Things that are currently broken or not working properly in our home...

1. My car

2. Al's car

3. Our internet

4. DVD player

5. My printer

6. The lawnmower

I thought things only broke down in threes...

How We're Doing With This Challenge

OK, so today is Day 10 of the challenge, and we're doing OK. I went over budget at my "big shop" this week, but not by much (spent $81). I was very conservative last week (about $38), so hopefully at the end of the month we will still come out on target.

In the process, I'm learning a lot. In addition to last week's expensive fruit run to Jewel, I am really thinking carefully about wants vs. needs, especailly about sales. There's nothing wrong with stocking up, but if we're not careful, we can wipe out our week's budget with such stocking up and still have nothing for dinner.

In thinking about each purchase I make, I am reminded of those "money makeovers" where you write down every cent you spend and what you spend it on. Makes you think really hard before buying something you're going to have to document at the end of the day...

We did go out to eat once so far. On Sunday we drove up and spent the afternoon at Lake Geneva. It would have been unreasonable to drive home without feeding the girls dinner! On the other hand, we went home after church to change clothes and eat lunch and pack snacks instead of eating lunch and snacks out, too (which is what we would have done in the past).

I am also keeping in mind that "stuff happens". This weekend we are having friends stay with us for two days (two adults, two children) - that's lunch and dinner on Saturday and breakfast and lunch on Sunday. So that's more food to buy, and that's totally OK, because we love our friends and are so happy to spend the time with them. But I have planned a menu, and it will still be so much better than going out or ordering in. It just takes a bit more planning and prep time.

We're also stocking the freezer with fresh fruit that I will use later this fall for jams I will give as Christmas gifts. I am not counting that as groceries - I should actually count that in my Christmas budget! And we're spending a little extra every couple of days for fresh sweet corn - we won't have that to enjoy much longer. And I went to the local apple orchard yesterday and bought a peck of apples. The girls are enjoying munching on them so much, I'll have to pull enough out for a pie before they all disappear! (I will count the corn and apples in the budget since we're eating them now.)

I have been doing most of my shopping at Aldi. I have really come to appreciate that store. They have all the "basics" I need, since I'm cooking and baking so much from scratch again. The store is pretty small, so it's a quick in-and-out when I go. But today I had to make a run to Woodman's to pick up a few "special" items that Aldi simply doesn't have (pie crusts, girls' shampoo, pita chips). Woodman's is absolutely HUGE. Their prices are very good (pretty comparable to Aldi) and they have an enormous selection. I was tired after picking up just a few things because I had to walk through the entire store. And it was all I could do to restrain myself from indulging in all the great deals they had going - deals on things we simply do not need this week. I'm proud of myself - I stuck to my list! But I can see where all those crazy-low prices can be a real trap!

I made a great discovery - Leftover Night! There was plenty of food from the week, and the girls got to choose exactly what they wanted. No complaining, no expense, minimal prep and cleanup for me! What a deal! We just added fresh sweet corn to the meal to round it out. Everyone's a winner!

So, seriously, even if I don't manage to meet the challenge by the end of the month, I have learned so much in the process, that that's what this challenge is all about, as far as I'm concerned!

So here's what we're having this week...

Sunday - Dinner out on the way home from Lake Geneva

Monday - Leftover Night

Tuesday - meatloaf, mashed potatoes, fresh sweet corn

Wednesday - pork tenderloin, wild rice, green beans

Thursday - whole chicken in the crock pot, brown rice, sweet corn

Friday - Nana's American Chop Suey (macaroni and meat sauce, made and frozen during her visit last month), salad

Saturday - ziti bake with friends, salad, bread, cinnamon sopapillas for dessert

Sunday - We have our annual outing at Blackberry Farm with Hannah's China group that day. I planned a great picnic lunch with subs and pasta salad and fruit for us and our visiting friends so we won't have to spend piles of cash at the concession stand. But I forgot to plan for dinner - oops! Probably leftovers or something pulled together from the pantry!

BTW, I had a great time searching vintage photos for the image in this post...

Challenge Day One: A Huge Reality Check

Yesterday was the first day of September, the first day of the $75 per Week Grocery Challenge. I had done our big shopping for the week on Sunday, but we were already out of fresh fruit, a staple in our girls' diet. So after putting the girls to bed last night, Al ran to the Jewel to restock our supply.

