MONTHLY MEAL PLAN

[Confessions of a Mama of 8]

Stress, frustration, tears, and woe: this was my frequent reality at dinner time because the food wasn’t ready, my people were crying from hungriness and low-blood sugar, and I was trying to fight through a new recipe. With meat that wasn’t thawed yet because I had forgotten to plan ahead.

If any of this rings a bell with you, read on!

I never used to meal plan until this past year. In fact, I’ve been trying to figure out a meal planning method that actually worked for my life (feeding 10 people daily, a wide range of cuisines we love, lots of littles, a couple of picky-eaters) that I could maintain.

It is with great joy I now share with you the successful method I have found, hoping you find some helpful ideas too! Adapt and modify it as you need for your own life. This is supposed to lessen your stress, not increase it.

1. Schedule about 30 minutes to meal plan for the first time (this is only because of the extra time making the Menu Guide List that you will use each time thereafter). After this first time, it should be relatively faster – more like 15 mins, or less!

2. Assess your current season of life. Be very honest. Do you have infants, young children, erratic schedules, late night commitments, or heavy workloads?

Do you deal with special food requirements due to allergies/sensitivities, or super picky people? Is it easy for you to get to the store/get groceries or will you be trying to use produce or food you raised or already have a lot of?

Is it cold outside (scheduling soups, stews, chilis, etc) or warm (planning salads, outdoor grilling, lighter fare)? What do you have on hand in your pantry/freezer?

3. Make your Menu Guide List, keeping your current season and what you already have on hand in mind. This means simplify and go for maximum efficiency over fancy or complicated meals.

Try to get at least 10-15 regular meals that you and your family eat and generally enjoy.  Ask your children for their suggestions and input, if you want (I do – it helps me remember meals I forget about, and also lets them feel involved and less likely to complain about what’s planned!)

Some friends I have use a smaller number of repeating meals. I tend to go bigger – often using up to 20 meals.  Make this list ideal for you, and keep it in a place you can reference often! 

*UPDATE your Menu Guide List as your life/schedule/the weather changes. Be honest about meals that just aren’t working well for you anymore, and need either updating or replacing.

An important category to include on your Menu Guide List is your Hero Meals! These are the 3-4 meals that you can make quickly or easily that are generally well-liked by a majority of your family, which you always have ingredients for, that you can make without stress. If it’s something that you find easy and enjoyable, put it on the list.  Try to get at least 3. And find a cape to wear when you make them – one of our favorites are these amazing baked hamburgers!

4. Find a calendar format you want to use (Google calendar, a paper calendar, a monthly planner, your phone, whatever you find works well for you), and note the days that already have appointments or commitments – anything that will impact your time to prepare an evening meal.

5. Begin putting in your Hero meals on the days that will contain the highest stress-level or the shortest available prep-time.

6. Fill in any days that are “Family Tradition” meal days – like Taco Tuesdays, or Pizza Fridays, or Leftover Mondays… whatever it is that you routinely make or eat on a specific day, write those in! Our Friday tradition is this amazing al fresco-style supper!

7. Plug in the meals from your Menu Guide List on the rest of the days, trying to keep a rational flow – For example, if you’re having a roast on one night and you know you’ll have leftovers, plan a basic stew or nachos with the leftover meat within a day or two afterwards.

CONGRATULATIONS! You did it! An entire month of meals planned and suddenly you’re feeling empowered and positive about the weeks to come because you know that you have a plan in place!

The post How to Make Your Meal Plan a Monthly Success! appeared first on Home Plain and Simple.

A Post By Bridgette

Dairy Free Cooking

As one who struggles with a dairy allergy I can relate firsthand to the frustration that can come with cooking dairy free. I count myself fortunate though as I’ve been practicing this skill since the moment I first learned to cook and bake. 

My mom was an excellent teacher, though I doubt it was easy for her as she was learning too. She never had to think “dairy free” until she had me (number 3 out of 9 kids) and found out I was allergic to dairy. There are tips and tricks you learn along the way that help though, and my goal today is to share them with you to hopefully make your journey easier.

The first thing to learn about before getting started cooking though, are dairy substitutes. 

Common Dairy Substitutes

Milk

By far, my favorite substitute for cow’s milk is goat’s milk. I’m able to drink goat’s milk because my allergy is to a protein in cow’s milk, I’m not lactose intolerant. 

My second choice of dairy substitute is almond milk. Obviously this may vary per person, but in my opinion it tastes good. It’s pretty inexpensive, and is easy to find in most grocery stores (for sure Walmart & HyVee). The one thing about almond milk though is that a lot of it does come sweetened, which bothers my daughter’s stomach (she is also allergic to dairy) so I have to be sure to buy the unsweetened unflavored kind when I do get it.

Butter

Two common substitutes that I’ve often used are coconut oil and olive oil.

