Pass the Milk Please...one too many jalapenos

If you like spicy food this is a recipe for you. I'm a complete wimp and I gulped down two glasses of milk during this meal, I was so full I only ate 1/2 my bowl. (Don't worry I didn't waste it, I saved it for lunch the next day.)

When I make it again I plan to tone it down a bit. Poor Calvin was grabbing his tongue and crying because it was spicy, so his dinner consisted of cornbread and fruit. I guess you can't win them all.

Mexican Pork & Sweet Potato Stew $4.93

Adapted From Woman's Day Magazine 09.16.2008

1 T. olive oil (.01)
1 1/4 lb. pork tenderloin, cubed (2.66, I used 1 1/3 lb.)
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (1.19)
Fresh or Canned Jalapeno Peppers to your liking. I only added 5 and was dying (.10)
1 c. chopped onion (.25)
1 T. chopped garlic (around 5 cloves) (.10)
1/2 t. ground cumin (.01)
1/4 t. ground cinnamon (.01)
14 oz. chicken broth ( approx. 1 1/2 c.) (.10)
1/2 c. water (free)
1 c. frozen corn kernels (.25)
1 1/2 c. salsa (.25 purchased with coupon)

Heat skillet with 2 t. of oil and add pork, cook on medium high heat until browned, about 7 minutes. Set aside.

Heat remaining 1 t. oil in large pot. Add potatoes, peppers (if using fresh), and onion. Cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring until peppers and onion are soften.

Stir in garlic, cumin and cinnamon cook for a few seconds until fragrant. Add broth and water; bring to a boil. Add corn, cover and cook for 5 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Stir in salsa and pork; heat through. Serves 6

268 calories, 23 g. protein, 4 g. fiber, 5 g. fat

I served this with cornbread (.75) and grapes (.25) making our meal $5.93

Add some variety to your meal plan, for more great Recipes visit Grocery Cart Challenge.

Yum or as Calvin would say 'um'

I forgot how great these were, I haven't made them in a while. My parents sent some meat with my sister last week so I decided to seize the day and make some BBQ meatballs. After Calvin recovered from his little meltdown at dinner the other night he devoured these.

BBQ Meatballs $1.19 ($4.19 if you buy the meat)

1 ½ lb. Ground beef (free from grandparent's cattle-usually this would be around 3.00)
½ large can Evaporated Milk (free with coupon, stocked up at Christmas time)
1 c. oatmeal (.10)
½ c. chopped onion ( .20)
¼ t. garlic powder (.01)
½ t. pepper (.01)
1 t. salt (.01)
½ t. chili powder (.01)

Mix above ingredients and form into balls, makes approximately 15 meatballs. Place in 9x13 baking dish.

Sauce:
1 c. ketchup (.50)
½ c. brown sugar (.20)
1 t. Liquid smoke (.05)
¼ t. garlic powder (.01)

Pour over meatballs and bake for 45 minutes at 350. Serves 5 (3 meatballs=serving)

We served this with Salad (.25) and Valley Fresh Steamers (free). Bringing our meal to $1.44!

Want to make it cheaper?

I usually only use 1 lb. ground beef and increase the oatmeal to 1 1/2 c. The meatballs have a softer texture but they still taste great. I usually can only get 12 meatballs when I do this.

Add some variety to your meal plan, for more great Recipes visit Grocery Cart Challenge.

Catching Some Spring Fever

Spring Fever has officially hit, these warm days have inspired me to start our garden. I’ve never been one to keep anything alive, other than people, so I’m a bit nervous about this endeavor. Last year’s garden was a complete flop, our soil is worthless and nothing grew, so I’m trying a container garden this year. So here’s my game plan for the spring crop:

Lettuce
Spinach
Carrots
Broccoli

I have a tendency to go overboard, but I think this is a nice little garden that I can manage. So all you gardeners out there, any tips for me, perhaps the worse gardener in the world? When should I start my seeds? I think I should do it soon, but what do I know?

To Nap or Not to Nap that is the Question

Calvin is 16 month's old and we're at a crossroads of two naps a day and one nap a day. I've never been one of those mom's who forced Calvin into a routine. He sort of put himself on a schedule. I nursed him when he was hungry when he was a baby, even when it wasn't "time", but he usually did this at regular intervals. Sleep was another story. It took a while for him to nap more than 30 minutes, but I stuck to trying to lay him down at certain times and now he's become pretty predictable. We also started a bedtime routine early: bath, bible, pray and bed when he was too tiny to care. We are thankful we stuck to it because he knows what is coming now, he even points to what comes next.

So this little transition is hard for all of us. Last night Marvin and I talked about bumping lunch up (11:30) and putting him down earlier so we could drop his morning nap. I was all set to do that today but he was literally falling over he was so tired. So I gave him a little snack and put him down, he was asleep in no time. Yesterday was another story, he acted tired so I put him down for his normal morning nap and he slept for maybe 20 minutes and was wide awake. He usually goes down again at 3:30 but he was so grumpy and just wanted me to hold him so I put him down again at 1:00 and he slept an hour and a half. But boy was he tired by bedtime, 7:30, he had a melt down at dinner when he discovered he had water instead of milk and we weren't going to give him any more milk.

So what do I do? How long does this transition last? How did you do it? I'm sure going to miss two naps a day, but I want him to get the rest he needs, even if it is in one chunk rather than two. Your advice please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heard 'Round These Parts

Calvin has been a bit obsessed by clocks the past month. We hear the word clock at least a 100 times a day, but I'm sure it's much higher if we ever counted. I was on Etsy looking for something to buy to support Cora's playground and I found a clock. We thought it was perfect and I have been wanting one for the kitchen so we ordered it and received it yesterday, I've never seen Calvin so excited. The excitment didn't end yesterday, he's still going on and on about the new clock today. We moved the clock that was in his room to the kitchen, so there is lots of excitement around these parts. Whoever thought clocks could be this exciting? Hopefully he moves on to something else very soon, we're a bit tired of hearing about clocks.

Meals for a Busy Week

It's a new week and a busy one at that. Marvin came home yesterday afternoon and it was neat to hear how his trip went. It was a busy quick trip and I only talked to him for a few minutes Thursday-Sunday so it was great to catch up. I was thankful Calvin was napping, I know Marvin missed him because the second Calvin made a sound Marvin was headed towards his room, but I needed some time to catch up with my hubby.

Today is a normal work day then it is off to 12-14 days to prepare for the garden show, so I tried to plan some meals he could take in his lunch since he won't be home for dinner at night. To make up for the lost family time we're having breakfast together this week.

Breakfasts:
Banana Muffins & Sliced Strawberries
Happy Toast (Eggs in the middle) & Pears
Waffles, Sausage links & Sliced Strawberries
French Toast & Grapes
Biscuits and Gravy, Bananas
Blueberry Muffins & Bananas

Lunches: leftovers

Dinners
Monday-BBQ Meatballs (recipe to come), Broccoli & Cauliflower, Tossed Salad
Tuesday-NEW RECIPE Mexican Pork & Sweet Potato Stew with Mexican Cornbread
Wednesday-NEW RECIPE Pasta Fagioli with Homemade French Bread & Salad
Thursday-Leftovers
Friday-NEW RECIPE Basil Cheese Polenta, w/ Meat Sauce mixed veggies, fruit
Saturday-Mac & Cheese w. leftover Polenta

For other great ideas visit here. Remember this is how I find most of my recipes I use, it sure is a handy way to plan your meals..

