Well, I can’t really say that I blew the grocery budget plan that I had this month – but I did end up spending over the $400 I thought I’d spend this month during my freezer/pantry challenge. It’s food, and we need it, so all is well. Since I stayed right around $500 for the month, this is still huge savings for our big family. My hope is to get back at it and continue through the month of February with this challenge. We have plenty of meat to work with and plenty of pantry items. Sticking with purchasing only produce and dairy should work for one more month just fine!
Here’s a peek at what that extra spending went into:
Our Azure Standard order came in, which is always fun. I ordered sweet potatoes, frozen peas, carrots, chicken thighs (love these!), and roasted peanuts.
I filled my cart at the grocery store – mostly with produce. But as you can see, I also bought some junk. Be glad you can’t see the frozen pizzas hiding behind the chips.
Why did I buy junk, you ask? Our church hosted a big youth rally this weekend, and our family signed up to host several of the boys for two nights. Many of the boys who came to town (from 5 different states) are good friends with our boys, having become acquainted at church camp the past few years. Youth rally weekends like this are like reunions for them! All that to say, we housed 17 teenage boys Friday and Saturday nights. There is no shortage of great friends for our boys, that is for sure!
Their meals were all taken care of at the church building, but once at our house for the night – they needed snacks. I laid out huge bowls of fruit for the boys to help themselves to, and I also provided chips and a little bit of pizza. Homemade food was out of the question this time as Matt and I have been teaching classes at the youth rally all weekend.
Surely you’re wondering: How was it housing so many extra teenage boys? Oh my, it was so much fun. We know most of the teens at the rally. So having the boys in our home was awesome. It always sounds like a lot – having so many extra teens. But truly, they are so nice, so polite, and so enjoyable.
I will say, with much affection and a bit of a cringe: My entire house smells like a 3,000 square foot sock. Whoahoho. I love these boys and will gladly fill my home with them. But 34 teenage boy feet is something else. There are no words.
I should also let you know about the um…interesting situation with our bathroom remodel. All is well really – but as is typical of home improvement projects, this one is taking longer than expected. Matt had been working and working to at least get a working shower in before all the boys (and their feet) showed up. He was up until 4:30 this morning finishing it. (And then he taught Bible classes all day today at the rally. He is a Rock Star.)
Everything else looks pretty disgusting in the bathroom right now, but hey, how about that pretty shower?!!!
Fun as all this is, I am one tired mom. Sleep isn’t on the agenda much during youth rally weekends. I’ll nap after they all go home on Sunday afternoon, you can bet on it. Writing out a menu plan for this weekend to share with you isn’t within my physical or mental capability. Maybe you can leave some yummy meal ideas in the comments for me this time? Aw, aren’t you sweet. :)
Its so awesome that you opened your home to so many young men. My husband is is Jr. High Pastor and and have two small children of our own. We do overnighters at the church, and being involved in young peoples lives is so awesome! To be able to pour into their lives is so rewarding . thank you for all that you post! Blessings!
Laura! Oh my. Sounds like your entire household is going to need a day or 3 to recoup from your big weekend. May I humbly suggest…taking a day or 2 off schoolwork to get back into your regularly scheduled hippety-hoppity routine? The last family “vacation” we took, somehow (by the grace of God?) I thought to take the week following our return officially OFF from everything. It was soooo nice to have a real break. All these super fun childhood things (like youth rallies, and week long trips at the beach) require mucho grande effort on the part of mom & dad. I have no menu ideas: just saying…give yourself some breathing space. (;
God bless you and Matt! I used to enjoy all the church youth activities! Never braved having that many though!
How about having your Italian Cream Cheese Chicken on Monday? It’s what’s on our menu! A salad and some wheat rolls and supper is served!
I think the Italian cream cheese chicken is one of my favorite things on this site. Yum! And it smells SO good cooking. Hmmm…maybe I’ll have make that tonight too!
Forgot to say congratulations on your shower! Matt did an awesome job!
Our big youth rally is coming up in March. We only host 4 boys though. :) I actually had one of the boys we hosted last year send me a facebook message asking me if we were hosting again this year. They wanted to come back to our house. I told him we had already requested them on the sheet I filled out. I think it must have been the nachos I had waiting for them when we got back to the house Saturday night. They were thrilled! :)
I’m making bacon cheddar scones this morning for lunch!! Would you mind sharing the dimensions of your bathroom? We are thinking of converting an upstairs closet into a 2nd bath
I was wondering what a good price was on organic chicken and beef?? I buy almost all our produce and some other items organic but, I’m really not sure where to buy meat, poultry, etc to get a good deal. We live in NE also by Omaha.
We are in Omaha. Check out Thankful Harvest or Pawnee Pride. Thankful Harvest delivers to our door every 3 weeks and I think Pawnee delivers to Village Pointe every 2 weeks.
Thanks! I wonder if they will deliver to Bellevue. I’ll check it out.
Stuffed peppers. Easy and yummy. Maybe a side of rice, pasta, or bread. Scrambled eggs. Oatmeal. Cold cereal with milk. Bananas. lol! Sorry, I’m trying to think of easy food.
I made a two dishes of shepard pie, (one in the freezer) and use whatever veggies I have/feel we are missing in our lives ;-) Bring on the hummus and raw veggies, balance after frozen pizza! Here’s to a calm start for February !
The shower is really nice….but I sure wouldn’t want to clean it…..those are hard to keep clean… if you could get everyone to wipe it down each time they use it, it would be so much easier to keep clean, but they don’t always want to take time to wipe it down….it takes maybe 2 mins. to wipe it down…..and sure beats a weekly scrub down….. kids fight it when it comes to cleaning up after each use…..until they are the ones to have to clean it….then it changes…..been there, done that…..lol
Quick and easy meals I like:
– Chili – throw all the ingredients in the pot and leave it for a few hours :)
– Nachos – sprinkle some shredded cheese on tortilla chips and put into the oven long enough to melt the cheese – top with whatever your family likes
– Tuna noodles – saute canned tuna (we like albacore) in olive oil with garlic and red pepper flakes (optional), add some cooked pasta and either spinach or frozen peas
– Baked potato bar
– Sausage and potatoes – cut up kielbasa, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrots into 1 inch chunks. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 350 for about an hour or until veggies are tender and starting to brown
– Pizza bagels or English muffin pizzas
– Breakfast for dinner :)
You have given me so many ideas for healthy, delicious foods, I hope some of these ideas are helpful to you! Thanks for sharing your wisdom and encouragement with all of us, even in the midst of your wonderfully crazy busy life :)
I wish I could help YOU out and cook up a tasty dish for your family and bring it by and then help you with some cleaning too, but we live hundreds of miles away from Kansas.
We also had boys stay at our home during youth rallies in Hastings, NE. We enjoyed having them and our son stayed in contact with them through camp and other youth rallies. I too, remember the enormous amounts of food they would consume after coming home for the day and they were fed well at the building.
Thanks for posting. I’m glad some congregations are still doing the youth rallies.
LOL! A 3,000 sq. ft. sock! I have to say that is the first time I have ever heard a home described in those words! :)
I think it is wonderful what you and your hubs are doing! You are creating memories that last a lifetime, even if you are left with a house that smells like stinky socks.
My Azure order came today. Love Azure day! Thanks for letting me know about their chicken thighs and peanuts. I’m heading over to put them in my cart now.
How do you all use chicken thighs? Any recipes you’d care to share? I normally use chicken breasts or legs, but I don’t know how to cook a thigh!
Would love any responses.