What to plant in your FALL garden!

I love love love fall!!!! I drag out all my lovely decorations and watch football and cook soup.

Whats not to love?!?!

This year I am interested in planting a fall garden. Not only will it cut my grocery budget but it will also provide some fresh new veggies for my table!

If you were wondering like me what there is plant in the fall, here you go!

* Snap peas and snow peas

* Broccoli

* Cabbage

* Collards

* Cauliflower

* Brussels Sprouts

* Bok Choy

* Carrots

* Parsnips

* Beets

* Onions

* Spinach

* Lettuce

* Rutabagas, turnips

Happy Planting!

Sometimes its about survival

Don't you just love the airline stewardess?

I especially love the very practiced safety speech they give at the beginning of the flight. The two finger pointing to the emergency exits, pulling on the yellow inflatable life vest, the example of the flotation device that is currently your seat. (All while having a picture perfect smile and make up too , I might add!)

My very very favorite part of their spiel is something I find fascinating. When it comes to cabin pressure. When the cabin pressure drops, these little mask things fall from the heavens. The airline stewardess then says the most shocking thing. They instruct you to first place the life giving mask on your face before you place it on your child's mouth.

My first gut reaction is that of disbelief! My child comes first. I want to take care of my child first.

This is the way of the mama, isn't it? We love these little blessings and its our job to take care of them and their needs.

But sometimes , I have come to realize, its about survival.

If you would place that mask around your child's mouth first, then you risk running out of air and dire consequences would surely follow. Who would then take care of your loved ones? What would happen to them?

If you would first get the crucial air that you need then you could have the resources to then take care of all your loved ones. You could keep going.

This is a lesson that God is really showing me about this week. I am trying to take care of everyone. Everyone that is but myself. No one is going to come into this home and make me take a bubble bath or go for a long walk or a dinner out with some good girlfriends. I am starting to figure out that I am going to have to claim this time as my own. Even fight for it sometimes. Not to be selfish but to survive.

So many times this week alone, I have pushed my daily devotional to the side because the kids need me. But I have come to realize that I need my Father too. Until I am filled up myself, I am empty to fully give back to those I love the most. Its not selfish because in the end I am a better mama, friend and lover. I am filled and fulfilled and I am free to pour out.

So I am going to start to try to look at time with a good girlfriend as a huge giant oxygen mask that is being dropped from the sky. Or at least that is what I will tell myself as I pay the babysitter :)

Works for me Wednesday: Keeping healthy choices front and center!

I have a lovely crystal "basket" on my kitchen ledge. I used to fill it with M&M's, Hershey Kisses and whatever other treat was in season. I had candy corn in the fall, red and green bells at Christmas and pastel candies in the spring. I loved it.......so did my kids.

When I started to see chocolate rings around their mouth when I had not granted permission, I knew things had to change.

One night after the little buggers went to bed, I switched out their M&M's with boxes of raisins. (Yes, I am super sneaky like that!) They noticed the next day but I got the surprise of my life when they simply grabbed the box and started munching away. I thought for sure I would encounter some sort of moaning or gnashing of teeth.

Could it be that they simply ate whatever was in front of them and convenient?!

A couple weeks later I filled a cookie jar with granola bars, dried fruit and nuts and placed it on the pantry floor. I told them when they wanted a snack they could grab one out of Pooh without permission.

It has worked beautifully. They feel big getting their own snack and I feel good knowing that they are filling those little bodies with good things to eat.

And that works for this mama......(who still sneaks M&M's when they nap. SHHHHHH!!!! )

For more great WFMW ideas visit We are That Family!

Tasty Tuesday recipe- Broiled Coconut Tilapia - Diabetic Friendly!!

For the next couple of weeks I am going to be posting diabetic friendly recipes on Tuesdays. I have several family member that struggle with diabetes and I had gestational when I was pregnant with number 1. :) Since then I have realized that eating the diabetic diet not only keeps me healthy it also helps me lose weight when I can stick with it. (Insert will power here..... ) So here is a tasty recipe that I hope is as yummy as it sounds!

Broiled Coconut Tilapia

4 tilapia or other white fish fillets
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons coconut or cooking oil
Paprika
Dash seasoning salt
Ground black pepper
Snipped fresh parsley

Marinate fillets in lemon juice and orange juice for 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Heat oven 425 degrees Take fish out of marinade and arrange on a broiler pan (discard marinade). Drizzle fish with oil. Season lightly with paprika and salt. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 4 to 6 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness of fish. Sprinkle with pepper and parsley before serving.

Menu Plan Monday- Use those Potatoes!

Hey girls!! We are just coming off a lovely week at the lake and I came back to a HUGE bag of potatoes that need to be used! If you have read this blog, even one time, you know I hate to waste ANYTHING!!! So I rolled up my sleeves and planned a menu that would use every last little potato and be delish at the same time! The potato soup is perfect in trying to have one meatless meal a week and I can freeze half of it to give a friend after her baby comes! Check out the potato recipes at the bottom! Happy eating Y'all......

Monday: Cheddar potato soup, cheddar biscuits, tossed salad with cherry tomatoes

Tuesday: Chicken kabobs w/ potatoes, peppers, mushrooms and onions, corn on the cob,

spinach salad

Wednesday: Leftovers- If its not movin, you can eat it...but mama is NOT cookin!

Thursday: BBQ pork chops, skinny scalloped potatoes, peas

Friday: Pizza Night!

Saturday: Baked penne pasta, garlic bread, green beans

Sunday: Marinated steak, rosemary potatoes, roasted peppers, salad

Cheddar potato soup

1 large onion, chopped
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup butter
5 cups cubed peeled potatoes
3 cups water
3 cups milk, divided
4 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups (16 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

In a large soup kettle, saute onion and celery in butter for 5 minutes. Add potatoes and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Stir in 2 cups milk, bouillon, salt and pepper. Combine flour and remaining milk until smooth; gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat. Add cheese and bacon; stir until cheese is melted.

Skinny Scalloped Potato's

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups Chicken Broth
1 cup low-fat (1%) milk
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon basil
2 pounds potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup shredded low-fat cheese of choice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Rub oil over 9x13-inch baking dish.

Thoroughly mix broth, milk, flour and basil together in saucepan; cook over medium-low heat 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened; set aside.

Cut potatoes into 1/8-inch thick slices. Place half of the potato slices in overlapping pattern in baking dish. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon half the broth mixture over the potatoes. Repeat.

Cover and bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; bake, uncovered, 15 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and cheese is lightly browned.