4 weeks of Homemade Meals- Recap

We met our challenge of 4 weeks of homemade meals and surpassed it by one day!! We ate at home 26 of the 29 days. The nights we ate out were two dinner invitations to our neighbors and a neighborhood Halloween party where we had homemade chili. The little princess was allowed to eat a cafeteria lunch once a week as she usually does. And the hubby ate out for lunch only once--with his boss for a business lunch. It was definitely one of the better ideas I've had for a while. Eating at home made sense not only because we ended up eating healthier meals, but it also saved us a few bucks. This included eliminating our trips to fast food places like Chic-Fil-A; Starbucks pit stops; and lunches out for Joe. We are also used to ordering Pizza or going out for Chinese/Thai food on Fridays. I compared our grocery bill from September and October and, by eliminating our usual dine-outs we were able to save $105 this month. Sure, our grocery bill in October was higher than Septembers but only by $53. Although the first couple of weeks were hard, especially when I was tempted to go through the drive-thru as a way to reward the kids and myself. Instead I baked banana bread, brownies and other goodies to stave off the sweet tooth. I also realized that our family eats way too much sugar--so we're working on eliminating some of the desserts we typically have after dinner and substituting some of those with fruit or yogurt.

A few tips or advice for those of you who are interested in taking on a similar challenge. Plan, plan, plan. I usually sit down the week ahead and write down the menu for the week on an index card. On the back of my index card I write down my grocery list. Once I'm done grocery shopping, I stick the index card on the refrigerator door so that the family can see what's going to be for dinner. This is helpful in two ways: It helps the family (in my case, my husband) know what's for dinner and also holds me accountable to fix the meals I planned on fixing. There's always enough flexibility where you can switch Tuesday and Wednesday meals for whatever reason. But it also helped to prevent me from being tempted to make some other meal. Leave that meal you recently saw on Pinterest for the next week. Speaking of Pinterest, there's a ton of great recipes there and this is how I've found some of the best food blogs that I now follow. When you're reading recipes, make sure you read the entire recipe and allot for the time it may take you to prep and cook the meal. Another thing that helped tremendously is prepping the meals. Chopping, peeling and dicing things ahead of time saves so much time, especially when you have a toddler grabbing your leg while you're trying to cook! So a lot of my time saving was done by chopping and prepping the meal the day before or in the morning before making the meal in the afternoon. If you're really organized and have time, you can even chop vegetables after grocery shopping--that's if you're really organized though. It also helps to cook 2-3 meals at a time. You can do this on the weekend or any time you feel you have a bigger chunk of time in your schedule. I decided to cook 3 meals on Sunday--one for that night's dinner and the other two for Monday and Tuesday. If you fix a casserole or soup as one of your meals, you can even freeze it and have it handy for an emergency night when you're in a bind and can't get to cooking dinner. Now, I was only able to do this on 2 Sundays because life, as we all know, gets hectic. So another tip--don't beat yourself up if you're not able to do things exactly as you planned. Try to still stick with the main objective--eating homemade meals. It also helps to keep things simple. Go with recipes that you've fixed in the past and have been easy to fix and popular with your family. This is not the time to introduce crazy ingredients, unless your family is the adventurous eater type. I will post the 4-week challenge menu at the bottom of this post, along with some of my favorite food blogs/websites. 

I encourage everyone to try this, it's definitely eye opening and a great way to encourage the whole family towards eating more whole foods.

4-week challenge menu:

Week 1
Roasted Chicken and Tortellini Salad
Cauliflower Pizzas (1 mushroom; 1 pepperoni)
Fish tacos with grilled peppers and whole grain cilantro lime rice
Invite to friends house- had pork chops with Spaetzle (German noodles)
Crock Pot Chicken Curry with Rice and Peas
Shrimp with Acorn Squash and Ceasar Salad
Chicken Noodle Soup

Week 2
Spinach Rollups and Salad
Crock Pot Chicken Tacos
Butternut Squash Pasta with goat cheese, topped with parmessan and pecans
Beef Fajitas with Corn Salsa
Thanksgiving Dinner invite at neighbors- Smoked turkey, dressing and all the fixings!
Crock Pot Pork with Rice and Ceasar Salad
leftovers

