Dinner - The Remix

A couple of days ago, I made one of our favorite recipes - Sausage, Peppers and Onions. I usually serve this over linguine noodles or with penne pasta. However, my husband thought that smaller pasta would be great with this dish and he asked if I could use both Italian and smoked sausage. I was happy to oblige. However, what I didn't realize is that the smaller pasta soaked up a LOT more of the sauce so the dish was a bit dry. No one was really into it, especially the kids. I had a LOT of leftovers. Hum... I didn't want to waste all that food... what to do?

So tonight, I sliced up more sausage and added it to the dish. Then I put it all in my lasagna pan with some extra spaghetti sauce added. Then I topped it off with some Italian 5 cheese blend and lots of Parmesan and covered it and put it in the oven. Viola! A dish I know everyone will enjoy and I think we have enough for dinner tomorrow night as well. Good deal!

Homemade Sore Throat Remedy

I posted a homemade cough remedy yesterday and wanted to add an update as to how to turn this cough remedy into a cold remedy.

My husband came home last night with a sore throat and said he felt bad and might even call off work for the next day. I asked if he's be willing to try a home remedy (although it tastes bad it might really help). He said sure and drank it down (with a slight frown, LOL).

I am happy to say this worked very well and he was feeling better within about 30 minutes after taking it. He's back to work today. He suffers from really bad sore throats when he gets them and normally I would expect him to stay home because he is so miserable.

I made this recipe up based on ingredients that I know work well for colds based on my own experience and information I found searching on-line for home remedies.

Homemade Sore Throat Remedy

1 cup boiling water
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into small pieces
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup raw honey (you should be able to find this at a health food store)
1/4 c. raw apple cider vinegar (I use BRAGG brand)
2 Tbsp. c. white grape juice
1 clove garlic, peeled and cut into pieces
1 tsp. Mexican oregano (found in small packets in Mexican foods grocery aisle)
a healthy dash of cayenne pepper powder

Boil water and add ginger, garlic and oregano. Allow to steep for 5 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Add remaining ingredients and shake until well blended. Allow to sit a few minutes until all the bubbles settle. Give 1/4 cup as a does as needed for sore throat. Store in refrigerator.

Homemade Cough Remedy

The cold season is upon us and three of my lovely little ladies have coughs. We've tried all kinds of cold/cough medicine and I had come to a point where I was running out of things to try and was considering taking them to the doctor. My 7 year old has been coughing for weeks now and instead of getting better she began to get worse again... with no other symptoms. She always tends towards lingering coughs when she has been sick.

I began to search on-line for natural cures for coughs. After a lot of reading I came up with this cough remedy that allowed all of my girls to sleep through the night last night without coughing. It is easy to make and two out of three enjoyed the taste as well :0)

Homemade Cough Remedy

1 cup water
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into small pieces
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup raw honey (you should be able to find this at a health food store)
3 Tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar (I use BRAGG brand)
1/4 c. white grape juice

Boil water and add ginger pieces. Allow to steep for 5 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Add remaining ingredients and shake until well blended. Allow to sit a few minutes until all the bubbles settle. Give 2 Tbsp. as a does as needed for coughing. Store in refrigerator.

Menu Planning Monday #4

It's been ages since I have posted our weekly menus. I always write them out on paper but rarely find time to sit and type them out.

One thing I had been wanting to do for some time now is to get a months worth of breakfast, lunch and dinner menus all written out with no repeats. I finally got that all done and that list is what I am posting today. This way I can have a master list of menus to work from when I plan out my usual two week menu plan. I can also use this master list to rotate meals so we don't keep preparing the same things over and over.

This is not an exhaustive list by any means. I have many, many more dinners that I could have added to this list but these are the most frugal as well as the simplest.

I like to make out menus but I also keep in mind that I will most likely mix and match the combinations of breakfasts, lunches and dinners based on how much time I will have to cook as well as what seems to be the best combination for that particular day (allowing for company, etc.)

