One Dinner, Countless Gratitude

Another year, another Thanksgiving Feast. What a blessing... To have the resources and ability to create and enjoy a feast. Our hearts are full.

Summer seemed endless this year, hot and bright. Then the breeze picked up cooling the air on different days. The rain seemed to tease as well though the gardens everywhere around us were definitely grateful for the quenching drink.

Then on the day before Thanksgiving, I wake up to this...

A lovely reminder that Fall is here-- time to rejoice and slow down... After much decorating, where top and bottom were dressed as the outside...

It was time to prepare the dining room and set the stage for the upcoming feast...
So the mirrors were dressed up to be witnesses to the falling leaves dancing with the chilly wind outside... And the table was set to feed a family and two LDS missionaries with great sense of humor who again taught us that Jesus Christ is alive and here to teach us about life.
So to express our gratitude, we fed them some "home-made from scratch" dishes that even the chef and best critic of the house were impressed.
Autumn Soup (butternut squash & potato with leek and coconut milk) with Texas Toast & Cocktail Shrimp topped with Roasted butternut squash seeds; Cliff House Clam Chowder (a Maine recipe tweaked); Glazed Spiral Ham alongside Sausage & Corn Dressing (home made sausage); Oatmeal Dinner Rolls; Roasted Game Hens over Portobello Couscous. We drenched our thirst with Cran-Orange Fizz & Ice Water. It was rounded out by desserts of Sugar cookies, Pecan tarts and Apple pie, Thanksgiving Pie. It was indeed a feast... What a blessing to have such opportunity in the midst of this depressing economic trials we are facing.

We were a little down since our eldest girl is in Hawaii, but soon she'll be home with us and that helped us to cheer up and wish her the best Thanksgiving as well in her BYUH home... The ward fed them both spiritually and physically. Can't beat that...

And of course, we can't ignore our newest source of gratitude... Our new family members, our new "babies"-- Zeus Bolt & Percy Jackson! (think mythology and you'll figure out which is which)

They are absolutely a delight! They keep us on our feet and keep us cleaning the carpet. LOL

We wish and hope that you and yours... Also had one dinner, a feast over countless gratitude.

Happy Thanksgiving!

3 Families, 1 Dinner, >$13

You read right... I made dinner for three families: Mine, Next door and a Mother&Son. A total of 12 mouths.

I made Spaghetti with Homemade Sausage & Parmesan Spaghetti sauce and Texas toast.

Real Food Real People dot com

Here's my total:

Barilla Pasta- 4 boxes- 99 cents each = $3.96
Tomato Paste- 1 can- 35 cents
Tomato Sauce- 75 cents (big can)
Tomato Diced- 75 cents
Parmesan, Herbs, Spices- FREE (already had it)
Texas Toast- 1.5 boxes- $1.97 each = $2.96
HF Beef Smoked Sausage Links- 1.5 pkgs.- $2.50 each = $3.75

$3.96 + .35 + .75 + .75 + $2.96 + $3.75 = $12.52 Total

Why did I do it? Well, it was back on Sunday night the 7th, before I-Dude's birthday, so the spaghetti is a traditional dinner to wish him a long life ahead. For our next door neighbor, it is to help their daughter who comes to YW, get some of her Personal Progress checked off and because my friend Annette has started working again. For my friend Heather and her son, it was because her MS turned for the worst and she needed some dinner help while the steroids did their thing to help her legs.

See? Service and Frugality can be totally complimentary. (I actually already had the pasta from last month, February, so technically they're already FREE, according to my budget.) No need to go to the store for the whole meal if you just stock up on few necessities...

Til next post!

(Still can't upload pictures)

HIATUS Over; time to Party!

Well, The Big V day is here and that means, our two-week shopping hiatus is officially over!!! Yeah!!! But sadly, we didn't do so well in the savings department as NEEDED health, school, printer and clothing expenses ate up what we saved from not buying our wants... At least we didn't have to dip in any extra pocket! I think I would consider this one a success as well!

