Foot in a baby's brain?????

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/health/18297954/detail.html

Very, very weird...

Beet Soup in Roasted Acorn Squash

This was rather interesting. Evan ate...most of it. He really liked the squash, but I think the soup was a bit much for him. The soup was really not that strong, but the color kind-of throws you off. I froze my left-over soup and will try to think of a creative way to use it.

Soooo, this is not "have-again-good," but it really wasn't bad. I wish I could find a soup that would go well with the roasted squash; the squash was really good like this.

Walgreens 12/12

I went in and came out with $5 RR. I spent $17.25, and I'll get $16.49 back on my gift card. My net loss: 76 cents. Yay for more shampoo!! I have not been enjoying the organic shampoo that was Free After Rebate a couple of months ago!

Walgreens - Monday

My net loss: $2.16.

Christmas Candy!!

Chocolate-covered pretzels!

Peanut butter balls

Cinnamon candy

Hard candy in progress

Orange-flavored hard candy before I broke it into pieces. I used a spatula to make the lines over and over on the candy while it was drying. You push the spatula a bit deeper into the candy as it dries.

I also made some cream cheese mints, but they are still drying. I will probably make my peppermint candy and maybe some more hard candy (gotta have root beer flavor!!) on Monday. I am also going to dip some pretzels in the vanilla-flavored almond bark. I have been stocking up on candy-making supplies whenever I find a sale, so I only had one thing to buy today for the candy! Anyway, I thought I would share.

Shopping Day

I went shopping (by myself, yay!) this morning, so I thought I would post my best deals. I kept myself under my $50/week budget that I'm working on, but I can't be too proud since that doesn't count the cost of a freezer full of deer meat and organic ground beef. ;-) I'll admit up front that I am not very good at using a budget since we've never had to have a budget. I have always been conscious of how much I spent, but I've also slowly (after six years) figured out that if I don't keep the home-cooked meals interesting, my husband wants to eat out a lot more. :-) And THAT is expensive. And, I must add, I absolutely love to cook. I love to find new recipes and experiment. I love to learn about nutrition and incorporate all types of foods into our diet. I'm just learning how to cook interesting and healthy meals frugally. It's definitely a work in progress.
Wow, that was a rabbit trail.
Here are my deals:
6 packages (6 boxes each) of Sunmaid raisins - regularly $1.67, comped at Walmart for $1 each, used three $1/2 coupons - total was 50 cents/package
2 bags of whole wheat flour - regularly $2.8?, used two $1/1 coupons - total $1.8? for each
1 bag unbleached all purpose flour - on sale at Walmart for $2, comped another store's price and got it for $1.67
1 three-pound bag of onions - on sale at Aldi for 99 cents
2 packages of Hillshire Lil' Smokies - on sale at Walmart for $2.20, comped them for $1.99 apiece (oh pooh! I forgot to use my $1/2 coupon!!!!! ARGH!!)

Sigh. I can't even blame that on Nathan! :-) Ah well. I am going to try Beet Soup in Roasted Acorn Squash this week, so hopefully I'll remember to take a picture whenever I make it!! Doesn't that sound interesting??!!

Walgreens 12-05

The total was $28.74, but after coupons and $6 in RR the total was $15.21 which I put on my Walgreens gift card. I got $12 in RR back.

The total was $28.71, and it went down to $11.53 after the RR and coupons. I got $5 in RR back and will get $11 on my gift card. I put all but 36 cents on my gift card.

I did all of my math, and I came up with this:

$22.00 - the amount I would've spent on "only needed" items at Walmart

(2 gallons of milk, 1 bottle of equate acetametaphin, Reynolds wrap, and peanut butter + tax)

$16.38 - the actual amount that I lost when I compared what I took into Walgreens (with my gift card and RR's) with what I brought out of Walgreens.

So, I saved "around" $6 and got two more bottles of Tylenol, two bags of candy, six pencils (yay!), and toothpaste. I probably could've worked this a bit better if I hadn't needed the Tylenol and the milk, but I would've had to buy them regardless! :-)

I hope you are properly confused now...

Weekly Menu - 12/01

I just got my wisdom teeth extracted last week, so blogging has not been a priority. :-)

Hot Wings, French Fries (Baked Potatoes for Nathan and I)
Deer Stew, Apple Turnover things ?? :-)
Wild Rice Chowder
Bean Burritos, veggie
Chicken Breasts with Fresh Mozzarella, Scallion and Mushroom Soup

A Link

http://lashawnbarber.com/archives/2008/11/13/will-barack-obama-reverse-abstinencefidelity-funding-policy/

This is an interesting read. I actually read some of the information in an article at lifenews.com last week.

Health Care

I found this article on CNN today. The article states that almost half of primary care physicians would like to leave their jobs if they had an alternative. Wow. The statement at the end of the article is also very interesting.

Some thoughts

I have always had an opinion about abortion (who knew?) and have always been against it. I have been thinking about why it bothers me so much lately. Why am I getting so fired up now? Here are my thoughts:

1) The election of Barack Obama and a Democratically-controlled Congress has “lit a fire” under me, you could say. When Bush was President, there was no way a bill like the Freedom of Choice Act had a chance at becoming law. Now, I think there is a good chance of that happening.

