Pie for 4th of July Dessert

I'm a bit busy this week with the holiday but wanted to take a minute to tell you about my favorite 4th of July dessert - Red, White, and Blueberry Pie.

YUM! Don't judge the taste by my pictures. This 4th of July pie is delicious and fairly easy to make. Just pie crust, pudding, berries and cool whip. You can't get any easier than that!

If you are looking for a summer dessert for a party, I highly recommend Red, White and Blueberry Pie! Any of the links above will take you to the recipe. You won't be sorry!!


What is your favorite 4th of July dessert?

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Meal Plans Help Me Make Healthy Food Choices

Last week I asked, "How do I make healthy food choices?" This week I want to elaborate on my answer: Make food choices ahead of time.

In the context of last week's post I implied that I am making food choices before visiting a restaurant. I've only recently started that, and I'm certainly NOT consistent with planning before I enter a restaurant.

But I am fairly consistent with weekly meal planning for our at-home meals.

Why weekly menu plans?

If I don't plan our meals each week then I end up preparing my "go-to" meals of toast and scrambled eggs or quesadillas and fruit. Or, even worse, we end up eating out.

Weekly meal plans help me prepare healthy meals for my family.

How do you plan a weekly menu?

I've written a menu planning tutorial that is very detailed and takes prices as well as nutrition into consideration. You are welcome to read and/or print the tutorial.

The simple way of menu planning is to just make a list of the foods you want to eat each day. Just this week I ran across an wonderful menu planner download from Teaching What Is Good. (The owner of Teaching What Is Good has given me permission to use her image and for you to download and print her planner.)

Image from Teaching What Is Good

If you are new to menu planning this is a very simple template to use. Just fill in the foods you plan to eat for each meal. The only thing it doesn't have is a place to plan snacks but you could use 'special notes' for that. 

I especially like the shopping list down the side. Occasionally I get to the store and they are out of an ingredient I need. By having the shopping list attached to my menu I can remember what meal I needed the ingredient for and make adjustments.

If you are trying to change eating habits or add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, I highly recommend you plan your meals in advance. Meal planning helps me stay focused on my goals when time and energy at at a premium. A plan keeps me from reverting back to old habits.

Are you a meal planning newbie or pro?

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A Low Calorie Breakfast - Strawberries and Bran Flakes Cereal

I am not a morning person. That makes preparing and eating a nutritious breakfast difficult for me, ESPECIALLY when I'm trying to lose a few pounds.

I'm going to let you in on my breakfast secret: Bran Flakes.

Really!! I buy an off-brand version of plain bran flakes. It has 5 g of dietary fiber and 5 g of sugars. A 3/4 cup serving is only 90 calories and VERY filling. Add a 1/2 cup of 1% milk and I'm only up to 140 calories.

Now comes the tricky part. I grew up adding sugar to my sugar cereals so I like breakfast to be sweet. But sugar adds nutrition-less calories.

So, I buy a pound of strawberries, wash them, cut them into bite-sized pieces and add them to my bran flakes every morning. Strawberries only add a few calories and I've eaten a fruit first thing in the morning. By cutting them up ahead of time I don't have to think or operate a knife before I've fully woken up.

Sometimes I like to change up my routine and substitute banana slices for the strawberries. If I'm really feeling crazy I'll add a few raisins or dried cranberries but those are usually coated in sugar so I don't do that often.

There you have it. My low calorie, nutritious, no cook breakfast.

What do you eat for a healthy breakfast?

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A Family Night on the SMB Mayflower

According to a filed Thanksgiving plan the SMB Mayflower set sail for the New World Friday night. She carried 4 passengers, their assorted stuffed animal cargo and 2 crew members.

The travelers aboard the SMB Mayflower began their voyage with high spirits. First Mate Mama assembled provisions of cheese, beef jerky (salt pork) and root(beer). Hard tack had also been baked especially for the trip.

Because there are no chairs, tables or individual plates aboard the SMB Mayflower everyone came together on the floor of the living room around the communal platter. Following a sweet blessing, all began to eat.

