I'm sure the people who check us out and help bag our groceries at the store think we have a half dozen kids in our family.  You would think so by seeing how much milk and dairy products are in our cart each week.  The three of us consume a lot of dairy.  3 gallons of milk per week, 14 cups of yogurt, a brick of cheese, and some shredded, and don't even get me started on the ice cream!


Did you know that nutrient-rich foods, like dairy deliver more bang for your buck than other options at the grocery store?  For example, an 8-ounce glass of milk delivers 9 essential nutrients, like calcium and protein, at about 25¢ per serving.  One tip is to avoid the expensive snack aisles and focus on easy nutrient-rich snacks that pay you back, like yogurt and string cheese.

Dairy Makes Sense sponsored by Midwest Dairy Association has wonderful recipes and tips, that will help save you money, and get those all important dairy servings into your family's bodies.
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Even before I received the invitation to be a part of the Mom Central Ultimate Party Meatball Recipe Blog Tour, I was looking for an abundance of meatball recipes. 

You see a few weeks ago, I was wanting to make a recipe that required meatballs.  That was the week we were doing our once a month warehouse club run.  I had thought of just running to the grocery store to pick up a package of meatballs, but that would require an extra trip, so I got a warehouse sized bag.  Um...that's a lot of meatballs for three people to eat, LOL!!  Hence the looking for recipes to use meatballs with.

So here is the recipe:
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Typically one always thinks of turkey for Thanksgiving, but just a month later we're celebrating Christmas and ham is always a great option so the bird doesn't need to get roasted again. There are so many different cuts of it, and the glazes you can use to enhance ham are as unique as they are plenty.  Trust me, it's as good as it looks too!

Take a look at your grocery store's coolers, and you'll find many different brands of ham, and Cook's is likely among them, and that's because Cook’s is the nation's leading brand of traditional and spiral sliced smoked bone-in ham, corned beef and smoked picnics.
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It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

***Special thanks to Jennifer Willingham of Simon and Schuster for sending me a review copy.***



Tammy Maltby is a writer, speaker, and media personality. For eight years, she was the co-host of the Emmy Award-winning television talk show, Aspiring Women. She serves on the board of the National Women’s Ministry Association, Christian Women in Media and Arts, and Women of Courage International. She and her family live in Colorado Springs, CO.


Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $14.99
Hardcover: 132 pages
Publisher: Howard Books (October 6, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416587659
ISBN-13: 978-1416587651

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

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Are you looking for a way to cut calories?  Silk Hearth Health SoyMilk is a great way to cut your calorie intake and at the same time help to make your heart healthy too!

Silk Soymilk can be substituted for milk in many of the recipes you're planning on making this holiday season, and no one will be the wiser either ☺.

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I struggle with menu planning.  Sometimes I go armed to the grocery store with a list and coupons in hand, all ready to cook for the week.  Yet other times, I wander the aisles aimlessly, wondering if this is the week my family loses 5 pounds, because I can't decide what's for dinner.  Can you identify?

I was introduced to this great website called relish! last month, which has helped me overcome the cooking blahs.

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A trip to the apple orchard and our bags are laden with delectable fruit, waiting to be used for yummy baking recipes...but wait...sigh...peeling and coring them is so much work, and I seriously do find it a chore to do so.

I was recently sent a Starfrit Apple Pro Peeler to use and review; and my family  is thankful.
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While they can be found in my Podunk grocery store, the selection was limited to two varieties so we started with the Maple & Brown Sugar Glazed Ham.

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The Complete Idiot's Guide to Slow Cooker Cooking (2nd Edition) has all the ins and outs you need to make yummy meals in your slow cooker.

Not only does it have a bunch of delicious recipes -- it gives you the information to make virtually any recipe adaptable for a slow cooker.

You'll find hints and tips for veggies, fish , chicken, turkey, pork, beef and more.  The recipes range from comfort food to the exotic and all kinds in between.

It's an Idiot's Guide so believe me when I tell you that the recipes are comprehensive and you won't feel stumped on how to put your dish together.

What I found interesting were the tips and recipes for using the slow cooker to prepare only part of a dish.  I've always only used mine for main dish meals and I'm now challenged to expand my slow cooker repetoire.

Supper in our home has already been made from the Chicken Cacciatore, Turkey Meatloaf and Italian Ham Steaks recipes.

