Looking into the new year

I know I jumping the gun alittle (okay alot) but I am just at a dead end.  I am fresh out of ideas and motivation.  So......give me some ideas.  What do you want to learn about?  What peaks your interest?  What have you had enough of?  Help me help you!  LOL!

Tasty Tuesday

The Great Plate O Cookies

We all get them every year.  Some of us make them too.  It's always the plan for me but not always what happens.  However this year I plan I making them with one of my favotite friends so we will have fun.

On the cookie menue (so far)are:

Molasses cookies (Hubby's Grandma's recipe)

Peanut butter blossom cookies (kiss cookies)

Brownies with Hershey's creamy brownie frosting( recipe to come) topped wth Ande's candy bites

A variety of Spritz cookies.  These look fun.

What are some of your favorites to make and to get?  Got a link or awesome recipr to share?

Happy cookie making!

Money Monday

Giving Tree

In light of last weeks post about how we asked Santa to give more to those who need it and less to us who do not I felt as the main elf in our house I had better live up to that.  So I visited our schools giving tree and picked a couple tags off.   We are very blessed with all that we have and we feel it is important to give to those that really need it. We missed the cut off for our church's toy drive so school is the next best place.

 

I will be taking the kids with me to pick out the toys.  I want them to understand and to feel the joy of giving as well.

Tasty Tuesday

Freezer Meals

(No, this is not my freezer. I wish. It is just an image of the Internet.)

Over at Life as Mom Fishmama is posting about her freezer cooking day for the month. She has recipes, short cuts ,and hilarious updates on her cooking day. To see more of her posts on freezer cooking go here.

If you want a chance to win a book on freezer cooking go check out The Bargain Jargon. Christy is having a give away. The book is Fix, Freeze, Feast: Prepare in Bulk and Enjoy by the Serving by Kati Neville and Lindsay Tkacsik.

As for me I am hoping to make some yummy potato soup and freeze it. I know BIG huh? LOL!

What do you like to make ahead and freeze? What works for you and what didn't work out so well?

Money Monday

Kid Speak

What I have talked about this far about what to expect under our tree Christmas morning.

Money is tighter this year for us. We are trying to get out off debt and be better prepared for what ever may come. As a result our Christmas gift budget is much smaller and *GASP* all cash.

So for this year (and those to come) I told my kids that Santa has been asked to only bring stalkings. I explained to them that we have been very blessed to have all of the wonderful things we do have. I told them that Santa would then be able to give more to those kids who really needed it. They agreed.

We are getting a pretty cool family present but that will be it. They will be happy enough I am sure.

As for presents between my kids...i think we will go for some semi-homemade gifts. My kids LOVE to be crafty so this will turn out great. I will post when we start working on them.

Money Monday

NO!!!

No, we are not going out to dinner.

No, you do not need more Lego's.

No, you are not having whoppers when we leave the store.

No, you do not need that really cute pair of red peep toe heels with the bow. NO! :)

"...when we were newly married and had very little money. I was in the air force, and we had missed Christmas together. I was on assignment overseas. When I got home, I saw a beautiful dress in a store window and suggested to my wife that if she liked it, we would buy it. Mary went into the dressing room of the store. After a moment the salesclerk came out, brushed by me, and returned the dress to its place in the store window. As we left the store, I asked, “What happened?” She replied, “It was a beautiful dress, but we can’t afford it!” Those words went straight to my heart. I have learned that the three most loving words are “I love you,” and the four most caring words for those we love are “We can’t afford it.”"

Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually May '09 Ensign
Elder Robert D. Hales Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Food Storage Friday

#10 Cans

Okay you now have or want to get some food storage in #10 cans, but where in the world are you going to put it?!?!

Remember this stuff need to be kept in a moderate temperature and and a dry place. I have stored mine in Girlies closet.

After a trip to the cannery we had WAY to much to put there so I had to branch out. We now store our #10 cans under our bed. We formally had our bed on the floor so now I have a nice high bed and a place to store my cans.

We basically made two big capital E's back to back with most of the boxes so it would support our bed. Then I put my loose cans in. Dried fruit in one spot. TVP in another. Then veggies and eggs& butter.

When the bed skirt is on you don't even know it is there.

What a gratifying thing it is to see cans of wheat and rice and beans under the beds or in the pantries of women who have taken welfare responsibility into their own hands. President Hinkley link

Check out some of these other ideas over at The Preparedness Pantry.

Have a creative way to store your food storage. Please share!!

