The past few weeks in our household have been pretty rough. We went from a stomach bug that lasted about 8 hours for Chris and me and about 5 days for poor Charlie to a nasty head cold with lots of boogers for Isaac and me. We've left the house to grocery shop and take a few walks, but have done little else.
I have been menu planning and cooking and we've found some really great meals. Unfortunately, I just haven't been up to posting. I've mentioned before that I've been dealing with depression and after observing myself for the past few months, I've realized that my depression (and anger, irritability, over-eating, sleeping as much as possible and more) is linked to my menstrual cycle.
I went to see my doctor and we discussed the possibility that I could be dealing with PMDD. The treatment for PMDD is usually anti-depressants. I've been down that road before and opted to try something else first to see if it works. Birth control can sometimes help, so for the meantime, I am back on birth control. Month One is almost down. It can take three months to be completely effective, so we'll see how it goes. Last week was my rough week and apart from some lingering phlegm from my head cold, I'm back to my normal self this week!
Monday
L: Leftovers
D: Smoky Pork with Quinoa Pilaf (new family favorite)
Tuesday
L: PB&J, Grapes, Chips
D: Saucy Parmesan Chicken, Egg Noodles, Broccoli
Wednesday
L: Beans & Cheese Quesadillas (from freezer)
D: Spinach Cheese Lasagna
Thursday
L: Leftover Lasagna
D: Modified Turkey Tetrazzini
Friday
L: English Muffin Pizzas
D: Baked Potatoes
Saturday
L: Kraft Spiral Mac&Cheese with Turkey & Broccoli
D: Whiskey Steak Tips, Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes, Minty Peas
Sunday
L: Leftovers
D: Pork Chops with Orange Sauce, Couscous, Herbed Green Beans
I will also be making an orange version of this Lemon Fluff Dessert that we first made last summer. I can't wait to try it!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
Week 2
Today marks the start of Week 2 of getting up at 5am to workout and it's really working for me!
I was in bed reading by 8:30 last night and the lights were off by 9:15. I hopped right out of bed this morning when the alarm went off. Sometimes, I have trouble wrapping my head around the idea that by 8am, I've already been up for 3 hours!
I'll admit that towards the end of last week getting up wasn't as easy as at the beginning. I've had my alarm set to play music instead of its annoying beep and I was a little worried it wouldn't wake me because Chris' alarm doesn't wake me. Instead, the music gradually wakes me up instead of jolting me out of bed and it's been nice! Unfortunately, when the alarm went off on Thursday, the DJs were talking and Chris elbowed me to turn it off so I jolted awake like with a beeping alarm - not so nice. :( On Friday, I woke up at 5 with the shakes so I crawled back in bed and got up at 6 with Chris; I didn't work out that day but did take a little nap on the couch downstairs while the four of us were hanging out down there. I needed it!
There have been quite a few benefits to getting my workout done in the morning and not too many cons.
I don't spend all day worrying about when I'm going to be able to fit in a workout.
I'm awake before the kids and I'm able to have at least an hour to myself before facing their endless energy first thing in the morning.
It sets the tone of the day for me - I'm more likely to eat well all day when I've started the day off with a workout.
I'm more productive! By 8am, I've worked out, showered, gotten dressed and gotten the kids and myself breakfast. With my previous schedule, we were lucky if we'd finished breakfast by 8! Now, if we have errands, we can get out of the house earlier. I have more time for playtime and I'm able to fit chores in more easily.
Although I've never really had an issue with my water intake, I'm definitely getting more water now. I've already had 3 cups shortly after my workout and usually drink 2 full Nalgene bottles by the end of the day (until last week, I thought my Nalgene held 4 cups of water and it actually holds 5 so I've been drinking more than I thought all along). Add to that a cup or two (or three) of tea and that equals a lot of time in the bathroom! That may be the only con I've found to getting up early and it's really not that bad.
The hardest part to waking early is getting to bed early but it's just because I'm not used to it yet. My goal for this week is to be ready for bed by 8pm and in bed, either reading or ready to sleep, by 9pm.
Am I on my way to becoming a morning person?
