Happy Friday to you all!  I have been looking forward to this weekend :)  Here is a tasty, healthy recipe for your Friday and it is very simple to throw together.  If you know me, you know I LOVE my salads...but it can't just be a plain little "weak" side salad....it has to have lots of flavor and different textures and colors and this one does a pretty good job!  I love this recipe because you can use it as a side or you can use it as a main dish by cooking some chicken in one of your favorite seasonings.  In this case I used it as my main dish so I added the option for you to add your chicken.  I like to season mine with just regular salt and pepper and a hint of Caribbean Jerk seasoning but whatever you have on hand is perfect!  My husband even likes this dish and he is not a huge fan of salads but he likes the flavor and especially the walnuts. So if you are not allergic to nuts, then don't be shy!  Try them out!  They are seriously super easy to make and they really add some texture and sweet flavor to the salad.  I have even had people who don't like walnuts tell me that they love these!  If you make it let me know what you think! Enjoy!

- Kristin

              Conference weekend is coming up and not only am I looking forward to some guidance and spiritual uplifting, I must also admit that I am also looking forward to a day of staying in my pajamas.  A day where my family and I can spend time together and not worry about going anywhere or meeting any deadlines.  Growing up I remember that my parents would always have every radio in the house turned to conference on Saturdays.  That way if we were outside doing yard work or inside doing chores, we would be able to listen to it.  The best part about waking up on Conference Sunday was that they would always be making pancakes as a special morning breakfast treat!  I LOVED having something other than cereal.  It was just a special memory for me.  I like to carry on that same tradition with my kids but instead of pancakes every time, I like to switch it up and make different recipes such as Stuffed French Toast or Blueberry Muffins and scrambled eggs.  I've included some of the recipes that I like to use that are amazing.  The Stuffed French Toast is time consuming but it is well worth the end result.  The Fluffy Pancake recipe is one I use all the time for the kids. I always have the ingredients on hand and they always turn out just like their name...Fluffy and delicious!  You can always switch up the pancakes by adding bananas, blueberries, or chocolate chips.  If you add a 1/2 C. of canned pumpkin and 1/4 tsp. nutmeg...delicious fall pumpkin pancakes.  The hint of lemon in the blueberry muffins definitely adds to the freshness so don't be shy!  Any or all of these recipes will be a wonderful way to start your day!  Enjoy!

- Kristin

Okay this is quite possibly one of my favorite sandwich recipes to make for my family.  It is all about the bread and the toppings.  Have you ever been to Sensuous Sandwich in Provo?  It is this little "whole-in-the-wall" sandwich place...literally...however they have the most delicious sandwiches. This is the first time I had ever had a "hot" sandwich.  This was before panini's were big.  I was sold from the first time I had one and I can't even count the times I ate there in high school with my friends.  Anyways so I have spent a lot of time trying to recreate those sandwiches and I know this isn't anything out of this world but for me it is an easy, delicious meal that your kids will love too!  So first of all I always buy an Italian Loaf.  These you can find at Walmart in the bakery section at the front of the store.  They are only .99 cents and so worth every penny.  I prefer these over French Bread because it is a softer bread but either way it will still turn out yummy.  Now as far as the toppings go, these are just some suggestions, go crazy!  The more, the better in my opinion.  This is your chance to stuff every fresh vegetable on there that you can! Don't be scared to try the cucumbers, the texture and taste is great!  Banana peppers...delicious! Radishes...maybe?? Mushrooms? Okay now that's too far ;)  Okay..well maybe if you are a mushroom lover (traitors!) then that would be delicious!  Anyways, my point is don't limit yourself.  Just remember to put all your vegetables on after cooking...warm lettuce...definitely not appetizing.  Just be careful to not cook your bread too much so it's not crispy...we still want it somewhat soft.  Serve with a fresh fruit salad on the side (be careful with the cantelope though there has been a huge recall), or maybe some corn on the cob...you could even just open a bag of chips and call it good if your day has been crazy!  If you tried the recipe, let me know what you think!  I would love to hear of some of your creations.  Also check out the fun Halloween Subway Art I posted here.  Enjoy!

- Kristin

Recipe Card and Halloween Subway Art

Yay!  I am getting an early start on this :)  So as most of you know...if you're not a "Ba Humbug" sort of person :)...Halloween is coming up!! Oh how I LOVE Halloween!  It's just the start of all the wonderful holidays to come...how can you not be excited??  Well I am officially determined to get my readers here in the festive mood...so in order to get you excited I made a Halloween Subway Art Printable that you can download and put in your home! It is an 8X10 and the easiest thing I suggest is uploading it to Costco or somewhere similar and having them develop it so you don't end up using all your computer ink.  Go buy a cheap frame and stick this baby in it and you have got one marvelous Halloween decoration! P.S. Walmart has cheap frames for $3.00 for an 8X10 and then you can reuse it for all sorts of occasions such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's...you DO decorate for Valentine's Day right?  No? This is going to be more work than I thought :)  All I ask is that you do not sell, or reproduce the free printables that I have on here and please refer them back to my blog rather than sharing the link to the download :)  If you would like to see more printables for your home on here, please leave a comment on this post, or let me know if you would just like to stick to the recipes!  Enjoy!

