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Author: Mary | Just Take A Bite

Every year I take steps towards breaking the chains of anxiety and OCD. Every year I learn more about myself and grow closer to God. This year...I'm going all in.

Going All In This Year

Every year I take steps towards breaking the chains of anxiety and OCD. Every year I learn more about myself and grow closer to God. This year…I’m going all in.

Every year I take steps towards breaking the chains of anxiety and OCD. Every year I learn more about myself and grow closer to God. This year...I'm going all in.

2016 was quite a year. There were so many amazing things that happened (I wrote about it here).

That doesn’t mean 2017 will be a let down. Far from it! I have some fun goals for this year. More importantly, God has good plans for me.

Fun Things Ahead.

Here are a few of the things I want to accomplish this year:

  1. Write a new book! I already have the topic. I just need to find time to make it happen. You’ll be the first to know when it’s ready.
  2. Settle into a home school routine. We’re starting fresh this year now that my son is home too. So we’ll be seeing what does and doesn’t work, figuring out the best layout for our classroom and finding some fun ways to learn.
  3. Have fewer doctor appointments. I am thankful that lately this hasn’t been too much of an issue. My daughter is now going to the orthodontist only once every six weeks. And we’re still deciding if she needs to continue with the functional neurologist. Aside from that it’s just regular check ups or a trip to the ped if a child is really sick. My goal is no allergist appointments this year!!
  4. Get the house totally unpacked and settled. I’m amazed at how much we accomplished in three weeks here. We’re down to odds and ends boxes left to unpack. We’re still adding a few decor items.
  5. Adjust to farm life. I think come spring it will hit me a little more that we live on a farm. We’ll be cleaning the barn, starting a garden and hopefully getting chickens. Maybe a few bunnies too. Then reality will sink in!
  6. Make new friends. It’s my priority this year to make sure my kids have plenty of interaction with friends even though we home school. Plus we want to meet the people that live around us and develop new friendships when we find a new home church. It’s exciting and scary for this shy introvert!
  7. Spend more time together as a family. Now that we don’t have cable, we’re not as busy and we home school my prayer is that we have a lot more family time. We’re already trying to figure out where to go on vacation! I’m including in this extended family too – just yesterday I talked on the phone with my dad for a while. He broke his knee cap and had surgery a few days ago. I don’t live near by so I can’t really help much, but I can talk to him!
  8. Make sleep a priority. I probably say this every year. But I really mean it. I know it is the missing piece to my health puzzle. Now that my toddler has been sleeping through the night regularly for a month I am amazed at how much better I feel. I need to allow myself to sleep in sometimes and go to bed early sometimes. To-do lists can wait. I kicked this off yesterday with a nice Sunday afternoon nap. And going to bed early!

Setting My Sights High.

Probably my biggest goal is to finally slam the door shut on my anxiety and OCD that I’ve battled for years. I have made huge progress on them over the past ten years. But I’m ready to say goodbye completely.

This is only possible by the grace of God. Last year he laid it on my heart to be fearless. And that is my goal heading into 2017 as well. Following God’s path is not always easy, but it leads to blessing beyond measure.

Every year I take steps towards breaking the chains of anxiety and OCD. Every year I learn more about myself and grow closer to God. This year...I'm going all in.

My Words This Year.

Every year I pick a word for the year to focus on (or should I say God picks a word for me). This year I have two:

FEARLESS

HUMBLE

Last year I felt lots of change coming. This year feels like it will be calmer. But still big. I anticipate more time just being still and quiet instead of constantly on the go. I look forward to the blessings and surprises God has in store for myself and for my family. And I pray that I will approach everything fearlessly and with humility.

Lest I question this choice, my sister-in-law bought me a “Be Fearless.” sign for Christmas and just yesterday after I had just finished writing this post my toddler was walking around saying “humble, humble, humble…”. Sometimes God speaks loud and clear!

This year I’m going all in. I pray God will guide me through the challenges and the joys that lie ahead.

Do you have any goals for this year? I’d love to hear about them!!

Every year I take steps towards breaking the chains of anxiety and OCD. Every year I learn more about myself and grow closer to God. This year...I'm going all in.

This week's kid-friendly real food meal plan and agenda focus on getting back into routines, starting school and making nourishing food.

Kid-Friendly Real Food Meal Plan Week Of 1-1-17

This week’s kid-friendly real food meal plan and agenda focus on getting back into routines, starting school and making nourishing food.

This week's kid-friendly real food meal plan and agenda focus on getting back into routines, starting school and making nourishing food.

Happy New Year!! It’s hard to believe we’re at the start of a new year.

Getting Back On Track.

For now I’m focusing on the new week. And I’m so excited to get back into routines and start school again. The kids are too! We have so much to learn and explore, including new presents.

I’m hoping to get my New Year’s goals posted soon. Bear with me…life has been slightly busy. At least I did get my end of year thoughts written out.

Getting Back In The Kitchen.

This week I’m going to try my new instant pot (only my third time!), make frosting for cupcakes (for an event) and use some of our new beef (just got a freezer full of beef a few days before Christmas).

