Starting off my day a little early. My Knight got up early this morning to work out at the Y before work. We are part of a Nursing home ministry at our church and so he wouldn't be able to go to the Y after. No worries though. In celebration of our first fall feeling day (lows in the 40's and highs in the 60's), I went to walk this morning. I'll take the boys to the Y later this morning, but my exercise was in the fresh air. I love this time of year. I always love the cooler weather, and cold weather up until Christmas. Once the holidays are over, the gardening bug bites and I am pouring over seed catalogs.
So what should I talk about this morning. My daily rave has become more of a weekly thing. How exciting is my life. On my to do list for today: general housework, helping the boys with school, make some items for the pantry(granola, mayo, granola bars,etc), laundry, and steam cleaning my bedroom carpet. Now in all seriousness I probably won't complete all of these things. In fact I am sure I won't complete them today, but I keep that list running. I have a really looooong list, and if I focus on all that needs to be done around here I would faint. So I tackle my to do list such as one would eat an elephant..one bite at a time.
I harvested my last watermelon of the season a couple of days ago. I still have peanuts to harvest. I am going to call the country extension office to see when cause they seriously should be getting ready for harvest. In addition to the peanuts I still have peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes coming in from the garden. I am amazed at how well these potatoes have done. These were volunteers that came up after I harvested potatoes in June. You never find all of them. These sprouted and are now beautiful huge plants. The batch I harvested in June had died back from some kind of pest (Colorado potato bugs, I think). While I got potatoes, I didn't get as many as I wanted. These plants, however, are lush and green with no sign of pests (Heaven forbid). The same goes for my tomato plants. These things looked like they were at deaths door and now in the cooler weather they are thriving. I am wondering about changing the timing of when I plant certain items. I mean peanuts need a long growing season, but the other stuff I think I could time it where they are coming to production stage later in the summer and/or earlier in the spring. I am going to have to think about this. Plan my garden accordingly. So that is all I have for now. Should I find anything earth shattering You will be the first to know. Have a great day!
Monday, October 8, 2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
Weeeeellll Praise Him!
I am pleased and I should say shocked. I have come through yet another grocery battle with my hiney intact.
I have to say at the beginning of this endeavor I was thinking I would go over, but such is not the case. I am actually $10 under for the month. It seems like every step of the way I found a little bit here and a little bit there. In addition to that, there was this continuous situation where I would think I had only so much money, and then get to count my money and low an behold I would have another $5 or another couple of ones. This happened at least three times. So going to the last store, I just said a quick prayer thanking God for His provision, and low and behold if I don't get a coupon from the register for $3.50 off my next order. It was going to expire in a couple of weeks and I don't frequent this store very often, so I went back in a got a 5 lb bag of fries to have with hamburgers and such. A treat for sure. Love crinkle fries. For those really interested in what a normal grocery shopping trip looks like for me, here goes:
50 lbs wheat berries( grind for flour)
1 lb sunflower seeds
2 bottles oil
20 lbs sugar
1 gallon raw honey
1 lg container of coffee creamer
20 lbs ground turkey
chicken breast
canned mushrooms
french fries
Cheerios(Aldi brand)
corn flks
frozen peas
3 institutional size peas (mark down)-once opened I will re can into smaller pint size jars. It ended up being equal to getting a can of peas for .33. Can't turn that down.
whole milk
eggs
produce(apple, oranges, bananas, etc)
Heavy whipping cream(bunch marked down. I use it to make ice cream)
tortilla chips
Cheese(mozzarella, american 5 lbs ea)
Quick oats (10 lbs, use it for breakfast, granola bars, and granola)
chips (Cheetos, Doritos etc. Hey we have to have some junk. Got Aldi brand)
Ugh! That is about all this still sleepy brain can remember, plus i'm sure you are bored by now. I realize some of these items are in bulk(ya think?), but I was raised with a mom that kept a pantry and I keep a pantry. That means I always keep a supply on hand in case of emergency. I guess that would be a "black belt frugality segment". To me having a supply of staples on hand is a must. In the event of a layoff how nice would it be to not have to worry about where your kids next meal is coming from, and be able to focus on the bills you need to. For example, when my daughter and her husband were having financial difficulty she was able to "shop" from my pantry. I can also get items on a good sale, stock up on them then and not have to repurchase until the next sale. Because I buy my things in bulk, I usually get a break on price(usually, always check your price per ounce). Famous Georgia "snow" no longer has me running to the store for bread and milk. I get to sit back and watch the news on TV nice and cozy in my home. You don't have to have a "sky is falling" reason to keep a pantry.
