Getting it Sorted Part II & Menu Planned!

Waking up at 5am requires my first cup of coffee to be really hot. Every other cup for some reason I can do warm... but the first cup... go figure.

Office Organization Redux

So, the office organization thing... stalled a bit. The help that I was getting had some troubles and I didn't get finished. sigh. However! This Saturday everyone has recommitted their assistance and hoping that we can get everything in order. I've also hired a "nanny"/ baby-sitter to come into our home and help me two days a week. I will let you know how that increases all of the organization and work load on the architectural end of my life... well, that is the plan anyway!

For another delay, we discovered a large nest of a former rodent tenant. YIK YUK YAK!!! So that needed taking care of for good. Oddly, we have cleaned up a lot of mouse crap and nesty materials but only one time. It makes me a bit nervous. Kind of on edge. Do we have mice? Did they move out after the year that there was no food in the house? We aren't sure what to think.

Anywho, we are moving forward with the cleaning up and painting on Saturday! I also took some advice from my friend Jenifer and posted a bunch of my Christmas jewelry on Ebay... happy to report... it is SELLING!! Woo Hoo!! Thanks J!! I am going to be putting a bunch of other things on Ebay now as well with the success I've been having.

Menu Planning

I also wanted to share a really cool menu organizing idea with all of you. I am trying it out right now with a lot of success. I ran across it on Pinterest (duh) and forgot to pin it!!! Who does that?? So I apologize for not giving credit to the original thought maker of this menu plan. I'm a bit naive with a few things in life so forgive me if this is common place for all of you but a stroke of genius to me!

First, I don't want my menu plan to be complicated... If you look at some past menu plans I've tried to work with a grocery list and had to write up the pantry items and keep track of things on hand etc... to sum up NOT WORKING. I need simple. Beyond simple actually... I need zero. So, this meal plan is by type of meal as opposed to what the meal actually is!! Get it??

For example... Your week of dinner could be broken out like this:

Monday - Soup and Sandwiches
Tuesday - Casserole/ one dish meal
Wednesday - Stir Fry
Thursday - International (Mexican, Italian, Middle Eastern... etc.)
Friday - Pizza
Saturday - Leftovers!! or our one night to eat out/ order in...
Sunday - Brinner ( Breakfast for dinner!) because we love brunch.

Whew! That seriously made this week tolerable. Instead of thinking what to do... I have a "heading" for the day to work from. My little brain can think... "WHAT kind of soup and sandwich will I make tonight..." I grab my iPad and go to my Pinterest board now labeled with the above headings... and pick out something yummy!! WOO HOO!!

To spice things up next month I might shift some things around as I get comfortable and make Friday International food... Sunday is soup and sandwich... bla bla bla you get what I mean. I'm doing my menu by month because again... I need SIMPLE. But if you have the need or want for flexibility you can happily change this menu and do this by the week. My husband and I are both creatures of habit and do not mind the routine. And this keeps me from having to worry about the grocery shopping as well. Ever been grocery shopping with a 15 month old? It isn't too bad... but, you have a time limit. (insert smile here)

Other headings could be:
Vegetarian, Tapas, Noodles, Something with Cheese, Crockpot, Grilled, Burgers, Salad, Poultry, Seafood, etc.

You could also label by cuisine type, region, or :

Italian, French, Irish, Chinese, Greek, Lebanese, Tex-Mex, etc.

You get me right?? I'm still trying to get my little templates attached so bear with me... But I've included one here!! Maybe you can print it out. I hope you can print it out if you'd like. If not, email me... and I will email it to you if you'd like. I've started this one with November. But the one I email to you, you can write in the week or month for your own organization!

And let me give you a little more love here... So when I say it is Pizza night... That could be flatbread, bagel, calzone, tortilla, cauliflower crust, crustless, Chicago style... the sky is the limit... SEE... 

brilliant.

Well. at least I thought so. ;) I hope you will too. I am putting together a vegetarian Thanksgiving and Christmas menu at the moment. I've been experimenting with different dishes to see if I like them. I will share soon so if you are thinking of some veggie options off the traditional route! 

Eat & Love: Go Vegetarian for Meat Out Day March 20th!

{DISCLAIMER}: I'm on a soap box today. If you aren't ready to hear some honesty about what you eat and how you treat animals and your body... move along to the next blog.

However, if you're really ready to take a look at your soul, how to put good karma into the world, and become a calmer, happier and healthier individual... please have a seat, read on and join me!!

Recently, cooking has taken on a bit of nostalgia. While most families may cook a main dish, a couple of sides, each person chooses to have different beverages and eat what they'd like.

Not my family. I've had the pleasure of dining with my grandparents on numerous occasions with two completely separate meals prepared. Although, I've noticed it is common with families with very young children that they eat something different than their parents... kind of interesting. They eat chicken nuggets and hot dogs while the parents eat chicken breast and salad or some yummy veggies. Huh... why? I digress... back to my grandparents!

