Frugal Father's Day

I am so excited. In two and a half months I am going on a trip of a lifetime. I am so lucky to be saying that I will be partaking on an adventure to, what I consider to be the mother country, Ireland! I am also going to spend five days in London as well. I am even luckier because I will get to share this experience with my loving parents, sister, and husband. I am beyond excited! Now, with my departure date looming closer and closer, my purse strings appear to be getting tighter and tighter. I just know that when I’m doing my thing (aka shopping!) in the UK, I’ll totally regret it if I don’t save up enough money to really go for the gusto…I mean, come on, it’s Europe! Did I mention that I’m excited?!?
So, my husband and I have come up with a pact, cutting out a bit of the unnecessaries where we can. One place we decided to skim on this year was gift-giving to each other. He is already famous for saying, “I don’t need any gifts” (don’t you just hate that?) so I told him that, this year, I would carbon copy my mother’s day to his father’s day. I had an awesome mother’s day, of course, and even though it was gift-free I got plenty of the real gifts that matter in life – little kisses, big hugs, works of art from my three year old and a lazy day with my favorite people in the whole entire world.

Now, with Father’s Day coming up, it’s up to me to be creative – without spending much/anything. Haha…jokes on him, I have Pinterest! I’m totally going to rock it.

In our family it’s funny because Mother’s Day usually centers on breakfast and Father’s Day centers around supper…and the BBQ. So my plans for a Frugal Father’s Day are going to break down to this:

1. Awesome supper with plenty of hearty man-food.

2. Adorable handmade crafts from the kids and

3. A spin on an old classic, as a gift from yours truly.

Let’s just say that I’m doing a carbon copy of mother’s day but I’m putting some glitter and awesome dust on it too.
Food

This should be a fairly easy thing to come up with. What are his favorites? For my husband, he has a major sweet tooth for Reece peanut butter cups so I’m pretty sure that this Reece’s Cheesecake Brownies would be a huge hit.

Check out Pinterest...you can pretty much find a cake, cupcake, bar, or cookie inspired by any and every chocolate bar known to man kind! I think a few of these would go over quite nicely as well (click on the picture to be taken to the recipe):

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Beer-battered Pickles

Buffalo Chicken Potato Skins

Décor

I LOVE this tie themed banner and flag set, available for free download at Amanda’s Parties to Go! It doesn’t take much to sneak downstairs after everyone’s gone to bed (or before they wake up) and put up a little pizzazz to wow them in the morning!

Gift Options from the kids

I love this Father’s Day survey from The Creative Homemaker! My three year old comes up with the most hilarious stuff so I would love to sit down with her one night and fill this out. Plus there’s lots of white space for her to “decorate” it afterwards. It’s a nice idea to do one of these every year and then bind them together in a scrapbook!

Here’s another idea from Kinderpendent that you could do with your little one…create a quotation book to chronicle all those adorable things your kids say. You can dress it up with a bit of cardstock, ribbon, etc. This would definitely be a book to cherish for years to come – just make sure you leave some blank space for those gems that are yet to come!

I have been seeing these bookmarks a lot lately on Pinterest and have been waiting for a chance to make one. How cute are they and think of all the fun you’ll have making them with your kids (check out this link for more info)!

Gift from Wifey

So, when we agreed to not buy any gifts for each other this year I knew that I was still going to make him something. When I thought about it, I came up with something that would be perfect. A coupon book. Yes, just like we use to make when we were little BUT this time, it’s going to be filled with some very important coupons (in a parent’s world anyways!). Example, what does my husband really hate doing? Hmmm…how about: get out of one poopy diaper, one foot rub while we watch the sports channel, one sleep in until the time of your choosing, and so on and so forth (if you’re really brave you could include a “blank cheque” one too!). What is really important to him…or what are one of those annoying daily life tasks that he can get out of. Yes, it’s more elbow grease from you but, personally, I’ll be happy when I’m trying on a pair of new shoes at Harrods in London that I couponed my way out of this one! Check out Martha Stewart.com for an awesome Father’s Day coupon book template.

With a little creativity and a lot of heart you can make a wonderful Father’s Day. It really is the thought that counts and I think that putting in the effort is worth so much more than anything you could buy in the store!

Here’s a little poem that I want to include in my hubby’s card – he always makes me cry with those cheesy box store cards…let’s see how he holds up to this, handwritten by my daughter!

