Meal Planning with Emeals

I have been completely lax about our meal plans the last few weeks. Perhaps you even noticed that I wasn't posting my plan every Monday as I have in the past. Life was just getting too crazy, and so I let go of dinner control.

Really, that should not be what gets let go. Meal planning saves my sanity every single night. Instead of 4 kids whining and crying to eat, because I took too long deciding what to make and then getting it on the table by 5:30 - I would have 4 kids happily playing, and eating most of their dinner that they helped prepare because I knew what we were having, and gave myself the right time to make it.

I was thrilled when this last week eMeals contacted me to see if I would like to join the eMeals Connect program. Basically, they gave me a 1 year eMeals plan in exchange for me telling you all about them. Of course, all opinions are my honest to goodness true thoughts on the program! So no worries, I'll let you know just how much I like them (or don't if that's the case).

So far, however, I am enjoying eMeals immensely. I received my first week of meals in my email shortly after signing up for the Classic Plan with Walmart as my grocer of choice (they have a few different grocers to choose from, but Walmart was the only one near me). They also just recently announced their Slow Cooker Classic and Clean Eating Plans! This would be a great summer plan to avoid turning the oven on.

Shocked I was!  The first thing I noticed was that they break down the price of each item on the shopping list, so you know about how much you'll be spending for that week of groceries. I thought I was a frugal shopper, but eMeals just managed to save me another $10-$20/week in groceries.  If the subsequent meal plans are similar in price I will be thrilled!

I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but we will be this coming week. I've exchanged a few of the eMeals out in favor of my own preferences (and chicken 3 times a week is just a bit much for me).  I'll show you the original plan with my altered plan in italics. This is just to accommodate for what I have on hand since I don't plan on grocery shopping this week.

Menu Plan
Sunday - Chicken Pot Pie with buttered Biscuits and Honey Carrots
             Actually making Spaghetti with Biscuits and a Side Salad
Monday - Mexican Beef Bake with Fajita Rice
             Changing the side to regular White Rice
Tuesday - Easy Spare Ribs with Coleslaw and Baked Potatoes
             Skipping the Coleslaw and having Mashed Potatoes
Wednesday - Chicken Fried Rice with Sesame Ginger Salad
              Actually having Ham Fried Rice
Thursday - Classic Ravioli with Stuffed Zucchini
               no zucchini, just a simple side salad
Friday - Apricot glazed Pork Tenderloin with Wild Rice and Green Bean bundles
              Strawberry glazed Steak with Creamed Corn
Saturday - Rosemary Garlic Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Black-Eye Peas
             No black eye peas

*I received a 1 year eMeals plan in exchange for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.  

Free Gifts from Cents of Style

Have you checked out Cents of Style lately?  I just LOVE their line. Everything is stylish and at a great price (yes one even cheap old me can afford).

Today only, they are giving away a FREE headwrap with every order. NO MINIMUM purchase!

They're not stopping there though! Oh No. If you spend $20+ today, you will get the Free Headwrap and a Free set of Earrings!

Keep going though, Spend $30 and you'll get the headwrap, earrings, and a scarf for FREE!

Let Cents of Style update your closet this spring. 

We are not done there though! Use the code STYLE101 for 10% off your order, and FREE Shipping!

You really can't beat this deal.

*This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are however my very own.  I even own Cents of Style products that I purchased with my very own money.

Asparagus and Pork Stir Fry #FoodieFriday

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This has been a very long, very straining week. So I did what I don't normally do, and made a very easy meal, and am now going to share it with you. Please visit my co-host Diane on her blog Simple Living and Eating, for another great recipe!

Asparagus and Pork Stir Fry

Ingredients

2 cups Minute Rice

2 cups Water

2-3 TBS Olive Oil

1 bag Flav-R-pac Asparagus Stir Fry*

Leftover BBQ Pork Ribs**, cut into bite sized pieces (or any other leftover meat.)

Soy Sauce

Directions

In a wok, or large frying pan, heat the oil. Once the oil sizzles with a little water droplet, add the Asparagus Stir Fry mix, and pork. 

While the veggies are cooking, heat the water in a medium saucepan. When it begins to boil, add the rice. Cover, and remove from heat. 

Once the Veggies and meat are heated through, remove from pan. Serve over the rice with a little soy sauce dribbled on. 

*If you prefer to use fresh veggies, the mix contains asparagus, carrots, celery, green beans, and cauliflower. Julienne the carrots and green beans. Chop the cauliflower and celery into bite size pieces. Cut the Asparagus into long strips, almost like Julienne, but leave the stalk intact.

**The meat can be left out. I always enjoy a little added meat to our dishes though. For an extra boost of protein instead of meat, you can use some scrambled eggs. They would also be delightful in this dish. 

~FEATURES~ 

Asian Mango Slaw

from Cook With Sara

This would be the perfect twist to plain old coleslaw.

Garlicky Cilantro Lime Dressing

from Peace but not Quiet

This dressing will go well over any of your summer staples - salad, chicken, tacos. Yum!

Peanut Butter Mini Cheesecakes, topped with Chocolate

from Something Sweet Winnie's Blog

I'm in heaven. These are the perfect treat for a long week. 

Did you know? I have a pinterest board dedicated to all the Foodie Friday Features (plus ones I really really like, but didn't feature).

Add a Little Color to Your Porch #MiracleGroProject

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love spring time! All the flowers begin blooming, and the world becomes a more colorful place. 

Every spring though, I look at my front porch and feel blah. There's not much color besides the door (a dull green), and it just isn't all that inviting. This year, I decided to remedy that.  After planting my vegetable garden, the porch has become my top priority! I need a little cheerful color greeting me as I leave and come back to the house each day. 