They all turned out amazing and due to the well written instructions were simple to make.

Here is the Chicken Cacciatore Recipe:
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Eva Marie Everson and Linda Evans Shepherd authors of the book are experts when it comes to hosting and attending these shared meals. Veterans of countless potlucks over the years, the duo has gathered their favorite potluck-ready recipes—from salads to slow-cooker delights—plus their experienced insights about pulling off a potluck into one source: The Potluck Club Cookbook. Shepherd and Evans are also the authors of the popular fiction series The Potluck Club and The Potluck Catering Club—so their penchant for potlucks is obvious.

I have not personally read any of the fiction books written by these ladies, but I am always looking for new recipes to try and so when this book tour came along, I really wanted to participate.

There are sooo many good recipes in this, and the majority of them are super easy with accessible ingredients.

When my parents came to visit I made Texas Barbecued Chicken in a Crock-Pot. It got a thumbs up from both the adults and the child!



I also have made the Chicken in a Pot, which is as easy as can be and as close to comfort food as you're going to get!

And for dessert...Butterscotch Brownies....oh yum...


Another recipe, Mary's Slow Cooker Lasagna is on my list to try very soon.

If you are ever at a loss of what to bring to a potluck gathering, this book has over 100 recipes that will make you stand out among the crowd!

Here's a recipe from the book to whet your taste buds:

Linda’s Chicken Tortilla Casserole

2 ½ Tbsp. chopped onions
¼ cup butter
3 Tbsp. flour
1 ½ cups milk
¾ cup chicken broth
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. jalapeno peppers
1 ½ cups chopped canned tomatoes (stewed)
3 cups cubed chicken, cooked
½ cup shredded cheese
12 tortillas, cut into 1-inch strips

Sauté onions in butter, then add flour and cook until mixture is bubbly. Stir in milk and broth gradually. Stir in salt, peppers, and tomatoes.

In casserole dish, layer chicken, cheese, then strips of tortillas. Pour sauce over layers then sprinkle casserole with cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serve hot.

Serves 6-8.

Linda: “You can’t go wrong with this tasty dish. It’s a potluck crowd favorite.” (Page 130)

The Potluck Club Cookbook: Easy Recipes to Enjoy with Family and Friends (Paperback) is
“Available September 2009 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”
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Kernel Season’s, the number one popcorn seasoning in the country, is a line of shake on toppings that allows people to add exciting flavors to one of America’s favorite, good for-you snack foods. With American’s consuming 17 billion quarts of popcorn last year, people of all ages are topping their oil-, air- and microwave-popped popcorn with Kernel Season’s bold flavors.

Kernel Season’s has only two calories per serving* with zero fat and zero carbohydrates, keeping America’s wholesome snack food low in calories. All Kernel Season’s flavors are certified kosher cRc. * Flavors with different calorie counts per serving are butter (3) & caramel (5).

Kernel Season’s are
• Made with premium cheeses and spices
• Not “salts” but natural blends
• Contains 56 percent less sodium than other popcorn seasonings
• Flavors: White Cheddar, Butter, Nacho Cheddar, Caramel, Ranch, Parmesan &Garlic, Apple Cinnamon, Barbeque, Cajun, Chocolate Marshmallow, Jalapeno, Kettle Corn, Salt, Sour Cream & Onion
• Suggested Retail Price: $2.99 per shaker

My family was able to try the popcorn and shake on seasonings and it's truly all yummy. ☺ I don't think I'll ever eat plain popcorn again. These seasonings are not just perfect for popcorn lovers but with the selection they have good for other uses as well. For instance I made Chicken Parmesan and added the Parmesan & Garlic seasoning to it. Amber used that same one on some white rice to jazz it up. She also used the White Cheddar on some hamburger helper lasagna, which was very good and her favorite use for it. ☺

The only seasoning we had trouble using was the Kettle Corn variety. It was so fine and even with using the Popcorn Spritzer Butter Flavor Spray, it did not stick to the popcorn, but rather stuck to the sides of the bowl. (Although it was tasty to lick that bowl out!)

We were pleased with these products, the popcorn is delicious, (much better than the current brand we use) popped well in our microwave, and the seasonings are wonderful too.
I have seen Kernel Season's at our local Wal-Mart and Bed, Bath & Beyond, it's available at retailers nationwide.

Please read **About Reviews at the bottom of the page.

