It's My Party and I'll Cry If I Want To!

Tis the last day of January -already! And...it is also my birthday.

Some of you gals out there in blogland are real troopers! You handle age with such grace and you see so many positive things about it. I admire you for that!

But I must confess, I'm a little pouty about it. Now, normally, I'm a pretty upbeat kinda gal. I take life one whim at a time and I can dodge a lot of it's downs because I know there'll be ups!

But when it comes to this whole idea of aging...well... I would just love to protest, that is if I could! It just doesn't seem right! And I gotta be a realist here!

I don't like what aging does. I don't like that sin caused such a thing to come on us so harshly.

I don't like that we loose some things that -well, frankly, I'd like to keep!

Nope...to me I see these sorts of images...and I don't look forward to the day that I look in the mirror and see such a contrast!

-To live is Christ, to die is gain! That is our hope!-The lovely Betty Page as young woman
Betty Page as a not so young woman anymore
(I posted her first because I heard she became a Christian later in life, and now she's gone.)
(Oh and by the way, I'm wayyy toooo young to know who she is on my own...my DH -who's much older than me, I mean a bit older than myself, told me who she was! :-)~
we do lots of teasing around here, pay no mind to it



And lovely Liz Taylor- look at those eyes, she's beautiful!

But a wheelchair? Come on!

Charming Sean Connery-

Now this gentleman, I think

And Merle...he shocks me the most

How could this happen? How could he transform from the above to this?

I don't get that!
*****

Take no offense please, at me using these people....I just wasn't about to show my own pictures, ya know?!?

:-)
It's only fun and jest!
Life is funny, isn't it?

1 Pet 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Frugal Fridays...

Several years ago we had to purchase a new refrigerator.
DH and I debated a bit about something a little more 'fancy' and something a little more 'frugal'.
You know which side I debated on don't you?

Well, he won out!
And I'm so glad....this is one of the best purchases we've made for our family.
Since this had a filtering system, water has been our drink of choice now!
It was my part in the little deal between me and Dh.
I told him that if we purchased one, I wanted the children to start having ice water at meals and he was for it. (It cut out lots of sugar drinks!) I was making kool-aid at least once a day, usually more and now...maybe twice a month as a treat!

Click for more FRUGAL FRIDAYS!

Another frugal tip for the locals! :-)

Leo's on Spring Street and Hill's IGA often have big 50lb bags of potatoes for under $15.
It's not uncommon to see them on sale for $9 and $10!
(Last week they were $10.99!)
Now potatoes may not be the best thing for a gal on a diet (carbs) but they sure go along way
when you are trying to feed a family! And what husband isn't happy with meat and potatoes?

Hill's is across from Papa John's down towards Algood.

Leo's is diagonally up from Burger King. (That's how I get my husband there; he can find his way to anywhere if you mention the closest hamburger joint!)

What did she say?

My husband and I were standing in the kitchen the other day and our little girl walked in talking...and talking...and okay, you get the point, right? Well, she was going on about something being "miss-tiss-eee-us". I looked at my husband with a puzzled expression, I'm sure, and he said, "mysterious". I was shocked to see him understand 'kid talk' better than me! 'magine that?!?

The little kitchen that could....

Is your kitchen working? Mine is...but shhh...it's without me!

The big pot...beans soaking in some sea-salted water! (Remember my posts about "What's in the pot?")

The bowl on the toaster---wheat flour soaking in yogurt!

The other pots.....bones, making bone broth!...leftover peas...too frugal to throw them out...I'll find something to do with them!....and the other pot? uhhh, I forgot! I better go look! ;-)

Barter; It's Frugal!

Recently, I made a suggestion to someone about bartering.

15 years ago, I had no idea what that even meant!

But several years ago, I had a very kind friend whose husband was starting a new dental office. (They had been in missions as dental workers.) They were likely on a strict budget, coming off the mission field, and they had a young daughter too. They had attained a building but needed several things done to get it fixed up and ready. I volunteered to help her paint and anything else that I could do to help. I just had 3 children at the time and they played with her daughter while me and my friend painted. We took turns overseeing the children, the whole while painting and cleaning. After I had helped her some, she brought up bartering and said that she wanted to repay me by offering me free dental service if I needed! What an exchange, huh?!!!?!

I also have a couple of books here by Ronda Barfield which I have enjoyed very much. It gave me a great place to start on living more frugally, years ago, as a young and unlearned mother. Her books mention bartering in several places.

I've also heard from many ladies who go pick fruit and other things, in exchange for a couple of jars of jam (when they often are allowed to pick bushels!).

My neighbor gave me some apples and pears last year that she had picked somewhere and just ask for a jar of 'preserves' or 'something' in exchange! What a blessing!

There are several online "Bartering" sites that you can sign up with and list your services and ask for services. I heard of one man offering to do 'home repairs' for dental service for his wife! And there is soooo much more and there are many of those sites!

There is also Freecycle on the net. You can sign up by county, even those surrounding you, and get emails when new listings are posted. The ONE RULE is everything MUST BE free! But you can make requests for things that you need as well as make offers of things you are looking to get rid of. Yesterday in my county, someone was looking for some twin beds for free and there was someone giving away free kittens. Another day you may find someone offering free kid's clothes and yet another asking for some. It's a neat system!

Bartering is a great and frugal way to attain things that can seem out of reach! Perhaps you could start a bartering system with your close friends? Make a list of things you have to offer or services that you can provide, and then attach a list of things that you would consider bartering for; then send it around to your friends and family whom you know to be frugally minded!