To end the hiatus, we did need to go on a grocery run as fruits and milk ran out. On our way out, we have this left from our Winter Wonderland- a slowly melting snow fort that our next door neighbor's son, Pat did. Great job!

I-Dude and J-Pony loved every minute they spent in it (until I called them).Had to take a second picture.
See that little tilted snow on the left middle? That's a mailbox! LOL
They showed how they kept it up for Pat. Thanks, guys!

And tonight, since it's also Chinese New Year, we celebrated both with an authentic Chinese dinner, both homemade and store-bought!

Look at my little "firecrackers"! We celebrate in honor of my part Chinese heritage on both sides of my family. The kids are just lovin' all the cultural holidays we get to enjoy!

After reading up on my Chinese table etiquette, this is my own rendition. I used candles to represent the fireworks used on celebrating and the red for China and the black for the black stripes on a tiger since it is the Year of The Tiger! Pretty clever, huh?

I made shrimp & broccoli with hoisin garlic sauce, we bought eggrolls and pot stickers (no picture), symbols of prosperity and wealth. The clementines and chocolate for wishes of a sweet life this year. Of course the noodles are the Chinese symbol for wishes of long life.

Poached grouper with soy sauce... It has carrots, ginger and onions that flavored the soy sauce broth. Again, having seafood is considered wishes for wealth and prosperity.


I made both of these dishes. L-Infinity, Mr. Man and I, loved it! J-Pony and I-Dude ate as much as they can of what they can because they wanted this...


I call it, Chocolate Explosion. It's a package of German Chocolate Cake mix but I added chunks of 60% cocoa chocolate bar in the batter. I whisked the eggs before I added it in. The result was a very moist, rich cake with pockets of bittersweet gooeys! The frosting is Dark Chocolate Fudge with powdered sugar on top and I decorated it with the Ferrero Rocher chocolate balls and Dark Chocolated coated almonds! Yum!!!

Happy, happy Valentine's Day, from our family to yours...

SH Day 5- Gloomy Day...

Yesterday, it rained for most of the day. Today, it just drizzled for most of the day. Yup, it was pretty gloomy...

The kids woke up late again and had to be driven to school.

Since sleeping hasn't been part of my late evening repertoire for over 4 days now (former insomniac), sleeping in today was rather nice. I woke up cause the phone rang.

The afternoon was spent doing errands, picking up and dropping off our teen.

The project, got as far as bringing the much needed tool out of the box! (woop te doo... *yawn*)

Food Budget Trick: Eating is very much psychological, ergo can be manipulated. So I do, rather strictly. In my home, dessert is not a normal part of the meal. It is a treat approved by me. Soda is once a week. Snacks are on a schedule or for school. ONLY. And... IT HAS TO BE ON SALE- A GREAT SALE. ONLY. This way, our food money is further stretched to accomodate more necessities. No one misses out on anything and whining gets cut to a minimum.

Dinner was another Filipino dish called "Sinigang na Baboy" (Pork in Sour Broth) over rice.

I got the pork last week at Kroger for 99 cents/lb. The family pack I got cost $5.04

I used:
1/3 pkg, pork country style ribs-------------------------1.68
1 bag of frozen spinach----------------------------------1.00
1 lb. taro root---------------------------------------------.99
1 packet of tamarind season mix(Asian mart, 2/$1)--FREE (Dec)
Water and seasoning------------------------------------FREE
Rice-------------------------------------------------------FREE (Jan)

1.68 + 1 + .99 = $3.67 /5 = 73 cents a plate! (and again, leftovers for tomorrow!)

With that little expense for dinner by only using what we have, the day certainly didn't end gloomy! (though cold still stands. "brrr!!!")

5 days down, 9 more to go!

SH Day 4- 9 Long Hours!

First, the kids forgot to wake up in time to catch the bus.

Next are dentist and doctor's appointments.

