Lesson 167: A Post About Posting About Food

You may remember that goal #4 on my "In 2014, I Hope to ..." list is to guest post once a month for another person's blog. Well, my new blogging friend, Astleigh, suggested this opportunity for the month of January in the nick of time.

All week long over at her blog Tale of Two Hills, she has had friends contribute healthy, clean recipes based on a specific category. Each post begins with a brief story or introduction to the author (and her eating habits), followed by a simple, healthy recipe.

Today is my day! Traditional Thursday!

Head on over to Astleigh's blog to read my healthy reinterpretation of the All-American "Burger, Fries, & Pickle Meal" (and witness my attempt to photograph food. Good grief.)

I suggest reading the other guest posts as well! Curry, broccoli soup, pot pie, oh my!

Also, if you are new to my blog, welcome. Click here to find a series I wrote containing a super-simple monthly meal plan!


Lesson Learned: It is interesting to see the various ways different authors respond to the same assignment. And to see what people enjoy cooking, you know, in real life.

Lesson 102: A Battle in the Kitchen

(For the purposes of understanding the dialogue, my voice will be represented by regular up-and-down writing. If produce is speaking, its voice will be represented by italics.)

________________________________________________________________________

Hey, giant hard green thing! What are you? I've never seen one like you in these parts before.

 Ha! I am a mighty acorn squash! You're scared of me, aren't you? You should be. (Laughing to the cats.) She's too scared to do anything to me. Let's enjoy this nice warm spot on the sill.

Scared of you? Please! You are on my turf!


In fact ... I'll compost your brains out!

Whatch you lookin' at? I ain't scared of you either!

I plan to win the day!

Victory sure is sweet!

Lesson Learned: Trying a new recipe is WAY MORE FUN if I imagine I'm in the middle of a war!

Lesson 99: "A Meal Plan" Series Totals

So, friends, do my meal plans make you want to eat or want to cry?

Yes, as you can see from these simple lists, the food Mark and I eat is pretty plain. There is not much concocting going on, just a lot of olive oil and pepper.

Oh yum! I love those two ingredients!

There's also a lot of fruit, veggies, and grains. Yum. I love all those things too!

If you follow this plan exactly, in a four week span, you will have eaten:

- 28 bananas
- 12 eggs
- chicken twice (in soup and caesar salad)
- pork or beef once
- bacon once (in a salad)
- salmon once
- pizza once (or some other going out to eat option)

As I said in the original post, this is meant to work as a template. The goal is not to follow the plan meal for meal every single month, but to use the suggestions as a guide. So perhaps, instead of pasta with sauce, you make lasagne one month.

The overall plan helps demonstrate that not every meal needs meat. The four week cycle incorporates a mix of rice, pasta, and potatoes. Finally, the whole simplicity of the plan is meant to be a reminder that food, is food, is food. We need to eat for nutrition and for energy, but there is nothing wrong with simple meals.

If you've missed a post:
Intro to "A Meal Plan" Series
Dinner Week One
Dinner Week Two
Dinner Week Three
Dinner Week Four
Seven Days of Breakfast
Lunch for School (no nuts)
Lunch for Home

Hope this series has been helpful, and if it hasn't been ... find a food blog to read!

(You may like these posts by my friends, Jenni or Lauren)

Happy Meal Planning ... and Happy Eating!


Lesson Learned: Having a guide for meal planning can help cut down on food costs (by preventing waste), foster diversity in week to week eating, and encourage creativity to experiment within its perimeters.

Lesson 98: Reality

I've finally given in to the fact that every member of my family eats a banana ... every ... single ... day.

These bunches (plural) will last us half a week.

Then we will have to go back for more.

Yes, I said more. 


Lesson Learned: I need to just buy 28 bananas the first time I go to the store and be done with it. But y'all, buying 28 bananas at a time makes a person look ... well, BANANAS!

Lesson 97: Lunch at Home (A Meal Plan Series)

I'm providing simple meal plans on the blog this week. You can read the introduction here. Previous posts in the series: Dinner Week One, Dinner Week Two, Dinner Week Three, Dinner Week Four, Seven Days of Breakfast, and Lunch for School.