Perhaps we should do this in blogland? I don't know but the possibilities are endless!

But be creative! And think!
Can you sew, clean, mend, cook, walk a dog, board a pet, babysit, tutor? type? bake? knit? teach a few ladies a certain skill- cooking or gardening? make soaps? etc?
What do you have extra of? garden foods? food from your favorite hunter piled up in your freezer? extra fabric stacked to the ceiling? old homeschool material? kid's clothes? adult clothes? video games? toys? fresh baked goods? manure or compost for gardens? coupons that you won't use? home decor? kitchen gadgets that you won't use?

You gals remember me telling you about one of my bartering friends? (Just in case you haven't, you can look under my sewing label for more about that.)

If you can't think of anything, ask the Lord to show you!
He's a big God!!!

Oh, the things you can find in the freezer!

I had my two oldest boys put on gloves today, and do a really cool job (literally!).

-Take inventory of the freezer!

You go boys! (and thanks!)

To my happy surprise, they found these 2 baggies of frozen zucchini from the garden, along with 2 baggies of pumpkin puree! Woo-hoo!

A garden- the gift that keeps on giving!

With the zukes, I made these Cocoa Zucchini Muffins with butter and kefir.

With the pumpkin, I'll likely make more of these Pumpkin Oat Muffins .

The neat part is that I really didn't think I had anything from the garden...I had used most of what it gave me, just as soon as I picked it! ;-)

Ah, God is good!

My frugal tip; keep track of what's in your freezer! (yes, this tip is for me too!)

Frugal Soup...make it more frugal!

This is a bowl of Beef-n-Rice Soup. I used some of my bone broth as a base and just tossed in some veggies; carrots, celery, onions, and 1 bag of frozen veggies. (Rosemary is my secret to this soup!-love rosemary!)

For the meat, I often will use cheap steaks. I will simmer them on low in a little water and about a quarter cup of vinegar for about 20 to 30 minutes, then add the rest and simmer for about 45 mins to an hour.

Now, all that's pretty frugal, but to stretch this frugal pot even farther, I added another cup of leftover brown rice and another cup or two of broth and it was served as the 'side' dish for the next day's meal!

(The 'next day's meal' was My Lil' Roasted Chicken with carrots and turnips.)

Bone Broth....

There's several of you gals out there who have your own meat processed...may I encourage you to keep some of your bones???
Nourishing Traditions highly recommends making broth from them and I must say, it is REALLY GOOD!

Just add a quarter cup of vinegar to your water and simmer 12 to 24 hours. 
You can add onions, celery, etc if you like, but its not necessary.
You can also make this in the crockpot.
Freeze or pressure can your broth.

  I have better luck with 24 hours. ...It will turn a milky white and smell (and taste) very rich. You can use it in soups, to cook rice, gravies, etc.

You can also buy bones from your local grocery store if they process meat! (Usually from $1.29 to $1.59 a lb).

Just anything to tempt me....

Hershey's...you really go out of your way to entice us, don't you?!!?

Not only do you have dark chocolate, but now ORGANIC!

What's a girl to do?

(not to mention putting these on SALE!)

(smack, drool, smack)

Adding Bible Verses to their individual lessons....

We've always had 'Bible' as a group, often several times a day!

We've also went through cycles of memorizing verses. (Isn't it amazing to hear
really young children quote the Bible??)

But now, we've started having a weekly set of verses.
I also made new assignment charts- just for this!

Every day, they must write their verses 2 times and by Sunday, they must be able to quote them! (They are memorizing several at a time.)

Psa 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

That's what WORKS FOR ME WEDNESDAY!

Kitchen Tip...

My kitchen tip for this week is one that I've put to practice last week.

Find standard recipes, such as for baking mixes, muffin mixes, cookie mixes, etc.

Use the recipe repeatedly (you get faster!) and only change out the 'flavor' ingredients.

Such as, if you have a great muffin recipe, fix it with strawberries one day, blueberries the next, chocolate chip the next, dried cranberries the next, chopped apples with a shot of cinnamon the next, lemon zest and spice the next, pumpkin the next,.....the possibilities are truly endless!

For more Kitchen Tips visit Tammy's Recipes!

GRATITUESDAY!

This week, I've been able to once again, see the benefits of waiting on the Lord.

It's so easy to jump ahead of Him or just worry, but there is peace in waiting.

As some of you know or have read, our income can be quite unpredictable. Living
like this, requires a complete trust in God for His provision. Living like this also can have periods

of rain and periods of drought.

But the one thing that I've seen God do over and over is when one source stops, another source

comes out of nowhere! AND, after a drought, there is a rain!

Great is His FAITHFULNESS!

For more Gratituesday, please visit Laura's and

enter her giveaway while you're there!

How much time do you spend in the kitchen?

My husband says that these are evidence of lots of time spent in the kitchen!

When he said that, I thought it was so funny.

These are some foamy,spongy mats that he bought me a few months ago.

The top one is in front of the stove and the bottom one is in front of the kitchen sink.

When these were new, they were completely colored and bright, now there's little color except where it is up against something. Oh well, they are not so pretty anymore but they do cushion my feet!

Christ a Redeemer and Friend

written by John Newton


Poor, weak and worthless though I am
I have a rich almighty Friend;
Jesus, the Savior, is His Name;
He freely loves, and without end.

