DIY Oven Cleaner

My oven was...gross.

I forgot this last winter to run the self cleaning option (because in Phoenix there is no way I am running THAT cycle in the summer.)  Let's be honest it's not my favorite.  Basically it creates an environment so hot that hopefully it all turns to ash and you wipe what's left out.  Not a big deal unless your oven is REALLY bad.  Then you run the risk of setting the fire alarm off as smoke billows from your oven and the fire department shows up because they are pretty sure they deciphered the SOS in the plumes.  Oy. That's where I was.  Gosh, sometimes smoke would start coming just with the preheat of the oven at 400.  No bueno, amigos, no bueno.

I have been highly motivated as of late to get our house clean and myself on a schedule.  Especially since we will be starting school in...oh, look at that...17 days!  The girls like to help so we are working on those aspects.  They are seeing the effects of "many hands make for light work" and merry hearts make for merry work, too.  Although today, I'll admit, I was not so merry.  I know that I set the tone and I reaped what I sowed today.  More on that later.  Back to being motivated...

Yesterday, after most of the rest of the house had been worked on earlier in the week I tackled a couple of problem areas in my kitchen.  I was faced with the oven once again.  I finally said, "That's it.  It just needs to be done."  So, I went to my friend's blog where I saw her recipe for a DIY oven cleaner.  It was a little different than another one I had and I wanted to try it. (Note: the Melaleuca a. is tea tree oil)

It was pretty amazing!  You could barely see through my oven door and now you can TOTALLY see through it.  The door took some extra elbow grease but totally worth it.  But the inside pretty much just wiped out.

I will say, make sure that you oven is just warm.  Not hot.  Mine was too hot and I think it messed with the paste a little.  If you have an electronic temp that shows up on your oven maybe let it get to 100 or 120 and then turn it off.  The lowest mine would go was 170 and I didn't let it cool enough.  Which in turn made for a crazy mess to clean up this morning but still worth it in my opinion.  Next time I know.

It was hard to get to the top of my oven because the broiler elements and the angle.  But I think for what's left the self cleaning will do nicely.

Here are my before and after photos -

Before (top) and After (bottom)

After (top) and Before (bottom)

A Job By Any Other Name

Much of the world would agree that being a housekeeper is acceptable as long as you are not caring for your own home; treating men with attentive devotion would also be right as long as the man is the boss in an office and not your husband; caring for children would even be deemed heroic service for which presidential awards could be given as long as the children are someone else's and not your own.

(from Feminine Appeal, p. 102 - original source Dorothy Patterson, Where's Mom? p.21)

A friend posted this quote on Facebook awhile back and reminded me that we had read this in a book study a couple of years ago.  I pulled the book off the shelf and as I looked through my notes it made me want to read the book again.  Feminine Appeal outlines seven virtues of being a wife and mother.  It was an encouraging and convicting book in many areas.

However, what I like most is how Mahaney encourages women to battle and swat down the vicious lie that the world tells us in that staying home with our children is somehow an underachievement.  As though the world has any place to spew such hogwash.  Yes, it was hard getting used to putting homemaker in the occupation line on a plethora of medical forms.  What would they think?  That was my problem.  Worrying about what other people thought.  I wasn't too concerned about what my God thought.  I was questioning this role that He had clearly called me to fulfill.

I have not arrived in all areas of my new job.  I have been at this whole stay at home thing for almost six years now and it is by far the hardest job that I have ever undertaken.  I find a new joy in it each day with my girls.  I love loving my husband even when I fail miserably.  He is my best friend.  I find more and more that there are women who would love to be in my shoes.  They want to stay home but for whatever reason cannot. I have at least come from worry and anxiety when I fill in the occupation line to sheer joy and smiles when I write homemaker.  I don't need to write domestic engineer or any other silly moniker.  No, I am the keeper and maker of my home and I'm okay with that.

The sad thing is that the above quote is deeply true in society.  Sigh.  It's a sad state of affairs.  So, if you are a stay at home mom or wife... press on, dear one, in the work that the Lord has called you and throw to the side the clanging of society saying that you are not contributing to society or you are somehow an underachiever.  You are the strength of the next generation contributing in ways that are enormous but most will never see nor even remotely think to give a nod for a presidential award.

