Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil- Review & Freebie!!!!

A while back, I got the privilege of trying Coconut Oil from Tropical Traditions. Tropical Traditions, as I have heard from many family members and acquaintances, is a WONDERFUL place to buy organic food items. I decided to do some checking out on my own. Because I of course want to be healthy and would LOVE to IMPROVE our health!

So, Tropical Traditions was wonderful enough to send me a jar of their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, and a book about Virgin Coconut Oil.

First of all, I was delighted to find out that the founder of the company is a Christian! And he even has a part in his book explaining his relationship with Christ and how you can also have one! Refreshing!

Second, I tried the coconut oil in frying potatoes on the stove, and OH. MY. GOODNESS. These were the MOST WONDERFUL I have even tasted! They were the normal fried potatoes but with a hint of coconut flavor! I added a small bit of sea salt to them and I can imagine we will someday be eating THOSE in Heaven! =)

Third, I am anxious to see how my health will improve! Most of you don't know, but I suffer from IBS, which is a not so fun issue with my bowels. Coconut Oil, I discovered in my readings, is supposed to help STOP the symptoms of IBS! OH HAPPY DAY! Now, that I know that I have been monitoring my intake of coconut oil, trying to get in at least 1-3 tablespoon to my diet each day. I am a BELIEVER in this product! I am ready to now place my first order with them. It has been about a week and a half with NO symptoms of my IBS, and it has been such a HUGE blessing! I am seriously THANKING GOD each morning for this product. I can't believe what an improvement this has already been!

Here is a brief rundown of health benefits that I have found, so far (REAL Coconut Oil is MULTI-PURPOSE!):

• Hair Care and Skin Care (Great Moisturizer and Healing for different skin related issues)
• Heart Disease (Contains 50% Lauric Acid, which is great for your heart!)
• Weight Loss
• Pancreatitis
• Digestive Problems (aids in absorbing the right nutrients!)
• Immunity (great for immune system, and great as an antiviral!)
• Healing (speeds up healing of damaged tissue)
• Infections (of ALL sorts!)
• Liver (great source of fatty acids that the liver needs)
• Kidneys (helps in preventing kidney and gall bladder diseases and in dissolving kidney stones)
• Diabetes
• Bones (absorbtion!)
• Dental
• HIV & Cancer
• Sun protection
• Thyroid Health
• and MANY MORE!!!

If you want to find out more in depth information on any of these ailments and the benefits of using Coconut Oil with it, just do a search like "coconut oil and Diabetes" or "coconut oil and antibacterial". I encourage you to do your OWN research!

Also be sure to check out the Tropical Traditions web site. They frequently run deals on products that make them more affordable. But you cannot put a price on the good health of your family! Check them out!

Like I said, this is one product I will probably use for the rest of my life! I have seen the results and I am going to be able to do (and EAT) more of those things that I enjoy! If you have any questions for me on this product, PLEASE e-mail me!

Tropical Traditions has even offered to send you a FREE Virgin Tropical Coconut Oil Book (like the one I got!), with your first order to them! All you have to do is enter "5366195" as a referral code!!!

If you have any of the major issues that I have listed above, please do some research on Coconut Oil! Check out the Tropical Traditions site and see what wonderful products they have to offer!

Now through October 11, there is a Buy 1 Get 2 FREE Sale!

Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

Certified Organic

3 pints (16 FL. oz. ea.) - glass jar

***Coconut Oil that you can buy at Wal-Mart IS NOT the same! This is REAL coconut oil! imitation WILL NOT work the same. Not even the taste in cooking with it. There is NO comparison to the REAL THING!

Meals This Week

Oh my, it has been a while since I have done this, and I think I am a little rusty at it, because it took me forever to figure out what we eat! But, I haven't had a meal plan in so long, and have REALLY needed it. I hate having supper roll around (before you know it) and I am stuck with kids begging for food, me in a project half done and I have NO idea what to make for supper! So, after kicking myself for WEEKS now for not having one, HERE is our meal plan!