For Hudson:
- PB&J or just PB
- leftover soup
- edamame
- smoothie
- apple / strawberries / berries
- cooked broccili / carrots
- applesauce
- egg (on Monday)
- coconut yogurt

For Mark and Katherine:
- leftovers (soup)
- egg salad (on Monday)
- almond butter / nutella / banana sandwich
- fruit
- chopped salads

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Grocery List:
- almond butter
- jelly
- soup ingredients
- edamame
- frozen fruit
- spinach
- apples
- berries
- broccili
- carrots
- applesauce
- eggs
- coconut yogurt
- veggies for salad
- nuts
- sprout bread (Ezekiel bread)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tip: That almond butter / nutella / banana sandwich on toasted Ezekiel bread is delicious! It's a little random, but mmm, mmm, mmm!


Lesson Learned: In our family, as long as we eat something for lunch, we are much happier all afternoon!

Lesson 96: Lunch for School (A Meal Plan Series)

I'm providing simple meal plans on the blog this week. You can read the introduction here. Previous posts in the series: Dinner Week One, Dinner Week Two, Dinner Week Three, Dinner Week Four, and Seven Days of Breakfast.

I put this meal plan together to help give me some ideas as to what to put in Samara's lunch everyday.

Background Information: Each day a different student brings in a healthy fruit or vegetable snack that the children eat early in the morning. Students are not allowed to bring any nuts into the building, so there is no simple PB&J option. Also, they are not able to heat anything up once there, so no leftover soup. Finally, she and her classmates enjoy pizza together every Friday. So, this plan is only made for four days.

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Monday:
- Hard-boiled egg
- Apple
- Edamame
- Pickle

Tuesday:
- Greek yogurt (or cocunut yogurt)
- Strawberries
- Carrots
- Applesauce

Wednesday:
- Cold pancake
- Special fruit
- Edamame
- Cucumbers
- Applesauce

Thursday:
- Greek yogurt (or coconut yogurt)
- Strawberries
- Carrots
- Applesauce

Snacks:
- almonds / pecans
- half pb&j
- pickle
- string cheese

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Grocery List:
- apples
- eggs
- edamame
- pickles
- applesauce
- carrots
- strawberries
- Greek or coconut yogurt
- cucumbers
- fruit
- pancake mix
- nuts
- sprout bread (Ezekiel bread)
- almond butter
- jelly
- nutella

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

To be honest, I am not in love with this plan yet. Samara basically eats PB&J and chicken noodle soup for lunch, so it has been hard for me to think of healthy, non-processed options to pack in her lunchbox. Suggestions are welcome in the comments section!


Lesson Learned: Packing Samara's lunch has been the most stressful part of her school-going.

Lesson 95: Seven Days of Breakfast (A Meal Plan Series)

I'm providing simple meal plans on the blog this week. You can read the introduction here. Previous posts in the series: Dinner Week One, Dinner Week Two, Dinner Week Three, Dinner Week Four.

Monday:
- Steel cut oatmeal
- Banana (Applesauce)
- Coffee / milk / water

Tuesday:
- Multigrain pancakes with fruit
- Banana
- Coffee / milk / water

Wednesday:
- Smoothies
- Toast with almond butter and nutella
- Coffee / milk / water

Thursday:
- Eggs
- Toast
- Banana
- Coffee / milk / water

Friday:
- Steel cut oatmeal
- Banana (Applesauce)
- Coffee / milk / water

Saturday:
- Multigrain pancakes with fruit
- Banana
- Coffee / milk / water

Sunday:
- Smoothies
- Toast with almond butter and nutella
- Coffee / milk / water

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Oatmeal add-ons:
- berries (blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries)
- peaches
- baked apples / cinnamon
- nuts
- honey
- milk
- butter
- raisins

* Cheerios can substitute on oatmeal mornings.

Pancake toppers:
- fruit (listed above)
- nuts

Smoothie ideas:
- mango
- banana
- peaches
- berry mixture
- apples
- lemon
- honey
- spinach
- kale
- greek yogurt (unless you want to be vegan, in which case, no yogurt)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Grocery List:
- coffee
- steel cut oatmeal
- bananas (28 a week for our family)
- organic milk
- almond butter
- berries
- applesauce
- pancake batter (We buy Trader Joes Multigrain)
- almond milk
- spinach
- nutella
- eggs
- sprout bread (Ezekiel bread)
- cream
- frozen fruit

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tip 1: Breakfast is super important. Make sure you and your kids eat it!

