While I would love to be in Italy right now typing this post about food, I am not.
But I am still very excited about my new adventure!
Over the last two years, I have seen many fellow bloggers talk about the miracle of meal planning.
After our move, I knew I wanted to give a few new things a try.
Everyone has a system that works for them. Some do it weekly while others do it in groups of multiple weeks. Some just to dinner while others do every meal.
I have decided to start with dinners.
At first, I thought of the gobs of money it could save us. And it will in the long run, but after my first weekly shopping experience yesterday, I realized I am still spending money on other weekly basics that we will need for breakfasts, lunches, etc. So our totals will be the same for awhile.
Our habits will start to change in other areas that will save us money.
My husband will take his lunch every day based on left overs or sandwich stuff in the fridge. My kids have always taken their lunches and will continue to do so. It will keep us from those unplanned trips for fast food during the day.
And it will also mean that we will better plan for eating out as a family during the week.
When my husband was working out of town each week for those 7 months, running a disciplined meal schedule was a hard thing to accomplish. Many days, it was simply too easy to grab a bite for me and the kids several times a week. And when he was home on the weekends, eating out was like a special treat for the kids.
Unfortunately now, if we go more than a few days without eating outside the home, then my dtr laments how "we never get to eat out in forever!". Can't you just hear the agony?!!
Right now, I have 2 free days planned. One is for eating at church on Wednesdays. Our family of 4 can eat for $4. Our other free day is listed as Sunday, but we will be flexible. It could mean we eat on a Friday or Saturday, but just so we are having most of our meals at home. On the days I work, it will either be a crock pot meal or a very easy meal that I prepped the night before.
Before I share all this wonderful meal planning stuff, I must first give a big bloggy {{{{HUG}}}} to my sweet friend Lori!
She is truly the inspiration for my elaborate scheme!
She has graciously shared all her meal planning lists, shopping lists, and recipes with me! The work that girl has put into this for her own family is so amazing! She made my job a piece of cake (yum!) by sharing all her hard work.
Thank you friend!
What I am sharing with you today is my lists that I tweaked to fit our family, along with all the recipes I am going to be using for now.
Where it is appropriate, I have credited the person responsible for a recipe I am sharing. If you see something I missed, please let me know! I want to give everyone their due credit!
These last few weeks, I have been using up what we had to make meals. I had a chance to try a few meals from the plan and can say there are some darn good recipes in this batch!
Pulled beef, Cream Cheese Chicken, Easy Chicken Puffs just to name a few! Oh yum!
I am sharing my adventure with you in case you want to start along with me or just need a new recipe to try. Feel free to use what you need!
Here is the 8 Week Menu Plan.
Here are the 8 Week Menu Plan Shopping Lists.
(If you do use these shopping lists, let me know if something seems off. I used Lori's original lists, then rearranged/added/deleted according to my needs. I may have made a few mistakes that I haven't found myself yet.)
(Also, a number after a food item refers to the number of meals I need that item for.)
Here are the 8 Week Menu Plan Recipes.
Don't start getting all impressed with me yet! This will be my first week, and who knows, the whole thing could quickly unravel once I actually start.
But something tells me that this is a good thing!
Chow!
Stacey
Monday, September 8, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Open a window because I am about to vent
I am feeling better.
Today, I think I finally rid myself of the crud that continued to refill the cavity behind my right eye socket all week. I continued to take a few drugs this week, but I owe it mostly to my trusty friend Neti! Some days I did it twice.
Thanks for your well wishes!
Too bad I am paying you back with griping.
But some of this I have saved up over the summer and the last straw happened today.
1. I have experienced very little of that great small town customer service since arriving.
Maybe it was the manager at Staples who stiffly agreed to accept my return of too many products that I had purchased. It is not my fault that they don't clearly (or at all) label the limited number of items one can purchase at a certain sale price. She was quite snarky.