I am making sure we start the year with good nutrition. A great way to do that is by adding more broth to our diet. GAPS Diet Journey is hosting a 30 day broth challenge if you need a little help making it one of your goals.

Sign up for the broth challenge here.

I’m trying to get my kids in kitchen too with the Kids Cook Real Food ecourse.

You can check out the FREE knife skills classes here!

Kid-Friendly Meal Plans.

Here is our kid-friendly real food meal plan for the week. You may notice it looks slightly different. I still eat rotationally for the most part, but I know it can be confusing and overwhelming for others to see. So I’ll leave that part out for you. And as we expand our diet I’ll have more variety on the menu as well. Enjoy!

What’s on your menu this week? Did you include any broth?

This week's kid-friendly real food meal plan and agenda focus on getting back into routines, starting school and making nourishing food.

Sunday
B – toast with sunbutter, clementines
L – crockpot roast beef, carrots, potatoes
D – beef and broccoli stir fry over rice
prep: make broth, grind and soak teff, make gummies, boil eggs
notes: 

Monday
B – hard boiled eggs, toast | leftover stir fry
D – goulash, beans, peas, applesauce
prep: make teff crackers
notes: 

Tuesday
B – yogurt, granola, fruit
D – beef vegetable soup, crackers with cheese
prep: make frosting, soak oats
notes: early dinner

Wednesday
B – oatmeal/porridge, fruit | leftover soup
D – IP meatballs, broccoli, buttered noodles
prep:
notes:

Thursday
B – cereal, fruit | leftover meatballs, broccoli
D – tacos, peas
prep: 
notes:

Friday
B – toast with sunbutter, banana avoacdo shakes
D – roast chicken, roasted purple cabbage, roasted potatoes
prep: 
notes: prep ahead dinner

Saturday
B – fried eggs, toast, fruit
D – pumpkin chili, chocolate zucchini scones
prep: bake scones
notes:

I started the year with dreams and fears. But I certainly never thought it would end like this!

I Never Thought It Would End Like This

I started the year with dreams and fears. But I certainly never thought it would end like this!

I started the year with dreams and fears. But I certainly never thought it would end like this!

Wow!

Sometimes that’s all I can say. Wow!

When I look back on this past year I’m completely amazed and astounded.

I started the year feeling very uncertain. About the only thing that was certain was that God had some big changes in store. I didn’t know what or when or how. I just knew something was coming. And that God’s only requirement of me was that I be fearless and follow his leading (I wrote about it in my New Year’s goals last year!).

So I did.

I started the year with dreams and fears. But I certainly never thought it would end like this!

Personal Development.

Here we are at the end of 2016. And what a year God had planned for us! I never thought it would end like this. Here’s a look back.

In February I started working as a virtual assistant for Kitchen Stewardship. It has been a great experience, and I have learned so much!

In March I self-published my very first book! Even in the midst of daily feeding struggles with my youngest God gave me the energy and insight to put our story and experience to paper. I love using it to help others.

You can check out my book “Why Won’t My Child Eat?!” here.

The House Hunt Begins.

We also put an offer on a house in March. But after inspections we backed out. Back to the drawing board.

In April we put an offer on another house. We were outbid. A few days later we put an offer on yet another house. This time things went smoothly. We just had to wait for closing.

After a couple months of waiting we finally got a closing date…only to be informed that the sellers had backed out. With our basement filling with boxes we were back to square one again.

I started the year with dreams and fears. But I certainly never thought it would end like this!

Homeschooling!!

The summer brought some pretty big changes as well. We decided to take a leap of faith and start homeschooling our oldest. God laid it on our hearts that it is what she needs. We kicked off the school year mid-August and have loved it! She also started working with a functional neurologist during the summer.

We put a bid on a fourth house in August. But our offer was declined.

I started the year with dreams and fears. But I certainly never thought it would end like this!

The Farm.

In early September we finally found the dream house God had planned for us (did you know  you can try as you may to be in control but God’s plans and timing always win?). Our offer was accepted right away, and the whole process went smoothly.

Bye Bye Allergies?

In September we also received a huge surprise when after 6 months of carrying around an epi-pen and months and months of stomach aches all of my son’s allergy tests turned up negative. Not a single reaction! Since then the stomach aches have vanished, and we have slowly been introducing more and more foods. And so far he is tolerating all of them! Even foods he has had to avoid for years.

Not to be outdone, my toddler has been adding foods to her diet as well!! It’s a slower process for her. But we are so thankful for an expanded diet, including dairy in small amounts! She is now sleeping well, eating well and growing well. God is so good.

For me the new foods mean I can cook one meal for the entire family again a lot of the time. What a blessing.

I started the year with dreams and fears. But I certainly never thought it would end like this!

Crazy Christmas.

The year may have started with uncertainty and a large amount of faith. But it is ending with gratitude and joy beyond measure.

December 10 we moved into our dream farm in a snow storm. It certainly is not the ideal time of year to move. And the weather was not in our favor. We are so thankful friends and family live near by to help us!

The following Monday I started homeschooling my son.

A week later we had all of my husband’s family here for Christmas. Then we celebrated as a family and with my extended family.

I started the year with dreams and fears. But I certainly never thought it would end like this!

