I wish I had something witty to talk about today, but alas, my 18 month old's "sleep regression" is causing me fits.
I'm off in search for some natural "back to sleep" remedies to help soothe her to nap/go to bed.
Any suggestions?
~~** D **~~
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Menu Plan - Week of 1/17
So, here's my first Menu Plan Monday!
As a culinary student, I've learned to try and avoid all "processed" or "prepackaged" foods and cook as much from scratch. I'm also trying to work on our family's "real food" conversion, so I'm trying to focus on more whole foods and "nourishing traditions" types of meal preparations.
In the upcoming weeks/months, I will start posting recipes (they'll be more like "methods") for the dishes I make. I don't cook with a whole ton of measurements, but I'll do my best to relay what I'm doing for you all!
This week up on the dinner menu:
-Roasted Poblano & Chicken Sausage Quesadillas
-*Beer & Beef Stew
-BBQ Chicken (I use a Chiavetta's marinade for my BBQ chicken. I haven't found a recipe for one that I like yet, and Chiavetta's doesn't have any MSG or HFCS, which I appreciate. PLUS, it's a WNY thing, so it reminds me of home :) )
-*Crab Macaroni & Cheese
-*Shrimp Salad over Greens
-Pasta and Sausage Skillet
(*make ahead items)
I leave one day for leftovers, as we usually don't eat everything in a meal.
I don't like to schedule specific days for meals, as I tend to change my mind A LOT, so I leave it up to whatever I feel like at the moment. The only days I have specific meals picked out are the nights I'm in school. It's either got to be a crock-pot item or something I can make ahead and just stick in the oven for my husband to pull out at dinnertime.
This week's "school-night" meals are the Crab Mac & Cheese (make ahead and just bake off right before eating), the Shrimp Salad and Beef Stew.
If I can find my camera soon, I'll post some recipes/pictures this week!
~~** D **~~
As a culinary student, I've learned to try and avoid all "processed" or "prepackaged" foods and cook as much from scratch. I'm also trying to work on our family's "real food" conversion, so I'm trying to focus on more whole foods and "nourishing traditions" types of meal preparations.
In the upcoming weeks/months, I will start posting recipes (they'll be more like "methods") for the dishes I make. I don't cook with a whole ton of measurements, but I'll do my best to relay what I'm doing for you all!
This week up on the dinner menu:
-Roasted Poblano & Chicken Sausage Quesadillas
-*Beer & Beef Stew
-BBQ Chicken (I use a Chiavetta's marinade for my BBQ chicken. I haven't found a recipe for one that I like yet, and Chiavetta's doesn't have any MSG or HFCS, which I appreciate. PLUS, it's a WNY thing, so it reminds me of home :) )
-*Crab Macaroni & Cheese
-*Shrimp Salad over Greens
-Pasta and Sausage Skillet
(*make ahead items)
I leave one day for leftovers, as we usually don't eat everything in a meal.
I don't like to schedule specific days for meals, as I tend to change my mind A LOT, so I leave it up to whatever I feel like at the moment. The only days I have specific meals picked out are the nights I'm in school. It's either got to be a crock-pot item or something I can make ahead and just stick in the oven for my husband to pull out at dinnertime.
This week's "school-night" meals are the Crab Mac & Cheese (make ahead and just bake off right before eating), the Shrimp Salad and Beef Stew.
If I can find my camera soon, I'll post some recipes/pictures this week!
~~** D **~~
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Slacker!
Can you see the slacking? Nearly two weeks with no posting. Ugh, I'm frustrated with myself.
So what's been up in the A-team household these 2 weeks?
I have successfully stayed on point with my bible reading. This in and of itself is a massive feat for me. I was sure I'd be the one in my group who would fall behind quick. Now if I can keep it up for the rest of the time (I think we have 77 days left?) I'll be golden. Although, in my defense, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are NOT easy reads. We'll see how the rest of it goes!
I finally decided on what I was going to purchase with some amazon gift cards I got from Swagbucks, and settled on an extrusion pasta maker. I experimented with it yesterday and made Shrimp in a white wine sauce with some homemade capellini pasta. It was fantastic! I did start out with all AP flour to learn the machine, but I plan on trying some whole wheat and spinach pastas soon.
To keep me accountable, I'm going to start participating in a few blog carnivals, starting with menu planning. Hopefully it will get me posting more often, and staying on top of my goals for the year!
~~** D **~~
So what's been up in the A-team household these 2 weeks?
I have successfully stayed on point with my bible reading. This in and of itself is a massive feat for me. I was sure I'd be the one in my group who would fall behind quick. Now if I can keep it up for the rest of the time (I think we have 77 days left?) I'll be golden. Although, in my defense, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are NOT easy reads. We'll see how the rest of it goes!
