A Frugally Old-Fashioned Homemaker

The Blog :)

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:47:00 +0000

Just a brief post to let y'all know that I have decided to stop blogging. I'm sure some might wonder why. I suppose I am just blogged out. I really don't feel like I have much more to contribute. (Doesn't take much to deplete some people, does it? LOL!) :)

I appreciate all your comments. I've "met" some really great people...one of whom I actually got to meet in person. I've learned a lot from bunches of you. And I've had fun. :) I still casually browse other blogs but just am not spending a lot of time on the computer anymore.

I do plan to leave the blog up...just in case there's a recipe you want, or there might even be something you could use now and again. And who knows...at a different season in life, I may very well be back. :)

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to stop by. I wish you all well. :)

Bloggy Break

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:24:00 +0000

Just letting y'all know I'm taking a bit of a bloggy break for a while. I'm feeling sorta blogged out right now...does that make sense? :) I'll be back...just not quite sure when yet...whenever I'm feeling more bloggable. :) I'll see y'all soon!!!

I Love the Old Hymns

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:55:00 +0000

I have been a true lover of hymns since I first became a Christian more than 20 years ago. It seems to me that the old hymn writers knew just how to express how I felt about things such as worship, the majesty of God, the sinfulness of man, etc... I've even written some posts about a few particular hymns that have meant alot to me over the years.

Much to my delight, Robert Cottrill left a comment on one such post I wrote about the hymn Close to Thee. I was thrilled to find he had a website dedicated to the hymns called Wordwise Hymns. He writes a lot of "today in history" about hymns and hymn writers. In the header of his blog you'll find these words..."Discussing the History and Biblical themes of the Hymns of the Church." That is precisely what he blogs about. You'll find topics like:

What makes a good hymn
Suffering hymn writers
Historical issues
Edification and entertainment
and lots more!

If you love the old hymns like I do, I really believe you'll enjoy this blog! I found it fascinating and it will definitely be a place I frequent! :)

Texas Hash

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:49:00 +0000

Fall is definitely here in East Tennessee and I am loving it!! Nice, crispy days and really cooooool nights! My kind of weather. :) The leaves are just beginning to turn now. Here's a picture of the small Dogwood tree in our front yard....With the coming of cooler weather, our meals begin to change. We go from lighter meals in the summertime to cooler, heartier casseroles or soups and stews in the fall and winter. Texas Hash is just that...a hearty meal. It's a good ol' standby in our home because it takes very few ingredients that are almost always in my pantry or freezer.

I made this today for dinner. The recipe calls for cheddar cheese on top, but I substituted just plain ol' sliced cheese because I was out of cheddar. Here's the recipe:

Texas Hash

1 lb ground beef, cooked & drained
1 quart tomatoes
3 TBSP chili powder, or to taste
3/4 cup rice
diced onions
diced green peppers (optional)

Brown ground beef and drain. Combine all ingredients together and place in a lightly greased 2 qt. baking dish. Cover and bake for 1 hour at 350. Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Return to oven until cheese has melted. That's it.

You can even add a few veggies like corn and peas if you like. Just be sure to drain them first! :)

Love This Quick & Easy Craft

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:01:00 +0000

So I was browsing DollarStoreCrafts this morning when I came across this one using a bottle of hand sanitizer!! This would make quite an appropriate little gift right now when you consider all the FLU that's running rampant these days! It'd be ideal for a school teacher or really for anyone whose job involves dealing with the public. Go over to MoneywiseMoms for instructions on how to make it in just a few minutes!

$3 Snuggle Coupon = FREE at Family Dollar

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:42:00 +0000

According to DealSeekingMom, you can use the $3 coupon that was in yesterday's RedPlum insert at Family Dollar this week and get a FREE 70-ct box of Snuggle dryer sheets! If you prefer the liquid, pick up the 32-load bottle and pay just $0.75! I love that stuff...smells soooo good. :)

A Few Printable Coupons

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:14:00 +0000

Walgreens has Nabisco Cookies and Crackers on sale 3 for $3. Grab a box of Wheat Thins and get them free with THIS coupon...you can print it twice. click HERE for Firefox users.