Then we decided to tackle needed materials for our V-Day project (which I will reveal, after V-day, of course!). We needed lumber, a piece of 4x4 to be specific. One piece. You would think that it would be quite easy to go down to your local hardware store and check it off your list. Nooooooo!

a) There was too much splitting and cracking on each piece.
b) The inventory is too low for any decent choices.
c) Neither of us bothered to ask why the inventory's too low.
d) Project needed revision two other times because your hubby's coming up with tools to buy for a "glue and cut" project you had originally.
e) Only one store carries untreated lumber in three cities!
f) You find out "e" after you waste gas going to other cities.
g) You end up at the first store buying the exact same things in your cart 5 hours ago!

Yes, folks... we got the materials, now the question is, will we have the time to finish it by day before V-day since said holiday is on Sunday? (cross your fingers!)

LUNCH was totally FREE- The kids brought lunch from home or got FREE school lunch while Mr. Man and I dined at Red Lobster (ya posh,huh?) using our birthday giftcards from his parents! (Thanks, Mom and Dad!) We shared a salad before and a gooey slice of chocolate cake after our surf and turf fare. Plus, we portioned the cards for two lunches! Yay, another FREE lunch soon for us!

Mutual was tonight, and we ended picking up all three kids from school as well. The road was our home today, thank goodness no road incidents to bother with. (though there certainly were a lot of "rain" novice drivers out!)

Ok, onto some inexpensive dinner segment:

Last night, I started to make Tinola, a Filipino chicken dish with broth, ginger, and pepper leaves.

Last week, I got the drumstick family pack- it had 18 in it for exactly $7.00

I used:
7 Drumsticks----------------------------------$2.72
1/4 Onion, 1 lb. head (H-Mart,.39/lb)----------.10
1 Pepper Leaves, frozen (H-Mar, 2.99)------$2.99
4 cups Jasmine rice (Costco,50lb., abt $22, Dec)-FREE
Spices and water- FREE

$2.72 + .10 + $2.99 = $5.81 / 5 = $1.16 a plate! (And we had seconds with just rice and broth!)

The best part, all of our dinners, we've had enough leftovers that fed at least two for lunch or late snack!

If you add the cost of the rice, 4 cups (typical amount used) is about 2 lbs, so...
.44 a pound x 2 = 88 cents only to feed 5 people with enough leftover for one person for lunch the next day.

Food Budget Trick: I don't use a lot of meat in feeding my family, so I end up portioning it through small cuts and smaller amounts before it hits the freezer. If a recipe calls for a pound of red meat, I decide how much less meat I want to use. Normally, 1/4 to 1/2 lb. is enough to feed us and have some for the next day.

Lesson learned today, don't use lumber for any small projects. *sigh* :-D

SH Day 3- Oodles & Noodles!

Oodles of talents, that's what! J-Pony had her very first Activity Days Talent Show tonight. It was amazing! The girls are oozing with talents-from singing to dancing to instruments and skits! J-Pony participated in a skit and she also played Ode to Joy in her recorder. Very well I might add...

Then, we came home and we made dinner. A little late, and the kids had dessert first (after the Talent Show, were treats), but since L-Infinity came home with 5 medals last Saturday, we decided to make something rich and inexpensive at the same time! A "Blue Plate Special" moment!

Tonight's dinner was for L's accomplishment last Saturday and for announcing that her AC/DEC team- made it to STATE! They'll be competing in Houston the last weekend of this month!

So, I made... SS Pasta! SS for Spinach and Shrimp on a top of a boatload of pasta. Ok, only one package but it was so rich you'd think one plate is unmanageable! This is my "quick to impress" dish that gets made in a jiffy!

