Motivation Monday - Menu Planning and Freezer Meals

I know I was supposed to be concentrating on the One a Day Challenge this past week and ready to share results this week, but it was a fail for me this week. If you have continued your decluttering please link your posts on the sidebar or tell about your accomplishments in the comment section.

I have a feeling with the holidays coming thing will just continue to get busier, my projects will have to be pushed aside. During these busy times I'd like to remind you just how important menu planning is and how much easier it can make our lives. It saves time, money and so much effort on a daily basis!

I haven't been doing menu plans for the last couple of weeks - what a disaster! I thought I could do it all mentally and know what I was doing from day to day, but most days I'd either stand in front of the fridge wondering what I could pull together or picking something up on the way home. Not good. Needless to say we haven't had the healthiest meals lately either.

This weekend I decided to get back to menu planning. I kind of fell back into it after needing to come up with some premade homemade meals for the freezer for a friend at work who is going to have surgery over our Thanksgiving break, and also for another friend, who when asked what he wanted me to make him for his birthday responded that he would love some homemade freezer meals. I guess that really is a nice gift for the single guys who don't cook for themselves!

                                                                   Source: joelens.blogspot.com via Martha on Pinterest

Yesterday I was making egg casserole for brunch, my family loves it and it's easy. Instead of making one, I made four - one for brunch, one cut into single serve pieces for the freezer for the boys during the week, and one for both friends all cut into single serve for the freezer - that's 12 breakfast servings for each friend!

Later I browned 12 pounds of ground beef with taco seasonings (at Sam's Club we get ground beef marked 50% off 6 pound packs by shopping later in the evening). We had tacos and burritos tonight with yellow rice and cheesy refried beans for sides. After dinner I made up two burritos each with the sides for my two friends, labeled and put right in the freezer - two meals for each of them.

Today I will use the leftover beef to make a huge pot of chili. It's quick and easy to make with the beef already cooked. My guys will have it for dinner and then I'll package up the rest to divided between my freezer and probably two servings each for my friends.

Already I have prepared meals for us for two nights, made four nights worth of meals for my friends each and have at least one freezer meal left for us.

Tomorrow is Sam's Club run day, those big plump rotisserie chickens are on the list for a few recipes this week!

Anyone have any great freezer meal recipes to add?

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Motivation Monday - Food and Family Matters

This is a post from my blog Seaside Simplicity this past weekend. I decided it would be great for Motivation Monday and decided to repeat it here today.

When I first started my food blog Seaside Simplicity it wasn't because I spend all my time in the kitchen cooking up all kinds of complicated recipes and creating amazing meals, it was quite the opposite - I am a full time working mother, one that loves to cook and appreciates good food, but with little time for those things I had to find creative ways to prepare good meals for my family that don't require a lot of time or expense...

Italian Hot Dogs

I have always been determined not to fall into the unhealthy routine so many others do these days of picking up fast food or cooking prepackaged frozen dinners or something from a box on a regular basis. It's always been important to me, and part of how I judge myself as a wife and mother to have home-cooked meals. It's not only for the nutritional value and enjoying good food, but even more important is keeping the family dinner together each evening alive and well.

I have observed that families who still sit down for dinner together are closer than families who don't, they tend to work together better in general and have less struggles and issues in all areas of life. I have had friends say to me "What's your secret? How did you raise such good kids? Are you just lucky?" I honestly believe it's the fact that we sit down together just about every night for dinner. It keeps us close and keeps that family bond that is so often lacking in families these days. Think about your own mealtime habits and those of others you know. Talk to friends and coworkers about it. I think you'll also see the patterns and what a difference the simple act of having dinner together each evening can make.

My goal at Seaside Simplicity has always been to share with others how I create very simple homemade meals for my family that are uncomplicated, quick to prepare, inexpensive, and generally both nutritious and delicious. It does take a little planning ahead, but it's well worth it.

Pasta with Fresh Clams

I spend about 15 minutes every weekend planning our meals for the week. On Sundays I like to do as much prepping as I can for the week ahead, including cooking some things in advance whenever possible. Most of my meals are on the table in under 30 minutes.

Sometimes I like to double or triple the main dish for intentional leftovers to be creative for a different meal the next night...

Giant Meatloaf Puffs From Leftovers

Occasionally meals are only half homemade, using canned veggies or a packaged rice or stuffing for the sides like the meal below - even half homemade beats fast food any day!

 Pork Chops - Half Homemade Meal

So what prompted this post you ask - I was one of the lucky ones who received a free copy of the book The Hour That Matter Most to review. I plan to sit down to read it this weekend and thought I'd give my own thoughts on the family dinner and some samples of some of my own simple meals (just click the link below each photo to go to the recipes) before I get started on the book. I have a feeling my views will be similar and I'm very excited to have this opportunity.