I was in bed reading by 8:30 last night and the lights were off by 9:15. I hopped right out of bed this morning when the alarm went off. Sometimes, I have trouble wrapping my head around the idea that by 8am, I've already been up for 3 hours!
I'll admit that towards the end of last week getting up wasn't as easy as at the beginning. I've had my alarm set to play music instead of its annoying beep and I was a little worried it wouldn't wake me because Chris' alarm doesn't wake me. Instead, the music gradually wakes me up instead of jolting me out of bed and it's been nice! Unfortunately, when the alarm went off on Thursday, the DJs were talking and Chris elbowed me to turn it off so I jolted awake like with a beeping alarm - not so nice. :( On Friday, I woke up at 5 with the shakes so I crawled back in bed and got up at 6 with Chris; I didn't work out that day but did take a little nap on the couch downstairs while the four of us were hanging out down there. I needed it!
There have been quite a few benefits to getting my workout done in the morning and not too many cons.
I don't spend all day worrying about when I'm going to be able to fit in a workout.
I'm awake before the kids and I'm able to have at least an hour to myself before facing their endless energy first thing in the morning.
It sets the tone of the day for me - I'm more likely to eat well all day when I've started the day off with a workout.
I'm more productive! By 8am, I've worked out, showered, gotten dressed and gotten the kids and myself breakfast. With my previous schedule, we were lucky if we'd finished breakfast by 8! Now, if we have errands, we can get out of the house earlier. I have more time for playtime and I'm able to fit chores in more easily.
Although I've never really had an issue with my water intake, I'm definitely getting more water now. I've already had 3 cups shortly after my workout and usually drink 2 full Nalgene bottles by the end of the day (until last week, I thought my Nalgene held 4 cups of water and it actually holds 5 so I've been drinking more than I thought all along). Add to that a cup or two (or three) of tea and that equals a lot of time in the bathroom! That may be the only con I've found to getting up early and it's really not that bad.
The hardest part to waking early is getting to bed early but it's just because I'm not used to it yet. My goal for this week is to be ready for bed by 8pm and in bed, either reading or ready to sleep, by 9pm.
Am I on my way to becoming a morning person?
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Meal Plan 3/7-3/13
We had some great meals last week! It took me an entire day (seriously 9am to about 10pm - I procrastinated all day) to plan out the last two weeks of dinner menus, but, oh, it was so worth it! We have eaten a lot of tasty, and for the most part, healthy meals, and we've done a lot of experimenting with "different" food combos. I've been doing a lot of recipes from Cooking Light and Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking magazine; I like that the calorie count is included on most of the recipes because its easier for me to calculate my day's intake that way. (I now have an official goal of dropping 20 pounds by June so I can purchase a bridesmaid dress for a friend's wedding in the size I want to wear.)
My breakfasts for the past week have been different variations of this oatmeal. I stumbled upon it last Sunday, and despite eating it for seven days in a row now, I'm not anywhere close to sick of it! I started simply and topped it with 1/2 a banana and some walnuts before I moved on to peanut butter and bananas. Mid-week, I topped it with some Parmesan cheese, a chopped up chicken sausage and a fried egg (with a runny yolk). Later, I added some raisins and used up the pumpkin leftover from Thursday's dinner of Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta (one of the odd combos I mentioned earlier - wicked good! Chris declared, "I would eat this again.") and topped it with a sprinkle of coconut, walnuts and a spoonful of peanut butter. I even made a bowl for Chris this morning and he approved. All of the versions were so tasty and I don't think I could decide on a favorite.... but that runny egg yolk mixed in with the oatmeal was A.MA.Z.I.N.G.
For this week, we have planned the following:
Monday
L: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
D: Pumpkin Lasagna (minus the mushrooms), Whole Wheat Rolls (from freezer)
Tuesday
L: Leftover Lasagna
D: Sweet 'n' Sour Chicken, Rice Pilaf, Honey-Glazed Carrots
Wednesday
L: Easy Italian Stew (from freezer)
D: Applesauce Glazed Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli
Thursday
L: PB&J, Chips, Fruit/Veggie
D: Cheesy Spinach Lasagna Soup
Friday
L: Leftover Soup
D: Terrific Teriyaki Burgers, Sesame Green Bean Salad
Saturday
L: Heading to Mass for a Birthday Party
D: Charlie & I are heading to a Monarchs game with Sara & Kale from A Kiss A Day - should be fun!
