Meal Planning: A Week in Jess' Life

 Welcome to Jess' Kitchen!

My life is rather unpredictable. I suppose it comes with the territory of having a 3 year old and 1 year old triplets. My days don’t always go according to plan; sometimes I end up with babies that just want to be held, and some days I could manage to pull off a five course meal.


Besides the chaos of our house, we also have another element that adds to the complexities of meal times. My husband delivers numerous customers throughout the week, sometimes not getting home until after the kids are in bed. But this business comes with a perk, it’s the food business; meaning we don’t spend nearly as much on groceries as other people do.

We also purchase almost all of our meat locally, and raise the rest ourselves.

While we do have a well stocked freezer, we also have freezers that are elsewhere, meaning that I don’t always know what we have to cook.
 
Every Sunday afternoon we take 5-10 minutes and go over what our week looks like and what meals we can manage. My husband knows what is in the freezers and I know what I have time to cook. “What’s going to work?  Teamwork!”

This is how a week looks for us.

Sunday—Roast Beef, Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes, Oven Roasted Broccoli, and {Gluten Free} Biscuits. Most Sundays we eat dinner at my in-laws, if we don’t then it is almost always a roast or something that takes a bit more time to cook. This past Sunday my mother-in-law was in Florida, so my father-in-law came to our house for dinner, and we had a roast that needed to be eaten.

Monday—Roast Chicken, Oven Roasted Potatoes, and Mixed Veggies. Most Mondays I can pretty much count on my husband being home by 5:30 or so. We try to make a slightly more elaborate meal on Mondays, because I know that my husband will be home to help with the kids while I try to cook dinner, and it’s sometimes nice to have some leftovers for the rest of the week. Depending on our weekend, it can also end up being a very easy meal, so that I can have more time to spend with the kids or get the house back in shape.

Tuesday—Beef and Venison Tacos. Every other Tuesday my husband is working late, as he’s loading trucks for the week. On the nights that we know he has to load truck in the evening we’ll do a dinner that can be easily reheated for him when he gets home.

Wednesday—Chicken Pot Pie.
Since Tuesday’s dinner was so simple and we had leftover chicken, plus I knew I wouldn’t be home most of the day, we decided on Pot Pie for that night. I had made everything but the crust on Wednesday, so that in the afternoon I could throw together a {gluten free} crust, dump the filling in it and throw it in the oven. I also know that most Wednesdays my husband isn't going to be home until the kids are going to bed. This is something easy to heat up.

Thursday—Tortellini Soup, Bread, and Salad. Thursday mornings we are usually out of the house for Mom-to-Mom group, we get home around noon. After lunch the kids all immediately go down for naps. However, this week our oldest decided that she didn’t need a nap. Again, this is another day that I know my husband may or may not make it home in time for dinner, so I like it to be something that is easy, yummy and heats up easily.

Friday—Fish Fry. We had a case of frozen haddock in the freezer that needed to be eaten and my husband loves fish and chips. It’s a pretty easy meal, as I do most of the “frying” in the oven, but then throw it in the fryer to finish. The husband could be home anywhere from 3pm-7pm, depending on how deliveries go this day. So I need to know that the meal can be easily simplified if he’s not going to be home for dinner, meaning that I can just throw the fish in the oven, rather than worrying about frying things outside, while the kids are inside alone.

Saturday—Pork Roast, Potatoes, and Cheesy Broccoli. Another roast this week, something else that needed to be eaten. During the summer our house gets way too hot to have the oven on, so we know that these are cuts of meat that we need to eat up before they are forgotten in he bottom of the freezers. We try to keep this meal simple, it’s usually steak and baked potatoes, because we’re busy around the house.
This was definitely a more elaborate meal week, than we normally do, since we had so many things that needed to be eaten.

In my home management binder, I do keep a list of meals that I can make without having to search for the recipe. We also have the now added complexity of having to cook gluten free, as well as sugar free, due to some issues our oldest was having, which means I’m now having to reconfigure old favorites to exclude both of these ingredients.

Happy Cookin’!


Wife, to a hard working man, mom to 4 of the craziest kids she could have never imagined. Living the life she never thought she would and lovin' it! 

Jess writes from Upstate NY at LifeintheWhiteHouse.com. 

Accidentally Green {Book Review and Giveaway!}

One of the things I love about the world of blogging and social media is the ability its given me to learn more about healthy living, and simple lifestyle changes I can make to actually help my family.

I don't know if you remember it or not, but last October I had the privilege of reviewing and giving away Hilary Kimes Bernstein's ebook, First Bites: How To Instill Healthy Eating Habits During Your Baby's First Year.

Hilary is a fellow contributor with me at A Biblical Marriage. She also has her own blog, Accidentally Green, where she discusses healthy choices we can make that honor God and also happen to help the environment ;). I appreciate her practical, hands-on information, and her interest in putting the Lord and the needs of your family first!