The Family Calendar

When I was in college, my brain and a fun planner were how I generally kept things straight.  When I started working with college students in my vocation I had electronic devices at my finger tips that let me know where I needed to be and when.  Oddly, I would default to paper when those electronic devices didn't deliver quite what I was looking for in a planner.  Then for the last four or five years I have gone back and forth trying to figure out what works best for me in tracking with our household.

A regular spiral bound planner didn't always work well for me because I wanted to see the whole month at one time and the need for it to be on the counter at all times so I could look at it when needed.

A wall calendar that I could put in a central location.  While that generally worked well I always had to find one that had large boxes.  Of course, it had to be pretty, too.  Those two requirements limited me... a lot!

My smart phone.  I know people LOVE this option.  Nope.  Not me.

Ultimately...

I am a paper girl.  Much to the chagrin of my all-things-electronic, software engineering husband.  I love how paper feels and looks.  Call me old fashioned, I'm okay with that.  I have learned to embrace my old soul.  I can usually remember things better in my noggin if I have actually written it down.  Sometimes, it takes more than once. ha!

So, what is the happy medium for this mama of three littles (two in diapers)?

I have found that a combination of Amy Knapp's Big Grid Family Organizer and my smart phone do a pretty good job...for now.

• It's big!  Plenty of space for me to write (and it's lined!)
• Extra space to write notes for the month.
• Designated area for dinner meal plan.
• It beings in August and goes to December of the following year -- plenty of space to plan ahead.
• It's pretty enough for the season that we are in and I can doodle if I am feeling really creative.
• Spiral bound so I can put it up and take it down as much as I like to update, etc with minimal wear and tear.

My smart phone acts as a reminder system for me.  I update it when new things go on the family calendar.  It's also helpful to have when we are out and so-and-so wants to know if we can do dinner or whatever on a particular evening.  I don't have to make room for a planner in my already full diaper bag... I just need to remember my phone.  My husband will tell you that is a feat in and of itself!  So, it's helpful in that regard.

I had it color coded for each person but my children like to abscond with my pens.  Even when I try to keep them in one particular place.  However, I admit sometimes I leave them in a wrong place from time to time.  Anyway, I think now I just go with what ever color I can find that pops.  I also keep this in my pantry.  It's the most central place for me and I can hide it, too!

I realize that I will have to do more specific meal planning for lunches in the near future when there are four of us to think about (5 on the weekends and for breakfast and dinner) and it will be harder to just pull it all together split second.  I will need to think through snacks items to have on hand, etc.  The calendar doesn't accommodate that now but I have some time to think through other options.  Meal plans significantly reduce my stress level for sure!

Anyway, things may will change and I am sure at some point and so will my style of planning.  Maybe.  I am looking at some other of Knapp's products to see if they fit with how things will change.

What do you use for a family calendar?

Organized Home Week # 3: Pantry

I have been working on maintaining and thinking through the first two weeks of this challenge.  We are spending a few weeks in the kitchen which is a great thing!  The first week was counter tops.  That is hard right now with bottles and this and that on the counters.  So, my goal is to get it under control first and make it suitable for what it is doing right now.  In about a year I can reevaluate that again.  My cabinets and drawers for the second week are another thing.  I am trying to figure out what needs to take a hike and what really needs to stay.  I am on a purging binge right now so I should probably take advantage of that because I am such a just in case kind of person.

However, this week we focused on the pantry or food storage areas in our homes.  YES!  Mine was desperately needing a good makeover.  Stock-up overloads and just not thinking about putting thing away made for one big MESS.  One of those pantries where things just randomly fall when you move something.  Yes.  It was that bad.  I went through everything and put it where it belong and grouped things.  Tossed out spices galore.  Found a few food items that we will not eat before expiration dates and hopefully a couple of families I know will be able to make use of them.

Here's where I get vulnerable.  Before (UGH!) and after pictures of the pantry.