Maybe it was the manager at Goody's who wanted to avoid my attempt at getting a good deal with her indignant attitude. True, I was attempting to purchase a 3-piece swimsuit for 60% off of its original $80 price tag. Which, btw, is completely overpriced! Why can't a girl who is generously endowed get a bathing suit top that does its job without paying ridiculous prices?! Anyway, the problem was actually that the 3rd piece of the suit was missing (the skirt) and I asked for an additional discount. Quite nicely, I might add. How dare I! She finally agreed to take it up to 75% off and her attitude was such that I should kiss her feet. And, btw, I totally know she thinks she pulled one over on me. She didn't take a true 75% off based on the prices. I checked the ticket sweetheart!
Maybe it was the lady at Wal-Mart that wouldn't let me write a check for a $8.78 purchase because I left my driver's license at home. Seriously?! I wouldn't even be writing a check if I had my license because it would mean that I would also have had my debit card on me. I understand policy. But I also understand having to explain to 2 upset children why we were leaving our stuff at the store AND vowing to never give Wal-Mart another dime!
Maybe it was the owner of the Goodwill today who has no business running a business. Between her and her 3 cackling cohorts, I was completely unimpressed. Oh excuse me, I misspoke. The fine ladies are sales clerks. See, while I was roaming the store today, I overheard a nice gentleman ask the owner if there were any job openings at the store. He was not poorly dressed and very polite. She couldn't have been ruder, saying if you don't have sales experience then there wasn't a job available. All this as her body completely ignored him. Sales experience? Is that what they call what they do there? I have been there several times, walking in to see several people behind the counter, yet not one bothering to say "hello", much less acknowledge I even entered the building. I managed to walk out of there with several potential costumes for Halloween and dress-up, but that was about it.
2. If this town wants me to buy more chicken and support the ever growing pocket book of their beloved resident Bo Pilgrim, they need to do two things.
Don't make me witness a truckload of overcrowded and dingy chickens being hauled to slaughter as I drive down the road.
And PLEASE do something about that awful smell that blows across town. I don't know if it is from the cleaning or the cooking, but I am about to boycott chicken again! And that puts a big wrench in my upcoming menu planning adventures!
3. Well, I had a #3, but that was yesterday and I have slept since attempting to finish this post today!
I guess it is a good thing. You didn't deserve my storm of emotions I had bottled up! :)
Good things are coming up for next week!
I am going to share my new menu planning adventure, tag a lot of people, talk about my job, and share some funny kid stories.
Have a great rest of the weekend!
Stacey
Today, I think I finally rid myself of the crud that continued to refill the cavity behind my right eye socket all week. I continued to take a few drugs this week, but I owe it mostly to my trusty friend Neti! Some days I did it twice.
Thanks for your well wishes!
Too bad I am paying you back with griping.
But some of this I have saved up over the summer and the last straw happened today.
1. I have experienced very little of that great small town customer service since arriving.
Maybe it was the manager at Staples who stiffly agreed to accept my return of too many products that I had purchased. It is not my fault that they don't clearly (or at all) label the limited number of items one can purchase at a certain sale price. She was quite snarky.
Maybe it was the manager at Goody's who wanted to avoid my attempt at getting a good deal with her indignant attitude. True, I was attempting to purchase a 3-piece swimsuit for 60% off of its original $80 price tag. Which, btw, is completely overpriced! Why can't a girl who is generously endowed get a bathing suit top that does its job without paying ridiculous prices?! Anyway, the problem was actually that the 3rd piece of the suit was missing (the skirt) and I asked for an additional discount. Quite nicely, I might add. How dare I! She finally agreed to take it up to 75% off and her attitude was such that I should kiss her feet. And, btw, I totally know she thinks she pulled one over on me. She didn't take a true 75% off based on the prices. I checked the ticket sweetheart!
