With some books you just know you're going to love them...

Last week, I wrote that America's Test Kitchen's Healthy Family Cookbook had arrived.  I was so excited to start trying recipes.  It was very interesting to peruse through it.  One of my favorite cookbooks is America's Test Kitchen's Family Cookbook (minus the healthy title).  I've had it for three or four years and have a bunch of favorite recipes in it.  Basically, that cookbook is an updated, modern version of Betty Crocker or the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook.  There's more flavor and spice in America's Test Kitchen's recipes than in the two I just mentioned.  When I heard the Healthy Family version was coming out, I was very curious.  We strive to eat healthy foods, but we have our share of foods that we love that aren't so good for us, too.  Overall, though, I think we try to eat healthy foods.  I also am always on the look out for good low fat recipes because they inspire me to cook and eat better.

When I first opened this cookbook, I noticed that a few sections are different than the regular family cookbook such as stir-fries and curries and kid pleasing foods.  Though I haven't tried any of the stir fry sauce recipes yet, I am looking forward to it!

For the most part, the recipes in this cookbook are different than in the original cookbook, though a few have only minor changes.  It is a different cookbook.  I was most curious about the baking recipes.  I tried the brownie recipe and was wowed by it!  Last night, I made the oatmeal raisin cookies and when my neighbor tried them, her eyes widened.  She loved them and so did I!  I made the Butternut squash soup this week--which was very good though it didn't need the extra vegetable broth added to it.  I made several other recipes along the way including the strawberry banana smoothie and all have turned out well.  I also made the Chinese chicken salad.  I was so surprised at how they made it lowfat!  I still added 2 Tbsp of sugar because I do like it just a tad sweet, but that's a far cry from the 1/2 cup sugar in my original recipe that I've been making for 10 years.  With one recipe I did skip a couple of their steps because it simply wasn't practical for me and the recipe still did turn out okay.  But, in general, you do need to follow the recipe's directions in these two cookbooks.  They often add different quirky and unexpected steps in that make the recipes come out better work.

One big difference that I noticed in this cookbook was that the recipes are either designated Fast or they have no time identifier.  In the original cookbook, there was a prep time identified which I usually found inaccurate for me (and I am a quick cook).  So, I suppose it's probably wiser to omit the prep time estimation altogether.

I liked the philosophy that this cookbook had about food.  It was moderate, middle of the road and wasn't extreme.  I typically do choose lowfat over nonfat products.  When products go the way of nonfat, many artificial ingredients are added in.  The other bits of advice scattered throughout this cookbook about cooking equipment and ingredients is all very helpful.

I highly recommend this cookbook.  But, I have one last piece of advice.  What I did with my original cookbook is get a separate binder and take my favorite recipes and put them inside sheet protectors.  I will likely do the same with my favorite recipes from this one.  It is a large binder with thin, magazine thickness pages.  It is durable enough for looking through once in a while, but if you use it constantly, the pages just won't hold up.

If you're looking for one family cookbook, I'd recommend this one first--simply because the recipes are healthier.  But, the original family cookbook is wonderful as well.  They compliment each other!

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Boston Common Press.

Being Patient For Wishes

On Thursday night, the women in the church had their monthly meeting.  Recently, I was on the phone with the gal who was the host and she happened to mention her high chair.  I asked her if she would like mine.  Eli had grown to big for it.  She replied that she would indeed like to have it--that it was an answer to a desire in her heart that she hadn't even been praying for recently.  It was a huge blessing to me--to get to pass on something that had in turn originally been a blessing to me.  I had found the high chair at a garage sale in the two weeks before Eli was born.  I realized I needed one and God had graciously provided one--for $10 at a garage sale.  It was a $70 or $80 high chair.  I took it home and cleaned it up and it looked awesome--it was a diamond in the rough.  It always brings me joy when I get the chance to share something with someone else that had been a blessing to me.

Often I can't find anyone who wants the things that are precious to me--that are symbolic to me of God's provision for my family.  I've taken to simply donating them to the local thrift store--which happens to be a favorite spot of one of my friends.  I know that people find treasures there and the funds from that shop bless American Veterans.  But, there's something about getting to simply give something--without any funds changing hands.

After the meeting, I called the gal to let her know what a blessing it was to get to see her home.  I love getting to see family's personalities reflected in their homes.  You get to know someone when you see their home.  We talked a bit about the high chair and I shared with her about what a blessing it was to give it to her.  She shared how she had wanted one a long time ago, but hadn't asked and it just didn't seem to be the right time.  She made a wise comment that I want to remember.

She said--that sometimes there is patience required on the part of the receiver as much as it is required on the part of the giver.  There is effort and waiting involved--holding onto the item and looking for the right home for it.    It isn't a holding on for the sake of hoarding and not letting go.  It is like flying in a holding pattern and waiting to land.

