Living the Simple Life

It will soon be green bean season here

My green beans are blooming so you know what that means I will soon be up to my elbows in green beans! Nothing tastes like fresh green beans straight from the garden to the table in the same day.  One of our family favorites is to cook fresh green bens in a pot with a piece of ham and some new potatoes, serve it up with a hot pan of cornbread and a fresh green salad and you have one of our favorite meals. Another way we use fresh green beans is by cooking them with fennel and feta cheese;

 1 pound fresh green beans

1 fennel bulb, cut into thin slices

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Fill a saucepan half full with water and bring to a boil. Add the green beans and fennel slices; cook until just beginning to become tender, about 4 minutes. Pour into a colander to drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.

Return the empty pan to the stove and set heat to medium. Pour in the olive oil and let it heat for a minute. Return the green beans and fennel to the pan. Season with basil, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until coated and warm, and toss with feta cheese.

 Does anyone have any other green bean recipes they would care to share?

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Happy Fourth of July!!!!!!

Happy Fourth of July to everyone, I hope all of your plans for picnics and get together’s go well today and that you take just a few moments to ponder the freedoms we enjoy here in the country and say a prayer of thanks to all the brave men and women that have served our country in the past and present.

Asking for a few prayers, its been along week

Good Evening, it’s been another long week here and I for one am glad to see the week draw to a close and the holiday to be upon us. We have spent the last few days getting the hay baled, it is done but we only had the two of us my husband and I to do it all. Usually our son in law helps us but his father passed away on Monday night very suddenly and most unexpectedly. He was on 57 years old had a heart attack as he was sitting down to dinner. My daughter and son in law have been busy helping his mother get through the arrangements and all so my husband and I have been taking care of little Noah and trying to support all of them, while trying to beat the rain and get the hay done. They say god never gives us more than we can handle at one time, I guess that is  true but I hope our family has time to catch our breath collectively after this past week before the next thing comes along.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

The Simple Woman's Daybook for Monday June 29, 2009

Outside My Window…… It is a afternoon morning with a lovely cool breeze blowing from the north. The goats and cows are out in the pasture munching away and the chickens are clucking in the yard looking for breakfast,

I am thinking…….. About the day we had yesterday at the zoo with baby Noah. The weather was perfect and we all enjoyed our selves immensely. Days spent with loved ones are after all the best!

I am thankful for……. My faith, family, and the cooler weather we are having

From the kitchen…… I have a pot of blueberry coffee brewing, and some whole wheat oatmeal bread rising on the counter.  Later on this morning I will be baking some raspberry streusel muffins.

I am wearing………. A pale yellow t shirt and a yellow and white gingham skirt

I am creating……...A new page or tow in Noah’s scrapbook of out visit to the zoo yesterday.

I am going……. To spend a quiet week here at home, my husband has to work the holiday and the kids are going to be gone, I am looking forward to a little quiet time.

I am reading….. Looking  For a Miracle by Wanda E Brunstetter

I am hoping…... for a cooler summer than the one we have had so far!

I am hearing……CNN news on the TV in the living room

Around the house……. The house and yard are all in good shape, my husband will be off from work a couple of days this week and we plan to be baling hay.

One of my favorite things is……..A cold glass of ice tea with a couple of mint leaves in it to sip while I am sitting on my swing enjoying my pond.

A few plans for the rest of the week …… I will be making my soap and egg deliveries early this week as several clients want the eggs to make salads for the holiday. A few errands while I am in town and it will be back home for me.

 Here is a picture thought I am sharing………. 

Good Morning!

 My husband, our daughter and son in law, baby Noah and I all left yesterday morning and took off to the Peoria Zoo, for Noah’s first zoo visit. It is so much fun watching little ones see and experience things them for the first time. We had a wonderful day and packed a picnic lunch to enjoy at the zoo. On the way home they guys treated us to supper out, so we wouldn’t have to come home and cook, it was a lovely day and as my grandma used to say it was a day to make memories.