Monday- Scalloped Potatoes (Mmmmm!!! Nice to keep warm on a cold day like today!)

Tuesday- French Toast & Homemade Applesauce

Wednesday- Tatertot Casserole (This day is when my baby is having a surgery to have a cyst removed. It was undeveloped tissue and there shouldn't be much to the surgery... Prayer is appreciated!)

Thursday- Pasta with diced tomatoes & corn

Friday- Women's Conference for Me in Fort Wayne, Boys will probably go to the fish fry at our church!

Saturday- Women's Conference during the day, Maybe have Tacos that night??? Made by Hubby???

Sunday- Grilled Chicken, Salad & Broccoli

So, there it is. A small list that definitely makes my life easier! So what are YOU eating this week??? GO HERE to find out what other people have on their meal plans...

Meals This Week

OK, so I am trying to switch things up a little bit this week. Hubby is tired of Spaghetti, and pasta for a meal. Spaghetti, OUT. Tuna Noodle Casserole, OUT. Great. Those were my two CHEAP meals too...

Which is fine. I want him to be happy with our meals, and I want him to be happy. PERIOD. So, for now, I will throw out (most) pasta from our menu, and try for more meat, which he wants. So, we will see how my shopping day reflects this new change!

For this week though, here is our menu:

Breakfasts
Cereal
Scrambled Eggs, sausage, toast
Oatmeal (with dried peaches)

Lunches
Leftovers
Peanut Butter & Jelly
Mac-n-Cheese (These lunches are for the kids!)

Dinner

Monday- Sloppy Joes, french fried potatoes, froz. peaches
Tuesday- Chicken Salads (with garden fixings! Mmmm!), maybe a blueberry cobbler...
Wednesday- Scalloped Potatoes, Veggie
Thursday- Baked Mac-n-Cheese, Sausages, corn
Friday- Tacos
Saturday- Young Couple's Meet (church group)
Sunday- Grilled Pork Chops (didn't have last week), garden veggie stir-fry (YUM!)

OK, so I got a little pasta in there, but hubby likes the baked mac-n-cheese. So, I guess I am OK for a while! ;) And this is also coming from a man who likes most everything, he's not real picky. SO, when he makes a point to tell me he DOESN'T like something, I take note. And am glad to do so!

So, what are YOU making this week???

Non-Baking Day and a Baking Day

I haven't had a baking day in a while, and I definitely need to. Especially with the weather getting warm (finally!). Here are some reasons a baking day is a good idea:

• Get all baking done in one afternoon, and have baked goods ready to eat when needed over the next few weeks.


• Get all baking done in one afternoon, so your kitchen isn't hot day after day. You just have one afternoon to contend with. So make it a cooler day, start in the early morning!


• FRUGAL! Baking your own items is a lot cheaper then purchasing them in the store.


• HEALTHY! The items you make are most likely more healthy for your family also.

In the next few days, here are the items I want to make on a "Baking Day":

• muffins for breakfasts (this will cut down on the cereal consumption if I don't wake before the kids do).


• Tortillas for tacos


• Granola Bars (wonderful recipe coming soon!!!)

I also want to have a Non-baking day, where I make things that don't require the use of the oven. Here is what I hope to make:

• homemade noodles


• dehydrated peaches and apples (for snacking).

Do YOU have baking days? If not, you should try it out. Last time I did it, I had rolls that lasted in the freezer for about a month, and it was wonderful to pull them out last minute for an extra side to our meal.

Happy Baking!

Meal Plan- Getting Back into It

I wasn't technically on a "vacation", although I did get to go to the beach and enjoy some time around a pool (mainly to cool down after working hard). We did also get things done that we needed to accomplish at my grandpa's place, including selling the place ourselves while we were there! I guess NOTHING is selling, but somehow (GOD!) we were able to not even TRY to seel it and people came to us. BIG TIME BLESSINGS on this trip, God was DEFINITELY there!

