Meal Planning Mommies

One Bag of Spuds: Four Meals

2011-12-27T18:45:00.000-08:00

Potatoes

Here are four of my very favorite meals using potatoes as the staple ingredient. I often have a big bag of potatoes in the cellar. Ok, the pantry. I like the word cellar better. It makes me think old world life, living off of the land mountain woman style. I actually do have a cellar in my house, but currently it is where I am storing all of those tubs of stuff that I am not exactly sure what to do with as of yet. Two of those tubs are of little baby boy clothes. I have two wild and rowdy boys and a preciousdaughter on the way....but I can not yet part with those baby boy clothes...hmmm...

Anyway, back to potatoes. This year in my garden I grew potatoes. Correction, I tried to grow potatoes. No luck. I dug and dug and dug for those little red nuggets and not a single one was to be found. So, I buy em' in the bag on sale as much as possible and keep my fingers crossed for next season!
Potatoes can make some frugal meals. Not only are the hearty, but they are mighty easy to fix up into something special. Below are my four favorite potato meals.

Number One: GNOCCHI
This is an incredibly easy dish that I like to prepare in the morning before the chaos begin, and boy does it ever begin....every morning...all day....chaos.....so it is good to have a warm Gnocchi to put on the table at dinner time with a little candlelight.

Number Two: Potato Taco's
The Heavenly Homemaker Blog, which this link will take you too, is one of my all time favorites. I first used this recipe while meal planning for a trip to Tennessee with my family this summer. We loved it and the best part is that you can spice it up and fix it any way that your family likes traditional taco type meals. Yum!
We have made this with beef, chicken, and often with just a bunch of black beans instead of meat.

Number Three:Crock Pot Potato Soup
I went back into the recipe index and found two potato soup recipes that I used to make. I am including the links, but will confess I no longer make my potato soup that way!
One Version of Crock Pot Potato Soup
Another Version of Potato Soup
Here is how I make crock pot potato soup now:
1.Wake up and stretch, drink copious amounts of coffee while peeling potato and hoping the kids sleep an extra twenty minutes.
2. Toss enough cut up potatoes into the crock pot for my family, usually one spud per person.
3. Add chicken stock, a little salt and pepper.
4. Cook all day long making sure the potatoes stay covered in liquid, add a litlte water is needed.
5. Now~ sometimes I just add a bit of cream to this, mush up the potatoes, and serve. Other times, if I was able to get my hands on some local sausage I brown it up and add to the crock pot. This is my hubby's favorite and I agree it is delicious.
6. Serve in deep bowls with some corn bread.

Number Four: Fish Cakes
These are made with potato and yet I often serve potato on the side too.....hey, it works!

And, for some very inspirational potato chopping techniques check this out! I did not even remember us posting this on MPM and I just came across it! It will make you crave a good batch of home made french fries!

A School for Ethiopian Children!

2011-12-05T14:10:00.000-08:00

Hope Ethiopia from Lifesong for Orphans on Vimeo.

I am so excited about this opportunity from Lifesong for Orphans.
After watching the video this is what came to mind?
1. Is Lifesong hiring because I could dedicate my life to this work?
2. Can we move to Ethiopia and be a physical part of the amazing things that are happening there? Just watching that video made me miss my time in Ethiopia and it also made me eternally grateful for the connection that I have to that land through my son.
3. A small Christmas gift, will turn into something so big if we share it here. No one I know really needs another sweater, but these kids need what they are receiving through this school.

To help build 12 new class rooms, make is so that 420 less students have to be turned away, and make a huge impact on the lives of Ethiopian children that can change the world please visit the Lifesong blog. The video takes a little over two minutes. If nothing else, please watch it and pray!

Here is a little more~ A generous donor is matching up to $130,000!!!

Get your family involved, tell the kids! Eat beans for a week, I don't know! Be a part of this opportunity, be it little or big. Tell me if you do, or even if you just blog about it. I am so excited to see this goal reached!

Corn, Avocado, and Tomato Salad

2011-10-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun little recipe that a mom brought to my Mom to Mom meeting a couple of weeks ago. It is simple to make, healthy, and it was a big hit at our meeting. Hope you all enjoy it as well!!

Salad Ingredients:
2 cups cooked corn, fresh or frozen
1 avocado, cut into 1/2 -inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup finely diced red onion

Dressing Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 tsp. grated lime zest
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1/4 chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:
Combine the corn, avocado, tomatoes, and onion in a large glass bowl. Mix together the dressing ingredients in another bowl and pour over the salad. Gently toss to mix.
*(picture complements of www.lifewithcake.com)

This salad goes great with tortilla chips!! :)

The most Delicious muffins on Earth!

2011-10-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

Katie posted this awhile back, but since I am making them today I wanted to re-post them so you could all enjoy them too! If you have never made these muffins, you absolutely have to.... today. They are sweet, moist and healthy! The combo of apples and carrots may sound strange to you (they did for me too!), but seriously, amazing!!!! Perfect fall muffin! Bake some, bake a lot- stick them in your freezer and pull them out for snack or breakfast time! It's baking day for me!

Apple Carrot Muffins (a.k.a. the best muffins on earth!)

Do you ever have just a couple of carrots in your fridge, lingering, peering up at you wanting to be used, and you just keep ignoring them? I do!
So, if you happen to be like me then stop whatever you are doing and make these muffins now!

What you will need:

One apple
3-4 carrots (uncooked)
Pecans (about 1/2 cup) *optional
2 cups whole wheat flour (or white... whatever you have on hand!)
1 1/4 cup of sugar
3/4 Tsp baking soda
1 1/2 Tsp baking powder
1 cup of unsweetened coconut*optional
Pinch of salt
Couple shakes of cinnamon
3 Eggs
3/4 cup oil (i use yogurt or applesauce as as substitute)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup flax seed(optional)

What to do:

Step one: Peel your apple and carrots. Grate them. I used my great grandmothers grater. As I did this I wondered if she knew that someday it would be a staple in my kitchen and I would be using it to make muffins for her great-great grandsons. It made me think of her hands busy in her kitchen, which smelled permanently of pecan pie. It made me think of all the things that we don't need to buy new, but can use time and again for generations. But, if you don't have great-grannie's grater handy you can use a food processor. :)
Set aside when finished.

Step two: Place your pecans into a pan and cook them over the stove. Let them toast until a nice fresh aroma fills your kitchen. Cool and chop them up.

Step three: In a big bowl mix all your dry ingredients together. That would be your flour, baking powder, baking soda, coconut, sugar and toasted pecans.

Step four: In another bowl mix your oil, flax, egg, and vanilla together.

Step five: Add your apple/carrot shavings together with the wet ingredients. Stir. Now, add this to your dry ingredients. Stir.

TIP: Don't overmix your muffins. This will make them hard. Stir them just enough to have a decently blended batter.

Scoop the lumpy batter into muffin cups and bake at 350. I used the small muffin cups, cooked them for about 8 minutes (about 12 min. for regular size muffins) This recipe made 100 little muffins perfect for eating in the moment, sharing with friends, and freezing for later!

We found a special treat in putting a little dab of butter, followed by heap of peanut butter onto the piping hot muffin. MMMM, yummy!

Easy Baked Macaroni & Cheese

2011-09-16T18:38:00.000-07:00

(straight from the Reggano Macaroni box) :)

8 oz. Reggano Elbow Macaroni
4 Tbs. butter
4 Tbs. flour
2 cups. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (mild or sharp)
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Prepare pasta as directed on package. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add flour mixed with salt and pepper, using a whisk to stir until well blended. Pour milk in gradually; stirring constantly. Bring to a boiling point and boil for 2 minutes (stirring constantly). Reduce heat and cook (stirring constantly) 10 minutes. Gradually add shredded cheddar cheese and simmer an additional 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Turn off flame. Add macaroni to the saucepan and toss to coat with the cheese sauce. Transfer macaroni to a buttered baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake 20 minutes until the top is golden brown. Makes 4 servings.

Every mom needs a place to be real and a place to ask for help and not feel bad for it.

2011-09-06T18:58:00.000-07:00

When my first born was just two years old and my second born was just barely 2 months old, I was given an opportunity to break away from the chaos of my overly-stimulated house for what promised to be a relaxing, rejuvenating, and inspiring seminar hosted by our church. It was going to be filled with five things I LOVED:

1. Time away from my home in a casual, comfortable environment.
2. Time with other women from my church who I adored and respected.
3. BETH MOORE!
4. Beth Moore talking about loving well! I love talking about loving well! :)
5. EATIN' FOOD! I love eating FOOD!

HELLO. Can you say, "WINNING" over here? No? People stopped saying that months ago? Oh. Okay. Well, pretend they didn't and stick with me here. :)

THE SEMINAR
I was running a little behind, as usual, but nobody seemed to mind me coming in late. I found a seat and joined in the singing. I closed my eyes and soaked in the calmness of the moment, embracing the idea that no little people would be interrupting me any time soon. Ahhh....

I had my own personal notebook with me, knowing I would not want to miss any important tidbits I might glean from the ever wise Beth Moore. I tried to maintain my big bubbly handwriting as I scribbled down her words as fast as I could. She told us that there were four different kinds of people, and she backed that up with scripture. She said we all have people in our lives who fit into one of these four categories. She went on to explain the four categories as follows:

1. Joy (to love)
2. Testy (to love)
3. Foes (those you hate)
4. Far (Stranger- you don't even know they are there)

Beth said that those who are a joy to love are usually those people who naturally energize you, and immediately my heart felt light as my mind played a short slide show of sweet dear friend after sweet dear friend who make me a better person just by being in my life.

Then, Beth went on to describe what "testy to love" people are like. Beth said that "testy" people in your life are the ones who drain you. Hmmmm.... drains.... I racked my brain. Who is it that really drains me? I knew what the "right" answer was, but I didn't think anyone at my table would understand. I scanned the room trying to find someone to exchange glances with who "got me." I wanted someone to give me the "I KNOW!! YOU AND ME are the ONLY ones in the room who REALLY get what TESTY is!" look, but I couldn't find anyone. I was just about to give up when...ah HA!!! YES! She'll understand!!! My friend had a two year old too! There is no such thing as a two year old who wasn't TESTY, right? She wasn't looking at me, so I leaned back and resolved to wait to catch her until the next break.

INTERMISSION
As I filled up my plate with cute little snacky things, I caught her attention. I waited for the right timing then cracked my joke about my son, the "energy-zapper." My friend looked surprised, which made me really confused.

"You know, the 'testy' one?" I clarified. "Your two-year-old didn't come to mind when Beth Moore described the 'testy-to-love' person in your life?"

"NO!" She explained, "My two-year-old is my JOY to love! He's my energy GIVER! I can't wait to be with him!"

"OH...yeah...okay... (I could feel myself slinking back a little)... WOW! Well, that's GREAT!"

MY CONVERSATION WITH MYSELF
I felt like the WORST mom on the PLANET! That conversation totally rocked my world! What just happened!? REALLY!?! Wait!? Was she serious? She was. What's wrong with me? I had to ask myself. I needed time to process.

How is this possible? I mean, I get it if you are around a two year old for a half an hour, running around having a good time, ya know- eating ice cream everyday, but hour after hour, minute after minute, second after rip roaring, thunder-raising, house-destroying second!?

Then it dawned on me... she was a working mom, and I was a stay at home mom. It was not about either of us loving our children any less. We both cared IMMENSELY for our little ones, but we were coming from opposite worlds, so to speak. She was in a position where God was calling her to deal with difficult and immature, energy zapping adults all day, so when she looked into the eyes of her two-year-old, she saw innocence and vitality, perfectly combined with sweet, refreshing, boundless love. She looked forward to the moment when she could squeeze the soft cheeks of her two-year-old.

But, see, when I looked into the eyes of my two-year-old, I saw something different. My eyes were half open, because I was really tired, and my two-year-old's eyes seemed to scream at me, "YOU AIN'T SEEN NOTHING YET COWGIRL!!! SADDLE UP, CUZ I'M JUST GETTING STARTED AND YOU'RE NOT EVEN OUTTA BED YET!!!!!!! SO YEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAWWWWWWWW!!!" :)

I mean, of course, I'm joking... kind of...

Perspective--it matters, doesn't it?
Don't we all struggle as moms? Each of us struggles in our own way.

One mom who has to work full time feels the guilt of not being around her child(ren) enough.
Another mom didn't see her child when he fell and got hurt, and she blames herself as she rushes him to the emergency room.
Another mom yells and spits out words of disapproval like fireballs then weeps as she considers how her words could scar, or even worse, mold the little ones most precious to her.
A mom cries at night as she replays the words her daughter's teacher sent home. Will her daughter be labeled as the bad kid? Is she a bad mom if that happens?

Right?

MY QUESTION TO YOU, AND THEN MY ADVICE TO YOU

FIRST MY QUESTION:

DO YOU HAVE YOUR SAFE PLACE? A place where you can be real about the struggles of parenting, and the joys? A place where you can admit when you need a break and let down the burden to be perfect for a short time? In a world where we are taught to view things through the news and cast our vote, we are almost brought up thinking it is good and acceptable to judge one another, but that is not how God would have it... and we're not helping ourselves out, or each other out, by doing that.

WHAT I WANT YOU TO CONSIDER

If you haven't found your safe place, find one. If there isn't one around you, create one. Let it start with YOU, if you have to! Make a place that is free of condemnation, belittlement, scrutiny, chastisement, and judgment, by being the person that sets the bar, and calls people to join you!

1. Get involved in a group with other moms if you aren't already.
My church is starting a Mom to Mom group on September 15. You are welcome to check out our facebook page here if you are interested in more information.
Many churches do MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) groups, and those are very easy to look up and locate by going to one easy location online. To find a MOPS group near you, you can click here.

2. As moms, it does not serve us well when we size ourselves up against one another. Instead, we should come together in support and love, choosing to learn from one another...This is also known as edification. Do not tear each other down!!! PLEASE!!! I BEG YOU! Don't do it to yourself, or to others. Give yourself a break, cut yourself some slack, and then offer the same grace to everyone else around you.

"Make allowance for each others faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." ~Colossians 3:13

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, be as brothers (sisters), be compassionate, and humble." ~1 Peter 3:8

This post was written by Alisha Hughes. Alisha Hughes is one of the leaders of the Mom to Mom group that meets at Valparaiso Nazarene Church in Valparaiso, Indiana. Alisha has temporarily dropped off the Meal Planning Mommies blogosphere for a while to tend to her other blog @ BeComforted.com. Feel free to stop over there and check out some of her latest encouraging and uplifting messages when you get a chance.

Easy Apple Bake

2011-08-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

The farmers market this morning had apples. I was shocked. This summer season is slipping away. Perhaps the sudden appearance of school buses in my neighborhood should have helped me bid farwell to summer, but alas it did not! Excitedly I bought several pounds of these darling looking green apples, with stems and leaves and all. Tonight for dinner I wanted to use them for something. We make apple sauce and we eat them raw....thats about it with my current apple creativity.

Get this~ if you dice up 3-4 apples, put them into a dish with a tad bit of water, 3/4 cups of honey, a handful of raisins, pinch of cinnamon, cover them and bake for...oh...about...twenty minutes...you will have the a real treat!

Dice, mix, bake, serve...smile.....

I did not even think to take a picture! The entire dish is gone.
Perhaps the coming of autumn is a good thing! MORE APPLES!!!

Monday August 29th: Fish Cakes

2011-08-30T17:45:00.000-07:00

Here is the scenario. I am upstairs with the boys. We are building blocks. We are playing demolition. The blocks are going up carefully and then with great gusto a wind of boyhood (in the form of Mussie and Finn) knock them down and repeat.

I thought, as all this was happening, that it was around 4 p.m.
The door opens downstairs. My husband home early?
We go running!

Nope, not early.....its half past six!

I had this dinner planned and really wanted it. I had never made salmon patties like this before. I thought, "what the heck?" we can eat late and went forth cooking.
Here is the amazing thing, this meal took less than twenty minutes to prepare. And, it was delicious.

The Salmon Patty recipe comes from Jamie Olivers Food Revolution website. The difference with this salmon patty and others I have made before is that there is potato in the patty. It was crisp, flavorful, and hearty.

We served the patty with mashed potatoes (hey, its the frugal in me!), edamames , and home made ketchup.

My only complaint~ I wanted seconds and they were gone!

Highly recommend you check out this recipe. Fresh salmon is terrific, but canned works also with wonderful results! I bet you could use Tuna in too. If anyone tries it, let me know!

~ Katie

A "Different" Guest Post...

2011-08-27T18:56:00.000-07:00

Today we have a guest post from the very husband of one of the Meal Planning Mommies, Sarah Anderson.

Let me introduce you to my husband, Chadwick "Wick" Anderson. He is an incredibly supportive husband, intentional father and "out of the box" youth pastor who has recently published a great e-book for parents on Amazon.com!!!

Here is a brief synopsis:

Does this sound familiar?

You're sitting in a church service, reading the Bible, or at a conference of some sort and it hits you: you're not doing enough. Sure, you're busy. Your calendar is full 32 days a month, and you haven't had enough sleep since before Lamaze. But in the presence of others, sometimes you feel the peer pressure that your daily routine needs to involve a bit more Spiritual Disciplines.

You sigh, knowing that your days are already crazy full. You think about the week you've just survived, and wonder where in those hectic hours could you possibly find time to participate in something that will regularly nourish and grow your soul and relationship with God?

