Relish! Weekly meal planning made so much easier!

I am currently creating my list of weekly meals and at the same time, am generating my grocery list for the week...if you haven't heard about Relish! yet, you are missing out on one website that has made my life so much easier.

The webiste's home page describes:

Relish! offers the plan to get out of the dinner rut for good. No more mundane meals or last minute stops at the grocery store. Each week you choose the dinners you would like to make and you print out the grocery list and recipes. We even offer comprehensive freezer meals.

When you subscribe to the site (about $7 a month), you can log on anytime for a recipe.  Weekly meal recipes change every Thursday and include options such as: kid-friendly, quick, simple-gourmet and vegetarian.  The site has "extras" including lunches, dinner & movie themed dinners, desserts, and cocktail recipes.

For me, the true genius of this site is its ability to create my grocery list as I choose meals.  I simply log on, pull up the weekly meal options and start adding them to my weekly menu.  I can click on any meal and see what the recipe is and what the nutrition facts are before I add it to my list. I can also access any recipe I have saved as a "favorite" or search Relish's extensive "library" of recipes to add to my weekly menu. Once I've added my meals, I say how many servings I want to make and one quick click on "create shopping list" generates my weekly grocery list all categorized by grocery store section!

As someone who doesn't really LOVE to cook, this site has been so wonderful!  My family and I have loved most of the recipes (which are all tested before Relish! adds them to their site) and it saves me so much time in guessing how much I need of each ingredient as I pour through cookbooks.  Plus, I have added  much more variety to my family's repetoire of dinners, since I don't have much time in my day to search for new things and then try them out.  For those who do enjoy that though, you can also add your own recipes to your Relish! page and then choose them as you would any Relish! recipe for your weekly options.

Relish! claims that 5 meals (an entree and included side) costs about $90 a week, which I feel is pretty accurate.  Portion sizes are right on--when I ask for four servings, the meals create just enough for all of us to eat a filling portion without much left-over.  If you like left-overs, then I would suggest inputing one or two additional servings before making the shopping list.

This site has really been one of those "making my life simpler" necessities!

I don't Twitter, but if I did...

I'd be posting that right now, Keeton is hanging out the dining room window shouting at the six-year old across the street,"Hey Kate!  You're my girlfriend, Kate!  Hey!  Guess what?  You're my girlfriend!"

Too funny!

Eleven & Tinysoles.com review...searching for the indistructable shoes...

Tiny Soles

I searched ALL OVER (the internet, that is) for shoes that Ella couldn't destroy in a matter of one recess (do they play in shoe-eating mulch or something??). I've tried cheap Target shoes, Pedi-peds, expensive European brands, Swiss made Vincents, and good-ol standby Stride Rite...and then I stumbled on Eleven, sister to See Kai Run.  The reviews promised me good things--cute shoes, great fit, indistructable.  So I ordered a pair for Ella and a pair for Keeton, who is equally tough on his shoes.  Keeton's are the Nolen style and Ella's are Cate.

Ordering from tinysoles.com was pretty easy.  They have a good selection of many quality kids' shoes and carry sizes up to youth.  After selecting the shoes I wanted I printed out their fit guide and had the kids stand on it while I traced their feet.  Of course, it appeared that their feet were just too big for one size (as in they would wear the shoes for oh, maybe a month).  The next size up seemed HUGE...it is really hard for me to tell with these European brands which ones I should get, so we went with the size conversion of what they are currently wearing instead.

They have free shipping over $20, so with that and a $10 off coupon code, I got a fairly good deal on these two pairs of shoes.  About 5 days later, the shoes arrived.  Eleven's packaging is really cute and the shoes didn't disappoint.  Tinysoles web images were right on as far as color and detail of the shoes.  Thankfully, both of the kids' shoes fit perfectly. In my opinion, that means that you'd be safe to order the converted US size your child normally wears.

