It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Now that we have had Thanksgiving (which is one of my favorite holidays by the way), I am ready to think about CHRISTmas.  I personally do not believe in doing anything for CHRISTmas before Thanksgiving.  I like to enjoy each holiday as it comes and focus on it as much as possible.  I have been doing the 1st Thessalonians 5:18 Challenge AKA the 30 Days of Thanksgiving Challenge which I will be sharing when I finish up.

Now to talk about CHRISTmas ideas.  I love to make each holiday really special for my kids.  With CHRISTmas, we like to make it last the whole month.  Each year, I sit down and plan out an activity for each day of the month.  This year I am hoping to put it all together in a neat format so the kids can open something or uncover something or pull out a paper that tells what we are doing somehow.  I am not sure about the presentation, but here are my ideas so far:

The #1 thing I am excited about is the Jesse Tree. This year we are going to be going through the Advent Jesse Tree book and each night the kids will unwrap a new ornament to go on the Jesse Tree. What a great way to keep focused on the real meaning of CHRISTmas.  I will share more about that as we go on.  Today I wrapped each ornament in a separate box.  The kids will love opening them and putting them on the tree each night.

Outside of that, we will be visiting family, see some church productions, go caroling with our church, do some outreach projects, go to Disney on Ice, go see different lights/decorations, go ice skating, make cookies, make ornaments, build a gingerbread house, have a Polar Express movie night, build a manger, act out the real CHRISTmas story, watch CHRISTmas movies, read CHRISTmas books, and make other CHRISTmas crafts.

I would love to hear what you are doing for CHRISTmas. :)

Back Again

I know it has been almost 6 months since I have been here blogging.  I miss it.  I really do.  I am going to work on being on here more frequently again.  Hopefully I will have some new tips, recipes, and ideas to share.  I look forward to reading comments from you also.  I love getting ideas from others as well.  :)

Back to Freezer Cooking/Prepping

I am back to freezer cooking/prepping.  I have found that having a toddler to keep up with makes it a little difficult to cook a fresh meal every single night, so I am back to doing a month shop/prep/cook/freeze session.

Here are the meals:
Salisbury Steak
Meatloaf
Pot Roast
Pot Roast (had planned to do steaks but they were not on sale)
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Stuffing Pie
Chicken Noodle Dumpling Delight
Chicken with Noodles
Spaghetti
Spaghetti with Meatballs
Baked Ziti
Chicken Parmesan
Buffalo Chicken Tenders

I know that isn't that many meals, but we got based on our credit card cycle and I plan to do another round when our credit card starts over.  We plan to eat at church on Wednesday nights and one other night each week.

Here's how I did it:
I prepped the Salisbury Steak and froze the patties (just have to thaw and cook them and add sides).
I prepped the Meatloaf and froze it flat in a freezer bag (just have to thaw and cook and add sides).
I put the roast in a freezer bag (I cook my pot roast from frozen with some potatoes, carrots, onions, onion soup mix, and beef broth in the crockpot - probably the easiest meal ever).
I cooked 2lbs of chicken in the crockpot until it was falling apart and froze it in 1lb bags for the casseroles (just have to toss the chicken with some other things and bake).
I froze 2lbs of chicken to be used the day we have CNDD and CwN (I have to make the CNDD completely but the chicken is pre-diced).  (The CwN just involves throwing chicken in the crockpot all day with COC soup and tossing together some things at the last minute).
I made 2lbs of meat's worth of spaghetti sauce (added all the veggies) and froze it flat to be used on spaghetti and baked ziti.  (Just have to cook noodles).
I made 1lb of meatballs and froze flat.  (Just have to cook noodles).
I froze 2lb of chicken tenders for the Chicken Parmesan and Buffalo Chicken Tenders (I don't like the bread crumbs on it to re-thaw - not as good).

So the meals should take about 30 minutes each day (and most of that is just putting stuff in the oven and leaving it).  I love this.  It is so nice.

How do you do your meal planning and preparation?  I would love to hear what works for ya.

