easy

12/16/19 Weekly Meal Plan!

Abby H.

stemarie_1650skitchen

I spent Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday feeling sick, so the last few days of our meal plan went out the window. Saturday I dragged myself into the kitchen and made chicken vegetable soup in the hopes it would make me feel better.

This week we’ll be eating a lot of soup- We’ve got 3 different kinds in the freezer, and it’s been getting cold here at night. I’m also going to try a few new recipes, if they work, i’ll post them on the blog later 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 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 kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

You may notice a lot of plant-based meals- We are not vegetarian (well, the big kid is, but the rest of us aren’t), but I am trying to get more veggies into our diet. I do a lot of cooking from scratch- I find it easier to get veggies and fruit into recipes that I can have 100% control over.

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 (they love the Kodiak Cakes Mix).  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.

Lunches are leftovers, salads, or soups for me and Bitty. The big kid takes his lunch to school, but once in a while, I can convince him to buy his lunch.

For dinner, when we’ve got busy days (like Mondays), I’ll try and put something in the crockpot in the morning, or pull something I’ve already prepped out that can be quickly cooked. We’ve got a bunch of stuff in the freezer, as I’ve been portioning out 2-3 adult-sized entree portions from several meals a week and freezing them for later meals.

  • Monday: Leftover Chicken and veggie soup with hot croissants
  • Tuesday: Baked Potatoes with assorted toppings (we’ve got leftover BBQ pork, broccoli with cheese, bacon bits, cheese, caramelized onions).
  • Wednesday:  Soup & Grilled cheese sandwiches- and a big green salad!
  • Thursday:   Smoothies and bagels (or toast)- This is pretty popular at our house.
  • Friday:  Pecan crusted salmon, roasted veggies (carrots, potatoes, onions, celery), brown rice (we didn’t make it last week)
  • Saturday:  Pizza time (also salad will be served)
  • Sunday:  Leftover fiesta!

Talk Back: What are you planning to cook this week?

12/9/19 Weekly Meal Plan!

Abby H.1 Comment

stemarie_1650skitchen

Holiday decorations are up, and we are in full holiday mode! That means lots of fun stuff: looking at neighborhood light displays, making holiday crafts, and of course, holiday foods!

I did a small trip to the grocery store yesterday- we’ve got produce co-op this week, so I’m waiting until Wednesday to see if we need anything else. We’ve got meat and proteins in the freezer, and I’ll be pairing them with the veggies and grains we have on hand. 

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 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 kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

You may notice a lot of plant-based meals- We are not vegetarian (well, the big kid is, but the rest of us aren’t), but I am trying to get more veggies into our diet. I do a lot of cooking from scratch- I find it easier to get veggies and fruit into recipes that I can have 100% control over.

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 (they love the Kodiak Cakes Mix).  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.

Lunches are leftovers, salads, or soups for me and Bitty. The big kid takes his lunch to school, but once in a while, I can convince him to buy his lunch.

For dinner, when we’ve got busy days (like Mondays), I’ll try and put something in the crockpot in the morning, or pull something I’ve already prepped out that can be quickly cooked. We’ve got a bunch of stuff in the freezer, as I’ve been portioning out 2-3 adult-sized entree portions from several meals a week and freezing them for later meals.

  • Monday: Butter chicken with rice, steamed veggies (we didn’t make it last week)
  • Tuesday: Pecan crusted salmon, roasted veggies (carrots, potatoes, onions, celery), brown rice
  • Wednesday:  Soup & Grilled cheese sandwiches
  • Thursday:   Kung Pao stir fry with chicken and veggies, served with rice.
  • Friday:   Breakfast for dinner: Smoothies, avocado toast with Everything but the bagel seasoning(bacon will be available as well).
  • Saturday:  Pizza time (also salad will be served)
  • Sunday:  Leftover fiesta!

I had someone ask me how we always have enough of anything for leftovers. I always cook enough of the main dish for 6-8 servings, that way we have leftovers for lunches later in the week or leftover night. And really when you make stuff like soup, it’s hard to make a batch of soup that only feeds 4 people.

Talk Back: What are you planning to cook this week?

Family Recipe: Cocoa Brownies

Abby H.

01389.jpgI love this brownie recipe- it is so versatile, and if you bake at all, you probably have all of the ingredients in your pantry.