If only there was some sort of spiritual discipline that didn't require you to light candles and have an altar. Some sort of regular pattern of communing with God that didn't force you to give up the few minutes of alone time you've somehow managed to carve out of your day already. If only there was some way to redeem this journey of parenting, so that it became so much more than simply surviving, or even raising the neighborhoods greatest citizens.

These are just a few thoughts behind my recent book, “Different: How God Uses Parenting to Transform Us Wholly”, available to download for now through Amazon.com.

As someone in ministry, I would never devalue the traditional spiritual disciplines. Prayer, fasting, community worship, sacrificial living, tithes, etc. have all been incredible staples to growing in our relationships with God for thousands of years. The goal of my book is to help elevate the act of parenting to echo a bit more of what I believe God intended.

TONS of books have been written, and seminars taught on - the product of parenting. The end result is usually seen as either a well-developed and God-fearing child or family. But I want to suggest there's so much more to parenting than the child we raise or our growing families. There is a work God is performing in the heart, mind, and life of every parent that ever changed a diaper! If we're willing, God can use this 24/7 journey to transform us, and we will never be the same.

So if you'd like to learn more about how God can use every moment: from the midnight trips to the emergency room to the mythical nap times where legends of sleep exist; then download your copy of “Different” for $2.99 today!! This book is specifically for Kindles, but you can go here to download the FREE kindle for PC software and then you can read e-books on your computer.

While you're at it, check out my ongoing blog at: www.differentparent.com

And...just so that I fit in with the “Meal Planning Mommies”, here's a recipe I'd made for dessert at home tonight! It's for baked pears a la mode!! As you can tell, I multiplied the recipe times 5, in order to make 10 halves instead of 2 (although I did not increase the cooking temperature or time, in case that was confusing). I used a melon baller to remove the core, and clear out the pear pieces. It's easy to make, and delicious warm with vanilla ice cream!! A perfect accessory to sitting down with a great e-book. :)

Coffee for Nan!

2011-08-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

I have not been meal planning much these days and to be honest my kitchen and table have been hectic! Just last week I vowed to Sarah and Alisha that I was going to start meal planning again for my own sanity. We have been eating a lot of pancakes in our house, and you know, that is alright! But, its time to give the griddle a rest and serve something with a least a dash of organization. :)

I wanted to take a moment to share something really neat with you, something on the heart of this Momma. My family is in the process of adopting. Our eldest son, The Moose, came to us first from Ethiopia, Africa four year ago. Next, I birthed our second son, BooBoo Chicken, and the family really started to get rowdy and fun! We were not, are not, finished creating our family. The Lord has faithfully led us down the path of adoption again and we are so excited. I have written about our adoption, and the little sunshine that may be coming home soon on my personal blog~ Subrabia.

We are fundraising for our adoption to help offset the cost of the paperwork, fees, and travel. I am not asking that anyone give money, but I would like to point you in the direction of this link in case you are already a coffee hound like myself. If you already drink coffee, perhaps consider switching your daily Java to this brand for a time. We make $5.00 off of each pound purchased. All the coffee is fair trade and delicious! Each pound that you buy goes directly to helping bring our daughter home.

The coffee can be purchased through our store at: www.justlovebeans.com/brabsonsbeans
The coffee of the week is Sunshine Roast! It is delicious, smooth, and a favorite!

Thanks for all the prayers and support.

Katie

Garden Fresh Tortilla Lunch

2011-07-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

I know I have not blogged on MPM in a long time! In part due to being very busy this summer with my family, our garden, and the pursuit of some mega changes in the way we structure our days. Every now and then, though, I think, " this meal ought to be shared". And, today I happened to have the camera and snap a picture before our lunch was devoured.

The really cool thing about this meal is that many of the ingredients came from our garden. That was exciting for us! And, there is no better way to get your kids to eat their veggies than to include them in the growing process. The growing and tending to our own food is how we have eaten for thousands of years (not to mention foraging and hunting). So, something as simple as a little back yard garden speaks to us in a way that we understand down deep in our psyche. It is simple and good, strangely like a balm to the soul of the modern busy mind. Growing our own food is more than just amazing fresh produce, more than stewardship, more than incredibly frugal....its really about our purpose.

If you do not have a garden, consider it next year. Sometimes small. Container gardening even!
Borrow land from a friend. Do a community garden. Join a CSA. Visit your farmers market. Ask your supermarket manager to buy local farm fresh food. Pick your own.
There are so many ways to get in touch with the food on your plate.

And, enjoy preparing it. Include the kids. Take your time. Savor the process of cooking, preparing, presenting your meals.
It is not just food....it is food!
Survival! Celebration! Tradition! Food is important! Value it!

Um.....Oh geesh, really trully, I did not mean to go into all of that. I can not help it. This is exciting stuff for me.

Anyway, easy and lovely lunch.

We started with a sprouted grain tortilla. Spread it with avocado. Added sprouts, cucumbers, tomatoes, and a splash of lemon juice. Folded it up.
And whala! A nice, crisp, satisfying lunch.

Hope it inspires you to eat sometihng fresh and raw and delicious today. If you have ideas to share please do!

Passing on cute 4th of July ideas...

2011-07-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen something that was so cute that you had to tell all your friends? Yeah, me too. Check these 4th of July breakfasts out that Be Different...Act Normal blogger posted. LOVE IT!!!!!!!!
Love it!! Love it!! Love it!!!!!!

So... What's for Lunch?

2011-06-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

I am currently sitting down to meal plan and am totally struggling to come up with some different lunch ideas! We seem to always fall back on the typical: Mac n' Cheese, Hot Dogs, P.B. Sandwiches, Sandwiches, Quesadillas, Chicken Nuggets....

I don't know about you, but I am needing a lunch make-over! I am so tired of the same thing!

Now that summer is here, I am sure many of you are struggling with the same thing. We need to help each other out! For at least a year I have been saying (As Katie and Alisha have also...) that we need to put together a "go-to" lunch idea list. This won't be a list of "recipes", but instead it will be a list of ideas to put on your meal plan for lunch.

It would be great if we had lots of participation!!! So, put your creative thinking caps on, and share with us!

Comment and give us your favorite lunch ideas that we can add to our "go-to" lunch list!

Cake Pops

2011-06-10T20:25:00.000-07:00

My kids and I first caught onto the cake pop craze while visiting Starbucks on rainy afternoons here in the Midwest. And, then I found this book.....which although I do not own yet I plan too for nothing but the sheer fun of it!

Sarah and I got together on Wednesday with our small herd of youngins and we decided to really kick off summer. Both of us have been feeling summer days passing us by too quickly, so we made lemonade, wore bathing suits in the yard, brought out the water toys, and made cake pops!

Here is the thing with cake pops....(and I do not mean the fancy adorable Katie could never do those kind ones).......

1. They are incredibly easy to make.
2. Kids love putting them together.
3. They are versatile, you can look at my recipe, but can easily use your own cake recipe. .
4. They are even more fun to eat. Cake, on a stick. Proud that this invention is in my generation. :)

We started by baking a cake.
I made a basic white cake.
4 egg whites
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 cup butter or coconut oil
1 3/4 cup Rapadura (sugar)
1 1/3 cup cultured buttermilk

Mix the dry. Mix the wet. Put em' together. Botta bing, botta boom. Bake it until done in the center, which is about 45 minutes at 350 degrees......

Let it cool. This is important. You can even put it into the fridge for a while.

Then, let the fun begin.
1. Break up your cake into lots of little crumblies. The kids loved this.
2. Mix in some jam. Lots of people use icing. I bet that is delicious. I used raspberry jam and it turned out great. Basically you need something in there that is going to be sticky and hold that cake together in nice little ball of deliciousness. I do not know how much jam I used...maybe a half cup.....eye ball it.....

3. Stir it all together and then start forming the balls. Really get your hands dirty!
4. Pop the sticks into the cake balls. We dipped the ends in melted chocolate to help them stay in the cake balls. This worked great, not sure if you must do it though....

5. Stop the progress, take a break, and put them in the freezer for at least a half and hour.
6. Meanwhile, melt chocolate of your choice. We melted on really lovely pack of dark chocolate and then in another pot we melted an uneaten chocolate Easter bunny. Both turned out great !
7. Dip your pops in that chocolate, roll them around, decorate them if you like.

Eat up!

A quick message of perseverance for moms.

2011-06-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

Everything you do matters. Even when you can't see where God is at work, you can trust that he is. Check out this tidbit I read from one of my favorite blogs.

"We need time for our faith to grow. When we plant seeds, we can't repeatedly dig them up and pull them out of the ground to see if they are growing. We have to leave them in the ground. Those planted seeds (that we can no longer see) need to be watered by our faith. During the process we must learn to be content with seeing nothing while knowing that God holds everything in His hands, and that He moves on every act prompted by our faith, as the Scripture says."
-Susie Larson

This visual application seemed incredibly relevant to me today, as a mom of young children in a season where seeds are planted, but the fruit has yet to show itself. Keep watering your plants dear mommies. Hold onto your faith, persevere through the rough seasons, and praise God in the good seasons. Hope this message is encouraging and uplifting for you. Praying God's blessing on you today!!

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9

Tikka Masala

2011-05-23T12:25:00.000-07:00

I love curry.
On a cruise a few months ago I ordered an Indian dish rather than lobster. Our waiter who was born in a small town in India (and could not wait to go home to his wife and family!) was very pleased that I liked Indian food. From that night on he brought me all sorts of dishes for my palate to try.. It was an experience in Indian food that I will not soon forget and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to have tasted and shared in a piece of his beautiful homeland.

I am far from India.
I am far from the sea.

What does a Midwestern gal do when she has a real hankering for some Indian food?

She opens the package, thats what!

So, this little package is full of flavor and it turned some chopped veggies into a mighty fine meal!

I chopped up/added:
Cauliflower
Corn
Kale
Chickpeas
Onion
Peas

Sauted them in a little coconut oil until tender and added the tikka masala package to the pot.
After letting this infuise together for about ten minutes I served this over brown rice.
With ia little bit of cultured sour cream on top.

My oh my.....delicious, healthy, and frugal!

You could easily add meat to this, but it was hearty and wholesome without as well.

Meal Plan May 23-28

2011-05-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

Ever since returning from our vacation in April I have struggled with getting back into meal planning. Either I had the plan and did not keep it, or I found myself tossing things together last minute with cranky hungry boys at my feet. The first makes for a nasty dent in the wallet and the second makes for a grumpy mommy! To make sure that neither happen I have plunged back into meal planning with a lot of hope that it will bring some peace into my kitchen, leaving me more time for...well....everything else!

Here is our meal plan for this week. I have included my breakfast, lunch and dinner plan for you. I am excited as we spent $35 at the store this week and I managed to create this meal plan from that and what I already had in my kitchen. Kids eat free at our dinner out, so that meal will be under fifteen dollars, which means an entire weeks meals for less than $50. The grains stretch and they make for very frugal meals. The produce I am using this week all has come from our garden except for the bananas and apples.. The eggs and meat are local and we hit it big today with clearances at our organic food store, this made the hubby very happy!

Monday
Breakfast~ Oatmeal with bananas
Lunch~Sprouted grain tortillas with raw milk cheese and salsa, grilled
Dinner~ vegetable Tikka Masala over brown rice

Tuesday
Breakfast~ Green Smoothies and whole grain pumpkin muffins
Lunch~ Spinach salad (spinach, chickpeas, corn, bacon, tomatoes, and ranch dressing)
Dinner~ Bike Ride to our favorite Mexican Restaurant for some yummy nacho's

Wednesday
Breakfast~ Eggs and fresh english muffins
Lunch~ leftover Tikka Masala in pita pockets
Dinner~ Spaghetti and Greens

Thursday
Breakfast~ Green Smoothies, sourdough toast, and cereal
Lunch~ Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
Dinner ~Lentil Sloppy Joes

Friday
Breakfast~ Ham and Cheese Eggs
Lunch~ Radish, Blue Cheese and Arugula Tortillas
Dinner~ Spicy Potato Kale Soup

Saturday~
Breakfast (Garage sale morning!) Green Smoothies and Doughnuts!
Lunch~ Leftover from this past week!
Dinner~ Egg Sandwiches....our weekend favorite!

Snacks~ We are still in our trail mix phase. The boys have been making their own using a mixture of: banana chips, honey roasted peanuts, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, chocolate chips, and raisins. In addition to trail mix apples are the staple snack around here......

Meal Plan May 1-May 6

2011-05-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

My busy boys out on yet another rainy day!

It has been a long time since any of us gals have posted our actual meal plan. This week my family and I have really been enjoying our meals and I decided to go back to my old ways and share the dinner plan!

Sunday~ Pinto Beans and Cornbread (recipe coming soon!)
On Saturday night I set my beans out and soaked them with apple cider vinegar. I also began my corn bread, which is homemade and amazing. It is the one thing I think I actually make well. I use whole grain kamut and dried corn kernels, grind them together, soak them in kefir, and let it sit overnight. I add the rest of the ingredients an hour before time to eat, blend, and cook with butter in a cast iron skillet. Oh, Mama, it is the real stuff. My husband also made homemade cheese sticks to go along side this. Yum!

Monday~ Quesedillas with Leftover Beans
On Monday I made quesedillas by filling a sprouted grain tortilla with the leftover red beans from yesterdays meal along with cheese. I fried them up in coconut oil and served a mango and yogurt to go along on side. This was a good way to use up those beans and it did not feel like we were eating leftovers.

Tuesday~ Fresh Cauliflower Soup (recipe coming soon!) and Cornbread
The leftover cornbread from Sunday's meal got used today and in one of my favorite soups. This soup needs this cornbread. They are an amazing combination. There is also somethign about this cornbread, two days old, that makes it the perfect companion for a hot bowl of creamy soup.

Wednesday~ All-Beef Hotdogs, sprouted grain buns, Edamames, and Yogurt.

Thursday~ Cinco De Mayo Feast, Homemade tortilla chips, pico de gallo, gaucomole, and spiced ground beef, smothered in cheese....
We have tons of ideas in our recipe index that are different variations of this meal or type of dish.

Friday~ Dip Night. Hummus. Leftover Guacomole from Cinco de Mayo. Ranch. With veggies, crakcers, cheese, and fruits. Easy, light, and fun with a family movie. Dip night continues with fondue for desert !

Saturday~ Out to Eat

The official snack of our house this week was created by my almost five year old son. In a honey roasted peanut craze came up with his own trail mix and it is addicting! He added honey roasted peanuts, banana chips, raisins, and dark chocolate chips together in a big bowl. We have all been turning to this for our snacks!

Whole Grain Sugar Cookies

2011-04-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

We are now going on day fourteen million of rain. Ok, that might be an exaggeration, but it feels that way. The dudes and I were feeling a little cooped in today so we brought the party home......cookie time. Big, messy, doughy, flour on the floor, sticky fingers everywhere, pour some cold milk to dunk cookie party! The rain stayed, we opened the windows, and ate until the rain seemed a little less dreary.

Barley Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sugar (rapadura)
1/2 tsp salt
1tbs vanilla
1 tbs fresh squeeze lemon juice
1 egg
1 1/2 cups fresh barley flour
1/2 cup kamut, whole wheat, or white whole wheat
1/3 cup thick yogurt or sour cream

In a mixing bowl cream butter, coconut oil, baking powder, soda, sugar, salt and vanilla together.
Add the lemon juice and the egg, beat together.
Add the flours and stir. The dough will begin to get thicker.
Add the sour cream or yogurt. We used homemade greek style yogurt today with great results.

The dough may need a little extra flour. I ended up adding a dash here and there to give it the correct consistency.

Cover the bowl and let this dough rest overnight in the refrigerator , or for at least seven hours. Once the dough has had a good rest, thickened up, and chilled really nicely you can roll it out and use cookie cutters to bring delight and joy to your kiddos.

Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

I do not have much luck making really good sugar cookies. They either taste great, but the shapes do not come out right or the shapes come out and they taste terrible. This recipe has worked for me every time. The cookies are soft, more cake like, and perfectly rich. The original recipe comes from one of my favorite recipe books, King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking. I did some minor "tweeking" such as adding coconut oil, using rapadura rather than sugar, omitting the nutmeg which the recipe calls for, and using yogurt rather than sour cream only because that is what I had on hand. I bet the sour cream would be amazing too.

The cookie cutters we used, cars and trains, came from Ann Clark Cookie Cutters. They did a give away with us a while back and a guest post. I adore their cookie cutters!

Embrace the mess. Make some cookies!

Sausage "Gravy" and Biscuits: A Healthy Twist

2011-04-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

My boys love sausage gravy and biscuits. And, when I say love I mean my four year makes sure to mark on his calendar the days we are going to Grandma's so that he can look forward to his favorite breakfast meal! I have struggled making this dish since we switched over to whole foods as we do not use basic white flour anymore. The gravy that I have tried to make with whole grain is well, yuck. By accident I created a gravy the other day and served it over sourdough toast. I have since made it again and my family inhales it happily.

The gravy is flourless!

And, this is not a specific recipe, like gravy, you add a little here and a little there to make it the consistency that your family enjoys.

