Menu for the week

Wednesday: Cabbage stew over rice
Thursday: Bierocks and soup (I have to use up my cabbage), pineapple cake
Friday: Chicken Taco Soup, cornbread
Saturday:   I will be gone most of the day- so probably hot dogs and leftovers
Sunday:  Pasta  or rice dish for church and rolls or Stuffed eggs, not sure yet
Monday: BBQ chicken, pasta salad  with vegetables
Tuesday: Sloppy Joes, homemade buns, carrot sticks,
<p> We will see how this week goes!

Interesting Options

I get a magazine called Keepers At Home, which I really like. It has some different advertisements for people who have one product they offer or services, not otherwise advertised or available online. Some of them were interesting. This one is for bulk diapers.
It says:
 "We have a sideline of buying second quality disposable diapers by the bale and counting them out in  case lots for resale. We just throw them into boxes without folding them them. The bales weigh 900 pounds. These diapers have some of the tabs missing and other irregulars. Customers usually prefer to just keep masking tape on hand and the diaper one wrap around the waist (like a belt) when necessary or use safety pins. There are 250 diapers per case. the prices are as follows- Small-$32.50
 Medium-$35 Large $37.50
 Shipping is free
 WI residents include 5% tax
 Also stop by or call for larger volume discounts.
 Available in 900 pound bales
 Louis Martin
 N15215 Tieman Ave Thorp, WI 54771
 715 669 7184"
 (I hope this is okay to put the address here. It was in a advertisement in a magazine, so I figured it should be okay.)<p>
Drying Rack:
We make food drying  trays, made of white pine  wood and stainless steel screens. We have two sizes; 20" x16 " trays (fits standard oven) ($17)and 16" x 12 " trays ( 14.50) with or without stove top rack.
complete rack is $75
If you send payment, we pay freight:
John Esh 225 Voganville Rd
New Holland, PA 17557
<p>
Homemade girls under wear
These are made with good grade elastic that lasts a long time. Size 1. 2 and 4 are $1.10 a pair
Sizes 6 and 8 are $1.30 a pair and Size 10 is $1.60 a pair.
When ordering please state assortment or white also size. Shipping is $5 up to 15 pair.
Please send order and payment to
Marlene Burkholder 3661 Mumby Road Canandaigue, NY. 14424<p>
Children’s Cookbook
It says" this cookbook was made to help children to enjoy working  in the kitchen and to help children to want to help with the cooking and baking. Also to help mothers and school teachers with the ideas for artwork  using common things in the kitchen. Many children have found it delightful to work with their own cookbook with simple directions and fun things to make  and do.
the cost for one book is $7.50 plus $3 shipping and handling. For 10 or more books we take 30% off. Write or Call
Glen and Rhonda Showalter 33880 Bond Butte Drive
Harrisonburg, OR. 97446  541 995 8100

(If anyone wants one of these, I was thinking about ordering some and maybe we could get a discount!)

End of a very long day

and it was after 10:30 pm when I turned my computer on….I am really too tired to be on here, but I had to check something! <p>
I got the oil changed in the car, I grocery shopped, I planted some of the garden, I used the weed eater on part of the yard around the fence, broke some soil around the edges of my raised beds, bought more boards for raised beds, made dinner and cleaned some. We also did some school, although not all of it.
You know, what is hard, I feel like I did not do enough. i know that I could be accomplishing more, but sometimes I just am really tired and don’t want to! Anyhow, I will post my menu sometime tomorrow…..

