Welcome to November! It’s a chilly one. And it should be an “interesting” day with the time change. Any chance my kids will sleep in? I think I already hear them at 5 am!!

We had a wonderful baptism celebration last weekend. We also had a lot of fun trick-or-treating. Thankfully we had Saturday to unwind and get some things done around the house.

We’re back at it now. Somehow every possible errand/doctor appointment ended up being this week.  We have milk pick up, Kindermusik, dance, two speech therapy visits, psychologist, allergist, mom’s group and grocery shopping. I also have a chiro appointment scheduled, but I need to move it. There just isn’t time.

I’m very excited for my son’s allergy test. It’s been a year since his diagnosis. Will he still be allergic to dairy?!? I’ll be doing an update post soon to fill you in on the results.

Needless to say I won’t be doing much else this week besides running around. I hope everyone is healthy this week so we can keep up.

I’ve been working on roasting, pureeing and freezing all of our squash and pumpkin. I have about one more round of each to do. And now it’s time to get started on canning applesauce.  It’s a daunting task every year. But it’s so nice to have a shelf full of applesauce when I’m done. We’ll see if I have the time and energy to get started today…and if my little one gives me time. I’d like to make granola bars and possibly experiment with donuts as well.

Last week I shared a round up of how to use extra milk. Looks like I’ll be picking from that list again as we have a whole gallon to use up today. This week I’m starting my simple soup series! Be sure to check it out.

Here is what’s on our menu. Most days I’ll be using the crockpot since we won’t be home until dinner time. What’s on your menu this week? 

Sunday
L – cp ham steak, sweet potato fries, broccoli
D – leftover pizza, squash, apple and pear slices
*make/can applesauce, make pear crisp, soak oats

Monday
D (prep ahead) – cp meatloaf, baked potatoes, carrots
*make/can applesauce, make ice cream, make baked oatmeal

Tuesday
D (prep ahead) – roast chicken, sweet potatoes, peas
*make granola bars, make broth

Wednesday
D (prep ahead) – split pea soup w/ ham, bread w/ jam
*make gf bread, strain broth

Thursday
D (prep ahead) – chicken apple chili, crackers w/ cheese
*

Friday
D – egg muffins, gf df donuts, broccoli, fruit salad
*make donuts

Saturday
D – pan seared salmon, beans, french fries OR out to eat
*make/can applesauce

God Is Gracious. Our sweet Johanna is going to be baptized today! What a special thing to celebrate.

Unfortunately little one has a touch of the croup big brother and big sister had…and Mommy is sick too. I’m praying it stays mild for Johanna. I’m already feeling better than I was yesterday. So hopefully it goes quickly for her too.

This week will be much busier than I would like. We have little one’s 2 month check up, Kindermusik, speech therapy, dance, parent teacher conferences, Daddy’s work trick-or-treating and regular trick-or-treating. Plus our party today.

I also have a ton of things I want to be doing in the kitchen! We just got a big load of apples, so it’s time to start making and canning applesauce. I also have more squash to roast. I want to make my weekly batch of broth. And I have a lot of baking projects I’ve been anxious to get to.

We’ll see how much, if any, of those things gets done. It depends how much energy I have and if this sickness is short lived.

If you haven’t entered the Earthpaste giveaway yet, today is your last chance!

Enjoy your Sunday and Happy Halloween. Here’s what’s on our menu. What’s on yours?

Sunday
B – yogurt, granola. toast, pastries, bananas, grapes
L – chicken noodle soup, split pea soup, lettuce salad w/ toppings, misc. breads, cookies, bars
D – leftovers
*make fruit snacks

Monday
D – sloppy joes, peas, chips
*make granola, make gf bread, roast/freeze squash

Tuesday
D (prep ahead) – cp roast chicken legs, sweet potatoes, broccoli

Wednesday
D (prep ahead) – cp corn chowder, muffins
*strain broth, bake muffins

Thursday
D (prep ahead) – squash and sausage soup, crackers w/ cheese
*make chocolate sauce, make coconut milk ice cream

Friday
D (quick clean up) – pancake and sausage muffins, beans, fruit salad
*make graham crackers

Saturday
D – pizza
*make/can applesauce, make pizza sauce, make pizza dough

Good morning. Are you ready for another week to begin? We’ve got another busy week ahead with doctor appointments and errands and preparing for house guests and a baptism party! Plus we’re still trying to get the germs our of the house and get my little guy back to full health.