Thrifty Thursday

With just a coat of paint.....

What to do with that end table the kids carved their name into? Or an old hutch in drab brown stain? Well add a coat of paint (you may have to do miner sanding first).

Here are a few wonderful examples.

Over at You paid more than me you can see a very awesome hutch that was just painted for a hip new look. Try to just look at the hutches. The rest of her site is so fabulous you will not tend to be to awful thrifty after looking at it. LOL!!!

Check out these cute night stands. A Goodwill find gone well over at jcaroline'sblog.

If you do not currently own any piece you want to redo and are in the mind to shop for some here is a great article on what to be looking for. Also remember Criags List is a great place to look just don't forget to haggle a little.

Bean Update

Some more recipie sites for various bean flours.

Bob's Red Mill Black Bean flour This site also sales various flours soooo I figure i can trust them to really be bean flour recipies. LOL!! Got to the bottom of this page for several more recipies using different bean flours.

Okay there is all I got for you on beans for a while. LOL!!

Tasty Tuesday

Bean Flours

This one is for you Jennifer!

Okay I found some GREAT basic information on bean flour at Emergency Essentials.

How to Use Bean Flour in Cooking

taken directly from this site

White beans or fava beans have a milder taste, making white bean flour or fava bean flour suitable for use in most recipes calling for white flour. Substitute 1/4 of the white flour for bean flour.

Bean flour made from kidney, pinto, garbanzo, chana dal or black beans has a stronger flavor and is more suitable for inclusion in meat loaf or when making vegetable patties or vegetarian loaves.

Bean flour can be whisked into soups and stews, adding flavor and goodness. Bean flour can also be used to thicken these dishes.

The Gluten Free Cooking School site had a great post about ways to use bean flours.

I found these tips interesting:

Black Bean Flour: Use as part of your baking mix for chocolate cakes and brownies; try adding a small amount to bread recipes to get that dark whole-wheat look; the Bob’s Red Mill site has recipes for a black bean dip and black bean tortillas

Green Pea Flour: Add reconstituted green pea flour to guacamole to lower the fat content and add extra nutrients; use as part of your baking mix for chocolate cakes and brownies; use to thicken soups and stews.

I know green peas are NOT beans but are in the legume category so......I tend to lump them together.

RECIPES!!!

Big Oven has around 1600 bean flour recipes here. EDIT!!! Iwent to check out several of these recipies and yes some have beans in them and some have flour but I did NOT find a bean flour recipe. GRRRRRR!!!!!

101 Cookbooks had Amazing Black Bean Brownies. They look incredible. YUM!!!!! (Jen I think you hubby could go for those!)

If you do a bean flour recipe search you will also find MANY gluten free sites. Let me tell you they are incredible. I never knew the things you could make with out regular white flour.

Happy Bean Eating!!

Tasty Tuesday

My awesome Mom in law gave me a great gift. She gave me a book on using my food storage.

The first recipie I tried was the Cream of chicken soup. This was easy and tasted just like CAmpell soups. Texture was alittle thinner but my family loved it. The secret ingrediant.....WHITE BEAN FLOUR! recipe found on page 86 of the book

So here is how you do it.

First get some white beans and run them through your wheat grinder.

Then gather up your supplies:
1 3/4 cups water 5 tablespoons white bean flour
4 teaspoons chicken bullion or base (Iused 4 cubes) 1/2 cup chopped chicken

Bring water and bullion to a boil in a small suace pan. Stir in bean flour and beat untill smooth and thickened. Reduce heat and cook 2 minutes more.

Remove from heat. Pour mixture into blender. blend on high 2 minutes. If desired, add chopped chicken pieces. Use as a substitute for canned cream of chicken soup. Maybe stored in refrigerator up to one week.

We had our with chicken over rice topped with shredded chesse. YUM!! My kids cleaned their plates!

Reviews (taken from Amazon.com)
. . . I was very pleasantly surprised at all the different resources that Cooking with Food Storage Made Easy has. I mean, it is just about everything, not just recipies. I remember seeing something in there about gardening, and storing guidelines, what you should have in your food storage, when to plant different foods in your garden. Wow awesome, is all I can say.

--Retail customer Cooking with Food Storage, by Debbie G. Harman ... is an excellent source for recipes using ingredients from a basic food storage system, such as evaporated and powdered milk, dried onions and potato flakes. Harman suggests using food storage in everyday cooking, not only to keep stored foods fresh, but also to become familiar with how to use them. ... Included in Harman s book are gardening suggestions and recipes for preserving fresh food. --Daily Universe Newspaper

This would make a great Christmas gift!!!

