Meal Planning 101

Seriously, I am not a great cook. And furthermore, I don't really love cooking. Its a challenge. It always has been. My dad used to joke that if I had to unwrap something before I put it in the microwave it was too much work for me. And that's not far from the truth. When we were first married I tried to cook a few things rather unsuccessfully. We ate out a lot, and our best home-cooked meals were the ones Brad made. When I first became the stay-at-home wife, I felt I needed to cook our meals... but they often consisted of canned soup, frozen foods, and the occasional cream-soup-based casserole. Not great. Which made the eating-out option much more pleasing. But when we got serious about paying off our debt, God began to deal with my heart directly. He convinced me that I needed to do a better job of providing meals for my family. He also brought some like-minded friends into my life, which have encouraged me greatly! And He may have mentioned that whether I really liked it or not, it was a big piece of our family puzzle. The following verse spoke deeply to my heart, and still does. I plan to eventually display a version of it in our future dining room. Here are three versions, perhaps one will speak to you more than another.

"Better a meal of vegetables where there is love, than a fattened calf with hatred."

Proverbs 15:17 (NIV)

"A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate."

(New Living Translation)

"Better a bread crust shared in love than a slab of prime rib served in hate."

(The Message)

If you are hoping to make a dent in your budget; if you want to change your eating habits; if you want to just be a bit more organized; then I hope this helps you. Providing meals at your family dinner table is an opportunity to reap huge dividends in your family dynamic.

I plan my meals one week at a time. Usually Tuesday-Monday. Often I sit down on Monday evening or Tuesday morning...I usually grocery shop on Tuesdays. {Just so you know, I dread this part. Dread it. Really. A lot. BUT, if I don't do this part, then the rest doesn't work. You know?} I found it helpful to have some cookbooks handy while I make the meal list. Some tried and true cookbooks, nothing too crazy.

I also have a three-ring-binder with recipes that I have been collecting from friends, family, and the internet. And some magazines. Magazines with simple, practical recipes. Nothing too crazy.

Now here is an important thing. Have your grocery list right next to you. As you fill in the blanks, write down what you need to buy to make the meals. I also have another paper handy so I make a list of things to check on in the cupboard, fridge or freezer - you know like pasta; to see if I need to buy more or if I have some on hand. After checking, I either add those items to the list (or not, if I don't need them).

I only plan dinners. Our lunches are simple. Usually leftovers or sandwiches. After I make the grocery list from the meal plan, I check on lunch supplies that we might need and also breakfast food. I try really really hard to stick to my list at the grocery store. I used to add "sweet snack" and "salty snack" to the list so I could have the freedom to add two random things to the cart while shopping. I have to admit, I have been straying a bit lately, so I might have to go back to this strategy.

In the pictures above, you see I am compiling a whole month of meals. But I only plan one week at a time. I just thought if I saved my lists, then in the future it might not be such a chore to plan. Oh, and I usually only try one new recipe a week. (Or two if one is a side dish). I am much messier when making a new recipe. One more tip. Because cooking is not one of my favorite things to do, I try to make it easier on myself. Whenever I make lasagna, I divide it two pans and freeze one. This way, one day down the road I won't have to cook. Or better yet, if someone I know needs a meal, I have one in the freezer for them. Because our family is still relatively small, pretty much any casserole recipe can be divided this way. When the boys are older, I am sure they will eat way more!

Start simple. Hang your meal list on your fridge. One of the best part about this whole thing is when someone asks, "What's for dinner?" You don't even have to think about it - just look at your list. If you google 'meal planning', you will probably find a multitude of helpful information. I am sure there are even sites that generate a plan for you.

blessed.

On Friday's the PTA has a sale of cheap treats to raise some money. Wilson was up early and digging through his piggy bank so he could buy a sucker for himself and Walker. He came out with a couple gold dollars and asked me what they were... I told him they were gold dollars and tht he didn't need to take those to school, he just needed two quarters. He ran back to his room and then returned quickly and said, "Man, I'm a lucky boy, I have a lot of golden dollars..."