CVS has Tone soap (2-3pk) for $1.88. You earn a $1 ECB. Using this coupon makes it free! Firefox users click HERE.

Click HERE for a $1 coupon on Coffeemate Creamers. :)

A 4 pk of Musselman's Total Fruit Applesauce is $1.48 at Walmart. This coupon makes it just $0.48!

Homemade Pizza Pockets

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:37:00 +0000

Like almost every other family in America, we love pizza. :) I've been wanting to try my hand at making Pizza Pockets for some time now, so this week, I finally just put it on the menu. They're very easy to make and everybody loved them.

I started by making my regular pizza dough in my bread machine. (I'll post the recipe for that at the end.) Once it was finished, I divided my dough into pieces and rolled them out flat.

I put some pizza sauce in the center of the dough, then topped it with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. You can just add whatever pizza ingredients your family likes...
I then folded the dough over and sealed it as tightly as I could so that it wouldn't "leak" during baking. I popped it in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes or so. The result was probably not the most beautiful pizza pocket you've ever seen, but in this case, it was the taste that counted. :)
I had little bitty scraps of dough left over. While the pockets were in the oven, I squished all the dough scraps together, rolled it out into a circle and made a small pizza. :)
Here's the recipe for the pizza dough in the bread machine if you're interested.

Pizza Dough

1 cup plus 2 TBSP water
2 TBSP olive oil or vegetable oil
3 cups bread flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp yeast

Just use your dough cycle and let the bread machine do most of the work for ya! :)

B1G1 Coupon - John Morrell Off the Bone Lunchmeat

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:35:00 +0000

Click HERE for a printable buy-one-get-one free tub of John Morrell Off the Bone lunchmeat. You can print it twice! :)

Peanut Butter Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:35:00 +0000

I made these brownies the other day when I was in a baking mood. :) They make a gooey, chewy brownie and are very peanut buttery. :) Wish I had taken a picture to share with you, but I forgot to take one! I think pictures of recipes really help you decide if it's something you think you'll like. Without a picture of these brownies, you'll just have to trust me on this one...if you like peanut butter and you like brownies...I think you'll like this one.

Peanut Butter Brownies

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.

In medium bowl, cream together the peanut butter and butter. Gradually blend in the brown and white sugars, eggs, and vanilla; mix until fluffy. combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture until well blended.

Bake 30-35 minutes.

**I baked mine just under 30 minutes because my kiddos like brownies ooey-gooey-chewy. :)

***EDITED: My good ol' blogging buddy Sandra made these brownies and took a picture for me! :) Don't they look ooey-gooey-chewy good?? Thanks Sandra!

Book Recommendation

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 10:10:00 +0000

Last year, I ran across the book Cooking Up U.S. History: Recipes and Research to Share with Children in our library (written by Patricia Marden and Suzanne I Barchers). It instantly caught my eye as soon as I saw it because (A) it is a cookbook and (B) it's a learning book. :) I love both types of books! So I checked it out and got busy reading. I loved this book and can higly recommend it. I hope you can find it at your library too!

What exactly did I love about it? I'm so glad you asked!

The time periods covered include: Native American Indians, Colonial Period, Revolutionary War, Civil War, the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic States, the Southeast, the Mid-west and Prairie, the Southwest, and the West.
There are plentiful recipes from each section..and not just for cooking food. For example, in the Colonial Period chapter, you'll find recipes for: hasty pudding, Johnny cakes, butter, fish chowder, succotash, berry ink, hand soap, and dipping candles!
There is a Word List at the beginning of each chapter. Think Vocabulary Words! :)
It isn't just a book of recipes. You'll find a history lesson on each chapter. Plus, there's a section with suggested books to find even more information.

I absolutely loved this book! There's also a book called Cooking Up World History: Multicultural Recipes and Resources written by the same authors. It's very similar in nature, with the exception, of course, that it includes recipes and history from more than 20 countries around the world.

