Watch FREE: Children are a Blessing

Wonderful short film about God, family and LIFE -all through a solid Biblical perspective. Watch FREE online through April 30th.

Counting the Cost: Not always Money

Most of us understand counting the cost in terms of money. How much is something gonna cost me in cash? My post yesterday got me thinking about how I've counted the cost in different ways over the years as I've simplified my like. Counting the cost in terms of TIME and ENERGY. Everything we bring into our homes takes our precious time and energy to take care of. From the littlest thing to the biggest. I'll give some examples from my life to help illustrate the concept. Let me first restate again that everything I state is simply a personal choice in how I decided to simplify my life and you may take your own path in counting your own costs.

Linens- About 7 years ago....I went to all white linens. They all match and if I need more towels or sheets I simply add to the stack. I have replaced bottom sheets only as the tops don't wear out near as fast....since I use no patterns in the sheets I just buy the fitted sheet and it matches! Laundry is so much more simplified as whites can all be washed together. You may bore with white....but I love that it matches everything and I use color in accessories. Plus if anything happens.....bleach is my friend and has saved the day many times.
Throw rugs- I used to LOVE them. At every door, kitchen, dining room, bed rooms. I loved the layered look and still do. Now I layer elsewhere besides the floor....with pillows, fabric and blankets. I was spending so much TIME shaking, washing and moving the rugs to clean and vacuum. The cost of my time and energy was too high. I rolled them up and donated them to Goodwill. The only rug I now use is 1 in my bathroom right by the shower to prevent slips. My floors are bare and vacuuming is a breeze now. I will never go back. My back thanks me. I eliminated 2 loads of laundry and about 2 hours a week extra work to wash and move rugs. I have not noticed any increase in dirt in the house from not having a rug by the entry way doors....it seems the same as with rugs.
Curtains- I mentioned this one yesterday. I used to LOVE the look of layers and layers of lace curtains. I still do.....but the work of getting out the ladder to get them down and wash them was getting to me. I could not vacuum the dust off them because they would get stuck down the hose as they were a dainty fabric. So I would take them down to fluff and dust them in the drier. Ugh....such work. I decided to move to mini blinds and a simple sturdy fabric topper. This has worked out much better for me. I now just use the brush attachment to my vacuum and dust the whole lot....no ladder involved as my vacuum brush has an extender piece that can reach.
Couches- I used to have a beautiful used navy blue cloth couch that my brother gifted me. That thing was so pretty..but my little sweet dog has piles of white hair that stuck tight to the fabric. Ugh .....what a chore to clean! I am not kidding you...it always looked hairy and was HARD to clean! When it came time to replace that couch....I thought really hard about it. I counted the cost of my time and energy. I went with a fake leather type material. No hair troubles any more....no vacuuming the cloth couch any more. Sigh....of...relief. I can simply use my swiffer if anything settles on the couch. Freedom.
Pets- Think LONG and HARD before adding a pet to your home. We have a dog and cat...and various other little critters. Turtle, hamsters....and one hedgehog. They all take a substantial amount of time for care and honestly....money. For food and medical care. Flea meds are expensive each month...but not as expensive as getting fleas...LOL! Plus I'd say the number one source of plain old dirt on my floors right now is my dog. In and out to potty multiple times a day brings in the dirt. I LOVE my pets and this is one example where I did consider the cost....in time , energy and money.....and this time it was worth it! (But secretly I do think this will be my last dog and cat. If nothing happens...they both should be here till around the time all my kids will be done with high school and moving on in life....I will be in my 50's then and strongly feel right now that I will want the freedom from pets at that time. But we'll see!)
So count the deeper cost to the things you add to your life and do NOT be afraid to change anything that isn't working out for you!

Have a wonderful week!!

No Spring Cleaning!