He ransomed me from hell with blood,
And by His power my foes controlled;
He found me wandering far from God,
And brought me to His chosen fold.

He cheers my heart, my wants supplies,
And says that I shall shortly be,
Enthroned with Him above the skies;
O what a Friend is Christ to me!

But, ah! my inmost spirit mourns;
And well my eyes with tears may swim,
To think of my perverse returns:
I’ve been a faithless friend to Him.

Often my gracious Friend I grieve,
Neglect, distrust, and disobey;
And often Satan’s lies believe
Sooner than all my Friend can say.

He bids me always freely come,
And promises whate’er I ask:
But I am straitened, cold and dumb,
And count my privilege a task

Before the world that hates His course,
My treach’rous heart has throbbed with shame;
Loath to forego the worlds applause,
I hardly dare avow His Name.

Sure, were I not most vile and base,
I could not thus my Friend requite!
And were not He the God of grace,
He’d frown and spurn me from His sight.

Menu Plan Monday.......

I made lots of yummy granola over the weekend for snacks this week. Now all I have to do, to prepare for this week, is get to rendering some fat!

SUNDAY: granola and milk**Enchilada Bake, salad, strawberry muffins**Salmon Loaf, peas, corn, Coconut Pumpkin Muffins

MONDAY:whole grain waffles**Cheesy Tuna Noodles, side salad, green beans, grapes**Chicken+Liver Brown Rice Casserole (don't tell about the liver,shhh), speckled butter beans, corny muffins, strawberries

TUESDAY: soaked oatmeal**Turkey Sausage & Brown Rice Casserole, peas and carrots, Whole Wheat Strawberry Muffins**Roast, potatoes, carrots, cornbread

WEDNESDAY:kid's choice** Chicken Turnip Soup , Wheat Dinner Rolls ** Beans and Cornbread, Whole, Gingerbread Cake

THURSDAY: Millet**chili (with the leftover beans), leftover cake** Baked Salmon, Brown Rice, broccoli

FRIDAY:Coconut Rice**leftover chili and cheese, Honey-Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins**Chicken fillets, carrots, chickpeas

SATURDAY:kid's choice**Turkey and cheese roll ups, green beans, corn** My Lil' Roasted Chicken

For more menu ideas visit MENU PLAN MONDAYS~

Breakfast Rice and Sausage Bake

This was a pretty good hit at my house today. I needed something good AND quick!

1 lb sausage cooked with;
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 bell peppers, chopped

When meat is cooked through mix in;
1 small can of mushrooms, drained
1/2 t rosemary
1/4 t pepper
2 to 2 1/2 cups leftover brown rice
and lastly
3 well-beaten eggs
Spoon mix into baking dish and top with shredded cheese of your choice. (Approx 2/3 cup)

Bake at 400 until cheese is golden. (approx 25 minutes)

(This would make a great breakfast dish but I served it for lunch with a salad and Whole Wheat Strawberry Muffins)
Total meal cost: approx$6 or slightly less

Goodies everywhere, even Walgreen's..

Ok, so sometimes my frugal side clashes with my healthy side.

I found these chocolate and rainbow sprinkles on clearance at Walgreen's for .25 each! (I'm way to frugal to pass that up!) I don't know what these things are made of but a few on a birthday treat every once in a while surely won't hurt too much ;-)

But anyway...

little bargains can be found in all sorts of places if we keep our eyes peeled!

Whole Wheat Strawberry Muffins

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 t baking powder

3/4 t sea salt

1 cup sugar

3 T melted butter

1 egg

1 t vanilla

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cup milk (this will depend on how moist your strawberries are)

1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries

Mix ingredients.

Spoon into muffin tins and bake at 425 for 15 to 20 minutes until golden.

***This recipe could be used for a baked 'pancake' by making the batter slightly to the thin side and pouring it into sprayed 9x13 pans. Could also bake it in a loaf pan as a Strawberry Bread.

More on keeping the kitchen working..and granola

Souring buttermilk, culturing orange marmalade, cooling crispy almond cookies, leftover purple hull peas, and some of the best granola that I've ever made! (I can brag here because it is not my recipe:-)

This granola is from Tammy's and it's called Almond Coconut Granola....it's unbelievably good!

I made a few adjustments to her recipe.

I made half of it because I wanted to make sure it would go over well around here and her recipe is for a pretty large amount. (*They all did love it and I'll be making the bigger batch, as per her recipe, within the next day or two.)

I used coconut oil, flaked coconut, and 'crispy' (N.T.) almonds in mine. My family loved it as a snack and as a cereal with milk over it. It's a delicious and frugal way to serve up breakfast! And you don't need to add any extra sugar!

Strawberries....

Kroger is running a sale on strawberries for .99 per 16 oz!!!
(This may be only a local thing here in TN but it's worth a look at your local store!)
Happy Shopping!

Handy kitchen toys...

These 3 cutters are what I use to cut my biscuits, cookies, and crackers. I keep them on a hook under my kitchen cabinet. Here's a pic of those handy little hooks.

Obama Expectations.........

