Frugal Valentine Ideas...Yummy Valentine Treats

Works for Me Wednesday is being hosted today over at Don't Try This at Home while Shannon is in Uganda.

For Valentine's Day, I have been thinking and planning easy homemade ideas that won't hurt the budget. Here is what I have come up with:

Heart-shaped Microwave Fudge - I will add marshmallows to my daughters. I am also going to try it with peanut butter for my son.

Coconut Clusters and Peanut Clusters for my hubby.

For breakfast, we will have Eggs-in-the-Basket (with cutouts heart-shaped).

And I am going to leave pink and red heart-shaped "love notes" all over the house and in my hubby's lunch and backpack. I am up late after everyone is in bed anyway, so this will be a nice surprise when they wake up.

That's all - enough for me! Just want to express how much I love them!

Check Out These Great Carnivals

Today is Tuesday again, so don't forget to check out these wonderful sites with all their wonderful tips, ideas and articles:

Make It From Scratch Carnival is hosted today by Heather at It's All For The Best

Kitchen Tip Tuesday is over at Tammy's Recipes

The Festival of Frugality is being hosted today by Lazy Man and Money.

The Carnival of Homeschooling will be up later today at the The Voice of Experience.

and the Homesteading Carnival is at The Homeschool Blogger Front Porch.

Check Your Oven's Temperature!

I have been baking my own bread for about 8 months now and have finally solved the dilemma of why my bread was either not rising or falling before it was done baking! My oven temperature was too low. When I set it for 350 degrees, it really only heated up to about 300, if I was having a good day:-) Or I would put the bread in before it finished heating up and didn't want to open and check it a little later (would let out heat:-). I decided to quit making loaves and just make rolls (we like them just as well anyway) until last week. Then somewhere I read that if the temperature is too low, the bread won't set up when it rises in the oven, so then it will fall down again. The temperature needs to be hot enough to set the bread pretty quickly when it rises to its fullest height. So, I decided to try setting my oven to 400 degrees or so and waiting about 1/2 hour before putting the bread in the oven. Voila! Perfectly risen and browned bread! I was so excited! So now I can make beautiful loaves, too! And I am getting stoneware loaf pans this week that I ordered with my Christmas money, so I am a happy camper (er...baker?)

You have to understand that I don't have a great track record for baking. I have always been a great cook, but baking has always been a challenge for me. Usually due to oven problems!! When we were first married, I wanted to make cookies for my husband. We were really broke, so the only ones I could make with what I had on hand were sugar cookies. I tried (and failed) at 4 different recipes before I discovered that my oven temperature was way off. My husband bought me an oven thermometer (which I still have over 20 years later) and that helped me alot, but my "baking self-esteem" has never fully recovered. And it didn't help that when I tried to bake bread in my bread machine, it never rose and was always squatty and pretty dense.

Now, I bake beautiful loaves and buns/rolls and feel so good about what I am providing for my family. Isn't it funny how homemade bread can change your life?

Weird, but True...Homeschooling and Real Life

We are currently studying earthquakes, and guess what just happened?!! We had an earthquake!! No kidding!! It was centered about 25 miles away in Baja California and was 5.1 on the richter scale. I was typing on my computer and the whole table started moving!! My husband said the walls even moved! Yikes!! My son, standing a few feet away didn't even feel it, but he saw the water in the cooler moving and the hanging basket in the kitchen swinging.

So I went online and found the info about it from the U.S. Geological Survey site, and sure enough, there it was! Within the last hour! They have a place for you to report what you experienced, so I filled out that page and submitted our info. How cool was that to be able to participate in their research? We have felt a few small earthquakes here in the 5 years we have been here, but thankfully nothing really big.

Well, that was enough excitement for one day:-)! Hope there isn't anything bigger!

Keeping Up With the Laundry

Over at Biblical Womanhood, Crystal asked for ideas on how we keep up with the laundry in our homes. I chose one day of the week (Thursday) to do laundry. There are only 4 of us, so I am talking only 5-6 loads total per week. I bring out my sorted laundry into the kitchen before I take a shower. Then my kids sort their dirty clothes into the separated baskets so that I can start the laundry right after I shower. My biggest challenge is not forgetting to change the loads. I get so wrapped up in whatever we are doing that day, that I OFTEN forget about the laundry. Since the washer and dryer are outside, I don't often hear them buzz. I use homemade laundry detergent, so that saves in the pocketbook. I also hate to fold clothes because (don't laugh) I get dizzy when I am folding clothes. I have to take frequent breaks to clear my head - do you think that is psychological?LOL I try to get all the clothes folded (and the kids put their own away) before bedtime that night. I can't stand for laundry to take over the rest of my week, so I confine it to one day and that has made it manageable for me.

Oh, and that contraption over the washing machine is the way my husband finagled to get the heat exhaust from the dryer vented into the bathroom:-).

Breakfast Pizza

Ok, I did make Breakfast Pizza today and it turned out great! Here is my recipe adapted from a recipe I found over on the BreadBeckers website:

Pizza Crust
1 cup warm water
1 tsp. Sucanat
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. Olive or Canola Oil
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (freshly ground)
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 1/2 tsp. instant yeast

Mix ingredients in mixer with dough hook for 5 minutes until soft dough forms. If too sticky, add a tiny bit more flour. Grease or spray a bowl with canola oil and put dough into, coating all sides. Cover with towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375-400 degrees. Form pizza crust with dough on a pizza stone, making edges a little higher to contain egg mixture.

Pizza Filling/Topping:
1/2 lb. ground turkey sausage, browned
1 cup shredded cheese (or perhaps a little more)
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
4 eggs (I used leftover eggwhites from the Key Lime Pie I made yesterday)
2 Tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Top dough with sausage, cheese and spinach. Combine milk, salt, pepper and eggs, stirring with a whisk. Carefully pour egg mixture over the sausage mixture on the crust. Sprinkle with parmesan. Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes or until crust is browned.

