Freezer Bag Cooking: Lunch and Dinner

By Angela on May 7, 2015

Freezer Bag Recipes lunch and dinner

Yesterday I shared with you some really simple Freezer Bag Breakfast Recipes perfect for camping or just to make ahead for busy moments. Today I’m going to give you my best Freezer Bag Lunch and Dinner recipes. When meals are packed frozen in a cooler, you need less ice and they gradually thaw to be ready when needed. (My FAVORITE part of this series is how often I can use the word smoosh <3.)

Dutch Oven

Dutch Oven Pizza

Crust: 1 2/3 cup water; 1 Tbs yeast; 1 Tbs olive oil; 2 Tbs Honey; 1 tsp salt; 4 cups flour. Mix together, kneading right in the bag, then press out the air and freeze.

Sauce: 6 oz tomato paste; 1/4 cup water; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp onion powder; 2 tsp parsley flakes; 1 tsp basil; 1/4 tsp oregano; a few dashes of oregano. Mix in a smaller baggie and freeze. Snip the corner to easily spread onto the pizza crust.

Additional ingredients: Shredded mozzarella cheese; browned ground beef, pepperoni;

This is enough for 2 pizzas. Spread the thawed crust in the bottom and up the sides a bit of your well seasoned dutch oven. Top with sauce, cheese and desired toppings. Top with a lid. Bake for 20-3o minutes with 7 briquettes under the oven and 21 on the lid.
Sloppy Joe

Sloppy Joes

2 lb Ground meat (I use a combination of turkey and beef.)

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced bell pepper

2 cans, 8 oz tomato sauce

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic salt

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Brown the ground beef, peppers and onions together, drain. Place the tomato sauce, chili powder, garlic salt and worcestershire in a freezer baggie. Smoosh it around. Add remaining ingredients and smoosh to mix evenly. Seal well and lay flat to freeze. To prepare, squeeze thawed contents into a dutch oven or saucepan and heat through. Serve on buns or stuffed into pitas with slices of cheese.

Goulash

l lb macaroni noodles (dry)

8 cups tomato juice

4 tsp sugar, xylitol or similar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 tsp garlic powder

1 lb ground beef, browned and drained

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped bell pepper

8 American cheeses slices

Brown ground beef with onion and bell pepper, drain. Combine all but the cheese slices in a baggie (pasta should still be dry.) Seal, and smoosh flat to freeze. To prepare, pour contents of the bag into a casserole dish or dutch oven. Top with cheese slices. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes (For a Dutch oven: 7 hot coals on the bottom 21 coals on the lid) or until heated through and pasta is soft.

Spaghetti

8 oz broken spaghetti noodles

4 cups tomato sauce

3 cups water

1 tsp basil flakes

2 tsp parsley flakes

1 tsp salt

dash of cayenne pepper (opt)

1 lb ground beef

1 cup onion

Brown and drain ground beef with onion. Add all ingredients to a freezer bag (use the noodles dry.) Smoosh flat and freeze. To prepare, pour thawed contents of the bag into a pot, bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until pasta is tender and dish is thickened.

Fajitas

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced into strips.

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 red onion

1 white onion

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1 1/2 Tbs Seasoned Salt (like Lowry’s)

1 1/2 Tbs oregano flakes

1 1/2 Tbs ground cumin

1 Tbs garlic powder

1 Tbs chili powder

1 Tbs paprika

1 tsp salt

In a large baggie combine the oil, lime juice and herbs and spices. Smoosh all around. Add the chicken and sliced vegetables. Press flat and freeze. To prepare, thaw the bag. Use tongs to lift the meat and vegetables out of the bag into a hot skillet, discard remaining marinate. Stir fry until meat is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Serve with tortillas and salsa. (Other toppings as desired: lettuce, cheese, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, guacamole….)

Fiesta Chicken Bowls

2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

1/4 cup lime juice

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 lb corn kernels

1 tsp garlic powder

1 chopped red onion

1 can, 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Combine everything into a freezer bag and smoosh flat to freeze. To prepare, thaw bag. Pour entire contents into a hot skillet and sauté until meat is cooked through. Layer bowls with crushed tortilla chips and chopped lettuce. Top with chicken mixture and serve with salsa, cheese, and ranch dressing.

