What's For Dinner?

"What's for dinner?"...the question that every mother dreads.  You look at the clock, and it is already 5:30 pm.  Looks like another pasta night, or night of eating out.  Too many nights like this will inevitably bring on the stress, stretch the wallet, and bring reasons to hide the scale.  But, dinner does not have to be a thing of dread.  When planned in advance, dinners can be a predictable and enjoyable part of the day!  All it takes is a little initiative.

There are so many different ways to meal plan.  There is the Once a Month cooking method, where you cook an entire month's meals in the course of a day, or a few days.  There is the method of rolling foods, where you bake something like a chicken one night, and then make chicken tacos, the next night, chicken noodle soup the next night, etc.  And then, there is meal planning mostly separate meals, but planning in advance so that you know what you will be making that night AT LEAST in the morning and know that you already bought the ingredients on your weekly grocery trip (right?  No more running to the store every day for missing items!)  You, your husband, and your children will all be thrilled with the predictability of your planning, and you will enjoy the blessings of a new routine that will encourage harmony in the family and peace in the home.

First, you want to determine if there are any known foods that you need to refrain from bringing into the home (food allergies, sensitivities, etc.).  Make sure to plan your meals to avoid these items, making substitutions where necessary.  Second, you need to choose which type of meal planning you wish to follow and then make your plan according to that style.  I like to do a combination of the three, making larger quantities of some things, knowing I will use the leftovers in the next day's meals (for instance, if I am making Black Bean soup one night, I will make extra black beans for tacos or black bean burgers another night, that way I only have to cook the black beans one time...yes, we use dried, not canned beans, since they are MUCH cheaper!)  Third, get familiar with the recipes you already have on hand and categorize them (there is again a variety of ways to do this, but I grouped mine into something like stews/soups, lasagnas/pastas, pizza, burgers, one-pot meals/casserole, chili, etc. since I found I had a lot of recipes in these categories, but you could also do something like bean meals, meat meals, chicken meals, etc.)

Once you have your recipes organized into some grouping, begin taking out or noting the ones you know are tried and true for your family.  Start with these.  If our family just loves pasta, see what other kinds of variations you can come up with: different sauces, add some different vegetables, mix in some squash or beans, etc.  If your family enjoys meat, grain, and veggies all separated out, determine a rotation for different meats/grains/veggies to keep things new.  Try to keep your weekly night's meals fairly similar, such as Monday is Soup Night, Tuesday is Lasagna Night, Wednesday is Casserole Night, Thursday is Meatloaf Night, Friday is Pizza Night, Saturday is Burger Night, and Sunday is Musko Night (everything MUST GO!...i.e., Leftover night, but it sounds better as Musko, doesn't it?)  There are so many variations to all of these groupings that any style of eating can fit within it (even vegan!)  I recommend including inexpensive food options in your meal plans to help stretch your budget.  The BEST items for this are legumes!  Lentils and beans are super cheap and help to stretch a meal.  They are nutritionally dense, so having these as the heart of the meal a few nights a week will absolutely reduce your spending.  Always make sure to have a vegetable of some kind in your meal, whether in the dish itself, or as a side.  These can be fresh, frozen or canned (in water, no or low sodium).  If you are not the biggest veggie fan, now is the time to train your palate to appreciate these super healthy and good for you foods!  They do NOT have to taste like dog food...at all!

With this plan in hand, sit and figure out what ingredients you have in the house, and what you will need to buy.  The more week's you plan for in advance, the cheaper your groceries will be in total.  You will pay less for a larger amount than you will by buying smaller amounts more frequently.  The only items that will not work great for this is your perishables, so you will want to plan for weekly purchase for some of these to keep them fresh (to help with ensuring great produce usage, keep your meals rotating with produce spoilage in mind...see my post on this topic here).  Of course, if you grow some of your produce, you will definitely have fresh and cheap produce on hand as needed, too =0)  Now, armed with a grocery list, head to your local store and buy the ingredients you will need for your planned meals.  You no longer will be making decisions about ingredients on the fly, which will ultimately lead to lowered spending for foods.

Once you have a week's plan figured out, you could take the initiative and plan out a rotation of foods for the entire month, or for two weeks, or just stick with one week at a time (this is a great way to start).  As you become more and more familiar with and accustomed to planning your meals, you can expand your plan as desired.  At this point, I have slowly progressed to a four week rotation with each night of the week containing a meal from a focused grouping of foods.  Ours goes: Sunday night is Pizza or Pasta Night, Monday night is Soup or Stew Night, Tuesday night is Lasagna Night, Wednesday night is Burger Night, Thursday night is Chili Night, Friday night is One-Pot/Casserole Night, and Saturday night is leftovers.  I have also planned a rotation for breakfasts and lunches.  In this season with everything being a bit off with Zach, though, this plan is not really followed, but it is an anchor to which I can return when needing a meal idea in a pinch.  I hope this gives you some guidance and ideas to get you started in your meal planning journey!