Aside from the large sizes and small amounts of junk food, my point is that my purchases are primarily staple items. Basic items I have to put together in order to make something for my family: cookies, bread, granola, granola bars, etc. When it comes to the wheat berries my brothers response is "Sooo you buy the raw materials to make the raw materials to make something from scratch". Yep! That is about it. Glutton for punishment, but I know what is in the food I feed my family. There are no questionable items like preservatives, dyes, words you can only understand if you are a scientist, etc. Plus I enjoy it. I mean really, there must be a screw loose somewhere when I get so excited over grinding corn for the first time. Either that or I am really easy to amuse. Okay, I guess that is it for today. I am off to finish my breakfast, and go to the Y with my sons. I might even get on a treadmill, but that is another story. Then since it is raining outside all day today(thank you, Lord)my plans is to get some house work done and try my hand at grinding some of the wheat I bought and making some whole grain graham crackers. I have been itching to use my grinder on those berries. You guys stay safe! Have a blessed day!
I have to say at the beginning of this endeavor I was thinking I would go over, but such is not the case. I am actually $10 under for the month. It seems like every step of the way I found a little bit here and a little bit there. In addition to that, there was this continuous situation where I would think I had only so much money, and then get to count my money and low an behold I would have another $5 or another couple of ones. This happened at least three times. So going to the last store, I just said a quick prayer thanking God for His provision, and low and behold if I don't get a coupon from the register for $3.50 off my next order. It was going to expire in a couple of weeks and I don't frequent this store very often, so I went back in a got a 5 lb bag of fries to have with hamburgers and such. A treat for sure. Love crinkle fries. For those really interested in what a normal grocery shopping trip looks like for me, here goes:
50 lbs wheat berries( grind for flour)
1 lb sunflower seeds
2 bottles oil
20 lbs sugar
1 gallon raw honey
1 lg container of coffee creamer
20 lbs ground turkey
chicken breast
canned mushrooms
french fries
Cheerios(Aldi brand)
corn flks
frozen peas
3 institutional size peas (mark down)-once opened I will re can into smaller pint size jars. It ended up being equal to getting a can of peas for .33. Can't turn that down.
whole milk
eggs
produce(apple, oranges, bananas, etc)
Heavy whipping cream(bunch marked down. I use it to make ice cream)
tortilla chips
Cheese(mozzarella, american 5 lbs ea)
Quick oats (10 lbs, use it for breakfast, granola bars, and granola)
chips (Cheetos, Doritos etc. Hey we have to have some junk. Got Aldi brand)
Ugh! That is about all this still sleepy brain can remember, plus i'm sure you are bored by now. I realize some of these items are in bulk(ya think?), but I was raised with a mom that kept a pantry and I keep a pantry. That means I always keep a supply on hand in case of emergency. I guess that would be a "black belt frugality segment". To me having a supply of staples on hand is a must. In the event of a layoff how nice would it be to not have to worry about where your kids next meal is coming from, and be able to focus on the bills you need to. For example, when my daughter and her husband were having financial difficulty she was able to "shop" from my pantry. I can also get items on a good sale, stock up on them then and not have to repurchase until the next sale. Because I buy my things in bulk, I usually get a break on price(usually, always check your price per ounce). Famous Georgia "snow" no longer has me running to the store for bread and milk. I get to sit back and watch the news on TV nice and cozy in my home. You don't have to have a "sky is falling" reason to keep a pantry.
