Pre-Cut Slices

About a month ago I began rummaging through Money Saving Mom's website. Not so much for the money-saving ideas THIS time, but for freezer recipes. I was motivated and ended up making and freezing breakfast burritos, waffles and banana bread. I also made up a batch of homemade baking mix (to replace the Bisquick I normally buy).

(I know that all sounds very Betty Crockerish and maybe even a little Proverbs 31ish. Don't let that one paragraph fool you. My motivation to do more is already waning - after one batch of each- a month ago- and while I would like to say I will soldier on...   we'll see. Although the finished products have come in handy, and it really doesn't take that much time... .)

Anyway, through that perusing, baking and freezing process I stumbled upon a fun little tip. One that most of you will probably think something along the lines of "really, that's your tip, so obvious."  But hey, this is my blog so I'm going to share it anyway.

The tip was this, after you make a batch of banana bread, cut it into slices and THEN freeze it. That way, when you need to, you can pull out a pre-cut frozen slice, stick it in a school lunch, and your kiddos can have a little bit of home-baked goodness for lunch. OR, you can pull out a pre-cut frozen slice, stick it in the microwave for a few seconds and YOU can have a little bit of home-baked goodness.

Revolutionary, I KNOW!

Or maybe not, but either way, it works for me. :)

And since we are on the topic of school lunches, do you have any tips/ideas? If so, PLEASE share!!

goodreads

If you read my blog you know I love books. You also know I periodically write book reviews for books I've read.

At the risk of sounding abrupt (it all fits together in a minute)...

Have you heard about goodreads?

Goodreads is a social networking site for readers, book lovers, etc. It is a place where you can share the books you are reading and what you think about them. You can join book clubs and discuss books with other readers. You can follow what your friends are reading. You can get recommendations for future books to read.

It is a fun site. (at least I think so)

I periodically write book reviews on my blog. I am more consistent (and typically more concise) at writing reviews on goodreads. Brace yourself for a little self-promotion, if you enjoy my book reviews, friend me on goodreads. I typically read a variety of books ranging from kids lit (one of my favorite genres) to self-helpish type books to novels to classics. Whatever piques my interest and keeps it.

There you have it. Goodreads. Come on over and join the fun.

But, while you are here, why not leave a comment answering one of my favorite questions:

What are you reading and do you like it?

How Far Can Riches Take You?

"How Far Can Riches Take You?," the e-mail asked along with a picture of Leonardo DiCaprio as The Great Jay Gatsby.

If you have read the book, I think you would agree it gives an honest answer to that question. Even a Biblical answer. The Bible tells us that the "love of money is the root of evil." In the story of Gatsby, it certainly made people miserable, although its hard to tell if they ever realized the root cause. Daisy couldn't seem to escape from its grasp.

I think that question is one of the (many) reasons I love Fitzgerald's Gatsby. Let's face it, the lure of money is a temptation for most of us living in America's abundance. Even a glimpse of lavish wealth can make us discontent. Or at the very least curious, feeding our fascination with Hollywood and the rich and famous. A fascination that is a waste of time.

Gatsby exhibits lavish wealth of the highest order. He incites the curiosity. He has almost everything he could ever want. In the end, even extravagant riches couldn't get him what he wanted and so much appears to be wasted.

I wish I was immune to the fascination with riches. Sometimes I am. Sometimes I live with an attitude of thanksgiving for what I have. Sometimes I live in the moment taking in the lavish blessings of the life God has given me. Those are the times when peace and contentment have an easier time sticking.

But other times, I find myself wanting more. Prestige, wealth; it all looks so alluring. Its a mirage that promises it will take you far, only to lead you further and further away from the things that really mean something. In the end, the pursuit of riches for where they can take you is a waste of time and even worse, a waste of life.

"She's got an indiscreet voice," I remarked. "It's full of--"
I hesitated.
"Her voice is full of money," he said suddenly.
That was it. I'd never understood before. It was full of money--that was the inexhaustible charm that rose and fell in it, the jingle of it, the cymbals' song of it...High in a white palace the king's daughter, the golden girl... 

-Taken from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Chicago Style Pizza - Homemade

I am not a gourmet cook. I like simple recipes that are relatively quick to pull together. Once I find a recipe I like, it will find its way to our meal plan with regularity. This is one of those recipes. 

It is one of my favorites for homemade pizza. Kory and I both love it. Our kids not so much, but lets face it one pizza won't cut it with our family so that is an easy work around. The other plus is that there are always leftovers for us to enjoy later!

I found this particular recipe in my Taste of Heaven cookbook. Go here to find out how you can purchase one; the purchase benefits Lifesong for Orphans, a win-win.

Here is the recipe:

1 loaf (1 lb.) frozen bread dough, thawed (I use Rhodes whole wheat and thaw it in my 9x13 pan)

1 lb bulk Italian sausage

2 c. Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced (as a non-mushroom lover I omit these)

1 sm. onion, chopped

2 t. olive oil

28 oz can diced tomatoes, drain well

3/4 t. dried oregano

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. fennel seed, crushed (I omit this too simply because I never got around to buying it)

1/4 t. garlic powder

1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated

Press dough into the bottom and up the sides of a greased 13x9-inch pan. In a large skillet, cook sausage until no longer pink. Drain. Sprinkle over dough, then top with Mozzarella cheese. In a skillet, saute mushrooms and onion in oil until oil is tender. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, salt, fennel and garlic powder. Spoon over Mozzarella cheese; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake at 350 for 25 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Do you have a favorite homemade pizza recipe? Please share!

