November 2009 Menu

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31    LUNCH:  Soup Grilled Cheese

HALLOWEEN -Squirmy Wormy Sandwiches, Fries

 

Squirmy Wormy Sandwiches – good add to site!

1 package (16 oz) hot dogs

1 tbls vegetable oil

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tbls brown sugar

2 tsp Worchestershire Sauce

1/2 tsp spicy brown mustard

Dash Liquid Smoke, optional

6 Hamburger buns

 

Cut each hot dog into eight strips.  In a large skillet, saute hot dogs in oil until golden brown.

 

Stir in ketchup, brown sugar, Worchestshire sacue, mustard and Liquid smoke if desired; heat through.  Serve on buns.   Yield 6 servings.   Tip:  Use your favorite bottle barbecue sauce for even quicker treat!!!  

 

1 – Running 2:00 – Chilli (crockpot)

2 – MCS Mtg –

Duggar Family Tater Tot Dish
1 lb ground turkey cooked, seasoned, drained
2lb bags tater tots
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can evaporated milk
1 can cream of chicken
Brown meat & place in large cass. dish.
Cover with tater tots. Mix soup & milk together.
Pour over top. Bake at 350 for 1 Hour.
(One of Daddy’s Favorites!) Makes 1- 9”X13” pans

Add Mixed Veggies to meat before doing rest of recipe

3 – Tasty Burritos

1 pound ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 can (16 ounces) refried beans
6 flour tortillas (12 inches), warmed
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterrey Jack cheese
4 teaspoons canola oil
Sour cream and salsa

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in taco seasoning. In a small saucepan, cook refried beans over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.
Spoon about 1/3 cup of beans off-center on each tortilla; top with about 2 rounded tablespoons of beef mixture. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold sides and ends of tortilla over filling and roll up. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown burritos in oil on all sides. Serve with sour cream and salsa. Yield: 6 servings..

4 – Running – Quick – Wraps – Premade

5 – 4:30 – Sorting – Shake N Bake Pork Chops/ Rice a Roni/ Corn

6 – Running – Chicken Salad Croissants

7 – LUNCH: Mac and Cheese
Split Pea and Ham Soup

8 –  LUNCH – Pizz Bagels
Running 2:00 – Turkey Tender loin – Mashed Pots – Carrots

9 – Baked Penne and Sausage Bake – Veggie  (Prep Night Before)

10 – Beef Roast – Veggies

11 – Running – Off – (crock)

Crock Pot Chops and Gravy

4 lean pork chops
4 T soy sauce
1/2 C sliced mushrooms (I never add this since my family opposes mushrooms)
1/2 tsp pepper (I never measure my pepper, I always just do what I feel looks good)
2 T Worcestershire sauce
2 can cream of mushroom soup
1 medium onion, sliced or diced
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp parsley

Place pork chops crock pot (or in baking dish for oven). Lay onion slices (I chopped mine but you could do rings also) over pork chops. Mix the rest of ingredients in a bowl and pour over pork chops. Cook on low in crock pot for 5-6 hours (or in oven on 350 for 1 hour). Note: After baking I remove the chops and strain the gravy. This way I have a smooth gravy and I reserve the onions (and mushrooms if you use them) for those who like them to put them on their chops.

12 – Sorting 4:30 – Seafood Alfredo/ Garlic Bread

13 – Run – Hamburgers

14 –  LUNCH:  Sandwiches
Hamburger – 2lb – 1 pkg  BobbyGoulash

Bobby’s Favorite Goulash

1 tablespoon Paula Deen’s House Seasoning
3 tablespoon soy sauce
3 bay leaves
2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
3 cups water
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large onion, chopped
2 lb lean ground beef
1 tablespoon Paula Deen’s Seasoned Salt
2 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 – cup frozen mixed veggies or corn

In a Dutch oven, sauté the ground beef over medium-high heat until no pink remains. Break up the meat while sautéing. Spoon off any grease. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and sauté until they are tender, about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water, along with the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, House Seasoning, and seasoned salt. Stir well. If adding mixed veggies or corn add them now. Place a lid on the pot and allow this to cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the elbow macaroni, stir well, return the lid to the pot, and simmer for about 15 – 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and allow the mixture to sit about 30 minutes more before serving. Serve with garlic bread and a salad.