-Kristin

P.S. (Are you allowed to have 2 P.S.'s in one post??) Whenever you do your 3 week grocery shopping, don't forget your Costco trip is on an As Needed Basis...you don't have to go there every 3 weeks.  I go there just to buy Chicken, Pork Roasts and Ground Beef...so if you are stocked up on those and don't need Jack's Salsa then you are good to pass it up.  One more tip on the Jack's Salsa...if you find that you can't finish the whole thing before it starts going bad, Jack's Salsa freezes wonderfully!  However once it is frozen you can only use it for cooking, not for dipping chips in, but cooking is still perfection so don't stress in the least bit :)  Hope that helped!  If you need a reminder on how the 3 Week Rotation Works or if you are new just go to Helpful Hints and there will be some information laid out for you there or feel free to e-mail me with any questions.

Taco Tuesday!

Hey friends! In college we used to have what we called a Taco Tuesday! We would go on a run to get the cheap tacos that were 3 for $1. Needless to say, these tacos definitely surpass the standards of Taco Tuesday and are actually healthy and fresh, which I those refried beans from the fast food store are pretty questionable to me. I am living off one hour of sleep...so I am posting this and then heading back to bed...hopefully :) This recipe is delicious and fresh! If you have corn tortillas you are more than welcome to use them on this but my family prefers the taste of flour so I always buy little flour tortillas for anything that has to do with tacos or fajitas etc. I love fresh tomatoes and onions so I included my version of Pico de Gallo to use on your tacos, it makes them so much tastier. You can adjust the amount according to what your family likes. As for the dip, it does make quite a bit and it is harder to freeze this dip so if you have a small family, I recommend halving the recipe. I know it sounds weird but just follow the tips listed on the recipe card and I promise it will work :) Also, don't forget that I have all the recipes already typed up and ready for you to print out here so you can have the recipes ahead of time. The recipe cards are just for fun and so you can add them to your collection. Enjoy!

- Kristin

Sunday and Monday's Recipe Cards!

Sorry it took me a while to get these posted! 3 sick kids + 1 doctor's visit + 8 shots = no bueno! My kids were so brave but they all 3 decided to take a nap as soon as they got home, even my oldest who never ever takes naps. So needless to say, we have been a bit crazy with medicine, Vick's Vapor Rub and fluffed pillows! I hope you all had time to try the recipe yesterday. This was the first recipe I had ever made for my husband when we first got married. I was so excited to make it for him and show him that I could cook...it didn't turn out quite as I planned ha ha but hey, you live and you learn and I never gave up ;) I love this recipe for it's simplicity. It is an easy "go to" recipe for a crazy day. One addition that I like to add that I didn't add in the recipe file is I like to add Seasoning Salt after I have it on the baking pan. I use it generously on the potatoes because potatoes really soak up salt and they need a lot of flavor.

The chicken salad sandwiches is also another easy "go to" recipe for me. Monday's and Tuesday's are crazy for me because I teach piano after school so I try to have easy recipes planned so I can just throw them together. I boiled my chicken and chopped everything beforehand so now it will just be easy to throw together! I put mine on sandwich rolls or croissant rolls...whichever is cheapest at the moment. But really they taste great on regular bread as well, it's just my preference the other way. Then just chop up some fresh fruit on the side and you are set to go! I hope you all enjoy!

- Kristin

Organization

I have had a lot of people ask me about some organization techniques, wanting some helpful hints on making and keeping an organized house. For those of you who do know me, I have my little quirks of organization, however I am no expert in this area. But here are some helpful hints that work for me. Just know that everyone is different. All situations are different and this is what works best for my family. There may be better ways or ideas that are efficient for your family and needs but this is what works best for me, so hopefully it will help you as well :)

#1: Lists!

- If you can't already tell, I am a big fan of lists! I like to have my weeks mapped out and my lists of "Things To Do" set to go at the beginning of the week so I know exactly what needs to be done around the house. This not only helps me to remember things since I am slowly losing brain cells the more kids I have, but it also helps me feel accomplished which in turn motivates me to get more things done!

#2: Tupperware!