He then preceeded to dump out his piggy bank and count them all... I told him "You are not lucky, you are loved, there is a big difference." I am not sure if he gets it or not, but I trust that one day he will. His great grandparents give each of their great grandchildren 10 gold dollars every year for Christmas... (on the dresser are Wilson and Walker's gold coins from this year). (And isn't it adorable that he calls them 'golden dollars'???)

its that time of year...

we had to break out the hot cocoa yesterday. even sweeter in the old mugs from Great Grandpa & Grandma Lewis!

wheel of fortune...

Yesterday on the way home from church, Wilson says, "I have a val in my name."

Brad and I look at each other. Blankly. "A what?" I ask. Curious to know...

He pipes up, "A val. You know, a, e, i, o ..."

"Oh a 'vow-el'!" We say at the same time. "You mean a vowel."

I can only imagine what new words they'll learn in Georgia.

Do you think Pat Sajack will know what Wilson means when he says, "I'd like to buy a val, Pat" Gosh, I hope so, Wilson hates to lose... (You know, in case he's ever actually on Wheel of Fortune.)

just for fun...

I snapped this picture of the boys playing in their room tonight after dinner. The boys do enjoy their playing-together-time more during the school year, I guess maybe because they have less of it. They told me that they, "turned our room into a tent!" And this little picture is of a gigantic spider... thankfully the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever because this monster was dead before I discovered it. Good grief! Just imagine how big it would be if it wasn't all curled up! (That is MY foot in the picture.... ok, maybe I am exaggerating.... its Walker's foot)

And here is the big man minus TWO teeth! And the other day, we discovered his 'big teeth' are already peeking through the gums!

Our move is fast approaching, and its starting to sink in a little. We are praying for an on-post house with good neighbors and preferably within walking distance to school. We are waiting and watching for God's hand to move mightily. He is so very good, all the time.

for real?

I just asked Walker to put away some toys he was playing with earlier. To be specific, fold-up matchbox sets.

Just now, I was hanging a shirt up in their closet and Walker ran in and stashed some of the pieces to the sets under his bed.

He said, "I'm putting these under here."

And then ran out to continue "picking up."

When I walked out, he said, "Don't check under there ever ever ever."

playin' in the rain...

...the satellite went out tonight while the guys were watching "This Old House" It was raining. But not lightening/thundering so Brad decided they should go outside and play... ...I won't lie, there were some tears at the beginning. Perhaps some fear about Daddy losing his mind.

But once they decided to go for it, they really had a fun time.

All of them =)

Oh, and Wilson pulled his second tooth out last night. Dumb tooth fairy forgot to come last night. Who's idea was that anyway? Hopefully she remembers tonight... Walker has informed us that he took the money out of the bag... I am not sure if Wilson knows what to think about that!

Don't forget to enjoy the rain!

gone.

Big Man lost his first tooth today. Once he discovered that he had a loose tooth, he didn't stop messing with it until it came out. He was disappointed last year when some of his friends lost teeth and he hadn't lost anything (always competitive!). So, he was super fired up tonight when he realized he would be joining the lost-a-tooth-club! He is so thrilled!

We were on the fence about the tooth fairy... you know us, the old meanies... Brad and I had discussed it awhile back, so when Wilson started peppering me with questions tonight I just did a lot of shoulder shrugging.

After the tooth came out, Wilson told us he was going to put it under his pillow, "And see if I get a dollar!"

I gasped and said, "A dollar!!!"

And then Brad clinched the tooth fairy deal with the reply, "I used to get a quarter!"

Its almost as if a switch came on in Wilson's head, that maybe he could really believe in this tooth fairy thing. He said to Brad, "I thought the tooth fairy was just fantasy."

(Fantasy? Really? His teacher wasn't kidding when she said he has a big vocabulary!)

