Apples and Peanut Butter...

This has been one of my favorite snacks for years! Half and core the apples, scoop in the pb and you've got a great quick-n-frugal snack!

Storybook Picture...

I was trying to capture a huge goose in flight but got this instead.

Isn't it pretty? Looks like a storybook picture to me and I didn't crop it or anything, in fact, I left part of the road in it. Oh well, I've been told that my best cooking is accidental so perhaps my picture-taking is too!

;-)

Reckon Little Red Riding Hood might be in there somewhere?

Socialization and Home School....

(This was written by request from a friend in New York. Thanks 4 the idea!)

I realize there are abuses and neglects in every system. That said, I will now discuss MY opinion and what MY eyes and ears have witnessed, in my home and in many settings with home schoolers.

How many home schooled children have I been in contact with? Hundreds.

How many kids do I have? Oh, half a dozen, give or take a few.

Can my kids speak with others?
Yes, very well. They can interact with people of all ages. Not being in the school system has kept them from getting click-ish towards their own age group, as well as having siblings of all ages. I have yet to meet a HSed child who wasn't on average in their social skills; and many, but not all, are way above average in etiquette. So polite, they'd charm your socks off!

Are my kids bashful? Sometimes, but no more than any other child would be in a new setting. My kids and all other HSers that I have met are normal, in that they each have their own personality and some are more "people, people" than others.

I only have one grown child (since I'm so young ;) so far, but I will use him as my guinea pig for you- sorta. I say sorta because when this child was young, I saw that he was going to be a people person and would likely never struggle with social issues.

That kiddo will be 19 very soon. He's in a church where the older people just love him up. He likes them too. But, he also has won the hearts of my friend's children who are from 3 to 7. And he has a slew of friends. He can talk on any subject- weather, politics, religion, math, science, history, nutrition, pets, you name it. ...I wouldn't be surprised if he has a whopper of a phone bill from all his SOCIALIZING!

I think about something Merle Haggard said once (paraphrase); "I don't want my kids' personality more shaped by their peers than me, that's why we home school."

Yes, social skills are important. But I'm with Merle on this one! Social skills can be slaughtered in a public school and so can a child's character, self-esteem, and personality.

Home schooled children are usually good with children of all ages, but they are especially good with adults, since they get a lot more one on one from their 'teacher'.

They also seem to have more confidence, probably from the lack of peer pressure and that they are always around people who care for them.

Personally, I have a couple that I've always had to watch because they talk too much to strangers! (One of them, when about 3, decided to show his new Spongebob underwear to a lady in Merle Norman. My oldest had the job of standing over him in public, in case he needed to cup his mouth suddenly.... after the incident where he told another kid; "Hey, my skin's light but your skin is black!?"...and other things!)

Many home schoolers have LOTS of extra-curricular activity, where they are exposed to other children, usually of all ages. They do sports, music, drama, 4-H, church, some organize field trips, community service projects, visiting nursing homes, using the Y, swimming lessons, music lessons, and the list goes on.

But, while this can help with social skills, I don't think it's necessary at all.

I've known of several HS families who had their own, out-of-home businesses where the kids ran a lot of the social part of it. There's one family in our area that has 12 children. They school during the cold months but come spring and summer and part of fall, they work their 90+ acres... the boys help their dad and the daughters run the store & produce stand, and bake fresh breads. And all of them have brilliant social skills. (And their math skills are amazing too!)

I've met numerous HS-ed kids at curriculum fairs. They could sit down with you and tell you just as much about their curriculum as their mothers.

It seems to be common for HSers to have large families too. This would provide more social skills because of various ages and personalities.

Its a proven fact that home schooled children often score higher than public schooled children. The studies believe that its due to their self concept being much better. (The better your self concept, the better your social skills.)

Some studies have shown that adult home schooled young people often have better social skills.

A scientist at our local college told me that HS-ed children are often more focused on their academics than others, but they were able to interact well with everyone.

One Virginia study of 30 HS-ing families and 32 conventionally schooled families reported "children who were schooled at home gained the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to function in society. . .at a rate similar to that of conventionally schooled children."