Hilary has just launched another ebook- Accidentally Green: How and Why One Family Began Making Healthy Changes that Honor God and Happen to Help the Environment. In it she details her personal "green" journey; how little by little she was led to switch her personal care and home products for healthier alternatives, how and why she ended up cloth diapering and making her own baby food, the steps she took to preparing healthier meals for her family, etc.

If you're anything like me, you know that there are plenty of changes you probably need to make in this department *cough and blush*. While I'm interested in making changes that improve the health of my family, oftentimes I become overwhelmed by the vast amounts of information, the cost, and the practicality of making such changes. Where do I even begin?!?

Accidentally Green is a great resource for people who, like me, feel overwhelmed by it all. Because it is a personal narrative, the story form was engaging and easy to read. Hilary encouraged me to start wherever I can, and to not be discouraged by all of the things I'm currently not doing- every little change makes a difference and counts for something!

Her story gave me ideas of areas in my own home I can start reforming. And just when I was beginning to feel overwhelmed again, she shared the areas that she still personally would like to improve in {and the ones that she doesn't care to, due to cost and inconvenience!}. Hilary was helpful, Scripture centered, and completely down to earth.

Accidentally Green is available in PDF, Kindle, and Nook formats. Super exciting news- it is going for only $2.99! What a steal!

More exciting news- Hilary has graciously offered to share a copy with one Purposeful Wife reader :)! You know the drill folks; just follow the instructions in the rafflecoptor box below to enter for your chance to win.

What little changes have you made in your home to improve the health of your family? What areas would you still like to grow in? 

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for my personal review. 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Linked with: Women Living Well, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, and Raising Homemakers.  

Overcoming Fear in Pregnancy {A Call to Open Hands}

As I mentioned in the introduction to this series, one of life's certainties is its uncertainty.

People of all ages die every day- we don't know when our day will be, or when the days of our children {in utero or out} will be.

The hardest thing for me as a mother is remembering that my children are not my own- "the Lord gives, and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord" (Job 1: 21). Will I bless His name if He takes them from me?

Parenting, and more specifically pregnancy, is a call to open hands.

It's a call to knowing the risks of life in a fallen world. It's a call to love and to sacrifice and to give from a Christ saturated heart, and to yield joyfully to His will, whatever it may be.

David comes to mind. When the Lord caused his infant son {conceived in adultery with Bathsheba} to become very sick, he fasted and wept and prayed, hoping that the Lord would spare him. Once the baby had died, he got up, got dressed, went to the house of the Lord and worshiped. *see 2 Samuel 12:15-23*

Job also responded in heart broken worship when the Lord took his ten children in one day. Ten in one- I cannot even begin to comprehend it. It is very unlikely that many of us will ever experience a trial of the same magnitude.

Photo by Nina Matthews

This is a hard calling. How do we worship when our worst nightmares as a parent are realized? Truly, it can only be of God's grace at work in His people's hearts. Such other worldliness is unnatural to us apart from grace.

I could miscarry. Preterm delivery and its many risks could visit our family again, this time with a less happy outcome. I believe it is important to be mindful of the risks. To know that these things do happen, and that they could happen to me. I am mindful of the many risks, but by God's grace I am refusing to allow them to consume me.

As each anxious thought arises, I must seek to apply Philippians 4:6-7- bringing my worry to Him in ardent prayer with thanksgiving for all of His goodness to me thus far, and trading it for His perfect peace.

This is what He promises to those who seek Him- His peace, which surpasses all understanding, to guard our hearts and minds.

Today I am praying for His grace to keep my hands open, ready for whatever He has planned, and to entrust both my little girl and this 25 weeker baby boy to His more than capable hands.

Linked with: Grace Laced and Growing Home.

Monday's Resolution {Studying the Scriptures}

We are picking apart Jonathan Edward's 70 Resolutions, one week and one resolution at a time. Don't forget to start where he did- "Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat Him by His grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will, for Christ's sake."

28. Resolved, to study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same. 


This, friends, is where I struggle. I read my Bible every day. I try to ponder it and meditate on what I've read. Memorizing portions of Scripture also finds its way into the regular rhythm of my life.


Actually studying it more deeply though?

I've tried different products and books and methods, but I have yet to find something that works for me and sticks nicely to my every day schedule. This is not the fault of the products and books and methods. The problem is with me! Despite my acknowledgement of its importance, and my supposed desire to be a better student of the Word, I have yet to act decisively and consistently in this area.


I listen to sermons regularly, and am blessed to sit each week under excellent exegetical preaching from a man who has done and continues to do a lot of studying. These means of grace do cause me to grow in my understanding and application of the Scriptures. But I am ashamed to admit that I myself am not a deeper student of the Word.


