Farm Fresh Food

Hi all,

I just thought I would post this here, in case anyone is interested . . . I buy a lot of my meat in bulk from a "coop" of farmers.  (I have a freezer in the basement.)  I will tell you now that it is expensive, but it is grass-fed meat straight from the farm, so the quality is exceptional.  If anyone is interested, check out the website (sevensons.net) and let me know if you would like to ever "go in" on an order with me.  There are "packages" that you can order that make it much cheaper.  So, for example, we could order a 10 or 20 pack of chickens or ground beef (everything is frozen and vacuum-sealed) and then split them up.  I usually use the Libertyville pick-up location, and I have no problem being the "pick-up person".  (As a disclaimer, I will say again THIS IS NOT CHEAP.  So I am not offering a way to save money on groceries . . . just a way to possibly buy some really high quality food! We "severely ration" our meat in our house . . . otherwise we'd be broke, well, more than we are now, ha!)  :)

Anyway, I just ordered a load for pick-up next weekend, so I will not be ordering again for a couple months . . . but I thought I would mention it just to see if there is any interest for next time.  :)

Oh, in addition to meat, there are also other things . . . their eggs are really good and A LOT cheaper than buying comparable eggs in the store.  And I LOVE their drinkable yogurt.

Kathy

Booher Plan

Whew!  We have had a very busy week, culminated by one of the busiest Saturday's we've had yet AND a 4-day visit from the in-laws.  Everything was great, but I am enjoying taking a deep breath after getting the grandparents on the road this morning. (I am also tired of feeding everyone 18-million times a day.  I think we'll have cereal for lunch, and dinner too . . . )

We're in the middle of our weekly plan right now, as this month's "week" is Wed to Wed . . .

Wed:  Salmon, mashed sweet potatoes, roasted cauliflower
Thurs: Hamburgers, oven fries, veggies and ranch dip**
Fri:  Chicken and broccoli Alfredo
Sat:  Lasagna, salad, monkey bread
Sun:  Tortellini soup, Irish soda bread (ha ha.  We'll see.  See aforementioned comment about cereal . . . )
Mon:  Leftovers and/or homemade pizza
Tues: breakfast for dinner  

**I have finally "perfected" an easy homemade ranch dip that we all love: mix equal parts plain yogurt, mayo, and sour cream with salt, garlic powder, pepper, and dill to taste.  Easy to mix up on the spur of the moment and very good!  If you want to use it as a salad dressing, just shake it in a jar with a little buttermilk (or plain milk with a dash of vinegar) until it is pour-able.

I hope you all are in the middle of a great weekend!  :)

Kathy

How many more bites?

Sound familiar?

I've found a small answer to a seemingly endless question. Let me set the stage: The adults have finished their meals and the kids are still staring and a full plate of food. All of the taupe- and yellow-colored foods have been nibbled away from the rest of the rainbow. And then the question, "Can I be done?" is answered with a patient but firm, "No, you need to eat more." The child asks forlornly, "How many more bites?" 

I know that kids feel comfortable with routine, but this nightly routine is one that gets old more quickly than peas get cold.

Never fear! I have found a working solution! And, it is great on many levels. It provides a flexible "out" for parents, as they see the kids are legitimately struggling, and gives kids a lesson in nutrition and in adding money. No, I'm not paying my kids to eat. I know you were thinking that. And, you were considering it too, weren't you? I knew it!

Here's my new system. When the meal isn't a favorite, and things seem to be going downhill, the question is inevitably posed, "How many more bites?" My response has become, "You need to save up a dollar," (or whatever monetary figure fits your child's addition skill level). 

I tell my kids they are like piggy banks and the food is money. They can "save up" by eating.  (We had been to the bank earlier that day.) Each type of food, or size of bite, is worth different amounts. For example, a small bite of grain such as rice is only worth a few pennies, while a bite of protein like egg or ground beef is worth much more. It's a great chance to explain how different foods keep you fuller, longer. I was surprised that my kids seemed to have no concept of this because I had been explaining it at least twice a week during challenging meals! We have had fun adding up the cents on paper (we're working on double digit addition right now) in between bites. 

