The 411 On Meal Planning

I LOVE meal planning.  Why?  Because it saves me time and money.  I may love to cook, but time just does not allow me to spend hours in the kitchen.  I have other things that need to be done like running my business, taking care of my home, and thousands of other things go along with that.  

Meal planning does not have to be a daunting task.  What works for me might not work for you.  All you need to do is follow my tips and use them in a way that best fits with your family.  Pretty simple.

1. Be organized.  This may seem like common sense, but if your not organized you will not know what food is in your house.  Make sure your pantry, fridge, and freezer are all organized.  I like being able to open my pantry and seeing everything I have on hand.  Makes meal planning a breeze.  
2. Keep staples on hand.  If your family loves spaghetti make sure you always have noodles and sauce on hand.  This way you will always have a quick "go to" meal. 
3. Cook once, eat multiple times.  My favorite thing to do is make a crockpot rotisserie chicken during the beginning of the week.  Then I have leftover chicken to make other meals with.  Half of my work is done for me.  This is also great for lasagna, casseroles, and soups.  If you are making one, you might as well make 2 or 3.  Then you have your very own convenience food ready to go in your freezer.   Those store bought entrees are gross, filled with preservatives, and high in calories.  
4. Become friends with your Crockpot.  I think Crockpots are so under rated.  These things preform magic in the kitchen.  They are perfect for any busy family.  I love getting my crockpot meal ready the night before, put the insert in the fridge, and turn it on in the morning.  I leave the house early some mornings and don't want to waste time prepping my food.  Do it the night before!  
5. Base your grocery list off your meal plan.  I like having my meal plan right along side my grocery list.  I just jot it down on my list, so I can reference it and make sure I haven't forgotten anything.  
6. Have a central command center.  It is really helpful if you post your meal plan where the entire family can see it.  The fridge is a perfect spot for this, or you can steal my picture frame idea.  This way you are sure to set out meat the night before, or prep a certain item the night before.  It just saves time.  Plus you won't have you kids (and husband) asking you what's for supper every day.  They can just look at the list.  
7. Don't be a short order cook.  Some people might enjoy this, but not me.  I don't have time to make two separate meals.  I make sure I plan meals everyone will like.  If I'm trying a new recipe and we don't like it then that is what PB&J is for.  :)   Making one meal saves you both time and money.
8. Set a grocery budget.  We don't have a set budget, but I know generally how much we will be spending each week/month at the grocery store, butcher, and Sam's Club.  It is like a game to me!  Plus it keeps me from purchasing a bunch of junk we don't need. 
9. Allow one splurge item.  This might not go directly with meal planning, but I think it is important.  When you are grocery shopping allow yourself one item that isn't on your list.  I will be honest...this week I had three items.  But knowing I have one item to splurge on keeps me from going down every isle and filling my cart.  Once I put my item in the cart that is it.  I must now stick to my list the rest of the trip.  (i.e. a package of cookies, a cake mix, brownies)  
 

$5 frame + Scrapbook paper + Wet Erase Marker = Meal Planning command center!

 

There you have it.  Those are my tips for successful meal planning.  Let me know if you do anything different.  Like I said this might not work for you, but find out what does.  I have been meal planning for years and it has changed my life.  I am a person that needs to be organized, or my entire day is off.  Pondering what to make at 5pm is not being organized.  I like a game plan. ;)

Be sure to check out my current giveaway HERE!

Basic H2 Giveaway! {CLOSED}

How would you like to clean your home with a SAFE and NATURAL product?  Fall cleaning is just around the corner, so this is the perfect time to give Basic H2 a try.  This product cleans everything in my house...even my dogs!  Where else can you find a product that safe and natural?  

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Basic H2 is super concentrated, so you are ensured to get the most bang for your buck.  A lot of people think they can get their best deals at the Dollar Store.  That isn't the case with Basic H2.

Look at that savings!  I dare you to find anything that natural at the Dollar Store for only a few pennies.  

Do you feel comfortable letting your children clean with your current cleaner?  I want to change as many lives as I can.  What better place to start then with your cleaner?  

