Meal Planning 101

Grilled pork chops are a
quick and easy meal.

Being prepared takes time and the more time you put up front the better the week will be. This means that you have to put in some planning time before the week begins to plan out your week.  Grab your calendar, let's do this!

Looking at my calendar I add anything I don't already have on it.  Then I look over each day and see where I will be and what I will be doing.  This helps with the next step.  I look to see if there are days I am going to be out for dinner or lunch.  Then I look to see if my last appointment buts up to a meal where I won't have time to cook or make it. I don't have a job where I am in an office.  If I did, then lunches would be easy.  When I did have a job in an office, I packed my lunch every day.  I usually packed leftovers from last night's dinner.  I planned dinners where I would have leftovers for my lunches. If I didn't have leftovers then I packed a frozen meal or a sandwich. 

Now, let's talk dinners.  On my calendar where an appointment buts up to dinner time, I try to plan a meal that cooks all day in the crock pot with minimal additional prep.  I plan those first. Next I look at what I have in our freezers or what needs to be eaten soon.  I make sure those items are on the menu somewhere. We are a "meat and potatoes" family so I plan the meat first then add in the sides.  This whole process so far takes me about 5 minutes.  If I know we are tight on money then I make sure I shop my pantry (this is where a well-stocked pantry comes in handy). 

One of our favorite dinners is
crockpot spaghetti sauce. 
See below for the recipe.

Once I have a menu planned.  I start my grocery list. 

Truly it is that easy.  That little bit of time will save you from my life right now.  It is 5:43 and I didn't plan dinner.  I have no meat thawed and have nothing that can be quickly cooked.  We tend to be an "ingredients" house.  We don't do prepared foods because 1. it isn't good for you and 2. it isn't that good. So whatever we eat we have to make, like actually make. Tonight might become "Pizza Friday" and that is okay.  Tomorrow I will meal plan for next week and grocery shop.  

A big part of being prepared is forgiving yourself when you have dropped the ball.  I see my mistakes and I see the results when I don't menu plan. When I fail I forgive myself and jump back on that wagon. So tomorrow I menu plan.

Quick Crock Pot Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef or (our favorite) ground Sweet Italian pork sausage

2 16 oz. jars your favorite spaghetti sauce.

Brown the meat in a saute pan. Drain any fat. 

Mix the two jars of spaghetti sauce and the browned meat in a crock pot.  Turn on low and let cook 4 to 6 hours stirring occasionally.  

Serve over pasta noodles with warm, crusty bread and a salad. 

Why put this in a crock pot and cook all day when you can quickly mix, heat and serve immediately?  Because the flavors meld together and take a mediocre jarred spaghetti sauce to the next level.  It tastes homemade and amazing!!  Give it a try!!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 30

Wow, we have gotten to the end of November.  I have to say the time is just flying by.

Today I am thankful for the quiet.  The ability to sit and listen to the quiet.  To be with God.  It calms me, it centers me and it heals me.

In this day and age with all our electronics and the internet I find that we are wanting things immediately, now.  We don't wait for things.  I am thankful for this time that we have between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year and for the time to wait and be quiet.  This year will be extra special for our family because with me at home and us not planning any big trips like in the past we will have time to enjoy the Christmas season.  The whole season.  For that I am thankful.

What have you been thankful for?

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 29

Rounding the end of this month and I am now on a roll.

Today I am thankful for the great minds our family has.  We are a bunch of entrepreneurs really.  Today my son wanted to learn how to create an app for the ipod.  He had an idea and mapped it out on paper.  He and I did a bit of research on the internet on how to write an app, well he did most of the research, and he found a site that you can point and click your way through a creation of an app.  We then decided his idea may not be a good one to start with, an easier one or should I say simpler would be better to get our feet wet.  So his sister offered a great suggestion and he loved the idea.  Then his even younger sister suggested a way he could market his app.  It was a great idea!  Tomorrow we will be working on creating an app.  But mostly I love how they came up with the idea and how they helped each other.