Weight Loss...finally!

Since last September I have been on a weight loss journey.  I had a sweet baby girl in April of 2011 and, after taking the summer off, I decided in the fall that it was time to get up and get moving again.  If I wasn't careful, I was worried that I would never lose that dreaded baby weight.  PLUS, to top things off, I was still carrying around some twenty pounds of extra weight from my first pregnancy!

As you may know I am also a type one diabetic.  So, losing weight for me has always been a struggle because, along with normal food cravings and stresses that go with trying to drop a few pounds, I also have to deal with high and low blood glucose levels.  In the past I had just ignored my problems, with the hopes that they would magically go away.  Guess how that turned out!?

By chance one day I was having a coffee date with my girlfriend Amy.  We got on the topic of weight loss and she told me about this app that she had started using a few days prior.  Well, I didn't know it at the time but this conversation was going to change my life, literally!  The app was called My Fitness Pal and it can be used on pretty much any phone (or they also have a website).  The idea behind my fitness pal is very simple, and I believe it's this simplicity that has made it so easy for me to stick with it.  You input all your information - including your weight loss goals (do you want to lose one pound a week, half a pound, etc.) - and you are given a calorie allowance for the day.  If you work out and burn up extra calories you can eat more.  One of My Fitness Pal's best features is that, when using the app on your phone, you can scan the barcodes of the foods you are eating and the nutritional information pops up in the food logging area, it's that easy!  If you are eating let's say an apple, there is a food search option for items that do not have a barcode.

I can tell you this now, but, when I first started with My Fitness Pal, my BMI was just inside the obese category (!!!!! WTF!) and, now, I am so happy to report I am in the healthy category!  I've added a button to my blog that shows how far I've come, to date, I'm down 34 pounds!
Another aspect of My Fitness Pal that has made it a lot easier to stick to is it's social media design.  You can friend people and cheer each other on.  Personally, I've connected with tons of other diabetics (who also use an insulin pump) where, in my real life, I only know one other person who actually wears one.  Finding people who are in a similar situation to yourself can really help with the encouragement factor.

So, if you are a user of My Fitness Pal or decide that you want to go join up today, make sure you look me up!  Let's cheer each other on! :)

Here's some other resources to help you with your own weight loss journey!


You dont' need fancy equipment or an expensive gym membership to get moving!  Take this 'Fitness at Home' challenge, posted on Pinterest by Laura Merrik, and you'll see results guaranteed!

 



If you're like me you will have your i-pod BLARING music to keep you motivated...check out the Top 100 workout songs from the 1990's!

  

photo source: http://purplefoodie.com/apple-chips/

Eat healthy snacks...I love to make apple chips!  There are a few reasons they are awesome - first so easy to make.  Also, very yummy!  AND..they make your house smell DEVINE when they're baking!  Here's how you can make some:
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees
2. Slice your apples (I like to go very thin because that makes them crunchier when they're baked) - Cut them evenly for a consistent crunch!
3. Sprinkle them with cinnamon
4. Bake them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 2 hours (turn them over after an hour)
5.Enjoy!

 

Do this!

I sincerely do wish you the best in your own weight related efforts and encourage you to check out My Fitness Pal...I honestly don't know where I would be without all the support I draw from it! :)


Also - one last quick tip: start a healthy living pin board on pinterest!! You can draw SO MUCH inspiration there too!  Here's a link to my pin board for just such a thing: http://pinterest.com/mrslavaj/healthy-lifestyle/

Mother's Day Love

Happy Mother's Day to all you hard working Mama's out there!! 
It's so funny because on my first few Mother's Days I expected so much.  Yes, I thought, I shall be pampered and waiting on for these 24 hours and none of my regular mother-like duties shall apply.  Well, I was usually disappointed to find that it really was like most Sundays - but I did get to sleep in! LOL...these days I'm happy to enjoy my special day - still wiping bums and cleaning up messes - but I've since discovered the real importance of today.  I love my girls with all my heart and seeing them bring me their homemade pictures and their proud face hand me some flowers,well,  it melts my heart.  I'm also so thankful to spend part of this day honouring my own mother and mother-in-law.  Wow, do they ever do a lot to help me and my family out, to support us in every way they can, and they are always there cheering us on.  I love you guys!
Here's how my day broke down in a nutshell (I hope you enjoyed your day as well!)...

sunny morning enjoying the outside world



Me and Little Miss S

"mom - I found this for you!"



