Farm Fresh Eggs

 The other day I went out to collect chicken eggs.  I started laughing when I found this huge one in the 'Chicken Motel'.  Can you guess which one I am talking about??

 Here is another angle...

The one on the far left is the big one.  I don't even know how that hen laid it!  I couldn't wait to get back to the house to weigh it (that is a favorite thing for us to do: weigh the big eggs we find.)  The biggest egg we have found so far weighed in at 2.8 ounces.  This huge one weighed a whopping 3.4 ounces.  I haven't cracked it yet to see how many yokes it has, but I am sure excited to do that soon!  I will let you know what the outcome is.

Do you have Farm Fresh Eggs?  We love them.  I started selling them a few weeks ago.  We have 22 laying chickens and 50 chicks we just picked up last week.  Those will start laying in August (hopefully).  I will be making a 'Farm Fresh Eggs' sign for the end of our driveway so we can advertise and sell more. 

From Scratch Tortillas

So, I did it.  One day a while back I needed tortillas and I didn't want to run to the store.  I made them from scratch.  And these are my families ultimate favorite tortillas.  The kids get so excited when I make them for supper!  They are simple to put together and taste outstanding!

Flour Tortillas

4c. flour

2tsp. salt

1/2c. shortening

1 1/2c. warm water (add more if dough is dry)

Mix flour and salt.  Cut in shortening.  Add warm water and kneed dough.

Split into 12 balls.

Let rest for 15 minutes.

Roll out thin.

Cook on skillet (high heat) until golden spots appear.

Flip over, cook until golden spots appear on side two.

Eat.

 

Kid Tested. Mother Approved.

My Four Kids and our Horse

 Here is a pic of all four kids.  Ty is growing every day.  They all love Ty and we love all our kids :)

We also added a little horse to our family.  'Scout'.  He is gentle and perfect for the kids as their first horse.  I enjoy going out to the barn to get him ready for a little walk around our place.  We hope to add some goats soon, too!

Our Baby Boy!

 Ty Oyen Coleman

December 27, 2013

3:10am

8lbs 9oz

21 inches

Our little baby boy has arrived and are we in love with him or what!!  He is such a sweet and mellow baby.  If you are wondering where we came up with the middle name 'Oyen', it's my maiden name.  Norweigen, can you tell?  :)  The kids love their baby brother and can't get enough of him!

Thrifty Thursday - SIMPLIFY

I am trying to find ways to simplify my life and re-work our budget.  And it's the Holiday Season, which means more in nearly every aspect of life, right?  More money spent, more activities, more food etc.  So, I am coming up with ideas to have a special Holiday Season without breaking our budget, being overloaded with activities, and not going to the store every day to get more ingredients (I love to bake!).  Here are just a few things that I have incorporated into our lives and I want to share them with you in hopes that these tips are helpful.

*Play games with family (Skip-bo happens to be our 'game of the season')

*I asked my kids to make some paper snowflakes to hang on our windows instead of me buying more decorations (and don't kids love to see their artwork displayed for all to see...and their artwork brings a smile to my face more than store bought decorations)

*Turn on Pandora for Christmas music. (I love music.  Turning on pandora.com and choosing my favorite 'station' is a perfect way to add cheer in the home as well as getting quality 'concerts' without having to go anywhere!)

*Bake treats with what is in your pantry.  Yesterday I found an awesome recipe for Toffee Crackers and asked Jake to help me make them.  Super easy and super delicious.  Plus, he had a great time helping Mom.  recipe at end of post

*De-clutter (ok, maybe not a 'holiday activity' but it sure brings cheer to my when I know my house is a little less cluttered and a little less dirty)

*Light a candle.  This just brings all sorts of fuzzy feelings about Christmas.  Find your perfect Christmas scent and light it up!  I found two great candles at Menards on Black Friday for $1.99 each.  That certainly didn't break our budget.  I also have my wax warmer scents that I had purchased last year.  So, for under $5 I have a lovely scented home.

What are some ways your are enjoying your Holiday Season this year?

Toffee Crackers

50 saltine crackers

2 sticks butter

1 cup brown sugar

Line jelly roll pan with foil and spray non-stick spray on foil. 

Place crackers in rows on pan

Melt butter and sugar and bring to a boil.  Boil for 3 minutes.

Pour over crackers and spread evenly

Bake at 325 for exactly 8 minutes, do not overbake

Let cool.

YUM!

*I had all these ingredients on hand

Thrifty Thursday - Freezing Cabbage

 I had a half a head of cabbage in my fridge that needed to be used up, but we don't eat a lot of cabbage.  I decided to freeze it and bag it in snack sized bags so that I can pull a small amount out to add to a soup when needed.  I think it's the perfect way to not waste the cabbage, thus not wasting money, and a great healthy addition to soup!  

I filled a pot with water and allowed it to come to a boil. I then added the shredded up cabbage and let it blanch for 2 minutes (cook at a boil).  After the two minutes were up I took the pan off the burner, drained the cabbage and cooled it all off with a cold water bath.  Let it set a few minutes longer to make sure it was cooled down.  Then I put it in snack sized bags labeled cabbage and today's date.  Stick in the freezer and when I make my family a pot of soup, I can add some cabbage to it!

How is My 'Stick to My List' Going?

I must say that I am loving sticking to my shopping list.  I truly do write down the essential(s) that I need at the store and only purchase those.  AND...another thing added along with this is that I am watching our gas budget as well. So, how am I doing with that?  I don't go anywhere!  I know when I have to go somewhere, what day I need to go, and then I plan my errands around that time.  No more quick trips here and there.  Our gas budget is really doing well!  I also utilize the discount from our local grocery store.  Each time I purchase groceries I receive a coupon for 5 cents - 6 cents off of gas.  It expires the next day, so I use it before it expires.  It may not save a lot of money at one fill time, but over time it will save money!  

What are you doing to save money?