 So it is Monday morning; and I have plenty to do today, I have laundry soap to make, some raspberry streusel muffins to bake and an hour or so worth of ironing that needs to be done. The critters have all milked and fed and turned out for the day so I guess I better grab a cup of coffee and get busy.

Have a great Monday!

Todays Frugal Idea/ Saving Money on Home Improvements

Attend a home improvement clinic. Want to learn how to lay tile, hang drywall or paint? Check out your local Home Depot for a list of free "How To" clinics, or visit their web site at HomeDepot.com and click on "Know-How," then "Clinics."

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Saving Money on Meals/ Stacked Enchiladas

I fixed these for lunch today and they were very good!

Stacked Enchiladas from Living on a Dime

2 lb. ground beef 1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
1 onion, chopped, or 1 tsp. onion powder    1 tomato, chopped
2 1/2 cups enchilada sauce  2 cups lettuce, chopped
8 corn tortillas sour cream (optional)
vegetable oil for frying olives (optional)

In a saucepan, brown ground beef and onions and drain. Add enchilada sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan. While you are waiting for the oil to heat, prepare bowls of tomatoes, lettuce and cheese. The oil is hot when it sizzles when the tortilla is placed in it. Have your plate ready in one hand and dip the tortilla in oil for 5 seconds. Turn it over and cook 5 more seconds. Lift out of pan, hold over oil and drain slightly. Place it on the plate and put 1/4 cup beef mixture on top. Dip another tortilla in the oil and fry the same as above, place on top of beef mixture. Top with more beef mixture, tomatoes and lettuce and then finish with a little cheese, sour cream and olives if desired. Serve warm. Serves 4.

, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Fruit Leather

I made up a batch of this a few days ago and my nieces and nephews were over today, it went fast, perfect snack, especially if you have extra berries.

Fruit Leather from Organic Gardening

2 cups Fresh strawberry puree
1 tablespoon Lemon juice
1 cup Applesauce
1/4 cup Sugar

1. Combine pureed berries and applesauce with lemon juice and sugar. Line a 10x15 in jelly roll pan with plastic wrap.

2. Pour mix into pan and spread evenly.

3. Bake about 5 hours at 200F or until leather pulls away from wrap.

4. Flip leather onto counter, peel away plastic and remove any mixture that has not "set."

5. Cut into slices, roll and wrap each in plastic.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

A perfect afternoon for a dip in the pond

Hollyhocks growing out next to my summer kitchen

Good afternoon, it is another hot day here in the Midwest but at least the humidity is not as bad as it has been the past several days, for that we are all very thankful. My husband had the day off today so we made our fist cutting of hay for the year, it was a bit late for a first cutting but it looks good, so we are keeping fingers crossed and praying the rest of the growing season goes well for us. The garden really loves the hot weather and we should have some fresh zucchini and cucumbers this weekend, I can’t wait! The lettuce had to be pulled, because of the very hot weather, it was getting really bitter but that is okay we just planted more green beans in its place and planter the rest of our onions sets we had to fill in the empty spaces, I hate seeing a bare spot in the garden!  

 I am heading down to the pond for a cool dip, so have a wonderful afternoon and don’t forget to count your blessings!

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Saving Money on Meals/Turkey Stroganoff

Easy, quick and ground turkey can be found for much less than ground beef.

    Turkey Stroganoff
 
   1 package uncooked egg noodles
   1  can condensed cream of mushroom soup
   1 tablespoon vegetable oil
   1/2 cup water 
   1 pound ground turkey
   1 tablespoon minced onion
   1 tablespoon paprika 
   salt to taste salt to taste

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place the egg noodles in the pot, cook 6 to 8 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the turkey and onion in the skillet and cook until turkey is evenly brown and onion is tender. Mix in the bouillon.
Stir the cream of mushroom soup and water into the skillet. Cook and stir until heated through. Season with paprika and salt. Serve over the cooked egg noodles.
 

