My Testimony

Well this is a link to the testimony I gave at a conference in 2007. Just scroll down to the bottom and my name is Elizabeth T you will see the rest of it there. The picture on my sidebar is when I was giving the testimony. I was very nervous but I am glad I shared it. I spent so may years trapped in a false religion coming out was not an easy transition but with the help of our God and Savior I was able to. So if you would like the story just listen.

I have learned to link!

After I have struggled with adapting to this no oven for the holiday's I found this great site. This person is using the crock pot everyday for a year! now that's adapting.

Crock Pot Cookies

We I can't believe it worked. I made some cookies in the slow cooker today. They are actually bars but close enough. I am just thrilled I adapted the recipe from my grandmother's and now a similar one is on the sweetened condensed milk can but my version is pretty different.
I call them The you don't want to know who bad they are for you cookies. The are so easy to make to.
1bag ch chips I like milk ch
1 bag Reese peanut butter chips
1 box of vanilla wafers crunched up to crumbs
1 can eagle sweetened condensed milk
1 stick butter

Melt the butter in the crock pot turn on hi or low which ever will get it done. When the butter is all melted pour the wafer crumbs over and pat them in place. *this is where one difference come in I sprinkle the to kings of chips over the crumbs. Then I open the can of milk and drizzle it over everything. Other recipes have the milk going on the crumbs 1st You then turn on the crock pot on low and let it cook till the center sets up about 2-2 1/2 hours.
These turned out great
My next adventure will be my half-way healthy oatmeal cookies They will be more like oatmeal bars.

EAT

The second child is just as wanted

I think it would be easy for others to think that if you have one child you cannot be infertile. I mean you have a child and that proves it right? However, the instinct to have children is a God given one and that instinct does not go away after you have one. In fact I really want another child more than I wanted my first one. I know what is involved in having a child. The sleepless nights the crazy trips to the ER at very odd hours. The worry about am I doing this right is he growing. I also know the joys that first smile, first words, the million times they say I love you mom. I am amazed that my heart still swells with love when I see my child first thing in the morning. I love being his mother. I would love to do it all again. There are things I would do different and things I like how they turned out. My love pours into my child and my heart breaks as he begs us to have another child. He wants a little brother, but says he wants a sibling so bad he will take a girl.
I think that is one of the hard things. It is not just me who wants this child, but the whole family who would welcome a wonderful new addition.

The Slow Cooker in a Pinch

Several weeks ago I went to clean my oven. It was a chilly day and I was happy to have the heat in the house without turning on the furnace. I blithely turned the oven to clean and went about my work. Later that evening I went to open the oven and it would not open. Well I thought it just need to cool down more I will wait till tomorrow, well low and behold it would not open the next evening. We have tried everything and it still will not budge. We have know the range would have to be replaced sometime soon and so we have decided it will be now. We are researching ranges and will have to make a choice soon and hopefully by the new year we will have a new range.

However of course I have been craving baking. I love to bake and this is the best time of year. So I feel my wings have been slightly clipped. So when I made chill a few weeks ago I really wanted corn something to go with it. As they say necessity (or really wanting something) is the mother of invention. So I went to allrecipes.com and I found this great recipe

INGREDIENTS

* 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
* 1 (15 ounce) can cream style corn
* 1/2 cup margarine, softened
* 1 cup sour cream
* 1 (8.5 ounce) package dry cornbread mix

* add to recipe box Add to Recipe Box
My folders:
* add to shopping list Add to Shopping List
* add a personal note Add a Personal Note

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 2 quart casserole dish.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the whole kernel corn, cream style corn, margarine, sour cream, and corn bread mix. Pour into the prepared casserole dish.
3. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

I just threw it in the crock pot and turned it on low. I also used real butter and homemade cream corn. A few hours later we had corn bread. I loved the result so I just decided to see how much my little slow cooker can do. I looked up apple crisp on allrecipes.com and deserts for the slow cooker I found lots of things. The apple crisp was great. I set the lid off of the slow cooker when it was done for a while and the top crisped right up. Dh loved this and tonight I am going to try this. Ministers Delight It is a cherry desert he love cherry!

I can't wait to see how it turns out.