This recipe is so frugal, so much less than the $3-$5 for a brownie mix.

You can add chocolate chips, mint and chocolate chips (my kids favorite), and they are so moist and rich, there is no need for frosting!

Cocoa Brownies (makes 1 8×8 or 9×9 pan)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. shortening or room temp. butter ( DO NOT USE SPREAD/MARGARINE/OLEO*)
  • 1 c. white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 T. Vanilla
  • 2 T. Milk
  • 2/3 c. AP Flour
  • 1/2 c. Cocoa powder
  • 1/2 t. Baking Powder
  • 1/2 t. salt
  • Optional: 1/2 c. chopped nuts, chocolate chips, mint/chocolate chips, peanut butter chips (your choice)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking dish and set aside.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the fat (shortening/butter) with an electric mixer until it’s fluffy, approximately 1-2 minutes.
  3. Add sugar and beat until combined.
  4. Add one egg at a time until combined well.
  5. Add remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in any mix-ins (nuts or chips).
  6. Pour into the greased baking dish and bake 20-30 minutes. 20 for 8×8, 30 for 9×9.

Substitutions

  • If you are Gluten Free, you can use 1 for 1 GF flour
  • To make the dish dairy-free, use your favorite dairy-free milk.
  • The reason that spread/margarine/oleo isn’t used is because of its high water content. It will give the brownies a watery/smooshy texture.

Q-insights Car/Truck/SUV Survey Pays $200 (Irvine, CA)

Abby H.

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Q-insights is another company that I do research groups, focus groups, and online surveys to earn extra money.

They have a lot of stuff in South Orange County, and less often San Diego County. Recently, they have had a lot of surveys about newer high-end cars.

 They have an upcoming survey being held in Irvine/Orange County between December 10th-14th. The survey will be 2 hours long and will pay you $200 for your time.

They are looking for owners of the following vehicles 2016 or newer:

(Please note you will be required to provide proof of vehicle ownership)

  • Acura MDX
  • Alfa Romeo Stelvio
  • Audi e-tron
  • Audi Q5
  • Audi Q7
  • Audi Q8
  • Bentley Bentayga
  • BMW i3
  • BMW X3
  • BMW X4
  • BMW X5
  • BMW X6
  • BMW X7
  • Buick Enclave
  • Cadillac Escalade
  • Cadillac XT5
  • Cadillac XT6
  • Chevrolet Blazer
  • Chevrolet Bolt
  • Chevrolet Silverado 1500
  • Chevrolet Suburban
  • Chevrolet Tahoe
  • Chevrolet Traverse
  • Dodge Durango
  • Dodge Journey
  • Fiat 500e
  • Ford Edge
  • Ford Expedition
  • Ford Expedition EL
  • Ford Explorer
  • Ford F-150
  • Ford Flex
  • GMC Acadia
  • GMC Sierra 1500
  • GMC Yukon
  • GMC Yukon XL
  • Honda Clarity Electric
  • Honda Passport
  • Honda Pilot
  • Honda Pilot Sport
  • Hyundai Ioniq Electric
  • Hyundai Kona Electric
  • Hyundai Palisade
  • Hyundai Santa Fe
  • Hyundai Santa Fe XL
  • Infiniti QX50
  • Infiniti QX60
  • Infiniti QX70
  • Infiniti QX80
  • Jaguar F-PACE
  • Jaguar I-PACE
  • Jeep Grand Cherokee
  • Jeep Wrangler
  • Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
  • Kia Niro EV
  • Kia Sorento
  • Kia Soul EV
  • Kia Telluride
  • Lamborghini Urus
  • Land Rover Discovery
  • Land Rover Range Rover
  • Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  • Land Rover Range Rover Velar
  • Lexus GX
  • Lexus LX
  • Lexus RX-Series
  • Lincoln Aviator
  • Lincoln MKT
  • Lincoln MKX
  • Lincoln Nautilus
  • Lincoln Navigator
  • Maserati Levante
  • Mazda CX-9
  • Mercedes-Benz EQC
  • Mercedes-Benz G-Class
  • Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV
  • Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe
  • Mercedes-Benz GLE SUV
  • Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe
  • Mercedes-Benz GLS
  • Nissan Armada
  • Nissan Leaf
  • Nissan Leaf Plus
  • Nissan Murano
  • Nissan Pathfinder
  • Nissan Titan
  • Porsche Cayenne
  • Porsche Cayenne Coupe
  • Porsche Macan
  • RAM 1500
  • Rolls-Royce Cullinan
  • Smart fortwo electric
  • Subaru Ascent
  • Subaru Outback
  • Tesla Model 3
  • Tesla Model S
  • Tesla Model X
  • Tesla Model X
  • Toyota 4-Runner
  • Toyota Highlander
  • Toyota Land Cruiser
  • Toyota Sequoia
  • Toyota Tundra
  • Volkswagen Atlas
  • Volkswagen e-Golf
  • Volvo XC60
  • Volvo XC90

