kris in larryville

Simplify

2011-03-28T01:38:00.000-05:00

For my birthday I received some wonderful new kitchen tools. My family truly loves me and spoils me. One of the wonderful gifts was a new Kitchen Aid stand mixer I have wanted given to me by my fabulous boyfriend. I immediately took the old mixer to the garage to get it ready to donate. The only problem is that the new mixer is larger and does not fit in its place. My mother-in-law suggested adjusting my cabinets but I think a simpler process is in order.

It always feels good to clean out my kitchen. Hope to have some before pictures soon.

Weekly Menu February 28 - March 6

2011-02-27T23:14:00.000-06:00

This is the first week of our monthly menu. We went through it in February and like it so far. There will definitely be a few changes down the road but for now it works.

Monday - Slow Cooker Mac 'n Cheese, Strawberry Salad
Tuesday - Meatloaf Muffin Cups, mashed potatoes
Wednesday - Brown Sugar Pork Chops, roasted vegetable
Thursday - Baked Tilapia, brown rice
Friday -
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Oven Fried Chicken, glazed carrots

Lunches
Muffin Tin Monday
Turkey & Cheese
Nut Butter & Jam
Bagel & Cream Cheese
Muffins & fruit

Breakfasts
Sweet Couscous
Cold Cereal
Yogurt, Granola, & Fruit
Fluffy Eggs
Muffins
Rainbow Pancakes

Weekly Menu February 21 - 27

2011-02-20T20:47:00.001-06:00

Dinner:
Monday - Tomato Soup and Waffle Iron Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, fresh fruit
Tuesday - Homemade Hawaiian Pizza, salad
Wednesday - Easy Pork Roast, Baked Acorn Squash
Thursday - Tuna Hot Dish, frozen peas
Friday - Little Lasagna Cups, fresh fruit
Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Oven Fried Chicken

For Breakfast we will have:
Pink Pancakes
Ham and Cheese Popovers
Green Monsters
Baked Oatmeal
Cold Cereal
Homemade Yogurt and fruit

Lunches are usually:
Muffin Tin Monday
What's For Lunch Wednesday

We linked up this menu with Super Jenn.

What's in Your Freezer?

2010-10-02T00:40:00.000-05:00

We have a chest style deep freeze. After a while of picking up deals when I saw them and not really remembering what I had on hand, the freezer got a little full. My friend Jenn is trying to help me save more money on groceries and her first step is always to see what you have on hand. That was hard for me because the deep freeze is in a little nook under the stairs with very little light. I always thought if I knew what was in the freezer then I could plan my meals easier. Then when I needed an item I would know it was there because I had a list. Now I just needed time to take the inventory...

Enter one Friday evening with the girls in bed, Joshua in Wichita, and me in the basement. I watched a movie but was still not tired. After looking over a pile of coupons waiting to be cut out I remembered Jenn saying that it was better to meal plan at first. So that is what I shall do.

5 small bags chicken
whole chicken
split chicken breast
leg quarters
breakfast sausage
3 packages hot dogs
1/2 bag scallops
4 1/2 bags chicken broth cubes
4 bags shredded cheddar cheese
2 bags shredded mozzarella cheese
1 bag shredded Mexican cheese
1/2 bag pierogies
2 small containers tortilla soup
1 large container chicken soup
4 bananas
almond flour
sugar
2 loaves bread
2 loaves sourdough bread
French loaf bread
pita pockets
whip cream
heavy cream
2 small containers strawberry jam
okra
California vegetables
4 bags broccoli
cauliflower broccoli
2 bags spinach
2 bags corn
carrots
4 bags peas
green peppers
3 bags stir fry vegetables
green beans
2 containers juice
2 mystery containers

It looks like we are having a lot of chicken. Share your favorite chicken recipe with me, would you?

May 3-7

2010-05-02T22:08:00.000-05:00

Meal Planning is slowly getting easier. I have learned that if I serve my basics most of the week and throw in a new recipe one or two days the family eats better. So recently it looks like we have been eating the same meal plan every week. Close but not quite! We added another favorite to the rotation: roasted vegetables and chicken. So easy, this one was made by Audrey. This week will be the last that Joshua will be with us for a while so we will be able to add in a few meals he is not as fond of. Our week will be a little short as we are going to Tulsa for a visit and so I can run in the Full Moon 5K.

May 3-7	Breakfast	Lunch	Snack	Dinner
Monday	Cereal	Muffin Tin Monday	Granola bars	Boxed mac-n-cheese
Tuesday	Yogurt	Quesadillas	Carrots & peanut butter	Pizza Wraps
Wednesday	Pink Pancakes	Turkey wraps	Cottage cheese & fruit	Rainy-Day BBQ Chicken
Thursday	Fluffy Eggs	TBD	Carrot Cake cookies	Tuna Hot Dish
Friday	Cereal	PB&J	Grapes & cheese	TBD (Tulsa)

Need to start my meal plan, really

2010-05-01T00:25:00.000-05:00

The pantry is slowly clearing out. I still have a number of cans of tuna and tomatoes along with quite a bit of brown rice. Joshua leaves next week for several months so I will have one less mouth to feed. That means I can cook more items that he does not like but also that we will probably be eating more leftovers. I may just need to plan to freeze a portion from every meal and stock it away for all of those times I am about at breakdown while Joshua is gone. The freezer has a lot more room for meals now. I am also planning a freezer meal prep with my mommy friends. Things should go fine while Joshua is away. We will be gone ourselves for a few weeks. Still I need to plan meals for this week and next. I am ope to ideas for what to do with the tomatoes, tuna, and rice.