- If you know me, then you know my obsession with tupperware. I would literally pack my whole house in tupperware and label it if I could. I love tupperware and how it makes everything feel clean and in its place. Tupperware is expensive to buy all at once so just build up little by little. Soon you will have a collection. Don't limit yourself to just boxes, there are food storage containers and bottles for cereal and such. It really makes such a difference on the appearance. If you look at my pantry above I like to have my boxes in order of height and all facing the way (okay maybe I AM a little OCD :) ). I bought red bins from Walmart to stick all those loose bags in that don't have a place. I also bought candy jars from Walmart to stick in cereal and other items and have little scoops in place to scoop them out. Regardless of how you do it, make sure everything has a place. I also have tupperware in the girls closets to place all their toys in on little shelves. That way all the Dora toys go in one and Ponies in another etc...

#3: Never leave dishes in the sink...

- Okay to be honest this is one of those tasks that is super hard to do but will result in a much better outcome for you. Whenever you eat breakfast, wash your dishes right after you are done. Same with lunch and dinner. Who likes to wake up in the morning to a sink FULL of crusted on dirty dishes and stinky wash cloths? Definitely not me! It makes the task at hand so much worse. But if you just finish right after then you are done! At our house we wash dishes by hand...yes, yes, I know we are crazy. I used to think so too but now that I have been doing it for so long, I honestly prefer it that way. I wash them and then stick them in the dishwasher to dry. That way there are still no dishes piling up in my sink. When my sink is empty the kitchen feels a lot cleaner. Don't stress, there are some days it is just impossible to get the dishes done. Just do what you can and what makes your family happy. Family is first :)

#4: Deep clean once a week!

- Okay here is what I do, but again this might now work for everybody. I choose one day out of the week and I completely deep clean my house on that day. This includes laundry, scrubbing toilets, wiping down baseboards, mirrors, sinks, sweeping and mopping floors, dusting etc...Everything that needs to be done is done on that day! The girls get to help do their chores and then play the day away while I finish all the cleaning. I involve them as much as I can with laundry and things like that but this is the day they know to go out and play or just have fun bonding as sisters time :) The reason I do this all in one day is that I have the rest of the week to relax and enjoy myself...and I am not doing laundry one day, toilets the next, floors the next etc...it makes life a lot easier on myself and I get to enjoy my family instead of feeling like I am constantly cleaning every single day!

#5: Pay attention, this is the most important...Don't compare yourself to others!

- Life is crazy. We are all different. We have different skills, different backgrounds and different ideas. Use your creativity to think of ideas that work for you! You have to remember that even though your neighbor next door seems to have the perfect life, I am sure her life is just as crazy as yours and she probably looks at you thinking you have it all together. We all get stressed. We all have different talents. The point is to share what you have and use your talents as your strengths! Some days are going to be too crazy to clean and so maybe for that week your Deep Clean will have to wait, you have to remember that it's okay.

Hopefully these tips helped you get some ideas for organizing and I will post more pictures and ideas soon. I have a bunch of fun pre-school ideas to help your toddlers have fun! Now go have fun with your family and get organizing on Monday!

-Kristin

Winner Winner!!

Winner Winner!!

So I am still learning new techniques and such with this blog and could not figure out how to post the results but I did use random.org to get these results so here we go, the winner is:

Ashley said: I want a cookbook!

post a comment on here with your e-mail address! Congratulations to all and we will have another drawing here soon :) Enjoy!

New 3 Week Menu and Grocery Shopping List

New Rotation!

I hope you all are ready for our new 3 Week Rotation! I have the new lists and menu ready and will announce a winner of the giveaway tonight so don't forget to check back! You can access the new menu, recipe file and grocery shopping list below. This time I included the Recipe File so you can have all the recipes ahead of time, but don't stress, I will still have a cute recipe card each time so that way you can download it and add to your file. Let me know if you have any questions or problems! Enjoy!

MENU

GROCERY SHOPPING LIST

RECIPE FILE

Sausage Calzones

I will probably talk about my sisters a lot on this blog. I look up to all of them and have nothing but good things to say about them. My sister Crystal in particular has taught me a lot about life and about cooking. For instance, she taught me that jokes are WAY funnier after 9:00 at night and that any joke is funnier with your sister. I don't know any teenager that wants their little sister tagging along with them at their boyfriends house but my sister ALWAYS let me tag along, even if I was a serious pain in the booty! We would stay up late talking and write fun notes to each other that we would leave on each other's bed to find at night and write back. I seriously have so much fun memories of sharing a room and hope my girls have that same connection that we did! Now that we are grown up and have kids of our own, I still learn so much from her, of life and raising kids. She just had her sixth kid and is a seriously patient mom. As in SERIOUSLY patient mom. I have so much to learn from that. Anyways, she has taught me a lot about cooking when I started to raise my family and gave me a lot of tips on food storage. I am always grateful for her advice and tips! So this recipe is originally from her and I will probably share many more from her recipe box. You can either use the Pizza Dough recipe found here or you can buy frozen bread dough rolls and use those...if you do buy the dough, you need to combine two rolls to make one calzone...make sense? Anyways, this is fairly healthy recipe if you use ground turkey however some people love sausage too! I like to add in all the vegetables since it gives it so much flavor. You can also make an Alfredo Dipping Sauce on the side or use Spaghetti Sauce to dip it in. If you are going to freeze or refrigerate the leftovers, make sure the sauce is on the side otherwise it will get soggy. I like to serve this with a side of vegetables! Enjoy making memories with your cute little families!

