Couponing

I started watching the show Extreme Couponing awhile ago and I'm addicted.  I'm in amazement on how these ladies (sometimes guys) get so much for so little. And having four kids almost 5 it would be awesome if I could learn how to accomplish this.

For the past couple days I have been doing research on how to coupon. I have found lots of ideas and websites to print coupons and I have ordered 2 books that are supposed to explain it in more detail. Well today I came across the website The Krazy Coupon Lady which is actually two ladies and one of them I remember from being on the Extreme Couponing show and really I only remember her because she is from my hometown Mckinleyville, CA and I just remember thinking that is such a small town I'm surprised the show found her lol.

So this weekend I will get my coupon binder organized and start collecting coupons. My first shopping trip from couponing I will post on here just so you can see how much I saved.  If you are interested in couponing you should check out The Krazy Coupon Lady website it is very informative.

Animals

We have a dog, and two cats which are all supposed to be taken care of by my girls and that never happens. I'm always the one feeding them, chasing after them, cleaning up their messes and it drives me crazy. So what do my girls bring home from Awana's last night?.........

GOLDFISH

Each of them brought home one goldfish, so I was thinking to myself just great another animal I have to take care of. And then to top it off we had nothing to keep them in, no food for them which meant I had to go to town today to buy that stuff.  We ended up putting them in a bowl last night and I figured they would be ok for a night in a bowl on the kitchen counter. Well, my husband checked on them right before bed and our cat was up on the counter with its paw in the water trying to fish the fish out. So we had to move them to a room that cat couldn't get into and now I'm thinking I should have just let the cat get them.

So I have decided I'm not taking care of these fish, its going to have to be their responsibility to clean and feed the fish. So I'm sure it will only be a matter of days before we are flushing them down the toilet. Am I just being mean or what?

On another note-remember my story about Easter day and the weasel in my car?  Well I'm pretty sure when I screamed I scared the weasel too and it peed in the car because there was an awful smell (I can't smell it now in my car) but I think that smell is keeping the mice away because I haven't had a mouse in my car since then.

What's For Dinner???

Italian Sausage Rigatoni

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (19.76 oz.) Johnsonville Italian Mild Sausage Links

1 pkg. (1 lb.) rigatoni pasta

3 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lg. sweet red pepper, chopped

2 Tbsp.Italian parsley, chopped

1 jar (26 oz.) Ragu (or your favorite kind)

Directions:

Cook sausage links according to package directions.

Meanwhile, cook rigatoni according to package directions; drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil until hot.

Add garlic; sauté for 30 seconds or until golden.

Add red peppers; sauté for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Cut sausage into 1/4-inch coin slices; add to skillet. Stir in pasta sauce; heat through.

Add pasta; toss to combine. Sprinkle with parsley.

Serve immediately with salad and garlic bread. 

YUM YUM

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Weekend Fun

We had so much fun this last weekend, I know I already told you what our plans were but it was so much more fun than I expected.

First of all we didn't have any family up here to celebrate with us so I wasn't sure how the holiday was going to turn out but it went great.

We played the games the kids received from the Easter Bunny :)

We had an Easter egg hunt with the next door neighbors and their kids.

We participated in the rubber duck race at our friends house and my husband and his submarine placed 4th :)

During all this fun while we were in the car to go to do the rubber duck race I was sitting in the passenger seat and I felt something run across my foot (I had flip flops on) I screamed and had my feet up on the dashboard in no time (not easy for someone who is 9 months pregnant) but I did it. I made my husband stop the car so I could jump out and he could find it. (now as most of you know I talk about the mice problem we have around here and how I catch the mice in my car) so I thought it was a mouse. 

So later after the race we headed to the church and on the way to the church while driving down the road I spot something by my windshield wipers and at first I was sure it was the mouse and of course I yelled at my husband to get it and it pops out more and I'm like OMG its not a mouse its a rat but no it ended up being a stinking weasel (at first we thought it was a ferret) My husband slammed on the brakes jumped out the car and smacked it off the car, the whole time the girls and I are pretty much screaming and all I could think about was that was the thing that ran across my foot.

Now this was the first time I have ever seen a weasel and I guess I have always had in my head that they were big like the size of my weiner dog but we were informed that no they can be pretty small and they are not nice. The good thing I found out was that they eat mice so that must have been why the ugly little thing was in my car. And the funny thing is we caught a mouse in my trap in my car that morning. So that was my excitement for the day.