Shelf 1: I have to heel some pans and cutting boards here.  Not my favorite but it works.  The very top of the stacker needs some more love as that is where my cake decorating and cookie cutters are.  I have some containers that I will use up there and will hopefully have room for another box of cutters that I have up there.  That would be great!  Creating more room in other spaces and getting everything together!

Shelf 2:  The spice shelf.  Kill me.  Seriously, I think that I had some spices that were well over 10 maybe 15 years old.  Yes, really.  They are gone now.  There are some that still may be a little too old but we will roll with it.  Gone is the full bottle of Lemon Pepper that I have been toting around all these years.  You know, just in case.  I am going to look into acquiring some air tight containers and start buying spices in bulk unless I use it often enough to buy a jar, etc.  Over time the containers will all look the same and there will be less waste.  I may even remove the spice stacker that I have in here that causes a stadium effect here.  I think about a Lazy Susan but wonder if I will lose space?

Shelf 3:  This is where I keep most of my baking items and a coupe of random things.  I invested in some Tupperware awhile back and here it is.  I had some wasted shelf space and opted to make the most of it by putting some extra items that are completely sealed in the back of the containers (two bags of powdered sugar, and bisquick) and that helped some.  I can see it back there, too.  No worries of it being forgotten.  When I took the pictures I forgot two things on top of the containers that go on the spice shelf... oh well.

Shelf 4:  Drinks, grains, and canned items.  Not much here.  I took the bags of open rice, beans, and lentils and put them in an air tight container and the closed ones are out.  I need to move a bag of pasta back up to the top shelf but that's not a big deal.

Shelf 5:  Storage stuff, dry goods, baby food, and some miscellany.  Pretty simple and I finally can see it all!

Shelf 6 (the floor):  What a horrid mess, right?  Now it is clean and somewhat organized.  The bummer side is realizing we only have one bottle of Powdrell's BBQ sauce left.  Oh well.  We don't go through it too fast. We have time to restock.

Well, there it is!  My pantry is also where I keep my family calendar, some Scripture to encourage, and I think this is also where I will figure out a way to display my pantry inventory.

Inventory.  I had hoped to get to that today but a nap took precedence for sure.  So, maybe tomorrow.  I have the rest of the week to get that completed.

Do you have pantry tips or suggestions?

Freezer Meals: October Update

So, I am pretty sure we are good to go on meat loaf now.  HA!  It's a good thing we like it around here as we now ave FIVE loaves in the freezer.  Three different kinds - Turkey w/ vegetables (so YUMMY!), Italian stuffed, and a Mom C meatloaf.  Yeah, I think we are just fine there.


I made a bit more progress this month.  One weekend I cranked out four things:  Turkey meatloaves, Sausage (and cheese) Biscuits, Breakfast Burritos (made 23), and Twice Cooked Baked Potato Casserole (which I am pretty sure we will also be having for Thanksgiving... divine!).  These were all relatively simple so I was able to crank them out in a decent amount of time.  There was some rush at the end (we were off to see a movie) because I took a long break while the girls were napping.  Dinner was delegated to Blimpie's and in the end all was perfectly fine.


Husband asked if I was done after that day.  I looked at him and kind of laughed.  I said, "No."  However, my goal is to basically be done by the time December rolls around.  The only thing that I think that I want to be working on in December are Christmas cookies and lactation bars.  HA!  Husband thought this was funny and a good idea all at the same time.


I also tried to find random moments to whip something out during the weekdays.  I did the Bacon, Egg, and cheese biscuits on what turned into a rather busy and tiring day but it was worth it for sure!  I may make more of these because I just scored 5 packages of bacon for under $4.  Whoop!  Although, I am pretty sure my family would just like to eat some bacon, too.  HA HA HA!


It seems like there were a couple of weeks when I was really trying to crank some things out and when I thought I had all the ingredients I would find I was missing one.  Or some other random hiccup.  But we press on just the same.  I realized that some things will not be made in the quantity that I had originally anticipated so my list is becoming more streamlined and I am rethinking a couple of recipes.  Nothing has been totally scratched as of yet.