Coconut oil is healthy! It’s also fairly mild, so I typically don’t have a problem with the flavor of it. Though you may find that the texture of your baked goods isn’t quite the same as it would be with butter.

Olive Oil is also a great substitute, however I do have memories as a child of the strong flavor of extra virgin olive oil. As an adult I prefer to buy “regular” or “light” olive oil just because I don’t love the stronger flavor. 

Cheese

My experience with non-dairy cheese substitutes is pretty limited since I’ve always been able to use goat’s milk cheese. However when making a recipe that calls for cheese I often simply go cheeseless.

Leaving cheese out of a recipe typically doesn’t change it too drastically. I usually just dip out a few cheeseless servings of the recipe at the end and then add the cheese, or leave out the cheese completely and let people add it to their plates at the table if desired. 

Yogurt

There are three good substitutes for yogurt I’ve found and two of them are available at my local walmart.

Goat’s milk yogurt: can typically be found at specialty grocery stores and tastes great. It can also be made at home.

Bonus: I also use plain unsweetened goat’s milk yogurt as a substitute for sour cream!

Coconut milk yogurt: I found this at my local walmart and really enjoy the taste! My walmart carries it in 4 different flavors which is really nice too, to get some variety.

Almond milk yogurt: this one was also available at my walmart in multiple flavors, however I didn’t like the taste of this quite as well as the coconut milk yogurt. It wasn’t bad at all, just not my favorite as it lacked that tangy yogurt taste.

Ice Cream

Ice cream is that one treat that I missed the most as a child allergic to dairy. It didn’t help at all that certain siblings of mine would torture me by eating their ice cream in front of me loudly saying “Mmmm!” 

As a kid if I wanted ice cream I’d have to make it homemade in my little 1 pint hand crank ice cream maker. I’d use goats milk and it always turned out just fine. 

The bummer was always that the flavor and texture never compared to the store bought ice cream my siblings could enjoy, which is why as an adult I’ve been thrilled to find other ice cream alternatives!

My favorite: Ben & Jerry’s non-dairy almond milk ice cream. 

My local walmart carries it in two different flavors and it’s the perfect sweet treat when I’m in need of an ice cream fix!

A close second: “So Delicious” cashew milk ice cream. This comes in quite a few different flavors and really is so delicious. They also make coconut milk ice cream, which I don’t prefer but is still great!

Using Dairy Substitutes in Everyday Life

To start with, I’m going to confess that thinking of these examples is hard for me! I’m so used to NOT using dairy that I can hardly think of when your typical person does use it. Years of practice has made modifying recipes second nature to me.

Let’s walk through a typical day’s meals:

Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients: 

6 cups rolled oats 

2 cups milk- use milk substitute 

4 eggs, beaten 

1 c melted butter- use coconut oil 

1 cup brown sugar, honey or sugar substitute 

4 teaspoons baking powder 

2 teaspoons salt 

Instructions: The day before: Stir together 6 c rolled oats and 2 c milk substitute. This makes the oats more digestible. In the morning: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly mix the eggs, coconut oil, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the rolled oats and milk mixture. Pour into a 11×15 pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Don’t forget to set a timer! Serve in a bowl with  your favorite milk substitute. 

Lunch: Easy One Pot Taco Pasta

1lb ground beef

Taco seasoning

1 cup jarred salsa

2 cups water

2 cups uncooked rotini pasta

1 cup shredded cheddar- leave out until the end

Instructions:

Brown the ground beef and drain, then add taco seasoning, salsa, water, and uncooked rotini pasta. Bring to a simmer, then cover and lower heat. Let cook covered for 15 minutes or until pasta is done, stirring occasionally. 

Scoop out enough servings as needed for those who have a dairy allergy. 

Add the shredded cheddar and stir until it melts. OR let those who don’t have an allergy add it to their plates at the table. 

Serve with tortilla chips and/or other taco type toppings if desired. 

Supper: Beef Hash

1lb ground beef

½ package frozen hash browns

1 onion finely chopped

3 Tablespoons onion soup mix

1 cup beef broth

Small pinch of pepper

Shredded Cheddar cheese

Brown the ground beef and drain. In a 9×13 casserole dish, stir the onion, soup mix, beef broth, pepper, and hash browns. Add in the beef and mix well. 

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, then remove and add cheese to only half of the casserole. 

Put it back in the oven and bake until the cheese gets nice and melty and the casserole is heated through. 

Another alternative would be to make two batches: one with cheese, and the other completely without. 

If making another batch is excessive, freeze half of it as a dairy free freezer meal or simply make a half recipe instead. 

Common Ways to Adapt Recipes to be Dairy Free

• Use substitutions
• Leave out dairy ingredients 

Example: potato soup recipe that calls for cream or milk- simple leave out the cream. 

