New Recipe

I made "Bubble Pizza" tonight for dinner.  Yeah, not low salt or oil.  Bubble Pizza it was pretty good and Brenna had seconds.  I didn't add more salt and made smaller portions than the recipe called for.

I did it again!

I made spaghetti sauce from scratch last night!  I had full faith in my abilities before I started.  I began to doubt myself about half way through.  My #1 tip for making your own sauce is DO NOT taste it before it's had time to all cook together. It is just gross!  That's when I thought I'd made a big mistake in this undertaking. Keep in mind that having to trash a meal would be a big problem with our current financial situation.  I had already made the meat and was making the sauce with it. I used ground turkey, it's the new hamburger you know. ;)

Anyway. I knew the girls would be leery of my homemade sauce if it had big chunks of anything like an onion or tomato in it.  So used a small food processor to chop up all the ingredients before putting them in.  I put in 2 whole tomatoes, 5 mushrooms, 1 whole yellow onion, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 can tomato paste, and Italian seasoning. Oh and I put about a 1/4 cup of white wine (white because I'm allergic to red) and water to thin it out. I did not put in salt. At the very end, I felt like it really needed it so I added just a tiny bit of garlic salt. But not much.  I served the girls over spaghetti noodles and mine over rice noodles.  Both girls approved of my homemade sauce. Maybe it wasn't quite as flavorful as prego, but it was pretty darn good and not much extra work, but a whole lot healthier.... I'm trying here!  Oh yeah, I also did not use any oil or butter in any part of the pasta prep.

More new things

I'm beginning another new journey... I'm working on cooking for myself without salt and oil.  For me, salt is the bigger challenge.  I've cooked chicken breast and fish now without using oil. It didn't stick much and worked out really well.  Now there's the idea of flavor.  Dips and sauces are full of both salt and oil. I can't stand dry food.  I didn't have a lot on hand so I marinated the chicken in lime juice. It was pretty good. So far, my best experiment was tonight. I marinated my fish in minced garlic, lime juice, and red pepper flakes.  It was so good!  I did it in a plastic bag because I was only doing one. Then I "grilled" it on my George Foreman grill. I also got my walk in 4 out of 5 days this week. I'm pretty proud of myself!

Edited to add my favorite veggie discovery... I steamed a bag of frozen stir fry mix.  I love teriyaki and soy sauce... But they again are full of sodium. So I tried it with red wine vinegar instead.  YUMMY!  The best part is that the water chestnuts really picked up the vinegar flavor so a bite with them in it has an extra little burst.  I'm working up to incorporating this into my family cooking.  But I need to build my confidence first.

I got to spend the day with both girls today. Brenna had the day out of school. I packed away shorts and tank-tops so we don't have to argue about not wearing them... Next is sandals and flip flops.  Brenna has a soccer tournament this weekend. I'm so excited to watch my little goalie!

October Already!?!

Today is October 1st. It completely blows my mind that we've made it here. lol First of all, I've made ends meet and kept my family fed, clothed, and loved without a job. If you had asked me in July, I would not have thought it was possible. I have to stop and thank my family and friends for all the love and support that have helped me to do so.  Even kind words and encouragement make a big difference! I hope you all remember that. Please remember that just being kind and encouraging to the people you meet makes so much more of an impact than you know.

The girls are starting to talk about Halloween costumes, candy, and even Christmas.  Believe it or not, I've already started my Christmas shopping for the girls.  Obviously, it's not going to be a big one this year. But it will be filled with love and TIME!  I've started picking up a Christmas gift every couple of weeks and putting it away.  Brenna's birthday is also in December, so it will take some planning and spreading, but my girls will be just fine!

I do have a job interview tomorrow.  I am praying that God's will be done.  If this is the job I'm meant to have, then I pray that I get it.  If it is not where I'm meant to be, I pray that it will not be offered to me.  While a job is a job and I need a job, I believe this time of being unemployed has been of great value and I've learned a lot about myself and a lot about budgeting and being a better mom. I know that I have been where God wanted me and maybe that's still where I'm meant to be.  I pray that He will show me where He is leading me.

