GG's Slow Cooker Hamburger Soup

     Happy Monday!  On a cloudy day like today, I like to put on a pot of soup.  This one is simple to make and full of flavor.

GG's Slow Cooker Hamburger Soup:
1 lb ground beef
1/2 t salt
1/2 t oregano
1 t basil
1 pkg onion soup mix
3 1/2 c water
1 can tomato sauce (8oz)
3 stalks celery (diced)
3 carrots (diced)
1 c split peas
1 c macaroni noodles

Brown meat in a large skillet.  Season with salt, oregano & basil.  In a slow cooker add the meat along with the remaining ingredients.  One half hour before serving, add the cooked macaroni.  Serve with crusty bread & salad.  Yum!

Snack Attack

     I don't know about you but when I have the munchies I will grab for anything that is in my reach.  (healthy or not)  I have devised a plan to help me make better choices throughout the week.  On Sunday afternoon, I make a list of healthy snacks and prepare them a head of time so that when I get hungry, I am grabbing something that is good for my body.  Here is an example of some healthy options:

carrot sticks and hummus
apples or celery sticks and peanut butter
boiled eggs
rice cake with cream cheese
almonds
cheese & meat on whole grain crackers
date rolls
string cheese
cherry tomatoes mixed with mozzarella, basil & olive oil
make ahead smoothies in the freezer
pretzels
fruit salad

Chicken Wings

     I love tasty chicken wings with celery.  I do not like the classic blue cheese dressing to dip them in.  I think that blue cheese is nasty.  The taste reminds me of how stinky socks smell.  Yuck!  Instead I dip my wings and celery in ranch dressing or sour cream.

Chicken Wings:

4 large boneless chicken breasts

2/3 c hot sauce

1/2 t pepper

1/8 t cayenne pepper

1/2 t garlic salt

Cut the chicken into strips & place in a ziplock bag.  Add the remaining ingredients and seal.  Place in the refrigerator overnight.  Cook the chicken on the barbecue until done.  Serve with celery slices and the dressing of your choice.

GGs Date Bars

     My grandma loved dates.  She use to eat them like candy and she cooked with them often.  Here is her recipe for Date Bars.  It is a cross between a cookie and brownie.

    She had the best sayings.  Here is one for today:  "Every day is a good day above ground."

GGs Date Bars:

3/4 c lard
1/2 c brown sugar
1 c sugar
1 egg
3 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 t soda
1 c buttermilk
1 c chopped dates
1/4 c chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream sugars, egg and lard together in a large bowl.  Stir in the dry ingredients and buttermilk.  Mix well.  Fold in dates and walnuts.  Pour into a greased 13x9 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Herbalix

     I found a new to me deodorant called Herbalix nighttime detox cleansing deodorant.  It is formulated to "cleanse away metals, metabolic impurities and other residues that have collected in the body."  I absolutely LOVE it!  I keep it by my nightstand and use it every night before I go to bed.  I have been concerned for a while about the aluminum found in regular deodorant.  I have tried every organic deodorant that I could find but they have always made me stink and that kind of defeats the purpose of using deodorant.  With this Herbalix deodorant I do not stink.  Hallelujah!!!  If you want to check it out, their web address is:  www.herbalix.com  Just so you know, I do not sell this deodorant or get any profit from sales.  I am just a happy consumer who wants to get the word out.

Green Smoothie

     I really enjoy drinking smoothies.  This one is super healthy and it tastes great.  I drink it when I feel like I am catching a cold or when I have put too much junk into my body and I want to feel better.

Green Smoothie:

1/2 c almond milk
1/2 c spinach
1/4 c broccoli
1 diced apple
1 T flax seed
1 T chia seeds
1 large scoop chocolate whey protein powder
1 bunch green grapes
1 stalk celery chopped
1 T parsley

Place all of the ingredients in a blender & blend until smooth.  Drink immediately.  Place leftovers in the refrigerator.

Garbage Craft

     My daughter LOVES crafts.  I am not a big fan of them because they are usually messy and there seem to be hundreds of teeny tiny pieces of paper all over the place when all is said and done.  I try to put aside my feelings and let her be creative though.