A Florida study made these observations: "The research showed that homeschooled children were found to have “consistently fewer behavior problems”. The traditionally schooled children were more aggressive, loud, and competitive. The homeschooled children tended to talk quietly, play well in groups, and took initiative in inviting others to play.....the results seem to show that a child’s social development depends more on adult contact and less on contact with other children than previously thought.”

Others studies show that regardless of the educational route, the primary social skills are learned from the parents. And if that be true- wouldn't a child who was with their parents all day long fair even better?!?!?!

Tales from my Backyard: Willow Trees

I first mentioned my unique willow trees on a post titled: The Tale of Three Trees.  You'll remember that 2 of them grew incredibly fast, while one just poked along, which is still the case! I'll tell you more about their growth next, but right now, I wanna share an experiment with you.

I read that willow clippings would actually root so I decided to try it straight in the ground in a very wet spot of the yard. (Yeah, it'd be nice if it'd soak up all that water in the spring and fall!)

So, I had the Executor of Experiments cut me off a rather large branch.(aka dh) We (well not me, the other parts of 'we') dug a very deep hole and planted the cut end, leaving several newly budding stems attached and underground.

Within days, the leaves were shriveling and dying and I told the EoE to trim it way back so it could use its energy to root rather than trying to leaf and survive all those little twigs. Within a few more days, it looked dead. It also got a little wobbly since we've had some very rough wind here lately, so we staked it and decided we wouldn't give up yet.

Well, that's been several weeks now and I really thought it might be months, if ever, before we'd see anything much at all out of it.

But to my delighted surprise, dh came to tell me that it was sprouting the other day.  Well, the first thing I had to do was grab my camera so I could take you girls along with me! (You didn't think I would leave you out, did you?)

Here on this little, brand new, green bud is a lady bug who probably is just as mesmerized with this new life as we are! Ain't that somethin'?!?!

 Now you may be wondering why on earth I would want so many willows. (Did you see the quick growth of those other two I told you about above?) Well, if you clicked over in that link above, you probably noticed that somebody really did a strange layout on this land and we have houses behind us, that face our back door.
Well, while we like our neighbors and have been blessed with very good ones, we still like some privacy. Its kind of a creepy feeling thinking they can see what I'm burning on the stove through my back door! ;-)

Lilac......

Finally! Growth -and flowers to cut!

I had planted one of these about 5 years ago and it didn't survive.

I planted it right under my bedroom window, in hopes that I could one day open my window and the wind would blow the lovely scent of the lilacs into my room.

Well, I don't have this one quite tall enough yet and I had to move it out several feet from my window, in hopes of a better survival this time.... but I am getting to cut the flowers from it now. 

They smell heavenly!

The bundle above is hanging upside down in a paper sack in my bathroom, with slits cut in the sack so as to make sure the scent gets out!

Once the flowers dry and fall off into the sack, I will likely make sachets with them for the clothes drawers. 

You don't think the boys will mind, do you? ;-)

Homemade Fertilizers....You GOTTA see this!

Looking for ways to help a few struggling plants, I came across this information and thought some of you might like it too! (And if I don't blog it, I forget it ;-)

Makes me wanna be right outside in the dirt! .....except for pushing 90 temp!

Menu Plan Monday:

 Welcome to Menu Plan Monday!

SATURDAY:

-oatmeal

-Turkey Burgers w/ cheese and shredded lettuce, juice pops

- Roasted Duck, potatoes, carrots, salad, Chocolate-covered-cherry Muffins

snacks- nuts, strawberry-yogurt smoothies, Muffins

SUNDAY:

-eggs-n-toast, oatmeal

-grilled cheese, muffins

-Turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, buttered corn, Easter Cake and homemade ice cream

snacks-Pumpkin Pie, milkshakes from leftover homemade ice cream  

MONDAY:

- Wheat-n-buckwheat pancakes from the freezer

-Leftover turkey w/ gravy, dressing, green bean casserole, corn, cake

-Pinto beans, cracklin' cornbread, turnip greens, beets, leftover ice cream

snacks- pumpkin pie, boiled eggs and mustard, nuts

TUESDAY:

-breakfast sandwiches (on English Muffins)

