I LOVE FALL!!

I love the fall!  I mean, I really LOVE it!  The coolness of it.  The art of it - all the beautiful colors!  The smell of it!  All of it!  I feel so much better inside and out in the cooler weather.  Although, praise the Lord, our summer was super mild!  I don't think we ever got into the 90's.  Whoo Hoo!

So, we are still trying to eat healthy, although I have not abstained from sugary desserts like I had intended.  I need to pray about getting control of this area.  However, I am doing much better than I have been doing.  Still trying to get the hang of the Trim Healthy Mama way of eating.  It isn't that hard, once you get the concepts of carbs, fats and how they interact with your body.

I have not been using my Wonder Washer that much either!  I need to go to my original plan of having the kids do their own laundry and then all I have left are my and my husband's clothes and towels.  It does work great, though.  Only 2 minutes for a large load and 30 seconds for the rinse!  WOW!

I am working on my ETSY shop a lot!  I have kinda slacked off a bit this summer, but our bank account is screaming - "Get back to work!".  I am expanding my line of roving quite a bit.  I'm also going to start on my first digital instructional video!  I am excited about that.  I'm going to do a basic spinning class, I think.  It would be a great gift combo with a spinning wheel!  We will see.  Ben, my now 9 year old, has agreed to film me.  We will see about that, too!  LOL.  I don't know if he will have a steady enough hand.  Anyway, I am grateful for his willingness.

I have completed 2 baby blankets this summer.  And, on the urging of my family and friends, I have added custom baby blankets/wall hangings to my shop.  I am not sure if this will work, but we will see!  I did enjoy creating each blanket a lot. 

 

I have discovered, through Stacy Makes Cents, a great meal planning site.  In the past, I would do a menu for the week, but I would forget where the recipes were - book or computer,;  which book;  which website?!  This site does away with that!  Your meal plan, recipes and shopping list are all in one spot!  And it is super easy to import recipes as you stumble across them on the internet.  Just one click!  The site is Plan To Eat.  Check it out!  There is a 30 day free trial, then it is just $4.99/month.  Well worth it, I think.

I am going to sign off and enjoy a cup of Creamy Pumpkin Pie tea before homeschool starts!  This is wonderful with cream and honey!  Yum!!  And the aroma is fantastic!  I highly recommend this organic blend by Shoshanna at the Bulk Herb Store!

TTFN (as Tigger would say - Ta Ta For Now)

Hi All!  Gracie slept all night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Which means I DID TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Thank you, Lord!

Just finished my first winter yarn, Hot Chocolate on a Snowy Day http://www.etsy.com/listing/82464489/hot-chocolate-on-a-snowy-day-handspun .  It was great fun to do.  This will make an awesome scarf.  I may do it myself if it doesn't sell by the time I am finished with all my other projects!  Still working on my Enterlac scarf.  Hope to have that done in the next couple of weeks.  Going to spin a new winter yarn, Winter Bliss, today.

My oldest daughter, Jessica, was up Sunday.  She started 2 knitting projects while here!  I'm going to create a super knitter yet!  She is working on a Waterfall Scarf and a sweater.  I can't wait to see them finished!

I read recently that the biggest budget buster for families is wasted food.  How much food do you throw out every week, or in my case, every month.  UCK.  Stuff gets shoved back to the depths of the fridge and stays there until it liquifies.  I am a huge food waster.  So, this is something that is going to end now.  I believe that wasting our food is a sin.  Everytime I throw something out, I feel conviction.  I ask the Lord to provide and He does, then I pitch it!  Yikes!  I'm so sorry, Lord!  Help me to be a better steward of all the blessings you have given to me. 

I was reading a favorite blog of mine -  Raising Homemakers .  She had lots of good info on preparing frugal meals.  During the Depression Era, the US Food Administration came up with these guidelines which still apply, or should apply, today:

The US Food Administration advised about food:

1. Buy it with thought
2. Cook it with care
3. Serve just enough
4. Save what will keep
5. Eat what will spoil
6. Home grown is best

Here are a few Depression Era recipes.  These were in public pamphlets so are in the public domain. 

POTATO AND CHEESE SOUP

2 cups cooked diced potatoes
2 cups water in which potatoes were cooked
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons onion juice
2 tablespoons fat
3 tablespoons flour
1½ teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons of finely chopped parsley
¼ cup grated cheese

Dice potatoes and cook slowly until very tender. Rub through strainer, using potato and the 2 cups of water. Melt fat, add dry ingredients and gradually add the liquids and onion juice. When ready to serve, sprinkle parsley and cheese over top.

This is a favorite of ours.  I add broccoli a lot of the time, along with lots of grated cheese added to the soup to make it cheesy and delicious!  All of our family love this!

RICE WITH CORN AND CHEESE IN BROWN SAUCE

½ cup rice
1 cup cheese
1 cup corn
1½ cup milk
¼ cup fat
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Melt fat until brown. Add flour and seasonings. Heat until brown. Add milk gradually. When at boiling point add other ingredients. Place in baking dish and bake 45 minutes.

Serve with fruit or a dessert and bread and butter.

We haven't tried this one, but it sounds good!  This may just be dinner tonight!

Soups are always good for frugal meals.  The challenge is preparing healthy meals in addition to being cost conscious.  I will post some more of these recipes in later posts.

Now, I've got to get Ben going,  We are going to spend the day at the park.  One of the advantages of homeschooling is that you can have school anywhere!  And what better incentive for doing good work and having good attitudes than the knowledge that a wonderful playground is in your future!  So, today we will have "parkschool", a picnic, and get some spinning and knitting in also!

Have a blessed Tuesday!

Kim