Prayer Jar for Kids with Craft Sticks

I can't claim the credit for this super easy and cute craft. I was inspired by my friend from college, Jessica (who writes an enlightening and reflective blog, by the way). In our busy lives it can be easy to push prayer to a back burner, so why not do this craft and make it a fun activity for the whole family to be involved in? Another big incentive: you either have these supplies already or can get them at Dollar Tree for less than $5 all together.

Supplies needed: 
Craft sticks
Tacky glue
Buttons or pom-poms (or both)
Sharpie marker
Jar

Directions:
To create the prayer sticks, simply dab a bit of glue on the end of a craft stick. Then the kids can place a button or pom-pom on the glue and press down. Even my 22 month old could do it, and really enjoyed seeing the button stick to the glue when held upside down. Let them dry thoroughly, then write the prayer request on the stick with a permanent marker. Place in the jar, and then kids can draw a few sticks out and pray for the request before dinner, before bed, or during family time.

Our Birth Story: Maureya

When I say I was at the hospital for less than an hour before I had her, people might think Maureya's birth was easy. That's not how I would describe it exactly. However, I am so thankful that after much prayer and preparation, this birth story was more of what I was hoping for.

(Quick recap... Maureya is my second child. Ansel was my first. You can read his whole birth story here, but for now, let me go over the highlights. I had back labor for 24 hours from one afternoon to the next. I dealt with contractions by natural pain management methods except for a few hours of morphine to help me rest in the morning. My water broke after that and I pushed for 2 1/2 hours until I delivered Ansel.)

With Maureya, I woke up around 5:30 am with contractions about ten minutes apart. Back labor again! This time around, I had been practicing yoga positions and breathing methods to use, and was able to employ those. I hung out with a friend in the morning since we had that planned and it got my mind off of things. After lunch, I tried to take a nap and got some rest, though I was still feeling the contractions. When I got up and actually timed contractions again around dinner, they were about 5 minutes apart and getting more intense, but I just stayed active. I would pause to squat or do another position to get through. Around 6 pm I was getting rather annoyed the contractions hadn't picked up in time or intensity since it had been going on 12 hours, so I went for a walk (in the drizzling rain). Mentally I was trying to prepare myself or another long night similar to what I labored with Ansel, and emotionally I was feeling worried but trying to trust my body.

I vacillated on calling my friend to take Ansel over to her house in case we needed to go to the hospital. Finally around 8 pm or so I started needing Justin to give me counter pressure in my lower back for the back labor and went ahead and called my friend to get Ansel. They left after 9 pm, and I kept pushing back leaving for the hospital until about 10 pm, trying to labor at home as much as possible and dreading the contractions I would have in the car on the way. It is very difficult to relax or do any type of yoga position in the car!!

We got to Miami Valley at 10:30 pm and parked, and walking in was tough. It was cold but I wasn't sure if I was shaking from that or trying to get through the back labor. We checked and got to our room (#3- same exact room I had Ansel in because we asked if it was open in Family Beginnings). When the nursed checked my and said I was a 5-6 but very effaced, I tried to stay positive. I really felt like I was farther along. Justin continued to give me counter pressure- really, I only felt the contractions in my back-for a half hour or so. I was in child's pose on the floor of the bathroom when my water broke and I HAD TO PUSH. It was basically instantaneous.

The nurse wanted to check me again before I started pushing and said I was only at an 8; but I really could not resist the urge. Missy, the midwife, just said, "Listen to your body." My body was screaming at me so there was no way to ignore it! :) Hands and knees on the bed, I pushed, rather loudly, I'm sure, for a couple of contractions before they told me she was crowning already. (Woah! Ansel took over an hour to crown, then crowned for another hour!) On the next push or two, her head was out. Then, somehow I didn't have an urge to push, but she was so close. So I took a deep breath and tried to focus on pushing again and she slipped out at 11:21 pm. What a relief. There is really nothing like that moment! I had been at the hospital less than an hour.

With her cord still attached, I was able to move back and sit against the headboard and put Maureya skin-to-skin right away. After the cord stopped pulsing, Justin cut it. The placenta came easily after that and I was able to look at it. Fascinating and gross at the same time, but amazing to see the life-force that God made to sustain her those 39 weeks in the womb.