Kernel Season's has generously sponsored a giveaway for my readers. One random commetnere will win a "Get the Party Popping" package which includes:

-A bag of stovetop popping corn

-Three bags of microwave popcorn

-Popcorn spritzer

-Six different seasoning flavors.

To enter visit Kernel Season's and tell me what your favorite variety of seasoning is.

The above must be done first to be eligible for extra entries.

Extra Entries: (leave a comment for each one completed)

1. Leave a comment with your favorite recipe using Kernel Season's.
2. Follow me on twitter and tweet about this giveaway, leave the link in the comments. (Can be done daily)
3. Blog about this giveaway leaving a link back to me and Kernel Season's.
4. Subscribe to my RSS feed via e-mail or reader.
5. Follow my blog publicly.
6. Add me to your blog roll.
7. Add my button to your site.

Open to US Residents ages 13+ (no PO Boxes). Giveaway ends July 5th, 2009 11:59 pm cst. Read the full story

In 1968 Country Bob perfected the sauce of his dreams. After years of giving the sauce to friends and family he began to sell it in 1977.

This sauce perfects the saying "An oldie but a goodie"! If something has lasting power from 1968 to 2009, it's gotta taste good right?

Al Malekovic from Country Bob's contacted me, and asked if I'd like to review their All Purpose Sauce, and I accepted his offer.

When it arrived, I took the 13 oz bottle in hand and headed to their website to see what I could do with it. With a plethora of recipes to choose from, I selected Country Bob's Meatloaf. Which I tweaked a bit. So keep reading if you'd like an easy yummy dinner recipe.

These are the ingredients you need for my version Country Bob's Turkey Meatloaf.

1 lb ground turkey, 1/2 cup of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce, 1/3 cup of flour (the flour is in my container), 8 saltines (crushed), 1/4 cup of milk, 1 egg beaten, onion salt and seasoning salt to taste. (Country Bob's also sells a seasoning salt, however I didn't have any so I had to use what was in my pantry).

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees; Mix all the ingredients together, put it in a loaf pan;
Bake at 350 for 60 minutes. You may want to check it at the 60 minute mark, to see how moist or dry it is for your liking. Hubby likes his meat dry (really dry), and this was a moist meatloaf. So if you like yours dry, you may want to bake it for 75 minutes. That's probably what I'll do next time.
Yes I said next time....because we put it on our plates.....

and it was delicious! This sauce has a bit of a kick to it. Not spicy just zingy (isn't that a descriptive word!?!) It provides just enough flavor in the baked meat to make it taste unique to any other kind of meatloaf.

The rest of my family, kind of has a bland palate, they are not much into "flavor" (lol!), so they weren't quite brave enough to put more on top of the meatloaf. But we put some on the side of our plates, and ended up dipping our tater tots in it. It really is versatile.

The peeps proclaimed the meatloaf yummy, and said that I could make it again, which gives Country Bob's a thumbs up in this house. I have already bookmarked a bunch of recipes from their site, to try out. Good thing I can buy it at my local Wal-Mart Supercenter, as I'm sure this won't last long, with all the dishes I want to whip up.

Country Bob's wants you to be able to try their All Purpose Sauce too! They are generously giving away two bottles to two Three Different Directions commenters.

Please read my Privacy, Disclosure and Rules Policy before you enter this giveaway. By entering this giveaway you are agreeing to the rules.

1. To enter this giveaway go to Country Bob's Website, and click the "Great Recipes" and tell me which recipe, other than the meatloaf you would like to make if you are one of the winners. You really want to visit their site, you'll see why on their home page. Leave it as a comment on this post.

2. For an extra entry in this contest - follow my blog - you must follow publicly as that is the only way I have of confirming that. Leave a comment on this post with your user id.

3. For another entry - subscribe to my feed - Leave a comment on this post.

4. Yet another entry - twitter this giveaway and link the url and your twitter name. Leave it as a comment on this post.

5. wow - one more way to enter - Blog about this contest and leave the url to where you blogged it about it. - Again leave it as a comment on this post.

That is five ways to enter!

This contest will end on January 29th at 10:00 am cst. US Residents only please. The rest of the rules are located here. 2 random entrants will be chosen. Good Luck and remember to visit the sponsor's website.

