EcOnomical Mom

2019-02-15T14:08:00.001-05:00

New Signature...

Easy Mini Meatloaves Recipe

2010-05-18T19:24:00.001-04:00

This has to be the simplest, quickest meatloaf recipe I have ever made. Not only is it quick {about 45 minutes from start to plate}, it absolutely delicious! There are sooo many different ways to customize this recipe to your family's individual taste. Enough talk...here's the recipe:

Easy Mini Meatloaves Basic Recipe

1 lb hamburger
1 6oz box of stuffing mix
1 c water
1 c shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 375.
Combine meat, stuffing mix, and water.
Spray or grease muffin tin.
Ball meat mixture into 12 balls. (The size of each ball should depend on the size of your muffin tin.)
Press each ball into a muffin cup.
Make an indentation in each ball for sauce.
Fill with sauce.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Top with cheese of your choice.
Bake 5 more mintues.
Enjoy!!

EcOnomcial Mom's Meatloaf Sauce.
(This is just an estimate...I tend to *eye* my ingredients for this sauce)

1 c ketchup
1 c brown sugar
1-2 Tblsp mustard.

Mix ingredients well.

There are soooo many different ways to customize these meatloaves. You could add garlic powder, or Italian seasoning, chili powder, or soy sauce to the meat mixture. As for sauces...salsa, barbecue, spaghetti, pizza, or sweet and sour. The possible combinations are endless. If you make these, write back and let me know which combinations are your favorite. I like to add Italian seasoning and a hint of onion powder, colby jack cheese, and my sauce.

These freeze well too.

Menu Planning Manic Monday

2010-05-17T15:53:00.002-04:00

I know that I have been absent for a couple of months. Sorry! Spring has always been a busy time. This year, however, I have been hit hard! XR is in kindergarten and I'm on the PTO...which makes spring especially busy. I have also started my own business. :) I have been crafting for...let's just say a long time! I've now taken my craftiness and turned it into an online business. Being the ecOnomical person that I am, I have been doing everything ALL BY MYSELF! ~~Why pay when I can learn to do it myself!~~ That has taken a considerable amount of this past month. There have been days that I've felt as though it was spent entirely on the computer. The bright side is that I've learned a LOT of tips and tricks and info using Blogger. In June, I will be adding a DIY blogger category to EcOnomical Mom!

Through all of this chaos, menu planning has kept my family fed. If I hadn't planned my meals, who knows what my poor family would have eaten. :( Luckily for them, and me, we had good, nutritious meals every night. Because I knew time was limited, I have been sticking with pretty simple meal plans. This week is not different.

Monday
Dinner: Grilled Chicken, baked potatoes, mixed veggies. (Due to the weather, I think I'll need to subsitute!)
Tuesday
Dinner: (Pizza Night) Regular
Wednesday
Dinner: (Crock Pot Night) Pork Loin Pot Roast w/ carrots and potatoes.
Thursday
Dinner: (Pasta Night) Mama's Choice.
Friday
Dinner: Individual Meat Loaves, mashed potatoes, home canned green beans.
Saturday
Lunch: Left Over's Lunch
Dinner: Stromboli
Sunday
Lunch: Left Over's Lunch .
Dinner: Mexican Skillet Meal

Tomorrow I will be sharing my recipe for individual meatloaves. This is the easiest, tastiest meatloaf recipe! My son LOVES these. Check back later for my stromboli recipe. Have a good week everyone! And thank you to those who actually missed me!

Menu Plan Monday for March 1st

2010-03-01T10:18:00.000-05:00

It's that time of the week again! I tried something new for the next two weeks' menu plans. Instead of planning my menu and then checking to see if I had the items, I took a food inventory and planned my menu with items I already had in stock.

It's really amazing the food I have stocked and the $$ I saved by doing this. So, my new menu plan resolution is to take a food inventory before planning. How do you menu plan? Do you create your plan and then take stock or vise versa?

Monday
Dinner: Cheeseburger Pie w/ mixed veggies.
Tuesday
Dinner: (Pizza Night) BBQ Chicken
Wednesday
Dinner: (Crock Pot Night) Pot Roast w/ carrots and potatoes.
Thursday
Dinner: (Pasta Night) Son's Choice.
Friday
Dinner: Sugar Snap Pea and Chicken stir-fry.
Saturday
Lunch: Home made Veggie Soup (from left over Pot Roast)
Dinner: Ham Steaks, roasted garlic & herb potatoes, home canned green beans.
Sunday
Lunch: Left Over's Lunch .
Dinner: Venison loin steaks, mashed potatoes, and (homemade) creamy freezer corn.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!!

Why you should wash fruit and veggies before you eat them.

2010-02-25T16:38:00.000-05:00

I know I said that I was taking the week off, but I HAVE to share this...

I took this picture after rinsing this apple for about 10 seconds. Just looking at it should explain why you should wash, not just rinse, fresh produce.

I won't disclose where I bought this from. I have a love/hate relationship with this store. I love the prices, but can not stand that 85% of their items are made in China. Back on point, these apples were supposedly organic and locally grown, or so they were trying to advertise. I am NOT stupid, there are NO apples ripe in PA right now. However, I bought them anyway...the price couldn't be beat. ~~At least not until my apple trees start producing!~~ I don't mean to gripe about the store. The point I'm trying to make...PLEASE wash, not just rinse, any produce you purchase. And by wash, I mean: wet it, scrub it with a veggie brush, rinse it off, and then wipe it dry. You may have to repeat these steps to completely rid it of *nasty stuff*, but it's well worth the effort! Just look at the picture...you wouldn't want to eat that would you??

A pile-up on route Mom...Menu plan to save the day.

2010-02-22T15:49:00.001-05:00

This week I am taking off from blogging. I will begin again next week.