Today's Resolution comes as a blessed challenge to me- its time to change! I would love to be able to say with Edwards that I can plainly perceive myself to have grown in my personal knowledge of the Scriptures. I would love to become a steady student of these life giving Words.


So I'd like to ask you more diligent studiers- how are you regularly digging deeper into the Word? What tools and routines have you found to be essential and accessible? I'm looking for all of the help I can get. Thank you!

Meal Planning: A Week in Abi's Life

Welcome to a "Week in the Life"- a meal planning series that offers you a peek into the kitchen's of other women. Every Friday we will be featuring a different woman and a week of the meals she feeds her family. You can read more about the purpose of this series here. Happy meal planning! May your culinary side be inspired :).

Surveying the kitchen before we moved in.

Welcome to Abi's Kitchen!

When Rachel introduced this new series, she described her weekly meal planning routine with the words "rut," "tedious," and time consuming." I couldn't agree more with her sentiments. I cook almost every night at our house, and every once in a while I find myself banging my head against the wall, just wishing that someone else would tell me what to make for once!

I have a feeling that none of us are alone in the occasional frustration and boredom that comes along with trying to feed our families each week. So in my contribution to this series, I'm going to share a sample menu to (hopefully) lend some inspiration for the week.

My two guys helping out in the kitchen. :)

I start my weekly shopping & menu on Monday because that works best for my schedule. If that doesn't work for you, feel free to mix up my suggested order so it suits your family.

Monday- Since Monday night is the one evening I work outside of the home on a regular basis, I have to have dinner ready by 3 pm. It has to travel well and be easily reheatable to suit all of our needs on our busiest weeknight.  This usually translates into a quick one-dish meal.

One of my springtime cravings is a recipe called "Rotini and Sweet Pepper Primavera" from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook: Bridal Edition (12th Edition). Simply cook rotini according to package directions & add sliced asparagus, sweet pepper, and your favorite squash to the pot during the last 3 minutes of cooking time. In the meantime, combine alfredo sauce (homemade or storebought), thyme or tarragon, and a small amount of crushed red pepper. Mix the sauce with the pasta, and voila! A refreshing, slightly spicy springtime meal.

Tuesday- Tuesdays are usually big cooking days for me! During the morning, I'll bake a double batch of bread and/or muffins to use for breakfast throughout the week. Then at naptime, it's off to the kitchen to prep a home-style favorite like meatloaf & mashed potatoes. (Insert your favorite meatloaf recipe here.) I'll usually have carrots or corn (or both!) on the side, and often a green salad too. Yes, it's a big meal- but it makes for fantastic leftovers for lunch.

Wednesday- About once or twice a month, I cook off a whole chicken with the intention of stretching that bird out for as many meals as I can. My new favorite recipe is 20 Cloves of Garlic Roast Chicken from Taste of Home. Roasted root veggies and/or leftover mashed potatoes are fabulous sides for this meal.


After you stand there slaving and picking all the meat off of your bird's bones (you do that, don't you?), do not- I repeat, DO NOT- throw the bones away. You're wasting half your meal if you do! Throw them in a big pot instead & get ready to make easy homemade chicken stock. (You can freeze the bones and make stock at a later date, but I prefer to just get it done right away.)


My quick stock how-to: Add a carrot or two, a couple stalks of celery, whole garlic cloves, a whole peeled onion, salt and pepper, and a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar. You don't even need to cut the veggies, so long as they fit in the pot. Cover it completely with water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer, covered, for at least 2-3 hours. During that time, I clean up the rest of dinner, play with my son & give him his bath, put him to bed, maybe read a while. Afterwards I go back and strain the liquid into another big pot & now discard the solids. Refrigerate your stock overnight. You'll come back tomorrow to finish the job. (If you want a complete, detailed run-down of the why & how on making & using stock, check out Kitchen Stewardship's blog post How to Make Homemade Chicken Stock.)

My freezer stocked with stock!

Thursday- After two labor-intensive meals, I'm usually ready for an easy night again. You do have to finish the stock today, but guess what? It only takes 5 minutes, and then all of your hard work will pay off for weeks to come. Take your big pot of stock out of the fridge and open it up. You'll discover that overnight the fat separated and came to the top. Skim the thick yellow gelatinous stuff with a spoon and discard (or leave it alone, if you're a traditional foodist). Pour most of the stock in glass jars or plastic containers to freeze, but make sure to reserve some fresh for the rest of the week's recipes.

For example, you can use about 2 cups of stock for tonight's dinner: Easy Peasy: Nigella Lawson's Easy Pea Soup, served with salad & crusty bread. I usually don't like pea soup at all, but this one is fantastic. It calls for vegetable stock, but I've always made it with chicken stock and it tastes great to me. Of course, you're welcome to actually follow the recipe and let me know how it comes out. ;)

Friday- How about breakfast for dinner? Some of our favorite combos are cheddar-broccoli scrambled eggs with toast, french toast (or pancakes) with bacon, or just good ole' waffles with your favorite toppings. Health food? Maybe, maybe not- it depends on your nutritional views and your choice of meal- but I assure you, it's worth it.

