Life's Accidental Journey

Dehydrator Flax Seed Crackers

2010-07-12T08:43:00.002-04:00

We genuinely try, in our home, to avoid sugar. Now I know this looks hypocrital considering the post of just a few days ago showing all the sugar for the bake sales. And truthfully, we are hypocrits. We do *try* to avoid sugar. But the irony of this is that I love to bake sweets. And people seem to really like my baking. Cake and cookies and various candies seem to bless people in ways differently than flax crackers do.

Don't ask me why.

I'm not saying that we don't eat the sweets that I make on occasion. Because that would be beyond hypocritical. And a lie. But...as a general rule, I'm really blessed by a family that likes more nourishing foods as a general rule.

So even though I can dip Nutter Butters in white chocolate bark with the best of them, the flax crackers are something I make much more often. I just don't photo them as much because they're not half as cute.

**Recipe written below pictures.

This is the flax seed before it's ground. I grind it in a coffee grinder designated for stuff like this.
And this is what it looks like after about 20 seconds. I use 2 cups of whole flax seed for this recipe. My grinder is small so I have to do it 1/2 cup at a time.
I use my Blendtec blender for this recipe, but you could maybe use any quality blender if you chopped the foods a little smaller. Here I have one can of diced tomatoes and half of a medium/large onion. I then add about 1/2 cup Braggs. You could certainly substitute soy sauce I'm sure.
Here I've added about half a cup of extra virgin olive oil and a LOT of garlic. I buy it prechopped in those huge containers at Sams and I probably used 5 or so Tablespoons. I also added about a cup of water. And a whole jalapeno from the garden.
Here is 2 big handfulls of raw, organic spinach and a handful of shredded cheddar cheese. I also added about a heaping tablespoon of coarse ground pepper.
Here it is blended.
Now most of the flax cracker recipes that I've seen say to add the water to the ground flax first. I have issues with this. It "gels" and then I have a really tough time incorporating the blended vegetables. YMMV.
When you first add it to this smallish amount of ground flax, it seems awfully thin. You're gonna want to add less of the liquid vegetables. Don't. Because as you can see in the photo below...
...it thickens up. Here I'm spreading it on my Excalibur Dehydrator paraflexx sheet. One batch of flax paste makes 4 full sheets of crackers. Approximately 200 crackers.
I spread it as thin as I can get it to go which varies depending on how thick the concoction has become. The thinner pieces have a texture more like chips. The thicker pieces, more like crackers. It's a win/win. And then I score the paste to make it easier to break into bite sized pieces when it's dry.
I then barely salt and heavily pepper the paste and pop it in the dehydrator for a couple of days at 115 degrees. After several hours, asap, I remove the crackers from the paraflexx sheets to dry them evenly on both sides.

And this is what they look like when they're done. I literally cannot keep enough of these made to satisfy everyone here. I usually make a batch ever single day. They are really very, very good. And spicy.

Dehydrator Olive Oil and Black Pepper Flax Crackers

2 Cups whole flax seed, ground
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 large onion
1 whole jalapeno pepper with seeds (optional)
1/2 cup Braggs liquid aminos (could probably substitute soy sauce)
Lots of garlic, I use appr. 5 tablespoons diced (to taste)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1-2 tablespoons of coarse black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
2 handfulls raw spinach

Grind flax seed and put in a large bowl. Set aside. Add other ingredients to a good blender (or possibly a food processor but realize that the mixture will be moderately thin and may leak) and process until it's all liquid. Pour over flax meal and mix well. Spread thinly on dehydrator sheets (I set my dehydrator at 115 degrees)and very lightly salt and pepper (to taste) and dehydrate for several hours. As soon as possible, peel the sheets off the crackers and continue to dry for 48 or so hours total.

This is a tease of my homemade protein bars. When I make them again I'll try to get some pictures and post a recipe.

147 Million Orphans

2010-07-09T08:53:00.001-04:00

Did you know that there are 147 million orphans in the world?

That number seems astronomical.

Until you realize that there are 2.1 BILLION (with a B) self-proclaimed Christ followers in the world.

Which means if only 8% of those claiming to be a Christian would sponsor a child, it would end orphan hunger IN THE WORLD.

In the whole world.

Pro 31:8-9 "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."

Mission Fields

2010-07-08T11:30:00.003-04:00

I've tried to post something on this topic time and again. For whatever reason, I've never been able to do so. I've typed and erased a crazy amount of text. Everytime I go back to read it, it doesn't seem quite right. And I think I'm coming to understand why.

I'm 44 years old. I have 3 daughters. The oldest daughter is 23, middle is 15, and youngest is 12. For a long, long time, my mission has been these girls. Even before I fully understood what that meant, it was still true. It's still true today. But as my girls get older, the scope of my responsibilities has changed. For over 23 years I've had someone younger than a teenager in my home that I (along with my husband of course) cared for, loved and guided. In less than a month, that will no longer be the case. This has been the essence of "me" pretty much my whole adult life. And it's all starting to slowly shift.

Of course I realize that my daughters still need and rely on me for many things, but the things ARE changing. And while I realize it's an early worry, I don't want to be one of those moms whose last child leaves and they are lost. I'm praying God's wisdom in this area. I've had a deep desire to know what's next.

There are so many needs in our world. I'm overwhelmed. And truly excited about what the future holds as I ever so slowly make the transition from one huge mission field to another.

More as it unfolds.

Picture Catch Up Post

2010-07-06T13:14:00.003-04:00

One of many, many bake sales.

Close up of the eye-baw-baw's. (Eyeballs)

Great church wide camping trip.

With really good food. Can't you almost smell this?

And this super dining hall. If you look through the back screen you can see the little cabins. There were plenty for each family to have their own. We're so lucky to live in a place like this.

We got quite a bit of snow this year. And it was really cold as well.

My daughters and my new(ish)son in law.

My redheads prom hair.

Our blackberry vines have been really generous. And delicious.

Must. Read.

2010-03-06T11:23:00.003-05:00

If you never click another link on this blog, you must click this one.

http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/

Read her site.

And then, if you can, come back and tell me that your life isn't changed.

A Thanksgiving of Changes

2009-11-28T09:24:00.005-05:00

I got the phone call a few weeks ago. My great uncle was to have heart surgery again. But this time it was more serious. The tests had shown up a tumor as well as a blockage. He would also need something implanted to regulate his heartbeat.

Earl and Barbara are like grandparents to me. And they're old. Both in their 80's. So that's not the news you want to hear.

We've always had Thanksgiving with them. Ever since I can remember. But this year, with Earl's health, they're just not up for it. The surgery isn't until December, but he is short of breath and has to take things really easy until then. And they have family closer than we are to them that wanted them to come to their home.

So Thanksgiving would be here this year. For my family and a family friend.

Lots to do, lots to prep, lots to decide. I'd never cooked a full Thanksgiving meal before all on my own. And even though I was a little sad about the change, I wanted it to be something special for my girls. Plus we have the new addition this year of my oldest daughters husband.

So we dive in, my oldest daughter and I, head first and plan and shop and plan some more. We search recipes and test foods and have our schedule all worked out for Thanksgiving week.

And then on Sunday before Thanksgiving our dog got sick. Really sick. He's old, almost 15, and been going downhill for quite some time. He's a big lab/retriever mix and has arthritis and hip issues. He's fallen a lot lately and not been able to get up for a while so we've been hesitant to leave him alone for any length of time.

But this is a different sick.

By Tuesday there was nothing we could do for him. The vet told us that we really had no choice but to put him to sleep. We asked if there was anything at all that would buy him some quality of life for even a little while. And he said no. The only humane thing to do was to let him go.

We'd always promised ourselves, and him in a way, that we'd not keep him around past when he should be here for our benefit only.

With many tears and much heartbreak, Tuesday we kept that promise.

Life is not the same around here without him. Lucy, our other dog, is weird. She's looking for him all over the place. Constantly.

So Thanksgiving here was a big change. It was surprisingly lovely, and only tinged with sadness from time to time.

I know to those of you that are not dog people how odd all of this may sound. Ridiculous even. But to those of you that ARE dog people, you get it.

He was a good boy.

Busy, Busy Week

2009-10-28T14:32:00.003-04:00

We've had 2 bake sales this week (one at church and one at co-op) that I've had to both bake for and participate in. Early. Too early.

We had a "blessing of the animals" at our church on Sunday that Mike MC'd and the girls and I volunteered.

Both of my younger daughters were in a play last night. And it was smashing.

Tonight is Trunk-or-treat at our church. Youth dresses up. And my husband and I are in charge of the youth (last minute). And the car had to be cleaned, vacuumed and decorated.

Friday morning is clean up day at our co-op. For three hours. Friday afternoon is a small group overnight camping trip for which I have to both bake (all the sweets for over 30 people) and shop for disposables and various food. And breakfast stuff.

Of course, Saturday is Halloween.

I'm glad there is an extra hour thrown in this week. I think I'll spend it sleeping.

Now I'm off and running again.

Crown Financial

2009-10-17T10:17:00.002-04:00

Crown Financial Ministries

I'm taking this class at church on Sunday mornings. Has anyone ever taken it? Have any opinions or thoughts on it?

We have Bible verses to memorize every week. It's been quite a while since I memorized Bible verses. I'll be putting them on the sidebar to help.

In Keeping With My New Goals

2009-10-10T11:01:00.005-04:00

The rain here has been abundant. Huge, fierce storms that blow in and back out just as quickly. Leaving glistening puddles and drips in the brilliant sunshine.

Jillian loves to play in the rain. She was outside yesterday right after a storm had blown through and came bursting through the door to tell me of a rainbow that ended in the neighbors yard! I grabbed my camera but unfortunately it was gone. But I did capture a few pictures of beauty found in the small things.

Jillian drenched and on the swing here daddy made her.

Our thornless blackberry patch. Last spring it was two little sticks in the ground.

The runoff that keeps the blackberries growing like weeks.

Ripening Figs

Some of the last color in the yard. These bushes got so beautiful this year.

A hot pepper plant that has been crazy prolific this year. I'm drying them as fast as possible.

Sunshine on the magnolia tree.

Us heading inside. Bare feet squishing in the mud.

Priorities

2009-10-09T10:56:00.004-04:00

Things seem to slowly be coming together.

I'm not really sure why I do some of the things I do. Or if there is a name or word for why/how I handle things.

I have a lot to do in my home. The list is daunting.

The (younger) girls are at an age that is crazy busy. Julia is learning to drive. And aside from that she is a fifteen year old girl that is involved in many healthy/fun/uplifting activities. Jillian is 12 and really coming into her own. She is starting to enjoy all the girly stuff. She now talks on the phone, texts and messes with her hair. She too has many, many church and/or co-op activities.

My husband works at least 6 days a week. He is involved in 2 different weekly ministries that are NOT church specific and at least 4 that are specific to our church.

We have chosen in our life to rarely, rarely eat out. This sounds silly. I know lots of people who say they rarely eat out and then pick up fast food on the way home. Or buy frozen dinners from the grocery. The thing is, we *rarely* eat out. Literally maybe 3 or 4 times a year. We almost never eat frozen dinners. Most of our food is made from scratch. Not that I grind the wheat for all of our bread (though I do that from time to time) but that I literally cook breakfast, lunch (which is sometimes sandwiches, and sometimes not), and dinner *7* days a week.

That's a lot of cooking. I spend my time in the kitchen. Probably on average 2-3 hours a day. And I'm grateful that I get to do this. But on top of the actual kitchen time, there is the planning and shopping time. And I'm a bargain shopper, so add that extra time to the mix.

And I've posted chore charts for the girls and I here before, and the girls do quite a lot. But there are several areas that I'm on my own. For obvious and not so obvious reasons I suppose.

I do all the laundry.

I do 95% of the cooking.

I pay the bills.

I do all of the shopping.

I keep the calendar. (This is a much bigger deal than you might imagine. I'll try to write more about it at a later time.)

I, of course at this point, do all the driving. (And this year the co-op schedule is ridiculous. I'll post about that sometime soon as well.)

I keep the school records.

I tend (or not) the garden.

The point is, I'm reasonably busy just in general. And then I have church obligations and committees on which I sit. There is much prep involved in at least 3 of these.

And it feels like somehow over the course of time, my priorities have gotten smudged. I've been spending way too much time on things other than my home. And my home is showing the signs of neglect.

There are things in my sidebar that are not directly related to my home. But these are things that I have committed to do and so I will do them. And when they are done, things are going to be considered very carefully before I commit to anything else at this season of my life that does not directly relate to my home or family.

I'll still continue (for the time being) with the areas at my church that I volunteer/participate. But only so far as it doesn't interfere with my true mission field.

My family and home.

Some may view this as selfish. So be it. I have to do what I feel is right for me and my family. And I really feel the call to focus on home. To live in the moment with my family. To not only perform the duties at home, but to make memories with them. To love my family. To love my home. To take the time to appreciate all that I've been given. Instead of rushing through one thing to get to another.

No more.

So here's to a new beginning. I hope to blog about it along the way.

The life with which I have been blessed is entirely too beautiful to only give it a passing nod.

It's time to stop and focus.

Update

2009-09-29T09:36:00.001-04:00

Well, as you can see I got almost nothing done yesterday. My daughter and I spend hours trying to get rid of an infection on her computer. And we still didn't get it done. We may have to have it looked at. I can't believe how stubborn these malware can be! Her husband is doing college classes online so they really need this fixed. That's why it got priority.

I may put this list (and add to it) in my sidebar. It makes me want to get it done when it's out there for all to see!

Plans

2009-09-28T10:23:00.003-04:00

I'd really like to post daily here. At least during the week. But today is not the day to start it. My to-do list is pretty huge. And I'm pretty determined. So we'll see.

This is my two week plan. Of course there will be normal activities of daily living thrown in there. But I'm starting first with a printable calendar and plugging this stuff into various days. I'll try to update on my progress.

-Fix Jessica's computer (malware infection)

-~~Quick grocery trip~~

-Spend 1 hour with daughter on project

-Oversee all major schoolwork

-Lesson plan for history

-Spend 2 hours cleaning at least 2 days a week

-Make a two week meal plan

-Bills

-~~Place a book order~~

-~~Wax~~

-Get all Fall vegetable in deck planters

-Start on Christmas list

-Change and wash sheets

-Spend 1 hour daily on getting the girls rooms in shape (including buying paint and supplies, painting and getting every nook and cranny cleaned out and organized)

-Take big quilts to laundry mat

-Finish sewing projects

-Spend 1 hour a week organizing computer/school room

Cleaning House

2009-09-24T14:20:00.003-04:00

No. Not my house. Which is what needs to be done. But I'm going to spiff up a few things around the old blog today. I've got some computer work to do anyway (fliers for church activities) so I'll try to multitask. Since it's still too wet to do much laundry. My poor septic tank doesn't take kindly to all the flooding.

Comments

2009-09-23T12:42:00.004-04:00

As I'm sure I've mentioned before, I get the most lovely comments and emails most times. People asking questions or helping me to clarify things that I've written that may not be as clear as I'd thought they were.

Of course I sometimes get the odd comments as well. I don't publish them because they seem to be computer generated or just so off the wall that I have a hard time following them.

But then sometimes I get a comment that I feel like deserves more of an answer than what I can give in the reply section underneath it.

On January 2 of this year I got this anonymous comment in regards to My Homemaking Philosophy Post:

"I agree with ou on some parts but why must everything have something to do with God ? Not everyone believes in God .I am one of them I believe in myself.AgainI do think along the lines as you do that home is work but I believe in myself and not God."

I didn't respond to it at the time because the blog wasn't active, but I didn't want to put it through either and not respond to it. I wish the person had left an email address so that I could write them personally, but they did not.

While I don't feel obligated to answer every question I get, something about this one sorta got to me. And I've thought on it off and on since I received it.

Why must everything have something to do with God?

I went back and reread the post and while I do mention God and prayer, it certainly didn't feel like the theme of what I had written.

But I am so honored that someone read it that way.

My diligent, constant prayer is that someone may see God's light shine through me or my family.

I want God in every thought. In every action. In every inaction. In every word that escapes my lips and the ones that I'm able to hold back.

I want God in every breath I take.

I see God in the clouds and in the wind and rain. I see Him in the stunning blue sky and the rays of sunshine streaming though the leaves. I see Him in the dew on the grass and in the new spring buds on the trees. I see Him in the splendor of the leaves blowing off the trees in late fall.

I hear Him in the rushing of a river and the crash of the ocean waves. I hear Him in the singing of the birds and the giggles of little children. I hear Him in the quiet of the seasons first snowfall.

I feel God in the quiet of the morning and the quiet of the night. I feel Him as we gather at church or with friends. I feel Him so strongly when I watch my husband be the father to our daughters that I'd always hoped. I feel Him when things are going perfectly. And I feel Him when things feel like they're falling apart. I feel Him when I'm on my knees praying and sometimes even when I'm writing a blog post.

So why must everything have something to do with God? Because everything does have something to do with God.

I hope that anonymous somehow finds their way back here and can feel the prayers for them. Knowing God is unlike anything you'll ever be able to find on your own.

May the peace of God surround you this and every day.

Time Issues

2009-09-22T18:18:00.002-04:00

It seems you can't open a mom blog anywhere that doesn't mention time. And more than likely, lack of time. There are whole websites dedicated to organization and time management. And obviously different things work for different people.

This is an area with which I still struggle. Truth is, I tend to be awfully stubborn and when something "works" I never want to let it go. So I can have a beautiful schedule down with most things in my life sailing along and then a big change happens and I struggle to squish the old schedule into the new plan. How does that work? Usually not so well.

Take for instance last fall. Things were going along quite nicely. I had a (typewritten) schedule for the younger girls and I. And then on October 10th, my oldest daughter came home with a ring on her finger. She had gotten engaged. I plan to write some about planning a (quite large) wedding on a budget, but for the topic of this post lets just say that it threw our schedule off just a wee bit.

And while the wedding was beautiful and moving and more than any of us had hoped it would be, it is over. Truth be told, it was over on May 23rd. And we've still not gotten back into a good groove. Now granted, there was packing and moving and bedroom shifts and painting (still to be done) and furniture to buy and emotions to try to handle. But it was May 23rd. So while there is still more than "normal" to do around here, it's time to get a grip. And the only way I know to do that is to prioritize.

Of course, God is first in my life. Then my family. But I'm not specifically talking about that kind of prioritization. I'm talking about *after* that.

And since we almost never eat out, I'm going to try to start back with a menu plan. It creates such stress trying to figure out dinner at the last minute. Why I allow myself to get out of the habit of menu planning is beyond me.

So that's step one.

Wish me luck.

Does God Nudge You?

2009-09-21T10:52:00.003-04:00

Our sermon at Church yesterday was on prayer. The various ways we pray and the things for which we ask. It was moving and powerful. Our Pastor also talked about how he feels that God nudges him from time to time. And maybe more often than that and he simply doesn't notice it. But that many times when he feels that nudge and answers whatever small seeming call, he is enormously blessed and grateful. And how important it is to be mindful of the nudges of God.

