Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Meal Plan Monday - Better Late

I realize it's Wednesday and posting Meal Plan Monday on a Wednesday doesn't reflect well on my goal to plan well this year.



But it's been a week.

If you are paying attention, you might have noticed I didn't even post a Meal Plan Monday last Monday. I think I was feeling like I was coming down with something then.

If I have learned anything in life it is that there is no shame in picking up whatever you've left where you are.

If that makes sense.

Now for those of you are die-hard "just post the meal plan, lady" folks, I am about to let you down.

My blog. My party. My opportunity to spout jibberish and ramble on about my life and observations as I see fit. Never make apologies for what you feel you need to do.

My need is to ramble on with jibberish nonsense that really won't amount to a hill of beans or change the trajectory of your life. Unless you just like to be entertained by my jibber.

And for that, thank you...AND you're welcome.

For everyone, scroll on.

This week, I am recovering from whatever it was that took me down last week. I started off with a bang by taking Josiah to his first homeschool co-op of his last semester EVAH of High School.

While he was in his first class, I went to Aldi. I threw all kinds of good stuff into my cart. Aldi is a treasure. My only issue is that I tend to forget my shopping bags and wind up purchasing more shopping bags or letting everything free-float in my trunk.

I headed back to Josiah's co-op where I sat in on his science class. I'm the helper. I say "helper" very loosely. The teacher is fantastic. I am only there for the show.

After his classes ended, he and I jumped in the car and went to the Dollar Tree and to Wal-mart. I needed to get a few other things and spent way too long in the make-up section. I am looking for a foundation that is reasonably priced, can cover my rosacea and not pill up in the creaks and crevices of my dry skin.

I am still on the search.

Josiah then reminded me that I promised him I would take him to a record shop someone had told him about. Do they even call them record shops anymore?

This one had strange and cultic looking graffiti painted over every square inch. The parking lot was just a series of potholes and the windows were boarded up by a few 2x4s. I waved a few prayers of protection over him and sent him into that den of devil music.

He wasn't in there too long. He came out with his soul intact. I then dropped him off at another church to meet up with his dad. They were going to lift a few weights and get Josiah some lunch.

I went on to a chiropractor appointment. And then home where I collapsed on the couch...unable to walk the rest of the night.

And I'm not kidding.

The rest of this week is not quite as busy, but there is something going on continuously. So I needed a meal plan (Hah! You knew I would get there eventually) that would be easy to pull off as well as meet the needs of being healthy and budget-friendly.

I think I've managed it.

Monday - Leftovers

I actually didn't plan on leftovers, but that plan became obvious when I came home and couldn't walk. We had some leftover chicken legs, a kale salad, and fruit.

Tuesday - Taco Night

Chicken Burrito Bowl

I made a crockpot of red beans cooking in the crockpot and used a rotisserie chicken I got marked down from Wal-mart in the fridge. I will simply deboned the chicken, cut the meat into manageable pieces and seasonedit with a little taco seasoning. I also made a pot of brown rice (with a little cauli-rice added in), chopped up a little Romaine lettuce and made some salsa.

Good eating.

Wednesday Night - Josiah Cooks

Hamburgers

The boy has been consistent. He has been asking to cook burgers for the past few weeks. We get the preshaped frozen burgers from Aldi. They don't take long for him to cook up and we can use as many or as few as we need. I will eat mine boneless with a side of broccoli.

Thursday Night - Comfort Classics

Roasted Chicken Legs
Baked Potatoes
Green Beans

My easy chicken leg recipe is to cook my chicken legs in a bottle of balsamic vinaigrette from Aldi. The bottle costs under $1 and lasts me a few recipes. I will fix sweet potatoes from myself and white potatoes for my guys. The green beans are canned from my parents' farm. Yum.

Friday Night - Family Fun Night

Various

I am leaving it unspecific because we literally do have a Family Fun Night at church planned. We generally have hot dogs and chips at these events and my guys will eat when they are there. I, however, will probably eat leftovers from the night before. Hot dogs aren't on my meal plan.

Saturday - Frugal Gourmet 

Lemon Shrimp with Spinach Quinoa

I found a recipe I am going to try. I'll let you know how it turns out. The Muffin and I love shrimp. Josiah is not a huge fan, but he will eat a couple.

Sunday - Church Day! 