Woohoo! I don't Spring clean. It's not a dirty little secret either! I just keep things done. A LONG time ago I read some great books on organizing. I never liked spring cleaning anyway....so much WORK right during the time the weather finally gets NICE and I wanna go outside after the winter doldrums. What a bad time to plan cleaning. I mean I know why they did it long ago.....open up the windows....beat the rugs...you know the heavy stuff. In my search for all things organized I was lead to just break things up through out the year and ENJOY my Spring. The only things I really do now in Spring is the yard and garden preps but that gets me outside! Not stuck inside slaving away. I changed some things too....no heavy drapes to wash anymore. I have simple toppers and mini blinds now. These both I just vacuum off once a month.....no need for a big drapery wash day. I found a mid weight comforter that I can just keep on regularly. I witched from Spring cleaning my carpets to doing it just before Christmas since I have a party usually and just clean it then. Every once and a while if the Spring season is super wet.....I may have to do the main hall ways due to mud being tracked in by people and puppy paws. But I have a home steamer that is no harder to use than my regular vacuum. So basically I little by little inch by inch all my main chores and just always do one thing. 365 days a year means a lot of time to do things. It's just a different way of doing things. I used to save all my laundry for one day....BIG mistake for me....I was stuck doing laundry ALL DAY clean through till bedtime. Now I just do one load a day....very easy. I put the load in to wash as part of my bedtime routine. Then next morning in it goes to dry. The kids fold when they get home from school and put away that load. Works out much better. Sometimes it's not the how much you have to do....but the how you are doing it. Remember though that we are each our own and there is no right or wrong way to clean your home. It is YOUR home after all and you know best what works for your family! Have a great day!!

Crock Pots and Planned Leftovers

Do you LOVE your crock pot as much as I do? I own 3.....I love them that much. Above are the two I use the most. I have named them.....they are friends...LOL. Well why wouldn't they be my very dear friends....they do so much work for me....I am grateful! I can NOT afford maids or butlers....but with crock pots and planning....I can sometimes feel like I have kitchen staff...well until dish washing time! The white small guy came from Goodwill for $3.99....I call him Old blue...even though he has a green insert. The brown one is Old/OLD faithful- given to me by an 89 year old gal named Carrie whom I helped clean out her basement (THANKS Carrie!) Carrie has since moved back home with the Lord....but she gifted me with so many useful items...such a blessing. This guy is from the 70's I am sure by his colors and design....but works like a dream. If he ever dies....I'll use his beautiful brown crock insert to hold my utensils by my stove OR use it as my new sourdough starter crock. Then there is my not photoed one....Old faithful and she is from 1994 when I got married-a wedding gift. She is the largest of my crocks and is kept out in the garage for big batch company cooking....usually potatoes or chili. She is a she because her main color is PINK.

I cooked yesterday enough food for 3 meals. I planned for the leftovers. I LOVE to do this because it saves me TIME and energy later. Here's what I did and the three meals I got.
Day One Meal:
Crock Chicken and gravy
Crock cooked rice
Mixed Veggies
Place one large bag frozen chicken breasts (you can use whatever pieces you like...bone in or out and as much as you need to feed the size of your family plus leftovers.) in crock pot...add 2-3 cans cream of chicken soup (no extra water as the frozen chicken will produce enough.) Cook on low all day 7-9 hours. This will cook all your meat plus make boat loads of yummy gravy. 2 hours before you plan to eat, place 2 cups dry white or brown rice and 4 cups water in another crock pot...cook on High for the 2 hours. This step may vary for you....my small crock cooks in this time....if you have never cooked rice in yours start 3 hours and check after 2...if it gets done simply turn it off...it will stay warm enough for dinner. I then heated a small bag of frozen mixed veggies as the side. We served by placing a nice bed of rice on the plate then nestled the chicken breast on the bed and tucked it all in with a nice blanket of gravy. Serve with hot steamy veggies. SO GOOD! If your gravy isn't thick enough simply add some cornstarch dissolved in water into your crock and crank it to high for a bit.

Day Two Meal
Chicken Stir Fry Rice
Chop all leftover chicken. Save half for day 3 meal. Scramble 2-6 eggs in large skillet...break up small. Add all leftover rice, about 1/4 cup leftover mixed veggies and the first 1/2 leftover chicken. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion power, garlic powder and ginger to taste. Add about 5 TBS soy sauce and stir fry the whole bunch till warmed through.

Day Three Meal
Chicken Pot Pie
Warm leftover gravy in pan. Add Leftover 2nd half of chicken, the remainder of the mixed veggies and one can drained diced potatoes ( Or dice your own). I placed mine in a 9x9 pan and topped with one top crust....you could also top off with canned or drop biscuits. Bake at 350 30-40 mins till hot and crust/biscuits are down.

