A Beautiful Mess

April 2011 Deals @ Native Sun

2011-04-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Native Sun Events:

Saturday, April 9th - Local, Raw Foods Samples

Saturday, April 16th - Native Plant Sale & Free Bold Bean Coffee Samples

Saturday, April 23rd - 10% OFF All Groceries

Saturday, 30th - Local, Grass-Fed BBQ

Non-Coupon Deals:

Tree of Life All-Natural Cage Free Eggs $1.89 doz

Botanical Interest Organic Seeds 10% Off

Wild Planet Low Mercury Canned Tuna BOGO ($1.88 a can)

Coupon Deals:

Organic Valley Organic Butter 16oz $4.99

- $1.00/1 HERE

= $3.99

Rudi's Organic Double Fiber Bread 24oz $3.79

- $1.00/1 HERE

= $2.79

Seventh Generation 2x Free & Clear Laundry Detergent 100oz $13.99

- $1.50/1 HERE

= $12.49

Alexia Yukon Gold Hashed Browns 16oz $2.59

- 1.00/1 HERE

= $1.59

Cascadian Farms Organic Frozen Fruit 10oz 2/$7

- $.75/1 HERE

= $2.75

Country Choice Organic Sandwich Cookies $2.49

- 1.00/1 HERE

= $1.49

Amazon Warehouse Deals for Natural & Organic

2011-02-09T21:02:00.000-08:00

Naturally Nora Sunny Yellow Cake Mix

$16.99/6

Knudsen 16oz Orange Recharge

$11.99/12

Organic Valley Vanilla L/F Milk 8oz

$9.99/12

O.N.E. Coconut Water 11.2 oz

$14.99/12

Horizon Organic Low Fat Milk 8oz

$16.99/18

Hollywood Carrot Juice 11.2oz

$8.49/6

Nature's Path Optimum Chocolate Energy Bar 2oz

$9.49/20

Enjoy Life Gluten Free Chewy Chocolate Cookies 6oz

$9.99/6

Nature's Path Optimum Banana Almond Cereal 11oz

$13.99/6

Nature's Path Lotta Apricot 5ct

$13.99/6

Envirokidz Organic Koala Crispy Rice Bars 6ct

$10.99/6

New Morning Fruit-E-O's Cereal 8oz

$9.49/6

Enjoy Life Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies

$13.99/6

Pamela's Products Ginger Almond Cookies

$13.99/6

Pamela's Products Chocolate Chip Mini Cookies

$9.49/6

Let's Do Organic Sugar Cones

$18.99/12

Pamela's Products Pecan Shortbread

$13.99/6

Garden of Eatin Taco Shells

$22.99/12

Publix Deals 2/10 to 2/16

2011-02-09T18:33:00.000-08:00

BOGO Deals!

Reddi Whip Light Cream 14oz Can $4.29

- .50/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $3.29/2

Betty Crocker Super Moist Cake Mix $1.95

- .50/2 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $.95/2

Zatarain's New Orlean's Mix 5.2 to 8oz Box $2.05

- .50/2 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $1.50/2

Betty Crocker Cookie Mix 17.5 oz $2.35

- .40/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $1.55/2

Healthy Fresh Mixers $2.99

- $1.00/2 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $1.99 /2

Old El Paso Taco Shells or 12ct Flour Tortillas $2.25

- $.60/2 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $1.65/2

Starbucks Ice Cream 1 pt. $4.29

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.29/2

Other Deals!

Jell-O Gelatin Snacks 3/$6

- $1.00/2 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $3.00/2

Lactaid Milk half Gal 2/$6

- 1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.00/1

Nestle Coffee-mate Flavored Creamer 32oz 2/$5

- .75/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $1.75/1

Bird's Eye Frozen Vegetables 50% [Various Prices]

- $1.00/3 Printable Manuf Coupon

Lean Cuisine Entrees 4/$10

- $1.00/3 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $6.50/3

Scotties White Facial Tissues 60 - 132oz 10/$10

- $.50/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $.50/1 ea

Angel Soft unscented Bathroom Tissue 24 Roll 2/$10

- .50/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $4.50 ea

Scotch Brite 3ct pkg 2/$4

- 1.00/2 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $3.00/2

ALPO Dog Food 22oz $.99 ea

- $1.00/10 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $.89 ea

General Mills Fiber One Granola Bars 2/$5

- .50/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.00 ea

Huggies Snug & Dry Diapers 48 - 96ct box $19.99

- 2/$3 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $18.49 ea

Hillshire Farm Deli Lunch Meats 9oz Tub 3/$10

- 1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.33 ea

Country Crock Side Dishes 21 - 24oz Tub 2/$6

- 1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.00 ea

Natural Deal w/o Coupon

Greenwise Whole Chickens $1.99lb

Cast Iron Cookware Deal on Amazon

2011-02-09T17:12:00.000-08:00

12 Inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet $24.35

Round 10 1/2 inch Griddle $14.87

8 inch Pre-Seasoned Skillet $10.97

If your someone who *loves* cast iron cookware, then you should definitely check out the deals on Amazon! Not all of the Lodge Logic brand items have been marked down but there are a few pieces that you should check out here.

Extra Coupon Finds @ Native Sun

2011-02-09T16:27:00.000-08:00

When you enter the Native Sun you'll find a Mambo Sprouts coupon booklet, inside it you will find coupons for the deals below.

Country Choice Organic Soft Baked Cookies 8Pk $2.79

- $1.00/1 Manufacturer Coupon

= $1.79 ea

Santa Crus Organic Superfruit Juice 32oz $4.49

- $.75/1 Manufacturer Coupon

= $3.74 ea

Lundberg Rice Cakes $1.99

- $.75/1 Manufacturer Coupon

= $1.24 ea

Organic Valley Organic Soy Milk 64oz $2.99

- $1.00/1 Manufacturer Coupon

= $1.99 ea

Helios Organic Van/Strwbry/Plain Kefir $3.69

- $1.00/2 Manufacturer Coupon

= $3.19 [must buy two to use coupon]

Birthday Coupon for Native Sun

2011-02-09T11:27:00.000-08:00

During your birth month, bring your I.D. to the customer service desk and get a $5 off coupon. It's a great thing to pair with the monthly deals.

Feb 7th to March 5th Native Sun Deals

2011-02-08T16:52:00.000-08:00

** Deals with Coupons **

Blue Diamond Pecan Nut Thins $1.99

- .50/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $1.49

Cascadian Farms Organic Raspberries 10oz $2.99

- .75/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.24 ea

Larabar Coconut Creme Bar 1.8oz $.99 ea

- $1.00/4 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $.74 ea

Green & Black Organic Chocolate Bars 3.5oz $1.99

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $.99 ea

Muir Glen Organic Pasta Sauce 25.5oz $2/$5

- $1.00/2 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.00 ea

Cascadian Farms Organic Blueberries 8oz $2.99

- $.75/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.24 ea

Country Choice Organic Soft Baked Cookies 8Pk $2.79

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $1.79 ea

Santa Crus Organic Superfruit Juice 32oz $4.49

- $.75/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $3.74 ea

Barbara's Bakery Low Fat Cereal Bars 7.8oz $2.99

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $1.99

Honest Tea Organic Bottled Tea 16.9 $.99

- $.50/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $.49 ea

Lundberg Rice Cakes $1.99

- $.75/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $1.24 ea

Organic Valley Organic Soy Milk 64oz $2.99

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $1.99 ea

Organic Valley Milks $3.99 64oz

- 1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.99 ea

Enjoy Life GF/CF Cookies 6oz $2.49

- $.55/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $1.94 ea

Rudi's GF Breads 24oz $4.99

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

$3.99

** Best Deals w/o Coupon **

Organic Rolled Oats $.69 lb

Knudsen Recharge 16oz Drinks BOGO $1.99

[Please switch over to these from Gatorade, these contain no artificial colors or flavors]

Expiring Soon!! Grass Fed Local Beef

2011-01-31T12:40:00.000-08:00

This is expiring in a few days so make sure you get in on this deal! If you hit the store and there isn't any on the shelf, you can either get a rain check for when it's back in stock OR you can have a special order put through at the $2.99lb price.

From what I've been told the meat isn't frozen but is brought to the store fresh, and somehow I don't see conventional meat being that fresh.

Expires February 5th!

Publix Deals 2/3 - 2/9

2011-01-31T11:34:00.000-08:00

O/N = Organic or Natural Product

BOGO's

O/N Breakstone Sour Cream 16oz $2.25

- .55 (2) Printable Manuf Coupon

= $.58 ea

O/N Honest Kids Pouches (like Capri Sun but healthier) $3.49

-.75/1 (2) Printable Manuf Coupon

= $1.00 box

T Marzetti Dip $3.49

- $1.00/1 (2) Printable Manuf Coupon

= $.75 ea

O/N Pompeian Olive Oil 16oz $5.99

- $1.00/1 (2) Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.00 ea

Non-BOGO Deals

Nestle Tollhouse Refrigerated Dough 2/$5

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $1.50 ea

O/N Horizon Organic American Cheese Slices (Greenwise refrigerated section normally) 2/$6

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.00 ea

O/N Stonyfield Farms Oikos Organic Greek 4 ct Yogurt 2/$7.00

- .50/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $3.00 ea 4 Pk

Kraft American Cheese Slices 2/$5

- $1.00/1 2% Milk Printable Manuf Coupon

* If you purchase this, you can go HERE for additional savings on Publix produce or bread.

O/N Sabra Hummus 4 Pk or 10oz 2/$5

- 1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $1.50 ea

O/N Alexia All Natural Frozen Snacks 2/$6

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.00 ea

Johnsonville Italian Sausage $3.99

- $.55/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.44 ea

Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage 2/$6

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.00

O/N Wonderful Pistachios 16oz $6.99

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $5.99

Non-Coupon Natural or Organic Deals

O/N Greenwise Market Tortilla Chips 8oz 2/$4

O/N Greenwise Market Organic Salsa 2/$5

O/N Greenwise Market NY Strip Steak $8.99lb

O/N Amy' s Light & Lean Frozen Entrees 2/$6

Product Review: Brothers All Natural Fruit Crisps

2011-01-21T17:46:00.000-08:00

Pros: Perfect fit for a lunch box and they have a really great crunch. The company offers an assortment of crisps: Fuji, Apple Cinnamon, Strawberry-Banana, Peach, Asian Pear, Pineapple, Strawberry, Banana, Mandarin Orange, and Mixed Berry. I also appreciate that they use kid friendly characters to help ease little one's into more healthy options.

Cons: It's not really a big deal but if you try and save any left over crisps they tend to have a stale taste. So, if your going to open a bag you better eat the whole darn thing.

Bottom Line: It's an all around great product to pack in your kids lunch or to just have as a snack around the house. It's better than fried snacks and each bag contains nothing but healthy fruit

Pricing: You can check out Amazon.com and do a Subscribe & Save to get 15% off the 24 packs @ only $19.16 but then you will have to pay shipping. If you are willing to sign up for Amazon Mom (dad's qualify too), then you will get Amazon Prime benefits which entitles you to free shipping. If this happens along side the Subscribe & Save, you will get each package for $.80 ea. The down side with Amazon is they have a limited selection of items that qualify for S&S which is what gets you that 15% discount. If you go to the Brothers All Natural website you can get free shipping on your orders, and if you sign up with their email promotions you can get additional savings.

Publix Deals 1/20 - 1/26

2011-01-20T12:44:00.000-08:00

Campbell's Select Harvest Soups BOGO $2.39

- $1.00/2 Manuf Coupon Here

= $.70 ea

Idahoan Potatoes BOGO $1.25

- $.75/3 Manuf Coupon Here

= $.44ea

Kozy Shack Pudding BOGO $2.99

- .55/1 Manuf Coupon Here

= $.95 ea

Country Crock BOGO $1.89

- $.40/1 Manuf Coupon Here

= $.55 ea

Wise Potato Chips BOGO $3.79

- $.50/1 Manuf Coupon Here

= $1.40 ea

Yoplait YoPlus 4 Pk BOGO $2.00

- $1.00/1 Manuf Coupon Here

= $1.00 ea

Pop Secret Popcorn BOGO $4.69

- $1.00/2 Manuf Coupon Here

= $1.85 ea

Fresh Express Salads BOGO $3.99

- $.55/1 Manuf Coupon Here

= $1.45 ea

Kraft Homestyle Macaroni & Cheese Dinner BOGO $2.69

- $.50/1 Manuf Coupon Here

= $.85 ea

** Good Deal w/o Coupons **

Van's Frozen Waffles BOGO $2.99

- They have both Gluten-Free and regular waffles available in Publix stores.