I'm torn between a million projects and not a one is getting finished. It's very difficult being spread so thin. Sickness is running rampant through my house. My dining room is piled in the middle of the floor...I'm trying to get it painted. My husband has been working on our new entertainment center, so the living room has been a total mess. And of course, my son has been working on getting every single toy that he owns out ~~and he doesn't like putting them away~~. Besides all of our house renovation projects, the chores are beginning to pile up, and I'm getting stressed. So this week, I am mainly working on the house and my sanity. My goal is to finish at least 3 of the projects that have been started, laundry not included.

Blogging used to be a way to relax and take some *me time* to share information that I'm passionate about. Now I fuss over every word that I write, I'm rarely satisfied, and I keep second guessing myself. I have a million great tips that I want to share, but lately I stare at the computer feeling like it's another chore. And that is NOT what blogging means to me. I want to enjoy it and not feel like I'm working to a deadline. I'm not a journalist, I have no boss, yet I feel that way.

Besides all of the happenings here, I have opened an Etsy store. ~~I have been a crafter for quite a while now.~~ There is a LOT more work to be done than I realized. I'm not saying that I've got in over my head, it just seems overwhelming because there are soo many other projects going on right now and I haven't accomplished anything. However, like my picture, the sun is beginning to peek it's face above the mess. ~~This picture was taken in our last big snowstorm. We had over 36". To some that may not be much, to me...it was too much!!~~ Although it's snowing here again right now, I have a handle on the snow. And if I can do that, I can get a handle on my life. I'm in charge, so stress...get out of my life!

Also, around the beginning of March, I will be launching my crafting blog (Cre8ivaT). ~~Add that to the list I'm trying to accomplish.~~ I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe week! And may you get many things accomplished.

If everything goes as planned this week, this will be my menu. Menu plans help keep what little sanity I have intact. :)
Monday
Dinner: Pot Roast w/ veggies.
Tuesday
Dinner: (Pizza Night) Taco Pizza
Wednesday
Dinner: (Crock Pot Night) Chicken & Stuffing In a Pot
Thursday
Dinner: (Pasta Night) Mom's Choice.
Friday
Dinner: Beef Stroganoff w/ peas.
Saturday
Lunch: Left Over's Lunch
Dinner: Fish , rice, and cauliflower.
Sunday
Lunch: Chicken nuggets & French Fries.
Dinner: Steak, Skillet Potatoes, and green beans.

Menu Planning Monday...back on track,

2010-02-15T09:02:00.001-05:00

Good Morning Dear Blogosphere! I hope everyone has survived the weather of late. I took this past week off to keep up with the weather, chores, and my son. It proved to be a real challenge. The first storm hit us on a weekend, thankfully. However the next snow storm ~~totaling 36"~~ hit during the week...so not only was my son home from school, but my husband headed into work each day. ~~He has this determination that the weather will never stop him! Thank goodness he's a good driver.~~ With all the added outside chores, having a menu plan really saved me this past week! I was able to spend most of the days outside and still have a nice hot meal on the table at a decent time.

***Side note***
In times like these, please remember your neighbors, especially the elderly or disabled. Not only could they need help shoveling snow, they might not be able to cook for themselves.

Without any more delay...

Monday
Lunch:Grilled Ham & Cheese w/ leftover Chicken Corn Chowder.
Dinner: Sweet & Sour Chicken with white rice and broccoli.
Tuesday
Dinner: (Pizza Night) Pepperoni/Bacon Pizza
Wednesday
Dinner: (Crock Pot Night) ~~Sunday~~ Wednesday Boiled Dinner
Thursday
Dinner: (Pasta Night) Dad's Choice.
Friday
Dinner: Mexican Skillet Meal
Saturday
Lunch: Left Over's Lunch
Dinner: Fish Sticks, French Fries, and Carrot Sticks.
Sunday
Lunch: Spamwiches
Dinner: Chicken Lasagna with Salad

Check back later this week for my Chicken Lasagna recipe!

How to avert a water crisis ...

2010-02-03T21:54:00.001-05:00

It seems these days everyone is concerned with emergency rations and supplies. Let me just say that I am NOT an 'end of the world nut'. However, I do believe in preparing for emergencies. And there is somewhat of a point in some of their theories. Please let me explain...

Not only do I live out in the country, I grew up living way out in the country. Country life helps prepare you for emergency situations. In the country you don't just run down the block to get groceries or supplies from the hardware store. You need to be prepared.
One of my 'oddities' ~~as my husband like to call it~~ is that I keep quite a few gallon jugs full of water in our basement. He used to get such a kick out this. He could never understand why I did 'such a foolish thing'... until this past weekend.

My husband is an early riser; he's mostly up before 6 every day. On Sunday, when he awoke we had no water. After checking to see if the pipes were frozen, he discovered that our water pump's motor had burnt out. (Luckily my husband is quite the handyman and can fix these kinds of things!) Needless to say, he quickly found how much water is taken for granted...he couldn't flush toilets, or shower, or brush teeth, or most important...make coffee. The poor guy found out all of this before my son and I woke. Then a light bulb turned on; he remember all the jugs of water ~~that he made fun of me for~~ in the basement! By the time my son and I awoke, he had a jug in each bathroom, one at the kitchen sink, and was no longer laughing at me. He finally understood why I had all of those jugs of water. You see ~~although he laughed at me~~ I was preparing for emergencies, just not the kind he tried to associate it with. You never know when something is going to happen. You could loose power, your well could run dry, your pump could burn out, etc. And if you live out in the country, it isn't always easy to just run to the store.