Week 3
Turkey Picadillo with black beans and fried plantains
Chicken Enchiladas, Cheesey Rice and Salad
Butternut Squash Soup with Tortellini and Peas
Greek Chicken Kabobs and quinoa with sun dried tomatoes and pinenuts
Sausage, kale and potato soup served with French bread
Spring Rolls -- veggie and chicken
leftovers- spring rolls and butternut squash soup

Week 4
Roasted chicken with lentils and spinach
Chicken pot pies and salad
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Soup
Chicken with Lemon Caper Sauce and Mashed Potatoes
Turkey Chili
Neighborhood Halloween Party- Sampled different homemade chilis
Leftovers

Desserts
Banana Bread
Mexican Brownies
Pumpkin Ice Cream
Caramel Apples for Halloween

Favorite Food Blogs-
The Iron You
What's Gaby Cooking
Eat Good For Life
The Weekly Bite (easy recipes and a lot of kid snack ideas)
Skinny Kitchen (some of the kids favorite recipes are from here; a lot of good crock pot recipes)
Sprouted Kitchen (more of an aspirational food
blog, if I could be any food blogger, I would love to be her)
Food Network (anything by Ina Garten is great, I also make Tyler Florence's Chicken Noodle Soup)

Some of the highlights:

1st week of the challenge: A recap and lessons learned...so far

This first week of the 4-week eating at home challenge went by fast and furious. There's always so much to do at home and with the children, it can get a little crazy at times. So, some of you may be wondering why I seem to be complicating my life even more by adding this new goal of no eating out for a whole month? There's the most obvious answer, for our health, to try to eliminate some of the preservatives that fast-foods and some restaurants serve. But I also did it to show my children that we do not need to have a frozen yogurt or fro-yo as a reward and more importantly, to feel happy and satisfied. We have still have plenty of treats at home, but they are more of a dessert, not a reward for a job well done or as a I'm sorry you had a bad day, let's go have a milk shake type of thing.

I'm also learning that I cannot see food or cooking as something that I do alone--it has to become a family affair. The kids have been helping fix pancakes and cookies for a couple of years now. Mostly mixing and of course, licking the spoon and bowl clean! But now, I think they're ready for helping pick out fruits and veggies from the store and farmer's market and helping with dinner. I want it to become part of their life. I never really took an interest in cooking when I was a kid. My father loves cooking, but boy, he does keep a tight kitchen. He had so many rules and places where things HAD to be placed, that I think, I quickly became turned off by the whole thing. It wasn't until a few years ago, that I really started getting interested in cooking. More recently, a close family member, stayed with us and really sparked an interest for cooking. I want the children to understand why veggies are important and that they are good by themselves, you don't always have to smear them in sauce, but once in a while it's OK!

So one big change to my cooking plan is to fix 3 to 4 meals on Sundays, with all family members, except baby, involved. Sounds like a big challenge, and at first I'm sure it will be. I had hoped that we would be able to do this on Sunday, but unfortunately, Allen was sick with a cold. Instead, I cooked on my own. The goal is to fix a soup; casserole and one meal to freeze as well as Sunday dinner. The other two meals will be Monday and Tuesday dinners, alleviating some of the cooking I do on the weekend. Wednesday can be an easy meat and veggie meal and Thursdays will be a crock-pot meal. Fridays, I will try to fix fish and a salad or a vegetable and Saturdays, the hubby will do the cooking--I do need a day off from the kitchen.

Here's some pictures recapping the dinners we had for the week.

4-weeks of homemade meals: Day 2

Yesterday was Day 2 of my 4 weeks of homemade meals challenge. Although a big part of my energy goes into fixing flavorful, healthy dinners, I have to also make sure we have breakfast, lunch and snacks that are homemade as well. Yesterday was a busy day of hospital appointments and errands. In my rush to get to our appointment on time, I forgot to take snacks with me for my 1-year old daughter. Of course, Starbuck's is conveniently located inside the hospital. It was very difficult not to cave in and buy a small snack for my daughter to keep her happy as we waited, and waited, and waited for our medicine. But I managed to keep her entertained long enough and then made a rush back home. Note to self--always have snacks handy, no matter how short or long your trip away from home will be. Once back home, I