Greenwise Market Whole Chicken $1.99lb

Native Sun January Deals

2011-01-14T19:44:00.000-08:00

Lara Bars $.99

- $1.00/4 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $.74 ea

Muir Glen Organic Canned Tomatoes 28oz $2.50

- $1.00/2 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.00 ea

Zevia Soda 6Pk $3.99

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.99 ea

Organic Valley Shredded Cheese 6oz $3.39

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.39 ea

Alexia Sweet Potato Fries 15oz $2.89

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $1.89 ea

Barbara's Bakery Cheese Puffs 2/$3.00

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $.50 ea

Cascadian Farms Organic Granola Bars 2/$6

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.00 ea

Cascadian Farms Organic Cereal $2.99

- $1.00/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= 1.99 ea

Lundberg Organic Short Grain Brown Rice 2lb $2.99

- .75/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= $2.24 @ $1.12lb

Chobani Greek Yogurt 6oz $.99

- .30/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= .69 ea

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Unsweet 64oz $2.99

- .50/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

=2.49 ea

Blue Diamond Nuts Thins 4.25 oz $1.89

- .50/1 Printable Manuf Coupon

= 1.39

Best Deals w/o Coupon:

Bob's Red Mills Gluten Free Oats 32oz/2lbs $4.99

* Normally $6.99 and higher depending on where you shop.

Organic Russet Potatoes 5lbs for $2.99 @ $.60 per lb

Organic Baby Peeled Carrots 1lb Bag 2/$3.00 @ $1.50lb

Organic Blueberries 6oz 2/$5.00

Organic D'Anjou Pears $1.29lb

Grass-Fed Local Stew Meat Beef @ $2.99lb

* Really good stock up price considering it's normally $4.99lb

Deals w/ In-Store Coupons:

** If you look around these food products you are likely to find coupons off **

Organic Prairie Pork Italian Sausage $5.39

- $1.00/1 Manuf Coupon

= $4.39

Organic Prairie Organic Ground Turkey 12oz $5.39

- $1.00/1 Manuf Coupon

= $4.39 ea

Deals @ Lane Bryant

2011-01-14T18:51:00.000-08:00

* All Cacique bras are Buy 2, Get 2 FREE until Monday the 17th.

* Right Fit Jeans & Pants $19.99 each! Normally, these range from $40 to $50 a pair. There's also one style that's $13.99 pair.

* Up to 65% Off in the clearance section!

Emergency Preparedness Giveaway

2011-01-14T18:40:00.000-08:00

Enter Here for details on how to enter the giveaway!

This is for a Freeze-Dried Beef Entree & Vegetable Combo Package valued at $109.99.

Publix Deals 1/13 to 1/19

2011-01-14T11:16:00.000-08:00

Jimmy Dean D-Light Sandwiches $4.99 BOGO

(2) $1.00/1 Manufac. Coupon Here

= $2.00 ea w/ cpns

Nestle Coffee-mate Creamer $2.59 BOGO

(2) $1.00/1 Manufac. Coupon Here

= $.30 ea w/ cpns

Organic Valley Organic Milk $3.00

(1) $1.00/2 Manufac. Coupon Here

= $2.50 ea w/ cpns

Progresso Soups 18/19oz cans BOGO $2.29

- $1.00/4 Manufac. Coupon Here

= $.90 ea w/ cpns

Smuckers Preserves 12.75 to 18oz Jars (excld. grape, apple, low sugar grape and red raspb.) BOGO $3.19

- $1.00/2 Manufac. Coupon Here (use area code 90210)

= $1.10 w/ cpns

Welch's Juice Blends BOGO $3.25

- 1.00/1 Manufac. Coupon Here

= $.62 ea w/ cpns

Uncle Ben's rice 4.4 to 5.5 oz BOGO $1.99

- $.75/2 Manufac. Coupon Here

= $.49 ea w/ cpns

- .75/2

Today Only! Tilapia @ Whole Foods for $4.99lb

2011-01-14T08:55:00.001-08:00

Just so you know, this is farm raised not wild caught in case that makes a difference.

Grass Fed Local Beef @ Native Sun $2.99lb

2011-01-13T11:56:00.000-08:00

This deal is running only until February 5th! Stock pile now because it is not normal to find local or grass fed beef at this price. They have huge bags that you can break down into smaller 1lb baggies or wrap in butcher's paper.

I would recommend you call both stores to see if they have any in stock because good deals like this cause the product to disappear from the shelves!

Finding Extra Money Around Your House!

2011-01-11T11:36:00.000-08:00

If your one of those individuals with open eyes who see lean times ahead, here's a few things to get rid of to save extra money!

(1) Get Rid Of Your Feline/Canine: Yes, Fido and Fifi is loved by the whole family but he/she represents a chunk of your finances that could be put to better use. You have to put out money for vet bills, bathing (if you don't do it yourself), vitamins/medicine, pet food, pet treats and any other special things your pet might require.

(2) Get Rid of Other Pets: Whether it's a gold fish or turtle, these animals too add up to quite a financial burden on your budget.

(3) Get Rid Of Satellite/Cable/Etc: There have been numerous studies showing the danger of allowing children to watch too much tv, so why not turn it off? If you need tv for that occasional mommy break you can plan ahead and get movies for FREE from the library.

(4) Get Rid Of Junk Food: It's nutritionally deficient and you pay more per pound for thing like potato chips versus whole russet potatoes. No one needs potato chips or candy to survive the week. If you are looking for substitutes, try healthy crackers, raw carrot chips, celery sticks, bananas, almond or cashew butter, freeze-dried apple chips, and so forth.

(5) Don't Buy Brand New: Shop around for clothing and appliances at places like consignment shops or the salvation army. If you really want to save even more money you can ask if they have days where a certain group of items are on sale. Only buy brand new if you can get it cheaper than used or in better condition.

(6) Magazine subscriptions: You have access to the internet if you need something to read, or you can get a membership to the library.

(7) Fast Food: Plan out your week's menu and do all the grocery shopping in one day if possible, this will set you up to eat at home as much as possible.

(8) Excessive Shopping Trips: Before you leave your home to go to the grocery store be sure you stop to look in your pantry, freezer and fridge for what your out of. If you forget something, wait until someone heading out later in the week and get it then.

(9) Coffee Shops & Pastry Shops: If you normally get together with friends or family every few days to grab a cup of coffee, try inviting them over to your home instead. At some places a simple cup of coffee can run almost $4 - $5 for one singular cup. That adds up within at year! Say you pay $4 a cup and get it twice a week, you are looking at over $384.00 a year that could be going other places.

(10) Get Rid of Packaged Mixes: For a fraction of the cost, you can make your own from home and chances are good that they will be much healthier and that makes it worth any extra effort. What some may not know is that many packaged foods contain MSG and what it does is trick your brain into not being satiated, so you continue to crave more until you become bloated and feel sick.

Product Review: Arrowhead Mills Rice & Shine

2011-01-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

Pros: It has the mouth feel of regular old corn grits but it's not made from corn (so it's safe for those with reactions) and it's actually organic. It cooks up just as quickly and it resembles regular grits as well. We eat this for breakfast and it's really yummy!

Cons: Can be pricey.

Bottom Line: It's a great substitute for old school corn grits and is well worth what you pay.

Good Price Location: Pay only $13.13/4 Boxes when you sign up for Subscribe and Save which makes it $3.28 per box and it gets you free shipping.

Product Review: Enjoy Life Semi Sweet Chips

2011-01-11T10:05:00.000-08:00

Pros: Wonderful chocolate taste that is also dairy, nut and soy free. It's certified Gluten Free and Vegan. Great in muffins, pancakes, cookies, bars and most importantly in handfuls when a chocolate urge hits you.

Cons: Mini size is the only size they come in and each bag is between $4 - $5 each.

Bottom Line: If you can get these guys on sale you need to do some serious stock piling. The flavor is great and since I can't eat other chocolate chips, I consider the price worth it because I know they are shelf stable and will get used throughout the year. Usually specialty allergy stores and health food stores will carry these locally, but if you live in a rural place then you can search online for the best price.

Coupons: Check their main website here.

Mark Down Schedule for Target Stores

2010-12-21T20:53:00.001-08:00

MONDAY -- Electronics, Kids Clothing, Stationery (Cards, GiftWrap, etc.)
TUESDAY -- Domestics, Women's Clothing, Pets, and Market (food items-regular Target)
WEDNESDAY -- Men's Clothing, Toys, Health & Beauty, Lawn & Garden
WEDNESDAY -- food items (SUPER TARGET)
THURSDAY -- House Wares, Lingerie, Shoes, Sporting Goods, Movies, Music, Books, Decor, Luggage
FRIDAY -- Auto, Cosmetics, Hardware, Jewelry

This is pretty much used all over the US but you may find a store that doesn't follow this schedule.

Last Days to Grocery Shop

2010-12-21T20:30:00.000-08:00

Publix is closed on Saturday, December 25th.

Native Sun is closing Friday @ 3:00PM and will open back up Monday the 27th.

Whole Foods is closed on Saturday, December 25th.

Publix Weekly Deals 12/16 to 12/24

2010-12-21T19:10:00.000-08:00

Nestle Refrigerated Cookie Dough BOGO $2.95

- $1.00/2 Manufacturer Printable Here

= $1.95 or $.98

Cool Whip BOGO $1.49

- $1.00/2 Manufacturer Printable Here

= $.49 or $.25 ea

Betty Crocker Boxed Potatoes BOGO $1.59

- $1.00/2 Manufacturer Printable Here

= $.59 or $.30 ea

Betty Crocker Cookie Mix BOGO $2.67

- $.40/1 Manufacturer Printable Here

= $1.87 or $.94 ea

General Mills Chex Cereal BOGO $3.49

- $1.00/2 Manufacturer Printable Here

= $2.49 or $1.25 ea

Kellogg's Apple Jacks, Fruit Loops, Corn Pops, Rice Krispies or Frosted Flakes BOGO $3.99

- $1.00/2 Manufacturer Printable Here

= $2.99 or $1.50 box

Nabisco Ritz Crackers BOGO $3.09

- $1.00/2 Manufacturer Printable Here

= $2.09 or $1.04 box

Best deal without a coupon:

$.39lb North Carolina Sweet Potatoes

Last Day To Enter: Recycled Cardboard Dollhouse

2010-12-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

Hope you'll stop over and check out this giveaway!

Enter here!

The dollhouse is made from recycled cardboard and is super easy to assemble. The best part is the kids get to decorate everything themselves! This is the perfect craft for a snowy day and then can be played with over and over again. The dollhouse truly becomes their own creation!

The kit comes complete with markers, sticker accessories, punch out dolls and easy to assemble furniture. You can use the supplies included in your set. Or, be eco-friendly and creative by turning every day items into awesome accessories. They have a fully illustrated guide to show you how. For example, they show you how create cool chairs and couches out of egg cartons.

Last Day To Enter: Capture Carpet Total Care Kit

2010-12-17T11:10:00.001-08:00

Check it out here for a chance to win the following:

Capture is a safe effective alternative to traditional carpet cleaning, they make products which are free of bleach, solvents or harsh chemicals.

Their cleaner is made of thousands of tiny particles that look and act like sponges to absorb dirt, spills, and even allergens. It is safe on all types of fibers and fabrics, and it's approved for use on all stain resistant carpets. It is even safe for use on wool rugs.

Capture Total Care Kit includes....
Everything you need to clean spots or whole rooms. Includes Carpet and Rug Dry Cleaner powder, Soil Release Pre-Mist and a bonus carpet brush.

Lowe's 90% Off Gift-a-thon

2010-12-17T10:44:00.001-08:00

Check out Lowe's 90% off gift a thon! Hurry and like them on FB to join in.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=109292545809222&index=1

Giveaway: Vicks Humidifier

2010-12-14T20:14:00.001-08:00

Enter now for a chance to win a free Vicks Starry Night humidifier! Hurry, contest ends soon!

http://www.thethriftymama.com/2010/12/starry-night-giveaway.html#comment-62649

Rudi's Organic Bread: 12 Days of Giving

2010-12-14T11:37:00.001-08:00

Scoot on over and check out Rudi's Organic Bakery Facebook page! Rudi's will be doing a 12 days of Christmas giveaway, all you have to do is just answer the question posed each day before 5:00PM and you'll get a gift!

