31 days to clean week 2

I won't bore you with all of this week's cleaning details. Instead I'll give you a quick easy iced coffee recipe (if you want to call it that). While I was cleaning out my pantry, I found a box of Folger's coffee sticks. I was throwing away quite a few things and this box almost made it to the trash, but I restrained myself. The coffee has a few more months until it expires, so I figured that is enough time to enjoy them. I don't drink coffee regularly, but sweet cold coffees are nice.

The instructions are simple. Empty the coffee stick into a tall drinking glass. Add only a tiny bit of hot water (enough to dissolve the coffee). Fill the rest with your choice of milk, then add chocolate syrup to taste. Stir and enjoy.

See? I told you it was easy! Instead of chocolate syrup (and sometimes even with it) I Will add some yummy international delight creamer on occasion.

Kid's Activities and Crafts

Summer is right around the corner! For many of us that means having kids around for 6 extra hours each day. I've compiled a list of fun crafts and activities that may come in handy...

Painted Rock Bees by Crafts by Amanda

Cardboard Tube Farm Animals also by Crafts by Amanda

or try Paper Roll Birthday Crowns by Creative Jewish Mom

Pom Pom bouquets also by Creative Jewish Mom

Friendship bracelet with homemade loom by Homemade Gifts Made Easy


Tic Tac Toe on Tile by Rainy Tuesday Morning

Lily Pad Hop game by Toddler Approved

Activity Bags by Walking by the Way

Other ideas:
Trails in local parks
outdoor scavenger hunts
let them run through sprinklers
playing with sparklers (if they're mature enough)
playground
a bottle of bubbles
sidewalk chalk

My coupon organizer

The other day I shared some couponing blogs with you. Today I'd like to share my coupon organizer.

When I decided to start clipping coupons I knew I had to have a good way to keep them organized. I have dipped into couponing off and on and have tried various methods, but none of them worked for me.

I found Money Saving Mom's organizer and I tweaked it to fit my own needs. The first thing I had to do was resist buying a new container. I could have easily gotten a new one for under $3, but I really didn't want to spend any money at all. At home I found my green basket, which is perfect for me.

This is what it looks like when its filled and ready to go:

These are the papers that you saw on top:

I always keep my latest copy of Costco coupons in my basket. Inside of that I keep any restaurant coupons, car repair deals and other like things.

Other than that I keep circulars (this week I have two) and right now I have a booklet that goes to a specific store.

Inside of the up-to-date circular I keep coupons, like so:

When I get a new circular I look through it, then I try to match up coupons. If I find some good deals, I keep all of the coupons inside of my folded up circular. When I get to the store, I take the full circular along with the inserted coupons (sometimes I just take the whole basket in). Some stores have advertisements, but then you can't find the info in the store. I find it helpful to be able to look in the paper while I'm shopping.

Some weeks I may find more deals than others. Last week, for instance, I shopped at four stores, because I was able to match up lots of good deals, but this week I'm only going two places. In other words, I'm not loyal to any one place!

Ok, so if you are at my basket and you lift up that section of papers this is what you will see:

Crystal uses envelopes with a piece of cardstock sticking up. What I decided to do was use a half of a sheet of paper and fold it into a file folder shape. I like things to be more open and an envelope seemed to constricting to me! :)

Crystal was so kind as to write out all of the categories she uses. I think there's over 50! I combined a few, so I don't have quite that much, but it is definitely useful to have them broken down and alphabetized.

If you take one of my packets out this is what you will see:

This particular section (hair under the hygiene group) has quite a bit, but most of them just have a few. When you have just a few it makes it easy to find what you're looking for without taking too much time.

A few extra notes:

• When I get coupons ready for a shopping trip I double check expiration dates. 
• At the end of each month I go through all of my coupons and recycle the expired ones.
• I file store coupons under their proper category. For example: if I get a Pampers coupon that is only good at Target, it goes in the diapers section NOT a special Target file.
• I usually keep a pair of scissors in my basket.

I think that's it! Let me know of any tricks you have, too!

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of you! I wouldn't enjoy this day without these guys:

Tabitha, our perfect child, with her mom (that's me!)

Seth, the one who has taught us the most in life.

Patricia, the biggest helper I can find.

Ian, our joy bringer.