- Kristin

Healthy Lasagna Rolls

(If you are using tomato sauce instead of a jar of spaghetti sauce, make sure you season it so it is not too bland. Add salt, Italian Seasoning and garlic and onion powder. My family also loves White Sauce with these but it is definitely not healthy. I will post my garlic bread recipe and white sauce recipe below.)

Here we are with Thursday's recipe. I decided to post it early so that way you can be prepared because you want to do it you know you do! Plus I am working on getting the 3 Week Menu Rotation and Grocery Shopping List ready. This is a great healthy recipe for a main dish. It only has 224 Calories per roll which you can't beat for pasta! I originally got it from The Girl Who Ate Everything, she has fabulous recipes too. I like to serve it with a little side salad and Garlic Bread. Use your French Bread Loaf that you bought from the store, slice it in half and layer is with Garlic Butter, salt and a little bit of Parmesan Cheese. Bake at 350 until the cheese is melted and the tops are golden. Slice/ This meal also freezes really well after it is cooked. Just put them in individual containers and then you can send them in lunches. Enjoy!

White Sauce For Lasagna Rolls

• - 1/4 cup butter
• - 1/2 onion, chopped
• - 1 clove garlic, minced
• - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• - 1/2 teaspoon salt
• - 1 cups chicken broth
• - 3/4 cups milk
• - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• - 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until tender. Remove from heat and add flour and salt and mix well. Return to heat and slowly add in the chicken broth and milk. Use a whisk to stir until smooth. Add the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, stir until melted and well combine. Add your basil, oregano and ground pepper. Serve with lasagna rolls! Enjoy

Garlic Bread

- 1 loaf Italian Bread or French Bread

- 5 T. butter softened

- 2 tsp. olive oil (light tasting)

- 3 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1 tsp. oregano

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1 C. shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Cut your loaf in half lengthwise. Mix your butter and olive oil until well combined. Add your garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Using a brush, spread the mixture onto both halves of your bread. Broil on low until the edges start to brown (check OFTEN because it can burn fast). Remove and add mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven and continue cooking until cheese is melted. Slice and enjoy!

- Kristin

Cobb Salad With Poppyseed Dressing

Hey y'all! This is just a fun main dish that I love to serve or it can be made in smaller portions for a side dish. The colors are so fun and yummy and you can use Romaine Lettuce instead of iceberg but you should have some Iceberg leftover from your Lettuce Wraps that you can use up for this :) The condiments can be arranged in any order desired, that's just to give you the basic layout :) Hope you all enjoy!!

Tuesday's Wraps and Potatoes!

Hey everyone! Hope you are enjoying your Tuesday! Here are your recipes for today, make sure you get going on your chicken so it has time to absorb all the yummy flavors :) Also don't forget to enter the Giveaway! Even if you are a follower you still need to leave a comment to be entered into the Giveaway. Enjoy!

- Kristin

Monday's Chicken Noodle Soup

Hey friends! I just wanted to hurry and post this so you would have time to make this for dinner. I LOVE chicken noodle soup...especially on a cold day which, unfortunately, it looks like it is not going to be hot today :( But it is good anytime...right?? So just some quick tips for this, boil your chicken and your potatoes ahead of time. For the chicken, I just boil the full pieces in a pot of water and then cube them after they are cooked. For the potatoes I scrub them and cube them, then boil them on high until they are tender. If you want, you can always buy a rotisserie chicken from Costco for $5 and use that for this but for my family I find it so much easier this way, then we are only using what we need for it. Also another tip is the next time you go grocery shopping you can buy sliced carrots (right by the baby carrots) and then you don't even have to take the extra time to slice your carrots...ENJOY!!