Sunday
L: Pasta with sauce
D: Marinated Steak Tips, Baked Potatoes, Roasted Pear Salad
My breakfasts for the past week have been different variations of this oatmeal. I stumbled upon it last Sunday, and despite eating it for seven days in a row now, I'm not anywhere close to sick of it! I started simply and topped it with 1/2 a banana and some walnuts before I moved on to peanut butter and bananas. Mid-week, I topped it with some Parmesan cheese, a chopped up chicken sausage and a fried egg (with a runny yolk). Later, I added some raisins and used up the pumpkin leftover from Thursday's dinner of Sausage and Pumpkin Pasta (one of the odd combos I mentioned earlier - wicked good! Chris declared, "I would eat this again.") and topped it with a sprinkle of coconut, walnuts and a spoonful of peanut butter. I even made a bowl for Chris this morning and he approved. All of the versions were so tasty and I don't think I could decide on a favorite.... but that runny egg yolk mixed in with the oatmeal was A.MA.Z.I.N.G.
For this week, we have planned the following:
Monday
L: Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
D: Pumpkin Lasagna (minus the mushrooms), Whole Wheat Rolls (from freezer)
Tuesday
L: Leftover Lasagna
D: Sweet 'n' Sour Chicken, Rice Pilaf, Honey-Glazed Carrots
Wednesday
L: Easy Italian Stew (from freezer)
D: Applesauce Glazed Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli
Thursday
L: PB&J, Chips, Fruit/Veggie
D: Cheesy Spinach Lasagna Soup
Friday
L: Leftover Soup
D: Terrific Teriyaki Burgers, Sesame Green Bean Salad
Saturday
L: Heading to Mass for a Birthday Party
D: Charlie & I are heading to a Monarchs game with Sara & Kale from A Kiss A Day - should be fun!
Sunday
L: Pasta with sauce
D: Marinated Steak Tips, Baked Potatoes, Roasted Pear Salad
Monday, February 28, 2011
Meal Plan 2/28-3/6
I enjoyed a little quiet time this afternoon! Isaac napped and Charlie watched Oliver and Company so instead of procrastinating by browsing Facebook and the blogs on my Google Reader, I enjoyed a snack (Honey-Banana Muffin from the freezer, grapes and a vanilla Greek yogurt along with a cup of maple tea sweetened with maple syrup - yum!) and blogged!
I got back to my menu planning last week and started working out again as well.... well, on Monday and Tuesday at least! I started off this week on the right foot by getting up and out of bed at 5am, putting on my workout gear and hopping on the elliptical. I did a 40-minute workout, strength training and stretching before the kids got up and I was able to shower while Chris was still home. Woohoo! I would like to MAKE myself be a morning person and I took my first steps today!
After my shower and getting the boys settled with some Cheerios and fruit, I started out with a good breakfast. I think I am hooked on this oatmeal (minus the chia seeds since I don't have any - yet!). Yesterday, I topped it with walnuts and half a banana. Today, I put a small scoop of peanut butter into the bottom of my bowl, added the oatmeal and then the rest of my banana along with another small scoop of peanut butter on my spoon. Soooo good and I cannot wait to try some of the other combos listed on the website. I should have some leftover pumpkin after Thursday's dinner so I might be trying some pumpkin oatmeal Friday morning. TRY IT! Because it's oatmeal, you'd think it would take a while, but it's only about 5 minutes on the stovetop. Well worth it.
On to the menu.... And I can't believe tomorrow is March 1st! That means it's my birthday month! hahaha Poor Chris! Almost all of our meals this week are new again.... except maybe one. I'm looking forward to trying them and can't wait to see how they turn out!
