I decided that once again it was time to do some freezer meals! I love doing the prep work beforehand and then just heating it up or putting in the crockpot! The hardest part is deciding what to have and then making sure it doesn't sit in your freezer for months, or get lost in the back - yeah, I found some shredded pork in the bottom of my freezer that I had forgotten about.
Last month, I sat down and decided I was going to commit to freezer meals and get the freezer stocked! I did! And for the most part, I didn't sway from my menu either, except the night we decided to go out and one night was a scout dinner I forgot about, but that's ok. I didn't end up prepping everything for every meal, so I just counted those out. I also had extras from a couple meals that made more meals, which means less prep for me, YAY!
So I wanted to share with you what I did. And the recipes, which most came from the internet, others where just ones that I had in my stash of recipes that are pretty easy. Some are dump meals that just go in a bag to the freezer and then to your crockpot, so easy!
You can also find my instructions for freezer meals and some great recipes on this site! Just look under the freezer meal tab or the recipes tab! So on to the meals!!
First I went through all my recipes and wrote down the ones that my family would like. Then I looked all over the internet and pinterest and found lots of others that I liked. Then I plugged them into a list so I could then put them into a calendar menu. Here is my list:
1. Chicken Burritos
2. Chicken Enchilada Casserole ("Fix it and Forget Cookbook")
3. Teriyaki Chicken
4. Cilantro-lime chicken tacos
5. Crockpot chicken taco chili
6. Crockpot Chicken Philly Cheesesteak
7. Healthy Mamma BBQ Chicken
8. Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
9. Comforting Chicken and noodles crockpot
10. Honey Teriyaki Chicken
11. Hamburger Stroganoff
12. Cheeseburger Casserole
13. Sloppy Joes
14. Tacos
15. Meatball subs
16. Lasagna
17. Corn, black beans and beef Empanadas (adapted from Cooks Illustrated)
18. Chili
19. Summer Beef
20. Parmesan Garlic Pizza Pasta
21. Freezer to slow cooker Italian Wedding Soup (newleafwellness.biz)
22. Slow cooker Beef Fajitas
23. BBQ pulled pork sandwiches
24. Baked Penne with sausage and creamy ricotta (adapted from Food and Wine)
25. Slow cooker green chili pork tacos
26. Pork Chalupas
27. Chili Verde Tostadas
28. Café Rio Sweet pork burritos
29. Easy Homemade pizza pockets (newleafwellness.biz)
30. Veggie Burgers
31. Mushroom Spinach crockpot Stroganoff (newleafwellness.biz)
This menu worked great, there was just one, the mushroom spinach stroganoff that my family didn't really care for. Some decided they don't like mushrooms, others didn't like that it didn't have meat. I think it really could have used some chicken or something, and about half the amount of mushrooms! Other than that, so far everything we have tried have been good! I will be doing another month of menus and will try to remember to take pictures this time and post the recipes as I go! I hope you found this post informational! Please leave comments and let me know what you think!
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Thursday, September 15, 2016
Summer Happenings!
Wow, the summer flew by and we had so much going on! Since I last posted about our little flock; we raised our chicks and still have some in the freezer (homegrown chicken is seriously the best chicken ever! I have never had a fryer chicken that was so juicy!). Our ducks were a little more tricky. We got them big enough to go outside and put them in their enclosure with a little pond and one night the board got taken out of the pond and three died because they couldn't get out of the water. Nope ducks can't live on the water forever! They actually drown.
So we replaced the three ducks with four more and still had two others, totaling 6 ducks! They have been so much fun! The enclosure got too small for them to just stay in all day, so we would put them away at night and let them out during the day to roam. We bought a swimming pool for them to play in and they were having so much fun! They were so much fun to just sit and watch.
The end of May, we received our laying chicks. They have been fun to raise as well. They looked like little caramel corns and were so cute. Now they are big and getting ready to lay eggs. We can't wait for the eggs!
In June, just after having gotten my garden in (32 tomato plants, 17+ peppers, 4 tomatillo plants, 8 okra, a bunch of onions, 72 strawberries, peas and beans), we had an awful hail storm. It hailed golf ball size hail for about 20 minutes. I was afraid our garden was done for. All of our boxes were just flooded. A few days later when we could go out and survey the damage, only a few tomatoes were lost, but most of the peppers were gone. I decided not to replace anything and just see what came of the garden. We were very blessed that most of the tomatoes did great and what peppers we had did great and everything else we planted did really well too!
Along with the hail storm came other damages though. We had some dings in our siding, ruined screens on the windows, but mostly the roof. We were needing to replaces one section of roof anyway because the boards were saggy. I feel that this was a blessing for us because they took care of all of that for us! We didn't have to worry about it. So we now have a new roof and no worries!
We did also have to replace our back deck. We have wanted to since moving in but figured it would be a few years, but then when we walked out on it about a month ago and felt like we were walking on a trampoline, only to find out the support boards were broken and rotted through, we decided to suck it up and do it this year, for safety reasons! We are excited for it though, it will be bigger and stronger than before and we will never have to replace it, hopefully!
So that pretty much catches us up to where we are now and I am starting freezer meals today, so that will be my next post! Have a great day!
So we replaced the three ducks with four more and still had two others, totaling 6 ducks! They have been so much fun! The enclosure got too small for them to just stay in all day, so we would put them away at night and let them out during the day to roam. We bought a swimming pool for them to play in and they were having so much fun! They were so much fun to just sit and watch.
The end of May, we received our laying chicks. They have been fun to raise as well. They looked like little caramel corns and were so cute. Now they are big and getting ready to lay eggs. We can't wait for the eggs!
In June, just after having gotten my garden in (32 tomato plants, 17+ peppers, 4 tomatillo plants, 8 okra, a bunch of onions, 72 strawberries, peas and beans), we had an awful hail storm. It hailed golf ball size hail for about 20 minutes. I was afraid our garden was done for. All of our boxes were just flooded. A few days later when we could go out and survey the damage, only a few tomatoes were lost, but most of the peppers were gone. I decided not to replace anything and just see what came of the garden. We were very blessed that most of the tomatoes did great and what peppers we had did great and everything else we planted did really well too!
Along with the hail storm came other damages though. We had some dings in our siding, ruined screens on the windows, but mostly the roof. We were needing to replaces one section of roof anyway because the boards were saggy. I feel that this was a blessing for us because they took care of all of that for us! We didn't have to worry about it. So we now have a new roof and no worries!
We did also have to replace our back deck. We have wanted to since moving in but figured it would be a few years, but then when we walked out on it about a month ago and felt like we were walking on a trampoline, only to find out the support boards were broken and rotted through, we decided to suck it up and do it this year, for safety reasons! We are excited for it though, it will be bigger and stronger than before and we will never have to replace it, hopefully!
So that pretty much catches us up to where we are now and I am starting freezer meals today, so that will be my next post! Have a great day!
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
So as promised, here is my post about our new little flock! We are super excited to welcome them to our family and to take care of them! They have been the talk of the neighborhood! We love them so much!
So maybe you are wondering what possessed me to ever think of raising chickens and ducks. That's a good question! For a few years now I have wanted to and have talked with my husband about it, but at our last house, we really didn't have much of a place to keep them, unless we cut out half our garden space. I'd rather have more for fruits and veggies than chickens!
Now that we are much more property and have so much more space, we are so very excited to raise these cute things! We decided to get laying chickens and so my mom's friend ordered my mom 20 chickens, but they didn't want that many, so we are getting laying chickens, they will be here in May. In the meantime, we time to the IFA nearest us to look at fertilizer for our lawn and of course as you walk in, they have all their chicks and ducks and turkeys right there. So being excited, I started looking around. I came across the ducks, which are super cute and just fell in love!
Not only are ducks so cute and fun, but there are some that will lay eggs that you can eat! I was even more excited for that! I've never had duck eggs before and am curious if they are as good as everyone says they are. So we bought the supplies to start our ducks and chicks but didn't get ducks, since they only had one layer. That gave us time to come up with how we would take care of them.
The guy at the IFA was very helpful and said to put them in a Rubbermaid type tote. I emptied a tote and started to get it ready. We have a Tractor Supply Company that is much closer to us and we went in there for something, not sure what, but they also had chicks and ducks. They didn't have any laying ducks but would get some in sooner than the IFA, so I went back a few days later when they would get some in. They also had the lights and bulbs cheaper there, so I got some there.
When I went back to get our ducks, I decided that we should get some meat chicks as well as laying chicks so we could have some fresh chickens in our freezer. One thing about the Tractor Supply that I don't know is the same with the IFA, is they require you to buy a minimum amount of birds. Minimum for chicks is 6 and ducks is 2. I wasn't planning to get that many meat chicks, but that just means more meat in the freezer. Plus they were only $2 each to buy and I'm ok with that. Ducks are more, at about $5 each, but the Tractor Supply was less cost on their ducks.
I got a little crazy at this point and was so in love with those ducks that I ended up buying 5! They had 2 layers and then I got 2 Mallards and 1 White Pekin. They are super sweet. The non-layers were about 2 weeks or so old when we got them, but the two layers that just came in, had just hatched! They told me that one still had part of his shell on him when they got him. They are so precious, and I am so in love! It has been fun to see how fast they are growing! I have loved having them so much!
- Our garage has smelled like a farming store!
- Keep their cages and bedding clean so they don't smell so bad!
- Make sure to check food and water morning and night!
- Ducks love water and will splash and play and make a huge watery mess!
- Kids love to hold the little cuties
They have grown so much in the almost week we have had them. We had to move them from the Rubbermaid tote to a larger box, which we were so fortunate to have! My brother in law works for the former governor Huntsman at the airport. They were getting rid of these 3 foot square boxes that used to store and ship landing gear in. He asked if we would want them for anything. I said yes, not really knowing what we would do with them, but figuring we would somehow use them.
