A little different?

Food Fresh Ideas for Packed School Lunches Share Your Ideas

Food Fresh Ideas for Packed School Lunches Share Your Ideas

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Me

I am a Mother, a Wife, a friend, an employee, my family's chef, my family's financial planner, my family's (and my parents) driver and errand person, the housekeeper, the yard keeper, and the family's handywoman.

That is alot of roles to play. Sometimes I am proud of what I can accpomplish. Sometimes I cry because I am so overwhelmed with my responsiblilies.

I know, I am not perfect, but I always strive to do my best. God will never give me anything I cannot handle. God is always with me, guiding me, and at times carrying me.

My Thrifty/Frugal Shopping I♥SALES!

I've always been told that I am a good shopper.

Well, here are some of my secrets, on how we survive on a tight budget.

I will add more along the way, so check back often.

Clearance bins;

Today I picked up 3 pairs of undeware for my son at zellers. There was a basket full of single pairs of underware (packages had been ripped open). All the undies were priced at 97c. A 3 pack of underware would cost me about $8-$10. At 97c a piece, that is a huge savings! They are also brand name, fruit of the loom, and hanes.

Buyer beware; I have seen this at walmart as well, but with socks. It is not cheaper to buy a pair of socks at $1.00. Do your math, and price shopping before making these purchases.

Who I Am In Christ


I am accepted...

John 1:12
I am God's child.

John 15:15
As a disciple, I am a friend of Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1
I have been justified.

1 Corinthians 6:17
I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
I have been bought with a price and I belong to God.

1 Corinthians 12:27
I am a member of Christ's body.

Ephesians 1:3-8
I have been chosen by God and adopted as His child.

Colossians 1:13-14
I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins.

Colossians 2:9-10
I am complete in Christ.

Hebrews 4:14-16
I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ.


I am secure...

Romans 8:1-2
I am free from condemnation.

Romans 8:28
I am assured that God works for my good in all circumstances.

Romans 8:31-39
I am free from any condemnation brought against me and I cannot be separated from the love of God.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22
I have been established, anointed and sealed by God.
Colossians 3:1-4
I am hidden with Christ in God.
Philippians 1:6
I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me.
Philippians 3:20
I am a citizen of heaven.
2 Timothy 1:7
I have not been given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.
1 John 5:18
I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me.



I am significant...
John 15:5
I am a branch of Jesus Christ, the true vine, and a channel of His life.
John 15:16
I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit.
1 Corinthians 3:16
I am God's temple.
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
I am a minister of reconciliation for God.
Ephesians 2:6
I am seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realm.
Ephesians 2:10
I am God's workmanship.
Ephesians 3:12
I may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

"The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your true identity!"(From Victory Over the Darkness , by Dr. Neil Anderson)

http://www.ficm.org/whoiam.htm

Scriptures

Prepping for Back to School/Back to Work, phase #1.

*(Not many jars of baby food left. Luke is pretty much on table food. Keeps me on my toes on having fruits and veggies in stock in my house).

Organizing my Pantry.

So this is what I did today; Organizing the Pantry. I created two buckets for snacks. One for Jack's school snacks, and one for Luke's snacks. I placed a picture of a school on the bucket, so Jack knows those are not for home. They are also on the top shelf, so he can't see inside the buckets.

Next step; Organizing the freezer to prepare for homemade frozen breakfasts, dinners, and snacks.

My back to work stay sane plan!

I am back to work in one month.

I thought that balancing nap times and exercise, driving hubby to and from work, taking Jack to and from school, all the chores and errands including helping out my elderly parents was allot of work.

I will have to do all that all, and go to work 40 hours a week, and make school lunches and daycare lunches!



So, Here is my plan.

• Weekly Meal Plan


• Bi-Weekly Grocery Shopping Trip Without Kids or Hubby (include my parents errands on those dates)


• Once a Month Date Nights with Hubby


• Once a Month Date Nights with Friends


• Once a Month Me Time Date

I think I will soon feel like SuperMom. But this is my plan so far.

Sneaky Chef, Welcome to my home.

What a wonderful idea!

Add puree's of vegetables, fruits or beans to everyday foods to add a nutrition boost, and a way to get people to eat they're veggies! You don't have to not like veggies to like these recipes.

So, just how important is good nutrition? Consider this: studies have shown that as little as one carrot per day can cut the risk of lung cancer in half, strengthen the heart, and speed the recovery time from illnesses. Carrots boast the richest source of carotenes and antioxidants in the vegetable realm and are full of fiber.

Sweet potatoes are often called the anti-diabetic food because they stabilize blood sugar levels, preventing the crash and burn that many parents observe in their kids (and themselves) after certain meals and snacks. They are rich in vitamins C, E & B, folate (good for the heart and brain), carotenes, calcium, potassium, and iron. As an added bonus, they're also a natural comfort food loaded with serotonin to help boost moods, calming children and helping them to sleep better. From a sneaky chef's perspective, they add a subtle sweetness to recipes and cut acidity when combined with tomato sauce.

Broccoli and green peas are high in protein, fiber, vitamin C, antioxidants, potassium and calcium. Peas are also high in vitamin K to strengthen bones, and one cup has more protein and fiber than a large egg!

Taken from: http://www.myoptumhealth.com/portal/Information/item/The+Sneaky+Chef+Simple+Strategies+for+H?archiveChannel=Home%2FHealth+Hubs%2FType2HealthHub%2FNutrition%2FSubTopics%2FNutrition+Smarts%2FHot+Topics+_and_+Trends&remBrdCrumb=true

Puree's Not that hard to do!
At first I hesitated to try to make purees. It seemed like allot of work. I first started by using baby food carrots, and homemade sweet potato puree.

(I microwaved the sweet potato, wrapped in paper towels for 20 minutes, then cut it in half, and scoop out the mush)

To my surprise it turned out great.

Boiling some carrots up wasn't hard work. And my son Jack, who is 5 1/2 loves carrots. So I cooked extra, for his lunch!
The white bean puree, was the easiest. Open a can of beans, rinse and puree in blender. Wow. Easy!

To be honest, I bought my blender several years ago, and only used it about twice. It now sits on my counter as it is used on a regular basis.

***I would highly reccomend that a person make large batches of the purees, and freeze them. Buy the fruits and veggies when they are in season and a bit cheaper.

So far I have made

Orange Puree,http://www.thesneakychef.com/free_recipe_orange_puree.php

Purple Puree,http://www.thesneakychef.com/free_recipe_purple_puree.php

Cherry & Strawberry Puree

and White Bean Puree. http://www.thesneakychef.com/free_recipe_white_bean_puree.php



Recipes I have tried so far...


~Sneak-Wiches Peanut Butter and Jam with Orange Puree

Kids Reactions: Tried on my friends kids who "Hate Veggies". Well they loved the sandwiches. My son loved them too!

~Mac N Cheese Muffins

http://www.thesneakychef.com/free_recipe_lunchbox_muffins_mac_n_cheese.php

Kid Reactions: Tried on my friends son and my son, a bit different, but good.

~Adding Orange Puree to Canned Pasta Sauce


(this pic above is taken from a web search)


Reactions: No family Members Noticed

~Adding Orange Puree to Box Kraft Dinner


Reactions: No Family members Noticed

~Packed Potato Salad

Served at my Birthday BBQ: No one noticed, they actually thought there was eggs in it. Next time I will make more "sauce", it was a bit dry.






Free Sneaky Chef Recipes
Free recipes posted on her website:http://www.thesneakychef.com/free_sneaky_chef_recipes.phpOften if you read through her blogs there are additional recipes posted:http://www.thesneakychef.com/blog/