family

New Years Resolutions: Are We Even Doing Them for 2021?

Abby H.

Seriously… Can we skip them?

I know a lot of people who feel like they have to do them because of traditions, or it helps them feel like they are in control. If that is you, awesome! You do you.

If you are on the fence, feel like it might cause you more stress than it’s worth, it’s ok to skip New Years Resolutions or anything else that causes undue stress. We all have enough stress right now.

If you want to do them, I did a round-up of the top ten NYR in 2018 (for 2019) here. Some of the links within the articles may be outdated, but if you are looking for something specific, please feel free to reach out to me either via email or via Instagram or Facebook.

The one end of year/new year tradition that I do is to buy 4 new calendars: One for the kitchen, one for my bathroom (next to my vanity), one for each of the kid’s rooms. I update them all monthly with appointments, birthdays, and holidays. I usually buy a calendar with the daily silly “holidays” on it for the kitchen. I bought this one for 2021.

You will probably start to see more posts from me (and my helpers), as one of my plans (not resolutions) is to start posting more now that I am able to have a pretty solid daily and weekly routine.

If there are topics that you would like to see or learn more about, drop me a message. I’ve got a lot of fun and good stuff planned (like quarterly Amazon Gift Card giveaways), and I’m going to continue sharing savings tips and deals, and of course crafts and recipes!

 

 

 

 

Coming January 29, 2021: Netflix’s Finding Ohana

Abby H.

This movie looks like a great family flix. I’m excited to watch it with the kids. After all of the holiday movies, my kids usually want to watch something together that showcases family and friends- Finding ‘Ohana will fit the bill!

Cast: Kea Peahu, Alex Aiono, Lindsay Watson, Owen Vaccaro, with Kelly Hu and Branscombe Richmond, Ke Huy Quan, Brad Kalilimoku, Chris Parnell, Marc Evan Jackson, Ricky Garcia

Releases globally on Netflix on January 29, 2021, Finding ‘Ohana tells the tale of a summer in rural Oahu that takes an exciting turn for two Brooklyn-raised siblings when a journal pointing to long-lost treasure sets them on an epic adventure with new friends and leads them to reconnect with their Hawaiian heritage.

Holiday Recipe Round Up!

Abby H.

Most of us are home for the holidays, and that means that we are at home cooking.

If you are looking for some new recipes to tempt your taste buds, here are a few of our family’s favorite holiday recipes:

 

12/21/20 Weekly Meal Plan!

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI went to the grocery store over the weekend: The kids needed food to keep their tummies full over the next week of winter break, and we were out of a lot of shelf stable stuff. And salad. I am nuts about the Taylor Farms Salads (tangerine Crunch and Avocado Ranch are THE BEST). Our local Grocery Outlet and 99 Cents Only both carry various varieties for CHEAP.

I’m trying hard to stick to our budget of $100/week for groceries and prepare dinners that are filling and hearty.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste. If you are looking for a kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids.  I also keep sandwich Ziploc bags of other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular. recently the Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

The next two weeks are Winter Break, so we’ll be eating at home a lot. Most places are still closed as cases here surge. Our tradition of zoo trips will be on hold for now. I’m planning a drive to the desert for the day, complete with a picnic lunch and some fun photos. And of course, lots of time next week to play with toys or whatever the kids get for Christmas.

I’m planning on making two batches of soup for lunches. Beef stew and probably vegetarian chili.

Usually, I do a crockpot meal on Mondays, but now that we are home all the time, we’ve been having an odd combination of fully home-cooked, scratch meals, and frozen entrees and veggies. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

  • Sunday:  Meatloaf, fruit, noodles, & rolls Meatloaf recipe will be posted this week
  • Monday: Soup, salad, and fruit
  • Tuesday: Grilled Cheese, Fruit, and salad
  • Wednesday: Nugget Night (With Birdseye cauli fries)
  • Thursday: Pizza Night
  • Friday:  Pot Roast in the crockpot, oven roasted vegetables, salad
  • Saturday: Leftover Shenanigans

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

San Diego, CA Area Residents: FREE Produce and Perishable Groceries-12/21/2020

Abby H.

Our friends over at Faith Chapel understand that with all that’s going on in the world that some of us still need help finding healthy food during this difficult time. And that’s it not always safe for us to go to the store or hit up a farmers market.