April 26- May 2

2010-04-25T23:33:00.001-05:00

My menu this week has been so hard to put together. For some reason my heart was not in it this week. Regardless, here it is:
Monday

Breakfast - Tiny Grape Upside-Down Cakes
Lunch - Play date - cheese, fruit, crackers
Dinner - Frozen meal (mom has to work)
Snack - Peanut Butter bread

Tuesday

Breakfast - Oatmeal with raisins
Lunch - Quesadillas
Dinner - Dinner Out (Joshua's birthday)
Snack - Fruit

Wednesday

Breakfast - fruit parfait
Lunch - PB&J
Dinner - Hilltop Farms Chicken, spinach and strawberry salad
Snack - carrots and peanut butter

Thursday

Breakfast - Pink Pancakes
Lunch - Left overs
Dinner - Quesadilla Casserole (Everyday with Rachel Ray)
Snack - yogurt and granola

Friday

Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - crudite with cream cheese/yogurt, dill dip
Dinner - Chicken Baked Samm (never made it last week), Brussels sprouts!?!
Snack - cinnamon tortilla chips

Saturday

Breakfast - Muffins and bananas
Lunch - PB&J
Dinner - Tuna Hot Dish (we have a lot of tuna), peas
Snack - Zucchini muffins

Sunday

Breakfast - Mini quiche
Lunch - Chicken wraps
Dinner - Crock Pot Lasagna, salad
Snack - fruit

I need:

Cheese
Zucchini
Assorted fresh fruit (on sale only, I have a lot of canned)
Cream of Mushroom soup
Egg noodles
Potato chips
Assorted fresh veggies for crudite (anything I think the family will eat!)
Bananas

I have already spent a little of my food budget this week on Joshua's birthday present so I am going to have to stretch what I have left. Think I can do this with $40? I thought so. I am going to wait until Tuesday to do my shopping at Checkers this week. They have a good deal on bananas that day and maybe I can find other produce sales as well. Making a big dent in the pantry. Not as much in the freezer. I did find another almost full flat of diced tomatoes in the garage. We may need to have goulash again before Joshua leaves. I may even need to learn how to cook it. That is if I am allowed to stay in the kitchen this time.

April 19-25

2010-04-19T01:09:00.000-05:00

My menu is not finished but it is pretty close. I spent a larger portion of the weekend working than I normally do so I am a little behind. Surfing around looking at other menu plans I came across a woman who posts a selection of meal options under each type of meal and then, I am assuming, makes a decision which one to prepare before hand. I am going to try that route as my plan seems to get shifted each week anyway. Joshua and I have tickets to see David Sedaris this week some time so we may cut one meal back and eat out. I also may change one meal to a crock pot chicken meal for the family while I am working Monday.

Breakfast

Pink pancakes
Cereal
Popovers
Yogurt
Fluffy eggs
Oven baked oatcakes

Lunch

PB&J
Chicken roll ups
Quesadillas
Leftovers

Dinner

Goulash
Chicken Baked Samm
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Shake-n-Bake pork chops (help?)
Turkey Sliders
Leftovers / sandwiches

Snacks

Fruit
Granola bars
Cottage cheese

I would like some yard greens

2010-04-13T23:52:00.000-05:00

I have not posted much about dinners recently. It is not because we have not been having them, but simply a time constraint. My resolve to keep the house cleaner coupled with the fact that I have been working outside of the home a little more have zapped my time. That and a teething baby and an active toddler do drain me most days. Saturday evening we ended up having pizza instead of Chicken in Citrus Sauce because the baby was running a fever and I had to hold her constantly. Last night I ended up staying at the office and Joshua came home with the girls. Needless to say he did not follow my meal plan but instead fed the toddler hot dogs and he ate an awful frozen meal his parents left. So tonight I cooked the chicken. It was going to go bad otherwise. I loved it. Audrey would not touch anything and Joshua said he does not like chicken with the bone in. Also, I am not to feed him mixed salad greens and expect him to eat them. He wants iceberg lettuce or spinach. I went to a cooking class tonight and left Joshua to put the baby to sleep and get the toddler to eat her chicken. I came home to find her plate untouched. When I mentioned this to Joshua he said she offered to eat pie. We did not have any pie so she went to bed with no dinner. I had even provided pears for her salad and mandarin oranges as a side. This family is picky.

April 12-18

2010-04-11T19:11:00.000-05:00

Again, it was one of those weeks. Here is the menu. I am going to spend the evening looking everything over to see what I still need. I will post a grocery list later. Joshua and I are trying to eat healthier and closer to home so I may make a trip to the local Coop first to see what is fresh.
Monday

Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - Turkey Wraps
Dinner - Citrus Chicken, rice, salad
Snack - granola bars

Tuesday

Breakfast - oatmeal/yogurt
Lunch - PB&J
Dinner - (Not so) Spicy Black Beans and Rice (Thanks Jenn!)
Snack - fruit & cheese

Wednesday

Breakfast - Eggs in a Basket
Lunch - Won ton cup surprise
Dinner - Tilapia, rice, salad
Snack - Carrots & peanut butter

Thursday

Breakfast - Oven Baked Pancake
Lunch - Egg salad sandwiches
Dinner - Meatloaf, peas, potatoes
Snack - cottage cheese and fruit

Friday

Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - left overs
Dinner - Lasagna, broccoli w/cheese, fruit
Snack - Acini Di Pepe salad

Saturday (Earth Day!)