When we realized the totes were going to be too small, my husband thought of these and they have worked out perfect! They have plenty of room to run and stretch and then we fashioned these tops from the lid that have hardware wire on them so they can't get out and other animals can't get in. I did have to line the duck box with some plastic under the bedding, since they love to make everything wet and I don't want the wood on the bottom to start splitting and hurt them. Here is what the boxes look like, and my husband also fashioned a thing to hold the lights, since we found out when they are attached to side of the box, it gets much too hot.
Welcome! I am so glad that are joining me on my adventures as a homemaker, backyard farmer, crafter, cook, baker, etc! I am so excited to start this new blog!
I love to talk about myself and what my family are doing. No I'm not conceited or self-centered, quite the opposite in fact. I do feel, however, that I have a lot of useful information to share with others. So here is a little about me so you can get to know me a little better and hopefully learn something from me as well. I love positive comments and hope you leave lots, it's important to build people up, not tear them down!
So, I grew up the oldest of 4 kids. My parents were great and raised us the best they could. I was a normal child that fought with parents and siblings, but we made it through and I'm a much better person because of the influence they all had on me. I love them all so much!
In elementary school and through most of my junior high and high school days, I was teased by others because of how I looked. It was hard during those years but those times made me stronger and now I teach my kids that that is just not right! No one should be teased because of how they look! We are all created by a loving God who made us just the way we are supposed to be and we need to embrace that!
My family was there through a lot of hard times, like the teasing, break ups and bad grades, and also during the good and fun times, like marching band competitions and dating and of course my wedding! Which brings me to:
I am a wife of 15+ years to an amazing man who treats me like a queen and has given me so much in that amount of time! He is a full-time programmer for a great company that he loves, that allows me to stay home with our kids. When we met I was going to cosmetology school to cut hair. I love this industry so much and I'm so glad I have this background! I was able to put my husband through college cutting hair, which didn't pay much at all, even at full time, but we were fine being poor and learned to get by. Plus I haven't paid for a haircut much in that time, and my family never has had to.
While my husband was in college, We had three kids. The oldest was born a couple years after we were married. He has been a good kid, but very strong willed and likes things his way. The second and third were born together, yep they are twins, which is a great story I should tell sometime. They were nine weeks early and a lot of work, but I wouldn't trade them for anything, they are great!
About 5 months after the twins were born, my hubby graduated from college and began working more full time. We moved closer to his job and by that summer were pregnant again. We decided we needed to make a more permanent move and bought a home. Our fourth son was born the next January. Having four boys was not our plan, but we don't run on our own plans, God is always in charge!
But we did wait for a while to have anymore kids, since we had four boys in 4 years! Four years after having our last son though, we welcomed a beautiful little princess to our family who is our pride and joy! It was so much fun having pink and purple instead of blue and green! Don't get me wrong, I love my boys dearly, but there is just something about having a girl!
So we stayed in our house there for 10 years and decided since our boys were getting so big, we needed to move to a larger home and try to get a little more property. We were able to move last summer to a wonderful place that we love and have never been happier! The neighborhood is great, the schools are great, and my kids love that we have lots of kids close by to play with! We couldn't have asked for better!
Which brings me to now. We are very excited to have made it through the Utah winter and are very much looking forward to gardening and especially some new chickens and ducks we are going to raise. We are so excited!! My next post will be about our new little flock, so I won't write much here, just know I can't wait till they are bigger! We are also building garden boxes from scratch and I'm excited to share those with you as well, they don't look like many I've seen anywhere, It's all my hubbys design and thinking and we can't wait till it's all done!
So in a very small nutshell, that is me and what adventures we are pursuing in the near future, so come back often and see what I've been working on lately. There is always something, promise!
I love to talk about myself and what my family are doing. No I'm not conceited or self-centered, quite the opposite in fact. I do feel, however, that I have a lot of useful information to share with others. So here is a little about me so you can get to know me a little better and hopefully learn something from me as well. I love positive comments and hope you leave lots, it's important to build people up, not tear them down!
So, I grew up the oldest of 4 kids. My parents were great and raised us the best they could. I was a normal child that fought with parents and siblings, but we made it through and I'm a much better person because of the influence they all had on me. I love them all so much!
In elementary school and through most of my junior high and high school days, I was teased by others because of how I looked. It was hard during those years but those times made me stronger and now I teach my kids that that is just not right! No one should be teased because of how they look! We are all created by a loving God who made us just the way we are supposed to be and we need to embrace that!
My family was there through a lot of hard times, like the teasing, break ups and bad grades, and also during the good and fun times, like marching band competitions and dating and of course my wedding! Which brings me to:
I am a wife of 15+ years to an amazing man who treats me like a queen and has given me so much in that amount of time! He is a full-time programmer for a great company that he loves, that allows me to stay home with our kids. When we met I was going to cosmetology school to cut hair. I love this industry so much and I'm so glad I have this background! I was able to put my husband through college cutting hair, which didn't pay much at all, even at full time, but we were fine being poor and learned to get by. Plus I haven't paid for a haircut much in that time, and my family never has had to.
While my husband was in college, We had three kids. The oldest was born a couple years after we were married. He has been a good kid, but very strong willed and likes things his way. The second and third were born together, yep they are twins, which is a great story I should tell sometime. They were nine weeks early and a lot of work, but I wouldn't trade them for anything, they are great!
About 5 months after the twins were born, my hubby graduated from college and began working more full time. We moved closer to his job and by that summer were pregnant again. We decided we needed to make a more permanent move and bought a home. Our fourth son was born the next January. Having four boys was not our plan, but we don't run on our own plans, God is always in charge!
But we did wait for a while to have anymore kids, since we had four boys in 4 years! Four years after having our last son though, we welcomed a beautiful little princess to our family who is our pride and joy! It was so much fun having pink and purple instead of blue and green! Don't get me wrong, I love my boys dearly, but there is just something about having a girl!
So we stayed in our house there for 10 years and decided since our boys were getting so big, we needed to move to a larger home and try to get a little more property. We were able to move last summer to a wonderful place that we love and have never been happier! The neighborhood is great, the schools are great, and my kids love that we have lots of kids close by to play with! We couldn't have asked for better!
Which brings me to now. We are very excited to have made it through the Utah winter and are very much looking forward to gardening and especially some new chickens and ducks we are going to raise. We are so excited!! My next post will be about our new little flock, so I won't write much here, just know I can't wait till they are bigger! We are also building garden boxes from scratch and I'm excited to share those with you as well, they don't look like many I've seen anywhere, It's all my hubbys design and thinking and we can't wait till it's all done!
So in a very small nutshell, that is me and what adventures we are pursuing in the near future, so come back often and see what I've been working on lately. There is always something, promise!
Friday, February 12, 2016
Pay Day!!
Does anyone love pay day as much as I do? Probably so, but I think I get the most excited! Most people get a pay check every other week, or twice a month, or some even get paid weekly or daily. In our home, we get a pay check once a month, in the middle of the month.
It has been a hard adjustment for us, but for 11 years now, we have lived this way. I get all my grocery money and spending money in one lump sum instead of breaking it up over a couple times. I have really learned to have to plan what that money goes to.
Our grocery budget right now is $450. That has to buy all food and non food necessities like toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo and soap, etc. At times I don't feel like this money stretches as far as I would like it to, but I also have a great supply of food storage and toothpaste that I won't run out anytime soon.
I shop with coupons a lot as well and that helps me to stretch my money farther. So today, I will sit down with my calendar for the month, put in my menu plan for the month, my grocery list for each week, and then decide what other things I need, like fruits, veggies, shampoo and deodorant and see what things I can get on sale.
I also want to do some freezer meals and items this month, so I need to decide what things I need to buy for that and put them into my menu as well. Freezer burritos on the top of the list this month, as well as things for Saturday and Sunday lunches that sometimes we can't seem to figure out, as well as things for snacks for my kids.
Have you ever made something that you eat one and just can't get enough of it so you have to have just one more and one more? Brownies are my biggest downfall in this area, but I also love a good muffin! And not just for breakfast! And more than that, I love homemade muffins! I will also take one from Maverik but I hate to spend the money sometimes.
Today I'm going to share a couple of muffin recipes that are my favorites, I have so many, but a couple are always my go to and these also freeze great! I will usually double my recipe and then put the leftovers in the freezer where my kids can have one another day and my hubby will also grab a couple and take to work to have as a snack.
My all time go to muffin recipe, because it is super easy and I usually have everything on hand, is Poppy seed mini muffins. I love these because I can make them lemon or almond flavored and they are so moist and yummy!
My other favorite, that I haven't made in a long time, takes a few more ingredients, but it is a great bran muffin that is light and super yummy is the Mormon Muffin. If you are ever in Ogden Utah and need a yummy place for lunch, go to the Greenery Restraunt. It is at the mouth of Ogden canyon and has very yummy food and is well known for their Mormon Muffin with honey butter. I got this recipe years ago from a friend and have made it a few times. I do not know for sure if this is the actual recipe or just one that someone made up themselves. In any case, it makes a huge batch and they are so good!
What kind of muffins do you like? I'm just sharing these two today, but have others like banana muffins and pumpkin muffins that I will share at a later time.
Poppy Seed Mini Muffins
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
2 TBS poppy seeds
2 TBS milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon or almond extract
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt; set aside. Combine remaining ingredients, mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased mini muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400* for 12-15 minutes. Makes 3 1/2 doz.
I usually make these normal size and double recipe and bake about 15 minutes. Minis I usually cook about 10 minutes.