Couponing

Recently I've posted info on our frugal Easter gifts, Buzz Operation deal and even our trips to hardware stores for kid's workshops. Can you tell we've been trying to spend less?

Enoch and I would really like to get out of debt, so I've been trying to cut corners on our expenses. I started subscribing to the Sunday paper for the great price of $.59 a week. It is most definitely paying for itself as I easily use upwards of $10 a week on coupons.

I use blogs and the weekly circulars to find the best deals. I was so excited to walk into a Rite Aid last week and come out with 2 pairs of nail clippers (which we needed) and tweezers. I only paid 39 cents out of pocket. These sort of scenarios are happening more and more.

I thought I'd share with you some of the blogs I keep in my Google reader. They help me find lots of good deals. They also inform you of freebies that companies send out, which are great to get in the mailbox, but on top of that, they even come with great coupons.

Here is a starter list of blogs worth looking into:

• Money Saving Mom
• Couponing 101
• Motherhood on a Dime
• Surviving the Stores
• The Frugal Food

Do you have any good websites you'd like to share?

31 Days to Clean Week 1

This week started off strong for me... as do all new projects! I love the flexibility Joyful Mothering is giving us. We can do 5 days a week or we can do the full 7. I aimed for 7 and made it to 5 (maybe 6 if I get to do it tomorrow.)

Some of the tasks were easier, thanks to some recent cleaning. None of the jobs were difficult although I started losing steam a couple of days ago, making microwave cleaning a little more difficult than it should be.








Pictured is my list of reasons that I want a clean home. It is hanging inside a cabinet door... a place I can see it often.

And my list is....
   
         1. Hospitality
         2. Hygiene/Health
         3. Happiness


I wanted to keep it simple, so I could be reminded often... and so I can memorize it!

I'm linking this up to Joyful Mothering.

6 Composting Tips

I've been trying to get the hang of composting for a little while and I've learned some tricks along the way.

Ian thought he'd taste the new dirt. It's not very good!

1. Don't use an indoor compost bin. The idea of reusing the same bin over and over without giving it a good scrub everyday makes me queasy. Instead, I keep a little dish (or a big one if I have a lot of scrapes) next to my work area and dump it in the compost bin 1-3 times a day. The dish goes into the sink and gets washed with all it's relatives.

2. Its ok to throw food away. When I first started composting I used to salvage all food scraps. Then we had a raccoon visitor, so I stopped composting for a while. Nowadays, I basically just use fresh fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grinds and tea bags. All leftovers still hit the trash can. I even take breaks from composting. This week I threw away scraps for about 4 days. Then I picked up where I left off. The world still moves on!

3. Easy ways to keep your bin moist. I have two "tricks" for keeping my compost moist. Sometimes I fill my bowl (from tip #1) with water before I add it to the bin. Other times, I take the lid off on rainy days and let the rain do its work. See example:

4. Keep a stash of fall leaves. I gathered a lawn bag full of dead leaves in the spring. :) When there is a thin layer of food scraps in my compost bin, I cover them with a thin layer of the leaves. Compost bins are supposed to have layers of green and brown, so this makes that step much easier.


5. Have the kids help. They think its a fun chore! Even this tip can't be used all the time though! Notice where my daughter's face it? Well, we currently have lots of fruit flies in the bin (because the food scraps weren't fully covered with leaves!). When a child opens the bin you don't want them to have such an unpleasant surprise! Thankfully this isn't the case all of the time!

6. DON'T compost weeds. If you weed your garden, do not add the weeds to your compost bin. If you do, then you will have weeds growing in the dirt that you took the time to cultivate!

Composting gives me a little peace of mind. I feel like I'm adding just a little less to the landfills. I also look forward to a nice bounty of dirt... maybe one day I'll even grow something! What a concept for such a black thumb as myself!

I am linking this post to Smockity Frock's "How does your garden grow?"

Laundry lessons

Yesterday was one of those crazy "gotta-find-clothes-for-everyone" mornings. Believe me I do lots of laundry (usually at least two loads a day). But over the weekend I hadn't had much time to keep up. Sunday night I was able to wash one load.

Come Monday morning this is what I was thinking:

• There has to be a clean pair of underwear for Patricia somewhere in this stack of clean clothes.
• Seth can wear the same pants twice, right?
• I'm sure glad kids don't mind wearing mismatching socks these days!