I love these cards, decorated with scribbles and pictures from the girls...I always cry from the cheesy saying inside! :)



Beautiful flowers from my husband and girls

 



We served an AWESOME punch - all it takes is a can of frozen pink lemonade concentrate and 4 cups of white cranberry juice and then refridgerate for an hour.  Before serving add in some club soda and fresh mint and voila - sparkling pink punch!



The ladies and I (minus Kate who was napping)





Chocolate Covered Wow Factor (in no time flat!)

Today, sadly, my daughter had her last music class.  I say sadly because the whole experience with this program has been so positive.  She has learned a lot, met new friends, and even got to showcase what she learned earlier in the month, when the kids were part of an adorable play (the Three Piggy Opera).  I've loved going to the class with her and sitting with a group of moms while we waited for the kids (the teacher was absolutely awesome too); we were a group that really jived together well and I'm sort of sad that our weekly meetings have now come to an end!  Of course we have exchanged numbers with promises of play dates and I really hope that we follow through and continue meet up every once in a while in the future.
Because it was the last class, we had a recital of sorts, where the kids sang little solos and "played" the piano to various songs.  I was proud of Scarlett, who did so awesome!
We all brought some treats for after the performances, I opted to make some chocolate covered brownie bites.
I wanted to share this with you because they were so yummy, so easy to make, and they give off a great wow factor!  As you know, I'm back at work full time, so I don't have a lot of extra time to be baking things in the middle of the work week.  These, however, were perfect for me and my tight schedule.

Here's how you can make some of your own:
1. Bake a pan of brownies (from a box is even better because it is so very quick - you don't even need to pull out your mixer, just hand mix the ingredients). 
2. After they've cooled, break up the brownies into a bowl and then form them into balls (rolling them with your hands).

3.I put the sticks in at this point (which I bought at Micheal's craft store) and then put them in the freezer for 15 minutes to set.

4.I melted some Wilton Melts chocolate in the microwave (according the the package instructions) and then dipped my brownie bits.

 5.Apply your sprinkles of choice and let the chocolate harden on a piece of wax paper (approximately 20 minutes).

6.I tied ribbons onto each stick for a little extra whoomp!

They were perfect and quick.  The brownies are soooo very moist and very yummy.  I love these because you can change up the colour of the chocolate or sprinkles to match your own party's theme.  And, it looks like you've created something amazing - which you have - but no one needs to know you whipped it up like nothing! ;)

Like I said, we love our music teacher and I only hope that we are lucky enough to be in one of her classes again in the future.  We brought her a little gift - Scarlett coloured her a picture (lol - a self portrait!) and then I went to an amazing chocolate boutique I know of (one of the benefits of working downtown!) and got her some uberly delicious chocolate coconut disks and butter crunch.  I made a little tag for the chocolates, which was a picture of a lollipop with the words "you are so sweet" on it.

I know that as my kids get older, and are involved in the various different activities they will undoubtedly be a part of, I will meet a lot of different parents and teachers/coaches/instructors, etc.  If every experience parallels this one, I will be very happy, and will make a lot of friends along the way!

Chocolate Guinness Cake

Last night was a very special night because my family and I were celebrating both my Dad and Mom's birthdays and my little sister's college graduation.  I was given the task of bringing the birthday cake (I always volunteer for anything baking related) and had set off in search of that perfect cake!

I had a few different options in mind, mostly ones that I had pinned onto my 'baking/desert' board on Pinterest.  When I logged onto to check what I had saved, my eye immediately went to the absolute perfectly suiting cake for our celebration...yes, I'm talking about a Chocolate Guinness Cake!

This cake is so suiting for us for many different reasons.  First, I love to try baking anything new and different.  Also, my husband and dad are both Guinness freaks so I knew it would be a hit with them.  And, furthermore, my family is partaking on a trip to Ireland this summer so I thought it would be a great way to tie that in as well (my sisters graduation gift were some Euros)!

I got the recipe from Design Sponge. which by the way, has so gorgeous pictures of this cake.  It is simple to make and doesn't require any crazy ingredients or baking tools!  Perfect.

