Another day another dollar… I’m still finding my groove if you’ve been missing my {frequent} posts.  I’ve slowed down on my blogging a bit while I figure out how to coordinate everything.  Between my two part time jobs, two kids, and keeping the house from falling down and the laundry pile from growing taller than me, I just haven’t figured out how to stay awake long enough to get my posts on the interwebs. (:

I’ve got lots of ideas and I think I have a plan in place this week for getting few typed up… so stay tuned.

Need a planner? Use my printable 2 week plan here}

:: Monday
Chicken Lo Mein

:: Tuesday
Grilled Fish Tacos
Sweet Potato Pancakes
Corn
Avocados

:: Wednesday
Roast
Mashed Potatoes
Carrots
Asparagus

::Thursday
Swiss Steak and Rice
Brussell Sprouts
Stewed Squash

::Friday
Chili with Pumpkin

:: Saturday
Bean Burritos
Tortilla Chips
Rotele Cheese Dip
Cobbler

:: Sunday
Dinner Out/Take Out?

You know that when it comes to feeding my family I like to cook it from scratch.  I buy very little food that would be considered processed.  I don’t make my own cheese, crackers, and I still buy canned tomatoes and beans.  I like to cook beans from dried and I have canned tomatoes from the garden with my mom, and I KNOW HOW to make crackers from scratch but time isn’t always on my side.  I work away from home, and I like to make time to just play with my children.

That is not to say that I don’t try to choose wisely when I do purchase pre-made items.  I buy organic cheese, canned tomatoes, and beans when I can (when they are available).  I try to cook extra and freeze items or can them so I’ll have things on a busy night when I just don’t have time to start at square one – you know the nights I’m talking about – you’re late getting home from work, maybe the kids have ball practice or a game, there’s scouts or dance class and everyone has to be in a different place a a different time and the drive thru or the local pizza delivery is calling your name.

I recently had the opportunity to try a product from Wolfgang Puck that I am happy to add to my quick go-to meal line up.  Its their 100% all natural sauces.  Since I tried their soups a while back and thought they were fantastic I didn’t hesitate to try these.  I am a stickler when it comes to canned products because they usually are lack luster but Wolfgang Puck’s soups were so good they were a rival to homemade.  The sauces are no different.

They come in four flavors: Tomato Basil, Arrabbiata, Creamy Vodka, and Four Cheese.  Fabulous over pasta for a quick weeknight meal, or I really liked using the tomato basil for the sauce on my homemade pizza using my own pizza dough.  In fact we had it for dinner just this week!  If you are looking for a sauce that will taste like homemade this is the one you should try!  It was a sure fire winner at my house.

Disclosure: I received free product for review purposes. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.

An other week is underway.  This one is a busy one!  I have three days of work at the elementary school and a day of observations and meeting with my student teachers.  That leaves one day – today to get this house in order and spend a little special time with my littles.  I am tired just thinking about it!  But, our meal plan is made and there are several quick meals planned so there will be dinner!

Need a planner? Use my printable 2 week plan here}

:: Monday
Homemade Pizza
with artichokes, grass fed hamburger, onions, & mushrooms

:: Tuesday
Beef Stew

:: Wednesday
Marinated Grilled Chicken
Chicken Flavored Rice
Roasted Chick Peas & Butternut Squash

::Thursday
Bean Burritos
Spanish Rice
Corn
Avocados

::Friday
Fish & Grits
Pepper Peas
Swiss Chard

:: Saturday
A Meal at Church
A break for me. (:

:: Sunday
Steaks
Slightly Spiced Baked Potatoes
Salad
Green Beans

Well, my first week back to work is under my belt.  It is taking some adjusting.  I’m more than exhausted after working away from home and still trying to maintain the blog and my household duties.  It is do-able, I just have to find my rhythm.

This is when having a meal plan is a life saver and an absolute must!  I just don’t have time to think about it in the morning or worse, at 5 pm! Being organized helps me put a wholesome meal on the table even when the days get hectic!

Need a planner? Use my printable 2 week plan here}

:: Monday
Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin
Pot of White Beans
Brussell Sprouts
Green Beans
Turkey Dressing

:: Tuesday
Turkey Burgers
Fries
Fruit

:: Wednesday
Lasagna/Eggplant Roll ups with Marinara Sauce
Garlic Bread
Salad

::Thursday
Chicken & Sweet Potato Soup
Cheese Biscuits
Fruit

::Friday
Marinated Salmon
Squash
Asparagus
Easy Risotto

:: Saturday
Beef Stew
Homemade French Loaf Bread

:: Sunday
Dinner Out

This was my last week of maternity leave and my first week back at work. On Tuesday, my last day home, I wanted to savor every moment I had with my littles. So, to get things started, Judah and I made some special waffles. My little guy loves to help me in the kitchen and one of his favorite foods happens to be waffles.

