Mar 10

Lunch Menu 3/9-3/15

We are in week 2 of the “Not Going Out In March Challenge”, and I’ve got another yummy lunch menu planned. Here is what we are having for lunch this week.

  • 3/9/09: Chicken Rings and Fries
  • 3/10/09:Chili and Crackers (The Chili was on hand in the freezer)
  • 3/11/09: Salmon Cakes, Corn, and Rice
  • 3/12/09: Turkey Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (Soup on hand in the freezer)
  • 3/13/09: Angus Burgers and Fries
  • 3/14/09: Chicken Chow Mien and Chow Mien Noodles
  • 3/15/09: Spaghetti, Black Olives, and Garlic Bread

I’ve also got a few yummy breakfasts planned for this week too. I made Monkey Bread on Sunday, and we still have a bit leftover for a quick breakfast. I will also be making James favorite Biscuits & Gravy with Sausage. I’ll be using with leftover Biscuits from Sunday night’s bbq. The boy’s are also still craving waffles, and I’ve got plenty on hand for the kiddos.

This week I’ll also be baking a few loaves of bread, and making some Chocolate Chip cookies for the kiddos too. It looks like it is going to be another tasty week.

Mar 9

Tricking the Kids with Smoothies

The kiddos are missing their favorite Shakes from Sonic and Dairy Queen, so today I thought we would make some Rainy Day Smoothies to see if that helps a bit. I’m calling them Rainy Day Smoothies because it is pouring outside.

You’ll Need:

  • A Blender
  • A Banana
  • A Handful of Red Raspberries (I’m using frozen)
  • A Handful of Blueberries (I’m using frozen)
  • A few Strawberries
  • 3 Teaspoons Vanilla Syrup
  • 1/8 Cup of Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Vanilla Yogurt
  • 1/4 Cup Milk

Combine all of the ingredients and blend like crazy.Using the frozen berries gives you 3 servings of a thick and creamy smoothie.

Let’s see what the kids think…

Thade gave it a thumbs up! Dylan loved his smoothie too, I think he might even like it better than his favorite vanilla shake.

This is also a sneaky treat if you have kiddos like mine that aren’t a fan of fruits and veggies. They are both getting the fruit that they need, but they think they are getting a Milkshake instead. Give this one a try!

Mar 9

Walk KS Challenge

Over the next two months I am taking part Walk KS, and I’m ready for the challenge. We have a great team lead by my dear friend Stacey, and many MOPS Mommies are on the team too. I hope to keep motivated, eat better, and get healthier.

Saturday we went to the Walk KS kick-off and my boys really learned a lot! Thade was even better about eating his veggies at dinner time last night, thanks to a motivational speaker named Rich. If Walk KS can get Thade to eat his fruits and veggies than it is well worth it!

Mar 8

I Think We Can Call It Spring

We changed the clocks for Daylight Savings Time this weekend, and this morning we woke up to Tornado Sirens and a Tornado Warning at 6:30 a.m. I guess you can officially call it Spring in the Midwest.

Mar 8

Not Going Out Week 1 Review

Saturday brought the end of week 1 of the “Not Going Out In March Challenge”, and so far it is going pretty good. Thade is still wishing that we could stop off for a Happy Meal (thanks new Spiderman Toy commercials that run constantly), but James is holding strong. He even passed up a lunch out, to come home to a home-cooked meal, kudos to James. I even resisted the easy pick-up meal after a busy Friday morning, thanks to a well planned lunch menu.

But then there is the not so good… My kitchen pretty much always looks like the picture above. It is such a mess. Who knew making so many meals and snacks would use that many dishes. Oh well, it is pretty rewarding when I finally get that mess all cleaned up at the end of the day.

I am also running through staple items in the kitchen like crazy. I’ve already used 5 lbs of flour, and I just ran out of Sugar too. I’ll need to keep both of those items well stocked for this March’s challenge.

The good… The home-cooked food seems to taste much better than their take-out counterpart. James and Thade have said everything is so yummy on several occasions. Thade threw his arms around me after Friday’s Fajita night and gave me a hug, and then he said “everything is just so tasty”. The recent “yummy” comments have me wondering, is fast food is killing our taste buds?!? Could all of those preservatives and additives be robbing us of yummy flavor? Maybe they were just really hungry, but it is strange.

I was also surprised to see just how little garbage we had to take out this week. The cans were so low, that we were missed entirely. I know that that is all due to not grabbing take-out along with bringing home all of the take-out packaging waste that comes along.

So I am looking ahead to week 2, and I’ll have another report on next Saturday. Let’s see if we can make it one more week away from our favorite drive thru places.