Song: “Always” by Kristian Stanfill
Every time I hear this song I am encouraged. I have been driving a lot more lately so the girls and I have spent some extra time in the car. It is always great when the kids join me in singing praise and worship songs while driving. A couple weeks ago we sang this song in church as well. May it be a blessing to you too!
My foes are many, they rise against me
But I will hold my ground
I will not fear the war, I will not fear the storm
My help is on the way, my help is on the wayOh, my God, He will not delay
My refuge and strength always
I will not fear, His promise is true
My God will come through always, alwaysTroubles surround me, chaos abounding
My soul will rest in You
I will not fear the war, I will not fear the storm
My help is on the way, my help is on the wayI lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord
From You Lord, from You LordWhat’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
Thankful for a new start to a new week…..last week was one that had way too many extra unexpected activities from sick kids, doctor visits, urgent care trip, etc….. We did eat last week but I had more leftover nights than planned, however, that meant we were able to get through a lot of the stuff in the fridge. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree): Crockpot Baked Steak, Steamed Vegetable Medley
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Kids in the Kitchen – Roast Beef Sandwiches
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Basted Raspberry Chicken, Wild Rice
- Thursday (Pasta or Pork Entree): Pasta Bake, Fresh Fruit
- Friday, Saturday, & Sunday: Leftovers, Family Preference, and Hosting
I have a general pattern I try to follow for my weekly Menu Plan (for example Monday we have a beef or seafood entree and so forth). It is my goal, at least in the beginning, to have at least the main dish and one side planned. I will put together the remaining side dishes (veggies / fruits) based on the food items that need to be used up first and compliment the main entree.
Setting a weekly menu plan helps me utilize my time better, thus freeing up extra time to spend with my family. On the days that I am working longer hours I can prep the meal in advance so it will be easier to pull together once I am home. As I go through the menu planning process I will try to share some of our favorite family recipes. If there is a specific recipe you would like please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate (some recipes are a toss together meal and I do not use any set measurements).
As a family of four our life can get busy. What’s for Dinner is our weekly menu planning series and one of the ways to help keep us organized, on schedule, and within budget. Our family typically eats 6 to 7 dinner meals at home a week. We do try to go out to eat at least once a month as a special treat. Breakfasts are eaten at home before work and school, lunches are eaten at work, school, or home, so dinner is our main meal together as a family. Dinner is our time to reconnect, share, and enjoy being together after a busy day. Our weekly menu plan covers Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday only because the weekend (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) is our time to spend with family and friends. The weekends tend to be more spontaneous and my husband (who is the better cook) likes pitching in therefore we keep the menu open for variety. We use up the leftovers throughout the week for our lunches and on the nights that we are busy or can’t cook.
Photo by Liz
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week did….not…go…as planned (ever have weeks that go like that, ha)?! Jake was in Charleston for work, one of the girls got really sick, Skipper was barking all the time (even in the middle of the night), unexpected activities, time spent in the Urgent Care, last minute stuff, doctor visits and more in between all the normal weekly activities so many of the items on my list this week are still leftover from last week. Hopefully this week will (go as planned or at least some what “normal”) and I will be able to tackle more items on my list!
Last week’s goals:
Family Goals
Read to the girls and have them read to me dailyLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforeDaily School Activities & Homework CompletedAttend After School ActivitiesPlan one special Activity with the FamilySpend extra time with the Girls since they have a couple days off school
Personal Goals
- Exercise at least 5 days this week – with a couple nights without sleep with a sick little one and a barking dog this wasn’t my top priority
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day – all the doctor appointments and extra activities so I didn’t stay on top of how much I was drinking
- Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith – still reading
Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion– staying on track and continuing to listen faithfullyVote in the 2012 Election– voted! 🙂
Home Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayWeekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Projects (Focus – Office / Garage) – got some stuff done but with all the unexpected items I wasn’t able to get these two completed (I did make a little headway though)
- Pay all upcoming bills – have a couple that I need to pay this week
- Winterize the Garden – didn’t get it done
Put printed pictures in the photo album– got the ones I had at home put into the albums and ordered another setClean Out Fridge– cleaned out the fridge and freezer, something I been wanting to do for 2 weeks now! Yay, for small victories! 🙂Recycle old Magazines & update with November editions
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – I missed a few items with all the unexpected items but hopefully I can pick up the slack this week
Send out invoicesFinish scheduling November work dates
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or LunchWrite and Send Out Community Group Email- Re-organize the Alms & Legs Food Pantry – the girls helped me clean out, organize the pantry, and donate a bunch of items to PERC (Piedmont Emergency Relief Center). They were a HUGE help and doing this together gave us a lot of opportunities to talk about the many amazing blessings in our lives.
