Meandering thoughts...

So my thoughts are meandering, and I thought I would share.

I got an email from the folks at Active Gear, you know, the ones who sell those Pearl mugs (stainless steel wrapped with porcelain and decorated with a great design now with lids so little hands cannot dip themselves in!). I adore the Pearl mugs, they are the only reason I get to drink a hot beverage from start to finish, I think every mom needs one. So if you need a late Easter gift, or an early Mother's day gift, or just know a mom of little ones who needs one, check them out. Enter code Spring07 to get 30% off your order of $30 or more. Once you use the code, you cannot use it again...but other folks can!

Clearly I do not learn from my mistakes, yesterday Miss Pear and I ran a marathon of errands again because Mr. Pear was telecommuting and therefore we could have the car. We went to CVS to correct our overcharge - they reimbursed me at regular price, not the sale price with card, even though I presented my card, so I was up about a dollar or so. Then we went to Vons to correct the wrong price on my Monday shopping, their guarantee is that if you are charged incorrectly we reimburse you the entire price of the product - I had bought a box of diapers so I got just over $30 back...yup, made my day too! Then I did a shop at Vons and my savings were only $4 short of what I spent - my goal is to eventually consistently save more than I spend...more about that later in this post. Then on to Henry's for fruit, veggies, and milk, and home to drop off our purchases. Trip 2 was Costco Gas, Costco to exchange the shorts I got for Miss Pear that were small in the waste which is shocking because she has a teeny tiny waste, and Stater Brothers on the way home because of a great sale on veggies, and cream cheese, and I had coupons, so what could I do!

Oh, and to the truck that almost ran me over, the car that almost backed into me, the semi that first almost side swiped me and then tried to run me off the road, and the Suburban that cut me off twice, all while going from CVS to Vons - I apologize for being invisible - the only excuse I can think of for this fit of bad driving by others I was subjected to!

We were so exhausted when we got home as the temperature had sored! So we had lunch and rested. I made two taco pies - one for supper, one for the freezer and we had a great afternoon/evening. But we did run to Target quickly in the evening because it was that or go today, and Target on a Saturday makes me twitch!

Today we did a quick tidy and vacuum because someone was coming to see our house. Rather than wait around we went out to get our Easter cards, and then for lunch. We got home, they were not early like they were going to try. So we put Miss Pear down for her nap (she did not). We gave up on napping and played outside - no one arrived. We finally went for a drive to check into something, and got home to find out that no one showed up. All this for nothing. I am really tired of this ... but that is a post in itself.

So tonight we are very tired, and have someone different theoretically scheduled to come see our house while we are at church tomorrow morning, and I must say, that if they do not show up, you will definitely get to read all the reasons I am tired of this malarkey!

Oh, and you will probably hear a lot about couponing and getting good deals on household items and groceries as I am making a concerted effort to get both budget items down in cost. We are trying to move up closer to Mr. Pear's job, which is a more expensive area, and also, have some very specific savings goals, so this is basically my contribution. My first goal is to buy all our groceries and household items with just my grocery budget money, and then to cut that. So I am working to get my CVS Extra Care Bucks going, and to work the coupon system, and shop smart while still keeping in mind that heart disease runs in both our families, so a lean diet is vital.

But what is really on my mind is how happy I am that we had a nice day as a family, together, even though there were things going on, we still had fun! We ever got our roses and mandarin orange tree fertilized.

We also watered the pots of dirt where theoretically tomatoes and carrots are growing....

It was a good day. I love my little family and being with them! When things are not going quite as well as I would like, all I have to do is look at my family for a very tangible reminder of God's overwhelming goodness and blessing to me.

You could win a Dyson Vacuum!

5 minutes for Mom is giving a way a Dyson Slim Vacuum! You know the line of vacuums I mean, of course - the bagless ones that suck like all get out ... in a good way!

On checking their site there are already 485 hopefulls to win, but all you have to do is sign up with Mr. Linky over yonder! If you click on the link in my post you will go right to the site. Head on over, sign up too!

I don't know about you, but winning a vacuum would be nice...

Freeze it Friday - Ground Beef Recipe

I have a secret for you - you can make meatballs, meatloaf and hamburger patties all from the same recipe. This is my always hamburger patty recipe, but it works great for all three.

For every 2 lbs of meat add:
1 egg
1 pkg onion soup mix
half - 1 cup bread crumbs.

I usually make about six lbs at a time, which makes me 24 hamburgers, or 3 meatloafs, or 6 meals of meatballs.

Freezing instructions:

Meatballs - shape and cook at 350F until done. Cool and freeze in freezer bags. On cooking day, thaw, and cook with sauce as sauce requires.

Hamburgers - shape into patties, freeze on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper or wax paper, and same paper between the layers. Once frozen, cut the paper in between so that you can freeze them in freezer bags. On cooking day just thaw and BBQ

Meatloaf - divide up mixture as needed into freezer bags, squish out as much air as you can and freeze flat. Cooking day thaw, form into loaf and place in loaf pan, cook at 350F for about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

P.S. As I am posting this today I do not see Mr. Linky up at the Soapy Dish, but it is kind of now or never for posting this morning, so I will link later.

Frugal Friday - No more than necessary

When I first began to seriously look at my household spending and begin taking serious steps to reduce our spending I asked a dear friend about some of the things she did to save money. She gave me great advice, and articulated something I knew, but did not do as well as I could. She said they had a motto in their house and it was:

No more than is necessary

She went on to explain that this meant not running more water than the needed because that ran up the water bill. This meant reaching for a sweater rather than the thermostat. This meant only ripping a piece of paper towel when that was all that was needed rather than the whole piece. She had a lot of examples.

But the fact of the matter is that it does not matter how great a deal we are getting if we are just wasting it once it gets home. So to save money overall we don't have to just look for good deals, we also have to use well what we have at home.

I finish with a story. A friend of our is fanatical almost about looking for deals. He has been talking about buying a house for about 3 - 5 years now. He reads fliers comparing prices on things he is not going to buy any time soon, or until he finally buys a house. He was shocked by the price of groceries down here. Yet he blows money recklessly in other areas, and once he buys it, he does not use it well. I remember my "frugal" friend using wrapping paper that I could wrap 2 or 3 presents the same size as the one he wrapped, and he used the whole piece. I remember him using bubble wrap and packing tape, and using twice as much as was necessary, but if the plane landed in water, his luggage would definitely have floated.... So, when he finally moves out and is buying all this for himself, he will be buying two to three times as much as I have to for my family. It is surprising what a difference this makes once it is all added up.


Bonus tip:
Speaking of using things wisely, back when we had two incomes I discovered the joy of Swiffer Dusters, and now Miss Pear has discovered the joy as well, so when she dusts she wants her own duster! Too Cute! Alexandra over at Happy Hearts at Home shared a great tip on WASHING SWIFFER DUSTERS! Definitely fitting with my theme of using what you have wisely, now that I can wash swiffers I can avoid buy more!

Now I am just a beginner in this whole venture, so head on over to Crystal's for tips from the experts!

Our Week...

...has been great!

Miss Pear and I discovered the joy of stamping, and while we did not advance far enough to do Easter cards this year, we had lots of fun while Mr. Pear was on his business trip.

Mr. Pear's business trip was successful, a his luggage arrived home with him this time. The only glitch was that his flight was delayed for two hours, so he did not get to see Miss Pear before bed time, but don't worry, she jumped right up when he went into her room to tuck her in!

We showed our home three times yesterday...I am always surprised how exhausting that is. I keep our home very neat as I clean to my plan each week, so it is generally just a quick tidy before they arrive, and two had made appointments the day before, so I had plenty of notice! But I guess it is the emotionally charged part that tires me out.

We got to eat the Strawberry Pie I made to welcome Mr. Pear home from his trip last night for supper because he was too tired when he arrived home Tuesday night to enjoy pie (did I mention that he loves pie?) He thought it was delicious, so I was happy.