Tip 2: My favorite smoothie is mango / banana / spinach. Yum!


Lesson Learned: Even though this meal plan looks really basic, we have found that alternating the order of our breakfast options means that we are more likely to enjoy each option, which means we will want to eat it more. And as I said in Tip 1, eating breakfast is super important!

Lesson 94: Dinner Week Four (A Meal Plan Series)

I'm providing simple meal plans on the blog this week. You can read the introduction here. Previous posts in the series: Dinner Week One, Dinner Week Two, Dinner Week Three.

Monday:
- Lentil soup (or tortellini soup)
- Salad: spinach / nuts / strawberries / tomato / feta (I like this salad. We eat it a lot.)
- Bread

Tuesday:
- Rice and beans
- Broccili
- Fruit

Wednesday:
- EAT OUT!

Thursday:
- Leftovers

Friday:
- Sandwiches
- Smoothies
- Edamame

Saturday:
- Caesar salad
- spinach / tomatoes / croutons / chicken / dressing / parmasean cheese / pepper

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Grocery List:
- soup ingredients
- spinach
- nuts
- strawberries
- tomatoes
- feta
- bread
- rice
- beans
- broccili
- fruit
- frozen fruit (for smoothies)
- edamame
- croutons
- chicken
- caesar dressing

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tip 1: You'll notice that for all four weeks, the salad on Monday is almost exactly the same. This is because we really like this salad, so we don't mind eating it a lot. If you don't like this salad, find a salad that is simple to make and that you do like. Eat that on Mondays instead.

Tip 2:Wednesday is our EAT OUT! night, because kids eat for $1 at our favorite pizza place on Wednesdays. Consider similar deals in your area for your EAT OUT! night.


Lesson Learned: Smoothies for dinner? Yes. Yum.

Lesson 93: Dinner Week Three (A Meal Plan Series)

I'm providing simple meal plans on the blog this week. You can read the introduction here. Previous posts in the series: Dinner Week One, Dinner Week Two. 

Monday:
- Veggie soup
- Salad: tomato / cucumber / feta
- Bread

Tuesday:
- Stir fry: rice and veggies (options: mushroom / peppers / zucchini / onion)
- Fruit

Wednesday:
- Roasted red potatoes
- Cooked cauliflower
- Cooked carrots

Thursday:
- Leftovers

Friday:
- Crock pot BBQ (pork or beef)
- Homemade applesauce

Saturday:
- Leftover BBQ
- Salad with tomato / mushroom / carrot / spinach

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Grocery List:
- soup ingredients
- tomatoes
- cucumbers
- feta
- bread
- rice
- mushroom
- peppers
- zucchini
- fruit
- red potatoes
- cauliflower
- carrots
- BBQ meat
- seasoning
- apples
- spinach

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tip 1: I am a little embarrassed about meals like the one suggested for Wednesday ... all veggies, no meat. I'm not embarrassed because Mark won't like it, Mark loves veggies. (Actually, he just likes if I cook.) But, if you are in a household that must. have. meat. ... make my meal plan a suggestion for sides.

Tip 2: With the veggie soup, you can get creative. You could do a tradition Minestrone, or broccili and chedder, creamy cauliflour, pumpkin, and so on. I would love if you would list your favorite fall soups in the comments section!

Lesson Learned: We are sort of into the vegan thing right now. But friends, I just cannot completely give up my pulled pork! I love pulled pork! And so it stays.

Lesson 92: Dinner Week Two (A Meal Plan Series)

I'm providing simple meal plans on the blog this week. You can read the introduction here. Previous posts in the series: Dinner Week One.