Gratitude.

When I think about it all that comes to mind is I never thought it would end like this. This year has been filled with ups and downs. But we are ending the year so grateful and full of joy.

I’m rounding out the year with Christmas baking with my kids. We were just a *tiny bit* busy before Christmas unpacking. It has been so nice to finally have a week to relax and reflect on the year coming to a close.

We’ve loved using some new gadgets like the set of knives my daughter got for Christmas. And the cool Silpat and Levoon measuring spoons I received in conjunction with Stonyfield. All three of my kids had to take turns trying the measuring spoons with a little leveler built right in!

Giving.

I’m also ending the year with thoughts of giving. I have been so richly blessed this year. I was given the opportunity from Stonyfield Yogurt to Pay It Forward to someone in need.

My husband and I decided to add to the Stonyfield gift card so we could buy a farm for someone else!

As a family we decided to purchase a farm team through WorldRenew. It includes a goat, a duck, a sheep, a chicken, a pig and a calf. We pray this will give hope and a brighter future to a family in need.

Something For You.

There are two more great things I don’t want you to miss as you end the year.

  1. Starting today the Kids Cook Real Food course is available again! Try it first with the knife skills lessons. If your kids are anything like mine they’ll be hooked!

Grab your knife skills videos here!

2. Today and tomorrow only the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle is back!! If you are interested in getting your health back on track in the new year this is the way to do it. So many resources all in one place. Plus tons of physical bonuses too.

Grab your UHLB here!

As an extra bonus you’ll be able to snag another bundle about essential oils! Check it out.

Finally, I leave you with some pictures from the farm and our first Christmas here.

I started the year with dreams and fears. But I certainly never thought it would end like this!

What’s Next?

I don’t know what God has planned for us next year. But I do know I will start it fearlessly!! Following God’s plans brings blessings beyond measure.

I started the year with dreams and fears. But I certainly never thought it would end like this!

Merry Christmas. Happy New Year.

I hope you take the time to reflect on your year and all you have to be thankful for. I never thought it would end like this. But I’m so glad it did.

I started the year with dreams and fears. But I certainly never thought it would end like this!

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on house work, fun foods and family time.

Real Food Meal Plan Week Of 12/25/16

This week’s real food meal plan and agenda focus on house work, fun foods and family time.This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on house work, fun foods and family time.

Merry Christmas!!

I pray you have a blessed day of celebrating our Lord’s birth. What a special day it is. We will be celebrating with extended family. We already had a great time with family last week too!!

This week our goal is to finish getting the house settled. Yesterday I organized bathrooms and the mud room Still to go – the big kids’ bedroom, our school room and the spare bedroom/craft room. There are a few boxes to be unpacked yet as well.

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on house work, fun foods and family time.

Kids In The Kitchen.

I really want to get my kids in the kitchen this week. My daughter got her own set of knives for Christmas and she’s been itching to give them a try (she started yesterday chopping veggies for our party).

Curious how I got my kids comfortable with knives in the kitchen? Check out the Kids Cook Real Food ecourse! The free knife skills videos will be available later this week!! Sign up here!

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on house work, fun foods and family time.

More School, Please.

If it were up to my kids we’d be starting up school again Monday morning. They are so excited about our new school room and our new puzzles, games and flashcards (functional Christmas presents!). I told them we could do a few things but we won’t be starting up full time school work until next week. I need more time to plan and prepare!! At least that’s my goal for the second half of the school year…more planning ahead. 

This week’s real food meal plan has some of my older recipes I haven’t made in a while. I thought it would be fun to let the kids help make them and have some new foods now that we’re expanding everyone’s diet.

Healthy Living Goals.

Looking for ways to get healthier in the new year? The Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle is back for TWO DAYS – December 28 and 29!! If you didn’t grab it before now is your last chance. After Thursday it’s gone forever. So many amazing resources for less than $30. Plus over $200 in physical bonus items. It is so worth every penny.

Grab the UHLB HERE!

Here is our menu. What are you eating this week?

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on house work, fun foods and family time.

ROTATION: Each day starts with dinner and goes through lunch the next day. Foods in () are things yet to be tried.

Sunday 1
B – yogurt, granola bars
L – sunbutter and grape jelly sandwiches, peas, pear slices
D – at family party
prep: 
notes: celebrate with family

Monday 2
B – french toast
D – chicken pot pie, broccoli, applesauce
prep: kids make pie crust
notes:

Tuesday 3
B – fried eggs, toast, fruit
D – corndog muffins, sauteed zucchini, peaches
prep: kids chop zucchini and make muffin batter
notes:

Wednesday 4
B – toast with sunbutter, blueberry spinach smoothies
D – zucchini enchiladas, guacamole, corn
prep: kids make guacamole
notes:

Thursday 1
B – yogurt, granola, fruit
D – butternut squash risotto, fried chicken, pearsauce
prep: 
notes:

Friday 2
B – cereal, squash cherry smoothies
D – waffles, bacon, roasted cauliflower, blueberry topping
prep: kids chop cauliflower and make blueberry topping
notes: 

Saturday 3
B – waffles, scrambled eggs
D – BLT, chicken corn chowder
prep: 
notes:

Day 1: squash, cabbage, banana, strawberry (pineapple, potato)
Day 1: squash, cabbage, carrot, tapioca, strawberry (cassava, potato)
Day 2: corn, grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, avocado, raspberry (amaranth, tomato, orange)
Day 2: corn, grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, amaranth, raspberry, orange
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, peach (kiwi, quinoa)
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, peach, sorghum, quinoa, beans
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cherries, split peas, rice, olives, dairy (millet)
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, rice, olives, peppers, onion, coconut, millet, egg, peas, dairy

Enjoy your holidays AND serve a healthy breakfast with this nutritious candy cane smoothie bowl. It's so easy to make your kids can do it!

