FAMILY MEAL PLANNING & MORE (1-15-2012)

Click here to see previous week's Family Meal Planning! 

I am back! Organizing, Meal Planning and $150 cash grocery budget per week for my family of five. I started this goal last year in January 2011 and it lasted all the way thru May 2011, then I just got lazy. Oh, I still cooked, I still planned (but didn't post meal plans) and we ate whatever, no set meals for the week. And honestly I MISS it, I miss it alot. I miss coming home and already knowing exactly what I am suppose to cook. I miss sitting around on Sunday afternoons going through my pile of recipes and picking out what we want for the week. I miss coupon clipping and trying my hand on Extreme Couponing (in my own little sort of way... in no way do I match those people on the show). But I do try my hand in couponing and LOVE my own personal results. I usually save about 50% and I am happy with that.

FAMILY MEAL PLANNING

Carrot Zucchini Bars
Sweet Potato Muffins
Chicken Noodle Soup
Salad with Comeback Sauce
Fresh Turkey
Lasagna
Grilled Turkey Burger & Veggie Pack
Skinny Zucchini Pasta
Chia Peanut Butter Balls

Check back and we will link the actual recipe!

(not all recipes will become reality so if there is not a link, we haven't made it yet)

I am also renewing my Dave Ramsey plan/skills. This is still first and foremost on our mind! I am re-taking the classes just as a refresher and I gave my sister and her husband the Dave Ramsey FPU kit for Christmas, so I will be going to classes with them. The classes start today and I am SUPER-DUPER excited to once again re-new my goals, thoughts, ideas and to help keep me on track. Last year was our first year of Dave Ramsey and our six-year pay off debt plan began. One year down and five more to go! (Yes, it's gonna take six-years! I know a lot longer then the average Dave Ramsey student. But I believe we can do it and we are going for it! We wanted to pay off everything instead of selling everything). I am so proud of how far we have came and it's exciting to look at where we are headed with our debt snowball. Our 2012 Budget is already complete and I know we will do just as well in our second year. For all you Dave Ramsey fans I am happy to report we had an amazing first-year on his plan and paid off...  are you ready.... ??? and WHOPPING $35,000 dollars in ONE-YEAR! YES, isn't that amazing! We are still shocked and excited, plus a little over whelmed that this Dave Ramsey system really works (and my husband still has his doubts). My whole goal is to prove him wrong and prove that we CAN DO THIS!!!

What else are we up too... well! I am excited to report that I am following two. Yes, two organizing plans for my home. I found both of these on Pinterest (which if you read my blog regularly know that this is my newest hobby). I am so thrilled to be following both of these things to get my life, my junk cleaned out and my house in tip-top organized shape. The first one is 52 weeks to an Organized House. I love this once a week email with a certain section of the house to tackle. And the second challenge is 40 bags in 40 days found at Little Lucy Lu. This challenge is even more doable. It's so easy to just tackle one thing each day. My friends and I are following along with each other on facebook and it's been great so far. I came up with my own little 40 bags in 40 days list and would love for any of you to come along with us! Just print this out, post it on your refrigerator and clean along with us! I would love to hear your results... just comment here and let me know you are following along.

Family Meal Planning 5-8-11

Click here to see previous week's Family Meal Planning! 

Sorry, no meal plan for last week. We were away in Florida for the 2001 Dance Worlds (kinda'of like the Olympics of the Cheerleading and Dance world). I am very proud to say that my daughters (Ashlyn & Kayley's) team took home the BRONZE and this is something to be very proud of. Their Senior Pom Team took 3rd place in the WORLD in the Senior Pom Dance category, WOW!!! The company that my girls dance for Pace Elite, they took home 3 GOLDS, 1 SILVER and 1 BRONZE and we only brought 5 teams. Which means, YEP, all 5 teams took home a medal. It was a VERY exciting time for everyone!  This is my girls second year attending the Dance Worlds competition (last year their team took home a SILVER, 2nd place). The video for this year will not hit You Tube for quite some time, but I'd love to share with all of you last year's Senior Pom Video (click to view). All of these girls are AMAZING and this is an unbelievable experience for them. They meet dancers from all over the World, the exchange t-shirts and watch each other dance their hearts out! Even with the language gap, they still are able to communicate through dance. It's awesome, amazing and a wonderful thing.