Aside from the large sizes and small amounts of junk food, my point is that my purchases are primarily staple items. Basic items I have to put together in order to make something for my family: cookies, bread, granola, granola bars, etc. When it comes to the wheat berries my brothers response is "Sooo you buy the raw materials to make the raw materials to make something from scratch". Yep! That is about it. Glutton for punishment, but I know what is in the food I feed my family. There are no questionable items like preservatives, dyes, words you can only understand if you are a scientist, etc. Plus I enjoy it. I mean really, there must be a screw loose somewhere when I get so excited over grinding corn for the first time. Either that or I am really easy to amuse. Okay, I guess that is it for today. I am off to finish my breakfast, and go to the Y with my sons. I might even get on a treadmill, but that is another story. Then since it is raining outside all day today(thank you, Lord)my plans is to get some house work done and try my hand at grinding some of the wheat I bought and making some whole grain graham crackers. I have been itching to use my grinder on those berries. You guys stay safe! Have a blessed day!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Yay! My doctor is happy.
Went for my annual check up today with my endocrinologist. I have Hypothyroidism for those interested. Anyway, I haven't seen her for a year. This year she wanted to do a complete panel. You know cholesterol, glucose, etc. Not only am I down about 20 lbs from last year, but all of my tests came back well in the normal range. Her comment was "everything is perfect". Now as for the weight loss, I will be totally honest and say that any dieting I have done went on hold in April. With gardening and canning I haven't had a lot of free time to go to the Y, but I have gotten my exercise in the form of garden work. Not daily, but I am moving daily. As for any "diet", I am doing my best to eat real foods. No more sugar free, fat free stuff. No more highly processed foods. Now exceptions to that due to finances, are sugar, and white flour; BUT now that I have my grain mill that will change. I use raw honey in my whole wheat bread and my granola, but am seriously thinking of finding more uses for it. Honey, raw honey, not only tastes good, but has antibacterial properties, helps with allergies (if you buy local raw honey), and has many minerals and nutrients not found in sugar or even pasteurized honey. Anywhere I can use this to replace sugar will be an asset and quite honestly, with the price of sugar being what it is, I don't think the price difference will be that great.
As for the flour, I have many pounds of flour to use up before I will be totally switched to fresh ground flour. In the meantime I am still going to buy the wheat berries and begin grinding them to mix half and half with the existing flour I have on hand. As my flour supply runs low it will be replaced with the wheat berries. Wheat berries store forever(so to speak) as long as they haven't been ground. Once ground, wheat flour loses a lot of the minerals and nutrients within days. Within 72 hours most of it is gone. So that is my plan for flour.
Isn't it amazing how a report of progress can be such an incentive to proceed, especially when you feel like you are actually on the right track health wise. Things I currently buy for example are butter (gasp!), olive oil, sugar/honey, red meat(shock!), whole milk( I do thin it with water. Shhhh, don't tell the boys they don't know). Things I currently make and serve are breads, pizza, cookies, etc. Some of these things fly in the face of current trends of low or fat free and sugar free or no carb. Now if you have a gluten allergy or celiac disease, this would not be good for you, but as a general rule, barring that, there is no reason to not have a food created by God. Now that being said....remember...everything in moderation. I am not eating bowls of cookies, butter, breads etc. I am only trying to eat when hungry and drink when thirsty. I am not an expert in this nor do I wish to be one. I am only speaking from what I have learned, what I believe, and what I feel is best for myself and my family. To each his own. Everyone has to do the best they can for themselves and their family. These are the things I am going to try. We'll see where that goes. As for organic...not sure I am sold on that one and couldn't afford it if I was. For now the best I can do is to take as much processing out of our lives and see how we do. Okay, there is my opinion for the day. Hope everyone has a great day.
As for the flour, I have many pounds of flour to use up before I will be totally switched to fresh ground flour. In the meantime I am still going to buy the wheat berries and begin grinding them to mix half and half with the existing flour I have on hand. As my flour supply runs low it will be replaced with the wheat berries. Wheat berries store forever(so to speak) as long as they haven't been ground. Once ground, wheat flour loses a lot of the minerals and nutrients within days. Within 72 hours most of it is gone. So that is my plan for flour.
