It's a Zippidee Do Da kind of day

We are going to Disney World.

Again, yes again.

I have been to the World 4 times on vacation, and dozens more while working there, first on the College Program in 2001-2002, and then for 4 months after Katrina hit in 2005-2006.  Disney is my happy place.  My drug.

I fell in love with the World as a 12 year old in 1995.  I was supposed to go before that.  My grandfather was going to take me.  My dad was going around the same time, but because he thought I was going with my grandparents he didn't take me.  Then my grandfather's trip fell through.  So on Christmas day, 1994, when my aunt and uncle asked me if I wanted to go for Mardi Gras, I was a bit skeptical.

My mom and grandparents scrounged up the me for me to go.  Funny story:  My grandmother won $700 on a slot machine two weeks before we left for this Disney trip.  She gave every penny of it to my uncle, for him to split between my 5 year old cousin and me.  She said God gave her that money for to go and have fun.  I love her!

Not knowing better, my mom packed me up, with mostly t-shirts and shorts, and a pair of Keds.  I don't know if any of yall know what Keds are...but they have maybe a 1/16 of an inch of material between your feet and miles of walking!  Not great Disney shoes!

Normally, my uncle likes to drive in the early morning hours, a tradition I would continue!  However, this trip got delayed.  My aunt and uncle owned a poboy(New Orleans style subs) shop at this time, and they had to open, and work through the lunch rush before we could leave.  I remember my cousin Markie and I waiting that day.  It seemed like it took forever for us to finally get on the road.  I think we left sometime around 3pm.

My uncle doesn't like to stop.  In fact he is one of those travelers that likes to "make good time".  We eat in the car, and only stop for gas, which is where we pee as well...

We arrived around 1-2am.  We stayed at Disney's All Star Music Resort, Calypso section.  I was so excited.  As I sleepily walked to our room, I took in the all the wonderful sights and colors...a 2 or 3 story tall pair of maracas, and everything was bright orange and pink!

I don't remember too much about that trip except for a few details.  Markie and I fought like brother and sister the entire trip!  I remember him singing "It's a Small World after all.." over and over again, all day, just because I told him to stop.

I remember going to eat at the Coral Reef, a restaurant that shares an entire wall with the Living Seas, a huge ass aquarium.  The restaurant makes you fell as if you are dining under water.  Ass you step into the restaurant, you have to step down 4 or 5 steps.  On the side of these steps used to be bubble machines.  Markie, who was in front of me, got distracted by the bubbles(what 5 year old wouldn't?) and to be honest so did I and he stopped mid step, and I tripped over him and landed on top of him.

Disney cast members quickly ushered us to First Aid to make sure I didn't break his arm!  Almost 20 years later and I still haven't lived that one down!

I remember renting a watermouse, falling asleep at the Luau,and not wanting to ride scary rides(Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion) until they made me ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (I LOVED IT!).  I remember my uncle getting sick after riding the Teacups, and I remember hearing Phantom of the Opera for the first time on the drive up there and back(my aunt and uncle had seen it recently and bought the cd, I LOVED IT, and still do!), and I remember going to mass at the Polynesian(it was outdoors and one of the most peaceful services I have ever been to!).

Most of all I remember having to get a wheelchair on the 3rd day because those wonderful Keds I wore gave me blisters on every area of my feet...I couldn't even tie the laces, let alone walk!  Another thing that I haven't lived down yet!



This trip started a lifelong love affair for me with the Mouse.  In my next few posts I will talk about my first trip with my husband, our first trip with our children, and planning our current trip-a trip with 8 y/o with ADHD, a 6 y/o with Asperger's, and a toddler!

Through the eyes of a 6 year old with Asoperger's

Here are pictures I just uploaded from A's camera

Once a Month Mom....My thoughts

I started this experiment because I was in a cooking funk and needed to get my butt in gear.  I am the kind of person who loves projects, and to follow a set of directions...so I thought, "Why the hell not?!".

