I was a Girl Scout all my life... and now my oldest is ready to start scouts.  I signed up to be a leader.... well, ok, I signed up to be a volunteer... a co-leader at most and somehow I was pulled in to a leader training and now I guess I'm a leader.  Shoot.  Okay.  

Ready-Set-Go.

Our first meeting is in less than 2 hours.  The house is clean (well, the rec room is clean), and I have some supplies laid out.  I'll admit it, I have no idea what I'm doing.  This is about the girls.  This is their thing... I'm a facilitator and someone to help them along the way.  

I picked making a collage for our first meeting (someone has to pick something, right?).  We need to get to know each other and it's a collaborative project where we all work together... and everyone get's their ideas on the board... we'll (together and individually) map out what we like, what we want to be, what we want to do... what we want from Girl Scouts... together.  

I have a vision of an amazing mixed-media work of art... one that will inspire us throughout the year... but I have a feeling my rec room will be chaos (that's ok - we have other small children running amok and things are usually chaotic around here).

We'll say our Promise... we'll talk about the Girl Scout Law... We'll eat a snack... We'll look over our materials: paints, beads, shells, crepe paper bits, old magazines, glue... we'll forage for materials in the woods... then we'll create.  

Wish me luck.... wish us luck.... I'm slightly terrified.

Yes, they're coming.  Don't PANIC.  It's only the in-laws, right?  They're good people and mean well, right? But you still want to please them, or at least keep the food debates to a minimum.  That means no processed foods (of any kind), no ground meat, nothing with nitrates, no burger, no red meat, no lunch meat, no sausage (I love sausage).... avoid white flour and regular potatoes, only vinaigrette, olives & cheeses are a bonus, local is good, but organic fair-trade is best.  And oh, no, you must keep the coffee in the fridge - not the freezer or in the cabinet.  

It makes my head spin.  

We eat well.  We do our best.  As a family, we do avoid things like dinner-in-a-box, but good old pasta from a box with marinara from a jar and some veggies tossed in will be dinner at least once a week.  There are nights I've been known to toss in a frozen pizza - cut me some slack, we're a busy family - and yes, it's the cheap stuff (Kroger store brand is actually pretty darn good).  YES, we make our own pizza too, but usually when we're broke and the toppings consist of things like cabbage, onions, apples, and broccoli (cause that's what we have in the fridge). We have "big-ass-salad-night" at least once a week too.... but it consists of whatever we happen to have in the fridge (including the remnants of 6 different salad dressings).  It's not fancy.  I don't do olive and cheese plates.  I have little kids.  These kids LOVE ramen and veggie night (it's a Ponyo thing).

So, really, it's taking how we eat 50% of the time and making it 100% for a week.  I got this.  I can do this... I just need to get creative...  Uber healthy gourmet tastes.... on a bean budget.... for a week. 

THE INTERNET TO THE RESCUE!!  

Here are my top picks: 

What are some of your favorites?  Uber healthy (but CHEAP) recipe links please!!