15 –  LUNCH: Grilled Cheese/Soup
Rotisserie Chicken – Rice – Corn

16 – Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

17 – Kielbasa – Mac and Cheese (Homemade)

18 – run –  Quick Cod Bake –

19 – Book Group – Chicken Risotto – Broccolli

20 – Run – Oriental Chicken Wings (crock 4-5 hours) /Fries

21 – LUNCH:  Pizza
Chicken Barley Vegetable Soup

22 – LUNCH:  Quesadillas
Run – 2:00 – Turkey Tender loin – Mashed Pots – Carrots

23 – Baked Ravioli, Pecan Salad

24 – Beef Roast – Veggies

25 – Run – Quick – Frozen Pizza

26 – Thanksgiving – Turkey

27 – Run – Off – Thankgiving in a Pan

28 – LUNCH:  Mac and Cheese
Pecan Crusted Salmon/(Very Good Add to Site) Garden Vegetables/ Crusty Bread

29 – LUNCH:  Grilled Cheese/Soup
Run – 2:00 – Running 2:00 – Chilli (crockpot)

30 – Baked BBQ Chicken and Mac and Cheese

For more Menu Planning inspiration stop by and visit Tina at Mommy’s Kitchen  or Laura at Organizing Junkie.

 

October Menu Plan…………………..

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OCTOBER – 2009

 

1    Shake N Bake Pork Chops/ Rice a Roni/ Corn

2    Ham and Cheese Wraps / Chips & Dip (Good Add to Site)

3    LUNCH:  Mac And Cheese

      Bean and Sausage Soup (soak Beans over night) (Good Add to Site)

4    LUNCH:  Sandwiches

      Turkey Breast Tenderloin (Crock Pot) / Mashed Potatoes/ Green Beans

5    Spaghetti & Meatballs/ Garlic Bread

6    Chicken Risotto (Bakes 1 hour) (Good Add to Site)

7    Cheese Hashbrown Casserole with Ham/ Green Beans/Biscuits (Bakes 45 minutes) (Good Add to Site)

8    Taco Cresent Bake/ Spanish Rice

9    Chili Cheese Dip with Chips/(Good Add to Site) Italian Wraps / (Good Add to Site)Mozzarealla Sticks (store bought)

10   LUNCH: Pizza Bagels

Sausage and Tortellini Soup (crockpot) (Very Good Add to Site)

 

2 – 141/2 oz can Italian Style Stewed Tomatoes, undrained

3 cups water

2 cups frozen Italian style or cut green beans

1 10-1/2 oz can condensed French onion soup

8 ounces cooked smoked sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into ½ inch slices

2 cups packaged shredded cabbage with carrots (coleslaw mix)

1 9 ounce package refrigerated cheese filled tortellini

Shredded Parmesan

 

In a 4 -5 quart slow cooker combine undrained tomatoes, water, green beans, soup and sausage.

 

Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high setting for 4 to 5 hours.

 

If using low setting, turn cooker to high-heat setting.Stir in cabbage and tortellini; cover and cook for 15 minutes more.If desired, garnish each serving with Parmesan cheese.

 

Comments:  Hubby added a can of tomato soup to make thicker and added whole bag of cabbage. 

 

11   LUNCH: Grilled Cheese /Noodle Soup
Oven Fried Fish and Chips (Good Add to Site)

12   Sloppy Joes  (crockpot)/ Fries

13   Country Ham and Cheese Macaroni, (Good Add to Site) Carrots and Dinner Rolls (Bake 30-45 mins)

14   Pancakes/ Eggs/Bacon

15   Easy Chicken and Feta Bake/ Brocolli/ Pesta Noodles

16   Meat and Cheese Tray/Chips & Dip

17   LUNCH:  Quesadillas

Pecan Crusted Salmon/(Very Good Add to Site) Garden Vegetables/ Crusty Bread

18   LUNCH: Mac And Cheese

Chicken Barley Vegetable Soup (good Add to SIte)