Survival Saturday

Another blog rave

This one evn talks about guns!! Can't wait to show the Hubby!!

This one is called Utah Preppers. Link here. They have links for several other "prepper" sites around the US. Go take a peak and let my know what you think.

A few post I can't wait to take a deeper look at are:

72-kits/evecuation kits

DIY sanitation AKA killing germs

Well tell me what you think. And remeber these people are hard core!!! LOL!!

Food Storage Friday

5 Easy Steps to using your Food Storage

1.Figure out what is in your food storage.

Do you have a lot of powdered milk, wheat, rice, beans?

2.Write down a list of the meals that your Family typically eats.

Be sure to include baked good, breakfast and dinner.

3.Look for the ones that you can make simple adjustments to.

Recipes that call for milk are easy to substitute powdered milk to. Taste the same. I keep a container of reconstituted milk in my fridge for cooking purposes.

Do you bake? Try using some whole wheat flour for SOME of the white flour. Pancakes, waffles and cookies are great places to start.

Add rice to your soups, casseroles, and burritos.

4. Start conservative

You have to start out with small amounts of things like wheat. Converting over whole heartedly WILL cause major stomach problems. Take it slow.

Also look at only changing one or two recipes so you do not get overwhelmed. Next week add another and so on.

5.Look for new recipes that use more food storage items.

When looking for new recipes look for ones that have more food storage friendly ingredient lists.

Here are some GREAT food storage recipe sites:

http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/

extension.usu.edu

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/category/recipes

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/recipes/

Thirfty Thursday

I must send you off to another blog today! I read an AWESOME guest post over at The Bargain Jargon today. While you are there look around. Christy is a bargain guru!!

NEVER judge a book by its cover. Same goes for thrift stores!

Go check out this post!

Whatever Wednesday

Back into the swing of things.

Well school is in full swing, fair is over, summer produce is done so I now have time to breath...and blog!

Post to watch for:

Where to store those #10 cans!

5 ways to use your food storage and save on groceries.

Quick school morning breakfast ideas.

Decorating for the holidays on a budget.

Survival Saturday

Important Papers!!!

Do you know where your (insert document name here) is? Would you know in an emergency (fire, flood, evacuation)?

So here is were I post a wonderful post about survival all from my own thoughts. LOL!! That is so not going to happen this week. Again I will be sending you off on a blog trip. Ready Set Plan has a great post about documents you NEED to read.

Go Here

Crystal just spells it out in simple,direct, and easy enough for busy moms to do fashion.

Also if you really want to get into this like nobodies business or want more in depth advice check out Trent over at the Simple Dollar. I read this post a while ago and thought it was of great worth but to scary for me. He is a fantastic writer.

Be sure to look around Trent's blog as well as Crystal's they both offer so much valuable information.

Thrifty Thursday

Think Thrifty

Thrift Stores that is!

My friend Daphne is the queen of second hand store shopping. Goodwill is like her second home. She can find the most awesome finds. Not only the cutest dresses for her girls but every thing from hoodies to dressers. She also knows how to rock it on Craig's list. I often (think at least weekly) find myself ogling her finds.

How does she do it? I ask her this all the time. She goes often. She knows when the racks will be stocked. She is friendly with the workers. She asks questions. She also has their return policy down pat.

Recently Elizabeth and I needed some jeans. So off to Goodwill we went. I got both of us killer dark washed jeans that looked brand new and fit perfectly for $3.99 a pair. NOT BAD!! Not to mention they were name brand not walmart brand.

Parade Magazine (Sunday paper) had a article the Secrets of Secondhand Shopping. A good quick read to get the inside scoop.

Whatever Wednesday

This blog is about Provident Living, and as you know there is more to PL than food storage and money. So Wednesdays are kind of like mental health days for me. I can brag about my newest PL conquest or vent about my struggles.

This week my struggles are longer than my conquests! Sad but true. I strive, eternally, to figure out and stick with a budget. This is the largest thorn in my side. We don't just throw money around but I am weak and have a hard time saying no to picking up dinner, or throwing the budget out the window for sales. GRRR!! One day it will all click but for now I continue the struggle. Any advice? Seriously people I could use it.

As far as conquest........I finally got the laundry folded and the kitchen counters clean. OH PL conquest........sadly nothing to report this week. Boo-Hoo!!

Tasty Tuesday

School Lunches Part 2:

Convenience food are easy but costly.

