Adventures with the Kumar's

Cyber Monday Giveaway

2011-11-28T07:09:00.000-08:00

Cyber Monday is Giveaway Monday on Melissa & Doug's Facebook Fan Page!

“LIKE” us on Facebook to be eligible to win! Answer the active giveaway’s question, to enter that giveaway. At least one random entrant will be chosen to win each giveaway.

JOIN US BEGINNING at 8am EST for the FIRST GIVEAWAY…OUR TRAIN TABLE!

We’ll be giving away terrific educational toys from 8am EST, right up until midnight!

Check out Melissa & Doug's Terrific Twenty Holiday Toys to see some of the great prizes we’ll be giving away!

Giveaway event ends midnight EST 11/28/11.

They also have great deals I have seen some things I want... If only I did not have to go to work!!
Tell them I sent you!!

Advent 2011- Week 1

2011-11-27T23:02:00.000-08:00

Growing up, we did something called advent. I thought it was normal, and that everyone did it. Little did I know that it is not common.

Advent is celebrated the four weeks before Christmas. This year it begins today on November 27th. There are 5 candles: one for each week and the last is to represent Christ. The purpose of Advent is to celebrate the 1st coming of Christ all while preparing for his 2nd coming. Each Candle has it's own meaning: Prophecy, Bethlehem, Shepherds, and Angel.

When it came to our family, I knew this was a tradition I wanted to carry on. It would look different then what I did. My father actually wrote his own reading list for advent. I searched and looked for something that would fit our family, only to in the end combine several plans to create ours. Here is what our family is doing for advent:

Here are a few sites that I have found that are great. They are for past years, but still have a great plan. They both have calendars that give not only devotionals for the day, but also crafts, topics to talk to your kids with, hands on activities, and even how Christmas is celebrated around the world.

Teaching Mom- Click on the calendar for the activities for the day.
Annies- A bit outdated, but has some great links

We are trying to make this interesting to Jeshu and even Janasa. One thing we are doing this year is making a color through Christmas book.

DLTK- Offers an Advent Coloring pages. There are 24 pages to color. The idea is to color one December 1st- 24th and then read the whole story on the 25th morning. Since there are four days before December 1st, I have found my own to add to this: November 27, 28, 29, 30

The Readings

Sunday- Genesis 3:1-15   Galatians 4:4       The need for Jesus and from a seed of Woman
Monday- Numbers 24:14-16                       From the tribe of Judah
Tuesday- Isaiah 9:6-7                                  Unto us a Child is born...
Wednesday- Isaiah 7:10-14                         From a Virgin
Thursday-   Isaiah 11:1-5                             From David
Friday-      Jeremiah 33:14-16                     From David and Judah
Saturday-   Micah 5:2                                 From Bethlehem

The last thing I have done to get ready is a Advent Calendar. (I will post a link to this later) It has 28 pockets where there will be our Bible readings and activities for the day. It is a great way to count down to Christmas. The suggestion I have, is to wait to fill the activities until the same day. You never know what may come you way, and it would be hard to disappoint your kids with activities you cannot fulfill.

Some of our activities are:

Decorate the house- Starting December 1st we take one item and decorate every day. It normally takes a week.
Get a Christmas Tree
Festival of Lights- A big light show in a local park
Journey Through Christmas- A drive through Christmas Nativity that my parent's church does
Bake Cookies for the neighbors.
Various crafts

The rest we will add to as we know what our week holds.

Do you want to join us on our advent journey? Comment below and let me know what you do!!

Cute Thanksgiving Napkin Rings

2011-11-23T16:51:00.000-08:00

I am sure you are like me and in the middle of Thanksgiving preparations, unless you are one of our Indian or Canadian friends (Love you Paige)

Jeshu has asked me to do a craft. We normally do a Friday craft night, but I threw another one in for this week.

Credit

I googled looking for a cute craft we could use on our table. I was thinking of name cards, when I came across this tutorial for Thumbprint Turkey's. These also double as a name card.

They were quick to make. My camera is in the charger, so I will post some Thanksgiving pictures tomorrow.

Christmas is coming!!- Christmas Cards

2011-11-12T14:07:00.000-08:00

Yes I know that it seems like the leaves have just started to change, but now is the time to get ready for Christmas. There are many great deals out there, if you start early. My one big project this weekend has been Christmas cards. There has been several good deal on free or next to free cards out there. I am ALWAYS late on sending out my Christmas Cards. We normally combine our family cards with our cards from Real Hope Ministries, so it is really important to get going on these things. Last year we never got cards out because we were in the middle of moving. I am planning to have my cards out the beginning of December.

That brings me to my point. I am excited to be able to review the photo cards from Tiny Prints. They have a great selection. There are various kinds and shapes in there vast selection. I have ordered items in the past from Tiny Prints, and have found there items to be of the highest quality. My favorite one is Christmas Glory. To me it is not Christmas without a Christian Message!! I love the simplicity of this card and the message. I have made several Christmas cards this weekend, and honestly Tiny Prints is by far the easiest to use. Christmas Photo Cards have really taken over in place of traditional cards. Christmas cards are tapped to our door and then thrown away after Christmas (except for the exceptional ones that are saved for scrapbooking supplies), BUT Photo Cards are kept on our fridge all year long.

Are you looking for a good place to purchase Christmas Cards from, so check them out.

Are you a blogger and want to review some Christmas Cards from Tiny Prints? Head over to this link and fill out the quick form and you too can receive free cards in return for your review! If you do, please leave a comment and let me know that you too were chosen to review Tiny Prints!!