Smiling's my Favorite

What a cutie! I love this little guy and we had so much fun together yesterday afternoon. We have tried to get out every nice day and go for a little jog. On Monday we discovered a park nearby and we had so much fun that we went back yesterday. The first time we made our way to this park we tried a new path home and it worked beautifully, this time around I got a little turned around and instead of a 30 minute walk home it turned into an hour walk home. This park is surrounded by a golf course and the neighborhood we walk through has these curvy roads so when I thought I was going east, I actually ended up going north. I really amaze myself at my ability to get lost.

Cilantro Bean Burgers

As promised here are some great meatless recipes we've tried recently. Both recipes have my husband and my toddler's approval and are easy on your wallet. Want to find more great recipes? Visit Grocery Cart Challenge for more recipes.

Cilantro Bean Burgers $1.47 (including guacamole)
From Country Living
(makes 4 burgers)
for one burger: 177 Calories 4 g. fat 6 g. fiber 8 g. protein

1 c. canned/cooked pinto beans (rinsed and drained if using canned) .25
1 c. canned/cooked black beans (rinsed and drained if using canned) .25
1/2 c. shredded carrots .25
2 T. Minced fresh cilantro .05
1 1/2 t. lime juice (I used lemon) .01
2 small garlic cloves minced .05
1/2 t. cumin .02
1/4 t. salt (add a bit more if they aren't canned) .01
1/4 t. pepper .01
1/2 c. soft bread crumbs (toast a piece of bread and then run it through the blender, it's a great way to use up those heals nobody ever eats.) .06
4 T. egg substitute (or two eggs) .22
3 t. corn meal .02
3 t. canola oil .03

Use a food processor and combine the first 10 ingredients, cover and pulse until blended.
(I just mashed it together with a potato masher since I don't have a food processor.)

Stir in bread crumbs and egg substitute. Refrigerate 30 minutes.Shape into 4 patties and sprinkle with cornmeal. Heat oil in pan then add burgers. Cook 4-5 minutes on each side until lightly browned. (It took me a bit longer to get them browned probablly around 7 minutes each side.)

Serve with guacamole .79 or salsa (free Christmas gift from Dad).

Also served with Chips .25 Pear slices .30 Quesadillas .50

Meal Total=$2.52

Baked Spinach Supreme

As promised here are some great meatless recipes we've tried recently. Both recipes have my husband and my toddler's approval and are easy on your wallet. Want to find more great recipes? Visit Grocery Cart Challenge for more recipes.

Baked Spinach Supreme $4.18

From Country Living

6 Servings

251 Calories 20 g. protein 2 g. fiber 9 g. fat

In small bowl combine the following:

1 c. reduced fat baking biscuit mix .30

(I used biscuits from scratch, I cut the butter into the dry ingredients and just took out 1 c. of this)

2 egg whites .22

1 egg .11 ¼ c. fat free milk .10

¼ c. finely chopped onion .10

Pour into a greased 11 X 7 inch baking dish.

Next prepare the filling:

1 pkg. 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed dry 1.00

1 ½ c. fat free cottage cheese 1.00

¾ c. Monterrey Jack Cheese 0.50

½ c. grated Parmesan cheese .50

(I was out of Parmesan cheese, oops, so I added all the packets of Parmesan cheese I had from Papa John's, 4. It still tasted great, so you can decrease the amount for the Parmesan cheese if you want to lower the fat content.)

2 egg whites .22

1 egg .11

1 t. dried minced onion or fresh minced onion .02

Mix together and spoon over the biscuit mixture. Bake uncovered 28-32 minutes or until golden brown and knife comes out clean.

We served this with grapes .25 bringing our meal total to $4.43

Lentils with Garlic & Tomatoes

As promised here are some great meatless recipes we've tried recently. Both recipes have my husband and my toddler's approval and are easy on your wallet. Want to find more great recipes? Visit Grocery Cart Challenge for more recipes.

Lentils with Garlic and Tomatoes $1.58
Serves 4
From the CA cookbook


4 T. olive oil .05
5 cloves garlic minced .15
1 can whole tomatoes 14.5 oz or 2-3 chopped & peeled fresh tomatoes .50
1 c. dried lentils, washed and drained .45
2 1/2 c. water
¾ t. salt .01
1 T. lemon juice .02
1 c. brown rice (prepared according to package directions) .30

Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and add garlic. Stir and fry until garlic is lightly browned. Add tomatoes and stir and cook, mashing tomatoes until they turn into a paste about 5 minutes. Put in lentils and 2 ½ c. water. Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat. Simmer gently for ½ hour until lentils are tender. Add the salt and lemon juice.

Serve over rice(.30), top with strained yogurt (.10) and garnish with chopped green onions or cilantro if desired.

We served this with homemade french bread (.25), and salad (.20) making this meal $2.03!

Homemade Convenience Mixes

This weekend I made some Blueberry Pancakes and since I had all my ingredients out I thought I'd mix up my dry ingredients to have handy for next time. I didn't stop at pancakes I also mixed up some waffle mix and biscuit mix. I'm so excited about having these handy. I doubled each of the pancake and waffle mix because if I am going to dirty my griddle/wafflemaker I want to make a bunch and then freeze them. They make easy breakfasts and snacks during the week. After you add all your dry ingredients to wherever you are storing them, make sure you note what else you need to add to them. Hooray for less dishes! Check out Rock's in My Dryer for more great tips this Wednesday.


Pancake Mix
Double Batch=approx. 16 4 inch pancakes, very thick pancakes
1c. whole wheat flour
1c. white flour
2 T. sugar (brown or white)
6 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
few shakes of cinnamon

Mix and Store. Then add the following wet ingredients when ready to cook.

2 beaten fluffy eggs
1 1/2 c. milk
4 T. vegetable oil

Waffle Mix
double batch-approx. 12 waffles

2 c. whole wheat flour
2 c. white flour
2 T. sugar (brown or white)
8 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

Mix and store. When ready to prepare add following wet ingredients and mix until smooth:
4 Large eggs, beaten until fluffy
3 1/2 c. milk
1 c. vegetable oil or melted butter

Biscuit Mix
Makes approximately 12 biscuits
2 c. all purpose flour
1 T. sugar
3 t. baking powder
1 t. salt

Mix and store. When ready to prepare cut in 1/2 c. butter or shortening until it looks like fine crumbs. Sir in 3/4 c. milk (1 c. for drop biscuits) until dough leaves sides of bowl. If cutting biscuits turn dough onto floured surface and knead 10 times. Roll out to 1/2 inch thick and cut out biscuits. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes at 450 degrees F.

Deals This Week

Well I'm slowly starting to remember more of the prices of things. I usually try to guesstimate how much I will spend before I go to the store. Participating in Gayle's Grocery Round up has helped me pound the prices through my brain, as well as made me stick to our budget. So this week I'm only going to include some of the great deals I found with the picture. We have a budget of $50/week food $10/week household items.

