Beat the heat with these healthy and delicious frozen treats that you can make at home!
Category: Kids
Meal Plan: June 30 – July 6, 2019
This is our basic meal plan for the week. Sometimes we will switch the days around if I forgot to set something out or put something in the crockpot. Please feel free to use this or change it around to suit your family’s needs.
I have started trying to do easier meals on days that I have square dancing obligations. This helps me to be able to put a nice meal on the table without feeling guilty about having some much needed ‘Mommy Time’. Some of these meals may also help with those that have busy or irregular schedules due to work or extracurricular activities.
I do have ‘Snacks/Desserts’ listed as well. I always try to keep a bowl of fresh fruit out on the counter or table for the kids to snack on. Sometimes I will make a special snack or treat for us to enjoy.
We have also been using the Trim Healthy Mama books to try to convert some of our favorite recipes to be healthier. Meal planning really does help keep this tired Momma from completely losing her sanity. It also helps when I can quickly locate the recipe and ingredients I need for grocery lists and meal prep. Don’t worry if you don’t have all the supplements and such that we are using. You can always buy them a few at a time or many of them can be substituted or even omitted, if necessary.
Some recipes are from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook and the Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table. These will have a link to the product on Amazon as I can not post the recipes online without prior permission. In many cases, I have tried to tweak our recipe to be more in line with THM but I can’t guarantee that they would be 100% on the plan but I can say that they are healthier than their previous versions.
I do still have a lot of recipes that I need to convert so this will be a bit of a process for us as well. Some recipes are better as they are and we will try to make them work as best we can. I know the kids need a few extra calories and nutrients so we do usually have a few extras (like bread and rolls) that us grown-ups will need to exercise caution with but other than that it has been pretty easy to follow along with this plan so far.
I know the THM plan says that you may not see any weight loss at first but that your body will be healing from the inside. I know that we are eating much healthier than we were before and I’ll try to be content knowing that we are getting healthier one meal at a time.
I also love to utilize the grocery pickup services from Walmart and Sam’s Club not to mention that Amazon Prime Deliveries can make life so much easier as well.
Scroll to the bottom of the page for Meal Prep Ideas to make this week a little easier.
Sunday
Breakfast:
Banana Crumb Muffins or Banana Nut Muffin (S) p. 277
Lunch:
Super Simple Egg Salad with or without bread
Sliced Cucumbers
Dinner: ++
King Ranch Cauliflower Chicken
Green Beans
Baked corn tortilla chips
Snacks/Desserts:
Popcorn
Fruit
Monday
Breakfast:
Cereal/Oatmeal
The Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook and the Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table both have some great ideas for cereal alternatives you can make at home.
Lunch:
Scrambled Egg Sandwiches w/Cheese
Veggies
Dinner: ++
Creamless Creamy Chicken Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook p. 78
Rice
**(This is usually a fairly quick meal to put together as we have a class/dance in the evening)
Snacks/Desserts:
Fruit
Cookies (** I will try to make a few extra to take along for refreshments at the dance.)
Tuesday
Breakfast:
Lunch:
Soup
Oven Toasted Cheese Sandwiches
Dinner: ++
Snacks/Desserts:
Fruit
Wednesday
Breakfast:
Basic Muffins or Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Glosting (S) p. 364
Lunch:
PB & J sandwiches – Use the Peanut Junkie Butter recipe (FP) p. 481
Fruit
Dinner: ++
Brown Rice
Veggies
Rolls w/butter (As long as you aren’t on the weight loss plan. I am working on a few bread recipes because I know it is one of the hardest things for me to give up.)
Snacks/Desserts:
Muffins
Fruit
Thursday
Breakfast:
Protein Power Pancakes (3 variations) or Trim Healthy Pancakes or Waffles (E) p. 259
Blueberry Syrup (with healthier options) or Pancake Syrup (FP) p. 480
Lunch:
Leftovers
Dinner: ++
Free Day (July 4th)
**Cook extra for tomorrow
Snacks/Desserts:
Holiday Themed dessert
Fruit
Friday
Breakfast:
Cereal/Oatmeal
The Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook and the Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table both have some great ideas for cereal alternatives you can make at home.
Lunch:
Tuna Salad Sandwiches w/or without the bread
Veggies
Dinner: ++
Leftovers
**(This is usually a fairly quick meal to put together as we have a class/dance in the evening)
Snacks/Desserts:
Cookies (** I will try to make a few extra to take along for refreshments at the dance.)