I spent over $400 on groceries.  What I got from that was 4 meals worth of Mom's Pasta E Fagioli, one meal of Buffalo Burger Quesadillas, one meal of Baked Bean Chicken(Pork), 2 meals of Aloha Pork Chops, 2 meals of Aunt Sissy's Poppy seed Chicken, 2 meals of Chicken(steak) Alfredo Pierogie, 2 meals of Roasted Veggie Lasagna, one meal of Asian Steak Kabobs, one meal of Turkey Verde Enchiladas(I haven't made this yet), 2-3 meals of Chicken Spinach Flautas, 2 dozen Blueberry Oatmeal pancakes, 12 Make Ahead Melts(to be honest I don't think anyone is going to eat these), and 6 Tutti Fruitti cups.  I have the supplies to make the corndogs, but we still have store bought ones in the freezer....It will make at least 16 corndogs, which is about 8 snacks for the kids.  There is a chicken salad recipe as well, but to be honest it didn't look too appealing to me, so I am opting out of that one.

So that's approx 19 dinners, and not counting the melts and TF cups about 4 breakfasts, and about 14 snacks (corndogs and TF cups).   Considering I spent about $420, that's comes down to $12 a meal/$3 a serving.

There was some waste.  I over bought pork chops, and had some veggies go bad before I could cook them.  This was poor planning on my part, and now I have a better idea on how to prep better next month.

My thoughts...

Overall I think this works for my family.  I liked getting a list and following the directions.  Next month I will take a few hours to read every recipe first and tweak to our tastes, BEFORE shopping.  Next month I think I will also try to get my meat from Sam's.

This was a fun project for me, and I am willing to give August a try...after I clear out my freezer again!  As soon as I make the enchiladas and corndogs I will post about them...

Once a Month...cooking part 4

This part continues my experiment into once a month cooking...

So far I had 3-4 hours shopping, a day of prep, and cooking on Monday and Tuesday!  I pick this back up on Wednesday.  First up Baked Bean Chicken***  I made it with pork instead.

5lbs boneless chicken breasts I used about 3lbs boneless pork chops instead 
20oz tomato sauce
2 cans red kidney beans
4 cans pinto beans
2 cans black beans
2.5c chopped onions
2.5c brown sugar should have been about 1c less
1 1/4c vinegar
5T Worcestershire sauce
2.5T mustard powder I doubled this
2.5T minced garlic should have been more
1 1/4t Tabasco sauce
2.5t pepper

Place all ingredients in the crock-pot and cook for 4-6 hours on high. 

To be honest, this recipe had some flaws.  The sauce was very thin and VERY SWEET!  I love a sweet BBQ sauce, but this was sickly sweet!  I had to double the mustard powder, and it needed more garlic as well.  I did sub in pork chops, because frankly pork chops were on sale and chicken was not...Once I thickened the sauce, and added much needed spices, it was really good.  My husband's only request was that it have more meat.

Next is Buffalo Burger Quesadilla

2.5lbs ground beef
2/3c buffalo sauce
2/3c BBQ sauce
2.5c monterry jack cheese shredded
20 large whole wheat tortillas



Mix ground beef with sauces.

Form patties and fry in a sauce pan.  WAY TOO MUCH SAUCE TO FORM A FREAKING PATTY!!!!

What a freaking mess!  So I fired it up as a loose meat, think sloppy joes.  Once the meat was cooked and cooled, I froze it.  When I am ready to have this meal, I will thaw the meat and sprinkle on a tortilla, top with cheese, and top with another tortilla...and cook like a quesadilla.

The next recipe Aloha Pork chops is more of a prep/marinade/freeze instructions, then thaw and cook on the day of serving.

10lbs boneless pork chops I used closer to 6lbs
2.5T lemon pepper
2.5t olive oil
2.5c sweet and sour sauce
50oz pineapple chunks, drained
2c green bell peppers, sliced
2c red onion wedged
6 quart size Ziploc bags
2 gal size Ziploc bags

In two qt bags, divide pork chops, olive oil, and lemon pepper.  try to squeeze out all of the air and seal up bags.  In the next two qt bags, divide onion and bell peppers, seal.  In the last two qt bags divide the pineapple and sweet and sour sauce, seal.  In each gallon bag place one of each qt bag and seal and freeze.  To cook, fry chops until just done, then add veggies for 2 minutes, then finish with sauce.

Haven't cooked this one yet, but it is prepped in my freezer ready to go...very colorful! 