The seafarers soon lodged complaints with First Mate Mama regarding the inedible hockey pucks hard tack. Not wishing to make an emergency trip to the dentist because of a chipped tooth, First Mate Mama quickly scoured her galley and found a package of saltine crackers.

High spirits restored, our young pilgrims finished their meal and moved on to the evening's entertainment - a rousing game of Cariboo.

As the evening grew late, the SMB Mayflower veered off her original sailing activity plan along the Parental Bedroom Shipping Lane. Captain Daddy made a slight course adjustment and the SMB Mayflower settled into the Ellie and Sam Bedroom Shipping Lane. No passengers complained about the detour since it resulted in much chatting, giggling and fun.

As the ship docked this morning, all passengers agreed that their voyage on the SMB Mayflower was a lot of fun and worth doing again. During our interview First Mate Mama said, "This inaugural trip will definitely be an annual tradition for the SMB Mayflower. The only change I foresee is using 3 day old biscuits in place of hard tack."

Be sure to like Stephanie's Mommy Brain on Facebook where more Thanksgiving tips and links are shared throughout November.

* More SMB Thanksgiving Kids Activities and Books Posts  


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Cooking with Children :: Mom2Mom

While pregnant with Will, I dreamed of baking cookies, mixing cakes, and rolling out pizza crusts with my children.  In my vision they would wait patiently for their turn to help and we would show Daddy our delicious creations when he came home.

Mom and child cooking sessions fit into my ideal of a mom.

Speaking of ideals, television commercials show mom and child laughing and smiling as they mix cookie batter together.  Print ads imply that mom and child worked as a team to make the beautiful cake in front of them.  There are even magazines that show you step-by-step how to make amazingly elaborate animals from vegetables with your 3 year old.  (OK.  Maybe I exaggerate.  It's really your 4 year old.)

You can't see the 2 year old dipping his hand in the PB jar!

My cooking with children reality looks nothing like the magazines.

I have four pairs of hands eager to grab any spoon and stir.  My children crowd around the bowl making it difficult to measure and pour.  They whine and nag while waiting their turn to help.  And the finished product never looks like the picture in the magazine!

Cooking sessions with my children often leave me frustrated and annoyed.  I underestimate how long it will take.  I constantly tell my 2 year old to put items down.  And in the end I have a huge mess to clean up - with NO dishwasher to help.


Do you also dread cooking with your children?  Or have you learned to involve them in the kitchen without losing your mind?  Let's talk about it in the comments!

Picnic at the Park on Family Fun Friday

The best fun is usually free.

The kids and I recently tested that premise with a visit to Roger Williams Park in Providence.

After 7 years as a mom I've learned to keep picnics simple.  I make peanut butter and honey sandwiches and cut them into quarters. 

The quarters are more manageable for little hands.  The honey soaks into the bread so it isn't messy like jelly.

We also take our re-usable water bottles, a container of baby carrots, and napkins.  This time we shared some leftover fruit salad but usually I cut up apples for us.

After we finished eating we explored the park a little.  The kids wanted to play around the Temple of Music.

Sam does his hardest to stay with the "big kids" but his little legs just aren't as fast as theirs.

I think Ellie agrees that the best fun can be free!

Visit Fun Mom Friday at Please Pass the Salt for more family fun ideas.

Dear Friendly's

Dear Friendly's,

Just a note to say thank you for the delicious FREE ice cream in June.  We drove straight to our local restaurant right after a T-ball game.  After sitting/ playing in the sun for an hour the cold ice cream cone really hit the spot!

We appreciated the variety of flavors you made available as well as the options of cones or cups.  We selected soft serve chocolate, chocolate chip, and chocolate chip cookie dough - all in waffle cones.

Your staff were all friendly, helpful and quick in serving our ice cream.  My children enjoyed seeing the people in costumes and receiving balloons.

My only complaint is that your napkins don't help much when a 19 month old boy is coated in chocolate ice cream.  But that's my complaint, NOT his!! 