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Today's Frugal Idea for June 26, 2009/ Ways to Save around the house

Make your own Christmas cards by making a collage from the fronts of Christmas cards you received the previous year.
See if your local dump or transfer station offers free firewood or garden mulch. Take advantage of it.
Use water from boiling eggs or pasta to water your plants.
If you’ve bought stuff that you haven’t used, see if you can return it.
If you rent, rent from a person, not a company. You’re more likely to have some of your utilities paid, especially if your place is a room inside a house or a basement apartment.
Move in with roommates.
If you and your family or friends have a lot of websites, consolidate them all into one hosting package and split the cost.
Flush the toilet only after you use it 2-3 times.
Use a kitchen rag instead of paper towels.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Saving Money on Meals/Quick and Easy Calzone Rolls

Quick and Easy Calzone Rolls

2 loaves frozen bread dough, thawed (I make my own)
1/2 pound sliced ham
1/2 pound sliced hard salami
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup jarred marinara sauce(make it at home)

Roll each loaf of dough into a rectangle about 8 inches by 12 inches.
Layer ham and salami down the center of each rolled loaf lengthwise.
Top meats with 1 cup shredded mozzarella for each roll.
Fold short ends of each loaf in about 1/2 inch and seal. Roll from the long sides and pinch well to seal the entire loaf. You should have 2 long rolls.
Bake, seam side down on a greased baking sheet in a 375 degree F oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Cut each roll into 8 slices and serve with marinara for dipping.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Todays Frugal Idea for June 25, 2009/ Ways to Save around the house

Use only half of a dishwasher tablet at a time.
Use rechargeable batteries for electronics and toys.
Store batteries in the refrigerator. They last longer.
Do repairs (paint touch ups, sewing, etc) one day a week. If you keep things in good working order, they last longer.
Accept hand-me-downs. You can donate them if you can’t use them.
Do home repairs yourself.
Reuse things. An example: Plastic grocery bags can be reused as lunch bags, shoe bags, or laundry bags on vacation.
Email for free samples. You can get some good stuff!
Wash and re-use Ziplock bags

More to come!

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Good Morning from a hot and humid Midwest

The Bee Balm is gowing in my herb garden

It’s still very hot a muggy here, I cannot decide which is worse having all of the storms or having this heat and humidity, I guess it doesn’t make much difference some things are just not in our power to change or control so we just have to go with it and keep on smiling.  

The garden sure is loving all of this hot weather everything out there has brown a foot in the past week, and of course that is a good thing. I got the last of the asparagus cut this morning and it is in the canner as we speak, after that more peas. The strawberries are starting to slow down a bit but we are still getting more than enough to feed both families and the rest we put into the freezers for a treat this winter. There is noting like strawberries in the dead of winter to brighten up a dreary day. The zucchini and cucumbers are absolutely loaded with blooms so before to much longer we will be up to our elbows in both of those and then it will be pickle making time!

Little Noah got into the pool for the first time this summer last evening he really loved the water b8ut, I had no doubts he would as he loves a bath more than any other kid I have ever seen, I told his mom to just hope he continues to feel that way, as kids grow up much faster than you can ever imagine. I can remember taking her for her first swim and it really doesn’t seem like it was nearly 20 years ago this summer, time sure does fly!

I need to go check the canner so I better get busy, please take it easy in the heat today and don’t forget to Count Your Blessings!