While I prepped that one, I went ahead and prepped Asian Steak Kabobs

3.75lbs sirloin steak cubed I used what was on sale, flank steak
9c yellow bell peppers quartered, then cut into chunks
2.5c red onion wedged
3c Vidalia onion wedged
1pt cherry tomatoes
4c zucchini sliced in chunks
2.5c pineapple chunks next time I will not include this
10t ginger powder
10t garlic powder
 7.5t sesame oil
15t soy sauce
bamboo skewers

In a bowl, mix together seasonings, oil, and soy sauce.  next time I will add some of the drained pineapple juice to make it slightly sweeter, plus it needed something hot to kick it up a bit.
To marinate, place cubed steak in a qt ziploc bag and cover with half of sauce.  In a gal size ziploc bag combine all the veggies and fruit and remaining sauce.  Marinate overnight.

When ready to prepare, soak skewers in water and make kabobs.  Grill.

The pineapple got a funky taste from the sauce, but other than that, these were supper yummy.  My husband and K loved these!

One more for today, Chicken Alfredo Pierogie Casserole

1lb of potato pierogies for my local peeps, this was in the freezer section at Winn Dixie
2c chicken cubed I opted for steak, because it was cheaper than chicken
2c frozen peas
2 jars of Alfredo sauce I used a mushroom Alfredo sauce

I cut the steak into strips, and pan fried them.  In 2 8x8 disposable baking pans I divided the pierogies, the peas, and the steak.  Cover with sauce.  I HATE Alfredo sauce strait from the jar, so I jazzed mine up first by adding Parmesan cheese, seasonings, and a little milk to thin it. Cover and bake for 45 minutes until pierogies are heated through.

This was really yummy.  The pierogies were an interesting alternative to pasta.  My husband loved that I made this with steak instead of chicken.

My final thoughts in the next post!

Once a Month...Cooking part 3

Sorry for the long time between the OAMM posts, but stuff came up, we went out this weekend, and then I wanted to post about something else.

So up to this point, mid Tuesday, I have completed 4/15 recipes.  The next recipe to make is the Chicken and Spinach Flautas.

5c boneless chicken breast, cooked I cooked this on prep day, in the slow cooker, I used about 2lbs
40oz beer I used 2-3 12oz bottles of Michelob Ultra
5c water
2.5t paprika
2.5t kosher salt
2.5t garlic powder
2.5t cumin
2.5t chili powder
2.5t chopped jalapeno
1 1/4c chopped onion
1 1/4c chopped red bell pepper
5c baby spinach chopped
13 large flour tortillas, cut in half
16oz shredded cheese, Mexican blend

Pre-heat oven to 450.  Place cooked chicken in a sauce pan and cover with water and beer.  Simmer for 10 minutes.  Drain chicken, reserving about a cup of the liquid.  Shred the chicken and place in gallon size ziploc bag, add seasonings, seal bag and coat chicken.

Place reserved liquid, and veggies back in pan and saute until cooked.  I thought it needed much more spinach...

 Mix chicken into veggies. Add a small amount of filling on tortilla, top with a sprinkle of cheese.  Roll filling length-wise into tortillas, starting on the flat side and place seam side down on a lined cookie sheet. 

Bake for 10-15 minutes at 450, flip Flautas, and bake another 10 minutes until crispy. 


I filled 24 half tortillas and had filling left over.  I I thought the filling needed more spinach, but overall this is a tasty recipe!

Next up is Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

5 med red bell peppers halved I used 3 green and 2 red, as green are cheaper, and I sliced them in thick slices
11c sliced yellow squash  I used about 5 med 
1 1/2c chopped onion
5t chopped garlic
2.5c cottage cheese
1 3/4c shredded cheese Italian blend
1.25t Italian seasonings
3 3/4T flour
1 3/4c milk
1.25t Italian seasonings #2
1 box lasagna noodles uncooked
2/3c shredded cheese Italian blend
2.5c spinach-I did not include this in my recipe

On prep day I roasted the bell peppers on the broil setting in my oven for 20 minutes and froze them until I was ready to use them.  Same with the squash and onions.  In a medium bowl combine cottage cheese, shredded cheese and Italian seasonings.  Put to the side.  In a sauce pan combine flour and milk and cook until thick, add seasonings and pour into a bowl to cool.  I had to double this to have enough sauce for the amount of lasagna this recipe made.

In two 8x8 disposable baking pans I layered the dry noodles, roasted veggies, cheese mixture, and sauce.

I got about 3 layers, stopping with noodles and sauce, then top with cheese.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

I froze these lasagnas, so I don't know how they taste yet, but they smelled really good!

