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And We’re Off! Moving Tips You (or a Friend) Just Might Need…

August 31, 2011
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This weekend is our big move.  THE big move.

I've been armed with boxes, bubble wrap, and packing tape for the last few weeks.  Buried in it, actually.  And you haven't heard much from me.

(thanks for being patient)

My black magic marker has been one of my very. best. friends.

Our new house has been painted, wallpapered, and visited by handymen, and it's awaiting our arrival.

THIS IS IT!!!

Some of you have offered valuable advice on our Facebook page.  My favorite idea was submitted by Laurie Dyer (what great friends she has!):

Tsh, editor of Simple Mom, also wrote this helpful checklist for moving into a new home.

And who knew you could easily order moving supplies via Amazon.com?  They have great prices, especially on packing tape (which I've used LOTS of).

I can hardly wait to share more details with you soon!  Thank you for all of your well-wishes and prayers during this time of transition.  What a blessing you all have been!

Have you made a long distance move with young children?  I'd love to know what worked for you!

 

 ::  image credit ::

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Filed Under: Homekeeping, Hospitality, Nurturing Family 8 Comments

My Favorite Time-Saving Kitchen Tip

August 23, 2011

*edited re-post from the archives

Some days it is nearly impossible to get dinner on the table, isn't it? It's nice to have a plan for the days when you have only thirty minutes (or less!) to prepare a healthy, economical, and family-pleasing meal.

One thing I do that saves me significant time during the week is to fill the grill with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Just once. Lots of chicken. Grill them all :) It doesn't take any longer than grilling just four or five.

Then, we have grilled chicken for dinner that night, but.... I CHOP ALL THE REST OF THE CHICKEN AND FREEZE IT.  I fill sandwich baggies with the chopped chicken, then put all the little bags into a larger freezer bag. When I need a quick meal, I pull a sandwich bag out of the freezer. We use the chicken for quick and easy pitas, burritos, tacos, pasta, and the list goes on.

For example, you can add the chicken to a skillet, along with a chopped zucchini,

add some tomato sauce, salt, and pepper,

then stir into a pasta of your choice and sprinkle some parmesan over the top.

You can use white pasta, if that is what your family prefers, but might I suggest mixing white with whole wheat pasta?   I don't think your children will be able to tell the difference.

Dinner is served, in less than thirty minutes!

(for more healthy recipes, you may want to peruse my recipes page.)

 

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Filed Under: Budgeting & Frugal Living, Frugal Living, Kitchen Tips, Recipes 4 Comments

Biblical Womanhood Friday, 14th Edition

August 19, 2011

Each Friday, we invite you to share what you have done this week to grow in Biblical womanhood, inspired by the passages found in Proverbs 31 and Titus 2.

Did you:

  • Build up your home through an effective prayer and Bible reading time?
  • Find a new way to "willingly work with your hands"?
  • Discover a healthier or more frugal way to provide food for your household?
  • Stretch out your hands to the needy?
  • Train your children?
  • Grow in love and respect for your husband?
  • Better managed your time?
  • Cook a nourishing, real foods meal to improve the physical well-being of your family?

We'd love to hear about it!

To share a link to your post about how you have grown in Biblical womanhood this week, please use the linky below. If you do not have a blog, please considering sharing in the comment section below. Be sure to visit the other posts shared here as well; they are perfect for inspirational weekend reading. Remember to share this linky on facebook and twitter by using the social media icons at the end of the post.

Please use the link that goes directly to your specific post (not your home page). Also, be sure to use the small button below somewhere in your post and link back here so that others can find us and join in as well.  Thank you for linking up!

Please insert the above button into your post and be sure it links back to http://likeabubblingbrook.com

I'm looking forward to reading about how you've grown in Him this week!

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Filed Under: Biblical Womanhood Friday 5 Comments

One Tip for Earning Rainy Day Dollars

August 10, 2011


Sign up at Swagbucks.com and earn swag bucks!

Want to earn some rainy day money?  Christmas money?  Birthday money?

Using the Swagbucks site is one way I earn extra money, just by searching the web. When you search on Google (or another search engine), they are making money from your search. You may have noticed that the first few links that appear in the Google results are sponsored links. They are getting paid by the advertisers to show you these advertisements, or as they call them, sponsored links.

Swagbucks, though, pays you back a part of their profit -- they don't keep it all for themselves. By simply switching search engines, you can earn money each month.  You can also earn "bucks" by referring friends and taking part in special offers.  I can get a $5 Amazon gift card for only 450 Swagbucks via their site, which is what I usually redeem my bucks for.  I just keep collecting Amazon gift cards as my bucks accrue, then redeem them for birthday or Christmas presents.

And, just so you know, Swagbucks is powered by Google and Ask.com, so you are still getting great search results.

Why not do it? It's free, it's easy, and it's a great way to start earning a few extra dollars to set aside for a rainy day. I have a friend who earned enough money using Swagbucks that she was able to buy almost all of her Christmas gifts with them.

You can get started with Swagbucks easily by signing up here.

This is one of the little things I do to earn money while being a stay-at-home mom.  I also take on bits of side work, earn money with this blog, and re-sell items on ebay.

Do you stay home?  How do you save money or earn extra money?  It's your turn to share!

***

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Filed Under: Blogging Tips, Budgeting & Frugal Living, Frugal Living, Working From Home 11 Comments

SUMMERTIME FAMILY PICNIC: Chicken Drumsticks & Potato Salad

August 10, 2011
Oven Fried Chicken Drumsticks

Featured post by Kelly of The Nourishing Home

Whether it’s a day at the beach, lake or park, planning a summertime family picnic is a great way to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation and some fun in the sun together!