Also completed this month -
Fiesta Chicken (Red Version)
Fiesta Chicken (Green Version) x 1 -- The other crock pot is being used for soup today.
Ren's Chocolate Chip Muffins
Spaghetti Sauce


Beef Stew x 1 (from Mom C)
Tator Tot Casserole x 1
Mom C's Meatloaf x1
Stuffed Peppers x 1 (from Mom C)
Husband's Lasagna x 2
Italian Stuffed Meatloaf x 2
My Chile x 2
Veggie Chile x 3
Ren's Chocolate Muffins x 2 (has good stuff like pumpkin, flax, etc -- it's not ALL sugar)
Chicken Pot Pie x 2
Fiesta Chicken x 2
Fiesta Chicken (Green Version) x 2
Spaghetti Sauce x 2
Spinach & Artichoke Mac & Cheese x 2
Green Chile Enchiladas x 3 (or more at the request of Husband)
Spaghetti Pizza x 2
Turkey & Vegetable Meatloaf x 2
Meatballs (not sure how many yet)
Brown Bag Burritos x 1 (makes 20-ish)
Chicken Spaghetti (Pioneer Woman) x 2
Pulled Pork x 1 (more if meat comes on sale again)
Breakfast Burritos x 1 (will probably make more - cranks out about 16)
Chicken & Rice (Quinoa) Burritos x 1 (makes about 8?)
Baked Ziti x 2
BBQ Beef & Bean Corn Bread Casserole x 2
Bacon, Egg, Cheese Biscuit Cups x 1
Ham & Cheese Pockets x 1
Sausage Biscuits x 1
Twice Cooked Mashed Potatoes x 2
Cranberry Chicken x 2
Broccoli & Cheddar Soup x 2
Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken x 2
Lactation Cookies x LOTS!

Freezer Meals: Update

UGH!  I am not making it through this list as fast as I would like to at this point.  The only thing I crossed off this month was Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti.  However, I can add that I randomly made a tator-tot casserole and doubled the recipe.  So, I froze half.  Also, my very sweet, kind, and oh-so-gracious mother-in-law made two meals for me.  I'll add those meals (and cross them off because it's fun) so I will have a running list.


I think I need to sit down and look at the budget with Husband to see if we can extend the budget a bit so I can make these extra meals while still feeding us.  I had been doing pretty well with that but it seems like all of a sudden the prices went up in stores and the good sales came to a grinding halt.  I anticipate some good sales on certain items with the holidays coming up so we will flex when that time comes.


Also, a sweet blessing in timing is that Zaycon Foods will be offering their yummy chicken to all lower 48 states soon at $1.49/lb.  We'll probably get two units this time around.  If you are interested in using my referral link please let me know.  :)  Can't beat that price these days!  It will be a good stock up item for us and as my husband says, "I like meat!"  He's been good in enduring my "meatless" meals from time to time but he likes to remind me that he is an omnivore with more carnivorous tendencies!  Anyway, once we get the chicken I think I will be able to cross things off a bit more quickly with the purchase of a few simple items.  YAY!!


Of course, I am always finding more recipes that I want to try... never enough time :)


Tator Tot Casserole x 1
Mom C's Meatloaf x1
Stuffed Peppers x 1
Husband's Lasagna x 2
Italian Stuffed Meatloaf x 2
My Chile x 2
Veggie Chile x 3
Ren's Chocolate Muffins x 2 (has good stuff like pumpkin, flax, etc -- it's not ALL sugar)
Chicken Pot Pie x 2
Fiesta Chicken x 2
Fiesta Chicken (Green Version) x 2
Spaghetti Sauce x 3 or 4
Spinach & Artichoke Mac & Cheese x 2
Green Chile Enchiladas x 3 (or more at the request of Husband)
Spaghetti Pizza x 2
Turkey & Vegetable Meatloaf x 2
Meatballs (not sure how many yet)
Brown Bag Burritos x 1 (makes 20-ish)
Chicken Spaghetti (Pioneer Woman) x 2
Pulled Pork x 1 (more if meat comes on sale again)
Breakfast Burritos x 1 (will probably make more - cranks out about 16)
Chicken & Rice (Quinoa) Burritos x 1 (makes about 8?)
Baked Ziti x 2
BBQ Beef & Bean Corn Bread Casserole x 2
Bacon, Egg, Cheese Biscuit Cups x 1
Ham & Cheese Pockets x 1
Sausage Biscuits x 1
Twice Cooked Mashed Potatoes x 2
Cranberry Chicken x 2
Broccoli & Cheddar Soup x 2
Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken x 2
Lactation Cookies x LOTS!

