How I feed my 4 meat-hungry men!!

Ok, so I promised you, my dear readers, how to save money on meat. I have 4 men in my house and they like to eat! Meat is not cheap and to be able to get a variety, well, sometimes I think I need an oil well to feed everyone!

 

Here's something I discovered...

 

the clearance aisle!

 

 Now, I've always shopped the clearance aisle for non foods, I mean, you can get some great after-season deals there. But I hadn't thought to shop for clearance at the grocery. And I get some great deals!

 

 

 

 One thing you have to remember when shopping clearance is expiration dates. Most clearance items are close to their expiration date. However, you can throw meat into the freezer and it keeps for awhile.

 

 I rarely pay over $2.50/lb of meat.

 

  I just look at the clearance meat every time I go into the store. Even on just a quick run. You never know when or what they will be putting out. I buy everything I can that we will eat. One time I bought 5 packs of bacon for 99 cents each! I've gotten organic, hormone-free beef for $1.99 a pound. I just bring everything home and throw it in the freezer. Right now I have 2 weeks worth of clearance meat in my freezer.

 

 

 

  I like to buy as much as I can because sometimes the store will go 2 weeks without anything that I want. This way I always have cheap meat in the freezer!! And it's a great variety. I will usually take meat out every couple of days so it has time to thaw. Although, if it's going in the crockpot, I can put it in frozen in the morning and it is usually ready by dinner.

 

So, this is the way I save a lot of money on meat!

 

 If you have any other ideas, leave them in the comments. I'm always looking for ways to save.

Corn, corn, and more corn!!

Hello!

 

 Remember me?

 

 Yeah, it's been a while. It certainly is a busy time of year. During the summer, there is always something to do outside. Whether is it work or play, I like to be outside enjoying it before winter (boo!) comes along. Then comes late summer and things really get busy! Getting everything ready for our next school year, finishing all the outside projects, putting up food for winter.

 

Which is exactly what I spent my day doing. Putting up 60 ears of corn in the freezer!

 

Unfortunately, we were not able to grow our own corn this year. Music Man is working 2 jobs and just did not have the time to till up the garden for me. He may be Superman but he does need his rest!! So this year, our neighbor gave us some and I bought a bunch from the local farmers market.

 

 I figured it out and cost-wise it made sense. Buying the corn from the market cost about the same as buying the store brand frozen corn. But it tastes better and is healthier. And is certainly cheaper than the name brands. So, I spent a day working on corn so we can have good, healthy corn this winter. And my family loves corn!

 

  I had the boys shuck it for me

 

 

and then I boiled it for about 2 minutes. (The little pan in the background is the hummingbird food I had going at the same time!)

 

 

A secret that I learned about cooking corn is to not cook it in salt water.  That has a tendency to make it tough.  Use sugar in the water to help bring out the natural sugars in the corn. Yummy!

 I let it cool 

 

and then cut it off the cob.

 

 I measured out about 12 ounces for each bag because that's about what we use for a meal. (Like my postage scale?!)
 

 

  I just put it in fold over sandwich bags then I put about 6 of those in a big freezer bag.

 

 It saves a little money on packaging. I ended out with 16 full meal bags and one partial.

 

 I'll either fill it up with the next batch or just save it for soup. After I have it all cut off the cobs, we give the shucks and cobs to the chickens.

 

  They love them!! Next week I am going to get some more and do this all over again! But it is worth it.

 

 Feeding 3 teenage boys and a husband takes a lot but not always a lot of money. I'll tell you later how I save on meat for all those men! Also, I can't wait to show you the furniture I've been refinishing.

 

 See you next time!!

Ride around town

I love my little Southern Ohio town. There is always something interesting here.

 

 From the “Live Hicks” at the local TSC

 

 

 

to our local plant nursery not renting pigs!

 

 

 

 Music Man took me on a date and motorcycle ride the other night. Now, now, don't be hatin' on me! It was a lot of fun. He took me to Mexican restaurant. I just love Mexican food!

 

 YUM!

 

 

 Anywho, we rode for about 1 ½ hours afterward and as usual, there were a lot of interesting things. At one point, we turned a corner and literally, there was a chicken crossing the road! Well, it was a rooster, but, hey, close enough! We went a little farther and there was a house that they had cut down a huge tree in the front yard. The stump was about 3 feet across about 2 feet high. Now, standing on that stump, just watching traffic go by, was a goose! I am not kidding. This creature just watched us drive by. I felt bad because I probably should have waved to him!

