calories is a pound, (when you want to lose)! so, if I keep burning like I am today, then hopefully I can lose atleast 3-4 lbs this week! I am keeping up on my water and drinking extra to help with muscle building and recovery! I love spin class, I burned 718 in that 45 min class alone! I plan on taking that spin class twice a week and the other 1-2 days doing strength and cardio! 

As far as eating calories, I am following MyFitnessPal, which I love! Its FREE and I sync it with my cell phone so I have it on the go!! When I am out and about or have my phone near instead of my computer, I just add my meal and it updates it for me! It also has a barcode scanner so I can scan the barcode of the product I am eating and it automatically puts in the calories for me!! Give it a try! What do you have to lose except weight! 

As far as my running schedule goes, I am putting it on hold for a bit. My left foot has been sore for a couple of weeks and I wanna it to be completely better before I start running again!

What are your weight loss and exercise goal?

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

Monday, Monday!!

Sticker Shock

I just got home from picking up a pizza from a little country store 2 miles down the road. While I was there, I noticed that I needed to get gas in the van. Normally I would not pay attention to prices of gas and just stick to my 87 unleaded. Normally, I would pay no more than $45 to fill up. The last time I got it was $3.05 a gallon, last week. As I noticed the sign above the store, $3.29 a gallon, I watched as my $ amount soared past $45. I can remember just a few short months ago, getting gas for around $40...Even around Christmas. My husband said as he drove by the store this morning that I should go ahead and get it at $3.09 a gallon. How can it go up $.20 in just a few hours. I was thankful when the pump clicked off at $50.00. When I first got then van about 3 years ago, I remember gas prices being a little over $4 a gallon. We had also had a hurricane and oil spill in the gulf.... I asked the clerk at the counter what she thought and her comment was..."they say its going to be up $5 or more a gallon by summer"....WOW! I recall summers before, they threatened to raise it to $5 but never got more and a little over $4. Still....$4 for a gallon of gas is CRAZY...

How do they expect people to pay for gas...

I guess it is time for people to really budget and get control of their spending...

We have a budget program that we follow. I purchased it at Office Depot several years ago, I... we LOVE IT!!! I try to stick to it as much as I can but there are some weeks we get off a little. Guess I will be sticking to it now! Considering I only get gas once a week, you would think that it would not be a bad bill. $200 a month for one vehicle, that is. My hubby drives a PT Cruiser and gets gas twice a week. It usually takes $33-35 to fill up so I budget about $70 a week for him for a grand total of  $480 a month, rounded to an even $500 for those special trips!

And the food bill......

That's another rant....

Just because gas prices go up, that doesn't mean they can raise the price of milk. I have been purchasing organic milk at Whole Foods, which is the same price as regular milk at Kroger. But, I have noticed that it is going up each week...penny by penny. 

I guess its more menu planning and stretching in my future and I hope yours too! If you have comments on the gas/food prices going up, comment or link up below!!

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

What a week!

~WOW~

These past 2 weeks have been very trying on my nerves! First, my laptop goes out...Found out it could be part of a lawsuit (and if it is, I will get a brand new one!), so I am having to go old school with the desk top...which runs slower. Second, The kids have been battling double ear infections and hubby and I have been sick with the head/chest cold stuff. I have been going on 7 days with it but I am much better today.

As far as menu planning, schedule planning and so forth, there has been none of that. But, I have managed to get groceries this week.
 

I went up to Whole Foods and bought some meats, milk, cheese and fruits. I love knowing that I am purchasing items that have not been tainted with growth hormones and pumped full of antibiotics and sprayed with gallons of "pest" killers that are so called "safe" for human consumption. I must add that the Applewood fresh bulk bacon that I purchased was very delish and I will be purchasing more of that in the future....next week!!

I borrowed my moms juicer about 2 weeks ago in hopes of juicing, but I have not managed to get that far yet. Maybe over the weekend I can get things together to start next week! I will be posting a couple of blogs about juicing and the health benefits!

