Menu Plan Monday 10/31-11/6

This is the last week of the menu planning challenge at Keeper of the Home. I have loved being a part of that and getting TONS of recipe ideas from the other participants.

This week is not at a normal week for us! We have quite a few church activities that include dinner, so I really only have to cook dinner for us twice this week. Of course, I will be bringing dishes to share at the church activities, but making one dish is much easier than preparing a whole meal! That being said, here is our menu plan for the week.

Monday

• Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; Leftovers and smoothie
• Dinner: Crockpot chicken curry and fruit
• Prep: Thaw muffins

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Eggs, muffins and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; Leftovers and smoothie
• Dinner: Pops and Pasta (music department fundraiser at my sister's school)
• Prep:  Thaw bacon and sausage and soak oatmeal

Wednesday

• Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; Leftovers and smoothie
• Dinner: Zuppa tuscano, whole wheat biscuits and fruit
• Prep: Thaw muffins and make pumpkin bars

Thursday

• Breakfast: Eggs, muffins and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; Leftovers and smoothie
• Dinner: Small group cookout at Sliger's (bringing pumpkin bars)
• Prep: Soak oatmeal

Friday

• Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; Leftovers and smoothie
• Dinner: Leftovers
• Prep: Soak pancake batter, thaw bacon and hot dogs and make salmon pasta salad

Saturday

• Breakfast: Soaked whole wheat pancakes, bacon and fruit
• Lunch: Hot dogs, chips and fruit
• Dinner: Missions conference potluck (bringing salmon pasta salad)
• Prep: Thaw muffins and make pumpkin bars

Sunday

• Breakfast: Eggs, muffins and fruit
• Lunch: Church fellowship
• Dinner: Preschool parent's night potluck (bringing pumpkin bars)
• Prep: Thaw hot dogs

Chicken

This summer I was encouraged to try cooking a whole chicken in the crockpot and then using the bones for broth. Not only is it extremely nutritious, it is also frugal. Since then, I have done it three times and am amazed by the results each time! I was intimidated at first, but once I decided to give it a try, I realized I had nothing to be scared of. Seriously, SO easy!

Here is what you do:

1. Get a chicken.

2. Rinse your chicken and put it in the crock-pot.







3. Put the lid on, turn the crock-pot on low, set the timer for  8-10 hours and walk away (or go to bed, like I did!).

4. Turn the crock-pot off and let the chicken cool (if you are wanting to eat the chicken for dinner, put it in the crock-pot in the morning instead of overnight).
                                                  

5. Now, I hate to waste food, so at this point I take the skin off
of the chicken and put it in a frying pan. I cook the skin according to these directions and put the fat in a glass jar in my fridge. I cook our eggs, veggies and various other foods in it. I would only recommend doing this if you buy pastured chickens.

6. Take the meat off the bones. I freeze ours and use it in various soups and casseroles. From this 5 lb. chicken, I will probably be able to get meat for 5-6 meals, not counting the leftovers from those meals.

7. Put the bones back in the crock-pot and cover with 5-6 cups of water. Cook on low for 24 hours. I was able to get a gallon of broth from these bones.




And that is all there is to it! Check out these resources for reasons why homemade broth is so good for you: here and here.

Chicago

Chicago is a significant place for our family. I spent three years living in the city going to school at Moody Bible Institute and, while Kerry and I met in Ohio, we spent the first part of our dating relationship together in Chicago and the second part long distance with one of us traveling to or from Peoria or Chicago most weekends so we could be together. Our first date and first Valentine's Day together took place there. So, needless to say, Chicago holds a special place in our hearts!

