Focusing On the Today

 Between amazing sermons, trying my best to spend time in God's word, and Bible studies that I attend, a common theme has overwhelmed me. Really it's something I've always thought about but I finally feel like I can put it into words. My mission. God's mission. What my role in this life will be. What BIG things does God have in store for me? The words "...I wish I knew how all my fears and all my questions are going to play out, In a world I can't control..." from Casting Crowns song 'Already There' continue to resurface in my mind. Night after night I continue to write down creative ideas of what organizations I could start, programs I could volunteer in, or businesses that will be the NEXT big thing. I continue to stress over the daily dilemmas that overwhelm many of us day after day and forget to focus on the moments before me. God spoke to me so clearly last night through reading a page in Sarah Young's Jesus Calling that I want to share it;

I am your Lord! Seek Me as Friend and Lover of your soul, but remember that I am also King of kings - sovereign over all. You can make plans as you gaze into the day that stretches out before you. But you need to hold those plans tentatively, anticipating that I may have other ideas. The most important thing to determine is what to do right now. Instead of scanning the horizon of your life, looking for things that need to be done, concentrate on the task before you and the One who never leaves your side. Let everything else fade into the background. This will unclutter your mind, allowing Me to occupy more and more of your consciousness. Trust Me to show you what to do when you have finished what you are doing now. I will guide you step by step, as you bend your will to Mine. Thus you stay close to Me on the path of Peace. (Proverbs 19:21; Luke 1:79)

Here's the picture of how I went a little overboard on underlining words or phrases that I felt God was clearly speaking directly to me in that moment.

You may also notice the date is May16th. I'm not very good at reading these types of books in order or reading them diligently every day, so this was the page I turned to last night.

We can make plans and I do daily. But I love how it is written that we should hold on to them tentatively, because sometimes (more times than I care to admit) God has different plans! I also find myself 'scanning the horizon' and looking at my endless 'to-do' list and wonder what else needs to get done in the coming weeks and months. I like making lists. I like writing in my calendar. But God wants us to look at today and the tasks at hand. Recently I was listening to this sermon "How to Love the Mud" by Steven Furtick and I love how he describes how we should love the mud of today, because without mud or the messiness of life there wouldn't be the miracles and the blessings. One particular thing that touched me was that he said our endless to do list will never get done because we aren't dead. I love that. Maybe because I find myself getting frustrated that many things on my list of to do's don't get done these days, sometimes there are days that not one task gets checked off. BUT I'm still living so there will always be something to do. And I not only want to love the mud but I want others to love their mud, too. As Steven Furtick said, no mess (or mud) no ministry. So cool.

I think it's good to make plans, I think God likes that we make plans, but I think it becomes a problem when we obsess over our plans or the lack of them for the future. I think we get so caught up in the busyness of life we forget about what is right in front of us. I think that our eyes, my eyes, need to be opened to what is going on right in front of me, today. Not only so that I don't miss an opportunity and am available to fulfill my mission for today, but so I can continue to take each step in sync with God. Our sermons at church have challenged us not only to DO something but to BE something, and  my mistake falls in with all my ideas and dreaming. I dream and dream and dream of doing something someday instead of being something today. I don't know exactly what my life long mission will be, I don't know if I will ever know on this earth. I do know that I can continue to pray for God to reveal what he wants me doing today and to direct my path. The hard part is going to be me trusting him daily and following where he leads. I like control. I like my lists and plans. This will be a  challenge for me. So I'll leave you with the lyrics of this song:


Casting Crowns, Already There lyrics:

From where I'm standing
Lord it's so hard for me to see
Where this is going
And where You're leading me
I wish I knew how
All my fears and all my questions
Are gonna play out
In a world I can't control

Oh, oh

When I'm lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You're already there
You're already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You're already there
You're already there

Oh, oh, oh, oh

From where You're standing
Lord, You see a grand design
That You imagined
When You breathed me into life
And all the chaos
Comes together in Your hands
Like a masterpiece
Of Your picture perfect plan
When I'm lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You're already there
You're already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You're already there
You're already there

One day I'll stand before You
And look back on the life I've lived
I can't wait to enjoy the view
And see how all the pieces fit [x2]

One day I'll stand before You
And look back on the life I've lived
Cause You're already there
You're already there
When I'm lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You're already there
You're already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You're already there
You're already there

You are already there

Part Time Cloth Diaperer

I was nervous to have Lucy, not to be a mom (I couldn't wait for that part) but nervous because of some of the horrible things people would say before I had her. Adults came out of the wood work when they heard I was pregnant and said things like You'll never sleep again, You'll be broke for the rest of your life. Okay, maybe they didn't say those words exactly, but similar ideas. I researched the cost of diapers and how much it costs to raise a child today and I was speechless. I think if those numbers are/were true there would be very few kids running around. One way I thought I could cut the cost of having a baby was diapers.

The point of this post is that we decided to try out cloth diapers. I love it. It's easy and I'm lucky my husband has been on board with the idea. We don't do it full time. I have a few outfits for Lucy that I just don't love the bulky diapers in. I also don't love carrying cloth diapers around when we are out and about. Lucy is 10 months old now and I usually only carry my purse (with a few key items thrown in). It's easier for me to have a few tiny disposable diapers that will be thrown away if we are going to be out all day.

I was very overwhelmed when I looked into cloth diapering. Everyone seemed to have an opinion and there were endless options available. I tried researching but all the pocket, all-in-one, hybrid talk was confusing. We dove into the cloth diapering world blind, but we quickly learned what worked for our family and what didn't. And we are STILL learning. My family chose this cloth diapering avenue more because of cost not the environmental benefit, but that is a perk.

Why I prefer Pocket Cloth Diapers

We have a small collection of cloth diapers. We use BumGenuis and I prefer the pocket diapers. I do have an All-In-One (this diaper doesn't have a separate insert) and I love it because I don't have to mess with placing and removing the insert. I don't love that it takes longer to dry. With the pocket diapers the shell dries relatively quickly and I can throw the inserts in the dryer. The All-In-One diapers have to air dry for a bit longer. I think my husband prefers the All-In-One's because he doesn't have to do anything extra when changing Lucy's diaper.

All-In-One

 I love our All-In-One that has all the math equations on it. It's perfect for a math teacher's child, and even if it is a little 'boyish' I tried building our collection thinking of future children, too. The inserts you see in the All-In-One are sewn in to the actual diaper.

Pocket with inserts

The liners just slip inside the pocket of the diaper shell. When you clean them you remove the insert and you can dry the liners separately.