I had to pick up a few things at WalMart today and as I was walking past the magazines, I picked one up...CHICKENS. Yes, I purchased a chicken magazine. We have a chicken coop with 4 chickens and I wanted to read more about them and possibly learn some new tricks for keeping them occupied and not bored. I am only half way through and I am hooked! I love all the varieties out there. We are planning on getting more chicken in the spring and expanding our coop so this is a great way to learn how, the proper way! Its all about raising your chickens on a farm, not industrially. The Hobby Farm Magazine put out this edition and there are 3 more coming this year. I will be purchasing those as well!!

As far as exercise and diet goes, I have not stuck to a diet since I have been sick. It's one of those "only eat because you have too" sicknesses. Before I got sick, I was doing Zumba on the Wii a couple of days a week and I must say....I AM ADDICTED!!! I Love it!! I highly recommend that if you have a Wii, you purchase this workout. You don't really feel like you are working out! It is fun for the kids too, they get to try and dance as well! It has programs that you can set up and it changes up your dances. SO MUCH FUN!!!

Menu Planning.....UGH!!

I take a very deep and long breath as I contemplate on what to write....

....

....

....

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Ok, I have come to the conclusion that though I may plan a certain meal for that day, I want to eat what I plan on making the next night..... So, instead of sticking to set nights for meal plans, I am going to make a list of main dishes and sides that we can have that week. That way, when I wake up in the morning, if I don't feel like making stuffed Pork Chops, I can make Chicken  Tender Salads instead, because I know we have the items in the pantry and I just mark it off the list. I will "officially" start this Monday. We are kinda "flying by the seat of our pants" the rest of the week and weekend. 

We have a busy weekend ahead of us! We must finish tiling the shower (which we started 2 weekends ago and have been using the kids bath since) and we are going to The Home Show Saturday! I am so excited! We have plans of remodeling the house this year and this will give us many ideas and FREEBIES!! Love it!!

I know this blog has been long today but I had some catching up to do!! I should be back on schedule! I hope everyone has a very blessed and HEALTHY day!!

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

It's Good to be Back!

Wow! 

We are still fixing some kinks in my laptop but I hope to be back to normal soon! I have a new battery but we think my computer has a problem charging. 

Anyhow...

On our adventure to keep All Natural and Organic products in our house and diet, we are finding that we are feeling a little bit better everyday! I notice the change in our kids behavior is changing to the good! I have been shopping at Whole Foods for the past several shopping trips but today I was not able to get there. I went to Kroger instead and shopped the organic department. I think I spent more at Kroger than I would have at Whole Foods but in all I got what I needed and I didn't get foods that were processed...at least that didn't have ingredients that I could not pronounce. I am using an Organic Laundry Soap and I must say, I really like it. I was hesitant to use it at first because I didn't think that it would work, but overall, I really like it! Priced at around the same price as Gain, or Tide, it works really well. I have not seen a change in our clothes as far as color or wear. 

As far as menu planning goes. I do have one for this week. Tonight we are eating Roasted Bone-in Chicken with Veggies and Potatoes with Cheese sauce and Salads. Friday night its Pizza Night and Saturday its Chicken Salad Sammies and leftovers. Sunday I am going to cook up some Chicken tenders and have Chicken Tender Salads! Haven't started on next weeks menu yet. 

As far as health go, Our Daughter has double ear infections and our son just got over his ear infection. Other than that we are feeling good. 

Hopefully in another week I will have my computer fully up and going and I will be able to post more! In the meantime, if you have ideas or anything  you would like to talk about, please comment or link up below!! 

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

Will be gone for another week!

I am having computer issues and should have it all squared away in a week. I will be posting again soon!! So, be checking back!!! 


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

Frugal Tips

 Yesterday I mentioned that I was reading a book called "Go Green, Live Rich" by David Bach. It has "50 simple ways to save the earth"

In Chapter 1, it talks about knowing your impact on the planet. I went to the website it provided and found my carbon footprint. Below is my score...

YOUR ECP SCORE:	312		ANNUAL CARBON OUTPUT:	12.4

How Your ECP Score Works Your ECP score is linked to your private Earth Conservation Plan. Generally, ECP scores range from 150 – 900, the lower the better. Your ECP score is calculated based on six categories related to Home, Energy, Work, Commute, Travel and Lifestyle.