My daughters will be Seniors next year, we will be praying diligently that God will guide them into making the right decision about Pace and about college for next year. 

Dance is their LIFE.. they sleep...eat... breathe.... DANCE! With practice at least 3 days a week 3 to 4 hours a day, you can imagine they MUST love it with all their heart! And this routine will end their 9th year at Pace Elite. We arrived home from Florida Dance Worlds late Monday night, the year-end Pace banquet was Wednesday night and try-outs for the next year was Saturday. There is NO break.... 365 days a year DANCE... DANCE... DANCE...  and I am so happy they LOVE IT!!! Congrats again Ashlyn, Kayley and all of the girls at Pace Elite. YOU GUYS ROCK!!! 

2011 Pace Elite Senior Pom "Don't Stop..believ'in'"

Now for my menu for this week... we will be using up freezer food and NO trips to the grocery store this week. Which is a mighty good thing since my $150 dollar grocery budget was used for Mother's Day for a restaurant treat for my family! (good thing we stock pile and have plenty of food in the house) It's another short week and it's time to have a little one-on-one time with my son and we will be camping this weekend. YAHOOOOO Kern River here we come!!!

Check back and we will link the actual recipe!

(not all recipes will become reality so if there is not a link, we haven't made it yet)

Logan County Burgers (I FINALLY got a good picture of this so look for recipe soon)
Pizza Night (eating out)
Doritos Taco Salad
then..... off camping for the rest of the week
and I am in charge of desserts.... I've already made Red Velvet Cake Balls, and tonight I will make Margarita Cupcakes and White Chocolate Lemon Cake Cookies!!!

Click for the recipe for White Chocolate Lemon Cake Cookies

Also don't forget our weekly linky party

this week is "BRUNCH Recipes"

"THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS"

I LOVE Linky Parties, what a great way to mix and mingle with lots of bloggers! Today, I am sharing my Menu Planning & My BUDGET Grocery Shopping with: Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesday, I'm and Organizing Junkie: Meal Plan Monday, and GCC Shopping Round Up,

Family Meal Planning 4-25-11

Click here to see previous week's Family Meal Planning! 

SPRING BREAK.... over! Already?!?! That went by way too fast! Good thing this is a short week for me and my girls. We are leaving Thursday for the Worlds Dance Competition in Orlando, Florida. The grocery shopping for this week; NONE! Yahooooo! I have to run by a store or two for snacks, but that's it. My husband will be staying home (but working) and my son will be going to grandma's house.

We will be eating left-overs, left-overs and some more left-overs. My refrigerator is some how packed full.. and we are leaving in 3 days. We better get to eatin' soon! We have a little Lasagna and lots of salad left-over from my son's birthday party. There are a ton of Hard Boiled Easter Eggs, that my daughter will be making her Mushroom Egg Salad or the Bacon & Cheese Egg Salad, there is a little left over from Olive Garden too. And to top it off I thought I was gonna run out of Lasagna at my son's birthday so I stayed in the kitchen making an entire Pasta Casserole, and come to find out I didn't need it after all. We had a few more people show up then I was expecting and I started to panic. I will have to share that story with you too sometime!

My kids have just 31 more days left of school, I can hardly believe it! This summer is SO needed and I can't wait! (It's my favorite time of year and this year our summer is jammed back full of exciting things!)

Check back and we will link the actual recipe!

(not all recipes will become reality so if there is not a link, we haven't made it yet)

Lasagna (left-overs)
Mushroom Egg Salad
Bacon & Cheese Egg Salad
Sour Cream Enchiladas (left-overs)
Banana Muffins with Lemon Icing (freezer food)
Magic Sweet Potato Muffins (freezer food)

click for the recipe: Mushroom Egg Salad

Also don't forget our weekly linky party

this week is "EASTER DINNER"

"THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS"

I LOVE Linky Parties, what a great way to mix and mingle with lots of bloggers! Today, I am sharing my Menu Planning & My BUDGET Grocery Shopping with: Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesday, I'm and Organizing Junkie: Meal Plan Monday, and GCC Shopping Round Up,

Family Meal Plan 4-18-11

Click here to see previous week's Family Meal Planning! 

SPRING BREAK.... it's that time of year! Almost Summer Time (my favorite time of year!) Although I love the schedule, I like the kids having a relaxing time too! Even though I don't think my house ever really is relaxing. We go 100 miles per hour 366 days a year (yes, I added an extra day)!

