Menu Planning
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
It was a super crazy week with the girls back in school, Jake back on normal work schedule, and my days packed. I was able to accomplish some activities and make progress last week, but need to pick up pace this week. I have a lot of projects that need attention around the house. When the kids were home for Christmas break I spent the time with them so some of my items got put on the back burner. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows to the kids – making progress, but there was a lot of homework last week and weekend events took priority
Plan one special activity with the familyPlay a Game with the Kids– played Jake’s new game Dakato
Prepare for Upcoming Winter EventsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with HomeworkAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforeDr. Appointments for Kids
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each day- Continue my YouVersion plan(s) – need to decide which plans I am doing this year
Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – did it over the whole weekend since we had guests for the weekend
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week- Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later) – trying to eat through the items already in the freezer
Clean House (Focus – House Cleaned Up After Christmas Decorations are Put Away)Organize Chaos (Focus – Christmas Items Back in the Attic)- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Blow Leaves) – working on it
- Pet Care (Focus – Skipper a Bath) – didn’t get it done this week
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep 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
- Sale Some Items No Longer Using on Facebook / Craigslist – sold a few items!
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File Paperwork- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went to more than one store
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Where the Red Fern Grows to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- STEM Competition
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
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
- Use up food items in our pantry and freezer
- Clean House (Focus – Basement)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Pantry)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Clean Up Old Storage Shed)
- Pet Care (Focus – Find a New Location for Skipper’s Doghouse)
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
- Sale Some Items No Longer Using on Facebook / Craigslist
- Payoff Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, 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.
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Recipes: Pineapple Coconut Chicken
We tried a new recipe a couple weeks ago, Pineapple Coconut Chicken. When Jake and I were out on a date we stopped by a grocery store on our way home and picked up a bottle of Sharwood’s Pineapple & Coconut Milk that we used in this recipe. It was the first time we had the Sharwood’s Pineapple & Coconut Milk and it was delicious in our recipe! I used the sauce, added a little bit of chicken, and topped it with some cashews and fresh pineapple. The Pineapple Coconut Chicken was served over rice and with a side of Naan.
Pineapple Coconut Chicken Recipe:
- 1 jar Sharwood’s Pineapple & Coconut Milk
- 1 pound Chicken Breasts, cut into cubes
- 1 cup Cashews
- 1 cup Fresh Pineapple, cubed
- Steamed Rice (optional)
- Naan (optional side)
Cube the chicken and cook it until fully cook. Add the jar of Sharwood’s Pineapple and Coconut Milk and cook for 15 minutes. Place over steamed rice. Sprinkle on top with cashews and fresh pineapple. Serve next to warm Naan.
You can find the Sharwood’s Pineapple & Coconut Milk at Amazon or one of your local stores.
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What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan
It has been so much fun spending time with the family over the Holidays. We have been enjoying extra time together playing, cooking, and doing a variety of Christmas activities. It has been a week of great food as well as several extra treats. This week we will be doing more traditional meals as we wrap up our final week of Christmas break. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:
Our Weekly Menu Plan
- Monday (Beef or Pork Entree): Green Bean Tator Tot Casserole, Artisan Bread
- Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook): Homemade Pizza, Fresh Salad
- Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree): Honey Mustard Chicken, Steamed Rice
- Thursday (Pasta or Seafood Entree): Salmon Steaks, Steamed Broccoli
- 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
Winter and Christmas break for the kids went by too quickly! They are now back to school and the house is too quiet. I loved having extra time with my girls. A lot of fun times, games, activities, and memories have been made over the past couple of weeks. Thankful for the extra time with my family. God has been good and we are blessed.
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Read a variety of Christmas and Library Books my Kids Picked Out from Home and the local Library, including Old Yellerand Where the Red Fern Grows – still reading Where the Red Fern Grows, but read all the other books to the girls (now to return them to the library)!Plan one special activity with the familyPrepare for Upcoming New Year Holiday EventsPlay a Game with the Kids– we played several fun games over the Holiday breakSpend Extra Time with the KidsCelebrate our New YearsMake Cookies and Goodies with the KidsDo a craft with the kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day – there were a couple days I didn’t drink enough water when out and about on adventures with the kiddos
Continue my YouVersion plan(s)Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – still taking me 2 days, but getting closer
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week – our week was a little more off schedule so we remained flexible in the evenings this past week
Clean House (Focus – At least 15 minute daily “pick up” to keep the house clean as we prepped for the Holidays)Organize Chaos (Focus – Gifts Wrap & Boxes Put Away, Gifts Put Away)- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Finish Leaves) – working on it last week we had more rainy days than clear
Pet Care (Focus – New Dog House for Skipper)– Skipper LOVES her new dog house
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep 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 Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, 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 Where the Red Fern Grows to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Winter Events
- Spend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Dr. Appointments for Kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
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
- Do at least one “Make 1 & Freeze 1″ Meal Prep (make a main dish to eat that day and one to freeze for later)
- Clean House (Focus – House Cleaned Up After Christmas Decorations are Put Away)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Christmas Items Back in the Attic)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Blow Leaves)
- Pet Care (Focus – Skipper a Bath)
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 Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, 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.
