Menu Plan Monday, 02/28

The weather has been amazing; so, we managed to get the spring garden planted! Yay!

You can tell the temperature is starting to rise around here. Slowly but surely my menu will include more and more salads and grilled foods and fewer and fewer long cooked meals. When summertime comes, don’t be surprised to see a big salad topped with grilled chicken breast on the menu a couple of days in a week. Pasta salads will replace spaghetti and the grill will replace my oven and stove top as much as possible. We eat a lot of fruit and drink a lot of smoothies and sweet tea in the summertime. It’s just too hot to want anything else! So, I’ll be on the lookout for more good hot-weather recipes.

                                                                                              

Don’t forget to stop by Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas! If you’re looking for some new recipe resources, check out this Recipe Index Round Up.

Menu Plan for Week of 02/28/2011

Breakfast 

Oatmeal, fruit, granola, toast, yogurt, smoothies, or cinnamon-raisin bread.

Lunch

Hubby usually takes one sandwich along with chips, carrot and celery sticks, and a piece of fruit in his lunch. The rest of us will be eating either sandwiches or leftovers.

Sandwich of the week – PBJs

Fruit of the week – Apples, pears, plums, grapes, and cantaloupe

Dinner

Monday – Breakfast for dinner with lots of fruit on the side

Tuesday – Pot Roast, slow cooker meal

Wednesday – Grilled chicken salads

Thursday – Hawaiian Pork

Friday – Chili and cornbread

Saturday – Leftovers, salads, and sandwiches

Sunday – Stromboli and salad

Snacks – Crackers and peanut butter, fruit, yogurt, carrot and celery sticks, or popcorn.

Thank you for stopping by!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty

Marital Stuff

My husband and I were at odds for a coupe of weeks recently. If you’ve been married for more than five minutes, you know that this happens. Somebody says or does the wrong thing at the wrong time and then he has to make it up to me so I can forgive him. Just a normal marriage.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I sniped at each other one Monday morning and ended up barely speaking to each other for about three weeks. This is not normal behavior for us. Even at our most aggravated with each other, we didn’t need more than twenty-four hours to step back and cool off so we could talk rationally over whatever set us off in the first place.

The two of us walked around here with ear buds stuffed in our ears and MP3 players blaring like a couple anti-social teenagers, tuning out the parents and preventing any possibility that someone may actually want to have a conversation. Very weird behavior for both of us indeed!!

Now, here’s where it gets even stranger. Neither one of knew why we weren’t speaking. BUT we both filled the void with God.

My quiet time had been in a bit of a funk since the holidays. When I did take the time to read my Bible, it was with one eye on the clock and the other on my morning chore list. With both eyes occupied, I wasn’t getting a lot of studying accomplished, was I?

I had also slipped into the oh-so-familiar, yet oh-so-unhealthy pattern of putting my husband and children into the center of my universe. While my husband and my children should always be a priority, they should not be the center of my life. That place should always be reserved for God!

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. - Matthew 6:33 (emphasis mine)

I wasn’t seeking Him first. I wasn’t living for Him. I was living for everyone else! This is so unhealthy because they’re all human beings. Human beings are imperfect, and we’re especially good at letting each other down. If your universe is centered on a human being, your universe is going to come crashing down when that person actually acts like a human being and not like God.

So, my husband and I spent about three weeks avoiding each other. It was a toss-up to see who would pretend to be asleep first each night. I couldn’t come up with why we were at odds with each other, but I also didn’t want to be the one who said, “I’m clueless.” It was also a pretty calm kind of distance. We were acting like co-workers instead of a married couple. I have to say, it was a little weird.

However…and that’s a big however…however, just about the exact moment that my husband left for work the morning we sniped at each other, God laid an interesting verse on me. By the way, I know it was God because I’m not this smart.

Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 1 Corinthians 7:5

And with this verse in mind, I filled the time that was normally occupied with conversations with my husband with conversations with God. More devoted and intentional Bible reading. More intentional prayer time. More ardent worship time. It was kind of nice. I got my universe set right again with God in the center. My husband and kids are still prominent satellites, but God is back in the center again. And my hubby and I are as strong as ever.

His story is almost the same as mine, by the way. My husband filled his MP3 player with sermons from New Spring Church and praise and worship music, and he put his nose back into his Bible.

In the end, my husband walked up to me, put his hands on the sides of my face and kissed me sweetly. Argument over. And we shared stories of how God talked to each of us during this time of separation and used this time to re-ignite our passion for the Lord and His Word.

