1 Corinthians 16:9

A wide door for effective work has opened to me, AND there are many adversaries. (emphasis mine)

This verse covered in yesterday's sermon is stuck in my head as we get ready for the next homeschool year.   Paul does not make a great opportunity mutually exclusive from roadblocks.  Just because a path is good, doesn't mean its easy.  (That's a quote from Tyler not from Paul)

I love that we have chosen homeschooling for our kids.  It is good for our family in the "big picture" way.  But I'll tell you, sometimes it is hard to remember that in the mundane details and arguments of every.  single.  day.    Our adversaries aren't necessarily people...although all our attitudes get in the way sometimes, more often than I'd like to admit.

My adversaries look like doubt - frustration - a messy house - bad attitudes - teenagers - high school level classes - doubt - frustration - phonics - desire for "me time" - piles of laundry - more messes.  Is this what Paul is talking about?  Likely not - he wasn't a mom with 4 kids home all day every day.  He faced much more dire risks in his life.  And yet these are the roadblocks that make me want to throw in the towel some days.

But I have a "wide door for effective work open to me."  With God, we CAN do this thing.  It is not time to run to another thing....even another good thing.  Like Paul needed to stay put, we also need to stay put and just adventure down the path put before us.  It is time to pull strength from God, who never runs out and never feels doubt.  And tackle high school math and phonics at the same time (obviously with different kids-HA!)

Bullet Journal- Busy Mom Style.

So Bullet Journals are a thing now.  It's basically a planner that you create yourself.  I have never been able to make a planner work.  But with 6 schedules to manage a calendar didn't cut it either....Although I have an OUtlander one cause of the pictures  :)  Anyway....enter Bullet Journal.  

You can get a plethora of ideas on Pinterest or Instagram....but if you are like me you don't give 2 hoots if your "bujo" (that's what the cool kids call them) is pretty or has art.  I need to know where my people are,  where they are going, and make sure I can feed them.  I also LOVE making (and checking things off of) lists...to-do lists, goal lists,  packing lists, lists of daydreams,  Lists of blessings, lists of lists, and the list goes on.  (I'm so clever).  So if you don't care if April is decorated with an "april showers" theme so you can have "May flowers" in may I would recommend searching for "Men's bullet journal" or "minimalist bullet journal" on pinterest.  Otherwise the cute-ness may overwhelm and sicken you.  If you like art and drawing things....then by all means have at it.  That is not my style.  

These are my high tech tools.  This is my favorite ruler for my bujo because it is thin enough to be a bookmark  and it has centimeters.  The grid book I got has 1/2 cm boxes and it helps me to measure them with metric.  pencil, white out and whatever pens I have handy.  

BASIC PAGES

Page 1!  Year at a glance....just like you get in a checkbook register.
 Except I like my weeks to start on Monday....so they do!  :D 
Look at my pretty block letters at the start of the year.  Such a high achiever!  HA

Future Log-  this faces the year at a glance page....it is essentially a box for each month.  So when the dentist schedules appts 6 months in advance or we register for church camp or whatever, I just stick the date in the correct month box with a short description of that event.

This is the June box on that page...it was busy.  :)  

At the start of the year I set some goals....these are reading and crafty goals.  I didn't take a picture of the exercise and BIble Study goal page cause they are embarrassing.  :(    I need to fill in several books here and some knitting projects....

Each month I take time to make a monthly calendar.  Again my weeks run monday -sunday so my calendar reflects that.  I move things from the "Future Log" to this page.  I have space on one side each month so I try to list blessings.  I'm not as regular about that as I wish I was.  

This was my first weekly spread.  it lasted one week.  I did not like it much.  So I tried some others....

