Applesauce Muffins

Yesterday, I made Applesauce Muffins for breakfast.  I've been using a cookbook called The Ultimate Muffin Book by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough.  So far, we've had the carrot, banana, and applesauce muffins and have loved them all.

I altered the recipe quite a bit yesterday so I'm going to write it here =)

Applesauce Muffins

1 lg. egg
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Cream egg and sugar for 3 minutes till mixed well.  Then add:

1 1/4 c. applesauce (preferably unsweetened)
6 tbsp. butter melted
1/4 cup milk

Mix well. Then add:

2 1/4 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour (or 2 cups white flour)--if using store bought wheat flour I'd use 1 cup wheat and 1 cup white since storebought is hard red wheat which is very wheaty =)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp bkg powder
1 tsp. bkg soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix well.

I place the muffin papers in the muffin pan and then spray them with Pam to help them come off easier.

Fill the muffin cups to your liking.  I usually fill them 1/2 to 2/3 full eventhough it's recommended in most recipes to fill them 3/4 full.  I think it's a better size muffin for my kids =)

Topping (I use this on a lot of muffins now):

1/4 cup white sugar

1 Tbsp flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp melted butter

Mix thoroughly and then sprinkle on the muffins

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes.  They may have a few crumbs on the toothpick when you pull them out, so just let them sit for 10 minutes in the pan to finish up cooking.

My girls and Eli gobbled up 3 each (though we're not sure how they all fit in Eli's small tummy!).  So, I think they were a big hit in our house!

Fish and Chips without the Chips =)

Two weeks ago, my husband made some incredible fried chicken.  A couple he met at a wedding showed him how.  He dipped the chicken strips in milk, then flour, then milk again, and then flour again.  The flour was salt and peppered.  Then he fried up the chicken.  It was the best I'd ever had =)


The other day I found a similar recipe in Better Homes and Gardens.  I tried to find it online so I could link to it, but I couldn't.  So, here's the gist of it...


Dip the strips of white fish in 3/4 c. butter milk and 1 egg mixture, then dip in flour (w/whatever seasoning you want or just salt and pepper).  Then REPEAT!  Egg once more and flour again.  Heat oil in deep skillet and fry.  The coating sticks =)  Yahoo!  And it's awesome.   Cook 3-5 minutes on a side.  It's similar to how my husband did chicken two weeks ago.   


I did fry it in the cast iron chicken fryer pan that I bought at a garage sale last week and it was great.  It was like a deep dish skillet.  


Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce (mayonaise, pickle relish, and lemon juice all mixed to taste).


I was a little skeptical of how well it would fry before I did it, but the flour on the outside keeps it from sticking to the skillet or the other pieces.  It was amazing!  I've friend a lot of things over the past 10 years and I've had a horrible time with sticking.  I do suspect the nonstick cast iron skillet chicken fryer pan helped too =)

Different way to fill tacos

In my house growing up, we had tacos once a week for dinner.  Tacos were ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream.  Tacos are also my husband's favorite meal, but in his house, tacos were:  shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, peppers, red or green bell peppers diced, green and red onions, and even olives.

In my house, tacos were either eaten in corn tortillas that my mom had fried or flour tortillas.  In my husband's house, tacos were served in the corn shells that you buy at the store.  My husband just discovered that Trader Joe's is now selling the shells (which is wonderful since Sami will eat them!).

So, we ate them for the first time tonight.  First, I put in the beans and then the other stuff in the taco in layers.  My husband, on the other hand, put all the stuffings on his plate, mixed it up together with his fork and then scooped it into the shell.  Wow!  I'd honestly never seen anyone do this before (it's not the way we eat tacos in LA), but it makes a lot of sense and then you really get to taste everything together!

Interesting explanation

I received notice of a book today available for review.  Although I don't think I'm going to review it, it was very interesting to me what the author had to say about why he writes about crime and evil in the world...
http://stvjames.blogspot.com/2009/11/why-i-write-about-evil.html

Trying the sandal trick

So, I'm trying the sandal trick today.  I'll let you know if it works!  (a few days ago I posted a suggestion that someone gave me in the store about how to shrink leather sandals when they dry out).