Miss Pear and I were very busy this morning doing laundry and baking more hot cross buns and Blueberry, Banana, Oatmeal muffins (actually called BananaBerry Bombs - so good!) and generally having Kitchen Day.

I am loving making hot cross buns, so easy and delicious! This is only the second batch, but I am planning a fresh batch to be made for Easter because once Easter is over, I will not make these until Ash Wednesday again.

So posts are forthcoming about stamping with little ones, and I have been thinking about the verse in Proverbs 31 about "she does her husband good" and what this looks like in our family, so there will likely be a post about that too....

But for now, my wrist is very sore, so I am going to rest while Miss Pear does.

WFMW - Handling Husband's Business Trips

So for those of you who don't know, Mr. Pear was on a business trip from Sunday to Tuesday night again this week, just like the one he had two weeks ago because it is apparently essential to visit the same plant twice with only a week and a half in between visits. And apparently we don't need our family time so go ahead and make him fly on Sunday, twice! After all, it's not like we are going to do anything on Sunday like go to church and have family time, it is not like we need time together as a family or anything...On, and don't get me started about the trip he is required to make the last week in April when he is gone from Wednesday to Sunday night, to return to work Monday morning. No, I am not bitter, what makes you say that????

The last trip was a disaster - Miss Pear was so out of sorts with time change and the confusion of my husband's bosses flights (the guy schedules this whole fiasco to leave Sunday, then calls 20 minutes before the shuttle is to arrive because his flight might be canceled - unfortunately it was not). It was a LONG trip, all three of us were a mess by the time it came to an end Tuesday night when Mr. Pear returned home - his luggage arrived the next day (I think it was waiting for the chaos to pass before returning...).

So we are discovering that business trips are going to be a bone of contention for a while, and especially hard when Mr. Pear commutes 80 miles each way for work making family time especially valuable and protected. (Yes, we are trying to move - would you like to buy a beautiful town home in Southern California?)

We knew we needed to do something different, so here is what we have found works well for us, keeping in mind we have one daughter, Miss Pear who is 22 months and a complete Daddy's girl.

1. The day before the trip explain clearly what is going to happen. Talk about it openly and thoroughly.

2. Day of the trip - Let Miss Pear help Mr. Pear pack, examine passport, steal socks, play with suitcase, whatever makes her happy, let her help.

3. Continue to explain clearly what is happening.

4. Mr. Pear left while Miss Pear was napping, so before she napped they laid on the floor together and talked about what was happening using key phrases like "I will be back after three naps and two sleeps" and "I will be coming home..." and "Be sure to help Mom-mom lots and give her lots of hugs and kisses."

5. When Miss Pear woke up, I reminded her that Daddy had left for his trip, and that because she had napped it was now only 2 naps and 2 sleeps...We continued to count this down.

6. Fun project - we had a fun project to learn - stamping! Miss Pear loves it - more about that in another post.

7. Distractions! Run errands - Monday morning we went out and ran errands - distraction and gets out energy.

8. Keep meals and housework easy - Miss Pear needs more attention when Mr. Pear travels - she likes it when we are both here, and so do I. Did I mention we ordered pizza Tuesday night after we found out Mr. Pears flight was delayed for two hours?

9. Do not plan anything big or energy consuming during this time.

10. Plan play dates - we usually do not have the car during the week, so we take advantage to go to friends houses.

11. Try to show some restraint when Mr. Pear returns home - Miss Pear likes the jumping up and down and clapping her hands while squealing with delight routine, I just grin like a happy fool...and then dance with Miss Pear!...Mr. Pear laughs at his girls and then joins in.

This works very well, and a smooth home life during travel makes me think slightly less evil thoughts about my husbands boss, and lets me enjoy both my time with my daughter and calls and emails with my husband. We are all so much happier.

Sooooooooooooooo happy (to quote both Roman Holiday, and Mrs. Dryer's Miss Corrie)

Works for me! Head on over to Mrs. Dryer's for other great tips!

Giving myself a stern talking to!

I have been reading Feminine Appeal, and am greatly enjoying it! If you have not read it yet, I highly recommend it, and look forward to posting a review once I am done.

One reminder from this fabulous book that was very timely was to not listen to my thoughts or feelings when they are telling me what I know to be contrary to the truth of scripture. Or to say it a different way - when I am thinking thoughts that I know are contrary to the truth of Scripture, or feeling emotions that are contrary to the truth of Scripture I MUST NOT INDULGE THEM! In fact, I must be as inhospitable to those feelings as possible!

There is a reason I needed this reminder - even though I know this!

Lately I have been feeling kind of forgotten. We are going through struggles, and while our family and friends were very good at first, they have their own lives, and it is not reasonable to expect them to be with us in this each step of the way when it is taking SO LONG in some cases, and when the crisis is basically over in others. But that is not what I am talking about. I am talking about feeling forgotten by God.

I understand what the Old Testament writers meant when they said that God remembered them:

Gen. 8:1 Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided.

Gen. 19:29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.

Gen. 30:22 Then God remembered Rachel, and God listened to her and opened her womb.

Ex. 2:24 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

God had not forgotten them, but now it was time.

I have been praying for a number of big things for a long time, selling this home and moving, being able to afford a home in our new city, the healing from losing our child to miscarriage, the desire for a second child, being able to be a stay at home mom indefinitely - big things with no answers, all requiring a miracle.

And sometimes I feel like God is not hearing me, and that He has forgotten me.

But I know this is wrong thinking.

God will never look down on us and say, "Oh, yes, you, Mrs Pear, I had forgotten about you, or I had misplaced you, but there you are. Oh, yes, you had that problem, I had forgotten about that, but now that you have remind Me, I will do something about it." This will never happen. God does not forget us, forget where we are, forget what we are facing or lose us. There will never be a coup in Heaven, God is seated on His throne eternally.

Sometimes I feel that I know God can do these things, but not for me.

But I know this is wrong thinking.

Sometimes I think that God has given up on me, that I have finally disappointed Him one too many times.

But I know this is wrong thinking.

I want to live the abundant life God calls His people too, but this means not indulging in this wrong thinking, in this pity party, it means being committed to the truth I know about God.

And so I give myself a stern talking to, and repeat to myself the truth of who God is, the truth of Scripture. And if I don't know a passage to contradict my wrong thinking, I go looking in His Word.

"Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?
“And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you. “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke 12:22-32

God sees, He knows, He cares, He loves. He is my God, and I am His girl, eternally.

Day Care linked to Bad Behaviour

Newsweek of all places posted the results of this very interesting study:

"A Downside to Day Care?

A new study finds that children who regularly attend day-care centers develop more behavioral problems in kindergarten than those that don’t."

I just want to highlight three answers because in California we were inundated with information by First 5 regarding how our children MUST be in preschool, which I understand is very different from Day Care, but there is a point to this, and that Day Care is perfectly fine for your child, in fact it is better for them than just being home all day for a variety of reasons. From talking to friends in other parts of the country, this is particularly acute in California.

"Newsweek: Most of the kids in your study spent a year or two at a day-care center prior to entering kindergarten. How did that affect their behavior later?
Burchinal: For those kids who have one or two years of day care, their level of problem behavior is typical. For children who spent more than that in center-based care, teachers report slightly more disruptive behaviors than are typical. In other words, the more time in day care, the more likely these kids showed problem behaviors.

Any idea why?
We did not look at why in this study, but other people have looked at this question and have some ideas. [One suggested reason is that] there’s been a move to make child-care programs more academic. Kids are supposed to start school knowing numbers and letters before kindergarten, and this process gives them less free time and forces them to do a lot more large-group activities and worksheets. It’s really hard for a 3- or 4-year old to sit and listen to the teacher talk for extended lengths of time. This may lead to more acting out. Another hypothesis is that child-care centers tend to not pay their staffs very well and there’s a lot of turnover. It’s very hard to keep well-trained staff members, and teaching good behavior to a group of kids requires a lot of training.

And you found that kids who never go to day care are the most well-behaved?
Yes, they show the fewest problem behaviors."