The Christmas Breakfast You Need – Candy Cane Smoothie Bowl

Enjoy your holidays AND serve a healthy breakfast with this nutritious candy cane smoothie bowl. It’s so easy to make your kids can do it!

Enjoy your holidays AND serve a healthy breakfast with this nutritious candy cane smoothie bowl. It's so easy to make your kids can do it!

I have so many wonderful memories of Christmas from my childhood. We’d go to church for a candle light service on Christmas Eve. When it was time for presents my three siblings and I would sit in a line, and my dad would hand them out one at a time. There was so much joy and excitement.

Then we would visit out-of-town extended family. It was great to see grandparents and cousins that we didn’t get to see very often.

Of course after all of the celebrations were done it was time to play! We played with our new toys and spent hours outside building snow forts. That’s what Christmas break is all about, right?

Then I Grew Up…

Now I’m a parent…and I still love Christmas. But it doesn’t quite bring the same joy and excitement as it did when I was a child. I dwell on all of the stuff on my to-do list. The packing, traveling, buying, wrapping, cooking, baking, cleaning and hosting. It’s more crazy than calming. More stressful than joyful.

So by the time all of the chaos is over I’m just plain worn out. I don’t have the energy to prepare a fancy breakfast for my family.

Enjoy your holidays AND serve a healthy breakfast with this nutritious candy cane smoothie bowl. It's so easy to make your kids can do it!

My Solution?

This super simple candy cane smoothie bowl!

IT’S LOADED WITH NUTRIENTS BUT REQUIRES VERY LITTLE EFFORT…ISN’T THAT WHAT WE ARE ALL LOOKING FOR?

A candy cane smoothie bowl is festive and fun. It is so easy to make I actually let my kids do most of the prep work! The older kids practice their detailed cutting skills they learned in the Kids Cook Real Food eCourse. The younger ones pick out pomegranate seeds.

All of the preparation can be done the day before (great afternoon project for bored kids!!). Even the smoothie ingredients can go right in the blender and be ready for morning.

Head over to Kitchen Stewardship where I’m sharing the recipe. Christmas breakfast planning done!

Get the recipe here!

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on celebrating Christmas with family and continuing the unpacking process.

Real Food Meal Plan Week Of 12/18/16

This week’s real food meal plan and agenda focus on celebrating Christmas with family and continuing the unpacking process.

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on celebrating Christmas with family and continuing the unpacking process.

It’s crazy that we’ve been living on the farm for a week now! I really thought I’d be more emotional/sentimental about the old house. But this already feels like home (aside from not knowing where half of my stuff is). I guess it helps that I LOVE our new house.

Motivation To Move.

We’ve been on the fast track to get things unpacked because we have lots of family coming to stay with us this week! We still have a lot to go, but we’re settled enough to have a functional house.

So far life on the farm is…COLD! We’re realizing that none of us has proper clothing for living out in the country when wind chills are below zero and the wind doesn’t stop howling. I think there may be some after Christmas sales clothes shopping coming.

I also think our new house is magical. My toddler has slept through the night AND not gotten up early five days in a row now. It’s a true miracle. I know my body sure is loving the great sleep!

In The Kitchen.

I’ll be in the kitchen a lot preparing meals for everyone for a few days. But no extra projects planned right now. Though my kids might convince me otherwise since we will be celebrating Christmas as a family later in the week. I like to do something special for breakfast when we open presents.

These scotcheroos come together in about ten minutes, using real, allergen friendly ingredients. A simple, delicious dessert with no baking required!

I did make a special treat last week – my updated and allergy friendly scotcheroos!! You must try them. The kids had fun helping me. I had so much fun experimenting with photography at the new house. So much good lighting!! Now I want to make all sorts of stuff to photograph. Any suggestions?

Head’s Up!

There are a couple really cool things coming up I don’t want you to miss:

The Kids Cook Real Food ecourse will be open at the end of the month!! Sign up here to be notified so you don’t miss out.

Did you miss the Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle the first time around? It will be back for just two days – December 28 and 29! This is about as good as it gets when it comes to a wealth of knowledge on natural living all in one place…and for a super cheap price. Totally worth every penny. Check it out here!

Here is our real food meal plan for the week. We’ll be eating well with two Christmas celebrations! What’s on your menu?

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on celebrating Christmas with family and continuing the unpacking process.

ROTATION: Each day starts with dinner and goes through lunch the next day. Foods in () are things yet to be tried.

