This week's meals...

This week is a little crazy.  Besides being the last few days of the month and having only $9 left in the grocery budget...it's also Super Bowl weekend and Jake and I are getting the chance to get away for a night!!  So we won't be at home as much...which is good, considering the limited grocery budget we have left :) 

Monday - Crab salad with homemade french bread.  We finally have a bread machine!!  And I LOVE it!!I still need to train my taste buds a little bit...I have a tendency to not like something just because it                isn't what I'm used to...so I'm working on it :) 
Tuesday - Black Bean Soup
Wednesday - Pork Chops and Rice
Thursday - Tuna Melts and raw veggies
Friday - Night away!!
Saturday - Probably grab a pizza :) 
Sunday - Super Bowl...we'll be watching the game at friends...and eating way more than we should!

Snow Days!!!

We had the pleasure of a winter wonderland around here the last few days.  I absolutely LOVE the snow.  I don't particularly like having to travel in it, or even be out in it for too long, but I love getting to watch the snow fall.  And I love the peacefulness it brings.  I know it tends to stress people out, but I love how everyone has to slow down...the roads are quiet, the stores are less busy (if we decide to venture out), and it is a great excuse for extra cups of hot chocolate and snuggles on the couch.  We didn't have nearly as much snow as the rest of western Washington, but a good 4-5" is just perfect!  It was also super cold with temps in the teens, and with the windchill, dipping down into single digits.  So it wasn't necessarily playing outside kind of weather for too long. 

We didn't have snow that stuck around for too long last year, so this was really Calvin's first time out in it.  He also would have only been about 5 months old last time it snowed, so I don't know how much playing would have happened anyway :) 

He loved it!!  Well, unless it touched his hands.  He would not keep his mittens on, which meant he only lasted a few minutes outside (which was the perfect length of time for me) and once we came in, there was much screaming as his hands thawed.  But it was worth it :)  We can't wait for next year's snow fall when Calvin is a little older and can play for a little longer. 

Some proof we actually went out in the snow...

Before the "big" snow came and we only had a dusting.  Just checking things out...

Tasting his first snowball

Too cute!!

Meals...

I am so loving this day!!  I LOVE snow!!  The snow has been falling all day and it is so cozy in our little house.  This is the first time it has snowed since we've lived here and I love having all the windows to watch the snow fall!!  And since there is very little venturing outside (Calvin isn't too keen on playing in the snow for too long) it's a perfect day for menu planning!!

Monday - Spinach and Kale Soup
Tuesday - Honey Glazed chicken thighs and rice (from Fix, Freeze, and Feast...the BEST freezer meal cookbook)
Wednesday - Balsalmic Chicken and pasta (from the crockpot)
Thursday - Beef Stew.  I've never made it before, but today, I am making beef broth in the crockpot from some pieces of meat left over from our Christmas roast.  It smells SOOO good!!
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Salsa Chicken (from the crockpot).  This is the only meal that I actually need to pick up a couple things for, and since we are supposed to be getting several inches of snow, I'm saving my grocery trip until the end of the week. 
Sunday - Taco Soup with flatbread

It's a soup heavy week!  And it's the perfect week for it!!  I LOVE soup!  And Jake and Calvin love soup!  And we all love leftover soup.  I've decided I am going to try and do one vegetarian meal every week.  This week it's the Kale and Spinach soup.  Just to save money and experiment with proteins other than meat.

Several of my recipes this week were found on Pinterest.  If you haven't checked out...DO IT NOW!!!  Yes, it is easy to spend hours "pinning" things you might possibly never look at again, but there are also some really helpful, useful things on it.  It's great for getting ideas for meals. 

Yesterday I made my first loaf of bread in a breadmachine and it turned out great!!  I'm excited to do more experimenting with it and making other types of breads and doughs.  I really love to bake, but for some reason, kneading and letting bread rise just isn't working for me.  Some day it might click, but for now, the breadmaker is going to become my second best friend (the crockpot will forever remain my first).  

Happy Meal Planning!! 

Meal Plan!!

Well, now that the craziness of the holidays are over, it's time to get back in the swing of meal planning.  Ok...the holidays have been over for a little while, but I'm still getting organized :) 

Week of January 9
Monday- Grilled Cheese and veggies...we have a young married event at church, so dinner needs to be simple!
Tuesday- Lentil Soup...I'm going to try this recipe
Wednesday- Chicken Divan...a classic in the Eschbach house
Thursday- Sweet and Sour Chicken...I've been craving this for some reason, so I found this recipe on Pinterest
Friday- Breakfast for Dinner!!  I think I'll make pancakes...
Saturday- Tacos
Sunday- Homemade pizza...with whatever toppings I happen to have on hand. 

Some other homemade things I am excited to try out...and I'll share if I have any success...are: cleaning products, pancake mix, season mixes (like taco seasoning and onion soup mix), pitas, and english muffins.