how cheap can you be :)

it is a constant mission to save money around our home, how 'bout yours? same goal? i thought as much.... but it's hard, why am i subconsciously drawn to the more expensive items?! a strict budget is hard and the decision to live debt-free and below our means is a daily adventure is self-control.

about two years ago my Man wanted to take over the money-managing for our family, and you know, i wasn't so happy about it. even though i knew i wasn't doing the very best job saving or budgeting, i felt like if he came in and took over i'd lose some sort of "power".... stupid, huh? we never argued over money and everything got paid (for the most part) and we had more than enough money to blow on whatever we wanted, but because we weren't on the same page as far as saving or investing or spending and without any real goals, it just wasn't working.

so i submitted to his leadership, prayed for God to give me heart to follow and that He'd give my Man much wisdom and discernment to manage the money that God blessed us with.....

and that made all the difference!

in order for me to stay home full-time there was going to have to be sacrifce (i've written about sacrifice/charity here), to be able to be used by the Lord in new capacities and give like never before, it would mean paying off doctors bills quicker, paying off those credit cards and not using them again and downsizing every area of our life.... and being open to my Man's leading and the Lord's each step of the way.

and since we've done (with God's good grace) those things, and we absolutely have taken to the teachings of dave ramsey & the total money makeover, i'd like to say that budgeting and saving money and just sometimes going without has become second-nature by now, but it's not, not even close.... is living below your means easy for your family? or do you even budget?

i spent a lot of time at the beginning of the year cataloging groceries prices from about 5 local grocers,

just so i'd have a more exact idea about what was really a sale when the weekly ads came out; plus i have become addicted to couponing!! seriously, it is a personal mission to save as much as possible with my ad prices and coupons. and this isn't easy, comparing prices, figuring is this coupon really a better deal at this store because they double or at this store with a lower original price, and so on. that reminds me i probably need to catalog prices again, you know, just to make sure things are still about the same and i'm not missin' a deal :)

what makes me really proud is to same that i have cut my bi-weekly grocery budget 110.00 so far! that's an extra 220.00 each month, that for some reason hasn't necessarily ended up in our savings account due to doctor's visits, car repairs, flooded houses, and summer utility bills....

and there's another place i'm trying to cut: energy costs. and this seems about impossible!! but i have grown to love my inherited clothesline that came with our new home!

i thought i would struggle with crunchy, stiff clothes (which i loathe!) but i have taken to another money-saving tip!! instead of using all those costly stain removers and fabric softeners in our washer, simply pour in about a 1/3 cup of plain white vinegar in with your detergent, and i also use a bit more in my fabric softner dispenser. once it's rinsed out and dried, you don't smell any vinegar at all, promise! but all my sheets and towels are just right and fluffy as i'm taken 'em off the line. perfect!!

and not only do i enjoy baking, it is a money-saver!! baking cookies, biscuits for dinner, brownies, pizza crusts and the like from scratch is better for you and much more efficient on my grocery dollars.

example: my homemade drop biscuits are a bajillion times better than any store biscuits from a can and so easy:

2 cups flour (one unbleached white and one whole wheat)

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

combine and then using a pastry cutter or a sturdy fork work in a 1/2 stick of real butter (and don't melt or soften it, the cold butter is perfect and melts beautifully while cooking in the oven, yum!). once it's all crumbly stir in 1 cup milk and you're done!!!

have your oven pre-heated to 450, and just drop the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, it makes about 7-9 biscuits depending on how big you like your biscuits :), and 12 minutes later you're in biscuit heaven!

this recipe is quick, healthy (for a biscuit) and super cheap!!

okay, i know there are other ways we have been pinching pennies, but i want your input and ideas, or at least help me feel better and let me know that you struggle to control your spending and it's not just me :).... please.....

so a happy friday to you and have an amazing weekend; if you stop by tomorrow evening i'll have some thoughts about remembering 9/11, should be interesting or at least i think so :)

be blessed

Cast your burden on the Lord; and He will sustain you.... Psalm 55.22

what's cooking?!

so i've been tweeting about my oatmeal cookie obsession lately (if you don't follow me on twitter, just click on the link on the right sidebar) and the obsession has yet to subside... yep, at 10am this morning i was whipping up another batch.

hey! don't judge me! it's oatmeal, people! it's heart healthy and whole grains are very, very good for you.