So, I got back yesterday about 4:30 PM, and today I need to try to figure out out meal plan for the next week... (Akward pause, deeps sighs and dread........)

So, HOPEFULLY I can successfully figure out our meals. It would be NO help to make a meal plan, if it weren't able to accomplish what it is supposed to, you know, less chaos at dinner time, money saving, etc.

Soooo, here are our meals:

Monday- Sloppy Joes, french fries, veggie

Tuesday- Tuna Noodle Casserole (tuna, noodles, veggie)

Wednesday- Grilled Chops, veggie

Thursday- Chicken/ Broccoli Casserole

Friday- Pizza, homemade breadsticks

Saturday- Leftovers/or Out to Eat

Sunday- Grill Somethin' including garden veggies!!! Mmmm!

SO, there it is... this took me about 2 hours to figure out between phone calls and laundry, cleaning and feeding baby. So, what are YOU eating this week???

For more menu plans, go to org junkie.com.

Meals This Week

So, I am so far behind. I spent all of my time last night waiting for the Old Navy Coupon. Luckily I got one this morning, or I might have been a little mad at the whole situation.

This week is going to be busy, as I think ALL OF THE REST OF THE SUMMER. I hope I don't get grayer by the time summer is through. You know, grayer hair... Ugh.

I am starting the boys on a chore list. I will post that on our other site soon, so you all can keep me at it, and help encourage me when the boys decide that it isn''t super fun anymore...

Lots goin' on! I'm sure for you all too!

Here is our menu this week:

Monday- Cheeseburger Pie, cantaloupe

Tuesday- Tuna salad pita pockets, fruit

Wednesday- Spaghetti & cheese bread

Thursday- Strawberry shortcake (I am doing wishful thinking here. Hoping to get to pick strawberries by Wednesday.

Friday- Grill Day, some sort of meat (on sale), pasta salad, salad

Saturday- Tacos

Sunday- Church potluck

Lots going to be going on on this site too. Be sure to enter our giveaways. We are giving away the truffles on Friday night! And the Hip-t next week! Also, check back with us, we have MORE great giveaways coming up! You WON'T want to miss out!

For more great menu plans, go to orgjunkie.com

Meals this Week

Wow, it seems like forever since I posted meals. Actually for the 3 weeks that hubby has been home (after surgery), I haven't been making a meal plan. And boy have we suffered! Meals haven't been as great, and they are always later then normal, because I am out mowing or gardening or whatever, and then realize it is 6:30 and the boys are going to bed at 8.

So, I KNOW meal planning works for us!

And I am still excited about having my Internet back finally! Because I actually get to plan my grocery trip better this week. Hopefully I can do better, even though the last 2 weeks haven't been bad at all. And then I can post them again!

As most of you know, I am feeding 6 people. 2 adults and 4 little boys (8 years to 1 year). We drink milk like it is going out of style, and I try to keep a well balanced meal so we don't need as many snack foods around! So, here is our weekly meals:

Monday- Grilled Pork Chops, potato skins, (homemade) pasta salad

Tuesday- Cavatini and salad (lettuce)

Wednesday- Tuna Noodle Casserole

Thursday- Leftovers (we always have so many & a great way to save your family money is to make sure you eat ALL of the food, don't throw anything out that you don't have to!)

Friday- Pizza & Homemade potato chips

Saturday- Chicken (from Fundraiser, for our Children's Ministry), homemade potato salad, fresh fruit

Sunday- Crockpot Chicken and Veggies

Most of my meals are BELOW $5. I usually only buy meat on sale or marked down (2 days before their sell by date), and I shop sales and use coupons. On Thursdays, starting this week, I am going to be hosting a segment called $5 Dinners. This is where I will show you exactly how we do dinners for under $5. There will also be a chance for you to link up OR to leave a comment sharing with us how YOU do $5 Dinners. Come back and visit us then!

