A new me in 2010!

Can I make my goal in GPT this year?

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Bean and Bacon Soup recipe

1 lb dried navy beans (Soaked in water overnight or quick soak method)
6 slices bacon, from butcher chopped in pieces (thick slices)
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped carrot
1/3 cup choppeed onion
5 cups chicken stock or beef stock
celery salt
pepper


Cook bacon in soup pot till browned but still limp.

Remove bacon from pan and reserve two tablespoons bacon fat.

Cook carrots,onions, and celery in bacon fat over medium heat till soft.

add beans and broth to soup pot with bacon and veggies.

Bring to boil and turn heat down to simmer for 1/1/2 hours. (you may not have to cook it this long)

Season with celery salt and pepper and serve with crusty bread and butter.

Friday, February 20, 2009

Updates and weekly shopping trip

So its been a while.

Things have been really hectic around here this week. I've had to make 3 trips to Des Moines, which is about 2 hours (give or take) from my house, and I've had to put 2 of our animals to sleep this week, one of which was a big rabies scare. Everything has turned out okay, other than I put a cat to sleep that didn't really need it. But the vet said that the symptoms he was showing were too close to rabies to tell, so there was really nothing else to do.

On to the weekly shopping trip. I am really proud of myself this week. Whereas I usually am able to fill my cart to half full, this week it was overflowing. Yay! Lol

Here's some of the great deals we got.

Eggo Waffles--1.18 ea
Roll sausage-.99 ea
sausage links-.99 ea
orange juice-1.99 ea (like .70 savings on ea)
Eggs for .88 dzn
Jumbo hot dogs for .88 ea (my daughter has an addiction to them)
bologna for .88 (another addiction of hers)
Kraft mac and cheese for .49 ea
sour cream for 1.39

AND My DEAL OF DEALS!!

6 2-liters of Diet Dr. Pepper for 1.32!! TOTAL!! TAX AND DEPOSIT AND ALL!! WHOO HOO!!!

Anyhow, I hope you all are having a better week than me

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Menu Planning Monday

Okay, I'm late...lol

Feb 10-taco bake
Feb 11-chili and cornbread
Feb 12-pork chops
Feb 13- fried chicken (anyone got a good recipe for fc? I am bored with mine.)
Feb 14- loaded cheeseburgers
Feb 15- meatloaf
Feb 16- spaghetti

Last weeks menu went fairly well. There was a night where we didn't follow the menu due to leftovers, but other than that. The menu's and cooking dinner seem to be falling into line. YAY!

Want some awesome menu planning ideas? Then check out Menu Planning Monday at Organized Junkie!



What goes up...

Must come down...

I have fibromyalgia. As a result, I have a few other health problems that have presented themselves over the years. IBS, TMJ, objective vertigo, idiopathic hypersomnia (in the process of finishing this diagnosis) (diagnosis=dx from here on out) and a few more.

Anyhow, of the minor illnesses, I would say that the vertigo is the worst of the two. Stairs appear to move on me when I am climbing down them. I have fallen before but generally just tend to take it slow and I am fine. Until today. I was going downstairs to help my little one finish getting ready for school and took a rather bad fall.

Long story short, I totally destroyed the right side of my body. I mean that I literally bruised that side from my ankle to my shoulder. My right hip and wrist took the worst of it tho. I didn't go to the e.r. but am prolly going to when Damon gets home from work due to the fact that I still can barely put weight on that wrist.

Please keep me in your prayer's ya'll. I am going to call my doc later today as this has become a real problem now.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Yay

If you've been paying attention, you know that I have been having trouble getting my grocery bill down under 150.00 each week. I started menu planning about 3 weeks ago to try and help with it, but so far hadn't had any luck.

Until this week!

I went to the store this week and spent....

80.00!!!

Yay! *does a really lame happy dance around her living room*

Whoo Hoo!

Now...I do have to go back to the store tomorrow to grab a couple of things that they were out of (restock is tomorrow), but those items won't cost me much over another 10.00 so I am still waayyy under my allowed budget for the week.

One thing that I *think* (too early to really tell) helped is that I decided to make our snacks here at home instead of buying pre-made convience foods. Ima make some people Puppy Chow tomorrow, regular and pb rice krispie treats, ants on a log, oatmeal rasin cookies, and....this is where I get stuck.

HELP!!!

I have my stepsons this coming weekend so the snacks need to be flowing a plenty...and I can't think of anymore to make. I could make the typical cookies, cakes and candies (I cook okay, but baking is really my forte), but I was wanting to go for more of a healthier stance.