Teriyaki chicken over Rice

2 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

1 lb sugar snap peas

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup pineapple juice (I drain it from canned pineapple)

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

1 tsp garlic powder

Combine all ingredients into a freezer bag and smoosh to freeze. Freeze 4-6 cups cooked brown rice in a separate bag. To prepare, pour contents of the bag into a skillet and saute until chicken is cooked through. Heat rice, by simmering the bag in hot water for 2-3 minutes. Serve Teriyaki chicken over rice.

Taco Soup

2 lb ground beef or turkey

1 cup chopped onion

1 lb corn kernels

2 cans, 15 oz each black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can rotel tomatoes, undrained

4 Tbs taco seasoning

Brown ground beef with onion, drain. Combine everything in a freezer bag. Smoosh flat to freeze. To serve, pour contents of the bag into a stock pot or dutch oven. Add 1 cup of water. Heat through. Serve with Frito style corn chips and cheese or sour cream.

Freezer Bag Cooking: Breakfast

By Angela on May 6, 2015

Freezer Bag Recipes Breakfast

Prepping food at home and freezing it in baggies takes up less space in the cooler for camping. Things stay colder longer this way. (Here’s hoping they thaw out in time for cooking. I’ll let you know on that one.) Even if you aren’t planning a camping trip, these recipes can easily be cooked in a regular kitchen and make rushed mornings that much easier.

Today is just about breakfast. Tomorrow we’ll talk about dinner and then desserts :). All of these recipes are good feed our family of 8.

Quick tip: Be sure to label your bags with a sharpee. A few weeks later pancake batter and frozen smoothie can look kind of similar.

Breakfast Recipes

protein pancakes 033

Pancakes

3 cups flour

1 Tbs sugar or stevia blend

1 Tbs baking powder (or 1 tsp baking soda plus 1/4 tsp cream of tartar.)

3 eggs

3 Tbs oil

3 cups milk

Blend all ingredients together and process for 1 minute. Pour into a gallon freezer baggie and squeeze out the air. Lay the bag flat smooshing all the batter into an even layer and place it on a cookie sheet or tray to freeze it flat.

To cook, thaw the batter. Then snip off a lower corner of the bag and use it to pipe the batter into a hot skillet. (I’m going to test this method on my protein pancake batter and let you know how it freezes.) If you don’t want to use a blender, you could also just dump the ingredients in the bag and smoosh it around. It won’t be as smooth, but it will be ok.

Hash Brown and Egg Casserole

1 lb frozen hash browns (Raw potatoes don’t freeze well, so if you want a homemade substitute, cube leftover baked potatoes. For a low carb substitute, try frozen cauliflower bits or diced radishes.)

1 lb bulk sausage, browned and drained

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced bell pepper (I like the baby bell peppers because of the pretty colors.)

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup shredded cheese

8 beaten eggs

1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper

Beat yogurt or sour cream and salt and pepper into eggs. Pour into a gallon baggie and add remaining ingredients. smoosh around until well blended. Seal well, removing all air. Lay flat and freeze on a tray to keep it flat. To bake, pour thawed casserole into a dutch oven. Use this handy guide to decide how and where to place your coals: http://www.dutchovendude.com/campfire-cooking.shtml Bake at 350 for about an hour. You’ll need around 24 hot briquetts, 6 underneath and 18 on the lid.

This casserole can be made without all vegetables (but why?!) To make it dairy free, 1/2 as much plain almond milk can be subbed for the yogurt and the cheese can be left out or replaced with Daiya cheese. I’m slightly milk sensitive, but found Daiya cheese (cheddar variety) to be pretty gross and would rather just skip it.

Apple Muffins

¾ C milk

½ C applesauce (or oil)

1 egg

2 C flour

½ C sugar

3 t baking powder

1 t salt

½ t cinnamon

1 med apple, pared and chopped

Mix everything together in the gallon baggie, then freeze flat. To bake, snip off a corner and pipe into a seasoned cast iron muffin tin OR fill hollowed out orange skin halves 2/3 full with batter. Wrap loosely with aluminum foil (to give room for rising batter.) Nestle down into the hot coals (right side up!) and bake for about 1o minutes. Any muffin batter can be baked this way. Imagine chocolate in an orange. (If you compare recipes, the difference between a muffin and a cupcake are minimal….)

