Blah Blah Blah

This week has been horrible as far as eating healthy goes.  It's just one of those weeks you want to binge eat, put your hair in a messy bun and watch Netflix all day.  Anyone else have those?  I've lost 49.1 pounds so far and I just can't seem to push myself past that (it's a mental block not a physical one).  Tomorrow's a new day...praise Jesus!

 

I've made my menu for next week and I'm hoping some comfort foods I've tweaked to become clean/healthy will help me ease back into getting on the right track.  I'll be posting at least 2 new recipes next week!!!

 

I've been contemplating whether or not to get a polar watch.  It seems like everyone and their dogs have them these days.  I'm wondering how well they work and if they're worth the money (meaning will I wear it longer than a week).  Of course that would mean I would have to start working out again...ha!  I used to run but now I'm too embarrassed to be seen running.  :)

 

A few months back the hubby and I bought some kettle bells and a gym mat to start a home gym but those things have sat downstairs since the day we got them and haven't moved.  I really just need to quit making excuses and get my butt into gear.  Sigh...

 

In other news, I bought my own website today.  Which means I'll have a new and improved blog coming very soon.  It may take me a few days (or a week) to get it up and running.  I'm hoping to have a better lay out and links to my etsy site and various other things.  With having James now and working on my weight loss journey I would really like to document everything.  I will keep you posted on that soon!



Common Misconceptions About Budget

 

One of the biggest misconceptions of being a stay at home mom and one income family is..."Your husband must make a lot of money for you to stay home!"

 

Umm No. Wrong. False.

 

Actually, for most families, it is a HUGE sacrifice.  You do without a lot of luxuries, frivolous spending, and mindless shopping.  That means we'll have less expensive cars,  a smaller house, and buy a lot of things second hand.  But, nothing compares to seeing that little precious baby day in and day out!!! :)

 

I've learned a lot in the last few years of marriage.  Mainly, money doesn't grow on trees and we have to be wise with the money God has given us.  Spending money wisely shows God we are thankful for what we've been given. 

 

One of the biggest areas for me that I try to work on is food budgeting.  I'm the shopper.  The cook.  The mom.  :) 

 

Here are some tips I've found helpful for our family to stick to a food budget of $300 a month:

 

Buy store brands

Did you know store brands are 20-50% less than name brands? I read in an article not that long ago that store brands were taste tested against name brands and they found that they tasted almost always identical. 

***BUT, always look at the price because when the name brand items go on sale they sometimes end up being less than the store brands.

 

Stock up when things go on sale

If I notice an item I use weekly going on sale I'll buy a few more that week (don't go crazy stockpiling).  I also like to keep an eye out for meat sales because you can really save green in this area (if its less than $2 a pound I'm going to stock up).

 

Don't buy snack foods

Talk about eating up your food budget.  Snack foods are just crazy expensive.  Plus your waistline will thank you.  ;)

 

Have a price list

This might sound extreme but keep track of items in a spreadsheet.  I like to make my grocery list and then check to see which stores have it cheaper and shop accordingly.  Saving .50 cents for an item might not be worth going to another store for you but I promise you that when you're saving .50 cents or more on every product by doing this it REALLY can add up. 

 

Check out clearance aisles

This past week I went to Walmart and found organic baby food and oatmeal marked 50% off or more.  You just never know what you might find. 

 

Coupons

I don't cut coupons.  I would like to get better at this.  However, really expensive items like baby yogurt and things I'll go online and get $1 off coupons.  Most of our food is fresh and not packaged so you can't really use coupons for those items.

 

Stick to a grocery list

I would never go to the grocery store without a list in hand.  I would put a lot more in the shopping cart than we actually needed that week.

 

Make a weekly/monthly meal plan

By planning out every meal you and not buying more than you need it can really help cut down your budget.

 

Don't spend money on drinks

Don't drink your calories.  Soda is crazy expensive.  Juice is just ridiculous.  Those things are full of calories, artificial sweeteners, and tons of sugar.