 
One more for tonight!  Aunt Sissy's Poppy Seed Chicken

5c cooked boneless chicken breast I used about 3lbs, slow cooked on prep day.
2 cans cream of chicken soup I used one cream of mushroom and one cream of chicken
2/3c chicken broth I used a bit more for a thin consistency
2/3c sour cream
2 sleeves of Ritz crackers
1 1/4T poppy seeds Winn Dixie didn't have poppy seeds so I left this out
1 box of ziti uncooked-I added this

Combine soup, broth, and sour cream in a bowl.  Season to taste.  In 2 8x8 disposable baking pans, I divided a box of uncooked ziti between the two.  I then added the cooked chicken, and poured sauce on top.  

 In a large Ziploc bag, crumble Ritz crackers and add 4T melted butter.  Sprinkle mixture on top of chicken pasta mixture.  Bake for 45 minutes at 350.

Again, I haven't served this yet, but I did taste the sauce before cooking and it needed lots of seasoning!



 

Choosing Favorites

I needed someone to keep the kids overnight on Saturday...

Every year for my wedding anniversary, my husband and I like to have a night out.  Earlier this year we discussed maybe spending a night or two in New Orleans.  We never do the touristy stuff since we live in the 'burbs...so I thought it might be fun.  Dinner, dancing, Bourbon St...you get the idea.  Not only would we be celebrating our anniversary, but also our 30th birthdays...which happen in the next few weeks.

In March, my husband came home one day and said "What about Disney World this fall?"  Well, anyone who knows me, knows that those are words I long to hear!  For some women it's roses and jewelery, for me it's Mickey Mouse and It's A Small World...So anyway, he goes on to say that it will probably be a few years until we can go again, and we have a lot to celebrate/escape from.  Of course I start my mad planning, which I will blog about later, and we decide to not do our night in the city.

Then my husband starts working some crazy hours.  Like 84 hours a week for the last 2 1/2 months!

It's not too bad, except I have been alone with 3 children almost all summer.  3 children that include a toddler hitting his 'terrible two's' and 2 kids with extra needs.

About a month ago, my husband can tell I am stressed out, and we decide to take our night in the city anyway.  So I booked a room and made arrangements for the kids to stay at my dad's house.

Everything is good to go, and then I get a call this week from my aunt and uncle.  They want to keep my oldest son for that weekend.  They are his godparents and from time to time they will take him overnight.

Not a problem.

Later on while discussing it with my mom, she made a comment that set me off.  She said something to the effect of "I wish I could have had K (my oldest) this weekend!"  I started to tear up and I said "I hope one day people fight over A (my middle son) like they do K (my oldest)!"

 I feel like everyone jumps at the chance to have my oldest son sleep over or spend the weekend, always with the promise that next time will be A by himself, or both boys...

At the beginning of summer, another relative had K sleep over, with the promise that in 2 weeks it would be A's turn.  A never got his turn...
 A few weeks ago another relative wanted K to sleep over, while I took A and the baby to the Mississippi Coast for the weekend.  Again with the promise that next time would be A's turn.   

Do you know how difficult this is on A???  How it hurts his feelings???  He gets it. He knows that K get to do things that he does not.

 I get it. K is the "easy" kid.  A is more challenging.  He only eats certain things, he is hard to understand sometimes, and if a trigger is set off he could have a meltdown.  The older A gets, the easy he has gotten.  He understands how he is expected to behave out of our home.  The excuse used to be that he wasn't potty trained.  Well he has been potty trained for 7 months now.

So now Saturday comes around, and I have to prepare my son for sleeping at Nana and Pop's house, without his big brother.
 "Where is K going?"-A 
He is going to his Nanny's house. 
"I want go too!  We were supposed to go camping!!"-A 

A few weeks ago, this relative promised both boys he was going to take them camping...well life has happened, and he hasn't taken them....so of course, A who doesn't forget anything, is upset because he thinks K is going camping and he isn't.  PLEASE DON'T EVER PROMISE KIDS THAT YOU WILL DO SOMETHING UNTIL IT IS DEFINITE OR HAPPENING IN THE NEAR FUTURE!  I get that shit happens, but children don't understand, ESPECIALLY children with extra needs like Asperger's!!!!!

So of course, 2 hours before he goes to my dad's house, he has a meltdown.  He doesn't want to go there.  He wants to stay with K.  Repeat those last sentences, 40 or so times, while screaming, for an hour....
What am I supposed to tell him?  "I'm sorry A, they promise next time it's your turn.." 