I don't think I did too shabby but there is room for improvement. 

That was Tip #1....

Tip #2, talks about the Litter Factor. This is a no brainer but one thing I did realize is that my husband takes 2 bottles of water to work with him everyday and both our kids take one too. That is 10 bottles a week for hubby, 5 for Emma and 2 for Dillon. I thought, how can I fix this? I answered myself and really didn't like the answer... I will have to use reusable water bottles and wash them....I hate washing dishes but I will try and find one that is dishwasher safe. I run the dishwasher once a day on average.

That should take care of that problem....

Tip #3-8 talks about the type of car you drive, skipping a trip, biodiesel, and vehicle maintenance. I not going into too much detail here. There is not much we can do about the subject personally because my husband lives 40 miles from his job and we live 12 miles from the nearest major town. We are not going to sale our house and move closer because we love where we live in the country. We are not at a point to where we are able to trade in vehicles for a more energy efficient one but hopefully this spring we will be. The only thing I can take from these tips are to minimize the amount of trips I take into town, which is down to 2 days a week (our son goes to preschool in town). I try and get the majority of my errands done on those days. While I am in the car rider line at school, waiting to pick up my daughter, instead of letting the car idle for 20-30 minutes, I let it run for 5 or so then shut it off until we get cold, then start it and let it run till we are warm and then shut it off, so on and so forth....

Tips #9-16 talk about Greening your home. We have slowly started changing out our light bulbs to Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFL). They use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer. The only draw back is that is contains small amounts of Mercury, meaning, they have to be disposed of properly. For correct disposal see this website.

It also talks about lowering your thermostat a couple of degrees. I hesitated doing this. I like my house warm in the winter and cool in the summer. At night we would turn the heat down because we slept better when it was slightly cooler. Right now we are keeping it on 67-68 even though it has been dropping down into the teens at night. If the house gets really chili, I turn it up to 69-70 to get the chill out of the air and then turn it back down. I guess in a couple of months I will see if there is a change in our electric bill.

 One thing I must improve on is unplugging appliances when they are not in use. I really need to work on this! 

Tips #17 and 18 talk about conservation of water. We are planning on remodeling sometime this year (fingers crossed) so, if I get my way, me might be able to purchase 2 low flow toilets. Considering the older toilets use up to 7 gallons of water each flush and the new ones only 1.6 at the max, I think I could justify the $230 plus price tag.....

Another, would be turning of the tap when brushing your teeth...That's a given people....Stop being lazy. Consider this while you are brushing your teeth, if  you keep the water running, your are wasting on average a GALLON of water. You wouldn't go to the store and purchase a gallon of water and take it home and pour it out in the sink would you???? Don't think so! 

These are all that I am sharing you with today. If you have anything that you would like to add....Link up below and tell us! 

More tips to come next week!

 

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

I am ready to go back!

 We had such a busy weekend I didn't have time to post. And, I find that it is Wednesday already....

Where has the week gone??

I had a catering gig Monday and was really surprised at how well it went. I usually have my husband there with me and if he can't make it (due to work), then I recruit a friend. This time, I had NO ONE but me, myself, and I! At this Lunch-on, I provided:

Lasagna

Green Beans

Caesar Salad

Fresh Fruit

Triple Brownie Threats

Strawberry Mini Delights

Sweet Tea

and

Water

Hubby cooks all the desserts for me and I just decorate them! He does an awesome Job!! He is my sidekick and I missed him dearly that day!

After it was all said and done, it was a big success!

I have several ways that I could go with this blog today...But, I must settle on one and work on the others later! I really don't have a menu put together for this week, but I can tell you what we had and what we are having tonight! 

Monday: Grilled Cheese and Salads

Tuesday: Fresh Parmesan Tilapia and Cheesy Potato Salad, (kids had organic fries)

And tonight we are having: Chili Glazed Turkey Breast, Green Beans, Rice and Tomatoes, and Salad (Everything that we will be eating will be organic)

As far as the rest of the week goes...I will deal with it later this afternoon and have something planned out I am sure! 

Speaking of organic.....