Food Budget Trick: Since we do grocery shopping every two weeks, the same items we buy are considered paid for by the third week. So if a pantry or fridge item's dated 3 weeks or older, we consider it FREE since the food budget's been replaced. Also, frozen veggies are strictly budgeted for the normal sale price of the area for inexpensive stock up. (here, $1 a bag)

Ok, here's what I used and how much:
Barilla Thin Spaghetti (1 pkg, sale)---99 cents
Shrimp, 1/3lb. ($3.99/lb)--------- $1.33
1/2 bag frozen Spinach ($1 bag)---- 50 cents
1 cup margarine ($3.49 qt)----------87 cents
1 cup milk ($2.29 gal)-------------- 14 cents
1/2 cup grated parmesan (Costco 2-pk, Jan)-FREE
Apple cider (Target 2-gal, Jan)-FREE

.99 + 1.33 + .50 + .87 + .14 = $3.83 / 5 = 77 cents a plate! Yeah! That "$10 Dinners" show host has nothing on me! LOL

Thanksgiving Dinner! (On Friday)

As you know, we had to delay our Thanksgiving dinner to today, Friday because Mr. Man worked on T-day night. That was a great blessing as it bought me another day to prepare and make most of the meal. Well, I was still late because Mr. Man and I slept in after he got home and I woke up at 2 and dinner was at 6! And in the process, I miscounted the placesettings so I changed my original tablescape to this more subtle but just as effective look.

But when it came time to eat, all was amazing! We dined under candlelights and on homemade bread, soup, butter and game hens, as well as sparkling apple cider and white grape juice. L-Infinity made the soup, J-Pony helped with the cupcakes and I-Dude helped taste everything! What a helpful bunch! :-)

I made french bread, but I wanted to do something different, so I braided each loaf! They turned out great on the table and everyone loved just pinching off the loaf rather than waiting for slices to be handed them. The butter was fresh and creamy. What a combination!
I made my own Chocolate Pecan Pie. It was delicious! I will have to cover the crust next time as it almost burned... I gave it a "vine and leaf" decor but because it was so dark, you couldn't even tell. Oh, well...
And here's the dessert table! Aside from the cream puffs at the top, the cupcakes and the pie are all homemade. Yum!
And here's the dining crew! Elder Taggart, Elder Clark, Daniel and my darlings, L-Infinity, Mr. Man, J-Pony and I-Dude. (Kila had to work, but her beau, Alex, had her over on Thursday night with his family so she also had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner.)

Anniversary Dinner Date

It's not officially until tomorrow the 26th, but since Mr. Man's schedule changed again, we've had to be flexible with our plans- three to be exact...

Tonight, this 13th year, was at Lawry's The Prime Rib in Dallas. We had a fun time enjoying the delicious food, especially the "melt in your mouth" sides that highlighted the entrees well. We were seated in a booth closest to where the servers pass through from the kitchen, but since they were so careful to not disturb us, it felt like the most private spot in the whole restaurant. It was an awesome experience! It was great seeing different people serve you over different things. It reminded me of our 10th anniversary at Mr.Man's previous employment, The Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, AZ. Lawry's atmosphere inside was just as luxurious. (Lucky to have found these pictures online as we dined on similar fare and the location shot was done in the fall as well.)

Notice Mr. Man's tie and jacket, yes, it was that kind of restaurant. We scrimped to have a nice celebration for our 13th year to ward off the "unlucky" association with the number 13 and considering our wedding day was also so close to Halloween. ;-) (Nah, we just scrimped since we had a great coupon that we were able to use there.) What, you thought I wouldn't use a coupon at a nice place? Well then you don't know me at all... ;-D

Don't we look great all dressed up?

He needed more work tools for his new station so that was his anniversary gift from me. Easy enough for me! ;-) His anniversary gift to me, he let me buy a new sweater turtleneck top, a great looking beige crocheted dress jacket and my new black "cat woman" boots by CL by Laundry (Chinese Laundry), a fave shoe maker. (LOL, I was trying to show off my ring, but I miscalculated the water goblet's spot in front of my hand.) And you know that they were all bought dirt cheap...