anyway.... since i have been completely lazy on sharing our weekly menus and new recipes with you (bad mama blogger....), i thought that i would give you my super fabulous oatmeal cookie recipe, well it's my mama's but she won't mind at all if i share with you :)

preheat your oven to 350 degrees (i almost always forget to do this, so i eat way too much cookie dough while i wait for my ancient oven to heat up)

you'll need:

2 sticks of butter (softened) and yes to make them incredibly delicious it must be real butter

cream butter with 1C brown sugar and 1/2C sugar (i use organic raw sugar but granulated is fine, too). once you've creamed those together and taken a couple tastes, just to be sure :), then add 1tsp pure vanilla, mix some more. then grab 2 eggs from your chicken coop out back or the fridge, whatever :) and beat those in (one at a time) with your butter/sugar mixture.

good so far? great...

in a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients: 1 1/2C flour (i use half unbleached white and half whole wheat), 1tsp baking soda, 1tsp cinnamon and a pinch more for good measure, and 1/2tsp of salt.... stir it all together

now stir in the dry ingredients, about 1 cup at a time... oh hold on i have to take a bit of my cookie, oh that was good.... into the butter/sugar/egg. your dough will be nice and thick but it is of course missing something: oatmeal!! now just using my spatula or wooden spoon i stir in 3C of oatmeal (i do not prefer the quick cooking oats, i like the big old fashioned oats, i love the texture it adds to my cookies

yea! you've done it!! now just plop down some of this amazing mixture on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, okay you don't have to use the parchment paper, but i do and it's my recipe, to there :) bake at 350 for about 8 minutes, and viola! you have the most amazing oatmeal cookies this side of the mississippi!!

now i have been experimenting with little additions to my cookie dough such as white chocolate chips or walnuts or even dried cranberries.... and while all of those are yum-o, i still just love this simple recipe without all the bells and whistles. and for all you freaks who ruin a perfectly wonderful oatmeal cookie by adding raisins (YUCK, YUCK, YUCK!!), i don't want you're commentary about how you added raisins and it was fantastic, gross :)

okay, i am off to clean up the kitchen after feeding five children (yes i had two extras today) this colorful, yummy, and simple lunch....

some all natural vanilla yogurt, with honey wheat pretezel, slices of nectarines and a drizzle of raw honey..... yum, yum, yum... enough said :)

my belief is: if it looks colorful and appealing to the eye, then the posse is more likely to eat it without any complaining

and the hot dogs are actually turkey dogs without any preservatives or anything artifical, organic mac-n-cheese (so good), grape tomates and baby carrots with cottage cheese... easy, cheap, and so healthy i can hardly contain myself!!

be blessed today!! let me know how you liked the cookies.... i'm off to put the toddler down for a nap (praise the Lord!) and then i have like a million jewelry portraits to create...

oh how i love my vitamins!!!

i have gotten very lazy about our vitamins and supplements as of late... you'd think i'd be as pleased as punch that i feed my family only real food, with the exception of stopping at wendy's every now and again for some chicken nuggets for the posse (which are supposedly real chicken, who knows but they taste good), i don't allow anything artifical to enter the premises and i'm big on whole grains. but either i've come up with not enough time to run by dr.d's office for refills or i forgot to stop by mama jeans; my excuses are long on why we're out of vitamin D and C, the fish oil is almost empty, the magnesium lotion has not magically reproduced inside of that cute little blue bottle and the aloe vera juice is bone dry and don't get me started on when the probiotics ran out... the only thing i haven't let disipate is the non-aluminum baking soda (this assists in keeping a balanced pH, just fyi).

but no more!!! i am tired of feeling tired and run down.... my poor system is having supplement withdraw! maybe it's just me that is crazy about keeping myself and the kids (my Man is a hopeless cause for supplements, unless he's sick then he wants me to put "something" together for him, oh well... the poor guy has gone totally all natural and organic on my request and there is very little complaining to boot!!) on vitamins and supplements, but even with our good eating habits it is just impossible to get all the good stuff into our systems and stay healthy.

i will brag (just a little) that this year we have avoided the flu (my Man & i did get the respiratory flu stuff back in november but it was very short lived for me & some sniffles last week, hello vitamin D and green tea... i'm just sayin') for the first time in forever!! baby 'K' has had a day here and there of upset tummy and he's had just one ear infection, which is crazy awesome in comparison to last year! it was winter of '08 that i began our conversion to organic eating along with our natural medicine choices and there has been no looking back... i totally believe that our lack of flu & colds is due to the healthy foods we eat and the supplements to stimulate our body's natural defenses.