 To make it even more special, why not save the sandwiches for another day, and pack a hearty picnic lunch with traditional family favorites – nothing says ‘picnic’ like chicken drumsticks and potato salad!

And you can make it even simpler if you make a double-batch of chicken drumsticks and potato salad for dinner, then save the leftovers for your family picnic. Just add some fresh fruit and home-baked cookies to your picnic basket and your all set for a summertime family picnic to remember!

Oven Baked Fried Chicken 

This is one of my boys’ favorites and they’re always willing to help cook when this is on the menu. Since drumsticks are their favorite, I buy a large package of 10 organic drumsticks and use the leftover drumsticks for family picnics or in their lunchboxes, since this chicken also tastes great cold!

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk (or plain kefir)
  • 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • ½ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 ½ tsp dried oregano, crushed
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 8-10 chicken drumsticks, skin on (or assorted chicken pieces, skin on)
  • 3 tbsp butter, melted

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and buttermilk. In a separate bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper. Place breadcrumb mixture on a large plate or baking dish to make it easier to dredge the chicken. Dip drumsticks/chicken pieces into egg mixture; then dredge through breadcrumb mixture until well coated.

 Place drumsticks/chicken pieces on a well-oiled 12x17-inch baking sheet, making sure pieces don't touch. Use a spoon to drizzle melted butter across top of chicken. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until juice of chicken runs clear when poked with a fork. (Do not turn chicken during baking.) Enjoy! 

Grandma's Cultured Potato Salad

I may be a bit bias here, but my Grandma's homemade potato salad has always been one of my favorites. I'm sure she would be proud to know I'm still making it, with just a slight real foodie adjustment – the addition of whole milk yogurt, which provides the health benefits of probiotics, as well as adding a wonderful tangy flavor! Absolutely delicious – the perfect side dish for summer picnics and BBQs!

  • 6 cups diced organic red potatoes (about 5-6 large red potatoes)
  • 2 boiled eggs, diced
  • 1-2 stalks of celery, diced
  • 1-2 green onions, finely diced (include some green parts)
  • 1/2 cup plain organic whole milk yogurt
  • 1/4 cup mayo
  • 1/2 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Celtic sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp dried dill weed
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder

 In a large stockpot, boil diced potatoes, until fork tender. Drain and set aside to cool to room temperature. (The reason it's important to bring the potatoes to room temp first, before tossing them in the yogurt mixture, is so the live cultures won't be damaged by excessive heat.)

 Meanwhile, in a large bowl, add yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, mustard and seasonings. Whisk until well combined. Using a large rubber spatula, fold in the diced boiled eggs, celery and green onion. Place mixture in frig until potatoes are finished cooling.

 Once potatoes are room temp, add them to the yogurt mixture and gently fold all ingredients together using a large rubber spatula. Add additional salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Place potato salad in a medium serving bowl and sprinkle top with dried or fresh chopped dill weed (or Italian parsley). Refrigerate at least two hours, or up to 24-hours, before serving. Serves 4-6. Mmm! A healthy dose of cultures in every delicious bite!

Kelly Smith loves the Lord, her family, and sharing her passion for real food cooking and meal planning with others. She is a part-time healthcare writer and a full-time wife and mother to two awesome boys. Kelly’s real food journey began four years ago when she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. Since then, the Lord has blessed her with an amazing recovery – a testament to His grace and the health benefits of eating real food. Kelly shares her knowledge of cooking and meal planning via her facebook page: www.facebook.com/TheNourishingHome. She hopes to launch a blog soon.

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Filed Under: Eating Real Foods, Recipes 1 Comment

Being a “Daily” Christian

August 2, 2011
 
*edited re-post from the archives
 
"Allow me to get personal.  Is your money under control?  Most Christian financial counselors will tell you firsthand we're out to lunch in this area.  Did you know that 80% of all Americans owe more than their net worth?  And yet an incredible amount of money passes through our hands.  American Christians will have a lot to give account for when they get to the judgement seat of Christ, because to whom much has been given, much will be required.
 
What about your material possessions?  My wife Jeanne and I once dined with a rich man from a blue blood Boston family, and I asked him, "How in the world did you grow up in the midst of such wealth and not be consumed by materialism?"

His answer: "My parents taught us that everything in our home was either an idol or a tool."

So how do you view your possessions?

How does being a Christian relate to your thought life?  Both at seminary and as I travel I find young men and women who've filled their minds with garbage, and then they ask me, "How come I'm not holy?"

How about your diet?  If I scheduled a seminar at your church and then walked in drunk, you'd dismiss me immediately. But if I walked in fifty pounds overweight, you'd feed me more, right? Sure, after all, you really can't have a Christian gathering without food... But maybe this is too convicting. On to something else.

How about exercise?  Dr. Kenneth Cooper told an audience of about three to four hundred students at our seminary that by a regular, systemic exercise program, they could each add five to fifteen years to their ministry. Think of the implications!"

-- Dr. Howard Hendricks, from his book Teaching to Change Lives (one of my favorites!)


P.S.  You can try Crown Financial Ministries' online envelope budgeting program, Mvelopes, FREE for two weeks by using this link. Cancel anytime!

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Filed Under: Biblical Womanhood, Books Worth Reading, Practicing Faith 3 Comments