Why  

Posted by: Julie in


Have you ever wondered Why?

Help You Find Your Wings  

Posted by: Julie in

We've got the bug  

Posted by: Julie in




Nearly everyone at my house is or has been sick this week.

Kimberly came down with a fever on Sunday (103*) and she just went back to school today (Thursday)

Jessica was next. Tuesday she was home. No fever but she was throwing up.

Today it's me and Andrew. I've got a slight fever, congestion, cough and all over aches.

Andrew has a fever of 102*, but would you believe he went to school anyway? Yes, I know, I'm a bad parent for letting a sick child go to school but there is a reason.

Every year Andrew ends up with strep throat and misses out on perfect attendance. He has since had his tonsils removed and hasn't had strep again. He's made it nearly (3) 9-weeks of school with out missing a day. He SOOOO wants perfect attendance...just once! So, I let him go to school. I told him to call me and I'd pick him up once he hit the half-day point but he made it all day. He's miserable now, but he's had some more Motrin and he's laying down.

He's supposed to have "Why" practice tonight but we may just have to miss that one. I know it's crunch time...but he's one sick little boy. We'll see how he feels when it's time to go.

We are also supposed to have Jessica's birthday party on Sunday. UGH! The house is a mess, there's a couple of "Why" practices to go to, Andrew has practice on Saturday for "Spring Sing" and I've got to make a cake. I'd love to postpone the party, but next Sunday we have 2 "Why" performances and the following Sunday is Easter.

It's too much to think about right now. I'm going to go lay down until I have to pick up the girls from their after school class.

Bi Lo Bargain Meal (3/25/09)  

Posted by: Julie in

Bargain Meal of the Week
This week Bi Lo has Boston Butt Pork Roast on sale for $1 per lb.
The average weight is 13-15 lbs.
I usually make BBQ with Boston Butt, however I wanted to find another way to fix this meat.
I found this recipe at AllRecipes.com. It serves 12 and I've listed that recipe here along with one adjusted to serve 6. Just cut your roast in half and freeze part of it for use at a later time.

Pork Roast with Thyme

Ingredients for serving 12
Cost: Approx $5 + a few pennies more for the additional ingredients
  • 5 pounds pork roast, trimmed
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
Ingredients for serving 6
Cost: Approx $2.50 + a few pennies for additional ingredients.
  • 2-1/2 pounds pork roast, trimmed
  • 1-1/2 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1-1/2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  2. With a small knife, pierce top of roast. Force garlic slices into the cuts. Sprinkle the roast with salt and pepper. Place bay leaves in the bottom of the roasting pan, and set roast on top of bay leaves, fat side up. Mix vinegar and thyme in a small bowl, and pour over the top of the roast.
  3. Bake in the preheated oven 3 hours, or until an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (70 degrees C) is reached. Using a baster or spoon, baste the drippings over the roast frequently while it is cooking. Let the roast rest for 10 minutes when done before slicing.
(**NOTE** If serving 6 you will need to adjust your cooking time to suit)

Harris Teeter 3/25/09  

Posted by: Julie in

Transaction #1:

Total OOP: $7.54

Total Saved: $45.36

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Here’s how I did it:

(4) Mahatma Rice, yellow $0.67 each – $.75/2 Q x’s 3 = FREE each (no overage)

(3) Mahatma Rice, white $$1.49 each - $0.50 Q x’s 3 = FREE each

(1) Zip Lock Bags $2.00 - $0.40 Q x’s 3 = $0.80 each

(3) Huggies Wipes $2.50 each - $0.50 x’s 3 = $1.00 each (Yes, I got 3…I forgot to put one in the picture)

(2) Spam Singles $1.19 each - $0.25 Q x’s 3 = $0.44 each

(1) Honey Comb Cereal $2.00 - $0.55 Q x’s 3 = $0.35 each

(2) Skippy Peanut Butter $2.79 - $0.60 Q x’s 3 = $0.99 each

(2) Coffee Mate $1.99 each - $0.50 Q x’s 3 = $0.49 each

(1) Bumble Bee Tuna $1.39 - $0.55 Q x's 3 = FREE (no overage)