Sunday 4
B – toast with sunbutter, pear slices | avocado, pork chops
L – crockpot beef roast, roasted potatoes, carrots
D – grilled cheese, tomato soup
prep: bake banana bread
notes: 

Monday 1
B – yogurt, granola bar, fruit
D – crockpot beef vegetable soup, banana bread, crackers with cheese
prep: soak oats for baked oatmeal, boil eggs, make veggie dip, chop fruit
notes: prep ahead dinner

Tuesday 2
B – cereal, fruit | leftover soup, bread
L – egg casserole, baked oatmeal, breakfast cake, roasted cabbage, green beans, fresh fruit
D – pork roast (homemade ham), roasted cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, peas, scalloped potatoes or potato casserole, fruit salad, rolls
prep: bake oatmeal, bake breakfast cake, make jello, make fruit salad
notes: guests

Wednesday 3
B – make-your-own parfait buffet, fruit, muffins, hard boiled eggs
L – ham on buns, split pea soup, raw veggies with dip, finger jello
D – baked chicken, broccoli, squash, applesauce, seasoned rice
prep: roast squash
notes: guests

Thursday 4
B – toast with sunbutter, cereal, hard boiled eggs, fruit, muffins
D – sloppy cornbread, peas, jello
prep: 
notes: guests

Friday 1
B – french toast with homemade powdered sugar, fruit, fried eggs
D – salmon cakes, roasted carrots, french fries
prep: make mayo
notes: Family Christmas

Saturday 2
B – french toast, fruit
D – leftovers
prep: 
notes:

Day 1: squash, cabbage, banana, strawberry (pineapple)
Day 1: squash, cabbage, banana, carrot, tapioca, strawberry (cassava)
Day 2: corn, grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, avocado, raspberry (amaranth, tomato, orange)
Day 2: grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, avocado, amaranth, raspberry, orange
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, peach (kiwi, quinoa)
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, peach, sorghum, quinoa, beans
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cherries, split peas, rice, egg, olives, dairy (millet)
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, olives, peppers, onion, coconut, millet, egg, peas, dairy

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on getting settled and unpacked and finally having a few minutes to bake!

Real Food Meal Plan Week Of 12/11/16

This week’s real food meal plan and agenda focus on getting settled and unpacked and finally having a few minutes to bake!

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on getting settled and unpacked and finally having a few minutes to bake!

We’re here! We’re here! Today is our first full day living on the farm. We wish it didn’t have to start with a winter storm. But we are happy to be here.

More Excitement.

This week is also exciting because my son is now a home schooler!! I’m so overjoyed to have all of my kids home with me. There is so much we want to do and learn. My kids are the most excited to explore the farm right now.

But first we need to unpack a few boxes. I’m sure that will be an ongoing process for the next few months. For this week my goal is to get the important stuff we use on a daily basis unpacked and organized.

In The Kitchen.

I also need to get caught up in the kitchen! I feel like my kids have been living on (store bought) crackers for the last two weeks. I’m giving myself grace because, well, life. Things were just CRAZY the last couple weeks (staying up Friday night to individually wrap plates and cups is just not my thing). But now I’m ready to break in the new house with some good baking (anyone want to come clean the oven for me??).

I’m sure it will be simple staples, like muffins and crackers. But I’m still excited. Christmas baking will have to wait until after Christmas this year as we have one week now until out-of-town family is coming for a few days! Someone please tell me why I agreed to that? Oh, right…because I hate to travel and had no intention of packing a week after moving!!

Thank You!!

Thank you all for following along with our journey to start this crazy farm, homeschooling life!! I can’t wait to share more with you for years to come.

Don’t forget my giveaway for an amazing homeschooling book for parents is about to end! Enter here.

Here is our real food meal plan for the week. What’s on your menu?

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on getting settled and unpacked and finally having a few minutes to bake!

ROTATION: Each day starts with dinner and goes through lunch the next day. Foods in () are things yet to be tried.

Sunday 2
B – yogurt, granola bars, fruit | squash, beef, avocado
L – crockpot roast chicken, rice, broccoli
D – leftover chili
prep: make gummies?
notes: 

Monday 3
B – cereal, fruit | avocado, fried eggs
D – crockpot chicken noodle soup, muffins
prep: bake muffins
notes: prep ahead dinner

Tuesday 4
B – toast or muffin with sunbutter, fruit
D – pumpkin chicken pasta, peas
prep: boil eggs
notes:

Wednesday 1
B – hard boiled egg, toast
D – chicken nuggets, roasted purple cabbage, french fries
prep: soak oats, chop veggies
notes:

Thursday 2
B – strawberries and cream overnight oats
D – rice bowls, roasted cauliflower
prep: 
notes:

Friday 3
B – yogurt, granola bar, fruit
D – egg muffins, roatsed asparagus, toast w/ red plum raspberry jelly
prep: make beef jerky
notes: 

Saturday 4
B – egg muffins, toast with jelly
D – rice balls, sweet and sour meatballs, peas
prep: food prep for family visit
notes:

Day 1: squash, cabbage, banana, strawberry (pineapple, potato)
Day 1: squash, cabbage, carrot, tapioca, strawberry (cassava, potato)
Day 2: corn, grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, avocado, raspberry (amaranth, tomato, orange)
Day 2: corn, grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, amaranth, raspberry, orange
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, peach (kiwi, quinoa)
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, peach, sorghum, quinoa, beans
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cherries, split peas, rice, olives, dairy (millet)
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, rice, olives, peppers, onion, coconut, millet, egg, peas, dairy

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on the end of school, end of semester and moving!!! This is the week we've been waiting for.