All the while I was kicking myself for not washing a "better" load of laundry the night before. Most of the load was bedding and not very useful on a frantic school day! Washing sheets almost made me feel like I needed to apologize. Have you ever felt like that?

These verses popped into my head:

Then Jesus said to them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees." And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread." But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, "O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?" Matthew 16:6-9

The disciples forgot bread and they were afraid that the Lord would reprimand them for it. He didn't. Instead He basically said that He would supply all of their needs, even if they forget things sometimes.

The thought of it gave me peace during my rushed morning. The Lord wasn't mad at me for doing the "wrong" load of laundry. In the end everyone got off to school just fine and I was able to get quite a bit of dirty clothes cleaned throughout the day.

Its nice to have Scripture in your head and heart so the Lord can bring it to mind just when we need it.

HOMEmaker's Challenge

May is right around the corner, which means the "Try it" challenge will be ending. I decided to find something else, not only to occupy my time, but also to cause growth. I'm happy to be partaking in the Homemaker's Challenge during the entire month of May!

I purchased my e-book yesterday for a mere $5. Basically the book is divided into 31 "chapters". Each day there is a short "encouragement" followed by two challenges:

• Mary challenge- this is an internal challenge. They help you evaluate your motives and focus on the important things in life.
• Martha challenge- As it implies, this is an actual task in the house that will have you feeling like you accomplished something when you're done. (Like wiping cabinet doors and washing curtains)

By the end of the month I'll have completed a good house cleaning and have a better idea of what I want to accomplish with my house.

Will you consider joining the challenge? Head over to Joyful mothering to link up. You can purchase the book at Amazon: 31 Days to Clean - Having a Martha House the Mary Way

Testimony time

My brother had an opportunity to share his testimony in this neat video. I know its a little long, but its worth listening to.

My favorite words happen at the end:

"Jesus is alive and real, and He wants you to know Him."

Please share this video if it has encouraged you.

Easter weekend

This past weekend our family drove approximately 9 hours each way to and from Michigan. While there we spent our time at a Bible conference. I've never been to one quite like it. It began Friday morning and ended Sunday afternoon. The bulk of the time was spent in meetings with very little free time. It was tiring, but it was also very good for our spiritual well being. I'm very glad we went and I'd like to share some pictures with you.

You'll notice that most of the people are Indian. It wasn't an Indian conference, it just so happens that the majority of the church members are Indian.

The captions for each photo are below the photos.

This first one shows a sweet reunion. Last May we went on a road trip. My daughter, Patricia (left) met Zaneta (center). They are the same age and they clicked immediately. In September Zaneta's family visited us for a day and their friendship grew.  Patricia was SUPER excited to see her again. Joseph (on the left) is a new friend we met this weekend (he's from a different family). He made it clear to Seth that he wanted to be his best friend. Too bad we live so far!

 There was LOTS of singing this weekend! It was great! The children performed in front of the adults several times.

Patricia and Zaneta in the group of kids. See how they love each other?! Notice the girl's outfit on the left. Beautiful isn't it?

 My first viewing of a live cricket game. :)

Enoch, my handsome hubby on the left, played cricket on the side with the kiddos.

 On the way to meal time! This is Sunday afternoon. The morning meeting was supposed to last 3 hours (no breaks in between!). But, guess what. It went over. By one and a half hours! It was supposed to end at 12:30, but it was closer to 2 when the meeting was dismissed. After that everyone headed straight for lunch! No one tarried around the meeting hall!

Try It Challenge- Week Three Review

 

Week three was a breeze!  I'll admit that I didn't do anything fancy, except drink a cup of green tea every day. I think I tried 5 different brands/varieties. I must say that it was enjoyable.

I used to drink green tea more regularly, but I've fallen out of the habit. Enoch and I have been enjoying a line of tea from Tetley. It's catered more towards Indians. We have three flavors at home: Masala, Elaichi and Ginger.

Anyway, back to the Green Tea! My very favoritest kind that I had all week was Lipton Green Tea, mixed berry flavor.

Tea is easy to make but I like to follow the steeping times given. Green tea is generally supposed to be steeped for around 2 minutes.  If you steep any tea too long, it can get bitter. If you steep too short, it'll be weak and we don't want that! 