I made this chicken pot pie on day one when I was packing up the dinner foods and went ahead and cut all the chicken that day. I put my pot pie in the freezer for a different day. Tonight we will eat the stir fry....but you could have just as easily made the stir fry on day one also and froze that in a large freezer bag to eat later too. I like to do this sort of thing with roast beef too. Buy a BIG one and get it all cooked at once. We eat a nice roast beef dinner first then I make hash (simple cubed beef and cubed potato in gravy or add one can cooked carrots for a stew) and then the third meal is BBQ beef on rolls- shred the beef and add BBQ. Either freezes well for later. I like the crock just as much in the summer as I do the winter as it does not heat the kitchen up as much as the big stove.

New 2 Me Furniture

Woohoo! My Mom gifted me a beautiful oak book case. I....am.....giddy! It replaces 2 older tall Sauder ones that I've had for 15 yrs that were painted many colors over their life. I still plan to keep the Sauder ones but have asked the Hubbs if he'd help me cut them down....making 4 shorter shelf units. I'd like to put 2 in my closet for shoes and things and maybe the others in the kitchen/ dining area. Not quite sure yet....but for sure we won't get rid of them...but make them over into something else we can use. There will be a future blog post. Here's the whole family room. Somewhere in an old blog post I have a picture showing the old family room shelves....we had a different couch and the painted bookcases and hadn't cut down the entertainment center yet. It's all homey and comfy cozy now. I plan to cut down some pillows from the old couches that will match the tapestry chair and tie it all in together (hmmm....another bloggie post 4 later...LOL)

Here's the old Sauder shelves.

Mission Apron....DONE

Yep.....got the Apron finished over the weekend. I didn't bother with the sewing machine....just hand stitched it up. Here's what I did. Decide how long you need the chest part by holding the first towel up to your neck about where you'd like it to sit. This towel was wide so I folded the corners in and stitched them down. Add a ribbon loop. I opted for a closed loop but you could make two tails to leave it adjustable. Once you know how long....just stitch your bottom towel to the top half...add ties....and voila....DONE! It really only took about a half hour.

HeeHaw!! We will deliver it on Friday! Heehee....what FUN! I have tons of ribbon left so I think I'm gonna make myself one soon...my Dollar Tree has some super CUTE black checked towels for $1 each....so since I have the ribbon now ....it'll only take 2 bucks for a new apron for me! Woohoo...have you seen the cost of aprons lately? I can not find them for less than $15.00.

HAPPY MONDAY!!

Use What you have: REVAMP

For a while now I have wanted one of these....Not the TV but the stand. The $295 new price tag has stopped me...up till now. I decided to chop down my 90's box entertainment center....the bottom looks just like this one and there was nothing wrong with it....only the fact that it's outdated. I asked DH if he would try to chop the sides and back off and just glue the top on....guess what...it worked!! I still want to paint it black but we decided to wait a few years since the wood grain still looks good. The cost - ZERO....yep ....no $300 bucks ...no hauling to the trash....ZERO....LOVE that number! Here's a few pix's of the redo:

DH getting rid of the sides...then we glued the old top onto where the TV sits for added support...just used Elmer's glue all.

All done! SOOOOO much better! Eventually it'll be mat black...but not yet....I think it still looks good! Look around before you buy new to see if you can revamp your old- FREE!

Fall Fixups

A few quick shots of the kitchen and dining room all gussied up for fall:

There's those yummy cupcakes again ;)

More Dry Erase Marker Love!

Dry Erase Marker Luv

Good things can happen when you have dry erase markers and time on your hands!!! Any slick surface will do. I plan on drawing bats on my windows in black for Halloween ;) Cheap...easy and wipes right off.

Added some scripture to a picture (on glass) in the kitchen

Added a cute saying in the guest bathroom ("Hi"...I should have waved)

"A day hemmed in prayer seldom unravels" I tried to make it look stitched

It'd be cute to write little love notes to your kids or husband in their bathrooms :)

Nest The Mess....

Here is my island counter top. There you see my sugar bowl, salt & pepper shakers and our napkins. Cute??? Yes....but a PAIN! When it's time to make noodles, kneed bread, or even just clean up the counter....I have to move all those things... one at a time. I finally found something cute to solve the problem....and yes...cute matters.

A cute little wall decoration from Goodwill.....all of 50 cents! It'll make a cute little nesting place!It's no trouble at all to pick the unit up to either move when baking or just lift up to wash the counter!! A little thing at little cost to make life easier.

WIN/WIN!!!

Happy Friday Blog friends....go have a wonderful weekend!

