Love PEOPLE more than your SCHEDULE

It's hard to believe it's been over a month since my last post. I honestly thought it had been just a few weeks until I checked the date. It's true that we need the Lord's help to order our days because they vanish so quickly.

One reason I took a break from blogging was to pray about my schedule. I had been sensing that my priorities were getting out of whack. Some of it had to do with a huge focus on stretching my husband's disability check by doing a mountain load of frugal tasks. Secondly, I sensed that I was out of the home too much because I was not saying that little two letter word enough...'no'.

It's a hard balance to find... the one between what I think is important for my day and what others need of my time while not allowing my relationship with my husband (or other loved ones in the home) to be affected. I've always struggled in this area and at times I find it necessary to stop all my outside commitments (blogging fell under this category) and reevaluate what scripture says I should be doing with my days. So many things can tempt us to get our eyes off of our God given responsibilities and to make our schedules (or hobbies, jobs, ministry, leisure time, etc.) more important than our relationship with our husband (or our children at home).

I don't believe it's to be an all or nothing decision. I'm not commanded to stay home and serve my husband 24 hours a day with no concern for those in need outside my home. And the opposite is true ... I'm not commanded to just be a woman known for good works (crafter, excellent employee, ministry, fun friend) while letting my responsibility to those in my home slide by the wayside. I need God's wisdom  to know how I should order my days.

Oftentimes, I hear from the Lord best on ordering my days by listening to my husband's praise AND his complaints. I perk my ears up anytime my husband has a complaint because oftentimes it will become my new marching orders for the next day. This past week I decided to not wash an extra load of his T shirts until I got a full load. I knew he still had enough T shirts in his drawer. Towards the end of the week he asked where all his T shirts were. I explained my plan to which he let me know that he preferred not wearing the T shirts in his drawer because they had no pocket.  So the next morning my first duty was to get his load of T shirts going in the washing machine before I did anything else. Such a simple way to help schedule my day.

I'll be honest here and say that adapting to my husband's plans for my day isn't always easy for me. I love to plan my days and chock them full of a long list of things I'd like to get done. But, I'm finding that it doesn't always bless my relationship with him now that he is home full-time. He is so good to not push his schedule on me. Oftentimes, what ends up happening is that he will mention something needing to be done that I know he will have a hard time physically doing. So I'll tell him I will help him at 'such and such' time and then I forget about it because I'm focused on MY schedule. By the time I remember the day has come and gone and I feel awful about forgetting.

So I'm tying to remember to start my mornings by praying for the Lord's will that day in my schedule and to look out for my husband's interests, too. This is bearing good fruit in our relationship.

This week my husband wanted to expand our garden. It involved shoveling and I knew it would  be too hard on him. I had already prayed that morning for opportunities to serve him so my heart was prepared to offer my help. God blessed our time together so much and somehow He ordered the rest of my day in a way that I was able to finish my own work.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 
Philippians 2:3-5 ESV

Adapting to my husband daily reminds me of the gospel and how Christ came to lay His own life down for me. I can live out the gospel daily in my own home as I follow Christ and lay down my life for others, too. 

For even the Son of Man

 came not to be served

 but to serve,

 and to give his life

 as a ransom for many. 

Mark 10:45   ESV

Pretty awesome, huh!

***

Here are a few things I've been doing in my home this past month: 

1. I have a round button tin that I use for extra buttons. I've saved buttons off of old shirts for years. Some items of clothing will have extra buttons when purchased and I always save them. One of the tops I bought at a thrift store recently was missing 2 buttons. I took off all the buttons and replaced them with 7 matching buttons from my button tin and all it cost me was my time.

2. Spring has come to our neck of the woods and new little flowers are popping up throughout my flower garden. I'm taking notice which parts of my flower beds are needing color. I'm transplanting these new little flowers to other parts of the yard for splashes of color. This is one practice that helps to save money in my yard.  I was tempted to buy some potted flowers at the nursery this past week but decided to be content with the flowers I have. My mother has some blue forget-me-nots coming up so I hope to snatch some of those for free.