2) I am a mother. I have been pregnant twice. I have experienced the joy of having a baby full term and watching him grow, and I have experienced the indescribable pain of having a baby at five months and holding him while he died. I hate the thought of young girls being sold a lie and having to live with that pain and the possible physical consequences for the rest of their lives.

What course of action should I take? I want to act, to do something. I know that getting angry and hating the people who support and promote abortion is a waste of time (and a sin for Christians) because those people are blinded. Hate, for the record, has never opened the eyes of the blind. I think prayer is the first step. Prayer gets our attitudes right (funny how that works) and truly makes it possible for us to act in love. Right now I am committing to pray and get my attitude right, and I pray that God will show me what He wants ME to do in the process.

Abortion

II posted this on my Facebook account, but I thought I'd go ahead and post it here as well. Would you like to do some reading? I have been researching information about the Freedom of Choice Act, the one that President-elect Obama promises will be one of the first things he signs in office.

Be educated, people.

A Pro-Life overview and viewpoint: ”The heart of the bill is a ban that would nullify all of the major types of pro-life laws that the Supreme Court has said are permissible under Roe v. Wade, including the ban on partial-birth abortions and bans on government funding of abortion.” From this site:http://www.nrlc.org/FOCA/LawmakersProposeFOCA.html

A Pro-Choice overview: http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/files/Abortion-Access-to-Abortion-FOCA.pdf

A Pro-Choice viewpoint: http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/issues/abortion/access-to-abortion/freedom-of-choice-act.html

The web address is self-explanatory… http://www.blogger.com/www.fightFOCA.com

I could go on and on, but I doubt many have even read this far. Boring stuff, you know? There, my sarcasm had to leak out somewhere.

The Napping House

The Napping House by Audrey Wood, illustrated by Don Wood.

I absolutely love this book. I found this interview with the authors very interesting. We've read another book by this couple, and it was another of Nathan's favorites. Yippee for good books and great authors!

Good Rainy Day

Today is a rainy day at my house. It feels good, though. I already have the red beans going for supper, and they smell really good! I bought a package of pork hocks (two in a package), and I put one in the beans this morning and froze the other one. I wrap the pork hock in cheese cloth because sometimes the bones and bits fall to pieces, and Evan doesn't really like them in his beans and rice.

So, I am going to do a quick book post then get busy in my house!

Stocking up on baking supplies

I do not have a picture to post, but I thought I would share anyway! :-) Walgreens had several good deals on baking supplies today, so I got a few things. I was glad that I decided to go shopping with my brother at Walmart first, though, because I figured out which items were cheaper at Walmart and which ones were actually good deals.
Here's what I bought:
Sunmaid Raisins, 16 oz., $1.50 each
Libby's Pure Pumpkin puree, 15 oz., $0.98 for 2
Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk, 14 oz., $1.29 each
Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chips, 12 oz., $1.24 each
Brawny Paper Towels, 8 pack, $5.24 each

I think sixty-six cents per roll of paper towels is pretty good. I really like the Brawny paper towels, too. I bought Bounty Basic paper towels really cheap one time, but I hated them. They were no good for a mommy of a two-year-old. :-)
I bought Karo syrup and condensed milk at Walmart; the Karo was about 24 cents cheaper at Walmart, and the condensed milk was only a cent cheaper. ;-) I am trying to buy a little ahead in preparation for my candy-making. I'll have to post pictures this year. Woo hoo!

Walgreens - 11/08

I used my Walgreens gift card and Register Rewards to pay for this ($10.34), and I will get $9.88 back on my gift card. So my grand total was 45 cents. I was pretty excited and also happy that I had decided to another Walgreens run before this week's sales ended!

Beets

Beets are a vegetable that I have always been biased against. For some reason, I just thought they were a vegetable that I didn't like. I happened to read a few nutritional facts on beets, and I thought I would give them a try. I was happy to find that I do not dislike beets!! :-)

I cut off the beet greens, washed them, and put them in a pot with a lid. Then I cut the tops and bottoms off the beets, placed them in an oven-safe dish, covered them with foil, and baked them for two hours at 250 degrees. When the beets were almost finished, I turned on the beet greens and let them steam. Once the beets were done, I peeled them and sliced them. Then I put the wilted greens (I chopped them first) and sliced beets in a bowl and tossed them with butter and garlic. Evan actually said that the beets were the best he's ever had. I don't ever remember actually eating beets before.

This site explains how beets protect against heart disease, birth defects, and certain kinds of cancer. I was fairly impressed with the beet. :-) I am hoping to incorporate beets into our diet at least once every two weeks, and Evan doesn't mind at all!! I will warn you, though, that seeing red whenever you go to the bathroom is normal after eating beets. Just so you know. ;-) Anyone want to try some beets?!