(Note: I encourage the use of local, organic farm eggs when you can- the taste & nutritional value is far superior to store bought, even if they do cost more. We buy ours from a co-worker for $3/dozen instead of the absurd $4.50/dozen they're trying to charge at supermarkets for a similar product that's not nearly as fresh.)

Saturday- I don't like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen on weekends because I'd rather be spending it with family. So I try to do an easy meal Saturday with easy prep for Sunday's meal. The warmer weather has been getting me in the mood for picnic food, so I'll plan on salad (perhaps one with spinach and strawberries?) hot dogs, & an easy summery vegetable like corn or grilled squash.

For you real foodists, I've found some nitrate-free, no corn syrup, non-GMO ingredient hot dog available at a local farm/butcher (AJ Peachey & Sons) near my grandmother's house for the exact same price as regular hot dogs. They're definitely still a processed food, but they taste SO much better than regular hot dogs and are probably much better for you overall.

Prep for Sunday? Use some of that leftover chicken- with, of course, *ahem*, your homemade stock! (Aren't you glad you went to all that trouble earlier in the week?) Make a chicken pot pie (I use the recipe from America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook), your own homemade chicken noodle soup , or try a fun seasonal recipe that uses your leftovers, such as Spring-Thyme Chicken Stew from Taste of Home.

My not-too-pretty but pretty tasty pot-pie!

Sunday- Simply take your prepped meal out of the fridge, and pop 'er in the oven or on the stove top to heat up. That way there will be no stress making dinner after church, and you'll get to sit back and truly have a day of rest.

(Note on my use of chicken: We eat a lot of poultry in our house. However, if you're not keen on prepping a chicken- or if you  just don't want to see it that often, you can always bake a bone-in ham and follow the same principles as the chicken. Use the leftover juices to make ham gravy, leftover ham for dishes such as ham and scalloped potatoes or ham and egg casserole, etc. Whatever you do, plan ahead to use your leftovers wisely and creatively.)

Many thanks to Rachel for inviting me to participate in her "Week in the life..." series! I can't wait to hear what the other bloggers have in store! Be sure to check back each week for more fresh meal ideas.

Abi Zieger is the lovely wife of handsome school teacher husband Tim, and the mama of one little boy, with another baby on the way! When not occupied with her family, she teaches voice lessons, dabbles in sewing, and accompanies women to their births as a doula. She is a {teensy} bit birth obsessed, and you can find her blogging at The Birth Bug. She also happens to be one of my favorite IRL friends :). Thank you for sharing Abi!

Overcoming Fear in Pregnancy {Introduction}

My first pregnancy ended in miscarriage.

My second pregnancy abruptly ended at 27 weeks, with an extremely premature birth and a two month hospital stay for our daughter.

I've heard of full term babies dying due to undiscovered infections, cords wrapped around the neck, and gestational diabetes going undetected.

If anything is certain in life, it's that life is uncertain. Knowing the uncertainties- knowing that hearing a heart beat, seeing a healthy ultrasound, or making it to 40 weeks; that these things don't guarantee a healthy babe in arms- can be nightmarish to an expectant mother's peace of mind.

I am 24 weeks now with my third baby. 24 weeks with S was the week that my mucus plug fell out, I was hospitalized, the contractions kept coming, and we came very close to losing our little girl. To say that my nerves have "struggled" this week would be an understatement.

I could chose to rest on probabilities: an infection in my placenta is probably what caused my preterm labor with S, and the likelihood of such an infection occurring again is very rare.

I could chose to rest on medicine: I've been receiving progesterone shots for weeks that are supposed to help prevent preterm labor.

I could chose to stick my head in the sand: to ignore fears, shove them away, entertain myself to distraction and pretend that nothing hard or bad ever happens.

However, none of these options are good enough. Probabilities are meaningless when all of a sudden you become the one in a million. Medicine, while useful in its proper place, can't offer me any solid guarantees. Ignoring reality is also futile- unpleasant things happen in a sin cursed world, and to close my eyes to this will only set me up for future heart break.

Trading fears for faith is a battle. This week its been a moment-to-moment, hour-by-hour kind of warfare for my mind. While I don't have all the answers, and while I am still struggling to apply known truths to my heart, the Lord has mercifully reassured me in the goodness of His grace... no matter what the outcome of this pregnancy. Over the next few weeks I'd like to share the truths that have encouraged my soul in clinging to Christ.

Join me as I seek to overcome fear in pregnancy?

Other Posts in this Series:
A Call To Open Hands 
Knowing His Character
When Fears Are Realized

Linked with: Growing Home, Encourage One Another, and Raising Homemakers. 

