Let the field trips resume!

So, school is back in session! And for me that means trips! We did a lot this summer.{but to be able to go without mass crowds is like a totally better realm! } The kids and their pals went to lots of movies together (I really think I might have lost brain cells at one of them!lol) and we also went with some pals to two of the three NC Aquariums.

No, they were not told to stand in order of height, they just did it naturally!

 

 

 

We went to Quantico,VA for about a week while my husband had work to do there. We went to the grainary and distillery at Mt Vernon. It was fantastic. And not busy!

 

We used to live 30 min outside of DC...but it was SO busy at this time of year (August) that it was not too fun for me to drive in, and the lines were longer at exhibit. So we did a car tour of the city, then went to a park in Prince William County! The weather was so much better than where we live.

 

 

Then for Memorial Day we went to Fort Macon. We had not been with my husband yet. It POURED rain, so we just did the interior museum. We hope to go back again to finish it out with him.

 

Picnic in the rain! We had a light snack we had packed after the museum. It was rainy, but a covered area made it fun! We almost always eat out on these trips lately, so this was a great way to try to simplify...pack our food!

 

 

I look forward to seeing where we will land this year. We usually try to go to as many places as we can so the children get exposure outside of the textbooks.

 

Crock Pot Cookery In Mass

So......before I had spoken of Dinner Delivered meals I was doing. They were fun, but on a month when I had VBS, I did a freezer slow cooker meal to deliver. It turned out wonderfully for the recipient (as far as I know!). Now that is what I have been doing for a few months. It is SO EASY and then the families have meals when they need them. And I only spend one day a month delivering. Last month I made about 18 meals. It took about 3ish hrs to prepare, 1ish hours to go to the store to get the supplies, and about 2 ish hours to deliver. (For those interested in cost to do this, below is a chart showing what a value this is). It was SPLENDID!  I LOVE doing this, it is such a blessing to me! I am so thankful others allow us to deliver these to them!

How I "Roll"

               Preparation

I buy the slow cooker disposable bags found in the plastic baggie/ foil section of the store. We have access to a commissary, so my cost is about $2 a box. If they were too much I would use the large zip locks instead. They would then have to wash the cooker afterwards. I love the idea of NO scrubbing! I then make a list on the computer of the meals so they will know what they are eating! I then assign a number or a color to each meal. This paper is printed out and included with the meals.

I make a list of the meals. Then I make a list of who gets what meal(s). I use a handy dandy chart like this:

                         Chicken       Roast        Ham        Soup
Mrs. A                    x                                                x
Mrs. B                    x               x              x              
Mrs. C                                     x                   
Mrs. D                   x                               x                x

Then I tally up needed baggies and ingredients. I use a similar method as above to figure out the food quantities I need. I let the ladies know a few days ahead I am doing it on such and such a day.

               Shopping

I am NOT a list person, but to do this effectively, it is needed. So I shop with my list. On these days, I try to NOT buy anything for myself. Only the things for the dinners. I bring it home and promptly fridge the meats and perishables. Then I either get to work or I do it the next day.

               Assembly/Delivery

I CLEAN my kitchen WELL before I start..even the parts I will not use. Obsessive? Yes, but this is for others, so we should do our best. Then I get out the veggies and cut them as they will be needed in the recipes. I do all this on my little kitchen table in my little kitchen. Then I get the meat needed out and a mixing bowl for each meal (for example...in the chart above three people will be chicken dishes...so three bowls I get out and put the liners into them so I can do it assembly line style). I assemble, then either tag it by color or by number and then pop into the freezer/fridge. I do this for each meal, then I place them in a cooler or a freezer tote and take them to the recipients. Clean up is Quick, just some bowls, knives, and two cutting boards!

                Cost

I think this slow cooker thing is a b-a-r-g-i-n!! My family of 6 costs about $50 to eat at a mid range eatery, $100+ at a nicer establishment. Fast Food is about $30 for us (and YUCK!). Look at this below:

Fast Food Meal $30 each x 18 meals = $540! For Fast Food! **No veggies, no leftovers, not usually healthy!
Mid-Range Eatery $50 each meal x 18 meals = 900!!!

The meals I prepare (usually one crock pot meal feeds my family of 6, with leftovers sometimes too!) On the 18 meals I spent about $160.  For 18 meals for $160 = 8.88 EACH! That is a savings of  $21.12 PER MEAL over fast food prices. And 41.12 over mid range eateries! So really if we give up 5 fast food meals a month, it pays for 18 meals to give. Not much of a sacrifice there!!  (And fyi...I include some rice and pastas and drink mixes with the meals (not all the meals, but some).


Easy, Fun, and Fantastic!

Not Eating Out, Day 3

Ok, we are not big on New Year resolutions. In fact, we really don't do them. Tonight at Church, my oldest was asked what his was! lol...he chose to reply the family's newest commitment is not eating out generally for about 60 days. He said he got some strange looks!!

Today we drove past one of our favorite restaurants near lunch time...the waifing scent of the delicious aroma made it into our van. It was so fun to chuckle and share that with my kids...we ALL would have like to at least gotten a snack!! I can't really describe it, but it was like an odd moment when we all shared something in common and that was pretty cool.

So we enjoyed a delicious meal of our chickens eggs, sausage, and biscuits, YUM!!!

Feeling Better Already!

So as I think I mentioned before, we are going to forgo eating out for about 60 days (with dessert, beverages, and coffee being an exception, and if there are extenuating circumstances of course). So we are on day 2. And I can tell you I already feel better! It sounds crazy, but in just a short time I can feel an improvement.

We used to eat out a lot, and it is SO easy. No dishes to wash, and you can eat what you want when you want it! So this is not just an exercise in habits, but also in self control!!! I was really hooked on two things 1) convince; 2) getting what I wanted when I wanted it. Like if I was in the mood, a quick online escapade with Outback's website and in under 45 min I could be eating my loaded potato and my grilled chicken. Or if  we all wanted burgers, off we could run to the Cookout. There is nothing wrong, in my view, with eating out. We just were out of balance.

So after only a few days of eating in, I feel better. I will wait and see how it feels in a few weeks...hopefully even better! I am going to track my weight also. I am curious to see if simply by eating home cooked meals if my body will change. I don't have a scale yet, but hope to get one soon.

I think an added side effect of our little 60 day challenge is our kids and my time. It really does not take that long to make a delicious meal, so I am free to more time at home, and our kids will get even better foods to grow on. (side note: we have always overall  eaten well, we were not really junk food addicts....but we got off balance with our most recent move. I used to be the mom & wife that baked and made lots of yummy meals).