3. Wow! Is this the year of BABIES? I'm on my 5th baby shower and loving it. I'm so thankful to have found the Nursing Cover pattern online. I think it makes a very practical and lovely gift. I just finished one nursing cover and have another one in the process.

Cabbage patch

4. It's spring and I'm on a mission to get rid of unused items in my home. I used to hold on to items I didn't use JUST IN CASE I might need it in the future. But, living in a 745 sq. ft. home has changed that practice. I don't have room to hold on to items I 'might' use some day. If I haven't used an item or worn it the past year then I'm getting rid of it and trusting God to provide if I need it in the future... or do without. I love the feeling of opening up a nice neat organized drawer and closet. An organized home also helps me save money because I know what I have on hand. And why hoard items when others might need them?

5. We have a nice crop of lettuce this spring so I've been making salads for most of my lunches. I make my own oil salad dressing because it's less expensive and healthier. I like the oil dressing recipe below that is also used for the Bacon and Asparagus Salad.  I hope we can get another crop of lettuce planted before the heat hits. Lettuce is so expensive in the stores. It's very easy to grow and the seeds are inexpensive.

6. I've been craving this salad so I made it for my grandson's birthday party dinner. Yummmm!

Bacon and Asparagus Salad by Miss Alycia (my daughter in love)

1 1/2 lbs. fresh asparagus (blanched in boiling water for 3 minutes)
1/2 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 to 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. Dijon
4 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. sugar (or other sweetener)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
minced parsley
1 tsp. chopped shallots
 1/2 c. olive oil

Put bacon on top of asparagus. Add dressing. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

7.  I've had fun at a few thrift shops lately. I found 4 blouses for $13. Two of the blouses were for next winter but sometimes it pays to not wait if you find a good deal. Rarely do I find what I'm looking for the first time around if I'm thrifting. I also found a food dehydrator for $9.99 and a yogurt maker for under $5. I've been wanting to make coconut milk yogurt but didn't want to pay full price for the machine. I had a 25% off coupon for both items. I keep my coupons in my purse or in the car otherwise they don't get used.

Beating the cabbage in my Kitchen Aid to create the brine for sauerkraut. 

8.  We ended up with about 12 heads of cabbage in our garden. I tried making one batch of sauerkraut in a quart jar. I shredded the cabbage and added 2 tablespoons of sea salt. I'm not comfortable with the way it turned out. I looks like a science experiment. :-) A few days after I started my sauerkraut a package arrived and guess what it was? A 'perfect pickler' from a sweet online friend who heard I was trying my hand at making sauerkraut. Thank you so much Mary! The cabbage turned out crunchy and yummy! I'm on my third batch.  It's supposed to last for months in the fridge. I try to eat a little every day because I've heard that it has natural probiotics to help your gut flora.

9. I had some homemade tartar sauce left over so I mixed it into my oil and vinegar salad dressing. It was very good. Waste not, want not!

10. What I didn't throw away:

• Cotton from a vitamin bottle. (Used instead of cotton ball for astringent and fingernail polish remover). 
• Recipe cards. (I didn't like the recipe so I'll use the back for note paper). 
• 2013 bills invoices/ paperwork cut in 1/4's for scrap paper. 
• Rubber bands around asparagus. 
• 2013 paperwork that was not blank on the back. (Shredded and thrown on compost). 
• Paper bags from grocery store. (I save these to ripen fruit). 

So much more going on in my days but nothing noteworthy enough to mention. I've missed hearing about your days ladies! How have you been and what have you been up to? 

Blessed to be home,

Georgene

Making Money at Home!

 I've been blessed with quite a few paid projects I can do in my own home. I am so thankful!  I finished 2 of the smaller projects this week.