Meal Planning: A Week in Jana's Life

Welcome to a "Week in the Life"- a meal planning series that offers you a peek into the kitchen's of other women. Every Friday we will be featuring a different woman and a week of the meals she feeds her family. You can read more about the purpose of this series here. Happy meal planning! May your culinary side be inspired :). 

Welcome to Jana's Kitchen!

I feel totally honored to play a part in Rachel's blog. Like her, there are times when I feel stuck in my "go to" dinners. My name is Jana Huff, and my family and I make our home in sunny Southern California. My husband, Jordan, is working on his Masters degree, and after 3 and a half years, will be graduating in May! 

We have three children: Lydia (3 and 1/2), Ellyn (23 mos.), and William (11 weeks). I am mostly a SAHM, I own a house cleaning business that I started two years ago. I now have 4 employees that take care of the clients' homes so I can manage the business from home and only be out one day a week. With three little ones and a business to run during down times, you can imagine that meals need to come together quickly!

 I also have celiac disease, which is an intolerance to gluten (protein found in wheat, barley and rye). When cooking dinner I make the entire meal gluten free even though I am the only one who needs to hold to this diet. Instead of limiting our meal choices it has caused me to be more creative and try things that I otherwise might not have considered. We regularly eat many different ethnic foods, since most of the time they are naturally gluten free. I really enjoy the Clean Eating magazine, and find a lot of inspiration in it for our weekly meals. 

So here is a sample of a week of dinners at the Huff house!

Sunday- Our church is about a 40 minute drive, and by the time we get home it is after 1:30 {past our kids' nap times!}. So for them its a quick lunch- cheese quesadillas, beans and rice, or whatever else we have on hand. Sunday is the only day of the week when Jordan and I see each other during the day, so we make it a mini date and eat after the kids are down for naps. Since we live in CA we can grill year round, and Sunday's we usually do. Grilled salmon, pork, or chicken paired with a fresh vegetable, a salad, and often a sweet potato make an easy and satisfying Sunday dinner.

Monday- I clean out our fridge, make a grocery list, and jot down some dinners for the week. I find it easier to start the week with a plan, rather than at 5:00 realizing I have nothing ready to start dinner with. On Monday we often have leftovers or something easy since its grocery shopping and cleaning day.

Tuesday- A dinner like stuffed peppers is easy to pull together. When I make brown rice I double what we eat and freeze the rest for a later day, when I am short on time or forget to start it early enough. Next I cook up some ground beef or turkey, add in a can of diced tomatoes, chop up an onion and add various spices. I can easily make this during nap time and throw it in the oven later, or put it in the crock pot. At dinner time I just make a salad and steam a fresh vegetable. 

Cinnamon and Cumin Beef Stew

Wednesday- Cinnamon and cumin beef stew- another easy and flavorful meal. The addition of cinnamon and cumin to beef and potatoes makes this a little more unique than the usual beef stew. Better yet, it can cook in the crock pot! This time I added a sliced onion, 1/2 cup of red wine, and two sweet potatoes. 

Thursday- Curry over rice. With with red curry paste or curry powder, you can easily create hundreds of different kinds of curries that are both healthful and flavorful. Even my kids love curry! I usually combine whatever meat I have on hand with whatever vegetables I have in the fridge. Because its so versatile, I make curry once a week. 

Ground Turkey with Red Curry Paste, Tomatoes, and Peas

  

Friday- Since this is the day I work outside of the home it has also become a grill day. In the morning I pull out frozen chicken thighs and and make a homemade teriyaki sauce {its easy- GF soy sauce, garlic, honey or orange juice and grated ginger- which I always have because I keep ginger root in the freezer}. 

Saturday- Pasta with homemade meatballs or grilled chicken sausages. Since I am gluten intolerant, the whole family eats brown rice pasta. It's healthier, since its whole grain, and tastes exactly like wheat pasta. I definitely recommend trying it! I pair this meal with fresh sauteed veggies and a salad. 

Thank you Jana for sharing with us! I don't know about you, but her meal plan has my mouth watering for summer BBQs and veggies :). Since I am not fortunate enough to live in Southern California, all I have to say is bring on the BBQ weather!

Embracing Beauty {Book Review and Giveaway!}

While I sincerely hope {after my last experience} that this pregnancy goes full-term... I've got to tell you, the only thing scarier to me than having a preemie is having a term baby!

Sound crazy? First, remember that I would definitely rather carry to term. Second, hear me out.

I am chalking this up to fear of the unknown. I cannot imagine taking a baby home from the hospital immediately after giving birth- by the time S came home, I was fully healed. She was also on an orderly schedule set by the nurses. I knew her personality, what she liked and didn't like, and how to care for and comfort her. Basically transitioning home was a breeze {apart from the oxygen tanks and apnea monitor}.