Personally, I prefer Cooking Up U.S. History: Recipes and Research to Share with Children, but then again, I just like US History better than World History. :) I can recommend both books, though.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 10:26:00 +0000

The weather has definitely turned cooler here this week. We're dipping into the 40's and I am LOVING it!! As much as I love my garden, I am NOT a summer-loving person. (Have I ever mentioned that before, Sandra??) Anyway...to me, nothing screams cool, fall weather like fresh, hot-from-the-oven, homemade cinnamon rolls! (Of course, nothing screams winter, spring and summer like fresh, hot-from-the-oven, homemade cinnamon rolls either! LOL!)

I love spending chilly days in my kitchen....actually I love almost any day in my kitchen, but especially days like today. I made a pot of vegetable soup and cornbread for dinner today. Then I made homemade chocolate pudding and sugar cookies. After my husband went to work, I was still in a baking mood, so I made up a batch of peanut butter brownies (recipe coming soon!). But the definite highlight of my baking day were the cinnamon rolls. Here's a picture of these beauties....oops! Uh-oh, looks like somebody swiped two cinnamon rolls out of the pan before the picture was taken!! Who could've done that?? It wasn't me and Katie. :) Honest. You can trust me. :) (Okay, I cannot tell a lie...it WAS me and Katie.)

Here's the recipe if you're in a cinnamon roll mood....

Cinnamon Rolls

1 cup water
2 TBSP butter, softened
1 egg
3 1/3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tsp yeast

Today, I simply put the ingredients in my bread machine and used the DOUGH CYCLE. So the directions I give here are for AFTER the cycle is finished:

Grease a 9x9x2 inch pan.
Flatten dough with hands or rolling pin into an 18x9 inch rectangle. Spread 2 TBSP of softened butter on top of the dough.
Sprinkle the dough with a mixture of 1/2 cup brown sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon. (Feel free to use a little more or less of the sugar/cinnamon mixture...according to your taste. I just sorta eyeballed it.) :)
Roll up tightly, beginning at the 9 inch side. Pinch edge of dough into the roll to seal. Cut into 1 inch slices. Place in pan.
Cover; let rise in warm place for 1 hour or so, until doubled.
Preheat oven to 375. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Drizzle with glaze (recipe below).

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
milk

Mix all ingredients together, adding just enough milk to make the glaze pourable.

If you're interested in making this recipe by hand, you'll find helpful instructions for converting bread machine recipes to mixer recipes HERE and HERE.

Coupons! Pillsbury, Wendy's, McD's, Burger King

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:18:00 +0000

Okay, Conny, here's yet another $1 coupon for Pillsbury Toaster Strudel!! :) Click here if you're using Firefox. Walmart has these for $1.98. $0.98 for Toaster Strudel oughta make a girl happy. :)

And thank you Pillsbury, for this and this $1 coupon for Crescent Rolls....here and here if you're using Firefox. :)

You can print each coupon twice!

And while you're out shopping for Crescent Rolls and Toaster Strudel, you might want to stop at McDonald's, Wendy's and/or Burger King. Not sure if this is just a regional thing, but all three restaurants are offering coupon booklets for just $1.

Burger King's booklet includes 8 coupons good for a FREE value size fries. (coupon dates 10/01/09 thru 12/31/09)

McDonald's booklet includes (4) FREE Apple Dippers(4) FREE Small Cones(4) FREE Apple Juice or Milk Jugs coupons! (coupon states they’re valid only for kids ages 12 and under, and they cannot be used until 10/31.)

Wendy's booklet has 10 coupons good for a FREE Jr. Frosty! (coupon dates 11/1/09 thru 2/1/10)

**Again, these may just be available locally, but it's worth checking into.
(thanks to DealSeekingMom for sharing these goodies)

Learning Language Arts Through Literature

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:26:00 +0000

Homeschool question here. :) I'm wondering if anybody out there uses the curriculum Learning Language Arts Through Literature. My 8th grade girl isn't overly thrilled with her current curriculum and I'm not either. (One of the MANY joys of homeschooling is being able to adjust a curriculum to the student's learning style. Oh, how I appreciate that aspect! It would be horrible to have to try and trudge through with a book that your child just doesn't "click" with.) Anyway...I digress. :)

So, my 8th grade girl LOVES literature. She devours books. Always has. I've been thinking and praying about a new language arts curriculum for her. I came across the LLATL pictured above. I've gotten information HERE and even downloaded samples from various grade levels HERE. But we all know that there's nothing like first-hand information. I would love to hear your comments if you have used or are using LLATL. It would be a help to us as we decide what to do. I'm interested in hearing your likes and dislikes about it too, so don't be shy! :) I'm listening....and thanks in advance for any help!