Fruit
Saturday
Breakfast:
PB Toast w/ Fruit
-or-
Lunch:
Hot Dogs
Veggies
Dinner: ++
Breakfast for dinner
Snacks/Desserts:
Fruit
++I have a few kids who seem to be going through growth spurts right now and are always HUNGRY. I have been keeping a pot of beans, blackeyed peas, or another vegetable as a side. I also have been buying a few extra snacks like fruit, veggies, yogurt, etc.
Meal Prep Ideas
- Make your own bagged salads
- Make some The Easiest Boiled Eggs Ever! for meals and snacks
- Make double batches of cookie dough or main dishes to freeze for later.
You could also mix up the pancake and muffin batters the night before to make your mornings a bit easier.
**This post does contain affiliate links to products and/or services that we use. We may earn a teensy-weensy small commission (at NO EXTRA cost to you) if a purchase is made through these links. These links help to support our family, our blog, and our homeschooling mission.
–Thank you!
Emergency Preparedness: Water Purification with Berkey
As many of you know we have entered Hurricane Season where we live. (The season officially began on June 1, 2019, and will end on November 30, 2019.) Hurricanes and other natural disasters can wreak havoc all around us and cause many serious issues so it is important to always be prepared.
Clean Drinking Water Is A Must
One of the most important things you need in the event of a natural disaster is clean drinking water. Boy, do I know how fast water flies off the shelves and how hard it is to get if you wait until the last minute. (The last time that happened we had no choice but to wait to the last minute as we had no transportation at the time.) I try my best to stay stocked up but in this little house, there is only so much water we can hide under beds and such.
We have been washing out milk jugs and filling them with water. These have been placed in the bottom of a big chest freezer we have out in a shed. If an emergency hits they will help to keep the freezer cold and can provide us with water for drinking and cooking so I feel pretty comfortable that we would be okay if we had a power outage of a few days but more than 4 or 5 days would be pushing it.
We do have a generator that we can, and have, hooked up to run the water pump but you never know when something like that will fail or if we were to run out of fuel it may be hard to get out to get more for a time as the roads around us are frequently flooded after major storms. We needed a better plan, or at least I thought we did.
Use Code KIRBY5 for a 5% discount on your order TODAY!
Never Buy Bottled Water Again!
I have been looking at the Berkey Water Systems for quite a while now and really began to take an interest in them again recently. After debating and thinking about it I finally decided to go ahead and take the plunge… yes, they can be a bit expensive but they do have some great ways to save money with the Berkey Filter Scratch & Dent Sale which I had planned to take advantage of and may take advantage of in the future as I can see that these would make wonderful gifts too!
However recently we have been having some water issues here. We have hard water and we have a system for that but the system has been malfunctioning. The water has a slight smell and taste which they have assured us is nothing bad… they aren’t the ones drinking it though. It also has an orange color to it that has been discoloring EVERYTHING from the toilet bowl to the water bottles. YUCK! It made me sick just to look at it.
After waiting patiently for the system to begin functioning properly again, which it is working better but doesn’t quite seem to be at 100% yet, I decided ENOUGH was ENOUGH. I can’t let my family drink this water any longer! I mean the investment in the system is for our health and well being. The cost when compared to the smaller units you can buy for your faucet will be an even better value in the long run. (I believe the estimate the cost to be less than $0.02 a gallon! Now that’s a great value!)
Well, I still wanted to check out the facts and make sure that this was what we really needed. After checking out all the information they have on the website and reading about the different purification reports they have listed on the filter pages I was convinced that this would be the best thing for us.
Click here to learn about why the Berkey Water Filters are so good!
Variety of sizes to fit every need!
They have a variety of sizes and I believe we have the largest size available (the Crown Berkey) as I know we go through a lot of water. The way this filtered water tastes makes me think I need to invest in some more black filters too so it can be ready faster as we are sure to be drinking even more water from now on! It is a very noticeable difference in both the look and taste of the water. The more filters the faster we can have purified water. Yes, there is a difference between filtered and purified water and boy does it show!
Not to mention that you can use it to clean virtually any kind of water. I’ve read reviews about people using stream water, pond water, etc. I know they do have suggestions for treating this kind of water before filtering just to be safe so you would probably want to check that out beforehand. This is really good to know though as things can get quite desperate in emergency situations. Berkey filters can remove 200+ contaminants from water and they have the certified lab results to prove it too!
They also have several bundles right now that can help you to save even more money! Not only do they have systems for your drinking water but they have a shower filter that is getting rave reviews! They are currently sold out but you can have your name added to the list to be notified when they are back in stock. I did this and I can’t wait to be able to order mine!