Omelets

Use a quart sized freezer bag for each person. Crack in 2 eggs then add whatever you like: spinach, onions, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, ham, bacon, sausage, cheese etc. Mush it all around, then freeze. To cook, drop the bags in a large kettle (or dutch oven) of boiling water. Boil for 8 minutes. Only put in enough bags that can float freely (you don’t want them resting on the bottom of the pot.)

Smoothies

Blend up your favorite smoothie ingredients, then freeze flat in a freezer bag. Thaw until slushy, cut off a corner and pipe into drinking glasses.

Portable Yogurt

Fill snack size baggies with a half cup of flavored yogurt. Fold over and tape the zipper seal to the side and freeze firm. Snip off the end and push up to eat. Credit

Quick Oatmeal

This doesn’t need to be frozen, but goes in a baggie….so here you go. Add 1/3 cup quick oats; 1 Tbs sweetener (brown sugar, coconut sugar, or xylitol etc….); 2 Tbs dried fruit; and 1/4 tsp of flavor (Cinnamon, nutmeg etc.) Other flavor options: 1 Tbs chopped nuts; 1 Tbs mini chocolate chips; 1 Tbs peanut flour; 1 tsp flax meal; 1 tsp chia seeds; 1 Tbs cocoa powder; 1 Tbs dry milk; scraped vanilla bean. To prepare, pour contents of the bag into a mug. Add 2/3-3/4 cup of boiling water and let stand for 5 minutes.

Just for fun, let’s clear up some confusion about the different types of oatmeal.

1. Whole Oat Groats: look similar to wheat berries and are the hulled seeds of the oat plan. Since the seed is intact, there is no danger of oils going rancid. These take a long time to cook.

2. Steel cut oats: Whole oats that have been chopped into pieces for faster cooking.

3. Old-fashioned rolled oats: Whole oat Groats that have been rolled on a press. Oats can be thick rolled if the setting is changed on the roller.

3. Quick Oats: Rolled oats that have been chopped into smaller pieces for faster cooking. Nutritionally no different than Old-Fashioned roll oats.

4. Instant Oats: Quick oats that have been steamed and re-dried for faster cooking. There is likely some nutrition loss in the heat process, but instant oat’s bad reputation mostly comes from the sugary additions in the prepackaged individual serving variety that make it so yummy. By packaging up your own flavors you can control the quality of the ingredients and nutrition profile.

We are going camping!

By Angela on May 5, 2015

lit up tent

I’m terrified! I have great memories of family camping as a child. We went several times a year, almost always to Watkins Mill where they have a fabulous swimming lake and a gorgeous paved bike trail. In the autumn, we would lie on lounge chairs after riding at least 10 miles, glistening with sweat. If we were still enough, butterflies would come and land on us and lick up the salt from our skin. It was peaceful and renewing. At least for us kids. As I think back on things, Mom had to work pretty hard to give us such a relaxing time.

stock-footage-a-monarch-butterfly-sits-on-a-person-s-hand

I couldn’t wait to start a camping tradition with my own family! I begged Darren to take us. I did all the planning and packing, just like my mom did when I was growing up. Except things were different for us. I was 7 months pregnant with WD and it was the hottest day of the year. The first night, my 23 month old daughter cried all night long. We helplessly comforted her while listening to our neighbor’s Harley revving into the wee hours of the morning. The next day, I begged Darren to take us home. He said, “No.”

Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site, Lawson

We groggily continued with our plans to enjoy the area. The swimming lake had been drained for repairs and the bike trail was torn up in the section that went over the dam. Undaunted I strapped my toddler daughter in the bike child seat and headed on the 5 mile trail around the lake. When I got to the torn up dam I had two choices, go back the other way and ride 5 miles back to the start or carefully ride the rubble. It was 104 degrees, I was exhausted—none of this had been fun so far. I chose the rubble. In my attempt to ride carefully, I fell way behind Darren who was pulling our older 2 children (aged 5 and 3 in a double bike trailer.) He was completely out of ear shot when I fell off the dam, taking my pregnant self, bike and back seated baby with me. Thank the Lord we had helmets! They were dented but we were relatively safe. I was bloody and Heather was crying pretty hard. I put her back in the seat and walked the bike back to our campsite. I left a trail of blood in the road. When Darren saw me, I didn’t have to beg to go home. We just went.

