Family Menu Planning--A PSA

Come, take a journey with me...a journey into menu planning. A journey that may just save your sanity...

Twice a year I find myself thinking about family menus. I like to plan my the season, combining Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter. I write down 4 weeks worth of menus and just keep rotating those weeks month to month. I have found that it really makes planning and grocery shopping far easier! Believe it or not, you really get a sense of common ingredients your family uses (stock up on sales!) which in the long run, helps slash those grocery prices.

I know, I know...sales! You must shop by the sale. This never worked for me. Number one, I am brand loyal. Number two, I don't have time to look through circulars or clip coupons. Again, saving my sanity here people.

NOT ME


Yet, still, with my meal planning method, I feed our family of four on about 500.00 per month. Sure, I could do cheaper but organic and fresh foods rarely have coupons anyway.

Oh yes, I run into meals that just do not work and I have to cross them off my list on a dark and stormy night. No one in the family ever hears of them again...But for the most part, it all works out well in the end.


So, instead of feeling like this when I make a grocery list:

I feel a bit more like this:

"But how? How can I get some of this serenity for myself?" you ask. Well, like a good neighbor, Desperately Seeking Sanity is there....

Here are our family plans for this past fall/winter and this upcoming Spring/summer. If you want a recipe, leave me a comment. Hope it gives you some inspiration! Just think of the foods your family likes, do a little internet research, flip through a few dust covered recipe books. In no time, you will have a list too!

Spring/ Summer Menu (April-Sept)
Week 1
1. Grilled Sausage and Onion subs/fries
2. Slow cooker Mac & beef
3. Soft tacos/fresh salsa and guacamole
4. Margarita pizzas
5. Pasta Roll ups with meatballs

Week 2
1. Club Roll ups/PB& J sushi rolls, chips
2. Fish with lemon pasta
3. Taco pizzas
4. Chicken Picatta
5. Peppers & Pasta

Week 3
1. Slow cooker BBQ sandwiches/corn/baked beans
2. Capallini Pomodoro
3. Summer breakfast: quiche, ham, French toast and muffins
4. Angel Hair Pesto, peas & carrots, crusty bread and salad
5. Greek calzones
6. Taco salads/quesadillas

Week 4
1. Sub sandwiches and chips
2. Kabobs, pesto pasta salad, (cheese and fruit kabobs for kids)
3. Mexican Pasta shells, cowboy caviar
4. Pizza fondue, applesauce, salads
5. Hot dogs, Mac and cheese
6. Onion Horseradish Chicken, potatoes, green beans




Winter/Fall Menus (October-March)

Week 1
1. Homemade Pizza
2. Fall breakfast-pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, cinnamon toast
3. Peppers & Pasta
4. Philly Cheese steaks, fries
5. Tortellini, crusty bread

Week 2
1. Calzones
2. Spinach Pasta
3. Fried chicken, mac & cheese
4. Meatball subs, chips
5. Nachos

Week 3
1. Upside Down Deep Dish Pizza
2. Baked Spaghetti, Bruchetta
3. Tacos
4. Burgers, Black Bean Soup, chips
5. Red Beans and Rice

Week 4
1. Vegetarian Chili & pasta, cheese bread
2. Calzones
3. Grilled cheese, soup
4. BBQ chicken, apples, mashed potatoes
5. Tex Mex Pasta Skillet

Edited to link to Lovin It Friday party

Before there was Twilight...

There was The Lost Boys. And Corey Haim--the goofy little brother of Michael, who fights for to save the town from blood thirsty vampires. Aside from by boys in Duran Duran (DURANIE 4EVER), Corey was my first "serious" celebrity crush. I had the posters on my wall, the movies dubbed on VHS tapes, lines memorized, daydreams ensuing.



I was a slight bit obsessed with The Lost Boys. As a matter of a fact, I have always loved vampire literature and film, thanks in part to this very movie and the influence it had on my adolescence. But in the midst of that interest sat a mop of curly hair, a crooked smile and sparkly blue eyes. Corey Haim. We had matching moles. In one scene, he sets down a box and pushes up his sleeves. And there on the inside of his left arm, a mole in exactly the same spot as mine. Forget matching tattoos. This was a birth mark and when you are a preteen, that meant something was a foot in destiny.



