a lone read

Christmas dinner - I know.... I'm a little behind

2012-02-09T09:06:00.000-08:00

We love family gatherings. If there is a birthday, graduation, hair cut to be celebrated we'll do it. Well, maybe not the hair cuts but you get the point. My mom almost always hosts these and having to constantly plan and prepare can get overwhelming. So we decided that in order to lighten the load we would simplify and get together once a month and celebrate all the birthdays/holidays for that month. We would also take turns planning/hosting. My sister Cathy asked to host our Adult Christmas dinner at her house.

She went above and beyond to host a very memorable meal. Every detail was well thought out and executed to a T. I wish I would have taken more pictures to share. Her house was decorated beautifully with another Pinterest project around every corner. It was gorgeous. The meal, even though we were celebrating her birthday, was filled with dishes she knew would be favorites for the rest of us. A cheese tray with like 6 different types of cheese, yummy salad & sides, and a steak that my brother-in-law seasoned and cooked to perfection, so many special touches.

But my favorite part was in the dining room...

At first it looked simple. A photo tree on the wall. But upon closer inspection we saw photos of cherished memories...

My Wedding, My Dad's promotion, our beloved dog Berkley, the group at the Coney Island hot dog joint after my Grandfather's funeral, past Christmas gatherings, my Grandma, and so many more.

The photo tree included this photo, one of my absolute favorites, that my Dad recently took of a chair in my grandparents kitchen where my Grandfather would set his jacket and hat. It's been left untouched just as he placed them the very last time he wore them. And he was magnificent :)

Cathy spent hours gathering and printing photos and then sharing them in this special way with the rest of us. Her desire was for us to enjoy and celebrate the things most precious to her.... the family. I was blessed and she did an amazing job.

Thank you Cathy for making another cherished memory!!

Town Talk

2012-01-10T06:41:00.000-08:00

Now I'm what you might call 'particular' about food. I can be weird about texture, or if I have the memory associated with a particular food it affect me tremendously. I remember 12 years ago a guy told me about the FDA guidelines concerning insect parts in cereal. I didn't eat the drop of cereal for almost 8 years after that. And thanks to Food, Inc I haven't set foot inside a McDonald's for over a year and a half.

I am also weird about sell by dates and brand names I've never heard of. So when I first learned about Town Talk I was extremely skeptical that it would be a place for me.

A while back my mother-in-law asked me if I would meet her there so she could take some of my kiddos for the day. It's a good halfway point between my house and hers. So I wandered inside and meandered through the aisles. It definitely has a warehouse kind of feel with it's cement floors and industrial shelves. It's not the bright inviting Central Market experience. But I was a little surprised at some of the things I found inside. Yes, there were the obscure brands I'd never heard of and the strange items that appeared to be a failed 'new product' attempt, but there were also some items and brands I recognized. And not only were they things I recognized but some of them were actually really good items, some even the pricey stuff I'd previously purchased at Whole Foods or Central Market. Now granted, some of the frozen foods were past date, some WAY past and some of the dairy items were very close to their date, but I was intrigued. I purchased an item or two and decided I wasn't ready to completely discount this establishment yet.

I'd been back a time or two to meet her again and each time I've found an item or let the kids pick out a snack but that's been about it. While having a playdate at my friend Stephanie's a few weeks back she had some Hummus from Town Talk that was really good. So last week I decided to go there first before hitting up the regular supermarket to see what I might find. Boy, am I glad I did. I took my time and looked through EVERYTHING. My objective going in was to find some inexpensive munchies for the kids. They have been going through snacks like crazy lately and I found a lot of good deals. The end result was 2 bags FULL of good, quality, in date stuff for only $20. What did I find? Some of items I know off hand have the regular retail price in ( ).

a bag of Frontera (Rick Bayless) tortilla Chips 79¢ ($3.50)
a bag of Boulder Canyon potato chips 59¢ ($1 is a good sale price)
a box of Uncle Sam cereal $1.59 (around $3)
a qt of Oregon Chai Vegan Tea Latte mix 59¢ ($4 a box)
2 boxes of Cheez-its (I know, not healthy) $1.50 each ($2.50 @ Walmart)
2 bags of elderberry & zinc lozenges 99¢ each
Pure vanilla extract $2.50
A bag of Stacy's pita chips 59¢
2 boxes of Annie's white cheddar Mac-n-cheese $1 each ($2 something @ WF)
4 boxes of Near East Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil Couscous 79¢ each ($1.50 @ Walmart)
a box of Back to Nature fudge rounds $1.59
a bottle of Bragg's (the ACV people) organic Hawaiian Marinade & Dressing $1.59

I know I'm missing a few items and I wrote down a list that has mysteriously disappeared but you get the idea. As I was checking out they were starting to shelve some Muir Glen organic canned diced tomatoes for 79¢. That's a good price! Everything I purchased was half-price or better. Who could argue with that. And then of course I turned around and spent $40 bucks on two bags not nearly as full at the regular grocery store.

Town Talk's inventory changes daily so you never know what you're going to find but I'm definitely adding this stop to my regular grocery rotation. If you haven't already then you should check it out.

Town Talk Foods

121 North Beach Street

Fort Worth, TX 76111-7054

12 Days of Holiday Recipes - How the Wheels Fell Off

2012-01-07T15:24:00.001-08:00

I don't know what I was thinking. Lately every plan I've made has fallen apart. I think it's just the season of life I'm in. Our days got super busy, the baby became super needy, and lots of things succumbed to neglect. I had purposed to make some goodie baskets for our neighbors and then some for my kiddos to give to my siblings for Christmas. I figured the best way to attack this was to just do it all on one day. One LONG, stressful, messy day, and then it would be done. I should have known better.

My first clue should have been when I turned on the oven to preheat. After a few minutes I smelled a horribly familiar smell and opened the door to find this:

When my brother was little he used to stick all kinds of things in the oven too, like my Dad's tape measure. So while this was a frustrating start, the memory of childhood made me smile.... and we trudged forward.

See... everyone was so happy... er...uh...well, almost everyone. See Black-Eyed Bart there? It was nap time. Shortly after I took this he went down and things went much smoother.

We used some of this....

And some of this....

to make our goodies.

The girls helped make some dark chocolate and peppermint cake balls and some peanut butter thumb print cookies for the baskets.

We also made a batch of butterscotch goodness to take to Grandy's house for our celebration with them.

I love Izzie's face here. Totally captures her little goof-ball personality.

I had mixed up the hot chocolate mix a few days before so we bagged everything up in cute holiday sacks. And while we were baking away we enjoyed a wonderful holiday fragrance filling the air from this... A simmer pot recipe I got on Pinterest. My mom made it a few days before and it made her house smell so welcoming for our church's Mother/Daughter Christmas Party. So simple, it was just an orange, quartered, a few sticks of cinnamon, a few whole cloves, and a good handful of cranberries. Cover it with water and simmer on low making sure not to burst the berries. You can leave this on your stove for a week or two. Seriously. Just add a little water to it occasionally. You'll know when it's time to throw it out because everything starts to look extra mushy and turns the same brownish/gray color. It smells AMAZING! In fact, I have a few cranberries left in the fridge so I picked up an orange at the store to make one last batch of this.

So I didn't complete the full 12 days. I'm not going to sweat it. Heck, I just took my Christmas decorations down today.... almost 2 weeks later. I'm not going to lose sleep over it. Memories were made and lessons were learned (i.e. check the oven before turning it on). Maybe we'll try again next year. :)

12 Days of Holiday Recipes - Day 6 - Party Potatoes

2011-12-14T09:56:00.000-08:00

It has to be good if it has 'party' in the name, right? I think the first time I had these I was a teenager and we were eating at a friends house. I love potatoes and this was so delicious I could have eaten the entire casserole dish full. It has made an appearance at most of our family holiday dinners since then only absent in the presence of gouda potatoes :)

My mom is making these on Christmas so I opted not to and snagged this photo from Simply Potatoes

Party Potatoes

1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 lbs. Ore-Ida frozen cubed hash browns - sometimes I use shredded hashbrowns like Cracker Barrel's hashbrown casserole.

Mix first 4 items together with salt and pepper, combine with frozen potatoes, put in greased 9x13 pan. Top with 2 cups of corn flakes and 1/3 cup melted butter together.Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.

You can add some chopped onions if you like. These are also good with crushed Ritz crackers instead of the corn flakes, in fact, next time I make these I may use some French's Fried Onions on top :)

12 Days of Holiday Recipes - Day 5 - Cranberry Punch

2011-12-14T09:40:00.000-08:00

We went to a holiday potluck Friday night and one of the items I signed up to bring was a drink.... I debated back and forth between apple cider or picking up a 2 liter of soda but after our Ladies Christmas fellowship at church I settled on this. Quick and easy (are you seeing a theme here?) with just 2 ingredients it was a perfectly festive choice.

Cranberry Punch

1 Lg bottle of cranberry juice - This can be regular cranberry, cran-raspberry, cran-whatever, I'll be using my favorite - Cranberry - Pomegranate
1 2 liter of Ginger Ale

Don't add the ginger ale until you're ready to serve. To make it pretty you can add a skewer of sugared cranberries or place some cranberries in ginger ale and freeze it to make ice cubes or an ice ring. Simple. And sparkling :)

Now, mine did not look quite as pretty as the photo above (courtesy of myrecipes.com) because I just served it in a clear pitcher. I also attempted an ice ring of sorts by using a washed can and filling it about an inch with the punch and some cranberries and letting it freeze, then adding another layer of punch and cranberries to make a cylindrical ice ring. I started it too late and add a 15 min car ride to the mix and the 'ring' was mush by the time we arrived.... at least it tasted good.

12 Days of Holiday Recipes - Day 4 - Hot Cocoa Mix

2011-12-14T09:19:00.000-08:00

Now we all know I'm a coffee gal through and through but when the weather starts to get colder I do find myself craving a snuggly cup of hot cocoa. This recipe makes a VERY LARGE amount. So grab your biggest mixing bowl (or even like a big roasting pan) and make you a batch :)

Hot Cocoa Mix

1 box dry milk - 8 qts.
16 - 20 oz jar powdered coffee creamer
2 lb box instant Nestle's chocolate
1 lb powdered sugar
1-2 TBSP Cocoa - to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a LARGE mixing bowl. Store in airtight containers - 2 coffee cans work well, or Ziplock gallon sized bags. To serve fill a mug 1/3 to 1/2 way full with the mix and add boiling water.

I like mine nice and rich so I use a very healthy heap. I purchased a 3 lb container of Nestle's at Costco and just kind of eyeballed it all. You can totally tweak this by adding, removing, adjusting amounts based on your personal tastes. I love that it's not an exact science. I tend to not fail at those kinds of recipes :) This recipe makes SO much we plan on packaging it up in some cello bags and including them in some gift baskets we are making for neighbors and some family members. A bow and a candy cane and these are fabulous!

12 Days of Holiday Recipes - Day 3 - Butterscotch Party Mix

2011-12-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

Mackenzie was drooling just over the photo. Courtesy of VeryBestBaking.com*

Each year during the holidays we extend an open invitation to our friends who might not have family in the area and are unable to make it home. They become honorary 'Dunninites' and are treasured guests at our table. I love this tradition.

Last year our dear friend Russell was able to join us and with him came this MAGNIFICENT treat. Now, I don't like butterscotch or caramel very much but this snack has been renamed "Crack" by our friend Coy because of it's addictive qualities. And as always it is so easy to make...

Butterscotch Party Mix

2 cups cereal squares - like Chex
2 cups small pretzel twists
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 cup caramels, unwrapped, coarsely chopped
1 2/3 cups (11-oz. pkg.) Butterscotch Flavored Morsels

COAT 13 x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

COMBINE cereal, pretzels, peanuts and caramels in large bowl. Place morsels in medium, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave uncovered on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; STIR. The morsels may retain some of their original shape. If necessary, microwave at additional 10 to 15-second intervals, stirring just until morsels are melted. Pour over cereal mixture; stir to coat evenly.

SPREAD mixture into prepared baking pan ( or just some wax paper spread out on the counter); let stand for 20 to 30 minutes or until firm. Break into small pieces.

Note: I was able to find these little caramel pellet looking things at Target when I made it, taking out the caramel unwrapping/chopping step. You can also throw some white chocolate chips in there too.

Seriously good stuff.

*Hopefully tomorrow I'll have a camera and after a trip to the store I can actually make and take pics of the recipes :)

12 Days of Holiday Recipes - Day 2 - White Chocolate Popcorn

2011-12-13T15:16:00.000-08:00

photo from Taste of Home

When the holidays roll around there is never a shortage of munchies around. This one has become a favorite in recent years. It's quick, easy, and tasty. :) I made it for our Mother/Daughter Christmas party last week.

Here is the recipe:

White Chocolate Popcorn
(Originally published as White Chocolate Popcorn Deluxe in Healthy Cooking December/January 2010)

8 cups air-popped popcorn
2 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon butter
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 teaspoon salt

Place popcorn in a large bowl. In a microwave, melt white chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Pour over popcorn mixture and toss to coat. Add the cranberries, nuts and salt. Spread onto waxed paper. Cool until set. Store in an airtight container. Makes 2 quarts.

Now.... This is what I do:

Pop some popcorn in the microwave. Plain popcorn, no butter. This last time I actually used regular popcorn that you'd use in an air popper and popped in the 'wave in a brown paper bag like they explain here. Put it in a large mixing bowl. Then you take a couple squares of white almond bark and microwave it in a glass measuring cup, 30 seconds at a time, until it's just melted. Pour over popcorn and stir. It will clump together as the chocolate hardens which isn't a big deal unless you want it to look pretty. If so, then spread it out on wax paper to 'dry'. If you want to be festive you can add some dried cranberries, red & green m&ms, or for non holiday occasions you can add a few drops of food coloring to the chocolate. For Kenzie's last birthday I added some red to make 'PINK' corn. No need for the butter or salt...unless you just want it. Store in an airtight container and it keeps for a while.

Yum!

12 Days of Holiday Recipes - Day 1 - Potato Chowder

2011-12-12T17:53:00.000-08:00

My friend Sarah has an awesome blog and during the month of December she always does something fun. Last year it was 25 Days of Cookies. Each day she and her boys, she has 5, would make a batch of cookies and then deliver them to someone. This year she's doing Crafty, Salty, & Sweet where they make something and she shares the recipe or the craft tutorial. It's always lots of fun to read. It also encourages me to seize these moments with my own kiddos and take the opportunity to make memories.It also makes me a little jealous, I mean, she's got time to blog regularly and she's so smart to think of this stuff ahead of time, instead of like me when it's almost halfway through the month and I'm trying to squeeze stuff in.

Anyway... I thought it would be fun to share some of the wintery goodness that I like to fill my tummy with this time of year. Today it's Potato Chowder. The weather is cold, sort of, and while I'm not a 'soup' person I totally dig a steamy bowl of this chowder with some dipping bread. Mackenzie was my kitchen helper and we got to try out my new Cuisinart can opener that I got for free by collecting stamps from my shopping trips to Albertson's over the past few months.This gem is from the Calvary Bible Church cookbook courtesy of Emily Scheffler.

Elise's Potato Chowder

Sauté:
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
& link sausage cut into bite size pieces

Add:
2 cans Campbell's Potato Soup
1 can cream corn
1 can corn
1 can diced green chilies
2 cans milk

Heat thoroughly. Garnish with shredded cheese.

That's the recipe, which I think is how I made it the very first time except I used diced ham instead of the sausage. I do it a little different every time. Today I just did the 'cans' part. No onion, pepper, or meat. I wasn't sure how well rice milk would taste in it and I only had some powdered milk on hand so I used that and it worked fine. You could also skip the potato soup and use diced potatoes and make your own 'soup' by making a roux with a little butter, flour, and milk.

I served mine with a little cheese and some crescent rolls. Quick, easy, and totally hit the spot.

Favorites for the Week

2011-12-02T08:06:00.001-08:00

During Black Friday I was able to get some great deals on household items and it reminded me that I wanted to share some of the deals I like best. Couponing doesn't have to be super hard and when I look at how much money I've saved it encourages me to keep it up. I feel like I'm being a better steward of what God's given me. I can't buy hardly anything now without using a coupon. In fact there will be times when Graham comes home from the store with items and I say "I have a coupon for that." We could have saved a buck here and there and those bucks add up!

Here are some of my favorite deals for this week:

Wholly Guacamole

We have been eating a lot of guac lately because it's a great alternative to cheese and sour cream on our mexican dishes and it's a quick and easy snack when you've got some tortilla chips handy. And the company is right here is Saginaw!

This is from their Facebook page -
"Soooo, we need to decorate our wholly guacamole office with some christmas/hanukkah/kwanzaa spirits. so since this is a season of giving, if you send us your holiday card with a self-addressed envelope WITH postage, we will send you back 2 bogo coupons ($12 value). cards must hit our office by december 15th.

The coupons are good until dec 31st, so you have to use them quickly (remember, we freeze well). can not wait to see what the mailman brings us!! HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!"

Here is the address: marketing, wholly guacamole, 300 burlington road, saginaw, tx 76179

It is a little strange but if it's something you know you're going to buy anyway then why not? And if it's too weird for you they also have a $1 off coupon you can print. Just click 'Coupons' on the right hand side of the facebook page.

Muir Glen

This is something else we've been buying a lot of lately. There are actually 2 different printable coupons floating around out there. One is for 75¢ off and the other is for 85¢ off. I'm not sure where the 75¢ off one came from but these are better anyway. You can print 2 total.

$0.85/1 – Muir Glen, any flavor/variety – (eatbetteramerica.com)$0.85/1 – Muir Glen, any flavor/variety – (pillsbury.com)

These are two deals you can use this coupon on:

At Walmart:
Muir Glen Organic Tomato Paste, 6 oz $0.92, Regular Price
Use $0.85/1 coupon

This makes the final price $.07!

Or at Whole Foods:
Muir Glen Organic Tomato Sauce, 8 oz $1.19
Use $0.85/1 coupon
This makes the final price: $.34!

I like to buy the pasta sauce. It's pretty tasty. These coupons won't make them super cheap like it does the sauce and paste but it's still a good value coupon. A few weeks ago they have a $1 off coupon out and I got some diced tomatoes and fire-roaster tomatoes which should make for some pretty yummy homemade salsa!

Conair Ceramic Hot Rollers

These rollers are on Roll Back right now at Walmart for only $22..77, plus there is a $5 coupon HERE that you can print. PLUS you can send in for a $5 MIR HERE.

Conair Extreme Heat $22.77
Use $5 coupon HERE
Total: $17.77
Then submit for a $5 MIR HERE
Total: $12.77

I've been looking for a good deal on hot rollers for a while so for me this is awesome!

American Greetings Cards

On the CVS website there is a printable coupon for $2.00 off 3 American Greetings cards (excluding boxed sets). They have lots of $.99 cards. Buy 3 and pay only $.32 each!! You can print this coupon twice meaning 6 cards for the price of less than 2. I snagged a couple Thank You cards and Birthday cards to have on hand. This is a GREAT DEAL! (there is also a good Glade coupon on the website too for $2 off of 2 and if you act quickly they have their room sprays on sale for 99¢ through Saturday 12/3)

And lastly...

Proctor & Gamble Products

Would you like to have over $35 worth of coupons good for things like Cascade, Dawn, Swiffer and more? If you said yes, then click here to register or log in to get your coupon booklet! The FREE Procter & Gamble Gather Together coupon booklet (previously Organize in Style) is available now. Just allow four to six weeks for delivery.

You can request one of these every 60 days and you don't need to re-sign up every time. I've been getting them consistantly for almost a year now. It makes for a nice little surprise when it comes in the mail :)

Thanks to The Krazy Coupon Lady, My Dallas Mommy, and I Heart the Mart for the deal details!

