Starting the Year off Different

So as I wrote in my last post things have changed a bit for us in the last month. With money tight, unnecessary purchases have really come to an end. (I did take a trip over to see my sister and family this weekend which put us back $40 but was oh so worth it to see my new nephew Luke and to see the rest of my family who I hadn't seen since I got the plague back at Christmas) After reading inspiration about a Pantry Challenge from one of my favorite blogs I figured it was the perfect time for us to try too. Only shopping for items to round out meals we spent around $50 on food this January to feed our growing family. I think that's pretty great. Dylan has been eating like a horse lately, I've been eating a ton too (yes I am in my sixth month so I can) and even Lincoln is sitting through dinner eating the whole time... and not scraping off his plate or throwing food to the dog. My boys are growing but I've been able to "shop our pantry and freezer" plus a humbling experience at the local food bank and no one is going hungry in the slightest. Yay for using your resources.

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Belated Christmas Pics

Because I didn't download any pictures for a while, and then it was after Christmas and things got wild for a while I kind of skipped over the actual holiday so several weeks late, here is how we spent our Christmas. I didn't get any pictures when we were over at Shane's family's house but we spent lots of time over there too. All four kids in one picture together! Warner kind of blends into the tree skirt but his little baldish head stands out. Luckily the matching pajamas I bought for the boys last year still fit too. Head lamps for spying on Santa. Opening presents was a daunting task for Lincoln. I think this was when he realized asking only for a "princess and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich" wasn't the best of ideas. Don't worry he got plenty spoiled. The messy aftermath. Lincoln playing in his new tiny little kitchen. My brother and dad at our house. My mom and brother decorating a giant gingerbread...

Overnight Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

I've been tweaking this overnight sourdough cinnamon roll recipe over the last few months and I think it's finally, exactly, the way I like it. We love this for slow weekend mornings, to take to family and friends, or for special holiday get togethers. It's also the same recipe I use when making them to sell locally. I've been keeping it under wraps for no reason in particular but it's just too good not to share. I don't have a reliable kitchen scale so this recipe uses good old fashion cups and goes a lot by the feeling of the dough. It will get messy but don't be discouraged if it doesn't turn out just right the first time. No matter the flop, these cinnamon rolls will never disappoint taste wise. The PDF printable can be found here or you can keep reading. Overnight Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls The night before you want to make rolls: 8 Tablespoons cold butter, shredded (a whole stick) 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose or bread flour 1/2 cup sourdou...

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

We love chicken in our house because it is yummy, very versatile and somewhat affordable. It is also Shane's meat of choice for his "tone and sculpt" plan. (ok so I just love how special he is and really I am not making fun of him) I generally try to find boneless, skinless chicken for less than $2 a pound. These days it is getting increasingly difficult, even looking into Zycon or Costco so when I found some for $2.30/lb I got all the had... two packages. I frozen one because Shane will BBQ that for lunches on the weekend. With the other package, which I think was about 3.5 pounds or 5/6 breasts, I was able to look on the monthly menu plan and figure out what chicken type dinners I had coming up and chop from there. Since the breasts are usually very thick I slice them in half, like a top and bottom part. Then I either chopped up into bite sized pieces or froze whole. For less than $9 in chicken I made four meals that will serve at least two adults and two children. ...

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