Laughing at myself

Sometimes it dawns on me that there are things I do unconsciously to save money.  One of them is that we only buy cheese pizza or we buy pizza with one topping if there's a special.  I think if I absolutely loved pizza, I would want to pay for extra toppings, but the kids love cheese pizza.  So, if we get extra toppings, then it just means that I will have to take them off for the kids =)  I suppose I got used to buying cheese pizza and foregoing the toppings.

But, now that I think about it, my mom never got many toppings for pizza when I was growing up.  She is a very frugal woman.  And as she told me this weekend--frugal to a fault =)  We didn't get pizza very often and when we did it was a big treat.

I wonder if it would be more of a treat for my kids if we didn't eat it as regularly as we do (probably 1-2x a month). =)

Restaurants we love

I decided to post it as an ongoing page instead of as a post.  When we try a new restaurant and love it, then I can just add it to the list =)

Good, Great, and Exceptional Restaurants IMHO in Harford County

Last night, my husband and I went to dinner at the Laurapin Grille in Havre de Grace, MD.  We have a lot of friends that have loved it so I really wanted to try it.  As we were eating, my husband and I started discussing the restaurants we love and began to rate them as if we were restaurant critics.  We decided we'd rate them based on a moderate, good, great, and exceptional scale.  Of course there's poor/bad, too.  But, we try to avoid those restaurants.

Our verdict on the Laurapin was that it was good, not great, and not exceptional.  There were a couple of reasons why.  The biggest was that it felt overpriced for the food and the ambience.  It wasn't very romantic, which was what I was hoping for on my birthday.  Our bill came to $75 for 2 dinners (and I had the deal of $20 for salad, dessert, and entree).  If our bill had come to $50, we would probably have a more favorable opinion of the restaurant.  The meat was cooked perfectly.  That was the best part of the meal.  But, mine was served with grilled bread.  And there wasn't any sauce to dip it in.  When I asked the waiter for some butter--I didn't want dry bread--he brought me 2 little pats of butter wrapped in foil.  They actually weren't even on a plate.  He just set them on the table.  When my husband's dish was $24, I would expect a little more than that.  At Panera, they come in little pats like that, but not typically at expensive restaurants.  My dessert according to the menu was supposed to be a chocolate creme brulee.  I had checked it several times when I chose which restaurant, because the dessert was a deciding factor for me.  When my dessert arrived, it was a regular creme brulee.  Unfortunately, we had ordered my husband a regular one for $6 because we thought mine was going to be chocolate.  When they arrived, I was disappointed.  I explained it to the waiter.  I wondered if he would take it off the bill.  But, instead, he told me I was wrong and that the chocolate creme brulee was not on the price fixe menu that I ordered from.

At the time, I wrote on the comment card that I was given good service.  For some reason, I gave it a 9 of 10.  But, the more that I've thought about it (which I need to stop thinking about), his service really bothered me.  I wouldn't go back to the restaurant, nor would I recommend it, simply because I don't think it's the best value or meal for the price.  If you go, you'll get a good meal made with local ingredients, but it will be expensive.

Basically, it's a good restaurant.  It has the potentional to be great and maybe even exceptional, but at this point it is a good restaurant.  If the salad had been included in the price of my husband's dish and if they had taken the dessert off our bill and not told me I was wrong and if they had served the butter in dishes and if they had cloth napkins instead of paper...  I think these changes would have been nice.  At such an expensive price for a meal, my expectations are higher than what we experienced last night.

I hope this entry doesn't sound too critical.  My next entry is going to be the other restaurants we discussed and what we love about them. =)   We love food a lot and when we go out to eat, I know that we do hope to enjoy very good food!

Leather Sandals

During the spring, summer, and fall, I love to wear slide style sandals.  This summer I started wearing what I grew up calling thongs, where they go between your toe.  Anyways, I was standing in Marshalls looking at the plastic sandals and pondering what you do when they stretch out.  So, I asked the lady next to me who was wearing sandals.  

She had this suggestion, which she said always works.  If they're leather, get them wet and then stick them out in the hot sun.  The leather will shrink back up.  Obviously, it will stretch out again, but then you just shrink them again too!  

I have 2 pairs of leather Doc Marten sandals and I'm going to try out this trick as soon as we have a hot sunny day =)

Corn on the Cob

My kids love June because it means that corn on the cob season is coming!  It's funny how many things we all cook the way our parents do.  I wonder if you're like me in that I will often assume that others do things the same way that I was taught to do things.

One of those things is corn on the cob.