Part of Our Collection

The Pocket diapers came with a larger insert and then an extra smaller insert. We used the smaller insert when Lucy was little. Now that she is bigger we use the larger insert and sometimes add the smaller one as well for extra soaking ability. We did not use cloth diapers in those early months. Even with the small inserts it was really bulky on Lucy and we were going through so many diapers a day, it was overwhelming. Especially while learning to be a new mom. I know some people do it successfully right away! We didn't have many cloth to try and it wasn't our priority then.

I'm sure there are many other fabulous brands out there. I liked that I could swap coupons from Bed Bath and Beyond for BuyBuy Baby and collect more on a discount. I also liked the colors and cute styles. We registered for one, they worked so we stuck with the brand. I have friends that have used the hemp inserts and love them. And I know many other people that have been happy with other brands.

Part Timing It

Most days that I am home I use cloth diapers. You do have to buy larger clothes sometimes for the onesies and pants to fit over the larger diaper. Because they can look larger, I don't use them when we get pictures taken. We have cloth diaper bags or wet bags that we throw the used diapers in. It's perfect to keep in the house, but I don't love to carry that around with me if I am running around. You can buy smaller ones, and it is perfect to go in a diaper bag, but it just wasn't worth it for me (usually). I still use cloth occasionally while out and about, but that is when I am running low on disposable.

We use disposable at night. Honestly, because we haven't tried the cloth at night. I have heard too many horror stories of children being soaked the next morning and I just haven't dove in yet. Also, sometimes when I use cloth all day long, if I am not excellent at changing Lucy right away when she is wet, she will get a little red and it's nice to take a break from cloth. Some people have the opposite trouble and have their babies get rashes using disposable diapers.

I do have to do a little extra laundry. That is no big deal to me. Every other day or so I throw in a small load of wash to soak the cloth diapers. I usually do a cool rinse and a hot rinse. There are people that are better experts at cloth diapering and washing, and there is great information out there on cleaning. I did love the Rockin' Green detergent, but I usually use my regular detergent to wash.

Why I love Cloth?

I love that I don't have to buy diapers regularly. I love that I don't have a full trash every day of stinky diapers. I love that Lucy isn't (always) being exposed to the chemicals in the diapers. I love how cute some of the patterns are. I love that she has something soft on her bum. I love that they will be/are difficult for her to try and pull off. I love that we are being environmentally friendly. I love that I can save money using cloth! It really is easy.

Pre-folds

I didn't mention these before. We do use these occasionally. They are simple to use. The only reason they are not a favorite is the bulkiness. Lucy is sometimes extremely wiggly while I'm trying to change her and trying to get a folded insert in the shell was just too many steps for me. There are definite pro's to using pre-folds, like being able to continue to use the same shell (assuming it hasn't gotten messy) and just adding new inserts in throughout the day.

Bottom Line:

You wash diapers. (It's a small load every couple days)
You put the diaper on baby. (Put insert in diaper if your using pocket or prefold)
You throw dirty diaper into wet bag.
Repeat.

I could and quite possibly may do cloth full time. I have found some super cute Tots Bots brand cloth diapers that I am dying to try! It's the Three Little Pigs. So Cute!

My Cloth Diaper Must Have's:

I like the snap diapers; the velcro wears easily and it sticks to things like crazy.
I prefer pocket diapers because they have liners that dry quicker since they aren't attached.
I do like my All-In-One's because everything is all together so you just throw it on almost like a disposable, BUT they take longer to dry because you can't just throw the liner in the dryer since it's attached.
After baby starts solid foods, get the disposable liners. They are fantastic and easy to use.


Hope this helps those that are looking into cloth diapers. Go and buy some different brands and try them out with your little one. Build your collection slowly if you need to, but don't stress about it! I felt like I needed to know everything before I tried, but we didn't and we still don't!

Good Luck friends!!

Sarah

This Is How We Do It

When are you going back to work? Have you gone back to work yet? Are you enjoying your small break at home? These are the questions I get...often. I even got a similar question today from a fellow mom. I am not even going to go into detail about staying home and how it is far from a 'break'. People assume that I can't stay home. People assume that being a stay at home mom is not an option. I am happy to report for right now, in the present, I am staying home.

How do we do it? Well where there is a will, there is always a way. And in our case we have also had many blessings.

This Is How We Do It

No excess in our lives (usually).

We set a strict budget.

We own our cars.

We try and spend $40 on food.

I freeze extra food.

We cut cable.

I save all of our change and get gift cards.

I try to only fill my gas tank once a month.

We don't shop unless there is a NEED (usually).

We use cloth diapers - part time.

It takes a lot of planning and work to save money and not spend over our tight budget. BUT to me it's worth it. It was a goal of ours as a family for me to stay home, so it works. We also quickly realized with me working and the cost of daycare, I would be bringing in very little and I would be missing out on a lot of time with Lucy. And the fewer germs we exposed Lucy to, the better (See MCAD Momma).  It just didn't make sense for our family. So it was a choice, and we found a way.

Buy Used

Mike and I prayed and searched for cars that we could buy without having a car payment. And thankfully we were able to purchase two reliable cars within 1 year! We drive camry's and they are wonderful! Buying used not only goes for cars, but we buy most of Lucy's clothes used as well. We have wonderful friends and family that have bought clothes and diapers for us! And as Lucy gets older, I have bought a lot of her clothes used through consigning. I can probably count on one hand the number of clothes items I have purchased new for Lucy. She is growing so quickly, and honestly messes up a lot of outfits along the way!

$40 A Week On Food

When I wrote about spending $40 a week on food, I wrote a little about setting a goal under your budget so you have extra money. That is exactly what we've done. We looked at our budget, quickly realized we had no room for excess. I knew I had to make up some money somewhere. I love traveling and gift giving and date nights way too much!

Cut Cable

Cutting cable was a scary thing for me! I had routines each week of the shows I loved to watch, and a little part of me was aching thinking I wouldn't be enjoying some of my shows! But we save over a $100 a month not having cable, and we use Netflix a lot! I also quickly realized with having a baby, I don't get to watch much television anyways. And if I am really missing a particular show, I can usually get online and watch it if I NEED to. Even without cable we still get some of the basic channels. It works, and I love that I am no longer a slave to my television.

Save Your Change

One of my favorite things - Saving change! One of the coolest ideas I had heard a few months back was about the Coinstar machines in grocery stores. I had never used them before because when they convert change into dollar bills for you they usually take a portion of your money, like 9% or something. Well that just isn't right to me, so I wasn't about to use the machine. Mike hates carrying change around, and I wasn't always the best at using it. We also found that a lot of banks now charge you to take your coins...once again that just didn't seem right in our minds. SO we heard that if you go to the Coinstar machines and put your change in and choose the gift card option, instead of the quick cash, you get your full amount of money on a gift card of your choice! They don't have gift cards to every place, but they have a few great options. Mike and I usually save up our change to around $50 and then go and get a gift card to a restaurant. My next purchase will be an online gift card so I can buy some christmas gifts, all with our extra change! It somehow feels free, even though it is our extra change.