Mormon Muffins
Muffin mix must sit in fridge overnight before baking. Muffin mix will last one week, covered and refrigerated. Makes 6 dozen regular size tin cups or 3 dozen large tin cups.
2 cups boiling water
5 tsp. baking soda
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 quart buttermilk
5 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
4 cups All bran cereal
2 cups 40% bran flakes
1 cup chopped walnuts
Add soda to boiling water and set aside. Whip shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, add eggs slowly. Mix well. Add buttermilk, flour, salt and mix again. Add soda water very slowly. Gently fold in cereals and walnuts. Let sit in fridge over night. Spoon 1/8 cup into greased muffin tins. Bake at 350* for 20 minutes. You can freeze baked muffins.
I hope you enjoy these as much as we do. Now I am off to get my menu ready for the month and get my shopping list done for the week. Have a great day!
It has been a hard adjustment for us, but for 11 years now, we have lived this way. I get all my grocery money and spending money in one lump sum instead of breaking it up over a couple times. I have really learned to have to plan what that money goes to.
Our grocery budget right now is $450. That has to buy all food and non food necessities like toilet paper, paper towels, shampoo and soap, etc. At times I don't feel like this money stretches as far as I would like it to, but I also have a great supply of food storage and toothpaste that I won't run out anytime soon.
I shop with coupons a lot as well and that helps me to stretch my money farther. So today, I will sit down with my calendar for the month, put in my menu plan for the month, my grocery list for each week, and then decide what other things I need, like fruits, veggies, shampoo and deodorant and see what things I can get on sale.
I also want to do some freezer meals and items this month, so I need to decide what things I need to buy for that and put them into my menu as well. Freezer burritos on the top of the list this month, as well as things for Saturday and Sunday lunches that sometimes we can't seem to figure out, as well as things for snacks for my kids.
Have you ever made something that you eat one and just can't get enough of it so you have to have just one more and one more? Brownies are my biggest downfall in this area, but I also love a good muffin! And not just for breakfast! And more than that, I love homemade muffins! I will also take one from Maverik but I hate to spend the money sometimes.
Today I'm going to share a couple of muffin recipes that are my favorites, I have so many, but a couple are always my go to and these also freeze great! I will usually double my recipe and then put the leftovers in the freezer where my kids can have one another day and my hubby will also grab a couple and take to work to have as a snack.
My all time go to muffin recipe, because it is super easy and I usually have everything on hand, is Poppy seed mini muffins. I love these because I can make them lemon or almond flavored and they are so moist and yummy!
My other favorite, that I haven't made in a long time, takes a few more ingredients, but it is a great bran muffin that is light and super yummy is the Mormon Muffin. If you are ever in Ogden Utah and need a yummy place for lunch, go to the Greenery Restraunt. It is at the mouth of Ogden canyon and has very yummy food and is well known for their Mormon Muffin with honey butter. I got this recipe years ago from a friend and have made it a few times. I do not know for sure if this is the actual recipe or just one that someone made up themselves. In any case, it makes a huge batch and they are so good!
What kind of muffins do you like? I'm just sharing these two today, but have others like banana muffins and pumpkin muffins that I will share at a later time.
Poppy Seed Mini Muffins
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
2 TBS poppy seeds
2 TBS milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon or almond extract
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt; set aside. Combine remaining ingredients, mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased mini muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400* for 12-15 minutes. Makes 3 1/2 doz.
I usually make these normal size and double recipe and bake about 15 minutes. Minis I usually cook about 10 minutes.
Mormon Muffins
Muffin mix must sit in fridge overnight before baking. Muffin mix will last one week, covered and refrigerated. Makes 6 dozen regular size tin cups or 3 dozen large tin cups.
2 cups boiling water
5 tsp. baking soda
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 quart buttermilk
5 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
4 cups All bran cereal
2 cups 40% bran flakes
1 cup chopped walnuts
Add soda to boiling water and set aside. Whip shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, add eggs slowly. Mix well. Add buttermilk, flour, salt and mix again. Add soda water very slowly. Gently fold in cereals and walnuts. Let sit in fridge over night. Spoon 1/8 cup into greased muffin tins. Bake at 350* for 20 minutes. You can freeze baked muffins.
I hope you enjoy these as much as we do. Now I am off to get my menu ready for the month and get my shopping list done for the week. Have a great day!
Thursday, February 11, 2016
I know I didn't blog yesterday. First I just couldn't think of anything to blog about, and second I just couldn't bring myself to do much of anything yesterday.
I don't know why I have those days where I do almost nothing. My Type 1 nature is so not like that! I should be bright and vibrant and busy all the time, but every now and then I have a gloomy day.
I don't have depression or anything like that, but yesterday I just had emotions so close to the surface I didn't know how to feel. I don't know what emotions I was feeling either. I can't describe exactly what I was feeling or going through.
I did get some cross-stitching done and some TV watched, but not much else. I tend to eat my feelings as well, and luckily what sounded good was a salad from Costa Vida and a caffeinated drink from my favorite drink place, which isn't so bad, but the fact that I was feeling so low, I took it.
Maybe that's all I really needed was a good lunch, but even after my kids got home from school, I was still feeling low. At those times I really don't want to do anything, and we did left overs and fried eggs and toast for dinner.
Once my hubby came home, I was starting to come out of my cloud and seeing him go right to work with things around the house that need to be done, gave me a little energy and I was able to clean and vacuum my room, which was really needing to be done. I felt a little better knowing that that room was at least clean, since when I stitch, it's usually on the couch in my bedroom.
I can't decide if this is just the weather getting me down, we did have a few days of sunny and nice weather and now we are back to foggy and drab, or if there is something really wrong with me.
I read a post from someone that was shared on Facebook and it really hit home, especially about how I feel. It was mostly on depression and anxiety, but it also talked about when you just don't feel happy. I think this is the stage I'm in. I have just not felt happy.
Maybe it's because I feel like I fight with my kids every waking hour of the day, or because everything is my fault and they're not afraid to tell me so. Or maybe it's just my own insecurities about life and my calling and all the new people I have and need to meet, and try to remember their names. Or maybe it's that one person I'm concerned I offended by a comment that was not at all geared to her or said to offend anyone, but I'm still afraid it may have. Or maybe it's that I'm stuck at home all day not feeling like I contribute much to the family other than cooking and cleaning. Or being sad that in our move here, I have lost some great clients and friends that I miss so much. Or maybe it's just that I'm not living my truth and need to again to feel happy and love my body now, not 30 pounds ago.
Whatever the reason, I also have a choice in this matter! I can continue to have a pity party and stay in this slump I'm in, or I can get up and choose to live life!
Satan would have me continue on in my pity party hour after hour and day after day, but I need to make that choice to not let him in my life! I would much rather take the light over the dark and that's just what he is is darkness.
I need to look beyond myself and focus on others. How can I serve my kids, my husband, those I serve with, those I live near, those I miss and love so much, my extended family, friends I haven't seen in a while, etc? How can I reach beyond myself to touch others with the light of Christ that I know is in me, but on those darker days is harder to see?
We all have choices! What to wear, what to eat, what to drive, where to live, who to associate with, how to worship, who to love, forgiveness or not, repentance or not, service or not.
What will you choose?
I read this yesterday and on a day like yesterday, it hit me hard:
"Living for the sake of other, makes us most beautiful in the sight of God!"
Service and kindness and love for others is what matters most in this life! "When we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God" (Mosiah 2:17). Who better to love and serve than God! And it is through our service and love of others that is achieved.
So on that day that I am feeling in a slump, I will serve and love more. Serve and love my family, the sisters I serve, the friends I have, those I see only occasionally, my neighbors, those with different beliefs than mine, those that I may disagree with.
I can serve everyone in even the smallest of ways: a phone call, a plate of cookies, a loaf of bread, a smile, a compliment, and in so doing, I am serving God, whom I love dearly, for He has blessed me with everything that I have, and will have, and I see his guiding hand in my life and I'm grateful!
We all have choices, I pray that we will make the right ones that keep us safe, and help us love and serve those around us!
I don't know why I have those days where I do almost nothing. My Type 1 nature is so not like that! I should be bright and vibrant and busy all the time, but every now and then I have a gloomy day.
I don't have depression or anything like that, but yesterday I just had emotions so close to the surface I didn't know how to feel. I don't know what emotions I was feeling either. I can't describe exactly what I was feeling or going through.
I did get some cross-stitching done and some TV watched, but not much else. I tend to eat my feelings as well, and luckily what sounded good was a salad from Costa Vida and a caffeinated drink from my favorite drink place, which isn't so bad, but the fact that I was feeling so low, I took it.
Maybe that's all I really needed was a good lunch, but even after my kids got home from school, I was still feeling low. At those times I really don't want to do anything, and we did left overs and fried eggs and toast for dinner.
Once my hubby came home, I was starting to come out of my cloud and seeing him go right to work with things around the house that need to be done, gave me a little energy and I was able to clean and vacuum my room, which was really needing to be done. I felt a little better knowing that that room was at least clean, since when I stitch, it's usually on the couch in my bedroom.
I can't decide if this is just the weather getting me down, we did have a few days of sunny and nice weather and now we are back to foggy and drab, or if there is something really wrong with me.
I read a post from someone that was shared on Facebook and it really hit home, especially about how I feel. It was mostly on depression and anxiety, but it also talked about when you just don't feel happy. I think this is the stage I'm in. I have just not felt happy.
Maybe it's because I feel like I fight with my kids every waking hour of the day, or because everything is my fault and they're not afraid to tell me so. Or maybe it's just my own insecurities about life and my calling and all the new people I have and need to meet, and try to remember their names. Or maybe it's that one person I'm concerned I offended by a comment that was not at all geared to her or said to offend anyone, but I'm still afraid it may have. Or maybe it's that I'm stuck at home all day not feeling like I contribute much to the family other than cooking and cleaning. Or being sad that in our move here, I have lost some great clients and friends that I miss so much. Or maybe it's just that I'm not living my truth and need to again to feel happy and love my body now, not 30 pounds ago.