I want to give FIVE Basic H2 samples to you guys!  You might be thinking "What the heck can that little thing do?"  Well, that little sample makes TWO 16 oz bottles of cleaner (window and all purpose).  That is A LOT of cleaning power!

To enter is simple.  Complete ALL 3 of these tasks and you are entered. 

1. Follow me on my blog, Blissful Firefly Lane.
2. LIKE my face book page.
3. Look around my Shaklee store and leave a comment here telling me what product(s) you would love to try. 

The giveaway will close in one week (Sept. 13th at 6pm CST).  You must leave an email address for me to contact you.  If you don't want to leave it in the comments section please e-mail me at wschmitt123@gmail.com

This Giveaway has been linked up at Getting Freedom From Debt!  Go check out other get giveaways!

Decorating With Jars

Can I let you in on a little secret?  I'm cheap!  I don't like spending a lot of money on decorating my house.  I like to shop garage sales, thrift stores, consignment stores, and retail sales.  I rarely pay full price on an item that is going to be decorating my house.

I think all of this stemmed in college.  I was finally on my own, had my own place, and wanted it decorated cute.  I prided myself on the fact that my apartments never looked like your typical college pad.  I didn't have beer cans lining my living room.  I didn't have neon beer signs in my bed room.  I didn't own a bean bag chair.  You get the point. 

Instead I had nice furniture, curtains, a wine chiller, a kitchen table with a cute center piece, flower pots on my balconies, and cute nick knacks.  I wanted my apartments to always have a cozy vibe about them.  I found it funny when the maintenance men would come in and say "Are you sure you're in college?"  It made me feel good that I was able to pull off that vibe on a VERY limited budget.

Today my budget has changed, but I still like to "decorate on the cheap".  The easiest way I have found to do this is by using jars.  I LOVE JARS!  They are so inexpensive and you might even have some in your possession right now. 

 After my grandmother passed away I found those two large jars in the back of her basement.  While I was searching I also found a box of wooden thread spools.  My grandmother saved everything!  I took the jars home and cleaned them up.  I decided to put the wooden spools in them and I made some origami stars out of scrapbook paper.  This project cost me $0 and I have something of my grandma's.

I found those rustic jar lids at a craft store for $5 each.  I bought two and put them on some Ball jars I had.  They were kind of a splurge (for me) at $5 each, but they are so cute! Those yarn balls were at Goodwill and came to a whopping dollar.  Add some fabric and you have a cheap decorative jar.  Can you imagine how much something like that would be at a craft fair?  I'm guessing at least $20 each. 

I found both of these jars at a thrift store for basically nothing.  I added my grandma's wooden beads to the larger jar for a very inexpensive way to showcase something you normally wouldn't.  The smaller jar was purchased for $2 with the buttons already in it!  I thought it was cute and went in my house, so I left them in there.

I'm convinced you can put anything in a jar and it will be cute.  Jars are a wonderful way to showcase your pantry, office supplies, school supplies, cotton balls, Q-tips, ect.  You name it, you can find a jar for it.  I love the idea that you can showcase what you already own.  There is no need to go out and spend thousands of dollars decorating your home because one man's junk truly is another man's (or woman's) treasure.  

Do you decorate with jars?  I want to know! 

This post has been linked up with Frugal Tuesday Tip!  

Don't forget to enter my giveaway HERE!!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Olive Oyl talking to her boyfriend.

This post is linked up to Wordless Wednesday.

Paleo Stuffed Peppers

Do you currently have peppers coming out of your ears?  Garden produce is in full swing, so this is the perfect time to stock up on peppers of all colors and varieties.  Peppers actually freeze REALLY well!  I just wash them in my Basic H2 veggie wash (just add 1/4 teaspoon in a shallow sink of water), let them dry, cut the tops off, and clean out the seeds.  This is the PERFECT method for stuffed peppers throughout the year.  Otherwise, you can dice them up and freeze them too.  Both ways work great.  Definitely take advantage of any free peppers you might get.  If you can't get them for free stock up at your local farmers market. 