Parenting with Scripture

I know this is a homemaking/organization blog, but I enjoy sharing other facets of my life with you.  As you know, I am a Christian who loves the Lord and desires greatly to live my life serving Him and growing in Him.  One of my biggest visions for my children is to have a strong solid Biblical foundation in their lives (Deut 6).  In order to do this, we use Scripture in our daily lives.  My friend, Holly, told me about a great resource called Parenting with Scripture.

It is a book that looks at nearly every topic of parenting issues (life issues) that will inevitably come up and gives a list of Scriptures that relate to that topic as well as questions to ask, practical application, and a prayer.  I love this!!!  It is great not just for parents, but for anyone who wants to know what God's Word says about _________.  I intend to use it to give me a quick reference of Scripture when I can't think of one (or need more than I can think of).  I would recommend using it as more as a reference pointing you to the Scriptures in the Bible and going to the Bible to read from so that kids see you reading (or they read) straight from God's Word. 

I hope this helps!

It's Been Awhile

I can't believe it has been 4 months since I posted here.  I am looking forward to getting back to blogging here.  We are currently on our summer break from homeschooling (and life in general it feels) so I am working on new organizational things that I plan to share here.  I hope it helps.  I hope you enjoy the blog.  I would love to hear if there are things that you would like to see here.  :)

Ashley

Thank You Notes

As I posted around this time last year (http://organizedhomemaking.blogspot.com/2011/01/teaching-our-children-about-thank-you.html), I am a big fan of thank you notes. I love writing them and I love getting them. I don't think it is ever to early to teach our children thankfulness, not just etiquette. When I was growing up the rule was you were not allowed to enjoy the gift until you wrote a thank you note. I remember writing them in the hotel room after our Bachelor/Bachelorette bowling party and on the plane to our honeymoon. LOL! Here is one of Luke's from this year. This year he wrote the whole thing. I was very happy to have our handwriting lesson for the week all ready to go. :)


Be thankful. - Colossians 3:15

Oven Baked Bacon

At CHRISTmas I found a great way to make bacon. You cook it in the oven. I had no idea you could do this.

You line a baking sheet with foil and put the bacon on it.
You put the baking sheet in the oven and turn it to 400 degrees.
(DO NOT PREHEAT THE OVEN!!!!!!!!)
Set the timer for 15-20 minutes.
Bacon comes out perfect, crispy, and the best part is that after the pan cools, you can just wrap up the foil and toss out the mess.

Luke's New Bedroom

We moved Luke into our old office because he wanted a red room. We went with a Spiderman theme.

Here are some pictures.

Here is the door into his room.


Here is a picture of his bed. I love the giant Spiderman on the wall.

He got a new bookshelf since he has soooo many books. Hoping this keeps all of it better organized.


The giant Spiderman.

Toy shelves.

I am really happy with how this turned out.

Our New Office/School Room

A while back the thought dawned on me to combine our office and school room on the 3rd floor. We hope to have at least one more child so we want to have an open bedroom on the 2nd floor for him/her (them). Here are some pictures of how it turned out. Some of this was already done and some is new (Lee's desk and office stuff and the new school table - our old kitchen table).

A view of my office corner and the school boards.


A view of the new school table - our old kitchen table and school closet.

A view of Lee's office corner.

Another up close view of my office corner.

The new school desk.

The closets. The one on the right houses our school/craft/scrapbook stuff. The other one is Lee's.


Some of our decor.

Inside the closet - that is my scrapbooking stuff and Luke's art stuff.

Inside the closet - all of our homeschool resources.

Inside the closet - our supplies and manipulatives.

I LOVE THIS ROOM!!! LOTS OF SPACE, BOTH DESKS, A BIG SCHOOL TABLE, AND EVERYTHING IS SUPER ORGANIZED (FOR NOW AT LEAST).

Our 3rd Floor Bathroom

Our boys have been sharing our 2nd floor bathroom that had this sage set. We decided to put it on the 3rd floor so that we could personalize their bathroom. We are going to be going with a pirate theme. This will be our 3rd floor bathroom until we have all the kids and decide which one(s) will be using this bathroom).

I love this plague - It says, "Write your sorrows in sand and your blessings in stone."

I love these pieces of art - They say, "Faith, Hope, and Love."


A view of the bathroom.