Two weeks ago (I know, I am late getting this post up!) we had the opportunity to travel there again, Kerry for school and me to visit dear friends. It was a wonderful time for both of us, as Kerry had the great opportunity to present his research findings at Argonne and I was able to catch up with my dear college friends and hear what the Lord is doing in and through them. It was especially wonderful to see Janie, my best friend from college and a bridesmaid from my wedding, who I had not seen since last November. With the exception of my roommate, none of those girls had gotten to meet Julian yet, either, so it was special to be able to introduce them all to my son. We spent several hours talking and catching up and walking the streets of Chicago, getting ice cream (cider for me!), burritos and free chocolate samples. It was a wonderful time of refreshment and I am so thankful the Lord allowed me the opportunity to visit.

All of us, minus Hailey and Hilary

The Storms' and the Sliger's in front of Inspiration Kitchen

On Saturday, we met up with good friends from church and visited the Shedd aquarium as well as a very cool restaurant, Inspiration Kitchen (highly recommended, by the way!). Julian and Eli did great all day long, and I think Simeon would have been happy to just ride the train all day! We had a great time exploring the city with these guys and are so blessed to have them as friends.

Menu Plan Monday 10/24-10/30

I felt off this entire week. We were in Chicago until late Sunday, Julian and I got sick on Wednesday and I started watching two more kids. As far as meal planning went, this translated into four trips to the grocery store between Monday and Saturday. Yikes! I still managed to stick with our plan and adapted a few things along the way.

Apple pie oatmeal we enjoyed for breakfast three times this week

Because of the off week I had, I planned very simple meals for this week, many of them coming from our freezer. So, without further ado, here is the Storms family menu plan for this week!

Monday

• Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; Leftovers and smoothie
• Dinner: Tacos, spanish rice and fruit
• Prep: Thaw chili and soak cornbread batter

Tuesday

• Breakfast: One World
• Lunch: Standard lunch; Leftovers and smoothie
• Dinner: Chicken chili, cornbread and fruit
• Prep: Soak oatmeal

Wednesday

• Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; Leftovers and smoothie
• Dinner: Family group (bringing chips and salsa)
•  Prep: Thaw soup, muffins and biscuits

Thursday

• Breakfast: Eggs, muffins and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; Leftovers and smoothie
• Dinner: Freezer soup buffet, whole wheat biscuits and fruit
• Prep: Soak oatmeal

Friday

• Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; Leftovers and smoothie
• Dinner: Leftovers
• Prep: Soak pancake batter and thaw bacon and hot dogs

Saturday

• Breakfast: Soaked whole wheat pancakes, bacon and fruit
• Lunch: Hot dogs, carrots and fruit
• Dinner: Missions dinner
• Prep: Thaw muffins

Sunday

• Breakfast: Eggs, muffins and fruit
• Lunch: Church lunch
• Dinner: Logan's Roadhouse
• Prep: Thaw beef roast and buns and soak oatmeal

Sick Sunday

Not a title I want to repeat often! Julian and I have been fighting colds since Wednesday morning. I thought we were getting better, but when I woke up this morning I could barely speak, let alone breath through my nose.

Life with a sick baby would be much easier, I think, if he could blow his nose! The baby torture device nose sucker thing (what is the correct name for that, anyways?) causes loud cries and flailing about before I even get it in his nose. I don't blame him...I would probably react the same way if someone tried to shove that up my nose.

Being a stay-at-home mom, I especially do not like missing church. Not only am I missing out on being fed from the Word (and teaching the Word to our third grade Sunday school class) through Pastor Tom, but I am also missing out on one of the few opportunities I have each week for community. I know that I can (and did!) spend time being fed from the Word in the comfort of my own home, but no amount of sermon videos and worship Cd's can replace the benefits of actually going to church on a Sunday morning. 

This whole month I have been reading I John for my quiet time. In my ideal world I would have time to read the whole book from start to finish in one sitting every day, but reality is that I only managed to do that twice this week, once being this morning. After spending time in Chicago last week and walking down Michigan Avenue with some good friends, I was struck by the consumerism of many American people. We walked through the American Girl store and the Lego store, amidst demanding children and acquiescing parents, and I was reminded of this passage from I John 2:

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father, but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

I wrote this out and am going to pin it up on the bulletin board in our living room today as a reminder to me who, at times, can be just as demanding as those little children in the toy stores for trivial worldly things that will only pass away. 