Tikki Masala (chicken)

I am not going to rely on leftovers this week. I have a jar of Tikki Masala from Aldi in my pantry. I try and keep it stocked up. It is super easy to fix. I also plan on making enough quinoa Saturday night to serve with the Tikki Masala. I also will make sure there is a salad to serve with it. Most of it I will get together on Saturday. I have had success fixing it in the slow cooker too. I simply cut up chicken breasts, add the sauce and turn it on. It doesn't take any time at all to cook through. Easy Peasy.

I also realize that Sunday is the Super Bowl. We don't cancel church Sunday evenings for the game but I"m sure it will still be going on when we get out. I am not planning on any special snacks for my guys. I will probably pick up some easy munchies for them to enjoy. I just haven't thought that far ahead!

So that's it! Hope I've given you a few ideas.





Friday, January 24, 2020

5 Minutes....

Ya'll.

I've been sick. I'm STILL sick.

However, I am not (thankfully) as sick as I have ever been nor am I as sick as some.

We take it where we can get it, right?

I am super bummed, though.

I had been on a super energy trip. I hadn't felt that good in YEARS. While The Muffin was sick, I organized cabinets, our bathroom, and even tackled the monstrous mess that is my office/craft room/homeschooling supply room/library/dressing room.

The room is not that large but for some reason, I was storing, at least, enough junk for 4 or 5 different rooms. I'll share soon more (when I am up on my feet and can properly take flattering photos).

I still had a few things left to do when the Plague struck. My office is connected to my bedroom and being an equal opportunity clutterer, I simply piled a few things in there while I sorted through my stuff.

It was still there as of today.

This has been my view while I've been sick in bed.



I can't STAND being sick in a dirty room. I suffer. I fret. It's not that I am a hyper-clean or organized person. I am just very visual. Some of you understand.

So I got up. I put a 5-minute timer on my phone and just simply put some things away and straightened up the top of my dresser.

It is not perfect. There are still dust bunnies that need to be addressed and the top of my dresser needs a little more decluttering. And my toenails need attention.


But 5 minutes didn't kill me. And now my view is less offensive. The lotion and perfume bottles are all upright. The clean clothes on top of the dresser only took me a minute to put away. The crates (which had been residing in the office) are now stacked by the door for one of my guys to take down to the basement. Easy Peasy.

When I consider how much time I waste when I'm not sick...I worry that a job will take too much time or that I have to be extremely perfect in the execution of it. I tend to be very task-oriented and I don't like taking on something I can't finish in a short amount of time.

My goal this year is to be more intentional and to just do the things that I tend to put off. Especially when I can settle for GOOD ENOUGH.

Maybe tomorrow I'll paint my toenails.

What are some of your strategies for tackling projects?


Sunday, January 12, 2020

Meal Plan Monday - A Pantry Challenge

Hello, my friends.

I'm back with another Meal Plan Monday.



I'll try and make it short and sweet. (She says half-convincingly in her head while knowing full well it is not in her nature to be short or mostly sweet)

Anyhoo.

When I make my meal plan every week I try and take into account the week's activities, what I already have in the pantry and freezer and my energy level.

This week is one that I need to try to make do with what I have in my pantry. This can be an exciting challenge. It's almost like creating your own Chopped kitchen show.

The Muffin is also at the tail end of his recovery with THE PLAGUE. I'm hoping that my role as the primary caregiver of one with THE PLAGUE is about at its end.

Amen and Amen.

Monday

Lentil Love

It's legume night at the Teague house! The recipe above is my go-to lentil recipe. I will also cook up some brown rice in the ole rice cooker and add even more veggies for my benefit.

Tuesday 

Pork Tacos

Taco Tuesday! On this night I will be using some pork taco filling someone gave me. It's currently in my freezer and I need to use it up. I will serve mine over a large bed of romaine and make sure we have plenty of taco fixings. This includes my Thrifty Gal's Salsa.  It is a staple in our house. I try and keep the ingredients always on hand.

Wednesday 

Hamburgers

Josiah is cooking on this night. He's chosen hamburgers. I will eat mine bunless and with a big side of broccoli. I also love to saute up a hefty portion of mushrooms and onions to serve on top. I doubt that will happen this week. I probably have a small can of mushrooms in my pantry but fresh ones are in small supply.

