Thrifty Thursday {Make your own bread}

There is nothing more delicious then fresh, home baked bread. The delightful aroma of the warm dough rising in the kitchen, the brilliant bouquet of flour baking in the oven, reminds me of when I was a kid, dancing around in my grandma's kitchen, waiting patiently for a fresh slice. Unfortunately, I have no idea what her recipe was so when I found this one, I was over the moon when I tried it and the distant memory raced itself back to the forefront.

No this is not really my grandma.

Feeding 2 teenage boys, 4 more under the age of 10 (not by much, 7.8,9,9) a hubby and of course myself is no easy feat. When a recipe says it feeds 8, it lies. I am always quadrupling what I make to ensure that not only does everyone have enough to eat, but that there are leftovers for lunches (after the midnight fridge raiders).  Oh, and when you have a $500/month food budget-it's time to not only get creative, but thrifty. So roll up your sleeves girls...we are going to make our own bread.

Before I get started-a few disclaimers. This bread is addictive. So make 4 loaves when you really only need one. Because I assure you, 3 of them will barely be out of the oven and they will be gone.


I first found this yummy recipe over at Scratch this with Sandy

Photo courtesy of Scratch this with Sandy

I have made a few modifications to the original recipe, I will show you how I make it and what I switched.

Instead of oil, I use applesauce. It accomplishes the same, giving the dough the moisture. I also have found that it gives the bread a lighter, more fluffy texture.

I also let the bread rise a bit longer in both phases. This too gives the bread a lighter feel and still the rich flavor.

I hope you do enjoy-and please leave a comment if you tried it and like it (or don't like it, but honestly I think you will love it just as much as we do!)

Who I am linking up with today!

Make sure you give them a look!

Ducks in a Row!

Family Meetings {Parenting on Purpose}

A few months ago the hubby and I decided we were going to start doing family meetings.  Ok, let me rephrase that, a few months ago I decided we were going to start doing family meetings and the hubby reluctantly agreed.

The reason is simple. We are a large, blended, busy family. We don't always have all of us together, so when we do, we need to make the most of our time.

The first family meeting was a mess. So was the second. I think now for the third (coming this weekend) we will have some control. I dusted off my "Robert's Rules of Order" and have modified it to these simple rules:

1. Mom and Dad are the Executive Board. All decisions need to be finalized by us. It may not happen right away, or exactly how everyone wants it, but that is ok.

2. Everyone gets a turn to talk. What I have done to make it easier and to get everyone to participate is I give them all a sheet with certain questions that we will go over in the meeting. I try to give them the sheet the morning of the meeting, giving them all day to think about it.
The standard questions are;
What 3 things as a family are we doing well?
What 3 things as a family could we do better?
What is your personal goal this month?
Last month, I asked for 5 things they want to do over the summer, 5 meals they really enjoy and then I always leave space for anything else they want to add. The hubby and I answer the same questions.

3. We meet monthly, and we meet early in the evening. We play a game after.

4. We start every meeting with a prayer.

5. Everyone participates.

6. NO ONE GETS IN TROUBLE FOR WHAT THEY SAY. This is important. The kids need to feel comfortable to say what they need to say without retaliation.

Besides giving all 8 of us a chance to sit down and focus only on family matters, we are getting the opportunity to hear all of the kids thoughts on topics that concern them. It also helps the kids learn important skills for when they have to work in a group at school or when they get a job and have to go to team meetings.  It also allows us to let the kids know where we are at with big things, like buying a house, family vacations etc. We don't share all of our financials with them, but it helps when we say "we are saving to go on vacation, so we need to limit how much we eat out".  We also are able to go over the custody schedule as it changes frequently, depending on work schedules etc.

Most importantly though, it connects us as a family. Our kids are getting older, the oldest will be 15 at the end of the summer. Crazy,

Who I am linking up with today: Make sure you check them out, like, follow and help spread the love!

While I'm Waiting

Reconciled to You

Theology is a Verb

A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Raising Homemakers

Sippin Tea on a Tuesday {an interview with my daughter}

As the mom(and step mom) of the 3 beautiful young ladies, I try to find some time with them to chic-chat with each of them individually. Now that religious education has commenced for the school year, our Tuesdays are free and I actually have this thing called...time.

Today I will be interviewing the youngest, age 7. For safety and privacy, I will not use her real name, so I am letting her pick her own name. She chosen Lisa (the butterfly)

Me : So, Lisa, what was your favorite thing about this school year?
Lisa: Math facts and Science

Me: Why do you like math facts?
Lisa: Because some are hard and some are easy.

Me: Outside of school, what was your favorite thing that happened this year?
Lisa: Going to the pool.

Me: What do you want to be when you grow up?
Lisa: I want to be a veterinarian.