Take fruit cups. You know those presealed little cups of fruit chunks. On average the are $2.50 for a 4 pack. Well make your own and save come cash. Plus my kids can never open those store bought ones with out a mess. LOL!! The American Homemaker did a great post about making her own fruit cups here.



I put mine in cups just like this. Mine are green though.





Make your own lunchables. My kids LOVE to stack their own mini sandwiches. I cut my meat into little circles using an old spice jar top. Mini cookie cutters would be fun too.


What are some of your frugal but tasty lunch ideas?

Money Monday

Credit Card Emergencies

We all claim our credit cards are just for emergencies. Yeah right! Dinner out is not an emergency. Awesome pair of boots...nope not an emergency. Ummm must have toy for the kiddos? Still not an emergency.

Emergency

e⋅mer⋅gen⋅cy 
 –noun 1.a sudden, urgent, usually unexpected occurrence or occasion requiring immediate action.
2.a state, esp. of need for help or relief, created by some unexpected event: a weather emergency; a financial emergency.

No were in there does it say a sale a Macy's. LOL!!

Emergency to me means blood and gore, massive flooding, or stranded on the side of the road.

Consider having an emergency fund in place so you do not even have to consider your credit cards.

Money Monday

Just a quick suggestion

Go get your wallet or purse right now. Hurry up...go get it....got it? Okay now open it up and take out all your credit cards. Done? Now get that "spare one" you hide in the back out. Done? Double check......Okay now close up your wallet or purse. Take a deep breath...STOP do NOT put any of those cards back in there. Yes that does mean the one for Sears too.

Carrying around a credit card makes it a whole lot harder to keep your spending in check. If you don't have the money don't spend it. Credit cards themselves are not evil but the should be used with cation and planning.

Get a small safe box to store them in or hey put them on ice (as in freeze them). Many credit cards offer nice sounding little perks. Often these perks do not compensate for that cards fees and interest rate. BE CAREFUL!!!

Survival Saturday

Blog Spotlight

Ready Set Plan

You want to be prepared. You want the simple easy way to get there. You like a site with out too much fluff. You know one a mom can read while handing out crackers, nursing a baby and chatting on the phone (yes ALL at once....you know you do it.....I am NOT the only one.... right?) Here is a super, wonderful blog for you!!!

Crystal (AKA the girl with a plan) over at readysetplan is just the gal we have been waiting for! Go check her out! And leave a comment. They make a girl feel so very good!

Food storage Friday

The Sweet Stuff

Candy for some is a vital part of food storage. it is suggested we put gum and hard candy in our 72 hour kits. Sweets are a comfort food. Here in the next month or so store shelves will be buckling under the weight of sweet treats and candy coated chocolates. Keep you eye out for sales and clearance on your favorite treats and add then to your food storage.

Cake, brownie and cookie mixes are also great to have on hand. Nothing makes my hubby feel better than a brownie! For us this is a quick date night treat as well. I usually combine my coupons with sales to get mixes from $.50 to $.75 a box. Sometimes even better.

Popcorn is also another treat that is a must have in our house. We love movie nights for one, and I can eat popcorn for snack every night and be a very happy woman. Popcorn is also good for upset tummies. My kids totally prefer it over saltines. Air popped, microwaved, or even those nifty jiffy popper ones, it doesn't matter pop corn is a must!

Tasty Tuesday

School Lunches

I do not buy school lunches. At our school they are about $2.75 and with two kiddos eating 5 lunches a week that is about $27.50 a week. OUCH!! So I thought I would find some ways to spice up their lunch boxes this year.

Banana Sushi

The Kraft foods website also has a lunchbox sulutions spot. It even has a section on lunch box jokes!

I think this looks fun too.

Remember presentation is very important to some kids.

Mom's Lunchbox Cheat Sheet

( from the Kraft site!!)

Place a frozen juice box in your kids’ lunchbox. – it’ll keep the food chilled and will be thawed by lunchtime.

Go for variety. Make sandwiches using whole grain tortillas, bagels or pitas.

Pack antibacterial wet wipes so your kids can clean their hands before and after eating.

Add grated veggies to sandwiches and wraps for crunch – your kids won’t notice they’re eating something that’s good for them!

Use small resealable bags to pack dressings. Kids can open one corner and simply squeeze onto salad, then discard.

Get dipping! Pack salsa, hummus, yogurt or salad dressing for your little ones to dunk their sandwich, veggies or fruit into.