For more great blog giveaways visit: Bloggy Giveaways Quarterly Carnival.
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Hubby was raised in a home where it would have been a foolhardy act to spend money unwisely. My father in law worked at a job with a salary that was under the poverty line, and my mother in law worked hard at home raising five children and making ends meet each month. Hubby has said that he never felt deprived, that there was always enough to eat, and most importantly always felt loved. Sure he had to share a small attic bedroom with both his brothers, but it never scarred him either.

I on the other hand grew up in relative luxury, with a stay at home mom as well, but we wanted for nothing. I too shared a room with my sister, however, it was larger than most master bedrooms, so it certainly was not cramped. Video console systems, trips to Europe and eating out were a regular part of my childhood, and while we weren't given toys and goods on a daily basis, Christmas and birthdays were lavish events.

How do you reconcile two such views when a marriage occurs? Fortunately, we were able to. Even though I was accustomed to a different lifestyle than Hubby was, I have always been a saver, and a frugal shopper. Before Genius was born, we had decided that I would stay at home with any children we had, as we both had moms that stayed home and loved it. So the first two years of our marriage the paycheck I brought home was play money. We used it to buy a car, go on vacation and eat out. When we needed to go down to one income, it never really hurt us, as Hubby's paycheck always paid the bills, and was put away for savings. We knew the weekly outings to the movies and restaurants would be gone, and we had enjoyed them while they lasted.

Almost 15 years later, I still am a stay at home mom. With small stints here and there, working outside the home, we felt as a family, the extra income that was coming in, never made up for the family stress it caused.

Is your family like ours? Or do you wish, you had a better handle on your finances and where your paycheck goes? Do you have the desire to quit working if you are a two income family, but don't think you can?

Take heart -- The Old Schoolhouse Magazine has a new e-book coming out on December 1, 2008 entitled Living and Learning On One Income.

Chock full of ideas to make living on one income more manageable the 12 families featured come from many different backgrounds and lifestyles. With money management tips and savings, to recipes and encouragement, this book has it all. Within the pages, I felt myself warming up to many ideas that even myself as a frugal thrifty person thought preposterous previously. I also agreed with so many of the tips that I follow myself, and know that they work!

With the current economy in a slide, and many families not knowing whether they will be a two income family from one day to the next, this e-book would be a great start to check out, the reality that more income, does not necessarily equate to a happier, more wonderful life. It just might make you quit your job before the pink slip reaches your desk!
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I used to make "proper" breakfasts a lot when Genius was younger. By proper I mean eggs and toast with potatoes, pancakes, waffles things like that. Microwaved baked goods and granola bars are on the menu most mornings these days, and I miss yummy breakfast foods to be honest. Today I have a craving for pancakes -- so that's what we're having for supper tonight. Hubby really likes Buttermilk Pancakes that I used to just by the Aunt Jemima mix for. I found a recipe online though (I can't even remember where), of a from scratch variety, and it has become a new family favorite. Here let me share.

Pancakes

1 ½ cups flour

3 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1tbs sugar

1 ¼ cups milk

1 egg

3 tbsp butter melted.

Mix all ingredients together. Prepare as you would any other type of Pancake.

The picture to the left, is actually an appliance that I have. I love it. I picked it up a few years ago at KMart for $5.00. One of the best five bucks I ever spent. No flipping the pancakes, and they come out completely uniform all the time! 4 minutes on the griddle and you have perfection. It is made by Toastmaster, and I have a funny feeling they are not made anymore. Which is said because if mine breaks down, I don't know if I'll ever make pancakes again, lol.

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Did you ever dream of getting a horse for Christmas? You can get a sneak peek of our Fall issue and see Nancy Carter's first horse! Oh, and she's not the only one sharing her childhood pictures. You'll see photos from the 50's through the 80's.

But, you'll need the Fall issue of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine to go on this walk down memory lane.

Plus, do you like to create holiday memories? The brand new TOS holiday E-Book can be yours, too. It's all about the fall and winter holidays - mainly Thanksgiving and Christmas. But it's not even for sale yet. This is your chance to get it first - for FREE ($12.45 value)!

Normally when a person subscribes, their subscription starts with the upcoming issue which can take a while. But, TOS thought about that when they planned their Fall Special.

If you subscribe now with their Fall Special, you'll get

Almost 50% off the cover price for 2 years The current Fall issue as soon as it is ready

6 Bonus gifts

12 months of Teacher's Toolbox, which contains a FREE E-Book every month PLUS, the new E-Book, Homespun Holidays for FREE!