(2) Colgate Toothpaste $2.50 each - $0.75 Q x’s 3 = $0.25 each

(2) Kraft Singles $1.20 each - $0.75/2 Q x’s 3 = $0.08 each

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Transaction #2

Total OOP: $11.65

Total Saved: $51.70

Here's how I did it:

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(4) Mahatma Rice, yellow $0.67 each - $0.75 Q x’s 3 = FREE (no overage)

(2) Mahatma Rice, white $1.49 each - $0.50 Q x’s 3 = FREE

(2) Le Sueur peas $1.00 each – no coupon but this is a good price. Here in G’ville they are $1.49 per can

(3) Zip Lock Bags $2.00 each - $0.40 Q x’s 3 = $0.80 each

(1) Huggies Wipes $2.50 each - $0.50 Q x’s 3 = $1.00

(2) Spam Singles $1.19 each - $0.25 Q x’s 3 = $0.44 each

(3) Honey Comb Cereal $2.00 each - $0.55 Q x’s 3 = $0.35 each

(2) Coffee Mate $1.99 each - $0.50 Q x’s 3 = $0.49 each

(1) Colgate Toothpaste $2.50 each - $0.75 Q x’s 3 = $0.25 each

(1) Kotex Tampons $3.79 each - $0.75 Q x’s 3 = $1.54 each

(2) Allen’s Green Beans $0.99 each - $0.55 Q x’s 3 = $0.33 for 2 or $0.17 each(these were BOGO and you can only use 1 coupon on a BOGO.)

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Transaction #3

Total OOP: $32.28

Total Saved: $38.24

Here's how I did it:

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These deals were Harris Teeter Sales and a few things I needed this week. I did not have coupons for these deals.

(1) Baked Beans $$1.39

(5) Trash Bags Buy 2 Get 3 Free ($2.99 each x 2 = $5.98 for all 5 or $1.20 each)

(1) Pack of Cubed Steak BOGO $5.34 ( Reg price was $10.69 -- price rings up half price so you don’t have to buy 2 when it’s BOGO)

(3) Packs of boneless, skinless chicken breast Buy 1 Get 2 Free – Price rings up 1/3 making the ones I got $2.18, $2.25 & $2.27

(3) Turkey Breast Sandwich Meat Buy 1 Get 2 Free making them $1.48 each

(1) Hamburger Buns $1.07

(1) Shredded Cheddar Cheese $1.97

(1) bacon $1.49

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Harris Teeter is doing Triple Coupons all week long!

The meat deals are also good all week long.

To check out the ad click HERE.

Bargain Meal - Ingles (3/22/09)  

Posted by: Julie in

Bargain Meal of the Week


This week Ingles has ground chuck on sale for
$1.98 per lb.
I don't have the complete break down on the cost for each item, but I figure you have most of this on hand already , right? :-)

The beef will cost $1.98 for this recipe, a few cents for the ketchup, water, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder and salt.

Add $2 for a pack of buns and you're got Sloppy Joe's for 4 for around $4.00!

Sloppy Joe Sandwiches
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 hamburger buns, split
  1. In a saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the ketchup, water, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, garlic powder, onion powder and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Serve on buns.

Bargain Meal - Bi Lo (3/18/09)  

Posted by: Julie in

Bargain Meal of the Week
It's been one of those weeks and I'm sorry that I am way behind on posting the Bi Lo Bargain meal for this week.

Let me say that I AM NOT an asparagus eater. I have tried it and I just don't like it. Sorry.
However, I recognize a good deal when I see one *smile* and Bi Lo has fresh asparagus on sale for $0.99 per lb (you save $3.00 per lb!!)

I just received my free copy of Kraft Food and Family magazine and wouldn't you know, in it is a recipe for asparagus. So here you go...