Isn't it amazing how a report of progress can be such an incentive to proceed, especially when you feel like you are actually on the right track health wise. Things I currently buy for example are butter (gasp!), olive oil, sugar/honey, red meat(shock!), whole milk( I do thin it with water. Shhhh, don't tell the boys they don't know). Things I currently make and serve are breads, pizza, cookies, etc. Some of these things fly in the face of current trends of low or fat free and sugar free or no carb. Now if you have a gluten allergy or celiac disease, this would not be good for you, but as a general rule, barring that, there is no reason to not have a food created by God. Now that being said....remember...everything in moderation. I am not eating bowls of cookies, butter, breads etc. I am only trying to eat when hungry and drink when thirsty. I am not an expert in this nor do I wish to be one. I am only speaking from what I have learned, what I believe, and what I feel is best for myself and my family. To each his own. Everyone has to do the best they can for themselves and their family. These are the things I am going to try. We'll see where that goes. As for organic...not sure I am sold on that one and couldn't afford it if I was. For now the best I can do is to take as much processing out of our lives and see how we do. Okay, there is my opinion for the day. Hope everyone has a great day.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Ham and Corn stew
Ham and Corn Stew
2 cans navy beans(or you can cook dried to make 3 cups)
3 cups water
2 decent sized potatoes, diced
2 cups whole kernel corn (or cream is fine)
2 stalks celery
8 oz ham
1 med onion chopped
1 tbs butter
1 regular sized tomato chopped
1 pinch dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
In a skillet, melt the butter and put your onion and ham in to cook. While that is cooking, put your beans, water, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 15 minutes. Then add your celery, the onion and ham, and the tomato. Salt and pepper to taste. Add pinch of parsley. Let cook 30 minutes. Taste again to make sure you have enough salt and pepper. Add more if needed.
We are having this tonight with some corn bread made from stone ground corn meal ground in my new(to me) grinder! Tea to drink. Enjoy.
2 cans navy beans(or you can cook dried to make 3 cups)
3 cups water
2 decent sized potatoes, diced
2 cups whole kernel corn (or cream is fine)
2 stalks celery
8 oz ham
1 med onion chopped
1 tbs butter
1 regular sized tomato chopped
1 pinch dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
In a skillet, melt the butter and put your onion and ham in to cook. While that is cooking, put your beans, water, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 15 minutes. Then add your celery, the onion and ham, and the tomato. Salt and pepper to taste. Add pinch of parsley. Let cook 30 minutes. Taste again to make sure you have enough salt and pepper. Add more if needed.
We are having this tonight with some corn bread made from stone ground corn meal ground in my new(to me) grinder! Tea to drink. Enjoy.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Well Student loan down....
2 credit cards, a car payment and a mortgage left. I have to say it's hard "naming each dollar". We had a family meeting on payday and said "Okay, if you need anything now is the time to say so or it will have to wait until next payday". So we made our list, which wasn't long, and named every dollar. Now, with still 10 days to go until pay day we are noticing we have forgotten things. We forgot to budget oil for an oil change for our van, my son and I need cheapo headphones for the Y, as well as other various things. All of these are little expenses, but they add up. Sooo need to remember those for next meeting. Can't get them now.
Grocery day is next week as well, and so it is getting to the "creative stage" of cooking. You know when you are saying to yourself " I need to use up this, and this, and this...". The benefits of that process are being able to defrost the freezer and clean out the fridge for grocery day. Sure does make putting groceries away easier. Used up 1 cup of applesauce in the fridge for a loaf of applesauce bread using my quick bread mix. Makes for an easy use up. You can see the recipe for the quick bread mix here. Made two loaves of bread, and a batch of chocolate cookies. Yea, I come by my figure honestly. NO SILICONE HERE BABY! lol. Seriously, though, the cookies are dolled out sparingly. I'm not crazy!