proceeded to get dinner ready. It was fairly simple, since I dedicated part of Monday to meal prep--cutting vegetables and making sure I had all the other ingredients for all of the weeknight meals. I roasted a chicken with garlic and lemon and some fennel seeds and then took my chopped bell peppers and zuchinni to the grill and cooked those for about 10-12 minutes, enough so that they weren't charred but were soft. I cheated a little and used frozen tortellinis as part of my pasta salad. You could easily use plain pasta or couscous with the veggies and toss in some shredded parmessan for extra flavor. I tossed the tortellini and vegetable salad with a homemade lemon and garlic vinaigrette that was super delicious. Want to give this meal a try? Just go to www.foodnetwork.com for Ina Garten's Perfect Roast Chicken recipe. I got the idea of a tortellini and veggie salad from Southern Living magazine--the October 2014 issue.

Buen provecho,
Gaby

The 4 week challenge- Day 1

Day 1 of the 4-week challenge came and went with a bang and of course, lots of learning on how to improve cooking healthy meals for 4 weeks straight. I decided to make cauliflower crust pizza. I had fixed the recipe before and the kids seemed to have liked it so I gave it another shot. I ended up making two pizzas, a large one with hams and mushrooms and a homemade spaghetti sauce. I made a smaller "white" pizza for my son who does not like tomatoes in any shape or form. No big surprise: the mushroom and ham was much more flavorful than the white. As my older daughter said: Mom I like the pizza, but I wouldn't eat it everyday. She then said the top was much better than the bottom. So this will not be a staple at our household, but I would definitely make this tasty pizza again. My thoughts for next time are to try to boost the flavor of the cauliflower crust with a little more garlic in the egg, cheese and cauliflower mix. The crust itself held up pretty nicely, much better than on my first try. Just make sure you strain the water from the cauliflower after cooking it in the microwave. If you're interested, you can find this recipe at www.theironyou.com .

Buen provecho,
Gaby

Surprise: I am not alone!

Not too long ago, I figured that my beliefs on healthy eating and cooking homemade meals were shared by only few people. Sure, we all have the desire to eat healthy, but it truly is hard to dedicate the time and effort that goes into planning meals and later on fixing them. My simple ways of thinking have been opened by talking to friends, acquaintances and of course, reading a large number of blogs, all of which are dedicated to a healthier eating lifestyle. I underline the word lifestyle, because it truly does become part of your life. I read at least one healthy eating blog a day. I’m forever learning new recipes, ingredients and ways of cooking that will hopefully help me put a healthy plate of food at the family dinner table.  

Some of you may ask: But why are you so concerned with eating? You seem healthy, you’re not overweight. I think the answer is probably the same one any one of the bloggers I read would give—it was not a want but rather a need. Once I was aware of some of the preservatives and additives in some of our packaged food, it became harder and harder for me to turn my back and plead ignorance. Of course, I’m not a scientist and no one will probably ever crack the code for what exactly you have to eat to be at your optimal best. But why not, try to cook at home where you can at least control some of the extra ingredients that do not have to go into your food and then your body. So cooking has evolved for me, from something I dabbled in whenever I had to take a dish to a party, to something that is part of who I am.  I’m not an excellent cook by any means. I’m just a mom, trying to eat healthier and get my children and husband to do the same. I know many excellent cooks and truly admire their innate talent. While I still use my measuring cups and spoons religiously, they’re out there using the palm of their hand to measure a teaspoon of salt and have no problem throwing an extra pinch of this or that. Someday, someday I hope to be there too! For now, I’ll settle for a smile and thumbs up from my kiddos after cooking a healthy meal.

 

 

My month-long challenge

The goal to eat healthy meals has been a long-standing one for my family. Both my husband and I are aware of the extra calories, chemicals, salt, sugar and preservatives added to some of the foods served at restaurants. This month however, I’m putting my foot down and actually making myself accountable, to you all, to commit to a long-term, full month of healthy, home-cooked meals. We typically eat pretty healthy, but there’s always the desire to eat better. Especially, after we’ve eaten cheeseburgers and fries followed by a full-size milk shake. Or, after eating chocolate chip cookies.