Towards the end, we asked our server to take our picture. Can you see how big this slice of triple layer chocolate cake is?That's actually HALF of what we ordered! It is aptly called, Chocolate Fantasy cake! The shot didn't give it justice- it's bigger than that! They automatically offered to have us take home the other half. Fine with me, more chocolate!!!

And this English Trifle with Strawberry sauce was their signature complimentary celebratory token. Mr. Man loved it while I savored little bites of that huge cake slice above. Can you say we ended on a great note?

We didn't do anything after that, we just went home, because I had 6 essays due by midnight. But tomorrow, our actual anniversary, he will be taking me to breakfast somewhere and another date on Tuesday... We're trying to stretch out our anniversary into three days to make up for the few years we didn't get to celebrate...

Hope you all have a great week!

One Dish Can Do What?

Did you know that your style and preference in cooking say a lot about who you are and what makes you tick?

This is my signature tomato-based dish. I love tomatoes, and this dish looks COMPLICATED BUT deliciously SIMPLE to make. And yields a GENEROUS portion in every pot while NOT being FRIVOLOUS in its ingredients. It boasts of MYSTERY while being CLEAR IN INTENT- to please any palette...

(taken with cell phone)

CHICKEN A LA CAROLYN

1. 1 lb of boned chicken pieces (thighs, drumstick, etc)
2. 1 can cut tomatoes
3. 1 small onion, sliced
4. 3 bay leaves
5. 1 tsp. each S&P
6. 1 T soy sauce
7. 5 cups water
8. 1 tsp garlic powder or 3 cloves, mashed
9. 1 T parsley, fresh or dry
10. 1 cup peas, frozen
11. 1 lb red potatoes, halved
12. 1 can tomato sauce, small
13. 7-10 leaves basil, fresh and torn
14. 1 tsp paprika
15. 2 tsp canola oil
16. 1 yellow bell pepper, cubed big
    

It seems daunting already huh, but it's like a casserole on your stove top. Just layer slowly and let simmer to let each TALENTED flavor to mesh and GROW into the dish and create a UNIQUE AND BRAVE character that makes the dish, FRIENDLY TO ALL palettes. (unless of course you're allergic to any of the ingredients). And because there are such a variety of ingredients, it is FLEXIBLE AND UNDERSTANDING of its consumers that the dish is customizable, MOLDABLE.

Rinse and pat dry each chicken piece. Rub on garlic, S&P and paprika. Set aside in fridge for 10-15 minutes. In a deep soup pot, heat up oil in med high.
Brown each chicken piece on all sides. Set aside.
Saute the onions; add in the potatoes and bay leaves.
Add in the chicken, the tomatoes, tomato sauce and water. Simmer for 10 minutes on med high.
Add in all the veggies and the rest of the seasoning, except the basil and the peas. Simmer for another 30 minutes on medium heat.
Add in the peas and stir into the pot.
Layer the basil leaves on top of each other and rip in half. Add in and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Kill the heat and leave covered for another 10 minutes before serving on top of steamed rice or pasta.

It reminds of Italy's Cacciatore, has the air of American casseroles and stews, but the soy sauce definitely brings out its Asian roots and adds that finishing touch.

I hope you'll try it and enjoy the complexity of this dish and you may just discover just how easy it is to do if you just take the time... And take a look at that, you got to know me just a little bit better... Now that's delicious!

(Ok, I'm hungry for some now; bye!)

FHE: Cinco de Mayo Dinner- Muy Sabroso!

We had a busy day yesterday and today. I needed a more dedicated baking area for the few times that I do bake since I can't stand using the table for sticky and messy batters. I'll have to show the pictures tomorrow.

Tonight, is our very first Cinco de Mayo celebration dinner. Since the kids are home from school, I needed a special dinner to distract them. So tonight became our Family Home Evening!

I made the placesetting simple but fun.

C'mon, everything's ready!
Plus, L-Infinity and Daniel are in the same Spanish class so what a great way to teach them to love what they are learning! Yes, I'm afraid they had a little too much love for the food! LOL

Want some Sangria? It's my own recipe.