Breakfast - muffins
Lunch - Downtown for the parade
Dinner - left overs / sandwiches
Snack - bananas

Sunday

Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - PB&J
Dinner - Mushroom soup chicken, seasonal veggies (from Farmers Market)
Snack - Black Bean Brownies

Did I mention rice?

2010-04-09T23:18:00.001-05:00

The week is quickly coming to a close and I noticed I have not begun to plan for our meals next week. While cleaning the kitchen I took a minute to look through the pantry and saw these items:

peanut butter
tomato sauce
kidney beans
dried lentils
diced tomatoes
rice
more rice
tuna

I could go on. Help? I will try to spend some time on Allrecipes.com tonight but I am running out of time. No ideas are bad at this point.
I am adding a linky here so that I can see what is on other menus. Be warned, I may steal your ideas!

Save us!

2010-04-09T15:12:00.000-05:00

Dinner last night was fine. It was not great. Audrey ate some of it so that is always a good thing. Still, I do not think we will put Orange Teriyaki Chicken on regular rotation. There are sadly few items my family will eat on a regular basis and I am trying to widen that selection. Do you have any ideas for me? I do not eat beef and I am not a huge fan of pork (although I am open to tasty, easy recipes.) Please, save us from our boring chicken dinners. If I get time this evening I will put a linky up so sharing is easy.

Over the mid-week hump

2010-04-08T19:04:00.000-05:00

Several good dinners in a row. This week has been much easier to follow as there are no holidays or dinners with relatives to contend with. Cooking with Audrey has gone better this week as well.

I was trying to find photos of dinners and came up short. On looking over my menu I realized why: Monday, leftovers; Tuesday, thunderstorm; Wednesday, Nachos (see above); Thursday, in progress. The other picture is of lunch. Audrey and I had a great time making turkey wraps. Check out her blog for the recipe and photos of her helping make them. Tomorrow night's meal is one we have had recently, Tuna Hot Dish, but since we are going for the Pantry Challenge I need to clear out a few cans of tuna.

As soon as we get a little more space in the pantry I am going to work on just keeping staples for our favorite 28 meals. As this will include perishable items I don't see this being a large quantity of stuff. If you scroll down the right-hand side of my blog you will see I have already begun this list. Items will be added after both adults in the household deem them worthy of repeating. After 28 main courses are picked out I will work to combine these with side dishes to make complete, nutritious (read: vegetables and fruit) meals. I have a feeling that most of these meals are going to be casserole, crock pot, or one dish skillet meals as I am not all that fond of cooking. I welcome feedback and recipes to help me along this journey. Hope your dinner is tasty!

Gobble, gobble

2010-04-06T20:18:00.000-05:00

So we had a major Kansas storm tonight which took out the power and my dinner plans along with it. Audrey begged for a peanut butter sandwich all evening and when the power went out she got one. I did go ahead and cook the Chicken Parm and noodles and pack them for a lunch for Joshua. On the bright side, I am making homemade turkey broth and freezing it in ice cube trays. I had a turkey I cooked last week and my in-laws cooked another one for Easter so I have a lot of bones. That means Turkey Barley Soup will have to be on the menu for next week. Maybe we will make it a nice starter instead of a full meal in hopes that Audrey will still eat something. She used to love soup but lately she will not even try it. Any other recipe ideas for left over turkey meat and broth?

Still trying

2010-04-06T13:18:00.000-05:00

Some of my efforts to clean out the food stockpile have been thwarted by the fact that my in-laws have moved out of their Lawrence home and left me with food. They will take a few items with them when they move to the summer cabin but that will not be for another week. On the plus side I did get the cottage cheese I needed and some fresh fruit for Audrey's snacks. I may have to have another leftover night this week to make room. C'est la vie.

Saturday, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce

2010-04-05T21:13:00.000-05:00

Saturday we did end up having spaghetti with meat sauce. I was able to use up a can of tomato sauce from the garage, turkey meat from the freezer and some pasta we have had around for a while. Joshua does not like whole wheat pasta so instead of tossing it I decided to mix a little whole wheat in with the regular for a few meals until I use it up.

April 5-11

2010-04-05T00:30:00.003-05:00

I am sitting at my table finishing my meal plan for the week and a beautiful spring breeze is blowing through the open window. That is a good sign. With spring comes the Downtown Farmer's Market and this year a half share of a local farm. Even though those local goods are not here yet I am excited just thinking about them. So I must make room in the freezer and pantry so I have a place to store all of the good food yet to come.
Here is the menu for this week:
Monday

Breakfast - oatmeal/yogurt
Lunch - play date at the park
Dinner - Easter dinner leftovers
Snack - Carrot Cake Cookies from Sesame Street Yummy Cookies Baking With Kids

Tuesday

Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - quesadillas
Dinner - Chicken Parmesan, broccoli
Snack - fruit & cheese

Wednesday

Breakfast - Cranberry Muffins from The Healthy Heart Cookbook
Lunch - PB&J (Audrey's favorite)
Dinner - Nachos from The Kid's Cookbook, salad
Snack - Oatmeal Bars from Starting Cooking

Thursday

Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - Turkey Wraps from The Better Homes and Garden's New Junior Cookbook
Dinner - Orange Teriyaki Chicken from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Recipes for Two, glazed carrots
Snack - 1-2-3 Cheese Tart from Kitchen Playdates

Friday

Breakfast - pink pancakes (left overs from last batch)
Lunch - mini cheese pizzas
Dinner - Tuna Hot Dish, peas
Snack - Smoothie

Saturday

Breakfast - cranberry muffins (left overs)
Lunch - PB&J
Dinner - Chicken in Citrus Sauce from The Biggest Book of Slow Cooker Recipes, asparagus
Snack - trail mix