Maybe it was the lady at Wal-Mart that wouldn't let me write a check for a $8.78 purchase because I left my driver's license at home. Seriously?! I wouldn't even be writing a check if I had my license because it would mean that I would also have had my debit card on me. I understand policy. But I also understand having to explain to 2 upset children why we were leaving our stuff at the store AND vowing to never give Wal-Mart another dime!
Maybe it was the owner of the Goodwill today who has no business running a business. Between her and her 3 cackling cohorts, I was completely unimpressed. Oh excuse me, I misspoke. The fine ladies are sales clerks. See, while I was roaming the store today, I overheard a nice gentleman ask the owner if there were any job openings at the store. He was not poorly dressed and very polite. She couldn't have been ruder, saying if you don't have sales experience then there wasn't a job available. All this as her body completely ignored him. Sales experience? Is that what they call what they do there? I have been there several times, walking in to see several people behind the counter, yet not one bothering to say "hello", much less acknowledge I even entered the building. I managed to walk out of there with several potential costumes for Halloween and dress-up, but that was about it.
2. If this town wants me to buy more chicken and support the ever growing pocket book of their beloved resident Bo Pilgrim, they need to do two things.
Don't make me witness a truckload of overcrowded and dingy chickens being hauled to slaughter as I drive down the road.
And PLEASE do something about that awful smell that blows across town. I don't know if it is from the cleaning or the cooking, but I am about to boycott chicken again! And that puts a big wrench in my upcoming menu planning adventures!
3. Well, I had a #3, but that was yesterday and I have slept since attempting to finish this post today!
I guess it is a good thing. You didn't deserve my storm of emotions I had bottled up! :)
Good things are coming up for next week!
I am going to share my new menu planning adventure, tag a lot of people, talk about my job, and share some funny kid stories.
Have a great rest of the weekend!
Stacey
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Well Snot!
Fought sinus yuck all day yesterday.
Tried to read/comment a few places, but doesn't work too well when your vision is blurred with pain and congestion.
Attempted to entertain yesterday.
We had brisket with a side of hay fever.
So sure our guests appreciated my sneezing and blowing my nose in between courses.
But my first attempt at oven-cooked brisket was dang good!
Have to find something positive about this.
I tried it all-antihistamines, decongestants, draining my sinuses.
By 7:00 last night, someone could have shot me in the head and I would have felt better than the feeling I had. As if someone was stomping on my head.
In bed by 8:00.
SERIOUSLY!
Being as how that is about 4 hours earlier than I usually make it to bed each night, you know something was wrong.
Mildly better today.
Enough that I worked a few hours and managed not to sneeze on anyone.
I might even try that early to bed thing a few more times this week.
Which really bums me because I have two tags and three blog blessings to respond to, plus all my other great wisdom I had stored up for this week. ;)
Oh well.
I will catch up when I can.
Now I have to go blow my nose.
Stacey
Tried to read/comment a few places, but doesn't work too well when your vision is blurred with pain and congestion.
Attempted to entertain yesterday.
We had brisket with a side of hay fever.
So sure our guests appreciated my sneezing and blowing my nose in between courses.
But my first attempt at oven-cooked brisket was dang good!
Have to find something positive about this.
I tried it all-antihistamines, decongestants, draining my sinuses.
By 7:00 last night, someone could have shot me in the head and I would have felt better than the feeling I had. As if someone was stomping on my head.
In bed by 8:00.
SERIOUSLY!
Being as how that is about 4 hours earlier than I usually make it to bed each night, you know something was wrong.
Mildly better today.
Enough that I worked a few hours and managed not to sneeze on anyone.
I might even try that early to bed thing a few more times this week.
Which really bums me because I have two tags and three blog blessings to respond to, plus all my other great wisdom I had stored up for this week. ;)
Oh well.
I will catch up when I can.
Now I have to go blow my nose.
Stacey
Friday, August 29, 2008
Come on down!
Bee!
You are the next winner on The Truest Thing!
I will pop this in the mail to you next week!
