On August 3, 2012 I found out that i was pregnant! This was something I had wanted for a long time, but never thought would happen. I had prayed for years that God give me a child, but I had not been able to conceive. Several doctors had told me that I would never be able to have a child, but still i tried multiple drugs and fertility treatments. I did not want to give up. With my new life of being a single women again at my age, I had resigned to the fact that this was something I was not meant to expereience.
Kyle and I had discussed the possibility of having children and he understood my plight. We both desired children and decided that when the time was right we would try and possibly adopt.
God finally answered my prayer with a positive pregnancy test! It was scary and exciting at the same time. Kyle was ecstatic and overjoyed. I was super scared that i would miscarry, since i had once before, but Kyle helped me remain positive. After all the mere fact that i was pregnant was more than we ever thought possible.
Fast forwarding in this journey..... I have a beautiful baby girl who is now four months old, and i have a wonderf1ul man who is a great father and will be a great husband!
So the lesson i learned... God answers prayers in three different ways: yes, no, and not yet... This was definitely a not yet for me! So again i had to learn that God's timing is much better than mine!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
SPAGHETTI SAUCE
It's been over two years since I have been able to do any canning, but i finally got to can some spaghetti sauce yesterday. A good friend of mine gave me a bushel of tomatoes from her garden with a few bell peppers thrown in on top. So I was overwhelmed with the urge to do some canning, and i had everything i needed already to get the job done. It was a hard decision as to what i wanted to do with the tomatoes, but we eat a lot of spaghetti, so it really was a no brainer!
I forgot how much work actually went into canning, especially with a four month old daughter begging for my attention. But i was able to keep her entertained (I think). I put her swing in the kitchen with me and told her all about how to can tomatoes and of course broke out in song on occasion. I am one of those cooks who doesn't like to measure, so my sauce never turns out the same way twice, but i will detail the things that are constant.
First thing i had to do was wash the tomatoes and discard the bad tomatoes that i couldn't use. Then i prepared one pan with boiling water and another with ice water. I would blanch the tomatoes for 10ish seconds and then dip them in the ice water. Now i say 10ish because it depended on the size of the tomato. You want to blanch them just long enough to peel the skins but not turn the tomato mushy. So next step peel the skins off of the tomatoes. If you leave them on they become really chewy and are not good tasting once they cook down.
Next step, take the seeds out! This also eliminates alot of the juice. You can strain the seeds and make tomatoe juice, but i did not do that this time. Towards the end of my bushel of tomatoes, i got a little lazy and just began squeezing them with my hands. And yes some seeds still got into my sauce.
Then comes the long part... cooking the tomatoes down. While the tomatoes are cooking I clean up my kitchen and prepare the next step. I cut up 4 onions, 2 green peppers and 2 yellow bell peppers and pureed them in my power blender. I add this to the tomatoes along with some salt, garlic powder, and sugar. I let this cook for about an hour and the scraped the foamy stuff off of the top of the sauce. I then added about 2TBSP baking soda. Now be careful when adding this because it will bubble up and over flow if your not careful ( i love chemical reactions). Again i scraped off any foam on top of the sauce. I then allowed the sauce to cook for about an hour stirring periodically.
Now for seasoning, i added italian seasoning, basil, oregano, black pepper and a little more garlic. This is all done to taste, so remember the seasoning will get stronger as it cooks down. I then add 5 cans of tomato paste. Several hours later it is ready to can. I like a thick sauce, so i let it cook for quite a while. I test it by putting a spoonful on a plate and draw a line through the middle. If the line doesn"t go back together it is done!
After this it's standard canning instructions! So now i have 7 quarts of spaghetti sauce that look wonderful and taste just as good!!
I forgot how much work actually went into canning, especially with a four month old daughter begging for my attention. But i was able to keep her entertained (I think). I put her swing in the kitchen with me and told her all about how to can tomatoes and of course broke out in song on occasion. I am one of those cooks who doesn't like to measure, so my sauce never turns out the same way twice, but i will detail the things that are constant.