Grocery Total: $40.03

Dillons $17.60

• Manager Special 1/2 gallon milk .99 each
• 3.07 lb. bananas 1.11

As I looked at my receipt I was disappointed because I bought some red tape bananas and they were more expensive than I thought, I was charged the full price for organic bananas rather than for the red tape price. So rather than eat the $1.67, I jogged myself over there to get things straightened out (Marvin had the car for the day and I needed to work out). Plus I got a nice jog in too and we stopped by the playground for a few minutes on our way home.

Aldi $22.43

• 4 pears .79 (I bought 2)
• Avocado .89
• 8oz. bars of cheese 1.29 (I bought 4)
• American cheese slices 1.49

I'm hoping to find some Manager Special soy milk later on this week, our Dillons tends to mark them down on Fridays. Which should push our grocery total to around $42 this week. Last week I was over about $4 (It was Valentine's Day so I splurged to make chocolate silk pie) and the week before I was over $6 so this week should balance everything out, and give me $48 for next week!

Household Items Total: 18.25

It's a good thing we didn't spend any money on household last week. We needed the extra for this week.

Target:

It's a bummer these light bulbs are so expensive, hopefully they will be worth the $9.54 I spent on them.

Lotion $1.24

Walgreen's Steal of the Week:

My Walgreen's gift card still was not loaded grrr, so I had to pay out of pocket for these diapers, but I believe they were a great deal.

They were $15.98 originally but this week there is a coupon for $3.00 off each package in their ad, which brings the total to $9.98 for two jumbo packs, not bad, but I had a $6.00 Register Reward from last week bringing these to $3.98 + tax! SCORE, now hopefully we'll like these. I'm a little bit of a name brand diaper snob but for this price I thought they were worth the risk.

I also picked up some valentine's for next year for .99. hopefully he will still be into trucks next year.

Check out the Grocery Cart Challenge to see how other's did this week.

5-5-5

I was tagged by Sherry a while back to pull the 5th picture from the 5th folder...


This picture has a lot of memories with it. This is our first place we lived overseas, and it definitely carries lots of memories, unfortunately mostly negative, we expereinced lots of culture shock here, could barely communicate and had a problem every week with this lovely apartment.

Here Marvin is working on putting together a shkoff, wardrobe, one of his least favorite tasks ever. I believe this was in our bedroom. In order to move things around we had to take apart these monster things, by we I mean Marvin. Even though I hated that apartment I'd live there in a heartbeat, minus the grouchy neighbor who always wanted money from us....ah the joys of being an American in a foreign country.

Meal Plan Monday

This Monday morning started off with wonderful kisses from Calvin, that's always a pleasant way to start my week. I also found out this morning my friend Marie welcomed her second little one into the world this weekend. Congratulations Marie, I'm sure she is prefect.

Now onto our menu.......

Breakfasts:
Blueberry Pancakes-2Xs
Blueberry Muffins
Oatmeal-2Xs
Biscuits
Waffles

Lunches:
Rice and Beans X 2
Leftovers
Scrambled Eggs
Quesadillas
Grilled Cheese

Dinners:
Monday-Pork Chops, Potatoes, Green Beans, Biscuits
Tuesday-Lentils w/ Garlic and Tomatoes, Salad, Peas & Garlic Bread (New Recipe)
Wednesday-Cilantro Bean Burgers, Spanish Rice, chips and salsa, and guacamole
Thursday-Soup from Freezer
Friday-leftovers
Saturday-Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, corn, salad
Sunday-leftovers

Head on over to Organizational Junkie for more menu ideas. I often gather my ideas for meals this way. It's a great way to find some variety in your meals without scouring cookbooks. Check back later in the week for a few of these recipes, plus a few successes from last week.

Seconds Please!

My mom made this casserole growing up and it was always a favorite. Since we have several meatless meals a week I thought I could revamp this. It originally calls for ground beef, but I substituted lentils and it worked and was very tasty. Calvin gobbled up 2 servings, so I think he loved it.

BBQ Lentil Casserole about $3.30 for 6 servings

1 c. dried lentils or 1 lb. ground beef (50 cents)

1 can Pork and Beans (I have no idea maybe 75 cents?)
¾ c. BBQ Sauce (50 cents)
2 T. Brown Sugar (pennies, you can substitute if you wish)
1 T. Minced Onion (pennies)
1 t. Salt (pennies)
Biscuits (75 cents)
1 -1 1/2 c. Shredded Cheese (75 cents)

1. Boil lentils in salted water about 20 minutes or until tender. When lentils are tender drain them.

2. While lentils are boiling, prepare biscuits if making from scratch. I used up the last of my Bisquick for this recipe, from now on it's biscuits from scratch. Once you make your biscuits cut them in half. (You can even use refrigerated biscuits, if you need some coupons let me know I never buys these but there are always so many of them in the paper.)

3. If working with a helper, make sure the opened bag of dried lentils is out of reach as well as all sharp objects, like the knife you used to cut the biscuits. (I learned the hard way, but thankfully only a few lentils were sacrificed.)

4. Dump everything into your casserole dish and mix well. (I didn't have any minced onion, regular onions would work fine, but I'm running kind of low so I just added onion powder.) I used a damp clean cloth to wipe the edge of the side of the dish above the BBQ lentil mixture to make sure it didn't leave a baked on mess.

5. Once mixed top with shredded cheese. Then add the biscuits to the outside of your casserole dish, forming a biscuit ring.

6. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. (Sorry I forgot to take a picture of the final product.)

For more great recipes Check out Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.

Mail that makes me Happy

Yesterday was a bum mail day. We got the Dillons ad, which I am always excited to see unfortunately I made a trip to the store that morning and picked up a ciruclar already, other than that we just got our internet bill. No coupons, no freebies, bummer.

Today was another stories, not only did I get coupons, but I got a free sample, a few Valentine's cards and..... puppets. A few weeks ago I was a little obssesed with registering for things over at the Bloggy Carnival. Oh my goodness I could have spent hours looking at blogs, I'm little addicted.

I registered for quite a few and surprise I won, I was so pumped because I NEVER win. Now I can't say that again. I won two adorable puppets! I can't wait for Calvin to play with them. He recently has become interested the puppets I had from teaching. He'll love these penguins. The lady who made these is very talented. Check out her Etsy shop. Something else that I could easily be addicted to.

Also some of you asked about the CD Calvin was dancing to and I found that info. I was so excited to see they had a personalized Birthday CD. I had a tape when I was a kid and I still can sing you my birthday song. My mom woke us up to our song on our birthdays. Guess what Calvin is going to hear on his 2nd birthday????? I'm so pumped. Go here to find out more about personalized CDs. Oh and Sherry sorry they only have one of your childrens' names, bummer.

Leaving a Legacy

Tuesday was a hard day for many, especially Joel and Jess and their family, as they celebrated the life of their daughter. It was overwhelming how many people came to love them and to grieve together. It was heart wrenching looking at a tiny coffin, and it was so clear how eternity is written on our hearts. Life isn't suppose to end at 11 months. But what Cora did leave behind was a beautiful legacy, a life that has touched so many. Many of us never met her, but our lives were touched. As I looked at the picture they chose to include on the program I couldn't help but think how angelic her face looked and how sweet it was that she was now with Jesus. There are still times when I am broken to tears for the things Joel and Jess will never get to do with their little girl, but I am thankful that we serve a God who welcomed Cora into his loving arms and that this goodbye is only temporary.