Make bite-sized and mini versions of regular foods like sandwiches. They work well for small appetites and are more likely to be eaten.

Add a quick note to say good luck on a test or “I love you” – it will brighten your child’s day.

Water Storage Myth and Fact

For the real water storage low down I must refer you to another blog. I can not compete with the entry here.

Not Just For Storing is a great blog ran by an incredible gal in Arizona ( my homeland LOL!!) ENJOY!! And get you some water storage!!

Sunday

Family.

We all have one. It may not be the cookie cutter family we think everyone else has but it is there. Family is a bond unlike any other. No matter what, we are bound to each other. If we live worthily we have the awesome opportunity of becoming an eternal family. You can move, quit talking, even pass on and yet you are still family.

Friends come and go. Some build relationships that are just as strong as those of family. We live in neighborhoods and attend church. Those bonds form another family. One in which we serve and love each other. We rejoice and morn together. In this day and age many of us do not live as close to our natural families and these bonds help fill in those gaps. Some of us do not come from close and supportive families so in some ways our church families help to fill those needs as well.

In reality we really are one huge family. Sure there will always be an Uncle Ed every one thinks is a little off or that crazy Grandma Sally who has to pinch our cheeks, and there will always be that favorite cousin you can tell anything too. They may not look like the ones you grew up with, but they are there. Best friends become sisters, and golf partners feel more like bothers. A visiting teacher can be the “mom” you are missing. A bishop can easily become that wise “dad” we all need.

Look around you and see what is there. Sometimes I look around at my friends; some are old enough to be my parents other barely reach my knees! They all fill in those little spots that are missing in my life. I see mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and nieces, and nephews. I see a family. The faces may not be the same color, they eyes are not the ones I see in my mirror. I do however see hearts that rejoice in the gospel with me. I hear voices that sing the same songs of praise. I see hands that serve along with mine. I see a family.

Tasty Tuesday

Canning Beans

Last week I learned a new skill! Go Me!! I learned how to can green beans. My mother in law came over and taught me the ways of canning.

We started with about 11 pounds of fresh beans.

We spent a good while snapping the ends off.

Then I had to put them in the jars, add hot water, a little salt, and then lid them. They cooked in a pressure cooker for 20 mins. and then cooled.

Here is the final product !! I have mixed feelings about eating them. On one hand I can't wait on the other they look so pretty and I don't want to ruin them. LOL!!!

Oh and we tried a new way so yummy melon this past week as well. It is called a yellow doll. It taste like a popsicle.
It has a few seeds but they are all in the center and super easy to scoop out. My kids went gaga over this melon it was just so dang good!! If you get a chance be sure to try one.

Money Monday

Cash Only Please

Last week we spontaneously went "cash only". We withdrew the amount of money we had to spend and used cash all week. It was fun to pay with cash. Remember how you felt when you were a kid and you got to buy your own stuff? The joy of being "grown up". LOL!! It was fun. We stuck to it and even had money left over!!!!

We did not do the envelope system but we might try that next after we get used to this whole cash thing.

Honeyville Grain SALE!!

SUMMARY: Honeyville is celebrating 58 Years in business! 10% OFF YOUR ENTIRE ORDER* from Thursday, August 6, 2009 thru Tuesday, August 11, 2009 at 6:00PM PST. Simply enter the coupon code HONEY58 during checkout. Act now! Take a look at the WHAT'S NEW category for all of the great new items that we're rolling out including Freeze Dried Broccoli, Dehydrated Green Onions, and Old Fashioned Lemonade in the Long Term Storage Can. http://store.honeyvillegrain.com

P.S. The price of Milk and Egg products, including our Powdered Whole Eggs, is at a historically low level. Take advantage of these low prices, paired with the coupon code to really cash in on the savings.

Thrifty Thursday

Job Swaps

A great way to save cash and still get the job done is a job swap.
We had some trees that needed to come down, plus some libming up to get done. We have a friend who used to do that for a living (still does as a side job) that needed a room in his shop built. So we help him do our trees and Hubby helped him build the room in his shop.

A friend of mine teaches music lessons from her home. This said friend HATES to clean bathrooms. She had a student who was low on funds. Guess what they did? Yup. Said friend gets clean bathrooms and student gets misic lessons.

What a great way to share our talents and save our cash!!

This can work great with babysitting as well. :)

Canning Instrustions.......

How to Make Homemade Canned Peaches, Plums, Pears, Plums, Nectarines and Cherries

Here is a great how to complete with photos and detailed instructions.

I think I will be using this when I do pears this fall.

