June Meal Plan

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Updated 6/2/2012 with links to some of the recipes
June Meal Plan


Wednesday the 30th- Spaghetti Squash Hashbrowns topped with Poached Eggs
Thursday the 31st- Smoked Salmon Chowder with GF Sweet Potato Biscuits
Friday the 1st- Bonfire.. we will probably grill something :) 
Saturday the 2nd- Black Bean Tostadas

Monday the 4th- Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi
Tuesday the 5th- Broccoli Cheddar Macaroni with Veggies
Wednesday the 6th- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Thursday the 7th- Vegan Enchiladas w/ Dirty Corn and Avocado
Friday the 8th- DATE NIGHT!! 
Saturday the 9th- Pizza Night

Monday the 11th- Shredded Chicken Tacos
Tuesday the 12th- Southwest Chicken Soup
Wednesday the 13th- Chili Topped Sweet Potatoes
Thursday the 14th- Black Bean Tostadas
Friday the 15th- Grilled Salmon and Veggies
Saturday the 16th- Spinach Salads and Veggies

Monday the 18th- Lasagna Soup
Tuesday the 19th- French Dips with Veggies
Wednesday the 20th- Spaghetti with Caesar Salads and Veggies
Thursday the 21st- Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, and Peas
Friday the 22nd- Feta Salmon with Veggies
Saturday the 23rd- Taco Night

Monday the 25th- Breakfast for Dinner
Tuesday the 26th- Grilled Cheese and Homemade Tomato Soup
Wednesday the 27th- Taco Salads
Thursday the 28th- Maple Glazed Salmon with Veggies
Friday the 29th- Pizza Night
Saturday the 30th- Chicken Lettuce Wraps 

All of this is subject to change at any moment :) 


Wounded Warrior Memorial Day 5k

Monday, May 28, 2012

Last year Brian and I walked the Wounded Warrior 5k together and during the walk I told him that next year I would run it with him. That was really the turning point where I started exercising regularly and trying to live healthier overall. I am proud to say that a year later I was able to run it with my man! Wowza he made me run too... That boy has a MUCH faster pace than I do, even when he is the one pushing the stroller! 

 It was a bit chilly and windy so Kenley used her blanket to block the wind. It make me laugh so I had to snap a picture! 

My running company...
 How cute are CLo's little Nike's?
 I can't get over the cuteness! 

 Afterward Kenley and Claire threw some rocks in the water with Daddy. We are very thankful for this day that we got to spend with our Marine! 

I keep all my race bibs and write the date and my time on them. One day when we have a workout/treadmill room I want to fill a wall with all of my race bibs! 
Next year I will spread the word about this race so that all of you can join us! It is a little race put on by the Marines of the UW ROTC Program and the proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Fund. Who is game to join us next year on Memorial Day to sweat and support a great cause? 

I would love to spend 5 minutes in her brain

Last night......




I have no idea how she got stuck under there but I had to lift up the crib to get her free! Apparently she was trying to get her Polo shoes out from under the crib so that her and Claire could both wear their matching shoes..... during the night?!? That doesn't really explain the nakedness....

If you didn't think I was crazy before.....

Sunday, May 27, 2012

We're having a lazy Sunday afternoon over here. Brian was at Starbucks writing a paper so the girlies and I were left to our own devices for dinner. That meant leftovers and my newest favorite creation... Almond Butter and Jelly Lettuce Wraps!

 

... Did I lose you on the lettuce part? It's actually really yummy!

I love making homemade almond butter with my soaked and dehydrated almonds. I used to always eat almond butter on toast or bananas but since I am allergic to wheat and bananas I have had to get a little creative! The jelly on these wraps was also amazing because it was made by my friend Chloe's aunt! I still remember eating this jelly as a kid when I would spend the night at Chloe's house! 

Kenley actually ate 3 wraps and declared while nodding her head "Mmm, Yeah I like dis." 

I'll call that a win! 

Claire just took her first steps!!!

Friday, May 25, 2012

It's about time!!!!

Pizza and Wings!

Not traditional pizza and wings but something a little different. You know me and my need to make everything just a little different :). 