Now, I love the new Jewel, only 5 minutes from our house. It's new, clean, attractive, well stocked, and the produce is always great.

But it's expensive!

Al came home with one box of strawberries, two boxes of blueberries and a bunch of bananas. He also picked up a package of razors and some shaving cream (both store brand) and deoderant (name brand). And a couple of cups of yogurt he enjoys after his running. There were no "extras" like snacks or bottled drinks.

The total came to $26.03. That's a third of our weekly budget.

Ouch!

So I have found a huge hole in our grocery budget. We do have to restock our fresh fruit halfway through the week, but I can do better if I go to Woodman's or Aldi. And if Al needs something, he can tell me and I can get it somewhere much cheaper, and maybe even with coupons.

I still think I'll be OK this week and can come pretty close to meeting the challenge. But what's priceless (sorry MasterCard) is finding that huge hole! Which is really a big part of what this challenge is all about!

A Challenge

Mary, who blogs at Owlhaven, has been one of my favorite bloggers ever since I discovered the world of blogging a few years ago. She is Mom to 10 children - four by birth, and 6 by adoption from Korea and Ethiopia. She does a great job of feeding her lovely brood with tasty, healthy, yet frugal, meals. Her chicken enchilada bake is one of our family's favorites (divided by 1/4, of course!).

Mary recently wrote a book called Family Feasts for $75 a Week. For the month of September, Mary is challenging her readers to feed our families for just that - $75 per week (or any amount that we feel is reasonable). I've decided to take the challenge!

For new readers visiting my blog, we are a family of 5 - Dad, Mom, and three girls, ages 10, 7 and 5. All three girls are in school, though only two carry lunches to school (our Kindergartener goes in the afternoon after lunch at home). I stay at home full-time, so I am able to spend a good part of my day in meal planning and preparation.

I am adding an additional challenge for our family. We will not eat out this month, unless truly necessary (like a day trip). We did quite a lot of eating out or eating takeout during the summer, and it definitely had an impact on our budget.

I was telling a friend of mine about the challenge, and she asked me to get back to her at the end of the month and tell her the 5 top ways I was able to accomplish this goal (she seems pretty confident I'll be able to do it!). I can think a few things already...

1. Plan meals. If I write out a menu plan for the week, then shop only once for that week, I don't have to keep running to the store, which usually results in extra purchases I didn't really need to begin with. And we don't have to resort to takeout or eating out because I have nothing planned for that evening.

2. This is directly related to #1 - shop the pantry and freezer first. Sometimes I'm amazed at how much food I have in the house already that will make complete or almost-complete meals.

3. Make more food from scratch. Now that school has begun, I'm back at home a lot more, and am able to cook and bake more foods. Definitely cheaper, as well as healthier and yummier.

4. Make larger amounts of foods and then freeze meals for those busy nights when it would be much easier to order a pizza or pick up a rotisserie chicken at the Jewel.

The challenge officially begins tomorrow. I did a stock-up shopping yesterday, but followed the challenge rules and stayed within my usual weekly grocery budget to do so (actually, I was well under!). Here's my menu plan for this week...

Sunday - hamburger stroganoff on noodles, sweet corn from the local farm stand

Monday - pot roast, potatoes and baby carrots in the crock pot

Tuesday - garlic basil chicken in the crock pot, rice, sweet corn

Wednesday - tacos

Thursday - ravioli, salad

Friday - chicken and stuffing bake, sweet corn

Saturday - baked fish, pasta salad, sweet corn

(Yes, I know I listed sweet corn four times. It's been a great year for sweet corn, and we won't be able to get it much longer.)

Lunches are usually sandwiches for the big girls, and anything I can improvise for the rest of us, including leftovers. Breakfasts are also pretty simple, except for our big Sunday breakfast that Al prepares for us every week. Desserts are a treat, not a requirement (as I keep telling our girls), but now that I have time for more baking, they may appear more frequently on our menu!

I forgot to mention - the $75 per week includes paper goods, cleaning supplies and health and beauty products. Eep!

I CAN do this! I WILL do this! Stay tuned...

Three Years...

As of today, our dossier has been logged in at the China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) for a full three years. At the rate referrals are currently being released, we've got a good two more years to go...

I won't fill this post with whining. Just saying that on most days, I'm OK with the wait. I can be philosophical, I can remind myself that God's timing is perfect, that the child He has chosen for us is just not ready yet, that maybe our family is not ready yet...