I like to add a scant teaspoon of sugar to my cup. I don't like the way milk tastes with green tea, so I skip that!

Spiritual challenge: We were to do the plank three times each morning and pray while doing so. You can read about it on Peak313's blog. I did it. I don't like it, but I do like the way it makes my stomach feel. It feels like my stomach muscles are actually getting fit. I need to do lots of them in order to actually get fit!

This coming week our food challenge is avacado and the spiritual challenge is to pray scripture. I plan on trying Clare's avacado/black bean dip for sure!

This is the last week of the challenge... I guess I'll be on the look out for something else! 

Easter Time

Can you believe tomorrow is Easter already? I love seeing spring unfold with new life. Flowers that burst out of the ground and broken egg shells in the grass. It reminds me of Christ's resurrection. Rising from the dead is a form of new life. And His resurrection allows others to have new life in Him. That is the true meaning of Easter~ Christ rising from the dead.

However, like most kids, my children expect something at Easter time, preferably a large basket of candy. I wanted to give them something, but I really didn't want to spend tons of money or fill them with junk. Instead I gave them two things. I bought them a $5 movie ("The Little Rascals") and plaster eggs for painting.

Do you remember the plaster that the kids painted 3 years ago? I can hardly believe its been that long! Ian is showing Patricia's bug off here, even though he wasn't around at the time:

I bought 1/2 a dozen plaster eggs for the kids to do this year. It came with one "difficult to use" brush, so we each took turns painting ours.

We're spending our Easter weekend at a Bible conference in Michigan, so we were able to paint our eggs early.  The kids were slightly disappointed that they didn't get loads of candy this year. But I'm happy that we get to spend our time learning about our Lord who gave His life for us and then took His life back again.

Deal of the week

I can't write much, but I wanted to pass this deal along to you.  I bought Toy Story's Operation game two days ago. The price is $5 at Walmart. It doesn't even look like its a sale, that's just the price they're selling it for.

Also, if you buy any Hasbro game before April 30th (just a few days away), you can send away for a rebate for a free frozen pizza. A classic game and a free pizza all for $5. That's a good deal in our house!

Seth was occupied with the new game.

How to clean the fridge

This weekend I was cranky! Actually, I spent the last few days trying to be UN-cranky. Guess what I did while I was in a temper. Why, yes, I did stamp my feet and snap at my kids, but I'm talking about after that.

After I let everyone have a piece of my mind I cleaned out my fridge.

Not your average run of the mill wipe down some of the shelves cleaning. It was a DEEP cleaning. A cleaning which my fridge has never seen. Well, not from me, anyway.

The very first thing I did was open up a clean trash bag.

Then I filled it up.

With probably 30 pounds of food.

Wanna know what I found? Sure you do! Here is a partial list:

• an unopened pedialyte that expired 2 years ago
• a fuzzy package. YIKES! The whole thing went into my bag
• all of my lost containers
• 2 egg salads
• 3 dishes of black beans...

Wanna know HOW I cleaned the fridge afterwards? Sure you do!

This may seem like common knowledge, but I'll write it with the hopes that maybe I may inspire just one person out there to clean out their own fridge.

When I started I had a minimum amount of food in the fridge. Then I followed these steps.

• Start at the top. Its always best to work from the top down. If you start at the bottom you'll probably create crumbs when you're on top!
• Empty your current shelf. Even when you clean your fridge out you still have some things in there that'll need to be temporarily moved around.
• Take your shelf out of the fridge. This allows your fridge to stay cool and for you to find a comfortable spot to work in. If your shelves do not come out, make sure you let the refrigerator rest for at least 10 minutes between cleanings.
• Tools required are simple. I had a bowl with soapy water and a rag. I kept my scraper handy - this was an essential tool, so please read about it! I also kept a kitchen towel handy to dry things.
• Don't cut corners. Take your time thoroughly cleaning each shelf, drawer and wall. I couldn't believe how disgusting some areas of my fridge were!
• Categorize. When everything is clean, you now have the liberty to set your fridge up the way you want to. Condiments in one section, drinks in another. You really only need one section for leftovers and it shouldn't stay full!
• Soak rags in vinegar. I don't know how yours will be, but my rags needed a good cleaning themselves! I covered them in vinegar overnight then washed them in the morning.
• Don't stop in the middle. If you start it, make sure to finish that very same day! I started cleaning my fridge around 5 pm (dinner time!) I worked for 2 hours, then we went out to eat dinner. When the kids were in bed I finished up.