 

Eat before you shop

Sounds silly BUT the grocery store is full of temptations. 

 

8 Months Old

 

Weight:

Almost 18 pounds last we checked. 

 

Clothing:

He's still wearing mostly 6 month clothes but has a few 3-6 month outfits that he can wear.

 

Diet:

Still nursing 4-5 times a day.  Typically, he wakes up and nurses at 7am, breakfast at 8 (oatmeal & apples), nurses at 11, lunch at 12:30 (yogurt & banana), nurses at 3, dinner at 6 (whatever we're eating), and final nursing right before bed at 7:30.

 

Sleep:

 He only takes two naps a day now.  Usually takes a nap at 10am and 2pm.  Goes to bed at 7:30pm and sleeps till 7am.  As from my previous post most of you know how thankful I am he's sleeping so well now in his OWN room in his OWN bed.  Praise Jesus! :)

 

Milestones:

James can crawl, sit, stand, and walk as long as he's holding onto furniture.

 

Teeth:

He has his two bottom teeth.

 

Likes:

Eating (he comes by it honestly...ha), bath time, momma's makeup bag, looking out the window, shopping, walks in his stroller, and going to the park to swing!!!

 

Dislikes:

Diaper changes, naps, when meal time is over, and initially when he's put in his car seat (once he's buckled in he's fine).

 

I can't believe he's already 8 months old.  He is the light of our life and I don't know how we ever lived without him.  I thank God EVERY day for a healthy boy and having another day to spend with him.  He loves his daddy more than anything and I know he's going to be a daddy's boy for sure!

Quinoa Chili

As most of you know...me and my lovely husband have two very different "diets".  He is doing keto (low carb) and I'm eating semi clean and counting calories.  On Sunday, our food prep day, I made myself: sausage egg cups, quinoa chili, and meatloaf muffins.  For Jamie, I made bacon egg cups, bacon chili, and bacon wrapped chicken (basically bacon everything). 

 

Obviously, I was not going to eat his bacon chili (very fatty) so I made myself a guilt-free chili.  Y'all it's AMAZING!!!  I try to find recipes that me and baby James can eat so I don't have to cook his own food as well.  He loved it and ate a pretty good size serving.  The recipe says 6 servings but I think it makes 10 BIG servings.

 

If you'd like the recipe go check out Chungah's blog here!!!  I can't take any credit for the recipe and followed it precisely to her instructions

. 

Left overs...YUM!

 



Perfect fall meal!!!

 



Confessional Friday: {Link Up}

 

 

I confess that I have become addicted to watching Call the Midwife on Netflix this week.  So much so that I believe I watched an entire season in ONE day. 

 

I confess I'm THAT friend who doesn't answer her phone but will text you immediately back.  I hate talking on the phone.  However, moving 7 hours away from all my friends and family this year has made me realize that talking on the phone and hearing a loved ones voice is far better than any text I could receive. 

 

I confess that I've lost 5 pounds this week but I'm scared to step on the scale today after I ate an entire bag of peanut M&M's (and I ain't talking about the small individual bags) over the course of a day yesterday (only like 1,200 calories).  Gahhhhh WHY WHY WHY!?!?

*Maybe it could have been the fact that my poor teething baby had such a rough day yesterday I couldn't even put him down to use the bathroom...

 

I confess that I'm a STRESS EATER. Ha...that might be an understatement! 

 

 

 

I confess that God has really been working on my heart about what I post on facebook and instagram.   We tend to only want to share materialistic things or ourselves looking perfectly put together which leads to everyone seeing a picture perfect life.  I encourage us to post pictures and share things with a joyful pure heart and not one of self indulgence, boastfulness, and conceitedness.    

 

I confess that this has been the first confessional Friday I've participated in! :)

 

 

Dutch Apple Pie

We went to my parent's house over Labor Day and my mom made this amazing apple pie!!! Even baby James loved it...hehe.  Here is the recipe...

 

 

Hope you enjoy this recipe! Perfect for this coming fall and the holidays...