Weekly Menu

Salmon, Brown- and Wild-Rice Pilaf, a veggie
Roast Chicken with gravy, Pea 'n' Cheese Salad, Mashed Potatoes
Tostadas (crockpot recipe for Sunday lunch)
Red Beans and Rice
Cabbage Rolls (from the freezer...this is for one of the nights Evan is gone)
Chili

Getting it together

I am having a really hard time getting it together right now. I have been so unmotivated lately! I need to start using my dayplanner a little more because I function well with a checklist of things to do. :-) If I write it down, I will go crazy if I do not get to "mark it off" of my list. ha
I did all of my grocery shopping yesterday, and I found whole wheat bread marked down to 85 cents! I bought four loaves and put three of them in my chest freezer. I also bought two packages of cranberries (99 cents apiece) for decoration and, later, food. I saw a really cute decorating idea where you put cranberries in a crystal bowl full of water. You then get floating candles to place among the cranberries. Very pretty.
Today has been my cleaning day. I emptied the trash cans (Jodi, can you believe I've missed THREE trash days??!!), washed the kitchen trash can, swept, mopped, vacuumed, washed kitchen and bathroom rugs, washed two loads of clothes, cleaned the toilet and sink in the guest bathroom, and cleaned the kitchen. Since Nathan has started using the toilet in the guest bathroom, I have had extra motivation to keep that clean! He has to use the bathroom standing up (like daddy, of course) which means the lid is up and he will not keep his hands and knees off the toilet. $-} So, I keep the toilet really clean. ha
I don't suppose there is much else to ramble on about. Maybe I'll post my menu really quickly.

Walgreens

Walgreens this week was not a "free" deal, but I thought it was definitely good considering all the staples I bought. My total before coupons was $51 and some change; my total after coupons and $16-worth of register rewards was $12.15. And I got $2 RR back. Of course, I did have to go back and get a refund from the manager on the tea because they charged me too much. But the $12.15 was after they gave me a refund.

Dinner Tonight

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Mango Lettuce Wraps (in the crockpot)
I had taken the chicken out yesterday (before I was feeling ill), so this morning I dragged myself out of bed to throw everything in the crockpot. I was glad that I did. Evan cooked breakfast and lunch, and it was nice to have supper ready without him having to think of anything else to put together. And it was oh-so-yummy. :-) Dessert was smoothies!

Grocery Shopping

I am still trying to figure out how to get the best deals without wasting gas and hurting my back in the process. :-) I just recently began shopping at Aldi's, and I love the prices. However, they almost never have everything I need which means I go to other grocery stores to supplement. Yesterday's shopping trip was the worst in a while, probably because there were several errands which needed to be juggled at once. When I got home, I was just exhausted.
However, I felt that I had done well considering the stocking up that I did. A local grocery store had butter 2/$4 (real, unsalted butter), and Walmart had cream of chicken and cream of mushroom on sale for 65 cents. I usually try not to use those too often, but the holidays are coming up which means quite a bit of cooking, so I thought I should stock up. Between the sale and my coupons, I bought three cream of chicken, three cream of mushroom, and eight tomato soups and spent $7.30. I then bought six bags of frozen veggies ($1/1 coupons for each) and spent about 23 cents apiece on them.

Larry King/McCain Interview

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/29/lkl.mccain.excerpts/index.html

Walgreens

I spent $22.04 out of pocket.

I will get $17.02 put back on my gift card.

I got $8 in Register Rewards.

I will get $5.99 rebate from Excedrin.

My total profit will be $8.97!! And that is with the diapers!

Mail

See what I got in the mail today?! I wasn't even expecting this. I got it through VocalPoint, so I guess joining has paid off! I go to their site every so often to do a survey (usually five minutes or so), and every so often I get fun things like this in the mail! They also sent about four or five coupons!

Think before you ask...

Do I want a proctology exam?
That's what Joe Wurzelbacher (a.k.a. "Joe the Plumber") feels that he has gotten just for asking an elected official a question. Full story.

Quotes from Benjamin Franklin

Sir, I agree to this Constitution with all its faults, if they are such; because I think a general Government necessary for us, and there is no form of Government but what may be a blessing to the people if well administered, and believe farther that this is likely to be well administered for a course of years, and can only end in Despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic Government, being incapable of any other.

This will be the best security for maintaining our liberties. A nation of well-informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the religion of ignorance that tyranny begins

When the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.

I saw these on the Common Room blog...I thought I would share...

Organic chickens...

I just opened my package of organic chicken (and livers), and the chicken is now roasting in the oven! I didn't realize that the livers were packaged with the chicken, so thawing the whole chicken resulted in thawed livers, as well. I just started my broth and dumped in the livers; I'll add the chicken carcass (that seems so yucky, but I can't think of another word) once it's been cooked and de-meated (?). :-) I'm curious to see if my broth will gel better with an organic chicken. Hmmm.
I just heard a bump. I think my son might have awakened from his 2-1/2 hour nap...it must be this rainy, dreary day.

Prayers

Here are a few prayers I found that Paul prayed for Christians. Sometimes I find myself having a hard time knowing how to pray, so I use these prayers.

Ephesians 1:16-19 (New Living Translation)

16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him.

Ephesians 3:14-19 (New Living Translation)

14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Colossians 1:9-12 (New Living Translation)

9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, 12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.

Philippians 1:9-11 (New Living Translation)

9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Interesting

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081020/ap_on_el_pr/campaign_money

From what I can understand, McCain is open about who donates money to his campaign; Obama is not open. McCain even lists donors who he is not required to list. Hmmmm....