E2 - 28 Day Challenge Wrap-Up

2011-11-25T17:47:00.001-08:00

So I promised a follow-up post to our conclusion of the 28 Day (not quite) Challenge.

If you've read my daily posts you know that this challenge has been just that, challenging. The kiddos, especially the littles, constantly rejected my vegan offerings and often were fed a different meal. I was hoping that the challenge would encourage some weight-loss and it didn't, not for any of us. I think this happened for several reasons. 1. I deviated from the menu on occasion based on our schedule and what I knew we would, and would not, eat. 2. We rarely added extra exercise into our day and 3. portion control. I didn't feel bad having seconds if it's a plate of veggies... maybe I should have.

Several of you have asked questions. Here are some of them....

Why Almond milk and not soy? Soy contains estrogen-like chemicals, called phytoestrogens, and heightened exposure to estrogen has been linked with increased risk of breast cancer. I've got three young daughters and two growing boys who don't need any extra estrogen.

Is regular organic milk that bad? Organic milk is a better choice than regular milk simply because it's organic BUT organic milk 1. is still dairy, and 2. is ULTRA pasteurized - the process of
heating every particle of milk or milk product to 280ºF. This kills a lot of the beneficial nutrients... think about raw veggies vs cooked veggies. Cooked veggies aren't bad for you. You just retain more of 'the good stuff' when you consume them raw.

Does raw milk have casein? yes, because casein is an animal protein.

How does eating vegan affect your grocery bill? Well, this challenge affected our grocery bill somewhat. We eat out a LOT (3-4 meals a week) but on the diet we only ate out maybe once a week. This decreased out dining out budget but increased our grocery bill. Also, because there was a menu to follow as opposed to being able to meal plan based on grocery store sales had an impact too. It's the end of the month and we're making meals from what's in the freezer and pantry. I think going forward this shouldn't change our bill too much. You can get good deals on produce if you buy what's on sale and seasonal items tend to be a little cheaper. Also, I never bought a single container of 'milk' without using a coupon (lots of which I found online & printed at home). I matched it with stores that had it on sale and saved a lot this way.

Doesn't eating all those veggies and fiber cause lots of gas? Our house has definitely been a little rooty-tooty and not so fresh-n-fruity lately. Several forums I read said that your body needs time to adjust to cleaning out your system and processing all this extra fiber. Some people said they've eaten vegetarian for many years with no relief of excess gas. I think it depends on the person??

What websites are good for vegan recipes? The Post Punk Kitchen has quite a few recipes as well as a forum for asking questions. VegWeb has a lot of recipes too. I like the Engine 2 website but I found several of the recipes there are incomplete, so if you see a recipe on there you'd like to try google it. Several of them have been posted on SparkRecipes and are good. There are a lot, just google it. I'll post some of my favorites as I come across them. And if you've got some good ones please share! :)

Where do you go from here? Well, we've decided to make several of these changes permanent. Like always I'll continue to cut more and more processed foods out of our diet. We've been switching all of our 'whites' to 'browns' for a while now - brown rice, whole wheat flour, sucanat - instead of their white, over-processed, nutritionally void counterparts. We've never been big beef eaters so that's not too different but we do consume a lot of chicken. I'd like to cut this back a bit and try to have more meat-less meals. Graham is consuming almost no dairy and will continue to do so. He's realized the benefits on his digestive system and doesn't want to go back. All of us will make a permanent switch to almond/coconut milk. The kids love the original almond milk so why not? Less hormones that way too. I've started doing the Apple Cider Vinegar drink. I usually add 4 tsp to a 16 oz bottle of water and drink half of it in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. A friend mixes hers with apple juice to combat the pungent taste. I don't mind vinegar so the taste doesn't bother me. The girls have had a little here and there and they don't mind the taste in water either. Dr. Mercola has a good article about ACV. Make sure you read the whole thing.

I think more than anything we've been armed with information, information that can help us make wiser decisions on what we use to nourish our bodies. I have to balance what I've learned with what the bible says about the food God has provided. I think, like always, everything in moderation. A little meat won't kill us and I could use a little bacon in my life :)

Can-solidator Cabinet Organizer Giveaway!!!

2011-11-25T17:21:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite blogs, Life In A Shoe is doing a giveaway that has me all giddy. We all know that one of my favorite hobbies is couponing. And now, as my stockpile grows, the need for organization increases as well. I'd LOVE to have one of these can organizers. Wouldn't you? Over at Shelf Reliance they have all kinds of shelving units, from the large units you might see in a store to the small 20 can units that would fit perfect in your cabinet. Head over to Life's blog here and enter! Maybe this beauty can be yours!

E2 - 28 Day Challenge - Days 15, 16, 17, &18

2011-11-23T03:38:00.001-08:00

I'm several days behind in posting. I'll try to condense and sum up...

On The Menu (Which ended up being what we actually ate):
Breakfast: the usuals - Cereal, toast with fruit
Lunch: typically leftovers from the night before with salad
Dinner: Split Pea Soup, Veggie Burgers, Pad Thai, Jane's Jammin' Burritos

My Thoughts:
Surprisingly we stuck to the menu pretty well. I mean, I looked at the actual menu for those days, adjusted a little based on our schedule and the groceries I had on hand and then planned accordingly. We ate what I'd planned for the most part. The veggie burgers were a last minute time saver on a stressful day. Just some MorningStar Farms Grillers Prime frozen patties that I'd picked up a few weeks ago. I've always been a fan of their black bean burgers and these were just as tasty. The kids liked them and probably wouldn't have known they weren't 'real' burgers if I hadn't told them.

The Pad Thai turned out to be a little bit different. I went to the store on an evening run to get a few things and somewhere between the car and the store I lost my grocery list. Tried to remember everything I needed but completely forgot the veggies for this. Several of the reviews I read said that this dish turned out to be a big disappointment so I changed out a few things - I used Brown Rice Noodles instead of the traditional rice noodles because they cook like traditional white pasta. I also bought a jar of Annie Chun's Pad Thai sauce at Sprouts, which probably wasn't as healthy as the E2 version but it saved me a lot of time and was actually very good. Not too spicy so the kids liked it. I just poured it over our noodles and served it with a side of steamed brussel sprouts.

Tonight I'm making the 'jammin' burritos' and they sound like they should be pretty good - What doesn't taste good with some black beans, salsa, and guacamole slathered all over it, right?

So I think this is the end for us. 18 days is a decent run. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving with second Thanksgiving on Saturday and I think it's just going to be too hard to try to get back on the wagon. There are several reasons I think this was not the best time to try this: 1. I've got lots of small children, some of whom are picky eaters to begin with. I'm tired of the littles not eating the meals I prepare because they don't like them and then snacking all day long and I let them because I want them to eat something. 2. This time of year is SO crazy. We eat out quite a bit, way more than I did growing up and that's only going to compound with the hectic days to come. We were out running errands on Monday trying to hit the grocery store before the deluge of Turkey Day shoppers and while we were out it made since for us to stop and get lunch out. After half an hour of debating we finally just ended up at Chick-fil-a. They had a play ground so the kids could run off some energy instead of doing it in the store while I was shopping.And 3. There are so many things we get to have this time of year that we don't get any other time of the year. It's part of they I enjoy this season. So many experiences that come from what we consume and who we consume it with. I don't want to stress over "Is this vegan?" every time.

I'll try to post either later today or tomorrow a kind of summary, answer the questions I've been asked, and share some of my favorite recipes. It's been a learning experience & I've tried things I've never had before. But now, I think I'm ready for a plate of Yucatan Taco Stand chicken nachos....

E2 - 28 Day Challenge Days 13 & 14

2011-11-20T04:48:00.001-08:00

I decided to combine 2 days into one post.I figured you wouldn't mind.

On the Menu - Day 13:

Breakfast: Mighty Muffins

Lunch: Leftover Burgers & Fries

Dinner: Fajitas w/ Brown Rice and guacamole

What We Actually Ate:

Breakfast: Cereal - I didn't have all of the ingredients to make the muffins but they sound good so I will this week

Lunch: The kids had Mac-n-cheese from Central Market. I ate some pita chips & hummus

Dinner: Jason's Deli

My Thoughts:

We had a play date with friends on Friday which was so much fun. We ran some errands afterwards and I needed to stop by Central market so I gave in and let the kids share a thing of their prepared Mac-n-cheese. At this point I just want the littles to eat something and this they willingly gobbled up. We did dinner at Jason's where the littles ate PB & J, the bigs had salad bar, Graham had some kind of pasta with grilled veggies and I had a veggalatta muffalatta - hold the mushrooms, tomatoes, & of course, the cheese. It was good except the bread was really dry and crispy. I drank lots of water with my meal.

On The Menu - Day 14:

Breakfast: Lemon Cornmeal Pancakes with Raspberries

Lunch: Big Leaf Wraps

Dinner: Split Pea Soup w/ Toasted Pitas

What We Actually Ate:

Breakfast: a Banana - the kids had muffins (We participated in the St. Jude's Give Thanks. Walk. which meant leaving the house at the crack o' dawn. They served fruit and muffins at the walk)

Lunch: Grilled Veggie Fajitas on Whole Wheat Tortillas with some guac

Dinner: Well... um... I cheated....

Shameful, I know. I'd gotten very little sleep the night before and had a headache most of the day. Graham and the kids, all but Rhys, went to play with Uncle Josh and cousin Eli. So the baby and I crashed on the couch and slept for a few hours which meant a bigger headache and a groggy fog when we got up. Graham took us to the store so I could get a few ingredients for dinner. We'd made a plan to stop by Chicken Express afterwards for a Dublin Dr. Pepper to hopefully help alleviate my headache and drowsiness. As we walked out of the store the kids asked what we were having for dinner. Split pea soup. GROAN.

"You want to get the kids some chicken?"

"Sure."

"So they get chicken & we have to eat soup?"

"..... we can have chicken too."

I was set-up. Entrapment I tell ya!

Um, yeah. We're not talking 'I had a little cheese on my pizza'. We're talking full on FRIED CHICKEN, mashed potatoes WITH cream gravy and dinner rolls. We did have green beans but I can pretty much GUARANTEE they were cooked with bacon. Oh, I know. This was not good... but it tasted so good. And I got my Dr. Pepper.

My sweet husband is helping us get back on track today. We're meeting his mom for lunch and he could have very easily picked a 'non-vegan' friendly place but he choose to go to Souper Salad. "We can't cheat today" he says. Thanks hunny. And they don't know it yet but we're gonna have that soup for dinner tonight ;)

E2 - 28 Day Challenge - Day 12

2011-11-18T04:28:00.001-08:00

On The Menu:
Breakfast: Oatmeal
Lunch: E2 Basics Tacos
Dinner: NY Times Veggie Burger & Potato Wedges

What We Actually Ate:
Breakfast: Grapefruit & Cereal
Lunch: Spaghetti
Dinner: NY Times Veggie Burger & Mixed Baby Greens

My Thoughts:
Ok. This burger was actually not half bad. Super easy to make, I just took a can of vegetarian refried black beans (The recipe called for just canned black beans but all I had were refried - these just had water and some sea salt added to them, they worked fine) a can of rotel style tomatoes with chilies, and some seasonings and combine them in a food processor - I had to borrow my mom's. The recipe called for carrots and onions which I didn't use because I didn't have. Then you stir in 2 cups of oats. Bake for 8 minutes and then flip and broil for an additional 2 minutes. They really didn't take any time at all. All the reviews I read about this burger said they held together better than any other veggie burger they'd tried to make and for us this was true as well. They also had a consistency that was closer to an actual meat burger. Not a whole lot of flavor but that can easily be remedied. Since we were having the salad as a side dish we didn't top them with many veggies. Just some bell peppers and condiments. And after finding this photo I kind of wished I'd busted out some of the guac I've got in the fridge.

I wouldn't say I've got a lot more energy than usual but I have felt a little more 'get-up'. Before, I spent most days sitting and feeding the baby or sitting and doing school or sitting and folding laundry. But now I kind of can't sit still for very long. I think my kitchen has been cleaner the past three days than it has in a while. Not a huge improvement health wise but every little bit helps.

There is also a little bit of illness floating around. I'll be interested to see if our 2 weeks of eating better helps to fend it off. Because I'm thinking if I get sick, all bets are off. ;)

E2 - 28 Day Challenge - Day 11

2011-11-17T05:58:00.001-08:00

On The Menu:
Breakfast: Orange & a Bagel
Lunch: Leafy Wrap
Dinner: Picadillo Burrito

What We Actually Ate:
Breakfast : Grapefruit & Bagel
Lunch: Four Star Cafe
Dinner: Roasted Red & Yellow Bell Peppers, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Mustard Greens w/ cashew sauce

My Thoughts:
Seriously. I have no idea what happened to this weeks menu but what the diet suggests and the order I wrote them down in is all kinds of whacked. I'm going to try to get back on track today.

We decided to spend the afternoon running some errands so we opted to visit daddy at Four Star for lunch. The kids all had the California club with no bacon, and only a tiny bit of turkey. The turkey was the only part Silas ate. I had some romaine with artichoke hearts, olives, and red bell peppers with the Greco dressing (lemon juice, olive oil, & seasonings). It was yummy!

I think one of the neat things about doing this is that it forces me to try new foods. Yesterday it was bok choy and soba noodles, today it's mustard greens. I know traditionally it's fried but with some bacon, which I can only imagine tastes fabulous, but ours was just boiled until it wilted and we topped it with a cashew sauce. The greens had a similar taste to brussel sprouts. The cashew sauce looked like and had a similar taste to hummus. To make it we took about a pound of cashews, a little bit of tamari, and some water to make it into a paste. It was pretty salty, I think mostly because we used regular cashews and not raw, but it was great with the greens. The sweet potatoes were HEAVEN and I didn't do a darn thing to them. I washed off the skins and then stuck them in a pyrex casserole dish and put them in the oven on 450° for about 45 minutes. We mashed them up and the kids had a little demerara sugar on theirs but I had mine plain. So creamy and good for you!

Last night I went to the store to get some more milk and I picked up a half gallon of Silk brand coconut milk. My Albertson's had it on sale for $3 and I had a coupon so it was my most cost-effective choice. This morning everyone informed me, including the child who helped me pick it out at the store, that they didn't like it. No one wants to eat their cereal, the bagels are all gone (I forgot to get more at the store), and they are all complaining about their other options. Grrr. It's going to be a long day. Part of me thinks we should just finish out the week and call it quits... I mean, 2 weeks is good right? Ugh. This is a really hard choice to make when you've got small kiddos but I know it's better to do it now than when they are teens and the habits & tastes are even harder to change.

I would like to share some of the recipes if you guys would like to try them, but I want to know which ones specifically so I'm not posting a gazillion :) What would you like me to share?

Milk. It Does A Body Good?

2011-11-16T07:24:00.000-08:00

When we watched Forks over Knives there were several things that, when they were said, really made since to me. Either because it sounded logical or because I've experienced this myself. They drew many connections between our diet and the presence of disease. One study that hit home in a hard harsh way was the connection between consuming low or non-fat dairy products and prostate cancer. Right at 4 years ago my Grandfather passed away after battling with prostate cancer. Prior to his illness he was the picture of health. He had been in the navy as a young man and I think a lot of those disciplines stuck with him. He was very active and strong, always watched what he ate. Consumed very little red meat and what he did eat was super lean. He ate fish, lots of veggies, & took his vitamins. One thing he was also strict about was his consumption of dairy, in a low fat or non-fat form. He, like most Americans, believed that the fat in milk was bad for you but you need the calcium so reduced fat was the 'better' choice.

"The fat in milk is there for a reason, namely to help the body absorb the milk's calcium and Vitamin D; improperly absorbed calcium can be 'toxic'." - Joanna Evans of the magazine What Doctors Don't Tell You

My Grandfather wasn't a smoker nor did he have any other risk 'factors'. For me, my Grandfather is a perfect picture of these studies. The 'modified' dairy makes since in connection to his cancer. In retrospect it makes me very sad that this one, simple thing, could have given us more time together and his final years less of a struggle.

I thought this was a good article from a UK men's health magazine explaining the issue.

There is a clip in the film where they explain how your body processes milk and absorbs the calcium. It also explains how the calcium in cow's milk is not easily absorbed. When we consume milk it creates an acid-like condition in the body called metabolic acidosis. The body leaches calcium from your bones in an effort to neutralize this, causing our bones to become weak and brittle. This, based on what we've been taught (mostly by the dairy industry), seems backwards. But my mom's mom is another example of this. Now, she did smoke for MANY years which probably only compounded the issue but she drank lots of milk. She was diagnosed with osteoporosis and like so many these days, dealt with hip fractures.

Another concern with milk and dairy products is casein. Casein is the main protein present in milk and (in coagulated form) in cheese. It's commonly found in mammalian milk, making up 80% of the proteins in cow milk and between 60% and 65% of the proteins in human milk. It is used in processed foods and in adhesives, paints, and other industrial products.

In T. Colin Campbell's The China Study he describes a direct correlation between casein administered to rats and the promotion of cancer cell growth when exposed to carcinogens. One group of rats was put on a 5% protein diet and another group on a 20% protein diet. Regardless of the amount of aflatoxin (a potent carcinogen) administered to these rats, NONE of the rats on 5% protein developed foci, precursors to cancerous cell growth, and EVERY rat on 20% protein developed the pre-cancer foci. Other studies conducted by Dr. Campbell on humans confirmed this correlation between the amount of protein consumed and the promotion of cancerous cell growth. Basically, he discovered that cancer growth could be turned on and off by adjusting the amount of animal protein in the diet. Casein has also been shown to aggravate the symptoms of Autism causing many with the disease to adhere to a gluten-free casein-free diet. *

Sadly casein & rennet, another bovine derived protein, are found in TONS of stuff, just like corn, including soy and almond cheeses. This makes it pretty much impossible for anyone eating a typical American diet to stay under that 5% and is why 1 out of every 2 men and 1 out of every 3 women will get cancer.

We've been using almond and coconut milks and like them a lot. They taste great and don't cause any digestive issues for the boys. I think this is a change we'll make permanent.

More reading:
Cancer Project

* from Wikipedia

E2 - 28 Day Challenge - Day 10

2011-11-16T05:15:00.000-08:00

On the Menu:
Breakfast: Simple Cereal
Lunch: Open-faced sandwiches w/ cannellini dip
Dinner:Gingered mushrooms, bok choy, & carrots over soba noodles

What We Actually Ate:
Breakfast: Homemade Pumpkin bread
Lunch: Spinach Spaghetti w/ leftover pasta sauce
Dinner: Bok Choy & carrots over soba noodles

My Thoughts:
My Mom was super kind and baked us some yummy pumpkin bread and that's what we ate. No clue if it was vegan but it was good. The sandwiches didn't go over very well last week so we opted to use our leftover pasta sauce and ate it on some spinach fettuccine. It was very tasty. The spinach in the noodles just added to the flavor of the pasta sauce. We'll be eating this again.

Dinner was... weird. First, I hate ginger & mushrooms so I skipped that part of the recipe. I've never eaten bok choy or soba noodles so that in and of itself was an adventure. Bok choy is a Chinese cabbage that looks sort of like a hybrid between celery and romaine lettuce in that it has a hardy stalk as well as big green leaves. I wasn't sure what part we were supposed to eat. So I had to google it. You eat the whole thing. When I sauteed it a peppery flavor seemed to appear making the dish a little spicy for the girls. The soba noodles cooked really easily, like traditional dried pasta. The instructions on the package said to rinse the noodles with cold water, so I did and assumed the noodles were supposed to be eaten cold. They looked like little gray worms. Cold little gray worms. It looked disgusting but tasted like regular noodles. The sauce for the veggies was pretty tasty and the whole thing was pretty good once we nuked it in the microwave. The carrots were my favorite part of this dish, but we will probably not be repeating this one.