This morning my garage saling partner and I set out with the kids.  When I realized that we weren't going to do anymore shopping this fall, I was a little concerned but we decided to set out one more week.  What a blessing it was!

I have wanted a digital camera for the kids to play with for several years.  I just thought they'd have fun with it.  But, they ranged in price from $35-$60.  My husband didn't think it would be wise and so we never decided to get one for them.  This morning I found one for $1.  It needed to be cleaned up, needed new batteries and didn't have a USB cable.  So, I knew I was taking a chance.  I brought it home, replaced the batteries and tried out the cords I had.  Guess what?  One of them works!

The camera is the Little Tikes pink camera that retails for $35.  It doesn't take the greatest pictures--but the kids are having a great time with it and are excited to have it.  I'm thankful I waited.  I'm thankful I didn't buy one when I'd wanted one for the kids before.  I'm thankful I was patient.  But, most of all, I'm thankful for how God blessed us with a little camera for the kids to play with.

I'm going to try and keep in mind more often what my friend said about patience--both in receiving and giving.

Spaghettios

Growing up, we didn't eat a lot of processed foods, but two that my mom did get were Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and Spaghettios.  We didn't eat them very often, but I remember them and I remember liking them a lot. I had to find a substitute for Kraft's Mac and Cheese since it has artificial colors and such.  So, we've gone with Annie's--it's pretty affordable at Trader Joe's (their version) and at BJ's.  Spaghettios has been a little different.  It has high fructose corn syrup--one of the other things that I try to avoid.

So, my solution has been tomato soup from Trader Joe's with alphabet letter noodles.  Shoprite and Giant both carry the noodles in their store brand.  I smile knowing that this is one of my kids favorites.

My memories from when I was a kid seem to give me comfort, a sense of security, and a sense of history when I can't go see the places anymore and when it is long spans of people between when I get to see my family.  And as silly as it might seem, the foods from my childhood remind me of the things I liked and enjoyed when I was a kid.  They make me smile.  And it makes me smile to get to share these things, and new ones, with my kids.  We're making our own traditions.  I hope some day that they will share these things with their children--the things they loved as children.

Truly Great Lowfat Homemade Brownies

This week America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook arrived in the mail.  I was so excited to start cooking with it!  This week I'll post a review of it and explain how it's different from the Family Cookbook--which honestly I wouldn't trade it for.  They're different from each other and have different recipes.

Anyways, tonight I made the Butternut Squash Soup which, though flavorful needed less broth.  I would have left the vegetable broth out completely.  The soup was pretty runny.  And I would have roasted the vegetables for another 10 minutes.  But, even so, it was very good.  I served it with a dollop of lowfat sour cream, tiny alphabet noodles (aimed at the kids) and some pepper.  I served it with wheat bread and butter.

For dessert, I made these brownies with one alteration...
http://reinsrecipes.blogspot.com/2007/11/low-fat-fudgy-brownies.html
I don't buy bittersweet or baking chocolate anymore.  I actually haven't for years.  I substitute 3 Tbsp cocoa and 1 Tbsp butter for 1 oz. of baking chocolate.  So, in this recipe I substituted 2 Tbsp melted butter and another 1/3 cup cocoa.  I also added 1/2 cup chocolate chips.  I know that they're not as low fat this way, but they are a great improvement over the brownies I usually make.  The brownies I normally make have 1 1/3 cup sugar, 3 eggs, and 9 Tbsp of butter total (compared to 4 Tbsp in this recipe).  These brownies tasted just as good and surprisingly just as rich!

I'm going to keep trying a few more recipes through the week before I post my review for this cookbook, but so far so good!

;)

Gluten-Free Cookbook

I just got a new cookbook from Amazon for review:  Cooking For Isaiah by Silvana Nardone   It was one of the two that I mentioned the other day.


I think Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free cooking would be hard, though it's becoming easier with the increase of products now available in mainstream super markets. Even General Mills is coming out with Gluten-Free baking mixes. But, for families that want to cook from scratch and not use premade gluten-free products, cooking has a lot of challenges. I was really curious how Silvana Nardone would deal with the struggles of substituting wheat and dairy in this cookbook. 

Rachel Ray wrote the forward for this cookbook, but I've found that her recipes often use expensive ingredients and are more time intensive then they sound. Honestly, I haven't liked her cookbooks or recipes.  So, I wasn't sure how this cookbook would be. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Silvia Nardone did just what I hoped she would--she developed a gluten-free flour that can be made into a pancake mix and used in a variety of other ways. She generally uses normal ingredients outside of the flour ingredients themselves. To make this mix more affordably, you can grind your own rice flour using a Nutrimill (though I'd suggest you call the manufacturer for tips on how much at a time to grind because I had a friend who was helped by doing this). It won't grind the other ingredients, but you can get them in bulk at some Whole Foods or at Amish Markets (which would likely be the cheapest option). But, if you're not in a big city, Bob's Red Mill products are carried by many main stream grocery stores now.  Usually, people use spelt as a substitute, but you're still stuck needing good recipes using that substitution.

