Making A Home And Family

Breakfasts ~ Juices, Smoothies, Cereal

Lunches ~ Egg salad sandwhiches, avacado tomato sandwhiches, nachoes, and leftovers

Sunday ~ Spaghetti and garlic bread

Monday ~  Tacoes


Tuesday ~ Vegan pizzas


Wednesday ~ Veggie burgers and roasted sweet potatoes


Thursday ~ I will be packing up the RV for a weekend trip.  This will include a grocery shopping trip and an easy dinner - like soup or something.


For more meal plan ideas, visit The Organizing Junkie.

• Breakfasts ~ Smoothies, cereal, toast, and a big breakfast of eggs, hashbrowns and bacon once
• Lunches ~ Orzo salad, egg salad sandwhiches with homemade yam chips, stirfry, bean soup, veggie nachos, and leftovers
• Dinners:
• Sunday ~ Rustic pasta
• Monday ~ Sloppy joes or burgers, homemade fries, corn
• Tuesday ~ Ravioli with tomato and spinach sauce
• Wednesday ~ Bean and rice burritos with chips and salsa
• Thursday ~ Spaghetti
• Friday ~ Veggie pot pie
• Saturday ~ Sloppy joes/burgers, fries, coconut bliss shakes
• Get meal ideas, from The Org Junkie!

Since we have moved into a new home (a rental), that is very nice and has awesome energy since it isn’t cluttered and messy, I would love to keep it that way.  In the process, making it a habit to be organized and tidy.  So I have been FLYING.

My major accomplishment thus far has been shining my sink.  Do you know how wonderful it is to wake up in the morning to a clean sink and counter?  It’s like a breath of fresh air.  No task weighing on you the minute you walk into the kitchen to get tea or get the kiddo some breakfast.


You can get emails daily, follow on twitter, or even become a fan on facebook to keep you motivated.  The tasks are usually short and simple, so it’s not overwhelming.


I have just stumbled upon the Baby Steps page so that is my main focus now, and I think this would work great for others since it’s working for me!


For more WFMW, visit We are THAT family.

Hello everyone!  I know it has been a long time, but my family has been in transition, it seems, since the little one arrived almost a year ago.  We are currently renting a house in AZ and flirting with the vegan and raw diets.  I’d like to start sharing some awesome recipes I come across, so please check back for more.This is the rustic pasta recipe from The Kind Diet.  It is so good that I must share.Ingredients

• 1/4 pound pasta - I use whole wheat spaghetti
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1/4 cup shoyu (I have also used tamari but any soy sauce would work)
• 1/2 t sea salt
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1 small head of cabbage, thinly sliced
• 5-6 T marinara sauce

Directions:Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta.  Salt the water and add the pasta and cook until al dente.Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Add the onions and cook for 7 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and saute for 3 minutes longer, until the onions are transparent and turning golden.Add the celery to the skillet and saute for 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the shoyu, salt, and garlic powder, then add the cabbage; saute for 4 more minutes.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes longer.Add the pasta to the skillet with the sauce and toss together.  Cook over medium-high heat for a minute or two and then serve.Enjoy!

 In case you haven’t heard, we are attempting the act of downsizing.  Long story short, we have put our house up for sale by owner, and hit the road.  We are living out of our RV in AZ while DH spends time with his business partners doing projects for the winter months.

Our goal is to be able to sell our house to buy a nice plot of land in Michigan, build a house or a yurt, and have a small hobby farm and garden for food.  Also, use the RV to travel around the country to see the sites, teach Val as we go, and James can work on the way.

My travel blog is up and more updated than this.  Check it out at West of the Mississippi!

Picture courtesy of ~ http://www.mexico-with-heart.com/mex-images/beachumbrellaatop.jpg

I was asked for some smoothie recipes, and although they are not too exciting I thought I’d share anyway. (These both make enough for my DH and I.  Adjust accordingly.)

 Strawberry Banana Smoothie

2 bananas

1/2 box of strawberries

1/4 cup water

3-4 ice cubes

2 teaspoons omega 3 fish oil

2 teaspoons wheatgrass powder

I mostly try to do raw foods in the smoothies, but I like this one too.

Tropical Smoothie

2 bananas

1/3 fresh pineapple

1/4 cup orange juice

4 T organic yogurt

4 ice cubes

We’ll be trying this Raw Vegan Apple Smoothie this morning!!

Picture courtesy of ~ http://www.flickr.com/photos/hanan/104282165/

Foody update ~ It has been quite awhile since I have done Meal Plan Monday on a regular basis, but to be honest I have not done well planning meals and sticking to the plan lately.  At.All.  At least I’m honest, right?  We find ourselves before dinner throwing things together or making a quick trip to the grocery store to put together something.

We are in the process of eating more raw foods, more fruits and veggies, and more organic.  We are trying to start each day with a smoothie that has omega 3 supplement and wheatgrass powder added.  It’s quite the process, and difficult to handle when eating out or eating with family and friends that don’t eat the same.  But…we’re trying.

Speaking of food, Baby V will start solids tomorrow to celebrate her 6 month birthday.  She has been exclusively breastfed until this point, and I wouldn’t start feeding her foods until I read some books on the issue.  My favorite so far is Evie’s Kitchen by Shazzie.  It talks about how to raise a raw baby eating only vegan so she talks a lot about supplements and it has TONS of recipes.  Recipes for us parents too. :)  V will not be raised completely raw or vegan, but it has too much information on eating healthy that I couldn’t pass it up!!

Chicken update ~  Remember these babies?  Now they are red and big, but not big enough to lay yet.  They even have a new coop that James built by himself.  How cool is that?!

Job update ~ I’m officially a stay at home mom since my coaching resignation will be approved tonight at the school board meeting.

What’s new with all of you?

Monday ~ Fettucine alfredo with broccoli

Tuesday ~ Veggie pot pie

Wednesday ~ Tacoes

Thursday ~ Mushroom swiss burgers

Friday ~ Pizza

Saturday ~Lentil sloppy joes and fried potatoes

Sunday ~ Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and green beans

For more ideas, visit Org Junkie.

This past week, I have realized that I have been called to my home.  I have been working on taking time to make a nice dinner, keeping up with my chores, and taking the time for me.  I have been listening to the Raw Mom Summit interviews, and I am currently working on the Q&A.

The 4th of July weekend can be consuming, filled with lots of activities, and you lose track of your home and the needs of your family.  I will be spending time with extended family - spending time with family from NC, spending time with my mom so she can play with V while she is mourning the loss of a friend, and celebrating my nephew’s EIGHTH birthday!!

How are you going to have a simple 4th of July weekend?

Picture courtesy of - http://schulen.eduhi.at/hsgunskirchen/hot_pot/English/More1/family_clipart.jpg

Watermelon is my favorite summer fruit!  It just screams summer to me!  On a hot day, there is nothing better than a cold slice from the fridge.  Except maybe a tall glass of…. watermelon lemonade.

I have not tried this recipe yet, but I know I’m going to love it.  Watermelon, lemonade, in a cold glass…. hello to the perfect summer recipe!

For more ideas, visit We are that Family.