This is this weeks pages.  I've been using this weekly spread for a while.  At the top of each day in Orange I put the classes I teach for VIPkid  then I have space for appts or to-do lists on that day.  At the bottom is what  I plan to make for supper in its own box.  On the left/bottom I plan breakfast and lunches both for the kids and I and for shane to take to work.  The ideas are very flexible but its where I start my grocery list (the ONLY list I don't put in this notebook)  On the bottom, right I list weekly goals....or break down to-do lists from.  For example, today I needed to clean my kitchen.  Its on wednesday in red.  But in red on the bottom right are all the things that entailed for me today.  I got to check them all off as I went.  

EXTRA PAGES

So the deal is, I always have this notebook.  I know where it is as much as I know where anything is.  So if I want to keep track of something it goes IN THIS NOTEBOOK.  I don't use post-its or scratch bits of paper.  I know a lot of people use their phone.  tried that.  didn't like it.  

I've been in the middle of multiple book series this year.  Its part of a goal to read only books I've never read before this year.  I was losing track of which book I was ready for in each series....so I made myself a "library" page of all the series I was going on.  I highlight the book when I finish it. 

Im starting to brainstorm breakfast/lunch/snack ideas for as we roll into school time.  So I grabbed my notebook and the closest pen and started writing things down.  

So this is the "map" of my garden.  We tried some new varieties this year and I wanted to know where each was.  Also, in the upper corner is some sparkly tape that I got at dollar tree.  I wrap it around the corner of pages I want to find again easily, weeks or months after I made them-also found on the library page..  

My notebook went to homeschool convention with me (of course)....and I used it for notes in session.  If I took these elsewhere I'd never find them again.  :D  (If I were good at this blogging thing I would turn this picture right side up but I'm not and you likely couldn't read my handwriting anyway). 

The thing I like about a bullet journal is that it can be whatever I want it to be.  And that can change week to week or month to month. 

Two things I do not use my bullet journal for.  grocery lists.  And school planning (no lesson plans or record keeping in it)....just calendar planning of school activities and events like any other activities and events. 

Plain.  Simple.  Even a little ugly.  Or  Color coded (I tried that at first but I could never find the right pen).  Artsy.  And a beautiful keepsake.  It can easily go either way.  But that's the cool thing.....its all just how you want to make it!  :D

Trim Healthy Mama menu #2

So my first menu went great.  Because of life, it actually lasted 2 weeks.  And we had leftovers or something simple (and still on plan for me) several times.  We also had family visiting so we ate out a few times and I did the best I could....sometimes better than others.  That's ok though.  I am feeling great and ready to keep on plugging along.  We've actually STILL not used recipes I planned to use on week 1....but this is what week 3 (menu 2) looks like on paper.

In my first week I found I do MUCH better with a good satisfying breakfast.  Instead of a carb laden breakfast.  I feel better all day.  One of my breakfasts is a fuel pull which is intentional since that day I will be having an early (likely at least slightly off plan) crossover lunch at a coffee shop.  So I'm keeping it simple and low all round to "prep" for that lunch.

BREAKFASTS

• Big Bowl Egg Scramble (tht 331)  (I love this one) 
• Egg over easy, zuchinni fritters (tht235),  and yogurt
• 000 yogurt, berries, egg whites
• Breakfast Casserole (cb 238)  -Family breakfast on Saturday
• Mocha Secret Big Boy smoothie  - before church on sunday

LUNCH

       Going to try to keep lunches simple this week. 

Meal Prep Sunday

• IP chicken
• Roasted Garlic and Cauliflower Soup

I can have soup with a piece of chicken breast and a slice of sprouted bread with laughing cow cheese for an energizing lunch.  Or I can have a chicken leg and thigh with a salad and ranch dressing for a satisfying lunch.  I know one day I'll be eating a crossover at my favorite coffee shop while the kids are at art class. I am planning for that and comfortable with it.  :)

• hot dogs/burgers with deviled eggs and leftover broccoli salad (saturday family lunch)