Today I also have been working on a bit of a "side job" for me.  I reopened my Etsy Store.  It is http://www.etsy.com/shop/wcsears .  I am selling the items that I usually sell in local craft shows.  I thought I would set it up and offer it to others too.  I am hoping that this will make a bit of play money for our field trips and entrance fees.  I am selling handmade jewelry, cards, wine bags, etc.  All are handmade by me in my home.  If you feel compelled to buy, know that you are purchasing something that not only will make you happy but will make us happy as well.

Have a great evening!

30 Days of Gratitude - Catch up days

I have missed quite a few days and I am sorry for my loyal readers.  Okay, here we go...

Day 22 - This was my anniversary.  I am so thankful that my husband is still loving and loyal.  I love him more today than ever before and my love for him grows deeper each year we are together.  He is my best friend and most trustworthy companion.

Day 23 - I was thankful that I didn't have to go out in the Black Friday shopping.  Spending time with my family is better than any deal or fighting any crowd.

Day 24 - Leftovers.  Yes I am thankful for leftovers.  I think they are much better the second time around.  The flavors have time to meld together and it is so yummy.

Day 25 - I am thankful that we don't have to travel in all the traffic that is returning home today.  This is truly a blessing to be able to relax and not have to worry about being at work on Monday morning.  Ahhh.....

Day 26 - I am thankful for GPS.  Yes today was a travel day for us and I was so glad that we had GPS.  We decided to travel a less popular route and one I hadn't traveled in some time.  It was a pleasant enough drive but there have been changes and I was glad we had GPS to help us out.

Day 27 - I am thankful for routine.  Coming home from a long trip a routine is nice to have.  The kids settled back into our school day routine and I was thankful that there were no complaints.  While I love traveling and being at the beach, I do love setting back into our routine at home.  (and sleeping in my own bed is nice too)

Day 28 - This is a big one!!!  Today I am thankful for the awesome way my kids get along.  They finished up their lessons this morning and the big one and the small one (just shy of 3 years difference in age though) decided to clean up the little one's room.  They worked on it all afternoon and made huge gains.  The room is really clean and they even did a bit of rearranging of furniture.  It looks fantastic and the little one is so happy with the results.  There was no arguing or fighting and this was a project they took on themselves without me having to ask.  Truly a blessing, and I am so thankful. (Plus I don't have to get in there and do it {wink wink})

Okay, now that I am all caught up.  I will continue for the next two days on schedule.  Our trip was very nice and I will post a few pictures and some "mom tips" on how we made it all happen.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 21 The simple things

I am truly grateful for the simple things.  The modern conveniences.  Electricity, refrigeration, dish washers, washing machines and driers.  These simple appliances make my day every day.  They allow me to do the things I want to do and not spend so much time doing the things I NEED to do.

What are you grateful for today?

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 20

Today I am thankful that I am able to travel.  We are headed to the beach for the next couple days and we all can't wait.  I can't wait to feel and smell the salt air.  I can't wait to walk along the beach.  I can't wait to have a mini vacation with my family.  Such special moments.  I am also thankful that we have a place to stay for free.  It helps with the budget.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 19 Speak Kind Words

Today (okay yesterday) I am thankful for nice people.  In this time of gratitude I have found that often I am the one who has to extend the gratitude.  I say "thank you" all the time.  Many people don't say that anymore.  I say thank you to the check out lady in the grocery.  I say thank you to the sales people who call me on the phone, even though I don't buy or want their product and they interrupt my dinner.  I say thank you whenever anyone hands me something or gives me something.  I say thank you when people call to schedule an appointment with my husband.  I have found that if I do say "thank you" or "have a nice day" or in this case recently "Happy Thanksgiving" or "have a happy holiday" they will say it back and it usually puts a smile on their face.  I have also noticed that it usually catches them off guard a bit. So I thank all those who are nice to me first.  You put a smile on my face.

So my challenge to you today (my 7 readers, whom I love with all my heart) say kind words to someone today.  Let's see if we can't start a snowball effect of kindness to each other.