Using Freezer Meals as a Ministry

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 10:27:00 +0000

My parents are blessed with a very caring church family. When a friend of the pastor's wife found out she had cancer, the ladies of the church all wanted to help. It didn't matter (nor should it have) that this woman belonged to another church. Being part of the body of Christ, they simply wanted to minister to a part of the body that was hurting. That's what I call caring. :)

This dear lady was having a double mastectomy. She is a young woman with young children. Knowing she would be facing quite a lengthy recovery time, they came up with the idea of a Freezer Meal Shower. I think it's a fantastic idea!!

Whoever wanted to participate made a meal (casserole, soup, stew...whatever) in a disposable dish...or even a dish they didn't need to be returned. I think many of the ladies wrote notes of encouragement as well. Think of the blessing it will be to this woman in the days ahead. Not only will it be a major help during those first few days home from the hospital, but even weeks afterward, when she's still having some "not so good" days.

I just thought that was such a good idea...such a wonderful way to "care"...that I wanted to pass it along.

Menu Plan and a Quick Pie Recipe

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 08:23:00 +0000

Our "weeks" don't run from Sunday to Saturday as far as our menus are concerned. Paydays are on Thursdays, so our menu plans run from Friday to Thursday. :) So...it's a whole new menu plan for us starting today. I like reading other folks' menu plans because it gives me ideas for my own. So...I thought I'd go ahead and post mine...just in case there are other people out there like me who like reading menu plans. :) As I did last week, I'm listing main dishes, vegetables, breads, and desserts all separate.

Main Dishes

Beef Stew
Homemade Pizza
Soup (made from whatever leftovers are in the fridge)
Homemade Chili
Tuna Melts **Make your favorite tuna salad recipe, then fill buns with tuna salad and cheddar cheese. Wrap in foil and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.
Hot dogs with chili
Bean & Tater Fry :)

Vegetables

fried okra
pinto beans
corn
green beans
freezer slaw
potatoes (fixed a variety of ways)

Desserts

Chocolate Snack Cake
Cool & Easy Pie *recipe below*
Apple Cobbler with ice cream
Ice cream

Here's the recipe for the Cool & Easy Pie....it's super simple to make!

Cool & Easy Pie

1 box jello (whatever flavor you like)
8 oz. tub of Cool Whip

Stir 2/3 cup of boiling water into the jello until dissolved. Add a few ice cubes and stir until slightly thickened. Remove any remaining cubes.

Stir in the Cool Whip until smooth, then refrigerate for about 10 minutes, or until mixture will mound.

Spoon into graham cracker pie crust. Refrigerate about 4 hours. (told ya it was easy!) :)

Got anything new and exciting on your menu this week? Do share! :)

Freezing Okra?

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:22:00 +0000

This summer, our okra has done really well. The past two years were a drought for us here in East Tennessee. But this year??? We have had more than our fair share of rain...and that's not a complaint! It's been great for the garden. Last year, when we picked okra, we had to bend over to do it. This year...my husband said he can't even reach up high enough to cut some of it. :) It's grown to more than 7 feet!!

There are only two ways that I know of to fix okra so that my family will eat it. I can cut it in pieces and throw it in a pot of soup, or cut it up, bread it with cornmeal and fry it....which is how we all prefer it. I hate to see anything go to waste so this year, I'm putting as much as I can in the freezer. I cut it up and bread it in cornmeal as though I were going to fry it. Then I'll spread it out on cookie sheets and place it in the freezer so they'll freeze individually. Then I place it in freezer bags. Doing it this way, I can easily just dump out the amount of okra I want instead of having it all come out in one big glob. :) When I'm ready to fry it?? I won't even thaw it...just put it right in the frying pan.

I'm wondering if anybody else out there freezes okra this way. If not, how do you do it? And can you share a great way to cook it? To me, there's just something about eating slimey boiled okra that doesn't appeal to me...but if you know of any good recipes other than that...I'm all ears! :)

$2 Honey Bunches of Oat Coupon - FREE????

