Menu Plan Monday

via eatingwell.com

We ended up having more leftovers than I anticipated so I have some stuff from last week shifted over to this week. I also had completely forgotten Mother’s Day was Sunday so we had a special meal that day and not what I had planned for. Our Mother’s Day Menu: Steak Tacos al Carbon, Mexican Rice, Corn Cakes, Cowboy Caviar, Guacamole and Chips, Tres Leche Cake.

As always, I use the Publix weekly ad to make my menu to save some money.

Monday

B – Greek Yogurt with Honey

L – Pimento Cheese Sandwiches and Pretzels

D – Homemade Pizza

Tuesday

B – Greek Yogurt with Blueberries

L – Soup and Sandwich

D – Penne Pasta with Green Beans and Garlic Bread

Wednesday

B – Strawberry Puff Pancake

L – Pimento Cheese on Crackers, Fruit

D – Salmon and Roasted Vegetable Salad

Thursday

B – Oatmeal with Raisins

L – Leftovers

D – Teriyaki Chicken with Brown Rice

Friday

B – Fruit and Granola

L – Peanut Butter Toast with Bananas and Pretzels

D – Bruschetta Chicken Bake with Green Beans

Saturday

B – Oatmeal with Blueberries

L – Lunch Out

D – Not My Mom’s Sloppy Joes with Corn on the Cob

Sunday

B – Eggs and Toast

L – Swedish Meatballs and Mashed Potatoes

D – Frozen Pizza

Snacks: Cinnamon Almonds, Fudgy Brownies, Blueberries, Pretzels, Dried Apples

For more menu plans, check out the home of Menu Plan Monday, at I’m an Organizing Junkie.

Related articles

• Easter Menu Plan Monday (wifemomandmore.wordpress.com)
• Menu Plan Monday is Back (wifemomandmore.wordpress.com)
• This Week’s Menu (wifemomandmore.wordpress.com)
• Valentine’s Day Menu Plan (wifemomandmore.wordpress.com)
• Menu Plan for February 21st (wifemomandmore.wordpress.com)

Sunday Surf

I haven’t done a Sunday Surf in a little while so a lot of those links are older and actually not from this past week but they are all great posts I’ve read since my last Sunday Surf. Hope you enjoy!

What Does it Mean to Really be Pro-Life? – “As pro-lifers, let’s remember that saying “yes” to life brings new love, new potential, a new human being who can beat the odds to make his mark on the world.”

When You Care Enough to Send the Very Best – “I may not be saving lives or creating masterpieces but I’m touching hearts and funny bones and to me that’s the greatest thing in the world.”

Three Easy Tips for Natural Living – “I know the thought of transitioning a lifestyle that you have lived for many years to that of a natural one can seem overwhelming, but…you don’t have to make lots of big changes all at once.”

Why Am I Still Nursing My Toddler? – “Is there anything more natural than a child nursing? No preservatives, no fakes, no add-ons, nothing artificial. Just a mom, a baby, and pure milk. It’s how babies have been fed for thousands of years. Throw us both on a deserted island with just a beach and a palm tree and we’ll still be nursing.”

Closet Clothes Makeover – “The goal when finished is for my closet to represent pieces I am truly wearing and not taking up space just to ‘look’ at.”

5 Doula Myths Debunked – “I’ve noticed some common misconceptions about doulas and their role in birth.”

Food: Bad, Better, Best – “Since it is not always ideal or possible to make the most optimal food choice here’s my take on some of the options…”

Natural Cleaning…Without Vinegar – “In transitioning to natural cleaners, many people are unsure of where to start, so I’ll share what has worked for me in the last couple years.”

What is Natural Parenting? – “The best and most educational book we can read ON THIS EARTH is the Bible. In there you will find all your answers to parenting and the like. When you read it and put the Word in your heart, you will open yourself up for the Lord’s instruction… if you ask him about parenting decisions, he will guide you! “

10 Best Tricks for Fooling Yourself to Work – “You may not follow all of its tips, but one or two will almost certainly motivate you to get back to work.”

Parenting to Sleep: A Spiritual Discipline – “From the first day I met my precious daughter, God gave me a mama heart that told me to respond to her cries and soothe her to sleep rather than leave her to cry alone and give up when she realizes no one is coming to help her.”

Looking at That Time of the Month in a Whole New Way – Guest Post – “In many cultures around the world, the idea of menstrual seclusion was an acceptable practice, surrounded by elaborate rituals. But rather than a punishment, it was often considered a celebration of the power of women, as well as a chance for women to gather in quiet and rest – a rare opportunity in many cases.”