A few ideas for yogurt

I was talking to a friend about my success with my homemade yogurt, and she just wasn't too sure about the plain yogurt. So, I thought I would share my ideas on using my homemade yogurt.
Now, Nathan (my two-year-old) loves to eat my yogurt just as it is. He doesn't know any different, so he thinks it is wonderful. I, on the other hand, have taken some time to grow accustomed to eating yogurt that doesn't have extra sugar in it. However, as I was eating some yogurt today, I thought, "Hey, this is pretty good; I think I could even eat it on its own!" The thermos-made yogurt is just wonderful. :-)
Here are my ideas:
1) Dip - Use fresh orange, apple, peach, or most any kind of fruit slices and dip them into the yogurt. We love the orange slices dipped in yogurt.
2) Smoothies
3) Yogurt cups - When we went camping I made Nathan his own yogurt cups using little Rubbermaid containers. He loved it, and I had a quick and healthy snack for him!
4) Avocado dip - 1 avocado, 1 cup of yogurt, 1/4 cup green onions, and a dash of red pepper. Process in food processor...Yum!
5) Topping for oatmeal or soup.

Okay, my brain quit. I've also heard of people mixing yogurt with honey, which could be good for you if the honey is raw (having the natural enzymes and such). Also, it is quite a bit cheaper to make your own yogurt than it is to buy yogurt. One gallon of milk costs $4 (although I rarely pay more than $3.60), and a quart of good yogurt costs at least $3.50. One quart of milk plus 1/4 cup of yogurt makes one quart of yogurt, so you can get four quarts of yogurt out of one gallon of milk.
Enough? Oh, if you have a baby or toddler, I highly recommend starting them on plain yogurt. I believe infants 9 months and older can have yogurt. My whole goal has been to start Nathan out with healthy food so he will hopefully not have the cravings for junk food like I do. :-)

Little Things

It's definitely little things that make my day! We went to a museum this morning (yes, I took my two-year-old to a museum...it was my penance...), and I stopped by a few garage sales on the way home. I spent $10 on the books and toys! The lady wanted $10 for the books, and I asked if she would throw in the toys if I bought the books. I probably shouldn't have bought them, but they remind me of the kinds of books I loved to have around to read when I was young!

I am happy!!

Although I am in the middle of inner turmoil, I was dancing in my kitchen this morning! ;-) Okay, almost dancing! I found a nifty new way to make yogurt, AND IT WORKS!! After using my old recipe the first time, I have not been able to get it to work again. So, I went to the Internet for some advice. I found this page and thought I'd give it a try. It works!!! I heated my milk on the stove, not in the microwave, and the whole recipe worked beautifully. Whew. No more leaving the oven on warm all night long only to find warm milk awaiting me in the morning. ;-) I am happy.
Still having a bit of inner turmoil, though. It just might be because my grandmother (not the Texan one) is coming today and has invited herself to my mom's night out tonight. She will not be going, so either I make up a reason that neither of us can go, or I just tell her that I will have to go it alone tonight. That sounds so horrible, but I will not take her. These moms don't get mom's night out very often, and when they do, I don't believe they are looking to be talking to Grandmother all night. I do try to have common courtesy sometimes. ;-)
So, think of me as a heartless pig if you want...my yogurt still worked!!! Yippee!!!!

Morning Thoughts, Part 2

The point of McDowell's questioning was that we need more than "just because" as an answer to the question "Why do you believe?" There is so much information being fed to the masses about Christianity that Christians need to be informed about their beliefs.
I agree that Christians should know more about their beliefs than they currently do. I think that many Christians have become lax in their knowledge because America was, for so long, a predominantly Christian nation. That is no longer. Christians should be able to give an answer (a reasonable answer) for their faith.
However, there does need to be balance. We will not always be able to give an answer for every question that people pose. We will never be able to prove "without a shadow of a doubt" our beliefs or else we wouldn't need faith, now would we? I've seen some people want to argue until they are blue in the face about Christianity. That is unnecessary. People generally don't listen very well to blue-faced people, anyway. :-) Christians should be able to give an answer for their beliefs yet realize that only God can give the faith.
That said, I enjoyed hearing Josh McDowell speak. I think he leans a bit toward arguing, but he does enjoy debate. I would recommend his books because I think many Christians need the extra resources to enable them stand before the wave of humanism or any other of the "-isms" that are overtaking our country today.

My Morning Thoughts, Part 1

Evan and I went to a Josh McDowell seminar back in the spring. We both found the seminar very interesting and thought-provoking. When he was younger, McDowell actually set out to prove the Bible inaccurate; yet he finally decided after doing research that the Bible had more than enough evidence to support its truth. Once he had proven to himself the truth of the Bible, he knew that he could not dismiss the Bible as “hogwash” anymore but had to decide whether to accept or reject its message. He accepted. Josh McDowell has now written many books and done much research about the authenticity of the Bible as well as the beliefs of young people today.
Josh McDowell has an interesting way of starting his seminar. He begins by asking people why they believe in Jesus. People give various answers, and he gives various reasons why those answers could also be given by Muslims, Buddists, Hindu, etc. For example, Muslims have faith, Buddism has “changed people’s lives,” Hinduism can make people feel good. Its very interesting, and I really was hoping that he would not pick me out of the crowd. ;-)
Okay, I’ll finish my post later since I can hear my child in the other room. Honestly, though, what would you say in answer to a question like that?