I grew up growing corn in our backyard every summer.  We had a big garden for Southern California, I suppose.  As an adult, I appreciate it a lot more than I did as a kid.  I had no idea how much work a garden requires.  But, anyways, back to corn on the cob...

My mom would take the husk off the corn and wash it and then tear off a piece of wax paper and wrap it up in the wax paper and fold over the ends.  Then, she'd stick it in the microwave for 5 minutes.  (5 minutes is a good amount for 1 or 2 ears at a time--I never cook more than 2 at a time.)  When it came out it was ready to put corn pokes in and butter and salt it up!

We never boiled or steamed the corn in a pot.  We never grilled it either.  We always, always microwaved it.  It always came out right and never soggy =)

I still fix our corn on the cob this way.

My husband's family didn't.  His mom boiled corn when he was growing up.  So, he was surprised when he discovered how I fixed it.  I think he balked the first few times.  But, on Saturday when I was out of wax paper.  I figured I would just boil the corn.  I made a quick comment to my husband and said something about it being okay.

His reply was--"no".  No, it wasn't okay.  He preferred it cooked in wax paper.  So, I called up my dear good friend and neighbor and borrowed her wax paper.

On the following Monday, I made sure to buy an extra roll of wax paper to keep around =)

Eating out on the go

Yesterday, the kids and I had a lot to do.  I often find myself in this situation.  What do I do?  Should I push them to wait to eat till we get home?  Or do I grab something on the way?  This question for me involves two things for me--money and healthy food.

Here are a few of the things I do if I'm out and can't get home.
McDonald's:  Split 2 $1 chicken sandwiches, some fries, and cups of water among the kids.  Cost: $4
Burger King:  $1 chicken nuggets and a small fries split, with cups of water. Cost: $4
Target:  Pick up cups of Yoplait as a snack and get spoons from the snack area.  My girls think this is a big treat and it's a cheap one to tide them over.  Yesterday, I also picked up juice boxes at the same time that they could drink in the car.  The snack for the three of them cost $2.50.

But, the tricky part is that everything else I've found is pretty expensive.  One day two weeks ago, we went to the grocery store, we bought sandwich makings, juice boxes, and bananas.  When all was said and done, I think it cost about $6 or $7.  Not too bad and at least they didn't eat McD's.

Do you have any good ideas for inexpensive meals/snacks that you can grab on the go?

Rhubarb Muffins

It sounds a little strange to make rhubarb muffins, but these muffins are truly yummy!  I've made them twice within 5 days because I really, really liked them.  And my kids ate them too!  I did finely chop the rhubarb and mince the nuts to make them smaller and more palatable for the kids.

Rhubarb-Buttermilk Muffins

Ingredients:

3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup salad oil
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt or 1 cup. milk soured with 2 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 cups finely diced rhubarb
1/2 cups pecan pieces, minced
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (you can do 1 1/2 cups white flour and                                   1 cup wheat flour)

1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Topping:

1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp melted butter                                                    1 tsp flour

 Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 15 medium-sized muffin cups.
• Combine in large bowl: brown sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Stir dry ingredients into mixture.
• Then add rhubarb and nuts.
• Fill prepared muffin pan 3/4 full with batter.
• Quickly combine topping ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle on top of batter in each muffin cup.
• Bake in preheated oven on center shelf 15 to 20 minutes. (closer to 20)

I copied this recipe from:  http://www.rhubarbinfo.com/  and then added alterations similar to the recipe in Simply in Season by Mary Beth Lind and Cathleen Hockman-Wert.

Internet Security

I just posted an entry on my other blog about internet security.
http://lovetopaint.blogspot.com/2010/05/internet-security-and-facebook.html

At the beginning of this year, there was an article in the paper that said that social networking sites were predicted to be the biggest source of identity theft this year.  I was glad for the warning at the time.  I had no idea that digital copiers would be a risk as well!

The struggle of saying No

There is a constant struggle of saying no to ourselves.  I am realizing this.  Sometimes I'm good at it and sometimes I'm horrible at it.  I have realized today that I need to limit my computer time.  I am going to check in the afternoon during naps and rest time and maybe at night time.  Other than that, I need to step back.  


None of us like being told no.  Our budgets are one big No!  I think that's the hardest part about sticking to a budget actually--saying no to ourselves and things we want.  I'm great at justifying things =), but I know this about myself so I try to face up to it.