My grandparents

Yup. Two pretty close yet very separate dinners.

Eat: Burrito Bowls {vegetarian}

I gave up meat for lent so that I could get back to my roots so to speak. I needed a good cleanse for my body and my soul. Whether you believe in animal rights or not... everything is better in moderation. If you're like my husband you might eat some kind of animal product at EVERY meal and sometimes even for snacks. Yikes is all I say to that. I'm also pretty lactose intolerant... so being vegan as far as dairy goes isn't an issue. I don't crave cheese, always hated milk even when I was a kid and I don't care about ice cream at all... again, I don't care for many milky tasting things. The pain I go through is enough of a punishment to never go there. The only thing on the vegan no-no list I do love is a good omelet... So, I am what you'd call an ovo vegetarian for now. If I ever found a good egg replacement I'd be a full fledged vegan without even trying!

Since my husband and I have a slightly different diet, dinners can be tiresome to prepare for me. With out making a big deal out of cooking each night I usually make myself what ever he's craving and skip the animals. But, through the past two years, I've come up with a great vegetarian dish that my husband adores! I will put chicken in this for him, but mainly he will eat it sans meat. The black & pinto beans provide loads of fiber and protein to keep you full and it is so yummy!

I will also give you two versions of this recipe. The first is from scratch... if you have the time, making your own beans is SO much better and it gives you plenty to stash in the freezer. Canned are good too, and great when you don't want to plan ahead! For the second recipe "I don't want to cook tonight" version can be done at the drop of a hat. I've done it many times. I also threw in my homemade tortilla recipe if you have the energy.

Scratch recipe or not, this is a very good for you recipe and has become a staple in our house!! This recipe makes enough for 2 adults. If you are making the beans you probably will have enough for oh let's say... 6 to 8 adults just be sure to adjust all the other vegetables to chop and rice to make too!

Burrito Bowl {scratch baby}

Love: Spring & Easter DIY

Spring in 9 days!! I hope where ever you are in the world where it will obviously be Spring... is starting to perk up!! The vernal equinox is inevitably a time of change, but unlike fall which can seem more like letting go... Spring is about growth and renewal. If you follow any sort of religious teaching, to me this time of the year, rather than New Year's Eve, is a much more suitable time to make a life change or resolution of some kind. It is the time when applications are due for masters programs... and PhDs... I'm not there yet... but I'm thinking... more on that later.

For me, I am ready for a change of scenery!! I'm ready to see my friends more than once a year and more than EVER I am ready to start making our home, back home, HOME. I am ready for the path that awaits us. We have a trip planned to return home (MICHIGAN) on March 28th!! I'm finally going to see my family and introduce our sweet little darling Xan!! He is going to be 8 months old on the 16th of March. It truly does feel like a time for renewal. Renewal of family and the values that I hold. I want Xan to know his aunties and uncles and his grandparents. I grew up with family all around. My cousins were my first best friends. I want that for Xan. I've been away for nearly 7 years... Seems like the perfect time of the year to return.

Addicted to Netflix Send Help

Tuesday began as a wonderful day! Monday felt so painfully long with Xan getting up so early and not sleeping on Sunday night. He had a rough time sleeping. I wasn't sure if it was his stuffy nose or if it was his dreams? Or is it my addiction to Netflix?

Yes. Netflix is a terrible addiction of mine... how did this happen? I don't have cable or a t.v. antenna so that's part of it. Instead I have Netflix with scores and scores of television, movies and documentaries. Oh, how I love documentaries!! Watching my wish list of movies is more difficult since they aren't all on instant, but the documentaries are wonderful. When Xan is dozing off in his bouncy seat after a bottle, I rock him and let the Netflix marathon begin! I'm watching all of the Alias episodes right now... Already finished Sherlock Holmes, Merlin, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and started the X files. Why do I feel so guilty??

I Heart Breakfast

I can eat breakfast 3 times a day. Maybe more! When we lived in Denver we would walk to a couple different breakfast joints. Jelly, Snooze, the place that starts with an M over by REI (LOL)... and Spices. Oh do I miss them dearly! At Jelly, my absolute favorite, it was a constant foodie adventure... what to try next when all you wanted was the same thing you had the last trip. Oh yum. So, I try to recreate some of those delicious experiences at home now. But, honestly... it just isn't the same. I would love to shadow the guy who makes up all the hashes there. They are incredible... craving one now...

11/4 Weekly Menu and Grocery List

This week was great for budget and menu. I came in at just $128 and some change for about 2 weeks of meals and even some yummy desserts and snacks! Yes, some of these recipes will be frozen for next week... That's just a huge time saver. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Yeah... I'm a little proud I have to say. But recipe research goes a long way. If ya can do it... it pays off. So, I've done it for you! Check this out and see what ya think...

If Chicken Were a Vegetable... OH, and Turkey too...