If you have one of these cars, trucks, or SUVs listed above that is 2016 or newer, please fill out the following link: https://forms.gle/k66o83mZZTxrVai4A

I don’t receive any kind of referral bonus, this offer is just too great to pass up! If you’d like to join their email list to be notified of upcoming studies, click here.

MyPoints: Earn Points with Ease While Grocery Shopping!

Abby H.

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I’ve been a member of MyPoints for Eight Years! I just found out yesterday that MyPoints has a point-earning opportunity while we grocery shop!

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It’s super simple:

Add Deals to Your List: With hundreds of exclusive deals to add to your list from your favorite stores, keep your cash for when it counts.

Shop In-Store: Purchase products from Your Shopping List (at eligible stores) to earn Points. Act quickly before offers expire!

 

Upload Your Receipt & Earn Points: By purchasing select items and submitting your receipt, shopping is simplified.

These deals are only good at select stores, so check on each offer before adding it to ensure that you can redeem it at a store near you.  Here is an example of one of the offers:

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Each offer has it’s own terms, including at which stores the offer is valid. While this won’t replace my use of any of my other apps, it is a nice addition.

11/18/19 Weekly Meal Plan!

Abby H.

stemarie_1650skitchen

I didn’t make the chocolate peanut butter cupcakes I had hoped to make last week, but I am eyeing them for this week’s baking, in addition to chocolate chip cookies (always the kiddos favorite).

This week is starting off with a trip to the YMCA for yoga and some time at child watch. There is a lot going on over the next few weeks around here, so I’m trying to get us into a new routine with meal planning and getting more exercise for all of us.

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 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 kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

You may notice a lot of plant-based meals- We are not vegetarian (well, the big kid is, but the rest of us aren’t), but I am trying to get more veggies into our diet. I do a lot of cooking from scratch- I find it easier to get veggies and fruit into recipes that I can have 100% control over.

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 (they love the Kodiak Cakes Mix).  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.

Lunches are leftovers, salads, or soups for me and Bitty. The big kid takes his lunch to school, but once in a while, I can convince him to buy his lunch.

For dinner, when we’ve got busy days (like Mondays), I’ll try and put something in the crockpot in the morning, or pull something I’ve already prepped out that can be quickly cooked. Last week I did a lot of veggie prep and I’ve got a bunch of bags of veggies in the freezer for meals this week.

  • Monday: breakfast for dinner: Everything bagels with various toppings (options will include scrambled eggs with cheese, avocado slices, bacon crumbles, sliced sharp cheddar, cream cheese), and smoothies.
  • Tuesday: Leftover Kale and Butternut Squash Risotto from Dinnerly (It made a HUGE amount). This time I’ll be adding bacon crumbles and serving it with fresh rolls.
  • Wednesday:  Chicken fajitas with onions and peppers, rice, and refried beans (quesadillas as the main dish for my vegetarian kiddo)
  • Thursday:  Veggie Soup with grilled cheese sandwiches
  • Friday:  Date Night (Dinner out- Woo)
  • Saturday:  Pizza time (also salad will be served)
  • Sunday:   Leftovers, as per usual

I had someone ask me how we always have enough of anything for leftovers. I always cook enough of the main dish for 6-8 servings, that way we have leftovers for lunches later in the week or leftover night. And really when you make stuff like soup, it’s hard to make a batch of soup that only feeds 4 people.

Talk Back: What are you planning to cook this week?

School Fundraising with Mabels Labels!

Abby H.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

School fundraising season is upon us: Candles, wrapping paper, butter braids, popcorn, huge tubs of cookie dough (Ok, so I love cookie dough, but no one needs a huge tub of it). For the most part, the quality of the items is not worth the price.