Speaking of my unemployed status... I just returned from being out of town for my great aunt Charlene's funeral.  Since Charlene wasn't immediate family, if I were employed I would not have been able to be out of town for the week and to have been blessed to be a part of this special woman's funeral!  You see, the funeral was 395 miles away. My aunt Charlene celebrated her 69th birthday about a week before she passed.  She was still in love with the love of her life even though he had passed over 20 years ago.  She was also able to live independently up until the last 3 years of her life.  Why  is that such a big deal??  Both my aunt Charlene and her late husband Thomas had mental disabilities. Charlene had a love without end. She loved and valued her family without judgment and with great joy.  She appreciated so many little things that many of us often forget to notice.  She found joy in things that I take for granted.  I love you aunt Charlene and I KNOW that my momma and your Thomas were there to greet you when you walked strong and healthy through the gates of Heaven!

Crafty

I haven't posted in a few days because I wasn't feeling very positive.  I didn't want to share my "stinkin' thinkin'." Most of my crud was revolving around money and lack of insurance... But moving on!

I got a picture in my head the other day and I couldn't get it out.  Both of the girls have gotten their ears pierced this year and neither of them have a jewelry box. I have wanted to make one, but just couldn't come up with just the right idea. I didn't know where to begin.  So I woke up the other morning and had the jewelry box in my head.  I started with a pyrex box and cut it apart. Then made a shell. I'm planning on putting 2 drawers in each one, but haven't gotten that far.  I have deco-podged the shell with newspaper and am planning to add sparkle and glitter before it's all done.  I'm going to use bottle caps for the pulls on the little drawers... If I can figure it out.

I came across a recipe for kielbasa and potatoes yesterday that looked pretty good.  I am allergic to sausage, so I tried it with stew meat.  It was okay. Cailyn liked it.  So with the left overs this morning, I added a couple of eggs and made breakfast burritos.  It was much better as a breakfast burrito and I have left overs of that for tomorrow's breakfast too.  Brenna's school has a cookout this evening so no dinner planned.

Tomorrow evening I'm going to make creamed chicken and biscuits. It's another first time recipe for me. But it sure sounds good!
Ingredients:
¼ cup butter
¼ cup plus 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup drained canned carrots and 1/2 cup drained canned green beans (optional)
1 can refrigerated biscuits
Directions:
1.  Melt butter in a large pan over medium heat; add flour, blending well.
2.  Gradually stir in broth, then milk.
3.  Reduce heat to low; cook until thickened, about 2 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
4.  Remove 1/4 cup milk mixture and gradually stir into egg yolk.
5.  Return egg mixture to milk mixture.  Add chicken, salt and pepper; heat through.
6.  Serve creamed chicken over hot biscuits.  Serves 4 to 6.

Silent tears are the worst!

Okay, I want to preface this with the fact that Cailyn has plenty of toys and is in no way a deprived child. lol

I had to go to Wal-mart today. Unfortunately, angel food ministries isn't doing food orders in September.  They have been affected by the financial crisis just like the rest of us and are unable to support the orders this month.  I pray that they are back up and running next month. I sure have come to depend on them and I'm sure you've all noticed, I am a great advertiser for them!

So I decided to stock up on some staples while I have the money, before I pay all the bills.  Food and shelter come first.  I went for the frozen chicken breasts, another lb of hamburger, you know, mainly meat to go with all the veggies I still have.  So of course while I'm there, as always I felt compelled to visit the clearance section... You know, just in case there's something I can't live without.  After all, I love my $1.50 shower curtain!

As we are all accustomed the "I want..." and "Momma, please..."  And I know that we would all like to get our kids so many of those things that they want and don't need.  I reminded Cailyn that she just had a birthday and had lot's of new toys.  We kept moving and I kept looking and I explained that she had toys and Momma didn't have extra money for toys.  After a little while, I noticed that she had grown very quite in the cart.  I turned to see silent tears rolling down her little cheeks. Her little chin was quivering. She seemed to be trying so hard to hold back her sobs. It wasn't the "Momma said no" cry anymore.  This was different and I wanted to stop and cry right along with her.  Instead, I pulled the cart into the garden section and took her out to just cuddle and hold her.  I am so very blessed to have my girls to hold on to.  I know God has a plan for us!!  Nothing and no one can take my faith!