The rule is that I will cook breakfast, lunch and dinner at home. The kids of course, will have their packed lunches, with the exception of the princess who still considers it a treat to eat a cafeteria lunch once a week. Hubby will take leftovers, fruits and chopped up veggies, the exception will be mandatory work lunches—which believe it or not, are mandatory in his particular job. Peanut and I will eat at home. Chic Fil-A, Sonic and Starbucks are banned from our eating lists, as well as any other restaurant and fast-food place.  The only exception will be dinner invitations to friends’ homes. When we do eat at friends’, we will stick to whole foods rather than pre-packed meals, etc.

I will be incorporating a few more veggies into dinners than I typically do in order to boost nutrition. I will also try to have one meatless meal and one with fish or other type of seafood. With the exception of the occasional frozen or canned vegetable or fruit, frozen foods are not allowed. Sorry DiGiornio pizzas—not that I am used to eating these—I will not be purchasing you. I do buy some canned artichokes and sometimes beets to add to my salads so these types of foods will be part of the meals. Pastas and uncooked, whole-grain rice will also be allowed.

Now here’s the accountability part. I will be posting a picture of dinner every day on Facebook and on the blog. I’m very excited about the prospect of eliminating all fast-food for a month. We don’t do it often, but going to Chic Fil-A is considered a treat by the kids. I would like them to understand that fast-food is not necessary and that there are other ways to treat yourself that don’t involve a milk shake and French fries.

 

Disappointment

There's a song with that title by the 90's group, The Cranberries. I'm dating myself, but I totally loved the Cranberries and still do. Dealing with dissapointment is where I'm at right now in life. It's ironic, because in the grand scheme, my life is wonderful. But yes, just like everyone else, there are moments, expectations and even people that can cause disappointment. Ironic also, that I deal with getting over dissapoinment every day with my children. It's a constant. I use so many techniques--there's the distraction -- but look at this instead! There's a promise of a better thing or activity. There's explaining that what they are disappointed about is really not worth their energy --there's so much else to be grateful for!!
It's harder to try these techniques and for them to be effective and, more importantly, long lasting on myself. Ha! I'm not a genius, just a mom. Dealing with disappointment is probably God's way of teaching us so many lessons--humbleness comes first to mind. There are so many feelings that come with it too--anger, sadness, self-doubt, it can go on and on. I'm realizing that those feelings are so real, so raw at times, that it's ok to feel them; it's ok to feel human and acknowledge these feelings. Yesterday, in the middle of my own pity party, full of tears, angry and lying in bed experiencing all these emotions and also trying to stop them or rationalize them, I realized that it's ok for me to feel them. To let them come and then to let them go. Let the tears flow. It's a way of getting in touch with something very human, that's part of me. Perhaps one day I'll transcend these feelings, when disappointment occurs. Maybe even, disappointment will be something so small to me because there will be grander things--who knows--with age comes wisdom and many other virtues. For now, I'm dealing with the dissappointment and trying those techniques I use with my children. Getting up and dusting my pants and grabbing a pair of sneakers to go for a run instead. It's also giving me a little extra fuel, because after dealing with dissappointment, you're a little tired, but once that goes away, you're also energized by some of those same feelings of anger that you felt before. So in a way, dissappointment is a low but usually one that goes away gradually. Once you come out of those emotions--there are definite highs.

Spring is here

Spring is here. In my neck of the woods it is warm and rainy sometimes. But the birds are chirping, flowers have already budded and some blossomed. It is gorgeous and I consider myself very fortunate to live here. My kids are also enjoying the outdoors, and it is my hubbie and my desire to get them out into nature every day this spring and summer (even on rainy days)--that's what raincoats and rainboots are for!
Spring for me is also a time for cleaning. Physically, mentally, spiritually. It's been hectic so I haven't been able to do a lot of religious things here at home or at church. I'm hoping after Emma's birthday we can have more time for the religious. One of the things I'll be doing is reading a little more about John Paul II--whether you're Catholic or not--a great man, who accomplished a lot in a very little time.

Loyalty

I read a quote on Pinterest that grabbed my attention. Respect is earned. Honesty is Appreciated. Trust is gained. Loyalty is Returned. Loyalty. Something which I consider to have and to be -- loyal. This week felt like in many parts of my life--those who I considered loyal were not. Interesting though that sometimes people who you least expect to be loyal, become so out of pure circumstances and sometimes, for their own interest. So maybe this isn't the true description of loyalty--maybe it's convenience or fear that drives people to betray someone else's trust.

