Sometimes, you just need a helper!

I really love having a weekly menu. I think that much is obvious. Lately though, we’ve come to a point in our lives where delegating certain things is best for the sake of sanity.
So, I turned to Professor Google and searched for organic weekly menu plans. One of the results was http://emeals.com/ with a plan called Natural & Organic. Wait a minute… that name sounds familiar… they’re the folks who advertise on Dave Ramsey’s radio show (Rylee requests  we find his show when we’re on the road)! I looked at their site in the past, but wasn’t a fan of the menus heavy on prepared foods. Lo and behold, Emeals recently rolled out a Natural & Organic plan. It is available for Whole Foods or Other Stores. I chose the generic plan to use at Earth Fare and a few other local places for odds and ends. After using the coupon code on www.daveramsey.com , a 3 month subscription was $17.85.

Rylee and I went shopping today for the first time using this service. The Monster Book of Monsters binder, augmented with a new menu section, in hand to keep us organized. Each week’s printout contains 2 sheets: 1) the menu featuring recipe instructions 2) grocery list divided by categories. I put these back to back in an old sheet protector. This enables me to mark on them with a dry erase pen. It was so nice to have a brain on paper that took me all of a minute to print and a few moments to review and note substitutions. One such substitution was  in a recipe calling for beef. Since I had a coupon for 75cents off ground turkey, I made that switch! I also had a coupon for our preferred brand of salad. I plan to use that in place of the head of lettuce called for since we routinely eat mixed spring greens for dinner. Easy peasy!
Tonight we plan to have Black Bean Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries. Tomato, spring greens, and cheese will be available for topping. I might even make some fresh green onion mayonaise and sweet chili ketchup. I’m hungry already!

Menu Plan: Clean out the pantry!

That’s my love up there smiling. He puts up with me.
(You’ll see where I’m going in a minute…)
The past few months have been crazy hectic with us being out of town more than we were home. Hence the lack of posts & menu plans. Hockey season has been intense this year. Throw in caregiver arrangements for my Mother who lives a few hours away and the EE has been a glorified laundromat. We’re back now and my grand plans can recommence!
A while back there was a huge pantry/refrigerator/freezer purge and it was a great first step. The next step is removing boxes & bags from the kitchen. What do I mean by that? Convenience foods full of things we can’t pronounce and unnecessary ingredients. Prepared foods we can make from scratch in a frugal, timely and healthier manner.  The side effects for this step are simple, yet profound: intake of more fresh fruits & veggies, more accurate portions (3 people eating a box of pasta is not OK), less waste/recycling, save money (buying only what can be eaten in short order). At least that is what appears to be happening around here!
Step 3, transitioning to predominately organic or natural foods, is slowly happening with each grocery trip. I’m also looking into reducing the amount of gluten we regularly intake. I really want to make more of our bread at home, too.
The menu this week is about using up things as much as anything, so here are our options for supper:
~ cheddar brats, whole-grain chips, baked beans
~ 5 spice chicken & dumplings
~ minted lamb sausage & couscous
~ pepperoni tortilla pizzas
~ chicken alfredo gnocchi
~ pierogi, fried cabbage, fire roasted tomato & garlic sauce
~ We’re going to a pizza party one night, so that makes 7 meals!
Dinner usually consists of leftovers, fresh fruit & veggie plates, or sandwiches (egg, pb & j, grilled cheese). Breakfast options vary between cereal, yogurt with granola, grits, and oatmeal. Snacks tend to be things such as fruit, carrot sticks, tomatoes, crackers with pb or cheese, and a glass of milk.
Thanks for reading and being my conscience. accountability. friends!

Change for the Better

Our family has been working hard to implement changes around the EE over the last year while maintaining a frugal lifestyle. We're making an effort to eat healthier, be more active, practice better time management, and streamline activities for maximum impact (and prevent burnout). We're figuring things out as we go along and by no means have all the answers. However, it is interesting to note the overlap between each of these efforts.

Here are a few things that are working for us:
1) Plan ahead, no matter what the subject. We have all been guilty of last minute holiday gift purchases where we wind up spending way more than if we had planned ahead and shopped throughout the year. On a day to day basis, our lack of weekly meal plans has led to food waste and frustration at supper time, therefore leading to expensive, unhealthy take away food. Implementing a plan doesn't mean we need to be unyielding or inflexible. That has been a hard lesson for me in particular.