19   Frozen Pizza

20   Baked Penne & Smoked Sausage (DIDN”T MAKE…Carry Over)

21   Pork Roast, Roasted Pots and Green Beans  (DIDN”T MAKE…Carry Over)

22   Duggar Tater Tot Casserole (DIDN”T MAKE…Carry Over)

Duggar Family Tater Tot Dish
1 lb ground turkey cooked, seasoned, drained
2lb bags tater tots
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can evaporated milk
1 can cream of chicken
Brown meat & place in large cass. dish.
Cover with tater tots. Mix soup & milk together.
Pour over top. Bake at 350 for 1 Hour.
(One of Daddy’s Favorites!) Makes 1- 9”X13” pans

Add Mixed Veggies to meat before doing rest of recipe.

 

23    Oriental Chicken Wings (crock 4-5 hours) /Fries  (DIDN”T MAKE…Carry Over)

24    LUNCH:  LEFTOVERS

Steak, Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad 

25    LUNCH:  Chicken Salad

Crockpot Chilli – Corn Bread (6 hours)   (DIDN”T MAKE…Carry Over)

26    Easy Chicken and Rice Casserole

Easy Chicken Rice Casserole
Chicken breasts
1 cup brown rice
1 can your choice cream of … soup
1 packet Italian seasoning mix
2 cups boiling water
Salt & pepper, or your favorite seasonings

 

Mix soup, rice and Italian Seasoning with 2 cups boiling water. 

Pour into a 9 x 13 baking pan, place Chicken on top and sprnkle with paprika. 

 

Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Put in oven at 350.

 

27    Baked Ravioli, Pecan Salad

28    Biscuit and Gravy / Scramble Eggs/ Bacon

29    Beef Enchiladas, Spanish Rice , Corn

30    French Bread Pizza

31    LUNCH:  Soup Grilled Cheese

HALLOWEEN -Squirmy Wormy Sandwiches, Fries

 

Squirmy Wormy Sandwiches – good add to site!

1 package (16 oz) hot dogs

1 tbls vegetable oil

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tbls brwon sugar

2 tsp Worchestershire Sauce

1/2 tsp spicy brown mustard

Dash Liquid Smoke, optional

6 Hamburger buns

 

Cut each hot dog into eight strips.  In a large skillet, saute hot dogs in oil until goden brown.

 

Stir in ketchup, brown sugar, Worchestshire sacue, mustard and Liquid smoke if desired; heat through.  Serve on buns.   Yield 6 servings.   Tip:  Use your favorite bottle barbecue sauce for even quicker treat!!!  

 

For more Menu Planning inspiration stop by and visit Tina at Mommy’s Kitchen  or Laura at Organizing Junkie.

FARE FOR ALL – Get Your Moneys Worth

My church just became an express distribution site for the Fare for All food program.  While these type of food programs are wonderful and you can really stretch your grocery dollars with the power of cooperative buying, if you end up wasting the food you didn’t save money!

 

I particpated in a program like this years ago, before I was consistent with my meal planning.  I would end up wasting some of the food because I either didn’t know what to make with it or had never made it before.   My cooking skills have improved greatly since then.

 

My attitude about this now is very different!   Have you ever watched the show “Chopped” on the food network??   On the show Chopped the contestants get a basket of food that they must be creative with planning a meal with.  This is how I look at this type of food program now.  So today I got my box of food from Fare For All and now I must be creative so I use all the meat I bought!  I will have no problem using up the produce as they are things I frequently buy.  

 

I hope if you particpate in Fare For All program you will find this post helpful in helping you to feed your family from the items you received this month!!

 

 

September 2009 – Mega Meat Pack – $22

 

Chicken Boneless Skinless Thighs – 2 meals

Chicken Barley Vegetable Soup with Herbs – Meal #1

This simple, hearty and flavorful soup will remind you of the bounty of your summer garden. Its assortment of herbs and vegetables will warm you down to your toes. It has become a family favorite with or without the chicken added.

