On another note, I am not really doing a menu this week, I am trying ALOT of new things, so as they turn out I will just wing it with dinners, I do have a few ideas in which I will give you!  Again feel free to ask for any recipes or leave your comments on what works for you for meals, we would all love to hear it!

So heres my list, in no particular order…. dun dun dun….

Meatballs & Meatball subs

Corned Beef & Ruebens

Tuna noodle casserole

Beef & Potato Curry with Homemade Naan

Homemade Pepperoni  ( so might make calzones or something of the sort!)

Bacon Cheddar Biscuits

Salad dressings- Ranch, Oil & Vinegar, Caeser

Homemade Cream Cheese

Pear Tart with Chocolate Drizzle

Homemade Chocolate Chips

Homemade Marshmallows, which defaults me to HAVE to make Rice Krispie Treats, I dont have a choice =)

That is all the food plans I have for the week, some things may be added, some scratched off but thats my plan!

I am also finishing a batch of homemade coconut oil, in which I will use to make some homemade toothpaste….first time for this but I am OH SO EXCITED!! I will let you know how it goes!

Have a good one!  Enjoy the day for whatever comes your way=)

As far as us, we are getting into a new schedule that I beleive we are all very positive about, I have heard the phrase “Change is good” many times, and most of those times I roll my eyes because I don’t feel like the change that is taking place is “good” but this is different, these changes are getting us back on track and will continue to make our family grow in the way we have always envisioned it.  One day at a time=)

So here is our menu for the week, hope you get some good ideas!

Sunday: B: Bagels with Cream Cheese, fruit

L: Chicken Nachos (can make a toppings bar if you would like!)

D: Eggs, Homemade Sausage, Hashbrowns, Applesauce

Monday: B: Baked Blueberry oatmeal

L: BLT’s, carrot sticks

D: Shepard’s Pie

Tuesday: B: Pancakes with homemade sausage

L: Pizza

D: Chicken & Dumplings or Chicken Enchiladas…this is transferred from last week, I never got that far!

Wednesday: B: Baked eggs in cheesy bread bowls, zucchini hash browns

L: Hot Dogs, Macaroni Salad

D: Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatos, Green Beans, Salad

Thursday: B: Crepes with apple butter

L: Deviled eggs, Stuffed Celery, Cheese & Crackers

D:  Broccoli and Cheese Soup, Homemade Croutons

Friday: B: Eggwhite Omelets, Toast

L: Cheeseburgers with Homemade Potato Chips

D: Steak, Baked Potatoes, Broccoli, Salad

Saturday: B: Peanut Butter & Jelly Pancakes

L: Tuna Salad in Pita Pockets, Carrot Sticks

D: Beef Stew, Homemade Rolls

Hope everyone has a good Food week=)

So here is the list…and how amazing, some of these you may NEVER have to buy again, hows that for using everything you buy=)

1. Scallions or Green Onions.  This is my most succesful, put them in a glass/vase ( i have mine in a left over big glass pickle jar ) and fill with water till the roots are submerged.  Rinse off roots and change water once a week.  Cut off tops as you need them.  Some may dry out and wither, just cut them off to freshen up the plant.  We have a never-ending cycle of green onions=)

2.  Leeks.  This is my second most succesful, and I had never even eaten a leek before, now I have a never-ending cycle of these as well.  I keep them the same as the scallions. Put in water and cut off tops as needed, change water and wash roots once a week.

3.  Celery.  If you buy the whole celery at the store, cut off the bottom and put in water to fill half way up the sides.  When growth starts, should be about 4-5 days.  Replant in potting soil.  I keep this in my kitchen window.  If you water as needed, it should thrive=)

4. Spring Onions & Fennel-  These are kept the same as the leeks and scallions!

5. Lemon grass-  I actually havent tried this one yet, but it is on my list. You cut off the roots and put them in water and put in a sunny spot.  In about a week, new growth will start to grow.  Transplant it into some soil and leave it in a sunny spot.  You can harvest your lemongrass when the stalks reach about a foot tall, then you can just cut off what you need and let it keep growing=)

6. Bok Choy, Romaine Lettuce & Cabbage-  All these are the same as celery.  Cut off the tops and put bottom in water filled half way up.  When new leaves start to appear, plant into a pot with soil, or straight outside, if your climate permits=)

7. Ginger-  SO easy, just replant a part of the root fully in soil.  It will grow up new shoots and grow down new roots, when established pull up whole plant, cut off a piece of the root and start over…a never ending cycle of fresh ginger! yum.

8. Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes-  They both will start to sprout, sometimes even in your fridge drawer…you can cut that piece off and submerge 1/4 of it in water, the sprouts will grow toward the light.  When new growth appears, you can plant directly in soil, and the plants grows taller, add more soil.  Eventually the plant will get all brown and wilty.  That is when it is time to harvest! You can continue to repeat the process.

9. Garlic- you can regrow a whole bulb plant from just 1 clove. Plant it root side down in soil, when shoots appear, you can cut them off and either use them just like green onions or toss them ( I would at least compost them)  Then the plant would concentrate all of its energy into making a nice big garlic bulb.  Repeat process with another garlic clove!

10.  Onions- White, Red, Pearl, ect… cut off the bottom of the onion, I leave it sit out for a day to callous up, then plant it in top soil and it will grow you a whole new onion!

I am sure that there are more foods out there than can replanted, and as I learn more and more I will keep you posted.  But you gotta start somewhere=)  It will save you money, AND is healthier and a lot more rewarding to eat something that came from your home garden!

GOOD LUCK!

Sunday: B: Cinnamon Raisin biscuits with honey cream cheese

L: Pizza=)

D: Chili & Cornbread

Monday: B: Peanut Butter Pancakes

L: Turkey Salad Sandwiches & Homemade Potato Chips

D: Cheeseburgers, Salad, Sweet Potato Fries

Tuesday: B: Baked Blueberry Oatmeal

L: Chili Dogs & Salad

D: Pulled Pork, Hushpuppies, Baked Beans, Macaroni Salad

Wednesday: B: Chili Omelets, Toast, Fruit

L: French Dip Sandwiches & Salad

D: Carmelized chicken, Mashed Potatos, Salad

Thursday: B: Pancakes & Homemade Breakfast Sausage

L: Pulled Pork Sandwiches, leftover beans&macaroni salad

D: Stuffed Cabbage

Friday: B: Granola with milk, Fruit

L: Leftovers

D: Chicken Enchiladas or Chicken & Dumplings ( I make both because my hubby doesnt like mexican food, but I do=). win-win.

Saturday: B: Biscuits & Gravy, Scrambled eggs, Fruit

L: Hot Dog & Squash stuffing

D: Cheese lasagna, meatballs, breadsticks

Hope everyone had a Great week, and and and, I got something checked off my goal list this week! YAY!

To check out my goal list and see what I have accomplished so far go here.

Please feel free to email for recipes you would like to try!!!

You can make it with apples, blueberries, pears…ect. You can put it together the day before and then pop it in the oven in the morning.  You can serve it with maple syrup, homemade cinnamon syrup(recipe below), powdered sugar, or nothing. It is good just on its own!

Baked Apple Pancake 

1 cup flour

½ tea salt

2 eggs ( I only use 1, or 2tbsp applesauce)

2 Tbsp oil/butter, melted

1 cup milk

1 tea vanilla

1 lg apple thinly sliced

Cinnamon sugar

Combine flour and salt, make a well in center and add eggs, butter and milk.  Wisk till smooth.  Butter or spray 13×9 pan.  Add batter to pan and top with apples. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.  Bake at 400 for 35 minutes.

Cinnamon Syrup

6 tbsp melted butter

½ tea cinnamon

¼ cup water

6 tbsp sugar

Bring to boil over medium heat. Lower heat and let simmer 5 minutes, Stirring occasionally.

Do you make any easy breakfasts that you would like to share?