Distribution is happening Monday, December 21, 2020 at 10:00am!

This is a drive-thru style event, so you don’t have to leave your vehicles. There is no paperwork, no questions asked. Show up, pop your trunk, and fresh food is loaded for you, and you are on your way!

Here is a picture of what was available in previous weeks! Sometimes you get produce, sometimes is eggs, milk, and other dairy products and meat- it changes weekly!

Faith Chapel is located at 9400 Campo Road Spring Valley, CA 91977

Recipe: Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup

Abby H.

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you may remember that I posted pics of my soup extravaganza on Saturday.
I made two batches of soup: one of potato cheese soup (recipe here), and today’s recipe: broccoli cheese soup!

I’ve been told it tastes like Panera’s, but I’ve never had their broccoli cheese soup. I’ll take it as a compliment.

I added a little cooked, puréed cauliflower to the white sauce to give it a little more body. Also, it’s great for adding a little extra veggies to the soup!

Easy Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients

  • 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup celery
  • 1 cup carrots
  • 2 cups onions
  • 1 T. Garlic, minced
  • 4 T. Butter, divided
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 Tablespoons AP flour
  • 1.5 cups whole milk
  • 4 cups cheese (I like medium cheddar, but you could use colby, or a sharper cheddar)
  • 2 cups cauliflower, steamed and pureed (I used my immersion blender)
  • 2t. dry mustard
  • Dash Cayenne pepper
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. In a large stockpot, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter and saute onions until clear and slightly browned.
  2. Add carrots and celery, cook for another 5-10 minutes, until veggies are soft.
  3. Add all of the chicken broth/stock, broccoli, and bay leaves. Cover pot and cook on low for 10-20 minutes.
  4. In a smaller pot, melt the remaining 2 T. of butter. Sprinkle melted butter with AP flour and stir until paste forms over low heat. The paste should brown slightly- DON’T BURN IT!
  5. Pour milk into the flour/butter paste and whisk briskly. You do not want lumps. Cook over low heat until the mixture thickens. This may take a few minutes. As the mixture thickens and there are no lumps, add the cheese slowly, about 1/2 cup at a time, until it is incorporated/melted into the sauce. Once the sauce with complete, remove from heat.
  6. Mix in cooked/pureed cauliflower to the cheese sauce.
  7. Add the cheese sauce to the soup mixture slowly, stirring constantly. Once it is fully mixed, remove the bay leaves, season dry mustard, cayenne, salt, and pepper.
  8. Simmer soup for another 5-10 minutes, allowing spices and flavors to meld.
  9. Serve Soup hot with crusty French bread. Resist the urge not to eat it all in one sitting.

This recipe makes about 10-12 servings of soup. It can be frozen. And it makes a great gift!

Special Meal Distributions at Grossmont Union High School District Locations!

Abby H.

A few weeks ago two friends told me about the free meal distributions at the Grossmont Union High School district locations. I knew that the schools were offering them, what I didn’t know is that each Friday the schools give out a free pizza for the kids.

It’s roughly the size of a pizzeria medium-sized pizza. They offer cheese or pepperoni, your choice, and in addition to that, you receive veggies, a quart of milk, fruit, and breakfast items for the weekend! This is a great way to treat your kiddos to pizza, especially if it isn’t in your budget.

Like all of the other free kids lunches right now, there is no paperwork or enrollment, just show up at the school during lunch service times. 

They’ll ask you how many kids you have between the ages of 2-18 and give you the appropriate number of lunches. The high schools tend to give out better food in my opinion, and they tend to have more options (which is great if you have picky eaters or vegetarians).

We stopped by West Hills on Friday to check it out (I’m always down to investigate stuff for you guys!), and the lunch ladies handed out this flyer.

On December 21, 2020 all locations are handing out the supplies for a free Pot Roast Dinner: Stew Meat, Potatoes, Carrots, Onions, Flour, Butter. Additionally, fruit and danishes will be included for breakfast!

On January 4, 2021 all locations are handing out the supplies for a free Carne Asada Dinner: Diced Carne Asada, Rice, Beans, Tortillas, Tomatoes, Onions, Cilantro, Jalapenos. Additionally, fruit and Pan Dulces (Conchas) will be included for breakfast!