Chicken, chicken and more chicken

Last night I didn't plan anything ahead of time and stir fry sounded good so I made some rice to go with it and had chicken stir fry.  I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of veggies that the girls ate.  So tonight I'm using the rest of the chicken breasts from the pack I opened yesterday. I'm making aChicken Enchilada Casserole.  I am cutting the recipe in half to fit my family, plus I only have 2 breasts left so it works out just right.  I'm also substituting corn tortillas for the chips. 2 reasons: 1 to cut salt and 2 the tortillas are cheaper than chips. I picked them up at Aldi's!


Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
2 10-¾ ounce cans cream of chicken soup
¾ cup milk
1 10-½ ounce package tortilla chips
4 ounce can green chilies, drained
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:
1.  In a large mixing bowl, combine chicken, soup and milk together; set aside.
2.  In a lightly greased 13"x9" baking dish, layer tortilla chips, half of chicken mixture, green chilies and cheese.
3.  Repeat layers ending with cheese.
4.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

We also got our family picture done this week:

Yummy

I'm really looking forward to dinner tonight. I'm making mexican lasagna. I've changed the recipe some though. I'll post the original recipe at the bottom of this post. I'm using ground beef instead of ground chicken because that's what I have. I don't like cumin or black beans, so I'm leaving those out.  I also don't have taco sauce, so instead I mixed an off brand can of rotel with the hamburger and a can of tomato sauce. I picked up a  lot of tortillas at Aldi's on Monday. Flour for this recipe and corn for a chicken enchilada casserole recipe for next week.

I made the lemon chicken last night and was pretty disappointed in it. It was okay, but not worth doing again. I may have not done it all right. The directions weren't completely clear.

Back to the mexican lasagna, I went ahead and made the hamburger, tomato and corn mixture last night while the girls were finishing dinner.  Since I'll be making it in a smaller size, I'll freeze part of the filling to use another time.

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken breast
2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup taco sauce
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn 
salt
8 (8 inch) soft corn or flour tortillas
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
sliced black olives for topping
Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2.  Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of the olive oil to the skillet.
3.  Add ground chicken and season with chili powder and cumin. Brown the meat (about 5 minutes).
4.  Add taco sauce, black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through then season with salt to taste.
5.  Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining Tablespoon of olive oil.
6. Cut the tortillas in quarters for easy layering.
7. Start with a layer of the meat mixture, then layer with tortillas and then cheese. Repeat for a second layer, ending with cheese.
8. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is slightly browned.
9. Remove from oven, top with sliced black olives and serve.

I give myself permission

I give myself permission to do things my own way!  So the other night I was making the 5 minute lasagna and since all the ingredients were mostly frozen I decided to downsize it.  I have a cake pan about half the size of a regular one. It was just perfect for us the 3 of us.  This makes so much more sense than making full size casseroles for just the 3 of us. I end up with way too many left overs that I either become sick to death of or end up throwing it away.  I was thinking back about the bierock casserole, which I did throw out half of, and I think I can do it half sized as well and freeze the filling for another time.

I have quit using my non-stick skillet because I could see that the teflon was coming off and clearly, I don't want that in our food.  As soon as I can find some I can afford, I will pick up a sauce pan and pot that are also without teflon. But for now, I have to use what I have. Luckily, I had a simple no coated skillet and an iron skillet so I'm good to go there.  Unfortunately, I did not have a metal spatula and you really need one if you don't have a coated cooking surface.  So I ran to Tuesday Morning and TJ Max looking for a good deal, but ended up finding one at Walmart.  I did find another small glass baking dish at Tuesday Mornings for $4 so now I have 2. That ought to be plenty.

Also, did I mention that I do NOT have a dishwasher!?! So using these smaller dishes for my casseroles makes washing them much more manageable too.

My wish list: A sauce pan, and big pot that are NOT nonstick, a refillable spray mop, 2 cup glass measuring cup. A handsome man to come over and do the dishes for me...

My heart and freezer are full

I picked up my angel food box on Saturday and had to clean out my freezer and reorganize to get it all in there.  So that means I got rid of the rubbery stuff that had been in there too long. I am just completely amazed by the amount of good stuff you get for your money with Angel Food!  I spent $35 and have plenty of meat and vegetables to last for at least 2 weeks, probably more. Seriously people, there are no income limitations on this, anyone can get it.  The only things I will need to purchase in addition to it will be my cream of whatever soups, dry pasta, and fresh fruits. However, there are boxes that you can order that contain those things as well.