• Stop and take out servings of the dairy free parts before adding dairy to a recipe
• Keep out the dairy ingredients to add at the table instead of to the whole dish

Example: for many recipes with cheese or sour cream etc., they can be added to an individual’s plate as desired at the table instead of to the whole dish.

• Use a different recipe 
• Make two separate batches of a recipe- one dairy free and one not. 

Warning:

When buying “dairy free” alternatives, or even just doing your regular grocery shopping: READ LABELS.

Even some things labeled as dairy free may contain dairy products. Example: In a past experience we’ve seen vegan cheese, labeled as dairy free but that still contained dairy ingredients. 

For the sake of your health, read up on the language used on labels to be informed about what to look for when reading food labels. 

Living Dairy Free takes practice

Cooking diary free at first can be hard! It’s a thought process that takes time to get used to, especially if you’re not the one who has the allergy. 

I can’t count the number of times that my mother or other family member has been halfway through a recipe and yelled “oh shoot! I just put milk in this!” Or even gone through the process of adding a milk substitute but then slips up and adds butter or something like that. It happens. 

With practice though it becomes second nature and before you know it, you’ll be modifying recipes in your head without giving it a second thought. 

For more kitchen tips, check out this how-to post about Kitchen Day!

The post Living Dairy Free appeared first on Home Plain and Simple.

Post updated 07/08/2020

As a busy mom, life is hectic and I crave ways to make my days go easier! Menu planning is one of my favorite ways to simplify life. Anything I can do to make my days efficient and streamline tasks is a win. 

One task that I especially dread is the daily decision of what to make for supper. 

Having a menu plan saves you that decision, keeping you from having to use that energy and brainpower. This 30 day menu plan is to make your life easier- put the plan in motion and all you have to do is follow it! 

Save effort and brain power by using a 30 day menu plan

Menu planning isn’t too hard if you’re able to get the quiet time to do it. But the mom-life is busy, who has the time or brain power to do that thinking and planning? 

If you’re a mom who finds herself in survival mode, or struggles with what to make for supper this menu plan is for you.

We know it can be hard to get essential office day tasks done in general, much less taking the time to menu plan! That’s why we’ve done it for you.

(For tips on organizing your life and implementing Office Day, check out this how-to post!)

We made the 30 Day menu plan for you!

To save you time and hassle and to help you make your best days even better, we made this menu plan for moms like you!

We’ve planned 30 days of home style and comfort food suppers AND compiled all the recipes into one easy to use document. 

30 days of not having to decide what to make, and 30 days of not pulling out a recipe book. Does that sound dreamy or what? It does to this tired mama. 

About this Menu Plan

This menu plan contains 30 days of home style and comfort food recipes. Most of the recipes are naturally gluten and dairy free. All recipes however are written as if for a family with no allergies or special dietary needs. BUT they are easily adaptable to be gluten and/or dairy free if needed.

So yes, some of these recipes include gluten and dairy ingredients.

You Can Alter Recipes

I and my sister both have dairy allergies, so when we were growing up mom (Kim) had to learn to modify recipes for us. For many recipes in this meal plan, it would simply mean using your favorite dairy alternative or leaving off the cheese/sour cream etc. to serve on the side.

To adapt a recipe to be gluten free simply use your favorite gluten free flour alternative in place of regular flour, or gluten free pasta alternative for recipes that contain pasta.

There are about 2-3 pasta recipes in this plan where dairy products would not easily be substituted (lasagna being one of them). If you are dairy free, plan on either making a different recipe (a simple spaghetti would work as an easy swap) or getting really creative.

As with most tactics that we share, this is a great life simplifying tool! However you may find it necessary to adapt it to fit your family’s specific needs. You are the mom, you know what is best for YOUR family. Take this plan and make it what you need it to be!

What You Can Expect

• Meat & Veggies
• Italian Pastas
• Mexican Foods
• Pizza Night
• Grilled Meats
• Crock Pot Recipes
• And More!

Get Your Menu Plan Here

Our priority is you

Our goal is to help you make even your best days better. To help you simplify and organize your life so you can move past survival mode and truly thrive. 

I hope and pray that this menu plan will bless your life, and that all content we post here will inspire or encourage you in some way. 

Please, check out this menu plan and let us know what you think. I look forward to hearing your feedback- drop us a note with any questions, comments, or ideas! 

For More Home Management Hacks:

Get the book! Home Management Plain and Simple is a book written for any homemaker who is looking for tips and hacks to simplify daily life. Get it here available on Kindle or Paperback.

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The mental load of deciding what to make for each meal can be exhausting. Especially if you’ve been caught unprepared! Moms have enough to think about and do, so taking anything extra off your plate can be extremely satisfying.

Mealtimes can be an exhausting part of the day. Especially when you have young children. In fact, my most dreaded household chores is the daily task of deciding what to have for each meal. Hence, my love of meal plans!

