Looking for recipes for frugal Meals

As a general rule I try to cook healthy, but frugal meals. My family has a handful of meals that we all really like that are both cheap and good for us. But, we are in a rut. Too much rice, beans, pasta and soup have left me feeling unimaginative and boring when preparing meals for my family. So I am calling out to people to please send suggestions or recipes for simple meals that won't break the bank.

Here is a list of some of our stand by meals:

1. Potato Leek Soup

2. Pasta w/red sauce or sauteed vegetables

3. Various rice and bean recipes

4. Pizza

5. Baked Chicken

6. Vegetable Soup with our left over CSA vegetables

7. Chili

8. Minestrone Soup

As one can see, it is time to liven things up around here. But I am both too busy and tired to start looking for something new. So, I need help.

Happy Birthday Alec!!

Today is my son's birthday. Alec is 12 years old, and he is a great kid. Here is a list of 12 things about my son.

1. He wants to be a writer when he grows up. He talks about being a food critic and writing fiction novels.

2. He watches Top Chef every week without fail. He is the only child I know of who knows who Tom Colicchio is.

3. When he was 3 years old he went through a phase of drawing pictures of Buzz Lightyear. He did not give up until he felt that his final masterpiece was perfect.

4. He plays guitar and saxophone.

5. He is a great soccer player.

6. He has big dreams, he talks about going to Columbia University when he goes to college. This frugal mom better start saving even more.

7. His favorite food is pumpkin. Anything that has pumpkin in it, he will eat.

8. Halloween is his favorite holiday.

9. He has fantastic and loyal friends.

10. He is funny and serious at the same time.

11. He is great company

12. He is loved more than he will ever know.

This morning we started his day off with a breakfast of his choosing. Pumpkin pancakes and bacon were his choice. This time of year, I go through a lot of pumpkin. Family members all pitched in to help pay off a snowboard that he wants. I also bought him a book and chocolate pumpkin truffles. He loved all his gifts. We took him out for Mexican food, gave him cake and did not sing to him because he refused to allow it. I think it was a good day for Alec.

I can't believe he is 12. I am so proud of him and proud to be his mom.

What I have learned as a parent

Tomorrow my oldest child will be turning 12 years old. Good grief!! Where did the time go? It sounds like a cliche, but it really seems like he was born yesterday. With the birth of my son, the hardest job that I will ever have began. Bringing a human being into the world and than raising that human to be become a moral person takes a lot of work, patience and stamina. Here is a list of the things I have learned in the last 12 years.

1. Never count on getting a good night's sleep, especially during cold and flu season.

2. Don't make promises, when in doubt say no, maybe or we will see. It has been years since I have given a firm yes to anything.

3. When buying tickets to an event, plan on not attending due to stomach flu. We have thrown away more money than I want to count due to vomiting.

4. Accept that your house will never be perfectly clean again, or at least until the youngest moves out. I am still finding baby paraphernalia in odd places. My youngest is 7.

5. Give birthday parties. They are fun, they are memorable and they tell your child that each year they have one day all their own.

6. Take a lot of pictures!

7. Your child will never, ever pick up his/her clothing without being asked, coaxed or threatened. It is a fact of life.

8. Do not be a helicopter parent. Teachers hate it and you loose credibility with them.

9. Be frugal in all areas except when it comes to books. Kids can never have enough books. I have raised 3 book worms, I credit that to letting them have their rooms full of books.

10. Allow at least 3 pajama days a year. There is nothing better than staying in your pajamas on a really cold and snowy day. Of course one parent (usually dad) has to get dressed to plow the snow.

11. Know when you kid needs a mental health day from school. Don't ask questions and let that child veg out for the day. Insist on returning to school the next day. Even kids need a day off.

12. Your children will never offer to empty the dishwasher

13. Your car will become a garbage dump filled with sucker sticks, juice box straws and cookie wrappers.

14. The pre teen years are harder than the toddler years. Not because they are more labor intensive but because your child has opinions and for some reason, no fear of communicating those opinions.

15. Tell your children you love them daily.

This list could have gone on and on. But thought 15 was good number stop at. So, did I miss anything of great importance? I would bet that I did. If you are visiting, please let me know what you have learned as a parent.

Photos of Fall Fun!!!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone!

Tonight is the second most important holiday to a child, first of course going to Christmas. My kids have been waiting for this day since November 1, 2008. Sadly, my oldest will not be participating in tonight's festivities. The flu is firmly holding on to him for dear life. In fact, the ear infection I was dreading did in fact infect him last night. Because of this, he doesn't seem nearly as bummed about missing out Halloween as I had feared. I am assuming that once he feels better and realizes that he really did miss out, he will be angry.

