Family Vacations

We just had spring break last week and I had looked at going somewhere for the week. Man, was I shocked when I started pricing out places! It looks like $1500 is about the cheapest you can do for a week anywhere. We have to sleep 7, so that requires more space. We finally decided that we would wait until the summer because my husband is busy at work. We moved from the Destin area of Florida three years ago. We were six miles from the beach so we have never had to pay to go. Growing up in Mobile, AL we were 30 minutes from Dauphin Island and 45 minutes from Gulf Shores so we never went to stay on the beach. I thought it would be nice to stay on the beach for once. About 30 minutes from Destin is the community of Seaside, FL. It was where they filmed The Truman Show with Jim Carey. We have visited for the day and I always thought it would be great to stay there. For a 2 bedroom cottage it was $5500 for the week. I cannot imagine what the homes go for! I can't imagine paying that for a week at the beach.

After almost 20 years of marriage we have only paid for about three vacations. I guess we have been spoiled mixed with we haven't done a lot. My husband has had to travel with his job so we have spent three winters in upper Michigan. I have been to New Mexico, California, and Las Vegas as a tag-a-long on his business trips. Oh, we even drove from Michigan to Canada for the day. As a family we had season passes to Disney and went a few times. We also have gone to Gatlinburg, another place in Tennessee with my parents, my husband and I went on a cruise to the Bahamas, and have been on a cruise to Mexico.

There are so many places I would like to go. I would love to go to D.C., Colorado, to see the Grand Canyon, Savannah, San Antonio, Ashville, Montana, New York City, and my dream... Italy and Germany. I am just freaked out by the cost to travel these days! How do families afford to travel like they do. So many friends on FaceBook are constantly going places. How? The same people always get manicures and pedicures and eat out. What am I missing? I am starting to feel left out.

Cheap Entertainment

I have waited forever for this movie to be released on DVD! I sent my daughter to buy it this morning. We watched it after lunch and it is a great movie. What a beautiful story! I am so happy with some of the movies that have come out in the last few years that are full of good stories and even Christian films that have made it big. I wish Hollywood would listen more to the people and realize we love these movies and WANT these movies, movies we can take our kids to see and watch over and over.

We very rarely go to a theatre. The kids go with friends and spend their own money, but I have not been to see a movie since we saw Fireproof about two years ago. We used to go one time a year as a family, usually during our Christmas break. It would cost us around $80 to go and buy popcorn and drinks. Now, the tickets are $9.50 a piece! Not how I want to spend my money. We have invested in a sound system and have a nice tv so it is much more comfortable to sit at home and watch anyway.

We don't have DVR with our cable, we just have a basic package without movie channels. We found that our computer acts as a DVR. We hook it up to an antenae and my husband has it to automatically record some of our favorite shows like 24 and Lost. We buy DVDs of our favorite movies that we know we want to see many times. Good cheap entertainment.

Great foods to keep in the freezer

I have a list of foods that I like to keep in the freezer for quick meals. They help when we have busy schedules with different work schedules, ball practice or games, or just whatever comes up. I thought I would share some of the items.

For breakfast:

1. French toast- bake in the oven. Flash freeze, then put in bags. To heat put in toaster.
2. Pancakes
3. Muffins
4. Precooked sausage rounds
5. Precooked sausage to add to burritos, frittatas, etc.
6. Cream cheese french toast- put cream cheese between bread and make a sandwich. Dip in egg mixture then bake or cook on a griddle. Freeze.
7. Biscuits- Make your favorite recipe and cut out. Flash freeze on cookie sheet then put in bag. You can then bake as many as you need at 400 degrees until done.

