Welcome to Domestic by Design! Have you subscribed yet to receive free updates by email or RSS? You can also find me on Twitter! Mark your calendar for Monday, October 4th, when the official launch will be underway! You'll find a new look and some great giveaways...spread the word!

Happy Friday and happy October!  A friend and I used to celebrate the start of a new month together, because of the fresh new beginning offered to us.  Today, I’m hoping it means that fall will be here to stay.  It is October, after all.  I grew up wearing pants and long sleeves in September. And I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that I miss my beloved Maryland right now.  (And you have been reading all along thinking I probably have a Southern accent!) So many fall-time memories have risen to the surface as the cooler air has slowly rolled in here in east Tennessee. It has made for therapeutic, longer runs (that and a very testy 14-month old!).I have just a few good posts from this week for you, because you’ll need the  brain space to digest at least two of them.   One is even from today.  I’m just that good– getting you the latest, greatest material to read. Or a little late getting my ducks in a row. Either way, my personal favorite is a tie.  Can you guess which two?

Lastly, I’m a little shaky with anticipation this morning, because the big day is Monday (gulp).  Don’t forget to pass the word along.  Will you tell 5 people (or more!) you know that might enjoy reading the blog about it? My design should be ready today (I know you’re wondering if it really is going to go up – but I am not the one designing, so it’s out of my hands!).  So pardon any glitches that occur over the weekend as we get it up and running. 

There will be a giveaway each day next week, so be sure to stay tuned!! In fact, if you subscribe, you will receive an update automatically.

SHAMELESS PLUG – There is a blogging conference for Christian women at the end of the month, Oct. 21-24.  My desire to go just bloomed a few weeks ago, but funds to make it there just aren’t available.  A woman who can’t go is giving her ticket away to one winner on Monday.  If ya really love me, go enter for me!  It’s allowed!  I already have one college blogger friend (who I haven’t seen in the 7 yrs since we graduated) who has entered for me countless time, on her own volition because she wants me to be there.  Just overlook, shake your head, or laugh over the number of entries I have done.  Hey, it can’t hurt! 

Have a wonderful weekend!  We’re off to a hot air balloon festival tomorrow.  Tara is having a difficult time wrapping her mind around balloons that are big enough to have a basket underneath to ride in.  She loves balloons. 

Learning to Manage Money is Great for Your Marriage – You will soon learn that I am a HUGE fan of budgets.  With good reason…finances have NEVER been an issue of conflict for Blane and me thanks to his wonderful invention (another post!)

One Voice – Can I really add words to this post?  Often, Sara articulates similar thoughts I am mulling over but would never be able to articulate as eloquently.  Her writing, especially as of late, has ministered to this fragile heart.

Introducing Herb Remedies Month and My Thoughts on Meeting Joel Salatin – I delve a bit into my view on politics in the upcoming series, 12 Steps to a Nourishing Diet (starts Oct. 11!), but it’s really unavoidable, and you’ll see why.    All this to say, when you read this post about Joel Salatin, you’ll walk away understanding more about Blane and I, because we share perspectives with Mr. Salatin.

Blood.  Sweat.  Tears.  Okay, maybe not blood, but sweat and tears have definitely gone into this blog.  I am working soooo hard to get things ready for the *official* launch date: Monday, October 4th.  Mark your calendars!  Sound the alarm!  In the meantime, a new design will be going up possibly as early as this weekend.  So please bear with me as we work any glitches out.

What do I mean by official blog launch?  There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes on a blog.  This blog in particular is intended not only to pursue other women toward holiness, but also to be a means for me to bless my husband by being a financial asset to our family.  So I’ve been working on things for my new store (exciting!) that you’ll see go up by the 4th.    I’ll also be working between now and then to promote the site,  hopefully drumming readership.  I’ll be asking for your help as the time gets closer!

I’ve been laboring over blog posts, in prayer, how to best articulate my vision for this blog …I’m excited and nervous.  What if people are offended?  What if I can’t build my readership?  Oh, the fear of man strikes again!!!

There will be several giveaways which will include (but won’t be limited to) some ebooks I’ve been working on.  In the words of Tony Horton (P90x), “Get ready… ’cause it’s comin’!!!”

On to this weekend’s reading for you.    Grab a nice warm cup of whatever you like to drink a warm cup of and get comfy! Have fun reading and have a restful weekend!

Parenting

Mommy, Am I Beautiful - Tara and I have been watching (and re-watching) the video featured here and have been working to memorize the song.  What an important concept.  Moms, what are you teaching through your modeling about what beauty really is?

