Knee Surgery

Just a quick note to let you all know I won't be adding anything new this week.  I had surgery on my knee last week, after I did a real good job of tearing it up.  Let's just say I've never been the most graceful person and leave it at that.

Pain medicine and recovery from surgery ate up most of my week last week and while I am starting to walk on my knee and weaning off the pain medicine, things are a little nutty around here (in more ways than one). 

I now know my position here at home is secure...since my husband declared, "I make a really bad Mom."  The upside is he makes a really good Dad, so I think he's forgiven for the state of my kitchen...and the laundry...and the......LOL

So, if you'll forgive me, I'm going to take this week to hopefully finish recovering, get my mind cleared of these medications and put our home back in order.  

I'll be up and running with ideas and thoughts next Monday.  In the meantime, feel free to email me or visit me on Facebook, if you'd like to chat.

Blessings to you and yours this week,

Something To Think About

This is the last post of the series on why we don't have tons of toys.  I had surgery yesterday and my brain is a little foggy,  so this part of the series is going to be pretty short and to the point.
Let's talk about giving our children

something to think about.

Comparing Costs & Strawberry Jam Recipe

Sometimes it is really difficult to feed our families on a budget and still buy quality foods.  When I say that I don't buy anything but organic strawberries, I don't want to sound like cost is not an issue for us, because it is.  I believe, very strongly, that we all have to make a choice on where that line between cost and quality falls and we have to do what we decide is best for our family.  I often hear that buying organic food is cost prohibitive, which I believe can be true in some cases.  There was a time when I was baking bread and selling it at the local farmer's market, then using that money to feed our family.  What we ate depended on how much bread I sold that week.  Those were tough times and I can still remember those days like they were yesterday. So, when I say I understand tight budgets, I really do understand tight budgets.  I also understand how gut wrenching it can be to want to buy the best for your family and truly not be able to.  Often times, when budget is a main concern, it may seem like there are only two options: buy the organic on at a large price or buy the conventional one at a low price.  I would like to share a few ideas and a recipe.

Let's look at strawberry jam.

Something To Do

This is the third part of the little series I am doing to explain how we manage to have five children and very few toys.  Part one of the series is here and part two is here, if you missed them.

Today, let's talk about giving our children 

something to do.

Homemade Mayo ~ It's Easy, I Promise

You know Monday around here is the day I share ideas to help save money in the kitchen.  I truly believe the number one way that I have been able to save money in the kitchen is to make things from scratch.  Making our own seemed to be a lost art, until recently.  I am so glad to see the renewed interest in doing things for ourselves.  

Today I am going to show you how simple it is to make your own mayonnaise.  It is quick to do, simple to make, and another way that I am able to free myself from the binds of the grocery store.  I also love that I know exactly what is in my mayo.

What's Growing On Our Acre

This is such a nerve racking time of year for me.  I'm not sure if that is a normal feeling for everyone or if it is just because gardening causes me some anxiety.  I'm one of those ladies who likes to read about something, follow the directions and then have it work.  Gardening has so many variables, even if I follow the directions.  Mother nature just doesn't do everything I want it to, which means I have plenty of lessons in patience every year.  

Here is a little tour of what's going on right now in the garden.

It's not much, but it's a start and each year the garden grows a bit bigger and a bit more productive.

 Our blackberries are beginning to fill out again this year.  

Right now we have seven plants.  We are hoping to add to that this fall.  

Last year we got over 30 pounds of blackberries, but the plants don't seem to look as good this year as they did last year.  I sure hope we get some good berries.

All In The Name Of Clean

Over the years, I have gradually removed most of the chemicals from our home.  I wasn't always so nutty about chemicals, but I must admit that I am pretty nutty about them now.  I just feel like clean doesn't have to mean toxic.  Some health issues caused me to start looking into everything I brought into our home...and... well, now I'm a bit nutty about them...

most of the time.