Menu Monday 5.3.10

Last week, I went to Costco for the first time and fell in love.  It is clean, full of organic and healthy choices, and just plain wonderful.  The only problem is that I usually plan my menus before I shop and there I just shopped.  I do have meat to last us at least a month and lots of other goodies, but my menu planning was backwards this week.  Though I must say I kinda enjoyed doing it this way and just hope I don't let any of these bulk items go to waste.  Here's what we are eating this week,

• Tostadas with Black Bean & Mango Salsa, Yellow Rice, & Salad


• Pork Chops with Dijon Sauce, Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans


• Flank Steak Pinwheels, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Carrots


• Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi, Rice, Cucumber Salad (there will be chicken for a certain husband who doesn't eat fish)


• Grilled Hamburgers, Potato Wedges, Fruit Salad

Homeschooling and having fun

The question I get asked most often these days is "how is homeschooling going?"  (Well, I also get asked "are you all unpacked yet?" But for now let's just pretend there are no more boxes hanging around) Homeschooling is  going really well so far.  We've had a couple of difficult days where Cole didn't want to "do school today," but we are really enjoying it.  I love being there when he learns a new word or reads something for the first time.  Also, Connor is starting to read and gets so excited when he sounds a word out.  Caleb is mainly just along for the ride, but he does love to sit when we are reading and play with his brothers math blocks. I also love the flexibility it allows us too that we get to go do stuff on a weekday.

Here are some pics from the last few weeks,

Caleb getting our book to read

 

Cole working on his math

The boys lined up ready to head to the food pantry to help out.  

The "peady-cock" we got to see on our visit to the zoo.

Coupons are Totally Worth It ...

Especially if you have Walgreens and/or CVS nearby.  Today, I went to CVS and Walgreens.  I've been at home with a sick little boy these last few days, so I needed to get out of the house.  Otherwise, I usually do these drug store trips during the week, but today I got to go all by myself while all the guys were napping. It's always fun to get a few moments away alone, but especially fun saving money while I'm at it. I know I'm  little weird.

• 2 boxes Kelloggs Shredded Wheat Cereal


• 5 Betty Crocker brownie mixes


• 3 bags of jelly beans (these are hopefully going to encourage Caleb to potty train)


• 4 candy bars (these are hopefully going to encourage mommy to potty train Caleb  ;0) )


• 2 tubes of Colgate Total toothpaste


• 3 Nivea body washes


• 2 Nivea lip balms


• 1 Venus Embrace Razor


• 4 Reach toothbrushes


• 1 Revlon eyeshadow


• 1 Revlon nail clipper


• 1 Arizona Iced Tea


• 1 package of sandwich bags


• 3 bottles of children's Pepto Bismol


• 2 boxes of Kotex U tampons


• 4 bottles of Coffeemate Creamer


• 1 Softsoap body wash

I paid less than $15 out-of-pocket for all of this.  See Walgreens has these things called Register Rewards (RR) and CVS has Extra Care Bucks (ECB) where you basically earn "money" to spend next time you shop.  If you use this in combination with coupons clipped from the Sunday paper, you can save lots.  I spent $15 but I also now have $15 in Walgreens RR and $19 in CVS ECB that I will use next week when the new sales ad comes out.  We don't necessarily NEED all this stuff, but I get much of it for free or very cheap and figure I can give away what we won't use.

I've been using coupons for years, but am pretty new to saving money at these drug stores.  If you want to learn more, check out A Full Cup and Coupon Mom. 

Pantry Raid Menu Monday 4.26.10

Being that I really don't want to go to the grocery until hopefully Friday, we are going to be using up some stuff in the freezer and pantry.   With that plan, our meals will be the following,

• Leftover Night (which is tonight) - There's chicken, mac & cheese, chicken salad, hot dogs, roasted veggies, and who knows what else in there ;)


• Breakfast for dinner - Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Sausage/Canadian Bacon, and Fruit


• Spaghetti and Marinara, Salad, Homemade Bread


• Chicken Fajitas, Rice, Beans


• Pot Roast, Potatoes, Green Beans

We have more stuff than I thought as I perused the pantry. Of course, this is due to the wonderfully nice church members who stocked up stuff for us before we got here.  It's been very helpful! :)

Edited to Add: Jason just came home and said let's go out to eat tonight after I said leftovers for dinner.  Little does he know that they will be still be good tomorrow.  ;0)

Sometimes we can learn from watching a 2 year old.

I just witnessed something that I see fairly regularly yet it still amazes me.  It is the fight that is in a 2 year old.  Tonight it was over vegetables.  The rule in our house is not difficult.  You don't have finish your plate if you don't want to, but if there is a treat, you do not get it unless you eat what is put on your plate. It's always been this way.

Yet, here is Caleb simply horrified that he is not with his brothers enjoying an after dinner treat.  He screamed, wailed, threw himself on the floor, followed me to another room to start it all over again, and never ate his vegetables.  He was not going to give in and I knew this from the second the tantrum started, because I know the will of this child.  Connor, on the other hand, would eventually give in but not without lots of whining.  Whereas, Cole and Caleb, are as stubborn as one of their parents, who shall remain nameless.

What amazes me even more than the fight though is the how easily he got over it.  I mean he was mad, really mad, but before I finished loading this picture on the computer, he had crawled up in my lap and gave me a hug.  After we hugged it out, there is complete restoration in our relationship.  I again was mom and not the "evil-vegetable-pushing villian" and all was right with his world.  When a 2 year old is mad, they are mad, but once they are over it, they are truly over it.  He is not currently holding a grudge or even talking about it anymore.  It's done.  He loves me the same now as he did earlier today.

At what age, do we stop just getting over it?  Watching him tonight just got me to thinking, how much easier and better would our relationships would be if when we got mad or hurt, we threw our fit and then let it go.  I'm not one to hold grudges easily, but there are definitely times I could let things go much easier.  I mean truly let it go meaning the person we were mad at is fully restored to us.  Love becomes conditional so often for us as we grow older.  However, love "keeps no record of being wronged" so maybe tonight I can learn something from my little stubborn 2 year old who loves me despite the fact that he did not get his treat.

P.S. Just in case you are wondering, Caleb is now getting ready for bed and the vegetables are still sitting on his plate on the table.

Playin' in the rain

I love that the boys can have so much fun in the rain. I'm not sure why they felt the need to dance in it, but they did and for that I wish I'd had the video camera handy.  It was quite entertaining.  Still, I got some pretty good shots of them enjoying the sprinkles.  And the last two photos are simply further proof that I do indeed have 4 children.

 

 

Menu Monday 4.19.2010

Since this past week, we ended up with sick kids I didn't end up fixing all of the meals I had planned, so there is one carryover.  You will also notice the recipes this week are primarily from Ellie Krieger.  In an ongoing attempt to eat healthier, I read two of her cookbooks this weekend.  So far any recipe of hers that I've tried has been great, so I'm hoping some of these new ones (new to us) will be good as well.  

Here's our meal list this week,

• Canjun Chicken Pasta, Spinach & Strawberry Salad


• Marinated Chicken & Grape Skewers, Roasted Asparagus, Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts


• BBQ Burgers with Cole Slaw, Oven Fries


• Korean Beef Stir-fry, Zucchini (not sure what I'm doing with this yet)


• Meatballs with Spicy Tomato Sauce, Green Salad (This is seriously an awesome spaghetti & meatball recipe and it's healthy. I sometimes use lean ground beef instead of turkey. Very yummy!)