Ingredients:
2-4 potatoes, peeled and boiled until soft
Chicken stock, 1/2 cup (give or take)
Whole milk, 1/2 cup (give or take)
Salt
Pepper
Ground sausage
A really good blender

What to do:
1. Boil your potatoes until soft and smooshable.....
2. In a really good blender put your drained potatoes and add just a bit of the broth and milk.
Go ahead and blend. Add more chicken broth and milk as you see fit to give this the consistency you like.
3. Meanwhile, cook your sausage in a skillet. Drain if you like.
4. Add the "gravy" to the sausage, heat together, salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over what your family likes. We have enjoyed this over spelt biscuits and sourdough toast. Pretty darn good for a grain free gravy!

Guest Post: The Mommy Teacher

2011-04-25T05:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Meal Planning Mommies! My name is Jessica also known as The Mommy Teacher. The Mommy Teacher is a blog that teaches parents about their child's development, one activity at a time. It is a free, online resource for moms and dads of young children to work with their kids each day in a FUN and meaningful way.

I love to cook and keep a meal plan too, but my area of expertise is teaching parents of young kids how to extend their little one’s learning. Cooking with children is one way to do that; it can be extremely beneficial in so many areas: teaching measurement concepts, allowing for science exploration, reading & writing recipes, developing life skills, and more.

Maybe you already cook with your children, but I have a couple suggestions to pack this experience full of learning opportunities.
Before starting, read a book like “The Little Red Hen” “Pete’s a Pizza” or another book that prepares your little one for the process and purpose of cooking or baking in a fun and meaningful way.
First, write out the recipe WITH your little one on a large piece of paper, and then read each ingredient as you pull it out. Ask them questions and give them clues “What ingredient do you think starts with the sound /m/?” (milk!) This will give you a chance to model reading and writing for your little one.

Next, measure each ingredient WITH your little one so that they have the chance to experience measuring for accuracy and to observe large and small amounts and they will naturally observe science in action as dough rises and ingredients mix together, etc.

Finally, let your little one take on as much ownership as you are willing to share: stirring, spreading, sprinkling, watching the timer, or whatever your recipe calls for.

Jessica Cook, The Mommy Teacher

Alisha's famous Deviled Egg recipe in time for Easter

2011-04-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

EVERY time I make deviled eggs for a group there is ALWAYS at least one person who asks for the recipe. They are good. I am telling you! So go ahead and watch my incredibly boring vlog on how to make a perfect hard-boiled egg, (just in time for Easter) and then read on, to learn how to create a masterpiece of deviled egg goodnees to be served up to those you love. Your family will thank you!

I was just watching this video again. I'm trying to figure out if my son is picking his nose and eating his boogers in the background, or if he is biting a nail or something. What do you guys think? :)

Recipe for the eggcellent (I had to do it) deviled eggs:
1 dozen eggs
1Tbs. milk
1 Tbs. Apple Cider vinegar
2 Tbs. sugar
1/4 cup mayo
paprika

And a close up of the cutie deviled egg ideas I got from my Family Fun magazine...

Red Devil Eggs

1. 3/4-inch red bell pepper strips
2. Half of an egg, sliced lengthwise

Chick Eggs

1. Sprig of flat parsley inserted into a small slit
2. Top third of an egg sliced crosswise
3. Capers
4. Two small bits of carrot
5. Bottom portion of the egg
6. Small round of the egg sliced from the bottom to keep the chick upright
7. Carrot coin with edges trimmed to resemble toes

And now for my fave...Egg Baskets

1. 4- by 1/8-inch length of celery soaked in ice water 10 minutes to make it pliable
2. Small sprigs of curly parsley
3. Two-thirds of an egg, sliced crosswise
4. Small round of the egg sliced from the bottom to keep the basket upright

DINNER TABLE GAME...

2011-04-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a little game you can play with your family, when your kids are trying to dart from the table and you haven't even begun eating yet. :) My 5 year old and I came up with this one. I hope it fosters a fun environment at your table when you try to implement it!

HOW TO PLAY THE "MAKE A SILLY SONG" GAME
You start by singing the first part to an easy kid's song, like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" or "If you're happy and you know it". Then you take turns changing the last part of the stanza.

AN EXAMPLE OF THE GAME
For example, I would say, "If you're happy and know it bark like a dog". Then, Preston would say, "If you are happy and you know it, scratch your head." We keep trying to one-up each other, being sillier than the person before us.

Preschoolers LOVE this game. It's cheesy, but what 3-5 year old doesn't love cheesy?

Extra little hint: If you have kids who are fussy about trying their food you can say, "Okay, everyone take one bite and then we'll let ___________ have a turn".

Tuesday: Wild Rice Soup in the Crock Pot

2011-04-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

I used to be afraid to experiment in the kitchen. Mostly, because it irks me to have something come out terrible and feel that I wasted money and food on some silly culinary attempt. Of recent, however, I have been forced to be more creative in the kitchen. In order to be a good steward with my grocery budget I am working very hard to use what I have rather than run out to the grocery store on a whim for nachos....which I used to do...a lot.....

Now, believe me, we still eat nachos. However, for the most part now I know we are going to be eating them (on Thursday night actually!). With meal planning I have learned to have a more organized kitchen. This means that I know there are twelve ziplock bags of summer squash still in my freezer waiting to be used, hopefully, before the next summers squash is ready for the picking!

Thus, this recipe. I created it today because when I made my meal plan on Monday morning I simply wrote that today was: Rice.
This meant that I needed to use some of the fifty pounds of bulk brown rice I have in my pantry along with other things that I have in my pantry.

In the crock pot this morning I put:
2 Cups of long grain wild rice
2 cups of brown rice (that I had soaked in apple cider vinegar the night before)
Several diced up stalks of celery
Several diced up carrots
Red onion
Four cups of water
Salt
Pepper
Oregano
Paprika
Tumeric
Several cups of frozen zuchinni and squash from this past summmer
Garlic

I let this cook for several hours and began adding more water as I saw fit. The rice, even such a small amount will soak up water like hot cakes so I advise that you do not leave your house without making sure you have enough that you will not burn anything in your crock pot if all the water is soaked up quicker than you think!

All day long this simmered away in my crock pot. At dinner time I stirred it, added a few more dashes of sea salt and put it into bowls. I also sprinkled some Braggs Nutritional Yeast on top of the soup, which gives a cheese flavor (but is non dairy). I served this with homemade rustic muffins thanks to my sourdough monster Hershel.
It was so delicious that I am eating it again a few hours later as I type this! The entire family enjoyed this simple meal.

Plus~ you could totally make this your own depending on what you like and have on hand. Some thoughts of things that might be tasty additions:

Mushrooms
Chicken
Ground Turkey or Beef
Addition of another grain such as millet
Lentils
Other root vegetables such as turnip or potato
Green beans
Limas
Variety of different spices

Wonderful, nutritious, crock pot meal we are sure to use again! It was also very frugal and the recipe I gave above made a HUGE batch. We will eat this again this week, but I am going cook some ground turkey with it for variety and serve it with sourdough pitas.

Many blessings,

Katie

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup=6 Points Plus Points

2011-04-11T10:02:00.000-07:00

LOVE THIS RECIPE!!!
I just made this recipe for lunch today and wanted to share, because it is so good! This recipe comes from my Pampered Chef "It's Good for You!" Cookbook pg.35. My family loves it, I love it, and I think you will love it too! My camera went Kaput a couple of weeks ago when I dropped it in my soup! :) No, I am not joking. So...no pictures, sorry.

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1-2 lemons
2 Tbls snipped fresh parsley
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 (10 3/4 oz) can 98% fat-free reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup
3 (14 1/2 oz) cans 100% fat-free chicken broth
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2/3 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

1. Chop chicken, carrots and onion using Food Chopper. Zest one lemon using Lemon Zester/Scorer to measure 1 teaspoon zest. Finely snip zest using Kitchen Shears. Juice lemons using Juicer to measure 1/4 cup juice. Snip parsley using Kitchen Shears; set aside.

2. Heat Professional (4-qt) Casserole over medium heat until hot. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add carrots, onion and garlic pressed with Garlic Press; cook and stir 2 minutes. Stir in chicken, lemon zest, juice, soup, chicken broth and black pepper; bring to a boil. Stir in rice; reduce heat. Cover; simmer over low heat 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from heat; stir parsley into soup just before serving.

Makes 8 servings. (1-1/3 cups each)
1 serving= 6 Weight Watchers Points Plus Points

On Vacation!

2011-04-03T12:28:00.000-07:00

My family is on vacation this week in Arizona. I will not be posting, but I did think this morning that perhaps a trip down Tortilla Soup lane was in order.

Tortilla Soup is wonderful, easy breezy to make and also gives you a second option for dinner that week.

A few days after enjoying your Tortilla Soup strain the broth out (you can freeze it for a later meal!) and place the remaining soup (chicken, beans, corn, onion) onto tortillas. Fry them up with some coconut oil, dollop them with some sour cream and you have a meal!

Here is my tortilla soup recipe, easy to tweek to make it your own! Feel free to visit our recipe index too, which we are still updating, to find more wonderful southwest inspired meals from all of us.

Some examples:

Katie's Quinoa and Black Beans
Katie's Chicken Enchiladas and Black Beans
Alisha's Tex Mex Salsa Chicken in the Crock Pot
Alisha's Black Bean and Mango Tostada
Sarahs Mexican Cornbread Pizza
Sarahs Mexican Mac and Cheese in the Crock Pot

There are many more in the recipe index!

Have a wonderful spring week. Many blessings!

Katie

Gnowfglins E-Course : Formula for Daily Whole Grain Sourdough Bread in Minutes!

2011-03-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

For just $11 you can sign up for one month of the Gnowfglins Sourdough E-course, which will also get you instructional videos, recipes, and very thorough guides into the world of whole foods. I joined in order to find creative ways to use my discarded sourdough starter, but I found a lifesaver instead.

Ok, imagine freshly baked sourdough bread every sing day in moments......

Want to serve up the best tasting sourdough english muffins in the world in oh....lets say...five minutes?

How about cinnamon rolls that will melt in your mouth?

Pita bread in less time than it takes to put lunch on the table?

GNOWFGLINS has taken the wonderful concept of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and made it sourdough and whole grain.
Once a week I add flour, water, and salt into my bucket with a little reserve sourdough from the previous week and BAM....ready to go dough for the entire week. It has transformed our kitchen!

I highly recommend the GNOWFGLINS E-Course for everything on there, but the formula for the easiest way to have fresh baked sourdough goods can be found in the No Knead Bread e-course and it is fantastic!

":Hershel" ready for the weekly feeding of flour, water, and salt so that he can transform into bread, rustic muffins, pitas, and rolls!

Chocolate Graham Crackers

2011-03-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

I have said before that my family is into crackers. Some people are into fine wine. Others have a palate for a perfectly grilled steak. What makes my family tick? Crackers.

This means that I have been testing out all sorts of cracker recipes, including some attempts of my own, to discover delicious crackers that can please the masses...or at least the four of us.

This past week I baked Chocolate Graham Crackers and today I find myself making them yet again. We devoured them. They were amazing.
The recipe comes from one of my all time favorite cookbooks, King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking.
Everything I ever try from this book comes out just right and we have never made anything from this cookbook that we did not like.

I did tweek the recipe just a bit. I will give my version in italics.

1 cup whole barley flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
I did not use the unbleached flour. Instead I used 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat along with the barley flour.
1 cup dutch-process cocoa (I used natural process cocoa and liked the results!)
1 cup brown sugar (I used rapadura)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (mine was salted)
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbs vanilla

All you have to do is combine the flours, cocoa, sugar, powder, and salt in mixing bowl with the paddle attachment. You could also use a food processor or good old fashioned pasty cutter.

Cut in the butter.

Stir in the wet ingredients. And, knead or mix until smooth.

Divide the dough into two sections.

Roll out onto baking sheets (I have found stone works best). You can roll them out anywhere between 1/8 and 1/16 inch thick. Really it is however you like the cracker to be, thin and crispy or thicker and cakier.
I go ahead and use a pizza cutter to cut my crackers. I use a fork to poke decorative holes in them for fun.
Chill the dough in the fridge for one hour.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.

Enjoy warm with a cold glass of milk! These last for several days in a air-tight container as long as you can keep your hands off them!

*Note~ I like to soak my grains prior to baking with them. This recipe did not call for the soaking of grains and I have yet to adapt it. If anyone has a good adaptation of this recipe with soaking I would love it if you shared! I will keep working on my own adaptation and share when something works! That could be a while..... :)


Baby Finn NOT holding still for a photo as he ate his new favorite snacking cracker.

Sloppy Lentils

2011-03-24T04:52:00.000-07:00

Sunset over the ocean. I love this. And, a good crock pot meal.

Each week my meal plan includes several dishes that feature beans and lentils. This is because they can be incredibly delicious, are a source of wonderful nutrition and are a means to serving a frugal meal. Aside from their versatility one thing that I really appreciate about beans and lentils is how far they can be stretched. Just one cup can go such a long way. I order my beans and lentils in bulk from a natural food co-op in my community. Ordering in bulk provides my family with a lot of savings and we reduce the amount of packaging that we are responsible for, which was one of our Earth Day Manifesto goals from last year. Hey, every little bit helps!

It also means, however, that in my pantry there are giant tubs of beans. Sometimes this can be a little bit draining. I think to myself, "What in the heck can a gal do with more lentils than my body weight?".......

Thus far I have only been using lentils for the most part in two recipes.
Mojardra and Spicy Lentil and Greens Soup which can both be found in our Recipe Index.

Yesterday a part of my meal plan was to include a crock pot meal that I came across on Passionate Homemaking. As it is not my meal and I only modified the type of vinegar used I am simply going to link you there. If you like lentils you really might like this. If you like sloppy joes you really might like this. If you are considering trying lentils, but are not so sure if your family will enjoy them, this may be a good starting place. It is a fantastic way to feature the little lentil in a flavor packed way!

SLOPPY LENTILS

My entire family loved this. It took moments to prepare, stick in the crock and was aromatic all day long through out the house, something we enjoy.

Many blessings!

Whole Foods Resources

2011-03-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

Friends,

There is no reason for me to repeat (probably poorly and with grammatical errors!) that which is already out there in cyberspace on really great websites! Here is a list of some of my most favorite websites which have fantastic recipes using whole foods, lots of encouraging and wonderful information and are ever growing resources.

Kitchen Stewardship

GNOWFGLINS

Passionate Homemaking

The Nourishing Gourmet

Chickens in the Road

Heavenly Homemakers

Nourishing Days

Heartland Renaissance

Keeper of the Home

There are hundreds more of wonderful quality and creativity that you can find links to through these that I have listed. In fact, it can get a bit crazy! Have fun reading and learning!

Katie

Avocado Pudding (That screams Chocolate!)

2011-03-20T01:00:00.000-07:00

Overall I am not a big fan of hiding healthy food in something disquised as a treat. I like my family to know what they are eating, appreciate it for what it is, and learn to like it. But~ let's be real~ it is not always going to happen that way! There are going to be foods that our children (or perhaps our spouses!) are dead set against.

My oldest son used to love avocados. Until a few months ago that is. Just one day he announced that he did not like them anymore and that was that. Momma has tried them as guacomole, in salad, grilled with cheese, salt and peppered, and on top of soup. Its not happening. Well, as far as he knows.....

Today I made chocolate pudding.
There was not actually any chocolate in the pudding.
It was not actually pudding.
But, no one could tell. They liked it. They ate it. They asked for more.
Inside my head I let loose a miniacal laugh. I just got my family to eat raw avocado without their knowing. Moo-hoo-hahaha! Moo-hoo-hahah!

And, here we go in case you also find yourself in need of a recipe to help the avocado (which is terrilby good for your body) go down without a fight.

2 RIPE avocados
1/2 cup (or even a bit less depending on how sweet you want it) blue agave syrup
1/4 cup of carob powder
2 to 4 tbs coconut milk (I used four to make it a bit creamier)
1 tbs vanilla
pinch of salt
pinch of cinnamon

While no one is look add the following into your blender. Turn on high and watch green avocado magically turn into chocolate pudding before your eyes....

"Oh, darlings!", you say with a smile. "Momma has a special treat for you all today!"

Serve and laugh. Moo-hoo-hahaha! And, then eat some yourself.

This is called Chocolate Pudding. As a lover of my Jello brand cook-n-serve puddings made with milk I will tell you that this does NOT taste like that. There is a comfort factor in that little box of Jello pudding that is not in this recipe. However, it is lovely and good and delicious and a great way sneak in some healthy avocado for anyone currently on a strike of the little green powerhouse.

Leftover Oatmeal Blackberry Bread

2011-03-10T10:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had oatmeal for breakfast. I had several cups leftover so I stuck them into the fridge to save. This morning I ate a bowl of leftover oatmeal which tasted just as good as yesterday when heated on the stove with a little bit of milk and butter. Still, I had two cups of oats leftover.

Thus, the invention of Leftover Oatmeal Blackberry Bread! I did a little internet research and found a great blog with an leftover oatmeal muffin recipe. I tweeked this recipe a bit to match what we had in our pantry and to use my sourdough starter. You could follow the recipe below without using sourdough, but if you do have a sourdough monster at home this worked nicely as a way to discard today's starter without wasting it.

2 Cups of Leftover Oatmeal
3/4 cup milk or buttermilk
1 Egg
2 TBS melted butter or coconut oil
2 TBS warmed honey or maple syrup
1/2 cup sourdough starter
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup blackberries (frozen from summer!)