I was a bit surprised with her choice to use vegetable shortening for baking as a substitute for butter. But, I realized that while Ms. Nardone is taking out the wheat and dairy, she wasn't taking out the partially hydrogenated fats or high fructose corn syrup. I did a little research though and the verdict (at least on the internet) is that fully hydrogenated shortening is okay--it has no trans fats and Crisco makes a shortening that fits this bill. She also uses Marshmallow Fluff and Light Corn Syrup in a few recipes. 

The other substitution she makes is rice milk--which I think is a great choice. It tastes far better than the others and it's least expensive of dairy alternatives if you get it at Trader Joe's. I used to have to drink it because I was lactose intolerant for 2 or 3 years in my 20s.  I'm trying not to give too much away, but I don't think I am, because it is her recipes, experiences, and stories that make this cookbook what it is as much as her flour substitution recipe. 

As for the recipes, they'd be great for adults. Many of the recipes are far simpler to make and in flavor than the names would make you think--which is a good thing. It would be very easy to modify the recipes and make them little kid friendly by taking out a few of the spices or decreasing them. The main dishes are much more to the tastes of adults than children--but I think that is one of the easier meals to modify--baking and breakfast are far trickier. Her recipes don't use non-dairy cheses, which are expensive and taste different. 

I think this would be a great cookbook to try--even if the main dishes aren't to the taste of you or your family. Her ideas and flour recipe are worth the cookbook.  I haven't made any of the recipes yet, but I'm going to make the butternut casserole tonight and I'll post tomorrow how it turns out!  It's a good one to check out from the library first--to see how you like it.  If you do, would you please comment and let me know how you like it?

She does have a website that looked great:  www.dishtoweldiaries.com  And on her site she lists her favorite gluten free websites.  So, I think if we had to go towards a gluten free diet--I would definitely start there =)

Televisions

My brother often tells me that everything is going to eventually progress to online shopping.  I have a hard time believing that after this past weekend.  After a month of wrangling with Sharp, we finally were able to return our broken tv to Costco (11 months after purchase) for a refund.  We didn't find what we were looking for at Costco.  Although I love Costco, one of the hardest things is that there aren't sales people with detailed knowledge of their products.  Such was the case for us on Friday when we really needed some helpful advice about picking out a new television to replace the broken one.  So, we headed over to Best Buy.  God was very gracious to us and we ended up with a young man who wasn't intent on selling us an LED tv.  He explained the differences to us between Plasma, LCD, and LED.

Plasma was the first to come out.  It has a glass front so it can get glares from lights or reflections from the light from windows.  But, it has the best colors of the three.  Panasonic and Samsung are the two primary makers of plasma televisions.  Panasonic's technology actually came from Pioneer, I believe the salesperson said.  There used to be huge concerns about leaving the television on because it would burn the image into the screen.  Our salesperson said the technology has improved so that you don't have to be as concerned about this as one used to.  The frames are 600Hz as opposed to the much lower Hz available in LCD and LED at the same price.

LCD (which is what we used to have) is good technology and came out after plasma televisions.  Samsungs and Sonys are the highest thought of brands with LG often being one of the top ones as well.  You want 120 Hz if you have a BluRay player because of the speed of the frames.  The 60 Hz won't show the picture to the fullest capability of the BluRay player.

LED televisions are the newest technology.  They use the least amount of energy and are the flattest screens of the bunch.  It was an amazing picture.   With the LCD and LED televisions, you do not get the glare that you can get with Plasma televisions.  Again you do want a 120 Hz or more if you have a BluRay player.

I am not technologically savvy enough to explain the difference between LCD and LED televisions.  I can say though that we ended up buying a Plasma.  For the same size screen, plasmas are significantly less than LCD and LED.  The biggest downside I see for the Plasma is the glare from the glass.  But, we don't watch a lot of television.  We primarily like to use it for movies at night, so it works great for that!

I was very thankful for all the help our salesperson gave us and that he didn't try to pressure us.  I am thankful I was able to walk into a store that had a helpful sales person and get the answers I needed to the questions we had.

Our second experience was at Guitar Center in Towson, MD.  Musician's Friend is an online music store that has been around a long time.  But, Guitar Center is a chain that continues to stay in business.  I learned on Saturday why.  My husband needed to purchase an acoustic electric guitar for church.  We've been looking around and it finally seemed the right time to do it.  The thing about guitars is that they all play a little differently and it isn't something that can easily be bought online--you have no idea how the strings and guitar will feel in your hands.  A review by someone else can't tell you that.  We had a great experience at the store and we found a used guitar that someone had just decided they didn't want to purchase.  I am so thankful for it!  I am also thankful that the shopping is done!