  • 6 chicken thighs, skinned
  • 2/3 Cup barley
  • 8 Cups chicken stock* or water
  • 2 stalks celery, chopped
  • 3 small carrots, sliced
  • 1 Cup chopped broccoli florets (optional)
  • 1 large tomato, peeled and chopped or 2 TB tomato powder (optional)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 TB tamari, or naturally fermented soy sauce
  • 1 tsp. basil
  • 1/8 tsp. oregano
  • 1/8 tsp. thyme
  • Dash of cayenne pepper
  • 2 TB minced fresh parsley

Put all of the ingredients except the parsley into an 8 qt. stock pot or 5 liter or larger pressure cooker such as a Duromatic™. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. In the Duromatic™ bring ingredients to second red ring and pressure for 15 minutes; allow pressure to drop naturally. Or simmer the soup conventionally for 1-1/4 hours, stirring occasionally, in a large stock pot. Remove the chicken thighs from the soup. When cooled slightly, remove the meat and cut into bite sized pieces. Return the meat to the soup. Simmer the soup an additional 10-15 minutes if desired. Adjust seasonings to taste, and add the parsley and serve.

Meal #2  Chicken Risotto

 

Italian Turkey Sausage

Bean and Sausage Soup – http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Bean-and-Sausage-Soup/Detail.aspx

 

Turkey Breast Tenderloin (throw in crockpot)serve with Mashed Potaotes/ Vegetable

 

Bacon – Use for Breakfast

 

Hamburger – 3lbs – Brown and freeze in 3 packages.  I always have cooked hamburger on hand to make a quick meal that requires browned hamburger. 

 

Smokes Sausage x 2 – 2 Meals

Meal #1 – Baked Penne & Smoked Sausage

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Penne-and-Smoked-Sausage/Detail.aspx

 

Meal #2 – Sausage and Tortellini Soup (crockpot)

2 – 141/2 oz can Italian Style Stewed Tomatoes, undrained

3 cups water

2 cups frozen Italian style or cut green beans

1 10-1/2 oz can condensed French onion soup

8 ounces cooked smoked sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into ½ inch slices

2 cups packaged shredded cabbage with carrots (coleslaw mix)

1 9 ounce package refrigerated cheese filled tortellini

Shredded Parmesan

 

In a 4 -5 quart slow cooker combine undrained tomatoes, water, green beans, soup and sausage.

 

Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high setting for 4 to 5 hours.

 

If using low setting, turn cooker to high-heat setting.  Stir in cabbage and tortellini; cover and cook for 15 minutes more.  If desired, garnish each serving with Parmesan cheese. 

 

Cocktail Smokies – Friday Movie Night Food

Italian Wraps

http://www.gomeat.com/sitecontent/appetizers/archive/2007/11/02/italian-wraps.aspx

 

Boneless Ham Steak – Dice for Recipe

Country Ham and Cheese Macaroni Casserole

1 lb. smoked cooked ham, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 lb. elbow macaroni
2 c. shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese (80z)
1 c. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. margarine, melted
1 c dry, plain bread crumbs

Boil noodles according to package instructions along with diced onion, until noodles are done. Drain. Meanwhile, mix together rest of ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste. Mix in cooked noodles/onion and add to oven safe casserole dish (greased). Pour bread crumbs evenly over noodles and then pour melted butter over the crumbs.

Bake for 30-45 minutes at 375 degrees or until cheese is well melted.

 

 

Jen’s Week

I have not been doing very well keeping up with routine since school started!  I have forgotten a number of things or jsut too unmotivated to do them.  I haven’t really been planning my week either so I am going to really do that for a few weeks and see if that helps!

