Pallet for Home

Here's a link from my friend, Shannon, who has a blog called All Things Health.  She shares great recipes and thoughts on food and nutrition.  Her bone broth description should help you get started with making this wonderfully nutritious food.  Enjoy!

My Big Give results for the week were pretty exciting!  I was able to clean out a little of the pantry, and decided to bless another family with some of my abundance.  I also cleared out several clothing items from our closets, and a few odd dishes that really were not necessary.  So since the new year, I've given 23 items away! 

Sadly, I also broke an antique lamp because my giveaway box had become lodged under the bookshelf where the lamp was sitting.  So, my house is actually 24 items lighter, but I'm not counting the lamp in my total since I could only throw it away after the disaster! Needless to say, I was not a happy camper after that little incident, and the 30 minutes it took to clean up the glass from my concrete floors.

As far as the Pantry Challenge, I've done really well this week.  We finished off the last of the fresh strawberries from the wedding, but still have plenty of other fruits.  One night we had Crockpot Swiss Steak, and I saved half the package of steak to marinate and grill.  We also had a turkey soup made with the frozen carcass from Christmas. It stretched into lunches for two days for the whole family!  I'll include the recipe below.

We had the steaks I set aside on Friday night with baked potatoes, and steamed cauliflower, and watched a bit of Little Dorrit.  If you like costume dramas, keep reading as I have links and news for the latest BBC/PBS films now airing.

My overall spending for the week was $26.34 but the breakdown reveals I actually did quite well.  I purchased lunch for myself, my dd17 and a friend we picked up after car trouble for a cost of $8.65.  I also purchased 2 gallons of raw milk ($7.50), because my friend was going to the dairy (about 45 minutes away.)  I also was given another gallon of milk the same day, so I have enough now for two weeks!  Overall, that puts my spending in the $10 range for Week 3!  It's my best total yet!

If you're interested in free entertainment, I have great news! In case you haven't heard, Return to Cranford is playing now on Masterpiece, Sunday nights on PBS. If you missed the first episode, you can watch it online here. The second episode will air tomorrow evening.  Check your local listings for times!

When it concludes, I believe the new Emma with Romola Garai will begin the following week.  We have seen it once already online, and it was excellent.  This is another great BBC/PBS movie we will own! 

Here's the recipe for Gramps' Chicken Basil Soup and then directions on how I modified it.

Gramp's Chicken Basil Soup
In crockpot, assemble the following:
1 chicken leg/thigh portion or 2 thighs
2 carrots, peeled or scrubbed, and diced
3 cloves garlic
3 chicken bullion cubes
lots of basil, dried or fresh.  We like fresh best, leaves only, chopped fine. *
sea salt
pepper
cayenne to taste (about 1/2 tsp. is my preference)
water to cover everything plus two to three cups

Reserve the following:
1/2 cup cooked barley**
2/3 cup cooked rice***

Add ingredients except rice and barley to crockpot.  Cook all day on low.  Stir in barley and rice about 30 minutes before serving.  Can also be cooked on stove.

Now here are my notes and modifications:
*basil ~ I prefer to use fresh from the garden, and because of the bulk of fresh leaves, the measurement is probably about 1 to 1/2 loose cups of leaves.  If using dry, use at least 1 Tbsp. crushed, (meaning crush it in your palm before adding to soup!).  Let it cook all day, then add more to taste at end, if needed.

**barley ~ I don't prefer barley, but will use it occassionally.  Don't add uncooked barley, as the starch will make the soup slimey and thick, like pudding.  Not a good texture for soup, trust me.

**rice ~ If cooking on the stove, you can add uncooked rice, and let simmer until the rice is tender.  Just make sure you have enough liquids to keep the soup from getting too thick, as rice absorbs 1 1/2 cups or so of liquids for every 1 cup of dry rice.  You may also use frozen rice, or leftover rice from another dish and add to crockpot during last hour or so of cooking time.

This is a very "forgiving" recipe and a family favorite here, when served with a crusty bread and green salad.