This is a list from Crosstalk of Obama's future, expected plans:

-to override the Hyde Amendment, which has prohibited federal funding of abortions in the United States

-to sign (when they reach his desk) the Freedom of Choice Act which overturns all federal and state limits and regulations on abortion

-to sign Hate Crimes legislation which would require the hiring of gays, lesbians, transgenders, and others holding to variations of the homosexual lifestyle

-to sign the "Fairness Doctrine" which would effectively silence all discussion of controversial issues on radio,

-to work to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act which relieves states from recognizing same sex marriages performed in other states

-to overturn the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in the military and instead allow homosexuals to openly admit and practice their "lifestyle"

Coconut-Pumpkin Muffins

2 cups of pumpkin puree (I had some frozen, leftover from our garden)

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 t baking powder

1/2 t sea salt

1 cup of sugar (or 3/4 cup honey)

3 T melted butter (or coconut oil)

1/2 cup coconut

1 egg

3/4 to 1 cup milk

Bake at 425 until golden.

-

My youngest asked me if I got this recipe 'somewhere' or if I just made it up.

I told him that I just made it up and he said how do you do that and if I just throw a bunch

of stuff in like broccoli. ;-) (He really shouldn't give me ideas like that!)

Obama- lifts ban on overseas abortion funding

Obama Lifts Ban on Overseas Abortion Funding
President Obama signed the executive order one day after the 36th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion in all 50 states.

-

President Obama on Friday lifted a ban on federal funding for international groups that promote or perform abortions, reversing a policy of his predecessor, George W. Bush.
Obama signed the executive order one day after the 36th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling that legalized abortion in all 50 states.
Liberal groups welcomed the decision while abortion rights foes criticized the president, who was long expected to make this move during his first week in office.
The so-called Mexico City policy requires any non-governmental organization to agree before receiving U.S. funds that they will "neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning in other nations."
It is also known as the "global gag rule," because it prohibits taxpayer funding for groups that even talk about abortion if there is an unplanned pregnancy.
The policy was first instituted by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 and continued by President George H.W. Bush. The policy was reversed by President Bill Clinton in 1993, and re-instated by President George W. Bush in 2001.
Both Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who will oversee foreign aid, had promised to do away with the gag rule during the presidential campaign. Clinton is to visit the U.S. Agency for International Development, through which much U.S. foreign aid is disbursed, later on Friday.
Organizations that had pressed Obama to make the abortion-ban change were jubilant.
"Women's health has been severely impacted by the cutoff of assistance. "President Obama's actions will help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, abortions and women dying from high-risk pregnancies because they don't have access to family planning," said Tod Preston, a spokesman for Population Action International, an advocacy group.
Anti-abortion groups criticized the move.
"President Obama not long ago told the American people that he would support policies to reduce abortions, but today he is effectively guaranteeing more abortions by funding groups that promote abortion as a method of population control," said Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee.
Obama has spent his first days in office systematically signing executive orders reversing Bush administration policies on issues ranging from foreign policy to government operations. On Thursday, he signed three executive orders to rein in secretive U.S. counterterror policies and end harsh interrogations.
FOX News' Major Garrett and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Nourishing Kraut

This is really simple to make and very tasty! It is the one recipe that could win the skeptic over if you have someone who thinks following N.T. style recipes is a little 'weird'.

I kept close to the N.T. recipe with slight variations, as I made more but wanted a not so strong taste.

Grate or shred cabbage. (I used one fairly large head and kept out enough for cole slaw ;-)
Place in a bowl and mash with a wooden hammer/meat tenderizer for about 10 minutes to release liquid from the cabbage. You will see the liquid and the color change slightly. I then added 1/2 T sea salt, 1/4 cup whey, and 1/2 t caraway seeds and a little filtered water, about 1/3 cup.

Press into mason jars so that the liquid comes to the top. Leave a one inch head-space. (I had a quart and a pint.) Cover tightly and leave at room temp for 3 days, then refrigerate until ready to use.

And this is how I used it....pan fry sliced polish turkey sausage, then reduce heat to low and add kraut and stir occasionally until heated. Can be served as a condiment as well.

Yummy! I love the way these N.T. fermented recipes have an almost fizzy tang to them!

*Served here with purple hull peas and potato cakes.

Frugal Friday/ Keep the kitchen working!

I started to say 'keep a dirty kitchen' but you don't really have to keep a 'dirty' kitchen in order to keep a 'working kitchen'!

There are many things that you can keep working in your kitchen, even when you are not in there! Yes, your kitchen can work without you!


If you have cool-kitchen-gadgets like bread machines, dehydrators, crockpots, etc.; there's no end to the things that you can have working for you and by all means, a frugal wife/mom should make good use of them as a means of being prepared.


But even if you don't have a lot of cool-kitchen-gadgets, there's still a gazillion things that you can put to work for you in your kitchen! ESPECIALLY if you are a Nourishing Traditions fan and holder!


There's buttermilk that can be souring on the counter- without you!
There's granola that can be drying in the oven on a low temp- without you!
There's kraut that can be souring- without you!
There's kefir and yogurt that can be culturing- without you!
There's crackers and other foods that can be drying in the dehydrator or oven- without you!
There's flours and oats that can be soaking- without you!
There's sourdough cultures that can be muliplying- without you!
There's bread that can be rising- without you!
-even baking if you do have a bread machine!
There's all sorts of meats than can be slow cooking in the oven or crock pot- without you!
There's kefir sodas to make and beet kvass- without you!
There's window gardens that can be growing you food- without you!
There's seeds, grains, and nuts that can be sprouting- without you!

Keeping your kitchen working without you is a great way to keep it frugal! When good food is always around, your less likely to go out to eat and/or grab high-priced junk food!
Click HERE for more Frugal Fridays!