Other days are simply sad or hard. I just want to get on with our lives as a complete family.

So I rest in this...

But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:31

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,

and in his word I put my hope.
Psalm 130:5

(Taken shortly after receiving Abbie's referral. Rachel is 2, Hannah is 5. It took us 5 1/2 months from LID to referral for Abbie...)

Making Memories, Part 2

We've finished the first week of August already! The summer is flying by, and we've done lots of fun things this past month...

• Hannah attended a friend's birthday sleepover
• Went to a Kane County Cougars game with some of Abbie's China group
• Learned about bees at a local forest preserve program
• Al played oboe at church, and I sang a few times
• All three girls saw the dentist - NO CAVITIES for any of them!
• Saw Kit Kittredge at the movie theater - $1 each for tickets, but spent nearly $20 on snacks
• Went to Splash Country with friends from Hannah's China group
• Saw another movie at the Purple Store in Kaneville
• Learned about butterflies at another forest preserve program
• Had some new friends over for lunch and play time
• Heard a friend's band play at our church
• Went to Kiddieland in Melrose Park with Hannah's China group
• Hosted a Knitting Day here - six moms, 14 kids, yummy lunch, lots of fun, not so much knitting
• Attended a Homemade Gourmet party and got to know some more moms from the girls' school
• Had several play dates with girls' friends from school
• All three girls enjoyed a week of Chinese Culture Camp - I worked in the kitchen that week and really enjoyed it (though I was exhausted every evening!)
• Al and I attended a concert by a virtuoso erhu player (erhu-ist?) at Fermilab
• Spent a Sunday afternoon at Shedd Aquarium and had dinner that evening in Chinatown
• Girls enjoyed a week of VBS
• Checked out a couple of new gymnastics schools for Hannah
• Got all three girls' school supplies bought
• Ongoing shopping for First Day of School outfits, sneakers, activity clothes, backpacks, etc.
• Attended the tenth wedding anniversary celebration of friends from Abbie's China group
• Celebrated my Fortysomethingth birthday
• Al went to Maine to play oboe for his niece's wedding

Hope to post pictures soon - pictures I'll be taking with the new camera Al got me for my birthday!

Just a couple of weeks left before school starts - more fun planned!

How Things Get Out of Control Around Here

So I made homemade mac and cheese for lunch today. And there was SO much left over that I needed to put it away in a container in the refrigerator...

1. Noticed there were no containers in my cabinet (except for the little tiny ones I send to school in the girls' lunches).
2. Looked in the refrigerator to see if they could possibly all be in there, holding leftovers.
3. Suddenly recognized The Horror.
4. Took everything out of the refrigerator and either threw it away or put it on the counter.
5. Took drawers and shelves out to scrub.
6. Except the door doesn't open more than a 90-degree angle from the fridge. So I had to move the whole fridge out from its little alcove so I could open the door wider and remove one drawer and the bottom shelf.

So right now...
- my trash barrel is full of garbage,
- my counters are covered with food,
- my sink is full of dirty containers,
- my refrigerator is stuck out in the middle of the kitchen at an odd angle.

And the leftover mac and cheese is still in the crock pot...

Introducing...

Ida!!!

The sister of one of my knitting friends was looking for a new home for this sweet little hamster. We had a hamster a few years ago, but she only lived about two months. Al and I discussed it, and decided it was time to try having a pet again. So Ida joined our family.

We are all enjoying her very much! She sleeps pretty much throughout the day, but she perks up in the evenings. And her rattling around in her wheel keeps me company at night and in the early morning while the girls are sleeping.

We love you, Ida! Welcome to our crazy family!

Summer fun can sure wear a girl out!

(She fell asleep mid-snack!)

Chicken and Wild Rice Salad

I love making this tasty, easy recipe for luncheons. I serve it with croissants and fruit...

1 lb. boneless chicken breasts
1 (6 oz) package Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice
1 cup seedless red grapes, cut in half
3/4 cup celery, chopped
1 cup cashews, coarsely chopped

Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp. milk
2 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder

Cook chicken in covered sauce pan. Cook rice according to directions. Combine chicken, rice, grapes and celery. Mix dressing ingredients and fold into mixture. Refrigerate 2-3 hours; add cashews before serving.

Notes: I use 2-3 large cans of chicken breast instead - much quicker and easier! I also use the 5-minute quick-cook Uncle Ben's wild rice - again, quicker and easier.