Last Day of March!

Badlands of South Dakota

Well, there really isn't a lot to post about today.  I went grocery shopping and everyone goes grocery shopping at one point or the other so I don't need to tell you how all that works!  : )

We did have a yummy supper though and here is the recipe in case you want to give it a try:

Easy Chicken Lo Mein

1/4 cup honey

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 cup vegetable or chicken stock

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced

Whisk these ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 large onion

Cut these into strips and stir-fry in hot oil until tender.  Take them out of the pan and set aside.

In hot oil, stir-fry 2 chicken breasts that have been cut into cubes.  Add vegetable mixture and sauce. Let simmer for the amount of time it takes to cook 10 oz. of spaghetti noodles.  Meanwhile, thicken the sauce with a little cornstarch and water.  Drain noodles and serve sauce over it.  Garnish with chopped green onions.  

I served steamed broccoli with this along with fresh orange slices.  It was very good - a sweet/sour taste goin' on.

Also, I didn't take pictures of this last week, but I wanted to tell you that when I made the old fashioned Green Bean Casserole, I didn't put the canned French Fried Onions on top.  I made my own!  Oh my.  SO much better.  I just cut a large onion in strips, floured them and fried them in hot oil for just seconds and drained them on paper toweling.  Srummy (as Mary Barry in the Great British Bake-off would say)  These onions would taste so good on hamburgers.  : )

I also had a wonderful afternoon visiting and crafting with my friend, Violet.  I always learn so much from her and there is always something to chat about.  : )

The next thing I've been thinking about is the upcoming April to-do's.  Here is what my Household Notebook says:

*inspect and adjust window hardware

*replace cracked window panes

*tune up lawn mower

*prune trees/shrubs

*rake up winter debris

*repair walkways/driveway

*store winter clothes

*remove storm windows/put screens on

*clean out garage

*reseed lawn

*put garden furniture out

*level major appliances

*bring garden hoses out

*clean BBQ grill

*clean birdbath

*start preparing garden beds

*assess summer clothing needs

Wow.  What a list!  I guess that's why it's important to use the winter months to get things done in the house so that we have time to get to the outdoors.

Although, the outdoors around here is still pretty chilly and rainy so we'll have to wait a while before those beautiful April days kick in.  

And then, lastly, the chorus to one of my favorite hymns:

Because he lives

I can face tomorrow
Because he lives
All fear is gone
Because I know
He holds the future
And life is worth the living
Just because he lives

With everything that goes on in the world, we can feel afraid and worried.  But because Jesus lives, we can wake up every morning knowing that God is in control and He takes care of those who love him.

So, keep on caring for your friends, family, and even those you don't know but need your help.  Don't let the bad news keep you from your work.  

God bless you and thanks for dropping by!

p.s. - for someone who started out by saying that I really didn't have much to write about, this became quite lengthy!  LOL

Nice Wednesday

It's late.  It's been a busy day.  But it's been a good day.  The day started with a wonderful rain.  And rainy days sometimes leads me to changing my plans.

It was supposed to be grocery shopping day.  But I really wanted to stay put and just putter today. Rainy days are like that for me.  I had a very nice Wednesday:

*I filled all my spice jars in the spice rack and wrote down what I was running low on.

*I filled all my canisters - flour, sugar, etc.

*I cleaned out the other side of the closet that I organized yesterday.  On this side jars and plastic containers get thrown in and become a mess of things we can't find.  So out went a lot of glass jars that I kept "just in case I need them."  Put all the lids back on all the containers they belonged to and stacked them nicely so we can see what we have.  And I re-arranged the shelves.

*I ironed our cloth napkins for the week.

*I made salsa for tonight's meal -

*And finally, before cooking supper I started over on crocheting the rug -

I really am determined to make this work!  : )  I think this is about the 10th time I've unraveled it and started over.  Because I'm not a crocheter, I had no idea that you have to increase.  Increase. Increase? When?  Where?  How many?  I can watch someone do it and still not get it, so it's try it and see what happens for me.  : o

Well, that was my day!  I'm glad I opted to stay home because I got a lot of little things done and it just felt right.