Have a great week!

Meals This Week

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day. We had a pretty good one. It ended pretty nicely too. Look HERE. =)

This week is going to be a little bit of a crazy week! Hubby is going to have Knee Surgery Monday, and be layed up for a while. On Thursday, I am teaching a class at Women's Ministry at my church. Friday I will hopefully be going to some garage sales, the VBS meeting, then decorating for Saturday's Princess Tea Party that our Women's Ministry is doing that afternoon. 3 boys will be camping on Friday and Saturday with their Grandpa and Boyscouts.

And I have tons to do in between! I am going to have to help hubby with a lot of things, because he is supposed to be down... or he could mess up what they fixed in surgery. And my hubby isn't one to sit for very long at all, so this is going to drive him nutty!

Hopefully I am going to be able to get a lot done here on my blog too. I have some things planned for this week, and next week. Big things coming up for both of my blogs! Including more giveaways!!! =)

So, keep checking back!

This week, meals will have to be easy! AS USUAL. I am going to have a lot on my plate, and I will need easy and HEALTHY!

SO here goes...

Monday- Tatertot Casserole

Tuesday- Grilled Salmon, salad

Wednesday- Cavatini, veggies and bread

Thursday- Pizza

Friday- (no boys!) Grilled Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes, Veggie

Saturday- (no boys!) Leftovers

Sunday- Party (no meal needed!)


Be sure to enter our giveaway! It is pretty awesome. Read my review HERE, and enter!

Meals This Week

This week does not slow down at all! Even though we are eliminating some baseball practices now that the season has started. But I guess everything else kicks in then. We have a Spring Concert this week. Hubby will be doing some training this week. Plus a few other things that just seem to fill up our time fast!

I hope you come back this week, on Monday we are starting to Spring Clean our "Outdoor Area", this area is where we hang out and relax, grill, eat food, entertain... This will be our last week for Spring Cleaning! I have got a lot accomplished! On Tuesday, we will be doing another segment of "Homemade", where I will be making something by hand, and showing you how I did it. Wednesday will be "In His Word Wednesday", hosted by Daily Essentials and Deals. Thursday I will be sharing a favorite recipe, and Maybe participating in "Things I Love Thursday". Friday, we will check on the progress we all made this week on our "Outdoor Area" Spring Cleaning. And Saturday will be our second segment of "Weekend Inspiration". Be sure to check those out! I will also show you my groceries this week (Tuesday or Wednesday), and much more!

We will also be hosting some more giveaways SOON! So keep checking back! I am very excited about what is coming up!

Onto the meals!

Monday- Cheeseburger Pie (this includes hamburger, cheese, and veggies)($3.50)

Tuesday- Spaghetti and Garlic Bread ($2.) (Includes enough hamburger to make boys happy)

Wednesday- Breakfast for Dinner ($1.50) (Meatless Meal!)

Thursday- Tuna Noodle Casserole ($2.00)

Friday- Tacos ($4.) Made with Homemade Tortillas!

Saturday- Salmon Patties, Salad, Mixed veggies ($3.)

Sunday- Happy Mother's Day! (Meals with Family)

Notice, I included the approximate cost of each meal for our family of 6.

I hope you all have a great week, and hope to see you back soon!

This Week & Meals

I think last week, I said things would be MUCH slower. Well, I guess I misread my week. I think to say I have a slow week, ever again in my life, would be a crazy statement. Because for as far as I can see in my calendar, I am busy. I will probably be, with 4 boys, busy until I die. Which is fine. I won't have time to feel old then, right? ;) I just wonder when things will stop overlapping... NEVER? Great...