Over the weekend we did some major cleaning around the house. We are trying to get things back in order for when everyone comes this weekend. I still have a little more cleaning to go this week.

I also have plenty of cooking and baking to do. So I’ll be busy in the kitchen. I need to make some kind of gf/df dessert. My son requested cookies, so maybe I’ll make a batch of my perfect gluten free dairy free chocolate chip cookies.

My son starts working with a speech therapist this week. Unlike my daughter who goes for allergies and eating issues, he is actually going to work on speech.

My little one has been doing very well this week – even sleeping quite well! I haven’t been eating any problem foods lately and it shows. I’m still not sure if beef is a problem. I avoided it all last week. So this week I will experiment with it. I’m also still not sure about chocolate. I had a tiny bit yesterday in some chocolate chip muffins and she seemed to do ok. So that will be something to experiment with in the future.

I’m still doing my best to keep my body healthy, starting every day with a big mug of broth and coconut oil. I walk on the treadmill every day to keep my body moving gently. And I try to take naps some days to give my body a little extra rest. My body temperature has been dropping a bit. I expect that with an infant. But I want to stay on top of it.

Last week I posted a giveaway for Earthpaste. Be sure to enter if you haven’t yet!

 Here is our menu for the week. Many of our meals are prep work for our baptism party on Sunday. I’m making soup, salad and bread. So this week I’m making lots of broth! What’s on your menu this week?

Sunday
L – grilled hot dogs, french fries, broccoli
D – “favorite casserole”, strawberry smoothies
*bake dessert for party

Monday
D – pumpkin pasta, corn, applesauce
*bake/freeze pumpkin

Tuesday
D (prep ahead) – cp beef roast, sweet potatoes, carrots
*make broth, make df pudding

Wednesday
D (prep ahead) – beef stew
*strain/freeze broth, make gf bread

Thursday
D – cp roast chicken, squash, seasoned rice
*roast squash, make broth, clean

Friday
D – tacos, beans, applesauce
*strain/freeze broth, clean, make df crackers

Saturday
B – yogurt, granola, banana bread, fruit
L – chili, crackers w/ cheese and sausage
D – pretzel crusted chicken, broccoli, roasted potatoes
*clean, prep party food

 It’s Sunday morning…and we’re not going to church. My big girl is sick. I hope she gets over it quickly. We’re doing lots of broth, coconut oil, elderberry syrup and diffusing oils. Hopefully that does the trick and everyone else stays healthy.

On the flip side my little one is such a happy baby today (after a week of being so fussy) and only got up ONCE in the night!  I think we figured out more food stuff a little bit. Hopefully we can keep her calm and happy now.

This will be another busy week, but we’ll see how long the illness lasts and if it gets passed around…we  may have to cancel some plans. I have some errands to run, we’re getting our furnace inspected, plus our usual activities.

We went to the orchard yesterday so now I’m ready to start baking and freezing squash. I’d like to do some baking with apples as well. But, again, we’ll see how the week goes. I also want to start making some of the baked goods for our baptism celebration.

Depending on how we’re feeling I may modify some meal plans to make sure we’re getting lots of broth. I already plan to roast chicken and make another batch of broth and serve soup. But I may need to add even more to the menu.

If you’re on Facebook I posted tons of great information from fellow bloggers the last couple days. Be sure to head over to my page and check it out. On the blog I posted about emotions and eating and four ways to make honey mustard. Check back tomorrow. There is a giveaway coming!