Tiny Prints is also having a Talent Contest Search. You can enter pictures in the following categories: Baby, Kid, Family, Couple, and Pet. I entered both of my cute kids in the contest. They are winners in my book.

Menu Plan Monday- Thank God for Breakfast For Dinner

2011-11-07T22:41:00.000-08:00

Menu planning is great. It is nice to know what to cook, but what do you do when an unexpected thing comes up and changes your plan? Do you run to the nearest pizza or burger joint? I contemplated that today. I remembered an appointment that the kids and I had to go to this afternoon. We did not get home till 6, and dinner was not even started. I thought for a second to pick us some food, but resisted the unwanted cost and calories. What is a good substitute: Breakfast for Dinner. It was quick and easy. It is good to have a plan on what you are going to cook, but life is unexpected. I have a few back-up plans just in case my best laid plans go astray.

Here is my menu for the week reflecting the change I made.

Breakfast-
Cereal
Oatmeal
Cream of Wheat
Poppy Seed muffins

Lunch:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sushi with green ranch and carrot stick chop sticks
Tuna Sandwiches
Pizza
Lunch out

Dinner

Sunday:
Church Potluck We brought Lemon Rice (the link is to give you an idea, I will have to share our recipe later)

Monday:
Breakfast for Dinner

Tuesday:
Garlic Chicken and Ratatouille with Salad

Wednesday:
Leftovers

Thursday
Tuna Burger, homemade fries, carrots

Friday: Ravi's Birthday
Ribs Salad Mushroom Risotto Cake

Saturday:
Dinner out- We have our nephew's Birthday Party 3 hours away to attend, going to be a long day.

I am getting into a funk. I am to tired from a long day at work, that I do not want to fight Jeshu to eat. What are some quick kid friendly dishes? I am also looking here, for more great ideas. You should check it out!

Come Support Team India 2012, Monday October 31st

2011-10-31T07:33:00.000-07:00

Real Hope Ministries India: Come Support Team India 2012, Monday October 31st ...:

If you live in the Roseburg area, Panda Express is doing a fundraiser for the team that is going to India in 2012. When you bring the flyer in, we get 20% of whatever you purchase. Check out the above link for the form.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-31T07:27:00.000-07:00

Ah, November is here, and so is the beginning of the Holiday Season!! This is a BUSY time of the year for us with our Annual Tribal Christmas. I am trying to be purposeful in my planning and life. More on that later.

Breakfast

Banana Bread, eggs, sausage
Regular Fare

Dinner

Sunday -

Leftovers
I always plan something, but I hate to waste food.

Monday-
Dinner at Panda Express to support our 2012 India Team
(If you are in our area, come on with a flyer from the above link and we get 20% of your order)

Tuesday
Oven fried Pork Chop   Carrots

Wednesday

Leftovers

Thursday
Mini Turkey Meatloaf
Butternut Apple Casserole

Friday
Indian food with Ravi

Saturday
Eggplant Parmesan
Salad

Check out Organized Junkie for more links. Have a great week

16 by 20 Poster from Walmart

2011-10-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

Walmart is offering a FREE 16 by 20 Poster... Yes I said FREE. Here is what you do

1) Print out the coupon Here
2) Log into your Walmart account and upload your photo
3) Choose same-day pickup and pay in store
4) When you go to pick it up, bring your coupon and the total will be free

We are working on a presentation for Real Hope Ministries, and this worked out great for us to be able to print a large photo of our building project.

Thank you, DESI SAVING MOM

Recipe of the Week- Indian Spices

2011-10-28T22:48:00.000-07:00

If you want to start cooking Indian food, there is one key ingredient, spices. Historically, India has been known for spices. We personally bring spice packets from India. However, we know that many of you do not have that luxury, and if you happen to find an Indian grocery store, these packets are expensive.

The first step it to purchase the necessary spices:
Anise- whole and/or ground
Cardamon- This is used in both spicy and sweet dishes
Chili Powder
Cinnamon- Ground and whole
Cloves
Coriander
Cumin- both ground and seeds
Fennel Seeds
Fenugreek Seeds
Mustard Seed- the black seeds
Nutmeg
Pepper- Whole and ground
Turmeric- very commonly used in many of the dishes

Also fresh ginger, garlic, and cilantro are needed for most recipes.

For many of the spice recipes, it is good to use the whole spice instead of the ground. That way you can lightly fry the spices in order to bring out the good flavor. If you are in a pinch, the ground will do.

Here is a simple recipe for Garam Masala that can be made easily

Garam Masala

1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Mix all ingredients and store in a cool dry place

If you want more authentic flavor, try this recipe

Garam Masala

2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
2 dried red chile peppers, seeds discarded
2 tablespoons ground turmeric

Directions

Combine the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom seeds, peppercorns, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cloves, and red chile peppers in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Toast until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Grind the toasted spices in a clean coffee grinder or spice mill to a fine powder. Spoon in the turmeric, and process to combine. Use immediately, or store in a sealed jar for up to 1 month.

I hope this will get you started, so you can start making authentic Indian food at home.

A Candid Look into My Life: Setting Goals

2011-10-25T22:44:00.000-07:00

I have been reading my favorite blog... er... the one I follow the most. (I love all you other bloggers out there too) Well, Crystal at Money Saving Mom has been sharing her "10 Weekly Goals" for some time now. She has written a book (that I am hoping to get to sample soon), and has a popular series on Time Management.