Easy piesy! Go now! ^_^

http://www.facebook.com/rudisorganicbakery

$1 Old Navy Scarves!

2010-12-14T11:31:00.000-08:00

This Saturday, December 18th only! In-store not online, limit of 5 scarves per person and they will have both adult and children's scarves. Get your butt in early because when the $1 deals are advertised there are big crowd's to deal with.

Just a suggestion, if you have little toddlers you might want to leave them at home because the sheer noise of people talking, yelling and shuffling around the store could be overwhelming and produce a melt down. Hey, I'm 30 and when I was there last time it was insane. Just sayin'.

Enter to Win: Free $25 Voucher to Nutty Guys

2010-12-14T11:13:00.001-08:00

These guys have organic options so you could get quite the healthy treat! They have nuts, seeds, mixes, granola, dried fruit, and organic foods.

http://www.thethriftymama.com/2010/12/nutty-guys-giveaway.html

Get in your entry ASAP!!

Publix Weekly Grocery Deals 12/09 to 12/15

2010-12-09T03:38:00.001-08:00

Wish Bone Salad Dressing $2.65 BOGO
- $.50/1 Manufacturer Printable Here (Must Sign Up)
- $.50/1 Manufacturer Printable Above
= $1.65/2 Bottles @ $.83

Campbell's Select Harvest Soup 18oz BOGO $2.39
- $1.00/2 Manufacturer Printable Here
= $1.39/2 @ $.69 ea

General Mills Cereals (Cheerios, Cocoa Puffs, Trix, Golden Grahams or Cinnamon Toast Crunch) $3.99 BOGO
- $1.00/2 Manufacturer Printable Here
= $2.99/2 @ $1.50 box

Kellogg's Frosted Mini Wheats Assrt Variety $3.89 BOGO
- $1.00/2 Manufacturer Printable Here
= $2.89/2 @ $1.44 box

Welch's 64oz Light Grape Juice BOGO $3.99
- $1.00/1 Manufacturer Printable Here
= 2.99/2 @ $1.50 ea

Chex Mix Snacks 12/15oz Bags $3.39
- $.50/2 Manufacturer Printable Here
= $2.89/2 @ $1.44 ea

Sunshine Cheez It Crackers $2.99 BOGO
-$1.00/3 Manufacturer Printable Here
= $5.48/4 @ $1.37 box

Nestle Fun Size/Mini's $3.59 BOGO
- $1.00/2 Manufacturer Printable Here
= $2.59/2 @ $1.29 ea

Pepperidge Farm Cookies $3.39 BOGO
- $1.00/2 Manufacturer Printable Here
$2.39/2 @ $1.19 ea

Aunt Jemima Waffles $2.29 BOGO
- $1.00/2 Manufacturer Printable Here
= $1.29 @ $.64 ea

Shedd's Spread Country Crock$1.89 BOGO
- $.40/1 Manufacturer Printable Here
- $.40/1 Manufacturer Above

Whole Foods Grocery Deals

2010-12-08T18:17:00.000-08:00

A few things you need to know about Whole Foods before you hit their store:

* Bring your own bags and get cents off your order.

* Cases are 10% Off, even sale items I believe.

* Prices vary by store and unadvertised deals end whenever the store fancies.

* Our Jacksonville, FL store allows you to stack a Whole Foods store coupon with a manufacturer coupon so take advance of that.

Stacey's Pita Chips $2.50

- $1.00/1 Whole Foods Printable Here

= $1.50 per bag

Seventh Generation Dish Detergent $2.50

- $1.00/1 Printable Here

= $1.50 ea

Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes $1.50

- $1.00/1 Printable Here

= $.50

Pacific Natural Foods Soup $2.49

- $1.00/1 Whole Foods Printable Here

- 1.00/2 Manufacturer Printable Here

= $.99 ea

Numi Organic Tea $4.69

- $1.00/1 Whole Foods Printable Here

- $1.00/1 Manufacturer Printable Here

= $2.69 ea

Simply Organic Spices $1.69

- $1.00/2 Manufacturer Printable Here

= $1.19 ea

Dagoba Organic Chocolate Bars $2.39

- 1.00/1 Whole Foods Printable Here

= $1.39 ea

Terra Chips - Prices Vary ($2 off each bag)

- $1.00/1 Whole Foods Printable Here

- $1.00/1 Manufacturer Printable Here

Don't plan your grocery trip yet, I'm going tomorrow to do some price checking and will verify these prices plus put up and cool discoveries.

Chase Foods December Grocery Deals

2010-12-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

The best deal without a coupon is the Clementine Art Supplies because they are 50% OFF and normally these are very expensive online plus S&H isn't really cheap. Chase Foods carries the rock crayons, regular crayons, naturally dyed playdough, natural dye finger paints and markers. Stock up!!

Erewhon Corn Flakes 2.99 ea

- $1.00/2 Printable Here

Pay: $2.49 ea

Newman's Own Popcorn $1.00 ea

- $.50/1 Printable Here

Pay $.50 ea

Stash Green & White Tea $2.19

- $.50/1 Printable Here

Pay: $1.69 ea

Blue Diamond Nut Thins $2.29

- $.50/1 Printable Here

Pay: $1.79

Ian's Animal GF Animal Cookies $2.99

- $1.00/1 Printable Here

Pay: $1.99

Chase Foods Location At:

12400 Yellow Bluff Road

J'ville, FL 32226

Native Sun December Grocery Deals

2010-12-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

Terra Cinnamon Spice Sweet Potato Chips $2.99/6oz
- $1.00/1 Printable Here OR
- $1.00/1 Mambo Sprouts Coupon * (See Below)
Pay: $1.99 each

Cascadian Farms Organic Fruit BOGO $4.90
- $1.00/1 Printable Here
Pay: $3.90 for 2 Bags

Country Choice Organic Old Fashioned Oatmeal $2.14/18oz
- $1.00/1 Printable Here
Pay: $1.14 for 1 canister (You will be getting essentially $1.01 per lb, not bad for organic)

Arrowhead Mills Graham Cracker Crust $2.69
- $1.00/1 Printable Here OR
- $3.00/3 Mambo Sprouts Coupon *(See Below)
Pay: $1.69 ea

Frontier Organic Extracts 25% OFF
- $1.00/1 Printable Here OR
- $1.00/1 Mambo Sprouts Coupon * (See Below)
Pay: Varies

Spectrum Organic Shortening $4.59/24oz
- $3.00/3 Mambo Sprouts Coupon * (See Below)
Pay: $3.59

Simply Organic Dip Mixes $.99
- $.50/2 Printable Here
Pay: $.74 ea

Spectrum Canola Oil $4.99/32oz
- $3.00/3 Mambo Sprouts Coupon * (See Below)
Pay: $3.99

Silk Soy Nog $1.99/32oz
- $.55/1 Printable Here
Pay: $1.44 ea

Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips $2.99/10oz
- $.55/1 Printable Here
Pay: $2.44

So Delicious Coconut Creamer $1.99/16oz
- .50/1 (must sign up) Printable Here OR
Pay: $1.49

Imagine Rice Nog $1.99/32oz
- $3.00/3 Mambo Sprouts Coupon * (See Below)
Pay: $.99 ea

Dream Chocolate Bar $1.99
- $3.00/3 Mambo Sprouts Coupon * (See Below)
Pay: .99 ea

* Located at the entrance of both locations you'll find a display of coupons for Mambo Sprouts and inside that book you will find the coupons for the sale items above. Always save these coupons because you never know what will be on sale next month and these usually have good expiration dates.

Awesome Deal Spotted!

2010-12-06T15:18:00.001-08:00

Normally these things cost about $40 a piece but you can get a good deal below. Even though I haven't personally tried these out, I've heard some good reviews from women once they learned how to properly use them.

This is the pre-childbirth model and even though it isn't shipped by Amazon, it's still a good steal for only $22.49.

This is the Post-Childbirth model and is available shipped through Amazon for only $25.95 w/ free Super Saver Shipping.

Motherhood smotherhood..

2010-08-01T18:37:00.000-07:00

God has changed my seasons to the point where he has set me in a place where I continually find women who are struggling in their calling of motherhood. And I don't mean struggling every now and then, but have a genuine battle every single day. For some women, motherhood comes naturally and for those few you would think God specifically cut them from some special cloth but for the rest of us out there, it's as if we were cut from something dingy.

I for example, did not have a Godly Mother growing up and in fact was mostly raised with/by males. Now, don't get me wrong, I'd beat the tar out of anybody if they touched my momma but she spent most of her life working two or three jobs at a time. I don't remember any times of doing crafts with my mother, or being taught how to cook for fun. I was the oldest girl and it was outright expected of me that I did cooking, cleaning, laundry and so forth to help my Mother out. I don't say that bitterly, but I was young and certainly not equipped to take on the role of "Mother" at a young age. Now, I did get to go outside and play at times but when momma was working, me and my younger sister were left to find something to do to keep out my Father's hair. In truth, my Father wanted son's and not daughter's, so not only did he not really want us, but he wasn't a Godly role model at all.

In the generation that I'm part of, our female role models ended up being portrayed as soap opera watchin' couch potatoes. Long gone were Mrs. Brady and June Cleaver. Yes, I'm old enough to remember them, but only because I watched Nick at nite. My day's were satiated with overhearing soap opera's on tv, listening to the latest gossip from my Aunt's and playing with Barbie's; all while hoping for that fancy convertible and big house to manifest in real life. On day's when my mother worked, we had to spend time with our cousins (of which, 95% are male) or my Father and they certainly didn't believe in femininity. Both my parents are ex-military and a good portion of my Uncle's are as well, so there was no feminine encouragement and you were taught to fight and live like a male. On top of all this, the feminists had put so much effort into getting women out of the home and into the work place, so that if you were a stay-at-home-mom, you weren't educated nor very intelligent. Just another baby machine. Another dumb female who couldn't make it in the 9-to-5 environment.

Fast forward a multitude of years, and here I am still struggling with trying to define Motherhood, wondering why a generation of women had their feminine instincts crushed by older women who considered themselves too good to stay home with runny nosed kids. If you were to look at the feminist of today, you would find that they are in fact far from being like those who originally led the way. Women who were alive long before the sixties were trying to carve out a safe place in society for themselves and their children. In fact, the original feminists were actually pro-life and desired for their children to have access to better health care, they were in fact horrified at the alarming mortality rate for infants and children.

Why did God allow me to get pregnant? I wasn't made to be a mom! Am I being punished for something? When do I get time for me? Isn't it enough that I manage to keep them alive? I don't want the responsibility! I don't like being a mom! What do you do with them all day? I thought this motherhood thing came easy after salvation? Why are they so loud? I can't take them anymore! How am I supposed to be a mother when my own Mother couldn't model it?

Dear sisters, you are not alone in your confusion. You are not alone in being lost in the role of motherhood. I too struggle and believe it or not there are many of us wondering around lost, in need of guidance. No longer do we have to be shackled to the limitations of our parents sin or our grandparents sin, but Christ blood has freed us! We have but to pick up our bibles and allow God's word to be the light that shines through our darkness.

By no means do I have motherhood figured out and quite honestly I don't believe any woman has, despite how perfect they may appear. Be humbled, seek the word of God and earnestly desire that he change you into a woman who considers her children a blessing.

Psalm 127

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Hopefully, I will be able to find guidance that I can share over the next few days to weeks with you, and in that I hope we all will be able to see that truly, Motherhood is a high calling. And that God, your Father, has a wonderful plan in allowing you to have children.

Bitterness & The Wife

2010-07-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

I've learned over the last year or so that bitterness is something that all women have struggled with at some point. Sadly, bitterness comes with alot of baggage, things like selfishness, anger, malice, self-righteousness and much more.

How can you tell if bitterness has taken root? Review the questions below and answer them with absolute truth.

(1) When asked about your relationship, do you go on an endless tirade about his sins?

(2) Is it difficult for you to speak lovingly of him?