Chocolate Guinness Cake

Ingredients:■250 g (1 c. and 2 tbsp) unsalted butter
■250 ml (1 c.) Guinness

■75 g Dutch process cocoa ( 3/4 c.), sifted

■275 g (2 + 1/4 c.) all purpose flour, sifted

■2 tsp. baking soda

■400 g (2 c.) sugar

■2 medium eggs

■150 ml (2/3 c.) sour cream

■1 tbsp. good quality vanilla extract

Frosting:■300 g (1 + 1/3 cup) cream cheese

■150 g (1+1/2 c.) powdered sugar, sifted

■150 ml (2/3 c.) cream, whipped

Baking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 180C/350F.

1. Add butter, cocoa and Guinness to a saucepan. Warm over a medium heat and stir until melted. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to cool slightly.

2. Add flour, baking soda and sugar to a large mixing bowl and mix together well. Pour in the Guinness/cocoa/butter mixture, lightly combine, add the vanilla, eggs and sour cream and beat everything together until well combined. The batter should be thick and dark chocolate in color.

3. Pour into a greased and lined 10″ angel food pan (or another straight-sided tube pan) and cook in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean from the centre of the cake.*Note: This cake is very moist inside, so use your judgment regarding the skewer test. Do not leave in the oven until the cake has totally dried out — cook long enough so there is no uncooked cake on the skewer but there may be a few moist crumbs sticking to it after an hour of cooking. [Please note: This recipe is designed for using an 8.5" x 3.5" pan. If you make this in a regular angel food cake pan, you should start checking for doneness at least 15 minutes early.]

4. Leave to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the cake tin and placing on a wire wrack to cool completely.

Frosting Instructions:

1. Place the cream cheese into the bowl of a mixer and beat on a low-medium speed using a whisk attachment (I find a paddle attachment tends to over-beat the cheese). Whisk until the cheese is smooth and there are no big lumps remaining.

2. Gradually, using a large spoon, add in the sifted powdered sugar and beat gently to combine. After 2 to 3 minutes, stop the machine, scrape any excess frosting from the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed until lump free.

3. Remove bowl from mixer and gently fold in the whipped cream, mixing to fully combine.

4. Place cooled cake on a cake stand and add the frosting, spreading out just to the edge without going over the side (never go over the sides of the cake) until the cake resembles a pint of the creamy black stuff! The idea is to capture the essence and simplicity of a pint of Guinness.

This cake is so yummy (when it's baking the smell is absolutely divine!) and a great conversation piece.  I love how the dark chocolate part of the cake, topped off with the frothy looking white frosting, resembles an actual pint of Guinness!  It is soooo very moist and the frosting is a show stopper!  Do yourself a favor and try out this great recipe!  Cheers!

And finally...I have one more thing to cover - the results of my contest!!

So, I just want to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone that took the time to enter my contest, pin the posting on pinterest, and/or post it on Facebook or Twitter.  You all rock and I appreciate it so very much.

Now, by random number generator, the winner is...

Kristi from Schnitzel and Boo!!!!!

Thank you so much Kristi!!!!  I will be in contact with you to get your mailing address so that I can send you out this awesome recipe book!! :)

Heirloom Chicken Noodle Soup

I love when you have a go-to recipe that has been passed down from someone special.  I have a few different recipes like this, but one of my favorites is my grandma's chicken noodle soup!
My grandma is an amazing cook and I always look forward to a meal at her house.  When she use to live on a farm, she would prepare dishes with ingredients made right out of her garden.  I loved it.  She no longer lives in the country but when I come visit her and sample some of her delicious food, it's almost like I'm a teenager again, back in the kitchen at the farm, enjoying something very familiar and comforting.
Now, the other thing that's awesome about this recipe, besides its nostalgia value, is it's simplicity.  I make it after I've made a chicken or turkey for dinner (I'll make stalk from the carcass) or I'll make it using chicken broth that I've bought at the grocery store.  It's versatile, you can use fat egg noodles like I do, or exchange those for rice or whatever noodle you prefer.  I will often use different types of vegetables in it as well, depending on what I have available (or what I want to use up) from my vegetable crisper in the fridge.

 photo source: http://www.soupchick.com/pots-tureens-bowls/



Heirloom Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

- Equal parts chicken broth and water (i.e. if you are using 2 cups of chicken broth, add 2 cups of water as   well) OR fill 3/4 of your soup pot full with your homemade chicken stalk