My gang really loved it - in fact, my son gave me an ovation after tasting it! I guess this will have to become a regular breakfast option here. I just have to plan ahead to save time in the morning:-).

Sound Off: What is your favorite breakfast recipe?

Meal Plan Monday? Sort of..

If you have been reading my posts, you know that I don't LIKE to plan out my menus for the week. But with my hubby working (and different schedules), I don't have time to "think" about what I "feel" like cooking for each meal. So I have put together a list of meals for the week based on what I have on hand from prior shopping trips. This way, I can know what I am going to make in advance and get it ready on time for him. So here we go:

Monday - Chicken'N'Chilies Casserole
Tuesday - Gyros (whole wheat pita, meat made from gr. turkey, Tzatziki sauce)
Wednesday - Dinner Out for birthday/Valentine's Day combo!!
Thursday - Maple-Roasted Chicken Thighs with Sweet Potatoes
Friday - Don't know yet:-)

Here are the breakfasts I have lined up:
Apple Oatmeal Casserole
Banana Muffins
Egg sandwiches
Nut and Whole Grain Pancakes
Eggs in the Middle of Toast (Valentine's edition)
and today I am thinking about making Breakfast Pizza!

Well, we will see how well I follow this:-) and decide whether to continue or not. Have a wonderful Monday!!

Today is My Birthday!

I'm not gonna say how many years, but they have been blessed years! Lots of them!

It was a quiet day because my dear hubby had to work. After running him to the border (he rides his bicycle from there), I went back to bed and found my daughter there. She woke up about 10am and left. Then my son came in asked me what I wanted for breakfast. So he brought me coffee and a bagel with cream cheese in bed! He has been well-trained by my husband! He said he knew dad would do that for me, so he was filling in. How sweet!

Tonight, I made homemade corned beef hash with eggs for dinner when my hubby came home and we had a fresh key lime pie for desert (my favorite and the kids made it for me).

It has been a very nice day, quiet and relaxing. I talked to several relatives on the phone and even shared a very long, but good, conversation with my brother.

We will officially celebrate on Tuesday or Wednesday when hubby gets a day off - I am so looking forward to that. I miss my hubby when he is working!

Pepperoni and Granola and Bread....Oh My!

It has been quite a busy day! When you make just about everything from scratch, guess what? You run out and have to make more!! You can't just run to the store and pick up some more:-). So today was a day to make batches of some essentials in our house. I baked a loaf of bread and 15 rolls, baked a batch of granola cereal, and mixed the meat for another batch of pepperoni. The bread came out beautifully! I hadn't made any loaves for quite a while (we really like to use the rolls for so many things) since I had been having trouble with my bread falling. But then I realized that my oven wasn't getting hot enough and cranked it up to 425 degrees setting in order to get it to bake at 350 degrees. That solved the problem and now my bread comes out b-e-a-utiful!!
I made up another batch of Granola Cereal for my kids - they LOVE it! And that makes me so happy - I just cringe at the thought of the eating that sugary store-bought cereal, but occasionally I just don't have time to cook a nice hot breakfast. And I mixed together the meat and spices for another batch of spicy turkey pepperoni. I added more paprika this time to see if it comes out more red. Then, for dinner, I decided to try Ham and Split Pea Soup. It turned out great! Everyone really liked it - even me (and I HATE peas!) I used turkey ham and started with dried split peas, so it took about 2 1/2 hours to cook, but it was worth it. That recipe will be a keeper.

It Feels Like Spring, So Let's Make Salad!

Ok, I realize that most of you are still in the peak of winter with plummeting temperatures and snow. But we live in the Sonoran Desert and our winters are usually beautiful. These last two months have been quite cold for us and I have been making hot stews and soups alot to keep us warm (we do not have heat in our house, so temps in the 40s at night is really chilly for us inside the house).

But yesterday felt like spring with a gorgeous 78 degrees and, of course, sunshine! We only see clouds a few days each year, so our weather is pretty monotonous:-).

Now that some of you want to beat me with a stick, I will share my recipe for this delicious pasta salad I threw together. I started with some whole grain penne pasta, cooked and drained. I left it to cool while I chopped what I had in the frig: carrots, celery tops (I used to throw them away), onion, tomatoes, cucumber, baby spinach, and broccoli. To this I added about 1/3 of a piece of turkey ham (very frugal meat - about 3 meals for $2.00), chopped into cubes. When the pasta was cool, I tossed it all together with some balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and topped with some Parmesan cheese.

Everybody loved it! And my hubby took the leftover (not much) for his lunch at work today. Since most of the produce I got from our community food bank, the whole meal probably cost me about $2.00! That fits my frugal budget, how about yours?

Hurray for the Community Food Bank!

I try, as often as possible, to take advantage of the community food bank's Harvest Club. For $22 (it just went up from $18), anyone can purchase a "box" of food. It is really a FULL shopping cart full! I wish I had been able to take a photo of it all, but time didn't permit and I was really tired! Yesterday, for example, I came home with a dozen eggs, gallon of milk, 1 lb. of ground beef, a whole chicken, package of hot dogs, several cans of corn, several boxes of crushed tomatoes, Oreo cookies, Nestles giant chocolate bar, two apple pies (well, my kids were really excited about all these sweets:-), 4 heads of cabbage, 4 bunches of leaf lettuce, big box of baby spinach, several bags of leaf lettuce, several bags of salad mix, two pkg. of celery hearts, a bag of carrots, huge bag of chopped onions, 5 lbs. of red potatoes, big bag of grapefruits, 2 boxes of macaroni and cheese, 5-6 loaves of bread, hamburger buns, 3 large pkg. of flour tortillas, 2 2-liter bottles of grapefruit soda, several cans of applesauce, apple jelly, peanut butter, box of elbow macaroni, can of chicken noodle soup, big box of Rice Krispies and a bunch of other miscellaneous stuff I can't remember right now. Talk about a bargain!! Of course, since we live in the main agricultural area for lettuce for the U.S., we get ALOT of produce in the winter. Not so great a deal in the summer. But this REALLY helps my family keep our budget low, and the items that we don't eat (mostly the processed stuff) or is too much to consume before going bad, we give to a men's rehab center that really needs the help. So we are able to share alot and still save alot!