I. Love. Meal. Plans. 

You mean someone took the guesswork out of it and is telling me what to make for meals?

YES PLEASE!

My mother (Kim Brenneman, author of Home Management Plain & Simple) has done just that- made us a 1 week lunch menu plan to take the guesswork out of our days! 

Some of these recipes can even be made by your children. If your child can use an oven/stove, they can make these recipes! What’s better than a menu plan? A menu plan that you can delegate to your children.

Does this menu plan sound appealing to you? Join me this week as I take a sigh of relief and enjoy this mental break. No deciding, no wondering “what should I make?” Just read along with these simple instructions and make lunch! 

Get your printable 1 Week Menu Plan HERE!

The post 1 Week Lunch Menu Plan appeared first on Home Plain and Simple.

One of the best things I did while pregnant was to research and prepare for my postpartum needs. As a first time mom I was anxious about the unknowns, so I managed those feelings by preparing and I was SO grateful that I did.

The most obvious thing you’ll do is prepare for your baby’s needs. Everyone gets excited about this part! Getting ready for a baby is fun. What’s less obvious and maybe not as fun, is to prepare for your needs too. 

Preparing for your postpartum needs is important. 

So much of life’s focus shifts to meet the babies needs, so having everything ready for your own needs gives you one less thing to think about. 

When you take good care of yourself, you are able to take better care of your child(ren). 

As a first time mom its safe to say that I over-researched when it came to my desire to be “ready” for my baby. But after experiencing childbirth and the newborn phase I’ve come to believe that it’s impossible to over-prepare for postpartum. 

Let me say that again. It’s impossible to over-prepare for postpartum. 

Ways to Prepare for Postpartum

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.

The most important things I did to prepare for my postpartum wellness and sanity were these:

• Prepare a mama-care basket for the bathroom
• Freezer Meals
• Strategically placed baskets of baby/mama items around the house
• Enlist help to deep clean the house before due date
• All anticipated baby needs put in place and organized (this was obvious and done well in advance because I was excited!)

These tasks are the things that I personally needed to do to put my mind at ease and feel prepared. 

The list of tasks that will make YOU feel prepared may be different! Each individual will have different “must haves” or those “must get done” tasks on their list. 

Mama Care Basket:

A mama care basket is a basket of care products that are ready and organized for your needs. 

I was blessed to have an uncomplicated vaginal birth, so my mama care basket included items such as:

• Extra Heavy Overnight Pads (my favorite brand is U by Kotex- they’re just what I find to be most comfortable)
• Tucks witch hazel pads 
• Frida Mom upside down peri bottle: this is WAY better than the hospital peri bottle, it’s worth the few extra dollars mama’s.
• DIY essential oil perineal spray: this was one of my favorite things, especially since I had stitches. Find the recipe in the Free Resource Library!
• Dermoplast spray(the blue cap): I didn’t use this as much but it was nice to have just in case- some moms swear by it.

For a little later on I also kept on hand: 

• Regular pads
• Panty liners

I liked keeping all these on hand before my due date so afterwards I didn’t even have to think about it! Everything I needed was in the bathroom cupboard or in the basket by the toilet.

Freezer Meals

Stocking up on freezer meals can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. I chose not to freeze complicated food or casseroles, but went a more simple route with items such as:

• Homemade Freezer Burritos: we did both breakfast burritos and simple beef and bean
• Pre-cooked ground beef: I chose to freeze a bunch of pre-browned ground beef that I could easily defrost and make into a meal for my family. It made our simple “go-to” recipes easier and cut down on time in the kitchen.
• Breakfast Muffins
• Family Favorites: for me these were things such as- Meatballs, Chili, and Beirocks. 

Freezer meal hack: double whatever recipe you’re making for dinner already and freeze half of it! This is an easy way to build up a stash of freezer meals.

Around the House Baskets

I used strategically placed baskets around my home in the places I spend the most time. 

I kept one in the living room by the couch, in the TV room, and of course beside the bed. 

In the baskets I kept items such as:

Breastfeeding Supplies:

• Breast Pads
• Nipple Cream
• Protein Bars/Granola Bars
• Burp Cloth
• Haaka (or off brand) silicone milk collector

Diaper Supplies:

• Diapers
• Wipes
• Diaper Cream

Misc Items:

• Nose Frida or Nose Bulb
• Pacifiers

Having these little baskets of necessities around the house was so helpful. It was nice to know that everything I would need when sitting down with baby was within arms reach. Keeping a quality snack in there was also super important in those first weeks because I would get intensely hungry while nursing. 

Enlist help with 3rd Trimester cleaning projects

If you’re anything like me, the desire to bring baby home to a sparkling clean house is strong. However, it can be hard to find much energy for projects in the third trimester! And some cleaning tasks are downright unsafe at that point (especially if your baby belly makes you clumsy!). 

