Menu Plan and Goals

Time change hasn’t been a big deal any other year but, goodness, today we had one cranky child. Thankfully, the baby was still happy. Speaking of the little guy, his first two teeth poked through this week! Maybe there will be a short break in the drooling, hand gnawing, and fussing before it starts all over.

First time with a ponytail!

First time with a ponytail!

Sleeping babies are always cute. Our daughter decided to cook dinner - got the silverware out too. They love each other!

Sleeping babies are always cute.       Our daughter decided to make dinner.             They love each other!

Spent lots of time dealing with the 60 pounds of apples I ordered from Azure Standard. Doesn’t sound like much compared to the 240 pounds someone else received, but it was definitely enough for me to tackle on my own. We will be set on applesauce and dehydrated apples for a while.

apples

Friends over for dinner, banquet for our local crisis pregnancy center, a concert with a comedic pianist and a few days of rainy weather are all coming up week.

Breakfasts:

  • Yogurt and Granola
  • Pancakes (from freezer)
  • Smoothie Popsicles

Lunches

Suppers:

  • Crockpot Lasagna (Would have been good had we not eaten an hour later than planned. Slightly overcooked.)
  • Turkey and Cheese Stuffed Rolls
  • Chicken Pot Pie Topped with Garlic Mashed Potatoes, rolls, and apple bars (Some friends are coming over for dinner)
  • Salad
  • Pregnancy Center Banquet

Snacks:

  • Fruit
  • Almonds
  • Muffins from freezer

Goals:

  • Finish planning the Warm Up Your Walls Party
  • Make a Thanksgiving tree
  • Read 3 times for 30 minutes (with how poorly I did at this last week and how busy it will be this week, I’m trying to keep it simple)
  • Run 2 times (only ran once last week but did get in a walk with a friend as well)
  • Monthly Budget Meeting

What’s on your menu this week?

Any goals you want to tackle?

Linking up to Menu Plan Monday

Baked Egg Rolls

Baked egg rolls piled high on a plate - a perfect dinner!

Egg rolls. A lot of times when I think about these crunchy appetizers (or main dish in our house) lots of grease comes to mind. Fried foods can tend to be over loaded in oils and be messy for little fingers to eat. Baked egg rolls eliminate all of these problems.

Get the crunch and yummy flavors without walking away with oily fingers.

After I put this recipe together for the first time, my husband said he wouldn’t change a thing and rated them a 9.5 out of 10.

The best thing about this recipe is it’s easy to change up. Use whatever ground meat you like best, vegetables you have on hand, and change up the seasonings to use what you already have.

You start with prepping your veggies and cooking the veggie and meat mixture in a big skillet:

baked egg rolls filling

After the mixture is cooked, lay out your egg roll wrappers and place a small amount of filling in the center:

adding filling to baked egg rolls

Roll the egg roll by folding the bottom corner up over the mixture and then the two side corners over. Dip your fingers in water and rub the edges of the top triangle with water and fold down.

folding baked egg rolls

Place egg rolls on a baking sheet and brush with oil using a pastry brush.

baked egg rolls wrapped and ready for oven

Bake and enjoy!

Egg Rolls

5.0 from 1 reviews
Baked Egg Rolls
 
Ingredients
  • 1 pound ground meat
  • ½ c. grated carrot
  • ½-1 cup chopped celery (chopped shredded cabbage, bean sprouts etc)
  • ¼ cup chopped green onions
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 t. minced ginger
  • 1 t. rice wine vinegar
  • 1 T. soy sauce
  • 1 t. fish sauce
  • ⅛ t. sriracha
  • 2 t. sweet soy sauce (or oyster sauce or hoisin)
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 package egg roll wrappers (mine had 21 wrappers)
  • Expeller Pressed Coconut Oil (or other oil)
Instructions
  1. In a skilled brown you meat until cooked through.
  2. Add carrots, celery, green onions, garlic, and ginger.
  3. Saute until vegetables are starting to get tender.
  4. Add in soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, sriracha, and sweet soy.
  5. Stir and add salt and pepper and adjust seasonings to taste.
  6. Let mixture cool.
  7. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  8. Spoon 2 tablespoons of filling into the center of an egg roll wrapper. Roll and seal with water following package directions.
  9. Place egg rolls on a baking sheet brushed with oil.
  10. Use a pastry brush to coat the tops of the egg rolls with oil.
  11. Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes, turn once or twice.

Linking up to Pin it Thursday, Thrifty Thursday, Recipe Sharing Monday, Babies and Beyond, The Weekend reTreatLiving Proverbs 31Teach Me TuesdayTitus 2 Tuesday, Tending the Home TuesdaysLink Party Palooza, Strut Your Stuff, Good Tastes TuesdayCreate it or Bake itWFMWWelcome Home WednesdayHomemaking Link-Up, Foodie Friends Friday

October Link Love

Another month gone. Here’s a handful of links from around the internet that I enjoyed clicking on this month.

