No Menu Plan Needed

Last week I didn't post my menu plan.  Honestly, I still made out my plan, but just didn't want to spend the time to post my plan and to blog about recipes.  I really enjoy doing that, but we have so much going on right now, that I just do not have to luxury of time to spend here.  I do miss it and all the new recipes and healthy ideas I've gotten from all of you though.  But as of right now, I'm on a leave of absence from blogging.  I know that I'll return when things calm down a bit, but for the sake of my family I just cannot put my full effort into Mom Living Healthy right now. 

Until I return, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and the best in the New Year!

Menu Plan Monday: November 30th

Last week I didn't do nearly as much for our meals at home, but I did do a lot of baking!  We went home to my husband's parents house for Thanksgiving and baked tons of Christmas goodies.  These will last us all through the Christmas season.  I love baking weekend because it is such wonderful chance to get to spend time with my husband's family.  We had a great Thanksgiving meal and went to pick out our Christmas tree as well.  Although we were busy the whole weekend with cooking and taking care of kids, I still feel refreshed after such a fun time. 

This week, my sister is coming to visit us from Florida.  She recently moved there to open a Plato's Closet store and has been working EXTREMELY hard to get it up and running.  She and her friend will be staying with us here while they attend training for almost two weeks.  So, I'm VERY excited for that!  Also, on Saturday we have another family Christmas party AND on Sunday the three of us (me, husband and son) are leaving for a week on vacation to Mexico.  So, yet again our week is looking busy and I won't be stressing myself out by trying to cook a whole mess of meals.  I'm keeping it simple! 

What is your week looking like?  Are you having any visitors or going to any parties? 

Here's our menu plan:

Monday: Yoyo (You're on your own)

Tuesday: Restaurant Night

Wednesday: Zuppa Toscana

Thursday: Yoyo

Friday: Restaurant

Saturday: Crab Dip

Sunday: off to Mexico in the AM

I know, two nights out, but my sister is only here for a short time before we leave, so I want to spend more time with her and less time doing the dishes! 

Have a great week :)  As always, check out Org Junkie for more menu planning ideas! 

Menu Plan Monday: Thanksgiving Week

I have yet to post about it, but my Cowboy Caviar was the highlight of our menu last week.  It didn't last two hours at our family's get together on Saturday.  Zuppa Toscana came in a close second, and I will provide recipes for both of those dishes this week. 

This week's menu will be short and sweet.  We'll be leaving for the in-laws on Wednesday, so I'll only be cooking Monday and Tuesday for dinner.  Our Thanksgiving weekend at home will be so much fun!  We're baking cookies and having a great Thanksgiving meal together.  I always enjoy being with my husband's parents and siblings.  Having an amazing family is one thing for which I am definitely thankful.  Can't wait! 

Here is my menu plan for the week:

Monday: Baked Chicken and Acorn Squash, courtesy of Org Junkie

Tuesday: Split Pea and Ham Soup

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday-Sunday: Meals at my in-laws

I just recently made the split pea soup and we loved it. Since my husband's mom loves it too, I'm going to make it again and bring her a batch as well.  Shhh, don't ruin the surprise :)

FYI- I will be taking a blogging vacation Wednesday through Sunday this week, as I'll be away from home.  I look forward to sharing with you our family's baking experiences...we always come home with plenty of treats for the holidays. 

What was your favorite dish from last week?  I'm always looking for new, healthy recipes! 

Fitness Plan Friday: November 20th

If you haven't been here to Mom Living Healthy before, Fitness Plan Friday is something I've been doing for about a month now.  It's simple, each week I post my fitness plan for myself and my family's activities.  So far it has been a great accoutability tool in helping me achieve my fitness goals.  Last week's plan went really well.  I did all my workouts and for most of them I felt energized and motivated. 

Here's my plan for this week:

Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Family trip to the dog park, 1 hour of walking
Monday: Walk to Local Park, 45 minutes of walking
Tuesday: Jillian Michaels Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism
Wednesday: MTV Pilates Mix with Kristin McGee (review to follow) plus Family Walk
Thursday: Kari Anderson's Go Step: Step Workout for Beginners (review to follow)
Friday: Rest or easy walk

Your turn! Do you want to start making your health and fitness a priority? This week I encourage you to link up your own fitness plans with Fitness Plan Friday here at Mom Living Healthy. Don't worry, I'm not asking you to sign up for a marathon in three weeks! I'm simply asking that you give some thought to at least a few times each week during which you and/or your family will participate in physical activity of some sort. Making your fitness plan should be easy and take less than 5 minutes to do!Here are some guidelines:

1. Walking counts (as long as it is at a moderate pace or faster for you runners)
2. Shoot for 30 minutes of continuous activity per session
3. Plan for rest days as well!
4. Have fun- mix up your workouts and try something new!

