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Recipes: Pickled Green Beans
Making Pickled Green Beans
Our family loves green beans. Fresh garden green beans are so tasty too! We always planted a lot of green beans whenever we had a garden. We typically had several varieties of beans from foot long beans to different types of green beans to purple beans and more.
Whenever we had extra green beans we would look for a variety of ways to store, eat, and enjoy them. I recently came across our Pickled Green Bean recipe. Since it is Spring I thought it would be a good time to share it. These pickled green beans are crunchy and tasty!
Pickled Green Beans Recipe:
- 2 pounds fresh Green Beans (rinsed)
- 2 1/2 cups White Distilled Vinegar
- 2 1/2 cups Water
- 1/4 cup Salt
- 4 Garlic Cloves (peeled)
- 1 large bunch fresh Dill Weed
- 2 teaspoons Mustard Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 6 Jars (1/2 pint each) with Rings and Lids
1. Locate your jars and sterilize them.
2. Trim both ends off the rinsed fresh green beans. Make sure the green beans fit into your jars if not cut them in half.
3. In a large saucepan put the vinegar, water, and salt. Bring the mixture into a rolling boil over high heat.
4. In each jar place 1 garlic clove, 1 sprig of dill, 1/8 teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon of Mustard Seeds.
5. Pack the green beans into the jars, standing them up vertically.
6. Ladle boiling mixture into the jars until it is 1/4 inch from the top.
7. Put the lids on the jars and allow the jars and contents to cool to room temperature before placing them into the refrigerator. Let the pickles ferment for 2 to 3 weeks before eating the pickled green beans.
Makes 6 pint sized jars of Pickled Green Beans.
Green Beans being pickled
Everything added now need to put on the lids!
Jars ready to be stored for later treats!
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week was a whirlwind of activity. The girls now only have three more weeks of school. I am looking forward to spending some extra time with them this summer. We are getting closer to finalizing our summer plans. It will be fun to catch up with family and friends over the summer break. I had great intentions last week, but somehow little things took priority over some of the items on my list. Part of the problem is that we haven’t had a full weekend at home to get stuff done in several weeks. I love this time of year with all the celebrations and fun activities, but it does effect productivity. Hoping that I will get some of these ones tackled soon before our upcoming 3 day Memorial Holiday Weekend! Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Boxcar Children’s Blue Bay Mystery (Boxcar Children Series #6) by Gertrude Chandler Warner to the kids – were getting closer to the end, we had a bunch of library books we were trying to finish reading first
Plan one special activity with the family– we went to Hollywild (more on that later this week)Play a Game with the KidsPrepare for Upcoming Spring EventsSpend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePrep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break – getting closer to getting the details worked out
- Ride Bikes with the Kids – we didn’t get this done with everything going on
Work on special projects with the kidsAttend Cousins Baby ShowerKids glasses fixed– finally fixed after 4 trips to the eye doctorKids orthodontist appointment
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue my YouVersion plan(s)– I am doing it every day, but for some reason it won’t update it anymore- Keep up with my FitBit Goals – I was a little short this week, hoping to do better this week!
Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this weekUpdate Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one dayWeekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic) – have a little more to do
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Laundry Room) – I got started….
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Deck Cleaned & Prepped) – hoping to get this completed this weekend
- Pet Care (Focus – Mix Extra Vitamins in Goat Food) – some are done, but need Jake’s help on the other vitamin
Repairs – (Focus – Pick Up Replacement Lightbulbs)– few have been replaced, but need to pick up a few more
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attention- Work completed for clients – I have 2 more projects to wrap up this week
Prep, plan, and organize content for upcoming summer months while the kids are out of school
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Medical Bills – working on it
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, HVAC unit, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File PaperworkGo grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Boxcar Children’s Blue Bay Mystery (Boxcar Children Series #6) by Gertrude Chandler Warner to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
- Spend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)
- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
- Ride Bikes with the Kids
- Work on special projects with the kids
- Attend Science Fair Project Presentations
- Annual Pest / Termite Inspection Completed
- Kids orthodontist appointment
- STEM Club Meeting
- Spend extra time with the Family over the Memorial Holiday Weekend
- Finish sending out the remaining Graduation Cards
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Keep up with my FitBit Goals
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
- Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Laundry Room)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Deck Cleaned & Prepped)
- Pet Care (Focus – Mix Extra Vitamins in Goat Food)
- Repairs – (Focus – Take Slide Off Jungle Gym)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
- Prep, plan, and organize content for upcoming summer months while the kids are out of school
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Medical Bills
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, HVAC unit, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within 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.