Mix all the above together and bake in a shallow dish or make muffins too!

I did not soak this sough. I believe, however, that it could be soaked easily by letting the flour and sourdough soak together for 7-24 hours before adding in the remaining ingredients and baking. I will be giving this a try. None the less, it was a very tasty morning snack for our family. My four year old asked if it could be his birthday cake. Little sweetie. He will quickly forget this bread the next time he sees a shiny red Lighting McQueen cake!

Baby Step: High Fructose Corn Syrup

2011-03-08T19:53:00.000-08:00

It all began with high fructose corn syrup. One day the Lord spoke to my heart about food. I was feeling physically run down, unhealthy, guilty, and sluggish. I read the words:

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalms 139:14

And, it dawned on me that if God indeed made our bodies with such great care (and I believe he did!) then he would also have made food to support those very bodies. God did not intend for us to be sluggish and sickly. God made us to be vibrant and alive!

I looked in my pantry. The foods that I was eating and feeding my family were far from foods that spoke to me the words VIBRANT and ALIVE! Now, do not get me wrong my pantry was full of foods that I liked to eat, things I even thought were healthy options. But, if I was eating correctly then why did my body feel so old?

At this point I had no knowledge of whole foods. I simply had heard a lot of negative things about high fructose corn syrup and decided to do a little research myself.
After reading I came to the decision that my first step towards having a kitchen that perhaps could help my body feel vibrant and alive would be to eliminate high fructose corn syrup.

This was not as easy as I thought. I became a label reader, not for calories, but for corn syrup. I found that almost everything we were eating had HFCS in it! And, something about that scared me a bit. We were consuming this very processed ingredient in things we never thought would contain it. But, I stuck to my guns and did my best to get the HFCS out of our diet.

This first baby step did the following:
~ Made me very aware that we were eating things I did not even know I was serving. And, strengthened a resolve in me to be an informed consumer.
~ Created a desire in me to learn about the ingredients in the food I was consuming and question if that ingredient was really necessary in our diet.
~ Opened my eyes to already available alternative foods that my family would like a lot.
~ With success in getting the HFCS out of the kitchen I felt encouraged to take the next baby step in getting our family off of processed foods and eating a nourishing diet of whole foods.

Choosing one things to avoid, such as HFCS, can be a great way to take a baby step toward a whole foods kitchen. Even it that is not your ultimate goal, eliminating one ingredient that you believe is unhealthy for your family is an empowering first step towards being an informed eater.

So, to my sister, and anyone else that is interested in transforming their kitchen one step at a time beginning with eliminating one ingredient such as HFCS is a manageable place to start!

Baby Step Number One: Eliminate HFCS from your diet. You can choose to do it this very week or more slowly depending on how your family will respond best. Remember, you want to make a commitment that you can keep so that you are encouraged and can press on to your goal!

Pineapple Pork Chops

2011-03-05T20:02:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law bought me the "Biggest Loser Family" Cookbook for Christmas last year. I would definitely recommend this cookbook. Lots of great recipes. Here's one of them.

Ingredients:
Olive Oil spray

4 (4 ounce) trimmed boneless pork loin chops

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

salt to taste

ground black pepper to taste

8 teaspoons of Ken's Steak House honey teriyaki marinade and sauce (I used "Masterpiece Marinade)

4 slices of canned pineapple in juice, drained

Directions:
Preheat the broiler. Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with olive oil.

Lightly mist both sides of the chops with olive oil and season with the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Place the chops, not touching, on the prepared baking sheet and broil about 3" from the heat for about 2 minutes 9be sure to leave the oven door open a crack when broiling.) Turn the chops and brush or spread 2 teaspoons of the teriyaki marinade evenly over the top of each. Top with the pineapple slices. Broil for 3 to 5 minutes longer, or until the pineapple and glaze brown lightly and the pork is barely pink inside. Serve immediately.One 4 oz. pork chop=5 Weight Watchers points plus value.
Add 1/2 plate full of vegetables with this meal. I just served mine with green beans.

Makes 4 servings

Number of Servings: 4

Alisha's take on ANGER!

2011-03-02T22:16:00.000-08:00

Anxiety can lead to depression. Depression can zap our zeal for life. If you are a mom dealing with anxiety or depression, you might also find that you are a mom who deals with a significant amount of anger. You may bottle up that anger, or allow it to explode. Either way, the anger that festers and then vents itself is destructive in any home. WAIT WAIT WAIT! You don't know me. I am justified in my anger!

"Of course I am anxious. I have three kids doing all they can to destroy my house from the time they wake up until the time they go to bed!"

"Of course I am depressed! I never get out of this dadgum house, and being a single mom sucks the life out of me!"

"Of course I am angry! My kids have been whining at me and fighting with each other all morning long!"

The Bible, over and over again, warns against giving into the lies that you are justified in your anxiety and anger. For me, as a Christian, this is where my guilt set in. I knew better. I knew I shouldn't be anxious, angry, and spurting out my hopelessness onto anyone who came within five feet of me. And, yet, there I was. ANGRY! We have to be careful with our toxic thought life, don't we? One poor thought, leads to another, and then to another. Each incorrect thought must be held captive, because if it isn't it won't be long before BAM! WATCH OUT! MOMMA'S GONNA BLOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! (kids shrink down hiding behind cushions while mom lets lose on the the closest toys that will be sure to break when it hits the floor) :) hahahaha...Just kidding...kinda.

What does anger look like for you?
-Screaming
-Physical violence
-Rage
-Fury

Or maybe something less obvious like...
-Bitterness
-Grumpiness
-Frustration
-Self-pity
-Impatience
-Criticism
-Irritation
-Sarcasm
-Depression
-Cold Silence

What do you do if you are a mom who tends to rise in anger, and spew it out onto your children?
You may have read my post about praying out loud right in front of your children. The second part to that is to find, and commit to memory, some verses that will help you. It's great to think that we would just offer up a prayer and instantly our anger would be taken away. Sometimes we need something that more, though, that motivates us. God is not surprised by our humanity. He is fully aware that we would give way to our anger. That is why He gives us tools that are always at our fingertips, if we are willing to seek them out. There are something like a kajillion verses on anger and anxiety in the Bible, all of which, will tear right though any kind of justification you can muster up with for being the way you are. :) Check out some of these verses, for starters:

Psalm 37:8, "Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil."
Proverbs 12:16, "A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult."
Proverbs 12:18, "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."
Proverbs 14:17, "A quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated."
Proverbs 15:1, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
Proverbs 29:22, "An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins."
Colossians 3:8, "But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips."
Ephesians 4:26-27, "In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold."
Ephesians 4:29-32, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

This is only a start. There are sooooooooo many other verses on this topic! Google it. Swagbuck it. :) Whatever. You'll see that God speaks directly to this issue over and over and over again.

This tells me two things:
1. You're not alone. MANY people deal with this issue of anger.
2. It matters to God. Your thought life matters to God. The God who has all resources available to you says that this topic matters to Him, and offers His resources to you. Tap into that. Pray.

How are you doing lately? Are you giving the devil a foothold by sinning in your anger? Are you grieving the Holy Spirit by putting your little ones down on a consist basis? With your words, are you building up, or tearing down, the house that God has entrusted to you?

I sit here convicted. I have done foolish things, I have given the devil a foothold by acting out of my anger, and I have grieved the Holy Spirit by belittling my children when I was angry. Forgive me, Lord, for the times I have kept my anxious thoughts unchecked and allowed them to lead me to anger. May your sweet grace cover the times I have spoken out of impatience and a quick-temper towards my family. Your mercies are new every morning, Lord. I want this day to honor you. I will stop myself when I begin to rise in anger today, and I will speak one of these verses over my situation. I will pray that verse right out loud, and give that situation over to you. I will devote this day to developing a new vocabulary of gentle answers that are pleasant and healing, rather than reckless and reactive.

Amen.

Love you mommas! If you are reading this, you have been prayed for today.

Pictures of my 3 children I talked about previously.

2011-03-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

In a previous post I referred to "a line I put down in our driveway to keep the kids from going into the street". My kid's reactions demonstrated their response to authority over all. You can read about that experience here if you want to. I finally had a chance to upload the pictures from that day, and thought I would share them. Here they are.

Here's Preston, my first born. 5 years old. He always stopped himself before he got even remotely close to my line, and threatened anyone who attempted at disobeying my orders in regards to the line.
Here's Keely, middle child. 3 years old. She joyfully lifted her feet high in the air and let herself go as far as she could. She would have loved if the car would have "accidentally" taken her past that line.
Then, there's Kipton. The baby of the family. 1-1/2 years old. He played on the line for quite a while, while looking up at me occasionally to make sure he still had to stay on that side of the line.
Cute as a button.

If you are wondering where all the recipes have gone, we have good news. We'll be posting more soon. As for myself, I have a ton of great recipes to share along with the Weight Watchers Points Plus values tacked on to them. I even have the pictures taken already. I just need to get around to posting them is all. They'll be coming soon.

A note from Katie: Conflict and Growth

2011-03-01T09:22:00.000-08:00

Alisha has been sharing her wisdom in great hopes of encouraging other mother's who may understand and benefit from her transparency. It is my understanding that she is going to continue to share her thoughts here on Meal Planning Mommies as well as good recipes that she prepares at home for her crew!

Over the past two years I have been on a journey of my own. The road has been incredibly exciting and I stand now in a season of overwhelming gratitude and peace. However, I believe that my eagerness to share my knowledge with people started becoming before a search for wisdom. Instead of asking for insight and understanding of what I had learned, I spoke too soon regarding whole foods. I do believe eating whole foods is incredibly important. I believe that there are physical, environmental, and spiritual ramifications. Out of a miserable conflict the Lord was able to shine some light on my heart and change my ways of thinking and speaking about the whole foods diet that I do so deeply believe is significant. In a nutshell, here it is~ almost every mother in the world desires to do what is best for her children. I believe eating a whole foods diet is best and I have made no qualms about stating that. But, what about the mother that can not afford it? What about the mom who does not have access to it? What about the mother who already feels pulled like a rubber band about to snap? What about the mother who does not have the time for food preparation? What about the mother who can't?

I do not every want to make that Momma feel as if she is any less of a mother because of my food ideas. What I do want to do is share, for the mother who desires more whole foods in the kitchen, how it can be affordable, accessible, possible, and doable. My little sister has seen the benefit that whole foods has had on my family. She told me last week that she wants to make the switch. But, she said~" I can not increase my grocery budget as we are already strapped. I already feel overwhelmed. My husband is not really on board because he likes the way we eat. I want to do this with all my heart, but it feels impossible for me."

What about that?
How does that Momma make the whole foods switch? Is it possible for her?

In speaking to my sister about whole foods I am going to do it with great patience, understanding, and love. This is exactly how I want to come across on Meal Planning Mommies. If there are readers who ARE interested in whole foods, I want to share with you in love, provide encouragement, practical steps, and create an atmosphere of support. Just like I hope to do for my own sister.

Because of this desire, I am going to post twice a week for the next few months to answer my own sisters' questions and to speak to anyone else out there who would like to take the necessary baby steps towards a whole foods diet. But, this time I am going to write with transparency and and praying for wisdom regarding each post!

And, let me wrap this up by saying that it is my great hope that in these messages there will be no guilt. Food was given to us by our Creator to nourish us, to sustain us, for tradition and celebration. It it not something that we should think about with guilt, rather it should further connect us to a loving and caring God who has and will provide for us. Remember that in all the ways you may feel inadequate now (as we all do at times!) God has gives us freely something that will cover those places we fall short. He has given us his Grace. And, that Grace will sustain us in ways even the most nourishing meal can never reach.

Katie

Alisha's take on Anxiety in moms.

2011-02-27T01:25:00.000-08:00

What fears are you operating out of?

I noticed something today.
I wanted to go to the grocery store today as one big, happy family. It's something we rarely do anymore because it requires taking three kids, which requires using two shopping carts. It seemed easier, after a while, for me to just go by myself at night and avoid the whole attention-getting, 3 loud children parade. Besides all that, my husband really does not get excited about going to the store, so I kind of feel like I am dragging him along when I ask him to go with me. I wanted to give the kids an opportunity to venture out, today, though. It was Saturday, and they were cooped up inside all day. I thought about how they never get to go to the store anymore, and how it might be fun for them to stroll through the produce aisles with me and pick whatever fruit they wanted for a change.

I gave my husband the vision and he agreed that we could all go together. As we were getting ready to go out the door, I noticed myself doing something that I had done over and over again, many times before. I was getting anxious. One of my kids defiantly fought getting their shoes on and there was a lot of whining. I felt myself tense up, and my mind automatically went to, "Ahhhh man! This is going to be such a disaster! They are already acting defiant and we have not even left the house! This was such a bad idea! I wish I never had this idea." I stopped and explained to the kids what we would be doing at they store, and what they would NOT be doing. :)

Often times depression begins with anxiety. Here's my own (Alisha's) personal take on anxiety. Each of us have some past experiences that have yet to be redeemed. We have "baggage" that we carry with us from our past. A little story from my past that paints a picture of where I am coming from...

As a high school student it was very important to me that I have someone to go to the dances with because I felt like all of my other friends always had someone to go with. Freshmen year and sophomore year nobody asked me to go with them, so I went "stag", meaning I went by myself. I wanted to hang out with my friends who would be there, and I concluded that going by myself would be better than staying home and hanging out with my parents. I felt ugly and unappreciated. I put it all together and made the damaging assumption that no guy would ever be interested in me, and yet I felt like I had a lot to offer someone in a relationship if they ever gave me a chance, and I REALLY wanted to be married by the time I was 18 years old. ;) (I laugh now, but I really thought that freshman year of high school) I tormented myself with this idea that I was inadequate, and undeserving of a man's love because I was too big, too ugly, too obnoxious, and many other negative things. By junior year I was going to dances with guys, but I still convinced myself that the friends who were going with guys their freshman year were more worthy of male attention than me. I got anxious whenever there was an opportunity for guys to take girls to anything, because I assumed I would be the only one left alone.

That fear from my past has been wonderfully redeemed. I have been married for over seven years now, to a man who is completely faithful to me and to his family. He loves me and cares deeply for me. It's easy to get anxious when our past experiences seem to all point to one conclusion, but God is not confined to what you can understand. His resources are endless. God is crazy about you, and does not want you to sit and wallow in self-pity as you reflect on all the ways you do not measure up (in your own mind) compared to the people around you. He created you and has special plans JUST for you. You can trust that and live in faith, knowing that all things are possible with Him.

Take this now, to where I am at currently. Three kids heading to the store all at once. Daddy is coming with us, and so this is a special occasion. Still, I cannot fight this feeling of anxiousness. As moms we have to be very "prepared" at all times. The diaper bag is shoved full of any thing you might possibly need in any given situation, just in case. If the diaper bag does not have a diaper, then this most certainly will be the time when you need one. If you don't have snacks packed, then this most certainly will be the time when the kids whine relentlessly for a snack you have in the cart, and make your whole shopping experience miserable until you feed them. We (as moms) are trained to think ahead, because of past experiences with our children, when we were not prepared and had to pay for it. That's a good thing. It's part of mothering. Learning from past mistakes is obviously something that works in our favor.
However, it can also be a bad thing if it brings the mom to a constant state of anxiety. As we were heading to the store, I caught myself feeling anxious. My husband and I had a plan. We knew ahead of time which children would be riding in the shopping cart and which child would be riding in the stroller. Instead of being relieved that my husband was with us and that we could go at a leisurely pace, I resorted to "hurry-through-the-store mommy". I was anxious if we had to stand still for too long, because I knew my kids MIGHT start begging for something. I felt tense when Keely started asking for something, because I remembered past experiences of her carrying on and on throughout most of the store and I decided to get anxious just in case if she MIGHT do that again. As anxiety takes root in our mind, we operate out of that mentality. The truth is, I will probably be doing the grocery shopping alone for a while still, because I have the option, and it is just easier. When I was given the opportunity, though, to enjoy the experience of shopping with my family, I missed that opportunity. I am not beating myself up for that, but I am trying to learn what I can from it. I wanted to rush through the store, and not enjoy one moment of the experience. I concluded that the faster we were in and out, the less likely we would have tantrums in the store. I grabbed strawberries with mold on them and did not notice until I got home. I forgot the chicken. I barely acknowledged that my husband was even there, and quickly nodded and moved on when he pointed out a food he liked.

I flew through the store. I fly through most things with my children. I get anxious, and I let that anxiety dictate what I can and cannot do. Instead of enjoying a moment of doing a craft with my kids I get all of the necessary items out and I hurry the project along because I don't want them to "get creative" and eat the glue or something ridiculous. Do you ever feel like that? It's a hard way to be, isn't it? You start to feel it in your shoulders, don't you? You start to act hasty with people, and have to apologize afterward. You forget things a lot. You focus intently on the one thing giving you anxiety and before you know it, that anxiety is controlling you.