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 22:56:00 +0000

According to DealSeekingMom, Walmart has their Honey Bunches of Oats Pecan Bunches on rollback through the end of September for $2. Go HERE and look on the lower right corner...click on Print the Coupon. It'll pull up a new window and print the coupon for you. Once it does, close that window and go back to the main page. Try it again. I printed it six times. Not sure how many you're allowed. Last time Post ran a coupon like this, it had a very high limit on it...maybe 12 prints??? I can't remember exactly. But anyway, whatever number of FREE boxes of cereal you can get is fanTAStic! :)

Taste of Home Budget Recipes

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:14:00 +0000

I can't remember if I've mentioned this site or not, but if you love Taste of Home like I do, then you'll definitely want to know about it if you don't already. Taste of Home has a Budget Recipes section filled with lots of goodies. I am definitely wanting to try this yummy looking Delicate Chocolate Cake. :)

I also found out through MoneySavingMom that you can go HERE to download free digital copies of 25 Taste of Home magazines! I love Taste of Home, but I have to admit, I think I like their Simple & Delicious magazine best! :)

Nature Valley Nut Clusters $1.60 coupon

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:52:00 +0000

You might want to grab it quickly, but there's a $1.60 coupon on Nature Valley Nut Clusters available HERE. Not long ago, I received a free full-sized sample and trust me, these things are WONDERFUL! They make a great snack and go well in a lunchbox. (I'm always on the lookout for lunchbox ideas!) You can get these for around $2 at Walmart...that means around $0.60 if you use the coupon! When I received my free sample, they also sent me lots of $1.60 coupons. So when I saw this was available online, I wanted to pass it along to you since I know this is a great product! :)
**If you're using Firefox browser, click HERE for the coupon.

Loaf Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:46:00 +0000

I got this recipe from an elderly lady we used to go to church with. She said it is a very old recipe that she had made for many years. I've made it for many years too now. It's just a good all around basic cake recipe that can be made in a tube pan or loaf pans. It doesn't require a lot of ingredients either. I like that in a recipe. :)

I made this cake in loaf pans early in the week. One day we ate it just plain. I also pack it in my husband's lunches. But Sunday I wanted to fix it a little different. I had some cooked apples in the freezer from last year. They were already seasoned for apple pie. I put big crumbs of Loaf Cake in a bowl, spooned some warmed apples on top of that, then put a Nutmeg Sauce (recipe below) on top of that. It was really quite good. Very inexpensive dessert.

Here are the recipes for Loaf Cake and Nutmeg Sauce...

Loaf Cake

2 cups sugar

2 sticks butter

4 eggs

1 cup milk

3 cups self-rising flour

Mix butter and sugar. Add 2 TBSP boiling water. Mix well.

Add milk, flour and egg yolks.

Beat egg whites stiff. Fold into mixture.

Bake 1 hour at 350 in a tube cake pan or 35-40 minutes in loaf pans.

Nutmeg Sauce

2 cups water

1/4 cup sugar

3 TBSP flour

2 TBSP butter

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Mix the first 3 ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil the mixture for a few minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat; add butter and nutmeg, mixing well. Let cool a bit before pouring over cake and apples.

A Real "Budget" Week - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 10:55:00 +0000

In Part 1 of A Real "Budget" Week I said I'd share the menu that my children and I came up with. I decided I'd break it down into groups (main dishes, veggies, breads and desserts). Instead of planning to have corn with a certain main dish, I sometimes just like to list what all I have on hand, then mix-and-match. :)

As you read over the main dishes, keep in mind that the Lord has enabled us to have our own beef in the freezer. I know not everyone has that option. But to me, whether you have a freezer full of your own meat or not, this is where it's so very important to take advantage of those sales and markdowns. If you know your grocery store marks down meats on Friday mornings, try to plan your "errand day" around that, if you can at all. Having things "on hand" can be a real lifesaver on those "budget weeks".

So here we go.

Main Dishes

spaghetti
mashed potatoes with gravy
meatloaf
chicken & rice casserole
an all veggie meal
subs
steak (this could never have been on the menu had it not been in the freezer!!) LOL!

