Bueller..... Bueller........ Bueller......

Yep. It's been a while.  Like a looooong while.  And while I love to write, post recipes, put in my two cents, life has been absolutely crazy.  Here's a dose of brutal honesty and a glimpse at what I mean by crazy:

• My grandpa died...
• I was depressed for months and still feel the sting and randomly cry almost every day...
• I started and will finish grad school course work in three summers...
• My son has ADHD... 
• We tried meds - four of them actually - some with horrible results...
• We stopped medicating and now use essential oils, vitamins, and the Feingold diet - a full time job in an of itself...
• I quit my job as a band teacher...
• I don't have another "real" job lined up but do plan on teaching private music lessons and being a stay at home mom, something I have honestly wanted to do all my life but never thought I could...
• We bought cattle to start a herd...

But I digress... 

When we made the drastic switch to the Feingold Diet, which eliminates all processed foods and food additives, colors, and preservatives, I posted on FB looking for closer grocery options for organic, natural, and whole foods.  St. Paul has a ton of options, Rochester has a few.  HyVee in Austin was better than Albert Lea and I hear Mason City is even better yet...  But at any rate, one of my friends saw that I had mentioned meal planning and wanted to know how to do it.  I had a done a post a while back but have updated my format since then, learned a lot more about how to stretch my budget and food purchases, and now of course, we eat a completely different diet.  I figured my first full post back could cover two bases at once - what a week in the life of a Feingold family looks like and how to effectively and efficiently meal plan on a budget.  Furthermore, once a few meal plans have been built, and quick copy and paste moves around favorites or deletes disasters and just keeps building!  Right now, I have 3 - two week meal plans.  That should take us through the first 7 weeks of Stage 1 of Feingold, which is a 6-8 week process.  (I had the first week that we were on the diet that we were in Duluth and I made meals from what we had on hand.)  Following this first stage, we can begin to reintroduce foods to test for sensitivity and reactions and our menu choices will change again.

This isn't entirely impressive, but our monthly food budget for our family of four people ranges anywhere from $300-500 a month, or about $75-125 per week.  Sometimes I simply have to restock pantry staples and I end up spending more; sometimes I just need fresh produce and milk.  One big reason we can keep it somewhat low is because we raise our own beef.  I would love to get in on some sort of meat co-op where local farmers exchange meats - I'll give you 10 pounds of burger for 5 pounds of sausage and 3 chickens.  Wouldn't that be awesome!?!  I know I have said this before and I'll say it again, home-raised meat is healthier and most cost effective.  You will pay the same price for burger as you pay for steaks.  When was the last time you saw steaks for $2.50 a pound??  Chickens weighing 7-9 pounds usually run around $10-15 dollars, and I don't know about you, but I can get at least three meals plus bone broth and stock out of one chicken.  Yes -- even the carcass doesn't go to waste in our house!  And you know exactly where it comes from.  Remember a few weeks back about a family being treated for consuming LSD in tainted meat sold at Wal-Mart?  Try tracing that meat back to the original packing house let alone the original herd.  Buying locally means that most likely that farmer knows exactly which animal you are getting.  Now that's quality control!

After quitting my job, I did some number crunching.  I sincerely do want to live on less.  We have so much stuff and so much of it isn't even necessary.  So in an effort to see this goal through, I recently gave up paper plates, plastic utensils, and plastic cups.  It is an added expense we don't need.  I have beautiful dishes, a sink, and a dishwasher.  Soap costs a fraction of what disposable dinnerware does when all is said and done.  Not only that, but the environmental impact of plastic production and waste is a pretty hefty price.  At one point, I needed the convenience to keep me sane, but I am now on a different path towards a more crunchy lifestyle where living on less, wasting less, and wanting less is making me and my family happier and healthier.   

Apparently I like side bars tonight... Sorry about that soapbox.  But it all contributes to how I build a meal plan centered around a well stocked pantry and freezer.

So how do I build a meal plan...?  To be honest, I don't read the flyers, although I know I should.  That will be the next step to fully realizing this crazy idea of living on less.  I ask the kids and the huzzy what they want to eat and feed them accordingly.  Right now, it is more important that they are eating and enjoying it than saving a few pennies.  But if that is something your family values, building a meal plan around sales is another excellent, cost-saving method.  (Can you teach me how???)  I usually ask them on Saturday or Sunday what they want to eat for the week, start putting things in place, and then build a grocery list.

With treating Minihe's ADHD by dietary needs and not wanting to put extra pressure on caregivers, I pack all his meals every day - breakfast, lunch, and snack.  This usually means a quick, hearty breakfast with a protein punch, leftovers for lunch, and a satisfying and fun snack.  I like things that I can make ahead and reuse as needed -- whole wheat pancake bites (pancake batter baked in mini-muffin cups), any muffin or bread (we can have cinnamon, pear, streusel, banana), eggs & cheese, ham/egg/cheese cups, sausage egg tortillas (I make a bunch ahead and freeze in individual plastic wrap for a quick breakfast), fruit and veggie smoothies with a protein boost...  Anything I can make or prep the night before and reuse for a snack or other breakfast is a definite plus!