Again, thank you for the free ice cream.  I'm sure we'll be in again later this summer.

Your happy customers,

The Stephanie's Mommy Brain Family

Disclosure:  No one asked me to write this post.  It was NOT a part of any promotion.  We simply enjoyed cones on Friendly's Free Ice Cream Day and wanted to share about it.  Mark your calendars now so you can watch for details about Free Cone Day next year.

Dear Cracker Barrel

Dear Cracker Barrel,

Thank you for being the best family friendly restaurant ever!!

We have been regularly (once every 2-3 months) visiting the same Cracker Barrel restaurant since it opened 7 years ago.  We also stop at your restaurant when we are traveling and have found the same service and hospitality in those restaurants as we find at the one in Rhode Island.

We love your baby boards (for infant carriers), high chairs and booster seats.  I don't know where you get them from but they are AWESOME!  I can't tell you how wonderful it is not to have your newborn perched precariously on an upside-down high chair!  Or how fabulous it is to have your toddler/preschooler sit at the table in a regular place rather than at the end of the table where the waiter has to serve hot food over him!  I've even filled out surveys for other restaurants and recommended they replace their high chairs/ booster seats with yours!!

I also appreciate sitting at a regular table for 6 rather than being squeezed into a booth designed for 4 adults.  This makes us feel valued as a customer.

Speaking of feeling valued as a customer, your waiters and hostesses always welcome us and treat us like they want us there.  I realize that serving a family of 6 (with 4 children under 7) is a lot of work and a big mess (I do it every day so I know how much work it is!!) but your employees have never acted like this is a bother - something I can't say about most restaurants we visit.

I just wanted to say thank you for providing reasonably priced food in an environment where my family is welcomed and wanted!

Your Happy Customers,

The Stephanie's Mommy Brain Family

Ps.  If you should ever need a Mommy or Family Social Media Ambassador, I'm your mom!!  I love telling other moms how wonderful your restaurant is.

Disclosure:  I have not received compensation of any kind for this post.  I just really think Cracker Barrel is the best family-friendly restaurant out there!

6 Tips for Strawberry Picking with Children

Strawberry picking with friends has been a June tradition for my family since 2005.  At 2 years old and 4 months old, I can't say Will and Ben contributed much to our baskets back then but we sure had fun!

After 5 years of strawberry picking with my children I've learned a few lessons I want to share with you.

1.  Take a bottle of water for each person.  Hard working pickers get thirsty!

2.  Expect them to eat as they pick!

3.  Take pictures of your kids when you first arrive.  Be sure you squat down to your child's level to get the best pictures.

4.  Wear hats and sunscreen.  The sun can be brutal in an open field.

5.  EVERYONE should wear red shirts.  Little hands WILL get wiped on their shirts and yours, too!  And strawberry juice STAINS!

6.  Stop for ice cream cones on the way home.  (Optional, but it's always a good idea to reward your hardworking strawberry pickers!)

Do you go strawberry picking?  I'd love to hear about your experience!

Where to find your local U-Pick Strawberry Farm?

They look like strawberries.  They smell like strawberries.  And they ALMOST taste like strawberries. 

But, when compared to the delicious fruit found at a local farm, grocery store strawberries are only a cheap imitation!

Instead of settling for a mediocre berry I recommend you find a local farm and pick your own berries straight from the plant!  (Or buy them at a local farmer's market.)

To help you find a local U Pick or Pick Your Own farm I've compiled a list of farm registry websites.  Just click on the links below and search for your area.  If you still can't find a local farm then google "u pick strawberry farm YOUR TOWN, YOUR STATE" and see what comes up.

PickYourOwn.org

LocalHarvest.org

About.com (for farms in New England)

FieldTrip.com (for farms in NJ, NY, and PA)

FarmFresh.org (for farms in Rhode Island)

KentuckyTourism.com (for farms in Kentucky)

I would love to hear about your strawberry picking trip!!  What is your favorite Farm and where is it located?

What does the weekly shopping list for a family of 6 look like?