Another fear I have is what 40 weeks of pregnancy will do to my body. Compared to everything else, it is a minor concern.... nevertheless, a real one. I was back in my pre-baby jeans two weeks after delivering S {with a less than two pound baby, there wasn't much to lose}, and the only mark my body bears from her is the c-section scar. 

Forty weeks in, will I be covered in stretch marks? How much weight will I gain? How long will it take for my body to get back to "normal" after delivery? Better yet, will it ever get back to normal- or will my new "normal" be frightful?

 

Enter Trina Holden's new {and timely!} ebook- Embracing Beauty: Practical Style for Every Shape and Season of Motherhood. Not only did Trina give me fresh insight and inspiration for my entire wardrobe, she also addressed my recent after-baby body fears. Trina gave me a fresh perspective on the beauty of God's design, the nourishing and life-giving reasons for a mama's shape, and freedom to reject our culture's unnatural ideals.

It was refreshing, encouraging, and very fun to read. If you've ever struggled with knowing how to dress your body type modestly yet fashionably... if you're struggling through a sweat pants slump... if you wonder if your outward adornment even matters... Trina's book is for you.

While still a bit curious, I am no longer fearful of what this season of motherhood might have in store for my waistline. I've been inspired to hit the thrift stores with fresh creative energy, and I'm excited to try some new styles.

Also, bonus? I learned a gorgeous new tie for my scarves {just in time for spring scarf season! hooray!}, and I discovered that my personal neutral is turquoise.Yes, turquoise. Beautiful!

Good news! Trina has graciously offered to give away a copy of her new book to a Purposeful Wife reader :). All you must do to enter is follow the directions in the little Rafflecopter box below. Good luck! If you don't win the copy, I highly recommend purchasing one {in soft cover, PDF, Kindle or Nook format}- you'll be supporting a lovely SAHM of three, and benefiting greatly from the content therein!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Trina's book for review purposes. However, I wouldn't recommend it so heartily to you if I didn't love it! Hope you love it too :).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Why Beauty Should Stay On Your To Do List {Guest Post by Trina Holden}

 I'm very excited to introduce my friend Trina Holden to you as today's guest poster :). Trina makes her home in upstate New York, where she spends her days as a busy homeschool mom, real foodie, and blogger. Her first ebook, Real Fast Food, is an excellent resource for busy moms who want to serve whole foods to their families. Trina just released her second book, Embracing Beauty, which I absolutely loved! Stay tuned for my upcoming review {and a giveaway!}. In the mean time, here's Trina...

 My life is an every-day whirlwind between 3 children, a diligent husband that works an ever-changing schedule, and not a small amount of traveling for the family business. Sometime in the chaos last year, I gave up on beauty. I thought I could live without it, so I let it slip off the to-do list.

Clean laundry, dinner on the table, bath times, bed times, and clean-those-toys-off-the-floor-so-we-can-walk-through-the-living-room filled out that list well enough, so I let beauty go. I was doing enough, wasn't I?

But just a few short months after dropping that ball, a part of me started to shrivel, to feel parched, undernourished to the point of starvation. It was my beauty detector--that part God put inside each of us that notices and appreciates beauty. See, God loves beauty--the Scriptures are full of references to God creating and celebrating beauty. Because we were made in His image, we, too, have an ability to create and celebrate beauty, thus bringing us in sync with our Creator.

He meant beauty for our joy. And when we neglect beauty, we miss out on a huge area He intended to bring refreshment and satisfaction to our souls. I don't know about you, mamma, but I have realized that I need every bit of joy I can find when the days are long and the nights way too short.





So, I've once again put 'Beauty' on my daily list. Sometimes it's as small as making sure to put a single flower in a vase on my kitchen windowsill. Sometimes it means packing the kids in the car and making a trip to the local thrift store to spruce up our wardrobes. Or, it's taking the time to transfer dinner to nice serving dishes before bringing it to the table.

One of the easiest ways for me to celebrate beauty is to take a quick photo on my phone of the every day beauty that pops up all the time if I'm watching for it. These little acts have once again put beauty in its rightful spot in my day--and put my soul in a place where it can thrive. Because every snap shot, every moment paused to relish His creation, every effort to embrace beauty can become an act of worship, thanking and praising my Lord, the author of all beauty.

If you desire to be more purposeful in celebrating beauty in your heart and home, I invite you to pick up a copy of my new book, "Embracing Beauty: Practical Style for Every Shape and Season of Motherhood" which will take you step by step in finding and creating more beauty more in the area of your personal style!

Monday's Resolution {Omissions}

We are picking apart Jonathan Edward's 70 Resolutions, one week and one resolution at a time. Don't forget to start where he did- "Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat Him by His grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will, for Christ's sake."