It's getting really old having to battle with the little ones over food. I say battle, it's not really that harsh but almost everything I fix gets met with a grimace. All of the sudden it seems like things Silas would normally eat, like the pasta, he pushes away and says "I no like it." I don't know if it's because it looks different or because he's almost 2 or because he'd rather eat candy. I'll be beyond thrilled when the candy is all gone, hopefully by the end of the week.

E2 - 28 Day Challenge - Day 9

2011-11-15T04:50:00.000-08:00

My coffee woes have been appeased. It was as simple as checking the dairy case at my local Sprouts. But more about that later...

On The Menu:
Breakfast: Banana & Toasted Bagel
Lunch: Supreme Pizza
Dinner: Roasted Red Peppers, Sweet Potatoes, & galloping greens with cashew sauce

What We Actually Ate:
Breakfast: Not Vegan: Quiche with cheese & lots of veggies, strawberry scones, fruit bowl, pumpkin muffins
Lunch: Nothing - The kids munched on some snacky stuff in the afternoon but we didn't have an official meal
Dinner: Make your own pizza

My Thoughts:

Today (Day 10) is my mom's birthday & several weeks ago her very dear friend asked if I would help her execute a surprise breakfast/brunch to celebrate my mom's special day. My job was to get her over there. I had to come up with an excuse as to why my mom would need to come with me so I told her that all of the kids had a Dr's appointment and I needed her to go with me to help and she willingly did, despite the fact that her own to-do list was full. That's just the type of person she is. I picked her up and she was indeed surprised when we arrived at the surprise destination. Her friend Pam & Pam's daughter Emily (my dear friend) had prepared quite the spread of goodies. First stop was the coffee bar..... AHHHHHH.... (Imagine a scene from a movie when the heavens open up, the sun streams down like a glorious spotlight, and the Hallelujah chorus plays). There, sitting on the tray, was the answer to my problem. So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer. I poured some into my coffee and watched it's creamy goodness fill my cup and turn my coffee from it's harsh black to a sweet, inviting latte. It was perfect. Now I don't feel like I'm depriving myself of anything. Emily said she just picked it up at Sprouts. Duh, Lori. Why don't you try looking at the non-traditional food store??? Anywoo, I grabbed my coffee and sat down at a table covered with plates and plates of beautiful food. We prayed with my mom, thanked God for his wonderful gift & enjoyed a morning of sweet fellowship with friends. On my way home I stopped by the store and this morning I got to have my 'experience' . :)

Because we'd had such a big breakfast & at a later time than usual, I just wasn't hungry for lunch. I got busy cleaning house and before I knew it the day had slipped away and it was time to start dinner. Dinner was SO easy and SO tasty. I bought some pre-made vegetarian pizza crusts at the store (a package of 5 personal sized pies for $2 - sorry I can't remember the brand). We topped them with some Bertolli organic Garlic & Olive Oil pasta sauce and then each added our own toppings. I used them all: fresh spinach, black olives, yellow bell pepper, & some veggie patty crumbled up. The kids were allowed to top theirs with some cheese but Silas still didn't eat his. He would, however, eat Izzie's (exactly the same as his). He was gobbling up the olives while I was slicing them but wouldn't touch them when they were warm on his pizza. Oh well. These were a big hit that we'll definitely have again.

Several people have asked if this diet change has affected my supply/ability to nurse Rhys. In all honesty, I haven't noticed any change at all. He's always been a great sleeper and the past two nights he's slept straight through, instead of waking up to eat at 4:30 like he had been. I came across an article yesterday about a french couple who were being charged with neglect & face life in prison because they fed their daughter solely breastmilk which because of the mother's vegan diet, was deficient in the essential vitamins A & B-12. The girl became very sick and they chose not to follow the Dr.'s advice for treatment, seeking alternative means instead. This hit a little close to home. In a separate case in Georgia early this year a court upheld the conviction and life sentence against an Atlanta vegan couple over the death of their malnourished 6-week-old boy, who was fed a diet largely consisting of soy milk and apple juice. To me these two cases are vastly different. The first couple sound similar to Graham & me in that we don't always agree with or follow our Dr.'s advise or what the the US says typical treatment of certain ailments may be. BUT, if I saw my child wasting away I think I might reconsider my Dr's words. We've had weight issues with Silas but there are NO other indicators that there is a problem. He's happy, active,sleeps well, and blood work tests have revealed nothing to suggest he could be malnourished or have any other issues. The second couple, however, concerns me. Why in the world would you be giving your newborn apple juice? I just attended a breast-feeding class recently and they shared a study where the World Health Organization suggests you breastfeed for the first 2 years of the child's life to get the full benefits. Even the run-of-the-mill pediatrician would tell you not to give your child anything else until they are at least 4 months old. Just wondering why the couple thought that was a wise idea. So, I'm trying to be more diligent in taking my pre-natal vitamins just to cover all my bases.

Enough sharing for today. I'm off to get my second cup!

E2 - 28 Day Challenge - Day 8

2011-11-14T04:56:00.000-08:00

On The Menu:
Breakfast: Big Bowl
Lunch: Stuffed Pita with Cannellini Dip
Dinner: Baby Greens w/ Supreme Pizza

What We Actually Ate:
Breakfast: I skipped it - Sunday mornings are just too chaotic for breakfast. I think the kids had cereal
Lunch: Spiral Diner
Dinner: Brussel sprouts, roasted new potatoes, leftovers

My Thoughts:
Sundays are always a little rough food wise just because its a busy day. We almost always eat lunch out and then are so beat when dinner rolls around it's usually something low key like leftovers or take out.

We ate lunch at Spiral Diner. It's an organic vegan restaurant on Magnolia. I've had food from there before but only as take out. This was my first time actually dining in. It was BUSY! We waited about 30 minutes for our table and were all STARVING by the time we were seated. Graham & I had the all-you-can-eat pancakes. These were SO good! Chelsea had a yummy chef salad with grilled tofu, (which she says actually tasted like chicken- I wasn't fooled but it wasn't bad) lots of veggies and a tasty homemade 'ranch' dressing. Kenzie had scrambled tofu with a side of toast and jelly. The tofu was seasoned really well. I was on tofu burn-out since our 'eatloaf the other night or I might have liked it more. Silas shared some of our pancakes and part of Izzie's grilled 'cheese'. Everyone else had a bite of her sandwich when it was nice and hot and loved it. I got my bite after it had cooled to room temp and it was a little gross. I didn't like the cheese on Chelsea's salad either. I guess I just love the real stuff too much. The girls at the table next to us had some nachos that looked really good. May have to try those next time.

Sitting there made me remember how much I love the idea of living in a neighborhood where you can just walk down the street to a neighborhood eatery which made me miss Chicago. I loved the "Granola". I'm typically a t-shirt and jeans girl myself and I love the laid-back attitude of the folks in the place... A nice slow down to the stressful pace of life... Then our waiter came over and seemed uber spaced out and several people wreaked of Patchouli, which I'm not a fan of, and I remember why I'm not that way - I like regular showers and I get extremely annoyed by those who indulge in pot smoking. You know what I'm talking about. I wanted to smack the waiter and say "Helloooooo, let's focus here." When he was taking our order it seemed like he was writing a million things down. No. Just writing REALLY SLOW.

Avoca was right across the street. A fantastic coffee shop with the roasters in house. I know, I know, but it's not cheating. Four Star serves Avoca coffee and Garold, one of the Avoca owners, is a former co-worker. Plus they are opened on nights and weekends so I don't feel ashamed for the plug. This coffee thing is really starting to get me down. I think my mom pegged it when she said it's about the experience. Sitting down with a hot cup and taking a moment to enjoy yourself. Graham was sweet and bought me some coconut milk to try. It was tasty but it just isn't as creamy. I NEED CREAM! This morning I tried a dollop of some chocolate syrup I made for our strawberries for dessert in an attempt to make it a mocha but it just didn't cut it.

Dinner was lame and unexciting. Just cleaning out the fridge, but the potatoes were pretty good.

I decided that this week I will shop for three days at a time. Last week I did a big shopping trip at the beginning of the week with a smaller trip mid-week and ended up with some things in excess and some things that just went bad before we used them because of the changes to the menu. I bought some organic grapes and had them in the fruit drawer with a million other things and kind of forgot about them. Only two days after I bought them I had to throw out the whole bunch :( I also have an extra package of hamburger buns and wraps that I have no idea what I was supposed to use them for. Hopefully this approach will prevent any waste, especially since we're going through our grocery budget pretty quickly.

E2 - 28 Day Challenge - Day 7

2011-11-14T04:11:00.000-08:00

On The Menu:
Breakfast: Simple Cereal Bowl
Lunch: Ann's panini
Dinner: Big Salad w/ brussel sprouts and new potatoes

What We Actually Ate:
Breakfast: Simple cereal
Lunch: Big Salad
Dinner: Lynn's Meatloaf - or as I like to call it "Eatloaf" with steamed broccoli

My Thoughts:
Our lunch was pretty much just my way of trying to use up the veggies in my fridge that were about to go south. Some romaine, cucumber, a little celery, some shredded carrot, & a little spinach. We topped it with the dressing from this salad which has become one of our absolute favorites & without the bacon & feta it would be vegan too. (But lets face it, those are pretty tasty. Who'd want to exclude them?) The dressing is a simple mixture of poppy seed dressing (I used Brianni's - it's vegan) & balsamic vinaigrette (I used Newman's Own), about 70/30. YUM! We all gobbled this up.

The 'Eatloaf was a pleasant surprise. You saute some onions, garlic, and celery up and added it to some firm tofu, oats, soy sauce, ketchup, dijon mustard, and some herbs. The recipe also calls for veggie crumbles (meatless patties that come crumbled up) but I just used a few of our leftover lentil and rice patties and it worked well. It had the consistency and flavor of Stovetop stuffing. Soft, bready, and the combo of herbs must have been similar. Everyone ate this, some with extra helpings. Chelsea helped me make it so she was more willing to try it. And she liked it just fine.

I am starting to feel like we are just eating the same veggies over and over, just in slightly different forms. It does get a little old but, like with our lunch, just simply adding a super yummy and familiar dressing, made it a little more palatable.

Weight Check: I am a little frustrated. My weight hasn't changed at all. Graham's maybe a pound. I have a five pound window that I seem to float in. Some days I'm at the higher end, some days the lower. I hope that incorporating more exercise this week will help push me past that hump.

Week One Recap: Graham has noticed since pretty much Day 1 that his digestive problems are no longer and issue which further confirms what we'd previously suspected that it is connected to dairy/lactose.

I am not seeing any major or obvious changes in the way I feel but I think we're gonna stick with it... for now...

E2 - 28 Day Challenge - Day 6

2011-11-14T03:38:00.000-08:00

On The Menu:
Breakfast:Breakfast Tacos
Lunch: Burgers w/ Sweet Potato Fries
Dinner: Starter Salad, Lynn's Meatloaf, & steamed broccoli

What We Actually Ate:
Breakfast: Breakfast Tacos
Lunch: At Grandy's (my mom's)
Dinner: Chipotle

My Thoughts:
The breakfast tacos were super easy. Just some hashbrown potatoes and some veggie breakfast sausage patties wrapped in a corn tortilla. You could probably have used some egg substitute or grilled up some veggies to go in it but I just topped mine with some salsa and called it good. The kids really like these.

We go to my mom's house most Fridays and this week was no exception. She made a fantastic spread of fruit and veggies, guacamole, hummus, & a white bean dip with some whole grain tortillas she baked up into tasty chips.

Since Graham had the day off because of the holiday we spent to afternoon running errands so dinner out was thrown into our plans. Graham and I had the vegetarian burritos with guac. Graham added the grilled veggies to his. I just went straight-up black beans and brown rice. The kids, once again, had a difficult time finding something to eat, but they stuck with it and got their own veggie tacos. And didn't eat half of them. They did eat the beans and rice and some chips. Chelsea, who doesn't like Chipotle under normal circumstances, just had a bowl of rice. :(

Graham was a little concerned that the kids aren't eating. Maybe they aren't getting enough nutrients. Part of me thinks if they'd just try some of it they'd like it. They are eating a lot of fruit, which causes other issues, but in all honesty I think they'd just prefer Halloween candy.

E2 - 28 Day Challenge - Day 5

2011-11-11T04:33:00.000-08:00

On The Menu:
Breakfast: Hot Lap Bowl (oatmeal w/ fruit)
Lunch: E2 Basics Tacos
Dinner: Brown Rice & Lentil Burgers

What We Actually Ate:
Breakfast: Simple Cereal w/ fruit - I really like this so I don't think about changing it up to much. We will probably do breakfast tacos on Saturday when Graham is home, but for now this works.

Lunch: Chalupas - We were supposed to have this the night before and then use the leftovers to make tacos for lunch. I thought these were easier.

Dinner: Brown Rice & Lentil Burgers w/ regular old frozen white potato fries

My Thoughts:
I started my day without a headache or feeling the need to rush to the coffee maker even though I didn't get any more sleep than usual. In fact I didn't have my first cup of coffee until 4:30 when my day started to stress me out and I was starting to get the teeny-tinyist bit of a headache. I didn't even finish it before dinner. Don't know why this seems to be changing, if it's the diet or if it's just me....

Lunch was pretty good. The kids gobbled it up. I took organic corn tortillas and put them on a cookie sheet. Stuck them under the broiler for 2 minutes then pulled them out and topped them with some vegan organic refried black beans, shredded romaine lettuce, diced black olives, and a dollop of guacamole. I think I should have turned the tortillas at some point during cooking because some of them were still a little soft in the middle but all in all easy and tasty.

Dinner was interesting. I used leftover rice from our meals earlier in the week which was my first mistake. I think warm rice would have helped the burgers stay together better. I also was out of chili powder so I had to kind of make my own substitute and it wasn't quite the same. This was my first time using lentils and I was surprised at how quickly they cooked. I didn't have to soak them like beans. The recipe had you saute some onions, diced bell pepper, and garlic and add it to the beans and rice, form them into patties and bake for 15 minutes or until they are slightly firm. I had to mash the mixture up with my hands to brake up the lentils so the burger would hold. I think next time I'll add a little more seasoning and blend up the mixture in a food processor, then pan fry them like you would a black bean burger. They might stay together better as these were somewhat crumbly. But the taste was good. We topped ours with mustard and ketchup and had fries on the side. I decent alternative to McDonald's :) Silas was the only one who refused to eat is and I think part of his issue was that he was in a funk.

We are not exercise people but I think next week I'd like to incorporate some into our day, especially with the St. Jude's walk next Saturday. If you haven't checked out our page you can do so here.

Vegan Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

2011-11-10T07:55:00.000-08:00

Photo from Original Recipe post at Oh She Glows

Vegan Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
(see original recipe here)

Ingredients:

2 cups regular oats, divided
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup Sucanat (or brown sugar)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 tbsp almond milk
3.5 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup dried cranberries

Directions: Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, 1 cup oats, cinnamon, and Sucanat (or brown sugar). Place dry ingredients in a food processor* and process for about 20-30 seconds until mixed. In a small bowl add the coconut oil and microwave for 20 seconds to soften (if necessary). In the same bowl, stir in the maple syrup**, almond milk, and vanilla, and pour into food processor. Process until the mixture is thoroughly combined. Remove bowl from processor and dump contents into a large bowl. Mix in the remaining 1 cup of oats by stirring or with hands. Fold in the 2/3 cup of cranberries. Take about 2 tbsp of dough, make a ball, and then flatten with fingers. Place on cookie sheet. Repeat.

Bake for 10 minutes and no longer. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet*** for 2 minutes before placing onto a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes. Makes about 16 cookies. Delicious!

You could make all kinds of adaptations to this- use different flour or dried fruit, add chocolate, nuts.... The possibilities are endless but remember that adding certain items will change whether it's vegan or not.

* I don't have a food processor so I just mixed it all by hand. The dough seemed crumbly at first but the baked cookies weren't crumbly at all.

**I used the real deal, not pancake syrup but didn't have quite 1/2 a cup so I topped it off with some honey (Which IS NOT VEGAN). The cookies did not have a maple flavor at all.

*** This is KEY. If you take them off right out of the oven they will fall apart.

E2 - 28 Day Challenge - Day 4

2011-11-10T05:45:00.000-08:00

Green Leafy Wrap from E2 website

On The Menu
Breakfast: Strawberries on Toast
Lunch: Green Leafy Wrap & Stir-fry
Dinner: Chalupas with Salsa

What We Actually Ate
Breakfast: Simple Cereal with strawberries and bananas
Lunch: I had the green leafy wraps and the kids had chicken noodle soup w/ PB and honey sandwiches (Vegan FAIL). We ate all the stir-fry the night before so there weren't any leftovers.
Dinner: we ate out at Fuzzy's. Once again the kids had non-vegan fare (a salad with fish, shrimp tacos, cheese nachos) Graham and I had the grilled veggie burrito, without the cheese, and a side of potatoes.
Dessert: Vegan Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

My Thoughts:
I'm kind of failing at this when it comes to the kids. They've been pretty good at at least trying everything I make but there have been several times when they just won't eat it. The green leafy wraps were NOT a big hit. You blanch some collard greens, spread hummus over the leaf & top with veggies. Roll and slice. For me the hummus was a deal maker. I wasn't a fan of the taste of the collard greens (needed some bacon ;)) but the rest of it was fine. I ate mine but I didn't want to force the kiddos to eat theirs so I raided the pantry. Chelsea did make a salad and ate it before she had her soup so I felt ok about that.

I needed to run to the store to get a few things so when Graham got home we all loaded up and headed out. We saw that the new Fuzzy's on Bryant Irvin was opened so we worked it into our plans knowing that we could eat vegan there with some adaptations. The big girls were willing to forgo their favorites for their vegan counterparts but I had no idea what the littles would eat. Rather than order them something only to have it wasted I let them get nachos and then didn't feel fair about making the big girls eat vegan when the littles didn't have too. But we're going to do better on day5. I am seeing them, especially Chelsea, choose more veggies on their own. I think the healthier options will pay-off in her more than maybe the others. It was hard... REAL hard... eating my veggie burrito, that in it's own right was tasty, knowing just how good the fish tacos were that were sitting inches away. :( We agreed that next time we'll go to Chipotle instead. Less tempting to cheat. I'm learning that guacamole is a great alternative to cheese and sour cream on Mexican food.

I also skipped the late night cup of coffee and have yet to have one this morning.... no headache. Yet....

E2 - 28 Day Challenge - Day 3

2011-11-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

On The Menu:
Breakfast: Simple Cereal
Lunch: Open Face sandwich w/ Hummus
Dinner: Stir Fry w/ Brown Rice

What We Actually Ate:
Breakfast: Simple Cereal
Lunch: Veggie Sandwiches - we were out of hummus so we just piled veggies on WW sandwich bread. Kenzie & I sprinkled some raspberry vinegar on ours. Very tasty.
Dinner: Stir Fry veggies and Brown Rice

My Thoughts: Today we actually stuck to the menu better than we had. I don't really have a lot to share except I'm beginning a love/hate relationship with my coffee. I LOVE my morning cup(s) o' joe and since little Rhys arrived I've also been indulging in another cup in the evening. I like something sweet (honey, agave, sugar, doesn't matter) and something 'creamy' in my coffee. A lot of times I'll heat up the milk and froth it to make a latte. I attempted this with the almond milk and it just seemed to intensify the almond taste with I didn't really enjoy in my coffee. I checked out -in passing- the 'non-dairy' creamers at Target. Every single one, liquid & powder, contained sodium caseinate, which is a milk derivative, one of the main things I'm trying to avoid. How in the world can it be called non-dairy when it contains something that comes from milk ?!?!? So I'm now on a hunt for something for my coffee. I skipped my evening cup last night and woke up in the middle of the night with a headache. I may try coconut milk. I might like the taste of that better.