An Afternoon at the Big House

Last summer I had the opportunity to check an item off my bucket list, an experience I won't soon forget. This summer tickets for an item on Kory's bucket list fell into our laps at the last minute. 

So Saturday morning Kory, Simon and I found ourselves on a road trip to The Big House in Ann Arbor Michigan, home of the Michigan Wolverines.

Kory has been a Michigan football fan for as long as I have known him. It used to baffle and annoy me. As a loyal Illinois fan, Michigan was the enemy. But marriage has a way of changing a person. I went from rooting against Michigan, to being a neutral observer and somewhere in the past year or so the beginnings of Michigan fandom started to take root. 

Kory on the other hand is passionate about his Wolverines. So when he was given three tickets to opening day at the Big House, we had to go. We planned to arrive for the game an hour before it started, but crazy traffic in Gary, IN, a torrential downpour on the Michigan border and long lines at Burger King had us running into that legendary stadium just as the ball was kicking off.

I have been to my fair share of stadiums over the years. Baseball, tennis, basketball and football. I think most sports aficionados would agree there is something special about walking out into a stadium for the first time. Leaving the darkness of the stadium's underbelly, through the tunnel, spit out to take in the vista of brilliant colors of field and fans laid out before you.  

I remember the first time I went to Wrigley Field, or the first time I took in Soldier Field. Awesome experiences, but none of them came close to walking into the Big House for the first time. 

The green of the field surrounded by the masses dressed in Michigan maize and blue. The energy and atmosphere. The heat and camaraderie of over 100,000 passionate fans (and Michigan fans are among the most). It was a moment worthy of any bucket list and while it wasn't officially on mine, it should have been.

It was a great day. The weather settled right at 80 degree with a cool breeze. Michigan couldn't stop scoring and at the end of the game we were able to go down by the field to watch the players head into the locker room. 

And then it was time to head home. Over twelve hours of driving for 3 hours of experience. Bucket list items are worth a little crazy. This one was. In fact it is a trip we are hoping to repeat. 

Kory's not the only Michigan football fan in our family anymore and we have five other kids we hope someday will get to spend an afternoon at the Big House.

The Nightly News

I heard a radio program the other day encouraging Christians to follow the news. They talked of the importance of knowing what is going on in our world and being able to engage in conversations with others about it. They talked about listening to or reading "the news" from a variety of perspectives, both those from a Christian worldview and those from a secular worldview.

The topic resonated with me, because quite frankly, I don't have a clue what is going on in our world. Oh, I hear murmurings about conflicts or other world happenings, but when it comes right down to it, I would have a hard time conversing with anyone about what is going on outside my neighborhood.

So I decided to start DVRing the nightly news.

I figured we could fit twenty minutes of news-watching into our typical nighttime routine, between a Parks and Rec and Jimmy Fallon.

It's been an interesting experience. Honestly, it has been gut-wrenching at times. The story of the gun-man entering a school in Georgia made me panicky (thankfully no one was hurt). The images from Egypt and Syria have been disturbing. I have teared up and felt nauseous all within the span of a few minutes. I have questioned whether this is something I really want to watch.

And then as the twenty minute broadcast moves on, I hear stories of heroism. Stories of people working together in community and by the end of the newscast I have been reminded of the good in people, along with the bad and evil.

A part of me would like to stick my head in the sand and forget that bad stuff happens. Who needs to be reminded on a nightly basis, right? But a bigger part of me wants to know, to pray and remember in the midst of ALL that happens, my God is sovereign. He sees the good, the bad and the evil and He is in control and working in the midst it.

How about you? There are so many avenues to keep up with world happenings these days. Do you and if so how? I'd love to know!

Tackling the Paper Piles

Back to School is in full swing and with it comes the MOUNTAINS of paper. And with five kiddos in elementary this year, when I say mountains, I mean it.

I don't remember for sure where I got the idea (as with most things, it is not original with me), but when Mya started school, my school binder started with her. 

This handy book sits on my desk and contains all school-related papers that I feel a need to hang on to for reference throughout the year. School calendars, Lunch Menus, Bus Routes, Class Room Policies, etc. I have a folder for each kid (labeled by room code) and when papers come home that need to be kept, this little binder gives them a place to go to. 

Another way I try to keep the paper under control, is by dealing with it immediately. While my kids inhale an after school snack, I sift through their back packs. Most of the papers go straight to the recycle bin, if I kept even a fourth our house would look like something from the show Hoarders. 

Every once in a while a picture makes it to the bulletin board or is taped to our book shelves for display. If an item has special significance or is just too cute to pitch, it goes in that child's school box. Then at the end of the year we sift through each box and determine what to keep and what to pitch. Again, it gives the paper a place to go. A place that is not my kitchen counter.

These simple systems have been instrumental in keeping the piles of paper that come with elementary kids under control. 

What are some ways you keep the paper piles under control?