The Secret to Your Child’s Success – LOVE this.  I can’t tell you how many tears I’ve cried this week grieving over the current status of Tara’s heart.  I am crying out for wisdom to be gleaned by my daughter (and son and others, for that matter).

Frugality

Don’t Buy Stuff - If you haven’t visited Laura at Heavenly Homemakers yet, you are missing out!  She has so real and has such a great sense of humor!

27 Quick & Crunchy Home Remedies for Pimples – This falls under frugality, right?!  I’ve been having “issues” with my face breaking out a lot over the past few months (my hubby blames it on hormones), so this was timely for me.  I like her wit!

Biblical Womanhood

Oh Foolish Woman, Stop Throwing a Tantrum – Piercing.  Enough said.

Health

Mothering “Under The Influence” of Hormones – This is a must read!  The author shares from her own hormonal imbalance, reminding us that our hormones are *supposed* to be balanced.   AND that there are things we can do to correct them if out of whack.  If you struggle with ongoing depression, this is a must-read.

I’m all about looking for ways to save money around here, are  you?  I recently stumbled upon Groupon, a site dedicated to bringing great deals to people like us.  I have seen some fabulous deals!

How does it work?

Similar to a group discount, Groupon negotiates a really great deal with different merchants.  In return, Groupon is able to let thousands of people know through email about the great deal they’ve attained.  When a certain number of people commit to buying the voucher, everyone who buys it benefits.  The people, who get an awesome discount (usually 50% or more) and the merchant, who brings in money they may not otherwise have made if it weren’t for the marketing of Groupon and the fantastic deal.

Here’s a word from Groupon -

“We came up with the patent-pending idea for Groupon as an antidote to a common ailment for us city-dwellers: there’s so much cool stuff to do, but the choice can be overwhelming. With so many options, sometimes the easiest thing is to go to a familiar restaurant, or just stay at home and watch a movie. As a result, we miss out on trying all the cool things our cities have to offer. By focusing on one good or service each day, Groupon makes it simple.”

They pride themselves on offering great products, great product, and excellent customer service.

Does it sound too good to be true? Here are a few examples of what I’ve seen up for grabs:

-$10 for a  Shutterfly photo book (today’s deal!)

Regular price: $30

Savings: 66%

-$7 for a voucher to a local pizza restaurant (also a deal for today!)

Regular price:  $14

Savings: 50%

-$30 for white water rafting trip

Regular price: $64

Savings: nearly 50%

-$99 for a night at the Weston Boston Waterfront

Regular price: $249

Savings: 61%

The list goes on!  I have seen some fabulous deals on spa packages, restaurants, local shows… I have signed up to receive daily email for deals in multiple cities.

How do you use Groupon?

After visiting the site, at the top of the page you will have the option to “Visit more cities,” and to “Get the daily email.”  I’d suggest signing up for several cities, as sometimes the deals are redeemable online, not just locally.  Sign up for the emails and each day, you’ll get an email with the Groupon of the day.  If you click on the “View  today’s deal” button in the email, you can learn details about it.

If you purchase the deal, you will be sent a confirmation email with a voucher you can either print off or show to the merchant from your cell phone (I’m sorry, “mobile device.”  I’m soooo not with the times!).

Don’t forget to forward the deal on to your friends if you think they’ll be interested!  If you do, you can receive $10 in Groupon credit for referring friends (so use my link to purchase a voucher when you do to help me out, too!  )

So what do you think?  Are you going to give it a try?

Yesterday, we briefly explored why I made the switch to non toxic cleaners.  Today, I want to share with you some natural household cleaners that are very economical and safe for your family.

Vinegar

I was amazed to learn about the wonders of vinegar.  Not only is it an effective cleaner, but it is safe, and cheap!  I keep a spray bottle in my kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room.  I use vinegar to clean my kitchen and bathroom counter tops, the toilet, and tub/shower. I also use it to clean my mirrors.  If I cleaned my windows, I’d use it for them, too. 

When we have a particularly stinky meal (think bacon or fish) that lingers, I set a small glass bowl of vinegar (about 1/4 cup) on the counter and within a few hours, it has absorbed the odor.

To buy a gallon of white distilled vinegar costs less than $3 and I’m sure that you could get it more economically at Sam’s or Costco.