Spring Break this year is suppose to be very little, but it seems like for 3 days straight, we've been going and going and going! And as for cooking (who has time to eat?). We did cook on Saturday evening after we spent the better part of 8 hours Spring Cleaning (we wanted the house cleaned all week so no one would have to lift a hand)!!!

My son's 12th birthday is TOMORROW!!! I can't wait to celebrate HIM!!! He got a new set of gold clubs and will golf with daddy in the morning and then we will head over to Disneyland for an afternoon of fun! (gotta love season passes, we live really close). Then on Saturday is his big birthday party with friends & family. He has requested a Texas Sheet Cake for his birthday (so watch for the recipe coming soon)!

Our Family Meal Plan for this week. I'd love to hear if you have any short cuts, tricks or tips.

Check back and we will link the actual recipe!

(not all recipes will become reality so if there is not a link, we haven't made it yet)

Fresh Mozzarella BLT w/ Pesto Sandwiches
Sour Cream Enchiladas
Sausage & Egg Casserole (for dinner... I need to test it out for Easter day)
Cake Batter Pancakes (I MUST try these ASAP)
Homemade Lasagna (Birthday Boy's request for his Family Party Saturday Night)
Easter Dinner at Moms House (Steak & Potatoes, yep non-traditional)

click for the recipe: Fresh Mozzarella BLT w/ Pesto Sandwiches

Also don't forget our weekly linky party

this week is "EASTER COOKIES & TREATS"

"THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS"

I LOVE Linky Parties, what a great way to mix and mingle with lots of bloggers! Today, I am sharing my Menu Planning & My BUDGET Grocery Shopping with: Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesday, I'm and Organizing Junkie: Meal Plan Monday, and GCC Shopping Round Up,

Family Meal Planning 4-11-11

Click here to see previous week's Family Meal Planning! 

Livin' out of the freezer; again! Don't worry, there is no shortage of food in there, since I always do stock-piling and buy extra meat and do freezer meals. But, believe me we are down to bare-bones. It's time to do some freezer cooking and SOON! I really wish I had a huge assortment of meals right NOW, the next few weeks are busy, busy! And it looks like it will be May before I have another freezer cooking day. So, what I will be doing over the next 2 weeks, is doubling up each meal I make and eat one and freeze one. At least that will buy me a little more time to stock up my freezer again.

I have my son's 12th birthday coming up, Happy Birthday Justin!!! And I am taking a trip to Florida with my twins and their amazing dance team. We are going to compete at Dance Worlds. (kinda of like the Olympics of the competitive Dance & Cheer world). Last year my girls team took 2nd place and this year we hope to do that or even better! It's an amazing experience for my girls and there are over 28 countries represented & competing. Awesome Life Experiences for them.

This week I've got some favorites on the menu and a few new recipes too! I missed the Farmer's Market last week because we were camping for my hubby's 50th birthday. The fruits and veggie tray at our house is almost bare. We will make due, lots of freezer fruits to use in smoothies and such. Now let's get to this....

Our Family Meal Plan for this week. I'd love to hear if you have any short cuts, tricks or tips.

Check back and we will link the actual recipe!

(not all recipes will become reality so if there is not a link, we haven't made it yet)

Crab Macaroni & Cheese (GLUTEN-FREE)
Logan County Burgers
Eggs & Sausage
Grandma's French Toast (GLUTEN-FREE)
Magic Sweet Potato Muffins

Homemade Lasagna

Fresh Mozzarella BLT w/ Pesto Sandwiches

click for the recipe: Grandma's French Toast (make it GLUTEN-FREE or NOT!!!)

Also don't forget our weekly linky party

this week is "Egg Dishes/Recipes"

"THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS"

I LOVE Linky Parties, what a great way to mix and mingle with lots of bloggers! Today, I am sharing my Menu Planning & My BUDGET Grocery Shopping with: Just Another Meatless Monday, Midnight Maniac Meatless Mondays, My Meatless Mondays, Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesday, I'm and Organizing Junkie: Meal Plan Monday Frugal Friday, Frugal Free Friday, and GCC Shopping Round Up,

Family Meal Planning 4-3-11

Click here to see previous week's Family Meal Planning! 