If you have a community food bank, check it out and see if they have a program like this. This helps them raise the funds they need to provide the emergency food and programs for the needy. You don't have to qualify in any way to buy this box of food. And, especially here in the winter, it can be a GREAT bargain! And share what items you might not like to eat with someone you know who will appreciate them.

Crayon Rolls - custom order!

These are my first custom order of these crayon rolls. See the cute fishy theme for Joshua?
And how about this adorable butterfly and swirls for Emily? It came out absolutely adorable!
These rolls each hold 24 crayons, but I can make them for any amount of crayons. I am going to set up an Etsy store to sell these and other sewn items, but in the meantime, if you would like to order one of these for your little ones or for a birthday present (that is what these were for), then just email me (or submit a comment and I will reply with my email). I have enough fabric to make a 16 or 18 count roll in each of these fabric combinations for $12.00 each plus $6.00 for personalization (appliqued name) if desired. Shipping is $3.00 in the continental U.S. I also have many other fabrics, or you can request a particular color/theme, etc.

Romancing Our Children....? Sounds Great!

I just came upon a blog about Romancing Our Children over at The Heart of the Matter. It really made me think and gave me some great ideas for Valentine's Day. Check out Christina's ideas and add your own if you have any.

I'm thinking LOTS of little notes written on hearts hidden all around the house when they get up on Valentine's Day (for hubby, too:-). I will also be making special meals that day like heart-shaped pancakes (whole grain and nut, of course) or eggs-in-the-middle-of-toast using a heart cookie cutter. You just take a piece of bread (preferably whole grain) and using a heart cookie cutter, cut out the middle of the bread. Then melt a little butter in a skillet and place the bread and the cutout part in the skillet. Break an egg into the middle of the bread and cook until bread is toasted (flip for other side). My kids LOVE this!

I think cream puffs with pink cream inside would be a very special dessert, too! And since steak is so rare (pun intended) in our house, I think that will have to be the special Valentine's Dinner for us.

What are your plans for Valentine's Day? Care to share?

Breakfast Chilaquiles - Mexican and frugal!

This morning I had the "What Am I Going to Make for Breakfast?" quandry. I KNOW I should plan my menus ahead, but I really like being spontaneous because I cook what I feel like - weird, huh? Well, I only had two eggs and three people to feed (hubby was already at work). Yesterday, I fed my children homemade cream of wheat (for the first and last time - not a favorite, so I won't share the recipe:-) and didn't want to make oatmeal the very next day - I like variety!

So I looked into the refrigerator to see what I could come up with. There was a packet of corn tortillas sitting there looking like they might get stale, so I decided to try Breakfast Chilaquiles. I put some canola oil into the pan (enough to just cover the bottom) and fried up the tortillas (about 7) cut into 1" wide strips. When they started to get a little crispy (that's how I like mine), I scrambled the eggs and added them, along with some chopped up turkey. I stirred that around for a couple minutes till the egg started to set. Then I added some shredded Fiesta Blend cheese, covered the pan, turned off the heat, and let it sit for just a minute or two until the cheese was melted.

I served with hot sauce (Tapatio and Chalula are our favorites) and a dab of sour cream - YUM! They were REALLY good! And I accomplished my goal of feeding my children something warm, satisfying and mostly healthy. Sometimes lack of ingredients brings about the greatest of creativity and invention! What did you have for breakfast?

We are so blessed! And thanks for hot water.

Just a little bit ago, my son came in to say goodnight and his hands were freezing. He said it was from washing the dishes. Well, my husband went out to the van for something and saw that the neighbor boys were washing their dishes as well - outside at night with cold water!! We live in Mexico and there is poverty all around. Our next door neighbors live in a plywood shack with no running water indoors, just a hose outside. They don't have ANY hot water, so that must have been a pretty tough chore. But that is not unusual here. Needless to say, my son was counting some of his blessings tonight rather than complaining about his chores. He got to use hot water and wash the dishes in a sink inside the house. Just a reminder to be thankful continually for all the blessings God bestows upon us daily!

Books, books, books!

Over at Rocks In My Dryer, she asked us to list all of our favorite places to shop online. Well, I can say that most of my online shopping has to do with books. Amazon.com is a favorite place, especially since you can also get used books there for a small price. Half.com is another site I always check out, and CBD.com usually has pretty good prices, even on homeschooling stuff. But most of all, I like to "shop" at PaperbackSwap and BookMooch. And now I here there are a few more sites like those that I will have to check out. What is better than swapping your books for just the cost of postage? We go through books so fast in our house, who needs new?

Warm Up with Turkey Noodle Soup

The photo doesn't do it justice, because it was really yummy! I had some turkey left over from last week (I cooked a whole turkey that was extra from Christmas when they were cheap) and decided to make some hot turkey noodle soup. I don't know about you, but I don't really use a recipe when I make these kinds of soup.

Here is what I did:
Chop up 1/2 an onion, 2 cloves garlic, some left over celery and carrot sticks. Saute in oil until onion is soft. Add 8 cups of water and about 2 cups of leftover turkey gravy. Sprinkle in a little chicken bouillon (about 1 Tablespoon). Bring to a boil. Add one can of corn, about 2 cups of turkey cut into bite-size pieces and a bag of whole wheat egg noodles. Season with a little 21 Seasoning Salute, salt and pepper. Cook until noodles are tender. Then eat! I served with some homemade whole wheat croutons and it was delicious!