I started being anxious as soon as we had our first baby. I wanted to do everything right. I didn't want to hear him cry. I didn't want anyone to look at me like I didn't have it all together. Having limited control over something so important to me, was foreign territory. I needed control, or so I thought. I had no control over when this precious new person would cry, sleep, want to be held, etc. etc. Releasing those things over to God was a hard thing for me. (I still struggle with situations where I am not in control, by the way, but am currently striving to work through that)

What might be helpful is knowing this:

Anxiety is what we feel when we are operating out of fear. The opposite of fear is faith. By fearing what is coming up we are saying to ourselves, I cannot handle this thing and I cannot trust God with this thing. As you struggle in your current moment ask yourself, "Can I trust God with this?" (the correct answer to that question is always yes, by the way) :) If you are feeling like the answer to that question is "no" then pray about that. Let God know how you are feeling, and give it over to Him. Over and over again, if you have to. There is no place that you can go and be away from the Spirit. God is more than able to help you with any circumstance. He loves you and cares about you. His resources are endless, so you can trust your everything with him.

Any hurts of hang-ups from your past, that have yet to be worked for the good, are still redeemable with God. Pray for redemption from the things that are holding you back from having abundant faith.

If, as a mom, you are feeling defeated before you even get started, pray about that. Are you waking up asking yourself, "Where is God?" or are you boldly proclaiming, "God is here, and is going to provide me with what I need in order to do today well". Ask yourself, "what would I be saying if I were operating out of faith rather than fear?"

Fear says, "I can't do this."
Faith says, "With God all things are possible."

Fear says, "My kids are going to be messed up for life if I don't figure this out SOON!"
Faith says, "God can take the good and the bad, and use it for His glory. He knows my children and He loves them even more than I do. While I am a major part in who they will become, God will use other people in their lives to teach them as well. I will pray that God's grace will cover the things that could be used to harm them, and that He will redeem the trouble spots in their lives."

Fear says, "I don't even want to try."
Faith says, "I'll give it my best shot if it's what God is calling me to do, because that is where His blessings are. He will provide me with what I need to accomplish His work, as I step out and do what He is asking of me."

Fear says, "I am going to rush through this, and then plop down on the couch and let the TV take me into another world, so I don't have to face the issues at hand."
Faith says, "I can enjoy this moment. The weight of the world does not rest on this momma's shoulders, but in the hands of a God who is more than capable of taking on all of life's issues, and working them for the good."

God loves you. He has given you the children that you have for a reason. You are exactly the parent that they need. Trust that today. Thank God for that. Pray over that. If you are in hard times right now, wrestle it out in prayer and trust that God can take care of it. If you are in good times, praise the Lord for that, and thank Him for His provision in your life. You are blessed, and if you are reading this, you are prayed for today.

My Motherhood Story: My Take on Depression

2011-02-21T20:32:00.000-08:00

This message is a continuation from the post before it...Click here to see Part One.

Having three kids in less than four years sent my mind and body through quite the hormonal roller coaster. I don't write this as someone who has it all figured out, but rather, as someone who has fallen and gotten back up over and over again...and lived to tell about it. I want moms to know they are not alone when they feel overwhelmed. One of the greatest gifts God has given me as I have struggled through depression was friends who could relate to me on some level and provide encouragement.

Allow me to dive right in here. I will start with my thoughts on antidepressants:

I am currently taking an antidepressant called Zoloft. I believe there is something to be said for antidepressant medication. It took me a long time before I could swallow the idea that I needed medication. I always thought of myself as a happy person. I am very extroverted, so most people would not have looked at me and thought I had a problem. Once I got home alone with my kids, though, I cried a lot, I was easily agitated, I felt hopeless most of the time, I was anxious, I was tired and unmotivated, and I felt isolated. The longer it went on, and the more kids I had, the more anger was added to that list. The very worst part of it all for me was feeling guilty all the time. I always felt guilty for feeling the way I did. I thought I should be joyful in all circumstances, and I just could not muster up "joy" like I used to. I associated most of these feelings with the fact that I was not getting a good night’s sleep. I figured it would go away with time. I figured all moms had to deal with these things and all moms eventually got through it, so I would too. It wasn’t until I was getting a good night’s sleep and was still feeling these things that I started to wonder if I should be on medication. I got pregnant with our second child and decided I had to at least try it.

I have been taking Zoloft for a couple of years now. For me, I have found that I'm more emotionally predictable when I am taking the medication. I am less explosive and a whole lot less dramatic. My anger is lessened when I am on the medication, and life feels more manageable. I am a better mom when I am on the medication, and that is why I am choosing to stay on it for now. If you are someone who needs antidepressants, by all means, do yourself and everyone who loves you a favor, and get on that medication. You are not less of a person for taking medication.

I would like to bullet point some of the things, besides the antidepressant medication, that have helped me as I have dealt with depression as a mommy. Then I will go into depth on the one that I believe needs the most explaining.

Here's my little list of some things, other than medication, that have helped me:

Reading scriptures that build me up and reinforce God’s love for me, and the strength that He gives. (Here are a few, for a place to start: 2 Timothy 1:7, For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Psalms 147:3, He heals the brokenhearted, And binds up their wounds. 1 Peter 5:6-7, Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.
Praising God through worship music, right in my own kitchen. (For a place to start, check out some songs written by Chris Rice...Click here for one of his songs called "Come to Jesus" that I love.)
Being part of a group of moms who meet regularly. To find a MOPS group in your area, go here.
Working out.
Eating healthier.
Not drinking pop as much? (I used to drink 2-4 cans a day…more than that when we would eat out)
Working in the evening a couple of days a week. (to get out of the house and be around adults)
Praying right out loud when I am having a hard time. (go here to read more on this topic)
Talking to people who understood me, and who could offer me encouragement.
Fighting off the lies of inadequacy that I was choosing to believe. (I will go into depth on this one below)
Continuing to serve others outside of my family. Sometimes we just need to stop focusing on ourselves for a while, and do what we can to help other people around us. I promise you will be blessed as you start to do this more and more.
Hopping on Susie Larson’s "Live the Promise" site after all the kids are in bed and the house is quiet, and listening to one of her half hour interviews that are always packed with rich, refreshing, and encouraging messages that uplift and empower my spirit.

Here is one of Susie Larson's messages that I heard the other day and wrote down:

"Any thought I have has to go through the love filter. If it does not jive with God's love, provision, and call on my life, I am not having that thought, which means, I am a work in progress and I am keeping my feet grounded in God's truth and keeping my heart set on His love."

It is one thing to know that you are loved, and it is something completely different to tell yourself, and BELIEVE in your heart, that you are loved. I had a lot of thoughts that did not jive with the idea that God loved me and had a plan for my life that was good. I knew God loved me, but my thought life suggested otherwise.

I think that a lot of people who struggle with depression have a hard time redirecting their “automatic thought life”. My mom gave me a book for Christmas called, “Feeling Good, the New Mood Therapy.” The Author of the book, David D. Burns, M.D, talks a lot about “automatic thoughts”. You know: the ones that just pop into your head, without your permission. As I learned to identify what some of my "automatic negative thoughts" were, I was able to catch them when they came up and deal with them in a more constructive manner. I am still working on fixing my thought life in an effort to experience the abundant life God has for me. I would like to elaborate on some of the automatic thoughts that I learned about in that book, that I think come naturally to many moms. Along with each thought pattern I will provide an example scenario, and an appropriate counteractive thought that might be more helpful.

AUTOMATIC NEGATIVE THOUGHTS THAT ARE COMMON FOR MOMS STRUGGLING WITH DEPRESSION:

1. All or Nothing Thoughts and Should Statements:
Seeing everything in black-and-white. Either I am perfect at everything, or I am a total failure.

Example: I should have all the laundry done, the dishes clean and put away, get everywhere on time, look adorable for my husband, feed my children 3 balanced meals a day and 2 healthy snacks, get a half hour workout in 3 times a week, and get 8 hours of sleep a night. If I can't do all of these things, then I am a failure as a mother.

Better Thought: I will do the best I can today. There is grace for the things I cannot get done today. Even if all I can do today is rest on the couch with my kids and watch movies, it'll be alright. His mercies are new every morning, and my kids will not be ruined for life over that.

2. Overgeneralization
Seeing a single negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.

Example: When I was nursing my baby every 2 hours and it took a half an hour each time to get the baby good and fed, I had a hard time getting to the store. After one miserable attempt at getting to Target I concluded that I would NEVER enjoy going to the store EVER again.

Better Thought: I will get to the store again. At some point I will have some milk bottled or frozen, and I will be able to take my time at the store. It just won't be today, and that is okay.

3. Mental Filter and Disqualifying the Positive.
Like a drop of ink that discolors the entire beaker of water, discounting anything positive and dwelling only on the one negative thing.

Example: I had a pretty decent day. Right before my husband comes home from work one of my kids gets a hold of a marker and writes on three different pieces of furniture. Scott comes in and asks how my day was. My response: "It WAS TERRIBLE!!! LOOK at this furniture!" and I make the entire day amount that one negative thing that happened, and forget about the hour I spent playing on the floor with Kipton and the 2 hour nap he took that allowed me to get the laundry done.

Better Thought: "You know, honey, I have had an interesting day. Many good things happened today, but I do not feel like talking about them right now. I feel angry right now, because Preston got a hold of this marker and now I need to get out the magic eraser and take care of it. Can I tell you about the good things that happened tonight over dinner, after I have had some time to cool off a little bit?"

4. Jumping to Conclusions
Making a negative interpretation even though there are no definite facts convincingly supporting that conclusion, as if to be some sort of mind reader.

Example: My daughter gets mad that I will not buy her a toy from the Disney Store in the mall. She throws herself to the floor and screams as I attempt at forcing her to stand up. I can tell that reasoning with her right in front of the store is not going to work. I have my hands full and cannot hold her. I manage to pull her along the rest of the way to the bathroom where I will give her a "talking to". People stare at the scene we create as we go down the hall, and I think to myself, "EVERYONE must be talking about what a ridiculous mother I am that I cannot even control my own child".

Counter Thought: I know what I have accomplished today. I got all of my kids in their coats, and shoes and we had a great time at the mall tonight. That was a big accomplishment. If there is someone who only sees this one part of my night and has something to say about it, who cares? Most people probably don't even care about what I am doing, or they feel sorry for me because they have been there and know it's hard. Even if they don't, though, I know that I am loved and I know I am doing the best I can with what I have, so I can feel good about that. I will address this issue with Keely and choose to move on, and not let my night be ruined by this incident.

5. Magnification or Minimization
Exaggerating the importance of things (such as a goof-up) or inappropriately shrinking your desirable qualities until they appear tiny.

Example: Because my friend shows up to church on time with her daughter in a perfectly pressed dress and a matching bow in her hair, I conclude that she is the best mom ever, and because I am aware of how crazy my morning was, I conclude that I am scum under her feet, as my kids show up late with wrinkly clothes on.

Better Thought: Some mornings are easier than others. Everyone struggles with something. To think that she is living a perfect life because her kid is perfectly dressed today is just not fair. To think that I am a failure because my kids have wrinkled clothes on today...also not fair.

6. Emotional Reasoning
Assuming that your negative emotions necessarily reflect the way things are. "I feel it; therefore, it must be true.

Example: I feel like a loser today, so I must be a loser. Case closed.

Better Thought: I cannot always trust my feelings. I need to trust that the God who loves me has good things in store for me. He sees the best in me, even when I don't. God loves me even on my worst day. What is in front of me is not all that there is for me, and who I am today is not who I will always be. I am a work in progress, and God's grace covers me as I continue to do the best I can with where I am at.

7. Labeling and mislabeling
An extreme form of overgeneralization. Instead of describing your error as in isolated incident, you attach a negative label to yourself. Mislabeling involves describing an event with language that is highly colored and emotionally loaded.

Example: My kid drops his cup of juice and spills it on his shirt. I shout at him, "YOU'RE so STUPID!"

Better Thought: Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone has issues they need to work through. My son made a mistake...so what? He is still a very smart kid. We will change his shirt and clean up this mess. Life will go on, and I will forget all about this mess in about 2.5 minutes.

8. Personalization
You see yourself as the cause of some negative external event which in fact you were not primarily responsible for.

Example: If my kid does something they shouldn't have then it is directly correlated to the fact that I am a terrible mother. Obviously, if my kids are not perfect, then there must be something wrong with ME.

Better Thought: Maybe I should have a talk with my daughter later and see why she did what she did. She is her own person and has her own free will. I will do the best I can to help her make better choices next time, but ultimately it is going to be her choice if she does those things or not.

I hope some of these ideas help you if you are a mom who is struggling with depressing thoughts lately. My dear friend, Jenifer Crane, is starting a new blog designed to encourage mothers. She is planning to post her story, my story, and a handful of other mother's stories who are learning, or have learned, to deal with similar feelings. She is in the beginning stages of her blog at this point, but if you are interested in checking her blog out, you can go here.

My Motherhood Story

2011-02-19T12:29:00.000-08:00

A dear friend of mine is in the beginning stages of creating a blog designed to encourage moms who are struggling through postpartum depression. If you know me well, you know that this has been an issue in my life. If you do not know me well, welcome to a little insight into the drama that has existed in my life these past five years. I am going to share my story with you for two reasons....

1. Jenifer Crane asked me to, and I believe in the ministry she is setting up and the mission of reaching out and encouraging moms who are currently struggling to find the "joy" and "blessings" in being a mom.

and

2. II Corinthians 1:4 says, "He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us." I have found AMAZING comfort from the Lord and through other people He has placed in my life over the past few years. Over and over again my heart is telling me, "Pass it on now, Alisha. Pass it on."

This message is going to be a TWO-PARTER. This first part is an introduction of my children and where I am at currently. The second part is going to be a little explanation of how I got here, and how I dealt with postpartum depression over the past five years.

Okay, so here's where I will start. It is Saturday, February 19, 2011 at 2:41 in the afternoon as I type this from my basement full of toys. Preston is making noises and running around like a superhero, while Keely is coming up to me and taking her stinky diaper off and trying to hand it to me. (NO JOKE!) Kipton is napping. I'll be right back. I am going to go change a diaper real quick. :)

Okay, I'm back.
A description of the kids God has blessed me with.
I have a five year old, an almost three year old, and a one and a half year old running lose in my house. :)

My five year old is a boy. He was born with a more naturally "reserved" or "cautious" personality that I do not easily relate to, but my husband does. Others refer to Preston as being "shy", but I know better. He'll talk your ear off once he is comfortable with you, and he has a delightful sense of humor. Meet Preston.
My second born was a girl. Keely makes us laugh every single day with her slightly more aggressive approach to life and willingness to push her way through a crowd and tackle a kid to the ground to get what she wants in life. She has a sweet little face and a precious little voice...but don't be fooled. Keely can go from calm and cool to spirited and spastic in two seconds flat. She definitely gets that from her mommy. Meet Keely.
Then, there is Kipton. Kipton is our little charmer. I say all the time that he is trying to win the "Happiest Baby Contest". He is a fine mix between my spirited (also referred to as strong-willed child) and my reserved (also referred to as passive) child. He's our little love bug. Meet Kipton.
SCENARIO that demonstrates the differences between my children:
I let all three kids play in the driveway yesterday. I put down a line and told all three of them very clearly that they were not to pass the line. (In an effort to keep some distance between where they were playing and the traffic that comes down our road.)

Preston's reaction: He's afraid of the line. He wants so badly to please me that he stops himself before he ever comes within two feet of the line. He wouldn't even consider getting CLOSE to the line.
Keely's reaction: She runs after a ball that is rolling toward the line, and deliberately slows down enough that it will roll over the line so that she can test the boundary I have set. Then she happily runs right over the line to get the ball. Then she looks at me like, "What? I had to get the ball."
Kipton's reaction: Kipton walks to the line, sees that I respond, and puts one foot on the line and just stands there. He steps back and reaches down and puts his pointer finger on the line. Kipton preferred to play RIGHT on that line.

NOT EVEN KIDDING YOU! This happened, and I thought to myself, "This is a PERFECT example of what I deal with on a daily basis." And now, I might add, it is also the reason I prefer to do my grocery shopping late at night by myself, as opposed to taking all three children to the store during the day, while daddy is at work. :)

Kipton's awake. I must take a break here and tend to my family. I will post part two when I am able.

Prayer for Sarah

2011-02-14T20:10:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends,

Sarah (one of the MPM's!) is on her way to the Philippines right now to outreach to women and children. She will be visiting with orphans, teaching women how to make crafts that they can sell in the market, and sharing God's love with the people that she meets. This is a trip that has been on her heart for a long time, ever since she began sponsoring a child from the Philippines. Her heart, already touched by the beautiful people of the Philippines, is no doubt going to be touched, broken, and warmed all at once!
Please pray for Sarah as she travels. Please pray for her family as they support their wife/mommy while she serves. Please pray for her ministry and the people that she works with on her mission.

We are so proud of Sarah and we know that her faith and labor are going to touch lives!

Godspeed dear friend! We can't wait to see you in a few weeks! Much love!

The Sock Game

2011-02-11T13:33:00.000-08:00

While we were down in Florida visiting much loved family my darling cousin (shout out to Cassidy!) taught us this great meal time game.

What you need:
One sock (clean....hehe)
Random household items

Object/Instructions: Each person at the table takes turns leaving the table and filling the sock with random household items. Little ones might need a bit of assistance in the form a secret sock filling helper. Come back to the table and have each member of your family feel the sock in order to guess what is inside. After everyone has had a turn reveal the contents and see who was correct.

Here is a little video of my son and I explaining the game. The sock game has become a family favorite.

Papa Murphy's Pizza $10 gift Card for $5

2011-01-22T06:57:00.000-08:00

Coming this Monday on Plum District's website, they will be offering a $10 Papa Murphy's pizza gift card for only $5!

