More Menu Planning

Have you been working on menu planning?  I have!  I'm working on planning meals for the entire month of February and making a shopping list so I can buy everything at one time.  I'm sure there will be a couple of trips to the store during the month for milk and maybe bread but I'm going to try to make a 30 day menu and do one big shopping trip.  My goals are to simplify, spend less, and cook more from scratch.  Also, our family is trying to not eat out in an effort to save money and eat healthier.

 I have found a great place to print blank calendars and I have already filled one up for February.  If you would like to print your own click here:  pdfcalendar.com  Even if you do only a week's meal planning at a time it is helpful to use one of these blank calendars.  I hang my completed menu on the fridge and everyone can see what's for dinner.  (A question I am asked many times a day!)

Here is a scrumptious recipe that is on my February menu plan.  Maybe it will help you get started with your planning!!

Spinach Ravioli Bake

2 cups spaghetti sauce
1 package (25 oz) frozen ravioli
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place 1 cup spaghetti sauce in a greased 2 qt. baking dish.  Top with half of the ravioli, Mozzarella cheese, spinach and Parmesan cheese.  Repeat layers.  Bake uncovered at 350 for 40-45 minutes or until heated through.

I usually serve this with a salad and garlic bread.  Everyone loves it!

Stuffed Crust Pizza

Homemade pizza nights are an event at our house.  Everyone loves when we make homemade pizza, even my honey!  For a long time now we have been making stuffed crust pizza and I want to share with you our super easy shortcut!  

All you need are a few simple items:

1.  Whatever you use to make crust.   (If you want to make this really easy you can buy Pillsbury Pizza Crust in a can.  There are ALWAYS coupons available for this.)

2.  Mozzarella cheese sticks

3.  Pizza sauce

4.  Any toppings your family likes.  We usually do pepperoni, green pepper, onion and any other ingredients we have on hand. 

 5.  Shredded mozzarella cheese

Roll crust out onto pan.

  Roll cheese sticks up into sides of crust along the edges.

 Spread sauce all over crust.

Sprinkle cheese.  Add toppings.

Bake according to directions for your crust.  (If you use Pillsbury crust, 15 minutes at 425 degrees.)

So easy and so delicious!!  I haven't actually been the one making these pizzas for quite some time.  The children always do it and I just supervise.  They love to make them and if I made the pizzas for them they would be upset.  Just as I am getting the ingredients out of the fridge one will say from the other room, "Don't start without me"!   Making pizzas together is a fun family activity and I always say the best memories are made in the kitchen!

Making a List and Checking It Twice

Anyone who knows me knows I am a list maker.  I make lists of the lists I need to make.  :)  Maybe it's my ongoing quest to be super organized, or my type A personality, or my OCD, but whatever it is... I love to make lists!

Every morning I make a list of all that needs to be done for the day. I have an ongoing list of things we need from the store.  I have a list of school books and school supplies the children are in need of.  I have a list of chores for the kids and a list of daily cleaning tasks for the house.  I list all of the meals I'm going to make and I keep a list of projects that need my attention as well as a list of thank you notes I plan to write.  I list scripture I want to memorize, and bills that need to be paid and, of course, I have a "honey do" list for my husband.  (I try to keep it light!)   During the Christmas season I add several more lists to my list making!  

Just the other day I thought of a new list I'm going to try.  Instead of just a "to-do" list for each day, I'm going to  make a list at the end of each day of what I got done.  Now, if you are not a list making gal like myself this will probably make little sense to you and you might want to pass on this post and read the next one.  But, if you are a list maker then maybe you will like this idea as well as I do!! 

Many times I overdo it writing out my daily "to do" lists and I find myself discouraged at the end of the day that I didn't get every single thing on my list done.  What I have been thinking about though, is that I am probably getting way more done than I realize and perhaps it would be helpful to take a look at all I did get done at the end of each day.  It's definitely something I'm willing to try.