Drive Less

Filling up my car with gas once a month isn't as difficult SOME months. We walk a lot when the weather is nice. If I do drive anywhere it is usually only around town. We aren't spending as much money on gas with me staying home, because I am not driving to and from work every day. We are also lucky that most of our family and friends live relatively close.

Part Time Cloth Diaperer

In short, we use cloth diapers most of the time. I don't like using cloth diapers when I am running around for errands and things. They are too bulky in my purse (I don't use a diaper bag usually anymore). I do think cloth diapering is easy. I would recommend it. It does save us a lot of money, even doing it half of the time. We only buy disposable diapers every few months or if we are going on a vacation. Cloth diapers can be pricey up front, but we requested cloth diapers as gifts before having Lucy. Also you can get great coupons to BuyBuy Baby and slowly accumulate your own collection.

I have JUST posted about Cloth Diapering Here. 

Thanks for reading!
Sarah

$43.61

So if you are following my $40 a week, you'll notice I was over my goal AGAIN this week. I have a great excuse though. I have been looking for pumpkins, and the cheapest I had seen was $3.99 at Aldi and another grocery in Carmel. I hadn't purchased any yet but while I was at the store this week the pumpkins were on sale for $1.99!! Score! I was thrilled so even though that was not on my grocery list, I bought two!

So this week's menu looks like this:

Monday: Pizza Night with Our Small Group
Tuesday: Beef Stroganoff (My sister is having us over for a meal)
Wednesday: Chicken Parmesan
Thursday: Taco Pasta Bake
Friday: White Chicken Chili
Saturday: left overs
Sunday: Brinner (breakfast for dinner)


So not only was I almost $4 over my goal, but we aren't cooking two of the nights - oh well! I'm still under my budget, because remember $40 is my goal and for every dollar I am under my budget I get to save that money or put it towards something I want or need. And because I made a goal under my budget I can then save more!

I did buy 2 pounds of beef and my recipes this week only call for 1 pound. So I can maybe make hamburgers or meatballs on Saturday.

Brinner for dinner is one of my favorite go to meals when I am short on groceries or just in a lazy mood. I make my favorite pancakes and scrambled eggs and toast! I usually keep pre-cooked bacon in our pantry so I can pull it out on brinner nights.

The Battle

Sometimes I wish it didn't take so much thinking to continue living.

 I have never read the book, although I would love to with the title Men are Like Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti, but that is exactly how I felt tonight; like spaghetti. Mike and I were discussing just some things going on with work and about our future and dreams and I felt like my mind was going a zillion different places. My poor husband was just silent listening to my mouth move in all directions. I think I told him 10 times that I wasn't trying to be "selfish" when I talked about future wants. I felt guilty saying some of the things I wanted. My mind was spaghetti! It was in a constant battle between what I thought God would want me to want, and what the worldly me wanted. Am I making any sense? Seriously spaghetti brain here!

So my battle is this: If I had a million dollars, no we'll say MILLIONS, what would I do with it? I was talking about getting family members out of debt, paying for friends vacations, paying for friends dinners out, buying friends and family in need the car of their dreams, buying us a car, buying us a vacation, buying only organic food and fresh produce. My brain was thinking of getting our family members close to retirement to retire, and fulfilling some of our loved one's dreams. I of course threw in some of my wants as well.

SO where was the battle you ask? Well I was frustrated with myself for wanting millions of dollars, because I don't want to be a lover of money. I was frustrated that I was even wasting time thinking about what I would do with a million dollars. I was frustrated that I am not content with all of my blessings today. I was frustrated because I don't ever want my husband to feel he doesn't provide enough. I was frustrated because if I die tomorrow I really don't want God saying Sarah you had it all wrong. God calls us to be generous no matter how little or how much we have. So while I am wasting my time thinking about the millions of dollars that may or may not be in my future, and what I would be doing with said dollars, God is calling me to give today. Even though I may not be able to buy everyone I know and love a brand new car of their dreams, I can buy them coffee. Even though I cannot afford to buy everyone's dinner every time we go out, I can invite others into my home and serve them what we eat. Even though I cannot give millions to the charity of my choice, I can show up. Even though I think my plan of saving everyone from every problem they have with this miraculous money is a pretty good plan; God has his OWN plan that is GREAT. And as much as I would selfishly want to be the provider of all things cool and BIG. God is the ONLY provider we need. And I never want to try and compete with the one who can do the impossible.

So once again, my mind was at battle. But I thank God that I can go to bed with peace knowing the Creator of all Things lovely is my provider and loves me beyond my spaghetti brain.

Custom Pantry

When Mike and I bought our house, we knew it would need some love. One comment Mike continues to make as we live in this house, is that he knew that the kitchen would be the biggest part of our house.   My love for all things cooking and having people gather around food has never  been a secret! So after ripping out countertops and cabinets and the ceiling, it has become pretty close.

In the summer of 2011 Mike and I our family, friends, and ourselves completely gutted and revamped our kitchen. Looking at magazine after magazine and websites and any picture we could find, Mike with the help of many, turned our old kitchen into my dream kitchen. I got the farm sink I always wanted and the island. We upgraded our 1980's gas stove to a nice gas stove/convection oven with a roll out lower oven (I love it!). Needless to say it took all summer, we moved in with my parents for a few months and mostly completed the kitchen. We still had a few things to finish. And all of this was being completed while I was in the early months of pregnancy!

A winter, a spring and a baby later it was summer again and we were looking around our house and our "construction" to do list. We still lacked something we always wanted, and that was a pantry. We have used an old entertainment center for storage and a pantry, but we needed something to organize cans and small items. Mike, being the amazing designer and builder that he is, came up with a plan to build me a custom pantry around our refrigerator. 

The beginning stages.

The almost finished product.

We used the existing cabinet doors on our cabinets when we painted all the cabinetry. We shifted and moved the cabinets around the kitchen and we left some of our cabinets open without doors. I need to take some pictures of them, then I can show you! Because we did this we had extra doors, and Mike used those for our pantry. He also added crown molding that he made himself! Thanks to some amazing family that had the tools we needed! 