     One day I walked into her bedroom and noticed lovely decorations hanging all over the ceiling in her room.  I thought for a moment, "Hmmm where did she get the string to hang all of those decorations?"  As I looked a little closer, I realized that the string was actually dental floss.  I ran to the bathroom to check the garbage can and sure enough all of the used dental floss was missing.  It is at this point that I had to set some ground rules for crafts in our house.  There will be no dumpster diving in order to make crafts.  I am a mean mother I know.

Broccoli Breakfast Scramble

     I have been reading The Daniel Plan by Rick Warren.  The thing that I like about this book is the recipes.  They taste good and are easy to change if you don't have ingredients on hand.  This morning, I wanted to make the Breakfast Scramble but I did not have some if the ingredients that the recipe called for so I adjusted it to fit the ingredients that I had on hand.  It turned out really yummy!

Broccoli Breakfast Scramble

1 T butter
1/2 c broccoli (cut into small pieces)
1/4 c diced tomatoes
salt & pepper to taste
2 eggs
1 T milk
1/2 avocado diced

Melt butter in a skillet.  Add broccoli and tomatoes.  Cook until the broccoli softens a bit.  Crack eggs in a bowl.  Add milk, salt & pepper.  Whip with a fork & add to the hot skillet.  Cook until the egg is done.  Take off the heat & add the avocado.  Serve immediately.

Whistle Pig

     I am driving in the country one beautiful sunny morning.  The birds are chasing each other.  The cows are grazing in the field.  The sunrise is so amazing it cannot be described.  Worship music is blaring from my car.  God's glory is all around me.  Life is good!  Just then a cute little whistle pig darts out in the road and I smashed it with my tire.  Just like that his life is over forever.  How sad is that?  I decided at that moment that I had a choice to make.  I could choose to focus on the death of the whistle pig and let it ruin my day or I could choose to focus on the beauty and glory around me.  Life can be like the smashed whistle pig in the middle of the road.  It can catch us off guard at any second.  We can either let those moments bring us down or we can choose to see the beauty that is all around.

Monthly Organizing

     I like to organize.  It makes life so much easier when I need to find things.  (especially tax things)  

     At the beginning of each year, I get twelve manilla folders and write the month and year on them.  Throughout the year, I place anything for that month in the folder that I made.
   
     I also do the same thing for receipts.  I have a small box with monthly labeled dividers that I put all of my receipts in.  This really helps when I need to go back and find something for a warranty or for taxes.
   
     At the end of the year, I get a cardboard box with a lid, label it with the month and year and put all of the manilla folders and receipts in it.

     I hope this will help if you are having trouble organizing.

Grandma's Sweet & Sour Meatballs

     This dish is sweet and savory.  It tastes delicious over white rice.  This is another recipe that my grandma use to make.  I sure do miss her!  

Sweet & Sour Meatballs:

1 T oil

1 c pineapple juice

3 T cornstarch

1 T soy sauce

3 T vinegar

6 T water

1/2 c sugar

4 slices pineapple

18 meatballs

Combine oil & juice in a saucepan.  Cook over low heat.  Add cornstarch, soy sauce, vinegar & water.  Add sugar and mix well.  Cook until the juice thickens.  Add meatballs and sliced pineapple.  Serve over rice.

Fun And Inexpensive Things To Do With Children

     Have you ever been flat broke but you needed to entertain your children and get them out of the house?  Here are some ideas to help with that:

1.)  Pack a picnic lunch and take them to the park.

2.)  Go to Target, buy popcorn and a drink for $1 and walk around the store.

3.)  Go to the Reel Theatre and watch a cheap movie.

4.)  Fly a kite in your backyard.

5.)  Go to the local/free museums in your area.

6.)  Take a trip to the library and let everyone pick out a book or movie.

7.)  Buy 25 cent cones at Artic Circle.

8.)  Take a drive in the country and look at the beautiful scenery, animals, etc..

9.)  Go to the mall, buy a bag of pretzel bites and walk around.

10.)  Get some old bread out of your cupboard and go feed the ducks.

11.). Go to your local feed store and pet the chicks, bunnies, etc..

12.). Look around the "dead zoo" at Cabelas.

13.)  Make homemade cards & cookies for friends and deliver them.

14.) Have a water fight outside.

15.)  Go on a nature hike.

Mashed Potato Bowl

     There are some nights that cooking does not appeal to me.  So what is a girl to do?  Take the leftovers out of the refrigerator and slap something together of course.  Last night it was Mashed Potato Bowl.  

