From my posts, you may assume that we do nothing but go out to eat. Ha! We do usually eat out for lunch on one weekend day. During the week, we just don’t have the time!
I’m up at 4am each morning. Daddy gets up at 5am. Mikey gets up at 5:15am. By 6am, we have all left the house. By 4pm, we’re all home… However… work doesn’t end just because we’re at home. I’m teaching Mikey German (thank you German immersion videos) and we do workbooks (he loves math). There are always plenty of chores to do between the house and yard. We’re in the process of our first real garden (after years of pots and such living in rentals) as we bought our first home last summer. We’ve started berry plots and fruit trees too. Even Mikey has chores and earns his own money. By 7pm, Mikey is asleep and we follow between 9 and 10pm.
Wait a minute… Chores and money for a 4 year old? That’s right! As biased as a mommy can be, I know that Mikey is no angel but truly he is a really well behaved kid. However, just like all normal kids, he had the normal toddler times where he didn’t want to pick up his toys or listen to us or would act out. Before – nothing seemed to work. Not time outs. Not taking away toys. Not yelling. Nothing! Not until last summer when my Dad came down to help out with some home repairs. During his drive, he happened to listen to Dave Ramsey and his daughter on the radio. Thank goodness he did! (Disclosure: we have adapted his method to work for us…) Apparently, money is a great motivator for Mikey… especially when he figured out that he could use his money to buy his own toys (and not wait until a holiday or birthday or something). Therefore, he gets paid for chores. Half the money goes into savings and half he gets to spend. His toys and clothes (when he outgrows them) get donated when he gets new stuff. When he acts out – he gets one warning. The second time, he owes us money. Let me tell you – he does not like paying us! Score for Mommy and Daddy!
Here’s the average week day afternoon: Mikey comes home and lets the dog out, puts dry food in the cat’s bowl, and puts the silverware away. That’s 25 cents. Depending on what food prep is needed, he helps with dinner such as stirring, chopping, or even just getting stuff out for me. That’s another 25 cents. After dinner, he clears the table and helps feed the animals (get the food out and put the food in the bowls – I open the cans). That’s another 25 cents. Other examples of chances to earn money: 25 cents for picking up his toys or for putting his clothes away (including hanging shirts up). When we do house cleaning, he gets 50 cents for each room he mops with the swifter. He. Rakes. It. In. For example, in a 6 week period (with extra chores), he earned enough for a $30 PlayMobil toy and put the same amount in savings!
Not only do chores keep him busy but it also helps out mommy and daddy, teaches him important skills (money, math, and so on), and gives him a great sense of independence and personal responsibility.
Got off track there for a minute… getting back to eating like a foodie during the work week… A lot of times, we use the crockpot. Crockpot = one of the greatest inventions later. After all, all you have to do is throw ingredients into a pot, turn it on, and come back hours later and eat. During the summer, it’s nice since you don’t add the extra heat from a stove or oven. I will admit – I have a slight crockpot addiction (though not as much as my cast iron addiction). I have 4 crockpots right now (I swear, I only want one more). My cast iron addiction, on the other hand, is shared by the whole family – including Mikey. The boy even has his own!
One night this week, we had Asian beef tacos. Um… yum!
Asian Beef Tacos:
Place the following in the crockpot, mix well, and cook on low for 8-10 hours:
- 1-1.5 pounds of stew meat (or beef chuck roast – you’ll have to shred the meat at the end though)
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
- 1-2 teaspoons Chinese 5 spice
- 1 bell pepper (chopped or sliced)
- 1/2 to 1 jalapeño, diced (remove veins and seeds)
- 1/3 cup soy sauce (we use low sodium)
- 5-10 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/2 cup onion or shallot, diced
- 1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons of seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Asian Slaw:
In a bowl, mix the following and then let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature or 2 hours in the refrigerator:
- 1 (16 ounce bag) of shredded coleslaw – we often use a broccoli slaw mix
- 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 2-3 tablespoons of seasoned rice vinegar
- Salt n pepper to taste
When you’re ready to eat, place some of the meat mixture (used a slotted spoon so it’s not so drippy) on a tortilla and scoop some slaw on top.
Helpful hint: Running short on time in the morning? Pre-chop everything the night before. Place in a ziplock or Tupperware container in the refrigerator overnight.
For dessert, I quickly made a triple berry cobbler using strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. I didn’t have any dinner prep, so why not?
Enjoy! Guten Appetit!