If you need some workout ideas, check out these posts:

• No Gym, No Problem
• Why I'm Loving My Jillian DVD
• Give Water Aerobics A Try
• Community Education Classes: fun and inexpensive!

Go ahead! If you want to use workout planning to help your family stay fit, link up your workout plan here. Just make sure to create a link on your post back to this post on Mom Living Healthy. Also, make sure you link up to your Fitness Plan Friday post, not your homepage. Plus, if you want, feel free to use my Fitness Plan Friday image above on your blog (just click and save, then upload it like you do a normal picture). I can't wait to see what you all have planned!

Workout Wednesday: Community Education Classes

Do you want the social interaction and variety that a group fitness class offers without the monthly membership fee?  If so, community education classes might be the perfect fit for you!  As I discussed last week, I just finished a 6 week water aerobics class that our city offered. 

Here are some things that I like about taking community education classes:

• I have one night out per week: The class met every Tuesday for an hour and for me that was a great chance to have one night per week where I got to do something for myself. 
• The class sessions are short: I like that the class only lasted six weeks because I'm likely to get bored with something that goes on for longer periods.  This way I can try new classes.  If I don't like them, no problem!  It will be over in a few weeks and I don't have to repeat the class. 
• Classes are inexpensive: I paid $35 for these six sessions.  This is WAY cheaper than a month's membership at my local gym!
• There are so many classes to choose from: So far I've only tried the water aerobics class, but there are other swimming classes, yoga, pilates, aerobics, not to mention all of the other educational non-fitness classes. 
• Going to class gives me something to look forward to: I enjoy my home workouts, but it can sometimes feel like I'm getting stuck in a rut with my fitness routine.  By signing up for the occasional community education class, I add variety to my workouts.  This challenges me both mentally and physically, which makes being fit much more enjoyable. 

So, if you're looking for a new workout, why don't you give community education classes a try!  If you're new, you can read more about Mom Living Healthy and my focus on being a fit family by checking out my posts on Fitness Plan Fridays.  I'd love for you to come back on Friday and post your fitness plan here too!

Also, these are some recent Workout Wednesdays: Why I'm Loving My Jillian DVD and No Gym, No Problem!

This post is linked with Works for me Wednesday. 

Homemade Pizza Night

I admit, in the past, I NEVER made my own pizza.  We actually love Dominos...I know, bad!  Although we probably won't cut out delivery pizza completely, I do hope to keep them to a minimum.  If we could have it once a month at the very most, I'd be happy.  If we had it once every other month, I'd be EXTREMELY happy!  The thing is, we love pizza.  So, I'm gradually introducing homemade pizza into our routine.  First, we started with storebought crust and jars of sauce.  Last week, I finally got around to making my own pizza crust using this recipe from Laundry on the Line.  In the next weeks I will try out a homemade sauce recipe as well. 

I really like this pizza's crust.  It does taste healthier because half of the flour is whole wheat.  I also notice that I felt full after two pieces.  Maybe that's because I savor this pizza more since I put all the effort into making it?  Or, the whole grains have something to do with it?  Either way, this pizza is a winner! 

This post is linked with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday. 

Split Pea and Ham Soup

Since we made a 5 pound ham last week, I have some leftover.  So, I thought this week would be perfect for making split pea and ham soup.  I found this recipe in the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and have varied it slightly.  They call for a meaty smoked pork hock, which I substituted for the ham cubes.  Also, I am using homemade chicken broth instead of the storebought version.  I love this recipe.  It's easy and tastes great!  My mother-in-law heard that I made a batch for my sister-in-law who just had her baby today and has now requested some for herself.  SO, I will be making this again soon!   

Split Pea and Ham Soup
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups dry split peas, rinsed and drained
14 ounces chicken broth
2 cups cubed cooked ham
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
dash black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup chopped carrot (1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped celery (1 stalk)
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)

Instructions:
1. In a large saucepan combine water, split peas, broth, ham, marjoram, pepper and bay leaf.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. 
2. Stir in carrot, celery and onion.  Return to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes more or until vegetables are tender.  Discard bay leaf.

Crock pot instructions:
1. Combine split pas, ham, marjoram, pepper, bay leaf, carrot, celery and onion.  Pour water and chicken broth over all.  Cover and cook on low-heat for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat for 4 to 5 hours.  Discard bay leaf.