They shipped our order super fast too and it was so easy to set up. I had the system set up in less than 20 minutes! Yep, it was that fast. Getting the first batch of water run through the system did take a bit longer though but this morning we had clean, fresh water to drink. The kids were happy that it was clear and I am happy knowing that it is so much healthier for everyone! I really can’t wait to start making some of my Trim Healthy Mama drinks with this!
Don’t forget to use Code
KIRBY5 for a 5% discount on your order TODAY!
Our system:
Here are a few pics of our system as it arrived and was set up. I was so excited to see it out on the porch when we came home from a dance I stayed up after midnight to set it up!
**This post does contain affiliate links to products and/or services that we use. We may earn a teensy-weensy small commission (at NO EXTRA cost to you) if a purchase is made through these links. These links help to support our family, our blog, and our homeschooling mission. This means that we can keep bringing you great recipes, ideas, and tips for FREE! Click HERE for a full disclaimer.
–Thank you!
Worried about other chemicals in your home? Click HERE to find out about some new products we are using to create a toxic-free safe haven here.
Meal Plan: June 23 – 29, 2019
This is our basic meal plan for the week. Sometimes we will switch the days around if I forgot to set something out or put something in the crockpot. Please feel free to use this or change it around to suit your family’s needs.
I have started trying to do easier meals on days that I have square dancing obligations. This helps me to be able to put a nice meal on the table without feeling guilty about having some much needed ‘Mommy Time’. Some of these meals may also help with those that have busy or irregular schedules due to work or extracurricular activities.
I do have ‘Snacks/Desserts’ listed as well. I always try to keep a bowl of fresh fruit out on the counter or table for the kids to snack on. Sometimes I will make a special snack or treat for us to enjoy.
We have also been using the Trim Healthy Mama books to try to convert some of our favorite recipes to be healthier. Meal planning really does help keep this tired Momma from completely losing her sanity. It also helps when I can quickly locate the recipe and ingredients I need for grocery lists and meal prep. Don’t worry if you don’t have all the supplements and such that we are using. You can always buy them a few at a time or many of them can be substituted or even omitted, if necessary.
Some recipes are from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook and the Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table. These will have a link to the product on Amazon as I can not post the recipes online without prior permission. In many cases, I have tried to tweak our recipe to be more in line with THM but I can’t guarantee that they would be 100% on the plan but I can say that they are healthier than their previous versions.
I do still have a lot of recipes that I need to convert so this will be a bit of a process for us as well. Some recipes are better as they are and we will try to make them work as best we can. I know the kids need a few extra calories and nutrients so we do usually have a few extras (like bread and rolls) that us grown-ups will need to exercise caution with but other than that it has been pretty easy to follow along with this plan so far. If the meal happens to be something that I feel is not on the plan I may choose not to eat part of it or make a big salad and top it with whatever protein source everyone else is having.
I know the THM plan says that you may not see any weight loss at first but that your body will be healing from the inside. I know that we are eating much healthier than we were before and I’ll try to be content knowing that we are getting healthier one meal at a time.
I also love to utilize the grocery pickup services from Walmart and Sam’s Club not to mention that Amazon Prime Deliveries can make life so much easier as well.
Scroll to the bottom of the page for Meal Prep Ideas to make this week a little easier.
Sunday
Breakfast:
Good Grub Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table p. 64
Fried Eggs
Lunch:
Dinner: ++
Crockpot Taco Soup (Double Batch**)
Rice
** This will make enough for a meal plus leftovers. Use the optional ingredients and don’t eat with rice.
Snacks/Desserts:
-or-
Baby Frap from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook
Monday
Breakfast:
Cereal/Oatmeal
The Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook and the Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table both have some great ideas for cereal alternatives you can make at home.
-or-
Orange Smoothie (Creamsicle Shake)
Lunch:
Soup & Salad
Dinner: ++
**(This is usually a fairly quick meal to put together as we have a class/dance in the evening)
Snacks/Desserts:
Cupcakes (** I will try to make a few extra to take along for refreshments at the dance.)