you might be saying i'm silly for thinking a bunch of herbs & vitamins will keep me well & heal sickness but i will have to disagree... i have experienced amazing healing from simply headaches or colds to finding relief from severe digestive problems and a reproductive disease...

truly, it's a small price to pay for some green tea & echinacea & some lemon balm, throw in some probiotics (we do ours for about 2 weeks out of each month during flu season and a full 2 week regimin once every 90 days otherwise) along with aloe vera juice in the morning (aloe vera is a prebiotic that enhances the work of the probiotics, plus it's great for digestion, skin, internal anti-inflammatory... per my own experience and many a research done by super-smart scientists) and i throw in an extra 500mg vitamin C chewable and our vitamin D drops and the basic multi-vitamin & mineral tab. as i write this i think i might sound like a lot to remember or buy, but not so much.

i mean.... how much does it cost you to go the doctor's office? fill the prescription? time off of work? how much is your time worth? i absolutely despise feeling sick and i most certainly hate paying medical bills, so if there are measures i can take to heal my body and prevent illness, well i'm gonna do it!!

because i am asked by my family & friends quite abit about what i read to educate myself about natropathic/homeopathic cures & organic foods, here are just a couple things i've read recently:

the pH miracle: wow!! this book taught me a truck-load about my body and what i should be doing to keep it working at its optimum... and while i am not completely able to turn away from all sugar (i ate a twix today and it was scrumptious!) and i don't totally buy that all diseases can be wiped out my balancing my pH, because i have a pretty close to neutral pH and still experience some issues with my own disease, this book is an absolute wealth of information and i recommend it.

the seven pillars of health is probably a staple in many homes but is a Christian-based book about taking care of our body and living naturally.

i love to pick the brain of my natro-physician, dr.d and i love to sift through all the research done by my friend dave for his son, jaymun, and the internet is endless with info on learning to eat better!! and if you have an amazing local health food store with an awesome herb & supplement & vitamin department, then that is a great resource for you to learn something new about taking care of you & the family, naturally! (a side note: health food or supplement stores can be totally overwhelming, and there are a lot of choices so do some research on the side if you are feeling confused)

so i have my list made, i have researched a new multi-vitamin for myself and will let you know how i like it, and i will be picking up all my natural goodies this week... i can just feel my energy increasing as i write!!!

be healthy.... just try adding some fish oil to your juice in the morning or doing a round of probiotics and see how you feel... start small and work your way into taking care of your body, and if you have questions about the exact brands or whatever, just comment and let me know what you think:) and if you have any good tips on natural health, please let me hear it :)

*just so you know... i am not a natropathic doctor or expert in natural or homeopathic medicine and any claims of healing or cures that i have written about is simply based upon my own experience with a product and is not an endorsement of their company or any claims they might make... this is my family's belief and choice to care for ourselves and kids.... okay ? :) great!!

just a smidge...

i love lists and organization and things alphabetized and color-coded... oooohhh, my heart is skipping just thinking about my organized by aisle grocery list!!! jealous?!! well don't be, i will share with you what i'm making for dinner for the next two weeks and this week i'll go step by step for a one of my favs so you can copy and paste onto your shopping list. see how i love ya!

okay, here's what i have planned:

*whole wheat pasta arrabbiata with tomatoes & arugula (i use spinach instead)

*vinegar & honey chicken with creamy dijon smashed potatoes

*pot roast with new red potatoes & baby carrots and fresh green beans

*lemon poppy chicken with mint couscous

*chicken enchiladas

*manicotti with spinach salad

*chicken parmesan (my Man's absolute fav and very easy, restaurant's totally over charge for this dish!)

*taco pie in a pan (we had this tonight)

*chicken casserole

*baked salmon & cranberry/walnut couscous

*pizza (this is a must have, and if i don't feel like supermom and make it from scratch we order from pizza hut, they do have an all natural ingredient pizza... not that we always order that one..)

*ranch & cheese hamburgers with homemade fries (i can attribute the inspiration for this entire meal from my very bestest-est friend, might as well be my twin sister, ms.S...oooohhh secretive!)

