dinner

1/8/18: Meal Plan Monday!

Abby H.

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Ok, so I’m a day late. Yesterday I was deep into the Annual Toy Purge, and I didn’t stop going until I collapsed last night about 9:30!

I’m just posting dinners for our meal plan. The kiddos lately have been having protein pancakes (I like Kodiak Cakes mix- it’s yummy and very versatile) with butter and Peanut butter. Hubs likes Oatmeal (my recipe for an easy almost instant oatmeal mix can be found here) if he’s got time, otherwise he and I have protein shakes. We mix it up, and have different flavors and mix in all kinds of stuff into our shakes, so as not to get bored. Here area few of our favorite recipes.

Lunches for Lil’ Man are usually Peanut butter and crackers, fruit, milk, a protein muffin (aka a kid cupcake), and applesauce cup. He takes his lunch every day! Hubs usually has a protein shake or I pack him leftovers or a frozen entree.

Bitty Bird and I usually have leftovers from the night before, or soup, sandwiches, quesadillas. She eats almost anything!

Monday:

  • D: BBQ Pulled chicken, brown rice, and steamed veg

Tuesday:

  • D: Lentil Soup and Cheese toast

Weds:

  • D: Bacon, eggs, and fruit salad

Thursday:

  • D: Lasagna ( I have some in the freezer from the last huge batch I made)

Friday:

  • D:  Date Night (dinner out)

Saturday:

  • D:   Pancake bar (I set out all kinds of mix-ins and topping and we just go wild) and Fruit Salad

Sunday:

  • D:  Leftovers!

The menu may change, as  I pull stuff out of the pantry to rotate what we’ve got (I am trying to cut down on waste, and put the older stuff up front to get eaten first).  It’s cold and rainy here in San Diego right now, so we may end up having more soup and salads if I don’t feel like cooking or get busy doing other stuff.

Meal Plan Monday: The First One of the Year!

Abby H.

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WOO HOO! Time for a new year and a new week, and that means a new meal plan!

I’m just posting dinners for our meal plan. The kiddos lately have been having protein pancakes (I like Kodiak Cakes mix- it’s yummy and very versatile) with butter and Peanut butter. Hubs likes Oatmeal (my recipe for an easy almost instant oatmeal mix can be found here) if he’s got time, otherwise he and I have protein shakes. We mix it up, and have different flavors and mix in all kinds of stuff into our shakes, so as not to get bored. Here area few of our favorite recipes.

Lunches for Lil’ Man are usually Peanut butter and crackers, fruit, milk, a protein muffin (aka a kid cupcake), and applesauce cup. He takes his lunch every day! Hubs usually has a protein shake or I pack him leftovers or a frozen entree.

Bitty Bird and I usually have leftovers from the night before, or soup, sandwiches, quesadillas. She eats almost anything!

Monday:

  • D: Salsa Chicken with brown Rice and veggies

Tuesday:

  • D: Baked Ziti and steamed brocolli

Weds:

  • D: Frittata (with bacon and veggies)

Thursday:

  • D: Stir Fry (chicken and veggies)

Friday:

  • D:  Date Night (dinner out)

Saturday:

  • D:   breakfast for drinner

Sunday:

  • D:  Leftovers!

The menu may change, as  I pull stuff out of the pantry to rotate what we’ve got (I am trying to cut down on waste, and put the older stuff up front to get eaten first). Hubs is recuperating from the flu from hell and laryngitis, so we may end up having soup or stew one night. I stocked up on canned soups last week at Grocery Outlet, and I’ve also got a few containers of homemade soup/stew in the freezer.

12/18/17 Meal Plan Monday

Abby H.

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I am really tired of not feeling well. First everyone got the gross tummy bug that was going around, now I have the Santa Ana triggered Sinus pain/nose drip. UGH. This week is going to be lots of soup and crockpot stuff. It’s been cold here at night (well, cold for us, in the low fifties and high forties), so soup will be nice.

I’m just posting dinners for our meal plan. The kiddos usually have a small toasted bagel with cream cheese for breakfast along with fruit.  Hubs likes Oatmeal (my recipe for an easy almost instant oatmeal mix can be found here) if he’s got time, otherwise he and I have protein shakes with frozen bananas and PB2.