I went to Whole Foods yesterday ( I LOVE THAT STORE). YES, I did go about my weekly budget but I purchased some items that I felt we needed. I am all about cutting back on the grocery bill, but I do not want to sacrifice our health to do so. When I had lost 70 plus lbs (2 years ago), I was eating really healthy. I found that as I ventured into the "saving money on groceries" game, I started to gain weight back. I wanted to see how much I could get, for the cheap! I have done really well doing so! But, I have also found that the brands we normally would not have eaten, were causing some unwanted side effects. Some people believe that the foods we eat may not have an effect on our kids behavior. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT. I started adding more processed foods into our kids diet and slowly watch them change. Their behavior was nothing like it use to be. They had less energy in some ways but were more rowdy in others. They didn't have the attention span that they once had. I felt as though something was dragging me down, I was always tired and had no clue as to why. People would say, "Well you take care of a household, hubby and 2 kids...no wonder your tired". Yes, this is true, but, I wasn't as tired when I was eating healthy. 

As I mentioned before, I went to Whole Foods yesterday. I purchased $150.01 in groceries, but I had a buggy FULL! I bought several packages of fresh meat from the meat counter, fresh sliced lunch meat from the deli, fresh cheeses from the cheese counter, and several items from the bulk aisle. I did use coupons and received credit in the amount of $.20 for bringing in just 2 bags. At my local Kroger, we only get $.04 per bag. My receipt was just as long as usual and I got everything on my list and more. 

We are trying to stay away from processed foods, added preservatives and lean more towards the organic, all natural foods. With that being said, I do have a pantry still stocked with some processed foods. I have not decided if I want to use these all or donate some to our local food pantry. Either way, they will be used and not thrown away. 

I don't plan on buying everything organic. Fruits and veggies that have thicker peelings, I will purchase at a regular grocery store. We will not be eating the peelings and because they are thicker, pesticides are less likely to penetrate the peel. 

I will however, purchase the milk that is produced from cows that are not given the rBGH hormone. I will purchase meats that are raised and slaughtered the humane way and are fed a healthy diet. We have our own chickens, so we get eggs everyday and we know what we feed them (alot of salad and veggies).

I want to free our bodies of as many toxins as possible, while keeping it in budget, and I think I can do it! I purchased some all natural Laundry soap. It was a bit pricey but I would rather buy it then make my own at this point. I will be going back next week for another grocery trip. It may turn out that I only go twice a month and shop the regular store the other times. 

As far has paper towels and toilet paper, I will buy ones that are made from recycled materials. Since I mentioned it....Recycling is another thing we are taking on....Our daughter already loves to recycle, thanks to her Kindergarten teacher! 

I went to our county library yesterday as well. I picked up 2 books, one which was titled: "Go Green, Live Rich" by David Bach. I am almost half way through the book. It talks about "50 simple ways to save the earth". I will share over the next couple of weeks, some tips that I found very helpful in "greening" our home and bodies! 




I know this has been one of my longer blogs, but I really feel that my priorities have changed as far as our health is concerned. I hope that you find yourself thinking about what ways you can green your body and home all while being frugal! Link up below and tell me what you are doing!

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

Super Bowl Sunday Recipes

Football is, after all, a wonderful way to get rid of your aggressions without going to jail for it.  ~Heywood Hale Brown

Seems that every year, I get more into football....Not sure why! 

Even though our Tennessee Titans didn't make it to the Super Bowl, we will still be watching: my hubby for the Packers, and me for the Steelers! 

I thought I would start on some recipes that I have for parties such as this!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

1 pkg (8oz) softened Cream Cheese

2 cups cooked, shredded Chicken

1/2 cup of your favorite Hot Sauce

1/2 cup Blue Cheese Dressing

1/2 cup Crumbled Blue Cheese

Mix all ingredients together and place in a baking dish. Bake on 350 for 20 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Optional: add a thin layer of cheddar cheese and place into the oven for another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serve with toasted Pita Chips, Veggies, or Corn Chips.

Another of my favorite dip recipes:

1 pkg (8oz) Light or Fat Free Cream Cheese

1 Jar Salsa

Cube cream cheese and add to microwave safe bowl with salsa.

