Making Room

I was having a difficult time distinguishing my farm fresh eggs that my very faithful new chickens have been providing for me and my store bought eggs when left in their cartons.

I also dislike when I need just one or two eggs but must still fight the carton one handed because I have a messy opposite (I know you're supposed to pull all your necessary ingredients out first...but that would just only make sense now wouldn't it??)

My solution became so simple that it perplexed me for years. I now keep my eggs in a basket. Easy to store, easy to grab, and saves room to hide those Dove chocolates behind the basket waaaaaaaaay in the back!! ;) I can easily keep 3 dozen eggs in it.


Don't worry...it's the day before payday. My fridge always looks like that the day before I go shopping. It will be busting out the seams tomorrow!

Week 3

Here is the Week 3 Menu.

Here is the Week 3 Household Chore List.

Being busy with all the Christmas baking and present making keeping on track has been such a blessing. I don't have to THINK about what to clean. I only need to check my list and get it done or enlist one of the kids to get it done.

Pumpkin Bread!!

I thought I'd make a twist with my banana bread recipe and switch out the bananas for 1 cup of canned pumpkin. I also added 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 tsp of freshly ground cinnamon stick.

The banana bread recipe is for a bread machine. When I want to make mini loaves like these I place a fourth of the batter in each of the four compartments of my mini-loaf pan and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Insert a toothpick to double make sure it is indeed ready.

You will find the bread recipe here.

Week 2 Menu

Monday

Breakfast:
Cereal
Fruit
Bagels

Snack:
Cheese Stick
Mandarin Oranges

Lunch:
Baked Potatoes

Snack:
Smoothies

Supper:
Taco Soup
Tortilla Strips


Tuesday

Breakfast:
Eggs
Fruit

Snack:
Dried Cereal
Dried Fruit

Lunch:
Sandwiches
Carrot Sticks

Snack:
Muffins

Supper:
Chicken Stir Fry
Rice


Wednesday

Breakfast:
Muffins
Fruit

Snack:
Apples

Lunch:
Spaghetti

Snack:
Almond Crackers

Supper:
Sandwiches


Thursday

Breakfast:
Oatmeal
Fruit

Snack:
Grapes
Fig Bars

Lunch:
Pizza

Snack:
Yogurt Sickles (Place craft stick into yogurt cup and freeze the day before or use this recipe)

Supper:
Grilled Cheese
Tomato Soup


Friday

Breakfast:
Cereal
Fruit

Snack:
Bananas
Pineapple

Lunch:
Pasta Salad

Snack:
Cookies

Supper:
Shish Kabobs
Shrimp
Potato Skins


Saturday

Breakfast:
Eggs
Waffles
Bacon
Juice

Snack:
Apples

Lunch:
Sandwiches
Chips

Snacks:
Pudding

Supper:
Salisbury Steak
Mashed Potatoes
Green Beans


Sunday

Breakfast:
Yogurt
English Muffins
Fruit

Lunch:
Salami Sandwiches

Snack:
Fruit

Supper:
Hummus
Veggies

Week 2 Household Chores List

Week 2 is when I detail the kitchen. Of course, it gets cleaned everyday but this is when I take care of those things that seem to accumulate into the "nasties" if not addressed occasionally.

Week 2 Household Chores List

Monday:
Laundry: Ours
- defrost ground turkey/tortillas
- steam clean upper cabinets

Tuesday: (Homeschool Meeting in Evening)
Laundry: Kids'
- defrost chicken
- make muffins
- steam clean bottom cabinets
- drop off laundry to cleaners

Wednesday:
Laundry: Girls
- make crackers
- clean ceiling fan

Thursday:
- make pizza crust

Friday:
Laundry: All bedding/sheets
- defrost stew meat/shrimp
- make ice cream and cookies
- steam clean counters
- p/u laundry from cleaners
- turn-in recyclables
- defrost Saturday breakfast meats

Saturday:
Laundry: Towels
- defrost ground beef/green beans
- clean microwave and coffee pot
- clean oven

Sunday:
- defrost salami
- make hummus

A New Joy

I have discovered iced coffee. The idea always seemed strange to me...cold coffee? YUK!