MONDAY
Working 12:00 – 10:00pm
Fax Staff Time Cards
Mop Floors
Working Late – hubby cooks – Spaghetti Meatballs.Garlic Bread
Tommy Shower

TUESDAY
Feather Dust
Change Towels
Working – 9 :15 – 5:00
Training at work until 4:30
3:50 – Erik Dentist
Enchilada Casserole /Spanish Rice
Prep Crock for Morning – Chicken
Bake Muffins – For Breakfast

WEDNESDAY
Work Early – Court in Hastings 9:00 – 5:00
6:30 – 7:30 Tutition Bucks Workshop with Cori
Chicken Abodo Crock
Tommy Shower
Vac/Sweep
Clip Nails
Sweep Laundry Room/Pantry
Clean Filter

THURSDAY
Clean Bathrooms/Showers
Change Towels
TP
Tommy Ortho Appointment – 10:30
Working  11:00 –  4:00
Sort at 4:30
Cheese Beef Mac and Corn

FRIDAY
Classroom Help in AM
Clean Pic WIndow/Doors/ Mirrors
Quick Tidy
Work Afternoon – 12:00 – 5:00
Family Movie Night
Steak/Cheese Sandwiches and Steak Fries

SATURDAY
Working at Office 10:00 – 2:00??
Focus Clean:  Bathroom – Wipe Walls
De-Clutter Medicaine Cabinet
Cat Litter
Change Towels
Errands/Library
Fish & Chips

SUNDAY
Wash Bedding
Dust/Sweep  Bedrooms
Clean Desk
Fill Meds
Prok Roast – Roast Potatoes and Green Bean Casserole

MONDAY
Working 12:00 – 10:00pm
Mop Floors
Working Late – hubby cooks – Duggar Tater Tot Casserole
Tommy Shower

TO DO – SUNDAY

I have not been keeping up with things this week very well, so today I need to get things done!  

Vacuum/ Dust Living Room – DONE
Vacuum/Dust Dining Room -DONE
Clean Bathroom/Showers – DONE
Clean Out 1 Shelf in Bathroom Cabinet – DONE
Fill TP – DONE
Wash Dishes – Done
Clean Kitchen – Done
Boils Eggs for Breakfast – DONE
Change Towels – DONE
Scrub Floors – Kitchen and Baths – DONE
Start Laundry – DONE
Dust/Sweep Bedrooms – DONE
Fill Med Box – Done

Left to Do later this week:
Sweep Laundry Room
Change Bedding

Wish me luck as it is an ambitious list for how motivated I am today!!


 

First Day of School…………………..

 We are up and ready for school ahead of schedule.  I hope that is a good omen for our year.  I woke up and made monkey bread for breakfast.   I used the wrong kind of pan and made a mess all over the oven…oopsy!!  But it was still a tasty breakfast treat for the 1st day of school. 

Tommy’s First Day of 2nd Grade

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We are off to 2nd Grade.  Here is to a great school year!

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Wishing you a Happy First Day of School!

September Meal Plan…..

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This month I am going to try menu planning and shopping for the month at a time to see if I save more money doing it this way!!

SEPTEMBER’S MENU

 

1          Tuna Noodle Casserole,- Peas

2          40 Clove Garlic Chicken (crock 6-8 hrs)/ Pasta Salad (box)/ Broccoli

3          Lasagna Roll Ups/ Garlic Bread

4          French Bread Pizza/ Salad

5          Pioneer Woman Chicken Strips, Mac N Cheese (box), Fruit

6          Grilled Honey Mustard Pork Chops, Pasta Salad, Carrots. 

7          Labor Day: Hamburgers & Hot Dogs/ Pasta Salad/ Corn on Cob

8          Seafood Alfredo/ Garlic Bread

9          Pancakes, Sausage and Scrambled Eggs

10         Baked Ham Rigatoni /Garlic Bread

11         Tacos/ Chips and Salsa

12         Steak, Roasted Pots, Green Beans X 2, Salad Onion Vinegrette,

13         French Toast/Eggs/ Bacon

14         Spaghetti w/ meat sauce & Garlic Bread

15         Enchilada Casserole & Spanish Rice (Box with diced Tomatoes Added)

16         Chicken Abodo (crock 7-8 hrs ) –Flavored Noodles (bag) – Corn

17         Cheese Beef Macaroni x 2, Corn

18         Steak and Cheese Sandwiches/ Steak Fries

19         Oven Fried Fish and Chips

20         Pork Roast, Roasted Pots and Green Beans

21         Duggar Tater Tot Casserole

Duggar Family Tater Tot Dish
1 lb ground turkey cooked, seasoned, drained
2lb bags tater tots
1 can cream of mushroom
1 can evaporated milk
1 can cream of chicken
Brown meat & place in large cass. dish.
Cover with tater tots. Mix soup & milk together.
Pour over top. Bake at 350 for 1 Hour.
(One of Daddy’s Favorites!) Makes 1- 9”X13” pans

Add Mixed Veggies to meat before doing rest of recipe.