But time passed, crushes faded. Posters came down. VHS tapes broke. Time is never kind.



Despite the recent images and problems which plagued his life, and that of many other celebrities of my childhood, whenever I see a picture of that little kid, I can't help but smile. Micheal Jackson's "Thriller" still puts me back in 3rd grade. Olivia Newton John's "Lets Get Physical" still makes me tap my foot. Mathew Broderick is always Ferris Buller to me and REM's "Stand" makes me remember high school. Images, moments, feelings, all pinpoints in time. Triggers for memories. A thousand little pieces that make up the whole of your past and help to form your future. Your interests, your hobbies, your creativity. Even some goofy little kid singing in the bathtub to his dog.

Ways in which I will not win Mother of the Year any time soon...

1. When school was cancelled for snow, I had a Valentine's cake that was now rendered useless since the party was going to be rescheduled. We ate it for breakfast. It was my Bill Cosby moment.

2. Falling asleep for 2 hours while my children are watching tv. I only woke up because The Boy walked in announcing he was "bored" from watching so much tv.

3. Letting The Girl wear her pjs until well after lunch almost any day we are home.

4. Allowing bedrooms to look like a grand war was staged in them....the toys exploded...the causalities were too high to count.

5. Encouraging cooperative play through video games...as long as they are playing nice and not crying, whining, hitting, spitting, or tantrum throwing, they can play for as long as they want.

6. Letting The Boy wear short sleeve on 20 degree days simply because he dressed himself and it managed to match. He can wear a jacket if we go out.

7. Finding out (after the fact) that my children have taken plastic coke bottles, play dough and PUSH PINS and made rather impressive space ships.

8. Applauding that decision by taking pictures and posting on my blog.

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow

Snow kinda gets on my nerves. I mean, sure it's pretty and all. I enjoy making snowmen, snow angels and snowballs like any other person. But it keeps me trapped in my house. It makes me cold--I mean really, really cold. It attaches to my children's shoes, making large, slippery, filthy puddles everywhere. Under any other circumstance something keeping me prisoner in my house and forcing me to clean over and over again while shivering from hypothermia setting in would be considered cruel and unusual punishment.

All I can think of is The Shining. Thank goodness my garage is a hot mess and I can't reach my ax.

I do have plans though. A couple of projects I hope to tackle this weekend.

I'll keep you updated.

Unless I am at the psychiatric hospital. I am pretty sure they don't have an Internet connection there.

Mommy Guilt

Anymore, I get Mommy Guilt on a regular basis. This morning I am making the Boy's lunch and in a rush, I did not cut his cheese sandwich in half. I just ripped it. Not only was I in a hurry, but I also am thinking that it would be good to not dirty another knife. Brilliant, right? And as I am packing this ripped mismatched sandwich, I picture the lunchroom table. All the other kids with their perfectly symmetrical sandwich halves watching my Boy take his scraggly, hobo looking bread out of the baggie and saying, "Dude, doesn't your mom love you enough to take out a knife and cut your bread?" Mommy guilt strikes again.

I always feel like I am not spending enough time with my kids. I beat myself up daily on the state of the house, the lack of creativity on our dinners, the fact my kids watch more than the 2 hours of tv per day (spitting in the face of the Academy of Pediatrics) and that they do not brush their teeth twice a day. They do, however, brush once a day.

I don't know why I have such little faith in myself as a mother and wife, but I do know that most mothers feel the same way. Perhaps it is the responsibility for these two lives that at times seems so overwhelming you can barely breathe. Or is it because you have such a deep, unquestionable love for these souls that you just don't want to screw it up.

I partially blame Oprah. I grew up watching her show...blaming parents for the faults of their adult children. I have to admit, one of my fears is getting that phone call in 20 years.

Snot nosed producer: Yes, your son and daughter claim that your lack of proper parenting has effected their ability to lead productive lives. We would like you to come on the show to talk about it openly.

Me: What?

Snot nosed producer: Well, your children are coming on to talk about what a horrible mother you were and how they cannot function in normal society as a result. We can pay for your hotel if you come. The hotel has a free breakfast and we will be happy to pick you up in our company limo!

Me: What?

Snot nosed producer: I'm sorry, ma'am, but I do need a decision. Do you want to defend yourself on Oprah or not?

Me: Does this have to do with the fact I did not cut their sandwiches with a knife?