Tonight's dinner will be ham and scalloped potatoes( from the garden), broccoli(from the garden), and maybe some peaches or pears. I love cooking when it is rainy outside. Snowy is my favorite. Something so cozy about baking in the kitchen and watching the snow fall. Making cocoa to drink when the kids come in from playing outside.(sigh). The kids are older now so not so sure if I will be dealing much with wet clothes and such this winter. Maybe I will. I know I will be dealing with cocoa. That goes without saying. Okay, so signing off here. You guys have a great day.
Grocery day is next week as well, and so it is getting to the "creative stage" of cooking. You know when you are saying to yourself " I need to use up this, and this, and this...". The benefits of that process are being able to defrost the freezer and clean out the fridge for grocery day. Sure does make putting groceries away easier. Used up 1 cup of applesauce in the fridge for a loaf of applesauce bread using my quick bread mix. Makes for an easy use up. You can see the recipe for the quick bread mix here. Made two loaves of bread, and a batch of chocolate cookies. Yea, I come by my figure honestly. NO SILICONE HERE BABY! lol. Seriously, though, the cookies are dolled out sparingly. I'm not crazy!
Tonight's dinner will be ham and scalloped potatoes( from the garden), broccoli(from the garden), and maybe some peaches or pears. I love cooking when it is rainy outside. Snowy is my favorite. Something so cozy about baking in the kitchen and watching the snow fall. Making cocoa to drink when the kids come in from playing outside.(sigh). The kids are older now so not so sure if I will be dealing much with wet clothes and such this winter. Maybe I will. I know I will be dealing with cocoa. That goes without saying. Okay, so signing off here. You guys have a great day.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Things I have learned from this years garden
Yes, it is that time of year where I make me observations of this years garden to hopefully do a better garden next year. Things I have learned this year are:
1) I am going to definitely plant potatoes. I bought seed potatoes at our local Ace Hardware store for 9.99. I was a little disappointed in this years yield. As an experiment I took a few of the tiny, tiny potatoes that didn't have a chance to grow before the plant died(from whatever got it), and planted them again to see what would happen. I would say it was about a 10 ft length of row. Well they came up, and the plants are currently about 2 ft tall; and that is over the dirt I am piling on them. In addition to those plants, I have about another 20 feet of row that came up on their own from potatoes I must have missed. All oft these plants are lush green and healthy. Because it is cooler right now, (knock on wood) I am thinking they are happier and less susceptible to pests. I am hopeful I am able to add considerably to my original yield.
2) Not planting Jalapeno peppers next year. I had more than I needed. I will use up what I have and when I do plant them, it will be a lot fewer plants.
3) I need tomato plants that are resistant to wilt. Period. I have tried everything I can think of to keep my plants happy. I lose a lot of yield because my plants get this wilt and die back. Now the plants are coming back and making more tomatoes, but I will only get a handful compared to what I would get. Next year I get resistant ones.
4) I will use seeds, I think, exclusively. We have such a long growing season, I am thinking I am going to just plant seeds. I may start some indoors, but many I will just plant directly in the ground. I am thinking my plants will be stronger as a result. So it may be later for me to start canning. I can live with that. Who knows, maybe I can have a few weeks of marathon canning and then be done. I can live with that too.
5) I will stay ahead of the pests on my peach trees. I am tired of tossing at least a bushel of peaches each year because of uninvited guests.
6) Uh... yea... plant your perennial herbs in a container. Apparently they spread. WELL I KNOW THAT NOW!
So that is my education for this year. Here is that list of what my garden produced this year:
Blueberries-31 lbs
Black berries- enough for about 8 pints of jelly
Peaches- just enough for 4 pints of jam
potatoes-60 lbs and counting
Lima/Pinto beans- ended up with about 50-60 pints. We have used some pints already so this one is hard to judge accurately. I just know I shelled a lot of beans. Well that and I counted what I have and rounded up a little.
Tomatoes- about 172 lbs which made 39 quarts of sauce and 24 pints of salsa. Still producing.
Broccoli- 16 lbs
Spinach/lettuce- enough, but hard to weigh.
Corn- enough for 3 quarts canned, 8 quarts frozen, and some used immediately for dinner
Peanuts- don't know yet, but it is looking good so far.