Several people have been asking a myriad of questions. I'm putting together a post answering all of them. If you have a question please feel free to ask. I'd love to include them.

The Why

2011-11-08T08:40:00.000-08:00

The science is clear.
The results are unmistakable.
Change your diet and dramatically reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.

We've made a change & accepted the challenge of eating vegan for this month. It's not a willy-nilly decision. After watching several documentaries, reading lots of blogs and websites, and considering my personal experience, I feel like it's a wise choice. Some of the most compelling evidence comes from two Dr.'s, surprisingly both raised on cattle farms, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.

Dr. Campbell, a nutritional scientist at Cornell University, was concerned in the late 1960′s with producing "high quality" animal protein to bring to the poor and malnourished areas of the third world.

Dr. Esselstyn, a top surgeon and head of the Breast Cancer Task Force at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, found that many of the diseases he routinely treated were virtually unheard of in parts of the world where animal-based foods were rarely consumed.

Their research led them to a startling conclusion: degenerative diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even several forms of cancer, could almost always be prevented – and in many cases reversed – by adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet. Despite the profound implications of their findings, their work has remained relatively unknown to the public.

"Early in his career as a researcher with MIT and Virginia Tech, Dr. Campbell worked to promote better health by eating more meat, milk and eggs -- "high-quality animal protein ... It was an obvious sequel to my own life on the farm and I was happy to believe that the American diet was the best in the world." He later was a researcher on a project in the Philippines working with malnourished children. The project became an investigation for Dr. Campbell, as to why so many Filipino children were being diagnosed with liver cancer, predominately an adult disease. The primary goal of the project was to ensure that the children were getting as much protein as possible. "In this project, however, I uncovered a dark secret. Children who ate the highest protein diets were the ones most likely to get liver cancer..."

He began to review other reports from around the world that reflected the findings of his research in the Philippines. Although it was "heretical to say that protein wasn't healthy," he started an in-depth study into the role of nutrition, especially protein, in the cause of cancer. The research project culminated in a 20-year partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, a survey of diseases and lifestyle factors in rural China and Taiwan. More commonly known as the China Study, "this project eventually produced more than 8000 statistically significant associations between various dietary factors and disease."

The findings? "People who ate the most animal-based foods got the most chronic disease ... People who ate the most plant-based foods were the healthiest and tended to avoid chronic disease. These results could not be ignored. The idea that whole foods, plant-based diets can protect against and even treat a wide variety of chronic diseases can no longer be denied...now there are hundreds of detailed, comprehensive, well-done research studies that point in the same direction" said Dr. Campbell. In The China Study, Dr. Campbell details the connection between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, and also its ability to reduce or reverse the risk or effects of these deadly illnesses. The China Study also examines the source of nutritional confusion produced by powerful lobbies, government entities, and irresponsible scientists." - from the China Study website

The China Study is said to be the most comprehensive large study ever undertaken of the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease. Most of the FDA approved studies performed in the US deal with how a specific food effects a specific ailment, for example the antioxidant Lycopene in tomatoes and it's benefit in protecting against breast and prostate cancers. For this reason the China Study is often dismissed.

It's probably no surprise that many who decide what the nutritional guidelines for our country, and work for the FDA & USDA have strong ties to corporate giants in the meat & dairy industry. This is not to induce a theory about the government, just a statement that those making our 'Food Pyramid' are not acting in an ethical & 'above-reproach' manner. This makes it difficult to trust the validity of what they say. For me anyway. If we're supposedly eating healthier, why are Americans stricken with heart disease as much as we were 30 years ago?

Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, has done a 20+ year study with advanced heart disease patients all of whom stopped the progression of the disease and 70% reversed it with a plant-based diet. Do you need to re-read that? STOPPED. ALL OF THEM. One participant in his study was diagnosed with cancer & sent home to die with a 6 month life expectancy. She changed her diet under Dr. Caldwell's supervision and 27 years later she's still going strong. 27 YEARS! His son, Rip, is an Austin firefighter who has launched what is called the Engine 2 Diet (or E2 for short), a plant based diet which his fire house whole heartedly embraced after one of their own was knocking on death's door and reversed his diagnosis with the help of this new way of eating. The Diet also incorporates Neal Barnard, MD's research with Georgetown University that proved diabetes can be reversed with a plant-based diet as well as Campbell's 20-year China Study that produced more than 8000 statistically significant associations between various dietary factors and disease.

All of these studies are discussed in the documentary "Forks Over Knives".

"Two out of every three of us are overweight. Cases of diabetes are exploding, especially amongst our younger population. About half of us are taking at least one prescription drug. Major medical operations have become routine, helping to drive health care costs to astronomical levels. Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the country’s three leading causes of death, even though billions are spent each year to "battle" these very conditions. Millions suffer from a host of other degenerative diseases. Could it be there’s a single solution to all of these problems? A solution so comprehensive but so straightforward, that it’s mind-boggling that more of us haven’t taken it seriously?" - Forks Over Knives

I am convinced that eating the right way can save your life. I would like to hope that this 28 day challenge will change our lifestyle forever and that starting my kiddos young will make it easier to make healthier decisions in the long run.

More Information:
You can read an excerpt from the China Study book here

Published studies: http://engine2diet.com/thescience/Published_Studies

Alona Pulde, M.D. And Matthew Lederman, M.D. – Transition to Health

E2 - 28 Day Challenge - Day 2

2011-11-08T04:30:00.000-08:00

On The Menu:

Breakfast: Banana & Toast
Lunch: E2 Basics Wrap w/ leftover Gnocchi
Dinner: Black Beans & Rice

What We Actually Ate:

Breakfast: Rip's Big Bowl (I had shredded wheat, grape nuts, & uncle sam's flakes topped with bananas, strawberries, & original almond milk)

Lunch: Whole Wheat Penne with 365* organic Italian Herb pasta sauce

Dinner: Black Bean & Brown Rice - Rip's recipe and can be found on the Whole Foods website. (I used dried beans instead of canned, water not broth, & left out the water chestnuts because Graham doesn't like them)

My Thoughts: Today went pretty well. I usually don't eat breakfast, just have a cup (or 2) of coffee, but I've really enjoyed it the past two days. The fruit adds some sweetness without me adding sugar. YUM! Lunch was good too. Chelsea claims she doesn't like WW pasta but she gobbled up TWO bowls of this stuff. The sauce tasted great and with a coupon at the store it made it cheaper than the Bertolli and Newman's Own organic sauces I've been getting at Walmart. We skipped the wraps because I felt like there was plenty of food with just the pasta & I could stretch the veggies that I have for another meal. Thankfully, because I have the week's menu posted on the fridge, I was able to see at a glance that I needed to get the beans soaking for dinner & didn't find myself looking for a plan B come supper time. This meal was pretty yummy with all of the fixin's. Normally I would have liked a little more 'spice' to it but because I'm nursing I opted to go with a little S & P instead. Chelsea just ate the rice but the rest of the kiddos liked it o.k.

In the Challenge Rip includes a 'dessert' each day. Sometimes it's as simple as a bowl of melon but I'm trying to teach my kids that dessert is not a mandatory course for each meal. So I picked a few of the suggested dishes and included them on the days where I felt like it might be a struggle to get the children to eat their dinner. (Read: Bribery) Last night was one of those nights. So before they scuttled off to brush their teeth we all enjoyed a big scoop of strawberry sorbet. It was so yummy. Just a simple snag from the freezer section. The Diet suggests lemon sorbet with raspberries, which sounded wonderful, but my store didn't have either so strawberry sub'd nicely.

I was a tiny bit hungrier today than yesterday and I'm not sure why. Everything I ate seems like it should have been more filling - tons of fiber - but I found myself grabbing a Mojo bar in the afternoon and then snacking on some pita chips & hummus while watching some evening tv with Graham... We'll see how day 3 goes.

* 365 is Whole Foods store brand. It's a good value, lots of it is organic, and it's a good quality. At the Arlington location they are nice enough to clip the store ad coupons and display them in front of the items so saving even more is not hard. You know how much I love coupons so this just totally made my day. They also have coupons on the website. There doesn't seem to be a print limit and the store coupons will stack with manufacturers coupons for even greater savings! :)

E2: 28 Day Challenge - Day 1

2011-11-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

On the Menu:

Breakfast: Big Bowl (basically a big bowl of mixed grain cereals & a little flax seed with lots of fruit mixed in)
Lunch: Stuffed Pita w/ Hummus
Dinner: Spinach Salad and Gnocchi with Red Sauce

What we actually ate:
Breakfast: Simple Cereal (whole grain cereal with sliced bananas & almond milk)

Lunch: Stuffed Pita with Hummus - Whole wheat pitas stuffed with hummus spread, heirloom greens, cucumbers, red bell pepper, shredded carrots, alfalfa sprouts.

Snacks: The kids munched on some leftover things we're trying to get rid of, some Pirate Booty, chips, and I think they each had a piece of Halloween candy. But they also chose to make "Ants on a Log", celery with peanut butter & raisins, without me needing to encourage them.

Dinner: Graham & I decided to have an impromptu dinner date. This took a little bit of time and research to find a vegan option. We needed to take the kids over to my mother-in-laws in the mid-cities area and we are unfamiliar with the eating establishments there. Google to the rescue! We ended up at Rio Mambo on 121. I got the De La Casa salad which is mixed iceberg and romaine lettuce, corn tortilla strips, fresh avocado, cucumbers, and roasted poblano peppers with their mexican vinaigrette. I had to ask for no cheese (& tomatoes) and this salad was YUM! The dressing had a kick but the flavor was great and didn't make me miss ranch. Graham ordered the spinach vegetarian enchiladas which were also AMAZING. Roasted veggies piled on top with a side of rice and black beans which we were assured had no meat in them. The only draw back was that after he took a few bites he realized there was cheese in the filling with the spinach :( It didn't mention this on the menu but next time we'll know to ask for no cheese as well. With some chips, salsa, and guac this was all in all a very tasty & filling meal. The kiddos ate burritos & soft tacos from Rosa's - yes, obviously not vegan or vegetarian but planning something for them to eat last minute without wanting Graham's mom to have to make something proved a little difficult so I conceded and I won't beat myself up about it. We'll have the pasta and sauce for lunch tomorrow.

My thoughts: The kids were VERY hesitant at lunch time. Kenzie has said in the past that she doesn't like hummus which is weird because she's my good eater. She loves any kind of vegetable and will at least try almost anything. They all started looking for other options. I made Izzie & Si a PB & J. Once I started getting out all of the veggies for the pitas all 4 of the kids migrated to the kitchen, hovered, and begin to snack on the veggies almost as fast as we were chopping them. They all ended up eating pitas and loving them. Chelsea even said "Being vegan is not that bad". :) I also discovered that they like raisins. Breakfast this morning was really filling and I wasn't hungry at all until lunch.

Weight Check: I weighed myself this morning just so I could kind of keep track. I'll do it again next weekend and see if there is any difference. I asked Graham to do the same. We took the kids to ride bikes for about an hour so we were able to get some good exercise. I'm hoping the changes in our diet may help with Chelsea's weight and Silas's milk issues.

So far, so good.

28 Days (More or less)

2011-11-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

Spelt Blueberry Pancakes from the Engine 2 website

So we've decided to try something... For the month of November, except Thanksgiving Day, our little family will be eating vegan. After watching several documentaries on Netflix and doing some research on my own, on top of stuff I already knew, it just seems like a wise choice. The connection between nutrition & disease is overwhelming, even it's connection to cancer. And the guidelines we've been taught all our lives may not truly be what is best.

I've connected with the website www.Engine2diet.com and have chosen to do the 28 day challenge. The website provides a TON of helpful info including menus, shopping lists, a forum, and recipes. I've had to adjust some things based on our schedule, when we are starting, and my preferences (very little soy, no mushrooms, etc). I want to chronicle our journey here for several reasons:

to keep myself accountable
to share our progress
to encourage others

Why are we going vegan? At this point everyone in my immediate family is 'healthy'. No one in my house is taking prescription meds for any ailments or for preventative measures. I'd like to keep it that way. I've been lucky enough to know 3 out of my 4 grandparents into my adulthood, making me fairly aware of our medical history. This history includes high blood-pressure, thyroid issues, osteoporosis, & on my husband's side, diabetes. As my parents age I am beginning to see some of these issues start to effect them. If there is any way that I can prevent these for myself or my children I want to do it.

Does this mean we'll never eat animal products again? No, it doesn't. We plan on eating Turkey on Thanksgiving and Mackenzie has already requested a trip to Babe's Chicken for her birthday. Graham LOVES ice cream & I LOVE cheese. I just want to cut these things down significantly. The 28 day challenge is just that, a challenge. I want to see if we can do it, change our tastes and my kids' perceptions of 'healthy' food. And to feel first hand the effect food has on our general well-being.

Will we only eat salad? NO WAY! I love salad but there are so many yummy things that fit into the vegan diet, some things you might not have never suspected: Ghirardelli Hot Chocolate, Cinnamon Life cereal, bagels, guacamole, pasta & pasta sauce (these are just some of my favorites). Now, if I were to just follow the vegan guidelines of "No Animal Products" I could sit down to a breakfast of Fruity Pebbles with soy milk, a tall glass of almond milk with Nesquik chocolate mixed in, followed by a snack of cracker jacks and Famous Amos sandwich cookies. This would NOT be a healthy choice. The benefit comes in making wise choices: whole wheat pastas or Quinoa, oatmeal and fruit, veggies galore, minimal soy & corn, avoiding processed foods, choosing as close to nature as possible.

This past week I've been researching, meal planning, and ridding our pantry, fridge, & freezer of non-diet friendly foods. Tonight I'm making a trek to Whole Foods to get a few things I can't get at my normal grocery store. In the upcoming days I'll share a little more about the science behind making this choice & what I'm learning.

So, I invite you to follow our journey and hopefully you may be encouraged to take the leap too. For your health.

Some 'food' for thought:

(Both on Netflix Instant Watch)
Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead
Forks over Knives

The China Study
Engine 2

Baby Woes

2011-08-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

I feel a little foolish. I've hoped and prayed that this, my fifth pregnancy, would be different than all the others. In a lot of ways it has. But in the "I'm older, not as fit, my body has already birthed four children" kind of way, not the "I'm gonna have this baby before I hit the miserable point" way. During what could possibly be the hottest summer on record, I was hoping for a little reprieve. But baby, you've got just over 48 hours before you follow in the footsteps of your older siblings. Chelsea was induced on her due date. Mackenzie was scheduled for induction 5 days after hers but I went into labor on my own a few hours beforehand. Izzie was induced 4 days after hers. Silas was scheduled for induction 5 days after his but came on his own a few hours before we were scheduled to be at the hospital.... See a trend? In a very poor attempt to get Si'bs here Graham & I tried acupressure. I don't recommend you try this without the help of a professional. Oh we read plenty of websites. All it did was cause me a night of excruciating cramping with no real results.

I worked hard cleaning house this afternoon hoping to get some good contractions going. I just wore my already tired self out and as I sat in the bubble bath* trying to console myself on what appears to be my fate I had a thought, (Other than 'I guess I didn't get the toilet brush up under the rim as well as I should have') "I should pray more about this. All my energy has been spent in 'Woe is me' mode and I've neglected to pray that God might have favor on me... and end my suffering." Whoa, hold up. WHAT?!?!? It's not God's mind that needs to be changed, it's my heart. My head knows his timing is perfect... Why can't I trust in that? My prayer needs to be for patience, not that I'll get my way. When has MY way ever done me a bit of good? So I'll meditate on this instead:

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living!
Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD! - Psalm 27: 13 - 14

God knows what's best for me, what's best for baby Rhys. I'm going to spend my energy thanking Him for this marvelous creation and gift and enjoy these next days with the kiddos he's already given me. I won't be pregnant forever **. I hope :) I have my next midwife appointment on Wednesday morning with my favorite midwife , Brenda. She always starts and ends our appointment with a hug and I think I'm going to need it this week.

* I don't understand the desire to take a bubble bath. My sister loves them. I always get bored after a few minutes and want to move on to something else. The exceptions to this are when I'm really sick & when I'm really pregnant.... nothing soothes like a little soak in the tub.

** I saw a tv special once about this woman in India who got pregnant and miscarried but never birthed the child. 30 something years later, as a very old woman, she was having surgery to remove the infants calcified bones from her womb... Incredibly interesting and heartbreaking at the same time.

Shopping Trip: Walgreens

2011-08-15T08:35:00.001-07:00

(Has anyone else noticed that the Washington Senators "W" looks just like the Walgreens logo? No? Just me? I've been watching too much Baseball.)

I used to NEVER shop at Walgreens. It seemed a little overpriced and I was always in Walmart anyway so there was really no need except for the emergency purchase here or there... Wet wipes before hopping the plane to Chicago, children's cough meds, the occasional prescription... etc. Once I started couponing though I realized that they can have some pretty good sales and when you pair it with coupons and register rewards you can really get some awesome, and sometimes free, deals. I've learned that I need to go on Sundays to make sure my deals are in stock as they seem to go really fast. There is also a super nice woman named Nancy that works on most Sundays at my store and she never minds me using ALL my coupons and she'll even go way out of her way to help me find certain items and more coupons. Plus, the Hubby is home on Sundays and I can leave the kids, although this week I was required to take Izzie, hence the unplanned highlighter purchase..... Anywhoo, I was so excited about my trip this week I decided to share.

What I bought:

(2)Expo Dry Erase Washable Markers, 6 pk $3.99
Used $2.00/2 – Expo Markers – (bricks.coupons.com)
And Used $3.00/1 Expo Washable Dry Erase Markers, 6 pk (takes off $6.00) (in Walgreens August coupon booklet)
Final Price: Free

(3)Trident Gum, 18 piece $0.79 (originally $1.29)
With in ad coupon, Limit 6
Use $2.00/3 Trident Gum, any single packs from SS 7/24
Final Price: $0.12 each

(1)Skintimate Shave Cream, 6 oz $1.99 (originally $3.99)
With in ad coupon, Limit 4
Used $1.50/1 – Skintimate Cream Shave – (smartsource.com)
Final Price: $0.49 (Realized after the fact I forgot to show her the in-ad Q for this so I paid $2.49 :( )

(1) Revlon Nail Enamel $3.99
Buy 1, Receive $3.00 Register Reward, Limit 1
Used $2.00/1 Walgreens Coupon Revlon Cosmetics, Any (coupon pictures nail) from SS 7/24
Pay $1.99, Receive $3.00 Register Reward
Final Price: $1.01 Moneymaker

(1)Penway Crayons, 24 pk $0.29 (originally .79)
With in ad coupon, Limit 3
Final Price: $0.29

(1)mini highlighter - clearance item $.09

Total based on original prices $20.71
Total based on sale prices before Q's $16.71
Total after all sales & coupons $ 5.23
Used $5 in RR* from previous trips
Total Out of Pocket cost $ 0.23!
AND received $3 in RR for next time! MADE $2.77!!

I am SO bummed that I didn't realize the Skintimate sale was an in-ad coupon. I just thought it was on sale. I could have saved one of my Register Rewards. Oh well. I still made out just fine. I try to check out the Walgreens ad on Saturday evening and plan my Sunday trip ahead of time. I go with a list that lays out the sales I want to get as well as the coupons I need to use. Obviously I was a little distracted this week thanks to little red, but usually this plan helps me stay on track and not miss any of the deals I want.

* RR - Register rewards: A store credit you receive when certain purchases are made.