          The Hour That Matters Most launches September 6, 2011
         For more information visit, www.thehourthatmattersmost.com
         Available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes & Noble
       Price: $15.99

Be on the look out for my upcoming review at Seaside Simplicity.

Wishing you a Motivated Monday and a great week!
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Motivation Monday - Busy Times, Balance, and Slow Cooker Recipes

Yesterday over at MM's Missions I posted a busy times update to go with my menu plans. When I was all finished I realized it would be a great post to repeat for the most part here at Motivation Monday...

My life has been so hectic lately and this month it will get even worse. It's the last month of school which means the boys will have a ton of performances, projects, dances, a prom and parties. There will be a graduation for one, and the other has a big trip to New York City to prepare for. Things will be very busy at work for me as well. I've decided I'm giving up on all my renovation and organizing projects for the month of May, things have been at a standstill due to other issues anyway.

There are only a couple things I can do right now to try to keep myself sane during this busy month - keep up with daily routines, make sure I get in 7-8 hours of sleep each night, keep up with some kind of exercise even if it's just a little for now, and make sure I do my menu plans. The last thing I need is to come home late during these busy times and have no idea what I'm going to make for dinner.

To help myself along a bit yesterday I made a big pot of fresh pasta sauce today along with 6 pounds of meatballs and a couple pounds of Italian sausage. I froze it in family size containers so we'll have one or two meals a week just about ready to go, I'll just have to boil pasta and make a salad.

I'm also planning to pick up a couple of rotisserie chickens at Sam's Club each week - can't beat them for quick meals at only $5 apiece. We will have a pizza night each week as usual, but probably switching from homemade pizza to our local pizza place that offers large pizzas on Wednesdays for $4.99 - Wacky Wednesday. Breakfast for dinner once a week will fill in another night, maybe a main dish salad night here and there, and I plan on experimenting a lot more with my slow cooker this month too.

This will be tonight's dinner - slow cooker chicken breasts with tomatoes, whole garlic cloves, a variety of peppers, and fresh Italian herbs served over pasta. It will be so nice having dinner ready when I get home from work! If you are interested you can see my menu plan for the week over at MM's Missions.

Help save my sanity by helping to build a nice Slow Cooker Recipe Index. The posts you link up don't have to be new posts, you don't have to link back to TMS, and no limit to the amount of links - the more the merrier! I think it will be great for all of us to have a nice collection of slow cooker recipes at a glance to choose from during busy times. The linky will remain open all month.

Thanks in advance for linking your recipes. Wishing you a Motivated Monday!

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Tuesdays With Kris: Go-To-Dishes

We all have that one go-to dish that we run to when we are pressed for time or are in need of something nutritious. After my usual weekend of overindulgence I normally crave this dish. And crave and feast I did!

Brown Rice with Savory Sweet Beans

(serves 2 for dinner, and 1 for lunch the entire week- almost)

About 4 cups cooked brown rice.
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 pinches red pepper flakes
1 12oz can black beans, rinsed
1 12oz can tomatoes with chilies
1 12oz can sweet corn
Zest and juice of lime (you can squeeze juice in when serving each plate)
1 cup chopped cilantro
7 chopped scallions
salt and pepper to taste

In a large sauce pan. Heat oil and 2 minced garlic cloves. Add 2 pinches red pepper flakes and let soften. Add in 1 can black beans, 1 can tomatoes with chilies, and 1 can sweet corn. Bring to simmer for about 5-7 minutes. Zest 1 lime into the beans. Take off heat and let cool a bit. Add 1 cup chopped cilantro and 7 chopped scallions. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with rice, sour cream and extra lime wedges. SO TASTY and HEALTHY!

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Tuesday's With Kris: Mornin' Iron!

Hey there! Kris from Behold the Metatron!

I've become a fan of having some greens in the AM. It's a great option to boost energy and get your brain working instead of relying on coffee and/or nothing at all! Spinach is rich in calcium, Folic acid, vitamin K, and C, iron, and fiber!

The flavonoids in spinach help protect against age related memory loss... talk about a great pre-work food!

{Sauteed spinach w/ turkey bacon, eggs and English muffin. Talking kitty in corner approves!}

Besides adding it to omelets or as a side to your breakfast, here are some other great ideas on how to sneak spinach in!

• Add chopped fresh or frozen spinach to lasagna.
• Add chopped or frozen spinach to soups (canned or homemade!)
• Sauté spinach with a bit of garlic as a side or topping for baked potatoes.
• Make spinach dip for veggies and crisp breads.
• Use fresh spinach on sandwiches or in salad in place of lettuce.
• Add chopped fresh or frozen spinach to pasta sauces or even Mac N' Cheese!

HAPPY TUESDAY!

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