Link

Sara over at Learning the Frugal Life gets the credit with finding these great instrution. Go check out her peaches. They look awesome!

Wednesday

UPDATES!!!

First here are a few pictures of the goodies we have harvested from our little garden. The heat wave has been causing sadness on everything but the tomatoes so I hope to gave a great harvest photo of them one day!!

I knoe these carrots look small. They are fingerling carrots. They are so crisp and perfect!

My kids think this is the coolest way to eat carrots! So rustic and bugs bunny-ish.

These babies never make it into the house. I can usually pick a handful for the Hubby's lunch every other day or so. Then my father in law likes to eat them too!! I can't walk by with out picky one or two, or five. LOL!!

I can now cross making jam off my want to do list. I made Jam for the very first time with my mother in law back in mid-July. I will be making atleast double that amount next year. Yummy!!

See that little one in front? The Hubby finished that off over a weekend! This is not going to last as long as I had hoped. LOL!!

Tasty Tuesday

Great recipe site to check out!!!

Perkins good eats

This is not a daily blog, but a personal recipe book. This is good 'ole home cooking with a modern and easy twist. Most post have pictures too!!

Here are a few I can't wait to try:

Polynesian skillet

chicken enchiladas

Thank you Kirsten for the great site referral!!!! Your sister ROCKS for getting all of these wonderful recipes rounded up!

Tasty Tuesday

Menu Rut

I don't know about you, but in my house menu rut is an often occurring phenomenon. We find something we like and then have it at least once every week. Sad but true. With this summer heat we have been doing the burger and dog thing WAY too much.

There are many sited that can help you plan a menu. Just a few are Hill Billy House Wife, Organized Home, and I'm an Organizing Junkie.

When I create a menu I try to have variety. I try to have a meatless night. I also like to have a rice night as well as pasta. Sometimes I plan all three meals(during the school year) but mostly just a weeks worth of dinners.

An example menu for a week might look like:

(quick fix)Sunday: Soft Tacos/Burritos w/carrots and olives

(meatless & pasta)Monday: Penne w/spaghetti sauce w/green beans

(rice) Tuesday: Easy vegetable rice medley with kielbasa

(beef) Wednesday: Meatloaf (or mini meatloaf) w/veggie and homemade rolls

(chicken) Thursday: BBQ chicken and pineapple skewers with fresh veggies

(out of a box)Friday: Mac'n'Cheese and whatever else we feel like ;)

Saturday: Dinner out or leftovers

See I need menu help too! I fully intend to look at the links posted and get some better ideas.

I know I know....

I promise I will get back on the blogging boat soon. It has been beyond crazy around here. Sorry!

Sunday

"Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail. This is the cradle of humanity, where life on this earth began in the Garden of Eden. This is the place of the new Jerusalem. This is the place that the Lord said is favored above all other nations in all the world. This is the place where the Savior will come to His temple. This is the favored land in all the world. Yes, I repeat, men may fail, but this nation won't fail. I have faith in America; you and I must have faith in America, if we understand the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are living in a day when we must pay heed to these challenges.

I plead with you not to preach pessimism. Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world. This is the favored land. This is the land of our forefathers. It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through. (Ye Are the Light of the World, 350-51)

Harold B. Lee

Money Monday

Dave Ramsey is a financial guru and very well regarded in the financial realm. Here are is baby step to becoming debt free and in control of your finances.

Baby Steps

1. $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund

2. Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball

3. 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings

4. Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement

5. College funding for children

6. Pay off home early

7. Build wealth and give! Invest in mutual funds and real estate

Here is his printable. Want to know more about Dave? Click here to go to his site. Still need help with a budget (I do!!)? Want a free budget guide? Go here.

Where are you and where do you want to go? Have you done or tried Dave's plan? Did it work for you? Do you think this might work for you?

Sunday

Alma 60:36 Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country. And thus I close mine epistle.