Thursday

Oven-Baked Cod, Roasted Okra and Cauli Rice

I have some Cod in my freezer that will be perfect for this night's meal. I also have some frozen okra from my parents' garden that I need to use. I might do regular rice for my guys and leave the cauli rice for me. This will be a low-calorie meal and they might need a bit more bulk.

Friday 

Personal Bagel Pizzas

It's Family Night! We most likely watch a movie on Disney Plus or Netflix and will need something festive to add to the fun. We used to do pizza more frequently, but I have to do a little more planning with my meals than our favorite take-out pizza. For this night, I plan on setting out the ingredients for my guys to make personal pizzas. I think I have some bagels in my freezer that will make perfect crusts. For myself, I will use a whole-wheat tortilla. The rest of the toppings will depend on what I have on hand.

Saturday 

Edie Wadsworth's Best Ever Beef Stew 
It's my frugal gourmet night. This is the night I plan on doing something a bit fancy...if I am so inclined.  Beef Stew isn't necessarily considered a gourmet dish, but this Beef Stew recipe will change your life. It takes all day and I have a little bit of stew meat in my fridge that is calling out for this treatment. I will just serve it with some crusty bread.

Sunday 

Leftover! Or sandwiches. We shall see what is what by then. I always have salad fixings and stuff for a ham sandwich.


That's it! Hopefully, I've supplied some easy supper inspiration. Let me know what you do when you try and eat out of your pantry.




Monday, January 6, 2020

Cousin Camp Photo Shoot 2019. It's finally here!

I can't believe I am finally getting these out.

To be honest, I just now got them into my chunky little hands.   

I'm talking about pics from Cousin Camp. These are from the ever anticipated Cousin Camp Photo Shoot. I can't believe how much these kids have grown up. It's also nice to see a little summer sunshine and farm goodness in these pics. 

I'm going to share just one of each kid, plus a few group shots. Actually, it was REAAALLY hard to choose which ones to share. These kids are 'rul purty. But, seriously, you have better things to do than scroll through pictures of my relations. 

I'm also going to post them all willy nilly. My computer connection has been slow this evening and I ran out of patience. It is what it is. 

Are you ready? Here we go.

My beloved son. Age 17 at the time of this picture. He has since cut his long locks. He currently is in his "groomed" phase of his rock band dreams.  This picture almost had the potential to make it appear that he had flora and fauna protruding out of his ears like some sort of Hawaiian hula dancer. Josiah was saved by an inch or so from eternal humiliation.

Actually, I take that back. Josiah is incapable of being self-conscience.  Any attention is alright with him.


\

My Little Bro's only son. One of twins. Chris had just turned 22 in this picture. This boy/man can fall asleep anywhere, anytime. He is also a really hard worker. Here he is contemplating all the farm chores needing to be done and wondering why we are subjecting him to such petty concerns.  I am not sure what is coming out of the bottom of that chair. Are those animal feet? Tuffs of toilet paper? I dare not ask.


I had to share the progression of these pictures. The boys are leaning up against the Old Duster. So cool. The Old Duster does not run, by the way. It just makes for a good photo prop and chicken roost.

We are hillbillies, after all.


Ama (aka my mom, their grandma) must have instructed them to smile. They didn't come up with those expressions on their own.


So someone must have said something a bit silly.


And so it began. Cade is still doing his best to be cool.



Cade is my Baby Sister's oldest. At the time of this picture, he was 17. This boy is so much like my Dad. Some of those Wilsons are pretty reserved. I almost got Cade moving his head to music on video this year. It would have been an epic win on my part. I would have lorded it over him and his children's children to the end of time. 

I'm that kind of aunt. 




And now we have the whole gang posing in the flat bottomed boat. Along with the hinder quarters of Blue the Blue-Heeler. I love this picture. They look like some kind of happy family band. Without the instruments. And the whole band part.


 This is Kalynn. She is Little Bros oldest and one of the twins. She is also my parents' oldest grandchildren.  Kalynn has a college education and a job. Kalynn pays for her own stuff. Be like Kalynn. I will take a minute to point out the awesomeness of her big hoop earrings. Why don't I have a pair like that, Kalynn? Kalynn gets her love of gaudy jewelry from her Ama. As do I.



Alexandra is 16. I will have to say that Alex reminds me so much of Kalynn...who reminds me of my Baby Sister. My Baby Sister is not the mother of these girls. But I sure can see her in them. I'm not sure what Alexandra's other hand is doing in this picture. Waving to her subjects. Holding a long pointy object. Whatever it is, I am sure it is awesome. Whatever Alexandra does is awesome. She is just that kind of girl.