(3) Does your body cringe if he tries to hug or kiss you?

(4) Does the idea of sex with your husband make a multitude of excuses come to your mind?

(5) Do you respond to your husband's sexual advances with an unloving and selfish attitude?

(6) Does your husband never meet your expectations?

(7) Do you rejoice in hearing others "discipline" or put down your husband?

If you answer yes to these questions then I would submit to you that bitterness has taken root in your heart and the best way to combat bitterness, is to take flight to the Word of God and meditate on scriptures that will help you in your war on sin. Whether you know it or not, every day you are in the war zone and sinful temptation will rear it's head morning, noon and night.

Ephesians 4: 25-32

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Matthew 6:14

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

James 1:19

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all the filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

1 Corinthians 7:2-5

But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

My hope is to continue to seek out God's word so that I can be ready to combat my tendencies towards bitterness and through my searching I hope to share what I've gone through and hopefully you and other women will learn from my stumbling blocks.

Gluten Free Gone Frugal

2010-07-15T14:34:00.001-07:00

Finally, my blog of recipes is set up. Enjoy!

Shiloh's Testimony

2010-07-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to sit down for some time now and write out baby Shiloh's testimony of what God has done in her life (so far) and as well as our family. It took hours to write this but keep in mind as a mom I had numerous interruptions so I'm sure there are plenty of punctuation mistakes and misplaced words, so be patient. And even though you might look at it and think it's long, I actually left out quite a bit. ;-)

When I found out that I was pregnant, I was in the wee weeks of the first trimester and trying heavily to accept where we were in life at that particular season. Numerous individuals were being laid off at my husband's job so we knew the possibility was coming and we prayed earnestly all while preparing for the worst. I hoped for the best and even had plans to do some exciting for my birthday with our little growing family on the upcoming Friday. But slowly the week moved on and about (I believe) Thursday evening I looked up to see Chris walk through the door with a solemn look as if his heart had just been broken. He got the news that day that he had been laid off with about 20-30 other individuals that day, and that it was all about the numbers. We struggled to fight back sinful desires of anger, bitterness and hate because Chris had invested so much love and time into a company that dropped him like he meant nothing. The evening remained a solemn environment, attempting to try to see God's hand in this job loss with us making a final decision to pray and seek out some rest for the night.

My birthday it seems just came and went because money was tight, and about to get tighter. I couldn't fathom how a good God could possible allow me to get pregnant and then turn right around and allow my husband to get laid off. I think one of the most difficult things about being in a female body is the amount of hormones and fear that we let lead us, and fear certainly was taking hold of my heart. It was in this fearful mindset where I actually had the thought of aborting our child. I sat down and logically tried to figure out what to do. On one hand, I was pregnant with no insurance and had a husband with no job what-so-ever. We had received some money from his job because of him being laid off, but the amount though more then we expected was certainly not enough to pay for a birth in the hospital. On the other hand, we could learn humility and go on medicaid to help pay for the birth. Bare down, accept that in love we had created this child together and that God was going to see it through.

I logically spent a few moments going back and forth over the options, though it seemed like hours. How could I possibly tell my sons later in their life that I had aborted (= murdered) their baby sister? How could I tell our parents? Would I go behind my husband? Could I really end a life that God purposely put in my womb? I knew that God over all was the one who decided whether or not a woman's womb was to be fertile. Over and over again I heard the pro-choice arguments that a woman's body is her own.

In frustration I clenched my fist and growled knowing that these arguments I had heard were not based on trusting God and nor were they for my child's best benefit. They were the voices of those who run in fear, who denounce God, and most likely those who were selfishly running after momentary pleasures. I had enough and decided that come hell or high waters, this kid was mine and no body was telling me otherwise.

Within the next few weeks we were able to establish medicaid for myself and the children so our medical issues would be taken care of. Numerous interviews were scattered throughout our weekly plans, and occasionally Chris would take a job only to have God shorten his time there and back into unemployment he would go. It seemed like an endlessly painful roller coaster ride and by gosh I wanted off!

It was nearing the middle of my pregnancy and therefore the exciting news that we were going to have yet another son to play with our two rambunctious boys. Now, I should say that myself and many members of my family thought that Dominic and John Paul were going to be girls and because they were so sure they purchased numerous pink and red outfits. Alas, I didn't get to see either child in any of them. I truly believed that God was going to make me a momma of males. I rationalized that since I was raised up by males and with them that therefore, God was going to be sane and make me only have boys. What the heck would I do with a girl anyways? My whole life has been filled with tonka trucks, G.I. Joe's and building blocks, and that was just some of the toys I had access to. But the time came for our sonogram and low and behold, no additional appendages were found. It was a girl! Finally, I wouldn't be swimming in the "testosterone pool" anymore!

At home I yanked out the outfits that had sat for four years in some dusty old boxes awaiting the time for when we had finished our season of baby making only to pass them on, still with tags to another family. In the previous month's we were so sure that God was giving us another boy, we had names ready to go but now we had to decide on a female's name. We went back and forth literally for weeks trying to come up with a name for her because we needed to give her just the perfect name, she was our first daughter after all. Finally near the end of my pregnancy we settled on Shiloh Evangeline, roughly translated Shiloh means "His gift" or "he/she who was sent by God" and Evangeline means "bearer of good news".

The remaining days went quickly and finally on September 9th, at 9:32 pm and weighing in at 6lbs 13ozs we met our first daughter, Shiloh Evangeline de Vidal. She had the exact same red hair her brothers had but unlike her brothers she had deep brown eyes. What a cutie! She had a difficult first few hours but we were discharged a few days later with a clean bill of health. Or so we thought.

We made her first week appointment and it was at that time we were hit with the news that she had some type of heart murmur. The doctor tried to assure us that it was common and that many babies simply lose it within the first weeks. Still an appointment was made for baby Shiloh at a cardiologists office since the doctor wanted to be absolutely sure nothing was serious. Once there they did a series of tests to try and determine what was the cause and within just a few tests it became obvious to them that she had not one but two holes in her tiny heart. To say I was broken is an understatement. Had I not just spent 9 month's carrying a kid that at one point, I actually thought of aborting? I did good didn't I? Why was God putting us on yet another nasty roller coaster? Why was he punishing us, more specifically, why was he punishing me? I tried really hard during that appointment to keep the tears from flowing, partially because I needed to turn around and explain all this to our family and partially because I didn't want other people seeing me cry. After all, a mom is supposed to keep a stiff upper lip during difficult times, right?

It was an absolute whirl wind during this time, countless interviews for Chris, numerous doctors appointments for all the kiddos all while trying to hold down the budget. Our marriage was on the rocks, I was a sinner and I had married one as well. To say that we were having marital problems is an understatement, because I believe you actually have to have conversations with one another to have problems. It was more like barking and hissing with rare pleasantries in front of the kids to be honest. Again our family got hit hard, Shiloh contracted RSV and needed to be put into the hospital for monitoring due to her heart problems. Could it really get any worse? Was God ever going to take me from sorrow to joy at some point? It was actually while in the hospital that God moved in just such a way that a job opening came available and a good friend of Chris' had put in for him to get an interview. We got a phone call for an interview but Chris explained he hadn't shaved or had a suit and was in fact at the hospital with his daughter that very moment. They didn't care how he looked and wanted him to come in for an interview as soon as possible. We scrambled! My mom came down to care for the kids that day and I was then freed to go watch over Shiloh while Chris got interviewed.

It was about 2 weeks from the interview and Chris was back to working again, and we finally had the ability to pay off debt while squirreling away money for the future. Both of us knew that Shiloh was most likely going to have surgery and in the back of our minds we knew that surgery didn't come cheap in our country, or any for that matter. Slowly we could see the sun on the horizon, things seemed like just maybe God was for us and not against us.

At around five month's old the cardiologist made it official, baby Shiloh would need to have open heart surgery to repair her ASD and VSD openings in her heart. Though we hoped for the holes to close, one in particular actually got bigger due to the immense pressure from blood flow. Again we scrambled to get things in order for me to leave with Shiloh to Gainsville while Chris and my Mother stayed behind to care for our family. Chris wanted to stay behind because he knew the danger of asking for time off after only being hired very recently, but through events his boss found out that Shiloh was having surgery and darn near ordered Chris to travel to Gainsville with us and even assured him that his job was safe.

On March 16th we said our goodbyes to the kids and gave a brief explanation of why we had to take Shiloh away for awhile. It's hard trying to assure two toddlers that things were going to be okay, all while facing the very sobering reality that we might not come back with her alive. Both the cardiologist and cardiac surgeon gave high survival rates for her particular surgery but we were very aware that this surgery wasn't an easy one either, there's always the possibility of something unforeseen coming up. We spent the night in Gainsville and rose early the next morning to spend the whole day doing blood work , sonograms and my favorite, paperwork!

I stayed up all night watching over her, carefully feeding her when the doctor's office indicated. In between feedings I would break down in the bathroom while Chris slept, trying hard to keep it all together. If I said that God was going to heal her heart miraculously over night before the surgery and he didn't, would that mean my faith was weak? If I said that I trusted the surgeon's hand while operating, and something slipped, was it my lack of faith or the doctor's lack in skill? If I said that God was going to work things out but allowed her to not make it through the surgery, what excuse would I use to explain what happened? I spent what seemed like eternity posing questions to myself until out of complete exhaustion I passed out early in the wee hours of Thursday.

My husband woke me at 5:00am with a whopping two hours under my sleep belt, I explained my exhaustion and we had a brief spat over my lack of sleep before her big surgery. We still were having marital difficulties at the time and the possibility of our daughter dying weighed hard on our shoulders, adding more stress and frustration. I passed back out even though everything in me desired to get back up and be there for my daughter before she was taken away. My husband had decided that he would take my daughter to surgery since there was really nothing neither he or I could do to help, it was just best for me to rest and him to carry this load. I got a kiss on the head with an explanation of what his plans were and out the door he went. I wish I could say that there was this moment of tranquil submission to him but I sat up in bed and logically thought out that: (A) I could cuss this man out for all he's worth for daring to take my daughter away from me and for not allowing me enough time to get ready and prep before her surgery or (B) Lay my butt back down and consider this a blessing from my husband; a desire of his to show me compassion. I thought the more Godly road would be option B and I genuinely tried to lay down and sleep. I needed to feel like I was at least doing "something" so I got up and repacked all the stuff that I had unpacked the previous nights and then crawled back in bed and took a much needed snooze. While this was going on Chris was at the hospital with Shiloh preparing for surgery and even though I've always thought him stronger than I, he was having his weak moments too as he faced the very real possibility of losing his only daughter.

Chris and Shiloh had been sitting in a pre-op room while everything was being set up for surgery, a good opportunity to capture a few moments before she was taken away. That time came and the nurses assured him they would keep him updated throughout the surgery, with this Chris was free to go back to the hotel and wait with his Father who had arrived just for the surgery. I waited upstairs going back and forth between sleep and tv while downstairs Chris, his Father and his Father's friend waited patiently in the lobby for any news. Both our cell phone's kept ringing as we tried desperately tried to give everyone an update on where we were at that moment and took updates from the nursing staff. We got the final call that her surgery was indeed a success and that we could come back and be able to see her soon. Because it was so late in the day, his dad and friend had to leave due to work schedules but at least wanted to be there for us as long as they could. We quickly headed down to the hospital eager to see our baby girl and how things were going.

Hand in hand we moved quickly to the recovery area, passing up rooms, each one filled with a child who was struggling to live, just like our little Shiloh. When we first entered her room, the sights and smells just overwhelmed me, in one area I could hear a machine gurgling that was attached to her chest tubes, bells going off when medications were empty and chatter from the medical staff. My senses were overloaded on top of seeing my daughter with tubes coming out from all over her body and a rather large incision down her tiny chest. I couldn't take anymore, I took about five steps back and stood motionless. As a mother you instinctively know that when your child(ren) is suffering you jump into action and do whatever it takes to stop that suffering so they can feel better. There wasn't anything I could do at that moment and it hit me like a ton of bricks. Chris knew I had hit my breaking point and consoled me while I wept. He felt it best for me to go back to the hotel and rest while he carried the burden of watching over our daughter while she recouped.