Here are 4 weeks worth of menus...

Week 1

B: Muffins and fruit
L: Deli Wraps and fruit
D: Chili Mac with corn on the cob

B: Omelets and fruit
L: Sopita
D: Chicken Spaghetti and salad

B: Oatmeal with apples
L: Quiche and fruit
D: Italian turkey sausage with peppers and onions, penne pasta and broccoli

B: Buttermilk pancakes
L: Deli sandwiches and fruit
D: Pinto beans, collard greens, corn bread

B: Buttermilk biscuits and gravy, fruit
L: Homemade pizzas
D: Lentil stew and salad

B: Crepes with strawberries
L: Tuna pasta salad
D: Spaghetti and salad

B: Breakfast burritos
L: Homemade macaroni and cheese
D: Jerk Chicken, brown rice, broccoli

Week 2

B: English muffin sandwiches
L: Ramen noodles, fruit
D: Jambalaya, salad

B: "French Breakfast" (French breakfast muffins, scrambled eggs, sliced ham, fruit)
L: Bean burritos
D: Homemade "Beanie Weenie" in the crock pot, Rice

B: Waffles, fruit
L: Cheese tacos
D: Scalloped potatoes with ham, green beans

B: Granola with fruit and yogurt
L: Quesadillas
D: Ground beef stroganoff, noodles, green beans

B: Baked Oatmeal
L: Deli pasta salad, fruit
D: Potato and Corn Chowder, homemade rolls

B: French Toast
L: Baked Potatoes, fruit
D: Chili, rice

B: "Daddy's Day Off Big Breakfast" (Scrambled eggs, bacon, grits, toast, fried potatoes)
L: Nachos
D: Chicken sour cream enchiladas, refried beans

Week 3

B: "Big Mexican Breakfast" (Chorizo, scrambled eggs, tortillas, fried potatoes, refried beans)
L: Calzones
D: Roast Chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, mixed vegetables, rolls

B: Cream of wheat with fruit
L: Tuna sandwiches on toast, pickle
D: Chicken burritos, refried beans

B: Cold cereal
L: Empanadas
D: Meatloaf, roasted potatoes, peas

B: Breakfast casserole
L: Homemade chicken and rice soup, crackers
D: Chicken Pot Pie

B: Breakfast Sweet Rice
L: Pigs in a blanket, fruit
D: BBQ MEatballs, Mashed potatoes, peas

B: Baked French Toast
L: Grilled cheese sandwiches, pickles
D: Tostadas, refried beans, calebacitas

B: Apple Dutch Baby
L: Taquitos
D: Lasagna, salad

Week 4

B: Breakfast cookies, fruit
L: Bagel sandwiches, fruit
D: Beef Curry, California style veggies, rice

B: Breakfast bars
L: Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
D: Deli rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, rolls

B: Johnnycakes, applesauce
L: Ham and cheese melts
D: Enchiladas, refried beans

B: Ham and potato hash
L: Pizza pasta
D: Shepherd's pie, salad

B: Breakfast pizza, fruit
L: Taco cups
D: Teriyaki chicken, soba noodles, Asian style veggies

B: Coffee cake, fruit
L: Pinwheels, pickles, fruit
D: Beef and broccoli, Asian style veggies, rice

B: Sausage pigs in a blanket
L: Chilaquilas, refried beans, fruit
D: Jamaican red beans and rice, salad

A Day In The Life Of Me

Candy recently did a video post on what a day is like in her life and she invited others to participate as well. Unfortunately I don't own a video camera but I thought it would be fun to make written post on what our day is like, so here goes... :0)

Usually I am awakened twice each morning. First at about 3:30 am when my husband is getting ready for work. I don't wake up for the day as early as he does but I can't help waking up when he is preparing for work. After he leaves for work I go back to sleep until my 2 year old wakes me at around 6:30 or 7 am. Sometimes I wake up before she does but usually she is my clock, LOL! I have had some MAJOR problems sleeping for several months now (long story) which is why I tend to go to bed early and sleep in later than I would like. Prayerfully this problem will be solved very soon with some medical intervention (another long story LOL) and I will begin to wake up the same time my husband does, which is my intention.