The article goes on to clarify that the parenting that helps is the one where the parents enjoy their children, spend time with them teach them etc is helpful to their children.

I always knew I was not harming my daughter by being a stay at home mom - gee, maybe I am actually helping her!

I would encourage you to read this short, one screen article.

More about this at Crystal's too - I would love some tax relief for choosing to stay home to care for my family.

Planting Seeds...we think

Oh, the bliss! Our seed order arrived!

We quickly, like the same day, had to plant!

We carefully filled our containers with mud. And planted two plants that were just for Miss Pear, in addition to two pots of tomatoes and one of little round carrots!

Miss Pear loved breaking up the mud!

We carefully patted down the mud - Miss Pear loved this part too, and was very, umm, enthusiastic! Yeah, that's it!

Then we planted seeds.

And Miss Pear wanted to dig again - in all three pots.

So we think the seeds are still there.

And we are going to have some mighty crooked rows of carrots...

And I am glad we planted two tomato plants in each pot because hopefully that means one of each is still there....

And I wonder if the basil in the center of the tomato pots is still there...

And, literally, Miss Pear and I stepped inside the house onto the mat and had to remove many articles of wet clothing - for Miss Pear this meant, well, everything, for me it just meant my jeans which was not too bad considering that Miss Pear had a squirt bottle and at one point the hose.....

The crooked rows, possible AWOL seeds, and wet messy clothing is all okay!

The plan was for this to be a fun project with Miss Pear, who was absolutely delighted (as were we, this was such a fun time!). Miss Pear, who at the age of 22 months has planted her first garden...assuming the seeds are still there of course.

Checking Receipts Pays Off

As you may remember, last week for Frugal Friday I posted about double checking receipts. This is my standard practice, but I have to confess I was beginning to wonder if it was worth it as my receipts had been very accurate lately.

But today that all changed.

I had to call Vons because I did not get the sale price on diapers. They were great! The manager was so helpful!

I had to call CVS because I was charged for 4 toothbrushes when I only bought 3. They were not so great, I was hung up on or disconnected 4 times before I got to speak to a manager.

That adds up to approximately $8 in over charges.

In both cases I talked to the managers and I was told that I could fix the problem next time I was in, a special trip was not required.

So I would encourage you to check your receipts, and not just at the grocery store! Who knows how much extra we would pay each year if we did not!

C.S. Lewis - on sale!

So this morning Miss Pear and I ran errands, Mr. Pear is on business and we had the car. In a fit of insanity I decided it would be a good idea to hit CVS, Costco Gas, Costco, Vons, and Henry's Marketplace all in one trip, all in two hours. I was so exhausted when we got home. (I am literally laying on the bed, propped up on pillows with my laptop on my knees because I had to tell you two great deals I found).

When we were at Costco I found two deals so good I had to tell you - just in case you have a Costco membership, and they are offering the same deals where you are. (In addition to the gas that was about 25 cents less a gallon than everywhere else of course).

I am working on a baby gift for my brother-in-law and his wife who are expecting June 1. And I really wanted to find a Carter's sleeper on sale - I did, at Costco, for $5.49. So if you are in need of sleepers up to 9 months size, check it out.

In the book section I struck GOLD! At least in my avid reader opinion. The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics for $14.29. (Regular price $24.95) This includes Mere Christianity, Screwtape Letters, Abolition of Man, Great Divorce, Problem of Pain, Miracles, and Grief Observed. While I have Mere Christianity in New Condition (I will be moving it to the gift drawer), I have wanted to read the others and have not, so now for the price of about 2 books, I have then all.

Sooooo happy (to quote from my favorite movie - Roman Holiday).

Chocolate Bottom Banana Squares

Last week Miss Pear and I made Chocolate Bottom Banana Squares, and they were delicious! The following morning company stopped in for coffee, so naturally I had to serve something, so I served this with confidence, and they loved it. In fact, I had to give them the recipe.

So I highly recommend this if you are looking for a banana bread/cake for chocolate lovers.

And if you make it, I would be happy to pop in to help taste test it for you....

Menu Plan Monday - March 24-31

Hi,

Planning breakfasts and lunches went as expected - lots of changes, but it was great to have the ideas there to work with, so I will continue that plan!

So without further ado, here is my menu plan, Saturday to Saturday as that is grocery shopping day!



Saturday

Breakfast - Overnight Blueberry French Toast
Lunch - Out for lunch - we were shopping for Miss Pear's big girl bed
Supper - Meatballs (from the freezer), sweet and sour sauce, rice, beans

Sunday

Breakfast - left over French Toast from Saturday
Lunch - BBQ Hamburgers
Supper - Turkey Veggie Meatloaf, veggie rice, and creamed corn
(Mr. Pear left for a business trip so we jammed into the menu things that are not his favorite, like the meatloaf and corn. He is back Tuesday night - two sleeps, but who is counting????)

Monday

Breakfast** - Hot Cross Buns and fruit
Lunch - Costco treat (if we are there at door opening we arrive home ready for lunch, so this is our solution - besides, we can indulge in another treat Mr. Pear doesn't care for - Turkey Rollers)
Supper - Macaroni and Ham bake, and some kind of veggie

Tuesday

Breakfast - Raisin Bagel and fruit
Lunch - Left over turkey rollers (it is always two lunches for us!)
Supper - Chicken fried rice and sweet and sour sauce (so there is a good supper waiting for Mr. Pear when he returns home late...can you tell I am eager for him to return?)

Wednesday

Breakfast - Yogurt and fruit
Lunch - Tuna sandwiches and veggies
Supper - Philly Cheese Steak wraps and Yam Fries, and strawberry pie!


Thursday

Breakfast - Raisin Bagel and fruit
Lunch - Macaroni bake leftovers
Supper - Pepperoni Rolls* and veggies or salad

Friday (day Mr. Pear telecommutes, if not Friday I will move breakfast and lunch to whatever day it is, but it is usually Friday)

Breakfast - Cinnamon buns and fruit (will make cinnamon buns day before)
Lunch - left over Pizza Rolls from last night
Supper - Taco Pie and Salad

Saturday

Breakfast - Waffles and Strawberry Syrup
Lunch - Cannot decide yet....
Supper - (Grocery shopping day, could not think this far out, so I will decide later or at least before we go grocery shopping next week!)

Breads
French Bread~
Oatmeal Bread~
Sourdough Bread -- third time using this starter
3 Four Bread~
Cinnamon Raisin Bread* (maybe, still thinking about this one.)


Cookies
Spicy Dad's
Frog Eyes
No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal

Loaves and Muffins
Soy Banana Loaf~
Apple Loaf ~
Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Banana stuff as I got a great deal!

Other
Strawberry Pie
Hot Cross Buns
Cinnamon Buns
Granola Bars
Granola
Fruit Leather

~ from the More with Less Cookbook (can be found on my sidebar if you want to check it out).

* Indicates a new recipe, a review will be posted after I have made it.

** During the week it is just Miss Pear and I for lunch

Freeze it Friday

Have you seen this??

The Soapy Dish is starting a new feature for swapping our fabulous Freezer Recipes and tips! This is the very first week, and they were sweet enough to link to my post for this weeks WFMW regarding how to freeze meals for the, well, for the freezer because I am just not sure where else you could freeze them.

And if you saw my post from last week you will know that this is a big part of how I organize my cooking and baking!

So needless to say, I am thrilled with this new Friday Feature and plan to play along regularly.

Now I could just cheat and share my Lazy Cabbage Roll recipe that you cook in the slow cooker and then freeze using the freezer bag method for easy side dishes, but that would be lame, so I share a different favorite with you, Taco Chili.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taco Chili

Great as an appetizer, a light lunch, or as a chili with the toppings on top.

2 x 1 1/3 packages ground turkey
1 finely chopped large onion
2 taco seasoning envelopes (1/2 cup if you buy the big container)
56 oz crushed or petite diced tomatoes
3 sweet peppers (red, yellow, orange or green) chopped
2 cups salsa (whatever flavor and heat you prefer)
3 x 15 oz black beans, rinsed (1-1.5 cup dried)

tortilla chips
shredded cheddar cheese
more salsa
sour cream
whatever other topping sounds good


Brown turkey adding onions as they are chopped.