You will want to go ahead and sign up for Plum district if you haven't already, that way when Monday comes you are ready to go and don't have to waste time signing up because there will only be a 10,000 gift cards sold and they will go fast!

You will want to come back to this site early Monday morning to snag your gift card!

Papa Murphy's offers very reasonable pizza prices for families, some starting at $7.99. They always have great coupons out there too that you could use with your gift card! Coming up in February, they will also have heart shaped pizzas for Valentine's Day. You could save your gift card for a special Valentine's dinner for the kids!

Dinner for a family for $5? Sounds Frugal To me!

Thanks to Moneysavingmom.com for finding this great deal!

Roasted Shrimp with Tomatoes, 6 PointsPlus Points

2011-01-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2 14.5-oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Drain tomatoes, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine tomatoes, reserved juice, oil and garlic in an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Bake until tomatoes are bubbling, about 15 minutes.

2. Stir shrimp and oregano into tomatoes. Sprinkle goat cheese on top. Return to oven and bake until shrimp are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

1 serving=6 Weight Watchers PointsPlus Points.

Southwestern Meat Loaf, 8 PointsPlus Points

2011-01-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

Meatloaf is always a good freezer meal if you need one. Just cook it, let it cool, and wrap it tightly with aluminum foil. This meatloaf is particularly tasty, in my opinion.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped (for directions on how to chop and freeze lots of onion, or bell pepper at once, go here)
1 cup frozen corn (for directions on how to quickly, and efficiently, freeze corn on the cob to be used later, go here...Thank you Mummy Deals!)
2 pounds ground beef (90 percent lean is suggested)
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 large egg
1 cup plain yogurt (not nonfat)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons ketchup, optional

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty foil.

2. Warm oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in corn; sauté 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to let cool slightly.

3. Add beef, bread crumbs, egg, yogurt, cilantro, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper to bowl. Mix gently until well combined; do not overmix. Transfer to baking sheet and shape into a 12-by-4-inch loaf. (I spread mine out in a long rectangle piece of stoneware, and slapped some ketchup over the top of mine)

4. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center registers 160ºF, about 1 hour. Spread with ketchup (or additional ketchup), if desired, and let stand 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Can't get your kids to eat meatloaf? Slap some of the stuff on a bun and call it a hamburger. :0)

Makes 8 servings
1 serving=8 Weight Watchers Point Plus points

Pork chops, 4 PointsPlus Points

2011-01-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:
4 Pork chops
1/2 cup soy sauce
Paprika
Salt and pepper
garlic
Onions (optional)

Sprinkle pork chops with paprika. Pour soy sauce over the pork chops. Cook, or grill, on a greased pan. Flip your chops and cook on both sides until the pork is cooked throughout and there is no pink in the middle.
I added sliced onion and let it cook in the juices left when the pork was cooked. Yummy.

Pork Chops. Eat up.

Makes 4 servings.
1 serving=4 Weight Watchers PointsPlus Points

(The picture shows two pork chops. I ate two and counted the meal as an 8 point meal. You could do just one pork chop and add some green beans to keep the meal at an itty bitty 4 points!)

Tuesday: Chicken and Mushroom Soup, 3 PointsPlus Points

2011-01-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

You have to given this one a try. Yum YUM gimme some!

Ingredients:
1 medium leek, light green and white parts only, outer layer removed
4 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
6 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
8 ounces brussel sprouts, halved
Salt and pepper to taste.

Trim leek, keeping root intact. Slice in half lengthwise, submerge in cold water, and rinse thoroughly to remove any dirt.

Slice into 1/4 inch pieces.

Bring broth, water, and thyme to a low boil in a large saucepan. Add leek and mushrooms ; reduce heat and simmer until leek is softened; about 5 minutes. Add chicken and Brussels sprouts. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Print this recipe.

Makes 4 (1-3/4 cup) servings
1 serving=3 Weight Watchers PointsPlus Points

Monday: Creamy Chicken-Spinach Soup, 8 PointsPlus Points

2011-01-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

Yummy. You will love this one. Your husband and children will too. This one is also taken from the Five Ingredient, Fifteen Minute cookbook. Two easy steps. One happy momma.

Ingredients:
1 (9-ounce) package refrig. cheese tortellini
1 (14.5 ounce) can fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 ounce) cans reduced-fat, reduced-sodium cream of chicken soup
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (9 ounce) package frozen cooked diced chicken breast
1 cups fat-free milk
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper

Step One: Cook tortellini according to package directions, using 1 can broth instead of water. Step Two: Add soup and remaining ingredients, stirring well. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook until thoroughly heated.

Makes 6 (1 1/3-cup servings)
1 serving=8 Weight Watcher PointsPlus Points
One serving not enough to keep you satisfied? Fill up on extra fruits and veges, and drink a tall glass of water.

Trying to figure out what eating healthy looks like?

2011-01-17T04:27:00.000-08:00

Sign up for Supermom’s email newsletter and you’ll get a free copy of her ebook, Supermom’s Simple Guide to Healthier Eating for Beginners and Beyond.

This ebook is packed with practical tips and ideas to taking babysteps to better nutrition and I think all women — moms especially — will find the tips helpful and encouraging.

Thank you MoneySavingMom!!

Momma Hughes is trying something new.

2011-01-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

I always get a little chunk of money this time of year that I wouldn't normally have, because Christmas and my Birthday are back to back. Usually I try to come up with some things I think I want, and end up blowing through the money rather quickly. This year I decided that instead of using the money to buy more clothes, I would use the money to look better in the clothes I already have.

That's right. I am joining Weight Watchers. I had to do it. I have so much knowledge about what is right and wrong when it comes to eating, but all that knowledge is just not enough for me. I just don't care enough. I have had plenty of well-meaning friends offer words of advice when it came to eating. None of them motivated me. (sorry friends...and mom) I read more than enough books on the topic of eating healthy, written by very motivating people. Still not enough. (sorry books) I needed some extra tools, and the motivation to put the tools to work. I have seen a couple of dear friends go through WW program, who struggled with food at one time. I watched them lose weight and keep it off. I would think, "Hmmm...I should do what they are doing". Every time I considered joining I would get pregnant, (for real) and then have to deal with nausea and all the other stuff that comes with being pregnant, so I would give up on the idea. I am not some sort of spokesperson for Weight Watchers or anything. Nobody is paying me to make a big deal about Weight Watchers. It's just something I am getting started on, and since our blog is about what we are eating, I thought I would let you in on my journey from the very beginning. (bonus: a little extra accountability that way)

(pictured above: Meal planning mommies with dinewithoutwhine.com author. I'm the one on the right)

When it is my week to post, I will be offering some satisfying meals that are worth "low points" according to the Weight Watchers Points Plus program. I will let you know how many points those meals "use" as I do them, since I am calculating them for myself anyway. If you are doing Weight Watchers this will be helpful to you. If you are not, you can see how the meals worth 3 points are going to be a healthier choice than the ones worth 25. (some of my meals in the past have been worth more than 25 points, and I would eat two servings...also known as seconds...without thinking twice) 50 points in one meal would not be real wise in the world of Weight Watchers, since 50 points is well over how many points most people (myself included) should be consuming in an entire day. So, time to get that under control a little bit.

(picture of me and my sweet, supportive husband, Scott Hughes, on our wedding day. We just celebrated our 7 year anniversary.)

Here we go. This is the dinner line up for this week, along with the Weight Watchers Points Plus, for one serving, next to them.

Monday: Creamy Chicken-Spinach Soup, 8 pts.
Tuesday: Chicken and Mushroom Soup, 3 pts.!!
Wednesday: Pork Chops, 4 pts.
Thursday: Southwestern Meat Loaf, 8 pts.
Friday: Roasted Shrimp with Tomatoes, 6 pts.

Kiwi Magazine Subscription Deal

2011-01-15T08:48:00.000-08:00

We don't often posts deals here on Meal Planning Mommies, but when I came across this one I really wanted to share!

Right now, through the 18th of January, you can get a 1 year subscription to Kiwi magazine for $2 or a 2 year subscription for $4. The offer is only good if you have not registered with mamapedia before.

Click on this link, and look for the deal for Kiwi magazine (should be on the right hand side of the page).

Order either 1 year or 2 year subscription and enter the code as follows:

1 year subscription for $2- 1YEARKIWI2

2 year subscription for $4- 2YEARKIWI4

Why Kiwi magazine? I love it because there are great RECIPES for natural and organic foods!

Here are some other highlights of the magazine:

2010 Parent's Choice Magazine Award
Eco-friendly crafts, sustainable living tips, and fun educational activities for kids
Nutritious and natural recipes, lunchbox tips, and other healthy food options
Valuable information to help families make natural and organic choices

Thanks to moneysavingmom.com for this great deal idea!

The Give-Away Winner and A Special Offer!

2011-01-13T19:07:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Joshua and Stephanie on winning the covered baker from Pampered Chef!

We are glad that you won and wish you many fantastic meals in your new covered baker.

For the rest of us Sara, our gracious give away host, is offering a nice deal.

· 10% off your entire order

· FREE SHIPPING!

· Your choice of our Square Baking Pan or our Loaf Pan – FREE!

· Set of Weekday Dinners Done! Recipe Cards – FREE!

( More DCB recipes included, plus shopping guides!)

You can contact Sara Radginski regarding her special offer on her website.

www.pamperedchef.biz/radcooksis

Thanks Sara and family!

Tapping into God's strength

2011-01-13T13:59:00.000-08:00

Have you ever met someone who totally changed who you were, just by being who they were? I am blessed with inspiring and motivating mentors lately, close and far. I always have, actually. I just didn't always know to call them mentors. It isn't that they are all sitting down with me for coffee once a week. Some of them I sit down with and I ask them questions, and others I learn from by simply observing and listening closely when they talk. Some of them I sought out, and others I just happened to bump into along the way. Most of them don't even know how much they are influencing me just by being who God is calling them to be. I guess they cannot know unless I tell them. Lately, God has given me eyes to see who some of them are, and the desire to give a handful of them an extra thanks.

One of them is Susie Larson. She is an author, speaker, and a radio host. I just cannot say enough good about her. I mean, REALLY, I cannot. From miles away, she spreads wisdom and encouragement to anyone who wants to listen. Having said that, I read a clip on her blog today that I thought would strike a chord with many, many moms..."tapping into the strength God gives, and that is readily available to us all". Please read a little blurb about a dream she once had. If you are interested in reading the post, in its entirety, click here.

"Lord, I don't know what just happened at this event, but I do know this: I want more! More of You! More of Your power and Your presence in my life!"
I fell asleep with those words on my tongue. And I had a very vivid dream.

In the dream people were busy with their daily lives, rushing to and fro - totally unaware of the power that hung overhead, completely within their reach. The 'power' looked like rolling colorful clouds with bolts of lightning shooting through them. Every once in a while, someone had the presence of mind to pause and look up. Then they'd reach up and grab hold of the 'power' and place it on their children or their wallet, or their own heart. But then they'd go along their way and not look up for a long time after that. But in my dream there was one woman who camped in the presence of God. She lived there. She reached up with great regularity and accessed what God made available to her. And the result? Her life glowed with the power made available from on high.

I woke up from my nap absolutely stunned. As I snuggled in my bed for just a while longer, I pondered this vivid dream, and the Lord whispered this across my heart, 'Most of My people only scratch the surface of what I've made available to them.'

Isn't Susie wonderful? Of course, she would probably prefer that I say, "Isn't God, working through Susie, wonderful?" ;) She is always quick to give God credit for the good she is able to accomplish. Either way, I hope her words inspire you, like they do me. For the rest of her post, go here.

God's blessings on you, mommies, as you continue to daily muster the energy to serve your families. :) Moms, May you not grow weary in doing what is right, for at the proper time, your family will reap a harvest. Love you all. Thank you for visiting our site today.

Last Day for the Give-Away!

2011-01-13T11:04:00.000-08:00

Don't forget to take this last day to enter our give-away for a Pampered Chef Covered Baker!
Just look at this lovely piece of kitchen equipment!

To enter the give-away, which ends and is announced tonight, click here!
Many Blessings,
The MPM's

Wednesday: Cuban Chicken Tacos, Black Beans and Rice

2011-01-12T08:06:00.000-08:00

This recipe has been quite a project! After going through several Cuban recipes, I was able to determine the main ingredients needed to make a Cuban marinade. After several trips to different stores in one day (looking for different ingredients!), I was finally able to come up with this recipe... and I LOVE IT! Try it out and let me know what you think!

Here is what you need:

1 lb cooked & shredded chicken (check out our how to: cook a crock pot chicken; it is exactly how I got my shredded chicken), 1 can of black beans, corn tortillas, orange juice, white rice, 3 cloves garlic, not pictured: red hot sauce, salt, olive oil, lemon juice

shredded cheese, cilantro, tomatoes, lime, avocado (not pictured)

Step 1: Create your marinade

I cannot believe I didn't take more pictures of this process. Maybe my camera ate my photos?!

To make the marinade:

Combine in a blender: 1/2 tsp-3/4 tsp. ground cumin seed, 3 chopped garlic cloves, 1 tsp (or more depending on how spicy you like it) red hot sauce, 1/4 tsp. salt, 2 TB olive oil, 1/4 cup orange juice, 2 TB lemon juice and the juice from 1/2 of a lime.

Step 2: Add Chicken, put in refrigerator and allow to marinade for 2 1/2 hours or more. (This is a good time to taste your chicken to see if you want to add more hot sauce, orange juice, lime/lemon juice.)

Step 3: Make your white rice (according to package). Then add black beans, rice, 1 tsp. Cumin and heat.

Step 4: After marinading, heat chicken up in saucepan until warm.

Step 5: Heat up Corn Tortillas in a skillet; 15 seconds each side.

Step 6: Dish up your meal:

Serve with cilantro, avocado, cheese and tomatoes. Squeeze fresh lime juice over your chicken and Enjoy!

Cost of meal for a family of 4: $6.00

Cost person: $1.50

Do you have a great Cuban recipe you love?

Leave a comment and share!

Tuesday: Black Bean and Mango Tostadas

2011-01-11T08:54:00.000-08:00

This has been a very popular meal in the past and it is perfect for beating the winter blahs! This is one of Alisha's meals.

This recipe comes from my latest All You magazine. (the May issue)

Ingredients

1 15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 scallions, white and light green parts, finely chopped (didn't add this, although I am sure it would have been great!)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 8-inch flour tortillas
6 ounces grated low-fat Monterey Jack (we used some cheddar and some mozzarella since we already had some on hand)
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced
1/4 small red onion, finely chopped (2 Tbsp.) (we used regular onion, since it's what we had)
1 tablespoon lime juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Combine beans, olive oil, scallions, chili powder and 1/2 tsp. salt in a bowl.
2. Mist a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place tortillas on sheet and spoon bean mixture on top (I added some chicken to ours and it was tasty tasty, but not completely necessary). Sprinkle with cheese. Bake until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes.
3. While tostadas are baking, combine mango, onion, lime juice and 1/4 tsp. salt in a bowl. Remove tostadas from oven, spoon mango mixture on top and serve immediately.

I made this when my mom and dad were visiting, and it was sooooo amazingly delicious!

Kitchen Notes (According to "All You" magazine):

Spice it up. If you like more heat, use pepper Jack cheese instead of plain Monterey Jack.
Swap salsas. Don't care for mango or can't find one? Sub in tomato salsa instead.
Go green. To add another layer of flavor, sprinkle on some chopped avocado and fresh cilantro after assembling.
Put in more fruit. Mango gives the dish a touch of sweetness. Substitute or add chopped papaya, pineapple or kiwi for even more of a tropical taste.
Try another base. We used small flour tortillas for these tostadas, but you can use corn tortillas if you prefer.

Monday: Chicken Penne Pasta with Basil and Tomatoes

2011-01-10T09:03:00.003-08:00

This is one of my absolute FAVORITE summer meals. It is light, uses fresh veggies and can be served a variety of ways.

*Sorry about the lack of pictures here! I was making this meal for a church potluck and forgot to take my camera to church with me to take final pictures!

Here is what you need:

5 Basil leaves, 1 tomato, 1/2-1 lb baked chicken
Not pictured: Balsamic Vinaigrette, Parmesan Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese, 1 box Penne Pasta

Step 1: Bake your chicken. I baked mine in the oven at 350 for 20 min.

Step 2:

Cook your pasta and drain

Step 3: Chop your basil leaves and tomatoes

Step 4: Combine diced chicken, penne, basil leaves, tomatoes, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette, 1 cup mozzarella cheese in a 9x13 pan

Step 5: Top with more mozzarella cheese

Step 6: Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until warm and cheese is melted

Step 7: Serve!

Another variation on this dish is to mix all the ingredients (minus the Parmesan cheese) when the pasta is still warm and serve without baking.

This meal is great for lunch, dinner and potlucks.

Cost of Meal for a family of 4: $5.00

Cost per person: $1.25

Extended Give Away!

2011-01-10T09:03:00.002-08:00

HI All,

We are extending the give-away because I have been under the weather and did not get all the information out as we usually do...this means more chances to win a wonderful gift from Pampered Chef! The Give-Away will run until Thursday night! We will announce the winner Thursday evening as well.