I have been struggling lately. Things in many areas of our life have seem to have taken off. Our ministry in India has taken off leaps and bounds. We bought land for a tribal center this summer, and by the Grace of God, the money for the pre-construction was donated two weeks ago. So we are drawing up plans and working hard to find the right contractor in India. On top of that, we are leading a team to India this summer, so I have so much to do to organize that. Then we have active ministry in the church. Combine that with raising two small children, working full time, all while your husband is on the opposite shift as you can make a person go crazy. To add to it, I have been making a determined effort to Bible Journal. (More on that later)

When I look at my life I try to see what can be taken out. There is nothing. This is just the season that God has me in. I must then determine to make the most of my time. I am a COMPLETE "A" type personality. I make list, schedules, whatever it takes to keep me organized. If you look in my trash can (and why would you) you can always find a crumpled up to do list, or a time schedule from the week before. Ask my husband, and he will tell you I always have to do lists for the both of us. (Mine is usually 10 times longer) I usually keep adding to the to do list until I am stressed out. Not good at all.

I have been challenged by Crystal to find just 10 things that need to be done each week and tackle them. Accomplishments begets more accomplishments. If I motivate myself when I complete one project, then I will have the determination to tackle the next one!

So with out further adieu, here are my goals for the week

Spiritual Goals
1. Bible Journal each day

Real Hope Ministry Goals
2. Update Blog daily
3. Write a Newsletter
4. Work on Church Presentation

Church Ministry Goals
5. Organize Fundraiser
6. Prepare for Missions Meetings

Household Goals
7. Fix up the front yard with new grass seed
(oh this is our BIG Friday project... Thank God for my Husband and Dad!!! I need to do a before and after!)
8. Complete 5 min clean ups in each room each day (more on that some other day)

Family Goals
9. Do devotions with Jeshu every night.

Personal Goals
10. Wake up earlier to work out (do I have to...)

Do you have any goals for yourself this week?? What are they?

Menu Plan Monday- Cool weather is arriving

2011-10-24T22:51:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wish life had a pause button? I have so many things on my to-do list and just not enough time.

So here is my menu for the week in a nutshell.

Breakfast

Overnight Oatmeal
Pumpkin Scones- These will be similar to my Apple Spice Scones, but with fresh pumpkin puree

Lunch

Homemade refried bean burritos (I used both black and pinto beans) This is all part of my goal to eat better.
Indian- I need to get some good recipes up for you guys. Friday we are stealing my dad to help us with some major yard work. So this will be his payment.

Dinner

Sunday-

Leftovers- We went out to dinner Saturday night with our Pastor and his wife, so we had leftovers

Monday-
Oven fried Fish      Quinoa   Corn- The jury is still out on whether Quinoa was a hit with Jeshu

Tuesday-
Homemade Alphabet soup      Rolls      Salad

Wednesday-
Leftovers-   I have moved our leftover day, because we are going to a new class on Wednesday nights at church and I want something easy as pie. Nothing beats putting dinner in the good old microwave

Thursday-
Turkey Sloppy Joes     Corn

Friday-
Elk Enchiladas- I had this planned for a few weeks back and something came up and I did not make it.

Saturday-   Dinner with family. I am making bread sticks, Salad, and homemade Alfredo sauce.

Check out Organized Junkie for more menu's.

HOT!!! Groupon for Photo Books

2011-10-17T16:01:00.000-07:00

If you have not gotten into the Groupon phenomenon, you are missing some great deals.

Here is one that I found this morning.

I LOVE to make online photo books for my family. They normally run $40 or more. This is WAY more than I can budget. I wait until there is a good deal, and then I move!! Well, a few months ago, Mixbooks, was giving away a free photo book, and I starting making one. Unfortunately, I missed the cut off for this free book. So I have a book sitting in Mix Book land, waiting to be printed. I have been waiting for a good deal. Well here we go.

$15 for $50 Worth of Photo Books, Cards, and More from Mixbook.

What an awesome Christmas present. You can make several mini-photo brag books, a large family album, photo calendars, or even order photo Christmas cards. I was really not happy when I did all the work for nothing a few months ago, BUT I still have that photo book that is waiting to be printed.

This has two days left, unless it sells out soon. So grab it while you can!!!

The link above will take you to the deal, but it is under North Carolina city Piedmont Triad

Have fun!!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-10-10T22:54:00.000-07:00

Another week another Menu.

I am worn out from a weekend of canning applesauce and freezing beets and pumpkin puree.
But I ended up changing Saturday's breakfast plan to these AMAZING pumpkin muffins that I will post tomorrow.

Sunday-
Zuppa Tuscana Salad French Bread

This is a mock off of an Olive Garden recipe. I found the Crockpot did not cook it the way I like. I ended up finishing on the stove. But it was YUMMY.

Monday-
Was suppose to be BBQ Chicken Pockets but had a huge problem. (I have a great idea for an article..stay tuned)
So we had Tacos

Tuesday-
Parmesan Crusted Fish Green Beans

Wednesday-
Baked Chicken Fingers Butternut Apple Casserole (YUMMY)

Thursday-
Leftovers

Friday-
Indian
( I have been craving Sambar lately. The link is for an idea, but I should post that recipe because it is a good soup like dish)

Saturday-

Lasagna Green Beans

Check out Organized Junkie, I am linked up with that site too!!