2) Cook meals from scratch (or mostly). The result is rewarding to the pocketbook and waistline. Bear in mind that "convenience foods" don't necessarily take less time than a simple homemade meal. Take the time to learn a few homemade meals and keep the pantry stocked for busy weeknights. I'm going to be adding more recipes for this purpose under the tag Fast & Frugal. Cheatin' Chicken & Rice is a good place to start! http://theenchantedemporium.blogspot.com/2010/11/cheatin-chicken-rice.html

3) Utilize devices in the home to save time, money and frustration. A slow cooker or rice cooker can make healthy, frugal meals with very little prep time. This helps us avoid the temptation to grab fast food on a hectic day, as mention earlier. At the EE, an awkward cabinet over the stove houses these handy helpers along with a kitchen torch, coffee grinder, etc. A large saute pan, stock pot, stand mixer, set of mixing bowls, and glassware casseroles are also good tools to have on hand!

4) Frugality does not equal deprivation. As a Christian, I equate stewardship with frugality. We attempt to be conscientious in our spending to allow us to help others and enjoy the little luxuries of life. The purpose  for our efforts in this matter isn't to be martyrs on the altar of self righteousness. Rather, it is to allow us to live a full life without indebtedness.

5) Be joyful! We need to be careful not to get so bogged down in our worries about finances, family needs, and so on that we forget to find joy in our lives. We were created to be joyful beings! Sometimes we just have to stop and make ourselves find that happy, peaceful place. It helps us to embrace life choices (such as frugality) and truly live it, if it is done with a happy heart.

What are some ways your family brings order to the chaos of life? Share your comments so we can learn from one another!

Rylee & the Tale of Patient Remodeling

Eight year old boys are rarely known for their patience. Thirty-three year old mothers aren’t either. In the case of his bathroom here at the EE, Rylee has shown quite a bit of that much sought after character trait. I’ve learned a bit more about perseverance. Ravenclaw’s Quidditch team isn’t exactly a theme that lends itself to buying décor off the shelf. We still have details to attend to, however it’s actually becoming recognizable at this point!

To begin with, the walls are a matte navy blue and the trim is off white. The bathroom is roughly 5’ x 9’ and painting it such a dark color seemed to fly in the face of conventional wisdom. In fact, the space feels bigger and more, well, for lack of a better term, lush. The contrast between the navy and the off white trim/ceiling is high impact. Then we get to the floor, which seals the deal. Rylee picked out the gorgeous glass tiles which sparkle with tones ranging from pale gold to copper to bronze. The lighting stunk for a good picture and the above photo does not do it justice! Ryan did an awesome job laying the tiles. I painted and made a mess as usual. So, the stage is set. Now on to the décor!


The clear shower curtain liner was a fortunate find at Old Time Pottery. The gold  circles being reminiscent of Quidditch hoops. The bronze panels and navy valance were sewn from heavy satin and are stationary. Lanterns are a must to get from the Quidditch Pitch to your common room after a long evening of practice, so the first of 2 is pictured here. It is actually hiding the bathroom spray. One of the players has left behind a jar of sweets from Honeydukes (gummy vitamins in a decorated Ball jar). Madam Pomfrey has sent along a tray of Pepperup Potion complete with doily and glass (mouthwash). The broom floating near the towel rack is soon to be christened with a name brand via Ryan's elegant script and a paint pen. The painting visible in the mirror is a close up of  a Quaffle set to score on goal. Perhaps the painting moves?


To the left of the sink features a reproduction clock I’ve had  for ages. Someone has flung their Hogwarts crest hat onto the top of the second lantern.  A golden snitch that failed to be put away is resting behind the soap dispenser. The glass cylinder holds jewels designating Rylee's house points ($1 Store vase, clear and sapphire floral arranging stones). Another as yet unnamed broom is flying overhead. The painting visible in the mirror is of the famous Golden Snitch.
Still to come are a jersey, a shadowbox filled with memorabilia from the Quidditch World Cup, and assorted whimsies!

P.S. Does anyone know where I can find a frugal eagle door knocker?