 

I have been so bad about keeping up my blog and posting.  I hope to make it more of a priority in the future but having a little one with me 24/7 makes it a wee bit difficult.  I'm hoping to post his 8 month photos tomorrow as he is 8 MONTHS TODAY!!! Woo Woo!!!

 

Here's what we've been dealing with the past month...

 

 

 

So we did what all parents are warned against doing...co-sleeping.  Once James hit 7 months old we were determined to get him in his crib and cut down on his night time nursing.  Now let me add we tried many approaches and everything failed.  After talking to our parents and getting advice we finally decided to try the Ferber method.  At first we were totally against this because the thought of leaving him in his room crying seemed cruel...but desperate times call for desperate measures (desperate meaning sleep deprived).  The first few nights were SO hard.  The books say it usually takes about a week but it took us about 3 weeks before he was "Ferberized".  First week it took him about 30-45 minutes of crying and us going back and forth every 10 minutes before he fell asleep.  Second and third week it was about 10-20 minutes of crying before he fell asleep.  BUT now I nurse him and then lay him in his crib and he immediately rolls onto his stomach and falls asleep.  It's a miracle!!!

 

He now sleeps from 7:30 pm to about 7 am EVERY time.  I am a firm believer of the Ferber method now.  Before, when he slept with us, we went to bed around 9-9:30 pm and slept till 6 am and then he would wake up every 3 hours to nurse in between that and he just didn't sleep well.  He would fuss in his sleep and wake us up hourly.  I am so thankful those days are behind us.  James sleeps better and has done great without the nightly nursing.

 

Mom and dad are thankful for time together every night to unwind, to watch tv, catch up on chores, and sleep ALL night like we used to! :) 

 

***Ferber method is not for everyone but it worked for us and we're extremely happy with the results. I don't think the 3 weeks of crying will cause him any long term psychological issues.

 

 



Firecracker Pasta

In honor of the 4th of July around the corner....
(AND because my husband said it actually smelled like firecrackers...ha!)

 

 

Firecracker Pasta (aka Spicy Smoked Sausage Pasta)

 

Ingredients:

1 1b. smoked turkey sausage

1 medium onion (chopped)

8 oz. pasta

1/2-1 cup heavy cream (I used 1 cup for a thinner style sauce)

1 can rotel

2 cups chicken broth

1-2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese

1 tsp. salt (I actually omitted this)

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. olive oil

 

Directions:

In a large skillet, add olive oil, sausage, and onions.  Cook on medium high heat until browned.  Add minced garlic and cook for about a minute.  Then add rotel, pasta, cream, chicken broth, and seasonings.  Bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until pasta is cooked.  Lastly, add Monterey Jack cheese and stir to combine.  Broil in the oven for 3 minutes or until cheese is golden.\

 

Servings: 4

Calories: 625

 

 

 

This is my NEW favorite recipe y'all!!!!

  It was so flavorful and reminded me of a New Orleans Cajun-style pasta.  

 



Our Weekend

We had such a great weekend this past week!!! My mom surprised me and made the long drive to Cape to spend a few days with us.  It has been several months since she's seen us so she was thrilled to spend some time with her grandbaby.  Then, my brother and his family also came Saturday to spend the day with us.  We grilled, walked along the river front, and had lots of fun!!!

 

 

I made my favorite summer dessert recipe also.  This is SO easy and quick to make! 

 

 

 

Key Lime Pie

 

Ingredients:

 

For the crust:

 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/4 cup sugar

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter melted

 

For the filling:

6 egg yolks (at room temperature)

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

2 Tbsp. grated lime zest

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

 

For the decoration:

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

thin lime wedges

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  For the crust, mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl.  Press into a pie pan.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Allow to cool.  For the filling, beat the eggs and sugar on high speed in an electric mixer for 5 minutes (or until thick).  Reduce to medium speed, add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice.  Pour into the graham cracker pie crust and freeze.  For the decoration, beat the heavy cream on high speed until soft peaks form.  Add the sugar and vanilla next and beat until firm.  Spoon or pipe onto the pie and decorate with lime wedges.  Freeze at least for 2 hours but best overnight.