Why Tea Gives You a Sense of Well Being – “When we are sick our immune systems need a bit of a boost, especially at the onset of a cold. Tea is packed with antioxidants that help our immune systems fight off different viruses that love to make us feel terrible.”

Resisting Rewards: When Treats Turn Sour – “Worse, plenty of studies have shown that kids who are rewarded actually lose interest in the activity they’re being rewarded for, from preschoolers making art to older kids reading. Yikes!”

Five Reasons to Consider Keeping Chickens – “Before I became a chicken owner, I would have never guessed that a flock of chickens can be some of the best entertainment around! It is amazing how quickly they develop personalities and preferences.”

Check out Adventures in Mommyhood, Authentic Parenting, Becoming Crunchy, Karen’s Healthy Lifestyle,The New Mommy Files: Memories, Milestones and Missteps, Hobo Mama, I Thought I Knew Mama, Mama Eve, Momma Jorje, One Rich Mother, Greener Cleaning Moms, and The Parent Vortex for more Sunday Surfing!

How I Introduced Solids to My Daughter via Baby-Led Weaning

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I knew I wanted the best possible nutrition for her. I knew I would breastfeed her for at least 2 years and I planned on making my own babyfood for her.

When my daughter was around 4 months old, I began reading and researching solid foods. I knew a baby’s primary nutrition in their first year of life should be breastmilk or formula and the more I thought about this, the more I felt concern over starting solids.

Marcella enjoying some green beans.

I have had a lot of people ask me about the way I introduced solids to my daughter. The approach we chose to use is called baby-led weaning and we really loved it! Today over at Mama Eve you can find my guest post on how we came to this decision as well as some information about the method.

Be sure to check out the rest of her site, too! She is one of my favorite bloggers and I’m sure you will soon see why as you check out her site. She makes appearances in my Sunday Surf’s often. You can start with some of my favorite posts at Mama Eve:

Five Playground Lessons I Didn’t Know I was Teaching

How I’m Learning to Let My Children Go

Attachment to an Open Mind

A Tale of Two Chickens

Birth Without Fear Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Be Scared

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner this Week

We ended up having a lot of ham leftover so some of last week’s meals have spilled over to this week. I also made strawberry mini muffins last week for Marcella’s Easter basket and she had them for breakfast a lot last week. She loved them!

As always, I use the weekly Publix ad to make my list to help save money.

Monday

B – Oatmeal with Blueberries

L – Cheese Quesadillas

D – Mexican Rice and Beans with Sour Cream

Tuesday

B – Greek Yogurt

L – Leftovers

D – Calzones with Roasted Cauliflower

Wednesday

B – Greek Yogurt

L – Leftovers

D – Roast Sticky Rotisserie Style Chicken with Green Beans

Thursday

B – Cereal with Strawberries

L – BLT’s and Cantaloupe

D – Baked Potato and Salad

Friday

B – Eggs

L – Peanut Butter sandwiches with Bananas and Pretzels

D – Spicy Thai Noodles with Stir-fry Vegetables

Saturday

B – Greek Yogurt

L – Frozen Pizza

D – Baked Spaghetti and Mozzarella with Steamed Broccoli and Garlic Bread

Sunday

B – Scrambled Eggs

L – Penne Pasta with Green Beans

D – Chicken Tricolore with Corn on the Cob

Snacks: Dried Fruit, Trail Mix, Cinnamon Almonds, Fudgy Brownies, Fruit, Pretzels

For more menu plans, check out the home of Menu Plan Monday, at I’m an Organizing Junkie.

This Week’s Menu

Here is this week’s Menu Plan Monday. Enjoy!

As always, I use the weekly Publix ad to make my list to help save money.

Monday

B – Oatmeal with Mango

L – Cheese Quesadillas with Oranges

D – Mexican Rice and Beans with sour cream

Tuesday

B – Cereal with strawberries

L – Leftovers

D – Chicken Tricolore with Corn on the Cob

Wednesday

B – Cereal with Strawberries

L – Garden Vegetable Soup with Peanut Butter Sandwich

D – Caramel Apple Breakfast Casserole, Glazed Bacon and Fruit Salad (meal for friends who just had a baby)

D – Eggs and Bacon with Toast (for us)

Thursday

B – Greek Yogurt with strawberries

L – Pasta

D – Sweet Ham & Cheese Wraps with Roasted Cauliflower

Friday

B – Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

L – Eating out with Lori

D – Dinner out – Celebrating our anniversary

Saturday

B – Breakfast at B&B (anniversary trip!)