I really love how this bathroom turned out. I can't wait to do the boys' bathroom.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ORGANIZED HOMEMAKING!!!

I hope you had a fabulous CHRISTmas and New Year. I am really looking forward to this year. I have been working on projects that I will share with you. I have also been working on a list of plans and goals for the year which I will also share with you as well. I hope you have a very organized and blessed 2012.

Ashley

Homemade Breadsticks

Ingredients

• 2 cups Bisquick*
  
• 2 tbsp. shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. dried basil
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. water
• 1 tbsp. salt (I used garlic salt)
  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
   
2. In a medium bowl, combine Bisquick, cheese, oregano, basil, and pepper.
   Add 1/2 cup water and stir until just moistened.
   You may need to add an additional 1-2 tbsp. of water if necessary.
3. Divide dough into 12 portions.
   Sprinkle clean work surface with Bisquick, then roll each portion of dough into a 12-inch strip.
   Place strips onto prepared baking sheet, one inch apart.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and 1 tsp. water.
   Lightly brush egg mixture over breadsticks, and then sprinkle with (garlic) salt.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.
   Cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 12

*Check out my post on how to make your own Bisquick mix here - http://organizedhomemaking.blogspot.com/2011/01/homemade-bisquick-mix.html

Eat at Home Challenge - Week 3

This week was pretty good. I ate out a couple of unplanned times but all in all it was still better than usual. We spent about $59 eating out this week.

Monday - Crockpot Chicken Noodles

Tuesday - Crockpot Chicken Stew

Wednesday - CHURCH Meal

Thursday - Chicken Stuffing Casserole (Ashley MNO)

Friday - Leftover Chicken Stuffing Casserole

Saturday - Pizza Takeout

Sunday - Baked Ziti

A Great Tip for Meal Planning

When I made/prepped all of our meals for the month, I had to decide how I would know what to eat each night. I am usually not good at saying, "We will eat _______ the 3rd Thursday of the month." What if something comes up or we aren't feeling that meal that night? So I decided to make a tentative schedule in Microsoft Excel:

28	29	30	1
MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY
Ginger Chicken Stirfry & Rice	Pot Roast	CHURCH DINNER - Meatloaf, Potatoes, & Green Beans	Brown Sugar Chicken, Rice, & Veggies
2	3	4	5
FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY	MONDAY
BBQ Chicken Pizza	Spaghetti	Pepperoni Pizza	Chicken Fajitas
6	7	8	9
TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes, & Veggies	CHURCH DINNER - Chicken Salad & Fruit Salad	Leftover SS, MP, & Veggies (for Lee) - A,L,N to Greensboro	Chicken Pot Pie
10	11	12	13
SATURDAY	SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY
Lasagna	Leftover Lasagna	Crock Pot Chicken Noodles & Veggies	Chicken Stew
14	15	16	17
WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
CHURCH DINNER - Spaghetti	MNO for Ashley - Eva's Chicken Casserole & Veggies for Boys	Spaghetti & Meatballs	BBQ Chicken, Rice, & Veggies
18	19	20	21
SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY
Italian Balsamic Chicken, Rice, & Veggies	Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, & Veggies	Chicken Parmesan	Honey Soy Chicken, Rice, & Veggies
22	23
THURSDAY	FRIDAY
	Baked Ziti

I tried to spread out similar dishes (ie Italian, beef vs chicken, etc). I didn't print it. I just go to the computer and check the planned meals each day. I know what I am planning to have and if I decide to make something different, I can just cut and paste and move things around. I have done this many times this month as various things have come up. I love it because I don't stress as much about sticking to the exact plan and don't have to erase and mark out stuff. Yes I am a perfectionist about certain things.

I hope this helps!

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR MEAL PLANNING IDEAS. PLEASE SHARE! ;)

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole

Mix Together:
3 cups sweet potatoes (if you do canned do a big can and drain off syrup 1st)
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
½ cup milk
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Put in Pan

Mix Together:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup butter, melted

Sprinkle on top

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Add mini marshmallows.

Bake until brown.