Onions- 6 lbs- not worth the time and space. I will by these from the store next time. Might do green onions.
Jalapenos- well I used 3 lbs, but got so much more than that. I just gave away about 10 lbs and have given away more than that before. They are still producing so if anyone wants more, I can help with that. Anyway, I got my salsa and my red hot sauce(about 3 pints)
Bell peppers- 4 quarts so far chopped and frozen, and they are still producing. In fact they are producing more than they did all summer
Mint and other herbs- enough to fill some a pint jar with each dried herb: mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme
Watermelons-4 so far picked and eaten. Still counting about 6 that will be ready before the first frost.
Green beans- just enough for a dinner or two. The bean Beatles got em.
Sweet peas- 1 quart shelled and frozen
.
I think that is it for now. Not a too shabby output. Need to get beans next year though. We have enough to make it through the year without buying any. I did try to weigh them, but as it got busier I kept forgetting. But I ended up with 104 pints food, 123 lbs of other food, 4 watermelons, and 55 quarts put up. That doesn't count the peanuts, watermelons, tomatoes, more herbs,and potatoes still to come in. Other things canned this season are carrots, chicken, beef, chicken broth, "applesauce" and "apple pie" filling. I meet goals on everything except green beans. I am happy and thankful for that. I am thankful for whatever I get.
You guys have a great day!
1) I am going to definitely plant potatoes. I bought seed potatoes at our local Ace Hardware store for 9.99. I was a little disappointed in this years yield. As an experiment I took a few of the tiny, tiny potatoes that didn't have a chance to grow before the plant died(from whatever got it), and planted them again to see what would happen. I would say it was about a 10 ft length of row. Well they came up, and the plants are currently about 2 ft tall; and that is over the dirt I am piling on them. In addition to those plants, I have about another 20 feet of row that came up on their own from potatoes I must have missed. All oft these plants are lush green and healthy. Because it is cooler right now, (knock on wood) I am thinking they are happier and less susceptible to pests. I am hopeful I am able to add considerably to my original yield.
2) Not planting Jalapeno peppers next year. I had more than I needed. I will use up what I have and when I do plant them, it will be a lot fewer plants.
3) I need tomato plants that are resistant to wilt. Period. I have tried everything I can think of to keep my plants happy. I lose a lot of yield because my plants get this wilt and die back. Now the plants are coming back and making more tomatoes, but I will only get a handful compared to what I would get. Next year I get resistant ones.
4) I will use seeds, I think, exclusively. We have such a long growing season, I am thinking I am going to just plant seeds. I may start some indoors, but many I will just plant directly in the ground. I am thinking my plants will be stronger as a result. So it may be later for me to start canning. I can live with that. Who knows, maybe I can have a few weeks of marathon canning and then be done. I can live with that too.
5) I will stay ahead of the pests on my peach trees. I am tired of tossing at least a bushel of peaches each year because of uninvited guests.
6) Uh... yea... plant your perennial herbs in a container. Apparently they spread. WELL I KNOW THAT NOW!
So that is my education for this year. Here is that list of what my garden produced this year:
Blueberries-31 lbs
Black berries- enough for about 8 pints of jelly
Peaches- just enough for 4 pints of jam
potatoes-60 lbs and counting
Lima/Pinto beans- ended up with about 50-60 pints. We have used some pints already so this one is hard to judge accurately. I just know I shelled a lot of beans. Well that and I counted what I have and rounded up a little.
Tomatoes- about 172 lbs which made 39 quarts of sauce and 24 pints of salsa. Still producing.
Broccoli- 16 lbs
Spinach/lettuce- enough, but hard to weigh.
Corn- enough for 3 quarts canned, 8 quarts frozen, and some used immediately for dinner
Peanuts- don't know yet, but it is looking good so far.
Onions- 6 lbs- not worth the time and space. I will by these from the store next time. Might do green onions.
