Sunday, August 30, 2015

Daily Grace

Whew! I do believe this was one of the busiest summers that I can remember!  It was overflowing with wonderfulness, packed full of uncertainty, exhausting and above all... BLESSED! But, in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, there was this solid assurance that God was in the smallest and biggest of all the details!


We had extended and wonderful visits from our daughter in love and grands throughout the summer and my in laws were here for 10 days.   A family member had surgery and another family member had several serious falls.  I struggled with new physical limitations but time and time again I saw that God's grace was sufficient! I lived and breathed and experienced the truthfulness of His Word that promises His grace is made perfect in our weakness!


But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.   2 Corinthians 12:9  ESV

The vegetable garden suffered... the house was far from spotless... my laundry fell behind... and my devotional time was, to say the least,  inconsistent! But, I depended on Jesus more in the daily serving of my loved ones which resulted in experiencing more of the depth of His faithfulness... and for that.... I am so grateful!


Knowing where to go for my strength makes all the difference in how I get through these busy seasons. Boy, do I accomplish this imperfectly! I'm so thankful to know that Jesus love is filled with patience!

New bible study in 1, 2 & 3rd John by Kelly Minter
So, what is happening in your homes? I've missed hearing what you are learning and how God is teaching you through it all.

We squeezed in a trip to the bay with the kids and their families.

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A Typical Frugal Day

Here are just a few of the highlights this summer...


1. I planted zucchini from seed but I also bought a few plants from the store weeks later. I ended up drying enough zucchini to fill 9 quart jars to use in soup this winter. I kicked myself last winter when the price for zucchini went up to nearly $2 a pound.  I froze some shredded zucchini to use in muffins this winter for gifts. Here is a new recipe I made for my mother. She really seemed to enjoy it:

Zucchini Cornbread Casserole

2. Last summer I washed my car every Saturday like clock work. This summer I've been rethinking my weekly chores due to the drought, lots of company and some health issues. I found that I can stretch washing my car to the second week if I cover the front of my small truck with a huge piece of polyester material.  Some day I might buy a truck cover but for now the polyester will do. One of the advantages of living in an older neighborhood is that no one cares what I drape over my truck. It really IS an advantage at times. *WINK* I'm also stretching my lawn mowing to every other week. I not only save my strength for other duties but it also stretches the fuel along with the wear and tear on the lawn mower.

Homemade GIANT bubbles. Can you see it wrap around her?

3. I made Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon for my birthday meal. It was fabulous! I waited until I found a chuck roast on sale for $3.99 a pound. My love for cooking is always rejuvenated when I can find a fun, new recipe to try that both my husband and I love!  It was time consuming but heavenly! Happy birthday to ME!

4. I bought 3 small, glass saucers at the thrift store. I'm using them on my bowls instead of Seran wrap. This way I can see what is in the dish which results in less food being wasted. It will stretch the Seran wrap just a bit more, too!


5.I started volunteering at a food pantry this summer! It is such a blessing to see how God provides for those in need! The people I work with are wonderful and they always make sure to send home extra food. God used their blessings to help us stretch our grocery budget this summer when we had extra company.  He is so amazing! Jehovah Roi... the God who sees!

Sweet Williams, Four O'Clocks and 'Snow on the Mountain'

6. The summer vegetable garden has nearly come to an end. We are finishing up the last of the corn. I still have eggplant, green beans, a few zucchini and tomatoes. The grands helped me plant some seeds to start our winter crop. I love a winter garden because it requires so much less work! I've started laying newspaper down with lawn clippings on top to cover the empty plots. This will help enrich the soil over the winter and keep down on the weeds.

My granddaughter helping me plant seeds for the winter garden.