To enter this give-away click here!

best Wishes,

The MPM's

I wish it was Summer... Meal Plan

2011-01-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

Winter has been here way too long... already! We have only had one large snowfall here in the Central Illinois area, but I am craving some good time outside in the sunshine! Not only am I missing the sunshine, I am missing the light summer foods that we enjoy during the warmer seasons. Therefore, I am going to bring a bit of summer to my winter doldrums.

Here is a look back at some of my favorite summer dishes that I will be adding to my meal plan this week!

Dinner Menu

Chicken Penne with Basil, Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Black Bean and Mango Tostadas

Cuban Chicken, Corn Tortillas and Fresh Pico de Gallo

Pancakes with a wonderful fruit topping, eggs and sausage

Crockpot pulled Pork Bar-b-que with sweet corn

Snack Ideas

Green Smoothies (Have we seriously not posted this before?! I can't find it in our archives... it's about time!)

Frozen Peanut Butter Bananas

Applesauce and Crispy Cinnamon wedges

Hummus

Katie's Apple and Carrot Muffins (also great for breakfast!)

Pampered Chef Guest Post and Give Away!

2011-01-06T13:18:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends,

We are bringing in the new year with a great give away for you straight from the Radginski family and their wonderful Pampered Chef business.

Take it away Sara~

First of all, I want to thank the Meal Planning Mommies for allowing me to write a guest-post, and I am thrilled to offer an amazing giveaway! My husband and I have worked together for the past year to make our business with the Pampered Chef a success, and I am going to share a couple of the recipes that are go-to’s for us when we need a fast, easy, cheap, delicious meal! (And who doesn’t want one of those??)

One of the reasons I love the Pampered Chef is their strong belief that families come together during meals, and their mission of providing quality tools that can help get home-cooked meals on the table each night. A product that has helped us accomplish this the most is the Deep Covered Baker, a piece from our Stoneware collection. The Deep Covered Baker (aka the “Magic Pot” or even our “Crock Pot on Steroids”) has so many uses (oven or microwave), and has saved us so much time and money in the kitchen! Many of the recipes I share with our customers can feed families for about $2 per serving!

How would you like to be able to cook a Pork Tenderloin in 10 minutes – in the microwave? Or chicken fajitas in 15 minutes? Or a chocolate peanut butter cake in 10? One of my favorite parts about this tool is that you can do just that; create easy meals in the microwave without having to stand over the stovetop watching and waiting! Other things you can make include soups, pastas, casseroles, and even an entire chicken…in 30 minutes (in the microwave)!

I was skeptical at first too. Microwave meat? But this tool made me a believer! The lid on the baker helps retain moisture in the foods you cook, so the meat turns out beautifully. Or, you can use it without the lid for roasting in the oven (or for making that chocolate peanut butter cake!).

Here are two recipes that sold me on the baker, and are great for quick dinners, as I usually have the ingredients on hand!

Chicken Fajitas

1 yellow or white onion

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell peppers

1 pkg. (1-2 lbs.) chicken tenderloins or breasts (not breaded); thawed

1 Tbsp. Chipotle seasoning

1/2 block cheddar cheese (about 4 oz)

6-inch flour tortillas

1 bunch fresh cilantro (optional)

1) Using the Ultimate Mandoline, slice 1 med onion & put in the bottom of baker. Cut the red & green bell peppers into LARGE* pieces using the Forged Cutlery Santoku Knife; place in baker over onions.

2) Place thawed chicken tenders on top of pepper pieces. Sprinkle the Chipotle Rub over chicken using the Adjustable Measuring Spoon. Put the lid on the Deep Covered Baker & put in the Microwave for 15 minutes. (Depending on the microwave you use, it may take a little longer, just check it and make sure the chicken temperature reads on the Pocket Thermometer (R) done for Chicken)!

3) While it is in the Microwave, grate the block of cheese with the Rotary Grater. Place tortillas in Rice Cooker Plus & heat for 1 minute. Snip fresh Cilantro with Kitchen Shears in one of the Prep Bowls.

4) When the timer goes off, take the Deep Covered Baker out of the Microwave using Silicone Hot Pads. Remove lid carefully, HOT steam!!! Take the Salad Choppers & cut up all the peppers, onion, & chicken in the Deep Covered Baker. Use the Chef Tongs to serve with & squeeze the juice out with them!

5) Take a flour tortilla, top with chicken/onion/pepper mixture & enjoy!

*The great thing about this recipe is that you don’t have to cut the peppers and onions much AT ALL, because you use the Salad Choppers to shred everything at the end! So it’s really fast!

Reese's Chocolate 10 Min Microwave Cake

1 chocolate cake mix + ingredients to make cake

1 tub chocolate frosting (not whipped kind)

1 small container creamy peanut butter

1) Mix up cake mix with ingredients to make cake in Deep Covered Baker using Bamboo Spoon or Mix n Scraper .

2) Using Stainless Scoop, scoop 8 scoops of peanut butter on top of batter. Finish with entire tub of tub of chocolate frosting on top of batter. (approx 12 scoops). Do not mix in.

3) Cook 10 mins in microwave with lid off (turntable on). Enjoy!

If you aren’t a chocolate fan, use these ingredients for a great cake instead:

*Any type fruit pie filling (approx 21 ounce can)

*Any flavor cake mix

*1 stick real butter

Example: Cherry Chocolate Cake

Can Cherry Pie filling (spread on bottom of baker)

Chocolate cake mix (dry) sprinkled over filling

Drizzle with 1 stick REAL butter (melted)

Microwave for 10 minutes, stir, then microwave 2 minutes more! Enjoy!

Another great thing is that our stoneware does not retain flavors or odors…so you could have a chicken fajita dinner, rinse out the baker, and then make the cake in the same baker with no aftertaste!

The Deep Covered Baker usually retails for $85. I know, it’s expensive, I have heard that before!! But I will tell you that we use it about every other night in our house, and for $2 per serving recipes, it has more than made up for that cost (especially considering how much we used to eat out! ). Now we are enjoying more time in our kitchen, experimenting and creating great meals.

YOU have a chance to earn one of these for FREE from us!

There are four ways to enter:

Send Sara and email at radcooks@gmail.com with the subject line “DCB Giveaway”. Not only will you get an entry in the drawing, but I will email you back with 70+ recipes you can make in the Deep Covered Baker!! That way you can really see all it has to offer.

Post a Comment on MPM letting us know you sent your email!

Blog about this give-away and shoot us the link!

Facebook about this give-away and let us know you did!

That is FOUR ways to enter this great give-away! Drawing will be held on Sunday evening, January 9th!

Good luck!!

A Classic Revisited: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

2011-01-05T19:34:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends,

One of my goals over the next few months is to revisit old recipes on Meal Planning Mommies that I used to make prior to switching to whole foods and post them once again the way that I would prepare them now. Switching to whole foods does not mean giving up your favorites, it simply may require you to plan and prepare the dish in a different manner. You may even find that you really enjoy the taste of the change!

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup. It is an American classic. It is our movie picnic night go-to. It is warm, soothing, perfect. And, here is a way to make it nourishing and whole.

Each week I make a stock. Usually on Mondays. This way I can use the meat during the week in different dishes and the stock for various things such as flavoring potatoes and cooking rice. I also use the stock for two soups per week. Stock, done correctly, is incredibly nutritious.Stock has minerals, electrolytes, and hydrophilic colloids which aid greatly in digestion. But~ this is an entirely different post all together and I am off track! Back to Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup!

Rather than canned tomato soup or even a previous homemade version of tomato soup may I suggest giving the Mexican Soup recipe from the Nourishing Traditions cook-book a try. We have found it a great alternative to regular tomato soup and a nice way to include more stock in our diet.

Mexican Soup:
2 Quarts Chicken Stock
1 Cup Tomato Paste
4 Cloves mashed garlic
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Sea Salt

With this delicious and nutritious tomato based soup we also have....you guessed it...grilled cheese.

Sprouted Grain or Soaked Whole Grain Bread
Butter
Raw Milk Cheddar Cheese
Avocado (Momma likes this on hers, I am the only one in my family that adds this!)

Serve, dip, enjoy!

Meal Plan: Potato Ideas

2011-01-05T04:38:00.000-08:00

One of the key components of meal planning, especially on a budget, is figuring out creative ways of using the same ingredients in more than one meal during a week. This week I purchased good baking potatoes at our fish market, which sells local produce.

With one pound of potatoes I did the following:

Beefy Bakes (A full meal)
Crock Pot Potato Soup (A full meal)
Homemade Potato Chips (Sidedish)
Breakfast Potatoes (Saturday breakfast side)
Mashed Potatoes (Sidedish)
Mashed Potato Pancakes (Lunch side)

First, I began with Beefy Bakes. While I went ahead and had the oven on I baked all of the potatoes that I would need for both the beefy bakes and the soup. This saved some energy and made preparation for the soup much simpler.

The potato chips went along with a relaxed dinner of homemade chicken nuggets.
The mashed potatoes went with delicious chicken and dumplings meal.
The next day I made potato pancakes with the leftover mashed potatoes. We had just two left which I made into breakfast potatoes on Saturday along with scrambled eggs.

So, two fulls meals and four sides....not bad!

Beefy Bakes:

Beefy bakes are potatoes that are "twice baked" and shoved full of delicious goodies! Bake your potatoes as normal. Go ahead and throw in extra potatoes for crock pot potato soup later in the week!
As your potatoes are baking good some meat. We like to use grass fed beef or nitrate free bacon.
When your potatoes are ready slice them open and remove the potato gently from the skin. Set the skin aside, you will use them again. In a big bowl mix the potato with some cream cheese or butter or both. You can salt and pepper it too. Place the mixed potato back into the skins, top with cheese and your meat. Place back into the oven for about ten minutes. While the potatoes are finishing chop up tomatoes, avocado, onions, or anything else you might like on top! Pile it high, serve with sour cream, and eat skin and all.

Katie's Crock Pot Potato Soup:
This recipe is one of those that I am not exactly sure how I do each time. I just know that we love it. Here are the basics.
1. Removed potato from previously baked potatoes. Place into the crock pot.
2. Add chicken stock.
Cook the above together for several hours. Stir occasionally. The potatoes can be mushed up and will become nice and soft and soupy.
3. Add some cream.
4. Sprinkle with cheese.
Eat!

Weekly Dips

2011-01-04T20:39:00.000-08:00

My dip loving dudes in the man fort!

Earlier I shared my weekly breakfast meal plan. I do not officially meal plan for lunch. In general we munch on leftovers, raw fruits/veggies, and stick to some pretty basic lunches. I do not buy a lot of lunch items, but a few. I like to keep sprouted grain tortillas in the fridge as they are helpful in creating easy nutritious lunches.

Sarah is really good with lunch planning. She has running lists of great lunch ideas for her kids. Hopefully she will be sharing soon!! I know she has been talking about sharing this idea for a long while.

Something I do weekly that does help with lunch meal planning (as well as snacking) is dip making. Each Sunday night I soak some kind of beans in preparation for making a bean dip. I am not terribly creative, so this typically is black bean dip or hummus.

On Monday I make the dip and we eat it little by little throughout the week, especially now that we are all out of our canned salsa. Making a weekly dip is a fantastic way to get beans into the diet and then you always have something to serve with crackers or veggies in case company comes over last minute!

HUMMUS RECIPE

BLACK BEAN DIP

I am really looking for some new dip ideas that use beans or legumes. If you have a dip to share please pass it on. We would love to feature your recipe on MPM!

Breakfast Meal Planning

2011-01-04T05:31:00.000-08:00

Good Morning

Hi Friends,

Although we do not usually post meal planning for breakfast and lunch I thought that it might be helpful for me to share my typical breakfast meal plan. Take my family back a year and a half ago and my breakfast meal plan was frankly whatever cereal we happened to have found on sale. On weekends we would roll out the red carpet with pancakes or scrambled eggs. We now eat a lot less boxed cereal for both budget and health reasons.

I never knew that ditching the routine boxed cereal could save us money on our grocery budget.
It has, but only because we have been able to stick to a fairly simple breakfast plan.

So, here we go.

It is Sunday night. The kids are in bed. I am bummed that my husband has to go back to work as I like to have him home with us. Just a few moments before I go to bed I toss ingredients for whole grain blender pancakes into my blender, turn it on and let is soak over night. I set the griddle out on the counter as well. Come morning I only have to add egg and warm the syrup/honey and we are ready to go with hot pancakes in under five minutes.

It is Monday night. I may not know what tomorrow will bring in detail, but I have breakfast planned! During the day today I have made muffins of some kind and we will have them for breakfast tomorrow along with mega green kefir smoothies.

It is Tuesday night. I put two cups of oatmeal in glass bowl, fill the bowl with water, and add a few tablespoons of kefir. Its soaks overnight and I cook it come morning. This makes our very busy Wednesday mornings a breeze, plus fills us up with hearty breakfast.

It is Wednesday night. No preparation for tonight unless we need bread made. I am only making our bread occasionally now as I found that my health food store gives fantastic clearances on day old loaves. Morning will be eggs scrambled with raw cheddar cheese and toast.

It is Thursday night. Using the pancake recipe again I prepare everything in the blender, but come morning I will make waffles rather than pancakes. I also take out of the freezer/pantry whichever fruit we will have on top of the waffles. This might be peaches, blackberries or apples.

Over the weekend: I rely on my husband more for breakfast help as he does not have to get up and go! He likes to make sausage and bacon along with whatever we have. I sometimes makes Sailor Jacks, bagels, or doughnuts as a Saturday morning treat. We may also have crepes or casseroles, but that is more of the "when guests are here" breakfast.

A couple of notes:

I do keep at least one box/bag of cereal in the pantry for two reasons. First, there are ALWAYS days when the planned breakfast just does not happen and we lean back on the cereal. Second, my family likes cereal so having it in place of a planned breakfast every now and then is a fun change.

In the summer, once a week, I take my boys out for breakfast at a little cafe in our downtown area. This is a tradition I began a year ago and I hope to keep up long into the future.

I do most of my preparation at night so that our mornings can be simple.

I serve either small green smoothie or a piece of fruit at each breakfast.

Since most of my breakfast meals are using the same basic ingredients (grain, egg, fruit, kefir) it is easy for me to always have on hand that which I need and this gives a very consistent budget.

I am choosing to share this not to gloat or make anyone think I have it all together. Heaven sakes, it is the opposite! This breakfast plan was my answer because I do not have it all together! I knew that if we were going to do whole foods the affordable way (from scratch) that planning and routine was going to be a must!

And, the most important.....at night before I go to bed I make sure the coffee is ready for me in the morning, cause I am a gonna need it!

One of my little dudes!

Happy Birthday, Alisha!

2011-01-03T12:03:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to our very own, Alisha Hughes!

Everybody with me now... "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday - dear Alisha..... Happy Birthday to you!"

To our dearest friend who always finds a way to make us laugh, who is always only a phone call away when we need to talk and who always takes the time to serve her family through her amazing cooking!

We love you!

Monday: Homemade Pizza (Whole Foods Style)

2011-01-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Almost any meal that your family enjoys, if not already, can be turned into a whole foods meal with a little bit of tweeking. Ever since our first month of marriage we have held a special place in our tummies for homemade pizza. My dad gave us a pizza kit four our wedding, the hubby put it together ready for me when I came home from work, and bam....tradition stuck.

We have come along way since that first pizza. And, not just in the taste of the pizza.

Pizza can fairly simply be turned ":whole" by using good ingredients and doing much of the preparation yourself.

I am going to share with you our most recent crust recipe. It is modified from one of my very favorite cookbooks: King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking.

The CRUST:

This crust is nice because if you have a sourdough started you can use it in this recipe. If you do not have a sourdough started you can pre-ferment your dough the day before.
To pre-ferment put one cup of whole grain flour, a tsp yeast, and 1/2 cup of cold water into a bowl and let sit overnight. If using your sourdough starter simply use of cup of this~ easy breezy!

Now, that the pre-ferment is finished we can move on.
Add one cup of sourdough to a mixer. Gently beat in:
1 1/4 cups of cold water
1 cup of cornmeal
1 cup of barley flour
1 cup whole wheat or kamut flour
2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp yeast

At this point I needed to add just a bit more water to create a rather wet dough. You may have to as well. After mixing gently to blend let this sit, covered, for about 30 minutes.
Flour a surface, use a bit of olive oil too, and fold the dough which will build its strength. Fold it and then let is sit again for another thirty minutes. Fold again. And let sit for an hour.
Roll out for your pizza.
Let it rest for a moment and then bake it in the oven for 5-7 minutes BEFORE adding your toppings.

Yum!

*Normally I soak my grains. This recipe (apart from the sourdough) is not soaked. I am going to play around with that and will let you know when I get a good usable recipe!

Use a homemade sauce or a well made jar of sauce. Raw cheese is a divine topping. I like veggies on mine and my husband...well...he goes with bacon every time. The following pictures are action shots of my husband making the pizza. He is the pizza man around here and it is so good every time!


The first dough, brushed with EVOO and garlic.


The second dough made into stuffed crust!


Yum.

Sourdough Starter (2)

2011-01-02T19:15:00.000-08:00

I introduced you to Hershel on this morning. He is our sourdough monster.
We like him. He gives us hot sourdough crackers every day. And, a daily experiment with science for my kids. Here is the science. Sourdough is a mixture of grains and water, that with time ferment producing an inviting home for wild yeast and lactobacillus (good bacteria!).
At first the starter is weak, not suitable for bread. For with time and care, it grows in strength and makes fantastic bread/bakery items. Sourdough has been around for thousands of years when it was used not only for baking, but to make fermented beverages. It was also widely used by pioneer woman who baked in crude stone ovens.

