Weekly Menu

Happy Friday!

I can't believe summer is over...but I am ready for chili recipes and cozy sweaters!

Click here for a downloadable printable of this week's menu!

Slow Cooker Balsamic Chicken from Skinny Ms.
Drunken Noodles from Pickled Plum
Chicken Broccoli Pasta Salad from Belly Full

Kitchen Tip: Try a Potato Ricer

I love real mashed potatoes, but I hate, hate, HATE lumps in my mashed potatoes. Then, a few months ago, I learned about a potato ricer!

Ok, this thing is amazing. You cook your potatoes, push them through the ricer and then use the hand mixer to add your ingredients of choice (we use chicken stock because I try to eat dairy free). The potato ricer makes the potatoes smooth and fluffy. It was a revelation!

Have you used a potato ricer? Share in the comments below!

Motivational Monday: There is Good in Every Day

I get it. There are days that just are not good. In fact, they kind of blow.

But those kind of days are the days that make every other day seem just a little bit better...and they tend to make for the best stories...

Can you remember a bad day from a while ago?

Here is one of mine...

I was pretty new to my job and I had this big big day. I was the person that organized the conference spaces we rented out and we had rented them all out. Every last one. We had about 250 extra people in our building with all kinds of catering orders.

I woke up with a migraine, but took some of my expensive medicine and thought "If I can make it past lunch, I can probably either squeeze in a nap during my lunch break or I can go home". Let me just spoil this story now and say there was no lunch break and I worked about ten hours instead of the six or seven I had scheduled.

So, we started the day. And everything that could go wrong did and everything that could get complicated did.

Our receptionist was amazing at triage with my clients, but most things she couldn't handle for them and she would send me. At one point that day, she had a list so long that she called my boss to jump in and then my boss had to call another one of her employees in.

We kind of collided in the hall at one point working on the same problem and then just worked as a team from that point forward.

I remember getting called to reception because one of the groups needed a space for a makeup artist. It was a group of accountants. I was sure I was being Punk'd.

By the end of the day, all three of us were slouched in the lobby chairs (that had been pushed aside for an unscheduled photo shoot), utterly exhausted, my head still throbbing and we all started laughing. It had been such a bad day that it moved on to ridiculous.

When I look back at that day, I remember the end of it. Because even though the nine hours that led up to that moment blew, that moment made up for it and still does.

Just because a day is bad, doesn't mean there isn't something good in that day. You may have to really look hard for that something good, but it is there...I promise.

Tell me about one of your bad days! What was the good in that day?

Weekly Menu

Happy Friday!

I hope those of you who are getting back into the swing of the school year are doing well and those of you who are getting ready are getting some extra fun in before school starts!

Click here for a downloadable printable of this week's menu.

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken from Real Food Dieticians
Tomato Basil Turkey Meatloaf from Little Bits of
Chicken Broccoli Pasta Salad from Belly Full

Motivational Monday: Just Focus on the 24 hours ahead of you

Let me know if you can relate to this.

When I think about a big goal...for example, my biggest goal is to lose weight (a lot of weight)...I get overwhelmed and discouraged because it will take just about forever to reach that goal. Sometimes, I get so discouraged, I set myself back.

This year, when I set up my goals for 18 for 2018, I was able to take those goals and break them down. I had a year to accomplish all of these things.

Even though I didn't include "lose weight", I did include some goals about changing my eating style and adding regular workouts to my week. With those goals, I worked up to achieving them. Every day, when I am looking at these goals in my planner, I focus just on what I can do that day. I can walk or go to the gym. I can avoid foods that make me feel droopy. I can get through the day. And tomorrow is another day. I can focus on tomorrow when tomorrow arrives.

We are just about 2/3s of the way through the year and I never imagined I could have gotten to where I am today when I started this project. By focusing on each day as it comes, I am making great strides in my life and you can too!

Are you working toward a goal? Or are you paralyzed by what it takes to accomplish those goals? Share below, let's chat!

Weekly Menu

Happy Friday!

Have a good week!

Click here for a downloadable printable of this week's menu.