What a legacy Cora has left. Her family has set up a fund to build a playground in her honor. I know I have been touched to help make that possible, even when times are tough financially. If you are interested please visit her website. I also found a few people who are donating the proceeds of items they have made to benefit Cora's playground. I haven't decided which one I will order, but it's neat to see how others are using their skills to remember Cora. A beautiful reminder of the body of Christ.

Joy's Hope
adorable Flower Headbands

The Busy Bee
Cute Button Flowers

I love Plum
Children's Tees and Onesies

Kissable Kreations
Headbands

If any of you would like to listen to her celebration of life go here. Their family's website does say that a video of the ceremony will be coming soon. Thanks for grieving with me and celebrating the legacy of this sweet child.

Today I am Blessed

My heart is still very heavy today. Last night I snuck a peek at Calvin sleeping and felt richly blessed, I wanted to scoop him up and hold him forever.

Today we dropped our car off at the repair shop across the street and Calvin and I began walking home hand in hand and I about lost it, I was overcome with the sweetness of the moment God had given us. So in the midst of this incredible sadness, I'm thankful for the time He has given me with my son.

It seems silly to post anything other than praises to God for all the good in our lives. May you cherish the blessings he has given you today.

Heartbroken

Cora is now resting with Jesus, free from painful operations, free from cancer, free to spend eternity with her Maker. Please remember her family at this time, they still need your prayers as they begin to grieve.

Lord you know the pain Joel and Jess are experiencing right now. Father I pray that you would grant them strength they need to go on in this life without their sweet Cora. Give them strength to bear each minute, may they keep their gaze on you. I beg you to wrap them in your arms. Jesus be near them tonight. Amen!

For all His Fans

Calvin got this CD for Christmas and loves it, we took some time after dinner one night for a little dance break and he showed off a some new moves he's been working on.

Adventures of a 15 Month Old

We ended our emergency trip to E-town last week by celebrating my mom's birthday. Calvin certainly has a special love for both his grandmas, his presence was a great birthday treat for my mom.


Last week he learned how to open the door to the bedroom on his own, it doesn't latch so it pulls open and he can fit little fingers in the crack to pull it open. He was always ready to find grandma and grandpa as soon as his eyes were open, he didn't inherit his morning brightness from either of us. Monday morning Mavin brought him to bed with us when he woke up because we were still tired and of course he didn't want anything to do with bed, he was ready to eat, so he wiggled off the bed and comes back to our room with one of those Gerber Graduates Entrees that I left out on the counter. (His reach is pretty amazing these days.) Needless I was feeling like a pretty horrible mom when he brought that in, our poor son was foraging for food. I need to get back in routine again of waking up early and working out, and stop staying awake until 1:30 reading.

Shortly after the new year he got his first haircut! We decided to try to do it ourselves, since Marvin is pretty good at cutting hair and honestly I think he did a great job. The trick is to figure out a way to distract him. We tried sitting him on the sink so he could see us in the mirror and he just wanted to turn around. We found out that if we turned on the water he was entertained. He's had a second hair cut since then, but we did it while he was playing in the bath tub, I think it worked much better.

And here is my curious 15 month old. He can now climb onto chairs independently, I didn't think about this until he emptied the salt on the floor. I was cleaning up the kitchen and surprise, Calvin was pouring the salt out. I am now reminding myself to push the chairs in. We've had to add a few more safety precautions to our house since his curiosity is growing everyday.

Calvin had his 15 month check up and he now weighs 21.4lbs and is in the 10th percentile for weight and he grew 3 inches since his 12 month check up, he climbed up to 31 inches, and made his way to the 50th percentile!

This is my favorite picture we've taken recently. He's very into imitating what you do and very interested in phones and clocks so I about melted when Marvin was on the phone and Calvin climbed up next to him just chatting away too. He has also added the word clock to his vocabulary and every place we go he'll find one.

Remember the part about how his curiosity is growing everyday? Well here's where I found him the other night. I had pulled out a new bath toy and he had so much playing with it in his bath that later on he just couldn't wait anymore. I guess I'll have to remind myself to close the bathroom door as well as push in chairs. He certainly keeps us busy.

Grocery Cart Roundup

Well I'm over budget by 6.47, because of the great deals at Dillons this week, I couldn't resist going back one more time. The good news is I've got lots of things for Marvin's lunches for the next several weeks and I found some great prices on meat this week. Our freezer is at maximum capacity so we better start eating some of it up.

I spent $56.47 on groceries this week. (Here's the menu for the week.)

Round 1

Price Chopper (e-town) 14.54
almost 5 lbs Ground Beef $8.88
Ken's Salad Dressing Free (coupon)
2 Kraft Dressing $.50 each (coupon)
16 oz. Highland Cheese $2.20 (coupon)

Dillons Round One 19.73
4 pkgs Cottonelle $.75 (3 coupons)
Soy Milk $2.49
Margarine $.77
Jar of Yeast $5.25
Bananas $1.68
Sweet Potatoes $1.11
4 Valley Fresh Green Giant Steamers FREE (used 4 coupons)
2 boxes Wheat Thins $1.78 (used coupon)
8 oz. Kraft Bar Cheddar Cheese $1.50
2 pkg Fiber One Bars $1.43 (used coupons)
1 pkg Nature Valley Granola Bars $1.09 (used coupon)

Round 2

Dillons again $14.61

Skirt Steak $2.81

Dannon Plain Yogurt $.63

2 boxes Fiber One Granola Bars $2.68 (coupons)

2 bags Chex Mix $1.78 (coupons)

8 oz. Kraft Mozzarella Bar Cheese $1.50

Kraft American Slices $1.50

3 boxes Nature Valley Granola Bars $5.77 (coupons & got back 1.50 towards next purchase)

Kleenex Lotion Tissues $.20 (coupons)





Aldi $6.19

Gala Apples 1.19

2 bags Baby Carrots $.98

Iceburg Lettuce $.99

Flour $1.76

Bananas $.90





Want to check out what others bought this week?

Make sure you check out Grocery Cart Challenge.

Holding on a Little Tighter

Marvin and I were able to visit our friends Joel and Jess at the hospital on Sunday. I am amazed at their faith and I am so thankful to be a part of the same family of God right now. He's the God who formed Cora and he's the one who can heal her. I have shed many tears for their family and poured my heart out to the Lord for their little girl. I don't know if I could take seeing Calvin so worn out in a hospital bed, hooked up to so many machines. (His outpatient surgery about broke my heart.) Continue to lift up not only Cora but Jess and Joel too, it's physically and emotionally draining for them, you could see it in their bodies. Pray that God with give them rest only he can provide.

In light of their situation there are two things that have been impressed on my heart on top of praying for them. The first one being an overwhelmingly gratefulness for the body of believers I have had in my life. It seems like each season of life God has surrounded me with some amazing people to walk through life with. Now I must say that this takes some vulnerability initially, if you haven't allowed yourself to be transparent with others I'd encourage you to take that step, Father will richly bless you for it. Jess and Joel were part of our college community, and it's so neat to see that however long it has been since we have connected with some of those people, we are still connected in our hearts and Father has burdened us and those we know to pray for one another.

The second thing that God has impressed on my heart is to not take lightly this time I have with Calvin. There are times I get so frustrated with him. It's impossible to keep the house clean with his uncanny ability to make a mess in less than a second of waking up. Right now we are also in the beginning stages of tantrums and boy is he stubborn. But the past week Father has allowed me to see how precious this time is. I've found myself holding him a bit longer, rocking him to sleep, playing trucks a little bit longer, and finding more ways to engage with him. I am very thankful for these renewed mama's eyes.

