My Two Cents On Budgeting: Before The Bills Are Paid

 Thanks for joining me for the first installment of my budgeting series!

As I was praying for direction and wisdom concerning how to begin this series, two thoughts came to mind.

One was the phrase "It's all God's" and the other thought was the word "gratefulness". 

Everything we have is really the Lord's and each penny we earn is a gift straight from His hand.

James 1: 17:
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

 Before we sit down to pay our bills and work on our budgets, it's important that we see our money and our paychecks  as His provision to us and not something we have been able to attain all on our own. Because even though it may seem like you are able to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, so to speak, God is the one who gives us all things. It is good for us and humbling to realize that God is our ultimate source and Provision.

When we begin to think about God's provision and how all we have comes from Him, our next reaction is gratefulness. Gratefulness for the way He provides and thankfulness for everything He blesses us with.

Seeing our money as a gift from Him and having a grateful heart for what we have been given will change the way we look at budgeting and finances. Instead of always striving for more, we will be content with what we have. Realizing it is all His will give us a desire to be wise in the stewardship of our finances.

In no way, am I saying that we should never look for extra income. We all need a certain amount of money to live and keep things going. A roof over our heads and running water are nice to have as well. I do believe as we seek God's best in our finances, He will give us wisdom as to when to pursue extra income or when to tighten our belts and do without for a season. This is what He's done in our lives and I know it's no coincidence that when He shows us to look for extra income, that without fail He provides a way to accomplish it!

Soon after we were married, my husband got a new job. We knew it was a part-time job from the start, but as time went on, it became even more so. At first he worked 30 hours a week, which eventually dwindled into 20 and finally plummeted to 15 hours a week. I had only recently come home from my full-time job to be a stay-at-home wife so we really depended on his income. I was doing some childcare at the time which although didn't bring in piles of money, helped to bridge the gap. Looking back now, I can see how God both provided for us and protected us from any major financial emergencies. God used this job to really begin growing my faith and trust in Him.

We began to pray for a new job with more hours for Andy and after about 6 months, he was hired at another company. This was technically part-time as well but right from the start, he worked nearly every day averaging around 35 hours a week and the pay was significantly more than the previous job.

I will never forget how amazed and excited we were at his first paycheck. We hadn't seen that amount of money at one time in a very long while. As I took it to the bank, I remember praising and thanking God for His abundant provision. " Help me to always be so thankful for every pay check, God!", I prayed.

Well, He has never let me forget that prayer. Every time I sit down to pay bills or work on our budget, I remember. While I certainly am not always perfectly content- it is a process after all- it has become a habit  for me to pray before paying the bills. I simply thank God for what He's provided and then ask for His wisdom in spending, stretching and saving our dollars.

The true heart matter behind budgeting is not simply giving every dollar a name and living below your means. It is recognizing God as the Giver of all things and the Source of our provision. Only then will we be able to effectively manage our money.

**Before we delve into practical things such as listing all expenses, saving for a rainy day and paying off debt, let's talk about another heart issue. Come back next Friday as we discuss what God's Word says about tithing!

**This post is a part of Frugal Fridays.

Harris Teeter Super Doubles

Harris Teeter is doing their Super Doubles coupon event this week. This means that all coupons from $1 to $1.98 are doubling. As you can imagine, this makes for some sweet deals!

Instead of going through everything I've gotten on my super doubles trips, this time I'll just highlight a few good deals.

When organizing my coupons this week (for the first time in months, yes MONTHS- yikes!), I noticed that I had oodles of Muir Glen $1/2 coupons. Most of these came from the winter coupon booklet from Earth Fare. That particular booklet contained some super manufacturer's coupons so I picked up one or two every time I stopped in. I ended up with about 7 booklets, I think. :-) I also got some of these coupons from a couple different Eat Better America coupon mailers I received.

Anyways....

Harris Teeter has Muir Glen diced tomatoes on sale this week 3/$4. Using a $1/2 coupon makes them $.33 each! That's a good stock up price in my opinion. Even the Aldi brand tomatoes are over $.50 a can. We go through lots of tomatoes. I'm hoping this stash will last until I get around to canning the summer's bounty. I can always hope.

A couple other deals worth mentioning-

**Select Kashi cereals are 2/$3. Use $1.50/1 Kashi Heart to Heart Q from a Vocalpoint mailer to get this FREE. We really like this cereal.

** Old Orchard Healthy Balance juices are Buy 2 Get 3 Free. Use B1G1 Q from the May 2010 All You magazine and get 5 (64 ounce) juices for the price of one ($2.99). That comes to $.59 a bottle. Another great stock-up price!

** L.A. Looks Hair Gel is $2.15. Use $1/1 Q from 3/07 Smart Source insert or 5/23 Smart Source to get hair gel for $.15 each. My husband uses hair gel and it's one of those rare sale or coupon items so I'm excited about stocking up!

These are just a few deals I was particularly pumped about! For a complete list of Super Doubles coupon deals, visit Southern Savers.

Simply Experiencing The Church

I realize that I have never blogged about my church. I've had this post rolling around in my head for more than a year and even had a simple outline written out. I'm finally getting around to completing my thoughts and sharing them with you, since I sense that it is now the right time to share this.


I have a confession to make.

I don't go to church.

Gasp!

Now. Before you run away screaming or write me off because I'm a heathen, hear me out.

I don't go to church.

I do however, meet together with other believers every Sunday and sometimes other days, too. 

I am the church.

Three and a half years ago, our church, which was following a similar path of the traditional contemporary church made a change.

Well. Actually God made the change.

He literally took the building we were currently meeting in away from us and then did not make any other facility available to us.

Since we knew a move was coming, the leadership had made plans months earlier and meeting together in homes was considered as a temporary option, just in case no other meeting place was found. It was in fact, referred to as Plan C.

Instead, our Plan C became God's Plan A. And this one was long term, not temporary.

One Sunday we packed up all of our church possessions and the next Sunday we were meeting together in homes around the county.  All we had was God, each other and a desire to follow Him in this new venture.

We had no idea where He was taking us.

Acts 2 : 42-47 became the blueprint for the paradigm we were moving in:

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

The first thing we had to grab a hold of was the concept that Christians individually and collectively  are the church.

I've broken it down into two simple truths.

Simple Truth #1: We are the church. It's not the building we worship in. 

Simple Truth #2: If I am the church, then true worship can take place wherever I am.

No longer are we bound to a building, a specific structure or special programs and gimmicks to draw people in on Sundays.

Now, instead of funding a building, our tithes and offerings are directed towards helping people in need.

It is so freeing!

We now meet in Home Fellowships. We currently have three fellowships meeting on Sunday mornings across the county. The size of each fellowship ranges from about 10-20 people. We come together to share what God has done in our lives that week, to discuss what He's shown us in our weekly Bible reading, to minister to one another and to share a meal together. The children, youth and adults are all together in one living room. Sometimes we have music and sometimes we don't.