I finally tried cauliflower pizza crust again! I had tried it a few months ago and it definitely wasn't anything that you could pick up and eat with your hands. This recipe was much better! I basically used this recipe from Detoxinista for the pizza crust but instead of soft goat cheese, I used 1 cup of shredded mozzarella. Spoiler alert: The secret to a great cauliflower pizza crust is squeezing ALL the liquid out of the cooked cauliflower!! I will definitely be making cauliflower pizza crust again! 


The wings... oh the wings... mmmm... 

You have probably heard me say many times that the food that I craved ALL.THE.TIME during my pregnancy with Claire was Applebee's boneless buffalo wings. Thankfully I didn't burn myself out on the perfect spiciness of buffalo sauce and still love the tangy heat! 

When I saw this recipe at Clean Green Simple for Cauliflower Buffalo Wings I knew that I had to try it! I have made this a few times and have adapted the recipe quite a bit to make it just how I like it! This recipe is awesome... no need for Applebee's wings again! 

Cauliflower Buffalo Wings

Ingredients:
  • 1 head cauliflower cut into small bite sized pieces
  • 1/2 cup brown rice flour
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 stick butter, melted
  • 5 Tbsp Frank's Red Hot sauce
Directions: 

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  2. Combine flour, water, and a few dashes of the Frank's
  3. Dip all cauliflower pieces into the batter and place onto a baking stone or sheet
  4. Bake for 20 minutes, stir, bake for another 20 minutes, stir, bake for another 10-15 minutes until desired doneness is reached
  5. While cauliflower is cooking, combine melted butter with hot sauce
  6. Remove cauliflower from oven and brush each piece with sauce mixture
  7. Return to oven and cook for another 5-10 minutes
  8. Remove from oven and brush with a little more of the sauce mixture
  9. Serve and enjoy! 
Notes: 

1. I prefer my cauliflower to be really well done so that it is soft on the inside. The extra cooking time makes these taste more like wings and less like cauliflower. Feel free to cut the cooking time down a bit if you prefer it less well done! 

2. You will probably have sauce mixture left over, store it in the fridge and make more buffalo cauliflower later on in the week! 


"You gotta Reduce, Reuse, Recycle..."

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Did my post title get that song stuck in anyone else's head? It's certainly stuck in mine now! 

I have been on a major de-cluttering/preparing for a garage sale kick lately. The latest area to be attacked was the random bottom drawer of my dresser that held: scrapbook stuff, nail polish, winter gloves, my wedding shoes, the shoes I wore in Jenae's wedding, some very important paper work that I thought was lost during the move, and countless other random things that were needing to find a permanent residence. It is now cleaned out and everything has found its proper place! 

We have very few square feet to work with here and organized storage is key for maintaining my contentment while we are living in this small space. {Prayer is also key}.

 The top of my dresser is a hot spot area that always seems to get instantly covered with clutter... This doesn't make for the most relaxing bedroom! Our bedroom tends to be the dumping ground for everything since it is at the back of the house and I really want to get away from doing that and make having a relaxing bedroom more of a priority. 


I had this fruit basket storage thing in our kitchen that I had stolen from my Mom last year. For whatever reason I felt like it made my produce ripen a little too fast so it wasn't all that useful anymore. I really don't know what made me think of it but all of a sudden I knew that the fruit basket would be a great place to hold all of my hair, make-up, and nail stuff! So far I love it! It is so nice having the three separate baskets so that I don't have to dig to find what I am looking for! It also clears off my dresser since the storage is all vertical! 

My second reuse also was a light bulb moment! I had this necklace that I bought when we went on a cruise during high school. A big shell necklace isn't something that really ties in with my style anymore so I never wore it but always loved the turquoise color. 


It donned on me that the shell was just looped through the necklace and could easily be removed! Now I have a cute simple turquoise necklace that I have already worn a bunch of times! 


What is the latest thing that you have reused in an unexpected way? 

I love this sequence from Sunday afternoon...

Wednesday, May 23, 2012







Sweet sisters who love each other! 

Random iPhone Pictures!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

It's that time again! The time were I post a bunch of random pictures that have collected on my phone from the past week or so! I know that you are just dying to see what we have been up to! :) 

Pigtails!

 Parents Magazine offers some great tips... 

 Here I'll zoom in for you... Yep! Just add sugar to their vegetables!  No wonder this country is overrun with ADHD!! 