Whatever the reason, I also have a choice in this matter! I can continue to have a pity party and stay in this slump I'm in, or I can get up and choose to live life!
Satan would have me continue on in my pity party hour after hour and day after day, but I need to make that choice to not let him in my life! I would much rather take the light over the dark and that's just what he is is darkness.
I need to look beyond myself and focus on others. How can I serve my kids, my husband, those I serve with, those I live near, those I miss and love so much, my extended family, friends I haven't seen in a while, etc? How can I reach beyond myself to touch others with the light of Christ that I know is in me, but on those darker days is harder to see?
We all have choices! What to wear, what to eat, what to drive, where to live, who to associate with, how to worship, who to love, forgiveness or not, repentance or not, service or not.
What will you choose?
I read this yesterday and on a day like yesterday, it hit me hard:
"Living for the sake of other, makes us most beautiful in the sight of God!"
Service and kindness and love for others is what matters most in this life! "When we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God" (Mosiah 2:17). Who better to love and serve than God! And it is through our service and love of others that is achieved.
So on that day that I am feeling in a slump, I will serve and love more. Serve and love my family, the sisters I serve, the friends I have, those I see only occasionally, my neighbors, those with different beliefs than mine, those that I may disagree with.
I can serve everyone in even the smallest of ways: a phone call, a plate of cookies, a loaf of bread, a smile, a compliment, and in so doing, I am serving God, whom I love dearly, for He has blessed me with everything that I have, and will have, and I see his guiding hand in my life and I'm grateful!
We all have choices, I pray that we will make the right ones that keep us safe, and help us love and serve those around us!
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Beans, beans, the magical fruit!
Yep they sure are, in more ways than one! I have cooked with beans for a long time and love beans! I'm talking those dried beans that you can buy in the Hispanic food isle. Or the ones in cans are fine too. Pinto, black, red, pink, white, cannellini, garbanzo, kidney, etc.
Beans are so healthy for you! Not only are they a great source of protein, but they have half the fiber that you need for one day! They also have antioxidants, are low in sugar and are great for weight loss and insulin!! Does sound like a magical fruit, doesn't it?!
I realize for some people it's hard to cook your own beans, that's why they have canned beans that are already cooked for you, just open the can and rinse and put in whatever you want. Just be careful when choosing your canned beans. Some companies will add sugar or excess amounts of salt to make them taste better.
Sometimes I will just grab a can of beans for a meal when I don't have time to cook my own. Especially refried beans for burritos or 7 layer dip. I did notice yesterday when I opened a can of refried black beans that I didn't look at the label for, that it had more than just beans and salt, it had lard and partially hydrogenated lard! The latter ingredient is so not good for you! I was just a little upset! Why did my super healthy beans need to have such awful ingredients in it? Sometimes I don't understand why they have to do that!
Years ago when we were very poor, we couldn't afford meat very often. I didn't know how to stretch food very well as our family grew. My husband, on the other hand, was awesome! He would just say, throw a can of beans in it. I thought that was kind of weird, but the more I did it, the more we grew to love beans. We would have stroganoff with kidney beans, which sounds weird but is actually really pretty good!
Now I don't use beans quite as much, but I do still use only one pound of ground hamburger or turkey, or in our case now, ground elk, and add things to it to stretch it. I can feed all 7 of us on one pound of ground meat, mixed with rehydrated refried beans and some taco seasoning. This is how I make tacos. I always stretch it with beans of some kind.
Fresh refried beans are some of my favorite! We got an easy recipe from a friend years ago that I use often still. I usually double this recipe and freeze whatever I don't use for another meal. Here is the recipe I usually use:
Refried beans
1 cup pinto beans
1/4 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
3 TBS oil
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Wash beans thoroughly, remove any rocks or twigs. place in deep pot with 3 cups water. bring to a boil and slowly add baking soda to "de-gas" beans. Remove from heat, skim off foam, cover and let stand in liquid 1 hour.
Add 2 more cups water to beans. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring once, until beans are tender. Save 1 1/2 cups bean liquid for use during mashing. Heat 3 TBS oil in skillet over medium heat. Add cooked beans and 1 1/2 cups retained bean liquid. Add 1 tsp. salt and 3/4 cup cheese. Mash until smooth and cook until liquid is mostly absorbed. Serve warm topped with 1/4 cup cheese.
Really easy recipe, but plan about 3 hours start to finish. I don't usually mash these beans, I have, but don't usually. I will just cook them and then scoop them out into quart size freezer bags and freeze for when I need them later. Or we will use them right away for chicken burritos. I will either leave them whole or mash them right on the tortilla if I don't want them whole. They work out great!
I also use this recipe for other types of beans as well. I have done black, kidney and pink beans as well and they all turned out great!
I also love soups and chili with beans! There are so many ways to use beans! Do you have any favorite bean recipes? Share yours with us!
Beans are so healthy for you! Not only are they a great source of protein, but they have half the fiber that you need for one day! They also have antioxidants, are low in sugar and are great for weight loss and insulin!! Does sound like a magical fruit, doesn't it?!
I realize for some people it's hard to cook your own beans, that's why they have canned beans that are already cooked for you, just open the can and rinse and put in whatever you want. Just be careful when choosing your canned beans. Some companies will add sugar or excess amounts of salt to make them taste better.
Sometimes I will just grab a can of beans for a meal when I don't have time to cook my own. Especially refried beans for burritos or 7 layer dip. I did notice yesterday when I opened a can of refried black beans that I didn't look at the label for, that it had more than just beans and salt, it had lard and partially hydrogenated lard! The latter ingredient is so not good for you! I was just a little upset! Why did my super healthy beans need to have such awful ingredients in it? Sometimes I don't understand why they have to do that!
Years ago when we were very poor, we couldn't afford meat very often. I didn't know how to stretch food very well as our family grew. My husband, on the other hand, was awesome! He would just say, throw a can of beans in it. I thought that was kind of weird, but the more I did it, the more we grew to love beans. We would have stroganoff with kidney beans, which sounds weird but is actually really pretty good!
Now I don't use beans quite as much, but I do still use only one pound of ground hamburger or turkey, or in our case now, ground elk, and add things to it to stretch it. I can feed all 7 of us on one pound of ground meat, mixed with rehydrated refried beans and some taco seasoning. This is how I make tacos. I always stretch it with beans of some kind.
Fresh refried beans are some of my favorite! We got an easy recipe from a friend years ago that I use often still. I usually double this recipe and freeze whatever I don't use for another meal. Here is the recipe I usually use:
Refried beans
1 cup pinto beans
1/4 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
3 TBS oil
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Wash beans thoroughly, remove any rocks or twigs. place in deep pot with 3 cups water. bring to a boil and slowly add baking soda to "de-gas" beans. Remove from heat, skim off foam, cover and let stand in liquid 1 hour.
Add 2 more cups water to beans. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring once, until beans are tender. Save 1 1/2 cups bean liquid for use during mashing. Heat 3 TBS oil in skillet over medium heat. Add cooked beans and 1 1/2 cups retained bean liquid. Add 1 tsp. salt and 3/4 cup cheese. Mash until smooth and cook until liquid is mostly absorbed. Serve warm topped with 1/4 cup cheese.
Really easy recipe, but plan about 3 hours start to finish. I don't usually mash these beans, I have, but don't usually. I will just cook them and then scoop them out into quart size freezer bags and freeze for when I need them later. Or we will use them right away for chicken burritos. I will either leave them whole or mash them right on the tortilla if I don't want them whole. They work out great!
I also use this recipe for other types of beans as well. I have done black, kidney and pink beans as well and they all turned out great!
I also love soups and chili with beans! There are so many ways to use beans! Do you have any favorite bean recipes? Share yours with us!
Eat healthy!
I have been thinking a lot lately about eating more healthy. With that said, it's easier said or thought, than actually done!
I eat pretty healthy. I try to get in fruits and veggies and cook lean meats and whole grains and water. It's just hard to on some of those days, when I decide I'd rather go out to lunch with my hubby than to make something more healthy at home.
I love going out to eat! I love the food, the fact that I don't have to make the food, and of course the social atmosphere. But it never fails, I always choose something that sounds so good, but is so not healthy! Add on the soda, since most restraunts have awful water, and I probably just blew my whole day.
We went out yesterday. Hit the pizza buffet, which I like, because they have a salad bar and I will always get a salad first and by the time I'm done with that, I can usually only eat one piece of pizza and a couple little breadstick knots, but I can't pass up dessert! It was nice to get out though and be with my hubby for sure!
I was thinking about a book that my in-laws gave me for Christmas a few years ago that I absolutely love! It's called "The homemade pantry: 101 things to stop buying and start making" by Alana Chernila.*
This book has been a huge blessing to us! With trying to get my kids to eat healthy and help out in the kitchen, we have used this book a lot! The author is a mom that lives on a farm and makes and uses everything she grows and raises. She is very inspiring! As you can see from the cover, she has a recipe for toaster pastries, yum! She also has recipes for graham crackers, cheese crackers, cakes, pies, drinks, marshmallows, sauerkraut, butter, cheese, vanilla extract, etc.
We haven't tried all of the recipes, but I have tried the graham crackers and sauerkraut and we love them both!
This is where we have gotten our kids to help out. We have let the kids pick which snack they want to make and then, with our help, they make them. Our youngest son loves to make the graham crackers, so we try to make those often. Add some yummy homemade frosting and you have a yummy dessert!
