Menu Update...

I did get some motivation to look up a few easy recipes and make it to the store this morning...

Yesterday we snacked enough on fruits and nuts (and a surprise loaf of pumpkin bread from my mom!) that we weren't hungry for lunch, which means we still have the soup we were going to eat available for today or tomorrow.

Then when we got off work and picked up our son (in the middle of the afternoon) we decided it would be a great (non-rush) time to go get some pancakes at IHOP since it was National Pancake Day and they were free! We did get a side item and tip, but it was a great meal for next to nothing! And it saved having to figure out dinner!

So I picked up just a few things this morning (before any snow rush started at the stores) and will also be able to make some things from ingredients already on hand. On the list:

homemade baked oatmeal
homemade granola
a spinach salad with bacon, eggs and mushrooms on top
a chicken and rice dish with bacon and carrots and a cream cheese sauce on top
a "cabbage roll" soup dish
another chicken and rice dish with carrots and onions, for later in the week
and stuff for a big breakfast for a meeting tomorrow: eggs, bacon, potatoes and mushrooms

I didn't have to buy a lot, and shouldn't have to do much for any of these meals, but I'm pretty excited about all the dishes we'll get out of the ingredients I've got.

Menu Plan Monday - February 22

My menu plan is fairly simple this week.
I'm taking it one day at a time.
Last night we found ingredients to make quesadillas.
Tonight we had leftovers.
Tomorrow...well, we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
I'm 37 weeks pregnant, ready to deliver any day now, and not really wanting to plan meals...
If it comes down to desperation, we live near stores and we have a freezer full of food.
What do you do when you have no motivation, or time, or when you have no idea what tomorrow actually holds?
For some great ideas for planning meals, head on over to Orgjunkie.

Menu Plan Monday - February 15

Still Pregnant!
Still cold and snowy around here!
Still trying to stock my freezer and get my house and life in order for having baby boy #2 any time now...
Still making lots of soup since it is simple to make and simple to freeze, and great in cold weather!

We've been trying to eat a wee bit healthier over the past week or so, trying out some new things for breakfasts and lunches. Been eating a homemade baked oatmeal for breakfast a lot as well as tuna, yogurt/fruit/granola (homemade granola), and eggs for lunches (or sometimes breakfast too). Also getting in more raw fruits and veggies (harder to find decent deals this time of year), nuts, and dried fruits for snacks.

Here is what I am working towards for dinners this week:
Curried Chicken and Cider Soup (this has been on my list for a while, but I roasted my chicken and made my chicken broth, and I am ready to make the soup today!) I have made this one before and greatly enjoyed it!
Hearty Tomato Soup is on my list again, loved it the first time and looking forward to it again!
A simple Hamburger Macaroni Bake
And hopefully this Maple Apple Chicken

Find more great ideas and recipes at Orgjunkie.

Menu Plan Monday - February 8

The countdown is in effect.
Not only am I 35 weeks pregnant, and not only was I already realizing how close I was getting and how much I wanted to get done, but also found out last week that the baby is already in the right position and I am starting to dilate, and now I am going back weekly for checkups. Shouldn't be too much longer...I'm thinking when I was at this stage with my first it was about another 2 weeks...will try to make it to 37 weeks so I am "full term" but who knows...
So, I need to get a little busier stocking my freezer...
I didn't get as much done as I wanted to this past weekend...used some extra time to shovel snow with the family so we could get out of the house. And watched the Super Bowl.
So, for this week:

Curried Sweet Potato and Apple Soup
Baked Chicken Fingers

Pea Soup (for my son, seems hard to get him to eat his veggies lately, unless it is raw carrot with dip)

Apple-Spice Muffins

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Meatless Chili
Bran Muffins
Curried Chicken and Cider Soup
Blueberry French Toast Bake (for a breakfast meeting)

So, I am excited (need) to spend a lot of time in the kitchen this week. Hopefully I stay motivated and have the opportunities I need.
What's your plan for cooking this week?
For more great meal ideas, head on over to Orgjunkie.com.

Filling the Freezer Friday!