Ordering wheat in the south is like.....

Gee winkers! Trying to get wheat shipped to me is like trying to catch the next flight to the moon!

These are SHIPPING CHARGES ALONE from 3 different companies!:
Azure Standard
-50lbs @ $43.30
-100 lbs @ $132.30

Wheat Montana Farms
-100lbs @ $70.14

Walton Feed
-100 lbs @$83.63

These prices DO NOT include the cost of the wheat!!!
-sigh-
There is a Mennonite Community that I have purchased from the last few times. She charges me her rate, no shipping. But they are about a 45 minute drive or so.
I just found another lady who is closer but she wants $50 for 50 lbs of wheat and I usually get 50 of hard white and 50 of soft white.
again, -sigh-
I better start saving up for my own wheat field sounds like!

Sausage Balls

I found a good sale on sausage with no MSG, etc in it so I had to figure out some places to use it!

I rarely buy pork sausage so when I do, it's a big deal to my little oinker lovers!

1 lb sausage

2 1/2 cups Bisquick or homemade mix

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Mix well. Roll into balls and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

(*I served them with eggs, grits, and homemade pear sauce.)

Nourishing Wheat-n-Flax Crackers

Would you like a sneak peak into my oven? Here's what was in there today.... And then it went in here....

Several of my kids love these types of crackers made in the Nourishing Tradition style. (They really taste similar to a Cheez-It. )This is my second batch in a week, the first I made with rye flour and butter as my fat.

Here's how I made these...

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cup yogurt

-soak overnight

*

Blend in food processor and add;

2 1/4 t baking powder

1 1/2 t sea salt

1/4 cup ground flax

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

Roll out using unbleached flour and cut into crackers.

Bake in low temp oven (150 to 170) for about 1 or two hours, then transfer, once set, to food dehydrator until dried through and crisp. So tasty! and easy!

(You could dry the crackers in one or the other, this is just the way that I like to do it. But it would work in just the oven.)

My 2 Favorite Girls...

I think we may be turning into those kind of people! Here's my 2 favorite girls!

Kayanna is cuddled up asleep with her little Penny.

sHHH!

Teenage Insurance

A few months back, my oldest came 'of age' and began to drive.
Now, I have NO tips on how to spare your nerves but I do have
one on how to stretch your wallet!
-
We have State Farm and they offer a program that will save you money
if your teen keeps track of about 20 trips. Other companies may offer
similar programs so it's worth checking into!

That's WHAT WORKS FOR ME!
Have a great week!

Frugal Beauty from your own creations?

I've posted about some of these tips before, but there's even more at this site if you'd like to check it out:
My Beauty Recipes

Looking for a new quick recipe?

I found a pretty neat site loaded with them...check it out here at:
FREE QUICK RECIPES

Swirly Buns

How do you like my swirly buns??

I made these using Sonshine's recipe, sub-ing some of the flour with wheat. (I found some in the back of the freezer! Yippee!) Kids love 'em!

I just rolled out little 'snakes' and rolled them up.

These could also be dipped in melted butter then in a sugar-cinnamon mix for a nice treat too!

(*Served here with Hamburger Soup.)

Want facts about Global Warming?

A few of my children recently ran across some do-gooders who were trying to tell them about how the world was going to go through some horrible changes. Fortunately, they were prepared enough to have a few answers, one of them being this verse from the Maker of this earth;
**Gen 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.**

Now, I don't know about you, but His Word is enough for me, however, I wanted my children well equipped in their own thinking about the science on this subject. And, on a side note, we live in Tennessee and everyone around here knows what Mr. Gore really thinks by his actions (what he flies, his home, his boat, etc).

Now, I know some of you may be sold on that idea, and if so....just ignore this post...I won't argue! I'm only wanting to share some info with those of 'like faith'.

This site, The Petition Project, has lots of information about how this idea got started as well as scientific data. At the bottom of the page, you will notice several green tabs, with various information.

Again, I won't argue, but I wanted to share this information with some of you who homeschool and even some of you who have public schooled children who are being taught this.
God bless!
(*Update: here's another link I found on SavageNation to an article. And this one has about 20 article/links.)

Teaching Typing?

I am insisting that my kids learn basic typing. With computers and keyboards everywhere, it just seems negligent of me not to.

So...I found a way to keep it FUN AND FREE!

Learn2Type is a neat site in which you can create logins (we have 2, one for the older kids and one for the younger), and drill on different levels. Younger children can do two finger typing just to show them where the keys are, while older kids learn proper placement of all fingers!

I also made a new chart out over the weekend for them to check off every day that they complete this task, as it is now an assignment! :-)

The best thing about this site is what? Yes, it's free...I mean frugal!

Bulgar Salad

1 cup of Bulgar soaked in 2 cups hot water
(for 30 minutes)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t fresh black (and green) pepper
1 1/2 T olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 t cumin to taste
Chill and serve!

*Served here with Steak Casserole, yummy!

(this time I baked the casserole on 325 for 2 hours)

Kitchen Tip...

Ever need flour in a hurry to sprinkle while you kneed or roll out dough?????

Me too!

So, I have a handy-dandy empty parmesan cheese shaker that I keep ready in my 'baking cabinet', right over the counter, and it's full of unbleached flour- ready to sprinkle and dust a counter at a moment's notice!

For more kitchen tips and recipes, visit Tammy's Recipes!