In making our own snacks and treats, we are also cutting out all the additives that our bodies don't need. Like high fructose corn syrup. Don't get me wrong, I like corn syrup as much as the next person in syrups and desserts, but not in my applesauce or things that are processed that need a sweetener.
If you are like me and want to start kicking the bad stuff out of your diet and start putting good fuel in your body, this is a great place to start and an awesome book to help you out! My family has loved it!
*I am in no way being paid to endorse this book. Everything said here is the opinion of the writer.
I eat pretty healthy. I try to get in fruits and veggies and cook lean meats and whole grains and water. It's just hard to on some of those days, when I decide I'd rather go out to lunch with my hubby than to make something more healthy at home.
I love going out to eat! I love the food, the fact that I don't have to make the food, and of course the social atmosphere. But it never fails, I always choose something that sounds so good, but is so not healthy! Add on the soda, since most restraunts have awful water, and I probably just blew my whole day.
We went out yesterday. Hit the pizza buffet, which I like, because they have a salad bar and I will always get a salad first and by the time I'm done with that, I can usually only eat one piece of pizza and a couple little breadstick knots, but I can't pass up dessert! It was nice to get out though and be with my hubby for sure!
I was thinking about a book that my in-laws gave me for Christmas a few years ago that I absolutely love! It's called "The homemade pantry: 101 things to stop buying and start making" by Alana Chernila.*
We haven't tried all of the recipes, but I have tried the graham crackers and sauerkraut and we love them both!
This is where we have gotten our kids to help out. We have let the kids pick which snack they want to make and then, with our help, they make them. Our youngest son loves to make the graham crackers, so we try to make those often. Add some yummy homemade frosting and you have a yummy dessert!
In making our own snacks and treats, we are also cutting out all the additives that our bodies don't need. Like high fructose corn syrup. Don't get me wrong, I like corn syrup as much as the next person in syrups and desserts, but not in my applesauce or things that are processed that need a sweetener.
If you are like me and want to start kicking the bad stuff out of your diet and start putting good fuel in your body, this is a great place to start and an awesome book to help you out! My family has loved it!
*I am in no way being paid to endorse this book. Everything said here is the opinion of the writer.
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Who needs pumpkin?!
I love anything pumpkin! For my freezer cooking class tonight, I made my very yummy pumpkin chocolate chip bars! YUM!! And to make them even better, there is cream cheese frosting to go on top!
Maybe you are wondering why I made these for the freezer cooking class. Well, there are so many different ways to freezer cook and one of them is making your own ingredients to replace the more expensive ingredients that are in the recipe and freezing them to use anytime you want!
Pumpkin is one of my favorite things to cook with and one of the more expensive things to buy for pies, cookies, bars, etc. So I like to make my own!
Where we live now, we live right on the famous fruit belt of Utah. This is one of my favorite things about living here! In the fall during harvest time, we can get so many different fruits and veggies that are fresh from the field. Corn and peaches are two of the top things that Brigham City is known for. This is, in the past, where I have gotten most of my peaches. You can get a half bushel of peaches for $10 on up, it is great! Then I can all the peaches and have my years supply. I do also freeze some to use in smoothies.
Sweet corn is one of my most favorite veggies! Yes, in my book, it is a veggie! Utah has some of the best and sweetest sweet corn, you don't even have to put butter on it, I like to eat it steamed and warm, fresh on the cob! I'm getting hungry already! This also makes for some awesome freezer corn that tastes so good even out of the freezer!
Anyway, we are talking pumpkin today. Around the end of September through October, our fruit stands will start to sell pumpkins. Pumpkins of all sizes and shapes! Perfect for decorating, carving and eating! Not to mention, the one stand I go to, has killer prices on pumpkins and ones that cost about $5 in the store than are a good size pumpkin are about $2-3! And sometimes they have them buy 2 get 1 free! Even better deal!!
So I like to decorate with them for a couple weeks and then I start cutting and cooking! I know they have pie pumpkins that are supposed to be sweeter than a normal pumpkin, and I bought a couple to see, and I didn't notice a difference, so I just use normal pumpkins, yes they are edible!
First I wash the outsides really good, then cut them in half and scoop out all the seeds and membranes (which you can dry and cook the seeds if you like pumpkin seeds), then I cut each half into quarters and fit into a 9 X 13 baking dish. Put some water in the bottom and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 45 minutes or more at 375*. Check after 45 minutes and then check every 15 minutes after that until they are soft and puncture easily with a fork all the way through.
Take out of oven and left cook until you can easily handle them. Scoop all the fruit away from the skin, if it is cooked long enough it should come away from the skin really easily. Then I put the pumpkin into the food processor or a blender and puree until it's smooth.
Scoop out two cups into each freezer container or quart size freezer bag. Label pumpkin 2 cups on the outside and put into freezer.
I do 2 cups each because most recipes call for 16 oz, which is approximately 2 cups. Sometimes I have smaller containers and will do 1 cup in each as well, but mostly I do 2 cups in each.
Voila! You now have lots of pumpkin puree to use in your most favorite recipes! Just thaw in the fridge or in the microwave and add! One thing with homemade puree though, it does have more liquid than store bought canned stuff. It still turns out great, but if it is a problem for you, just drain in in some cheesecloth and that will thicken it.
So that's the scoop on my yummy pumpkin puree. Question? Leave them in the comments and I will answer you back! Thanks for stopping by!
Maybe you are wondering why I made these for the freezer cooking class. Well, there are so many different ways to freezer cook and one of them is making your own ingredients to replace the more expensive ingredients that are in the recipe and freezing them to use anytime you want!
Pumpkin is one of my favorite things to cook with and one of the more expensive things to buy for pies, cookies, bars, etc. So I like to make my own!
Where we live now, we live right on the famous fruit belt of Utah. This is one of my favorite things about living here! In the fall during harvest time, we can get so many different fruits and veggies that are fresh from the field. Corn and peaches are two of the top things that Brigham City is known for. This is, in the past, where I have gotten most of my peaches. You can get a half bushel of peaches for $10 on up, it is great! Then I can all the peaches and have my years supply. I do also freeze some to use in smoothies.
Sweet corn is one of my most favorite veggies! Yes, in my book, it is a veggie! Utah has some of the best and sweetest sweet corn, you don't even have to put butter on it, I like to eat it steamed and warm, fresh on the cob! I'm getting hungry already! This also makes for some awesome freezer corn that tastes so good even out of the freezer!
Anyway, we are talking pumpkin today. Around the end of September through October, our fruit stands will start to sell pumpkins. Pumpkins of all sizes and shapes! Perfect for decorating, carving and eating! Not to mention, the one stand I go to, has killer prices on pumpkins and ones that cost about $5 in the store than are a good size pumpkin are about $2-3! And sometimes they have them buy 2 get 1 free! Even better deal!!
So I like to decorate with them for a couple weeks and then I start cutting and cooking! I know they have pie pumpkins that are supposed to be sweeter than a normal pumpkin, and I bought a couple to see, and I didn't notice a difference, so I just use normal pumpkins, yes they are edible!
First I wash the outsides really good, then cut them in half and scoop out all the seeds and membranes (which you can dry and cook the seeds if you like pumpkin seeds), then I cut each half into quarters and fit into a 9 X 13 baking dish. Put some water in the bottom and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 45 minutes or more at 375*. Check after 45 minutes and then check every 15 minutes after that until they are soft and puncture easily with a fork all the way through.
Take out of oven and left cook until you can easily handle them. Scoop all the fruit away from the skin, if it is cooked long enough it should come away from the skin really easily. Then I put the pumpkin into the food processor or a blender and puree until it's smooth.
Scoop out two cups into each freezer container or quart size freezer bag. Label pumpkin 2 cups on the outside and put into freezer.
I do 2 cups each because most recipes call for 16 oz, which is approximately 2 cups. Sometimes I have smaller containers and will do 1 cup in each as well, but mostly I do 2 cups in each.
Voila! You now have lots of pumpkin puree to use in your most favorite recipes! Just thaw in the fridge or in the microwave and add! One thing with homemade puree though, it does have more liquid than store bought canned stuff. It still turns out great, but if it is a problem for you, just drain in in some cheesecloth and that will thicken it.
So that's the scoop on my yummy pumpkin puree. Question? Leave them in the comments and I will answer you back! Thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Cooking Stock
As I am typing this, I have chicken cooking in the pot! Not for stock, but for chicken burritos. I am teaching a freezer cooking class tomorrow night and am going to demo how I do chicken burritos. This is seriously my all time favorite and go to recipe for freezer cooking! You can do so many things with them, make them so many different ways, and they are super yummy!
Anyway, I'm not talking burritos today, I want to talk cooking homemade stock. There's nothing like a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup! And if you have the homemade noodles to put in it, it is even better, but even with just store bought noodles, there is nothing like a pot of chicken noodle soup! What's even better is when it is made with homemade chicken stock!
Stock is actually really easy to make! A couple Sundays ago, I cooked a turkey. Just a normal old turkey cooked in the roasting pan. It was super yummy and made for awesome sandwiches and turkey noodle soup!
Anyway, after that dinner, I cleaned all the meat off the bones, as best I could, then put the rest of the bones into my crockpot dish with all the drippings and put it in the fridge until I could cook it down.
The following Friday, I decided I needed to cook down that turkey. I pulled it out and put the dish into the crockpot, added enough water to cover all the bones, which was almost to the top of the crockpot dish, and turned it on. It probably cooked for about 6 hours or so on low.
I decided to use the rest of the turkey and made a yummy creamy turkey and rice soup. It was especially nice that I could just use the turkey stock that I just cooked! I ladled out 4 cups of stock and then added 6 more cups (I have a large family that loves soup), added my veggies and about 1 TBS chicken bouillon for a little more flavor and cooked!