 

 Hi goosey! Lol

 

 

This area is not a wealthy area. Lots of people out of jobs or just barely making it. So we have a lot of trailer parks. Most are singles but a few double wides. However, during our drive, we went past an area that was RVs. This wasn't a camping site, it was a permanent park. These were the type of RVs that people use for camping. Some were very old. I can't imagine what it would be like to have to live in a little RV not by choice.

 

 

 

 We also have a lot of Amish in our area and we did come upon a horse and buggy. I'm always worried that the motorcycle engine will scare the horse. By the way, our local Lowes has built a shelter for the horses for the Amish that come and shop there. I think that's pretty cool.

 

 

 Anyway, back to the ride. The sun was shining and it was wonderful. We have lots of hills and wooded areas around here and sometimes the road would dip down into a wooded area and the temperature would drop about 15*. Sometimes that was a little chilly! We saw lots of animals-steers, sheep, goats, chickens. 

 

 

 The farmers around here raise lots of animals in addition to their crops. I think about half the people around here are either full-time or part-time farmers. I know a lot of guys who work a full time job and also farm.

 

 

I moved down here with my family about 8 years ago. Music Man was asked to come down and be the praise team leader for a church down here. Well, since that is something he absolutely loves, we picked up our little family and moved. Whoo-hoo!

We actually live about 2 miles outside of city limits but it is quite rural. The town is small enough to have small town charm but big enough to have city type problems. A good mix, if you ask me. We help each other and there is a lot of faith here.

 

 Yep, I like this town!

A Funny Little Story about Hymns and Praise Songs

A Funny Little Story about Hymns and Praise Songs

Author Unknown

 

An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big city church.  He came home and his wife asked him how it was.

“Well,” said the farmer. “It was good. They did something different, however. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns.”

“Praise choruses?” asked the wife. “What are those?”

“Oh, they’re okay.  They’re sort of like hymns, only different,” said the farmer.

“Well, what’s the difference?” asked the wife.

The farmer said, “Well it’s like this….If I were to say to you, ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well that would be a hymn. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you,  

 

 

 

 

 

‘Martha, Martha, Martha, Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the  white cows, the black and white cows, the  COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, in the CORN, CORN, CORN, COOOOORRRRRNNNNN’  

 

Then, if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well that would be a praise chorus.”

 

 

As luck would have it, the exact same Sunday a young new Christian from the city church attended the small town church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.

“Well,” said the young man. “It was good. They did something different, however. They sang hymns instead of regular songs.”

“Hymns?” asked the wife. “What are those?”

“They’re okay. There’re sort of like regular songs, only different.” said the young man.

“Well, what’s the difference?” asked the wife.

The young man said, “Well it’s like this….If I were to say to you ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn’ well that would be a regular song.  If on the other hand, I were to say to you

 

Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry

Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth.

Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by

To the righteous, glorious truth.

 

For the way of the animals who can explain

There in their head is no shadow of sense,

Hearkenest they in God’s sun or His rain

Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.

 

Yea those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight,

Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed.

Then goaded by minions of darkness and night

They all my mild Chilliwack sweet corn chewed.

 

So look to that bright shining day by and by.

Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn

Where no vicious animal makes my  soul cry

And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn.

 

Then, if I were to do only verses one, three and four, and change keys on the last verse, well that would be a hymn.”

 

 

And then there was "life"......

Someone mentioned to me recently that I hadn't posted on my blog lately. I went back and checked and sure enough, it has been awhile. Well, there's a reason for that-it's called life! This last month has been very hectic.

 

 

 Let me walk you through it.

 

 We have guardianship of my oldest son who is almost 19. Well, we found out that we had the wrong type of guardianship! Wow, and we paid a lawyer to help us get it. We then found a good lawyer but had to wait a month to get our court date to be able to change the guardianship. Whew, it is finally over and everything is straightened out.

 Also, as you probably know, we homeschool. We use a teacher on a hard drive on the computer for a lot of their school but they are now doing subjects where they read the materials on their own and then do their work. Well, with three kids doing this, I am now spending alot more time “hands-on” with their school work.