So I haven't planned as far ahead this time but I have my menu planned for the first 3 days this week.  I will put the recipes at the bottom.

Monday - Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo
Tuesday - 5 minute Lasagna
Wednesday - Lemon Chicken and Noodles

For the Alfredo, I will be substituting the type of pasta I have on hand instead of using the fettuccine.

Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo
6 ounce package fettuccine, uncooked
2 cups frozen, chopped broccoli
10-¾ ounce can cream of mushroom soup
½ cup milk
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cups cooked chicken, cubed
¼ teaspoon pepper

Directions:
1.  Prepare fettuccine according to package directions.
2.  Add broccoli last 5 minutes of cooking; drain.
3.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, mix soup, milk, cheese, chicken, pepper and fettuccine mixture.
4.  Cook until warm, stirring often.  Serve with refrigerated-type, flaky buttermilk biscuits. Makes 4 servings.

Five Minute Lasagna (I think I may add some meat to this one too)
Serves 6


1 (26 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce (your favorite)
1 (30 ounce) bag frozen large cheese ravioli, not thawed
1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained (optional)
1 (8 ounce) package mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease a 13-x-9-inch baking dish and spoon in about 1/3 of the
sauce. Arrange 12 of the raviolis on top; then evenly lay all the spinach
over the top of the raviolis. Top that with half of each cheese. Now cover
with another layer of raviolis, the remaining sauce and the remaining
cheese. Tent with foil (don't let cheese touch the foil or it will stick)
and bake 25 minutes; then uncover it and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more
until bubbly.

Lemon Chicken and Noodles

4 chicken breast halves, skinned and boned
1/3 cup flour
6 Tablespoons butter, divided
2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 cup chicken broth
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 package egg noodles

Directions:
1. Slice chicken crosswise into narrow strips.  Coat lightly with flour.
2.  Saute chicken and 3 Tablespoons of butter, over medium-high heat, until cooked through, stirring frequently.
3.  Remove and keep warm.  Cook egg noodles according to package directions, drained and lightly butter.
4.  Add onion and cook until soft, about 1 to 2 minutes.
5.  Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Add lemon juice and bring to a boil until mixture is reduced to about 1/3 cup (4 to 5 minutes).
6.  Remove from heat and add remaining 3 Tablespoons butter.
7.  Return chicken to pan and heat through.  Serve with egg noodles.  Makes 4 servings.

It was bound to happen

All I made for dinner tonight was a mess!  It all started with the tilapia.  I switched things around more this week so I was going to make the tilapia tonight. I took it out of the freezer to thaw this morning.  When I got it out of the fridge, it was weird squishy texture.  I'm pretty sure that's not right. It must have been in the freezer too long. So I threw it away and thought I'd try fried rice which I had all the stuff to make too... But I've never tried it before.  I didn't look up any recipes, just thought I'd wing it. After all, that's what I've been doing the last two weeks for the most part.  I think I overcooked the rice and it was all just a basic flop that was best fed to the garbage disposal. Brenna had left overs and Cailyn had a cheese quesadilla.  I had ruined my appetite by then. lol So we're having a movie night at home and I'll be munching on some popcorn pretty soon. It's all good!  I'll admit though, pizza delivery sounded really good!

Adventures in Unemployment

I feel a little lost every time I have an appointment or meeting for my unemployment benefits. I really wish I didn't need them, but it is what it is. Every 4 weeks, you have to report to a career counseling center. Which I think is a great idea. I was a little frustrated at the end because they don't offer much that I don't already have. But I still think it's great. That it's all available.  Anyway, Cailyn and I went in today. And right away, the lady asked if it was my first time. Apparently I looked clueless! When it was time for my initial interview thing, Cailyn asked if it was time for her adoption!  I still can't figure out where she got that. After it was all over, she wanted to know who's house she was going to even though I told her that she wasn't being adopted. I'm not sure if it was because she wanted to be or not.  We have lot's of friends that have been blessed through adoption. I guess maybe she just wanted to try it out too.

It's the little things!