Each group has a facilitator (not usually a pastor) who oversees the fellowship to be sure it is functioning properly and is responsible for keeping the discussion going. We all read Scripture through the week from the same Bible reading schedule and come prepared to share our insights from the key chapter. Instead of hearing one sermon, we get to hear lots of mini-sermons from each person who shares, which is really awesome! We often have special ministry times during our fellowships to minister to someone's specific needs and special prayer times. It's so powerful to see even small children going to lay hands on and pray for someone.

After the fellowship time, we continue to build relationships through sharing a meal together. Each Sunday we all bring food and share a meal potluck-style. We fondly refer to our lunch as "Holy Spirit Potluck", since we are encouraged to ask the Holy Spirit to show us what we are to contribute to the meal.

Through all this, we have learned as a church body to really rely upon the power and leading of the Holy Spirit. Individuals are growing in their personal relationships with Jesus and are learning to truly live a life of faith, hope and love. 

1. Growing my faith in Christ.
2. Passing the hope of Christ on to others.
3. Building a love relationship with the Lord and people.

I know that I have personally grown so much spiritually since moving into the Home Fellowship structure. In the old structure, we were so busy doing music and children's ministry that we didn't have time to build relationships with other people in the church. We were so busy focusing on our roles or our chosen areas of ministry that we didn't get to focus on the people we were supposed to minister to.

Instead of concerning ourselves with the nitty-gritty details of kid's crafts, sound board personnel and enough ushers for the offering, it is so refreshing to just be in God's presence and simply experience being the church.

Simple church definitely works for us!

**This post is part of Works For Me Wednesday.

**Please feel free to ask any questions you may have concerning the Home Fellowships. I will try to answer to the best of my knowledge. I only ask that we keep the discussion respectful to one another. Thanks!

Natural Home Remedies For Coughs and Congestion

My husband's been fighting this cough and congestion junk that seems to be going around among our friends.

So while he's been hacking and carrying on, I'm using him as a guinea pig to practice natural remedies. :-) I've been especially excited to begin using my essential oils for medicinal purposes.

Something must be working. After over a week of it, he seems to be on the mend.

**My friend facebooked me with this natural cold remedy:

Place 2 T. honey in a small glass cup along with 4 minced garlic cloves and 1/8 t. cayenne pepper(or as much as you can stand). Place honey mixture glass in a larger glass filled with hot water so it warms. Take 1 t. every hour. Don't wash it down.

**From a past Beeyoutiful catalog:

For Chest and Sinus Congestion

Boil a pot of water and remove from the stove. While still steaming, add 2 drops each of eucalyptus, lavender, and tea tree essential oils. Cover bowl and head with towel and inhale deeply for at least 3 minutes. KEEP EYES CLOSED.

This treatment seemed to be the most effective overall. His cough seemed a lot looser each time he did this. 

**Herbal Teas

I've been a big fan of Traditional Medicinals Breathe Easy tea for years as a natural way to alleviate asthma symptoms. So he drank quite a bit of this with honey added.

Lemon and honey tea is also a good one for respiratory problems. Mix lemon juice (I added one ice cube of frozen fresh lemon juice) in a cup of  hot water and stir in a spoonful of honey.

It seemed as though tea in general was soothing, so he drank regular herbal blends as well, chamomile being a favorite. Honey acts as an expectorant so it's a good idea to add a spoonful to a cup of tea when sick.

Do you have any favorite natural remedies for sickness? Please share!

Announcing...New Budgeting Series

This coming Friday, I'll be launching the first installment in a series about budgeting and managing money.

This series will run every Friday for 7 weeks or until I exhaust the subject. :-)

Keep in mind that while I am most certainly not an expert on this, managing money effectively is a topic near to my heart. I know I don't have nearly as much experience as many of my readers but I'll be sharing what we do and what we've learned based on our own life experiences.

Here are the topics I'll be covering in the weeks ahead:

• Before You Pay Your Bills.
• Know Where Your Money Goes.
• The Envelope System.
• Saving.
• Paying Down Debt.
• Tithing.
• Finances and Marriage.

I hope you'll join us and add your two cents worth as we discuss managing our money to the glory of God!

Menu Plan Monday- Two Week Plan

Today I made a 2 week supper menu based on what I have on hand. This will get me through the end of May. I need to do a small grocery run for a few things and should be set!

I still need to assess the breakfast situation and lunches will be leftovers, sandwiches or other quick and easy items that I come up with.

All freezer items are marked with **.

May 17- 23:

Monday- Chicken and rice soup, toast
Tuesday- Monterrey beans, rice**, guacamole**
Wednesday- Creamed eggs over soaked wheat biscuits, apples
Thursday- Grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches, tomato soup
Friday-  Dinner with family: Lasagna, green beans with mushrooms and bacon, wheat rolls, TBD(cookies or cobbler?) and ice cream
Saturday- Pizza**
Sunday- Leftovers

May 24- 31:

Monday- Meatball pasta skillet dish
Tuesday- Lentils and rice**
Wednesday- Garlic butter spaghetti with white beans
Thursday- Beefy vegetable soup**, bread
Friday- Chicken and gravy with peas over rice
Saturday- Pancakes or waffles, fruit
Sunday- Leftovers
Monday- Bean burritos, rice

What's cooking in your kitchen this week?

**For more menu plans, click on over to  Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday!

Organize or Declutter?

 Banana box full of magazines to give away.

This week I sorted out all of the magazines we'd accumulated over the last year or two. I got rid of all but several of the latest issues.

I'll admit that my first thought was to cut and decorate recycled cereal boxes into creative little magazine holders and organize them all on a shelf.

Fortunately that thought didn't stay long. It was quickly shooed away by " Are you crazy? Why organize something that you'd be better off decluttering?"

That second thought was dead-on. I know myself. Most likely, I'm not going to go back through those magazines often enough to justify keeping all of them. In my little home, space is at a premium. Stuff has to earn its keep.

This experience took me back a couple of years ago when I was organizing my fabric collection. Lamenting over my lack of storage space, I suddenly had an epiphany.

"Instead of cramming all I could into a space, in the name of great organization, why not keep only what I had room for?"

Brilliant!

That single light bulb moment was all I needed. I began to purge that fabric into a manageable amount, keeping only what I loved and was certain I would use. Cookbooks were limited to a certain shelf. When it was full, no more.  Clothes had to fit in the closet or dresser drawers. Gift wrap and gift bags were pared down to only what I could reasonably use. Kitchen equipment had to be used and have an appropriate storage spot  (i.e. not the top of the washing machine) in order to stay.

Now, I am not an extreme minimalist. I am not against having stuff. I have a house full of stuff- some necessary and some not. Stuff is a part of life.

I'm also not against organization. In fact, I love to organize! Give me storage boxes and baskets and I take great joy in wrapping a room in labeled Rubbermaid.