Here's the one God has entrusted us. He's so proud because he got up on the chair by himself and was able to reach his snack. What a big boy!

Menu Plan Monday

Well our menu looks much the same as last week, since I unexpectedly left town. Marvin didn't stay with Calvin and I because frankly money is pretty tight right now with shorter work hours. It's amazing how God provides for our needs though. It's funny when I'm gone and he has to cook because I can automatically assume he'll have something very meaty. Poor guy, he does great at not complaining and being thankful for every meal I make (he learned that from his dad), but I know he'd love meat every meal. He's just too cute.




Here's what our menu looks like this week:

Monday-Italian Lentil Barley Soup with Biscuits and salad

Tuesday- Caribbean Pork with Rice & Sweet Potatoes

Wednesday-Belated Kansas Day Meal Steak, Potatoes, Salad & KS dirtcake

Thursday-Chicken Pot Pie, Salad

Friday- Left overs

Saturday-Leftovers for lunch, Dinner: Homeade Pizza, Salad & Cooked Carrots

Sunday-Sunday Lunch Guests! Baked Ziti, Breadsticks or french bread, Salad, Cooked Carrots, some sort of dessert

The Good and The Bad

We now have a new family record for packing, we seriously were out the door in an hour and a half, and I managed to pack no only clothes but toys and food. We made it to the hospital safely, the roads were great once we got past Wichita.

My dad is doing much better, he was itchin' to get out of the hospital and and they released him today. The reason for all the concern was they were unsure where the blood he vomited came from. Test results showed he was no longer bleeding, which is a great thing but the best they could conclude was it was from ulcers on his esophagus. We hope this situation has resolved itself. The only problems he has now is finding foods that sit well with his stomach. I'm staying here in E-Town to help my mom out so that she can go back to work, we don't want to repeat the situation again without anyone around. Apparently he lost a lot of blood on Monday.

Calvin enjoyed riding in Grandpa's bed at the hospital and was happy that he had more energy today, this evening he ran up to his legs while he was sitting on the couch just ready to play. I am so thankful to have such a flexible little guy. Poor thing didn't get to bed until about 9:30 last night, when finally his body couldn't take it any longer he gave up and closed his eyes.

Every time I look at my sweet boy my heart is burdened to pray for another little one. Please continue to lift up Cora, you can find more out about her condition on her family's blog. She has begun her chemo treatments, so pray for her tiny body during this assault of chemicals and for her family as they watch their little girl grow weaker. Let's believe God for a miracle.

Yuck, I better get some knee pads

Many of you know my dad has been sick off and on the last 7 years, almost 8. He's in need of liver transplant and has been working more recently with doctors to take steps in that direction. Today he got sick again and he's in ICU. Due to weather they were unable to life flight him to Kansas City so they took him to the closest place, Topeka. I haven't been able to find out what is going on, but am thankful my brother is with my mom right now.

So it looks like we'll be in for a trip in the next day or so, weather permitting. I'd appreciate your prayers for my dad. Calvin and I spent last week with my parents and my dad was doing well, he had a blast playing with his grandson. I'm trying not to let my mind go to other places and focus on what is taking place right now. It's defiantly hard.

It seems like today was such a heavy day. The weather was drab and my heart was full of ache already for a few friends and this just added to the heaviness. I was reminded of Job today and just the assault of things that God allowed Satan to do to him. The loss of children, his dignity, status in the community, his health, and still he acknowledged the God who has every right to take things away. I love how God allows Job to make pleas and question him, but Job ultimately comes back to trusting in His perfect will. I am trying to allow God to teach me what it looks like to cry out "Blessed Be YOUR NAME" in all things.

Would you also join me in praying for a sweet little girl? Her name is Cora and we went to college with her parents. She was diagnosed with cancer this past week, she is 10 months old. Heartbreaking, I know. Would you pray that her parents have the strength to endure what is ahead and that God would show himself powerfully in this situation. That doctors would be amazed at how little Cora was healed. If you want to follow this situation and commit to pray for them you can find updates from a friend here or you can check Joel & Jess's blog.

Thank you for sharing my burdens.

Monday Meal Plan

Here's what's cooking in our kitchen this week:

Monday-Chili Kolaches, baked sweet potato cubes, salad
Tuesday-Lentil Barley Soup, homemade rolls, salad
Wednesday-Jamacian Pork Tenderloin, Broccoli, salad
Thursday-In honor of Kansas Day we're having Steaks, potatoes, salad & KS dirt cake
Friday-Left overs
Saturday-Pancakes for breakfast, Celebrating my mom's birthday later in the day
Sunday-Omlets & Toast

It's crazy that January is almost over, where did the time go? I hope you all are staying warm today, it's certainly cold in our neck of the woods.

Menu Planning 101...for Callie

I got to hang out with a dear friend from high school last week. It was fun to reconnect with her and to hold her sweet little one, Calvin was a little jealous, but not too bad. She asked me how I plan my meals so I thought I'd share my process with everyone.

Brainstorm.....While we were overseas I noticed I was making the same things over and over again. This prompted me to make a list of meals I knew could make with the ingredients we could get. So I got out a piece of paper one day and started jotting down ideas. It developed into a list with several categories CHICKEN, BEEF, MEATLESS, SOUPS, SALADS. Under every category I wrote down all the recipes I knew how to make. Next I highlighted all the recipes that were quick recipes, ready in 30 minutes or less. I also noted recipes that took some time to make. I eventually typed up the list and it was hanging on my fridge, when meal planning time came I grabbed it and was ready to plan. If you are new to meal planning, I suggest you start with this step.

Once a month planning....I plan my meals a month in advance. I am not a natural planner, in fact I hate to be tied down by schedules. So this is very flexible, in fact most of the time my menu has lots of arrows by the end of the month because I switch things up quite a bit and sometimes I don't end up making all of it.

Getting ready to plan.....The month before, I brainstorm ideas. If I think of something that would be good to make, or see a new recipes (usually on a blog) I write it in my notebook that sitting by the computer. This is nice because when I start planning the menu I have something to start with. I love blogs that participate in Meal Plan Mondays because it gives me new ideas, particularly for meatless meals, which often stump me.

Inventory.....Before meal planning I take inventory of my freezer. I try to stock up on meat when I see good sales, or buy meat that has been marked down. I write down a list of all the things I have in my freezer and this is the basis for my meat I use the next month. This way I don't have to run out to buy any meat for a specific recipe. (So the meat I buy in January I won't use until February or possibly March.) Typically I try to have 1 or 2 meatless meals a week for health of our bodies and wallets.

Search for recipes....Once I complete my inventory I dive into cookbooks or search online to find recipes for the meat I have as well as meatless options. I usually make a list of about 20-24 main dishes for the month, this may be more or less depending on your family size and how many times you eat out in a week. We have a family who loves leftovers so this isn't an issue. If you can't stand leftovers, plan more meals and freeze the leftovers for future meals, or make smaller portions. Make sure you know if things freeze well or not, there are some great lists out there of things that freeze well and things that don't.