To answer those of you concerned about its effectiveness in killing bacteria from raw meat, viruses, etc…I have used it for those things for nearly 4 years and have had no problems with it.  It has been said to kill 90% of bacteria as opposed to the 99.99% that commercial cleaning products kill, so keep that in mind.  I have been very satisfied.

In my kitchen, I use Seventh Generations’ Liquid Dish Soap to hand wash my dishes (among other things!).   For the dishwasher, I use Biokleen’s Automatic Dish Powder.  I love this product!  I had tried several products that just didn’t get the job done, including making my own dish detergent.   Their products are “super-concentrated,” which increases the duration of use and lessens the cost.  I am still working on a container of dish detergent that I bought nearly 3 months ago.  I paid close to $7 (will buy online next time!) and at this rate, that’s just a little over $2/month.

I use vinegar as a rinse aid in the dishwasher and love the results!

In my bathroom, in addition to vinegar, I simply sprinkle baking soda to get a nice shine.  If I am having problems with mold, I do use Seventh Generation Non Chlorine Bleach.    Bleach doesn’t really kill mold like we’ve been told (surprise!), but it does help get rid of its unsightliness.  I’ve read a lot about Biokleen’s product Bac-Out which is next on my list to try for getting rid of mold and mildew.

I like to use Seventh Generations Toilet Bowl Cleaner or Mrs. Meyer’s Toilet Bowl Cleaner.  These last a long time like my dish detergent, so I’m willing to pay a little more up front.  I have found that a little goes a long way!

For my laundry,   I have switched over to using Charlies Soap.  After a lot of research and waffling, I took the plunge and decided to try it.  Just like the Biokleen products, this is all natural and concentrated, requiring only one tablespoon per load.  Since switching, one bag lasts me three and a half to four months.  I have been very pleased!  I also use OxiClean(color and dye free) for tough stains or smells.  I believe that it’s *almost* comparable to BioKleans’ Oxygen Bleach Product.  I say almost, because I think BioKlean is a very reputable company across the board and probably more trustworthy (I’m leery of huge corporations).

Vinegar to the rescue again to replace those yucky fabric softeners!  I add about 1/4 c to the rinse cycle (um…when I can remember!).

FYI – you don’t need to use nearly as much laundry detergent as the container suggests on most commercial laundry detergents.  I learned this when cloth diapering Tara.  Less than one quarter of a cup is all you need!  Otherwise soap residue remains.

For ironing, a homemade starch can be used.  I haven’t tried this yet simply because I have only recently begun a routine of regular ironing since Blane wore an Army uniform to work every day for the past four years.  And really, I just don’t starch my clothes or his casual clothes that do need ironing.  In a spray bottle, combine one tablespoon of cornstarch and a pint of water.  Shake it well just before using.  For dark clothes, I’ve read that you can use 2 tsp of cornstarch, 1 c of water and 1/2 c of black tea.

For disinfecting my floors, I use a combination of hot water, vinegar, a squirt of dish soap, and tea tree oil.  It is “anti bacterial, anti microbial, anti septic, anti viral, balsamic, cicatrisant, expectorant, fungicide, insecticide, stimulant and sudorific.”  I read many places about it (because we are researchers and my husband is big on having science back up claims!) before trusting that it would serve as a true disinfectant.  It leaves a refreshing clean scent behind which always adds to the sense of accomplishment that comes after getting the floors mopped.  And for us moms of small children, it really is a huge accomplishment! 

Are you really saving money? Well, vinegar is super cheap.  The other products I have found to be comparable or slightly more expensive due to the fact they are more concentrated than typical cleaning products.  I have found that I am able to stretch the use of them much longer.  Also, companies like Seventh Generation offer coupons.  Sometimes, Amazon can be cheaper or at times, more expensive. When you are in the market to buy, look around before making your final purchase!

I hope this mini-series on non toxic cleaners was a help to you!  If you have any questions or tips for others looking into all natural cleaning, please comment below!

Don’t forget that registration for the Naturally Knocked Up E-Course ends this Friday!  The class will probably be offered again in October if you are unable to participate this time.

This is a special weekend for Blane and me.  We celebrate our 6th anniversary on Saturday!  We will actually be officially celebrating over Labor Day Weekend when we can get away sans kids.  This weekend, we get to enjoy another BBQ with friends.  I love summer time BBQs!I am so thankful for this man whom God has provided to be my leader, protector, provider, and lover.  He has been a wonderful husband to me and in so many respects, we have had a fairy tale kind of romance.  Don’t get me wrong, we certainly have our disagreements, grate on each other at times, and have our differences.  But from day one of getting to know Blane, he has sought to die to his own desires in order to love and serve me and Christ loves His bride.  He takes his responsibility as one who will stand before the Lord for an account of how he led me very, very seriously.  In purity he pursued and courted me, and in purity he has led me as my husband.  He is not perfect, but he is pretty amazing!