Gratituesday......

There is so much to be thankful for! As St. John said, "I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written."......"For how great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty!"

Last week around this time, we were in a bit of a battle with a stomach flu. But thanks be to God for His wonderful mercy and grace AND His marvelous work, in that He created us in such a way as to fight germies!

I'm so grateful to be fearfully and wonderfully made! (Ps.139:14)

For more about Gratituesday, visit LAURA'S!

Beauty from the fridge?

Denise Austin
Beauty From the Fridge

Your best beauty secret may be hidden in your kitchen! Looking great is as easy as reaching for the right nutrients. Get gorgeous with these beauty-boosting foods:

· Almonds: Rich in vitamin E, fatty acids, and the antioxidant selenium, this crunchy snack can lead to smooth, supple, younger-looking skin. Just watch your portion sizes — almonds weigh in at about 160 calories per ounce (a small handful)!
· Protein: If you've been avoiding meat to cut back on fat, you're missing out on all the great things meat protein has to offer! On the beauty front, protein is key in building strong hair and nails. Aside from red meat, there are lots of lean options that will keep your metabolism fueled and your belly full, such as skinless, boneless chicken breast, lean turkey, and tuna.
· Dairy: You've probably heard that including low-fat dairy in your diet can help burn belly fat. But did you know that it also promotes shinier, silkier hair? It's true — dairy is packed with vitamin B, which is the key to a magnificent mane. So grab that glass of milk, and toast to looking great! (If you have trouble digesting dairy, other great sources of B include poultry, eggs, and leafy greens.)

Herb-ed/Seasoned Brown Rice Cakes

What's a frugal mom to do with 2 1/2 cups of leftover brown rice? hmm Rice Cakes!

Blend rice with 2 beaten eggs, about 1/4 t thyme, 1/2 t black pepper, 1/2 t sea salt, 1 1/2 t parsley, and enough flour to be able to form into patties. Fry in a little butter until golden.

Delicious!

A rare, but sweet treat!

I'm not like Spongebob, I'm not much of a 'fry cook', but if I have to fry...it may as well be these Israeli Donuts! I've posted the recipe previously here, but I thought I would share a fuller plate!

Beef Fajitas

These were made similar to these. I marinated the meat in buttermilk for a couple of hours first to help tenderize the meat. I was out of wheat flour so these were made with white flour and would you believe that DH said they were better with wheat?!?!?!

Where did the time go?

I needed a quick meal, so in the pantry I went digging!Hmm, a can of chicken($2), 2 pkgs of Knorr (bought for about .60 a pack) , a pkg of broccoli from the freezer ($1), and a handful or two of cheese...equals....

Served with some leftover cole slaw and some herbed rice cakes made from leftover brown rice.

Quick, easy, frugal, tasty!

Monday's Menu...

Tonight, my kitchen will be busy without me....... Kraut is souring, buttermilk and lime kefir soda is culturing and......

Homemade crackers and crispy almonds are drying! (as per Nourishing Traditions recipes...the crackers are great! Taste like Cheez-its!)

Now, with my menu, I'm set!

***SUNDAY:kid's choice*Chicken and Rice Dish, Herbed Rice Cakes, grapes, ice cream *Homemade Fajitas on Homemade Flatbread, Israeli Donuts

***MONDAY: whole grain waffles*Split Pea Soup, grapes*Steak Casserole, Cornbread, Crispy Almond Cookies

***TUESDAY: whole grain pop tarts (have you seen these?) *Homemade Kraut and Turkey Polish sausage, carrots, purple hull peas* BBQ Chicken, mashed potatoes, green peas, pear sauce

***WEDNESDAY:soaked oatmeal * Beef-n-Barley Soup, 4-grain muffins* Roast, potatoes, carrots, cornbread, gravy

***THURSDAY: Coconut Rice *Salmon Loaf, mashed potatoes, green peas* Baked Chicken, green beans, corn

***FRIDAY:kid's choice* beans, greens, cornbread, corn, cobbler*chili

***SATURDAY:sausage, applesauce, toast and jelly*leftover chili or homemade 5-ways* new recipe

A little something for you?:

Ladies, need encouragement today about womanhood? Please see here, to read "Female Industry" written by Talmage.

Need encouragement as a wife? Please see this one, titled "Home Influence on Husbands", also by T. DeWitt Talmage.

And here's one more on Contentment!

*******To see what else is cooking this week, check out MENU PLAN MONDAY*********

Wives: Home Influence on Husbands

(Talmage from The Pathway of Life)
HOME INFLUENCE ON HUSBANDS.

In our efforts to have the mother of every household appreciate her influence
over her children we are apt to forget the wife's influence over the husband.
In many households the influence upon the husband is the only home
influence. In a great multitude of the best and most important and most talented
families of the earth there have been no descendants. There is not a
child or a grandchild, or any remote descendant of Washington, or Charles
Sumner, or Shakespeare, or Edmund Burke, or Pitt, or Lord Nelson, or Cowper,
or Pope, or Addison, or Johnson, or Lord Chatham, or Grattan, or Isaac
Newton, or Goldsmith, or Swift, or Locke, or Gibbon, or Walpole, or Canning,
or Dryden, or Moore, or Chaucer, or Lord Byron, or Walter Scott, or Oliver
Cromwell, or Garrick, or Hogarth, or Joshua Reynolds, or Spenser, or Lord
Bacon, or Macaulay. Multitudes of the finest families of the earth are extinct.
As though they had done enough for the world by their genius or wit, or
patriotism, or invention, or consecration, God withdrew them. In multitudes
of cases all woman's opportunity for usefulness is with her contemporaries.
How important that it be an improved opportunity!
While the French warriors on their way to Rheims had about concluded
to give up attacking the castle at Troyes because it was so heavily garrisoned,
Joan of Arc entered the room and told them they would be inside the castle
in three days.