Again, this was about the strangest spat both of has ever experienced. I’d like to think God created the situation in order to draw us both closer to Him. I’d definitely call it mutual consent, that’s for sure. All I know for certain is that the end results were way better than the hurt and bitterness that are often the residue of marital turmoil.

For the record, I was only kidding at the beginning of the post when I cleverly blamed my hubby for all of the wrongdoing in our household. I’ve done my fair share of wrong things at the wrong time, but it just wouldn’t have been as funny to add my oopses at that moment.

Thank you for stopping by! I hope this little story gives you something to think about the next time you’re at odds with your spouse. Little spats over minor incidences can create huge problems in a marriage if we let ourselves dwell on the junk instead of on God.

I’m not easy to live with; I know that it’s true. But you’re no picnic either, baby; that’s one of the things I love about you. –Don Henley, Not Enough Love in the World

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty

Milk Mustaches: Chicken Style

The other day, I reached for the last of the yogurt in the refrigerator to start a new batch and found that I had more than I needed...so, I gave some to the chickens. Boy, did they love it!

Milk, buttermilk, sour milk and cheese are all good treats for chickens. The extra calcium is excellent for improving egg shell quality. The extra protein helps alleviate stress during molting and may even ward off egg eating. In my case, feeding my chickens some kind of milk product every once in a while has stopped the egg eating completely.

Amy over at Homestead Revival feeds her chickens raw milk with all its wonderful probiotic  properties which made me realize that yogurt is as good for my girls as it is for me and my family.

If you do give your chickens milk or yogurt, remember that it’s a treat, and feed with moderation. Think of it as a dessert. Special and yummy, but not the bulk of the diet. Oh, and no sweetened yogurt at all! Stick to the plain stuff.

The Backyard Chickens website has a wonderful list of foods you might not have thought to give to your chickens along with the best ways to serve up those kitchen scraps.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you liked the pictures of my silly “milk” mustaches, chicken style. I have a fresh batch of yogurt in the refrigerator. I think I need a smoothie!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty

Crying Poverty or Crying Wolf

Warning! The following post is a serious rant. Read at your own risk!

I’m frustrated. I’m poor. Although, I’m not frustrated because I’m poor. Okay, the light at the end of the tunnel is really starting to resemble an oncoming train, but I’ve been poor most of my life. God has blessed me with a lot, just not the ability to make money. So, here I sit, one of the last people in America who doesn’t own a cell phone. My family doesn’t watch the latest shows on television because we don’t have cable television, and we haven’t had it for about 5 years now. I cook everyday because we eat out about 4 times a year: my birthday/anniversary, Christmas Eve, and a couple of other special, worthy occasions during the year. We have had pockets of prosperity over the years but a serious illness, an unexpected surgery, a vehicle that suddenly decided to die, or some other similar emergency always seemed to arise just in time to drain the coffers dry. Believe it or not, constantly pinching pennies and doing without isn’t what’s frustrating me. God always manages to make it okay. We just enjoyed 6 days at the state fair because we were blessed with an abundance of free tickets. We ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in the parking lot, but still had an amazing time.

What frustrates me are the people who cry poverty in a FaceBook status that they just posted from their smart phone.

News flash: You do not have any financial woes when you obviously have $100 or more every month to spend on your cell phone service.

You do not have financial woes if you eat already prepared food that was purchased from a restaurant, drive thru, or grocery store deli at least once a week.

You do not have financial woes if you toss more that one pound of uneaten food into your garbage each week.

You do not have financial woes if you have health insurance and are able to run to the doctor’s office for every little sniffle.

You do not have financial woes if you fill your gas tank every week.

You do not have financial woes if you’ve paid full price for a movie ticket even once in the last year.

You do not have financial woes if you have a roof over your head, clothes on your back, and food on the table.

I’m frustrated with hearing about how bad the economy is from people who are truly not affected by the rising prices as evidenced by their lifestyle.

Ok, rant over. For those of you who stayed and read past the warning, God bless you for your patience! I don’t rant often, but when I do, it’s usually not nice, so thank you for letting me vent. I pray that God blesses you beyond your wildest imagination!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty

Feeding Others

I enjoy creating interesting things in my kitchen. Since so many of my blog posts are about cooking, I suppose you already know that. I also like feeding others. If a list is going around to help out a family who needs meals, I sign up whenever I can. If a team is heading off to the homeless shelter to cook and serve a meal, I’m there. When someone has been sleeping in the park across from my house, I take them lunch. I guess when Jesus said, “Feed my sheep,” I took Him a little too literally.

