Menu Planning Monday

This week went pretty well! So here are a few updates:

1. My "cash" plan is working extremely awesome for me. I pull out $100 cash to spend for all my grocery/gas/whatever needs and I have to make that work for as long as possible (goal right now is to even last ONE week!). I found ways to be creative. For example, I needed paper towels, toilet paper, laundry soap, dishwasher detergent... all this week! Now those are normally pretty big costs out of the grocery budget but I knew I had to be creative and savvy with how I was going to make it work. First of course, I cut coupons... then I used an old $10 Target Gift Card I had lying around, some Extra Care Bucks (ECB's) from CVS, and got to work. My total out of pocket (OOP) at Target was $1.90 for Electrosol, a big bottle of Tide, and a few freebies (i.e. bananas, ciabatta bread...) I learned about from here. Then on to CVS to get a few freebies there and used my ECB's to get big packs of paper towels and toilet paper. I didn't "roll" the ECB's but I figured I'd work out another challenge next week when I have a bigger budget. Total OOP for huge packs of TP and paper towels $3.10. Learn more about CVS and how to grow your ECB's with weekly $5 challenges here. Now to be honest... if I had used my debit card and my supposedly "infinite" amount that's in the bank, I would never have challenged myself to make this work. I have a lot of fun trying to beat the system and stay within budget so it's kinda cool! The best part, whatever that is left over can go to fun stuff like this week going out to eat with the Brody's and Turnbough's! Yahoo!

2. Ok so onto the Menu Plan!

Monday - Empanadas (YUM!) I can't wait to make this today! It's got my picadillo recipe and mashed potatoes stuffed inside some yummy fried crisp dough. Just thinking about this makes my mouth water!

Tuesday - Spinach pesto and pasta - So I bought a HUGE bag of spinach at Costco and as expected the almost 3/4 full bag will be expiring on Wednesday. We've never had Pesto so we are gonna give this a try. I guess afterewards I can freeze a huge chunk of the pesto and add to chicken, fish and sandwiches so let's see how that goes!

Wednesday - Vietnamese Chicken over rice noodles. Just thought this looked like a fun recipe to make only will change it up with some fish sauce.

Thursday - Carne Asada burritos - This is our church small group meeting night so we have to have something super easy to take on the go. The cool, cool thing is that I have already cooked the meat and now just have to defrost it and throw it into some yummy flour tortillas with salsa!

Friday - Arroz con pollo

Saturday - Dinner out with friends :-) I look at this as my reward for having a good week!

For more menu plans and ideas check this out...

3. Lastly, here is my laundry update... so since I was out of laundry soap for about a week I am behind on laundry again :-(
Oh well, let's see how far I can get today!

Menu Planning Monday

Whoa! So let's try this again! I keep trying to keep on track with Menu Planning Monday... but weeks will go by before I post them again!

Here's our plan:

Monday - Shrimp Scampi over Spaghetti noodles

Tuesday- Puerto Rican Arroz con Salchicha (Rice with weinies (sp?)), habichuelas (beans), and chuletas (pork chop). First time making so we'll see how that goes!

Wednesday - Baked fish with veggies and rice

Thursday - Pizza (got a good deal at Albertsons LOL)

Friday - Caldo de Res ( I know it's not Fall yet especially here in AZ but I am craving some good yummy soup!)

To see what everyone else is doing for Menu Planning Monday, go here :-)

Have a good week!

First week of Homeschool!

So far so good! I can say that it's going...well we are not doing too bad.

I ordered our curriculum from Sonlight and it was sooo worth the investment. Ira is doing the Preschool 4,5 level and Geovanni is doing the Core 1+2 History with the Mesa Distance Learning program. I've been supplementing some additional things here and there as I see needed, but it is totally rocking! Exhausting... but rocking. We have a memory verse each week, read a Bible story daily and are totally intaking a whole lot of stuff.

I feel so blessed to be homeschooling...I love it and can't wait until another successful year!

Love,

Fun night out!

Awwww I love this picture! This was taken over at the Blazin M Ranch Dinner Show. We went for my brother's birthday and had a blast!

Here are some more pics from the fun night!

More info here: http://www.blazinm.com/


Happy Birthday Bro!

Menu Planning Monday

It's time to get on track again! I've done a major grocery shopping spree and it's time to get things done right. I have some very exciting news. ANYONE who knows me knows I have a battle with laundry... it never seems to go away! Well... I have an annoucement... drum roll please.....

I HAVE OFFICIALLY FINISHED LAUNDRY! No, it doesn't mean that I have washed everything and that it is in a nice pile on the top bunk bed where it ends up messy in a few days... IT MEANS I HAVE WASHED EVERY PIECE OF CLOTHING AND IT IS ALL PUT AWAY! sorry about the all caps but i really am screaming here. This is victory! Wanna do the dance with me?

So now there is no excuses... it's gotta be done once a day. Ok, maybe every other day. But I want to keep it up. So here is the deal. I will post once a week where I am on the whole laundry deal cuz I don't ever, ever, ever want to be at that place again where the laundry creeps up on me and it's a whole big mess again. I LOVE challenges so let's see how it goes.

So here's my menu plan:

Monday - Arroz con Pollo (thanks mom for the recipe!)
Tuesday - Apple Cider Vinegar Chicken (yum!) with creamy mashed potatoes
Wednesday - Picadillo (Latin seasoned ground beef with chopped veggies) w/ rice
Thursday - Vietnamese Pork Chops
Friday - couscous with shrimp kebobs

Wish me luck!

Love,

So sad...

I anticipated this week would be terrible. I've been pretty depressed up to this day. I've been trying to focus and stay strong but I can't help it. It's been one year since I learned that my little one has went to heaven. It's been so hard. There hasn't been a time where I don't think about it or what it's been like to feel that loss.

I have faith that God will provide. I have faith that my Lord knows why. I trust that God will see us through this. As much as I say it, I hope I can eventually truly feel it. I know it takes time to heal but... if only.... it's so hard.

On the same day of my surgery, it was also the same day my grandfather passed away 4 years ago. I just keep thinking that he was there to greet my little one and hold her too. My grandfather adored babies and loved children very much. I know he is with her now and they are together in heaven watching over us. One day we will all be together again. Until then... I miss them very, very, very much.

Nani is back from CAMP!

This was the LONGEST week of my entire life. G left for camp on Monday and I was miserable. My sweetie took the week off and stayed with me and I am sooo glad he did. I was in a hole and didn't want to talk to anyone, or do anything at all! I kept praying without ceasing the entire time he was gone. I was so engrossed in the Palm Valley Kids Camp blog because it was my only connection with him!

Turned out he did awesome. This is my favorite picture of him while he was at camp. This is one where he is playing human foosball!

There were many lessons learned this week...

1. Never underestimate your children
2. Never overestimate yourself
3. Trust God... he hears your prayers!