Real Food Wednesday: Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am linking up with Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop today.

My husband LOVES sweets! When I talked with him about a month ago and told him about what I was learning about real food, he encouraged me to keep learning and gave his blessing for me to begin changing the things we eat. His only concern was what all of this would mean for the sweets I had always made for him. This recipe was born by tweaking the classic Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookies recipe. It got a thumbs up from the hubby!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup granulated sugar (I am using up the white sugar in our house before venturing into alternative sweeteners!)

1/2 c. honey (substituted for the brown sugar...once all my white sugar is gone, I will try this recipe using all honey!)

1/2 cup real butter, softened

1/2 cup unrefined coconut oil, melted

1 teaspoon real vanilla extract

1 teaspoon real coconut extract

1 egg

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, cream sugar, honey, butter and oil for a few minutes with an electric mixer. Add vanilla, coconut and egg, beating until well combined. Beat in flour, baking soda and salt until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

2. On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded measuring teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart. The smaller cookies make a better shape and don’t spread out so much.

3. Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until very light golden brown (centers will be soft). Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Note: I always turn these into bar cookies. They freeze better and take less time to make!

To do that, rub butter all over a 9x13 pan and pour the batter in. Bake at same temperature as above for 18-20 minutes.

Menu Plan Monday 10/17-23

After a fun-filled trip to Chicago, it is wonderful to be back in our cozy apartment. I love traveling, but there is just something about the familiarity of your own home and kitchen. I missed cooking our own meals and sleeping in our own bed. But, more on the trip in a different post!

Today is week four of the meal planning challenge at Keeper of the Home and I am ready! I have actually been trying to stay two weeks out in our meal planning lately and have done pretty well with this. We have an extremely full freezer, so meals this week and next are capitalizing on that. I love when I can do that because it makes for an easy peasy grocery shopping trip! Without further ado, here is the Storms family menu plan for this week.

Monday

• Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal and fruit (I turned this into apple pie oatmeal based on a recommendation from a friend over the weekend!)
• Lunch: Standard lunch; leftovers and smoothies
• Dinner: Hamburgers, potato wedges and fruit
• Prep: Thaw chicken and muffins and soak quinoa

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Eggs, muffins and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; leftovers and smoothies
• Dinner: Chicken and quinoa and fruit
• Prep: Thaw ground beef and soak oatmeal

Wednesday

• Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; leftovers and smoothies
• Dinner: Sloppy joes, sweet potato wedges and fruit
• Prep: Thaw muffins and ground beef

Thursday

• Breakfast: Eggs, muffins and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; leftovers and smoothies
• Dinner: Creamed ground beef, whole wheat biscuits and fruit
• Prep: Soak oatmeal

Friday

• Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; leftovers and smoothies
• Dinner: Leftovers
• Prep: Soak pancake batter, thaw bacon, hot dogs and sausage and make pizza dough

Saturday

• Breakfast: Soaked whole wheat pancakes, bacon and fruit
• Lunch: Hot dogs, carrots and fruit
• Dinner: Homemade pizza and fruit
• Prep: Thaw muffins

Sunday

• Breakfast: Eggs, muffins and fruit
• Lunch: Church lunch
• Dinner: Popcorn and smoothies/milk shakes
• Prep: Soak oatmeal and rice and thaw ground beef

Menu Plan Monday 10/10-10/16

It is week three of the menu planning challenge at Keeper of the Home. This week is a little different for our family as the three of us will be heading up to Chicago on Thursday and not coming home until Sunday. I am doing simple meals to allow myself plenty of time to get everything together for our trip. This is the first big trip with Julian! To save money on meals, I plan to bring food along for breakfasts and lunches. We will plan on eating dinner out. One of the best parts of traveling back there (I spent three years living downtown while I went to college) is going back to my favorite restaurants. So, here is the Storms family menu plan for this out of the ordinary week of traveling!