SUPPER

• Beans (tht 111) and cornbread (tht246)
• IP whole chicken with killer green beans
• Rich and tender stew (cb 38)
• Burger Bombs (tht 212)
• broccoli salad (tht 271)
• Flaky Parmesan Tilapia (tht 227) (I'll be using the fish we catch from our pond)
• zucchini fritters (tht 235)
• deviled eggs

I made several freezer meals before I had surgery and before I read anything about thm.  We'll be eating one of those this weekend.  I can not let them go to waste.  Again, I am making a conscious decision to go "off plan" to use this good food up.  One this week will not derail all the other efforts I made for the week.  I am fine with that plan.  :)

So that's my plan.  Im not including the grocery list this time because I just cleaned out my pantry and fridge and there are a lot of things in the recipes I don't need to buy this time.  I may try to update the post later on....we shall see

Jamaica pictures....better late than never.

Lots of photos here peeps.  Enjoy!  I'll caption

Ready to fly!  

Our room was so bright and white and clean and nice!  :D

It also had this....free.  Refilled every 2 days.  WE didn't even make a dent.  I don't know how people could drink this much in such a short time.  We enjoyed the 2 on the left 

The resort courtyard area.  Very nice!

Beach knitting totally happened.  And I made a new friend because of it.  One of the girls who worked there was learning to knit.  Kush pulled up a chair and we had a nice long chat.  She's checking out ravelry now.  :D

resort views before it was all full of people for the day.

That time you were napping on the beach and all of a sudden it starts raining....hard....and cold.  

Beach!  And more beach!

 We also went horsebacking riding through the interior of the island.  it was so nice.  And we got to ride in the ocean.  Also cool!

The ruins of an 18th century windmill

This right here is why you don't drink all that liquor in your room in 2 days.  well, one reason anyway.  ;)   We randomly ran into Mary and Lonnie waiting for dinner.  Mary is Shane's college roommate's mom.  They live 45 minutes from where we live...And we never see them.  Till we go to Jamaica.  You just never know who you might run into

Bambo boat ride.  So relaxing!    And fun!

The ride came with a mud "facial" on my feet and legs!  Very nice! 

Noel (our boat guide) picked us a coconut.  And made us bamboo straws.  YUMMY!

They call the inside of the coconut "jelly meat" and it is good.

This is HARD!  I would not be a very good banana picker.

Shane did much better!   He's got a bigger head  hehe

I love trying new foods.  Here we have sugar cane (top)-chewy but sweet,  soursop (middle) slimy and not my favorite at all and Jamaican Apple (bottom).  So good.  Tastes like a peony smells.  YUM!

Such a fun and relaxing trip!  :D

A HEALTHY FOOD adventure! Trim Healthy Mama style

So I've decided to try something.  In my younger years, I could eat all I wanted and maintain a healthy weight and energy level.  But things have changed.  I've tried several different options but none have worked well for me or been manageable long term.  Several friends of mine have found great success with Trim Healthy Mama.  So I got the book.  And Trim Healthy Table and next week is my first week "on plan."

One of the things I like about this plan is that, apart from sugar and white flour, nothing is really forbidden.  And there are substitutions for sugar and white flour that I can use.  The main idea of the plan is that you separate fuels (healthy carbs and fat) and anchor both with good protein.  So I spent a large part of yesterday afternoon creating next weeks menu and grocery list- I am looking forward to that going much faster soon.  And I want to be able to easily find this one to use it again (no need to reinvent the wheel every single week)  So here we go.

Breakfast:
Big Bowl Egg Scram (THT 331) -S
Big Bowl Cinnamon Oatmeal (THT 354) -E
Cream of Treat ( THT 353) -S
Pint Jar Oats (THT 343) -E (makes 3 servings)
Cinnamon Pecan Bake Pancake (THT 338) - S

LUNCH:
I will have either veggies or a salad with my lunch each day.  I am going to instant pot a turkey breast at the start of the week because I don't like turkey lunchmeat and use that for sandwiches/protein.
Sprouted Bread Sandwich  (E) (2 days at least) -freshy bowl (leftovers) (FP)  Apple (E)
Tuna Pepper Poppers (THT 313) - S
finger food lunch (for packing for a day out) Turkey, cheese, S veggies, Dark choc pieces
leftovers to fill in any extra days