This.
This is what I have to deal with, when my kid feels left out...

Now I have people telling me that it's good for the older boys to be separated at times.  I agree.  I just want people to realize that it isn't fair to always pick K.

What's going to happen when the baby is potty trained and older?  Is A going to get a turn then, or is he going to have to watch as people around us choose both of his brothers over him?


Once I calmed him down and he got to Nana's house he was ok.  He had a great time, and so did we.  I know that this too shall pass...I just hope that as A grows up, he and others realize that his differences don't make him less, they make him...him.

Once a Month...Cooking part 2

So now it's Tuesday, and my OAMC project id now on day 4.

I am following the instructions and next on the list is Make-Ahead Muffin Melts.  The recipe I just linked is NOT the recipe on the Google doc for printing.  I did not know this.  The one I made called for sausage instead of bacon...bacon would have been MUCH better!

So the recipe I had...

20 hard boiled eggs, peeled I did this on my prep day
3 1/3c grated cheddar cheese I grated a blend of sharp and NY sharp
1 2/3 lbs of breakfast sausage
1 2/3c mayo
2t Dijon mustard
1t garlic powder
2t Mrs Dash
5t Worcestershire sauce
12 English muffins split

Chop boiled eggs, mix with cooked sausage and rest of ingredients.  Spread over English muffin, and Broil for 15 minutes.  Once they cool, wrap individually in saran wrap, and place in a Ziploc to freeze...to reheat place in microwave for 1-2 minutes. I thought that made them soggy and chewy, so I recommend using a toaster over or regular oven to reheat!!!

I am very torn on this recipe.  I looked at the original, the one I did not see before hand, and that one looks much yummier than mine.  This was like egg salad on a toasted EM...kind of a weird texture.  If I make these again, I will definitely use bacon, and reserve the cheese for topping, instead of mixing it in.


 Next on the instructions list is Parmesan No-Fry Corndogs.  I decided not to make them yet, because I already have store bought corndogs in the freezer, so it doesn't make sense right now.  Next on the list is Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes.

5c oatmeal, soaking in 5c buttermilk overnight
5 eggs
5T vegetable oil
1 1/4c whole wheat flour
2/3c sugar
2 1/2t baking powder
2 1/2t baking soda
1 1/4t salt
1 1/4t vanilla
2 1/2c blueberries

This recipe just said to mix everything together except blueberries, then fold blueberries in gently.   However, when ever you make pancake, you should mix wet ingredients in one bowl, and dry in another...then mix the dry into the wet, then fold in blueberries.  I used 1/4c batter for each pancake, on a hot griddle.  These pancakes took a while to cook because of the oatmeal and blueberries.

The only thing I would have added to the recipe was a little but more vanilla, and a splash of milk, as the batter was to dry.  Once I made all the pancakes I flash froze them...then stored in Ziploc bags, placing wax paper in between the layers of pancakes.  To reheat I place pancakes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees until warm. 


These pancakes are SO GOOD!!!  My middle son won't eat them because he can see the blueberries, but the other two boys love them!

I need to take a break take care of my kids, but this will continue in part 3!

Once a Month...Cooking part 1

Monday night, I feel sick.  In fact I cancelled my class, which I try not ever to do.  I get home and figure I may as well start the first recipe, because it's a crock-pot recipe, so it won't take too long right?

Per the instructions I started with Mom's Pasta E Fagioli...which I still have no FREAKING idea how to pronounce...

 The recipe for 5 servings is as follows:

5lbs browned ground beef I used 3lbs
1.5c chopped onions
1.75c diced carrots
2/3c diced celery
2 cans Fire Roasted tomatoes with garlic
2 cans Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic, and Oregano
1 can red beans
1 can white beans
10c beef broth
25oz spaghetti sauce
10oz uncooked pasta I used bow tie
4t oregano
2 1/2t pepper
6t fresh chopped parsley
2t Tabasco sauce

Basically you brown the ground meat, which I did in my prep, and dump all the ingredients except pasta in the crock-pot.  So I started to do this, but by the time I got to the beans, I realized that my 5qt crock-pot was too small for this recipe!

Apparently, this recipe makes 2 servings per person, so my 5 servings became 10!

