Helpful Meal Prep Tips

Below are a few tips that I use to help me save some time and stress when planning out my meals.

Plan your menu and then check your pantry. Only buy the foods you need. Change around you menu to adapt to the sales, if you wish.

Brown several pounds of hamburger at one time. Divide and freeze in 1-2 pound portions.

Make up things like meatballs, lasagna or enchiladas ahead of time and freeze them. Get them out the night before and pop them in the oven when you get home.

The crock pot is a great time saver. Prepare the meal in the crock pot the night before and that morning pull it out of the fridge and turn it on. Use the crock pot for roast, chicken breast, pork chops, taco soup and so much more.

Make a double batch of sloppy joe meat so you can use 1/2 for spaghetti the next night. Less prep time. You can also use your leftover roast for BBQ brisket. Two meals in one!

Our garden (and my in-laws) supplies us with green beans, corn, fresh peaches, peas, strawberries and so much more produce. Use the seasonal produce all year around. Freeze or can these items for use later.

Month of Meals

Recently some discussions have come up about what to prepare for dinner. For the past couple months, I have been trying to plan out my dinners. As a working mom, breakfast is usually something quick (except on the weekends) and lunch for us is usually leftovers. Below you will see 30 dinners that I have mapped out. Remember, I'm a farm girl so we have to have meat at every meal!

1- Tuna Noodle Casserole w/peas, applesauce
2- Chicken wraps, corn, strawberries
3- Grilled Ham Steaks, baked potatoes, green beans
4- Ham & Macaroni Casserole, peas, peaches
5- Leftovers
6- Grilled chicken breasts, lettuce salad, mixed fruit
7- Sloppy Joes, potato salad, strawberries/bananas
8- Spaghetti, Green Beans, Garlic Bread
9- Leftovers
10- Crock pot Pork Chops, mashed potatoes, broccoli
11- Homemade Pizza, lettuce salad
12-Roast, potatoes, carrots, mix fruit
13- BBQ Brisket, potato wedges, peas
14- Leftovers
15- Hamburger Corn Casserole, crescent Rolls
16- Chicken Enchiladas, rice
17- Sausage gravy, biscuits, eggs
18- Leftovers
19- BBQ Meatballs, mashed potatoes, green beans
20- Crock pot chicken breasts, fried potatoes, peas
21- Lasagna, bread sticks, peaches
22- Grilled ham & cheese, tomato soup, cantaloupe
23- Leftovers
24- Oven baked chicken, scalloped potatoes, green beans
25- Tacos or Taco Salad
26-Tenderized Steak, mashed potatoes, corn
27- Leftovers
28- Hungry Man Casserole, applesauce
29- Runzas, peaches
30- Chicken fajitas

My next posts will be about some helpful tips to help you prepare the meals, followed by a few recipes.

--Kenzie--

Kenzie says...
"That's what I'm talking about."
"I look good?"
"I'm mommy/daddy's buddy."

Kenzie does...
plays with her baby dolls (a lot)
plays outside (with her baby dolls, swing set)
loves to water flowers, with the hose
goes potty all by herself
likes folding baby blankets and towels

Kenzie eats...
anything!
If you ask her what she wants to eat, she replies hot dog and macaroni.
corn on the cob
blackberries that she helped pick
lunchables are a treat

Kenzie wants...
an owl cake (for her birthday)

Heath: League Softball is about over and my favorite tourney of the year is just around the corner! I have a few side jobs that I am working on along with tending to the garden. We put up a little sweet corn last week and hope to do a little more this week.

Jen: My daily injections seem to be working great. I went off of them for a week and a half only to have the worst time. I started taking them and have been getting along great. I have been busy planning Kenzie's birthday party along with the normal 'mom/wife' stuff.

Kenzie: My birthday is coming up and I tell everyone that I want an owl cake. When I am not playing babies or farm I am outside swimming or watering the flowers. Mommy thinks I am growing too fast. She had to get out some bigger shoes and shorts.

Happy Birthday Heidi!

Cousin Time

RIP Remi

 Today our family was woke up with sad news...our dog, Remi, was hit by a car. Remi was a wonderful dog and great friend. Remi protected Kenzie and was very playful. Even though Remi lived such a short life 1 1/2 years, we had the opportunity to create memories with her. It all started with going to the city and Kenzie picking her out from the rest of the puppies. Heath got to take her hunting (she got hung up on a fence and tore her leg open), she had many swims in the pond, walks with Kenzie and I and recently mothered the 3 kittens.

We are all going to miss Remi greatly.