What's Cooking

  • Family Activities: Roller Blade Fun in the Basement

    Karlie roller blading downstairs….I wonder if she’ll do the splits!

    It was hilarious watching as the girls started to learn how to roller blade.  Roller blading is a fun indoor activity both on the cold winter or hot summer days!   The first few times we had them try out the roller blades on the carpet to make sure they could at least keep themselves upright.  It was a little easier to move on the tile but also much easier to fall down too.  They had plenty of falls, splits, and crashes that first time but eventually started figuring out how to move so they could stay upright.

    Brina working on her roller blading, much more serious and focused on keeping her roller blades together.

    As with any new skill your learning you may “crash”!  Karlie giggling about her fall.

    Brina getting back up after one of her crashes!

    Someone’s having too much fun…..Karlie trying to scare me as she coasts across the room on her roller blades

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    Last week we were in Charleston so our menu planning was not as consistent but we did really well with what we had!  Now that we are back home we will have a more traditional menu again.  Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree):  Taco Lasagna, Fruit Salad, 7 Grain Rice
    • Tuesday (Pasta or Pork Entree):  Four Cheese Rotini, Easy Vegetable Bake
    • Wednesday (Kid’s Night to Cook):  Brina & Karlie’s Night to Cook Dinner
    • Thursday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Spinach & Chicken Casserole, Ranch Bacon Pasta Salad
    • 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, Tuesday a pasta or pork 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

    Jake had to travel last week for work so we tagged along with him since the girls were out of school.  We spent a fun week in Charleston swimming, playing, exploring, reading, and enjoying some extra time together.  We even made it to the beach which was a special treat!  Hopefully this week I will have a chance to get back up to speed with my goals and household obligations.  The pets were happy to see us come home too.  You will notice that some of my goals have shifted to reflect my priorities over the summer, it is more important to me to spend time with my family while the girls are on summer break then to ignore them so I can meet all my other goals.  Yes, I will continue moving forward with those goals as well but my highest priority the next couple months will be family since we have more time together.

    Last week’s goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Connect with each family member at least once a day
    2. Enjoy time doing one fun activity with the girls every day – spent a lot of time at parks, swimming, and spending time together in Charleston
    3. Read at least one book to the girls every day
    4. Listen to the girls read at least one book to me or Jake every day – the girls read through a whole bunch of books at parks, in the hotel and in the car, thrilled to see them get even more excited about reading
    5. Spend some extra time catching up with family and friends
    6. Finish 1/3 of the Summer Reading Program
    7. Spend time at the pool playing with the kids

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – walked with the girls in the parks and went swimming everyday
    2. Spend quality time with my kids & Jake – spent time together in Charleston
    3. Finish reading  Am I Messing Up My Kids by Lysa TerKeurst
    4. Finish reading More Than Enough by Dave Ramsey – started it

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu & Schedule planned out for the week – the dinner menu was based off of Jake’s schedule and whatever coupons we could find for the Charleston area so not every dinner was planned with us being out of town (but every lunch was planned)
    3. Plan Summer Organizational Schedule
    4. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – did as much as I could remotely
    3. 1o minutes a day Cleaning / Organizing my desk – wasn’t able to do this since I was in Charleston

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Email the updated schedule to our Community Group – didn’t get the email out but prayed for and tried to connect with each girl in our group

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – actually stayed under with us being out of town, just brought items from home for some of our lunches, dinner, and snacks (breakfast was included with the hotel)
    2. Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses – temporarily on hold as we save for another family car
    3. Save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled – working on it
    4. Put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes – on hold while until we get another car

    My goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Read at least one book or a chapter in a book to the girls every day
    2. Listen to the girls read at least one book to me or Jake every day
    3. Participate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the Kids
    4. Take the girls to Vacation Bible School – VBS
    5. Get to the 1/4 Goal Mark (500 Hours) on the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading Hours)
    6. Go to the library with the kids
    7. Go on a Date Night with Jake

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – at least 5 days this week
    2. Finish reading More Than Enough by Dave Ramsey

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu & Schedule planned out for the week
    3. Start My Summer Organizational Schedule
    4. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. 1o minutes a day Cleaning / Organizing my desk

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Email the updated schedule to our Community Group

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses
    3. Save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled
    4. Put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes

    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.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results

  • Fresh & Healthy: Our Garden – Beans, Peas, and Tomatoes….Oh My!