Special Notes....Once I have my 20-24 meals I note on the left side of the number if it is a crockpot recipe, fast recipe or meatless. When I'm looking at a recipe and I notice there is something I don't usually have I make note of that on the right side so that I can add it to my finished menu. There is nothing worse when you are half way through a recipe and you don't have an ingredient.

Fill in the Date....Next I write down all the dates of the month with spaces in between the weeks. If I know we have a commitment or plans I write that in first, so that I know I'll have to have a fast meal that night, extra for company, etc. etc. I look at my meal ideas and try to get a balance for the week. One red meat, chicken and a few meatless options. This gives us a little diversity and variety, two things I love.

Now it's your turn....So that's my method. There are plenty more out there, it just works for me. It's funny because I usually think of schedules as a constricting thing but it really takes the stress out of what to make for dinner. Before I would plan by what I felt like having and I always felt rushed to get dinner on the table. Now it takes that stress away and by posting my week's menu to this blog helps remind me of the game plan for the week. Happy Meal Planning!

Grocery Cart Round Up

Another week on budget, OH YEAH ($50 grocery/$10 household). I still have to buy one more soy milk for the week. I know it may seem silly but often Dillons has it marked down on Friday, so I thought I'd try my luck then. I'm holding out hope that they'll have two Silk Soy Milks marked down so I can use a coupon for them. That would be the ultimate deal. Head on over to Grocery Cart Challenge to see how others did this week.

Here's what my $43.30 bought this week.

Dillons-

Gallon Skim Milk 2.99 (It was cheaper at Aldi this week, bummer.)

(2) Soy Milk 2.49 each

Campbell's Soup-free with coupon

Tortellini-3.39

(2) Cranberry Jello-.25 each

Cheese-3.89

Brown Sugar 1.00

Cucumbers 1.58

Avocado-1.00

Pork Chops-4.42

Mini Oreos-1.00 (Saving for Kansas Day next week)

Plain Yogurt .69

Aldi

1/2 Gallon Milk 1.69

Ketchup 1.15

Honey 3.79

Bananas 1.63

Corn Tortillas 1.19

Frozen Corn .95

Iceburg Lettuce .99

Hamburger Buns .85

Flour Tortillas .99

Romaine Lettuce 1.99

Walgreens-use gift card, paid nothing out of pocket

2 jars Skippy Peanut Butter (3.00)

2 pkgs Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts (1.00)

Household items $8.00

Dillons:

Diapers 7.00 (I was a little bummed that my cellfire coupon for the diapers didn't work. It was still a good price, plus I can get a $1.00 back from Caregiver's marketplace, once I buy one more package.)

3 pkgs Cottonelle 1.00 (use two .50 coupons)

Walgreens

Dawn (.50, nothing OOP)

A week at a glance

Whew...we're home and it's so nice to be back as a family again. It feels nice to be able to clean up my own kitchen for a change, is that weird or what?!?! So we're headed for yet another week and here's what we will be cooking in our kitchen.

Monday-Healthy Burritos (lentils and Rice) w/ avocado, tomatoes, & corn

Tuesday- Company's a coming! Grilled Beef Skewers on pita w/ Tzatziki, sauce, Greek salad & pilaf. Dessert: Baked apples w/a little crisp on the top.

Wednesday- Italian Tomato Soup w/tortellini, salad, & peas

Thursday-Left Overs

Friday- Company again! Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Glazed Carrots & Rolls. I have no idea what we'll have for dessert. Any healthy but yummy ideas?

Saturday- Muffins and Eggs for Breakfast, Sandwiches for lunch and Tostadas, Rice & Salad for dinner

Sunday- Hamburgers, Sweet potato fries, fruit. Probably popcorn for dinner.

I've got a few goals for this week as well.
1. Finish Calvin's scrapbook. I finally got his birthday pictures so I'm ready to finish the last two pages. Yippee!

2. Organize the back room. It's a mess. It's been cold back there and so we just open the door and throw stuff in. It's time to get it in order again.

3. Spend some time outside. It looks like we're in for some beautiful weather and I hope we can take advantage of it to the fullest this week.

4. Tackle my growing pile of things that need to be mended, hemmed, etc.

5. Finish my resume...more on that later.

Found the Culprit

I finally figured out what makes Calvin break out into hives....pineapple. We had pizza tonight with pineapple on it and once again the poor thing broke out. What a bummer, fresh pineapple is one of my favorite fruits.

I am counting down the hours till Marvin is back in KS. It's been a long week, Calvin has had a blast, but has also tested my patience to the fullest. (I used to think I was a patient person, but Calvin has shown me I need to grow considerably in this area.) I guess we are finishing the week as we started the week, tantrum central. Today he insisted on continuing to find things he should not be playing with....ahhhh!!! He has suddenly become super interested in outlets and "plugging" things in. Today he found a radio and tried to "plug" it into the vent. This new fascination scares me a lot. Our house is safer because I know our outlets are covered but since we aren't at home, I feel like can't take my eye off of him.

He now has 7 teeth, another one popped through this week, but I'm wondering if he is cutting his molars too, poor thing has been working on this 7th tooth for a while. Recently he has started fighting me when I brush his teeth, but I think it's because his gums are so tender. Tonight I had the bright idea to brush them with a wash cloth using my finger. Ouch, yep his chompers came right down on my finger, the teeth he has certainly work well.

It's been a fun week, but I'm ready to head home and to be back together as a family. I feel so lucky to have such a great husband and am looking forward to some family time on Sunday. Enjoy the weekend and stay warm, I'll post more on Monday.

Nostalgic Week

Well I don't have anything to post for my Monday menu plan, because this week the menu isn't up to me...what a great break! We're visiting my parents this week and Calvin is loving being around grandpa & grandma. He loves being the center of attention and if he isn't getting attention he is throwing some lovely tantrums. My patience today has been very thin, as he has started hitting me as part of his tantrums, and being away from home we don't have our nice little time out spot that had worked so great. I can tell being away from his daddy has certainly brought part of this on, so we'll see how the rest of the week turns out. I am very thankful he is sleeping right now because I really needed a break. Naps are such a blessing, sorry to all you moms out there who have some kiddos who are out of that phase of life. I don't know what I would do without them right now.

This week is filling up with lots of things and people to see. I have enjoyed getting to take Calvin to do a few things that I did growing up. The first stop was here....


It's a great little zoo and it's free. It won't take you too long to walk through it, but it was perfect for us. Calvin loved watching the vultures and prairie dogs. They were both very active and Calvin was busy pointing at them moving. Hopefully the weather will hold up this week and let us go one more time.

This morning we headed to story time...
I was bummed they didn't still have the coolest chairs in the world (they were round and hard and spun perfectly). But they really have a great play area set up for toddlers. Calvin loved it, if it gets colder we'll have to go back.

So that's our week so far. We're looking forward to seeing some friends later on in the week, but most of all we are looking forward to Marvin returning. Saturday can't get here soon enough.

The Art of Packing and traveling with a little one

We've done this way too many times this year, that we have about perfected our skills, well not exactly but we're getting better. Most of the time we pack way too much stuff, but I think we're doing better. So while I'm waiting on the laundry and Calvin is napping I thought I'd share a few of the things I have learned.