Baby showers, sickness, menu

I  volunteered to help with planning baby showers at church and one of the mothers had her baby, so we are planning on for next month. My cousin is having one for her sister (also my cousin) this month, and  one of the Elder’s  at my husbands church is having a baby too. So, I have been planning out baby gifts so I am ahead of the game, I hope!  I need some ideas for a nice different things to do at a baby shower! I am not a normal, baby shower game type person. So if anyone has some nice, different things to do, let me know! We played a fun one at the last baby shower I went to, it was a baby memory game that went with candy bars. <p> T. was sick last week and now L. is sick. I wish they would not get sick one at a time, but I think we need to slow down, so this is good! <p>
My menu  has been different this week because of the potatoes! I am going to write down what we have been eating as it has all revolved around potatoes mostly! I am going to plan something different for Mon and Tuesday as I think we are getting tired of it! But we have eaten most of the potatoes! The boys also ate about 10 lbs of apples in 5 days too. <p>
Wednesday: Leftover Roast chicken, potatoes and carrots, bread
Thursday: Soup (it is not a soup I like, but my husband likes it. It has potatoes, onions (green ones, this time), carrots (grated), fine egg noodles, and chicken.
Friday:  Bean burrito (leftover from lunch) and other leftovers (mashed potatoes, soup etc)
Saturday:Roasted chicken potato soup, fresh bread (you top it with a little sour cream and it tasted like a baked potato), salad, Whole wheat cinnamon rolls
Sunday: Leftover soup and bread
Monday:  Tortilla soup
Tuesday:  Enchilada stack with beans and cheese, salad

Hitting the ground running…..

and am tired out! I think this has got to stop. I feel like I wake up running and go to bed, half thinking of all the things I should have gotten done, need to get done and why am I not up doing them? <p>
I have a bunch of pictures to post of this past weeks doings!  On Thursday, the boys competed in a local Track and Field Day with all the private schools and homeschools. There is over 600 children usually there and it was crowded! the boys had alot of fun. We were there from 8:30 am- 2:30 pm, outside. The morning hours, I was very cold, but after 11, got up and was moving around, running from one end to the other, around the buildings to keep track of both competitors and get pictures.
At one point I needed to run to mail a letter so went to find my van completely blocked in!!!Thankfully a woman was warming up in her car right behind me and was able to let me out, or I don’t know what I would have done! Today, P. is very sore from all the running as he ran hard! He had soccer tonight too, which again, I froze my ears off and finally gave up and sat in the car a bit! <p> Did you know you can order shoes from Payless Shoe store online and they have different sales than in the store on the same shoes? We  have been shoe shopping for the two oldest and it was hard to find a plain pair of decent tennis shoes in a price under $15 each that was in stock!  I looked online and they had a great pair on sale for $11.99 and Buy one get one half off. So, I thought, I would check the store and maybe just buy them there. the store has the same shoes, but they were not on sale and were $16.99. I could order them online, pick them up at the store when they come in, for about $10 cheaper, I just have to wait for them a bit longer.  Anyhow, I found it interesting….. I checked their sizes in store, found a cute pair of shiny ballet flats for myself for $3 there and knew that I was ordering the right size online…(Do the feet measuring things work for any children, or just not mine?).
<p> We still have many potatoes here, but we have been reheating and not really cooking much! I did make chicken broth today! <p> I am really tired, my youngest son has been sick with a cold and a low grade fever that has been interesting to deal with, plus I had to take my other son to the doctor to get his finger x-rayed that got smashed int he van door last week. It was still very swollen and painful to move. The x-rays looked okay to my untrained eye, but you never know! <p> So, I have a messy kitchen, dirty windows, but hey, I have spent the last couple days spending alot of time with the boys!

Frugal Friday: Local Barter System

I guess this is something that many communities have set up, but I am really excited to be a part of this  one in our community. It is a organized barter/exchange system set up with it’s own community money and directory, group that meets monthly and organizers. It  has been going for one month now and just for attending the meeting (which was a potluck with good food), I got a 1/4 of an HOUR (community money) that was worth $2.50. that may not seem like much, but I then was able to visit a bakery that I have always wanted to try, downtown, and buy  two pastries (a cookie and pastry, actually) with that money.  <p> In this time of poor economy, gas prices rising daily, it is good to be able to develop relationships with others and be able to barter services, goods etc. rather than exchanging cash. <p> I guess there are several barter systems all over the USA, check around to see if one exists in your area! <p> You can visit  the website at
www.flatheadexchange.org<p> I could not believe all the things listed, from a funeral director to a lawyerdown to the minute things like someone reading to your children or walking the dog. <p> If you join they give you three HOURS to start out with, which is worth $30.

Many, Many potatoes!