It's happened to me a few times that I've gotten "close" to a blogger and then they've closed up shop. Sometimes saying why, sometimes not. I may have never left a comment on their writings but I've felt ridiculously close with them. Maybe prayed for them in various situations. Certainly laughed with them and rooted them on in areas of their lives that they've been willing to share. And when they were gone it was almost like I mourned. I missed them.

To all that have written me saying that you missed me, prayed for me, and hoped I'd come back....thank you. I hope I responded to all of you via email. I certainly tried to do so. I can't understand why anyone would be interested in the things that I write. But I suppose that all is not for us to understand.

I don't feel worthy to be looked at as an older woman with any kind of wisdom. The truth is that I'm 43 and have a daughter that is grown and married, along with a teenage daughter and a preteen daughter. So I suppose that while I feel youthful and ignorant in many ways of life, I might have something to share. Even if it's nothing but what NOT to do as learned by me the hard way.

I've felt a nudge for a while. To come back here. To write a little as I feel called to do so. And I won't ignore the nudge anymore.

Thank you all for the beautiful emails you've written me. I've missed you too.

Reasonably Healthy Lunch Ideas

2008-08-30T14:59:00.003-04:00

My middle daughter, Julia, was 13 last year. She decided that she would NOT carry a lunch box to her co-op. Now since she only went one (full) day a week, I didn't make too much of it. I'd send her some (healthy) peanut butter spread on crackers and a water bottle. Just making sure she had a big breakfast and supper on that day.

This year she is going 3 days a week. All day long. Something had to change. I talked with other mothers and we brainstormed a few things. All are more than agreeable to my middle (and now youngest as well) daughter.

First, there is no need for a lunch box. I pack a small cooler for them both together and put it in the co-op kitchen. Whenever they get hungry between classes, they can just go grab what they want from their personal "refridgerator". And they don't have to lug anything around.

And here is some of the ideas we've come up with to fill it. Bear in mind that the girls only have 15 minutes between each class, so the snacks have to be pretty small.

*Half sandwich (we call these "bendovers" cause you "bend" the bread "over")
(Preferably some type of minimally processed meat on a whole grain bread.)

*Big huge pickle (cut into spears cause the girls have braces now...I buy them in those huge glass jars that they have at Sams)

*Box of raisins

*String cheese

*Whole grain crackers (with or without non hydrogenated peanut butter)