I finally decided on what I was going to purchase with some amazon gift cards I got from Swagbucks, and settled on an extrusion pasta maker. I experimented with it yesterday and made Shrimp in a white wine sauce with some homemade capellini pasta. It was fantastic! I did start out with all AP flour to learn the machine, but I plan on trying some whole wheat and spinach pastas soon.
To keep me accountable, I'm going to start participating in a few blog carnivals, starting with menu planning. Hopefully it will get me posting more often, and staying on top of my goals for the year!
~~** D **~~
Sunday, January 2, 2011
So I slacked off with my blog after just a couple of posts. No more! It is one of my goals for this year to be consistent with my blogging - we'll see how it goes!
I've set a few goals in my life for this year - and wonderfully had a few great Christmas gifts to get me on my way!
Goal 1: (As stated above) - Blog consistently! I'm hoping to get at least 2 posts a week. More if possible, but hey, let's work baby steps here.
Goal 2: In my brewing life, we'll be making the big switch to All-Grain brewing thanks to my mom and her hubby's generous Christmas gift! Yay! Just one more step along the way to our eventual brewpub!
Goal 3: Work diligently on my Baby Steps in Dave Ramsey's program. We've got the debt snowball rolling, and although I will not get specific about our finances on this blog, I have 2 debts I want to have paid off by the end of the year.
Goal 4: Actually get through the bible! I'm signed up on momstoolbox.com to complete the Bible in 90 days program starting tomorrow. Although I do not intend for this to be a religiously based blog, I think that blogging about it during the first 3 months during the year will help to keep me accountable. Again, we'll see how it goes!
Goal 5: I want to have some sort of de-cluttering goal for myself. I've come to the conclusion (as has my husband) that we have entirely too much STUFF. Now, with Aleyna growing, we can slowly start to get rid of all of our baby stuff (YAY!) since she will be our last little one.
I have heard of people doing a 730 item challenge - getting rid of 2 items a day for a whole year. Yes, I'm a bit behind already, but it seems like an attainable goal.
Goal 6: Focus on my Real-Food conversion. This will be the main focus of my blog over the next year. I will be sharing recipes, techniques, and other relevant items I find. We'll see how far I can go with the family and what they will put up with in the next year!
Anyway, those are my main goals for the year. I'm hoping to keep up on them, and participate in blog carnivals and things of that nature to keep me motivated and accountable. In the meantime, I hope everyone has had a great holiday season and Happy New Year!!
~~** D **~~
I've set a few goals in my life for this year - and wonderfully had a few great Christmas gifts to get me on my way!
Goal 1: (As stated above) - Blog consistently! I'm hoping to get at least 2 posts a week. More if possible, but hey, let's work baby steps here.
Goal 2: In my brewing life, we'll be making the big switch to All-Grain brewing thanks to my mom and her hubby's generous Christmas gift! Yay! Just one more step along the way to our eventual brewpub!
Goal 3: Work diligently on my Baby Steps in Dave Ramsey's program. We've got the debt snowball rolling, and although I will not get specific about our finances on this blog, I have 2 debts I want to have paid off by the end of the year.
Goal 4: Actually get through the bible! I'm signed up on momstoolbox.com to complete the Bible in 90 days program starting tomorrow. Although I do not intend for this to be a religiously based blog, I think that blogging about it during the first 3 months during the year will help to keep me accountable. Again, we'll see how it goes!
Goal 5: I want to have some sort of de-cluttering goal for myself. I've come to the conclusion (as has my husband) that we have entirely too much STUFF. Now, with Aleyna growing, we can slowly start to get rid of all of our baby stuff (YAY!) since she will be our last little one.
I have heard of people doing a 730 item challenge - getting rid of 2 items a day for a whole year. Yes, I'm a bit behind already, but it seems like an attainable goal.
Goal 6: Focus on my Real-Food conversion. This will be the main focus of my blog over the next year. I will be sharing recipes, techniques, and other relevant items I find. We'll see how far I can go with the family and what they will put up with in the next year!
Anyway, those are my main goals for the year. I'm hoping to keep up on them, and participate in blog carnivals and things of that nature to keep me motivated and accountable. In the meantime, I hope everyone has had a great holiday season and Happy New Year!!
~~** D **~~
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Saving money on Beef...
So, the decision to go organic and grass-fed was an easy decision to make. Doing it on a budget? Not so easy.
Now, we are definitely carnivores in this family. If I told my husband we were going vegetarian, he might seriously consider leaving! (I kid, of course). But he'd seriously be unhappy about it!
My issue is that grass-fed beef is EXPENSIVE. The cheapest ground beef in our area is $4.99 a pound. Compared to mass produced beef that we can get for around $1.89 a pound, it's a HUGE difference.
My solution? Bulk Beef.
Living in Virginia, we have many local farms all over the state. A little research shows that there are a ton of them that offer "bulk beef". Basically, you buy a portion of a cow - a quarter, a half, or the whole thing! It can be quite confusing, especially if you (like me) are unfamiliar with butchering cuts and other things of that nature.