So I redistributed half of the contents into a soup pot, and decided to slow cook half, and cook the rest on the stove-top.  The crock-pot portion, I cooked on low for 4 hours, then added the pasta and cooked for another 30 minutes, when the pasta was tender.
On the stove-top, I brought it to a simmer, then cooked on medium heat for about 2 hours, then added the pasta and turned off the heat when it was tender.

 

The best way to describe this dish is Italian chili.  I prefer sweeter Italian dishes, and this was on the spicy side.  My husband loved it, but told me to ditch the pasta next time.  I found the crock-pot version was too soupy, the sauce way too thin.  I liked the consistency of the stove-top version better, and so I mixed the two together when I stored it.  The only big complaint about this recipe is the amount it made!  I filled 5 quart size Ziploc bags to the brim, and still filled a large storage container(the biggest one that comes in the Rubbermaid multi-pack).  I froze 4 bags, gave one away to my mom, and my husband ate half of the container full for dinner on Tuesday.

While waiting for my soup to cool, I decided to make the next recipe,Tutti Fruitti cups.  

1.5c frozen orange juice concentrate

2.5c crushed pineapple drained if I make this again, I will not drain it

2 bananas 

3/4c strawberries

3/4c blueberries 

3/4c raspberries 

3/4c lemon-lime soda I used Sprite Zero

6T frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1/4c sugar

Put ingredients into a blender and blend until desired consistency.  Pour into 8oz cups, and freeze.  Once frozen, take out of cup and place into a gallon size Ziploc bag and put back in freezer.

Ok, so first off this is listed as a breakfast item!  This is a dessert at best, if it tasted better.  It is too sour.  I think this would be off set by leaving the pineapple juice in, and maybe another banana and for mommy, rum, lots of rum...  It is a good afternoon snack for the kids...they think they are getting a slushie treat, and they are getting lots of fruit!

In the next post I will be writing about my adventure of trying to finish this project, but being thwarted by the summer heat, and 3 kids!

  

Once a Month...chopping and prep!

It was well after midnight by the time I got home from shopping, so I did my best just to put things away and go to bed.  That was Saturday.

Sunday rolls around, and I got up with the boys and started their day.  Did I mention that right now my husband is working crazy hours, so 2/3 of the day, 7 days a week, I am by myself with the kids.  I am not complaining, it's just a lot.

So I did not get to chopping and prep until after 5pm.  So I went to OAMM and found the instructions, which told me to go to the recipe cards to find the chopping amounts.  It was highly recommended that I do this first, so not knowing better, that is what I did.

In short, I had to chop 10 onions, and quarter about 6 more, chop green onions, peppers, carrots, celery, garlic, fresh ginger,cilantro, and parsley.  Plus I sliced tomatoes, zucchini, and yellow squash.  This took me about 3 to 4 hours.  I will admit that I chop veggies in front of the tv, plus I took a meal break.

 I continue my prep the next day.  Following the instructions, I browned half the ground beef, all the ground turkey, all of the breakfast sausage, and slow-cooked half of the chicken.  I also had to soak 5 cups of oatmeal in 5 cups of buttermilk.

By this point, it is VERY hot in my house.  The thermostat said 80 degrees.  I started to feel sick, plus I had to teach a class later, so I stop.  My prep is pretty much done anyway, the cooking starts next.

I know this post was pretty borring, but so was the prep work.  Next time, I intend to drink heavily first....


And completely unrelated to this post, because inquiring minds truly do want to know...

Once a Month Mom-the shopping trip

So I decided to try out this once a month cooking...and this post is about the shopping trip.

On the OAMM site you can access the grocery list, instructions, and recipes to feed your family for about a month.  It has this really cool feature that lets you input the amount of servings you need, and it will adjust the ingredients amounts.  So I put in 6.  I figure that my husband and I eat larger than regular portions, plus 2 of my 3 children that will eat what I cook.  This was a mistake that you can read about later!

I printed my grocery list for the July menu, and off I went...at 9pm at night.  This was the only time I could get away from my children make in my busy schedule...

Since I have never done this before I didn't quite realize just how extensive the list would be.  In short it was 25 items from produce, 19 pantry items, 7 meat items (but a total of 40lbs), 38 spices/condiments, 12 dairy items, and some other supplies.  First I crossed off the things I already had at home, flour, etc....then I foolishly started in produce.