So, as usual, busy week! Practices, meetings, parent night, Boyscout Camping, etc... So, here's the menu:

Monday- Grilled Chicken, Red Potatoes, Strawberries

Tuesday- Chicken & Homemade Noodles, Broccoli

Wednesday- Taco Salad

Thursday- Country Scalloped Potatoes & Ham

Friday- Boy's at Scout Camp~ Leftovers for mama, Caden & Koen

Saturday- Homemade Pizza

Sunday- Crockpot whole chicken, veggies

Some weeks it just isn't that easy coming up with a meal plan! But, I know if I don't make one, my life will be in some sort of cyclone, spinning completely out of control come, oh about, 5:00pm... So, it is worth it to me to keep my sanity (well, SOME of it) and well, I don't want ALL of my hair to be grey!

I just have to say, even though our schedules are getting even more crazy, I love summer! I love the warm weather. I love spring flowers. I love new life.

How is YOUR week??? What are you eating? Can I send some boys over? Kidding. I'm just kidding. Unless you really WANT them over...

This Weeks Menu

I think this week is going to be MUCH slower then last week. I hope! Maybe I can catch up on some of those things that I have had to put off...

I am LOVING some of the sales that have been going on... some are not great, some are! Like Kroger, and Kmart! Woo hoo!

Make sure to check out our book giveaway! It is a great book!

So, here is our menu for this week:

Monday: Chicken & Noodles (with Homemade Noodles!)

Tuesday: Salmon Patties, Salad, Mixed Veggies

Wednesday: Breakfast for Supper (Kid's Choice)

Thursday: Cheeseburger Pie (didn't get to make last week)

Friday: Fish Fry at Church

Saturday: Young Adult's Ministry at our Church (Pizza!)

Sunday: Chicken in the Crockpot w/ veggies

So, what are YOU eating this week???

To see more menu plans go HERE!

Meals This Week

Another crazy, busy week! I hope you all had a great weekend. We did~ dispite colds that are rolling through the family...

We have so much going this week, and of course it all overlaps, so I am usually late to whatever I am doing. And hubby is usually helping by running kids too. We have Boyscouts, Church Board Meetings, 4H, Baseball Practices, Worship Practice, Women's Ministry, a garage sale, and more!

SO, with that in mind, as usual~ I am keeping meals quick and easy!

Here's our dinners:
Monday- Scalloped Potatoes and Ham (crockpot)

Tuesday- Homemade Noodles & Spegetti Sauce & Salad

Wednesday- Cheeseburger Pie, Frozen Fruit

Thursday- Tatertot Casserole

Friday- Grilled Pork Chops, Pasta Salad, Lettuce Salad (OR Eating Out)

Saturday- Tacos (with Homemade Tortillas)

Sunday- Grilled Chicken Sandwiches, Noodles & Salad

To see how each of these meals play out, follow me over to Happy to be at Home, where my Kitchen is the Kitchen of the Week!

What are YOU eating with week? Have a good one!

For More Meal plans, go to Orgjunkie.com.

Meals This Week

Another busy week, with Good Friday and Easter this week. In between, we have practices and meetings of all sorts, baseball (for 2 boys 5 days this week), Worship, Austin's afterschool program, Women's Ministry, Koen's 1 year check-up, and I am sure more to come! SO, another busy week (and this morning we start off with a 2 hour delay because of the snow! All of those poor little flowers that were trying to come up!

Well, this week join us for Spring Cleaning (today!), Another segment of "Homemade", In His Word Wednesday, Recipes, Deals, Studying frim God's Word, and more! Look forward to seeing you back!

***For more menu plans, go to orgjunkie.com HERE.

So, here is the menu for this week:

Monday- Baked Chicken, Baked Potatoes, canelope

Tuesday- Grilled Cheese and homemade vegetable soup

Wednesday- Mini Meatloaf, veggies, frozen fruit

Thursday- Leftovers

Friday- Good Friday Service- Homemade Pitas (Turkey, salad, tomatoes)

Saturday- Pizza, pasta salad

Sunday- Easter- Chicken in a Crockpot, veggies, rolls (homemade?)