Do you use a recipe when cooking turkey or chicken noodle soup? Care to share your recipe?

When Science Class, Breakfast and Pancake Day Collide!

What's a mom to do!!?? So today, in honor of National Pancake Day and our study of rocks and minerals, we had Metamorphic Rock Pancakes. OK, so maybe they aren't so nutritional (with chocolate chips and marshmallows), but I still used fresh ground whole wheat and oats. How is that for rationalizing:-)? It was fun and memorable - that's what counts today! My daughter thought she was still dreaming when I woke her up telling her I was making pancakes with chocolate chips and marshmallows. LOL

100 Things You Can Make Yourself

While perusing the Festival of Frugality, I came across this list of 100 things you can make yourself. If you have read my blog at all, you know I like to make things from scratch rather than buy processed foods. So this is right up my alley! And many of these I have done. Check it out and see if there is anything you would like to try to make. I am going to make yogurt, cream cheese and maybe mayonaise this week. I'll let you know how it comes out.

Tuesday is Carnival Day!

And I'm not talking about Mardi Gras! For those of you who didn't know, Tuesday is a day when there are lots of blog carnivals about many different things. There are a few I love to check out every week:

Carnival of Homeschooling is over at About.com:Homeschooling

Kitchen Tip Tuesday is always hosted by Tammy's Recipes

Festival of Frugality is at BeingFrugal.net

and you can find the Make it From Scratch Carnival at Stop the Ride!

This is the first week I was able to participate in all of these, so check out my posts!

Studying "The Messiah" by Handel

As part of our unit study on Ancient Rome, we have been studying and listening to The Messiah, by George Frederick Handel. My sister-in-law sent the 2 disc set to me for Christmas and while I thought it was a nice gift, I wasn't particularly excited about it. But little did I realize (since I didn't look ahead much) that we would actually be studying and listening to the entire production as part of our next unit! How excited I was when I realized how God had used My dsil Karen to provide exactly what we needed!

And I want to tell you that is has been so wonderful! Over the last couple of weeks, we have been listening to several parts each day and reading the scriptures they were taken from and discussing how the music "acts out" the words. It as been so educational, as well as beautiful! I want to thank Dorian Holt (author of Learning Adventures) for including this incredible study in her curriculum.

The Continual Joy of Unit Studies: Renaissance Faire and Growing Crystal Candy

Since day one of homeschooling (some 9 years ago now), I have used unit studies because they are fun, educational, easy to incorporate all subjects and we can all work together! And did I say FUN? We are currently studying ancient history with A World of Adventures by Learning Adventures and have been able to incorporate alot of fun activities into our schooling. This past weekend we went to the Two Rivers Renaissance Faire and the kids learned to juggle and fence. There were many funny, educational and entertaining shows as well. The renaissance festival season is well under way across the country and continues throughout the year, so check your area to see if you can take advantage of attending one of these to add zest to your homeschooling. And make sure you count that day as a homeschooling day! The schools sure do (there were many yellow buses there, too.)


Since we are studying rocks and minerals, we finally got to use a kit that the grandparents gave us a while back to grow crystal rock candy. My daughter can't wait to try it (she had to wait 7 days!!). But it has been very interesting to watch the growth and changes each day. I would encourage you to include as many fun learning activities as you can into your homeschool and make it memorable and exciting for your kids to learn.

What A Game! Congrats to the Giants!

Although I am not a huge sports fan, I do follow football some and usually watch the Superbowl. I was hoping the Giants would win, but really didn't believe they would. It was an awesome game! And they played like the champions they now are. Pretty cool that Eli won (and MVP) the very next year after Peyton! What a proud papa they must have!

Write-Away Contest : LOVE

Scribbit is hosting her February Write-Away Contest and the topic is LOVE. If you would like to participate, go to her site and check out the rules. The prize is a nice package of goodies from Alaska!

Happy February!

Since this is February, I have been thinking about love. Yes, that’s right – LOVE! We have just finished a book for our devotions called “Heroic Faith: How to live a life of extreme devotion” and the last chapter was about love – heroic, self-sacrificing love.

Well, I think we home schooling moms certainly love our children (or we wouldn’t be doing this) and often make personal sacrifices for our children. Sometimes the chaos of life and home schooling, might “muck it up” as far as being able to clearly see and demonstrate our love for our children, but I have no doubt about that love. Loving our children is probably the easiest self-sacrificing kind of love we have.

I know that we all love our Lord, but do we really demonstrate that on a daily basis? Do we sacrifice personally to show Him how much we love Him? This is possibly a little harder because He often seems intangible to us. We can’t hug Him or kiss Him physically (like we can our children or spouses). So how can we demonstrate our love for Him? Spending time with Him, talking to Him, sharing about Him and sharing His love with others, just for starters.

Well, that’s another category completely – loving others. Are we willing to lay down our lives for others? To tell them the good news of Jesus? Do we love our neighbor enough to sacrifice our time and humble ourselves to share with them about Jesus? “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friend.” John 15:13 Do we love sacrificially? Do we love others enough to bake some heart shaped cookies and stop by their house and tell them that you just wanted to share about the greatest Valentine’s gift of all? The greatest love-gift of all?

Forgiveness is also sacrificially loving. Is there anyone you are still holding something against? February is a great time to love by forgiving. Release yourself and that other person from the prison of resentment, and free yourself and them to love and walk wholly, and holy, before God.

Take a little time this month to think about love and He who is Love. Then DO some loving of others by showing them you care. Hug your kids a few extra times, kiss your hubby every day, show someone who doesn’t know Jesus the way to eternal life through your acts, AND words, of loving kindness.

Spinach Coming Out My Ears!