Me: What is your favorite movie?
Lisa: Oh my gosh, this is a hard one, I like so many!
Me: Well if you had to pick 3 what would they be?
Lisa: The Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, and the Jungle Book (the old one).

Me: If you could anywhere in the whole world where would you go?
Lisa: Most likely North Carolina, it is beautiful there.

Me: What is the one thing you would want to do this summer? Don't worry about cost or how far.
Lisa: Go to Bisbee.



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Tuesday Talk

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Grace filled Sunday { a continuation of learning the proverbs 31 wife}

Remember when I did a devotional on being the woman God wants me to be? It was an interesting 90 days, where I took a second shot at the devotional by Donna Partow. Basically, she broke down the Proverbs 31 woman into daily reflections and small changes to make to start becoming the woman God wants all of us to be.
I think I am long overdue for a refresher.

If you are not familiar with this verse, God is describing, really the "perfect" woman/wife. Don't take the word perfect too seriously. We are not going to be perfect-because if we are not perfect that means God isn't finished yet. Maybe ideal would be a better word. Better yet, a guideline, yes let us go with that, God's guideline for women.

This is not something that happens over night, nor should it. However, I firmly believe that studying this verse will bring us closer to God.

When I first did this devotional, the bible translation was the NIV. Looking at it from a catholic translation, which you can find here at the USCCB website, puts the challenge in a whole new light.

This week, I am going to focus on the first part few verses, 10-11. The verse in the New American Bible says "Who can find a woman of worth? Far beyond jewels is her value. Her husband trusts her judgement; He does not lack income"
In the NIV, the verse is translated as "A wife of noble character, who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value."
For purposes of my study, I will use the NAB as the primary, and the NIV to help clear up the language, hopefully making it easier to understand.

What is a woman of worth? What does noble character mean? To me, this woman would demonstrate the following virtues;
-Humility
-Responsibility
-Integrity
-Honesty
-Wisdom
-Citizenship
-Perseverance
-Courage
-Friendship
(these are the virtues that my children's school bases their culture on, if you live in Arizona or Texas, I encourage you to look for a Great Hearts School)

What does it mean to be worth far more than jewels or rubies? When Proverbs was written, jewels (especially rubies) were rare, expensive and only worn by royalty. We are all daughters of God, royalty in the Kingdom of Heaven, shouldn't we place the value on ourselves to be worthy of that place?

Her husband trusts her judgement and has full confidence in her (they go hand in hand). What kind of wife does a husband not trust? Why would a husband not have full confidence in his wife? Does your husband trust you with the budget? Grocery shopping? Raising children? Does he have confidence that you would be okay if he were gone?

He lacks nothing of value/he does not lack income. This one I will admit was hard for me. My husband was unemployed for two years. Even now that he is working, I make more money. This isn't a competition or bragging session. What I think this verse is saying is "is the husband worthy of such a wife?" I will leave it at that.

This week, my main focus will be on praying and practicing the virtues of an honorable, worthy characteristics. How can I be more (fill in the blank)?

Until next time:

Here's who I am linking up with this week! Make sure you check them out!

A Proverbs 31 Wife
I just discovered this blog and love it!

Please leave a comment!

Five on Friday {Favorite Podcasts}

It's time for Five on Friday!

Every week, one of the fabulous blogs I read, A Liz Adventures (click here) has her readers post five things; whatever is on their mind! I always find this fun, especially when a writing prompt just doesn't cut it for me.

This week I would like to share with you my FIVE favorite PODCASTS.

First, a disclaimer. I spend 8+ hours a day in a cubical maze. I am not a call center employee, but due to spacing my team sits among the call center folks. So it gets loud and very distracting. I don't always care to listen to music, mostly because it is really, really hard to not burst out and sing a long. So I started listening (or re-listening) to podcasts.

Normally, I like the story telling ones, like Serial . Sometimes, I just like some information, or something fun. That is the neat thing about podcasts, most are free and you are given a wide variety of genres to listen too.

So, here is my TOP FIVE (in some order)that I listen to almost daily...or often at least, because you can go into a podcast binge, just like Netflix. I am not going to go into detail over what they are about just my opinions as to why I think they are just plain awesome.

1.

As I mentioned, Serial is my number one favorite. Although it is in between seasons, I got hooked last December and listened to ALL OF SEASON one in about 3 days. Season 2 I binged on for about 2 days and then was caught up-so I had to wait...for a week. A whole week! Now I have to wait for hopefully not too much longer for Season 3. Sarah Koenig tells a story, from all aspects, her intelligent research and captivating voice along with some really good journalism, it's no wonder this was iTunes top podcast. 




2.