After the girls had gone to bed, I was walking through the living room and noticed Brenna's shoes.  I had to stop and I almost took a picture.  She had lined up her little shoes with socks to match the outfit she picked out for tomorrow.  Next to her backpack set her little white shoes and pink socks ready for morning. I just had my little celebration! Seeing the little signs that she is maturing and doing things without being asked to help herself is just completely awesome!

Earlier in the evening, Cailyn had gotten in trouble for using the couch as a trampoline and laughing at me when she was told to stop, and then doing it again!  So she did get a swat, which I'm sure hurt her feelings more than anything. But then she put herself in time out!  She marched to her room and I didn't hear anything from her for a little bit.  A few minutes later, I hear "Mommy, I'm ready to listen and make good choices now. Can I come out?"  She came straight to me and told me she loved me.

Brenna also had a problem on the bus this afternoon with some bullying.  At first, I thought she had just had an argument with her friend, but after further talking about it, there was some threatening and another student involved that made me uncomfortable. The school was closed by then so I sent an email to the principal to let her know what's going on, she responded quickly and I have no doubt it will be all taken care of tomorrow. Here's why I was so proud of my girl... She didn't cry or threaten back. And she came straight to her momma and told me. Then, she trusted me. After she knew I had let the principal know and after I assured her that no one would let these things happen to her. (the things the kids told her) She was a happy confident kid again.

Isn't that so like the trust we should have in God!  We know he loves us and wants what's best for us.  I must remember that once I've trusted Him and handed over my worries and problems, I can let it go.  I can trust that He will handle it. Not only in His way, but also in His time!  Thank you God for this time to better understand how to be a better Momma to my girls. I know you have a plan for us and I think maybe this time of being unemployed has been used by You to make me better for my girls!

Stir fry it up!

I didn't cook dinner on Sunday, just had left overs. So today I made the steak stir fry. Kate, my neighbor, came over. She kept asking what to do, because she was nice enough to help while I did dishes and wrangled the girls. I told her I didn't know, I'd never done it before.  It was great! The girls loved it. They picked out the veggies they didn't want, but still ate a lot of them.

I had about half of it left and will use it tomorrow in the lo mien... or maybe fried rice. I haven't completely decided.  I used stew meat for the beef, a bag of frozen stir fry.  I also added bamboo shoots, baby corn, water chestnuts and a clove of garlic.  I used soy sauce and teriyaki to season it.

Menu revisited

Here's a picture of my hot and sour soup before I added the egg.

So I'm making some changes to my menu because there was a few things I forgot to consider when making it.  Tonight was supposed to be spaghetti, but someone else is feeding me.. lol  I also forgot to take into account when the girls aren't here.  I don't need to make big meals and can be more experimental when they are with their dad.

As I was making the hot and sour soup last night, I realized that I should move the other Asian type foods closer together so they can share ingredients and possibly left overs.  Also, since it's my first try, maybe trying the beef stir fry before I'm feeding it to the girls might be better.  So I'm moving that to Sunday night.  Then the Lo mien to Monday. I figure I can mix in the stir fry left overs with the  lo mien.  I am going to do quesadillas on Tuesday for 2 reasons.  It's a very quick meal and Brenna has soccer practice on Tuesdays and also, I can use any left over meats and veggies from the lo mien and stir fry in the quesadillas.  I'm also going to try putting the tofu left over from the hot and sour soup in both the stir fry and the lo mien.

Wednesday  - Bierock Casserole
Thursday - Tilapia
Friday - Hamburgers
Saturday/Sunday - Spaghetti

We had a ball at the drive in.  But Smurfs ended up being the second feature. I really didn't think the girls would make it through 2 movies starting after 9:30 but they did and had a ball.  The first movie was Spy Kids and Brenna now has a new favorite movie. I told her I'd have to see if we can find someone to loan us the first two Spy Kid movies so she could see them.  Or maybe I can find them on cable.  Which I totally need to drop my cable, internet and phone plan down.  It's so frustrating, operators always seem to be busy if you want to lower or cancel your plan, but they sure can help you quickly when you want to pay more money!

I did it... That's right ME!

Okay, I can't describe how me cooking is really a big deal.  I know millions of people have been doing it forever. But not me.  Me cooking has been mostly limited to chili, stew, grilled cheese, quesadillas, and spaghetti.  That's really it.  The girls and I have eaten a whole lot of spaghetti and quesadillas in the last year! They won't eat chili or stew, darn it!