Well, not literally! This time of year, spinach is being harvested and we are blessed with as much of it as we can consume (and sometimes a little more:-). Spinach is very good for you (Extraordinarily high in vitamin C and rich in riboflavin, one cup of cooked spinach also contains a very high level of vitamin A, folate, magnesium, potassium, as well as vitamins E, B6, and thiamin), so I spend time online finding new recipes and ways to use spinach. I have made Spinach Brownies (taste better than they sound), Ultimate Spinach Dip, many different kinds of Spinach Salads, Italian Wedding Soup (a favorite), added fresh spinach to pizza, eggs, and other dishes. Do you have a favorite recipe using spinach? I would love to have your input! Just leave your idea or recipe in a comment. Thanks!

Frugal and Healthy Breakfast

I was in a quandry today what to make for breakfast. Then I came up with a frugal and healthy dish! I had some potatoes, LOTS of spinach and only 3 eggs to feed 4 of us. So here is what I made:
Spinach, Potato and Egg Pitas
I took 4 small potatoes and diced them with the skins left on (for extra nutritional value). I sauteed them in a little canola oil and sprinkled some 21 Seasoning Salute (from Trader Joe's) on them. Put the lid on the skillet for a few minutes to soften them. Then I added a BIG handful of baby spinach (I just ran the knife through it to chop it a little). When the spinach seemed mostly cooked, I added the 3 eggs, scrambled. Let this cook a few minutes and when the eggs seem almost set, sprinkle a handful of Fiesta Blend shredded cheese. Put the cover on and turn the heat off. Then I spooned this mixture into some of my homemade whole wheat pita pockets, added a little Chalula (hot sauce) and we had a great breakfast!

Talk About "Walking on Eggshells"!

We have been saving eggshells for over a week now for an eggshell mosaic project coming up next week in our curriculum. I started washing and cleaning them out, but it takes a LONG time! Any hints, tips, tricks anyone would like to share? I will post pictures of the kids' mosaics when they are completed. This is for our study of Ancient Rome. We are also studying volcanoes, like Pompeii, so that should prove to be fun! Right now we have Rock Candy growing in a jar on the counter. Oh, the fun and joy of homeschooling!!

Please Leave a Comment!

Thanks to my dear hubby, you can now leave a comment. I would LOVE to know what you think of my blog entries! So please leave a comment and let me know you visited.

And then maybe starting next month I will begin participating in some of these bloggy giveaways and you can win a prize for leaving a comment. How does that sound? Something handmade, of course!

Preserving Citrus

For us here in the Southwest, citrus is in season. Yes, I know this seems weird for any of you on the East coast, but that's how it is out here in the Southwest. Everything is in season at different times than I am used to, being from the Northeast.

Anyway, we receive alot of lemons and oranges that we cannot possibly eat before they begin to dry out. So I needed to find a way to preserve it. Here is what I found. You can squeeze the juice from the lemons or oranges and put it in ice cube trays to freeze. After it is frozen solid, just pop them out and put in a ziploc bag and back in the freezer. Then when you need some lemon or orange juice for a recipe or lemonade, just take them out, pop them into the microwave for a few seconds and you have wonderfully fresh juice!

You can also freeze the peels in a ziploc bag for future use as zest. No need to thaw first, just use your citrus zester or fine grater.

For more great Kitchen Tips, visit Tammy's Recipes.

Organizing your pencils or crayons or crochet hooks or drum sticks, etc.

This is a great idea I found over at Sew, Mama, Sew! before Christmas. I made a couple crayon rolls for gifts, and today I made one for my daughter's watercolor pencils. She was always losing them out of the box and didn't want to keep them in a ziploc bag. So I made this cute pencil roll for her. Now my son wants one for his drum sticks - but I don't have "masculine" fabric to use right now. Must visit the fabric store soon! But you can also make them to hold crochet hooks, knitting needles and other kinds of tools, pencils, etc. I even applique their names on them sometimes to personalize. I will be making these to sell for Hope House in the near future and feature them in an Etsy store (like Ebay, but for handmade items). Let me know if you might be interested in purchasing something like this to help support Hope House. I am trying to get the comments working on this blog so you can let me know what you think each day. Look for it soon!

Sewing Covers for my appliances

Over the last several months I have received a Nutrimill Flour Mill from my great aunt and a Bosch Universal Mixer from my dear hubby. Well, here where we live it is VERY dusty - we live in the desert - so I decided I needed covers for my new appliances. So I got out some old fabric I had from many years ago and set to work. It was quick and simple, so I even made a potholder and plastic bag holder to match. I love to decorate, but since we live in a rented house in Mexico, I haven't done much in this house. So this added a nice, decorative touch to my kitchen as well as being very functional. I just measured the sides and top of each appliance and figured how much fabric I would need for each. By using two different fabrics for each, I didn't need really large pieces.

The Best Pancakes Ever!

These are the best pancakes I have ever had! So I thought I would share the recipe while I sit here eating them. They are also very healthy (my kids hate the "h" word:-), and very filling.

Grain and Nut Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (fresh ground is best!)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (you can make this by adding vinegar to regular milk)
1 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1/3 cup honey or Sucanat (you CAN use sugar if you want)
3 Tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)
2 bananas, mashed (optional)

Grind the oats in a blender or food processor until fine. In a large bowl, combine ground oats, whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, milk, oil, egg, and honey with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix wet ingredients into dry with a few swift strokes. Stir in nuts and bananas, if desired.

Lightly oil a skillet or griddle, and preheat it to medium heat. Ladle 1/3 cup of the batter onto the hot skillet, cook the pancakes for 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until brown. Enjoy!

Puppy Love

Our "puppy" LJ (he is only 9 1/2 months old) decided he wanted to crawl up on mom's lap. Uh, he didn't quite fit, but that didn't stop him! He is very loving and sweet (and mostly calm), but our first big dog and we are learning to adjust. He is an Akita, a gift to my son from some dear friends in Phoenix. Hopefully, he is almost done growing!

Library books galore!