*Fiber One Bars

*Non-sweetened applesauce cups

*Non-sweetened fruit cups

*Yogurt

*Nuts

*Organic chocolate milk

*Bottled Water

~~~When the weather turns cooler I plan to put a thermos of something warm as well. Homemade soup or chili. Or even just some hot chocolate.

They do have a use of a microwave at the co-op but there time is so limited that I don't think they'd have time to use it. Especially if there were someone ahead of them. So that's why I've not included things that need to be warmed or heated.

I'd love to hear others ideas!

And The Winner Is...

2008-08-30T10:44:00.003-04:00

I'd like to quickly thank you all SO MUCH for participating in my 2 year blogoversary give-a-way. You all made this so fun and really memorable event for me. So thank you.

Unfortunately there could only be one winner. But I do encourage all of you to consider RS Designs when you need a blog makeover. I just can't say enough about their work. And their customer service is top of the line. Thank you Revka. :)

And the winner, chosen by a random number generator, is...

Jana Kelley!

I will be emailing Jana shortly. Should she not respond in 3 days, another winner will be announced.

Thanks again for all the fun. And congratulations Jana!

Breaking News!

2008-08-25T11:31:00.003-04:00

FINALLY!

Today, on my sweet, precious middle daughter's 14th birthday, I finally got a second wind on my walk/jog.

And I jogged 3/4 mile.

Nonstop.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program. :)

Menu-Plan-Monday w/Give-A-Way!

2008-08-18T08:58:00.003-04:00

Well, it looks like it will be yet another week of simple foods. And not much home time. A dearly beloved Great Uncle went home to the Lord Saturday night. He had been sick for several months so it was not a shock, but still so very sad. He leaves behind a wife of over 60 years. My mind won't wrap around being with someone for that length of time and then them just suddenly being gone.

We also have several things that we must get done for back to school. And many of the fall activities are starting back up now too. So it would have been a busy week anyway. The loss just adds another element to it.

Monday - Crockpot beef brisket (didn't get to it last week) with vegetables

Tuesday - Will be out at family events

Wednesday - Leftover brisket sandwiches with sweet potato fries

Thursday - Quinoa and Black Beans, salad

Friday - Pizza night! Whole grain crust and as much vegetables as I can pile on top, with homemade pesto! The basil is still going crazy in the garden.

And if you're at all interested in a new, fabulous blog design, don't forget to check out the contest I'm running!

For more menu ideas, be sure to check out Laura's Blog!

Frugal Friday Give-A-Way!

2008-08-15T08:56:00.001-04:00

Contest is now over. Winner will be picked and announced soon! Stay tuned. And good luck!

Tell me, what is more frugal than something free?!

I'm so happy to announce a very special give-a-way right here on my little blog.

In celebration of my 2 year blogoversary, Revka of RS Designs has very generously offered to give away a $60 credit toward any of her custom websites or blog designs. That means that if your choice is under $60, it's absolutely FREE! Anything over $60 you simply pay the difference.

I first saw Revka's work during a blog carnival. I didn't win the carnival, but decided to contract with her for the blog design you see here. Revka is very professional. She somehow manages to take care of her family and do this incredible work on the side. She is timely, polite and very helpful to those of us that may not be too computer savy.

I've gotten so many compliments on the blog since Revka got ahold of it. And I'm just thrilled that I now get to participate in one of her give-a-ways!

There is even "free for the takin" (as we say in Tennessee) buttons and badges at her site! And look how pretty!

(Ohhh, I'm keeping this one!)

They even have free templates sometimes!

Red Tape:

To enter:

1. Just go to Revka's site and look around, come back here and tell me something you love in the comment section of this post. It's that easy.

and/or

2. Sign up for her newsletter on her website (and let me know in the comment section that you have done so). That way even if you don't win, you'll be kept up on other give-a-ways and discounts. It's a win/win!

and/or

3. Write your own post about this give-a-way and link back here to this post, letting me know in the comments that you've done so.

Do one of these things for one entry. Two for two entries. Or all 3 for 3 entries in this contest! Remember, you have to mention it in the comment of this post for it to "count" toward an entry. How else will I know you've done it?

Contest open to anyone with a blogging platform that allows you to customize your template yourself. Contest runs from blog posting time (ie- now!)on August 15, 2008 thru noon EST August 29, 2008.

Winner will be chosen at random by Saturday August 30 and notified by email (so please be sure to leave a valid email address or blog address that has your email listed). Winner has 3 days to respond to email after which a new winner will be selected.

Good luck to all of you!

For more frugal fun, be sure to check out http://www.biblicalwomanhoodonline.com/blog.htm!

Running, Eating and Aging, Oh My!

2008-08-14T13:27:00.006-04:00

I've been blogging here for a little over 2 years and I suppose over the course of time things just naturally change.

I don't feel old. Truly. But the harsh truth is...I'm not getting any younger. And I feel almost as if I'm at a crossroads in my life. It seems that people my age either start to really kick it up a notch as far as health and lifestyle are concerned, or they get old.

Yes, yes I realize that the years go by either way. But there is a difference in growing older and getting old. At least to me there is.

I want to be as healthy and active as possible for as long as possible.

So my husband and I started walking a couple of months ago. As a side note, I don't recommend STARTING a walking program in the middle of summer in the South. To say that it's hot, even late in the evening, is an understatement. To put it mildly. But we* started out strolling and pretty quickly picked it up to a fairly fast walk. An 18 minute mile is a fast walk, right? Don't laugh.

We go 1½ - 2 miles total. Now we're* up to running a third of it. Any google search turns up many "Couch to 5K in 8-9 weeks" programs online. I'm taking it a little slower. But I do plan to do it eventually. And truthfully, I'm proud of what I've accomplished.

The thing is, I ran in high school. So I FEEL like a runner. But I just not anymore. I hope to be again. But right now, no.

But we* are trying. And that's a step in the right direction. Pun intended.

We're still eating the green smoothies almost every day. I just don't think there is any argument about the nutrition in them. The other foods that we eat are pretty simple. But the goal is to try to make each bit as nutrient dense as possible. We fair at this sometimes. But it's a journey. And one that I feel blessed to be undertaking.

*Please note that when I say "we" or "we're" I'm talking about me. My husband can run circles around me. But it feels better to say "we".

Menu Plan Monday w/give-a-way teaser!

2008-08-11T09:12:00.003-04:00

Just when I think I'm busy, life kicks into high gear and I know what "busy" means! We, like most others, are getting our back to school gear in order. With a high-schooler this has new significance for us homeschoolers. Or maybe just for me. :) Lots more organization and paperwork. And I really need to find time to get it all together this week. The sooner the better.

The garden is also coming in so I'm processing (and by that I mean cooking or freezing, I don't can) lots of delicious foods.

We're still working on eating very healthy, though we did kinda blow it last week as it was my BABY'S *11th* birthday. Unbelievable. So we had too much junk food and cookie cake and I know this week will be harder to settle back into with the nutritious foods.

We're also still walking/jogging. I will do a separate post about that. I think it deserves it's own spot.

OH! And I also want to encourage all of you to check back here this coming Friday (the 15th). I'm going to have a pretty sweet give-a-way in celebration of my 2 years of blogging here. I'm not going to say what it is, but I will tell you that it's something that many of you would LOVE to win.

With this flurry of excitement going on, the menu is going to be as simple as I can possibly make it.

Monday - Tilapia, big garden salad

Tuesday - Fish sandwiches on sprouted wheat bread. Sauteed sweet potatoes

Wednesday - Quinoa and Black Beans, salad

Thursday - Crockpot brisket with vegetables.

Friday - Pizza night! Whole grain crust and as much vegetables as I can pile on top, with homemade pesto! The basil is going crazy in the garden.

I hope to put up pictures of the pesto, but it's not my recipe. I found the one that we love the most on AllRecipes.com.

Pesto

I usually make at least a double batch. We eat it on everything.

For more menu ideas, be sure to check out Laura's Blog!

Menu-Plan-Monday

2008-07-28T09:17:00.003-04:00

It has been so hot here. Not only hot, but the humidity! If anyone thinks the humidity doesn't matter, it's because you've not experienced it. Trust me. We've had afternoon thunderstorms almost daily for so long that I can't recall the last time I've had to water the garden. And then about the time we go out for our walk/jog, it's just so incredibly humid that it's like breathing through water! I come home and my hair looks like I've been in a rainstorm.

Speaking of walking/jogging, I got up to 2½ miles Saturday! Mine is mostly walking, but in my defense it's a really fast walk (and it was hot!). My husband is now jogging over a mile of it! The plan is to continue to pretty much walk (3-4 times a week) this week and possibly next. The week after that I'd like to start incorporating more jogging. I'm really pleased with it. It's such a tension reliever and a great bonding time with my sweet husband.

We had guests yesterday and at outside and made entirely too much meat. So now we've got lots of leftovers with which to work. I hope to begin to put up some prices with the menu's in the next several weeks.

Monday - Leftover pork chops with sauteed vegetables, big salad

Tuesday - White beans, cornbread and sliced onion (at the request of my husband)

Wednesday - Quinoa and Black Beans (didn't get to it last week), salad

Thursday - Leftover beans, mashed, in a whole grain wrap with cheese and fixins (lettuce, tomato, sour cream, etc)

Friday - Pizza night! Whole grain crust and as much vegetables as I can pile on top, with homemade pesto! The basil is going crazy in the garden.

For more menu ideas, be sure to check out Laura's Blog!

Menu-Plan-Monday

2008-07-21T08:58:00.002-04:00

Well, the little get-together for my sister turned out really well. We had an additional 5 people at the last minute, but we somehow pulled it off with just enough food to not have any left to nibble on later! Which was a *good* thing.

I've found that it's super important for me to have good healthy foods here to eat, because when I get really hungry, if there is nothing else, I'll go for the junk. So I'm working on that this week.

We've also started to walk/jog. I hesitate to even mention this because I feel silly at my age/fitness level trying to start to be a runner. But it's something that I did years ago and something that I want to do again. We've been at it for a couple of weeks and we are doing 2 miles a night now. It takes a little over 40 minutes.

I hope to get my sidebar updated at some point, but it's been (as usual) busy here. Last week BOTH of my younger girls got braces. They put them on in "phases" at this particular orthodontist so we go back tomorrow for "phase 2". So the updating may take a little longer.

Anyway, on to the menu. Still no prices, though I'm working on it.

Monday - Leftover whole wheat homemade pizza, a big salad

Tuesday - Grilled chicken breast and sauteed vegetables over brown rice

Wednesday - Quinoa and Black Beans (didn't get to it last week), salad

Thursday - Youth Advisory Council Meeting and they always bring food. I have no idea.

Friday - Leftover chicken/vegetables in a whole-wheat wrap. Salad

For more menu ideas, be sure to check out Laura's Blog!

Menu-Plan-Monday

2008-07-14T09:08:00.005-04:00

It has really been a long time since I've posted! I'm not sure where the time has gotten away to, but I hope to be back a little more regular. I've really missed it and missed you all. Thank you for your sweet comments and I hope to catch up with you all soon!

This has been a summer of change as far as food goes. It all started with the Green Smoothie. And it's really progressed from there. I always thought we did pretty good nutrition wise, but we're playing in a whole new ballpark right now. And I'm still learning so much.

My goal is to post some of the specific things I'm now doing differently, but the general idea is to limit all processed foods. Make each bite we eat as nutritionally dense as possible. The kicker is doing this with 3 daughters. Doing this and still having a varied, enjoyable menu. And doing this on a budget.

In the spirit of frugality, I hope to go back to adding prices to my menu soon. But I've not figured it very well with this new way of eating yet.

Having said all of that, today is my sisters birthday! I'm hosting the party and it's a very standard American diet (SAD) party. So here goes the menu for the week!

Monday - Typical Party Foods! Sausage/cheese dip, chips, pigs in a blanket, nuts, pickles, birthday petits fours and ice cream.

Tuesday - Back to the real world. Grilled chicken breast and sauteed vegetables.

Wednesday - Leftover chicken/vegetables in a whole-wheat wrap. Salad.

Thursday - Quinoa and Black Beans, salad

Friday - Homemade, whole wheat, pesto pizza. Salad.

For more menu ideas, be sure to check out Laura's Blog!

Quinoa (Protein) "Cookies"

2008-05-22T11:39:00.005-04:00

I *so* swiped this recipe from:

Green Smoothie Girl.

But as usual, I have some compulsive urge to change things around. So here's what I did.

I ground Quinoa in my BlendTec to get a cup of Quinoa flour.

Then, because I didn't have any ground, I ground some wheat in my BlendTec to get a cup of wheat flour. This is both the quinoa flour and the wheat flour in the bowl.

Then my battery in my camera died, so I didn't get to show the added:

1/2 cup coconut oil
T Baking Powder
t Vanilla
1 L Egg
1/4 cup Agava
1 cup Rolled Oats
1 t cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins

But I promise I added it. And my camera battery was just charged enough to make a picture of the mixed dough.

I charged the camera again while I was putting the cookies on the pan to bake. Just so I could get this picture for you.

And here is what they look like once they're baked. (I eyed the coconut oil instead of measuring it and think I added a little too much as they spread out more than normal, but it didn't seem to change the taste.)

And here is the PROOF that they are delicious. My P I C K Y redhead likes them. (Excuse the 80's hair and makeup, she just got back from a dress rehearsal for a play she's in tonight!)

These are something that I feel good about giving my family. If you try them, let me know!

BlendTec Question

2008-05-19T14:58:00.003-04:00

Tisha left a comment asking if the BlendTec can grind peanuts to make homemade peanut butter. She said that she had seen a Vitamix demo at Sam's and was amazed that it could do that.

Let me start off by saying that I've never used a VitaMix, but from everything I've read it seems to be a great machine. That being said, this is why I chose the BlendTec:

1. If I'm going to trust someones opinion on what foods I put into my body, I'm certainly going to trust them on something less important like which blender to purchase. This is what Green Smoothie Girl has to say about Vitamix v's Blendtec.

2. It has a larger motor. 3 horse power. That's ridiculous.

And yes Tisha, it WILL make fresh peanut butter. And honey nut butter. And honey butter. And maple nut butter. And maple butter. And strawberry butter. And homemade (healthier) mayonnaise. And BUTTER (from cream).

And all of these recipes came with my blender in a big colorful recipe book.

And while I've not tried it, I've heard that you can also make almond and/or cashew, and/or pecan butters.

It also has a section on milk substitutes with recipes. Nut milks. Oat Milk. Seed Milk. Wheat Milk. Rice Milk. Etc.

Many smoothie recipes (though none like the green smoothie that I've found so far). Even iced cappuccino recipes!

It also makes bread dough (even from wheat berries). It has a whole section of soup recipes that look really, really good. Many, many sauce recipes. Salad dressing recipes.

I'll play with this thing for at least a year before I've scratched the surface of all that I want to try!

Green Smoothie, The Cost Breakdown

2008-05-19T10:27:00.008-04:00

(Ok, I hadn't intended this to be a Frugal Friday post, but I'm just so excited about the cost savings that I just had to share!)

Every morning I make 2 pitchers of green smoothie. That's a GALLON of the stuff. Each day.

I got the idea from watching the Green Smoothie Girl video, though I don't use her exact recipe. Look her up on YouTube as well! She is amazing and inspirational. And I have bought her basic recipe collection and highly, HIGHLY recommend it. I ~~will probably join~~ have now joined her 12 Step Program as well.

To make my green smoothie, I use:

Baby organic spinach

Collard greens

Flax Oil

Stevia

Carrots

Apple

Banana

Frozen Fruit

Crushed Ice (from my refridgerator)

Water

I do have to go shopping (at Sam's) at least once a week now, which I don't particularly enjoy. But it's really not out of the way for me as my girls have a co-op that is literally a mile or so from the store. If I had to drive farther, I'd have to factor in the cost of gasoline and at this point that would significantly add to the total.

At Sam's I can get:

Baby Organic Spinach, 1 ½ # - 4.78 (makes appr. 4 smoothies)

Collard Greens, 2# - 3.27 (appr. 8 smoothies)

Baby Organic Carrots, 5# - 5.44 (appr. 28 smoothies)

Fuji Apples, 5# - 6.48 (appr. 18 smoothies)

Banana, 3# - 1.32 (appr. 8 smoothies)

Frozen Mixed Berries, 3# - 7.68 (appr. 6 smoothies)
OR
Frozen Mixed Fruit, 6# - 8.56 (appr. 12 smoothies)
OR
Frozen Strawberries, 6# - 8.44 (appr. 12 smoothies)
OR
Frozen Blueberries, 3# - 9.43 (appr. 6 smoothies)

The flax oil I buy is Barleans and it's $29.99 or less (on sale) locally and it lasts about a month.

The Stevia is $8.99 (or less on sale) locally and a box lasts about a month.

Whew!

So now, how much does it cost to make each smoothie? (Prices rounded up)

Spinach - 1.20

Collard Greens - .41

Carrots - .19

Apples - .36

Banana - .17

The Frozen Fruit can be as little as .70 or as much as 1.57. With the average being 1.07

The flax oil is appr. .50 and the stevia is appr. .30

So that would make the *average* cost of a full half gallon of green smoothie to be:

$4.20

But remember, I make 2 of these a day. So MY daily cost is $8.40. Or $252.00 a month.

This was very hard on my frugal mind at first. Even though I realize how important nutrition is, the total cost was hard to swallow. But for some reason, we didn't seem to be spending any more money a month. We actually seemed to be SAVING money and I didn't really understand at first. And then I realized a few things.

+ This is a meal (breakfast for me and my daughters, lunch for my husband) for 4 of us daily. This saves at least $6 a day. Or $180 a month

+ After much research, we no longer take a multi vitamin. We just don't feel like it's necessary with all of this great raw nutrition we're getting. So that saves $45.00 a month.

+ Coffee has lost much of it's importance to me. So instead of buying an expensive whole bean, I'm just getting some cheap grocery store coffee and drinking about half of what I was before. This is saving over $30.00 a month.

+ We're buying *MUCH* less meat a month. Much, much less. My husband is a HUGE meat eater and it's amazing how much less he's eating now. We're easily and conservatively eating less than half the meat we did before. This is not a deliberate thing. This is just what's happening. This is EASILY saving us $40 a month.

+ Our sugar cravings are gone. Really pretty much totally gone. So we're not making nearly as many sweets as we were before. Saving probably $15 a month.

So, if the cost a month for the smoothie is:

252.00

Minus the fact that it's a meal replacement brings the total to:

72.00

Minus the multi-vitamins:

27.00

Minus the coffee savings:

+ 3.00

Minus the meat savings:

+ 43.00

Minus the sugar cravings:

+ 58.00

So there you have it. By my making this smoothie, we're actually AHEAD by appr. $58 a month. I am absolutely not exaggerating this. If anything I'm being conservative.

As an example, I will frequently buy very ripe bananas for about .10# and freeze them, reducing the banana cost in the smoothie. Also, our fresh strawberries are coming in and that significantly decreases the cost of the smoothie right now. And the peach trees show great promise this year. Along with our blueberry bushes, grapes, blackberries, and apples for next year. Also carrots and spinach can be grown to further reduce the cost (we're trying carrots this year and I'm hopeful that my husband will put up a cold frame box for spinach this fall).

But having said all of this, I would do it even if it DID cost me an extra $252 a month. Because how do you put a price on health? And maybe more importantly, teaching your children healthy eating habits?

For more frugal inspiration, be sure to visit Crystal's Blog!

Green Smoothies, BlendTec, etc

2008-05-19T10:03:00.003-04:00

Mrs. Gunning asked about the BlendTec Blender that is found on Green Smoothie Girl's Site in a comment and I thought I might answer it in a post in case others are interested as well.

I did buy the blender. I checked eBay and other sites high and low for specials but found that it's just a product that people don't seem to sell once they get one. It's always discouraging AND encouraging as I shop for a product to find that I can't purchase it used much more cheaply than I can new. It means that it's a good product. (And I'm going through the same thing now wanting an Excalibur food dehydrator. They cost as much used as they do new. Sometimes more!)

I ended up getting mine from Everything Kitchens. They were running an email special and I got it a *little* cheaper. The sale runs through May 31 if anyone is interested.

Mrs. Gunning also asked if I'd used it to grind wheat. I have not. I have a BlendTec wheat grinder and grind a lot of wheat at a time with that. However with a grain mill you can't grind oily grains. Like flax seed. So I have used it to gring my flax seed. And it works perfectly. It does seem to cloudy the carafe a little though, so keep it in mind if that bothers you. I've also used it to grind Quinoa. I found a recipe on Green Smoothie Girl for Quinoa cookies. They are not very sweet and they are high in protein and the whole family likes them. I've had no trouble at all grinding the Quinoa.

So I'm sure that the machine would grind wheat as well. Just bear in mind that you have to grind a smaller amount at a time than you can in a grain mill.

We've been drinking the green smoothies for a little over a month now. One of my husbands friends, who is all into health and nutrition, saw my husband drinking one and asked about it. He bought himself a blender and called up in a day or so saying that he feels like he's drinking "life". The stuff is pretty amazing. And surprisingly great tasting. I'm going to do a seperate post on the cost later today.

Michelle Duggar

2008-05-09T10:25:00.001-04:00

The Duggar's are adding to their family.

Again.

Wow!

Nourishment

2008-05-06T09:42:00.004-04:00

I can remember when I was young I thought that when I became an adult I would know things. I didn't know how. I never really thought about how. Just that somehow when I reached adulthood that many of life's mysteries would somehow magically be revealed to me.

Ha.

When that didn't happen, I set out to find answers. And when I'd formulated opinions I was ridiculous about defending them. I wasn't very tolerant of those that didn't share my belief's. Because, after all, I was now "grown up" and I was right. Right?

And then I came to a point in my life, not too awful many years ago, where I started to realize that I didn't have the inside scoop on all important things in my own life, much less on anyone else's life. That was a humbling time.

And through the years since that time, I've come to realize how very little I know. That the old saying about walking a mile in another's shoes before you judge has tremendous merit.

So now I try, and often fail, to love my neighbor as myself. No matter what their choices. I try to avoid being judgemental. I often fail at this too. I believe that loving our neighbor is one of the most important things we can learn here on earth. We're commanded to do it after all.

A lady recently approached me talking about various things in her life. Hardships. I was startled because I didn't know the woman at all. She certainly didn't fit into the surroundings. I stopped and listened to her, but my body language was terrible (I thought about it after the fact). She obviously had problems other than the ones she was talking about. And she picked me to share with. And I know that I wasn't nearly as embracing as I should have been. It was a safe area. My husband was close. There was no need to fear her. And yet I did. Because she was so different. And came at me so suddenly.