Once the turkey is cooked add the next ingredients and simmer for at least 20 minutes.

Serve hot.

Freeze meal size portions using freezer bag method.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I make this I usually use dried black beans so I soak them over night, cook them for 12 minutes in my pressure cooker, and then this is the size that fits in my pressure cooker.

If I was doing a serious stock up I would double this and use my massive dutch oven.

The nice thing about this recipe is that you simmer it briefly before you freeze it, so it has the ease of leftovers - thaw, heat through - with the great features of freezer recipes - thaw, cook, as good as the first time!


Freeze it Friday Freezer tip
Keep a list of freezer meals that are ready to go in your freezer so that if you have an unexpected tough day you can peruse the list and pull something out. This recipe is great for a last minute need because it thaws very fast in either the microwave, putting the whole bag in hot water in the sink, or just a large enough pot.

This recipe has saved our lunches and suppers many times!

Frugal Friday - Check and Double Check

I have to confess, I studiously review our grocery receipts every week, checking prices, double checking multiples (i.e. I really did buy three of those, right?), and counting how many coupons were scanned, and doubled.

It is certainly not that I mistrust our checkers, I just mistrust their computers! (as you can tell by my post from last week...)

And I have to tell you, there have been many times where I have called the store over a discrepancy. In the area of California where I live there is a law that says if you are miss charged the item(s) in question are free, so not only am I ensuring I did not over pay, if there is an error I may get the item free.

It is important to do this as soon as you get home though. One Saturday before I started blogging, we were in a bit different area of the city to get our hair cut by our favorite hairdresser. The grocery store there was having fabulous sales. I had planned on buying a treat of Fruitloops as the small boxes were on a good sale. In the store there was a better sale posted for the large boxes, which I very happily scooped up.

When we got home and I reviewed the bill I noted that we had been charged FULL PRICE! I quickly called the store and was told that the sale had expired the day before. I said as nicely as I could that was nice, but the sale price was still posted on the shelves, and I would not have bought the cereal if I thought it was full price! They quickly went and checked the shelf, and sure enough, it was still marked as a sale. So I was promised that they would reimburse me the difference next time I was in. The following Saturday I presented my receipt and explained, and ended up getting my cereal for free, my favorite price.

This trick also helps me to understand how expensive the items I buy in bulk really are, and how much our fruits and veggies really are as both are usually posted by weight. This enables me to shop more frugally in the future!

While I am just learning the baby steps in saving money at groceries and being frugal, head on over to Crystal's to read how the experts do it!

Because I really want to be a gardener...

...but we live in California, and are not going to be able to afford a home with a yard any time soon, short of a MAJOR MIRACLE from God, so Miss Pear and I are going to try a little container gardening.

We ordered seeds from The Cooks Garden and are happily waiting for their arrival!

We are going to grow:

Balcony tomatoes
Sweet Baby Girl tomatoes (Miss Pear's size!)
Parmex carrots - which will grow in containers because they grow 1 inch round!

I am very excited!

In my perusal of seed catalogs I came across two sets of coupons I cannot use as we did not order $30 worth of seeds. Although to be honest, even if we did order that many, I would have used the coupons and then still shared them with you!

You can save $5 of a $30 phone or internet order at Cook's Garden with code KR53

Or at Burpee with code BA53

Both coupons are good until June 30, 2007

Happy Gardening!

What are you planting this year????

Spring Reading Thing

I LOVE to read - it is my worst vice!

My "To Be Read" Pile threatens to take over the nightstand, the drawers, and the floor around. Okay, it is not quite that bad...unless you ask Mr. Pear, so because I love him, and because I love to read, I am making a serious and honest effort to get through my TBR pile.

Right now I have a ton of nonfiction books I want to read, but I cannot decide which 5 to rank at the top for the Spring Reading Thing. So this is technically my spring and summer reading list - although I am certain books will move in and out of this list depending on my mood! Also, I am awaiting a delivery from CDB and expect to be adding at least two more books to this list.

So without further babbling....

My Spring Reading thing List is:

Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney (Just started on Sunday)
I am really enjoying this book, and am being blessed tremendously through it.

Keep a Quiet Heart (In process, I read an article and put it aside then pick it up and read another article....)

Spiritual Direction: Wisdom for the Long Walk of Faith

Silent Music: The Life, Work, and Thought of st John of the Cross

The Ministry of Motherhood: Following Christ's Example in Reaching the Hearts of Our Children

Questioning Evangelism (This was a Christmas gift from a dear friend and is about using questions to engage in discussions about faith, kind of like Jesus did. It is NOT about questioning the validity of Evangelism, even though that is what the title seems to imply.)

Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth

Rediscovering Catechism: The Art of Equipping Covenant Children

The Quest for Meekness and Quietness of Spirit (Puritan Writings)

I am looking forward to reading all these books for very different reasons, and will probably post reviews as I finish them as I had wanted to do that on this blog any ways, so now I have two reasons to do it - that should keep me honest! :-)

Happy Spring, Happy Reading!

WFMW - How to freeze extra meals

Last week for WFMW I posted about Thinking Double in the kitchen, and Melissa posted a comment about how to freeze things. I replied to her via email, and in her reply she said this would be a great WFMW....so here we are!

I freeze left over meals for Mr. Pear's lunch in containers that hold one meal, and can be microwaved in (both Ziplock and Glad make a good disposable size so I don't have to worry about it getting lost or what that microwave is doing to my good plastics). But when I am freezing supper sized portions for our family, this does not work, so I go to the methods below.

You can freeze meals for the freezer in a number of ways:

1. Plastic containers - my least favorite as they take up too much room in the freezer and are generally poor use of space. I only use these for cookies and muffins and only use nice square or rectangle ones that fit nicely in my freezer.

2. Bought foil casseroles - these are okay, but expensive as they get kind of beat up in the freezer and most cannot take it. I generally avoid these unless it is a meal I am freezing and giving away, in which case they are great!

3. Casseroles - this one works pretty good. I like to use the Pyrex and Corelle square shaped casseroles as they fit best in the freezer. I don't use the lids as they do not stack well, I cover with plastic wrap and then cover that with foil wrap and label clearly.

4. Fake Casseroles - this the the CHEATER method! If I cannot be without my casserole for whatever reason, I take the appropriate casserole, line it with plastic wrap or foil wrap or both, depending on what you think will work best. Assemble. Freeze. Next day pull the casserole out of the freezer, you should be able to get your frozen stuff out. If it sticks, set it in hot water for a couple minutes and try again. Once free, wrap the casserole in plastic, then foil, (or place in a zip top bag if it fits) and label it, including the casserole you froze it in as not all casseroles are the same shape (like my strangely shaped blue one....). When you are ready to eat this meal, pull it out of the freezer, unwrap it, pop it into the appropriate casserole and let thaw.

5. Plastic zip top bags - my favorite method that I use for soup, chili, stew, leftovers, and any casserole I would mix all together before putting into the casserole. Label bag, insert food, squeeze out as much air as possible, seal, make as flat as possible, and freeze flat.


There are some things that are just hard to freeze, like homemade stuffed chicken breasts - because of the strange shape I usually wrap them in plastic first and then put them in a freezer bag.

I use a lot of zip top freezer bags, but can usually get a good deal on them, so it is still a money saver and a HUGE time saver!

If you think you need some help getting started in freezer cooking, check my post from last week, and if you need more help, there is a good cookbook on my sidebar that has lots of basics in it (but you really don't need more than last week's post and this week's post to get going.

Bon Appetit!

For more great tips, head over to Mrs. Dryer's!

Spiritual Reminders Yield Encouragement

This has been on my mind a lot lately. Spiritual Reminders.