Coupon Organization

I like to coupon.  It's true.  However, when I watch a particular show about people who are extreme in this area I have a difficult time wrapping my head around the fact that they spend 35+ hours a week cutting coupons, planning, etc.  I will soon have three girls three and under -- I don't have that kind of time to spend and if I did there are other things I would rather do with that time.  That's just where I am with things.  However, with the increase in food prices and our growing family I want to make our dollars stretch.  I have to find a happy balance.  So, I appreciate the coupon service that I subscribe to and the websites that do many of the coupon to product match-ups for me.

Another thing that was taking up a lot of my time was clipping the coupons.  I would tend to clip almost ALL the coupons (minus things like make-up or pet food or other things that I knew we would NEVER use, etc) -- I clipped because I thought, "If I don't it will be on super sale or free and I will miss out!"  It may not have been such a big deal if I only had one copy of each coupon insert.  However, there are week that I can end up with three or more of the inserts.  I didn't want to cut ALL of them out just in case.  Because then after they are cut they were entered into a spreadsheet.  UGH.  Drive me bananas!!

So, I streamlined it a bit.

I purchased a portable file box and some hanging folders.  My simple system was ready to put in place.  I mark the coupon insert boldly with a marker with the date on front.  Create a label for that date on a folder.  Slide them in and there you go.  When I get to where I need more folders I will return to the front of the folder and check those inserts for coupons that may still be good.  However, odds are they will all be expired.  Toss the old inserts in the recycle bin, create new label, and we are good to go.

Honestly, I have over a month's worth of inserts to file.  I have just been lazy lately.  Although, I think with about 30 minutes after the girls go down for nap I will be all caught up.  Easy peasy.

The downside to this method is that you are not as familiar with what coupons you have on hand.  I'm okay with that right now.  However, I can also look through the inserts before I file them to help with that some.  For those that like having ALL their coupons with them in the store just in case this is not the method for you.  I generally just take the coupons for the items that I will buy.  If I find a great deal at the store, I can always go back.  This just helps me stay on budget a bit better.  If I am looking for a particular coupon or if there is one available I simply consult a coupon database that is available through my coupon service and most sites that match up coupons for you.

This saves me the most time right now.  I may go back to the other way some day.  But for now, I really like the simplicity of this method.

Lessons from the Weekend

Friday evening started off well enough.  Grandparents were over for dinner to help me with the girls as Husband had a late appointment.  When Husband returned our normal evening routine fell into place and the girls were down for the night leaving us to enjoy a quiet night together.  Or so we thought...

Around 10 or so we heard a cry from Miss L's room followed by an odd noise and more intense crying.  UGH.  I told Husband as we ran to her room, "I think she just threw up."  Sure enough.  I'll spare you the details but this went on and off until about 1:30 in the morning.  In the process we also started 4 loads of laundry -- sheets, towels, pajamas, etc.  One stuffed animal made its way to the trash bin.  I don't think she'll notice for awhile.

I realized with two more children that will eventually be in "big girl" beds it will be a good idea to have some extra sheets for occasions such as this.  Sure I want the girls to have lovely sheets that are fun and cute on a daily basis.  However, for nights like the ones we had it would be good to have sheets that can take a beating and if it comes down to it are "no skin off my nose" if we opt to just throw them away.  My plan is to check in and see if Goodwill has some cheap sets or check out clearance areas and discount places from time to time for sets to have on hand.

I also had a fleeting thought to abandon my beloved colored towels for an extended season and just do white towels for everyone so they can be easily bleached.  However, I am not sure that I am ready to go that far...yet  Although, I did come to the realization that I need to replace some towels in our collection.  Or at least get rid of some because they have become overly worn, bleach spots, etc.  I need to be okay with making them rags or tossing them out.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention Reorganization.