Day after day I would return to visit, bringing Chris food and checking on Shiloh's progress. Each day we looked forward to seeing the PA or surgeon as they were the one's that gave the okay for tubes or wires to be removed. Finally, on the fifth day the surgeon felt like she would be able to go back to Jacksonville and they released her into our care. We stayed overnight in Gainsville so that we could rest up before making the trip back home.

Every day since Shiloh has been released she makes small steps towards becoming a normal little girl and even though she is currently taking physical therapy there is a good outlook for her life. In just two month's she will officially be 1 year old and her birthday will mark 6 month's after surgery without any complications thus far.

There was a time when I would say to my husband that God had dealt with me very bitterly through this but now I can say that God has turned my tears of sorrow into tears of joy. For my husband, God has allowed him to have his daughter who is daddy's best friend (next to mommy). And my little boys have a sister who they are eager to run around with as soon as she learns.

Under Construction!

2010-07-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

I'm moving my GF recipes over to another blog that I've created so if you should see them start to disappear, please know they will be moved over soon enough. You will also see some new additions as well as the old stuff.

The purpose of this is to have a searchable GF list of my safe recipes for myself and to share with other families.

Thanks!

TGIF!!!

2010-07-09T16:27:00.000-07:00

Thank God It's Friday! Have mercy what a week but God has been giving both of us a huge amount of energy to take on our tasks. On Wednesday I was able to take Shiloh into the physical therapist and learned a few more techniques to get her crawling around and sitting up a little better. It's almost like fun exercise for Shiloh but like being in school for me. I even get sent home with homework on occasion. :-)

After Shiloh's PT we headed over to our other place and cleaned up all the rooms, basically trashing things, organizing boxes, figuring out what to donate or sell. When we moved into our apartment we only carried our beds, clothing and food so that we would minimize the chances of bringing mold into the current place. So needless to say we left a heck of alot of toys, clothes, games, computer stuff and much more. We downsized so much that we got everything too fit into 2 closets. Within the next few months we hope to be able to start tearing down the walls that have mold on them and just allow it to air out before putting up anything new. I'd hate to somehow leave some mold and end up having to play this out all over again.

Thursday, we returned to the house to finish up whatever we could do hoping that we would finish before the weekend but alas we got tired and when Chris brought me home it was to late for him to return and finish up labeling the boxes.

This morning was yet again another busy day as Chris had early morning accountability and when he returned I had to take John for a speech evaluation , which astonishingly enough only lasted about 10 minutes and the lady had all she needed. We found out that John is also advanced in his speech much farther then many two year old children. Then off we went to Dr Nathans for an adjustment for both JP and I. It was amazing because John actually asked to be put onto the adjustment chair and knew exactly how to lay for him to get the adjustment. It was very weird because the whole office got quiet and the two women at the front desk came to watch in awe as this little guy willingly allowed his body to be adjusted. I think almost the whole darn time he was smiling and just has a peaceful "glow" to him as if he was feeling much better. John is our little daredevil that enjoys anything that will get him "war wounds" or bruises so he actually *needs* an adjustment weekly. I'm so hoping that as soon as his daddy takes up some kind of self defense class, John can toddle his little booty to class with him and let out some energy.

I'm stuffed full of homemade tortillas, yellow rice, shredded iceberg lettuce and ground beef so I think I'm going to sign off now and see about folding some clothes. Then - to bed, to bed I go!

Every husband should take a week off..

2010-07-06T18:37:00.000-07:00

My husband decided to take a week off so that he can catch up on his huge to-do list and I think I'm truly getting spoiled having someone else around the house to help take care of the kiddies. It's nice to be free to go when I need to and not worry about preparing snacks, drinks and undies (or diapers) for three children. I must confess there's probably a bit of selfishness there but hey, it really is nice to have help. And on top of that, one of my most trusted helpers!

Today Chris got to babysit Shiloh (aka the woobie!) while I took the testosterone twins to their occupational therapy. Dominic is still expected to be there for another 14 weeks at one visit a week but we did get some awe-mazing news from Mrs. Beth the therapist. We had originally thought John Paul had severe Sensory Integration Dysfunction only to be told today that in fact he is frustrated because he isn't being stimulated enough and is actually advanced in many areas. What a mind blow that was! She told us that he has some skills that a 4-5 year old child usually has and that she has no need for a follow up visit. Oh my gosh! What a blessing from God to find out that our kid not only doesn't have SID but that he's actually advanced. Woo Hoo! So now comes my part of having to work hard to find things for him to do. I must confess that I'm tempted to put the little booger in school; Mrs. Beth even gave us the go ahead if we wanted to!

Tomorrow will be another busy day! I need to take Shiloh to the physical therapist so that she can get assessed to see how she is progressing after one week with her homemade "hip helper". She has finally started eating from a spoon so maybe within the next week or so she will finally make the big transition to sitting upright and crawling around on the floor. Oh, and Grandma is coming into town so don't you know the boys will be just tickled! While G'ma is here Chris has plans for us to have a small date and then we are heading over to our old house to do some serious house cleaning. Our plan is to repack, toss, recycle, sell and/or donate as much junk as we can! God will have to give us an extra measure of energy tomorrow to get through all our obstacles.

Signing off for now - here's hoping your tomorrow is less crazy than mine! :-)

Tuesday Menu

2010-07-06T18:33:00.001-07:00

Brunch:

Pancakes *

Applegate Farms Turkey Bacon

Banana (for John) and Cantaloupe (for Dominic)

Dinner:

Yellow "Saffron" Rice *

Meatloaf *

Green Beans & Baby Carrots

Peach Cobbler **

Late Snack:

Left overs and rice cakes

* Recipe listed on website

** Recipe coming soon!

2010-07-06T18:27:00.000-07:00

This Momentary Marriage

2010-07-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

I believe this was one of the books that I either requested or it came as part of a John piper set and it has been one of the most profound books to help root out my sinful nature. When Chris & I got married we truly were without a clue and our marriage and covenant to God was in danger. With Chris, his parents were separated and even though he walked the walk and talked the talk, he was far from serving the Lord. I've survived rape, molestation, mental and physical abuse and all of that carried over into a marriage all while believing that my past really was just that, my past.

If Chris and I had this book when we first started out we might have cut through all the crap and been able to get down and honest with each other struggles and strengths. I've actually recommended this to another couple whose struggling with some serious issues in their marriage and hope it will effect them the same way it effected Chris & I.

Again, it's a wonderful book and even has a section on singles so anyone preparing for marriage would find this helpful.

"Saffron" Rice (the cheap version)

2010-07-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, so this doesn't have any saffron in it because I refuse to pay $6 - $8 for a pinch of vegetation. Chris actually priced the stuff for a lb and it ended up being approx. $400! Holy cow!

Here's the cheap-o frugal version:

* 1 c. brown rice

* 1/4 tsp. turmeric

* 1/8 tsp. garlic powder

* 1/2 tsp. onion powder

* 1 c. water

* 1 1/2 c. chicken broth

* 2 T. olive oil

Bring chicken broth, water and olive oil to a boil. Add remaining ingredients to a saucepan, cover and cook until al dente.

Additional Toss Ins:

- cooked, diced chicken

- bell pepper, diced finely (add with liquid ingredients)

- diced ham or turkey

Chicken Salad

2010-07-05T09:24:00.000-07:00

* 1 1/2 c. cooked chicken (I've used both cubed cooked chicken breast or Valley Fresh 100% White Breast Meat canned chicken)

* 1/2 c. celery, finely diced

* 1/2 c. onion, finely diced

1/3 - 1/2 c. Vegenaise (or mayonaise)

Salt & Pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients together.

Serving Suggestions:

Eat this on a GF tortilla or GF bread with a slice of tomato and lettuce leaves. Or, slice a head of iceberg into fourths and remove the center piece, add a couple spoonfuls of chicken salad. Dice a tomato and sprinkle on top for color. Be sure to serve with a knife and fork. Enjoy!!

What's on the menu?!

2010-07-05T09:08:00.000-07:00

For those who might think our diet is severely limited, I've decided to post a few menu's this week and also to inspire those who grow tired of the same ol' thing. And just so you know, our kids either drink coconut milk (only at meals) and water, so we don't do the juice thing.

Monday -

Breakfast:

Homemade Pancakes (WF/GF/CF/Corn Free, Dairy Free, Kosher) *

Fresh Cantaloupe

Bananas

Applegate Farms Turkey Bacon (Yum-O)

Lunch:

Chicken Salad *

Steamed Broccoli

Edward & Sons Rice Crackers (for me & Dom), Lundberg Rice Cakes (for JP)

Raw Baby Carrots

Dinner:

Meatloaf **

Greens Beans

Cooked Baby Carrots

Rice or Vegan Mashed Potatoes

* Recipe recently added or being added soon!

** You can use my recipe for Poor Man's Steak and just make it into a loaf for Meatloaf.

Gluten Free Pancakes

2010-07-05T09:04:00.001-07:00

I finally found a good recipe!! Yay!

1 c. white rice flour

1 c. brown rice flour

2 T. sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1 heaping T. rice protein powder (optional)

1/2 tsp. guar gum

1/2 tsp. salt

4 T. oil

2 1/2 c. coconut milk (or equivalent)

Combine dry ingredients, form a well in the center and to this add liquid ingredients. Whisk until there are no lumps. Mixture will thicken as you beat it. Heat up frying pan, and do be sure to use pan spray. This recipe will make about 12-14 palm sized pancakes.

Optional Add-Ins:

Blueberries

Bananas

Vegan Chocolate Chips (Enjoy Life Brand are awesome!)

Canned diced peaches (in juice not syrup)

Poor Man's Steak

2010-07-04T23:40:00.000-07:00

* 1 lb Ground Hamburger (I happened to be at Native Sun where they had $1.00/1 coupons and wanted to try the Organic Prairie 85/15 Ground beef. It was wonderful! There was just the right amount of fat in the meat to help it stick together and just tasted yummy!)

* 1/3 c. onion, finely chopped

* 1 tsp. salt

* 1/2 tsp. ground mustard

* 2 Dashes white pepper

* 1 heaping T. dried parsley

* 2 tsp. white rice flour

Mix all ingredients together, form into patties and pan fry until no longer pink. You can buy special meat thermometers but I just cook mine until 165-170 degrees.

We served our's with vegan potato salad and sliced carrots w/ green beans.

Fourth of July

2010-07-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

Thank you God for the men and women of today and tomorrow who will serve their country by putting their life on the line to save those who can not fight for themselves. Thank you God for knitting people so uniquely that they would desire to stand up for those who are weak or unable to fight.

And thank you God for Christ because his sacrifice gave utmost freedom from oppression!

A MUST HAVE drink!

2010-07-02T14:58:00.001-07:00

If you like lemonade then you *must* try Santa Cruz Organic Lemonades! I've had both the traditional lemonade but I think my new favorite drink is the Santa Cruz Organic Peach Lemonade. It comes in Limeade, Lemonade, Mango Lemonade, Raspberry Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade and of course Peach Lemonade.

Currently these are on sale at our local Whole Foods! You can get a 32oz bottle for only $1.00 each and if you purchase a whole case you get 10% additionally. If you live closer to Native Sun, they currently have the same product on sale for BOGO which brings it to about $1.59 for the same 32oz bottle.

I'm more of a Native Sun shopper because they do more research on what they label gluten free but sometimes for the price I just gotta hit the cheaper store. In this economy with 3 kiddos I gotta save some dough (gluten free that is ^_^ ).

Whether you hit Native Sun or Whole Foods, just go out and grab one when your out this holiday weekend.

A Gluten Free Fourth

2010-07-02T14:09:00.000-07:00

Despite the reality that a high percentage of families each tons of gluten on holidays, we, as chemically sensitive family shall have to take the healthy road. That doesn't mean we don't plan on eating well though. My menu below:

Pan Fried Burgers (our weather is just icky this time of year)
- bun free without any fix-in's

Vegan Potato Salad
- most average families mix their salad up with Hellmann's mayo but for me I plan on using yummy veganaise with a spoonful of yellow mustard for tang

Steamed Greens Beans
- just like it says we eat them au naturale with a pinch of sea salt

Watermelon

Peach Cobbler
- I've made this numerous times before and even GF is yummy

So you see, your never out of food options even if you have chemical sensitivities or allergies.