Madalyn is 15 in this picture. She is Little Bros youngest. All these girls are gorgeous. Madalyn is also a soldier. And mean with a bow and arrow. She might look all sugar, but she could take you down if you mess with her. We raise our girls right!


 Brynn is our ballerina. She turns 14 in a few months. I'm sure there must some kind of mistake. It was only a few months ago we made the trip to her mom and dad's house when she was born. I remember that I made some hamburger stroganoff in her momma's really clean kitchen. We didn't know then than Brynn would turn out to be so stinkin' sassy. And I mean that in a good way. We all have a measure of sass.


Payge is 10 here. She is my Baby Sister's youngest and the youngest grandchild. This child is a hoot. She also, along with her cousin Madalyn, is the star of our award-winning slime making movie. Don't you just love that face? We do.



A picture of all of Baby Sister's kiddos. Along with Brynn's glasses. All little secret. More than half of these kiddos need glasses. As do I. We can thank Ama and Papa for the gift of life, but not the gift of good sight.


There was another picture of Little Bros kids I could have used where they were all facing the camera. However, I love this one. Aren't they cute? I'm also loving Alexandra's skirt. We found it at Goodwill because that's the way we roll.



Here are the girls in front of the Old Duster.


I'm not sure what's going on here. Some kind of big finish I think.


I hope you enjoyed this year's Cousin Camp Photo Shoot. We are going to began preparations for Cousin Camp 2020. As these kids get older we realize that the time with them is precious. At this point, most of them have sworn to come to Cousin Camp until they are 102.

Which is fine by me.




Meal Plan Monday - It Begins Again!

As promised I am starting up my Meal Plan Monday posts again.


It's been a while, my friends.

I have to tell you that these won't be especially inspiring posts...unless you are seeking to create a healthy lifestyle for yourself and your family.

My son (Josiah) and The Studly Muffin don't have to follow my same eating plan, but I fix what I fix. There might be a few additions or substitutions I with them in mind. However, they have been really on board with what I'm doing thus far. Which is good for them.  I've never made separate meals...unless somebody wants Ramen. Then they are on their own.

I also have been making my menus around nightly themes. I take into account what our average week is like and planned accordingly. Though we won't start Homeschool Co-op back up for a few more weeks, I still planned like it's a thing this week. It's just easier that way.

At a later date, I will explain what my eating plan requires me to have for every meal. I am also supposed to have a serving of fruit which I haven't listed in my menus. I am required to have 2 cups of non-starchy veggies with each meal. I can have them anyway I want them...though I imagine deep-fried in batter would be a definite no-no.

Monday - Easy Peasy (Homeschool Co-op Day)

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans 
I don't even bother soaking the beans. They just simmer all day in the slow cooker with a little ham bone, an onion and spices.
Cornbread Muffins (for my guys)
Kale Salad ( I LOVE this recipe. I don't use the honey because it spikes my blood sugar. I add just a bit of sweetener instead. I also purchase one of the those precut Kale bags at Aldi for convenience)

Tuesday - Taco Night! 

We love us some tacos. I usually do some variation of taco salad. On this night I am planning on making Mrs. Criddles Taco Salad Crunch.  It is super yummy. I will use leftover pintos instead of the canned beans it calls for.

Wednesday - Josiah Cooks

I used to have him do this more often. He's gotten out of the habit since we've moved to Indiana. This week he is making spaghetti. I am going to fix myself a side of zoodles instead of the pasta.
This is an easy slow cooker spaghetti recipe from Skinnytaste.com. We have some ground pork we need to use up and I will have him add some extra Italian seasonings. We will also be using canned tomatoes from my parents' garden.

Thursday - Comfort Food

Baked Chicken Legs
Baked Potatoes (sweet for me)
Roasted Green Beans Fries

It doesn't get any self-explanatory than that.  I generally marinate my chicken legs in a little vinegarette salad dressing then bake them in the oven.

I like to wrap up my potatoes in foil and also cook them in the oven. I can have a little bit of butter on my sweet potato and I also like to sprinkle it with a little salt and pepper.

If you haven't made Green Bean Fries you are missing out. They are The Muffin's favorite. This recipe is close to the way I make mine. Though I don't make a dipping sauce and I use olive oil instead of coconut oil.