The Cycle of A Cycle

When you are ttc or trying to conceive there is a process that you seem to go through each month. At least that is the way it is for me. You see each month when my cycle begins I am very sad that I have started and that it means I am not pregnant. Then within a few days the sadness begins to turn to hope. I can count the days and know that this is a new month and there is hope that this will be the month. The next week is spent in anticipation taking and herb to help hoping and praying. Then the stress kinda kicks in is this too early? Is this too late? Will it be exhausted before it is the perfect time. Then there is the other side. How do we keep the romance in it. Should I get a sitter or just wait till bed-time? Then for the next two weeks there is this hope mixed with an odd sense of responsibility. Should I have that glass of wine, I mean it has been three years we have been trying what really are the chances? But then what if and then if there are problems it will all be because I was selfish and drank a glass of wine. Then I begin to look for all the little signs "yes I am a little tired, is it that tired I get when pregnant?" Oh I think the girls are a little swollen is this just a PMS thing or are they really swollen. Then I tell myself Stop playing with your mind you know that it will not happen just like it has not happened in the last 34 months why would this be the month. But I want to hold on to that hope at least for a little while. The thought that maybe just maybe this is the month. The I start. And it all starts again.
We are going on vacation next month perhaps I can try to get off this roller coaster for the month as well and just enjoy the season.

She will always live in my heart

It happens gradually, I get kind of cranky then I get down right moody. I start to snap at those around me and think oh it is just PMS. I will start then get over it. It happens each month. But this time it just hangs on and I get crabbier and crabbier. What is wrong with me? All at once it hits me three years ago this week our baby went to the arms of Jesus with out me. All I have left are the ultra sound pictures that prove that yes my baby did exist. She was here and I will see her again. I cry then pull out my small box of memories and cry some more. I call my mom and cry with her, then I curl up in bed and get cozy. As I begin to understand the pain and get in touch with the pain the moodiness and crankiness disappear sadness is left the pain as well but after a few days it begins to clear to and I know I will go on. My daughter will always have a huge place in my heart sometimes I feel her with pain and sometimes with longing for the day I will see her again, but she is always there. I miss you my little one your mommy loves you.

We like the electric company

Well last week was quite interesting without the power for 5 days. I was so glad that hubby was smart enough to get a generator so quickly and we did have it set up before we lost our food, however it was odd to walk in a room and turn on the lights and wait then nothing happens. All this week I have marvelled at just how dependent we are on electric.
Before this happened I would have said we would be okay. And, we were it was just hard and if I have my preference I would not go through it again. I have decided we are going to keep emergency cash in the house now. I realised when the electric goes so does the banking system. We also now try to keep our cars filled with gas so that if there is a crisis we at least have that.

Children Make Liars Out of Us

Just over one week ago my ds was watching some of the devastation of hurricane Ike. His beautiful blue eyes turn to me and he says "Mom will we ever have a hurricane here?" "of course not dear we live way to far inland for that to happen." I spoke these words very firmly and sure of myself. I mean we live in central Ohio. Please! What a difference 24 hours makes. My husband and I decided to take a little Sunday afternoon nap. We were awakened by ds coming into the room saying he thought we were going to have a tornado. I chuckled and said that we would be hearing the sirens if that were true. Wow how sure I can be of my self, and how terribly close to the truth my son was. I got up and walked to the living room window. for the next several hours we watched the wind whip up and down the street. Many times I told my son to quickly get away from the window. We prayed for our safety and for that of others. The trees whipped through and tore down trees and power lines. Our lights went out along with all of the neighbors and about 1/3 of our city. I found out the winds reached hurricane strength. We had a rough time but we were so thankful that were are safe and though we had no power for 5 days we know it could have been much worse and that in fact it was many many times worse for those in Texas. It did give us compassion for them.
The next time I start to tell my son that something could not happen here I will think more about it.

I hate being sick

Well, with the return to school comes the return of "The Invasion of the Germs." With that I started with a slight sore throat last week. I though perhaps it was just some drainage and did a few home remidies. It did not work On Thursday I woke up with a head cold and it just got worse throuout the day. I woke up early Friday morning and felt like I was hit with a Mack truck in the head. My Doctor was not in so I went to the "little clinic inside Kroger" and got started on an antibiotic. I don't like to do that but it is so much better than it hitting my lungs and getting a full blown asthma attack or worse.
Last night ds started to cough and today he is very sick. I gave him his medicine and hopefully we will get through this. He is happy because he gets to drink 7 up. We usally don't do pop around here but when we are sick I get it for us.
I am really hoping this post make sense as in order to be able to see straigh I have been taking Nyquil. The day time stuff just doesn't do it. So I am sleepy while I type.
My wondeful dh skippied going to the game to stay home with us today. Poor guy.
I can't wait till I feel better there are so many projects around here I want to finish up. I just can't tackle them until I am better. I am working in ds room and I am excited to get his bedspread and new curtains for his room. He wants to go with Start Wars and I am happy with this. He is 9 and I hope it will last a few years. I think I will get some of those peel on and off stickers for his wall. He should have a great time with those.
Thats what is going on this weekend here. On Monday I will hopefully be able to post about the new weeks deals.
Have a great weekend