Jalapenos- well I used 3 lbs, but got so much more than that. I just gave away about 10 lbs and have given away more than that before. They are still producing so if anyone wants more, I can help with that. Anyway, I got my salsa and my red hot sauce(about 3 pints)
Bell peppers- 4 quarts so far chopped and frozen, and they are still producing. In fact they are producing more than they did all summer
Mint and other herbs- enough to fill some a pint jar with each dried herb: mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme
Watermelons-4 so far picked and eaten. Still counting about 6 that will be ready before the first frost.
Green beans- just enough for a dinner or two. The bean Beatles got em.
Sweet peas- 1 quart shelled and frozen
.
I think that is it for now. Not a too shabby output. Need to get beans next year though. We have enough to make it through the year without buying any. I did try to weigh them, but as it got busier I kept forgetting. But I ended up with 104 pints food, 123 lbs of other food, 4 watermelons, and 55 quarts put up. That doesn't count the peanuts, watermelons, tomatoes, more herbs,and potatoes still to come in. Other things canned this season are carrots, chicken, beef, chicken broth, "applesauce" and "apple pie" filling. I meet goals on everything except green beans. I am happy and thankful for that. I am thankful for whatever I get.
You guys have a great day!
Monday, September 10, 2012
For those of you I haven't announced it to...
I HAVE A GRAIN MILL! WOOOUP, WOOUP! Interesting story to tell, My sister tells it better than I. After cleaning my sisters house Friday, I went by a thrift store near(really near)her house. I have mentioned said store in the past. It is The Ric Rac. My sister and I go there often. Anyhoo. I was going to find a larger TV for my hubby's "man cave". My son and I get there and I am showing him around the store. We go into the kitchen section and I tell him "I always have to come in here to see if they have a grain mill for sale, but they never do. Ah well". So we leave that section and go down stairs to the furniture and electronics. We find a suitable TV($25), a 27 in. I turn to go up stairs to pay for it and, don't ask me why I noticed it, but I notice a box. ACROSS THE ROOM. I walk closer and notice it has a picture of wheat stalks on it....closer and I see a knob on the front with the settings of coarse or fine. OMG IT IS A GRAIN MILL! Breathlessly I look at the price $75! The great thing about this mill being a used mill, was there was flour in it from before. I was able to tell how fine it would grind the flour. It goes without saying I BOUGHT IT! Now my sister tells me that God wanted to bless me with this grain mill. He said "Okay, we need to hide this mill in the furniture section so no one finds it. And also you need to mark it $75 cause that is all she will have". That part is true. It just so happens that I get paid $75 to clean my sisters house and I had just gotten paid. She says I probably noticed it because I had an angel standing behind me going "look that way". Anyone who has read Frank Perretti's "Piercing the Darkness" will get this..I have to say I like my sisters version. It is nice to know God does desire to give us good things. I think sometimes people make the mistake of thinking the good things God is supposed to give us are things like a check mysteriously coming in the mail that pays off all of your debt, uh the ability to never ever get sick(heard that one), A BRAND NEW CAR! You know like God is the Price is Right. Now I am not saying He doesn't do those things, but most times those blessings come in the form of say a helping hand to put on a new roof, a loaf of bread made by hand, pears from a friend, someone to hold your hand when you need strength, someone to pray for you, hug you, love you. God can and does bless us in so many ways. Ways we even now don't deserve. He doesn't do it because we deserve it. He does it because like any good father he love us and wants to give us good things.
"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father in heaven give good gifts to those that ask him "Matt 7:11.
But you know the best gift God can ever, and has ever given us is His Son, Jesus.
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us". Romans 5:8
While I love my grain mill as well as every blessing I have received, they can all pass away. I am content with the greatest gift I have ever received. Christ loving sacrifice so that I might be able to have a relationship with Him. Awesome.
"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father in heaven give good gifts to those that ask him "Matt 7:11.
But you know the best gift God can ever, and has ever given us is His Son, Jesus.
"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us". Romans 5:8
While I love my grain mill as well as every blessing I have received, they can all pass away. I am content with the greatest gift I have ever received. Christ loving sacrifice so that I might be able to have a relationship with Him. Awesome.
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