Recipes: Easy Shepherd’s Pie
The other day when I made Shepherd’s Pie for dinner I went ahead and made a big batch so I was able to make one casserole for dinner that night and put two in the freezer for busy nights later in the month. The “Make 1 i& Freeze 1” recipes come in handy for those days when I cannot make a homemade meal from scratch. It is great when I can plan ahead! Shepherd’s Pie is not only easy to make it freezes well too. The recipe below makes one 9×13 dish of Shepherd’s Pie, but I doubled it and split the second one into two 8×8 dishes to freeze for later.
Shepherd’s Pie Recipe:
- 1 pound Ground Beef cooked
- 1 can Green Beans (used french cut, but any will do)
- 1 can Mixed Vegetables
- 1 can Black Beans
- 1 package Brown Gravy
- Mashed Potatoes (homemade or from package, your preference)
Cook the ground beef and drain the excess oil. Add all the brown gravy ingredients to the ground beef mixture. Drain the vegetables and gently mix in the green beans, mixed vegetables, and black beans. Let the beef and vegetable mixture cook for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring periodically. Preheat the oven to 350 degree and grease a 9×13 pan (or two 8×8 pans).
While cooking the ground beef and vegetable mixture start preparing your potatoes whether from scratch or from a box or bag. Once the potatoes and beef mixture is done you can put together your Shepherd’s Pie. The bottom layer will be your beef and vegetable mixture followed by a layer of mash potatoes. You can sprinkle bacon or cheese over the mash potato layer if you prefer as well. Cover and bake the Shepherd’s Pie at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
We ate one Shepherd’s Pie for dinner and these two (pictured above) are going in the freezer to be eaten at a later time!
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
I have thoroughly enjoyed having the kids home on Christmas break this past week. It is great to spend some extra time together playing, reading, cooking, celebrating, and relaxing. I haven’t missed running around for school, extra activities, and doing loads of homework. Our family had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas, spending time together, and creating memories. Even with the kids home and in between fun activities I was able to get some extra items accomplished which was nice too. I am looking forward toward another week with the kids home! Several of the activities will be the same because my main goal is to spend more time with the family.
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
Read a variety of Christmas and Library Books my Kids Picked Out from Home and the local LibraryPlan one special activity with the familyPrepare for Upcoming Holiday EventsPlay a Game with the KidsSpend Extra Time with the KidsComplete Our Christmas ShoppingFinish Wrapping GiftsCelebrate our Family ChristmasMake Cookies and Goodies with the KidsDo a craft with the kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day – a couple days I was having too much fun I didn’t pay attention to how much I was drinking
Continue my YouVersion plan(s)– almost done with my yearly plan!!!Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – it took more time
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week– although I had to alter it at least once last weekClean House (Focus – At least 15 minute daily “pick up” to keep the house clean as we prepped for the Holidays)Organize Chaos (Focus – Get Gifts Wrapped, Mailed, or Ready to put under Christmas Tree)- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Finish Leaves) – it rained almost everyday last week so it was too wet
Pet Care (Focus – Skipper Dog Food Bought & Bin Refilled / Snowball’s Collar Battery Changed)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep 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 Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, 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
- Read a variety of Christmas and Library Books my Kids Picked Out from Home and the local Library, including Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Prepare for Upcoming New Year Holiday Events
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Spend Extra Time with the Kids
- Celebrate our New Years
- Make Cookies and Goodies with the Kids
- Do a craft with the kids
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
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 – At least 15 minute daily “pick up” to keep the house clean as we prepped for the Holidays)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – Gifts Wrap & Boxes Put Away, Gifts Put Aways)
- Yard Cleanup (Focus – Finish Leaves)
- Pet Care (Focus – New Dog House for Skipper)
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 Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, 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.
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The price to download these books is currently $0.00 (although the price may change at any time, please confirm prior to downloading). The ebooks are specifically for Kindles, however, you can click here and download the free application that allows you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
Download a free copy of Paleo For Beginners – A 14 Day Paleo Diet Plan For A Simple Start To The Paleo Diet by Marc Morris, David Winters, Susan Sanders
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Celebrating Christmas Eve With My Family
Brina requested homemade Monkey Bread!
Thankful for a quiet and fun Christmas Eve with my family. It was a great day! We ate read books, played games, ate great food, made gingerbread houses, watched classic Christmas movies, and more wonderful fun with the family. It is nice to have a day to spend making memories together.
We got to open a family gift a day early! Jake got us the game “Forbidden Desert – Thirst For Survival“! we had a blast playing it together TWICE today!
Making gingerbread houses out of graham crackers! We had a great time making a mess and putting them together!
They turned out pretty well!
My sweet, thoughtful, and handsome man! He drove all the way across town early this morning to get me sushi, love him!
Sushi anyone!?
Starting reading this classic Old Yeller by Fred Gipson book to the girls today…so far they are enjoying it!
My parents got us some sweet hot cashews! DELICIOUS!!!
Watched the classic Christmas movie – Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer!
Another Christmas classic – Frosty the Snowman