This week is a quick week at our home, so not much to report! The grocery budget is still going, my farmer's market trip went well (spent a little over my $20 bucks); but we are going Gluten-Free for the most part and I am buying alot more fruits and veggies now! We are also camping for my husband's birthday so there were a little extra groceries for that too, but it was ALL in the budget and we are on track with our Financial Peace University and happy to report TWO more credit cards were paid off last week! WHAT AN AWESOME FEELING!

I've got a Lasagna I will be pulling out of the freezer and I'll be making my husband's favorite Catalina Cranberry Chicken for his birthday dinner. Also, my kids are raising money for their Worlds Dance team with a garage sale/bake sale and you can bet we will be baking all week

We've already made Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies, Red Velvet Cake Balls and now tonight we are making a batch of White Chocolate Lemon Cookies and a new recipe for Snickers Cupcakes (I can't wait to share this recipe with all of you)!

Our Family Meal Plan for this week. I'd love to hear if you have any short cuts, tricks or tips.

Check back and we will link the actual recipe!
(not all recipes will become reality so if there is not a link, we haven't made it yet)

G'ma Simple Spaghetti (we use Corn Pasta, GLUTEN-FREE)

Homemade Lasagna

Fresh Mozzarella BLT w/ Pesto Sandwiches

Catalina Cranberry Chicken

click for the recipe: Fresh Mozzarella BLT w/ Pesto Sandwiches

Also don't forget our weekly linky party

this week is "HUBBY COOKS"
(What has your husband cooked for you lately?)

"THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS"

I LOVE Linky Parties, what a great way to mix and mingle with lots of bloggers! Today, I am sharing my Menu Planning & My BUDGET Grocery Shopping with: I'm and Organizing Junkie: Meal Plan Monday, GCC Shopping Round Up, and the recipe today will be shared with: It's a Blog Party Delicious Dishes,  Get Your Craft On, Made from Scratch Tuesday, Tuesday's Tasty Tidbits, 33 Shades of Green Tasty Tuesday, Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Titus 2sday Linkup, Tuesday Night Supper Club, Tuesdays at the Table, A Little Birdie Told Me, Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesday,  Delectable Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, and Hearth n' Soul Blog Hop

Family Meal Planing 3-28-11

Click here to see previous week's Family Meal Planning! 

We are skipping our grocery budget this week and eating what we have in the house! In January of this year when I made this plan of $150 per week for my grocery shopping I did NOT take into consideration 5 weeks in a month, OPPS!!! Kinda missed the boat on that one, funny actually, but I still can't believe I didn't think about that. Well, since there is only a few of those months per year I am not gonna change my game plan. On the 5th week of the month we will just do a freezer and/or pantry clean out and work with what we have.

With this being the first week of my daughter eating GLUTEN-FREE I did pop into my favorite store; Sprouts; as they are so friendly with gluten-free labeling and spent just $52 bucks (yes, this is not going to be easy or cheap). I am excited though about getting back into my kitchen, it seems like forever since I really made some NEW recipes and did a little experimenting. So, I am excited about that.

Sorry, sun in my eyes.... But this is ME!
Apparently OVERWEIGHT!
Now, I would love to loose 10 lbs
but NEVER in a million years would I think this is
OVERWEIGHT!

But, I would first like to vent a little to my readers, in hopes to educate all of you about this sick world we have when it comes to weight. My husband and I are attending Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey, which we absolutely love. It has totally got us on track by setting up a budget and a game plan for becoming debt-free and paying off our house way quicker then I ever dreamed possible. Along the way there are many other things this class takes you through like setting up Life Insurance and maximizing Retirement and things of that nature. This brought us to setting up our Term-Life Insurance policy and I just found out that my premiums are DOUBLE, yes DOUBLE because of my weight. Okay, so I'd like to show you all a picture of me. Really, OVERWEIGHT? Are you kidding me? I would love to loose 10 lbs, to look better in a bathing suit. But, never in a million years would I of thought this as OVERWEIGHT. I am so appalled and so mad, I can't even think straight. (Okay, that's all thanks for letting me vent, I guess I am going on a diet to loose 20 lbs so I can save $8,000 dollars on my Life Insurance policy!)

Now, let's move onto things that really matter! Thanks for all the prayers for my daughter who had her Colonoscopy and Upper Endoscopy last Friday to check for celiac (it takes 4 weeks for results, so I know nothing yet). WOW that is the hardest thing EVER! To watch your child be put under and go through a simple procedure, I can't imagine those who have far worse events with their children. This was the hardest thing I have ever had to do with my own kids. 