Target Saving

Wow I read over at Money Saving Mom about a Target deal. I was running out to the store and decided to work it into my trip. I was able to get $57.00 worth of items for $32.00 I had picked up a few things that were free after coupons as well.
Specific Kellogg items were 4 for $9.00 Plus when you buy four you get a $5.00 Gift card
I ended up with 12 of the special item. Meaning I got 3 five dollar Gift Cards
I now have:
4 boxes of Pop-tarts
4 packs of Keebler cookies
2 boxes of Rice Crispy Treats
2 boxes of Kellogg's Bars
I had coupons for everything but 2 of the cookies and the Kellogg bars. I actually had target coupons and manufactures coupons for the pop-tarts they were $2.25 then .50 cents of for each coupon so after the Gift card These ended up to more than free! I will eat them and I can keep them at work for some of my kids who get hungry.
I also have a certificate to send off 10 Proofs of Purchase and get a check for $10.00 That was one great trip to Target!

Today is the Lord's day

We will have a pretty relaxed day around here today. However, it will be a fun one. I am going to move some boxes for my mom, and hopefully go to the second service at our church. The this evening we have a baptism this will be nice to go to as it is at a friends house and we will be grilling.

I wanted to write about our back to school preperations. Dh was in bad need of clothes this year. He falls into an odd category of clothes, he can fit in some clothes from the regular store, but he really needs ones from the big and tall shop. The shop around her that carries those is not a cheap shop and I have a rough time paying full price for his clothes there. This year God really blessed us with his clothes. At Costco's they carry the size of jeans he needs. They are only 13.00-15.00 dollars. This is a great deal. We went ahead and bought 5 pairs so that he will have all he needs and more. We then went to the big and tall shop. With dh long torrso he really needs the t clothes he only wears a 2XL but at the big and tall shop they sell the 2xlt. I love these shirts. They are all cotton just as dh wants. They are long enought that they stay tucked in and he looks nice in them. I was so happy that they had a little sale. If you bought more than one they were 16.99 instead of 24.99. It kills me to even pay the 16.99 when I am the queen of 5 and less clothes but dh really needed these and they do not go on sales they may my clothes and ds clothes do.
So my dh is ready for his students this year. All he needs now is a good pair of shoes and he will be set.
God bless may every one have a peaceful Lord's Day

I have not updated in so long

Well I have not posted anything to this blog for many months. I have decided to become active with it now.

We are in a busy season here and you know what they say, if you have something you want to get done give it to a busy person. I am not sure why but activitiy seems to breed activity. The opposite also seems true.

We are in the midist of preserving the food we grew this summer. Last night we canned up the lateset batch of tomatoes. Two of the jars did not seal right so I will use them up today.

I have done 2 dozen peach quarts, around 35 quarts total of tomatoes, and 45 quarts of green beans. We also froze about 150 ears of corn. I did not think the corn would be such pain but it really was. Then we only had about 25 meal size bags. Then it clogged the sink and we had to have pumbers out. What a nightmare! I am not sure the corn was worth it. We may give it another try, but I am not sure.

I forgot I have done about 10 quarts of pickles as well.

I love to can. It is very labor intinsive, but along about December when you open a fresh jar of tomatoes and that wonderful aroma hits you it is so worth it. One of the challanges about canning is that the bussiest time for it is hit at the same time as back to school hits. So I was actually happy to find out that my offical return date for work is Sept. 15. This will allow much of the canning to be done before I return.

So this canning is what we have been up to lately. I will post more about the summer and the back to school season soon. It is always interesting when you don't just have a child going back to school but 2 grown ups as well.

Gracereceiver

One Great CVS visit!