I was very proud of myself for stocking up on healthy groceries today that I will be making my families meals with.  Again, I know this is not a big deal for most people. So for dinner tonight, I made salmon, baked potatoes, and at Brenna's request, asparagus.  I love asparagus, Brenna is starting to join me.  Anyway, both girls ate everything! It was healthy and easy.  And just for the heck of it, I made hot and sour soup too.  Just for me and to save for another time.  But it was another all new experience for me. I've never used tofu before or several of the other ingredients for that matter.  But they were all fairly low priced ingredients and if it tastes as good as Lu's Kitchen, I'll be thrilled.

Now for our Friday night fun, I am taking the girls to the drive in.  $8 for all of us to see the Smurfs is pretty good and I'm taking all our snacks and drinks.  I even made brownies!

A year ago, I couldn't see myself here. (In so many ways!) And today Brenna thanked me for "changing her life." She was referring to getting her to like asparagus. She's very dramatic. But she went on to say that she loved my cooking and was glad she got to try new stuff. Cailyn mumbled and kept eating!

I am truly blessed and grateful for God's grace and faith that have pulled me up!

Groceries and the scary fridge!

I did some grocery stock up today.  HyVee had bananas for $0.39 a lb! Even Aldi's didn't beat that. I'll admit, I don't like bananas much, but they are like the easiest fruit ever and the girls absolutely love them.  They also had cottage cheese for 99 cents, limit 2. Oh, and 10% off of all frozen foods you can fit in a paper bag. With the hyvee brand frozen veggies already marked down to 99 and 69 cents!  I do believe I'm a little too excited about buying groceries.  I think it helped a lot that I had a plan in mind and I'd checked prices so I knew that I was getting a pretty good deal on what I was getting.  My funny purchase is that I bought 9 cents worth of ginger root. Hey, I didn't need much.

When I got home and was putting it all away, I decided that it would be a good time to clean out the fridge... Gee maybe I should have done that before the store.  So I rent an apartment, right. I have cleaned my fridge many times. I don't have a bottom shelf over the drawer so I put tall bottles there. Anyway, it occurred to me that since I don't pull out that drawer maybe I ought to take a look under it for once. I'd say big mistake, but I'm glad it's clean now.  But holy moly, that was disgusting... Note to self... look in all the crevices when moving into a new fridge. This was one of those times when it's probably best that I not know what was under there! I used way too many paper towels because I didn't want to touch anything! Long story short, my fridge is now clean and shiny even where I can't see it.

Dinner updates

So yesterday as I was making the sloppy joes, (Which believe it or not, I had never made before!) Brenna came in and said, I am SO not eating that!  We have a "no thank you" bite rule at our house.  You have to try it before you can turn it down.  And I am not going to make separate dinners for each person.  Usually the no thank you bite refers to a side item.  Anyway, she did try and it liked it a lot.

Tonight's dinner was the spiral chicken.  I was very excited to try it.  A little unsure while making it.  But LOVED it!  The girls weren't as thrilled as I was. But I will be making it again.  I think they were just turned away by the size I left the veggies.  I used a California medley.  My neighbor, Kate, suggested I try a stir fry blend. I think that would be good too.  I'm excited to have the left overs for lunch!

On another note, I got a phone call from a friend telling me about a possible job lead. My fingers and toes are crossed. I sent my resume, letters of recommendation, referrals and cover letter right away.  If that's where God wants me, then that's where I'll be.  If not, then I know He has another plan for me... I'm kind of getting the hang of this stay at home mom thing... Too bad that's not a good option for a single mom.

Finding my happy place

I wrote yesterday on facebook that flylady made me a happier mommy.  If you've never heard of flylady.com, you should definitely check it out!  Flylady is a positive, uplifting site that helps you get your home and life organized.  A big part of it is simple short routines to keep things in order.  I'm one of those people that often just stares at my mess and feels overwhelmed and doesn't know where to start. Or I feel like if I can't do it all and do it right, then why bother starting.

I feel much less stressed about my home now. When it is messy, I'm not overwhelmed at all and I don't feel guilty about it anymore either.  I guess feeling guilty about your own space is a little bit crazy, isn't it?  Anyway, having a routine is daunting and I don't always feel like doing it.

