Archive | June, 2008

Tips for Eating Nutritionally on A Budget

By on June 19, 2008 in frugal & simple, natural & green

I must confess…I don’t have it all figured out. I wish I did. I wish I could provide you with ten simple steps to eat nutritionally and organically on a budget. But no…month by month, it seems like it just doesn’t quite work out as I had hoped. My $300 budget has often resulted in a final bill of $350 (my goal has been to get it to $300, although our budget has a buffer of $50), and that is really with nothing fancy, and includes our groceries and general household products.

With my knowledge of health and nutrition and not being able to buy everything organic has resulted in fear and worry at what the end result might be. The Lord has graciously and gradually brought me to the understanding that He is indeed sovereign! I can fret till I am blue in the face, but God is ultimately in control! I have a strong conviction that we are to eat healthy in order to be fit for the Master’s use, but again, it will not add a day unto my life apart from what has already been destined by the Father!

I have learned a few things lately that have helped me in the process of eating nutritionally on a budget, and I pray they may be of some assistance to some of you.

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Simplifying the Schedule

By on June 18, 2008 in frugal & simple, making a home

Continuing on in our steps to simplifying series…

Making a simple schedule can sure help things run a little more smoothly (as long as you first submit it all to the Lord’s will, as I have been learning this week)! And who of us wouldn’t ask for that? My simplifying starts by a weekly evaluation and planning time on Sunday evening. I have developed a basic schedule for our household based on dividing the day into morning and afternoon blocks of time.

My household schedule may not work for every family, but trying out different methods is helpful to find which routine works for you. Any simple routine is better than nothing and will get you on the path towards simplifying your life.

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Pitfalls of To-Do Lists

By on June 18, 2008 in making a home

Monday & Tuesday were just overwhelming for me (that explains my lack of blogging yesterday). My to-do list just kept getting longer and things were not getting done. Ever had one of those days? The baby needs tending, the dishes are overflowing, and my phone won’t stop ringing. At the end of my day on Monday, I just took a few moments to pray and search my heart as to the reason behind the stress I experience on such a day. My stress resulted in sinning in anger against my child and husband. This is sin! How do I deal with the stress?

The Lord gave me the following insights that I recorded in my journal:

I acknowledge that when I get overwhelmed, stressed or discouraged, the root issue is often pride in my heart. My schedule, to-do list, my plans are taking top priority in my heart, and when they don’t get fulfilled, I falter into stress mode. Whose plans are on the throne? Mine! Who am I depending on? My own measly ability to get things done. Christ is not honored with each check off on my to-do list, but rather when I acknowledge my utmost dependence upon Him to accomplish anything. It’s all about Him!

The Lord is opening my eyes to see how much overemphasis I put on my accomplishments of the day. I often find my fulfillment and feel good about myself when the to-do list is completed. Oh how foolish of me!

Pride goes before a fall! Oh Lord, forgive me for my selfish desires and exaltation of my plans. Help me always to first submit my to-do list to your Lordship. May my focus be upon Your will and not my own.

Lesson learned: Submit my plans to the Lord. Keep my priorities in the right place. God, husband, child, household, and then others. If I can just manage in nurturing my family and a basic maintenance of my household for the day, doing my work unto the Lord, then it will be a profitable day! If not one thing gets checked off my list, but my hubby and child are cared for, and the Lord was the center of it all, then it has been a success!

This is not to say that to-do lists are wrong or unhelpful. I do strongly believe in them when it comes to being productive with our time. But the important thing I am learning is to commit my ways to the Lord and trust His sovereignty in all things! Don’t exalt my plans and base my happiness upon whether or not they are accomplished.

The other lesson learned: Always give thanks! While doing the dinner preparation yesterday, I was already way behind, and yet the Lord reminded me that I could either get frustrated and rush around and dwell on my lack of accomplishments or turn my thoughts and voice to praise and giving thanks to the Lord for His goodness. As a result, I turned my thoughts towards giving thanks and sang worship songs while preparing our meal and cleaning up. What sweet moments at the foot of the Savior!

“...Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hyms and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ…(Eph. 5:18-20)”

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Natural Hay Fever Allergy Relief

By on June 16, 2008 in health & nutrition, recipes & kitchen tips

A reader recommended this tonic for hay fever/allergies awhile back after my request for natural remedies. I tried the honey alone without too much success. With the sun coming out this past weekend, we were hit with allergies pretty hard, and this little recipe came to the rescue!

