• What’s for Dinner: Our Weekly Menu Plan

    Last week our menu plan went well.  I think the entire family enjoyed having dinner on the table at a specific time and it was a lot easier for me to prep as well as pull the meal together because I know exactly what we are eating each day.

    Our Weekly Menu Plan

    • Monday (Beef Entree):  “Back to School” Night at the girls school (dinner is part of the event)
    • Tuesday (Seafood or Pork Entree):  Peppercorn Pork Tenderloin, Mash Potatoes, Pearsauce
    • Wednesday (Chicken Entree):  Honey Mustard Chicken, Whole Grain Rice Pilaf, Mixed Fresh Fruit Salad
    • Thursday (Pasta or Vegetarian Entree):  Vegetarian Chili, Easy Summer Vegetables, Cornbread & Crackers
    • 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 entree, Tuesday a seafood 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

  • Book: “Space – The Ultimate Guide To The Universe”

    One of our girls loves planets, space and astronauts.  A family member gave her the “Space: The Ultimate Guide To The Universe” book a few years ago and it has been a huge hit!  It has been carried all over the house and gone on several road trips with us.  The book has pictures and information about space travel, astronomy, universe, solar system, stars and galaxies as well as posters of the universe and glow in the dark stars.  It has a lot of information packed in the variety of descriptions and colorful pictures.  The recommended age for the book is for 8 and up but if you have a child that loves space, astronauts, and planets then I would recommend it for them even at a younger age.  You’ll have to read it to a younger child but if they enjoy space as much as Karlie does then it will be a hit, not to mention educational!

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    I am slowly adjusting to quieter grocery shopping trips, I miss the girls chit chat.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Dollar Tree and Rite Aid | Save A Lot

    Dollar Tree Groceries:

    • $1.00 at Dollar Tree for a loaf of Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat Bread.

    Rite Aid | Save A Lot Groceries:

    • $5.24 at Rite Aid | Save A Lot for a package of Cheese, fresh Peaches, fresh Plums and fresh Nectarines (the fruit was on sale and were great for the girls lunches).
    Groceries from BiLo

    BiLo Groceries:

    • $9.97 at BiLo for 2 gallons of Milk and 1 container of Country Crock Spread with Calcium (BiLo still has the least expensive milk on our side of town $3.49 per gallon and the Country Crock was on sale.  I used two reusable bags and BiLo gave me 10 cents off my entire purchase, every little bit helps.)
    Groceries from Ingles

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $21.60 at Ingles for 1 bag Bananas, 1 container Red Raspberries, 1 container Grape Tomatoes, 1 bag Green Grapes, 2 containers Strawberries, 2 Turkey Lunchables, 2 Chicken Lunchables, 1 Sweet Onion, 1 package Cube Steak (about 3 pounds) and 1 package 93% Lean Hamburger (Everything was marked down on clearance or on sale except the Lunchables which were $1.  The girls asked if they could have them at least a couple times a month as a special “treat” for their lunches at school, I decided to be extra nice and see how well they eat them, the ones I picked up don’t expire until Nov / Dec so we have a couple months to try them out).

    This week I spent $37.81 on groceries.  Even though I was only a little under on my budgeted amount for the week I would like to see it even lower.   This week I was able to stock up on several staple items as well as lunch bag items that we were needing.  I wish the milk prices would go down because that is a large chunk of the amount we spend on groceries each week.  Hopefully next week is an even better and we can come under budget for the week.

    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: Crockpot Pearsauce

    Homemade Pearsauce

    Our neighbors were generous and gave us a bunch of delicious pears from their tree.  The girls were thrilled to have pears to eat.   It is amazing the variety of yummy treats you can make out of pears from sliced pears to smoothies and more.

    The girls LOVE applesauce so I decided to try my hand at making Pearsauce (much like Applesauce but with pears). You can do this with fresh picked pears or ones that you buy on clearance at your local grocery store.  I was thrilled at how well the recipe turn out which is perfect for lunches and as a side for meals.