    Purple Beans, Green Beans, Snow Peas, Red Cherry Tomatoes, and Orange Cherry Tomatoes

    The garden is starting to take off and we are getting more of a variety of color as well as veggies.  It is so nice having fresh garden produce in the fridge again!  I saw more colors popping out this week too.  Our family was able to pick purple beans, green beans, orange cherry tomatoes, red cherry tomatoes and snow peas.  There’s nothing like eating a vegetable just picked moments before from the garden.  It has been great having these for snacks and meals.  I am hoping to see a lot more produce ready to be eaten in the next few weeks!a

    While we are out of town the people watching the house and animals gets to pick what they need / want from the garden.  Hopefully they’ll be able to get a lot of great food for their family too.  It is my prayer that our garden will not only be a delicious treat for our family but a blessing to others as well.

    What are you eating out of your garden this week?

  • Recipe: White Chicken Enchiladas

    I found this recipe at Joyful Momma’s Kitchen and it was a big hit with our family.  I got double thumbs up from everyone on this delicious dinner! I added more cheese and toasted it longer (we like it extra crunchy on top) as well as used salsa instead of green chillies in the recipe but otherwise it is pretty much the same.  The joke around our house is there is no such thing as “too much cheese” sprinkled on top.
    • 10 Soft Taco Shells
    • 2 cups cooked, shredded Chicken Breasts
    • 2 cups shredded Mexican Cheese
    • 3 Tablespoons Butter
    • 3 Tablespoons Flour
    • 2 cups Chicken Broth
    • 1 cup Sour Cream
    • 4 oz Salsa
    1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9×13 pan
    2.  Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese.  Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.
    3.  In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute.  Add broth and whisk until smooth.  Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
    4.  Stir in sour cream and chilies.  Do not bring to boil, you don’t want curdled sour cream.
    5.  Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
    6.  Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.
    Chicken & Cheese stuffed enchiladas
    Creamy sauce poured over the chicken enchiladas
    Ready to be baked

    All done and ready to be eaten….yum!

  • Fresh & Healthy: Simple Creative Summer Snacks

    Our girls love to eat a snack outside on the front porch, at the picnic table, jungle gym or really anywhere outside especially during the summer months.  They always love it when I bring out something special and creative for them to eat.  It is so sweet hearing their comments as they are munching on their goodies.  I don’t do anything too elaborate or time consuming so it doesn’t take any extra time but the kids get so excited about their “super cool” snacks you would think I spent hours putting it together.  The key is to use food items you already have in the cupboard or refrigerator and lay them out on a plate so they look appealing.  Here’s the items included in this snack:

    • 1 Decorated Star Shaped Ginger Snap Cookie
    • 5 Strawberry Malt Balls
    • Black Olives
    • Puffed Cheese Balls

  • First Day of Summer Vacation Strawberry – Banana Breakfast

    Brina and Karlie’s First Day of Summer Breakfast

    In celebration of the girls first day of Summer Vacation I made them a special breakfast with two of their favorite fruits – Stawberries and Bananas!  They loved it!  It was nice to have a slower paced breakfast because we didn’t have to rush off to school.

    • Strawberry-Banana French Toast (smile)
    • Strawberry (nose)
    • Banana (eyes)
    • Strawberry Yogurt
    • Strawberry – Banana Smoothie

    I don’t get to do this every morning for the kids but every once in awhile it’s nice to have a more relaxing day as well as an extra “smile” to start the day off on a good note!

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    The girls are officially out of school and on summer break now we have two 2nd graders in our household!  I am super excited to spend some extra time with the kiddos and have a lot of fun activities planned.  This week didn’t go quite as planned….Jake got in an accident so I am a little behind on some of the goals and had to rearrange other ones but thankfully he is okay and healing well.

    Last week’s goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Connect with each family member at least once a day
    2. Final Prep for Summer Break
    3. Read at least one book to the girls every day
    4. Listen to the girls read at least one book to me or Jake every day
    5. Spend some extra time catching up with family and friends
    6. Confirm the Schedule / Flights for upcoming Family Reunion

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – didn’t get this one done
    2. Update my goals
    3. Finish reading  Am I Messing Up My Kids by Lysa TerKeurst – time was spent in other areas this past week

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu & Schedule planned out for the week
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up & cleaning the house

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. 1o minutes a day Cleaning / Organizing my desk

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Email the updated schedule to our Community Group – didn’t get the email out this week

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – went over budget again
    2. Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses – still saving up
    3. Save money for upcoming trips – put on hold with the accident this past week
    4. Put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes – temporarily put on hold with the accident

    My goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Connect with each family member at least once a day
    2. Enjoy time doing one fun activity with the girls every day
    3. Read at least one book to the girls every day
    4. Listen to the girls read at least one book to me or Jake every day
    5. Spend some extra time catching up with family and friends
    6. Finish 1/3 of the Summer Reading Program
    7. Spend time at the pool playing with the kids