Veggies

butterbeans (made from dried beans)
corn
okra (still getting okra from the garden)
green beans
navy beans (made from dried beans)
freezer slaw
potatoes (fixed all kinds of ways: mashed, oven roasted, baked, fried, etc...)

Breads

mayonnaise rolls
homemade biscuits
rolls
cornbread

Desserts

oatmeal cookies (this recipe calls for using nuts and chocolate chips. Don't have these on hand, so I'll just be using this recipe to make oatmeal cookies.)
homemade pudding
butterscotch brownies
loaf cake with nutmeg sauce (recipe tomorrow!)

Even though this may be a "tight" week for us, you can tell by reading the lists above that we'll still be eating quite well this week!! How in the world did that happen??

Thanks to the garden, we're still getting okra. Thanks to the garden, I have corn and freezer slaw in the freezer. Thanks to the garden, I have lots and lots of jars of green beans in the pantry. Thanks to the garden, we have lots and lots of potatoes in the barn.
Thanks to the Lord for allowing us to kill our own beef every year, we can still have plenty of good hearty meals with meat. My family is composed of all carnivores. :) We are big-time meat eaters. :)
Thanks to being at the store during meat markdowns, I have chicken in the freezer. Not only will I get a chicken casserole out of one chicken, I'll also make chicken salad for sandwiches.
Thanks to being able to stock up during a $1.50 sale on White Lily flour, I won't have to buy any flour this week. I've got plenty on hand to make sub rolls, biscuits, rolls and desserts.
Thanks to that $3 coupon on SaraLee pre-sliced deli meat, I was able to stock up on stuff for sandwiches at lunchtime and to go in my husband's lunchbox. What a blessing that was to be able to get our lunchmeat (which we don't always buy) at such a savings...$0.98 for a pack of $3.98 lunchmeat!
Much thanks to the dear Lord for providing!!! :)

Planning ahead and stocking up during the times that you can is very vital to being able to "survive" the hard times like this.

I cannot end this post without sharing a few ways the Lord is helping us already. Sunday morning before church a friend called. Their cow is giving a bit of extra milk and she wanted to know if we'd take some of it! :) (THAT was no coincidence.) This same friend also said she had some dried beans to give us. She said someone had given them way more than they could eat. I gratefully accepted. Come to find out, she gave us probably 6 or 8 pounds of pinto beans and kidney beans! This friend had not read my "budget week" post and had no way of knowing it was one of "those" weeks for us. :) But the Lord knew. And I don't doubt that's why their cow gave extra milk this week! Isn't that a blessing??!!

Got any menu ideas to share with other readers? I'd love to hear about them! I very much appreciated your comments on yesterday's post. They were encouraging to me and I'm sure they were to others too. So thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas. :)

A Real "Budget" Week - Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:02:00 +0000

Do you ever have one of those weeks when money is really tight? Maybe you had some unexpected expenses? Or perhaps the paycheck, for whatever reason, was a little short? I'd guess that most of us...especially those of us who frequent "frugal" blogs...have weeks like that. For much of the time, I'm frugal because I want to be. But like everybody else, we have our share of times when I'm frugal because I have to be. :) And ya know, there's really nothing wrong with that. It's okay to have to be frugal. In fact, as I was telling a friend earlier, it's probably a good thing for everybody to have to plan, to have to clip coupons and watch for sales. Nothing wrong with that at all. It's a good challenge. Ya never know...the day may come when times are really tight and if that day happens, at least you'll be prepared because you know how to stock up, cook from scratch, use coupons, find the best deals, etc... I think one of the characteristics of a good homemaker is that she knows how to manage her home wisely and efficiently.

So, I said all that to say this...frugal-because-I-have-to-be week is going on at our house. :) But I don't want you to get me wrong. I'm not whining and pouting. I only mention it here because sometimes we all need to be reminded that having to be frugal is not always a bad thing. (I'm reminding myself of that as well, because trust me, I do have my moments of thinking, "I don't WANT to have to do this again!") There are times I actually enjoy seeing how very frugal I can be and still provide good meals and desserts for my family.