I am sorry this is sooooo blurry, but my computer which contains the file is broken right now, so the best I could do was to snap a picture.  I will update it when I can with a clearer picture, if not the original file!  I still hope it helps =0)

Before they rot...

When we first began eating a vegetarian diet several years ago, I did a lot of research to learn more about vegetables and how to properly use/store them.  Although our diet has changed repeatedly since then, I did for a long time have pieces of paper on my refrigerator with the information I am about to share with you.  You see, I did not grow up with a great understanding of vegetables.  My mom was excellent about encouraging us to eat our vegetables and such, but I did not really understand what made vegetables and fruits tick.  Why did certain items seem to last forever, while others seemed to rot overnight?  It was a baffling thing to me, so I set out to do some research about how to best protect our produce so that it could be well enjoyed over the course of the week, or more.

I stumbled upon an article in Vegetarian Times years ago, which addressed this very issue.  It was from this article that I wrote down the information on my pieces of paper which were gracing our fridge for years.  Here, in a short summary, is the information provided in that article:

1. Many fruits and vegetables are "gas-releasers" which means that they expel ethylene, which ripens produce faster.  For this reason, gas-releasers must be carefully placed around other produce if you want to avoid spoilage.
2. Some produce needs to be refrigerated to keep it fresh longer, and some really needs to be kept out of the fridge.  Gas-releasing foods that need to be refrigerated include apples, apricots, canteloupe, figs, and honeydew.  Gas-releasing foods that need to be out in the open include avocados, bananas, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums, and tomatoes.
3. Foods that need to be kept away from the gas-releasers include ripe bananas, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, eggplant, lettuce and other leafy greens, parsley, peas, peppers, squash, sweet potatoes, and watermelon.  
4. Plan your meals using your produce according to the spoilage of the produce.  Use the fastest spoilers first and then move onto the slower spoilers throughout the week.  Here is the list of spoilage:

A working meal plan is the most helpful way to effectively make sure that you use your produce and don't let it go to waste.  This is most annoying when it is delicious and wholesome organic goodness, so be sure to take care of your produce to have it available for nutritious eating.  Please comment below, or ask questions as needed...always welcome!  =0)

Question of the Day:  What is your favorite vegetable and how do you like to prepare it?  Me?  I LOVE salads with flax oil, apple cider vinegar, a pinch of salt, twist of pepper, and whatever vegetables on top I can find.  Sounds delicious...I think I will go make that right now =0)

Digging in Deeper

Most of our friends on Facebook know that our son has been struggling with a difficult neurological issue for a few weeks now, a season I posted about a few days ago (see my reflections on this here). Sadly, we have not yet seem many improvements in our son, but actually continued to see the symptoms increasing, which is very difficult to watch and endure. It is so tough to watch our less than 2 year old toddler son, who has no idea what is going on, struggle through this, experiencing the frustrations of no longer being able to simply do the things he was able to do just weeks ago (like running, attempting to jump, climb on chairs, get into stuff...all the typical toddler in behaviors we love and enjoy so much). He is now to the point that walking is impossible without immediately falling, and even crawling is very difficult for him as he often missteps a hand and hits his sweet face on the floor. Although I know these things hurt him physically, it is his heart that concerns me the most. I can see his emotional frustrations with what is going on and it breaks my heart.

I am thankful, though, for the lessons we are learning during this trial. God is not without purpose, even in this. For one thing, I am eternally grateful that his sweet little personality is in tact. I can still capture smiles, incite gleeful giggles, tickle him silly, and hear his wonderful laugh. For this I am so, so thankful. I don't know about you, but it is easy in the midst of living I often forget to appreciate the simple things I life. I would love to say that I am always on the prowl for the little moments of life that fill it with joy, but I'm not. I am often so focused on the next task at hand that I miss the chance to enjoy life...sigh. My flesh is showing, I know. But, it is my good Father in Heaven who uses things like this to get my attention and teach me what REALLY matters in this life, no matter what Pinterest, Oprah, HGTV, or any other influence says.

Personally, I like a tidy house. I like walking on the floor without shoes and not having grit on my feet, but I have found quite often that this intention can easily become an idol if it supersedes my higher priorities according to God's Word, namely my devotion to my husband and children. When my home's tidiness becomes more important than keeping healthy relationships with these top people in my life than I am in sin. Oh, Lord, forgive me for these many occasions. But, I'm turning a corner. I'm determined to obey this call.