The reason I say foolish, is because by the time I finished, all my produce was being crushed by everything else, my meat was dripping blood through the cart, and my dairy was only slightly below room temp!  I should have started in the middle of the store with cans and pantry items, then dairy, then produce, and finally meat...but I had never done this before, so I followed the order of the list.

This is what my cart looked like after the produce...

 And then after the meat and can goods were added...and the beer is for my mental health a recipe...

 At this point it was about 10:30 and I still had the pantry items and dairy so I stopped taking pictures and just wanted to finish and get out of there.  It would be another hour, and my cart was OVERFLOWING!  I get in the only line left open and the check out boy's eyes get huge.  I immediately apologize that I have this much stuff, 30 minutes before they close, and how I never do this...and he just smiled and said no problem.  So he starts to ring me up and at one point, 2/3 of the way through, he says "Ugh-oh"...
I look at the check out monitor and the last item entered says $2400.00!  Wait what?!

He was ringing up my garlic, which was 2 for $1, at 4700 items...lol.  So the shift leader had to call the manager and she explained that even though the correct protocol was to void the ENTIRE order that because I had so much could she just void the boo boo and keep going?!
Manager says ok and they finish.  The poor cashier looked embarrassed so I assured him that we all do that at least once(ring someone up at a huge amount).  So he finishes, and my grand total was $544.80!  HOLY CRAP!

Then I had him swipe my Fuelperks rewards card.

I saved $117.53, plus earned $1.45 per gallon towards gas.   IF this makes enough food to feed my family for 3-5 weeks it will be a savings.  We spend on avg $150 a week on groceries, and another $50-100 on eating out per week.  So we will see.

This is what my receipt tape looked like!

 I didn't get home until almost midnight, then
I had to wake up my poor husband to help me inside with all of the groceries.  I spent another 30-45 minutes putting everything away, as best as I could with limited space.

The next post will be about the prep work!

Once a Month Mom

I have been reviewing my finances lately, and I realized that we spend entirely too much money on food.  I admit that this is all my fault.  I am the only one who cooks, and lately, most of the time I haven't wanted to.
Oh, I have a ton of excuses...it's too hot, I'm too tired, the baby/kids kept my too busy, blah, blah, blah!  So I cook crappy convenience foods, what the hell since one of my kids lives off of corn dogs and cereal anyway...or we eat out, which means crappy fast food or casual dining (which is never pleasant since I spend most of the time picking up after/feeding the baby, coaxing my Aspie to eat SOMETHING/begging him to stop eating the Sweet-n-low packets, and telling my oh-so-precocious 7 y/o to please sit still and stop talking up the waitress!). 

So while perusing the web today, I discovered something called once-a-month-cooking or freezer cooking, more specifically onceamonthmom.com .

OAMM provides a months worth of recipes for specific month, using seasonal ingredients, gives a shopping list, and directions on how to prepare all this food in one day, freezing ready to go meals.  They also have alternate versions for dietary needs, for shopping at Whole Foods, and for making a month's worth of baby food.  They offer this free of charge, relying on donations.

So I am going to give this a try, blog about it, and see if I save any money and eat out less.  The next post will be about the shopping list and my trip to Winn Dixie!

I scream, you scream

Summer is a time for fun in the sun.  For me summer has had its ups and downs.

My middle son, however, is having a tough time.  Routine and schedules are key to keeping a child with AS happy.  I haven’t been able to keep a set schedule for a number of reasons.  With 3 kids, a husband who works 12 hours a day, and I have a part-time job…things come up.  I try to plan outings, like swimming at the Y, the park, and occasionally the movies.  But some days, I admit, I don’t want to do anything…it’s too hot, or it rains...or I really don’t feel like doing anything. 

So we have had more meltdowns than usual.  During the school year, he may have one or two meltdowns a week.  This summer we are averaging 5-7 per week. 

Last night, we had a MAJOR meltdown.  We get in the van to go to Walmart, which is already an overwhelming experience for my son, and he starts…

“When we get to Walmart can I buy something?”-A

“Not tonight A.  Tonight we are just going to get the computer cord and some groceries, and then we are leaving.”-Me

“Why? I want to buy something! When we get to Walmart can I buy something?”-A

“A, not tonight.”-Me

“Why? I want to buy something! When we get to Walmart can I buy something?  Why? I want to buy something! When we get to Walmart can I buy something?  Why? I want to buy something! When we get to Walmart can I buy something?” and on and on!

“No A, I said no, not tonight.”