Recovery has been so much easier this time, I think because of the timing of the labor. It ended up being about 18 hours, but since it fell during the day and I pushed for maybe 20 minutes, the exhaustion wasn't as great. I didn't have a tear to the perineum (last time I had a small one but no stitches). The lochia discharge reduced very quickly and I was able to move from a Depends to a large pad the second day postpartum, and it continues to reduce. The after-pains of the uterus returning to normal size are more intense than I remember with Ansel, but compared to labor pains they are manageable. I'm on 800 mg of ibuprofen every 8 hours and that has kept other soreness in check. Maureya  slept well at home last night between her feedings  at 11, 2, and 5:30, and I slept in after that until 8 or so. I got an hour nap this afternoon and will go to bed soon, but it's nowhere near the exhaustion I felt from last time. It will be interesting to see how things continue to play out, but this birth experience was just overall so much better than last time.

I'm so thankful to my husband for being so supportive. He was just perfect, giving me everything I needed to make it through. The yoga really helped too. And of course, I know I had people praying for me throughout pregnancy and I had also prayed that God would give me the strength to make it through. He is good.

2nd Baby, 3rd Trimester Update

Oh, geez. I'm already 33 weeks. Time is definitely getting away from me, and I don't think it's just because I have a toddler too. It's just keeps ticking away... Still, I wanted to take the time to write some updates on the pregnancy for the sake of remembering it.

As far as pregnancy symptoms go, I know I am lucky. (But I still don't like being pregnant, sorry). I am tired and never really sleep through the night without getting up to use the restroom or just toss and turn. Which, by the way, turning over is getting to be quite the ordeal. Justin laughs at me, but it really is so much harder the bigger my belly gets! I don't have heartburn, or back pain, or things like that. I have been experiencing a decent amount of Braxton-Hicks contractions, without much rhyme or reason to them, which I read is pretty normal to have this early on in the second pregnancy. They been going on since early December.  (With Ansel, I had them every 5-10 minutes the last two weeks of pregnancy. Talk about annoying and uncomfortable.) I've gained about 22 pounds already, which is less that my first pregnancy, but I'm just not a hungry. I'm hoping this helps in the long run.

One of my concerns is that baby girl will be aligned correctly, since Ansel was a little off and I believe it caused a longer labor, pushing, and his eventual torticollis and plagiocephaly. Because of this, I've invested significant time and money in yoga. I go once a week with a few friends, and then do some pregnancy yoga videos at home at least one more time a week. I also have visited the chiropractor twice. On the first visit, she confirmed that my hips were a little off-perhaps one leg is longer/shorter- and that the baby was also slightly to the right side. This was just like with Ansel. When I lay on my back I can seriously tell that my belly is lopsided. The good news is that on the second chiropractor visit, she said the baby was more in line like she should be. So, I will just continue with yoga and have at least one more chiropractor visit before birth. Then I'm just trusting that God sustains me through whatever the final position is.

We are going to Family Beginnings at Miami Valley again since our experience with the nursing staff and my midwife was so good last time. Any interventions really make me anxious, and therefore a natural delivery is the route that is best for me. One thing that I'm still fretting about is that I tested positive for GBS in a urine sample at the beginning of the pregnancy. GBS is a bacteria that can come and go, but if it present at all during the pregnancy they want to pump you (and therefore the baby) with antibiotics during labor. I'd really rather avoid an IV altogether, besides the fact that the chance of passing to the baby is very small- about 2%. I'm not really sure I like the baby being given all those antibiotics right away anyway, unless it really is needed. If I decline this, they will want to keep us at the hospital at least two nights to monitor. While this is how long we stayed last time, I'd much rather come sooner if I feel up to it, especially since we don't have to wait around for the Doc to do a circumcision. Less time at the hospital sounds very good to me! I am having a GBS swab test done in a few weeks, and if I test negative then, I feel like I have a good basis for declining the antibiotics. I've being taking garlic and probiotics as my midwife suggested to help in this.

Everyone is different, but we don't announce when we are going to the hospital. Shoot, last time it was in the middle of the night anyways, and I still have 18 hours of labor to go. I don't want people waiting around because that just stresses me and I have enough to deal with. Some people like the endless birth party, but in all honesty, I just want to be alone. Let me labor alone (besides my hubby), and once the baby comes I don't want a bunch of visitors. Heck, even when I get home I don't want visitors. Birth is tiring and all I want to do is rest and enjoy the new addition without added stress of company. I know, everyone is different, but that's just how I personally feel about it. So, a few more weeks, but the end is in sight. I can't wait to meet baby girl!!

2016 Goals

It's that time of year again! Time to set some goals. I'm first going to revisit my goals from last year:

1. Read a book every day to my baby Ansel.
2. Love my husband and show him in every way I can.
3. Lose 10 pounds. 
4. Pay off my car and Justin's school loan (about $8,500 all together).
5. Go somewhere beachy for our 6th wedding anniversary and wear a bikini again.
6. Finish revisions and send my memoir to a publisher until it gets accepted.
7. Make it a year breastfeeding.
8. Run a 10 K.
9. Start my Doctor of Education.
10. Add at least $10,000 to our savings.
11. Start investing.