2011-10-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

Found these great FREE, printable memory verse cards for your kids. They are super cute and great. They have a verse for each letter of the alphabet... So doing a double duty for your little ones. In kindergarten, I had the ABC verses. However they were in King James and the "Thee's" and "Thou's" were a bit hard for a little one. I love these because they have taken the words down, and made them easy to memorize. I am planning to do these with Jeshu in correspondence to the letter he is learning in preschool. I am even thinking to make a translation in Tamil, so he also learns more Tamil. (good for momma too)

Check out this link and print them out. I used a thick card stock! I will post pictures when I get our set made. It is on my "to do" pile now..

ABC Printable Scripture Cards

Thanks to Money Saving Mom and Jenae at I Can Teach My Child

October Sales

2011-10-04T05:13:00.000-07:00

Kelly over at Faithful Provisions has a great article about matching the sales with coupons. From what I have found, October is "National Coupon Month." This last Sunday there were some GREAT coupons in our paper, including an $8/2 Cover Girl face products. That is potentially two free or next to free items if you purchase something like eye shadow or blush. So get to your recycle bin and get those coupons out (and if you do not want them, send them my way!!)

Read Kelly's article Seasonal Sales Cycles: October and enjoy!!

Happy money saving!

Menu Plan Monday- Fall is here!!!

2011-10-03T22:33:00.000-07:00

Ahhh fall has finally hit here. The first big rainstorm came through last night. I am ready for the cool weather. I missed last week because I was down with a stomach bug, and now a cold is starting to make its way into our family. So here is my menu for the week (I am adding a few extra days since I missed last week). If you would like more menu ideas check out this site.

Breakfast:

Apple Spice Scones with Spiced Glaze
French Toast
Banana Muffins
Other normal fare

Lunch
Southwestern Roll ups (from the leftover chicken from below)
leftovers

Dinners
Saturday:         Roasted Chicken with Raisin Rice Stuffing with Cashews and Salad
Sunday:           Leftovers
Monday:         Mini Chicken Pot pies Salad
(YUMMMY these were GOOD... If Jeshu had a blog, he might say something different, but I like them!!)
Tuesday:          Taco Ring, Green Beans (Here is one of Jeshu's Favorites)
Wednesday:     Butternut Squash Soup, Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Salad
Thursday:         Leftovers
Friday:              Indian
Saturday:         Elk Enchilada, homemade corn chips,   Salad
(Going to try this to use up the elk that we have)

Apple Spice Scones with Spaced Glaze

2011-10-02T21:09:00.000-07:00

I found this wonderful recipe last week for pumpkin scones. It looked delicious; the only problem is I did not have any canned pumpkin. So I decided to adapt to what I did have.

Thanks to my dad and his abundance of apples, I froze some Apple Spice packets for future use for pies, muffins, or whatever tickled my fancy. Saturday morning I pulled out one of these packets and decided to adapt the pumpkin scone for an Apple Spice Scone. This is a keeper.

Apple Spice Scone with Spiced Glaze

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon (I add this. It is our Indian flare)
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup cooked apple
1-3 tablespoons milk (the recipe normally calls for 3TBS, which I did. I felt it was a bit much for this version. It also called for )
1 large egg

Spiced Glaze
(The recipe calls for a basic powdered sugar glaze AND this spiced glaze. I felt that was more sugar than I wanted so I did only this)

1 cup plus 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cardamon, ground cloves

I am definitely going to try the pumpkin version later. I may try other flavors too. The basic scone recipe here is wonderful. I made this Saturday morning and there is not a single one left in the house Sunday night.
Thanks to Money Saving Mom for this great link!

Hot Deal!! Free Amazon MP3 Credit

2011-09-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

HURRY!!!!!!

Head over to Amazon to get a FREE $2.00 credit for any MP3 credit. Type in the coupon code FALLMP3S.

*note* I copied and pasted this code from my source and it did not work the first time. Then I tried again and it worked. Others commented that it only worked when it was lower case letters, but regardless, I already downloaded one song. I still have 1.01 credit.

Here is the song that we picked..

Menu Monday- Last Days of Summer

2011-09-19T23:18:00.000-07:00

Busy Busy Busy week here. I am still limping around with my broken foot. I am getting excited for fall foods. Hmmmm I can smell my squash and apple casserole baking now. Unfortunately, Summer has hit late in the Pacific Northwest, and since I am all about money saving techniques, heating the house with the oven does not sound appealing. We had such a weird year weather wise. We had cool rainy days in July and now it is FINALLY warm. I even saw on the news tonight that farmers here are worried about their pumpkin crop. I am looking forward to decorating for fall. Fall is probably my favorite season. But alas, I need to wait a few weeks. So here is my menu.

Sunday-

Wild Rice Soup- Yep that was an instant packet. We had an Indian Missions Team meeting at our house, so I did not get my normal crock pot meal in. Thank God for those instant meals I keep in the cupboard.

Monday-

Oven Fried Fish, leftover mash potatoes, broccoli

Tuesday-

Chicken Skewers with Peanut Dipping Sauce, Broccoli (use those leftovers so we do not waste)

Wednesday-
Crock Pot Tamale Pie, Corn (awesome link to a great blog!!!)

Thursday
Leftovers

Friday
Indian Friday- Last week Ravi made Lamb Curry...hmmm do we need a recipe???

Saturday -

Apple Spice Muffins for Breakfast
Dinner- Potluck at friends. We are going to bring and Indian dessert. Basen Ladoo

Whats for dinner at your house??? Check out this site for more dinner and menu ideas.