Four Star

2011-08-08T12:22:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a favorite place? One that felt like a home away from home? You knew when you walked in the door that it would never let you down? For me this place was Four Star Coffee Bar. I remember the first time I heard about it. I was fifteen and this was back in the day when there wasn't a Starbucks on every corner. I come from a long line of coffee drinkers so I was intrigued at the idea of a coffee shop but what sold me on a maiden trip was a rumor that a guy who played on the latest album of my favorite band (not local, mind you) was working behind the bar.

It was large but felt homey. Every table in the joint was hand painted by a different local artist bearing 'Dear John' letters and card games in progress. It had a reading room full of plush worn seats and eclectic collection of books that always called my name. A large coffee roaster that sat in the back corner. If you came in on the right day (or wrong day) you would be met at the door by a plume of smoke as someone sat by that roaster creating an oh-so-tasty bean. A shelf of board games and a wall of glass jars filled with tea leaves and coffee beans. One of my favorite pieces was mounted on the wall behind the bar. A dark cherry case of shelves that housed the coffee mugs of the regulars and now hangs mounted in my kitchen holding my collection.

The food was delicious and the coffee even better. I loved when my friend Michelle and I became regulars on Wednesday nights and the barista Brett (or would it be baristo since he was male?) would have our drinks ready before we even made it up to the counter. So many nights were spent there doing homework, playing cards, or just enjoying a chat over an italian soda. I applied for a job there when I was 16 or 17 but didn't get an interview. Guess I wasn't the right kind of tree*. When I was 21 and in need of a second job Four Star seemed like a perfect fit. I could work on weekends and it was close to my current abode. I called and got an interview with a guy named Graham who was the current manager (& who sounded very cute on the phone). When I arrived later that afternoon I was surprised to see a girl that I'd hung out with in middle school come out of the kitchen and introduce herself as the owner. I knew Bonnie, the original owner, had sold it but didn't know to whom. They were getting some last minute things together for Graham's brother's wedding so my interview was rushed but I got the job.

I spent many Friday and Saturday nights behind the bar that summer, meeting all kinds of interesting people. The 'westsiders', the recovering alcoholics who'd traded one bar stool for another, the smarmy old men who'd make inappropriate jokes when I was in earshot, and the regular groups from nearby churches. I remember thinking I could work here forever - though the pay wouldn't buy my dream house, I really enjoyed the work, and the regulars (most of them anyway). There's so much more I could tell you about that summer but that's for another day.

A week ago my dad and my husband (that hottie Graham I mentioned before :) ) became the owners of Four Star. It has since moved downtown and the concept has become a little more food focused. The regulars are now XTO employees and other downtown workers. They close at 3 and there's no live music on the weekends, in fact they aren't even opened on weekends typically. It's a different place with a different feel but it's ours. It's something Graham and I have talked about for ages but the timing was never right. And for whatever reason, this time, God saw fit to let us have this blessing. It's had it's hiccups for sure but the road that lies ahead is nothing short of exciting. The first week was SUPER crazy with a huge convention in town. Dad took off work and helped out everyday, worked like a dog. I came in to help a few days and ended the week with swollen ankles, but happy.

It makes me a little sad to know the original place I fell in love with will probably never exist again, (and increased by the fact that I couldn't find a picture of the old location's interior online - Isn't this the digital age?) but who knew way back when what this little coffee shop would become for me, for us. I'm a very blessed girl.

*This was one of the first job applications I ever filled out and for sure the first one that asked me what kind of tree I would consider myself.

The shopping game

2011-07-27T01:39:00.001-07:00

I recently read a blog comment where a woman shared that throughout the year she would buy clothing items at garage sales, thrift stores, and clearance racks when she found a good deal. Then when it was time to do "Back to School" clothes shopping for her kids she'd give them each fake money and they could shop through her bargain finds. They got 'new' clothes and she didn't break the bank. I liked this idea but wanted to tweek it for my purposes.

A little over a year ago I spent some time weeding through my children's clothes. And then, I kid you not, that very same week we received 3 garbage bags full of hand-me-downs. Don't get me wrong. I'm always SO thankful for the provisions God makes, but my house was becoming overwhelmed. The laundry situation was out of control, my children didn't take pride in what they own, and this blessing of abundance was becoming a burden. As we get ready to add another person to the house I am even more motivated to get rid of the stuff. My mom, sisters, & I are having a garage sale this weekend so now was as good a time as any.

I spent the last two or three days washing, hanging, and folding every article of clothes my children own. I've gone through countless boxes from the garage. Everything is clean and easily accessible. So now the game. Using a slightly updated version of my clothing list, I made vouchers for the girls. Each one has a specific article of clothing needed. For example, 'One nice dress', or 'a pair of black church shoes'. They will then take the vouchers and 'shop' through their clothes. Anything that's left will either go to the garage sale or Goodwill, or a few choice items may be saved for a younger sibling. And if they are in need of an item (let's say a pair of jeans) then they'll have a voucher for that item left over at the end of the game and I know exactly what to keep my eye out for. I'll do this for Izzie (with a little of her input, maybe) and then later on for the boys. Now, there are some additional guidelines. The items they choose have to pass mom's inspection. They must fit well, be modest, & have no stains or holes.

To avoid the previous dilemma of 'gifts' adding to the closets, we'll institute an "Exchange Program". Say Chelsea gets a new dress for Christmas, she'll need to pick one of her older dresses to exchange for it.

Does this make any sense? The girls are very excited to 'shop' and I'm thrilled to be getting rid of some stuff. I'm tired of looking at this mountain of clothes constantly needing my attention.

What is a Good Price?

2011-07-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

This was a big question for me when I started couponing. How do you know when the price is worthy of purchasing more than one of an item. I started making a list of things we typically buy (a list much longer than I originally expected) and started to write down the regular prices for these items. I listed the prices for these items at Walmart, Target, Walgreens, CVS, and if they were grocery items I listed prices for Kroger and Albertson's as well. This was SO tedious!
The idea was I could refer to the list, see who generally had it cheapest, and determine what I would consider a good sale price. If it was 75% off or more I'd consider it a 'stock-up price'. I searched the internet for some pre-made price lists but just couldn't find exactly what I wanted. I stumbled upon this good summary article by Clippin' with Carie . My comments are in BOLD.

"Now when it comes to stock up pricing…
That is always a tough question to answer as not everyone has the same store sales or coupons that I may have or you may have a greater “tolerance” for what you will pay for an item, but I am going to do my best to throw some numbers that I use at you:

Obviously when you can get something FREE…STOCK UP!!

PERSONAL CARE ITEMS:
Bar Soap $.25 or less
Toilet Paper (dbl roll) $.30 per roll or less
Body Wash, Deodorant, Kotex, Razors (disposable), Shave Cream, Toothpaste, Toothbrushes $.50 or less (I don't think I've paid more than a quarter for toothbrushes & toothpaste)
Shampoo, Conditioner, Mouthwash, Razors (like Venus or Fusion) $1 or less

HOUSEHOLD ITEMS:
Paper Plates, Liquid Hand Soap, Paper Towels (per roll), Fabric Softener, Liquid Dish Detergent $.50 or less
Dishwasher Detergent or Laundry Detergent $1.50 or less *

FOOD ITEMS:
(I haven't stockpiled any food items except for maybe some pasta and a few frozen meals. I do have some good cereal coupons I'm hoping to use soon since this is a quick and easy thing the big girls can get themselves which will be EXTREMELY helpful when #5 arrives and the littles need A LOT of my attention. I'm thinking of stocking up on some easy snack things as well, like granola bars)
Canned Veggies, Canned Beans, Cake Mix, Canned Soup, Salad Dressing $.50 or less
Pasta, Tub Frosting, Rice, Ketchup, Mustard $.75 or less
Cereal, Shredded Cheese (can be frozen) $1 or less
Peanut Butter, Jelly, Mayo, Fruit Snacks $1.25 or less (I don't think this is a good price for fruit snacks since Kroger usually has their store brand on sale for $1.39 and I can always find a national brand for $2.00 regular price at Wal-mart.)

Now when it comes to finding storage racks and shelving at good prices I personally have been able to get mine for as low as FREE to $25 by watching for businesses or retailers that are going out of business and they need to get rid of everything. (You can also try Craigslist or Freecycle)"
- http://www.savingmoneyinmissouri.com (Clippin' with Carie)

If you read my couponing posts you know that I love the Krazy Coupon Lady website. It's very well organized and easy to navigate. She has these handy little symbols she posts next to items to let you know that this is a good price. Yesterday she posted her own extensive stock-pile price list. Go here to print out a copy to keep in your binder. Now I have noticed a few discrepancies in what she's marked on her posts and then what she has listed in the list, but it's still a GREAT resource.

Another helpful link:
This is a price list from SouthernSavers that compares stock-up prices to the regular bulk prices at Costco : http://tinyurl.com/5tr87uv

* Kroger is currently having a sale on Wisk laundry detergent with the 32 load bottles marked down to $3.99, but they are also part of a "buy 10 participating items get $5.00 off" (or .50 an item) making these $3.49 each. I also had 2 $2.00 off one bottle which would make these $1.50.... BUT they were all out. So I went to the service desk to get a rain check and the kind sales man marked the rain check price as $3.49 WITHOUT the stipulation that I'd have to buy 10. So, for the first time ever I used a coupon clipping service (BlissCoupons) to order 8 more coupons. So in a week or so when they've restocked I can go back to the store and get 10 bottles of Wisk using my coupons AND the rain check to get them for $1.50 each. 320 loads for $15 bucks! This is very exciting to me :) I've never used Wisk before so I'm hoping it doesn't suck. ;) But we go through so much laundry soap I figure the price is good enough that it's worth a try.

Stockpiling with a Purpose

2011-06-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

After two months of avidly couponing I feel like I've got a healthy stockpile of personal care items: Shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, body wash, etc. At least enough to get us through the summer. I snagged all of these at extremely low prices and I know I don't have to worry about purchasing them for awhile so I can just replenish my stash when these items are free or almost free. There are a few things I'd like to add: Diapers, Wipes, kids shampoo, & paper products. We can NEVER seem to have enough of these around. I had happened upon a good deal at Walgreens awhile back on some kids shampoo and wouldn't you know the Littles got a hold of a bottle and used almost the entire thing to make bubbles in the tub. :( And a week later did it again. But I'm still keeping my eye out.

So, What do you do when you don't need anymore toothpaste or razors but that deal is just too good to pass up? I like to call it 'Stockpiling with a Purpose'. A purpose beyond just our personal everyday use. Here are some examples of other 'purposes':

* Stockings
My kids (& hubby) always get toothbrushes in their stockings. I've gotten most of them already. CVS & Walgreens constantly have candy deals like the TIC TAC one a few weeks ago. I got some of those. Gum is constantly a good deal too. I've thought about chocolate but I'm afraid if I know it's there I may hit up the stash, defeating the purpose. Now my girls aren't old enough for make-up and razors but those would be great ideas too. Chap stick, cartoon bandaids, fun school supplies all are great. Razor cartridges & shave cream work well in 'The Man's' stocking. I've already started a stash of these so at Christmas time they are ready to go and my gift budget can be focused elsewhere.

* Gift Baskets
A few years ago I got this really cool book on gift baskets. It has basket ideas for EVERY occasion and lists of what to put in them. Each list starts at a very basic price point of $25. Then it gives items you can add to bump it up to a $50 value and then some even go up to $100. I usually do a couple of these at Christmas time but they would be great for baby showers, birthdays, and a get well gift for a friend. Almost anything could work for these. If you have a nice healthy stash then it's easy to bless some one even though your funds may be low. A book I read recently suggested finding baskets at yard sales for pennies and then having them available for those gifts.

* Charity
I've seen a lot of 'extreme couponers' donate a large amount of their stockpile to a local charity like the food bank. Our church has a clothing closet as well as a food pantry and some of those food items that we don't normally eat but are always on good sale would be PERFECT for this. Think Ramen, cereal, & canned goods. Also, some of those soap, disposable razor, and sample size freebies might work well as donations. Be sure to check with your charity/church first.

*Ministry Opportunity
My dad recently share a story about a man he runs into at a transit center in our city. This man shouts offers of "free burgers" which of course gets a lot of attention. He says the interested parties must answer a question in order to get a free What-A-Burger voucher. (I have no idea where he gets these) He starts out by asking basic bible knowledge questions like "Who built the Ark?" and slowly builds up to the real probing questions. By the end of his encounter he's usually pricked the heart of at least one passerby and is provided an opportunity to share the gospel. Now I know soap/razors/shampoo may not be as enticing as a burger but FREE stuff always gets someone's attention and this would be a great way to giveaway some of those freebie food items and share Christ.

Just some of my thoughts on how to make a good use of some fabulous finds... If the item is free or almost free and it's not inconvenient to snag it, why not? If you've got the space to store it then it could come in pretty handy.

Grocery Shopping with Coupons

2011-06-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

I have a hard time with this. "They" say you are doing well if you can save 50% or more. Extremer's save about 75% on a regular basis. I am no where near this. I'm not sure how they do it. I clip my coupons, I check the websites for match-ups and good deals but I just don't feel like I'm able to save lots. There are a few things that I feel hinder me and I'm o.k. with that. Mostly it's because of our eating habits. We almost NEVER eat beef, at least not at home, maybe twice a month and we buy it straight from the farm. And when the budget allows we also get our milk and eggs there too. We almost never have soda in the house unless company is coming over. (Now, in full disclosure I must admit that pregnancy makes me crave some good ol' Dublin Dr. Pepper from Chicken Express, so this is on occasion - or lots of occasions- in our home). I share this because a lot of the food I find on spectacular deals tends to be the stuff we wouldn't eat, or at least not buy normally.

I try to shop at Albertsons or Kroger because they will double and triple coupons. Last week Albertson's had several things on sale Buy One Get One free and an even better sale of Buy One Get Two Free. I stocked up on some lunch items for here at home and beverages to take up to the pool. There was only one item on sale at Kroger this week I wanted so I just price matched it at Wal-mart with the other items I needed to get. If I have a higher value coupon that can't be doubled at the other stores I will use it at Wal-mart. Their non-sale prices and store brand are consistently cheaper than the other stores unless they are on sale. It's not hard for me to find good prices on pasta, which we do eat alot of.

I haven't done much grocery shopping at Target but this week I've got a manufacturer's coupon I'll stack with a Target coupon to get some yogurt for the girls fairly cheap which will make for good snacks. I'm not a big stock-piler on grocery items for three reasons. 1. I don't have much pantry space, 2. I won't stockpile food items in my garage because I live in Texas and it's currently 180 degrees in my garage, 3. I'm concerned about critters... bugs, mice, etc. Now I do have a large chest freezer so freezable things I'll more than gladly stock-up on.

So, I'm at a loss. What do you do to save on groceries? What kinds of items do you find on sale consistently? Do you meal plan and then shop to your plan or do you buy what's on sale and make meals out of that?

A little peace & quiet

2011-06-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. And I still haven't gotten around to that one promised post... but I will. Just spending a lot of time in my head the past week or so, pondering big, possibly life changing, decisions and being reminded once again that being an adult isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Tonight I sat on my couch and looked around. Basketball game on the tv, little one watching a movie on the laptop right next to me, husband tweeting away on his phone, and the faint sounds of the big girls watching a movie back in their room. Too Much! While I love all of the conveniences technology affords us sometimes I just want to shut everything down and take a breather. I'm trying to take a break from Facebook just because it sucks up SO much of my time and really, not knowing every little detail about everyone's day isn't going to kill me. I find I tend to over share on Facebook anyway and staying away helps me to keep things to myself that maybe don't need to be shared... And I'm just trying to change the routine a bit before baby comes along.

So that's it. Just checking in.

Extreme Couponing Tips

2011-05-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

I know I said I was going to post on my grocery couponing next but I came across this article and wanted to share. It comes from the Living Rich with Coupons series 'Extreme Couponing 101'. The girls and I love to watch the new episodes of TLC's Extreme Couponing but it can be a little crushing when you know you aren't getting anywhere near those kinds of deals on your hauls. I have found that on almost every couponing website, especially the ones where the operator has been featured on the show, they all say that those kinds of shopping trips almost NEVER happen. So that's encouraging and I hope this is too.

"Extreme Couponing Tips

If you have been watching the Extreme Couponing Series on TLC, you know that some of these shoppers walk away with a ton of groceries for next to nothing. Lot’s of questions pop up like, where do they get all their inserts, can you use that coupon on that product, etc.

This week’s tip is:

Don’t Be So Extreme

I understand that the name of the show is Extreme Couponing, however, to me, Extreme Couponing has a different meaning then buying 100 Free bottles of soap in 1 shopping trip. There is no need for that. Really there isn’t. To me Extreme Couponing is the ability to save 75% or more on your grocery bill. And, you can do that if you picked up 4 -8 (depending on your family size) of those same Free bottles of soap. Not 100 bottles.

Stockpiles

I talk a lot about building a stockpile. Having a nice stockpile is one of the key ways to be able to save at the grocery store. The reason for building a stockpile is simply so that you do not have to go out and buy something at full price. If you purchase several of the items when they are at their lowest price, you do not have to purchase them until they go on sale again.

Why will 4-8 bottles be enough? Well, it’s simple. Sales usually run in cycles of about 3 months. So, if you see a great deal on bottles of soap this month, most likely you will see a great deal again in about 3 months. Just in time for the 4-8 bottles in your stockpile to start to be running low. Honestly, it could take us about 3 weeks to go through 1 bottle of soap. For me, 100 bottles of soap would be over 5 years worth. Buy what you need for your family and for donations and nothing more. Please don’t turn your home into one big stockpile.

Don’t overwhelm yourself

Watching some of these couponing shows may have you thinking you are not as good at couponing as you thought. That there must be something wrong because you are not buying $2000 worth of groceries for $50. Don’t second guess yourself. If you are saving a good amount by using coupons and working some deals, then you are doing a great job. And, don’t try to do every single deal. There are way too many and if you do, you’ll burn yourself out. Step back, take a deep breath and say, I’m not doing that deal because I just don’t need to right now. It will make for a much better, long term, couponing experience.

Enjoy Couponing

Couponing should not take over your home or your life. It should be a fun activity that brings you great joy and satisfaction that you are saving your family money. If deals don’t work or you forgot a coupon, brush it off. There is always the next deal or coupon."

Feel better now?

Go check out their website. They have a great Couponing for Beginners section and info on stockpiling.

Coupon Categories

2011-05-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

Some of you have asked about my coupon binder categories. I based my list off of the Krazy Coupon Lady’s and made my own personalizations. Her list is not alterable so I had to type up my own and dressed it up.

1. Salty Snacks/Chips
2. Granola/Fruit Snacks
3. Pasta & Sauce
4. Soup
5. Baking
6. Breakfast
7. Prepared Sides/rice
8. Condiments/Salad Dressing
9. Drinks
10. Refrigerated
11. Freezer
12. Candy
13. Diapers
14. Misc. Baby - Wash/Lotion
15. Paper Products/ Ziplock
16. Surface Cleaners
17. Laundry

Detergent

Stain Removers

18. Dish washing

Detergent

Liquid Soap

19. Air Fresheners
20. Meds/Vitamins
21. First Aid
22. Beauty

Make-up

Facial Cleansers

23. Oral Care

Toothbrushes

Toothpaste

24. Soap & Body Wash

Hers

25. Hair Care

Shampoo

Styling

Color

26. Lotion
27. Shaving

Hers

28. Deodorant

Hers

29. Feminine Hygiene
30. Misc.

I added the subcategories just because I like to keep things a little more organized. I removed the categories Produce, Vegetables, Fruit, PB &J, Yogurt, Pets and combined some of the other categories.