All of these meals run below $5, even the ones with meat! Have a look around my blog to see how we do it, e-mail me or go HERE to see how a family of 6 can eat for so cheap!

So, what are YOU having this week?

This Weeks Meals

Is it summer already??? I am not asking that because the weather is great here or anything, because. it's. NOT. It's actually snowing here right now. =( But because my schedule for the next several weeks is filling up, like CRAZY FAST. You know that HAS to be fast!

Between my Worship Team, Women's Ministry, Boys in Baseball, Boys in Afterschool Programs, Boys in Boy Scouts, Easter & Good Friday coming up, etc, etc.... I feel the need to start making lists. Lots and lots of lists, so I don't get an ulcer or something. Mommas, I KNOW you know what I'm talkin' about...

But this week on this blog will be great (as Usual!). Look for Spring Cleaning in the Laundry Area on Monday. Please Join us and link up!

And on Tuesday, Look for our latest installment of "Homemade". Where we will be making Play-dough! This recipe is super simple and you probably have everything in your cupboards right now!

Wednesday will be "In His Word". Check out Megan's blog here for all of the links.

And more to come!

So, Our meals on this busy crazy week are:

Monday- Salmon, Salad & Fruit

Tuesday- Tatertot Casserole

Wednesday- Incredibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie

Thursday- Pitas w/ salad & turkey, canelope

Friday- B-day Party (last one for 3 mo.) Tacos!

Saturday- All day running, maybe Pitas again or Leftovers

Sunday- Grilled Chicken, salad, canelope (Praying for warm weather!)

Hope you all have a great week, and hope to see you back here real soon!

See more meal plans HERE at OrgJunkie.com

Meals this Week

Wow, this last week turned out WAAYYY busier then I expected. Life does that sometimes, I guess. At least I have the Lord as ruler of my life, so when my life gets busy, I know He is in control if I let Him be! So His control of my busy week was actually really good! I was blessed to be able to attend a women's retreat this weekend. And it was nice, no sleep~ but great fellowship. I am actually (after only 8 hours of sleep, with 3 hours the night before...) feeling really good today, refreshed and ready for this next week!

If you haven't seen, I am doing a giveaway, and am also a party of the Ultimate Blog Party. SO check those out, there are lots of giveaways at the UBP.

Don't forget also, our Spring Cleaning segment. We are cleaning our Master or Second bathroom, OR any other areas that you need to have Spring Cleaned in this next week! Join us Monday morning for that, so you can link up.

Also Join us Tuesday, we will be starting a segment called "Homemade". This is where I am going to be make things by hand, and (hopefully) showing you how you can also do it!

Now, to the meals! I've got 2 birthday boys to celebrate this week (if you remember I had one last week too!), my oldest son, Deklyn and my hubby! AND this week is also Spring Break for us, so busy, busy, busy!!!

Monday- Chicken & Veggie Stir fry, on rice

Tuesday- Deklyn's B'day~ He wanted Homemade Pizza

Wednesday- My hubby's B'day~ Pork Chops (maybe on the grill or in the oven if it rains!), with veggies and a pasta salad.

Thursday- Pork Sandwiches, french fries & fresh fruit

Friday- Away at a Retreat with Hubby

Saturday- Dinner with Friends from Church

Sunday- Grill out??? Chicken on Bun, salad & fruit

So, I hope all of you have a truly blessed week, and I hope to see you back here soon!

This Weeks Menu

I have failed to get my meals put on for about 3 weeks now... ooopps! But I have been keeping a menu, or else I wouldn't know what to do with myself come 5:00pm.

This week we actually have a birthday (my baby boy turns 1!) and a party. Plus all of my normal: Worship Practice, Wednesday night church, Women's Ministry. Next week is Spring Break... please pray for my sanity and good weather.