 

22         Cheese Quesadillas/ Spanish Rice – (Box with diced Tomatoes Added)

23         Country Ham and Cheese Macaroni, Carrots and Dinner Rolls

24         Book Group: Baked Pork Chops and Rice & Peas

25         Italian Beef Sandwiches/ Seasoned Tater Tots 

26         Back to School Picnic???

27         Beef Enchiladas, Spanish Rice , Corn

28         Frozen Pizza/ Salad

29         Crock pot Sloppy Joes (6-8 hrs CROCK)/ Chips & Dip

30         Biscuit and Gravy / Scramble Eggs/ Bacon thick cut x2

 

For more Menu Planning inspiration stop by and visit Tina at Mommy’s Kitchen  or Laura at Organizing Junkie.

Menu Planning….

This weekend we will be starting a little experiment with our meal planning and grocery shopping.   I am going do my menu this weekend and will be planning for the entire month! We haven’t been able to purchase our second fridge as we are finishing up painting another of coat of paint on the pantry floor.  Therefore,  we will not be able to buy all the perishables due to lack of storage space.  But I will have the menu planned and will buy all the nonperishables.

I found a new menu planning blog/ cooking mom that I love!   Check out Mommy’s Kitchen.    She does monthly menu planning and I think I can save more money by only shopping once a month instead of the two times I do now.  So we will see……  I will let you know how it goes. 

Part of my motivation is I really like my weekends to just do things with family and I hate having to use two days a month to shop.   I have a feeling it will take me a bit more time to menu plan for an entire month, but we will see! 

Are you ready for school to start????

Fourteen more days until my children return to school, but who is counting??Things get faster paced once school starts, but the structure is so good for them.

 

Kid Organization-

 

My children, like me were NOT born organized.  We all have to work at it, some more than others.The most important thing in our house is for our children to know where things should go so they can find them in the morning.Everyone needs a launch pad….even the adults in the house!

 

Honestly, Tommy’s launch pad for the morning is really built around the closet door in the living room.It is the place we will be walking by every morning.I post on the door the school menu and calendar for our reference each day.I have Tommy look to see what needs to be done to hopefully start setting these habits in his mind.We also post his memory work on the door.That way each time we walk by we can review his bible verse or spelling words for the week.

 

I have Tommy hang his backpack on the door handle of the closet each evening once we have packed it.He hangs his jacket in his room on his hooks.  Everything always goes in the same place so it is easy to find in the morning. 

 

Erik is older and I am really trying to get him to get himself ready each morning.I set up his meds in a weekly container so they are ready for him to take in the morning.At the beginning of the year, we might have to make a list for the mornings, but he is very routine based in his thinking so once he gets it…he is good.I have trained him that any papers he has from school he sets on my laptop after school.This has worked well and he always sets anything I need to see on my laptop.

 

Hat/ Gloves Trick:  How many pairs of gloves do you go through in a year??  A little trick that has helped me a bit, is that I buy 4 pairs of the same gloves at the beginning of the school year.  This way he is loses once glove we have a chance of still having a complete pair.  Last year he got me on this as he lost he same glove from two different pairs.   But sometimes it works out in my favor. 

 

Uniforms:  I buy enough uniforms to make it through the week.  Maybe when Tommy gets older he will be able to wear a shirt more than once, but now he comes home with food on his shirt everyday.  Wish he would remember to use a napkin instead of his shirt.  So I buy 5 long sleeve and 5 short sleeve uniform shirts.  If I was better an keeping the laundry caught up I wouldn’t have to buy some many.    My trick that works well for Tommy and hubby is that the drawers on Tommy’s captain’s bed are where his uniforms are kept.  They are separate from his regular clothes and every weekend I wash all uniforms and put them in the drawers for the week.  He is never digging through his dresser trying to find his uniforms. 

