Making a Menu

I have always loved cooking.  I remember growing up and following my dad around the kitchen while he was cooking dinners or breakfast on a Saturday morning. I also remember my Auntie Den making fresh bread as an after school snack when we would come over to play. It always smelled so good and melted in your mouth. I was determined to make my own bread someday just like her. So in eighth grade I took a cooking class at school and my parents have this picture of my "first meal"- danish hamburgers, mashed potatoes, gravy, and a made-from-scratch peach pie. I have a huge, proud (yet goofy) smile on my face!

Growing up, I envisioned myself making dinners for my family someday. Menus, grocery shopping, and working over the stove on some delicious treat. Well a few months back I got married and had my family, but found my husband over the stove instead of me. While I greatly appreciated his hard work and abilities, I was missing out on my dream and that hurt. So as you know, with a slew of health troubles, we decided to have me quit my job, work part time instead, and be happier over the stove than over the steering wheel during rush hour traffic. It's been a fantastic change! I was laying in bed the other morning thinking that despite my constant pain, I haven't been this happy in a long time. I am SO blessed to have such a hard working husband who provides me this opportunity to do what I love and take care of those I love.

Part of me staying home means finding ways to save some money. To do that, I've enacted my skills at planning a menu, shopping for it with coupons, and executing the menu deliciously. (Humbly too of course.) I keep my receipts for the month and challenge myself to try to get my weekly average down each time. Right now I'm at about $50/week for 2 people to eat healthy, yummy meals. I try to allow for us to eat out about once per week as a special treat and also a back up plan if I'm having a really crummy pain day.

Other than being an amazing, talented, and humble chef, I like to think that I have a creative side as well. I love making our house a home and cleaning things up, keeping them fresh, and making them cohesive. My most recent project is to organize and decorate our message center. This is a wall that has our calendar, message board, shopping list, and cork board for notes and such. Right now it's a little hectic for my taste and not very pretty.

A long while ago, I had made a picture frame into a message board, and this inspired me to create a photo wall of sorts for our message center. Ah-ha! Brilliant! This will be a work in progress as I stop into thrift stores and find frames I like. I just picked up a new one yesterday and made it into my menu board (see... bringing it back around to the beginning with the cooking). I'm pretty much in love and can't wait to see it completed someday.

Current message center with the message board I made previously. I'd eventually like to make it a photo wall out of a message board, menu, shopping list, and a pinboard. They would all be frames with scrapbook paper behind the glass, except for the pinboard which would have cork board and no glass. 

New Menu. This will eventually be a part of the message center. Frame with scrapbook paper and stickers behind the glass.  

Current location of menu. Sorry- the sunny window in the corner makes this photo look funny. 

Sometimes a project that takes time is more fun. I like having something to look for when I shop, and something to think about and envision. It will be fun to have it completed, but some things are worth the wait. :)