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.
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
It looks like it is going to be another busy week for us. The kids still have another round of State testing, Jake will be busy at work, and I have a lot that needs to get done and caught up. Going to try to make it a simple menu simple this week so we can stay on top of everything else that is going on with the family. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Spaghetti & Meatballs, Garlic Bread
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Blueberry Pancakes, Bacon
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Mustard Glazed Chicken, Steamed Vegetables
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Cube Pork Steak, Fresh 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 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
Mother’s Day Celebration
Huge Mother’s Day chalk message on the driveway from Karlie!
I am blessed. Yesterday I was reminded again of how much God has given me. A family that loves me despite all my imperfections. Jake and the girls showered me with love on Mother’s Day. Even though Jake was on call this Mother’s Day weekend and was a little busier than normal, he made time to celebrate. It was a great day with the family.
They made me breakfast in bed. We went to church. Jake and the girls made an amazing lunch. That afternoon we relaxed, read books together, opened gifts, played games, and had fun. Thankful for my family and a chance to spend the day together. Their thoughtfulness made me feel loved and appreciated.
Breakfast in bed – cheesy scrambled eggs, ham, and sauteed mushrooms! Delicious!
Fresh flowers from the girls (they got them from Children’s Church)
Putting together the pinwheel steaks!
They choose what ingredients to stuff the steak with for lunch
Pinwheel steaks ready to go into the oven!
Stuffed with tomatoes, swiss cheese, goat cheese, bacon, ham, spinach, mushrooms, sunflowers, cranberries, and more goodies!
My steak was AMAZING!
Huge stuffed portobello mushroom! Stuffed with spinach, hummus, and topped with toasted granola – so tasty!
Mother’s Day cards from Jake and the girls. Karlie’s was the kitten and Brina’s the puppy.
Brina picked out a beautiful pink rose bush for me!
Karlie picked out a gorgeous red rose bush for me!
Adorable handmade flowers from my girls! Brina made the bright yellow one and Karlie made the blue and red one!
A place to sit and talk with Jake or read with the kids. Very comfy!
Sweet note from Brina. The top says “I am thankful to have a Mom like you because you are nice to me and play with me.” The bottom has a cute little poem!
Colorful Mother’s Day Butterfly from Brina
Cute card from Brina
Mother’s Day note from Brina wanting to know if I can play or cook with her! Love my girls!
Vibrant Mother’s Day drawing from Karlie
Sweet poem and note from Karlie on the back of her drawing.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
But no one a flower,
Just like you!
Happy Mother’s Day! Hope you are having a nice and relaxing day. Do you like the card and rose? The rose is a rare blue rose that only grows on Neptune! May you please read to me on the deck?
Thankful for my family! I treasure these times we have together. I am blessed.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
We made it through last week. Jake had some work travel. We had people coming and doing to get the new HVAC unit installed. My week was altered and adjusted as needed so I could be home whenever they needed to get access to the house to do their work. Thankfully we were able to get the HVAC completely installed by Saturday and it appears to be working well. It will be nice to have cool air once the heat hits. This week is a little closer to normal, however, I have a lot of appointments due to last week being a little more flexible. The girls will still be busy with homework and some more State testing, but I am hoping that it will not be as intense this week. If all goes well I hope to get a lot accomplished this week. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Boxcar Children’s Blue Bay Mystery (Boxcar Children Series #6) by Gertrude Chandler Warner to the kids – working on it, we got some done this past weekend
Plan one special activity with the familyPlay a Game with the Kids– played a couple games with the kids Destination USA, Life, and morePrepare for Upcoming Spring EventsSpend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePrep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break – getting closer to having the schedule figured out
- Ride Bikes with the Kids – didn’t get to this one
Work on special projects with the kidsMail Mother’s Day CardsCelebrate Mother’s Day with Family
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day- Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – my app is acting up, hoping to get the kinks worked out this week
- Keep up with my FitBit Goals – I had some great days, but was still a little off by the end of the week
Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this weekUpdate Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – it took more than one day with all the activity going on
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic) – the attic was a busy place with HVAC people coming and going so tried to stay out of their way this week
Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from Atlanta trip)- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Re-Stain the Deck – weather permitting) – didn’t re-stain deck, but got several other items done
Pet Care (Focus – Pick up Dog and Goat Food)– we also took Skipper to get her annual shotsRepairs – (Focus – Replace our HVAC Unit – it died a few weeks ago the joys of owning an older home)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – a couple more to get completed
Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention- Work completed for clients – have 2 more projects to tackle this week
Prep, plan, and organize content for upcoming summer months with kids out of school– making some good progress, hoping to tackle a lot more this week
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Medical Bills – working on it – paid a couple off
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, HVAC unit, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File PaperworkGo grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Boxcar Children’s Blue Bay Mystery (Boxcar Children Series #6) by Gertrude Chandler Warner to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
- Spend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)
- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
- Ride Bikes with the Kids
- Work on special projects with the kids
- Attend Cousins Baby Shower
- Kids glasses fixed
- Kids orthodontist appointment
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Keep up with my FitBit Goals
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
- Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Laundry Room)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Deck Cleaned & Prepped)
- Pet Care (Focus – Mix Extra Vitamins in Goat Food)
- Repairs – (Focus – Pick Up Replacement Lightbulbs)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
- Prep, plan, and organize content for upcoming summer months while the kids are out of school
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Medical Bills
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, HVAC unit, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within 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.