Monday:
- Chicken noodle soup
- Salad: tomato / cucumber / feta
- Bread

Tuesday:
- Pasta with veggies (options: zucchini / squash / onion / mushroom / peppers / broccili)
- Sauce: olive oil / basil / garlic sauce
- Fruit

Wednesday:
- Sweet potato
- Steamed broccili
- Fruit

Thursday:
- Leftovers

Friday:
- Grilled portabello mushrooms (burgers / bratz / hot dogs)
- Corn on the cob
- Fruit

Saturday
- Salad with spinach / tomato / cucumbers / avocado / bacon / cheese / nuts

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Grocery List:
- chicken
- broth
- celery
- carrots
- onions
- noodles
- tomatoes
- cucumbers
- feta
- brown bread
- pasta
- zucchini
- squash
- mushroom
- olive oil
- basil
- fruit
- sweet potato
- broccili
- portabello mushrooms
- buns
- corn
- fruit
- spinach
- avocado
- bacon
- cheese
- nuts

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tip: Even though the grocery list might not always be exact for each week, it's helpful to have these lists written out because you will be able to anticipate what your family will need in a given month and can then buy various items on sale.


Lesson Learned: Yum, portabello mushrooms are an amazing substitute for hamburgers. Seriously, try it if you haven't. Shroom + olive oil + a little salt and pepper + grill = heaven!

Lesson 91: Dinner Week One (A Meal Plan Series)

If you missed yesterday's introduction, I'm providing simple meal plans on the blog this week. You can read all about it here. 

Monday:
- Bean soup
- Guacamole / blue chips
- Brown bread

Tuesday:
- Salmon
- Salad

Wednesday:
- Pasta w/ sauce
- Green beans

Thursday:
- Leftovers
- Supplement if necessary.

Friday:
- Loaded baked potatoes
-  Broccili
- Applesauce or fruit

Saturday:
- Salad with spinach / apples / nuts / cucumbers / tomato / feta (goat cheese)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Grocery List:
- soup ingredients
- avocado (whatever other guacamole ingredients)
- olive oil
- blue chips
- brown bread
- spinach
- salmon
- additional ingredients for salmon salad
- pasta
- sauce (or olive oil / garlic / basic / salt / pepper)
- green beans
- baked potatoes
- broccili
- applesauce (or apples to make it)
- apples
- nuts (sliced almonds / walnuts / pecans)
- cucumbers
- tomatoes
- feta (or goat cheese)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tip: Feel free to make simple substitutions. For example, maybe you like broccili in your fettuccine alfredo, so on Wednesday you make a side of broccili instead of green beans. Perhaps avocado is super expensive this week, so you make a side of rice to pour your bean soup over instead. It is all about making the template work for you!

Lesson Learned: We recently mimicked a wedding baked potato bar with our youth group kids.  The possiblities for topping taters are endless!

Lesson 90: Introduction to "A Meal Plan Series"

This week on I Don't Have A Clue ... But I'm Finding Out, you, my friends, will be given an incredible resource, and by that, I simply mean ... a resource.

See. I removed the word incredible. Sometimes resources are incredible. Sometimes they are just resources. I do not want to give you a false impression about the quality of this resource.

Since becoming a full-time stay-at-home-mom, which basically means, since I've graduated seminary, I have been reading A TON OF BLOGS! This is what happens to a girl when Christian philosophy and Church history books are finally off the list of required reading. Her mind has so much breathing room that she goes crazy in the blogosphere!

Poor Mark will try to talk theology, and I almost immediately shut down the conversation. Learning to clean hardwood floors with all natural ingredients is just so much more interesting ... and important.

I've been reading blogs about minimalism, blogs about finance and investing, blogs about saving, blogs about organization, blogs about plant-based diets ... blogs, blogs, blogs. At any given time, I have at least twenty posts open across the top of my computer waiting to be read. When I finish reading an entire blog, I click on all that bloggers links and find more to read.

All this blog reading has encouraged a lot of thought and consideration to the way I am going to go about being a stay-at-home-mom, as in the specifics of running my household.

One aspect of home management that I have been working through (as a result of all this reading) is meal planning. Last year, I did the calendar thing, and it worked as far as it could. 

Goals for Last Year's Meal Planning:
- I wanted to plan dinners for four nights a week.
- I wanted to plan a soup for Sunday that could be reheated all week.
- I wanted to try new recipes.
- I wanted to plan a night out for pizza once a month. 

This year's meal plan has a few additional requirements.