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Spend quality time with my kids & Jake
    3. Finish reading  Am I Messing Up My Kids by Lysa TerKeurst
    4. Finish reading More Than Enough by Dave Ramsey

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu & Schedule planned out for the week
    3. Plan Summer Organizational Schedule
    4. Pay all upcoming bills

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. 1o minutes a day Cleaning / Organizing my desk

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    2. Email the updated schedule to our Community Group

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses
    3. Save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled
    4. Put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes

    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.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    Groceries from Ingles

    Last week didn’t go as I planned.  My husband was in an accident and the van was totaled so my priorities were altered.   Thankfully he is ok but my week didn’t go quite as smoothly as planned.  I didn’t shop any sales this week, but I did get some groceries,  took the time to take pictures, however, I know I picked up other groceries but forgot to take pictures and cannot seem to locate the receipt either.   Unfortunately, I went over again with the busy week, Father’s Day Holiday, and planning for the upcoming week of no grocery shopping.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4 (with the items I tracked).

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $22.09 at Ingles for 1 container of Mixed Fresh Peppers (clearance), 1 loaf  Bread, 6 packs Strawberry Yogurt  (clearance), 2 (32 oz) bags Carrots (clearance), 1 bag Strawberry Lettuce Mix (clearance), 1 container fresh Strawberries (clearance), 1 bag fresh Broccoli, 1 bag fresh Bananas, 1 bag fresh bakery Bread,  1 container fresh Pineapple (clearance), and 1 bag Corn Tortillas (clearance) Everything was marked down, on sale, or on clearance at Ingles.

     

    Groceries from BiLo

    BiLo Groceries:

    • $26.77 at BiLo for 1 gallon Milk, 1 Red Baron Pizza, 1 Southern Home Mini Bagels, 1 box Smores Poptarts, 1 box Cherry Poptarts, 1 two liter Mountain Dew, 1 container Ice Cream, 1 Red Barron Pan Pasta, 1 bag Spanakopita Rolls, 1 box Southern Home Frosted Flakes, 1 box Southern Home Fruit Loops, 1 box Southern Home Crisp Rice  (these items were bought in a hurry with the girls on our way home to check on Jake.  The Red Barron pizza, Red Barron Pasta, Mini Bagels, Mountain Dew, Spanakopita Rolls, and ice cream were part of a BiLo Meal Deal.)

    It was a tough week when it came to groceries this week. Thankfully, I was able to make it by the store and pick up some items that we needed in the house but I didn’t do a good job of shopping the sales or keeping track of what I bought.  With Jake’s accident this week my mind has been a little preoccupied with him and all the other details.  Thanks for helping keep me on track even in the midst of this busy season!

    This week I spent $48.86  on groceries (on the items I tracked, not sure yet how much total was spent with the other quick trip I made).  I was bummed that I didn’t keep up with everything this week but sometimes life has a way of changing my plans.  I was happy to find the meal deal for our busy week to help us from eating out and some fresh produce on clearance.  Next week I am taking off from grocery shopping in celebrate of the girls first week out of school, spending time with the family, going on a couple fun adventures, and trying to help recover from going over budget the past couple of weeks.  I hope the following week we can come under budget!

    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.

  • Recipe: Spinach & Chicken Pasta Casserole

    I wanted to use up some pasta so I made up this delicious casserole for the crew.  Everyone enjoyed it.   It was a less messy and dryer than some of the other casseroles I have made in the past but the family gave it a thumbs up.  When I made the recipe I only put in 4 oz of Cream Cheese, I think it would taste a little better with the whole package to help give it a more creamy consistency.  I used whole wheat penne pasta since that is what we had on hand but you could really use any type.

    • 8 oz Pasta (regular or whole wheat)
    • 1 pound Chicken Breasts, diced
    • 1/4 cup Olive Oil
    • 1/2 teaspoon Minced Garlic
    • 1/2 cup Mushrooms
    • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
    • 1 (10 oz) package frozen Spinach (or you can use canned drained spinach)
    • 1/4 cup White Grape Juice
    • 8 oz Cream Cheese
    • 2 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese

    Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box.  While pasta is cooking heat up olive oil in a skillet and add the chicken.  Preheat the oven to 350.   Brown the chicken and add the garlic and mushrooms.  Add the salt, spinach, and white grape juice and cook for 3 minutes.  Mix the pasta in with the chicken mixture, add the cream cheese and stir thoroughly.  Pour into a lightly greased casserole dish.  Sprinkle the mozzarella over the casserole and bake for 20 minutes.

    Starting the pasta

    Cooking the chicken

    Adding in the spinach

    Mixing the noodles and cream cheese in with the chicken & Spinach

    Topping with mozzarella cheese then putting it into oven to bake