- 1/2 large onion (chopped)

- 1/4 cup celery (chopped)

- 2 medium carrots (chopped)

- 2 large garlic cloves (chopped)

- Chicken meat (you desired amount depending on how meaty you want your soup to be)

- Dash of savory

- 1/2 tsp of marjoram

- Dash of sage

- Dash of cumin

- Dash of coriander

- 2 Bay leaves

-1/2 Tsp of salt

- 2 Tbsps of Chicken OXO

- 1/4 pkg. of egg noodles (include more depending on how noodley you want your soup to be)

Instructions:
- In a large soup pot, add your broth and water (or stalk), onion, celery, and garlic - bring to a boil
- Add in all spices (keep adding to desired taste)
- Cut chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and add to broth along with carrots
- Add in noodles 10-20 minutes before serving
- Enjoy!It really is as simple as that!  I love to make this soup and put it into individual portioned containers and then freeze them; that way when I'm in a hurry to make my lunch I can just grab one and go.  If you end up making some of this soup I hope you love it as much as I do!!  I will update this post with a picture of it when I make some next week!

Celebrating with Cake and a CONTEST!

Happy April 28th!  This is a super special day to me because today is my baby girl's first birthday!!  Yes, I can't believe that an entire year has passed us by already.  It has gone by with incredible speed and looking back, yes, there have been some bad days, some tired days, and a lot of messy days but I wouldn't trade one day for anything in the world.  The amazing thing when you have children is that you almost get to re-experience the wonders of life; you discover what ice cream tastes like for the first time, feel grass in between your toes again, and believe in magic.  I love my kids so much and they bring so much joy into my life. 

Kate, I know you can't read this, but mommy loves you so very much.  You make my life so full of happiness and excitement.  I look forward to the many many years to come, being at your side, cheering you on.  I love you - happy first birthday, my sweet little girl!

We did already have Kate's big birthday party last weekend, however, we can't let her real birthday go by without doing a little something special.  So today we are having a small BBQ in her honor! 

We didn't actually have a birthday cake for her last weekend either (just a cupcake) so today I made her a very special cake from my all time favorite baking recipe book  - Baking From my Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan.

                                          

White Celebration Cake!

Cake:

2 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

Buttercream:

1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Finishing:
2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves, stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable
About 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions:

1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-x-2-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

2.For the Cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

3.Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.

4.Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.

5.Add the butter and, working with the paddle or whisk attachment, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one-third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.

6.Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients.

7.Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

8.Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (The cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.)

9.For the Buttercream: Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or other large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream. Remove the bowl from the heat.

10.Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.

11.Once all the butter is in, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6 to 10 minutes. During this time, the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again. On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.

12.To Assemble the Cake: Using a sharp, serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half. Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Spread it with one third of the preserves. Cover the jam evenly with about one quarter of the buttercream. Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with the third layer (you’ll have used all the jam and have buttercream left over). Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top. Press the coconut into the frosting, patting it gently all over the sides and top.

**STORING: The cake is best the day it is made, but you can refrigerate it, well covered, for up to 2 days.

And there you have it, AMAZINGLY delicious cake that you can use for any important celebration!  I know the girls are going to love this cake and I hope to make it more often for our special occasions so that when they are older, they can look back at this recipe and want to recreate it themselves (maybe when they are celebrating their little one's first birthday! :)

LOL - do you think she liked it?!

NOW - don't go just yet!!  I have one more thing to cover!  I noticed this morning that I have hit a small milestone on my little blog.  I am happy to have 200 followers now!! 

In honour of this I want to have my very first give-away!!  When thinking about what I wanted to pass forward as a token of my appreciation I knew instantly what would go perfectly in co-ordination with today's post!

SO, I am giving away a brand new copy of the fabulous Ms. Dorie Greenspan's cookbook,

"Paris Sweets"!!!

 Here is a link to the amazon listing for the cookbook, if you want to check out reviews or details on it.  Today is April 28th, so I'll leave the contest open until 9am (mountain time) on May 6th - so about one week. 

To enter the contest, please just leave a comment in the comment section below.  If you pin this posting to one of your pinterest boards, you'll get two entries (PLEASE say in the comment section if you've pinned it AND a way that I can get a hold of you, should you win).

