How Does Your Refrigerator LOOK!!!

We are trying to eat more healthier. So I went shopping at the Farmers Market, Earth Fare, and The Fresh Market. Of course it is more expensive to eat Whole foods and organics, but we are trying to eat healthier. Our goal is to eat 80% raw, but with that said we are taking it slow. We will first just try to eat one salad a day and work our way up. As far as organics go, one rule of thumb is if it is peeled, it doesn't have to be organic(bananas, avacodas a favorite here, onions, cantaloupe, etc.). Some things are definitely organic(carrots, celery, apples, especially because we juice). After watching Food, inc. and King corn, it really made me think "where my food came from!!" As far as meats, we are trying to cut down, but I have started buying from the farmers market from local farmers, only grass-fed organic ground beef and free range organic chickens(of caourse I still have some chicken and meats that was in my stockpile that we will use first, so you will see those in there:). We are doing it slow so that it is not a big hit in our budget, but it is worth it. Here is a look into my refrigerator and freezer and I would love to see everyone's too. Blessings, and have a great day.

HERE IS AN OVERALL LOOK


HERE IS A LOOK AT THE SIDE STORAGE(MOST ARE ORGANICS AND NATURAL SAUCES



HERE IS A CLOSER VIEW OF THE TOP TWO SHELVES




HERE IS A VIEW OF THE BOTTOM TWO SHELVES




HERE IS THE "GREEN DRAWER"




IN THE FREEZER

FROZEN FRUIT FOR SMOOTHIES



FROZEN VEGETABLES



BEEF

Kroger Trip 4/19 I saved 55% on groceries!!!

I got several things free, but overall I saved 55%. My total before store discounts and coupons was $180.30. I had $48.47 in coupons plus an extra $8.30, some of them doubled. Plus I saved $41.83 with my Kroger Plus card and I got a $2 coupon for my next trip. I spent $77.39!!!

Kroger trip 4/13/2010 saved 89%.

2-2liter 7ups $1 each used 2 $1/1=FREE
2-sundown folic acid on sale for $1.43 each used 1 $3/2=FREE(plus .14 overage)
2 sundown vitamin d on sale for $1.78 each used 1 $3/2=.28 each
4 nature bounty magnesium vitamins on sale for $1.78 used 4 $1/1 = FREE(plus .88 overage)
2 McCormick seasonings on sale for $1 each used 2 $1/1 coupons= FREE
4 scotch brite sponges on sale for $1 each used 4 41/1 coupons=FREE
1 Domino sugar $1.85 used .50/1 doubled to $1/1= .85
2 honest teas at $1.69 each used b1g1 free=.85 each
2 yo-plait greek yogurts at $1.19 each used 2 .30/1 doubled to .60/1=.59 each

Total before store sales and coupons was $53.69
After I used my Kroger plus card the total was $33.83(all that is used towards gas points)
I used $24.79 in coupons and they doubled 3 of them for an extra $1.10 off)
My grand total was $6.09($2.47 was taxes)
A total savings of $47.60(89%)

Saint Patrick's Day!!

Today we celebrated Saint Patrick's Day.
We celebrated this morning with Irish Oatmeal(Please excuse the pictures, I have misplaced my camera and these are from my phone).


For lunch we had baked chicken with "green spices"(basil, parsley, etc.), broccoli, and green beans.




For dessert we had "green" cupcakes!!!




We also learned some interesting facts about Saint Patrick's Day and the Shamrock. Patrick was not born in Ireland but went there after God called him to go. He used the Shamrock to explain the Trinity. We colored some shamrocks and wrote short stories on what we learned:)

Menu planning week 2

Monday: Breakfast- cereal with milk
Lunch- ramen noodles with bacon and onions sauted in it(my husband made it)
Dinner leftovers

Tuesday: Breakfast-scrambled eggs and toast
lunch-spaghetti
dinner- baked chicken, corn, green beans

Wednesday: Breakfast-pancakes
Lunch-leftovers
dinner- Salsa chicken and black bean soup in the crock pot

Thursday: breakfast-oatmeal
lunch-peanut butter and honey sandwhiches
dinner-enchiladas

Friday: Breakfast-cereal and milk
lunch- leftovers
dinner-family pizza night
Saturday and Sunday-we are going out of town

This will probably be the last week I am doing this(because my food is so low), I might make it one more week then I am going on a raw food(80%) diet, to jump start a weight loss program. I can' wait to do that post and share all the benefits I am learning as I do the research.

Menu planning for the rest of the week (Eat from the pantry challenge)

Today I went through my pantry and freezer and wrote down everything I have on hand. I have come up with a menu and I think I might make it to the last week of January if I try really hard. I had a lot more food than I thought, just not much in the freezer. I normally go to Kroger when they have their meat on sale and stock up on it. Well I have not stocked up on meat since the first of Nov. so I don't have that much. There will be a lot of vegetarian meals over the next month. One way I make the hamburger meat last is by cooking up the whole pound with onions and I take half and put it away for another meal. Like spaghetti and/or chili. I really can't tell a difference and that helps the meat stretch. Here is the menu for the rest of the week:

Tuesday: Breakfast- granola with milk(like cereal)
Lunch-Turkey burgers, broccoli, and corn
Dinner- linguine with vodka sauce and Parmesan garlic bread sticks

Wednesday: Breakfast-biscuits and gravy
Lunch- Ramen noodles
Dinner- slow cooker corn chowder

Thursday: Breakfast- granola with milk
Lunch- leftovers
Dinner- chili(put half meat away for Sat. spaghetti)

Friday: Breakfast- toast and eggs
Lunch-split pea soup
dinner-Salmon, pasta, corn, dinner rolls

Saturday: Breakfast-pancakes
Lunch-peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Dinner-spaghetti

Sunday: Breakfast-strawberry smoothie and breakfast at church
Lunch-tilapia, corn, green beans, hush puppies
Dinner-snacks, leftovers

First Post of 2010 and Eating from Pantry Week 1!!