I used the carcass of my Christmas turkey to make the broth for this soup, by using the Bone Broth recipe that includes a little bit of vinegar to draw the nourishment from the bones.  The one I use is actually from Nourishing Traditions, but the one listed above looks about the same.  If you haven't made this recipe, you really should try it.  It's especially great if you've had any type of illness because the nutrients are bio~available.  I make my bone broth in the crockpot for 18 hours, or on the stove for about 6 hours.

I just watched this unbelievable video on the levels on plastic versus plankton in the Pacific Ocean. My biggest question is how come I can't see it when I take a bucket of water from the ocean to dump on my sandcastle? Granted there's always debris on the coast and washing up in huge chunks but it seems like I would be able to see more of it in my cup of sea water. Perhaps I've just never worn my glasses to the beach. Perhaps they're too small to see without a microscope. Regardless, I think I need to start making more plastic jewelry from my bottle caps and bottles!

Watch the video here

This is my first plastic bottle necklace:

I received the following in an email this week:
    
     "We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me happy, and a piece of chocolate with my friends..

With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies.


Beginning today, when I look at my self in the mirror I will think, 'Good grief, look how smart I am!'"

There are a few deals worth mentioning this week at CountryMart.  Here's the link for the weekly ad.

Campbell's Healthy Request Soups, 10.5-10.75 Oz. Select Varieties. 10 FOR $10
 $.40/1 and $.50/1 1/03/10 SmartSource insert

Quaker Grits, Old Fashioned or Quick, 24 Oz. 99¢

Amish Classics Mini Cheese Horns, Colby Jack or Cheddar. $3.99 Lb.
$.50/1 on 8 oz. from a tearpad

Birds Eye Vegetables, 10-16 Oz. Select Varieties. 10 FOR $10

$1.00/2  from the 12-06-09 SmartSource expires 1/17/2010

 McCormick Mexican Seasonings, 1-1.62 Oz. Select Varieties. 2 FOR $1

Rice A Roni or Pasta Roni, 4.3-7.2 Oz. Select Varieties. 10 FOR $10
 on any 3 - 01-03-10 RedPlum insert $1.00/3 expires4/30/2010

Pilgrims Pride USDA Grade A Drumsticks & Thighs, VALUE Pack! 99¢ Lb.
  $0.55/1  internet printable here print after registration

Cutie Clementines, 3 Lb. Bag. $4.99 Ea.

Fresh Cherries, $3.98 Lb.

Fresh Cilantro, 3 For $1
This is a great deal, and you can freeze cilantro leaves when removed from the stems.

Fresh Cucumbers, 2 For $1

Fresh Jalapeno Peppers, 69¢

Fresh Lemons, Extra Large. 2 For $1

Fresh Yellow Onions, 39¢

Green Bell Peppers, Extra Large. 2 For $1

Green Giant Whole Carrots, 1 Lb. Bag. 79¢ Ea.

Rio Star Texas Red Grapefruit, 2 FOR 79¢

Washington Red Delicious Apples, 99¢ Lb.

One of the the things I love best about home educating is that we set our own schedule for school, and if we are wise, we recognize limits, observe our own boundaries, and take time to do what is important, rather than what is seems urgent. 

Being involved in co-operative classes with other homeschoolers meant that, this year, our semester started on January 4, much earlier than we have EVER started back to school after Christmas break.  With the wedding at the end of that first week, there was no way we were going to be able to do school well, so I made the administrative decision to add two weeks margin to our calendar.

The verse God has given me for 2010 is a clear guide and I'm listening.  Proverbs 31: 16 says:

16 She considers a [new] field before she buys or accepts it [expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties]; with her savings [of time and strength] she plants fruitful vines in her vineyard.