Here's a seat for you.... Are you comfy?

How do you like the overall table?
The chicken enchiladas, beef and cheese taquitos, Spanish rice, and cubed beef soft tacos are on the counter.

Which one would you like to start with first?
There... Wasn't everything wonderful? You're ready for dessert already? Wow!
How about your very own piece of Ferrero Rondnoir?
Pure chocolatey goodness!

Why don't you find a spot in the couch and join the kiddos in watching-

NACHO LIBRE!

Mr. Man and I teach our children to love all people and one way to do that is through food and respect for the culture of those different from us.

FELIZ CINCO DE MAYO!!!

FREE Gourmet Dinner Tonight!

Today was just a normal day; the kids went to school and progress reports came home. Homeworks were done and checked. Forms signed and put back in the folders.

The kids wanted a specific meal but I don't have one of the ingredients for it, so they'll have to wait until we go to the grocery store next time. Of course, sometimes that's a blessing. Also, do you remember when I posted about stocking up to share? And I told you how blessings pour out when you do?

Here's proof: Check out this dinner menu:

Italian Wedding Soup
Ribeye steak
Garlic Fried Rice
Potatoes & Green Beans Steamers
Ice Water
Cheesecake slivers

Delish and gourmet, right? But it's all FREE! Yes, FREE!

First, my awesome neighbor, Annette, got a humongous cheesecake last night. This afternoon, she surprised us with half and claims that they have more in their house. Yikes! The cheesecake slices are big enough for 3 people! Then, I found two medium sized ribeye steaks in the freezer and baked them in foils. After we made the fried rice from leftovers. I also found a bag of Potatoes and Green Beans Steamers from last month's grocery trip and the can of soup was from my pantry. After everything was ready, I sliced up the two lean medium cut ribeye steaks to feed 5 people.

I guess the kids will just have to enjoy another luscious and FREE cheesecake for dessert, but just a sliver because it is a New York variety meaning all cheesecake! No crust for Ian...

Oh, did I tell you that the ribeyes I made were from Annette, too? She gave them to me last month. So, I guess tonight, we literally ate for FREE!

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Day 35
Love is Accountable
"Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established."
Proverbs 15:22 KJV

DARE:
Find a marriage mentor—someone who is a strong Christian and who will be honest and loving with you. If you feel that counseling is needed, then take the first step to set up an appointment. During this process, ask God to direct your decisions and discernment.

What I Did:
Charlie and I have this thing everynight where we just go up to each other and hug and whisper I love you several times. It melts away any irritations and renews our relationship- FREE counseling!

I'm glad we do this, because currently we are surrounded by other couples who fight and cuss at each other, cheat on each other and blame their children, separate for petty reasons and the list goes on and that's just the last two weeks! When they talk about it, they don't see how petty or insignificant the reason was, they just wanted to be validated for the hurt. Or how hurtful it is that they let their children hear how disrespectful they were to them by cussing and calling each other names.

A Quiet Day? Maybe Not...

Today was cereal again for breakfast as the kiddos didn't really want anything, but I was told that once they got to school (Ian and Jas), they ate breakfast again. So all was good. I can't believe it is Day 8; two more days... The only thing we had to pick up today were balloons for Sage and Britta tomorrow- to remember their brief time here on earth with two amazing families... The Eldredge and the Hanson.

Charlie and I slept in after Lisa left for school and not much after that, just more organizing and brief visit with my neighbor, Heather Wolfe. The kiddos came home wanting snack, so they had popcorn and some Otter pops to cool off. Then homework and playtime outside. I visited blogs and choked on some lovely comments (Thanks, Anne, Caitlyn and Rorie!) while also keeping up with the house. Charlie put away my dinnerware sets up in the pantry and I was able to put away my Gorham "Flowering Meadow" crystal goblets and flutes in a more secure box. Thank goodness for that!

