Meal Planning and a Meal Plan

Several People have asked how I do my meal plan and my grocery list. So this week, I am giving you BOTH! I am sharing with you my FREE PRINTABLE meal plan and grocery list, my meal plan with links to recipes is below AND I'm sharing my personal meal plan and grocery list!

So, here's a couple pictures, one blank and one in progress. Then I'll give you my steps!

In Progress

Blank

Weekly Meal Planning Step by Step Guide:

First, I check my calendar. I use an Erin Condren Life Planner, to keep track of all the things going on at my house. I find that doing this BEFORE meal planning generally means that I don't plan a complicated meal on a busy night or after I've had a day that really is not conducive to cooking. It also means that I can check for when I might have time to do prep work the night before and I can put it in my calendar when I need to.

Second, I talk to my kids about what things they like to see on the meal plan. My little ones generally want the same things, but my big kids have started exploring Pinterest and watch the Food Network now and again and they have shown an interest in branching out! It also helps them feel more involved in what we're eating and doing when they get to help make the plan.

Third, we check the cabinets and the refrigerator. Maybe what you want is already in your house. Maybe something strikes you as sounding wonderful! Or maybe you realize you shouldn't buy that snack anymore because no one is eating it... No matter what, checking the pantry, fridge and freezer is a smart thing to do before moving forward.

Fourth, I gather the recipes and start planning out my meals and groceries. I do it all on one sheet. It's here and this helps me make sure that I don't get too much or not enough. Or, if I'm using half and half creamer, for example, I know I don't need the whole container that is purchased, so I may check for another recipe to use up that last little bit rather than have it go bad in the fridge.

Finally, I check the coupons and the circulars for sales!!! Chicken was on sale week before last for 39 cents per pound!!! So I got 20 pounds. So last week and this week have been lots and lots of chicken. Which obviously means, this week is.....chicken!

Here's my meal plan and grocery list.

And here are all the links to all the recipes!

Monday:
BBQ Chicken
Macaroni and Cheese
Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower

Tuesday:
Shredded Chicken Tacos with fixings!

Wednesday:
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Veggie Stir Fry
White Rice

Thursday:
Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Casserole

Friday:
Leftover Baked Potato Bar

Saturday:
Burgers and Hot Dogs
Fries

Sunday:
Beef Stroganoff
Salad

How's your week shaping up?

Making things and teaching...well, myself

Today was an interesting one. 

We just came back from fall break and I forgot to finish all of my planning for when we returned. (I was also late with my meal planning yesterday...)

So today I mapped out this week and then the rest of the 2nd quarter! I then proceeded to write the pretests, reviews, chapter tests, semester exam study guide and the semester exam! Then, I went through my files from last year and figured out what I would be yang again today. I also managed to photocopy the project instructions for this quarter. Not to mention, I got TONS of grades put in the computer! Whew! 

Know what we call this? Progress!!!

So this afternoon I met a mommy friend for a play date. Mostly to hide from my laundry, but also for our kids to play. 

See? 

Wouldn't you want to hide from that?!?

 While at the park, we commiserated over small babies, getting back into working out and trying to lose baby weight. I got some great feedback and shared some of my ideas for the blog. I'm thinking of sharing my breastfeeding tips, writing a workbook/planner of things to do for yourself/kiddo kind of like a book of yearly checklists, and (maybe) sharing some of my more personal tips regarding being married for 14+ years. Some days are great and some days well, they just aren't. 

I have found though that approaching parenting like teaching really helps. One piece of this, I discussed last week when I said that I had gone to the bank and was told to start by setting small goals. Well, guess what? I had a list of to-do's and one of them has already paid off!!

So, don't try and do all your laundry at the same time. But maybe set a goal for a load a day? What great tips do you have for managing it all? 

A day late and a dollar short

So, I was supposed to post this meal plan yesterday...buuuuuut, my internet and my computer decided not to talk to each other...

So, here's the meal plan, a day late and a dollar short.

And just a warning, it's very carb heavy because we have a swim meet coming up...and you need carbs stored up for a swim meet...

Sunday: Meatball Subs and Country Salad (we used the meatball recipe from Spaghetti and Meatballs; see recipe on friday.)

Monday: BLTs and grilled cheese; what's your favorite way to make this classic? I'm planning to try adding some cut up pepper slices to mine!

Tuesday: Pan-seared chicken, mac-n-cheese and green bean casserole

Wednesday: beef and broccoli stir-fry with rice. I've really wanted to try this and I'm excited. If you try this recipe too, please let me know what you think!!