Family Updates- What we did in June

2011-09-06T22:20:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of the happenings in June...

This was Jeshu's best friend in t-ball

What was the highlight of your summer?

Menu Plan Monday- Broken Foot and Crockpot addition

2011-09-05T22:52:00.000-07:00

Well the title says it all. I broke my foot. Since as you know, Ravi and I work opposite shifts. I need to create easy meals that have little cleanup, so after a long day at work we can eat and rest my foot.

Here we go...

Breakfast- The Normal Fare: Cereal, Oatmeal, Friday French Toast with Appa.
Saturday: Spiced Apple Muffins

Lunch- Leftovers, Sandwiches, Salads

Dinner-

Sunday- Cream Cheese Chicken Enchiladas (I did not make these but my dear friend from church blessed us with dinner... they were yummy)

Monday- Taco Salad (My Mommy came to the rescue here too and made us dinner)

Tuesday- Hot Dogs (I wanted something easy since it will be my first day back to work with a broken foot. I do not want to fight Jeshu on eating)

Wednesday- Crock Pot Orange Pork, CousCous, Stir fry Veggies

Thursday- Crock Pot Enchilada Yes I know.. Enchiladas two times in a week, but this was planned and shopped for :)

Friday- Indian food

Saturday- Shredded Elk Sandwiches- We have a great friend that unloads his older elk onto us each year. November is coming up soon, so I am pushing Ravi to use the elk. I am going to try this recipe. This was on an app on my Ipod. I need to post the recipe.... if it turns out

What is for dinner at your house? If you want more menu's check out this site.

Why do you plan menu's?

2011-09-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

I grew up in a household where my mom planned menu's. These pre-computer days would entail my mom sitting down with her ruler and paper to draw out a calendar and manually making a shopping list. After a few hours, she would have a menu and shopping list ready.
I have it easy these days. I print out my monthly planning sheet from Money Making Mom, and then find recipes at my favorite recipe website. This website even allows you to save it to your shopping list and then edit your list.

picture source

I honestly thought everyone planned menu's, but I am finding many people are busy and feel they do not have time to make a menu. Especially with the tools out there it is easy. I use to work for a group home where I was the menu planner. This was a little more difficult than the average family menu. I would have several clients all on different doctor order diets. You would have to plan one meal that fits all the doctor orders diet. This makes it hard. To top it off, you have to take into account each persons personal taste. Each resident would have to pick a meal of their choice. Think that is hard, it gets worse. You could not plan the same meat in a row or too often. I often would have a fish day, a beef day, poultry day, pork day, hamburger day, vegetarian day, and then one day for something else. You must follow these State laws all while staying under the company issued budget. Going over would warrant a sever tongue lashing from the program director that they too had received from the management. Ultimately, you could loose your job as said menu planner. I only went over budget once in the three years I did this job. I have even been called by this particular home to contract out to repair the menus that others have struggled with. To this day, they still use some of my menus.

There are many reasons to plan a menu. Here are a few of mine.

1) I know that what I am going to make, I have on hand
2) I can keep my grocery budget down by only purchasing items I need for my menu
3) I can plan for crock pot meals and other meals that need to be prepped before cooking.
4) I can stay away from quick fix meals that are not as healthy for my family (though I do prepare some of those meals from time to time)
5) I can plan and prepare Once A Month Cooking and make meals that I can put back into my menu's on a future date
6) I do not need to worry about what to cook. I can come home from work, cook the meal, and give me more time with my small children.
7) It gives my family a choice in what they eat. (Right now it is mainly my Husband, but the kids will chime in soon)

Picture Source

I found site that gives a sarcastic spin on why not to plan your menu's. Here is what Mandi at Food Your Way had to say.

"There are plenty of posts around the blogosphere about why you should take the time to plan your menu, but we’re going to look at the top ten reasons you shouldn’t.
10. You’re a non-comformist by nature, and since meal plans are popular, you refuse to give in.
9. You like to spend your free time staring blankly at the pantry trying to come up with dinner ideas. It’s like a hobby.
8. You prefer the “seek and you shall find” method of mealtime. You stock the shelves and the fridge, and your family is required to seek-and-find their meals there.
7. You like to test your cooking skills by looking through the cabinets at 5:15 and creating a gourmet meal out of the random ingredients you find.
6. Your family enjoys having the same 7 meals every week, so there’s no need for a menu plan.
5. You’re a free spirit and refuse to be bogged down with “organization” of any kind.
4. You want to be able to blame an empty refrigerator and pantry when you tell your extended family they can’t drop by at dinnertime.
3. The grocery store is your “happy place” and you like making extra trips to pick up last-minute ingredients.
2. You want to do your part to boost the economy by spending lots of money at the grocery store, even if the food goes bad before you use it.
1. You like to use the excuse “We don’t have anything to eat” as a reason to go out to dinner."

If you do not menu plan, it is all about finding what works for your family. I normally plan 5 dinners a week. One dinner is always an Indian meal Ravi cooks, so I buy the meet and items he needs and he normally cooks from his supply. I also always plan one meal for leftovers, and if we happen to have no leftovers, I dig into our OAMC stash in the freezer.

So do you plan menu's? If so why do you plan and how do you plan? Tell me about it. I love to get new ideas on how to perfect and make my life easier. Join me every Monday and share your menu for the week.

Internet Issues

2011-08-25T19:55:00.001-07:00

We will be back with our normal updates soon. We are having internet issues and currently without internet.

Free Blockbuster and Redbox Codes.