This is my first post of the new year. Time really does fly. We went through so much last year from losing a precious baby, Haven, to getting a new car, meeting the Duggars, moving and so much more. I do hope this is a better year for us. Today we started back school after a 6 week break due to us moving, getting the swine flu, and of course the celebration of the birth of Lord Jesus Christ!!! It is taking a lot to get the children motivated but we will get there. I also had to make a run to the grocery store and I spent more than I anticipated, but we were out of a few staples. I got 2 gallons of milk, 8 cans of beans(black, kidney, chili), cheese, eggs, rice, sugar, one loaf of bread( I plan on making some for the rest of the challenge), spaghetti sauce, toilet paper, paper towels, etc. I spent $46 ouch... but I plan on spending less than $10 next week(just on milk and eggs), My goal was $20 a week but I think I am going to up to $100 for the whole month. Basically I have $54 for the rest of the month. I really don't know if I can make though the whole month, because I really haven't went on a "real" grocery shopping trip since we moved in our new house December 1st. I have ran and got this or that, and I went on one trip and got food for our family Christmas dinner. I will go as long as I can without going to the grocery store. Hopefully I can make it at least 3 weeks from today maybe 4. The problem is I think my children are going through growth spurts. They eat everything on their plate and they are still hungry so it seems like we are eating more food around here. Tonight I am going to make out a menu plan for the rest of the week. Today:
Breakfast: scrambled eggs and toast
Lunch: homemade pizza(homemade dough, sauce, cheese)
Dinner: fried rice and baked peanut chicken

I will try to post the rest of the weeks menu tonight or tomorrow, Everyone have a blessed day.

Eat from the Pantry Challenge!!

I will be joining Crystal and jessica in eating from your pantry. This is a great idea because I really want to switch over to healthier diet(80% raw, that is a whole different post), but I have so much food from coupons(free items), that I need to get rid of it. I will start this January 1st. My goals are to go to the store only 4 times(once each week), to get fresh produce, milk, eggs, etc. I plan to only spend a maximum of $20 for each trip. A total of $80. I usually spend $300-$400, because I get a lot of organic items. This will be a great challenge for me, but I believe I can do it. I will try to update at least once a week to tell you what we have ate, and maybe even post pictures if I can find my camera from the move. If you would like to join head on over to Crystal's blog.

Pictures

I wanted to share a couple of pictures, from the past few weeks!!!

My little kitchen helpers!!!








Here is Bryson, I got the guitar for $10, and the dinosaur set for .25 at Goodwill

Making Your Home a Haven: Take time to beautify!

Today Crystal wants us to beautify our homes. Take an area and decorate it with a picture or some fresh flowers. I will post pictures later on in the evening.

Now for Day 2 in 31 Days with God for Mothers:
Worrywarts-" Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will be taken away from her." Luke 10:41-42

I believe all mothers worry at one point or another. When your pregnant, or when your child is not with you. When I feel overwhelmed, I have to wake up and realize that is here and will protect my children and take care of any situation that is needed.God doesn't expect mothers to have all the answers, but He does expect us to go to Him for the answers. He not only has the answers, He is the answer! (Materials taken from :31 Days with God for Mothers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc Used with permission")


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I didn't get to take a picture because I had an unexpected event come up, but I had the table all nice and set when my Honey came home. I had fresh flowers and made the cloth napkins into the shape of flowers. I hope everyone had a great day Making their home a Haven!! Blessings Delilah

KITCHEN TIP TUESDAY: GETTING RID OF KITCHEN CLUTTER

I have a bad habit of buying too many kitchen gadgets. I see something on sale, and think, "wow, what a good deal" and buy something I probably will never use. So my tip for Kitchen Tip Tuesday is to take all your gadgets, wooden spoons, spatulas, etc. and put them in a box. As you need something go to that box get it out, use it, clean it and put it in the appropriate place. After 12 months of non-use of items in the box, get rid of them and the best part is the stuff is already boxed up. For more great tips and ideas visit here.

Making Your Home a Haven Monday: Pick a Drawer!

Today Crystal has asked us to clean out a drawer or dresser. It is ironic because I have been cleaning out my kitchen cabinets(making room for my new pots and pans).this weekend and all I have left to do are these 3 drawers. She says "Today's project is to clean out and organize a drawer or dresser. Set a goal, set the timer, and get busy!"
The first drawer isn't that bad, I just need to organize it. The second drawer is awful, I have way too many utensils. The third drawer just needs to be organized. I will update later.

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Well I am finally finished. I have been busy all day decluttering. Honestly I have way too much stuff, and my house is in chaos with too much stuff. My goal is to get rid of 75% of everything. I know that may seem extreme, but if you could just see all the stuff I had you would agree. I hope everyone has a blessed day making your home a haven.

Kithchen Tip Tuesday

Here is a tip to share with Tammy's Kitchen Tip Tuesday


What I do to make my cheese grate better is to put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. I always hated grating cheese because it was too soft and would smear all over the grater, but if it is really cold it grates fast and easy.

Bread maker!!!

Yay I got a bread maker last Friday. It is the Breadman Ultimate Plus. I love it!!! I have tried out new recipes and the kids love it as well. I love fresh bread, but it was always a pain making it. I read on other people's blogs how easy it is with a bread maker. They are right on that, it is the best investment I have ever bought. I have a picture of my first ever loaf of white bread.