After each construction project around our home it makes me think of Miranda Lambert's The House that Built Me song:

Mama cut out pictures of houses for years

From 'Better Homes and Garden' magazines

Plans were drawn, concrete poured

And nail by nail and board by board

Daddy gave life to mama's dream

I love that our house already has so many stories intertwined in it. Every room, every board, every door as been touched with love and often frustration with each project we have taken on. I love that we will have endless stories to tell Lucy as she grows up in this house. And if we are ever to leave this home, I know there will be many tears. This house has built a part of me and our story as a family. I know this home is nothing without the family that lives in it, but I will always treasure the memories we have and continue to have in our home. And a BIG thank you to my husband for giving life to so many of my dreams! 

$40 a Week

Figure out a budget, plan meals, and make a goal under that number no matter how little or big it is.

I'll admit I dream of shopping at EarthFare or Whole Foods with a huge wod of cash in my pocket someday. I'll also admit it is quite gratifying to set a goal and meet it, even if it is only occasionally met, especially when we are talking about finances.

My husband and I went through the financial class through our church before we got married. We were instructed to play a game with envelopes, and pretend that the amount of money in our envelope was what we had to plan to live off of. Every couple in the class had a different amount. My husband and I had one of the lowest amounts. When we went through the financial sheet we were coming up with a tight budget. Little did we know we would be living off of much less than that in just a few short months. We quickly learned we could not afford any car payment, we needed to cut cable, and chose to spray for bugs and take care of our lawn ourselves. We were lucky to be on a family plan with our cell phones to cut the cost of those. When I stared at our budget and saw little room for any type of excess in our lives I quickly realized the only place we could cut money in our budget to allow for extra fun things and extra savings was food...and gas assuming I wouldn't travel as much with our cars. So came the idea of living off of $40 a week, in hopes that we could go out to eat for a special date every once in a while and maybe have a vacation fund.

I should probably state that we were going through this budget solely relying on my husbands income. We decided to try and live off of his income alone before we had children because we both wanted me to have the option of staying home when we did have kids. Also I only had a temporary job at the time, AND we didn't want to rely on both incomes for our home or cars just in case someday one of us lost our jobs. We are so very blessed but it also has taken some hard work. 

$40 is difficult to live off of for food and it takes some creativity. I try every week to meet that goal, and I fail - ALOT. Just this week I went to the grocery store and I was over by $6 because I needed to buy formula. I don't usually buy this; I still nurse and pump for Lucy. That stuff is expensive, but we use it to supplement or when Lucy is refusing to nurse and needs food (See MCAD momma).  So opinions aside about nursing verses breast feeding, we have saved a lot of money by not buying it. Anyways, I went over budget. I didn't even get to buy chicken. This is going to be a week we will go over budget more, I know. The point is I mess up a lot. It takes a lot of planning, and honestly I don't always have time, or manage my time well enough.

My goal is to plan on Sunday while Lucy is napping and then get to the store. I often don't make it to the grocery until Monday, and my poor husband walks into work with whatever is left in our fridge from Sunday evening. He usually gets a PB&J out of the deal if we don't have leftovers...I need to get better. I also try and pick meals and recipes that have similar ingredients so if I buy 2 lbs of meat I can split it up in two different meals, or I'll use a couple chicken breasts for one meal and then shred or chop up another for a soup or fried rice or something. Also I am trying to learn myself and teach my husband that just because a meal doesn't have meat doesn't mean it is NOT a meal.

$40 dollars isn't realistic for large families, I know this. I know our budget will continue to change as Lucy gets older and she is eating more solids. I also know prices of things will change. If you have a slim budget, say you have $100 a week to spend and you cut $10 out each week. That is $40 dollars a month you just saved for your family. You can go on a date with your spouse or put the money towards a vacation or debt you owe! Even if you have a SUPER tight budget of $50 a week, make it a game and see how little money you can spend at the store. It is more fun when you are putting the money towards something fun for yourself. Maybe it is for birthday gifts, christmas gifts, a vacation, savings, retirement; saving a few dollars each week adds up! I always think If I buy the off brand, I can put $2 more to our vacation next month, or If I don't buy the extra chips, then I can put the money towards the date night this week It all depends on your perspective.

It definitely forces me into creativity...just today for lunch I was hesitant to have a PB&J just because I was tired of it, so I opened up a can of white beans, threw in some garlic and spices and blended a wonderful white bean dip/hummus and ate it with some wheat thins - YUM!

It's a sacrifice, and we have wonderful family and friends that serve us meals, too! But there is nothing like meeting a goal you set, and having extra cash around!

$2 Over...

I wrote this post last week and never got around to posting it. Some of our meals changed last week. My mom brought over a couple flank steaks she didn't have time to make (I wrote a little bit about my family popping in here), and I used those one night. Also for Mike's birthday we decided to check out OktoberFest in Carmel and then we ate a $5 pizza in the evening. We are yet to have the pork loin; it is marinating now for tonight using this recipe. It smells delicious!

September 30, 2013

I always try and spend around $40 at the grocery store for our weeks worth of dinners (If I get a lunch they are usually left overs, PB&J sandwiches, or hard boiled eggs). This week I was $2 over, which was a bummer, but it was exciting because that still means I was under budget. Remember my goal is always $35 to $40, but our budget allows for more (a little more). I have turned it into a game for me and I am trying to save as much money as we can since we have little room for excess in our lives.

So this week I was happy to report I got 2 lbs of ground beef, 3 chicken breasts, a pork loin, fruit and some grains to get us through the week. This week's menu:

Monday: Ramen Noodle Pad Thai (We tried this as a side, and cheated and went to my mom's for a rotissarie chicken.)
Tuesday: Chili Mac with side of cauliflower
Wednesday: Sweet and Sour Chicken with rice and mandarin oranges
Thursday: Spaghetti and Meatballs and apple slices
Friday: Mike's Birthday Dinner Out (or maybe pork loin)
Saturday: Left overs
Sunday: Pizza Night

I am continuing to go through recipes that I have pinned on Pinterest, so I am not always going back to the same few meals. Tonight's sweet and sour chicken was a little heavy on the sour side, but bless my husbands heart he ate the whole thing. That is love.

Each night I try my best to have a fruit and veggie, this week I bought a huge thing of grapes, so we have been heavy on the same fruit. We did try some roasted cauliflower with red pepper. I don't usually like to use canned fruit, but I opened up some mandarin oranges one night as well.

I used one pound of the meat to go in the chili mac, and the other pound is going to go into the spaghetti and meatballs tomorrow night. You remember the recipe I told you about here. Well I have been craving those things so badly, I decided I needed to have them by themselves instead of in the meatball sub casserole. The chili mac was great, and it made a ton of food. I called my parents to come over and help us eat it, and I still had left overs for Mike for lunch and put some in the freezer.