Cloth Diapers & The Front Loader

I have a on off relationship with cloth diapers.  I'm okay with that.  When I first started to use cloth diapers I loved them.  I am pretty sure I drove my friends batty with diaper chat.  I found other cloth diaper companions in church and with "old" friends across the miles.  We were the few...the odd.

I was on again off again with them.  Morning sickness pushed me over the edge with Miss A and this one that I didn't want to deal with any sort of diapers really.  We are at a point that I am loving them again.  Not to the point where I can barely contain myself when new ones come out or I am always trying to figure out a way to justify some new diaper purchase.  I am pretty happy with what we have and I was "gifted" some cloth diapers for the newest addition in newborn sizes so we'll see how it goes when she arrives and once again I have two in cloth.

I think my biggest struggle has been fine tuning our wash routine.  Cloth diapers wash up beautifully in a traditional top loader.  It can be more of a trick in a front load washer, which is what we have.  I had our routine down pretty well in our old house where the water was soft.  Now we are in a place where the water is fairly hard which doesn't always let the soap do what it needs to be doing.  And while front loaders save on water I need more water in with my diapers.  What's a mama to do?

Awhile back I had bookmarked a page on the Knickernappies website that had several videos of different women and their wash routines.  I guess there really is a video for just about everything on YouTube!  I watched them all and finally came up with something that I think will work for our family.  Maybe this will help you?

FYI:  We wash about every third day, small load or big load.  That will probably change to every other day when #3 arrives.  I have mentioned this before but generally, when I am doing cloth my regular laundry routine gets better, too.  I am still working on that this go round.  HA!

1. I toss in all of our diapers and wet bag.  I set the washer for a regular wash on cool.  I then set my kitchen timer for about six or seven minutes.  This lets the diapers get nice and wet and tossed around a bit. NO DETERGENT.
2. I turn off the cycle and the water drains without a spin cycle.  This will trick your machine into thinking that it has a bigger load and will add more water when you start the next step.
3. I add 2 TBS of Rockin' Green laundry Detergent to the soap container.  Select Heavy Duty cycle (never Sanitize as the machine increases the temp of the water which may be too hot for PUL), Hot water, add the extra rinse/skincare rinse, and press start.  I set my kitchen time for about another six or seven minutes.
4. When I know that the washer is done filling I grab a pitcher from cupboard and get the water as hot as I can from my kitchen sink.  I fill the pitcher and pour this into my washer manually through the soap dispenser.  Depending on the size of the load I will do this 2 to 4 times.  You want enough water in there that they swish around but not too much where they are just hanging out in the water.  If you are trying this for the first time I recommend to pitchers of water, wait 5 to 7 minutes, and then look in your wash bin and evaluate from there.
5. After the cycle is finished I usually pull out my wet bag (as it can hold water sometimes) and hang it up to dry. (Sometimes, not always I repeat steps 1 and 2 here)  I then set my washer for another regular hot wash, NO DETERGENT, extra rinse to make sure all was rinsed well.
6. Hang everything out to dry in the hot Phoenix sun.  The sun's UV rays help to kill odor causing bacteria, will help to remove any stains or discoloring, it's cheap, and even the thicker diapers dry uber fast.  Even in the winter here I try to do this as often as possible.  Other wise inserts and prefolds (and sometimes fitteds) go in the dryer, AIO's and pockets are hung up in the girls bathroom.

There you have it.  So far so good.  It seems to be holding the ever popular microfiber stink at bay.  With each wash it gets better.

Do you have a specialized routine for your cloth diapers and a front loader?  Tips?  Tricks?

Freezer Meals: Keeping Inventory

Obviously you have seen that I have quite a few things planned to go in my freezer over the next few months.  How in the world will I remember what is in there with a newborn and two other littles in want of my attention -- which I am sure will take up all the remaining sleep deprived brain cells.  (It's only for a short and precious season)  Also, we want to make sure we use things up in a timely manner and not find some lone meal  hanging out a year later.  No, no, no.