There's a place for organizing one's belongings. Organization helps to bring order to a home. We all have necessary stuff- books, clothes, kids toys, kitchen equipment and paper that needs to be organized so it doesn't take over our homes and lives. Those of us with tiny homes and even smaller closets know the virtues of organizing even the basics into the most creative of configurations to get it all to fit.

But there also comes a time when I need to stop organizing and start decluttering. Keep what I need, love and use and pass the rest on for someone else to enjoy.

I don't want to spend all my time sorting, sifting and organizing my stuff. Instead, I'd like to enjoy what I have and experience something much more important, life itself.

Trash Picking

Folks in our neighborhood frequently throw stuff they no longer want beside the curb. Especially when they move out.

On occasion, I've picked up some nice things- a Pyrex baking dish, planters, a bathroom shelf, children's chairs, storage tubs and baskets. It's always worth a look!

Last night when Cherished Dog and I were out for a stroll, we hurried past a pile of stuff beside the curb.

My brain registered with what I had just seen and I quickly backed up to check it out.

This is what I found:

An Environments play kitchen.

I checked it out and decided to take the dog home and come back with the car to pick it up. I knew my sister would love it for her children since she's been looking for a wooden kitchen for them for a long time.

The hinges need to be either replaced or repaired and the piece could use some tender loving care. My sister loves to refurbish thrifted furniture so she doesn't mind this one bit! I found a similar piece online that was priced at $185.00.

I also trash-picked a pack and play mat and bassinet insert from the same trash pile. They don't match my pack and play exactly (that I have for child care kids) but are a perfect fit. My pack and play mat is quite stained so this 'new' one will be very nice!

What kind of treasures have you found lately?

My Bible Reading Plan

 

Today, I'm going to share my Bible study method. I've been using this method for about 2 years now and judging by my spiritual growth, it really works!

This plan is not original with me. Our pastor typed up all the questions and schedule and our entire church group uses it. At first I found this plan tedious and difficult, but as time goes on, I've enjoyed it more and more as I've been able to apply Scripture to my life and see the difference it makes.

Our Bible reading schedule is set up for reading and studying one chapter of Scripture each day then answering the following questions about each chapter.

1) List one thing that jumps out at you. This can be a whole verse, a word, a phrase, anything in the chapter.
2) Please explain why it jumped out. 
3) How will this change the way you live your life? This means practical application for daily living.
4) Based upon the answers above, what area of your Christian walk is God developing?
       __Growing your faith in Christ.
       __Passing the hope of Christ on to others.
       __Building love relationships with Christ and people.
5) Write down any insight you have received concerning salvation in Christ.
6) Write down your prayer for the day.

This is designed to take about 15 minutes each day, which is a small sacrifice to make in order to grow in Christ. Depending on the book and chapter that I am studying, it may take me more like 30 minutes to complete this each day, but I find the effort is well worth the benefits!

We discuss a predetermined  chapter each Sunday with everyone sharing their insight. Another help is that we are encouraged to participate in a Life Group each week where we meet with one or two persons of the same gender to discuss what we got out of each chapter and then praying together about any requests we may have. I have met with a friend for over a year now and it has been exciting to see how consistent time in the Word and sharing our insights with someone else has facilitated extreme growth in both of us.

In years past, although I had a desire to spend time with the Lord, I had a difficult time understanding and applying to my life what I was reading. A light bulb came on one day when asking for God's wisdom before reading the Bible was mentioned. Well, duh!

I began to faithfully ask God to open my spiritual eyes and ears as I read His Word so that I would be able to see and hear what He wanted to teach me. I asked Him to show me something that would enable me to better equip me to live my life for Him.

And do you know what? God has been faithful to answer those simple prayers. Some days it takes a while to find something in a particular chapter and sometimes I pray and read and nothing jumps out until I come back to it later. It's a  matter of waiting for God to reveal to me what He wants me to get.

This method works for me.

No matter what method you may use,when it comes to Bible study, consistency is the key! Along with that, accountability and writing down the insights you've received so you can remember them later are so very important to growing in Christ.

Come back next week when I tell you more about our church and what makes us unique.

In regards to Bible study, what works for you? Please share.

**This post is a part of Works For Me Wednesday!

Beef Enchiladas

After snagging some tortillas for 50 cents a bag a few weeks ago, I was motivated to make enchiladas for our weekly Sunday potluck lunch with our church family.

I didn't use a recipe but made them up as I went along. They turned out really well and were quickly gobbled up!

When I mentioned making a burrito-type dish last night for dinner, my husband asked hopefully if I could make enchiladas again. I believe this is now a family favorite!

Mary Ann's Easy Enchiladas
Makes a full 9 x 13 pan.

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 can tomatoes with chilies
1 recipe prepared Enchilada Sauce( recipe below) or 1 can purchased enchilada sauce
Several cups shredded cheese
1 package flour tortillas

1) Brown ground beef and chopped onion in skillet. Drain. Stir in can of tomatoes, drained.

2) If making enchilada sauce, you can prepare it in a saucepan while the beef is browning.

3) Add some enchilada sauce to the beef. I'm not sure exactly how much I added in; probably about 1/4 or a little more of the sauce. I don't want it soupy but well-moistened.

4) Spread a couple of spoonfuls of sauce on the bottom of baking pan. 

5) Assemble enchiladas. Spread beef mixture on each tortilla; sprinkle with cheese. Roll up and place in greased pan.

6) Pour remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

7) Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until heated through and bubbly. Serve with sour cream.

** These can be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated until baking time. This would also freeze well. Freeze before baking and then bake when ready to use.

**Cooked beans can be added to stretch the meat, if desired.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

We love this sauce! It's a really good homemade version and can be made with pantry ingredients. Thanks to Darcy Lee for the recipe.

1-8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine and cook over medium heat until thickened; stirring often.
Makes 2 1/2 cups.

**It's easy to adjust the spiciness in this recipe to suit personal taste!

Enjoy!

Blessed Be Your Name -Knox Style!

Last summer, I wrote about hearing my nephew, Knox, sing praise songs and how sweet it was.

Last weekend, we visited his family and he wanted to sing. When asked what he wanted to sing, he immediately began to list some favorite praise songs that he'd learned at church. After he sang a few, I remembered that I had my camera with me. I asked him if he'd sing 'Blessed Be Your Name' so I could get it on video. He was more than happy to oblige me!

Enjoy an almost 5 year-old's rendition of  "Blessed Be Your Name".  I'm sure Beethoven is proud as he looks on.

I think God must get great joy out of hearing little ones sing His praises! Hearing  a little one praise the Lord is most certainly a finer thing!



**This post is part of Finer Things Friday!

Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive

Don't forget! This Saturday is the annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Simply fill a bag with non-perishable food items and set out by your mailbox. Your letter carrier will pick up the bag when dropping off your mail and all donations will go to local food banks and pantries.