You probably could not care less about my weekly grocery shopping list.  But I thought it would be fun to 'document' it now so that when my 3 boys are teenagers I can look back and laugh at myself for moaning about how much my little guys ate.

I've mentioned before that I try to menu plan and shop for a whole month in one trip.  Those shopping trips are only staples and meat.  I have a very small kitchen, pantry and refrigerator/freezer so I can't do a lot of stocking up.

So here are some things I buy weekly:

• 5 gallons of milk
• 4-5 loaves of wheat bread
• 24 apples
• 2 bunches of bananas (approx. 12 total)
• another 2-3 pounds of fruit (whatever's on sale)
• 5 lbs. of baby carrots (this is actually every 2 weeks)
• 1-2 lbs. of raw broccoli
• 1.5 lb. of sliced American cheese
• 1 box of raisins
• 3-4 boxes of dry cereal (mini wheats, cheerios, 'sugar' cereal)
• 1-2 dozen eggs
• 1 box saltine crackers

That's just my weekly shopping list.  There's always something that I've run out of or am about to run out of that gets added to the list.

How much does it cost me? $75 to $100 every week (depending on how much other stuff is added to the list).

Let me be clear.  This does NOT include meat, chips, soda, snack bars or any kind of junk food.

One of my goals for this year is to spend less at the grocery store but seeing my list this way makes me realize I'm not buying junk - I'm just feeding SIX hungry people!

January Weekly or Monthly Menu Plan

Let me give you my menu plan first and then I'll tell you how I've changed my planning process.

Monday - Ground Turkey Chili, Cheddar Cheese, Crackers
Tuesday - Chicken Curry, Rice
Wednesday - Ground Turkey Spaghetti, Garden Salad
Thursday - Ham, Roasted Potatoes and Carrots, Biscuits
Friday - Homemade Pepperoni Pizza, Garden Salad
Saturday - Chicken Pot Pie
Sunday - Daddy's Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Several months ago I was again thinking through my menu planning process.  And the thought occurred to me:  My husband took the exact same lunch to work every day for 10 years (ham sandwich, apple, carrots).   

Why am I making myself crazy cooking 30 different meals each month when he doesn't care about variety?!

I was also thinking about how 30 years ago moms didn't have the variety of meals that we have today.  They cooked the same 7-10 meals over and over again for a lifetime.  And nobody went crazy from food boredom.  Again I asked, why am I making myself crazy cooking a variety of different types of meals?

You know what?  I didn't have an answer to my question.  So I decided to simplify my meal plan.

I made a list of 13 different meals we enjoy eating.  Then I picked 7 meals and assigned them to a day.  The meal plan above is the result.

I've been using the same weekly menu plan all month and love it.  The recipes for each meal are all in my head so I don't have to pull out my computer or cookbook.  None of the recipes call for anything unusual or expensive so I have everything on hand and haven't spent a fortune on an ingredient I'll only use once.  Two of the recipes (chili and chicken pot pie) are easily doubled and then frozen which saves me time the following week.

It's a simple plan that helps me feed my family, not to mention the more I practice these 6 meals the better I get a cooking them!

Do you require variety or simplicity in your meal plan? 

For more meal plans visit orgjunkie!

Top 10 Tips for Frugal Menu Planning Newbies

Last week I received an email from a reader. She is new to planning budgets and making menu plans and wanted some advice. Inspired by her questions here are my Top 10 Tips for Frugal Menu Planning Newbies:

1. Make a realistic budget with your spouse. Whether setting up a budget for all your spending or only your groceries, be realistic about what you currently NEED to spend.


2. Use the sales flyers for local supermarkets. Weekly sales are full of "loss leaders." These are heavily discounted items intended to get you in the door and spend money on non-sales items. Ask if your favorite supermarket will price match other stores in your area.


3. Use coupons ONLY if the product is something you will need/use even if you didn't have a coupon. Also make sure the coupon product is the best deal.