So, I'm still of the mind that I like being able to shop in stores and don't have to do it all online.  And--I am very thankful for good customer service.  It will very often persuade me to make my purchase at one store over another.

Two New Cookbooks

I am very excited.  Two cookbooks are on their way that I will soon get to review.  One I requested because I have many friends with gluten or dairy allergies.  We do not have these allergies in our family, but I think that my body does not tolerate it well if I eat too much dairy.  I am hopeful that this might be a good one, or at least that it will have some good ideas.

The second cookbook, I'm especially excited about.  One of my favorite cookbooks is America's Test Kitchen's Family Cookbook.  Basically, it's a modernized Betty Crocker cookbook.  The basics are updated with more flavor and spice.  America's Test Kitchen is publishing a new Healthy Family Cookbook this month.  I am looking forward especially to see what they do in the baking recipes.  So often the substitutions people do are expensive or use artificial ingredients.

It's gonna be alright...

Last night, God was so gracious to me.  I had a horrible day yesterday.  I was cranky and so frustrated with life. I needed perspective and encouragement.  And even as I struggled with God, he was loving to me.

When I say that I homeschool, people say many things.  One is that they could never do that.  Another is how lucky I am to stay home.  Sometimes people aren't sure what to say.  Homeschooling is a wonderful thing, but it's like being a full time stay at home mom (which is a full time job) and then being a full time school teacher on top of it.  So, it's a bit like doing two jobs many days.  I do love that I get time with my kids and that I get to see them learn.  But, there are many struggles amidst the joys.

This year I was so overwhelmed that I pulled out of the homeschool co-op group I was in last year.  But, then yesterday, I realized that I needed them.  I need my friends.  As much as my kids need social interaction, I needed the other moms--even if I'm only able to keep track of people and dialogue online.  I need to know that I'm not alone.  I need to hear about the struggles of other moms to help me put my own struggles in perspective.

As I was driving last night to get together with my friends, I heard these songs..
For several years, Sara Groves music has been a blessing to me.  Her songs express such an honesty.

This first song was me yesterday--fighting my private wars in my own heart.  The video isn't of Sara Groves singing, but the gal who sings does well, I think.



When I am in the midst of struggles, I find myself feeling these words from
the lyrics from The Long Defeat by Sara Groves...

I pray for an idea 
and a way I cannot see 
It's too heavy to carry 
and impossible to leave 

We walk a while we sit and rest 
we lay it on the altar 
I won't pretend to know what's next 
but what I have I've offered 

I pray for a vision 
and a way I cannot see 
It's too heavy to carry 
and impossible to leave 

I met with my friends and it was just good to be with them.  To talk and know I'm not alone.  It gave me perspective on my struggles without me saying a word about all of them.  And then on the way home, I heard this song...





And then finally, I was ready to remember that I want to be one of the saints marching home.  





dear friends, if you are struggling today please know that my heart and prayers are with you.  We are walking through these struggles together.  We are not alone.  I was reminded of that last night and I am so thankful that God blessed me with fellowship and friends in the heart of my weakness and cries.  I didn't deserve it.  At all.

Preferences

My children get some choices but not as many as a lot of children probably.  I don't remember what it was like when I was a kid except that I didn't have many clothes.  The kids in my classes made comments--and those I do remember.  It was hard.  So, the summer after 6th grade when I started working, I started buying my own clothes.  I didn't have a lot of taste though and had no idea what was in style, but I tried.  I had Guess, Bongo, and Esprit clothes like everyone else--except that I bought them on clearance and at outlets.  My husband has a memory of being given a pair of shoes as a child that he had to wear and which he hated.  It made an impression on him.  Now, he wants to wear what he wants to.  Surprisingly, he will let me shop for him.  I bring home clothes, he tries them on, and I return the ones he doesn't like.  Sometimes that means that I return everything and sometimes I return only one or two things from a group of five items.  Today I get to return one of three packages of socks =) to Marshalls.

Based on my own childhood experiences with clothes and my husband's, I've thought about when and what clothing choices I should give my kids.  A couple of months ago, I donated a bunch of the girls clothes that they weren't wearing.  A month ago, Autumn mourned the loss of one of the dresses because now she wants to wear it.  It frustrated me, but at the same time I knew that the point of donating the clothes was to help her learn to be thankful for what she has.  My kids get to choose what they wear each day from their clothes (given a parameter like shorts and a shirt).

But, when it comes to choosing what clothes we purchase, my kids get to choose between two shirts, but they've never gotten to simply go into a store and pick out clothes that they'd like to buy.  I can't afford to give them that choice.  So, there is a balance that I have to find.  When I am able to give them a choice between two things, I do--like which color they'd like for their winter coat.