Monday
L: English Muffin Pizzas (Charlie had cheese, Chris had ham and I had turkey and red pepper - yum!), Red Pepper Slices (for me)
D: Beans & Cheese Quesadillas (from Family Circle May 2009)
Tuesday
L: Leftover Quesadillas
D: Oregano Chicken, Homemade Sweet Potato Fries, Honey-Glazed Carrots
Wednesday
L: Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup
D: Smokey Pork with Quinoa Pilaf (from Family Circle September 2010)
Thursday
L: Quesadillas
D: Sausage & Pumpkin Pasta
Friday
L: Leftover Pasta
D: Rosemary Shrimp with Spaghetti
Saturday
L: PB&J, Chips, Fruit/Veggie Sticks
D: Burgers, Homemade French Fries, Veggie Sticks
Sunday
L: Nachos
D: Herb Roasted Chicken
For more menu planning ideas, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.
I got back to my menu planning last week and started working out again as well.... well, on Monday and Tuesday at least! I started off this week on the right foot by getting up and out of bed at 5am, putting on my workout gear and hopping on the elliptical. I did a 40-minute workout, strength training and stretching before the kids got up and I was able to shower while Chris was still home. Woohoo! I would like to MAKE myself be a morning person and I took my first steps today!
After my shower and getting the boys settled with some Cheerios and fruit, I started out with a good breakfast. I think I am hooked on this oatmeal (minus the chia seeds since I don't have any - yet!). Yesterday, I topped it with walnuts and half a banana. Today, I put a small scoop of peanut butter into the bottom of my bowl, added the oatmeal and then the rest of my banana along with another small scoop of peanut butter on my spoon. Soooo good and I cannot wait to try some of the other combos listed on the website. I should have some leftover pumpkin after Thursday's dinner so I might be trying some pumpkin oatmeal Friday morning. TRY IT! Because it's oatmeal, you'd think it would take a while, but it's only about 5 minutes on the stovetop. Well worth it.
On to the menu.... And I can't believe tomorrow is March 1st! That means it's my birthday month! hahaha Poor Chris! Almost all of our meals this week are new again.... except maybe one. I'm looking forward to trying them and can't wait to see how they turn out!
Monday
L: English Muffin Pizzas (Charlie had cheese, Chris had ham and I had turkey and red pepper - yum!), Red Pepper Slices (for me)
D: Beans & Cheese Quesadillas (from Family Circle May 2009)
Tuesday
L: Leftover Quesadillas
D: Oregano Chicken, Homemade Sweet Potato Fries, Honey-Glazed Carrots
Wednesday
L: Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup
D: Smokey Pork with Quinoa Pilaf (from Family Circle September 2010)
Thursday
L: Quesadillas
D: Sausage & Pumpkin Pasta
Friday
L: Leftover Pasta
D: Rosemary Shrimp with Spaghetti
Saturday
L: PB&J, Chips, Fruit/Veggie Sticks
D: Burgers, Homemade French Fries, Veggie Sticks
Sunday
L: Nachos
D: Herb Roasted Chicken
For more menu planning ideas, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.
Meal Plan 2/21-2/27
I did a meal plan for last week and this week but didn't get around to posting it last week. It took me ALL day (and I mean ALL day, from like 9am to 10pm) to get the meal plan put together. I procrastinated all day. I just did not want to do a menu and I'm not sure what my aversion was/is. I know how much better off I am with one, but putting it together isn't my favorite chore.
Last week, every meal we ate was new (maybe this is why menu planning takes me so long....). They were all a hit and I got my cream cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream hating husband to eat cream cheese and cottage cheese in one night and actually enjoy it! Chris loved the Oven Baked Chicken Parm and I loved that it was so super-duper easy to make and we both loved the Maple and Soy-Glazed Steak Tips (that were supposed to be flank steak which I couldn't find when I went grocery shopping). The Macaroni & Cheese was yummy, but a little too rich. It was made with reduced-fat Velveeta and I'm not sure I'll make that for myself again.... The Velveeta kinda grossed me out. Processed. Cheese. Product. Blech. Yummy, but even though the recipe was a makeover of a less healthy recipe, it's still not very good for you. I think I'd prefer taste and nutrition.