Mashed Potato Bowl:

3 c mashed potatoes

3 c cooked pulled pork

3 c cooked corn

3 c cooked peas

salt & pepper to taste

3/4 c shredded cheese 

Set three bowls on the counter.  Place 1 cup cooked, mashed potatoes in each bowl.  Layer with 1 c pork, 1 c corn, 1 c peas, salt & pepper and sprinkle with 1/4 c shredded cheese.  Dig in!  Dinner is served.  (This recipe serves three.  You can add more ingredients to fit your family needs.)

Epsom Salt For Chickens

     I have had chickens for several weeks.  They are getting big but not big enough to be outside on their own.  They are still under the heat lamp.  Last week, I noticed that a couple of my chickens had diarrhea.  I kept an eye on them for a few days and they did not improve.  I sprinkled some Epsom salt in with their feed and this week they all look healthy with no diarrhea.  Epsom salt is something that I always have on hand.  It is an inexpensive ingredient that has many uses.  It works well to keep plants healthy, you can use it in warm water to soak tired feet, it helps strains and bruises, you can use it on your lawn, etc..  I hope this post was helpful.  Have a blessed Tuesday!

Fruit Salad

     This is a very simple recipe that tastes good with breakfast.  I also enjoy taking it to a potluck.  It looks really colorful on the table.  I am not a huge fan of salads that are loaded with Cool Whip.  This recipe uses only fruit and a bit of cinnamon to sweeten it up.

Fruit Salad:

1 carton strawberries
1 carton blueberries
2 bananas
2 gala apples
1/2 c pecans
1/4 t cinnamon

Dice strawberries, bananas and apples.  Place in a large bowl along with the blueberries.  Chop the pecans and add to the bowl along with the cinnamon.  Stir gently to combine.  Eat immediately.  This salad will brown quickly so you will want to eat it the same day that you make it.

St. Patricks Day

     Growing up my mom made a big deal out of every holiday.  I would wake up on St. Patricks Day morning to a breakfast table full of green milk, green eggs, etc..  I continue the tradition with my family.  (They get Lucky Charms to go along with their green breakfast items.  It is the one time of year that I let them eat sugary cereal.)  It is fun and seems to put everyone in a light hearted mood.  Why not surprise your family this year with a green breakfast?  They might think you are the coolest mom ever!

Grandma's Coffee Cake

     I grew up eating this coffee cake.  It is delicious!  I have tried many coffee cake recipes over the years but I always come back to this one.  It tastes especially good with a hot cup of coffee or tea.  When I make it for breakfast I serve it with something savory like bacon and eggs.  Have a blessed Saturday!

Coffee Cake:

1 1/2 c flour
3/4 c sugar
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 c milk
1 t vanilla
1/4 c melted lard
1 egg

Topping:

1/2 c sugar
1/4 c lard
1 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix cake ingredients together in a large bowl.  Pour into a greased 8x8 square pan.  Mix sugar, lard & cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle on top of the batter.  Bake 15-20 minutes.

Goat Milk Soap

     I have struggled with acne my whole life.  I have very sensitive skin so the products that heal my acne give me an itchy pink rash.  Nice huh?  Lately I have been using lavender goat milk bar soap on my face and nothing else.  That stuff works like a charm and doesn't dry out my face like I thought it would.  The soap that I am using has the PH level of human skin.  I think that is why my face feels so soft.  If you struggle with acne and nothing else seems to work you might want to give goat milk soap a try.  Of course drinking lots of water, eating fruits and veggies at every meal and exercise can't hurt to heal your acne either.

Taco Bowl

     This is a tasty dish that is super easy to make.  I like to make up a large batch of the meat mixture and freeze half of it for later when I need a quick dinner to make.  Just thaw, warm and serve with chips.

Taco Bowl:

1 lb ground beef
salt & pepper to taste
1 T minced garlic
1/2 t basil
1/2 t oregano
1 t parsley
1 T dry minced onion
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 1/2 c rice
2 c water
1/2 cabbage chopped finely
1 diced tomato

Brown the beef in a large pot.  Add salt, pepper, garlic, basil, oregano, parsley and onion.  Cook until no longer pink.  Add tomato sauce, rice and water.  Simmer covered for 25 minutes.  Serve in bowls with veggies and chips.

