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Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Meal Prepping

I now know that meal prepping is TOTALLY worth it!!! I wanted to make meals that not only tasted delicious but that were healthy... I searched the Internet and found a few favorites and put together a list of these 13 recipes. Some of them I found on various blogs and others are recipes I have created (mine are indicated with *). I put together a detailed grocery list and separated it into sections in the grocery store and everything I needed in each section. I ended up spending a total of $230 for everything. That makes just over $6.00 a meal and $1.00 per serving!



 
*Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients:
Medium – Large bag of carrots (to add in while cooking)
Yellow or Red Onion into Large Chunks
3 large cans pineapple (undrained)
4 Garlic Cloves
6 Chicken Breasts
1 Red Pepper cut into chunks
1 Green Pepper cut into chunks
1 yellow pepper cut into chunks
1 cup teriyaki sauce

Split between 3 bags, seal, mix, lay flat, freeze
Directions for Bags:
Add add’l 1/4 cup sauce to crock pot. Cook low 6-7 hours. Add carrots with 3 hours left. Serve over hot rice.
 
*Beef Stew
Ingredients:
4lb cubed stewing beef
4 cups carrots
4-6 cups baby red potatoes (cut in half)
2 onions (chopped)
2 cups celery (chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 15 oz can tomato sauce (1/2 in each bag)
2 Tbs brown sugar

Split between 2 bags, seal, mix, lay flat, freeze
Directions for Bags:
Add 1 cup water. Cook on low 4-6 hours. Eat as a soup, or serve over hot noodles or rice.
 
Savory Chicken
Ingredients:
4-6 chicken breasts
2 cans stewed tomatoes
4 Tbs white wine (I just use extra broth)
1 large onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
2 bay leafs
4 cups broccoli (added while cooking)

Split between 2 bags, seal, mix, lay flat, freeze
Directions for Bags:
Cook on low 6-7 hours. Add broccoli during last 30 minutes, remove bay leaves before serving
 
*Sweet & Tangy Meatballs
Ingredients:
Appx 45 meatballs (I use turkey instead of beef)
16 oz grape jelly
20 oz bbq sauce
1 red pepper cut into chunks

Split between 3 bags, seal, mix, lay flat, freeze
Directions for Bags:
Cook on low 2-4 hours. Serve over hot rice with a side of veggies.
 
Slow Cooked Beef Fajitas
Ingredients:
2 lb beef round steak cut into strips (across the grain)
2 8 oz cans diced tomatoes w/ chiles
1 large onion or 2 small
1 green pepper, cut into strips
1 red pepper, cut into strips
2 tsp cilantro
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 jalapeno chopped (optional, obviously not a good toddler choice)

Split between 2 bags, seal, mix, lay flat, freeze
Directions for Bags:
Cook on low 5-6 hours. Scoop with slotted spoon onto corn (or flour) tortillas. Garnish with sour cream, avocado, shredded cheese, pico de galo, etc
 
Cilantro Lime Chicken with Black Beans and Corn
Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts
3 Tbs olive oil
2 limes, juiced
2 cups cilantro
1 large bag of frozen corn (or two smaller bags)
4 minced garlic cloves
1 finely chopped red onion
2 cans of black beans, rinsed
2 tsp cumin or chipotle powder
salt/pepper to taste
 
Split between 2 bags, shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. Instructions for Container: cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours, serve with hot tortillas or tostitos. Dress with sour cream, guacamole, and/or cheese
 
Divine Chicken
6 chicken breasts
4 cups baby carrots
4 cups fresh broccoli (chopped)
2 onions
salt/pepper to taste
2 cartons of cream of chicken soup (add 1 each at cook time)
2 cup milk (add 1 each at cook time)
 
Split everything into two containers. shake it up, seal, label and put in the freezer. Instructions for Container: Add 1 cream of chicken soup and 1 cup of milk, cook on low 8 hours or high 4 hours


Taco Soup
Ingredients:
2lb ground beef or turkey (browned) taco seasoning or cumin, chili powder, s/p, garlic
2 cans organic crushed tomatoes w/ chiles
1 16oz package frozen corn
2 cans organic black beans
2 cans organic kidney beans
1 large onion (chopped)
 
Split between 2 bags, seal, mix, lay flat, freeze
Directions for Bags:
Add 1 cup water. Cook on low 4-6 hours. Serve with corn tortilla chips, sour cream, avocado, and shredded cheese
 
Baked Green Chile Enchiladas
Ingredients:
Filling:
3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 (4 oz.) cans of green chiles
1 package cream cheese (cubed)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
 
Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 onion (chopped)
 2 TBS flour
1/3 cup chicken broth
Salt & pepper to taste
8 oz green chile or tomatillo salsa
1/2 cup sour cream
 
Topping:
shredded cheese
12-14 corn tortillas
 
Directions for Cooking:
Preheat oven to 400 1) mix filling together set aside 2) sauté onion in butter, add milk & broth and stir in flour ‘til thickening and smooth, bring to boil, add in s/p, salsa & sour cream 3)spray pan, layer sauce on bottom, fill each tortilla with filling and place seam side down, top with sauce & cheese. 4) Bake 25-30 minutes . Once cooled can be froze 1 month – thaw and reheat 1⁄4 cup milk
 
 
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
1 pound chicken
1 15 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce
1 medium onion chopped
1 4 oz. can chopped green chile peppers
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 10 oz. package frozen corn
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
 
Combine all ingredients into two Ziploc bags. Freeze.
Thaw and put into crockpot.
ADD 2 cups water and 1 14 oz. can chicken broth. cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Shred chick when done if preferred.
 