This week also reminded of when I am at my best. On the recovery after a blow to my psyche or my morale. It's that instant that you realize you have to get up, that self pity is not an option, that there is hope, and that honestly: life is GOOD, by God, life is sooo Good! Even when it's bad, there's almost always hope. In my life, I'm lucky enough to be blessed with many wonderful people and with good health. So all the other things, are really trivial and hopefully in the end a reminder to me that I have been dealt a very easy hand in life. Today I went running, and it felt good. Getting up at 6:30 to run felt good. It's the hard work and knowing that you are doing hard work and capable of it that feels good. So today, I am so happy. Happy to be at a place where I realize how good life is. How the trials and tribulations in life are really a sign from God to appreciate the great moments, the wonderful people, the beauty of nature--these were all giving to us by God to inspire us and to give us hope.

Today, I'm grateful for that 6:30 am run and for a husband who watched the kids while I took time for myself. Tomorrow when I'm running with the children, I'll be grateful that I have a stroller that can push them and two healthy kids that I can take running with me. I'm grateful that I have time to write this, from the comfort of my home. I'm thankful for the two hours of silence while the baby sleeps. I'm thankful for my mid-afternoon cup of decaf. Out of that realization also comes another one. That I have to give back, that I have to be more charitable. There are others that are not as fortunate and that is where the time should go to. And also, that I may not get a thanks everytime. And that those acts of charity have to be done as selflessly as possible. Every day I hope that I can remember this and that I can put my energy in the right things.

Learning to Let Go--At Least a Little Bit

It's a been a tough 2 1/2 months. We've had a bout of pink eye that hit two kids and myself. Then the inevitable cold and cough just about 3 weeks ago. We're hopefully on the end of this sickness. In the meantime, my weight has been dropping, I'm now at 104 lbs. Not intentionally. I'm concerned as to why I'm losing so much weight. The doctors cannot find anything wrong, my first three exams all tested normal for thyroid, anemia and blood sugars. I've been told to eat more--and so I am trying to do that. I may just add a bottle of Ensure to my lunch or as a snack to help me out. My clothes are really loose and not a very flattering picture. And so, here I am trying to see what's at the root of all this. I'm trying to not stress, since I think stress is what is affecting my health in the first place.

Today I saw the neighbors' kids riding their bikes all on their own. No sign of the parents anywhere. I'm sure the mom was keeping tabs on them from a window once in a while. They just learned to ride their bikes two days ago. Sure, the neighborhood is a safe place and we live on a circle, not a busy street at all. I wonder if I would have the courage and self-control to let go of my kids and let them ride their bikes on their own when the time comes. I'm not commenting this to chide the mom.  I actually admire her. She is a smart mom--taking it all in stride. She's also a mom of three and busy as heck. So she lets go sometimes, that's how she keeps balance and sanity. That's how kids grow up and learn. They may fall, they may bump into things (hopefully not a car), but they're in they're neighborhood--really they only ride about three houses down. They have a set of rules they follow--for the most part. So my goal is to let go of things a little bit. So that my kids can learn. So that I can have time for myself. So that life is less stressful. Sometimes chaotic but I can't pretend that everything is packaged up and neat all the time. Life is messy. Life is a beautiful mess! Today at mass I asked for enlightenment, for hope, for strength. For clarity--really. Clarity to see things for what they are, to not let my emotions get the best of me. For strength and energy to keep up with this beautiful, chaotic, messy life that I have. It's full, it's rich, it's intense. For the discipline to let go of things, of my kids, a little bit.  And that's what I'm going to try to do. Sometimes I long for the quietness my life was before getting married and before kids. And then I look back and remember how lonely I felt and how I at that time asked for things to fill up my time, my space, my heart, my life. And I have what I want. I just have to know how to handle it all, how to keep myself, me and how to still be in the thick of it with my kids, my husband. I envy the moms that have realized this perfect "imperfect" balance of their lives. They look more rested, fuller, happier than what I think I am. I hope to be one of those moms, sooner rather than latter.