Dough Tip

     The other day I went to pick up my daughter from my friend's home.  My friend was making some cute little bunny rolls.  She was frustrated because the dough needed to be rolled out into a rope and it kept shrinking up on her.  I could relate to her frustration because years ago I remember being irritated that my pizza dough would shrink up when I rolled it out to fit the pan.  After that experience I learned a handy trick that changed my life.  You must let the dough rest for five minutes before you continue to roll it out.  If you want it to stretch even further let it rest another five minutes.  I set my timer and walk away from the dough because I get impatient and I want to roll it before it is ready.  I hope this will save someone from some aggravation today.  Have a blessed Wednesday!

Grapefruit Lip Balm

     I made lip balm the other day.  It was easier than I thought and it turned out well.  The only thing that I would have done differently is I would have had my containers already laid out on the counter.  I forgot that step and was scrambling with hot wax while trying to open containers and set them out.

Grapefruit Lip Balm:

4 t beeswax
1 T coconut oil
2 T almond oil
25 drops of grapefruit essential oil

Boil some water in a saucepan.  Place beeswax, coconut oil and almond oil in a glass measuring cup. Put the glass cup in the boiling water and stir the ingredients until melted.  Quickly stir in the essential oil and pour the mixture into containers.  (The balm will harden up fast so you have to work quickly.)  Label the container lids and set aside.  When the mixture hardens (about 10-15 minutes) put the lids on.  Your lip balm is ready to use.

Street Tacos

     Years ago, I use to go to the Farmers Market on my lunch break.  There was a stand that sold street tacos for $1.  They were SO good!!!  Every once in a while I crave them.  My recipe isn't as good as the ones at the Farmers Market but, it comes pretty close.

Street Tacos:

flank steak
1 T olive oil
1 t minced garlic
1/2 t ginger
1 T soy sauce
1 t sugar
1/4 c green salsa verde
corn tortillas
3/4 c shredded cheese
1 c shredded cabbage

Slice the steak against the grain into really small pieces.  Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet.  Add the steak, garlic, ginger, soy sauce & sugar.  Cook until there is no pink left on the meat.  Pour in the salsa and cook another 5-6 minutes or until the salsa cooks down.  Turn off the heat & let rest in a large bowl.  Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and return to heat.  Heat the corn tortillas until soft.  (About 2-3 minutes per side).  Place meat mixture, cheese and cabbage on a tortilla and eat immediately.  Yum!

Delicious Breakfast Smoothie

     I really enjoy drinking smoothies.  One of my favorite places to get smoothies is Jamba Juice.  There is no Jamba Juice anywhere near me so I have to make my own.  This recipe is one of my favorites.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Delicious Breakfast Smoothie:

1/2 c kefir
1 large scoop of chocolate whey protein powder
1 T chia seeds
1 banana
1/2 c frozen strawberries
1/2 c frozen blueberries
1 large handful of spinach or kale
1/2 c milk

Place ingredients in the blender in the order given.  Blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Giving With Nothing

     About three years ago my neighbor was diagnosed with cancer.  About three months later he died. There was a lot of family from out of town who came to stay with my neighbor's wife.  I really felt like I needed to do something for them but we were so broke at that time.  I finally decided to make a huge crockpot of bean soup and I had just enough flour to make some biscuits.  I also made a homemade card and took it all over to them for dinner.  I remember feeling so embarrassed that it wasn't a very fabulous meal.  I prayed all the way over to their house that God would help it to taste really good.  At one point, I almost turned around and came back home.  I am so glad that I didn't.  The next day, a friend of the family came over to bring my dishes back.  She said that the food was so delicious and was a great comfort to them.

     The moral of the story is:  Be humble enough to act on your gut instincts.  Even when you don't have much to offer.

Berry Crumble

     I really enjoy eating Berry Crumble with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a cup of hot coffee.  It is a nice way to end the day.

Berry Crumble:

2 c mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries)
3/4 c flour
1/8 t salt
1 t baking powder
1/2 c sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1 egg
1/4 c butter

Grease a 8 inch glass pan.  Pour the berries evenly in the bottom of the pan.  Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Sprinkle over the top of the berries.  Melt the butter and drizzle over the top of the crumble.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Nose Whack

     Have you ever done something really embarrassing early in the morning when you were not under the influence of coffee yet?  I have.  It happened yesterday in the pitch black of the early morning hours.  I stumbled out of bed, walked toward the bathroom and attempted to turn on the light.  Instead, I ran head first into the wall.  I whacked my nose so hard that I saw stars and almost knocked myself out.  When I finally found the light, I turned it on and looked in the mirror.  To my surprise I saw a large red bruise that was already forming.  I look like I have a gargantuan zit.  This morning, I was much more careful as I made my way to the bathroom.

