Two Months?!

It’s hard to believe how small Hana Kate’s newborn diapers and clothes look already! It seems like Hana Kate is smiling so much more, and she laughed for the first time on Saturday night. (Previously, she would get so excited, try to laugh, but could only manage to get it out as a cough. [...]

Special Visitor

This week Hana Kate and I were able to visit with Elvira for a short while. Elvira moved away from our neighborhood earlier last year, but still lives nearby. God has grown our friendship, but her recent circumstances have kept us from getting together more often and from attending church. We’d certainly appreciate [...]

Saturday’s $20 Menu: Chicken Casserole

Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:
8 oz. egg noodles (3/4 typical bag)
1-2 cups shredded (cooked) chicken
1 can cream of mushroom soup
shredded cheese

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Spread cooked egg noodles in casserole dish. Mix chicken and cream of mushroom soup first, then spread over noodles. Add thick layer of shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

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See here for [...]

Friday’s $20 Menu: Market Fresh Sandwiches

 Market Fresh Chicken Sandwich
Who says a sandwich needs to be boring?
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The insides of this sandwich include:
Cheese
Spinach
Shredded Chicken
Tomato
Mustard
Mayo
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 I love to spread butter on the outside, sprinkle with seasoning salt and cheese, and broil both sides 1 – 2 minutes each.

See here for the rest of the week’s menu plan.

Dangerously Delicious Cookies

This is what happens to dangerously delicious cookies

My friend Amy brought us some dangerously delicious cookies after Hana Kate was born. I was SO glad when she posted the recipe on her blog, which also includes some other great recipes. (Hers looked a little nicer than my picture below, though.) Since [...]

On Frugality, Idolatry, and Stewardship

Frugality. Spend any time at all in the blogosphere (particularly in the female arena), and you’ll soon realize that it’s quite the hot topic these days. After all, there are whole, entire websites and blogs devoted to the art of being frugal.* Generally speaking, the term resides soley within the sphere [...]

Wednesday’s $20 Menu: Taco Salad

Taco Salad
Ingredients:
Tortilla Chips
1/2 lb. ground meat
Taco Seasoning
Salsa or Diced Tomatoes
Corn
Salad Greens (we used spinach in our case)
Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream
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Cover bottom layer of plate with tortilla chips. Prepare ground meat with taco seasoning and add to plate, along with salsa/tomatoes and corn. Cover with cheddar cheese. Turn oven on broil, and place plates under [...]

Hana Kate’s Been Cubed!

Her photos have, that is.

Today Hana Kate and I made a photo cube for Daniel to put on his desk at work. Well, actually, she just let me take her picture. You can make your own by going to Tabblo’s website and uploading your pictures. You’ll have to supply your [...]

Organizing Small Things: Earrings and Cuff Links

A friend recently loaned me The Art of Homemaking, by Daryl V. Hoole. (You can read my friend’s review of the book here.) I’ve enjoyed reading her (yes, Daryl is a woman) practical suggestions on homemaking and organization, and came across a tip I’ve now put to use.
I’ve recently been working on decluttering our [...]

Tuesday’s $20 Menu: Chicken, Rice and Mashed Potatoes

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Chicken and Rice
Mashed Potatoes

(I originally said Tuesday’s menu would be chicken and potatoes, but as the author of this menu and in an effort to stretch that chicken, I’m adding a bit of rice to the mix.)
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Ingredients:
Whole Chicken
4 red potatoes
1 cup rice
seasonings
milk/water
(flour for gravy)
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Rinse chicken. Place in crockpot with desired seasonings and potatoes [...]