My after pictures are of very poor quality, but I'll show them to you anyway. Please share yours with me if you clean out your fridge!

"Try It" Challenge - Week Two Review

 

I made it through week two of the Peak 313 challenge. I must say up front, that on Wednesday and Thursday I was sick with a stomach bug and wasn't eating. After that my stomach was still weak, so eating was still very light. I only was able to manage eating quinoa 3 days. I tried it a fourth day and couldn't stomach it!

As far as the spiritual challenge went, I listened to three podcasts! One on biblical finances, another on sharing Christ with others and the third was on modesty.

The basic way to make quinoa is straightforward. Add one part quinoa to two parts water into a pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. I covered mine, but I'm not sure if you're supposed to.

Day One

Day one was fun for us. I made basic quinoa, but instead of water I used chicken broth. Then I served it topped with sloppy joes. Yes, you read that right. 

It was really yummy. Before we ate it I was afraid it might taste like couscous. I knew the kids wouldn't like that, but its not like couscous! Quinoa is not actually from wheat, so it tastes different. And it does pair nicely with sloppy joes. LOL!

Day Two

My friend, Randa, passed a recipe along to me. It had three layers. Bottom layer is quinoa, middle is a carrot slaw and the top layer is honey flavored tempeh. 

I didn't have tempeh in the house (I've never had it in the house, actually). So, I made just the first two layers. 

I was the only one who ate it, so its hard to say how it really tasted. My kids are really the best at telling me if something is good or not! I am pretty sure the honey tempeh would've added nicely to the flavor. However, all in all, it was a filling lunch with an okay flavor.

You can find the recipe here.

Day Three

On Friday I made black quinoa according to the basic method. To make cereal I mixed the following:

• 1/2 cup prepared quinoa
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tbs brown sugar

My two year old took a while to get over the looks of it, then downed two bowls. Two of my other kids decided they didn't like it after one bite. I thought it was pretty good and my husband said its a "poor man's breakfast".

Like I said earlier, my stomach recovery really made this challenge, um, challenging. I'd like to incorporate quinoa in the future. It gives the grain part of meals a nice variety. (Am I the only one who gets tired of rice and pasta?)

This coming week the new food is green tea. The spiritual challenge is to do the plank (something I usually try to avoid) and pray while doing them!

Check out Clare's blog if you're interested in seeing how others used the new food.

Kashi Ingredient Decoder

I came across this handy dandy ingredient decoder from Kashi in a magazine yesterday. They have a PDF you can download, print out and keep handy.

Kashi is definitely one of the companies I can trust when I buy food. The only thing I ever have to look out for is nuts, but that's something I can easily live with!

Basically the list they give includes ingredients that you will (green thumb) and won't (red thumb) find in their products. Next to each ingredient they give a two or three line snippet.

Some examples of green thumbs include acacia gum, oligofructose and glycerin. Some of the don'ts: BHT, Calcium perioxide and sodium benzoate.

I was able to cut mine out of the magazine and keep it around for reference. I hope you find their website useful. My list was rather incomplete, so I thought I'd share Kashi's "a little more complete" list with you. :)

Teach by example

Today I caught Ian "reading" a book. It was a board book... you know, the ones with cardboard pages. I noticed that before he turned the pages he would give his finger a quick lick.

It was SO cute I had to take his picture.

I had to laugh, knowing that his finger licking wasn't doing a lick of good! You only need to wet your finger if you're turning a regular sheet of paper.

It immediately brought a Bible verse to mind:

"But be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

I Timothy 4:12

I never once told Ian he had to lick his fingers if he wanted to turn a page in a book. As a matter of fact, I didn't even know I was doing it so frequently! Ian didn't know why he was doing it, he just saw me do it and thought that is how you're supposed to read a book.

If he's learning how to turn pages in a book by watching me, what else is he learning? Ian is two now and we noticed that his "terrible two's" have started. He likes to break out in screaming... especially when we walk into stores. Where did he learn that? Maybe I'm not always in control of my actions, so he hasn't learned to be in control of his.

This verse in I Timothy is a gentle reminder to me of how to teach others. I don't have to tell everyone (namely my kids) what they should be doing, but they will learn if only I will live the way Christ has taught us. 