I need to tend to my sick girl and my happy baby now. Here’s what’s on the menu (for now). What are you eating this week? 

Sunday
L – chicken casserole (from freezer), misc. food
D – brats, chips w/ dip, caramel apple salad, peas
*make apple crisp?

Monday
D – pork chops w/ apples, rice, squash
*roast/freeze squash, bake gf bread

Tuesday
D – (prep ahead) – cp roast chicken, roasted potatoes, broccoli

Wednesday
D – (prep ahead) – squash and chicken soup, muffins
*strain/freeze broth, bake muffins

Thursday
D – meal from friend
*bake for baptism

Friday
D – scrambled eggs, toast w/jam, roasted cauliflower, cp caramel apples (modified)
*

Saturday
D – salmon cakes, potato wedges, beans
*bake for baptism, make/can applesauce

Welcome to October! Fall is definitely here…and it’s cold.  Yesterday we were out of town most of the day for my nephew’s birthday party, so I didn’t get much done. I’m already feeling behind and it’s only Sunday morning!

I’m trying to gear up for another busy week. I’m feeling a bit run down from a week long cold plus not much sleep. I can tell that mama is the one with the most run down immune system right now as I’m the only one in the family that got this cold. That means I’m loading up on broth, gelatin and elderberry syrup every day. Pregnancy, surgery, breastfeeding and little sleep aren’t really conducive to a fully healthy body. So  I have to do what I can to support my immune system right now.

I’m also doing what I can to support my little one’s immune system. Which, unfortunately, means I am now totally dairy free.  I have no idea if this will just be for a few months or if it will be until I’m done breastfeeding (which could be the next two years). I can already see the improvement in her. So it’s worth it. But it sure will be hard. And it will be one more thing my body is lacking. I normally eat a lot of dairy. I’m just praying that she does not have a dairy allergy. One child with lots of food allergies is plenty.

In addition to the dairy I have to cut out all gassy vegetables and chocolate. I’m trying to tell myself that this is just temporary for me so I don’t feel so restricted and deprived. I know I’ll get to eat ice cream and chocolate again some day. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

My son has his next allergy test in November. So I’m really trying to get him to eat lots of healing foods too and praying his test shows lots of improvement. 

My little one’s baptism is coming up in a few weeks. So I’m working on planning the menu for our celebration. Hopefully I can finalize that this week so I can start to prep any baked goods in advance.

Other than that we’ve got plenty to do with Kindermusik, dance, grocery shopping, milk pick up, chiropractor, doctor and my mom’s group steering team meeting. I would like to get to the orchard this weekend too. I’m ready to start freezing squash and canning applesauce.

I’m trying to keep the menu simple this week with so much stuff going on. I have a few extra kitchen projects planned as well. Now that I am dairy free we are not using our three gallons of milk a week. So we have a ton left. Today I need to make something to use it up. I might do pudding or cheese or yogurt or all three! I would also like to start making and canning spaghetti sauce. But I’m thinking I won’t have time now. It might have to wait a week or two. If we do get to the orchard then I’ll start on applesauce and squash this weekend.

In case you missed it, last week I posted a recipe for double raspberry chocolate chip muffins and my 2014 goals update.

Here’s what’s on our menu for this week. What are you eating?

Sunday
L – beef and bean enchilada bake (skillet version with cheese on the side), fruit
D – misc./leftovers
*make ___ with milk – pudding, yogurt, cheese, cream soup?, make/can spaghetti sauce?

Monday
D – spaghetti, squash, garlic bread
*make gf bread, make granola, bake squash

Tuesday
D – (prep ahead) – cp chicken legs, potatoes, broccoli

Wednesday
D – (prep ahead) – split pea soup, bread
*

Thursday
D – cp roast beef, sweet potatoes, carrots
*

Friday
D – french toast muffins, bacon, beans
*bake muffins

Saturday
D – salmon cakes
*make applesauce?, make pear crisp, bake/freeze squash?