This is an example of how it plays out when we go shopping...
I needed new shoes for Eli for the wedding and new sandals for Sami for the last month of summer since hers were torn and stunk! =(  We headed to Payless for their BoGo 1/2 off with an extra 20% coupon.  I tried to get Eli to try on a pair of dress shoes.  He refused.  I held out another and he refused again.  I found a nice pair of tennis shoes with colors that matched his outfit for the wedding and he lit up.  I was concerned because the price tag said $16.99.  He tried them on and they fit.  I had my own concerns about the heels on the dress shoes and how much Eli runs around, so the nice tennis shoes made sense to me.  I thought I would only buy one pair of ballet shoes and use one pair of our old ones for the fall for the girls since they cost about the same as the price tag for the tennis shoes.  Then, I set to looking for a pair of sandals for Sami.  I couldn't find anything less than $10.99.  Finally, my eyes landed on a pair that were $7.99!  I pulled them out and showed them to Sami.  She loved them--yay!  Then, I went to look for the box for Eli's shoes and discovered that there was a tag that said they were $9.99!  I was thrilled.  I could buy 2 pairs of ballet shoes and the others.  After the 20% off and bogo, Sami's sandals ended up being $3.20, Eli's $8.00 and the ballet shoes averaged $12.  I was very thankful!  I have come to feel that it is not really me that helps me find the right shoes for my kids, but it is God's hand.  I seek to be a good steward and stretch what the finances he has given us, but at the very same time I have seen him provide choices that we're able to afford.  I came home very thankful!  Sami is very happy and doesn't feel like she didn't have a choice.  And Eli loves his shoes too and I feel good about them too.

Spaghetti Sauce my whole family loved!

Last night, I was doing my usual--getting ready for dinner with less time than I needed.  Pasta and sauce were on the menu.  I've been searching for a good tomato basil sauce for a long time and last night's turned out to be a hit with my family.  I started with a recipe from a cookbook, but I altered it so much that it didn't end up at all like what I made, so I feel comfortable posting this recipe as my own.  So, here it is:

1/2 cup olive oil
15 fresh bail leaves
1- 28 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
2- 8 oz cans of tomato sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp sugar

Microwave the olive oil in a pyrex dish for 1 minute (1 1/2 minutes if you have a mini microwave like mine).  Add the basil leaves and microwave for 15-30 seconds.

Dump in blender with tomatoes and tomato sauce and garlic.  If you have a Vitamix, I turned mine to 7 for about 1 or 2 minutes.  I would do the same with a regular blender on the low setting.  Not all of the tomato sauce may fit in a regular blender, so if it doesn't just add it after you've blended when you pour the blended mixture into a saucepan.

Pour the blended mixture into the saucepan and add everything else.  Cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes to help it thicken a little.  Add more pepper or salt to taste.  If you don't like things salty, start with only 1/4 tsp instead of 1/3 tsp.

Serve!

My kids all ate it up--even Sami who wanted 3rds!!  My husband who is the pickiest person about pasta sauces in our family since he's the most Italian one gave it a big thumbs up.

And I'm happy that my family was happy with my cooking =)
 

Books That Save Us Money

If you only have a few cookbooks, you choose them wisely.  At least that's what I've noticed from my friends who have about 5-10 cookbooks.  My mother in law has about 10 and she uses every one of them regularly.  I'm one of those funny people that loves cookbooks, so I pick them up at book sales for 50 cents and garage sales for a quarter.  I'll try a few recipes and if they're good then I'll keep the cookbook.  If my family doesn't like them, I donate the cookbook and pass it on.  There are a handful of cookbooks, though, that I love and recommend hands down!  

One of them is a little book that I found in a used bookstore in Durango, Colorado, 14 years ago.  It was titled Substituting Ingredients: An A to Z Kitchen Reference by Becky Sue Epstein and Hilary Dole Klein.  I've used it a lot over the years.  Particularly, the substitutions for unsweetened chocolate (1 sq = 3 Tbsp. cocoa plus 1 Tbsp butter) and for milk and cream.  When I need to know how much lemon juice to substitute for a medium lemon, I open up this book (since the bottle doesn't say anymore!).  Over the years, I've added other substitutions that I've found in magazines to my old copy of this book.  The cover is falling off and needs a new layer of packing tape.  It has been well used and loved.

I ran across this book on Amazon a few weeks ago and discovered that an updated edition was published in June of this year.  I just received a copy of it today!  So, I pulled my old copy out and sat for an hour with them comparing them.  The biggest question I pondered as a book buyer is:  is it worth it to buy a new updated edition or should I save money and buy the older edition for $5 less?  In the case of this book, my recommendation is "yes."  

There were some minor complaints I had with the old edition.  Often spices were listed as substitutions, but not with an amount.  There also wasn't much explanation on substituting different types of ingredients.  But, I still loved the little book because I had never seen anything else like it.