Slow Cooker Beef Tips and Rice from Southern Bite

One Pot Creamy Ziti with Andouille Sausage and Mushrooms from Diethood

BBQ Chicken Tostadas from Cupcakes and Kale Chips

Sheet Pan Kielbasa and Veggies

This is my favorite recipe! It is one of those dishes you can throw together with little planning and even littler time...don't grammar police that.

In the recipe I will be sharing below, I am going to share my favorite way to make this dish, but you can make it with any variety of kielbasa and any veggies you have on hand that need to be used.

First, you slice up the kielbasa and add it to an aluminum foil covered baking sheet.

Then, you prepare the veggies and add them to the baking sheet.

Third, you coat everything in the oil of your choice. Season to taste.

Finally, you bake it in the oven for 18-22 minutes at 425 degrees.

And ta-da!  So good!

Recipe:

1 polska kielbasa, sliced
8 oz broccoli florets
3/4 lb baby carrots
1 pint of baby bella mushrooms, washed and dried
1-2 handfuls of frozen shredded hashbrowns

Mix everything on a sheet pan, coat with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.

Bake at 425 for 18-22 minutes until vegetables are cooked to desired texture.

Motivational Monday: Don't compare your life to others

We live in a world of highlight reels. From Instagram to Facebook, people tend to share their best moments. Good hair, good makeup, good memories. So, it is easy to think that your life doesn't compare to other people's lives.

It is important to remember that people don't necessarily share their worst moments, worst hair, worst makeup, deepest struggles. Think about your Instagram feed...do you easily share yourself without a filter makeup free? I absolutely don't.

Think about someone's feed that made you feel less than recently. Behind that pretty smile and good hair may be a failing marriage, a sick parent, a waffling career, or worse. You don't know their full story, but you do know yours.

And your story is something to celebrate! If you are in a rough patch, that rough patch is going to make the next time life feels easier feel even better. Each rough patch builds character and strength and brings on even brighter light when things even out.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that life is a series of highs and lows. Each high seems higher because of the low I have climbed out of to get there.

So please don't compare your life to others. You will get your time to shine.

Are you having a rough patch? Are you going through an easy time? Share some of your story below. I would love to start a conversation with you.

Weekly Menu

Happy Friday Everyone!

I hope you have a fantastic weekend...here is another dose of weekly menu for you.

Click here for a downloadable printable of this week's menu.

Italian Paleo Chicken Fingers from Tastes of Lizzy T
Slow Cooker Beef Teriyaki from Evolving Table
Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen

Kitchen Tip: Try a Power Hour

The list never ends. I know. There is always something to do in the kitchen. Unload the dishwasher. Put away the dishes. Clean the fridge. Sweep. Mop. Dust. Prep fruits and veggies. The list seems to grow every minute.

Here is something I do to keep my kitchen under control. I schedule a power hour. A power hour is an uninterrupted sixty minutes where you turn on music or podcasts or an audio book and just get the work done. You set a timer and at the end of the hour, you are done.

Why does this work? You make it like a game and challenge yourself to get your entire list done. Sometimes you can even get bonus items done. At the end of the hour, you treat yourself to your beverage of choice and a few minutes scrolling through Instagram or your social media of choice.

Thank you to Gretchen Rubin and YouTube's StyleMomXO for the idea to add the Power Hour to my routine!

Have you tried a Power Hour? Did you like it?  Comment Below!

Housewife Life: We're remodeling...

I thrive on order. I like to plan. I like my house to stay tidy. I like quiet. I like my alone time. I like my routine.

That being said, while I need things to be orderly, I am more laid-back than the first paragraph would suggest. For me, planning is a way to handle the little things life throws at you. I have established a routine that makes it possible for me to be ready for anything at the drop of a hat. 

For example, in February, when my grandmother became ill, I was able to pack suitcases and leave for 10 days without worrying that I had left a dirty house, a mountain of laundry and unpaid bills. To make things even more complicated, my husband remained home and had to pack a suitcase to follow me up to Cincinnati and continue on a business trip from Cincinnati.

So, while I love order, I remain flexible.