Lunches for Lil’ Man are usually Peanut butter and crackers, fruit, milk, a protein muffin (aka a kid cupcake), and applesauce cup. He takes his lunch every day! Hubs usually has a protein shake or I pack him leftovers or a frozen entree.

Bitty Bird and I usually have leftovers from the night before, or soup, sandwiches, quesadillas. She eats almost anything!

Monday:

  • D: Going out- The kids and I are meeting some friends at the Zoo! Even though I feel like crap, I promised them we’d go.

Tuesday:

  • D: Vegetarian black bean chili

Weds:

  • D: Grilled Cheese & Chicken Soup

Thursday:

  • D: Smoothies and soup

Friday:

Saturday:

  • D:  Bean, Rice, and Cheese burritos

Sunday:

  • D:  Leftovers!

The menu may change, as  I pull stuff out of the pantry to rotate what we’ve got (I am trying to cut down on waste, and put the older stuff up front to get eaten first).

12/4/17 Meal Plan Monday

Abby H.

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Ugh, last week was rough! Bitty Bird was sick, and now I’ve got it, and I think Ehrny might be coming down with it too. So in that vein, this weeks meal plan is super fluid and it’s going to heavily rely on stuff from the fridge and cupboard. Thankfully  Iwent to an awesome swap yesterday and we scored some amazing goat cheese. I can’t wait until my tummy feels better.

I’m just posting dinners for our meal plan. The kiddos usually have a small toasted bagel with cream cheese for breakfast along with fruit.  Hubs likes Oatmeal (my recipe for an easy almost instant oatmeal mix can be found here) if he’s got time, otherwise he and I have protein shakes with frozen bananas and PB2.

Lunches for Lil’ Man are usually Peanut butter and crackers, fruit, milk, a protein muffin (aka a kid cupcake), and applesauce cup. He takes his lunch every day! Hubs usually has a protein shake or I pack him leftovers or a frozen entree.

Bitty Bird and I usually have leftovers from the night before, or soup, sandwiches, quesadillas. She eats almost anything!

Monday:

  • D:Soup and quesadillas

Tuesday:

  • D: Special dinner for Hub’s Birthday

Weds:

  • D: Crockpot Chili 

Thursday:

  • D: Quiche and fruit salad

Friday:

  • D:  Crockpot Soup and Biscuits

Saturday:

  • D:   Red Beans and Rice with Veggies

Sunday:

  • D:  Leftovers!

The menu may change, as  I pull stuff out of the pantry to rotate what we’ve got (I am trying to cut down on waste, and put the older stuff up front to get eaten first).

11/27/17 Meal Plan Monday!

Abby H.

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Thank goodness Thanksgiving break is over! Henry is back at school, but, Bitty Bird is sick. We’re both a little cranky today,

I’m just posting dinners for our meal plan. The kiddos usually have a small toasted bagel with cream cheese for breakfast along with fruit.  Hubs likes Oatmeal (my recipe for an easy almost instant oatmeal mix can be found here) if he’s got time, otherwise he and I have protein shakes with frozen bananas and PB2.

Lunches for Lil’ Man are usually Peanut butter and crackers, fruit, milk, a protein muffin (aka a kid cupcake), and applesauce cup. He takes his lunch every day! Hubs usually has a protein shake or I pack him leftovers or a frozen entree.

Bitty Bird and I usually have leftovers from the night before, or soup, sandwiches, quesadillas. She eats almost anything!

Monday:

  • D:Soup and grilled cheese sandwiches

Tuesday:

  • D:  Salsa Chicken with brown rice, salad

Weds:

  • D: Spaghetti with homemade marinara, steamed brocolli

Thursday:

  • D:   cheese and veggie enchiladas (1 dish meal)

Friday:

  • D: Date night!

Saturday:

  • D:  Leftover fiesta (I think we’ll have lots of leftovers this week)

Sunday:

  • D:  breakfast for dinner

The menu may change, as  I pull stuff out of the pantry to rotate what we’ve got (I am trying to cut down on waste, and put the older stuff up front to get eaten first).

11/21/17- Meal Plan… Tuesday?