I recently discovered that Mabels Labels offers fundraising opportunities!

mabel

The best part is the school will receive a 20% commission from every order placed!

Mabels Labels takes care of everything! Nothing for volunteers to sort and distribute- everything is ordered online through a special link and shipped directly to those purchasing.

And an even better benefit- Once the labels are in use, the lost and found will be cut down! I don’t know about your kids school, but our lost and found is bursting by Winter Break!

I forwarded this info over to our PTSA peeps as soon as I found out about it.

Both of my kids have an Ultimate Back-to-School Combo Pack with their names for all of their school stuff. I put the labels inside their lunch boxes, backpacks (I never put their names on their stuff where strangers can see it), as well as shoes, hats, and jackets. With over 100 designs to choose from, there is bound to be something your littles will love.

11/11/19 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

stemarie_1650skitchen

I haven’t gone to the grocery store for this week, and I’m holding off, as we’ve got all kinds of stuff in the kitchen. I’ll be making some chocolate peanut cupcakes this afternoon, and pumpkin donuts later this week.  And we’ve got two meals from Dinnerly to cook this week!

No school today, so I’m a little late in posting this. We slept in until 8:15. Ahhhh.

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 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 kitchen inventory printable, I like the kitchen inventories here. They are great printables.

You may notice a lot of plant-based meals- We are not vegetarian (well, the big kid is, but the rest of us aren’t), but I am trying to get more veggies into our diet. I do a lot of cooking from scratch- I find it easier to get veggies and fruit into recipes that I can have 100% control over.

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

Breakfast: Coffee with heavy cream for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids (they love the Kodiak Cakes Mix).  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.

Lunches are leftovers, salads, or soups for me and Bitty. The big kid takes his lunch to school, but once in a while, I can convince him to buy his lunch.

For dinner, when we’ve got busy days (like Mondays), I’ll try and put something in the crockpot in the morning, or pull something I’ve already prepped out that can be quickly cooked. I did a little meal prep over the weekend, chopped and bagged veggies soups and chili, and made cookies for the kids.

  • Monday: Birthday dinner for my dad with the fam
  • Tuesday: Kale and Butternut Squash Risotto (From Dinnerly)
  • Wednesday:  Grilled Cheese sandwiches and Soup
  • Thursday:  Coconut Curry Ramen with Jammy Eggs (Also from Dinnerly)
  • Friday: Pasta Free Lasagna (I have TONS of zucchini), garlic bread
  • Saturday:  Chicken and veggie stir fry with rice
  • Sunday:   Leftovers, as per usual

 

Talk Back: What are you planning to cook this week?

New! Claim your spot on the OhmNow waitlist!

Abby H.

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If you’ve been reading my blog for some time, you know I love earning money and saving energy with OhmConnect (You can read more about it here). OhmConnect is sweetening the deal with a new program.

 OhmNow finishes what you started with #OhmHours. Sign up for this new premium add-on service, and we’ll upgrade your OhmConnect account so your smart devices respond to extra valuable #OhmHours. You’ll get paid extra without lifting a finger.

For just $4.99 per month you can automatically save energy when electricity prices surge, even if that’s just for five minutes.

No commitment or credit card required today, you can join the waitlist here.

Working Behind the Scenes for You

OhmNow works behind the scenes so you can rest easy knowing that you’re making extra money without lifting a finger. Join OhmNow and you can earn by:

  • Connecting key appliances
  • Setting your preferences
  • Automatically reducing energy during surges

Just like the standard OhmConnect service, you don’t need to change anything on your utility account.

Disclaimer: If you aren’t a member of OhmConnect and join, I may earn extra points that will help me earn my next reward.

California Residents: Unclaimed Property and Money!

Abby H.2 Comments

dollabillz

This is the postcard we received over the weekend. On the back is information about the State Controller’s Office, and how they are holding over NINE BILLION DOLLARS in unclaimed property (that includes money).

I checked the website and found about $27 in my name! I filled out the forms, printed them, signed them,  made copies of my ID, and mailed it all off this morning.  In 120 short days (or so, per the website), I should get my money.

It’s free to search, free to claim your property, so it is 100% worth 5-10 minutes to see if you’ve got anything waiting for you!

Click here to get started!