Menu Planning

  • Fresh & Healthy: First Day of School Lunch Box Meals

    Karlie and Brina’s lunch for the first day of school

    Another school year has started…..we had a blast this summer.  Their school lunch boxes are metal with a chalkboard on the inside so I can write them a message.  For the first day I wrote “Happy First Day of School Brina & Karlie. We love you!”  The girls pack a lunch Monday through Thursday on Friday they eat their lunch at school as a special treat.  Most days the girls pack their own lunches but with the first week being so busy I got them started until they adjust to the new schedule.  Each day they get a protein, fruit, vegetable, dairy, drink, and snack (sometimes I will through in an extra snack or treat if I know we have activities after school).

    Karlie’s lunch box has a shiny red race car with her name on the car and tracks

    Brina’s lunch box is covered in hearts and her favorite colors (orange and pink)!

    Each lunch box has their design and names on both the font and back as well as the sides (see picture at bottom for the side view).  The lunch boxes were a “surprise” for the girls.  They were thrilled to get these to use for school.  I was pleased with how they turned out too.

    Ready to be packed

    Lunch Goodies:

    • Sausage and Pepperoni Pizza
    • Berry Blast Fruit Mashups
    • Peach Yogurt
    • Fresh Carrots
    • Cherry Fruit Twist
    • Peanut Butter Crackers
    • Cinnamon Teddy Grahams
    • CapriSun Sunrise Juice
    • Million Dollar Mint

    Lunches all packed, in the fridge, and ready to go for tomorrow’s big day!

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    It has been a really busy summer packed full of a lot of adventures and great memories; it’s hard to believe that the girls are going back to school this week…..so sad!  As we adjust to a new school year I want to make sure I have the menu planned since our days will be very busy.  The kids are sad to say goodbye to summer but excited to see their friends and go back to school. Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree):  Beef Bow Tie Pasta Bake, Fresh Garden Salad
    • Tuesday (Kid’s Night to Cook):  Brina & Karlie’s Night to Cook Dinner – Pizza
    • Wednesday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree):  Golden Chicken Curry, Roasted Garlic & Chili Jasmine Rice
    • Thursday (Pasta or Pork Entree):  Loaded Scallop Potato Casserole, Fresh Vegetables
    • 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

  • Recipe: Green Spinach Smoothie

     Green Spinach Smoothie

    I made this Green Spinach Smoothie recently for breakfast and it was delicious!  My husband happen to see it on the table in passing and asked “what are you drinking”!?  It may look a little funky but it is actually quite tasty.  The girls think its great and it gives them an extra boost in vegetables and protein!  With the egg, peanut butter, milk and spinach combination its not only delicious it’s a healthy smoothie too.

    Green Spinach Smoothie:

    • 1 hard boiled Egg
    • 1 cup Vanilla Yogurt
    • 1/2 cup Milk
    • 2 cups fresh Spinach
    • 1 Banana (optional)
    • 1 tablespoon Peanut Butter (optional)

    Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  You can freeze the banana for added coolness!  I added Peanut Butter to the list because I tried it the other day with a tablespoon of peanut butter in it which tasted awesome!

    Great way to start your day!

    With the summer temperatures still high this is a great smoothie to help cool you off. Although I had the Green Spinach Smoothie for breakfast it would make a wonderful lunch or snack too!

  • Creative Kids: Edible Wildflower

    Edible Flower

    The first time we made this large “edible flower” was at the girls birthday party.  It was a lot of fun to put together and was a big hit.  The flower is not only delicious and healthy it adds to the overall decorations for the party.  It is a great appetizer for any family or friend get together.  The flower is about two feet long and covers most of our large cutting board. You can substitute items to make any shape, color, size or variety you want, here is what I used:

    • 1 (8 oz) block Cheddar Cheese
    • 1 Celery Stick
    • 6 Snow Peas
    • Handful Grapes

    Slice the cheese into triangles (leaving an open space in the center, see picture below) and place in a layered circle on the cutting board or serving dish.  Wash all the vegetables and fruit.  Trim the ends off the celery and tuck under the cheese petals.  Add the snow peas for leaves and place a handful of grapes in the center of the flower.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    It was great to have some time back home last week catching up with the pets, housework, appointments, and more!  The girls had fun playing with the animals and hanging out at home. While waiting at the doctors offices the girls and I read a bunch of  books together too.  This is the girls last week at home before going back to school so are spending some time having fun and creating memories this week.

    Last week’s goals:at

    Family Goals

    1. Read regularly to the girls and have them read to me
    2. Participate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the Kids
    3. Plan out the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading minutes) Grand Prize for Completion
    4. Spend time with extended family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week – didn’t get it all in this week
    2. Pick out my next book to read

    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 – didn’t get it done
    3. Work on My Summer Organizational Schedule
    4. Pack for upcoming trip
    5. 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. Work on projects with the family business

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

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

    My goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Read regularly to the girls and have them read to me
    2. Participate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the Kids
    3. Spend time with family before the kids go back to school
    4. Get the girls items packed for school
    5. Go to the pool / beach
    6. Doctor Appointments complete before school starts

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this 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. Prep for my Fall 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

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses
    3. Car Fund – save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled
    4. College Fund – 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.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Our family was able to spend some time with extended family over the last couple weeks.  It was nice catching up with many people and creating new memories.  Now that we are back home everyone is trying to get back on the regular schedule.  Before long the kids will be back in school so we want to make sure we are prepared for that as well as enjoy our last few weeks of summer break together. I am hoping to get caught up on a few goals this week.