With that in mind, and the fact that I had a migraine for two days after the wedding, I've taken some down~time to think about my goals for the upcoming semester, and year. Here are a few things I will be implementing:

1.  Simplify!  ~ This is an ongoing challenge for me, and one I'm working on in all areas of my life.

2.  Give! ~ I'm going to do my own "Big Give" in 2010, as part of the Declutter Challenge hosted by AmysFinerThings.  I don't have a garage, or time for a garage sale, so my goal is to give away 730 things from my home during 2010.  I know I can do this and I'm excited about the idea.  I've added a widget in the right hand column with a counter to track the progress of my giving.

3.  Read! ~ With a Lion/Beaver personality, and a love language to others of Acts of Service, I have a hard time justifying taking time to sit and read, other than studying my Bible.  I know that this is an area I need to improve, so I am committing to read one book a month from my personal reading list, (all school materials are excluded!).

4.  Say NO! ~ My husband was not pleased with my physical condition after devoting so much time and energy to a recent project, and has asked that I take some time away from say "no" when I am asked to help with projects in the future.  I don't know how long this sabbatical will last, and he didn't know about the Proverbs 31 verse, so it was just a confirmation that I need to be at home more.

We were quite busy last week preparing for the wedding, but still managed to do well with the Challenge.  My goal was $30 a week, and I'm happy to say that I finished under the budget, mainly because I was able to stretch what I had cooked to cover several meals. 

I must confess that we ate dinner Wednesday at the Bachelorette party, and Sunday's meals were all eaten at the facility, since we were there all day for prep and cleanup before and after the event.  School was cancelled Thursday and Friday because of the extreme cold, so we ate leftovers and potato soup with salad, which also lasted several days.

Overall, I spent $20.58 for the week on groceries and a little stockpiling, and $8.77 at ChickFilA for a missions fundraiser in which we participated.  I'm very pleased that we were able to stay under the budget!

Tonight, I took frozen turkey bones from Thanksgiving and made a simple turkey and rice soup with basil, the rest of the cheap shredded carrots and an onion.  It was filling enough to have with just a few crackers.

For lunch we had green salad with chicken breast I had fixed yesterday.  There were a few fresh strawberries left from the wedding, and we had those for dessert after our salad lunch, dipped in a small amount of chocolate.  What a treat!  We also brought home a little fresh pineapple and a cheese ball from the wedding, and have had that for snacks for the last few days.

I can't believe I'm raising a child here. Athsma and other breathing problems are ridiculously higher here and more than twice a week there are air quality alerts where driving is strongly discouraged. I have never had to see cardiologists before I moved here and now I'm going to live the rest of my life with muscular valve prolapse. A condition where your heart valve doesn't close properly and causes  terrible pain. I saw this post in the local paper and couldn't believe that we are now worse than Los Angeles and New York with a population less than 1/4 of the size.

Here is the news article.

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=9300491

I'll be busy helping out with final preparations for our friend's wedding, so this will be my last post until Monday, and I have several things to share!  First, congratulations to Kevin & Chrystal!

We hit Woodland Hills Mall today and there were bargains to be had just about everywhere! 

Bath & Body's Semi-Annual sale is going on.  Look online because there are probably coupons to combine with the sale prices (up to 75% off...).  This could make for some fantastic deals.  Of course, there is no more Twisted Peppermint, so I'm not too happy. 

JCPenney's has MANY racks of dresses marked down 70% off original prices.  I purchase a $90 dress for just over $20 today.  It's what I'll be wearing to the wedding, and I was happy I waited until the last minute to look.  They had a very good selection in most sizes.  Penney's also had lots of shoes on clearance, including boots, so if you need those, go early for the best selection.

One more store we shopped was New York & Company.  They had lots of 40% and 60% off, plus BOGO.5 sales.  We purchased some cute teen stuff here, which is top secret until after the wedding. Sshhh!

In other exciting news, I've been told by Princess Amy from 918CouponQueen's site, that CountryMart is now doubling coupons up to, but not including $1.00.  So, if you have a $0.75 coupon, I'm told it doubles.  I haven't tried it for myself, and probably won't be albe to until next week, so if anyone confirms this is true in Coweta, please let me know and I will post it here.