Monday

• Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; leftovers and smoothies
• Dinner: Leftover soup, whole wheat biscuits and fruit
• Prep: Thaw muffins and ground beef

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Eggs, muffins and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; leftovers and smoothies
• Dinner: Spaghetti and fruit
• Prep: Soak oatmeal, beans and cornbread batter and thaw ground beef

Wednesday

• Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; leftovers and smoothies
• Dinner: Chili, whole wheat cornbread and fruit
• Prep: Thaw muffins and get food for Chicago trip together

Thursday

• Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; on the road
• Dinner: Chicago

Friday

• Breakfast: Muffins and fruit
• Lunch: Packed lunch
• Chicago

Saturday

• Breakfast: Muffins and fruit
• Lunch: Packed lunch
• Inspiration Kitchen

Sunday

• Breakfast: Muffins and fruit
• Lunch: Packed lunch
• Dinner: Popcorn and smoothies/milkshakes

Julian: 5 months and an update

Julian turned 5 months old yesterday! We went to the doctor today, but it was just a shots visit, so they did not do any measurements. Here is an update on his stats thus far:

2 weeks old

• Weight: 7 lbs. 4 oz.
• Length: 21 in.
• Head circumference: 35 cm.

2 months old

• Weight: 10 lbs. 6 oz.
• Length: 23.25 in.
• Head circumference: 39 cm.

4 months old

• Weight: 13 lbs. 1 oz.
• Length: 24.8 in.
• Head circumference: 41.5 cm.

5 months old

 

 

Julian: month by month

 If you have been following on facebook, I have been posting a picture of Julian next to his teddy bear wearing his black and white diaper cover sitting in the rocker my mom reupholstered each month of his life. Here is a recap of the first 4 months of his life. Tomorrow I will post his 5 month picture and an update on his stats over the past 4 months as well.

One month

Two months

Three months

Four months

Menu Plan Monday 10/3-10/9

It is the second official week of the menu planning challenge at Keeper of the Home and I am loving all the menus that are getting shared there! I have gleaned TONS of new recipes to try out over the next several weeks.

Here is the Storms family menu plan for this week:

Monday

• Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal and fruit (I put honey on Kerry's oatmeal every time we have it and I typically switch up toppings...maple syrup, raisins, cinnamon, nuts etc.)
• Lunch: Standard lunch; leftovers and smoothies
• Dinner: Pumpkin cabbage soup, whole wheat biscuits and fruit
• Prep: Thaw ground beef and muffins and soak beans and cornbread batter

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Eggs, muffins and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; lunch with Kelsey (hopefully!)
• Dinner: Chili, whole wheat organic cornbread and fruit
• Prep: Soak oatmeal

Wednesday

• Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; leftovers and smoothies
• Dinner: Salmon patties, potato wedges and fruit
• Prep: Thaw muffins and soak dumplings

Thursday

• Breakfast: Eggs, muffins and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; leftovers and smoothies
• Dinner: Chicken and dumplings and fruit
• Prep: Soak oatmeal

Friday

• Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal and fruit
• Lunch: Standard lunch; leftovers and smoothies
• Dinner: Leftovers
• Prep: Soak pancake batter, thaw bacon and hot dogs and make pizza dough

Saturday

• Breakfast: Whole wheat pancakes, bacon and fruit (I usually make a decision while making the pancake batter what "mix-ins" to put in them....organic chocolate chips, bananas, apples, pears, nuts etc.)
• Lunch: Hot dogs, carrots and fruit
• Dinner: Homemade pizza and fruit
• Prep: Thaw muffins

Sunday

• Breakfast: Eggs, muffins and fruit
• Lunch: Church lunch
• Dinner: Popcorn and smoothies/milkshakes
• Prep: TBD based on whatever I decide to make for Monday!