I hope you enjoyed your day and thank you for taking the time to stop by.  I really appreciate it.  God bless you and remember that the work you do in your home is important work.  

Typical Tuesday

I would suppose that if you were to go back to every Tuesday on my blog, you would pretty much find that I do the same things on Tuesday:

*throw one more of laundry in

*go through the budget/pay any bills

*write out the menu and grocery list

*iron yesterday's laundry

So, it really was a typical Tuesday and am thinking I should skip blogging on Tuesdays since they are pretty redundant.  But, no, here I am!  Just in case someone new drops by and really wants to know what this woman does on Tuesday's.  LOL  : )

I have to admit that in between doing the above to-do's I took my time in doing things I normally don't do:

*cleaned out the front hall closet where we store our shopping bags in one big bag after reading that a local charitable organization is looking for bags to use and I can drop them off

*cleaned out one side of a closet at the end of our hall that holds cleaning supplies - throwing out old stuff, or things I don't use, and rearranging - I've been making my own cleaning products for quite a while now, so I don't want the other stuff around.  Only the "ingredients" to make the healthier versions which brings me to what I did next:

made my laundry detergent.

I'm very satisfied with the "recipe" and have been using it along with my homemade dryer sheets. They both work great.  I make it in old laundry detergent jugs so it's perfect.

*Note - I'm not sure that I need to say this, but I'm not sure how this product identification works.  Whenever you see a photo of any name brand products in a post, I'm not endorsing the product nor getting compensation for it.  I just use the products given in whatever "recipe" I find and take a picture of it!  : )  The directions for this laundry detergent is - 3 Tblsp. borax, 3 Tblsp. washing soda, and 2 Tblsp. dishwashing liquid.  Pour 4 cups of boiling water in jug with everything in it and swirl it around a bit to dissolve.  When cooled, add cold water up to the top of container.  Use 1/2 cup to 1 cup of liquid per load.  That's it!  Easy, peasy.  

And I checked my grocery list twice for anything that I might be able to make instead of buy, and I didn't see anything this time.  I might be getting the hang of this now but will always double check just in case.

My menu for the week in no particular order:

*BBQ Bacon Chicken Quesadillas, chips & salsa, fruit

*Chicken Lo Mein, broccoli, fruit

*Crockpot Pork chops, mashed potatoes, oven green beans

*Salmon patties, homemade mac & cheese, salad

*one take-out night

*Chow Mein over rice, fruit

*Bagel egg and cheese sandwiches, fruit

*Ground beef Enchiladas, chips & salsa, fruit

*Baked fish fillets, brown rice, squash

I think that's all I can write about for today.  How was your day?  

Thank you again for dropping by.  God bless your homemaking efforts.

Monday After Easter

Just a couple of photos of our Easter table from yesterday.

Unfortunately, our Easter Sunday plans took a turn on Good Friday.  Father-in-law took a nasty fall and ended up in the hospital all weekend.  It took a lot of calls back and forth and trying to figure out whether or not to stick with our family get-together.  We decided to go ahead with it, but it was a melancholy day.

A day of joy because we celebrated our risen Lord, but sad because someone who means so much to us in not with us and is going through such a difficult time.  It just brings about the thoughts of making sure to make the most of every day because it can all change so quickly.  

Knowing that he was receiving good care helped so we were able to enjoy each other's company and talk and laugh (having kids around helps with that) and then after finishing our dessert and coffee we drove to the hospital to visit (and brought a piece of lemon meringue pie).  : )

Having a get-together of any kind requires quite a bit of work.  With a small house I have to move furniture, take furniture out, make room in the kitchen, clean out the fridge to make room for the special food, etc. and then when everyone leaves we move the furniture back to the way it was, bring everything back to the kitchen (which was temporarily stored in a spare room with the door closed), wash all the dishes by hand (no dishwasher), take care of leftovers, etc.  Whew!  It may sound like I'm complaining, but I'm not.  I love to host parties.  I love standing at the sink and looking out into the living room and seeing everyone lounging about and talking.  I also love the special food.