1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbsp Honey
8 oz water

Take 2-3 times per day. Once in the morning and once in the evening seems to be working pretty well for us! We formally have used smaller quantities for a daily immune boaster and for all the other wonderful benefits of ACV, but now I am seeing it as greatly beneficial for allergies!

Nettles: Nettles is also a great herb for allergy relief. If you suffer from pollen related allergies, treat yourself to a cup of Nettle tea a few times a day during allergy season. For added benefit, use local honey to sweeten the tea…the natural pollens from the local flowers – via the bees – will build up your tolerance levels for pollens in your area. This must be done preventatively, however, not to provide immediate relief.

BioAllers Sinus & Allergy Relief – a homeopathic solution for allergies to pollen or animals.

Lastly, always wash your hands and nostrils out when you come indoors. It will help clear out pollen and prevent you from sneezing too much.

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Ladies Tea Luncheon

By on June 16, 2008 in missions & ministry, recipes & kitchen tips

I have always loved tea parties! Growing up I collected all sorts of elegant tea cups, tea pots, and the like (from Goodwill, garage sales, gifts, etc). We hosted many a Mother’s Day (to honor mother’s in our church) and Christmas teas (neighborhood gatherings) growing up, and it was such a delight to bless other women in our home in this way. Continuing on in this tradition, I invited a few ladies over for a tea luncheon this past Saturday.

We had such a refreshing time of fellowship and encouragement together around the Lord. I invited everyone to come prepared to share how the Lord has been working in their lives. It could be insight from a book, or sermon, or simply whatever the Lord laid on their hearts. I was so greatly challenged as we discussed the importance of the Word and daily communion with the Lord to walk out our roles of wives and mothers.

Why not host a little tea or simple luncheon this summer and encourage your sisters in the Lord? You can honor mothers in this way, or reach out to neighbor ladies as well. Draw your attention to the Lord and it will be very fruitful. Older woman, seek to encourage the younger woman (thanks Mama Edmonds for your presence and godly wisdom!). Let’s seek to be purposeful in our plans this summer! (More encouragement on this topic lately from Girltalk).

Here’s some recipes to get you inspired…

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Make it Yourself: Yogurt

By on June 13, 2008 in recipes & kitchen tips

Who would have thought homemade yogurt could be so easy and yet so yummy! Making homemade yogurt is not only frugal, but you get to control all that is added to your final product. Unfortunately, most store bought yogurts are loaded with sugar and preservatives.

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F & N: Southwest Chicken Salad

By on June 13, 2008 in recipes & kitchen tips

Southwest Chicken Salad

This is a scrumptious main dish salad and a favorite for any warm evening! It is our frugal and nutritious meal for the week!

Chicken thighs, cut into strips (we used 1 thigh for our family!)
Avocados, sliced
Black beans, heated
Corn, heated
Salad Greens
Green onions, chopped
Cilantro, fresh and chopped or dried
Olives, chopped
Tomatoes, chopped
Mozzarella or Sharp cheddar, grated
Dress with Ranch dressing or salsa
Tortilla chips, on the side, optional

Barbecue chicken strips and toss with seasonings of your choice (i.e. Savory seasoning). Top your greens with all other toppings and enjoy!

It’s Frugal Fridays!
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Simplifying by Slowing Down

By on June 11, 2008 in building the family, frugal & simple, making a home

Welcome back for the continuation on our series discussing the importance and how-to’s of simplifying your lives in order to be better fit for the Lord’s use. So far we have talked about the reason for it all, living simply in order to give generously of our time and resources, simplifying by communing, & planning. Now let’s discuss the important truth of just slowing down.

“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you…” (1 Thess. 4:11)

Why does it seem that life is just a mad rush from one event to another? From soccer practice to music lessons, from school to church. You ask “how’s it going?” and the continual reply is: “I am so busy! I don’t have any extra time.” Does that sound familiar?

But we keep choosing busy! We choose it because in this Western world busyness equals success. The more in our dayplanner the greater our importance. Busyness not only wears us down, weaken our relationships, and vaporizes our time; it verges on idol worship. Who is the idol? ME! Do we realize that the root of this busyness might just be an obsession with “me”! Do I think that my efforts and actions will sustain my family and the world around me? Do I imagine it will all fail if I don’t complete this or that?

Are the priorities in the right place? The question begs to be asked, are we missing out on something?