4. Buy generic or store brand. Generic products are often similar in taste and quality to that of name brand. For example: Did you notice a couple of years ago when Peter Pan Peanut Butter issued their recall that Wal-Mart brand peanut butter was also recalled? Because it was made in the same plant! I'm thinking it's the same stuff with different packaging!! Except one is significantly cheaper than the other.


5. Keep it Simple. If you have never planned a menu before don't start with a month! Start with one week. If your budget is for 2 weeks, consider repeating the menu a second week until you are comfortable with menu planning.


6. When writing your list of meals, ask other household members to contribute their favorites. You might be surprised by what they do and don't like.


7. Use the weekly sales flyers to plan your menu. For example, if chicken is on sale this week then plan to have several chicken meals.


8. Stock up on meat sales. I rarely pay more than $1.99 lb. for boneless chicken breasts, 80/20 ground beef and steak/roast. I buy it on sale and freeze it in meal sized portions.


9. As much as possible, cook from scratch. It's cheaper and healthier. For example, a box of Hamburger Helper Stroganoff will cost about $2 with a coupon. You get 1 meal from the box. For $1 I can buy a box of pasta that will make 2 meals. Add $.70 for cream of mushroom soup and I spent less for the more food.


10. Plan to not cook. Keep 1 -2 frozen meals in the freezer for days that you just can't cook. A frozen pizza is much cheaper than take out!

What are you top tips and recommendations for frugal menu planning newbies?

Are you a newbie with a question? Please ask and I'll try to answer it!

Note: Feel free to use my any of my recipes for your menus. I just ask that you leave a comment if you try one and DON'T publish them for profit. Thanks!

Photos by rick and Simon Shek.

Ground Turkey versus Ground Beef

Confession time: I don't have a menu planned for this week. I know I should but I haven't put the time and effort into it.

In lieu of my weekly menu I want to tell you about a grocery purchase I made last week.

I was completely out of ground beef. Usually I can buy the 80/20 ground beef for $2.29 or less at my favorite grocery store - Price Rite. However, last week they wanted over $3.00 a pound. $3.00 a pound! For hamburger meat!!! I don't pay that for steak!

As I started to walk away from the meat case empty handed I noticed packages of ground turkey. For $1.50 a pound. $1.50! When is ground turkey cheaper than ground beef?! Naturally I came home with 3 packages.

Normally, I don't buy ground turkey. Partly because of the cost but mainly because I don't care for the taste. But last week I decided with enough seasonings my taste buds wouldn't know the difference but my wallet sure would!

That's my exciting shopping story for the week. Do you have any stories of great deals to share? What about recipes using ground turkey? Or are you a ground beef person like myself?

Weekly Menu Plan and Tips for Buying Meat without Spending a Fortune.

This week didn't go as well as last week did. You know it's a bad precedent when you go out for supper on MONDAY! Then Tuesday I heated up some leftover potato soup. The week improved after that but my menu never quite recovered. Maybe this week will be better!

This week I have planned for us to enjoy:

Chicken Curry, Onions, Carrots, Rice, Pineapples
Easy Chicken Parmesan, Pasta, Salad, Focaccia Bread
Bacon, Gravy, Biscuits, Fried Potatoes
Mexican Chicken Cornbread, Sour Cream, Black Olives, Fruit
Pizza, Salad, Pineapples
Seafood Chowder, Cheddar Bread

One of my Rhode Island friends thinks biscuits and gravy for supper is not common among Southerners. Is this something only my family does?

Tell me I'm not weird and leave a comment if this is something you do, too!

If you are interested in seeing more of my recipes, my entire menu for this month, and previous menus be sure to check out Stephanie's Mommy Brain in the Kitchen.



For more menus visit Org Junkie's Menu Plan Monday Carnival.

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Thursday morning I stopped in at my local supermarket to buy one of their loss leaders - $1.99 for bottom round roast beef and top round roast beef.

I have noticed in my area, supermarkets usually have their best deals on meat during the 2nd and 3rd weeks of the month and the week before a major holiday. I try to plan my menus and food budget so I can take advantage of those sales.