L – Peanut Butter Banana Sandwiches with Pretzels and Apples

D – Pasta with Sauce with Green Beans and Garlic Bread

Sunday

B – Scrambled Eggs

L – Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup

D – Southwest Chicken Salad

Snacks: Hummus with Raw Veggies, Cinnamon Almonds, Green Smoothies, Fudgy Brownies

For more menu plans, check out the home of Menu Plan Monday, at I’m an Organizing Junkie.

Top Natural Parenting Posts

I volunteer at Natural Parents Network and so do a lot of other great women! As a way to introduce you to all of them, here are the best posts written by each of them.

Joella at Fine and Fair writes about an unusual gripe she has with the breastfeeding doll, Bebe Gloton.

Amy at Innate Wholeness offers simple tips to be present with family whether you’re having fun and want to soak it up like a sponge or would rather run and hide in a cave.

Charise at I Thought I Knew Mama shares sound bites from her miscarriage journey of forgiveness and gratitude.

Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama discusses the overuse of the word “no” and offers some aid in finding creative ways to avoid “no.”

Melissa at The New Mommy Files: Memories, Milestones and Missteps gives her case for instinctual mothering.

Amanda at Let’s Take the Metro shares a comprehensive list of all the food she keeps on hand.

Suchada at Mama Eve talks about sleep, crying, and balancing closeness with boundaries.

Shannon at The ArtsyMama tells us ten things she wishes she knew before her son.

Kristin at Intrepid Murmurings gives tips and tricks for babywearing with twins.

Emily at Embrita Blogging shares 10 things that make her happy.

Lauren at Hobo Mama discusses how sex changes after having a baby.

Amy at Anktangle writes about a daily ritual she has adopted to help her maintain balance in her life.

Cynthia at The Hippie Housewife is reminded that while the days may sometimes be long, the years are short, and after a rough day the best thing to do is give thanks for the best parts and try again tomorrow.

Dionna at Code Name: Mama offers 7 Alternatives to Good Job: “Good job’ing” kids can be a mindless habit to fall into. Instead of using a generic “good job,” try one of these ideas to really connect with and nurture your child.

Darcel at The Mahogany Way has the ultimate boredom busting activity for children of all ages.

Alicia at Lactation Narration discusses the long journey of child-led weaning, during which she thought several times that her child was weaned before she really was.

Mandy at Living Peacefully With Children tells how letting go of the illusion of control opens up an entirely new world.

Luschka at Diary of a First Child talks about the battle between breastfeeding and formula feeding mothers and the industry that stokes the flames of a war on mothers.

Mary Michael at The Accidental Natural Mama recounts her journey to Mamahood.

Sheryl at Little Snowflakes talks about the benefits of nursing a child to sleep.

Rachael at The Variegated Life meditates on the moment when she first saw herself fully embodying her life as a mother.

Jorje at Momma Jorje shares some good news and important information about Lindane and Lice.

I hope you enjoy all of the great posts from the women I volunteer with! I learn a lot from this group and think you will, too.

Easter Menu Plan Monday

This Sunday is Easter Sunday so we have a special menu for that day. I have included all meals again for this week. Enjoy!

As always, I use the weekly Publix ad to make my list to help save money.

Monday

B –  Plain Greek Yogurt with Granola

L – Leftovers

D – Spicy Tuna Melt Pie with Corn 

Tuesday

B – Peanut Butter Toast with Strawberries

L – Tuna and Apple Salad on 100% Whole Wheat Bread with Pears

D – Poppyseed Chicken with Havarti

Wednesday

 

B – Plain Greek Yogurt with Mango

 

L – Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Strawberries

 

D – Slow Cooker Ranch Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Celery Sticks and Ranch

Thursday

B – Oatmeal with Blueberries

L – Garden Vegetable Soup and Peanut Butter Sandwich

D – Cheese Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce with Spanish Rice

Friday

 

B – Scrambled Eggs with Cantaloupe

 

L – Totable Tea Sandwiches with Cantaloupe

 

D – Penne Pasta with Cannellini Beans and Escarole with Salad

Saturday

B – Scrambled Eggs

L – Southwest Chicken Salad

D – Dinner out

Sunday

B – Caramel Apple Breakfast Casserole

L – Ham with Potato Salad, Watergate Salad, Baked Beans and Rolls with Earthquake Cake and Carrot Cake Bars

D – Leftovers

Snacks: Hummus with Raw Veggies, Cinnamon Almonds, Garbanzo Crunchies, Cheese Chips, Grapes, Pumpkin Flax Bars, Green Smoothies

For more menu plans, check out the home of Menu Plan Monday, at I’m an Organizing Junkie.