The Lord has really impressed upon me the importance of being very careful to prioritize and realistically determine what I can do and need to be doing throughout the days during this particular season in our household. In our normal season of life, baking, homeschooling, cooking, planning, taking walks, running errands, etc would all be easy and normal occurrences, but right now I cannot realistically do all these things, much as I might love to. And all this week I have intended to try to establish some sense of normalcy, but have been lacking greatly in seemingly all departments, feeling that I am essentially not doing anything well. I am thankful for a woman at church who prayed against this exact thing today at church =0). So, I am determined to walk hand in hand with God through this season, asking Him daily what are the non-negotiable tasks that must be accomplished that day.

Priorities, priorities.... This is a season where minimum is best. Keep it simple. We all have seasons in life that require our full attention; when the laundry can wait, the floor can be swept later, the toilet bowls can be cleaned tomorrow. This is that season for me. My main energy needs to be completely spent on my family and our relationships, along with healing our son. Expectations need to be reduced all around. I know that God will help us to find a new normal in all of this.

Even with the uncertainty and questions I am grateful for the overwhelming peace I have in this storm. The fact is, He is Sovereign and in control. I may not like this trial, I may not enjoy the struggle, but I have decided to learn every lesson that comes my way and to choose joy in the midst of the tumultuous waves!

Have you ever gone through a tough season in your life? Did you have to re-work your expectations or priorities? How did everything work out for you? Please share your experiences below. We can all learn so much from each other. God bless.

 

Our Garden Plans (Lord Willing!)

So, we are branching out even more this year with our backyard garden oasis.  We have so many foods that we are planning on growing, and I am super excited for the potential harvest we will be enjoying over the next several months.  As of right now, the winter plants that we had planted are finishing up their growth, which is sad because some of them really seem to be deciding that now is the time to thrive!  My Swiss Chard has come back to life, and the lettuces are really starting to leaf, so maybe I will get a bit more out of them before I have to pull them for the spring plantings.  Here's praying!

So, here is a look at the plan for the new beds this year.  I still have the same bed on the side of the house as last year, but I will be changing up what is planted in it a little.  I am moving the watermelon to the top of the hill with some winter squash and other melons.

We also just started some seeds indoors this weekend, which are already sprouting nicely!  It's so exciting to watch these little seeds come to life.  Just as God designed them to work...crazy.  In the next couple of days I will be making my way outside to get the direct sow seeds into the garden beds that are already completed to help get them going.  The weather has been beautiful, so hopefully there will not be a surprise frost in the next few weeks.  Come on spring!

Tips on seeds:  I bought a LOAD of seeds last fall when the local plant places were about to close down for the winter.  I bought most at something like 80% off!  Crazy deals, and a lot of them were heirloom.  I stored the packets in ziploc bags in the refrigerator and they have been happily waiting until now.  I also got wind of an awesome company called Burgess Seeds, which is where I have purchased most of my other plants or seeds.  Their prices are just completely unbeatable!  I absolutely recommend you check them out before heading to Lowe's or your local planting place.  Their shipping is a flat $9.95, which is crazy for the amount of items I just bought.  I was super impressed with their seed availability, as well as the other plants offered.  I hope that helps offer an economical way to get your garden started this growing season!  Remember, "Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing" (Proverbs 20:4).  No matter what size your garden is, now is the time to start planting (whether indoors or out) and getting your ground ready for the coming plants.  If you have had great success with your garden, please share!  We can all use the encouragement...I know I'm still a newbie with gardening, but I just love the experience of getting intimate with God's creation!  What a blessing.

Scheduling the Week

As I have often related to friends and family when we talk, "mommy brain" is a REAL thing!  This is one reason why I am so thankful for the Women's study several of my friends and I have been doing on a book entitled "Large Family Logistics" by Kim Brenneman (find it here).  This book has been great in providing me with realistic solutions to every day problems, especially as our number of children continues to rise, and more tasks are added to my to-do list until my older children grow in their capabilities (it is happening, but not as lightning speeds!)  One of the most significant areas discussed in this book that has been the most helpful to me is the concept of having specific purposes for each day of the week.  This is a lost art from previous generations, but Kim really helps to fulfill a Titus 2 calling by teaching us younger women some of these techniques.  This is what I will be sharing today.

The way my household runs, we basically do a lot of the same things most days.  Children really love predictability and routine.  We wake up, do chores, eat breakfast, do devotions, have school time, and usually have a little time between school and lunch.  This was my open time for which I needed to find a constructive purpose if possible for myself and the kids to do.  But, since my mommy brain is in full effect, many times when I had this open opportunity to "get things done" my brain would take a vacation and I'd sit there, staring blankly at the computer screen or staring off into space in the kitchen, because I could not, for the life of me, remember what it was that I wanted to accomplish when I went in there or sat down!  It was VERY frustrating (still is when it happens!)  The biggest problem was trying to narrow down the mounds of things that I see every day that "need" to get done to the ones that really NEED to get done and I have time to do realistically.  We all have them: wash dished, scrub floors, bathe kids, iron pants, clean up icky spot on floor, wash windows, sweep, paint hallway, etc.  Some of these are pressing, many are not, so prioritizing this list is very important.  But, I would find myself essentially attempting to do the entire household of items during this "free" time and always feeling like nothing was really getting done.