- Kristin

PF Chang's Lettuce Wraps

If you have never tried these, you HAVE to! They are delicious and don't take that much effort but taste just like the real thing. For the longest time I wouldn't go to PF Chang's because I thought there food was overpriced and you got so little for what you paid for...or so I thought. I really wasn't convinced and didn't understand the hype. Especially about the lettuce wraps, what?? I finally went once and ordered an egg roll. Are you serious? I completely think something was wrong with me. So I left feeling so frustrated and didn't go back for a couple of years. Finally I went back with a big group of people and we ordered different main dishes and I got the Walnut Shrimp...I have never been the same :) It was amazing and I literally ate a whole order of the Chicken Lettuce Wraps all by myself. Needless to say I was completely wrong about my first impression of PF Chang's and I have been converted. I love their food!

A couple of things about this recipe. I didn't add any spiciness to the "Special Sauce" but if you would like some spice, you could add Hot Mustard or Red Chile Paste. I prefer it without. Also, if you want it even more like the original, you can dice some mushrooms and green onions and add those in as well. Our family can't do mushrooms, it's a texture thing even though the ones at PF Chang's have them in them, I can't bear to cut them up or touch them :( You can also serve it on a bed of crunchy rice noodles. You just buy them in the Asian Food Section at Walmart and you fry them then drain and they are ready to go! Okay friends, go ENJOY!

- Kristin

P.S. If you haven't entered the giveaway hurry and enter! If you are already a follower you still need to leave a comment with your e-mail address under the Giveaway Post. Leave an additional comment for each entry you do so I can count each separate entry and you will have more chances of winning :)

Friday's Potato Chowder

This recipe is super easy! It has very few ingredients but it is still super yummy! If you are feeling like it is too hot today for soup, eat your leftovers tonight and switch this for tomorrow's recipe since it is going to rain tomorrow, or so I am told :) I also really like to add a can of corn and a can of Great Northern Beans into this, but that is completely optional. You can cut down on fat by putting in fat-free cream cheese. As far as bacon goes, I don't usually use a half pound but that is completely optional for you as well. I just use a couple strips and crumble it on our soup. My family doesn't eat a whole lot of bacon and if I just dumped the rest of the bacon in there before freezing it would definitely get soggy...and let's be honest, who likes soggy bacon?? Enjoy!

- Kristin

Giveaway!!

Who Doesn't Love Martha Stewart??

Okay so that title is super misleading because really and truly I am not a huge fan of Martha Stewart. I think you either love her or you hate her. You see I fully believe that she is a talented lady, but I believe that all the people that come up with her ideas are the creative people who don't get the credit they deserve. She is only the means to get their ideas out and I think she is a terrible host. She has no animation when she talks in my opinion. But the lady must be a genius to be where she is today...right??? The one thing I love about her is that all her books are really good at getting the point across when it comes to cooking. So for all you beginners out there, or you kitchen experts who are looking to learn more, I am giving away a brand new Martha Stewart Cooking School Cookbook. There are delicious recipes and amazing techniques to teach even the most cooking impaired person how to cook! Okay, here is what you have to do! There are 4 ways you can enter your name into the drawing.

#1: Sign up to be a follower of my blog if you haven't done so already.

#2: Sign up to receive my emails, this will be helpful for any updates I post on here.

#3: Refer a friend to my blog and if they sign up as a follower you get another!

#4: Lastly if you refer a friend and they sign up for e-mails then you get one more!

Easy right?? So if you do any or all of those, make sure you leave a comment with your e-mail address and your name! Make sure you leave your e-mail address or I won't know how to get a hold of you :) The drawing will end on Wednesday, September 21st at midnight MST. I will pick a winner at random on Thursday, September 22nd. Good luck! Hope you all are getting ready to savor those yummy twice baked potatoes! Enjoy!

- Kristin

Wednesday and Thursday's Recipe Cards

Here is a helpful hint with your side of asparagus that is set to go with your Chinese Chicken Tossed Salad today. My favorite way to cook them is to put a little butter or Light Tasting Olive Oil in a skillet, cook them until they are tender and then sprinkle them with Rock Salt or Sea Salt. If you have never used either I definitely encourage you to try the different kinds of salt. Rock Salt is larger, just like what you find on those big soft pretzels at the store. I use it now most of the time instead of regular salt. I love the flavor it adds! For your cauliflower tomorrow, my kids love it steamed (or you can just boil it in water) and then drain and sprinkle with mozzarella or cheddar cheese. Not too much but just a little that it adds flavor! Don't forget your Rock Salt and Pepper on these too :) Enjoy!

Helpful Hints

My friend Andrea asked me a good question today that I thought I would straighten out for all of you and just give some helpful hints for our next 3 week menu rotation. You will be joining me won't you :) Anyways so she called and asked me some questions today and I thought these were good questions that some of you might be wondering as well.

#1: Q - How do you keep your produce fresh for three weeks?