7.  I've shared many times how I use the 'Envelope Method' for many of our monthly and yearly larger expenses. I have 'envelopes' for my hair appointments, yearly DMV registration, oil changes, birthday gifts, dental co pays and larger electric bills in the winter. An envelope can be tangible or an envelope you make in your checking account where you 'hide' the money under a certain category. Recently, I was so thankful that I had an 'Envelope' for  household expenses because our plumbing backed up and it cost $500 to repair. Thankfully I was able to pay cash.




8. Eggs have doubled in price so I'm getting by with 1/3 less than last month. I rarely scramble them now since that uses more eggs so instead I fry them. I'm not baking as many low carb treats with coconut flour so that cuts down on the amount I'm using,too. I need to find more low carb ideas for breakfast that my husband will eat so I can cut back even more!

9. My daughter in love taught me how to make Bierocks while she was visting. I would have loved this recipe when my children were home because it's very inexpensive to make.

This is the dough recipe she used.  Quick and Easy Dinner Rolls

Make the dough as directed and let it rise. Then roll the dough out to approximately 1/4 inch thick and then cut the dough into squares (4x4 inches) with a pizza dough cutter.

Fry hamburger and shredded cabbage until done. You could add garlic and onions if you'd like. Season with garlic powder, Worcestershire and black pepper. Put a tablespoon or so in your dough square and then fold up corners and bake at 350 for 25 minutes until brown.

 I did a search and came up with quite a few variations. Very economical. It was fun cooking with my girl!



My daughter in love teaching me how to make Bierocks!




10. I have an old grape bush in the backyard. I have a hard time giving them away because they have seeds so this year I decided to dry them for raisins. I cut them in half and took out the seeds and placed them on parchment paper in my food dehydrator. They made AWESOME raisins! It wasn't as labor intensive as you would imagine. I cut them up one night and then put the bowl in the fridge. The next morning I would dry them.  I was so glad that they didn't go to waste. I stored them in a mason jar in the freezer.



My daughter in love captured this picture while visiting



Saved, Reused and Repurposed:
- Coffee grounds for Azaelas.
- Banana peels for roses.
- Rubber bands from asparagus, newspaper,radishes (washed and saved).
- Newspaper (used under cat box, clean windows, garden mulch, painting.
- Dirt and hair from vacuum (compost).
- Cardboard boxes from Costco:  (flattened and laid on dirt between the berries and neighbors fence to kill weeds coming from their yard).
- Birthday card (cut up and used as a bookmark).
- Cotton from a vitamin jar (I put it in a bag and use to take off fingernail polish).
- Bacon grease (to sautee fresh green beans).
- Popsicle sticks (I'll write the name of the vegetable on the stick and use it as a marker in seed pots).

I hope you are all doing well!

Blessed to be home!

Georgene

33 comments:

  1. I wish I had half you're faith

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    1. Debbie... I am (almost) daily praying that God would increase my faith! And then I remember that faith comes through hearing God's Word. Romans 10:17. God's Word always strengthens and encourages my faith. I pray this will encourage you, Debbie!

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  2. Thank you for this lovely post! :) I always enjoy them. My summer has been good. I started by staining and varnishing most of the kitchen cabinets for our big house. I ordered a plate rack to go near the sink for my fancy dishes. Found a pretty china cabinet at the habitat for humanity re-store. We got it as our gift for our 34th anniversary. :) $175 not at all bad--it is knotty pine and lots of glass and storage. I timed my shots for my lower back so that I would be good for our house guests over the 4th of july week. Currently I'm about 10 days to go for the next shots and everything is hard to do. I'm spending my spare time making little fairy dolls for my grandkids. Shut down my etsy shop before summer and I think I may be done with it. I'm considering joining our community center in town, and finding something I can do to help there. -- my dr and I will be discussing a more lasting solution for my back problems so at some point in the near future I may be able to do more. I am doing a bit of writing--not sure what will come of it. I am also looking for some small thing I can do to bless our church. I think finally that I will ask the pastor as I have no clue and I know it must be small. I began to go to a store that I can send them my grocery list online and then pull up and they load my groceries in the car. They also take my coupons. This is free if I spend $50 which I always do. It makes it more possible for me to do other things at home. I picked up a new blade for my food processor--a French fry disc. I also got a new cook book for it. I have another one that is very good--from a thrift store about 20 years ago. I wanted some fresh ideas though--more in keeping with the times. I love the machine-- it really makes any job easier in the kitchen. I'm planning to ask my daughter if she could give me an hour of her time while hubby is out of town this week--to help me get the fall mulch on everything. I use pine straw now it is inexpensive here and it is light weight. I can toss bales over the fence to do the back yard instead of taking them down the steps. I'm hoping my daughter can help me with all that--get them off the truck and into the beds, etc. Perhaps she can prune my gardenia as well. I babysit for her as often as she needs--so seems ok to ask a favor. ;)