I talked to my husband on the way home about how Jesus would have acted with this woman. And I felt shame. While I was sweet to her, I certainly didn't do all that I could have done to touch her life.

These are the area's that I am trying to work on in my life. Loving my neighbor, especially the less-loveable ones.

And living in the past. But I'll save that for another day.

As a funny aside, when I started typing this post, I had every intention of talking about food and our dietary changes lately. And why I've not done a Menu Plan Monday. And the fact that we're having out of town company tomorrow for several days and how to feed them when we're eating so differently. That's why I called it "nourishment". I had absolutely no intention of speaking about these things that have been on my heart. But it's what I typed for some reason.

But there are other kinds of nourishment. So I think I'll keep the title.

Frugal Friday (Budget Busters)

2008-05-02T09:48:00.003-04:00

I know I've not been around much. It's been a whirlwind of a week. Last Friday night we had an overnight GirlScout event at the mall. :) It's a really fun time, but I'm older and staying up all night is harder. And then Wednesday was the girls annual Science Fair. Lots of fun, but LOTS of work to get ready for that. Tonight the girls have another overnight youth function. So it's been get ready for one thing, barely recover, get ready for another thing.

Oh, and we're having out of town company next week for several days. :) Which I love. But it's work. Then an end of the year GirlScout dinner. And then the next week is finals for the girls. And we're planning a summer trip. And I've been working in the garden ever spare second. But I finally got it all in the ground.

Whew!

I'm not specifically listing a frugal tip this week, I'm telling the things that seem to eat up all of my extra money. Or maybe better put, some of the reasons that I'm frugal in other areas. So that I can afford these things.

(I hope this is ok Crystal. If not, feel free to remove. :)

Tisha is the sweet lady who won my blog contest. And she has tagged me to list my five budget busters. So I thought, how fun! This can be part of Frugal Friday as well! (I'm all for multi-tasking you know. ;) Plus, I've got to admit...there are areas that I'm still working to find more frugal ways.

1. Green Smoothies. We can eat very, very cheaply if we eat a lot of processed food. But that is simply not acceptable to me at this point of my life. We have recently starting drinking Green Smoothies. And yes, I had to buy the blender (I tried it in my lovely KitchenAid blender and it started to have that burnt electric smell really quickly.) We've been doing this daily for over 2 weeks now and I *love* it so much. My husband is sleeping better and I've dropped 5lbs! My youngest asks for her smoothie every day (and my picky red head will even sometimes have some). The thing is, the ingredients aren't super cheap either. We are now buying 4.5-6 lbs of raw spinach, 4 lbs of collard greens and a huge bag of baby carrots (the kind you get at Sam's) ever week. But the most expensive part is the fruit. We have some fruit trees that we planted a couple of years ago that will hopefully help with some of that cost. And I think my sweet husband is relenting on a cold frame for some winter produce. This is my long winded way of saying that I'm trying to get the cost down (and have not even been able to really tell the true cost of it yet as it's so new). And I may post on this more as I get it all figured out. :)

2. My daughters activities. Since we homeschool, I feel a certain obligation to allow them ~~too many~~ a few outside activities. And they all seem to cost a bunch. Times two daughters.

3. My oldest dog. He's 13. And he has arthritis. So we buy some pretty expensive medication for him. I don't at all resent it. I think it's an obligation. And one that I will gladly cut corners in other areas to make happen. He limps pretty badly when he's off the medication. So it's simply not an option to not buy it.

4. My daughters co-op. Great, great education. But it's not cheap.

5. Gasoline. I drive very little. But good grief! A tank on average lasts me 10 days. But it's costing over $50 to fill up! I remember when we first got the vehicle that I now drive and I could not force $15 in gasoline into it. Which I suppose shows the age of my vehicle. :)

I'd love to see what the rest of you spend your money on. If you decide to do a Budget Buster post, please leave a link here so I can check it out!

For some frugal ideas (and I really feel like I need them more than ever now), be sure to visit Crystal's Blog!

Blog Carnival Winner $50 Visa Card!

2008-04-28T07:57:00.003-04:00

I have got to start off with saying how very nice to have all the comments! You are the sweetest bunch of ladies! Almost everyone had something nice to say. It does the heart good.

I almost wish I hadn't asked what you'd buy though. It made me think of many, many things that I'd like to have as well! LOL

I wish I had 560 giftcards to give away. But I don't. I only have the one. Well, truth be told, I don't even have it in hand yet. But I will have it tomorrow. :)

And the winner is:

Tisha!

She said in her comment:

"I would use the money so my husband and I could go out on a date!! :) How fun, thanks for this great giveaway!"

I really hope you guys have fun on your night out if that's what you decide to do with the prize.

I've already emailed Tisha and if I don't hear back from her in the alloted time, I'll draw again. :)

Thank you all so much for participating. I will be visiting many of your blogs as time allows.

Want A $50 Visa Giftcard? Give-A-Way Over!

2008-04-21T08:47:00.007-04:00

Giveaway over! No more comments allowed. Winner to be picked soon!

Time for another blog give-a-way! What a fun way to meet new and different bloggers and maybe win a little loot in the process!

Well, the loot at this site is gonna be...a $50 Visa Giftcard!

That's right. 50 smackeroos (in plastic form) to spend how you see fit. Mailed right to your door. Maybe you've been wanting a mixer? Or something from Amazon. Or how about some nice steaks at the grocery store? Hey, you can even buy gas with it!

Whatever you little heart desires.

To enter:

Leave a comment telling what you would like to buy with the giftcard between right-this-second-now and 4pm Saturday, April 26 when comments will be turned off. I know that's an odd time, but I promise I have my scheduling reasons. :)

Winner will be chosen with a random number generator and notified no later than Monday, April 28. If you don't say what you'd like to buy, your entry is void.

This contest is open to bloggers and non bloggers alike. But please make sure if you have a blog, to have an easy to find email link. And if you don't have a blog, you must leave a valid email address (how else will I get in touch with you when you win?).

You have 3 days to respond to the winning email notification, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

This contest is open to residents of the US only.

See how easy? Come on and comment!

Want to enter more contests? This would be the place to click!

Menu Plan Monday (with costs!)

2008-04-14T08:10:00.004-04:00

Seriously. I can't believe it's Monday already again. Every year as we wrap up the school year it takes me by surprise. Which is totally silly I know. And all the activities! From science fairs to Girl Scout dinners to play productions. And much, much more. Our schedule is starting to look scary.

We're changing things up a little here in the food department. Reevaluating how we feel nutritionally about certain foods. To tell the truth, we've gotten into eating some foods (sometimes) that are just not so healthy. White rice. White potatoes. More sweets than I would like to have here. Bacon. You know.

So I imagine our food budget is going to go out kicking and screaming. I will, of course, do what I can to keep it low. But I do want what we use to fuel our bodies to be as nutritional as possible without breaking the bank.

I am excited that our peach trees have teeny peaches on them. And it looks like we may get some cherries too this year! We've also planted more things recently, but I'll save that for a garden update post.

I've been reading Green Smoothie Girl's site and have found tons of inspiration. Though we will most likely never be vegetarian (though we were for a while). It just doesn't seem to work well for us.

Whew.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 55¢ to make and last for several days.

(Yes, the price of bread flour has increased so much that it's made a significant price increase in my rolls. Still a great deal, but up from 35¢ last fall.)

(I also make a whole wheat bread that I will soon calculate the costs and give the recipe.)

What I'm working with this week:
TONS of fresh root vegetables (Sam's trip) and a ridiculous amount of both fresh and frozen fruit.

Monday - Steaks (my husband picked some up from the grocery store yesterday and they were not on sale, but they look fabulous), collard greens, carrots and ww bread. $29.50

Tuesday - Steak (leftover) fried quinoa. Think of it as a healthier fried rice dish? (This is an experiment. It may not work.) $4

Wednesday - Church moving party. We'll probably have to grab something out.

Thursday - Grilled thin sliced pork chops, creamed corn, salad $23.75

Friday - Pork chops (leftover) with sauteed root vegetables over quinoa. $6.25

Total for the work week - $63.50

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

Menu Plan Monday (with costs!)

2008-04-07T07:53:00.002-04:00

I finally got my freezers cleaned out (and the small one defrosted) last week. It was really past time. So now I at least know what I have and what I need. I also got the pantry dusted and straightened. It's amazing the little things that can make a difference. It really looks a lot better!

What (fresh) I'm working with this week:
Some leftover steak. We finally got to cookout again yesterday (in between church and our small group meeting) and we've got a little of the meat left. I also have cabbage and lots of eggs.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 55¢ to make and last for several days.

(Yes, the price of bread flour has increased so much that it's made a significant price increase in my rolls. Still a great deal, but up from 35¢ last fall.)

(Also, this is the estimate of these individual meals. Not included is the cost of drinks (tea, milk, occasionally soda, ect), desserts (which we have way too often), snacks, or any other meal of the day. This price does NOT reflect my grocery totals for the week.)

Monday - Steak fried rice $1.50

Tuesday - Thin sliced pork chops (cooked on the grill), sauteed cabbage $10

Wednesday - Dinner at the church. I'll bring some vegetable dish. $6

Thursday - Sauteed chicken and vegetables on lettuce $11.75

Friday - Leftover sauteed chicken/vegetable burritos $2.50

Total for the work week - $31.75

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

Frugal Friday Another Banana Tip

2008-04-04T08:35:00.002-04:00

We don't really have issues here about wasting food. I like to think it's because my expectations have always been that it's disrespectful to waste, but the truth could just as easily be that we're all good eaters. We like food.

However there are exceptions. Like when the bananas at the market are HUGE and no one wants that much banana in his/her cereal. So we might try to get someone to share. And there were times that if no one would, we'd simply forgo the banana.

Well, no more.

We simply slice off as much of a banana as we'd like to eat. Right through the peel. This is what was left of this particular banana.

After a day or so this is what the end looks like.

To use the rest of the banana, we simply slice a very small sliver off.

And the rest of the banana is as beautiful and fresh tasting as ever!

For more frugal ideas be sure to check out Crystal's Blog!

Menu Plan Monday (with Costs!)

2008-03-31T10:06:00.002-04:00

Oh the sugar!

Our local grocery store puts ripe bananas in 5lb bags for $1.49. I must have gotten there as soon as they did it last Thursday because the ones that were in there packaged up were just ready to eat and not at all over ripe. So I bought a bag. And we ate on them. And then I decided to make banana bread. A double recipe. And we ate on that. And there were still tons left so I made another double batch of banana bread (this will go in the freezer) and there is still bananas (3) left (that will have to go in the freezer whole. They win. I'm done.)

Yesterday was my sweet husbands birthday. He wanted a cake. I made it into 2 8 X 8 cakes and took one to our small group at church. They ate. We ate. People took some home. And there is still too much cake left.

All of this to say that my husband has asked that we lighten it up a bit here and I couldn't agree more.

What I'm working with this week:
Not much other than a head of cabbage and some regular and sweet potatoes in the way of fresh vegetables.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Tuna Patties, baked sweet potatoes, homemade whole wheat bread. $9.50

Tuesday - Tuna pattie sandwiches, raw vegetable platter $2

Wednesday - Dinner at church. I'll bring what's needed. I have no idea yet. $10 (or less)

Thursday - My Family's Favorite Meatloaf, sauteed cabbage $14.25

Friday - Meatloaf sandwiches, vegetable platter $2

Total for the work week - $37.75

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

Frugal Friday Gardening

2008-03-28T09:06:00.006-04:00

Being sick for a few weeks, I feel that I lost much of my garden prep time. When I started feeling more myself, it suddenly dawned on me that it was time to start planting early seeds and I had to hop to it!

This is our first year planting most things from seeds, so I didn't have any of the "equipment" ready to do so.

So I improvised. Using whatever little pot I'd kept from buying small plants in years past. But mine certainly doesn't looks very tidy, and it took a lot of dirt!

I wanted to give some seeds to a needy family that is starting in gardening this year, but they didn't have any little pots and absolutely no money to buy any.

I'd researched many different things that could be used, from egg cartons to toilet paper tubes, and then I found this:

A VIDEO THAT SHOWS YOU HOW TO MAKE SEEDLING CUPS FROM NOTHING BUT SOME NEWSPAPER AND A GLASS!

You end up with these little newspaper cups that are so perfect for your seeds. It was exactly what I was looking for. If it would only work.

Looks simple! So I tried it. And guess what?

It's as simple as it looks!

For more frugal ideas be sure to check out Crystal's Blog!

Homemade Frugal Delicious Stovetop Granola

2008-03-25T14:38:00.013-04:00

My family loves granola. But granola is *expensive*. And it usually has some pretty weird ingredients. So I decided to learn to make my own. I found several recipes (this being the best one in my opinion), but as is par for the course here, I tend to combine them and make my own recipe out of it.

This recipe is, bar none, the best granola we've ever had. It makes a HUGE amount. But can be easily divided.

To make it more frugal, use what you have on hand or what is inexpensive or in season.

Printable recipe follows picture tutorial.

Heat 4 tablespoons of Olive Oil up in a HUGE pan.

When the oil is hot (medium high) add 8 cups of oats and a bag of coconut. Here I added a little bag because my sweet husband picked it up for me on the way home and paid a FORTUNE for it. If I'd had a cheaper bag, I would have added more.

Brown the oats and coconut in the skillet stirring constantly. It takes several minutes to get them good and toasty looking. Then pour this into a bow.

Heat a little more oil and add 1 cup of sliced almonds. Stir until they are toasted. You can also do this in the oven or even skip this step. But toasted almonds have a lot more flavor than untoasted almonds. When toasted put them aside.

In the same skillet melt 1 and 1/3 cups of butter.

Add 8 Tablespoons of honey.

And 1 1/3 cups of packed brown sugar. Stir constantly until it comes to a good bubble.

Then add back in your toasted oats and coconuts (not your almonds yet).

Now brown this mixture for several minutes. It gets all caramely and toasty. You'll know when it's done.

Have some parchment or waxed paper ready.

Dump the hot toasty mixture on the parchment or wax paper. Pack it together so that you have chunks instead of crumbles. With the toasted almonds spread on top and packed down.

I like to add another kind of nut just to keep it interesting. Here is about 1/2 cup chopped pecans. All the recipes say to wait until it's totally cool and bagged to add the nuts and fruit, I have no idea why. I add them right after I pack it down on the parchment paper.

Here I am packing the pecans into the granola mixture.

Add some dried fruit. Here is close to a cup of dried cranberries. And I don't show it (forgot to get the picture) but I also added half a cup or so of dried dates just cause I had them left from Christmas baking.

Pack the dried fruit down on the (still warm) granola mixture.

Once it's set for a while, start to break it up. If you wait until it's completely cool it may be harder to crumble. See the corner that's missing? That's where the family can't keep their little grubby fingers out of it. Yeah, it's that good.

Even after the family had eaten and eaten, we still had a huge gallon bag left that weighed right at 3 lbs.

Be sure not to put it in the bag until it's totally cool or condensation will occur and it will ruin the granola. This keeps for a long time on the shelf. I've not found out how long because the family gobbles it down within a few days at most.

Homemade Frugal Delicious Stovetop Granola

4 T Olive Oil

8 Cups Oats

A bag of coconut

1 1/3 Cup butter

8 T Honey

1 1/3 Cup packed brown sugar

Up to 2 cups Nuts (if desired) (toasted if desired)

Up to 1 1/3 cup dried fruit of your choice

Heat the oil in the biggest pot you've got over medium high. Add oats and coconut. Stirring constantly until browned. This will take several minutes. Set aside in a bowl.

Heat a bit more oil and toast any nuts you want to toast. Set them aside separately.

Melt butter. Add honey and then brown sugar. Stir constantly until you've got a good bubble.

Add toasted oats and coconut back to butter/sugar mixture and toast several minutes until the mixture gets all toasty and caramely.

Pour mixture on parchment or waxed paper. Pack down. Add nuts, pack down. Add dried fruits, pack down. Once it begins to harden, break up into big chunks.

When totally cool put into a huge zipper bag (or two).

Enjoy!

For more "Works For Me Wednesday" Tips, be sure to visit http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/!

My Homemaking Philosophy

2008-03-25T09:33:00.003-04:00

I started this blog almost 2 years ago mainly to comment on other blogs. And then thought it was only fair to write a little too. That if I saw others lives, they should see a bit of mine.

But I've discovered something. Words can be powerful. And I never know who is listening here. So I've prayed that God would lead me in the things I should write about on this blog.

Homemaking is not necessarily the subject that I wanted to write about. I've thought for a while about writing about husband and wife relationships. I've formulated ideas in my mind and then sat down to type them out and....nothing. So I'd try again. With the same results. It's not that I thought I was an expert on husband/wife relationships. It's just that after 22 years of being with my husband I thought I had some things to share. And I still do think that. But now is not the time. I don't know why. I just know that I won't try to force it anymore.

As I went about my day yesterday it suddenly became clear to me that I needed to write about homemaking now. How I do it. Why I do it it the way I do it. My basic philosophy. I resisted the idea, because I'm certainly no expert. But the idea stayed with me all day. It just felt right.

And with that wordy preface, I give you my homemaking philosophy.

Treat homemaking like a job.

That's pretty much it.

If you worked outside the home, you'd more than likely have to be at work at a certain time. At home, we're given a little leeway. The fact is, it's easy to take advantage of that leeway. Don't.

If you worked outside the home, you'd have expectations placed on you. Place those expectations on yourself.

If you worked outside the home, you'd not resent most of the work that was placed on you. You'd realize that it was simply a part of the deal. Try to keep this same mindset when you work at home.

Realize that you'll have bad days. Just like if you worked outside the home.

Realize that you'll have days that you don't get everything done or that you just feel like you're spinning your wheels. Just like if you worked outside the home.

If you're lucky enough to be able to stay at home and care for your husband and family full time, then treat it like a job. A job that you love. And learn to love it if you don't.

How might you learn to love something that you don't?

First, pray. Ask God to change your heart so that you love and appreciate what you've been given a chance to do. I believe that God helps those that ask. So ask Him.

Secondly, learn to do it well. Very, very few things in life do we dislike doing that we do well. Think about it. What are you really good at? Do you like doing it?

So how do you learn to do something well? There might be areas that you have to research. You might have to get advice from someone. You might have to try different things to see what works best for you. But eventually if you persevere, you'll get good at it.

First you need a plan. I use a homemaking binder with chore charts. You might find something totally different that works for you. I make a menu on Sunday or Monday that we use for the whole week. When I know what we're having for dinner, I am almost never left at 5pm trying to scramble for something.

It's all about organization.

If you don't have your own system, feel free to use mine.

Brew yourself a nice pot of coffee or a cup of tea. Get a notebook or a piece of paper or an old envelope and a pencil. Start to make a list of all the things that need to be done in your home. Beside the chore, guesstimate the time that it takes you to do that chore. Like laundry might take me 5 hours a week. Paying bills may take me 2 hours every two weeks. Cooking (including cleaning up and organizing) may take me 2 hours a day. Grocery shopping may take me 2 hours a week. Scrubbing the tub may take me 20 minutes a week.

You get the idea. Include everything.

Ask your husband what he'd like to have done. There is no shame in this. Ask him what is important to him. You might be surprised at his answers. And don't bristle at his answers. You asked, didn't you?

This list may take you some time to complete. If you're like me, you'll find yourself adding to it for a few weeks as you get the whole thing organized.

Next, figure out how many hours you have in each individual day to get chores done. For example, on Monday and Friday I'm home all day (or can be). Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I'm obligated with driving the girls and church activities.

Get several sheets of paper, each with the individual days of the week written at the top. Divide each day into time slots and start to plug your list into these times slots.

If my husband leaves for work at 8am and gets home at 6pm, then technically I have 10hours that day to get my work done. Of course, I'm not going to work for 10 solid hours. But that is how many hours I have to plug my list into on any given day.

If I've got 10 hours to work with, I try to factor in 5 hours of housework. This includes cooking. This leaves me 5 hours to read my Bible, play with my children, exercise, work in my garden, walk the dog, go to the park or write a blog post (I don't watch TV without my husband, but if you like it, there is no reason you can't factor that in as well). What other job give you this kind of freedom?

The reason I "only" figure in 5 hours is because I have already worked before my husband leaves and I know I'll work a little after he comes home preparing meals and/or cleaning up. Plus, do you realize how much housework you can get done in 5 hours? It's a lot. Trust me.

Now on Wednesday I only have about 3 hours at home. So I figure my work load accordingly.

Once you figure out how much time you truly have in each day and have your scheduled work load for that day, you rarely feel overwhelmed. It's all laid out and easy to see what needs to be done each day. And you've scheduled plenty of time to do it!

I'd love to hear any thought on your routines and how you go about making homekeeping your career.

Menu-Plan-Monday with Costs!

2008-03-24T08:40:00.003-04:00

We had a lovely sunrise service yesterday. Just so touching and meaningful. I feel so fortunate to have found my church. Mike and I were talking on the way home that it really does feel like family. Without all the bickering. Mostly. : )

It's been a while. Definitely time to get back in the saddle so to speak on my menu plan and on my home. Specifically cleaning and organizing. It's A M A Z I N G what being ill for just a little while can do to the my home! I'm not sure I'll ever get laundry caught totally up. And I've been buying bread instead of making it, and I hope to get back to making it this week (read: today).

But be that as it may, the brood here still wants to eat. So menu planning I'll do.

What I'm working with this week:
A ham the size of Nebraska. Really. Remember in the Grinch (the cartoon one) where the Grinch is sitting at the table toward the end carving the "Roast Beast"? And he keeps carving and carving and it stays exactly the same size? That is our ham.
