Today, we continue my series Attempts at Homemaking and keep it in the kitchen!

And the kitchen is one place I feel pretty comfortable. I really enjoying cooking and baking. My waistline will testify to that, especially this time of year!

The one thing I struggle with in the kitchen is sticking to a plan.

I have been on and off with my menu planning, and when I am “on,” it is wonderful! Grocery shopping is easier and meal prep is less stressful.

The same goes for the times when I’ve done some freezer cooking ahead of time. Oh, the glory of pulling a meal out of the freezer, letting it thaw and sticking it in on the grill/in the oven/whatever and having dinner done!

And my attempts at providing well-rounded, healthy meals have fallen flat as well. I get in a rut. I get frustrated that the children won’t eat what I’m serving for veggies. And I give up.

But let the attempts continue – some will succeed, others will not.

These are my attempts in the kitchen for the next month:

*Serve a variety of vegetables for dinner. Try cooking them in new ways. Keep serving them no matter how often they don’t get eaten.

*Complete November’s meal plan and STICK TO IT.

*Spend one day this month making freezer meals.

*Learn to make at least one of the recipes on this FABULOUS DVD:

Have you heard of Homestead Blessings?

The beautiful ladies from Homestead Blessings have a series of DVDs teaching the homemaking arts and I just love each of them!

The Homestead Blessings series is a fun-filled collection of homemaking skills presented in an educational and entertaining DVD series. The southern hospitality of the West ladies will welcome you into this unique series that is encouraging ladies of all ages and teaches valuable skills that can be applied to many homemaking endeavors. (from their site)

The Art of Cooking covers recipes for each meal of the day and also includes some dessert and healthy smoothie recipes! I am a big fan of cooking shows so this was a JOY to watch! I love how the women work together in the kitchen and do it with such pleasure and dedication. That is the kind of homemaker I want to be in all things!

The Art of Breadmaking is a must-watch for anyone wanting to learn to make homemade bread of all kinds! I have made homemade bread with the bread machine, but the West ladies have inspired me to try hands-on bread making. I’ll let you know how this attempt goes…

Next week, we’ll dive in to more kitchen wonders through Homestead Blessings – The Art of Canning and The Art of Dairy Delights!

I was provided a set of Homestead Blessings DVDs by Franklin Springs Family Media to review. I did not receive any other compensation for this review and all opinions are 100% my own!

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And don’t forget to tell me what you’re attempting in the kitchen this month!