So, this simple weekly purpose rotation has been a brain-saver for me because it provided me the necessary focus to prioritize my tasks.  In my home (and this is really ever-evolving as seasons change), right now, my week looks like this: Monday- Kitchen Day, Tuesday- Cleaning Day, Wednesday- Laundry Day, Thursday- Office Day, Friday- Town Day, Saturday- Gardening Day, and Sunday- Lord's Day.  Once in a while I need to swap these days because of the needs of the week, but I try to keep them pretty predictable as much as possible.  In each of these days, I try to make the focus of the day on the determined theme, and this has really helped me to get more done in more areas of our life than I thought I could do.  I will likely elaborate more on the purpose of each of these days in coming posts, but I will provide some basic info to maybe inspire you to get your own schedule together.  Kitchen Day is where the focus is in the kitchen.  I try to bake most of my baked goods for the week, clean one part of the kitchen, and really give the counters and sink a good scrub.  On Cleaning Day, obviously, the focus is cleaning, where the kids and I all help clean the house (Lily does the upstairs bathroom, Nadya cleans the play room and vacuums (one of them dusts), Anaya "helps" as needed, I try to task Zack as much as possible with little things, and I clean my bathroom, sweep, and do whatever else needs to be done in my priorities).  Laundry Day attacks the laundry monster.  Thursday I balance the checkbook, pay any needed bills, clean out all the piling papers at the desk, and file away needed files.  Friday is where we food shop, make small errands, and anything else needed out of the home.  Saturday is when we really focus on tended the growing garden (planning the garden or actually working it, depending on the season of the year).  And, Sunday, which is our day to relax, refrain from as much work as possible and enjoy focusing of fellowship with friends and family.  As much as possible, I try to prepare ahead for Sunday (baking or cooking ahead, or making simple meals) to keep the work load as light as possible, but I am still learning this skill.

I hope that this explanation is a help to you!  If you have anything that has worked great for you, please comment below!  God bless!

Getting It Together

Lately God has been working with me on organizing my life and our household so that the functioning of it is a bit better of a representation of His children. In other words, our God of peace and orderliness is helping me to grow in this area with our ever-expanding family. I have been blessed to be part of a mom's group that is providing practice ways to do this and I have been so pleased with the results.
Honestly, I thought I was an organized person, but it has become blatantly obvious to me that it only applied when I was the only variable in my schedule. Organizing an entire household of lives is a whole other level of mastery altogether! I never realized how much thought and effort really comes into managing a large family until it was so clear to me that I was not succeeding in that area, lol. Thankfully God has a sense of humor and loads more patience than I could ever imagine. As usual, His timing was impeccable and just at the right time I joined this group. Hallelujah,
God, You are so good!
The book that we are covering is called "Large Family Logistics" by Kim Brenneman, and although I have not necessarily put to direct application everything that has been discussed or recommended in the book, I have walked away with nuggets to help progress our family in the right direction for us. In addition, my husband and I also made the leap and both got iPads, which have been super helpful for me and getting my organizational tactics up to speed. I have found some wonderful apps that have helped to consolidate my paperwork load and eliminate the oils of clutter that I cannot seem to avoid (another Hallelujahs is in order)! My favorites thus far have been Evernote and Cozi, which have pretty much covered my needs for the time being.
The biggest nugget that I have gained so far with the work God and I are doing is simply having a goal/theme for the day. Coming directly from the "Large Family Logistics" book, labeling each day of the week is a major organizer of home management. So, in my home, I have a set day for (in no particular order) Laundry Day, Office Day (which is today, and the reason I am taking the time to work on my blog), Gardening Day, Town Day, Cleaning Day, Kitchen Day, and the Lord's Day. I have found it so wonderfully helpful to alleviating my stress that when I realize that the floor boards have not been cleaned in 3 years and are in desperate need, I can simply add it to my list for Cleaning Day and move on with my day. Usually, that item would tack onto my already loaded list for the day, and I would simply become overwhelmed, having a growing list of tasks that never seemed to be getting accomplished, try as I might.
The biggest blessing in this for me is feeling a bit more free to do special things with the kids, because I know that eventually my sits of things to get done will get done, because I have it scheduled into my week. So, today was fun because we had a little "Tea Party" together. I would love to say that I am the mother who does this all the time, but I am not...and God is working with me on it, lol. The kids and I enjoyed our little out of routine time and then, once finished, continued on with the day's agenda. God is good. I've added a few pictures of our enjoyment today. Their smiles make it all worth it!