But because we paid a visit at the hospital, by the time we got home I was pretty tired so I left a lot of the clean-up for today.  So today:

*I started at the front door and worked my way through the house -

sweeping, vacuuming, putting the Easter decorations away, bringing things back into the room, washed the punch bowl and other serving dishes that I didn't get to, put away all the good china and glassware, cleaned the bathroom, washed towels, washed the usual Monday bedding, went to the basement to put everything away that we just put down there to get it out of the way, and made more granola.  : )

*Now I smell the remnants of ham in the oven along with a green bean casserole which will be served with leftover fresh fruit, croissants, and lemon meringue pie.  Yum.  Love those leftovers!

It was a full day but the sun was shining and the temperature was warmer so it made for a pretty good day.  Thanks for dropping by - I hope you had a pretty good day as well.  : )

Resurrection Sunday!

"Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; he has risen!"  Luke 24: 5-6

Jesus Christ is risen today, Alleluia!

Our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!

Who did once, upon the cross, Alleluia!

Suffer to redeem our loss, Alleluia!

Hymns of praise then let us sing, Alleluia!

Unto Christ, our heavenly King, Alleluia!

Who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!

Sinners to redeem and save, Alleluia!

But the pain which He endured, Alleluia!

Our salvation hath procured, Alleluia!

Now above the sky He's king, Alleluia!

Where the angels ever sing, Alleluia!

Sing we to our God above, Alleluia!

Praise eternal as His love, Alleluia!

Praise Him, all you heavenly host, Alleluia!

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Alleluia!

May God bless you today as we all celebrate the risen Savior!!!!!

Good Friday

It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour, for the sun stopped shining.  And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.  Jesus called out with a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."  When he had said this, he breathed his last.  Luke 23: 44-46

Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty."  A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips.  When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished."  With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.  John 19: 28-30

"Jesus Paid It All"

I hear the Savior say,
Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy power and Thine alone,
Can change the leper's spots
and melt the heart of stone.

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
Jesus died my soul to save,
my lips shall still repeat

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow

O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead
O Praise the one who paid my debt
And raised this life up from the dead

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow
He washed it white as snow

Thursday

The sun is out and yesterday's snow is melting.  : )  I would have rather had rain, but moisture is moisture and we need it, so enough said about that!  It IS March and we never know what we're going to get in March.

This morning was spent in cleaning father-in-law's house and afterwards I came back to do some laundry and get my ingredients together for tonight's meal which is:

*homemade tomato soup (new recipe)

*grilled cheese (using yesterday's homemade bread - which DID turn out to be good)

*fresh orange slices

I'm also trying to learn how to crochet a rug using strips of shabby chic sheets.  I start and then I take it apart.  I start again and I take it apart.  I'm not sure how many times I've done that and it's getting a little frustrating.  But I don't want to give up on it.  I love the way the rugs look and I'm determined to get it.  I've been watching a few tutorials on-line but they lose me after the 5th row!   Hopefully, at some point, my brain will engage and the light bulb will come on and I'll breeze right through it.  : )

Before I finish I want to share today's Bible reading with you in preparation for this upcoming weekend:

Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.  On reaching the place, he said to them, "Pray that you will not fall into temptation."  He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."  An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.  And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.

When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.  "Why are you sleeping?" he asked them.  Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation."  Luke 22: 39-46

I have a vintage picture of this depiction where Jesus is on his knees with his elbows on a massive rock and his face lifted towards heaven in prayer.  That is one of my favorite pictures along with the one of Jesus standing at a door and knocking.

Remember what Christ is about ready to go through.  He KNOWS what he is about to go through. Sorrow.  Betrayal.  Arrested.  Denied.  Mocked.  Beaten.  But he was willing to go through all of this for me and you.   Again, that is TRUE love.  If you haven't invited Jesus into your heart yet, please don't hesitate to do so.  Just as in my second favorite picture - Jesus stands at the door of your heart and is knocking.  Invite him in and he will change your life forever.     

God bless your day and upcoming weekend.

It's Pretty, But ..........

another snowfall.  