Difference

Today I was looking through my fridge, and I had the random thought, "I wonder how different the contents of my fridge are today than a year ago?" Nice random thought, right? Here's what I could find:

1) Buttermilk: I did not generally buy buttermilk last year. Now, it is a staple. I use it to soak oats for oatmeal, make pancakes, and do a few other things.
2) Sauerkraut: I would never have had this in my fridge last year. Now, I have a mason jar of homemade sauerkraut in my fridge that I use occasionally for garnish (generally on bean soup). Supposedly, according to Nourishing Traditions, sauerkraut is a wonderful food for your stomach since it is fermented. Doesn't that sound delicious?
3) Whey: I don't use this very often, but I have used it enough that I think it will be gone before it's six month refrigerator life. :-)
4) Vegetable clippings: I now keep a container of onion tops, celery tops, tomato peels/ends, broccoli stalks, and any other random vegetable clipping for broth/stock.

Interesting, no?

Hard time blogging

Life is just so busy. Between taking care of Nathan, spending time with Evan, and doing all the things I do to keep our home the way I like it (gracious, I just sneezed, and Nathan came in here from playing blocks with Daddy to say "Bless you, Mom."), I just don't have the brain-power to blog half the time. I started carrying a journal outside with me, but half the time what I write isn't really interesting once I get a chance to sit down and blog. So I'll just write snippets. :-)
We had barbecue chicken with a tomato platter tonight for supper, and I absolutely love that salad/platter. Just to let you know.
I had my volunteer day in the nursery this morning. There are so many two-year-olds right now! They had to open three classes to hold them all. It's so funny to watch two-year-olds try to play. After going to our church for five years and feeling that it was just huge, I can now say that the church is definitely feeling smaller now. Having a child in the nursery and getting involved are two good ways to get to know people. :-) How brilliant of me.
Let's see, what other random things can I say? I am still keeping up with the coupons and deals; I just don't have the energy to post. I didn't even take a picture of my last deal at Walgreens! By the way, the Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Gel (the ones that stick to the side of the toilet) are strong!!! Every time I open the toilet lid I am almost overwhelmed by the smell! I wanted to get the citrus ones, but the Walgreens I went to didn't have them. Blech.
I can't believe how time flies. I can hardly believe that we are almost half-way through October. Maybe tomorrow I'll post a menu or something. I don't really know if anyone cares, anyway. ;-)
Enough of the rambling...

A Link

Here it is.

I love how a certain political party makes big promises on how they will use our money. They make people feel guilty by saying, "Oh, you can afford to have more taken away from you, really." They forget that the government is the absolute worst steward of money that ever was. Or maybe they don't forget; maybe they want us to forget. My reasons why the government is not my charity of choice:
1) Accountability -- non-existent
2) Efficiency -- non-existent (been to a post office or tag agency lately?)
3) Cost -- how many government officials does it take (do we pay) to change a lightbulb??
4) Personal responsibility -- we don't have to help the poor...that's the government's job

There you go. :-)

Bible Time

I started doing "Bible Time" at breakfast with Nathan a few months ago, so I thought I would share what we do. :-) It works for us, and Nathan loves it.
Nathan has a cardboard children's Bible that is very abbreviated. As soon as I pick the Bible up, Nathan yells, "Bible time!!"
We sing the B-I-B-L-E song.
I open the Bible and say, "Genesis 1:1!!!" We are working on memorizing that verse; Nathan is not fond of memorization, so I generally just say the verse. This morning he actually said the whole verse while I was peeling his orange and pretending not to pay attention...ha.
I read the creation story, pausing to let him fill in the blanks. (God made the earth and the sun. He made the moon and the... Nathan says, "Stars!" One day I was hurrying and tried to just read it myself...someone got a little upset. )
I read the Noah story; sometimes we sing some of "Rise and Shine."
I read David and Goliath then Daniel in the lions' den (also known as "jealous men" to Nathan).
Sometimes we read about Joseph and Mary; sometimes we don't.
When I get to the part where Jesus is teaching, I say John 3:16, and he tries to say it, too.
I read about the sick woman and blind man who were healed (Nathan shouts, "I can SEE!!!")
I read about the children coming to Jesus. Nathan says "Go away!" when I ask what the men said. When I ask what Jesus said, Nathan says, "Come to ME!" and puts his hands on his chest.
We sing "Jesus Loves Me" or "Jesus Loves the Little Children."
We pray.

Anyway, Nathan loves his Bible time, and I am amazed at how much he remembers.

Weekly Menu 9-8 and 9-14 (two weeks)

I'm just posting dinners...I'm definitely behind. :-) The breakfast and lunch menus are pretty much the same every week.