A few things I don't always say no to myself about...
Going out to eat near the end of the month
Garage Saling--I've really been working on buying the things first that we need and not just what I want.
Time on the computer--I take too much time and I get on the computer too often during the day.
Desiring Quiet
Holding my tongue when I'm angry
and I'm sure there are many more, but I wanted to share a few examples.


So, how can we say no?
Here's the ideas I have right at this moment:
1)  Get into a routine.  A routine can help me avoid the temptation that I need to say no to.
2)  Doing things we don't like to do early in the day before the things we really like to do
3)  Praying!  We need to be in the Word and trusting God for strength
4)  Take our eyes off ourselves and put them back on our families, work, or homes.  
5)  Setting boundaries--like my internet one I'm going to try and get back on track with.  These things are both boundaries and habits.   We make habits of avoiding things that we know aren't good for us.
6)  Stay out of stores (if money is the issue).
7)  Stay off the computer for shopping (if money is the issue)
8)  Make a list or a plan for the day of what you want to get done.  Planning a day can take away the time that we were being flexible with, when in reality we use it for the things we want to do and we fritter away the time.
9)  Write God's Word on our hearts.  We need to know and believe that God is working in all things.
10) We need to choose to be grateful and focus on the yeses in our lives and let go of the nos.


I think 10 is a good place to start.  I'm going to start working on these things.  Please know that I made this list for myself.  I have been convicted the past few days about this and I don't think I've been listening very well--because I have been resistant and haven't wanted to say no to myself.  But, I believe that this is what God desires of me.  I need to begin saying no to myself more.

Homeschooling

I read a book 9 years ago called Feminism: Mystique or Mistake by Diane Passno.  It had a huge impact on me and changed my thoughts about a lot of things, since I was probably what you might call an evangelical feminist at the time.  But, that's a story for another time =)  Anyways, at the end of the book was a chapter about moms. Though I wasn't a mom at the time, the lessons in that chapter have always stuck with me.


The basic gist of the chapter was that moms who are working should show grace to the moms who stay at home and vice versa.  Moms at home often desire the affirmation at work and the break from their kids.  Moms at work are jealous of the time stay at home moms get with their kids.  There can be a mutual situation of envy and there are pros and cons to both sets of shoes.  The author's point is that what's most important is that we are where God wants us to be.  We don't have to feel guilty if we are where God wants us to be.  If we feel called to work, then we should lay that before our husbands and submit to them--if they think we should or shouldn't.  Many women have to work because their families need the second income.  Some don't need to work, though they desire to for the extra income.  More often than not, I think choosing to live on one income does involve making choices that will save money and saying no to ourselves about things we want.


A moment ago, I was reminded of this chapter when I thought of a conversation I had on Saturday about homeschooling.  I enjoy homeschooling, but it is hard.  Many moms who are homeschooling often wish their kids were in school and many moms whose children are in school wish their kids were homeschooling.  I don't think homeschooling isn't the wisest choice for everyone and friends who are veteran homeschoolers have told me this over the years.  It is the wisest choice for some though.  In the end, I think that what's most important is that our children are where God wants them to be--whether that is in public, private, or home schools.


Just a thought =)

All-in-one Book of Tips!

When I've watched DIY shows and home organization shows on television, they always seem to be geared towards people that have a great deal of extra income that they can spend on materials to organize their homes with.  Every time I open up Better Homes and Gardens, I check how many children the families in the magazine have.  Usually, I find they have 0 or 1 child.  Once in a while, they'll feature a home where 2 children live.  But, again, the families typically live at an upper middle class income level.  But, I think the reality for many of us is that we can't afford to live that way--our homes don't look like the ones in the magazines and tv shows--especially if we've made choices and sacrificed a second income so that we can stay home with our kids.


When I requested this book for review, I was curious, but expected it to be pretty impractical.  Instead, I discovered that it is a wonderful book packed full of very practical tips.  Kathy Peel and her husband raised 3 boys who are now grown adults.  She says early on that she gleans tips and advice from all the women she has known in her life and come across.  I liked that.  (A few months ago I reviewed a book by a woman who wrote a book of advice for working moms though she hadn't been one when she wrote the book.)  Sometimes it seems that advice givers can come across as very prideful as if they have all the answers.  There is a blessing that comes from learning from one another!