The great part, is that it's really easy to add some color, and it doesn't have to be expensive either. I used what I had on hand, along with some flowers I received for Mothers Day to put together this bright little piece for my porch.

First gather your supplies. You'll need the following:

A colorful bucket

flowers, or flower seeds

Moisture Control Potting Mix

a little backyard dirt

 

 

Next fill your bucket halfway with the Potting Mix. If you're repotting flowers make a small well and transfer the flowers to your bucket. Top off with a little more potting mix, and some backyard dirt. Water the flowers, then sit back and enjoy your little splash of color. 

Don't worry if the flowers were looking a little wilty when first planted. With Miracle Gro's potting soil, a little water and sun, the flowers will perk right back up. 

In an effort to encourage more families gardening, from small potted plants to large garden areas, Miracle-Gro has put together The Gro Project.  

 

For more fun garden projects, visit Miracle Gro's Pinterest page. Then get out and Gro something!

 

Today I was Mom

As I sat in church this past Sunday, and listened to talks about Mothers, my 3 year old Princess used my in much need of a shave, legs as a racetrack for the car we brought. As I watched her happily run the car up to my knee, and back down to my foot, these thoughts ran through my head. I came home, and put them to paper, but spent a little time tweaking it. 

These are my thoughts on motherhood.  Enjoy.

Today I was Mom

Today I was a Racetrack

and my lap your favorite cushion

Yesterday I made 3 meals

And Cleaned 3 dirty rooms

Tomorrow I will play chauffeur

And nurse, and Biggest Fan

There was a time I was just me

But then you came along

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

I'll always be Your Mom.

Make Dessert Easy

This post brought to you by Private Selection. All opinions are 100% mine.

We love desserts around here!  If you couldn't tell from all my delectable Foodie Friday recipes lately, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen concocting recipes, and hoping they turn out great. When I have company coming over though, I do not like to experiment with our dessert. Sadly, that's exactly what I did the last time we invited friends over. I spent a fair portion of the day creating these little apple pies, only to want to hide after serving them.  They really were that bad! 

Looking back, I should have gone with one of my tried and true recipes, like cookies, but I didn't. It would have been so nice if I had some of Private Selections Upside Down Cakes on hand. Instead of serving odd looking and a tad cold apple pies, I could have just pulled out an Amber Honey Apple Spiced Upside Down Cake. A quick warming in the microwave, followed with a flip onto a pretty plate, and voila! Dessert served without embarrassment.

Of course the German Chocolate Fudge or Double Chocolate Molten Upside Down Cakes would have also been delightful to serve up in a pinch.

If there's one thing I learned about entertaining from my Mother In Law, it's to always keep something quick and easy on hand. She stocked me up one summer with brownie and cake mixes for the "just in case" events that came my way. It was so nice to have those in my pantry when the calls came in to drop a dessert off at the church...because I signed up to do it! Sometimes I sign up for too much, and easily forget until those calls are made. Private Selections look so scrumptious, and since they are already mixed and baked, are even easier to prepare and drop off in a pinch - Warm, Flip, Serve.

Private Selection is a premium Private Label Brand sold exclusively at Kroger and it's affiliated Stores. To find a store near you, visit the easy to use Locator Tool.

Right now Kroger is offering a $1 Off or $2 Off coupon to Private Selection Upside Down Cakes.  

Private Selection Upside Down Cakes coupon

Disclaimer: Coupon ends 6/2/13. Official rules: In order to load these coupons to your card, you will need to sign into your Kroger account or set up a Kroger account and enter your card number. Limit one use per digital coupon. Digital offers are not eligible on Managers Specials, cannot be combined with manufacturer paper coupons on the purchase of a single item, and do not double. Not all items are available in all stores. A limit of 150 coupons can be loaded per household at one time.

Private Selection uses only the best ingredients when making their cakes, so it truly tastes homemade!  

Connect with Private Selection

Private Selection Upside Down Cakes on Facebook

Private Selection Upside Down Cakes on Pinterest

 

P.S. Don't Forget the Cake!

The Lake House by Marci Nault #BookReview

 

The Lake House

By Marci Nault

About the Book: VICTORIA ROSE. Fifty years before, a group of teenage friends promised each other never to leave their idyllic lakeside town. But the call of Hollywood and a bigger life was too strong for Victoria . . . and she alone broke that pledge. Now she has come home, intent on making peace with her demons, even if her former friends shut her out. Haunted by tragedy, she longs to find solace with her childhood sweetheart, but even this tender man may be unable to forgive and forget.

HEATHER BREGMAN. At twenty-eight, after years as a globe-trotting columnist, she’s abandoned her controlling fiancé and their glamorous city life to build one on her own terms. Lulled by a Victorian house and a gorgeous locale, she’s determined to make the little community her home. But the residents, fearful of change and outsiders, will stop at nothing to sabotage her dreams of lakeside tranquility.

About the Author: Marci Nault hails from a town not too far from Lake Nagog in Massachusetts. Today she can be found figure skating, salsa dancing, hiking and wine tasting around her home in California. Marci founded the website www.101dreamscometrue.com - a motivational website that encourages you to live your dreams. 

So far she has accomplished 90 of her 101 dreams.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed The Lake House. I felt pulled into the little community of Nagog, and wished for awhile that we lived lakeside as well. I hurt with Victoria as she faced the mistakes from her past, and wanted to yell at her old friends to forgive. With Heather I rejoiced when she moved her life on, and laughed at the antics of her new neighbors. 

What I mostly took from this book, however, was that we need to slow our lives down and be aware of those around us. We should take the time to get to know our neighbors, and allow them to know us. Most importantly though, we need to not be so self-involved we miss those events that are important to those we care most about. 

The only thing I did not like about The Lake House, was it did periodically get a little steamy. Although I would not classify this book as a romance, it did have it's parts that were a little too descriptive for my comfort.