2011-08-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of free coupon codes out there for free movies.

We rented "Jumping the Broom" the other day and really enjoyed it. (well probably me more than Ravi)

Blockbuster - Remember these can be used once per card

FREE Rental Code: 27TGAF6 – (expires 8/19/11)
FREE Rental Code: 29SGJC3 – (expires 8/19/11)
FREE Rental Code: 34BCRD4 – (expires 8/19/11)
FREE Rental Code: 62BRAB4 – (expires 8/19/11)
FREE Rental Code: 65PPLA8 – (expires 8/19/11)
FREE Rental Code: 98ARDQ2 – (expires 8/19/11)
FREE Rental Code: 92JEAH8 – (expires 8/19/11)
FREE Rental Code: 68HLG3W – (expires 8/20/11)

Thanks Coupon Dad

7NCSU2 – One night free rental. Expiration unkown.
GOSAFEWAY – One free movie rental at Safeway Store.
Thanks Hot Buzz

Redbox

There is a current promotion. Text Deals to 727272 and you will get a code for $.10 to $1 off movies.

Free Rental Code: DVDONME (expiration unknown)
Free Rental Code: DVDATMAC (expiration unknown) – only at McDonalds
Free Rental Code: DVDATWAG (expiration unknown) – only at Walgreen’s locations
Free Rental Code: BREAKROOM (expiration unknown)
Free Rental Code: REDBOX (expiration unknown) – first time rental code
Thanks Coupon Dad

Enjoy some free movies!!!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-08-15T23:46:00.000-07:00

Wow what a month. If you follow our ministry blog Real Hope Ministries, you know that my husband was busy in India for almost a month. So many exciting things happened this last month there, that you should check out the stories and wonderful pictures. That being said, life was a bit harder here State side. On top of caring for two children, maintaining the house, and working 30 hours a week in Ravi's position at his job, I had a lot to do for the ministry that happened in India. Some things just had no choice but to fall between the cracks. Menu's was one of them. Since I had a shift change the first week Ravi was gone, I ended up working a swing shift and missed dinner with the kids. It was a great thing that I had done my OAMC menus in the beginning of July; they were a life saver for my parents who watched the kids.

Ravi is back, and things are back in order.... well for a few more weeks, and then school starts and I am back to work. Until then, here is my weeks Menu. What is yours? Post a link of your blog showcasing your menu. I LOVE new ideas. If you would like to see more menus, head over to this site.

Breakfast
Pop Tarts
Spinach Egg Cups
Normal Fare of Oatmeal, cereal, etc

Lunch
Normal fare of leftovers.
I have YUMMY Clam Chowder leftover from our recent trip to the beach.

Snack
Mango Lassi Yogurt Pops

Dinner

Sunday- BBQ India Team Meeting. We presented about the ministry at church and got home at 1:30 and had to lead our mission team meeting at 4pm. We were wiped; so we took some frozen Samosas. I am planning to make some up soon and share the recipe.. hmmm they are good.

Monday- Oven Fried Fish, Fries, and Apple Coleslaw

Tuesday- Parmesan Chicken, Paremesan Zuchinni Slices, Bread

Wednesday- (I am planning to make jam and jelly today. I also want to use my crockpot more, so today will be a crockpot day)
Mexican Shredded Pork, Cilantro Lime Rice, Salad

Thursday- Super Slopy Joes, Green Beans

Friday-:Leftovers (I am suppose to be going up to Seattle with the kids, but they are still fighting something, so I have planned in case I end up missing my fun time)

Saturday- Tamales, Black Bean Salsa, Corn Chips, Fiesta Corn

FREE copy of Crazy Love by Francis Chan- EXPIRED

2011-07-25T23:34:00.000-07:00

I have this book, and will be the first to admit that I have not read it. I have started, but really never had a chance to finish. I run from the time I get up until the time I go down. My main objective is to read my Bible and Journal; other books take a second place. BUT, I saw this link for a free copy of ~~Crazy Love~~
and I wanted to pass it on to you. The few chapters I have read are good. But in my mind free is good.

If you have read this or read it and have a review... let me know. I need to challenge myself to read it again.

Thanks Money Saving Mom

This is expired Check back next Spring

Real Hope

2011-07-21T00:15:00.000-07:00

This single mom thing is hard. (Hats off to you single moms... I do not know how you do it!) I have been busy keeping up with the updates at our other blog. Things should be back to normal soon here, but until then check out the updates from India. Real Hope Ministries India

FREE movies at the blockbuster kiosk

2011-07-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

And they keep coming. It works good. Saturday I got a free movie, but ran out of time to watch it. I did not feel bad returning something I did not watch because it was FREE. Jeshu enjoyed a movie as well.

Here are more codes that expire July 22nd at midnight:

62MDEB7
23ZGDB8
86EHJR3
29KBDJ5
44NCRP7
35SVEM6
33MMMT9

Thanks Faithful Provision

Free Bengay

2011-07-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

Head over and print your coupon for $5/1 Bengay. If you go to Walmart you can get a tube for FREE plus OVERAGE.

Here is an example:
Bengay-    $4.23
Coupon-    -$5.00
                  + .77 in overage

I never have a problem with Walmart giving me the overage when I am purchasing other items.