27. Resolved, never willfully to omit anything, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

According to dictionary.com, an omission is "something left out, not done, or neglected." If you're anything like me, on any given day, your to do list might be littered with extensive omissions. 

How's a busy lady to get it all done? 

I think the real answer is that we can't. So, how do we assess what ought to be omitted, and avoid living haphazardly and allowing the important things to slide?

Jonathan Edwards resolved never to willfully (read: on purpose) omit something, unless if it was to the glory of God. 

Does the glory of God come to mind as we filter through our agendas? Too often I must admit that in my case, it does not. 

Questions to ask whilst planning and executing my days:

Have I put time with the Lord first? Have I been in the Word, and communed with Him in prayer?

Does my current "to do" list line up with God's calling on my life? Am I putting Him, and the family He has given me to serve, in first place? Or are the most important people in my life being pushed to the back burner by superfluous tasks?

What am I neglecting? Do my priorities and the way I spend my time need rearranging to include them? Or is God most glorified in my omission of these things at this time? 

Is it the appropriate time to devote to this task, or would it be better saved for another? Examples: should I continue to do the dishes, or drop them for now to read books to my cranky child? Is nap time best spent today on internet projects, or ironing my husband's shirts? 

Are you intentionally thinking through the duties that you do and don't do each day? What tasks have you willfully omitted lately for the glory of God? 

Linked with Grace Laced. 

Meal Planning: A Week in My Life

Welcome to a "Week in the Life"- a meal planning series that offers you a peek into the kitchen's of other women. Every Friday we will be featuring a different woman and a week of the meals she feeds her family. You can read more about the purpose of this series here. Happy meal planning! May your culinary side be inspired :).

Welcome to my kitchen!

Sunday- My husband grew up on Sunday roast chicken dinners, so for the last year or so, chicken has been on our Lord's Day menu {though at this point we are a little tired of it, and ready to mix things up!}. On Saturday night I prep the chicken- rubbing it with butter and garlic cloves, sprinkling thyme, sage, basil, salt, and pepper, and throwing it in my crock pot.

Sunday morning I throw ingredients for a whole wheat honey loaf into my bread machine, and peel, wash and chop spuds for mashed potatoes. Before running out the door for church, I turn on the crock pot and bread machine. When I get home all that's left to do is microwave a frozen veggie {usually broccoli or peas and maybe some corn}, carve the bird, and make gravy. Yum!

Monday- Chicken Pot Pie is a favorite comfort food in our family, and leftover roast chicken from Sunday dinner makes it a no-brainer. I modify the recipe found in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. A homemade flaky crust tops chopped red peppers, sweet corn, chicken and carrots smothered in cream. This is a more time intensive meal, but it can be made ahead. Oftentimes I double a batch of the filling and freeze half for another day. I love that this is a one-dish meal- since there are plenty of veggies in it, no side dish is required.

Tuesday-From September to March, chili is a staple meal in our home. I batch cook dried beans and freeze them, and last summer I canned tomatoes, and cut and froze local green peppers and sweet corn, so usually this dish just requires a little bit of freezer and pantry rifling. My husband and I like it best with ground beef, but in a pinch it is an acceptable vegetarian meal. I serve it simply with cheese and sour cream, and a loaf of bread {corn bread perhaps?} if I get around to it.

Wednesday- Once a week I attempt to make a meatless meal that my husband still finds to be satisfying ;). Tricky, but not impossible. The Prudent Homemaker's black bean burgers definitely fit the bill! Liquid smoke gives them that fresh-off-the-grill flavor.

I'll serve them with buns, a salad or cooked veggie, and some type of potato side dish {mashed? fries? baked?}.

Thursday-More leftover roast chicken to use up? My fall back plan is chicken fettucine alfredo. The simple sauce is made with cream, butter, salt, pepper, and parmesan, and takes only about ten minutes to whip up. Dinner on the table in 15 minutes or less? Yes please! Since I'm pregnant and its my favorite, I tend to serve this with cooked broccoli. Yum.

Friday- Pizza night at the O'Neill's! I make my pizza dough in the bread machine, roll it out, pre-bake, and top with whatever is lying around my kitchen. Green bell peppers and sausage from the freezer, leftover chicken, pepperoni, or even sweet corn.

Saturday- My husband says he will never ever tire of my tuna melts. I mix a large can of tuna with mayo and sweet relish, spoon it over homemade bagels or bread, and top with a generous layer of cheddar. Stick them in the oven at 400 degrees until cheese is melted, and tuna heated through.

Being a good Irishman, my husband adores potatoes, so I serve these sandwiches with homemade steak fries {referred to as "chips" in our house}. Super simple! Just cut potatoes {peeled or not, whatever suits your fancy} into wedges, toss in olive oil, and bake at 400 degrees until soft {45 min-1 hour}. I used to add salt, but since we dip them in ketchup, they are just as tasty {and probably healthier} without it.