It's hard to believe I don't have to work outside my home for the time being. I've been home most of our married life until the recession and then my husband's disability changed our financial situation. I only worked part time and was thankful for the jobs the Lord provided but my heart always longed to be home. It's hard on a woman to work outside the home but sometimes a necessity.  Things could change but it looks hopeful that I won't have to work outside my home in the near future. That is important to my husband and I. We both know from experience that our home is more peaceful when I'm not under the stress of outside work. So I continue to do my part by saving and stretching our income. Laine taught me years ago to consider it my part time job.

Our first and only cauliflower this year! It was huge!

Here are the paid jobs I'm working on now from my own home:

~ 2 microwave Neck Rolls (finished)
~ A bag for a wheelchair (finished)
~ Apron
~ Kitchen Aide Cover
~ Editing a dissertation
~ Organizing a ladies receipts for taxes
~ Took in the seams on a family member's pants (finished)

There are so many things a wife can do to make money from home if that is her desire. Some women enjoy working outside the home. Each family must make it's own decision.  But, if you truly want to be home you may be able to find ways to make money without leaving your house. Working from home may save you gas money, clothing expense, child care, lunch expenses and any fast food expenses from being too tired to cook.

Over my years as a homemaker I have done a long list of jobs such as:

• Sewed doll clothes and sold them at a beauty shop.
• Babysitting (Before and after childcare along with full and part time sitting)
• Foster care
• Typing
• Ironing
• I tested Crewel kits
• Sewing Projects
• Addressed envelopes
• I ran a used curriculum bookstore from our home for 10 years
• Managed a group of duplexes while receiving free rent in exchange. I also made money on the side by cleaning and painting them. 

I still strongly believe the best way to make money at home is to stretch the money that is already coming in. 

***

Here are just a few things I did at home this week: 

1.  A penny saved is a penny earned and that is one way I look at mending. If I can make our clothes last longer then it saves money (or a penny) because I don't have to buy new ones. I mended a hole in my  husband's sock and also mended some sweat pants.

2.  I finished cracking the pecans that were given to me months ago. I'm so thankful for any kind of free nuts because they are so expensive in the stores. I'll use them in my daughter in love's cake this weekend along with the German chocolate I found at an outlet for a dollar. I stocked up on a few boxes and put them in the freezer.

Sweet peas and cabbage

3. I like to collect new recipes. I was given this recipe for Salsbury Steak from a helpful gal over at Low Carb Friends. We liked it.  I was short one patty for a second meal so next time I'll make thinner patties. It's fast and easy to make.

4. I was so busy during December that I didn't make a menu. My grocery budget suffered because of it. So, I spent a half an hour making a 2 week dinner menu tonight. I went through my freezer to see what meat I had on hand and checked my pantry and freezer for vegetables on hand.

5. I froze the gizzard and neck from the turkey I cooked in December. I boiled them this week and I'm chopping a little every day to put in my dog's food. She loves it!

6. I saw a recipe using a bag of broccoli slaw and it reminded me of coleslaw so I made my own version. It was yummy! I've tried all kinds of recipes for coleslaw dressing but these days I just use 1 cup of mayo, 1 tbsp. sweetener (I use Erythritol) and 1 tbsp. vinegar. I added a few cranberries and pecans to the slaw.

 Broccoli slaw 

1 bag of broccoli slaw
1 cup mayo
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp sugar of Erythritol (or sugar)
Handful of dried cranberries
Handful of salted sunflower seeds or pecans or pistachios

Mix the vinegar and sugar into the mayo and then mix in the slaw. Add cranberries and nuts.

Here is another recipe I made this week. It's a keeper! I think we'd really like it on the grill, too. 

Chipotle Chicken

This chicken was very good and very spicy! My husband really liked it!

1 medium can of Chipotle peppers in Adobe
1 can of water
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt (Kosher salt if you have it)
5 pounds of drumsticks (I used chicken legs and thighs)

Blend peppers and water and seasonings. Use 1/2 of the mixture and freeze the rest for another time or use some in your mayo for sandwiches. Marinate an hour to overnight. (I marinated overnight). Grill or bake on a tin foiled rack in a pan at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until done. Rotate half way through.