We have a sign in our kitchen that says "Speak kind words, receive kind echos".  I think it is pretty good words by which to live.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 18

Today I am thankful for my car.  Yes, it might sound a bit trite but I love that I can get in my car and run errands here and there.  I love my little car because I can zip in and out of parking lots easily.  It is easy to drive and gets great gas mileage.  In fact I haven't filled it up in two weeks and I still have 1/4 tank.   I love our big car, our Suburban.  It may be 13 years old but it is solid and holds all of us and our stuff.  I can go to the grocery store or Costco and fill the back up with groceries.  I love taking it on trips and I love that we can pack so much in it.

I do reminisce about what life would be like if we were still using horse and buggy.  I so enjoyed a few years ago when we were in Pennsylvania in "Amish Country" watching the Amish and Mennonite families travel up and down the road in their buggies.  It was a slower pace of life.  It was less cluttered.  I wonder what life would be like if we were to all live like them.

But today, I am in love with my car and I am so thankful that Henry Ford invented a way to build a car that would make it affordable for most all of us to own. (BTW, I don't own a Ford.)

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 17

Today I am thankful for yard sales.  Ha ha.  But seriously.  I am thankful that we have an outlet that we are able to sell our unused or barely used items to the general public at very little effort.  We, of course, need money and I thought I would throw together a yard sale pretty quick.  I decided this on Wednesday and I was up and running a yard sale this morning (Saturday) at 8 AM.  Pretty easy.  Put some things out on a table and tag it with a price and voila - a yard sale.  I made $38 in just a few hours and got rid of some items that I don't need.  So nice.  So today I am thankful for yard sales and all those who came to mine in this cold weather and bought some of my things.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 15

I have an hour and a half left before the day is over.  Ha ha ha...

Today I have been thankful for local businesses.  We live in a small community in a larger city.  This area has some wonderful local businesses and I love to shop there instead of the big box stores.  The customer service is wonderful and they support local residents too.  Not only do I enjoy shopping in the stores but I also enjoy eating in the local restaurants.  I love local restaurants much better than the larger franchises.

So get out and shop at the local businesses in your area.  You might find some great buys for the holidays!

Have a great evening!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 16

Today I am thankful for customers.  They are truly our lifeline in my husband's business.  Without them there would be no business and thus we would be really out on our luck as a family.  They appreciate the service he provides and in the end he appreciates them.  We try to be as fair and honest as we can with them and we won't do any unnecessary work or bid a job higher than is appropriate.  They seem to appreciate his honesty and his business practices.  To our customers/clients:  thank you from the bottom of our heart.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 14 Music

Today I am thankful for music.  All kinds.  Music can be so relaxing, take your mind off worries, make you happy, and make you sad.  Today we are listening to some classical music while we work on our lessons.  It is happy and pretty.  I love how it ebbs and flows.  Builds and falls.

I love that I can pop in a CD and play what I want now.  Back "in the day" when I was a kid, I remember getting my first stereo system.  It was a surprise at Christmas and I was so excited to get it.  It had a record player, a cassette player and an 8-track player on it, two big speakers and an AM and FM radio.  I thought I had hit the big time!  With it I got Olivia Newton-John's "Get Physical" 8-track and I played the mess out of it.  I used to request songs on the radio and wait to hear them and rush to tape them on my cassette player so I could play them over and over again.  How funny thinking about it now as we just look up whatever song we want on You Tube or on iTunes and download it immediately.

I like all kinds of music except the really heavy metal stuff, screaming stuff and the hard core gangster rap music.  I love classical music, pop, rock, country, and of course most everything that came out of the 1980's.

I hope that you are able to enjoy a bit of music today.  Have a great day!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 13 Explore your City!

Today I am thankful for all the opportunities that my city provides us for free.  Today we are off to explore our art museum which is absolutely free.  We take advantage of our parks for walks and exploration, our museums, seasonal activities, and the many other places that offer free admission.  Our area is so rich in history that it is a shame that many of the residents never take the opportunity to explore their own city.  I have made it a goal to explore our city as if we were tourists so we get the most of it.

Do you live in a big, medium, small city?  Do you have a town museum?  Have you been there?  Just last week we went to our county museum.  We have lived here for over 30 years and neither my husband or I had been to our county museum.  There were some great things in there.  We also learned that the very neighborhood that we live in used to be a train stop up until probably right before these houses were built. We also saw many items that we have been talking about recently with the kids.

