I could never do this!

Over the past several years we have made a lot of changes in our lifestyle. The basic goal is to stay healthy, as in not getting sick, get healthy by losing some weight and changing our eating habits, and eliminating chemicals from our home and bodies. We have gotten to a good place but it has taken a really long time! When people ask us about the changes I often hear, "I could never do that," or "It just seems so expensive!" I thought that I would start sharing some things that we do that are so simple and very cost effective. Obviously there are some sacrifices but to us the benefits are worth it!
One of the changes that we have made in an effort to eat cleaner is to eat less meat. Several years ago we began to eat meat that was only grassfed, with no added hormones or antibiotics, and purchased from a local farmer. We are blessed to have many options near us and we buy most of our meat from T and D Farms at the Waxhaw Farmer's Market. At first the prices knocked me back a little. I mean I could get chicken breasts for $1.99 a pound at the Harris Teeter, why would I pay $12.00 a pound? That sounds crazy! But in my mind not doing it is crazy. I want to put clean food in my kids. I want their bodies and minds to grow strong and not be laced with chemicals that we have no idea how they will effect our bodies in the long run. So, I choose to spend my money at the farmer's market and we don't eat as much meat. In this post I thought I would share some ways that I stretch this form of protein in our diets.
I love my slow cooker and use it several times a week. Yesterday I took one of my chicken breasts packs that cost $10.74 and put it in my slow cooker still frozen. I poured a jar of salsa on the chicken, covered it and went to church. Of course the salsa was a clean, organic brand. If you have homemade, even better!
Clean tortillas are pretty easy to find, just be sure to read the labels. If it has more than five ingredients or you can't pronounce it don't buy it. I found a brand at Costco that only have four whole ingredients and they have to be cooked at home. I don't mind doing that. They don't have a long shelf life but if it is fresh and worth eating it won't! I cooked half of the pack which made 18 tortillas in a skillet. Using the same skillet I then crumbled and browned a pound of sausage that I got for $5.50 a pound from T and D. It is yummy! Using the same skillet and only added a little bit of organic butter I cooked 6 duck eggs that I also got from the farmer's market. I get my organic cheese from Harris Teeter, Whole Foods, Earth Fare, where ever I have been that week. I used grated cheddar.
Once all my ingredients were ready I put together some breakfast burritos for the week. On a fresh tortilla I put a couple of tablespoons of sausage, a couple of tablespoons of egg, and some cheese. I roll them up, wrap them in foil and put them in the freezer. I made 9 breakfast burritos yesterday and had some sausage and eggs leftover for breakfast for the kids with some cheese toast. The other 9 tortillas I put in the fridge for lunch!
After church I shredded the chicken and let everyone assemble their own chicken tacos. The one breast packet, which was less than a pound, made 9 tacos. Between the 5 of us we ate 6 for lunch and I had three left to wrap up for Matt to take for lunch this week. With the tacos the kids had fresh fruit salad, corn, and I think a couple had some chips and salsa too.
Here is the cost breakdown of these two ready to eat/then to freezer meals:
18 tortillas- $2.95
Chicken breasts- $10.74
Sausage- $5.50
Duck eggs- $2.50
Organic cheese- $2.50, it was on sale this week!
Salsa- I can't remember exactly but I think $4.00 is safe!
That makes it around $1.57 an item! That is not bad to me! Plus it was easy! It took me about 25 minutes to cook all the breakfast ingredients and about 30 seconds to put the lunch ingredients in the slow cooker. These are two meal ideas that are made from whole ingredients, not expensive, and actually make enough to provide quick meals the remainder of the week.
You have to plan though. I could spend the time making the tortillas but if I did not plan a way to use them all within a few days they would go bad because there are no preservatives to make them last for 3 months. I'm ok with that! My pantry stays mostly bare and my fridge and freezer are overflowing. I think that is the way it should be! Actually right now I'm going to go make some popsicles out of fruit salad that has gotten a little soft. No waste here!

Being a Mom is Tougher than Tough

I am excited about starting this book study this summer. I think it is just what I have needed. From almost the moment of our oldest child's birth I knew that being their mother is one of the most important roles that God has given to me. At this season of my life it is my main focus because our kids are young and we are still building the foundation that will support them in life. Oh my goodness what a challenge! While it is amazing to watch their individual personalities develop it can be heart wrenching when we get to a bump in the road. Those bumps, and pot holes, and road kill are what keep me up at night. What could I have done to avoid the hazard.
Just this week my 19 month old son was injured while I was tried to keep him safe. He has learned to wiggle out of the safety straps in the Target shopping carts. After re-strapping him in, TWICE, I decided to let him sit in the bigger part of the buggy because I was not buying much. While we were waiting for his sisters to come out of the bathroom he stood up. I told him to sit down and he started backing away from me, and in a instant flipped out of the buggy, landing on the floor. Luckily it was the carpeted portion and he was not seriously hurt. But my confidence was! My pride and self-worth were! I beat myself up about it all day, and in all honesty I probably still am.
To me this was an example of my relationship with God sometimes. As my son's mother and protector, I thought that I my actions would keep him safe. But ultimately my choices led to the exact result I was trying to avoid. Doing things my way does not always have the best consequences. I need to keep myself strapped safely into God's Word, everyday!!! So for me, this summer, this book study will be my safety strap. It will keep me focused and attentive to the help that I may need as a mother, wife, sister, daughter, and friend.