Lettuce is so easy to grow and so inexpensive if grown by seed!

7.  Savemart was giving away free flowers today. I was blessed with a dozen red roses! Each day is full of God's little gifts to us if we choose to see.

8. Washed my own car and paid myself $8 instead of the car wash. I really dread washing the car in the winter months but the weather has been pretty mild this week so it wasn't too bad. I've never timed it but I can't imagine it taking any longer than 15 minutes. Pretty good pay for the time invested.

9. I haven't been to the thrift store in a few months so I stopped in this week and found a winter and summer  blouse. I had a 25% off coupon. I paid $5.23 total for 2 blouses. I can't see the sense in buying new clothes to wear around the house for everyday when I can find them so inexpensively at the thrift store.

10. Things I didn't throw away:

• Saved rubber bands off of the free flowers
• Plastic salad bag (washed and reuse as a baggie)
• Plastic wrap over mushrooms (reused as seran on sauteed mushrooms)
• Mayonnaise jar (Use to drain grease from a roast in before throwing in the garbage)
• Plastic shopping bags (reused as a garbage can liner)

That's it for this week. My son and daughter in love will be here tomorrow to help us rebuild our fence that is falling apart in the backyard. YAY! 

So I have a question to ask you ladies. What do you use as an inexpensive (but effective) facial cleanser and moisturizer? I need some ideas. I used to pay $50 for the kit at Bath and Body Works but I don't want to spend that kind of money again. 

Blessed to be home,

Georgene

Giving Gifts

I've known gift giving to be a blessing and a burden. There have been times in my adult years when I have wanted to give a nice gift but haven't had the money. That has been a burden. Yet, there have been other times when I have had money and gift giving was a blessing. Still other times when I have had very little money .. yet God answered my prayers and I was able to give a special gift within my budget. That was the best blessing of all.

My mother taught my sister and I to give gifts. We were encouraged to make Christmas gifts for our relatives throughout our childhood years. I learned to crochet, sew and craft through the means of gift giving. I believe my mother did the right thing by developing the habit of giving into the lives of others. Unfortunately, I twisted  it into a pressure it was never meant to be.

Our 'grandones' love to sit in our front yard tree.

Recently my curiosity has piqued over recycled projects. The internet is full of ideas. I've pinned a lot of those ideas on my Pinterest page under Re-use it.  One idea is a jean quilt from old jeans. I have quite a few squares already cut. I had two old pairs of jeans given to me recently that were not worth passing on so those will be cut up, too.  I'm also saving yarn to crochet a rug. Now this one will sound strange but I'm saving 1/2 gallon milk cartons to make a child's gift. I'll explain that one later in another post. :-)

I remember a Christmas many years ago when my oldest son was 5.  There was very little money for Christmas gifts. So the idea came up to make a race track for his Matchbox cars. Plaster was used along with molding clay to make road and ponds and then they were painted. It was his favorite gift and I image he may still remember it to this today.

The older I get the more I've come to realize that it's not always the amount of money spent on a gift but the thought that goes in to it. I've received lovely handmade gifts that cost very little and I've enjoyed them so much. I've also been on the receiving end of hand me down gifts that I've also enjoyed.

*~*~*

Here are a few ways ways I stretched our money this week...


1. I finally roasted the sunflower seeds and also roasted pumpkin seeds from the free pumpkins. I have one pumpkin left and plan on cutting it open for more sunflower seeds.. but I probably won't be canning the pumpkin. I'm up to my eyeballs in pumpkin. :-) Well, maybe I will can the pumpkin. I can't stand to see things go to waste. But, the seeds came out great except I think the sunflower seeds needed to dry out a bit more.

2. The wind kicked up this past weekend and there were leaves EVERYWHERE in my backyard. I swept and put them in a large garbage can to use in my composting buckets.  The leaves really tired me out last year but this year I see the leaves as a blessing since I learned that you need more 'brown' (leaves) in your compost than 'green' (food scraps).