Real Food Meal Plan Week Of 12/4/16

This week’s real food meal plan and agenda focus on the end of school, end of semester and moving!!! This is the week we’ve been waiting for.

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on the end of school, end of semester and moving!!! This is the week we've been waiting for.

It is finally here! The last week in this house. By the end of the week we’ll be moved into the farm!! I’m trying my hardest to focus on the excitement of the journey ahead instead of the sadness of leaving a place we’ve called home and made tons of memories in for the past twelve years.

BUSY!

This week will be kind of insane. We’re trying to do as many trips to the new house as possible to bring random items and get some stuff unpacked. Plus my daughter has her end of semester celebration for her home school co-op. My son has his last day of school – which just happens to be a special program. So we’ll all go to that too.

I’m doing my best to stay on top of Christmas preparations. We got our tree yesterday. I’m almost done shopping. Most of the presents are wrapped. Cards went out early last week. My Christmas menus are planned.

If only there were three of me!

Homeschooling Giveaway!

Did you read my post on homeschooling? Go check it out! There is a giveaway too.

Meals this week will be mostly prep ahead so I have the day free to do home school and keep up with packing and unpacking. I don’t have any kitchen projects planned. I told the kids we may have to make Christmas cookies after Christmas this year!

I hope you have a wonderful week and can enjoy the holiday season. Here is our real food meal plan for the week. What’s on your menu?

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on the end of school, end of semester and moving!!! This is the week we've been waiting for.

ROTATION: Each day starts with dinner and goes through lunch the next day. Foods in () are things yet to be tried.

Sunday 3
B – cereal, fruit | sloppy joe, avocado, squash
L – crockpot pork roast, broccoli, rice
D – beef stroganoff over rice, Brussels sprouts, apple slices
prep: chop veggies, make gummies?
notes: 

Monday 4
B – baked oatmeal | spinach blueberry smoothies
D – pumpkin soup, crackers and cheese
prep: 
notes: prep ahead dinner

Tuesday 1
B – yogurt, granola bars, fruit
D – baked chicken, baked potatoes, roasted carrots
prep: boil eggs
notes:

Wednesday 2
B – hard boiled eggs, toast | leftovers
D – mac ‘n’ cheese, broccoli and cauliflower, peaches
prep:
notes:

Thursday 3
B – cereal, fruit | banana avocado shake
D – crockpot stuffed peppers, peaches
prep: 
notes:

Friday 4
B – toast w/ sunbutter, fruit
D – crockpot meatballs, rice, peas
prep: soak beans, prep chili
notes: 

Saturday 1 MOVING DAY!!!
B – yogurt, granola bars, fruit
L – crockpot chili, chips w/ salsa, fruit, raw veggies
D – hot dogs and brats, squash, chips, fruit
prep: 
notes:

Day 1: squash, cabbage, banana, strawberry (pineapple, potato)
Day 1: squash, cabbage, carrot, tapioca, strawberry (cassava, potato)
Day 2: corn, grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, avocado, raspberry (amaranth, tomato, orange)
Day 2: corn, grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, amaranth, raspberry, orange
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, peach (kiwi, quinoa)
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, peach, sorghum, quinoa, beans
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cherries, split peas, rice, olives, dairy (millet)
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, rice, olives, peppers, onion, coconut, millet, egg, peas, dairy

As God called our family to homeschooling my husband and I both had preconceived ideas and fears. But as the journey started this one thing helped turn it around.

On The Fence About Homeschooling? This Will Change Your Mind

As God called our family to homeschooling my husband and I both had preconceived ideas and fears. But as the journey started this one thing helped turn it around.

As God called our family to homeschooling my husband and I both had preconceived ideas and fears. But as the journey started this one thing helped turn it around.

(Edited June 5, 2021 – I just wrapped up our fifth year of homeschooling four kids! It is still a joy and a blessing!)

When it comes to homeschooling I’m a complete novice. I’ve only been doing it with one of my children since August. That’s a whopping four months.

Needless to say I still have a LOT to learn. We are still figuring out routines, learning styles, what curriculum we enjoy, etc. And in just a couple weeks we’ll add a whole new dimension to the mix as my five-year old joins us.

When Homeschooling Isn’t Your Choice

Growing up I had preconceived notions about homeschooling…or should I say homeschoolers. So when I had my own kids it was not something I even thought about at first.

As my oldest approached school age it did cross my mind. But not enough to actively pursue homeschooling. And my husband didn’t want to either.

It wasn’t until this past summer as my daughter was preparing for third grade when we all reached our limit on trying to push her through the day, every day – barking commands, getting angry, having her in tears, always telling her to go. When all she wanted to do was stay home and pursue her passions.