First thing i had to do was wash the tomatoes and discard the bad tomatoes that i couldn't use. Then i prepared one pan with boiling water and another with ice water. I would blanch the tomatoes for 10ish seconds and then dip them in the ice water. Now i say 10ish because it depended on the size of the tomato. You want to blanch them just long enough to peel the skins but not turn the tomato mushy. So next step peel the skins off of the tomatoes. If you leave them on they become really chewy and are not good tasting once they cook down.
Next step, take the seeds out! This also eliminates alot of the juice. You can strain the seeds and make tomatoe juice, but i did not do that this time. Towards the end of my bushel of tomatoes, i got a little lazy and just began squeezing them with my hands. And yes some seeds still got into my sauce.
Then comes the long part... cooking the tomatoes down. While the tomatoes are cooking I clean up my kitchen and prepare the next step. I cut up 4 onions, 2 green peppers and 2 yellow bell peppers and pureed them in my power blender. I add this to the tomatoes along with some salt, garlic powder, and sugar. I let this cook for about an hour and the scraped the foamy stuff off of the top of the sauce. I then added about 2TBSP baking soda. Now be careful when adding this because it will bubble up and over flow if your not careful ( i love chemical reactions). Again i scraped off any foam on top of the sauce. I then allowed the sauce to cook for about an hour stirring periodically.
Now for seasoning, i added italian seasoning, basil, oregano, black pepper and a little more garlic. This is all done to taste, so remember the seasoning will get stronger as it cooks down. I then add 5 cans of tomato paste. Several hours later it is ready to can. I like a thick sauce, so i let it cook for quite a while. I test it by putting a spoonful on a plate and draw a line through the middle. If the line doesn"t go back together it is done!
After this it's standard canning instructions! So now i have 7 quarts of spaghetti sauce that look wonderful and taste just as good!!
Friday, August 16, 2013
beginning again
Beginning Again...
Since my last blog my life has changed dramatically! I do not want to dwell on the past, so i am going to keep this short. The man i was married to for 7 years
decided he did not want to be married to me any longer. Of course at the time i was completely devastated, but now I know that i had to endure that in order to receive the blessings God had in store for me. throughout the beginning rough days of my new life, I prayed and cried continuously, but i never lost faith in my Lord. Finally, while praying one night, i said okay Lord, whatever you have in store for me, i am willing, i just want to be happy again! I stopped praying to be brought back together with my ex, and I filed for divorce. A few days later, i met the most wonderful man in the world! At the time i didn't know how much meeting this man would change my life, but I had to learn to let God have control and he would show me the way! So, Long story short, i learned two valuable lessons. 1. It is God's will not mine 2. It is God's timing not mine. Okay three lessons... God will provide to those who remain faithful!
decided he did not want to be married to me any longer. Of course at the time i was completely devastated, but now I know that i had to endure that in order to receive the blessings God had in store for me. throughout the beginning rough days of my new life, I prayed and cried continuously, but i never lost faith in my Lord. Finally, while praying one night, i said okay Lord, whatever you have in store for me, i am willing, i just want to be happy again! I stopped praying to be brought back together with my ex, and I filed for divorce. A few days later, i met the most wonderful man in the world! At the time i didn't know how much meeting this man would change my life, but I had to learn to let God have control and he would show me the way! So, Long story short, i learned two valuable lessons. 1. It is God's will not mine 2. It is God's timing not mine. Okay three lessons... God will provide to those who remain faithful!
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
It's too HOT to eat
I was thinking about what we could eat in this horrible heat. I don't have air in my home, so when it is hot outside it is like a sauna inside. So here is a simple recipe for a vegetable dip that is very refreshing.