In the book, Ms. Peel tackles seven areas of home management:  time and scheduling, home and property care, menus and meal planning, relationships with family and friends, finances, special events (including holidays and birthday parties), and taking care of yourself.

For the most part, her tips are practical and useful no matter what the income of your family is.  A few of them are only practical if you do have extra disposable income, but it's a relatively small number of things (ie. in the section about yourself, she mentions both getting a massage and a facial in a questionnaire).  Most of her tips are realistic and frugal.  For example, she mentions washing the area where ants are coming in with straight white vinegar.  She also lists cleaning tips that can be done overnight with regular household items like vinegar and baking soda.  A lot of books like this include tips that are very labor intensive and the time used outweighs the money saved.  This book, on the other hand, includes tips that are very doable and wise, in my humble opinion.

I know that I will be coming back to this book again and again.  She has organized lists of what to do to care for your home each season.  She also has lists about appliances--how long their life expectancy is and even advice on how to choose new ones.

The section I am usually most curious about is menus and meal planning.  Her tips are especially practical for moms who work outside their homes.  I agreed with most of her advice, though I don't do as much freezing and cooking ahead.  My family likes a lot of variety and I cook breakfast 5 mornings a week since my kids are not fans of cereal.  But, that's how it is with any book--you are the best judge of advice that will work for you and your family.  There is no one size fits all solution to organizing your home and life.  But, I love to read new ideas because they renew my hope that I can get on top of things or be successful tackling something I've  been struggling with.

Here's a sample of tips that really stuck with me from the book...
On Time Management...
"When you say yes to something, you're saying no to something else.  Don't let it be your family." p.3
On Cleaning...
"Use a wide, soft-bristled paintbrush to remove dust from blinds and pleats in a lamp shade." p.48
On Cooking...
"Boil a few slices of lemon in a pan of water for 20 minutes to clear the air of burned food odor." p.57
On Baking...
"When coating a baking pan with flour, use an empty spice jar (the kind with holes in the lid) to shake it neatly into the pan." p. 123
On Celebrating...
"Don't wait until you have enough money to plan the perfect party.  If something is worth celebrating, it's worth celebrating no matter how simple the event." p. 219
On Finances...
"Everything you have is a gift from God.... Managing money is not about the money.  It's about how you view money...The joy of a purchase made on credit usually doesn't outlast the payments."  p.195

This sample is just a smidgen of the great ideas I read in this book.  Kathy Peel truly has packed this book with lots of great advice.  It's perfect for someone starting out on their own, newlyweds, or people that love ideas about how to manage life better.  It's full of good reminders even if you are a pretty organized person.  I do highly recommend this book!

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

Internet Security Programs

Last fall, I requested two internet security programs from Amazon for reviewing from the program I'm a part of.  I thought, "Hey!  They're free.  I'll try them."  I discovered that what's free is not always free in the end--it may come with a price.

I discovered this:  IF you switch internet security programs, make sure you completely uninstall the other program.

I discovered that if you use Norton--there are always little pieces left behind.  If you don't find these pieces, they will stay and your new program will think that they are viruses--problems to be attacked.  This can and often does freeze up your computer.  I discovered all of this the hard way.  I broke the new laptop we had bought 45 days earlier from Costco.  Thankfully, I was able to return it since they had a 90 day return window.  I did do a restore and erase the hard drive, but that's a several hour long process.  And by the time I was done with that, I no longer trusted the computer.  Broken computers for me are like broken used cars.  If it's a little break that gets fixed quickly, my trust is restored quickly.  If it's a big break, I will forever feel insecure about the car--and in this place the computer.

I wrote a review about this on Amazon and someone commented to the effect that I was a dodo bird for not knowing I had to completely uninstall the program and know about these little pieces left behind.  I don't think I was a dodo bird.  I've talked to several friends who didn't know about this glitch either.  It is comforting to know that I'm not alone.  But, that's also why I wanted to post this story this morning.  It's one of those random pieces of information that might help someone someday avert the disaster that crashing their hard drive might be for them someday in the future. =)

Last note, if this has happened to you, or if your computer isn't booting up, call the tech support for your computer manufacturer.  They should be able to walk you through doing a restore on your computer which will bring the computer back to the state it was in at a point in the past.  You'll lose the information that was saved after that date, but you'll get your computer back--and that's a good thing =)

Dunkin' Donuts Perks and Facebook Applications

Last Friday, some friends and I were chatting about Facebook Applications.  We all agreed that they cause problems on our computers.  It happened to me twice when I first started using Facebook and I've stayed away from them since.  Once in a while, I'm tempted to try one, but then I remind myself what happened.