I'm happy to say that while we didn't go somewhere beachy (#5) for our vacation this year, we did have a hot tub at the cabin and I broke out my bikini for that. I also have my last proofreader going through my memoir (#6) and plan to send it as soon as she gets back with me. Even though I don't quite remember how much we started with in our savings (#10), we have added quite a bit and will keep going with that. 

We've done everything else on the list!! Yay! Many of those will repeat this year. It's really rewarding to see Ansel play with his books. I read with him everyday, and not just at bedtime. At times it will be quiet and I'll think, what's he getting into? and he will just be sitting at one of his bookshelves surrounded by books, flipping through the pages. I just love it! 

Financially, we've come a long way. Justin was finishing school so we basically had no income from him and couldn't save much. Still, we were able to pay off all debts (my car and his school loan) by the fall once he started his PTA job. We also started investing- an ESA for Ansel, and IRA for Justin, and a joint mutual account for both of us. It felt really good to get that going for Justin (I already have my teacher retirement). Going into this year, we are looking to maximize our income since we are both working. We really want to build within the next five years, and that is going to take a major amount of discipline. My continued employment is almost solely for this purpose. We REALLY want to build in the country! 

So what's new for this year? We have baby #2 coming, so that will add a whole new dynamic. I also want to continue with more schooling while I have some tuition reimbursement from my employer. I hope to continue strengthening our marriage- I am so blessed by my man but know we can also grow closer to each other and God. So here's the 2016 goals: 

1. Stay healthy to have an uneventful labor and delivery of baby #2. 
2. Run a 5k or 10K in late summer/fall. 
3. Get my memoir published. 
4. Continue saving to buy a new AC, privacy fence, and possibly family car (if Justin's breaks) with cash. 
5. Teach a Financial Peace class at church. 
6. Save money toward buying a plot of land.
7. Continue taking classes toward my Dr. of Ed (or Ed. S.). 
8. Work full time at least through my 10th year of teaching (2016-2017) so I can transfer my California retirement. 
9. Show love to my husband in his love language. 
10. Love on my babies, giving them focused individual attention and care each day. 
11. Read my Bible through for the 9th time.
12. Keep a prayer journal a few times a week. 

There you have it! It will be interesting to reflect on this in a year! 

Survey says.... (Baby girl name edition)

Well, I know everyone is dying to know what name we have chosen, but you won't get that from this post. Sorry. That's one little tidbit we like to keep to ourselves, plus, I'm not 100% sure yet either. I think I will have to hold her first to know that it fits. With that said, the survey was very interesting and quite amusing to read some of the responses. It's so fascinating how we each have personal baggage with certain names, whether that's love or hate. I definitely have this with former students' names, or historical figures or celebrity figures.

Let me break down some of the highlights for you.

What's the first thing you think of when you hear the name.... 
Amelia- Earhart, airplane flyer lady, goes nicely with Ansel, Bedelia, sophisticted, Grey's anatomy, no, flower, adventurous
Denna- Jersey shore, my friend, Jenna, not sure, smart, dinner, weird, Dennis, denim jeans, Denny's restaurant, and old person
Elionwy (ay-lon-wee)- an elf, Welsh fairy, can't know for sure how to pronounce, unique, why would anyone name a kid that?, Ellen-we?, exotic, oh heck no, can you pronounce that again?, Africa
Estella- princess, witch, Marlin Brando, fat lady, rich, stately, classic, clothing, Mexican, stars, old
Freya (fray-uh)- another elf, yogurt, fry a hamburger, muppet, foreign, bewitching, a hobbit movie, Fritos, interesting, sounds like a foreign food, frayed material, lingerie, African, no
Mabel- makeup, cutesy tooties, fabel, solid, older, grandma, old woman, elderly, a housekeeper, granny, sweet, my alter ego in a skit, old lady
Marlowe- business, Psych, Raymond Chandler's novel, energetic, determined, gangsters, old man, Trump, cute, different, drunk, Barlow girls, Merlot, a boy's name
Maureya (muh-ray-uh)- Povich, maria spelled wrong, how do you pronounce this?, Indian princess, delicate, why?, new spelling?, never heard of it, unfamiliar, Go Murrary!, Maureen Ohara, one of my students, who was adorable
Mia- Fast and Furious, a dog, cats, Princess Diaries, nice, happiness, Sophia, Anne Hathaway, mamma mia, Farrow,
Sadie- Duck Dynasty, another dog, Hawkins, aunt, happy, homely, peppy, cute, dog, blonde ponytail, Love!, my dog, my cat, like
Waverly- Old Disney show, a town in MI that is ghetto, Ohio, fabric, snooty, precious, TB hospital in Kentucky, curtains, bedspreads, seductive, Wizards of Waverly Place, like the crackers

Over 90% of you didn't know anyone personally with these names:
Elionwy, Freya, Marlowe, Maureya, or Waverly

Over 75% of you knew someone personally with the name of Mia.