1 large container plain yogurt
1 medium cucumber - peeled, seeded, finely copped
2-3 cloves of garlic -pressed
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients. How simple is that. Sometimes the cucumber makes it a little watery, so you can strain the chopped cukes if there is too much liquid, but i usually leave it in because it adds flavor. The amount of garlic is just a guess, so just add to taste without overpowering the cucumber flavor. If you are not a huge fan of garlic then add less. Remember a little garlic goes a long way and it will get stronger as it sets. This a wonderful bread and vegetable dip! Plus it is very good for you. Enjoy!
1 large container plain yogurt
1 medium cucumber - peeled, seeded, finely copped
2-3 cloves of garlic -pressed
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients. How simple is that. Sometimes the cucumber makes it a little watery, so you can strain the chopped cukes if there is too much liquid, but i usually leave it in because it adds flavor. The amount of garlic is just a guess, so just add to taste without overpowering the cucumber flavor. If you are not a huge fan of garlic then add less. Remember a little garlic goes a long way and it will get stronger as it sets. This a wonderful bread and vegetable dip! Plus it is very good for you. Enjoy!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Banana Bread
I have been baking a lot lately. Need to get it out of my system before it is too hot in my apartment to do anything but sit and sweat! One of my favorites is Banana bread! I bake several at a time and freeze them so I can enjoy them later too. I use disposable (reusable) aluminum mini loaf pans. They clean up easily and can be reused multiple times. I have had mine a couple of years now, even though I aspire to buying a set of non-disposable pans. That being said, I have had many requests for my recipe, so here it is. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
3-4 ripe bananas (approx. 1 1/2 cups) (wait until the peel is black)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil (vegetable oil works too)
2 Lg Eggs
2 tsp vanilla (i never measure the vanilla so this is also just approximate)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease bread pan(s). I use crisco canola oil non-stick spray.
Mash bananas and add sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs. Add baking soda, salt and baking powder. Fold in flour. Pour into pan and bake 55 to 60 minutes for large loaf and 25 to 30 minutes for mini loaves. Each batch makes 4 mini loaves. Bread is done when it is "toothpick" clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan(s). Place on cooling rack to completely cool. Wrap in saran wrap and put in fridge. I will put these into a freezer bag to go into my freezer.
Ingredients:
3-4 ripe bananas (approx. 1 1/2 cups) (wait until the peel is black)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil (vegetable oil works too)
2 Lg Eggs
2 tsp vanilla (i never measure the vanilla so this is also just approximate)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease bread pan(s). I use crisco canola oil non-stick spray.
Mash bananas and add sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs. Add baking soda, salt and baking powder. Fold in flour. Pour into pan and bake 55 to 60 minutes for large loaf and 25 to 30 minutes for mini loaves. Each batch makes 4 mini loaves. Bread is done when it is "toothpick" clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove from pan(s). Place on cooling rack to completely cool. Wrap in saran wrap and put in fridge. I will put these into a freezer bag to go into my freezer.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Homemade Laundry Detergent
Do you ever walk down the laundry detergent aisle at the store and cringe at the high prices? Then quickly began scanning for the lowest prices trying to find the most for your money? Yeah that used to be me too. For a little over a year now I have been using homemade laundry detergent. It feels so good to walk past the detergent aisle and know I don't need anything. Of course I laugh and think suckers, you are spending way too much money!! Is it appropriate to approach a stranger and tell them about making their own?? Probably not a good idea, so I just keep walking with a big smile on my face.
I just made my second batch today, which ends up being 10 gallons. And since I am writing a blog about it, I should probably share my recipe. My mother-in-law gave me this recipe, which is the same recipe that the Dugger family uses (www.duggerfamily.com). For those you don't know who the Dugger family is, well it is a husband and wife who have like 19 kids (not for sure how many), so you can imagine they need to try to save money any way they can.
So here is what you need....
