Update:


In case you haven't noticed, there is an additional child in our family photo. I would like you all to meet the newest member of our family. She is the pretty little 7 year old in the purple dress. "Eloise" now has a little sister. We have decided to call her, "Amelia Bedelia".

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Am I Strange?


I think that I must thrive on being busy. I don't like busy work, but if I am enjoying the plethora of things that I am attempting to do, then I am content. This is what the rest of my week looks like:
  • Teach Eloise all week
  • Teach a Bible Study on Wed & Thurs
  • Church Wed evening
  • Help build a community playground on Thursday
  • Host my neice's birthday party on Friday evening
  • Work the voting polls all day Saturday
  • Head for our much needed vacation on Sunday.
  • OH YEAH....I MIGHT WANT TO FIND TIME TO PACK BEFORE WE LEAVE.
  • It is finished...
  • AMEN!
Did I mention that this makes me happy?
LOL


***Don't forget my other blog***

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Love Is Blind...

     I am very pleased with the path that we have recently chosen. There have been plenty of adjustments made concerning Eloise's home schooling, but that is the nature of teaching. All things cosidered, This first week has gone quite well. Eloise is able to take her time and enjoy what she is learning. I am also enjoying the flexibility in scheduling. I am able to do all the things I used to do, plus spend a lot of quality time with my daughter, and teach 2 Women's Bible studies each week without being overly stressed..... I know...I know.... It's only been a week, but let me enjoy the honeymoon while it lasts!

     If you want to see pics of Eloise's Birthday you'll have to go to her blog http://www.paperparade.blogspot.com/.
Also, don't forget to check out our latest project on our homeschool blog http://www.ecoledefamille.blogspot.com/ .
When you get to Ecole de Famille, you will see a link to my new 4-H blog. This will be an information site for any of the boys and girls who join my 4-H at Home Club.
I placed the links within this post for your convenience, but you can always access these sites via the links on my side bar. You'll have to scroll down past all of my yummy kitchen creations on the right.

     I pray that all is well with everyone. Please feel free to comment on any of our blogs.

Love & Prayers,



Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Shh!!! My Taste Buds Don't Know....

 In case you haven't noticed, I love to cook. I read recipe books like most people read novels. Being a Chinese/Redneck who is often mistaken for a Mexican, who was transplanted from California to New Orleans, I can truly say that my taste buds are eclectic. I thrive on variety. Fortunately, I am learning a few tricks about being a frugal gourmet chef. One of my latest finds is the clearance rack at Wal-Marts bakery. I scooped up on this loaf of sourdough bread. It looked so pitiful with it's big clearance tag, but I looked beyond the $1.50 price tag. I didn't tell my taste buds what I was planning, but I will let you in on my secret.

 Grilled Sourdough burgers topped with Gouda. We also had fresh figs(picked from our tree)



 The above is a picture of a skillet breakfast I made recently. I fried onions, bell peppers, bacon, and potatoes. When the potatoes were tender, I made 5 wells and cracked a whole egg into each well. I covered them till the eggs were set. I sprinkled cheese over the top and served. My family enjoyed it, but we all agreed that next time I should try smoked sausage instead of crumbled bacon. The greatest part about this dish is the fact that the clean-up is so easy, because it's all cooked in the same skillet.


 I baked this Large cake with fresh strawberries in between the layers for less than $10.
A smaller version of a similar cake is sold at a local bakery for $35.
At this rate, my taste buds will never find out that I'm on a budget!


This(above) is another cheap quick meal. Whenever I have a small amount of pork roast left over from a previous meal, I can shred it and add a little BBQ sauce. Then all I have to do is scrub and pierce the potatoes all over. After I place the potatoes on a plate, I sprinkle with Kosher salt and microwave for about 7 min. or till tender. When the potatoes are finished, they are ready to stuff with pork and whatever else the family likes.

I hope this post has inspired all of you to get creative and thrifty.

Don't forget to check out our Homeschooling blog. The link is on my side bar.



Love & Prayers,
~Me~