While blog-hopping the other day, I found an interesting post with detailed information about taking food to families in need. Aimee over at Simple Bites posted Cooking for Others: A Guide to Giving Sympathy Meals. The article is filled with wonderful tips to make giving meals easier and stress-free. Aimee addresses a few of the obstacles people can run into that prevent them from sending a meal to a neighbor or friend. Take a few minutes to read her post and be inspired! And while you’re there, be sure to explore the rest of the blog. If you’re interesting in batch or once-a-month cooking or if you’re struggling with menu planning, you’ll find some excellent information here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty

Great Backyard Bird Count: Follow Up

Over the weekend, Tom, Jared, and I strolled down the street and wandered around the lake behind our local library counting birds as part of the Great Backyard Bird Count. We took our time, enjoying the amazing weather. The small lake, which is only about 3 city blocks by 2 city blocks, is always filled with waterfowl and the handful of trees on the shoreline are always filled with songbirds, predators, and crows. We identified and counted as many species as we could, but I know we heard a lot more birds than we saw. In all, we spotted 23 species of birds and a total of 451 individual birds, give or take.

Muscovy Duck – 29 (including 19 ducklings)
Mallard - 33
Mottled Duck - 29
Pekin Duck - 3 Lesser Scaup - 28
Wood Stork - 4
Double-crested Cormorant - 11
Anhinga - 12
Great Blue Heron - 3
Great Egret - 5
Little Blue Heron - 1
White Ibis - 40
Turkey Vulture - 4
Common Moorhen - 3
American Coot - 12
Laughing Gull - 59
Ring-billed Gull - 61
Eurasian Collared-Dove - 4
Monk Parakeet - 5
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - 22
American Crow - 61
Northern Mockingbird - 11
Northern Cardinal - 10
Common Grackle - 4

My feathered friend aficionados have probably noticed some high numbers on some unusual birds for an urban area, and you’d be right. A few of these birds do not stay long in the city, except where there’s good eats. If you took a walk around this little lake, you’d see several places where neighbors regularly feed the birds. I also suspect that the three Pekin ducks which are domestic ducks you’re more likely to find down on the farm instead of out in the wild, were released at the lake when the owner no longer wanted them. Also, while there are a few predators in the area from time to time like the occasional family of hawks and neighborhood dogs and cats, for the most part, the birds live worry-free lives. Heck, I don’t even think there’s been an alligator in that lake in the last 10 years!

If you didn’t participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count, check out the website to learn more about the count or even just to learn more about birds and their habitats. 

The boy needs a haircut!

Menu Plan Monday, 02/21

We have a beautiful week ahead both schedule-wise and weather-wise, and I’m going to savor every minute of it!

During the holidays, when turkeys and hams are at their lowest prices, I usually pick up an extra one of each to enjoy a month or so later. This weekend, we roasted a small turkey so I have a few leftovers to use on Monday and Tuesday, kind of like a mini-Thanksgiving in February.

                                                                                              

Don’t forget to stop by Organizing Junkie for more menu ideas! If you’re looking for some new recipe resources, check out this Recipe Index Round Up.

Menu Plan for Week of 02/21/2011

Breakfast 

Oatmeal, fruit, granola, toast, yogurt, smoothies, or cinnamon-raisin bread.

Lunch

Hubby takes one sandwich along with chips, carrot and celery sticks, and a piece of fruit in his lunch. The rest of us will be eating either sandwiches or leftovers.

Sandwich of the week – PBJs

Fruit of the week – Apples and pears

Dinner

Monday – Turkey and rice casserole and tossed salad

Tuesday – Turkey soup

Wednesday – Spaghetti and tossed salad

Thursday – Grilled chicken salads

Friday – Baked Macaroni and Cheese, herbed tomatoes, tossed salad

Saturday – Pizza and tossed salad

Sunday – Garlic Chicken and Spinach with penne pasta

Snacks – Crackers and peanut butter, fruit, yogurt, carrot and celery sticks, or popcorn.

Thank you for stopping by!