Watkins Mill Bike Trail

We tried camping again 5 years later. This time we went with friends who knew what they were doing and agreed to do the cooking if we would help with clean up and paying for food. I packed no supplies except a borrowed tent, a sleeping bag and a hand crank flashlight. (Yes, not even a pillow or a lawn chair.) The first night, I sat up all night sitting at the campground supplied picnic table, cranking my little flashlight with all my might and pointing it into the woods. My arm got tired really fast, but I had to keep my babies safe from those loud, stick-popping sounds coming from the woods. The best part of that trip was the FOOD! Oh man, my friends knew how to fix a mean campfire meal.

With my frequently pregnancies, illnesses, and financial strains, we have only taken 2 family trips with all the children. We would like to fix that now that life seems to be settling down for us. Camping is one way to afford a family trip, enjoy lots of together time and see the country. So off we go! Here’s what I’ve learned:

1. Prep work is the key to a successful trip. Planning food in advance can help make the trip more relaxing for all.

2. The right gear is important. Battery flashlights are better than hand crank ones in this situation :). We will invest in a few small pieces of gear this time, but are borrowing some things to help keep the trip affordable. If we go camping again, we will be able to buy a couple of things next time too.

It’s a short list, because I’m awful at camping :). I’ve love to hear your tips in the comments.

Tomorrow I’m going to share some camping friendly recipes I’ve gathered. If you aren’t planning a camping trip, don’t worry. These are perfect at home freezer meals too!

Caleb’s Bedroom Budget Details

By Angela on March 19, 2015

I’ll be honest. I didn’t have a set amount to spend on Caleb’s room. The goal was just to do it as cheaply as possible without so much DIY that it would get overwhelming. I was dealing with cash, so before I made a purchase I really weighed whether this was the best use for the money. There were several times I was standing there hemming and hawing about whether I should buy something or not (desk, bird pillow), and I told myself, “It’s for your son….just do it.” I can be really cheap at times, then at other times just spend the money thinking I’ll be happy I did later. (Which isn’t always the case.)

I haven’t added it all up before I do it live right here….I’m a little scared to see the total. What’s a good room makeover budget anyway? The little things add up quickly for sure. I could have easily spent an extra $1,000 if we had done the hardwood floors and removed the ceiling texture….so I’m calling this a win for now :).

Item	Store	Details	$

Duvet fill	Target	Twin Down alternative	20.00
Curtain Rods	Target	2 brushed nickel café rods	7.18
Paint for walls	Home Depot	Behr Sterling (2 gallons) eggshell	58.12
Floor Paint	Home Depot	Behr Anonymous (1 gallon)	27.98
Grass Plant and pot	Ikea	Fejka and Socker	4.78
Gray textured pillow cover	Ikea	Gullklocka	7.00
Stripe Pillow Cover	Ikea	Vargyllen	5.00
Bird Pillow	Ikea	(Already stuffed–not online)	5.00
Black Frames	Ikea	7 Nyttja	14.00
Black Box with lid	Ikea	Kassett set of 2	6.99
Desk Lamp	Ikea	Barometer	29.99
Trundle Mattress	Ikea	Moshult	79.99
Floating Shelves	Ikea	Lack black brown	39.98
Desk	Ikea	Micke Black brown	69.99
Desk Chair	Ikea	Snille	19.99
Area Rug	Rugsusa.com	Keno ACR177 Rug	229.20

		Total	625.19

Stuff I had from before
Duvet Cover	Target	Clearance/Discontinued	15.00
Supplies for lego desk	Home Depot	saw horse brackets	14.00
		2x4s * 2	6.00
		Hollow core door	27.00
Pillow inserts	Cargo Largo	2* Pottery Barn 20×20 feather inserts	10.00

		Total	687.19

There was some additional expense for printing the pages at home. Ink and paper are not free, but I’ve never figured out what it costs to print a page. (Some things I’d rather not know so I can happily print in ignorant bliss.) We do have a printer with the cheap refillable Costco cartridges.

