bbq meatballs

I made my infamous meatballs for my in-laws' anniversary dinner, and had several requests for the recipe.

Meat:
3 lbs. ground chuck or turkey
1 can evaporated milk
2 c. oatmeal
2 eggs
1 c. chopped onion or onion flakes
1/2 t. garlic powder
2 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

Sauce:
3 c. ketchup
2 c. brown sugar
3 T. liquid smoke
1/2 c. onion flakes

Shape meat mixture in small (spoonful) balls. Bake @ 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Mix sauce and pour over meatballs. (I sometimes make extra sauce.) Keep warm in crock pot. Best refrigerated overnight. They freeze well.

40th wedding anniversary...surprise!

Last Saturday we surprised my in-laws a few weeks early for their 40th anniversary. It came together wonderfully. We all pretended that we were meeting to get a family portrait taken, but secretly we were setting up for the party.

Jack & Helen had no clue!

Tim's cousin, Yvonne, has made all (excluding Michael whose not married yet) our wedding cakes including this one. She does a beautiful job.

Makayla and the chocolate fountain...need I say more?

Tim & Katie

(she's not as old as she looks)

Katie & sweet little Noah

(this picture was too good to leave out)

This is my family...

Makayla (front), Ruben, Myself, Tim, Katie

(I don't have very many family pictures. Partly because I don't like pictures of myself and partly because Tim doesn't like posing for pictures as you may have noticed.)

Most of the in-laws...

Front: Collin, Makayla, Mason, Isaac

Middle: Katie, Ruben, Helen, Sophia, Jack, Lori, Jack

Back: Adam, Steve, Angie, Tim, Myself, Jason, Michael, Brian, Noah

* I stole most of my pictures from Steve.

zero to one

I can't believe the first year of Ruben's life has already gone by. He is starting to walk and babble. His birthday fell on Thanksgiving Day this year. With our house full of family, I didn't get to just stop and enjoy his special day. We did find some time in the evening to open presents, but we were so full of pie that we skipped the cake. I saved the cake for a little get together at my sister's on Saturday.

Thanks to Aunt Angie for the Sesame Street Doctor toy set.

I haven't tired of the Cookie Monster stethoscope.

I've been a beginner cake decorating for over a year now...

I don't get in much practice.

natural homemade cleaning products

"The topic for my Women's Meeting at church this month was on educating women that they can save money around the house without spending a lot of extra time doing it. Renee spoke about ways to save money and time on your groceries by making menus, a shopping list, freezing bulk and sale items and using the same meat for several meals such as a roast. She asked me to share ideas on homemade cleaning products, and, of course, I shared my laundry detergent recipe and brought some in to show everyone. It was a big hit! I never thought so many people would take to it."

We can clean our entire house using natural cleaning products that are non-toxic and a lot friendlier to our budget. Several solutions can be premixed within a couple of minutes, and stored safely in our cabinets. The options of products we may choose to use are endless.

Basic Cleaning Products:
Baking Soda: An all-purpose, non-toxic cleaner. Cleans, deodorizes, removes stains and softens fabrics.

Borax: A natural mineral that kills mold and bacteria. An alternative to bleach, it deodorizes, removes stains and boosts the cleaning power of soap.

Cornstarch: Starches clothes, absorbs oil and grease.

Essential or Scented Oils: For disinfecting and fragrance.

Hydrogen Peroxide: Disinfects and bleaches.

Lemon Juice: Cuts through grease and removes perspiration and other stains from clothing. A bleach alternative.

Mild Dish Soap: Removes oil-base stains.

Olive Oil: Picks up dirt and polishes wood.

Rubbing Alcohol: Disinfects.

Salt: An abrasive.

Toothpaste: A mild abrasive.

Vegetable Oil Based Soaps: Cleans everything.

Vinegar: Cuts grease, removes stains and is an excellent water softener.

Washing Soda: Cleans clothes, softens water, cuts grease and disinfects. Increases the cleaning power of soap.

Cleaning Solutions:
"Honestly, I have not yet tried most of these so please leave reviews of how the solutions work for you in my comments for myself and others. I did try the Linoleum/Vinyl Floor Mixture and the Pet Stain/Vomit Remover once when my daughter got sick and was quite happy with both. I also use baking soda to clean all the time, especially for soap scum in the bath tub."

