Frugal Mom

I was on Pinterest earlier today and saw someone who had posted some cheap meals (for under $5 for a family of four). After looking through some of them, I decided that most of them sounded like things I really wouldn't want to eat. I know being frugal is a choice we make, but lets be honest. I want to eat good food. At our house, I have been very blessed to have two families that cook amazing food. Which makes it much easier to plan my menu and have it fit in our weekly budget. I thought today I would share a recipe that is super good and cheap. Hopefully, as I'm trying out some of my recipes on my menu for the next couple of weeks, I will have more to share.

Weight Watchers Sloppy Joes
(Don't worry, they don't taste like it)
1 lb. ground turkey (Weight Watcher) or Ground Beef (Cheap me)
1/2 of a green pepper, diced
1/2 of an onion, diced
1 cup of barbeque sauce (I use whatever kind is the cheapest)
1/4 to 1/2 of a tsp of red pepper flakes, depending on your taste
1 pack of hamburger buns

Brown the meat and add the peppers and onions. Once veggies are cooked, add the barbecue sauce and the red pepper flakes. That's it. You are done! Bruce actually likes this recipe better than traditional sloppy joes (me too!). Plus, this recipe is super easy to remember if you ever get invited to do one of those recipe exchanges.

Sticky Fingers and Kisses

It's been one of those mornings. No, not the bad kind. The ones where you can't help count all of the wonderful blessings in your life. Most of my blessings have come from being a wife and a mom. As Bruce is out on the job search once again, I think of my own work career. At times, when I watch us struggle, I wonder if we did the right thing in deciding to make me a stay at home mom. Then I have days like today and I remember some lessons learned.

I learned that sticky kisses from a little boy are the best form of payment. Especially when accompanied by "Love you, Mamma." I learned that the sound of a little boys laugh is far better than season tickets to the symphony. I learned that cleaning up splashes from bath time are worth it when I get to tell my husband how our little boy learned to use the rubber ducky to spray water at Mamma. I've learned that the closest I feel to heaven is when I listen to my little boy say his nightly prayers. Most of the words aren't discernible to the non-Mommy ear, but he says them with such sincerity, it makes my heart ache with the wonder of it all. I've learned that watching your child sleep seems creepy until you're a mom. For mom's, its a time at the end of the day when everything is over and you can just smile down at them and remember how very blessed you are. I learned that listening to my husband sing a song to a sleepless child makes me fall in love with him all over again. I've learned to love the sound of a little boy pretending to be a dragon and that any toy can be used to aim at something and say "Bang Bang." I learned that holding hands with my husband means a little boy wants to hold hands too. I've learned that cuddle time will always mean more to me than any job and that living frugally is hard, but worth it when I get to be home with this amazing child that Heavenly Father has blessed me with. I am so thankful for the blessing of being a mom. I am thankful for our growing family and for the new little one that will be joining us in the next month. I am so thankful that life has delivered us so many surprises and that at the end of the day, the only things that really matter are kneeling right beside me for family prayer.

Weekend of Crafting

So, I have been needing a crafting fix for sometime. I am still working on a couple of projects, but I finished some fun things that I love. It has been so much fun. I got to work on the wood stuff today with my sister Cheree. They turned out super cute!

I also decided, based several different ideas that I liked, to make some burp clothes and bibs for shower presents. This picture isn't necessarily wonderful, but I did a cute little lacy border around the edge. Thanks to Adriane for teaching me how to do this particular pattern. I love it!

Cookie making has been my downfall for the last couple of years and I got to try out a great new recipe. The recipe is courtesy of pinterest and is super easy to make. I added butterscotch chips to the recipe because Bruce loves butterscotch. When you bite into these awesome bar cookies, it makes your whole mouth happy. So I thought I would share this recipe with you. To find some more awesome recipes from the lady who came up with this, visit: http://musingsfromasahm.com.

Ingredients
1/2 c butter, softened
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1.5 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sale
1 c white chocolate chips
1 c semi sweet chocolate chips
1 to 1.5 c toffee bits

Cream the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and vanilla; mix in well. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips (all kinds) and the toffee bits. Spoon into a greased 9X13 inch pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining toffee bits. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until the top begins to crack and is golden brown. cool on a wire rack and cut into bars.

I'm also working on a couple of other projects that hopefully will be finished this week. Then I can post the pictures!! I already made one and sent it to my cute sister Christi for a housewarming gift. I can't wait to see it in her cute new home. We are so excited for Christi and her husband Aaron.

We have five weeks until I am due to have our new little girl. We are so not prepared, but are very excited to have her be a part of our family. Bruce is such a good dad to G, but it will be interesting to see him with a little girl. In other exciting news, Bruce got another long term sub job that will continue through the end of the school year. What a blessing for our little family! The time is rapidly approaching for new teaching contract positions, so the search starts again. We appreciate all of the thoughts and prayers that family and friends have sent our way. Please keep it up! We are ready to move on to the next phase of our life. Despite that, I am learning to appreciate this trial. Bruce has proven himself to be such a hard worker. I am amazed every day by his willingness to work this hard so that I can be a stay at home mom. He is such a good man. I cannot help thank my Heavenly Father every day for bringing him into my life. I love you, Bruce! It has also shown us that we are capable of surviving on a lot less than we thought. We are so grateful for my parents for letting us stay in their house for so long. While we are grateful, we are hoping that the end of this trial (soon, we hope!) will mean that we can be back in our own place.