High School Drop Out

I was watching Hulu last night and saw a commercial that I actually had to rewind and watch again.

it said that 7000 High School students drop out EVERY DAY

7000

even if that does not count weekends and summer break

that is still

1.4 MILLION

students every year!

What is happening to these kids?

What is happening to our COUNTRY when we think this is ok?!

Honestly, I always thought it was strange how much people celebrate High School graduations. We celebrated when I graduated and I got a month long trip to Europe as a gift...but it was more of a milestone not an accomplishment. NOT completing high school was not even an option

PERIOD

Am I missing something?

Stepping off my soap box now

 

5 Fav Freezer Cooking Recipes

Since my husband has started working in the evening I am on my own (with the kids of course) for dinner, working, homework, showers, and extracurricular activities so Freezer cooking has been our saving grace!

We usually spend a couple hours once or twice a month cooking enough to last. I will also double most other recipes I am making. It does not take any more time to double it then I have dinner that night and one for another night too!

This is the PERFECT solution for us!

I have all of these on my Pinterest.
Follow me there and check back for other foods we love!

so HERE are 5 of our Fav recipes to cook then freeze for later

Spinach Artichoke Lasagna

Source: allrecipes.com via Jessica on Pinterest

 

This is a vegetarian dish FULL of veggies that even my hubby likes. It also has a lot less cheese then most Lasagna recipes. Also, ALWAYS buy the oven ready noodles (its so much faster)

Stuffed Peppers

Source: joelens.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Even my kids liked this one. The stuffing is very hearty and super yummy. The only think I do different is that I did not boil my peppers and they were the perfect consistency after reheating.

Cilantro Lime Pesto Chicken

Source: joelens.blogspot.com via Jessica on Pinterest

THIS is my hubbys hands down favorite. I buy whole chickens and cook them in the crock pot over night (or during the day) then remove the meat from the bone and use it in recipes like this one. I usually freeze the chicken already mixed with the pesto but i will also freeze extra pesto separately. In case you didn't know tortillas freeze great as do peppers and cheese so you can have all the makings waiting in your freezer!

Meatballs

 

Source: eatathomecooks.com via Jessica on Pinterest

Any meatball recipe will work but I usually make 4-6 pounds of meatballs. We eat meatballs like mini meatloaves with veggies or toss them with pasta. I also will make different dipping sauces for them so every meal is different. They are so versatile and my kids love them.

White Chicken Enchilada

Source: eatathomecooks.com via Jessica on Pinterest

This is a recipe I just tried (well ate) yesterday and it was a HUGE hit. I used the chicken from my crock pot and you can assemble then freeze. They were great!


What are some of your favorite freezer cooking recipes and tips?

Best and Worst Christmas Gifts of 2011

I know everyone does the "Hot Toy Lists" before Christmas but I thought I would let you know which toys were hot at my house this Christmas.
Because lets be honest. You spend the time and money getting the kids what you think they want and sometimes the HATE it. Or even the toy is a P.O.S. So HERE IT IS my Hit and Miss list for the toys of Christmas 2011!

Let's start with the worst:

• Remote Control Car: My oldest son wanted one of the $50 Air Hogs remote control cars. Since the $60 helicopter we got him last year barely lasted a day I found a $6 (similar) remote control car at Aldi (of all places). Well, besides the fact that the batteries cost TWICE AS MUCH as the car itself...it broke the very first time out of the box (after I had already bought the overpriced batteries)
• Epic Mickey: This is something I should have done more research on. But I was standing by it on Black Friday at Walmart and I remembered it was a hot toy last year. And it had MICKEY...it had to be great! Um..NO I gave it to my daughter and she was actually a little scared of it. Hubby however enjoyed the game.
• Crayola Story Studio: SERIOUSLY it is a $7.00 pack of paper with a program that makes a character that looks NOTHING like your child. #fail

Luckily the BEST List is MUCH longer (not that I will include everything)

• Ipod Touch 3G: My 8 year old got an Ipod Touch 3G. No surprise that he loved it but I went back and forth for weeks debating between getting him the newer model of just getting a cool case for my 3G that I never use. I am SO glad I just gave him mine because he could care less that it does not have a camera. SCORE!
• Digital Camera: I got my 5 yr old DD a Vivitar digital camera. While it is not a great quality camera it is a REAL camera and takes OK pictures...and she LOVES it.
• Walkie Talkies: Now my mom actually got the 4 year old these (but it was my idea). She got him 4 rechargeable "real" walkie talkies. They aren't toy ones so they actually work really well. And ALL the kids LOVE it!
• Disney Sing It: My 5yr old DD loves to sing and I looked into getting her a karaoke machine however they were really expensive and I was not sure it was really worth it (or honestly how they worked). So I found Disney Sing it for the Wii on amazon. It comes with a microphone and you sing along with your fav Disney songs. She absolutely LOVES it!

So what were some of the Best and Worst gifts at YOUR house this year?