*lasagna

see, none of these dishes are overly difficult for mom's to put on the table, and your cute little (or big) families can eat organic/all natural food that is actually good for their and your bodies!!

alright, a top pick of mine is the chicken enchiladas, so here's my recipe for them... feel free to modify however you like:

you'll need:

1# chicken breasts

1 jar of salsa - i buy a big jar - whatever brand or level of heat that you prefer

1-16oz sour cream

1 to 2 cups of Monterrey/jack cheese

1 pkg of 10 burrito size tortilla shells

preheat your oven to 375 degrees and i use a 13x9 casserole dish and spray with my pam organic olive oil spray. now you can do this next step several ways: to save time for me i tend to grill or baked up my chicken breasts earlier in the week when i'm baking another meal and i've already got the oven/grill going, regardless cook your chicken and cut/shred. are you followin' me? great!! let's progress to getting the tortillas shells prepared: i get a pie pan or large bowl out and pour half or so of the salsa into the bowl. get your tortilla shells and soak the shells in the salsa, get them all covered in the tomato/onion/cilantro/pepper goodness and let them sit and soak it up!! this allows the shells to not tear once i fill them and roll them. alright, let's make the filling! in a separate dish pour the remainder of the salsa, half to three-quarters of the sour and all the chicken in and mix it up. now it doesn't look all that great, when i made this the first time and my Man walked into the kitchen i would not let him look at it 'cause i knew he wouldn't eat it but it tastes amazing. we're almost there, this is pretty easy, huh? get your casserole dish in front of you and pull out a tortilla shell and lay it flat in the casserole dish or wherever you please and you're going to fill your shell with about a 1/3 cup (more or less) with our salsa/sour cream/chicken filling, and then roll it up!! and put it in your casserole dish, and you will of course repeat this 9 more times and you'll have a very full dish!! your shells should fit perfectly in, they are almost exactly 9 inches long. finally you will then spread the remaining sour cream all over the top of the enchiladas, this make them so yummy!! put as much as you want within reason because the best part is coming: the cheese!!!! yea!!! cover the entire dish with cheese and then add a smidge more for good measure.

pull open your warm little oven and tent some foil over that masterpiece and bake for about 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake just a smidge more 'til the cheese starts to get a little golden on the edges..

wipe up your drool and put this one on your list!!!

home cookin', please n' thanks

so i did finally make it to the store for my 2 weeks worth of groceries, and a recap for those in the back: i only head to the store one time every two weeks in my attempt to not spend so much freakin' money at WM! be more time efficient and planning out our menu for 2 weeks helps my OCD me be more organized!

i really tried to come up with some new recipes this time around while of course keeping the family favs in the rotation. and i know that cooking my organic dinners from scratch i a ton more work that ordering chinese take-out (which i soooo love by the way) but i know how much my POK* and my Man love home-cooked food and i love them, so there you go.

*Posse of Kiddos

on to the show: here's what i'm creating in the kitchen...

-meatloaf with corn casserole & fresh green beans

-chicken enchiladas

-asian grilled salmon with rice (white or brown, whatever i feel like that night) & veggies

-deli-stuffed eggwiches & homemade fries (baked not fried, how ya like them apples!!)

-creamy spaghetti and beans with biscuits & raw honey

-florentine mac and cheese with roasted turkey meatballs

-lasgana

-baked french toast & sausage & scrambled eggs

-tiapia with cousous and spinach salad

-grilled chicken and Annie's cheese noodles

-cheese ravioli & baked chicken & broccoli

-pizza and carrots with hummus

-cuban surf-n-turf (this is a new one out of the Rachael Ray cookbook)

i got everything for these 14 dinner ideas plus all our healthy snacks, lunch yummies and fresh fruit and veggies and other baking stuff for homemade cookies & brownies, and i spent less than $300. now for our family of 5, this is quite an accomplishment, with Master 'P' eating as much as daddy does (he's a growing boy, only 11 and over 5 feet tall and a shoe size of a men's 9 1/2, it takes a lot to keep him growing!) and 'Lou-Who' is on a growth spurt right now and Big 'K' just snacks on granola & apples & cheese sticks all day long!!!

now i will head to the farmer's market this next weekend for more fresh veggies and fruit and i do have to go to one of the local grocers for our organic, farm-fresh milk along will a loaf of bread, but that's it!!!

tonight i think i'm going to make the florentine mac-n-cheese with turkey meatball, it will be the first time so pray that my POKs have hungry tummies and an open-mind!!

if you are interested in any of the recipes specifically leave me a comment or @blessdmama me on Twitter and you just might get your wish!!

happy cooking!

food for thought

breath in and smell the fresh scent of a brand-spankin' new month!!! july, wow!! i truly feel like 2009 just got here, but with the craziness that comes with being a wife and mama time really does fly.