Friday - Family Night

This meal is generally an easy one that I try and make more fun. This Friday we are having Burrito Bowls with brown rice, leftover pinto beans, roasted leftover chicken, and a few extra toppings. Burrito bowls are so easy to make and you can customize them to fit your family's needs and tastes. I will use cauli rice with my brown rice to help with my non-starchy veggie requirement.

Saturday - Frugal Gourmet

I usually have a bit more time on Saturday to cook. It doesn't mean I'll take it. But I do like to be a little bit fancier on Saturdays. At least, as fancy as my budget allows me to be. This week my Saturday meal is still fairly easy to put together.

Garlic Butter Baked Cod
Roasted Broccoli
Quinoa Salad with Spinach and Almonds
This quinoa recipe is really good. I didn't pick up radishes to go in it so I probably will forgo those. I also will use the walnuts I already have instead of almonds. I probably will add extra cauli rice in my cooked quinoa to beef up my non-starchy veggie requirements. If your folks aren't all about the quinoa you can certainly substitute brown rice.

Sunday - Leftovers

Hopefully, we will have a few. If not I will make a survey of the pantry and fridge Saturday night and do something simple. A simple veggie soup is always easy to throw together.

That's it! Let me know if you have any questions.








Friday, January 3, 2020

New Year! And some changes...

It's Friday night! I'm occupying my favorite corner of my comfy couch and Princess the Cat is curled up beside me.

Life is grand, my friends.

Except that we spent the morning in the ER with The Studly Muffin.

Ya'll. The man has a NASTY virus. I won't even begin to describe the things I've seen and heard. Let's just say I spent a good bit of time today completely disinfecting the house.

I thought I would write a little bit tonight about some big changes that have occurred in my life and some of my plans for the future and moving forward.

First things first. You might know that I have been a reviewer with the Old Schoolhouse Magazine and Homeschool Review Crew for a number of years. I can't even tell you how much my family and I have benefited from being a part of the Crew.

Because of my health issues this past summer, I decided not to renew my commitment to them this year.

I know! I can hardly believe it myself. They have been a part of my life and homeschool for so long now...I scarcely know how to act. I expected to be a part of the Crew until Josiah graduated...and maybe longer if I could find a way to reinvite myself every year.

Sometimes, however, you have to make tough choices. There were things in my life that needed addressing. My health basically took a bit of a nosedive and I needed to pay closer attention to myself.  I am still writing for The Old Schoolhouse Blog monthly and I have another history curriculum in the works.

I was supposed to have completed it prior to the fall semester but that is when things really went south for me. My editor has been wonderful. She even sent us a care package when I got home from the hospital filled with all the things that we needed around the house.

I am still going to work on that curriculum, but it has taken me a bit to get my feet back under me.

Part of the journey I am taking has required some fairly strict lifestyle changes. I have always had fairly healthy habits. But let's be honest about this. Some of us have to be more careful. I have battled with my weight for years. And this year I was losing that battle in a big way.

After having a fairly blunt conversation with my cardiologist, I have really turned a corner.

For one, he sent me to a nutritionist. While I was eager to go, I was also a bit skeptical. The modern American health guidelines for a "healthy plate" haven't been so healthy.

Too many added sugars and not enough concentration on food as medicine.

Well...I hit the jackpot with my nutritionist. I knew when he started prescribing me things like "1 tsp. of turmeric" with breakfast that I was in good hands. He speaks my language.

I have had great success thus far and I even lost weight over the holidays. I realize that my eating plan won't be for everyone. But I want to try and start sharing my weekly meal plan. At least, the evening meals. I used to share my meal plans every week...but got out of the habit.

I'm not sure what days I'll post those. I'm trying to get back into a regular rhythm of blogging writing again. We shall see.

Speaking of blog writing...I have been horrible. I had started doing a little video work but even that has been an effort. But here is the thing. I began my blog years ago when I was going through a particular devastating health and life crisis. Writing did more for me than about anything and through the years I've let some things drift away that needed to be spoken or written about.

It has never been about building a business or gaining a readership. As far as I know, my readership consists of my momma and a Russian bot or two.

Anyhoo. I am excited to find my new normal again. And hopefully, that new normal will include a lot more writing, building healthy habits and a few more Russian bot readers.



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