Sweet & Sour Pepper Stir Fry

2010-07-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

1 T. olive oil
2 T. Tamari Soy Sauce
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 T. pineapple juice
1 handful shredded carrot
1 16oz pkg frozen peppers and onions
1 8 ox can pineapple chunks w/ natural juice
2 T brown sugar
2 T. apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp white pepper
1 T. white flour
1 T. water
4 c. hot cooked brown rice

Saute peppers and onions for 3 minutes in oil. To skillet, add pineapple chunks , pineapple juice plus water to equal 2/3 c. liquid, sugar, vinegar, ginger, soy sauce and pepper. Remove vegetables and pineapple leaving behind juices. Mix water and white flour together to create a paste, stir slowly into skillet continuing to stir until mixture thickens. Return veggies and fruit back to skillet and gently warm. Serve over hot rice.

Where are we now?

2010-06-30T17:03:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, with 3 children it's just crazy to sit down and blog while baking and cooking from scratch three meals a day + snacks. But I want to start getting back into it because I need some artistic form of expression every now and then.

So, here's an official break down of where we are now:

Baby Shiloh was born 9/18/09 at 6lbs12oz with blue eyes and red hair along with an ASD and VSD within her tiny heart. She had surgery to repair her heart March 18th, which is her 6 month old b-day with with a wonderful surgeon named Dr Mark S Bleiweis. Her surgeon and his staff treated her like a cherub and kept such a close eye on her that she was discharged after only 5 days. She's now at 9 month's old, still with scars left over from her main surgical site as well as the two holes where she had chest tubes. God is good and has given her such a strong immune system and just an over all wonderful attitude. She's is however delayed in sitting, rolling and crawling and has since started up doing PT once a week at Brooks Rehabilitation. I'm currently planning her birthday party and think since she's Daddy's Princess we will have to go with a pink girlie party. Though she of course won't remember it, for us it will be a momentous day because we had not expected her to survive surgery and yet our mighty God brought everyone through it.

John Paul (now 2, will be 3 on November 17, 2010) is currently getting ready to have a Speech and Occupational Therapy evaluation to see where he is currently. We have also learned that John has what's called Sensory Integration Dysfunction and though each day is a struggle, I know that the Lord is putting me through this so that I can learn to have compassion on those who will be in the same place. He also has multiple foods allergies which keep me constantly on my toes, just one slip of a no-no food and our day is shot.

Dominic (turning 5 on November 3, 2010) is an avid artist and loves to draw on his little magnetic scribble pad. Dom seems to have a symbiotic connection with his sister who seems to have a mirror personality to her older brother. He's a great big brother who loves the opportunity to change her diaper, feed her and hold her. He's growing up so fast, what a great little man he's becoming! His Sensory Integration Dysfunction has improved as he ages and learns to overcome obstacles but I believe he will continue to live with dietary restrictions due to chemical sensitivities.

Our household has changed to a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, wheat-free, corn-free , yeast-free and Kosher diet for the betterment of everyone's sensitivities. Though Chris is allowed to eat corn because he can pretty much eat darn near everything without an allergic reaction. It sucks that he can handle practically anything but he's healthy in his own way and that's what a wife and kids need, a healthy daddy to support and run the family.

I recently came back from my Feingold Annual Meeting and greatly enjoyed being surrounded by people who hold the same desires for better eating that I have. I feel encouraged to push on in my pursuit for healthy eating and a healthier family. Being active allows us to be able to serve each other as well as family (bio and church that is).

My Goals for the remainder of the year are:
(1) Get Dominic started in Pre-K
(2) Find a good gluten-free substitute for biscuits, yeast-free cinnamon rolls, yeast-free and gluten free sandwich bread
(3) Get our old house organized and get rid of things we don't need
(4) spend more "us" time with my husband
(5) learn what things to stockpile and what not to
(6) wait for the Lord to decide what to do with our car (sell or donate) and be willing to accept whatever is best
(7) reach out to struggling wives who I'm close to

I'm sure I'll add more as the Lord allows things to be put on my plate.
Hopefully, time will allow me to get on more often now that our season is changing up again.

Pastor Dad - Scriptural Insights on Fatherhood

2009-07-09T05:17:00.000-07:00

I found this on the Mars Hill Church (the good one ^_^) website and wanted to share since it so far seems very scripturally based and head on.

Hope it leads you to a better understanding of Godly Fatherhood.
Linkage Here!!

Crave - Finding Satisfaction in God Alone

2009-07-09T05:11:00.000-07:00

Linkage Here!!
Wonderful women's sermons on various topics.

Crave - Session 1 - Kay Courson
Craving Security - Session 2 - Rhonda Callabello
Craving Control - Session 3 - Sandie Brooks
Finding Satisfaction in God Alone - Session 4 - Kay Courson
Craving Beauty - Session 5 - Cindy Gilland
Craving Food - Session 6 - Diane Taulbee
Craving Love & Affection - Session 7 - Erin Hettick

Beef Stock Recipe

2009-06-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

1 lb Beef Stew Meat, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 large carrot, sliced lengthwise or 2-3 handfuls of baby carrots
1 large celery stalk, halved
2 large garlic cloves, peeled or dried garlic powder
4 quarts cold water
1 bunch parsley
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried dill
1 tsp salt
6 whole black peppercorns
1 large bay leaf
1 large tomato, halved (optional)

Place beef, onion and carrot in large greased roasting pan and roast 20-30 minutes in 400 degree oven until browned. Transfer vegetables and meat to stockpot, pouring any juices into stockpot as well. Bring mixture to simmer, cover and continue to simmer for 3 hours. Do not boil - this will produce a nasty looking foam that you will need to skim off. Strain stock through sieve. Chill stock and remove any fat that rises to the top. Stock can be frozen up to 3 month's.

Personally, I prefer to not skim off the fat because that acts as a "second seal" to keep out the freezer smell. When your ready to use it, after it's defrosted, then skim off the fat and use as you normally would.

GF/VG/ETC-FREE Waffles

2009-06-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

Yay! Okay, so I played around and found a recipe that produced a really yummy and crispy waffle.

1 c. white rice flour
1/2 c. potato starch
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vegan rice protein powder
1 1/4 c. rice milk or alternative
1/4 c. oil

Mix dry ingredients, whisk in wet, add any additions. Next pour 3/4 c. into your waffle maker and follow appliance directions.

Cinnamon Raisin Waffles -
3 tsp. sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 T. raisins

Banana Waffles -
1/2 smooshed banana
3 tsp. sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Blueberry Cinnamon Waffles -
1/4 c. whole blueberries
3 tsp. sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Savory Pizza Waffles (Whodathunkit, right?)
1 Plain Waffle, toasted
1-2 T. pizza sauce, per waffle
2 T. Rice Cheese, mozzarella flavor, per waffle
Sprinkling of olives, GF pepperoni, thinly sliced onions, thinly sliced bell pepper, etc. Whatever you like.

Assemble pizza waffle's on cookie sheet and broil until cheese melts completely. Enjoy!

Supermarket Guru Product Reviews

2009-06-17T04:18:00.000-07:00

Found this site on redplum.com and Phil Lempert is the product reviewer. He reviews a good bit of natural/organic products with a few regular stuff tossed in.

CHECK IT OUT

Vegan/Kosher/GF Crockpot Baked Beans

2009-06-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

4 cans (15oz ea) Northern Beans
2 small onions, diced
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 c. brown sugar (I use light but dark will add a hint of molasses)
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 c. brown rice syrup (Lundberg is GF) or maple syrup
1 c. tomato sauce (or thin some tomato paste with water to equal this amount)

Pour all ingredients into a crockpot and stir to combine thoroughly. Turn crockpot on low and allow to slowly heat for 6-8 hours. Watch consistency of bean sauce, taste test throughout the time to see if it needs more sweetness or salt for your personal tastes. I dip potato chips into baked beans so I prefer a bit more sauce but cook to your tastes.

GF/Egg/Dairy & Vegan Potato Salad

2009-06-15T08:33:00.000-07:00

3 c. peeled and diced cooked potatoes
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/4 c. chopped onion (if you don't have raw onion use onion powder to taste)
2 tsp. dried dill
1/2 c. vegenaise (click here for website info)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Place potatoes, celery and onion in large bowl. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Pour over potato mixture and toss until thoroughly coated. Refrigerate until serving time.

Awesome Produce Deals

2009-06-09T09:00:00.001-07:00

Now is the time for berries so get them fresh while you can, the crops in Starke were pretty badly damaged so they are most likely Driscoll's brand which I believe are coming out of California.

Food Lion
Strawberries/1lb $2.50 ea
Blueberries/1 Pint $2.50 ea
Mangos $.99 ea
Sweet Potatoes $.89lb

Winn Dixie
Strawberries/1lb $2.50ea
Blueberries/1 Pint $2.50ea
5lb Bag Russet Potatoes/ 5lb Bag $2.00

Publix
Organic Strawberries/ 1lb $2.50 ea
Cantaloupes / $2.00ea (not bad in comparison to the normal $3.99 ea)
Commercial Strawberries 1lb Container 2/$4
Raspberries 5.6oz 2/$4

Modest Women's Apparel

2009-06-09T07:44:00.000-07:00

Seems to be a pretty upstanding company and the clothes are pretty stylish. Their sizes due however range from XS (2) to XL (16), so technically they have a smidgen of plus size clothing. They also have a cute swim suit that's pretty darn modest in comparison to what's on the market today. Their clothing is a bit on the pricey side but their products are made here in the US, so I can understand the higher pricing. Do check out their clearance section for discounted modest items.

Christa Taylor

Indian Fry Bread

2009-06-08T17:26:00.001-07:00

This is a recipe that my grandmother taught my mom to make and it originates from Indians (aka Native Americans) during very poor times to help fill empty stomachs. Corn was a big staple of Indian tribes and this was one of the variations of "Poor Man's Bread". Also, due to white men's introduction of lard, this was pan fried traditional but to cut down on the cardiac arrest risk I used canola pan spray.

2 c. cornmeal
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 pinches baking soda
1/4 c. white rice flour
2 T. potato starch
1 scant cup of water
1/4 of bacon drippings or oil
1/2 c. rice milk (you can use whatever milk your family drinks)

Whisk dry ingredients together to get out any lumps, add wet liquids. Heat up frying pan and drop 1/4 c. blobs onto a hot skillet and cook the way you would pancakes. Serve savory with rice and beans or serve as a breakfast dish with butter and syrup.

Frugal Tips - Babies/Kids

2009-06-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

(1) Never buy new clothes or shoes, if you have the time you can check out garage sales being held in nearby neighborhoods or church/organizations. If your lucky enough to have a consignment store, find out what days they have specials and head in only on those day.

(2) Let your friends hold a baby shower for you, if they have the desire then by all means, let them have fun. You will get tons of clothing, shoes, diapers, etc. Keep all receipts so that you can return copies to the store and any extra items you won't need.

(3) Breast feed if possible, formula runs anywhere from $10 - $30 a can depending on whether it's on sale or full price. Consult nurses and lactation consultants to see if your able to get your baby to nurse. If your unable to breast feed, contact as many formula companies and sign up to get coupons. Combine sale formula and coupons to save even more money.

(4) Make baby food at home from foods that your family regularly eats, but don't waste money on special food processor's when most families already have a full size food processor that will work just fine. If your baby absolutely turns his/her nose up at the consistency you create, buy a few jars from the store (using COUPONS) and attempt to get the right consistency. If all else fails, only buy baby food when it's on sale and you have coupons to go with it.

(5) Have a kids clothing swap with your friends, your kids will have the chance to get a new wardrobe as well as new shoes or toys.

(6) If you know someone that got kids just a bit older then yours, ask if you can have the hand-me-down's for your child.

(7) Don't give your kiddos juice, it's very expensive and it's bad for their teeth. Water is super cheap and much healthier than the most 100% juice product out there. If they want to toddle around with a sippy cup in their hand or take one to bed, fill it with water. No matter how cheap you think juice is, the end results is cavities and fillings are pretty expensive and stressful for your kid to go through.

(8) Don't buy into those little jars of diced fruit and vegetables, just purchase regular cans of fruit (in natural juice) and vegetables. You can cut these up into small bite size pieces for a fraction of the cost.

(9) Don't buy snacks foods (even those marketed for kids), if you start your kid on an early path to junk food they will grow up expecting that as part of their daily meals. Even snacks marketed for children are not a necessity if they have variety in their diets. Snack foods are one of the most expensive products in the grocery store.