Sunday

Breakfast - oatmeal/yogurt
Lunch - left overs
Dinner - Pizza Pie from Whole Foods for the Whole Family, salad
Snack - cottage cheese & fruit

As an addition I volunteered to deliver meals to two families with new babies this week so I will make a turkey cheese quiche for each. I have turkey from Easter dinner and a lot of eggs. These are also easy meals to transport. My shopping list looks like this:

cinnamon
carrots
cheese
chicken thighs
orange
English muffins
egg noodles
cottage cheese
ranch dressing
pie crusts
tortilla chips
avocados
lime
puff pastry
feta cheese
salad mix
milk

Even with so many items to purchase I am still using up stuff from the pantry and freezer. Most of our side dish veggies come from the freezer at this point. Can't wait for fresh, local veggies.

Better Luck Next Time

2010-04-03T15:54:00.000-05:00

This week was packed with holiday meals and relatives visiting. Try as I might I was only able to cook Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and (hopefully) Saturday. The meal I had scheduled for Thursday (Tomato Lentil Soup) I added to the meal Friday night as we ended up having both sets of grandparents over for dinner. I did not add to the pantry but very little was used up this week. Next week should be calmer and possibly we will be able to double up on pantry staple usage to make up for slacking this week.

Recipes: Asparagus, Chicken Bake Samm

2010-04-03T09:50:00.001-05:00

Recipe for Chicken Bake Samm:

chicken
chicken broth
mushrooms
onion

Place chicken in oven safe dish. Pour enough broth over to have half inch in the bottom of dish. Broil chicken on each side for 3-5 minutes, or until golden. Remove chicken and add mushrooms, onions and enough broth to maintain the half inch in the bottom of the dish. Cook until done.

This is a basic recipe and easy to adapt to quantity of chicken and type (breast, thighs, boneless, etc.) We like boneless thighs in this house and they are quick to cook. I also use canned mushrooms and dried onions. That means all I have to purchase is the chicken and then I can raid the pantry for the rest of the ingredients. I recommend keeping this recipe in mind for quick, delicious meals.

Recipe for Roast Asparagus:

Asparagus
1 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp Italian Dressing
1 clove Minced Garlic

Line a baking sheet with foil, place asparagus on top. In a bowl mix honey, garlic and italian dressing, pour over asparagus. Bake for 15 minutes or until tender. I cook mine a little less because I like it crisp.

Chicken Bake Samm

2010-03-31T21:39:00.000-05:00

I am a day behind on my blogging and when I mentioned this to my boyfriend he had no sympathy for me. Am I addicted? According to my girlfriends the answer is yes. Regardless, it is fun. So here is dinner from yesterday:

Check back for the recipes for the chicken and asparagus...

Can I get a doctor's note?

2010-03-30T00:11:00.000-05:00

The girls and I took advantage of the beautiful Kansas weather to go for a walk with friends today. On the walk I kept thinking about how I might not have followed through with the idea to get out if I had not invited a friend to join me. How is it that having a friend to talk to makes exercise bearable? I had to load the girls, stroller, water, diapers (big girl panties), and snacks into the car and take a short drive and it was somehow worth it. At the end of the walk my friend and I even started talking about inviting/finding other mommies to walk with us on a more regular basis.

This is an activity that ranks up with cleaning the house or going grocery shopping. I do it but it is not my favorite part of the job. Can I get an exemption? Maybe the doctor can say I have a bone in my back and cannot exercise. Or as Audrey likes to say, "mom, your bone is tired?" Yes, honey, and I would rather be lazy. However, I want to be around to see my grandchildren so we pack up the car and head to the gym more day than not. And we will take advantage of nice Kansas weather and go for walks with our friends. Look for me pushing a stroller with two young girls in it up a hill near you. Honk and wave if you like, we will wave back.

March 29 - April 4

2010-03-29T10:09:00.003-05:00

So I am late getting my menu out. I have most of it put together but I have still yet to make my to-do or groceries lists. Best not to procrastinate for these reasons and just get it published.

Monday

Breakfast - Cereal
Lunch - Quiche
Dinner - Seder meal with relatives
Snack - PB&J (Audrey asked for it)

Tuesday

Breakfast - Pink Pancakes
Lunch -PB&J
Dinner - Chicken Baked Samm
Snack - Bunny Graham crackers and fruit

Wednesday

Breakfast - Oatmeal/Yogurt
Lunch - Cheese Sandwiches & fruit
Dinner - Meatballs, pasta, peas, coleslaw
Snack - granola bars

Thursday

Breakfast - Toast Sandwiches
Lunch - Chicken fingers
Dinner - Tomato Lentil Soup, fruit salad
Snack - cheese & fruit

Friday

Breakfast - Eggs
Lunch - Quesadillas
Dinner - Turkey, broccoli, potatoes
Snack - Carrots & peanut butter

Saturday

Breakfast - Oatmeal/Yogurt
Lunch - crudite, fruit, cheese
Dinner - Spaghetti with meat sauce
Snack - Applesauce

Sunday

Breakfast - Smoothie
Lunch - Turkey Sandwiches
Dinner - Easter Meal (I am not cooking!)
Snack - Eggs, of course

Check back as I update this to reflect changes in this holiday week menu. My in-laws or parents may take over cooking duties or take us out to dinner one or more nights not already marked. Changes will be reflected in the daily posts.