It all started as I was reading my Bible. I follow my own plan which has me read a Psalm or a Proverb every quiet time (I just keep going through them). Then I read whatever book of the Bible I am in, usually I read an Old Testament book (not Psalms or Proverbs, they are well covered already by serving as my devotional start!), then a Gospel, then a New Testament book, then repeat, reading only one of those at a time of course. This way I am not waiting for September to start the NT like I was when I was reading cover to cover - any ways, it works for me.

However, this particular week I was stuck in the NT because if I moved on I would be reading Ezra. I love Ezra, but was not in the mood for Ezra (stomach flu while pregnant and then miscarriage will do that to a girl!), so I was reading Thessalonians, Timothy and Titus back to back to back. And I noticed a recurring theme.

Paul repeatedly refers to spiritual reminders - he is writing to remind you, he wants to remind you...and variations of this appear in his writings.

Note these few verses in the NKJV just for an example:

2Tim. 1:6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

2Tim. 2:14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.

Titus 3:1 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work,

2Pet. 1:12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.

Jude 5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.

This got me thinking - I need reminders for every thing - my weekly to do list, my weekly housework schedule, my weekly menu, my online calendar to remind me of events, my grocery list, my errand list, etc.

And how much more important are spiritual things than remembering to buy stamps?

Then my thoughts turned to Romans:

Rom. 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

My thoughts turned to all the times life seemed horrible and overwhelming and how God used those times to bring amazing things into our lives, to bless us, to encourage us, to teach us, to reveal more of Himself to us.

One of the things God did was after a horrible first year of University I did not want to go back, it was too horrible, and I could not face it, but I did, and I met Mr. Pear, that was over 12 years ago!

The list is long and I am sure we don't even see the half of it!

When we started recounting how God had redeemed circumstances and events in our lives, and had faithfully cared for us, it encouraged us that even though we are going through a tough time right now, God is going to get us through this, and it gave us the courage and encouragement we needed to keep on keeping on.

Adventures in Prayer with Miss Pear

We have been modeling prayer as a way to teach Miss Pear (almost 22 months) all about it. We say grace, pray before bed, and whenever else the need arises.

We were thrilled when Miss Pear began saying Amen "a-nen!" at the end of grace with great gusto!

We were thrilled when she started putting her hands on her cheeks and chin on the table to pray, when we had not started yet, as her cue that we had to do something.

We were even thrilled when she wanted to say grace numerous times in each meal. Especially if you brought something new to the table after grace was said.

However, last Sunday was the best.

Miss Pear had been wanting to say grace frequently during lunch. At one request Mr. Pear asked Miss Pear what she wanted to pray for.

At first she just looked at him. He gently repeated the question a couple times.

Then she said her prayer. "Thank you"

To which we all said "Amen" and complimented Miss Pear on her excellent prayer. Her first on her own that we understood.

And of course this Sunday runs a quick second. As our pastor finished praying before he launched into his sermon he said amen. To which Miss Pear said in a nice strong voice "Anen!" Everyone around us chuckled.

Thank you, Lord, for encouraging us!

Overnight Blueberry French Toast

...Because you asked....

Blueberry Oven French Toast

1 small loaf french bread
3 eggs (extra egg if using home made French bread)
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 cups milk (extra quarter cup if using home made French bread)

Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup butter
1 cup or more fresh or frozen blueberries

Night Before
Grease 9 X 13 baking dish. Cut bread diagonally into 1-1/2 inch thick
slices and place into baking dish. Lightly beat eggs, sugar and vanilla.
Stir in milk and pour over bread. Refrigerate overnight.

Morning
Pre-heat oven to 375 degreees.
Combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter and cut together until
coarse crumb texture. (I do this the day before and keep bag of topping in
the fridge)

Turn bread in baking dish.

Scatter blueberries over bread and sprinkle with crumb mixture. Bake 40
minutes or until golden. Can sprinkle with sliced strawberries before
serving.

Veggie Lasagna, Slow cooker liners and Cheese

The recipe:

Veggie Lasagna

2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 x 15 oz container part-skim ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
1/4 – 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups shredded carrots
3 cups shredded zucchini (about 3 store size, or one garden one)
3 shredded sweet peppers (optional, but nice if you have them)
2 jars (26 oz, the size that holds approx. 2 cups) marinara sauce
16 oz egg noodles (may not need whole bag)
1 cup additional mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. Mix first portion of mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs and parmesan cheese.
2. Cook carrots in microwave for 2 minutes. Stir into egg mixture, set aside.
3. Liberally spray slow cooker with non-stick spray, then layer the following:
a. Spread 2/3 cup sauce on bottom
b. 1 layer of egg noodles
c. 1/3 cheese mixture
d. 1/3 zucchini
e. one shredded pepper (optional)
f. 1-1 and 1/3 cups sauce
g. repeat c-f two more times, but on the final sauce addition, add all the sauce you have left.
h. Top with last cup of mozzarella cheese.
4. Cook for 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high. No peaking, stirring, or lifting the lid.

Yields - lots! I used my 6 or 7 qt oval slow cooker, and it was about 1-1 1/2 inches from the top, so we are getting at least one more supper out of this, plus some lunches. This would be great as a meal for a large family, or for company.

The Review: We liked this. In the original recipe there was not quite enough sauce, so the recipe above reflects the need for more sauce! (Original recipe calls for only one can). It was a great way to sneak in lots of veggies, but you could make the sauce a meat sauce by adding cooked ground beef or turkey very easily.

The Verdict: I will definitely make this again! And it would be great for company with a salad and rolls.


The Slow Cooker Liners.
Cost: $2.99 - $1 coupon - $1 coupon double= $0.99 for 4, or about 25 cents each.

My slow cooker is on it's last legs, it has TWO hot spots! So I figured this would be a good way to help alleviate the burnt food. Nope, it made both hot spots WORSE! So I probably ended up throwing away a cup of food.

I found it awkward to layer my lasagna in, so it was not easier to assemble with.

I found condensation got in and by the hot spots it turned dark behind the liner, so I was still scrubbing.

The good thing was that my slow cooker was clean that night, and ready first thing in the morning for the Lazy Cabbage Rolls.

So the verdict is that if my slow cooker were not in dire need of being replaced these probably would have worked quite well - everyone else I know who has tried them loved them, especially for cheese heavy recipes.

I would get them again if I could get them at $1 a box of 4, or 25 cents each, but will not be paying full price for them any time soon, I just don't think they are worth it because....

Slow cooker cleaning tip
Clean as much of the crud out as you can
Put about 1-2 tbsp of dishwasher powder in (works better than liquid)
Add HOT HOT water, filling to top.
Let sit overnight.
Should come perfectly clean overnight

this also works on metal pots and roasters (I have not tried this on non-stick ones though).


Kraft Grate-it Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Cost: $5.99-0.50sale - $1 coupon - $1 coupon double = $3.49

This is actually a good price on Parmesan cheese without the grater, so at that price I would buy it again!

The grater was a bit awkward at first, but once I got the hang of it, and got a little further in, it worked great!

The only thing I did not like was that unlike when you grate cheese by hand the cheese breaks off, with this one you have to pull the cheese to break it off the grater - more of an annoyance than problem. With the little cover that covers the bottom I don't think you would have to worry about the cheese drying out that was left in the grater portion of you use it regularly.

Verdict - this is worth buying if you get a good price (full price is a bit too pricey for me).

Menu Plan Monday - March 17 - 24

Hi,

Last week's new supper recipes were not exactly a rousing success, the tuna noodle casserole had called for twice as much tuna as it needed so that was all you could taste, and the Dreamy Spaghetti was okay, but not dreamy, and I will not be in any rush to make it again, I think it needed less of the cheese mixture and more tomato sauce. But I will continue to try some new recipes each week because there are so many good ones!

In this week's plan I am trying to plan out our breakfast and lunches for the whole week, not just the weekend. During the week it is Miss Pear and I for breakfast and lunch, except for Friday when Mr. Pear telecommutes.

I am also including my baking list at the end. I don't bake everything on the list every week, but keep a couple options in each category so that I have all the ingredients for that recipe so that I do not get half way through and realize I am missing something, or need something and not have any ideas. I also like to have a plan in case I have a day I can do some baking for the freezer and bake ahead!