-leftover beans, greens, cornbread, peach cobbler

-Quick Pan-fried Tilapia, slaw, cauliflower with mock cheese sauce, canned pineapple

snacks- blueberry-mango smoothie, Snack Bars, sunflower seeds

WEDNESDAY:

-kids choice

- Beef-Barley-and Lentil Stew, cornmeal muffins, apple crisp

- Italian Baked Chicken, chick peas from the freezer, broccoli spears in butter, chocolate pudding

snacks- buttered popcorn, juiced apples, oat bran muffins 

THURSDAY:

-Bug Oats

- Frittata, steamed broccoli, green beans and onions, blueberry smoothie

-Pan-fried pork chops, brussel sprouts, Pasta-Peas&Parmesan, sour gummy worms

snacks- bread with chocolate 'gravy', juiced apples, raisins

FRIDAY:

-kids choice

-frugal stir fry, brown rice, vanilla pudding

-Beef-n-cabbage Bake, creamed asparagus,  parsley-buttered carrots, Frozen Lemon Cream Bars

snacks- natural candy, buttered popcorn, juiced apples and carrots w/ginger

Happy Easter!

What frugal plans are you making for your Easter?


Friday night we got a big treat and watched The Voyage of the Dawn Treader! It was super good.
(This will be on Netflix in another month or so...or you can use your Coke Rewards to buy a free rental ;-)




We will be doing this Bible study... from this site on Saturday....rather than our usual homework on Saturday. :-)

On Sunday we will have a small turkey dinner, an Easter Cake with homemade ice cream,  and watch:


This is a movie that we've had for years.
We also have an Easter Storybook that we read.

I have been making some homemade fabric 'baskets' and we have our old plastic eggs and a secret stash of candy. I made my baskets  like these at Brandy's.... but rather than measure them out, I made a silly 'pattern' of sorts out of the end of a pop box...yeah, crzy, I know!   But we always use the eggs and the signs of spring to remind us of "new life" and the "power of the resurrection". (Anyone heard CRI's latest commercial? They talk about a "resurrection plant" and a "resurrection fern". They dry up and will crumble if you touch them but at the first sprinklings of spring rain, they come alive again! Neat!)

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If you have Turner Classics:
"King of Kings (1961)" is playing on TCM on Sun, April 24, 2011 01:30 PM est.....
and  "The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)" is playing on TCM on Sun, April 24, 2011 04:30 PM est.
(We don't have this but I may try to find them online or Netflix.)

Happy Easter and may the Lord help us to make holidays Holy Days, for our families!

Chocolate-covered-cherry Muffins...

 My pictures don't do these sweeties justice!

I whipped these up last week and then had to make them not once, not twice, but 3 MORE TIMES!

My family (ALL of them) loved these and could not get enough. 

I figured I better blog it, so I didn't 4get it! ;-)

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup plain or unbleached flour

3 t baking powder

1 t salt

1 1/4 cup cane sugar

2 eggs

1 t  almond extract (opt)

2 cups milk

2 cups frozen cherries

1 cup chocolate chips

Mix dry ingredients together, then add in wet ingredients, saving cherries and choc chips until last.

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.

Makes 2 dozen muffins.

 **I don't add any extra fat or oil, but you can adjust milk and add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of oil or melted butter if you like.

**I love to keep muffins in a cake plate on or near the table for a quick & healthy snack between meals.... but these don't seem to last long enough ;-)

Dandelion Jelly...

I have to say this jelly ROCKS!

I also made some Dandelion Syrup. Some people make and/or call it "Dandelion Honey" and I see why!
It really tastes like honey, both the jelly and the syrup!   If you Google it, you can see that people do all kinds of neat things with the dandelions to make things that are honey-like, including 'syrup' sweetened with honey and flavored with butter. ...That HAS to be good!

Here's the simple way to make the jelly:

Collect about 4 to 5 cups open dandelion flowers. Snip the green ends off where you just have the yellow petals. (Don't worry about a few green sprigs, but no stems!)

Pour 4 cups boiling hot water over yellow petals, cover, and allow to steep overnight.

Strain off 3 cups of 'juice' into large pot.

Add 2 T lemon juice.

Mix in one box of Sure-jell.

Bring to a rolling boil, boil one minute.