I don't usually add an update at the end of the week as to how I have done with my menu planning for the week, but it has been a great week and I am pretty excited. I have been cooking and baking and getting my freezer stocked! I did a good amount on Wednesday just because I got in the mood. Then I had my 34 week check-up yesterday and found out that baby is in the right position and I am starting to dilate, and this got me even more excited to make sure I am getting things done around the house. Not only have I been working on my organizing that I talk about here, but I have also been really good this week about making the meals we are eating as well as making food to store away for when the baby comes.
So, here is my progress and some of the things I have been working on this week:
So far this week we have had:

Cream Slow-Cooker Chicken
Chili Cheese Biscuit Pies
Slow Cooker Turkey Stew
And by the end of today I plan to make the:
Curried Sweet Potato and Apple Soup
Baked Chicken Fingers (maybe...)
I put some of the chicken in the freezer and also plan on putting some of the stew in the freezer.
Other things I have worked on specifically for the freezer (since Sunday):
Baked Oatmeal

Apple and Cheese Pancakes

Blueberry Bread (sorry I don't have a picture for this one...)
Zucchini Bread (my favorite so far!)

 

Broccoli Potato Soup

Breakfast Cookies

Banana-Oat Muffins 

And some more food for my son that I plan on having done by the end of tomorrow (it helps that we have had lots of snow and are in the middle of a storm again so I am getting lots done inside!):

Pea Soup

Apple-Spice Muffins

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

...and who knows what else I may come up with...

And some other things I have made just for fun and because I have had the ingredients and because I have had a sweet tooth...

Jello Magic Mousse 

A recipe similar to this but with a store-bought crust, orange jello and mandarin oranges. 

 

And the old standby, Jello and Cool Whip mixed.

Yeah for progress! And also for accountability because now I need to make this stuff I have mentioned above! Good thing I have so much motivation right now! Off I go to get more done!

Remodeling and Organizing

I am SO excited about this organizing challenge over at I'm An Organizing Junkie! Seriously excited! It gives me a challenge and gives me a deadline and these are good things for me.
When I woke up this morning I was pretty sure I was already going to start my project today. I am 34 weeks pregnant and wanting to get some things organized before I can unpack all my newborn stuff and get it where I want it.
My husband has been working on remodeling a closet in our house that I would be able to use as a linen/storage closet. Unfortunately I did not get before pictures of the closet. The mismatched shelves. The chipping paint. The part of the wall falling off. The extra sheets, pillows and diapers shoved into the two shelves available...it was bad.
He fixed the wall, got rid of the chipping paint, re-sized all shelves to fit, and primed the walls. I told him not to paint for a couple of reasons: I am excited to organize and want to get started, and I am not worried about spending more time and money on a closet. I would like to find a couple more good organizing baskets to go in the closet, but thus far, it has been a free project as we already had everything needed to get the job done. Here is the closet, ready to be organized (once I remove the bucket).

 

And here are pictures of the places I have other random things stored where they don't belong/I don't want them.

This is all the stuff that was shoved into the closet and has been patiently waiting in the hallway for over a month now.

 

  

 

(I don't know why this one won't rotate correctly)

 

And this is all the stuff that is in random rooms and areas that I want neatly organized in my new closet. I want the armoire available for baby stuff and these shelves could be put to much better use as well. Towels, toiletries, medicines...it's all going to find a new home. 

Menu Plan and Stocking the Freezer

I am 34 weeks pregnant. I delivered at 37 weeks with my first son. I figure it's about time to get started with stocking my freezer, unpacking all the newborn clothes and necessities, and getting myself and my stuff ready as well...
Since  our area was expecting a big snow this weekend I decided that maybe it would be a good time to stock up on groceries and spend some time in the kitchen, since I probably wouldn't be able to get out anyways...it was worth the insanity at the store as everyone was nervously stocking up on bread and milk.
So far I have mostly worked on stocking for my 1 year old. I know some people often do everything in one day, but I prefer to do a couple things at a time, but not for the whole day. Just my way. Yesterday I made baked oatmeal (my new favorite breakfast for my son, and he loves it too!) and these breakfast cookies. They have similar ingredients, but the cookies have bananas and raisins.  Today I made banana muffins (a combination of two of his favorite foods: bananas and cheerios!) and broccoli potato soup (very simply onion, broccoli, potato, stock, and cheese). My son tried a muffin and enjoyed it greatly, and he has had the soup before and loved it! It feels great to be filling my freezer!

For the meals we will actually be eating this week:
Curried Sweet Potato and Apple Soup
Slow Cooker Turkey Stew
Cream Slow-Cooker Chicken
Chili Cheese Biscuit Pies

And some other recipes that I will be working on to add to my freezer collection:
Meatless Chili
Baked Chicken Fingers
Pea and Spinach Soup

We'll see if I really get to all of this. But I do already have all the ingredients for all of these recipes, and that excites me! It's the little things...
Head on over to Orgjunkie.com for more great ideas for meals.