" We would willingly wait six days," said one of the leaders.
"Six!" she cried out; "you shall be in it to-morrow." And, under her
leadership, on the morrow they entered. Though Joan afterwards suffered
martyrdom at the stake, her glorious deeds will live in the grateful remembrance
of the descendants of those who so cruelly executed her. On a smaller
scale every man has garrisons to subdue and obstacles to level, and every wife
may be an inspired Joan of Arc to her husband. So that whatever be his successes
he will always bless her name for the helpfulness she gave him.
What a noble, wifely ambition, the determination, God helping, to accompany
her companion across the stormy sea of this life and together gain the
wharf of the Celestial City ! Coax him along with you! You cannot drive him
there. You cannot nag him there ; but you can coax him there. That is
God's plan. He coaxes us all the way—coaxes us out of our sins, coaxes us
to accept pardon, coaxes us to heaven. If we reach that blessed place it will
be through a prolonged and divine coaxing. By the same process take your
companion, and then you will get there as well, and all your household. Do
just the opposite to your neighbor. Her wifely ambition is all for this world,
and a disappointed and vexed and unhappy creature she will be all the way.
Her residence may be better than yours for the few years of earthly stay, but
she will move out of it as to her body into a house about five and a half feet
long and about three feet wide and two feet high, and concerning her soul's
destiny you can make your own prognostication. Her husband and her sons
and daughters, who all, like her, live for this world, will have about the same
destiny for the body and the soul. You having had a sanctified and divinely
ennobled wifely ambition, will pass up into palaces, and what becomes' of your
body is of no importance, for it is only a scaffolding, pulled down now that
your temple is done. You will stand in the everlasting rest and see your husband
come in, and see your children come in, if they have not preceded you.
Glorified Christian wife ! Pick up any crown you choose from off the King's
foot-stool and wear it ; it was promised you long ago, and with it cover up all
the scars of your earthy conflict.

Contentment (Talmage)

(taken from The Pathway of Life by T. Dewitt Talmage)

Sweet Content.
HOW TO ATTAIN TRUE HAPPINESS.
IF, in midsummer, I should ask some one, where are the
people of New York, Brooklyn, Boston or Philadelphia, the
answer would be: At Brighton Beach, East Hampton-,
Shelter Island, Long Branch, Cape May, Sulphur Springs
or Europe. But while many are at the pleasure resorts the
larger number are at home, detained by business or circumstances.
But the genuine American is not happy unless he is
going somewhere, and the passion is so great that there are
Christian people with their families detained in the city who come
not to the house of God, trying to give people the idea that they
are out of town; leaving the door-plate unscoured for the same
reason, and for two months keeping the front shutters closed while
they sit in the back part of the house, the thermometer at ninety!
My friends, if it is best for us to go, let us go and be happy. If
it is best for us to stay at home, let us stay at home and be happy.
There is a great deal of good common sense in Paul's advice to
the Hebrews: "Be content with such things as ye have." To be
content is to be in good humor with our circumstances, not picking
a quarrel with our obscurity, or our poverty, or our social position.
There are four or five grand reasons why we should be content
with such things as we have.
We make a great ado about our hardships, but how little we talk of our
blessings. Health of body, which is given in largest quantity to those who
have never been petted, and fondled, and spoiled by fortune, we take as a
matter of course. Rather have this luxury and have it alone, than, without it,
look out of a palace window upon parks of deer stalking between fountains
and statuary. These people sleep sounder on a straw mattress than fashionable
invalids on a couch of ivory and eagle's down. The dinner of herbs tastes
better to the appetite sharpened on a woodman's axe or a reaper's scythe than
wealthy indigestion experiences seated at a table covered with partridge, and
venison, and pineapple.
The grandest luxury God ever gave a man is health. He who trades
that off for all the palaces of the earth is infinitely cheated. We look back at
the glory of the last Napoleon, but who would have taken his Versailles and
his Tuileries if with them we had been obliged to take his gout? "Oh," says
some one, "it isn't the grosser pleasures I covet, but it is the gratification
of an artistic and intellectual taste." Why, my brother, you have the original
from which these pictures are copied.

Female Industry...