Our GLUTEN-FREE meal planning is under way. I am just testing the waters here but I am slowing moving out all the Gluten-FULL products from my house and movin' in GLUTEN-FREE. I think this is how I am going to eventually cook (although I can't be sure, but that's my thoughts now). I know my son will still want his favorites every now and again, but there is no reason why I can't use gluten-free flour, gluten-free pasta and bread crumbs and things like that. I am sure the next few months will be filled with lots of trial and errors and much learning along the way. I just know that I am ready to begin this journey.

Our Family Meal Plan for this week. I'd love to hear if you have any short cuts, tricks or tips.

Check back and we will link the actual recipe!

(not all recipes will become reality so if there is not a link, we haven't made it yet)

G'ma Simple Spaghetti (we used Corn Pasta, GLUTEN-FREE)
Frog Smoothie (GLUTEN-FREE) & frozen Muffin
Logan County Burgers (on a bed of lettuce, no bun)
Sausage & Eggs
Chicken Crescent Rolls (just for my son)
Apple Sausage Pasta (NEW recipe, GLUTEN-FREE)
Carrot Raisin Breakfast Rice (NEW recipe, GLUTEN-FREE)

click for the recipe: Frog Smoothie

Also don't forget our weekly linky party

this week is "Surprise/Secret Ingredient"
(What can you hide in your food?)

"THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS"

I LOVE Linky Parties, what a great way to mix and mingle with lots of bloggers! Today, I am sharing my Menu Planning & My BUDGET Grocery Shopping with: I'm and Organizing Junkie: Meal Plan Monday, GCC Shopping Round Up, and the recipe today will be shared with: It's a Blog Party Delicious Dishes,  Get Your Craft On, Made from Scratch Tuesday, Tuesday's Tasty Tidbits, 33 Shades of Green Tasty Tuesday, Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Titus 2sday Linkup, Tuesday Night Supper Club, Tuesdays at the Table, A Little Birdie Told Me, Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesday,  Delectable Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, and Hearth n' Soul Blog Hop

Family Meal Planning (3-21-11)

Click here to see previous week's Family Meal Planning! 

My grocery shopping went perfectly this week, my $150 dollars was spent at Farmer's Market and Costco! And how I ever got out of Costco for $133.00 bucks, I will never know. But I went in with a list and got JUST WHAT I needed, not wanted. So, there will be NO grocery store shopping for me this week and no coupon'ing either. Except yesterday, I went for a quick trip to Walgreens where I got two killer deals, that I was very excited about!

Walgreens deal of the week: my daughters SUPER DUPER outrageously expensive deodorant is $12.00 bucks, yes seriously $12 bucks each! It's Secret Clinical Strength SPORT, yep had to add the SPORT on there and $2 or $3 extra bucks for that, but I will tell you she SWEARS by it and says, it's worth $12 bucks not to STINK! Anyhow it was $9.99 and buy one get one half off AND I had two $2.00 coupon (which you can use one for each of them) $9.99 + 4.99 -2.00 -2.00 = $10.98 for 2 (YEP, SUPER HAPPY MOMMY!!! and both my daughters can rest assure that they will NOT STINK) and second deal was Kettle Chips (they are GLUTEN-FREE too) were $1.33 with a $1.00 coupon = .33 cents (YAHHHHHHOOOOOOO for ME!!!)  That's it, those were my super duper deals for the week!

Kayley (left) & Ashlyn
(Kayley is having the tests)

Well, it's gonna be a slim week for us in the meal planning department. With our final week of eating GLUTEN-FULL, so that my daughter can have her Colonoscopy and Upper Endoscopy this Friday (checking for celiac)! Your prayers.... are welcome, wanted & needed... it's always scary seeing your children have any kind of medical procedure done and I know she will be just fine... but we would love all the prayers we can get! Then as of Saturday we will be "attempting" to be a GLUTEN-FREE house!

Our Family Meal Plan for this week. I'd love to hear if you have any short cuts, tricks or tips.

Check back and we will link the actual recipe!