Be ecOnomical and prepared... fill gallon jugs with water from your tap and store them. I recommened at least 2 gallons per person per day. I try to keep at least three days worth of water in our basement. And so it's always fresh, I water my plants each week (rotating two jugs). I know to some people it might seem crazy or over board, but it saved us this past weekend. Not only were we still able to have drinking water ~~and coffee~~, we were able to flush the toilets, wash ourselves, brush our teeth and do some dishes! And I've only rubbed the 'see I told you so' in a little bit!

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezee Menu Plan...plus an exciting new desert recipe!

2010-02-01T09:09:00.006-05:00

I have to confess, the only thing exciting about this week's menu plan is my new desert recipe! Things, as always, did not go as planned, so I was able to move meals from last week to this week. I love when this happens! I really do. It save me even more time. ~~I have always cherished time, but now that my son has gone into the big kindergarten; I cherish it even more!~~
Now onto this week's plan...

Monday
Dinner: Chili with White Cornbread Bake.
Tuesday
Dinner: (Pizza Night) White Bacon Pizza
Wednesday
Dinner: (Crock Pot Night) ~~Sunday~~ Wednesday Boiled Dinner
Thursday
Dinner: (Pasta Night) Dad's Choice.
Friday
Dinner: Sweet & Sour Chicken, White Rice, and Broccoli.
Saturday
Lunch: Left Over's Lunch
Dinner: Individual Meatloaves, Home Made Mashed Potatoes, and Home Canned Green Beans.
Sunday
Lunch: BLT's made with wonderful turkey bacon!
Dinner: Breaded Tilapia, Sun Dried Tomato Pilaf, and Cauliflower

While at a craft show back in the fall, two ladies made this amazing, delectable desert. They were little pieces of chocolate heaven; a wonderful, crisp outer coating with a moist, melt-in-your-mouth chocolaty center. ~~I was hooked.~~ Months went by and I forgot all about these little pieces of heaven. Then miraculously, while searching for new recipes on AllRecipes, I came across a recipe for them! Now for the exciting part of this post...my new (found) desert recipe!!! I hope everyone enjoys these as much as I do!

Cake Balls...makes about 36.

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package (chocolate) cake mix
1 (16 ounce) container prepared (chocolate) frosting
1 (3 ounce) bar chocolate flavored confectioners coating

Directions

Prepare the cake mix according to package directions using any of the recommended pan sizes. When cake is done, crumble while warm into a large bowl, and stir in the frosting until well blended.
Melt chocolate coating in a double broiler, a glass bowl in the microwave, or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water; stirring occasionally until smooth.
Use a melon baller or small scoop to form balls of the chocolate cake mixture. Dip the balls in chocolate using a toothpick or fork to hold them. Place on waxed paper to set.

This recipe is SOOO easy to make and easily tweaked. For Valentine's Day, I am using a strawberry cake mix and strawberry icing. I haven't decided whether to use a regular chocolate coating or white chocolate. What do you think?

Calling all Super Parents and Super Readers...

2010-01-28T10:00:00.001-05:00

Join in tomorrow (Friday, January 29th on your local PBS station) for a new kind of reading adventure...

Whyatt , best known as Super Why,and his friends embark on a reading adventure in a new kind of book (my favorite kind of book)...a cookbook!

Whyatt wants to bake his little sister a special birthday cake - but he doesn't know how. So Super Why and his friends soar into a new kind of book - and get the information they need from a rhyming chef with a silly sense of humor as well as a recipe for fun! In the end, Whyatt learns how to create the perfect birthday for Baby Joy.

As a parent, I have always loved PBS and their super fun, educational shows! And I am excited to help announce this wonderful new episode.In honor of this episode, here are some tips to help you cook up your very own yummy reading adventure.

Encouraging preschoolers to read recipes, signs and more helps them navigate their world and gives them a real reason to use their new-found literacy skills. Asking questions will expand their creativity as well as reinforce comprehension. It can also inspire them to write their own signs, recipes or stories!

        Pick out a simple and tasty recipe with your budding Super Reader. Ask them to point out all of the letters and words they already know in the ingredients

        Write a grocery list together, sounding out the words as you go along

        At the supermarket, have your kids help read the signs so you can find the ingredients you need

        As you cook, read the recipe out loud every step of the way

        Before serving your delicious treat, create colorful place cards for each member of the family, assisting your preschooler in writing out the names. Have fun – and bon appetite!

Each episode of Super WHY, the award-winning literacy series from Out of the Blue Enterprises, engages young viewers in fun, interactive alphabet and word games, as well as imagination-stimulating spelling, vocabulary and comprehension activities, helping to instill a life-long love of reading all along the way!

If you would like learn more about PBS and their wonderful shows, please check out their links below. (This is not a paid advertisement, I just love and support PBS.)

PBS for Kids
PBS for Parents & Teachers (there's a LOT of good information here!)

Here's some of my son's favorites: (I list only his favorite favorites ~~as he likes to say~~. He likes all the shows.)
Curious George
Word Girl
Word World
CyberChase
Caillou

Menu Planning Monday Returns!!!

2010-01-25T09:57:00.004-05:00

Hello again blogoshpere! I've missed you tremendously, but I choose not to dwell in the past. There will be changes happening here at EcOnomical Mom. Most will be subtle and go unnoticed. However, if you do notice a problem, e.g. a broken link, please contact me! I will try to get it fixed asap. Any comments, concerns, or questions are welcome also. Please feel free to contact me. I'm glad to be back!

Menu planning is one of the constants in my life. I've revamped my menu plans. Now that my son is in kindergarten and involved in other activites, I have simplified my plan. There are four constants... Tuesday is pizza night, Wednesday is crockpot night, Thursday is pasta night, and Saturday is Left Over's Lunch day! Taking the guess work out of these days has not only simplified my planning method, it considerably cut down on time spent planning! This week is a very busy week; all of my meals are very simple and time friendly. Without further ado...on to the menu plan...