Thursday: We are headed to out to dinner with my cousin to talk race day prep for my daughter's first Half Marathon!!!

Friday: Spaghetti and Meatballs, green beans, bread

Saturday: This is swim meet day 1, I'm planning on sandwiches and leftovers because we will also be going to a Halloween pumpkin carving party. I'm bringing corn dip.

Sunday: This may also be a leftover/chill day...because Swim Meet weekends make me really tired. (Let's just face the reality of this...I use paper plates to avoid much clean-up and I find making dinner after a swim meet is tiring on top of being tired and I'll probably have a decent amount of clean-up to do around my house. So, yeah...)

Shabbat and a Budget

So, I was going to spend this post talking about what Shabbat is, what it means and how special it is to me and my family. Which I will do. But today was also a pretty informative day for me. Up until now, I have not really had a strong ability to mange my money well and surprisingly, I also realized I haven't managed my faith well, either.

Did I pay the bills? For the most part, yes.

But could I really say my money was "working for me"? Oh heck no, I was WORKING hard for it!

So, after my post yesterday, I decided it was time to stop acting like a victim to my money and start acting like the owner of my financial freedom. I looked up budgeting and found these articles through Google. None really connected for me...maybe one will help you.

Since those weren't really sinking in and I am constantly getting emails from my bank about utilizing some of the other services at the bank; I went to the bank today and reviewed my ENTIRE financial status with a bank associate. He was really kind about explaining things to me, showing me how to use different features of the bank's website and (most importantly) demonstrating how to set up a budget.

How does this connect to the celebration of Shabbat?

First let's start with what Shabbat is...

Shabbat, is the Jewish holiday celebrated every friday night at sundown and ending on saturday's at sundown with the Havdalah service. Shabbat is celebrated, generally with others, by sharing bread, wine and lighting shabbat candles. Prayers are said over the wine, the bread and the candles and the evening is spent sharing time and dinner with friends and/or family. Saturday is spent relaxing and rejuvenating the self for the week ahead.

Havdalah, which begins at sundown on Saturday, is the celebration of the end of shabbat and ushers in a new week. The service is spent lighting of a havdalah candle, drinking wine and smelling sweet spices.

Both services are meant to rejuvenate and remind us of our connection to each other, to ourselves and to G-d. Some rabbis suggest setting religious or faith goals for the week. The intention is for you to think about the services, the time spent with others and your actions and interactions. Lately though, much like my financial income and outcome, religiously, I was mostly going through the motions, and not connecting with the core values of my faith, or for that matter, my family.

I could share all sorts of things about what the holidays were, what you needed to participate and what foods were traditionally eaten at the time, but the real meaning for our weekly shabbat, was not sinking in. Writing about the holidays over the last few weeks had started to make me feel more connected.

So, today, after I left the bank, I realized that money management is just like your faith management. The two take energy, practice and faith. You must put forth energy to control what is happening around you; how are you spending your time, your energy, your spirituality and your money? What practices are you participating in to enrich your life? How are you practicing good stewardship of your wallet, your heart, your faith and your family? What faith are you investing in yourself, in your family and in G-d?

I know this may have felt a bit strange. But there is something to be said for taking the time to consider these questions as they apply to your faith and financial practices.

Maybe you won't be financially rich any time soon, but I can promise that you will easily be faithly rich in family, in self and possibly in a different type of relationship with your own spiritual G-d, in whatever form you practice.

 

Before you write a meal plan...or any plan.

It may seem a bit out of order, that last week I would write about how to write a meal plan and this week, I'd write what to do before you write a meal plan...but hear me out!

If you have just started meal planning, it may feel daunting. You may have struggled before and only jumped back in because I suggested it. That's ok! There are always challenges when we are learning new things. Below are some recommendations I have for next week when you sit down to plan your meals..

1. Look in your kitchen!!
Do you have 15 cans of diced tomatoes? Let's plan some recipes that will USE the diced tomatoes! Try to make sure you have at least 2 meals that include half of the ingredients that are already in your house. It will make you use what's there and not build up a giant pile of food that needs to get eaten sitting next to a pile of leftovers that need to get eaten.

2. Make room for leftovers.
If you plan a meal for every night, you will not be able to eat ALL the leftovers! Unless your family eats every bite of every thing that you make,  there is going to be food left. Throwing it away is not economical and you can't always finish an entire lasagna for lunch! With that in mind, leave space in the schedule for a leftover night. Is it the most fun? Probably not. Practical though?