When the veggies were tender, I added the creamy roué I had made with butter, flour and 4 cups of milk, added the chopped turkey and about 2 cups of precooked rice (left over from a previous meal). My kids loved it and my hubby raved about it all night! That's when I know I've made something really good!
Well, back to our turkey...When it has cooled enough to handle the turkey, you can finish cleaning the bones, there is usually more meat still on the bones. I just put this meat back into the turkey stock, poured it all in a bowl and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
The next day, you will notice it has kind solidified. This makes it much easier to handle! Skim the layer of fat off the top, mine didn't have much, since there wasn't any skin on the bones when I cooked it down. Then I ladled 3-4 cups of stock into 1 quart freezer bags. Labeled and froze! When I want to make soup next, I will just pull one out and add about 8 cups of water and have my broth for soup!
There are many different ways to make stock and with many different items! Make stock from any kind of animal bones: chicken, turkey, beef, pork. Or make some veggie stock with water and a variety of veggies. You can also add veggies to you turkey or chicken and it will add more flavor to your stock. It's not too hard, and with the crockpot, it's super easy!
Please share how you make your stock and how you use it in recipes! I would love to hear from you!
Anyway, I'm not talking burritos today, I want to talk cooking homemade stock. There's nothing like a pot of homemade chicken noodle soup! And if you have the homemade noodles to put in it, it is even better, but even with just store bought noodles, there is nothing like a pot of chicken noodle soup! What's even better is when it is made with homemade chicken stock!
Stock is actually really easy to make! A couple Sundays ago, I cooked a turkey. Just a normal old turkey cooked in the roasting pan. It was super yummy and made for awesome sandwiches and turkey noodle soup!
Anyway, after that dinner, I cleaned all the meat off the bones, as best I could, then put the rest of the bones into my crockpot dish with all the drippings and put it in the fridge until I could cook it down.
The following Friday, I decided I needed to cook down that turkey. I pulled it out and put the dish into the crockpot, added enough water to cover all the bones, which was almost to the top of the crockpot dish, and turned it on. It probably cooked for about 6 hours or so on low.
I decided to use the rest of the turkey and made a yummy creamy turkey and rice soup. It was especially nice that I could just use the turkey stock that I just cooked! I ladled out 4 cups of stock and then added 6 more cups (I have a large family that loves soup), added my veggies and about 1 TBS chicken bouillon for a little more flavor and cooked!
When the veggies were tender, I added the creamy roué I had made with butter, flour and 4 cups of milk, added the chopped turkey and about 2 cups of precooked rice (left over from a previous meal). My kids loved it and my hubby raved about it all night! That's when I know I've made something really good!
Well, back to our turkey...When it has cooled enough to handle the turkey, you can finish cleaning the bones, there is usually more meat still on the bones. I just put this meat back into the turkey stock, poured it all in a bowl and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
The next day, you will notice it has kind solidified. This makes it much easier to handle! Skim the layer of fat off the top, mine didn't have much, since there wasn't any skin on the bones when I cooked it down. Then I ladled 3-4 cups of stock into 1 quart freezer bags. Labeled and froze! When I want to make soup next, I will just pull one out and add about 8 cups of water and have my broth for soup!
There are many different ways to make stock and with many different items! Make stock from any kind of animal bones: chicken, turkey, beef, pork. Or make some veggie stock with water and a variety of veggies. You can also add veggies to you turkey or chicken and it will add more flavor to your stock. It's not too hard, and with the crockpot, it's super easy!
Please share how you make your stock and how you use it in recipes! I would love to hear from you!
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
Freezer Meal Shopping
I love shopping! Really any kind of shopping is fun for me! I just don't like to try on clothes, so tend to go back to the store more often than I need to.
When I'm at the store, the first thing I hit is the clearance or discount racks. Know where your discount sections in your stores are, this will save you money!
I have scored on yogurt many times! Check the expiration, but most dairy products will be fine up to a week past the sell by date. Sometimes stores discount things just because they have too much and they can have sell by dates up to a month out, those are my favorite!
Be choosy with your meat. I like to shop the discount meat because it less expensive, but some are already turning funky colors and that is not when you want to buy them. Find meat that looks good and smells good. Even if the sell by date is that day, you can either take it home and cook it right away, or you can put it right in the freezer and save for another recipe you have in mind.
Just the other day, I happened to be at the store and looked on the discounts for bread. I was able to find two packages of whole grain hoagie rolls from the bakery on discount and I knew I needed them for the French dip we will do this week. I bought them both and brought them home, double bagged and put in the freezer and will pull them out the morning we do French dip.
I love when I can find what I need on discount!
Some people say that you should get your meat and frozen foods last. It is entirely up to you how you want to shop. I will usually get my fresh stuff first because it is right in the front of the store, and then hit the aisles for the canned and dried things and try to do dairy and meat and frozen last, but that's mostly how my stores are set up, so I just go with the flow.
If you have a budget you need to keep with, don't be afraid to put things back and tweak your meal plan for the week. Sometimes you don't know exactly what things cost until you get into the store. If you can plan your meals with a grocery ad, this will also save you money!
Most people don't like to shop multiple stores. I do, but I am also looking for the best price! I know that we have an Associated Foods store here that usually has their pork roasts on sale for .99-$1.25/lb, and chicken legs and thighs around .79/lb, so I will go there for my meat, but I also know that Smith's usually has meat and dairy and bread and other things on close out that I can get fairly cheap, so I will also go there if there is something on their sale I need, or if I want to check out their close out.
When you are done shopping, you are now ready to prep and cook the meals you have planned! Yay! The fun now begins!
When I'm at the store, the first thing I hit is the clearance or discount racks. Know where your discount sections in your stores are, this will save you money!
I have scored on yogurt many times! Check the expiration, but most dairy products will be fine up to a week past the sell by date. Sometimes stores discount things just because they have too much and they can have sell by dates up to a month out, those are my favorite!
Be choosy with your meat. I like to shop the discount meat because it less expensive, but some are already turning funky colors and that is not when you want to buy them. Find meat that looks good and smells good. Even if the sell by date is that day, you can either take it home and cook it right away, or you can put it right in the freezer and save for another recipe you have in mind.
Just the other day, I happened to be at the store and looked on the discounts for bread. I was able to find two packages of whole grain hoagie rolls from the bakery on discount and I knew I needed them for the French dip we will do this week. I bought them both and brought them home, double bagged and put in the freezer and will pull them out the morning we do French dip.
I love when I can find what I need on discount!
Some people say that you should get your meat and frozen foods last. It is entirely up to you how you want to shop. I will usually get my fresh stuff first because it is right in the front of the store, and then hit the aisles for the canned and dried things and try to do dairy and meat and frozen last, but that's mostly how my stores are set up, so I just go with the flow.
If you have a budget you need to keep with, don't be afraid to put things back and tweak your meal plan for the week. Sometimes you don't know exactly what things cost until you get into the store. If you can plan your meals with a grocery ad, this will also save you money!
Most people don't like to shop multiple stores. I do, but I am also looking for the best price! I know that we have an Associated Foods store here that usually has their pork roasts on sale for .99-$1.25/lb, and chicken legs and thighs around .79/lb, so I will go there for my meat, but I also know that Smith's usually has meat and dairy and bread and other things on close out that I can get fairly cheap, so I will also go there if there is something on their sale I need, or if I want to check out their close out.
When you are done shopping, you are now ready to prep and cook the meals you have planned! Yay! The fun now begins!
Freezer Cooking Continued...
As a continuation of yesterdays freezer cooking post, I have come up with an example menu for a week. For some of us, this may be a little expensive, but still doable. I hope to begin making videos about some of the freezer cooking I plan to do soon, so you can all see exactly how I do my freezer cooking, but for now, just use your imagination and please ask any questions you need to if you don't understand something!
This is just one weeks worth of a menu. I usually plan menus for one month at a time so I know what the month is going to be like. For this week, you could do all your purchasing and prep work the Friday or Saturday before, and then you have the week to just sit back!
If you go to right of the screen and find my freezer meals tab, you can find some recipes. Some of those recipes are for the meals below. Namely Rubber Chicken. Doesn't sound like a very appealing name, I know, I didn't name it, I just got it from someone years ago. Rubber chicken makes three meals: Roasted chicken, hearty chicken noodle soup and chicken enchiladas.
Since you are doing all the prep before hand, and the roasted chicken is the first meal, you have some options here: 1-keep the whole chicken in the fridge until Monday and cook it fresh, or 2-cook it on Saturday with everything else and pull it off the bones and keep meat in fridge to reheat on Monday, whichever is easier or more appealing to you. DON'T FORGET to save those bones and the chicken drippings to make chicken stock for later! This would work great with your chicken noodle soup!
Garlic - 16 cloves
Thyme - 4 tsp.
Rosemary - 8 TBS
Salt - 8 tsp.
Black pepper - 4 tsp.
Olive oil 10 TBS (1/2 cup + 2 TBS)
Chicken bouillon
Butter – 1 cup + 2 TBS
Garlic salt
Flour – ¼ cup
Mild green chilies – 2 cans
Refried beans – 1 can
Flour tortillas – 2 bags (10-12 count)
Cheese
Oil
Ground beef – 3 lbs
Onions – 4
Mushrooms – 6 canned or 1 lb fresh
Cream of mushroom soup - 6
Milk – 3 1/2 cups
Sour cream – 16+ oz
Carrots – 2 cups
Celery – 2 cups
Green onion - 1
Cream of chicken soup – 4 cans
Fettuccine noodles
BBQ sauce – 2 bottles
Cheddar/jack cheese
Lasagna noodles
Spaghetti sauce
Cottage cheese – 2 cups
Eggs
Mozzarella cheese – 16 oz
Freezer bags
Foil lasagna pans
Olives
Sour cream
Tortillas
Rice side dishes
Mexican rice
Carrots
Celery
Green beans
Hamburger buns
Green salad
Dressing
Garlic bread
Grated cheese
Potatoes
Broccoli – fresh or frozen
As you can see, there is a lot of ingredients! That's ok! If you happen to have food storage, you probably have most of this on hand already or can substitute some of the ingredients, like onions for dried onions, etc.
