Getting my groove back!

So I am a bit ashamed to say that I have not been good with my budgeting/couponing/cooking the past several months. Pregnancy and I just don't mix, plain and simple. While most people have bouts of morning sickness from time to time the first 12 weeks or so, I have round the clock, nonstop vomiting for the entire pregnancy. It's always nice when people say "geesh..you are 19 weeks pregnant, that should stop!" well yeah it should, but it won't. The only upside to all of it, is that in the past I feel GREAT after the baby is finally born! I generally don't suffer that fatigue and strain of the first 6-8 week newborn phase, because it's an improvement from the previous 40 week stretch.

So because of this, my usually organized house is cluttered and my meal plans are a bit more simple and sporadic. With all of that said, I'm doing my best to get back into it!

My first goal this week is catching up with my coupons. I plan to get my meal plan together for my weekly shopping trip which will occur on Saturday morning. But first I have to tackle the massive, overwhelming stack of coupons sitting on my kitchen table. My first goal is to go through and purge my binder. Anything that is expired or that will expire before I use it will be tossed. I *hate* throwing away coupons, even expired ones. I feel like I"m just tossing money out of the window. But sometimes it's needed to get my stuff back on track. Once my binder is organized, my meals are planned and my grocery shopping is complete, I will tackle a new project for next week. Haven't decided what that will be yet, but I'll keep you posted! I'm thinking a new organizing system for toddler toys in the family room!

On a side note, here is a great, family friendly recipe that was a snap to throw together and super easy on the budget!! I found pre-made pesto super cheap at the grocery store and wanted something I could use it for before it expired.

Creamy Pesto Chicken with bow tie pasta

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup water
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup pesto sauce
1 box bow tie pasta

1. Arrange chicken breast in the crock pot
2. mix water, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Pour over chicken.
3. Cook on low 6-8 hours
4. Cook pasta according to package
5. Stir in soup and pesto with the pasta, cut chicken into cubes and add to the mixture (I added a dash of milk to make it just a bit more creamy)

serve with breadsticks and green beans! it was a simple easy meal to prepare and a huge hit with the entire family! ENJOY!! :)