SUPPER
- Barbacoa Beef (THT 108) -S
Freshy Bowl (THT 265) -FP  (leftover of this will help with lunches)
With taco salad toppings....kids will get chips/wraps

-Taco Cornbread Bake (THT 139) - S
salad

- Save my Sanity Chili (THT 81) - E

- grilled burgers (toppings- buns for kids) -S
Amish Broccoli Salad (THT 271) - S

Hubby Loving Chicken (THT 218) - S
Killer Green Beans (THT 261) - S

-Tuscan Cream Chicken - (THT 72) - S
kids will get noodles.  I'll have a salad or leftover veggies.

-Salad Bar Night (I think this will become our sunday night event- perhaps rotating with soup night.  Its fast and easy and well liked and it gives me a chance to prep salad veggies for the whole week).

Snack/Sipper?Other
- Reeses pieces shake (pinterest)
- Raspberry GGMS
-Dump Ranch Dressing/dip -S (to go on salads or veggies with an S meal


Now I don't expect my kids to follow this plan through breakfast and lunch....so I'm buying them some WAY off plan options. I may try to slide them into some plan options as I get more experience and learn....So there's that.  :)

Now on to the grocery list.  There are several things I consider staples and won't be found on this list....onions, garlic, spices, baking powder, etc etc etc.  So use it to start but check recipes and add what you need.  :)

Produce:
spinach-2
mushrooms (for my salads/egg bowl)
cherry tomatoes
rainbow peppers
ginger
garlic
mini peppers
lettuce 2
tomatoes (roma)
broccoli-2
cucumber (salad)
avocado

Canned:
tuna
tomato sauce
diced tomatoes 2
rotel
pinto beans - 2
great northern beans 2
applesauce (UNsweetened)
sun dried tomatoes

Packaged:
Pyure
Nutritional Yeast
coconut flour
golden flax meal
pecans
xanthum gum

Dairy:
almond milk
egg whites
cheddar cheese
skim milk (for making yogurt)
eggs - 2
heavy cream
1% cottage cheese

Frozen:
Raspberries

Fish/Meat:
turkey breast
bacon
chicken legs
chicken breast

Other:
85% cacao chocolate bar

Blessings Abound and I have full joy!

In the end of January, Shane and I spent a week in Jamaica at an all inclusive resort.  It was an amazing and unforgettable trip.  Travel always gives me a new perspective on my every day.  Sometimes I long to go back because home seems mundane after trekking into the grand canyon on mule-back or having lunch at the foot of the Eiffel Tower.   Sometimes I come home missing loved ones I visited.   Sometimes the hours of travel required to get home and jetlag are exhausting and I'm just trying to recover.   Sometimes I feel like I need a second vacation to recover from a family vacation.  But as we've gotten back into a home routine, my blessings have been staring me in the face day after day.  My healthy family, warm home, and a pantry/fridge/freezer full of good food.  Jamaica was an absolutely beautiful place, with an even more beautiful people with beautiful spirits and in my 5 short days there, I hope I learned something.

It has been a rough, hard, moody winter for me.  But I had a chance to go stay in a place where my comfort was paramount.  Where if I needed anything at all, someone will provide.  And then we went outside the resort and saw the countryside where again....things were provided solely for my comfort.  In a place where people live without electricity or running water....where planting fruits that will feed your family is the first thing done when setting up a home.....where construction workers fill water bottles in puddles from the street they are working on.  And they are happy!

Not just Happy......JOYFUL.  We learned a new word from Noel (one of our guides).  He asked that we have "full joy" on our river trip.  He wanted to make us full joy.    We said something about enjoying the trip down the river and he said "No, enjoy is like at a funeral....where joy ends"   FULL JOY!

