Bring it on 2011, I am ready for you now!!! (Noodles & Ketchup)

I am FINALLY ready to begin 2011. I am only a week late, but better late than never. New Years Eve was celebrated at home with my family and a few friends. We enjoyed swimming, Jacuzzi , games and a Just Dance contest among the kids (and a few adults too). New Years Eve is also my anniversary. My husband and I celebrated 12 years of wedded bliss (got’ca anyone married knows it’s not all FUN & GAMES). We have had our fair share of ups and downs, but I can say we are on an UP SLOPE and it’s wonderful. 2011 is the year of growth for our family, we have everyone on board (yes, all 6 of us) and we are going to grow like never before and it’s a very exciting time. My husband and I are starting the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University at a local church and we are taking on Dave’s motto LIVE LIKE NO-ONE ELSE, so later we can LIVE LIKE NO-ONE ELSE. The kids are working on many of their own personal challenges and accomplishments too.

The most exciting change financially for my food blog, is I planning on sharing with all of you how I am going to feed my family of 6 for only $150 per week. I know at times it’s going to be a tuff and I know at times we may be eating macaroni & cheese (or like Dave Ramsey says Beans & Rice and Rice & Beans), but I am ecstatic about blogging about this huge change in my grocery budget. My blog is so new and this adventure is still just getting started. I have so many recipes to make in 2011 and I just wanted to get started already. I have been sick since New Year’s Day (I am hoping that it’s over now) and there has been very little new recipes made in my kitchen this week. I’ve been cooking some comfy food and ole’ family favorites, because they are easy and I know everyone will like them. I just think it feels good to eat the ole’ favorites while you are sick in bed. (Don’t gross out, but my comfy food is noodles & ketchup). I eat this when I am not sick too, but this is a generation meal that has been passed down from my grandmother, to my mother, to me and now to my kids. And we ALL love it! (Don’t knock it until you try it, it’s DELICIOUS)

OUR FAMILY MENU THIS WEEK: This week my family has enjoyed: the last of the left-overs; Goulash, Magic Sweet Potato Muffins, Cheesy Hamburger Calzone Pizza, Jamie Oliver’s Spaghetti (recipe coming soon), lots of cold cereal, Shepherd’s Pie (recipe coming soon), Chessy Enchiladas (recipe coming soon) and a few bowls of noodles and ketchup (because MAMA is sick).

I also wanted to take a minute to share a few family scrapbook pages with you from my amazing week with my family. (573 photos were taken, so lots of scrapbooking to do) We had 19 people staying at our house and yes showers were a challenge (can we say COLD water), if there is nothing I want more it’s just ONE more bathroom in my house. But I wouldn’t change anything about having my husband’s family visit for Christmas. This is the second time we have all gotten together for a HUGE family Christmas and it’s one of the BEST vacations ever. I love having all of them here and I am sure we will start planning the next time soon, it’s happened about every 3 years. We visited Disneyland & California Adventure three different days and Universal Studios one day. It was just our luck that we hit Universal Studios on their busiest day of the year (it was an awful day to be there, but we tried to make the best of it) and then the following day we went to Disneyland and it was CLOSED due to being sold out. I live here, we have annual passes and we go all the time and NEVER EVER in my 39 years of life have I heard of Disneyland CLOSING. That too was another experience that I don’t care to repeat again. My son (11 years old) drove in a separate car then I did and I was inside Disneyland and he was NOT and they were not going to let him in. I ended up speaking to a manager, and got him in. But the two people that were with him were not allowed into Disneyland that day (they were here from Oregon) and I felt horrible for them. Even though there were a few obstacles our family time was memorable. I know we are building life-long memories for all of us, but especially for our children. I do hope that we continue to get together every few years or so because it’s like a little family reunion each and every time we do. I love and miss you all already!

The Hudgens Family is now ready for 2011. The Christmas decorations are finally put away. (longest time in history, that they have remained up past the New Year’s). My calendar is in order, my financial peace has begun, the new grocery budget has started (already went to the grocery store 3 times and I am still under my $150 bucks), the kids are back in school, dance & basketball practice are in full swing and I am FINALLY going to shed some of these extra pounds. Bring it on 2011, I am SO ready for you now!

This post linked to: Get Your Craft On , Make it Yours Day Thrilling Thursday, Sister Sister Sundays, What's Cooking Wednesday and Homemaking Link-Up