Comments on: Getting a Fresh Start to the New Year

By: Emily

Emily — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 05:28:12 +0000

I use Blurb to turn our family’s personal blog into a family yearbook with all of our pictures from the year, and the great part is I just have to arrange and edit- my photos and text are already there! Working on my 8th book now, and also creating a separate book of my daughter’s first year- I’ve been super pleased with the quality of printing.

By: Lee

Lee — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 02:02:36 +0000

In reply to Lindsey. Well you have all those restrictions to work this - does make it tough I am sure!

By: Lee

Lee — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 02:02:17 +0000

In reply to Mendy.

That’s what I need to do. Figure out what my 20 “go to” recipes are (that the majority of everyone in our family likes!) and occasionally rotate in a new recipe. I go to ALL this effort to try new wonderful things and then no one likes it. So defeating! Thanks you so much for taking the time to comment – so helpful to more than just myself I am sure!

By: Lee

Lee — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 02:01:16 +0000

In reply to Mackenzie. Oh my goodness this is all such wonderful advice!! I am going to read this about five times! I like to use cookbooks, too. Agree on the Pinterest thing for sure! And definitely love that grace night! Thank you again!

By: Mackenzie

Mackenzie — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 22:16:24 +0000

Meal planning has always been something I’ve strived to improve since becoming a mom. I know the importance of eating at home, we eat better, my son eats better, and he’s exposed to a variety of foods that are not necessary staples of the kid menu at local restaurants. Here are a few ideas that have helped me:

1. I use the weekend to plan. I personally love to cook out of cookbooks. Most recipes I use from cookbooks I end up having more success with than something from pinterest. I think part of the reason is that recipes published in cookbooks have been tested multiple times before they are published. Also, I like to make notes in my cookbooks and mark my favorites. Barefoot Contessa is my go-to, I also love Cooks Illustrated (although these recipes can be a bit more complicated), and recently a cookbook called skinnytaste. Also, I’m so guilty of this, but read the ENTIRE recipe before you start to make it. I can’t tell you how many times I started a recipe and halfway through I realize I was supposed to soak beans or marinate something overnight.

2. Choose at least one day to use a slowcooker and one night for fish. Fish is super easy to prepare and takes very little prep. I also have a friend that picks her recipes based around protein and day of the week. (For example… Monday – meatless Monday, Tuesday – fish, Wednesday – Chicken, etc). Love this idea so you’re not eating chicken 4 times a week.

3. I try to aim for at least one night of grace or leftovers.

4. Choose some meals that you can marinate overnight or prep the night before. After my son is in bed I’ll marinate a flank steak or chicken. The next day I just have to throw it in oven or on the grill. Along this line, if I make something like enchiladas, soup, lasagna, or really anything that’s freezer friendly I put half in the freezer for another day and the other half I use for that night. That way I have a meal ready for days where life just gets in the way.

5. Go to the grocery store before Monday. This is key for me. If I don’t have what I need to make dinner on Monday, my whole week is thrown off and we end up doing take-out more than I’d like to admit.

By: Mendy

Mendy — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 21:43:45 +0000

Hi! I make a weekly meal plan and it really helps! I love trying new recipes but I usually only pick one or two new ones a week and the rest of the week I make meals that I know my family really likes. I try to keep a list of about 20 meals that are my “go to” recipes and rotate those so we are not having the same things every week. My family loves meatloaf, spaghetti, spaghetti tacos (weird but is actually good), buttermilk chicken, rigatoni, homemade pizza, walking tacos, chicken spaghetti, chicken Caesar pasta salad, muffin tin lasagne, skillet lasagne just to name a few. Hope this helps!!

By: Lindsey

Lindsey — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 19:57:42 +0000

Love these resolutions! I’ve been working on keeping my car cleaner too and it definitely just makes me feel better. Need to get your organizer! Also need to improve my meal planning too.. I just get uninspired!

By: Lee

Lee — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 19:12:02 +0000

In reply to Ashley. Oh my goodness thank you!!! This is wonderful and yes, would love for others to share as well! I need to try that goulash!

By: Ashley

Ashley — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 17:00:46 +0000

Meal planning……I’m horrible at this. I can so relate to trying random recipes and not sticking with what I know my family will eat. I get stuck in a rut often. I do have some go to meals, but even those get old.
1. Meat sauce- I use a version of paula dean’s goulash recipe
2. Shrimp and pasta- heavy cream, white wine, onions, garlic, Shrimp. SO easy. So delicious!
3. baked potatoes with fixings
4. rotisserie chicken
5 marinated chicken – grilled
6 Tyson’s teriyaki marinated pork tenderloin. Grilled; sliced and and served on Hawaiian rolls.
7. Baked crispy catfish- catfish coated in egg wash, parm, cavendar, ritz breading.
8. Baked pork chops- browned , covered in 2 cans of cream of celery soup. Baked.
9. Roast- brown – place in crock pot. Add packet of zesty Italian seasoning and jar of pepperocini peppers.
*hope others will share their tried and true recipes.