How can we know and live what Christ taught us? There is no short answer. In fact, the answer is long... we have to spend lots of time with the Lord in prayer and reading His Word. Lots of time is the key. I'm trying to learn this.

Children's Workshops

 

Just a couple of months ago I found out about Home Depot's and Lowe's free workshops that they host for children. Since then I've realized that many people don't know about these programs. The information is not easily accessible on their websites. So please read on...

Lowe's

Lowe's program is called Build and Grow. 

You DO have to sign up in advance. They only accept the first 50 applicants so if you live in a busy area, you need to sign up early!

The Lowe's Build and Grow is aimed at children in grades 1 through 5. Although I sign Seth up for this even though he's only in kindergarten.

Basically what they do is hammer nails and follow instructions. The parents are the ones who guide the child, not the instructor.

The kits/programs are FREE. If your child really likes them then you can purchase other kits they have available in the store.

Every child receives a certificate of completion and a patch. The first time you go, if you let them know its your first time, your child will receive an apron and goggles.

Lowe's Build and Grow occurs every 2 weeks on Saturday. You are supposed to arrive at 10 o'clock am.

The kids really like it and they are learning an important skill.

Home Depot

Home Depot's kids workshop runs just a little differently.

On their webpage they show painted end products, so it can be a tiny bit misleading. I have Tabitha's planter box featured here with her beloved cactus! The on line version was pink, yellow, purple and so on. Our's is...wood!

You do NOT have to pre-register for Home Depot. Its a first come, first serve kind of deal.

Home Depot holds their workshops on the first Saturday of every month. You can drop in any time between 9 and 12 to complete your project.

As with Lowe's, Home Depot's workshop is FREE!

The projects are geared towards children ages 5-12, although even younger children can go. They provided glue for those who were too young for nails.

Home Depot provides children with an apron on their first visit and a pin for each completed project.


I hope I didn't forget any details. You can search around different stores and see if there are any fun things for your kids to do!

What kind of activities has your family discovered?

"Try It" Challenge - Week One Review

 

Last week's challenge, Greek Yogurt, was very easy for us to implement into our days. I was able to use it 6 out of 7 days!

 Day One:

• 16 oz plain Chobani Greek yogurt
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup crushed strawberries

Mix all ingredients and enjoy around 4 servings.

This was yummy! The thickness does take some getting used to, especially if you're not used to eating yogurt at all, but it is filling and delicious.

 Day Two:

Popsicles

• 12 oz Chobani strawberry banana Greek Yogurt

Spoon prepared yogurt into popsicle molds and freeze. Makes 4

I'll admit that I wasn't crazy about this one, but then again I'm not too big on popsicles. The kids, however, devoured them. Their actions told me that they liked them!

 Day Three:

Chobani Champions very berry Greek yogurt.

This is the first greek yogurt made especially for kids. It's yummy... aren't all kid's foods???

 Day Four:

• 5-6 oz Stonyfield Oikos Vanilla Greek Yogurt
• 2 oz (about 1/3 cup) granola

Stir and enjoy one breakfast sized serving.

A couple people suggested eating yogurt this way. It was a great breakfast!

 Day Five:

Apple Dip
For this I used Tammy's Recipe for cream cheese apple dip, substituting plain greek yogurt for the cream cheese.

I thought it was WAY too sweet. I liked the flavors, but I really need to tinker around with this recipe to get it where I'd be happy with it.

The kids liked it after I added more yogurt. They ate theirs with a spoon and not as a dip.

Day Six: 

(Not sure why I can't write next to this pic!)

I used Alton Brown's recipe for blueberry muffins. They turned out great although I think I used too much flour. It calls for 12 1/2 oz, so I used 3 cups. I think 2 1/2 cups would've been better.

My batch yielded 15 muffins and they were gone within 24 hours, so they were a success.

Ian (our 2 year-old) was calling the berries "blue strawberries"... too cute!

Spiritual challenge: It was a good exercise to pray for our elders. Hopefully I'll remember to do that more often!

This week's food challenge is Quinoa. I'm a little nervous about this one, but I'm ready to eat!

The spiritual challenge is to listen to podcasts that edify.

Both quinoa and podcasts are things I've never tried, so this will truly be a new challenge for me. :)