Stir in 5 cups sugar, return to boil.

Boil one more minute, ladle into jelly jars.

*can add yellow food coloring

To make the syrup- I used almost the same ingredients, but in different order!

For the syrup:

3 cups of steeped dandelion 'juice'  (Plus another 1/4 cup later.)

Bring juice to a rapid boil, add 5 cups sugars and 2 T lemon juice,

and 1 T butter.

Return to a boil, boil one minute.

Mix one box of Sure Jell with 1/4 cup  dandelion 'juice' (or water.).

Add to the boiling mixture.

Boil rapidly for 1 minute.

Ladle into jelly jars and process as you would jelly.

The syrup looks identical to honey!
Great for pancakes, biscuits, or on sandwiches with peanut butter!
****************************************************************************

How are dandelions good for you?
It is supposed to be a 'blood builder'.
Also rich in vitamins and minerals, especially calcium.
Helps open urinary tract.
Great for the liver.
And more...see the Bulk Herb Store!

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This post is linked to:

Tuesdays at the Table

Tempt my Tummy Tuesday

Tasty Tuesday

Menu Plan-

 WELCOME TO MENU PLAN MONDAY!

SATURDAY:

-kids choice
-Burgers, carrot sticks
-peanut butter and dandelion jelly, Chocolate-Covered-Cherry Muffins
snacks: pistachios, muffins

SUNDAY:

-Sourdough pancakes from the freezer
-bologna cups, carrot and celery sticks, leftover muffins
- roast, potatoes and carrots, cornbread muffins, canned pineapple
snacks:boiled eggs and mustard, toasted Breakfast Bread and violet jelly

MONDAY:

- Smores Oatmeal
- turkey patties, chick peas (pre-cooked from freezer), romaine salad,
- Crockpot Roasted Pork Loin, romaine salad, lima beans, home-canned juice pops
snacks: Natural Candy, roasted garlic almonds, Iced graham bites

TUESDAY:

-homemade french toast sticks from the freezer
- Butternut Squash Soup, Rosemary Bubble Loaf Bread, apple-blueberry crisp
-frugal steaks, baked potatoes, romaine salad, Choco-wheat cake
snacks:sliced apples, cake and milk

WEDNESDAY:

-brown rice w/ butter and sugar
- Taco Casserole, black beans, romaine salad, sour gummy worms
- White Beans, cracklin' cornbread, turnip greens, peach cobbler
snacks: sliced apples, mango smoothies

THURSDAY:

- coconut rice pudding
-Beef Stew, cornbread, Orange Sherbet
- BBQ chicken, baked beans, kicked up cabbage, baked apples
snacks: Cheese Puffs, Pumpkin Pie in Oat Pie Crust

FRIDAY:

-leftover pumpkin pie
-Bean w/ Turkey Bacon Soup, Tri-flour bread, jelly
- Monkey Meat on flatbreads, refried beans, fried apples
snacks: juiced carrots and apples, Sprinkled Donuts

We Love Xylitol!

Girls- if you treat your family to xylitol, you must try this brand!

I got a sample from this company (in exchange, I get to tell you how much we liked, no no no, LOVED it!) .. and I couldn't believe how great it tasted! Its even better than a brand that we've been buying local- NO KIDDING!

Well, I thought it was just me- cuz I get all sappy over a free sample (don't tell me you don't too!)- so then I let my favorite (guinea pigs) kids try it out....just to see if they came to the same conclusion. What'd they say?!?! "Mom, this is WAY better than the other kind! Where did you get it? Can we get more?"

We also found it to be slightly sweeter (in the best possible way!) than the other kind AND the kids said it had a slightly different taste, 'almost like vanilla' is how they described it.

What? Some of you haven't heard of xylitol? Oh my! You MUST learn about this sweet treat! Must!!!

Let me lift some stuff from their site/email about it, then I'll tell you more about them.

Xylitol is a natural, low calorie, diabetic safe sweetener that tastes and looks like sugar. Use xylitol like you would table sugar (1 to 1 ratio) in your baking or sweetening drinks.

