In the spirit of trying to Return to a Routine , I am going to post my meal ideas for the week.  =)

Lasagna Casserole or Baked Ziti:  
There is a jar of sauce in the refrigerator that did not seal in the water bath canner so I will use that before it goes bad.  I bought a carton of cottage cheese at Aldi on Saturday and I always have dry pasta on hand.

Quiche with Bacon:
I have a lot of eggs and a bit of bacon that needs to be used up, so I thought "Let's make a quiche."  I  need a recipe, though, as I've never made quiche.  =)

Homemade Pizza:

Every Monday I mix up a batch of pizza dough.  It sits out on the counter all day to rise and then I pop it in the refrigerator to use sometime during the week.  If we aren't in the mood for pizza, I can use the dough for homemade hot pockets.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Grilled Cheese:
It is September so I can make soup once again.  =)  Mr. K loves it ... I love it ... Abigail doesn't, so that's why I serve it with Grilled Cheese.

Pancakes and Scrambled Eggs:
The week wouldn't be complete without a Brinner Meal.  I like to make a Big Batch of Pancakes so that there is leftovers for the following morning's breakfast.

Teacher Gifts

Abigail's last day of pre-school is Thursday so this weekend I've kept my hands busy knitting Teacher Gifts. One for Mrs. Bradley and one for Mrs. Meers. They will be tucked in a gift bag along with some of my wonderfully frugal coupon shopping items. =)


God Bless,

ERIN =)

Summer Budget Challenge

WHEN: June 2, 2008 - August 30, 2008

AMOUNT: $120 per week

• Groceries = $40

• Meat - $10
• Dairy & Juice - $10
• Fruit & Vegetables - $10
• Dry & Canned Goods - $7
• Soda - $3

• Gasoline = $25
• Household Items = $15
• Thrift Stores = $10
• Lunch Money = $10
• Wiggle Room = $20
  

Why am I doing this? I want to challenge myself to practice cheerful frugality. I want to know that I can live on much, much less if that is required of me. I want to remove myself from the running around rat-race and enjoy my home. I want to have mommy-daughter moments as we bake and cook together. I want to thank my Lord and Savior for all He has given to me by being a wise steward of my earthly possessions.

God Bless,

ERIN =)

RECIPE - Spanish Potatoes

This recipe comes from the cookbook Miserly Meals by Jonni McCoy. She is also the author of Miserly Moms which was the first "frugal" book that I checked out of the library when I began my journey to simple living 4 1/2 years ago. =)

SPANISH POTATOES
Serves 4
Prep Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Approximate cost per serving (1 filled potato): $.59

4 large potatoes
1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup diced onion
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
6 ounces tomato sauce
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Bake the potatoes at 425 degrees (or microwave) until tender in the center. Cut each potato in half lengthwise, then scoop out the center of each potato with a spoon, being careful not to cut into the skin. Place the potato pulp in a large mixing bowl.

Brown the ground beef in a skillet. Drain the beef. Add the beef to the bowl with the potato pulp. Add the chili powder, onion, garlic, Tabasco sauce, and tomato sauce. Mix well.

Stuff the potato shells with the potato-meat mixture. It will be heaping out of the skins. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of cheese over the top of each potato. Place the potatoes on a cookie sheet, and return to the oven for 2-3 minutes to melt cheese.

Edited to add picture of tonight's supper.

God Bless,

ERIN =)

DGD's Goals for Summer 2008

Summer is just around the corner so I need to start planning! I started out by pulling out my bin of warm-weather clothing and tried everything on. I was pleasantly surprised that only 2 pairs of shorts and jumper need to go to Goodwill. I'm almost 30 and I don't feel the need to wear such short things anymore. I need to wash everything because it acquired a boxed-up, musty smell. =( For the first time since Abigail was born, I don't have any clothing to pull out of my reserves. We used to get lovely hand-me-downs from my friend Suzie at church but Abigail has outgrown her oldest. LOL. I'm going to see how long the 5 or 6 short sleeved play dresses will last before purchasing anything else. =) Next week, I'll pull out Mr. K's warm-weather clothing and start swapping out his closet. I'm estimating that our down comforters will need to be packed away within in the next 4-5 weeks.

Last summer was NOT a pretty sight. I was pretty much an drifting boat without a sail. Four out of five weeknights, Mr. K would come home from work to Abigail and I having horrible fights. This summer I'm making a few concrete goals so that everyone in the Kortering family will have a pleasant summer.

1. Television free from June 1 to August 31. I don't want to have the temptation to use the "electronic" babysitter so I'm going to move the tube to the basement. We can watch occasional DVDs on the laptop.
2. Host a weekly playdate with our friends from church. This will be a blessing for the kids, the moms, and will help me be diligent in my house cleaning tasks. I've already sent out the invitations for this.
3. Read! Read! Read! Abigail is finally old enough to enjoy chapter books. =) Just think of it ... Little House on the Prairie; Betsy, Tacy, & Tib series, The Boxcar Children, and so many more!
   
4. Pick strawberries and blueberries at local farms. This was something I enjoyed doing when I was a child.
5. Spend one morning baking something that will be a blessing for an elderly person at our church. Abigail can draw a picture and we will deliver it together in the afternoon.
6. Pack a picnic and go sailing. Mr. K bought a small sailboat this winter and we are looking forward to spending many lazy hours on the Chesapeake Bay.
7. De clutter the house from top to bottom. This is actually something that Abigail can help me with now and it is a wonderful opportunity to teach her to be generous to others.

Do you have any plans or goals for this summer? If you do, please share them!

God Bless,

ERIN

TUTORIAL ~ Lazy-Dazy Lasagna

3/4 to 1 pound ground hamburger, cooked and drained

1 jar of commercial spaghetti sauce OR 2 1/2-3 cups homemade sauce
1 large carton small curd cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 large handful Parmesan cheese
1 small handful dried parsley
Several healthy dashes of black pepper
Uncooked lasagna noodles
1 package shredded mozzarella cheese
9x13 Pyrex baking dish
Aluminum foil


Mix cooked hamburger and spaghetti sauce together in one bowl.
Mix cottage cheese, 2 beaten eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and black pepper together in another bowl.



Scoop approximately 1/3 of the spaghetti sauce mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

Next comes the first layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. These are normal lasagna noodles - 79 cents a box when on sale. Mine are short because I break them in half to fit in my glass jar.

Scoop on the first layer of cottage cheese mixture - use 1/2 of it in this layer.

Scoop on your second layer of spaghetti & meat mixture.
Use approximately half of what remains in the bowl.

This is your last layer of uncooked lasagna noodles.

Spread on the rest of the cottage cheese mixture.
A rubber spatula works well to get every last bit out of the bowl.



Spoon the last of the spaghetti sauce mixture on top of the cottage cheese mixture. At this point I dribble 1/2 cup water around the edges. This extra moisture is what allows the raw noodles to cook in the oven. It looks odd in the dish but it really works. =)



Sprinkle approximately 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese on top.



Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cover dish with foil and bake 45 minutes.
Uncover and bake 15 minutes.
Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
It will be easier to cut and lift from the dish if you do.



Last but not least ... my Kitchen Princess!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do in our family. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comment section.

God Bless,

ERIN