Lasagna was a hit

2010-03-28T00:06:00.000-05:00

The lasagna turned out well. No complaints. No rave reviews either. Joshua was very helpful in saying what he liked and some things that might make it taste better next time. I was happy to have used 3 jars of tomato sauce that had been in my garage on a shelf for several months. All of the other items were purchased for this meal. Except for a can of pears that took the place of our usual strawberries in the family salad. I liked the salad. Audrey liked the pears. And the birthday cake (thanks Leah and Rhonda!) Here is a picture of Audrey's plate:

Change of Plan

2010-03-27T08:07:00.000-05:00

I forgot to post last night that lasagna was moved to dinner tonight. Joshua had to be in Wichita tonight so we moved our birthday meal out to last night. After much contemplation I selected Ten as my birthday dinner and was not disappointed. If you go on a night when they have something with sweet potatoes, order it.

Another day, two more items down

2010-03-25T20:43:00.003-05:00

Another not so great day at Chez Audrey. I really should call it something else but we did buy the house because I was pregnant with her and we needed more room. It has been her house ever since. poor Maurene. Back to the point; Audrey did not nap today. When I asked for help making the salad at dinner she refused and decided instead to move all of the Tupperware to the bottom of her sister's excersaucer. I was able to make dinner but it was not great. I am, however, feeling pretty good about slowly emptying out the stockpile of items taking up space in the pantry and freezer.
When we get low enough Joshua and I have decided to start making better choices about how we spend our food budget. First, we are going to purchase a half share at Mellowfields Urban Farm here in beautiful Lawrence, Kansas. Second, we will buy what we can from The Farmer's Market and The Merc (our local Co-Op.) And last, we will purchase from companies we know to have ethical business practices. We are prepared to spend a little more and know that our dollars are speaking for us.

The wagon left us at the station

2010-03-24T18:58:00.003-05:00

There are days when everyone naps, we have no meltdowns, and the kitchen is clean. Then there are days like today. When we have those days I make pancakes. Today we used the recipe from Deceptively Delicious for Pink Pancakes. Audrey loved them. She had seconds. Daddy knew what was in them and elected to have leftover lasagna. I thought they tasted fine. We had them with butter and powdered sugar.

No leftovers

2010-03-23T19:02:00.003-05:00

Tonight I made a family favorite: Tuna Noodle Casserole (called Tuna Hotdish in Joshua's family) and there are no leftovers. Usually a recipe makes four to six servings so we always have extra. I guess the family liked it.

Audrey enjoyed her eggs for breakfast and even tried a pea at dinner. We had to substitute granola bars for cheese at snack time because daddy ate all the cheese last night. Another good day. On a more somber note: Joshua sent me an article on middle age women and obesity. I think he is trying to be funny about my birthday. I have been going to the gym a little recently but I do not get in an hour every day. Might have to add to that so I do not become one of those overweight middle aged women.
P.S. After all my planning and two trips to the store I still forgot to pick up cream of mushroom soup for tonight's dinner.

Happiness is a good meal

2010-03-22T19:27:00.002-05:00

Week one is off to a good start. After I commented that the pizza was very good Audrey said, "Because I made it." She is two and has a wonderful sense of self worth. I have purchased (almost) everything we need for our meals this week plus diapers, dishwasher soap, and toilet paper and am just a little over my $40 plan (I used coupons, thanks Jenn!) The only remaining tasks are to clean and organize the fridge so that leftovers are easily viewable and fresh vegetables are prepped. One problem with all of the this cooking is that now I have a lot of dishes to load in the dishwasher. But I am fat and happy. Here is a picture of Audrey's meal:

Tomorrow the challenge begins

2010-03-21T22:05:00.000-05:00

I went shopping for most of the items and spent less than $20. Tomorrow I will hit Dillons and pick up the rest. I expect to stay under $40 for the week. Tonight I need to read through the recipe for Mexican Pizza and pull out the chicken to thaw for later in the week.

March 22nd - 27th

2010-03-21T16:00:00.009-05:00

My first week. I am looking forward to it. If this goes well there may be a side effect of better organization. Already my week is better laid out then it normally is. I still need to clean the refrigerator and pull a few items out of the freezer but it looks promising. I found all of my recipes this week at Allrecipes.com.
Monday

Breakfast - Yogurt (Audrey) and Oatmeal (me)
Lunch - Quiche (we are having a playdate)
Dinner - Mexican Pizza/salad/grapes
Snacks - cereal bars

Tuesday

Breakfast - Eggs
Lunch - PB&J
Dinner - Tuna Noodle Casserole/peas/apples
Snacks - raisins and cheese

Wednesday

Breakfast - cereal
Lunch - Quesadillas
Dinner - Baked Chicken/Kidney Bean Coleslaw/Diced Potatoes/Pineapples
Snacks - carrots and peanut butter

Thursday

Breakfast - French Toast
Lunch - cottage cheese and fruit
Dinner -Slow Cooker Turkey Breast/stuffing/sweet potatoes/mandarin oranges
Snacks - cheese and crackers

Friday

Breakfast - Yogurt (Audrey) and Oatmeal (me)
Lunch - cheese sandwiches
Dinner - Lasagna/salad/bread/pears
Snacks - granola bars

Saturday

Breakfast - Pancakes
Lunch - Mac -n- Cheese
Dinner - off (my birthday)
Snacks - hummus and tortillas

Sunday

Breakfast - cereal
Lunch -PB&J
Dinner - Oven Fried Chicken/candied carrots/peas/grapes
Snacks - bananas

The weekly planner I am using has a place for notes and this is where I have listed what tasks I need to complete for the meals this week. This includes items like thaw chicken and turkey and shred cabbage. There is also the usual grocery list. Here is what I need to purchase this week:

baby carrots
tomato
egg noodles
potato chips
apples
sweet potatoes
lettuce
onion soup mix
cheese
lemon
grapes

Wish me luck! I am open to ideas and encouragement so please leave me comments.I forgot to add that I am participating in a linkup with this meal plan. Check out Super Jenn to see the challenge.