So, here's the menu:

Monday- Tuna Noodle Casserole

Tuesday- Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

Wednesday- Mini Meatloaf, mashed potatoes & other veggie

Thursday- Tuna Salad (homemade) Pita Pockets

Friday- Koen's 1st B'day! Tacos w/homemade tortillas

Saturday- Boy's away (sleepover, thanks Carrie!) Leftovers or out to eat

Sunday- Pork Chops w/ veggies (hopefully on the grill!)

So, that is what is on OUR menu this week, HERE are more to look at. What are YOU having this week???

Meals This Week

I was feeling in a bit of a "meal slump", in trying to figure out what to have this week... So, I will be on the look out this week to find some new recipes for next weeks schedule! I think I am going to look into the "Recipezaar" site, and see what that is all about! I DID remember a meal that is a FAV in our family that I haven't done in a while, for the Cheeseburger Pie(we add frozen veggies to the recipe).

So, here are my dinners this week :

Monday: Cheeseburger Pie, Frozen Fruit

Tuesday: Vegetable soup over Homemade Mashed Potatoes

Wednesday: Baked Mac-n-Cheese( homemade) , Chicken

Thursday: Hamburgers on a bun, french fries, salad

Friday: Tacos

Saturday: Lunch- Salmon & Salad, Dinner- Soup & Grilled Cheese

Sunday: Whole Chicken in a Crockpot w/ Veggies

All of my meals (including the Sunday's meal) is less then $5. I am feeding 2 adults and 4 growing little boys (yes, baby has been eating ground up big people food! And a lot of it!).

So, what are YOU eating this week??? Any EASY, cheap recipe ideas for me???

Delicious Cake

So, I am going to throw this out there that this is one of the yummiest cakes I have ever had in my life...

I know, it's bold. But, I am willing to go there with this cake...

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Combine in a mixing bowl:

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a saucepan, melt:

2 sticks butter

Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa.

Stir together.

Add 1 cup boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat.

Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In measuring cup, pour 1/2 cup buttermilk. (if you don't have the 1/2 buttermilk, pour almost 1/2 regular milk, then pour in white vinegar the rest of the way to make a 1/2 C.)

Add:

2 beaten eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture.

Pour into sheet cake pan and bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes.

While cake is baking, make icing:

Chop 1/2 cup pecans finely.

Melt 1 3/4 sticks butter in a saucepan.

Add 4 heaping tablespoons cocoa, stir to combine, then turn off heat.

Add:

6 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 lb minus 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Stir together.

Add pecans, stir together, and pour over warm cake.

My boys Love this cake. I could literally eat this whole cake MYSELF, if I wouldn't hate myself in the morning... So, enjoy. And try NOT to eat it all yourself, cake is made for sharin', after all. ***BTW- we're not doing anything tonight, so we can come over if you have cake...

Visit HERE for more recipes...

Recipe Originally from the Pioneer Woman (Thanks, Heather Kay!)

Meals This Week

Another week! I hope everyone had a great weekend and a wonderful Valentine's Day! We were actually able to have a couple hours of peace, while grandma kept all but my baby. So we just hung out at home, and watched borrowed movies! (Yes, I DO follow my own advise!)

Monday, the boys have no school, thanks to President's Day. And I just may be at home pulling my hair out by 8:30 AM... I will post a pic if I do go bald. Also, Monday hubby and I are going to start and complete our taxes. Pray for our sanity all of Monday...

So, the meals. I had a baking day last week, but I may have to do another, because baked goods along with 4 boys & a hubby, don't last long. So, we may add some baked good on top of the menu...

Monday- Vegetable soup (with l.o. chicken from Sunday & veggies) & homemade bread

Tuesday- Baked Chicken Thighs, potatoes, corn

Wednesday- Cavatini & Homemade bread

Thursday- Tuna Noodle Casserole & frozen fruit

Friday- Pizza & Homemade Potato Chips

Saturday- Fellowship at Church with meal! Yeah!