A Little Patriotic Somethin' Somethin'

Just a few shots from the gussied up kitchen and dining room area. Even though we aren't hosting anything like I thought we were for the 4th of July...I felt the house needed just a bit. My kids enjoy when we put little things up..I enjoy it...and heck who doesn't need a little more JOY in their day? I don't really have many decorations for the 4th of July except 3 small flags on a stick...two my twin boys brought home from school and one from the desk of a girl my MIL home schooled last year and one tinsel type thingy off a cake. I didn't want to spend any money. All the supplies I already had at home. So I got out a sharpie pen in black, some red white and blue construction paper and printed just a few freebies off the web. Scissors, some glue and about 20 mins produced enough decorations to catch the patriotic spirit! We have a party on the 3rd with my side and have just decided to go see a special movie out with the kids. Do you decorate for the 4th of July?


























On the fridge is a printable on Pray For America by Nancy Leigh DeMoss at Revive Our Hearts Ministries Here's the link for the colorful and fitting Red White and Blue Printable. Pray for America Pritable


Hope you are having a wonderful day!!

Moxie

Keeping things Clean

I got a wonderful compliment from my mother in law the other day. She complimented me on my home and how clean it was!! If you are a daughter in law...well those kind of compliments are just wonderful....if you are a stay at home mother to four kids....then that compliment can make your heart sing just that much more. It's uplifting and it's validating. She then asked the all important question of...."How do you do it??" Here's my short list of how.

1.) It's important to me. I believe it's the job God gave me to do and I wish to bring honor and glory to Him in all I do...even in my home making....so I wish to do it well. I believe God is a god of order. I also believe that order can help promote peace. I want this for my home...for my spouse...for my children and for any guests we may bring in.
2.) Eliminate clutter. A decluttered home tends to look cleaner even if it's not. Open surfaces just look neater. Clutter takes way more TIME to take care of...period.
3.)Do little bits each day to stay ahead.
4.) My kids help. They each are responsible to pick up their items. This didn't come naturally and had to be trained into them...but hey that's my job! And it's never ever too late for them to learn. We have a chore chart on the fridge that rotates each week. Each of the four kids has only one thing to do that takes them between 10 to 15 mins a day...and that's about it. They each put their own clothes away and manage their own rooms how they see fit (with in reason). With six people doing something every day...well things get done! Dad does the grass and trash take out on Thursdays and is a great handyman! That is enough for him as he works for us daily at his outside job. I have my own list of "mom" things to do.
5.) RELAX and enjoy your home...however you keep it! If how you currently keep it frustrates you....then don't be afraid to make changes where you can. Don't kill yourself if you are in a season where it just can't be helped....illness and young babies about! My home was WAY less neat when the four were 6 and under.....Oh man those were the trench days! It's OK....they do grow up and there is a light at the end.....for real...I promise!

And that's it! We don't go for white glove clean here either...real people just can't live like that. We go for progress and realise that when a kid wipes something down....it WILL end up cleaner than when they started but may not be perfect......the inventor of perfect needs shot anyway.....LOL....it's not reality! And I "mop" my kitchen floor with a wet towel and my feet....and just swish it about because I HATE stooping and squatting (thanks FLYLADY). My Granny would probably scold me for NOT bending on hands and knees with a scrub brush...but why when my floor is clean!??!!
~Moxie

Simplify again Lord??

