Stocking The Freezer for Our New Baby

I'm not a neat freak. I'll admit it.

I'm currently too tired to stay on top of my housework the way I should or keep it organized the way I like.

The nursery is still in a state of limbo. (Trim will be painted this weekend, and then we can finally arrange furniture, yay!). It's also freezing cold up there compared to my spot next to the fire.

Seriously, why would I ever want to leave?

So if my family lives in a dusty, house with clutter on the kitchen counters, we will survive (well, Hubby might be unhappy, but he'll live). But one thing we can't survive without? Food.

I'm fortunate to have a husband who knows his way around around the kitchen, and we're blessed to have a great group of friends and church family who have already offered to bring meals once our baby girl comes. However, I really wanted to make our lives a little easier by prepping a few meals for the freezer. You know, for those days when Hubby is working late or the baby is in the midst of a growth spurt, wants to eat constantly, and I'm exhausted because one or both kids just. won't. sleep. This isn't my first rodeo, after all. I know how these things can go.

So I've spent the last few weeks adding food to the "baby stash" in my freezer.

What I've Frozen So Far:

• 1 Ham & Swiss Casserole 
• 1 Tuna-Noodle Casserole
  (I very loosely followed this recipe, mostly because I didn't have all the ingredients called for in the recipe. Whoops!)  
• 3 pans of Lasagna Casserole 
• 6 pounds worth of Meatballs (made with half venison, half beef)
  Does anyone want to guess how many meatballs 6 pounds of meat makes? I counted because I'm a total nerd. :)  
• 1 batch of whole wheat pancakes (from my Betty Crocker Cookbook)  
• 4 loaves Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread (we're actually eating some of this now) 
• 3 dozen dairy-free Whole Wheat Zucchini Muffins using coconut oil instead of butter.
  (Just in case our little girl has dairy issues like her brother did.)

Yup, I must be #nesting! We were "iced in" today so I decided to stock my #freezer with foods for us to eat once the baby arrives. One tuna-noodle casserole, a double-batch of pancakes, 3 dozen zucchini muffins, and 4 loaves of zucchini bread all in the freezer. I. Am. Tired.

A photo posted by Kim {Pinspired Home} (@kim_pinspired_home) on Feb 9, 2015 at 3:23pm PST

What I Still Hope To Freeze:

• Cooked and chopped chicken to make casseroles, quick meals, use in soups, add to salads, make chicken salad, etc.
• Muffin Tin Meat Loaves
• More muffins and/or quick breads (we eat these on a regular basis)
• Soup (maybe Crock Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup, since it makes so much)
• Some sort of Burrito or other easy lunch
• Breakfast Casseroles or Mini Quiches
• Cookies or Cookie Dough (to bake as needed)
  Because a nursing mama needs extra calories, right?
  

Why I'm Not Making Freezer Crock Pot Kits:

I love freezer kits. I even wrote a post about them way back when I was first blogging. And they are a great option for many people.

Unfortunately, they don't really work for our current "real food" lifestyle. I haven't bought any raw meat from the grocery store in over three months. If you don't count pork, sausage, or ground turkey, it's been at least six.

In the last year, we've made a conscious effort to find ways to locally source as much of our food as possible. (More on that in a series of posts I hope to have ready to share during those first weeks while we adjust to our newest family member.)

For us, that meant raising our own chickens for meat and finding a local farm to purchase beef in bulk. I made a few freezer kits when we butchered our chickens, but those are long gone. As for the beef, it came from the butcher already frozen (our choice). Since you're not supposed to thaw and re-freeze raw meat, it would be really hard to easily make kits. Instead, I'll work on assembling a list of quick and easy crock pot meals that I can throw together in minutes when I have some spare time the morning of or night before.

That being said, do you have any easy, tried-and-true crock pot recipes? I'm always open to suggestions!

 What About You?

If you were stocking your freezer with meals for your family, what would be on your must-have list?
And again, I welcome suggestions for delicious and easy crock pot meals. :)

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Why I Haven't Set Resolutions for 2015

 New Year's Resolutions.