i am inspired to let you all in on my grocery list and menu for the family, seeing how it is 97.887% all natural and organic. and while this isn't always easy, in fact it is time consuming, i totally feel content and thrilled to know that while the POK are scarfing down their food it is wonderfully healthy and is actually contributing to their overall well-being!!

you're excited aren't you?! well, get to reading and i hope this motivates you to start out on the organic/all natural cooking and snacking...

in order to be as good of a steward as possible with my grocery budget (and my Man is completely generous with the grocery budget since buying all natural/organic is a tad more money than purchasing processed, not real foods, ahem, sorry for that little outburst), i attempt to shop for 2 weeks worth of food. i am totally addicted to WM super stores and the more i go the more money i am likely to spend, so i cut out more trips=spend less and save more! i do make a quick trip to the store about 7 days in for more fresh fruit, sandwich meats, fresh veggies and milk or i make every effort to get out to the weekend farmers market!! so when i headed out to the store this past weekend with my menu with needed ingredients, here's my list of planned meals:

Oh Baby! Pasta with Shrimp, Tomatoes & Arugula

Chicken Parm Stoup

Poppy Chicken with Smashed Potatoes & veggies

Mac-n-Cheese-n-Burgers & veggies

Tomatilla & Chicken Quesadillas

good ole Spaghetti and Meatballs & veggies

Breakfast night (consisting of pancakes/eggs/bacon/fruit)

Grilled Teriyaki Salmon & Chessy Noodles & veggies

Tilapia Club Stacks

Pizza & Spinach Salad

Catalina Chicken with Rice & Broccoli

Burrito Bake with Salad

i realize that i'm missing a couple meals for this 2 weeks but i'm writing this without my menu in front of me, so please forgive my forgetfulness!! :)

now i believe i've raved about my love of all Rachael Ray recipes in a previous post, but i will gush again because i love how that girl can whip up an outstanding, homecooked meal in only 30 minutes. i seriously can't get the cooking done that quick, and while i love ms.Ray, she doesn't have a 2 year old (well 'K' will be 2 tomorrow!!! but more on that later!) hanging on her apron, a Great Dane puppy literally running in between her legs chasing the 2 year, the cell phone beeping me letting me know that MckMama has tweeted again (which i love getting, not complaining MckMama), my lil' Lou-Who girlie skipping from the living room, to the dining room, through the kitchen all while practicing jump-roping, with 'P' bounding through dribbling a basketball....whew!! how do i ever get anything cooked now that i think about it? i digress, so i don't get it done in 30 minutes, more like 45 minutes, but still not too bad. and she, ms.Ray, has 15 minute menu ideas and those i can typically get done in 30 minutes.

here's just a glimpse of the rowdy little 'K' during dinner prep being Buzz Lightyear and then having a meltdown... come one babe, walk it off!!

i've gone through all this to say this: it is possible to plan out your menu for a week or 2 weeks, just stick to your list. and to add Posse of Kiddos input, i let the big kids look over the menu and pick what they'd like to have and when. it's fun, they appreciate being asked since many things as a kid aren't within their ability to control, and while they many times take a look at the new food on their plate and say "this doesn't look good.."no try again, you have to say it with a really good whiny-ness in your voice...great, you did it just like lil 'Lou-Who'!! (hee, hee..love you sis), they have discovered many new food and recipes that are quickly becoming favorites.

i also purchased snacks for the next 2 weeks such as: tons of strawberries, even more blueberries, like a million pounds of grapes for 'K', celery with spinach dip or hummus, all natural vanilla yogurt, granola, oh yea lots of apples and nectarines, Annies bunny crackers, natural cheese sticks, baby carrots, cucumbers, popcorn, lots of nuts like cashews & almonds. i know there's more but my brain is blinking out on me, darn sinus infection/migraine.

i promise i am really going to keep up with letting you in on my bi-weekly shopping lists and menus and maybe you can leave me a comment with your fav meals to cook so i can try something new, too

go natural baby!

is it June already?! wow! however, i love summer so i'm glad it is finally arrived, even if i wasn't quite ready for it! and with summer comes the farmer's market and yummy, organic fruits and veggies. what?!! you don't eat all natural, organic foods?! gasp! shock! okay, i'm not surprised, many of you wonderful folks eat whatever you want not giving a second thought to how that food was grown or what was added to it; BUT STOP!!! the more i learn about pesticides and food coloring and additives, it makes me wish i had pulled my head out of the sand sooner. (but if i had never gotten sick i never would have made these important changes, so another blessing through the trial!)

so relax and let me give you a quick check on my principles for shopping for all natural/organic foods for yourself and your family...