Jen gave me a great idea when she commented, wondering how fun it would be to see where all this book could go!
So, I thought I would make a request.
What if each person that receives this book, signs it AND then passes it along to the next person with the same request? Each person can choose how they want to give it away.
I think it would be super fun if we kept it in the blog family and then track it!
Stacey
p.s. I will put your name in there Jen!
You are the next winner on The Truest Thing!
I will pop this in the mail to you next week!
Jen gave me a great idea when she commented, wondering how fun it would be to see where all this book could go!
So, I thought I would make a request.
What if each person that receives this book, signs it AND then passes it along to the next person with the same request? Each person can choose how they want to give it away.
I think it would be super fun if we kept it in the blog family and then track it!
Stacey
p.s. I will put your name in there Jen!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Unexpected
This is not what I had planned to post today.
And no, I am not pregnant.
But many women across this country are pregnant at this very minute.
Before I hit the "publish" button for this post, many of those women will no longer be pregnant.
And not for all of the wonderful reasons you might be imagining.
This is NOT a judgement about why these women are choosing to no longer be pregnant, and it is NOT a judgement about the heart-breaking decision they have probably anguished over.
This IS a judgement about the man who, tonight, will once again put many in this country under his "hope" spell.
I wasn't even going to say this much. When I read Elizabeth's post last night, after sending her some encouragement via my comment, I was simply going to ask you to go read her post and watch the video.
I, like her, know those who have decided to let go of their pro-life stance, in order to support a man they feel that can make some social changes in the other areas they are passionate about.
While I fervently do not agree, I have listened to their views and am trying to respect their opinions as such.
Since last night, Elizabeth has added several updates to the original post.
I HIGHLY encourage you to link over to read her entire post AND watch the videos she has included AND read the running discussions in the comments.
Maybe it is a cop out as far as not talking about this anymore here, but Elizabeth's expressions of belief and feelings truly represent where I am with all this right now. She is both eloquent and passionate.
Why reinvent the wheel with any thoughts I might try to stumble over here.
Go to MommyZabs for the post.
Stacey
And no, I am not pregnant.
But many women across this country are pregnant at this very minute.
Before I hit the "publish" button for this post, many of those women will no longer be pregnant.
And not for all of the wonderful reasons you might be imagining.
This is NOT a judgement about why these women are choosing to no longer be pregnant, and it is NOT a judgement about the heart-breaking decision they have probably anguished over.
This IS a judgement about the man who, tonight, will once again put many in this country under his "hope" spell.
I wasn't even going to say this much. When I read Elizabeth's post last night, after sending her some encouragement via my comment, I was simply going to ask you to go read her post and watch the video.
I, like her, know those who have decided to let go of their pro-life stance, in order to support a man they feel that can make some social changes in the other areas they are passionate about.
While I fervently do not agree, I have listened to their views and am trying to respect their opinions as such.
Since last night, Elizabeth has added several updates to the original post.
I HIGHLY encourage you to link over to read her entire post AND watch the videos she has included AND read the running discussions in the comments.
Maybe it is a cop out as far as not talking about this anymore here, but Elizabeth's expressions of belief and feelings truly represent where I am with all this right now. She is both eloquent and passionate.
Why reinvent the wheel with any thoughts I might try to stumble over here.
Go to MommyZabs for the post.
Stacey
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Waterproof
We have been experiencing back to school since last Tuesday, when my son started his 2-day program a week ahead of his sister.
We were prepared physically. We had our new backpacks, lunch boxes, and water bottles!
We were preparing mentally, as we began the routine transitions. We are still working on those, but I didn't expect them to welcome earlier bedtimes and more regulated after school activities so quickly!
Emotionally?
Well, I guess you could say there have been a few tears.
But I have an excuse!
Those are my babies!
Last Tuesday, we woke up to dark rain clouds. I guess my plan of being the cool, put-together mom dropping my kid off at his first day was a wash!
