Our Handful of Guys!

Here is our handful of very energetic young men. This is one of the 'normal' photos of them....there is usually a lot of craziness when trying to get their pic.

Avoiding Food Waste

Both my hubby and I grew up in families where left overs were seldom thrown out, and we strive to continue to keep food waste to a minimum. It generally means that I have to become quite creative in putting some meals together :-)

The leftovers I had to work with today:
-A cup of sauce (which was basically ketchup/soy sauce/honey sauce for chicken) left over from an earlier dinner. We had eaten all the chicken but some sauce remained in the pan, so this went into the fridge.
-Two hamburger patties (home made) that were left over from an earlier BBQ and tossed into the freezer.
-Left over bacon
-Mushrooms that had (earlier) been fried and frozen into portions.
-A bit of red onion

Here is what I did with this, along with some veggies from our garden. The end result was a very delicious macaroni dish which received rave reviews :-)

I fried the bacon and set aside to drain on paper towels. Using a bit of the bacon grease, I fried the onion, then a chopped yellow pepper and small diced zucchini (seeded). Then the mushrooms and finely chopped (1 cup) swiss chard were added, along with the cooked bacon.  (In the meantime, I made one cup of chicken broth using Better than Bouillon and added this to the left over sauce.)

To the fried veggies/meat, 1-1/2 T. of flour was stirred through before adding the sauce/broth. After bring to a simmer to thicken the sauce, 1 cup of grated cheese was stirred through before adding cooked macaroni. This went into a glass dish and put in the microwave just before dinner.
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 By the way, our garden is producing A LOT of zucchini so, if you live in my town and want some, let me know. Grated raw zucchini can be put into the freezer and used, liquid and all, in loaves and muffins. They make the most delicious chocolate chip zucchini muffins!

"Wanting less is probably a better blessing than having more"

 I've been pondering a lot lately on the topic of 'minimalism' and may write about this on my blog one day. In the meantime, here is a quote I came across by Mary Ellen Edmunds:

“Wanting less is probably a better blessing than having more.”

I am not one for spending time in shopping malls but once in a blue moon necessity dictates a trip there. It bothers me when I see A LOT of teenage girls out shopping and I just recently read that  93% of teenage girls (in the U.S.) list shopping as their number one choice of recreation.

We live in a culture steeped in consumerism which translates into a whole host of problems, especially debt and an abundance of stress. Wanting less gives a person more time, contentment, and of course freedom from stuff and unnecessary debt.

Useful Map!

The cutest fellow on the block showed up at the door with a map that 'takes you anywhere'. This map has greatly improved my sense of direction :-)

I think this map will be on our fridge for a while.....I miss having kid's art so this is precious!

Garden Photos!

Corn and Carrots

Sugar Peas

Beans and Cantaloupe

Veggies growing this year are corn, cucumbers, sugar peas, onion, kale, carrots, swiss chard, spinach, onions, zucchini, pumpkin, soldier beans, blue lake pole beans and green peppers.

Spinach and Swiss Chard

I really need to take a photo of our veggie garden at my parent's abode. We've grown a garden there for some 15 years now - the soil is amazing and do the veggies ever grow!  This morning, I was enjoying that garden at 5:30, picking spinach and swiss chard, and running the water for a good while lest the veggies start wilting due to the scorching sunshine we've been so blessed to have.

As soon as I returned home, the spinach and swiss chard were given a good washing, processed and packaged for the freezer for future meals. Here is a recipe that we all love:

MASHED POTATO CASSEROLE (from More-with-Less Cookbook)

Cook and mash 3-4 large potatoes

Add and mix through potatoes:
1/2 c. sour cream or yogurt
1 tsp salt
dash pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 c. margarine or butter

Add just enough milk to bring to  proper consistency and beat until fluffy. (I also beat an egg and mix with the milk)

Then add:
1/8 t. dried dill(or maybe parsley or both....)
2 tsp. chopped chives (I use green onion)
1 c. cooked spinach, well drained and chopped. I'm sure swiss chard would work well too.

Place in greased casserole and top with a bit of grated cheddar cheese.
Bake 350 degrees F. for about 20-30 minutes.

Next time a garden photo, complete with a 'keep-out-the-rabbits' fence my Dad engineered...aren't Dads wonderful? He doesn't like gardening but he likes watching things grow :-) Now if I can only convince him that weeding is a blast!

Thoughts for Today

I have a dear Aunt who occasionally sends me uplifting emails. Today she sent me 25 'Tips for a Beautiful Life'. Here are some of my favorites:

1.  When you wake up in the morning, pray to ask God's guidance for your purpose today. And, I would add, READ His Word.
2.  Take a walk every day and, while you walk, SMILE. It is the ultimate antidepressant.
3.  Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
4.  Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants. And  drink plenty of water.
5.  Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, issues of the past, negative thoughts, but invest your energy in the positive.
6.  Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
7.  You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
8.  Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
9.  Help the needy. Be generous - a Giver, not a Taker.
10.Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
11. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
12. Each night before you go to bed, pray to God and be Thankful!