I am thinking about the post on Harry Reid that I am forming and how I want to get my haircut today. I am thankful for like minded friends! From the learning rooms we are taken easy still. I am thinking about lapbooking a bit. (Never done it before) From the kitchen I am continuing to work on cooking out of my pantry and freezer! I am wearing sweats and a comfy shirt to go get my hair cut! I am going to a talented friend’s house with my best friend, all our kids, and snacks so we can get our haircut before my talented friend has her baby! I am reading through all my magazines and then hope to start the Sarah Palin book! I am hoping to get my new planner and to start filling it in! Around the house I hope to straighten out the office and get ready for taxes. One of my favorite things is my husband! A few plans for the rest of the week: I have a steering team meeting for MOPS and Precepts (on the 2nd half of Daniel) starts this week!
So here we are launching into another week! I am still doing the pantry and freezer challenge! The funny (actual sad thing) is that I am finding some things that just need to be trashed. Such as beef I bought March of 2008!
I have only bought a few things such as $4 as the farmer’s market, some breads, eggs, milk and poptarts;)!
Monday: Chicken, Cauliflower and Gnocchi in Butter Garlic sauce Tuesday: Ham, Cauliflower, and Pasta Bake Wednesday: Cheeseburger Pie, Broccoli Thursday: Throw together for the kids! Friday: Tilapia, Jasmine Rice, Broccoli
Yes, I am channeling a little My fair Lady;). But to the point!
We love tv over here. When NerdDad and I got married money was tight but we always found a way to pay for cable. It was a priority right behind tithing, rent and power;). It was right after the then slow internet. Then we grew up to the Dish. And 2, yes 2 tivo’s. But it has hit us lately that most of what we really want to watch, and not all the mindless drivel that we often watch, was actually free on the internet. So we cancelled the satellite dish.
Yes, we don’t even get local channels right now. I am still in shock. We cancelled Monday morning after we saw the second half of the Doctor Who special (can’t watch BBC online in America). I am still adjusting because Food Network doesn’t really have anything online and that is disappointing. We are planning on getting an antenna and digital converter box for the tivo so we can record things like Jeopardy so that will change. But over all we are doing pretty good and still watching a ton of tv;).
I was assigned to bring a dessert to the family Christmas celebration. I knew that brownies, fudge and chocolate chip cookies so I decided to aim at a non-chocolate dessert (gasp! They do exist). This recipe was pretty tasty!
Ingredients: 1/4 cup shortening 1/4 cup butter (can use margarine) 1/2 cup white sugar 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/8 teaspoon baking soda 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup shredded coconut 1 cup chopped pecans
Process: Cream butter and shortening together. Then add the sugars and baking soda. Blend until combined. (Scrap the sides of the bowl as needed) Then beat in the egg and vanilla. Then blend in the flour in stages until it is all mixed. Then mix in coconut and pecans by hand. Then place dough on cookies sheets by the teaspoon full about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Let the cookies stay on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes and then move them to cooling racks. Let them cool completely. I put them in an airtight container and they held up great!
As the new year is about to start I , like everyone else, am looking at changes I want to make. Believe it or not it isn’t to eat healthy. My change I want to make is to do more “once a month”, freezer style cooking. So that leads me to my question for this backwards Works for Me Wednesday. Do you have any recipes that are good in the freezer or any once a month cooking tips?
So I started cooking from my pantry last week and I am aiming at doing it through the month. FishMama asked us how were doing and what our concerns or issues were. Well I have a couple. My big one is knowing where the line is. Do we eat past 4 days a week until it is gone or should I buy potatoes? How much augmenting should I do? I am not sure. The other concern is that my family will become bored. I am cooking a ham out of the freezer but I really only know a couple of things to do with the leftovers (and there will be leftovers). Normally I would freeze what was left in 1 of the 2 dishes I know but that kind of defeats the purpose doesn’t it?
Another issue…Is it ok to skip or toss the stuff we don’t want? You know you do it to..the can of something you should have on hand but don’t care for all that much. We have a few. My husband would like to not be home the nights I use those;). I have learned to not replace them.
Now on the bright side. We are doing pretty good. My goal is to not buy any more meat until my freezer is defrosted and so far so good. We have already thawed some beef to find out that it wasn’t so good. I am taking that as a hint that I need to better manage my freezer inventory after this little experiment so at least I have learned a lesson;).
How about you? Are you doing the pantry challenge? What issues are you having?
I have been attacked by K’Nex!!!!!! Well, I think I bought most of them but still. They were loose!!!! Above here you see the set of 400 that we got the NerdPie for Christmas. I sat down with each of the older 2 separately and we sorted their K’Nex into types. Now since NerdPie didn’t have a whole lot I put many of hers into quart bags with sliding zippers. Then I labeled them with my dear friend the label maker.
But then I moved onto NerdBug. Let me just say that we have given that child way too many! I chose not just to attack the K’Nex but also the Legos since they all can go together. Instead of the quart bags I decided to employ disposable plastic ware to organize the pieces in. Then I hit them with the label maker too!
So now the K’Nex have been conquered and when I tell them to clean up there is no excuse for a cluttered mess! The kids have also told me that they like having them separated because they know where to get the exact piece they need. NerdBug told me this was one of the reasons he loved me. He would have never thought to do this and was happy I helped him sort;).
I have lots of kids with lots of toys. I need these toys organized but bins, containers and other organizers are quite pricey. I have found a cheap alternative (relatively). You know that disposable plastic ware that you use when you are willing to not get them back? Well they are the perfect thing to organize small toys. They are uniform in size so they can stack. They are clear so you can see in. And they come in different sizes.
I am thinking about how I want to be a better mom and teacher this year! I am thankful for the joy I hear in my children’s voices when they laugh. Not just giggle but that deep belly laugh, From the learning rooms we are going to focus on fun learning this week: KinderBach, flash cards and art projects. From the kitchen I am going to work on cooking out of my pantry and freezer this month. I am wearing sweats and a comfy shirt. I am creating a MOPS Newsletter for next month. I am going to research day planners and hope I find the perfect one for me, finally. I am hoping that the changes I am making to my life will help bring a little order, peace and joy. I am hearing the chatter of children (always;). Around the house I want to clean up my office from all the present hiding. A few plans for the rest of the week: make some returns to Walmart, then MOPS on Tuesday and then Awana starts back up this week.