This is such an easy way to help folks in our own communities!  And a good way to use some of those extra cans of food we have in our pantries from stockpiling and using coupons!

Roasted Chicken & Veggies

For last night's dinner, I had planned to bake some chicken leg quarters and then steam a bunch of veggies. Instead, I decided to maximize the use of the oven by  roasting the veggies alongside the chicken.

While everything was roasting, I was able to bring the rest of my yard sale stuff inside to sort for my sale this weekend.

I followed these vegetable roasting instructions. Mmmm...everything was so good!

You can roast almost any kind of veggie. I did a head of cauliflower, some green beans, an onion, a zucchini and 5 carrots. I roasted the carrots on a separate baking sheet than the rest because of needing a longer roasting time. 

We have enough leftovers for lunch today!

Sourdough Starter and Waffles

 My sourdough starter with its little cotton hat. Seeing it reminds me of the characters from Josh and The Big Wall. :-)

My sister gave me some sourdough starter when we visited her last weekend.

I'd always been a little afraid of caring for a starter and keeping up with it but it's really not that hard at all. I just add a cup of flour and some filtered water every day. Then occasionally, add a teaspoon of sweetener. If I don't want to deal with it for a week, I can stow it in the fridge and just feed it once.

I decided to make sourdough waffles this morning. This recipe looked so good to me and it had very good reviews. 

The recipe was so easy to stir up and the waffles looked great; nice and crispy brown on the outside but not hard. Unfortunately, I'm doing a cleanse right now and staying off of grains so I couldn't sample them. I could hardly resist; they looked and smelled so good! My husband really enjoyed them and said the sourdough flavor was mild and not overwhelming. He's looking forward to more sourdough goodies!

Thanks to the starter, I'll be making sourdough baked goods every week!

Works For Me Wednesday: Packing and Moving Tips?

Today is the backwards edition of Works For Me Wednesday, where I ask the question and you give me the tips! Fun!

Today's question: What kind of tips do you have for moving and packing?

We are going to be moving soon. When exactly, or where, I do not know. But moving is inevitable, whether in a month or two or later this year. As far as we know we will be staying in this general area, so the move will most likely be across town and not across the country.

I haven't moved that much in my lifetime and this is the first time I'll be packing up a whole household and moving it from point A to point B. Naturally, I won't be doing all the work myself.  I have a capable husband and friends who are sure to help out, but I will be the one organizing and overseeing the move.

I know how to pack boxes and label them specifically instead of having all marked 'Misc.' (That's what my husband's former roommate would do when he moved. ) And I've been decluttering and am having a yard sale this weekend.

Do you seasoned movers have specific systems that you follow when packing? Color-coded stickers... numbered boxes with coordinating lists...throw everything out that you can't fit in the Neon? :-)

Please share! What works for you for packing and moving?

**This post is part of Works For Me Wednesday.

Keeping It Real

If any of you still believe I am perfect, here's a dose of reality. ;-)

True, funny story:

Yesterday afternoon I started my bread dough so it could soak overnight. This morning all I had to do was add the final few ingredients, mix it and let it rise.

So I got up this morning and in between sorting and starting laundry and cooking breakfast, I got the bread dough going.

First, I needed to "proof" the yeast which is mixing it with water and a little sweetener and letting it set for 5 minutes while it bubbles.

Meanwhile, I busied myself (like I always do) with adding the other ingredients to the soaked mixture: salt and gluten.

The bread recipe I use calls for 2-4 tablespoons of gluten and for whatever reason, I simply could not remember how much I usually use. So I thought that I would put 3 1/2 in for good measure.

Well, that would have been fine....

Except after I put the large amount of "gluten" in, I looked over and saw the box of gluten still sitting quietly waiting for its turn.

I had just added 3 and 1/2 more tablespoons of yeast to the dough.

Too little yeast and your bread doesn't rise properly. Too much and your bread tastes and smells extra yeasty and it rises too much too quickly.

I hadn't added the yeast/water mixture yet so the soaked mixture was quite clumpy and non-liquidy, which was a good thing, since the first thing I thought to do was to turn the mixing bowl of dough upside down over the sink and dump the excess yeast out.

A lot came out.

A lot was still in the bowl, stuck on the dough.

I wasn't sure what to do. Should I redo the yeast mixture and try to recalculate the yeast amount accordingly? Would that work? Or should I dump the whole thing out and start over?

In the end, I didn't change anything but added the yeast mixture just like I had planned originally and hoped for the best.

I did add a bit more flour and water hoping that it would even itself out.

The bread dough rose faster than it ever has before. :-) It baked up beautifully. The texture is different but my husband reports that it tastes ok.

So glad!

Menu Plan Monday - The Boring Detox Edition

My menu plan is pretty boring and simple this week as I've started a cleanse. I'm filling up on mainly meats and veggies this week and will add some fruits and dairy in a week or two.

Hoping this cleanse along with some supplements will be a start to ridding my body of some annoying problems that have been hanging around for far too long!

My husband is not doing the cleanse but he'll eat pretty much the same foods as me. We'll just add fruits, carbs, etc.to the meals for him.

Breakfasts- scrambled, poached or hard-boiled eggs with veggies(sauteed or fresh); homemade beef sausage with veggies (sauteed or fresh).**Add fruits and toast for Andy.

Lunches- salads, vegetable or lentil soup.**Add breads and sandwiches for Andy.

Snacks- hummus with veggies, plain veggies, hard boiled eggs. **He can have whatever he wants!:-)

Suppers- 
Salmon, zucchini, brown rice
Beef and veggie stir fry, brown rice
Baked chicken, steamed cauliflower, steamed carrots, sauteed kale
Monterrey beans (adapted for me), fresh veggies, brown rice
Pizza for Andy; soup and salad for me

Kitchen chores for the week:
-Soak and cook several kinds of beans to use and freeze.
-Make batch of beef sausage for week.
-Bake bread. (Didn't get to it last week!)
-Make batch of hummus to use and freeze.
-Research recipes that use sourdough starter and try at least one. Feed starter every day!
-Make yogurt.

For more exciting menu plans, please head on over to Organizing Junkie!

Cloth Napkins

We love our cloth napkins! Not only do they save us money because we're not constantly buying the disposable variety (although I do have a cheap pack of paper napkins on hand for hosting large groups), but they are also just so much nicer to use! Not to mention not generating so much trash.

I had several comments on the cloth napkins in last week's  green and frugal post so I thought I'd devote a whole post to the subject of cloth napkins today!

But don't they require so much care?

Not in my experience. We don't wash ours after every meal but instead use the same ones for several meals or days or until they are noticeably dirty. This may gross some people out, but it works for us! Some families use napkin rings to keep everyone's napkins separate. I throw them in the wash with a load of towels so they don't really create any extra laundry.