My complaints with old edition have been fixed!  There is a lot more information, but don't be deceived by the number of pages.  It may have 191 pages, but it is a small book.  The font, though, is easy to read--it isn't too small.  It is a black and white cookbook with the font bolded and italicized in ways that make it very easy to see the information you want quickly--which is important in a pinch!  Many herb substitutions now have amount equivalencies which will be very helpful.  The old information that I found worked is still there, but a few have been deleted.  Single Acting Baking Powder was deleted--because it essentially isn't sold anymore.  The baking powder you buy in the store is double-acting.  But, products that aren't used as much as they were in the past like self-rising flour are still included.  There is also now a quick reference list at the back that you could put a post-it tab on and turn to quickly when you need to pull it out.  

Do these substitutions work?  Yes, I know they do because I've used them before.  Epstein has added a few new ones, but I have no doubt that they will work because the old ones did and her new ones agree with what I've tried on my own.

Can this book save you money?  Yes.  One of the first substitutions that saved me money (besides not having to buy any more squares of expensive baking chocolate) was for tomato paste.  So many recipes call for 1 Tbsp of tomato paste.  What do you do with the rest of the can that you just opened?  There is a substitution in this cookbook that I've used for years, but I won't ruin it by giving away all the books secrets.  It is nice not to waste a whole can of paste anymore!

Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from Sourcebooks.

Shopping for Cars

A few months ago, a facebook friend posted that she and her husband were looking for a new car and hoping that they didn't kill each other in the process.  I thought her comment was quite appropriate.  Buying a new car--whether new or used is stressful.

Last week, our car began to have multiple issues.  We had the choice to try and fix everything or trade it in.  We opted to trade it in and get a new/used car.  But, big purchases always scare me.  I get nervous about taking on debt.  I've shared on this blog how much debt we had 3 years ago and how much we had to take on when we got water in our basement.  This past week we tried to take a vacation.  Sadly, so many things went wrong!  We tried to go to Williamsburg for 4 nights/5 days.  On the way down, we got a star crack in our windshield--it even took a small chunk out.  Then we got lost in Richmond and found ourselves in unbearable heat for our kids.  When we finally made it to the hotel, we had to switch rooms twice.  The kids wouldn't sleep and then Sami threw up in the night without realizing it.  We decided to cut it short and simply come home.  A mile from home the back tail light cover fell off the driver's side and when we stopped we realized our car was making a strange high pitched noise.

God was gracious.  We made it home in one piece.  The other two didn't get sick and I am thankful for that.  We realized that we needed to replace my car sooner than we had hoped.  We were trying to wait until February and our tax return.  So began the search.

Minivan or SUV?

Mileage? How high is too high?

Cost?  What's our range?  What can we afford?  5 or 6 year loan?

Bank or dealer financing?

New or Used?

In the end, I test drove a Cadillac SRX, a Toyota Sienna, and a Toyota Highlander.  I had a certain number in my head that felt right for the size of our loan.  It scared me, but it didn't feel overwhelming.  It scared me because I simply hate loans and debt.  But, I was trusting that God would help us find the right car.  One tricky thing for my husband and I is that I'm the shop around kind of person and he's the let's find it now kind of person.  God has been so merciful to us in our purchases and in giving me peace and helping me to trust Him.

On Thursday, I felt the Sienna was the wise car for us to purchase.  A friend on facebook shared with me about how SUV doors are heavier and so it's harder for little kids to push them and keep them from banging into other cars.  But, my husband didn't have peace, so we went home.  I took care of dinner and getting the kids to bed.  I crawled onto the bed and read Choosing to SEE while my husband surfed the internet downstairs.  After a while he called me downstairs and asked me what I really wanted in a car.  I had realized that I wanted a car that would make my life easier not harder.  Then, my husband said he thought we should get the minivan.  I was very glad for that.

We went in the next morning and bought the car.  God was gracious.  It is just what we wanted without the extra bells and whistles that we didn't want.  It does make my life easier amidst all that life has going on to deal with!

I am thankful for how God works in the big things and the little things to work everything out!

Saving Money

This weekend I went to the Basic Rider Course to learn how to ride a motorcycle.  I sat at the "girls table".  There were 4 of us.  The gal who sat next to me was single and in her late 40s.  The gal across from her was married and about the same age.  At one point, I mentioned my blogs and reading a lot of books.  I mentioned that I write posts about saving money.  The gal next to me looked at me like I had two horns on my head and a big red nose.  She said to me, "What's there to say about saving money?  You just pay yourself first."  She essentially meant that before you spend anything, you should make sure you save some money and set it aside.  She was a bit more hard core about it, I think than the way I've phrased it, though.

When I was a teenager, a friend of my dad's gave me similar advice.  "First, give 10% to God.  Then, give to yourself and save 10%".  Though my dad wasn't a Christian, his friend was.  I always thought his advice was good advice.