I've been clipping coupons on Sunday nights (afternoon if nap time allows). Then I put away in the binder all the ones I want to keep and set aside the ones I know I won't use to donate to overseas military families or pass along to friends that have requested them. I like to look at the Sales Ad Previews that come out the Friday or Saturday before so I can get an idea of the super good buys I'll want to snag at CVS and Walgreens as soon as possible. These go really fast, I've learned, so if it's something I really want to get I'll make a shopping trip on Sunday. For example, this week Walgreens had a special on swim diapers and since we joined the pool this summer I knew we'd need lots of these and the price was excellent. We stopped in on our way to church Sunday morning. On Monday I usually go through my binder and pull any coupons that expire that week and see if there are any sales I can use them on.

I'll expound on my grocery routine in my next post. I need some help in this area, so get your thinking caps on.

The Unexpected Guest

2011-05-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

I’m a stay at home mom with four kids. We homeschool and I’m generally a laidback (read: lazy) person. This means I usually don’t get out of my pj’s unless we’re going somewhere. I mean, what’s the point if you’re just going to get snot wiped on your shirt or someone else’s lunch covered hands wiped all over your shorts? I’d have to keep changing clothes all day and that just makes more laundry. I typically wait till the kids go to bed and change into a new pair of jammies. On any given day my sink can be full of dishes, the trash overflowing, and the kitchen floor needing to be swept AGAIN. And while I’m tidying constantly I’ve got four forces of nature working against me and there is always something that needs to be picked up or cleaned all over again. Needless to say my house is usually only ‘company ready’ moments before our guest arrive. Several times lately I’ve been met with the unanticipated knock at the door and as I cringe, I’m scrambling to get decent and pray it’s not someone I’ll need to invite in. Today is a perfect example. We had a very busy weekend, Silas didn't sleep well last night, and my back is killing me. I have grand intentions of spending most of the day parked on the couch to recuperate. Not a good day for 'guests'.

How do YOU handle the unexpected ring of the doorbell? Now, I’m not talking about the UPS man dropping off a package but the friend who was in the neighborhood, the neighbor wanting to borrow a cup of sugar, or the landlord stopping by to make some unscheduled repairs. I desire to be a hospitable person, I enjoy the sweet fellowship of a cup of coffee shared with a friend but when it interrupts the flow of my day and catches me off guard, the joy of it quickly becomes anxiety at the need to be flexible (and get dressed :)).

What do you do to be prepared in situations like this?

Consider Rack, Shack, & Benny

2011-05-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

My kids have never watched much Veggie Tales for a myriad of reasons but my younger siblings did back in the day and I think of ‘Rack, Shack, & Benny’ whenever I read or hear the story of these three brave lads.

A few weeks ago at our women’s community group my mom read a passage from a book we’d received at our last Ladies retreat*. It’s called “Evidence Not Seen” by Darlene Deibler Rose and is her retelling of her time as a newlywed missionary in the jungles of New Guinea during WWII. She was placed in a Japanese prison camp and ultimately lost her husband. She had been able to hang on to one personal item from her life before the war but she’d just lost that last treasure as well when she says this:

“One by one He pulled scripture passages out of the storehouse of my memory, to remind me that they had been hidden there for just a time as this. ‘ I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction’ (Isaiah 48:10). This verse called to remembrance my Lord in a blazing furnace with three young Hebrew men. There was something so poignant, so intimate about the privilege that was theirs, of “walking around in the fire” with their Lord. Because of the testimony, the faith, and the courage of three young men, the king and a crowd of people caught a glimpse of Jesus. When they emerged from the furnace, there was no acrid, caustic scent of fire upon them - just the fragrance that emanated from three young people who had been walking with their Lord in the furnace of affliction.

That is very important, isn’t it, Lord? I pray that, if I come out of this war alive, I may be ‘sweet-smelling’ - not bitter or cynical, but like a sweet-smelling, fragrant incense unto You. “

I pondered this for awhile and the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. I desire their bold faith for my own children, Darlene’s view of walking through trials and coming out the other side being sweet-smelling to our Savior, and pray that God would grant it. In attempting to name our unnamed child I am thinking constantly about names and what they mean. These young lads had strong character. An amazing legacy. And for the same reasons I wouldn’t name my daughter Candy or Bambi, I want to name my son something with great meaning, a foretaste of what God might do through him. We go back and forth, and I am finding it increasingly difficult to settle on one. Poor Graham has wanted to name him since the day we knew we were expecting. So in reflecting, and searching for a perfect name I decided to look up the meanings of the names of these three brave Hebrews. This is what I found:

Shadrach means "command of Aku". (Aku was the Babylonian moon god).
Abednego means "servant of Nabu" (Nabu was the Assyrian and Babylonian god of wisdom and writing)
Meshach means “guest of a king.”

So the men were faithful servants of the one true God, despite their given names. An excellent reminder that God is sovereign and has a purpose for my children, regardless of what I name them… Phewf.

*The past few retreats we’ve received awesome books, usually gifts from our elders. So thankful for ‘good’ books and those who take the time to share them.

A steal of a deal

2011-05-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for an easy way to get more bang for your buck check out the Target website. They have their own store coupons which you can pair with manufacturer coupons you might have to get some cheap, even free deals. And unlike other coupon websites there is no limit to how many of each coupon you can print. They also have several gift card promos each week where you receive a gift card when you make a qualifying purchase. And if you’ve got coupons for the items you can really save a bundle. Check the ad for these. Some of my amazing snags from the past week:

2 boxes of hair color - $24.00
After coupons: $4
Got Target gift card for $5
$1.00 moneymaker!!!

2- 4pk Starbucks Frappuccinos - $11.98
After coupons: $9.98
Got Target Gift Card for $5

Pack of Dentyne Gum - $1.04
After coupons: $.04 !

Nivea Lotion - $5.04
After coupons: $1.04

Up & Up Ibuprofen - $.99
After coupons: FREE!!!

Up & Up Hydrogen Peroxide - $.62
After coupons: $.12!

Up & Up Liners - $.89
After coupons: $.14!

Sally Hansen Nail Polish - $1.49
After coupons: $.49
(this one should have been free but my Target had marked down the nail polish so it only accepted one of my coupons but I LOVE the color and didn’t mind paying 50 cents for it.)

Kroger:
This one was for my husband :)
A special one day deal
4 - 6 pk bottles Dr. Pepper - on Sale $6.96
Got a Mavs T-shirt for FREE!
( I don’t think I even bought the right size bottles but I didn’t see the ones listed in the ad. The customer service rep didn’t look too closely at my receipt, just made sure I bought the 4 items)

I plan on making a few stops on Saturday to use some coupons that expire this weekend. Hopefully I’ll come across some GREAT deals! :)

These are some photos of my previous cheap finds that I meant to post last time:

How I Coupon

2011-05-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

I did not start couponing at the best time. Sunday papers are where I plan to get the bulk of my coupons and whenever there is a holiday that falls on a Sunday, the local paper won’t have coupon inserts. First week it was Easter, then a good coupon week, then Mother’s Day. So instead of three weeks worth of coupons I only have one. I purchased two papers at Walgreens for $4 and saved WELL over that since. My Wal-Mart also carries two packs of the Sunday paper at a discount but they were out when I stopped by. I’ve also printed off several coupons online from coupons.com and target.com. Most websites that list store/coupon match-ups will have links to the coupon if there is a printable one available online. This is extremely helpful to me. Most sites will only let you print off two of each coupon. I’ve decided two papers is a good number for me as well. Not too overwhelming. Some of the ‘Extreme’ folks get anywhere from 5-10 papers a week. Some even dumpster dive or pick through their neighborhood recycling bins to retrieve discarded coupon inserts.

I took my papers home and spent about 1 ½ hours clipping the ones I wanted or thought we’d use. The remainder I plan on passing to a friend OR you can send unused or expired coupons to military families. There is a link on www.krazycouponlady.com with more info on this. I then place my coupons in my newly organized binder and set aside the sales ads for the stores I knew I wanted to shop at.

Here is a little sample of my savings over the past week & a half:

Walgreens:

Gillette ProGlide Razor - $9.89
used $4.00 off coupon
paid $5.89 then received a $5.00 Register Reward (store Credit)

used the store credit to turn around and buy this:
Cottonelle Toilet Paper- 2 12 pk - $10.00
used 2 50¢ coupons PLUS used the $1.00 off each one coupon in the Walgreens May Book
paid with the $5 credit, and $2.00 then received a $3.00 Register reward

So I still have a $3 credit for my next trip!

CVS:

Ivory Soap 3 bar pk - $.99
used a $1.00 off coupon
so it was FREE!!

Colgate MaxPro Toothpaste- 2 tubes - $5.54
used 2 coupons for 55¢ off each tube
paid $4.44 and recieved $5.54 in ExtraBucks (store Credit)

I used the store credit to buy some Neosporin & gum later in the week without a penny from my pocket.

Wal-mart:

Colgate toothbrush, 2 - $3.94
used 2 coupons for $1.50 off each
paid 94¢

Soft Scrub Cleaner, 2 - $3.98(price match)
used 2 $1.50 off each
paid 98¢

Febreeze Noticeables refill - $3.97(price match)
used $1.00 off cooupon
paid $2.97

Febreeze Noticeables Warmer - $3.99
used coupon for free warmer when you purchase a refill
price: FREE!!

Noxzema Razor 4 pk (plus 2 bonus razors)- $2.67
used a $2 off coupon
paid 67¢

Noxzema Bikini Razor 3 pk - $1.97
used a $2 off coupon
price: FREE!!

Kroger : (I shopped here last week as well but can't find my receipt and can't remember my deals so these are my big deals from my shopping trip this week. They had tons of markdowns so i saved a lot but these were my free/almost free scores.)

Boulder Natural Potato Chips, 2 bags - $2.00
used 2 $1 off coupons
price: FREE!!

Fage yogurt w/ fruit, 4 cups - $5.00
used 4 50¢ coupons which the store then doubled
paid $1.00

All in all that’s almost $60 in product for only $26. That’s a 54% savings! (if I did my math right).

I like the discounts at Kroger because they will double (up to .50 coupon) & triple (up to .39) coupons. You can also load ecoupons on to your Kroger card from the Kroger website and even print out a list of what’s on there to keep with you. The only thing I don’t like about these is they don’t double and you can’t use them with any other coupons (at least if I remember the policy correctly). CVS and Walgreens have clear ads, will often note if certain items have a coupon in the Sunday paper to match, and will offer store credits on certain purchases. CVS has a shopper card you’ll need to get to get the best deals and sale prices. They also have a coupon machine in the store. You scan your card every time you go in and it will spit out some coupons for you. I also have both of these within walking distance to my house so it’s not a hassle to run and pick up some goodies. Walgreens also puts out a monthly coupon book. You can use these in ADDITION to manufacturer’s coupons for extra savings and they just scan the coupon in your book so you can use it all month long. Wal-Mart doesn’t double/triple coupons but they will price match, which is AWESOME when CVS or Walgreens is out of a sale item.

To get the best bang for your buck, hang on to your coupons and wait for the item to go on sale. Just because you clipped it this week doesn’t mean you should use it this week. Discounted price + Coupon = Big Savings! If you find a store with an item on sale, plus you have a manufacture’s coupon AND you have a store coupon then you’ve hit the jackpot. But matching all of this up does take some time. You can match the ads with your coupons yourself OR you can use a handy website that will do it for you. thekrazycouponlady.com and couponmom.com are two good ones but there are tons more. One thing you do have to be careful about is that the grocery store match-ups like Kroger and Albertson’s are regional so your store’s sales might not match up with the website’s posted deals. CVS, Walgreens, Target, Wal-Mart are all national and should be correct regardless of where you live.

Last week I spent about an hour and a half each evening looking through deals, getting familiar with the websites, and planning out trips. This week has been quite a bit less but I also haven’t needed as much in the way of household stuff. How much time you spend it completely up to you.

Hope this is helpful. It can be really confusing when you are first trying to figure it all out. Different websites have different codes and it took me forever to figure out what ‘Catalina’s’ were. (They are the coupons that the register spits out at the checkout.) Feel free to ask questions. And let me know if you score an awesome deal. It always makes me a little proud of myself when good planning pans out into big savings!

My Coupon Binder

2011-05-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

Most couponers will tell you that organization is the key to savings success. You can't use a coupon if you can't find it, right? The Krazy Coupon Lady has a great little video here explaining two different methods of setting up your coupon binder. I like the clipping method just because I can then toss, or pass on, the ones I know I won't use. Less clutter.

Now, I'm a homeschool mom so I had most of these 'supplies' already laying around the house. With the purchase of a package of baseball card holders ($5 at Target), I was good to go.

Target also has some REALLY cute binders that looked all fun and girlie but I already had this plain black one and it worked for my budget :)

This is the first page: A plastic page protector where I keep my designated coupons for a particular shopping trip. I tossed a few paper clips in there to clip them together and some post-it flags to label each group of coupons with the name of the store I plan on using them at. This way I can plan several different trips at once and they are ready to go when it is convenient to go to that particular store.

The second page is a homemade Table of Contents. Krazy Coupon Lady also has a printable one of these that's very cute but I knew I didn't want all of her categories and it's not alterable so I opted to make my own. (Sorry, these pictures are not very good, at all)

Next I have a copy of sales cycles in the left pocket. This is a list that breaks down each month and lists items that typically go on sale during that time. I keep the current month on the front page for easy reference. In the opposite sleeve are all of my store coupon policies. This way I can refer to it if there is ever an issue with a transaction while I'm in the store.

The next sleeve is where I keep my Walgreens Coupon Booklet. (A book of coupons you can find at the front of the store with the regular weekly ad.) I also keep retail store specific coupons in this sleeve. For example, here I have some coupons for Compass Trading Co. because I've got a graduation gift to buy soon.

This next sleeve is usually empty but this week I happened across two really good coupons that I knew my sister Erin might use. It's her sleeve. Sometimes it holds sales ads.

And finally, this is what the rest of the binder looks like. Pages and pages of baseball card holders precisely stuffed with various coupons. Each page has its own category designation. I think this part is pretty. It strangely makes me happy to see all of these useful pieces of paper neatly tucked away. I know. I'm odd.

So there it is. Now, show me yours.

A better way

2011-04-25T19:54:00.000-07:00

O.k. I’m obviously in new territory here. Thanks to my precious friend Dathel, I’ve discovered a different couponing website that I like A LOT more. This is probably why the professional bloggers do things like research and write a series of blogs BEFORE posting them.

www.thekrazycouponlady.com

There are several things about this site that I like better than the first site. For one it’s pretty :). It definitely appeals to the girly side of me. It’s brightly colored, well organized , and easy to understand. There is a section for beginners. It contains a 10 day breakdown of how to get started and how to make the process work for you. A LOT simpler and less redundant than the 31 virtual classes.
Day 1: Change the way you shop
Day 2: Find coupons
Day 3: Learn How & When your coupons
Day 4: Learn the Lingo
Day 5: Get Organized
Day 6: Tips for making checkout a breeze
Day 7: Build your stockpile
Day 8: Rain Checks
Day 9: Finding Balance
Day 10: Making KCL a way of life

She also has separate sections for different stores. For instance, if you are wanting to only shop at Albertson’s there is a special section that will show you their weekly specials, where to find coupons that match those specials so you get the best deals, the store’s coupon policy, and a 101 crash course on how that specific store handles coupons so you can get maximum savings.

There are tabs for several popular stores and a drop down list containing quite a few more.

If you are wanting to know if a certain sale item is a good deal the site has neat little graphics to tell you if you should stock up. 3 cans means a price worthy of stocking up a 3 month supply, 6 cans for a six month supply - meaning you won’t see sale prices this good for at least 3/6 more months, so get it while you can.

In addition to the regular grocery/drug store savings, She also shares good deals for retailers so you can potentially save more in ALL areas, not just your grocery budget.

Thanks to all the helpful info I’ve found here I’ve begun to re-think my binder. Similar to what I had decided before with a few modifications. I’ll have pics with my next post.

One other aspect I like about this site is that you don’t have to sign-up to use it. No unwanted emails in your inbox. Check it out. I hope you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Friday Freebies!

2011-04-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

Now, while I will be observing 'Good Friday' tomorrow, April 22nd, I tend to think a lot of people will focus more on Earth Day. In fact, several businesses are having fun promotions to celebrate... And I'm sharing them with you. (you might already know)...

Trade in your current skincare to receive a FREE* full-size Origins Cleanser. One day only at Origins – Earth Day 4/22.

Now swap potentially harsh chemical ingredients for the purity of Origins. Bring your current skincare product (full or empty) to any Origins store and we’ll trade it for a FULL-SIZE of one of our gentle, high-performance cleansers.

Choose either Checks and Balances™ Frothy face wash 5 fl. oz./150 ml or A Perfect World™ Antioxidant cleanser with White Tea 5 fl. oz./150 ml.

Just bring in your current skincare – any full or empty tube, bottle or jar regardless of brand – to any U.S. Origins department store counter or Origins Retail Store location on April 22nd to be recycled or responsibly converted to energy.

To find an Origins Store closest to you visit: http://bit.ly/ORStore

Origins products are formulated without Parabens, Phthalates, Propylene Glycol, Mineral Oil, PABA, Petrolatum, Paraffin, DEA and animal ingredients (except cruelty free honey and beeswax).

*Limit one cleanser to a customer while supplies last. No purhcase necessary. Offer not valid on origins.com.

I worked for Origins briefly a million years ago and LOVED the Checks & Balances face wash. This was before they came out with A Perfect World (which smells AMAZING). If you live in Ft. Worth there is an Origins store in University Village or you can visit the counter in Neimans @ Ridgmar Mall.

Bring in a reusable mug or tumbler to any Starbucks in the U.S. or Canada and get a free brewed coffee or tea. Your choice of brew, hot or iced – it is spring after all!
From the Starbucks website: "Why are we doing this? We recognize the impact one can make through careful, conscious choices. So we want to encourage and reward those of you who use tumblers or travel mugs in your daily routines. You’re helping to reduce our environmental impact!

If you don’t have a tumbler or travel mug, they will be available for 20% off on Earth Day, April 22. Just so you know, anytime you bring in your own tumbler or travel mug to a participating Starbucks, you get 10 cents off your drink every day.

What if you can’t bring in a mug and don’t want to buy a new one? That’s okay too. Just request your coffee or tea in one of our “for-here” cups and we’ll pick up the tab.

Last year, when we did a similar promotion on Earth Day, more than 1.2 million of you participated. Let’s see if we can beat that this year!

Although reusable serveware and tumbler use still only accounts for a small percentage of total beverages served, those of you who did bring in reusable mugs still made a significant impact. In 2010, people brought their own tumblers into our stores more than 32 million times, keeping nearly 1.45 million pounds of paper out of landfills."

Note: And every other day of the year go visit my husband at Four Star Cafe in Downtown. It won't be free but you will be served coffee with a smile by a good-looking guy! :)

This isn't a freebie but a great find my sister, Erin, recently turned me on to. NailPro on Bryant Irvin, two doors down from Starbucks, in the same strip center as Palio's Pizza, does Spa Pedicures for $20. EVERYDAY!! Currently they are running a special where you can get a mani AND a pedi for $30!! I took some of my birthday money and got one last week and was very pleased. All of the employees were nice and the place was very clean. It was a lovely indulgence I didn't feel guilty about later.

If you've got any AMAZING freebies or great deals, please feel free to share! :)

Getting Organized

2011-04-19T20:36:00.000-07:00

She looks so happy being organized :)

After breezing through the first ten or so virtual classes I deduced that my first step is to get organized. In an effort to save my sanity and ease my way into this process I’m going to keep it simple and shop one store when couponing. And to my delight, it ain’t Wal-mart. I’ll get into the where and why later as not to confuse the issue at hand…. Organization.