I iron napkins for special occasions, otherwise I don't bother with ironing. Linen napkins really look and feel much better if ironed and/or starched.  So I don't use those kind. :-) Plain cotton works well and is very low-maintenance.

What about cost?

At regular department store prices, cloth napkins can sometimes be a little on the pricey side. But they don't have to be! Every napkin in my collection has either been purchased on clearance, at yard sales and thrift stores, given as gifts or handmade.

After several uses, the napkins will begin to pay for themselves because you will no longer be buying paper ones.

How do I go about making my own cloth napkins? 

Napkins are one of the simplest items to sew, even for a beginner seamstress. I've used small pieces of leftover fabric to make ours. You can also make napkins out of a sheet from the thrift store or an extra sheet that you have around the house. Pretty much any cotton fabric will do!

They are so easy to make! Basically, you cut a square of fabric then hem the edges or you can make cute no-sew napkins like these.

My homemade napkins that you see at the top of the basket are reversible. These would be really cute to make with a stylish "adult" fabric on one side and a kid-friendly print on the other. I was going to do a tutorial on how to make reversible napkins but ran out of time so I found these instructions for you.

--Reversible napkins with matching napkin rings.
--Reversible napkins with adorable rick rack edging.

Some other cute cloth napkins I've found:
-- Five different styles of cloth napkins. I love all of these. The retro prints! The rick rack! The embroidery! The applique!

Alright, I may like cloth napkins a bit too much.

But they are fun! And cheap! And easy to use! Try it!

**This post is part of Frugal Fridays.

What Do You Do All Day?

Since becoming a homemaker, the question I hear most frequently is "So what do you do all day? " This is usually followed up with "Aren't you bored?"

I sometimes answer this question with a lighthearted "Oh, I mostly just lay around the mansion"-- which usually gets a smile and a laugh out of people.

But really, it's a valid question. And I treat it as such since most folks ask out of genuine interest and curiosity, not in a spiteful or critical way. There's no reason for me to respond defensively or get embarrassed. 

What do homemakers, stay at home wives and stay at home moms do all day? Believe it or not, most people have no idea. Many have never seen a homemaker in action.

So what do I, a homemaker with no children,  do all day? 

As I alluded to in this video, I am busier than one might expect! I'm an early riser and I start with quiet time with the Lord, exercise and breakfast. Several mornings a week are reserved for working on projects for my Etsy shop. The other mornings are filled with cleaning, laundry, running errands and sometimes cooking and baking. Afternoons are a little more laid-back. Since I am a morning person, my energy starts to disappear in the afternoon. I often will sit down for a short rest because I need it! Most of my blogging is done in the afternoon as well as any tasks that did not get done in the morning. Currently, I babysit two children one afternoon a week, which pretty much fills the time that day!

I am the cleaning lady, the chef, the financial manager, the receptionist and secretary. My primary role as Operations Manager of our household is to keep my household running smoothly. I stretch our income as far as I can while still planning for the future. Time for clipping coupons, scouring the sales ads for great deals, shopping at yard sales and thrift stores are important to my role as I can save us so much money through these venues!

For fun, I listed all the things I do around the house. All of you, whether a full-time homemaker or not, will be able to relate to these tasks. I list this, not to brag about all I accomplish, but to show the similarities of our lives.

I may not have listed everything, but here's what I was able to recall:

• cleaning
• cooking
• meal planning
• grocery shopping
• preserving food
• stretch our income
• pay bills
• increase our income
• decorating
• organizing
• hospitality
• gardening
• researching health and nutrition
• event and appointment coordinator
• giving gifts
• laundry
• errands and shopping
• help with yard work
• assist my husband with his business
• take care of dog
• planning
• holding our household together! :-) 

So, are you ever bored? 

Bored, no.

Unmotivated, yes.

While some days I really want to get out of the house (which I do), I honestly haven't dealt much with boredom. I have way too many interests, hobbies and things to do to be bored. There is always something to do and I don't feel like I have enough time to do every little thing I'd like to accomplish.

I do, however, have days where I feel generally unmotivated. I have days where I poke and piddle around and cross very little off my to-do list. I certainly do not do everything every day and I am not super-woman! On days like this, I usually make myself start somewhere and sometimes, I'll do the basics and then take a little time off to do something I enjoy, like sewing or crafting something fun for me, going to the library, the park or even out for ice cream or lunch.

I really love my role as a homemaker. And for the most part, I find it fun and challenging!

Somewhere along the way, I found this list of questions to ask myself when I am bored at home. You don't neccessarily have to do all these things, or feel guilty about any of them. The questions are there to help us realize just how much there is to do at home! This list is not original with me.

1. Are your floors clean?
2. Are your windows clean?
3. Are the beds made?
4. Are the dishes done?
5. Are there extra meals in the freezer for emergencies?
6. Do you preserve your own foods?
7. Do you bake from raw ingredients (from scratch)?
8. Have you entertained at least one person from church in the last month?
9. Is your front porch clean and attractive?
10. Is your yard clean and free from debris?
11. Have you grown a  garden this year?
12. Do you make your own clothes?
13. Has your husband had to ask you to iron a shirt for him this week, or hunt for a clean one somewhere?
14. Are you caught up on your correspondence?
15. Do you carefully shop for bargains?
16. Have you rearranged your furniture in the last three months?
17. Do you make your own gifts?
18. Do you write in a journal, scrapbook or create crafts?
19. Do you bake your own bread?
20. Are your closets organized?
21. Are you well rested and healthy?
22. Do you study a chapter in the Bible each day?
23. Are you finding ways to help younger women learn about caring for husbands and home?
24. Are your photographs all organized and put into albums?
25. Have you made  a quilt?

As you can see from the above list, there is no shortage of things to do at home. Your current season of life will dictate how much you do. Right now, I have more time to do some of these things that are "non-essentials"  than I have or will at other times. Each persons life is different!

For all of us, whether we are at home full-time or not, let's make the most of wherever God has us, doing our very best to fulfill the purpose that He has placed in us and seize the day!

Now it's my turn to ask the question...

What do YOU do all day?

My Kitchen Prayer

My Kitchen Prayer

God bless my little kitchen

I love it's every nook

And bless me as I do my work

Wash pots and pans and cook. 

And may the meals that I prepare

Be seasoned from above

With Thy great blessings and Thy grace

But most of all Thy love.

As we partake of earthly food

The table before us spread

We'll not forget to thank Thee, Lord

Who gives us daily bread.

So bless my little kitchen, God

And those that enter in

May they find naught but joy and peace

And happiness therein.

Author Unknown

Cooking With Beef Fat

When I made beef stew last week, I skimmed the fat off the broth and saved it.

Nothing new there. I've read how wonderful it is for cooking and that it's a good fat, so I always save it. Since I am frugal and all and can't bear to throw anything away that might possibly be used for something.