I used the chicken tonight to make this sweet and sour chicken recipe, I would recommend using a little less vinegar than what it calls for. I only used two breasts for the recipe because they were pretty large. I baked one chicken breast using garlic and brown sugar for my husband (He loves this recipe but I was out of italian seasoning packets). I don't always have a back up meal, but tonight I wasn't sure if my husband would go for the sweet and sour so I baked the rest of the chicken.

The pork loin will be made later this week. I usually have a special spice that my mom brings me from up in Michigan, but we are all out. SO that means I will be trying a new recipe for the pork loin. I'll let you know how it turns out.

You Have Permission

You have permission to BE my friend. Sounds a little arrogant doesn't it? Well it's not intended to sound that way.

Recently a mom's group I am a part of had talked about community and the importance of having authentic relationships. Our church also recently did a series of sermons on having a Harbor, having a group of friends that really know you, that are like family for you (assuming the word family brings up happy visions and faces). Mike and I have a fantastic small group of friends that we meet with EVERY Monday night. I love our small group. I also find community with the mom's group I attend. I love these women and it is so fun to discuss life and the latest mommy struggles of the week. These women are great. I encourage you to seek out such groups!

See I love the communities I have found. But something hit me this week. I was listening to a speaker at my mom's group and the speaker said something that has continued to resurface in my mind. How many of your friends have refrigerator rights? I loved this phrase refrigerator rights. I think back to all my memories as a kid, hanging out with my bestie and knowing I could raid their pantry and refrigerator and get all the "cool" snacks my mom would never buy. We could be watching a movie and I would make my friend go get my snacks out of the fridge because I was too lazy or didn't want to miss the next scene (selfish much?) but hey I could because I was a kid and I was with my friend and we had refrigerator rights. So I have been pondering this. Who in my life right now, outside of family, has refrigerator rights in my life? What can I do? I have great friends that I really wouldn't care if they got in my fridge, but do I have a relationship that is so comfortable, so real, so informal that they (my friend) would be ok to just get in my fridge and take whatever they needed or wanted? A friend that could walk into my house like Steve Urkel whenever they needed to, just to say hi or borrow an egg? I think I need more of this in my life. More of the messy friends, people that can show up and see my stacks of laundry, dirty dishes, papers stacked in my to-do pile and me not feel the urg to apologize.

After talking a little bit in my mom's group, I found that there are other people like me that want these things. I often feel people are so busy with their lives I'm hesitant to invite others in. So busy doing great things even that they don't always have time to be a messy friend or they already have "enough" of those.

Community is something Mike and I talk about a lot. It is something we have prayed about, and have seen the answered prayers. I guess I feel like something is missing sometimes. I don't know if I am looking for a Cheers like environment where everyone would know MY name, but something along those lines is what I envision. A community of friends that I could welcome into my home, my family, that could come to our holiday events. Grand celebrations of life with family, including these friends.

That brings me to my next thought. As a new mom, well 10 months new, I often think of what I want Lucy to take away from our life as a family. One day she will grow up to be an adult, sooner than I hope, and she will be making huge decisions on her own. What will she take away? I want her to have community. I want Lucy to grow up knowing she is surrounded by a community that if she didn't want to talk to me (heaven forbid) there would be other amazing adults (my friends) that she could trust.

 I am grateful for my family. Anyone that knows me well, knows that my family can easily turn into my world. We all live close together, they pop in daily, sometimes multiple times a day. If they don't pop in, we pop over. Just the other night my mom brought over 2 steaks she didn't have time to cook, so she thought we could use them - Thank you Mom! It's great, but I know not everyone has this experience. I guess I want to expand my "family", and hand out some refrigerator rights...not because I think I'm SO great, but because I know I am so broken. Our speaker said, "You may just have to ask someone to be your friend." So if you are looking for a friend, know there are many others out there and you may just need to ask....and you always have permission to ask me. In the mean time, I'm going to work harder on being invitational and actually inviting people into our crazy life.

Thanks Barry Rodriguez for the fantastic family photos!

Dear Pride...

Have you ever had a day that went in the complete opposite direction than you had planned? I should know better than to plan out my day. I should know better than to set high expectations when staying home with a very active 10 month old.

Today started out as a good day. It is a special day in our house, as it is my husbands birthday, but this is how it all started...

I woke up a little earlier than usual as Lucy chose not to sleep in, not that big of a deal. We got up, ate some breakfast, took some 10 month pictures of her (because I forgot yesterday), cleaned up the kitchen a little bit and then it was time for nap number one of the day. Lucy drank a whole bottle and went to sleep and I knew I had time to do ALL my day's to do's.

I am going to wrap Mike's birthday gifts, I am going to bake Mike's birthday cake, I am going to take a shower and get dressed (still in my PJ's at this point), I am going to put away that last bit of laundry and pick up those few toys... and then the thought struck me that I should probably have a quiet time first. I didn't get a chance to this morning and I am trying really hard to be better about this.  Due to Lucy waking up before my early alarm, this time hadn't happened yet. I felt nudged to do some reading and praying.

I opened up one of my favorite books Praying God's Word: Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds by Beth Moore and read...my mind continued to play my to do list, but I still tried to read. AND then I read this:

My name is Pride. I am a cheater. 

I cheat you of your God-given destiny...because you demand your own way.

I cheat you of contentment...because you "deserve better than this."

I cheat you of knowledge...because you already know it all. 

I cheat you of healing...because you're too full of me to forgive. 

I cheat you of holiness...because you refuse to admit when you're wrong. 

I cheat you of vision...because you'd rather look in the mirror than out a window. 

I cheat you of genuine friendship...because nobody's going to know the real you.

I cheat you of love...because real romance demands sacrifice. 

I cheat you of greatness in heaven...because you refuse to wash another's feet on earth. 

I cheat you of God's glory...because I convince you to seek your own.

My name is Pride. I am a cheater. 

You like me because you think I'm always looking out for you. Untrue. 

I'm looking to make a fool of you. 

God has so much for you, I admit, but don't worry...

if you stick with me

You'll never know.

hmmm...it was something to ponder, something that hit me but I felt like I really needed to get started on my day's tasks. Then I heard crying...Lucy had only napped for 30 minutes (the last 5 days she had been napping for up to 2 hours for me!!) Ok so I started praying that God would have Lucy fall right back to sleep because I was still in my PJ's and hadn't gotten done anything I wanted to! I was on the verge of tears. I REALLY wanted that shower today.

After I grabbed a still crying Lucy, I became convinced I could still take on the world.
Long story short, today turned into a disaster and what I read about Pride continued to ring in my ears as I was beginning to realize I may have more Pride in me than I care to admit. Everything started falling apart this afternoon. Lucy cried for over an hour, those dang teeth are coming in slower than molasses! The cake...Mike's favorite red velvet cake...didn't look so great. I made this homemade icing that you cook, and it just wasn't enough to cover the red cake. The cake seemed to sit a little crooked on my plate. I was getting really annoyed...and I'm not sure why (pride maybe?).