We were blessed with a box of soft, growing potatoes, but that were perfectly good under the skin! We have been using them, but it had come to a point where they were overgrowing their box! It was the day of many potatoes! I was making dinner for someone, I got so busy I actually forgot a doctor’s appointment (something I have never done in my life) and we cooked so many potatoes….well, let’s just say, I know what we will be eating for the next couple days! <p> I made mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes with garlic and cut some up for soup. We have a huge roaster pan full of roasted garlic potatoes, two containers of mashed potatoes left and I still have to make the large pot of soup! My wonderful husband sat and peeled and scrubbed all of them! <p> So, dinner was different! <p> I made homemade rolls in my mixer and cookies too! It is amazing how easy it was! I wonder if I will ever have to buy bread again! Well, maybe this summer when I do not want to use the oven!  I put some cookies in the freezer, made cinnamon rolls and dinner rolls plus all the potatoes! I am glad there is a potluck thing tonight, to bring some!

Blog tour/Book Review: Sweet Caroline by Rachel Hauck

Caroline has many troubles, not isolated to car trouble! When she finds out people have nicknamed her with a nickname directly related to her car constantly breaking down in the streets, she wonders why she stays here! She is dependable, honest, hardworking and helps her family, unlike her mother who abandoned them years ago. When the owner of  the cafe she works at passes away, she figured  that she would finally get her chance to do great things and see the world. Complications ensue, when she finds out that she  inheirits  the cafe! If she does not take it, people lose a well known landmark, jobs and the wonderful place they love to eat….but otherwise she has to take care of the cafe, with no money and it’s many problems, not limited to plumbing! Meanwhile, an old friend comes back to town, a famous singer now,  you can read right away there was more than friendship going on there before, but Caroline has a boyfriend, a dependable police officer! Spain  or abandoning the people who love her? The constant emails from her best friend offering her great jobs in  other lands, tempt her! Will she make the right choice? <p>All through out it mentions this great recipe for Bubba’s Buttery Biscuits and by the end of the book, you are craving them!
Here is the recipe for them!
Bubba’s Buttery Biscuits!

3 cups self-rising flour
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled, plus 6
tablespoons unsalted butter, melted for brushing the tops
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place the flour and chilled butter in a medium mixing bowl. Work the butter
into the flour with a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingertips until the
butter pieces are a little larger than an English pea, but not larger than a
lima bean. If you are using your fingers, work quickly so that the heat of
your hands won’t melt the butter.

Pour in all of the buttermilk and, using light pressure, fold the mixture a
few times with a plastic spatula until it holds together. Do not over mix.
In order to make light biscuits, it is important to work the dough as little
as possible.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead it quickly and gently 6 to
10 times or until it begins to be almost homogenized. There will be large
pieces of butter throughout. Sprinkle a little flour under the dough so that
it won’t stick to the board and lightly dust the top of the dough so that it
won’t stick to the board and lightly dust the top of the dough so that it
won’t stick to the rolling pin. Roll the dough out to about 1/2-inch
thickness.

Cut the dough into 2-inch rounds, place on an ungreased baking sheet, and
bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes. I like the biscuits to be
crispy and brown on the top and bottom, but not dry in the middle. Remove
the baking sheet from the oven and brush the tops of the biscuits with the
melted butter. Serve right away. (recipe from Louis Osteen)<p>

Would you like to win a great gift package including an apron? The Sweet Life contest!
Enter to win a Scrumptious Baking Basket from Rachel. The basket contains a Super Cool Apron, a Low country cook book signed by PAT CONROY, rolling pin, and a pie plate! All you have to do to
enter is sign up for Rachel’s newsletter here:
http://rachelhauck.com/newsletter.htm<p>

About Rachel:

I’m a forty-something, a child of the ’60’s, ’70’s, ’80’s, ’90’s and ’00’s.

I roller skated through the ’70’s into the ’80’s with Farrah Fawcet hair and
a three-speed orange Camero.

Born in Ohio, I lived several years in Oklahoma and Kentucky before my
parents moved the family to Florida.

I graduated from Ohio State University (Go Buckeyes!) with a degree in
Journalism. As a member of Phi Mu sorority, I partied my way though the last
few years of college.