Financial Goals
Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4- Payoff the Van – working on putting extra money aside
- Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.) – putting a little bit aside
My goals for the upcoming week:
Family Goals
- Read to the girls and have them read to me daily
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Daily School Activities & Homework Completed
- Attend After School Activities
- Plan one special Activity with the Family
Personal Goals
- Exercise at least 5 days this week
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Finish reading The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life by Hannah Whitall Smith
- Reading / listening through my Bible – doing the 90 day plan through YouVersion
Home Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Tackle Fall Cleaning & Organization Projects (Focus – Office / Garage)
- Pay all upcoming bills
- Winterize the Garden
- Put any new printed pictures that we receive this week in the photo album
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
- Write and Send Out Community Group Email
- Send out the Alms & Legs Food Meeting Reminder to the Team Members
Financial Goals
- Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
- Payoff the Van
- Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses (we are trying to build this back up because we had to take some out for unexpected expenses recently.)
- Stay within Christmas Budget
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Day 10)
As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough. The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).
It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day. For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge. It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days. Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.
Day 10
Who: Aunts & Uncles
I am thankful for the great Aunts & Uncles in my life. Today I sent an “I’m Thankful For…..” cards and sent a note of thanks.
Day 9
Who: Cousins
I grew up in a big family and a lot of extended family members. Family get togethers (like for the Holidays) usually consisted of a house / yard full of people from tiny babies to the grandparents. The best thing about being part of a large extended family is you always have someone to play with since all your cousins would come to the family celebration too. I am thankful for the many cousins in my life. Some of them I am closer to than others but I am grateful for each one. Today, I mailed out some “I’m Thankful For….” cards and sent Facebook messages to several letting them know I was thankful for them.
Day 8
Who: Grandparents
I am thankful for the grandparents in my life. It has been a real privilege not only having a relationship with all of my grandparents but all 4 of my great grandmother’s when I was growing up. I have many wonderful memories with my grandparents. Today I sent out the “I’m Thankful For….” cards and sent emails letting them know I was thankful for them.
Every Blessing…
Book: “Horse Shy” by Bonnie Bryant
Our girls even though they are twins are very different both in their personalities and interests. Although there are a couple areas of interest they overlap……their love for books and their love for animals. They both LOVE horses and get really excited any time they have an opportunity to ride, pet, feed, or even be around horses.
Recently I just finished reading the second book of The Saddle Club horse series to the girls Horse Shy by Bonnie Bryant. They were always eager for me to read the next chapter of the book, if I had extra time they would request that I read another chapter. The cover of our book is the older edition but the story is the same.
This is the second book in the Saddle Club series. Carole, Lisa, Stevie and a group of their classmates go on the big adventure they have been looking forward to for months the Mountain Trail Overnight. An accident happens with one of the horses, but the author does a good job of showing how to cope with the loss of a favorite animal through the encouragement of friends and a time of grief. If your child enjoys horses, likes to read or listen to you read books this is a great one to check out.
November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Day 9)
As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough. The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).
It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day. For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge. It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days. Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.
Day 9
Who: Cousins
I grew up in a big family and a lot of extended family members. Family get togethers (like for the Holidays) usually consisted of a house / yard full of people from tiny babies to the grandparents. The best thing about being part of a large extended family is you always have someone to play with since all your cousins would come to the family celebration too. I am thankful for the many cousins in my life. Some of them I am closer to than others but I am grateful for each one. Today, I mailed out some “I’m Thankful For….” cards and sent Facebook messages to several letting them know I was thankful for them.
Day 8
Who: Grandparents
I am thankful for the grandparents in my life. It has been a real privilege not only having a relationship with all of my grandparents but all 4 of my great grandmother’s when I was growing up. I have many wonderful memories with my grandparents. Today I sent out the “I’m Thankful For….” cards and sent emails letting them know I was thankful for them.