SO, swipe through your phone and dial up your favorite helper(s): mom, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, whoever! Then make a list of “must-do” cleaning tasks that require help, and have your supplies ready for when help arrives!

Most Importantly:

Make Yourself a Priority

During postpartum your newborn is the first priority. However as a healing mama who just went through a huge physical event, you have to take time to prioritize yourself. 

After the birth of my first, I was consumed with all things baby. After my husband went back to work, remembering to eat at every mealtime or simple things like showering daily were fuzzy afterthoughts. I was too busy cuddling my baby, breastfeeding, and letting her nap on me!

I didn’t put my contacts in or wear makeup often for probably 4-5 weeks after she was born. And when I finally took off my glasses and started doing normal “me-things” again I felt SO much better. That’s when the newborn fog started to lift. 

SO, prioritize yourself mamas!

Prioritizing yourself means:

Basic self-care

• Eating 3 meals a day AND healthy snacks
• Drinking enough water and healthy beverages
• Carving out time to shower daily- dad needs baby snuggles too! Your shower time is their bonding time.
• Taking time to do something that makes you feel like you: whether that means putting on makeup, wearing something besides yoga pants, or whatever little thing you can do that’s just for you. 
• Generally noticing and attending to your needs. 

By attending to your needs postpartum and attending to your healing and self-care, you’re setting yourself up to be the happiest and healthiest mama that you can be. 

When you’re a happy and healthy mama, you’re able to take the best possible care of your children! 

As they say: “if mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy.”

Click the image below to find your Free Checklist in the Resource Library!

The post How to Prepare for Postpartum appeared first on Home Plain and Simple.

A Post By Bridgette

It’s an incredibly exciting event when someone in your life has a new baby- whether it’s a close friend, family member, or co-worker! When preparing to visit a new mom, you may be wondering what to bring a new mom.

Today I’m writing about how you can be helpful to her while she recovers from the birth of her child. Read on to find all the information and tips you’ll need to best help the new mom in your life. 

Postpartum is hard

When I was recovering from the birth of my daughter, I felt like I got hit by a dump truck. I was tired, sore, and completely consumed by caring for my newborn. I was too occupied and tired to think of anything besides healing, and bonding with my baby. So I tried not to worry about anything else. 

Priorities Shift

Any kind of housework took the back burner. In those early postpartum days I became even more grateful for my amazing husband, and my support network of family and friends. Anyone who brought meals, washed dishes, folded the laundry, or even just texted to ask how I was doing were my guardian angels. 

Moms need help

I realized how blessed I was to have people in my life who KNEW what I needed. Cause I didn’t, and I didn’t have the brain power at the time to realize what I needed or ask for help. Every mama deserves to be cared for like that, so I made a list of all the ways a new mom could be helped. There’s a list of things to bring, and a list of things to do, and any one of these things would brighten a new mama’s day and make it just that much easier. 

What to bring a new mom:

• Supper, lunch, or breakfast: Long story short- bring her a meal! The typical meal to bring is supper, the largest meal of the day. But don’t be shy about thinking outside the box and offering to bring a nice lunch, or even breakfast food! Side note: 1. Don’t ask her what to bring, just bring it.  2. Make sure the meal you bring doesn’t require prep on her part. 3. Keep your visit short, drop off the meal and continue on your way. 

• Her favorite snack or drink: After getting up every 2 hours a night with baby, a mama deserves a treat! Ask her what her favorite snack is: a Snickers bar and iced tea? Hummus & chips? 

• Fresh Fruit & Veggies: Washed, cut up, and ready to just grab and eat. This is one of my favorite things that someone did for me postpartum! I was seriously craving fruit, so it was a huge blessing to have fruits and veggies all cut up and ready to go so I could just grab it and have a snack while I nursed my baby. 

• Anything she may need from the store: A new mom has a lot on her plate, lighten her load by asking her what she needs from the store and picking it up for her. 

• Something for the baby: Nothing is cuter than baby things (except of course, the baby)! If you haven’t already splurged on this baby, this is an opportunity to find out what mom still needs, and do some fun baby shopping.

• A good book: Many of those early postpartum days are spent on the couch underneath a nursing or sleeping infant. Binge watching Netflix is great, but it might be nice for her to switch gears and dive into a good book. Now’s a good time to lend her a few great books!

• Flowers: Depending on the weather, it can be hard to get outside with a newborn. Bringing fresh flowers to the mama in your life can help brighten her day by bringing a bit of the outside, indoors.

Ask the mom in your life what she needs, or pick something from this list to bring her when you visit. The first weeks with a newborn are overwhelming, and visitors are often exhausting.

When you come to visit keep your expectations low and your visit short. If you want to be helpful but find yourself unable to bring anything- refer to the list below to see what you could do for her.

