Frugal Friday: Can Up Your Frugal Foods.

My frugal tip is to can your foods that you get on sale. Last week at our local grocery store, London broil roasts were on sale. That is our favorite cut of beef and I only buy it on sale. My extra freezer is not very large so I decided to try canning the meat. It worked!

Let me explain, I just learned to waterbath can only 3 years ago. Last summer I did a little side job of sewing and earned enough money to buy a pressure canner. Oooh, now I was in the big league! I had never done any pressure canning so I got out the instructions and worked my way through.

It was great! I got over my fears of something blowing up (I've heard horror stories!). I really like homemade soup so now I make up a big batch and can it.

Some of you veteran canners may be saying, "But of course! I've done that forever!". Well, it is a thrill for a newbie.

Now I can store meat and soups for a year and free up my freezer for other things. This week's sale was chicken so Monday I'll be canning up the birds.

A tip that worked for me was to cook the meat in the crockpot and then immediately can it when it was cooked. I started it early so it was cooked by early afternoon. It made the beef so tender that way.

If you have never tried canning, check it out! You may actually fall in love with it like I have.

Happy cooking,

Gloria

Jasmine is Having a Giveaway!

Jasmine from Joyfully Home is having a great giveaway! She is offering the set of CDs from last year's Father and Daughter Retreat hosted by Vision Forum.

I highly recommend these CDs because my husband and daughter attended last year. You will be interested in these especially if you were not able to attend. This is a life changing experience.

So hop on over to Jasmine's blog and check it out. They are also available for purchase from Vision Forum.

Blessings,

Gloria

Housekeeping Requires Intellect and Skill

I just read a great post by my friend Dallas at Abounding Treasures. It describes how housekeeping requires intellect and knowledge, skill and resourcefulness. I totally agree. Being a stay at home mom takes work, lots of work. It's not a mindless existence. It encouraged me and hopefully it will encourage you, too.

Blessings,
Gloria

Enough of the Mullygrubs!

Have you had times or even days where you were in the mullygrubs? Things had been difficult, life was a challenge and it got you down?

I understand that there are events in our lives that are hard. Life will not be easy. But I think our perspective on life is what is important.

I have a dear friend whose son, in his 20's, was in a serious car accident. He is now paralyzed from his chest down. He is on a ventilator so he can breathe. He can barely move his arms. We are all praying for his healing and recovery. He's been like this for about 5 months now. I have to tell you that this has been a real wake-up call for me.

I have rheumatoid arthritis. I was diagnosed with it 12 years ago. I really don't like to talk about it because I'd rather not focus on it but have people see me for who I am. It has not been easy but God has been gracious and I have generally been doing very well with it. But there are times when I get discouraged and just want the pain to go away! So thinking about this young man has helped me to be truly grateful.

I can walk, I can speak, I can breathe!! My difficulties are slight in comparison. I can do so many things!!

The Bible says "Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD." Ps. 150:6. So I should always be praising God! Using that wonderful gift of breath for His praise and glory!

This is not meant to be a rebuke but an encouragement. We all have so much for which to be thankful. So let's get up out of the mullygrubs and see things from a better perspective.

Take a deep breath and praise the Lord!

Blessings,
Gloria

Click here to read the blog about the son of my friend. He can use all of our prayers. Thanks.

Broth and Its Benefits

I have been featured on my daughter's new blog, Cookies and Cream. I recently found this wonderful information about the health benefits of broth. I knew it was good, I just didn't know it was that good! Here is the link to the article Broth is Beautiful. I have joint issues and I didn't know that homemade broth can contain chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine. I think I'll eat soup more often!!

Happy cooking,

Gloria

Botkin Conference: What an Experience

I did a lot of unit studies when my children were younger. I had a form for unit study planning that included 4 "F"s. Here is my review of the conference using these 4 elements (except I changed the Field trip to Friends because the whole conference was a field trip!)

1. Facts-

• A two day conference one hour from home that went from 8:30 am to 9:30 pm. We drove home on Friday to sleep in our own beds and to feed our chickens. A little extra time on the road but so worth it.
• Topics that included defining the home, church, brother/sister relationship, patriarchy, courtship, biblical femininity, honoring parents, state of the union, and hope for the future, among other things.
• Access to quality reading material for purchase.
• 500 like minded people, babies too, in one room.

2. Friends-

• The opportunity to meet and fellowship with like-minded families from all over the country.
• We met a family that lives near enough to get together on a regular basis!
• We also met people we had found online through blogging and got to see them face to face and share a hug!
• Friends we had met before but don't see often were there, too.

3. Fun-

• I found out that the Botkins don't have "fun", they work (as quoted from one of their children). But I think what they really mean is that they don't waste time in useless pursuits that don't have any real meaning. What they do is enjoyable to them.
• We had so much "fun" learning more about what the Bible says about raising our families for His glory. I had "fun" being challenged and convicted by the insightful comments of the Botkins. These things are fun for me!

4. Fundamentals-

• The Bible is the foundation for all the fundamentals. It is the only true guide for raising our children and guiding our own lives. We heard the Word over and over, often quoted by the Botkin children. I was thrilled to learn that some of the things in my heart were really on the right path. I just hadn't been able to express them or maybe put my finger on it specifically. Conviction and not condemnation tugged on my heart and that of my husband over certain issues. It is a call to come up another level. It was also reassuring to see the fruit of the labor of raising one's children in the way of the Lord.
• I was impressed with the sense of humility in the Botkin family. They were very earnest and passionate about their message. We were made to feel as their equals and yet they were serving us the entire time.
• The experience was a fine tuning of our direction; fleshing out more of the details of our journey. It was also an encouragement to persevere. Don't give up or give in. It will be worth it in the end.

Lastly, a thank you to the Botkins themselves for laying down their lives this weekend to serve, encourage and exhort fellow believers. They did it at personal cost as most of them were struggling with illness. God bless you abundantly for all you did for us!

Now if the Botkins do this again, let me encourage you to go and learn. I know that I'll be checking to see if I can be there too.

Blessings,

Gloria

Botkin Conference: We are going, are you?

The Botkin family is hosting the Christians at the Crossroads Conference, in Columbus, GA this weekend. We are going as a family and I am so excited!! I love all their books and videos so hearing them in person will be very special. Check out the link for more information. If you are going, please let me know so we can meet. I would love to meet you!

Blessings,
Gloria