I tweaked it a little substituting some of the self rising flour for whole wheat flour and you can’t even tell (but it is much healthier)! I’m trying to do more of this to get healthier grains in us.

:: Orange Cinnamon Waffles

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
3 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2/3 cup orange juice
2/3 cup milk

:: Orange Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsp orange juice

Mix all purpose flour, wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and sugar together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs, butter, orange juice and milk. Stir together. The batter should be sort of thick.

Preheat your waffle maker.

Stir the sugar and juice together to make a glaze.

When the waffle is to temperature, open the machine and pour a small ladleful of batter into the compartments, taking care not to overfill. Close the waffle maker and cook until done.

Pour glaze over the waffles. Serve cut up bananas and fresh whipped cream on top.

I’ve been doing a little research into what my family can do to help us lose weight – healthily.  I don’t mean popping pills, drinking tonics, or jumping on board with some fad diet.  I do mean doing it the old fashion way – making a life change, exercising, and eating a wholesome, well-rounded diet.

I feel like we do a pretty good job already.  But, I took a closer look at what we were REALLY eating and I’ve found a couple of ugly culprits that we could cut out.  I also know that we all need to increase our exercise and if you saw my New Year’s post you know that we’re holding one another accountable and helping each other get that extra/much needed exercise.

I’ve been looking at Clean Eating (maybe you’ve seen the magazine?) and I’ve been reading up on what it means to “Eat Clean.”  It isn’t far from how my family eats now:

:: Fruits and vegetables (local, organic and/or fresh is best, second comes frozen, and finally canned – just make sure you aren’t buying anything with added sugar).  Whole is best – in other words choose an apple over apple juice – you’ll get the bonus of fiber and not just sugar.  You’ll feel fuller longer.

:: Eat grass fed or organic meats (lean cuts are best).  Grill, roast, and broil meats instead of frying.

:: Incorporate Whole Grains – There are all sorts of grains you can eat – just cut out the white/refined ones.  That means no white rice, pasta, and no white flour or white bread.  Read your labels.  Make sure your “whole wheat bread” is whole wheat (sometimes the second ingredients in “whole wheat bread” is white flour).

:: Trade Bad Fats for Good Ones – Cut out processed oils such as vegetable oil, vegetable shortening, peanut oil, etc. Instead get good fats from fatty fish (salmon), avocados, nuts, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.  Avoid fast food!

:: Avoid sodas and high calorie, sugary drinks. Follow the tenant of clean eating that aims to remove added sugars from the diet. Drink water and unsweetened tea.  Use wholesome sweeteners such as honey, agave, brown rice syrup, and stevia.

Clean Eating – My Way

I agree with all the above.  I didn’t say it would be easy… but I know it is, in theory, the best choices we could make.  We already eat a good assortment of veggies and fruit, whole grains, organic and grass fed meats and poultry, and we have traded in the bad fats for good ones.

We are trying to fill our plates with mostly (50% or more) COLORFUL veggies and will always make sure there is a green vegetable offered (White is not a color!).  We’re cooking our proteins using healthier methods and we try to vary it each night between chicken, fish, meatless (beans or eggs), and some red meat.  We eat pork and other seafood (besides fish) very rarely.    We are limiting our carbohydrates to one small serving at dinner – if at all (that means potatoes, rice, and pasta).

What are our stumbling blocks?

My husband’s stumbling block is soda.  He has to have them and even though I don’t buy them he manages to get his fill by stopping at the convenience store pretty often.  My stumbling block is sweet tea – what did you expect?  I’m southern!  What do these have in common?  Sugar.

Sugar is our biggest vice.  I know it is unrealistic to think we will totally cut out sugar.  So, I’ve devised a compromise to allow one soda or glass of tea at dinner ONLY and to drink water at all other times.  We will also be allowed to drink a cup of coffee in the morning if we so choose, but we’ll be experimenting with agave as the sweetener (I’ve already tried it in hot tea and it was delish!).