Chicken Vegetable Chowder

     Yesterday was another one of those days that I forgot to take something out of the freezer to thaw for dinner.  So I had to be creative.  I had some cooked chicken breast that I needed to use up so I created this delicious chowder.  I also had some French bread that I needed to use so I cut it into rounds, buttered the pieces and fried them in a skillet on both sides until they were crispy.  They went along with the chowder just fine.

Chicken Chowder:

1 1/2 c cooked chicken (diced)
1 potato (diced)
2 carrots (diced)
1/2 onion (minced)
1 T butter
2 c chicken broth
2 T flour
1 1/2 c milk
salt & pepper to taste
1 t parsley
1/2 bag frozen peas
1/2 bag frozen corn

Cook butter over medium heat in a large saucepan.  Add chicken, potato, onion and carrot.  Cook until all of the veggies are brown.  Add the chicken broth and cook for 20 minutes.  Mix the flour and milk together in a bowl with a whisk.  Pour into the soup.  Add salt, pepper and parsley.  Stir in frozen peas and corn.  Cook another five minutes.  Serve hot with crusty bread.

Power Bill

     My husband and I have had an outrageous electric bill over the past few months. (to the tune of $400 for one month)  Now, if I lived in a mansion I would expect to pay that much per month but I do not.  We have done everything we can think of to lower our bill.  We turn the heat down during the day, we put in new windows, we put in a pellet stove, we have been drying some of our clothes on the line, we even had someone check all of our ducting and check for energy efficiency, etc..  Last night we were talking about it again and I said, "Two words SOLAR POWER!"  I guess I have some research to do.

Buttermilk Pancakes

     I love buttermilk pancakes!  They always cook up so light and fluffy.  I make up a huge batter on Monday and it lasts the whole week.  I keep the leftover batter in the refrigerator and add a tiny bit of water to thin it out a bit.  Stir well before you cook them.  You can double and triple this recipe to fit your needs.  Enjoy!

Buttermilk Pancakes:

1/2 c buttermilk
1/4 t soda
2 T sugar
1/4 c flour
1 1/2 t lard (melted)
1 egg

Mix ingredients together in a bowl until smooth.  Heat 1 T butter in a skillet over medium heat until melted.  Pour batter in to make pancakes.  When the batter gets nice and bubbly flip to cook the other side.  Serve with butter and warm syrup.

Chicks

     It is spring at last!  Out here in the country there are baby calves, baby sheep, baby kids and at the feed store there are chicks.  So yesterday, I bought some.  They are SO cute!  I got some black sex links and some Rhode Island reds.  They seem to be happy here at their new home in my husband's shop.

     Last night, I was starting to wonder if my chicks would be warm enough.  Sometimes it is hard to adjust the light in just the right position so that they don't get too hot or too cold.  My husband said that they were fine and he told me the temperature of the chickens.  I asked him how he knew what the temperature of my chickens was and he said, "Because I used my temperature gun on them and the trough that they are in and the light and the wall behind them."  And I said, "Oh."  There was silence for a while and then he said, "Did you know that your red chickens are ten degrees cooler than the black ones?  Those black ones really hold in the heat."  I said,  "No, I did not know that."

   

Doll House Craft

     Isn't it funny how you can spend a fortune on a brand new toy and your child would rather play with the box?  Here is a fun rainy day craft that will entertain your child for hours.

Doll House Craft:

several boxes (same size)
Elmer's glue
wallpaper samples
construction paper
assorted material
scissors
pencil
acrylic paints
tape
magazine pictures

Stack the boxes to make a two story house with four rooms.  Draw doors and windows on the back side of your house and cut them out.  Glue the boxes together.  Draw bricks, shutters, flower boxes on the outside of your house and paint.  Cut out pictures, wallpaper samples, etc.. to decorate the rooms in your house.  Create your own furniture out of misc. items.  Make your own dolls or use stuffed animals for play.