3. I'm out of pumpkin pie spice and believe me.. I have a LOT of pumpkin in my pantry so I will be needing it soon.  I was able to find a recipe for Pumpkin Pie Spice at ALLRECIPES. I had all the ingredients on hand. Here is the link.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Pie-Spice-I/

4.  The nights are starting to get cold. Our house was built in 1917 so there is no insulation in the walls... none.. zippo... zilch! I keep looking for ways to make our home comfortable. I have throw rugs in our bedroom since we don't have wall to wall carpeting. The throw rugs help our feet to stay warm when we get out of bed in the middle of the night. I turn the furnace down to 60 degrees when we go to bed and then turn it up to 68 around 5 am so the house will be warm when we get up.  My husband and I keep gloves and a stocking cap on our nightstands in case it gets too cold at night. I also found thick (REALLY thick) socks at Bass Pro in their hunting department that we wear to bed, too. We're snug as two bugs in a rug. Rarely does a night go by that I don't thank God for my warm and comfortable bed. I know there are so many in this world that do not have a bed to call their own.

5. We are starting to experience a few overcast and rainy days. I have started hanging my clothes in the garage when I see the clouds overhead. I have 2 lines strung in the laundry room, 2 drying racks plus 4 Amish Hangers that I use.  My clothes are dry by the next day. I just avoid hanging towels in the garage because they don't dry fast enough. I rarely use my dryer, even in the winter.

6. I started watching for sales on baking items that I'll use for Christmas. I don't bake nearly like I used to before we changed our diet to low carb but my  husband still insists on one batch of Mounds Balls. Last year I baked homemade bread (instead of candy) for extended family and neighbors. It was the perfect replacement for candy because I couldn't 'taste test'. :-) This year I plan to make Cranberry Scones to give as gifts. I'll probably bake homemade bread, too. Both are inexpensive gifts and enjoyed. I already found a large bag of dried cranberries and chocolate chips on sale at Costco. It's too expensive to wait and purchase all the baking items in December so I'll buy a few items each month.

7.  Things I didn't throw away this week:

• Powdered sugar plastic bag (washed/reuse).
• Brown sugar bag (washed/reuse)
• Erythritol bag (washed/ reuse)
• 1/2 gallon milk carton (washed/ to make a gift)
• Dog food can (To bury and use as fertilizer for acid loving plants)
• Plastic bags from vegetable department (reuse)
• Coleslaw bag (washed/reuse)
• Used canning lids (Washed and then turned upside down and put back with canning ring onto the jar to keep the jar clean)

8.  Do you know about Freecycle? It's a wonderful resource. I've met some great people through this group, too.  This past week a young lady posted that she had extra groceries to give away. I was blessed with lunch meat and canned goods. I had a lot in common with this young mother and we hope to meet for coffee soon. 

9. My mother is known for her homemade applesauce. The grandchildren love it and her home always smells so good when it's on the stove. I made a batch for our early Thanksgiving dinner which we are celebrating a few weeks early.  It's a wonderful addition to holiday meals and it's so easy to make. 

Grandma's Homemade Applesauce

6-8 Fuji apples

1 cup sugar

Pinch of cinnamon, less of nutmeg and even less of cloves

Peel apples and chop in chunks.  Put in a large sauce pan with

a small amount of water in the bottom. Bring to a boil and then turn 

down to a simmer. Watch and stir so it doesn't burn. Cook until the

apples are soft and then add the sugar and seasonings.  

Simmer for a few more minutes.

That's about all for this week!

So, I'm curious! Do you make any gifts from recycled items? :-)



I hope you have a joyful weekend!

Georgene

Savings on $22,000 a year?

Something interesting happened this past month! I was able to put more in savings since I STOPPED working than when I WAS working outside the home. I wrote a few posts back about our income dropping $400 a month and all the cutbacks we were needing to make. I realized this morning that I was able to save more this past month than I did when I was working.

