Matzoh Ball Soup....and Passover

Last night ~ the first night of Passover, we had some friends over. We bbq'd and made some Matzoh Ball Soup....YUM. My favorite...I could eat this every week.
The size of pot we make the soup in is about a 5 gallon pot. So obviously we end up with plenty of left overs. We usually eat the leftovers the enrire weekend.
Today as I prepared the soup for the children I noticed the look of disappointment on their faces. Now mind you, Matzoh ball soup is not much different than chicken soup....it just has matzoh balls in it...but you can take or leave them, so this shouldn't hinder them eating the soup.

This caused me to start thinking about our weekly dinners. I realized that these children have been lacking in homemade foods...and dependent on quick fixes...like chicken nuggets, fries, and things of that sort. Since they are so used to having these types of foods....they have begun to dislike the healthy homemade dinners. This is very much the case of our society in the 21st century...we have become so busy, rushed, and tired .....that these quick, unhealthy meals are part of our every day lives.

I vowed to myself today that all of this is changing in my home. I have vowed to start using my crockpot more, start using the oven or grill...and less frying and fast type foods.
I know that healthy cooking isn't all that cheap~ until now!!!!!

There is a fix. A grocery store committed to providing healthy alternatives, but at an affordable price. Fresh & Easy...check them out: http://www.freshandeasy.com/whoweare.aspx

A great clip I just watched on better.tv was a perfect example of how I can change our eating habits in our home...I hope it might help you too.

http://www.better.tv/bettertv/?lid=1328193605&tid=1504332200


Let me know you stopped by to read ...and if you have hints on how your family is making healthier choses.

HuGs!

Simplifying Meal Times

Are you like me, and have trouble finding a plan to make dinner time peaceful, and simple?

Do you find yourself looking at the clock at 4pm and you realize you still have nothing planned for dinner, and that you have meat in the freezer that hasn't been thawed?

Would you like to spend more quality time with your family, and not slaving in front the stove for a hour or two?

Are you tired of running up to the fast food restaurant at the last minute, because you have no other plan?



If you answered yes to one of those questions, then I have some ideas to share with you....I hope one of the ideas I offer, will be something that can simplify your life and give you more time with your family....while saving money at the same time.



1. http://www.simplifysupper.com/ I ran across this site during my search. Each day of the week for one month, there is a meal, recipe and there is a grocery list for the week that you can print off, or even have sent in a text to your cell phone. The meals actually look really yummy too.



2. http://www.schwans.com/ I recall as a child my mother ordered her meals or food from the Schwans man each month. The food was always delicious and it saved her much needed time in the kitchen. It might not be the best place to save money, but it can save time and effort.



3. http://www.easymealprep.com/main/direct02.php Meal prep kitchens are very popular these days. This is a store front where, for a set price you select 12 meals and a session time. When you go in at the choosen time everything is chopped, minced, diced and layed out for you to put together all the ingredinets of each meal in a freezable container. When you get home you pop all 12 meals in to your freezer. When you want to make use of one, simpily defrost it and cook it. The benefits are tremendous. I could go on and on about it. The link I provided will bring you to a site where you can find out what is available in your area. I think I am going to try this out...this would be fun to do with a few of your friends at the same time. Sort of make a party out of it.



4. http://www.thegrocerygame.com/ What is The Grocery Game? The Grocery Game is a website that can save you hundreds of dollars on grocery bill each month. Log in, spend a few minutes with a pair of scissors, and you're off to win The Grocery Game!
When you play, you'll get a weekly list (called Teri's List) of the lowest-priced products at your supermarket matched with manufacturers' coupons and weekly specials -- advertised and unadvertised. The Grocery Game does all the hard work and research, and presents it to you in a straightforward format. The site includes recipes, and meal ideas also.



5. http://www.angelfoodministries.com/ Angel Food partners with churches and community organizations throughout the country to help distribute food to those in need. For $30.00* you can receive a box of food containing both fresh and frozen items. Their food items are top quality –they buy our food from major food producers throughout the country to ensure the best food comes to your table.

6. http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/angelfood/ Hillbilly housewife is full of resources for the kitchen and meal planning. Hillbilly Housewife also has teamed up to provide a monthy meal plan that coordinates with the angelfood ministry box of food.....


Well that's it for tonight. I hope that I was able to kindle a spark to get you all back in the kitchen, and away from McDonnalds or Jack in the Box at dinner time.

Please email me and let me know how you are doing...what you've been working on, and let me know how it all is working out for you.