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Saving Money on Meals/Chicken & Pepper Egg Rolls

Chicken & Pepper Egg Rolls

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
2 large bell peppers (any color) cut into thin strips
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
12 egg roll wrappers
oil for frying

Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add 2 Tablespoons oil. Cook chicken strips just until no longer pink. Push to one side of pan.
Add pepper and onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add soy sauce, garlic and ginger and stir well. Cook until most liquid has evaporated.
Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes. This is important; adding hot ingredients to the egg roll wrappers will cause them to break down and leak.
Once cooled, lay several strips of chicken, onion and peppers in the center of an egg roll wrapper that has been laid on a surface with one point toward you. Fold the right point over and under the filling. Fold the top and bottom points down and roll from right to left, securing the left point with a touch of water.
Repeat with all wrappers and filling. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry egg rolls, turning over once during cooking, until golden brown. Drain on paper toweling.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Today's Frugal Idea for June 24, 2009/ More ways Save $ on summer utilities

Don’t use hot water in the summer.
Use CFL Bulbs
Turn down the thermostat
Open windows on summer nights to cool down the house
Take short showers
Install low flow showerheads and aerators on all faucets
If you’re going to be in and out all day, park on the street, rather than using the electric garage door opener multiple times.
Keep the freezer full. If you have to, put milk jugs filled with water in the freezer. It’s less expensive to keep a full freezer cold than an empty one.
Never leave the water running when rinsing dishes, brushing teeth, etc. Only use the water you need.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Saving Money on Meals/ Packing you lunch instead of buying

My husband works in a hospital with a cafeteria and a restaurant close by, but he never buys his lunch it is just way to expensive. It is so much cheaper to pack you lunch than to buy it and it can be more nutritious as well. Here are a few ideas on packing a lunch to save some money and we all need a little help in that department right now.

Invest a bit of many in the proper containers it will make packing and carrying your lunch much easier and  if packing a lunch is easier , we are more apt to stick with it.

Don’t drink soda, drink water but if you must have soda, Never buy soads out of a venign machine, take your own from home.

Buy the large bag of chips and a box of sandwich bags, it is much cheaper.

Use leftovers form the nigh before for you lunch, last nights roasted chicken will make a great sandwich today!

Make you own jello cups (or applesauce cups, or pudding cups) for lunches and snacks.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Today's Frugal Idea for June 23, 2009/ Saving $ on Utilities in the Summer

A few tips some may have been suggested before but it is always nice to have a rminder now and again;

Turn off every electrical item at the plug every night. Putting everything on power strips makes this easier.
Keep the lights off during the day.
Line dry clothes outside when it’s warm and sunny.
If you dont have an outside clothes line use a dryer rack use your shower rod if you need even more room.
Let dishes air dry after running them through the dishwasher
Open windows on summer nights to cool down the house.
Use a fan, use your ceiling fans

More to come.......

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Today’s Frugal Idea for June 22, 2009/ Christmas Club Accounts

I know it’s already the last part of June but Christmas club accounts are a great idea. Instead of being stuck in December trying to make ends meet and buy those gifts or using the dreaded credit cards(especially now with all of the rate a fee increases) whey not sign up at your local back and open a Christmas club account? Our bank is paying 6.24% on club accounts and that is better than most a lot of CD’s are paying and with automatic deposits from the checking account it is something I don’t even have to think about getting done. Our bank even makes the last payment for us and it is always nice to have that extra cash on had for the holiday shopping. We do make a large portion of our gifts but we do some shopping too, it just one way to help save a little and to make the holidays a little easier.

Preparedness, when properly pursued, is a way of life, not a sudden, spectacular program. -- Spencer W. Kimball, 1976

Saving Money on Meals/Lemon Spaghetti

Quick, easy, filling and a zesty twist!

Lemon Spaghetti

Begin by boiling a box of spaghetti in salted water.  Pour a cup of olive oil into a mixing bowl.  Zest a medium lemon into the olive oil and squeeze the juice of half the lemon into the mixture as well.  Stir in a cup of grated Parmesan cheese to create a cheesy olive oil sauce and set aside.  Once the spaghetti is al dente, stop boiling, reserve a cup or two of the pasta water and drain the rest.  Slowly add the sauce to the pasta and carefully add a bit of the pasta water as you desire to thin it out.  Season with black pepper and chopped fresh basil or sprinkle in some dried basil to taste.  The measurements are flexible so before serving, taste it and you can add more zest, lemon juice, pepper or basil as you like.