Since I'm so busy, I'm not doing the coupon match-ups this week for CountryMart, but here's the link for 918's match-up page. 

And finally, Coweta Walmart has marked down their Christmas to 75% off or more, and I found some really great deals for things like bells to use on the wedding reception tables.  HobbyLobby is also doing their Bridal Event this week, with 50% off on all their Bridal/Wedding supplies.  This includes the pillow mints that we all use for wedding or baby showers, so if you are planning any type of an event that uses these, now is probably the time to buy them!

Happy Shopping!

Momease.com says making your own natural cleaning products is not only healthy and safer but you can save money too. Here are some recipes for easy to make cleaning products. Remember, you can reuse old glass jars and reuse spray bottles (make sure you rinse them out very well) to help cut down on the amount of trash you produce!




All Purpose Scrub

Equal parts distilled white vinegar and salt

Store in tupperware or glass jar.



Natural Glass Cleaner

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1 TB Cornstarch

1 QT Warm Water

Pour into spray bottle.



Gentle Cleanser

(okay for wood)

1-2TB Dr. Bronner's Pour into warm bottle with warm water.

Shake and spray.



Anti-Mold Spray

2 drops of Tea Tree Oil

1 cup of water

**Pregnant women should consult a physician before using tea tree oil**



Strong Glass Cleaner

1 cup of isopropyl alcohol

1 cup water

1 TB clear & non-sudsing ammonia

Shake and spray.



Strong All-Purpose Cleaner

1 T clear & non-sudsing ammonia

1T clear laundry detergent

2 cups water

Shake and spray.



Furniture Polish

1 cup of olive oil

1/2 cup lemon juice

Shake well and apply a small amount to a flannel cleaning rag or cleaning cloth. Spread evenly over furniture surface. Turn cloth to a dry side and polish dry.



Microwave Cleaner

1 cup water

1 QT warn water

1/2 cup backing soda

To loosen dried-on food, put 1 cup water in a microwavable cup and heat in the microwave until it boils; turn off the microwave and let the water sit for 1 minute. Dissolve baking soda in 1 quart warm water and, using a sponge or cloth, wash the interior of the microwave with this solution to clean and deodorize it.



Appliance Cleaner

2 TB non-sudsy ammonia

1 t liquid dish soap

1 pint rubbing alcohol

1 gallon water

Store in a spray bottle.



Refrigerator Cleaner

2 T baking soda

1 quart warm water

Scrub stubborn spots with baking soda on a sponge.





Baking soda

Natural deodorizing & abrasive properties that make is a great replacement for scouring powders. Just sprinkle a little baking soda on the bath tub or in the kitchen sink, let stand for 10 minutes and scrub away any dirt, deposits or soap scum. Baking soda can also be used to help alleviate slowing running drains. Just pout 1/2 to 3/4 cup of baking soda into a drain and leave hot water dribbling to wash the solution down. 2 hours to overnight later just flush with hot water and your drain is not only working but it smells nicer too!



Rubbing Alcohol

You can use a bit of rubbing alcohol to help shine up chrome fixtures, windows, mirrors, ceramic tile or other shiny surface. Be sure to spot check first though!

From my friend, Jaime:

"Hey, saw something I have never seen before tonight. Wal-Mart in Coweta has cards on sale. I got those music/talking cards that are generally $5 for $2. Also, several of their other nice cards are $1 and they had any occasion you would ever need. Just FYI."

Thanks, Jaime!

We're having temps in the teens, and with tomorrow's high expected to be 11 degrees, I'm glad for opportunities to run the oven to keep the house feeling toasty warm.  Tonight's Pantry Challenge dinner was Any Meal Cheese Pie, Garden Salad, and grape juice. 

I was in a hurry to get the pie made, so I decided to skip the crust.  I'm glad I did!  It turned out great, and I really needed the shortcut, as I'm washing and packing all my serving dishes to use at a wedding we are attending this weekend.