3. Build up to it.
You are not going to be on Master Chef tomorrow. I promise your children will still grow into normal functioning members of society even if you use a microwave! If you'd like to have some veggies and frozen is more practical than fresh, go with it. It's cool.

4. Make habits.
Have you noticed in your own life that you have patterns and habits? Maybe you take 3 sweet-n-low in your coffee? Swiffer the floors on thursday? These are patterns and habits. If they work well in other parts of your life, why would you not incorporate them more often? I try to do some meal prep for the next night, while I'm working on the current meal. Sometimes I even get farther ahead than that.

5. Create patterns.
Some call them theme nights, I call them patterns. My children know to expect chicken mid-week and to expect Italian-type meals on Monday. I tend to grill on the weekends and every 3-4 days, we tackle leftovers. Whatever works, you decide, but look for the things that make the process easier, not harder!

Happy Meal Planning!!

How to write a meal plan

Are you someone who says "I don't understand or I can't write a meal plan"? Do you wonder how others "stay organized"?

I find that this is something I am really good at. I can make lists, plan parties and organize spaces quickly, efficiently and (usually) get it done inexpensive. Here are a few of the tips I have for getting started on writing a meal plan of your own.

1. Make a list of things your family likes to eat.
If no one likes beef, don't include beef in your meal plan. You'll end up buying, cooking and storing leftovers of a food that will not be consumed and will go to waste. That's not beneficial.

2. Pull some recipes or look through some books or the internet for things you'd like to try.
Have you been pulling recipes from magazines and printing them off the internet because they sound good? Let's make a couple of them!

3. Get out your calendar!
Intuitively we know it is a bad idea to plan a 4 course meal on a night when all of your children have 15 things to do in 14 different places. But without our calendar, we might not know how our meals and our plans, line up.

4. Take it slow. 
Maybe just plan 2-3 meals and leave the other nights up to chance. See how it goes. I recommend that you write the meal on the calendar and put the title of the recipe next to it in your calendar. This helps you remember what comes each night and reminds you that you have an appointment with your kitchen. Going forward it may help that you have been recording this in case you are out running errands and need to get something for dinner that night or there is a change in the schedule.

5. Pick a day for grocery shopping.
The more consistent you get with meal planning, the easier it will get. The best way to be successful, is to have all of your needed ingredients when it's time to cook. It's frustrating if it is time to cook dinner and you need to run to the grocery for butter. In fact, it may make you not want to continue on the meal planning journey.

What other successes or suggestions do you have?

What other "How-To's" would be helpful to you?

October is Here!!!

I don't know about you, but I really like October. Especially the start of it! It brings with it cold and chill and PERFECT running weather. For some the excitement is PSL (aka, Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks), for others it's Target's annual fall campaign, which is PLAID this year! The weather is not so cold that you can't be outside and finally cool enough that it is acceptable to get your sweater out. At our house we are working on getting things cleaned up in our backyard so that we can have our big backyard party. In the meantime, here's what we're eating this week as we welcome in the cool air and pumpkins!

Sunday: Tonite is the first night of Sukkot. This is the Jewish Holiday which celebrates the harvest. It also happens to be a SuperMoon night!! Check this link to find out more and see it! In honor of such events, we are grilling out burgers and having homemade french fries.

Monday: Happy 3 Months of life to Georgia Waverly!!! Spaghetti and Meatballs, roasted broccoli and Country Salad.

Tuesday: I have to take Georgia to the doctor today for shots and it's supposed to be raining, so I want some comfort food today! Who's with me? Tortellini, Chicken and Veggie Casserole

Wednesday: My kids will be at Temple Israel for JYG, Jewish Youth Group, so the little girls and I will probably have a Chick-fil-a Night.

Thursday: A reprise of Sausage Alfredo Pasta, from last week, and some easy spinach.

Friday: I have been wanting some Breakfast for Dinner for a while. Tonite is pancakes, bacon, eggs and fruit salad! Share below how you do breakfast for dinner!

Saturday: Today is going to be a busy day! We have a swim meet in the morning, Fall Fest and 5k for Homecoming at my school in the afternoon, where my swim team will be selling lawn signs and my daughter is running in the Zombie 5k at Shelby Farms Park! So dinner will be easy.... brauts on the grill and some roasted fall veggies.

Here's the grocery list for this week's recipes.

Since October 4, Sunday, is the end of Sukkot, I'm hoping to take the girls to a pumpkin patch.

Time to get back to Normal Week 9/13 - 9/19

It's time for life to get back to normal! Now that Georgia is here and settled and school has started, and we are back to a routine, time to get back to regular blog posting and meal planning!

