Note from Michelle... Spring 2008

Hi All! Where in the world did the month of April GO!!! I hope everyone is doing well and still managing to feed your families no matter how high the price of gas or groceries continue to climb.

About 6 months ago I gave up on trying to feed the birds in our backyard because of the crazy squirrels we have in our area. Over the last year and a half since we've lived here I've tried using numerous different bird feeders that were supposedly "squirrel proof," HA! Not for THESE squirrels! They not only come from all over our back woods and consume all of the fresh bird seed I put out within just a few days, but then they have the nerve to attack the bird feeders trying to get at every last bit of bird seed that might be left. So, finally, I gave up and stopped putting bird seed out and the squirrels eventually realized the free Jones outdoor kitchen was closed for good!

Then later, about 3-4 months ago, I put out a new little bird house really just for looks. I figured no birds would come since there was no food, but I missed seeing all the pretty cardinals, bluebirds, hummingbirds and finches in our yard so much. I thought at least having a pretty little house hanging off of our deck would be better than nothing at all. Maybe I could at least remember how pretty the birds used to look when they came and enjoyed the food we kept TRYING to feed them!

Well, I am happy to report there is a beautiful little black and white finch family nesting there now and we are able to watch them fly in and out of that pretty little birdhouse from our kitchen window all throughout the week. With no threat of squirrels, because there is NO FOOD! They fly in and out all day bringing tiny fresh green leaves and itty bitty worms in for food. I don't know if the eggs have hatched and they are feeding baby birds yet or if the daddy bird is just taking good care of the mom. Whatever they are doing, it is the sweetest thing ever!!!

Last night I was thinking, "Oh you poor little things, I wish I could FEED you!" And that's probably the MOM in ME!!! But of course we all know what could happen if I did! Yes, those attack squirrels would come BACK!!! And more importantly than all the problems we had before, now the little family that we are providing a home for could be in danger.

Then God gently reminded me of one of my favorite bible verses...

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" - Matt 6:26-27 (NIV)

He comforted me about the little family of birds and I know they will be okay (just as He has always provided for our family), they will find the food they need. I have helped give them a home, and that is good too!

Praying that all of you have a warm dry place to live and plenty of GOOD FOOD to eat... with no attack squirrels on your back porch!!! :o)

Hugs,
Michelle


P.S. Here are the frugal recipes we featured in our current issue of Living a Better Life...

Deviled Eggs
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/frugalrecipes/deviledeggs.htm

Easy French Bread
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/frugalrecipes/easyfrenchbread.htm

Hot Dogs and Baked Beans
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/frugalrecipes/hotdogsbakedbeans.htm

Crock Pot London Broil
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/frugalrecipes/crockpotlondonbroil.htm

Cheerio Clusters

Featured Comment!

Liz wrote...

Cheerio Clusters

My kids loves these, so does my hubbie! We make them on the weekends as our movie snack or anytime the kids want a quick treat. They take 5 minutes and only use 4 ingredients.

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. corn syrup (I use the light)
1 c. smooth peanut butter
2 1/2 - 3 c. Cheerios or similar cereal

Mix sugar and corn syrup in a large pot and bring to a boil until bubbly. Quickly add peanut butter and stir until melted and smooth. Take off burner and mix in cheerios until coated. Drop by large spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. They set up really quickly. After about an hour they get too hard to eat, but mine never last more than 10 minutes :)

Enjoy! Liz T. of Las Vegas, NV

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Thank you Liz, oh my goodness would my kids love these!!! :o)

Easy Homemade Chili

Featured Comment!

Tim and Amy wrote...

Depending on the size of your family, you can be the judge of how much you make.

Canned ranch style beans (you can use the jalapeno flavor if you want a little spice to it)
Hamburger meat
Canned diced tomatoes
Chopped onion, optional

Brown the hamburger, drain, add all ingredients together and add water to your liking. If you want thick chili, use less water. Add more water for thinner chili. Heat on low-med. until all ingredients are heated through.

We eat this with saltine crackers or cornbread. Enjoy, we do!!

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Thanks for sharing your easy chili recipe with us, Tim and Amy, this would sure be a lot quicker than the chili we usually make and great for a busy night with the kids. We'll definitely try this!

Crock Pot Barbecue Chicken

Featured Comment!

Denise wrote...

This is one of my favorites. It is so easy if you have a crock pot.

Ingredients: 1 large whole chicken, 1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce.

Wash chicken thoroughly and discard any unwanted pieces from inside the chicken. Set inside crockpot (I sometimes add a very small amount of water) then add one bottle of your favorite bbq sauce.

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Thanks Denise, this recipe is probably cooked on low for at least 4 hours like our barbecue pork recipe, which we also cook in the crock pot! We love pork so I've never tried it with chicken, great idea! :o)

Irish Beef Stew

Featured Comment!

Opal wrote...

This recipe is a good one for St. Patrick's Day. Sounds so good I am going to have to make it one night.

Irish Beef Stew
Serves 6

1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 pounds beef stewing meat cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups beef broth
4 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
12 oz gravy (from a jar or you can make it yourself)
1 tsp sugar
6 oz tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 Tbl dried thyme
4 or 5 large baking potatoes (about 3 lbs), peeled and cut into large cubes
3 cups baby carrots or regular carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch slices
1 large onion cut into chunks
Water, if necessary
Parsley

Get out your large soup pot. Seven- or eight-quart size will do it. Pour in your vegetable oil and put in your meat. Brown the meat on all sides quickly over medium high heat. Stir often to toss the meat around. You're not cooking it all the way through, just lightly browning the outside. (Five to six minutes.)

Pour in the broth, Worcestershire, gravy, sugar, tomato paste, salt and thyme. Stir this all up and bring to a boil. Then turn down to medium low. Let simmer covered for 45 minutes. Stir once in awhile to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. You'll open the pot and be amazed at how much gravy you have!

Now it's time to peel your potatoes. (If you peel them ahead, they will turn brown.) Add the potatoes, onion and carrots to your pot. Bring to a boil again. You're going to simmer 15 to 30 minutes more until the potatoes are soft but not mushy and the carrots are cooked. If the liquid is not covering everything, you can add up to 2 cups more water and stir it into the gravy. Don't worry. The sauce will thicken up again.

Chopped parsley just adds a little color at the end as a garnish. Serve in soup bowls or other big bowls with some nice bread to soak up the sauce. This is a simple, Irish meal. Don't try to make it fancy. You'll spoil the intention. Comfort food. Enjoy!

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Thanks Opal, this does sound good! Similar to my pot roast that I cook in the crock pot but with a few different ingredients, particularly the gravy and tomato paste. We'll have to try this! :o)

Sausages in the Crock Pot

Featured Comment!

Sarah wrote...

Farmer Sausage in a Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 Cup Ketchup
4 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
4 Tbsp. Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbsp. HP Sauce
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper
Small onion
1 or 2 lbs. of big sausage

Easy sauce most of the things on hand in the fridge or pantry. Cook in crock pot 6 hours low. 3-4 hours high. I threw the sausage in frozen. We are having brown rice and veggies with this.

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This sounds really good Sarah, thanks for sharing your recipe with us! I have never tried anything like this in the crock pot before, will have to give it a try. Normally we either grill our sausage or cook them in a pan with onions and peppers, they are great that way too. And we just bought some sausage this week at the grocery store so this is perfect timing to try your recipe. Thanks again!!! :o)