Eat at Home Challenge - Week 2

This week went pretty good. I threw in a couple of unplanned fast food stops (lunch for me, breakfast for Lee and me) that was about $11. The playdate was more than I planed (man those places get you on the food). So eating out was around $38 this week. Between last week and this week we did about $55ish.

Monday - Chicken Fajita Burritos w/ black beans and cilantro lime rice

Tuesday - Salisbury Steak w/ mashed potatoes and veggies

Wednesday - Church dinner

Thursday - Lee ate leftovers; we went to my mom's

Friday - Chicken Pot Pie

Saturday - Crockpot Lasagna

Sunday - Leftover CP Lasagna

Hoping this week is good. Have a moms' night out this week. Hoping to not spend much more than that and dinner at church. Hoping to be around $30 this week.

Borax, Where Have You Been All My Life?

So when I ventured out to make my own laundry soap, I came across something I had never used before...borax. It is a huge box and I was done with my laundry soap, so I wondered, "What else could you do with this stuff?" My awesome friend, Jessica, is all about organic living and she told me that she uses it for cleaning purposes such as bathrooms.

I decided to give it a try today when I cleaned my kids' bathroom. Now I hate to admit that it was pretty dirty. It needed a good scrubbing. So I got out the borax and put some in the toilet bowl per Jessica's recommendation. I scrubbed and the toilet bowl was flawless. I put some on a sponge and scrubbed the old yuckiness and it looks brand new again. WOW! I love that especially living in a house full of boys if you know what I mean. I decided to try it in the bathtub also and the tub looks brand new.

I am in love and his name is Borax. :)

Do you guys have any ideas for using borax?

Frozen Waffles and Pancakes

We love waffles and pancakes in our house, especially my 1st born son. He requests them nearly daily. While I enjoy making them, I don't always want to pull it all out and make a mess. So what I do is make a ton one day and freeze them. I let the extras cool and then I lay them flat on a baking sheet and put them in the freezer. Once they are frozen you can put them in a freezer bag. Then you just put them in the toaster and they are hot and fresh that morning. It is like having those Eggo waffles all ready to go without all of the additives. I personally think they are better the 2nd time because they get crunchy around the edges.

Any tips for cutting down on time for breakfast?

Baked Potato Soup - Tastes Just Like Outback's

I LOVE OUTBACK! It is in my top 5 favorite restaurants. Lee used to take me there all the time when we were dating and had way less expenses (ie kids, mortgage). My favorite thing there isn't the steaks even though they are great...it is their baked potato soup. It is awesome!

I thought it would be fun to make baked potato soup since I had a ton of potatoes. I got this recipe from Crock Pot Girls (they are great). It was just like Outback's. This could be a problem. LOL!

Here is the recipe:

Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients:
6 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 onion, diced
2 cans (14oz) chicken broth (roughly 4 cups)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, cut up into cubes
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 cup milk, cream, or half and half
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Put potatoes, onion, chicken broth, butter, salt, and pepper in crock pot.
Cook on high for 4 hours or low 8 hours.
Mash the potatoes.
Add milk, cream, or half and half and cheese and stir until combined.
Garnish with extra cheese, bacon (bits), and/or sour cream.

Eat at Home Challenge - Week 1

This week went great. We ate at home every night except for the planned night at church and one quick trip from me through McD's drive-thru for breakfast on my way to setup for a church event. So we spent $18 eating out this week. YAY!!! That is awesome.

Here's what we had to eat this week:

Monday - Lunch: Chili, Dinner: Ginger Chicken Stirfry
Tuesday - Lunch: Chili, Dinner: Pot Roast
Wednesday - Lunch: Leftover Pot Roast, Dinner: Church Dinner
Thursday - Lunch: Tacos/Quesadillas, Dinner: Brown Sugar Chicken, Rice, & Veggies
Friday - Lunch: Tacos, Dinner: Homemade BBQ Chicken Pizza
Saturday - Lunch: Leftover BBQ Chicken Pizza, Dinner: Spaghetti
Sunday - Lunch: Family Get Together, Dinner: Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

This week I am looking forward to being around $20-25 for eating out. I know we are doing church dinner and a playdate at a jump place (Groupon deal and it includes pizza and drink so I will probably buy Nathan and myself something there).

What are your tips for eating at home more?