Category Archives: Homemaker’s Journal

May 6

A Change in the Menu

On Sunday I’m moving the Mother’s Day Dinner to a Mother’s Day lunch, but I’m still featuring some family favorites. I’ll be making Fried Chicken Tenders ( a rarity for me I hate to fry chicken), Corn Salad, Pasta Salad, a veggie tray, and a Dutch Apple Pie too. I’ll be working on what I can the day before so I’ll have everything ready in time for Sunday.

I also thought that since Thade’s graduation is at 6:30 p.m. on Monday I had better feed everybody dinner. I’ve got a simple menu planned for the event too. I’ll be serving BBQ Beef Sandwiches, Chips & Dip, and Chocolate No Bake Cookies. Fast, simple, and tasty.

Time to get to the store and get all the ingredients for these upcoming dinners.

Mar 22

Not Going Out in March Week 3 in Review

I have to admit this challenge is getting really tough… The restaurants are calling my name, and my laziness is starting to catch up with me. An easy meal picked up sounds so good right now… We are so close though, and my hubby is determined for us to make it. I am happily reporting that we have made it through week 3 of the “Not Going Out in March Challenge”, just barely.

James resisted take-out breakfast brought in by his co-workers, and I resisted picking up Happy Meals for an impromptu MOPS picnic. When we run errands Thade will name every place that we are going, and then he will add, “don’t forget we are not picking up take-out”. It cracks me up, but he is proud to be part of the challenge too.

I finally had to stop for gas on Saturday, so that was almost 3 full weeks on just 1/2 tank of gas. Had I been running out for extra trips through the drive-thru I would have wasted a lot of gas. James still hasn’t had to stop for gas either, and that really surprised me, I think he stops for a 1/2 tank of gas about twice a month.

The kitchen is still an ongoing mess, and I’ve been lazy with breakfast… Dry cereal anyone?!? I’ve used another container of Ajax dish liquid, so I’ve upgraded to the larger Palmolive bottle. Let’s hope that it lasts through the end of the month. Thanks to all of the extra dishes, I’ve been slacking in the laundry department. On Saturday I finally got all of the laundry from upstairs, and I had a whopping 6 loads to wash. There seems to be no shortage of housework that needs to be done around here.

Saturday the boys and I also ran to the store and I stocked up on enough groceries to finish up the end of the month. I might need to run out for Milk one more time before we see April, but that isn’t so bad. I still can’t find my beloved Easter Puffs, but that is another post entirely.

I’m happy that we have made it through Week #3, and I’m hoping that we can see Week #4 through.

Mar 15

Not Going Out Week 2 In Review

It looks like we made it through another week, just barely. On Thursday I was tempted to go out and get a Large Cheese Tater Tots and a Route 44 Cherry Coke from Sonic, but I resisted. James keeps saying just how much he misses Wendy’s and Pizza Hut, but he is holding strong too. The little guys are doing well too, but Thade has been asking for McDonald’s and Burger King, even though we don’t have a Burger King locally.

I’m really happy that we have made it a solid two weeks without fast food, and honestly that is a lot longer than I thought we could. My kitchen is still a mess though, and I’ve already used an entire bottle of Ajax dish soap this week.

The good though, I was shocked to see just how little trash there was to go out this week. We only had three kitchen sized bags for pick-up. Usually we have 2-3 trash cans full, and I would bet that the normal pick-up is at least 12 bags. In just two weeks we have decreased our trash by 9 bags, that is huge!

I am also saving a lot in the gas tank. Before the challenge started I put $10.00 in my car, and that gave me 1/2 tank of gas. Two weeks later into the challenge, and I’ve still got 1/4 tank of gas. Not making extra trips out to sit idle in a drive-thru has really saved a lot of gas.

Next week we will start week #3 in the “Not Going Out In March Challenge”, and we’ll see how it goes. I hope we can make it!

Mar 6

All Around the Yard

The last few days have brought amazing weather! Last week we had snow and ice, and this week clear blue skies and warm sunny days. I finally pulled all of the plastic off the plants in the front yard, and it looks like everything made it. Only about 1/2 of the daffodils are in bloom, so I hope to see some more flowers soon.

The Bird Feeders that we made are finally getting some Birdie visitors too. We’ve spotted a few song birds in the back yard. They are a little loud first thing in the morning, but I hope they stick around and help out with the bugs in the garden.

Mar 4

Getting Stocked Up To Stay In

Call it March Madness, but I am really looking forward to the “Not Going Out In March Challenge”, but I don’t think my boys are. When I proposed the idea to my family, there were replies of “you are crazy”, “we’ll never make it”, and “I’ll never have a Happy Meal again!” . I’m going to be optimistic though, and say that we can do it, or come pretty close.

Getting ready for the month has been fun too. I worked out a menu plan for Dinner, and then I’ve got the first week’s lunches planned too. I think I’ll even get up extra early and make breakfast for my hubby to take to work, if the boy’s sleep good at night.

I also broke the month down into weekly shopping lists. I went through the list, and took out all of the items that I could find at a better price at Aldi. My best friend Shaunna and I made a big run to Aldi and stocked up for the month. I’ll fill in here and there with more grocery items as needed.

So the pantry is stocked, and I’m ready to go, now if I can just get the boys on my side. Hmmm maybe I can persuade them with homemade brownies.