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.
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
The kids have another week State testing, thankfully it is shorter this week though. While Jake has been busy with work I have been trying to get some items completed around the house and yard. Everyone pitched in and helped get some stuff done this weekend. Now we have another big week with a lot to do both during the school / work day and afterwards as well. Hoping to keep the menu simple so we can get a lot accomplished. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Special Event
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): French Bread Pizza, Fresh Salad
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Bacon Wrapped Chicken, Steamed Vegetables
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Tilapia, Garlic Bread
- 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 was busy, but good. The girls survived their first week of State testing at school and we tried to do some fun activities every day to keep help make the week go more pleasantly with them. They have another round this week though. They played outside a little more to get fresh air and were a huge help in getting some yard work done. They helped me clean up the pool, pick up a bunch of sticks from the trees in the yard, and even a bonfire (which they loved). Thankful for my kids and their willingness to work hard so we can get things done as a family.
Jake and I had a Date Night on Friday which was really nice to get out and how some quiet time together as a couple. Jake got both of the vehicles oil changes complete, mowed the lawn (thanks to my brother letting us borrow his mower), and a whole lot of other tasks done around the house and yard this weekend. We ended Saturday with a delicious meal over the bonfire. Sunday we went to church, relaxed, and had a planning session for the upcoming week. All in all it was a good week and it was the first weekend in weeks that we stayed home for the entire weekend which was really nice! While it was a productive week for me I didn’t necessarily do what was on my “goal” list, I plan to do better about sticking to it this week. Hoping to get a lot accomplished this week as there is a lot I want to do before the kids get out of school. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Finish reading Samantha’s Pride (Thoroughbred Series #7) by Joanna Campbell to the kidsPlan one special activity with the family- Play a Game with the Kids – we didn’t play a board game this week, but we spent good quality time together
Prepare for Upcoming Spring EventsSpend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePrep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break – we made some progress on it this weekend, hoping to wrap up some of the other big details within the next week
- Ride Bikes with the Kids – the kids rode bikes, but I didn’t get a chance to ride with them this week
- Mail out Mother’s Day Cards
- Celebrate Mother’s Day
- Go on Date Nights with the Kids
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day- Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – it was acting up a few times last week so I am about 2 days behind schedule
Keep up with my FitBit GoalsGo to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this weekUpdate Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – it was two days this week with everything going on
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic) – girls closets are done, but still need to do my and Jake’s clothes.
- Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from Atlanta trip) – almost done, hopefully this week
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Re-Stain the Deck – weather permitting) – we scrapped doing this activity instead cleaned up the pool, mowed, picked up & burned sticks, changed oil in both vehicles
- Pet Care (Focus – Give Skipper a Bath) – she still needs her bath, but all the animals did get a good brushing from the kids which they loved with all their fur shedding now that it is getting a lot warmer
- Repairs – (Focus – Replace our HVAC Unit – it died a few weeks ago the joys of owning an older home) – working on it, should be done this week
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – need to get a couple more completed
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention – got a little behind this week
- Work completed for clients – have one more to complete soon
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – made another payment this week, slowly and surely we’re getting there
- Payoff Medical Bills – working on it
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, HVAC unit, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File PaperworkGo grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Boxcar Children’s Blue Bay Mystery (Boxcar Children Series #6) by Gertrude Chandler Warner to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
- Spend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)
- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
- Ride Bikes with the Kids
- Work on special projects with the kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Keep up with my FitBit Goals
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
- Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from Atlanta trip)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Re-Stain the Deck – weather permitting)
- Pet Care (Focus – Pick up Dog and Goat Food)
- Repairs – (Focus – Replace our HVAC Unit – it died a few weeks ago the joys of owning an older home)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
- Prep, plan, and organize content for upcoming summer months with kids out of school
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Medical Bills
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, HVAC unit, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within 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.