1. if nothing else try to buy the following produce in the organic section of your grocery store (and i am an addicted w.m. superstore shopper and they are carrying more and more organic produce each week!) because these fruits/veggies are typically treated more heavily than others with pesticides/chemicals (yuck!!): peaches, strawberries, winter squash, grapes, lettuce, spinach, apples, green beans, blueberries. feel free to head to http://www.organiceating.com/ to check out the big list.artifical colors. again for the chemical components, why do we put things we can't pronounce in our mouths?!! it's not real food if you can't read the ingredients ... many doc's a

2. i don't buy, okay i don't like to buy, foods with attribute hyperactivity and allergic reactions and rashes to artifical colors and flavoring and there are tons of natural alternatives, but many companies don't want to because artifical is cheaper. but is it cheaper if these artifical chemicals cause health problems later?! my Man and me are trying to be proactive and be a good steward of our posse of kiddos health.

3. i stopped buying 'easy to make' processed foods/meals. now i know that this isn't popular, and there are so many nights that i simply don't feel like making everything from scratch, but making meals for my amazing family that fuels their bodies and contributes to the well-being of their overall health keeps me going! and i'm not perfect, i like to say i'm a hybrid!! the Posse does eat a hamburger from a fast food restaurant every now and again, but all that fat, bad oils is enough to keep us away!

go buy a cookbook from your fav chef ('lou-who' and i love rachael ray!! and paula dean) and start experimenting with new ingredients, you get to control what goes in and it is super yummy and healthy all at the same time. or head to www.foodnetwork.com and there are tons of quick ideas there as well (and no they're not paying me to say that, but i wish they were!)

4. check out the local dairy and beef farms!! we switched to organic, raw milk and it tastes awesome and is sooooo much better for you and yours! and the natural beef and chicken is in my humble opinion essential to your health!! now i'm not a natropathic doctor, but i play one in real life (heehee), but why do we settle for meat and milk from animals with artifical hormones and antibiotics given to them?! yuck! we wonder why the childhood cancers are on the rise, colon cancer is more previlant than ever in adults, and girls are starting their cycles sooner in their adolesence (and that is from my ped dr) due so much to the large amount of artifical hormones & antibiotics given to milk/beef cows and chickens. i vote for natural moo-cows (per big K)!!

5. if this is all overwhelming to you, let's start here: snacking! stop buying all the chips, pop-tarts, cheese crackers and fill your little pantries with natural, healing, fueling foods. you want some examples?! i'm so glad you asked! here's what is in my cupboards right now:

flaxseed granola w/ dried blueberries, almonds (great source of protein & good omega-3 fats), walnuts, all-natural kettle popcorn for something sweet (w.m. sells this!! yea), annie's bunny crackers (just like cheezits but good stuff in 'em), all-natural fruit snacks, mandrine orange slices. and sitting on the countertop in cute candy-like jars (another good buy from my friends at WM for only $2 a jar) are homemade, completely organic chocolate chip/walnut cookies (oh my goodness they're good!), organic apples, bananas, more nuts. and in the fridge we have a snack drawer and it contains things like: organic cheese sticks, organic baby carrots, snow peas, sun-dried tomato hummus, spinach veggie dip, celery, organic/natural vanilla yogurt (more cost effective to buy in a large container instead of individual and then the Posse can add whatever they want to it like granola, nuts, honey, etc), grapes, nectarines.

i could go on but healthy snacks mean my Posse has the energy to keep playing outside, riding bikes, swimming (a big fav right now), going on walks, and simply staying in a better mood. i have seen if i put good stuff in them, it helps good attitudes to come out along with much prayer!!

and i am not spending much more on groceries than i was when i purchased more processed/less healthly food. and if the cost of some things scares you right out of your shoes, just think that you are saving yourself the healthcare costs down the road!! because it's expensive to be sick, don't ya know!!

now i know in the last post i promised a coveted hobby lobby gift card (again i didn't get paid to say that, but i'm really should look into that), but you guys aren't cooperating with me (smiles)!! you need to stalk me, i mean sign up to follow me (lower left sidebar) and then leave me a pretty comment saying you did!! and then pass this blog onto a friend who is a mama, or not we love ya all!! simple, right? you might be the blessed winner, but until more peeps sign up and stop by, i'm gonna hold off for now, ok?!

be blessed today!