Monday
Dinner: Chili w/white cornbread bake.
Tuesday
Dinner: (Pizza Night) BBQ Chicken Pizza
Wednesday
Dinner: (Crock Pot Night) New England Boiled Dinner
Thursday
Dinner: (Pasta Night) Kid's choice.
Friday
Dinner: Breaded fish filets, rice, and cauliflower.
Saturday
Lunch: Left Over's Lunch
Dinner: Mexican Skillet Meal
Sunday
Lunch: Mac & Dogs
Dinner: Breakfast for Dinner (pancakes, eggs, bacon)

Thank you for stopping by EcOnomical Mom! I have returned!

Today's Farm Freeze Dried Fruit Bag O' Gold Giveaway

2009-08-20T10:24:00.004-04:00

I am very pleased to announce that Today's Farm has offered one lucky reader a Bag O' Gold which contains a package of each of the four flavors! See my review of Today's Farm Freeze Dried Fruit for more information.

CONTEST DETAILS...

Contest begins Thursday, August 20 at 12:00pm and ENDS on Thursday, August 27 at 11:59am.

The winner will be posted (in the "GIVEAWAY WINNERS" on the right side of my blog) within in 24 hours.

Winner will also be notified either through blog or e-mail and will have 72 hours to claim their prize. Time begins when I post the winner.
{Please remember, if you are using anonymous to comment, you MUST leave an e-mail address so I can contact you. I do NOT spam or sell your address!}

If the prize is not claimed within this time frame, a new winner will be chosen.

Entries will be entered into and chosen by Random.org. I have NOTHING to do with choosing the winner. I just really enjoy reading everyone's comments and tips.

*An additional note...this giveaway is open to US residents only. Sorry*

HOW TO OBTAIN ENTRIES:

Each item counts as one entry only. Please leave separate comments for each entry.

Visit Today's Farm and tell me which flavor you would like.
Leave a lunch box tip, recipe, idea...these can be anything pertaining to a lunch box. {You may do this as often as you like!}

OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL ENTRIES

Follow my blog.
Follow me on Twitter (EcOnomicalMom)
Follow my blog in Facebook followers.
Retweet this giveaway. (Just click on retweet at the top of the post.) You can do this as often as you like, just comment for each tweet!
Add my button to your blog.
Post a link to this giveaway on your blog. ( I will be randomly checking.)

If you don't have a blog ~~or just want more entries~~... E-mail your family and friends the link to this giveaway. CC my e-mail address ecOnomicalmom@gmail.com. (If you don't CC my address, I won't know you sent them, and they won't count.)
Add this to your Facebook status

Healthy Lunch Box Snacks...Today's Farm Freeze Dried Fruit (Giveaway)!

2009-08-20T09:27:00.009-04:00

I would love to tell you how wonderful these snacks are, but... my son ate all four bags upon receiving them. Okay, to be truthful, he did give me one TINY piece from each bag. What I can tell you from those tiny pieces ~~when I use the word tiny, I mean that he took a huge bit and then gave me what was left between his fingers tiny!~~ is that they were packed with flavor and fabulous. It took Xr less then 5 minutes to finish all four bags! (Strawberry, Cinnamon Apple, Pineapple, and Peach) Needless to say, he had his full servings of fruit that day! The fact that he finished them off in such a short time is testimonial in itself!

Today's Farm Freeze Dried Fruit Snacks are wonderfully light and crispy. When you think of dried fruit, most of you are probably thinking of the leathery, chewy fruit that comes out of a food dehydrator. Not these snacks! Because they are freeze dried they are not exposed to the damaging heat. Instead they are exposed to super cold air that zaps out the moisture, but which leaves all the vitamins and minerals and flavor remaining in the fruit. That's why they print right on the bag has all the goodness of fresh fruit. They really do. One bag provides 1 1/2 to 2 servings of fruit!

Also because these fruit snacks are freeze dried, they are extremely light, virtually weightless. This makes them an outstanding snack to add to your child's lunch box! Since freeze dried fruit is constantly looking for moisture to rehydrate, they are packaged in quick to eat size packages, perfect for kids.

Hungry for some freeze dried fruit?? You can purchase them at Today's Farm or Amazon or enter here for a chance to win a Bag O' Gold.

Healthy Food For Lunch Boxes...Guiltless Gourmet Tortilla Chips

2009-08-19T09:36:00.006-04:00

Move over PB&J sandwiches...here comes a new lunch box favorite! Guiltless Gourmet tortilla chips are a versatile lunch box addition. They are great as part of the main food or splendid as an added snack.

When my family tried the Guiltless Gourmet Yellow Corn Tortilla chips we were pleased. Although we haven't been wild about baked chips before, we were really pleasantly surprised with these. Most baked chips that we've tried have been bland or completely tasteless, but not the Guiltless Gourmet. They have a nice bold taste and are crisper than others. Not only do they taste good, they are good for you ~~at least as far as chips go~~. All of their tortilla chips are baked, not fried and they are all natural, no preservatives or artificial ingredients! Click here to see their nutritional facts.

We have only tried the Yellow Corn , but they carry many other bold flavors that we're anxious to try... Black Bean, Mucho Nacho, Chipolte, Chili Verde, Chili Lime. If you child likes colorful food, try their Blue Corn chips.

The Guiltless Gourmet tortilla chips were a fabulous addition to my Mexican Skillet Meal. (It's a wonderful, versatile taco type creation I concocted one evening in my kitchen. Ground hamburger, taco seasoning, corn, and black beans are the base of the recipe) My son loves to eat the left overs as a cold dip. The Yellow Corn tortilla chips stood up to his scrutiny, they remained crispy under all that he piled on top. In his lunch box, I know I can safely pack these chips along with the MSM, feel secure that they will be completely devoured, and know that I have provided a healthy and pleasing lunch!