The Lord laid it on my heart that we needed to switch directions and start homeschooling.

The decision did not come without a lot of fear and anxiety. I asked every homeschooling friend I knew for advice on curriculum, what to do, where to start. One of the best pieces of advice I got was to just relax.

As God called our family to homeschooling my husband and I both had preconceived ideas and fears. But as the journey started this one thing helped turn it around.

But it wasn’t until I happened to hear from Kelly Crawford, a homeschooling mom of ten(!!), that I confronted my fears. And had them all put to rest.

I read her book “Think Outside The Classroom: A Practical Approach To Relaxed Homeschooling” in about two days. It would have been one if I had that much free time to read. I did not want to put it down. It helps that it’s an easy read!

I felt like she was speaking right to me, addressing every concern I had. It gave me a new sense of peace and excitement about the journey ahead.

What I didn’t expect was the conviction it gave me about how amazing homeschooling really is. It changed my whole perspective on how I raise my kids and my purpose as a mother.

As God called our family to homeschooling my husband and I both had preconceived ideas and fears. But as the journey started this one thing helped turn it around.

What Is Education?

Kelly starts by addressing what education actually is. I had never even thought about it. I grew up going to public schools. Everyone learns the same stuff. Everyone goes to elementary, junior high and high school. Then you try to figure out what you’re supposed to do with your life.

But that’s not what I want for my kids. I want them learning right now what they want to do and be. More importantly I want them developing their God-given talents and learning how God can use them.

Homeschooling as a Lifestyle Change

Next Kelly talks about learning as a lifestyle as opposed to something you do five days a week inside a brick building.

I found myself nodding and smiling at every point she made.

  • Yes, I want my kids outside, exploring, learning about nature and life.
  • Yes, I want my kids to have time to ask questions and search for the answers without bells telling them it is time to move on.
  • Yes, I want my kids to have time alone to think and wonder and listen.
  • Yes, I want my kids to always be in conversation with me about the world around them.

Top Priority of Homeschooling

More important than any of those? Teaching the fear of the Lord. I want God to be number one in my children’s lives. Making that the priority in our house is so important.

As God called our family to homeschooling my husband and I both had preconceived ideas and fears. But as the journey started this one thing helped turn it around.

We have daily Bible times and talk about how we can put God’s Word into action. I always make sure all of the kids are awake and available to participate in devotions.

It has really changed my mindset knowing that my role is to help my children discover who God has created them to be.

It’s not my job to tell them what subjects should interest them. Instead I need to help open doors for them and give them the education to develop their talents.

Education Versus Learning

Even at eight years old my daughter already had ingrained in her head that school was about getting answers right and doing things perfectly. We’ve spent the first four months of homeschooling trying to undo that.

Education is about learning. That means understanding concepts and how to use them. It means knowing how to find the answers to your questions. It means enjoying the learning process and not working towards a grade. Getting an answer wrong is not a bad thing. It’s just a way of telling you there is more learning to be done.

Kids Can Communicate And Contribute at Home

One of our focuses has also been on effective communication. Growing up I was painfully shy. I still am!! I want so badly to be able to speak in front of others and share my knowledge..but my lack of communication skills stops me from doing it. Now I am actively seeking opportunities for my kids to speak, perform, write, etc. It is one of the best skills they can learn.

I also love how Kelly focuses on teaching kids to be productive. Just because you are young does not mean you can’t be responsible and contribute. My kids help around the house. My five-year old already has such a great work ethic. He is willing to lend a hand any time. And I’m sure we will continue to cultivate that gift.

Even though my daughter is only eight she is constantly begging me to help her start her own business. She has a lot of ideas! And we will put some of them into action over the next few years. I wouldn’t be surprised if she is running a successful business by the time she’s twelve.

The Top Two Questions for Homeschoolers

I can’t write about homeschooling without mentioning everyone’s biggest questions:

  1. How will they be ready for the real world?
  2. How will they learn to socialize?

Don’t worry. I had those questions too! Kelly does a great job answering them. Here are some of her thoughts on preparing kids for the real world.

As God called our family to homeschooling my husband and I both had preconceived ideas and fears. But as the journey started this one thing helped turn it around.

As God called our family to homeschooling my husband and I both had preconceived ideas and fears. But as the journey started this one thing helped turn it around.

I was really worried about the social aspect. I’m such a homebody by nature. But the homeschooling community here is amazing! In just four months I’ve started developing deeper friendships with other moms than I did in four years of my daughter going to school. And she is already making some great friends.

What really makes me excited is she is even meeting friends from families just like ours – real food, natural living, etc. My daughter is so excited to have friends that really get her and don’t think her lifestyle is weird.

Plus we have more time to socialize. I consider it one more part of our lifestyle of learning to get together with friends.

Pure Joy from Home Education

You have no idea the joy I have experienced seeing my daughter’s frustrations dissipate. To see her spend three hours getting lost in a good book in the afternoon instead of walking off the bus exhausted just before dinner time. To see her and her little brother explore and imagine outside for hours on end instead of looking longingly out the window while she does repetitive worksheets. I have been blessed to witness first hand her curiosity and gifts blossom.