    Crockpot Pearsauce:

    • 4 Pears
    • 1  tablespoon Lemon Juice (or 1 fresh squeezed Lemon)
    • 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
    • 1/2 cup Water
    • 2 Cinnamon Sticks (or 1 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon)

    1.  Wash the pears.   Peel, core and cut your pears into cubes.

    2.  Put the pears in the crockpot.  Mix the lemon juice and water together then pour over the pears.  Sprinkle the top of the pears with Brown Sugar.  Place the cinnamon sticks on top (or sprinkle ground cinnamon)

    3.  Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.  When the pears are soft, drain any extra liquid, mash them with a potato masher, fork, or blender.

    4.  Store in an airtight container or bag in the refrigerator or freeze to enjoy at a later date.

    I tripled the recipe to fill up the crockpot since we had quite a few pears.  You can add more or less of the cinnamon based on your family’s preference.  It is a pretty easy recipe.  Love being able to leave it in the crockpot and come home to a wonderful smelling house.

    Bowl of fresh pears from our neighbors tree, thank you for sharing!

     Wash the pears

    Peel the pears

    I used a potato peeler to peel the skins off the pears.  It was really easy to get them off.

    Cut up pears

    Quarter the pears then cut them into cube like shapes.

    Crockpot full of fresh pears.

    I filled up the crockpot with sliced fresh pears.  Squeeze out the lemon juice and mix it with water then pour it over the pears in the crockpot.

    Adding the final touches before cooking.

    Sprinkle the brown sugar over the pears and add the two sticks of cinnamon (or sprinkle ground cinnamon over pears)

    Ready to Cook the Pearsauce

    Cook in a crockpot on low for 4 to 6 hours until tender then mash, blend, or mix to make into a pearsauce (or applesauce) like consistency.

    Close up of our first batch of Pearsauce

    You can make it smoother or chunkier based on your family’s preference.  The house smelled amazing when the pearsauce was cooking.  The girls had their first helping the next morning for breakfast and asked if there would be enough to eat for lunch and dinner!  I am very excited it turned out so well!  I divided this batch up – some to eat this weekend, froze a container full for later and filled up several small containers to stick in the girls and Jake’s lunches.  A big thanks to our sweet neighbors for sharing their pears with us!

  • Deal Chicken: $20 worth of Educational Supplies for $10 at School Spot

    Deal Chicken has a great deal in Greenville, South Carolina!

    $20 worth of Educational Supplies for $10 at School Spot!

    School Spot Deal Details:

    • Login and purchase $20 worth of School Supplies for $10
    • Redeemable in store at School Spot – 1042-A Woodruff Rd, Greenville, SC 29607, (864) 284-9305
    • Store Hours: Monday-Thursday from 10 AM. to 6 PM and Friday-Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM
    • Must be used in one visit.
    • Not valid on tax or gratuity.
    • Certificate cannot be combined or used in conjunction with any other offer, coupon or promotion, teacher discount or clearance item.
    • One certificate per person per day.
    • Only valid on regular-priced items.
    • Expires 12/31/11

    Great deal for teachers, parents of little ones, homeschool families, preschools, daycares, churches, teacher gifts, or anyone else wanting educational material in the Greenville area.

  • Fresh & Healthy: Deep Freezer Goodies – Purple Grapes, Blueberries, Bananas, Green Grapes, & Strawberries

    Freezing Seasonal Fruit - Blueberries, Bananas, Strawberries, Purple & Green Grapes

    This summer we were able to stock up on some fresh produce, including fruit.  Thanks to friends sharing their goodies, time picking produce as a family, and clearance items at our local grocery store we have been able to fill up a section of our freezer with delicious fruit.  The girls have been enjoying Smoothies the last couple of months and were super excited to stock up on some of these great items.  They are already planning on having smoothies after school because they will not be able to share them with me over lunch.

    Here is a great Smoothie Recipe:

    There are many variations to smoothies, may be sharing a couple more favorites over the next few weeks.  Add a handful of fruit you have on hand, a little cream (milk or yogurt), blend,  and you have a smoothie.  If you want a little extra sweetness you can add a touch of honey.  Usually after adding the fruit that is plenty sweet for us but we have tried a variety of different ones.

    Another great use for strawberries is as a healthy sauce!  When we have pancakes or waffles we blend up a cup or two of fresh strawberries to use as a dipping sauce in place of the traditional syrup.  It is healthier and fresher plus the whole family enjoys it.