(10) Don't sign your kids up for ballet, soccer or basketball in their toddler years, rarely will kids stick to one thing for their entire life. If you need some type of outing, look in a local family magazine for free things to do as a family. When the time comes for them to get involved in extra curricular activities, they should be old enough to take small jobs to earn money to pay for what they want. This method should quickly show children just how far $1 goes in today's world.

The WOOMbie

2009-06-04T06:22:00.000-07:00

These are a type of swaddle bag that has lots of testimonials and looks really beneficial.

CHECK EM' OUT!

Tom's Shoes

2009-05-31T22:45:00.000-07:00

If you love buying shoes and enjoy giving to needy kids, check out Tom's Shoes. For every pair of shoes you purchase, a pair will be donated to a needy child. They carry shoes for the whole family. :-)

Current Update

2009-05-22T15:06:00.001-07:00

Chris has finished up his training in Alabama (as far as we know) but still has two more weeks of training which they plan to take place in Daytona. Chris' friend Derrek Ashton has parents who live in Port Orange , FL that have agreed to put him up so that he doesn't have to drive back and forth every day during the week so if all goes well he will be in Daytona Monday - Friday but be here in Jacksonville on the weekends. He'll drive to Jacksonville after work on Friday and head back out on Sunday evening. He may also drive home on Tuesday evenings and back out again late Tuesday night. We go this Sunday morning (we'll miss church) to drive down to Port Orange to meet Derrek's parents so that trust can be developed with his family.

We spoke to a loan officer at a bank we use and found out that our credit score is 805 and that because of that we should only need $2,000 to start up the process of getting a loan for a house in Port Orange, and we spoke to a realtor about a house we are interested in and things seem like they would go smoothly. If we are able to get a home in a few month's we will most likely spend 2 weeks in Port Orange (to be close to Chris) and 2 weeks in Jacksonville (to pack and attend my OB/GYN appointments) each month until the birth. The latter half of August and the month of September we should be here in Jacksonville if I don't go into labor early.

We also have found out that our neighbor is interested in our plot to buy and use for his RV so we may be able to get a good bit of money for the piece and at the same time have a relative that's interested in buying our house. We had originally planned to have it moved but now that God has opened the doors to sell separately the property and the land, we plan on going with that option. We may possibly be able to get some extra money to put towards a house in Port Orange even with having to pay off the remainder on this mortgage.

Right now we are of course being frugal with our finances but are hoping God will provide the money needed soon so that Chris and our family will be able to spend time together and not be apart so much. So prayers in that direction would be great!

New Consignment Shop & Sale

2009-05-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

Event: Grand Opening
Closets 2 Closets Consignment Shop
Open Days/Hours: June 15th - June 21st | 10AM - 6PM
11570 San Jose Blvd

These ladies normally do the 3-day sales at hotels around Jacksonville but have decided to open their own store and they will do one event each month for people to come in and do some shopping. Their prices are much better than the regular stores and I've found more selection with C2C than I have with other consignment stores.

Please check out their website and if your interested in consigning you can call them at 904-910-2191 or email them.

Dairy Free Milkshake

2009-05-17T04:36:00.000-07:00

The Hillbilly housewife had this recipe on her blog and I snagged it and made it completely dairy free.

1 1/2 c. cold vanilla rice milk
About 1 1/2 - 2 trays of ice
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla (if desired)
2 T. olive oil plus a 5-second squirt of pan spray

Blender should be about 3/4 full of ice. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for 2 minutes. Do not omit any ingredients or the milkshake will not form. The oil and pan spray is needed for emulsification purposes and to give a creamy texture and appearance. It will have an appearance similar to a Wendy's frosty but much healthier, with no artificial flavors or colors and most ingredients are found at home.

You can omit the cocoa powder and only 1/2 c. sugar with 1 T. pure vanilla extract for a vanilla shake.
Add 1 ripe banana and you get a chocolate banana milkshake.
Reduce ice cup by cup for frozen strawberries and adjust sugar to your tastes to get a strawberry shake.
Add a scoop of rice protein powder to add protein and other essential aminos to your shake.

Lemon & Herb Rice Mix

2009-05-14T15:56:00.000-07:00

1 c. long grain brown rice (short grain is very sticky and you want fluffy end results)
1 tsp. dried lemon peel (organic is better, no chemical residues)
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar

Combine and place in ziplock bag, make multiples to create your own convenience mixes or follow directions below to cook.

Boil 2 1/2 c. broth or water, add entire bag of rice mix, turn down heat to low-medium and cook for 45 minutes.

Corn Dog Muffins - Hit with Kiddos!

2009-05-13T11:18:00.000-07:00

1 1/4 c. cornmeal
1 c. gluten free flour mix
1/3 c. sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp xantham gum
1 tsp salt
1 to 1 1/4 c milk substitute
1/3 c. canola or olive oil
1 pkg gluten free hot dogs *

* We use gluten free Wellshire Farms Chicken Hot Dogs or Sheltons Chicken Hot Dogs and you can't tell a difference. Chopped about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.

Preheat over to 350. Spray non-stick muffin pan or muffin cups. In bowl combine all dry ingredients, make well in center and add liquid ingredients. Chop up 4-5 hot dogs and fold into corn mix. Fill muffin cups and bake 20-25 minutes, or until top is light brown and firm. Once these have cooled, serve with ketchup or mustard.

Field Trip Anyone?!

2009-05-08T19:25:00.001-07:00

Riverside Arts Market
Saturday - 10:00AM to 4:00PM
April to December

Directions & Parking: Click Here For Maps

Admission: FREE!

Take a stroll through the riverside arts market where the theme of the market is to BUY LOCAL! You'll find local farmers selling produce, artists (painters, sculptors, musicians, performance artists, and much more) performing or displaying their work and enjoy musical entertainment. If you get hungry you can stop into the food court where neighborhood chefs from area restaurants prepare everything from gourmet hot dogs to international cuisine. While your there why not do some grocery shopping from local farmers? Buy vegetables, fruit, honey, eggs, cheese and organic treats all in one spot.

Children are welcome as well as dogs, however they need to be on a leash/harness and you are responsible for them at all times. I guess the above statement would be true for the kiddos as well. :-)

Hope to see you there one Saturday!

Crock Pot Herb Chicken (GF)

2009-05-08T18:57:00.000-07:00

3-4 Chicken Breasts
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 T lemon juice
1 T oil
Imagine No-Chicken Broth - enough to cover (subst. whatever you have that's GF)
1/2 T. dried lemon zest
Mrs Leepers Corn Rotelli Pasta

Place chicken breasts into crockpot and add seasonings and liquid. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 5-6 hours. Cook pasta according to package, drain thoroughly. Slice/shred chicken, reserving any remaining broth. Toss broth, chicken and pasta together and eat or refrigerate so pasta can absorb seasonings.

Closets 2 Closets Consignment - Sale This Weekend

2009-05-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

** I have two coupons for $5.00/$40.00 for anyone interested. Also, please bring in canned goods for the Food Bank Food Drive and you'll be entered into a drawing. **

Host:
Closets 2 Closets

Where:
Courtyard Marriot
610 Wells Road (Blanding/17)
Orange Park FL 32073

Dates/Days/Times:
May 8th (Friday) Noon to 7:00PM
May 9th (Saturday) 10:00 to 7:00PM
Sunday 10th (Sunday) 10:00 to 5:0PM

SUNDAY IS HALF PRICE DAY - ALL DAY LONG!!

Clothing, Nursery & Maternity, Furniture, Strollers, Bikes, Car Seats, Books, Movies, Toys and more!

If your interested in making some money you can get information on becoming a consignor, check out the website closets2closets.com and get other information there as well.

Update on the de Vidal family

2009-05-03T13:41:00.000-07:00

Job Situation: Chris officially has a job and will drive down to Daytona and do orientation on Monday and fly out Tuesday for job training in Alabama. He will be gone training for 4 weeks in Alabama and will only return on weekends. We plan to have Chris commute for 5 month's from Jax to Daytona and a few weeks after the baby is born we will officially move to Daytona. During this time we hope to save up money to put as a down payment on a home and will hopefully get something within the next few month's so that we can slowly move the majority of our stuff before the baby is born and then move the remainder after the birth.

Baby Update: We found out we are having a little girl and she will be due September 4th. :-)

Prayer Needs: We will be needing a substantial amount of money because we have no clothes for our upcoming baby girl (we don't have any lace or pink up in this house), and because we won't be able to leave our current house we will need to not only have this one moved down to Daytona but purchase a home and land in Daytona big enough for two homes. So please be in prayer that God will provide for us in these times.

Presentation by the Feingold Association

2009-04-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

The impact of synthetic preservatives and additives on behavior and their connection to ADD/ADHD.

Part 1

Part 2

Gluten Free coming to Starbucks!! Woo Hoo!!

2009-04-28T19:36:00.001-07:00

Okay...really, I'm so not a Starbuck's fan at all because budget wise this just ain't an option when I go out some place to eat. Why? It's not just because their products are loaded to the brim with artificial colors, flavors and preservatives but because their yummy gooey goodies are filled with GLUTEN! Ack! Evil, vile thing! Plus, this place ain't exactly cost effective for a families budget.

However! They now have heard the cries of gluten-free eating people all over and have decided to try their hand at making a yummy tummy goodie just for us allergic people. May 5th, Starbuck's will introduce a new gluten-free dessert called Orange Valencia Cake with Almonds, just for us poor gluten-free people.

Here's the blog with the details.

Enjoy your very own slice of gluten-free goodie on May 5th nationwide.

Gluten Free Tortilla Recipe

2009-04-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 c. gluten free flour mix
1/2 c. corn meal
1 tsp xantham gum
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 to 1 c. room temp. water

Whisk dry ingredients together. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add about 1/4 c and mix with your hands. Continue adding water 1/4 c. at a time to achieve consistency.

Due to flours reacting differently (absorption wise) to liquids, you will need to adjust liquid depending on what's used. Dough should just leave the sides of the bowl.

Separate the dough into 6-8 balls, then place dough in between two sheets of parchment or cling wrap and roll out thinly. Dust with rice flour as needed. Heat skillet or griddle and gently lay out the tortilla in the pan. Cook for approx. 1-2 minutes on each side. Your looking for them to just barely develop little brown spots, once both sides have them your tortilla is done.

**** These do not make good leftover tortillas, so only make what you need. I have however heard of mom's rolling these out and freezing them in between wax paper but have not tried this myself. ****

Gluten Free Flour Mix Recipes

2009-04-28T19:15:00.000-07:00

Mix #1

1 1/2 c. Sorghum Flour
1 1/2 c. Potato Starch
1 c. Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 c. Brown Rice Flour

Mix #2
1 1/2 c. White Rice Flour
1 1/2 c. Potato Starch
1 c. Tapioca Starch/Flour
1/2 c. Brown Rice Flour

Mix #3
1 1/2 c. White Rice Flour
1 1/2 c. Brown Rice Flour
1 1/2 c. Potato Starch

Dairy-Free WF/GF Beef Stroganoff

2009-04-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

This doesn't have the tang that original beef stroganoff has but it is still tummy filling and makes for a very fast meal. Add steamed broccoli with gluten free lemon pepper seasoning for a side veggie.

1 lb Ground Beef (lean should be good)
1 T. minced, dry onion
Imagine No-Chicken Broth (enough to cover browned meat)
1/2 c. Pacific Foods Vanilla Rice Milk
4 T. white rice flour
Mrs Leepers Corn Rotelli
Salt & Pepper

Brown ground beef over medium heat, add minced onion and enough broth to cover an inch about the ground meat. Simmer to soften onion. While meat is simmering, mix 1/2 c. rice milk with 4 T of rice flour to form a nice slurry/paste. Increase heat to med-high and slowly whisk in slurry to meat. Remove pan from stove and allow it to continue thickening off heat source. Prepare corn rotelli according to package. Combine meat mixture and neoodles. Season with salt and pepper.

Interesting Quote

2009-04-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

Heard this from Mark Driscol, "If your single, you don't need birth control, you need self-control". At first I just thought it was kind of comical, but in reality it is biblical if you seek the scriptures.

1 Corinthians 7:9
But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

Titus 2:6
Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.

Why I love the farmer's market!

