As much as I missed blogging, I must admit that it was nice to take a break. I know…most of you have probably stopped reading by now, but I’m okay with that. January was a nice regrouping and refocusing month for me. Of course I started the month with some new goals or “resolutions”–just like most people.
- Heating healthier and exercise more.
- Grow deeper in my relationship with God
- Be a better manager of my home and my resources
But beyond those “stereotypical” goals, I really want to focus on some specific things throughout the year.
- Focus on investing in my friendships
- Be more intentional about disciplining my daughter.
- Cut out some of the excess in our lives.
- Be a positive example to my children of health and balance in life.
So, welcome back to my daily musings! This week, I will go into detail a little more about each of these and why these goals have become so important for me to focus on this year.
Filed under: Healthy Lifestyle, Meal Plans | Tags: baking, granola, meal prep, muffins
I officially declared today Baking Day at the Gordon house. Jason was at the Downtown Campus working on the sound system, so I took the opportunity to get some “bulk preparation” done. Our work-weeks are pretty hectic, so the idea is to get some baking/food prep done today to provide some easy breakfasts and snacks, as well as speed up dinner prep. The game plan? (Links to the recipes)
- Blueberry Muffins
- Yummo Granola
- Banana, Apple, Carrot Muffins
- English Muffins (to use for breakfast “McMuffins”)
- Freezer Breakfast Burritos
- Precook Ground Chuck
- Precook Brown Rice
See, I am not a morning person. I have tried to be…but not very successfully. We need quick and healthy breakfast ideas, and Abbie is always hungry when she comes home. Again, some healthy snacks are key–and she gets tired of carrots and apples and celery.
So here are my thoughts after the day…
I LOVE these Blueberry Muffins. I tried a new recipe (and actually just used a small container of blueberries), and really was pleased. The cinnamon and nutmeg give it a nice depth of flavor.
This granola is INCREDIBLE! And pretty healthy too. I used 1.5 cups of nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans) and omitted the sesame seeds. You can pretty much change the general recipe around to your preferences.
When I first saw the name of these muffins, I thought…hmm, strange. But I thought I’d give them a go to use up some of my carrots and bananas on hand. They are actually really good! I think next time I might cut the nutmeg and cloves a little, just to make it slightly less “spice-y”. This is a super-healthy option for snacks…and would be great as mini-muffins too!
This week Kroger had Ground Chuck for $1.77/lb., so I picked up 6lbs and precooked it today. Having pre-cooked ground beef is such a time saver, because you can grab it from the freezer and use it for pasta, tacos, chili, or anything you would normally use it for!
My experiment for today was the brown rice. I love brown rice and nutritionally, I prefer to use the “real deal” instead of instant rice. The problem is, I rarely have an hour to devote to cooking it! So, I devoted the hour today, and put four meals worth in the freezer. We’ll see how it goes reheating!
Sitting here typing this all out, I realized that I completely forgot to add my “freezer” waffles to the list this morning! I may have to make some tomorrow if I’m up to it. Those are great to have on hand to throw in the toaster, just like an Eggo waffle (only healthier)!
Filed under: Healthy Lifestyle, Meal Plans | Tags: busy moms, meal plan, working moms
The best laid plans…right? Last week I posted what I had hoped would be our meal plan for the week, but as like most weeks…the reality was much different.
One of my weaknesses is getting home from work and just not feeling like cooking…and what happened Monday? Yep. You betcha…so we grabbed take-out. My in-laws stayed at our place on Tuesday night to catch an early flight to CA on Wedneday morning, so we grabbed dinner out that night as well. And Friday? Jason and the kids needed haircuts so we enjoyed Monical’s Pizza (which is right next to “the haircut place”).
So as it turns out, I have a couple meals ready to fix for this week! Thanks for the kind words in your comments, but really…there is nothing too gourmet about my meals! I do try to throw some variety in there, because one of the things I learned early on is that I EASILY get into a cooking rut! I find inspiration from a lot of different places…a couple of go-to cookbooks, blogs, online magazines…and word of mouth!
Someone had mentioned to me that she enjoyed seeing someone else’s meal ideas, so I will try and make it a weekly installment. I’ll link to recipes that are available online, and if you are ever curious, just shoot me a comment or email and I’d be happy to share!!!
This week’s meals…coming tomorrow!
Filed under: Family, Healthy Lifestyle | Tags: chicken parmesan, dinner, food, meal plan, working moms
One of the challenges I face as a working mom??? Mealtime! I really enjoy cooking…I use to love watching cooking shows and trying out new recipes. But after a day away from my children, the last thing I want to do is spend a LONG time in the kitchen preparing dinner…let alone many trips to the store for that “forgotten item”. I had been pretty diligent about meal planning, but with the transition and recent move–I’ve gotten away from it. So in hopes of getting back into the habit, here’s a glimpse into what’s for dinner at our house this week! (I usually throw in some very “quick fix” meals for nights we have VERY limited time, and something that can time bake or crock pot too!) Here goes…
Monday- Poppyseed Chicken Casserole, Creamed Peas (never tried these before!), and Apple/Grape/Walnut Salad.