Now go through the list of ingredients and take off all the ones that you already have. This should look like a much more manageable list. The list of things to have on hand are the items that will be sides and toppings.
I would make an easier list to read to take to the store, one that is broken down by type of item, like meats, dairy, fresh and frozen. Then you aren't wandering back and forth in the store, you can get all fresh items at one time, all dairy at one time, etc.
Add any other items you might need, like milk, eggs, laundry soap, etc, to minimize trips to the store. Get any coupons that might help you at the store and then go do your shopping!
This is just one weeks worth of a menu. I usually plan menus for one month at a time so I know what the month is going to be like. For this week, you could do all your purchasing and prep work the Friday or Saturday before, and then you have the week to just sit back!
If you go to right of the screen and find my freezer meals tab, you can find some recipes. Some of those recipes are for the meals below. Namely Rubber Chicken. Doesn't sound like a very appealing name, I know, I didn't name it, I just got it from someone years ago. Rubber chicken makes three meals: Roasted chicken, hearty chicken noodle soup and chicken enchiladas.
Since you are doing all the prep before hand, and the roasted chicken is the first meal, you have some options here: 1-keep the whole chicken in the fridge until Monday and cook it fresh, or 2-cook it on Saturday with everything else and pull it off the bones and keep meat in fridge to reheat on Monday, whichever is easier or more appealing to you. DON'T FORGET to save those bones and the chicken drippings to make chicken stock for later! This would work great with your chicken noodle soup!
Example menus
Monday roasted
chicken, garlic potatoes, broccoli
Tuesday chili
verde tostadas, Mexican rice
Wednesday hamburger
stroganoff, green beans
Thursday hearty
chicken noodle soup, rolls
Friday BBQ
pork sandwiches, homemade fries, carrot and celery sticks
Saturday chicken
enchilada, Mexican rice, green salad
Sunday lasagna,
garlic bread, green salad
Imagine with me that you decided to make these meals for the week. You pull out your cookbook and find the recipes. The next step is to make a list of all the ingredients for each recipe:!
Ingredients for rubber chicken:
4 fryer chickensGarlic - 16 cloves
Thyme - 4 tsp.
Rosemary - 8 TBS
Salt - 8 tsp.
Black pepper - 4 tsp.
Olive oil 10 TBS (1/2 cup + 2 TBS)
Ingredients for rest of meals:
Boneless pork roast – 2 to 3Chicken bouillon
Butter – 1 cup + 2 TBS
Garlic salt
Flour – ¼ cup
Mild green chilies – 2 cans
Refried beans – 1 can
Flour tortillas – 2 bags (10-12 count)
Cheese
Oil
Ground beef – 3 lbs
Onions – 4
Mushrooms – 6 canned or 1 lb fresh
Cream of mushroom soup - 6
Milk – 3 1/2 cups
Sour cream – 16+ oz
Carrots – 2 cups
Celery – 2 cups
Green onion - 1
Cream of chicken soup – 4 cans
Fettuccine noodles
BBQ sauce – 2 bottles
Cheddar/jack cheese
Lasagna noodles
Spaghetti sauce
Cottage cheese – 2 cups
Eggs
Mozzarella cheese – 16 oz
Freezer bags
Foil lasagna pans
To have on hand to serve with:
TomatoesOlives
Sour cream
Tortillas
Rice side dishes
Mexican rice
Carrots
Celery
Green beans
Hamburger buns
Green salad
Dressing
Garlic bread
Grated cheese
Potatoes
Broccoli – fresh or frozen
As you can see, there is a lot of ingredients! That's ok! If you happen to have food storage, you probably have most of this on hand already or can substitute some of the ingredients, like onions for dried onions, etc.
Now go through the list of ingredients and take off all the ones that you already have. This should look like a much more manageable list. The list of things to have on hand are the items that will be sides and toppings.
I would make an easier list to read to take to the store, one that is broken down by type of item, like meats, dairy, fresh and frozen. Then you aren't wandering back and forth in the store, you can get all fresh items at one time, all dairy at one time, etc.
Add any other items you might need, like milk, eggs, laundry soap, etc, to minimize trips to the store. Get any coupons that might help you at the store and then go do your shopping!
Update to yesterday's post:
I'm sorry, I failed to mention yesterday in my post about our house, that it is not easy to sell a house! We have one of the best realtors and it was still a big challenge for us. We went through a few offers before we finally found the one that stuck. And even then, we had to have an extension on the new loan we were getting for the house we were buying because of how far into the 7 week contract we were. Then we had to file for another extension towards the end, because we were number 4 in the line up of people trying to sell houses and buy another.
Technically we didn't even own our house until almost after we had moved in, because all of the things that needed to happen took longer than expected. Thankfully we were working with some amazing finance people and a great realtor and also the people we buying from and the people purchasing our house!
Along with all the financial difficulties we had getting to our new home, we also had to replace the roof on the barn that is on the property. That was FHA mandatory before we could even move in, which we all thought ridiculous, since it is an out building and not even near the house, so shouldn't make much of a difference, but to them it does because of the size of the building. It really is the size of a small house!
Looking back, everything worked out the way it was supposed to, but if it were my choice, I would definitely do things different, like sell our house first, with all papers signed, and either move somewhere to rent for a while, or wait a week to sign papers on the new place and find somewhere to stay for a week. Trying to sign papers and move and make sure your house really is sold and that new one really is going to work, is just a huge pain!
As it is though, we did it all, we are here, and we are happy!
I'm sorry, I failed to mention yesterday in my post about our house, that it is not easy to sell a house! We have one of the best realtors and it was still a big challenge for us. We went through a few offers before we finally found the one that stuck. And even then, we had to have an extension on the new loan we were getting for the house we were buying because of how far into the 7 week contract we were. Then we had to file for another extension towards the end, because we were number 4 in the line up of people trying to sell houses and buy another.
Technically we didn't even own our house until almost after we had moved in, because all of the things that needed to happen took longer than expected. Thankfully we were working with some amazing finance people and a great realtor and also the people we buying from and the people purchasing our house!
Along with all the financial difficulties we had getting to our new home, we also had to replace the roof on the barn that is on the property. That was FHA mandatory before we could even move in, which we all thought ridiculous, since it is an out building and not even near the house, so shouldn't make much of a difference, but to them it does because of the size of the building. It really is the size of a small house!
Looking back, everything worked out the way it was supposed to, but if it were my choice, I would definitely do things different, like sell our house first, with all papers signed, and either move somewhere to rent for a while, or wait a week to sign papers on the new place and find somewhere to stay for a week. Trying to sign papers and move and make sure your house really is sold and that new one really is going to work, is just a huge pain!
As it is though, we did it all, we are here, and we are happy!
Monday, February 1, 2016
Freezer cooking
I had a friend contact me the other day asking if would come teach freezer cooking in her mother in laws ward. I haven't taught freezer cooking in years, so I was so excited! I love freezer cooking and need get back into it!
Thinking of what I would teach and how, made me look back and think of what I know. I went to previous posts and to all my many books and papers. I compiled some lists and instructions and thought that I would share them here for everyone!
Decide HOW you want to Freezer Meal cook.
With a friend or family?
Little by little?
One day a month for the whole month?
One day every two weeks for the upcoming two weeks?
Two weeks worth of meals?
One week worth of meals?
Also do you want precooked meat in meals or meals to go straight in the crockpot? “Dump Meals”
Are freezer Ziploc bags a better option?
Schedule out the amount of time needed.
(If doing two weeks worth of meals in one day, plan your prep time to be at least 4 hours. If you are doing little by little, you just add some extra time each meal to prep more than one.)
Turkey Turkey
Thinking of what I would teach and how, made me look back and think of what I know. I went to previous posts and to all my many books and papers. I compiled some lists and instructions and thought that I would share them here for everyone!
Ready, Set, Go!!!
Decide HOW you want to Freezer Meal cook.
With a friend or family?
Little by little?
One day a month for the whole month?
One day every two weeks for the upcoming two weeks?
Decide how much food you have
room for in your freezer.
Do you have enough room for a months worth of meals?Two weeks worth of meals?
One week worth of meals?
Also do you want precooked meat in meals or meals to go straight in the crockpot? “Dump Meals”
Decide how you want to
package meals, according to how much room you have for meals.
Can you use foil pans? What size?Are freezer Ziploc bags a better option?
Choose a day and time that is
good to prep.
Schedule out the amount of time needed.
(If doing two weeks worth of meals in one day, plan your prep time to be at least 4 hours. If you are doing little by little, you just add some extra time each meal to prep more than one.)
If
working with others, choose a day that is good for everyone, or have each
person prep meals ahead of time and have a swap session instead.
TIP: Sometimes it is good to
break up your cooking sessions into the types of meals you will be prepping.
For example: all chicken recipes one day, all beef recipes another day, all
rice or potato recipes another day. Makes clean up, cooking and possible
contamination much easier to deal with!
Now that you know HOW you are
going to do your freezer meals and WHEN you are going to do them; sit down with
your menu. Plan out however many meals you need. Also decide if you are going
to make more than one of the same recipe.