Fortunately I went grocery shopping this morning because this is what happened this afternoon!  And even this picture doesn't do it justice - it snowed much more after this photo was taken.  One of those snows where every branch of every tree is covered.  And even though I didn't want any more snow, I had to admit it was rather beautiful.  : )  

I spent a little of my time getting a few Easter decorations up.  I don't have a lot for Easter but it kind of brightens things up a bit.

And then I wanted a spring-y wreath for outside the front door and came up with this:

I had the grapevine wreath downstairs and some flowers from an old arrangement, so I just cut the flowers to fit and stuck them in the wreath.  That was easy!  : )

And ever since last weeks grocery list, where I went over the list again to see what things I could make instead of buy, the bread thing came up again today when I was shopping.  So, I'm on a quest now to find a good bread (yet healthy) recipe and I tried my first recipe this afternoon.  What better day to try bread baking than on a snowy afternoon?!

ingredients

risen dough

ready for the oven

finished product.

It's rustic.  I hope it's a keeper.  : )

Now it's evening and I'm tired.  It's always a good feeling when you know you've accomplished quite a bit in the day.  It's days like these that, when I'm asked sometimes "what do you do all day?" there is no way that I can make it sound as special as the days are to me.  Anything I would say would sound very dull, but it's not that way for me at all.  I'll say it again - I love homemaking!  : )

I hope you have had a pleasant day as well.  Thanks for dropping by - you are always welcome.

A Little Fun Among The To-Do's

The "to-do's" are getting done -

*cleaning

*laundry

*ironing

*cooking

*grocery list/menu

*paying bills

*an errand or two

And then, this:

This is the apron I talked  about on Saturday's post.  I've had this "pinned" on my Pinterest board for a while and just had to find out if it would work.  I finished it yesterday and am pleased with the results.  : )

I know it looks short, but I AM short - it comes just above my knees.  Normally I don't like half aprons because I'm a bit "hip-y" but this fits like an A-line skirt so is quite slimming.

Directions (if you'd like to try it yourself):

*I used a pair of my husband's old jeans so I would be certain of coverage ; )

*cut the legs off

*measure about 11 inches down from waistband (in back) and cut that excess off

*cut off the FRONT of the jeans leaving the side seam intact, but only cut up to the waistband and then cut the excess off the bottom of the waistband (so no need to sew along the sides this way and the waistband, with the button, is used to button in the back instead of needing apron ties)

*then the fun part comes with embellishment - layers of lace along the bottom to whatever length you want, and something for the pockets (again, the back pockets are now your front pockets!) and maybe a little something along the waistband to decorate that a little, buttons, etc. - it's up to you. 

*you're finished!  

I had everything I needed to make this so it was a fun AND frugal project to work on.  I have two more jeans downstairs to make a couple more with!  Very shabby chic. 

What will the next project be?!  Hmmm.............I think I'd better look at that Pinterest board again.  : )

Well, I'd best get into the kitchen (with my new apron on) and finally get around to that granola - I just can't stand looking at that word on my to-do list any longer (plus, we are running out of cereal).

Hope you are enjoying your day.  Take care and God bless you as you enjoy your home.  

The Stones Will Cry Out

"When he (Jesus) came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"

"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."  Luke 19:37-40

*Let us joyfully praise God

*Let us call on the name of the Lord

*Give all the glory to God

*Cry out to Jesus!

Have a blessed Palm Sunday and as we all look ahead to this upcoming week, let us pause in our busy-ness to remember what Christ endured so that those who believe in Him are forgiven and have eternal life.  THAT is true love.

Saturday Want To-Do's

We woke up to snow this morning.  No!!!!!!!  I loved the rains earlier in the week because we need the moisture, but I really was done with the snow.  Oh, well.  The one good thing about snow this late in the season is that it melts quickly so again, it's moisture.  : )

What do you have planned for this Saturday?

While I'm posting, I'm watching my Saturday morning cooking shows.  I've never felt that it was a waste of time because I always learn a technique that I use in my own kitchen.  It's kind of a comfort thing.  Fresh brewed coffee in hand (or off to the side now) sitting in a comfortable chair and feeling like I'm at a cooking class.  A nice beginning to a Saturday.

