Monthly Menu Planning :: March

Big changes have come to our household! In way of Menu Planning, that is! 

I had been planning our menus weekly for quite awhile now, and, while it was working fine, I would miss a week here, and a week there, until it became only an occasional thing!

I've started planning by the month and it's working out SOO much better! 

Now, I have to admit, things don't always go as planned, things are constantly getting switched around or replaced. Some nights I can't even think about cooking, so Quesadillas and cold cereal it is! But this way, I at least have a good idea of what to shop for. It also ends the oh-my-gosh-what-do-I-make-for-dinner dilemma. 

Here's March's menu! I'll keep you update with a weekly menu that includes the links to recipes!

Trailer Camping :: 6 tips for Meal Planning

So... we bought a trailer! Ok, so we bought it over 6 months ago, but we haven't gotten to use it until this summer! So I'm pretty excited! Like I had mentioned, my husband and I spent the night a few weeks ago for our anniversary and although we've been up since, this will be the first time with the kiddos overnight! Yikes! :) Anyways, I've spent the week planning meals and I thought I'd share a few tips with you!

We are no strangers to cooking in the wild outdoors, we stay in cabins many, many times during the summer, and most of the time it's not too different than cooking in our trailer. We do have a generator, thankfully, that runs our microwave, but most of these tips are for no-heat or outdoor cooking.

PLAN!-- I am a self-proclaimed OCD planner. And in this case, it works to my family's advantage! ;) I have an extremely detailed list of the meals we will have, snacks and drinks.

PREP!-- Prepping what you can ahead of time will be a huge help when you are up on the mountain and all you want to do is relax with your family! For instance, I am cooking Broccoli Cheese Soup this morning, and after it cooks and cools, I'll pack it up and keep it in the fridge until we pack the cooler. Then tomorrow, all I'll have to do is heat it up on the stove (or camp-chef) or throw it in the microwave! I'm also pre-baking some rolls, and I'll just throw those in a bag to have with the soup.
But whatever you can do; chop veggies, pre-bake potatoes, make sauces, assemble tinfoil dinners... anything helps! You'll be SO grateful later!

Have Emergency Meals on hand-- Sometimes things don't go as planned. That's just how life is! What if my soup spilled in the cooler? What if it's 10 billion degrees and the mere thought of hot soup sends us into a heat coma? ALWAYS have a backup plan. a can of refried beans and a package of tortillas doesn't take up too much space, and may save your butt! I always keep cans of chili, salmon, boxes of 'suddenly salad' and a few other go-to's in the trailer cupboards, just in case!

Appliances can be your friend-- If you do have a generator, or solar panels, or some form our power hookups, I suggest bringing a few small appliances. We don't have much room in our trailer, but I bring a sandwich (grilled cheese) maker (use for grilled cheese, calzones, stuffed French toast, ham and cheese pockets, etc.), a small crockpot (for freezer meals, meat and/or soups), other good ideas are a small toaster oven or waffle maker.

Single servings are the way to go-- If we can afford it, and if it's available, I always buy single servings! I love juice boxes, small boxed cereal, and my personal favorite... mustard and mayo packets! I have yet to find somewhere to buy those (any ideas?) but whenever we eat at subway, I ask for an extra, or grab one or two extra at the gas station. Grabbing just one more than normal can add up and it's SO much easier than packing big containers of everything, and bonus, you can leave them up on the mountain!

Don't beat yourself up-- Camping is not the place for gourmet food. Since we do camp so much, I try and keep most of our meals as healthy and 'home-ey' as possible, I like to fix grilled chicken, raw veggies, fruit salad, lean red meat, and things like that. But sometimes, hot dogs for lunch, and doughnuts for breakfast just have to do. And that's okay! As long as you're not feeding your family that every single day, there's no harm in my mind!

Here's a look at a few things I'm taking up with us this weekend (all these things will stay at the trailer, none of this is for my planned meals)

I have:

Tortilla chips (I already have a jar of salsa up there)

pizza crust mix

cornbread mix

baked beans

peanut butter

garlic powder (I already have a few spices up there)

hot chocolate mix

canned chili

box pasta dinner

spaghetti sauce

pizza sauce

spaghetti noodles

cooking spray

pringles (our family favorite)

packaged salmon

fruit/veggie juice boxes

muffin mix

 

Hopefully this gives you a little help next time your family is headed out into the great outdoors!

I'd LOVE to hear all of your ideas for camping food and recipes!! I'm always in search of new tips!!

In a Pikle.

You all thought I spelled pickle wrong didn't ya? Well, that's not the kind of pickle I was talking about! I'm talking about these pikles!