Simplify again Lord?? Yikes! About 3 years ago I got the not so gentle nudge from God that I seriously needed to simplify my life....so I did. It was WONDERFUL!!! Now I'm feeling it again. To go deeper...to do more. There are still areas in my life where I like to make it more complicated than I should. Maybe it's a symptom of nearing my 40's? Or seeing that I only have around 7 years left with my kids at home. Sure some of them may stay during college and into early adulthood...but they won't be kids any more. I guess I see my life changing. It IS changing...infact...it ALWAYS changes...that's strangely the one thing that stays the same.....change. HAHA! I have a strong desire to s-l-o-w down more. To weed out the things that aren't so important for fewer things with more meaning....things with lasting value. To connect more with the people in my life/home. I have this home FOR my family....I didn't go out and get married and have kids for the house's benefit! I'm gonna work a bit more over the next few weeks to seek out areas in the home that aren't working for my family....be it the front closet that just won't contain our coats anymore....when it should.....to a linen closet filled with things we don't really use that just get toppled over when we need to reach the things we DO use. We finally DID clean out the kids closets that were filled with just toys from their early childhood....what a blessing that has been. They kept only a few things they loved and donated the rest. I have been reading some Dave Ramsey books on getting your financial house in order....he's got some great information! Finances is an area I'd like to clean up too!! I'm adding a side bar item....more for me than you guys...to track the money I earn this summer through yard sales...ebay....crafts I may sell....and any other way I make odds and end money even just left over grocery money. I would like to have $1000 saved up for an emergency fund...in liquid CASH. We have no debt right now except about $100 on a credit card that we will pay off next month. My car has been paid off for almost 2 years now and we just paid off hubbies a few months ago....so no car payments now for a time. I drive an older Windstar van and am hoping that car will make it through highschool for the kids. I want the emergency fund so we won't need credit any longer for those little things that "happen"...then I would LOVE to start paying down our house mortgage. It would be a dream of mine to pay off the house ASAP! Totally debt free would be true freedom to me. Plus I would like to declutter again and this time most items ARE e-bay worthy.....most the junky stuff went out before. So hopefully that number will go up as the summer trucks along! I LOVE the show Hoarders.....it always makes me want to clean and donate....Monday kicked off with a new episode! Sometimes I think if I have to work later when the kids grow up and leave that I would like to help people in that capacity...an organizer or therapist...or something....shoot I already do that a lot with family and friends right now.....only I don't get paid....maybe I should start charging!!! LOL!

~Moxie

Spring Closet Tip

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

~Moxie

Ball Jar Salt and Pepper Shakers

When we redid the Kitchen I made some quick little salt and pepper shakers to match with the rest of the colors in the room. It's something quick and easy! Just take two ball jar jelly jars and poke some holes in the top with a nail. I then spray painted the tops a hunter green to match my kitchen- you could do whatever colors you like. That's it-pretty quick and simple!! These are actually pretty nice and hold a lot of product so you don't have to fill them as often. Enjoy!

~Moxie

Easy "Pat in the Pan" Pie Crust Video

"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving."

~ Psalm 69:30

Are you about ready? Only a few days left till Thanksgiving. Today I'm washing my table cloth and looking over my pots and pans so I know just what to cook where. Other than a last minute bathroom wipe down and a few odds and ends...I'm ready (BIG sigh of relief). I am thankful that this year things are finished early! Here's a quick pie crust recipe for those of you who may still have a lot of baking to get done...it's super easy and super fast with little or no clean up...now that's my kind of cooking mass produce with no mess!! You can also prep this recipe ahead and either keep in the fridge or freezer for future use.

(The pie guard I show in the video...I forgot to mention...but please don't throw it away! Just wipe it off and store right with your pie plates...it will last for YEARS! )

Here's what the two pies look like done. They are wrapped up with foil and frozen in the freezer now. I will just set them out early Thursday morning to thaw....we just serve at room temperature. My dear husbands Mom taught me to put a pretty nut in the center to cover up the knife mark used to test for doneness. It gives the pies a nice finished look.

I was thinking about putting up a piece of blank poster board and letting people write things they are thankful for during the party. The kids, their father and I will put a few on to start things off for everyone. I encourage you to think back over the past year about how the Lord has blessed you and your family...and then thank Him heartily and with a deep gratitude!! What traditions does your family hold dear?? Here's a bit about what Thanksgiving means for me personally...

Thoughtfulness
Happiness
Awesome family togetherness
Next generations memories
Kindness, Kindred Spirits
Salvation, Savior
Gracious giving, God's Grace
I am thankful for my family
Very generous is my Lord, VICTORY
I am thankful for all my blessings
No problem is too big for God-ever
God is SO good
I didn't post my menu cuz I'm just gonna wing it this week until Thursday! I have enough quick fix items around for the next few days and will just finish up the last bit of leftovers to have fridge space cleared up. I won't be posting anything new till after the holiday....so

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Oodles Of Noodles Part 2: Video

I've talked about noodles before in my first post Oodles of Noodles. Turkey and noodles will be one of the many meals we'll make from the leftover Thanksgiving dinner. I'll take the homemade noodles and cook them in turkey broth and serve this with the leftover mashed potatoes and reheated turkey meat. We usually make this with boiled chicken...but it's good with turkey too! I've recently discovered Onetruemedia and decided this would be the perfect topic for my first instructional video! This was filmed simply from my digital camera that I set on the counter....it worked out pretty good for a first attempt...so maybe in the future I'll consider another. Here's the recipe I use....although I don't actually measure....just go for a lump of dough you can roll out. It goes pretty fast...I'd say it takes around 5 minutes or less from start to finish for me in real life...unusually I can put the pot of broth on and by the time it boils...the noodles are nearly ready to go in. The video is longer because I was talking and trying to make sure I explained it all and didn't miss something.