After calling my mom and sister, they came to the rescue and informed me that I was supposed to cut part of the cake to make it flat to help the layers sit right - oops! The white icing now looked like it had red sprinkles everywhere because the cake was falling apart, and only half of it was iced. Meanwhile, poor Lucy is being handed cheerios and anything and everything to keep her busy. It looked like my plan of a clean house, a beautiful birthday cake, and wrapped presents awaiting my husband was disappearing.

What you don't see in this picture is the mound of extra cake that was cut/fell off. 

All of this to say I realized that I was getting so frustrated and was in a bad mood at this point all because of something I hate to admit I have....pride. My mom and sister kept telling The cake will still taste great!, Just put some sprinkles on it., Use another type of icing. All of these are great ideas, but because of that little tricky thing called Pride, I was not accepting it. I was demanding my own way and I just knew that I knew it all in that moment. I was frustrated because I didn't have the gifts wrapped, I never got a shower, my kitchen was a disaster, Lucy wasn't eating when I wanted her to, the white cake I had imagined in my head looked like it had come down with a case of the chicken pox, and I was just done.

Pride is self-absorption whether we're absorbed with how miserable we are or how wonderful we are. -Beth Moore, Praying God's Word

I wanted everything to be perfect. I wanted Mike to walk in the door and be thrilled with this beautiful cake I had made for him. I wanted him to be overwhelmed with love and feel special on his birthday and be ready to have the evening of his dreams.

I made more icing and the cake survived.

I tried to wrap Mike's gift....and the wrapping paper was out, and so was the tape. 

My sink is full. 

I am still yet to shower. (No need for a picture here)

Mike came home and saw my creation...

 he was thrilled for a moment and then this happened. 

Dear Pride, 

I caught you today trying to ruin a special day in my house. Now leave. I have been humbled. I am content with my house being a mess. I am overwhelmed and in awe of the two special people in my life that are asleep in the other room right now. I am thrilled that I don't know it all because it allows me to have moments like today, where I can now laugh at the disaster of a cake I made and I got the joy of experiencing it along with two of my best friends that I get to call my mom and sister. I am happy that I haven't showered today because wearing  jeans and an old t-shirt is the real me. Oh pride, you don't need to come back anytime soon. I have learned my lesson for today.
Sincerely,
Sarah

The American Myth

I hope my brother doesn't mind me writing this post, seeing as the idea came to me from one of his key phrases we love to discuss. The American Dream, or as he calls it the American Myth. These are my thoughts on the issue.

The American Myth

It's sad but honestly there are days when I find it to be more true than ever. 

Our church is doing a series of sermons on the topic of "Trading Up" which got me thinking about material things. Our society begs us to do just this, Trade Up; get the new phone, new car, new sweater, new watch, new kitchen appliances, new couch, new shoes, new purse, new decor, new house, new new new new NEW. Before I continue, please know that there isn't always a problem with getting something new or replacing something that is in need of repair or just plain old. When it comes in excess or is feeding a high that you can't fulfill anywhere else, we've got a problem. I succumb to trading up often, or at least am teased daily and battle my heart and mind hourly. I see the new (insert material thing) that my neighbor has, and instantly mine is garage sale worthy and I find myself wallowing in self-pitty and am convincing myself that Lucy now needs the new (material thing). Does anyone else relate? Maybe not to that extreme, but even going to other people's houses I find myself envious of the new countertops or hardwood floors, or the cool finished basement ( I LOVE my house by the way). I hate that I start comparing myself and my things to people the second I see something I like that I don't have. I want to trade up. I want the new granite countertops, I want the tile floor, I want the fancy toys they have surrounded their kids with. I want to go to Earth Fare and Whole Foods and spend  our whole monthly budget on delicious, fancy, organic food. I want to drive a new car with leather seats and the newest gadgets inside. I want to go on an extravagant vacation. I would be lying if I told you I didn't want these things, or at least have wanted them at some point. 

I battle everyday to aspire to the American Dream I grew up learning about. I battle between the person God has called me to be, and the person I envision in my dreams. The American Dream is a Myth. We don't NEED every fancy new gadget out there, we don't need to go into debt to shop at the "right" places. We don't need the newest car or latest technology. We don't need to go into thousands upon thousands of dollars of debt to get a degree that we will live the rest of our lives trying to pay off. 

The American Dream is great. You go to college. You get hired right out of college and are earning six figures right away doing what you love most. You buy a new car and a new house. You get married and have 2.5 kids and have a beautiful green yard that just happens to grow perfectly every year. You have no maintenance issues with anything in your life. You get promoted every year to a higher salary and this doesn't include the all inclusive vacation that your company gives you every Christmas. You live happily ever after in the suburbs of the city of your choice. 

The reality that I see is this. You think that you will get hired right away, sadly today's economy differs. That there will be pay raises, you may just get the opposite. You may have to buy a used car, or if you buy new realize you will be going into debt to do so. You may not be able to afford a down payment for that dream home of yours. You may have trouble having kids. You may have to pay an insane amount of money to be debt free after college. You will have to pay to keep your grass green. You will randomly have to shell out a lot of money to get rid of critters (something we are dealing with now). We are teasing ourselves if we think that the American Dream is something that is easy and common for everyone. That just isn't the case. 

I battle with the devil telling me You're not good enough, what you have isn't enough, you need what other people have. It's the "grass is always greener" trap my mind plays with me when I am not constantly reminding myself of who I am and who God calls and has called me to be. I recently read in Sarah Young's Jesus Calling,

"If you gaze too long at your circumstances, you will become dizzy and confused. Look to Me, refreshing yourself in My presence, and your steps will be steady and sure."

This phrase has continued to play in my head the last few weeks, as I have been wanting to "trade up" my vehicle. Lucy is now in the larger car seat and I have a heck of a time getting her in and out of my car. My husband and I have very reliable cars, that have been wonderful to us. And more importantly we own them. I know I don't need a new car, but I want one. It would make my life easier, not that that is reason enough. We have been looking at vans and SUV's and I just want a bigger car. I feel selfish even writing those words, as I know there are hundreds of thousands of people out there that have a need for something much greater, like food or water. It's turned into almost an obsession when I am out and about and compare cars. I have been praying about it...and one thing I know for sure. God will provide when it's necessary, I can continue to do gymnastic moves with Lucy to get her in and out of the car (it will be like a game), and I don't need the brand new mini van that just came off the line. The American myth has shown me that it isn't worth killing ourselves over something that is so temporary. I am sure when Lucy is 16 she will have no recollection of what car I was driving when she was one or what I had to do to get her in it. 