Almost ready

2010-03-20T15:31:00.000-05:00

I started working on my weekly planner last night while watching a show with Joshua. With a weekly meal planner in front of me and the Internet at my fingertips I was able to make short work of the task. There are still a few more things to be worked out but I should have mt plan ready to publish tomorrow. If I put it out there for my friends and family to see then maybe I will stick to it better. I left one day open for dinner with family or leftovers and it may not end up being the day I have it listed. Wish me luck and help hold me accountable.

New challenge to begin Monday

2010-03-18T19:09:00.001-05:00

We are still out of town and I will need a few days to take inventory. Mainly of the freezer as it is a chest style; deep, dark, and full. I know we have a small turkey breast in there. In the pantry are several cans of tuna and beans, and some dried beans. Also a flat each of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. This should be fun. Joshua has asked me to stock items for him to take to lunch so I will need to make room for those items in the pantry. This is a great time to begin this challenge. We are also attempting to put a little money in savings while still paying off a little debt. As soon as I can get some ideas and see what I need to purchase I will create a budget for each week and see if we can stick to it. I love Super Jenn for her weekly meal plans and will make something very similar.

A challenge

2010-03-17T11:38:00.000-05:00

So I gave up my own blog in order to create one for Audrey. While surfing around for ideas I found a mom who had a pantry challenge to reduce her food budget. I need a pantry and freezer challenge to clean out the stockpile of items I have found on sale. I believe I can do this in 2 months. The reason for the extended time is that I have a large freezer, a picky family, and I am not a very good cook. This last item is a real sticking point. In order to help me I am going to use a website called Allrecipes.com (thanks Sarah!) If there are any other sites like this I could use to search for individual items, please let know in the comments.

Facebook addict

2009-11-20T12:52:00.000-06:00

Joshua spends a great deal of time on the internet. He works, keeps up with current events, and gets info about good movies to see, all online. Because of all he does he tends to leave a large digital footprint. Which is why I was shocked to discover that I rate higher on a google search than he does. Part of the reason is that my name is not as common, but also I Facebook way too much. That was my top return, Facebook. So here goes, my name is Kris and I am a Facebook addict.

Tuesday is not Monday, but close

2009-09-22T20:04:00.002-05:00

The first night of the girls sleeping together got off to a rocky start. Now I have to set up a monitor so that I can hear Maurene fuss before she wakes Audrey up. Maurene is still getting up once a night to eat and I do not need Audrey awake at 3 am. I believe if I get Maurene soon enough Audrey will sleep through it. That is the plan anyway. Today was better but not great. Audrey and I had to get flu shots so the hours waiting at the clinic were not fun. At least not for me. Maurene would not sleep in her seat but rather had to be held and Audrey wanted to explore every door and hallway. She also used the lobby phone on several occasions. One of the nice ladies held Maurene for me while I filled out her paperwork. Have to start her a chart so she can get coverage as well. We need better health care! Just because I have access to a free clinic does not mean I have adequate coverage!

Finally Over

2009-09-21T19:35:00.002-05:00

The girls are finally in bed. Wow, this was a hard day. This is the hardest job I have ever had. I do not even have the energy to write about it today. Maybe tomorrow. I will try to post the new pictures as well. In the meantime I have a few on Facebook.

My new family

2009-09-21T08:19:00.000-05:00

I realized a few days ago that Maurene does not have the same recording of her early days that Audrey has because I have been posting everything on Facebook. I like the easy of Facebook more as it lends itself to short, quick posts, which is about all I have time for these days with two children. That said, I am going to try to put up a little something about our newest family member and the family as a whole.
Maurene and Audrey are getting used to each other more each day. Yesterday I asked Audrey to talk to Maurene while I did something and I looked over to find Maurene smiling her big toothless grin at Audrey. It was enough to melt your heart. Maurene has seen her sister enough to know that she is a friend and has now started to try to win her over, just like she has done with her father and me.

Filing

2009-04-13T19:23:00.000-05:00

Milk is filed in the middle drawer, all else in the bottom.

Eggs!

2009-04-13T19:19:00.000-05:00

She had so much fun finding the Easter eggs.

Dying eggs

2009-04-11T17:49:00.000-05:00

Baby and daddy have fun.

Comfort

2009-04-10T18:47:00.000-05:00

Baby was able to pull the comforter off her parent's bed for her milk
break.

here is my excuse

2009-04-06T22:03:00.000-05:00

Hi, my name is Kris and I am a reformed Blogger. I have not meant to neglect my blog. Things got out of hand and I gave up on a few things. I will try to do better. Only time will tell. And the camera is in the shop.

Big shoes

2009-03-15T17:09:00.000-05:00

Her new love

Just like mama

2009-03-13T09:59:00.001-05:00

She wanted a hat. Wish I could get a better pic but she moves too fast.

Cold, baby

2009-02-28T08:31:00.000-06:00

Good

2009-02-05T18:27:00.000-06:00

She is licking the applesauce off the plate.

I'm busy!

2009-01-29T18:51:00.000-06:00

Can't you see I'm on the phone?

Bye!

2009-01-29T18:46:00.000-06:00

She asked me to put her coat on her, grabbed her purse, and headed for
the stairs.