One time expenses ( You will want to buy utensils that you only use for soap - buy cheap = save more money)
1. 3- 4 quart soup pan (got mine at Goodwill for $1)
2. Large plastic ladle (Dollar Tree $1)- need long handle for stirring
3. Metal cheese grater (Gift - but they have them at Dollar Tree)
4. Measuring cup (had an old set I didn't use - works great for soap)
5. 5 gallon bucket with lid (Lowes, but I think you can get them at Meijer's in the painting section)
6. Funnel (Dollar Tree $1)
Ingredients
1. 4 cups Hot Tap Water
2. 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
3. 1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (DO NOT USE BAKING SODA)
4. 1/2 cup Borax
What to do
1. Grate bar of soap into saucepan and add water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is completely melted.
2. Fill a 5 gallon bucket half way with hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda, and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover, and let sit overnight to thicken.
When ready to use
1. Stir bucket to mix.
2. Fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser (old jug) half full and then fill rest of way with water.
3. Shake before each use.
How much to use
Top Load Machine - 5/8 cup per load (approx. 180 Loads)
Front Load machine - 1/4 cup per load ( approx 640 loads)
Tips
* For extra soiled loads use a 1/2 cup to 1 cup of vinegar
* Soap will not suds much, so don't add more!
* Meijer's has all of the ingredients, but shop around for the lowest prices !!
I just made my second batch today, which ends up being 10 gallons. And since I am writing a blog about it, I should probably share my recipe. My mother-in-law gave me this recipe, which is the same recipe that the Dugger family uses (www.duggerfamily.com). For those you don't know who the Dugger family is, well it is a husband and wife who have like 19 kids (not for sure how many), so you can imagine they need to try to save money any way they can.
So here is what you need....
One time expenses ( You will want to buy utensils that you only use for soap - buy cheap = save more money)
1. 3- 4 quart soup pan (got mine at Goodwill for $1)
2. Large plastic ladle (Dollar Tree $1)- need long handle for stirring
3. Metal cheese grater (Gift - but they have them at Dollar Tree)
4. Measuring cup (had an old set I didn't use - works great for soap)
5. 5 gallon bucket with lid (Lowes, but I think you can get them at Meijer's in the painting section)
6. Funnel (Dollar Tree $1)
Ingredients
1. 4 cups Hot Tap Water
2. 1 Fels-Naptha soap bar
3. 1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (DO NOT USE BAKING SODA)
4. 1/2 cup Borax
What to do
1. Grate bar of soap into saucepan and add water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is completely melted.
2. Fill a 5 gallon bucket half way with hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda, and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover, and let sit overnight to thicken.
When ready to use
1. Stir bucket to mix.
2. Fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser (old jug) half full and then fill rest of way with water.
3. Shake before each use.
How much to use
Top Load Machine - 5/8 cup per load (approx. 180 Loads)
Front Load machine - 1/4 cup per load ( approx 640 loads)
Tips
* For extra soiled loads use a 1/2 cup to 1 cup of vinegar
* Soap will not suds much, so don't add more!
* Meijer's has all of the ingredients, but shop around for the lowest prices !!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Butterscotch cookies
As the mid-west was preparing for "snowmegedon" or "snowpocolypse", I decided to bake. In the event that we would lose electricity I wanted to make sure the apartment was already warm. Since our heat is all electric, I was preparing for a cold night. However, I was also really in the mood for some homemade cookies. Then came the big decision of my day...what kind of cookies should I make? Since it has been almost three years since I have had butterscotch cookies, that was the winner. Also, numerous friends of mine had shown interest in the butterscotch cookies, so I will post the recipe at the end of this blog. Hope you enjoy the cookies, I know I have!
Butterscotch cookies
1/2 cup Butter 2 Lg Eggs 1 1/4 cup Flour
1/2 cup Crisco 1 tsp Vanilla 3 cups Oatmeal
3/4 cup Br. Sugar 1 tsp baking soda 2 cup butterscotch morsels
3/4 cup Gran. sugar 1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven 350 degrees
Mix softened butter, crisco, brown sugar, granulated sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, baking soda and salt. Add flour. Fold in oatmeal. Add butterscotch morsels. Place dough in fridge for 10 minutes. Scoop tbsp size balls onto baking stone. Bake 10-12 minutes, until edges start to turn lightly brown. Allow to cool on stone for 5 min and then place on cooling rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!