Around 50% of you knew someone personally with these names:
Amelia, Mabel, and Sadie 

Over 75% of you knew someone from pop culture with these names:
Amelia, Mia, and Sadie

The names that gave a creative, artsy vibe were: 
Waverly (50%), Maureya and Elionwy (38%) and Freya, Marlowe and Amelia (around 30%)

The names with a girly, princess feel were Amelia and Mia.

The trendiest names were Mia and Sadie.

The classic and timeless names were Amelia and Estella.

In rank order, with your favorite choices listed first: 
Amelia- 24%
Waverly-18%
Mia- 15%

Below 10% of you favored....
Denna 
Sadie
Elionwy 
Estella
Marlowe
Freya
Maureya 
Mabel

So there you have it! Now you have to wait another few months to hear the name announced when she's born. :) Thanks for participating; I enjoyed reading your responses!!

Re-purposed Pumpkin Snowman

You gotta love an easy craft that uses what you already have! Lo and behold, the pumpkin snowman. It's so simple too. I set mine up in front of my tomato cage Christmas trees for a nice little trio on my front porch.

Here's what you need:

• Two or three leftover pumpkins from Thanksgiving, still in solid condition
• White spray paint
• Black paint for eyes, nose, mouth
• Ribbon or old scarf
• Old hat

To make the pumpkin snowman:
1) Choose the biggest pumpkin to be the base or body of the snowman. Level off the stem if needed.
2) Paint both pumpkins white. Let dry.
3) Use black paint to add details on the snowman's face.
4) Stack the pumpkins. If they aren't sturdy together, you may need to find some kind of stick or wire to hold them together.
5) Tie the scarf around the snowman's neck and add the hat. Ta-da! You have your never-melting snowman!

Christmas Crafts for a 1 1/2 Year Old

Ok, I admit it. I'm a craft addict. Besides my scrap booking supplies, I have acrylic paints, canvas paper, puffy paints, felt, foam, glue, buttons, ribbons,  and lots of other odds and ends. The real question is, how can I get my 18 month old involved in a Christmas craft to send to the grandparents, and to decorate my own home? It is a bit of a challenge at this age! And let's be honest, I'm the one doing most of the crafting, he's just lending me a hand print. It's still fun though, and still a memory to treasure as he grows. I found a few websites with ideas (here and here), and used what I already had in my supply stash. We made snowflakes, reindeer, and Christmas tree art, which could be framed or used as a card. We also made a Christmas tree ornament. As a bonus, I made a Christmas tree card from the leftover scraps of felt.

1) Snowflake art
On 5x7 card stock or canvas paper, use the end of a pencil or round sponge to create a snowflake. I made a large"t" with a small "x" in the middle. Make a rough frame around the end of the piece with the end of the pencil. Use glitter glue to add dimension. With an older child, you could make dots with pencil for them to follow to have more independence. With my 18 month old, I had to do hand-over-hand to help him create the snowflake.

You can tell which one Ansel did.... :)

2) Reindeer hand print art
Set up plate with brown paint. Carefully dip child's hand in the paint, covering their palm and fingers. On a 5x7 card stock or canvas paper in landscape orientation, carefully spread child's hand on one side of the paper. Flip the paper around 180 degrees, and spread child's hand touching the other print. Clean up quickly (my son might have tried to lick the paint!) Add googly eyes and a button nose to create a face. Cut a 4 inch piece of ribbon and tie at one end. Glue across the reindeer's neck. You can add some detail for the antler with a small paintbrush.

3) Christmas tree hand print art
Set up plate with green paint. Carefully dip child's hand in the paint, covering their palm and fingers. On a 5x7 card stock or canvas paper in portrait orientation, carefully spread child's hand in center of paper. Clean up quickly. Add a sticker star at the top, and brown paint for the trunk at the bottom. I also added yellow dots with the end of a pencil across the top and bottom of the print.

4) Felt Christmas tree ornament
Cut an 8x11 piece of felt into four pieces. Take one piece and fold it in half. Cut triangles out of the sides to create the tree, and a rectangle out of the bottom to create the trunk. Or, trace the outline and cut it that way. Using puffy paint, help child draw garland on the tree. Let dry. Cut a small slit and thread ribbon through to hang the ornament. Add buttons with glue.