-or-
Cinnamon Butter Bundt Cake Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table p. 380
Tuesday
Breakfast:
-or-
Fat-Stripping Frappa from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook
Lunch:
Tuna Salad Sandwiches & Veggies
-or-
Salad w/tuna
Dinner: ++
Leftovers
-or-
Cheesy Squash Casserole -or- sauteed squash
Mashed Potatoes -or- Super Yummy Caulitaters
Snacks/Desserts:
Fruit
Baby Frap from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook
Wednesday
Breakfast:
-or-
Try a new muffin recipe from Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table
Lunch:
Hot Dogs
Veggies
-or-
Soup (Use leftovers)
Dinner: ++
Creamed Spinach and Bacon-Smothered Chicken Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table p. 219
Quick & Easy Garlic Bread or Garlic Cheesy Bread
Snacks/Desserts:
Leftover Muffins
-or-
Collagen Berry Whip from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook p. 375
Root Beer Floats… try this recipe: ROOT BEER SHAKE
Thursday
Breakfast:
Protein Power Pancakes (3 variations) or Trim Healthy Pancakes or Waffles (E) p. 259
Blueberry Syrup (with healthier options) or Pancake Syrup (FP) p. 480
-or-
Fat Stripping Frappa Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook p. 418
Lunch:
PB & J Sandwiches & Fruit
-or-
Cottage Cheese Salad Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook p. 190
Dinner: ++
Mashed Potatoes -or- Super Yummy Caulitaters -or- Baked Sweet Potatoes
Snacks/Desserts:
Popcorn
-or-
Celery with Peanut Butter
Friday
Breakfast:
Cereal/Oatmeal -or- Can-Do Cereal – Quick Version Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table p.349
The Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook and the Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table both have some great ideas for cereal alternatives you can make at home.
-or-
Creamy Grains Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook p. 253
Lunch:
Leftovers
Dinner: ++
Free Day
**(This is usually a fairly quick meal to put together as we have a class/dance in the evening)
Snacks/Desserts:
Cookies (** I will try to make a few extra to take along for refreshments at the dance.)
-or-
Baby Frap from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook
Saturday
Breakfast:
Protein Power Pancakes (3 variations) or Trim Healthy Pancakes or Waffles (E) p. 259
Blueberry Syrup (with healthier options) or Pancake Syrup (FP) p. 480
-or-
Big Boy Smoothie from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook p. 414
Lunch:
Ham & Cheese Perfect Stuffed Wraps
-or-
Salad in a Jar Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook p. 188
Dinner: ++
Mashed Potatoes -or- Super Yummy Caulitaters -or- Baked Sweet Potatoes
Vegetable Casserole or add some chunked veggies to the pot roast if desired.
Snacks/Desserts:
Cake from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook or the Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table
Baby Frap from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook
++I have a few kids who seem to be going through growth spurts right now and are always HUNGRY. I have been keeping a pot of beans, blackeyed peas, or another vegetable as a side. I also have been buying a few extra snacks like fruit, veggies, yogurt, etc.
Meal Prep Ideas
- Buy a rotisserie chicken or cook a few chicken breasts and shred for salads
- Make your own bagged salads
- Make some The Easiest Boiled Eggs Ever! for meals and snacks
- You could also mix up the pancake and muffin batters the night before to make your mornings a bit easier.
**This post does contain affiliate links to products and/or services that we use. We may earn a teensy-weensy small commission (at NO EXTRA cost to you) if a purchase is made through these links. These links help to support our family, our blog, and our homeschooling mission and allow us to continue to post FREE articles, recipes, and tips.
–Thank you!
Meal Plan: June 16 – 22, 2019
This is our basic meal plan for the week. Sometimes we will switch the days around if I forgot to set something out or put something in the crockpot. Please feel free to use this or change it around to suit your family’s needs.
I have started trying to do easier meals on days that I have square dancing obligations. This helps me to be able to put a nice meal on the table without feeling guilty about having some much needed ‘Mommy Time’. Some of these meals may also help with those that have busy or irregular schedules due to work or extracurricular activities.
I do have ‘Snacks/Desserts’ listed as well. I always try to keep a bowl of fresh fruit out on the counter or table for the kids to snack on. Sometimes I will make a special snack or treat for us to enjoy.
We have also been using the Trim Healthy Mama books to try to convert some of our favorite recipes to be healthier. Meal planning really does help keep this tired Momma from completely losing her sanity. It also helps when I can quickly locate the recipe and ingredients I need for grocery lists and meal prep. Don’t worry if you don’t have all the supplements and such that we are using. You can always buy them a few at a time or many of them can be substituted or even omitted, if necessary.
Some recipes are from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook and the Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table. These will have a link to the product on Amazon as I can not post the recipes online without prior permission. In many cases, I have tried to tweak our recipe to be more in line with THM but I can’t guarantee that they would be 100% on the plan but I can say that they are healthier than their previous versions.
I do still have a lot of recipes that I need to convert so this will be a bit of a process for us as well. Some recipes are better as they are and we will try to make them work as best we can. I know the kids need a few extra calories and nutrients so we do usually have a few extras (like bread and rolls) that us grown-ups will need to exercise caution with but other than that it has been pretty easy to follow along with this plan so far. If the meal happens to be something that I feel is not on the plan I may choose not to eat part of it or make a big salad and top it with whatever protein source everyone else is having.
