Just in case you don't read til the end, I'm asking my questions first. I really really REALLY would love some input...
Question 1: How, when, and where do you like to grocery shop?
Question 2: Do you have any easy healthy snack ideas?
Question 3: Does anyone have an easy whole wheat bread recipe they love?
Thanks family and friends! Sorry about the backward post, now on to the story telling...
(btw, I decided I can insert random pictures that have nothing to do with my post as long as they include cute babies!)
So, here's the scoop on my healthy food change goals for last month. The goal was to refine my grocery shopping, label reading, and meal planning. Thanks for reading my journal/blog about this stuff. It helps me feel accountable, all you invisible people who may or may not be reading this... Oooo, mysterious.
Grocery shopping:
The first week of the month I went shopping for the ENTIRE month including staples and our freezer meals. I have done this for a few months and I'm hating it more all the time. It's nice to get it done and out of the way but I have a couple qualms: the expirience stresses me out, i'm in too much of a hurry to care about quality or cost, i always miss something and have to go back, i'm too small to push all that food, and I almost throw up every time I see the cost at checkout. Bleh!
So this week I just got enough groceries for this weeks meals, produce, and staples. *sigh of relief* Much better. I tried to focus on getting foods that didn't contain ingredients I couldn't pronounce or know what they were. I got organic as often as I had that option. It makes me feel really good to look at my winnings!
Bryce on the other hand was not so happy. Not mad, I don't think that emotion has ever crossed Bryce's sweet countenance, but not very happy. While discussing the cost differences of these two shopping methods, this conversation ensued.
Bryce-"but we can't eat anything you bought. You got garbanzo beans, a bunch of zucchini and kale and other green stuff."
Jenn-"that's cilantro. They're all part of meals, we'll eat just fine."
Bryce-"what meals are we having?"
Jenn-"tomorrow we're having mini Shepard pies."
Bryce-"Does that have meat in it?"
Apparently by "eat" he meant he can't eat any of this plant based stuff. Lol! Poor Bryce... This adjusting thing to a new kind of eating is hard on him. But good for him, right?!
Meal planning:
So, I want to say outright that there are many things I hate, but on the top of that list would have to be:
1-shopping 2-cooking. The only thing I may hate more then these things is baking. Bleh. If you want to see someone run in and out of a store, or avoid them all together, it's me. Yet, I really value home cooked meals and eating at home as a family. So... I have found the most wonderful way to cook as little as possible with the most benefits. Freezer cooking!
I love freezer cooking! This month I have figured out I just CANNOT cook a months worth of food in one day. Instead, I still use the recipes from onceamonthmom.com but I only cook them one at a time. I make the meal in massive bulk, producing four meals, freezing three, then eating one portion the night I make it. Doing this, I only cook twice a week. You heard me right, twice. We have diner at home six days a week, two I actually cook and four I grab from the freezer. Since I'm freezing 6 meals a week, I now have a nice stash of about 28 meals ready to go. They last 3-6 months so we don't repeat a meal for about a month.
The picture above was yummy zucchini burgers which were served with cheese and marinara on a seseme seed bun...mmmm
I love the labels once a month provides for prep instructions. I use gallon freezer bags or aluminum dishes I get 3/$1 at dollar tree. Yay for dollar tree!
I also spend one day, about 45 minutes, to cook, blend, and freeze baby food. I'm trying to do one new fruit and one new veggie a week. My baby food cookbook makes it so easy because the recipes are divided by months. Together, my boys go through about an ice cube tray a day.
(Another random photo. It took us a while to get it, but Bryce and I still laugh about this one)
Next month!
Goal: figure out how and where I really want to groccery shop, healthy snacks, and make a few bulk mixes from this AWESOME cookbook my mother-in-law let me borrow! (thanks Susan!) Wish us luck!
Friday, March 2, 2012
8 months old
Long time... No update. Sorry y'all! The boys are just the cutest, happiest babies you'll ever meet. Here are some fun pictures we took for valentine's day for your enjoyment.
The boys are growing fast. They are both around 14lbs. Liam is definitely taking the lead with his weight. I think the reason stems from the fact that Oliver recently hit a very curious stage. He can't focus on eating. He's much more interested in babbling at mom, looking at noises in the room, or poking Liam in the face. I've recently had to stop nursing them at the same time so Oliver isn't so distracted.
The boys have become much more vocal. When Liam wants something he balls his fists, tightens every muscle in his face and arms, and growls lowly. This is a great addition to our meal times.
When Oliver wants something he howls an ear piercing scream and then smiles at you. They both like to gasp when they get excited. Oliver's gasp we call his "raptor call". It's very endearing.
One day Bryce had to come home for lunch because he had both our car keys. This was a happy and unexpected surprise, especially for Oliver. Bryce went to pick him up out of the crib after his nap and Oliver gasped with glee for probably 5 minutes because he was so excited.
The toy swiping has begun. Liam is a little bit more aggressive and likes to take whatever Oliver is playing with. Oliver doesn't seem to mind yet, he'll just grab something new til Liam takes it away too.
The boys and I just finished the illustrated children's Book of Mormon. They LOVED it. Usually I have them both tucked up with me on the couch for personal scripture time. I read and they try and eat the pages. I loved this book. It makes the stories so real. I love the Book of Mormon, the spirit it brings into my life, and the testimony it bears of Jesus Christ. It is fun to share this with my children.
I do have to say, as a side note, that the pictures make this very violent book(yes, the book of mormon is full of A LOT of wars) sometimes too real. But, I guess there's nothing like Ammon dragging a tarp of bloody arms to the king that might spark a small boys curiosity in ancient history, right?
The boys first teeth came in! The same tooth and only two days apart. Liam's came first and then Oliver's. It was... Horrific. For a few days it felt like we were back to when they came home from the hospital. There was much screaming and little sleeping or us all(well, mostly Bryce. I sort of sleep like a rock. A dead and deaf rock). I had a difficult time deciding if I should give them oragel or teething tablets, things others swear by, because I have a friend named google. The FDA apparently warns against the use of both. We ended up giving them Tylenol before bed, thanks to a Facebook reccomendation from my friend Brooke(thank you!), and it worked. Woohoo! Now that that is over, they are just happy as ever. I can't say I'm excited for future teeth to appear.
Last little fun facts, the boys are SO close to sitting up on their own. They love eating solid foods and enjoy trying a new fruit and veggie each week. Their favorites are pears and sweet potatoes. There have been a few they have NOT liked at all. I read that sometimes it takes up to a dozen introductions of a food before they'll take it. I'm determined to do everything I can to avoid pickiness so I just keep forcing it down. So far, it's worked. Usually we have 3-4 sessions of gagging or spitting in mommy's face, then they get over it.
We love being parents! Bryce is just the most amazing father there is. I'm so grateful for all he does. When I had my surgery, Bryce had 5 days off and was on full baby duty. He is amazing and the boys just adore him. I know he really loves being a dad to these cuties too. One of the boys favorite activities is laying on the ground listening to dad play his guitar each morning while I whip up some grub.
Another shout out to my mom, dad, grandma, and siblings for helping when i had to go to the ER at 3am and while I was in the hospital for surgery. I don't know what I would do without you guys, especially you mom. I love you! (If you're curious what my expirience was in the ER watch Brian regan's video about the ER on youtube...It was just like that. Lol).