Bacon and Caramelized - Onion Asparagus(picture from Kraft Food and Family)
  • 3 slices bacon ($.50)
  • 1 1/2 lbs fresh asparagus spears, trimmed ($1.49)
  • 1 TBS water
  • 1/2 cup chopped onions ($0.14)
  • 1/2 cup light ranch dressing ($0.68)

Cook bacon in non stick skillet 3 - 5 minutes or until crisp, turning frequently. Drain on paper towels. Discard dripping from skillet. (Do no wash skillet)

Place asparagus in microwaveable casserole or 10 x 4-inch dish. Add water. Microwave on HIGH 4 - 5 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Meanwhile, add onions to skillet; cook and stir 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in dressing

Drain asparagus; top with sauce and crumbled bacon.

Total Cost: $2.81




My clean kitchen???  

Posted by: Julie in

I guess this is what happens when you take a shower on a Saturday morning and leave 4 children to fix their own breakfast!And now it's time for said children to learn how to clean up after making their own breakfast ;-)


Ahh...now that's more like it!

God Speaking  

Posted by: Julie in



LYRICS:
Have you ever heard a love song that
Set your spirit free
Have you ever watched a sunrise and
Felt you could not breathe
What if it's Him
What if it's God speaking

Have you ever cried a tear that
You could not explain
Have you ever met a stranger
Who already knew your name
What if it's Him
What if it's God speaking

Who knows how He'll get a hold of us
Get our attention to prove He is enough
He'll do and He'll use
Whatever He wants to
To tell us "I love you"

Have you ever lost a loved one
Who you thought should still be here
Do you know what it feels like
To be tangled up in fear
What if He's somehow involved
What if He's speaking through it all

Who knows how He'll get a hold of us
Get our attention to prove He is enough
He'll do and He'll use
Whatever He wants to
To tell us "I love you"

His ways are higher
His ways are better
Though sometimes strange
What could be stranger
Than God in a manger

Who knows how He'll get a hold of us
Get our attention to prove He is enough
Who knows how He'll get a hold of you
Get your attention to prove He is enough
He'll do and He'll use
Whatever He wants to
To tell us "I love you"

God is speaking
"I love you"

Update on David  

Posted by: Julie in

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I can't believe I forgot to update you on my uncle's surgery.

He had surgery late Monday afternoon. My mom called me Tuesday morning and David was in the background talking. With the cancer being in his throat and near his voice box, we were afraid there might be problems after the surgery. He's not needed a feeding tube and was having lunch Tuesday before my mom left to drive home.

He will be coming home at the end of the week. We thought it would be Thursday but now we think it's gonna be Friday or Saturday. Still, we are SO very pleased with his progress.

We aren't sure right now if he will need chemo or radiation. I'll keep you updated on how things progress.

We are SO very thankful for all of you that are praying for him. We know that your prayers are holding him up and we know that God is hearing your prayers.

Please continue to pray for him as he is healing and as we look to what comes next.

William found ~ pray for his family  

Posted by: Julie in


The searchers found little 2 yr old William today around 11:30 am.

I'm heartbroken to say that he was found in the Tyger River.

Please pray for this grieving family.

Triple your Savings!!! March 20 / 21 / 22  

Posted by: Julie in



Bloom is having triple coupons March 20,21 & 22

Check out this weeks ad HERE

20 coupons, per visit, per day

Please Pray for this Little Boy!  

Posted by: Julie in


William Eschenbach has been missing from Spartanburg County since 4:45 PM Tuesday.

He is 2 yrs old and news reports say he may be autistic.

He was playing in his backyard with his mother and sister. His mom walked into the house for a moment and when she returned the gate was open and William was gone. Police do not believe he was abducted; they think he just wandered off.

I do not personally know this family but I am a mother and I cannot imagine the horror this family is going through.

Please pray for William!

Bargain Meals - Ingles (03/15/09)  

Posted by: Julie in

Bargain Meal of the Week

With Easter coming up, lots of stores are putting eggs on sale. This week Ingles has eggs for $0.98 per dozen! A great time to try a yummy omelet recipe!

This is a recipe I found in a Paula Deen Magazine my grandmother gave me. I seem to be on a roll with Paula’s recipes, don’t I? :-)

Southwest Egg White Omelets

(makes 4 omelets)

1 bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices ($0.69 – recipe calls for red bell pepper but they were more than double the price of the green ones!)