So, here we go with getting life back in order!!!

Sunday: Thankfully, Annie's Bat Mitzvah went well and the leftovers are almost all gone. Until then... Burgers and hot dogs on the grill, french fries in the oven (I use frozen ones...)

Monday: This particular meal is one that is so easy to cook and yet it feels so hearty.
Sausage, onions and potatoes on the stove "Southern Stir-Fry" and Country Salad with Apples and Honey for Dessert. Happy New Year!!! L'Shana Tova!!

Tuesday: Someone please explain to me why this is always such a classic in so many families?? For our french toast, we use the Better Home and Gardens recipe, and sub Challah for the bread needed. Trust me, it's awesome...
Breakfast for dinner!!! (grits, eggs, Challah french toast, bacon*)
*Double batch of bacon as a prep for tomorrow

Wednesday: By the middle of the week, I need to have some comfort food that just makes me feel better. Don't you? So tonite is Sandwich nite! Use your favorite grilled cheese and BLT recipe for these sandwiches!!! We use frozen tater tots. Grilled cheese, BLTs and tater tots

Thursday: We have parent/teacher conferences so tonite has to be quick and easy. Since the kids are off school tomorrow, roasted potatoes means that there is plenty to heat up for lunch.
Rotisserie chicken (pick up on the way home), spinach casserole and roasted potatoes
 be sure to cut up leftover chicken for tomorrow night

Friday: This is truly comfort Southern food at it's finest. It's mostly healthy and has plenty of substitutes to make it better for you, but overall is just yummy goodness. Homemade chicken pot pie and salad.

Saturday: We have a lot of yard work to do today to start getting ready for our annual fall party, for my birthday. I'm hoping that we get the patio well cleaned up and can eat outside.... Burgers, hot dogs and potatoes

Recipes are linked on each day and the grocery list can be found here.

Soon I'll do a post of how we prep for lunches and mornings! But for now, happy eating and planning.

Checklist Thursday: baby Things

Since I like writing lists so much, I decided from now on, every thursday would be "Checklist Thursday". Everyone needs a good list and it's always fun when it's a useful thing. I happen to be really good at making lists, and I enjoy hearing about the things that people add to my lists and even lists that other people make.

There's something really wonderful to me about making a list and being able to check things off...Don't ask me why, it's just something I really enjoy. (And yes, I have been known to add things that get done that weren't on my "to do" list, just so I can check them off!)

For my first, Checklist Thursday, I am posting my baby checklist. This is my list, other people have a different list when it comes to baby. But, this is how I operated with the 4 babies I've had. The brands have short explanations if I picked one. My choices were primarily based on functionality and really not much else. Feel free to comment or message me if you think of a list you'd like me to make and share!

Functional (AKA the Bare) Necessities: Feed 'em, change 'em, clean 'em

Diapers: here's the real info.....if they are cheap...they are cheap. Suck it up and either get Pampers or Huggies. They're honestly about the same. Huggies do slightly better overnight, if the baby sleeps through the night.

Diaper Wipes: the gentler the better. IF the ingredients include alcohol, do not buy it. If your baby has the slightest diaper rash and you use alcohol wipes, well, you should know what will happen. (Think lemon juice on a paper cut)

Diaper Rash Cream: Desitin is what we grew up on in my family...it's not bad. A&D Ointment is oily and sticky and (my opinion) smells bad. Boudreax's Butt Paste....it pretty much ROCKS!

Bottles: I prefer the Avent bottles because they have a wide opening and I find them easier to clean.

Nipples: I used the clear plastic ones because I could see if they were clean. (This becomes valuable when you find a bottle buried in the couch, your bed, the car, wherever it fell.)

Pacifiers: This is totally up to you. But FYI, once you get the baby hooked, you are not going back for a while....Lissy Jane uses Avent Orthodontic pacifiers and Dilly uses the Avent Soother Pacifiers. This is only because we needed them to have different ones so that no one would get them confused. We tried just using different colors and LissyJane would take them from Dilly.

Soap: We use Aveeno Baby Shampoo and Conditioner for actual "cleaning baths" and we also use the Aveeno Comfort Lavender bath for "snuggle" baths.

Bibs: I never use them. Naked baby for feeding solves the laundry issue. :)

Food: All things Gerber! (A note on this; if you wouldn't personally eat whatever you are about to feed your child, don't feed it to them. In our house, we NEVER fed them meat products from a jar, or other baby food packaging. We don't eat jarred or canned meat at our house as "big people" so we don't feed it to the baby..)