Butterscotch cookies
1/2 cup Butter 2 Lg Eggs 1 1/4 cup Flour
1/2 cup Crisco 1 tsp Vanilla 3 cups Oatmeal
3/4 cup Br. Sugar 1 tsp baking soda 2 cup butterscotch morsels
3/4 cup Gran. sugar 1/2 tsp salt
Preheat oven 350 degrees
Mix softened butter, crisco, brown sugar, granulated sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, baking soda and salt. Add flour. Fold in oatmeal. Add butterscotch morsels. Place dough in fridge for 10 minutes. Scoop tbsp size balls onto baking stone. Bake 10-12 minutes, until edges start to turn lightly brown. Allow to cool on stone for 5 min and then place on cooling rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Weight loss Challenge
For years now I have been struggling with my weight fluctuating. Before getting married I had lost a lot of weight and was within 20 pounds of reaching my weight goal. However, like the freshman fifteen for new college goers, marriage has enhanced my waistline, or I am suffering from spare tire syndrome. Either way to me this is not acceptable. I am only 33 and have the body and health of a 70 year old. So that being said, I once again am embarking on a weight loss journey. This is not merely a new year resolution, it will have to be a life style change in order for success. So, here's the plan...
1. Exercise - at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes to start
2. Meal plans - Nutritional meals and snacks planned out so i don't give in to just eating junk or going through the drive through.
3. Partner in crime - my hubby has unknowingly signed himself up for this plan too, since it must be a cooperative life style change. We too easily fall into traps of laziness, just wanting to "relax" after a long days work.
Goals:
Current Weight = X
Total Loss Goal = 75 pounds
1. March 5, 2011 - Weight = X - 25 pounds
(3-4 pounds per wk)
2. June 1, 2011 - Weight = X - 50 pounds
3. Sept 1, 2011 - Weight = X - 75 pounds
At first this may not seem possible, but I believe it can be done. Even if I do not meet the deadlines as long as I am working hard and losing weight than I will be happy with the results. Nothing is set in stone and cannot be altered, it is just a beginning. Without a beginning the end is impossible.
1. Exercise - at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes to start
2. Meal plans - Nutritional meals and snacks planned out so i don't give in to just eating junk or going through the drive through.
3. Partner in crime - my hubby has unknowingly signed himself up for this plan too, since it must be a cooperative life style change. We too easily fall into traps of laziness, just wanting to "relax" after a long days work.
Goals:
Current Weight = X
Total Loss Goal = 75 pounds
1. March 5, 2011 - Weight = X - 25 pounds
(3-4 pounds per wk)
2. June 1, 2011 - Weight = X - 50 pounds
3. Sept 1, 2011 - Weight = X - 75 pounds
At first this may not seem possible, but I believe it can be done. Even if I do not meet the deadlines as long as I am working hard and losing weight than I will be happy with the results. Nothing is set in stone and cannot be altered, it is just a beginning. Without a beginning the end is impossible.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Canning Potatoes
I finally got to use my new pressure cooker! I have done some basic water bath canning, but now the possibilities are endless. Meijer's recently had a wonderful potato sale, which I could not pass up. I paid 90 cents for a 3 pound bag. The actual sale was 10 for 10 get the 11th free which I am beginning to see was a better bargain than I thought. Most recipes I have found say 2-3 pounds per quart, but I am getting 7 quarts from two and a half bags (7.5#) The only thing I can figure is they plan on more waste. I am using Yukon Gold potatoes and since the skins are very thin I have very little waste. Over all the potatoes were in very good conditon. I have chosen to leave some of the skins on despite all of the warnings to peel first. I did wash the potatoes thoroughly before and after cutting them into chunks. Needless to say I have more potatoes than I am going to be able to can up at this time. Since I live in a studio apartment, cool dark places are limited, but I think they will stay cool enough in my non-energy efficient apartment. Looking forward to opening up that first jar to see how they turned out.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
EARTHQUAKE
Shortly before 8am, as I was still laying in bed, my apartment began to shake. We live two blocks from the railroad tracks so our apartment frequently shakes when the trains are going too fast. I remember thinking to myself "stupid trains, oh wait they are not blowing there whistle". I was waiting for a crash or a whistle, but the "train" sound faded. Not a train? Was that an earthquake? Earthquakes in Ohio are rare, but not impossible. So as I was doing some research today, there in fact was an earthquake in Indiana. The epicenter was approximately 120 Miles Southwest of me. How cool is that!! I am sure to anyone who had damage to there homes they would be thinking not cool at all. But from my perspective, VERY COOL! If you felt the earthquake, you can go and register what you felt at the following website.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/us/c0000x03/us/index.html
Have a great day!