My husband LOVES stuffed peppers.  I am not joking when I say he could eat them every week.  Me, not so much.  I don't mind them, but I do not have a deep love for them like he does.  :)  For several months we were eating a Paleo diet.  We still do to a certain extent and I want to get us back to eating mostly Paleo in the upcoming weeks.  We feel better and have more energy when we do!

When searching for Paleo recipes I came across Paleo Parents and their recipe for stuffed peppers.  I think my husband wanted to marry me all over again, or he might of wanted to marry his plate.  This is still TBD!

Doesn't that just look good?  

Paleo Stuffed Peppers

6 large bell peppers, tops, seeds and ribs removed
2 Tbsp lard
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. ground red meat (I often use venison, but beef or lamb would also work)
1 C cauliflower, ground or mashed or pulsed into rice sized bits
1 13.5oz canned diced tomatoes, drained (or 1 cup fresh tomato, diced)
1 Tbsp sea salt
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (or, alternatively, 1 tsp each dried basil, parsley and oregano)
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 C tomato sauce

1. ♥ A little trick: Stand your peppers up in a muffin tin. Trying to even the bottoms with a knife will often lead to leaks, but the muffin tin will hold them up without altering the pepper.
2. Melt lard over medium high heat in a large skillet
3. Saute onions and garlic for three minutes, stirring frequently
4. Add ground meat and stir to brown, about 5 minutes
5. Add raw ground cauliflower and diced tomato, stir for about 10 minutes to cook off liquid
6. Add salt, pepper and seasonings, stir to incorporate
7. ♥ Stuff each pepper to the top of each pepper, spread tomato sauce on top of that
   You will likely have leftover meat, don’t worry – it makes a great pre or post-dinner snack!
8. Bake the peppers for one hour at 350 degrees until pepper is fork-tender
9. Serve with extra tomato sauce!

These make great leftovers for lunches the next day!  If you are interested in more Paleo recipes you should check out Paleo Parents.  They have some great meal ideas.  

Toss It ALL In!!!

Do you ever look in your fridge at the end of the week and think "why do I have so much produce left?"  If so, then this post is for you.  I try to stick to our meal plan, but there are times when it just doesn't happen.  Take tonight for example, my mom offered to cook.  Well, that means what I currently have on our meal plan will either be moved or not eaten this week.  That can leave some left over produce in our fridge.

My solution to this...because I HATE wasting food...STIR FRY!  I throw everything in a stir fry and it turns out delicious each and every time.  It is healthy, fast, and can be cheap.  Think stir fry the next time you are given free veggies from a neighbor or relative.  

Doesn't that look healthy and delicious!?!  I also have a little trick to make your stir fry even cheaper.  We love HuHot and their noodles taste great.  I used to buy the Asian noodles at the grocery store, but they were $3-$4 a package.  My solution...one $0.10 package of Ramen Noodles.  I cook the noodles and toss the salt package that comes with them.  NO ONE needs that much salt!  I;m sure there are other ways you could use the salt packet, so let me know what you do with it.  

The cooked Ramen noodles taste just as good as the expensive packs you can buy in the Asian section of your grocery store.  Plus they are a whole lot cheaper.  Now I'm not a huge fan of eating processed food, but we aren't huge rice eaters with our stir fry.  I would rather cook a $.10 pack of Ramen and enjoy my meal vs. wasting the stir fry.  This is also a great alternative to eating at an expensive Chinese restaurant.  Make it yourself and save $$$$.

Iced Tea

I was in the grocery store the other day and found something I thought was odd.  Iced tea that was already made.  I have never bought a gallon of pre-made iced tea from the store.  This stuff was $1.99 ON SALE! 

Ok, that is fine and dandy, but why would anyone buy this pre made junk?  It is a ploy for companies to get you to spend money.  I buy a huge box of organic black tea bags for a few dollars.  Each tea bag comes out to $0.05.  I add three to my pitcher and add water.  I then set it on my deck for a few hours.  Viola!  I have freshly brewed tea for under $0.20 a pitcher! 

Again, why would anyone buy the pre-made stuff when you can have this?  Home brewed tastes so much better!  If you want to sweeten it up I recommend making your own simple syrup, or you can add some lemon.  I prefer mine plain, but use your imagination.  Don't waste your money on convenience beverages at the grocery store.