What to do to help a new mom while visiting:

• Clean the kitchen/wash dishes: Pitch in and help with kitchen chores! Unload/load dishwasher, wash dishes, wipe counters etc.. As awkward as it was at  first to have someone else doing my kitchen work, it was also a huge relief to me when my mom would come over and immediately begin washing dishes. I didn’t ask her, I may have even tried to protest- but she did it anyway. Be that kind of friend.

• Ask about household chores you could help with: Whether it be sweeping/vacuuming, taking out the trash, or any other chore the mom just couldn’t quite get to. Ask her what she could use a hand with! 

• Walk the dog/water the plants: Whether the mama in your life has a dog or some other type of pet, houseplants, goldfish, whatever it may be! Take the dog on a walk, water the plants, offer to help out in whatever way you’re able. 

• Help with older children (if applicable)

• Offer to hold the baby so she can shower: Maybe she wants to shower, or to spend 5 minutes doing literally anything non-baby-related. Offer to give the mom a break- but don’t be offended if she declines, it can be hard to hand over the baby when she’s brand new!

• Laundry: Give a hand with the laundry: switch loads, offer to start a new load, and fold the clean laundry.

Your help is important, and appreciated.

If you take these tips and implement even just a few of them, I promise that you’ll light up a postpartum mama’s day. I was lucky enough to have family members help me out the first few weeks. They knew what to do and what to bring a new mom; they were a huge help which was a relief to my overwhelmed first-time-mama’s mind and allowed me to focus on bonding with my baby. 

Bonus list: Rules to follow when visiting the new mom:

• Do NOT under any circumstances visit if you think you may be sick. If you have the sniffles and think it may just be allergies? Stay away. You don’t want to be the person responsible for getting the newborn baby sick.
• Wash your hands before touching/holding the baby. 
• Don’t bring your children unless it’s been approved by the mom you’re visiting.
• It may be hard, but try not to hold the baby for too long! And if she fusses or cries, hand her right back to her mom. Just do it. 
• Don’t stay for too long. What feels like a short visit to you, may seem like an eternity to the (sleep deprived) mama.
• Don’t show up at the hospital uninvited.
• Be sensitive- postpartum is a vulnerable time. Try to be careful with your words and your actions, even if you’re just “teasing” it can be hurtful. 
• Be smart- don’t kiss the baby, anywhere! Even her cute little hands go straight to her mouth. Don’t spread germs.
• Don’t visit at unreasonable times of day. Pro tip: if you want to see a happy + awake baby, visit in the morning.

Drop a comment below: What was your postpartum experience like? Did you resonate with these tips? What would you add to this list? 

The post What to Bring a New Mom: The Visitors Guide you didn’t know you needed appeared first on Home Plain and Simple.

This is a delicious and healthy breakfast menu plan for Large homeschool families,

And for small homeschool families,

Or families,

Or anyone who wants to have a breakfast menu plan.

I like to save my brain energy and decision making quota for more important things than what to make for breakfast.  This was especially true in the days when I had a lot of children at home: teenagers, preschoolers, toddlers, babies.  Late nights and early mornings… it was so much easier to just do what the breakfast menu plan told me to make.

Even though I have just a handful at home now, and they’re all quite independent, I still like to have a breakfast menu plan.

This is my menu plan that I found in archives of computer files from way back.  There is a printable in the Free Resource Library so you can simply print it out and put it in your Home Management Book so  you can have a healthy breakfast to feed your children.

Monday

Tuesday

While the Baked Oatmeal is baking, do the prep work for lunch and supper. Switch the laundry loads, check the children’s chores, etc. Then call the children to breakfast and read a Psalm and Proverb to them while they eat.

The leftovers are good for a cold snack.

Wednesday

Dutch Puff

This is a great way to get the family fed with protein that will last all morning long.  Don’t forget, eggs are brain food.

This is the standard recipe which will feed 6 nicely.  Double it for growing, hungry children or a bigger crowd.  If you have leftovers it makes a nice snack later in the day.

The mixture puffs up into a gorgeous souffle type creation. The hotter your oven is when you put the dish in, the higher it puffs. If the oven is not hot enough it will take longer than 20 minutes.

While it bakes, change the laundry loads, do lunch or supper prep, check up on the kids’ chores, “do the next thing”.

Take the completed  Dutch Puff to the table and ooh and aah over the beauty of the breakfast. As it cools it deflates. Serve on plates and pour maple syrup over it. Fresh berries are also delicious on the Dutch Puff. Another variation is to put sliced apples in the batter before baking.

Dairy Free version: I have two girls that are allergic to cow’s milk so I make a half recipe with goat milk (mixing that in the blender before the cow milk version) and use coconut oil in the pan instead of butter.

I have seen a similar recipe putting the batter into greased muffin tins which would be really cute, but too much work for a fast breakfast.