I don't mind if I have to use more of the grocery budget this week to stock up on what I may need to make them, so money isn't a problem.

Please leave any snack suggestions you may have in a comment. I would really appreciate any help you all may have.




Brag of the week: My youngest stepson (the bigger of the 2 boys in the pic below) is wrestling for the first time this year. He currently has a record of 5 wins (4 of those by pinfall) and 3 losses. For a first year wrestler, I am told this is really good. Just had to brag a bit, we are all really proud of him.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Yummy Carrot Cake

Dh's b-day is Sunday so I am making a carrot cake for him again this year. His fav...

Thought I would share my recipe here with you all.

1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla


Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar and oil.

With mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture.

Blend in vanilla, carrot and pecans.

Pour batter into a well greased 8 x 12 inch pan.

Bake in 325°F oven for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

When cake is cool, spread with cream cheese icing, below.

Note: Chopped peanuts or walnuts may be substituted for pecans.

This is such a yummy cake...

Here's the Cream Cheese frosting recipe I use with it.


Blend softened cheese and butter in mixer.Blend and whip in the sugar and vanilla. Beat in enough cream to arrive at the right spreading consistency.



So yummy....

Thursday, February 5, 2009

The Cutest Blog on the Block

So I came across this site today and wanted to give them their due credit. They have got some really nice blog layouts and some awesome graphics for them too. Also tutorials on how to create your own layout and more. Check them out today and you won't regret it. You can click the link at the top of this page or click..

HERE

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Ah-CHOO!

Anyone else sick? I seem to be coming down with the flu...and at such a fantastic time too. Please send up a quick prayer for me if you would. I am sure that you all know that when mom is down, the whole house can fall apart real quick.

I have managed to plan out not only this week's menu, but the month's menu. This is awesome for me, because I now know what I will be shopping for in 3 weeks so if I happen to see a great sale, I can go ahead and grab it (like with the sirloin roast last week).

Here we go.

Feb 3--beef stew and biscuits
Feb 4--chicken fried rice-
Feb 5--breakfast at supper (biscuits and gravy)
Feb 6--bean and bacon soup
Feb 7--tuna casserole
Feb 8--Dh's b-day! Lasagna (His fav meal)
Feb 9--fish and chips
Feb 10-taco bake
Feb 11-chili and cornbread
Feb 12-pork chops
Feb 13- fried chicken (anyone got a good recipe for fc? I am bored with mine.)
Feb 14- loaded cheeseburgers
Feb 15- meatloaf
Feb 16- spaghetti
Feb 17- chinese night (prolly general tso's or something)
Feb 18- burritos
Feb 19- ham and augratin potatoes
Feb 20- take out night (prolly pizza)
Feb 21- fish and chips
Feb 22- baked chicken (again...recipe? I don't think I even have one cause I usually don't fix it this way)
Feb 23- lasagna
Feb 24- taco bake
Feb 25- chili and cornbread
Feb 26- pot roast
Feb. 27- meatloaf'
Feb- 28- breakfast at supper (biscuits and gravy)

I will do the sides as I go..lol. And yes, I know I have no nights for leftovers...thats because we eat them for lunch...if we happen to have any left over for dinner too, then the menu plan is just pushed back a day.

Lastly, I would like to ask you all to keep my daughter in your thoughts and prayers. To make a really long story short, she and I come from a really bad life before I met my husband. Homeless more times than I can count, going hungry, living with people who hated us, etc. I will tell the story one day (its a great testiment of God's great love and power), but today isn't that day. She is having a really hard time adjusting to life as it is now...with a loving family, a stable roof over her head, food in her belly, clothes on her back, etc. She hasn't been saying much to me, but instead has been opening up to her teacher.

That is fine with me...at least someone is able to get into that little head. (This is my 4 year old we are talking about here, not my 17 yo stepdaughter). She just needs a bit of prayer and I would really appreciate it if you all would join me in doing so.

Thanks all and have a great day!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

31 days of Prayer for My husband

So I am browsing blogs tonight and I come across a really great one.

Diary of a Stay At Home Mom

Anyhow, she has started doing the 31 days of prayer for her husband and has invited all to join her.

Well, with yesterday being my husband's and mine's first wedding anniversary, I thought what better way to start out a new year in our marriage. So I am going to participate.

I invite you to also.

Just click on the link above to go to her blog where she will list the prayers, etc everyday. She also has a Mr. Linky so we can all know who is participating, but you don't have to fill it out if you don't want to. :)