We also have a lot of cabbage, some root vegetables, and odd "I've been sick and bought weird stuff" in the fridge that I'd like to use up.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Leftover ham, fried cabbage $1

Tuesday - Bean soup (with ham), cornbread $4

Wednesday - Dinner at the church. Mexican. I'll bring Alanna's Mexican Rice Bake and cornbread. I know, but I can't help it. I'm Southern. $11

Thursday - Leftover bean soup, homemade whole wheat bread $4

Friday - Leftover Mexican Rice bake (not really, but I'll make 2 on Wednesday because there is so much food at church that my family probably won't even touch what I bring there, so it's all new to them), salad $4

Total for the work week - $24 (but only because we have so many leftovers)

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

My Absence...the Mini-Series

2008-03-18T10:27:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago my family and I were walking into church on a Sunday morning. Everything was normal, down to the rushing to get ready and the drive to church. We got almost all the way inside (it's a pretty good walk because our church meets in an odd location at the moment) and suddenly I felt really, really weird. Like I was going to pass out, but not really. Like the world was closing in on me? I know how odd that sounds...but that's just how I felt. Odd.

I told Mike how I was feeling and asked him to stay close. I must have looked pretty bad because he got a weird look on his face. Which freaked me out a little. He sat me at the first chair we came to and got me a little cup of juice (I'd not eaten anything yet, it was an early service...so we were thinking blood sugar). My hands were shaking so badly that I couldn't hold it. We walked back outside and sat down to see if I would feel better after I drank the juice. I didn't. My heart was pounding and I was still shaking.

After 10 or so minutes we decided to leave and just head back home. I got into bed and after a (long) while slept for a couple of hours. When I got up, I felt better. But not normal. NO appetite. And just weird. My heart rate was still up (not scary up, but up) and I felt all out of whack.

So I figured I'd sleep it off and try to feel better the next day.

Well, that didn't work either. The next day I felt a bit better but still not back to normal. My heart rate was still up and I was jittery. One of Mike's friends is a doctor and he asked if my blood pressure was up. I checked and it was scary up. So the next day I called my OB. It's the only Dr. I've seen in a long while. He told me to come on in right then and I did. My heart rate was still 90-100 but my blood pressure freaked the nurse out. She basically threw me on my left side and turned out the lights in the room. (NOT comforting, if you can imagine.) I think it was 158/104? After about 10 minutes it had gone down a little (140something/98ish)so they drew gallons of blood and sent me home to lay on my left side until the results came back.

They were thinking it was probably my thyroid (overactive). And/or I was catching a really bad case of the flu?

A few days later all of the results came back totally normal. I was feeling better by this time and my bp was mostly down with occasional weird spikes for no apparent reason. But I still had NO appetite. I mean literally NONE. It was the weirdest thing ever. And no real energy. But that "out of my head" feeling was gone. And I did get a pretty bad head cold. But no flu.

And then the end of the following week, about 10 days after the Dr. visit, I had another weird thing happen. Whenever I would stand, my heart rate would go up. And it wouldn't go down until I sat down. It was like I was running, but I wasn't running. I was simply standing. So I called the Dr. back to tell him. This he didn't like at all and made me an appt with another Dr. to be checked out.

Skip forward a few days and this heart/standing/racing thing had mostly stopped. My bp was pretty normal most of the time. But the Dr. wanted to run some tests. So I go in for an EKG, Echo, and Holter Monitor (the 24 hour thing that you wear as you go about your business).

Yesterday, I find out that everything came back normal. The Holter Monitor showed that I was having some heart arrhythmia with eating, immediately after eating and when I'd not eaten for a long time (like in the morning). So it's assumed that I have reflux. Which who would have guessed that it could cause all of that? The Dr. said that it absolutely can and does cause arrhythmia. So now I have some medication that I'll be taking for a month, and then on an as needed basis.

But all of this is not really why I've not posted. At least not after the first couple of weeks (which were mainly spent supine).

The following Sunday morning after this happened the family went to church but I wasn't up to it so I was still in bed. My oldest daughter, Jessica, doesn't get to attend church much because she had to work on Sunday morning. So she was still at home getting ready for work. She didn't know that I was at home because I was still in bed. So my cell phone rings and she's hysterical and screaming something that I can't understand. She's 21, not really a child, and not prone to hysterical outbursts at all. She's telling me to come home, come home. I ran from my room with my heart pounding (of course) and she's in a fetal position on her bed sobbing.

Her best friend (a guy) was texting her late the night before, and suddenly stopped. She thought he had fallen asleep as he usually did when he was texting her at night and suddenly stopped. But it turns out that he was texting her while driving home. And 8 minutes after his last text (by police records) he went off the road, crashed his car into a culvert, the car flipped and exploded. It took them days to positively identify the body he was so burned.

He was a Christian, so we have faith that he is in a better place. But our hearts are so heavy. So, so heavy.

My daughter worked with him and has transferred because she just can't be there right now. Everyone is so sad. He was only 23.

I've thought to post a time or two, because I really need the organization of my Menu Plans and such, but it just didn't seem right. There had to be a period of morning and honoring this young man.

As I was typing this, my daughter (who is at college) was texting me. Telling me how hard all of this is and how it doesn't seem to be getting any better. She is in so much pain.

I pray for strength for her and all of the other people mourning. I pray that God speaks through me so that I might be a comfort to my daughter.

Something I Stumbled Across

2008-02-13T13:14:00.002-05:00

Normally I'd try to look deeper into something so I could post with some bit of accuracy, but I truly stumbled onto this and thought it was something that I should share while it's going on.

It seems that some of our Blog Friends are in Africa. Uganda to be more exact. They are there with a group called Compassion. I don't know much about this at all. I just know that one of the Mom's That I Read sometimes is there and writing about it.

If you have some extra time, go take a look. (Click on the first link and scroll down just a little to get a list of the bloggers.) It's certainly put things in perspecive for me.

Menu-Plan-Monday (with costs!)

2008-02-11T09:05:00.000-05:00

I know I must be getting old but it can't be just me can it? It seems that we roll from one "Holiday" to another. Can you believe that Valentines day is this week? Mike and I have never celebrated it in any real way. But with the girls we try to make things fun. Which in this case means making cupcakes and cookies all week long for various activities it seems.

:/

And I'm hosting the Wednesday night Bible Study this week. I was drafted when I was out of the room looking after a little girl with a (really, seriously) huge pump knot on her head. It's okay though, they'll show me everything! Don't worry about a thing! They'll be there to walk me through it my first time! And then one by one they've had to drop out it for various reasons. So what I know is this:

~~˜I make up the menu and bring it to church~~ (I do menu's every week! No problem!)
˜People sign up on Sunday morning (didn't happen, I had 2 people sign up)
˜People call at the last minute asking what they can bring (so I'm told)
˜I fill in around the edges
˜I get there early and set it all up and break it all down (no problem, if I can find the stuff that used to set it up and break it down)

Sound fun? Yeah?

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Roast chicken (leftover), leftover beans, vegetable platter $2

Tuesday - Grilled pork chops, baked potatoes, rolls $15.25

Wednesday - Bible Study, if you read above, I won't know till Wed.! $45 (? hopefully much less)

Thursday - Leftover pork chop sandwiches, chips $5

Friday - Pizza (frozen, on sale), salad $6.50

Total for the work week: $73.75 (or less)

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

Notice Anything Different?

2008-02-09T09:53:00.000-05:00

I've been *so* wanting a custom blog look, and was just not very successful in doing it myself. I emailed the only blog template designer that I knew several weeks ago, but never heard back from her. So I was pretty much resigned to having the same old blog.

And then with the Bloggy Giveaway, I saw a few blog designers that I'd never seen before. Most were beautiful, but not my "style" (whatever that is).

And then I found Revka, over at RS Designs. I ♥ her stuff. She's sweet, gracious, prompt and GOOD! Not to mention affordable! She has made this a very positive experience.

I simply can't recommend her enough.

Thank you Revka!

Works For Me Wednesday

2008-02-06T09:49:00.001-05:00

The blog giveaway was really a lot of fun! And I actually won something (which I plan to post about when it gets here)! But I think the best part of it was getting introduced to all the different people who blog. I've found some blogs that I will definitely frequent!

And I also saw the Works For Me Wednesday posts! I've seen them before and maybe even participated once or twice, but it's been a long time. Well, this time when I saw that it was specific with questions about your favorite online stores, I had to jump on the bandwagon!

I ♥ online shopping.

So let's see... I love Woot!, it's a site that has a different product each day with a great price. You never know what's gonna be there! So it's fun to check out each day.

And if you like that one you'll probably like DealsClick.com. Same kind of thing except they have one "big deal" (ha) that lasts all day and then an hourly deal as well. That of course changes. Ever hour.

I also love the Retail Store at Equal Exchange. They sell fairly traded (wonderful and some organic!) coffee, tea and chocolate!

Got any favorite links to share? Head on over to Rocks In My Dryer!

Menu-Plan-Monday (With Costs!)

2008-02-04T10:29:00.000-05:00

I've been *so* busy the last few days that I wasn't even planning to do MPM this week, and then I find out the my husband is checking my blog from work to see what we're having for dinner.

:)

So I suppose I have an obligation.

What I'm working with this week:
Huge bags of organice root vegetables. Lettuce bought on sale a couple of days ago.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Crockpot garlic chicken legs, brown rice, vegetable platter. $8.50

Tuesday - Huge salads with leftover chicken. $1.50

Wednesday - No dinner at church this week. It's Ash Wednesday Service. We'll have sandwiches when we get home on homemade whole wheat bread. $6.50

Thursday - Grilled sausages with turnip greens and corn/onion cornbread. $4.25

Friday - White bean/ham soup with leftover cornbread. Vegetable platter. $6.50

Total for the work week - $27.25 (Woo-hoo! Good week!)

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

And the Winner of the $25 B&N Giftcard Is....

2008-02-02T12:40:00.000-05:00

Okay, I had no idea there would be so many comments. 466! Amazing! So I decided to use a random number generator instead of a daughter. I hope no one minds. :)

The random number generator picked....

#236 And this entry number (after counting many times to make sure) was...

Emily @ http://raisingmonkeys.blogspot.com/ & http://mommypracticality.blogspot.com/

Many congratulations to you Emily! I've already left a comment on her blog and sent an email. Should there be no response in the allotted time, I will draw again.

This has really be so much fun (and work!) and I want to thank you all for participating. I will be visiting each of your blogs that left a comment, though it may take me a while!

Because What is More Fun Than Something Free?

2008-01-29T12:53:00.000-05:00

Times up! Comments have been disabled! Winner will be announced soon!

This just looks like too much fun! So I'm joining in!

This giveaway is going to be for...

A $25 Barnes & Noble GiftCard!

To enter, just leave a comment! Comments close at noon on Saturday, February 2. (ETA-Eastern Standard Time)

Winner will be chosen by a random number pick by one of my daughters on Saturday afternoon. Winner will be notified by Saturday evening. Please don't forget to leave a link to your blog or an email address so I can notify you (and don't forget to check your spam folders)! Winner has 3 days to respond to winning notice or item will go to another commenter.

Open to residents of the US only.

Come on...you know you want to enter!

Menu-Plan-Monday (With Costs!)

2008-01-28T09:47:00.000-05:00

Good grief, last week was hectic. And fun. We had company in from out of town and other people added to the mix over for dinner for 3 days in a row. It was almost like cooking Thanksgiving meals every day. And the food! Tons of food. Tons and tons. Too much waste. And heavy food.

We've got to start eating a little lighter.

What I'm working with:
Huge bags of great organic root vegetables. Plus, I hope to clean out the freezer a little this week and use up some things.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Bean burritos (from leftover frozen beans and ham) with fixins. Raw vegetable platter. $3.75

Tuesday - Alanna's Mexican Rice Bake with a huge salad. Homemade whole wheat bread. $11.00

Wednesday - Dinner at Church. It's Italian night. I'll bring lasagna and rolls. $10.25

Thursday - Leftover Mexican Rice Bake. Raw vegetable platter. $2

Friday - Crockpot heavy seasoned chicken breasts shredded on a salad. $11.00

Total for the work week - $38.00

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

Menu Plan Monday (with costs!)

2008-01-19T12:57:00.000-05:00

We've got company in town so the cost of food will be a bit higher this week. Both because we're feeding more people and because I probably won't serve leftovers to company. Since the company is coming in on Sunday, I'm typing this up on Saturday, and will include an extra day in my calculations this week.

What I'm working with:

A plethora of food.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Sunday - Meatloaf, The Pioneer Woman's Mashed Potatoes, Slaw (which I must post the recipe for soon), and something green (broccoli, spinach?), with Rolls. We'll also have dessert. I'm hoping I can find some ripe bananas and make a fabulous banana pudding, and there will be a fruit cakey decadent thing called Orange Slice Cake. $42.00 (I counted for the whole cake here which is pretty expensive to make.)

Monday - Crockpot roast and carrots, Kasha Varnishka, Sweet Potato Casserole, my new homemade whole wheat bread (that I still haven't posted the recipe). For dessert we'll have Rugelach, and homemade warm chocolate chip cookies (with vanilla ice cream). $33.00

Tuesday - Lasagna with homemade garlic cheese biscuits. Dessert will be Brownies with vanilla ice cream. $29.00

Wednesday - Church dinner. I'll bring dessert. $3

Thursday - Leftover smorgasbord $0

Friday - Leftover smorgasbord $0

Total for the week - $107.00

Be sure to check out Laura's Blog for more menu ideas!

Frugal Friday Levels

2008-01-18T09:07:00.000-05:00

Very few of us online are forced to the edge of true poverty (I believe this because if you have a computer and online service, you're probably not one of the poorest in our country). For the rest of us who are blessed, we all have to find our comfort "level" with frugality.

I remember reading something from Amy Dacyczyn years ago about the different "levels" of frugality.

Take coffee for example.

You may spend $6 + tip on a "coffee" at Star*bucks. Let's call that the "high level".

The next level down may be a large coffee at drive thru for $2.

Next would be 35¢ for cup of organic, strong brew at home.

The generic at home coffee may cost half of that.

And I've heard of people who use the grounds one day and then the next day add half as much to the pot along with the old grounds to make a fresh pot. Reducing the cost even more.

And tap water (instead of coffee) is practically free.

So what is frugal to one person, may seem an extravagance to another. It all depends on priorities. Mindset.

What may work well for me may not work at all for you. And vice versa.

And I find that comfort for me is not always static.

I've started to think of many different areas of frugality in that manner. Dinner could be a $150 affair. Or a 25¢ box of mac-n-cheese. My priorities at this time dictate that it be a bit more than the boxed mac-n-cheese. But no where *near* the $150 steak dinner at a nice restaurant. And I drink water for at least 90% of my liquid daily, but I'll have my 35¢ cup of coffee each morning, thank you very much. These are where I'm comfortable.

We all have to find our "level". And that's one of the reasons that I love the tips that are found each week on Crystal's Blog!

Snow in TN

2008-01-17T15:44:00.001-05:00

I was getting my shower this morning because Julia had co-op and I called down for my husband to ask him a question after hearing his voice when I thought he had left for work. Julia said that he was busy and would be up in a few minutes.

Several minutes later he came up and told me that Jillian was outside working herself silly trying to make a snowman, while wistfully watching the father/daughter team next door making one.

So what could he do?

I married well.

Updates

2008-01-15T12:39:00.000-05:00

I carved out a few minutes today to update my "Blogs I Enjoy" sidebar. I've deleted a very few and added several. I don't think anyone that I deleted reads here, but if you do I hope you're not offended. It's nothing more than a time issue and I'll still be checking in from time to time.

I also added a "Links" listing. Some pretty cool stuff there, so check it out if you're so inclined.

ETA - Much more to update in the sidebar when time permits!

Menu Plan Monday (With Costs!)

2008-01-14T10:24:00.000-05:00

Finally!

I've really missed having my meals all planned out. Over the Holiday's it was all but impossible to do as we snacked or cooked for this or that event. And while I love the Holidays, I'm really glad to be back on a better eating schedule. We all agree that we're tired of the rich foods. And are ready for more healthful meals.

And on that note, I have a confession. My husband will hardly eat my rolls. He likes the taste of them, but not the all white flour/no nutrition aspect. So I've been fiddling around trying to find a good whole wheat recipe that everyone would like. And I've found one! I've not calculated the cost yet, but it's certainly not as cheap as my rolls. But there is the health factor to consider and the family does love it. I will still make the rolls, but will cut it down to once a week or so. I hope to have the new bread recipe up soon with pictures!

What I'm working with this week:

Alanna's Mexican Rice Bake has become a staple in our home. I made a huge pan of that yesterday and have some leftovers. We have some root vegetables. And a HUGE pile of bananas that I got for next to nothing at the store yesterday because they were ready to be eaten.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Alanna's Mexican Rice Bake leftovers with a huge salad. $4.50

Tuesday - Crockpot roast and carrots with oven fries. $11.00

Wednesday - Dinner at church. I'll bring something sweet. $3.25

Thursday - Leftover crockpot roast shredded burritos and fixins. $2.50

Friday - Sandwich night. Maybe some soup if I'm feeling adventurous. $6.50

Total for the work week : $27.75

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

Bullet Post

2008-01-13T11:02:00.000-05:00

Because I'll never catch up otherwise.

Christmas was busy.

Things were not spread out nearly enough this year. Everyone wants "last minute" time. It makes for a really stressful time with no time in between events to decompress. Or prepare for the next event. We had 4 big parties (the first we threw here), and 1 smaller overnight teenage thing in the five days leading up to Christmas. Just the shopping and cooking for these was enough to fill every day. There were good reasons for each of these things to happen when they did this year, and I'm assuming it's a fluke and will not happen again like this next year. Or the year after. Or the year after. Because if it does, we'll have to graciously bow out of most of them.

New Years was quiet.

Exactly the way we like it. We had pigs in a blanket and chicken fingers, sparkling grape juice and The Pioneer Woman's Apple Pie (with storebought crust). Yes, I've been keeping a cooking secret from all of you. Not intentionally. Just because I've not really posted since I found her site. But since I have I've made her mashed potatoes, bread pudding (without the whisky), and her apple pie. To say that we have not been disappointed would be accurate. And an understatement.

Somewhere before Christmas my husband and I celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary.

How did that happen? We can't possibly have been married that long. Even though our oldest is almost 21. He's still my teenage crush. And one that I've been through a lifetime of experiences with. We have been through so much and even in the hard, hard times I would rather be with him going through it that with anyone else, doing anything else in the world. He is my family.

On January 6 I turned 42 years old.

My birthday has become a time of reflection for me. It's my own personal "New Year" celebration. I think about the previous year and the things I would like to change. Where I want to be.

You see, the part of me that I post here is just a teeny part of who I am. I have several other interests and passions but never seem to discuss them here. For example, I rarely talk religion. I'm not sure why. I suppose it's because I don't feel wise enough to do so yet. But it's a huge part of my life. And one area that I may start blogging about as I learn. I suppose I fear that it will isolate people, but sometimes God moves in such a way that it feels wrong to not share it. You all know that I have a passion for cooking and frugality but I also have deep interest in survivalism. And politics. And natural medicine (says the RN). I have a passion for gardening. And time management. And organization. And learning. And self sufficiency. And parenting. And nutrition.

Not that I'm knowledgeable about all of these. But I have a deep interest in them. And spend time reading about at least some of these topics online almost daily. And I need to update my sidebar to include many of these people/places that I read.

The Christmas giftcards were so fun.

I mentioned before that my sweet husband got me a Visa giftcard for Christmas. He didn't have a lot of time for shopping this year so he did this instead. I've been ordering things that I've wanted/needed forever and it's been a blast!. So far I've ordered/got:

Aprons

Potholders

A butter keeper (best thing EVER)

A diffuser for my hairdryer

A Family Guide to the Biblical Holidays (book)

Decadent socks

A huge tub of organic coconut oil

And a lovely new cookware set

Also I still plan to buy my buckets and lids (listed on my sidebar) and some garden stuff.

Whew! Enough for now. I hope to catch up with all of you soon, but it may take me a couple of weeks I'm so far behind.

And Yet Again, I Say...

2008-01-11T13:12:00.000-05:00

Well, I certainly had the best of intentions. Over ambitious as they may have been.

I certainly didn't get my house caught up in a day. It's only now starting to look back to normal.

I've had gifts to return and others to purchase. My wonderful husband was thoughtful enough to give me Visa giftcards this year so that I could order/purchase whatever my heart desires and I've spent some time coming up with ideas and trying to decide on the best ones.

I apologize that I've not been able to read your blog lately. I've just not had the time.

And again I say...

I hope to be back to myself (on the blog front anyway) come next week.

To Anonymous

2008-01-04T12:39:00.000-05:00

I wasn't sure if I should post your comment or not, but I wanted to thank you *so* much for taking the time to share that with me. If you think I should post it, please let me know.

This Seems to Happen Every Year

2008-01-04T12:26:00.000-05:00

Halloween comes, I blink, and it's January.

And a tornado or some such disastrous monstrosity has obviously whipped through my home while I was out because absolutely nothing is where it belongs.

And I'll bet you didn't know that a tornado could cause soap scum in your tub, did you? No you didn't.

There is no food in the house. Well, that's not true. The pantry is stocked fairly well, but no fresh food. So that's gotta happen.

The tree is down but not stored properly yet.

The floors, forgetaboutit.

So I'm going to go work on my home today. And hopefully will start back with my menu on Monday and normal posting after that. And please ignore the sidebar because nothing there is updated.