I think one reason may be that we are being very careful about what we purchase. We can't fall back on the 'extra' money I was making. Our old thinking was that if we wanted something extra for the house then just buy it BECAUSE there would be more money in a few weeks.  Since I stopped working we have pulled in the reins and are watching every penny we spend. I've had a few sporadic paid jobs this month. I didn't make a lot but I was able to sock that money away in savings.

Secondly, we are working hard to live BELOW our means. We've cut our bills so that we have money left over for savings.  Big expenses are bound to come up in the future and a savings will help keep us out of debt.

I'm encouraged and in awe of God's ability to take little and make it much! We really have so much!

~*~*~*

Here are a few things I did to stretch our income this week!

1. I saved an empty Kleenex box and put cloth handkerchiefs in it. It's all set to go as needed.  I went to J.C. Penny a few years ago when our income started to decline and purchased quite a few men's handkerchiefs to use instead of the disposable Kleenex. They can be easily thrown in the washing machine with other whites. I'm always ahead if I can avoid buying disposable items.

2. A friend gave me a bag of gift tissue paper. It was crumbled up so I spent a few minutes ironing it this week on a low setting. This was an old trick my mama used to do. Saving tissue and gift wrapping has been a habit I was taught as a young child.  The older women in my family would gasp if they saw one of us children tearing the wrapping. We were taught to carefully open up the package while saving the wrapping and the tissue inside. Gift bags are popular now and so I save those, too.

3. I tried a new soup this week and it was a hit.

Hot and Sour Soup

6 c. vegetable broth (I used a combo of chicken and beef broth)

2 c. mushrooms (I used fresh)

1 small can bamboo shoots

1 small can water chestnuts

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. hot sauce

2 tbsp. vinegar

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 c. green onions or scallions, sliced

2 tbsp. chili oil (I used chili paste)

Bring broth to boil and add all ingredients except

 green onions and chili oil. Simmer at least 

20 minutes. Add onions and simmer 5 more minutes. 

Then stir in chili oil. 

(I can't remember where I found this recipe.

 If you recognize it please let me know so I can give

proper credit.)

4.  Things I didn't throw away this week: 

• Bill envelopes. I pay through my bank so I saved them for seeds.
• Plastic grocery bags used for trash cans.
• Mail ads to put under litter pan for cat. 
• Paper grocery bags used to dry herbs and seeds.
• Leaves. I was taking them out of my flower beds and put them in the compost when it dawned on me to leave them where they are to compost. 

5.  I pressure canned 3 pumpkins. I ended up with  7 quarts and  24 pints. I'll use the pumpkin for LC pies and muffins, soup and to use as a dinner side dish with butter, salt and pepper. 

6.  I'm  a week and a few days into the pay period and I only have $70 left of my grocery money. I was out of a lot of items. A friend suggested I make up a 3 week menu to see if I can get by with what I already have. I realized I had 3 weeks of dinner meals. I think I'll be able to stretch the money left if I'm very careful. 

7.   I made Chicken Tortilla soup (minus the tortillas) this week and used a combo of 3 different recipes pulling from items I had on hand in my food pantry. A friend told me once that she keeps different versions of the same recipe for just this reason. You may be out of an item or two in one recipe  but the same recipe may have different ingredients you may have on hand. 

8. I'm watching for nice (but inexpensive) gifts for Christmas. I have been doing this for a few months so I already have quite a few gifts. I put aside a little extra money this month to add to my Christmas savings. I'm still doing some crocheted gifts, too. A friend said she had  been picking up items at the thrift store for Christmas. I wish I could find some good deals at a thrift store but I rarely do.

I wondered how you keep your costs down on gifts? Do you ever buy used items to give as gifts?

*Pictures from ALLPOSTERS.COM 

Frugal Friday: Inexpensive Baking Gifts

Christmas is almost here and most of you may have finished your baking, but if not.. then I have an idea you might want to try for your gift giving.