I’ve read about several different methods for organizing your coupons and the one I like best is the binder method (vs. shoe box, recipe holder, bins). I need a few things:

A three ring binder

Baseball card binder sleeves (I value my life enough to not empty out the ones currently housing my husband’s collection so I plan on checking Hobby Lobby and if I can’t find some there I’ll check a sports/comic book shop) You could also use photo holders

A zippered binder pouch large enough to hold a pencil/pen or two and a small calculator (or you can use the one on your phone, if it is handy)

A few plastic page protectors

The page protectors will be used to hold a copy of my chosen store’s coupon policy, possibly a price list of regular items I buy, and an empty one in the front to hold the coupons I will need at checkout.

The card sleeves will hold the coupons. There are several ways to organize these: by product type (Dairy, frozen, household, etc) or by store layout (What’s on aisle 1, aisle 2, etc.) I think I’m going to start with the second one but this may change.

Here is a great link on how to get organized and a little more detail on couponing itself:

http://www.weusecoupons.com/upload/articles/4595-lauras-couponing-refunding-hints-tips-plus-coupon-binder-how.html

Her binder is a little overwhelming. She goes to several stores and clips GAZILLIONS of coupons. She suggests a binder with a strap or rigging up your own… I’m not that hardcore. I also didn’t read much into the part at the bottom about rebating…. Baby Steps. I think this is key in not getting overwhelmed and giving up.

So my goal for the next few days is to gather my supplies and get my binder together. I’ll post pics when I’m done. Then I plan on starting a Price Book. She explains what this is and how it works in the article. I will only log prices on the things I buy most often or that I’d like to stockpile.

Hope this helps get you motivated to get organized. If you need a little more of a visual I’m sure there are youtube videos - sorry I didn’t have time to find some good ones to post here.

Coming soon…. Where to find coupons

Happy Organizing!!!

Extreme Couponing

2011-04-18T11:53:00.000-07:00

After watching a few episodes of TLC’s Extreme Couponing I decided to start researching it for myself. Seriously, what ‘keeper of the home’ doesn’t want to be a good steward of the resources we’ve been given? If I can figure out how to make my budget go just a little bit further it’ll be worth it right? Right. So my search begins. I have noticed a few things about couponing:

· It takes lots of time & planning

· You must be extremely organized

· You need some storage space to house your buys

· Most food coupons are for prepackaged (usually unhealthy foods) and RARELY for fresh fruits/veggies

· It’s harder to meal plan and shop based on the plan. It appears to work better the other way around. Shop the bargains and plan meals around what you get.

· You can’t shop with all your kids in tow

Several of those do not appeal to me or do not fit the way our family functions at all. So, I’m going to try an experiment. I do like the idea of stockpiling household items: Paper towels, toilet paper, toiletries, etc. Things we buy on a regular basis and that I won’t make for myself.

I’m starting here: http://www.weusecoupons.com/index.php?pageid=virtualclasses

It is a website started by a guy who has been featured on Extreme Couponing. And seems pretty well organized. Best of all, it’s FREE.

There are 31 virtual classes that address all different aspects of couponing, from how to get started/organized, to stockpiling, to where to find coupons. I’ll watch the videos one by one and devise a plan. And, I’ll share what I learn here.

I’m hoping for the best but trying to keep a realistic perspective. Most things that I’ve read have said that those $1,000 shopping trips for $50 almost never happen. A more realistic goal is to save 50-75% per trip.

If you want to trek along with me you can register on the website: www.weusecoupons.com . You can put me down as a referral – jlbrowning. I’ll be posting more helpful links in the future.

Family Tree

2010-12-16T09:53:00.000-08:00

So two of my sisters recently shared this song, said it made them think of our family. I finally listened to it and I agree. We don't all spend Christmas Eve at home anymore and there is no choosing of the tree. We adult children have our own and the decorations on each can vary widely. These days the ornaments don't last very long on mine before little hands remove them. Mom has her tree, too. Some years it's beautiful and fancy, some years it's covered with homemade ornaments and memories. This IS the best time of year. Not only because I get to spend time with my family but also because for many of us we share a Savior. And that makes the celebrations that much sweeter.

Family Tree by Dave Barnes (you can listen to it here)

Family car we barely fit
Christmas time had come again
Bundled up to fight the freeze
Picking out the family tree

We decorate with clumsy hands
And hope that Santa
Comes again
And the morning wake to see
Gifts beneath the family tree

And I don't know where I'm going
But I do know who I'll be
'Cause memories and names like these all hang
On us the family tree

We're older now
We all have changed
But we all have at the same old things
We'll spend the night with memories
Gathered round the family tree

And I don't where I'm going
But I do know who I'll be
'Cause memories and names like these all hang
On us

We're so much more than blood
We're more than names
We're bound by bonds that only God sustains

But, this time of year
We gather here
And I always know I'm home

There are voices now
Where silence was
The subtle signs of growing up
Where one is born another leaves
Branches on the family tree

Is it naptime yet?

2010-12-08T09:21:00.000-08:00

It's late. I walk down the hall to my room. Bedtime, my favorite part of the day. I crawl into bed and sink way down under the covers because it's about 10 degrees colder in my room than in the rest of the house. Graham turns out the lights, I heave a huge sigh because finally I can sleep. Time to renew after a long day. I close my eyes....

And Silas starts to cry.

I groan, wait a minute to see if he's serious and pull myself out of bed to feed him. Then again two hours later, and two hours after that, and two hours after that (if I'm lucky)... until finally it's morning and everyone is up.

This is every night for the past year. I'm exhausted and don't think my husband gets it. 'Cause he sleeps right through it all. He does have to wake up pretty early but he's getting a minimum of 5 hours uninterrupted sleep.

A while back I started to ween Silas and try to train him to self-soothe back to sleep. Then about a month ago he had a check-up and the Dr. was concerned about his weight. He had dropped from the 50th percentile in weight to the 7th %. I felt like not feeding him when he woke up was not an option. When we took him back for a weight check right before Thanksgiving he had actually lost more weight and this REALLY concerned the doctor. She wanted him on Pedia-Sure for extra calories. I hoped this might make him sleep better but no. She sent him to Cooks for a battery of test. Most of the results came back normal in a day or two and Dr. Shaw expressed interest in referring him to a GI specialist and then an endocrinologist (in case it was something the basic tests missed).

My mommy diagnosis: He's been walking for the past 3 months. He eats constantly. His metabolism has to be good and he's burning LOTS of calories. The kid does NOT sit still. He's almost exclusively nursing again so I know he's getting the 'good stuff' but this is DRAINING what little energy I do have.

He has his one year check up tomorrow and we'll discuss it then. I pray I'll be bold to really tell her I don't think anything is wrong... I just want to figure out how to get him to sleep at night.

or how to work in a nap everyday.

Needing a second cup of coffee

2010-12-06T06:11:00.001-08:00

And here we are again. I've fallen way behind on updating my blog. Almost three months since my last post. And the reason why... in a picture...

My handsome Si-burger has become an attention hoarder :) I don't seem to mind too much. His first birthday is just a few weeks away. I can't believe it. Look for a gushy post then.

It's finally starting to get cold (sort of). I've decorated my tree, hung the stockings, and for once I'm just about done with shopping and it's not Christmas Eve ;) I LOVE the Holidays. Yesterday I caught a few minutes of a show featuring the town of North Pole, Alaska. There it is Christmas all year, and for a brief moment I thought "Hey, I could live there". But who am I kidding. Even as I type this I am huddled under my covers, hoodie and fuzzy 'stay-at-home' socks on, sipping my pumpkin spice latte. I'd freeze there. A dear childhood friend leaves soon with her family to be missionaries in Poland. Brrrr.

Maybe this is why I don't post every day. I can think of things all the time to blog about but when I actually make time to do it all cohesive thought flees my body and we get the 'Ramble Post'. Sorry about that. I'll try better next time. But for now I leave you. The boy's awake and I'm needing a second cup of coffee.

Playing Catch-up

2010-09-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been a month since my last post. And I was doing so well. Life just seems so busy lately even though I am home a lot more these days. And it's not for lack of blog ideas. Seriously, I think of stuff all day long to blog about, kind of like when you catch yourself thinking in Facebook status updates :P.

We started school a few weeks earlier than I'd originally anticipated at the girls request... which is fine by me. A two week head start definitely couldn't hurt us. This year we are doing all Rod & Staff except for our Princess Class (more about that later) and I really like it. We are doing EVERYTHING which may be adjusted over Christmas break. I think the hardest part is trying to figure out were the girls are. In several subjects I would like to skip ahead, past the stuff they already know but at the same time I'm afraid I'll pass over some key building block they'll need later. So for now everything is review. Which makes for easily bored girls but this will pass... I hope.

Without going into much detail yet Graham and I recently applied with a national missions organization and in the 'waiting to hear' stage... We both seem really drawn to Chicago and have excitedly been perusing tons of sites looking at housing and such... It really is a fantastic city. We'll see.

In other news: Graham has put together (with TONS of help from one amazing Sarah Cox) a Fall Men's Softball team. I think he spends 80% of his time thinking about and planning for this. It will be fun for the kids and I to cheer them on... Maybe I'll post schedule and score stuff here.

Bullet point recap for this past week:
* Silas and Izzie are under the weather - nothing too serious
* Didn't sell near as much as I'd like at JBF but I registered to consign at the Weatherford one so hopefully I can sell the rest.
* My Dad got promoted to Sgt. and will start in his new position next week. All part of the final plan to retirement and no one deserves it more than him!

That's all for now.

Happy Birthday Boo Bear - Isabelle Turns 2!

2010-08-11T21:41:00.000-07:00

My precious Isabelle Grace turns 2 today... Just some photos to share

I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to add music to this post without it being obnoxious and taking forever (maybe because it's after midnight) but I wanted to post the lyrics to the song. It's by The Choir and it's called 'Cherry Bomb'. :)

She makes a lot of trouble, yeah
When things to go the way she plans
Discusses problems in theology
Nobody understands

She makes noise
She breaks toys
She fills my heart with joy

Cherry bomb, cherry bomb
With a face just like a cherub
She's a bomb, yeah
She makes her presence known
Cherry bomb, cherry bomb
With a face just like a cherub
She's sweet as anything I know

She never takes things lightly, no
Her little heart explodes sometimes
I hold her tightly in my harms
She really blows her Daddy's mind

She thrills me
She kills me
She spills grape juice on me

Cherry bomb...

She thrills me
She kills me
She makes noise
She brakes toys
She fills my heart with joy

Cherry bomb...

Marci's Giveaway

2010-07-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

Want to Win $60? Marci over at Down on the Farm is giving away a $60 gift certificate to CSN Stores.

Here is a list of CSN Stores

Check it out then go to Marci's Blog to enter

Good Providence!! :)

Thoughts to ponder

2010-07-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

Are you Pro-life?
A new Gallup Poll, conducted May 7-10, finds 51% of Americans calling themselves "pro-life" on the issue of abortion and 42% "pro-choice." This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995.
The Bible tells us we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” - Psalm 139:14
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." - Jeremiah 1:5 – This would convey to most that even a life in the womb has great value.
Nearly half of pregnancies among American women are unintended, and four in 10 of these are terminated by abortion.
Twenty-two percent of all pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) end in abortion.
In 2005, 1.21 million abortions were performed, down from 1.31 million in 2000. From 1973 through 2005, more than 45 million legal abortions occurred.
Each year, two percent of women aged 15-44 have an abortion; half have had at least one previous abortion.
At least half of American women will experience an unintended pregnancy by age 45, and, at current rates, about one-third will have had an abortion.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of “The Pill”
Margaret Sanger was an American birth control activist and the founder of the American Birth Control League. She led the fight to legalize birth control for married couples in America.

This is an excerpt from her work Women and the New Race -

“THE MOST serious evil of our times is that of encouraging the bringing into the world of large families. The most immoral practice of the day is breeding too many children.”

“The most merciful thing that the large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it.”

Sanger pushed eugenics but claimed her views thus broke from those proposing Nazi eugenics—an aggressive, and lethal, program. She wrote in a 1933 letter:

"All the news from Germany is sad & horrible, and to me more dangerous than any other war going on any where because it has so many good people who applaud the atrocities & claim its right. The sudden antagonism in Germany against the Jews & the vitriolic hatred of them is spreading underground here & is far more dangerous than the aggressive policy of the Japanese in Manchuria...” It sounds to me like Ms. Sanger is contradicting herself. Jewish life is valuable but an infant’s is not?

There are 62 million U.S. women in their childbearing years (15–44).
Seven in 10 women of reproductive age (43 million women) are sexually active and do not want to become pregnant, but could become pregnant if they and their partners fail to use a contraceptive method.
The typical U.S. woman wants only two children. To achieve this goal, she must use contraceptives for roughly three decades.
Virtually all women (more than 99%) aged 15–44 who have ever had sexual intercourse have used at least one contraceptive method.
Overall, 62% of the 62 million women aged 15–44 are currently using a method.
Almost one-third (31%) of these 62 million women do not need a method because they are infertile; are pregnant, postpartum or trying to become pregnant; have never had intercourse; or are not sexually active.
Thus, only 7% of women aged 15–44 are at risk for unintended pregnancy but are not using contraceptives.
Among the 43 million fertile, sexually active women who do not want to become pregnant, 89% are practicing contraception.

What does the Bible say about children?

Ps 127: Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Many times we are given the command to be ‘fruitful and multiply’

Over and over in Genesis we find being fruitful is used as a blessing. To Noah in chapter 9, Abraham and Ishmael in chapter. 17. Jacob in chapter 28.

Is God Sovereign?
Do you trust him to provide for all of your needs?
If he chooses to give you more children would he not also provide a way to care for them?
Do YOU use birth control?

Thoughts to ponder……

Additional reading:

Side Effect: How the Pill Altered America’s Moral Intelligence

100+ Reasons to have Children

Notes:
Abortion statistics from here

Birth Control Stats from here

Read the full excerpt Women and the New Race

Chuckers

2010-07-14T05:56:00.000-07:00

I mentioned a few days ago that I hadn’t shared birth stories before. I think the events of how your precious child came into the world are a wondrous thing, but what I really want to share is how God was working and moving in our lives at the time surrounding each of the births of our children. So, this will be spread over several posts, maybe consecutively, maybe not. We’ll see. Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start ;)

Nine years ago, in the summer of 2001, I met my husband. (Now, all the details of our dating/engagement/wedding are destined for another post and are a huge part of my testimony but this isn’t what I want to share today…) We started dating and it didn’t take long before we knew that we wanted to get married and spend the rest of our lives with each other. At that time I was pretty deep my sin. I’d been living on my own for a little while and my life truly reflected someone not under the authority of her parents, or God for that matter. But God was working in me… changing my heart.

The next summer rolled around and Graham and I were spending everyday together. Sometime in mid-June (sorry hunny, I don’t remember the exact day) we got engaged. We started planning our wedding. I decided I hated the job I’d worked so hard to get, so I quit. I moved back home to look for a new job and save some money before our big day. Two weeks after we got engaged I found out I was pregnant.

Now, Graham and I obviously had made some poor choices, but God is good. I’d been sick for few weeks, so sick I could hardly get out of bed. Finally I decided to go to the doctor. My parents were on vacation when we found out and the second they walked in the door my mom asked how my Dr. visit went. I wanted to wait till they got settled, but she wanted to know what he’d said. As soon as I told them my Dad’s face fell. Hands down the worst day of my life. To see that look on his face I will never forget. I’d let him down. His eyes became teary and without a single word he stepped outside. My mom followed.

My parents had every right to yell at me. But they didn’t. They came in and with a shaky voice my Dad said something to the effect of “We never know how good the Good is until we’ve known how bad the bad is. We are never too far for God’s grace to reach us”. We spent a while talking and shared with my parents that we thought God had chosen to put us in this place to bring us to the very end of ourselves. We were at a point where depending on Him was absolutely the only thing we could do. My mom cried. I cried. Due to past issues we weren’t even sure I would be able to have children. And here we were.

Needless to say the wedding date got moved up. Graham and I were married on August 31^st, 2002 and our precious Chelsea was born February 18^th, 2003*. I’m not looking forward to the day she figures out how to do the math. Not because I’m unwilling to talk about my sin because this event was a catalyst in bringing me to the relationship I have with Christ now, but because I don’t EVER want her to feel like she was a mistake, or the reason we got married. I pray (and trust) that when the time comes God will give me exactly the right words to say to her. She is precious and our sovereign God orchestrated every step of her existence and the timing of her birth for His perfect will. I feel like I was let off easy. I sinned and deserved a harsh consequence. Instead I was given grace, in the form of a precious little girl. One of the most amazing gifts I could have ever received.

Randomness

2010-07-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

I decided not to meal plan this week. I'm pretty sure this will come back to bite me but we've got several things floating around here so I just plan on using what I've got on hand and just adding a few things as needed. Each week I plan and get groceries accordingly and inevitably we go out an extra time or have a meal with my parents so I always end up with ingredients that go unused. Until this week :) . Plus, my sweet Silas is feeling a little puny and wants to be held ALOT. So I'm taking a pass.

In other news, Several times we have canceled our cable t.v. for various reasons. Then we get it again because it makes the Internet cheaper, or we're living in the middle of nowhere so we'd never get any channels without it, etc. Really we could live without it. They recently released Netflix instant watch for the Wii so 95% of the time if we watch something it's on there. But with the Rangers recent acquisition of one Cliff Lee my precious husband feels it justifies getting cable again so he can watch the games...... Boys. :) Now, I get the character building experience of increasing my self-control by not spending all day watching the Food Network :).

I've been researching cloth diapers. I'm thinking it's a wise choice especially since we hope to have more kids. It's not cheap to get started but I entered a giveaway for a starter pack...{{{fingers crossed}}}. Graham's not sold on the idea yet but I'm sure once he sees how much we'll save in the long run he will be on board.

Stumbled across a blog of 'How to' make your own green cleaning supplies. I need to start doing this again. And super cute blog chalked full of household How To's. Fantastic. I'm totally wanting to make those ottomans! So cute and easy!

I've been going through and reading old posts on Life in a Shoe. The blog is written by some old family friends of Graham's and I'm quickly becoming enamored with this precious family. It's so encouraging to me, especially where we are right now. I'm getting FANTASTIC idea's of really just how to function as a large family.... Always worth the read.

And lastly, Vision Forum announced the release of audio recordings of this past weekend's Baby Conference. I have no clue how much they will cost (TBA tomorrow, I think) but I'm sure they will be worth every penny! I can't wait to order some.

Oh Baby!

2010-07-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

The older I get the more I realize I don’t know as much as I thought I did. I recently watched The Business of Being Born, a ‘controversial documentary that takes a hard look at America's maternity care system, juxtaposing hospital deliveries against the growing popularity of at-home, natural childbirths’(1) . It really opened my eyes.

The births of each of our four children have been a little different from the previous one and as I’m learning more I’m pretty sure the births of the remaining children God chooses to give us will be different as well. A family friend recently had their tenth child and in sharing the birth story I contemplated sharing each of ours. Then I realized there wasn’t a lot to share.

Our first, Chelsea, was delivered by a Dr. (All our children have been born in a hospital and I had an epidural with each, no complications) I was induced about a week past ‘due date’(2) and then, while in labor they put me on several drugs - I don’t even know what they were. I spent most of labor in a groggy, unaware state and while I remember bits and pieces the experience, as a whole, is a blur. It took about twelve hours from start to finish and about three pushes. Afterwards I was a little discouraged about the ordeal. Even though there were no major problems I still felt like it could be better. So, I opted to switch to a midwife.

Next was Mackenzie. I was scheduled for an induction but the night before she decided to start the process on her own. The midwife was a little scatter-brained which didn’t give me a whole lot of confidence but I’d been through this a mere 10 months before. 8 hours and two pushes later Kenzie arrived with no complications.