I am not a fan of horror movies. It is more so a love and really, really hate relationship. I enjoy movies like "World War Z" and "The Village" (I know).  I love the tv show LOST and I do enjoy Supernatural. That being said, horror would not be my go to for genre. However,  I came across LORE and like Serial, I binged listened and now am stuck waiting each week for a new episode.  Adam Mahnke tells the stories of ghosts, monsters and other supernaturals,  that are truly terrifying, making the shows tag line sometimes the truth is more frightening than fiction enough to send chills down your spine.

3.

Coming in on a very close third, Unexplained , host Richard Maclean Smith tells the stories that we are not sure are true or not. These are the stories that our brains cannot wrap around, yet at the same time gives us the explanation, or part of one. These are the stories that you tell around the campfire to scare the living daylights out of the younger crowd, or heck the older crowd as well.


4.

I think it would be fair to say that this podcast along with LORE and Unexplained would fall into the number two spot. I am not sure of the hosts name, I am sure I just missed it. He is Australian, and a lot of the Case-files are true crime stories from Australia. Some of them are just down right horrific, and this is not something to listen to with children around.  The stories range from a dead body found on a park bench and the mystery that surrounds it to a horrible story of child murder.

5.

To get out of the terrifying stories that make me jump and look of my shoulder constantly, and also the reason behind my motivation, Dave Ramsey is number 5. Let me say though he is not my number 5 favorite podcast, this is my number 1 non horror or story telling podcast. On the list of "Things I wish someone told me when I was younger" would be to listen to and live by Dave Ramsey. His no nonsense approach to callers questions and his sincere happiness when listeners call in or visit his office to do their debt free scream.  I have to tell you that my husband and I have a lot of work to do, but I hope that in the next 5 years we are able to call in (or better go to Nashville and meet the man) and say loud and proud "WE ARE DEBT FREE!!!"

Honorable mention:
I really can not put these in order of favorites, Serial is my favorite if I had to pick one, but really the rest are all my favorites.

The History Chicks. A fun, down to earth history lesson of some of the greatest women of all time. These ladies go beyond what we learned (or in some cases did not learn) in history class.

Myths and Legends. From Grimm's fairy tales to Viking lore, and all of the stories in between. You will hear a story, the origins and some other cultural versions along with the mythical creature of the week. 

Hailing from my hometown, the windy city, comes a hilarious trivia news podcast brought to you by NPR. I love NPR, but besides for news, I love the comic relief Wait Wait Don't Tell Me! brings.

The Black Tapes Podcast goes into my "lets scare the living hell out of Liz" category. It is like the X Files and Serial merged together (in fact that is from a review I read). There are parts that are kind of slow, and then there is this seemingly underlying love story between the host Alex Reagan and Dr. Strand (or that may all be in my head).







Well there you have it folks!
If you are a podcast listener, and have any to recommend, I would really appreciate it!

Until next time!

Five on Friday {Books I have read}

It is FINALLY Friday, and Lord knows I could not be happier! This week has been trying at best. Tim started his new job last week, but this was his first full week and is working in the evenings. I will come home from work and we have about a 1/2 hour before he leaves. At work, I have been placed on two more projects, and I am happy to be involved in them, as I get to learn more and show my leadership skills. Stressful, yes. Yet, all of this is a blessing, so I am not complaining.
Thankfully, I still have time to do one of my favorite things, and that is reading.

Here are my top 5 favorite books for the month of April;

1. When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi

I am not going to write nearly as much as I did in my Goodreads review, nor am I going to give a book report on it either. However I will say this book hit my heart and soul and I will never be the same. The story is about a family in Afghanistan, trying, desperately to get to England to escape the Taliban and the war. The story is about their journey, and really the journey that many refugees take to get to a better place. 
It is a sad, beautiful, inspiring and hopeful story all in one. If you have not read it I encourage you to pick up a copy.










2. The Dinner by Herman Koch

If you read or saw the movie Gone Girl and enjoyed it's twisted plot, then you will enjoy The Dinner. This book is crazy and hits the deep dark pits of humanity. However it leaves you with the question "would I have done the same?"








3. The Forgotten Room by Lincoln Child

I listened to this one on Audible, which is an amazing App I just recently discovered. You can try it for 30 days for free, but you only get one credit which is good for one book. None the less, if you like to listen to books on tape, this is a pretty good deal and it's on your phone. 
The story is a great thriller, mystery and adventure. I enjoyed how the plot and characters developed and you really don't see what is coming next.  I would listen to this on my way to work and had a hard time turning it off.



4. The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

I read this book a long time ago, and burned the midnight oil for almost a week to finish it. It is also a mystery novel, and is well, creepy. 









5. Saint Mazie by Jami Attenberg

Saint Mazie is a fun read, about a time in the distant memory of our history. Mazie is a fun character, and the book is written like a diary, which can get confusing because it is many characters view of the same story. None the less, a fun one.

Well, there you have it. Make sure you pop on over to http://alizadventures.blogspot.com/ to link up with her and other pretty awesome blogs.


Until next time....