*5 Bean Turkey Chili
Ingredients:
2lbs ground turkey
3 cans of Chili Beans
3 cans of; Black Bean, Kidney Beans, White Beans, and Pinto Beans
3 cans of petite diced tomatoes
1 red and green pepper finely diced
1 small onion finely diced
3 Tbsp. Chili powder (one for each bag)
1 Packet of Chili seasoning
1 tsp. salt & pepper (more to taste)
 
Brown the meat and add the packet of chili seasoning and 3/4 C. water. Saute the onions until clear and add to the meat. Divide that between three gallon size Ziploc bags. Also divide the peppers between the three bags. add one can of each bean and the tomatoes to each bag and 1 Tbsp. of the chili powder to each. Mix and freeze laying flat.
Thaw and cook in crockpot on low 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours.
 
 
**I also made a big batch of spaghetti and rigatoni and froze them in 9x9 in. tin pans and covered them with tin foil. Those are best eaten within 2 months.



 

Monday, November 10, 2014

DAILY VLOGS

Shaileen and I decided that we want to document Jax's life the best we can for him. We take tons of pictures and will continue doing that but hardly take any video at all. We decided that it is time for us to start a daily vlog of ours and Jax's life. We would like to invite you along for the ride. If you would like to check out our channel it is you can here. Should be interesting :)

Friday, October 31, 2014

Halloween night 2014

We had an absolute blast this Halloween. Jax loved getting candy and putting it into his bag. To begin I could tell he was really confused with what we were doing but then caught on quick. We saw our whole family. First we went out to Bret and Hils house. They throw quite the Halloween party for pretty much the whole neighborhood. Then we went to Tristen and Nelson's house and Grandma and Grandpa Glover were there too. And last but not least we went to Grandma and Grandpa Davis' house. 

Shaileen met me at work today and it was fun because all of the people at work absolutely adore Jax. One of the funniest things today was when Shaileen was holding Jax. He had a peice of candy in his hand and a lady holding a bucket of candy was about 5-6 feet away. He chucked the candy all the way from Shaileen's arms to the bucket. It was way funny.


This is one of my favorite family photos we have ever taken (thanks Aunt Kimmi). Too bad I am lame and never dress up. 



Jax would run from house to house usually with candy in his hand. 





Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Jax the Oompa Loompa

Jax the Oompa Loompa
Shaileen is awesome and made this costume herself. Jax loves being dressed up and thinks his green hair is awesome. I cant wait to have him dress up again on Halloween. It may become his favorite holiday because he is a huge fan of candy.






One More Loved Foundation


This week Shaileen and two of her friends announced some great news. They started a non-profit organization called One More Loved Foundation. Kelly, Shaileen and Kylee are the founders/board members and the husbands have a role as well in the foundation as well as treasure/event coordinators. As you probably know, Shaileen and I went through the adoption process and one of the things that is tough for many people including ourselves is the financial aspect of adoption. This foundation will be aimed to assist adoptive families with the expense of adoption through the fundraising efforts. There should be an announcement today of the first fundraising efforts. So keep your eyes peeled and help/donate. We want to help some couples out with finding their child and making it just a little easier for them.

PRESIDENT

 

VICE PRESIDENT

 
SECRETARY


Helping Great Grandma Alice

Every year as a family we go over to Great Grandma Alice's house to help her winterize her yard. It is so much fun spending time with family but also serving her. We trimmed her trees, pulled and cut plants, mowed, picked up leaves and even more. Jax is always such a great helper and wants to be in the action all of the time. His two favorite things to help with were the leaf blower and the rakes. Jax also loved chasing his two cousins around the yard too.





Gotta take a play break too!





 

Monday, October 20, 2014

Daddys Helper

Jax has been such a big helper lately. Anything Dad is doing he wants to do. Our garden this summer was full of weeds so we decided to put a cover over the garden. This required pulling weeds, raking, hammering, and throwing stuff away. As you can imagine, Jax was right there by my side the whole time. His favorite part was trying to use the rakes. It is crazy how much he has been growing up lately. He is turning into the coolest little dude and easily my best buddy.






Annual Adoption Walk

On Saturday October 18th we went to Liberty Park for the Annual adoption walk. Orange is the "official" color for adoption so we all wore orange shirts. It was so nice to meet new people in the adoption community and just spend time with them. One of our favorite things they did is before the event they had people write on pieces of paper who their adoption heros are. I am sure you guessed right, we said that Mama Sarrina is our adoption hero.
 
 





 





Sunday, October 19, 2014

15 month check up

This last week was Jax's 15 month check up with the doctor. We are always excited to go see how big he has gotten (or small he still is). We thought we would share how tiny he still is. Other than that he is progressing so well and is as smart and as cute as can be. His "stats" are as follows:
Weight 19.25lbs -6.08%tile
Head Circumference 17.52 in - 3.65%tile
Weight/length -24.97%tile
Length - 29 inches - 1.22%tile
As I always say we are so proud of him. It is so much fun watching him grow up each and every day. 





Yes, I am a terrible parent and forgot to take pictures while we were there. 

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Just some randomness

 COMPLETE RANDOMNESS
I have been really bad about posting photos and stories on this blog over the last several months so I am posting a bunch of photos from the last little while. I am going to be better about posting cause I will thank myself later!