I've done much better this week with my $30 budget, and was even able to stockpile a few items.

The Mrs. Renfro Peach Salsa was clearanced at $0.50 a jar, the carrots $0.49 and the peppers were free after coupons.  If your store has clearance items that are marked lower than the value of a coupon, and they are leery to give overage, ask if they will adjust the price to the coupon value.  I do that with the manager at my local store, which makes him happy and I still get to pay for the item with my coupon.  My total for everything above was $1.77. It's a win~win.

My goals for the Challenge are:
1. To spend a maximum of $30 per week on groceries for the family. (I spent $31.24 total for Week 1.)
2. To try at least one new recipe each week.   (I made Cranberry Orange Muffins last week.)
3. To use the small appliances I have. (I used my juicer.)
4. To save all the rebates I receive during the month. (Received 2 last week; deposited into savings.)
5. To send off atleast $50 in rebates during the month. (Sent for $16.00 so far.)

This will be a busy week because we're helping friends with a wedding, and school starts again tomorrow.  (Yes, I'm trying to be excited about that one!)  The menu I planned is pretty detailed, and I hope I can pull if off.  Here's the breakdown:

Breakfasts:
Eggs & bagels with fresh juice (two meals)
Cereal & milk (three meals)
Muffins (two meals)

We always eat cereal on mornings when we have classes away from home.  It's easy and we love our Shredded Wheat!   Plus with the Kellogg's Calendar Rebate going on right now, eating cereal is free.  I may change the muffins to waffles and use my waffle maker.  It depends how busy I get later in the week. 

Lunches:
Grilled sammies with veggies and ranch  (have canned soups to add if needed)
Any Meal Cheese Pie with salad and fresh juice
Swiss Steak with rice
Potato soup with carrots and cheese
Wendy's (on co-op day we have an hour to travel to our next class across town, and this is easy)
Leftovers (from any of the above meals)

Dinners:
Spaghetti with green salad and bread
ChickFilA (for a missions fundraiser we are working)
hamburger rice with carrots
Pigs in a Blanket, steamed cauliflour and carrots, stewed apples or fruit crisp
leftovers on Wednesday (this is Clean~Out~The~Fridge night)
King Ranch Chicken and green salad
Wedding food (which I will not be cooking!)

Several of my recipes are crockpot meals, and I will be cooking ahead when I can.  We also have navel oranges, and frozen berries that I will incorporate where I can.

I'm glad Week One is over!  I proved to myself that we can have nutritious meals from our stockpile and a few fresh items we have on hand.  Overall I did pretty well, but I did spend over my $30 goal for the week.  Here's the breakdown of my spending, and rebates:

$00.00   3 salsa for free with coupons
$  6.24   8 Starbucks Christmas blend 10 oz. bags/2 Kashi Go Lean Crunch
$  0.68   1 Cranberry Juice (paid with RR from Walgreens and will get a rebate)
$  2.66   2 Jello No-Bake desserts/ 1 box crackers (which will be part of a rebate)
$  3.25   1 Gallon milk
$  2.56   1 20 oz. Tortilla chips/2 Fuze beverage
$  0.00   Taco Bell item free Fresco Taco with printable coupon
$  1.40   Wendys snack while out shopping
$10.40   Bottled water (have some to carry into Week 2)/ ground turkey/ bullion for stew
$ 7.09    1 huge bottle Ranch dressing

$34.24  Total spending for Week 1


I was able to send for $16 in rebates this week.  These included:
$ 3.00   True North TMF, from a purchase earlier in the month
$10.00  Kellogg's Calendar Rebate (this is my 3rd one to send off.  There is a limit of 8 per household.)
$ 3.00   GingerAle Rebate NWPN rebate from Hot Coupon World

The cranberry juice I purchased will generate a $3.00 rebate, so I could take that off my total, which would drop my OOP to $31.24, so all in all I think I did really well.  I'm going to do my best to stay UNDER $30 for next week, though, for bragging rights and all!