If this doesn't make you change the way you eat.....

Then nothing will. This was posted on facebook for livebetterin2012.

What does this picture tell you? My doctor has had this "processed food" on her counter ever since 2010 and 2011 respectively. I asked her why she had it out, she stated "to show people what they are putting into their bodies". This is man-made "processed food", not real food. Over time real food will decay, grow mold and produce a decomposing odor. This "processed food" has not done any of that, matter of fact it has kept it's original size, shape and texture. Your body has to work harder to breakdown and digest this stuff over real food. Since I've seen this, I have not had any fast food.

And to think we went there for dinner after church yesterday. Boy do I wish I would have seen this before then. I know in my heart of hearts that the way I feel about changing out the way my family eats and the type of foods they eat is right.

I am on a journey to buy fewer and fewer processed foods and cooking/baking more and more from scratch. I have a couple of really good articles  I am going to share with you all soon. But for now just let this ponder in your thoughts for a moment.

God Bless,
Tammy

Brrrr Wednesday

We had a snow front come through Monday and it left behind cold temperatures! While the snow was beautiful and so much fun to play in, the temperatures made it difficult to stay out for an extended period of time. Still yet my kids had a blast sledding and making snow angels.

I gave the kids a half day of school under the conditions that they would work hard and they did. So they got the rest of the day to enjoy the snow before it's all gone and a muddy mess it left in it's place.

It was the perfect time to make a nice hot dinner. Soup beans and cornbread was on the menu last night. And oh did it every hit the spot. I also made a few batches of chocolate chip and sugar cookies. The oven being on kept the house nice and warm.

I have so many things on my heart and mind that I am praying about. Asking the Lord for guidance and wisdom. Some I will share on here others will be left for the right time. I feel the Lord leading my husband and I down new paths, it's exciting and too be honest a bit scary. I'm a routine person by nature and I like things just so, and everything that has been happening and is going to happen is anything but, but all the same I find a comfort in allowing God to lead us. He is the potter we are the clay!

God Bless,
Tammy

Easy Clean For Your Microwave

This came in a newsletter from debtproofliving.







I needed a way to clean my microwave when I could not get rid of the smell and splatters from a garlic dish. I wet two large paper towels with warm water and laid them on a paper plate. I squirted Dawn dish washing liquid all over the top and put it in the microwave oven on high for two minutes. When I opened the door, the oven smelled fresh and I could easily wipe the particles from the inside. It looks like new
 
Tammy
The Happy Homemaker

Having difficulty

I have been on a mission of sorts. I have been trying to get our grocery budget down to make more wiggle room in our overall budget. To be honest we are trying to put more money in savings and I knew the grocery budget was one area where I could help out with that goal. With that said I didn't want to just cut our grocery budget I wanted to improve our diet. Eat more whole foods and switch us to primarily a whole foods diet. I want to get to a point where I am cooking from scratch at least 99% of the time.

That is where my problem is. 1.I am having a hard time cutting our grocery budget buying more and more whole foods. 2. I am having a hard time making up my menus to be primarily whole foods. 3. I need help here in a major way,for some reason the whole soaking thing is not sinking in with me. I have tried it a couple of times and well it didn't turn out quite like I had hoped.

I do not and don't plan on giving up I am just at a loss of what to do next.

Any suggestion? Any tips? Any advise?

The Happy Homemaker

Future homemaker in training

I spent the day yesterday with Carissa by my side,helping me around the house. She got so excited when I told her we were going to make some cookies. As you can tell by the picture she was all ready to go!

Add the butter now

This was her first time using the hand mixer! She is such a wonderful job!

Now time to slowly add the dry ingredients!

Stir and mix well. Then add the chocochips,she kept trying to sneak them. She loves chocolate!

All that work and her very first batch of chocochip cookie dough,yum!

she worked so patiently and dilegently!

First batch done! As it cools on the rack I know what is on her mind!

Yum! Warm ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies.

The Happy Homemaker

Menu making made simple

Have you ever sat down to make your menu and just couldn't get it all together to finish it up. You start out ok and then before you know you have no idea what to put down to finish it up. That's how it has been for me and it's very frustrating,especially when you have a million other things to do like laundry,schooling,reading aloud to your children,believe me I have been there done that. There's nothing more frustrating to me then to sit down to a task that should take only a short amount of time to complete and it lingers on and on because I am stumped. Oh how I hate that!