Until I tried it! One of my all time favorite blogs is Ree Drummond's The Pioneer Woman and she had this amazing recipe for making an entire month's batch of iced coffee for the price of one purchased at "you know where"! (And for you Okies out there, she's a local!)




Go over and check it out. It is extremely easy to make and store. I'm enjoying this one as I type.

CHEERS!!

Week 3 Household Chores List

Time for tasks of week three. You will find them here.

You will find the week 3 menu here.

This is our first full week of school. I'm quickly getting my rhythm and groove. This list really helps me to get tasks done between or during classes (like getting the clothes into the dryer).

My Words

I sure hope I am not the only one who would like to see her children use kinder words towards one another. So far I have rarely received a complaint outside the home about unkind words that my children have spoken to others BUT that is just not the case inside the home.

They aren't always arguing and bickering but it does happen. It hurts my ears when they call each other names, use harsh tones, or get offended so easily. As they get older they are getting a little sneakier about not remaining within my earshot when advancing upon their prey.

I enjoy catching John Hagee Ministries on television in the earlier morning before attending our local services. His son, Matthew, shared four wisdom nuggets that he said his father taught him while growing up that seemed quite profound to my current situation. So profound that not only did I write them down, but I also made a display to frame and keep in our classroom (dining room).

I didn't want to wait for a frame. Later this week when it is time to purchase groceries I will pick one up to compliment my dining room. I have already been able to use it several times as a reminder of how we are going to choose our words more carefully. No nagging, no yelling, no lecture...just a reminder that we will choose to love and not hurt with our words.

Week 4 Menu

Breakfasts:

Sun: Yogurt/Muffin/Fruit
Mon: Cereal/Fruit/Bagels
Tue: Eggs/Fruit
Wed: Yogurt/Muffin/Fruit
Thu: Oatmeal/Fruit
Fri: Cereal/Fruit
Sat: Eggs/Waffles/Bacon/Fruit/Juice

Morning Snack:

Sun: (at church)
Mon: Toaster Struedel/Manderin Oranges
Tue: Dried Cereal/Dried Fruit
Wed: Apples/Cheese
Thu: Grapes/Fig Bars
Fri: Bananas/Pineapple
Sat: Apples

Lunch:

Sun: Homemade Ham & Cheese Pockets (favorite fixins rolled into a tortilla and baked at 400 degrees for 15 mins)
Mon: Sandwiches/Dried Apples
Tue: Chicken Pot Pie
Wed: Macaroni & Cheese/Peas
Thu: Homemade Pizza
Fri: Salad
Sat: Sandwiches/Chips/Pickles

Afternoon Snack:

Sun: Trail Mix
Mon: Smoothies
Tue: Muffins
Wed: Flavored Crackers
Thu: Oranges/Cashews
Fri: Cookies
Sat: Cheesecake

Supper:

Sun: Beans/Fried Potatoes/Corn Bread
Mon: White Enchiladas
Tue: Chicken Dish (daughter comes up with a new recipe each week)
Wed: Sandwiches/Peaches
Thu: Pork Chops/Carrots/Mash Potatoes
Fri: Burritos/Sopapillas
Sat: Ravioli/Salad/Veggies

Week 4 Household Chores Weekly Plan

Here is my planning list that helps guide me through my days when I just don't have time to think straight. I am a HUGE "out of sight - out of mind" person. This list helps me "see" my week. It isn't my "religion"...it is my guide. I am quite flexible and I don't feel guilty if/when I don't get it all done. :)

Area of focus: Living Room/Bathroom (we only have one: YES we have 6 of our 8 kids still living with us!!)