 We’re closing in on the end of September. What a crazy busy month! I think we’re starting to settle into routines a bit.

It’s hard to believe it’s time to start thinking about fall, Halloween and even ahead to Thanksgiving!

As usual we have something going on just about every day this week. So I’m keeping the meals and to-do’s simple.

This week I have my six week postpartum check up.  I’m disappointed that I still haven’t lost more weight. I’m back to pre-pregnancy weight. But that’s all. I still have all of the extra weight I gained last year. And it doesn’t seem to want to budge. It’s been steady here for a few weeks. I thought by six weeks I’d be making more progress. I’m eating well and gradually exercising more. But instead of losing weight I’m still wearing maternity clothes. I thought with my thyroid working so well it would help the weight come off too. I guess not.

I’m still digging into material about diastasis recti and will be talking to my OB about it. Based on what I’ve learned so far I think I’ve probably had diastasis for a long time but had no idea. So there is a lot of work ahead to fix it. I love this post from Whole New Mom about a flat tummy. It gives some great basics.

I’m gradually modifying my diet to help my little one.  All gassy vegetables are out. I’ve been eating only minimal dairy (mostly just butter). I’m still not sure about chocolate and eggs, but I’ve been really limiting those as well. I’m thankful it makes her much happier. But it’s definitely not easy for me. It’s only been a week and I already miss my ice cream. I think I’m going to have to start stealing some of my son’s coconut milk ice cream.

I’m still short on time and trying to get back into the swing of things with my writing. So bear with me while the posts are a little more infrequent. If you missed it, last week I posted my recipe for pancake muffins. Be sure to check back tomorrow for another delicious recipe.

My son has had a few rough days again behaviorally. That is usually a sign that something is bothering him. Since I know his diet hasn’t changed I was pretty sure it wasn’t food. But I may have figured out what it is. He may have a latex allergy…and he’s been playing with a balloon and putting it in his mouth the last few days.  Latex allergies are related to some food allergies…the foods he’s allergic to. So we’ll see if he gets back to normal in a few days after getting rid of the balloon. And I’ll for sure be talking to the allergist about it when he has his next check up.

 As you get ready for a new week be sure you plan some meals to keep you and your family eating nourishing food. Here’s what’s on our menu. What’s on yours? 

Sunday
L – grilled hamburgers, seasoned rice, peas
D – (separate) – leftover pizza
*make fruitsnacks

Monday
D – cp roast chicken, sweet potato fries, beans
*make gf bread, make granola bars?

Tuesday
D – (prep ahead) -cp pork chops, potatoes, carrots
*strain/freeze broth

Wednesday
D – (prep ahead) – chicken noodle soup, biscuits
*make biscuits

Thursday
D – (early) – tacos, fruit
*make corn tortillas

Friday
D – french toast muffins, sausage, roasted cauliflower
*make muffins

Saturday
D – grilled hot dogs, french fries, broccoli OR takeout

Welcome to fall! The weather is changing, and fall produce is everywhere. I love it!

Time to start another busy week. More kindermusik, dance and school. My little one also has a hearing test. We’re praying for good results.

Speaking of my little one, I can’t believe she is one month old already today!  Time sure is flying. Overall she’s doing well. But I’m still trying to figure out if there is something I’m eating that’s bothering her. So I’ll be doing some diet experimenting this week. That seems to be a constant activity in my life.

Last week I had my thyroid levels rechecked. They really went up since I had them tested in May!! My thyroid is healing. Even though the levels are higher (even above range a bit) my doctor said to stay on my current medication dose unless I start feeling worse.

Be sure to check out last week’s posts. I shared more tasty recipes – gluten free corn muffin mix and how to dress a salad in twenty seconds (I used that trick almost ever day last week!).