So, if you want to join me in this, make a list at the end of the day of all you got done during the day.  (You might even want to show it to your husband!)  I'm thinking for me it may look something like this...

had personal bible time
put dinner in crock-pot
fixed breakfast
had morning bible time with kids
did math with all 4 boys
3 loads of laundry washed and dried
read 2 chapters of Moodys aloud to kids
graded Language Arts for all boys
fixed lunch
flash cards with Eli
read to Olivia before her nap
did science lesson with younger boys
had Eli read aloud to me
wrote out bills
finished 2 thank you notes
grocery store & post office
took 2 boys to soccer
fixed dinner
younger kids baths
gave Nic a haircut
family devotion
cleaned up downstairs
graded older boys' work
mopped kitchen

Now if I look at my end of the day list I can see that I did accomplish a lot and then I just transfer the unfinished items from today's list to my list for the next day.  If there were calls I needed to return and I didn't get that done I can just put it on tomorrow's list and not beat myself up about it.  One look at my end of the day list and I will be reminded that I have gotten a lot done.  If for some reason my list doesn't look like I am getting a lot accomplished then I will simply look at where my time is being spent and what might possibly be wasting any of it.  Moms have to be on guard against any time robbers, with the phone and computer being at the very top of the list!  (oops, did I say list?)    

Take a look at all you ARE getting done and fight off any discouragement you are feeling about what you didn't get done by making a list each night of everything you got accomplished.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised at all the work you did!!!

Colossians 3:23-24  Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.  It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. 

Psalm 16:1-3  The plans of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.  All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the Lord weighs the motives.  Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Blessing For Your Work At Home

We all have good days and bad days.  Some days are just sooo good and others are, well, bad.  We shouldn't expect that everyday will be perfectly perfect...but I do.  I want everything to go just right.   

What I have come to realize, over and over, is that being a wife and mother is not easy and cannot be done well without God's help.  Where does our help come from?  Our help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.  We need Him.  As workers at home we are going to face days that are frustrating.  We will face situations where we are overwhelmed by our work load, or disappointed in a lack of obedience in our children, or have hurts and fears cluttering up our minds.  All of us will have "those days".  What we need to remember is that God is with us in those days and He has a plan and a purpose, always.  Our number one weapon against Satan and his attack on our day is our sword...God's Holy Word.  As workers at home we need to not only read God's Word each day but memorize portions of it as well.

 I've gone through periods in my life when I was actively memorizing scripture and I realized today that I need to get back to that.  I'm going to use a tried and true method (for me anyway) of scripture memorization and that is index cards.  I'm writing down verses that help me with my particular struggles, taping them where I will see them often, and committing the words to memory.

 Here is a verse with which I am going to start.... James 1:19-20  Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires.  I do not want to be an angry wife or an angry mama.  I want to be careful with my responses in every situation and gentle and patient as I train my children.  What an awesome thing it is that we have life's instruction manual and we can turn to it for help.  No matter what struggle or difficulty we face God has given us direction and encouragement in His Word.  What a loving God we serve.  Allow me to encourage you today to delve into the Word of God, spend some time soaking it up and then choose some verses to memorize.  I guarantee your work at home will be blessed!

Preacher Cookies

1/2 cup butter
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/8 tsp salt
3 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Mix butter, cocoa, sugar, milk and salt together in saucepan .  Boil for 1 minute.  Stir in oatmeal, peanut butter and vanilla.  Drop by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper.  Allow to cool and harden.

A Blessed Day

I'm feeling especially blessed today.  It's been such a wonderful winter day full of all the things I love.  Our little southern city got a blanketing of snow which is an unusual treat for this area.  Somewhere between 6 to 8 inches fell and my sweet babes were out of their beds extra early getting layered up to go out and play.  How did they know?!  I got up at 5:30 this morning and looked outside to find the heaviest down pouring of snow.  It was gorgeous!  Around 6 a.m. I contemplated going to wake them up so they could see but decided I liked the quiet of the house way too much to give it up.  Very soon they sprung out of bed,  all 5 at the same time, as if they knew already.  In no time they were dressed, chores done, breakfast cleaned up, and ready to go outside.  If only they moved at that lightning speed every morning.  I made Olivia a spray bottle to take outside and used red and blue food coloring to make her favorite color, purple.  She went right to work squirting snow.  The boys tried their hand at sledding and building a fort and of course ended up in a snowball fight.  What fun!  I let the kids have hot chocolate and popcorn for lunch.  This is certainly not in keeping with our plans to eat healthier in 2011 but it was the perfect lunch for a day like today.  It blessed my heart to see them cuddled up in quilts sipping cocoa and munching on popcorn.  The fact that they were exhausted made me even happier.  I love when the kids are worn out tired.  