1 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices ($0.53)

1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/8 inch thick slices ($0.53)

10 egg whites ($0.80)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (8 oz) package Neufchatel cheese, softened (my store only had cream cheese….$0.88 {store brand})

1 cup prepared salsa ($0.64)

Pre-heat oven to 400*. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with non-stick spray.

Place bell pepper, squash, and zucchini on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring once, or until vegetables are soft. Remove vegetables and reduce oven temperature to warm.

In a large bowl, combine egg whites, salt and pepper. Beat at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

Heat an 8-1/2 inch omelet pan or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1/4 of eg white mixture to pan, using a spatula to smooth top of mixture so it fills the bottom of the skillet. Cook for 4-6 minutes, or until egg whites are set, flipping halfway through. Place on baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining egg whites.

Place 1/4 cheese in center of each cooked egg white. Top with 1/4 cup salsa and 1/4 vegetable mixture. Repeat process with remaining cooked egg whites, cheese, salsa, and vegetables. Garnish with green onion, if desired. Serve immediately.

TOTAL COST: $4.07

Now that you’ve used your egg whites…what you do you with 10 egg yolks? Certainly we do not want to waste them. I’ve read several suggestions from using them in other recipes to feeding them to your pets.

I found this interesting information at the American Egg Board website:

“Raw egg yolks require special treatment because the yolk’s gelation property causes it to thicken or gel when frozen. If frozen as is, the yolk with eventually become so gelatinous it will be almost impossible to use. To help retard gelation, beat in either 1/8 teaspoon salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar or corn syrup for each 1/4 cup egg yolks (4 Large yolks). Label the container with the number of yolks, the date and whether you’ve added salt (for main dishes) or sweetener (for baking or desserts) and freeze. Substitute 1 tablespoon thawed egg yolk for 1 Large fresh yolk.”

How would you use leftover egg yolks?

Praying For David  

Posted by: Julie in

Posted by Picasa


Posted by Picasa

Please remember my Uncle David today.
Is is having surgery to remove a tumor from under his chin
and to remove cancer from his throat.
You can read more about his story HERE.

Menu Plan Monday  

Posted by: Julie in





This week's Menu Plan Monday is being hosted by
$5 Dinners.

This is going to be a busy week for me. I have to go to Columbia on Sunday afternoon to help Dear Hubby pick up our ice truck, grocery shopping to do, a grandmother to help look after, AWANAS and Why practice on Wednesday, a cake to make for my nephew on Thursday, a party to go to on Friday and more Why practice on Saturday.

I've made a list of meals but not yet assigned them a night.

Here's how the week looks right now...

Sunday: Eat out in Columbia
Monday:_______________
Tuesday:______________
Wednesday: Eat out after church
Thursday:___________________
Friday: Eat out after party
Saturday:__________________

WAY too much eating out this week, but it just can't be helped.

Now for my meal choices:

Beef Stew and Rice

Baked Cubed Steak, rice, green beans,

Tacos, rice and beans

Crispy Herb Baked Chicken, creamed potatoes, peas, gravy, homemade biscuits

Happy Menu Planning Everyone!

Chick Fil A Song  

Posted by: Julie in

This song is making its rounds on lots of blogs. Have you seen it yet? It's too funny!

Bargain Meal Bi Lo (03/11/09)  

Posted by: Julie in

Bargain Meal of the Week

We've had some beautiful warm, summer like days here in SC the past few days but the weekend is supposed to be chilly and rainy.

Perfect weather for Beef Stew!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Old Time Beef Stew

by Paula Deen

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds stew beef
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled
  • 1 or 2 bay leaves
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
  • 3 large carrots, sliced
  • 3 ribs celery, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots and celery. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly.

