A New Way to Meal Plan

My family meal plans. It is seriously the most time (and money) saving thing we do around here. On the weeks that we don;t meal plan we all just mill about the kitchen and have long drawn out conversations about what to have for dinner. We rummage through the fridge with a general sense of apathy and concurrent feelings of being overwhelmed. And really all I can think is "How do people do this without planning?"

So, we plan!

I used to plan each day on this cute little calendar that had 2 weeks on it. I would think about what was happening each day and try to pick something that would work with the days schedule. It was all very well intentioned. 

But here's how it really played out. On Tuesday we would not want what was planned. We would want what was planned for Wednesday. Then on Wednesday we would want what was planned for Sunday. And then I would feel like a failure because I hadn't adhered to this fictional schedule that I had created with good intentions. And really, who want so to feel guilty when you are just trying to plan something? 

So I changed it up. I still plan for 2 weeks of meals and I account for things I know are coming in those weeks: date nights, dinner with my sister, birthdays, etc. 

I try to balance the selections with things that I can make and with things that my husband can make. We also try to work in things that the girls request with out having 4 nights of nuggets and mac n' cheese.

It works super well and I can even use my meal box that I posted about HERE.

What I did was take an old picture frame and I simply put some old fabric where the picture would go. Then I used some left over letter stickers and wrote "What's for dinner?" at the top.  I hung it on the side of my fridge and I use dry erase markers to write the selections on it. After we make it, I just wipe the item right off! Super easy and incredibly efficient. :)

To Dip or To Drink? That is the Real Question

My kids love to dip things in ranch dressing. I am well aware that this makes them neither special, nor unique, in the realm of toddler/preschool land. Of course to me they are both divinely special and gloriously unique. But not because of their desire to coat their small bodies in ranch and wield carrots as swords... not that they would ever do that. :Þ 

Alrighty then...due to my children's predilection for dipping, I cringe every time I have to buy a bottle of ranch. Why you ask? Many reasons. Allow me to list them for you:

1. It can be loaded with gross things (MSG anyone? How about disodium phosphate? No? How about the crazy train my brain takes when I see "artificial flavoring". I go straight to the fact that Dr. Pepper used to contain ethylene glycol. Yes that is right. Dr. Pepper used to have ANTIFREEZE in it. I honestly cannot even think about what that "Artificial Flavoring" might be.)
2. It can be expensive even with the gross stuff in it. But to get the stuff that doesn't make me want to wrap my girls' digestive systems in protective wrap, yeah that just blows my budget. 
3. It's fattening. And the low-fat stuff has even more gross stuff that I cannot pronounce (Did you miss #1?). Not to mention that the low-fat stuff tastes...well...horrid. 
4. Use the powder you say? Even the powder has crazy gross stuff in it. 
5. I really think you should be convinced by now, but somehow having a list of 5 reasons seems more complete to me. (OCD Woman, Away!!)

Anyway I have been on  a mission for a while now to find a recipe that tastes really good, is easy to make, is free from chemicals that are not food, doesn't have 35000 calories per teaspoon, won't spoil in a day, and that my children (and husband) will actually like. Tall order, I know. 

BUT!!!! I found it. It is So. AMAZINGLY. GOOD. I could drink it. I won't, but I could. And just for you, Dear Reader, here it is. 

(OK. OK. It isn't totally low-fat. But I think it strikes a wonderful balance between full-fat tasty and low-fat healthy.)

Makes 1.5 QUARTS. That is a lot of dressing. 

Ingredients:

For the Mix:

1/4 Cup Black Pepper 

1 1/2 Cups Parsley Flakes 

1/2 Cup Garlic Salt 

2 Tbs Kosher Salt 

1/2 Cups Granulated Garlic 

3/4 Cups Granulated Onion 

2 1/2 Tbs Dried Dill weed

For the Dressing:

Juice from half a lemon

2 Cups Buttermilk

1 Cup Mayonnaise

2 Cups Non-fat Greek Yogurt

1/2 cups Sour Cream

What To Do:

1. Combine all mix ingredients and store in an airtight container. Pictured is a large peanut butter container. It filled it about 2/3 full. 
2. To make the mix into dressing, whisk together 3 T of mix with the remaining wet ingredients. 
3. Let sit for at least 2 hours. This gives the flavors a chance to develop. Before the 2 hour mark. It really just tastes like yogurt-mayo with green bits. Not tasty. But after the 2 hour mark:bust out the chicken wings and the carrot sticks. You are in for a treat. 

When Someone is New...

I love giving gifts. I love the thrill of finding just the right item that the person loves. Watching them open it and exclaim in surprise. I just love it all. Except when the person is new to me. Then... what should I get them? I probably over think it way too much. And I will admit that there are times when I don't really know what to get someone that I've known forever. They said they needed a new cheese grater... but a cheese grater?? For Christmas?? Yawn.

Truthfully I often rely on the handy Amazon Wishlist. I have one for each of the girls in my account. I keep it updated for out of town friends/relatives that want to send them gifts. But what if a person doesn't have an Amazon list? Or what if they give you a list that is...let's go with lack luster. See cheese grater above. (To be 100% honest my family informed me this year that my list was lame. But for the record I thought reusable produce bags and an extra bowl for my Kitchenaid was lovely.)

Anyway in response to a few lackluster lists I got this year, I developed this handy questionnaire.  I think it will solve many a gifting dilemma.

Don't you think it would be super cute to give the kids a page each year and then keep them in their scrapbooks so we can see how it changes every year?

I think I will start sending out this form each October to my family. I've included the downloadable version below if you want to use it. :)