I DO have things written down for this day which include:

*pay the bills

*send Easter cards

*iron (which I could do while watching cooking shows)

*finally make granola 

I found an idea on Pinterest that I want to try today.  It seems like when I find an idea that I like, I NEED to try it right away or else it will constantly be on my mind.  The idea is to take an old pair of jeans and cut the legs off quite short (up to the hip) and take the back off.  Then add layers of wide lace or ruffled fabric on the front down to the point of where you want the length of the apron to stop. Then you thread a hemmed piece of fabric through the belt loops in front to tie in the back.  It looks really cute and doesn't look difficult to make so I will try to take photos as I go and HOPEFULLY it will work out.  Sometimes these ideas don't work out for me and I get a little bummed, but if I don't try it I'll never know.

The last time I posted I made homemade dish soap and said I would tell you how it works.  Well, it doesn't.  It doesn't cut the grease at all so I'm still researching to find a finished product that I like and I'll share it with you when I do.  But because I don't want to just throw out the dish soap that I just made, I'm still using it but adding a little bit of Dawn liquid to it and it gives just the right amount of grease cutting action I need.  I do, however, like the vinegary hot water to rinse the dishes in before they go into the drying rack.  : )

We are having father-in-law over for supper tonight which means a no-cook evening for me.  He absolutely loves Chinese take-out so that's what we've been getting.  And for dessert, I'm finding that homemade cookies fit the bill.  Just a little something sweet with a hot cup of coffee.  Yum.  : )

Well, I'd better get the ironing board up and do a little multi-tasking.  Thank you for dropping by and may God bless your homemaking efforts.  ANYTHING you do in your home to make it organized, comfortable, and pretty is well worth the effort.  And like the Bible says - "do everything as unto the Lord."  It all belongs to Him so let's take care of it.  : )  Have a good day.

The Kitchen - A Woman's Workshop

Last night's beautiful sky after the rains.

After grocery shopping this morning, I spent the majority of the day in the kitchen.  I'm constantly moving a few things around to make it work for me without having to pull things out and put things away.  I can just have everything at my fingertips.  And the concept of a woman's workshop came to mind.  

Just like my husband's workshop has all the necessary tools and equipment to work on projects when he feels like it, the kitchen should be set up that way as well.  It's not an easy task though.  With a tiny kitchen everything has to have a certain space for ease of cutting up vegetables or baking or even doing the dishes.  It's doubly hard when there is very little counter space and I think I figured something out but the real test is when I'm in there working.  So, we'll see how it goes once again.  : )

It was a fun afternoon.

First:

I bought fresh decaf coffee beans this morning.  I love coffee beans.  Or, I should say, I love grinding fresh coffee beans.  LOVE the smell!!!  I've been reading up on coffee and in order to choose healthy decaf, I know I have to buy the beans that have been through the water processing versus chemical processing.  Ever since I found out that I have extra heartbeats, drinking decaf has been something I wanted to do (because I don't want to give up on coffee).  And even though the cardiologist told me that caffeine really doesn't have much to do with my heart having extra beats (I guess it's more like a short circuit in the heart's electrical system which makes me feel like I'm the bionic woman) but drinking decaf just seemed like the next natural thing to do.  With that said, I don't like my coffee just black.  I like it with cream and sugar in it (I know, NOT healthy).  So, instead of the commercial coffee creamers that have all that stuff in it that I can't pronounce, I went on-line and found a recipe for a healthier version of coffee creamer that I put to the test today.  Just natural ingredients.  Here is the recipe:

Homemade Vanilla Cinnamon Coffee Creamer -

1, 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cups milk (any kind of milk you want)

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup organic sugar

Pour into a quart jar and shake very well to blend the flavors (and shake before using as the sugar doesn't dissolve very well).  Will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks (but it won't last that long).  Like any recipe, if you feel it's too sweet for you, skip the sugar since you're already using sweetened condensed milk, but with the milk diluted with other milk it was a bit flat for me.

Also, I've been reading up on cinnamon.  The best (healthiest) kind of cinnamon to buy is called Ceylon cinnamon and I've been buying it at our local co-op.