But, the truth is, and always will be, I belong to Jesus. At the age of six,
I knelt at the altar of a Tulsa Methodist church and gave my life to the One
who loves me.

After graduation, hired on at Harris Publishing as a software trainer,
determined to see the world. And I did it without a laptop, a cell phone, an
IPod or portable DVD player. Those were hard times.

But, I traveled to Ireland, Spain, Venezuela, Mexico, Australia, Canada and
the U.S. from California to Maine. But, life on the road is difficult.
Working twelve to fourteen hour days, one doesn’t get to see many of the
sites. In Ireland, our company’s distributor drove me around at night so I
could see something of Dublin.

I met Tony, my husband, in ’87, at church, of all places. We got married in
’92. Tony has been a pastor for twenty years. I’ve worked with him in
eighteen of those twenty. Our heart is to see teens and adults passionate,
radical and whole hearted for Jesus.

Tony and I don’t have any children of our own, lots of kids-in-the-Lord and
we love them all. However, we do have a very spoiled dog, and an even more
spoiled cat.

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. My dad used to tell me, "You’re a
writer."  I have letters he wrote me post college, exhorting me to write. In
this, I believe he had the heart of God.

In ’93, I started an epic WW2 novel with two plots. It was well rejected.
After that ordeal, I took a break and put efforts into my job as a software
project manager. But, I missed writing and in late ‘ 99, I took up the craft
again.

With a little help from my friends, my first book was published in ‘ 04,
Lambert’s Pride, a romance novel. I love writing chick lit and romance. I
love writing. What an honor.
Rachel’s blog<p>

Buy the Book here

<p> I enjoyed this book! It had great humor, a lively story line with great characters. I did wish though it ended differently.  I cannot give away the ending for those of you who would like to read it, but through all Caroline’s decision making, she chose others before herself and the last one seemed like  it was not really that way.  I always thought that I missed out on something, being dependable, working to take care of people,  and wondered what would be different if I did do the things I always wanted to do.
I will tell you, it is worth it to give your life for others. I think Caroline will make the right choice, I think she will go to Spain and realize that  the things that matter most in life are the people you love as she has made that decision in the whole book!

Blog Tour/Meme post: A Whisper of Fredom by Tricia Goyer

This is a fun different Blog tour where there are some questions for you to answer!!
<p>
1. List three things you would do with a chest full of gold (assuming you
got to keep it!)
Three things, huh? Well,  I would pay off our mortgage if there was enough, put some in savings and  use some to go on some mission trips with my children.

2. List three charities/missions/organizations you support (and why).
Voice of the Martyrs– why? They  have always been a ministry I have admired ever since I read Richard and Sabrina Wumbrand’s books as a teenager.  They really minister to the persecuted church  in spreading the word about a subject that is often not talked about. <p>
Christian Aid Ministries– why? They are a ministry that 99% of the money they get goes directly to the people. Most ministries end up spending more on support staff, but they are run by tons of volunteers and supported by many, many christians. They do not just give handouts to poor people, but help with things for the future so they can survive, like cows, pieces of land, seeds, wagons, sewing machines. They take donations and volunteers if you are interested! They are run by Mennonites, but serve all over the world, including here in the USA, during disasters. <p>
Hand of Help-why? Probably because we know the people who started it personally. They came over to America when they were kicked out of Romania after the  their grandfather was tortured and on the electric chair twice, but they could  not kill him, so they sent him here. They lived in a tiny two bedroom apt. here and started a ministry to the Romanians back home, when they were allowed to visit.

3. List three ways you have volunteered your time/services.
This  feels a little odd to say it on my blog…..
I  have and still bring meals to people, I was a volunteer ambulance EMT-F for awhile, and watch people’s children when they need it.

4. List three things you keep "hidden" when company comes over.
Do I have to say? Well, we have a TV/VCR I don’t really like it out and so I put that away when company comes over.  Otherwise, I am trying to think of anything else….not much!