Thanks, Faithful Provisions

FREE movies at the blockbuster kiosk- AGAIN

2011-07-15T13:22:00.000-07:00

I am not sure why so many of these are coming out, but yet again there is more FREE movies at the Blockbuster Kiosk. I have not paid for a movie in over two months, and yet we see all the new movies. (Well Blockbuster was out of a movie that Ravi wanted to see on Father's Day, so I sprung for a dollar movie at Redbox... I am soooo sweet) Make sure you check the dates and use accordingly. One expires TODAY!!

These End TODAY (7-15) at midnight

79CMEA5
49MLBJ2
43MDEB6
46ZGDB9
38EHJR9
56KBDJ9
79NCRP5
85VHAP3
73SVEM2

This one ends Sunday (7/17)

BBXNOW

These end on MONDAY (7/18)

83MDEB5
68ZGDB5
42EHJR5
24KBDJ5
45NCRP9
62SVEM7

Free Beech-Nut Toddler Welcome Kit

2011-07-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

If you head over to the Beech-Nut site and sign up for the free newsletter, you can get a
Beech-Nut Free Toddler Welcome Kit

Master Recipes List

2011-07-13T17:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some links to my favorite recipes. The stared ones are HIGHLY recommended. This is a growing list

Breakfast

Baking Mix

Lunch

Peanut Butter and Jelly "Sushi" Rolls

Main Dishes

Beef

** Baked Tacos
Almost White Castle Burgers

Chicken

Pork
**Ham and Asaparagus Penne

Kid Friendly

Baked Corn Dogs

Fish
Salmon Burger
Oven Baked Fish and Chips

Indian

Sides

Black Bean Salsa
Mexican Sweet Corn Cake

Crock Pot

Refried Beans

Desserts

**Strawberry Cobbler Cake

Drinks

Watermellon Frosty

DIY- Butter

2011-07-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

I do not know what happened that made me decide to make this, but the other night I decided to try making my own butter.

Step 1: find some whipping cream. Most websites I saw said Heavy Whipping Cream. However, I had just regular whipping cream from last weeks mexican sweet corn cake. Normally, when a recipe calls for whipping cream I use a little. Then through out the week I pour it in Ravi's coffee when I make it, but this only lasts a few days. Normally half of the container will go bad, and I end up dumping it down the drain.

NO MORE

So take your whipping cream and dump it in a bowl. Start whipping. You know how experience cooks say- "do not over whip whipping cream?" This is what you will do. It will peak with a nice fluffy cream, but never mind keep on whipping. This can take any where from 5-10 minutes. With me it was closer to 10 minutes.

You will notice that the fat or butter starts separating from the milk.

Step 2- You will need to strain out the milk from the butter. You could use a bigger strainer, but I was using that at this time for making cream cheese (which I will post next week) You will need to strain and push the milk out of the butter.

You will be left with milk, or AKA Buttermilk. Save this because you can make some pancakes or biscuits out of it.

What you will be left with is pure, yummy, butter.

I planned bagels with homemade butter and cream cheese for breakfast, but I could not wait to try this. so we toasted some English muffins.......ohhhhh it is good.

This is kid tested and kid approved.

I am planning to keep my eyes out for discounted whipping cream so I can make more of this butter.

Do It Yourself Adventures

2011-07-13T06:23:00.000-07:00

I am venturing out and will try Do It Yourself projects. These will be cooking, cleaning products, beauty products, and anything that would save money and would be fun to attempt. There will be many failures along the way as well as success. I will be adding to this list as I think of it, and will include a link when I have finished a project.

1. Homemade Butter
2. Homemade Cream Cheese
3. Homemade Ricotta Cheese
4. Homemade Ketchup
5. Homemade Jam (a yearly event with me but will still share)
6. Homemade Applebutter
7. Homemade Apple Sauce
8. Homemade Canned Spaghetti Sauce
9. Canned Tomatoes
10. Homemade Frozen Hamburger Patties
11. Homemade Yogurt
12. Homemade Mustard
13. Homemade Laundry Soap
14. Homemade Dish Soap
15. More to come

Do you have an idea of something I could add to this list? Is there something you have been dying to try? Let me know. Who knows, I may try it too

On His Way

2011-07-12T23:59:00.000-07:00

Ravi is on his way to India. I will go 28-36 hours without talking to him. *sigh*

The kids miss him. But THANK GOD for skype... we can actually "see" him every night.

Check out my blog entry on our other blog, On His Way.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-07-12T23:09:00.000-07:00

So he is gone.... Currently my dear husband is in Germany en route to India. So thanks to my OAMC Menu from last week, I have a freezer stocked full of meals for the kids and I.

Breakfast
Cereal
Bagels with Homemade Butter and Homemade Cream Cheese a Do It Your Self experiment will post more about that in a bit
Muffins
Crock Pot Oatmeal

Lunch
Some friends have invited us over for some play dates to pass the times. Lunches are normally sandwiches and the sort

Dinner

Sunday: Left Overs
Monday: (The Day Ravi Left) Dinner at my parents house
Tuesday: Freezer Day- Corn Dogs Watermellon

Wednesday: White Castle Hamburgers
Thursday: Sweet and Sour Pork, Couscous, stir fry veggies
Friday: Freezer Day- Southwest rollups
Saturday: Chicken Kabobs, Broccoli, Sweet Potato

Want some more???? check out this link.

Menu Plan Monday- OAMC version

2011-07-06T00:02:00.000-07:00

With the 4th being on a Monday, I am a day behind.