Make a list of ALL
ingredients needed for the recipes. Go “shopping” in your pantry and take off
all ingredients on the list that you already have on hand. Here is your
shopping list to buy from the store.
Plan a day to go to the store
and shop. A day or two before your prep day is preferred. Plan to take some
time at the store, you are buying a lot of ingredients. Plan to spend some
money, but keep in mind, this is however many meals you won’t need to plan on
in the future!
Now you are ready to prep! On
prep day, get out all the ingredients and pans you need to prepare your meals.
Cut and cook meat first, cleaning your work area well! While meat is cooking,
chop veggies and mix anything together you need to.
Once all your meals are
prepared and in the proper freezer container, be sure to label clearly what it
is and instructions for baking (what temperature and how long).
Then FREEZE!
Yay! You have completed your
freezer meal session and now have meals to throw in the crock pot at the
beginning of the day or things to pull out and heat at the end of the day, when
you don’t have much time to cook! Pair your meals with side dishes or fruits,
veggies, etc to make a more balanced meal.
Things to Freeze
Anything that you can
find in the freezer section at the store you can remake a much healthier option
at home and freeze, plus MUCH MORE!!
Breakfast:
Egg and sausage biscuit
sandwiches
Breakfast burritos
Muffins
Pancakes
Waffles
French toast
Omelet packets – freeze in
snack size baggies: mushrooms, ham, onions, peppers, etc. put all snack size
baggies into a 1 gallon size freezer bag. Pull out and sautee to heat before
putting on omelet.
Meat dishes:
Chicken uncooked - seasoned
and unseasoned
Chicken cooked and cubed -
seasoned and unseasoned
Chicken enchiladas – in a pan
or just the filling
Chicken burritos
Chicken fajita mix
Chicken nuggets
Chicken curry
Chicken pot pie
Chicken stock
Beef uncooked – seasoned and
unseasoned
Beef cooked – seasoned or
unseasoned
Beef enchiladas
Beef burritos
Sloppy joe filling
Taco filling
Meatloaf – cooked or uncooked
Lasagna
Hamburgers
Meatballs
Spaghetti sauce
Stroganoff sauce
French dip beef mix
Pork uncooked – seasoned or
unseasoned
Pork cooked – seasoned or
unseasoned
Café Rio pork burrito mix
BBQ pulled pork sandwich mix
Ham stock
Soups
Sauces: any kind of sauce or gravy
Pasta, cooked half the time
Cooked rice
Cooked potatoes
Tortillas
Breads, any kinds – double bag if freezing longer than a
month
Veggies:
Corn
Peas
Beans
Squash
Pumpkin
Salsa
Carrots
Onions
Peppers
(most veggies need to be
blanched or cooked before freezing)
Fruits:
Any peeled fruits
Avacados, mashed with some
lime or lemon juice and stored in a container
Tomatoes, peeled
Lentils, cooked
Dried beans, cooked
Snacks and desserts:
Granola bars
Cookies
Banana bars
Pumpkin bars
Chocolate
Cakes
Pies
Cheeses, grated
Milk, cottage cheese, sour cream, cream cheese
Fruit juices
Fruit and veggie purees
“Dump Meals” are crockpot
meals that you put all ingredients into a 1 gallon bag, including raw meat,
label and freeze. When ready to use, just dump in the crockpot and cook!
Any canned item that has been
opened can be put into another container or freezer bag and frozen to use
another time.
So this is what I have put together so far. Once I get some menus figured out, I will post those for everyone to see what I do next. Freezer cooking saves you time in the kitchen and in the long run, will save you money! I hope I can help you do just that!
Please share my blog with all your friends and family! And please leave any comments or questions that I can answer for you! I love to hear from all my readers!
So April was literally 10 months ago and that is exactly how long it's been since my last post. You can obviously tell I am not doing this for the money or anything!
Looking back though, the last 10 months have gone by way too fast! Between birthdays, holidays and the evident sale of our old house and purchase our new house, we have been super busy!
We finished up all the necessary tweakings on our house and got it ready to sell! We were quite nervous with all that we had put into it, and all that had happened to it over the last 10 years. We went through a lot in that house!
We got it up on the market with a great realtor, that helped us out so much! Within the first few days, we had 8 showings! ALL in the same day! Our realtor said she had never had that many showings in one day, other than an open house.
We were so excited and had an offer in hand by the following day. A couple days into the contract she had to back out for financial reasons, but we were still on the market and still going strong! We had more showings and had other offers. We got were under contract with a cute couple with two boys that were really excited to have the house and the yard and everything. It was a 7 week contract and 4 weeks in, they had to back out too. Kind of frustrating, but kind of a blessing.
During that time, we had looked at many houses, ranging from really nice to ones that needed lots of love. I really didn't want to get back into a house that needed too much work done, we had already done so much, I was over fixing up houses!
We looked and looked and just weren't finding anything in our area that was big enough or worth the money. We decided we needed to look outside of our area and venture north to some of the smaller towns in the next county over.
We found a few that were nice, some that needed to be finished and some that were just awful. I had found a home I really wanted, it had everything: 6 bedrooms, two family rooms, and office, a sewing room, a huge storage room and cold storage, a large kitchen...I was ready to put an offer on it! We decided we would look at one more round of homes and if we didn't find anything, we would put an offer on that home.
We scheduled a day with our realtor and looked at a few more homes. There was one house that she just threw into the mix, thinking we should at least look at it, since it had a salon in the basement. I had seen it many times on line, but kept passing it by because it was built in the last '70s. It was the last one we looked at that day.
It had an open floor plan with a large kitchen (huge must for me), two family rooms, with wood burning stoves, the salon, larger bedrooms for the kids, and cold storage, and a huge barn out back with .7 acres of open land that is great for the kids to run and play!
I didn't like that is was so old, but it had been updated with tile throughout the house, except on stairs and in bedrooms, new kitchen cupboards and counter tops, etc. But as we left this house, it was as if every other house we had looked at hadn't even existed! We knew we were supposed to be there, but we didn't know why. The home was definitely not what we ever would have picked for ourselves, but the Lord needed us here for some reason!
Now we have been here for 6 months, and we love it! The town is so awesome! We have never felt more welcome in a ward or a neighborhood! We kept having people tell us they had been waiting for us to come. Now that we have been here a while, I have people telling me it feels like we have been here forever.
I feel the same! At times I forget we lived for 10 years in our last house and ward. We loved it there so much and miss all the people we know there, but the Lords plan is what is in place now and this is how and where we are supposed at this time!
We love the Lord for all the blessings He has given us!
Now with the larger home and me being able to work from home, we are starting a new adventure of foster care! We know there are kids out there that need us and that are supposed to be with our family, we now on that path to find them and complete one more of the Lords assignments for us!
I know it will be a hard road, but one that is filled with many treasures and blessings!
Looking back though, the last 10 months have gone by way too fast! Between birthdays, holidays and the evident sale of our old house and purchase our new house, we have been super busy!
We finished up all the necessary tweakings on our house and got it ready to sell! We were quite nervous with all that we had put into it, and all that had happened to it over the last 10 years. We went through a lot in that house!
We got it up on the market with a great realtor, that helped us out so much! Within the first few days, we had 8 showings! ALL in the same day! Our realtor said she had never had that many showings in one day, other than an open house.
We were so excited and had an offer in hand by the following day. A couple days into the contract she had to back out for financial reasons, but we were still on the market and still going strong! We had more showings and had other offers. We got were under contract with a cute couple with two boys that were really excited to have the house and the yard and everything. It was a 7 week contract and 4 weeks in, they had to back out too. Kind of frustrating, but kind of a blessing.
During that time, we had looked at many houses, ranging from really nice to ones that needed lots of love. I really didn't want to get back into a house that needed too much work done, we had already done so much, I was over fixing up houses!
We looked and looked and just weren't finding anything in our area that was big enough or worth the money. We decided we needed to look outside of our area and venture north to some of the smaller towns in the next county over.
We found a few that were nice, some that needed to be finished and some that were just awful. I had found a home I really wanted, it had everything: 6 bedrooms, two family rooms, and office, a sewing room, a huge storage room and cold storage, a large kitchen...I was ready to put an offer on it! We decided we would look at one more round of homes and if we didn't find anything, we would put an offer on that home.
We scheduled a day with our realtor and looked at a few more homes. There was one house that she just threw into the mix, thinking we should at least look at it, since it had a salon in the basement. I had seen it many times on line, but kept passing it by because it was built in the last '70s. It was the last one we looked at that day.
It had an open floor plan with a large kitchen (huge must for me), two family rooms, with wood burning stoves, the salon, larger bedrooms for the kids, and cold storage, and a huge barn out back with .7 acres of open land that is great for the kids to run and play!
I didn't like that is was so old, but it had been updated with tile throughout the house, except on stairs and in bedrooms, new kitchen cupboards and counter tops, etc. But as we left this house, it was as if every other house we had looked at hadn't even existed! We knew we were supposed to be there, but we didn't know why. The home was definitely not what we ever would have picked for ourselves, but the Lord needed us here for some reason!
Now we have been here for 6 months, and we love it! The town is so awesome! We have never felt more welcome in a ward or a neighborhood! We kept having people tell us they had been waiting for us to come. Now that we have been here a while, I have people telling me it feels like we have been here forever.
I feel the same! At times I forget we lived for 10 years in our last house and ward. We loved it there so much and miss all the people we know there, but the Lords plan is what is in place now and this is how and where we are supposed at this time!
We love the Lord for all the blessings He has given us!
Now with the larger home and me being able to work from home, we are starting a new adventure of foster care! We know there are kids out there that need us and that are supposed to be with our family, we now on that path to find them and complete one more of the Lords assignments for us!
I know it will be a hard road, but one that is filled with many treasures and blessings!
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