My kitchen projects this week are mostly breads and muffins to go with meals. My husband and oldest daughter went raspberry picking yesterday, so I’ll be making stuff with those and freezing some as well. Yesterday I made our first dutch apple pie of the season!  There will be plenty more pies coming in the next few months.

For meals I had to start getting creative. We are really low on meat right now. We’ll get a few more things at our co-op this week. I’m anxious for our 1/4 cow and 1/2 pig to be ready as well. Hopefully soon. Nevertheless I’ll be doing my best to get nourishing meals on the table. How about you? What’s on your menu this week?

********************MENU********************

Sunday
L – cp meatballs, potatoes, carrots
D – grilled cheese, chips and carrots with dip, fruit
*freeze raspberries, make df raspberry ice cream

Monday
D – chicken and vegetable stir fry over rice
*make gf bread

Tuesday
D – (prep ahead) – cp chili, bread

Wednesday (soup night)
D – (prep ahead) – gf df broccoli noodle soup, muffins
*bake muffins, make raspberry ice cream

Thursday
D – quiche, scones, fruit, roasted brussels sprouts
*bake scones

Friday (breakfast night)
D – french toast muffins, bacon, broccoli, fruit
*bake muffins

Saturday
D – pizza
*make pizza crust

 A typical morning here…I just sit down to write and little one is crying. So it’s time to feed and type (if that’s possible). Life with three kids is never dull.

We’re starting to get into the school and activity routine here. Though I’m still adjusting to the whole making lunches thing.

This will be another fairly busy week. On top of our usual activities I have to do bloodwork to check my thyroid levels again. We also have our first mom’s group meeting. We might go raspberry picking this weekend. I’d also like to go to the orchard if time allows. We’ve seen relatives every weekend for the last four weeks. So it’ll be nice to have a free weekend.

I don’t have any major kitchen projects this week. I do have to bake some kind of bread or muffin for our mom’s group meeting. My son has been begging for pudding so I’ll make a batch of that this week as well. My son and I have also been making one loaf of gluten free bread every week. It’s our baking project together. I get to experiment and he’s going to be a master gluten free baker some day.

In case you missed last week’s posts I shared my recipes for cookies and cream ice cream, dairy free “Thin Mint” cookie ice cream and gluten free cheese biscuits.

For meals this week I’m keeping it simple. I’m also trying to get broth in our diet whenever possible. We’ve already been through our first colds. I want to boost our immune systems (we are also taking elderberry syrup and I’m ordering essential oils soon!).

In addition to my “breakfast for dinner” every Friday I’m now adding soup night to our weekly meals. It makes meal planning easier and it’s super healthy.

Fall weather is here. I’m ready for some fall food. Here’s what’s on our menu. What’s on yours?

********************MENU********************

Sunday
L – meatloaf muffins, pepper slices and chips with dip
D – salmon cakes, baked sweet potatoes, peas
*make dairy free pudding, make fruitsnacks

Monday
D –macaroni and cheese, broccoli
*make gf bread

Tuesday
D – (prep ahead) – chicken taco soup
*

Wednesday
D – (prep ahead) – squash soup w/ chicken, chocolate zucchini scones
*bake scones, make ice cream

Thursday
D – sloppy joes, baked beans, peaches
*bake muffins or bread for MomBreak

Friday
D – omelettes, muffins, roasted cauliflower, fruit salad
*bake muffins

Saturday
D – grilled steak, roasted potatoes, roasted squash
*bake pie?

Phew…we made it through the first week of school and my husband going back to work. I even managed a trip to Target with the two little ones. This week more activities start. I hope the baby doesn’t mind tagging along with big brother and big sister.

I’m definitely still in the healing process. I’m almost back to pre-pregnancy weight. But I have a ways to go before I’m at an ideal weight. It’s frustrating to still have swelling and not even be able to get my wedding ring back on yet. I also feel like I have to start back at square one in terms of fitness. I’ve just started very slow walking on the treadmill. I look forward to being able to jog, lift weights and do yoga. But not yet.

