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.