I don't know about you, but whenever we start a new unit I visit the library (or my husband does like this time) and get LOTS of books on the topics we are studying. This month we are studying Ancient Rome and Rocks & Minerals, Earthquakes and Volcanoes. There are DVDs, videos, activity books, fiction books, and non-fiction books. Hopefully , these will last for 3-4 weeks. And that cute crate? Found that at a yard sale a few months back for $4.00!!

We are using Learning Adventures "A World of Adventure" this year and I LOVE it! It is laid out day-by-day and covers everything except math (for that I use Math-U-See). During this unit we are also studying and listening to Handel's Messiah. That has been really great, too. There are plenty of hands-on activities like cooking, science experiments, etc. It also includes Spelling, Grammar, Writing, Vocabulary, History, Science and more! I am very pleased with this curriculum.

And BTW, this doesn't include all the personal reading library books that we have out right now. Good thing our library lets you check out as many books as you want:-)!

Today I made Turkey Pepperoni from scratch!

Ok, here is what I did today - I made Turkey PEPPERONI! And boy, is it spicy! We really like it!

I used Tammy's Recipe, but I used ground turkey and instead of Morton's TenderQuick Curing Salt (which I couldn't find anywhere), I just used regular salt. This way, it doesn't have any nitrates or nitrites, either. I will keep it refrigerated or frozen so that it won't spoil anyway.

Here is the meat just before going into the oven.

It takes 4 days to make, but it is worth it! Not only is it healthier and tastier, but it is about 1/4 of the cost of Turkey Pepperoni at WalMart. Now I can't wait to make pizza and try it out! Of course, I make my own whole grain pizza crust. I will share that recipe another day, too.

Make Your Own Liquid Laundry Detergent and Save!!

I have been making my own laundry detergent for several months and really LOVE it! It gets the clothes really clean and is easy to make - and, of course, really CHEAP!

Here is the recipe I have been using, but I am also giving you this page that has 10 slightly different recipes for making laundry detergent (liquid and dry), so you can try and see what works best for you.

1 bar of soap (I like to use Fels-Naptha)
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda (not the same as baking soda)
1/2 cup Borax

Step One: Put about four cups of water into a pan on your stove and turn the heat up on high until it’s almost boiling. While you’re waiting, whip out a knife and start shaving strips off of the bar of soap into the water, whittling it down. Keep the heat below a boil and keep shaving the soap. Eventually, you’ll shave up the whole bar, then stir the hot water until the soap is dissolved and you have some highly soapy water.

Step Two: Put three gallons of hot water into the five gallon bucket (fill up three gallon milk jugs). Then mix the hot soapy water from step one, stir it for a while, then add a cup of the washing soda. Keep stirring it for another minute or two, then add a half cup of borax. Stir for another couple of minutes, then let the stuff sit overnight to cool.

And you’re done. When you wake up in the morning, you’ll have a bucket of gelatinous slime that’s a paler shade of the soap that you used. One measuring cup full of this slime will be roughly what you need to do a load of laundry – and the ingredients are basically the same as laundry detergent.

This will NOT suds - the suds don't clean the clothes, the other ingredients do. So don't fret!

Try it out and see if you like it - it will definitely save you money!

Several Hummus Recipes

Did you know that you can substitute peanut butter for tahini in hummus recipes? I came across this somewhere and have used it many times because I NEVER have tahini (too expensive for me:-). Well, it gives a little sweeter, nuttier taste, but it is really good! So, keep in mind that I used peanut butter in all of these recipes.

This recipe is for Spiced Sweet Roasted Red Pepper Hummus and it is SO yummy! I think this is my family's favorite.

I like things spicy, so I tried this Jalapeno Hummus and loved it too!

This Black Bean and Chickpea Hummus was the first hummus I made because it is tahini-free (before I found out about using peanut butter). It is good, too!

I hope you can enjoy a little hummus with your homemade Whole Wheat Pita from yesterday - what a tasty treat for the tastebuds!

Isn't Vinegar Amazing?

Isn't Vinegar Amazing? My friend, Jaye, emailed me yesterday with her tip about using vinegar to wash fruits and vegetables. She said, "You just mix 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar. It kills 99% of the bacteria and removes traces of pesticides, etc... and it’s super cheap!" Thanks, Jaye!

Here are some uses from the Vinegar Institute:

Garbage disposal cleaner:
Garbage disposals may be kept clean and odor free with vinegar cubes. Vinegar cubes are made by filling an ice tray with a mixture of 1 cup of vinegar and enough water to fill the ice tray and then freezing it. Run the mixture through the disposal, and then flush it with cold water for a minute or so.

Coffee maker cleaner (automatic):
White distilled vinegar can help to dissolve mineral deposits that collect in automatic drip coffee makers from hard water. Fill the reservoir with white distilled vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. Rinse thoroughly with water when the cycle is finished. (Be sure to check the owner’s manual for specific instructions.)

Clean the microwave:
Boil a solution of 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave. Will loosen splattered on food and deodorize.

Deodorize the kitchen drain:
Pour a cup of white distilled vinegar down the drain once a week. Let stand 30 minutes and then flush with cold water.

Clean the refrigerator:
Wash with a solution of equal parts water and white distilled vinegar.

Clean and disinfect wood cutting boards:
Wipe with full strength white distilled vinegar.

Brass polish:
Brass, copper and pewter will shine if cleaned with the following mixture. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of white distilled vinegar and stir in flour until it becomes a paste. Apply paste to the metals and let it stand for about 15 minutes. Rinse with clean warm water and polish until dry.

Ant deterrent:
Ant invasions can sometimes be deterred by washing counter tops, cabinets and floors with white distilled vinegar.

Cleaning Stainless Steel Appliances
Apply vinegar with a soft cloth to remove streaks from stainless steel appliances. Try in an inconspicuous place first.