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/us/c0000x03/us/index.html
Have a great day!
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Stinky Fridge
What makes a fridge stink? It could be rotten food, pungent foods, spillage of some sort and the unthinkable....critter. For two months now I have been trying to rid my fridge of a mysterious odor. Because of the odor leaching in to certain foods, I have been very careful what i have been keeping in my fridge and freezer. Thank goodness I have a deep freeze and have been able to keep frozen foods away from contamination. I have thrown out numerous items that I thought could be causing the problem yet the stink persisted. I tried baking soda, crinkled newspaper, vinegar, diluted bleach, and full strength bleach. I thought that maybe my fridge was getting too warm allowing foods to spoil quicker and the odor was venting into the freezer. Oddly enough after turning the gage to almost freezing in the fridge, the odor intensified. This is not a good sign. So today, I bleached the inside and the door of the fridge and freezer again. I allowed the fridge to set for awhile and all seamed to be going well. There was a faint smell of bleach, but not the mysterious odor from before. Fridge restarted and odor persists. Food was still out of the fridge so it is not any of the food causing the odor. My fear is a critter has crawled inside the fridge and died, and without taking the whole fridge apart i will not be able to remedy the problem. One last suggestion to me was to cut an onion and set it on a plate in the fridge. It supposedly will absorb the nasty odor in the fridge. Will post more on this method if it works. Until then I will be looking for a new fridge and hopefully will not have the same problem
Monday, December 27, 2010
No More Christmas Music
I AM SO GLAD THE CHRISTMAS MUSIC HAS STOPPED! It seams earlier every year that you can begin hearing Christmas music played in stores and on the radio. Having worked retail for numerous years now, I have began to detest Christmas music. Now don't get me wrong I do enjoy some Christmas music, but too much of anything is just plain bad. When I hear Jingle Bells and it isn't even Halloween, well, this is very disturbing to say the least. Not to mention from Black Friday on it is non-stop "Holiday Fun" on most radio stations. Needless to say I was constantly switching radio channels and even became acquainted with some AM channels trying to find something other than Christmas music to listen to while driving to work. That being said, most of you know that I am not a country music fan. So logically i would endure the Christmas music before torturing myself with country music.
Most radio stations have returned to "regular" programming which is a relief, but the anxiety lingers. When will it be back??
Most radio stations have returned to "regular" programming which is a relief, but the anxiety lingers. When will it be back??
Sunday, December 26, 2010
New Beginnings
After faithfully stalking my sister's blog, I have decided it is time to start writing my own. I know that sounds kind of grade schoolish....ie: everyone else is doing it, but i hope to use this as a means of keeping in contact with friends and family. And maybe reveal a little of myself that people don't generally know. So, enjoy the read and feel free to comment.
Sincerely yours,
Jillian
Sincerely yours,
Jillian
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