Tuesday- Taco Crescent Bake, Bacon Ranch Green Beans, Mexicorn
Wednesday- Baked Tilapia, Wild Rice, Sugar Snap Peas and Dinner Rolls
Thursday- Grilled Cheese (or Ham/Turkey Melts for the adults), Veggies and Fruit
Friday- Ali’s Chicken Parmesan, Acorn Squash, Salad
Saturday- For Lunch: Cookout on the grill (brats, hot dogs, etc). For Dinner: Italian Beef Sandwiches (in the crock pot all day), Chips and Veggies
Sunday- Spaghetti & Meatballs, Lemon Parmesan Brocoli, Garlic Bread, Leftover Salad. For Dinner: Leftovers!
So…what’s for dinner?
Filed under: Healthy Lifestyle | Tags: fitness, ragamuffin soul, ragamuffin top, weight loss
I am officially entering Carlos’ Ragamuffin Top Challenge! After a week of quietly and unofficially participating with Jason, I’m casting aside all of my self-consciousness and just doing it! Check out my first ever video blog below to see what I’m trying to accomplish, and how the first week went! (No laughing…okay, you can laugh…I did!) Props to the first person who tells me how many times I say “Um”! Seriously…horrible!
Filed under: Healthy Lifestyle
Okay, well…not really goodbye, but I’m hoping we’ll be stopping by the gas station to fill up MUCH less often. With the rise in gas prices, Jason and I have been talking about ways we can be better stewards of our money, and of the resources we are blessed with.
So today was my first day riding the city bus to work. As a Purdue employee, I can ride the bus for free. I had tossed around the possiblity several times before, but from looking at their maps and schedules, it looked like I was going to have to leave an hour earlier and get home an hour later than I normally would. My family time was worth the extra gas I was using.
Then I thought–Hey…why don’t I acutally talk to someone at CityBus and see how I should do this. And guess what? After talking to Pam, I found out that I can simply cross the road by my house, and they will pick me up (even though I’m not by a bus stop), and I can ride the same bus all the way to work…dropping me off right by the building! I leave 5 minutes earlier than I normally do, and get home about 15 minutes later. VERY DO-ABLE!
Today was really great, actually. I realized that I am actually giving myself 40 minutes of extra time to myself…I can read! I met a woman that works in the building next to me, and she brought her Bible and journal to write in on the way. Brilliant!
I am going to be riding 3 days a week, and I’m kind of psyched! Lower gas bills, better for the environment, and more time to spend on important things!
PS. Watch for more posts tonight. I have pictures of some scrap projects…finally!
Although it is rainy and cold today, we’ve had wonderful spring temperatures this week. While autumn still holds my “favorite season”, and always will…spring comes in a close second. After being cooped up inside all winter, I always welcome the fresh air and warmer temperatures that spring brings.
I don’t particularly enjoy cleaning. I like my house to BE clean, but the process is not something I particularly like to dedicate large amounts of time to. But spring cleaning seems to be another story for me. There is something about cleaning all the places that get neglected and re-organizing that just sets the tone for a great season!
This year, I am trying to take the “Spring Cleaning” concept throughout many areas of my life…kind of cleaning the crevaces and decluttering my daily routine, our finances, etc.
For the most part, I try to stick to a meal plan, whether it is weekly or monthly. This helps out not only with our budget, but knowing that I’m going to have everything I need each night. This week is going to be pantry/freezer clean-out week. I try to do this every once in a while so that I’m not just throwing out expired food items I bought thinking “yeah, I’ll use this”. So this week I will be using up most of what is in the pantry and freezer. It may be a little challenging, but I’m up to it (I think).
I have run across a couple of online tools that I thought I’d share. If you’re anything like me, I seem to get into a rut when trying to plan meals for the month (or week). I love this website…www.menus4moms.com. They have a free weekly menu (Mon-Fri), which includes recipes AND grocery lists. There are also breakfast and lunch ideas if you’re interested too!
Another nice tool is their daily organization reminder. You can sign up for this daily reminder which by spending 15 minutes each day (morning or night) you can keep your entire house organized or clean!
I figure since I’ve been in a pretty creative rut (hence the lack of blog posts) I might as well be a little practical!!!
Happy Spring Cleaning!!!
Filed under: Healthy Lifestyle
Those two words pretty much sum up my goals for 2008 in about every aspect of my life. Live intentionally. But to be honest, here I sit over half way through January, and I can’t say that I’ve been very intentional so far this year. So I am rededicating myself to being intentional. Be intentional in my faith…in the time I spend with God…and intentionally dive deeper. Be intentional in my nutrition and fitness goals. Be intentional in the free time I spend with the kids each night. Intentionally keep the house clean and organized. Be intentional in my relationships with my friends. Intentionally reach out to those around me.
Okay…so I need a thesaurus. But, you get the idea. I’ve always found that if I write things down, I’m much more likely to accomplish them. Plus, I figure I’m surely not the only person who struggles with this. So, I have two specific goals in the next couple of days.
1) Write down a weekly schedule. Carve out the time amidst all the activities. Think of how I’ll spend time with the kids in our down time. Carve out time to get the cleaning and next day prep done before I go to bed.
2) Get back into my fitness routine. I’ve simply just been lazy. Sure, I can blame the fact that I’ve not been feeling that great, but honestly…I just haven’t wanted to get out of bed. My eating habits aren’t helping lately. I’ve got to get back to being healthy.
Here is my website of the day. If you are wanting to lose weight, or just be healthier, check out www.sparkpeople.com. I just recently got connected with it. It’s free…and it is really motiviating. There are a ton of tools, resources and support…and it’s an interactive way to track your progress towards your individual goals.