So without further ado, here is my menu plan, Saturday to Saturday as that is grocery shopping day!



Saturday

Breakfast - Cinnamon Swirl toast and fruit
Lunch - Sandwiches and cookies
Supper - Veggie Lasagna*in slow cooker and coleslaw
(Will post recipe this week, I will also be using Slow Cooker liners and the new Kraft Parmesan cheese with grater for the first time and will let you know how they work)

Sunday

Breakfast - Hot Cross Buns (baked last week, and pulled from freezer)
Lunch - Take out for a treat
Supper - Roast chicken, carrots, and Easy Cabbage Roll Casserole (this casserole is also good as a main dish).

Monday

Breakfast** - yogurt and fruit
Lunch - Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Supper - Chicken Enchiladas and veggies (this will use up the last of the two chickens I roasted on Sunday as I will make some for the freezer)

Tuesday

Breakfast - Banana French Toast (from the freezer)
Lunch - Oatmeal and Rice* with Raisins (The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook : 250 No-Fail Recipes for Pilafs, Risottos, Polenta, Chilis, Soups, Porridges, Puddings and More, from Start to Finish in Your Rice Cooker)
Supper - Taco Chili - from the freezer

Wednesday

Breakfast - Yogurt and fruit
Lunch - Macaroni bake with ham flakes
Supper - Hamburgers and Yam Fries
(this was on last week's menu but got delayed due to getting ready for an Open House, so I will once again be trying to make 6 lbs of hamburger patties so that I can freeze a bunch)

Thursday

Breakfast - Baked Oatmeal (from the freezer)
Lunch - Macaroni bake leftovers
Supper - Chicken Fajitas

Friday (day Mr. Pear telecommutes, if not Friday I will move breakfast and lunch to whatever day it is, but it is usually Friday)

Breakfast - Overnight Blueberry French Toast
Lunch - Meatball Soup (from freezer) and toast
This is the basic recipe I use, if you look in the reviews, my edits are there under "Kristy"
Supper - BBQ Chicken and carrots

Saturday

Breakfast - Cinnamon Buns and fruit (Cinnamon buns will be made on Friday)
Lunch - Pepperoni Rolls*
Supper - (Grocery shopping day, could not think this far out, so I will decide later or at least before we go grocery shopping next week!)

Breads
French Bread~
Oatmeal Bread~
Sourdough Bread -- second time using this starter
3 Four Bread~
Cinnamon Raisin Bread* (maybe, still thinking about this one.)

~ all three of these bread recipes come from the More with Less Cookbook on my sidebar

Cookies
Spicy Dad's
Frog Eyes
No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal

Loaves and Muffins
Soy Banana Loaf (More with Less)
Apple Loaf (More with Less)
Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Banana stuff as I got a great deal!

Other
Hot Cross Buns
Chocolate Bottom Banana Cake
Cinnamon Buns
Granola Bars
Granola

* Indicates a new recipe, a review will be posted after I have made it.

** During the week Mr. Pear packs his own breakfast and lunch, I just makes sure that there are frozen leftover meals in the freezer, cookies in the cookie jar, cold drinks, fruit, and a good breakfast option like muffins and loaves. I did try packing his lunch for him, but I always do it wrong and he prefers to do it himself based on his mood that day, so I gave in.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Growing up Cabbage Rolls were a staple food at any occasion meal. Rolls of meat, and rice with a tomato sauce wrapped up in a cabbage leaf topped with more tomato sauce were the best! But TIME CONSUMING! Do you know how hard it is to make those when it is a side dish and most people eat TWO or MORE!

However, I love my family. I hate to deprive them, so I make the lazy version...in the crock pot.

So to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, I share my favorite cabbage recipe with you (no, not my coleslaw recipe!)

Easy Cabbage Roll Casserole

1 1/2 lbs ground beef or turkey
2 medium onions, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can tomato sauce (14ish oz, divided)
1 can condensed tomato soup (10 oz, divided)
1 cup water
1/2 cup long grain rice
4 cups shredded cabbage

1. Brown beef, onions, garlic an salt, draining of excess fat if you use beef. (I usually add a couple grinds of pepper, and find it usually does not need a lot of salt, so I skip it until at the table)
2. Add half the tomato sauce, half a can of tomato soup, and water, mix well.
3. Add rice, stirring to combine
4. Spray slow cooker with no-stick cooking spray, liberally.
   
5. Layer half meat mixture, half cabbage, rest of meat mixture, rest of cabbage
6. Mix remaining tomato sauce and soup and pour over top.

Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours, until bubbly and heated through.

Do not stir, just cover and ignore.

It will look like a lot but will “shrink” a lot.

We serve this as a main dish or side dish, depending on the need. Leftovers freeze excellently.

Adapted from the original recipe in “Canada’s Best Slow Cooker Recipes” by Donna-Marie Pye, pg 98.

I will be making this on Sunday to go with Roast Chicken for supper.

All Clear

We had our follow up ob/gyn appointment this morning to ensure that all is good.

And I have been given the all clear.

The test results show nothing unusual (i.e. serious that we need to worry about going forward.) So therefore it was a case of things not progressing normally.

Basically, there is no reason to think anything will go wrong with our next pregnancy. But we have to wait for two complete cycles to give my body a chance to fully recover.

In other news, apparently my sore back that has been plaguing me is likely due to a slightly inflamed back from the surgery. As long as I was resting lots it did not bug me. As I have resumed my normal activities my back has been getting tired easily. So to take an anti-inflammatory regularly through the weekend, and if it is still problematic on Monday call back.

And the doctor laughingly agreed that my incredibly sore back yesterday had absolutely nothing to do with my scrubbing the kitchen floor on my hands and knees..... :-)

So physically all is good. And spiritually and emotionally we are healing.

Frugal Fridays - Know the System!

A sale is only a sale if you get the sale price. And if you can add coupons, all the better!

Knowing how your grocery store computers work is essential to saving money at the grocery store!

In many grocery stores when they say 2 for $4 or 10 for $10 you are not required to buy the quantity quoted in the sale's pitch because they set their computers to the per item price. So you can buy whatever quantity you would like.

However, at my local Henry's I have to be very careful to read the sales because when they say 2 for $4, they mean that you have to buy two in order to get the sale price.

For example.

This week Kagome juice was on sale, 2 for 1, or 2 for $3.79. While this juice is not the most frugal thing to buy, it is a very healthy juice with both veggies and fruit, so when it is on sale I buy it for Miss Pear.

If this were at my local Von's or Albertson's I could have bought whatever quantity I wanted.

Because it was Henry's I had to buy in multiples of two or I would pay full price on the one juice that was not a pair.

I decided to post this for my first visit to Frugal Friday because many shoppers don't know this! (Although I am certain the most of Crystal's frugal readers already know this!)

I always want to make sure I am getting the sale price, but don't always want to buy 10!

For more frugal ideas, head on over to Crystal's!

In which I confess my ineptitude and share a deal

So yesterday I wrote two posts that I intended to save as drafts, sleep on, read this morning, edit, and then post. However, rather than hit "save as draft" I hit "publish". Not once, but twice. So I hope you enjoyed my postings on God's Peace and the Patriarchs...a day early, minus the extra editing.

In lieu of those posts today, I offer you something great, a deal on paper. Kim shared it over on her blog, and I was so impressed with the deal I had to get it too! But I got all confused so it took me a while to figure out what I was doing, and why, so I am sharing what I did. If you need detailed instructions stick with me. If you are a savvy Office Depot shopper and can do with the short version, head on over to Kim's Shoelaces (which is worth the trip!) or her other blog.

I went to Office Depot.com as instructed, and searched for item 345603 as instructed and added 10 items of 500 sheets of Xerox 20lb paper (my favorite weight of paper!) at $5.59 each.

Then you have to buy a little item for the second coupon to work, so you search for item number 429266 which is a $0.29 box of paper clips.