In a Pikle is a fun little purse insert that has literally everything you would ever need when you are in a jam! They are so handy and fun and CUTE! I LOVE mine and have already used it a ton in these past 2 months that I've had it! It has everything from a notebook and pen, to a sewing kit and screwdrivers! It's amazing!

I got mine from my wonderful Momma for Christmas! I had NO idea what it was when I opened it, but when she explained it, I thought it was genius! With that and my Picket Fence Planner, I feel SO organized! Which is a big deal for me! ;)

They have a ton of cute designs too! I have the top left one! Arent they so cute!?

I would honestly suggest these for gifts, or just to buy one for yourself!!EVERYONE needs one!

ps. NO they didn't ask me to write this, I just LOVE it so much I wanted to share!!

Kiddo Clothes {Stocking up}

 I am a BIG believer of stockpiling.

I have...

 a cereal stockpile.

a toothpaste stockpile.

a wedding gift stockpile.

a laundry soap stockpile.

and... okay I have a lot of stockpiles.

But the one I want to ramble about today is for my little man.

I call it my "Someday he'll be that big" stockpile.

Because honestly I have to say that to myself everytime I buy for it. I am in denial that my baby will be a big kid someday.

Anyways.... So about once every 2-3 months my craft room floor looks like this.

Let me break it down for you.

Far right-2T

Middle- 3T

Left- 4-5T

Simple enough, right? I started 'stockpiling' when I found t-shirts at target for $1.00. I mean, who can resist $1.00? Even though a 3T shirt seemed like light years away for my baby who was still in 3-6 month clothes at the time. But I bought them. A lot of them. And that's where it began.

It's actually pretty simple when you know where to look, and what to look for. My favorite places are Walmart and Target. Walmart doesn't always have the cutest clothes... but sometimes you'll find some great stuff, or even just some play clothes. Target has a lot of cute stuff, but it goes fast (at least at mine) so I have to be patient and quick!

  Here's a few more tips....

1. Look for the signs. No, not 'signs from above'. Clearance signs. Those Big yellow clearance signs at target are my best friend. Stickers are another buddy of mine. Most are red, so watch for them!

2. But don't be tricked. Always make sure it's really a good deal. There may be a sign, but if it's only like 10% off, it's usually not worth stocking up on. I usually watch for 50-75% off to stock up. Now I'm not saying don't buy things that are 10% off, but thats just not a great stock up sale. Most likely you will be able to find a better deal later on.

3. Track the sales. This one takes time, but it's usually worth it. When you find an AMAZING sale, write it down somewhere you wont lose it, that way next year you will know when to start watching. Stores usually Clearance their items towards the end of the season, like right now most places have winter clothes on clearance because it's going to start warming up soon!! (well at least here in Southern Utah it is! ;))

4. When in doubt... buy it. If it's a super super SUPER great deal, I say get it. The other day I was randomly at Kmart (not my usual stop, but we had time to kill) and I found 4T long sleeved shirts for an awesome price! The only thing was, I had no idea if my little one would be wearing 4T when it was cold out. But, I figured I could always hem up the sleeves if he needed that size in summer. So I got them! Short sleeves are always a safe bet because you can always throw a long sleeved shirt underneath. Usually, even if you end up giving it away, or donating it, you wont be out much $$.

5. Make sure you have room. I am lucky enough to have a spare room and an extra dresser for just such things, but really, if you don't have room for 50 extra items of clothing... don't buy it. This is how I store mine...

 

Hope this helps you start your stockpile for little ones! And believe me, it's SO much fun to pull out a huge pile of clothes that you paid hardly anything for!

Picket Fence Publications GIVEAWAY!

It’s time for a giveaway for my wonderful readers! I don’t know if you have heard of this awesome little planner for moms from Picket Fence Publications, but this has everything you would ever need to get your life organized!! Not to mention, it's SUPER cute!! They also have the planner discounted at HALF OFF for the remainder of the August 2011-August 2012 calendar. So you can still enjoy 8 more months of this planner for just $6.00!

Next year’s planner is in the works and should be available before Mother’s Day. I am so excited because Jen, the designer, is including a page called the “Emergency Plan” and is including my Emergency Kit Checklist!!

If you are looking for a way to get your family organized this year, this is it! Here are some of the best features of this awesome planner . . .

Recipes every month

Divides up everyone’s “To-do’s”

Organizes my shopping trip

I can jot down the little things that happen each week!

Over 500 cute stickers!

And the best part....

Picket Fence Publications is offering five of my readers two planners!!

One for you and a friend {$25 value}!

How to enter

{make sure you leave a comment for each entry}

• Comment on this post
• like cutting edge stencils on facebook
• visit Picket Fence Publications and say what you love about this planner 
• talk about this on your facebook page

{giveaway is open until Sunday, January 22, 2012 at 6 PST}