Amish Friendship Bread Finished

Here is the finished product, I got this loaf and the rest I made a cake with.

YUMMY

The Weekend Ahead

This weekend it feels like we have so much to do.

Saturday- We need to dye Easter eggs with the kids, I need to shampoo 3 rooms upstairs and we are going to be taking the 3 older girls to watch Hop which means the shampooing and dying of eggs needs to happen before 2 in the afternoon which is when we need to leave for the movie. And thanks to my friend Leslie who is going to watch Jaedyn for us while we are at the movies otherwise we wouldn't be able to go.

Sunday- Get to wake up and see what the Easter Bunny left for the girls and I'm sure we will be setting up their gifts so they can play with them. This year I decided to get the older 3 games they would be able to play outside this summer so I got: Lyndze a animal croquet set, Kyndal a ladder golf set and Madyson a tether ball set and of course I didn't leave Jaedyn out but all she is getting is some stuffed animals and rubber duckies for her bath. Is that bad? And of course an Easter egg hunt. 
We haven't found a church to go to up here yet so that means no Easter Sunrise Service. But we will be going to a local church around 6 on Sunday night because the Awana's kids are going to be singing a song and my 8 year old has a solo part in it. Can't wait to hear her.
We have also been invited to join in some Easter activities at our friends parents house which sounds really fun. They do some kind of rubber duck race down the creek. And a birthday party crammed in there as well. 

What are your plans for the weekend? What are your Easter Day traditions?


HoPpY EaStEr!!!

Amish Friendship Bread

On Monday I was given a Amish Friendship Bread starter, so all this week I have been mashing my bag and adding ingredients and today I get to bake it and its going to be so YUMMY.

If you have not ever had this bread you have got to try it, I will also be giving away 3 starts to my friends here and keeping one for myself that way I can bake bread again in 10 days.

For those of you that would like to start your own starter here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1 (0.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1 cup milk

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Let stand 10 minutes.
2. In a 2 quart glass, plastic or ceramic container, combine 1 cup flour and 1 cup sugar. Mix thoroughly or flour will lump when milk is added.
3. Slowly stir in 1 cup milk and dissolved yeast mixture.
4. Cover loosely and let stand at room temperature until bubbly. Consider this day 1 of the 10 day cycle. For the next 10 days handle starter according to the instructions for Amish Friendship Bread.

Now here are the simple instructions I had to follow this week.

NOTE: Do not refrigerate starter. It is normal for the batter to rise and ferment. If air gets in the bag, let it out.
Day 1: Do nothing.
Day 2: Mash the bag.
Day 3: Mash the bag.
Day 4: Mash the bag.
Day 5: Mash the bag.
Day 6: Add to the bag: 1 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk. Mash the bag.
Day 7: Mash the bag.
Day 8: Mash the bag.
Day 9: Mash the bag.
Day 10: Follow the directions below:

1. Pour the entire bag into a nonmetal bowl.
2. Add 1 1/2 cup flour, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 1 1/2 cup milk.
3. Measure out 4 separate batters of 1 cup each into 4 1-gallon Ziploc bags.
4. Keep one of the bags fr yourself, and give the other bags to 3 friendship along with the recipe.

REMEMBER: If you keep a starter for yourself, you will be baking in 10 days. The bread is very good and makes a great gift. Only the Amish know how to make a starter, so if you give all the bags away, you will have to wait for someone to give you a starter back.
Should this recipe not be passed onto a friend on the first day, make sure to tell them which day it is when you present it to them.
BAKING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. To the remaining batter in a bowl add the following:

a. 3 eggs
b. 1 cup oil
c. 1/2 cup milk
d. 1 cup sugar
e. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
f. 2 teaspoons cinnamon
g. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
h. 1/2 teaspoon salt
i. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
j. 2 cups flour
k. 1-2 boxes instant pudding (any flavor)

i. Optional: 1 cup nuts and 1 cup raisins

3. Grease 2 large loaf pans

a. In a bowl mix an additional 1/2 cup sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
b. Dust the greased pans with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

4. Pour the batter evenly into the pans and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture on the top.
5. Bake for one hour or until the bread loosens evenly from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean.
6. ENJOY!