Monday
L: English Muffin/Tortilla Pizzas
D: Applesauce Glazed Pork Chops, Couscous, Peas
Tuesday
L: PB&J, Chips, Fruit/Veggie
D: Spinach Cheese Manicotti
Wednesday
L: Leftover Manicotti
D: Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan, Whole Wheat Angel Hair, Green Beans
Thursday
L: Nachos
D: Maple and Soy Glazed Steak Tips, Silky Sesame Cucumbers, Scallion Noodles
Friday
L: The boys scrounged up whatever they wanted (hot dog for Chris, PB&J for the boys) while my mother-in-law and I dined in peace at Pickity Place - yum!
D: Mashed Potato Bar for my Lia Sophia party
Saturday
L: We ended up eating at McDonald's (and I really should have gotten a salad instead of chicken nuggets)
D: Makeover Macaroni & Cheese with broccoli and ham
Sunday
L: Leftover Macaroni & Cheese before heading out to our nephew's 1st birthday party
D: Leftover Mashed Potatoes
Last week, every meal we ate was new (maybe this is why menu planning takes me so long....). They were all a hit and I got my cream cream, cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream hating husband to eat cream cheese and cottage cheese in one night and actually enjoy it! Chris loved the Oven Baked Chicken Parm and I loved that it was so super-duper easy to make and we both loved the Maple and Soy-Glazed Steak Tips (that were supposed to be flank steak which I couldn't find when I went grocery shopping). The Macaroni & Cheese was yummy, but a little too rich. It was made with reduced-fat Velveeta and I'm not sure I'll make that for myself again.... The Velveeta kinda grossed me out. Processed. Cheese. Product. Blech. Yummy, but even though the recipe was a makeover of a less healthy recipe, it's still not very good for you. I think I'd prefer taste and nutrition.
Monday
L: English Muffin/Tortilla Pizzas
D: Applesauce Glazed Pork Chops, Couscous, Peas
Tuesday
L: PB&J, Chips, Fruit/Veggie
D: Spinach Cheese Manicotti
Wednesday
L: Leftover Manicotti
D: Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan, Whole Wheat Angel Hair, Green Beans
Thursday
L: Nachos
D: Maple and Soy Glazed Steak Tips, Silky Sesame Cucumbers, Scallion Noodles
Friday
L: The boys scrounged up whatever they wanted (hot dog for Chris, PB&J for the boys) while my mother-in-law and I dined in peace at Pickity Place - yum!
D: Mashed Potato Bar for my Lia Sophia party
Saturday
L: We ended up eating at McDonald's (and I really should have gotten a salad instead of chicken nuggets)
D: Makeover Macaroni & Cheese with broccoli and ham
Sunday
L: Leftover Macaroni & Cheese before heading out to our nephew's 1st birthday party
D: Leftover Mashed Potatoes
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Too Busy to Organize!
I've gone missing again! I've been doing a lot of blog reading, but no blog writing. We've been pretty busy the past few weeks. We have something on the calendar for every weekend in February. This is not normal for us. We normally have a few things scheduled, but spend a lot of time home or out and about as a family. It's been nice to be busy, but I'm also very off track because of it.
Some big news first - this little guy (and I mean little - he weighed in at 17 lbs, 10 oz at his 12-month check-up) turned one last Friday!
We had Molly of Molly Viglione Photography over to do photos for Isaac's birthday. Once again, she did a beautiful job and I can't wait to see the final result!
I have not menu planned for the past two weeks and I'm feeling cRaZy because of the lack of organization! I hate racking my brain all day trying to figure out what I'm going to make for dinner. Monday night - Valentine's Day! - we ended up eating chicken nuggets. Just chicken nuggets. No sides. What. So. Ever. I actually put the pan I cooked the nuggets on in the center of the table and we ate them with our fingers!!! Soooo romantic. Last night and tonight, actual meals were served, but I have no idea what to make tomorrow. I hope to get my butt back in gear and do some menu planning when we are home this weekend; we are going to Winterfest at the camp with Chris' extended family one day, but we will be home the other.
Not only have I not been organized, but I haven't gotten a good workout in for the past few weeks and I'm feeling like poo because of this. First, a bearing in the elliptical went, then the belt kept slipping and then the other bearing went. My wonderfully handy husband was able to fix all three issues, but it was a matter of a week and a half before the machine was working properly.