There you have it- a week of meals at the O'Neill house!

New Series- A Week In The Life... {Meal Planning!}

I don't know about you ladies, but many times in my married life I've sunk into meal planning ruts. Sitting down to plan can be tedious and time consuming, and so often I find myself making the same. things. over. and. over. again. While I occasionally peruse cookbooks and pinboards, I don't take the time to do so nearly as often as I'd like.

My husband enjoys variety. I enjoy variety. Variety is healthy for our bodies and our minds! So how can we break out of these same old meal snafus?

What if we took the opportunity to poke our heads into another woman's kitchen- to see what works for her, how she is feeding her family, and overcoming the unique kitchen challenges she faces? And then what if we did that a few more times, with several different women of different family sizes and different nutritional needs?

Because my same old rut that I'm stuck in may have never been attempted in your kitchen. And the recipes and tricks that have become boring or blah to you and your family might be totally new and enlightening to mine!

Once a week, beginning this week, I will be sharing posts from women who've willingly sat down and written to give us a peek at a week in their life, from a meal planning perspective. Sunday through Saturday, they'll share a sampling of what they've cooked, all in one neat and tidy post for your personal culinary inspiration.

Sound yummy? I hope so! Tune in Friday for post numero uno, from yours truly ;).

Other posts in this series:
A Week in My Life 
A Week in Jana's Life 

Are you interested in sharing a week of meals from your life? Please email me at thepurposefulwife@gmail.com! I'll let you know what I need from you to feature a post. The more women who participate, the merrier! :)

Monday's Resolution {On Assurance}

We are picking apart Jonathan Edward's 70 Resolutions, one week and one resolution at a time. Don't forget to start where he did- "Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat Him by His grace to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will, for Christ's sake."

 26. Resolved, to cast away such things, as I find do abate my assurance.

Scripture is clear on the issue of assurance: God wants His children to know that they are His, to be confident of His love for them, and to walk in the good works He ordained beforehand for them.

"I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13

Yet if there is one thing that a vast majority of Christians today struggle with, it is the issue of assurance of salvation. Am I truly saved? Did God really choose me? Will I hear "Well done, good and faithful servant" on that final day, or "Depart from me! I never knew you"?

We have good reason to be concerned. The Scriptures tell us that many will say "Lord, Lord," and declare all of the things they did "in His name," and yet will still hear His terrifying dismissal.

Scripture is also clear that we ought to examine ourselves to see if we are really in the faith.

"Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall." 2 Peter 1:10

Now that we are thoroughly sobered, I want to encourage you by reminding you: God does want His children to be confident that they belong to Him!

Jonathan Edwards resolved to be free of all hindrances to His assurance. My first question when I read this resolution was: what abates my assurance? Then secondly, how can I cast these hindrances away? Here is the list I came up with:


Personal sin. Nothing estranges my heart from the Lord and breaks confidence in my salvation like being tangled in a mess of sin. Each "little" step taken towards temptation brings me one step further from the Lord. Sin breaks fellowship between God and the believer.

Casting it away: By God's grace, personal sin can be cast away, and the relationship restored, through proper repentance. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

Apathy. If I'm truly born of God, shouldn't concern for the souls of unbelievers grip and compel me to boldly share the gospel? If His Spirit really abides in me, shouldn't my zeal for killing sin and pursuing holiness be unquenchable? Why don't I love God as I ought to, and why do I have to drag myself reluctantly to the Scriptures so many days, and coerce myself to pray? These questions are indeed troubling. Zeal should mark the life of true Christians... yet we are still fallen sinners who struggle with good days and bad days, and up and down emotions.

Casting it away: When I find myself plagued with apathy, I remember the days in which my heart was hotter, and ask the Lord to revive my heart again. There will be sweet days of fellowship with Him again!

Neglecting the means of grace. God has given us wonderful means of growing in His grace, and deepening our relationship with Him- the Word of God {preached, listened to, studied, and read}, prayer {private, familial, and corporate}, and fellowship with other saints {primarily in the local church!}. When I fail to daily spend time in the Word and prayer, or neglect assembling with other believers, I've noticed that my assurance nose dives.

Casting it away: Praise the Lord, this is an easy enough hindrance to assurance to cast away! I simply need to get into the Word, take time to pray, and make attending worship services and prayer meetings a priority. It's true that sometimes my heart feels cold as I endeavor to do these things. But by God's grace, oftentimes the feelings follow when I am faithful.

These are the things that abate my assurance. Each has clouded my views and caused me to doubt painfully at times, more often than I care to admit. That's one reason I'm thankful that Jonathan Edward's took the time to write out this resolution- could he to, this giant of the faith, have struggled at times with assurance of his standing before God?

I don't feel so alone anymore. I also feel challenged to fight these hindrances to my soul with renewed vigor!

What obstacles abate your assurance? How can you cast them away today?