Benefits of Xylitol
• Does not contribute to weight gain
• Naturally balances the body’s pH
• Aids in the absorption of calcium

Xylitol is approved for use by:
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• The World Health Organization’s Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives
• American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
• The European Union’s Scientific Committee for Food
• The California Dental Association
• Calorie Control Council and many others

Xylitol is exactly the same sweetness and consistency of table sugar, however it has 40% fewer calories and 75% fewer carbs. Due to it's 1 to 1 sweeteness comparison to sugar, it's an ideal replacement for sugar in virtually any recipe. It's certainly a great alternative to questionable artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame, Sucralose, and many others.

Xylitol is very well known in 2 areas - Dental and Diabetic. From the dental side it's well published and studied that if you consume 6 or more grams of Xylitol a day - preferably at a few different times throughout the day - you will prevent cavities. Xylitol creates an environment in the mouth where bacteria literally cannot grow. Sugar is quite the opposite - it's a fuel for bacteria to grow and therefore causes cavities. You will see that we manufacture things like Xylitol chewing gum, Xylitol lollipops, mints, candies etc - these are all great replacements for store bought products that use artificial sweeteners, and are ideal delivery devices for cavity prevention.

From the diabetic side - Xylitol is natures best kept secret. Xylitol metabolizes independent of insulin and scores a "7" on the glycemic index - for a comparison, sugar is "100". Diabetics are using Xylitol all the time and it's ideal.

I have been in the Xylitol product business for 10 years. Originally with a chewing gum company that uses only Xylitol to sweeten the chewing gum and similar products. To give you a no BS testimonial, I had 14 cavities from the day I was born through graduating from college. In the last 12 years since college - 0 cavities. My wife and kids use Xylitol products each and every day - no cavities.

From a cooking standpoint which is the topic du jour - Xylitol is just a great natural sugarless replacement for sugar. The 1 to 1 sweetness and same consistency makes it easy to work with and not a lot of thinking goes into it. There are a few recipes that can get tricky, but very few, and playing around with it will get you through those. Your readers will find this the most interesting and relevant I feel - the baking, cooking, food related option of using bulk Xylitol instead of sugar or artificial sweeteners.

Now one thing to be aware of is that we are really the only mainstream USA true manufacturer of these types of products - so beware of Chinese imitations that are prevalent in the market. We use only USA hardwood to make the Xylitol - no corn - and we manufacture everything in Broomfield Colorado with USA ingredients only.

Now, about the company! EMERALD FOREST!

You won't BELIEVE the awesome products they sell!

Gum, lollipops, the xylitol (several kinds, packets, but what REALLY caught my eye was their dental care!

Xylitol is well-known for being a preventative for cavities - and to have it IN THE TOOTHPASTE sounds just perfect to me! And- gasp!- they EVEN have a dental rinse! Oh and chocolate! DARK chocolate! Be still my chocolate-loving heart!

Ok girls, you've heard his testimony, but let me tell you mine with my kids.

As I've told you before, we keep xylitol on our table in  an old parmesan container. The kids are supposed to get a "pinch" after meals and before brushing their teeth. When they don't do this, it shows up at the dentist! Not kidding. Also, on 2 separate occasions, we've had a "problem area" that I requested just be "watched". Using xylitol and making sure brushing and flossing was done- our problem areas were no longer problems- not once, but twice!

Yes, I'm going on, but I sincerely believe this product really helps with dental issues AND its a healthier alternative for fake sugars. And now, after personally sampling this brand- I'm hooked! You girls gotta try it!

It rocks! -in the sweetest way!!!

P.S.

I've also been known to make my own mints with this sweet treat!

PPS-

The company has generously offered you a discount coupon code! Type in FIRST for 10% off your order!

Peanut Brittle...

Dh brought this recipe in a few weeks ago....begging ;-)

He told me the story (for the 103rd time ;) about how his parents paid their church off by selling peanut brittle.
(It really is a great story! But yes, I pick on him for forgetting that he's already told me the story!hee hee Shame on me!)

Where he got the recipe, I'm not sure. Maybe from his FB friends?  But, it is a good one! (Even if it does use HFCS straight up!)

And it's really quite easy to make! (My one glitch is, a lack of a candy thermometer! But it can be done without it, using the cool water test. It will make a brittle thread, when you drop a dab in a cool cup of water, not a gooey ball, when it is ready.)

