What you've been waiting for!

Still waiting for one "non-paying" customer to pay so I can ship my LAST ebay package (until I list more).

Tomorrow we are celebrating Bailey and Skylar's birthdays at one of those blow up jumpy places.  They are so excited! I'm sure I'll have tons of pictures to share after the festivities are over.

I've been watching another little girl all week which has been fun but I am ready to get back to our routine.  I thrive on it as much as my girls do!!

I promised you something "new" on our blog.  Well, wait no more!!

It's no secret I love to eat.  My children have inherited this lovely trait.  Lately though, I also love to cook.  It used to be such a chore.  I'm still not a huge fan of grocery shopping, but I do it with a cheerful heart (most weeks) because I know I'm providing good choices for my family.

A few years ago, miss Reagan had an allergic reaction to pesticide on cherries.  That's when we started buying organic produce.  It's not the cheapest option, but obviously the healthiest.  Making the decision to buy organic is a personal one and we have to leave room in our tight budget for it.  Is everything organic? No.  But if there's an organic option, chances are, I'm buyin it!  Don't get me wrong...we still have junk food at our house.  We're not total granolas.  Our kids eat donuts and sugar cereal and hot dogs (ew, not at the same time).  But after researching more about food, one tradition I have tried to stick with is healthy, hearty, balanced, yummy dinners.  At the table.  Without the television on.

I don't need to drone on and on about the research that has been done to prove that "time at the dinner table results in fewer risk behaviors for children" do I?? It seems like common sense to me.  Even Stauffers is riding that wave as far as it will go.  But we don't eat Stauffers.  Not that there's anything wrong with it.  And if stauffers is what brings your kids to the table, shove it in the oven.  But I think there's a better alternative.  

I researched a few of those websites that provide recipes and meal planning for the week.  Their average cost for my family for 7 dinners was $90.  That's more than ten dollars a night, and unfortunately out of our budget for just dinners.  I have a feeling I'm not alone in my desire to cook healthy, hearty meals for our entire family for UNDER TEN DOLLARS a night.  Sure, it's easy to make mac n' cheese and hot dogs.  They are cheap, but they certainly don't fuel our bodies to their utmost.  Don't get me wrong.  We have our fair share of easy (not-so-healthy) dinners (usually on the weekends).  It's more effort to cook a balanced meal but so worth it.  And since I'm doing the work for our family, I thought I would pass along my recipes and cost info to anyone else that wanted to join me.  I'm not Julie of Julie and Julia so I'm not committing to a year or anything obsurd like that.  But Monday through Friday of next week, I am going to share our recipes for the day as well as what it should cost on average.  If enough folks play along, I might just keep doing it.  And then maybe someone will make a movie about me.  Or not. :)

I hope you'll join me!