On the bright side, because I haven't been working out, for the first time in a long while, I managed to get the house cleaned last week using the room-a-day cleaning system I had been using in the summer/fall. This week hasn't been quite on track, but I'm getting there. :) I'm still trying to figure out how to work everything that needs to be done in one day into one day! I have NO idea how I managed when I was working full time!
Lastly, I mentioned that I would have some exciting (to me) news coming up. Last night I became one of three new trustees at our local library! I've been wanting to become involved in our community and I think the library will be a perfect fit for me. There's going to be a lot involved and it's certainly going to be a learning experience, but I'm looking forward to it!
Once this weekend is over, I hope to be a bit more organized so that I can get on here to write. I've missed it!
Some big news first - this little guy (and I mean little - he weighed in at 17 lbs, 10 oz at his 12-month check-up) turned one last Friday!
We had Molly of Molly Viglione Photography over to do photos for Isaac's birthday. Once again, she did a beautiful job and I can't wait to see the final result!
I have not menu planned for the past two weeks and I'm feeling cRaZy because of the lack of organization! I hate racking my brain all day trying to figure out what I'm going to make for dinner. Monday night - Valentine's Day! - we ended up eating chicken nuggets. Just chicken nuggets. No sides. What. So. Ever. I actually put the pan I cooked the nuggets on in the center of the table and we ate them with our fingers!!! Soooo romantic. Last night and tonight, actual meals were served, but I have no idea what to make tomorrow. I hope to get my butt back in gear and do some menu planning when we are home this weekend; we are going to Winterfest at the camp with Chris' extended family one day, but we will be home the other.
Not only have I not been organized, but I haven't gotten a good workout in for the past few weeks and I'm feeling like poo because of this. First, a bearing in the elliptical went, then the belt kept slipping and then the other bearing went. My wonderfully handy husband was able to fix all three issues, but it was a matter of a week and a half before the machine was working properly.
On the bright side, because I haven't been working out, for the first time in a long while, I managed to get the house cleaned last week using the room-a-day cleaning system I had been using in the summer/fall. This week hasn't been quite on track, but I'm getting there. :) I'm still trying to figure out how to work everything that needs to be done in one day into one day! I have NO idea how I managed when I was working full time!
Lastly, I mentioned that I would have some exciting (to me) news coming up. Last night I became one of three new trustees at our local library! I've been wanting to become involved in our community and I think the library will be a perfect fit for me. There's going to be a lot involved and it's certainly going to be a learning experience, but I'm looking forward to it!
Once this weekend is over, I hope to be a bit more organized so that I can get on here to write. I've missed it!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Meal Plan 1/31-2/6
I'm a little late, but didn't have a chance to post last night. The boys and I made a last-minute trip to Geeky's basketball game and didn't get home until around 9pm. Once they were in bed, I had cleaning up to do and didn't have a chance to post.
We don't have anything really exciting planned this week. Honestly, I'm just hoping to make it through the week and to the weekend. I'm not having the best week, but I'm looking forward to Saturday - we are going to be spending the weekend with my sister-in-law, brother-in-law and their boys to celebrate their boys' birthdays and their wedding anniversary. It'll be a day of sledding, ice skating and other outdoor activities and some hot tubbing and adult time once the kiddos are in bed. I cannot wait to spend a little time away from our house!
Monday
L: Leftovers
D: Turkey Sandwiches
Tuesday
L: English Muffin Pizzas
D: Tacos
Wednesday
L: Leftover Tacos
D: Pork Chops with Pears, Brown Rice, Roasted Green Beans
Thursday
L: PB&J, Veggie Sticks with Hummus
D: Whole Wheat Rotini with Vodka Sauce, French Bread
Friday
L: Leftover Rotini
D: Spinach & Cheese Quiche
Saturday
L: Lunch with Sister-in-Law & Brother-in-Law
D: Dinner with Sister-in-Law & Brother-in-Law
Sunday
L: Leftover Quiche
D: Shepherd's Pie
For more meal planning ideas, head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie.
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