Yes, my laundry pile grew tremendously, and yes, the floors are a mess, and yes, the dog is a mess (did I mention our little dog went out to play too?  She just jumped around everywhere since the snow piled up higher than her.) but I don't care about the messes or the laundry today.  I feel blessed to be the mom of these 5 sweet babes and blessed to be able to watch them enjoy a special winter day.  It's nap time now and the house will be really quiet as little ones sleep and older ones read and I'll be somewhere in between reading and sleeping.  I'm extra thankful to God for the blessings He has bestowed on me today.  He is so good to me!

This Week's Menu!

I've said it before but it's worth repeating,  having a meal plan makes the job of homemaking easier.  We wives and mothers are SO busy and have SO many things we are responsible for.  We must find a way to simplify and be organized with meal time.  For me, the week runs smoother when I know what I am serving for each meal.  I spend less money when I plan ahead and I get more accomplished each day if I have planned out our meals and have all of the ingredients on hand.  The more often you go to the store the more you will spend overall.  Try making a week, or 2 week, or even 30 day meal plan and shop for everything at one time.  If you are trying to spend less or eat healthier in 2011, making a meal plan helps with both.  If you know what's for dinner, and the ingredients are in your kitchen, you are less likely to pick up chicken nuggets or order a pizza.

Here's my plan for the week:  (I'm only listing my dinner plan this time.  For breakfast I will be rotating cereal, fruit, oatmeal, eggs and toast, and for lunch we will do sandwiches, raw veggies, fruit, soup and any dinner left-overs.)

Sunday: Spaghetti, tossed salad, garlic bread
Monday:  Chicken Enchiladas, chips and salsa
Tuesday:  Beef Boogie Woogie, raw veggie tray 
Wednesday:  Taco Bar (taco meat, soft and hard shells, lettuce, tomato, cheese, onion, sour cream, etc.)
Thursday:  Chicken Supreme, mashed potatoes, green beans
Friday:  Breakfast (eggs, bacon, sausage and pancakes), sliced apples, oranges, and bananas
Saturday:  French Dip sandwiches, Monterrey Jack Cheese Soup
Sunday:  Potato Soup, homemade bread

Recipes:

Woodrum Family Chicken Enchiladas  (a favorite at our house!)

1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Picante Sauce
2 tsp chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
6 flour tortillas (6 inch, warmed)
1 small tomato, chopped
1 green onion, sliced

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Stir the soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in a medium bowl.  Stir 1 cup soup mixture, chicken and cheese in a large bowl.  Divide the chicken mixture among the tortillas.  Roll up the tortillas and place seam-side up in baking dish.  Pour the remaining soup mixture over filled tortillas.  Cover.  Bake 40 minutes.  Top with tomato and green onion.

Beef Boogie Woogie (an easy but tasty crock-pot favorite)

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup water
2 lb lean beef chunks for stew
8 oz mushrooms
1 packet beefy onion soup mix
1/2 tsp thyme
8 oz baby carrots
1 bag extra wide egg noodles

Whisk mushroom soup, water, soup mix, and thyme in a 3 quart or larger slow cooker until well blended.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until coated.  Cover and cook on high 4 hours or on low 8 to 10 hours.  Serve over egg noodles.  Delicious!

Chicken Supreme (passed on from a dear friend, Theresa Pauli)

2lbs chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 pint sour cream
chicken broth - enough to moisten
1 cup chopped celery
1 tsp rosemary or sage
1 stick butter
1 pkg Stove Top stuffing
Pepperidge Farm bread crumbs

Simmer chicken breasts with celery and spice.  Use enough water to cover chicken.  Save broth!  Cube chicken.  In separate bowl, mix butter, celery, stuffing, soup and sour cream.  Add chicken and enough broth to moisten - close to 2 cups.  Spread mixture in casserole dish and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  I usually sprinkle bread crumbs on top.  Super yummy!!!