**************************************************************************
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 t salt
1/4 cup water
1 cup peanuts, unsalted
2 T softened butter
1 t baking soda

1. Butter large cookie sheet, set aside.
2. In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium heat, bring to a boil; sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in peanuts. Set candy thermometer in place and continue cooking. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 300 degrees or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads.
3. Remove from heat; immediately stir in butter and baking soda; pour at once onto cookie sheet. With 2 forks, lift and pull peanut mixture into rectangle about 14x12 inches; cool. Snap candy into pieces.

tip: This "pulling" is important, otherwise the candy will be quite thick and harder to chew. This candy can be rough enough on the teeth!

Pizza Calzones...

I had been wanting to make these for a while..limited pepperoni (not enough for pizzas) and family movie night made them a must.  For the first time in a while, I got no 'thumbs down' for these either! (I allow them to rate new recipes- but even if its a thumbs down, they still gotta eat it anyways, I just know not to make it again ;)

I used Tammy's Calzone Dough recipe (doubled it) and it was really good, and easy, almost like Marilyn's Bread that I make for "breakfast bread".   In fact, that recipe would work for these as well.

I made them like Tammy, but using 'pizza' fillings.

In each calzone I layered, 2  to 3 tablespoons of cheese, 2 tablespoons of thick sauce, 4 pepperoni, and another 1 to 2 tablespoons of cheese...then a dash of parmesan.

I also lightly sprayed the tops and sprinkle lightly with parmesan.

I baked them per instructions @ 375 for 25 to 30 minutes. Perfect!

Freebies From PopTarts!

PopTarts Sprinklings offers free samples from time to time, coupons, and a treat for your child's bday!

A couple of you, I kicked emails to from their sites- be looking! ;-)

Check them out and sign up here!

Menu Plan Monday:

 Welcome to Menu Plan Monday!

I've been messing with Carl's Sourdough again these past couple of weeks, as well as using some of their recipes, with pretty good success! I made 4 loaves of The Doctor's Sourdough on Sunday afternoon that will make several things for this week, from strata to french toast sticks for breakfast!

FYI, the links above will take you to his site where you can request a free, dried culture that's super easy to start! (I must figure out how to dry my own, almost out of his!)

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SATURDAY:

- Sourdough Pancakes
- grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, carrots, Coconut-Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Lemon-pepper Salmon, sauteed squash w/ onions and peppers, cole slaw, Berry Tea, muffins
snacks:sourdough biscuits and violet jelly, sliced apples, homemade beef jerky

SUNDAY:

- oatmeal
- Burgers, chips and salsa, grapes
- Taco Salad, butterscotch chips
snacks: biscuits and honey, sourdough bread and violet jelly

MONDAY:

- Sourdough pancakes from the freezer
- Sourdough Strata, romaine salad, coconut rice
- Shrimp I'm Afraid so, green salad, fried apples
snacks: sliced apples and peanut butter, carrots and dip

TUESDAY:

- Kid's Choice
- Pureed Vegetable Soup, Rosemary Bubble Loaf, strawberry yogurt
- Roast, potatoes, and carrots, leftover frozen yogurt pops
snacks: muesli, baked apples

WEDNESDAY:

- french toast sticks (made from leftover sour dough bread)
-Beef Stew, cornbread muffins, home-canned juice pops
- Turkey patties, Golden Broccoli Salad, seasoned brown rice, romaine salad, Lemon Zest Cookies
snacks: homemade sherbet, apples and peanut butter

THURSDAY:

-eggs, toast
- Beans, Turnip Greens, Cornbread, creamed corn, juice pops from the freezer
-Frugal Roast Steaks, mustard potatoes, romaine salad, Peach Cobbler
snacks: Crepes, sliced apples with peanut butter yogurt dip

FRIDAY:

-kid's choice
-Bologna Cups, romaine salad, hash browns, Cookie Press Cookies
-leftover beans, greens, cornbread, Berry Smoothie
snacks:Cherry Cheesecake, sliced apples

A Great NATURAL Alternative for Acidity Troubles...