What are the benefits I see from those frugal-because-I-have-to-be-times? Here are some of the advantages I see:

You see that once again, the Lord pulls you through and provides. This is probably the single most important benefit. Sometimes, you don't always appreciate those hard times, but inevitably, you can always look back and marvel at how He did it!! :) A definite advantage as it should bring praise to the Lord.
You see that it really was a wise thing to stock up on those bags of flour when you found them on sale for $1.50. Not only is flour now one less thing you have to buy, but it's one of those ingredients that is essential to cooking from scratch, which is more important than ever during those harder-than-usual times.
You see the advantages of planning. Being forced to write out a menu, make out a grocery list, AND stick to it is a good thing that ALWAYS saves you money.
You see that taking that extra bit of time to look through the store ads for sales and matching them with coupons is a good thing. Of course, it's important to compare prices. If generic or some other brand is cheaper than name brand with a coupon, then I typically (though not always) go the cheapest route....unless it's just a particular product my family prefers. After all, if I bring home a product just because it's cheaper...and my family won't eat it...it's NOT a bargain, and in fact, I've actually wasted money. :)
You see that it's those "plain and simple" meals that you've been forced to make really aren't so bad after all. :) (Who knows...you may even come up with a new family favorite during those times when you have to really get "creative"!)

So, how do you handle times like this? Here are just a few things that seem to work best for us:

Get your family involved. Last night, the girls and I sprawled across our bed. We got out pencil and paper and I asked them to help me come up with a menu of frugal meals. It was actually quite fun. I also asked them to come up with some dessert/snack ideas. The challenge came when I told them there were no "extras" available this week (ie: chocolate chips, nuts, etc...)
Also remind your children to make a conscious effort to not be wasteful. For example, my girls help wash dishes daily, so a quick reminder to "make sure you only use the amount of dish detergent necessary" was in order. :) Little things add up.
Without striking fear in your children's little hearts :) thinking you're financially broke and they'll be coming to repossess your house and car...gently let them know, "This week, money might be a little tight. Let's do the best we can possibly do for ourselves, and then stand back and watch how the Lord takes care of us!!" :) Make it a challenge for them as well to be as frugal as you can be during the hard times, then make sure that you point out ways the Lord provided for you during the week. Very important.

In Part 2, I'll be sharing some of the main dishes, veggies, breads and desserts my family came up with for "budget week". :) As always, I encourage you to leave a comment and share your own ideas for those frugal-because-I-have-to-be-times. It might be a real help to someone! :)

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 08:18:00 +0000

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know I love my beloved Amish and Mennonite cookbooks. :) Sometimes, I'll just get them out and read them...as though I was reading some exciting novel. So, while I was perusing my Mennonite cookbook yesterday, I spotted this recipe and thought I'd make it while I had a bit of extra time on my hands (a rare event, trust me). This is one fanTAStic recipe...resulting in nothing but creamy smooth chocolatey goodness. :)

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

3 TBSP cocoa
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 TBSP butter
1/2 tsp salt
3 TBSP cornstarch OR 4 TBSP flour
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla

Put 1 1/2 cups of the milk and coca in top of double boiler, stirring cocoa in well. (I used my handy dandy stick blender to get it well mixed)
Bring milk/cocoa mixture to the boiling point.
combine sugar, salt and cornstarch. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of milk to make a smooth paste.
Add the paste to the milk/cocoa mixture and cook until thickened.
Beat the egg yolks, then add a small amount of the hot mixture before adding the yolks to the milk.
Cook 2 more minutes.
Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla. Refrigerate for later or eat while warm. Either way this is one delicious pudding.

**You could also use this to make a yummy chocolate cream pie. Just pour into a baked pie shell. Make a meringue using the 2 egg whites. Pop into a preheated 350 oven and bake about 10-12 minutes or until the meringue is golden brown.

**If you're just eating this as a pudding, it makes about 4 or 5 servings. Might want to double the recipe depending on your family size.

$1 off Toaster Streudel

noreply@blogger.com (Lori) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 00:08:00 +0000

Just ran across THIS COUPON for $1 off any one Pillsbury Toaster Streudel! Thought I'd pass it along! :) This one can be printed twice!