Abby H.

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I fell asleep last night before I could hit Publish on this article. Yesterday was the first day of Thanksgiving break and I was bushed after playing all day.

I’m just posting dinners for our meal plan. The kiddos usually have a small toasted bagel with cream cheese for breakfast along with fruit.  Hubs likes Oatmeal (my recipe for an easy almost instant oatmeal mix can be found here) if he’s got time, otherwise he and I have protein shakes with frozen bananas and PB2.

Lunches for Lil’ Man are usually Peanut butter and crackers, fruit, milk, a protein muffin (aka a kid cupcake), and applesauce cup. He takes his lunch every day! Hubs usually has a protein shake or I pack him leftovers or a frozen entree.

Bitty Bird and I usually have leftovers from the night before, or soup, sandwiches, quesadillas. She eats almost anything!

Monday:

  • D: Spaghetti Squash with caramelized onions, bacon, and cheese

Tuesday:

  • D:  Casserole (We’ve got  guests for dinner tonight)

Weds:

  • D: Chef salad

Thursday:

  • D:   Thanksgiving feast with family

Friday:

  • D:  Leftovers from Thanksgiving

Saturday:

  • D:  Date night for our Anniversary

Sunday:

  • D:  breakfast for dinner

The menu may change, as  I pull stuff out of the pantry to rotate what we’ve got (I am trying to cut down on waste, and put the older stuff up front to get eaten first).

11/13/17 Meal Plan Monday!

Abby H.

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We’re scraping the bottom of the produce drawer, so I’ll be hitting up .99 Only to pick up some salads, veggies, and berries.

I’m just posting dinners for our meal plan. The kiddos usually have a small toasted bagel with cream cheese for breakfast along with fruit.  Hubs likes Oatmeal (my recipe for an easy almost instant oatmeal mix can be found here) if he’s got time, otherwise he and I have protein shakes with frozen bananas and PB2.

Lunches for Lil’ Man are usually Peanut butter and crackers, fruit, milk, a protein muffin (aka a kid cupcake), and applesauce cup. He takes his lunch every day! Hubs usually has a protein shake or I pack him leftovers or a frozen entree.

Bitty Bird and I usually have leftovers from the night before, or soup, sandwiches, quesadillas. She eats almost anything!

Monday:

  • D: Potato Cheese soup and fruit

Tuesday:

  • D: breakfast for dinner- probably pancakes, eggs, and fruit salad

Weds:

  • D: BBQ chicken (in the crockpot), green salad, biscuits

Thursday:

  • D:  Grilled chicken and grilled veggies 

Friday:

  • D: Date Night! (we go out)

Saturday:

  • D: DIY pizza night!

Sunday:

  • D: Leftover buffet

The menu may change, as  I pull stuff out of the pantry to rotate what we’ve got (I am trying to cut down on waste, and put the older stuff up front to get eaten first).

Veterans Day Freebies

Abby H.

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Veterans Day is coming up on November 11, and like most holidays, there are some great freebies available. All of these freebies are available to veterans and active duty military only, unless otherwise specified.

Free haircuts at Great Clips on Veterans Day  Active Duty and Veterans- And if you don’t need a cut that day, you can pick up a card for a free haircut card good through the end of 2017.

On Veterans Day, November 11, participating Sport Clips locations will offer free haircuts to all active duty military and veterans (with valid ID.)

Grace For Vets teams up with carwashes all over the US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia to offer free carwashes to active duty and veterans on 11/11/17.

Looking to get away from it all? National Parks are free next weekend to commemorate Veterans Day.

Lots of places have free admission for active duty and veterans next weekend.

  • Knott’s Berry Farm
  • Aquarium of the Pacific
  • Main Event Centers (none in CA, but in tons of other states) will be giving Active Duty and Veterans Enjoy a Free Entree + $10 FUNcard as our appreciation and thanks to you!

There are countless historical monuments, museums, and historical places of significance that will be free to active duty and Veterans next weekend. It’s always worth a phone call or a quick Google search before you leave the house!