And even better – our relationship as mother and daughter has been restored. There had been a disconnect for years. But now we have time to talk. She shares her dreams and her fears with me. We love to spend time together. It is such a blessing.

As God called our family to homeschooling my husband and I both had preconceived ideas and fears. But as the journey started this one thing helped turn it around.

Did I Help Answer your Homeschooling Questions?

I could talk for hours on homeschooling and how much I love it. But I’ll stop here. I’ve already given you a lot to think about (hopefully it was helpful!). If you are on the fence about homeschooling I encourage you to talk to someone experienced and read Kelly’s book.

Honestly, I wish I could just copy the whole book here for you to read! It’s that good. 

This book is for those considering homeschooling, those just starting the journey or even for those with years of experience that need a new approach or a renewed purpose.

Every time I talk to someone that says they are considering homeschooling I want to give them this book. Now I get to!

Then tell me your thoughts! Are you considering homeschooling? What is holding you back?

Want to hear more from Kelly? She blogs at Generation Cedar!! Check it out.

As God called our family to homeschooling my husband and I both had preconceived ideas and fears. But as the journey started this one thing helped turn it around.

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on Christmas and moving preparations. The two week countdown is on!

Real Food Meal Plan Week Of 11/27/16

This week’s real food meal plan and agenda focus on Christmas and moving preparations. The two week countdown is on!

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on Christmas and moving preparations. The two week countdown is on!

It’s crazy to think we’ve already had our new house for a week. We’ve been over there almost every day cleaning and unloading boxes. Only 13 days until the big move. There is still plenty to be done!

Keeping Myself Sane.

My goal for this week is just to maintain my sanity. Living in two houses at once while taking care of three kids and home schooling is no easy task. Add the Christmas chaos to it and you see why I’m a bit more stressed than usual.

It sure was nice to have a break from school last week. We all needed it. This week I hope we can find time to do our work. Though it may be a lighter load than usual.

In The Kitchen.

I don’t expect to have much time in the kitchen this week. Though I do have to make a few teacher gifts. Thank goodness my daughter can almost make them herself!!

Meals are as basic as can be. But still homemade. If I can still have real, homemade food on the table every day in this chaos I think just about anyone can. They may be simple, but still nourishing. After the holidays I’ll get back to my usual cooking.

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on Christmas and moving preparations. The two week countdown is on!

And hopefully cooking will be more fun next year as my two youngest are slowly adding more foods to their diets!! Currently everyone can at least eat some forms of dairy. And my son has been doing ok with rice and corn. Which means I can make so much more food that the whole family can eat. Praise the Lord!!

Staying Healthy.

I’m starting the week with roast chicken…which means lots of homemade broth. Just what we all need to get over colds and keep us nourished through stressful, tiring days.

We are so thankful for this new adventure. And we trust God will sustain us through the next few super busy weeks.

Speaking of healthy, don’t forget to enter the giveaway for a copy of Nourished Beginnings!! Today is the last day to enter. It is sure to help you keep the family healthy.

>>>Enter the giveaway here!

What’s on your menu? Any Thanksgiving leftovers?

This week's real food meal plan and agenda focus on Christmas and moving preparations. The two week countdown is on!

ROTATION: Each day starts with dinner and goes through lunch the next day. Foods in () are things yet to be tried.

Sunday 4
B – english muffin with sunbutter, blueberry spinach smoothie
L – crockpot roast chicken, rice, broccoli
D – hot dogs, brats, peas, strawberry smoothies
prep: chop veggies, make hot cocoa, make granola?, soak beans
notes: 

Monday 1
B – yogurt, granola, fruit
D – crockpot rice and beans, applesauce
prep: grate cheese
notes: prep ahead dinner

Tuesday 2
B – cereal, fruit | squash cherry smoothies, muffins
D – chicken and veggie stir fry over rice
prep: boil eggs
notes:

Wednesday 3
B – hard boiled eggs, toast/muffins
D – pan seared salmon, sauteed zucchini, buttered noodles
prep: grind and soak teff, soak oats
notes:

Thursday 4
B – oatmeal/porridge, fruit
D – crockpot meatloaf, baked potatoes, carrots
prep: prep ahead
notes:

Friday 1
B – yogurt, granola bars, fruit
D – coffee cake, roasted purple cabbage, bacon
prep: bake coffee cake, bake pie?
notes: 

Saturday 2
B – coffee cake, bacon
D – sloppy joes, chips, roasted cauliflower
prep: 
notes:

Day 1: squash, cabbage, banana, strawberry (pineapple)
Day 1: squash, cabbage, carrot, tapioca, strawberry,cassava
Day 2: corn, grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, avocado, raspberry (amaranth, tomato, orange)
Day 2: grapes, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, amaranth, raspberry, orange
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, peach (kiwi, quinoa)
Day 3: teff, eggplant, zucchini, blueberries, asparagus, spinach, sunbutter, peach, sorghum, quinoa, beans
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cherries, split peas, rice, egg, olives, dairy (millet)
Day 4: pumpkin, lettuce, cucumber, cherries, olives, peppers, onion, coconut, millet, egg, peas (dairy)