Sippy Cups: We LOVE the Nuby cups! All shapes and sizes! And they just started making snack cups with the lids the kids can reach in and pull snacks out. They have a great shape for little kiddos' little hands. LOVE!!!!

Diaper bag: We use a monogrammed Medium Boat and Tote Bag from LL Bean. Annie still has hers from when she was an infant and uses it now as a regular bag. I wish I had gotten zipper top, but either way, it's durable, it's a reasonable size and IT ROCKS. (And yes, some people will judge you if you have a monstrous bag that is bigger than your carseat, this is not.)

Extras:
1. Changing tables: only if you need one. We change the kids on the floor with a blanket if we need to....and we NEVER walked to the changing table for every single diaper.
2. Baby Bath Tubs....we don't use them. Sinks work just as well...and I (we) prefer to get into the tub with the babies.
3. Special Towels....regular ones work just as well.
4. Baby Washcloths....we didn't use them. 
5. Diaper Pail.....why buy an extra trash can???

Big Things: Just the Necessities: Car Seat, Stroller, Somewhere for Baby to Sleep (Even if it's a box)

Car Seat: We used Graco Infant Car Seats for Anna and Jonas and after some research we used Baby Trend Infant Car Seats for MelissaJane and Lillian. Here's the link to the most similar on target's website. I really like their system and you can get extra bases on the target website.

Convertible Car Seat: we use this once the kiddos get big enough for it; around age 1, depending on size.  We buy the black Evenflo brand one.

Stroller: We usually have purchased our car seat and stroller as a "travel system" initially. It saves a little bit of money and the carseat fits into the stroller. (And if you are into the matchiness, which I am, it all matches!)

Crib versus Co-sleeper versus In your bed: This is entirely up to you. Our babies sleep in our bed until they are about 2. The first few months my shoulders hurt because they're in the crook of my arm. After that they are next to me. This is really a personal thing.

Extras:
1. Car seat stroller....it's a frame that the car seat sits in....I had one as a gift. used it 4 times? I think I might still have it, but rarely used it.
2. Umbrella stroller, this is rather handy once the kiddo is around 1.5-2, it's much more light-weight and easy to use for when they "don't want to walk" and you don't want to carry them.
3. Extra base: SOOOO Handy

In the house extra items:
Toys: whatever you are comfortable with, go for it.
Kick Gyms: Be reasonable, 1 or 2 is more than enough!
Swings: if you have the space, they are definitely handy for not having to hold baby all the time and you have a way to comfort without your arms falling off
Rockers: We never bought one, but they seemed nice in the store...

Bat Mitzvah Planning!?!?!?

Some of you already know how nuerotic I am...others, well, this may be your first taste into the true crazies...

Bat Mitzvah Planning technically started about 1.5 years ago, when Annie started Hebrew School...we talked about her mitzvah project and other things, but nothing was formalized.

A Bar or Bat Mitzvah is a special moment for a Jewish teenager. This is the time when they begin to formalize a Jewish identity. They work for several years learning Hebrew, with the culminating event being that they lead the service on a Shabbat morning. They also decide on and conduct a Mitzvah project. This is sometimes as simple as working at the local food bank or soup kitchen or as big as putting on a 5k. They are as varied as the students.

Over the last year and a half, we have discussed themes, decorations and her project. My mother and I talked briefly while she was in the hospital, so that she was still a part of everything, but that part will obviously be hard.

But, it really went big, about a week ago, Wednesday November 7, when our envelope arrived from Temple giving us all the details on picking our date. In the next short time, I had Annie read to me the contents of the letter as we drove to Hebrew School. In the letter it said that students who are doubles (share their Bar/Bat Mitzvah day) would have priority over singles. So, I had Annie put 1 star by all the students with September birthdays. Then I had her put a second star by the girls she would want to share the day with.

And then, the phone calls...I called both houses of the parents of the 2 students she gave 2 stars to. I left a message at one home and the other was a disconnected number. (Which meant I would have to wait....) And, I should admit, the message I left probably sounded a little bit frantic....

Well, the dad of the first child called me back. And I immediately began a verbal onslaught of information. I think I was a bit intense...they had not even received their packet yet! While I waited for the dad to talk to the mom. I emailed Temple to ask them for email addresses. Once I got them I emailed the mom of girl #1, girl #2's mom didn't have an email address. So I sent an email...

Well, to get the story ended on a happy note...We have a partner, a date and made a request to the Temple for our date! Next post, I'll show you how nuts I really am!