The you proceed to check out. In the screen where it asks you for your address, right above that you can enter your coupon codes. Click to enter a coupon code. Enter code 73649244 which takes $31 off your paper which goes from being $55.90 to $24.90, so the total in your shopping cart is now $25.19. Click okay or apply or whatever it is.

In the check out screen once more, click to enter a coupon code. Enter code 44141777 for $10 off an order of $25 or more (this is why you had to get the paper clips!) and click apply.

Then follow the check out instructions. Did I mention they will deliver the paper to your door for FREE!

Kim then had her paper at $15.19 shipped for 5000 sheets of paper and 100 paper clips.

I had to pay taxes of $1.18, so my total was $16.37

So basically, if you are with me, you just ordered a case of paper, or 5000 sheets for the cost of about 3 reams, or 1500 sheets, and will receive the bonus prize of a box of paper clips.

Thank you Kim - you are keeping Miss Pear in paper for coloring on, and the rest of us in printer paper!

God's peace in tough times

The Lord has nurtured us with His love and Word tremendously during this time, and I promised two posts that look at scripture regarding this. I am doing it this afternoon because I need the reminder.

A dear friend was praying for us, and this verse was all over her mind, heart, and prayers, so she sent it on to us:

Philippians 4:7 "and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (NKJV)

I often like to look at different translations to get a clearer understanding so here are a couple for this verse:

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. (MSG)

If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (NLT)

This verse became a balm on my heart as I read it over and over, and asked the Lord to give us His peace.

The other verse that went with this, at least in our minds was John 14:27

"Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

The Lord gives us His peace, but sometimes we have to ask Him to help us find it. When our hearts were breaking, and we asked the Lord for His peace, He gave it to us in such a gentle way that it almost sneaked up on us, but all of a sudden we realized that we could function a bit better, and our emotions were not constantly bubbling over.

The world does not give us peace. In fact, for all intents and purposes the world said I had every right to be angry and hurt. William Barclay's definition of the world is the world how it organizes itself apart from God. What the world thinks is almost never what God thinks.

The Lord's peace can be found in the tough times, we just have to be diligent in seeking and looking to Him! Sometimes it is hard, but when we seek the Lord with our whole heart we do find Him. I understand it is hard, I understand what it is like to be brokenhearted and confused in things and have prayers that are little more than tears. But as hard as it is, it is worth it. Seeking the Lord is always worth it.

Did the Patriarch's have an unfair advantage?

In discussing our spiritual questions about all that happened, in one of our lighter conversations Mr. Pear and I began discussing many things that led me to declare that the patriarch's had a very unfair advantage! They lived much longer lives and therefore had a much longer time to get it right!

Adam lived to be 930
Methuselah lived to be 969
Noah lived to be 950
Abraham lived to be 175

Just to name a few!

Often when I pray for myself and my family I pray for us to be blessed with great spiritual maturity (I don't want to be a spiritual toddler all my life, even though that is exactly what I feel like right now!). I was considering these ages, and figured if I lived to be the age of Abraham I would maybe see spiritual maturity in the distance, like on the distant horizon.

Which made me declare that the patriarchs had an unfair advantage!

Of course this argument can be completely undone with one name: Holy Spirit.

Oh sure! Fine! Bring that up and destroy my great argument!

Actually, please, bring that up because I need the Holy Spirit so much just to make it through the simple things of life! When the hard things come I would be completely lost without the Holy Spirit guiding me, counseling me, comforting me and teaching me!

John 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all the things I said to you."

The name Helper signifies intercessor, comforter, helper, advocate.

When I was considering the great men of faith, namely Adam, Noah, Abraham, and David I was overwhelmed by the faith they showed! But then I got to thinking about the darker example they set.

Adam was the first man and actually got to experience the physical presence of God, and walk in the garden with Him -- wow! But then there is the whole apple debacle.

Noah was the man God choose to use to continue the human race after the flood! Yet after the flood has ended and God makes his covenant we read a couple verses later (Gen 9:21) that he sins.

Abraham is considered the father of the faith - yet he forced his wife to lie for him, and put her in a very precarious and dangerous predicament.

David is called a man after God's own heart and is viewed as the greatest king of Israel! Yet he will probably not be nominated for Father of the Year, and there is the whole Bathsheba incident.

So you know something, I think we have a shot of being spiritual pillars too, after all, we have an "unfair advantage", we have the forgiveness of the Cross by the fabulous gift of our Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit!

I may not directly impact the whole human race, the entire church, or even my entire city, but I can make a difference in the lives I touch through the help of the Lord!

(And lest you think I am being cavalier, please keep two things in mind:
1) I am accustomed to explaining Scripture to Jr. High Students and now my daughter
2) This was at a time where we had to laugh or we would cry constantly!)

Because business travel is always fun... Part 2

Mr. Pear arrived home last night! woo hoo!

Mr. Pear's luggage arrived home this morning......

Because I love him, and because I wanted to do the wash, but mostly because I love him, I unpacked his suitcase for him and threw all his packed clothes in the wash, clean or not, because he was in Mexico, and I am OCD like that.

Hot Cross Buns!

Hot Cross Buns have been a tradition in our family since my husband and I were children (we met in University, but both families had this tradition!). Every Easter was marked by the presence of these delectable treats.

When we moved to Southern California we were SHOCKED to discover these were not an Easter staple down here! And then we discovered the phenomenal treat of our favorite bakery that makes hot cross buns all Lenten season! We have indulged in these for each Easter since we discovered them. However, they tip the scales at $7 a dozen. Our family of three can eat a half dozen for breakfast in one sitting.

So I decided to begin the search for a new recipe. I tried one from Taste of Home that smells delicious! They are cooling and awaiting the glaze.

I only have two problems with the recipe:
1. When you print it off it is so darn small it is almost impossible to read - and I have annoyingly perfect eye sight - my optometrist hates to see me coming! So I missed the egg wash. Oops.

2. It only calls for two kinds of fruit which kind of throws off the symbolism of hot cross buns. So I used 2/3 cup each currants, golden raisins and raisins.

Update - this recipe turned out well, however I changed the glaze by adding 2 tbsp of melted butter and 1/2 tsp of vanilla to the water and then adding the icing - this made for a better icing and more of it! Next time I would use 1/2 cup of sugar in the dough as it needed a bit more sweetness in my opinion. I will definitely make these again.

The Symbolism of Hot Cross Buns

Did you know there is a lot of symbolism in hot cross buns?

A traditional recipe calls for three kinds of fruits to represent the Holy Trinity.

The fruits are in one bun representing how the Holy Trinity is one God.

The buns are covered in a cross as our sins are and when we come to the cross we receive all of God, just like we get all the fruit in the bun.

And of course there is the sweetness of the glaze that makes the cross which I am convinced must be symbolic of the sweetness of the Christian life.

WFMW - Think Double

I have to confess, one of the motivators to finally get me to blog (besides the gentle encouragement from MomRN2) was getting to play WFMW! I read it each week and get so many GREAT ideas! (Whoever posted about putting her daughter's melamine bowls in the freezer is my hero!) So I am excited to start playing along too!

My biggest help in keeping up with my family is to think double in the kitchen.

By this I mean if the dishes are already dirty I might as well make 2 - there is no more mess, just a bit more work, and twice the results.

If I am making a casserole that will freeze I will make two up until the point they go into the oven, and then I will pop one into the oven and one into the freezer. And then when I want the frozen casserole, take it out of the freezer in the morning, let it thaw and cook as usual! (If it would have been hot going into the oven you may need to add an extra 20 minutes).

If I am making hamburgers like I am tomorrow I will make a big mess of them (6lbs worth this week) and freeze the one's I don't use for supper raw with wax paper between, that way next time we want to BBQ I just have to go to my trusty freezer and pull out what I need!

And don't get me started on breads, rolls, cookies, muffins and granola bars!

This tends to keep my freezer well stocked! So on a day where someone in our family is under the weather and it is more important for me to be nurse than chef I just go to my trusty freezer.

And it also allows me one or two easy kitchen days a week (sometimes more!)