And if you are looking for other food resources to help you through the holidays and beyond, here is my post about free food locations and organizations (I recently updated it, so there is lots of new info).

12/14/2020 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgI went to the grocery store over the weekend and picked up some much-needed essentials (bagels, fruit, and vegetables chief among them).

I’m trying hard to stick to our budget of $100/week for groceries and prepare dinners that are filling and hearty. We’re looking at some cold night time temps this coming week, so soup is on the menu twice this week! I made potato cheese soup and broccoli and cheese soup on Sunday, and The batches are separated and being stored in the freezer for later this week and beyond. I’ll be posting the broccoli cheese soup recipe this week.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101 style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge done (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste. If you are looking for a kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids.  I also keep sandwich Ziploc bags of other frozen fruit on hand to make the kids smoothies when they request them (a few times per week). Berries, peaches, and mangos are pretty popular. recently the Big Kid has been on a protein shake kick in the AM.

Kids are back to school and that means that school-provided lunches are coming home again. Neither kid loves them, but there are things that each kid eats from them, so I try to include those in their daily lunches. The Littlest kiddo has lunch at home, the big kid takes his lunch to school.

Usually, I do a crockpot meal on Mondays, but now that we are home all the time, we’ve been having an odd combination of fully home-cooked, scratch meals, and frozen entrees and veggies. I have been posting our meal plans on Instagram too- As well as pics of stuff we are doing to keep busy.

  • Sunday:   Soup, Salad, & Rolls
  • Monday: Veggie Burgers, Veggie Fries, fruit
  • Tuesday: Quesadillas and & salad
  • Wednesday: Avocado Toast (with everything but the bagel seasoning- sooo good), poached eggs, orange slices
  • Thursday: Soup, Salad, and garlic bread
  • Friday:  Pizza Night
  • Saturday: Leftover Shenanigans

Please stay safe you guys! The sooner we flatten the curve, the sooner life can go back to normal- whatever that means.

Talk Back: What are you cooking for dinner this week?

San Diego, CA Area Residents: FREE Produce and Perishable Groceries-12/11/2020

Abby H.

Our friends over at Faith Chapel understand that with all that’s going on in the world that some of us still need help finding healthy food during this difficult time. And that’s it not always safe for us to go to the store or hit up a farmers market.

Distribution is happening this Friday, December 11, 2020, beginning at 10:00am.

This is a drive-thru style event, so you don’t have to leave your vehicles. There is no paperwork, no questions asked. Show up, pop your trunk, and fresh food is loaded for you, and you are on your way!

Here is a picture of what was available in previous weeks! Sometimes you get produce, sometimes is eggs, milk, and other dairy products and meat- it changes weekly!

Faith Chapel is located at 9400 Campo Road Spring Valley, CA 91977

Save Time and Money with Amazon Subscribe & Save!

Abby H.

Now that Southern CA is back under a stay at home order, I’ve been looking for more ways to save money and keep us out of stores.

Enter Subscribe and Save from Amazon. I’ve been using Subscribe and Save for about a year for food items that we eat a lot of that are cheaper on Amazon (like Squeezy pouches, PBFit, Malt Powder). Talking to some friends online yesterday afternoon, I realized that not everyone knew about Subscribe and Save!

Key Benefits of Subscribe & Save

  • Save up to 15% on a large and growing selection of everyday essentials!
  • Need an item now? Yes, customers now have the option to receive the item within the usual 1-2 day shipping window for a 5% discount, and activate the subsequent deliveries of the subscription for up to 15% discount.
  • Authentic products sourced directly from brands and their authorized re-sellers.
  • Set it, forget it, and never run out.
  • Save a trip to the store – save time and money. You can have your favorite products delivered straight to your door.
  • No fees. Available for any customer with no long-term commitment, for FREE.
  • Change or cancel a subscription anytime.
  • Coupons-  There are usually coupons available for selected Subscribe & Save. You can always check here.

And there are all sorts of categories that have Subscribe & Save: Household Supplies, Baby Supplies, Pet Supplies, Groceries, Personal Care, and Health & Wellness.

I ordered toilet paper and a couple cleaning supplies through Subscribe & Save this morning!

And don’t forget that you can connect your Amazon account to Dosh and Receipt Hog to earn points for your Amazon purchases as well! Check out my Smart Phone Apps page for all the info on these apps.