I am not sure where I came across this originally but I thought it would work for me beautifully!  Just write down the name of the item and the appropriate number of hash marks.  Then when you take on out you complete the "x" to note that one has been used.  I will slip this into a sheet protector and tape it to the top of my freezer.  Handy, handy!  You can download this Freezer Inventory free here.

I have read about people just using a dry erase marker to write on the top or on the door of their freezer with their inventory list.  However, my freezer is in my laundry room and naturally attracts things that are constantly placed upon it.  That would quickly be the end of my inventory list!  I already have my laundry list taped in a similar fashion to the top and that has been great.  What's one more list?

How do you manage the inventory of your freezer?

Freezer Meals: Update

This month has been full of a variety of changes.  Miss L is now potty trained so we have a few less diapers to change and purchase.  Miss A is in the process of being weaned from formula and the bottle.  So, less formula to purchase for a few months and then a break from washing bottles for a few months.  I have also gone back to cloth diapers on Miss A almost full time so as to build up that part of our budget.  Good times.  We also have an anniversary to celebrate this weekend and a birthday.  So, while I wanted to get more meals in the freezer this month I am satisfied with what we did get done.

I changed "My Chile" to two batches rather than three.  If I get another batch in that's fine.  If not it is SUPER easy to make on a whim.  In my had written notes I had it down to make three trays of Husband's Lasagna.  However, when I transposed them here I had it as two trays.  It worked out that I purchased supplies for three and we just ate one for dinner that night as it was a lot of work along with all the other things we had going on that day.  It was good stuff.  Also, it was nice not to have to cook more after that adventure.


One of my dear friends who is also expecting a baby in a few weeks told me about a deal she found at Costco.  She bought a package of 30 half steam trays that would be used for catering purposes.  Well, wouldn't you know they are the same size as most casserole dishes!  Score.  For 30 trays was just over $6.  They take up a bit more space in the freezer but I love not having to clean up much when using them.  I looked at the individual trays at the grocery store and even on sale they run about $2/tray.  Totally worth the savings even if you don't use them all you can store them away for a potluck or taking a meal to another family.  While these are pretty heavy duty always use a cookie tray when cooking or transporting.  Just in case.  I learned the hard way when taking a meal to a new mama in a lower quality tray.  Oy.

So, here's my list.  Hopefully, more will be crossed off by the end of September.  I post this now because I know that more will not be done by the end of this month with another full weekend ahead of us.  I have found some more sites with yummy meals.  More may be added to this list.


Husband's Lasagna x 2
Italian Meatloaf x 2
My Chile x 2
Veggie Chile x 3
Ren's Chocolate Muffins x 2 (has good stuff like pumpkin, flax, etc -- it's not ALL sugar)
Chicken Pot Pie x 2
Fiesta Chicken x 2
Fiesta Chicken (Green Version) x 2
Spaghetti Sauce x 3 or 4
Spinach & Artichoke Mac & Cheese x 2
Green Chile Enchiladas x 3 (or more at the request of Husband)
Spaghetti Pizza x 2
Turkey & Vegetable Meatloaf x 2
Meatballs (not sure how many yet)
Brown Bag Burritos x 1 (makes 20-ish)
Chicken Spaghetti (Pioneer Woman) x 2
Pulled Pork x 1 (more if meat comes on sale again)
Breakfast Burritos x 1 (will probably make more - cranks out about 16)
Chicken & Rice (Quinoa) Burritos x 1 (makes about 8?)
Baked Ziti x 2
BBQ Beef & Bean Corn Bread Casserole x 2
Bacon, Egg, Cheese Biscuit Cups x 1
Ham & Cheese Pockets x 1
Sausage Biscuits x 1
Twice Cooked Mashed Potatoes x 2
Cranberry Chicken x 2
Broccoli & Cheddar Soup x 2
Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken x 2
Lactation Cookies x LOTS!