1. I discovered it is best to lay everything out before you pack it, so you know exactly how much stuff you are packing. In the photo I have an outfit for the day and pj's at night below it. We'll be gone 9 days, so I only packed for 4, I'm planning on doing laundry on the 3rd day and again on the 6th day. If you're planning on washing laundry in a sink, you'll need to do it every night in order for it to dry. (Things dry better in the winter than the summer indoors, private balconies are a great place to hang laundry during the summer granted the hotel your staying at has them and suitcase racks make great drying racks.)

2. I always bring laundry soap, you just never know and Calvin has very sensitive skin. I have to use a detergent free of a lot of stuff or he will break out. I also always bring a towel and wash cloth for this very reason.

3. Diapers. Always take enough to last a couple of days, even if you're planning on buying some when you get there. I know it may sound silly but it's better safe than sorry. We had to go to Greece and we were only going to stay one night and then all of a sudden we thought we'd have to stay another night. I was literally panicking because I didn't think I would have enough diapers and unless you want to pay high cost of diapers in vacation spots or airports, be prepared. I also learned that bringing a unopened pack saves on space. The manufactures have sealed it tightly and there is no way you will ever get all those loose diapers packed as tightly.

4. Monitor. If you aren't sure of your room arrangements, throw in your baby monitor. I try to bring it when we go to Marvin's parents and my parents because we can't hear when Calvin wakes up at either place.

5. Go Light on Toys, but enough to be entertained. This trip I decided to only take a large glad bag worth of toys. My parents have a few toys, but to be honest he loves to play with Tupperware more than anything. You can find lots of 'toys' wherever your going you just have to look around. Make sure you pack quality toys that can do a variety of things. For this trip I packed a few blocks, his farm animals and tractors, a car, his little phone thing he can pull around, and a few books. I'm going to throw some bubbles in our diaper bag as well as his new favorite marker. If you are flying the best advice I have for you is to be organized. I discovered if I had a bag full of toys it was hard to rummage through them in the tight corners of an airline seat to find what I wanted. I found that if I put different things to do in different small baggies in a larger Ziploc it was easier to pull out a new activity when boredom set in. Before you take off grab the entertainment bag out and put in the seat pocket in from of you.

6. Bring Car toys. I know I just said go light on toys. But here is why I think it is good to bring car toys. They only get played with in the car. So that you don't have to worry about dragging everything in and back out to the car. Choose things that keep your child's attention. Calvin loves a lift-a-flap book and a little music thing my parents got him. I also have an old wipes container that is filled with all sorts of goodies that can be put in and taken out, one of his favorite games. I also keep a thing of finger puppets in the car, these are small and provide lots of entertainment. When all else fails break out the DVD player. Yes I never thought I'd be one of those parents (sorry if I judged you), but it is beautiful. Granted Calvin probably watches maybe one show a week, but he loves Baby Einstein and it captures his attention when everything else doesn't work.

7. Bring a first aid kit fully loaded. Tylenol, ibuprofen, saline, nose aspirator, clippers, thermometer & Vick's. Those are our staples and must haves when traveling. It's been nice not to have to figure out where the closest drug store is because we always have what we need.

8. Flexibility. As hard as I try to keep Calvin's routines the same when we travel, I know he will always be off, and not sleep as well. I make sure to leave extra room for cuddling before nap time and bedtime, because we all have to adjust to sleeping in a new environment.

9. Pack the night before, I think everybody does this, right? Maybe that's just us, but there are always a few things we need in the morning like a toothbrush, brush, etc. I discovered that if I just make a list on a post-it note of the things that still need to be packed, they make it in the suitcase. Of course you need to stick the note on the suitcase or bathroom mirror to make sure you remember. Since we travel a lot we just keep travel toothbrushes ready to go, so no worries about forgetting them.

So that's what we have discovered. Happy Trails..............

My newest favorite thing

This little beauty was in my stocking this year. My mother-in-law is awesome, everytime I use it I can't believe how much time this tiny little thing has saved me. So if you ever find yourself at a pampered chef party, and don't know what to buy...here's your solution. Speaking of pampered chef, one of these days I'll finally own one of these....sigh maybe this summer.

Grocery Cart Roundup for the week

I stumbled on this blog a few months ago and love it. It's called Grocery Cart Challenge and every week there is a picture of her groceries, which inspired me to take picture of my groceries. I decided to link my blog up this week. (Sherry you should totally check it out as she lives in your neck of the woods.)

My total this week at Dillons, Aldi and Walgreens was.....$37.03 (I have to pick up a few more things but they are little so I think we'll come out around $40, $10 under budget, sweet.)

So what does $37.03 buy you?

Dillons:
Dozen Eggs (1.62, I was bummed I forgot them at Aldi, I think they are 1.29 there)
2 1/2 gallons Soy Milk (2.49 ea.)
Applesauce (1.29 used a .60 store coupon)
Bac N Buds (2.99, Marvin's salad staple)
Kosher Salt (1.69)
Grape Jelly (1.79)
Gallon Skim Milk (2.99)
4 lb bag grapefruit (3.00)
3.18 lb. bananas (.13 I had a store coupon for $2.00 off fruit if you bought more than 4.00)
Sunflower Seeds (1.75)
Peanuts (1.44 used .75 cellfire coupon)

Aldi:
Chocolate Chips (1.49)
Sweet potatoes (1.69)
Chicken Bouillon Cubes (1.09)
Iceburg Lettuce (.99)
Frozen OJ (1.25)
Crushed Pineapple (.89)
Whole Grain White Bread (1.29)

Walgreens:
4 Cans Progresso Soup (4.00, used two .50/wyb 2 coupons, but didn't pay anything out of pocket because I used my gift card. So in our house if it money doesn't exchange hands it's free!)

I had some household stuff in the mix of this at Dillons so if my totals are off it's due to the tax. We keep household items and food separated in our budget. But I did the P & G deals, combined with coupons and esaver coupons and got some free and nearly free items along with a great deal on diapers. We are set on shampoo, soap, toothpaste, & diapers for a while. I spent $17.27 for household this week, but I'm stocked for a while so that area should be dramatically less in the coming weeks if not months.

Ready, set, cozy on up

I finally finished my quilt, only 4 years after I started it. Oh well I'm looking forward to snuggling up in this. You can tell it was started shortly after I finished my time at K-State, I still love it to this day. It was fun to be reminded of how excited I was when I would find the perfect purple fabric for it. It took me months to find all the fabric.



I also did something else I have been wanting to try for a while. Last week I made yogurt in the crockpot. It was SO easy and much cheaper. I have enjoyed it every morning this week. Calvin loved it too. I'm starting to add more dairy to his diet, before he was a little bloated, gassy, and also had some nasty diapers. Hopefully we will be able to move into cow's milk soon.

Go here to find the recipe for the yogurt, you won't be sorry:
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/you-can-make-yogurt-in-your-crockpot.html

Weekly Meal Plan & Goals

Monday: Cranberry Stew in crockpot, cornbread, green beans http://www.5dollardinners.com/2008/11/cranberry-stew.html

Tuesday: Simple Risotto with diced sweet potatoes, & salad

Wednesday: Baked Potatoes with broccoli & cheese sauce, loaded salads (chicken, eggs, etc.)

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday, Saturday, Sunday visiting my parents

It's a light week as far as cooking for meals but I have several projects this week to get ready for next week. We'll be gone, Marvin's heading to KY to take a class and I'll spend the week with my parents. Here's what I would like to get done before we leave.