One day I came up with the idea that has saved me loads of time when it comes to making my menu(s). I got out a notebook and started writing down meal ideas. But then I went more detailed,I labeled one page chicken,the other beef,then pork,and so on. I started 1. and put a complete meal idea in that slot. For example looking over at my page right now for pork in slot number one is

1. grilled seasoned pork chops,loaded bake potatoes and corn on the cob.
2.creamy pork chops,mash potatoes,green beans.

and so on and so on. When I find a new recipe my family enjoys I simply add it to the designated page.

When it comes time for me to make my menu,I take out my pages of meal ideas with me (this would fit nicely in the household notebook) and use that as a guide for ideas. I can't tell you how much time and frustration this has taken off my shoulders and I can also use this as a way to not forget a meal that my family really enjoyed but that I hadn't made in a while. Yes I'm forgetful at times! LOL By investing a little time on these pages it has saved me so much time now. They are evolving lists what works stays and what doesn't goes. I love it and I hope if you decide to try it you love it as much as I do.

The Happy Homemaker

Beef a roni

I had origonally gotten this recipe from my friend Crystal over at www.thefamilyhomestead.com but took a few ingredients out because it was to overwhelming and my family likes our version much better.


1 lb ground beef or turkey or eve Italian sausage (I use a bit more than a pound at times)
1/2 cup chopped onions (I have to finely chop these or my daughter will pick out each and ever one)
1 1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni


Liquid mixture:
1/2 cup sour cream (sour cream can be made homemade very easily)
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
8 oz tomato sauce (either 1 can or homemade)
4 cups beef broth (the best beef broth is saved from the juices off my crockpot roast beef,yum)
sea salt,pepper

Mix this up in a mixing bowl and set it aside for now.

Brown the ground beef and onions in a pan,drain and return to a large cooking pot,layer the macaroni over the beef. Get the liquid mixture and pour it over the noodles and beef. But do not stir it,turn on the heat and let it come to a boil,then cover it. Turn down the heat and simmer on low for about 30 minutes.

That's it! Quick and simple and yummy!

I have forgotten to layer it and not stir it before and even forgotten to not cook the noodles first and it turned out ok not as good as it would have if I would have followed the instructions but hey it's all good. And there are rarely leftovers of this dish when I make it or is there is they are quickly eaten up the next day. My picky eater (Carissa) even likes this dish.

We usually have this with a big tossed salad and some cut up fruit and garlic bread. It's a very filling meal and it's not to costly a winner in my book.

The Happy Homemaker

Dinner Menu 4/26 - 5/1

Monday - Rosted Chicken,mash potatoes,homemade gravy,cucumber salad

Tuesday - Soup Beans (using ham bone from last weeks ham dinner),from scratch cornbread,fruit

Wednesday - chicken nuggets,mac & cheese,corn on the cob

Thursday - Bible study night - crockpot roast beef,mash potatoes,homemade gravy,corn,peas and homemade rolls

Friday - Spaghetti,garlic bread,salad

Saturday - Beans n franks,mac & cheese,fried potatoes,apple sauce

What's on your menu this week?

The Happy Homemaker

Homemade Buttermilk

I have been making my own buttermilk for about a year now maybe a little longer. I can tell you the quality of homemade buttermilk far surpasses anything you can buy at the grocery store.


Buttermilk is very easy to make. It takes bit of time to set but it's well worth it in my honest opinion.


I purchased buttermilk starters from here: http://www.leeners.com/  are a great company to work with.


You will need:


1 qrt canning jar with lid and ring


buttermilk starter


whole milk


thermometer


making my own buttermilk....


Fill at 1 quart canning jar with whole milk,I then pour that into a saucepan and warm it to 72 degrees. Then pour the warmed milk back into my canning jar and add one packet of buttermilk starter. Seal the jar by putting a canning lid and ring on it and tighten it. Give it a good shake and then set it on your stove top for 12 to 24 hours.


I set it on my stove top to keep the milk at 72 degrees or as close as I can to that. If it doesn't the milk won't set. I can tell you that mine sets closer to 12 hours than 24.


You will notice it's done when the milk is nice and thick. I use alot of buttermilk in my baking and have found homemade buttermilk is far better than store bought.


To make more simply take 3 tablespoons of my homemade buttermilk and use that as my starter instead of the packet of starter.