Ok, Eleven brand, you look cute, the kids say you feel good...BUT...can you withstand the playground?  Off Ella went to school sporting her new shoes.  Off Keeton went to daycare, also wearing his new shoes.  Upon arriving home that day I checked the shoes out...so far, so good.  No scuffing or discoloration to be seen.

A month later...I am still fairly happy with the shoes.  Keeton's shoes are now somewhat scuffed at the toe, but in all fairness, he wears his shoes daily, unlike Ella.  My mom says he needs steel-toed boots, but for some reason, I can't find these in kid sizes.  Just kidding.

So, will I purchase Eleven brand again?  Probably, yes.  I can't say they are really any better than the other brands we've bought as far as how they withstand the kids' abuse, but they are darned cute and they are well made, so we will be back, I'm sure!

The Tooth Fairy

I am starting to think that Ella's tooth issues will never end.  She pointed out to us a week ago that she was getting a new tooth--which is great except the new tooth figured it would just cohabitate with the old one, right behind it, actually.  So, her dentist suggested a visit for this morning, for what I thought was to take a look and. . . actually, I am not really sure what I expected.  I DID NOT expect to have the hygienist tell me that they would probably "just pull the bottom two front teeth", as if that is a completely normal, everyday, no big deal occurrence for a five year old and her type A personality mother who need to "plan" for these events.  I don't know if it was my face that gave away my shock or the comment I made (NOW?!) as I looked at the clock on the wall for confirmation of what "now" meant, but the hygienist assured me that Ella wouldn't even know she was having teeth pulled.  Huh?  I have had teeth pulled, and let me tell you, lady--you know! So as not to appear as psycho mom in front of others in the waiting room, I cheerfully said "okay" and off Ella went.  Before too long I was ushered back in and poor little Ella sat there with this wad of gauze between her teeth (well, actually between her top teeth and the now holes in her bottom gums).  She didn't even realize what had happened until the nurse handed her a little plastic case and showed her her two teeth--I am amazed with this place and wish they sold whatever it is they use or do to get kids so calm...think of the possibilities, from teeth pulling to quite dinners--miracle concoctions in my opinion.  So, tonight after Ella milked the situation (she is my daughter, after all), we geared up to set the stage for the TF arrival.  She drew a  picture/note for the TF and set the little container "just so" under her pillow.  We ran to the cash machine.  We have no idea what the going rate is for tooth retrival, but figure having them yanked out is worth a bit of a bonus.

When I grow up

Ella had her choir school performance last Friday night at church.  I could tell you about Keeton sitting (I mean not sitting) well for the 2 hour performance or about Ella flipping head first over the front row of chairs at the finale, but I won't.  Instead, you might want to go back and read this post: http://todayandtomorrowday.com/?p=39 and then watch this clip:

mvi_3038.AVI

Anyone have a good exorcist?

Well, we always knew Keeton took after Dad and that he was a handful, but I'd have to say this is the most obvious sign we've seen so far.  Take a look at how he woke up this morning, and I swear that we did not alter this photo in any way!

Rocka Bama

Nothing too interesting has occurred in the Bloom household...just feeling guilty for not posting  much.  Oh-Ella did ask me the other day after the news was on if "Rocka Bama" was a bad word...yeah.  It was pretty funny, taking into account that lately, Ella thinks EVERYTHING is a "bad word".  So far, the really, really, bad word is "darn".  If you say "darn" in our house, you are apparently committing a cardinal sin.  Seriously, we can't say anything without mini-me voice quipping, "Is that a bad word?"  No, "tilapia" (tonight's dinner) is not a bad word; no, "exhausted" (every night) is not a  bad word; no, "aggravated"  (my word for our local cable company's service) is not a bad word.  So, I had to explain to Ella that no, Rocka Bama is not a bad word, and that, in fact, Barack Obama is our new President. Now that she knows it isn't a bad word she loves trying to work the name into a conversation.  Me-Ella, what did you do today?  Ella-I watched Imagination Movers, played Bingo, and Rocka Bama!!  Makes no sense, but hey--she's five, you know?