If you want to learn more about the amazing Ms. Dorie Greenspan and her recipe books, here is a link to her website.  Below are a few pics I found from other blogs who have made recipes out of this book (just to your senses tingling!!)

source: http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/2007/08/23/peace-offering/

source:http://bossacafez.blogspot.ca/2010/11/eclairs-au-cafe-coffee-eclairs.html

source:http://onceuponacookie.blogspot.ca/2008/05/little-fairy-opera-cakes.html

Meal Planning May

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, one way I am preparing myself for the return to work is by meal-planning. It seriously saves you so much time and money. I absolutely hate that feeling when you get home from work, you're starving, the kids are starving, and you are going from the pantry to the fridge and then back to the pantry, scratching your head and wondering what on Earth you are going to serve for dinner! Without meal-planning, I also run the risk of going to the grocery store every day. For some reason, when I go there, I'm just so concerned with getting in and out, I don't think past the moment and I never get more than I need for the dinner I will be preparing that evening. BUT...with my trusty list of preplanned meals, I can cut down on constantly going to the store and, if I'm being honest, the last minute pizza ordering that also often occurs when I'm not prepared! I thought I would share with you my meal plan for the month of May. I planned for 5 new meals per week with 2 days a week for left-overs. In reality, 5 meals for my family makes a lot of left-overs but I plan on packaging most of those into individual servings and freezing them. That way when I have to make my lunch the next day, I can just grab a pre-portioned meal and go!
I will also provide you with your weekly grocery list, but, please keep in mind that on the grocery list I am not including the staples that I'm thinking you would generally have in your home already (sugar, oil, salt, pepper, vinegar, spices, butter, etc.); please review the recipes before you go to the store so that you do not miss anything!

photo source: http://satoridesignforliving.com/2012/01/everyday-made-easy-meal-planning/

Here are the month's meals.  I have provided links to the recipes for each meal.  When there is no link (you will there's not suppose to be a link because the meal is not underlined in those cases), I am assuming that this is a general, everyone knows how to make it type meal.

The meal idea I am giving is for, in the most part, the main part of the meal, feel free to add your favorite side dishes.  When I include items like "garden salad" do what works best for you (add a bag of salad to your grocery list, make a salad from scratch, or replace it with your favorite rice, veggie, etc.).  Also note that some meals require some preparation the day before you plan on making it (for example, slow cooker recipes or marinating).

Week One Meals:

1. Meat loaf with garden salad

2.Garlic Parmesan Pork chops with noodles

3.Cobb salad

4.Crockpot Chicken tacos (**slow cooker recipe - requires morning time prep!)

5.Make your own Pizzas (this is basically using all your left over veggies and cheese from the above recipes and making a pizza out of them!)

source: http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/06/07/classic-cobb-salad-with-red-wine-lemon-vinaigrette/

Week Two Meals:

1.Chicken roll-ups with steamed veggies

2.Crock pot stew (**slow cooker recipe - requires morning time prep!)

3.Beef Burritos

4.Garlic bread spaghetti

5. Spinach, grilled chicken, feta, and craisin salad (just toss these items together and finish off with some raspberry vinegrette!)

                                

source: http://rhodesbread.com/blog/blog/braided-spaghetti-bread

Week Three Meals:

1.Slow cooker ribs with wild rice and steamed veggies(**slow cooker recipe - requires morning time prep!)

The link provided for the ribs is only for the sauce used in this recipe, so use this sauce recipe on your ribs and put into slow cooker on low for 8 hours)

2.Roasted sausage, potatoes and peppers

3.Homemade chicken noodle soup

4.Grilled chicken burgers and fries

5.Grilled chicken greek salad with couscous (I will blog the recipe for this in the coming days and refresh this post with the link to the recipe!)

                                        

source: http://www.cinnamonspiceandeverythingnice.com/

Week Four Meals:

1. Buffalo chicken salad

2.Pork kabobs with BBQ grilled veggies (low fat!(**requires morning time prep for marinating!)

3.Slow cooker jambalaya (**slow cooker recipe - requires morning time prep!)

4.Subs with raw veggies and dip

5.Potroast with garden salad and buns

source: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/08/filipino-bbq-skewers-3-ww-pts.html

Here are the grocery lists.  I suggest copying and pasting them into a word document as required!