A - I don't! I only buy what I know my family can consume before it goes bad. I don't buy 3 weeks of fresh produce at a time otherwise it will go bad because we can't consume it that fast and fruit especially tends to go bad. I really haven't had a problem with veggies such as carrots, lettuce etc. So I only buy what I KNOW we will eat before it goes bad. If you see your fruit starting to go bad, slice it up, wash it and freeze it and use it for smoothies or after school snacks! My kids LOVE frozen grapes, bananas, peaches and strawberries! On my 3 week rotation you will notice that I usually do most of my freshest recipes at the beginning of my rotation so that I can use my fresh produce first and then towards the end I have other menu items that I can use while rotating my food storage. For example at the end of the 3 weeks I might have a Fruit Salad but obviously I don't have any fruit so I pull out my canned fruit cocktail from my food storage, whip up a little cream with a tiny bit of sugar and that's my fruit salad for the side. Occasionally I goof up every once in a while (shocking I know ;) ) and I might put a side down or ingredient that was supposed to be at the beginning of my menu...no stress! Substitute it with something from food storage or choose another side altogether with ingredients you have on hand.

#2: Q - I find that I run out of snacks, do you have to run to the store in between rotations?

A - This is a good question. The more you do this rotation and build up your storage, the easier this is. You can still do it without having to run to the store, just pick up and store your items. My trick is that every time I go grocery shopping I buy all the things I know we are continuously using...fruit snacks, flour, sugar, butter, crackers, etc...When those things are on sale, such as cream of chicken soup, I buy a lot of them while still keeping within my budget. So even if I have fruit snacks at home, I still buy 2 more boxes each time I go. This way I am building up my stock each time. For instance, in my basement right now I have 15 bags of flour. when I go grocery shopping at the end of next week, I will probably still have 14, however I am going to purchase 2 more like I always do and store them downstairs. Same with sugar, fruit snacks, soup and all those things I use on a regular basis. I also find that if I keep ALL my snacks upstairs at once, my kids want to eat ALL day long which is probably not the best idea. But if I keep one box of each snack upstairs at a time they limit their portions and eat what they really want! Then I still have some downstairs when I need to bring it up. This also helps me to encourage them to eat the fresh produce snacks first such as celery with peanut butter and raisins, and then at the end of my rotation I have the other boxed items needed.

#3: Q - What do you do about milk and bread and things?

A - The only thing I have to run to the store for in between rotations is milk. That is the only thing I find that doesn't taste the same after I freeze it. Since it's only one item, when I know we are going to need some I just have my husband pick it up on his way home from work. Simple list...no stress...no ordering around required ;) For bread, when I go shopping I purchase 4 loaves of bread (you may need more or less depending on your family's needs) and I freeze the other 2 loaves that we are not using so they don't go bad. Trust me it still tastes the same and saves you a hassle! In the winter, I make my own bread loaves so I can make them fresh when needed or make 6 loaves at a time and freeze the unused portions. Don't worry, I am going to convert you to homemade bread this fall and you will love it...that's my goal!

Things To Remember

- Don't stress! You will get the hang of this, I promise! It is really super easy even though the first time may have been tricky, the second time is going to be a breeze!

- Freeze your fruit and produce that is going bad for a later use in a recipe or as snacks!

- Remember, this is not doctrine! Make changes where you need. This is here to help you and give you ideas, suggestions and guidelines to make your life simpler.

- If you have any questions, I am always here to help so feel free to ask. Whether it be with a recipe or meal planning, don't be shy!

Taco Tuesday!

Taco Tuesday

This recipe is originally from here over at Favorite Family Recipes. They have some yummy recipes and I go there a lot if I want to try new things. I seriously have an addiction to new recipes. We do have our favorites but I can't resist the urge to try something new, especially if we have had it in restaurants before...it drives my husband crazy! You can make your fish from scratch which is what I normally like to do, but if you are in a pinch then breaded fish fillets are the way to go. Just stick them in the oven and let it work it's magic. While that's cooking you can prepare the other two toppings or I like to make those earlier in the day so they can sit in the fridge and let all the flavors fully combine. I like to cook some black beans to put on the side and then go ahead and use the leftover Mango Salsa you made from Sunday's recipe! See! I told you I wouldn't let anything go to waste. Now go to bed! I know I should be :)

Recipe for Monday

Hi all! Here is your Monday recipe for Sloppy Joe's! Don't be afraid to try these. They are definitely tastier than the canned filling you buy at the store and they definitely leave you feeling satisfied.

I wanted to throw in there that just because your 3 week menu rotation has a certain meal on there for a certain day, don't feel stuck! If you decide that today you are not "feelin'" the Sloppy Joe's, then switch it for another day from your menu. That way you are still excited about cooking dinner tonight but you also have all the ingredients for all of your meals. This is not supposed to be something that disappoints you, rather that helps you feel prepared each day as you are getting ready to provide some meals for your family which can be a super stressful time of day if you don't have all the things you need and end up having to make a quick run to the grocery store with all of your kids just for a couple of items.