Summer Madness

Sorry I went missing. This is a busy month in my house but I will be on this ball this week. I hope ;). I got a lot of post rattling around in my head so...we will see. ;)

Sunday

No constitution on earth has endured longer than ours. We seek and usually find the answers to today’s hardest legal questions within this document of yesterday. The Constitution was and is a miracle. Both Washington and Madison referred to it as such. It was an inspired document, written under the divine guidance of the Lord. James Madison, commonly called the Father of the Constitution, recognized this inspiration and gave the credit to “the guardianship and guidance of the Almighty Being whose power regulates the destiny of nations whose blessings have been so conspicuously displayed to the rising of this republic.” (Prologue, p. 95.) We believe that the Constitution was brought about by God to insure a nation where liberty could abound, where his gospel could flourish. Joseph Smith said, “The Constitution of the United States is a glorious standard; it is founded in the wisdom of God. It is a heavenly banner.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 147.) Again from Brigham Young, “[The Constitution] was dictated by the invisible operations of the Almighty.” (John A. Widtsoe, ed., Discourses of Brigham Young, Deseret Book Co., 1966, p. 359.) From our current living prophet, Spencer W. Kimball, “One of the reasons America is great today is because those men who formulated the Constitution had vision. They looked ahead to today, and all of us here are recipients of their wisdom and foresight.” Among other things, the Constitution guarantees the religious freedom that allowed the Reformation to continue and flourish. The great religious reformers began to throw off the rituals and dogmas that had been attached to Christianity during the dark ages and sought to return to the pure and simple truths of the New Testament.

The above quote is taken from Elder L. Tom Perry, “God’s Hand in the Founding of America,” New Era, Jul 1976, 45

Happy 4th of July!

Thrifty Thursday

I have got nothing this week so I am sending you over to Christy's wonderful blog!!

The Bargain Jargon

Also check out ALL the blogs in the frugal living catagory on the left hand side bar!!

Whatever Wednesday

Garden Tips

Parade magazine had some good tips on Sunday. The link to the whole article is here. The tip I am most eager to try is the one about eggs shells and tomatoes.

Eggshells are a good source of calcium, essential for tomatoes; without it, they develop brown patches known as blossom-end rot. Just crush the shells and sprinkle the bits on the soil.

I'll let you know if it works!

Making resumes work

The News Tribune had a great article Sunday on making the most of your resume work. Be sure to check out other links on their page. There is even a free trail at a networking site. You may think you need not worry about this but odds are you know at least one person who is unemployed right now. So if you don't need it for yourself think about those you know.

Tasty Tuesday

Spices

This is our final instalment of Bare-Bones Basics, but that does not mean it is not important.

Basic spices that can add life (per Preparedness Principles) to most foods are salt, pepper, vanilla, cinnamon, and chili powder and /or basil. I personally need onion powder, garlic powder, a great grill mix and Johny's.

Look at your super stores (Costco/Sam's) for great prices. Also most super market have baking sales twice a year. Once around the winter holidays (Thanksgiving & Christmas) and again around Easter. These are also the times that your Sunday paper and online coupon sites will have a great number of baking/spice coupons out.

Store your spices in airtight containers. A cool place is also best. Even though they look awesome in a spice rack on your sunny kitchen counter that really is not the best place. A nice cool cupboard is ideal.

Bouillons

"What IS bouillon?", some of you might ask. I know I did at one point.

"Bouillon cubes are compressed, flavor-concentrated cubes of dehydrated meat, poultry, or vegetable stock and spices. Instant bouillon granules are the loose, granular form of the concentrate. Salt is usually listed as the first ingredient; thus , both are very salty." Preparedness Principals pg.72

Ways to use: Add it to any grain you are cooking. I love adding chicken bouillon to rice. No need to add anything else. Add to your soup base, beans, or just to a pot of water for a comforting broth (add a some noodles for a basic soup) for someone who is sick.

As with most foods store in an airtight container is a cool dry cupboard. Generally the life span is 1-2 years but I have used some that has been a few years past that and had no problems.

Money Monday

Over the last month or so we have done a brief overview of the church's All Is Safely Gathered In pamphlet. As we have done so, I hope that some of you have implemented or improved your money management practices.

I finally worked up the courage to do a budget. Not just my bills this time. I budgeted for everything I thought I would need to. I also set my budget under what we really bring home. I wanted to be able to set some aside in savings.

I have yet to get the courage up to add up all the numbers and see how well (BAD) we did. Thursday is the big day for me to get that done. So I am a little afraid. LOL!! I am going to do it though. One day we will get it figured out. As long as I am actively working on it I will make progress.

As you work on your budget remember that they do evolve. Debt go away (hopefully) and other expenses rear their ugly heads. So we need to review and revamp often.

Food Storage Friday

Legumes

The food guys list the legumes brake down as 30 lbs. dried beans(any variety you want), 5lbs. Lima beans, 10 lbs. soy beans, 5 lbs. split peas, 5 lbs. lentils, and 5 lbs. dried soup mix.