Cook in 1 minute intervals until hot and bubbly! Serve with Tortilla Chips! 

And One More!

Cheesy Nacho Bake:

1 lb lean ground beef

1 can (14-1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1/4 cup water

1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz) taco seasoning mix, Or you can make your own here.
3/4 cup Sour Cream, divided
6 oz (7 cups) Tortilla Chips
1-1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 green onion (optional)


Heat oven to 350. Brown meat in large skillet, drain fat is necessary. Return meat to skillet and add seasoning mix, tomatoes and water, stir well. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/4 cup sour cream. Remove from heat.
Place half the chips in a 13x9 inch baking dish; cover with layers of half each of the meat mixture and cheese. Repeat layers.
Bake 20 minutes or until heated through. Top with onions and remaining sour cream.

As far as our plans go, as of right now, we are partying alone...not such a bad thing! We may invite some friends over. Whatever we do, it will be a day of pending time with family. Whoever wins, wins...GO STEELERS!!!

Coming up soon: Enchilada-Zagna!

What are your plans for the Super Bowl and who will you be cheering for? Leave a comment below and link up!

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

Lemon Shrimp Parmesan Pasta

This is one of my "comfort" foods that I LOVE!! And, its one of the few seafood dishes that I can get my hubby to eat!

Aldi has a brand of Shrimp (not sure of the name) that is peeled, de-veined and cooked.  And Frozen...

I thaw them out by putting them under cool running water for about 2-3 minutes.

In a small sauce pan, I place 1/2 stick of butter (unsalted) and 1 1/2 cups Chicken stock (low sodium). Bring to a simmer and add 1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder and black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt. 

Meanwhile, cook about 2 cups noodles. Any kind you like. We like to eat it with Angel Hair, or Penne.

Add your Shrimp to the sauce and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the juice of 2 lemons and 2 T Parmesan Cheese, simmer 2-3 minutes. 

Add cooked noodles. Mix together well and serve!!

It is so delicious!! Hope you enjoy!!

 

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

Yet.....Another Snow Day!

Is it really that obvious? Can you sense the sarcasm in my writing?

Another Snow Day.....

Now they will have to start making the days up for snow....On our 5th round of snow storms this year, though this one wasn't as bad. 

Don't get me wrong, I love having my kids home! But, I am going to hate them having to go longer than expected. 

Enough!

How has your week started off so far?

Mine has been great! 

Sticking to the 1500 calorie diet is much easier than I thought. I am eating more filling, low calorie foods and I am eating the right portions! Even though is has only been a couple of days I already feel better! 

It's amazing what eating right can do for your moods!

As far as a meal plan goes this week, there is not one! Well, there is but i just made it today and its not completely filled out...

So far this week we have had:

Monday:

Tilapia, Green Beans, and Salad

Tuesday:

Roasted Chicken and Potatoes, and Steamed Mixed Veggies with Cheese sauce

Tonight we are having Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops, Cheesy Potato and Turkey Bacon Hash, Green Beans and Salads!! And yes, it will fit all into my calorie points!! 

Thursday:

 Homemade Pizza Night (Per Dillon's request)

Friday:

Dinner at my mom's to celebrate a daddy's birthday! No matter how old I get, I will always call him, daddy!!

Saturday:

We have a Leadership Dinner with our church and its a ?Semi-Formal?. Better break out those Semi-Fancy clothes...you know the ones you only wear once a year! 

Sunday:

???? Another place I hadn't finished!

Needless to say, I need to do some searching in my pantry and freezer to see what I can scrounge up! 

Monday, I purchased a book....Twilight Saga's Breaking Dawn. It is 754 pages long and as of right now, I am on page 525....nearing the end! I had not seen any of the other movies until a couple of weeks ago. I did however, spend a weekend watching all 3 movies with my hubby! He likes them too, but he doesn't like to admit it! What man, in his right mind, wants to admit they have a softer side and occasionally likes a good Love Story?!!?!  

The release for the 4th movie, in case you wanted to know, is 11.18.11 and the one for the 5th is 11.??.12!! Don't really remember the date on that one.

Onto another subject....