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Betty

Fun Fair Food Photos

When I was younger and living in Pennsylvania, my family managed to make it to the Bloomsburg Fair a couple of times and our town put on an annual street fair. I enjoyed a lot of the same things then that I enjoy now: the livestock, the hand crafts, and the food. However, fair food then and fair food now are miles apart! The most unusual food items were funnel cakes and elephant ears. Boy, have things changed! Today, if you can deep fry it and put it on a stick, you'll find it at the fair! So, in honor of all of the deep-fried goodness found only at the fair, I went on a bit of a photo scavenger hunt for fried food signs.

First stop...the timeless funnel cake!

Classic Fair Food!

Classic Northern fair food. Good to see it coming to the south!!

I always wondered where he went...

Yep, deep fried pickles...a Colleen favorite, believe it or not! I did try one, though, and boy did they have a little kick to them!

What a waste of green beans!

 

I have no idea what this is...it just sounded funny

That's just wrong!

Sounds worse that it really is. That's mashed potatoes on top, NOT ice cream, thankfully!

This is as bad as it sounds! A burger slipped between two Krispy Kreme Doughnuts!

I'm not sure I'd be able to find the fries under all that!

This would be another of those What is that?! moments.

Sorry, but this one was actually tempting!! My father would have been so proud. The only thing that would have been better was if they'd offered fried Spam sandwiches, too!

Another favorite of my crazy daughter!

Good thing my mother doesn't know!!

How is this even possible!?!

Now, for those of you who are concerned that we actually ate all of these foods, fear not. We just walked around, pointing and laughing every day, then strolled out to the truck when we got hungry and ate healthy foods. We did indulge for one meal inside the fair which consisted of some grilled sausage hoagies with peppers and onions. They were pretty good, but since we've been spoiled by making our own sausage, these were a bit lacking in flavor. Colleen had one order of deep fried pickles which we all tried, and Tom, Jared, and I split a deep fried sweet treat. Which one did we choose?

A deep-fried Twinkie and 2 deep-fried Oreos.

A deep-fried Twinkie with a side order of deep-fried Oreos, all of which we shared. The guys ate the Oreos and don't recommend them. The Twinkie was pretty good though, but then again it tasted like a doughnut. I did get a bite of a deep-fried Snickers, too, because we accidently got a Snickers in our order instead of a Twinkie. That was just nasty!

Thanks for stopping by and taking a walk through the Florida State Fair with me. There was a rumor that someone was selling deep-fried mashed potatoes and gravy this year, but I couldn't find them. So, what interesting foods have you tried at the fair?

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,
Betty

Fun at the Fair

For the last two weeks, my family and I have been shuttling back and forth to the Florida State Fair. While a majority of the country is still trying to shovel out from under some serious snowfall, we were having fun at the fair! In fact, we were having several days of fun at the fair. When you show animals at the fair, you spend a lot of time there. Here are some of the highlights.

Jared and the Poultry Tent display.

 

 

My new friend. I so want a llama!

Embarrassing moment for the boy.

 

Even more embarrassment for the girl!

We put those chains to good use.

 The Florida State Fair has an interesting area called Cracker Country which is like a living museum. Volunteers dress in period costumes and demonstrate old, homesteading arts like spinning, weaving, beekeeping, black smithing, and building a log cabin with hand tools. We spend a lot of time in Cracker Country!

 

Jared checks out some merchandise in the General Store.

Jared learns how to do laundry.

A little advice on rinsing and wringing.

A friendly game of checkers.

We ran into some friends!

Sharpening an ax...check out the bandages on the fingers!

 The exhibit hall was full of beautiful quilts, paintings, and all kinds of hand made crafts that artisans entered into various fair competitions, and one amazing sand sculpture!

 

At some point during the fair, I had to sit and wait for the kids to take their skillathon tests and their record book tests. How wonderful that I picked a spot right next to the draft horse competition, and I got to enjoy watching teams of draft horses pulling carriages.

A robot was wandering around the fair. Every time we ran into him, I was amazed that it didn't run into people and it interacted very well, but I just couldn't find the operator. Hubby spotted him, though, and it was fun discreetly watching him work.

The wandering robot.

He's attracting a crowd. See the easily overlooked gentleman on the phone?

That would be the operator using a cell phone to make the robot talk and controlling his movements with whatever is in the bag. Now that was cool!

Human Hamster Balls in a Pool

I have a thing for chickens, what can I say?

And last but not least....

Free Pudding at Gate 3!!

Thanks for stopping by! I have another series of very special fair pictures to share with you all, but I'm tired, so you'll just have to wait until later!