(taken from The Pathway of Life by T. Dewitt Talmage)


FEMALE INDUSTRY.
I see in my subject an illustration of the beauty of female industry.
Behold Ruth toiling in the harvest-field under the hot sun, or at noon taking
plain bread with the reapers, or eating the parched corn which Boaz hauded
to her. The customs of society, of course, have changed, and without the
hardships and exposure to which Ruth was subjected, every intelligent woman
will find something to do.
I know there is a sickly sentimentality on this subject. In some families
there are persons of no practical service to the household or community ; and
though there are so many woes all around about them in the world, they
spend their time languishing over a new pattern, or bursting into tears at
midnight over the story of some lover who shot himself They would not
deign to look at Ruth carrying back the barley on her way home to her
mother-in-law, Naomi. All this fastidiousness may seem to do very well while
they are under the shelter of their father's house ; but when the sharp winter
of misfortune comes, what of these butterflies ? Persons under indulgent parentage ma}^ get upon themselves habits of indolence ; but when the}^ come
out into practical life their souls will recoil with disgust and chagrin. They
will feel in their hearts what the poet so severely- satirized when he said
:
Folks are so awkward, things so impolite,
They're elegantly pained from morning till night.
Through that gate of indolence how many men and women have marched,
useless on earth, to a destroyed eternity-! Spinola said to Sir Horace Vere
:
" Of what did your brother die ?"
" Of having nothing to do," was the answer.
"Ah," said Spinola, " that's enough to kill any general of us.'
Oh ! can it be possible in this world, where there is so much suffering to
be alleviated, so much darkness to be enlightened, and so man}' burdens to be
carried, that there is au}^ person who cannot find anything to do ?
Mme. De Stael did a world of work in her time ; and, one day, while she
was seated amid instruments of music, all of which she had mastered, and
amid manuscript books which she had written, some one said to her
:
" How do 3' on find time to attend to all these things ?"
" Oh," she replied, " these are not the things I am proud of. My chief
boast is in the fact that I have seventeen trades, by any one of which I
could make a livelihood if necessary."
Elihu Burritt learned many things while toiling in a blacksmith's shop.
Abercrombie, the world-renowned philosopher, was a philosopher in Scotland,
and he got his philosophy, or the chief part of it, while, as a physician, he
was waiting for the door of the sick room to open. Yet how many there are
in this day who say they are so busy they have no time for mental or spiritual
improvement ; the great duties of life cross the field like strong reapers
and carry off all the hours, and there is only here and there a fragment left
that is not worth gleaning. Ah, my friends, you could go into the busiest
day and busiest week of your life and find golden opportunities, which, gathered,
might at least make a whole sheaf for the Lord's garner. It is the
stray opportunities and the stray privileges which, taken up and bound
together and beaten out, will at last fill you with abounding joy.
There are a few moments left worth the gleaning. Now, Ruth, to the
field ! May each one have a measure full and running over ! O you gleaners,
to the field ! And if there be in your household an aged one or a sick relative
that is not strong enough to come forth and toil in this field, then let
Ruth take home to feeble Naomi this sheaf of gleaning : " He that goeth
forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with
rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." May the Lord God of Ruth and
Naomi be our portion forever!

THE A AND THE Z by Talmage

THE A AND THE Z by T, DeWitt Talmage



Christ is the A and the Z of the Christian ministry. A sermon that has no Christ is a dead failure. The minister who devotes his pulpit to anything but Christ is an imposter. Whatever great themes we may discuss, Christ must be the beginning and Christ the end. From His hand we get our commission at first, and to that same hand we at last surrender it. Though the colleges may give you a diploma, and Presbytery lay their hands on your head, if Christ send you not forth, you go on a fool's errand; and though the schools reject you as incompetent, if the, Lord God tells you to preach, you have a right to go, and there is at least one pulpit in the land where your right to proclaim the Gospel is acknowledged. A sermon devoted to metaphysics is a stack of dry corn-stalks after the corn has been ripped out with the husking-peg. A sermon given up to sentimental and flowery speech is as a nosegay flung to a drowning sailor. A sermon devoted to moral essay is a basket of chips to help on the great burning. What the world wants now is to be told in the most flatfooted way of Jesus Christ, who comes to save men from eternal damnation. Christ the Light, Christ the Sacrifice, Christ the Rock, Christ the Star, Christ the Balm, Christ the Guide. If a minister should live one thousand years, and preach ten sermons each day, those subjects would not be exhausted. Do you find men tempted? Tell them of Christ the Shield. Or troubled? Tell them of Christ the Comfort. Or guilty? Tell them of Christ the Pardon. Or dying? Tell them of Christ the Life. Scores of ministers, yielding to the demands of the age for elegant rhetoric, and soft speech, and flattering terms, have surrendered their pulpits to the devil, "horse, foot, and dragoon." May Christ be the burden of our talk; Christ the inspiration of our prayers; Christ the theme of our songs; Christ now, and Christ forever. In that stern hour when we feel that we shall never preach again, and we have ascended for the last time the pulpit, all but Christ will be nothing. Philosophy nothing; denominations nothing; conferences nothing; assemblies nothing; ourselves nothing, but CHRIST EVERYTHING!

Lovers of Pleasure More Than God... C. Wesley

Lovers of pleasure more than God,
For you He suffered pain;
Swearers, for you He spilt his blood;
And shall He bleed in vain?
-
Misers, for you his life He paid,
Your basest crime He bore:
Drunkards, your sins on Him were laid,
That you might sin no more.
-
The God of love, to earth He came,
That you might come to heaven;
Believe, believe in Jesus’ Name,
And all your sin’s forgiven.
-
Believe in Him that died for thee,
And, sure as He hath died,
Thy debt is paid, Thy soul is free,
And thou art justified.

Cookie, anyone?

These are so yummy; I could have eaten the whole batch all by myself!

I love nuts, and cookies, and well...anything sweet! But especially, when I can tag on a 'healthy label' to it! ;-)

These are almost like the recipe for Crispy Almond Cookies in N.T.

I did soak and crisp the almonds but I was out of wheat so I used unbleached flour and I used orange zest instead of lemon. Very tasty!

Anyone else tried them?