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Handmade Baby Blankets

Those who know me know that I absolutely LOVE to crochet.  It is a passion of mine, and I have to be careful that it doesn’t take up too much of my time.  I can get so caught up in working on something that I don’t realize just how much time has really passed. 
A couple of months ago, I was able to test a couple of blankets for one of my favorite designers, Donna Mason-Svara aka Smoothfox.  I also made a diagonal baby blanket (A Red Heart Pattern in my Crochet Today magazine). 

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Both of the pink baby blankets went to my cousin Brooke, who is expecting her first baby in July!  The blue & green one is still patiently waiting for a forever home. 
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Menu Plan: 05/21–05/27

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I can hardly believe that we’re near the end of another month and almost halfway through the year!  Where has the time gone?  But, one of my favorite things about this time of year is all of the FRESH fruits and veggies that are showing up in all of the stores and at market stands all over.  It’s so refreshing to taste the freshness that they bring to a meal.  So, if you’ve read my post about my shopping trip on Saturday, you’ll know that my menu this week will revolve around a lot of our fresh ingredients. 

 

Breakfast:

  • Fruit smoothies
  • Fresh Fruit with homemade yogurt – sweetened with honey
  • Oatmeal
  • Homemade biscuits with eggs & cheese

Lunch: 

  • Sandwiches on homemade bread
  • Hot homemade chicken broth with noodles
  • Leftovers
  • Bagel pizzas
  • Chicken Nuggets/pizza rolls with fries/tater tots

Dinner:

(in no particular order)

  • Crock Pot ™ Roasted chicken with potatoes, garlic, carrots, & onions with a side of corn, & peas with mushrooms
  • Crock Pot ™ Swissed Steak with a side of potatoes & steamed broccoli
  • Chicken fajitas (using leftover chicken) on homemade whole wheat tortillas using homemade fajita seasoning mix
  • Crock Pot ™ Poor Man’s Soup 
  • Crock Pot ™ Beef Stew with lots of veggies & homemade rolls
  • Leftovers

The only day I’m not too sure about at this point is Thursday.  We’re finishing up our homeschool co-op classes that day & will be having a special night.  I believe everyone will be bringing a covered dish or two to share, but I’ll have to double check that tomorrow.   Regardless of how Thursday goes, I have plenty of food on hand to improvise, if necessary. 

I’m also going to try my hand at making homemade roasted red pepper hummus this week.  I’ve been putting this off for some time, but I’ve finally decided to give it a shot.  I have a red pepper that I need to use up, so I’ll roast that up to go with the chick peas that I already have precooked & in the freezer just waiting to be used. 

For more great menu plans, don’t forget to head on over to Organizing Junkie to see what everyone’s planning for the week! 

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Grocery Shopping Trip: 05/19/12

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted a grocery shopping trip, so I thought I’d do so today.  Since Brian changed jobs almost 2 years ago, he gets paid on a biweekly basis, which means that I shop on a biweekly basis.  I do still pick up a few fresh ingredients in between pay periods but, for the most part, I buy everything I need in one trip out.  Since we are changing up our diets and trying to eat healthier, I’m also focusing more and more of our grocery budget towards fresh/frozen fruits/veggies (whole foods) instead of on canned items.  I’m also trying to buy fewer prepackaged items than ever before.  I really haven’t bought that many over the last several years, but I’ve found myself turning towards some “quick fixes” in the last several months due to lack of time to prepare meals.  Well, now that summer is here, I’m hoping to get back into the habit of using my Crock Pot ™ more to keep the heat down in the kitchen and to prep ahead.  These are all things that I’ve just slowly let fall to the wayside instead of just taking a few extra minutes while I’m already in the kitchen to prep ahead for the next meal(s).   I do my best to keep our grocery budget at $400 for our family of 5 (2 adults, 2 teen girls, and a 10-yo son).

 

I shopped at Aldi’s & Earth Fare (first time there – not too impressed) today.  So, here’s what I picked up this week:

 

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4 gal. Whole Milk – $2.99/each

2 bags frozen peaches – $1.99/each

2 bags frozen mixed berries $2.99/each

1 bag frozen raspberries $2.99

2 pgs. pizza rolls $2.49/each

2 pkgs. chicken nuggets $3.99/each

6 lbs butter $2.29/each

2 lbs bacon $2.99/each

3 (8oz) pkgs sharp cheddar $1.79/each

3 (8oz) pkgs mozzarella $1.79/each

1 (17.6 oz) Greek Yogurt $3.29

3 green bell peppers $1.49

2 lbs carrots $0.99

2 bunches of celery $1.19/each

3 lbs Pears $1.99

3 lbs yellow onions $1.69

3 cucumbers $0.25/each

3 (5lbs) bags red potatoes $0.99/each

2 cantaloupe $1.49/each

3 (1lb bags) kiwi fruit $0.79/each

4 (1lb containers) baby bella mushrooms $1.69/each

3 pouches dried berries $2.49/each

1 pouch dried cranberries $1.39

4 bxs saltines $0.89/each

1 wedge Asiago cheese $6.00

1 wedge smoked gouda $5.69

1 wedge gouda with tomato & basil $5.33

1 wedge classic gouda free w/ coupon ($7.00  w/o coupon)

1 (14 oz) jar organic extra virgin coconut oil $10.99

2 quarts raw Tennessee honey $7.99/each

 

TOTAL SPENT (with tax):  $167.30

 

The only things left for me to pick up that were on my list are:

plain yogurt

heavy cream

lemons/lemon juice

cat food

toilet paper

 

Total Spending for May:  $317.70

 

Stay tuned for my menu plan for next week! 

 

This post is linked up with:

The Peaceful Mom