Here's a little more information about the Guiltless Gourmet Company...

Guiltless Gourmet pioneered baked, not fried, tortilla chips 20 years ago. In addition to their chips, Guiltless Gourmet also offers a variety of "better tasting, better for you" dips, frozen wraps, and dessert bowls. For more information about these or any other Guiltless Gourmet product, log onto www.guiltlessgourmet.com. Guiltless Gourmet is a wholly owned subsidary of The Manischewitz Company which offers a diversified line of premium kosher food products that covers over 60 different categories.

Wondering where you can buy these wonderful chips...Shoprite, Wegmans, Kroger, Safeway, Giant Eagle, and Albertsons are a few of the stores nationwide that currently carry them. They retail for $2.79, but if you buy in bulk from Amazon you can get a good deal on them. (Click on the flavors above to see them on Amazon.)

Also happening at Guiltless Gourmet is their "Go Guiltless in Sin City" sweepstakes. Until September 30th each of the eight flavors of Guiltless Gourmet chips will have a unique code that can be redeemed at www.guiltlessgourmet.com. You can win prizes on a daily basis and find out if you have instantly won! Each person that redeems his or her code will then be entered in the drawing for the Grand Prize trip to Las-Vegas (valued @ $5,600) which includes a 4 day/ 3 night stay at a 5 diamond resort, a $1,500 gift certificate to a world class spa, and $1,500 in cash! Check out the site for details, there are more prizes to be won!

Lunch Box Tips

2009-08-17T20:59:00.005-04:00

Throughout my online lunch box adventures, I have learned a great deal more than I thought possible about packing a lunch. I have been packing my husband's lunches for years now. After supper I place the left-overs in a rubbermaid lunch container, put it in the fridge, and I'm done. Packing lunch for my son is going to be a completely different ball game!

While packing Xr's lunch, I not only have to find a way to keep it cold or hot until lunch, I have to try to ensure that he eats it! ~~Slight Panic!~~ I can't rely on his kindergarten teacher to make sure he eats. Although she is wonderful, I do NOT expect her to be SUPER-TEACHER...up up and away! Coming back to reality though... I have found quite a few fabulous blogs and websites that have provided me with fabulous tips.

The best tip I have found so far is to include your child when packing his/her lunch. It makes sense, but honestly I hadn't even thought about it! Just like with a vegetable garden, if your kids help with it, they are more likely to eat it. My son loves all kinds of foods, but he is a kid...there are days that he just doesn't like certain foods. Which brings me to the next tip...

Don't pack something your kid has never tried...or doesn't like. No matter how wonderful and nutritious a lunch is, if he/she isn't going to eat it, there is no point in packing it! Not only will your kid go hungry, but it's also wasteful. Make sure to taste test any packed lunch ~~unless you already know your child likes it~~. It can take many tries before a kid will like it. The same rule for babies holds true for kids...and some adults too!

Variety may be the spice of life, but not all kids like spice! If your child wants and will eat the same thing packed day after day...pack it. My son has already told me that he just wants cold lemon pepper spaghetti for his lunch. He's the type of kids that likes to eat a certain food for days. However, when he's done with that food, he drops it and moves on to the next. I will gladly pack him the same thing day after day as long as it's what he wants and he will eat it. What I plan on doing, with his help and cooperation, is pack the same thing a week at a time. Which leads me to the next tip...

Make a lunch chart. I have read in quite a few places that moms make a chart for their kid to choose from. This such a great idea on many levels! You could list his/her favorite lunch and let them choose. Or you could list individual foods in groups and allow them to pick from each group. My personal favorite is Liz Ruff's chart idea on Family Fun. She has her kids list their favorite foods and then she chooses what to pack for the day.

Make sure the food you pack is easy to eat. This holds true especially for kindergartners and younger kids! Big bulky items are difficult for some kids to handle. Cut sandwiches into smaller portions or fun shapes. Cut up fruit into fruit salad sized bites. Don't pack food in difficult to open containers. There are certain times when they will have to have help from the teacher, but you should try to minimize it.
I read where the average eating time is only about 15 minutes and this has to include many, many distractions!

With all of the distractions in the lunch room, we not only need to be concerned about nutrition, we need to make their lunch fun too! Once again, the possibilities for this are endless!! You could cut their sandwiches into fun shapes...make unique lunch recipes...choose a theme lunch...add a note or a Kids Lunch Box Card...add a desert... the list could go on forever, but you get the idea.

Earlier I mentioned the fridge/microwave dilemma. Here are two of the best ideas and the simplest that I have found. Keeping Xr's lunch cold until lunch was a very large concern of mine. It would be HORRIBLE to pack his lunch and then have it go bad because it wasn't kept at a proper temperature. The easiest way to solve the fridge dilemma is to freeze their drink. This will keep their food cold until lunch time and the drink will thaw by that then...hopefully. One idea I read was to freeze half the drink and then in the morning add the other half. Then he/she would be sure to have something to drink. I personally like my ice packs. I'm going to place them on the bottom of his lunch box...just as a little reassurance.

I didn't think it would be possible to pack him a hot lunch. However, I found that using a thermos will provide a hot lunch. This thankfully solves my microwave problem! Just make sure to add boiling water into the thermos to heat it up. Pour the boiling water out and then add the heated food. VOILA a hot lunch!

There are sooo many wonderful tips out there... I hope these help ease any worry you have about packing a lunch for your child! These few tips have really helped me!