Bonus: Felt Christmas tree card
I had a ton of small triangles left from the ornament, so I glued them to make a card and added buttons for a trunk and star.

2nd baby, 2nd trimester update!

Time is certainly getting away from me. I'm already 22 weeks and definitely on the countdown. As I'm sure I've said before, pregnancy is not my favorite season. It is definitely worth it though, and I'm thankful to God for His blessings. We are expecting a girl this time, and I'm so excited! I'm definitely one to plan, and too often I make my own plans without seeking God's guidance. Our first, Ansel, was a boy, and I REALLY wanted a boy first. Then when we made the decision to go for #2, I REALLY wanted a girl. I'm so ready for frills, bows, lace, and lots of pink! Of course I have no control over the gender, so I was just delighted when we found out at the ultrasound a few weeks ago.

Let me be honest for a minute. I used to think I wanted four kids. Well, I still do. But, after my first birth, I just don't honestly think I could do it four times. They say you forget it, the pain. Let me tell you, I don't forget it. We almost didn't try for another just because of the first birth. But I keep telling myself the second had to be better...  Anyway, we have had so many people in our lives adopt children. An aunt and uncle, good friends from our time in Cali, and others. I see students at school who are products of the foster care system and need love. Adopting has always been in the back of  my mind. Going into this pregnancy, I was sorta bargaining with God. "Lord, if you give me a girl, I'll feel like I can stop having kids biologically and start adopting..." Yet, I came to the place where I finally said, "Ok, God, two is it for us. We'll look into adoption no matter the gender." Then to find out it was a girl- well, it was confirmation somehow. Maybe that sounds crazy and weird. Whatever the case, I still feel so blessed that God would give me a little girl this pregnancy. We probably won't adopt for another 4-5 years, since many times they recommend that your biological children be older than the adopted children, but it's so exciting to think about and prepare for.

We waited longer to tell everyone this time- I was already in second trimester. Everyone has their reasons on when to tell, and waiting was what we wanted to do. One reason was just that as a teacher, I wanted to get through first quarter without being the "crazy pregnant teacher." It was important to me to establish those relationships with students first before throwing something else into the  mix. Students certainly have lots of comments... thankfully, this time around they aren't quite so obnoxious. Pregnancy is just so public for me, and everyone wants to know every detail. And yes, it's exciting, it really is, but nine months worth of bad sleep can wear on me, and I guess I just get grouchy. So, we waited. I'm glad we did. It worked for us.

Pregnancy #2 has been a little different, at least in the first trimester. I definitely had a lot more nausea than I remember with Ansel. Thankfully no actual vomiting, and after I figured out that I just constantly have to eat (every 3 hours or so), it seemed to go away. As I entered second trimester, even if I skipped my evening snack for some reason, it wasn't too bad. Another thing that was similar was headaches in late first trimester/early second trimester, but they weren't as bad as with Ansel.

Other things are just like last time. I don't sleep well, partially because I have to get up to use the restroom, and partly because I just seem to toss and turn more. I bought one of those ginormous $50 pregnancy pillows, and it helped for a few weeks, then I ditched it. Maybe it will be of use in third trimester. I have kept up running, even about 2 miles at 20 weeks, with short walk breaks. I think I even felt better than last time, but it could be partly due to being earlier in the season. That is, it is warmer outside so it prolongs the running season. Last time I had to go to a gym to run by 15 weeks and that was a total drag to be indoors. However, I've definitely been slowing down in the last two weeks and am just hoping to make it to Thanksgiving time before I switch over to walking and strength training. As far as weight gain goes, I have gained 10-12 pounds (it fluctuates), but almost all of that is since second trimester started. I feel like it might be a little faster than last time, but I also popped out sooner, so my guess is that they are connected. I know I'm not quite as diligent and strict as I was with the first pregnancy, but my blood counts are almost identical, so maybe I'm just being hard on myself. :) That's my justification anyway. I would really like to stay closer to 25 pounds instead of 35 this time around. We'll see.

I'm trying to be really proactive about labor this time. I mean, I certainly was last time too. We did Bradley Method classes, stretching, exercise, all that. But Ansel was turned and I really think that's the reason I had back labor and 2 1/2 hours of pushing. So I asked the midwife what I could do. She recommended a chiropractor and also prenatal  yoga, so I am going to explore those options. I'm really watching my posture too, to try to give the baby all the advantages to being in the right position once labor comes. I just keep praying that God gives me peace through it because to be honest, it very nerve-wracking to me.

Well, I'm just a month from third trimester already. In some ways this pregnancy is going really fast. The next two months of holidays will fly by I'm sure, and then just two more months till March comes. I'm definitely going to be happy to meet her!