Monday:
Laundry: Mine and Hubby's
dust

Tuesday:
Laundry: Kids

defrost veggies and chicken
make muffins
vacuum under couches

Wednesday:
Laundry: Older kids do their own

make snack
clean/disinfect all glass, switches, knobs

Thursday:

prepare crockpot

Friday:
Laundry: sheets

make ice cream and cookies
wipe bathroom walls and dust

Saturday:
Laundry: towels

make cheesecake
5th week - defrost chicken
1st week - roast beef
(my weeks actually change on Sunday so I am preparing for Sunday's meal here)


Daily Chores:

make bed
make Hubby's breakfast and lunch
exercise
shower
dress
empty dishwasher
begin laundry
meal prep
15 minute mission (I Flylady to my own beat)
morning errands
school
lunch
school
afternoon errands
kids' chores
supper prep
pick clothes for tomorrow
check calendar
place things needed for tomorrow
clear a hot spot (Flylady, again!)
set coffee pot
shine sink
wash face/brush teeth
prep kids for bed
charge phone/ipod/Kindle

More Than A Conqueror

On my way to hang my bathroom rug on the clothesline to dry, I almost stepped on a little ball of fur hiding in the grass.

One of my kittens was stanced behind the blades acting as if it wanted to pounce one of my chickens who is about 3 times as big as the miniscule feline right now.

You see, my kitten thinks it's a tiger...a matter of perspective. How dare this dimunitive fleabag believe that it is something bigger than it is. Who lied to this beast and told him he could conquer that chicken? Doesn't that kitten KNOW it is too little, weak, and feable to capture that chicken?

My pastor shared one of my favorite passages of Romans 8 Sunday during his sermon on How To Be An Overcomer. Romans 8:37 teaches us that "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us."

Wow. Christ did the work and He's giving me the medal.

So, I will follow my kitten's lead and continue to prowl through the grass...because I am a tiger...able to conquer that situation!

More To Love - It's Soooo Not About Me...

I was thinking about all of you while I was in the shower this morning...tmi???

I had this wonderful nugget of wisdom for all of you that I knew for sure you could not live without. It was SO profound that...well...it has totally slipped my mind.

You see...life happened. When I got online to start blogging...well...I just had to take a sneak peek on facebook...you know how THAT goes if you fb.

A post caught my eye...a friend in need. She needed someone to watch her 4 kids RIGHT NOW so she could have surgery so she needed prayer.

Immediately, 1 Joh 3:16-18 (of course I had to look it up...but I knew it was in There somewhere!!)

"16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."

She didn't need prayer from me...she needed a babysitter from me. What's another 4 kids? Eight:Twelve...what's the difference, right?

Because I stay at home with my brood and because my husband does not particularly care for me obligating myself outside the home, I can sometimes feel a little "useless". Shouldn't I be DOING something for the Kingdom besides just adding to it??

Why do I belittle the call God has on my life? So what if I'm the pinky toe in the Body of Christ? I'm gonna be the best little pinky toe that I can be (not because of me but because of Christ) and help keep this Body of Christ in perfect balance!!

I'm right where I need to be because I was just what my friend needed in her time of need. "Thank you, God for my purpose. My purpose isn't about me...it's about You."

Week 3 Household Chores Weekly Plan

I'm one of those that really need an itenerary of my day. It is not that I am totally rigid and follow it minute by minute, but that I have something to get me back on course when I stray (or nap!)

I recommend finding a worksheet that you really like. If you can't Google one that works for you then make your own.

This plan pairs with my menu plan so that I don't forget to defrost something!! It also pairs with the area of the house that I focus on.

Week 3 (Dining Room/Master Bedroom)

Mon:

Laundry: Mine and my husband's
- defrost meatballs
- cook muffins
- wipe walls

Tue:

Laundry: kids
- defrost fish
- make tuna fish salad
- sweep and mop dining room floor

Wed:

Laundry: Older kids' day (they do their own); towels
- defrost lunchmeat
- dust bedroom
- freeze bananas on stick for Thursday snack
- boil eggs for tomorrow's lunch

Thur:
- prepare Stroganoff in crockpot
- make egg salad for lunch

Fri:
Laundry: Sheets
- defrost hamburgers and bagels
- make buns
- make ice cream and homemade goodies for snack
- pick up/drop off laundry from cleaners (my handmaiden irons for me!!)
- defrost Saturday breakfast items before bed

Sat:
Laundry: towels
- make homemade goodies for snack
- soak beans for Sunday supper
- declutter bedroom

Sun:
- make hot pockets before church for lunch
- cook beans after church for supper
- reserve some beans for Monday's supper