Much love and hugs to you all,
~T

Simplifying Our Family Lives...Day 2

Good Morning~ Today is day two of the list of ideas I have to start making our homes more simple, comforting, peaceful, and enjoyable.
Remember the lists that I share, are not for you to bite all of the ideas off at once, and try to conquer them all, just take one or two of the ideas and try to work with them. Let me know how it comes out~
OK here we go!

3. Self-sufficiency. This one tip could simplify your life greatly, over time. However, it will make things more complicated in the short term. The idea is to teach your kids to do things for themselves as they get older and more capable. Teaching them to do something themselves instead of just doing it yourself takes time and can be a little frustrating at first, but it will pay off for years to come. My kids, for example, can make themselves breakfast, shower and dress themselves, brush their teeth, and generally get themselves ready in the morning with only minimal prompting from us. They can clean their rooms, wash dishes, sweep, mop, dust, wash the car. The older ones can cook basic dishes and babysit the younger ones. This type of self-sufficiency has saved my wife and me tons of time and trouble over the years.

4. Prep the night before. Mornings can be a hectic time for parents and kids alike, but they don’t have to be. Instead, prep as much as possible the night before, and have your mornings be a little more relaxed. I like to prep lunches, get their clothes ready (and mine as well), and have them shower, get their homework and school bags ready. Then the morning is simply eating breakfast, a little grooming, getting dressed, and gathering everything together before you head out the door. It’s a great way to start your day.
This is has been one of the main reasons I am able to keep my sanity each morning ~getting the kids ready and out the door for school at 8am.

5. Let things go sometimes. I’m not always good at this, but it’s something I work on constantly: don’t always be so strict. Let things go. They’re kids — let them live. I have a tendency to be very strict about things, but I remind myself constantly that it’s not worth all the hassle to get on their cases about things. Instead, let things go, and just relax. They’ll turn out just fine in the end, as long as you love and support them. Ask yourself if you will remember, while laying on your death bed, the stuff you let go or the time you took for your family/children?


There you have Day 2 .......I'm going to work on all 3 of these things ~ I've not been practicing the letting things go. I do notice when I let things go, sometimes, I am less angry, less stressed, and I enjoy life and family 100% more.

Make today a great one!!!
Love,
~T

Simplify Your Family Life

As a mother of 7 children under the age of 16~ I'm always looking for ways to save money, spend less, and live a less stressful life ~ all in order to have harmony in the home.

I've created a list of things that has worked wonderfully in our home and created peacefulness and comforts in the midst of the busyness of life with 7 kids.

For the next few days, I'd like to share my list with you ~ and ask you to share your ideas, and take my challenge to try out these things in your home.....to see if it creates the peace you are longing for. The list might seem complicated to some, but don't try to tackle everything on the list at once, take one bite at a time...and chew on it. You won't be disappointed!

OK here we go!

1. Dedicate a specific day and or time for Family Time. Try to find regular times in your schedule when you do nothing else but spend time together as a family. For some people, dinner time works well — everyone sits down to dinner together as a family, and no other activities are planned at that time. For others, weekends, or maybe just one day of the weekend, work better. We used to use Sundays as family day~ now we are switching it to Friday nights. We try not to schedule anything else on that night into Saturday morning except time for our family. It’s something we look forward to.

2. Create weekly routines. Aside from regular family times (mentioned above), it’s good to have a weekly routine that’s written out and posted somewhere everyone can see it. A weekly routine might include regular practice times, house cleaning day, washing the car, yard work day, errands day, recurring appointments, etc. This makes the schedule more predictable for everyone, and eliminates a lot of surprises. If you think about going to school, and why large amounts of children are able to function in a classroom....it's because there is a posted schedule. This helps alleviate the 'unknown' and their is lack of boredom. This works really well especially for children with disabilities, but I believe it works for EVERYONE.

3. Focus on doing, not on spending. Too often we send messages to our kids about how to live life, based on what we do: we like to go shopping, and eat out, and go to the movies, and so our kids learn that having fun means spending money. We focus on material things, and therefore so do they. Instead, teach them (by talking but also by your actions) that what’s important is doing stuff, not buying stuff. Go for walks in the park, play outdoors, play board games, read, tell stories, play charades, cook and clean, go to the beach or lake, build stuff, wash the car. Spend quality time together, doing stuff that doesn't cost money.


OK there are 3 things to get you started on simplifying your life!! I challenge you to pick one right now..and put it into action. Once you pick the act, write me, and tell me which one you chose, and how you are going to put it to action. Then keep me updated.

I look forward to creating a simple life and a peaceful family with you!

Making Today A Great Day,
~T