Canning Salsa

Normally during the summer I try to get in as much canning as possible.  We eat it all through the year and it doesn't take up room in my freezer.  So far this season we have been making  pickles like crazy and this week I made a big batch of salsa.  The tomatoes were free from the garden as were the peppers so the only thing that I had to buy were some onions and another set of jars.  I figure that I spent about $15 on the whole process.  Here is the salsa cooked in the pot.

 

Here is the finished product.  17 jars of salsa.

 

I saw in the grocery store fancy salsa for $5.00 a jar, so I figure that this is $85 worth of salsa made for about $15.00 including an extra set of jars.  Not bad savings and so much better tasting.  

VBS

Every year my whole family participates in vacation bible school.  If you are too old to participate then you help out.  So far this year the little girl and little boy are participating, middle girl and big girl have been helping with the younger kids, and the big boy has been helping with recreation.  Steven and I have been teaching the three year olds.  He and I have a good system worked out.  I do the lessons and activities and he does crowd control.  I like for all of us to help as a family and do our part.  We can all learn by helping and teaching others.  It does make for a tiring week though.  I am just blessed that I don't have to work in the summer and can sleep in and let the kids sleep in.

 

 

These are some of the little ones enjoying the music.  We were having so much fun!



Three weeks into summer

Well we are officially three weeks into summer and I don't feel like I have relaxed yet.  Steven had his neck surgery and is going good.  The first four or five days was a little rough, but our church family rallied around us and brought us lots of food and prayer.  This last week he was up and around more and starting to get stir crazy.  The doctor released him to go back to work today with a lifting restriction of 10 pounds so he was happy.

We also started vacation bible school this week.  We go five nights and it is a lot of work and tiring but worth it for the kids.  Last night we had 180 kids which considering we only have 500 members in our church is great!  Steven and I do the three year olds and the teens help out in various places.  Tonight we do it again!

Summer

Yes I know that I took too much of a break, but now summer is upon us.  The kids have been at youth camp all week and the little boy and little girl went to the beach with Grandma.  I thought that I would have all this time to get stuff done in the house, but I spent most of my time in the road doing things for the youth camp.  Oh well, I have all summer to organize the house.

Tonight is the dress rehearsal for dance and tomorrow is the recital.  It is also Ashley's birthday tomorrow and Evan's is on Sunday.  He is just going to ask a few boys to go swimming and have some fun on Thursday night.  On Saturday we will do Ashley's.  I am going to take her to take her learners test one day next week.

Steven is having neck surgery on Monday.  He has been having so much pain with a pinched nerve that we have to do it.  I am a little nervous, but I am excited to get it done and over with.

Well, I have to get the kitchen cleaned up and shower and get breakfast for the kids.  We have to go pick up the girls at noon so that they can nap and shower before dance tonight.

Food Budgets

I guess one of the ways that I keep us living on a budget is that I prepare inexpensive foods.  I thought that for a few weeks I might try to calculate how much my meals cost.  What I do normally when I bring home food is to mark how much we paid for the item.  I usually by food items when they are on sale or in bulk so we save a lot of money.  I also cook from scratch and use coupons when I can.  I don't do a lot of coupons right now, but I do save them out of the paper and date them, and if something comes up I can use them.

As you know I work full time so most of my meals are simple or are cooked in the crock pot.  I mostly go shopping on the weekend, but sometimes I will make a quick stop in town when running errands. So here goes what I have done so far this week:

Monday:  Breakfast- cereal (I usually only by cereal for under $2.00 a box and we eat a box at breakfast)  $2.00,  Milk, coffee, or juice $1.00

                 Lunch:  everyone eats at school and Steven and I bring leftovers from the night before. 
                               We are on reduced lunch it cost $1.50.

                Dinner:  Taco soup.  Deer meat (free), frozen corn (half bag .50) can of tomatoes (.60),
                               spices (.50).  Dinner bread - free from my sister in law.

                               Total:  $5.10

Tuesday : Same lunch and breakfast $3.50,

                 Dinner:  Grilled chicken $4.00, baked potatoes $ 1.00, home canned green beans free.

                                Total:  $8.50

Yes, I know that this does not include snacks.  I usually have fruit on hand for snacking.  We also buy goldfish crackers and animal crackers from Sam's.  For dessert we usually have ice cream or popcorn.  My sister-in-law gets us some snacks and bread from Publix that is expiring but still good.  So I guess I need to add a couple of dollars every day for snacks.  To me that is not too bad considering we feed seven people.  Tomorrow I will let you know how much it is to feed the Wednesday night church crowd.  Usually there are 12-14 of us.

                








              

HAPPY EASTER!

Happy Easter!

The reason for Easter is to celebrate Jesus rising from the dead after his crucifixion.  It is not about eggs and bunnies and candy. Yes, we can have fun with all of the candy and eggs, but we have to remember the reason we celebrate.

To help us remember we get everyone up early on Easter and go to sunrise service.  It is usually a small gathering and the message only focuses on the risen savior Jesus.  Then we eat breakfast and we go to our regular church service at 10:00.  It is a day to worship the king and that is what it is all about.  I do get my kids an Easter basket but it is small.  This year they each got a book, an insulated cup with a straw and some candy.  It is just a little something fun.  Later in the day we will go to my Mom's house and hunt eggs and eat a meal.  My sister comes with his little boy who just turned 2.  We have a good time with him.

Oh, well we are going to church in a few.  The kids are singing and there will be lots of good music and a message.  I wish tomorrow started spring break, but we have another week.  Also, please pray that we don't get this flu that is going around.  We have been directly exposed several times, but so far the Lord has protected us.  We did get flu shots this year so I hope that helps.  I don't want us sick for spring break.  We are going to the mountains.

Storms

We live in Central Georgia.  We rarely get any severe winter weather but we do get thunderstorms and tornadoes.  Last night we had some terrible thunder storms roll through.  It was only by the grace of God that we did not lose power.  The kids and I swear that the chimney got struck by lightening twice and I was surprised that the TV still worked last night because it is mounted above the fireplace.  This morning many in our county have no power and some of the roads are impassible because of downed limbs.  There is no school today for the kids, but I have to go in at 10:00.  At least it will be daylight so that if there is something in the road I can see it.  The sun doesn't really come up right now until 10:00.

I have been reading a few websites about families who only spend $50 a week on groceries or some other ridiculous number.  I want to find out how they do this and then I find out that it is only a family of 3 or 4.  When I look for large families that mostly eat at home because who wants to pay $100 for a family to eat out junk I see larger monthly totals of $600 to $800 a month.  I stay around the $600 a month category.  I would love to spend less, but we would have to cut back on some treats or other things and right now we don't want to do that.  If we had to we could cut it way back and eat fine, but there would be no good ice cream, no weekend sodas ( I let the kids have one a day on the weekends or when they have friends over) and we would have to cut back on cereals, nutragrain bars and such.  We have to run out the door so fast in the morning that I rarely cook breakfast. I like for it to be something that the kids can get themselves and I like to get the good cereals like oatmeal squares and life.  If I had to I could cook some eggs or make oatmeal or pancakes, but I don't during the week. I do think I will keep working on it.  There is always room for improvements.

It is so quiet in here.  We turned off the kids alarm clocks and they haven't gotten up year.  This makes me know that the kids never get enough sleep.  We do put them to bed at a reasonable time, but I just think that kids need more sleep than they think.  We all do probably.

Well, I might be nice and cook some French toast and sausage when the kids get up.  I better get cracking!