Unless I find a chunk of time somewhere before then. And truly you never know. I could find anything under all this clutter.

I'm Alive

2007-12-28T16:01:00.001-05:00

:)

And will try to be back blogging next week. Missed you all and hope you all had a wonderful Holiday!

Menu Plan Monday (with costs!)

2007-12-03T09:18:00.001-05:00

Well, we've all had mild colds here, one right after the other. Today it seems it's my turn. Stuffy head. Swollen face. Lovely.

Oh, and did I fail to mention here that on Friday evening my youngest banged heads (they were goofing off) with her sister and CHIPPED HER TWO FRONT TEETH. So in reality I was "sick" starting Friday night. She has a dentist appt. in just a little while.

My youngest has a Christmas play tomorrow morning, then a party. We're in charge of the cookies. The two youngest have a party on Wednesday and we must get gifts (and make more cookies). And then my middle daughter is in a play on Thursday night. We, of course, have our usual homeschool/co-op stuff this week. And Bible Study on Wednesday. Oh, and it's girlscouts tonight. Of course. My head is spinning.

Anyway, food. Yeah.

What I'm working with:

Again this week I have no leftovers. We didn't cookout yesterday because it was raining and 2 of the five of us were sniffly. I do have huge bags of organic root vegetables from Sam*s. Oh and literally pounds of roll-out cookie dough that I made up yesterday. Wonder if I could serve cookie dough and milk for supper one night? Hmmm... Better not.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Chicken stirfry with root vegetables, brown rice $5.50

Tuesday - Leftover stirfry in burritos, salad $3.50

Wednesday - Bible Study. The "theme" is Beans and Greens (you did know we're in the South, right?). I'm bringing an incredible white bean and smoked ham soup. And some homemade rolls. $5.50

Thursday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes and leftover beans. $11.50

Friday - Meatloaf sandwiches, vegetable platter $2.50

Total for the work week - $28.50

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

Frugal Friday Christmas Organization Tip

2007-11-30T09:13:00.000-05:00

This time of year I find my "to do" list getting very long. On top of the normal household tasks that are common, I have the added responsibilities of shopping for gifts (and finding the best deals possible of course), wrapping ~~too~~ many gifts, extra cooking and cooking with ingredients that I don't use and stock routinely (which means more grocery shopping, and sometimes at different stores).

The girls have extra activities in which they must be carted back and forth, sometimes bearing gifts or platters of cookies. We have some charity events that are important to us that require both time and resources. The girls have friends that they want to be involved in little gift exchanges. There is usually at least one movie that comes out that we all want to see.

We also have many family traditions that require both time and planning (special ornaments for each girls representing something significant that's happened in the year comes to mind). We make a Christmas picture every year in the same spot of the house and have a little decorative album that contains them all, one right after the other.

And we have extra visits with family and friends (some from out of town) so through all of this, the house has to be kept in a presentable condition. And it's almost a tradition to clean out the computer/play room and get rid of stuff that the girls no longer want/need to make room for some new things. And we have to find a new "home" for those things.

And trust me, this is the tip of the iceberg so to speak.

Whew!

Okay, what does this have to do with frugality and what is my organization tip?

Well, I've posted before about how we keep our lives organized with a Wall Calendar that actually sticks to the side of our refrigerator. Starting in October, we keep 3 months worth there.

But that is for our daily lives and routine outside activities. There is no way I could put all of our Christmas activities and more importantly, all of the things necessary to make these activities go off as planned, on that calendar.

So...this year I've started using Print Free.

I wrote my huge long "to do" list and then I went to Print Free and printed up a December calendar. I "assigned" different tasks to different days.

This way when the girls have cupcakes to take to class on Tuesday the 3rd, I have already shopped for any special ingredients (because it was on the calendar) and baked them the day before. I know ahead of time what all has to be done and it has a day (or a portion of a day) assigned to getting it done.

How does this save money? Because I never have to run to the market at the last minute and pay $12 for dry, stale cupcakes, I can make them myself for MUCH less. I've shopped for the girls co-op teachers WAY ahead of time and have their little gifts sitting in a special spot in the pantry AND have it marked on the calendar when to take them to the teachers. So I never have to run out and throw money around buying last minute, overpriced gifts.

The calendar organization has already been a huge help this year. It's still a lot to do, but it doesn't feel overwhelming. I feel like I'm in control of what needs to be done. And when I'm in control, I don't have to spend as much money.

For more frugal tips, be sure to check out Crystal's Blog!

Menu Plan Monday (with costs!)

2007-11-26T08:54:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone here in the US had a great Thanksgiving. We certainly did. Too much food and just enough fellowship with family that we don't get to see that often. We then put the tree and Christmas decorations up on Friday! AND...I got most every gift wrapped!

It's been a busy few days.

What I'm working with this week:

Really nothing. We went through the leftovers by yesterday when we ordered pizza (it was raining ALL DAY so we didn't cook out as is the norm on Sundays.) So this week is more of a pantry week.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Alanna's Mexican Rice Skillet $9

Tuesday - White bean soup with ham chunks and sliced onion $8

Wednesday - Bible Study Supper. I'm probably bringing dessert this week. Pumpkin Butter Cheesecake. $5

Thursday - Leftovers from Monday and Tuesday. $2

Friday - Linguine with marinara, salad $7

Total for the work week - $31

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

Menu Plan Monday - With Costs!

2007-11-19T08:46:00.000-05:00

I first have to thank Alanna. She gave me a recipe (in the comment section of last weeks MPM)for my Bible study last week that will become yet another staple in our home. The people at church devoured it! There was barely a single grain of rice left. So thank you. Very much.

Well, this is going to be an off week because, like most Americans, we celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday. We, fortunately, still have my Great Aunt & Uncle who we love and adore to spend the holiday with and even though I'm 41, I'm still to bring only a dessert and maybe some deviled eggs. They (my aunt and uncle) really love to cook the whole meal. Which is nuts because they're really pretty old (mid 80's), but I've found over the years that they genuinely get upset if you bring more than they ask. So...there will be mandatory mooching off of them this Thursday.

What I'm working with this week:

Leftovers, Chinese and lots of it. We picked up some yesterday and I had a mild allergic reaction to my spicy vegetables. I have a shellfish allergy and it must have been cooked in the same oil that cooked shrimp, scallops or something. Anyway, so there is more than enough of that left over for a full meal for everyone except me.

I'll also be making a grocery run today for many of the little special items that I tend to pick up for the holidays, so there's no telling what I might end up with there.

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Leftover Chinese (I'll have some soup.) $1.25 (for my can of soup)

Tuesday - Linguine with homemade pesto (very last of the basil :(). $7

Wednesday - Let the feasting begin! Will be cooking this day for the next. We'll nibble off that. ~$20

Thursday - Huge meal at G. Aunts house. I'm to bring dessert and deviled eggs. $0 (Counted yesterday.)

Friday - Leftovers. $0

Total for the work(ish) week - $28.25

For more menu inspiration, head over to Laura's Blog!

Frugal Friday - Yogurt

2007-11-16T08:55:00.000-05:00

I read a story a long time ago about a family that wanted to put a house somewhere, but they needed a source of water there. They immediately thought of a well. They went to considerable trouble and expense trying to get a well on their property. And then found out that they couldn't for whatever reason. It simply wasn't possible. They were devastated. And almost didn't build on the property at all. Then someone in the family realized that they didn't NEED a well. They needed water. And with that simple realization, they found an alternate way to get water there (which I don't remember...and I've probably butchered the story anyway, but you get the point)

This post today is specifically about how I make my own homemade, frugal yogurt. But it's generally about something more broad. I found a long time ago that many of the things I buy at the store are things that I can duplicate at home with little to no trouble. And usually for much less cost. It just takes some looking around.

As an example, I can remember a time when I made a special trip to the grocery store to buy a single pack of taco seasoning for dinner that night. I have always had a huge cabinet full of various spices, but never knew that you can throw a few together and make your own taco seasoning for pennies. What a waste!

The thing is, I didn't need a taco pack. I needed a seasoning on the meat that would taste similar to a taco pack.

Simple but profound difference.

So with that said, let's get to the yogurt. A few years back I would have never *thought* of making yogurt. But it's no secret that I like to have things well stocked, but with much variety. And I like paying the least I can pay for the quality I want. Like most of us do!

Homemade yogurt is really simple (even without a yogurt maker- this is actually the first time I'd ever used one!). I start with a quart of store bought, plain, whole fat, yogurt. (I like to get organic when possible, but it's really hard to find here most of the time.) I take out appr. 3 tablespoons and put that into a bowl. The rest I freeze in an old ice cube tray. Whenever I need to make homemade yogurt again, I can pop out 3 of the cubes and have the perfect amount of yogurt "starter".

Next I heat 4 cups of whole milk (this I *can* find organic) on the stove top. Using a candy thermometer, I heat to 180 degrees.

Once it reaches 180F, I pull it off the heat and allow it to cool to 115F. Here I was testing the new spoon thermometer that I got with the frugal yogurt maker and it worked perfectly!

When it reaches 115F, I skim off the top layer of "skin" that is on the milk and discard it. Then I take about half a cup of the milk and stir it into the 3 tablespoons of store bought yogurt (which is your "starter") to temper it.

Then this starter mixture goes back in the pot and is mixed well.

This I pour into the glasses that came with the yogurt maker.*
I incubate for 8 to 10 hours.

And this is what I end up with! (Which is to be refrigerated right away, of course.)
*As I mentioned earlier, this is the first time I'd ever used a yogurt maker. I made it many, many times before I found this yogurt maker at a terrific price. The goal is to simply keep the freshly mixed yogurt a pretty constant temperature of around 110-115F for several hours.

There are many different ways to do this, but the way that was the easiest to me was with a cooler and a heating pad. I put the heating pad on low** in the bottom of the cooler and laid a towel on top if it. Then I set the yogurt on top of the towel (I used a quart mason jar, with lid) and kinda wrapped the towel around the yogurt. The top of the cooler was then closed AND LEFT CLOSED for at least 5-6 hours. Sometimes it would take just 5 hours and sometimes up to 8 or 9. I would check by tilting the jar and once "soft set" it's done and I refrigerated right away.

**(Heating pad temperatures may vary. When I changed heating pads I had a batch of yogurt that took a long time to set up. I learned with any changes to always check the temperature of the cooler/heating pad "incubator" with a candy thermometer by laying it on the towel for several minutes and adjusting the heating pad to get the temperature at a pretty stable 115F)

***As an aside, I've read that you can make yogurt from any kind of milk (even reconstituted powdered), though I've never tried it.

A quart of organic yogurt here can run as much as $4 or more. One quart will make ten or more quarts of homemade yogurt. So at most I use 40¢ worth of organic yogurt as "starter". I can get a quart of organic milk for $1.50. Adding 10¢ for electricity, I can make my own whole fat, organic yogurt for half the price I can buy it at the store. Plus, I can have it without going to the store. Which is another huge bonus for me.

I am posting this for my own information, not as any how-to guide. Though I have made it for months now, I am no expert. There are many, many places on the web that you can find information on making yogurt at home. I suggest that you check out them out before trying to make yogurt on your own.

I got my recipe here.

For more frugal inspiration, be sure to check out Frugal Friday hosted by Biblical Womanhood.

Homemade Delicious Frugal Rolls

2007-11-12T17:00:00.000-05:00

I've promised this recipe for a while. It consistently makes the lightest, fluffiest rolls imaginable. They're extremely cheap to make. My family loves them. And they have absolutely no redeeming nutritional value. At all.

Start with 1 ½ cups (minus 2 Tablespoons) water

Add 2 Tablespoons of milk to the water (this is what makes it really soft).

Next, add 2 Tablespoons of real butter to the water/milk.

Microwave to just knock chill off. I do it for 45 seconds. Your time may vary depending on the strength of your microwave. Then put it in the bottom of your breadmaker.**

Then add 4 cups of bread flour. I buy mine by the 25# sacks at Sam's for just over $5. I've learned in making bread that it's important to measure accurately. You need the type of measuring cups that you can scrape off the top. It's what makes the bread consistent.

Just dump the flour on top of the wet ingredients.

Sprinkle about 2 Tablespoons of powdered milk on top of the flour.
Sprinkle 2½ Tablespoons of white sugar on top of the flour.
Sprinkle 1½ teaspoons of salt on top of the flour.

This is a big bag of yeast. I buy them in the bulk 2-pack containers at Sam's. Once I open one of the vacuum sealed bags, I pour it into a ziplock bag and freeze it. I use the yeast directly from the freezer. It takes me months and months to use 1 full bag and it still works fine at the very end. Please don't pay full price for those little packets. It's makes the price insane.

Make an indentation in the dry mixture and pour 2½ teaspoons of yeast into it.

Put the pan in the breadmaker and press the dough cycle.

It takes my dough cycle about an hour and a half. As it's getting ready to beep that it's done with the dough cycle, line a pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Then once the dough cycle is done, I pull out the wad of dough and put it on a zeroed out scale. Mine consistently is right at 1000 grams.

I cut off appr. 50*** grams of dough at a time and shape it into a roll. The reason I weigh it is because I'm not at all good with eyeballing it. And they will cook inconsistently if they're not close to the same size. This recipe makes a really big pan full. If this process looks tedious, let me assure you that I can now get it from big dough ball to "rolls ready to rise" in about 5-6 minutes, including clean up time.

Cover the rolls with a towel or a couple of paper towels and rise them for one hour. The absolute best place to rise rolls, imho, is in the oven with just the light on. This is an electric oven of course. After an hour, they've doubled in size.

Pull them out of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Bake for appr. 10 minutes. Immediately remove to a cooking rack so the bottoms don't get soggy.

Can ya smell them? :)

**If your breadmaker instructs you to put the dry ingredients in first, then do it. My breadmaker instructions say to put the wet ingredients in first.

***This makes traditional dinner roll size rolls. This is also a good white hamburger bun recipe, but the size of the rolls needs to be doubled.

A Blog

2007-11-12T13:28:00.000-05:00

I read almost everyone on my friends list at least once or twice a week. Frequently you'll say something that resonates with me.

Camilla's whole blog is devoted to the changes that God has made in her life. She is so open with her faults that it's startling at times. And her posts frequently amaze me and touch at exactly the things I need to hear.

Something she posted recently:

"Integrity means you are the same person when you are alone as you are when you are around others."

...

"If you focus on integrity, then you automatically build character in your weak spots: self-discipline, self-control, anger, and more."

If you've never read her, you may want to jump on over and see if her words resonate with you as well.

Menu Plan Monday (With Costs!)

2007-11-12T08:37:00.000-05:00

Saturday afternoon our friend from Church came over for an impromptu cookout and we ended up having a great Bible study. It was so good in fact that we had him back over Sunday afternoon (for meatloaf this time) to continue.

So there is leftovers to work with this week. Potatoes. Carrots. Tons of celery. I also adapted a recipe that I found online that will become a staple here that I plan to post about soon. We're having it on Thursday. Today I'm making homemade yogurt (which I'll share probably Friday) and homemade rolls for the week (which I'll share sooner hopefully).

On to the menu. Prices are rounded to the nearest 25¢. The total price of food is counted on the day that it is cooked. Leftovers are counted as $0. On any day that no vegetable is mentioned there is a raw vegetable platter served and $2 is added to the menu cost for that day for the cost of the vegetables with dressing. There are always homemade rolls. They cost me less than 35¢ to make and last for several days.

Monday - Meatloaf sandwiches. Vegetable tray. $2

Tuesday - Crockpot roast with potatoes and carrots. Rolls. $10.75

Wednesday - Bible Study. This weeks theme is "Mexican". I have absolutely NO idea. So I'm counting high here for just bringing one dish. $10

Thursday - The recipe which has no name (using leftovers from the crockpot). I'll post it and hopefully you guys can help come up with a name for it? It's pretty nice. $2

Friday - White beansoup with ham chunks (I need to post this recipe soon too! Sooo good!). Corny/Oniony Cornbread. Vegetable platter. $9

Total for the work week - $33.75

For many, many menu ideas be sure to visit Laura's New Blog!

Frugal Friday - Patience

2007-11-09T08:27:00.000-05:00

Several days ago some blog friends and I were discussing homemade yogurt. I've made my own yogurt for a year or so and my plan is to do a FF post on it next week with recipe and pictures of how I do it (everyone seems to do it a bit differently).

When I first heard about yogurt making, I immediately thought to go out and buy a yogurt maker. I mean, how on earth else can you make homemade yogurt? But even on eBay the cost was much more than I wanted to pay. So I put it in a search on eBay and I waited. While I was waiting I found a recipe (that I tweaked like I tend to do with everything I've ever made-I can't leave well enough alone) that said I could use a cooler with something in it to keep it warm. Hot jugs of water. A heating pad. Or that it's even possible to incubate it in a thermos!

So I found a way to make it without the costly machine. But I kept my search up on eBay, hoping I could find one at a reasonable price.

It had been almost a year and the costs, if anything, seemed to be going up on eBay. I pretty much resigned myself to making it with a cooler, but *never stopped looking* for the yogurt maker.

(You know where this is going, don't you?! :D)

So Tuesday my youngest and I passed a huge thrift store that we'd not been inside for quite some time. We had 30 minutes to kill so decided to go inside.

I'd felt convicted for a few weeks about a member of my family that needed help in the form of clothing they could wear to church. I found two articles of clothing (as a set) and the price tag said $1.48. I could NOT believe it. The other clothing around it was much higher. I could see no reason why these pieces would be so cheap. But that's what the tag said.

So I grabbed it up, feeling terribly blessed. My daughter wanted to look at the toy section, so we walked to the back of the store. I'd never even been back there before.

At the very end of the isle, there was this really dirty box sitting on a shelf with some really dirty looking contraption inside. I just happened to take a hard look at it. Imagine my delight when I saw that it was a yogurt maker!

I should have made a picture of it before I cleaned it up because IT WAS BAD. But I glanced at the price tag and this is what I saw:

Was that $19.85? Surely it wasn't $1.98? I didn't know. But I snatched it up and thought I would ask up front.

When our turn came at the register, I asked the woman if the clothing was really $1.48 and the yogurt maker was really $1.98? She immediately said, "Oh no...(and my heart sank a little ... until she continued), it's 10% off day. So the clothing is $1.33 and the yogurt maker is $1.78."

Amazing.

Now let me just say that this machine looked pretty gross. There was something (maybe a dead *really* old bug?) squished into one of the glasses and it had years of some type of greasy dust on it. But with a little elbow grease applied, this is what it ended up looking like:

It even came with the manual and the original receipt (from a store that has LONG since gone from here). Look at the date on the receipt!

In the bottom of this dusty box was the spoon with the thermometer (totally intact) that came with the machine originally. (I know this because I could see pieces of it on the dirty box.)

And the spoon has a little slot to tell you at what temperature to add the starter!

Now in all fairness, I've not made yogurt in it yet. I just got it cleaned up yesterday. But of course, I did plug it in to see that it heats up. And I'll picture document how my first yogurt making goes in it this week.

But really the point of this is not the yogurt maker. Or the clothing. Or even the fact that God provides for us even when we don't ask things of Him. Or that we should follow our convictions and the blessings that come our way when we do. This post could be about any one of these topics...but today, it's about frugality and patience.

If you'll just step back and wait for something that you want, many times you'll find it for a very reasonable price. How easy it would have been so long ago to just grab a yogurt maker off the shelf. I would have felt justified because I was doing something good for my family and saving money in the long run.

But instead I found a loophole to making the yogurt and was rewarded for my patience.

For many more Frugal Friday ideas, be sure to visit Crystal's Blog!

"Want to Know" Wednesday

2007-11-07T10:28:00.000-05:00

I get most of my news online. I rarely have the TV turned on at all during the day in our home. So, because I ~~doubt~~ know you all are super curious as to where I spend my time online (when I'm not reading your blogs, of course), I'm gonna try to post some of the articles that I find online that are of interest to me.

My comments are in a different color.

Red Wine Headache
Chemists working with NASA-funded technology designed to find life on Mars have created a device they say can easily detect chemicals that many scientists believe can turn wine and other beloved indulgences into ingredients for agony.

The chemicals, called biogenic amines, occur naturally in a wide variety of aged, pickled and fermented foods prized by gourmet palates, including wine, chocolate, cheese, olives, nuts and cured meats.

I have always gotten headaches from even half a glass of red wine. So I don't drink it. Lately, I've had some of the symptoms with the food mentioned. So...I've given up these foods to see if it makes a difference. The only thing I can say for sure is that I'm dropping weight ~~really well~~ too fast. Over a pound a day for 3 days in a row. Now, I ~~desperately~~ need to lose 10-15lbs, so this isn't tragic by any stretch. But it is too fast. I'm trying to find ways to boost my caloric intake without increasing my sugar. And avoiding these foods (that are almost staples to me). That's why I've spent some time reading this article and researching others like it.

The US Dollar
New Record Low for Dollar
By MATT MOORE, AP Business Writer
2 HOURS AGO
FRANKFURT, Germany - The dollar slumped to another record low against the euro on Wednesday, while the British pound reached $2.10.

One day before the European Central Bank and the Bank of England decide on interest rates, the euro gained more than one cent amid speculation that China may shift more of its foreign currency stockpiles away from the dollar.

The 13-nation euro hit $1.4703 in morning European trading before slipping back to $1.4668 _ still well above the $1.4554 it bought in New York late Tuesday. The new record beat a previous high of $1.4571 set on Tuesday.