5. List the last three things you’ve lost.
My keys…..I have done so much better with this, but still with boys with a fascination for keys, they  vanish and my memory and doing ten things at once does not help!
A bill…it has been driving me crazy too! I cannot remember if it is for $314 or $340
i am having a hard time thinking of a third thing, my children have lost things! I am also sort of famous for hiding money or checks in odd places and forgetting about it. Not a good thing!

6. List the last three things you’ve found.<p>
My keys…I found them in the garage! i set them down while getting a extension cord!
Netflix envelope that had vanished, I found it after I no longer need it.
Still have not found the bill!
<p>

During the tour, both you and your readers can enter to win one of FIVE
signed copies of A Whisper of Freedom by signing up for Tricia’s newsletter

Three brave "players" will be selected at random to win their own lost gold
(Gourmet chocolate coins and all three books in the Chronicles of the
Spanish Civil War series). To enter all you have to do is answer the MEME on
your blog and then leave a comment on Tricia’s blog tour post here
http://triciagoyer.blogspot.com/2008/03/whisper-of-freedom-meme-sticky-post.
html that you’ve posted your MEME. Easy.
Check out the rest of the blog tour here on Tricia’s blog!<p> A Whisper of Freedom is the final book in this series about the Spanish Civil War.
Battles heat up…not only those being waged by the soldiers on both sides fighting for Spain, but in the hearts and minds of the men and women who must sacrifice more than their dreams to save the lives of their loved ones.

In this meticulously researched novel, brave and idealistic Sophie, Philip, Jose, and Deion realize their only hope for freedom is escaping Spain’s borders.

By continuing the story of this band of volunteers during the Spanish Civil War, A Whisper of Freedom proves that there are whispers of hope and liberty that resonate through even the darkest night.
<p> I think I enjoyed this book the most out of the whole series. Maybe it was because I  thought I may not get it, or I read it slower, who knows? But, I think you could really feel the emotions  and passions of the different people in this story. There are several who you are following in the book, but you could see each one through their struggles, the amazing love one friend could have for a friend and how that truly lived out my favorite bible verse "No greater love is this, than a man lay down his life for a friend." John 15:13
This is not a typical historical fiction romance novel that someone will scoff at. This series is a deep historical series, delving into parts of history you may have never read about, I know I had not! There is a romance, but not the focus of the story at all. If you want to read a excerpt, click on this link

Menu Plan and my new purchase!

Wednesday: Soup/ Homemade bread
Thursday: Bean Burritos/ Spanish rice – Salsa
Friday: Stir Fry/ rice (meat, broccoli, cabbage, carrots)
Saturday: Tortilla soup or taco salad, depending on the weather
Sunday: Baked potatoes, salad
Monday: Roasted chicken,  roast vegetables and rolls
Tuesday: Roasted chicken vegetable soup, rolls<p>
So, I have been saving some money  that was for pans for a long time.  I have been trying to decide if I should buy more pans, but really did not need any, so just saved it. A couple weeks ago, I started thinking about any thing I needed in the kitchen as I figured I could spend it on that. But nothing really stuck out to me right off, until I thought that maybe I should get a mixer. I have never had a stand type mixer to knead bread or anything, and never really wanted one, but lately I had been thinking with children that seem to be eating more, that it might be wise to have one. I started looking around and  you can buy a Kitchen Aid for around that price, but have heard they burn up with whole wheat bread dough etc. So………anyhow, with ending up getting  to spend our tax refund on a new house, we decided to take $200 of the tax rebate and that money we had saved and buy a Bosch mixer! I got it today, with the blender as my blender was an old one my dad found by a garbage can that works sometimes lately and so this  is so exciting! I just have to make sure I use it and you will have to give me lots of hints for it! I tend to avoid using things that take alot of cleanup, but I love my food processor, so I am sure I am going to like this! It fits perfectly on the counter too! So, maybe we can save some money on the amount of bread we have been going through! <p> I have been a bit discouraged as with moving, money seems to melt away and I am not used to spending all the money we have had to. Food prices have gone up alot too, so that makes it more difficult to keep costs down. <p> Off to start my soup, It is a cold day today, but it is supposed to warm up alot, to summer temps this week, so that is why the variable in the menu.