With Brenna starting school again, I started thinking the other night about our miserable mornings.  Miserable because I was always repeating myself and getting upset because she drags her feet and gets distracted. Taking longer and we end up rushing out the door frustrated with each other.  So I was having trouble sleeping and I thought about flylady and our morning routine.  I ended up typing up a morning and bedtime routine for Brenna. It's very simple and only has about 5 steps for each.  I hung it in her bedroom and she was thrilled! I made a more simplified one for Cailyn with pictures and she was glad to be included.  But it has made our mornings so much less stressful. And Brenna thanked me over and over for letting her do it herself!

On both girls' bedtime routines, it includes a "minute pick-up." They both got a timer and their number of minutes depends on their age, so 6 minutes for Brenna and 3 for Cailyn.  I don't ask them to have their rooms spotless, just that they spend those minutes picking up everything they can.  They have been amazed at all they can do in just those few minutes and have a sense of accomplishment and pride in what they've done.

Yes, I am a much happier mommy!

Dinners Aug 17-26

I've got 3 main goals in mind in planning this week.

• Clean out the freezer. (Using the food, that is)
• Sneak in veggies the girls either will eat or won't notice.
• Use as much as I already have on hand as possible.

8/17 Sloppy Joes and corn on the cob - Luckily I have all of this on hand

8/18 Spiral Chicken (Thanks to my friend Jennifer for the recipe)

You will need:
1-1/2 C uncooked spiral pasta
1/2 C mayonnaise
1/3 C milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 C frozen mixed vegatables, thawed
1-1/2 C cubed cooked chicken
1-1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese (separate out enough to sprinkle over the top later)

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, milk, salt, and basil. Stir in the vegetables, chicken and 1 C cheese. Drain pasta; stir into vegetable mixture. Transfer to a greased 1-1/2 qt. microwave safe dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover and microwave on high for 4-5 min. or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 4 servings

8/19 Salmon Filets - bought cheap at Aldi's, Baked potatoes, and broccoli

 8/20 Spaghetti - always a winner

8/21 Beef stir fry, I'm going to use some frozen stew meat I have and fried rice (my first attempt)

8/22 Tilapia, asparagus and mashed potatoes

8/23 Hamburgers, carrots and some chips.

8/24 Quesadillas

8/25 Vegetable Lo mien (my first try again)

8/26 Beirock Casserole - One of my favorites

Or Runza casserole for Nebraska people

 You need:

1 head or bag of cabbage

2 lbs ground beef

1/2 an onion

1 can cream of mushroom

2 cans crescent rolls

1 cup shredded cheese Or more ;)

Brown the hamburger and then steam the cabbage and onions with the hamburger.  After the cabbage is a little soft, mix in the cream of mushroom. I sometimes add a can of beer when steaming the cabbage, it makes it yummy. 

Line your pan with 1 can of cresent rolls on bottom, fill with mixture. Sprinkle the cheese over mixture and then cover with the second can of cresent rolls.

I like this served with some mustard. My mom loved it with spicy mustard. The girls prefer ketchup.  My leftovers never last long here.

Trying something new

I have recently become unemployed.  Despite applying for many jobs I find myself doing the single mom thing on a very limited budget.  So here I am trying to save my sanity as well and trying to make ends meet.  I have so many blessings to count despite challenges. I mean, we all have challenges, right!? So I'm choosing to see the bright side.  I got to see my 1st grader, Brenna, off on her first day of school today!  Then I took a walk with Cailyn, my 3 year old.  She was so excited when she realized that Brenna being at school meant that she got to play with her toys.Two weeks ago, I got to spend the day of Cailyn's birthday with her.  I've never gotten to spend the day with my girls on their birthdays. 

Today I wrote out a menu for the next week and a half using what I've got and the sales fliers from the grocery store.  I've also ordered this months "Bread of Life" box from Angle Food Ministries.  I will be able to pick that up on the 27th. Then the next few weeks menus will be based on that.  If you are looking for a great value you should take a look. You don't have to have any income limitations to be able to get it.

And just so you know, I've never been a cook. I'm still learning as I go. My momma made everything in the microwave. And velveeta was a main staple in most meals.  I loved my momma to death, but cooking was not her forte. My ex husband was the cook of the family previously. So this is all new territory.