For Supper and side dishes:

1. BBQ grilled chicken- grill and freeze.
2. Greek chicken- grill or bake boneless breasts with Greek seasoning. Use in any dish that calls for cooked chicken. Quick meals of chicken tetrizinni, chicken tortilla roll ups, fried rice, chicken salad sandwiches, salad with chopped meat.
3. Breaded tenders are also good to have to use on a salad, in rollups with ranch dressing, with noodles and a white sauce, etc.
4. Cooked ground beef
5. Twice baked potatoes- flash freeze and then put in ziploc bags. Microwave a couple of minutes until warmed through. Eat plain or top with vegetables, chili, or taco mix. A great side dish or quick between meal snack for teens that eat you out of house and home.
6. Cooked brown rice- I cook the whole package at one time since it takes 45 minutes and freeze one cup portions.
7. Cooked beans- I cook a package of dry beans and freeze 2 cup portions to add to soups or other dishes. I add beans to my chili and tacos to extend the meat.
8. Dales Pork chops or steak- marinade chops or steak in Dales sauce for at least 30 minutes. Grill. Freeze. Defost in microwave or in refrigerator. Tastes just like it is fresh off the grill. You can also add pineapple or lemon juice to the marinade for more of a teriyaki sweet taste.
9. Cooked chicken- either boiled or done in the oven and chopped into pieces to put in any dish that needs cooked chicken. You can also roast in a crock pot and pick off the bones.
10. Cooked ham. I keep pieces as large as possible because it seems to dry out if you chop it into small pieces. Add to quiches, beans, casseroles, noodles and sauce, fried rice.
11. Broth- cook your rice in chicken broth instead of plain water for added flavor. I also like to cook my dried beans in broth if I have extra. I also keep the beef and chicken bouillon cubes in the pantry so I always can have broth.
12. Cooked roast and seperate container of the au jus (juices from the roast)
13. Cooked pork loin in the crock pot with bbq sauce. Use in BBQ sandwiches.
14. Pizza rolls- make a pizza dough and roll out. I don't add the sauce b/c it seems to make the dough mushy. I add cheese and pepperoni or sausage and any other topping desired. Roll up like you are making cinnamon rolls and cut like cinnamon rolls. Bake and freeze. When you serve them serve with pizza sauce on the side for dipping.

With the above items I can get supper on the table in 30 minutes or less at any time. I can just pop open some canned green beans, make broccoli, corn, rice or potatoes and we are ready to eat.

Biscuits can be served for breakfast or for supper with a creamed chicken over the top, or with a bbq roast or sloppy joe mixture in them, or as a pot pie topping. You can also roll them out and make dumplings. You can also flatten them out in a muffin cup and bake them for about 10 minutes then add bbq hamburger meat or a chicken pot pie type mixture then contiue baking.

I have many other recipes I freeze, but these are the basic meals that are very versitile. It is much more worth my time to have items that can be used multiple ways and in multiple dishes.

Where is my desire?

I used to think of every situation as a possible blog post. You take a photo and think you can blog about that. The kids do something and you think that is a great blog post. I don't know what has happened. My drive and desire has gone. It just seems like work. I am sick again. It has been a continual thing for so long. Maybe that is what is wrong with me, I don't know.

I don't read a lot of the blogs in my reader. When St Patrick's Day came and people did post after post of decorating for the holiday. Really? Man, they made wreaths, table decorations, banners, t-shirts, special green food, and many delicious desserts. I took the kids to Target and we wore green - whoo hoo! Now everyone is decorating for Easter and spring. Mine is in the attic. I have a red candle on the table- from Christmas to Valentine decorating. These ladies make me feel like such a failure. I am failing to appreciate the days we have and just getting by. Do you ever feel like that? Like you "have to" or "need to" keep up? I feel like I am behind to just keep laundry done and food ready for the family. I want the joy. Do these people really enjoy all this or do you ever wonder how many are stressing themselves and their families out to do it all?