**Note** many people that reviewed this recipe recommended using 1 cup of beef broth in place of 1 of the cups of water. Others recommended adding potatoes. You might want to consider these changes when you make this dish


I've not made this recipe myself, but with the cost being so low I think I'm going to add it to my menu for next week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bi Lo has boneless chuck roast on sale for $1.99 per lb. I like to buy these and cut them into stew beef pieces. It's much cheaper than buying the stew beef already cut up (Bi Lo's sale price this week for boneless stew meat is $3.49 per lb; it's usually $4.49 per lb!! By buying a boneless chuck roast on sale for $1.99 and cutting it yourself you are saving $2.50 per lb)

Bi Lo also has 1lb bags of carrots for $0.79 each. I usually find I get 5-6 carrots in a 1 lb bag so we'll price these at $0.15 each.

3lb bags of yellow onions are on sale BOGO making 3 lbs $1.35. There are about 10 - 12 onions in the bags making them about $0.14 each.

For this recipe you will need:

2 lbs of meat = $3.98

3 carrots = $0.45

1 medium onion= $0.14

3 ribs of celery= $.40 (estimate)

Total Cost: $4.97

Arise My Love  

Posted by: Julie in

With our church getting ready for "Why", our Easter production, I've been thinking a lot about Christs resurrection . This is one of my favorite songs.

Why did Jesus fold the napkin?  

Posted by: Julie in

(my sister in law sent me this email today and I thought it was very interesting)


Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection? I never noticed this.......


John 20:7 tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus,was not thrown aside like the grave clothes. The Bible takes an entireverse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded and was placed at thehead of that stony coffin.


Early that Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found thatthe stone had been rolled away from the entrance. She ran and found SimonPeter, and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, "They have taken the Lord's body and I don't know where they have taken Him!".


Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other discipleoutran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw thelinen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in. Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the napkin that had covered Jesus face was folded up and lying to one side.


Is that important? Absolutely!


Is that really significant? Yes!


In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have tounderstand a little bit about the Hebrew tradition of that day. The foldednapkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and every Jewish boy knew thistradition.


When the Servant set the dinner table for the Master, he made sure it wasexactly the way the Master wanted it. The table was furnished perfectly,and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the Master hadfinished eating. The Servant would not dare touch that table until theMaster was finished.


If the Master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe hisfingers, his mouth, and clean his beard and would w ad up that napkin andtoss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. Forin those days, the wadded napkin meant, "I'm finished".


I did not know this....


If the Master got up from the table, and folded his napkin beside his plate,the servant would not dare touch the table, because....


The folded napkin meant, "I'm coming back!".


He is coming back!


During this Holy season, I pray that you are blessed with peace and joy inthe knowledge that He IS coming back someday.

Ingles Bargain Menu (03/08/09)  

Posted by: Julie in

Bargain Meal of the Week

It's time for fried chicken!

Ingles has drumsticks on sale for $0.78 per lb. The recipe below calls for 2 1/2 lbs of chicken making your cost $1.95. Add some homemade potato salad, baked beans, deviled eggs and sweet tea and you've got one yummy southern meal!

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Grandmother Paul's Fried Chicken

Ingredients

  • Salt and pepper, for seasoning chicken
  • Crisco shortening, for frying
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 cups self-rising flour
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 (2 1/2 pound) chicken, cut into pieces

Directions

Heat shortening in a cast iron skillet to 350 degrees F.

Beat eggs with water in a small bowl. In a shallow bowl, season flour with pepper. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture and then coat well in flour mixture. Carefully add to hot shortening, in batches if necessary, place lid on top of skillet, and fry until brown and crisp. Remember that dark meat requires a longer cooking time (about 13 to 14 minutes, compared to 8 to 10 minutes for white meat.)


Need homemade biscuits to go with your fried chicken? Click HERE to see my recipe for homemade biscuits. ($0.53 per batch)

Baking Biscuits  

Posted by: Julie in

A lot of people say that they can’t make homemade biscuits. I used to be one of them. I tried over and over and my biscuits just never turned out.

Well, I kept at it and FINALLY learned how. I thought I’d share with you how I make biscuits.

*********************************************

Ingredients:

2 cups self rising flour

1/2 stick of butter or margarine

1 cup milk (best if you use buttermilk)

********************************************

I start by measuring 2 cups of self rising flour into my mixing bowl:

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Next you add 1/2 stick of butter or margarine:

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Sometimes I grate the butter into the flour and other times I just crumble it up into small pieces:

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Now you want to mix the butter and flour together. Use your hands for this. When you start, it will look similar to this:

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As you work the butter into the flour it will become crumbly similar to a crumb topping you would put on a dessert:

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Now you need to add your milk. The biscuits taste best if you use buttermilk. I don’t always have buttermilk on hand so I just use regular milk. They are still yummy!