Xo,
Vanessa

Before the thoughts evade me

We're in the middle of a polar vortex that's hit most of the United States. The words seem so gloomy. It is awfully cold, even here in the south. But today, in the middle of this polar vortex, in the middle of what is and has been a chaotic life for the past 3 1/2 years--it hit me. The exact moment was when I was nursing my youngest, my now 8 month-old daughter. She was nursing and falling asleep, beautiful eyes closed, her long eyelashes hitting her cheeks. She was so calm, so perfect. It then hit me: how luck I am to be a part of this moment with her. How many moms don't have the privilege to be nursing their young ones, in the comfort of their home, warm when everything else seems so cold and uninviting. I held her for a few minutes longer, nuzzled against her. Really I was silently thanking her for letting me be with her. I also thanked God for letting me realize what the true gifts in life are. I've been asking for wisdom,  for strength, for patience, for patience, for patience. How many moms don't have the time in their daily chaotic life to realize what precious gifts children give to us in their moments of silence, of sillyness, of brilliance. We live such distracted lives--multi-tasking from one moment to the next. Having to keep a balance between it all. I actually got another present not too long after I put my baby girl to sleep. I went into our kitchen where my middle child was rolling out play-dough shapes. I sat down next to him--dedicated a whole 20 minutes of my time to rolling out play-dough stars. He counted them, 13 of them all!! He counted to 13 all by himself. How wonderful, it's a progress from a little boy who is usually so busy running around dressed up as a superhero. This was his moment of calm, our moment together as mother and son--a quiet time in the middle of this polar vortex. So here I am writting this post, while my baby sleeps and my son eats his peanut butter pretzels. I'll cut it short for now, more thoughts on the great gift of motherhood later. But I wanted to share this with other moms. Motherhood just like most things in life are a series of pieces that have to be fitted correctly in order to solve the puzzle. It's a big one, what truly is the best way to be a mother? A rhetorical question of course, but there are certain things that are better than others. Taking the time to be still with our children is probably something that is underrated, it's importance overlooked by many in our society of overachievers. Thank you Lord for giving me this gift in the beginning of the year when I'm making some decisions about parenting. I promise to cherish these moments of togetherness with my children, I will try not to brush them aside with my To Do list or my appointments. Now I'm headed back to play superhero with my son.

Goodbye 2013 Hello 2014

2013 was a year of many blessings for me and my family. The most celebrated was the birth of our third child--our little girl dumpling. She is absolutely beautiful and it's true, she does now complete our little clan. We are so lucky to have her. We also were fortunate to move to a new place, which has many scenic places for the family to enjoy. Our oldest daughter is enjoying her first year in elementary school (I can't believe she's already a kindergartner). And our son continues to grow and amaze us with his wit and stamina--he truly is a unique individual--a diamond in the rough!

There's always room for self improvement and that's what this post is about. I truly am blessed with a beautiful family. I feel that 2013 was a year of personal challenges, despite all the gifts I received from above. Physically, I've been feeling weaker than usual. I hope to get back to my workout routine and become stronger and healthier. I'm no longer interested just in the aesthetics, but the real health of my body. Although I am thin, I do not consider myself healthy. I eat healthfully most of the time, but would like to be more consistent with my food choices. The top resolutions for me: to be more patient and more assertive in my choices. Patience--with my children, with myself, with my husband. Patience is at the heart of what my religion teaches, yet it is something I struggle with on a constant basis. I'm realizing that patience doesn't happen in a vacuum, there are steps to help achieve a patient and balanced state of mind. Exercise is key to patience. Taking time out for myself will also help me achieve happiness and in turn have more patience with those around me. Having time for prayer is at the key of mantaining a patient state of mind and remembering what is important--establishing my center. Self-assertiveness. A huge challenge for me at times. As I get older, I am more comfortable with this word--assertiveness. I used to shriek a the word, but now I realize it is not only important, but necessary if I want to live my life happily and how I choose to live it. So many of us women, are taught to be obedient, compliant, docile and not really taught the importance of feeling empowered and self-assured. I definitely do not want my girls to feel bad about being assertive--so it all begins with me. If I'm going to preach self-assertiveness and confidence to them, I have to show it, I have to feel it, I have to live in that way. Perhaps my hangup is that I've always felt that humbleness and self-assertiveness were at polar opposites of each other. Today, I know this is not necessarily so. In order to be successful you have to know when to be humble and when to be assertive. Even the most humble human being--lived assertively and never backed down from his beliefs. It is an empowering thought. This is my focus for the new year. I have a lot to be thankful for and I would like to show thankfulness by how I live my life--beginning with a wonderful new year.