(not all recipes will become reality so if there is not a link, we haven't made it yet)

Scrambled Eggs on Toast (just that... no recipe needed)

Grandma's Pot Roast
Grilled Cesar Chicken Sandwich
Berry Smoothie
Cowboy Meatballs

click for the recipe: Grilled Cesar Chicken Sandwich

 OVER 100 CHOCOLATE RECIPES ALREADY LINKED-UP... COME ON OVER AND SEE

Also don't forget our weekly linky party

this week is "CHOCOLATE... CHOCOLATE... and more CHOCOLATE"

"THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS"

I LOVE Linky Parties, what a great way to mix and mingle with lots of bloggers! Today, I am sharing my Menu Planning & My BUDGET Grocery Shopping with: I'm and Organizing Junkie: Meal Plan Monday, GCC Shopping Round Up, and the recipe today will be shared with: It's a Blog Party Delicious Dishes,  Hearth n' Soul Blog Hop, Made from Scratch Tuesday, Tuesday's Tasty Tidbits, 33 Shades of Green Tasty Tuesday, Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Titus 2sday Linkup, Tuesday Night Supper Club, Get Your Craft On, Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesday, A Little Birdie Told Me, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Delectable Tuesday and Tuesdays at the Table 

Family Meal Plan (3-14-11) and Freezer Cooking

Click here to see previous week's Family Meal Planning! 

I am a FREEZER Cooking girl! I just LOVE the feeling of having meals in the freezer at all times. So, much so that I once owned a restaurant/meal prep business called Dinners Ready (for those familiar with Dream Dinners, same kind of business). My restaurant business was short-lived because of circumstances beyond my control (and yes, I do MISS it very much). But the "freezer technique" of prepping and cooking has never died. And believe me, I froze meals long before owning a Dinners Ready store and I am sure I will be doing it long after too. The feeling of having so many meals stored in my freezer and able to use at a seconds notice is an unbelievable feeling of relief.

A few weekends ago I did an all-day cooking adventure with hamburger meat and this weekend I will be stocking up on chicken meals for the freezer. Now, this is not the pre-cooked, throw in the freezer for left-over type of meals (many of them are rarely ever cooked first), these are fresh meat, easy to throw together meals that just happen to be 100% ready (but stored in the freezer). I also want to point out, that you do NOT have to do an all-day cooking extravaganza to get your freezer stocked up. I also make DOUBLE meals on many other days in the middle of the week, we eat one and freeze one. This is the QUICKEST and EASIEST way to get your freezer stocked up (without cooking all day). Tonight if you are making spaghetti, then I encourage you to DOUBLE the batch, eat half and put the other half away in a ziploc bag to freeze for another day, if you are making a pan of Lasagna (make two), if you are cooking up soup (a double batch is a MUST). This is also how my freezer STAYS full all month long. As one meal comes out, I know in a day or two another one of my DOUBLE meals will land it's way back into the freezer the same week.

Here is what I am making & freezing this weekend (recipes coming soon... as soon as I can cook them all and get some good pictures for you to enjoy): Honey Chicken, Cream of Chicken Enchilada's, Pesto-Balsamic Chicken, Chicken Chili Rellenos, Chicken Artichoke and Parmesan Chicken

And here is another list of MANY recipes that are on my blog, that can be prepared and frozen for later:
Applesauce Meatballs: pre-make and cook, then freeze
BBQ Chicken (Crock-Pot): Cook in crock-pot, shred and then freeze for tacos
Chicken Crescent Rolls: I will freeze just the chicken mixture of this recipe
Cream of Broccoli Soup (GLUTEN-FREE & DAIRY-FREE)
(G'ma) Goulash: This recipe must be fully made before you can freeze
Grandma's Homemade Rolls: I try and ALWAYS have a batch of these in my freezer
Hamburger Pie : This is a PERFECT meal for the freezer
Hummus Mushroom & Potato Soup
Lasagna: I have never ever made just one pan of Lasagna at a time, I make at least 3 or 4 & freeze
Marinated Steak: I marinate ALL steak before I freeze, the marinate soaks in the whole time it's freezing and un-thawing
Pizza Sauce: we always have too much pizza sauce, we use half and freeze half
Salsa Chicken
Shepherd's Pie
(G'ma) Simple Spaghetti Sauce
Sloppy Joes
Ultimate Patty Melt: premake patties, but do not cook, just freeze