    Last week’s goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Read regularly to the girls and have them read to me
    2. Participate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the Kids
    3. Plan out the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading minutes) Grand Prize for Completion
    4. Spend time with extended family – spent time in both Kansas and Colorado over the last 3 weeks

    Personal Goals

    1. Spend extra time catching up and making memories with my extended family

    Home Management Goals

    1. Check in with the person coming by and check on the house / pets while we are away

    Business Goals

    1. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    2. Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
    3. Work on projects with the family business

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses – temporarily on hold
    3. Car Fund – save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled – working on it
    4. College Fund – put cash aside for 1 year of Jake’s College Classes – temporarily on hold until we get a new vehicle

    My goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Read regularly to the girls and have them read to me
    2. Participate in at least 2 fun Summer Activities with the Kids
    3. Plan out the Girls “Swim Into Reading” Summer Reading Goal (total 2,000 Reading minutes) Grand Prize for Completion
    4. Spend time with extended family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise at least 5 days this week
    2. Pick out my next book to read

    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. Work on My Summer Organizational Schedule
    4. Pack for upcoming trip
    5. 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. Work on projects with the family business

    Ministry Goals

    1. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses
    3. Car Fund – save money for another vehicle to replace the one that was totaled
    4. College Fund – 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.

  • Kids in the Kitchen: Easy Parmesan Chicken

    The girls have started making dinner for the family once a week.  It has been fun coming up with easy and fun recipes for them to put together.  My husband actually came up with this idea after the girls suggested they make chicken nuggets for dinner one night.  This is a super easy recipe to put together and the only thing you really need to help the kids with is taking the hot pan out of the oven.  It is really neat to see them get excited about cooking dinner!

    Easy Parmesan Chicken:

    • 20 to 25 Chicken Nuggets
    • 8 slices Provolone Cheese
    • Small can or bottle Pasta Marinara Sauce

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the bottom of a 9 x 13 pyrex dish.  Line the bottom of the pyrex with one layer of chicken nuggets.  Place the slices of cheese over the chicken nuggets.  Spread the pasta sauce over the cheese slices and bake uncovered in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

     

  • Recipe: Mini Chicken Pot Pies

    Mini Chicken Pot Pies

    Occasionally I come up with a random meal to use up leftovers and it becomes a family hit.  I had some biscuits that were ready to be used, shredded cheese, baked chicken and a handful of vegetables so the end results was Mini Chicken Pot Pies.  It is great when I am able to use up all the leftovers and have the new meal turn out to be a hit!

    Mini Chicken Pot Pies:

    • 1 can Biscuits
    • 2 cups Chicken (cooked & diced)
    • 2 cups or 1 can mixed Vegetables
    • 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
    • 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin pan.  Remove the biscuits from the can and press into a regular size muffin pan.  Mix the chicken, vegetables, and cream of chicken together.  Scoop (I used an ice cream scoop) the chicken mixture into the biscuit cups.  Pull the sides of the biscuit over the top of the chicken mixture and twist to seal prior to cooking.  Sprinkle the tops of the biscuits with the shredded Cheddar Cheese and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the biscuit is cooked and the cheese is beginning to darken.

     

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease the muffin tin.  Press the biscuits into a muffin tin.

    Mix together chicken, mixed vegetables, and cream of chicken

    Use an ice cream scoop to put the chicken mixture into the biscuits

    Pull the sides of the biscuit over the top of the chicken mixture and twist to seal prior to cooking.  Sprinkle with cheese and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until cheese begins to darken.

    Mini Chicken Pot Pies ready to be popped out of the muffin tin and eaten.

  • What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

     

    The girls have horse camp this week and we are still in the process of locating another vehicle so the schedules have been a little more crazy.  I am thankful for the amazing opportunities we have been given, for a dinner menu to keep us on track in the evenings, and awesome friends who have been a huge blessing to us this week.  Summer has been a whirlwind of activity around our house this year and it doesn’t look like it will be slowing down any time soon.  Here is our menu plan for the upcoming week:

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef or Seafood Entree): Cheesy Beef & Bow Tie Pasta Casserole, Fresh Fruit
    • Tuesday (Pasta or Pork Entree):  Special Event
    • Wednesday (Kid’s Night to Cook):  Brina & Karlie’s Night to Cook Dinner
    • Thursday (Chicken or Vegetarian Entree):  Golden Chicken Curry, Roasted Garlic & Chili Jasmine Rice
    • 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

  • Recipe: Easy Mini Pizzas

    Easy mini pizzas

    When you need a quick lunch or dinner for the family this is an easy one.  I used English Muffins for the crust, pizza sauce, shredded cheese, and toppings (we used bacon crumbs, pepperoni, and black olives for this lunch).  Baked them in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese melted and viola….mini pizzas.  These are easy enough for the kids to make themselves now too!  It isn’t a meal we make a lot in our house but in a quick pinch it is easy and one everyone enjoys.