Shredded French Dip (one of my honey's all time favorites)

1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 lbs)
1 can French Onion soup
1 can Beef Consomme
1 can Beef Broth
1 tsp beef bouillon granules
8 to 10 French or Italian rolls, split

Halve roast and place in slow cooker.  Combine soups and bouillon; pour over roast.  Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until meat is tender.  Remove meat and shred with 2 forks.  Serve on rolls.  Skim fat from cooking juices and serve as a dipping sauce.

Creamy Monterrey Jack Soup (you won't believe how good this is until you try it!)

2 1/2 cups water
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 can cream of onion soup
1 can cream of potato soup
1/8 tsp garlic salt
8 oz bulk Monterrey Jack cheese cut into 1 inch cubes

In a large saucepan combine the water, tomato and chillies.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes.  Stir in milk, soups and garlic salt.  Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through.  Place cheese cubes in serving bowls; ladle hot soup over cheese.

Aunt Teresa's Potato Soup (best ever potato soup recipe and I've tried tons!)

cook until done:
10 or 12 potatoes, peeled and cut up
chopped celery
chopped carrots
chopped onion

mix well and pour into potatoes:
 1 block cream cheese (softened)
 1/2 stick butter
1 can cream of chicken soup

add:
2 cups milk,
bacon pieces (found near salad dressing in grocery store)
shredded cheddar
salt and pepper to taste

WOO-HOO!

 Just got my new book in the mail today, Large Family Logistics The Art and Science of Managing the Large Family By Kim Brenneman.  I could not be more excited!  And, since we will soon be a family of 8, I figure this book should prove to be quite helpful.  I've been waiting all day to sink my teeth into it.  Now that school work is done, and the kitchen is cleaned, and my honey has all 5 kids out of the house, I am ready to sit down and READ.  I may be up all night!  Just couldn't help posting a little something before I dive in.  My heart is joyful reading the Table of Contents.

Chapter 1:  The Wise Woman
Chapter 2:  Goals
Chapter 3:  Systems
Chapter 4:  Self Discipline-It Starts with You
Chapter 5:  Attitude is Critical
Chapter 6:  Where Does the Time Go?
Chapter 7:  The Interrupted Day
Chapter 8:  The Psalms-Your Spiritual Multi-Vitamin
Chapter 9:  Give Your Children a Work Ethic
Chapter10: Repeating Yourself?
Chapter 11: Teaching a New Chore
Chapter 12:Rejecting Me-Centeredness, Redeeming Time Alone
Chapter 13: Life with Littles
Chapter 14: Baby Balance
Chapter 15: The Family Dynamic
Chapter 16: Your Own Personal Spa
Chapter 17: Dress for Success
Chapter 18: Your Home Management Book
Chapter 19: Laundry Day
Chapter 20: Kitchen Day
Chapter 21: Office Day
Chapter 22: Town Day
Chapter 23: Cleaning Day
Chapter 24: Deep Cleaning
Chapter 25: Gardening Day
Chapter 26: The Lord's Day
Chapter 27: Tea Party Day
Chapter 28: Morning and Evening Routines
Chapter 29: Meal Time Routines
Chapter 30: Table Time
Chapter 31: 15 Minutes of Phonics
Chapter 32: Quiet Time
Chapter 33: Read Aloud Time
Chapter 34: Afternoon Chore Time
Chapter 35: Bathroom Management
Chapter 36: Bedroom Management
Chapter 37: The Children's Hour
Chapter 38: Family Worship
Chapter 39: Home Crafts
Chapter 40: Homeschooling the Large Family
Chapter 41: Health and Wellness
Chapter 42: The Playroom
Chapter 43: Feast Night
Chapter 44: Meal Planning
Chapter 45: Project Day
Chapter 46: Pregnancy and Preparing for Baby
Chapter 47: The Buddy System
Appendix A:  Coping While Exhausted and Overwhelmed
Appendix B:  Moving Beyond Survival Mode

I love this quote on one of the first pages of the book, "Home is Where Each Lives for the Other and All Live For Christ."  I love that!  I want to hang that in my house.  I know soon I will be blogging away about all of the treasures I find in this book because I can already tell it is full of them!

Until next time..........I'll be reading!