All-Purpose Cleaners/Disinfectants
Borax Mixture:
~ ½ c. borax (*1/8 c.)
~ 1 gal. hot water (*1 qt.)
Mix in pail until borax is completely dissolved. Wipe clean with rag. (*Quantity to prepare for spray bottle use.)

Borax/Lemon Juice Mixture:
~ 2 T. borax
~ ¼ c. lemon juice
~ 2 c. hot water
Mix together in spray bottle; wipe with clean rag.

Vinegar/Borax Mixture:
~ 2 T. vinegar
~ 1 t. borax
~ hot water
~ few drops dish soap
~ few drops scented oil (optional)
In a 16 oz. spray bottle swoosh around vinegar, borax and hot water until borax has dissolved. Add dish soap and fill the rest of the bottle with water. Add scented oil if desired.

Bathroom
Baking Soda Paste:
~ baking soda
~ water
Sprinkle baking soda directly on surface and scrub with wet rag. This works really well on soap scum.

Sink/Tub Mixture:
~ ½ lemon
~ borax
Dip the face of the lemon half in borax to create a hand-held scrubber. Rinse and dry the surface afterwards.

Toilet Bowl:
~ baking soda
~ white vinegar
Sprinkle toilet bowl with baking soda. Add white vinegar and scrub with a toilet brush.

Carpets/Upholstery
Deodorizer/ Freshener:
Sprinkle baking soda over carpet or furniture and let set for 5 minutes. Vacuum.

General Stain Remover:
Soak spot with club soda immediately, then blot until stain is gone.

Grease Spot Remover:
Absorb spot with towel. Sprinkle corn starch over spot and leave overnight. Vacuum.

Pet Stain/Vomit Remover:
~ liquid dish soap
~ ½ c. vinegar
~ 1 qt. warm water
Soak up spot with towels. Spot with dish soap. Rinse spot with vinegar diluted in warm water. Absorb access moisture with towel. Leave towel over spot for 4-6 hours. Vacuum.

Vinyl Cleaner:
~ ½ t. – ¼ c. washing soda
~ 1 c. boiling water
Dissolve washing soda in boiling water. Apply with rag and wipe off with damp cloth.

Drains
Clog-free Method:
~ 1 c. baking soda
~ 1 c. vinegar
~ boiling water
Pour down drain in order: baking soda, vinegar, hot water.

Floors
Linoleum/Vinyl Floor Mixture:
~ 1 c. white vinegar
~ 1 gal. water
Mix in bucket and scrub floor.

Wood Floor Mixture:
~ ¼ - ½ c. white vinegar
~ 1 gal. water
Mix in bucket and scrub floor.

Furniture Polish
Vinegar/Olive Oil Mixture:
~ ½ c. white vinegar
~ 1 t. olive oil
Mix and apply with a clean rag. Reduce amount of olive oil if wood looks too oily.

Kitchen
Refrigerator:
~ 2 T. Baking soda
~ 1 qt. warm water
Dissolve baking soda in water and wipe down fridge.

Stove top/Oven Degreaser:
~ ½ t. washing soda
~ ¼ t. liquid soap
~ 2 c. hot water
Mix washing soda, soap and hot water in spray bottle.

Oven Cleaner:
~ baking soda
~ water
Sprinkle baking soda on surface, spray with water and soap several hours or overnight. Rinse with water.

Windows
Vinegar/Dish Soap Mixture:
~ 3 T. vinegar
~ ½ t. mild dish soap
~ 2 c. water
Put ingredients in a spray bottle, shake and use.

guard your peace

Wednesday night services at my church includes interaction from the congregation. My pastor starts with a topic and notes, but we are able to add our point of view. It's similar to a bible study. Last night the topic was "trust". Learning to trust God is something Tim and I have been dealing with for the past couple of years or so, especially now more than ever. We are in a time when we are letting God dramatically change our lives and lead us elsewhere. Most people, even Christians, don't understand why we are doing what we are doing. In the beginning, I didn't even understand, but God has given me more direction since then. Even though we loose focus a lot, we know to keep trusting God for he puts the desires in our hearts and then fills those desires in his timing (not ours).

While in service, one lady raised her hand and asked "Pastor, shouldn't we guard our peace?"

Guard our peace? What's that mean?!

Our pastor answered "Yes". He went on to say that you can loose you peace by getting anxious, worried or fret. Since then, I found the following verse.