It's very good.  Hope you give it a try.  : )

Next:

I made homemade dish soap.  This is an excellent way of using up all those soap scraps!  After making it, it needs to sit until tomorrow before using it, so I will let you know if I like it.  From what I've been reading, the thing to get used to about homemade dish soap is that it doesn't bubble as much as commercial dish soap.  So I have a feeling that might take some getting used to.

What I did in the kitchen today as well is that I brought out the dish tub and put the drying rack on the counter beside the sink.  I wanted the tub out for my rinse water filling it with hot water and adding vinegar to it and finding that it makes a big difference in how sparkly the dishes look while air drying.  This will bring dish washing to whole new level - homemade dish soap, hot vinegary rinse water, and sparkly dishes.  Can't get much better than that!  : )   (It doesn't take much to excite me around here)  LOL

Lastly:

I didn't take pictures of this, but my last thing to do in the kitchen this afternoon was to make my Irish Soda Bread for our St. Patrick's Day meal tomorrow evening.  I'm part Irish (my grandma coming directly from Ireland) and it's just a little fun thing to do.  I will try my best in talking with an Irish brogue and wear my green shirt and make my stuffed cabbage rolls along with boiled potatoes and serve the soda bread with it all.  This evening I need to make sugar cookies to frost tomorrow with green icing and green sprinkles.  Why not?  It's fun to celebrate little things like this. 

So that has been my day.  It's been a lot of fun for me.  How about you?  

Thanks for dropping by and I will leave you with a couple of pictures of the roses I bought today.  I was looking at some old time pictures and noticed that what I don't have enough of in my home are green plants and flowers.  So I'm hoping to change that soon.  Take care.  : )

Lovely.  : )

A Fine Day

Today:

A couple loads of laundry

Cut out pictures of flowers for making more cards with

Made liquid laundry detergent

Visited with my friend Violet in the afternoon

Made supper - Ravioli casserole, pear slices, bread

Cleaned up the kitchen

Set the breakfast table

Set out everything to make my husband's lunch in the morning

Now blogging!  : )

I found that doing my grocery list/menu on the weekend and paying the bills yesterday really freed up my time today.  I may just have to do that again.  I'm always feeling like I don't have time to craft/sew because of my daily responsibilities, but maybe it's just a matter of getting more done on the weekends to free up my weekdays.   Hmmmm.................  : )

How was YOUR day?  

A New Week

Day two of getting used to the time change.  : o  But the day has to begin and up and at it we were. : )

I've said before that I actually like Mondays.  I thrive on routine.  I'm not much of a wing-it type person so Mondays get me back to getting things done. 

Because I felt so much better on Saturday, I accomplished quite a bit as was already noted in my Saturday post, but one of the things I also got done was my 2-week menu and grocery list that I will use on Wednesday of this week.  I had the house to myself so I just sat down and got it done in the evening whilst watching a DVD so it took me quite a while.  : )  But it's done now and I won't even have to think about it tomorrow when I normally do it.  Today, however, I got to thinking about the grocery list and remembered how the last couple of times I wrote out my list I doubled checked it to see if there were any items that I had written down that I could actually make instead of buy and I did that again today.

I'm glad I did because there were several items I could cross off therefore saving quite a bit of money.

Here is what my list looked like before I tweaked it:

heavy cream

milk

orange juice

kefir

yogurt

buttermilk

frozen yogurt

parmesan cheese

hamburger

couple of hams for Easter (to put in freezer)

sandwich meat

bacon

beef bones for making broth

ground pork

chicken legs & thighs

bag of onions

bag of potatoes

salad greens

apples

head of cabbage

broccoli

bananas

variety of creamed soups

macaroni 

canned corn

frozen shrimp

bread

pistachios

jarred cheese sauce

salsa

soy sauce

chinese noodles

tomato soup

cold cereal

coffee beans

dish soap

laundry detergent

And these are the items I crossed off:

buttermilk - I can easily make this at home just by adding lemon juice to milk and let it sit for a bit

variety of creamed soups - again, I have the mix in my drawer and the instructions as to how to make cream of chicken soup, cream of celery soup, and cream of mushroom soup - so why buy?

