A very Eschbach update

It's been a busy few months here in the Eschbach house!  Every day is busy, as our little dude is changing and growing rapidly, and we are amazed every day at what he is learning and doing.  Like all of a sudden he knows how to push stools and chairs up to the counter and get at just about anything he wants.  Or how he has figured out the magic of light switches and how fun they are to flip on and off.  And closing doors...at least he hasn't figured out how to open them :)  He is a busy little boy and we are enjoying him so much!  He's is still not talking much, but has LOTS of words and noises that are so fun to listen to.  He's pretty good at communicating, though, and through grunts, signs, and his words, I can usually figure it out what he wants/needs. 

But the biggest change in the Eschbach house is the coming of baby #2!!  We are so excited for our family to continue to grow and can't wait to welcome our next sweet little one into our lives towards the end of October.  It's a little crazy to think about and I definitely get overwhelmed some days at the thought of two little ones, but I keep praying for the Lord to give me strength and wisdom! 

Calvin can't wait to be a big brother!  He loves saying hi to the baby and kissing my tummy!

We feel so blessed in our home right now! I've never had to struggle with horrible morning sickness, but I am ready to start feeling more like myself.  Throwing up every morning is definitely not fun, and it has lasted longer this pregnancy than with Calvin.  But with friends who are miserably sick all day long, I try to keep perspective :)  Just like when I was pregnant with Calvin, though, I am blessed again with several friends who are expecting their next babies and several of us are due within a few weeks of each other!!  How fun!!

I'm going to try and do a better job of writing "pregnancy" updates, just so that I look back one day.  Life is only going to get more hectic once baby #2 comes, and I want to keep jotting down memories and stories when I have the time, so I don't forget them!! 

I was blessed with this verse today at church...

"My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge"

Colossians 2:2-3

What a blessing to know I don't need to figure out all the answers...but I can lean on the One who does!!

Black Bean Soup

I made a really yummy dinner tonight and I don't want to forget about it! 

I based it off of a recipe for black bean soup I found on Annie's Eats.  I jazzed it up a little bit and it was delicious!!  The addition of red peppers and onions added a ton of flavor.  And I made a double batch so we can have it for lunch the rest of the week and throw any left overs in the freezer.  I love soup leftovers more than any other leftover.  They are the one thing that I think actually gets better a day or two later.  Odd. 

Black Bean and Red Pepper Soup
1 red pepper, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cans black beans, drained
2 cups salsa
3 cups chicken stock
1 tsp taco seasoning
shredded cheese, green onions, and sour cream to garnish

Throw red pepper, onion, and garlic into a stockpot with some olive oil.  Cook until tender.  Add chicken stock, black beans, salsa, and taco seasoning.  Heat on medium heat for a few minutes.  With immersion blender, blend until smooth.  I heated it for a few more minutes, then topped with some shredded cheese, chopped green onions, and sour cream.  YUMO!!

And I'd love to provide you with a photo to prove how delicious looking this soup is, but I can't.  I don't have the ability to make food appetizing, and I actually think you should try this :)

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. 

Another New Year!

Like everyone else, I am spending my day sweetly remembering this past year, and hopefully anticipating what is to come!  We have had such an amazing year.  Nothing too monumental happened, but sometimes, that's a good thing :)  We celebrated three years of marriage, Calvin turned one, we camped for the first time as a family of three, we tagged along through many "firsts" for Calvin...walking, running, climbing, Mama, Dada, and figuring out how to get in to just about everything!  And we made and shared memories with many friends and family!

God continues to bless us with good health.  And we are so grateful Jake has steady work.  It isn't his dream job, but in today's economy, we are beyond grateful.  It's easy to hope and dream about what the next year may hold, but one of my "goals" is to leave more in the hands of the Lord and do less planning on my own.  Now, don't get me wrong, there will still be plenty of planning going on.  But there will hopefully be more leaning on the Lord's wisdom rather than my own and seeking His will above ours. 

Here are a few other "resolutions"...

• Always have a dining table ready to be eaten at.  That may sound silly, but I hate it when we can't sit down to eat because the table is covered with junk.  I guess I'm hoping to be more organized :) 
• Be more aware of what we are eating.  Specifically the ingredients in the food we are eating.  I really like to cook, and I do make a lot of things homemade (spagetti sauce, tortillas, refried beans, croutons, etc.) but I want to do more!  I want to start baking my own bread and rolls, and pizza dough.  Not only to be healthier, but to try and save money!
• Of course exercise more!  I have been somewhat of a lazy slug since Calvin was born.  Oh, I've gone through phases of being really motivated, but I need to get my rear in gear!

And of course there are the intangible resolutions...the ones you can't really measure, like being more patient with Calvin, and making my husband , family, and household more of a priority over my own desires.  But those will probably be on my "list" every year. 

Happy New Year from the Eschbachs!