Another thing I have had quite a few people ask me is why do I use butter instead of margarine? Here are just my two cents and what I have learned but everybody has differing opinions so you are more than welcome to use whatever you would like. Butter and margarine have the same calorie and fat content per serving. Margarine is hydrogenized which means they are actually adding hydrogen into the margarine to supposedly make the texture lighter however it doesn't affect the calorie or fat content like most people suppose but you do sacrifice a lot of flavor in my opinion. From what I have learned, hydrogenized margarine is not great for your body. See I did pay attention in chemistry! Butter is quite a bit more expensive but I buy some each time I go grocery shopping and I buy A LOT when it is on sale and this way I have some whenever I need it. I always try to use less butter than what it calls for except when I am baking because you can lose moisture and change the texture of your recipe with baking. Did I lose you all at hydrogenized? Well Pay Attention because at the end of this week I am going to have a Give Away and I will explain the rules of the game on Thursday!

If you haven't already, take out your ground beef and start to thaw it, if you don't have time you can always defrost it in your microwave when you are ready to cook it. This recipe is pretty easy to follow but if you have any questions I am more than happy to walk you through any steps you need! Enjoy!

- Kristin

Saturday's Recipe and Sunday's Recipe

Mango Chicken Burrito's

So this is seriously one of my favorite recipes to end off the summer. It is so delicious and fresh and healthy! So much flavor packed into these burritos it's almost hard to believe that they are good for you! Make sure you do fresh juice on all of the marinades, it really does make a difference in taste! Make sure you give it a couple of hours to marinade.

Rumbi's Rice Bowls

If you live in Utah, you have probably heard of Rumbi. I love rice bowls and so do my kids. It's a good way to fit in lots of different veggies with lots of flavor. Just follow the recipe as shown and let me know if you have any questions! Enjoy!

- Kristin

Friday's Recipe

Warning! This meal is definitely NOT waist friendly, but it IS oh so delicious! I don't make it that often just for the fact that it is heavy, but every once in a while, I like to pull it out. Here are some changes that I have made in order to make it a little more figure friendly. For the heavy whipping cream, I do 1/2 heavy whipping cream and 1/2 fat-free half and half. This is huge...it cuts down on so much fat. I tried doing all fat-free half and half and it doesn't thicken the way it should. The original recipe called for vegetable oil so I changed that to Light Tasting Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Doesn't change the taste at all, but is somewhat healthier for you. I put on here to buy store bought gnocchi but I make my potato gnocchi from scratch so I make it wheat potato gnocchi which you could always buy at the store I think? Anyways, I didn't post that recipe, which is what the original recipe calls for, because it is very time consuming. However, if you are interested in making your own homemade gnocchi, leave me a comment below and I will post the recipe for it. One last thing, all the spices on the right column of the recipe card are for Emeril's Essence spice recipe. You only need a little bit of the whole mixture but I suggest making the whole mixture and putting it in an airtight container. I seriously use this all the time for seasoning my chicken, fajitas, tacos, steak...etc. It really is delicious and full of flavor so don't be shy! ENJOY!

- Kristin

Recipe Cards for Thursday! Breakfast Loaf and French Bread

Let me know if you have any problems downloading and printing these out to your computer! For the breakfast loaf here is a quick walk-through. When you are ready to make dinner, you are going to preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Basically you are going to make scrambled eggs. So first melt your butter in a large skillet, then add your eggs, salt, and pepper. When your scrambled eggs are finished, set them aside. Then you are going to take your loaf of bread that we just made and cut off just the very top...about 1/4 inch down is all and save this, you will need it at the end. Then hollow out the inside. Set this bread aside and we like to either take it to feed to the ducks, or the kids like to dip it in melted cheese fondue, yum! You can always save it in the fridge for when we make our soup as well. After you have it hollowed out, take half of your ham mixture and layer the bottom and sides. Sprinkle half of your cheese on top of that and then your peppers. Next add all your scrambled eggs. You might have to pack them in there tight if you are running out of room :) Layer your tomatoes next then sprinkle with the other half of cheese. Last you are going to layer the other half of your ham on top. Replace the top that we just cut off and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Now just bake for 25-30 minutes in your preheated oven, or until all the toppings and ingredients are melted and warmed up to your liking. Take out, cut into wedges, and enjoy!!

Finish Your Bread!

Let's Finish Your French Bread!

When you woke up and checked on your bread, it should have looked something like this! See, you didn't have to do anything and it raised all by itself, way to go!