Day 7
Who: Friends
Do you have those people in your life that you have been friends with for years and they have been an encouragement in your life in the good times and the bad? These are “true blue lifelong friends” who in many ways are like a sister or brother. Whenever you get together you pick back up like you seen each other just the day before when in reality it has probably been several months or in some cases years. Although I am thankful for technology because it makes it easier to stay in touch even though there may be many miles apart. I am thankful for the blessing of these special friendships. Today I mailed out “I’m Thankful For….” cards and sent messages to several others.
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
Groceries from Ingles & BiLo
It was a whirlwind of a week with the girls off two days from school, elections, and numerous unexpected activities. Despite the busyness I was determined to give you a grocery update this week (thanks for bearing with me). I even remembered to take pictures this week!
Jake has been in Charleston for some work meetings, so we are looking forward to spending time with him this weekend. I did manage to get a lot of projects done (just not necessarily things that I planned to do). Do you ever have weeks like that? Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Ingles Groceries:
- $13.04 at Ingles for 2 containers Fresh Strawberries (marked down), 1 bag Lenders Bagels (sale), 1 (5 pound) bag Fresh Grapefruit (sale), 1 bag Fresh Bananas (marked down), 1 container Fresh Potatoes (marked down), 2 loaves Laura Lynn Bread (sale), 1 bag Fresh Spinach (marked down). (Everything I purchased at Ingles was either on sale or marked down or I had a coupon. All the produce was marked down some as low as 99 cents as you can see from the bright green stickers.)
BiLo Groceries:
- $2.48 at BiLo for 1 container Southern Home Butter Spread (This was on sale and it is about the only reasonable priced butter that we have found that is made out of soy instead of dairy since we have a family member not eating dairy right now. I also received an additional 5 cent discount for bringing my own reusable bag.)
Groceries from KMart
KMart Groceries:
- $6.00 at KMart for 6 big bags Smart Sense Wavy Potato Chips (I cannot remember the last time I found plain potato chips on sale for $1.00 recently. With all the upcoming events and activities these will come in really handy! Actually, I purchased them on Thursday and that same evening I used up one bag when a group of friends came over at last minute.)
This week I spent $21.52 on groceries. I went under on the budget this week, YAY!!! I was happy to get some produce deals and stock back up on a few items we were needing to replenish in our fridge and pantry. Hopefully next week we can come under budget and November will be a better month for us!
It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!
As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me. I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too. The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Family Recipe: Bierocks
You can pack your bierocks with more meat less bread if you want! I usually do a mix of both (more bread and more meat) so people can choose what they want to eat. This one is a picture of a more bread.
My Grandma taught me how to make this delicious recipe that is basically a dinner roll stuffed with hamburger, sauerkraut, and cheese called Bierocks (although the first half of the word is pronounced like the word “beer” it does not contain any actual beer). Even though the combination sounds a little interesting it really tastes amazing! I am not sure where the recipe actually originated from but I do have family from Czechoslovakia so maybe that area. I remember as a kid helping my Grandma make this recipe and have great memories of spending time together talking while cooking for the harvest crew.
Fresh out of the oven and ready to be eaten!
Every once in awhile I like to make up a big batch of Bierocks so we can eat some right away and the rest I like to stick in the freezer to pull out on those busy days for a quick meal. I have used a number of different bread recipes to make Bierocks and they all have turned out well. Today I will share the latest bread version I made earlier this week using Money Saving Mom’s Freezer-Friendly Pizza Dough. We have made this pizza dough so many times and love it, so we figured why not try using it to make Bierocks!
Dinners ready…….Bierocks…..come and get it!
Bierocks:
- DOUGH
- 2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.)
- 2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 Tablespoons oil (vegetable, Canola, or olive oil)
- 5 cups flour (can use all whole-wheat, half white/half whole-wheat, or all white)
Pour the warm water into a bowl and sprinkle the yeast over it. Stir to dissolve.
Add the remaining ingredients and mix. Put onto a floured surface and knead dough for two to five minutes until smooth and no longer sticky. Take the kneaded dough and roll out.