So Ravi is leaving to India in exactly one week. He will be gone for 24 days. Normally he works Monday through Thursday swing shift, so is gone for meals. But Fridays, he normally cooks and he is able to watch the kids and/or help clean up while I cook on Saturday and Sunday. That being said, while he is gone I obviously will have to do it all by myself. I will also be taking on extra hours at the group home to compensate the loss of income we will have. These next three weeks I wanted to make it easier for myself. So this week I am dedicating myself to OMAC recipes.

What is OMAC you may ask? Once A Month Cooking. Basically the idea is you are going to get the ingrediants out, make a mess, prep, and prepare the meal once, so why not make 3-4 meals out of it and put it in the freezer. I normally aim to doing at least one OMAC meal every other week. But this week I am going to make four OMAC meals that I can use the rest of the month. The goal is the next three weeks I will have "freezer meals" three time a week. There are a few nights where I have to work swing shift, so this will also help my sitters (aka Grandpa and Grandma) be able to prepare something that Jeshu will eat so that McDonalds is not utilized (hint hint) By the end of this I will not want to see these recipes for a few months, but it should make life easier. So with out further adieu, here is the plan for the week.

Monday

Dinner
OMAC Oven Fried Fish I did not make the potato part because of the free ~~Ore-Ida Sweet Potato Fries~~ (expired) I got, but man were these things good

Tuesday

Breakfast
Waffles
Dinner
OMAC Baked Corn Dogs Carrots Watermelon

Wednesday

Dinner
OMAC Southwest Roll Ups using my Homemade Refried Beans I have changed the recipe to use some Turkey breast that I got on sale
OMAC Black Bean Salsa but using dry beans
Home made corn chips
Salad

Thursday

Breakfast
Crockpot Oatmeal
Snack
Watermelon Frosty
Dinner
Ham and Asparagus Penne Fruit

Friday

Indian Fridays is canceled because Ravi is working overtime, and I do not feel like making Indian food
Dinner
Italian Chicken Rolls (a previous OMAC recipe) Fresh Green Beans

Saturday

Breakfast
Pancakes using this homemade baking mix
DinnerThe actual last dinner with Ravi since he has to work Sunday night, so I took his request
OMAC Baked Tacos
Salad
We had this AMAZING Sweet Corn Cake that was made from a Blue Mesa Grill recipe at a meeting on Sunday. This stuff was to DIE for.... and I may have died now seeing the calories. I found a lower calorie substitute, but I feel that it may not be as good... but non the less I am making Mexican Sweet Corn Cake

Sunday

Dinner
Leftovers

Next week, it will be adventures on my own with two kids... and missing my sweet hubby.. You will have to keep posted to our other blog Real Hope Ministries India to see the great adventures that Ravi and one of our pastor friends are having with our tribal ministries and pastor conferences.

If you would like more recipes check this site out.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-06-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

Internet issues at our house. I need to actually get these all written in the beginning of the week and have them automatically post, but I will save getting organized for a later date.

Breakfast
Normal Fare
Pop Tarts (these are GOOOOD)
Overnight Oatmeal
Banana Nut Muffins and Bran Muffins

Lunch
Normal Fare
I am thinking I am going to start taking Jeshu once a week to the free lunch program, for social intergration

Dinner
Taco Ring Carrots and Ranch
Naan Pizza topped with Tandoori Chicken, banana, veggies (yummy pizza that I combined and created will post a recipe later)Click Here
Parmesan Crusted Tilapai , Yogurt biscuits, broccoli
Chicken Kabob, Grilled Veggies, Bread
Indian
Fajatas (we did not make them last week) Salad, Fruit Salad
BBQ with family

What is your favorite BBQ Holiday meal?

If you would like more recipes click here.

Recipe of the Week- Salmon Burgers

2011-06-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a recipe from this weeks menu. I am always trying to find new meals that my son will eat. He really loves fish, but I thought to try something new. He really loved it. This recipe originally said it serves 1. I was able to actually make 4 patties. We ended up freezing two for later.

Salmon Burgers (serves 2-4)

1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 can (7.5 oz) salmon drained and flaked
2 Tbs celery stalk finely chopped
1 Tbs finely chopped shallot
1 Tbs Mayo
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp olive oil

Mix breadcrumbs, celery, salmon, shallot, and mayo in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Form into a 3/4-inch-thick patty, transfer to a plate, and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
In a medium nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add patty and cook, flipping once, until brown and heated through, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, split and toast remaining bun. Serve burger on bun with your choice of ketchup, mayo, and mustard. Add tomato, lettuce, and whatever else.

Taken from the Food everyday magazine.

More Recipes Here at good cheap eats

FREE movies at the blockbuster kiosk- Another One

2011-06-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

There is some more codes for free blockbuster movies!

36JBHS5, 37RRAP6, 84CMEA6, 42AEMR9, and 57MLBJ7.

Codes are good through 6/27/11

These codes are even good on the hot/fire ones. I just tried online and was able to rent a movie for tonight! Enjoy

See here for more details

Real Hope Ministries India's New Blog Site!!

2011-06-21T23:12:00.000-07:00

As you may or may not know, we run a non-profit in India. This blog use to be a combo of both the ministry and our personal lives. Well, we decided it was time to divide the two. After a few weeks of trying to build the new blog while continuing this one, we are DONE. There are a few things I need to fine tune on the new site, but it feels good to say, "It is up and running." So check it out.

We will be updating the blog on a weekly basis. If you want to continue to hear great stories about all that is going on in India, check it out and "follow" it. You can always access it by clicking the Real Hope tab on the menu bar.

Thanks!!!

Real Hope Ministries India