jarred cheese sauce - can easily be made from scratch and healthier too!

salsa - I have everything I need in my pantry to make this so, again, why buy it?

tomato soup - we love our canned but I have a recipe that I've been waiting to make and they promise it's a keeper so I'm going to give it a try  : )

cold cereal - I like to keep cold cereal on hand for when we don't feel like hot oatmeal especially now that the weather is milder, but I've had "make granola" on my list for a few weeks now and haven't gotten around to it so this will force me to make it!  Again, like our hot oatmeal, the granola is fortified with good, healthy ingredients so it is much better than store bought cold cereal.

dish soap and laundry detergent - I have "recipes" for both of these (plus the "ingredients") but I haven't made the dish soap yet so I'm actually looking forward to giving it a try.  As we all know cleaning products (especially laundry detergent) is expensive and have things in them that aren't exactly good for us so just making these two things alone will help the pocketbook and be good for us as well.

As far as I know I can't think of anything else on the above grocery list that I can make myself except for the bread.  I didn't cross that one off yet because I need to get better at my bread baking.  I don't just want to make white bread.  I'd like to make some good whole grain bread.  So, one of these days, when I feel comfortable about bread baking, I'll be able to cross that off the list too!!!!

I guess I could cross yogurt off the list but my yogurt making days are over.  I have tried several times at making yogurt and I just can't seem to get it right.  I'll just continue to buy that.

So - I've added everything up that I crossed off my original list and the savings comes to approximately $40.00!  I think that is definitely worth the time and effort it takes to making my own food and cleaning products.  Fun.  My idea of fun anyway.  LOL

I hope you had an enjoyable day today.  If there is anyone out there with a good foolproof healthy bread recipe that you wouldn't mind sharing, I'd sure appreciate it!  Thanks for dropping by.  God bless your homemaking efforts.

Faith

Our country kind of looks like the stormy seas in the above picture.  Yet, as you can see, in the midst of the storm ........ a rainbow.  I hesitate to even use a picture of a rainbow because, unfortunately, that beautiful symbol has been distorted and used for purposes that are less than holy.  But use it I will for to me it is still beautiful and was used by God as a sign - "I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth."  Genesis 9:13

Man can distort the things of God, but those of us with faith KNOW that it will not last.  There will be a day when God says "enough" of the foolishness of man.

It's more important than ever that we remember WHO is in control.  ".........and the government will be on his shoulders."  Isaiah 9:6  Jesus came to suffer and die and rose to life again so that those who believe in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.  It's important to remember that because if we keep our attention on what's going in the world and in our country we will easily become discouraged and afraid.

Let's use our time left on this earth to keep the faith, have courage, build up our families, pray, worship the Lord with gladness, and keep pressing on.  Fix our eyes upon Jesus!  

Have a blessed Sabbath.  : )

At Last

These greet us every morning in the kitchen.  Spring!  : )

Well, I knew that I had turned the corner on this cold when I woke up in the middle of the night.  I slept more than a couple of hours, I could breathe again, and I actually fell back to sleep.  It feels good to feel well again.  I haven't been sick for a couple of years so I really did forget what it feels like.

Today was spent in getting a few things done that I didn't get to this past week.  A couple of very pleasant things like this:

a couple of weeks ago I tore strips from sheets that I don't use anymore so I can try to crochet a rug. So this morning I just sewed a few together and started a ball with them.  I'm really looking forward to this and hoping very much that it will work out.

Then came this:

I finally finished the Easter cards!  Such a pleasant way to spend time.  : )

And then the major chore of the day was this:

I had a couple of weeks worth of ironing to get done.  Whew!  But then I felt truly grateful to be feeling well enough in order to do it.  : )  I was able to once again take things out of the closet that were no longer needed, sew buttons on, and hang clothes by color so it will be easier to coordinate outfits in the morning.

Now it is almost evening and I still have a couple of things that I'd like to accomplish before bed tonight.  I want to make the most of all the energy I have today!

So, thank you for stopping by and I truly hope that you had a nice day today as well.  God bless you.

REMEMBER TO TURN THE CLOCKS AHEAD!!!!!!!!!