I also plan to go back to Ikea and grab him a Trysil nightstand for $39.99.

And a Svarta trundle bed for $79.99. We often have extra guests and the kids have been dragging our extra mattress from bedroom to bedroom. It will be nice to have one just for this space.

After I finished building his desk, I turned the page and found the instructions for building it the other way, you know, so the cord hole would be right by the outlet, forehead smack! I think I’ll move the lamp to the nightstand anyway, so it won’t be a big deal. It still would have been handy for his laptop though.

This bird pillow made me giggle. Caleb smiled when he saw it. I like it when he smiles, dimples everywhere.

Here are all the textures of pillows together. I almost didn’t buy the bumpled gray one, but then I remembered “texture” being one of the things to add interest to the room. I’m glad I got it. To be honest I almost didn’t buy any of them, but I already had the pillow forms at home and Darren was making comments about putting them in the yard sale. These were Potty Barn brand feather inserts that I got for a steal. It seemed right to give them a useful purpose.

This is the beginning of his lego wall. He spent a long time getting his collection all sorted out into the bins (which are $8 for a 4 pack and can be ordered online from Home Depot.) The rails they hang on are bright yellow, but you can’t see them when the bins are put away.

The floating shelves are to store his finished creations until he’s ready to make something new. (He used to store these treasures on the floor, ouch!) He also has some airplane and car models for the top shelf. The black boxes hold his lego manuals, Boy Scout guides, and his favorite drawings.

I’m going to make this work table for him to put under the bins and have all the parts with one change. My table top is a hollow core door that I’ll paint with the leftover floor paint.

These are 3 of the pictures from here. (The ones on either side of his window are from here too. I love putting up scripture for him to look at and be inspired by.) I’m going to grab another frame and put a fourth one up to fill the space out better. He has a poster sized map of South Dakota that he bought on vacation with my parents. I’m going to grab a matching frame for it and put it somewhere too. It means a lot to him. The stick of bamboo in the corner was Caleb’s first addition to the room. I’m not sure what it is about boys and sticks.

If you’re wondering where all the rest of his stuff is, it’s in his closet. His closet is 6 x 13 with tons of shelves which is handy for keeping his room clutter free. His dresser is in there with his toy shelf. That room is in desperate need of tidying up, a task for another day.

Are You Spring Cleaning With Toxins?

By Angela on March 5, 2015

Every day I hear about a friend with cancer. I don’t know if cancer is really on the rise, or if social media means I just find out about it more. These aren’t strangers though. These are my friends: some young, some old, some live near me, some are across the country. The cancer part of our prayer list is really long.

I hate cancer. No one knows the cause of an individual illess, unless there was a big environmental problem such as smoking or prolonged asbestos exposure that is glaring.

On the other hand there are chemicals that are KNOWN to cause cancer used in common every day products like baby shampoo, laundry soap, hand sanitizer, and air freshener. We might not be able to avoid all risk factors leading to cancer, but we can do something about THIS.

Don’t be mislead. Just making your own cleaning products will not keep you safe. If your recipe contains ammonia or bleach, it’s not safe. Plus, many recipes such as homemade laundry detergent, are a combinations of purchased ingredients. Does the soap base for your homemade detergent have SLS, SLES, parabens or 1,4 Dioxine in it? If it does, it’s not safe.

I made a video for you that scratches the surface of what you should look out for. Below I’ve added a lot of links below to source the information that’s in the video. If you want to do your own research, it’s a starting point.

Click here to request more information.

More Resources

What to look for in laundry detergents

Tide to reduce not eliminate 1,4 Dioxane

Can I Afford to Stay Home With My Kids?

By Angela on February 10, 2015

When we first married I was a 5th grade teacher. It was a great job, but also really stressful. I became pregnant after we had been married just 3 months. I had already signed my teaching contract for the next year. There was a steep contract breaking fee, but it didn’t matter. My husband was in grad school and I was the only income producer in our family. I had to work.