Today there was an application for Dunkin' Donuts Perks.  It occurred to me that I might be able to go to their website and enroll in the program without going through the Facebook application.  And it worked!

The website is: https://www.dunkindonuts.com/perks/enroll.aspx?cmpid=SEMTest_src=keyword_s=ggl_K=DunkinDonutsPerks_C=PerksSR2_G=Perks_M=broad

If you enroll, the website says they'll send you a coupon for a free medium beverage of your choice and one on your birthday. =)

Dave Ramsey

I have been curious about Dave Ramsey and his financial advice for a long time.  I have a very dear friend who has enjoyed the seminar her church put on with his materials.  So, when I got the chance to review this book, I was very excited to see what he had to say.

This book is called The Money Answer Book.  It is a collection of short answers to questions.  None of the answers are more than 2 pages.  And the pages are small.  It is only the size of maybe a 4 x 6 or a 5 x 7 picture.  This is the third book I've received from publishers that is being printed smaller than books used to be.  (I assume it is a cost cutting measure in the publishing world.)

But, back to the book's contents.  The questions are organized by topics such as real estate and mortgage, insurance, budgeting, etc.  The entire book can be read in less than an hour.

Here are some things I learned about Dave Ramsey's financial philosophy:
1) He advocates paying everything you can in cash.
2) No credit cards.
3) Pay off small debts first and then move on to bigger ones.
4) Buy used unless you're rich.
5) Get out of debt (except for your mortgage) and stay out of debt.

I pondered first the paying for things in cash idea.  I brought it to my husband to ask what he thought.  He brought up several points that I hadn't considered.  First, we use our credit cards to save us marital conflict.  He doesn't have to save all his receipts and hand them to me.  I look them up and write them down.  We pay off our credit card every month.  Second, he told me that it is far easier for him to whittle away a $20 bill than to use his credit card.  If he has a $20, he'll spend it and have no idea what it was spent on.  I shared this with a friend and she said the same is true of her.  So, for people that don't pay off their credit cards each month this can be a great idea--to pay in cash.  But, for some people using cash can be a greater source of temptation.   Third, at Target, Lowe's, Toys R Us, Home Depot and several other stores, the clerks can look up your returns using your credit card.  This is a great thing for people like me who have 3 kids and can't keep track of receipts very well.  It's also great because I can return something for my husband and he doesn't have to save the receipts for me. (Costco can also look up your purchases using your membership card.)

So, the cash idea won't work for us.  But, it has worked for a lot of my friends and I think it's a great idea.  It just isn't a one size fits all solution, though.

I did learn something that scared me in this book.  I discovered that credit card companies can pull your credit report without your permission and then they send you a prescreened/preapproved credit card application.  Thankfully, there is something you can do about it.  Call 888-567-8688 to put a 5 year ban on unsolicited credit inquiries.  To make it permanent, you have to write a letter.  When you make the call, it will associate your name and address with your phone number, so call from your primary home phone.  If it is not your name that comes up, spell your name and say it.  I had to spell my name and the phone picked it up perfectly.

Because this is just a Q&A book, the answers are very short and that works well for some of the questions, but for others, it is very inadequate.  The section on real estate and mortgages was extremely short.  I think this is an area that our culture struggles with immensely.  We hear and see everywhere that we should have huge homes--bigger than we can afford.  I wish there had been more discussion of the consequences of such actions.  I am glad, though, that he said an Arm is never wise--rather that choosing a fixed rate loan is the wise road.

This is a great gift book to help people get their feet wet and begin thinking about their finances.  It isn't a comprehensive financial guide.  Still, I have two people in mind already that I would like to give this book to.  I think Dave Ramsey has some great advice.  The thing I most agree with about his financial advice is something he states on page 1, "...be responsible to God and family, sacrifice the unnecessary to gain the necessary, get rid of debt, and build a financially peaceful future."

Please note that I was given a complimentary copy of this book for review.

Egg Substitutes

A few weeks ago, I was talking with a gal about egg substitutes.  I found this list at Bread Beckers website.

http://www.breadbeckers.com/store/pc/Egg-Substitutes-184p2758.htm

=)