I like thinking that I am making something that has sustained life for thousands of years, it makes me feel connected to a much bigger food history than what is presented at modern day grocery stores. Sourdough is significant. And old. And from one batch of starter you can continue making more...and more...and more....

You can make your own sourdough somewhat simply. It just takes a little bit of time and consistency. I am not ready to share how to do this from start as this time around I used a packet starter that I picked up from our natural food store. You can use these, but you certainly do not have too. I used Gold Rush Sourdough Starter. Cost: $1.50

To begin, I added the starter (which does not contain commercial yeast and that is important!) to one cup of freshly ground wheat and one cup of water. I let it sit for four hours and then fed it. To feed it I removed one cup, and added back into it equal parts water and more grain. Four hours later I did this again.

I feed my monster every day. This means removing one cup of starter each time. Thus far, my starter is doing fantastic. Growing, Rising, Falling, Bubbling. I am using my one cup for crackers each morning as my starter is not ready yet for more serious baking.

Here are a few resources for making your own sourdough. I have had good luck with the packet starter, but my next attempt will be from scratch.

1. Gnowfglins Sourdough E-Course (Looks terrific!)
2. Starting a Starter Instructions
3. Wild Yeast Blog

You do not need the sourdough starter packet to make your own sourdough at all. I had already purchased the packet and simply wanted to use it up. Next week, I will share step by step how to make the starter with grain and liquid alone.

Our New Addition...

2011-01-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

Blue balloons? Pink Streamer?
Our new addition, that we are caring for and feeding, is actually our sourdough monster!

We named him Hershel.

Meal Planning Mommies readers and friends meet Hershel.

I began him three days ago and thus far he is healthy and alive. Sourdough is alive, which is an incredibly intriguing fact to the boys in my house~ husband included.

This week I am going to talk with you about sourdough.
How to make it.
What to do with it.

I am not an expert, at all. In fact, this is my very first sourdough monster. I have wanted to try sourdough all year and was always way to intimidated. Last week I made the plunge though and gotta tell you, its not as intimidating as it seems. At all. In fact, Hershel is pretty darn easy to care for. And...well...he tastes great too.

Three days old and already Hershel has become a part of the family. Looking forward to sharing my sourdough journey with you and hopefully hearing back some helpful hints!

Turkey Cream Cheese Roll-Ups

2010-12-31T04:00:00.000-08:00

Appetizer Idea

Cream cheese
Turkey slice
Green Onion
Roll, and cut.
Enjoy.

Calypso Club Sandwich Ring

2010-12-30T06:00:00.000-08:00

Another super recipe from Pampered Chef...my most favorite sandwich...

Ingredients:

2	packages (11 ounces each) refrigerated French bread dough
1	egg white, lightly beaten
1/2	teaspoon sesame seeds
1/3	cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1	tablespoon Dijon mustard
2	teaspoons honey
1	medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1	medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1	small red onion, thinly sliced
2	cups thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
2	cans (8 ounces each) pineapple slices in juice, drained
6	ounces thinly sliced 96% fat-free deli smoked ham
4	ounces thinly sliced reduced-fat Swiss cheese

Directions:
1.	Preheat oven to 350°F. Place bread dough, seam side down, on Large Round Stone. Join ends of dough together to form one large ring. Using Serrated Bread Knife, make eight diagonal cuts, 1/2 inch deep, on top of dough.
2.	Brush egg white over dough using Pastry Brush; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake 26-30 minutes or until deep golden brown. Immediately remove bread to Stackable Cooling Rack; cool completely.
3.	Combine mayonnaise, mustard and honey in Small Batter Bowl; mix until well blended. Using Ultimate Slice & Grate fitted with v-shaped blade, slice bell peppers and onion. Thinly slice lettuce using Chef's Knife.
4.	To assemble sandwich, cut bread in half horizontally using Serrated Bread Knife. Place bottom half of bread on large serving platter. Spread half of the mayonnaise mixture over cut side of bottom half of bread; top with pineapple slices. Arrange ham and cheese evenly over pineapple; layer with half of the bell pepper slices. Top with lettuce, remaining bell pepper slices and onion slices. Spread remaining mayonnaise mixture over cut side of bread top; place over bottom half. Cut into wedges.
Yield: 8 servings Nutrients per serving: Calories 340 (25% from fat), Total Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 3.5 g, Cholesterol 15 mg, Carbohydrate 48 g, Protein 16 g, Sodium 900 mg, Fiber 3 g Diabetic exchanges per serving: 3 starch, 1 medium-fat meat, 1/2 fat (3 carb) Cook’s Tips: The bread ring can be baked up to 1 day ahead of time. Cool completely, wrap securely in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Tangy Bacon Wraps

2010-12-30T04:00:00.000-08:00

This is what it looks like, in my house, when I attempt to make a meal...
Itty bittys at my feet. Okay, now on to the recipe...
This is a great recipe from Pampered Chef. LOVE these!!!

Ingredients:

2	cans (8 ounces each) whole water chestnuts (30 chestnuts), drained
1	package (2.1 ounces) fully cooked bacon slices (15 slices)
1/2	cup packed brown sugar
1/2	cup ketchup

1	tablespoon cider vinegar
1	teaspoon Dijon mustard
2	garlic cloves, pressed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line Medium Bar Pan with an 11-inch piece of Parchment Paper; set aside. Drain water chestnuts using small Colander; set aside. Cut bacon slices crosswise in half using Kitchen Shears. Wrap bacon slice around each water chestnut; secure with a wooden pick.
In (2-qt.) Saucepan, combine brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, mustard and garlic pressed with Garlic Press. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat to medium-low and cook 5 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
Carefully dip each wrapped water chestnut into sauce; gently tap against edge of saucepan to remove excess sauce and place on pan. Bake 18-20 minutes or until sauce is thick and darkened. Remove pan from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack. Carefully remove water chestnuts to serving platter. Serve warm.

Yield: 30 appetizers

Nutrients per serving: Light (3 appetizers): Calories 100, Total Fat 2.5 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Carbohydrate 17 g, Protein 3 g, Sodium 260 mg, Fiber 2 g

Diabetic exchanges per serving (3 appetizers): 1 starch, 1/2 fat (1 carb)

Cook’s Tips: Fully cooked bacon slices are a convenient food product for people on the go. They can be found in the deli section by the other packaged meats at most grocery stores. If you cannot find fully cooked bacon slices, cook and drain 15 slices of uncooked bacon and proceed as recipe directs.

Lining your Stoneware with Parchment Paper makes cleanup a breeze.

Easy BBQ weinies

2010-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1 lb cocktail wieners
1 cup bbq sauce
1 cup grape jelly
1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)

Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 2 hrs or place all ingredients in large pot and cook on low for 1 hour.
That's it. Easy peasy!!

Mini Cinnamon Christmas Tree Rolls

2010-12-28T04:00:00.000-08:00

2 CANS CRESCENT ROLLS
2 TBS BUTTER
¼ C SUGAR
1 TSP CINNAMON
½ C RED/GREEN MARASCHINO CHERRIES, DRAINED AND CHOPPED
¾ C POWDERED SUGAR
1-2 TSP MILK

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375. UNROLL 1 PKG OF DOUGH ON 9X13 CUTTING BOARD. ROLL DOUGH TO SEAL PERFORATIONS. SPREAD 1 TABLESPOONFUL BUTTER EVENLY OVER DOUGH.
COMBINE SUGAR AND CINNAMON AND SPRINKLE HALF OF MIXTURE OVER DOUGH.
SPRINKLE HALF OF CHOPPED CHERRIES OVER SUGAR ON DOUGH. STARTING AT SHORT END, ROLL UP AS A JELLY ROLL TO MAKE 9“ LONG ROLL. WITH SERRATED KNIFE, CUT ROLL CROSSWISE INTO ¾” SLICES TO MAKE 12 SLICES. REPEAT WITH REMAINING DOUGH AND INGREDIENTS.
PLACE SLICES, CUT SIDE DOWN, ON BAKING STONE TO FORM A TREE. BEGIN 2" FROM EDGE OF STONE BY PLACING 1 SLICE FOR TOP TO 6 SLICES FOR BASE, USING THE REMAINING SLICES FOR THE TRUNK. BAKE 20-25 MINUTES OR UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN.

FOR GLAZE:

MIX POWDERED SUGAR AND MILK UNTIL SMOOTH; DRIZZLE OVER WARM ROLLS.

Serve and smile.

Vegetable-Cheddar Stata

2010-12-28T00:00:00.000-08:00

This is an All You recipe. Start this one the night before, so all you have to do is pop it in the oven in the morning. ENJOY!!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 scallions, white and light-green parts only, chopped
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
5 whole-wheat English muffins, split, toasted and quartered
2 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat sharp Cheddar
8 large eggs
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce, optional

Preparation

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm oil. Add scallions, sprinkle with salt and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add garlic, bell pepper and broccoli; cook, stirring often, until all vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

2. Mist a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange English muffin pieces on bottom of dish, cut sides up. Scatter vegetable mixture over muffins, and sprinkle with 2 cups cheese.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard and hot sauce, if desired; season generously with salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture evenly over mixture in baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

4. Let strata stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 375ºF; line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil. Remove plastic wrap from baking dish and cover with foil. Place dish on baking sheet; bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese; bake until golden and just set in center, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Let stand on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Christmas at the Hughes House

2010-12-27T23:00:00.000-08:00

I am posting the recipes I made for my mom and dad while they were here visiting. Here's some of what we had last week...

Breakfast:
Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree
Broccoli and Cheese Strata
Appetizer Tray:
Cheese and Crackers
Turkey Cream cheese roll ups
BBQ weinies
Tangy Bacon Roll ups
Calypso Club Sandwich Ring
A centerpiece that my four year old helped me make...Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer!

Babycakes: A Sweet Treat

2010-12-21T06:06:00.000-08:00

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Icing, Dipped in Chocolate... Yes Please! These babycakes are always a hit. I have taken them to potlucks, given them as gifts and use them for dessert with company. They are super easy to make, but do take a little bit of time. Definitely try these out for your a Christmas dessert or to give away to loved ones. They are worth it!

Here is what you need to make 1 batch (4 dozen) babycakes:

1 box of Red Velvet Cake, 1 jar of Cream cheese frosting and either white or milk chocolate to dip them in.

Step 1:

Make your cake using the directions on the box. I made 2 round cake pans, but a 9 x 13 pan is just fine too!

Step 2:
Wait for your cake to cool and then crumble it all up in a mixing bowl. It really is fun to crumble up a whole cake! My girls love to help at this part!

Step 3:

Put 1 container of cream cheese icing in the bowl with the cake.

Step 4:

Mix together. I used my mixer, but you could just as well crumble it all together with a spoon or your hands!

Step 5: Place bowl in refrigerator or freezer for an hour or overnight. I only put the bowl in the refrigerator for an hour. It really helps to keep the cake from sticking to your hands for the next step!

Step 6:

Place wax paper on a cookie sheet.

Step 7:

Grab a spoon and start forming cake balls!

Step 8:

Cover with foil and place in the freezer overnight. If you don't have time to freeze overnight, just stick in the freezer for another hour and you should be good to go!

When I made these, I made two batches the night before and froze overnight. The next morning I did the next step! Freezing the cake balls helps the cake to stay together so it is easier to dip in chocolate.

Step 9:

Melt your chocolate, grab a spoon (or 2!) and start dipping the babycakes into chocolate. Place them on wax paper to make it easier to take them off once they have dried. You can also use both milk and white chocolate and then drizzle the milk on white and white on milk. It makes them look a little but fancy!

I have also made these babycakes using lemon cake, cream cheese icing and white chocolate during the spring time and they were delish! You can experiment with different types of cakes and icing. I am sure anything you choose will be divine!

I would love to hear what you think about these! Leave a message and let us know how your family likes them!

Fresh Spaghetti Ala' Sarah and Katie

2010-12-21T05:52:00.000-08:00

This dish was inspired after watching "Eat, Love, Pray." There is some oh so yummy authentic Italian dishes in this movie and we were craving some Authentic Spaghetti.... so we did the only natural thing. Went to the store, made our our version of spaghetti and had a wonderful second dinner- at, oh 9:00 at night!

This is a simple recipe with few ingredients. Here is what you need for 4 people:

8 vine ripened tomatoes
1.5 oz Fresh Basil
4 Garlic Cloves
Olive Oil
1 - 13.5 box of Spaghetti

Step 1: Boil and cook your Spaghetti noodles

Step 3: Dice the tomatoes and place them in a skillet with 2 TB olive oil.

Step 4: Dice up garlic cloves and place in skillet with tomatoes

Step 5: Roll up your basil leaves and slice. Place in skillet with your sauce.

Step 6: While everything simmers and gets flavorful, top your bread slices with garlic and olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees until nice and crispy.

Step 7: Serve your hot spaghetti with your homemade Fresh Sauce, with a side of hot bread!

If you have any sauce left, it is tremendous on top of your bread. Very similar to bruschetta!

Open Faced Tacos

2010-12-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

If you are a toppings lover, like me and always get frustrated b/c there is just not enough room in a taco shell to fit all of your beloved tomatoes, guacomole, sour cream, salsa, cheese, olives etc. You will love the open faced taco! You can pile all of your toppings on top, as many as you want- the sky is the limit!

Enjoy this meal and spice it up in your own way for your family. Let us know how it goes!

Here is what you need for a family of 4:

1 lb ground beef, cheese, taco shells, taco seasoning, *refried beans, *tomato, *sour cream, *lettuce, *taco sauce and *mexican rice (*Optional ingredients. Choose what your family loves!) You may have some great leftover toppings from your chop salad yesterday. If you want to make a meatless meal, the ground beef could totally be omitted and you could use the refried beans as your base.

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350. Then, brown the hamburger and drain Isn't my husband great? He is my offical meat browner, he does it so well!

Step 2: Add the taco seasoning and follow directions on the packet for cooking

Step 3: If you are choosing to make rice as a side dish, start this now.

Step 4: Break taco shells into 2 separate parts and place on a cookie sheet. At first I tried cutting these with scissors and although it works that way, it works just as well to break them with your hands. I placed my thumb in the crevice of the shell and slowly worked my way down the shell break it into two. If you break one or two, nobody will know! Toss it in a baggie to use as a scooper later on for your toppings!

Step 5: Start layering your toppings on your shell. I started with refried beans

Step 6: Then I added the ground beef and cheese. On some of the shells I omitted the beans for those who don't like them.

Step 7: Place in the oven for 7-10 minutes until the cheese is all melted and everything is warmed up!

Step 8: After they are warmed up, add your PILE of toppings and your rice to the side. No Fork needed! Simply pick up the taco shell as if it were a nacho chip and eat away!

Even my 2 1/2 year old daughter loved this idea and was able to eat with ease.

Notice it was a paper plate night for us tonight. Gotta have those nights every once in awhile to give us a nice break from kitchen clean up!

I would love to know how your family responded to this meal. Let me know if you tried it or are planning to in the future! ~

Cost of Meal for a family of 4: $8.00
Cost per person: $2.00

Christmas Week Meal Plan

2010-12-19T01:00:00.000-08:00

6 more days until Christmas! I love Christmas time, all the lights, the parties, and all the great food. I can't believe it is almost over. This last week, you can guarantee that Christmas music will be playing around the clock and we will be sharing lots of yummy treats with family and friends.

We are blessed this Christmas because all of my siblings will be in town to celebrate together. With family coming into town starting on Monday, our small family dinners will soon turn into large family dinners! Thank goodness for my mom, she is an amazing cook and loves to cook for everyone.

Since we will most likely be eating several meals out of the house at random, unplanned times this week, instead of creating a day-to-day schedule of meals for the week, I have created a list. The list contains lunches, dinners and desserts that I have on hand to make for the nights when we are home. Maybe making a list will work for your family as well this week!

Here is what is coming up this week for Dinner:

Fresh Spaghetti 'ala Katie and Sarah

Open Faced Taco night

Cheesy Chicken, Rice and Broccoli

Tilapia with garden salad and asparagus

Pizza night

Desserts:

Red Velvet Cream Cheese Babycakes dipped in White Chocolate
My great-grandma's coffee cake recipe

Appetizers: Secret family cheese ball recipe

A Raw Foods Treat: Dates and Pecans

2010-12-16T03:09:00.000-08:00

I think the original recipe called for almonds. I did not have almonds. This was still good. So good, in fact, that I ate them like candy. And, then went and made more just so that I could continue eating them like candy. I first received this idea when a fellow Momma brought these to a Christmas party. She rolled hers in sugar. Delightful. I did not. Still delightful.

Ingredients:
Dates
Pecans (or almonds!)

Slice the date and shove the pecan inside. Eat.
Eat some more.
Eats some more.
Eat some more.
Oh, yes share some too.

ps....as of three weeks ago all I knew of dates was from Indiana Jones....remember the line, "bad dates" from when the monkey died from eating the poison dates!? No. You don't. Indy was saved from sudden death by date thanks to his friends who caught the date mid-air..still not ringing a bell? Ah, yes a dork I am indeed. Indy may have encountered bad dates, but this treat sure will convince you otherwise!