My dh has been plagued for years with stomach issues. He's had medicines and scopes and the whole 9 yards but battling with this myself during pregnancies and off and on the last year or so, I read up a little on the medicines, prescribed and over-the-counter, and I didn't like what I found.

I bought this product and asked him in my nice, sweet, caring wifely way if he would try it. It works!

I tried it myself last week and it worked for me too!

But not just for that problem- for LOTS of other tummy troubles too! (We won't get graphic ;-)
But you can follow the link here to Amazon and read the maker's claims:



We love it! Its all natural and all safe! Woo hoo!

Ever nag your dh? Perhaps you shouldn't ;-)

I must confess that I have often nagged my dh about his pop habit. Its costly (not frugal), not good for you, and he drinks the diet kind which I think is worse....blah blah blah....

Well, despite my nagging, he kept drinking- and I kept logging in the Coke Reward Points!

(..for years now..)

Look what I got with them!

The picture doesn't do them justice! They are so much shinier than they appear! And yes, stainless steel!

Shame on me for nagging! ;-)

Got Coke drinkers around you? Ask them for their codes!

(My kids have even picked them up in places...as I have used the points before for free movie/game rentals at Blockbuster.)

Oh and- no shipping charges- 100% free!

Cheers!

Have You Seen This Movie?

 This is a delightful family film.

The little boy begins to mow the lawn of Mr. Sperry, which leads to Bible studies in his home with several boys. Mr. Sperry uses the Bible and craft, to teach the boys how to handle various problems. 

Many people are using it as a witnessing tool, as it is non-threatening, but heart and thought provoking. 

You'll wish your kids had a Jonathan Sperry!

 

How do you shop til you drop?

I love to shop once a month- and get it over with! I do however set aside some of the budgeted grocery money to replenish milk, eggs, butter, and some produce...so I do have to run in and out of the store one or two more times through the month.....I like to save this run for our library days- 2 stores-1 trip!

But for the most part, outside of 1-2 days a month, doing once-a-month shopping, I don't spend more than 15 minutes in a store for weeks! ...and if you lived in my town and saw some of the freaks in the stores around here, you'd be happy to only spend minutes in the same place with them...I'm just kidding....well, I wish I was just kidding! ;-)    (*see my stories about Walmart for explanations, hee hee)

How about you?

Do you like to go once a week?
A couple of times a week?

Every other week?

Once or twice every 6 months?

Never cuz you eat out all the time? ;-)

Once a month shopping report- so fun!

I got beef! Whew hoo!

I bought about 16 roasts, leaving ten whole for roast, potatoes, and carrots.
The rest I sliced up for Frugal Roast Steaks and Roast Sandwiches.
1 1/2 was diced up for stew.
1 was cut into strips for a stir fry.
Yippee!

I also bought a box of 50 hamburger patties for $25! Sweet deal! And oh the praises that box got me when I came home with that jewel!  (Matter of fact, after dh viewed the meat freezer and saw this box of patties he said; "ok, whatever it is you're wantin' outta me, you can have it"! lol--perhaps I should have got that in writing, I'll need him in the garden soon!)
 ;)

I found some super cheap extra thin steaks that are marinating for (much begged for) beef jerky. -Kids are ecstatic!

I bought a large pork loin for $17 and had it sliced a little over a quarter inch thick- and now it will make 4 meals of pork steaks/chops. Not  bad- and dh was beside himself and so was a couple of my pork loin-lovin' kids.

I bought 8 pounds of hamburger, sectioned in 2lb bags for meatloaves.

I bought several pounds of chicken legs at .69 lb- enough for 3 meals.

4 lbs of ground turkey.

2 lbs of chicken liver- when I oven-fry any chicken, I love to toss these in- super easy.

I bought a bushel of apples and about 6 lbs of grapes! Heaven!

I bought 50lbs of self-rising flour for $20! Super sweet!

I bought 25lbs of white beans.

I bought 25 pounds of cornmeal.($8)

4 lbs of black beans.

Frozen cherries, berries, peaches, and lima beans. (Lima were buy one get one free- bought 3 bags, got 3 free!)

Several pounds of cabbage.

Several pounds of large carrots for juicing.

2 small hams ( I had coupons for $2 off each of them.)