 

***I sometimes use shortcuts for this recipe like buying premade graham cracker crust and lime juice.  You could also use cool whip if you didn't want to make your own whipped cream BUT the homemade is SO much better!!!

 



Father's Day & Meal Prep

I hope everyone had a great Father's Day this past weekend.  It was special to celebrate Jamie's first Father's Day.  I planned a dinner out and one of our church friends watched little James.  We went to a Cajun place called Broussard's.  It was so nice to get out and spend some alone time together!!!

 

 

I've been wanting to do a blog post about our weekly food prep and go into further details on how we budget and make things work for us. 

 

First, we set a $50 grocery limit for each of us.  Jamie is doing a keto diet right now so we have totally different nutrition needs.  He spends most of his money on protein.  I spend most of mine on fresh produce. 

 

Next, we make out a weekly menu so we can plan ahead before going shopping.  Jamie is perfectly fine with eating the same three meals every day for an entire week.  I however like to have several different choices each week for at least my lunch and dinner. 

 

This week I decided on oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast, cottage cheese w/ strawberries and carrots for snacks, and chicken pot pies, grilled chicken & couscous with baked veggies, and skinny chili for my lunch/dinner options. 

 

 

Since I'm a nursing momma I am suppose to eat around 2,300 calories a day.  Which means I could eat all that you see above easily and stay within my calorie goal. 

 

 

Chicken Pot Pies

 

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (cooked and cut up)

2 cups of frozen peas and carrots

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

1 cup of Bisquick

1 egg

1/2 cup of skim milk

 

Preheat oven at 400 degrees.  Combine your chicken, soup, and frozen peas and carrots.  Mix together and divide between 6 oven safe bowls.  In a small bowl whisk together your egg, milk, and bisquick.  Pour mixture on top of each bowl.  Bake for 35 minutes. 

 



 

This recipe is a family favorite.  I make these ALL the time in the winter.  For some reason I had a craving for these this past week.  This is a weight watchers recipe my mom gave me a while back.  I've experimented with this recipe and this is just my favorite combination.  If you wanted to add potatoes or other veggies you could certainly change it up.  These taste just as good the next day as they did when they came out of the oven!!!

 

Skinny Chili

 

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs. ground turkey or beef

2 bell peppers

1 can of corn (drained)

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes

1 can of pinto beans (drained)

1 can of red kidney beans (drained)

1 large onion (diced)

1 cup of chopped celery

2 tbsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. garlic salt

1 tbsp. stevia

1 jar of salsa

 

Combine all ingredients except for ground beef and onion into a crockpot.  Cook ground beef and onions in a skillet until browned.  Combine with the remaining ingredients in crockpot.  Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

 





 

There is a reason I call this "skinny" chili.  The reason is you can eat this till you're going to explode and it has hardly any calories!!!  This makes 10 huge servings at only 212 calories.  But don't worry...once I add my shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream on top the calories start to climb. Ha!!! :)

 

This is a great dish I can make for my vegetarian and vegan friends.  You could substitute the ground beef for morning star beef crumbles or a couple cans of black beans.  This freezes beautifully which makes it ideal for meal swaps, pot lucks, and large get together where you have to feed a lot of people.  My husband says this reminds him of taco soup but a lot thicker and heartier. 

 

That's basically it for this week.  Very simple.  Very frugal.  I will try to do more weekly food prep ideas in the future. 

 

 

 



Quinoa Casserole

Two things that I have really been wanting to try lately have been quinoa and spaghetti squash.  I am definitely still brain storming and searching cookbooks for some ideas BUT this week we have tried both of them out. 