Egg Noodles

1 Cup flour

2 Large eggs

1 teaspoon salt

Mix all together...roll out into thin disk. Cut into desired lengths. Boil in water or broth till done...about 10 mins give or take depending on how thick you make them.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Here's the finished batch ready for the freezer. I let them dry for about 2 hours... just so they wouldn't all stick together when frozen. I decided to freeze them for space issues in the fridge with Thanksgiving so near. I'll just pull them out and cook from frozen when I need them. If you are going to do this meal for a big group and need a BUNCH....make the noodles a few days ahead (or even weeks if you freeze them) to save the stress of doing it all at once. Less stress is always a good thing plus you'll get more time to visit and relax with your group (I know I need more Mary moments in my home than Martha moments) .

If you just can't find the time to try these noodles....you are in luck....there is a frozen product that is very comparable to these....it's Reames Home Style Frozen Egg Noodles...they can be found in your frozen food case...and they're pretty close to these homemade ones. But I HOPE that you will one day try to make them yourself. They really are easy and quick. As always...thanks for stopping by!

De-STRESS Thanksgiving

Good Morning Let The Stress Begin

STRESS around the holidays is never good. Not for you and your family...or your guests. Have you ever been a guest at a home where the host was just so wigged out over everything? I have....it kinda makes you want to leave just to take the pressure off the poor person and end their misery as soon as possible...LOL!!! My BEST fix for holiday stress is to just plan ahead and use a few simple time savers.

Plan ahead: This is the single most productive thing you can do to help yourself. I take a simple 10 cent spiral notebook and write on the front Holiday planner. I keep a pencil shoved in the spiral part with a BIG eraser to have handy.

One the first page I write what the holiday is with the year and then the names of the people I'd like to invite. This is about three weeks before the event. I then will call and invite people and place a check mark by each name that is coming. Then I tally them up for my head count.

On the next page I write my menu out. Try to keep things as simple as you can! Good, simple, hot food goes a long way with guests! If you are going to ask people to bring things ...still include it on your list but put the name of the person bringing it. If you are having a BIG crowd please do not be afraid to ask for carry ins...people really DO know how much work it can be and love to feel useful and helpful! I know I never mind bringing an item! Here's My Menu for this Thanksgiving.

On the third page I write the grocery list to match the menu....remember to include anything "strange" you may need like candles...extra toilet paper or napkins....include everything you may need in addition to the food. I think it's best to just keep your event shopping separate from your regular weekly shopping because then you can really focus on those supplies...to me it's worth an extra trip the week of the event. You CAN buy ahead if things go on sale ...just remember to scratch them off the list. But my experience is that, at least for Thanksgiving...the best deals can be found the week of!!

On the fourth page I write out what needs to be cleaned and made ready for the event. If a particular task belongs to a specific person I will jot their name down next to that item. Example: We always steam clean our carpets for Thanksgiving and DH likes that job so I jot his name down by it. I sometimes will even write out what day to do the task. Here is a great place to de-stress if you have a large family. Please DELEGATE the chore list. There is NO REASON that you the homemaker has to do it all! And another thing....don't pick right now to get all weirded out that you haven't cleaned closets and drawers out all year...LET IT GO! A normal clean is enough...nobody in real life lives in perfection! They will NOT Judge you for how perfect your home is! But they will appreciate last weeks lunch swept from the floor and the cool aide off their chairs

The last page is for anything special. If you are planning a special craft for the kids or special decorating tasks. This is also where I may pre write out a blessing for the meal. If anything BIG has happened in your family or those of your guests....it's NICE to include it in your prayer and mention people by name!

When the event is all done I like to rip out these pages and save them in a 1 inch binder from year to year. It's fun to sometimes look back at what you did! I suppose you could just use a binder....but I like the slimness of the spiral to carry around to the store and shopping! This now leaves your spiral ready for the next event...which for us is Christmas! I do Christmas the same way except I add a "gift" page....where I make a list of gifts needed. If I am not hosting I still use my spiral to keep tract of holiday baking needs like cookies or potluck items needed.