I don't think the gal I spoke with on Saturday was a Christian.  I say that because of the general gist of our conversations and when I asked her if she went to a particular church--she simply said no.  She didn't say that she went to another one instead.  Her priorities with her finances were different from mine as they also were different in her whole life which was reflected to me in many things she said.  I want to share some vagaries about her life.  She is a single mom who was married for over 10 years.  She has several children.  I asked at one point if she had ever stayed home with her kids while she was married or if she had always worked.  She responded with a quick "I've always worked" in a tone that said "of course".  I responded by saying that I post about little ways I find to save money since I stay home and homeschool while my husband works.  So, we're a single income family.

There are many ways for families to approach money and finances.  One way is for both parents to work so that you have enough money to purchase whatever you want and need.  Another way is for parents to choose to live more frugally on one income so that one parent can stay home with their children--whether for homeschooling or to take care of their children and get them where they need to go.  I appreciated the book, Miserly Moms, because Jonni McCoy and her husband went from being a 2 income family to 1 so that she could stay home with their kids.  When you choose the second route, sometimes the one income earner does make a lot of money and there isn't a great deal of need to be very frugal.  But, I think that more often than not, living on one income requires all involved to be frugal and fiscally responsible.

I don't think that "saving money" is as simple as giving to yourself and making sure you save.  We all have habits that guide how we live and how we spend every day.  It is those habits and daily choices that we make that determine whether we are really saving money and being good stewards of what our families have.

One of the things I love actually about saving money is the good feeling that I get from it--the satisfaction that comes from the feeling I am honoring my husband's hard work at his job and that I am making the most of what my family has by shopping and using/consuming things wisely.

Quote

I posted a quote on the sidebar by Spurgeon that a friend posted this morning on Facebook.  I thought it was a very good quote relating to finances and being a good steward.  There are many times when I'll see something on sale or want something that costs a little more.  What I'm realizing is that it's better to have just enough and not more than I need.  It's wiser for a lot of reasons, but if I (or my children) have too much, then we do not feel as grateful for what we have.  It is so easy for pride to sneak in and for us to take things for granted that are truly blessings from the Lord--we have not been given these things because God thought we deserved them, but because He wanted to bless us out of love.

Thoughts about Pizza

It's funny, but for many years now, I've thought that the most economical way to feed a family pizza is to order cheese and not opt for the extra toppings.  But, this week, I really wanted pizza that wasn't plain.  So, I ordered one large cheese for the kids and one large that was half chicken and pineapple and half meatball.  Usually, I eat 4 pieces of pizza.  I have realized that I eat a lot--I think it's all the running around after my kids that I do each day.  But, the other night I only ate two pieces!  One chicken and pineapple and the other was cheese.  The piece with chicken and pineapple filled me up.

Here's the conclusion I came to:  maybe I was wrong.  Maybe cheese is the best option for kids--since that's what they love.  But, for adults, it's wiser to get one or two toppings on the pizza--particularly if one is a meat or chicken topping.  It will make the pizza a lot more filling for adults.  I suppose it's not probably healthier to eat two pieces with sausage than 3 pieces with plain cheese.  But, I think two pieces (health and money wise) with chicken is better than 3 pieces with plain cheese.

I know it probably sounds silly that I think about things like this, but I do. =)

Inexpensive eBooks

http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/DirtCheapEBooks/?ref=news_WaterBrook_BookendsNewsletter_July2010

I got an email with the link above today from Waterbrook/Multnomah.  They've listed the books (and the prices) that they're going to sell for cheap prices for the next 6 months.  One of the readers is Amazon Kindle.  You can download a program to read Kindle books from Amazon on your PC for free here:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=sa_menu_karl3?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

Last spring friend asked me about one of the books that's on sale now (Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World).  I haven't read it, but I know friends that have enjoyed that book and Bad Girls of the Bible.

Just thought I'd pass it along... =)

Stoplight Salad Recipe

I talk about Simply In Season alot.  There is a weekly newsletter that you can suscribe to and they will send you one recipe a week.  For some reason, most of the recipes they've sent are not the ones I'd first recommend to try.  But, this week, the recipe is for Stoplight Salad.  We really liked this salad.

The recipe is here:  http://www.worldcommunitycookbook.org/season/recipe.html

It's a great recipe to make and then serve with warm tortillas for a main dish.  We eat a lot of tortillas--it's one of the ways my roots in Southern California have never left me.  But, this is a great salad that's a cool salad for when you don't want to heat up the house.  Warm the tortillas on a cast iron pan on the stove or between a few paper towels in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Put 3 tortillas in the micro at a time probably.

Budgets

Budgets are tricky things to me.  On one hand, they can be stressful to have, but not having one is also stressful.  My husband and I had another conversation about our budget today.  Not necessarily fun, but it was good.  In the end, we cancelled our date and the expensive dinner we had planned out.  It's a little sad, but the right thing to do.