John and I eat vegetarian a couple times a week. I go back to my veg roots and whip up some of my old favorites. But damn... chicken keeps getting in the way of going full time vegetarian for John. I've tried introducing the fake stuff into some recipes. It works in a couple of my comfort food recipes but not when you just want a nice juicy piece of grilled chicken and veggies. Or a good turkey burger.

We have cut out all red meat, and we don't eat pork either. Just keeping low fat and low cholesterol keeps us pretty fit without even trying. I've noticed that when you make a burger or a steak... fried potatoes and other unhealthy sides come into play pretty naturally. And even if ya do just steam some veggies, take a look at a label for what a quarter pound burger contains. Yikes...

Plus, I've mentioned before that we live near hog and cattle farms... uh, yeah. All you need is a little window into the soul of that industry to make you run the other way. I'm thinking that maybe if we moved near a chicken operation we'd be completely done with eating animals. I've watched what some chicken processors do to their animals via Food Inc. and other documentaries. I do not buy from them (I will not mention names). I only buy organic, period. Someday I may even raise my own! Until that day, we will probably continue to eat as healthy as possible. So, I have been looking up some great healthy chicken recipes that I will share with you!

The Budget & Life: Catching Up!

Motherhood is phenomenal. I can't say enough about the reward of caring for Xan and having him in our life. He's redefined everything in the most incredible way. I will speak honestly. It isn't at all the burden that I thought would scare me away from having children at any point. I was terrified in my 20's and into my 30's. Meeting John changed all the rules. And when we started talking about having kids I was honest about my fears. But knowing that we were doing this together finally sunk in. I wasn't doing this alone. And we dove in. Fact is... It's liberated me.

Let me explain. Before Xan I was a planner. Scheduled, organized and knew exactly where and what I was doing. When anything upset those plans (getting laid off, mistakes I made, or any proverbial wrench) I would sometimes tail-spin. It would really upset me as I tried so hard to get back on track. That 'track' is what I've learned, with Xan and John's help... doesn't mean jack. Not without them.

Monday Love

My first post for the 'Love' section of the blog. Only... I haven't quite figured out how to post to other pages. I am still that lame at blogging. sigh. Until then... I have dedicated my Monday's to posting things I've been browsing around during the week for inspiration and for my family. Here are a few things I'm loving this week!

Clothes

I'm loving that fall is right around the corner! I am starting to lose my pregnancy weight, but still not quite into my old clothes yet. I am dreaming of some new clothes regardless... And just in case I'm not down to my old size by fall. I love colored jeans... I don't know which color I love more, the aqua blue I have pictured or possibly a bright shade of poppy! Regardless, new over the knee boots from Steve Madden and a sweater from my new favorite online shop ModCloth are in order!

A Week of Pinterest Recipes

If you’re not on board yet... (yes, that’s going to be a pun when you find out) Get ready, as Pinterest will now be part of the catch phrases that we utter almost daily.

Gone will be the days of - "Oh where did you get that recipe!"; “I Googled it.” Now, it will be, “I pinned it” or “On Pinterest...”. The instant gratification is overwhelming. You don’t even have to know what you’re looking for! You log in and start browsing through categories of things you like. Or everything at once if you're looking to be inspired. You are looking at ‘boards’ are specially designed for the visual. Sexy photos that are captioned with just enough information to make you click to find out more or want to see the image bigger. Then you can follow other peoples pins if  you like their style and have similar interests. Many blogs now have links... I have a link to my own Pinterest boards under the ‘Inspire’ tab on the blog. Click it and you can get a visual.

The Simple & Convenient Kitchen

Don't we all wish we had a simple and convenient kitchen? They look like the ones in Better Homes and Gardens right? They have massive amounts of cupboards and pantry space. Everything is so organized! And I bet they own every appliance and gadget that you've drooled over at Williams & Sonoma as well. Sigh. If only my kitchen looked like that I'd BEG to stay home and cook. Isn't that what we think?

Okay, back to earth.

I have a theory that the cupboards, except the ones that have glass doors are empty. Or, if you can afford a kitchen like that surely you can afford a personal chef. I thought of becoming a chef last year to do just that. I wanted to be the vegan/ vegetarian version of Giada de Laurentis. Sigh. Not in my cards yet. I just saw those kitchens and thought... that is like an amusement park to me! I could have so much fun!

The Budget Marathon

I’ve called this a marathon because I know it takes training to run one. You can’t just jump in the crowd and run a marathon. Not without serious injury anyway. And I have never successfully followed a budget. Not without serious injury anyway. I usually end up overspending because I feel denied or restricted. Just like a dieter may feel if denied sweets too long and then go binging like crazy on ice cream. So, John and I are in training right now. While I still have paychecks coming in from teaching school last year, we are pretending that money doesn’t exist. We are doing this because, John and I have decided that I will stay home with Xan after he is born for at least one year (longer if I can). This means living on a salary of less than $28,000 for the three of us.