Philippians 4:6-8
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Last night's service pertained so closely to what we are going through right now. It gives me strength and encouragement to keep going.

pie crust

A few weeks ago, Makayla asked me if we could make an apple pie. I was tired, but I was excited about the fact that Makayla is interested in baking. We just so happened to have some apples sitting on the table. We had just read The Little Red Hen in school so throughout the process I was able to reinforce putting out effort to get good things...especially the parts she didn't want to do.
I found a pie crust recipe in my cook book from church. The recipe is from the same lady as the "White House" Chocolate Chip Cookies. I had never made a pie crust before because I thought it would be hard and a lot more time consuming. This recipe has a nice flaky crust. I think it's just as good as Pillsbury's crust.

4 c. flour
2 c. Crisco (I used store brand)
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 T. cider vinegar
1 T. sugar
6 T. iced water

Cut Crisco into flour, salt and baking powder with pastry blender. In separate bowl, add vinegar and sugar to egg. Stir until dissolved. Add iced water. Pour wet mixture over dry ingredients and stir together with a fork. Divide dough into 4 equal parts for 9" inch crust or 3 parts for 10" crust. Add pie filling and bake according pie directions...usually 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

guilt free

I know. It's been a while since I've last posted. I feel so busy. My number one priority is homeschooling. I can't seem to keep up with myself lately and it's not even the holidays that's causing it. Actually, in my first year of being frugal, I feel the least stressed about the holidays. I have no guilt about not spending money on presents. My goal is to enjoy this time of year, and give as my heart tells my to. Maybe I will make a little something for everyone. Maybe I will sit down with Makayla and help her make a homemade gift for all of her cousins and friends. Maybe we will be too busy with every day family things to do any of these things. I don't know what will transpire, but I know I will have no guilt, no anxiety and no debt!

spreading frugality

My sister, Cheryl, asked me to show her how to make my homemade laundry detergent so she could save money. I have been giving some to my mom to use, but I wanted her to learn how to make it herself. Cheryl mention that we should get together more often with Mom so we planned a Saturday to get together and make laundry detergent.
While in the shower (my thinking zone) the next day, I decided to created a monthly mother and daughter's day. I named it "Creative Mother and Daughter's Day". I put together a sheet of rules and a motto to follow by like an official meeting. Each month we will take turns planning the 1st Saturday of the month. For October, I planned a frugal day. We took a trip to the Amish store and made laundry detergent. For lunch we went to Becky's Burger's and Cones in Pilot Grove. It's very good and inexpensive. I highly recommend this restaurant to any passersby. It's worth the 5-10 minute drive off I-70 or it's not far off the Katy Trail.
While we were preparing to make our laundry detergent, Cheryl's friend stopped by to cut Holli's hair. Cheryl told me a week later that her friend asked how our detergent turned out. Cheryl offered to make some for her and she accepted. How exciting! You never know who may be interested so share, share, share. It may not be realistic, but I dream that if a large percentage of people turned to frugality, then prices would have to come down on products. I was buying toilet paper the other day and thought how ridiculous it was to pay so much for a necessity.

picture @ the park

Makayla (6) & Ruben (10 months)

frugal weight watcher's

After discovering that I have gained 10 lbs. instead of losing it, I have decided to start counting Weight Watcher's points again. It's such a great program and it works as long as one has "will power". Oh, those dreaded phrases.."will power" and "self control"...the opposite of giving into temptation. Why does it have to be so hard? It's just food, right? Tim has agreed to support me by eating the food I make as long as it's not labeled "fat free". I am at the end of my second day and I feel great! I am so afraid of eating too much that I have points left over at the end of the day. Now I have the challenge of figuring out how to eat healthier and being frugal about it. Dieting or eating healthier can be more expensive.
I also get support from Dottie's Weight Loss Zone. There I can get points for restaurants, recipes, chat with other's and more. I heard about 3 Fat Chicks in a WW meeting a long time ago, but just now visited the web site so I don't know a lot about it. I notice that it provides recipes using mostly natural ingredients instead of fat free or substitute sugars. It also provides calorie charts for food, nutrition charts for fast food and metric conversions. Also, there is a section that explains different diet fads and how they work, and fitness articles and programs (including a walking calculator). Wow, I should have look this site up a couple of years ago instead of while typing this post. Uh, I think I will be going now. I have a new web site to check out ;)