Thursday

Oatmeal

This is a large recipe, enough for ten people.  If it is too large for your family, reduce the oats and water.  The ratio is 1 cup of rolled oats to 2 cups of water.

Leftover oatmeal can be made into Oatmeal Cakes!  Yummy!

Instructions:

• Mix cold oatmeal with eggs.  Approximately 1 egg to ½ cup of cold oatmeal.
• Heat butter in a skillet.  
• Scoop patty sized spoonfulls of oatmeal and egg mixture into the hot butter and fry until crispy.  Flip and fry on the other side.
• Serve with maple syrup.

Friday

Hashbrown Bake

This is filling for hungry children and serves 6 to 8.

Saturday or Sunday

Breakfast Casserole

To print your Breakfast Menu Plan

For an easily printable version of this menu plan, check out the Free Resource Library.

The post The Large Family Breakfast Menu Plan appeared first on Home Plain and Simple.

Freezer meals are a great resource to have on hand, no question.  There will always be days in life when the unexpected happens, or life gets too busy for cooking.  I especially liked to stock up on meals before having a baby. Creating a freezer meal plan is also great for when you have a big project to do and want to reduce time spent in the kitchen.

In my postpartum weeks, I just wanted to rest and enjoy that special time.  I tried to plan life to allow for a healthy and pleasant time to enjoy the new baby, rest, and get my strength back.  I learned with the first few of my babies that I needed to take better care of myself if I were to do a good job of taking care of my children.  Our culture can do better at taking care of new mothers.  You can help yourself out by preparing ahead, so you have less to do at the end of pregnancy and in the first weeks after baby.

Freezer meals are a great idea because they save time, save money, and are more intentionally healthy.

My special challenge with freezer meals was that I had children with a dairy allergy. Having to plan around that obstacle eliminated the option of any cheesy casserole-type meals.  I created other strategies to stock up on freezer food that worked for my family’s specific needs.

Meat for a multitude of meals

The first and simplest thing to do is to cook meat ahead of time, and put it in freezer bags that are appropriately sized for your family.  Meat is an excellent source of protein, which is essential for growing babies and children. Add one or two of these cook-ahead projects each week to build up your freezer stash. Doing this a little at a time will be easier on your finances and energy.  

Ideas:

• Brown and drain bulk amounts of ground beef. Scoop the browned ground beef into freezer bags then label and freeze.
• Make batches of your favorite meatball recipe in bulk, cook.  Then fill freezer bags, label and freeze. Alternatively, make meatloaf and put it in a disposable pan; then label and freeze.
• Buy chicken breasts in bulk and cook in the slow cooker all day; then cut or shred the chicken. Fill freezer bags then label and freeze.
• Brown stew meat in bulk.  Fill freezer bags, label and freeze.
• Cook pork roasts in the slow cooker all day, and shred.  Next, fill freezer bags- label and freeze.
• Buy beef roasts and cook in the slow cooker all day, slice or shred. Then fill freezer bags, label and freeze.

Do 1-2 of these ideas per week

• Get a turkey and roast it according to number of pounds. De-bone it and fill freezer bags, label and freeze.
• Buy a couple of whole chickens. Place in a large pot; adding celery, carrots, onions, and garlic. Then cover with water and cook until the meat pulls off of the bones.  Let it cool, then pull the chickens out of the pot. De-bone the chickens and put the meat into freezer bags. Put the pot of liquid, bones and vegetables back on the stove and let simmer for several hours. Let it cool and then strain; put the broth into freezer containers. Next, discard the bones and vegetables. If you’re interested in learning how to make the most nourishing broth, get this book.  A good broth is an excellent strategy for better healing.
• Grill chicken and steak. Slice or leave whole, then label and freeze.

With lots of prepared meat in the freezer, I had options for throwing together other meals even if it was a simple as build-your-own tacos or BBQ pork sandwiches.  

Start with your family favorites and keep the ingredients in your pantry. Before having a baby, I planned a trip to Sam’s Club and stocked up on every pantry item I needed for our family favorite recipes.

Tips and Tricks to Freezer Meals

• Nearly all meals can be prepared ahead and frozen.  One way to easily stock up on freezer meals is to double the amount of every dish you make, and freeze half of it.  This saves you time and effort.
• Save your strength and don’t do too much freezer cooking in one day.  
• Make your grocery list and be sure that you have all items for your freezer cooking project.
• If you see meat on sale, buy it in bulk.  Meat will be the base of your freezer meals, so keep an eye on sales.
• Make a list of the meal options you have stored in your freezer and tape it to your fridge or inside a cupboard door.
• Freeze bags flat. Then stand them up like books.
• Get together with your sisters, mom, or friends to have a big day of freezer cooking.  There are many tried and true freezer recipes on Pinterest.