Our other stumbling block is refined flours and grains.  This one is a little sneakier.  I buy whole wheat bread – and yes, I read the labels.  I am a die hard fan or Rudi’s organic breads and one of the reasons I love them is because the ingredient list is short and easy to read (I mean besides the fact that they are delicious!).  The refined flours are sneaking in when I make waffles and other baked goods.  I have been buying King Arthur’s unbrommated – unbleached flour but I am just not as good about baking with whole wheat flour.  It is also sneaking in in the form of crackers, white rice, and pasta.  I’ve tried whole wheat pasta and I. DON’T. LIKE. IT.  and the same goes for brown rice.  I am learning to like brown rice a couple of ways but I still enjoy white rice.  My solution?  It is unrealistic to think I will totally kick my refined grains habit so I’ve compromised by limiting the frequency we have rice and pasta.  I am also trying to convince my hubs to eat his peanut butter with fruit rather than crackers.  And, I’m going to try harder to incorporate some wheat flour in my recipes – you know mixing it in with my regular unbleached all purpose flour.

Some proponents say you should cut alcohol because it is pure sugar (easy enough in my household – I don’t like it!).  If you enjoy it you should limit it to one small glass (there are studies that show red wine has health benefits when you drink it in moderation – as in a small glass each night or every other night).

And, some say you should allow yourself a treat so as to not feel deprived.  Be careful here!  Determine ahead of time what a “treat” will be and how often you will allow it.  I’ve decided to allow myself one treat per week and that treat will be ONE serving of something.  I don’t think you should allow yourself a whole day of falling off the wagon, or binge eating – that isn’t a treat!

What do you think?  Could you (or do you) eat clean?  What are your stumbling blocks and how do you overcome them?

The texture is like that of several other squeezable yogurt brands but the benefits are greater:  ProBugs is rich in “friendly bugs” and “probiotics” that help increase the level of good bacteria in children’s digestive systems and promotes overall healthy digestion.

Lifeway Probugs is made with organic whole milk kefir.  It’s not only high in protein and calcium, it has added Inulin for optimum calcium absorption. Plus, it has seven to ten billion CFU’s of 10 live and active cultures (friendly bacteria) per cup.

As with all Lifeway Products, this kefir is made with milk from grass fed cows that is free of rBGH (Bovine Growth Hormones) and antibiotics.  And its easy-to-grip shape and patented no-spill spout make it a perfect no-mess snack – even in the car.

Probugs is good for them – check.  But, will they LIKE it?  My son did.  It comes in cool packages and in four fun flavors- Goo-Berry Pie, Orange Creamy Crawler, Strawnana Split, & Sublime Slime Lime.  Judah’s favorite was the Goo Berry Pie.

Disclosure: I received free product for review purposes. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided

It’s been a great week!  I had a long, lazy weekend with the hubby and kiddos that included a relaxing “date day” with my husband thanks to my mom and dad keeping the kiddos.  We got to see a movie AND get dinner out together – it has been AGES since we’ve done that!

Now the rest of my week will include one more day with my kiddos before heading back to work – you know, my “real job.”  (: I’ve had a nice, long maternity leave and on Wednesday it all comes to an end.  I will miss being home with my littles 24/7 but at least I only work part time so I will still get to be home with them 4 or 5 days a week.

It’s going to get hectic for a month or two while I juggle my job at the school, observing student teachers for the college, and being a mommy.  But I’ve got high hopes that I can make it work with a little organization – so expect to continue seeing posts here. (:

Now on to this week’s meal plan – the first of 2012!

Need a planner? Use my printable 2 week plan here}

:: Monday
Dinner Out – Date Night with Hubby

:: Tuesday
Swiss Steak
Rice
Broccoli

:: Wednesday
Fish Picata
Cauliflower
Carrots

::Thursday
Chicken Pot Pie
Fruit

::Friday
Lazy Mama Vegetable Soup
Cornbread

:: Saturday
Spaghetti
Salad
French Bread

:: Sunday
Roasted Chicken
Carrots
Slightly Spiced Baked Potatoes
Green Beans

I made the decision to feed my family differently about two years ago.  Coincidentally, that coincides with the fact that my son was around 9 months of age and had just begun to eat table food.  Coincidence?  Ok, not really.  In fact, my son, Judah, was the reason I began to look a little harder at what I was feeding my family (which at the time was only myself, my husband and my nearly one year old son).  It became a goal of mine to make sure I was feeding him the most wholesome foods, a well rounded diet, to set him up for a healthy – long life, and at the same time instill in him a real sense of family with family meals and cooking together.