This week I was able to sit down and come up with a menu plan for the week, so I will share…feel free to contact me for any recipes or new ideas…I always love to cook/bake new things. If you have a recipe that you would like me to make, to see if it is even worth your time in making, let me know, Im all about it;)

Sunday B: Baked Apple Pancake

L: Potato Knish-leek and cheddar filled (new recipe)

D: Biscuits & Gravy..my biscuits are heart shaped<3, Scrambled eggs, Roasted Blueberry Custard

Monday: B: Breakfast Pizza- Gravy from biscuits, eggs, green pepper, cheddar

L: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, Homemade Oyster Crackers

D: Homemade Pizza- 1 BBQ chicken, 1 Margarita (pizza 2 times in one day! my kids are gunna love me;) But I am already doing the breakfast pizza dough, so mine as well just prebake the others in the morning, I could freeze them, but I said “screw-it” Pizza it is!

Tuesday: B:Granola with milk.  Grapefruit/Apple

L: Grilled Cheese & Pear Panini, Carrot& Celery Sticks

D: Baked Ziti…well macaroni because I dont have any ziti, but same difference!, salad, breadsticks

Wednesday: B: Peanut Butter and Jelly Pancakes

L: Tuna Salad Pitas, Baked Sweet Potato Fries

D: Roasted Turkey Breast, Scalloped Potatos, Squash, Salad

Thursday: B: Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits(new recipe) with Honey Cream Cheese

L: Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Homemade Potato Chips

D: Baked Stuffed French Toast with Blueberries(new recipe)

Friday: B: Peanut Butter Toast, applesauce

L: Turkey Salad Sandwiches

D: Pulled Pork, Hushpuppies(new recipe), Baked Beans, Salad

Saturday: B: Baked Apple Oatmeal

L: Chicken Tacos with homemade salsa OR Chicken Quesadilla

D: French Onion Soup in Bread Bowls (of course with melted gooey cheese on top=)
Some extras I am making during the week, for snacks and what not: Maple Oatmeal Scones(new recipe), Pear Tart(new recipe), Soft Pretzels, Hot Chocolate Cupcakes(new recipe) with Homemade Marshmallows!

Hope everyone has a GREAT week!

What are you planning to cook this week?

First up:  Broccoli Cheese Soup

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup diced celery

2 tbsp dried onion ( you surely could use fresh, I just didn’t have one=)

1/4 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup chicken broth (could use a bouillon)

2 1/2 cups milk

2 cups chopped broccoli, raw

1/2 cup shredded cheddar (or 1/4 of a 1 lb block, I didn’t shred it, just threw it in and stirred till melted, yay for less dirty dishes!)

Saute celery and onion in butter till soft.  Add flour and stir till blended and smooth.  Add seasonings. Add broth and milk, all at once. Stir till blended with flour mixture. Add broccoli.  Bring to boil, reduce and let simmer 10-15 minutes. Add cheddar and stir till melted and smooth.  * I served with homemade croutons, yum.  Or you could do crusty bread, or nothing! It is good plain too=) Quick, warm lunch!

Second:  Squash Alfredo Sauce

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1 cup chicken broth

2 1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic

1/2 cup pureed squash ( I used butternut)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in pot on medium heat, add flour and stir till smooth.  Add seasonings. Add broth and milk all at once. Stir till combined.  Let come to boil and reduce for 10-15 minutes till nice and thick & bubbly.  Watch the heat because you don’t want the milk to scorch or for it to boil over ( NOOOO this didn’t happen to me at all;) Once nice and thick add squash and cheese.  Keep on heat a few more minutes till all ingredients are nicely combined.  This made 4 cups of sauce.  I was using it for lasagna & chicken alfredo pasta and still have 1 1/2 cups left, so feel free to 1/2 the recipe if only using for a meal. But its a good way to get some veggie in the meal as well, seeing as how our 3-year-old wont touch anything that looks for smells like a veggie, I trick him, shhh don’t tell.

Did you notice the resemblance in the recipes?That is all cooking is, just going with what works and adapting it. Dont be afraid to try, you never know it might just be damn good, and no not everything I make is damn good, but that is how I learn!