Lunch Box Recipes

2009-08-16T21:54:00.011-04:00

Getting my son to eat a nutritious lunch at school is a huge concern of mine. Who am I kidding....just getting him TO eat there is a huge concern. So... I have spent hours searching the web for nutritious lunch box recipes. Throughout my journey I've found a few great sites with recipes on how to make lunch box food fun and nutritious along with tips on how to make sure they eat it. In this post, I will be sharing links to some fabulous lunch box recipes. ~~I'll share the tips in a later post!~~

I've always packed my husband's lunch... but he has access to a fridge and a microwave. This was going to be a dilemma for Xr's lunches, but... some really creative moms have solved this problem for me! In some of these recipes they will share how they've overcome keeping their kid's lunches cold or hot. With these tips, lunch box recipes are as endless as your imagination!

Now onto the recipes...

The first place I looked was AllRecipes.com. Although they don't have a lot of lunch box recipes, they do have some very creative ones. This is where I learned how to pack a lunch without worrying about a fridge or microwave.

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Super Hero Sandwich

Chicken Pops...this one has to be my favorite! So creative!

Quiche...the possibilities are endless!

Chili... or any other soups.

Lunch Box Hot Dogs

Lunch Box Special...an updated, unique twist to regular PB&J!

Lunch Box Pizza...topping possibilities are endless!!

Lunch Box 'Handwiches'

Another favorite site is Family Fun...LOVE the magazine too! Instead of giving you individual recipe links ~~there are a plethora of them on this site~~ here is a link to the recipes for back to school page! I will add some of my favs though!

Homemade ABC Noodle Soup and Rainbow Kebobs

Crackers and Fixings with Cream Cheese Glue

Soccer Ball Subs

Sandwich on a Stick

There are millions of recipes out there. Get creative with your kid's lunch! But make sure whatever it is your making, your kids have already taste tested it at home! Check back later for Lunch Box Tips.

If you have a lunch box recipe you would like to share, please use the McLinky below.

EcOnomcial Family's Menu Plan for week 34.

2009-08-16T21:17:00.005-04:00

I'mmm baaack!! Have you missed me?? For those of you that have, thank you and I'm sorry for being gone so long. For those that didn't, thank you too! (I don't feel quite so guilty.) Computer problems aren't quite fixed yet, but I'm doing the best I can.

I have greatly missed Menu Plan Monday and am glad to be back! This week is EcOnomical Mom's Heading Off to Kindergarten Event. (Due to computer...I'll call them issues, I haven't been able to do a lot of advertising.) So this is probably news to most.

I will be adding two menu plans this week. My first, this one, is our weekly menu. The second menu plan will consist of wonderful lunch box recipes/ ideas. I will be posting that one tomorrow. So don't forget to check back!! Oh, and if you have any great lunch box recipes, tips, or ideas...PLEASE e-mail me!!

On to this week's menu plan...

Monday
Lunch: Eating Out
Dinner: Grilled Ham Steaks, Grilled corn on the cob, Grilled cabbage
Tuesday
Dinner: Chinese Meatballs w/ rice noodles
Wednesday
Dinner: Easy Chicken Bake
Thursday
Dinner: Pasta Night.
Friday
Dinner: Chicken Pot Pie
Saturday
Lunch: Left Over's Lunch
Dinner: Campground get together making Green Beans w/ Ham
Sunday
Lunch: Grilled Ham & Cheese sandwiches
Dinner: Homemade Pizza

TIPsy Tuesday is back!!!

2009-07-14T08:55:00.004-04:00

Welcome back to TIPsy Tuesday!! As most bloggers know, Mr. Linky just isn't the same and doesn't always cooperate. I have been forced ~~okay so I chose~~ to look for an alternative. Lucky, a wonderful guy named Brent chose to create McLinky. Finally there is an alternative ~~that and the fact that my internet seems to be fixed~~ so I can assuredly bring back TIPsy Tuesday!! Doin' another happy dance! Now on to today's tip...

Did you know that, during the summer, children can forget many skills they learned in school, a trend called the “summer slide.” According to the National Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University, two-thirds of the summer slide can be directly linked to a child's summer learning opportunities. Or should I say lack of learning opportunities. Research has shown that if you don't keep your child's brain working during the summer, he or she could lose, on average, 2.6 months of grade-level equivalency in math skills and as much as a year's reading level.

My tip for you today is to take every possible opportunity to teach your child during the summer. ~~And throughout the year for that matter.~~ When our children were babies and toddlers, we did everything we could to teach them. Their mind is like a sponge. Sometimes, when children head off to school, parents tend to stop teaching their kids and put that sole responsibility on the teacher.

Teaching our children is NOT solely the teacher's responsibility. As a parent, it is our responsibility to provide our children with every learning opportunity, reinforce what they are learning in school, and take the time to teach them one-on-one at home.

I know this might sound like a huge responsibilty...raising a child IS a huge responsibility!! Teaching them, however, can be easy. Teaching our children how to do chores and basic life skills will help teach them basic academic skills...like math and reading.

Take a look at your everyday life... you can find at least one teaching opportunity. Take that opportunity and teach your child during the summer. Let's diminish the summer slide!!

Today you can either link a wonderful tip OR you could link a teaching opportunity!

Menu Plan Monday for Week 29 with Grilled Ham Glaze Recipe.

2009-07-13T09:52:00.004-04:00

Happy Menu Plan Monday!! This morning I am doing the happy dance!!! For the past few days the internet has been hit and miss here. One second I have it, I try to do something, and then it's gone. While I know my computer is screwy and problematic right now, this is Embarq's problem. It seems that I'm not the only person experiencing this malfunction (with Embarq in Pa). That said...I apologize for not getting all of my grill recipes on this past week. I will be sharing them this week...~~if I have the internet.~~ Now on to my menu...

