Menu Mondays!

I am definitely feeling uninspired lately.  Having a baby who doesn't sleep much really makes my brain feel fried.   But it helps me to stay focused to plan our menu out for the week.  I don't need to run to the store every day and we tend to eat healthier.

Fine dining (or not so fine!) at our house this week will include:

Monday - Baked beans, homemade sourdough bread and salad
Tuesday - Pasta bake with Veggies and Beef, Salad
Wednesday - Pad Thai with Chicken
Thursday - Lentil Soup (if it is hot we will have Chef Salad )
Friday - Taco Night
Saturday - Leftover night
Sunday - Grilled Fish, Veggies, Sourdough Bread

I have just found a sourdough recipe at Kitchenstewardship which actually worked for me and my family loves it.  She has tons of great tips and recipes. Let me know if you try any.

Have great day.

Menu Mondays!

Today we are off on a camping trip.  We will be in Big Basin State Park.  My family will be there and we will have some time to just soak up nature, play some games and do a little exploring.   The Menu would  make dining easy for a stay at home vacation.  Has anyone ever had a successful stay at home vacation?  We tried it once but it was very difficult to leave the work that was accumulating.  Maybe we will try it again.  Being in Santa Cruz is the perfect vacation spot.

But I digress.....oh how the mind wanders!  We return from camping on Wednesday hence the pizza.  I need to unpack, do laundry and put stuff away so I try to plan a cook it self meal.  Enjoy!

Monday- Grilled Sausages/Corn on the Cob
Tuesday- Pulled Pork Sandwiches/Carrot Salad
Wednesday - Pizza/Green Salad
Thursday - Chicken Soup/French Bread
Friday - Taco Night
Saturday - Meatloaf
Sunday - Grilled Sausages

Have a great day!

Increasing Fluid Intake

Plain water is good but sometimes I need something a little more interesting to motivate me to increase my fluid intake.  Water is vital to our health.   When you are properly hydrated, your mind functions better, your skin glows, you have more energy,  and for nursing mamas like me -it improves your milk production.    It is easy to forget to drink enough on a busy day but since I am also working out more, I notice that I don't perform as well on days when my water intake is low.

Just recently I figured out a way to increase my fluid intake which is super easy and quite tasty.  It is very simple and works especially well during the warm summer days.


Make a pot of your favorite herbal tea.  Put it in the refrigerator.  This stays fresh for about 24 hours (if you don't drink it all first!).  Drink frequently throughout day.  I have used green tea, chamomile, chamomile lavender, peppermint, and white tea.  They were all very good iced and I found the flavor motivated me to drink more.

Remember to take care of yourself so you can take care of your family!

Enjoy your day!

Menu Mondays!

photo courtesy of serene journal @ flickr 

I have been working towards more organization in our little world.  School time is rapidly approaching.  We always have to eat and there is nothing worse than getting to the end of the day, being exhausted and not knowing what's for dinner.  This is our weekly menu.  I try to keep everything fresh and as close to nature as possible (though cutting corners for the sake of time and sanitity is necessary on occasion!).  I am also working to reduce our food budget.

Monday- Bean Burritos
Tuesday-Steak Salad with Braised Carrots (leftovers from Sundays dinner) and Sourdough Bread
Wednesday - Antipasto Salad (recipe from the menu mailer at Kitchen Muse- which appears to be no longer in business), Green Salad
Thursday-Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese,Green Salad
Friday - Taco Night
Saturday - Leftover Bean and Bacon Soup (from the The Healthy Home Economist blog - I will make a double batch of this and freeze the rest for later) , Green Salad, and Cornbread
Sunday -Grilled burgers, Potatoes fries, and Corn on the Cob

The focus for me for the next week or so will be figuring out not only a school rhythm but also a stronger life rhythm which help support us as move through our homeschooling year.

Enjoy your week!

Planning For School

I have been studying diligently.  We will be starting our homeschool year in two weeks.  Two weeks!!! Yikes.  I am reading curriculum.  Thinking about how our days will work.  How the week will be laid out to fit the home lessons and the extracurricular classes which we enjoy.  We are using Christopherus Homeschool kindergarten, grades 1 and 4 this year.  I will also be using Before Five in a Row for my preschooler so he doesn't feel left out.

It can be a little overwhelming to try to process all this information, lay out a basic guide of goals for the year and make sure I have all my materials.  But when I have planned well, our days, weeks, year goes smoothly and we accomplish what needs to be done.  We also have plenty of time to play and travel which is also important to us as a family.

Even if you don't homeschool, it is important to plan.  When you provide your family with a basic framework of how your days will look, life is so much more pleasant.

You might think that this will make life more complicated, but in reality, a little structure relieves a considerable amount of stress.  You know what needs to be done, your house will be cleaner, and your meals more nutritious.  This will free up your overtaxed brain to focus on other tasks and allow you to move efficiently through your days.  Perhaps you will find you have more time to take care of yourself or spend some time doing something fun and unexpected with your family.

Enjoy you day.  I have some planning to do!

Menu Mondays!

Since the arrival of Miss Summer, I often find dinnertime rolling around and me standing in the kitchen  realizing I don't have the items to make a complete meal let alone a healthy one. Really, how do I make burritos when I forgot to buy beans and the cheese we have is starting to look rather blue when it really should be cheddar.

School time is fast approaching and our life is only going to be more chaotic.  I need to get organized and get some good routines in place.  Mealtime is the best and easiest place for me to start.

photo courtesy of Horia Varian at flickr

Maybe my weekly menus will be a springboard for you to simplify your life a bit.  Feel free to use it in your own kitchen.  I will be happy to share recipes.

For the week of July 19th-

Monday -  Roast Chicken/Asparagus/Salad
Tuesday - Spaghetti with Meat Sauce/ French Bread/ Salad
Wednesday -  Red Beans and Rice/Salad
Thursday - Chicken/Veggie/Pasta Soup
Friday - Taco Night
Saturday - Grilled Salmon/ Green beans/Cornbread/Salad
Sunday- Celebration Dinner- Steak/Sweet Potatoes/ Salad/French Bread - (I am running the
Wharf to Wharf 10k race)

Eat Well and Have a great day!