Quinoa is the newest "super food" and has a lot of hype right now.  Which means I've seen it a LOT among blogs and pinterest and had to try it out for myself.  A few studies have found that it's a high protein grain alternative (more than double the protein of most grains), fights diabetes and hypertension (lowers blood glucose levels and lowers blood pressure if eaten daily), a natural appetite suppressant (high protein and low calories), and an anti-aging miracle (destroys free radicals in the bloodstream which slow down aging, decrease the risk of cancer, and delay wrinkles and fine lines).  Why wouldn't you want to try this and incorporate it into your daily diet!?

I was browsing some body builder websites last weekend (they seem to have the best "clean" recipes) and came across several quinoa recipes.  We have been doing food prep on the weekends (6 small meals a day) and I wanted something that would hold up well for 5 days in the fridge. 

Quinoa Casserole

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper (or any color you prefer)

1 egg plant 

2 zucchini's

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

1 cup of mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup of parmesan cheese

2 cups of chicken broth

1 can of tomato paste

2 cans of tomato sauce

4lbs. lean ground beef

salt, pepper, cumin to taste (I used 1 tsp. of each) 

2 boxes of quinoa pasta

Servings: 12

Calories: 401

Start out by sautéing your onion and garlic until translucent.

Add your ground beef and cook until done (I had to use 2 skillets since it was so much meat).

Drain and set aside.

Boil your pasta.

While your pasta is boiling add the egg plant, zucchini, bell pepper, and chicken broth to a skillet.  Once it starts boiling turn it down to medium-low heat and put a lid on it. 

Simmer until your pasta is done (6-10 minutes). 

Add together your sauce and ground beef.  Mix together.

Drain your quinoa pasta once it's al dente. 

Line up 10 mini loaf pans to start your assembly.

Divide evenly your quinoa pasta among the pans.

Then, add your beef and veggie mixture.

Lastly, add your mozzarella and parmesan cheese on top.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Voila!

Once they are cooled you can put a lid on them and store in the refrigerator up to five days!

I had to sneak this picture in...these two were snoozing while I made these tonight! :)

PRECIOUS!!!



Hubby and I really liked this recipe.  If you're vegan you could substitute in vegetable broth and black beans and omit the cheese.  Or you could also do turkey instead of beef.  The quinoa pasta is very similar to regular pasta but a little more dense.

***I will blog a recipe using spaghetti squash soon and tell you my opinion on it...

Flooded Basement

Sorry I haven't been blogging for several weeks!  It's been crazy here at the Arnold house.  Arkansas got tornado's and we had flash floods.  I think the weather said something like 8 inches of rain over one night.  I went downstairs to the unfinished part of our basement and noticed a small leak from the wall...within 3 hours the WHOLE basement was flooded.  We were hoping the leak wouldn't travel to the finished part of the basement but it did.  Thankfully, we had a couple people helping us move everything upstairs before it got damaged.  The floors and trim were taken up immediately as well.  We will be glad to have everything fixed and back to normal this summer!!!

 

 

I'm going to share a healthy clean eating dinner tonight!  We've been doing six small meals a day and prepping all our food on the weekends.  More on that later!!!  It's really nice to have all your meals ready to go for the week and not having to cook every day (I love cooking but it's not easy with an infant).  Check back later tonight...

Easter Recap

Our little family had a great Easter!  This year we were far from family BUT we got to celebrate it with a new addition.  It's so much fun to celebrate Easter with children...what a blessing! 

 

 

I always have this "goal" of being at my ideal size by Easter so I can buy and wear a cute sundress.  Let's be honest...if you're bigger than a size 10 you just can't find much.  Well another year passed and I was in that boat again.  In conclusion, momma didn't get a new dress.  Whomp whomp...

 

Meanwhile, I enjoyed cooking AND eating these yummy recipes...