Sleeping beauty

2009-01-28T22:23:00.000-06:00

holiday hazards

2009-01-07T22:19:00.001-06:00

Another treat from the holidays. This one did go on for a while so Joshua just cut it to the good part.

Watch out

2009-01-04T18:55:00.000-06:00

I'm driving

pretty pony

2009-01-02T12:24:00.000-06:00

not much time but i thought i would post this. warning, it is a silly video of my child. it is short though if you want to watch it anyway.

Snow baby

2008-12-15T17:02:00.000-06:00

Let it snow

2008-12-09T14:42:00.000-06:00

Baby wants to go outside and play.

McDs

2008-12-07T17:04:00.000-06:00

First taste of ketchup. She loves it. Now those boring fries taste good.

Birthday dinner

2008-12-03T17:42:00.000-06:00

Pianist

2008-11-26T09:47:00.000-06:00

prepping

2008-11-23T21:52:00.000-06:00

getting ready for the holidays. we will be in milwaukee for turkey day and home for part of xmas. then we travel to tulsa to see my sisters. got baby a doll for her birthday. i wasn't going to do much but then i saw the doll. and so did she. the look on her face was priceless. good part about this age is that she will forget the doll before her birthday comes around. i will post pictures. we have been so busy recently that i have not taken much time to write or post many photos. baby is trying to walk but she is still unstable. maybe grandma can teach her.

Big girl

2008-11-18T17:49:00.000-06:00

She wanted the fork. Needless to say she did not eat much for dinner.

Spoon

2008-11-16T13:32:00.000-06:00

Not quite ready

Helping

2008-11-15T17:05:00.000-06:00

Baby is helping momma cook

Working

2008-11-15T12:42:00.000-06:00

In motion

2008-11-09T08:28:00.000-06:00

Not a very good picture but she won't slow down.

Vote!

2008-11-09T07:36:00.000-06:00

Baby helped make history.

Determined

2008-11-05T16:56:00.000-06:00

Even though she is little she still finds a way to make it down the
stairs.

Little

2008-11-02T22:27:00.001-06:00

My baby used to be so little. This was one of the first phone pictures
I took.

Halloween

2008-11-01T22:00:00.000-05:00

Our little puppy dog

Stairs

2008-10-30T17:14:00.000-05:00

Baby likes the stairs

Filed

2008-10-22T14:25:00.000-05:00

Still working. Baby found an empty file drawer.

getting better

2008-10-21T13:44:00.004-05:00

the little one sleeps. she has a cold and it has been a rough day. we have stuck around the house except for a brief visit next door to see the dog and visit with di and ben. after her nap we are heading to the fabric store for a border to rachel's quilt. i was able to get the dishes caught up and am working on the laundry but other than that all i do is work. the baby goes with me some times and others she stays with larissa or at home with monique. it has been better for her these last few weeks but i have still been tired. the montgomerys got us caught up on house work but it went right back into disarry as soon as they left. i will be so glad when we have this whole mess behind us. tonight is girls night so i will have a night of fun.

The Zoo

2008-10-19T18:45:00.000-05:00

Daddy took baby to the zoo. I stayed home for a much needed break. Actually I went to the office and then came home to clean the kitchen. But it was a break nontheless. Here is a picture of baby at the zoo.

Dinner

2008-10-18T19:30:00.000-05:00

She loves her mac n cheese. But I wanted it to not be finger food.

Reading

2008-10-18T15:21:00.000-05:00

Baby is brushing up to help daddy at work.

Sleeping

2008-10-13T15:51:00.000-05:00

Destruction

2008-10-12T18:51:00.000-05:00

Audrey, destroyer of worlds.

Dancing

2008-10-11T17:33:00.000-05:00

Having fun with grandma

Reading

2008-10-10T11:07:00.000-05:00

Baby loves her Eric Carle.

Working

2008-10-08T17:45:00.000-05:00

Mom went back to work so baby came in to help. She is on her way to
the call center to get the phone.

Tulsa time

2008-09-29T07:53:00.001-05:00

Having fun at Papa Jim and Nana's house.

Playing

2008-09-24T10:28:00.000-05:00

At the library

New cover

2008-09-22T16:33:00.000-05:00

Baby loves her futon cover. Thanks Nana.

busy

2008-09-22T16:30:00.003-05:00

to do:

pack for tulsa
finish the laundry
work on quilts for rachel, cheryl, and baby
finish baby's futon cover
file the financial paperwork
clear out the queue of flagged posts in larryville
make deposits for the month of august in quickbooks
get some rest

it is going to be a busy few days.

where is the manual?

2008-09-20T23:45:00.002-05:00

funny how when you go back to read stuff you have written it sounds better if you do not say it out loud. i guess i write as i speak and that does not always make great reading. so the baby had a fever today. she was not feeling well all day but towards bedtime she really started to feel warm. we went for a walk downtown with my dad and step-mom who are visiting and all she could do was lay in her stroller. this is my normaly very active child who never sits still for a moment. when i found out how high her temperature was i got a little scared. fortunately di from next door helped me out and got me everything i need. i really need to do something nice for them. they have come through for us on more than one occasion. i wish they were staying in kansas as it is not often you find friends like that. i need to visit more with the others neighbors with small children so i have someone else to turn to when the ringquists leave. so the baby is feeling a little better. joshua put her to sleep and we watched a movie. he deamed it a chick flic and came upstairs. after the movie was over i went to check on the baby only to find she was not in her crib. i found her curled up with dad and i had a hard time getting him to let me put her back in her crib. she is asleep now and i should be as well. these things need to come with instructions, the children i mean.