I normally make a lot of goodies but this year our budget just could not handle another $40 or more in baking supplies. I love being able to give a little something away so I decided to make homemade bread and scones, instead.

I have 2 marvelous scone recipes that are listed on my recipe website but I decided to try the recipe below since it had over 1600 good reviews and I wasn't disappointed with the results.  They were great. I did not add the raisins or cranberries. Not because I don't love them but because they were an added expense. Instead, I used two different glazes.

I've posted the recipe I used below for scones. The homemade bread recipe came from Laine's website and can be found  here.

Merry Christmas everyone! We have so much to be thankful for.. but most of all I thank God for the gift of His Son Jesus Christ!

Grandma Johnson's Scones    

Submitted By: Rob
Photo By: S. Becker
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
   
Ready In: 30 Minutes
Servings: 12-16

(The directions have been changed to reflect the recommendations from one of the members on the recipe site. I tried following the original directions and the dough came out very dry. There suggestions worked much better.)


1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
   
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (room temperature)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla (opt.)
1 cup raisins  or cranberries or chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:
1.     In a small bowl, blend the sour cream and baking soda, and set aside.
2.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
3.     In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt.
4.       Mix the butter and sugar together in a separate bowl.  Beat in 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla.  Don’t over mix.
5.       Add the dry mixture to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and stir. Do not over mix.
5.        Stir the sour cream mixture and baking soda mixture into the above mixture until moistened. Do not over mix. I used my kitchen aid until the dough looked like it was holding together and moistened.
7.       Lightly stir in raisins.
8.     Pat dough into (2) 3/4 inch thick rounds. Cut each round into 8 small wedges. The wedges will expand when baking. Place  them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.
9.     Bake 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom. It took an extra 5 minutes or so in my oven. I made sure they were done when I touched the top and it wasn’t doughy. They do not get real brown on the top.



Once they have cooled I wrap them in seran wrap and then place them in a freezer bag to keep them fresh.

TO FREEZE: Use a 3 inch cookie cutter. Freeze the rounds for 1 hour and then put in a Ziploc bag. Take out rounds when ready to bake and place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes.

Glazes:

1 cup powdered sugar, 3 tbsp. milk, ¼ tsp. or so of lemon or orange extract, ¼ tsp. or so of lemon zest. I added a little cinnamon, too but you don’t need it. Brush scone with butter when hot out of oven and then glaze it with this mixture.

Or:

Brush melted butter on the scone and then brush with this mixture of 2 tbsp. sugar, ¼ tsp. cinnamon and 1 tbsp. milk.

Grandma Johnson's Scone Recipe

Frugal Friday: How I saved money this week (Dec. 13)

I know it sounds far fetched but I've actually had a pretty peaceful month. My main Christmas shopping was finished before Thanksgiving and I had the presents pretty much wrapped a few weeks ago. I'm not doing a lot of baking this year (I'm experiencing withdrawals) due to pocketbook and for health reasons. Instead, I hope to bake some homemade bread to give as gifts to a few family members. I've worn myself out in years past making dozens and dozens of cookies and candy. I loved every minute of it and I will really miss doing it this year but it certainly has helped to foster a relaxed spirit.

My husband and I have been reading scriptures to prepare our hearts to celebrate Christ's birth. It really has been a very peaceful Christmas. Having less money to spend has some major perks because it has allowed me the joy of focusing on Christ.

1. I added filtered water to the milk to stretch it. We have one more week till payday and I don't want to spend anything else on groceries. I've tried to come in under budget this month since I overspent last month. I used to buy 1 percent milk but now I buy whole milk so that I can stretch it when needed and no one can tell the difference. :-) (Update: BUSTED! Hubby asked why the milk tasted like metal and he backed me into a corner and I had to confess! I'm forbidden from watering the milk from now on. Rats!)