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  3. I hope my posts do not seem too long for you--if so--just let me know! :)

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    1. I love reading your posts, Mary! They are NEVER too long. I can imagine that your granddaughters will LOVE the little fairies you are making. I'm sorry that you are hurting and I hope you get some relief soon. What a great service the grocery store offers. My disabled neighbor uses a service like that through a local grocery store. It really helps her. I hope your daughter can help you with your beds. Love you!

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  4. Great post Georgene. You are an inspiration.

    Thank you for your kind comment on my Continuing Journey blog. I have up and down days. Have been discouraged and a little depressed lately, please keep me in your prayers.

    Have a wonderful week ~ FlowerLady

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    1. I'm so thankful that God knows our needs and that He cares for us so tenderly. Depression can be caused by different things... diet, diseases, ungodly thoughts, etc. I pray the Lord will help you through this difficult time. Praying that you will find joy in the journey, Lorraine!

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  5. So glad you are back. I have been looking weekly for a new post. Enjoy your writings and hearing about how you manage things. Blessings, Sharon D.

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  6. I was so happy to see you a new post from you was up on Bloglovin! I so enjoy reading about activities and money-saving ideas. I was amused to read about your Bierock making adventures. I was born, raised and lived many years on Nebraska where Bierocks are practically the state food! There are even fast food places that sell nothing but Bierocks. They are called Runzas (another name for them). I have made them a few times and now my daughter makes them and they are a favorite of her family. I like your idea of putting small plates as lids on bowls in the fridge. Have you ever seen the little bowl covers that look like little shower caps? I love them and they are reusable. I saw them a while ago at the Dollar Tree store in my area. Which reminds me, I need to get another package as some of my olds ones have petered out. Well, reading your blog this morning has given me a shot of motivation to get up and going! Thank you and have a blessed day.

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    1. That is so interesting about the Bierock's. I've never seen a mention of them in my neck of the woods. Yes, I have seen the little 'shower caps' and have bought them in the past. They are fun to use. Thanks for the reminder. I also saw a free pattern on line where they made fabric covered ones with plastic underneath. I never tried making them but I thought it was a great idea!

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  7. So glad to see your post Georgene. We have this in common now. I will be starting Kelly Minter's bible study on Sept. 17 at our church. I'll be doing the one on Love. And since I'm from Nebraska, the home of the Runza, I've had those a few times. Since I am now a celiac I make them at home without a dough wrapping. Just hamb, cabbage, onion and cheese. Still very good. Today I am canning green beans and getting some laundry caught up. I want to get it on the line early so I better get with it. Nannie

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    1. Hi Nannie,
      Is the Kelly Minter study the one on 1,2 and 3rd John? It's called, What Love is? That is the study our group is doing. I'm appreciating it so much. We are trying to memorize Scriptures from each of the books, too. I make a low carb dish that is called, Crack Slaw. I posted the recipe on the blog previously. I just made it last night. I don't normally eat things like Bierocks because we try to eat lower carb but it was fun making something different for a change.