What? Did you think I was only interested in food, frugality and homeschooling? ;D In all seriousness, I think this should concern us all.

Planet Discovery
Record 5th planet found around nearby star

By Robert Sanders, Media Relations 06 November 2007

BERKELEY – A team of American astronomers announced today (Tuesday, Nov. 6) the discovery of a record-breaking fifth planet around the nearby star 55 Cancri, making it the only star aside from the sun known to have five planets.

We may get to see the space shuttle today.
Traveling on a southeast trajectory, the orbiter will be passing over northwestern Montana just a minute later (10:40 a.m. MST). Four minutes later (11:44 a.m. CST), Discovery will be streaking over southern Nebraska. After another two minutes have elapsed, it will be racing over Springfield, Missouri, and by 11:49 a.m. CST it will be over central Alabama. At 12:55:16 p.m. EST, the shuttle will decelerate to two and a half times the speed of sound (mach 2.5), dropping to an altitude of 80,000-feet just to the northwest of Cape Canaveral. Touchdown is scheduled for 1:01:50 p.m. EST.

There may be sonic booms as well.

Well, that's all the time I have for today. I've got Christmas shopping to get done. Girls to shuttle here and there. A casserole to prepare before Bible Study. And I really need to get a few groceries, do laundry, dust and vacuum. We'll see.

Menu Plan Monday - With Costs!

2007-11-05T08:47:00.000-05:00

We stuck to last weeks menu perfectly! A first for us I think.

What I'm working with this week: No leftovers to speak of. Cabbage. And a request for more greens.

As usual, if no vegetables are in the menu there is a raw vegetable platter served with dinner. And I add $2 onto the cost of the dinner for the platter (with dressing). And I always keep homemade rolls around. They cost me less than .35 to make the whole batch and it lasts for several days.

Monday - Linguini (low glycemic index) with homemade pesto and marinara. $8.50

Tuesday - Tenderloin end pieces (we got a great deal on a whole tenderloin a while back) cooked in the crockpot with carrots, onion and potatoes. $12

Wednesday - Dinner at Bible Study. Theme - "Casseroles" I'll make some type of (free from the garden) vegetable casserole because we live a good little drive from the church and I don't like trying to transport meat. ~$2

Thursday - Leftover beef and vegetables burritos with salad fixins. Sauteed cabbage. $4.25

Friday - Stir fry chicken with root vegetables. Turnip greens. $7.50

Total for the the work week - $34.25

For more great menu ideas, be sure to check out Laura's New Blog!

Food Saver - Take Two

2007-11-02T14:36:00.000-04:00

A reader asked a great question about the food saver in the previous post. She said that she had one but they didn't use it much because if the food contains liquids, they get sucked out of the bag and the bag won't seal properly.

BTDT.

The solution is very simple, but it's a little more "work".

All that you do is freeze the food *before* you vacuum seal it.

And example, I make my own yogurt from store bought plain full fat yogurt quarts. But it only take a few tablespoons to make a whole quart of homemade yogurt, so to keep it from going bad, I freeze it in an ice cube tray. When it's frozen, I pop them out and then I can vacuum seal them, 3 to a pack. Which is exactly what I need to make the homemade yogurt.

For things like stews, chili, etc, just pre-freeze in some type of container that releases food easily. Silicone baking dishes come to mind. Or even an old butter container or a plastic bag. Once it's frozen, THEN you can pop it out of the first container and vacuum seal it.

Same with things like cookie dough. Just freeze it in the shape you want it on a cookie tray. Then vacuum seal it!

I hope this is helpful!

Frugal Friday - Food Saver

2007-11-02T09:10:00.000-04:00

I know that there are many areas that can save us money on our frugal journey. But I keep coming back time and again to the grocery budget. It really does seem that this is one of the big areas that we can spend a lot...or save a lot

Something that I broke down and bought myself a few years ago was a food sealer. You know, the kind that sucks the air out of the special made bags so that we can keep our food fresher longer?

This is some zucchini that I have shredded and sealed. It was extra garden produce that I needed to do something with or let it go to waste. I also have squash from my Great Uncle's garden that would have went to waste but is going to make a lovely squash casserole for Thanksgiving at their house in just a few weeks (!!).

I never have to worry when I find a too good to pass up deal on produce (or most fruit) if we'll be able to eat it quickly. I almost never have to pass on garden excesses from generous friends and relatives. I can just vacuum seal it!

But the biggest saver, bar none, is that this product allows me to really stock up on meat when we find it at a great price. It also saves trips to the store, because I can keep my freezer as well stocked as my pantry without worrying that something is going to come out freezer burned. And I almost never pay full price for the meat we like to eat.

If you think how often meat is discounted $2 or more a lb. then you'll see how soon this could pay for itself.

There are all kinds of different food sealers from pretty cheap to crazy expensive. I can't find the one that I bought anymore, but it was a little over $100 at the time. And then of course, you have to factor in the cost of the bags, which are much more reasonable when bought in bulk (like at Sam's). I'll also reuse the bags that are used to store vegetables or fruit after a good washing. (The meat bags could probably be washed well and reused, but I've never done that.)

So if people are asking you what you'd like for Christmas this year, this is a gift that could help you save money all year long.

For more frugal ideas, be sure to visit Crystal's Blog!

In An Attempt...

2007-11-01T11:38:00.001-04:00

In an attempt to warn our girls about the dangers of candy over indulgence...

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Crazy Daze

2007-10-31T10:23:00.000-04:00

Heh.

Things have been so busy here! We had our first "close to freezing" night Monday night so I had to get all my garden stuff inside. Which I think I'd posted that I was gonna do like a month ago, but the stuff looked so good and continued to grow so well, that I just left it alone. But freezing is where I draw the line.

So...

Monday was the huge trip to Sam's that I'd talked about last week. Hopefully the last "must have" trip before the first of the year. It was insanely busy. For a nothing Monday afternoon (noonish) in October. No reason that anyone could ascertain. I asked the checkout women (yes, they had *2* at each register, plus those people that go through the line with their little cordless scan guns to help speed the lines (that were wrapped around and around, I kid you not)) what on earth was going on. They told me that it had been like that for about 3 weeks (which was why they had all the extra employees, it wasn't a fluke) and was expected to be that way through the new year.

What?!

Anyway, I was right on the cost. It was over $500. (It was actually over $600, but we're not going to talk about that.)

When I got home from that trip I had to make a grocery run with my mother. LLOOOOONNGG story. But it had to be done. Oh, and the girls had a study group somewhere thrown into that at their co-op.

I ended up getting home after 4pm. I still had supper to cook. I had the garden to get in (which I would have done earlier if I'd known that it was gonna be that cold, but that was a last minute thing). And processed (or at least cleaned and stored somewhere). Jillian had her math folder to get together and I'd promised to help her (but her big sister came to the rescue). Oh, and I had laundry mountain to climb. It had to be done.

So I was super busy until around 9pm.

Yesterday was much the same way. I drive a lot on Tuesday. One girl here, another here (an hour later), pick up girl one an hour later, pick up girl 2 two hours later. I spend over 2 hours in the car just driving them. I had errands to run as well in between. Then one of the moms at my last girl pick up called to say that she was going to be late. So I stayed with her girls until she got there. I got home around 4:30. Luckily the beans had been in the crock-pot cooking so all I had to do was throw some cornbread into the oven. Then help the girls study for a big science (and math for the youngest) test today. Oh, and bake and decorate over 50 Halloween cookies for the girls party today. And process a bit more of the garden produce/herbs.

And then Mike needed his hair cut (and he didn't get home until almost 8:30).

And he hadn't eaten. So he needed to eat and then I needed to clean up the kitchen where I had been keeping stuff warm for him.

And we still needed to cut the pumpkin.

We finally sat down close to 10pm and decided pretty soon to just call it a night.

And then of course tonight being Halloween, we have here and there to go. We will hopefully be home and settled and hopped up on sugar by 10:00.

And then it's November.

Wow.

And btw, I just wanted to thank all of you women for your prayers. You touch me and humble me. Prayer works! I've seen it work so much in my life and soooo appreciate all of you that have taken the time to pray for me. Amazingly, our money situation has changed for the better this week almost immediately after I'd made the money-money-money post and had so many respond that I was in their prayers.

Again, thank you.

God is so good.

Menu Plan Monday

2007-10-29T09:32:00.000-04:00

Since many of my friends here and I have been talking about saving money lately, I've decided to add prices to my menu here. I do not count leftovers as I count them in total on the day that I list the particular meal. And the produce from the garden isn't counted either. Prices rounded to the nearest quarter.

These meals feed a family of 5. Three adult age. One teenager. And one pre-teen. We also frequently (at least once or twice a week) have drop in guests.

I have teeny bits of really odd leftovers (kraut, baked beans, one hot sausage, curly fries) that I'm working with this week.

I also wanted to note that I will put out a raw vegetable platter when there is no vegetables mentioned and I add $2.00 to the menu price for that.

Monday - Smorgasbord. I'm gonna fry up some sliced hot dogs w/ the hot sausage and cook it with some steamed root vegetables and onion and peppers. I'll lay out tortillas if they want to wrap it up. Then I'll heat up the rest of the leftovers (to clean out the fridge) and people can have what they want. $2.75

Tuesday - Big pot of beans w/cornbread and chunked onion. $5.25

Wednesday - Halloween! Homemade chili. Of course. It's a tradition. (Using leftover beans.) $10.50

Thursday - Baked potatoes w/leftover chili and cheese (sour cream, etc) $5.00

Friday - Beef and bean burritos w/salad fixins; fried (leftover) potato rounds $6.75

Total for the (work) week: $30.25

For more great menu ideas be sure to check out Laura's New Blog!

Money - Money - Money

2007-10-26T10:50:00.000-04:00

Ugh.

The girls had dental cleanings yesterday. I love their dentist. He's the only one the my youngest would go to without completely freaking out when she was little. His office is like a gameroom. He even has a softserve (self serve no less!) machine for the kids. Or the adults. But from now on we will make our appointments for the last ones before lunch. That's the only time they get the cleanings done timely.

Anyway.

We have no dental insurance. And the cleanings were over $400 (together. and in his defense they needed panoramic x-rays, but still). Ouch.

And then this:

has allergies. And needed an allergy shot. She was chewing a literal hole in her backside/tail area. And under her arm. And on one of her feet. And she was scratching all night long and keeping us up. And miserable and pitiful.

But that was another $60something.

Julia (13) is being set up for an ortho consult. We knew it was coming. She needs it (and so will Jillian soon). Oh, and please bring the almost $300 that it will take. And while you're there, lets go ahead and seal the 3 extra permanent teeth that she has gotten. For $40 each.

I also need to make my holiday trip to Sam's. Meaning the last one I will make until January. Meaning I'll be lucky to get out without spending over $500.

Again, ugh.

And then we have Christmas. Well, first we have Halloween (and yes, we dress - though not in anything "bad", and I could write a whole post on my thoughts on holidays and probably will in the future), then Thanksgiving (which costs only for food, but we do spend a little extra on food at that time). And then Christmas. Which is insane here.

I didn't vote in the polls at the left. But if I had voted it would be with the only category that got one vote on the money part. And it's in the high end of that.

I'm tightening the belt everywhere I can, but this is starting to stress me a ~~lot~~ little.

Oh well.

Frugal Food

2007-10-22T10:47:00.000-04:00

Having stared at the computer for 15 literal minutes this morning trying to come up with a weekly menu, I know how daunting menu planning can be. Why is it sometimes it's as easy as breathing? Something I look forward to doing? And other times it's frustrating and nothing sounds good or right or like it goes together.

Back in a minute, I've forgotten (yes, really, forgotten) to start the homemade rolls for supper tonight. Ugh.

Okay, back. Anyway.

I've definitely felt the pinch with grocery shopping too. Times when I've needed to spend as little as possible at the store and yet still not compromise nutrition.

Andrea has asked for our help. She needs to feed her large family of hearty eaters for as little as possible. And that's something that a lot of us could benefit from, especially at this time of year. The problem is, she lives nowhere close to me and I'm not sure that the things that I can find cheaply here are the same things she can find cheaply there.

So the only thing I know to do is to post ideas instead of menu's and/or recipes.

My husband is a meat eater. He'll tolerate a meatless meal about once a week, and after that he just isn't happy if there is no meat for supper. But there are ways to work around that. My recipe for Cheesy Chicken Casserole only takes one can of chicken and it feeds our family for 2 nights. If I wanted to plump up the casserole with more stuff, I'd throw in an extra can of vegetables. I buy them at A*ldi's for 39¢. I get the chicken for less than $2 a can at Sam's. The whole dish costs me about $5.50. And that's for 2 suppers. My younger girls don't eat a lot, but even if you only got one meal and then lunch the next day...that's pretty good for a meat meal.

Tuna Patties is another good one. You feel like you've gotten a big piece of meat, but the reality is that it's pretty frugal. It cost me about $4 - $4.50 to make the huge pan of 12 patties depending on how cheaply I can get tuna (I found it on sale at Target last week for $1.58 for the huge family size pouches of 12oz). I don't know if you can tell, but these patties are bigger than the palm of your hand and about 3/4 or so inch thick. Now, of course you'll have to serve this with some side items. But for a meat dish, this is pretty reasonable.

Meatloaf is a family favorite here and fairly economical. It costs appr. $9 to make the big meatloaf. It feeds my family of 5 for 3 nights (2 of the nights being sandwiches). I can make a huge bowl of instant mashed potatoes for less than $1. Homemade rolls to eat the first night and use with the sandwiches the next 2 nights for less than 50¢. Throw in a green vegetable of choice (we used canned turnip greens...we're southern you know. :) Add more breadcrumbs and spices if you need to stretch it farther.

You can also use the meatloaf recipe to make about a gazillion meatballs. Cook them up and then freeze them. They're *fabulous* on cheap spaghetti.

Also, being from the south, we like beans and cornbread. And beans and rice. I try to have one bean only (meaning no meat) meal ever couple of weeks. I'll make a huge crockpot full of beans. Pintos. Small red beans are really good. Black beans. It doesn't matter. The first night we have either beans and (brown) rice or beans and cornbread. (Any leftover rice is eaten, sweetened and with a touch of milk/cream and dried fruit, for breakfast.)

The next night, I'll brown some ground beef with homemade taco seasoning and we'll have beef and bean burritos. All you have to add is cheese (though lettuce, onion, peppers, sour cream etc is good too). Then I freeze whatever is leftover (and there *will* be leftovers) in cup sized containers. The next I'm pushed for something quick for supper, bean burritos it is! The kids love it.

Another one of Andrea's readers suggested pasta, which is always a good idea. Another good idea is Rice a Roni. A couple of boxes of this is simple and easy. Top with a couple of meatballs or just a bit of chicken (pulled from a whole crockpot chicken or one breast sauteed in a bit of oil will feed my whole family with the rice a roni dish for less than $6)

Baked potatoes are really good and fairly cheap. They can be topped with just about any leftovers you have or even a can of cheap chili and a handful of cheese. Oven potatoes work the same way and are usually a crowd pleaser.

Whew! Okay, I'm gonna stop now. If I can find a way to make this more coherent, I will. And I'm sure I'll think up more stuff.

If you have any great frugal meal ideas, please share them. I know I get in a rut and it's great to have other ideas!

Menu Plan Monday

2007-10-22T09:15:00.000-04:00

I don't have anything in particular to work with this week. No leftovers. The sales have been really blah lately so there is nothing new or really different in the pantry. We do have a lot of frozen meat that my thoughtful husband picked up a couple of weeks ago at a great price. But I do need to make a trip to the grocery store today.

Monday - Tuna Patties, steamed broccoli w/cheese, homemade rolls

Tuesday - Tuna Pattie Sandwiches, vegetable platter w/dip

Wednesday - Dinner at church. I'm not sure what I'm bringing yet. The theme is "beans and cornbread".

Thursday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, greens

Friday - Meatloaf sandwiches, salad

For more great menu ideas, be sure to visit Laura's Blog !

Frugal Friday - Cloth v Paper

2007-10-19T09:38:00.000-04:00

Today's tip is not earth shattering, but it does go to show how even little things can add up over time.

A couple of years ago I'd heard, yet again, about using cloth in the kitchen and doing away with paper towels. I happened to be at S*am's a day or so later and saw their pack of shop towels. I picked up 2 packs of 20 or so. When I got home I realized that they were big. So I cut all of them (except 5 or so) into fourths. This gave me a ton of towels. And we use them for everything. Every time we'd think to grab a paper towel, we grab one of these now. I keep a small stack (20ish) on my microwave. The rest are on a pantry shelf.

I keep a little basket right behind the trash can to throw these wipes and any other kitchen towel into.

They get washed with the regular towels so they create almost no extra laundry at all.

We still use paper towels for some things. An example is that we have an older dog and he gets sick sometimes. I'm not yet at the point of using kitchen towels for that. But now a roll of paper towels will last as much as 2 weeks. Where as before, we'd easily use a roll in a day or two.

Even figuring conservatively, with paper towels at .50 a roll and "only" using 10 less rolls a month, that's a savings of $100 over 2 years ($120. - the $20 investment in the towels.)

And they're still going strong.

For more Frugal Friday tips, be sure to check out Crystal's Blog!

My Wednesday

2007-10-17T09:18:00.000-04:00

I had planned to do a post on the Christmas Polls, but it's been a busy week. And my head just isn't where it needs to be. This is the stuff that's rolling around instead.

My oldest daughter (20) came home from work Sunday night with blisters in her throat.
She went to a doctor Monday to rule out strep.
It wasn't strep.
It is Mono.
She's pretty much in the bed for a week or two.
Very fatigued.
Wanting comfort food when she's awake.
I've been trying to keep the little(r) girls away from her as much as possible.
Mike's dad has had tongue cancer in the past.
He had a sore spot come up on his tongue last week and had a biopsy.
He's in surgery as I type this. It's cancerous.
They're hoping they can get it all.
If not, he'll go to Emory.
I'm waiting on Mike to call to know which.
He's only in his early sixties.
I still haven't gotten the full garden in.
My desk is a literal disaster zone.
I've got a lasagna to make for Bible Study tonight.
I'll post more when I have some time.

ETA - My father-in-law came out of surgery and they were able to get all the cancer! Praise God! It was the best possible outcome. We are blessed far beyond what we deserve.

Menu Plan Monday

2007-10-15T10:10:00.000-04:00

If the menu sounds odd, I'm working with a ~~few~~ ton of leftovers and some fabulous fruit/vegetable stand finds from this weekend.

Monday - Grilled NY Strip Salad, fried sweet potato slices.

Tuesday - Spicy re fried bean burritos (with salad fixin's)

Wednesday - Bible Study, meal at church. I'm bringing Lasagna and Cheddar/garlic biscuits.

Thursday - Chicken breast stir fry with root vegetables and green beans, brown rice

Friday - Broiled Tilapia Parmesan, sauteed garlic pole beans.

Also, Alanna asked for my crustless quiche recipe. I'm a little embarrassed to say that I really don't have one. I basically clean out the fridge/freezer of little bits of things I have extra. Season it with some salt and pepper (and whatever else I may feel like at the moment). Dump it all into a (sprayed) casserole dish. Throw some cheese on top. And pour over some whipped eggs (2-3) with a splash of cream. I bake this at about 400 for 30 - 45 or so minutes (until it's set and the edges start to brown). It's a great way to use up leftovers. :)

For some really great menu ideas, be sure to check out Laura's Blog!

Frugal Friday - Battery Edition

2007-10-12T09:37:00.000-04:00

Have you ever bought a gift for someone that required batteries? And the packs of batteries at the checkout was almost as much as the gift?

There is a better way! I frequently find batteries on sale at C*VS or other places for great prices. Sometimes even free!

And when I get them I have the perfect place to store them.

I actually have two of these. This one is sitting on top of the other one. You can also hang them on a wall. I rotate them as we use the batteries so that the first ones bought get used first. The little black plastic square at the top actually lifts up and it has a battery indicator inside. Meaning before I substitute the batteries in something that I'm not sure has low batteries, I can stick the battery there and check.

A green light will indicate that the battery is OK. A yellow, that it's almost gone. And a red tells me that the battery is no longer good. (I was going to do pictures of this, but blogger is acting all wonky with my pictures today?)

It's also easy to check which batteries are running low with nothing more than a glance. We keep this in the Pantry.

For more frugal tips, be sure to check out Crystal's Blog!

Beefy Onion Lasagna

2007-10-11T09:52:00.000-04:00

I'd promised this recipe a while ago and never gotten around to posting it. I'll try to remember to update it with pictures the next time I make it.

Beefy Onion Lasagna

Ingredients:

Box lasagna noodles

4 cloves garlic (to taste)

3 whole onions (baseball size or bigger) diced/sliced whatever you like

2 lbs ground chuck (or you can substitute sausage for up to ½ lb)

2 16oz containers ricotta or cottage cheese (or less if your family doesn't care for it so much)

6 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Big jar of spaghetti sauce (40+ oz)

Directions:

Cook lasagna noodles per package direction (I always under cook by several (4?) minutes so the lasagna doesn't end up mushy). Set aside.

In a large skillet, cook ground beef. When browned add garlic and onion. Saute until onion gets a little soft. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375. Spray a 13 x 9 x 2 pan with cooking spray. Set up an assembly line of your ingredients in this order:

spaghetti sauce

lasagna noodles

ricotta (or cottage) cheese

beefy onion mixture

mozzarella cheese

Pour a cup or two or so of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of your greased baking dish. Spread it thin. Layer 3-4 noodles (enough to cover, but you don't want it too noodly, so don't overlap much). Dot some teaspoons of ricotta cheese on top of the noodles. as much as your family likes. Cover this with 1/3 of your beefy onion mixture, then sprinkle two cups of cheese on top.

Start again with the spaghetti sauce. And repeat the order until you have 3 layers of everything.

When you put the last of the mozzarella on top, cover it with the cup of grated Parmesean.

Cook, covered with foil, at 375 for an hour or so. Remove foil and bake another 10 minutes. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before you cut it.

This is a great "make ahead" dish. It will keep perfectly for a day or so uncooked in the fridge. It also freezes well (cooked).

Can I Just Say

2007-10-10T10:00:00.000-04:00

You women amaze me. You really do.

There is still a bit of time to vote in the poll in the sidebar. Thank you all for sharing a bit of your lives.