Tex-Mex Mix
Chicken Pot Pie, salad
Refried Bean Burritos
King Ranch Chicken, corn, brussel sprouts
Salmon, broccoli and cauliflower
Chili, cornbread, cheese
Tuscany Peasant Soup
Chicken Enchiladas, green beans
Spaghetti, peas

Another link...

LINK :-)

Recipe for Peace

Philippians 4:4-7 (New Living Translation)


4. Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5. Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.



New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.



What can I say? Fear has always been my worst enemy, and I always feel helpless in its grip. As of this moment, I am fine; there is nothing to worry me. Yet I know I will have the opportunity to worry soon enough. Somehow it always happens that what I want most becomes entangled with that which I fear most.
People who do not understand fear try to reason my fears away. Believe me, if reason worked, I wouldn't have this problem. I am a fairly reasonable person, and I have bent over backward in many situations trying to reason away the fear that gripped my heart and mind. Reason did not work. Also, I know that I will soon be faced with another reason to fear, one that even reasonable people cannot reason away.
As I was reading this morning, the "peace, which exceeds anything we can understand," caught my eye. I need that peace, the peace which guards my heart and mind and doesn't have to be reasonable. So, what now? Rejoice, be considerate, pray, ask, and thank. I am thankful for unreasonable peace.

Stem Cell Research

I was watching videos on CNN just a minute ago, and I came across this video about Biden's comments about stem cell research (if someone cares so much for special needs kids, why don't they allow stem cell research?).
I wouldn't have thought too much about the comments of the commentators, except that I had been reading about stem cell research earlier today. To sum up, scientists have "turned ordinary human skin cells into what are effectively embryonic stem cells without using embryos or women's eggs -- the previously essential ingredients that have embroiled the medically promising field in a nearly decade-long political and ethical debate." Of course, the media does not mention this. I guess because that would take away one of their talking points about Sarah Palin and her stance on embryonic stem cell research. An interesting opinion which I read was that keeping the government from funding embryonic stem cell research kept doors open for researching other options which no one considers immoral. Interesting.

CNN story

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/10/rescue.at.sea/index.html#cnnSTCText

A man and his autistic son survive more than 12 hours in the open ocean. Wow.

I can't find it

The remote, that is. I am usually the official "finder" around here, so I am a bit worried. I turned on the television last night after Mom called to tell me to watch someone sing on "America's Got Talent." I had the receiver remote (we have three remotes) because I muted the sound whenever the commercials came on. I finally turned the tv off and put Nathan to bed, and Mom called again to ask if I was watching another person. I went to turn on the tv but couldn't find the receiver remote. I even went back into Nathan's room twice and turned the light on to see if I had left it there (I'm sure Nathan was wondering what in the world I was doing). I have no clue where it is. I have looked everywhere I know to look. I don't even think Nathan can be blamed. I am stumped. Of course, it doesn't help that I felt like poopey last night and am feeling about the same today. :-) Why couldn't I have lost the tv remote or the U-verse remote? I think my mind has decided to take a break...

Hmmmm....

I believe these statistics are quite scary. I have plenty of thoughts on this, but I don't have them organized yet. Maybe one day I'll post my organized thoughts. hee hee

Walgreens and Walmart

I went to Walmart and two Walgreens, and I spent a total of $19.07.

I added everything, and the total would have been $47.57 without the deals and coupons.

Interesting: Global Warming

This article is about some 31,000 scientists who do not agree with the human-caused global warming theory. I'm sure there is a ton more information out there, but I'm not up to digging that much today. While I believe very much in taking care of our environment, I also believe that crying "wolf" to get people on the environmental bandwagon will eventually backfire if there is, in fact, no wolf. Why can't we just take care of the environment because it will be more healthy and beautiful for us and our children if we do?

Walgreens 8/30

Total with tax: $55.45

Minus $17.75 in coupons: $37.70

Minus $20.76 in previous Walgreens rebates: $16.94

Rebates I will earn + 10% for putting the money on a gift card: $57.06

So, I spent around $37.70 (I'll count using the gift card as being money I spent) and will get $57.06. I was impressed.

Weekly Menu - 8/31

Ham and Spinach Hash with Fried Eggs
Hamburgers, fries, beans
Manicotti, peas
Beans and Rice, Jamaican style
Meatloaf, cabbage, carrots
Chicken Stir-fry Stew

Chicken Broth

I've been making my own chicken broth lately; for some reason I feel very productive and healthy when I make it myself. :-) So, here's what I do:

I usually start with a whole chicken, my veggie scraps from the week (onion tops, celery tops, tomato peelings, etc.) plus any extra veggies I want, and a crockpot. I put everything in the crockpot and cover with cold water. If I remember, I put in vinegar (helps extract minerals) and soak for thirty minutes. I cook everything for 4-6 hours then debone the chicken. I keep the meat for a meal and place the chicken bones and fat back into the crockpot. I cook this for another 20 or so hours. I strain the broth into jars and place in the fridge. It's extremely easy to skim off fat once the broth has gotten cold. Usually I use some of the broth then freeze the rest either in bags or in ice cube trays. The veggies, bones, and fat that are left over are crumbled/crushed and fed to the dogs. Most of the bones just crumble to pieces after being cooked so long, although a few of the bigger bones are still too sharp and hard and have to be removed.