We have a local farm that offers packages that already have the cuts picked out for you (perfect for newbies like me!) and for around $5-6 a pound, depending on the package! Now, it's still a lot more expensive than standard ground beef (and equal to the grocery store grass-fed organic), but the $5 a pound gives you approximately the following meat:
Ground beef, T-bones, Porterhouse, Top Sirloin, Rib Steak, Top Round, Ground Beef, and Sirloin Tips, just to name a few!
The $6/lb package gives you:
Filet Mignon, Sirloin, Delmonico, New York Strip, Top Round, Ground, Eye of Round, Sirloin Tip, Bottom Roast, Chuck Roast, and 20-30 lbs of ground beef.
I find it hard to find good cuts of beef (even grain fed-mass produced beef) for around $5 a pound. And when was the last time you saw a Delmonico for $6/lb? (Especially not in the DC area!)
So I will be doing research on recipes, as I've never cooked many of these beef cuts before... but it should be an interesting experiment!
I'll be picking up our beef in early June, when I will document exactly what we get for our quarter of beef, and hopefully the recipes I use to cook it!
~~** D **~~
Now, we are definitely carnivores in this family. If I told my husband we were going vegetarian, he might seriously consider leaving! (I kid, of course). But he'd seriously be unhappy about it!
My issue is that grass-fed beef is EXPENSIVE. The cheapest ground beef in our area is $4.99 a pound. Compared to mass produced beef that we can get for around $1.89 a pound, it's a HUGE difference.
My solution? Bulk Beef.
Living in Virginia, we have many local farms all over the state. A little research shows that there are a ton of them that offer "bulk beef". Basically, you buy a portion of a cow - a quarter, a half, or the whole thing! It can be quite confusing, especially if you (like me) are unfamiliar with butchering cuts and other things of that nature.
We have a local farm that offers packages that already have the cuts picked out for you (perfect for newbies like me!) and for around $5-6 a pound, depending on the package! Now, it's still a lot more expensive than standard ground beef (and equal to the grocery store grass-fed organic), but the $5 a pound gives you approximately the following meat:
Ground beef, T-bones, Porterhouse, Top Sirloin, Rib Steak, Top Round, Ground Beef, and Sirloin Tips, just to name a few!
The $6/lb package gives you:
Filet Mignon, Sirloin, Delmonico, New York Strip, Top Round, Ground, Eye of Round, Sirloin Tip, Bottom Roast, Chuck Roast, and 20-30 lbs of ground beef.
I find it hard to find good cuts of beef (even grain fed-mass produced beef) for around $5 a pound. And when was the last time you saw a Delmonico for $6/lb? (Especially not in the DC area!)
So I will be doing research on recipes, as I've never cooked many of these beef cuts before... but it should be an interesting experiment!
I'll be picking up our beef in early June, when I will document exactly what we get for our quarter of beef, and hopefully the recipes I use to cook it!
~~** D **~~
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Sister Torture...
So my 10 month old got a hold of a fairy wand from Ave's 4th birthday party last summer. Next thing I know, I'm being called into the room to "see something".
And I'm treated to this...
~~** D **~~
And I'm treated to this...
I think Avery is going to really love being the big sister. Who doesn't love making their baby sister a "fairy princess". But I'm told she's just missing her fairy wings. Maybe tomorrow!
~~** D **~~
Friday, May 14, 2010
The diaper scheme...
So, I just have to say I am blessed with a husband who is willing to go along with all of my seemingly random money-saving schemes. We recently (this week) made the switch to cloth diapers. I am in LOVE with my diapers. They are so cute and soft, and not nearly as hard to take care of as I would have thought. My grandmother tells stories of cloth diapering her kids back before she had a washing machine - It's amazing just how far we've come!
My husband, on the other hand, is very much put off by the 'eew' factor that cloth diapering has. But I've found 2 things. 1 - changing a cloth diaper isn't really all that more gross than changing a disposable. And if you've ever potty trained a kid - it's LESS gross than that!
2 - to get him on the bandwagon I've bribed him, just a bit. By setting aside the money we WOULD have spent on disposables, we'll be able to take a pretty sweet vacation at the end! I think that was the main selling point for him. That, and me offering to do the diaper laundry. :)
~~** D **~~
My husband, on the other hand, is very much put off by the 'eew' factor that cloth diapering has. But I've found 2 things. 1 - changing a cloth diaper isn't really all that more gross than changing a disposable. And if you've ever potty trained a kid - it's LESS gross than that!
2 - to get him on the bandwagon I've bribed him, just a bit. By setting aside the money we WOULD have spent on disposables, we'll be able to take a pretty sweet vacation at the end! I think that was the main selling point for him. That, and me offering to do the diaper laundry. :)
~~** D **~~
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