As we adjust to our new norm with foods, I am finding that we eat even better now than before.  Our options are only as limited as our creativity.  At this current stage, we can't have any tomato-based sauce..  We can't have berries.  We can't have yellow cheeses.  And the list goes on.... But looking at my menu, it's still full of flavor and nutrition.  Follow me on Pinterest to get a lot of the recipes I use as the basis to help build my meal plan and follow the Feingold structure.  

Also, if you're family is dealing with ADHD or Autism and is looking for another way to treat it without medication, you are at the right place!  I will be posting several entries over the next few days that essentially chronicles our journey.  It is most definitely not a how-to manual but rather like an online journal.  It's rudimentary, but I did not want to forget what these early days of a natural treatment method are like.  I found it so incredibly helpful to know I wasn't alone when I began researching natural methods, so if our story can help someone - anyone - I am glad. 

Peace and goodwill to you and yours...

Reeder Ranch

This is a .jpg but if you would like a Numbers or Excel version, email me and I'll ship it out to you!

Broccoli Cheese Soup with Potatoes - Slow Cooker

with a basketball game this last week that i had the joy of taking minihe along to, i planned ahead with a crock pot waiting for us with this winter favorite.  a special thank to my fil (father in-law) for actually getting out the crock pot and starting it up for me since i forgot!!  :)


i looked at probably ten different recipes for this kind of soup and found everything on the spectrum - things that were incredibly rich and incredibly bland; different ways to increase the thickness and creaminess.  i finally decided on the following hybrid.  i did all of the prep monday night while waiting for my shrimp to cure in their marinade so all i had to do in the morning was turn the crock on.


broccoli cheese soup with potatoes - slow cooker:
prep time - 30 minutes
cook time - 8-10 hours (on low) 4-5 (on high)
ingredients
3 heads broccoli, trimmed and chopped into small chunks
4 carrots, peeled and cut on the angle 
*the angle cut is probably not necessary but i think it looks nice when i eat soups that way in a restaurant, so when in rome, right?
1 medium onion, finely diced
10 small potatoes, peeled and quartered
*i happened to have both red and yukon, so i used 5 of both and, as you can see, they are fairly small
*you could also use other vegetables like celery, corn, peppers...
*i bet bacon would be good in this, just make sure to fry it first and crumble it in, reserving a few pieces to crumble fresh when you serve the soup
1 C velveeta cheese, cut into 1" chunks
1 1/2 C milk
2 C chicken or vegetable broth
*i didn't want to use sour cream, cream cheese, creamed soup, more velveeta, or more milk to save on some extra calories, fat, and so on, but i did need some more liquid...  see preparation for how i plan to make the soup creamy without the use of these ingredients
2 T butter
s&p
other choice of herbs/seasonings you enjoy


preparation:
throw everything in the crock pot
cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5
when done, remove approximately half of the soup and let cool slightly
place in small batches in the blender, and run until smooth
add back to the crock
serve and enjoy!


let me know if you have any recipes similar or what you do with a soup like this.  i think had i had more time, this would have been delicious with some seasoned croutons or oyster crackers...  i'll be trying that next time!

meal planning made easy

meal planning is a huge aid i rely on in planning our monthly budget, managing my time, and feeding my family.  i have two methods that work well for us.  i tend devise a list of 30 meals, some more or less elaborate, and not all homemade.  frozen or take-out pizza, hot dogs, mac and cheese, and deli meat sandwiches usually make it on the list every month.  as every busy mom knows, while they aren't the most nutritious of meals, every child will eat every last morsel of these menu items.  sad, but true...  

at any rate, i develop my grocery list based on what i need to prepare the meals.  as the fresh mushrooms, peppers, carrots, broccoli, etcetera disappear, i make the switch to frozen, rarely canned.  as fruits disappear, i usually buy more or switch to frozen/canned, but only in 100% juice.  bread, milk, eggs, butter, and other perishables get purchased as needed as well; although, i have been known to make my own bread every once in a while...

the second method i use actually compliments the first and puts my list into an actual plan, organized by day, and for the weekends, by meals.  i have included a .jpg image of the template.  message me if you would like this template in .pdf, .doc, or .pages format if you are interested in adapting it to fit your needs.  i'd be happy to share!

there are a few other time saving methods i have used from time to time including make and freeze, crock pot, dump bags, one skillet recipes.  a quick google or pinterest search will yield many successful blogs, websites, and official sponsors that will help you incorporate these time saving efforts into your meal time organization methods.  look for my own adaptations to come in the weeks to come!