Week One:

- 1 pound ground beef

- 4 pork chops

- 8 chicken breasts
- 2 avocados
- 1 head of iceberg lettuce
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 1 white onion
- 1 lemon

- 2 garlic bulb

- 1 green bell pepper

- 1 lemon

- salad

- 3 egg
- sour cream
- 1 - 8 oz pkg of cream cheese (**optional to add to the crock pot chicken tacos!)

- 1 - 8 oz can of diced tomatoes

- red wine vinegar

- agave syrup

- 1 pkg. taco seasoning

- 1 jar of your favorite salsa

- Tortilla chips

- 3/4 cup of (shredded) Parmesan cheese - next week required a 1/4 cup of Parmesan as well so you could buy it now and store until then!

- large pkg. of favorite cheese (cheddar, jack, mozza, etc.) - this should be enough cheese for the chicken tacos, cobb salad, and the make your own pizza

- 1 cup of bread crumbs

- pizza dough (prepare or pre-made dough)

- soft or hard taco shells or tortillas

- package of noodles

Week Two:

- 1 - 8 oz pkg of cream cheese
- 3 cups of cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 1 medium pkg. of mozza cheese
- 1 small container of feta cheese
- 1/4 cup of (shredded) Parmesan (if not bought in the previous week)
- 2 pkgs of refrigerated crescent roll dough
- 1 frozen bread dough
- broccoli florets
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 head of iceberg lettuce (you may have some left from last week)
- 1 med. white onion
- 2 carrots
- 1 garlic bulb (you may have some left from last week)
- 1 pkg of craisins
- bag of baby spinach leaves
- salad
- 1 can of tomato paste
- 1 can of spaghetti sauce
- 1 pkg of taco seasoning
- 1 pkg of spaghetti noodles
- 1 bottle of raspberry vinegrette
- 4 chicken breasts
- 3 pounds of beef stew meat
- 1 pound of ground beef
- 1 pkg of Italian sausage (optional for the spaghetti bread)

Week Three:
- 1 pkg of pork ribs
- 1 pkg of Italian sausage
- 8 chicken breasts (depending on how many grilled chicken burgers you need! Remember you need chicken for the soup, greek salad, and the chicken burgers!)
- 2 garlic bulb
- 3 bell peppers
- 1 cucumber
- 2-3 tomatoes
- 2 large white onion
- 2 red onion (for grilled chicken burgers and the greek salad)
- 3 celery stalks
- 2 carrots
- 1 lemon
- fresh rosemary
- 2 Tbsp of (shredded) Parmesan
- 1 large container of feta cheese
- 1 medium pkg of Monterrey jack cheese (for grilled chicken burgers)
- dijon mustard
- cornstarch
- wild rice
- frozen or fresh veggies for steaming
- chicken stock (homemade or bought)
- 1 pkg of egg noodles
- 1 box of couscous
- 1 pkg of burger buns (for the grilled chicken burgers)
- Fries (homemade or premade)

Week Four:
- 1 romaine lettuce
- 6 celery stalks
- 3 tomatoes (for the buffalo chicken salad and the subs)
- 1 yellow and green zucchini
- mushrooms
- 3 bell peppers
- 1 red onion
- potatoes
- carrots
- 2 white onions
- raw veggies of your choice (to dip!)
- salad
- 1/2 cup of blue cheese
- 4 slices of bacon
- 4 chicken breasts (for the jambalaya and the buffalo chicken salad)
- 2 1/2 pounds of pork meat
- 1 pound of sausage
- 1 pound of shrimp
- 1 beef roast (your choice of size)
- fresh deli meats
- 1 jar of your favorite hot sauce
- 1 jar of veggie dip
- 1 - 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 pkg of long grained rice
- 2 cups of chicken broth
- Cajun spice mix
- sub buns
- dinner rolls (to go with pot roast)

So there you go!  Meals planned for the entire month, complete with weekly grocery lists to make all of the meals!  Easy peasy! 
Again, I would really suggest to you to review the recipes before going shopping to make sure that I have not missed anything you may not have in your home.  I know everyone has different staples so, please double check.  Also, some items you may be able to buy in the earlier weeks if it means buying in bulk and  saving some money!
I seriously hope that this helps you out as much as it does me!  If you plan on using this meal plan, please let me know how it went!!
Happy eating! :)