“Ohhh…I want to buy something!  You never let me buy anything!  I want to buy something! When we get to Walmart can I buy something?!”-A

I decide to see if I can defuse the situation before we get there, and I offer up an alternative…

“A, would you like an ice cream instead?  We are going to stop for snowballs.”

“You won’t let me have ice cream, because I can’t buy anything at Walmart.”  And again and again and again it continues.

So I buy the other two boys, my husband, and myself a snowball/ice cream.  Get back in the van.

“Ohhh..I want an ice cream!  You never buy me nothing!”-A

“A, I will only buy you an ice cream if you stop crying and screaming.  Can you do that?”

“…Ok”-A

 He gets his ice cream and refuses to eat it, because he is still upset.  We get to Walmart and the broken record starts again…”Can you buy me something at Walmart?”

OK Steph, just breathe (don’t kill him!).  He can’t help it.  He can’t help the repetitive phrases...it’s all part of his disorder.  I know why he wants to buy something.  That is his coping mechanism for Walmart.  He can’t stand the crowds, the noises, the smells!  If he is allowed to buy something, he can focus on that, not on his surroundings. 

The problem is I don’t want to have to buy him something EVERY TIME we go to Walmart!  He has tons of toys as it is (not to mention we have limited funds)!  If he would have settled for a candy, or something small, then I could see doing that…but I know he wanted something in the toy department…something big…lol.

He was able to get through Walmart without buying something, but he had to ride inside the shopping cart, eating his ice cream.

You know what they say...

I haven’t wanted to blog this past week.  I've had too much crap on my mind, and I am afraid to post certain things.  Let me start with the fact that I can’t stop thinking about a friend of mine.  She is going through the worst thing imaginable.  I won’t go into it….it’s not my tale to tell.  Let me say this though, in comparison I am finding it very hard to complain about my life.

I also learned something this weekend about a loved one, that I would rather I hadn’t.  No, I am glad I know, but I just wish the person would get help.  They are on a path of self-destruction and in complete denial about it.

Sorry for starting out so cryptic…I just can’t go into more detail.

Ok so back to my life…my bitching…

My oldest son is on medication for ADHD.  He was diagnosed in May.  His doctor said that he case is very severe and that choosing to medicate is the better choice.  So he has been on Vyvance since June.  We have increased the dosage once, and it is still not working.  He is still bouncing off the walls (think Tigger, but on speed, lol).  The only time I can get him to settle down is when he plays on the computer.

Do you know what he likes to do on the computer?  Watch animal vs animal videos.  My sweet, funny, charming almost 8 y/o likes to watch animals fight one another.  Should I worry about this or is this typical gross boy behavior?  It isn’t just fighting; the videos also give facts about each animal.  I know this because he likes to tell me all about it…lol.

He also likes to read about animals.  He got a fact book about “sea monsters” that he reads over and over.   He likes joke books too. 

He is excited because he gets to go back to school early this year.  He qualified for a reading program at school, to help him get caught up to grade level.  So for the next 3 weeks, he gets to go to school, for half a day, and read. 

I hope all we did this summer (getting him glasses, the medication, making him read daily and now this program) helps him get caught up to speed.  He is so smart, and so willing to learn, he just couldn’t sit still long enough to retain any of it.

I have spoken to an adult who has severe ADD and she told me what it was like for her before her diagnosis and medication.  She said it felt like there were a million things running through her mind at once and she couldn’t focus on any of them.  She said she felt like she was going crazy.  She couldn’t believe the difference the medication made.  She feels like she can actually function now.

See, I used to be one of those people who didn’t believe that ADD/ADHD was real.  Or maybe it is real, but it was VERY over diagnosed.  That kid isn’t hyper, he is a kid.  So of course when the teacher called to tell me she thought I should get my oldest son tested, the first thought was “he’s the youngest in his class” or “he’s a little boy”…etc. 

Now I know it really is an under developed part of the brain, not being able to communicate with other parts of the brain.  My son needs medication to create those neuro-pathways. 

If you break your leg, you get a cast…no one looks down on you for getting a cast.  Why is there such a stigma for ADD/ADHD and the medications for it?  Why do I still see “the look” when I say that he takes medicine?

Going through this, the biggest lesson I am learning is to not make snap judgments about other people.  I am the worst.  I gossip.  I judge.  I am a busybody.  I am starting to try to stop these behaviors, but it is hard.