10 Freezer Meals in a Jiffy

After I used up all my meals from this post, I needed to make a few more to help me survive weeknights. Since I'm expecting baby #2, I am just so tired when I get home from work, and I don't feel like doing anything complicated. And I'll be honest, many nights I take a nap after dinner and hubby has one-on-one time with Ansel for an hour! Therefore, I knew I had to put a few more meals together to help me out on weeknights. I made less casserole-type dishes this time because they require more prep. I didn't repeat any expect for the chicken teriyaki, because it's so versatile (over rice,  over couscous, in tortillas, etc). Some of my inspiration came from this page on Southern Living, and some came from my Crockpot Bible, which I use constantly. I have several chicken dishes on here, but I always to try to mix them up with other meat dishes as well. *Note: a few of these I am trying for the first time, but I wanted to share anyway for the ideas!

Here's the dishes I prepped today:

1. Chili
2. Ham and Bean Soup
3. Beef Mesquite Wraps
4. Teriyaki Chicken
5. Chicken-Sausage Pilaf
6. Cheesy Chicken
7. Peachy Pork
8. Three Cheese Baked Penne
9. Buffalo Mac N Cheese
10. Tuna Casserole 

1. Chili
Follow your favorite recipe! Freeze in gallon freezer bags. Thaw the night before and heat in saucepan. Serve with  your favorite cornbread.

2. Ham and Bean Soup
3 cups dried beans (prepared); or 3 cans of navy beans, great northern beans, and garbanzo beans
1-2 cups leftover ham, chopped or slice in bite-size pieces
1 chopped onion or 2 T minced onion
Garlic to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Water

Combine all ingredients and add water as desired for soup consistency, around 2-3 cups. Freeze in gallon bag. Thaw and heat in saucepan to prepare. Serve with your favorite bread.

3. Beef Mesquite Wraps
1 package beef stew meat
1 package Mesquite instant flavoring
1 cup water

Combine in freezer bag. When ready to make, thaw overnight in fridge and cook in slow cooker 6-8 hours on low. Serve in tortillas with toppings as desired.

4. Chicken Teriyaki 
2-4 chicken breasts
6 oz pineapple juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon garlic
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Combine all but chicken in a gallon freezer bag and mix. Add chicken. Label and freeze. Thaw overnight in fridge and cook on low in crockpot 6-8 hours. Serve over rice.

5. Chicken-Sausage Pilaf
1 can cooked and diced chicken
1 lb sausage, cooked
4 cups chicken broth (or 4 cups water + 2 bullion cubes)
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup baby carrots
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup uncooked rice and pasta mix (like Rice A Roni)

Combine all but rice and pasta mix in gallon freezer bag. Freeze. To prepare, thaw overnight in fridge and mix in rice and pasta mix. Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4 hours in crockpot, until rice is tender. Do not overcook rice or dinner will be mushy!

6. Cheesy Chicken
4-6 chicken breasts
2 cans condensed cheddar cheese soup (or 1 can cheddar, one can cream of chicken)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all but chicken in freezer bag and mix. Add chicken and freeze. To prepare, thaw overnight in fridge and cook on low in crock pot 6-8 hours. Serve over pasta or rice.

7. Peachy Pork
2- 15 oz cans of peaches, undrained
2 pounds pork blade or top loin chop
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Combine all but pork and mix well. Add pork and freeze. To prepare, thaw overnight in fridge. Cook in crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. To thicken sauce, mix 2 T cornstarch and 2 T water, then add to peach mixture (remove pork first). Cook on high 15 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Serve over rice.

8. Three-Cheese Baked Penne
1 lb penne noodles, cooked and drained
4 cups spaghetti sauce
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup parmesean cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
Panko crumbs (Italian seasoned)

In saucepan, combine spaghetti sauce, ricotta, and parmesean and cook until blended. Pour over penne in a 9x13 disposable pan. Stir to combine. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese and then Panko crumbs over dish. Cover pan with tinfoil and seal well. To prepare, thaw overnight in fridge. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until browned and bubbly in center.

9. Buffalo Mac N Cheese
2 cans condensed cheddar soup
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb macaroni noodles, cooked and drained
2 cans cooked chicken, buffalo flavor

In large bowl, combine soup, milk, minced onion, and 1 cup cheddar cheese. Mix well. Pour over noodles in a 9x13 disposable pan and stir to combine. Dump chicken evenly over top of noodles. Top with additional cheddar cheese. Cover pan with tinfoil and seal well. To prepare, thaw overnight in fridge. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until browned and bubbly in center.