Note: I used this recipe but split the dough into thirds, two of the pieces I wrapped and put in the freezer for future pizzas or other recipes and used the remaining third to make the Bierocks. I love that I get the base to 3 meals out of 1 pizza dough mixture! 🙂
- FILLING:
- 2 pounds Ground Beef
- 1/3 Onion (diced)
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Pepper
- 2 cans Sauerkraut
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese (or mixed cheese)
Brown beef with onion and seasoned with salt and pepper. Drain any excess oil off the meat. Mix the sauerkraut into the meat and cook on medium for 2 to 4 minutes until the sauerkraut is mixed well.
Cut the dough 3 to 6 inch circles (depending on the size you want it to be). Place 1 ice cream scoop (or 1/4 to 1/2 cup) of meat filling onto each circle. Sprinkle about a teaspoon of cheese over the top of the meat. Bring the four corners up over the filling and pinch together to seal on the bottom. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Place seam down on greased baking sheets. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top of the bierocks.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until the dough starts turning a golden brown color. You can rub a little bit of butter over the tops of the bierocks immediately after taking them out of the oven for additional flavor and color if you want. Makes approximately 24 Bierocks
You can eat these plain or (my favorite) with a touch of ketchup. Any leftover Bierocks after eating them for dinner are wrapped individually and put in a freezer ziplock so we can easily pull one, two or more out at a time, stick them in the microwave (or toaster oven) and have a meal ready in minutes.
Ground hamburger and sauerkraut mixture
Bierocks stuffed and ready to be baked
Cheese sprinkled over the top of some of the Bierocks (we like the cheese inside and out but it is optional). I made some with cheese and some without since we have a family member who cannot have dairy.
Picture of the Bierocks without cheese!
November 30-30-30 Challenge: Saying Thanks 30 Ways to 30 People for 30 Days (Day 8)
As I was reflecting back on the many amazing blessings in my life I realized that don’t let those around me know how much I truly appreciate them enough. The idea of participating in a “thankfulness” challenge for the month of November was started a few months ago when I purchased cards for my family to send out for the Thanksgiving Holiday (see the picture of the front of the card below).
It is my wish to show my gratitude to the people I interact with day to day. For the month of November I am planning a 30-30-30 Challenge. It is my goal to say thanks in 30 ways to 30 people for 30 days. Each day I plan to do at least one activity expressing my thanks to one person every day for thirty days.
Day 8
Who: Grandparents
I am thankful for the grandparents in my life. It has been a real privilege not only having a relationship with all of my grandparents but all 4 of my great grandmother’s when I was growing up. I have many wonderful memories with my grandparents. Today I sent out the “I’m Thankful For….” cards and sent emails letting them know I was thankful for them.
Day 7
Who: Friends
Do you have those people in your life that you have been friends with for years and they have been an encouragement in your life in the good times and the bad? These are “true blue lifelong friends” who in many ways are like a sister or brother. Whenever you get together you pick back up like you seen each other just the day before when in reality it has probably been several months or in some cases years. Although I am thankful for technology because it makes it easier to stay in touch even though there may be many miles apart. I am thankful for the blessing of these special friendships. Today I mailed out “I’m Thankful For….” cards and sent messages to several others.
Day 6
Who: Siblings
Today I mailed out “I’m Thankful For…..” cards to our siblings and sent texts to several of them. Even though I had my fair share of sibling disputes with my brothers growing up I love them dearly and am so very thankful for them. I am thankful for my sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws too, they are awesome! I am very blessed with wonderful siblings (and their spouses) and appreciate them so much!
Additional Activity: The girls and I spent a couple hours today cleaning and organizing our church’s food pantry. It was a great time of working together, talking about the many amazing blessings we have in our lives, and why it is important to share what we have with others (i.e. giving food to people within our local community). The girls worked hard and cheerfully. I couldn’t have gotten it done as quickly if they hadn’t pitched in and helped. The best part was as we were leaving a lady walked up to us and wanted to know if we had any food. I was able to pull some items from the pantry and share them with her. The girls were excited that we were able to help someone. Although we never know the full situation or the intent of an individuals heart many people within our own community are struggling. I am thankful for moments when the girls can experience situations like these because it really does make a positive impact on the lives of our children.