Goals for This Year's Meal Planning:
- I want to plan meals with a budget in mind.
- I want most meals to meet vegan requirements (no meat / eggs / dairy).
- I have to pack lunch for Julia four times a week, so I don't want her eating the same thing for lunch and dinner.
- I want my family to eat energy providing breakfasts.

Taking all this into consideration, I have a new approach for this year's meal planning. Instead of creating a new calendar for every single month, I have developed a specific 4 week cycle of meals which I plan to simply work through over and over again. I'll add variety when we are sick of something, make easy substitutions, and keep weekly store sales (or garden produce) in mind.

This week, I'll be providing you with the general guidelines of my meal plans. Upcoming posts include:
- Dinner Week One
- Dinner Week Two
- Dinner Week Three
- Dinner Week Four
- Seven Days of Breakfast
- Lunch for School (must be nut free)
- Lunch at Home

Each meal plan will be accompanied by a comprehensive grocery list. Sometimes ingredients for breakfast, lunch, and dinner will overlap. Take that into account if you use the lists.

Though this blog is not predominantly a "how-to-have-an-awesome-household" blog, in all my blog reading, I really love blogs that give specifics. So, this week, I'm giving you specifics.

Y'all, this is just a resource. It's a different approach, and to be honest, I have not actually come across a similar one on the internet. That does not mean no one has done this, I just haven't read about it. Sorry if you've already posted this approach on your blog. Would you link yours up in the comments section, as I'm sure it's better than mine!

In fact, if you have a post about how you meal plan, definitely link it up in the comments section! That will make this series an even better resource. Perhaps even incredible?


Lesson Learned: A new approach to meal planning simplifies things even further! (At least I hope it will!)

Lesson 82: Inside My Fridge

It seems that one of the unwritten rules of fulfilling a role as a stay-at-home mom is to find ways to lower your families household budget. Naturally, a SAHM is the ideal person for such a task, as she is the one who sees every nook of how the day-to-day events of the house are managed.

Through very extensive (not really) internet research, it seems that there are two main ways to lessen a budget. The first is simply to consume / acquire less. The second is to heartily use what you already have.

Feeling ambitious (for about ten minutes), today I decided to take a small step in the maximizing what you have category.

I rearranged our refridgerator. (Remember when I cleaned under it? Oh such bad memories.)

Our new fridge is different from the old, in that it has less drawers for sorting items. Really, there are only two main ones on the bottom. Also, the vegetable drawer seems to be smaller, and so currently our veggies have been living in tight quarters.

I did not think to take any before pictures, but I will quickly show you the afters. This isn't a post that is meant to say, "Look what awesome thing I do consistently," but more as a, "Here's a little something that I'm going to attempt. Wish me luck!" Does that make sense?

Ok, so ... here's the overall view. (Note: I did not visit the freezer. Yikes!)

Before we moved, I threw away any old, moldy, expired items and condensed multiple items. So, the more empty ketchup bottle got emptied into the fuller one.

The goal of the fridge rearranging is, as I said, to maximize what we already have. Recently, I have not been doing a great job keeping up with a meal plan, so I usually go to the grocery store with a list, but not specific meals. This is very typical in summer, when we usually grill some meat and have fresh fruits and veggies as sides.

Unfortunately, in the small, dark drawer, all our vegetables were crammed together. We were forgetting what we had, and then, they would go rotten before we could eat them. So, my goal is to use the narrow second shelf entirely for vegetables. Then, when we look in the fridge, we can quickly decide what options we have for sides and hopefully, not waste so much.

Not wasting is basically the same as saving money, which means I could, in theory, do a really good job in one of my new roles a SAHM.

I also decided to put the vegetables in a plastic container, because all the plastic grocery bags are irritating to my eyes. I don't know ... just go with it!

Question: Is this a bad idea? As in, is there some reason why it is better for the vegetables to be in the specified vegetable drawer? Will they ripen more altogether? What if we plan on eating them all in one week anyway? Are you impressed to know that the cucumber in the picture is from our garden?

The vegetable drawer is now being used to collect all our various cheese, bread, and lunchmeat items. These get spread throughout the fridge when there is no organization. As a result, we buy a double of these items which unnecessarily fills our fridge and is sort of a waste of money.