In just a few weeks, we embark on our biennial beach trip, which kicks off three weeks of traveling for me. I will have a few pit stops at home along the way, but I won't have much time between trips to do much more than laundry and making sure things are in working order here and at my mother-in-laws.

To make my life even more complicated, stressful and decision fatigued, I just signed with a contractor to remodel one of our master bathrooms.

So, to follow along with me and my craziness, follow me on Instagram at @adventureswithjennie to see my choices, the progress and check on my sanity.


Have you ever remodeled a bathroom? Do you have any tips for me? Share in the comments below.

Weekly Menu

Happy Friday Everyone!

Click here for a downloadable copy of this week's menu.

Sheet Pan Fajitas from Bake. Eat. Repeat.
Slow Cooker John Wayne Casserole from The Magical Slow Cooker
Roasted Corn and Chicken Orzo Salad from Little Spice Jar

Homemaker Life: The Genius of a Laundry Day

I don't know about you, but I hate doing the laundry. There is always so much of it, then you have to fold it and put it away and it never ends, because everyone in your house wears clothes and uses linens every day.

So, I have been looking for a way to make laundry bearable.

A lot of people recommend doing a load a day. But, when I do that, I end up doing the same load every day because I forget to put it in the dryer, and then I am behind in laundry again.

So, throwing it back to how generations of housewives have done it before, I instituted a laundry day.

When I started Laundry Day, I planned to do all the laundry and clean the master bedroom and bathroom.

I continually failed at Laundry Day.

Why?

Because I kept forgetting to move the laundry and would get behind in folding. Week after week, I would spend all evening folding laundry.

A few weeks ago, I read "How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind" by Dana K.White (I've talked about this before) and she suggested a dedicated Laundry Day.

After thinking about it, it makes sense. Housewives of the 50s and 60s (and earlier) had a dedicated Laundry Day. They washed, dried, folded, ironed and put everything away.

I thought, I can do that.

And you know what?

It works.

Twice in the past month, when I have had an uninterrupted Monday, I completed Laundry Day...even the ironing for the week. I accomplished something I never thought was possible. The Laundry, except for the few items we were wearing, was done.

And, even on my interrupted Mondays, with some planning, I was able to finish everything, except the ironing by the time my husband got home on Monday evening.


What is your laundry strategy? Share below!

Recipe Review: Crock-Pot "Baked" Potatoes

I hate using the oven for dinner in the summer...I can't be alone in that right?

Our kitchen has these amazing windows that overlook our beautiful, forested back yard. They also take on a lot of late afternoon summer sunlight. So, its hard for me to make one of my favorite foods...baked potatoes because it requires the oven to be on for a long time at a high temperature.

So, when I found this recipe for Crock-pot "Baked" Potatoes, I was elated!

Last week, I tried it for the first time and I have to be honest...it cooked the potatoes even better than my oven.

I'm serious. It was better than the oven.

Here is how it went for me.

After you wash the potatoes, you put it on a square of foil, then prick it all over with a fork.

Then you drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Then, you place them in the Crock-Pot and cook them on high for 3-4 hours.

For more information, head on over to wellplated for the recipe.

Kitchen Tip: Keep the Sink Clean

Ok, so a couple of weeks ago I told you to do the dishes. I kept up with that too. Currently, my sink is completely empty of dirty dishes.

The next secret, which Dana K. White backs up in her book "How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind", is to keep the sink clean. Not just empty. Clean. Shine that thing.

Now, I don't break out the special cleaner I use to make it so shiny every day, but every day, I clean it with soap and hot water. Currently, my dish soap of choice is Mrs. Meyer's in the Geranium scent. Try it, it's nice.

And every week, I get out a special scrub brush (read old dish brush), and use Mrs. Meyer's Baking Soda Cleanser in the Lemon Verbena scent to scrub it down. I scrub it and let it set for a few minutes before I go back to rinse it, while still scrubbing it until it is rinsed clean.

Let me tell you, there is no better feeling than an empty, shiny, clean sink!

What do you use to clean your sink? Share below.

Weekly Menu

Guys. I upped my weekly menu game. I think you will like it. I will continue to improve! Stick with me!