But this time, I actually used it!

I cooked scrambled eggs and sauteed green peppers in the beef fat instead of butter. I put  a generous spoonful into cooked pinto beans and used it for Friday's stir fry. 

I must say it added delicious flavor to everything I used it for. I plan to save it and actually use it again. It's a frugal alternative and stretches my butter and coconut oil supply.

I use mostly grass-fed and good quality meats so I feel more comfortable using the fat from those than the typical grocery store variety.

I remember my dad talking about a time he bit into a delicious-looking piece of pie at a potluck only to discover that the cook had used chicken fat to make the pie crust. I can only imagine how that tasted! Ewww!

That being said, I think it's important to match the fat with the type of recipe I'm creating. A meaty flavored fat or lard will probably not be the best flavor combo for most desserts. :-) I'll continue to use butter or coconut oil for those. On the flip side, some folks may not like the flavor of coconut oil in their meat or main dishes.

Just in case anyone is concerned!

Menu Plan Monday- Eat From The Pantry Week

It's the last week of the month so we're eating up what we have on hand before I grocery shop again!

Busy week ahead so I've tried to create a fairly easy menu plan. We'll see how I did as the week goes on!

Today is National Pretzel Day so we're taking a break from a healthy and balanced supper and having homemade soft pretzels with cheese sauce and hot dogs instead. Yum! Kind of a fun way to start the week. :-)

** indicates freezer meals.

Monday
To do: soak oatmeal, start bread, soak lentils and rice
B-grilled pb and banana sandwiches ( My attempt to salvage 2 pb sandwiches that we didn't eat on Saturday. The bread was  a little dried out but the grilling and adding banana slices did the trick. They turned out crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside!)
L- leftover buffet
S- homemade soft pretzels with cheese sauce, hot dogs

Tuesday
To do: bake bread
B- oatmeal, bananas
L-leftovers
S- Crockpot- lentil and rice pilaf ( new recipe), green salad with vinaigrette dressing

Wednesday
To do: thaw beef stew, make yogurt
B- eggs, toast
L- out for lunch
S- mac and cheese, salad

Thursday
B- oatmeal, bananas
L-salads
S- beef stew**, mashed potatoes (crockpot)

Friday
To do: plan and prepare food for Sunday
B- banana applesauce muffins, yogurt
L- leftovers or peanut butter sandwiches
S- steak, baked sweet potato, green beans

Saturday
B- quick breakfast before leaving to visit family for the day
L and S- with family

** To check out more menu plans, visit Organizing Junkie!

Out And About

Here's a little weekend reading to enjoy as you're out cruising around the blogosphere!

I write about my Grandma and her clothespin bag pattern at The Gingham Cottage.

10 Ways To Instantly Become More Attractive is a good reminder of true beauty @ Simple Mom.

Don't these dyed play silks look fun to make? @ Health, Home and Happiness.

As I clean out and declutter my house in preparation for an upcoming move, I can relate to the desire of Learning To Live With Less @ Keeper Of The Home.

As soon as I find washing soda, I'm going to try this homemade powdered laundry soap @Farm Home Life.

Frugal Fridays: Barter and Trade

We just acquired a very nice Canon S2 IS camera without paying any money.

How was that possible? 

By doing a trade.

We'd been looking for a new camera and some friends of ours (who I do part-time babysitting for) had a camera they weren't using anymore.

We worked out a trade that works for both families. We got a nice camera in exchange for several afternoons of babysitting their two young children.

The camera does video and takes awesome photos that won't need as much touching up and manipulating as our old camera required. Just what we were looking for!

It's a win-win situation!

Other situations where trading and bartering have taken place:

• While in the mountains last fall, my sister bought several bags of apples for me. I was prepared to pay her for them, until she mentioned looking for a bread machine. I had one I wasn't using. She got the bread machine and I got bags of apples for applesauce. 
• I've done some babysitting and baking for Mary Kay products. 
• We have friends who are chiropractors. My husband downloaded about 18 hours worth of praise music for them to play in their office. In exchange for his time, they gave him several complimentary adjustments. 
• When my husband hurt his foot last fall, instead of running out to Urgent Care and spending lots of $$ just to find out if it was serious, we called the same chiropractors to ask an opinion. They offered to do X-rays for us at their practice. While we were prepared to pay, instead, we traded X-rays for a private session of me teaching them about coupon shopping. 
• At a vendor fair last fall, a children's book vendor wanted some of my crayon rolls for her kids. She mentioned working out a trade. I took a look at her books and was able to trade two crayon rolls for a couple of books for Christmas gifts for our niece and nephews. We were both happy!
• My sister and I are always swapping things. I pick up clothing for  her kids at yard sales and she gives me dog food she gets for free or very inexpensively. We trade coupons and food and household products from our stockpiles.

Naturally, trading doesn't work for everything. Businesses need to make actual money and we need money too, in order to pay our bills and survive.

But in many situations, trading goods for goods, services for services or goods for services really works and can meet the needs of both parties involved. And it can save you money!

**This post is part of Frugal Fridays!

Kermit, it is easy being green!

Kermit came out of the toy basket to celebrate Earth Day!

To celebrate Earth Day, I'll be sharing some green living tips that we practice. More than "living a green lifestyle", I believe it's important to be a good steward of God's creation and what He has given us.

Stephanie wrote an awesome post today on why they celebrate Earth Day from a biblical perspective. Well worth the read!

When I stop and think about it, most of my "green" practices originated out of frugality and have progressed to more of an awareness of living sustainably. And so far, everything has been pretty easy to implement! 

Simple ways that we reduce, reuse and recycle:

1. Buy beef and milk from local farmers.

2. Buy groceries in bulk rather than tiny packages.

3. Make good use of leftovers.

4. Wash and reuse Ziploc bags.

5. Make many of my own cleaners using vinegar and baking soda.

6. Line dry laundry. In addition to this drying rack, we also have an outdoor clothesline.

7. Clean with cloth rags, rather than paper towels. 

8. Use newspapers for washing windows. 

9. Think of ways to recycle old t-shirts. 

10. Use cloth napkins at mealtime. Mine are stored in a basket for accessibility.

11. Shop thrift stores and yard sales.

12. Use reusable grocery bags. 

13. Use plastic grocery bags for trash can liners. 

14. Share one vehicle. 

15. Use a Brita filter and reusable water bottles instead of buying bottled water.

16. Use reusable lunch bags and containers.

17. Take steps to reduce energy consumption. We recently stuffed insulation up inside the chimney and covered the fireplace opening with a piece of plywood cut to fit snugly in the opening. We've already seen a  big difference in our heating and cooling bills. (Not a working fireplace.) 

18. Repurpose used and thrifted clothes.

This placemat and napkin were made from old jeans and scrap fabrics.

19. Repurpose food containers. 

20. Make my own storage containers instead of purchasing new.

What are some ways that you practice good stewardship? 