I cannot take two days and spend all day in the kitchen cooking for a month. But I can do a little extra each week to make it easier for myself.

Works for me! Head over to Mrs. Dryer's for more great ideas!

Tell me again why we buy toys?

Today when Miss Pear woke up from her nap we cleaned our bathroom (Miss Pear's contribution is to flush the toilet once I swish it and wave her cleaning rag around - it is a clean one of course - and generally keep me company and hopefully slowly learn.)

Then she climbed into the shower and closed the door - I thought she was stuck so I quickly opened it for her - she quickly closed it, smiled at me and knocked. We played this game for a while.

Now she is sitting at my desk playing and every time I ask her if she wants to go down stairs she says "no!" Apparently nothing is more fascinating than playing at my desk.

Spring Reading Thing

Have you seen this????

Looks like fun! I get to read, share the books I am reading, see what others are reading, AND have the chance to win a $10 Amazon gift certificate!

I think I will play!

Want to join too? Just click on the picture for all the info over at Callapidder Days

Our errands are done!

It is time for a rest!

Miss Pear and I have been very busy these last two days. Usually we do not have a vehicle during the week as we are a one car family and really do quite fine that way! So when Mr. Pear is away we try to take advantage of having the car during the week and run errands!

So Monday we did our grocery shopping in the morning (we did not go on the weekend). It was very quiet in the stores! And did I mention the sales??? Kagome juice in 2 for 1!

Monday during nap time I rested too as the time change got us all in the Pear House, and an agent had called wanting to show our home that afternoon so I returned her call saying just to call and come over, but had to leave a message - she never called back, so I guess I could have started whatever project I wanted rather than feeling like that would not be a good idea!

Miss Pear woke up completely discombobulated, so we made white bread, rye bread, and supper. We are working on stocking our kitchen again, and wanted to try a new recipe with tuna in it - if you read my updated post from Menu Plan Monday you will see that it did not work, but the bread turned out great!

This morning we did our Post Office run and then the monthly Costco stock up. Somehow everything ran out at once, so we had a very full cart. Fortunately Costco had recently issued coupons so I was able to save extra on stuff I needed anyways. My best buy was 16 cans of diced tomatoes for $5 -- what can I say, paying just under 38 cents a can made me very happy. I was even able to get three baby gifts I needed to buy for new arrivals (all our friends are having babies - it is great!). Costco had the Carters pants and onesie sets on for $6.50 each! We have a Carter's outlet store about 40 minutes away and I can assure you this was a better price. I also got 8 lbs of bananas because there are a ton of banana recipes I want to try and I need ripe bananas! So I figure once they start ripening I will start baking, and can just freeze what I have to! Crystal did a major banana baking extravaganza one morning and posted a bunch of great recipes I would like to try, plus Tammy's Recipes has some great banana recipes I want to try, plus I have a great recipe for Banana French Toast that it is time to make again!

So many recipes and never enough bananas.

Also, I am looking for new recipes for a lot of things as Miss Pear is extremely allergic to nuts and potatoes, so it is stretching me and I love it.

So after all this activity I am wiped out. It is very hot here today. At 11AM it was already 28C so that tires a girl out too.

So I am going to take a little break while Miss Pear naps, read the new Bon Appetite and Cooking Light magazines that I splurged on at Costco and drink some coffee.

Then it is back to work because there is lots to do!

Like make hot cross buns!

Like make supper!

Like do laundry! (next time someone asks me what I do in a way that implies wife and mother is insufficient I am going to proclaim myself the Laundry Queen - not that many of you with more children cannot totally leave me in the dust of course.)

Like post about the Lord's Peace, thoughts on Pillars of the Faith, and a great book I am loving reading to Miss Pear, and Miss Pear's adventure in prayer.

Blessings

I was over at Country Roads reading a great post about the Lord's unique way of blessing us, and I was suddenly reminded that I had not told you the wonderful thing God did for me on Saturday!

Miss Pear woke up from her nap saying "Car, car, car, shoes, shoes, shoes, keys, keys, keys, hat, hat, hat," over and over and over. Being the intuitive parents we are we realized she wanted to go for a car ride, which was great because I had an item on hold at my local quilting store (a stencil cutter!) that was the last item to use up all my Christmas money.

We arrived at the store only to discover it was QUILT RUN DAY!!!!! I had no idea! So I was immediately given a free, beautiful fat quarter, and a ticket with a number. If the number matched a bag, the bag was mine to take home. I politely said thank you and did not think much of it because I never win anything! But my number matched a bag, so I was gifted with another beautiful fat quarter, and a delightful book called Treasured Wrappings: Gift Packages to Give and Give Again. I am very interested in this type of wrapping, so I was delighted!

We continued to happily browse through the store. The ladies are so good about letting Miss Pear look around and touch the fabric (knowing that her little hands are clean, of course!) and always remember us. So it was delightful. When I went to pay for my stencil cutter, I found out it was on sale because of the quilt run!

So it was definitely a bunch of blessings from God!

And then we went out for ice cream....yum.

Reflections on the Cross

Maybe it is just me, but usually this time of year, the season of Lent, I purposely spend time thinking about the cross. The Lord often, but not always, leads me to fast something - in the past it has been anything from pizza, to fiction books, to meat on one day of the week. This year Mr. Pear and I are reading William Barclay's wonderful book "We Have Seen the Lord!: The Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ (William Barclay Library)" and are just loving it! I have been so blessed by many of the readings, and am learning so many new things!

Any way, this time of year has me intentionally focusing on the cross.

Most of the time I seem to look at it from the perspective of what Jesus did for us. Of the sacrifice He made, of the pain He endured. I seem to look at the cross only from the Son's perspective. And I am overwhelmed, and cannot even begin to comprehend the love, the sacrifice, the pain.

This year has me looking at the cross from the Father's perspective, and my heart breaks. We did not give up our child willingly. Had I know what was going on I would have fought with every weapon I had to save my child! It would have been face to the floor in prayer time. My heart stops when Miss Pear hurts herself. The day she tripped and banged her head on the entertainment unit I was okay while trying to sooth her and totally focused on what she needed until I realized she would be okay, then I LOST IT! It was horrible! I had no idea what it was like to have your heart walking around in a little person before I was a mom!

Now that I am a mom, and I have unwillingly lost a child who was very real to us even though he never breathed a breath, I cannot comprehend how the Father did it. How He endured it. How He made the sacrifice. How He accepted the sacrifice.

I always looked at the cross from the perspective of Jesus, and I missed a whole dimension of it, I missed the dimension of the sacrifice of the Father, and I just cannot even begin to fathom it.

I know one thing. I will never look at the cross again, and there is yet more spiritual stuff I am aware that I will never fully comprehend.

Menu Plan Monday

Edited to add review to Monday night's meal.....

So this is one of the features I wanted to maybe play with when I started blogging, partly to keep me honest, partly for fun, partly to encourage myself to begin planning lunches too, and maybe even breakfasts for all days, not just the weekends.

So here goes!

Sunday
Breakfast - Hot Cross Buns and fruit
Lunch - Salami Sandwiches and cookies
Supper - Crock Pot Pepper Steak and Rice

Monday - Tuna Noodle Casserole and carrots
The Tuna Noodle Casserole was not very good, all you could taste was tuna. I even had twice the amount of veggies in and could not taste them!!!!!!!!! I think it would be good with half the amount of tuna if it were well drained and well broken up. I am hoping that tomorrow night's recipe turns out much better, it is the second new one of the week (and the last, unless I try the
Veggie Lasagna Saturday)

Tuesday - Dreamy Spaghetti and broccoli

Wednesday - Meatball soup and rolls

Thursday - BBQ Hamburgers and Yam fries (I will make 6 lbs worth of hamburger patties and freeze them raw for future use)

Friday - Pizza and some kind of veggie

Saturday
Breakfast - muffins
Lunch - Chicken Quesadillas
Supper - not sure, I grocery shop on Saturdays, so I usually change this one. I am thinking Veggie Lasagna though.