Another check for not wasting!

The fruit side is still being used for fruit.

The top shelf has consistent lunch items on the left, eggs in the middle, and leftovers and thawed meat options on the right. I'm thinking that if the leftovers are always in the same place, then Mark will remember what options he has, and he'll actually eat them, which means ... ?

That's right, less waste!

Finally, the side board is not overly organized. It simply holds all the small items that can easily get lost in the rest of the fridge. I do keep the cream purposely on the far right, because it definitely gets used the most ... in the morning ... before I have my coffee ... which means I need to just know where to look for it ... no hunting!

So there you have it, the inside of my fridge. My hope is that in keeping food in its proper place, we will have less fights about what to eat and less old food to throw out.

Look at me fostering peace and stewardship in my home.

Or at least attempting to ...

Lesson Learned: Seriously, does anyway know the answer about storing vegetables out in the open? That's sort of the lynch pin of the whole operation!

Lesson 51: A Really Gross Lunch

Remember the meal calendar?

Well, it's been going splendid. See, look at all these stickers I've (mostly Mark has) received. (I showed this to a friend and she thought the stickers were tracking Samara's potty training progress. No, no. They were for me and the successful completion of a scheduled meal!)

As you can tell, we're doing a really good job. You are right if you are thinking we deserve a star.

However, we have encountered one slight glitch. I had hoped that once we had got into the discipline of sticking to the meal calendar, we would be able to tackle new recipes without breaking stride. Oh, the recipe calls for broccoli rabe and gnocchi. No big deal, we'll just add it to the grocery list and whip up the meal in no time. (Authoritative laugh.)

Lesson 35: An Update on the Lazy Couponer (Back to School Series)

As you know, I am a self-proclaimed lazy couponer.

Here's a brief recap of the rules of lazy couponing:

1. One main couponing website: SouthernSavers.com
2. One main store to shop from: Harris Teeter
3. One main source for coupons: newspaper
4. Cut all you would buy if it was free.
5. Plan your trip and shop.

Though the original post was called "The Lazy Couponer," recently it would be more accurate to label me a super lazy couponer. I hadn't cut my weekly inserts in over four weeks!

Lesson 34: A Meal Plan (Back to School Series)

West End. The best college dining hall in the entire country.

I know you very loyal graduates of universities other than Virginia Tech are mentally arguing with me right now. You can stop doing that. If you look here, you will see, that the years I attended VT, West End actually was rated the #1 dining hall by a variety of sources.

Aside from their lobster and prime rib options, West End had an addicting pasta station. Seriously, I think there was crack in the fettuccine alfredo, (along with three portions worth of noodles and a billion calories).

It was a dismal day at the end of every semester when I realized my Hokie Passport (our student id's) was out of dining hall money and I was on my own for food.

I distinctly remember putting globs of peanut and jelly onto a plate (no money for bread), mixing it around, and eating it with a knife.

I didn't even have a spoon.

Lesson 24: The Lazy Couponer (Save and Have a Life)

Lesson 12: A Party for 100

At 22, I had the opportunity to travel to Afghanistan with my dad for 6 weeks. (Another story for another day). While there, I was asked to attend the wedding of a man's daughter who worked at the hospital. I did not know either the bride nor the man, but somehow I found myself in a highly decorated room, filled solely of woman who were clad in the most sparkly, bright colors you could ever imagine. There was choreographed dancing and massive amounts of food. To say I was out of place in my everyday clothes and head covering, not understanding more than 5 words of Dari, is an understatement.

Thankfully, I was approached by a beautiful, energetic girl with long hair, who much to my delight, spoke English. She chatted away about her family, her sister's arranged marriage, and her household duties. She was my age exactly, 22, and I distinctly remember her stating proudly that she could cook and serve a meal for 10 people. For you seasoned dinner hosts out there, this may seem like nothing, but at the time, all I could think was, "I may be able to boil enough noodles for that many people, if I could find a big enough pot." How odd, I don't recall the specifics of the arranged marriage conversation (a foreign concept to me), but I clearly remember the part about her hosting abilities.

Ya'll ... 6 years later ... this past weekend ... I successfully planned a party for and fed 100! Jesus definitely still has me beat with 5,000, but I was psyched!