I really enjoy creating, going to garage sales, and all but never want it to be at the expense of joy in our home. It has to be fun, an addition to our lives, not a drain sucking every last ounce of everything we have. I also wonder if showing things or our home makes anyone feel like they don't have enough. Have you ever looked at blogs and found yourself not satisfied with what you have? Most of the time I see them as a way to gain creative ideas to make do with what I have that I can repurpose but I sometimes find myself thinking that I need more, my space is bland. God has blessed my family much more than I could have ever imagined. We have been given a beautiful home and most of all a healthy family and I hope I never take that for granted or make the things more important than the people and how they feel when here. Maybe I should do a Mr Linky where everyone could post the things they DIDN'T do because it was just too much for them.

Starting Body for Life on Monday

I am starting Body for Life on Monday. I will be doing a freezer cooking day the first of the week so that I can cook up my meals and have them ready. I am going to journal it on my other blog and will just update occasionally on here. If you would like to join in please join in at Bustin the Big Booty.

Frittata

A frittata is a great way to use up bits of leftovers that you have. Basically take 6 eggs and whisk them. Then, add whatever you have: potatoes, carrots, spinach, broccoli, ham, chicken, zucchini or yellow squash, sauteed onion, green pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with cheese and cook in a heated and sprayed cast iron skillet in a 400 degree oven. You can also use cooked spaghetti or elbow pasta for a lunch or supper type frittata.

Join in at Beauty and Bedlham for Tasty Tuesday.

Black Bean Soup

Here is my recipe for Black Bean Soup. It is the Copycat version of TGIF's soup. I do not add green peppers. I also use dry beans instead of canned. It makes it a little more economical that way. It is a little spicy, so adjust to your taste.

New beginnings

Writing that blog title I want to laugh. Out loud. How many "new beginnings" have you had? I have had so many Monday diet starts and then Monday comes and I turn it into Tomorrow. Yep, I am good like that. Today...my new motto. Today I will start, I will begin again, I will do what I can. I can't keep waiting. My weight is not only ugly it is such a deterrent to my life. I don't want to be in photos, I can't do so many things that would be enjoyable with my family like snow and water ski, hike, I have avoided beaches and bathing suits for the last couple of years. I LOVE the water. It is horrible. I am finally feeling well enough to begin. So, if you would like to join in let me know. I would love accountability and friends to share recipes, successes, and helps along the way.

I am using up what I have in the freezer and pantry for this weeks menu, and plan to cook up some things to freeze so that I am prepared.

Monday

breakfast- egg and bacon

lunch- ham and cheese sandwich, carrots

supper- roasted Cornish hen, brown rice, green beans

snacks- apple with peanut butter, orange and cheese, yogurt

Tuesday

breakfast- frittata with veggies

lunch- black bean soup

supper- turkey burger in Dale's sauce, sweet potato fries, salad

snacks- apple with peanut butter, orange and cheese, yogurt

Wednesday

breakfast- egg cup with ham

lunch- tuna sandwich, carrots

supper-chicken enchiladas (Body for Life recipe)

snacks- apple with peanut butter, orange and cheese, chocolate pudding

Thursday

breakfast- burrito with sausage

lunch- chef salad

supper- spaghetti, salad

snacks- apple with peanut butter, orange and cheese, banana pudding(with protein powder)

Friday

breakfast- half whole wheat English muffin, egg, bacon, cheese

lunch- turkey sandwich, carrots

supper- chicken stir fry with brown rice

snacks- apple with peanut butter, orange and cheese, yogurt with strawberries

Saturday

breakfast- pancakes (with vanilla protein powder added)

lunch- chicken noodle soup

supper- Quiche

snacks- apple with peanut butter, orange and cheese, chocolate pudding

Sunday

breakfast- bagel with cream cheese

lunch- quesadilla

supper- italian chicken, green beans, sweet potato

snacks- apple with peanut butter, orange and cheese, a treat such as Hershey bar

I am lowering the sugar in my diet. I am still going to have fruits and am making sugar free pudding to try to meet my sweet tooth. I am cutting out diet cokes and drinking water. I am trying to change the simple sugars to complex carbohydrates. I am taking a daily vitamin, and a daily Benefiber drink. I am linking my menu to Menu Monday.