I had heard so many heart warming stories about how close families were that spent time in the kitchen together and time around the table together.  I have some special stories of my own in fact, because my family did that sort of thing growing up too – and I wanted the same for my son.

I had also begun to dig around on the internet and later read several books on the subject of food.  I didn’t know much in the beginning, but I already had a sense that I should be eating more “real” foods – ones that come from animals and plants and less “factory foods” – processed foods.  I was skeptical of organic then, not really understanding why organic foods cost more, and unsure of whether or not they were worth the extra money or if they were just another way for the elite to “have better than the rest of us.

I’ve learned a lot in two years.  My family has been through a lot in two years too – including my husband beating cancer and the birth of our miracle baby – our baby girl Eliana.  I’ve been through periods of slacking off in some areas (some processed foods managed to sneak back into the house) and I also began to dig deeper into choosing the best for my family – looking past food and at what we breathe, what we put on our bodies, and what we allow into our house.

Yes, choosing wholesome can sometimes cost more such as is the case with organic foods.  But it doesn’t always mean spending more.  I’ve found that going back to basic ingredients cost less – or at the very least, the same as buying junky processed foods with coupons.  I’ve also found that choosing what is best for our bodies sometimes means choosing less – as in less cosmetics and personal care items, saying no to air fresheners, and only needing a couple of household cleaners (many of which I make myself) instead of a whole closet full of cleansers meant for specific tasks.

My whole food journey continues.  But, now my path has taken a slight turn.  I still buy wholesome ingredients, real food, and some organics.  But, now I’m looking to loose the rest of my baby weight and to help my husband and my family lose their unwanted weight too.  That means becoming more diligent at keeping the processed foods out of the house, cooking more fresh veggies and protein, and holding each other accountable for exercising.  The good news is my mom and dad just live around the corner and we’ve made a pact to work out together and cook meals together 3 or 4 nights a week.  It will make things easier – especially for me with two little ones  – to get my exercise in and still provide my family with a good dinner before the littles conk out!

I’m still reading and learning about which foods are better for us.  I’ll try to be better about sharing that information with you this year.  But, one thing will remain the same: the fewer ingredients and the closer to the earth the ingredients come from the better.

If you are interested in reading some of my earlier stories about the choices I made (and am making) and how I got to where I am – read the stories from My Whole Food Journey.  It is all about foods I’ve learned are better for us and why.  I hope you’ll take a moment to browse them – especially if you are a newer reader.  And, I’d love to hear from you.  What choices are you making this year – are you re-declaring your old goals or making any new ones?  I’d also love to hear what you love – or hate about this site. I want to keep my content fresh for you and I’d love to hear what keeps you coming back.  Thanks to all of you for following me in 2011 and I look forward to growing with you in 2012.

Yesterday I talked a little bit about what my family would be EATING for New Years – lots of easy, yummy appetizers.  But, I didn’t tell you what we will be DRINKING!

Since we’ll be celbrating with our kiddos (and since I’m still nursing Eliana), we’ll be having an alcohol-free celebration. (;  But, that doesn’t mean we won’t be having a fun beverage!  We’ll be having R.W. Knudsen’s Sparkling Beverages – part of the celebratory line that includes 8 different varieties.

These fun drinks come in a champagne-style bottle and you better believe we’ll be serving it in a fancy champagne glass!  That is all the fun!  I remember drinking sparkling beverages out of champagne glasses when I was a kid on New Year’s Eve and I really thought I was something!  It really made the evening special – enough so that I still have fond memories of it!

I know Judah will get a kick out of it too – so I can’t wait to share this tradition with him! But, what’s different about what we’ll be drinking this New Year’s and what I drank as a kiddo is that R.W.Knudsen’s comes in so many different kinds!  I only remember having grape!  Now you can choose from strawberry, organic apple, organic pear, kosher grape, cranberry, cherry, blueberry, and crisp apple cider.  Plus, they are made with all natural, 100% juice with no added sugars, artificial flavors, or preservatives.

Who Else Wants to share a Special Celebratory Beverage with your Family and Friends?

3 Wholesome Mommy Readers will win a prize pack containing a set of R.W. Knudsen Celebratory Beverages!

Here’s what you need to do to enter (each is worth one entry – please comment a separate time for each entry to be counted):

Disclosure: I received free product for review purposes. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.