I also have to stay focused on my nutrition. Since giving birth my iron levels have been quite low. So I am focusing on iron rich foods and will likely  have to take a supplement for a while. I also have to get my thyroid levels checked soon to see if I need to adjust my medication.

I’m still adjusting to packing a lunch for my daughter every day. So far it has been pretty easy. I just have to be sure we have quality lunch foods on hand.

Meals are still pretty simple right now since I never know when I’ll have two free hands to cook. Plus we have a pretty busy week with two Kindermusik classes, dance and our first mom’s group steering team meeting. I should also get to the health food store to find my iron supplement. It’s also grocery week. I’ll just have to see if we can squeeze in a stop at the farmer’s market as well.

I have a few extras planned in the kitchen since we have quite a bit of milk left from last week and will be getting more today. I’m sure there will be some added on as the week goes as well since my son loves to bake with me when big sister is gone all day.

If you missed any of last week’s posts be sure to check them out – gluten free brownie mix, zucchini cake with two frostings and easy chip dip. Be sure to check back this week as there are more great recipes coming!

Here’s what we’re eating this week. How about you? 

***************MENU***************

Sunday
L – grilled hot dogs, french fries, beans
D – leftover souffle, milkshakes, fruit
*make ice cream, make yogurt

Monday
D – baked pork chops, baked potatoes, broccoli
*make gf bread, make mud balls

Tuesday
D – (prep ahead) – cp pea soup, muffins
*make muffins

Wednesday
D – (prep ahead) – cp roast chicken, mashed potatoes, peas
*make broth, make elderberry syrup

Thursday
D – tacos/fajitas, applesauce
*strain/freeze broth

Friday
D – french toast muffins, sausage, roasted brussels sprouts
*

Saturday
D – grilled brats, roasted potatoes, carrots
*bake TBD with my daughter

Is it really Sunday…and the last day of August?? The last week and a half flew by. I’m not even sure what day it is.

But this week it’s time to get back on track and get started with school, work, fall activities, etc. I hope I’m up for the challenge.

Recovery is going very well so far. And our sweet baby is also doing well. I’m thankful I’ve got some energy and feel somewhat ready to take on the tasks of the week.

It’s hard to believe that just a week after bringing home a new member of the family my big girl will be going to school all day every day. We sure are going to miss her!! But I’m sure she’ll love first grade. She also starts dance this week. So I’ll get to try driving and getting all three kids ready and out the door on my own this week.

Another new project for me is packing lunches every day. On the flip side that will be one less lunch to make during the day.

We don’t have any big holiday plans. We’re just enjoying our last day at home as a family before school starts and my husband is back to work. If the weather cooperates maybe we’ll walk to the local ice cream stand. We didn’t go once all summer.

I’ve got a few kitchen projects planned. But I’m still keeping them to a minimum. I want to enjoy these few weeks of the newborn phase as much as possible.

There were a lot of posts on the blog last week! Check them out if you missed them – baby is here, guest post on oral SPD, zucchini crackers and zucchini pizza bites.

I’m going for easy meals this week. I just never know if I’ll have one hand or two free when it’s time to make dinner. Here’s what’s on our menu.

Are you getting ready for fall activities? What’s on your menu?

***************MENU***************

Sunday
L – sweet and sour chicken meatballs, mashed potatoes, carrots
D – zucchini, chicken and lentil soup, zucchini muffins
*make fruit snacks, make zucchini muffins

Monday
D – grilled steak, grilled zucchini, roasted potatoes
*make “goldfish” crackers

Tuesday
D – spaghetti, broccoli, garlic toast
*make cookies

Wednesday
D – (prep ahead) – cp stuffed peppers, peas, bread
*make ice cream

Thursday
D – pasta with corn pesto and chicken, broccoli
*make gf bread

Friday
D – apple pie breakfast cake, bacon, roasted cauliflower, fruit
*make cake

Saturday
D – vegetable souffle with bacon, carrots, peaches
*