The Happy Homemaker

Menu Plan Monday

Since yesterday was our day of rest,I post my menu on Monday of each week or at least most weeks.

Monday - Grilled marinated chicken breast,cheesy mash potatoes (will share the recipe later),tossed salad

Tuesday - Baked brown sugar baked ham,au gratin potatoes,green beans

Wednesday - am in the pm - buttermilk pancakes,eggs,sliced peaches

Thursday - leftover ham slices,mac & cheese,corn on the cob

Friday - MeatLoaf,mash potatoes,gravy,green beans,peas

Saturday - mock beef a roni (will share the recipe later) garlic bread,cucumber salad


leftovers (if there are any) are set out with dinner. Most of the time they are eaten up before dinner ever gets here. LOL Growing boys!

The Happy Homemaker

dinner menu plan 4/12 - 4/18

Monday - Beef roast,mash potatoes,gravy (using beef drippings),buttered corn

Tuesday-Open faced roast beef sandwiches,leftovers,tossed salad

Wednesday - Fried Rice,homemade garlic rolls

Thursday - Roasted chicked,cheesy potatoes,green beans

Friday - BLT's French fries,corn on the cob

Saturday - Homemade pizza and salad

Sunday - Chicken n gravy,buttermilk biscuits,rice,baby carrots


It's been a hard month,we have gone 3 weeks with no pay. So my menus have been what I have had stocked up in our freezers,fridge,and pantry. Thank God I stock up on food. We have only needed to get very few items from the store this month.This Friday will be my first real grocery shopping trip in almost a month.

The Happy Homemaker

Menu Monday

I am using what I have on hand here as much as I can. Of course using the leftover ham from Easter dinner in a couple of meals. Our freezers and pantry are well stocked Thank God! The budget is very very tight for the next couple of weeks. Until John get his first pay from his new job : )

Monday- leftovers,mac & cheese

Tuesday - soup beans,corn bread,sliced oranges

Wednesday - Pepperoni rolls w/ cheese,french fries,cucumber salad

Thursday - chili,cornbread,tossed salad

Friday - beans N franks,mac&cheese,baby carrots

Saturday - Roasted turkey beast,mash potatoes,gravy,corn on the cob

Sunday - Turkey N gravy,biscuits,leftovers

With each meal I warm up leftover as well and set them all out buffet style.

Happy Homemaking

Menu Planning Monday

I haven't posted a menu in a while. Well I haven't been blogging much lately. I have so much going on in my personal life that I set blogging aside for the most part. Maybe one day I will share with you all what I have been dealing with.

Monday - Mock chef boy r dee beef macaroni,rolls,tossed salad

Tuesday - Spaghetti,rollls,tossed salad

Wednesday - Chicken nuggets,mac & cheese,green beans

Thursday - Oven fried chicken breast ( I have been told it tastes like Bk's chicken breast,LOL),mash potatoes,gravy,buttered corn

Friday - Hearty chili,corn bread

Saturday - Wrestling (2 days) Braxton - Breakfast for dinner-pancakes and sausage

Sunday - Days 2 of wrestling meet Braxton - beans n franks,mac & cheese,fried potatoes

Note :

when I do not mention a fruit or vegetable on a given day it doesn't mean I do not set out vegetables or fruit or both. I usually set out what is left over as well as fresh fruits and cut up vegetables. Or we may have apple sauce or a can fruit (canned in juice of course and sugar free)

Happy Homemaking

Menu Planning Monday

Monday - Spaghetti using the leftover meatballs and sauce from Saturday,garlic cheese bread,cucumber salad

Tuesday - Rosemary roasted porkloin,creamy mash potatoes,gravy,cucumber salad,dinner rolls

Wednesday - church night - fried pork chops (made from leftover pork loin),scallopped potatoes,green beans,corn and peas

Thursday - bbq chicken wings,mac & cheese,green beans,corn on the cob,apple sauce

Friday - church christmas dinner

Saturday - wrestling tournament-all day- pack fruit,veggies,water,and sandwiches-dinner- beans n franks,mac and cheese,apple sauce

Sunday-church- smoke sausage,side dish (not sure what),green beans

You will notice from now on that I add on my menus when we have wrestling this is because most times they are all day events and I have to schedule them in to remained organized.

