20 meals in 30 days

Ok, so I know it's nothing revolutionary... but I want to cook at home more. My recent unemployment (good thing in disguise) has pushed me to cut back a little bit and the extra time has definitely lent itself to some nice things. Cooking is a big one. I've cooked probably 12 nights out of the last 2 weeks and I forgot how little money you can put towards food with some pretty tasty meals coming out of them.
My goal over the next month is to cook at least 20 meals. I'm sure for many of you that's nothing- maybe even under what you're used to- but for me it's a lot. Cooking 5 nights a week every week is a long term goal that I'd love to be able to stick to.
I've been spending a lot of time finding coupons as well. I've used them before but very casually. I'd love to be that chick with the $200 transaction paying $12.76 ;) That, well that is a whole other goal in itself.

Now then! The smaller goals under the weight of the main one are to cook a wider variety of veggies (currently the list seems stuck on green beans, asparagus, corn, potatoes, and broccoli) and to push myself to cook things I haven't ever made before. I sat down with my husband tonight and asked him what he'd like to see me cook over the next month that I don't make now.

Here's the list:

Chili (I know, right?)
Teriyaki chicken bowls
French Dips w/ homemade french fries

Any other suggestions? I'm no culinary genius (though not an idiot, either) and sadly my husband and I are both pretty picky... I need things that are on the easy to moderate end of the cooking spectrum and probably something suggested for kids.

Time for a food adventure.

First Blog EVAAAAAR.... on this

Welp, I saw this on my sister-in-law's facebook and I decided to do one too. :) I don't know that I'll update it too much but I figured, "hey, why not?".

It's been a stressful couple of weeks... and hopefully that won't turn in to a couple of months. I've been living in Colorado for almost 2 years now and have been working with AT&T for over a year. Being only 19, it's the longest I've held a job and for a while thought it MAY turn into my "career". After deciding that I basically hate the job though, I told my husband that I was going back to school like I'd originally planned to do before we decided to get married. Luckily I convinced him to follow and we're now going to be getting paid for him going to school through his GI Bill. "woo hoo!". That's great! Right? Yeah, well they told us to give them 6-8 weeks before we start expecting a check for his schooling which was fine. I put in my 2 weeks notice to work a little over a month after we got all his info sent in for the GI Bill payments and now they're telling us because of how many people applied this year, it could take them an additional 6-8 weeks. :( I've already quit my job and won't start my new part time job (that pays like $3 less an hour) for an other week. Ugg. This is gonna be fun.

I'm stressed but still relieved. AT&T, while a great employer, was draining me. I was becoming bitter. I'd rather have to skimp on our extras, like going out to eat, then to work there again. It'll suck for a few weeks but after that, I know I'll be happier in the long run. My brother is going through something similar right now and it's been pretty hard on that end too, it's just nice to know that wherever we both go with our situations, it's in God's plan and it's for his Glory.