Monday
Dinner: Grilled Shrimp w/ Chow Mein Noodles in Black Bean Sauce & Sugar Snap Pea Stir-fry veggies.
Tuesday
Dinner: Quick and Easy Individual Meatloaves with noodles and carrots.
Wednesday
Dinner: Beef Stroganoff
Thursday
Dinner: Pasta Night.
Friday
Dinner: Sweet and Sour Chicken
Saturday
Dinner: Left Over's Day
Sunday
Dinner: EATING OUT!!

Last week I grilled Pineapple Ham Steaks. I had one of those moments...I went to the cupboard and found that I didn't have any pineapple. NONE...~~which is a very rare occasion in my home. I always have at least one can of pineapple!~~ This was moments before I was to put the ham on the grill... What was I going to put on the ham steaks?? Thinking cap on, I did find pineapple juice. So, I decided to make my own sauce/glaze ~~whatever it should be called~~.
My husband tends to give me those looks when I 'create' supper. ~~I'm sure you know the look I'm meaning!~~ He's a simple meat and potatos man and so is my father, who also happened to be there for supper. I like my food to have some flavor and flare...it can be a very hard compromise.
So, I whipped up this concoction with a bit of hesitation. To my delight, EVERYONE loved it. My dad even complimented me on the taste...and my dad does NOT compliment food or cooking. Since it went over soo well, I thought I would share it with everyone.

Casey's Grilled Ham Glaze

1/2 cup applesauce (I used smooth, but chunky would probably be good too!)
1/4 cup pineapple (I poured the juice into a different container and got the 'thick juice' that settles on the bottom.Pureed pineapple would work great too!)
1/4 tsp ginger paste (Since this was my first time using paste, I kept tasting the sauce until it tasted right. I normally use ground ginger and for that it would probably be about 1/8 tsp.)
Dash of Cinnamon
2 Dashes of Allspice

Mix all ingredients together.
Brush on the glaze every time you turn the ham.
Cook until done and enjoy. :)

Grilled Cabbage Recipe

2009-07-08T10:31:00.004-04:00

Grilled Cabbage

1 head cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
Pepper (as per your taste)
1/4 cup butter or margarine(roughly), cut into pieces

OPTIONAL:

1 onion, sliced
1 green or red bell pepper, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS

Preheat grill for medium heat.
Place individual cabbage wedges on a sheet of aluminum foil. Top with black pepper, and a pat of butter. (OPTIONAL: Add onion slices, bell pepper slices, and/or garlic) Fold edges of foil together to seal, then wrap entire package again with another sheet of foil.
Repeat for each wedge.
Cook on hot grill for about 30 minutes. (Turn about every 10 minutes.)

My husband loves adding vinegar once the cabbage is cooked. I hope you enjoy trying this grilled veggie recipe!

Menu Plan Monday Grill Style. Week 28.

2009-07-06T13:14:00.005-04:00

The beautiful weather has inspired me to grill this week. Thankfully most of this week is to be sunny and ~~finally~~ warm. Although I am proficient at grilling meats, I'm learning to grill veggies as well. Throughout this week, I will be sharing some recipes for grilled vegetables. Now for my menu plan...

Monday
Dinner: Teriyaki Grilled Chicken w/ Toasted Peanut Couscous and Grilled Cauliflower
Tuesday
Dinner: Grilled Pineapple Ham Steaks w/ Parmesan Potato Packets & Grilled Cabbage
Wednesday
Dinner: Grilled Shrimp w/ Chow Mein Noodles in Black Bean Sauce & Sugar Snap Pea Stir-fry veggies.
Thursday
Dinner: Pasta Night.
Friday
Dinner: Mexican Skillet Meal
Saturday
Dinner: Left Over's Day
Sunday
Dinner: Beef Stroganoff

If you have any great grill recipes, please share them in a comment. Or leave a link to your recipe! I need more inspiration and exciting recipes!!! Thanks.

A Funny Story...with a good moral!

2009-07-01T14:30:00.005-04:00

Since my computer and my browser are not cooperating ~~I can't get my 'real' posts to post or even get into copy them and post them a different way~~, I thought I would share this funny story a dear friend sent to me. If you need a good laugh...read on!

To Be 6 A gain...

A man was sitting on the edge of the bed, observing his wife, looking at herself in the mirror. Since her birthday was not far off he asked what she'd like to have for her Birthday.

'I'd like to be six again', she replied, still looking in the mirror.

On the morning of her Birthday, he arose early, made her a nice big bowl of Lucky Charms, and then took her to Six Flags theme park. What a day!

He put her on every ride in the park; the Death Slide, the Wall of Fear, the Screaming Monster Roller Coaster, everything there was.

Five hours later they staggered out of the theme park.
Her head was reeling and her stomach felt upside down.

He then took her to a McDonald's where he ordered her a Happy Meal with extra fries and a chocolate shake.

Then it was off to a movie, popcorn, a soda pop, and her favorite candy, M&M's.. What a fabulous adventure!

Finally she wobbled home with her husband and collapsed into bed exhausted. He leaned over his wife with a big smile and lovingly asked, 'Well Dear, what was it like being six again?'

Her eyes slowly opened and her expression suddenly changed. 'I meant my dress size, you retard!!!!'

The moral of the story: Even when a man is listening, he is gonna get it wrong.

...but we love 'em anyway!

Efficiently Mowing 101: How to Efficiently Mow Your Lawn

2009-06-27T05:00:00.000-04:00

How to Efficiently Mow Your Lawn...

Keep the blades on your mower sharp and dent free. Dull blades don't clean cut the grass, they rip the grass which is does not promote a healthy lawn.