The American Dream is a myth. The grass isn't always greener. Sometimes that old car will give you the memories some people dream of having. 

$5 Chicken Week

September 26, 2013

Every once in a while, when I am needing to be extra frugal or when I am running low on chicken broth, I do a $5 chicken week. I got this idea from my mom and aunt. They are experts at eating on a dime and they are "foodies" too! I tag along with my mom to Costco (We haven't become members yet) and I buy a $5 rotisserie chicken. They are delicious and cheap and can feed our family for a week (usually)! 

$5 Chicken Week

This is how we do it:

Night One: Eat Rotisserie Chicken 

After dinner that evening, pick off all the remaining meat from the bones. When I do this I pull apart all of the bones and try to get every last bit of meat. You should have quite a bit left. Refrigerate or freeze the left over chicken. Take all the bones, skin, and extra gooeyness and put in a crock pot. Fill the crock pot with water until the bones are covered. Heat on low over night, or all day depending on when you start this. You will have delicious chicken stock the next morning! 

Throw out all the bones and skin, I use a strainer to do this. Freeze the chicken broth for future use. Anytime a recipe calls for chicken broth, I just pull out a plastic container of it from my freezer. Even today I am making chicken and noodles in the crock pot and it was wonderful to have it on hand. Remember every penny counts! 

Night Two: Chicken and Rice Soup

I usually use some of the chicken broth and left over meat to make chicken and rice soup. It is comfort food for me. All you need is some of the meat, rice, and broth and I add my favorite seasonings to make a great meal! 

Night Three: Chicken Fried Rice 

With some of the left over chicken I make chicken fried rice. I add egg for more protein. It is easy and a great way to use up left over veggies (or frozen veggies) and rice. 

Night Four: Chicken Mexican Casserole

 If there is still meat left over, I make this chicken mexican casserole. It doesn't call for much chicken and it is oh so yummy! 

Night 5: ?

I don't always have left over chicken at this point, if we my husband eats a lot of the chicken at the beginning of the week. Sometimes instead of just eating the chicken on the first night, we will make paninis with the chicken so it lasts longer, or a Chicken chili to help make the chicken stretch through the whole week. Or I'll use the broth and throw together some veggie soup from whatever is left in my pantry or freezer.

I am not great about taking pictures of my food while I am cooking. I am trying to get better. If any of you had read this post about the Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles or the Meatball Sub Casserole, I added pictures. They both were super easy and yummy!

Here's to many more weeks of being organized and meeting my goals of eating on a dime, or in my case $40 a week!

MCAD Momma

MCAD Momma

When I was thinking about writing again on a blog, one of the main reasons I wanted to write had nothing to do with food. I wanted to write a little bit about Lucy's story and write about Mike and my stresses as parents of a baby with MCAD. Part of the reason I want to write about this is I feel I didn't, and still don't, have a place to go to seek advice. Even our doctor didn't have answers or know what to expect. Don't get me wrong, we have a fabulous doctor at Riley and Lucy is doing wonderfully. It is just difficult when you go to your monthly pediatrician appointment and they are giving you advice, and then telling you not to follow it because they aren't sure for "our case". I guess it is harder to explain, and easier to start at the beginning. My hope is not to complain because we are blessed! Lucy is fantastic and I wouldn't change a thing about her! Our normal pediatrician is fantastic and has been doing her own research for us. My main goal is for other moms and dads who are out there like us, that they may know that there are others dealing with this newly tested deficiency.

*I apologize ahead of time for the length of this post. This is for other MCAD parents out there or anyone interested in our story. 

A week after Lucy was born, Mike had gone back to work and I was at my mom's taking advantage of a sleepy newborn relaxing. I got a phone call from our pediatrician and she was being VERY friendly. I had only met her once before, and she was calling to let me know that the "blood" test had come back positive. I was confused, "What blood test?", "Positive for what?" She kept saying, "You just need to make sure Lucy eats." Thoughts raced through my mind, "I am feeding her! She's a newborn. All she does is eat!" I instantly put the doctor on speaker so my mom could listen,  I was on the verge of hysterics. She told us that she was sending us to Riley and they had already made an appointment for us for the next week. She told us it was called MCAD, and that it could have been a false positive so we had to get more blood tests. She was so kind on the phone, to the point it scared me more. I wanted to know Is she going to die? Is she going to be disabled? How can my perfect 7 pound baby girl have a positive test result. 
After the tears dried some, my mom and I got on the computer and started researching MCAD. (This was after a hysterical voice message I left for my husband at work.) Researching was probably one of the worst things I could have done. Instantly information started popping up about comas, death, liver failure, and seizures. MCAD is short for Medium Chain Acyl-Coenzyme Dehydrogenase deficiency (or disorder depending on who you speak with). Basically Mike and I were both carriers for a MCAD gene, so we had a 25% chance of having a baby with it, and we did. We will have a 25% chance with every pregnancy. Both parents have to have the gene to have a baby with it. You can read more about MCAD here. My family prayed a lot, and we endured a time of waiting until our Riley appointment, where we would get more information on MCAD.  Lucy couldn't break down Medium Chain Fats. What is a medium chain fat? I had to learn a lot. One thing we knew for sure, Lucy needed to eat every 4 hours. Lucy was eating every hour at this point so it didn't seem difficult, other than Mike and I were afraid to sleep just in case, so we set alarms and endured a long week of waiting. Fast forward to our Riley appointment where we met our doctor, who is a geneticist, and he is awesome! My mom joined Mike and I on our first trip to Riley, as I was physically ill thinking about what information may be coming; Mike and I agreed we wanted more ears for listening. Our fears were instantly relieved as the doctor went on to tell us out of all the metabolism disorders out there, this was the one you would want as far as being able to manage it. He also told us that Lucy should grow up to live a long healthy life, as long as she eats. 

Main Things We Learned:

From newborn until 6 months she had to eat every 4 hours, from 6 months to a year she will have to eat every 6 hours, and we are HOPEFUL that we can go 8 hours when she turns a year old. 

 Mike and I set alarms every night. 

We also give Lucy carnotine 3 times a day to help her body rid the extra fat that may have built up in her system. 

She needs to eat a low fat diet. 

If she gets any kind of stomach bug, that is BAD and we may have to take her to the hospital to get an IV. 

She won't ever be able to fast for long periods of time. 

As an adult she will be able to go 12 to 14 hours without food (hopefully not by choice!). 

We keep Gatorade in the house and in our cars just in case Lucy gets ill. We give her a little in a syringe, and if she keeps the gatorade down we don't have to rush to the ER.