2009-04-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love (!!!) being able to go down to the Beaver's Street produce market and pluck fresh produce that was just brought in from the farm the day before. I was able to purchase apples, oranges, bell peppers, new red potatoes, watermelons, onions, cantaloupe, eggplant, tomatoes, new white potatoes and corn from MY COUNTRY! Even better, was the fact that they came from my STATE! Woo Hoo! I brought 10 Watermelons today that was brought up the day before from Immokalee Florida, for only $4.50 a piece. Now, these are some honkin' watermelons, cost $4.50 each, are grown not only in my COUNTRY, but are grown in my state and are only trucked the short distance from Immokalee to Jacksonville. These things aren't trucked from Honduras or Mexico, but from my own state. How could you not appreciate produce grown by your own people, in your own state, in your own country?

Even in these economic times we are truly blessed with the bounty that our own people are capable of growing. What a great God we have, that even through our toiling in the soil and being at the hands of crazy temperatures, our soil is still able to bear much produce for the mouth's of our children.

Dairy Free Basic White Sauce

2009-04-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

I turned this into a mock alfredo sauce simply by adding garlic and Italian seasoning and tossed it with some corn pasta, it was de-lish!

2 T. flour (I used white rice flour)
2 T. oil (I usually use coconut or olive)
2 2/3 c. rice milk

Pour rice milk into a saucepan and begin warming it. In a small bowl make a paste with the oil and flour, add to milk and whisk while mixture thickens. Remove from heat and season.

3 Day Consignment Sale - May

2009-04-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

Host:
Closets 2 Closets

Where:
Courtyard Marriot
610 Wells Road (Blanding/17)
Orange Park FL 32073

Dates/Days/Times:
May 8th (Friday) Noon to 7:00PM
May 9th (Saturday) 10:00 to 7:00PM
Sunday 10th (Sunday) 10:00 to 5:0PM

SUNDAY IS HALF PRICE DAY - ALL DAY LONG!!

Clothing, Nursery & Maternity, Furniture, Strollers, Bikes, Car Seats, Books, Movies, Toys and more!

If your interested in making some money you can get information on becoming a consignor, check out the website closets2closets.com and get other information there as well.

The Future of Food

2009-04-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

For an educational video on the future of food and the truth behind genetic engineering you can go to www.hulu.com and search under "F" for "The Future of Food" and it will allow you free access to watch the documentary. It's educational and scary at the same time but it's an honest and truthful look into the genetic engineering and the desire to genetically engineer not only seeds but also animals and humans. This is mostly based on genetically engineered plants and the impact on our children and health.

In the interest of our children's future as well as our grandkids future, it's a movie worth watching so you'll know where to stand and also, what's really in each meal or snack you consume.

Toodles!

Two Good Reads

2009-03-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

The Christian Wife (for us ladies) by J R Miller

The Christian Husband (for the boys) by J R Miller

These reads might be a little hard to follow but hopefully you find a few nuggets in there to apply to your marriage.

Produce & Important Deals - This Week Only!

2009-03-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

Publix
Florida Strawberries 3/$5 ($1.66 ea)
Cantaloupes $1.50 ea
Fuji or Granny Smith 3lbs/$2.50 ($.83 lb)
Broccoli or Cauliflower $2.00ea

Food Lion
Green Grapes $.99lb
Red Grapefruit 5lb/3.99 ($.79lb)
Yellow Onions 3lbs/$1.99 ($.66lb)
Sweet Potatoes $.79lb
Celery $.99 each

Winn Dixie
Gala, Red Delicious, Gold Delicious, Granny Smith or Fuji Apples 3lbs/BOGO ($.83lb)
Cucumbers 2/$.99 ($.49 ea)
Idaho Potatoes 5lbs/$3.50 ($.70lb)
Sweet Potatoes $.89lb

Super Target
Strawberries $1.50/1lb Box
Green Bell Peppers 2/$1.00
Cucumbers 2/$1.00

Native Sun (nativesunjax.com) ENDS 3/31/09
Organic Ruby Reg Grapefruit $.99lb
Organic Red, Russet & Yukon Potatoes 5lb bag $3.99 ($.79lb)
Bunny Luv Whole Organic Carrots 5lb Bag $3.99 ($.79lb)
Organic Red or Green Cabbage $.69lb
Organic Bananas $.69lb [daily price]

For those of you who eat non-organic meat, Winn Dixie has a good deal on Sanderson Farms Chicken this week at 40% Off! meat is rarely a cheap thing so stockpile your freezer while you can.

Chicken Thighs & Drumsticks $.99lb
Whole Roasting Chickens $.99lb
Chicken Leg Quarters $.99lb
Country Cut Up Chicken $.99lb
Whole Chickens $.99lb

Great website to educate teens about Abortion

2009-03-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

Truth Unmasked

I will warn that some of the images are pretty graphic but if there's a teen who feels their adult enough to have an abortion, then their adult enough to deal with the reality.

Angel Food Ministries

2009-03-16T06:29:00.000-07:00

My mom was given this website by a friend of hers so I thought I would pass it on to whoever it would benefit. In our area there are (2) churches in Middleburg, (1) in Fernandina Beach, (2) in Jacksonville , (2) in Saint Augustine and (1) in Yulee.

www.angelfoodministries.com

This is a non-profit, non-denominational and christian organization that provides restaurant quality meats, vegetables, fruits, etc. at reasonable prices. They provide three main choices for you to choose from: (1) Regular Box (2) Senior/Convenience Box (3) Allergen Free Box. The items all vary depending on the month and what is available to the organization.

In order to know the last day to place your order, just select the closest church near to you and it will give you the last day and times for ordering. For example, the Titus Harvest Dome Church has an order by date for today from 8:00AM to 4:00PM.

They also take credit/debit cards, cash, EBT, and money orders. See individual sites for details.

My mom is interested in the organization so for her I may be making regular trips down to the Titus Harvest Dome Church to pick up her orders and might possibly be able to pick up orders for those who would like to drive to my house. Just a thought.

Weekly Produce Deals

2009-03-11T05:12:00.000-07:00

Food Lion (foodlion.com) ENDS 3/17/09
Avocados $.99 ea
California Navel Oranges 8lbs/$4.99 [.62 lb]
Gala Apples 3lb/$2.99 [$.99lb]
Cabbage $.39 lb
White Potatoes 5lb Bag BOGO [.44lb]

Winn Dixie (Winndixie.com) ENDS 3/17/09
FL Strawberries BOGO [$1.99/1 lb Box]
Green Cabbage $.39lb
Red Potatoes 5lbs/$3.00 [$.60lb]

Publix (publix.com) ENDS 3/18/09
Cabbage $.19lb [AWE-MAZING DEAL]
Strawberries 3/$5.00 [1.66 ea - Better Deal!]
Cantaloupes 2/$3.00 [$1.50 ea, not quite produce market but still good]

Native Sun (nativesunjax.com) ENDS 3/31/09
Organic Ruby Reg Grapefruit $.99lb
Organic Red, Russet & Yukon Potatoes 5lb bag $3.99 ($.79lb)
Bunny Luv Whole Organic Carrots 5lb Bag $3.99 ($.79lb)
Organic Red or Green Cabbage $.69lb
Organic Bananas $.69lb [daily price]

Target (supertarget.com)ENDS 3/14/09
Broccoli $1.50 ea
Cauliflower $1.50 ea
Clementines 5lb Box/$4.99 [.99lb]

3 John 1:2

2009-03-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

"Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul."

Publix Produce Deals - Week of 3/4 - 3/10

2009-03-04T07:48:00.000-08:00

FL Strawberries 16oz 3/$5 (1.66 ea)
** Target is still cheaper by far at only $.99lb, so if you want to purchase multiple pounds of these it's worth the trip to Orange Park & also the Strawberries at Target are California Driscoll Brand**

California Navel Oranges $.99lb

March Produce Deals @ Native Sun

2009-03-02T12:43:00.001-08:00

These last from the beginning to the end of March, so take advantage while you can.

Organic Ruby Reg Grapefruit $.99lb
Organic Red, Russet & Yukon Potatoes 5lb bag $3.99 ($.79lb)
Bunny Luv Whole Organic Carrots 5lb Bag $3.99 ($.79lb)
Organic Red or Green Cabbage $.69lb

No sin too big..

2009-03-02T11:02:00.000-08:00

There are no small sins, nor big sins, nor minor, nor major, because all sins required the sacrifice of Christ' blood.

No sin is to small to need a sacrifice and no sin is to big for God's forgiveness to be given.

Super Target Produce Deals - New

2009-03-01T12:32:00.000-08:00

3/1 - 3/7
FL Strawberries $.99lb

The only Super Target (as far as I know) is in Orange Park so if you don't live in OP and want to take advantage of this deal, I'd suggest you buy up a huge amount of strawberries to make it worth the trip.

So far, this is the BEST deal I have seen so far on Strawberries. I purchased 6lbs for $9.99 at BJ's Warehouse this Friday, these however were from California so they may have a different sweetness than FL ones. Anywho, that's about $1.66 lb, already stemmed and ready to use. It should save you $.67lb, and take approx. 20-30 minutes to stem all the strawberries to freeze, unless you have multiple hands helping you out.

This would be a great deal if you were doing say 10+ lbs and have multiple hands as you could freeze many pounds and have local produce saved up for the whole year.

Gluten Free Corn Dogs

2009-02-28T17:32:00.000-08:00

1 lb hot dogs
1/2 c. rice flour
2/3 c. corn meal
1/4 c. tapioca starch
1/4 c. potato starch
2 T. sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground mustard
3/4 c. rice milk
2 T. oil
Extra rice flour
Oil for frying

Whisk dry ingredients together, add remaining wet ingredients. Cut hot dogs in half and lightly roll in extra rice flour. If cornmeal mixture is too thick, add small amounts of rice milk until you reach a good consistency. Heat oil, roll hotdogs in cornmeal batter and then slide into hot oil, fry 2-3 minutes on each side until a nice brown coating is on both sides. Strain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt, allow to cool and enjoy!

Gluten Free Biscuits with Sausage & Gravy

2009-02-28T16:29:00.000-08:00

Buttermilk Breakfast Biscuits with Breakfast Sausage & Gravy

** Biscuits **
1/2 c. potato starch
3/4 c. cornstarch
1 3/4 tsp. xantham gum
1 T. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. sugar
1/3 c butter (or 1/4 c. canola oil)
3/4 c. buttermilk (or 2 T less rice milk and 1 T. fresh lemon juice)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add dry ingredients to bowl, excluding xantham gum. If you add this now it will make the biscuits more gummy textured. Whisk to mix dry ingredients. Add fat (butter or oil) as well as milk, whisk together thoroughly. Finally, mix in the xantham until it combines. Don't overmix. Scoop dough into sprayed muffin cups or non-stick pan. Makes about 4-6 depending on size of muffin pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until biscuits are golden. Use a spoon to lift out the muffins and cool on wire rack. These are very gooey in the center while hot, but you can toss them in either a cinnamon sugar mixture or powdered sugar to get something similar to a beignet or donut. If you let these cool completely you will have biscuits just like the ones containing wheat.

** Breakfast Sausage with Gravy **

SAUSAGE
1 lb ground pork, chicken, turkey or beef
1 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dried savory
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

GRAVY
1 1/4 c. gluten free broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp ground sage
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp poultry seasonings
Thickener of your choice:
2 T. cornstarch, 4 T. rice flour or 6 T tapioca starch
1/2 c. rice milk or gluten free broth

Blend all ingredients together in large mixing bowl using your hands or spatula. Preheat skillet, add olive or canola oil if using low fat meats. Cook until it crumbles and is no longer pink. If there is a good amount of grease, soak up with paper towel. Add 1 1/4 c broth, seasonings and turn head to med-high. In a small bowl, mix rice milk (or broth) with your choice of thickener making a thin paste. Pour thickener into meat/broth mixture and whisk gently until mixture comes to a boil. Adjust consistency by adding more thickener or broth. Serve warm over biscuits.

Ginger Plowman Quote

2009-02-28T07:23:00.000-08:00

If someone gives us the answer, we become dependent on them to solve future problems for us. But if we are required to figure out the problem on our own, we are better equipped to figure out other problems , drawing from the personal knowledge gained to apply what we have learned to other problems as well.