Ligia, Author at Journal of a Busy Mom

Home Storage Solutions 52 Week Challenge: Week 5 Recipes & Cookbooks

February 13, 2015 By Ligia

Last Week our challenge was to declutter our recipes & cookbooks.

If you have read my blog you know I did a huge recipe overload already. Here is the link to my Family Recipe Book.

That was back in April of 2013 and I am happy to report I am still using it! In fact, I use it 2-3 sometimes more times a week.

Something that I have incorporated is the use of pocket tabs. I put recipes I want to try in the pockets of each section so when I want to try something new, I already have a few recipes to choose from. I have found some great new recipes. Since we are now dealing with some dairy issues, I have had to overhaul lots of recipes and collect new ones. I have been using lots of Paleo recipes, to my surprise. I have also removed some that we really didn’t love. So it’s a work in progress, but I love my recipe binder.

My favorite place to get recipes:

Living Without

The Gluten-Free Homemaker

And of course Pinterest

Ligia

Homeschooling Freedoms

February 11, 2015 By Ligia

Last week we got very little done…..

We had to take two days off to travel and visit a sick family member. I had to let go of my lesson plans, weekly assignments, goals and deadlines….

The freedom of homeschooling.

I probably would have taken my kids out of school anyways. They would have missed two days of school and had to catch up when they got back. The teachers would probably have given them tons of “make-up” work and we’d be working throughout the weekend.

Well, I planned to just pick up where we left off and get as much as we can get done Thursday and Friday and call it a day. Sometimes my sanity is worth it.

Will I feel “behind” ? Yes. I always feel behind. But a trusted mentor told me once “Who are you behind???”

I am going to not worry about it and just be thankful that I could just do that. Leave and pick up right where we left off.

I am sure I will have more of those days to come. Those unexpected days that throw me for a loop.

I guess that is why I choose to homeschool year-round so I don’t freak out when we miss 1-2 days for a much needed drive up the mountains to visit someone we love and care about. In ten years, we won’t remember those two missed school days but we’ll remember sitting next to grandma talking and laughing and giving her joy; maybe for the last time.

Home Storage Solutions 52 Week Challenge: Week 3 Food Storage Areas

January 30, 2015 By Ligia

This past we tackled the Food Storage Areas: Pantry, Spices, etc

I had ironically just gone through my pantry and tossed out expired food AND food that had MSG and Corn Fructose Syrup and Hydrogenated Oils. That pretty much wiped out my whole pantry! We’ve been trying to eat “clean”. I especially wanted to remove these horrible ingredients from my home. It was sad to let go of some favorite snacks like Cheetos-believe it or not Cheetos have MSG.

ANYWAY, I decided to focus on spices.

All these spices that were expired! A lot of these were spices I buy for a specific recipe. So the ones with the green lids expired in 2005! I have no idea how they made it to our new house (2011). I should have tossed them then.