Happy Homemaking

Frugal Fridays:Living Frugally

I wrote this article a year or so ago when things in the economy first started to go South. It's interesting to read again and touch base.

This term is frequently used all over these days. It's hip to be frugal now! There's mounds of information all over the world wide web. Some practical and some radical. I think it's hard to look at one person's or families living ways and pick at your own. Each family or person is very different. From where they live,their income,their debt,the size of the family,their lifestyle. I could go on but you get the picture. What works for one not always is going to work for another. What one family or person believes is living frugal and may be to them but is far from that to another.



 I believe and I'm not alone when I say that the ecomony is crazy right now. And rather scarey. We are a family of 5 and it's a struggle each week at the grocery store. And I hear daily that's it's only going to get worse. You know the saying it's always darkest before dawn. It's going to get worse before it gets better. But in the meantime we have to live.


One thing that I have lacked on a lot is watching the portions of meats and things that I fix. I have 3 males in my home and thought nothing at making a large batch of chicken and most of it was ate. Well in making an effort to save money when and where I can. I divided up the meat I have in portions appropriate for my family size,usually 3 to 4 oz servings for things like chicken or beef. I'm going to stretch our food as much as I can.


I also purchased a book packed full of recipes for homemade cleaner and things. I'm a big spender on cleaners and love the smell of them. But when my last trip to stock up cost me close to 40.00 dollars the thrill was gone.


Also on my list are goodies and bread. Prices on all of these have shot through the roof and they are not done yet. I'm going to make as much of these as I can from scratch. Cooking from scratch is truly going to be a challenge for me as my schedule is so busy but I do believe it's important not only for our bank account but for our health. And as an added bonus my children will learn more about cooking,actual cooking and not prepackaged meals or fast food but good home cooked food.


What are you doing to save or live below your means?


If you have any TNT recipes you would like to share please feel free!!! We are always looking for new recipes to add to our collection.

Happy Homemaking

Menu Planning Monday

oven fried chicken (will post recipe later),mash potatoes,gravy,green beans,corn,cucumber salad,dinner rolls

beans n franks,mac & cheese,applesauce,corn,cucumber salad

chicken fried pork,mash potatoes,peas,peaches,green beans,buttermilk biscuits

spaghetti,salad,garlic rolls

cheat night - frozen pizza

Party for my oldest son post birthday celebration- meatball with bbq sauce and spaghetti sauce, Italian bread,butter,mozzarella cheese,parmesan cheese,veggie platter,sausage rolls,nacho cheese

roasted pork loin,mash potatoes,gravy,salad,peas,carrots,peaches,rolls

Happy Homemaking

How to properly dispose of a can and lid

To keep anyone from getting cut by the open can lid (you know how sharp those things are) .........

Place the lid inside the can first

Then squeeze the top of the can with the lid inside together so that the lid cannot fall out.

Happy Homemaking

Menu Planning Monday

Monday - Chicken Casserole (using leftover chicken from the chicken I made over the weekend)

Tuesday - Homemade pizza,salad

Wednesday - cheeseburgers,bake beans,french fries,peaches

Thursday - Chili,cornbread

Friday - BBQ chicken,mac & cheese,apple sauce

Saturday - Smoke sausage, mac & cheese (yes again),green beans

Sunday - Chicken Fries,noodles,peaches

Happy Homemaking

Menu Planning Monday

Breakfast

cereal,milk,fruits

eggs,toast,milk,fruits

sausage,eggs,toast,milk

french toast,milk,fruit

Lunch

leftovers

sandwich and chips

soup

egg sandwiches

Dinner Menu
 beans and franks,mac & cheese,applesauce
pinto beans soup w/ham and onions,buttermilk biscuits,salad (didn 't make it last week)
homemade pizza,salad
hotdogs,mac & cheese,cucumber salad
Roasted chicken,mash potatoes,gravy,green beans,rolls/bread
 Chicken N gravy,buttermilk biscuits,leftovers
 Creamy chicken casserole,salad,left over biscuits/rolls

Happy Homemaking

Fun times, baking cookies!

We took some time to bake a ton of cookies,choco chips (chewie of  course) and oatmeal choco chips (again chewie) Yum Yum Yum!

Brandon was my helper.

He gets a little camera shy at times.

Almost ready for the oven!

Oh yummy hot and fresh from the oven!

Happy Homemaking