I also freeze ALL cookies and ALL muffins. A muffin for breakfast or a dessert anytime (you can defrost them, add them to kids lunches and/or pop in the microwave for 30 seconds and have a nice HOT, FRESH homemade cookie anytime day or night):
Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Bananaberry Muffins
Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Butter Cookies
Chocolatey Pumpkin Cookies
Magic Sweet Potato Muffins
Red Velvet Cake Balls
Reese's Peanut Butter Cookies
Snickerdoodle Cookies
Sour Cream Blueberry-Blackberry Muffins

I also want to give you a few helpful hints on freezing meals in hopes that a few of you busy moms will try this (especially if you have never done it before, I PROMISE you will LOVE IT!) I have done this not only for myself on a regular bases, but I have used this when a big event is going on, a baby is about to arrive or a surgery is planned, if I have family in town for a long period of time and want all the meals ready to defrost and cook, I use this for camping in our motorhome too (then I never have to worry about bringing ALL the spices needed for each meal), there are so many reasons to use Freezer Cooking. I really hope you give it a try, and if you have any questions feel free to ask away and I will do my best to answer them.

MOMS CRAZY COOKING Freezer Tips

• Make a DOUBLE Batch of any freezable meal (each and every time you cook). Package it up and add it to your freezer for later.
• I usually use foil disposable pans (but not always), sometimes I use my regular pans (as long as you can live without them for a few weeks), until you cook that meal. OR my favorite thing to use is large freezer ziploc bags (this was learned during my Dinners Ready meal prep days). We put EVERYTHING in a Ziploc, from meat to sauces, veggies and anything in between. It saves a TON of space in your freezer too.
• I don't bother with fancy labels, I just have a Sharpie handy and write on the foil or ziploc (ex: Lasagna: Cook at 350 for 1 hour) and if you wish include the date too. Nothing stays in my freezer that long, so I never worry about the date.
• Thawing out the meals is not a necessity (for most meals), but it does help. I never find the that I need the meals so last minute that I don't have time to thaw them out (If I am running that behind, we've usually already ran through a drive-thru.... sorry just keepin' it real). I usually wake up in the morning and say "Hey, How about a Meatloaf or a Lasagna tonight", I go to the freezer, grab a fresh HOMEMADE Lasagna, stick it in the refrigerator and by the time I get home from work at 3pm, I may leave it on the counter for an hour or so and then into the oven it goes and I feel like WOW... I could have slaved all day to make this, but I am otherwise just SOOOO happy I had one of these in the freezer ready and waiting for one of those rushed to busy to think about dinner days!
• There you have it just a few simple steps to make FREEZER COOKING another added JOY to your life instead of a stressful situation!

That's our Family Meal Plan for this week. I'd love to hear if you have any short cuts, tricks or tips.

Check back and we will link the actual recipe!

(not all recipes will become reality so if there is not a link, we haven't made it yet)

Banana Smoothie (from Food Network Smoothie book this month)

Best BBQ Burgers

Banana-Chip Yogurt

Baked Egg Rolls

Crab Salad w/Lemon & Parsley

"Green" Pancakes

Mozzarella Chicken (my famous recipe)

Eggs on Toast

Lasagna (a freezer meal)

Magic Sweet Potato Muffins (muffins from the freezer)

I LOVE Linky Parties, what a great way to mix and mingle with lots of bloggers! Today, I am sharing my Menu Planning & My BUDGET Grocery Shopping with: I'm and Organizing Junkie: Meal Plan Monday, GCC Shopping Round Up, Frugal Friday, and Frugal Free Friday
And the recipe today will be shared with: It's a Blog Party Delicious Dishes, Hearth n' Soul Blog Hop, Made from Scratch Tuesday, Tuesday's Tasty Tidbits, Dr. Laura's Tasty Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday Parade of Foods, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Titus 2sday Linkup, Tuesday Night Supper Club, Get Your Craft On, Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesday, A Little Birdie Told Me and Tuesdays at the Table 

My 17-year old daughter has written a beautiful letter about one of her teachers and we would LOVE for you to CLICK-READ and VOTE for her to have a chance to win up to $3,000 for a College Scholarship. If just HALF of my daily readers CLICK and VOTE, she would make it to the TOP 10 TODAY!!!!

PLEASE VOTE FOR KAYLEY!!!

Also don't forget our weekly linky party

this week is "EVERYTHING Green for St. Patrick's Day"

"THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS"