Menu Plan Monday

With Family reunions, wedding and so many parties groceries have been rotting in my fridge! My number one most hated household duty is cleaning the fridge mostly because I have to throw away so much waste and waste = money. The menus this week are a little heavy considering how hot is it but they will be using up what I have.

Monday- Hamburgers with oven fries and fruit

Tuesday- Quiche , here is the recipe though I will be using ham not bacon, most of the recipes on this site are very practical using what a normal person would have on hand, pretty basic stuff.

http://mamasfixins.blogspot.com/2008/07/zucchini-bacon-quiche.html

Wednesday- Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff with egg noodles and green beans.

Thursday- Ham Biscuits except made with homemade rolls (can you tell I have a lot of ham in the freezer). My favorite salad which is a bed of greens, with julienned beets, feta cheese, bacon bits and orange slices with a balsamic vinaigrette.

Friday-I am pretty sure we have a wedding rehearsal.

Saturday- Going out with high school friends that will be in town.

Sunday - Presby Baby's first birthday, have no idea what I'm serving but the ham rolls may make another appearance.

"Pastor's Wife" book reviews

I have read a LOT of book geared toward ministers wives and honestly some give the impression of oppression or that ministers wife's should be so "professional" that she gives off the appearance of not being friendly or "touchable"whatsoever. Here are a few of my favorites.

"Life as Viewed from the Goldfish Bowl"- Beverly Hyles

This is actually my former Pastor's wife so I know she lives what she preaches. This has a lot of practical things in it.

"Married to a Pastor's Wife"- H.B. London Jr. & Neil Wiseman

This is of course written by men, it is also good a few things I disagree with, specifically when it talks about women being forced to work secular jobs to support a minister who's church can't afford to pay him, I have found this usually leads to a lot of resentment on the wife's part if it's on a permanent basis. Not bad, well written.

"First we have Coffee"- Margaret Jensen

This isn't written specifically about minister's wives but the author was a minister's daughter and shares wonderful stories and experiences on being part of a Pastor's family in "the good old days". This book always makes me cry, which is saying a lot because I am not easily moved by emotion.

What are some of your favorites?

I Need a Painting Genie

Have you ever been tempted to throw away all your possessions and start afresh? When we moved here O about 1 1/2 years ago I had plans of going through the house with a fine tooth comb and discarding a lot of stuff since I knew this house was going to be about 800 sq. feet less...then morning sickness kicked in and I didn't feel like doing anything for the next 4 months, we threw things in boxes and moved. I also had grand plans of painting the interior of the house before our actual possessions came since NONE of the colors matched my color scheme at the previous houses...of course someone who can't stand the smell of hamburger or throws up at the scent of toast doesn't do to well painting either. What I have done is rip off 1/2 of the bedroom wallpaper, rip down and replace all but one difficult spot of the main bath wallpaper and strip the wallpaper off the living room walls, there was about 20 layers so that's actually much more of an accomplishment then it seems. I put one coat of primer on the living room but it needs more primer and actual paint. I still have way too many possessions then space. My goal till July is to THOW AWAY STUFF! Not store it in the garage for am imaginary yard sale or list it on Craig's list either into the trash or the Church Rummage Sale!

More of my Favorite Things

I thought I'd share a few favorite recipes and beauty products.

First the running joke in my family is my bar of Clinique Facial Soap, It's a large bar and I've used it twice a day for about 5 years now....and I'm still on my first bar! The funny part is that there is still about 2/3 of a bar left so it will probably last me another 10 years! The case is all cracked but the bar lives on...

When visiting some fancy shmancy hotel in Newport,RI last year they featured this lotion in their guest rooms, I just loved it, it too is a tad pricey to order but it has a good consistency and I like the scent, I dislike Bath and Body works type products as they make me sneeze. This doesn't but is scented and the scent lasts. Gilchrist & Soames Body Lotion

My favorite things to take to a summer picnic style "potluck", done take, potato salad, baked beans or deviled eggs because chances are that's what everyone else is bringing. Two of my favorites are :

"Buffalo Wing Dip"

Served in a small tureen dish or small crock pot is best with tortilla chips

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing

1/2 cup any flavor FRANK'S REDHOT Sauce

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cans (9.75 oz. each) SWANSON White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained

DIRECTIONS:
Tips1.Microwave Directions: Prepare as above. Place in microwave-safe dish. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 5 min. until hot, stirring halfway through cooking. 2.Tips: You may substitute 2 cups shredded cooked chicken. 3.Slow Cooker Method: Combine ingredients as directed above. Place mixture into small slow cooker. Cover pot. Heat on HIGH setting for 1 1/2 hours until hot and bubbly or on LOW setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir. 4.Tailgating Tip: Prepare dip ahead and place in heavy disposable foil pan. Place pan on grill and heat dip until hot and bubbly.

I also like adding some actual crumbled blue cheese to the mix. Men seem to really like this.

Cast Iron Upside Down Cake

You really need a cast iron skillet to make this as it goes from stove to oven, if you have an ovenproof skillet you could try but the non stick abilities of a cast iron are best.

First 1/3 cup real butter and melt in skillet, next take 1/2 c. brown sugar and whisk it into the butter and let bubble, next arrange sliced peaches, pineapple rings pears etc. on bottom, you could toss in a few maraschino cherries if you wanted, mix up a yellow Jiffy cake mix according to directions and pour over the peach mixture, put cake into preheated oven according to Jiffy cake mix directions, when done DONOT wait for it to coll but invert over a cake stand, (hence the peach and caramel bottom is now the top and serve with whipped cream (if at home serve with vanilla ice cream).
* I also really like the taste with bananas but often the will over brown.

Where your Money there will your heart be also.

The other day I was talking with a good friend about the upcoming birth of her second baby, she was bemoaning the fact that she didn't know how she could afford to stay home for the first few months as money was SO tight! This was all AFTER she had showed me her new cell phone and talked about how excited she was about the upcoming concert that was $75 a ticket that she was taking her hubby to for his birthday. Now this is a very good friend who then commented that she wished she could stay home like myself, so I told her plainly that I didn't have a fancy cell phone, I only had the lest expensive prepaid one and it was for EMERGENCIES, I didn't have cable, we live on a budget and that's how I afford to stay home. I could have all those things but then I would have to pay for them.

She said she just couldn't "live like that" WHAT! no cable and no cell phone result in a poor life??? Not only were we not raised with cell phones but she was raised in a denomination that didn't even believe in TV!

Would you be willing to give up "luxuries" in order to led the life you wanted?

Favorite Cleaning Products

I wish I could say I was one of those people who cleaned with only vinegar and baking soda, but I'm not I can't even say that I love earth friendly cleaning products, I've tried a lot and this is what WORKS!

First of all get yourself a pair of rubber gloves, they make them in cute styles now or you can get a pair of inexpensive yellow ones like your Granny had, your hands are one of the first things to show age and the more protection between you and chemicals the better.



This is is best stuff for cleaning porcelain bath tubs or really stained toilets. Easy-Off Bam makes may products the one I like is the "Grime and Lime" cleaner. Its the only thing that cleaned out ancient tub when we moved here, you MUST wear gloves this is strong stuff.





The best toilet bowl cleaner for weekly use, it sticks to the bowl and the smell isn't overpowering.

I love this to soak baby clothes and food stains, it's an enzyme cleaner. I usually use 1/2 a scoop and 1/2 a scoop of detergent and let baby clothes soak overnight.

Greased Lightening is strong stuff , I'm not sure what ingredient makes it cut grease so well, maybe turpentine?, but I use this to clean my stove hood, simply remove your filter spray it down, let sit a few minutes , scrub with brush and rinse, it will take anyone that's stuck on a stove top off but again its really strong stuff. If you have a husband who a mechanic or into tinkering with oily things you can also use this as a clothing stain treater, I have also used this on my clothes but don't leave it on to long as it might discolor some dark fabrics.

This is the best dishwasher detergent hands down, this isn't those handy little cubes its just the plain powder, I usually run my dishwasher on the shortest cycle and on air dry and this does the best job its 100oz. of powder for about 3.88 at Wal Mart, I usually pour the powder into an old formula container and add I T. scoop per wash.

What are your favorite cleaners?

Life

Isn't that the cutest thing you ever saw! Its a counter top dishwasher that hooks up to the sink and washes cups, plates, bowls and silverware for 4! I am sending one to a dear friend who is a missionary but lives in a trailer where you can't have a dishwasher and she has so longed for one!

Life has so busy as of late! The ReverendDr. is out of town for the week at Princeton taking in a seminar, every weekend seems full of weddings, yard sales and graduation parties, gardening and two small children seem to make life very full.

Today alone I wrapped and mailed presents, wrote thanks you's,cards and bills. My 30th birthday is Friday , yup the big 30! My bestest friend in the world the "Liberal Lady Lawyer" is flying in from Boston this weekend to give me a party! Presbybaby's first birthday is coming up and today she received a diamond baby necklace in the mail from the Presbygrandpa, not the play kitchen or stroller that I said she would want, heck if it was up to me I would have said a few cases of diapers would be nice, but not all people share my un-fun ways. I can't decide on a princess theme or ladybug! I, know the hard choices in life!~

Pastor's Wives Question

I have a question for all you wives, which "circle" meeting do you attend if you church has more then one? Do you go to all (or would that be all you did) none, or a particular one, has anyone else complained of "favoritism" for not going to them all?

A Very Full Life

So much has been going on, from visitors to funeral dinners, weddings and graduations! I have been invited to two weddings on the same day! Both of the grooms were my friends from high school and they were both in my wedding, still trying to decide which to go to (both at 2 pm)they have mutual friends so I am wondering if they didn't talk to each other?

Presbybaby took her first steps at 11 mo. 2 days! Presbyboy walked exactly at 13 mo. so I guess girls are a little more advanced. This Sunday is graduate Sunday at our church and I have all my cards made out for each of the 7 high school graduates. we also have several in our family and friends that are graduating.

All of my garden is in, Presbyboy did "help" by digging up all the potatoes we planted, but he had fun planting them again!