Noel was awesome!  

They are also predominantly Christian,  98%.  You may disagree but I think American Christians could learn a few things from them.  First of all, they weren't shy about it.  Before dinner, the waitstaff sang a couple worship songs and prayed the Lords Prayer.  It was beautiful.  As we were talking to people, they had zero concerns about political correctedness and when they thought something was wrong they called it.  They live in a country with no "safe spaces"....there are serious problems.  They don't seem to have time or energy to waste on being offended all the time. It was refreshing.

I will be the first to admit, we stayed in safe, controlled areas.  The country was on military alert while we were there (our bus was even checked by armed military guards).  It was important for us to be smart.  I am sure there are people who don't fit in this perception I have of the country.  But for the few days we were there and the experiences we had, my overwhelming impression was that of happiness and joy.

We are a whiny and entitled society and it is embarrassing.  So I have challenged myself to WRITE DOWN at least one blessing, one thing that gives me "full joy" every day.  Not just think about it.  WRITE IT DOWN!

I don't really do the "word of the year" that so many of my friends do.  But this year, even in my moodiness, blessings just keep popping out all around even in totally unexpected places..  I have so many reasons to have "full joy" every single day.  Not to say that I wasn't blessed before (cause that hasn't really changed)....but that I am being made more aware. And it is fantastic.

Freezer Meal Prep

Sometimes its just nice to have some meals ready made in the freezer.  And Stouffer's Lasagna just isn't gonna cut it.  The upcoming month is one of those times.....so I've spent the last couple hours making some freezer meals.  I'm not done yet....but when I am this is what I'll have in my freezer...

Shepherds Pie

I made 2 of these.  I didn't even look at her freezer mashed potatoes and just made mashed potatoes in my instant pot.  Also totally lazy and used frozen mixed veggies and skipped cutting up carrots.  Who does that?    I also forgot to buy allspice.  (I clearly struggle with following recipes....you will notice that trend throughout). 

Vegetable Beef Soup

So I made one of these.  Kinda.  The roast will have to be cooked ahead of time....but that can be done from frozen in the instant pot.  I think we'll manage that.  Everything else got dumped in a gallon bag.  Again, I used frozen mixed veggies and just added enough to look about right.  I did chop my own onion though.  :)

Burrito Bowl

We've had this before and the kids LOVE it.  They call it "taco paste" which I think is supposed to be complimentary but totally doesn't feel like it.  I think its cute this is 6 servings....so I doubled it.  We also use venison roast/backstrap because we have that.  It will be plopped in first with this dumped on top.  Since we switch to venison I used beef stock and not chicken stock. 

Taco Rice Casserole

So we've never had this before.  I made 2 of them.  Its taco flavored....I figure its a pretty safe bet!!!  Its also similar to the burrito bowl above.  I left out zuchinni cause I forgot to buy it.  I made my own black beans in my instant pot and made the rice in the instant pot too.  And I left off the cheese, cause there are weirdos in this house who don't like/eat melty cheese.  I know I know, I don't know what is wrong with them either. 

Minestrone

Im making 2 of these.  I may have to actually chop up carrots for this one.  And I'll leave out the spinach cause it won't freeze great and kale is gross.  I'm also subbing red beans in for canellini beans cause I could find cannelini.  The pasta and beans will go in their own little bags to add at appropriate times. 

Chili

So this is our favorite chili.  I'm making 2 of them but I bet we eat one for supper.  I leave out the jalepenos and add 1 chili in adobo sauce instead.  Mmmmm  And no fish sauce or cocoa for us please.  :)

Tuscan Chicken Stew

This one is actually out of a cookbook I bought (The Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook-whew that's a mouthfull)  So I don't feel good about sharing the recipe here.   I'm gonna make 2 of these I think. 

I may not have enough canned tomatoes to do chili and the tuscan chicken stew.....I may have to get some more.  Now its time to mash some potatoes to finish off these shepherds pies.  :)