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You probably won’t use an entire cup of milk. Just add enough to wet the dough so that it sticks together with out being squishy or overly sticky. I ended up using right at 3/4 cups of milk for this batch:

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Don’t over mix the dough. Mix it just enough to combine the ingredients. Then turn the dough out onto a floured surface:

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Sprinkle the top of the dough with a little more self rising flour so it doesn’t stick to your hands.Very gently work the flour into the dough.

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Again, don’t over work it…just until it’s smooth and you can pat it out.

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You do not need to roll it out with a rolling pin. It will over work the dough. Pat it out until it’s the thickness you want and cut your biscuits. You can use a biscuit cutter, but if you don’t have one just use a tea glass.

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Place cut biscuits on a baking sheet so that they are touching each other.

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Bake at 400* until lightly browned. Spread the tops with butter before serving.

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This batch turned out 9 large, fluffy biscuits and the cost was $0.53!

Are you ready to give biscuit making a try?

If you do, leave me a comment and let me know how it turned out.

Menu Plan Monday  

Posted by: Julie in






Sunday: Homemade Pizza
Monday: Chicken Casserole, English Peas
Tuesday: Baked Tilapia with veggies and rice
Wednesday: ???
Thursday: Lasagnette, Green Beans (recipe to follow)
Friday: ???
Saturday: Chicken Alfredo and Broccoli

Why the question marks? Well, Wednesday one child has to be at "Why?" practice at 5:30 (too early to eat supper) then the rest of the family has AWANAS from 6:30 - 8:00. I have to figure out something easy and simple for that night. It may be McD's $1 menu for the next few Wednesdays while "Why?" practice is going on.

I left Friday blank to see what meats are going on sale at Bi Lo and that ad won't be out until Wednesday.

Now for the Lasagnette Recipe:

1 lb ground beef
1 (16 oz) can tomatoes, undrained
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
3 tsp sugar
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (5 oz) pkg egg noodles
1 cup sour cream
1 (3 oz) pkg cream cheese
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Cook beef until lightly browned. Drain excess fat. Stir tomatoes and tomato sauce into meat. Add salt, sugar, and garlic. Simmer 5-10 minutes. Cook noodles; drain well and blend in sour cream and cream cheese. Pour half of meat sauce into a lightly greased 3-quart casserole dish. Cover with half the noodle mixture then 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat layers. Bake at 350* for 35 minutes. Lasagnette can be frozen then thawed before baking.

Serves 6-8


Bi Lo Bargain Meal (3/04/09 - 3/10/09)  

Posted by: Julie in


Bargain Meal of the Week

Today's meal is a favorite stand-by at my house...
Breakfast for dinner :-)

On the menu:
Homemade Biscuits
Eggs - cooked your favorite way
Bacon or Sausage - your choice

This week Bi Lo has Hormel Little Sizzlers
Sausage Links 12 oz on sale 3/ $3.
They also have Clear Value Bacon 16 oz 2/ $5.

Now at my house the choice is bacon and for the 6 of us I cook the entire 16 oz. ($2.50)

Eggs are running about $1.40 per doz. For the 6 of us I normally fix 10 eggs.($1.20)
3 of us have fried eggs and 3 of us have scrambled.

Here is how my make homemade biscuits. ($0.53)

2 cups self rising flour ($0.24)
1/2 stick of margarine (you can use butter) ($0.09)
about 1 cup of milk (for the BEST biscuits, use buttermilk!) ($0.20)

Crumble your margarine into your flour until it is coarse like cornmeal. Add your milk. You may not use the entire cup of milk. Just add enough to make a soft dough that is not very sticky. Turn your dough out onto a floured surface and knead just enough to make everything stick together. DO NOT OVER WORK YOUR DOUGH! It will make for tough biscuits. Pat out into desired thickness and cut with biscuit cutter. Place on baking sheet with the biscuits touching one another. Bake at 400* until the tops of the biscuits are lightly browned. Brush tops of biscuits with butter. Serve with jam, jelly, preserves, honey or butter ;-)

Total Cost for family of 6:
$4.23

Happy Birthday, David  

Posted by: Julie in ,


Today is my Uncle David's birthday!
We love you, David

We are asking you to please continue to pray for him.
You can read more about his situation HERE.