How to accomplish this? Know the right people! Party planning is all about delegation. Do what you do best and in the areas you lack know-how, find someone who has it.

First, we all know the crown jewel of a pig pickin' (which is what this party was) is ... the pig. If the barbeque is sub-par, honestly, what is the point? That is why if you plan on throwing one, I highly suggest being friends with a person who owns and operates one of these.

Now, you may be thinking, "Katherine, where would one find such a friend?" The answer ...  Clover, SC. This particular one-of-a-kind roasting trailer is the property of a guy at our church, whose uncle has a welding business. I don't think that such a person should be too hard for you hunt down. If we can do it, so can you.


Next, every good party needs a good cake. For this, it's beneficial to know a baker, capable of creating delicious, sugary wonders out of her own home. Funny, a sweet woman like this one just described happens to attend our church. She was responsible for this awesome treat! Every single bite of this cake was eaten, including the red graduation cap. Our 7-year-old guest made sure of that! I think I ate Trey's diploma.

(Note also the pictures of folks in graduation attire behind the cake. These are our graduates with their spouses! I unassumingly took pictures of them together that morning at the graduation ceremony and printed them off at Rite Aid on the way home. Fun detail.)

A party supply warehouse is also helpful. I suggest living on the church property as we do. You will then have access to enough tables, chairs, coolers, drink coolers, and corn hole boards to greet and seat everyone.

Also essential, laborers. Carriers, movers, drivers, collectors, planters, diggers, doers. Luckily, I'm married to one of those. In the days leading up the party Mark moved 50 folding chairs, 6 long tables, 3 sets of corn hole boards, 2 colorful rugs, and a partridge in a pear tree. He also mulched the yard, got tons of ice, washed dishes, collected firewood and s'more sticks, made 5 gallons of sweet tea and 3 gallons of pink lemonade, took care of the trashcans, and happily reassured his slightly frantic wife whenever her lists seemed a little too long. Here is the superman in action.

Finally, the last group of necessary people for a successful party are phenomenal guests! We invited six, unconnected, proud families and many good friends. Together we celebrated the completion of seminary in style. The food was delicious, the atmosphere was light, and the weather could not have been more perfect, but the guests are what really set this party apart. Thank you to everyone who made this sweet time possible.

Here at the end, I'd like to list a few ideas that added a little something extra to the party!

1. Corn hole tournament - A good hour was spent diligently drawing out a bracket for 30 teams. This means that 60 people participated, including Andy's 80 year old grandma! These brackets are easily attainable online. Our tennis pro friend kept the games rolling so we could finish before dark, but the tournament was a great way for practical strangers to interact and get to know one another.

2. Picture Decorations = Party Favors - Our group of friends has had three or so years of good times. Behind the main food table, on two strands of twine, I hung pictures representing these times. Naturally, the graduates were featured the most (as it was their party), but I tried to include others as well. People love to see pictures of themselves, and it was a fun little trip down memory lane for us all. At the end of the night, guests were encouraged to take home pictures as a favor!

3. Carport Coziness - The afternoon heat here in South Carolina can be something fierce. Thus, we attempted to spruce up our carport to offer guests a pretty, comfortable, shady seating option! Throughout the course of the evening, this spot was used by at least four different groups of people.

4. Finally, I had fun myself! - When a host looks and acts stressed out, everyone instinctively feels the need to help ... which means guests are then working, not partying! In order to accomplish this,


- Plan, plan, plan! Have as much done the day before the party as possible, so the day of, just last minute details need to be attended to.

- Eat the food (and get yourself a drink). You are always your better self with a full stomach.

- Roll with punches. Everything will not go perfectly. Accept this fact beforehand, and resolve to have a good time regardless.

Party planning is definitely a skill that can be acquired with age and practice. I was raised in the home of a meticulous party planner, having the good fortune of observing seamless parties thrown by my mother. I have continually learned through the numerous parties and showers thrown by my awesome seminary friends and through the miracle working women at my church.

In the end, I think the thing turned out alright. My Afghan friend would have been proud.



Lesson Learned: At a party, more is more. More guests is a bigger tournament and more fun. More food means leftovers. Having leftovers is never a bad thing!