2. I made up an entire monthly menu so I'll be prepared to shop when our check comes next week.

3. I reorganized my freezer so that I could inventory what I already had in stock. I put veggies on one shelf, meat in the bottom drawer, lunch meat on the second shelf, etc. I made a list of what was in stock and then used it in my monthly budget. I had food in the bottom of my freezer that I had forgotten. I hope I can remember to do this monthly before I do my big shopping.

4.  I started saving meat scraps again for my next batch of homemade dog food.

5.  I've been making homemade laundry detergent off and on for quite a few years. I tried a new recipe this week by the Duggar's. I hope it works because it made more than twice the amount of the recipe I've been using. I now have 10 gallons of laundry detergent for a fraction of the cost of what I'd pay retail.

6. I made another batch of laundry stain remover.

7. I made a pot of soup last week and then again this week. My plan is to make a new batch for the next two weeks. Soup is an inexpensive lunch and now I'll have a variety at my fingertips!

How did you save money this week in your home? I'd also love to hear how you trusted God to provide what you needed.

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How to make the perfect PIE CRUST

I have such warm memories of my childhood holidays and many of them revolve around time spent at my Grandma's farm. My sister and I and our cousins  would romp through the pasture.. down to the back of the berry bushes and look for tadpoles in the small pools of water.

My grandma was a 'down home' cook. She fried her own chicken (which she had raised) and did a lot of canning. But, my favorite memories are her pies. She made every kind of pie you could imagine from mince meat to green tomato along with all the favorites.  I made it my goal, as a young wife, to learn how to make pies just like Grandma. Unfortunately, I never learned  how to make her pie crust before she died.

Years later a young mother brought a homemade pie to a church Pot Blessing and the crust was so good that I asked for the recipe. I've been making it ever since and shared the recipe with many women over the years.

Perfect Pie Crust (Makes 2 full pie crusts)

4 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 3/4 c. Crisco shortening (don't use generic brands.. it really does make a difference)
1/2 c. water
1 egg
1 tablespoon vinegar

Mix the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl.  Add the shortening. Here I am using my Kitchen Aid but you can use any large bowl and a pastry cutter or a large fork to cut in the shortening. When I use my Kitchen Aid I use the whisk until the dough resembles very, very small peas.  But don't whisk it too long or the dough will start clumping together too soon.

  Next, I run 1/2 cup water into a measuring cup, break the egg straight into the cup and add the tablespoon of vinegar. Mix it together and then add to the flour/shortening mixture. I change attachments on my Kitchen Aide at this point and use the mixing paddle to gentle mix it together just until it starts clumping together and clearing away from the side of the bowl.

 

 I wet my rolling board with a wet wash cloth and place two pieces of Seran wrap next to each other so that it will cover a large surface and then I sprinkle a small amount of flour onto the Seran wrap.. not too much...maybe 3 tbsp. or so.. just enough to dust the seran wrap. I take a handful of dough (the dough will make 2 full pies with top and bottom crust) and place it on the seran wrap and then flip it over so that there is a small amount of flour on both sides of the dough. I put one more piece of Seran wrap on top of the dough. So, now you have Seran wrap (2 pieces) underneath the dough and one piece on top. I then use my rolling pin and roll it out thin.

 

Next, I take the top layer of Seran wrap off of the dough and place my right hand

underneath the bottom layers of Seran wrap and lift up the crust so it can be flipped it into the pie pan.

 

(The Seran wrap is still on both sides of this dough in the picture because I'm not baking pies today. I just wanted to show you how easy it is to roll out a pie crust with this method. )

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Peel off the last pieces of Searn wrap and gently press the dough into the pan. Cut off any excess dough around the edges and flute your edges and your done.

 If you decide to not bake your pie crust right now you can leave all the Seran wrap on when you initially roll out the dough. Fold it in 1/4's and then put the dough into a large gallon freezer bag. You can then either keep it in the fridge for up to a week or freeze it for at least a month. 

I made up quite a few batches of dough,  rolled them out and then froze them for the holidays. It makes the baking process much easier when the dough is already made. 

And there you go!