So much can be just in your own backyard for learning and homeschooling.  Try to take advantage of the free and inexpensive things to do in your own town/city.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 12

Today I am thankful for those "surprise" warm days in late fall.  I have so enjoyed being outside yesterday and today.  The weather is perfect with hardly any humidity and lots of warm sunshine.  I do wish I had done something with my garden this fall. It sits empty right now and walking around it makes me a bit sad.

While we are wishing, I wish I had a laundry genie.  I would love to wiggle my nose and have all those piles of laundry done in a flash.  I have tons of load waiting for me.  UGH.

Have a great evening.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 11

Today I am thankful for all our men and women who served and still serve in our armed forces.  Without them we would have been attacked so many years ago.  They keep us safe and secure our freedoms so we can live as we choose in this great nation.

I thank you for your service to our country and to my family.  I think about you all and pray for you all.

Have a great day!

30 Days of Gratitude, Day 10

The internet!  I am thankful for the internet.  It is my "go to" place for all things I need answers to.  Just yesterday I learned how to make beef stew and grow celery from a cut off stalk.  It is pretty amazing the stuff you can find.  This morning my youngest daughter taught me all about Magic Elf Seeds (look it up).  They are pretty cool and something that we would like our Elf on the Shelf to bring us. ;)

The internet helps me keep in touch with my long lost friends as well as my neighbors just next door. Ha ha ha. But seriously, it does!  The internet teaches me about all my ailments prior to a doctor's visit.  The internet teaches me all about food storage, emergency prep and homeschooling.  I can "meet" new friends and find I have a lot in common with them even though I have never physically met them, we become fast friends.

I {heart} the internet.


Have a great day!

30 Days of Gratitude, Day 9

Today I am grateful that I have a nice home to live in.  I love my home and we have made many great memories here.  I am thankful to be blessed enough to live in a wonderful neighborhood where the kids are safe to play outside and neighbors look out for one another.

30 Days of Gratitude, Day 8

Today I am thankful for my friends.  They are the ones who support me, tease me, help me, listen to me, and help make me that best that I can be.  My closest friends are always there for me and I so appreciate them.  I know that I can call on them for anything and they will come quickly to my aid.  I so appreciate their candor when they think I am off on a tangent or when I am not being quite the best person that I can be.  I appreciate their thoughtfulness when I need a touching word or hug.  I appreciate their laughter and their ability to make me laugh, sometimes even when I don't want to laugh. I learn from them and love them to death!  You know me the best and you know how to best make me, well me!

(oh, I am going to cry  now.  Didn't see that coming.  I think I need to make some phone calls and let them know how much I love them.)

30 Days of Gratitude, Day 7

Today I am thankful that I was born in a country where I have my freedoms.  Freedom of religion, speech, assembly, petition, and press.  I don't always exercise my freedoms as some but through this blog I exercise quite a bit of those freedoms.  I am grateful that I was able to vote in our national, state and local elections and that my vote is counted.

My convictions are mine and only mine.  I can't impose my convictions on another as I know that others can not impose their's on me.

I teach my kids respect for others' opinions and convictions.  I teach them through my words and my actions.  We discuss (sometimes with passion) how their opinions are different but we never attack them as a person. This past election cycle has brought out so much hate.  It is difficult to see those who we will elect to lead us act so poorly sometimes.

I am thankful that I have my freedoms and that they are protected in our Constitution.

By the way, did you know that the first official nationally declared Thanksgiving Day was declared by George Washington to give thanks to our Constitution?  Yup!  So it is only fitting that in this month of recollection of gratitude I include our Constitution and our freedoms it protects for us.

Have a great day!

30 Days of Gratitude. Day 6.

Today I am thankful for the ability to stay home with my kids.  This has been a wonderful experience and one I will cherish for the rest of my life.  Each day is filled with routine things and new experiences.  I see them blossom right in front of my eyes.  Homeschooling was the best decision we could have ever made.