*click* *dial tone*

Wandering Wednesdays

This week we focused on excrement, waste, ca ca. Ewwwwwwww, right? Yeah pretty much, but very educational! Our little neck of the woods is well known amongst paleontologists. We are home to the Gray Fossil Site. They have found all sorts of interesting fossils and complete dinosaur skeletons. (Read more about the Gray Fossil site here.)

Last time we ventured to the museum, T-Rex Sue was there. She is the most complete T-Rex skeleton every found and our museum borrowed her from Chicago. Sue packed up and headed north in April and left in her midst was another traveling exhibit which hey lovingly call "The Scoop on Poop." Poop, you say? For weeks, I heard a squeal every time we drove past and children asking when we could go see the bones and the poop.

Now, poop is more valuable than you may know! They can use it to trace the nomadic journey of early man to the continent. They can study it to find out how a animal eats, how old it is, where it lives, and many more characteristics. In some cultures, they build houses with poop, they eat poop and they sell poop. Yes, ca ca is a commodity.

The Dung Beetle Rally!

This demonstrated the size of Elephant poop.....They look a little scared....

Oh, that's just me--getting the "Scoop on Poop"

One of the fossils they have unearthed at the dig site.

They boy getting his scientist on....

The Girl bound and determined to find a fossil...

Wandering Wednesdays

And before you say anything, yes, I know it is Friday. The point of Wandering Wednesdays is to take the kids out and have a computer free day...and then yesterday, my computer was having a person free day (ISP issues). So Wandering Wednesdays actually started for us about a month ago. I just decided this week to add this to the RHSC because in a few months from now I want be able to look back on the great summer we had. Why Wednesdays, you ask? Well, that is the only day I have off during the week. I work from home for a large distance education based company. After sitting in the house all week with children running wild about me, I think it is vital to have one day where we get out and just have fun. We started out slow--the first Wednesday we went shopping around town, had a oil change in the car and lunch out. The second Wednesday we really ramped it up, going to a local amusement park--Dollywood.



The third Wednesday we took it a bit easier and went to a really cool park in the area called a Boundless Playground. It is specifically made for kids with sensory issues, but is fantastic for any kid. Of course, The Boy revels in the spinning, sliding and climbing, as any self respecting child should! We ventured off into the woods for a bit--following a Frisbee golf course that the kids imagined was a old dinosaur trail. We even found scat (dog poop) that The Boy was convinced meant a cougar was near by. On the way back, we kicked around in a small creek and then headed off for lunch with Techo Geek.

That brings us to this week--our fourth Wednesday. This week has been absolutely wild. Not only are we in the middle of tball tournaments--which seem to be abnormally cut throat this year--we were also working on renovating our basement family room, starting Taekwando classes, working on summer lessons and projects, trying to organize a fence move (see Man Boobs below), figuring out bills, and still to come this weekend--a company picnic, family reunion, remaining Father's Day dinner for my Dad, all while working my weekend rotation. Somehow in the middle of all this, I had to figure out what we would spend our free day doing. I knew of two things that could not wait. In the midst of figuring out who I had to pay what, I realized I had let my car tags expire and had not paid my car insurance. I had no choice but to head downtown. I could have spent the rest of our day catching up on cleaning which is pitifully behind, painting trim for all the new flooring, or running any other number of errands. But we yearned for a Wondering Wednesday. SO a Wondering Wednesday we got.

It just so happens that our downtown area is a Historic District. Jonesborough claims to be the oldest city in the state of Tennessee. Of course, no one knows for certain which is why there is a ancient fight between the folks of Jonesborough and the folks of Rogersville for rights to the first city in the state. But I digress.

The Boy and The Girl tagged along as we went to the old, old courthouse. They loved the stockades outside...

and the cannon...

Our wanderings found us in a store full of handmade imports. Items from Peru, Argentina, and the Amazon line the walls. Here is a hand carved chair that the kids found hilarious.

We found our way to the antique store, too. The Boy found arrowheads, a passion first discovered on an earlier trip to Dollywood. We had a lot of fun finding old objects and guessing how they were used.


Sometimes the small details are the best...


