Cooking With My Girlies

On this week’s menu plan (previous post), we were having bean burritos and Spanish rice tonight. I was all ready to start by myself, which is how I cook most of the time. I had my onion chopped and then I got an idea—get the girlies involved. I started with my youngest girlie (we’ll call her dd7). She started stirring the rice and onions in the rice cooker which evolved into also stirring the rest of the ingredients in. She did a fabulous job!

My oldest daughter (otherwise known as dd8) learned how to properly use the manual can opener tonight to open the pinto beans. She is so strong ! She put the oil in the pan, sautéed the onions, smashed the beans and helped put the spices in the mixture.

It is so hard for the control freak in me to give away control like this—even though I know that I want my kids to be self-sufficient adults when they grow up. They will need to know things like how to stir the pot so that the food doesn’t fly out, how to open cans, how to be sanitary while cooking, etc.  This was one of those experiences that we will definitely be repeating often in the future.
The end result:

three happy kiddies with full tummies. DD8 doesn’t even like pinto beans and she talked about how much she enjoyed her burrito! (My little man really wanted in these pictures )

Meal Plan for the Week of January 17

Menu planning is something that I have done since last July when I discovered the book, Miserly Moms, and that led me to the blogs: moneysavingmom.com and lifeasmom.com. On those two blogs I learned all about menu planning and freezer cooking. It has changed my life. Sure my family still eats out too much---but not nearly as much as we used to!!Having food in our pantry and freezer that we can just pull out on those frequent evenings after a hard day at school is such a lifesaver and moneysaver. We have been able to trim down our food costs at least $100 each month by just writing out menu plans each week and putting a few things in the freezer as we find a great sale.

• Monday: bean burritos and Spanish rice
• Tuesday: grilled London broil, roasted potatoes, broccoli
• Wednesday: chicken fajitas, pinto beans, Spanish rice (we love Spanish rice)
• Thursday: eat out? or frozen pizza
• Friday: eat out? or maybe frozen pizza again
• Saturday: spaghetti and garlic bread
• Sunday: eat out?

I already know that this is going to be a crazy week. I cannot even begin to think about what to eat towards the middle and end of it.

This post is linked to Menu Planning Monday At I'm An Organizing Junkie.

My 2011 Goals

Like most everyone else I know, I have a few goals or things that I would like to accomplish in 2011. Here they are in no particular order other than when they pop into my head :
1. Figure out this whole blogging thing.
2. Become a better wife and mother.
3. Become closer to God.
4. Help to simplify my family’s lives by doing my part to decrease expenses.
5. Pay down debt such as my vehicle and credit card.
6. Reconnect to my crafty past and learn how to use my tools ( I recently told my husband that I wanted some tools and a toolbox, so he picked some out and now I’ve got to figure out how to use them!)
7. Learn how to slow down, de-stress, and enjoy life more.

Sunday Morning Thoughts

This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!

My Very First Post

This is my first post EVER. In this blog, I hope to chronicle my journey as a child of God, wife, and mother. I am excited to record our ever-changing, never-a-dull-moment life. Hope you'll join me!