Why? My broth contains absolutely no MSG. Homemade broth is better, hands down, than store-bought broth. I love knowing all the wonderful nutrients (ha ha, makes me think of Nacho Libre) that are in the broth whenever I cook or make soup with it.

Science validates what our grandmothers knew. Rich homemade

chicken broths help cure colds. Stock contains minerals in a form the

body can absorb easily—not just calcium but also magnesium,

phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and trace minerals. It contains the

broken down material from cartilage and tendons--stuff like

chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine, now sold as expensive

supplements for arthritis and joint pain. From this site.

Another site has a lot of information about broth. Look on page 3 of the article to find a reason that serving meat with gravy may not be so bad after all. :-)

I think I'm going to buy a whole chicken from the co-op this month and see if the broth actually gels better (as some say it does) with a free-range chicken.

Universal Health Care

This article was quite interesting. I saw a debate once between two very educated professors about universal health care. Although the professor who supported universal health care was much more popular and probably more educated overall, he clearly lost the debate once all was said and done. The guys in front of me who were from Germany were not very happy with the outcome. ;-) My thoughts: the government does a bad enough job with everything it is responsible for now, why give it more responsibility? Yes, change is definitely needed, but I doubt universal health care is the answer.

Co-op

We recently joined our local co-op and are trying a few things here and there. I thought I would share my most humble opinion... ;-)

Organic, pasture-fed beef -- Hormones and antibiotics were my main concerns in regular nonorganic beef. However, I also have a strange notion that God made cows, put us in charge of them, and probably doesn't like the way they are treated in the huge factories. ;-) I should probably explain myself better, but that is probably enough for a whole post in itself. ha We tried it; we liked it. My brother could tell a difference, but I honestly couldn't tell so much. At least he said it was good! Evan didn't really have an opinion. I do like the knowledge that we are buying locally and eating beef that has not been antibiotic-fed.
Raw honey -- Very, very good. Evan and I could tell a big difference between the raw honey and the store-bought honey. Also, buying local honey means that you are buying honey made from local pollen. I have heard but not really researched that eating raw local honey can help people with allergies build immunity to local pollens.
Raw-milk cheddar -- I love cheese, but this cheese is a bit too strong for me to eat by itself. :-) However, cooking with this cheese is wonderful. I put it in our eggs with some salsa...yummy!!
Smoked cheddar -- This cheese was not made from raw milk but from pasture-fed cow's milk. The cheese was good, but it has smoke flavoring in it. ??
Beef soup bones -- I used these bones to make my beef broth since I don't usually buy beef that has bones in it. I cooked the bones and my vegetable trimmings from the week in a crockpot for a day, and the broth turned out well. I used some and froze the rest in ice cube trays. Once again, I liked the fact that I was using organic.

Reason for such a long post -- It is 8:08 a.m., and my son is still sleeping. Wow.

Weekly Menu 08/18

Breakfast

Eggs with salsa and raw cheddar
Muffins
Buttermilk pancakes and sausage
Oatmeal with raisins (or some other fruit)

Lunch

Leftovers - I generally do leftovers for lunch, although I will sometimes cook a different vegetable or make the leftovers into something a little different.

Dinner

Roast Chicken, tomato-avocado salad, mashed potatoes
Broccoli-Cheddar Quiche, I'm not sure on a side
Cornish game hens, peas, carrots
Leftover steak from the weekend, green salad
Green Enchiladas, black bean soup, corn (company's coming!)

Dessert

Fruit Pizza (company)
Jello
Fruit

Weekly Menu 08/11

Here is last week’s menu:

Breakfast

Oatmeal with raisins
Eggs with salsa and raw cheese (very good)
Raisin muffins (frozen from a previous batch)

Lunch

Leftovers :-)

Dinner

Spaghetti, green beans, corn
Tacos, Mexican rice, refried beans
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Hamburgers, baked potatoes

Fat, anyone?

The Weston A. Price Foundation website has lots of interesting information (I actually linked an article on children's health). The president of the foundation is also the author of Nourishing Traditions, one of my favorite cookbooks/information books.
Weston Price was a dentist who traveled worldwide and began trying to find connections between people groups who had the best health (and, amazingly, the best teeth). His findings are quite interesting.
Anyway, this article has an interesting story about an experiment done on lab rats. Scroll down the article to read it. From what the article says, three groups of rats were tested: one group was given normal rat food and water, another group was given Cornflakes and water, and the last group was given the box in which the Cornflakes came and water. Care to guess which group died first?? ;-)
That reminds me, I need to go put my oats on to soak. :-)
1 cup oats (oatmeal), 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons buttermilk---soak overnight at room temperature
In the morning, bring one cup of water to a boil, add oats, and cook for 10 minutes. Add butter, raisins, honey, blueberries, flax seed, or whatever suits your taste. :-)

Walgreens 8/05/08

Exclude the OneTouch2, and my total after rebates will be $4.08!! I don't know about the OneTouch, I could just get it free, or I could make $20 on it...I'll have to wait and see. This usually wouldn't have worked for me since we don't eat pop-tarts and such, but my brother is here and eats such things...sooo... :-)

This is actually from Wal-mart...