• Homemade granola bars
• Pumpkin Bread
• Muffins for breakfast and snacks next week
• Mini pizzas for lunch next week
• I also need to finish my Grandma's Christmas present. I'm taking all the cards she & my grandparents received for her 65th wedding anniversary and making a scrapbook for her.

I think that is totally attainable, I'm working on setting practical goals. FYI I actually got up early today, worked out and showered before Marvin left for work! I like this new routine, let's hope it sticks.

Bring it On

Well 2009 is here and I have a few goals for this coming year, the problem is actually doing them. So I'm posting these to help me be accountable to achieve them.

1. Getting in shape and shedding some pounds. I know it sounds cliche but It's been something I've been working on for the past couple months. I wasn't so great at trying to loose the baby weight at first, we were stuck in Turkey and I just didn't have the motivation and it took a long time to heal, so enough with the excuses, it' a year later and it's time to get on top of this.

On an encouraging note. I was very pleased to see that since Thanksgiving I had lost 4 more lbs. I hadn't even been too diligent with exercising. I'm pretty sure I've gained at least a pound over the holidays. I'm about to throw away all the rest of my candy so it's time to get serious. (Yes I will really throw it away, it's wasteful either way you look at it.)

My game plan
So my goal is to work out 6 days out of the week (5 at the bare minimum). I just ordered new Billy Bands. I absolutely love my TaeBo workouts using Billy Bands, unfortunately one snapped so I have the DVDs but they aren't too great without the bands. I am so excited about these as it's been a while since I last worked out with them. Plus they are easy to travel with. Marvin about killed me when he opened the suitcase and saw my weights nicely packed, we were supposed to be packing light. So until they arrive I'll keep doing the one Firm DVD I have an occassionally do my Paula Abdul.

I am hoping to drag myself out of bed early this year. I am NOT a morning person at all, in fact I'm a night owl, but I hope to have worked out and showered by the time Marvin leaves for work.

This spring I hope to take Calvin jogging in the mornings, I hope to jog to Marvin's work to pick up the car a few mornings a week, it'll be a nice 2 mile jog. My mother-in-law picked up a jogging stroller and I hope we can get some use out of it this spring. I used to love jogging. There is just something about feeling the air on your face and your lungs burning. I might even be inspired to run a 5 K race this spring. Whoa that may be a little too ambitious. Before the jogging begins I think I better get some new shoes, mine are over 3 years old. But that will have to wait a few months.

I have been trying to eat more veggies. Specifically I am trying to have a vegetarian lunch everyday. I'll try my best to revamp salads and to be creative in my choices. I've tired to choose healthier options when menu planning. I seriously have had to seek out new ways of cooking. For the most part everything we've tried has been great, who says eating healthy doesn't have to be delicious. I love checking out new cookbooks from the library to inspire me to keep up the new eating habits.

Also I am saying goodbye to ultra sweets. Now there is a time and place for sweets, but I love sugar. I'm trying to cut back and choose naturally sweet alternatives, of course in moderation. I heard someone say that they only have something sweet on the weekends. I think that is brilliant and I'll give it a go. Plus I LOVE fruit! I mean I love it!

Goal #2 Spend better time in the Word and journal
This past year I didn't make it through the Bible. I am disappointed in myself and lack of clearing time for the most important thing. Becoming a mom has been hard in this area and I am really trying to give God that precious time he deserves. I love reading through the Bible every year. I don't have one of those fancy schedules I just start at the beginning and read front to back. I've realized by doing this how much better, easier, and real the passages become. They are more familiar because you just read about it. Oh how I miss it. Now these years with little ones I realize I might not make it through the whole thing, but I'll allow God to decide how far I get each year. I also want to start journaling again. I love it when I do it, it's just doing it that I fail at most of the time.

Goal #3 Use the resources God give us to the fullest
I am trying to set our grocery budget at $50/week this year. Well at least while we are in the states. I'm excited for this challenge, but it's only $10 less that we usually spend so it shouldn't be too difficult.

So there they are. I'm excited for 2009 how about you?

Goodbye 2008.....Hello 2009

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Make a Smilebox scrapbook

I thought I'd take a moment to reflect on the past year and look ahead to 2009. To be honest 2008 was a tough year for us. It was filled with so many unexpected surprises and plenty of heartbreak. The Lord led us through some really shakey times but thankful we were standing on His rock through it all. Compared to other friends, this year was a piece of cake, but I've learned over the years that grieving is a healthy thing to do, even it is as simple as clothing (yes I did this).

It seems like February has been a tough month for us for the last 3 years. This past year was no different. After waiting for what seemed an eternity for our letters of invitations, we thought we would return back home within a week. We were crushed when we were denied visas. Through all this God really gave me the passage of Abraham and Issac as well as a song that has been an amazing encouragement. It is called Holy is the Lord by Andrew Peterson. It describes the journey of Abraham obeying God and taking his beloved son to the alter to sacrifice him. The song describes Abraham's anguish as he is asked to give up the son he waited so long for, I can't imagine the pain of that request, but the beautiful thing is that Abraham trusted that God would provide a lamb instead. The part of the song that touches my so deeply is the following:

So take me to the mountain.

I will follow where you lead.

There I'll lay the body of the boy you gave to me.

And even though you take him still I ever will obey,

But maker of this mountain please make another way.

Beautiful PAINFUL Obedience! This literally was my plea, as we were heartbroken. We didn't understand why God would place a people so deeply on our hearts and then take it away. He's the God who parts seas, heals the sick and we were left with the reality of returning to America. We grieved the loss of a team that is like a family to us, and friends, the loss of opportunities to be light to them, and the reality of their eternal destiny. I was brought to a point of having to trust the Lord for everything. I don't understand why he brought us home so early, but it as hard as it has been it's been a blessing to be a voice for a people very forgotten. We hope to return this year and are eagerly awaiting that day as our hearts are already there. In order to return there are a few hoops we must go through and one deadline looms over our heads once again. We'll continue to trust in his perfect timing and hope we make this next deadline. It's Monday so pray that we meet the requirement. Marvin's been diligent in trying to achieve this but we ultimately know it's not in our hands. Thank you for all of you who have interceding for this request.

The rest of our year was spend adjusting to America. Marvin found a job close to our house, which makes it possible to have one vehicle, Marvin rides his bike to work. There have been so many ways the Lord has literally provided for our basic needs this year. We literally started from scratch, we came home with 3 suitcases and most of that was Calvin's baby gear. We continue to be awed at how he loves us by simple things...even if it is free soap when we are almost out.

Marvin is working landscaping which has left him tired and sometimes frustrated. He hasn't been able to use his talents as he thought he would, but he is doing a great job providing for our family. I love staying at home with Calvin, it's been so fun to watch him grow up. He has changed from this little baby who depended on our every need to this little boy who wants to do everything himself, which includes feeding himself. We has quite the mess this morning when I gave him yogurt.

We have been thankful for the close proximity to family. We've been able to be at graduations, weddings, holidays that we didn't expect to be at so that has been a huge blessing in this crazy year of ours.

As I look forward to 2009 I literally don't know what it has in store for us, but I know one I know one thing: I'll be keeping my eyes focused on the Lord. Happy New Year to all my fellow bloggers, friends & blog snoopers. I'm glad you stumbled on my site. May the Lord grow your faith this coming year.