Monthly Menu Planning

May 16, 2012

organized in 365 Monthly Menu Planning

Susann from Hopping to It plans a months worth of dinner ideas. She also keeps a list of Breakfast and Lunch ideas. She says,

“We have 4 kids from 17-4 all have different breakfast and lunch needs. One goes to public school, one morning preschool and the two older boys are home schooled. But dinner we are all together. After organizing my plan on a calendar I laminated it so I can use it next year too. I left the dates blank so I just have to write in the new dates every year. Also left Sunday’s open and some days I just wrote “fish or beef” leaving it open to try what’s on sale. I plan to make on for every month, so I don’t have to recreate menus every year.”

For more ideas to help you simplify and organize one day at a time, visit the Organized in 365 Archives.

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Vegetable Lasagna

May 16, 2012

The following post is from contributing writer Kristia.

Homemade lasagna is the ultimate comfort food. This recipe is quite tasty and my husband and kids hardly noticed that it was meatless. If you’re looking to increase your family’s vegetable intake, give this Vegetable Lasagna a try!

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Vegetable Lasagna

vegetable lasagna Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 large green or red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 large red onion, chopped
  • 1 large carrot, shredded or chopped
  • 2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ teaspoon cracked pepper
  • ½ teaspoon course kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • 1 15-ounce container of part-skim ricotta
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided 1 ½ cup and ½ cup
  • ½ cup shredded Parmesan, divided ¼ cup and ¼ cup
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 10-ounce box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed. Squeeze out excess liquid.
  • 1 9-ounce box of no-boil lasagna, such as Barilla, (should include 12 noodles)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-low. Add the pepper, onion, garlic, and carrots. Stir and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
  3. Add the tomatoes, water, salt, pepper, and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 20 minutes.
  4. While the sauce is simmering, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 cup mozzarella, ¼ cup Parmesan, egg, and spinach. Mix well.
  5. Coat a 13 X 9 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread 1 cup of the tomato sauce evenly on the bottom of the pan.
  6. Place 4 lasagna noodles on top of sauce, overlapping slightly.
  7. Spread 1/3 of cheese mixture evenly on top of noodles.
  8. Spread 1 cup of sauce on top of cheese.
  9. Repeat the noodles, cheese, sauce layers two more times. Top with the last 4 noodles.
  10. Pour the last cup of sauce evenly on top. Sprinkle the ½ cup of mozzarella and ¼ cup of Parmesan on top.
  11. Spray a piece of foil large enough to cover the baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Cover the baking dish with the foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven.
  12. Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before cutting.

Notes

You may use cooked lasagna noodles, just follow box instructions for cook time and preparation.

http://thehappyhousewife.com/cooking/vegetable-lasagna/

More recipes from Kristia

Find more delicious meal ideas at the The Happy Housewife Recipe Index.

 

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Setting Goals & Creating a Home Management Binder

May 15, 2012

organized in 365 Setting Goals & Creating a Home Management Binder

Kristen of Thyme at Home shares her goals which includes a home management binder.  She includes helpful links in her post.  She says,

“I started off last year by making my top 3 organizational goals. I think starting off with your top goals for your home/life/space is really important! I will be doing this again this year! Thankfully, they are different icon smile Setting Goals & Creating a Home Management Binder ”

home management binder notebook Setting Goals & Creating a Home Management Binder

For more ideas to help you simplify and organize one day at a time, visit the Organized in 365 Archives.

Have you shared a great organizing tip on your website? I’d love to feature it on TheHappyHousewife.com. Submit your Organized in 365 tip.

Don’t have a blog, but have a great tip? Submit your Organized in 365 guest post here.

 

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What can you learn from a baby?

May 15, 2012

The following is a post from Tabitha

A few weeks ago my husband saw a mother holding her daughter’s baby. No, not her granddaughter, but a computerized ‘baby’ for learning about human development and taking care of a new baby. Something that apparently, many American teenagers don’t learn about unless they are in a class similar to the one this mother’s daughter was taking.

baby doll What can you learn from a baby?

Our children saw one of these ‘babies’ at church a few weeks ago as well. They were, at first, wondering why a teenager had a baby doll. I tried, and I think failed, to explain what the baby was for and why it was important. I tried to explain that this girl was taking a class about babies and needed the doll to show she knew how to take care of a baby.

My teens were slightly incredulous. Now, I know not every teenager has the opportunity to learn about small children and babies in their own home or even at church or friends’ homes. Babysitting classes and courses such as this one are probably great resources.

I grew up in a home where I was called upon to babysit, both my own siblings and families from church, or even friends of my parents who had small children. I learned every day how children learn, grow, and develop. My parents taught me all about such things and helped me know how to help these small children learn and grow as well as take care of their physical needs. It never occurred to me that there might be a more formal need for learning.

My own children are also skipping that ‘formal’ learning about taking care of babies and small children. My 13 year old changes diapers almost as well as his parents, who have been changing diapers for 15 years now (longer if we’re talking about other kids as well as our own).

My 15 year old knows how to keep order in the home when parents aren’t home, and even if we are, can sometimes be found mediating a disagreement between some of the younger siblings. My 12 year old know how to sooth a baby even if she’s not very experienced at it.

My 2 year old was holding a baby doll just yesterday, slightly rocking and bouncing as she made small, gentle noises and held the baby close. The 4 and 5 year olds run to comfort the newest baby in our home, just 1 month old, when she is upset.

IMG 5781a What can you learn from a baby?

There's nothing like a real baby.

They know about babies. They know that each is special and is a small person with wants and needs just like them. They are learning about what those needs are and they want to help. They know what isn’t good for her, and know what they can do to make her happy. All in age appropriate terms from the 2 year old to the 15 year old. They know…

  • Babies are special
  • Babies take special care
  • Babies need gentle handling
  • Babies can’t talk
  • Babies can’t tell you what they need
  • Babies cry sometimes
  • Sometimes babies cry when they don’t need anything
  • Babies cry when they do need something
  • Babies sleep a lot
  • Babies eat a lot.
  • Babies can’t eat what big kids eat
  • Babies need different food, mostly milk, whether breastmilk or formula.
  • Babies take a lot of mom’s time.

There are many, many more things that a family can learn from a baby. However, we’re still learning ourselves, as well as teaching our children, so alongside the AP test preparation, 7th grade logic, pre-reading activities, life science, and math at all levels from Geometry to counting, we are also learning about babies.

 

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