Don’t:

• Do not cook noodles ahead and freeze, they will be mushy.
• Do not cook your vegetables ahead.  It’s already simple to toss a bag of frozen vegetables into a big bowl, drizzle olive oil over and toss, sprinkle with salt and pepper and either roast in a hot oven or sauté on the stove.
• Don’t buy cheap freezer bags, they are prone to leak.

Food Ideas to get you Started:

Start with your family favorites.  Don’t create stress for yourself with elaborate freezer meals that your family may not appreciate!  Focus on comfort food.

• Make egg and bacon muffins or breakfast burritos; label and freeze.
• Take a day to make baked goods such as muffins, cookies, bread, pancakes, waffles. Put in freezer bags, label and freeze.  Or- each time that you make baked goods, double the recipe and freeze half.
• Squash such as butternut, spaghetti, or acorn can be cooked ahead and put in freezer bags. Heat and serve with butter, salt and pepper.  Use the spaghetti squash in lieu of pasta.
• Double the amount of rice or potatoes that you make for a meal and freeze the leftovers. Saves you time an effort.

For more inspiration, peruse the freezer section of your grocery store to get ideas of food that you can make ahead and freeze.  It is much more affordable to create freezer meals yourself than to buy them already made.

Vacation, Stay-cation, Project Week

When we have planned a trip to a place where there was a kitchen, I saved time and money by planning and preparing every meal ahead, freezing them, packing them in a large cooler for the drive and heating them at our vacation spot.  I made a mix of family favorite and more exotic new dishes for fun.

I’ve done the same thing when we have a Project Week planned, such as painting and redecorating a room or a week of sewing projects.

Are Freezer Meals a Part of Your Home Management Strategy?

By following these simple tips, you can get started using freezer meals as a part of your home management strategy! If you’re already a freezer meal pro- I hope you were able to pick up some new ideas and tips today. Feel free to drop a comment below with your own awesome freezer meal tips!

For more home management solutions, get the book! Home Management: Plain and Simple is a book written just for busy wives and mothers like you. In it, find awesome strategies, tips, and hacks. Get it here!

The post Freezer Meals for Busy Moms: How to Stock your Freezer! appeared first on Home Plain and Simple.

Actually, there are 1,095 reasons for Kitchen Day.  That is how many meals there are in a year! Food is necessary for life, our days tend to center around mealtime routines, and eating is a social activity.  We can keep it low key and yummy with some thought and planning. I’m giving five reasons for kitchen day and simple steps to start doing it because sometimes we just need a little jump-start. I’ve written a lot about Kitchen Day in Home Management, Plain and Simple, this is the very abbreviated version.

Five Reasons for Kitchen Day

1. We’re busy and it helps manage the time in the kitchen.  Meals and all that goes with it can feel overwhelming when our days are full of the rest of life.  A Kitchen Day is meal prep that frees up time later.
2. It’s a stress management technique.  When people are asking “What’s for dinner” or “I’m hungry” or “What is there to eat?” you don’t need to stress, you’ve prepared and have an answer.  Sometimes, it’s taking care of the basic things in life that relieve a nagging stress.
3. 
   

   You will improve your health.  When you give thought to what you’re preparing, and not rushing- you make better food and drink choices.  Your grocery list matches your meal plan and you will be less likely to throw junk food into the cart.

   
   
4. 
   

   Save money by having a plan.  When you meal plan and prep ahead you will make money-saving choices, use money-saving prep techniques, and be less prone to eat out

   
   
5. 
   

   Your food will be more creative and taste better.  With thought and preparation, you will get more color and flavor in your food.  You will have chosen family favorites and delightful new dishes that stretch your family’s taste buds. 

   
   

Simple Steps to Start:

• Each week, plan your menu; take some time to look at your family’s calendar and choose dishes that fit with the days.  One day may call for a slow cooker meal, another day allows more time for a creative dish that takes more prep, or a busy morning and day means that you have a 30-minute skillet meal ready-to-go.  Plan your meals for the week including family favorites and new dishes you might like to try.
• Make the grocery list for your choices and schedule a shopping day.  When you get home—wash, dry chop and store.
• Choose your Kitchen Day to either be the same day as your shopping day or the day after.
• On Kitchen Day, start early in the day for items that need more time to cook.  For example, cooking chicken for several meals in the slow cooker all day.  Defrost several pounds of ground meat overnight or in the morning and brown in the afternoon.
• Assemble meals (or parts of meals) for dinners, lunch salads, snacks, and breakfasts then refrigerate or freeze.  Don’t forget to add food storage containers to your shopping list.
• Clean your kitchen thoroughly.

This is do-able and with practice you will be efficient and fast.  Although it calls for a commitment of a focused day, this frees up time in the rest of your week.  You can do it!

Get a Checklist for Kitchen Day in the Free Resource Library.

The post 5 Reasons for Kitchen Day and Simple Steps to Start appeared first on Home Plain and Simple.