Do those three words make you cringe? Or maybe the thought of a new year ripe for improving makes you giddy. I know both kinds.

I definitely fall into the former category. I hate feeling like a failure, and more often than not, that's what happens. Most resolutions are made to be broken. A lofty idea that's given up by the end of February, if not before. I don't often beat myself up over things, but I HATE making commitments I can't keep.

That's probably why I tend to play it safe - but that's a subject for another day.

I know I'm late talking about this. Like, big time. After all, we're half-way through January. Most bloggers posted about their goals on January 1st and have now moved on to Valentine's Day. (But really, what else is new?) I wasn't even sure I was going to write about resolutions at all.

Why I'm Not Setting Formal Resolutions or Goals

Last year I set "goals," which sounded less intimidating than resolutions, but in honesty, it was just a matter of semantics. Goals, resolutions, or whatever you call them, are often lofty and hard to maintain. This proved true for me since I fully completed less than half of last year's goals. :-(

And no, I don't want to talk about it. :)

But it isn't just because of past "failures" that I'm scrapping the goals this year.

 

There are three main reasons why I will not be setting formal resolutions in 2015: 

1. They can be difficult to track. Last year I got a bit overzealous and made 18 goals! Granted, several were once-and done easy goals, but many more were long-term, requiring something to be done each month. I started out strong in almost all of them, but quickly lost steam, which brings me to #2...
2. Life happens. Setting an agenda for a whole 12 months doesn't really seem to work for me. I made some really great goals last year, but as my year went on, I realized not all of them were really going to work with my current stage of life. Add on the survival mode I encountered in my first trimester of pregnancy, and many things just didn't happen. My energy was sapped and I lost ALL motivation to even think about goals.
3. I'm having a baby. This is definitely the biggest reason I'm avoiding resolutions this year. A new baby (especially with a toddler already) means a lot of transition and a good measure of the unknown. Some babies sleep all the time and others will cry seemingly non-stop unless they are held and rocked. Since pretty much all my friends have two or more kids, I know this very well. Since I have no idea how things will go once baby girl arrives early this spring, it didn't seem fair or realistic to set big goals and resolutions for myself. 

So, does that mean I'm not going to attempt to improve myself this year? Not exactly. I have a workable plan in mind to help me have a smoother 2015. But it's not your traditional set of goals or resolutions. I'll be sharing about my plans in a future post.

So, tell me about you:

Have you set any resolutions or goals for the year ahead? How do you plan to make them happen?

I link up at these fabulous link parties.

It's a...

 

A couple months ago, I made a big announcement on the blog. Thank you to those of you who showed your love and support!

Meal Planning in the First Trimester: A Survival Guide

Thank you to those of you who sent me kind words and well-wishes after my announcement last week! I feel very blessed!

For most women I know, the first trimester of pregnancy is THE. WORST. Most moms-to-be are exhausted, nauseated and/or puking almost all the time. This makes it really hard to even think about feeding your family, much less do any actual cooking.

Even though the thought of food may repulse you, the people in your home still expect to be fed. (I mean, what’s with that?) By having a meal plan, you can do some of the prep in those spare moments when you actually feel okay. And that way 6:00 won’t come around with a hungry, cranky family and nothing to put on the table.

Having just (mostly) graduated from this phase, and since I share a weekly meal plan here on the blog, this seemed like a perfect topic to write about.

When I was pregnant with Kiddo, I looked for advice on meals that would be nausea and heartburn-friendly, and there really wasn't much out there for me. So this time around, I decided to create my own resource based on my experience. I hope this will be a help to any of you expectant mommies out there who are struggling just to make it through meals!

Tips for Meal Planning in the First Trimester
(from a mom who's been there)

Disclaimer: I know everyone’s pregnancy experiences are different. However, these are the things I did (and a few I wish I had done) that helped me feed my family without completely blowing our budget on takeout.