As always if your not going to eat it don't store it. However legumes provide so many essentials to your diet. You need to have some and variety is always nice. So if nothing else have 60 pounds of any combination of beans (legumes).

Mayo clinic has a great little brake down on different legumes and their uses plus cooking tips. Here

Shelf life: According to a BYU site legumes have a shelf life of 8 years.

Tasty Tuesday

I know I was supposed to make brown sugar today but alas I do not have molasses. So another day for that. Today we will continue on our pantry basics journey.

Grains

Again we go to the food guys for a great brake down list. A one year supply for one adult brakes down to: 150 lbs. wheat, 25 lbs. flour, 25 lbs. corn meal, 25 lbs. oats, 50 lbs rice, and 25 lbs lbs. pasta. The general rule should be store what you eat, eat what you store. Going by that look at the list see if there is any thing you never use and omit it and beef up another category. In total you should store 300lbs. of grains per person.

Shelf lives: wheat 20+ years, flour 3-5 years, oats 4-5 years, pasta 6-8 years, white rice3-4 years, cornmeal minimum of one year and can be stored up to 5 years. Remember proper storage conditions can extend the life of your food. Cool, dark and DRY! Airtight containers are also a must.

Where to buy? For most of this list you can hit up your local church cannery or mega store(Costco/Sam's). I hear Winco has a great bulk section and gives a little price break if you buy a whole bag.

Survival Saturday

Have I got a site for you!

This lovely gal posted a comment on this blog a few days ago and of course she left a link to her awesome survival blog. So here it is Preparedness Pro. This gal has covered it all I am not even going to try and list it. Also she has a great blog and site list on her side bar. Go check her out!!

Food Storage Friday

The Sweet Stuff !!

According to the food guys a year supply for each of these for one person would look like:

Sugars 60 pounds total

3 pounds Honey

40 pounds sugar

3 pounds brown sugar

1 pound molasses

3 pounds Corn syrup

3 pounds Jam

6 pounds Powdered fruit drink

1 pound Flavored gelatin

Remember: Store what you eat, Eat what you store!!

The average American eats over 60 pounds of sugar each year. It is in so many things we love to eat from candy bars and pastry creations to spaghetti sauce and chili. So don't pull the i don't eat sugar bit with me! LOL!! No diets allowed either! :)

Sugar should be stored in dry airtight combiners. If your happens to hardened it is still usable just brake it up with a hammer or warm it in the oven until it is soft enough to use. Indefinite storage life.

Brown Sugar should also be stored in an airtight container. FYI brown sugar is white sugar with molasses add into it. (look for next Tuesday post!!!) You can make you own!!

Honey stored properly honey can keep for decades becoming darker and more flavorful. Airtight and cool temperatures are the key! Hardened honey can be warmed in a water bath to liquidize it again.

Corn syrup and Molasses have a shelf life of about 18 months. As always airtight and cool temps! Corn syrup is a sugar and molasses is a by product of sugar production.

Powdered fruit drink means the cannery fruit drink to me, however I assume that powdered Gatorade or kool-aid is the general idea.(if I am wrong speak up and tell me)

Gelatin to me this is good 'ole JELLO!! Easy to store, cheap to buy, and generally a crowd pleaser. Remember to rotate and check boxes for expiration date.

Thrifty Thursday

7 ways I saved money this week.

1. Planned dinner around my pantry instead of making a grocery run.
2. Using cards I already have instead of buying new spendy ones for teachers thanks yous. Yes the cards are unused!! :)
3. Opened the curtains and turned off the lights.
4. Used a redbox code to get a free movie rental.
5. We ate in all week.
6. Made cookies and bread. Also made rootbear floats at home VS. going to DQ!!
7. Used the BBQ instead of heating up the house.

There are a lot of things I do on a normal basis that most people would consider scrimping it. For me though they are just normal. So are a few of those:

1. Kids and Hubby took lunches to work and school.
2. Used powdered milk in my recipies.
3. Always look at clearance first when shopping.

That's all I can think of right now. LOL!! What are some things you do to save money?

Whatever Wednesday

Garden updates

We have flowers!!! The peas have darling little white flowers.

Strawberries also have TONS of blossoms and some berries again!

The tomato plants has it's "um yeah cute" yellow flowers.

And here are some pictures of the rest of the green stuff. My broccoli that was so pretty is now wilted yuck. No idea what happened or what to do. My radishes are getting HUGE leaves but no root. Again no idea. I did go get a different brand of seed and planted more. We shall see. My second planting of beans is towering over my first planting. Carrots are getting tall.