Happy (Early) Birthday to me!  

Posted by: Julie in ,



Isn't that just a beautiful birthday present?

The dryer that we had for 12 years died last week.
We had a choice to buy a used dryer for just over $100
or buy a new one for a good bit more.
Bless my wonderful husband, he said I could go ahead and get the BRAND NEW one!
My birthday is coming up in mid-April and I told him last night
to consider this as my birthday present.
Yes, it was something we "needed", but he easily could have said to buy the used one and save the money.
Instead, he was willing to get the new one for ME.

Thank you, sweetheart.
I love you ;-)

(maybe we can get the matching washer for our anniversary!?!?!)

Another Snow Day  

Posted by: Julie in

It's official....Greenville County Schools are closed Tuesday, March 3!
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Snow caused hundreds of crashes Sunday night.
Click HERE to see video.
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The schools are closed because the roads are wet and will
re-freeze over night creating "black ice".
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You guys here in the area stay home and stay safe :-)
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Thankfully our forecast is looking good!

Bargain Meal - Ingles (03/01/09)  

Posted by: Julie in


Bargain Meal of the Week

This is one of my favorite meals!
Too bad the family doesn't like it as much as I do ;-)

Cabbage with Stewed Tomatoes ($3.18)
Pinto Beans ($0.68)
Corn Bread ($1.00)

Total: $4.86

Begin by cooking your corn bread. Here's my recipe:
2 cups self rise flour ($0.24)
1 cup self rise cornmeal ($0.12)
2 eggs ($0.24)
2 cups milk ($0.40) - for really great cornbread use buttermilk!
1/4 cup veg. oil

Mix all ingredients well and pour into a baking pan (I use a brownie pan or square cake pan because I don't have a cast iron skillet) Bake at 400* until brown on top and the bread is fully cooked through.


For the cabbage start with a good size head, about 2 lbs. (organic cabbage is $0.98 per lb at Ingles this week). Cut out the core and chop up the cabbage into bite size pieces. Rinse well and put into a large pot of boiling water. Cook until tender. Drain.

While the cabbage is cooking you will want to start cooking your tomatoes. Take one (15 oz) can of tomatoes ($1.00) and blend up. Pour into a sauce pan and add 1/2 stick of margarine ($0.10) and 1/2 cup of sugar ($0.13). Cook until the butter and sugar are dissolved and the sauce begins to thicken.

Open a can of Luck's pinto beans ($0.68) and warm. (If you prefer to cook your own beans, Ingles has 1 lb bags of organic pinto beans on sale for $1.63.)

Fix your self a big 'ole plate of cabbage and cover with the stewed tomatoes. Add a heaping spoonful of beans on the side and get a nice size slab of cornbread (don't forget to slather it in butter!). I like to have a slice of sweet onion to have with my dinner, too. And if you are fixing this in the summer time, nothing beats a slice of tomato and some cantaloupe!

It's Snowing in SC! (03/01/09)  

Posted by: Julie in



The kids are running around the house super excited that we have snow! Of course, I think the possibility of no school has something to do with that, also.
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Why no school with such a small amount of snow?
Well, it's been raining for 2 days and the roads are very wet.
That means as the temp drops tonight,
the roads will freeze and it will be too dangerous to drive.
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Another big concern is loosing power. Again, it's not the snow but the ice. The rain made the power lines wet and they will freeze over night and they may fall due to the weight. Plus the ground is so wet that trees are beginning to fall pulling down the lines.
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Yes, we love the snow but not that nasty ice that comes with it.
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If you are in our area, enjoy the snow, have lots of fun,
stay off the roads and be safe!