Ice

2008-09-19T18:39:00.000-05:00

I do not know who had more fun. Baby tried to hold on but kept
dropping it.

Finally, a bath

2008-09-19T13:02:00.000-05:00

Princess is bathing again, hope it lasts.

a mystery

2008-09-19T12:53:00.003-05:00

baby is getting pretty good at feeding herself these days. she had her and dad's favorite for lunch, mac 'n cheese. mostly the food makes it to her mouth but there are a few that jump ship. after she assured me she was finished by throwing the remaining food overboard we went to clean up. she is having a good day so i put a freshly diapered and clothed baby on the floor to roam and play. it was not two minutes before she returned to the scene of the crime. i looked to see what she was doing and found her eating the leftover food off of the floor (no, i had not cleaned up yet). how is it that food thrown from the high chair minutes before is now appealing enough to eat off the floor? it is a mystery. i should simply be happy that she is learning to feed herself and i can eat along with her.

Expectant

2008-09-15T00:24:00.000-05:00

Waiting for dad to return.

New chef

2008-09-14T13:14:00.000-05:00

Baby likes my cooking.

who me?

2008-09-09T22:09:00.000-05:00

i fixed the shredder. no need to thank me i know how cool i am. i also scrubbed the laundry room floor because someone left a wet item there to rot. i will not mention the person by name but you know who you are. maybe someday i will get a gold star for all of the floors i scrubbed. or how about a weekend away with no crying babies or demanding boyfriends. i also got the tables and dealers for the casino night fund raiser. maybe i deserve two gold stars. or a chocolate bar. how about my favorite sushi and a child who sleeps through the night again. gotta go figure out what is wrong this time.

Hanging out

2008-09-08T13:37:00.001-05:00

On the ottoman. It is soft.

it's fair time again

2008-09-07T22:40:00.000-05:00

a couple of questions for the parents who read my blog:

should i worry about the tic tac baby swallowed?
is an all dairy diet acceptable?
what do i do when she wakes in the middle of the night?
how do i discipline a child who laughs when i say no?

it has been an interesting week. i am about half way finished with cheryl's quilt and plans are being made to make my new sister-in-law one. what a great welcome to the family: your mother-in-law is crazy and your sister-in-law makes tacky crafts for presents. hope you will stay.

i did have a garage sale and can finally park in the garage again. and cheryl and i made plans for the fair. it will be another bitter-sweet time without bob. maybe we will all eat too much again and act like everything is fine.

detroit lakes

2008-09-04T22:03:00.004-05:00

found some pictures from the lake and thought i would share them. nothing like a cute baby to get the grandparents to give mom a vacation.

she moves too much, or horizontally challenged

2008-09-04T11:58:00.000-05:00

so the baby likes pasta, and hot dogs, and bananas. she still has yogurt for breakfast but the rest of the dining experience has changed. we went to the doctor for her 9 month checkup and she has dropped from the 25th to the 10th percentile in weight. the only way i got out of the office with my pride was that she stayed in the 50th for her height. she is growing, just up and not out. they want me to start milk and try to get her to nurse more. i swear i feed the baby, i do. she moves too much. i think we should work on getting her to move less instead of trying to feed her more. dont they say to exercise more instead of concentrating on diet? shouldnt the opposite be true? any ideas on how to stop the baby from moving? anyone?

tantrum anyone?

2008-09-03T13:48:00.002-05:00

joshua says it was oppenheimer who said, "i am become death, destroyer of worlds." and now he has taken to calling audrey that. she must destroy anything in her path. if you stack blocks in front of her she will knock them down. she is also getting pretty good at moving around on her own so nothing is safe. especially not my computer. i say she will be typing before she walks. she also is not happy if i am not paying attention to her. typical only child syndrome. tantrum anyone?

the power of play

2008-09-02T07:42:00.000-05:00

audrey is learning to play by herself. we have spent a little time in her room the last few days while she wanders around and plays with her toys. i used to have the toys in the living room but i have slowly moved them back to her room and found a place for them all. while she plays i have been able to fold laundry and clean up her room a bit.

back home

2008-08-30T07:15:00.000-05:00

we are back home and not enjoying the heat. i think i could have stayed in detroit lakes, however, not through the winter. joshua has mentioned holing up there so he can get some work done but i am not certain that would be the best thing for the baby and me. plans were made for thanksgiving with the montgomerys this year. that also means a first birthday party for audrey in milwaukee. i assume we will go to tulsa for christmas. more later, audrey wants to go to the farmers market.

Audrey, Destroyer of Worlds

2008-08-27T10:13:00.001-05:00

One day a baby alien named Audrey traveled with her parents on vacation. This little alien did not like to sit still so her parents had to travel while she slept. When she awoke Audrey was very happy to see a strange life form called a cat. The cat was not happy to see the baby alien. During the vacation the little alien tried her best to make friends with the cat, to no avail. She also spent time with her grandparents. Grandma taught little Audrey how to play with the interlocking blocks. They played a game called "Push and Pull." Audrey enjoyed this game so much that whenever she was given blocks she would quickly pull them all apart. She played this game so often her father took to calling her "Audrey, Destroyer of Worlds."

Grandmas house

2008-08-26T14:21:00.000-05:00

Grandma can make anything work. This is baby's high chair at the
cabin. Notice the tarp.

Cat

2008-08-26T12:31:00.000-05:00

Playing with the cat.

New duds

2008-08-22T13:47:00.000-05:00

Grandma dressed baby.