 Aaaand, my youngest has had several doctors appointments to go to. Now of course, these are not our local doctors. We have to travel about 1-2 hours to get there.

 Plus, we have all the usual day-to-day things to take care of. At least the snow has ended and spring has finally shown her face! We are getting lots of wind and rain but I will take that over snow and ice any day! And it's warmer! We've been having temps in the 50's and 60's (even a couple of days into the low 70's!), much better than 30's.

 

 Brrrr, I don't like the cold!

So what else can I catch you up on? The chickens are doing great. A little molting but they are still laying great. The family has been healthy this winter, only a couple of colds. Getting ready to plant the garden. Looking forward to the end of school.

 

Summer is coming and I just can't wait!

 

 The Lord has been wonderful to us and I look forward to what He has for the future.

 

 

How to change the world for the better

When did people stop being people?

 

When did we start labeling everyone and deciding their worth and whether we like them or not based on their label?

 

Gay, straight, Democrat, Republican, Christian, Atheist, blond, redhead, brunette, skinny, chunky, tall, short, pretty, average, rich, poor, and everything in between.

 

I have friends who fit in all the above and I still love them all. Who ever said that we have to like everything about someone or that they have to be just like us, in order for us to be friends?

 

 That would be so

 

BORING!

 

 I had a friend once that was thinking about only being friends with people of the same political party as her. Since I don't associate myself with any political party, that would mean that our friendship would have been off. Thankfully, she decided not to do that.

 

 I hear so many times someone saying that if you don't like something about them, then they don't want to be friends. If that actually were the case, then, really, no one would have any friends because there is ALWAYS something you don't like, big or small. Do you always approve of your friends choice in partners-doubtful. What about their choice in food or clothes or entertainment?

 

 I disagree very strongly on a number of topics with friends of mine but I don't let that define our relationship. I look at them for who they are as a whole, not just one or two or even three things.

 

Everyone is a person of worth.

 

They are not more or less of a person of worth based on their political party. That would mean the love is based, not on who they are, but on yourself, whether or not they are like you.

 

 You want to change the world for the better?

 

 Stop focusing on issues so much and focus on loving others regardless of their label.

 

 

Internal Peace

It seems to go in cycles. The bashing of God or anything Biblical. At least among my friends on FB. Things seem to be calm for a while and FB is enjoyable, then, out of nowhere, every post, it seems, is trying to knock down God and humiliate Christians. A true Christ-follower will be saddened, even grieved, by these posts but never humiliated or deterred. And as for knocking down God, well, that's not gonna happen, except in their own minds.

 

 My spirit is grieved every time I see these posts. Making fun of Christians, God, and the Bible. But, Christ-followers know that this is going to happen. Guess how? Yep, the Bible!! Nothing that happens is truly surprising. The Bible has already said in John 15:18-19 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” You know what would be really surprising? If the people criticizing Christ-followers decided to show love instead of hatred. But Satan does not love, only hate. And if you are not for God, you are for Satan. They may not believe that and that is their choice.

 

 One of the wonderful things about God is that

He gave us free will.

 

 WE get to choose if we want to follow Him or not. Sometimes, following God is hard. We lose friendships and relationships. We get ostracized from our families. Sometimes our families hurt us the most. But God is with us. “Lo, I am with you always, even unto the ends of the earth” Matthew 28:20. We may lose our friends and families but when we look at eternity, it pales in comparison. Our lives here on earth are relatively short, eternity is forever. And those who mock us will one day bow to God. They don't believe it but it will happen. But, in the midst of our sadness and grieving, God gives us peace.

 

 And that is what they do not understand.

 

 Mock me, hurt me, even torture me and my physical body may break, even my mind may break, but my soul, my spirit, no, it has an eternal peace and serenity that only God can give. My guess is that they would like that too. But you cannot get it on your own. Only through Jesus. Becoming a Christ-follower and allowing God to have your life is the only way. So while you may grieve me and make me sad, I have an internal peace and joy that you don't.

 

 You cannot take that from me.

 

 It's what keeps me going when things get tough, it's what allows me to love you and care about you when you mock me and hurt me. It doesn't come from me, it comes from God. My humanness would never allow that, it would mock and hurt right back.

 

But God is love.

 

 And love conquers all.