Irish Spring on clearance for $0.75
Two $0.30/1 coupons

Equals $0.45 each!!!

Weekly Menu - 8-01

This week's menu was a little short, so I am doing the end of this week and the next week together. Chicken pot pie was a no-show this week since I forgot my grocery list when I went to the store...actually I forgot to write down any of the ingredients for it on my list! So, chicken noodle soup took the place of chicken pot pie, and I've added chicken pot pie to this coming week.

Dinners:

Chicken Pot Pie, Salad

Tex-Mex Mix

Chicken Quesadillas

Roast, Veggies

Spiced Chicken Breasts, Tomato Platter, Apricot Barley Casserole

Refried Bean Burritos


There will be many vegetables going along with these meals since I've gotten tomatoes, okra, squash, peas, and green beans from my grandparents. I'm really feeling bored with my recipes, though, so I may have to find the time to search for new and exciting fare! ha ha Maybe all I need is an attitude change. :-) Also, we may be adding another mouth for a few weeks, so that might be interesting...

Walgreens

Once I get back my rebates, I'll have spent $5.10 on everything in the pic.

Weekly Menu - 7/28

I'm only posting dinners for now...

Salmon, Brown- and Wild-Rice Pilaf, Broccoli

Meatloaf, Cabbage, Mashed Potatoes, Carrots

Chicken Pot Pie, Salad

Flavorful Beef Stirfry, Rice, ?

This is Evan's first week to actually be expected to make an appearance for dinner, and we will have company two nights this week. I should have more than four dinner ideas... I really need to get better at planning small, quick meals for weekends; I am very bad at that.

This week's (late) menu

Breakfasts and lunches are pretty much the same as last week...

Dinners

Manicotti, Green Beans, Carrots

Pizza, Salad

Vegetable Beef Soup, Corn Bread, Cheese

Cheesy Chicken Florentine, Green Beans (two green foods, not recommended, but I was rushed - ha)
Poppyseed Chicken, Corn on the cob, ?? probably spinach

Target and Walmart, again

Hannah and I have been out and about this week, so I've used my opportunities to check out the deals!
Target has Brawny paper towels on sale for $6 (8 rolls). I had a couple of $1/1 coupons, so I wanted to pick up some paper towels. When I got there, I noticed clearance signs in the "value pack" area. I found Bounty paper towels (12 pack) marked down to $5.10, and I had two 0.25/1 coupons...so I got two 12-packs of Bounty for $4.85 each! I thought that was pretty good.
At Walmart, I bought the Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber for $2.59 (after $2.75/1 coupon) and am sending in the "Try Me Free" rebate...so I'll get $4.90 back! I also found a couple of Venus razors on clearance for $2, and I had two $2/1 coupons, so I got those free (well, except for tax). ha I grabbed a couple of bags of Cheerios snack mix on clearance ($1 each, and I had two 50 cent/1 coupons) which I'll take to Mom's this weekend.
Well, Nathan's awake...gotta run!!

Free Samples in the Mail

I love the little bottle!! I got these in the mail today. I signed up online, and it said the limit was 2 per household, so I got two!!

Blast from the Past

I was checking Facebook this evening and saw that a certain friend had joined a group about GT and the Halo Express. :-) I remember listening to some of those tapes, and I started thinking about all the other tapes we listened to. Antshillvania, Psalty the Singing Songbook, and on and on. I found this site and started listening to clips of the songs I remembered. I still remember those songs, and I have started singing them to Nathan. Just a few weeks ago I started singing "Oh Me, Oh My" to him in the store; now everytime I say "oh my" he says, "Oh me, oh my, butterfly?" ha ha I also loved "Bullfrogs and Butterflies."
Should I also mention that four of those cds will be heading our way shortly??

Today's deals

Total: $2.** I think it was around $2.40, but I somehow lost my receipt!!













Total: $0.17!!!! This was the only thing I bought, so the cashier guy said, "And your total is...wow...17 cents." :-) He was impressed. So was I. I don't think Hannah was, though. I don't know that she cares much for Polska Kielbasa...

Weekly Menu - 7/13

These next two weeks are a bit different because Hubby is in class four nights a week and my cousin is here visiting.

Breakfasts:
Oatmeal and Turkey Sausage (Nourishing Traditions {NT})
Five-grain cereal (yuck, didn't really like)
Blueberry pancakes (buttermilk pancakes from Betty Crocker cookbook, very good)
Raisin muffins (Nourishing Traditions recipe)
Eggs with cheese
*we usually eat fruit with breakfast

Lunches:
Leftovers most days
Turkey/ham sandwich/wrap, fruit

Dinners:
Manicotti, Carrots, Green Beans, Smoothies
Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli
Salmon Salad Sandwiches, Raw Carrots or other veggies
Chicken Enchiladas, Salad, Corn
Tacos, Pineapple jello

Snacks:
Ice pops (our only time for juice)
Cashews (yay for the Planters coupons!)
Savory Nut Mix
Fruit & Cheese

A New Blog!

Yes, a new blog. :-) My other blog has morphed into a "Nathan" blog, so I am creating a blog where I can post about other things...sometimes including Nathan. :-)