The sentence from Growing Grateful Kids by Susie Larson is ringing in my head.  "Just because we can afford something doesn't mean we should."

Could we have done dinner tonight?  Yes.   But was it the wise choice?  No.

I've been considering putting the girls in gymnastics this year.  I had already settled on only ballet instead of ballet and jazz.  I think that I'm going to tell Sami that we'll do gymnastics next summer.  I know she and Autumn would love it, but it comes back to our budget.  Homeschooling isn't cheap =)  There are ways to save money, but there are always ways to spend it, too!

Making good choices and saying no to ourselves and our kids isn't easy, but it is being good stewards.  I know I'm not the only one to have to make these choices.  And if you're making choices like these, please know that you're not alone--I'm right there with you!

Fruit Crisp Alteration

Simply in Season really is one of my most favorite cookbooks.  After berry picking yesterday, I made an apple/blackberry/blueberry crisp.  At first, I thought the recipe must be mistaken, but it wasn't.  The baking time was cut in half from a typical crisp.  What they did was this:  the recipe used a deep dish pie pan instead of an 8x8 pan.  It was baked at 375 for 30 minutes instead of an hour or a little more for a regular crisp recipe.  This is a great tip for saving energy and for heating the house less on a summer day when all the wonderful summer fruits are in season!

Eating Healthy is Expensive!

It is cheaper to buy chicken nuggets or a hamburger than a sub sandwich.

It is cheaper to get a frozen dinner than the ingredients to make pasta and sauce.

It is cheaper to eat canned vegetables than make a salad.

It is cheaper to buy white sandwich bread than make wheat bread at home.

It is cheaper to eat at Taco Bell than to make tacos at home.

It is cheaper to make Kraft Mac and Cheese than to make macaroni and cheese from scratch.

One big reason I think we eat so many convenience foods is that they are cheaper.  It costs more to cook from scratch--for just about anything.  The one exception I can think of is comparing eating at home to eating at a sit down restaurant.

A few years ago a friend of mine started doing weight watchers.  She was floored by how much she had to adjust their food budget, since both she and her husband were doing it.  The increase in fruits and vegetables that she needed to buy shocked her.  She had been (and still is) a huge coupon shopper.  She saved a lot of money cutting coupons every week.

I was updating our budget this week.  It floors me how much we spend on food every month.  It has doubled in the last 5 years.  We did also add 2 children to our family of 3 five years ago.  Even so, food costs have gone up a lot.

So, is it worth it to budget more for food?  Or should we eat more convenience foods?

I think it's worth it.  I think you can cut back on splurges and spend that money on eating healthier instead.  In the long run, it's so much healthier for you and your family.  And food made from scratch does taste better, I think.  There's so much salt (a ton!!) in prepared foods along with artificial sweeteners and preservatives.  None of which seem very good for us.

I know there are extras in our food budget.  I like to chew gum.  I like to make cookies for us and to share.  We like fish and shellfish (more expensive items).  And my husband just told me that he likes to have sandwiches with deli cold cuts (not the least expensive item).  Knowing those are my splurges, I try to be careful about them.  I clip coupons for gum.  I watch for fish and shellfish to go on sale.  And I go to the deli counter at BJs--which is far cheaper than anywhere else.  I like to get the Kretschmar Honey Ham thinly sliced for $4 a pound.  And sliced American cheese there is only $3.49 a pound (I think it was $6.49/pound the last time I checked at Giant).

I see so many kids overweight today and it worries me.  I think we need to be careful about what we feed our kids and what tastes/penchants we are encouraging in them about food.  In my last post, I wrote about high fructose corn syrup.  It's expensive to get away from it.  It means a lot more cooking from scratch.  And it's often hard.  But, I think it's worth it.  I believe it's worth it.

One of the ways to get more fresh fruits and vegetables is to find affordable farm stands or farmer's markets.  Another is to do pick your own and freeze the fruits of your labor or make jam.  Another is to get good cookbooks with easy recipes that make you want to cook from scratch.  Good cookbooks really can make life easier and help you know how to use more fruits and vegetables in your cooking.  It's a good investment.  Another way is to avoid temptations.  Find a few quick items that don't have all the artificial stuff in them that you can feel good about eating when you need them.  It will stave off the temptation to eat out when you don't feel like cooking.

The final way that's coming to my mind is to have a plan.  This is one that I'm always working on.  I'm organized, but not regimented.  I am continually trying to be good about sticking to my plan and my goals.  It's so easy for me to get mired down in my day to day life that sometimes I forget why I'm doing what I'm doing. And when I forget--it's easier for me to slide.

I hope this entry makes sense.  I'm afraid my mind is beginning to ramble--which is a clue to me that I better scoot and go drink my coffee!