I'm all for DIY!!! However, when it comes to sharpening blades, it really is best left to the professionals. The sharpening itself can easily be done. However, it's difficult for most DIYers to also keep the blades straight AND balanced. I bought a lawn mower blade sharpener attachment for my Dremel with the intentions of sharpening our mower blades and maybe other peoples'. That's easier said than done! It is extremely easy to take more off of one side and throw the blade out of balance. And if blades aren't balanced, the mower will not work efficiently. You will also notice a difference in the cut of your lawn. It will look extrememy uneven.

It is also said that mowing in a circle from the outside in is the most efficient way to mow. They say that if the mower clogs, stop, rake the grass, and then begin again. The next best way, "they" say is to mow from inside out in a circular pattern. Mowing in a circular patterns eliminates the corners and turns. Or so they say. Me, personally, I disagree with them. I like my lawn to have the 'golf course' look. I like the pretty lines. And I don't feel that it's efficient to have to rake my yard. In this area, the pattern of mowing, I feel that efficiency is based on personal preferences. What may be efficient to me may not be to you. There is no right or wrong.

Using a mulching blades makes mowing extremely efficient...if you keep the grass mowed. Trying to mulch long blades of grass is not as efficient. It makes the mower work harder. Mulching blades virtually eliminate raking. To me, that's extremely efficient!!

In my area, PA, it is best to keep the blades of grass cut at about 2 1/2 inches. You don't want the grass to be too short. The blades need to make chlorophyll to keep the lawn healthy. Yet, you don't want the grass to be too long. Higher grass tends to harbor more pests, especially ticks. Check with your local extension office to find out the proper grass height in your area.

Do not mow the grass when wet. It makes the mower work harder to cut the grass. Some people even say that it will dull the blades.

Efficiently Mowing 101: How to Keep Your Mower Running Efficienly (part 3)

2009-06-26T05:00:00.000-04:00

How to Keep Your Mower Running Efficiently (part 3)

Today I will give you some tips on what to do before you store your mower for the winter.

You will want to make sure that you have cleaned the entire mower. Including under the deck. Any grass clippings or dirt has the capability of causing scratches or rust during storage.

After cleaning the mower, allow it to sun dry. Don't put your mower away wet because that too could cause rust.

Add a gas additive to the tank to keep the environmental additives in the gasoline from breaking down and harming the engine parts. Then completely fill the tank. This will help to keep water from accumulating in your mower's gas tank.

I have read in our mower's manual that you should also spray some kind of oil into the carburetor to remove any gas in the lines. I'm not sure what this does. Maybe by removing the gas from the lines, it will keep from freezeing and bursting the lines? If anyone knows why this should be done or how it helps with efficiency, please let me know.

What's In A Name Review and Giveaway!!!

2009-06-25T12:00:00.002-04:00

YouCanMakeThis.com is an innovative company. I used to be an avid sewer, but due to my lack of time, I hadn't sewn anything in quite awhile. ~~My wedding dress to be exact!~~ So when they contacted me about doing a review of What's In A Name, I was excited. I love to sew!

When I went to the website, I was really amazed with everything that they have offer. They have patterns for clothes, toys, hats, etc. And not only do they have sewing patterns, they also have woodworking patterns and polymer clay patterns and jewelry patterns... just to name a few. You name it and it's probably there!

The really cool thing about these patterns is that they're in a down loadable format. One click of the button and I had my pattern. Being an EcOnomical person, I appreciated the fact that I could choose what pattern pages I wanted/needed to print...unlike buying a pattern in the store which not only has the paper package, but also a lot of printed pieces that I wouldn't use. ~~I don't like waste.~~

The pattern itself is very simple with easy to follow directions. Even if this would be your first sewing project, you can do it! If you aren't comfortable with more complicated patterns, they have patterns specifically labeled for beginners.

Although the What's In A Name pattern isn't listed in the beginner page, it is easy and fun to make. I started my pillow with good intentions. However, it is still not finished. My son is making the pillow and I will applique his name. He is having soo much fun making this. Much to my husband's dismay and my delight, my son loves to sew!! This would also be a perfect pattern for a little girls sewing project.

I am delighted to tell you that they are offering one lucky reader the What's In A Name pillow pattern.

CONTEST DETAILS...

Contest begins Thursday, June 25 at 12:00pm and ENDS on Thursday, July 9 at 12:00pm.

The winner will be posted (in the "GIVEAWAY WINNERS" on the right side of my blog) within in 24 hours.

Winner will also be notified either through blog or e-mail and will have 48 hours to claim their prize. Time begins when I post the winner.
{Please remember, if you are using anonymous to comment, you MUST leave an e-mail address so I can contact you. I do NOT spam or sell your address!}

If the prize is not claimed within this time frame, a new winner will be chosen.

Entries will be entered into and chosen by Random.org. I have NOTHING to do with choosing the winner. I just really enjoy reading everyone's comments and tips.

*An additional note...this giveaway is open to US residents only. Sorry*

HOW TO OBTAIN ENTRIES:

Each item counts as one entry only. Please leave separate comments for each entry.

Visit YouCanMakeThis.com and tell me another pattern that you would like to make. {You may do this as often as you like!}

OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL ENTRIES

Follow my blog.
Follow me on Twitter (EcOnomicalMom)
Follow my blog in Facebook followers.
Retweet this giveaway. (Just click on retweet at the top of the post.) You can do this as often as you like, just comment for each tweet!
Add my button to your blog.
Post a link to this giveaway on your blog. ( I will be randomly checking.)

If you don't have a blog ~~or just want more entries~~... E-mail your family and friends the link to this giveaway. CC my e-mail address ecOnomicalmom@gmail.com. (If you don't CC my address, I won't know you sent them, an they won't count.)
Add this to your Facebook status

Good Luck!!!