The only drawback of this system is that it requires a lot of monitoring by the parents. I try to teach my kids be as independent as possible, but this system works so well, it's totally worth the hand-holding, in my opinion. Plus, when they're tired and low on energy, it seems loving (and helpful) to give a little extra TLC at mealtime. 

Tonight, my kids both ate most of a meal that is historically a struggle. My little guy just wanted to get to the dollar mark as soon as possible, so he ate five huge bites and nearly cleaned his plate. My daughter was being very finicky, but right away, she saw how slowly her bites of rice were adding up so she started to add spinach into every bite. 

This could be one of those things that doesn't work for every family, but it was such a success that I just had to share. Hope it helps! 

Wamsley Meal Plan 11/6-11/13

I think maybe it was the change in the weather, or that my kids were begging me to go to the grocery store because, "We have NO food."  Either way I was inspired yesterday to meal plan before I went to the store, (this may be common sense to most of you, but normally I do the reverse and shop what looks  good or is on sale in the moment and then try to make meals with it the rest of the week.)  Okay so now  you all have a peek into what my life is really like... :)

Also I tend to shop on the weekend so we have a good variety of lunch box foods for Monday when we have to pack lunches, so this menu is Saturday to Friday.

Saturday: Potluck at church Mexican foods theme -- Taco soup
Sunday: Grilled sandwiches and fruit
Monday: Leftover Taco soup (I think I can get away with this because my kids will have other options  at the potluck and may not eat the soup.)
Tuesday: Pasta (Spaghetti squash), meatballs and sauce.  Homemade bread
Wednesday: Balsamic/onion pot roast in crockpot
Thursday: Roasted Veggies and Salmon
Friday: Huddle dinner potluck -- Buster bar (We have families that we get together for each week for a potluck dinner.  I am bringing dessert this week)

Bing Family Menu for the Week of 11/1

What a great blog!  Thanks for inviting me Kathy!!  Here was/is our meal plan for this week:

Monday:  White Chicken Chili- This is a little spicy but shockingly not one of my kids complained.  I always double this recipe.  It is quick and easy to make.  

Tuesday:  Spaghetti and Meatballs with a salad.  My mom is 100 percent Italian.  There is no actual written recipe, but one of these days I will pay close attention when I make it and write it all down.

Wednesday:  Chicken Fajitas with homemade flour tortillas.  Making your own tortillas adds an extra 20 minutes to your meal prep, but it's worth it.  You can make the tortillas without a tortilla press, but the press makes it go a lot faster.  I got mine off Amazon for around 30 dollars.  The recipe calls for whole wheat flour and coconut oil but I substitute regular white flour and I use vegetable oil instead.

Thursday:  Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Mashed Potatoes and Grilled Asparagus

Friday:  Pizza

Have a good weekend,
Christen

Halverson Weekly Menu

I'm feeling so inspired by this blog- I'm posting a week in advance. For those of you who know me, this is nothing short of miraculous, on many levels!

Monday: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas
Tuesday: leftovers, if there are any or Apple Butternut squash soup and fresh bread
Wednesday: Daddy Dinner (Mom's night out)
Thursday: Rice Lasagna (thank you Reading Rainbow for this recipe) and garden salad
Friday: Eggs, bacon, and biscuits
Saturday: Wild card...
Sunday: Homemade pizza (and Sunday night movie The Gruffalo)

Here's the Rice Lasagna recipe we found on Reading Rainbow. It's from episode 14: How to make an apple pie and see the world. Gotta love LeVar! The amounts are vague, but pretty straight forward. I think it would be hard to mess this up. I baked it at 350 until the cheese was golden on top (around 30-40 minutes)

Marinara
3 onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped (boil for 10-15 sec and cool in ice bath to make peeling easier)
fresh basil leaves
rosemary sprigs
garlic

Simmer in a large pot.

Lasagna
canola oil
cooked brown rice
spinach, wilted
mozzarella cheese
marinara sauce (see above)

Spread a thin layer of oil in a casserole dish. Pack a layer of rice in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle a layer of spinach over the rice. Cover the spinach with cheese. Cover the cheese with the marinara sauce. Layer 2-3 more times until the dish is full. End on a layer of cheese.