 I can't wait to bake it, I will post a picture of this delicious bread when its done.  Thanks again Leslie for the starter :)

Unsinkable *Book Review*

Book Description:

The stirring narrative of Unsinkable tells sixteen-year-old Abby Sunderland's remarkable true story of attempting to become the youngest person ever to sail solo around the world.
More people have flown into outer space than have sailed solo around the globe. It is a challenge so immense that many have died trying, and all have been pushed beyond every physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual limit. In Unsinkable, readers follow Abby Sunderland into those depths. This biography delivers a gripping and evocative firsthand account that starts prior to her departure, travels through her daring (and sometimes near-death) encounters on the open sea, to her dramatic rescue in the remotest corner of the Indian Ocean, and the media explosion that happened upon her safe return to dry land.
Along the way, readers discover what it means to boldly face any challenge, to strive after something great, and to plumb the depths of faith, fear, and desperation only to emerge changed, renewed, and emboldened. In this day and age, when the most productive thing a teenager may do is play videogames, Abby's ambition and tenacity is a real-life parable of what can happen when we choose to exceed our own limits, embrace faith, and strive after what all the naysayers say is impossible.

About the Author

Abby Sunderland is among the third generation in a family of sailors and adventurers. In 2007, at age 13, Abby discovered her dream of sailing solo around the world and was inspired by her brother Zac’s successful circumnavigation in 2009. Her own journey, in 2010, ended in the Indian Ocean when a rogue wave rolled her sailboat, Wild Eyes. Abby now shares her story of tenacity and courage with audiences everywhere. Lynn Vincent is the New York Times best-selling writer of Heaven Is for Real, Same Kind of Different as Me, and Going Rogue: An American Life. The author or coauthor of ten books, Lynn worked for eleven years as a writer and editor at the national news biweekly WORLD Magazine covering politics, culture, and current events. A U.S. Navy veteran, she teaches writing at colleges and conferences around the country. Lynn lives in San Diego, California.  from Amazon.

My Thoughts:

 

I loved this book, there are basically two different people telling the story Abby herself and then a narrator. Abby's version is almost like reading her journal of the things that she went through getting ready for the trip as well as the things that happened to her while out in the open sea. I actually learned a few things too while reading this book, some of the words I have never heard of before and they were explained what they meant and of course they were words that dealt with sailing. I would definitely recommend this book to every one, if my kids were older I would even let them read it.

Disclaimer: I received this book Free through Book Sneeze in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% mine.

The Canary List *Book Review*

 

Book Description:

Protected by the dark of night, Jaimie Piper runs. But is anywhere safe when Evil is hunting you?
 
She’s just a twelve year-old girl, bumped around between foster homes and relegated to school classes for challenged kids, those lagging in their test scores or with behavioral issues. But her real problem is that she can sense something the other kids can’t—something dark. Something compelling her to run for her life.
 
All Crockett Grey wants is to mark the anniversary of his daughter’s death alone.
 
But when his student Jaimie comes to him, terrified, her need for protection collides with his grief, and a tangled web of bizarre events sends them both spiraling toward destruction.

Crockett’s one hope of getting his life back is to uncover the mysterious secrets of Jaimie’s past and her strange gift. It isn’t long before his discoveries lead him to a darker conspiracy, secrets guarded by the highest seat of power in the world—the Vatican.

My Thoughts:

I actually really loved the story line of this book, it's one of those books that you don't want to put down because you have to know what happens next. I love reading books like this. The only thing I didn't care for about this book was how when you finished one chapter the next chapter would jump to a totally different subject so it kinda made it hard to follow along but other than that it's a great book.

 Disclaimer: I received this book FREE from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% mine.

Meal Plan Monday 4/18

Monday-Chili
Tuesday-Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans
Wednesday-Spaghetti, Salad and Garlic Bread
Thursday-BBQ Chicken Legs, Mac and Cheese and Corn on the Cob
Friday-Italian Sausage Rigatoni and Garlic Bread
Saturday-Taking the kids to watch Hop so dinner in town
Sunday-Easter Dinner, Spiral Ham, Mashed Potatoes, Fruit Salad, Chocolate Pie, Rolls, Broccoli

The Last 2 Weeks BLAH

Wow it has been such a long time since I have blogged, I just have not felt like getting on the computer at all which is so odd for me. As most of you know I am 34 weeks pregnant now and expecting our first boy and boy this last 2 weeks has been pretty trying.
Hopefully I can start feeling like blogging again but I can't promise anything, I do have a couple reviews I need to post this week, so stay tuned.