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  8. Love the idea of using glass saucers on bowls of food. My gram used saucers as covers as well, & I've followed in her footsteps, but the idea of buying glass ones so I can see what's underneath without lifting it up is fantastic. I feel a trip to a thrift store coming on. :-)

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    1. I apologize for taking so long to reply. Did you find some glass plates? I use mine all the time. It is working great for me! I hope you like them, too.

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  9. Yes, the study I will be doing is called What Love Is :) I'm going to have to look up that Crack Slaw recipe. Today I finished canning my beet crop. Did pickled beets as that's the way we like them best, even the grandkids and I also am starting some cabbage fermenting to make fermented cabbage juice. It's supposed to be good for acid reflux which my husband suffers from. He doesn't want to take the Prilosec etc that the Dr. recommends. He has such bad gastritis that he is bleeding from it. Anyway the cabbage juice is highly recommended. I have quite a few heads of it from my garden and it is cheap enough to buy through the winter if this helps.
    Nannie

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    1. Hi Nannie,
      I'm so sorry to hear about your husband. How awful! I hope you can find some help for him. I know people who suffer with acid reflex and they have eliminated night shade vegetables from their diet and that has helped. I hope he finds some relief.

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  10. Georgene, I was blessed just reading your post. I do have another suggestion for you on your grapes. make grape juice with them. My friend puts about half a jar of grapes in a quart jar. She adds about a cup of sugar and then fills with water. She processes them in a water bath for 20 minutes I believe then allows them to sit. When ready to use, you just strain the grape mixture out and refrigerate. I imagine if needed you can use an artificial sweetener like Splenda .Grape jelly and jam are good options too. It is a shame that people tend to get lazy about using an opportunity to put up some food for their family. Maybe it is not so much laziness as ignorance in how to prepare things. There are sugar free or low sugar jelly and jam recipes if you need them too. I love your idea on the raisins. I am going to have to tell my friend Tess about that one. I have been away for a long time. I am looking forward to getting back to following my favorite bloggers. May God bless you today.

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    1. This is how my grandmother made grape juice! Hadn't thought of that for so long--we persnickety city grandkids turned up our noses at the way it looked in the jars, but when coaxed to take a sip found it yummy.

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    2. Hello! I have made grape juice and it turned out good. We just try to stay away from juice because of blood sugar problems but it is a great way to use up the grapes.

      I enjoyed Linda's story about her grandmother. :-)

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  11. Sounds like your summer's been busy. My visit to you blog has blessed me today, as always.

    Blessings to you and yours,
    Mrs.B

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    1. Thank you, Mrs. B.! It's nice to have you stop by for a visit!

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  12. Glad you have posted again. Wow what a summer you've had! Very busy.
    Belated birthday greeting to you. Not sure if you have ever said when it is.
    God bless you & your lovely family
    Angela UK

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    1. Thank you for the birthday greeting, Angela! That is very nice of you!

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  13. Your photos are lovely! 2 Corinthians 12:9 is one of my favourite Bible verses. I hope your birthday was great! :)

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  14. I just stopped in to say ,I read every single post and love your blog!! It seems like forever since I posted !!

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    1. I am glad you stopped by for a visit. I hope you can start posting it again. It's a challenge to start up again once you stop. Life is so full!

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  15. Georgene, each time I'm wasteful with water I think of you and am encouraged to be more saving. Well, either that, or I just feel guilty--but I DO love so much reading your blog. Thanks for your example. So grateful with you for the Lord's abiding presence with us.

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    1. Hi Linda!
      Thank you for stopping by. I'm thankful we can visit with each other via blog land. :-)

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  16. The egg prices are crazy right! I'm looking for more and more ways to substitute out other things. Just nuts!

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    1. Hi Rhiana,
      Let me know if you find some ideas for substituting eggs. I've heard that you can sub with flax but I've never tried it.

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  17. Great post..
    eggs..oh my, outrageous prices.. We too, have cut our amount of use.. My son has chickens, so when he comes to visit, he brings us some.. Always so happy to receive them.

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