Sunday- Tater tot casserole

All of my meals run between $2-4. And I am feeding 6 mouths!

What are YOU eating this week???

Go HERE to see more menu plans!

Grocery Shopping This Week

What a morning... I woke to find the boys did not have school. They were going to have a half day. And then for some some reason, the school decided they were going to delay because of fog. THERE WAS NO FOG. I saw NO FOG! SO instead of making the kids come to school for 2 hours, they canceled.




I took them with me shopping, and they have too much energy for shopping and I have very high expectations of them while we shop. So, to the lay person, they looked like good boys. To me, I had to growl at them every other minute. OH, like when I had to growl at Austin to stop messing around and walking backwards through the store, just as he knocked into a cardboard display of cereal bars, knocking about 15 boxes down, and nearly taking out the display. I also had to smile, because THAT'S my Aussie... He's a cluts and he's super cute.





Anyways, back to the shopping trip. My husband told me I had $40 to spend on groceries, because of our Anniversary weekend... So, I had to widdle my list down and get the really good sales and the necessities...





So here's what I got:

I went to Meijer and to Kroger. I HAD to get Valentines. Have the prices of these went up??? And they don't even come in envelopes, the have a small page of stickers... Anyways! I also HAD to get milk. I still had 2 from last week (great sale at Meijer on Milk and soy milk) so all I had to get was a couple. I have been able to save on milk a little bit while the boys are away at school, plus limiting them to 2 glasses at dinner has helped! I did not do the racing sale or what ever that is at Kroger. There weren't 10 items that I wanted to spend my money on this week. But I did get some more Wacky Mac, because we had this last night in the pasta salad form, and loved it (yes Megan, it's true!). And since it's only like $.16 at Kroger with a $.50 coupon (tripled), we got more! Plus on my limited budget, I scoured the discount items and found some rice on sale for $1.27, plus I got some discounted meat. This is meat that is about 2-3 days from it's "sell by" date. All I do, is divide it up and throw it in the freezer any how! So, these are a great way for us to be able to afford meat, to feed 6 on a budget of $70!

I also "splurged" a little bit and got organic lettuce. That was $2.29 a head! But it is worth it to me.

OH, I almost forgot, we have always had the Schwan man stop by our house. They have very good ice cream and other things for dinners... Well, I am ashamed to say I have been mostly hiding from the Schwan man because I am getting great deals and don't "need" his services. Last time I saw him, I was going to get some Quik Taters, basically a round tater tot. But they didn't have it so I got shredded hash browns. It cost me over $5 for a bag of hash browns. I told my husband that I didn't want to get anything from them any more! Well, guess who caught me this morning trying to go grocery shopping... the Schwan man. So he pops through my door and says, "we have the Quik Taters today" and proceeds to put them in his little machine. I said OK... and he said' Anything else?" I told him no, and he said the total was "$5.69". I about passed out. But went and wrote the check... There went that much of my budget! Note to self: Never order from the Schwan man until you become independently wealthy.

So, I forgot to add the small bag of Quik(ly draining your budget) Taters to the picture...

So, $5.69 to the Schwan man, $17.29 to Meijer, and $16.39 to Kroger, equaling = $39.34!!! And saved $27.57. That is 59% saving. Not too bad, but I didn' t have many coupons this week and I got quite a bit of meat. So we are happy!

I was just breaking down our food budget too and $70 feeds, cleans(soaps, shampoos, deodorants, toothpaste, etc) & cares for (household cleaning products, laundry soap, toilet paper, etc) each member of this family. And breaking that down, we only spend $11.66 per person, per week. That is amazing when you break it down. We used to do $35. per person, per week. And that was skimping, getting almost all generic, and not eating much meat.

I think this is the most I have rambled on here about groceries, so I encourage you to learn how to shop smarter! And feed your family for less! To learn how to do that, go HERE or HERE.

How did YOU do this week???