And are you going to be Hungry? Probably…. Here are just a few restaurants offering free meals sometime next week:

  • Menchie’s Veterans Day Free Frozen Yogurt (Saturday, November 11, 2017)
  • Farmer Boys Free Veterans Day Cheeseburgers (Friday, November 10, 2017)
  • Olive Garden locations will be offering a free meal to Veterans and Active Duty (November 11, 2017)
  • Denny’s Typically offers free Grand Slams to active Duty and Veterans on the 10th or 11th (check your local Denny’s)
  • BJ’s Restaurant All veterans and active military can enjoy a complimentary entree under $12.95 on Friday and Saturday November 10-11/2017. Guests over age 21 will can also receive an alcoholic beverage for $6. Please present your military ID to receive this offer.
  • Red Robin All Veterans and Active Duty Military get a free dine-in Red’s Tavern Double Burger and Bottomless Steak Fries on Veterans Day 11/11.
  • Golden Corral On Monday, November 13th, 2017 from 5 PM to 9 PM, Golden Corral offers a free sit-in “thank you” dinner for Military veterans, retirees, and active duty members.

This is by no means a full list- There are tons of restaurants, bars, and pubs that honor active duty and veterans with a free meal, drink, appetizer, or dessert. Please feel free to leave one you’ve discovered in the comments below.

A Review: What’s up with Restaurant.com?

Abby H.

Screen Shot 2017-10-25 at 10.29.17 PM.pngFor those who have never used Restaurant.com, but hear me extol its virtues, here is how it works.

You purchase a discounted gift certificate (make sure to check the cert for restrictions, such as a minimum purchase amount or mandatory gratuity ) for a local restaurant.  You have a year from the date of purchase to use it.

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Here is an example of how to use the certs to your advantage.

Cafe XYZ- Certificate for $15.00.  Terms of cert: $15 off the purchase of $30 or more.  Mandatory 18% gratuity.

  • The check comes to $30.00
  • Mandatory grat. 18% $5.40
  • Minus Cert amt. -$15.00
  • Total New Bill: $14.60
  • Gift Certificate Cost $6.00, but thanks to coupon code REAL, you save 50% off the certificate making the total $3.00 for the Gift certificate.

The price for this complete meal is $17.60 (that includes the cost of the certificate).  The total amount saved $12.40.

They offer discounted certs in smaller amounts too.

ABC Cafe- Certificate for $25.00.   Terms of the cert: $25.00 off the purchase of $35.00 or more.  Mandatory 18% gratuity.

  • The check comes to $35.00
  • Mandatory grat. 18% $6.30
  • Minus Cert amt. -$25.00
  • Total New Bill: $16.30
  • Thanks to coupon code REAL, you save 50% off the certificate making the total $3.00 for the Gift certificate.

The price for this complete meal is $19.30 (that includes the cost of the certificate).  The total amount saved $15.70.

There are always coupon codes for http://www.restaurant.com/ on Retailmenot

Meal Plan Monday!!

Abby H.

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I need to go to the grocery store this week, so this is what I’ve planned based on what we have on-hand and what’s on sale.

I’m just posting dinners for our meal plan. The kiddos usually have a small toasted bagel with cream cheese for breakfast along with fruit.  Hubs likes Oatmeal (my recipe for an easy almost instant oatmeal mix can be found here) if he’s got time, otherwise he and I have protein shakes with frozen bananas and PB2.

Lunches for Lil’ Man are usually Peanut butter and crackers, fruit, milk, a protein muffin (aka a kid cupcake), and applesauce cup. He takes his lunch every day! Hubs usually has a protein shake or I pack him leftovers or a frozen entree.

Bitty Bird and I usually have leftovers from the night before, or soup, sandwiches, quesadillas. She eats almost anything!

Monday:

Tuesday:

  • D: Waffles and fruit

Weds:

Thursday:

  • D:  Grilled chicken and grilled veggies 

Friday:

  • D: Pizza (I’m making a batch of dough to stash in the freezer, so we’ll bake a few up and have pizza!)

Saturday:

  • D: Date Night! (we go out)

Sunday:

  • D: Leftover buffet

The menu may change, as  I pull stuff out of the pantry to rotate what we’ve got (I am trying to cut down on waste, and put the older stuff up front to get eaten first).