• Rely heavily on your other half:

  I’m fortunate to have married a man who knows his way around the kitchen, and I couldn’t have done this without him! He and Kiddo ate a lot of Hubby’s specialties: pretty much grilled anything, sausage & peppers, fajitas, fish, etc.
  Even if your other half isn’t particularly kitchen-savvy, he can probably boil pasta or at least grill (assuming it’s not freezing outside).
  

• Figure out the meals you can comfortably eat, but don’t limit your family to those.

  My early pregnancy symptoms (for both kids) consisted of nausea and heartburn. I found I felt best when I ate very bland meals: baked potatoes, plain pasta, rice, mac & cheese, toast, plain meat, plain veggies, etc. No strong spices, tomatoes, garlic, onion, or anything acidic (unless, of course, I wanted to feel like clawing out my chest the rest of the night from the heartburn).
  So I ate very simply while the boys ate normal meals. Usually, that meant eating part of what they were eating – say, plain spaghetti (no sauce) with a little Parmesan cheese. And sometimes that meant eating something totally different. Either way, we were all fed and relatively happy even when I was too tired and sick to follow the plan.

• "Publish" a weekly meal plan:

  I was pretty much forced to keep meal planning, even when the thought of eating was far less than appealing because I have a weekly feature called "Menu Plan Monday." I was actually thinking of taking a Menu Plan Monday break when I got some nice comments, especially one from a faithful fan saying how much she enjoys reading my meal plans each week. Thanks, Kelly!
  Even if you don't have a blog, you can still stick a list to the fridge or write it on a chalkboard or white board. Taking a few minutes to write up a list of meals for the week will really help - I promise!
   

• Don’t use the crock pot:

  The beauty of a crock pot is that it cooks your dinner all day and fills your house with an appetizing aroma.
  Unless, of course, you’re in the first trimester. In that case, food smells = nausea. Just. Don’t. Do. It. (Learn from my mistake!)
  *Update: As of week 14 or so, I can use the crock pot again! Hooray!

• Take advantage of the times you feel well.

  With Kiddo, lunch was usually my golden hour. I could often get away with smells and tastes that normally made me sick, and I usually found a small surge of energy. With this little peanut, things were a bit less predictable.
  When I was feeling pretty good, I would try to do some meal prep for future meals. One day when I was feeling decent (and had a friend over to visit who played with Kiddo), I made a huge batch of whole-wheat pancakes for lunch, freezing most of them. They were a great go-to meal when nothing else seemed appealing.

• Hard candies.

  Seriously, friends, this was such a lifesaver (no pun intended – ha!). Smells really set me off this pregnancy, so cooking was extra-difficult. By sucking on a hard candy, my senses were filled with a fruity flavor, masking the scent of whatever I was working on. I don’t know how I missed this tip when I was pregnant the first time, but it almost always staved off the nausea. Since then, there is always a small stash of lemon drops or pomegranate candies (my fave) in my purse and kitchen.

• Have a back-up plan.

  Keep something in your fridge, freezer, or pantry to pull out when dinner hour rolls around and you just can’t bring yourself to cook. For me, those go-to's were pasta, pancakes, and yogurt.

• Give yourself grace.

  There will be days when dinner looks nothing like the meal plan. Let’s be honest – a meal plan is a plan, and certainly not written in stone. Some nights, takeout might be the best option. Or canned soup, boxed mac & cheese, grilled cheese, etc. That's ok. This is a survival guide, after all. :-)

The good news is that the first trimester yuckies should be temporary for most, and a mama’s gotta do what a mama’s gotta do. As long as everyone in your house is fed and relatively happy, that’s what matters.

Do you have any tips to add? I'd love to hear them in the comments below!

 I link up at these fabulous link parties.

Kiddo's Simple and Fun Birthday Bash

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I love admiring a beautifully decorated and thoughtfully planned birthday party as much as the next girl. I've even been known to pin a gorgeous party or two. But when it comes to my real life, I'm totally fine with simple.

Happy Third Birthday, Kiddo!

