Menu 2016: January 25-31

I am finally starting to get back into the swing of things from school to household chores, which means that I am can begin posting menus again. I love being able to post menus as it helps me stay on track with more that just my meals. It helps make my grocery shopping easier because I know what I am making ahead of time. It keeps me with my budget. And it also helps me stay on track with logging my calorie intake, which in turn helps me to maintain my weight (and hopefully lose the excess). In order to stay on track with my menu planning, I will be switching back to one or two week menus vs. a whole month. I find that after not writing up menus for a while I do better at getting back to planning if I start small. How do you stay on track with planning your menus?

Skillet Brownie for Two

A couple of weeks ago, we needed a little "date" so we enjoyed "Dessert at 9pm" (which is similar to my "Dinner at 8pm"). I brewed some hot tea (as I was coming down with a cold) and made this yummy brownie for two in a cast iron skillet. I had seen a low-carb version of this on Pinterest and decided to make my own version (mostly because I was out of almond flour). It was a simple and delicious little treat to enjoy in the quiet after the kids were asleep. Enjoy!

Roasted Quad Pepper Hot Sauce

A few of years ago I stumbled on a recipe for jalapeno hot sauce. My hubby LOVES him some hot sauce and uses it all the time so I decided to give it a try (here's my original version). I made my version a couple of times and we really enjoyed it. However, as time has passed, both of us have developed a taste for spicier foods. This year we planted a couple of new varieties of pepper so I decided to tweak my recipe and roast four different kinds of peppers. I also added some new spices that we discovered thanks to The Spice House. Unfortunately, our peppers this year were not as spicy as they usually are (I'm wondering if the cooler weather played a part in that) so the sauce still wasn't as hot as we would have liked. 

Menu 2015: October 12-November 8

Life just hasn't slowed down even a little bit since school started and I am dreadfully behind on posting menus and a few of my newest recipes. Oh well! On Monday we had to get some recall work done on our van so I had some time to sit and work at typing up the menus for the next few weeks, which is really great because the next month looks as if it will be just as busy!

Motherhood is hard.

Motherhood is definitely the hardest and yet most rewarding job in the world, and today is proof of this: one child (while completely not thinking) stabbed the leather couch repeatedly with a newly sharpened pencil while another child (the one who has been super difficult to deal with ever since the first day of school) got right to work this morning and finished her schooling before lunch. 

With having several kids super close together, I often feel like I continually deal with the same issues because as one child overcomes a particular "phase" (hair cutting, coloring on walls, etc.) another tends to move into it. Then you add new problems to work through with the oldest (or sometimes one child does something new that you have never had to face with your older three). Some days it feels like a constant battle. Then you have days where you see progress: the kids make their beds without prompting, the child who has been struggling with a concept in school finally gets it, your child offers to help with something because they thought it would be the right thing to do. The days where you see progress are the days that we must look forward to, must remember, and (from what my parents tell me) will some day treasure as beautiful memories. Hang in there. Find opportunities to encourage some other mom who is most likely struggling. Remember that none of us is perfect or has it ALL together. Happy Monday. Enjoy another cup of coffee.

[Gluten Free] Chocolate Zucchini Cake

There are days where I almost feel as if I've got zucchini coming out my ears so I've been working on recipes that use zucchini. I've substituted shredded zucchini for the spinach in my baked meatballs, made up a roasted veggie pasta dish with zucchini, and even made a GF blueberry lemon zucchini cake with lemon cream cheese frosting (which is SO delicious and you can't eve tell that it's GF). When I signed up to bring snacks for a fundraiser, I just knew that I needed to try something with zucchini. Since the fundraiser was a bike ride with three different options (10 mile route, 20 mile route, and 40 mile route), I needed to make a carb-loaded finger food. I opted to play around with my blueberry lemon zucchini cake and make chocolate zucchini cupcakes. Sorry that their isn't a picture but I forgot to take pictures before the fundraiser and they were gone afterward. I will try to get pictures the next time I make it! :)

Menu 2015: August 31-September 27

AHHHHHHH! Another school year begins on August 31st and I will be am running around like a chicken with my head cut off. In an effort to get school started off on a good note, I will be doing a boatload of crockpot, one-pot, prep ahead, semi-homemade, and simple dishes. I usually struggle with school as I'm not naturally a time-conscious (or organized) person. But we're working on that. :)

Let's get started with what I'm planning for meals over the next several weeks.

Menu 2015: July 20-August 2

Life has been crazy busy as of late and our summer is flying by at break-neck speeds! I haven't been doing very well at writing up and/or sticking to menus at the moment. We've done a lot of subs and a few nights of pizza. We've cooked in the grill as much as possible on the hot days so we don't overwork the AC. Since it's summer and we've been doing some more work on the house we're trying to sell, there has been lots of travel, which accounts for some of the missing menus. However, I did at least get the next two weeks written down so I thought I'd share. :)

July 20-26

• Breakfast Skillet (hashbrowns, veggies, smoked sausage, cheese, and eggs)
• Bacon-wrapped pork loin, cheesy potato casserole, and steamed green beans
• Brats/hot dogs, and veggies
• Grilled chicken and pasta salad
• Chicken enchiladas and fruit salad
• Subs, fruit, and chips

July 27-August 2

• Meatloaf, roasted potatoes, and steamed veggies
• Pulled pork and slaw, BBQ beans, and fruit
• Pizza, fresh fruit, and salad
• Grilled chicken and citrus Berry kale salad
• Spaghetti, glazed carrots, a side salad, and garlic bread

[Gluten Free] Blueberry Lemon Zucchini Cake with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

[Gluten Free] Blueberry Lemon Zucchini Cake
with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

It's blueberry season around the midwest and zucchini season will be here soon enough. I know I need to finish using up the stuff that is in the freezer from last season as I'll have to make room for this year's harvest. Now, I should probably tell you that I adore anything with lemon - pies, puddings, cakes, etc. I don't think I've ever tried something lemon without loving it. With that in mind, when several of my friends posted a link to I am Baker's blueberry zucchini cake with lemon buttercream on Facebook I knew that I needed to try it.

Mother's Day is not about me. Period.

Yes, I am a mother, but Mother's Day is not about me.

Don't get me wrong. I love the beautiful children that God has bestowed upon me. I have also thoroughly enjoyed the gifts given to me by my wonderful husband and children. But I will say it again, Mother's Day is not about me.

Mother's Day is about my mother and celebrating all the love she has given to me and the sacrifices she has made for me. If it wasn't for my mother, I would not be where I am today.
She pushed us all to be the best that we could be because she had the vision to see our potential.
She encouraged us to try new things.
She made sure that we had all the necessary training we'd need so that we could better minister to our own families and church families some day.
My mom is one of the hardest working women I know.
She may not be one of the most sensitive people in the world but she sure cares an awful lot about others.
She has a deep love for the Lord and the ministry.
She is strong and capable.
She is humble.
She is generous.
To me, she is the embodiment of the Proverbs 31 woman. Someday, I hope my children can say the same about me.

So, whether you're already a mother or longing for the day when you will be one, this day is not about you. It's about your mother, the one who put so much of herself aside for you.

Thanks, mom!