Cleaner Dishes and Glasses
Pour 1 ½ cup to 2 cups white distilled vinegar in the bottom of dishwasher, along with regular dishwasher soap. Wash full cycle.

Remove Refrigerator Smells
Place 1 cup apple cider vinegar in a glass and set in refrigerator. Within 2 days, any smell is gone!

Check out Tammy's Recipes Kitchen Tip Tuesday for alot more tips that are very useful!

How to Make Delicious Whole Wheat Pita

This is in response to a request by my dear friend Terri! Over the last couple weeks I have made this pita several times and we just gobble it up! It is so good and tasty! I made "mock" gyros last week and I will share about them and how you can make them really simply another day. You can also make up some hummus to eat with them. I have a couple of yummy recipes for that, too - roasted red pepper hummus and jalapeno hummus.

Whole Wheat Pita
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp yeast
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp salt
4 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour
(if you don't have fresh ground, try 3 cups whole wheat to 1 cup bread flour)

Place water, honey and salt into a large mixer with dough hook. Mix well.
Add 2 cups of flour and then yeast. Mix well.
Add remaining two cups of flour and knead dough for 5 minutes.
Remove dough to lightly floured surface (I use a big bowl because I don't have any counter space) and hand knead for a few minutes.
Separate the dough into 8 portions. Set the dough aside and cover with a towel for 30 minutes.
Roll down each ball with your palm on a floured surface forming a small disc. Then, with a rolling pin, form 8 discs 7-inches diameter. They should be bout 1/4 inch thick. Set aside and cover with a damp linen or towel. Let them rest for 15 minutes.
While they rest, put a stone or baking sheet into your oven and turn the oven on the 450 degrees. After the fifteen minutes, starting with the first pita you rolled out, put a few of them onto the stone or sheet. Do not crowd! They need the circulated air.
Let them cook for about 6 minutes. They should be puffed up, but not really browned. Remove with tongs and keep under a warm, moist towel until all are done baking.
Store in airtight container or ziplock bag when cooled.

Yummy! Enjoy these wonderful - and easy - pitas! I will give you the other recipes tomorrow, I hope.

A Popcorn Secret

I can only imagine why we have never heard of this before - it is a well kept secret. Did you know that you can use regular popping corn and a brown paper bag to make popcorn in your microwave? No oil or butter?

Just throw a handful of popcorn in the little brown lunch bag, fold over the top a couple times, place in microwave and turn on for about 2 or 2 1/2 minutes. Then stand by and listen, when the popping slows down, turn it off. In just a couple minutes, you will have freshly popped popcorn with no oil or butter! Then you can season it however you like (I personally like Cajun Seasoning on mine) and enjoy! So simple, so quick, so healthy! It is my favorite snack!

Oh, and make sure you reuse the brown paper bag over and over, unless (this happens occasionally) you get a tear from a particularly violent popcorn:-).

Foam Soap Refill

Do you love that foam soap but hate the price? Well, my daughter absolutely LOVES foam soap and begged me to buy it. One day I broke down and bought ONE. When it ran out, I thought to myself, "I wonder if you can make this soap?" Well, I went out and searched on the internet (don't know where I would be without this great instant resource:-) and found it is easy AND CHEAP!! The foaming is in the pump, not the soap.

All you have to do is put 3 Tablespoons of liquid hand soap or dishwashing soap in a bowl with 2/3 cups of water. Gently mix soap with water - DO NOT SHAKE! Pour into foam soap dispenser and VOILA! More foam soap at a fraction of the cost of any other since you are only using 3 Tablespoons!!

How cool is that? And I am sure your kids will wash their hands more often and for longer with the foam soap. Mine do!

Make Your Own SAFE & CHEAP Cleaning Products!

These are my most requested recipes - homemade cleaning products. I used to make and use these when we lived in Myrtle Beach, SC, but I got away from it when we moved to Mexico. Then last summer I realized how silly it was to be struggling financially and buying all those expensive cleaning products when I like the homemade ones better. So I went out at bought three things: Borax, baking soda and white vinegar. Yep, that's it! Three ingredients for most all of these recipes. Tomorrow I will tell you about making laundry detergent, and that requires two other ingredients: Washing Soda and Fels Naptha Soap.

Here are the recipes:

Window/Glass Cleaner
1/2 white vinegar
1/2 water
Mix equal parts to fill your spray container.

All Purpose Cleaner (like 409)
1 quart warm or hot water
1 tsp. Borax
squeeze of lemon juice or splash of vinegar
Mix together and pour into spray container.

Toilet Bowl Cleaner
Sprinkle baking soda around the toilet bowl, wait for a few minutes, scrub with toilet bowl brush and flush.

Dishwasher Detergent
1 cup Borax
1 cup baking soda
1/4 cup salt
Mix together and store in a container (I like to use old Gatorade or powdered drink mix containers). Use 1 Tablespoon per wash load. For spot-free dishes, put white vinegar in rinse compartment. Also, if you have a problem with getting a film on your dishes, put a couple of drops of liquid dish detergent (like Dawn) in with the dishwasher detergent.

Enjoy a clean and healthy home!

Keeping My Hands Warm!

Today, I decided I needed fingerless gloves because my hands have been FREEZING when I am on the computer. So I found a pattern online (what an incredible instant resource the internet is!!) and made myself this cute pair. If you know how to crochet and would like to make your own, I have linked the website and you can follow the easy instructions. My hands are nice and warm while I type this. In case you were wondering, we don't have heat in our house, so when it is chilly like today, I am freezing! So I wear heavy sweaters, socks, etc., but gloves just don't work when you are typing. Now I am all set - nice and cozy!