This was not how I planned to be a mother. Read the rest….

A Drop in the Bucket

By Angela on December 2, 2014

A Drop in the Bucket

Right after we got out of debt, my husband received word that they were transferring us to Indianapolis, Indiana and renting us an apartment so he could open a new department in that branch. It would be for about a year and then they would transfer us back. It sounded like a fun adventure.

We gave notice on the house we were renting and our landlord quickly found a new renter to move in as soon as we were gone. I set aside the bare necessities for living (one set of dishes, one pot, one set of towels etc.) and packed the rest up into a storage unit. Not too long after, my husband’s work changed their mind. The move wasn’t going to work out after all. And just like that we were homeless.

to farm 037 The West view from their porch

Even though we had 3 babies, my in-laws invited us to come and stay with them until we could figure something out. Their house was a charming 1920’s bungalow with only one bathroom featuring a cute cast iron tub. For cleaning up after coming in from the fields, there was an open shower in the basement.

Yellow Bucket

The plumbing in the house was old (and plumbed backwards so the left handle was cold water and the right hot ) The bathtub faucet dripped. My mother-in-law put a bucket under the faucet and then used the water to water her plants, or to get a head start on the bathtub filling when it was time. It just dripped once every second or so, but if we didn’t watch the bucket it would overflow in just a few hours. She couldn’t keep the bathtub stopped up all the time to catch the drips or by the end of the day we’d have a tub full of cold water and not enough room to add hot water to warm it up.

Gray bucket

When I look at our finances I catch myself saying stuff like, “And that’s not even a drop in the bucket.” Meaning, we could save a few dollars here or there, but it won’t make a difference. That’s wrong. A few cents or dollars here and there if found CONSISTENTLY and at increasing frequency will fill a bucket in no time.

Leave a comment and give us some ideas. Where can you find a drop for your bucket?

P.S. Keep in mind that if it costs more than you save by driving too far to get a special deal…that’s not saving anything. If you cancel a membership or subscription that is saving you money than it costs you (like a Costco membership or a Grocery Shrink Plus subcription #shamelessplug ….. then that’s going backwards too.) Take some time and look at the numbers so you can make your decisions with wisdom.

The Filthy Rich

By Angela on November 19, 2014

photo credit: Saine

Lately at Sunday School, the pulpit, normal conversation … discussions about the rich have been more frequent than usual. Most of the conversations have been about the evils of wealth and the scriptures that talk about how hard it is for a rich man to get into heaven.

In all of these discussions, no one talking about the wealthy considers themselves to be wealthy. Wealth is relative. Someone who has more than us, is wealthy. Someone who has less is not. And it almost nearly follows that someone who has more than us is evil and someone who is “poor” is more righteous.

When you think about who the rich are, you might consider that over 50% of the world lives on less than $2.50 a day. Over 80% live on less than $10 a day. Things like indoor plumbing, electricity, elementary school, and clean water are reserved for the world’s top income earners.

At our house we also have the internet, a washer and dryer, central air, a piano, and a car. I’m thinking we might be part of the wealthy. The fact that our budget discussions include whether we can afford music lessons and school tuition—not if we know where our next meal will come from, seals it. You might as well stamp “filthy rich” on my forehead.

I didn’t know the rich young ruler personally, but I’m guessing if you put his possessions and mine side by side, I’d have more stuff. He went away sorrowing because he didn’t realize that all his stuff really wasn’t his. It was God’s. God gave him a large share to manage for Him and when He asked to be able to use it, the young man couldn’t let go. Christ’s point was that no one can keep all the commandments. No one can earn his own salvation, it’s not humanly possible alone. It takes God. It really wasn’t a discussion about the evils of wealth at all–that was an example of the many ways we can stumble.

Teaching against wealth building is a dangerous thing. The most reliable way to build wealth is to manage money properly: Avoid debt, live on less than you make, save monthly, invest conservatively. Building wealth requires hard work, patience, self-control, humility, self-denial, sacrifice. These are all things we should have in our lives.

It is never more righteous to be a HOT IRRESPONSIBLE MESS with our money.

When we have wealth we can DO great things with it. We can give, fund missionaries, build relief shelters, support adoptions…anything! Wealth gives choices.