2 pks of bologna.

A couple lbs of yellow squash. (89 lb)

Several pounds of cabbage.

Several bags of onions.

Big can of olive oil.

Salt and baking powder.

3 gallons of vinegar.(This is my main cleaner, with citrus of course!)

Lots of other odds and ends, like spices, and gum that I had coupons for.

Splurges- yes- 2!
I bought a couple of packs of Goldfish crackers for .99.
Easter candy- but I had coupons for every pack I bought, paying no more than $1 per pack. A sweet, sweet!

I still have more to finish tomorrow.

I forgot to get a brick of yeast. (1lb bags are wayyyyy cheaper than the little jars or packs.)
Need some other things- potatoes, lemons, baking soda, eggs, butter, and milk. (Yah for Aldi!)

Chick Pea Italian Stir-

2 T fat
1 pkg turkey polish sausage, sliced
1 red onion, chopped
1 chopped bell pepper, chopped

Stir and heat for about 5 minutes, then add;


1 can diced tomatoes
1 t oregano
1/2 t basil
1/4 t rosemary
1 t minced garlic
1/4 t garlic salt
2 cups chick peas (canned or home-cooked)
3/4 cup corn (frozen or canned)


Heat 5 to 10 more minutes. Serve with slotted spoon. Top with green onions or parsley if desired.


*Served here with spinach-romaine salad w/ Asiago cheese and Italian dressing.

Homemade Violet Jelly

The liquid from straining the flowers is a beautiful violet shade- however...

..Once you add the lemon juice, it changes to an almost pink color. It's the prettiest jelly I think I've ever made!

This jelly is so delightful- and frugal!

Its super easy to make- the hardest part is picking the flowers!

To start:

2 heaping cups of violets, just the flowers-no stems

Cover with 4 cups boiling hot water in stainless steel, covered overnight.

Strain off 4 cups of violet water.

In large pot whisk;

4 cups of violet water

juice of one lemon (this will change the color)

1 pkg of Sure-Jell

Bring to full boil.

Add 5 cups sugar.

Return to boil and boil 1 minute, stirring constantly and reducing the heat slightly to keep it from boiling over.

Ladle into jars. Invert jars and allow to cool.
Or water can to insure the best seal!
Makes 4 pints.

Menu:

 WELCOME TO MENU PLAN MONDAY! Homemade Chocolate Covered Cream Filled Donuts is a super sweet way to start the week!

SATURDAY:

-peanut butter pancakes
-Chickpea Italian Stir, salad, Kefir Ice Cream
- snack supper- boiled eggs, carrots and dip, Chocolate Covered Cream Filled Donuts
snacks: buttered popcorn, peanuts, Wheat-n-Flax Chocolate Chip Cookies

SUNDAY:

-leftover Donuts
-PB&J, carrots, leftover Kefir Ice Cream from the freezer
-Pizza Calzones, graham crackes
snacks: buttered popcorn, home-canned applesauce

MONDAY:

-Wheat-n-Buckwheat Pancakes with violet jelly
-snack lunch - boiled eggs, BBQ smokies, carrot and celery sticks, chocolate chips
-Sammy's, salad, raisins
snacks: cheese, canned pineapple, wheat crackers w/pb

TUESDAY:

- Oatmeal w/ berries
- Family Sandwich, salad, Berry Compote
- Sausage Meatloaf, salad, speckled butter beans, home-canned frozen juice pops
snacks: buttered popcorn, biscuits and pear preserves
 

WEDNESDAY:

-kid's choice
- Haystacks, Coconut Custard
- Grilled chicken legs, BBQ potato wedges, salad, Peach Crisp
snacks: homemade yogurt with honey and cinnamon, celery and peanut butter

THURSDAY:

- Coconut Rice
- Red Beans and Rice, homemade apple sherbet
- Turkey Breast Tenderloins on Buttermilk buns, salad, natural candy
snacks:Buttermilk Pie in Homemade Oat Crust, apples w/ pb

FRIDAY:

-Nana Yogurt Dish
-Bologna Cups, salad, fried apples, Snack Bars
-Taco Casserole, chili beans, spinach salad, fruit

snacks: Raisin Bread,sliced apples