Hooah!

(please forgive me, Blogger and I are not on speaking terms because everytime I load pictures they appear in a different order. Back in the day {when I blogged regularly} I knew which order they would appear. I think Blogger changed...but maybe its just me. With that said, the pictures aren't in the correct order).

PROMOTED! To say it has been a long time coming is an understatement. God has been faithful through the ups and downs as we waited. Most of which we have shared here, so I won't give you a play by play... Now on to the pictures.

Afterwards, Brad got to say a few words of thanks... see the stripes?? Before the ceremony, the Sgt Major was chatting with us... you can see Wilson was unimpressed with the small talk.

Here's the picture when I "pinned" him. Technically, I "velcroed" him. I found out this weekend that I was supposed to punch him after I pinned him. I think I did alright ;)

This was before things got started but after we were told where to stand in the room. There were soldiers all around the perimeter of the room. Wilson said, "Miss Barbie was the only one not wearing a uniform."

And here is the family shot before the room filled up. Wilson was excited. Originally the ceremony was going to be outside this morning at 9am, but this morning some paperwork wasn't ready so we came back at 1pm. (My hair was way cuter this morning, as if that matters).

We are truly blessed. I am overwhelmed by God's grace and love... sometimes I try to figure out all the details in His marvelous plans for us, but I always come up short. I have seen my husband's confidence grow in leaps in bounds - not in himself or his strength - but in God's. After Afghanistan was a low point, but if we hadn't gone there, we might not be here. Resting in the faithfulness of our Father. He is good, all the time.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

Proverbs 3:5-7

afternoons with Walker.

this week has been somewhat busy, Walker and I have been running around in the mornings. And hanging around at home in the afternoon. Today was the kick-off of PWOC after helping a bit with clean-up we came home. Walker busily got to work trying to tear open some stickers that belonged to Wilson...I kindly re-directed him to his own puppy-dog stickers. He was quick to show me that he "put a sticker on here so we know what kind of picture it is." I hadn't realized it before, but having that puppy sticker on Muskoka really helps identify that she is a dog, indeed. Of course, I thought I should get a picture of him showing y'all his clever labeling skills... while I was messing with the settings on the camera, he was messing with the picture frame...

He is an explorer for sure.

And so fun to hang out with!

Brad had his own adventure with Walker last night involving a Petoskey-stone-polishing-kit. Maybe he'll share it with you one day - Brad is at paintball today. Its a tough job, but somebody has to do it.

first grade.

seriously. how can it be? Here's a picture from the open house last night. We were the first ones in the classroom and I think Wilson was a little apprehensive and perhaps overwhelmed. He hadn't seen any of his friends from last year and he was just ready to go... he did oblige me and smile for the camera... but he wasn't too excited about it. After a good dinner last night and some pep talks from Mom and from Dad, he seemed to be more eager about starting school today. (For what its worth, I had lots of warm fuzzies about his teacher and I am quite certain he's going to adore her within a few days...) Here is a before-we-left-the-house-on-the-first-day-of-school picture. He was ready. I think he said he wasn't excited, but he was ready.

With Daddy home, we got to school early enough to have to wait outside this morning! Wilson is holding some cookies for his teacher ... with a little card that says, "Because teachers cannot live by apples alone!" (I got the idea from Barbie)

And here he is greeting his teacher.

I made Brad wait so I could get one more picture... and make sure Wilson was OK. Brad said, "You're turning into one of those moms..." (I know he means a helicopter mom because that was a question on Millionaire the other night. ) I snapped my picture and said, "No I am not, because I am letting him ride the bus home." I can hover if I want to right???

It was so great having Brad here this morning. I have to admit I wasn't quite as strong as I was last year when I had to do it all by myself. But Wilson kept his brave face on, and both of us walked out of the school full of pride. I can't wait to hear about his day!

a summer to savor.