We have had a few scares with Lucy getting sick or her refusing to eat because of teething. After giving her a little gatorade we have avoided hospitals so far! When she refuses to eat, it is very extremely stressful, especially if we are at the 6 hour mark. We pray A LOT, and we try nursing, bottles, and if we have to the gatorade. 

We do have a letter from Riley that explains what MCAD is and what the hospitals need to do in case of an ER visit. We keep copies of this in our cars, and digital copies on our phones.  Because this is somewhat new to the newborn screening, many people don't know much about this or how to treat it. 

The Fatty Oxidation Disorder website has been helpful. You can find it here. 

We did find out Lucy has the "Milder" mutation of the MCAD gene. This is good news. Also we have been very lucky and blessed that we haven't had any complications with her deficiency. My goal for this post was to be helpful for all of those out there looking for SOME kind of information on MCAD. I know we are very lucky that our hospital tests for MCAD, as 1% of SIDS deaths were caused by this. We don't know what the future brings, but I pray this is encouraging to parents out there seeking help. 

Thanks for Reading, 

Sarah 

Grocery Goals

So it's been while...

A few updates on the Hosking family. We had a baby! Lucy Mae was born December 3, 2012 and our life has been happily turned upside down. I joyfully battle the daily tasks of my role as mom and continue to take care of our home. Every day our eyes are opened to how blessed we are by this little miracle.

Here is the most recent picture of Lucy (9.5 Months old)

I have been thinking about this blog for a little while now and whether I should start an all together new one or continue this food blog. I realized I am still battling trying to eat healthy on a budget BUT I have found some ways to feed our family that I may share. With the help of close family, friends and Pinterest, my exploring of how little I can get my food budget each week and still love the food I eat has been somewhat successful...some weeks!

Last week I have to admit I spent $72 dollars on groceries, which my goal was $40. We were out of some key items though like eh-em....chocolate chips....Okay but really I did have to buy some more expensive foods to fill some voids in our pantry. AND because of the expenses last week, I was able to successfully buy groceries this week for a grand total of $36 dollars! I found a few dinner recipes on Pinterest I have been wanting to try like this Chicken Taco Soup, and Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles, and I am most looking forward to this evenings Meatball Sub Casserole. I bought ground beef, and chicken this week and still met my goal of being under $40. Now I do need to go back and find some italian bread and frozen egg noodles (Apparently it's not great to shop on Mondays as many things are out of stock...I'm still learning.) So I may be a few dollars over my goal, but the glorious thing about goals is it's just that, a goal, our budget allows for more but I am trying desperately to save as much money as we can so that we can go out to eat more (Remember I am a Foodie), and well do what Mike and I love most and that is to travel!

My grocery list this week:
Chicken Breasts (Now two of the recipes this week called for up to 7 chicken breasts, which is expensive. I chose to save money and only buy 3 HUGE chicken breasts. In the Chicken taco soup I used 1 and 1/2 and it still was delicious and there was plenty of meat - even ask my husband! I plan on using the other breast and a half for the chicken and noodles later this week).
cream of chicken soup - 59 cents
frozen egg noodles (still need to buy)
1 loaf of italian bread (still need to buy)
8 oz Cream cheese - $1.29
Shredded Mozzerella Cheese - $2.99
2 lbs Ground Beef - $5.05 (I'm going to make homemade meatballs for the casserole instead of paying the price of frozen ones, I used this recipe and they are delicious - YUM!)
Pasta Sauce - 99 cents
sour cream - $1.29
16 oz Tomato Sauce - 58 cents
eggs - $1.29
olive oil - $2.99
tortilla chips - $1.19
Broccoli - $1.59
potatoes(5 lbs) - $2.49

bananas - 44 cents a lb

jiffy corn bread mix - 52 cents (This wasn't on my original list)

Last week I spent over my budget and I knew this week I needed plastic wrap and dish detergent, but I really didn't want to pay the price I usually do on the brand names, so I decided to try out some cheaper options. 
Plastic Wrap - $1.49
Dish Detergent - $2.49

Homemade Meatballs:

These were super easy to make, and if you notice the missing one you'll know I couldn't resist. They are delicious! So yummy that I almost don't want to put them in the casserole. I didn't have the garlic salt it called for so I used regular minced garlic. I also didn't have onions so I used dried minced onion. I have trouble following recipes. I can't follow recipes. I don't like to follow recipes, but these are fantastic! 

People often wonder how we live off of the $40 a week on groceries, or close to that. It isn't easy, it takes planning, I mess up a lot, and we have fantastic family and friends that feed us from time to time. I will write more about that soon!

Thanks for reading! 
Sarah

I promised pictures of the meatball sub casserole, see here:

I made the Meatball Sub Casserole, and it was a hit with the family. We are still eating left overs days later, too! I forgot to take a picture of the chicken and noodles, but everyone loved it and it fed 5 of us and I have left overs in the freezer. The only difficulty with the Chicken and Noodles was cleaning out the crock pot. Some of the noodles stuck to the sides. It is soaking in the sink still waiting to be washed.

Soul Food

I found this drafted post from before I had Lucy. It's fascinating to me to read this and see how different my life is now. I felt that I should post this even though it is years old, if nothing but for me to be able to look back and see my heart.

"Have you ever had the feeling that you were meant for more? Not in a selfish way, like I am meant to be famous and have billions of dollars and everyone will know my beautiful face; but more like you have this deep feeling that you can't deny that you were meant for something HUGE. Well that is how I feel. I am not sure if this is the Lord trying to direct me, but I have had this feeling since, well, forever.

I am not sure what this something huge is that I am to be a part of, but after a recent conversation with my mom I know I want to do everything in my power to figure it out. While I continue to persue teaching, and continue to get denied contracted positions I can't help but feel that I am where I am for a reason. I get to the point where I am praying hopeless prayers about my career and then the Lord delivers another interview or another opportunity for me to excell in teaching. I take that as a sign that I am supposed to move forward in this career, that maybe I am needing to be humbled or that I am helping someone in need in the position I am in. Well I can say that the Lord knows how sick I am of being stuck in position after position that financially and emotionally is eating away at me. AND I know that I need to wait on the Lord's timing, and I need to be happy I have a job in this wishy washy market, but I can't help but wonder if this is the Land Between where I am supposed to be having some amazing spiritual growth, or if I am missing opportunities that I am blind to because of this "idea" that I am supposed to be a teacher.

I will find the joy in each day. I will try my very hardest not to worry about where I am supposed to be, and just be. I will continue to wait on the Lord (but please hurry,will ya?) And I will stay faithful in prayer."