In preparation for tonight, I think I am going to take my daughters to Macy's to have their makeup applied. Macy's is doing that for FREE all day today. I am always on the look out for a really good deal, it is even better when it is free. Given that I went over budget on the costumes, it is seems smart to cheap out on the make up my daughter keeps insisting that she needs to make her costume perfect.

This afternoon we will help the kids (those who are healthy) carve their pumpkins. Now, I have to be perfectly honest here. I do not like carving pumpkins, and neither does my husband. It is not our thing. We do it every year, with a smile. I don't think the kids are aware of our dislike of this particular activity. But, we do look forward to the year when it has become a thing of the past. I think that we have several more years though. My 11 year old still loves, and our youngest 7. Based on those ages, my math tells me we have a minimum of 4 more Halloweens of carving pumpkins.

The rest of our weekend will be devoted to our yard. Too many trees on our property. I love it in the summer, but always find that I am reminded of the cons of having trees in our yard come the first week of November.

A change in plans

So, this morning my son was suppose to get tubes in his ears and his adenoids removed. But, yet again, parenting proves to be full of surprises. Last night, upon returning home from a friend's house, Alec announced that he did not feel good. I assumed that it was a con because I had called him home to mow the lawn. A quick reading of his temperature told me that he was in fact sick. A fever of 100.7, a cough, dizziness, headache and sore throat led me to conclude the obvious. H1N1 has returned. A call to the nurse confirmed my suspicions, leading to only one safe outcome. The surgery has been postponed. His ears already hurt! The surgery that was going to end his chronic health problems has been derailed by a virus that is going to cause his chronic health problem to return. UGHHHH!!!! I feel so bad for him, he is miserable. With Halloween being tomorrow, I know he is worried that he will have to miss out on the festivities. It makes me sad to know that he is sad.

Autumn

I love this time of year! I look forward to Autumn every year, anxious for all it has to bring us.

Last weekend we took the kids to a pumpkin patch and apple orchard, to do the obvious, pick apples and pumpkins. It was a perfect Wisconsin Fall day. The air was crisp, the sun was shining. We were able to wear sweaters without coats, and remain comfortable. The farm we visited provided a hay ride to the orchard and patch. My kids had a great time, so did Eric and I. I was able to take some priceless photos, even turned one of them into a Halloween card for family. We purchased some apples and a world famous Apple Pie in a Brown Bag. It was delicious, although not very frugal, one of those treats in life that prove to be worth the extra money. When we got home I made a roast chicken with roasted root vegetables. The day ended with the perfect Autumnal meal. This is the best time of year for our CSA vegetables. I love the summer bounty of tomatoes and peppers, but nothing tastes better on cold nights than squash or parsnips.

Today, my kids are off of school, so I decided to take advantage of another fall activity. The corn maze. We went with another family, split the kids up into teams of boys and girls and then let them loose. Thankfully the maze had a lookout with flags so that if the kids got lost they could see the flags and go to that location without being scared. My friend and I parked ourselves on that lookout and let the kids find their way out. It took them one hour and they had blast! Worth every penny. I will be the first person to say that I do not like the little petting zoos at the road side corn mazes. First of all, I think it is wrong to have goats and peacocks caged up to be over fed and tortured by small children. Second, they are little germ factories. Every time I see one of my kids touch one of those animals I pull out the antibacterial gel. The animals are very cute, but what purpose does it serve to have them at these locations?

Tomorrow my son will have tubes put into his ears and his adenoids removed. He has a habit of getting killer ear infections every winter. Now that he is in middle school, we felt that it is time to end the infections so that he does not miss a lot of school. I am worried that he will not feel up to trick or treating on Saturday night. I know that soon, he will announce to us that he is past the age of Halloween. I am not sure I am ready for that proclamation quite yet.

This year I ordered my kids costumes online. I just did not have the time to go out and search the stores for the costumes they had their hearts set on. So, I found a coupon code for an online store, they found what they wanted and I did not have to waste gas and time searching. Because I spent more than I had planned on, I told them they will wear the same thing next year. Surprisingly, they were all fine with that. Sometimes I don't give my kids enough credit for being reasonable in these situations.

As I write this, I am looking forward to a quiet fall evening. I am hoping my husband will light a fire and we can watch a movie. My youngest is a sleepover for a birthday party, my middle child is tired from a sleepover last night and my oldest needs to turn in early in preparation of tomorrow's surgery. It seems likely that it will be a quiet night in this house. Perfect for a date night with my hubby and a glass of wine.