10. Tuna Casserole 
1 lb cavatappi pasta, cooked and drained
12 oz can tuna
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup butter
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups milk
1 chicken bullion cube
2 cups cheddar cheese (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dried chives
1 tablespoon dried parsley
Panko crumbs
Parmesean cheese

Combine pasta, tuna, and peas in 9x13 disposable pan. Combine butter, soup, milk, bullion, salt and pepper, chives, and parsley, melting in microwave until blended. Pour over pasta mixture and stir to combine. (Note: if you like it cheesy, add 2 cups of cheddar cheese at this step) Top with mixture of Panko crumbs and parmesean cheese. Cover with tinfoil and freeze.To prepare, thaw overnight in fridge. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, or until browned and bubbly in center.


Please let me know if you tried and liked these recipes, or if you adapted any to suit your needs! Happy freezing!!

14 Freezer Meals in a Snap

As a teacher, I'll be going back to work next week. Where did summer vacation go?? I knew I needed to get organized so weeknights won't be too crazy for us. So, I took some of my favorite recipes and make them freezer-ready. It will be a snap to sit them out the night before to thaw, and then either throw them in the crockpot for the day or into the oven when I get home. Yippee for easy!

Since it's just the three of us- my hubby, my one-year old, and myself- I was able to split many of the casserole-style meals into two or even three meals. Dollar Tree has these great 5x7 foil pans that come with lids- 3 for $1! So the cheesy ham and potato casserole and pizza pie I split into three pans. Also, the scalloped potatoes with ham and broccoli, rice, and chicken casserole were split into 8x8 pans instead of a 9x13. For the sake of simplicity in the recipes, I'll let you divide them if you want to and not include that in the directions. Of course the crockpot meals are just in a gallon freezer bag until it's time to thaw and cook.

I'll list all the meals, then give directions for each. These are simple meals with everyday items, and I tried to include many meats instead of just chicken. I hope they make your life easier! 

1. Broccoli, rice, and chicken casserole
2. Scalloped potatoes with ham casserole
3. Pizza pie 
4. Lasagna
5. Cheesy ham and potato casserole
6. Sloppy joes- ground turkey
7. Tacos- ground turkey
8. Sweet n sour turkey meatballs 
9. Shredded beef sandwiches
10. Veggie beef stew 
11. Chicken teriyaki 
12. Pineapple salsa chicken
13. Pork stew with veggies
14. BBQ pulled pork

Before you begin, be sure to check all your ingredients and have disposable pans or freezer bags ready. To save time in assembly, think about what needs to pre-cook (like potatoes in the scalloped potatoes, spaghetti noodles, rice, and ground turkey) and start those going while you chop away at everything else. Another thing, not all these recipes include the vegetable for the meal, so be sure to keep veggies handy to serve with the meal. For me, this means pulling a can of green beans from my home-canned stash or thawing some frozen veggies from my garden. 

1. Broccoli, rice, and chicken casserole

4 cups cooked rice (prepare 2 cups dry according to package directions)

2 cans cream of chicken soup 

2 cups milk

1/4 cup melted butter 

1 tsp celery salt 

2 cans canned chicken (or cook and shred 2 chicken breasts)

1 bag frozen broccoli

salt and pepper to taste

Cook rice according to package directions to yield 4 cups cook rice. Meanwhile, combine soup, milk, butter, and spices. Mix cooked rice, broccoli, and chicken in disposable 9x13 pan and pour sauce over top of  rice layer. Cover with foil and label. Thaw the night before and cook at 350 until warm in center, about 45 minutes. 

2. Scalloped potatoes with ham casserole

2 cans cream of mushroom soup 

2 cups milk

1/4 cup melted butter 

2 cups chopped ham (or turkey ham, or sausage) 

8-10 potatoes, cut into slices

salt, pepper, and minced onion to taste

Wash potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Boil in large saucepan until nearly tender and drain. Meanwhile, combine soup, milk, butter, and spices. Arrange potatoes and ham in disposable 9x13 pan and cover with foil. Label. Thaw the night before and cook at 350 until browned and warm in center, about 45 minutes. 

3. Pizza pie 

2 eggs 

2 cups mozzarella cheese 

1 cup parmesan cheese

1 cup cottage cheese 

1 cup melted butter 

1 package pepperoni

1 lb spaghetti noodles, cooked

2 jars pizza sauce 

Combine eggs, butter, parmesan, and 1 cup mozzarella in large bowl. Add noodle carefully. Layer noodle mixture into 9x13 disposable pan. Layer pepperoni pieces on top of noodles. Cover pepperoni layer with pizza sauce and top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil, label, and freeze. Thaw overnight and cook at 350 until warm in center, about 45 minutes. 