A Little Change in the Burgan Family Blog

Mama's taking over the blog! Yes, I, Erica, am going to try my hand at blogging and use this blog to share about homeschooling, cooking, bread baking, sewing, crafts, being frugal, and whatever else is going on around here. Over the last 6 months or so, I have taken our cooking/eating habits to another more healthy level and have taken steps to being even MORE frugal with what we have. So I will be sharing about many of these things in the near future. Also, over the last several months, I have been sewing and crafting up a storm! Well, perhaps not a storm, but at least alot of gifts and things around the house! We are also in the process of getting Hope House really going, so life is going to get a little more complicated (but I LOVE when things are simple!!). Joe has begun working for the new WalMart that is opening up just across the border and that is quite a change for us. But it will also be a blessing so that we will have some funds to help Hope House get going and pay the bills around here, too.

So you will be hearing from me as I blog about our family, what's cooking, what new project I have completed, what we are studying in our homeschool, what is happening with Hope House and whatever else I decide to share. I hope you enjoy and benefit from this. Blessings to you all!

Cody and Alissa at Christmas 2007

The picture includes LJ, the Akita, Cindi and the newest addition, Alissa's grey stray, Tinkerbell!

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light.
For those who lived in a land of deep shadows—
light! sunbursts of light!
You repopulated the nation,
you expanded its joy.
Oh, they're so glad in your presence!
Festival joy!
The joy of a great celebration,
sharing rich gifts and warm greetings.
The abuse of oppressors and cruelty of tyrants—
all their whips and cudgels and curses—
Is gone, done away with, a deliverance
as surprising and sudden as Gideon's old victory over Midian.
The boots of all those invading troops,
along with their shirts soaked with innocent blood,
Will be piled in a heap and burned,
a fire that will burn for days!
For a child has been born—for us!
the gift of a son—for us!
He'll take over
the running of the world.
His names will be: Amazing Counselor,
Strong God,
Eternal Father,
Prince of Wholeness.
His ruling authority will grow,
and there'll be no limits to the wholeness he brings.
He'll rule from the historic David throne
over that promised kingdom.
He'll put that kingdom on a firm footing
and keep it going
With fair dealing and right living,
beginning now and lasting always.
The zeal of God-of-the-Angel-Armies
will do all this.

On This Night so long ago

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

As the angel choir withdrew into heaven, the sheepherders talked it over. "Let's get over to Bethlehem as fast as we can and see for ourselves what God has revealed to us." They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. Seeing was believing. They told everyone they met what the angels had said about this child. All who heard the sheepherders were impressed. Luke 2:8-18 The Message

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Greetings!

In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of this season, it is our hope and prayer that you find great joy as you praise, great hunger as you seek and great wonder as you behold the Lamb!

We would like to invite you to read our Christmas Newsletter for 2007.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Joe, Erica, Cody and Alissa Burgan

Homeschoolers in the News

It is right , appropriate and necessary to balance the scale of press coverage of two young men recently in the news who were both homeschooled.

One-of-a-kind Tebow Becomes First Sophomore to Win Heisman

Dec 8, 11:05 PM (ET)

By RALPH D. RUSSO

NEW YORK (AP) - Tim Tebow took a few deep breaths, steadied himself, then plowed through his Heisman Trophy acceptance speech much the same way he takes on tacklers - fast and furious.

In rapid fire, Florida's sophomore quarterback thanked everyone he could think of, some of them twice. When it came time to take hold of the 25-pound bronze statue, he looked as if he wasn't sure whether he should run with the prize or throw it. He does both so well.

Florida's folk-hero quarterback with the rugged running style and magnetic personality became the first sophomore to win the Heisman on Saturday night.

"I am fortunate, fortunate for a lot of things," Tebow said. "God truly blessed me and this just adds on. It's an honor. I'm so happy to be here."

Since 1935, when Jay Berwanger of Chicago won the first Heisman, every winner had been a junior or senior - until Tebow, who picked up quite a souvenir on his first trip to New York.

"It's surreal a little bit," he said. "It's just overwhelming."

Homeschooled by missionary parents who run an orphanage in the Philippines, Tebow took advantage of a Florida state law to play for Nease, about 90 miles from the University of Florida campus.

Tebow has worked and preached at his parents' orphanage since he was 15. He regularly speaks at schools and delivered his message of faith at a prison in Florida earlier this year.

"Tim Tebow is the real American hero," said Tebow's high school football coach, Craig Howard. "He's the real deal."

And then the other -

Colorado Church Gunman Had Grudge Against Christian Group, Cops Say

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The gunman believed to have killed four people in a pair of shooting sprees at a megachurch in Colorado Springs and a missionary training school near Denver had been thrown out of the missionary school a few years ago and had been sending it hate mail, police said in court papers Monday.

The gunman was identified as Matthew Murray, 24, who was home-schooled in what a friend said was a deeply religious Christian household. Murray's father is a neurologist and a leading multiple-sclerosis researcher.

Cody and Football Fall '07

Cody played Pop Warner Football this fall.

He did a great job for his first time ever playing team sports.

He was the first string defensive nose tackle.

We are very proud of him!

Great New Book Series for Kids

Terrestria Chronicles Allegory Series

Travel back in time to the kingdom of Terrestria, a land where knights and their ladies live in castles and where dragons still roam (occasionally).

The Terrestria Chronicles allegory series was written with a three-fold purpose: to honor Jesus Christ as King, to challenge young readers to love and serve Him, and to teach them to guard their hearts for Him. The focus of the series is always on the King.

This is not Narnia; this is not Lord of the Rings. The Terrestria Chronicles were written to honor Christ and be as true to Scripture as possible. Some readers have compared the Terrestria books to The Pilgrim’s Progress, though this series is much more readable, relevant, and action-packed than Bunyan’s classic work.

Written for ages ten and up, the Terrestria series is ideal for family devotions, classroom use, or individual enjoyment.

It’s tough raising godly kids in a godless society. These life-changing books can help. It is our prayer that the Terrestria series will transform the hearts of young people and adults alike.

Enter to win the complete set of
Terrestria Chronicles
on the HSB Company Porch!