So, I bought 2 roasts about 3 pounds each. I would have bought a third roast BUT I noticed some of the steak packages had $1.50 off sticker coupons.

These meat packages expired today. Which meant the store wanted to sell them fast. I quickly did the math. And just as quickly popped them into my basket.

Here's what I bought:

Eye Round Steak .68 lb (2 individual steaks) with coupon $1.55
Eye Round Steak .65 lb (2 individual steaks) with coupon $1.42
Round Stew Meat .59 lb (1 individual steak) with coupon $ .26
Round Stew Meat .49 lb (1 individual steak) with coupon -$ .03

Yes, you see that correctly. I bought a half pound of beef for TWENTY-SIX CENTS and they paid ME three cents to take another half pound of beef home!!

With the loss leader and the coupons I paid $14.55 for 8.12 pounds of beef. That's less than $2 a pound!

I cut it all up into meal sized portions and put it in freezer bags. Now I have roast and steak for at least 6 meals in my freezer. That's less than .50 cents a serving for my family of 5!

Buying loss leaders and soon to expire meat with coupons Works For Me! What tips do you have to buy meat without spending a fortune?

For more Works For Me! ideas visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer.

How to Make a Monthly (or Weekly) Menu Plan.

I've been "winging it" for supper since October (partly because of this little guy). My food budget and husband's waist show the effects of my lack of meal planning. Well, no more! It's a new year and a fresh start for home management!

To motivate myself to return to menu planning (and you to join me!) I decided to write a step-by-step post on how I make a monthly or weekly menu plan.
How to Make a Monthly (Weekly) Menu

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Home Tips Home menu form menu chart

Will you join me? The benefits of meal planning are numerous. More nutritious meals. Spend less money on food. Less stressed at meal time. To get started planning your meals just download and print this pdf file. I plan to place this guide in my Home Management Binder.

Please leave a comment if you found this Guide helpful. If you Menu Plan already I'd love to learn about it about the system you use.

* For more tips on menu planning be sure to read Monthly Menu: A Work in Progress.
* You can also find monthly menus, weekly menus and recipes at Stephanie's Mommy Brain in the Kitchen.
* For more tips and ideas visit Works for Me Wednesday at Rocks in My Dryer.

An Idea for Cooking with Children.

Ellie enjoys helping me cook. Especially if I'm making biscuits or pizza dough. When she sees the flour and the bowl on the counter she scoots a chair over and climbs up. I've been trying to let her do more stirring but inevitably we end up with flour all over the counter and on the floor. This frustrates me.

The other day we were making pizza dough together and the idea came to me to sit the bowl in the sink. Why have I not thought of this before?! Why has no one told me this trick to cooking with children? Now when the flour comes flying out clean-up is a simple turning of the faucet; no broom required.

Ellie thinks it's a good idea, too!

Wal-Mart Prices Matches!

On a recent shopping excursion to the Wal-Mart Super Center I stopped at their front desk and asked about their price matching policy.

1. Bring the flyers for other stores with you (circle the items you plan to buy to make things easier checking out).

2. They match prices for ALL items. Produce. Meat. Non-perishable. Toiletry products. Etc.

3. They will NOT match "buy one get one free."

4. Tell the checker before she rings the item. She needs to do a price over-ride.

Instead of going to all the stores for sales just go to Wal-Mart. You can save grocery money, gas money AND time.

A Home Garden and A Milk Cow might help me.

What do you buy week in and week out at the grocery store? How much are you paying for it these days?

Click over to Stephanie's Mommy Brain in the Kitchen and see what I usually buy every week. I'll tell you now I paid $43.04 for it. I'm satisfied with how much I got for my money but not thrilled.

I could eat the whole pie by myself if my family would let me!

Remember how I told you I wanted a Red, White, and Blueberry Pie? Here's the picture from Pampered Chef to remind you. That's the cover of the cookbook and neither the cover nor it's contents disappoint! Without further ado I give you Stephanie's much improved version
of Red, White and Blueberry Pie (recipe).

Please don't judge my lack of symmetry. It tasted better than it looked.