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.
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
The kids have State testing almost all week so I am sure they will be tired by the end of their school days. Plus we have several after school activities planned too. Jake has a full work schedule so there may be some later evenings. It will most likely be another busy week, but hopefully we’ll be able to pack in some fun stuff as well. I want to get the menu planned out so we have more time to do the activities that we need or want to accomplish throughout the week. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Crockpot Roast, Mash Potatoes
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Hamburgers, Fresh Salad
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Chicken Stir Fry, Vegetables & Rice
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Pork Chops, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- 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
We flew through last week with all the school, work, and other activities going on. The girls finished and turned in their Science Fair journals and display boards on Friday! WooHoo! It was so nice to get them done. They hand wrote over 100 pages in their journals and spent countless hours on the project. They don’t actually present the project until the middle of May, but the majority of the work is complete and turned in for the teacher to grade. This past weekend we were able to get away for a little bit to Georgia and have some fun! We went to the Georgia Renaissance Festival which was very entertaining; I will share more about that in a later post. This week the girls have a bunch of their year end State tests so hoping there is not a lot of homework so we can do some stuff around the house, yard, and have some extra fun in the evenings too. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Samantha’s Pride (Thoroughbred Series #7) by Joanna Campbell to the kids – we actually got to get a good start on this book, hoping to wrap it up this week
Plan one special activity with the family– we had fun in Georgia over the weekend and went to the Georgia Renaissance FestivalPlay a Game with the Kids– we played Destination USA and a couple other ones togetherPrepare for Upcoming Spring EventsSpend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePrep for upcoming Family AdventureFinish and turn in the kids Science Fair ProjectsPrep for upcoming Summer Break
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day- Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – it was acting up last week, hoping to get caught up soon
- Keep up with my FitBit Goals – I blew it away on a couple of days and missed my target on a day or two, so probably if I average the week I hit close to my goal
Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week- Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily – it doesn’t get written down every day, need to do better
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – took 2 days with the altered schedule this past week
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic) – it was cool and one of my daughters wanted to wear long sleeves last week so hoping to get it put up this week
- Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from Atlanta trip) – almost done!
Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Off the Deck)– the kids actually helped get this donePet Care (Focus – Get Another Water Bucket set Out for the Goats)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails – have a couple more to do
Keep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Medical Bills – working on it (finished another one, now if we can just not go to the Dr again for a few months, ha)
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File PaperworkGo grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Samantha’s Pride (Thoroughbred Series #7) by Joanna Campbell to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
- Spend time Monday –Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure(s)
- Prep & Figure out Schedule for upcoming Summer Break
- Ride Bikes with the Kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Keep up with my FitBit Goals
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
- Update Counting My Blessings and Other journal entries daily
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Clean House (Focus – All Winter Clothes Pulled out of Closets & Dressers and Put into the Attic)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from Atlanta trip)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Re-Stain the Deck – weather permitting)
- Pet Care (Focus – Give Skipper a Bath)
- Repairs – (Focus – Replace our HVAC Unit – it died a few weeks ago the joys of owning an older home)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Medical Bills
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within 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.
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.
What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
It was a rainy weekend, which was really good in some ways because we were able to tackle some more of the kids Science Fair projects. I think we only have a couple little items to complete and it should be done, thankfully. It has been a long process working with the kids on these projects. They loved the experiments, but not so much the writing, journaling, putting everything together, etc… I am hoping that the last science project items will be completed early this week so I can get caught up on all the stuff around the house from these last three weeks crazy school items. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Spaghetti & Meatballs, Garlic Bread
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Baked Ham, Fresh Salad
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Curry Chicken, Steamed Vegetables
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Pasta Casserole, 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