The following picture is super freaky. Claire's reflection looks just like Kenley when she was Claire's age. It's like looking at the girls side by side..... freaky! 




To Great Grandmother's house we went....



Great Grandma really loved this rare moment where Claire snuggled with her. Usually Claire just cries every time Grandma tries to hold her. We're working on it :) 

Groceries, Meal Plans, and Prices

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Warning: This post may be super boring to you... Feel free to ignore it! :)


You may or may not have noticed that I accidentally posted my grocery list to my blog yesterday. It was totally an accident but it did give me the the idea to do a blog post about what I bought/paid at the grocery store and what I intend to make with it. I am trying to get back into a cash budget and meal planning so this post will hopefully be helpful to me later on.

This was my grocery list:


Here is what I ended up with and what I spent for each item:

Trader Joe's:
Organic Bananas- 5 @ $0.29/each
Organic Romaine Hearts 3pk- 4 @ $2.49/each
Organic Bagged Spinach- 2 @ $1.99/each
Bagged Kale- 1 @ $1.99
Organic Lemons 1lb- 1 @ $1.99/each
Organic Maple Syrup Grade B- 1 @ $7.99
Organic Grass-fed Cheddar Cheese 8oz- 3 @ $4.29/each
Habanero and Lime Salsa- 1 @ $2.29
Organic Sweet Potatoes 3lb- 1 @ $3.99
Organic Tortilla Chips- 2 bags @ $2.49/each
Organic Chickpeas- 2 cans @ $1.19/each
Organic Rice Milk- 1 carton @ $1.69
Organic Onions 2lbs- 1 @ $2.99
Organic Carrots 1lb- 6 @ $0.79/each
Organic Celery Hearts- 1 @ $2.29
Organic Frozen Broccoli- 1 @ $2.49
Curry Powder- 1 @ $1.99
Organic Wheat Tortillas- 1 @ $3.49
Organic Roma Tomatoes 6ct- 1 @ $2.79
Organic Pacific Brand Vanilla Almond Milk- 2 cartons @ $1.99/each
Organic Clif Kid Bars- 2 @ $0.69/each (My little helpers needed a snack)
Trader Joe's Total: $81.70


Fred Meyer:
Organic Strawberries- 4 @ $2.00/each (These are on sale right now!)
Organic Raspberries- 4 @ $2.00/each (These are on sale right now!)
Organic Amy's Black Bean Chili- 1 @ $2.99
Endangered Species Dark Chocolate Mint Bar- 1 @ $2.79
Pampers Size 3 Diapers 112ct box- $24.99
Pampers Sensitive Wipes 3 pk- $6.99
Organic Asparagus 1.29lb- $6.44
White Cheddar Pirate Booty- 2 @ $1.50/each
Fred Meyer Total: $65.95


Sno-isle Natural Foods Co-op
Organic Bananas- 2 free with kids banana card
Organic Cauliflower- 1.37lb @ $3.69lb - $5.06
Organic Thick Cut Rolled Oats- 3.08lb @ $0.89lb - $2.74
Organic Red Beets 0.28lb @ $3.89/lb- $1.09
Organic Cultured Coconut Milk Yogurt 16oz- $3.29 less 50% markdown- $1.64
Organic Strawberry Kombucha 16oz- $3.29
Organic Dried Black Beans- 3.52lb @ $1.59lb- $5.60
Organic Gala Apples- 6.74lbs @ $1.99lb- $13.14
Organic Cilantro Bunch- $1.59
Organic Lemon Juice- $1.99
Coconut Water 250ml 12pk- 3 cases @ $11.88/each less 5% case discount- $33.85
Co-op Total: $70.26 less 10% Member Discount = $63.23


Farm Stand
Local Raw Honey 45oz- $13.99
Peewee Avocados- 6 @ 3/$1- $2
Farm Stand Total: $15.99 less 10% Military Discount = $14.39


Total for all those crazy groceries: $232.30

  • Trader Joe's was out of their bagged organic apples that are $2.49 for a 2lb bag so that is why I had to pay way more for apples at the Co-op
  •  I also usually don't need to buy so much but I was trying to stretch us out until payday so that I could start fresh with the cash system hence why we were out of staples like maple syrup and honey
  • The Co-op was out of Stevia which I was planning to buy for a friend
  • Nowhere that I went had spaghetti squash. Bummer because I made this last week topped with poached eggs and have been thinking about that meal ever since! 
  • I forgot to buy corn tortillas so I will have to go back for those before Saturday





Now... What do I plan to make with all that? 