We celebrated our sweet Kiddo's third birthday last weekend. I now completely understand why random people will come up to me in the grocery store and tell me, "Enjoy it - they grow so fast."  It seems impossible that this picture was taken almost three years ago.

Our Fall Bucket List

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The air is crisp and cool. Our local farms have opened for pick-your-own apples. Pumpkins are on the neighbor's porch. I guess I can't fight it anymore - it's Autumn.

Dear Summer, Please Don't Go!

Monday is Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer.
School may have started. Other bloggers may be posting fall projects and decor. But not me. I'm stubborn, hanging onto every last drop of summer until it's truly fall.

I'm Not A Home Blogger (And I Need to Stop Trying)

As I mentioned on Monday and Wednesday, I started this blog with the intention of documenting the progress on decorating and organizing our new home. However, since I posted in a few weeks what took eight months to accomplish, I was setting myself up for failure. There was simply NO WAY I could keep up with that kind of pace.

I know that I blog about other things, so it's not like I was trying to be just a home blogger. If that was the case, I probably would have quit a long time ago. Maybe it was the kind of link parties I was participating in or maybe it was the types of blogs I enjoy reading (who doesn't love a good before & after or pretty room?), but in my mind I aspired to blog about decorating and organizing my home.

How Blogging (Almost) Stole My Joy

Monday, I shared with you a little about the process I've been going through as I re-think the purpose, focus, and content at Pinspired Home. This change has been coming for months. 

In March and April especially, I was really struggling with my blogging journey. What I had once done for enjoyment had become a total drudgery and source of stress. I kept focusing on my weaknesses and things I wanted to change, but couldn't. And as I compared my blog, projects, and home with others, I became less and less content with my circumstances.

Today, I'm sharing a journal-type blog post I wrote during that time of discontentment. I wasn't sure I would share it, but I thought it would give insight into the changes I'm making and why.

A Belated Mother's Day Post: My Advice for New and Expectant Mommies

I'm not really a holiday person, as I shared in my Valentine's Day post a few months ago, so I wasn't even planning on writing anything about Mother's Day. But then a fellow blogger and expectant mother asked in a comment if I had any advice for mommas-to-be like her. An hour-long car ride to my parent's house later, what was intended to be a quick little comment back turned into a full post. So, please excuse the tardiness - after all, it's the thought that counts, right?

A Little Love

While most of my fellow bloggers were sharing amazing heart-themed craft projects, Valentine's decor, and gift guides, I didn't contribute anything here on the blog. Hubby and I aren't really into celebrating greeting card holidays. We do little things to show our love and appreciation throughout the year, so we don't see the need to go all-out for Valentine's Day. If anything, we're more likely to do something special for our wedding anniversary.
Even so, we did a few small things in honor of Valentine's Day.

Busy

Today I'm reflecting on one of my personal goals for this year: Re-evaluate my schedule and responsibilities outside the home. You can read the rest of my Goals for 2014 here.

Being Busy.

I'm not the first person to note that our culture has an obsession with being busy. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has listed off my activities like a badge of honor. For me, there are two things that really drive this busy-ness: pride and a difficulty saying no.

The Glad Game

Yesterday, I found myself playing the "Glad Game." Not sure what that is? You obviously have never watched the piece of quality Disney cinema that is Pollyanna.
Now, it's been many moons since I've watched the movie, so bear with me if I don't have the details quite right, but the story goes something like this: Pollyanna was a poor child and wished for a doll, but when she received the missionary barrel, it contained not a doll but a pair of crutches. Instead of being upset that she didn't get the one thing she wanted, she played the "glad game" and was thankful that she didn't need the crutches.
I felt very Pollyanna-ish yesterday. It had all the criteria for a bad day. Canceled plans, stuck at home, stranded hubby... We were snowed in, my dinner plans with a dear friend had to be canceled, and the play date I had been looking forward to was cut short because of the snow. And to top it all off, hubby's flight home from a business trip was canceled. Twice. I could have groaned and complained about the situation -- trust me, I'm quite good at that! But instead, I found myself focusing on the positives.