**This post is part of Frugal Fridays!

Our $20 Couch

This is the $20 love seat that we found at a yard sale a couple of weeks ago. It came complete with the slipcover which washed up pretty nicely.

We'd been checking thrift stores, Craigs List  and yard sales for a love seat because our old one was broken and had become more like a rocker than a couch!

We were so happy to come across this one for such a good price! And they were glad to deliver!

(I didn't notice until I uploaded the picture here how rumpled the slipcover looks! Clearly, I should've straightened it better before the picture. Oh well... it's the "lived-in" look!)

I always amazed at the great deals we are able to find second hand.

Have you scored any amazing thrift store, yard sale or hand-me-down treasures recently?

My First Video!

I'm trying something new today and posting a video of myself.  I'll admit, I'm somewhat nervous about this! Can't quite get used to how I look and sound!

In this one, my husband conducts a short interview with me, giving you a closer look into who I am and what this blog is about.

Enjoy!

A Blizzard In Springtime

One night last weekend, my husband took me out for ice cream at Dairy Queen.

While there, I noticed a sign announcing that this year is the 25th anniversary of the blizzard.

25 years!!!

I remember when blizzards were new. I remember the first blizzard I ever had.


I was in 4th grade, which means I was 9. Our Sunday School teacher had told us a few months earlier that if we memorized Matthew 5, she would treat us to ice cream at Dairy Queen one day after school.

This was an exciting deal for little Mennonite girls!


The day finally came. We had all worked on our verses every Sunday and spent extra time going over them at home. Scripture memorization came easy for me but as a serious little girl, I still worked hard so I wouldn't miss out on the sweet reward!

She picked us all up at school. One of the perks of attending a private church school was that everybody knew everybody else.

Our giggling van load made the trip to Junction City where the closest Dairy Queen was located. Not only was it a treat to go for ice cream but to head out with your friends and no parents or siblings... what a blast!

I believe that most of us had already recited our verses at church, so all we had to do was decide what we wanted.


We could choose anything on the menu.


I remember being so overwhelmed with the choices. I never was good at making decisions quickly and Mom always bought us kiddie cones, which usually came to us via free coupons from good behavior at the dentist.

I had never had a blizzard but they looked good and I was quite intrigued with how they turned it upside down before handing it across the counter. Some of the other girls ordered blizzards, so I did too.


An M&M blizzard.


Delicious! I giggled with my friends, watched the traffic roaring past and savored every bite.

Nowadays, my flavor of choice would be either Mint Oreo or Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

Which flavor of blizzard would you choose? Considering that you even like ice cream, that is. :-)

Because...


This week only, you too can enjoy a blizzard for 25 cents with the purchase of one at regular price. You can also receive a BOGO coupon when you sign up for DQ's fan club. See all the details here.

Menu Plan Monday

This week's menu: 

** indicates freezer items.

Monday
B-oatmeal, orange slices
L- leftover lentil soup, corn muffins**, sliced peppers and carrot sticks
D- crab cakes, green beans, cooked carrots, homemade bread
To Do: meatballs and green peppers to freeze, start beef stew

Tuesday
B- poached eggs, toast, fruit smoothie
L- peanut butter sandwiches, carrot sticks
D-crockpot beef stew, mashed potatoes**
To Do: thaw pear sauce

Wednesday
B-oatmeal, pear sauce**
L-leftovers
D-Tuna Noodle Skillet Dish, cooked carrots
To Do: soak pintos, make salsa, soak rice

Thursday
B- scrambled eggs, toast
L- pb sandwiches, carrot sticks
D- pinto beans with fresh salsa and cheese, rice
To Do: cook pintos, soak pancake batter, soak muffin batter

Friday
B- pancakes, pear sauce**
L- leftovers
D- chicken stir-fry, rice
To Do: make pancakes(freeze extras), make muffins

Saturday
B-eggs, toast or leftover pancakes
L- sandwiches
D- ham and cheese crustless quiche**, fruit smoothie, muffins
To Do: plan and prepare food for Sunday

Click on over to the home of Menu Plan Monday for more meal ideas!

More Random

I'm going through a random streak. I can't quite seem to get my thoughts streamlined enough to do a nice well-thought out blog post so here's a few minis.

**Thanks for all your prayers concerning our housing situation! Through prayer, we are pretty certain that we are not to buy this house. We've been looking at rental listings and becoming familiarized with what's out there. We had always imagined that when we moved from this house, we would purchase our first home. However, we don't feel that it's the right time for us to buy. At the advice of our parents and a few other folks, we're going next week to see what we would pre-qualify for. I don't know that this will change our minds but will help us to make an informed decision. Our house is not on the market yet, so we have time. It's not likely that we will be moving anytime real soon. That's what it looks like now anyways. :-)

**We stopped at a farmers' market yesterday and got some strawberries, bananas, green peppers, cilantro and eggs. The bananas were very ripe and on clearance for 9 cents a pound! I bought 3 big bunches and will freeze most of them for smoothies and baking. The green peppers were also on clearance for 99 cents a bag and will be sliced and frozen, too.  I was tickled to see free-range eggs so I bought a flat, even though the cashier had no idea where the eggs were from. This was disappointing, since I'm starting to like knowing where my food comes from! I did see a sign for farm fresh eggs out in the country while looking at houses this week, so I want to go back there and check it out. Can't wait to find a consistent source for high-quality eggs!

**With spring comes more festivals and vendor fairs, so we've been setting up to sell our wares almost every Saturday. My husband sells military-themed products and I sell my handmade items. This week, I made a bunch of these  into pins and barrettes. They turned out so cute!

**This series on envy and comparison at the Girltalk blog has really hit home. Good stuff!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Randomitis

Hope you are all enjoying some spring weather!

Today's post is a conglomeration of bits and pieces of news and what-not:

**We got a new love seat! This $20 yard sale find replaced our old love seat which was a hand-me-down when we were married. It was on it's last leg, literally. Sitting on it was becoming a bit more like a rocking chair than a couch. The "new" (to us) love seat is pretty worn but very sturdy and comfortable. It's saving graces were that it came with a slipcover and they delivered for free! The slipcover was pretty dingy and at first, I thought I wouldn't want to use it but some Shout and two wash cycles cleaned it up very nice! Thank you, God!

**All of my seedlings have died. About half never sprouted and the ones that did, eventually shriveled up. I thought I would try replanting but then found out yesterday that we might be moving! Not sure yet if we will or what the time frame would be. So I'm holding off on any big gardening plans. I may still plant a few things in pots and the flowerbeds but nothing more at the moment, or at least until we know more of what's going on.

** Our landlord has decided to sell our house. The house is not yet on the market and he's giving us the first chance to buy if we're interested. As the Spirit prompts and leads, would you please join us in praying about this? We are asking God for His wisdom, clear direction and provision as we move forward in whatever route He leads us in.