Food Preps: Do as much ahead as you can! I am making my Pumpkin Pies TODAY and freezing them. I will pull them out on Thursday morning to thaw. Make use of crock pots. They are your friend! I own 2 plus a smaller one for gravy. I put mashed potatoes in the largest one...I make these the morning of. It's easier than right at the end when everythings going together. In the second I'll either put the green beans or the stuffing. I make The Bread a day or two ahead also...if you make rolls just cook ahead and freeze them. If you make the type of dough where you make balls for the rolls you can freeze the balls on trays then pull them out the morning of to thaw and rise then bake. We just like our bread sliced at room temp...so it's easy for us! I make the sweet potatoes casserole a day or two ahead also and just store in the fridge to cook later. I basically like to just have the turkey to deal with the day of. If your pan fits in the fridge you can prep your turkey the night before to pop in the oven when needed. Line your pan with foil to save the cleanup later...it's worth the few pennies of foil- why make it harder by having to scrub! The cook in bags are nice for cleanup too, I have used them in the past, but for the last few years I've been doing open roasting for the nice deep golden brown skin-YUM. Try not to stress over the food. I have heard of people cooking the turkey a day or two ahead and then slicing it and putting it on a platter to be reheated the day of....I have NOT tried this but it does sound tempting to have it ALL done ahead and reheat later...maybe I'll try this one year...we never carve our turkey at the table anyway. I have cooked an extra turkey breast in a crock pot for extra white meat....if you don't use dark meat this is a great easy option for the meal.

Decorate: Just do simple things. We like to display the kids crafts that come home and make a few of our own....simple paper cut out leaves on the windows are always fun...bringing things in from nature outside is also very pretty and FREE! Acorns, pine cones, and even pretty twigs tucked in here and there can be so pretty! This year we took paper plates....cut out the center to make a wreath and glued paper leaves all around. I then took a paper grocery sack and cut shapes to form a sort of ribbon thingy and wrote Blessings and Be Thankful on them. I hung one in each window-very CUTE and it kept the kids and I occupied for an entire evening cutting out the leaves and pasting them on.

Here is where I typically Blog...in the kitchen by the window....usually with a nice BIG hot cup of coffee, tea or cocoa....YUM! Well it's off to make the pumpkin pie....take care and ENJOY your day!

Menu Madness!

Today's Menu

Why menu madness?? Because it's really getting close to Thanksgiving and this week and next I will not be buying anything new except milk, bread (maybe) and the items needed for Thanksgiving. This will not only help supply the funds for the dinner....but clear up the much needed space too!

Monday- Chili, Corn bread. This meal will get some bags of tomatoes out of the freezer and set me up for some good leftovers for the week.

Tuesday- Beef Pot Pie, Fruit Cup. This is also a leftover meal made from what was left of my hash the other week that I froze. I'll take that hash....add more potatoes, some frozen corn and some cooked carrots and put it all in a pie shell....I may blog that later this week.

Wednesday- Chili Pie, Yogurt Cup, Apples w/Home made caramel dip (this is just 1 block cream cheese with enough brown sugar mixed in to make it sweet.) This is just leftover chili put into a pie plate...then I just make a corn bread batter (or use Jiffy) and put plops of it around the top of the chili. Then Bake it till hot and done.

Thursday- Smoked Sausage Bake. This is a very simple but good one pan meal. Take a smoked sausage and slice it into thick rounds. Scrub potatoes and cut into chunky hunks, we like to leave the skins on but you could peel if you'd like...rough chunk some onion too and then 1 or two green peppers. Think rustic fork friendly- yet chunky bites. Put all this into a 9x13 pan then pour Italian dressing over all to coat. Bake at 350 till potatoes are fork tender...maybe 30 mins. Make as much or as little as your family needs....we usually do a 9x13 pan but you could just fill an 8x8. I like to sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Friday- Veggie Pizza, Yogurt Cups, Veggie Tray.

Saturday- Soft tacos. I always freeze leftover taco meat (even a little) into a Tupperware bowl. I now have enough to have a free meal! I will be making my shells this time. It's pretty easy and fast.

Sunday- Cincinnati Style Chili 3 ways. This will be what's left of the pot of chili served over spaghetti with shredded cheddar cheese, grated onions and oyster crackers on the side.

Snacks to Make

Cake Box Cookies

Peanut butter Honey Oat Bites

Blueberry Muffins

Blog Shout out!!!

You gotta LOVE Clara the depression cooking Granny, right? Well come visit Mikki each week at The Not So Perfect Housewife as she cooks her way through Clara's book.... Clara's Kitchen.