 

This is what works for us.What works in your house??What are your tricks to keep your kids and their stuff organized??

 

 

lunch Lunches/Breakfast

 

I am not very creative with bag lunches.During the summer, Tommy takes a lunch to daycare at the college each day.This is easy to pack as I just send leftovers as his lunch bag is stored in the fridge and he can use the microwave there.School is a bit more tricky.His lunch will be un-fridgerated until lunch time and he doesn’t have the use of a microwave.

 

Tommy eats the school lunch a couple times a week as well.When the school menu comes each month, we sit down and read through the options and he decides what days he will bring a lunch.I pay for lunches by the month and we pack a lunch on Tommy’s chosen days.He generally will not eat at school if they are having pizza.He really doesn’t care for pizza that much.

 

Lunch ideas in our house are pretty boring.Tommy likes to either have a sandwich (must have lettuce), wraps or mac and cheese.I have found that mac and cheese stays warm until lunch when I pack it in an insulated food jar.I also generally add a fruit cup, a juice or Gatorade and a small treat like a cookie or something.My pantry is generally stocked with items to make a quick lunch. 

 

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The pantry is looking a little bare.   I will be buying a months worth of food after we move the pantry to it’s new location.  But you can see I have a plastic container that contains an assortment of granola bars.  We have easy mac for those mornings he wants Mac and Cheese and I don’t have any made.  We also keep chips and drinks on hand.  My BIL also takes a lunch to work each day. 

 

This year to make lunch packing a bit easier, I purchased a small food jar made by Laptop Lunches.  I also bought a plastic drink bottle so I can just fill him some juice vs buying juice boxes and gatorade.  Of course I will keep a few juice boxes on hand for those rushed mornings.  It would just be cheaper to fill our own juice. 

 

I would like to be a bit more creative with packing lunches this year, since I also take the same thing to work with me.  Here are some recipes I have been collecting in planning for making lunches.

 

Turkey Wrap

Lunch Box Taco Salad – might be too messy for Tommy, but I would like it!

Ham and Cheese Quesadillas

Bologna Slaw Wraps

Top Five Freezeable Lunch Sandwiches: such as – Ham Salad Wraps, Tex Mex Pitas, Chicken Pesto Sandwich, Freeze Ahead Tuna Sandwich

 

For in the Food Jar:  I want to be able to send hot food or soup with him!

Frank and Bean Soup

Chicken Chowder

 

Snacks or Treats to add to Lunchbox:

Oatmeal Cookies

Chewy Cereal Bars

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Homemade Cracker Jack

Numerous Snack Mixes

Healthy Snack Ideas
Zucchini Brownies

 

Drink Recipe : Sunny Orange Delight

 

Sarahdusenberry shared in comments that Hillbilly Housewife had some lunch ideas on her site.   I found this great list of lunch ideas there!!

 

So those are my ideas for lunchbox options.  I am in desparate need of more ideas!  What do you send to school with your children??  Please share!!

 

BREAKFAST:

After reading what others are doing to organize for school, I came across a great idea I plan on implementing this year.Breakfast can be an issue at our home.Tommy will not eat cereal, he wants a hot breakfast every morning.This isn’t the problem.The problem is that he takes FOREVER to decide what he wants for breakfast.So this year we have a set breakfast menu and we are sticking to that.Now I can get breakfast ready and have it  waiting for him when he gets up, because I know what we will be having.I am thinking of a way to do this with his lunches too, but haven’t came up with a good plan yet.

 

BREAKFAST MENU

Monday – Boiled Egg/Toast

Tuesday – Oatmeal

Wednesday – Pancakes

Thursday – Muffin/Yogurt

Friday – Cheesy Eggs/Toast

 

How are your back to school preparations coming??  Check in with us!!