4. Lasagna- follow your favorite recipe- or- 

1 package whole wheat lasagna noodles, uncooked 

2 large cans spaghetti sauce

2 cups water 

3 cups cottage cheese

2 cups parmesan cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese 

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon garlic

1 teaspoon parsley 

Mix water and spaghetti sauce (water will absorb so you don't need to cook the noodles). Mix cheeses, eggs, and spices. Alternate layers of noodles, sauce, and cheese three times. Top with additional mozzarella cheese. Cover with foil and freeze. Thaw overnight and cook at 350 until done in center, about 45-60 minutes. 

5. Cheesy ham and potato casserole

2 cans cheddar soup 

2 cups milk

1/4 cup melted butter 

2 cups chopped ham (or turkey ham) 

1 bag tater tots

salt, pepper, and parsley to taste

Mix soup, milk, butter, and spices in large bowl. Add tater tots and ham. Place in disposable 9x13 pan and cover with foil. Label. Thaw the night before and cook at 350 until browned and warm in center, about 45 minutes. 

6. Sloppy joes- ground turkey

1 lb ground turkey

1 cup ketchup

3/4 cup brown sugar

red pepper flakes (optional)

Brown ground turkey. Drain if needed. Add ketchup and brown sugar to ground turkey in pan and stir until dissolved. Taste test for the right amount of sweet or tartness that you desire, adding red pepper flakes for a kick if you like. Cool enough to handle and seal in quart size freezer bag. Label. Thaw and serve on buns or with tortilla chips and cheddar cheese. 

7. Tacos- ground turkey

1 lb ground turkey

1 package taco seasoning 

Brown ground turkey. Drain if needed. Make taco sauce according to package directions. Cool enough to handle and seal in quart size freezer bag. Label. Thaw and serve with tacos or tortilla chips and your favorite toppings. 

8. Sweet n sour turkey meatballs 

30-40 pre-cooked meatballs (I get the turkey meatballs from Aldi)

1 cup Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce 

1 can chunk pineapple, drained (save juice for chicken teriyaki recipe later) 

1 cup ketchup or 1 can tomato sauce 

Combine BBQ sauce, ketchup, and chunk pineapple in gallon freezer bag. Add meatballs. Label. Thaw and heat in microwave or in a pot and serve over rice. 

9. Shredded beef sandwiches1-2 lbs beef stew meat 

1 cup Italian salad dressing

1 package dry onion soup mix (or 1 tablespoon minced onion) 

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 beef bullion cube

garlic, salt, pepper to taste 

Combine all ingredients in a gallon freezer bag and mix. Label and freeze. Thaw the night before and cook on low in crock pot 6-8 hours. Shred beef for sandwiches and serve on onion buns (or whatever buns or bread you have). 

10. Veggie beef stew 1-2 lbs stew meat

3-4 chopped, cubed potatoes

1/2 bag baby carrots

1 cup (or can) green beans 

1 cup (or can) corn 

2 pints tomato juice or stewed tomatoes (I used my home-canned juice)

1 beef bullion cube 

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon minced onion

salt and pepper 

Chop stew meat if needed. Combine all ingredients in gallon freezer bag, seal, and label. Thaw the night before and cook on low in crock pot 6-8 hours. Serve with bread or biscuits. 

11. Chicken teriyaki 2-4 chicken breasts

6 oz pineapple juice

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon ginger

1 tablespoon garlic

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Combine all but chicken in a gallon freezer bag and mix. Add chicken. Label and freeze. Thaw overnight and cook on low in crock pot 6-8 hours. Serve over rice. 

12. Pineapple salsa chicken

2-4 chicken breasts

1 can pineapple salsa

Combine salsa and chicken in a gallon freezer bag. Label and freeze. Thaw overnight and cook in crock pot on low 6-8 hours. Serve over rice. 

13. Pork stew with veggies

1-2 lbs pork stew meat or country style boneless ribs, cut into cubes

1 chicken bullion cube

1 cup water 

1 teaspoon marjoram

1 teaspoon parsley

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

5-6 potatoes, cubed

1/2 bag baby carrots

Combine water, bullion, and spices in a gallon freezer bag. Add pork, potatoes, and carrots. Seal, label, and freeze. Thaw overnight and cook in crock pot on low 6-8 hours. Serve with cornbread or biscuits. 

14. BBQ pulled pork

1-2 lbs pork stew meat or country style boneless ribs

1 cup Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce (or your favorite sauce)

Combine pork and BBQ sauce in a gallon freezer bag. Label and freeze. Thaw the night before and cook in crock pot on low 6-8 hours. Serve on buns. 

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There you go!! Let me know what you think, and if you have questions leave them below!