Good luck and hope your 2013 is going just as you would like=)

Macaroni Salad, Potato Salad, Mac N Cheese, Beef Stew & Peanut Butter Pancakes=)

On another note I SERIOUSLY did not realize it was New Years Eve today until I got an email from my lovely grandmother (whom uses a computer rather nicely I might add=) saying HAPPY NEW YEARS.  I paused and thought “Um okay that is like three days from now…” Then I looked down in the right corner of my computer where is says the time and date…and for some reason it told me that today was the 31st. HM.  I went to my hubbs and said “did you know today was new years eve?”  He said “Uh YEAH!”  ohhhh….So now that I have secured that it really is New Years Eve… I need to write my goals for the year.  I don’t do a resolution because, well, when I was younger and I did do a resolution, it was ALWAYS to just lose weight, get healthy, do sit-ups and attempt to work out…I never stuck with it, but last year I wrote basic goals and have accomplished many of them….so hopefully this year will be the same=) Wish me luck as I do with yours=)

1.)  Take every moment as it is, cherish it, don’t rush to get up to flip the laundry or do something that is of irrelevance, for the laundry and such will be there, but that moment will no longer be THAT moment.

2.) Listen to my kids.  As they are getting a little older, they are needing more time, more understanding from me, and I want to give them that.

3.) Listen to my husband. We have learned a lot from each other in the years we have been together, we spent a good portion of this year apart because of moving and work, and I want to listen and fulfill his needs, big and little if I can.  I think I am making it sound like I don’t listen to anyone(and in my stubborn moments I don’t!), but that isn’t what I am saying, by listen I mean not only by what they speak but what they tell me in other ways as well, reallllly listen!

4.) Be a good Pet mom.  We have a dog, 3 cats, a savanna monitor and a fish…that is a light load compared to last year, we have had a lot of losses in the past year and we miss them all.  But with everything going on this past year I feel like I sometimes have shunned my pet kids and I don’t want to do that because, well, I love them. So I would like to give them more attention, more walks, more talks, more pats, more love this year. They need it too.  And some people say that having pets can be a stress reliever, I’m sure that is, if you have the right pet for you!

5.) Do more activities, as a family, with the kids, more crafts, more engaging minds moments.

6.) Start actively homeschooling, although we know we are not going to be by the grind, by the book “homeschooler”, I think some type of semblance of order would be good=)

7.) Take care of myself, in the years past I feel very guilty about taking even a moment for myself…let me just say that this is completely internal guilt, this is not something that my family guilt’s me over, it’s just something that I feel, because I feel like I am taking something from them, when in reality, sometimes the little things make one happier, and in the end a better more patient person.

8.) And that reminds me, I want to be more patient.  With everything, including myself.

9.) Grow my hair long, may seem weird, but its a goal, I go back and forth on my hair and this time its grow it long! =)

10.) Save money for an emergency fund.

11.) Be stable in job/income.

12.) Build a chicken coop and start housing chickens.

13.) Build a rabbit hutch and start housing rabbits.

14.) Kill what we eat and don’t waste it. Use every part possible. To some this may seem cruel, to us it seems the most un-cruel because we know that they lived well and died fast and as humanly as possible.

15.) Eat even less processed food and make more homemade as possible. I did well with this in 2012 and could only imagine it would get better=)

16.) Build an ice skating rink next winter for the boys, and us too!

17.) Don’t procrastinate.  If something important needs to be done, conquer it, for then the last second wont come and you wont be kicking yourself like did here!

1)  Live without electricity for a week.  No lights, no washer, no dryer, no tv, no Wii, no computer, just living…We would first like to test this on a “nice” weather week.  Then from there, up to it a week with no electricity or gas, so we would have to cook outside, in a pit fire, or solar oven(that I am going to make=) and then try a week in the winter, although we already go without power in the winter because of storms, it is good to test, to make sure you know what you REALLY need in those situations.  What better way to find out but to do it!

20.) Have a full 6 Month food supply stored up.  We are on our way with this one, but would like to be more well rounded and organized with the whole process.

21.)  Have an actual garden with many different varietys of veggies & fruit.  Yum fresh garden produce!