The apples, lemons, romaine, spinach, kale, carrots, and beet will most likely all be used to make our juices this week. I will actually probably have to go back to the store later this week for more juice supplies!

I always try to pack Brian lunches to take with him to school. His lunches usually include: Juice, an egg burrito, leftovers from the night before's dinner, sprouted almonds, and whatever dried fruit we have around. This saves money for us so he isn't having to pay for fast food and also keeps him feeling better because he doesn't have to stop for fast food :)

The Girls eat oatmeal for breakfast almost every morning. Claire eats hers plain while Kenley gets a drizzle of maple syrup on hers. Brian and I usually drink juice for breakfast.

Lunches are usually leftovers or something easy like tortilla pizzas, tuna salad, eggs, spinach salads, or burritos. I will definitely be having buffalo cauliflower for one of my lunches this week! I'll post the recipe after I make it again!!

Snacks that we will probably have this week will be: bananas (for the girls), sprouted almonds, pirate booty, berries, coconut yogurt with almond butter and defrosted frozen blueberries, and Chococado smoothies made with those peewee avocados. (I don't know why it is, but the small avocados taste so much better in smoothies than the full size ones). Claire also really likes coconut water so she gets a bottle of that almost every day.

Here is my dinner meal plan for the week:
Monday- Salmon Burgers (for her) + Venison Burgers (for him) w/ Grilled Asparagus- Grilled by my Dad {Thanks to Sean for the meats}
Tuesday- Shredded Chicken Tacos- This is a super easy crock pot meal! Just place chicken breasts and 1 jar of salsa in the crock pot and let it cook all day long. Shred and enjoy with taco fixings! I will be making a big pot of black beans to go with this. I just soak the dried beans overnight with lots of water and a bit of apple cider vinegar and then the next day I rinse them cover them with new water and let them simmer for a few hours until they are nice and tender. Then I stir in lots of chopped cilantro and a chopped jalapeno.
Wednesday- Chickpeas and Dumplings- This is a Mama Pea Recipe recommended by Emily! I will be swapping out the wheat flour for rice flour... lets hope it works!
Thursday- Spaghetti topped with Trader Joe's Organic Vodka Sauce served with Coconut Flour Cheese Biscuits and Steamed Broccoli- I will be using brown rice spaghetti noodles.
Friday- Chili Topped Roasted Sweet Potatoes- Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a baking sheet on the bottom rack. Place sweet potatoes on middle rack and cook for 20 minutes then lower heat to 350 degrees and cook for 1 hour. Top with chili and cheese!
Saturday- Tostadas- I really like putting dry corn tortillas on a baking stone and baking them until crisp for an oil free tostada shell! We top our shells with black beans, cheese, lettuce, salsa, and avocados.




What do you think? Should I continue with this kind of post? I may just for the sake of keeping myself accountable! 


Am I paying way too much for something that is way cheaper somewhere else? What's on your meal plan for the week? I need some ideas for next week! 

Mother's Day 2012

Monday, May 14, 2012




I am such a blessed Mommy! 

The Color Run 2012

Sunday, May 13, 2012

The Color Run today was so much fun! Everyone starts out wearing bright white and then at every kilometer you get sprayed with a different color of powder by the end everyone is a hot mess of color. It's awesome! Getting sprayed with color at every kilometer made the run go by so fast too! I couldn't even believe it when we reached the finish line! 

The best part was that I was actually able to run it! And.... my ankle held up pretty well! It helped that the color stations were pretty backed up so we were able to get little walk breaks through those. I did have to walk up the hill because it was a bit tough on my ankle but other than that I was able to run! It felt so good to be back to running! I am totally pumped up to start my half marathon training now! 

Prepare to see a bunch of pictures.... :)








Epic Fail of a jumping picture.....










 Happy Mother's Day Mom!! 





 I can't wait for next years Color Run!!! 

 
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