Here are a couple pictures of the watermelon festival we went to a couple weekends ago...
they pass out these huge chunks of watermelon! I adore this picture =)

Without hesitation, I can say the time that Brad was deployed was the hardest time of my life. No question. But I can also say, that this has been the most joyous summer of my life. Without a doubt. And through the hardest time and the most joyous time, God has continued to reveal His goodness to us; His faithfulness, and His never-ending love.

As summer comes to a close - Wilson starts first grade tomorrow! - I have been hesitant to let it slip by. Part of me wants to grasp it tightly because it has been so wonderfully sweet. But even this week God has been telling me to let it go... so my hands and my heart will be open to receive the future blessings He has in store for us. I thought of a song by Bebo Norman today that sums up how I hope to leave this summer behind. Its called "Walk down this Mountain." If you click the title you'll go to a link so you can hear the song. Here are some of the lyrics from the chorus...

So walk down this mountain

With your heart held high

Follow in the footsteps of your Maker

With this Love that's gone before you

And these people at your side

accomplishments.

I took some pictures of Brad helping Wilson master this bike-riding-without-training-wheels-thing. First they went up and down the sidewalk... ...then they headed around the block...

...and to the parking lot across the street. I wish you could've heard Wilson screaming, "Why can't we just STOP???" He still has some work to do on the bike.

I had to throw in a picture of Walker on his two-wheeler for good measure. He LOVES riding his bike...but isn't convinced that he could try it without training wheels... I am guessing that would motivate Wilson though ;)

Lunch break at Miss Barbie's last week... one last hurrah in the Clements' pool before moving day...

Walker now confidently swims all over without anyone touching him... and Wilson swims without any floaties!!! All it took was one time swimming with Daddy in the pool!

And here's a shot of Wilson jumping in from the diving board. He is such a dare-devil in the pool. He wanted Brad to teach him how to dive the first time he swam without floaties!

It is such a joy to watch the boys accomplish things, even sweeter to be watching Daddy help them!

"How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me?" Psalm 116:12

six. (past due post)

So, during our trip our firstborn turned six. For the first time in his life, I can honestly say this year did not fly by. Mainly because his daddy was gone. Time moves differently during a deployment. Nonetheless, the year did pass. And for this guy, this year was monumental. He grew in so many ways. Most of which are hard to put into words.

On the morning of his birthday we gave him his new "big man bike." No training wheels...

Later we had a get-together with family and friends at Clearwater Campground. He looks so grown-up in this picture, I can hardly stand it! (The remaining pictures are courtesy of Brad's mom... we didn't get our camera out at the party! I did take some pics with my mom's camera, but I don't have the pics on my computer...)

He had such a great day, there was so much to do at the campground, including these horse-drawn carriage rides!

It was great to have Daddy helping with the gift-opening-part.

I had to throw in this picture of Brad with his baby sister, Victoria...too cute!

Wilson and his Uncle Colson were pretty much inseparable at the party.

We had a wonderful day celebrating Wilson. He is an extraordinary little man and I know this coming year is full of milestones too... already since turning six he has begun swimming without floaties and riding his bike (with a bit of assistance still.) He is an amazingly courageous little guy and has a servant's heart through and through.

When we got in the car after the party, Wilson said, "Can I have my party here again next year?"

swimming at LETRA...

(Lake Elmer Thomas Recreation Area) So, we went back to the lake to swim after camping... (Brad told me we camped on Thursday night, not Friday...one of these days, I might know what day it is...maybe.) Anyway, we had to go back because we got to the campground after the store closed and left before it opened and we had to pay our $6 camping fee. Here are the guys on the beach... They made a moat of some sort...

...then they went down the water slide

...I didn't get a very good picture of Wilson...

Walker wasn't very impressed with it.

For some reason, they no longer charge an admittance fee for the beach or water slides, so we plan to go back sometime. The boys really liked the beach and Walker actually loved 'swimming' in the lake... not even the school of fish that surrounded our legs phased him!