I have not been feeling well this week so I got through work and that was about all. That is why I have not posted. Today I was feeling better and got to CVS. This is so much fun. It is like winning a small lottery!!! I thought I would post about my trip.
I picked up
4 Reese Whips
1 Tin of York mints (not pictured)
2 Reese's Snack packs
1 Pez type toy
1 floam
3 Palmolive
2 Colgate Max Fresh
1 Fructis Shampoo
1 Excedrin
1 Johnson Buddies
1 Bag York Peppermint patties

Total $45.32 after sales 32.00 (give or take)

I used 5/30 4/20 3/15
I had coupons as follows

2 Colgate coupons 0.75
3 Palmolive coupons .25
1 Johnson Buddie $ .99 (reduced from 1.00 Making this free!)
2 Reese Snack coupon .75
2 Reese Whip coupons Buy 1 get 1 (making these free)
1 Fructis Shampoo Coupon 1.00
1 Excedrin Coupon 2.00
2 york Coupons .55 (I should have only been able to use 1 I am not sure what happened I am only realising it as I type this up.)
My total after all the coupons was 7.90
I used a $7.50 ECB and it took it down to 0.00
I was so excited!
Then I got 10.00 in ECBs (3 from the Palmolive, 4 from Colgate, 1 from Fructis, 1 from Reese's Whips and 1 from Excedrin. I will also get a $5.00 Gift card from the Hershey stuff! I can't believe this it is so great. the toys are for my little treasure box for the kids at work. They were 90% off.
check out http://www.moneysavingmom.com/ for other great deals.

CVS This week

I did the CVS thing yesterday. I stopped quickly with my son. I was able to get the following.

1 Spiderman Paddle ball set
1 spiderman yo-yo
1 package Christmas colored Hershey kisses
1 Breeze 2 monitor

My total was $11.00
I used only the coupon for the Breeze 2 in the diabetic book
and a $1.00 ECB
My Total was $0.35 That was it.
I received $14.99 In ECB's $5.00 For spending and $9.99 for the Breeze 2 Meter which was free.

I also had gone to Target
I bought some after Christmas things to put away for next year. I still past on a ton of things as I am trying to do a "thing" fast (it is hard to pass up 75% off though) But even when I decided to do the stuff fast I knew I had to get a few things for ds I was waiting for coats to go on sale. Well I could not find a great deal so I settled for an okay deal and got him a coat. I was looking at the sale rack for specific things for him. I found a set of 3 piece PJ set (pj's seem to be expensive new) There was a gentleman going along the rack marking items down. I could not find a price on the PJs so I asked him. He ran it through his machine and said they were four dollars. Thats not bad I thought. He then said or I can push the button and they will be $2.14 "oooohhhhh," I said "let's push the button" So he did and I grabbed them while I could. I was very happy with that deal. So I have bought a few things but being conscious of what I am buying is very helpful.
I am saving a ton of money by just staying out of stores. I go if I must and then do my best to go in just what I intended to get. SO those were my deals this week.

Making a budget

We do not have an official budget. We really need one. We have been working at paying off our debt and should be very close to doing this next month. The problem is we spend what we make. Not more than we just spend what we have. Then on months we get our high bills it kills us. We pay all our insurances and our home taxes 2x a year. I want to find a way to set up a budget that allows us to save for these things and put some money in savings.
I am going to make this the year we have a budget. I do not want it to be complicated. I love the envelope idea but I am afraid of keeping all that cash in the house. Yet I feel as if using the debit card all the time just begs for trouble.
Crystal over at Money Saving Mom is doing a challenge and going to walk through making a budget. I am going to take her up on this one and see what I can do. Dh would love to have it all in order if I present it to him it would make his day. I am excited to be able to serve my family in this way. Let's get financially responsible.

The most frugal thing I have done

I have found a really huge frugal thing in my home. I can't believe how much it is saving us. It is so simple. I am keeping my kitchen clean. I mean it was never terrible, but it was so easy to eat out instead of cooking if there are dishes in my sink. I have been home the last couple of weeks and I have really gotten it in shape. It is so easy now to go in and cook a meal. The best thing is breakfast. When we are all home it is so easy to go out and grab breakfast. Well now I have been keeping the sink cleared out dishes washed and put away. So breakfast takes just a few minutes to prepare. I am not overwhelmed try to get it on. We have fixed, eaten, and leaned up in just about the time it would take to get ready to go out. I just run in and do it then quickly clean it up. We are saving a ton of money because the kitchen is ready to go.
I had no idea my delaying cleaning up the kitchen cost us so much. I am so excited about making this small change. Instead of cleaning it once a day and being frustrated and overwhelmed with it I just keep it done. Most people would say DUH you should have figured that one out by now. I just guess it takes a while for me. Now I am going to lay out dinner. I think I am going to make Ritzy Chicken I found on Biblical Womanhood. My Dh loves it and it is so easy.
Does anyone have any tips on cleaning the kitchen quickly?