Because we live in one of the wealthiest nations on the planet, we are likely to have some rich people discussions. Such as: Should I buy organic? How can I afford supplements? How do you budget for college? Does cleaning with vinegar really work? Understand that someone who doesn’t know where their next meal would come from would find these discussions ludicrous. It would be even more shocking how we can tear each other down over things like homeschooling, gluten, chevron, and high fructose corn syrup.

There may be times in our financial journey that our income barely covers our basic needs–shelter, food, clothing. In order to make progress we have to get a little crazy and do without some “necessities” like heat, toilet paper, organic food, and paleo ingredients. In the scheme of things, we’ll still be living better than 80% of the planet.

Surrounding Myself with Success

By Angela on November 18, 2014

those we spend the most time with

I don’t have a lot of time today, but I wanted to express something short. We become like the people we spend the most time with. If we want to be savers, hanging out with extravagant spenders will influence how satisfied we are with our meager existence.

Have you ever heard someone say, “I grew up poor, but we didn’t know it. Everyone around us was the same kind of poor.”

If I want to be thankful for my home and patient with the 1970’s decor and 43 year old carpet, then reading blogs that complain about “builder’s grade” and “boring beige” in their brand new home is not going to help my attitude.

If I want to be a good work at home mom, then I should listen to those who are already good at it. (Plus a little Zig Ziglar and Mary Kay Ash wouldn’t hurt.)

I’m keeping my real life, in the flesh, friends. They are my people and God put them in my life, and I’m thankful. I don’t have a lot of complainers, mis-managers, and snobs in the mix….can’t think of any, really. But if I did, I would still love on them when we crossed paths even if I didn’t go out of my way to cross paths often.

The blogs I follow online are different. It’s not personal. If I need to take someone out of my life for a time, it’s one click of a button, and I can click back when I’m ready. I subscribed to every interior design blog I came across over the last 3 years (while we were planning changes to our fixer-upper), and the emails have been coming in daily since then. I learned a ton during that time, but I’ve also found myself becoming more and more discontent. I’m unsubscribing today.

Instead, I’m looking for encouragement to be patient with our mess, content with my family, to manage my business well, and to be thrifty even when it isn’t pretty. Along with my purging, I’m keeping my subscriptions to this, this, this, and this. And reading often here and here. These are some of the people that I can learn from without feeling discontent.

Where do you find encouragement to be what you need to be?

P.S. I’m really close to 2,000 facebook likes. If you have time to click “like” up in the side bar, it would make me giddy.

Some Cool Things

By Angela on November 13, 2014

Today is a busy day. This week I’ve gone through all my fabric (roughly 12 big tubs worth) and am letting it all go. Well, almost all of it. I’ve kept back just enough to fill 3 Sterilite tubs. The rest needs to be cleaned, straightened, measured and marked for the craft show this weekend. It’s supposed to snow!!!! I hope we have a good turn out anyway.

The idea is selling my fabric will help me reclaim my office and get us a little closer to baby step #3 (again.) At the rate we are going it will take us 7 years, but I have a goal to be done by this time next year.

Painting classes 4 kids

There are going to be some amazing vendors at the craft show, including my cousin who is offering $10 art sessions for kids while you shop. If you are local, this is a must.

Before I run off to my sea of fabric, I wanted to share a couple of things with you.

I’ve been a crazy Facebook posting monkey. If you haven’t liked me on facebook, you are missing out. You should click like>>over there. Then check out all the great frugal gift ideas that you have missed. (Plus we’ve talked about the best way to do winter Light Therapy; how to store silicone baking mats; and whether Pinterest ideas really make us feel inadequate–they don’t.)

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This app. Food logging couldn’t be easier or more fun. I’m only upset I didn’t find it sooner.

I’m healthy enough to exercise now! I’ve been walking for a couple of weeks, and now that my baseline of fitness has come up a bit, I’m starting in with the beginner exercises in this series.

I’m still eating the FYM way, but I’m also adding some recipes from this. I have an amazing recipe for skinny chocolate, and yes, it’s as good as it sounds. If you twist my arm, I might share it.

Have you discovered anything cool lately?