**Our azaleas are blooming. So beautiful! Several wisteria bushes are blooming around the neighborhood which I love to see and smell each year. I'll try to take a picture of both to post.

**Just when I thought I was really done with decluttering and that I wouldn't have enough for a yard sale this year, I've begun again in earnest. The motivating factor is the possibility of moving. There is so much I wouldn't want to have to move, even across town. And if we end up buying the house and staying here, my house will be cleaned out and organized!

What's going on in your world today?

Locked Doors

This past week, I finished reading through the book of John and wanted to share a little snippet of what jumped out at me in John 20.

Verse 19: 

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

Verse 26:

A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

What stood out to me was that even though the doors were locked, Jesus was able to come in and bring His peace.

Here's what I jotted down in my Bible Study notebook:

Locked doors? Feeling trapped? At a dead end?

This does not stop Jesus!

He can open locked doors. He can make a way where there is none. Nothing is impossible with God!

He comes in and whispers peace to my heart.

Orange Smiles

Even though oranges are really at the end of their season right now, we've been enjoying them recently.

We love clementines and grapefruit, but could take or leave regular oranges most of the time. But a couple of weeks ago, I had a Cara Cara orange while at the women's retreat. Yum! It tasted like a cross between an orange and a grapefruit and was a nice reddish hue inside.

While at Costco last week, I noticed 8 pound bags of Cara Cara oranges for $7.99. I try to keep most of my fruit prices at or below $1 a pound so I scooped up a bag.

These aren't as red as the orange I had previously but the flavor is just as deep and delicious.  I like to toss a few in the fridge so we can eat them chilled. What a delicious cool treat with the unusually warm weather we've been having!

My mom would always cut our oranges into "smiles" for our school lunches. We loved not having to peel oranges but rather being able to eat them right off the rind. Orange smiles were more fun to eat, too, and we would often wedge the rinds up over our teeth for goofy orange smiles!

This is a  simple childhood memory but one I always think of whenever we eat oranges. It's no wonder that cutting oranges into "smiles" is my favorite way to slice and serve oranges!

That's the way Mom always did it!

What about you? Do have a favorite food memory to share? 

Home Manager Evaluation

 Whether we are stay-at-home wives or mothers or we work outside the home full-time, I think we would all agree that we are mainly in charge of the daily runnings of our homes. We are home managers.

Do you think of your role as home manager as you would a job? I do, for the most part. However, since I am on my own with many of the jobs and decisions, at times I can become quite lax and let a lot of things slide.Because of this, it's good to evaluate myself from time to time. Find out what I am doing well and what needs improvement.

I love being a homemaker and most days, I get out of bed excited about the general tasks and home keeping that will take place that day. To me, it is a most fulfilling role and one that I'm always looking to improve on in.

Mandi from Organizing Your Way posted on Evaluating Your Performance As A Home Manager yesterday. In her post, she included questions for self-evaluation.

Here is how I evaluated myself:




Strengths
What are your strengths?

:: What things do you do well? Planning, cooking and baking, staying within my budget.
:: What are you most proud of? Living large in a small home. 
:: What comes easily for you? Cooking, meal planning, budgeting and frugal living.
:: Where have you seen the most improvement over the last year? Time management.

Weaknesses

What are your weaknesses?

:: What tasks are the hardest for you to complete regularly? Cleaning, yard work.
:: What things do you always find yourself wishing you could do better? Cleaning, yard work, decorating
:: What things do you know your spouse wishes you would do more?  If I asked him, he's most likely to say "Plan more time for fun" and "Take more time for yourself".
:: What skills do you wish you had that you don’t?  The know-how to implement and complete DIY home improvement projects.

Attitude

How is your attitude on the job?

:: Do you have a good attitude about the chores/activities you dislike? Not always!
:: How do you approach the tasks that don’t come easily for you? I tend to procrastinate.
:: Are you willing to ask for help to improve? Yes.
:: How do you treat the other people in your home? Hmmm...on a good day, pretty good. On a stressful day, not so good. I can be a bit mean-spirited.

Time Management

How do you spend your time at home each day?

:: What are your biggest time wasters? The computer.
:: What activities take you longer than they should? Sewing and craft projects. Cleaning. Decluttering.

:: What do you procrastinate on that you could get done very quickly if you just did it? Cleaning.

:: What activities are you neglecting?  Deep(er) cleaning. Some decluttering and organizational projects.

Through this little exercise, I see much room for improvement! It's also helpful to see what I do well too.

What about you? How would answer these questions? What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Menu Plan Monday

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend!

We cooked a ham over the weekend which we shared with our church family during our weekly potluck lunch together yesterday. My husband ( who does not cook) found a root beer glaze recipe he wanted to try so he cooked up the glaze himself and brushed it on the ham before and after baking. I have to admit it did not sound that good to me. But it turned out quite delicious! Way to go, non-cooking husband! :-)

Most of the ham got eaten up yesterday, but we have enough left to add to 3 different recipes this week. If you are looking for ways to use up your leftover Easter ham, check out this post at Money Saving Mom.

Here's what we'll be eating this week:

Monday
B- leftover corn meal mush, cheese, pear sauce
L- salads, oranges
S- ham and vegetable pot using the leftover ham bone, homemade bread

Tuesday
B- oatmeal
L- peanut butter sandwiches, carrot sticks, oranges
S- crockpot shrimp jambalaya (new recipe), green beans

Wednesday
B-leftover oatmeal, oranges
L- leftovers
S- tuna cakes, salad, bread

Thursday
B- eggs, toast
L- leftovers
S- ham and cheese quiche, muffins, fruit

Friday
B-muffins, bananas, hard-boiled egss
L-leftovers
S- homemade pizza, salad

Saturday
B-cereal, milk, fruit
L-leftovers
S- TBD (something easy)

**For more menu planning ideas, head on over to Organizing Junkie!

A Salad Kind Of Night

It's been lovely and warm here and today the temps were in the mid-80's.

Great weather but not so great for eating the lentil soup that was on the menu for tonight's supper. I felt like it was more of a salad kind of night.

Thankfully, a Costco trip provided us with a small variety of fresh salad greens, veggies and fruit. I raided the refrigerator, pantry and freezer for salad bar worthy ingredients.

The sky's the limit when creating your own salad bar.

Tonight's cast of characters:

• Chicken breast cut in strips and sauteed with a bit of Pampered Chef's Asian Seasoning Mix. 
• Hard-boiled eggs.
• Cheese cubes.
• Corn leftover from last night's dinner.
• Frozen peas.
• Sliced strawberries
• Mini sweet pepper rings.
• Shredded carrots.
• Organic spring mix.
• Croutons.
• Homemade salad dressing. Tonight's variety (at the last minute) was simply salsa and sour cream mixed together to a pourable consistency. 

Delicious!

What do you like on your salad?