Anyhow, I digress... :0)

Once awake I get myself and two year old dressed and ready for the day. If my other girls are still sleeping then I will do a quick email check and then start laundry, put away dishes from the dishwasher and then start breakfast. I will let the girls sleep no later than 8 am. I let two year old wake them up because she really likes to do that and they love it too. Once the girls are up I remind them to do their "morning list". When they are done with their list they are allowed to read or play until breakfast.

During breakfast we read from a Children's Bible story book or my Bible. Right now we are reading from the Rod and Staff book called Bible Stories To Read. My two oldest girls have a Devotion book they are working through right now as well as a Scripture memory system and a Bible Study book for homeschool ... as well as an AWANA class they go to so most of the Bible stories are fairly simple for them (but they still enjoy them). After we read our Bible Study we then read a chapter or two from our current Read Aloud book. Right now we are reading On The Banks Of Plumb Creek.

After breakfast we clear the table and start our chores. Usually the girls will fold and put away a basket of laundry or vacuum one room each. Chores vary from day to day depending on what needs to be done. I start a new laundry load and wash dishes and do any dinner prep that is needed. Then we have a 10 minute break. At this time I check email again because that is how my husband and I usually communicate during the day. If I have any important phone calls to make this usually when I make them.

After this break we start school. This is the most hectic part of the day because often the girls just don't want to work on school work yet and are restless. Also, my two year old is still not able to sit still and quiet for very long so there are plenty of interruptions and distractions for the other girls as they try to concentrate on their work. But we work through as much as can during this time. I aim for us to get at least two subjects finished during this morning block of school. Once we finish lessons for the morning it is usually time for lunch. During lunch we will read another chapter from our read-aloud or sometimes we will call my mom or sister and chat with the speaker phone on so all the girls can talk as well. My sister's little boy is just starting to talk so the girls love to talk to him on the phone and hear him say their names and babble his cute little non-sense words.

After lunch the girls have another short break while I get 2 year old down for a nap. They often go outside and play at this time. I also start a new load of laundry at this time. I do my best to take a basket of laundry with me as I move from task to task throughout the day so I can fold throughout the day but sometimes the clean things will pile up and we will do a big folding session in the morning and put things away. It really all depends on the day and what we need to get done.

After this we have our afternoon school session. This is when I give spelling tests, help the girls with lessons they don't understand and work on learning to read with my 5 year old. Once the girls finish all their lessons for the day they do a quick clean up of books, supplies and toys then they have some free play time. 5 and 7 year old usually take out things to play house or doll house and 9 year old usually opts to read a favorite book. Weather permitting they go outdoors at this time. This is when I take a break, blog, rest or do some other relaxing activity for a few minutes to refresh before the evening.

After a quick break I start a new load of laundry and work on food prep. I get dinner going and make preparations for the next day if any are needed. I might also work on a grocery list or menus for the next week. Once this is done, I sit and watch the kids play while I grade their school work for the day.

Once 2 year old is awake, I get the girls to clean up from play time and get bath time started. After bath time we might watch a DVD or eat dinner (if my husband is going to be extra late getting home from work). Once Daddy is home we either eat with him (if it's an early night) or just spend with with him if he's late and it's close to bed time.

Then it's bed time for the girls and my husband and I spend a few minutes together before he has to get to sleep. I then finish up any things that need to be done before I go to sleep, such as packing my husband's lunch for the next day and getting in some quiet Bible reading and prayer time. I try to get to bed by 9 pm to get enough rest.

Now this is what our average "work day" looks like (unless we have to grocery shop or do a run to the library or something like that). On days my husband is off work things vary from day to day. We usually do all our shopping and errands together as a family so each day off is unique.

Hope you enjoyed reading about our day! :0)