I promised a recipe for the Lemon Shrimp Parmesan Pasta! 

You will get that recipe soon....

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

Running Time!

Monday, Monday!!!

So, this weekend was great!! We had some of our best friends over Saturday and enjoyed a wonderful meal, competitive game of Mad Gab, and settled down to watch a movie! 

Sunday, we woke up late and had to go to the 2nd service at church! Afterward, we really didn't feel like going out to lunch so we came home and I fixed Lemon Shrimp Parmesan Pasta! It was Amazing and I promise that I will post a recipe this week!! 

A conversation that we had with our 4 year old son on the way to church went a little something like this:

Dillon: "Dad, when we get home, can you build me a monster truck?"

Dad: "We will see"...most common answer in our household!

Dillon: "OK...sissy, dads gonna make a monster truck"

Few minutes later....

Dillon: "Tomorrow, can I get my drivers lessons?"

Dad: "I think you have to be 16 to do that son"

Dillon: " Ah MAN!"

I love those little conversations!!

No menu plan made out today...Will post hopefully tonight!

I finished the Pantry Challenge and I must say, it was easy!! I might even do it every 6 weeks or so!! How did you do on it?? At the end of the blog there is a Mister Linky so link up!!

Today I started the running program! Week 1...OH MY! 

I might be on this week for a couple of weeks! LOL!!

Its hard, but I can do it!!

I am also going to be counting my calories. I was doing Weight Watchers. Don't get me wrong, I like Weight Watchers, but with the new points plus system, I feel I get too many points. I haven't lost anything. What I am going to do is eat 1500 calories a day...for some that may be too many but for me its not! I purchased last year for my birthday, a Mio watch! It keeps up with your calories in/out, heart rate, and so on... I love it! If you burn 500 calories or eat 500 less calories each day, you can loose up to a pound a week. Hopefully I can loose more than a pound a week! According to my watch, I have burned 556 calories in 1 1/2 hours! Not too bad!!

Our local Kroger is having a major sale going on again!! I will be stocking up on some pantry items this week! More to come on this! 

What are your plans for this week? Link up below!!

Hope you have a Blessed day!!!

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

WOW! What a week....

I would like to find a stew that will give me heartburn immediately, instead of at three o'clock in the morning.  ~John Barrymore

This week has not gone to plan by far! Trying to get back into a routine from having the kids home from school a whole week because of snow was not easy. And to top that off, They have another snow day today! So, since winter break, they have had 13 days of classes which they only attended 7 because of snow...

Enough venting!

How has your week gone?

Are you still doing the Pantry Challenge?

Speaking of Pantry Challenge, we have not really stuck with the menu plan this week. It went a little something like this...

Monday: BBQ Bacon Sloppy Joes

Tuesday: Fried Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes and Salad

Wednesday: Pasta with Red Sauce 

Thursday:  Chicken Bites, Pasta Salad and Salad

We were going to have fish Wednesday night instead of Goulash but the fish ended up being to mushy and didn't look right, so when in doubt, throw it out. Luckily, I had a stocked pantry and was able to throw a dinner together. 

Thursday night was the only night that I actually went and bought chicken. I forgot to lay something out that morning and the kids were getting out of school early due to snow and I was in a hurry. I know, but it was on sale and I got a good deal! 

Tonight, we are having homemade Pepperoni Pizza!! Yes, this is completely from my pantry! I made a batch of pizza dough last week and froze 3 of the crust dough! My hubby and kids (and I) LOVE Pizza!!!! We could eat it everyday, well, I could!! Homemade just makes it better!! 

As for this weekend, we are having some friends over for dinner tomorrow night. What was planned before was BBQ Chicken Sammies left over from the Roasted Chicken during the week. Since that never got cooked, I am going to make it Saturday night...with Baked Potatoes and Green Beans! I will let them bring the dessert! I might even make some homemade rolls! 

As for Sunday, We will eat out for lunch and for dinner I will stick to the original plan and have Grilled cheese and Soup!

Starting next week, I will be adding in some new topics!! I hope you join me!! Don't forget to follow and refer me to your friends! 

Have a blessed weekend!!

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

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~