22.) Compost.

23.) Make 2 Rain barrels.

24.) Drink at least one full glass of water every day.  This sounds so rediculous.  BUT my one addiction in life is coffee, so I wind up just refilling my cup a few times, then comes dinner and I realize I havent hydrated myself at ALL. So one glass is a step in the right direction.

I am sure there are many other little and maybe some big that I havent put down yet, when I think of them I will add to the list…I am tired and we had a long day of snow removal, so some time with the hubbs and then hitting the sack!

HAPPY NEW YEARS to you all,  I hope all your goals come true in 2013!
What are some of your goals?   Please feel free to share so we can all be inspired!

But considering the fact that he told me at least 40 times that we needed to get our tractor all squared away for winter, starting, I don’t know…LAST MONTH and I didn’t do it till, UM, yesterday, then ran into problems…yeah I guess its my own fault, I just kept putting it off, not because I don’t like learning new things, but because its learning something new that I have no clue where to start, it makes me nervous, so then I just don’t do it, because then I don’t have to go through those emotions. I don’t even know if that makes any sense?! Regardless, I tackled it, ran into problems, that caused my tired self to literally have a melt down like I was the four-year old in the house, crying for NO apparent reason other than I was just frustrated, with myself.

Frustrated that I had put it off, and now time is NOT on my side, especially because we are more likely than not to get hit with a storm.  Frustrated that it seemed SO frigging easy and I couldn’t seem to figure it out.  Frustrated that I frustrated my amazing patient husband.  Frustrated that I was frustrated! oh me oh my.

So the hubby says “tell me, what seems to be the problem?”  For whatever reason I felt compelled to ”yell” the problem to him, not at him, but to him…and he just stood there for a second, walked away, then I saw him go out the side door, start the tractor, whistle for me, I walked outside, he asked “are the blades spinning?”  I said “yes” and he said “all fixed, you were right, it was simple!”  I looked at him with an F you, but I love you, thank god you fixed it look=)

And there we go, that was that.  I learned a lot, and he probably knew the whole time what was wrong but was seeing if I could manage to figure it out myself, sometimes I do, this time I didn’t. Where in the world would I be without him?  With a broken down tractor for one, and in an insane asylum for sure.

I love always having him to depend on, and he ALWAYS comes through when I need him. He is my best friend, my biggest supporter/fan, and the love of my life, who teaches me things every day, and I am so grateful for that.

I hope everyone had a great holiday…and make sure you are always there for the ones that need you, for you never know when you might need them=)

Sunday: B: Blueberry Muffins: Applesauce

L:  Chicken Nachos

D: Bacon & Eggs, Homemade Hashbrowns, Pears

Monday: B: Crepes with Homemade Apple Butter

L: BLT’s, carrots

D: Italian Wedding Soup, Homemade Breadsticks

Tuesday:  MERRY CHRISTMAS! B: Homemade Cinnamon Rolls=)

L: Stuffed Celery, Deviled Eggs, Olive tray, Cream Cheese Salsa Dip w/ Homemade Tortilla Chips

D:  Ham, Turkey, Stuffing, Mashed Potato, Sweet Potato, Sauted Green Beans, Squash

Dessert=)  Buckeyes, Peppermint Bark, Peppermint Stick Ice Cream, Homemade Gingerbread

Wednesday: B:Egg Scramble with Ham, Applesauce

L: Hot Ham & Cheese, Soup

D: Sheppards Pie

Thursday: B: Blueberry Coffee Cake, yogurt with raisins and honey

L: Turkey Salad Lettuce Cups

D: Christmas Plate Leftovers=)

Friday: B: Baked Oatmeal Cups, Applesauce

L: Burgers, Ham Macaroni Salad

D: Turkey Pot Pie

Saturday: B: Baked Blueberry Pancake, Yogurt

L: Tuna salad in Pita pockets, carrots

D: Chicken Cordon Bleu, Scalloped Potato, Green Beans

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

Make some wonderful memories with the loved ones you have, and remember all the memories for the loved ones you miss…