His Spiderman umbrella didn't help me out much in the hair department!
Oh well, he was excited!
He knew several of the kids in his class because he was with them during his summer day camp. One of his buddies is actually the son of my new boss.
And since he started last week, I took a little time from work to enjoy a special treat with my daughter!
Our 2nd annual Mother/Daughter Pedicure!
She was so good while we were there. She was polite and intrigued by all the work the lady did on her toes. While I was finishing up, she sat like such a big girl and chatted with an older lady while her toes dried.
On Monday, it was sister's turn! No rain, but overcast and HU.MID! There went the cool mom thing again!
Here is my 1st grader!
A few very important points are necessary here! Earrings. Fake! Pedicure. Open-toe shoes! Embarrassing BIG BOW in hair. Totally cool after her friend showed up with one too!
Brother and I walked her to the cafeteria, sitting with her awhile. Along with many, many other anxious parents! I could see she was a tad nervous, but was holding it together.
Me?
Barely.
Her sweet teacher greeted her and then asked how I was doing.
Here is where waterproof mascara might have come in handy. (Yes, I waited until I left!)
Once her fellow bow head friend showed up, though, she was fine for me to leave!
All I can say is thank goodness I had my little buddy with me! And bless his heart! While he truly wanted to comfort me all day long, he had to settle for having a friend over to play for several hours!
Oh well! We'll make some more of these crazy memories on another day!
(note to self: get some sleep!)
And her?
Well, she survived!
We all did!
Stacey
We were prepared physically. We had our new backpacks, lunch boxes, and water bottles!
We were preparing mentally, as we began the routine transitions. We are still working on those, but I didn't expect them to welcome earlier bedtimes and more regulated after school activities so quickly!
Emotionally?
Well, I guess you could say there have been a few tears.
But I have an excuse!
Those are my babies!
Last Tuesday, we woke up to dark rain clouds. I guess my plan of being the cool, put-together mom dropping my kid off at his first day was a wash!
His Spiderman umbrella didn't help me out much in the hair department!
Oh well, he was excited!
He knew several of the kids in his class because he was with them during his summer day camp. One of his buddies is actually the son of my new boss.
And since he started last week, I took a little time from work to enjoy a special treat with my daughter!
Our 2nd annual Mother/Daughter Pedicure!
She was so good while we were there. She was polite and intrigued by all the work the lady did on her toes. While I was finishing up, she sat like such a big girl and chatted with an older lady while her toes dried.
On Monday, it was sister's turn! No rain, but overcast and HU.MID! There went the cool mom thing again!
Here is my 1st grader!
A few very important points are necessary here! Earrings. Fake! Pedicure. Open-toe shoes! Embarrassing BIG BOW in hair. Totally cool after her friend showed up with one too!
Brother and I walked her to the cafeteria, sitting with her awhile. Along with many, many other anxious parents! I could see she was a tad nervous, but was holding it together.
Me?
Barely.
Her sweet teacher greeted her and then asked how I was doing.
Here is where waterproof mascara might have come in handy. (Yes, I waited until I left!)
Once her fellow bow head friend showed up, though, she was fine for me to leave!
All I can say is thank goodness I had my little buddy with me! And bless his heart! While he truly wanted to comfort me all day long, he had to settle for having a friend over to play for several hours!
Oh well! We'll make some more of these crazy memories on another day!
(note to self: get some sleep!)
And her?
Well, she survived!
We all did!
Stacey
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
If looks could kill!
Did you see those icey stares and pursed lips by Michelle Obama as the crowd went crazy over Hillary tonight?
I actually started to feel sorry for her.
Hillary, that is.
But then she started talking.
Stacey
*This has been an unpaid, unendorsed, opinionated comment!
I actually started to feel sorry for her.
Hillary, that is.
But then she started talking.
Stacey
*This has been an unpaid, unendorsed, opinionated comment!
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