(TOTALLY did NOT log my food this weekend OR count calories) 

**This is why I never reach my goal size...lol

 

 

Great American Cookie "DOUBLE DOOZIE"

 

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. salt

1.5 sticks unsalted butter, melted

3/4 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg AND 1 egg yolk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups chocolate chips

 

Icing:

1lb. confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup shortening

2 tbsp. milk

2 tbsp. hot water

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

**I didn't even use half of this to fill my cookies so I suggest cutting this recipe in half.

 

I have a great love affair for the Great American Cookie double doozies.  Y'all don't even understand how hard it is to walk by one of these and NOT be tempted.  But we moved to a new town that doesn't have one SO when I had a craving for this I had to come up with a copycat recipe.

 

Chocolate chip cookies are one of the hardest things to get just right.  Well baking in general is like that.  Just the smallest detail can make a huge difference.  Also, everyone likes their cookies a certain way.  Normally, I just use the classic chocolate chip recipe on the back of the Nestle chocolate chips package.  However, for double doozies you need large soft and chewy cookies.  So the hunt was on to find the perfect recipe...

 

Here are some tips I learned:

• Make sure your eggs are at room temperature (if you're in a hurry put them in warm/hot water for 5 minutes).
• Use good ingredients!!! You want good quality vanilla extract and chocolate chips (I only use ghiradelli chocolate chips).
• Refrigerate your cookie dough for at LEAST 2 hours before baking.
• Use parchment paper so the cookies do not get crispy on the bottom.
• To get thick cookies make them TALL.  What I mean by that is use your hands to form your dough into 1 inch wide and 2 inches in height.
• Measure correctly.  Don't eyeball anything.  I even go an extra step and use a knife to swipe across my measuring cups.

 

Directions:

Whisk together your melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar till there are no lumps.  Then, whisk in your eggs and vanilla.  Set aside.  In a large bowl mix your dry ingredients: flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda.  Now fold in your wet ingredients.  Lastly, mix in the chocolate chips.  Bake 10-12 minutes on 325 degrees (they will still look doughy but they will continue to cook on the cookie sheet once you take them out).  For the icing, mix all the ingredients into a mixer.  Mix on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes.  Now you're ready to assemble! Just make sure your cookies are cooled before adding the icing.  Makes 8 large double doozies!!!

 

 

 

St. Louis Thin Crust Pizza



 

Ingredients:

1/2-1 cup Pizza Sauce (I used a jar sauce)

2 cups Pizza blend cheese

1-2 tbsp. Italian seasoning

Your favorite pizza toppings

 

Crust:
2 cups of self rising flour

2 tbsp. olive oil

6 tbsp. water

 

We moved really close to St. Louis and we've really enjoyed all the pizza joints around downtown.  There are seriously like 4 within one block of each other.  Our favorite is Imo's and they serve "St. Louis style" thin crust pizza.  The provolone cheese and seasonings on their pizzas are SO good. 

 

I've never made homemade pizza crust.  Store bought is always EASY and fast.  But I really wanted to get a SUPER thin crust so I decided to make my own this time around.  This crust recipe is super simple and fairly good.  I do think I'll try another recipe though the next time to experiment with a yeast crust instead.

 

Directions:

Combine your flour, olive oil, and water.  Form into a ball.  Let is rest for 10 minutes.  Roll dough out in between 2 pieces of wax paper.  Transfer to a greased pizza pan.  Add your sauce, cheese, and toppings. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.  Bake on 425 degrees for 12 minutes. IT'S THAT SIMPLE!

**I had to use a few tablespoons more of water to get the dough to form but you might not need to.

 

 

**I've been backed up on posting recipes this past week (see why below) but hoping to get things posted daily this week and share some new recipes.

 

James will be 3 months old this coming Friday!  Motherhood has been wonderful (I know...I'm only 3 months into it).  I don't have a lot of negative experiences or complaints.  He is really a good/happy baby.  Sleeps well.  Healthy.  Etc.  But the one thing that has been difficult is breast feeding.  The 2nd week I ended up with mastitis because of engorgement and then the last month I've been dealing with supply issues.  It went from one extreme to the other.  I know the biggest issue for me is drinking enough water.  If anyone has any pointers on increasing milk supply I sure would appreciate it!!! Do those milk cookies really work???