We then picked up the mail and then Lisa at the highschool after their Pre-UIL competition. They were told they did pretty well, so we'll see on that. If they get a 1, they are again in the lead.

Charlie played with Jas and Ian and taught them how electricity works. He used the book, "Science Fun Station" and showed them how batteries work and how to even create a switch.




Watch the bulb...

Do you see it? It's lit!

Ok, here's one more fun thing they did.

They made a SWITCH using a clip and two bolts! Watch Ian...

How cool is that?! Thank you, Daddy!

Daddies are so much fun, don't you think? WE DO!


For dinner, we decided to use the spaghetti sauce for something else. I remembered that Annette also gave me some ribeye steaks during their recent "half-a-cow" purchase that they do every year, so I made those. Just a quick run on the grill on both sides, a little salt and pepper and that's it! Of course, around here, steak means, rice on the side, so... Here's our ribeye steak strips on rice with spaghetti sauce and peas! We had ruby red grapejuice to drink! YUM!


We hope you had a great dinner, too!
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Day 29

Love's Motivation

"With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:"

Ephesians 6:7 KJV

DARE:

Before you see your spouse again today, pray for them by name and for their needs. Whether it comes easy for you or not, say “I love you,” then express love to them in some tangible way. Go to God in prayer again, thanking Him for giving you the privilege of loving this one special person—unconditionally, the way He loves both of you.

What I Did:

I actually do this every night; I pray that he is safe and that those around him would be supportive and aware of his goodness so he can get over his shyness at work and be let to shine as he loves everything about commercial airplanes. I tell him that I love him several times a day and ask him for his opinion on most things as I value his wisdom. I am very grateful for my husband and Heavenly Father gets an earful of that statement a day also! :-)

Back to School, Back to Normal...

Today is Day 7 of our "Being Self-Reliant" family project. Yes, we lasted one whole week!!!

Not much happened today except that Spring Break is officially over! Today, since Charlie was off, he let me sleep in while he took the kids to school and then stocked up on some water. After about 8:45, he took off again for his doctor's appointment and dropped off some lunch money for the little ones' account at school. Don't I have a wonderful husband? YES, I DO!

Also, today, to distract me from my own aching back and grieving for Crystal's loss, Charlie agreed to have me browse the Housewares aisles in one of the nearby Goodwill Store. I didn't buy anything; as we are still on our family project of needs only... Was I sad, only a little because there wasn't much to salivate over.

Charlie and I shared some leftover lasagna then went back out to stock up on more water. Albertson's near us was selling 6-packs of Deja Blue bottled waters for 50 cents each! Since we stock up on water for Summer, this fell under the NEEDS category!

We also walked to the bus stop to meet Ian then turned around and picked up Jasmine from Choir practice. After Lisa got home, Ian and Jas were finishing up their homeworks and snacks.

Then we decided on an inexpensive dinner: Spaghetti with sausage, garlic bread and ice water. Remember, we are on "whatever's in the house" way of living, and since they are full on eating lettuce, peas and corn as veggies, then I didn't mind forgoing some tonight.

As before, I make our meager dinner interesting by setting a nice plate. I'm loving these striped dinnerware more and more, I already got my money's worth in so many different settings I tried with it.

Here's the spaghetti! This is Charlie's plate. I added the only Robin Egg's blue plate my MIL gave me to add height to the setting. He took this picture; he had the glass height changed so he can take this beautiful shot. Our dinner, $0, ice water, $0, knowing everyone loved it, PRICELESS...


Family Home Evening Activity: We played Jenga and learned about taking turns and patience.

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Day 28

Love Others Like God Loves You

"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

1 John 3:16 KJV

Dare:

Purpose to do what you can to meet the greatest need in your spouse's life right now.

What I Did:

Charlie has a very strenuous line of work and often comes home very exhausted. So, to recognize that, I offer massages and have been finding ways to cook the foods he loves.