I know the THM plan says that you may not see any weight loss at first but that your body will be healing from the inside. I know that we are eating much healthier than we were before and I’ll try to be content knowing that we are getting healthier one meal at a time.
I also love to utilize the grocery pickup services from Walmart and Sam’s Club not to mention that Amazon Prime Deliveries can make life so much easier as well.
Scroll to the bottom of the page for Meal Prep Ideas to make this week a little easier.
Sunday
Breakfast:
Soaked Apple Cinnamon or Cherry Almond Baked Oatmeal Recipe (A Make-Ahead Breakfast!)
-or-
Banana Creamy Grains Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook p. 253
Lunch:
Hot dogs
Veggies
-or-
Dinner: ++
Potato Salad (with cauliflower alternative)
Snacks/Desserts:
-or-
Muffins from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook
Salted Caramel Baby Frap Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook
Monday
Breakfast:
Cereal/Oatmeal
The Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook and the Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table both have some great ideas for cereal alternatives you can make at home.
Choco Secret Big Boy Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook p.415
Lunch:
Leftovers
Salad w/cucumbers, tomato, feta cheese, black olives, and an oil and vinegar dressing
Dinner: ++
Quick & Easy Garlic Bread or Garlic Cheesy Bread
**(This is usually a fairly quick meal to put together as we have a class/dance in the evening)
Snacks/Desserts:
Cupcakes (** I will try to make a few extra to take along for refreshments at the dance.)
-or-
Magic Salted Caramel Cupcakes Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table p. 378
Tuesday
Breakfast:
-or-
Lunch:
PB & J Sandwiches
Fruit
-or-
Soup & Salad
Dinner: ++
Snacks/Desserts:
Fruit
Pudding Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook p. 350
Wednesday
Breakfast:
-or-
Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Glosting Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table p. 364
Lunch:
Ham & Cheese Sandwiches
Veggies
-or-
Salad topped with cooked shrimp, chicken, or other meat
Dinner: ++
Buttered Bread
Snacks/Desserts:
Leftover Muffins
-or-
Muffin in a cup recipe from the Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook or the Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table.
Thursday
Breakfast:
Protein Power Pancakes (3 variations) or Trim Healthy Pancakes or Waffles (E) p. 259
Blueberry Syrup (with healthier options) or Pancake Syrup (FP) p. 480
-or-
Fat Stripping Frappa Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook p. 418
Lunch:
-or-
Dinner: ++
Brown Rice (Make a double batch and use leftovers for tomorrow)
Snacks/Desserts:
Popcorn
-or-
Friday
Breakfast:
Cereal/Oatmeal -or- Can-Do Cereal – Quick Version Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table p.349
The Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook and the Trim Healthy Mama’s Trim Healthy Table both have some great ideas for cereal alternatives you can make at home.
-or-
Creamy Grains Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook p. 253
Lunch:
Soup
Grilled Cheese
Dinner: ++
-or-
Creamless Creamy Chicken Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook p. 78
Brown Rice
**(This is usually a fairly quick meal to put together as we have a class/dance in the evening)
Snacks/Desserts:
Cookies (** I will try to make a few extra to take along for refreshments at the dance.)
Saturday
Breakfast:
-or-
Fruit
Lunch:
Leftovers
-or-
Crispy Salmon Siesta Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook p. 80
Choco Chip Baby Frap Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook p.421
Dinner: ++
Free Day
-or-
Chicken Stir Fry (I usually just buy the HUGE bag of veggies and add some cooked chicken or steak to it)
Chinese Fried Rice with Veggies, Brown Rice, or Cauli Rice
Snacks/Desserts:
Cake
Tummy Tucking Ice Cream Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook p. 363
++I have a few kids who seem to be going through growth spurts right now and are always HUNGRY. I have been keeping a pot of beans, blackeyed peas, or another vegetable as a side. I also have been buying a few extra snacks like fruit, veggies, yogurt, etc.
Meal Prep Ideas
- Buy a rotisserie chicken or cook a few chicken breasts and shred for salads
- Make your own bagged salads
- Make some The Easiest Boiled Eggs Ever! for meals and snacks
- You could also mix up the pancake and muffin batters the night before to make your mornings a bit easier.
**This post does contain affiliate links to products and/or services that we use. We may earn a teensy-weensy small commission (at NO EXTRA cost to you) if a purchase is made through these links. These links help to support our family, our blog, and our homeschooling mission and allow us to continue to post FREE articles, recipes, and tips.
–Thank you!
Pollywog's Place Blog 