A couple of shops down is The Lollipop Shop. This building has a really freaky history for such a happy candy store. It was the original courthouse in town and had a riot in the 1800's that resulted in the death of 7 inmates. Later it housed the first brothel in the state and the owner said upon her death she wanted to be buried at the front steps. If you looked down as you are exiting, you see her name on the doorstep. They say that is her tombstone. ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww When you look on the side of the buildings, you can see scratch marks up the wall caused by the stagecoach wheels.

The Boy and the Girl sitting next to "May," unbeknown to them. *wink*

Next we had lunch at a downtown eatery named Main Street Cafe. They had really good Dr. Pepper and a decent lunch. The Boy appreciated having a never ending supply of straws on the table.

The Girl enjoying her Dr. Pepper...

We ended this Wandering Wednesday with another trip to a park for about an hour and then off to OT. Having a mini-vacation mid week is so worth it!

PTG VS ATG

Giving birth the The Girl completely flipped my world. I have become a totally different mother and wife. There is something about adding that second child that just changes everything. It reminds me of the speech Uma Thurman gives in Kill Bill (with a bit of creative license)....

"Before that strip turned blue, (creative license ensues) I was a mom to one. I was your mom. I would have a fall birthday party planned and in place my spring. Before that strip turned blue, I would have feed you all homemade and organic foods and had a place for everything and everything in its place. For you. But once that strip turned blue, I could no longer do any of those things. Not anymore. Because I was gonna be a mother to two." (end of creative license)

But I do want to be that Super Mom I set out to be--I really do. I want to have a house that is clean, organized and efficient. I try to get inspiration from the things around me. For example, I watched Jon & Kate Plus 8 last night scouring for organization ideas from her. But the show--as interesting as it is--really never addresses specifically how she handles 8 children all day long. However, she did make one comment that reverberated in me. Kate said, "I am never behind because I refuse to fall behind." I am always behind anymore. I cannot believe I ever had it together enough to plan an entire party months ahead of time. Now, I forget to send out invitations, much less plan the menu. When we went on vacations, not only would I have all activities mapped out, I would pre pack up to a week ahead of time. ATG (after the Girl) I pack the morning of. And kids activities--forget about it. With The Boy, I had activties lined up almost every day--including reading time, music time, art time, and imaginary play time. With The Girl, if Elmo doesn't do it with her, it isn't getting done.

Maybe I am too hard on myself or maybe I am just lazy. But I'm trying real hard Ringo....I'm trying real hard to be the Super Mom. (ok, ok My apologies to Quinten Tarantino) I still manage to send out home made Christmas cards every year. I just redid The Girl's room in fairy theme--hand making the decorations and painting the pictures on the walls. I joined PTO. I let my child sleep in a cardboard box because he uses it for his clubhouse and wants to camp out on weekends. I make dinner at least 3-4 nights a week (maybe more). I drive a mini van and I even manage to clean the bathtub time and again.

I suppose in the grand scheme of things, all of us do our very best. No one is perfect. No one is broken either. We just do our best, muddle along and pray that one day our children will not drag us onto Oprah and talk about what bad parents we were. Although a free trip to Chicago would not be that bad...

I'm old enough to be his mom!

So a couple of months ago, my family is eating at CiCi's Pizza ("Welcome to Cici's!") when I realized the kid behind the bar is staring at me. Now, I say kid, but I don't mean snot nosed, diaper wearing, lollipop eating KID--I mean full fledged, hormone laden teenager. Feeling a little self conscious, I put down my salad tongs and give him a look back as if to challenge him in a stare war.

Kid: Oh! You really freaked me out.
Me: Really? (Now feeling a bit more self conscious)
Kid: You look just like my mom! I was about to ask you what you were doing here!
Me: hehehe (my fake laugh) really?
Kid: Yeah! You have the same hair and glasses and everything. Wow that is really weird!
Me: Yeah....strange.....

At that moment I realized it. Plain as day. It doesn't matter that I know how long Nicole Richie spent in jail or even who Nicole Richie is. Or that I know what Brittany was up to last night because I read all the celeb gossip sites. It doesn't even matter that I can sing along with Kanye or that I own a Wii and can actually make a decent score on it. And it certainly doesn't matter that I can recite lines from almost every episode of The Office. (did I mention yet that is my favorite show ever??? But I digress) All that is real is that I look old enough to be a teenager's Mom!

When did this happen? Someone give my my iPod and my chocolate already. I need a nap!