I made this printable so you can print it off and add what you need for lunches and breakfasts and your pantry. Links to recipes are below.

Recipe Links: 

Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice from A Pinch of Healthy

Spicy Shrimp and Cauliflower Rice Bowl from The Organic Kitchen

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Chicken from Cooking Classy

Thai Red Curry with Chicken and Rice Recipe

A few months ago, a friend and I took a Salud Cooking Class at Whole Foods. The instructor taught us a delicious recipe for Thai Red Curry with Shrimp. But for me, the ingredients are difficult to acquire without making special trips across town to different grocery stores.

But, we love Thai Red Curry and I wanted to adjust the recipe to use ingredients I could get on this side of town so my Thai Red Curry with Chicken and Rice Recipe was born.

To start, prepare the ingredients and start the rice.

Then, heat 1/4-1/2 cup coconut oil over medium heat in a deep frying pan. When oil is preheated, add chicken.

While chicken is sauteeing, heat another skillet over medium heat. Open a can of coconut milk and scoop out just the cream. Heat the cream for about 90 seconds and add 1/2 tbsp-2 tbsp red curry paste to the cream and allow to cook for about 2 minutes to let the curry flavor develop.

Add rest of coconut milk, 1/4 cup fish sauce, 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp lime juice, 2-3 tbsp tomato paste, and 2 zucchini cut into bite sized pieces.

At this point, it is crucial to taste the curry. I have found that I usually need to add just a dash more lime juice and sugar to make it perfect.

Cook for 10-15 minutes until zucchini is tender.

When the chicken is done, cut it into bite sized pieces. Add it to the curry when the zucchini is tender.

Serve over rice.

Thai Red Curry with Chicken and Rice

Chicken:

1/4 cup-1/2 cup coconut oil

6 chicken tenderloins

Heat ½ cup coconut oil over medium heat. Season chicken salt and pepper and sautee chicken until browned.

Slice into bite sized pieces.

While chicken is cooking, start the curry.

Curry:

1 14 oz can coconut milk, divided into cream and milk

1-2 tablespoons red curry paste (start with 1 tbsp and increase according to taste)

¼ c fish sauce

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp lime juice

2-3 tbsp tomato paste (I didn’t measure, I just squeezed)

2 zucchini, cut into bite sized pieces

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add coconut cream and when hot, add the curry paste. Cook curry paste for a few minutes to develop flavor.

Add the rest of the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, tomato paste and zucchini. Mix well.

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Cook for 10-15 minutes until the zucchini is tender.

Add chicken to reheat.

Serve over rice.

Weekly Menu

I am going to start sharing my weekly menu for those of you who struggle with meal planning. Chris will be out of town part of the week, so I will be eating out more than normal.

Friday
Grilled Fish
Baked Potatoes in the Crockpot

Saturday
Thai Chicken Curry
Rice

Sunday
Out

Monday
Kielbasa and Veggies Sheet Pan Meal

Tuesday
Chipotle

Wednesday
Sauteed Chicken
Veggies
Rice

Thursday
Panera

Let me know if you try any of these recipes... Enjoy!

If you do enjoy them, follow me on Pinterest to see what else I am looking at!

Kitchen Tip: Do the Dishes

Do the dishes.

Ok. It seems basic. But my theory is backed up by Dana K. White in her book "How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind".

Doing the dishes takes less time if you do them daily, or after every meal if you do not have a dishwasher.

Think about it. Finding five minutes to unload the dishwasher and five minutes to load the dishwasher every day is way easier than finding an hour every few days to unload, load and then hand wash what doesn't fit.

White calls it Dishes Math. For me, getting the dishes done every day feels like an accomplishment, I feel proud of myself when I start the dishwasher every night.

What about you? Do you keep up with the dishes? Do you feel proud when you do the dishes?

Kitchen Tip Wednesday: Prep Everything Early

Everyone always says to prep all your veggies when you bring them home because then you will be able to use them easily. And we all know that the easier it is to eat or use something, the more likely we are to reach for it.

Last week, I did this. I washed and chopped all of my veggies and fruits. And I used them!

Bonus tip: Use a salad spinner to dry washed fruit and veggies.