This is over $250 worth of product for only $39!!

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE NOW!

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Well we made the Key Lime Pie recipe that I posted the other day, and it was very good! I tweaked it a bit - I only added one can of sweetened condensed milk, and 1/4 cup of lime juice, I baked it for the full 25 minutes, but probably should have taken it out at the 20 minute mark. It was the perfect flavor for our family. I should note that if you make it as stated you will have extra filling the crust won't hold that much - also if you like your Key Lime Pie tart - you will want to add the entire amount of key lime juice to it. We are more sweet than tart around here! If you are looking for an easy yummy dessert, I suggest trying it. If Hubby ate a piece, it's gotta be good! Read the full story

We are using the wonderful resource of Bob Jones University Press curriculum World Studies for our Social Studies this year. We are so happy with it. At the end of each unit for extra things to do, they always include a recipe that has to do with what has just been studied. We had Cinnamon Toast and Garlic Bread for Medieval Times (learned about the spice trade). We had spaghetti when we learned about the Renaissance (which of course centered in Italy). We made Apple Cake when finished the Reformation (which had its roots in Germany). We are now learning about exploration. At the end of this unit the recipe is Key Lime Pie -- oh yummy! However it is a little too complex for my liking so I went searching over the internet for something a little easier. I came across this recipe at Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

4 Egg yolks (beaten)
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1 cup key lime juice
1 9 inch pre-prepared graham crust

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 F.

1. Combine Eggs, Milk and Lime Juice. Mix well. Pour into crust
2. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes - allow to cool - garnish as desired.

We won't be finished the chapter for a few more days, maybe even a week or so. I thought I'd post it though, so if anyone was interested to make it before me, they could be my guinea pigs! LOL!

If you do decide to make it, would you post a comment and let me know how it turned out? I will make another post when I have made it, and let you all know how tasty (or not!) it was!
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I love using my crockpot when the weather is warm, and here in Podunk it is a whopping 80 degrees out (Podunk is in the Northern Plains by the way, so that's warm by 3rd week in September standards!).

You don't need much for this easy yummy dinner.

1 1/2 lbs. pork roast
1 can cream of potato soup
seasoning salt to taste

Place the pork roast in the crock, spread the soup on it, season to taste, turn on low about 6 hours later (and I put mine in frozen), a wonderful roast to share with your family.

Hubby likes his meat dry, and Genius likes a bit of "sauce" so this works well for us. I used some of the drippings to make a gravy (you don't need to add much as the soup makes it thicker than broth since it is a creamed soup). With the potatoes from the soup in it, it is also a bit "hardier" than your average gravy. Genius loves potatoes so it's a favorite.

Of course if you've got a bigger roast, add more soup; or not! That's the beauty of crockpot cooking, it's so forgiving!
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My little blog here is getting some exposure and in the past couple of days I've gotten not one but TWO awards!! Wow! You can see them on my left sidebar, under my blog button.

The first one came from Tara who was fortunate enough to win one of my bloggy contests this past July. If you click on the award it will take you to Tara's blog, who is a kindred Canadian spirit!

The second came from Nikowa at Knowledge House Academy. Nikowa has links all over my blog! You can click the award on the left, or check my blogroll, or check my right sidebar for her button...can you tell I like her blog?

So now it's my turn to share this award with others. Here are 5 blogs that I deem worthy of such an award.




1. Pensieve
2. A Year of CrockPotting
3. Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers
4. Many Little Blessings
5. Scribbit

I visit these blogs with as much regularity as I can, and am always blessed beyond belief, with laughter and joy, and great ideas (that I very rarely succeed at doing myself). I check them for advice, memes, recipes and yes shamelessly for giveaways too! Thank you all for making my day a brighter one, when I visit you!


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If you have visited my blog within the last few months - you will see that I have had a link to My Wooden Spoon in my sidebar. With numerous prizes have been given away, a lot of fun has been had by all. The culmination of this giveaway has left me jaw dropped -- way more than I expected. My Wooden Spoon has three wonderful gifts to end the three months of giveaways. 1) $300 gift certificate to Amazon 2) $100 gift card to Williams Sonoma and 3) a $50.00 gift via paypal.

It's been fun hosting your button on my little space here! I'm looking forward to seeing more great recipes in the months ahead!
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