Isabelle was delivered by my favorite midwife so far but she too was induced. I was a week past and after being monitored at the midwife’s for awhile they decided to send me over to the hospital. They started the induction and before long I was given an epidural. It wasn’t dispersing correctly through my body so they had me lay on my side. Best thing I’ve ever done. Within 30 minutes I felt pressure and called the midwife back in. While she rolled me over to check things out she realized our little Boo was half-way here. No pushing involved. Not a single push. Labor was about 6 hours if I remember correctly.

Again with Silas I used the same midwife group in the same hospital. I was only four days past my due date but they scheduled an induction for the next morning. Graham and I went home and did some last minute house cleaning. When we were finished I sat down on the couch to rest and started counting contractions. It was around 5 or 5:30. When they were 5 minutes apart we called the midwife, dropped the girls at my mom’s and headed to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital around 8. I tried to labor as long as I could until it became too painful before having the epidural. This didn’t take too long, mostly because I was stuck on a bed, on my back, and I don’t know any pain management techniques. It slowed labor a little so they put me on a tiny bit of Pitocin to move things along. After awhile I asked to lay on my side and sure enough, same as before, within about 30 minutes I felt pressure, no pushing, and he was here. Slightly less than 6 hours since I started counting contractions.

In light of the new things I’m learning I would like to try a birthing center and no drugs next time. Because of my previous birthing experiences I feel confident that complications are unlikely and if I could educate myself more on the art of labor, I feel like a natural birth would be a much better choice. For everyone. And my husband whole-heartedly agrees. In fact, he said it’s the hospital births that weird him out. While I like the idea of a midwife the ones I’ve used aren’t too different from most doctors. They have no hesitation to use inductions or Pitocin. This is a little disheartening to me but I’m not defeated.

As I grow, both in age and in my relationship with Christ, my views on things are changing. A LOT. I used to say “I would NEVER have my babies at home” and “I could NEVER drive a 15 passenger van”. Now, those are things I HOPE will happen. :)

1.Netflix
2.I’m learning that due dates don’t mean much. God is sovereign and babies will come when they are good and ready.

Meal Plan Monday (ish) - Again

2010-07-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

I promise. One day I will post something other than my meal plans. I have a lot mulling around in my head I'd love to share but rarely have, or make, the time to type it out.

While I'm attempting to stick to our convictions about what we eat, this week I am honoring a few of my eldest daughter’s requests. So often she HATES what I fix but suffers through it. She asks what we have for snacks and never likes my answers. I figured this week I would humor her a little so it's not quite as healthy as I'd like but we'll live. I'm sure you'll be able to guess what things she wanted :)

Breakfast:

Biscuits

Cereal

Bagels w/cream cheese

Fruit & yogurt parfaits

Lunch:

Leftovers

Turkey sandwiches

Amy's Bean & Cheese burritos

Cheese and fruit

Snacks:

Cheese ball w/ crackers

Annie's snacks - Assorted

Fruit

Popcorn

Dinners:

Monday: Bulgar Burgers w/ sweet potato fries

Tuesday: Neiman Marcus chicken over rice w/ sweet peas (this recipe is similar but I do 8oz cream cheese, 8oz sour cream, & will make my own cream o' chicken soup. I also just use one sleeve of crackers, no clue exactly how many that is, and one stick of butter)

Wednesday: Greek Salad - Romaine, cuke, feta, olives, tomato, homemade dressing

(If I feel ambitious I may make some bread this day)

Thursday: Bean & Cheese nachos, sour cream, guac, jalapeños

Friday: Cod with Mediterranean salsa and salad (This is a new one for us, doubt Chelsea will eat this)

Saturday & Sunday: clean out fridge, one meal out, spinach quiche w/ fruit salad

Meal Plan Monday (ish)

2010-06-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

It’s meal planning time again. I missed a week or two and didn’t stick to the budget very well so this week is a pinching-pennies/clean out the pantry week until the new month kicks in on Saturday. :) This just stresses to me once again the importance of sticking with planning. Also, having the kids home all day really changes things too. Before, Izzie and I would just share the previous night’s leftovers for lunch. Now, I’ve got two bigger girls who want all kinds of snacks and eat more so sometimes the leftovers aren’t enough for everyone so I am having to plan more for lunches as well.

I’ve started posting some recipes on Recipezaar and hopefully will be able to link them here soon. There’s nothing that bugs me more than seeing the title of a recipe and thinking it sounds good only to not be able to access the recipe. So here it is, unhealthy and all.

Breakfasts:
Cereal
Malt o Meal
Pancakes

Lunches:
Leftovers
Spaghetti
Tuna sandwiches
Fried Egg sandwiches

Snacks:
Leftover chips from the weekend
Cucumbers
Cannellini Dip
Cashews
Dry roasted Edamame

Dinners:

Monday: Thai Tuna Wraps

Tuesday: Mel’s Meal-In-One (Got this from a Fix-it & Forget-it cookbook – making it with regular extra lean ground beef this time may try without meat in the future or use grass-fed beef)

Wednesday: Sweet Asian Chicken (from my freezer meal swap) and green beans

Thursday: Simple Quiche with fresh fruit

Friday: Eat out (Chipotle)

I did make a cobbler for dessert Monday night. It was a little disappointing so I won’t share the recipe… I’d like to make another dessert later I the week but can’t figure out what to make with what I’ve got. Must investigate further :)

Simplicity

2010-06-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

“If honor be your clothing, the suit will last a lifetime; but if clothing be your honor, it will soon be worn threadbare” ~ William Arnot

That’s what I’m striving for. I feel like our life has become so cluttered with ‘stuff’ that we are losing grasp on the important things. I’m constantly overwhelmed by the amount of dishes and laundry. We clearly own way more than we need and it’s becoming a problem.

With the school year coming to a close I find it’s a perfect time to start fresh in many areas. I’ve started compiling a list of chores for the girls and weeding out the unnecessary ‘things’. First stop… the clothes. I’ve thought about what we truly need in the way of clothing.

Here’s what I’ve come up with for the children:

One of each:

Winter Coat
Sweater (to wear with church dresses)
Casual jacket
Scarf
Winter hat

Two of each:

Gloves/mittens
Swimsuits
Shorts for wearing under dresses

Three of each:

Pair of pajamas
Jeans or casual pants

Four :

Dresses appropriate for church

Seven of each:

Undies
Pairs of socks
Other outfits – shorts or skirts w/ tops or casual dresses

When winter rolls around the shorts will be swapped out for warmer counterparts. Things outgrown will be passed down to younger siblings, sold at JBF, or donated to the church clothing closet. I’m going to try to adhere to the same guidelines for myself with the exception of three “Special Occasion” outfits. Graham has different clothing needs because of work.

You might think this sounds like a lot. This is actually about what Chelsea owns now with the exception of more undies and PJ’s. My other children have three or four times this much. Mackenzie can fill an entire closet on her own and Silas probably owns over 20 onesies that fit him currently. This is crazy, especially when the result is what feels like 100 loads of laundry. God has blessed us immensely with many things, and it is our responsibility to be good stewards with what we have.

Next on the list…. TOYS!

Meal Plan Monday

2010-05-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

Last week’s meal plan pretty much got tossed out the window because I was sick so I didn’t post it. I may in the future just because. I’ve found out a few things in the past few weeks:

• We love carbs and probably eat way too many and with no regard to gluten.

• I’m not good at planning out well balanced meals. I’m a main course kind of a gal but I’m trying to get better at it.

• We’ve gone almost completely meatless. Any meat we have we either already had in the freezer and needed to use it, or it is consumed while eating out (Chipotle). We did get some pasture raised/corn finished ground beef and tenderized round steak from my parents which we’re using for burgers tonight and maybe some philly cheese steaks next week. Good meat/poultry is just too expensive and we seem fairly content without it.

• Also, Chelsea only eats about 30% of what I make. She has to at least try everything but she’d be perfectly happy with a bagel and cream cheese for every meal. I tried asking her for suggestions when planning this week so maybe she’ll be more apt to eat it this go round.

So here it is:

Breakfasts:
Cereal
Cinnamon toast

Snacks:
Cannellini bean dip with pita chips
Celery with PB
Veggie chips
Fruit leather
Annie’s graham bunnies

Dinners:
Monday: Taco Salad (romaine, black beans, avocado, tomatoes, cheese, fritos – I know these are not good but it just doesn’t taste the same without them- and some Catalina dressing. If I can’t find any dressing that’s HFCS free I may attempt making my own or just use sour cream and salsa)

Tuesday: Pasta w/ pesto, garlic bread, fruit salad

Wednesday: Stir Fry veggies and brown rice

Thursday: Black bean & cheese quesadillas with chips & salsa

Friday: Out

Saturday: Breakfast – Grandma Johnson’s scones w/ dried cranberries
Lunch- Avocado & Chickpea Muffaletta
Dinner- Clean out fridge

Sunday: Lunch – Out
Dinner – Stuffed French Toast with fruit

Meal Planning for the Week (plus)

2010-04-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

So we recently watched Food, Inc. and are changing the way we eat drastically. Not so much the actual meals, just a better quality of ingredients - mostly organic, local when possible, and more meatless meals. I 'm hoping if I post meals plans two things will happen. 1. I'll stick to it and 2. I'll encourage others to change their eating habits by seeing that it's very doable and tasty! :) I've gotten a ton of inspiration from my friend Stephanie and I'll use her meal plan format here. Thanks Steph!

For Breakfast we’ll have:

Cereal

Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits

Pumpkin Muffins

Snacks:

Apples

Annie’s Bunnies (Asst)

Sun Chips

Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits

Chips and homemade Salsa

Friday – Out (Spiral Diner)

Saturday – Lunch: Clean out the pantry & fridge :)

Dinner: Teriyaki Chicken with Fried Vegetable Brown Rice

Sunday – Lunch: Out (Chipotle)

Dinner: Greek Salad (romaine, feta, cucumbers, tomatoes, homemade dressing)

Monday – Black Bean & Sweet Potato Enchiladas w/Spanish rice

Tuesday – Thai Tuna Wraps w/ Fruit

Wednesday – Bulgar Wheat Burritos W/ Chips & Guacamole

Thursday – Fish w/ Lemon Dill sauce and Rice Pilaf

Friday – Out

Saturday – Lunch: Leftovers

Dinner: Homemade Pizza w/ Goat Cheese and Fresh Basil

Sunday – Lunch: Out

Dinner: Pancakes w/ Fresh Fruit

Hello old friend...

2009-03-12T21:02:00.000-07:00

Wow. I just realized it's been almost two years since I've blogged.

Before our Laptop, before Boo , before homeschooling. Wow.

It's funny for me to read the previous posts and see how some things are completely different and other things are just the same. :)

My reason for blogging now is BIG changes are coming our way and I feel like this might be the best place to share.

My DH is sitting across the room 'test packing' for his big trip. T minus 10 days 'til departure. He's SO excited and I'm SO jealous. I know he is going to have a blessed time and can't wait to hear all about it.

In other news we've been attempting to put an offer in on a house all week. For some reason there is a HUGE communication gap between us and our realtor. UGH! It's SO frustrating. There seems to be no urgency for them but we are working within a specific time frame and would appreciate it if they'd pick up the pace. They don't send us all of the paperwork we need to sign at one time and don't tell us the mortgage broker needs more info. I wonder if they just expect us to know these things. I need to keep reminding myself that God's timing is perfect and if it's supposed to happen it will. We wandered around Lowes today after lunch and I got SO excited about the place I'm anxious to call our home it's about to drive me nuts. PRAY for me!

It's late and my bed is calling. Hopefully I'll be able to share some very good news very soon :)

Welcome to Clutzville, population 'me'

2007-06-29T19:51:00.000-07:00

My sister is getting married in October. A perfect catalyst for getting myself in shape. I'm made an agreement with my other sister to keep each other accountable in our eating healthier/exercising endeavor. We've stopped eating before bed which for me is HUGE. If you know me you know I like nothing more than to sit down in front of the tube and munch whilst enjoying some Buffy or Angel at the end of a stressful day.

My sister has been walking a lot and says she's seeing some progress. I, on the other hand, am not having much success.

So today I decided to go for a little jog. Approx. a mile, in my neighborhood, which is scary in and of itself. But I did it. Feeling pretty proud of myself I headed down the hill towards my house. I noticed a shiny little face peering out a front room window, waiting for my return. As I hopped up into the yard to surprise my little one I stepped in a sink hole and SPLAT!, fell flat on my face. Classy.

I'm sure my little old lady neighbor say everything and if I were her I'd have been rolling with laughter. Ugh.

Once More, with feeling

2007-06-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend I did something I've never done before.

I went to a sing-along.

A Buffy sing-along.

I had a lot of fun. It was kind of goofy and a little uncomfortable, mostly because it was a new experience, not because of the event itself.

There were props.

Bubbles,

lighters,

poppers,

Vampire teeth,

and oh yes,

underwear.

:)

There were no 'cool kids' sitting in the back making fun of you for being silly. In fact, sillyness was expected, if not demanded.

It was really neat how everyone was into it. At one point the host asked if the initially requested heckling of a character could be toned down and people actually did it. WOW!

Besides the event itself I enjoyed my entire excursion. Austin was awesome, as always. And I had some fabulous food at Fado, an Irish pub.

Cracker, Coy, and Shley, Thanks for the 'FUN TIMES' !! Love you guys!

As I Turn My White Skin Red

2007-06-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

"And it's you and me in the summertime,

we'll be hand in hand down in the park.

With a squeeze and a sigh and that twinkle in your eye

and all the sunshine banishes the dark."

I love this song. I've wanted to put it up on my myspace page for a week now and it appears I'll have to upload it myself... bummer.

I'm ready for summer.

Not the heat mind you. Heat sucks! Especially here in Texas.

I just love the freedom summer inspires. Endless possibilities.

Cold drinks, driving with the windows down and the tunes blarin'.

Good Times.

I'm finding myself at a crossroads of endless possibilities.

So many choices, so many ways to go.

Good.

Exciting.

Terrifying.

Adventurous.

How do I make the right choice?

The choice I'd make five years ago is not the choice I'd make today, and probably not the choice I'd make five years from now.

It's a little overwhelming.

But I find it's a good place.

So I lift my Ocean Water and say "Here's to new adventures!"

'Cause in my head there’s a greyhound station

2007-06-06T08:17:00.000-07:00

"Where I send my thoughts to far off destinations
So they may have a chance of finding a place where they’re far more suited than here"

I just love that. So clever. And SO true. I have several bloggers that I read on a regular basis and I'm just in awe a bit. They are so good at capturing my attention, painting pictures with words, and making me want more. And there are several others I wish would blog more often. I wish I had that talent. I feel a bit lost with that. I don't have a 'talent'. Bummer if I'm 80 before I find out what it is.

That's not why I'm here today.

I'm here because I'm not cool. Somehow I doubt that anyone else dwells on this as much as I do. Feeling confident in your own skin... that's hard for me and I hate it. I think it's hindered by my desire to be loved by everyone. And I'm not. This is obvious by the fact that we can invite like 15 people over and only two come. It's sad really. I've got several friends that I don't care what they want to do, I'm there. "What, come over to sacrifice a goat in a ritual attempt to ward off evil spirits? I'm so there". I think maybe this is something cool that I've been missing out on, because I'm not in the know. Really it's just about spending time together... Just something on my mind today.

That and I really miss singing. Yeah, we sing every Sunday at church, standing in the sanctuary, one huddled mass. But it's not the same. I want someone to say "Hey Lori, I'm trying to put something together and really need a female voice in the mix. You interested?" That would be awesome.

Earlier when I thought "I want to blog today" this was not at all what I was thinking about but this is what came out... ummm.

An Outing

2007-02-09T20:11:00.000-08:00

I'm trying hard to be a regular blogger. Bear with me...

With the weather being cool and sometimes icky, and with the Hubby and I sharing one car most of the time I feel like I've been inside, ALOT.

Even though last week I got to hangout with my friends more than usual, I still feel cooped up. I know the kids do, they've gotten out even less.

So we decide to take them to the mall. We ate dinner in the food court and then took them down to the playground to burn off some of that pent up energy.

We ran into some old friends there, the girls were happy to be around other kids.

Then a little girl who's mother was sitting next to us came over. She asked her mom if she had a paper towel.

Weird question, I thought. Then she proceeded to tell her mother about playing somewhere and something about a baby and then she asked "Do you smell it?"

WHAT? Smell? No good can come of a statement like that.

Poo. seriously.

Apparently there was a child who's pull-up was uber-full and started leaking out... All over the play area!!!!

Graham and I quickly grabbed the girls and started gathering our things.

Then we smelled it... Ugh... I wanted to vomit. It's bad enough when it's your own kids but you just kind of deal with it. But when it's someone else's kid, someone you don't know, it's repulsive. Luckily the mother of the boy found out and took him out to the restroom... I hope someone cleans that up.

It will be quite a while before we go back. I guess that's what I get for trying to get out of the house :)

Hookah with a Nooma Nooma

2007-02-03T10:52:00.000-08:00

I'm 26. Not old by any standard unless of course you are five.

Lately I've found myself feeling very old.

Most of my friends have lives very similar to mine. Married, kids... But then others don't.

It's these friends that I find myself envying often. The freedom to go wherever, whenever. Staying out till the wee hours of the morning is the norm... Not a luxury.

I sat with several them last night. Enjoying myself. But at the same time I felt like a similar time in my life was oh so many years ago. My ten year high school reunion is next year... I'll be thirty in three...

A song plays in the background... At the table eyes light up with recognition and the sing-along commences. A song I've never heard. No clue. Feeling like an alien when references are made and I'm lost. Is this what our parents think ?

Is this stuff I should know about? Am I just a big nerd and not cool enough to know this?

Am I ridiculous for wanting to be 21 again? Well, maybe 23.

...ummm. The inner thoughts of a stay-at-home mom who has spent a little too much time indoors...

Epiphany

2006-09-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

I always have these thoughts throughout the day and think "Oh, this would be great to blog about". And then, by the time I actually sit down at the computer the thought have become far removed from my brain....

Today is Thursday and on Thursday mornings I have a young moms bible study group at church. There are about six of us and three of them I grew up with so I feel like we are a pretty close group. Right now we are going through this awesome book called Don't Make Me Count To Three by Ginger Plowman. It's this great book about "a mom's look at heart-oriented discipline". If you don't know what that means just ask. I'd love to share.

But that's not what I'm discussing here, it's just a little background. Today I've been pondering the future... pertaining to my children. This group of girls, at least to the best of my knowledge, all plan on homeschooling their kids. And they would all be great at it. I, on the other hand, feel very little calling to pursue that. I know I have issues with patience, I'm not a good teacher, and at this point in time I think when the time comes our children will go to public school initially and I'll go back to work. At least part-time.

So why do I feel a little guilty about it? I don't want to homeschool them. I was homeschooled for three years of my life and I absolutely hated it. Also --- Side note--- both my mother and mother-in-law are currently homeschooling their children and most of the kids have been homeschooled exclusively. I went to public school until the eighth grade, was homeschooled 8th-10th and the finished in private school. I turned out alright. I don't feel too jaded or warped. I don't feel like my parents were never there for me ( although one difference is that my mom always stayed home).

A lot of times the conversation in Bible Study comes around to the fact that we as wives and mothers are called to raise are children in the teaching and admonition of the Lord...Titus 2 says "3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled." ...
and how can this be accomplished if we send our children off to school... and work outside the home?

Will I be judged by this group of believers if I choose not to follow in their footsteps? I admire them for what they are doing, but I just don't think it's for us, at this time. And I ask because we've sat around talking about "those women" who neglect their duties as a wife and mom to pursue careers and "have nice things". I'm not trying to pursue any kind of career. I just want my kids to get a decent education which I know isn't going to happen if they stay home with me... Thoughts?