Daily Routine:

-make bed
-make Roy's breakfast and lunch
-Bible devotion with my java
-excercise
-shower
-dress
-empty dishwasher
-begin laundry
-meal prep
-15 minute mission (yes, I Flylady! to my own beat - I'll post more on that another time)
-morning errands
-school
-lunch
-school
-afternoon errands
-kids' chores
-supper prep
-pick clothes for tomorrow
-check calendar
-place things needed for tomorrow
-clear a hot spot (Flylady)
-set coffee pot
-shine sink (Flylady again!)
-wash face/brush teeth
-prep kids for bed
-charge phone/Ipod

Hummus Recipe

This is by far the best Hummus that I have ever had. I even had a missionary that lives in India tell me this is the most authentic recipe that he has ever tried from a non-native. If you didn't like the store-bought hummus that you tried...PLEASE try this one. You will absolutely love it!!

2 Cups dry chickpeas (cooked for 20 minutes in about 10 cups of boiling water)
2 cups water
1 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Combine all ingredients except chickpeas in the blender; blend for 10 seconds
2. Add cooked and drained chickpeas in small amounts until the hummus is blended together and smooth.

For a healthier twist use sprouted chickpeas instead of cooked.
For a Tex Mex twist use black beans instead of chickpeas.

Borrowed from: From the Kitchen of Two Sisters Cookbook by Danielle & Lindsay Voeller

Week 3 Meal Plan

Here is my menu plan for Week 3. Having a pre-made shopping list on Excel that corresponds to the menu is quite helpful. This way I can print the list and place it on the refrigerator. I can add other stuff to the list as the week goes by. Before I go shopping, I just cross off what I DON'T need. The Weekly Meal Plan sheet that I use can be found here or use this one here if you prefer a looser plan.

Breakfast:

Sun: Yogurt/Muffin/Fruit
Mon: Cereal/Fruit/Bagel
Tue: Eggs/Fruit
Wed: Muffins/Fruit
Thu: Oatmeal/Fruit
Fri: Cereal/Fruit
Sat: Eggs/Pancakes/Sausage/Fruit/Juice

Snack:

Mon:
am: Cheese Stick/Manderine Oranges
pm: Blueberry Muffins

Tue:
am: Dry Cereal/Raisins
pm: Smoothies

Wed:
am: Pinapple/Cheese
pm: Crackers/Milk (I choose different flavors each week)

Thu:
am: Grapes/Fig Bars
pm: Monkey Bites (1/2 frozen banana on a stick, dipped in Magic Shell)

Fri:
am: Bagels/Cream Cheese
pm: Homemade goodies (various)

Sat:
am: Apples
pm: Homemade goodies (various)

Lunch

Sun: Salami Sandwiches/Chips
Mon: Meatballs/Rice
Tue: Tuna Sandwich/Carrot Sticks
Wed: Grilled Chicken Breasts/Mashed Cauliflower
Thu: Egg Salad Sandwiches/Pickles
Fri: Salad
Sat: Turkey Sandwiches/Chips

Supper

Sun: Hummus/Veggies
Mon: Taco Pasta
Tue: Salmon/Peas/Rice
Wed: Turkey Sandwiches (easy meal because of church)
Thu: Beef Stroganoff (crockpot)/Noodles/Tomatoes
Fri: Hamburgers/Fries/Soda/Ice Cream (Family Night)
Sat: Potato Pancakes/Polish Sausage/Pole Beans

2 years?

Has it really been almost two years since my last post? Wow.

For the past 3 years, I have been attending college online with Grand Canyon University to study Elementary Education with an emphasis in Math. Although I will not graduate, I have finished all the classes I can without having to step inside a classroom and work outside the home.

Since we educate our children at home and my youngest will be starting 1st grade next year, it will be a while before I can complete the last 6 classes and work the no salary semester of internship to secure my diploma. That is ok. I am fine with that. That will be another season of my life.

Sunday is my official last day of class. I will celebrate by dusting my ENTIRE house, placing last year's teaching materials on Amazon, restarting my More To Love Ministry, and restarting my exercise regimine! Party o'er here (woop woop!!).