Natural Parenting Blog Party

I’m very late but I’m finally here and I’ve answered the Day 1 questions below! I’m looking forward to reading all of the other participants answers and the rest of the party! Not sure what I’m talking about? Go check out this post at The Peaceful Housewife.

1.How many children do you have, and how old are they? One in heaven, Shannon, would have been 4 this April and one on earth, Marcella, just turned 2 this March

2.Do you have a partner, or are you a single parent? I am married to my husband and we are about to celebrate 9 years of marriage this April.

3.What are your “hot button” parenting issues? I would say I’m passionate about breastfeeding beyond infancy, baby-led weaning (in regards to starting solids), cloth diapering, bedsharing/co-sleeping and natural childbirth.

4.Have you made any parenting choices that you didn’t think you would make before you were a parent, i.e. cloth diapering a child when you had previously thought it was disgusting? I had thought I would stop nursing after my baby turned 2 but so far we’re still going strong and I don’t have any plans to wean.

5.Is there one book or person in particular that’s heavily influenced your parenting choices? I couldn’t point to just one book. I have read several and they all have affected me in different ways. Some have made me aware of things I hadn’t thought through and others have clearly shown me what I definitely did not want to do! I know the Baby-Led Weaning book very clearly affected my decision on how to start solids with my daughter.

6.If you had to describe each of your children using only one word, what word would you use? Energetic

7.Is there one parenting decision that you regret more than others and wish you could change? The first thing that comes to mind is actually something during the birth I wish I would have done differently. I fully intended to delay cord clamping until I found out they would not be able to type my daughter’s blood if they waited the full time for it to stop pulsing. Without knowing her blood type I would not know if I needed an RH shot after birth. So, we opted to not cut immediately but also not wait until it completely stopped. I feel like this was just really selfish on my part looking back. I don’t know why I ever thought that was a good idea. The irony is I ended up having to get the shot regardless because the lab took so long with the results and I would not have needed it after all. Next time I will just get the shot and let the cord stop pulsing. No need to know the child’s blood type right away.

8.Is there an area of your parenting you wish you were better at? I’m not patient….at all.

9.Now for the fun questions – is there one particular food or type of food that you could eat every day? I love cheese!

10.Vanilla ice cream or chocolate? Definitely vanilla. I’m not a fan of chocolate.

11.What’s your guilty pleasure? Internet time…I spend way too much time online.

12.If you could be part of any television show, which show would it be? I don’t watch a whole lot of TV so I don’t even know!

Favorites at Facebook

Image via Wikipedia

Here’s another round of Facebook questions and answers. I ask questions throughout the week, fans answer and I pick my favorite to post on the blog each week. We’ll play again next week so become a fan and join the fun!

Here are this week’s questions and my favorite answers:

Q: What’s your best housekeeping tip?

A: I’d rather spend time playing with my children than doing dishes. But when I do clean in other ways, I try to get [my daughter] to help me so at least we’re doing something together. – From Amanda of Let’s Take the Metro

Q: Have you had any recipe disasters lately?

A: – Becoming Crunchy and I discussed her black bean brownie recipe. (I didn’t realize I needed to let them cool BEFORE letting my husband try them. :))

Q: What’s your favorite flower?

A:  Daffodils – From Emma

Q: Favorite natural remedies?

A: I find an ice pack on the forehead for a bit can really help with a headache. – From Becoming Crunchy

Q: What do you do special from your anniversary?

A: We, um, breathe air. A lot. All day, in fact. – From Let’s Take the Metro

Thanks for all those who participated! Come play with us next week!

Ode to Mom at Greenbrier Farms

Do you have a mom in your life that enjoys local food? I have the perfect Mother’s Day gift for her then! Greenbrier Farms is putting on a spring harvest dinner called “An Ode to Mom”. I know I’d love to go (hint, hint if my husband is reading this. ;))

On the menu will be ingredients all from Greenbrier Farms, except for the cheese which will come from Split Creek Farm. What mom wouldn’t enjoy some fresh and delicious farm-to-table fare?

The event itself is casual so mom and can sit back and relax. As Amy from Greenbrier Farms tells me, “It is all about the food and time together. Nothing pretentious or fussy.”

The meal will be served family style in their beautiful barn area that overlooks the pond and farm. Amy says, “The idea is to pay homage to Mother’s Day and also Mother Nature and the bounty she has provided.” She assures me though, “You don’t have to be a mom to come; it is just a tribute to those things.”

If this sounds like something you would be interested in, tickets are $75 a person. Hurry and RSVP because there are only 50 seats available! You can RSVP to amy@greenbrierfarms.com. There’s also a Facebook invite you can check out. Cash and check are accepted.