Start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees with your pan in the oven. Don't forget to place the pan in the oven :)

Prepare your cornmeal on a plate...nothing pretty, just dump some out so that it covers the plate, once it has the cornmeal it won't stick to the plate but if there is a lot of empty space then the dough is so gooey that it will be harder to roll.

Voila! It should look something like this...you are getting so close to having your very own homemade French Bread. Put it in the pan that has been preheating in the oven. Stick it back in the oven with the lid on and cook for 30 minutes. Then remove the lid and set your timer for 10 minutes more.

Your done! What do you think?? Smells delicious right, but DON'T pick at it so you have your bread for Breakfast Loaf. I will be posting the recipe card for that shortly so that way you guys can start whenever you need. ENJOY!

- Kristin

French Bread Recipe for Breakfast Loaf

French Bread Recipe for Breakfast Loaf

Most people get scared when I say you are going to make your own bread. Let me tell you, once you get used to it, store bought really just doesn't compare in price, or taste! Although, it is more convenient sometimes. But this recipe has 5 ingredients! That is it! No eggs, milk, butter etc. I promise you it is so easy and you cannot mess it up. My friend Andrea shared this with me and it is delicious alone or in this Breakfast Loaf you are going to try tomorrow. Just remember it needs to sit overnight. So you make it the night before and it sits...that's it. Easy right? Let's get going.

French Bread Recipe

- 3 C white flour

- 1/4 tsp. yeast (I love SAF but regular is fine.)

- 1 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1 2/3 C water (room temperature)

- corn meal

Directions:

Mix all ingredients EXCEPT CORNMEAL together. Nothing fancy, I just use a wooden spoon. Cover and let rise overnight. Preheat oven to 450 degrees with pan in oven. Put dough in hot pan and cover with lid. Cook for 30 minutes covered then remove lid and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes. That's it!! Your done! Here is a little tutorial posted below.

Tutorial

You will need a pan like this or a corning ware pan. Any smaller pan with a lid.

Here is the yeast I like to use. This is definitely the best yeast to buy for bread, it really makes a difference in the way it rises. You can buy it at Macey's or Winco but I have never seen it at Walmart. It lasts me a whole year just for one bag and they are pretty small.

Okay, let's begin! Here are all the ingredients except for the cornmeal placed together in the same bowl.

This is what it looks like all mixed together. It still may be a little gooey. But like I said, nothing fancy so far.

Then all you do is keep it in that same bowl and put a rag on top so it doesn't dry out and let it rise overnight! You've completed the dough!! Tomorrow I will make it into bread.

So tomorrow when you wake up in the morning, after you get your kids to school, you will bake your bread. Really timing is not all that important, just sometime in the morning. This part will be messy on your hands but really no big deal. First make sure that your oven is preheated with that pan inside then when it is preheated take the pan out. Pour some cornmeal onto a large plate. Now just scoop the dough up with your hand, it will be moist and sticky so don't try to make it into a perfect ball, just pick it up and roll it in the cornmeal on the large plate and then right into the hot pan. Now stick it in the oven with the lid on and cook as the recipe states. Don't forget to remove the lid for the last 10 minutes! When it is done, let it cool and then we will make the loaf a little bit later that afternoon for dinner and I will post more instructions and both recipe cards :) Enjoy!

Oh and I am working on the recipes for the 3 weeks and will post them when I have a moment! Thanks for your patience!

Wednesday Recipe Tutorial

(Quick note! If you are making the Breakfast Loaf for tomorrow, start your bread tonight! I will post another one with the quick recipe and tutorial.)

Hopefully you guys got to try this delicious recipe tonight as part of our rotation! If you didn't already make it, here is a quick tutorial to guide you through the process. First you will boil your whole-wheat linguine in the water until it is soft but still a little firm...you don't want soggy pasta. Before you drain it, take out 1 cup of water from this water and set aside, you will use it later. Once it is ready, drain but do not rinse with water like you normally would.

While that's draining, wash your green beans and cut them down the middle lengthwise. They should look like this below. Sometimes I cut them in half instead, either way is fine. Now is a good time to chop your garlic clove as well.

Put your pasta in a large bowl and add the ricotta cheese. It should look something like this...kinda like ice cream :) This makes the pasta creamy, it doesn't really add a whole lot of flavor, but it make it rich even though it is low fat! Perfect!

I don't have a picture for this next step but add your green beans with a little olive oil in a frying pan with your garlic, salt, and pepper. Saute for 4 minutes and then take that water that you set aside and add it. Cook for 4 more minutes or until the green beans are tender.

Grate your lemon peel on the medium side as shown above. Promise it does not take that long :). Sprinkle on top of your pasta and serve!

There you go! You did it! You are done! You can add some chicken to this if you want, however it is really hearty and super healthy. Even my husband enjoys it without. Enjoy!