Since October 31st is today, Halloween is on my brain. I appreciate purposeful decisions that families make. Let’s not just do something because that’s how you’ve always done it or because it’s what everyone else is doing. Whatever thought out decision you come to, I respect.

These posts are examples of families that prayed over and researched responses to this oftentimes controversial holiday:
My Take on Halloween: My Friend, the Witch – Mama Gab
On Halloween – TroubleFace Mom
What Should Christians Do About Halloween – Our Family for His Glory

Here is an educational and fun link (coffee, rivers, time zones, McDonalds, maternity leave. . .):
40 Maps That Will Help You Make Sense of the World

For you Moms:
Twelve Things Kids Should See Mom Do – ParentLife Magazine

In case you missed this link in my post on Family and the Church this is a worthwhile read (don’t worry, it’s short):
Don’t Segregate the Youth – The Gospel Coalition

I still have yet to cook a spaghetti squash, but this recipe looks delicious:
Lasagna Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

 

What I Learned in October – Parenting Edition

Random parenting tips that I’ve gleaned or appreciated over the last month.

1. 5 minute pick up is one of my favorite housekeeping tools. The living room suffers greatly when we by-pass this rule. Most nights, after dinner and dishes are done we set the timer and my husband, myself and our 2 year old all race the clock to get as much tidied up as we can.

2. Bath time is the perfect time for reading. Put both kids in the tub and sit on the toilet and read as they splash away. No other time do they stay in place for that long unless asleep. Since I won’t leave them in the bath alone, I might as well read.

books

3. Libraries are a good form of entertainment, especially the ones with toys in the children’s area. My little girl never wants to leave. At least I can bribe her away with promises of new books to read and movies to watch at home.

library

4. 2 1/2 is a fun age for reading. My daughter still loves pop-up books with bold pictures but she’ll also sit through children’s books such as Frog and Toad with lots of words.

5. My daughter loves to help in the kitchen. She has to be the one to scoop the muffin batter into the tins. It takes her a ridiculously long time, but I decide that it’s just fine because it gives me time to get all the dishes done and the counters wiped down before she’s done.

helper

6. Babies feel left out. Sometimes my little guy is fussy and whiny, but when you bring him to be a part of the action and let him look at people’s faces he turns into a smiley and talkative baby.

7. Sleep and Plays are amazing. Why? Not having to worry about socks disappearing off of kicking feet.

8. Children are parrots. They pick up on everything you say and do. I have a habit of doing an exasperated sigh when I’m frustrated, irritated, or whatever. The 2 1/2 year old has started doing the same thing. Wow. Talk about a great reminder to watch what I say and how I respond.

Linking up to Teaching Tuesdays, Mommy Brain Mixer, From House to Home, Fellowship Fridays, Essential Fridays, Babies and Beyond, Teach Me Tuesday, Titus 2 Tuesday, Tending the Home Tuesdays, Welcome Home Wednesday, Thriving ThursdayMama Moments

Menu Plan and Goals

This weekend was busy but fun. A day trip to the near by city was a highlight. Our 2 1/2 year old loved the zoo – way more than she did even 3 months ago. The cooler weather may have had something to do with that. She ran around looking at animals and climbing on everything.

zoo collage

She never stops moving!

zoo2 Collage

We finished the day with a trip to Target and letting her do some more climbing and sliding at Chick-Fil-A. She wore herself out enough that the girl that no longer takes any naps fell asleep on the way home.

Saturday Shaun was gone from 11am on for work. It’s so much easier to not go grocery shopping with both kids by myself so my daughter and I went before he left. A perk to small town living is I can go to 3 grocery stores and still be done in less than an hour.

Breakfasts:

  • Granola and yogurt (me)
  • Pumpkin Pancakes from freezer (daughter)
  • Smoothie popsicles (daughter)

Lunches:

Suppers:

  • Taco Salad (Still sticking to salad Mon-Thursday. Makes my life so easy, I don’t know if I’ll ever want to quit)
  • Chicken Stir Fry (great way to use up veggies in the fridge) Might use an adaptation of this recipe
  • Braum’s Burgers when daddy is gone
  • Chili cook off with some of Shaun’s coworkers at our house

Snacks:

  • Muffins
  • Fruit
  • Almonds

Goals:

(Everything from last week got accomplished!)

  • Vitacost Order (affiliate link)
  • Apples, apples, apples – applesauce, dehydrate, freeze
  • Make cookie plates and deliver to some people at church
  • Run 25 minutes 3 times
  • Read 4 days at least 30 minutes

What’s on your menu this week? Any goals you want to accomplish?

Linking up to Menu Plan Monday