Slowing down takes work, but it is possible and very worth it!

The goal in simplifying your life is to give you more time for the quality activities, for the investment in family and in ministry together towards others! If we aren’t seeing or talking to each other as a family, something must go. If we don’t have time to serve a friend with a meal because we are running around finding all the good sales, maybe we should re-evaluate what truly are our priorities?

This is the boat I was in and must continually be on the alert for those signs of the “busyness idol” creeping in (stressed, overwhelmed, relationships suffering, etc)…this is my weakness, and I have fallen into the trap many times. Here are a few lessons we have learned in the process of learning how to slow down…We are far from perfect, but God’s grace is guiding us as we seek to follow in His purposes.

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Thankfulness = Joy

By on June 10, 2008 in faith & womanhood

I have witnessed God’s faithfulness in several areas lately of which I am overwhelmed with thankfulness. He is the Great Provider of all our needs! As Kristen so faithfully reminded me, with a quote by Debi Pearl, “Thankfulness is how we think; joy is the abundance it produces.” Joy for the journey to complete all the tasks of life, to manage my home, to serve my husband, to keep my eyes on the Lord, all comes from a thankful heart, a mind that is filling its thoughts with thankfulness.

1. Car Provisions

This past Thursday my husband was preparing to depart for the computers & missions conference. He was to leave at 12:30 am (Friday) for a lovely red-eye flight (hey it was cheap!). We are driving around in our little red Subaru wagon, when we hear the lovely sound of brakes grinding against the pads…well, that is to say that pads are gone…which makes the horrible noise! He’s leaving tonight, what are we to do, it’s our only car, and this is a problem. We call around..no shops have openings. We call a family friend. He is gracious enough to slip us in, due to the emergency situation.

Not only was he so gracious to solve our problem, he also extended himself to solve another ailment that had been lingering for awhile. Our starter has been failing over the last few years, and we have often not been able to start the car (boy do I have some stories!). He replaced our brake pads and our starter and would not let us pay the bill. His generosity was so overwhelming! He told us it was his way of supporting us and the direction God is calling us. God is so good!

2. A new flight

The Lord had already provided the resources to cover the flight and conference, so we knew God wanted him to attend this conference. It is 7:00pm in the evening, the phone rings, Aaron’s flight is canceled. He waits on the phone for over a hour trying to talk with someone. Finally, we decide the best thing to do is just go to the airport. We lay Karis down to bed at my brother’s house, and drive to the airport together. I drop the husband off at the gate, and proceed to park the vehicle. Low and behold, before I even entered the airport, Aaron has managed to get a new flight and to top it off it was a better flight to boot! He departed at 10:30 instead of 12:30 and arrived earlier as well. Praise the Lord! He definitely wanted Aaron to go.

3. My hubby is coming home!

Last but not least…I am so thankful that my hubby is coming home tonight! Absence makes the heart grow fonder indeed, but there is only so much I can handle. ;) Actually, it has been a refreshing weekend for Karis and I. We spent a lot of time with my family, which was a joy! I am so thankful for Skype (a free online telephone system), through which I was able to talk with Aaron via video throughout the past 5 days. What a huge blessing! Being apart makes we realize to a greater extend what a wonderful gift my husband is to me. How undeserving I am of his love for me! He so faithfully seeks to provide for us, protect, and lead us in the Word.

What are you thankful for today? Increase your joy today by reflecting on what God has done for you!

Visit Heavenly Homemakers for Gratituesday! I am thankful for Laura’s invitation to participate!
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Banana or Blueberry Crumb Muffins

By on June 9, 2008 in recipes & kitchen tips

These are by far the best muffins in the world! I am serious…these are my all time favorite muffins! ;) You can use fresh or frozen bananas, just thaw and mash up!

  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (whole wheat pastry/soft spring wheat is the best!)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 bananas, mashed
  • 3/4 cup rapadura or sucanat (natural sweeteners)
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/3 cup butter or coconut oil, melted – or replace with half applesauce, as desired

Topping, optional:

  • 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/4 cup rapadura, optional
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full (Definitely fill all 12, otherwise they will overflow).
  3. Optional: In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup rapadura, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins. I normally just sprinkle with cinnamon and a little rapadura.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Blueberry Variation: Replace bananas with 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries and 3/4 cup applesauce. Yum!

Enjoy!

Visit Tammy’s Recipes for further inspiration!

Original recipe tweaked from Allrecipes.com

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