From Costco:
Ravioli (will probably give us three meals)
Fish (will probably make fish tacos a few times)
Chicken nuggets (easy lunch for the girls)

Freezer Meals: The Plan

Well, we are gearing up to get ready for baby around here.  There are things that we will need to purchase this time around.  Basically, we will need to get another crib because Miss A will not be ready to move out of her crib when #3 arrives.  That's the biggie... oh... you know... and moving the girls into one room.  That should prove to be entertaining!  HA!

I am planning to make a whole lot of meals to fill our freezer.  We have some things already in there that are being stocked up.  Okay... one meal and some dough for lactation cookies.  However, I am trying to figure out what we need and start cranking things out so I am not waiting until the last minute when I will be large, tired, in the midst of Advent, Miss L's Birthday, and Christmas planning.  I am also trying to find the balance where it won't be in the freezer too long either.  However, now that I think about it I think we are in a good place with that now.

For this week I am working on making some chicken and turkey stock, green chile sauce with all the green chile we have in our freezer, and some pulled pork for sandwiches.  The stock will be an ongoing process as I use chickens for other meals, etc.

So, here's my long term plan... ambitious?  Not enough??

Husband's Lasagna x 2
Italian Meatloaf x 2
My Chile x 3
Veggie Chile x 3
Ren's Chocolate Muffins x 2 (has good stuff like pumpkin, flax, etc -- it's not ALL sugar)
Chicken Pot Pie x 2
Fiesta Chicken x 2
Fiesta Chicken (Green Version) x 2
Spaghetti Sauce x 3 or 4
Spinach & Artichoke Mac & Cheese x 2
Green Chile Enchiladas x 3 (or more at the request of Husband)
Spaghetti Pizza x 2
Turkey & Vegetable Meatloaf x 2
Meatballs (not sure how many yet)
Brown Bag Burritos x 1 (makes 20-ish)
Chicken Spaghetti (Pioneer Woman) x 2
Pulled Pork x 1 (more if meat comes on sale again)
Breakfast Burritos x 1 (will probably make more - cranks out about 16)
Chicken & Rice (Quinoa) Burritos x 1 (makes about 8?)
Baked Ziti x 2
BBQ Beef & Bean Corn Bread Casserole x 2
Bacon, Egg, Cheese Biscuit Cups x 1
Ham & Cheese Pockets x 1
Sausage Biscuits x 1
Twice Cooked Mashed Potatoes x 2
Cranberry Chicken x 2
Broccoli & Cheddar Soup x 2
Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken x 2
Lactation Cookies x LOTS!

From Costco:
Ravioli (will probably give us three meals)
Fish (will probably make fish tacos a few times)
Chicken nuggets (easy lunch for the girls)

My plan is to buy three turkeys around Thanksgiving.  One for the celebration meal and then the other two hopefully we will cook as soon as possible and just store the meat for whatever.

I will post recipes as I move through them and adjust them.  I am also looking into the best way to post them here.  I continue to find more recipes so I will add them here as I add them to my master plan.

Do you have a recipe I should add to my list?

Looking Back: May

Why does the beginning of May seem like forever ago?  Wow.  At the beginning of May I had hoped to add some additional goals to the making of the bed, Scripture reading, etc.  I am glad I didn't commit to it because I would be feeling the pressure of not achieving those things right now.  I think I had enough foresight into what was coming my way to maybe hold off.  I did, however, commit to the Homemaker's Challenge from Joyful Mothering in correspondence with the book 31 Days to Clean.  About half way through the month that went right out the window.  I am okay with that and will probably resume this at some point as I thought that the heart challenges were good for me.  The task challenges we good and I have heard through the rumor mill that there are a new set of task challenges.  As I return to that I will probably blog more about it here.

As mentioned in a previous post I have a hard time recovering from trips.  We had a whim of a trip mid-May to San Diego.  Then about a week or so later we were on our way to Colorado deep in the San Juan Mountains.  We will be heading to Denver soon to celebrate with family a major milestone (will share about that later) and I think that will be all for travelling for a time.  I hope to recover before then but we will see.

Unfortunately, as of late, my bed making and Scripture reading have been...well...lacking.  I need to adjust back to a normal schedule and muster up motivation.  It's a challenge but I need to get there.  I guess, in a sense, those are my goals for this month.