I usually start shopping after Oct. 1. Sometimes a bit before if I come across something special by accident. But I purposely start after October. We live in the suburbs but just a few miles from the largest mall in a tri-state area. It's *really* hard to shop here after Thanksgiving. And I've shopped enough online to know that it should be done early as well.

We, no doubt, spend too much money at Christmas time. It's like everyone here does! And I don't mean to say the where we live is affluent! It's just this weird thing here where people tend to spend TONS at Christmas. It is nothing *at all* for kids to get #'s with commas spent on them. Each.

Seriously.

So to those of you who spend less, bravo! I'd love some of your secrets.

More on this later. Time is kinda tight right now. We have the tailgate thing at church tonight. I wasn't very clear about what it is, but each week on Wednesday we have a Bible Study. And we have a themed potluck beforehand. This week is "Tailgating".

I can truly say that I have never tailgated in my life. Never even came close. So this one threw me for a loop. And I really appreciate all of your help with it.

Unfortunately, I won't be using any ideas this week. Well, not personally making anything. Mike is going to pick up hotwings. Seems that the weather channel was off a few days on when the cold was coming in to the area and I have to get all my garden stuff in today. Like 45 minutes ago.

So off with me to get the day started!

Menu Plan Monday

2007-10-08T09:40:00.001-04:00

Well, it turns out we didn't stick at all to last weeks menu plan. My husband got a great deal on some meat. So he called me on Tuesday and asked me to check the freezer when I got home. It was half filled with gorgeous steaks of all kinds, chicken, and talipia! So we feasted last week.

What I'm working with this week: Were working on healthy this week. (Healthy for us is low carbs.)

Monday - Leftover steaks, huge leafy greens and vegetable salad.

Tuesday - Roast crockpot whole chicken, vegetable and dip tray

Wednesday - Bible study meal. Theme is "Tailgate". I'm clueless. I'd love some ideas.

Thursday - Chicken burritos (from leftover chicken) on whole wheat burritos with all the fixins.

Friday - Crockpot spicy black beans, chow-chow, cornbread (I have a lower carb mix)

For more food inspiration, check out Laura's blog!

Traditions

2007-10-05T16:52:00.000-04:00

Mary has a son that joined the military last year. She struggled with celebrating Christmas last year because she missed her son so much. She has a youngish daughter still at home that misses her brother terribly.

Mary is looking for ideas on new family traditions that she can celebrate with her husband and daughter this year. She has asked for those of us that read her blog to share our traditions with her.

Since this is really what the season is all about, imnsho, I'm more than happy to answer and hopefully bless her with some ideas. I'd love it if some of you wonderful, smart women that read this would do the same. Either in the comments here, on her blog, or make a post about it (and leave a comment telling us you did it).

Some of our traditions are really little things. Things that I thought didn't really matter at all. Until I'd try to change something and the girls would absolutely revolt! The little things seem to mean the most to the girls!

Our traditions:

The tree (and all decorations) goes up on the Friday after Thanksgiving. No excuses. We always make cocoa or spiced cider (yes, even when the weather isn't too cold) and the girls always put their own ornaments on the tree. Dad puts the generic ornaments and his and mine on there. I sort.
We break out the Christmas music on the trip home from Thanksgiving Dinner. Every year. We have the same CD (A Very Special Christmas) that we play first.
At least once a week we watch a Christmas movie. Sometimes more. They vary each year but we always, always watch Christmas Vacation. Always. And usually Scrooged. And usually It's a Wonderful Life. We try to include a new one each year, but lately the adults have had to watch them first because we've found some *really* inappropriate ones!
Every year we make a Christmas picture. It's always with the 3 girls sitting in the same spot around the tree. I try to get them clothes that match in some way or they're in their jammies or some such thing. They are really starting to not like the matching thing. So we may drop that this year. And the picture goes in the Christmas cards that we send out each year. So this picture has to be made right after the tree goes up.
We always make the traditional cutout Christmas cookies and we decorate them. Last year I found recipes for three different kinds of dough that I made ahead of time and froze so that was super easy and made all the difference. Store bought dough would work too and we've used it in the past.
We try to have a different Christmas breakfast every year. Something that we see in a magazine or just something that looks yummy. It has to be super, super easy or, preferably, something that I can make ahead. Christmas morning is too busy and fun to spend in the kitchen.
Every year we make something homemade to give as gifts. This goes to people like the mailman or teachers at school. It also goes to grandparents (along with other things of course) and aunts and uncles. One year we made Mixed Bean Soup Jars (with rave reviews). One year Chocolate Chip Cookie Jars. Many years I'll mold candy (this is a hobby that I adore, but it's so time consuming and has to be made so last minute for it to be fresh, that I've all but given it up at this busy season in my life). This year I found these fabulous square, heavy, blue plates on a clearance sale for like 50 cents each. I plan to make homemade cookies and wrap them in colorful plastic wrap for the homemade gift.
The girls each get their own ornament every year. On Christmas morning they have to "find" it on the tree. When they move out, they get to take their ornaments so they have some wonderful memories to put on their first trees. I try to make the ornaments match their lives that year if at all possible. Like when Jessica turned 16 it had something to do with a car. And when she graduated high school it was a little cap and gown with the year on it. The younger girls have gotten things like ballet slippers or doggie bones with a new dogs name on it. And always the year printed on it. I'm a stickler for that.
Every year we put the video camera beside the bed and the girls can only peek downstairs before they get us up. We turn on the camera and capture all the excitement. It's almost all on one tape. So we can watch them grow up, Christmas after Christmas, all in a row.
We take our time opening gifts. We watch one another. We celebrate with one another. If the girls get the same thing (which they frequently do) we number them or put a special matching sticker on them so they know to open them at the same time so it's not spoiled for the other girls. It can take us hours to open presents. We sometimes even eat breakfast in the middle!

Okay, that's all I can thing of off the top of my head. I'm sure I'll think of more later and will add to it as I do.

Please share your traditions!

Frugal Friday

2007-10-05T09:36:00.001-04:00

Okay this is a quick tip that may not work for everyone, but it has saved me money and aggravation. And I know it's early, but it's timely for this tip

Christmas Tip #1

The girls get absolutely nothing extra between Oct. 1 and Christmas Day. They also have to have all Christmas requests in on Oct. 1.

This is good for many reasons. Not the least of which is the wow factor that Christmas has when you haven't gotten so much as a new pencil at the office supply store or new shoe laces. But it also saves money! They don't even bother watching those last minute Christmas commercials for the latest gadgets because they know that it will be next year before they can ask for it. They put a lot of thought into what they put on their Christmas list, because it's so early in the year and they're not bombarded with the advertisements. And I don't have to run out on Dec. 18th to try to find the latest gadget.

I start reminding them in early Sept. about the list and we usually talk about it every couple of days so they can really think on what they'd like to have.

For more frugal ideas be sure to visit Crystal's Blog!

More Bullets

2007-10-04T12:31:00.000-04:00

I've put a poll on the sidebar about Christmas. I know it's invasive and personal, but I'm always very curious as to others habits. I plan to do a post on it soon and would love to know your answers.
I almost never crave any foods, but have been craving celery (of all things) lately. I literally ate half a bunch yesterday and had some with my eggs this morning! I wonder if there is a vitamin deficiency associated? Does anyone have any thoughts?
What is up with sales calls to my cell phone? Are you kidding me? I've gotten several in the last few weeks. One time I answered and the guy quickly pointed out that this was a sales call from Sprint and it wasn't costing me any minutes at all. I asked him if it was costing me minutes to put the person that I was talking to on the other line on HOLD to answer a SALES call? He ~~stammered~~ said he'd call back later. I do not like this at all and will change my service if I have to do so to make it stop. Do other companies do this as well?
My garden is winding down. But for some reason the peppers are going crazy! I'm gonna have to watch for the weather to get too cold so I know when to get them all off the vine. Also, I've got tons of basil left to process for winter and strawberries to plant. We started off with 4 strawberry plants last year and we have probably 100 now. Even though we got very few berries this year due to a late freeze. I'm really looking forward to next year.
My daughters now only want to take "healthy" food to school. It has to be a stage, right? I mean, I love it. But healthy food is work. I would love ideas on healthy lunch~~box~~bag foods? Oh, and it has to be peanut free for one of the days. That's the hard one.
I got asked if I was a GRANDMA yesterday! I was at the store with my oldest daughter who is babysitting her friends baby while she works (long story and one I could rant about, but won't. Today.) and the guy carrying out our groceries asked if that was my GRANDBABY! I said, "No!" Then he asked if it was my baby. And I think I was equally offended. ;D If this isn't incentive to get back into shape and color my hair, I don't know what is...
Off to pick up Julia from Co-Op

Great Question!

2007-10-03T17:39:00.000-04:00

Mary asked about how to get a 6th grader to work more independently. Since this is exactly what we've struggled with starting middle school and exactly what my 6th grader has been going through for several weeks (and because my answer got too wordy for the comment section) I thought I'd post it here.

My daughter is in 6th grade too! And that's the exact "problem" that I've had with her. She has been doing great as long as I sit beside her, but it's *tough* to get them to work by themselves. And, unfortunately, I really don't know a painless way for it to happen.

My girls really like the co-op. So my catch phrase has been that I'm more than willing to help them do something, but if I'm going to have to teach it, then I'm not paying for the co-op. They get 2-3 questions a day each, in each subject. I figure after that, **I'M** teaching it and should get the money. ;)

The thing that I finally realized is this, I'm not doing them *any* favors by sitting beside them. They have *got* to learn to work independently. So...like anything else that they *need* to learn in life (potty training to riding a bike to driving a car and dating) they simply have to learn to do it.

I would start small. Just a few problems. Lots of praise when she works by herself. And also, logic works pretty well at that age. Maybe something like "I'd love to have time to take you out for an ice-cream this afternoon, but if I have to sit here with you working these math problems then I'll have to spend the afternoon on laundry instead. You pick."

It will be a struggle and it will take time, but know that when it happens...I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that it will change your life.

Good luck! And let me know how it goes!

My 200th Post

2007-10-03T09:56:00.000-04:00

I've been blogging here for just a few months over a year. And this is my 200th post. I can't decide if that is too much or too little! LOL

My head is just full of things that I've wanted to blog about in the last month or so. If this post is scattered, please know that it's nothing compared to what my brain feels.

Homeschool is going pretty well. Finally. Actually I feel like a poser calling it "homeschool" anymore. My girls are taking classes at an advanced honors co-op. Each class meets once a week (except when they meet twice a week, but you get the point) and then there is ~~more than~~ enough work given for them to finish out the other days. I'm not sure why there is such a challenge and change from elementary to middle school, but I've found that there is with all three of my girls. My girls are bright. I'm not bragging. It's just true. We're very blessed in that way. And because they're bright, they get used to ~~slacking~~ things coming easily for them in elementary school. It's just not that way when middle school starts. It takes more than just paying attention in class. It takes actual studying. And time. And discipline. From them too. ; ) And it seems to be slowly coming together. At least the tears have ~~mostly~~ stopped. From them too.

Our church has "small groups". We didn't join one when they first started for various reasons. But we do have a friend of Mike's that comes over most Sunday's for a cookout and we've started having our own "very small group". We pick Biblical topics and study during the week. We present what has been impressed upon our hearts on Sunday afternoon. It's been fabulous. And it's been amazing the things that I've learned. And the things that I've been convicted about. I plan to start blogging about that more as I feel lead.

Our dog is getting really old. One of his eyes started looking funny, sunken, to me last Sunday. Mike took him into the vet on Monday and he said it was allergies. Allergies. Unbelievable. So we got some drops and used them for a week. Well, this past Monday his whole eyelid drooped. It looked like either his eye had sunk back in his head or that he'd lost muscle control on that eye. Truthfully, it looked like both. So Mike took him back in and the vet said that he hadn't noticed that they week before (?!) and that it was probably either a brain tumor or he'd had a stroke. His gait hasn't changed. So I'm kinda doubting the stroke. Plus the fact that it started out weird and then got worse over the course of a week. That doesn't sound strokish to me. But he doesn't appear to be in any pain. As a matter of fact, he seems to be enjoying all the added attention. But his is NOT pretty to look at. It's freakish. And heartbreaking. We'll have to watch him closely for signs of deterioration or pain. :(

I've have been such a grump lately! I just do not understand people. I do what I say I'm going to do unless there is a reason that I can't. I show up when I'm supposed to show up (give or take 5 minutes). I do what is expected/required of me without anyone reminding me to do so. And I teach my daughters to do the same. And that's getting harder and harder when it seems that NO other adults (much less children) keep the same philosophy. I'm too old and ornery to pretend that this is okay anymore. So I don't. I know it's not my place to be a moral dictator of the world. But it is my place to associate myself and my girls with people that keep the same standards that I do. Or to at least be considerate. What kind of world are we living in?

Our "victory" BBQ went wonderfully. It simply could not have been better.

I hope to be caught up on my friends list by the end of the week.

It's grocery planning/shopping day so I'll stop now and ~~bore~~ dazzle you more later.

Menu-Plan-Monday

2007-10-01T10:02:00.000-04:00

Can you guys believe it's October already?! It was actually a little chilly early this morning. Fall is my favorite time of year.

Our schedule has been out the window the last few weeks, and are we ever paying for it! The house is upside down and I had almost forgotten how it felt to have the stress of not knowing what we were having for dinner...until the last few weeks.

What I'm working with this week: Leftover chicken, root vegetables

So with all that being said, first things first! Our menu:

Monday - Stirfry chicken with steamed root vegetables, rice.

Tuesday - Cheesy Chicken Casserole, celery and carrots w/dressing

Wednesday - leftover Cheesy Chicken Casserole, big salad

Thursday - Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, fried spinach, homemade rolls

Friday - Meatloaf sandwiches, celery and carrots w/dressing

Whew! I can't tell you how much better I feel just getting that done! I'll try to get everything else caught up this week as well. Including my blog reading! I'm excited to catch up on everyones lives!

Next Week

2007-09-26T09:17:00.000-04:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I'm alive. : ) It has been a crazy few weeks, but not in a bad way. Just busy. I hope to be back to my routine by next week. Miss you all!

And Now it's Friday...

2007-09-14T09:53:00.000-04:00

I keep thinking I'm gonna have some free time, but it's just not working out at all right now.

Jillian (10) has moved up to Middle School this year and since we've started back at the co-op it's been a real change from elementary. It's not so much that the work is too hard, but it's just so much more than she's used to doing that she's having a hard time organizing her time. After a couple of really late night (1:30ish) I decided that I was gonna have to step in and help her learn to organize a little better. So that's taken almost all of my free time.

Couple that with the fact that our music director at church is in a singing competition this weekend (3 hours away, of course, so we'll be lucky to get 4 hours of sleep Sat. night) and that we plan to go but have to be back the next morning in time for church because it's our preachers first Sunday back after open heart surgery (which is a story in itself that I'd planned to write, but ... well ... you know how it goes. It's all written in my head if I ever get the chance...).

Oh, and did I fail to mention that we have friends coming in from out of town on Monday for a few days? And it's right in the middle of the busiest time of my week so I have to have everything done in advance? Which includes a huge BBQ on Monday to celebrate the work that God has done in our lives?

I'm not complaining. I'm happier than I've been in years. Just busy. And missing you all. Hopefully I'll be back to "normal" here by the end of the month. And of course, I'll stop in when I can to read and/or update.

I Am In Awe

2007-09-07T09:24:00.000-04:00

I know I've not been around much this week. The thing is, I'm a creature of habit and with the holiday my schedule was thrown off. That combined with the fact that the girls co-op didn't cut them *any* slack on homework has meant a super busy week. I'll try to be back more regular next week.

Alanna, I've recently come across your blog and find it so honest and open. I don't know if you know that you have comments turned off. If you do and that's the way you want it I totally understand. But if you were wondering why you weren't getting comments, that's probably why. ;D And you totally flatter me by having me listed as a favorite and I'd like to return the favor if it's okay with you.

And last but certainly not least, I just wanted to say that God has moved so big in a personal area of my family's life. We got the news yesterday morning as I was driving my middle daughter to co-op, and I was so overwhelmed that I had to pull the car over. God hears prayers. And He still works miracles. I think Mike put it best yesterday evening when he said that he hoped that we could someday, in some small way, begin to deserve this blessing that God handed us yesterday. My heart is lighter than it has been for years. All praises be to God.

Frugal Friday Food

2007-08-31T08:54:00.000-04:00

There are many areas that I can tweak in our budget, but I think for us food is probably the easiest. I've talked about my Pantry in previous posts, and about how easy it is to save a lot of money if you have the space to store the food. And better still if you can view the foods easily.

One thing that we do to help with the food bill is that we rarely waste any food. Organization and menu planning really helps with this one.

So we had a lot of zucchini a couple of weeks ago. We'd eaten it several night and shared it with people and we still had this left.

So I brought out the food processor and ended up with quite a lot of shredded zucchini.

Which I vacuum sealed in 2 cup portions. It will go in the freezer.

This food will be much more appreciated this winter when used to make bread or added to quiche or casseroles than it would be if serve it too often right now.

But of course I couldn't resist making some bread.

And it was appreciated plenty. :)

For many more frugal ideas be sure to check out Crystal's Blog!

Menu Plan Monday

2007-08-27T09:24:00.000-04:00

Wow, what a week last week turned out to be! Everything got started back and we were hammered with all the extra work (and effort it took). The menu was a real help. We did everything but the egg salad on Friday. We ended up not getting home until after 8:30 so we grabbed some Zaxby's Chicken!

There is a lady who brings her kids to the same YMCA co-op that we attend who has chickens. She literally gathers the eggs that morning and brings them to me. And charges me almost the same as the cheaper kinds at the grocery store. How can I resist?

So again, I have an abundance of eggs and some buttermilk (from a cake for my 13yo's birthday Saturday!) that I'm working with this week.

Monday - Homemade beefy onion lasagna with homemade cheesy garlic biscuits.

Tuesday - Spicy crock pot beans and buttermilk cornbread

Wednesday - Bean burrito w/leftover beans, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, picante', etc

Thursday - Crock pot cooked whole chicken, creamed corn and homemade rolls

Friday - Chicken salad sandwiches

For more menu ideas, be sure to visit Laura's Blog!

Frugal Friday Dinner Edition

2007-08-24T09:28:00.000-04:00

I really need to update the picture of my pantry. It was almost brand new when I first posted my thoughts on having a pantry and how it saves me money.

I've learned a lot about food staples and it's definitely still a work in progress.

I believe that preparedness and frugality go hand in hand. I can't tell you how many times the day gotten away from me from circumstances beyond my control (or not). And then a child reminds me that they're hungry only for me to realize it's supper time and I've forgotten to thaw anything out.

How easy is it for us to then just order in? Or load up the kids and make a quick run to a fast food place? Or call up my husband and see if he can stop on his way home and pick something up?

I believe that having a Menu Plan is important. It really helps keep me organized and coaxes me to think ahead when needed on certain dishes. But sometimes, things get out of my control and my ideal dinner just isn't going to happen.

So what do I do?

I have a few dinners that are almost completely pantry stocked and that I can make from thought to table in less than an hour.

Tuna Patties is one of them.

I also have a recipe for a Cheesy Chicken Casserole (posted below, pictures to be added later, hopefully) that I got from Candy a long time ago that works perfectly in a pinch. (I've changed the amounts to accommodate my family, but the recipe is basically the same.)

These kinds of recipes are also good for days that I know are going to be crazy busy and I won't have time to cook. And if my pantry is stocked as it should be, there is no reason to run out and grab that fast food.

Cheesy Chicken Casserole

1 13oz can of cooked chicken

4 T butter

4 T Bisquick (I use a low carb version)

2 C Milk

1½ C shredded cheese

½ t mustard (to taste)

½ t hot sauce (to taste)

2 cans cooked mixed vegetables

1 C Bisquick (I use a low carb version)

½ C Parmesan cheese

2 T butter

1 egg

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Get out a large baking dish (appr. 9 X 13). Do not grease.

2. In a skillet melt 4 T butter then stir in the 4 T Bisquick, salt and pepper to taste.

3. Stir and cook over medium heat until mixture turns smooth and starts to bubble.

4. Stir in 2 C milk and return to boiling. Once boiling stir constantly for 2 minute then turn off heat.

5. Stir in mustard, hot sauce and cheese. Keep stirring until the cheese is completely melted and the mixture looks like cheese sauce (which is exactly what it is). Set aside.

6. Drain chicken and break into fine pieces, scattered over bottom of baking dish. Drain vegetables and pour over top of chicken. Pour homemade cheese sauce over the vegetables.

7. In another bowl, mix 1 C Bisquick and Parmesan Cheese. Cut in 2 T butter. Then gently mix in the egg. The mixture should be crumbly.

8. Sprinkle over the top of the cheesy, vegetable, chicken mixture.

9. Bake uncovered for 22 minutes or until light golden brown.

Both of the recipes listed here cost less than $5 to make (with ingredients bought on sale) and feed my family of five for two nights with nothing more than a salad throw into the mix. Eating out, even at the cheapest places, would be 3 times that for one meal.

For more frugality be sure to check out Crystal's Blog!