It all began about seven years ago, when he came home from optometry school on spring break.  You see, I went to college in his hometown (where he also went to college) and his mother discipled me (don’t get any ideas, she NEVER pushed anything!).  Myself and another young woman she discipled were invited to go to dinner with the family one evening about a week before my spring break  during my senior year (we are two years apart, but he was only a year ahead in school).  I walked into the house, saw him walk across the upstairs family room and thought, “Man, he’s good looking!”  Though we had met once before and both were totally unimpressed with one another, that night something happened.  We talked a lot about my recent experience in Colorado and the evening went by too quickly.

The next day I called my friend who was at dinner with us and was excitedly trying to spit something out when finally she said, “Kelly, just say it!”  I blurted out, “I think I met the man I’m going to marry!”  Do you know that she started laughing at me?!  I told her that it was easy for her, who, already in a courtship was NOT courting her mentor’s son!

That week, I just so happened to be invited over every evening to do something with “the family,” until I went home for spring break.  Blane emailed me asking some pretty intense questions (theological) and from what I knew of him, this wasn’t something he did with just any girl.  When I came back from spring break, he was still at home.  His mom invited me over (to spend more with with “the family”) and he wanted to “chat.”  He told me that we are both pretty analytical and knew that something was going on.  He told me that what he knew about me, he liked.  But that he still didn’t really know me.  He asked for my permission to come home on the weekends to get to know me, to which I responded with a quick but reserved, “yes!” (while in my mind, I was screaming and jumping up and down!).

Two months later, after being asked a myriad of questions and getting to know one another, he sat me down and proceeded to affirm me and communicated that I had the qualities he wanted in a wife .  He wanted to proceed in courtship to determine if it was the Lord’s will for us to marry.  He also gave me a letter that expressed essentially everything he said. While I wanted to respond, “This is what I’ve been praying for!” he asked me to spend time in prayer about it before responding.  So I did and in the meantime, shared the letter with older, wiser counselors in order to proceed with wisdom.

Seven months later we were engaged and then 15 months after our initial re-meeting of each other, we were married. To describe all of the workings of the Holy Spirit in that time would take way too long, but it was a very sweet time of trusting the Lord, growth, and blessing.

So, happy anniversary my love!  And have a wonderful weekend, dear readers!

Money/Finances

The Savings Are in the Details - Planning a summer vacation?  This is a must read with a very practical tip!

How to Save More Money at Whole Foods – we don’t have a Whole Foods nearby since we moved, but the same principles would apply to Earth Fare, which we do have near us.  Like WF, Earth Fare offers a 10% discount when you purchase by the case.

Mothering

Where’s Kristin? – A cute, encouraging piece on being “in the middle” of motherhood.

For the Young Mother:  Ministry, Guilt, and Seasons of Life – This is a wonderful reminder for those of us with littles!

Motherhood and Identity: Comparison and the List You Need to Tape to Your Forehead – This is great! I love Kat’s practical, witty posts about mothering!

Health

New Study Says 85%  of Kid’s Juices, Snacks Could Contain High Levels of Lead – Another reason to avoid juice!  Tara has had juice maybe five times in her life (I don’t mention this to boast but to make a point – we are absolutely committed to eating nourishing foods).  She drinks water and raw milk.  Period.  This article only confirms the need for us to be responsible for our own health instead of relying on the FDA.  They are not trustworthy!

Don’t forget that classes begin on Monday for Naturally Knocked Up‘s E-Course about preparing for pregnancy.  If you haven’t yet, pop over and look into it!  I can’t wait for it to start!

When the topic of organic or whole food shopping comes up, it’s often met with the lament, “It’s so expensive!”  True, much of the organic fare that’s offered in stores is expensive. Ideally, we would like to have our own land to grow as much of our own food as we can.  Have a cow to get our own milk to supply our butter, cheeses, milk…but right now, it’s not possible.  So for now, I have to be as creative as possible and do the best with what’s available to me.

So, how do I manage to feed my family while sticking within a realistic food budget?  Believe it or not, it can be done!  I am NOT an expert and definitely have things to continue learning, but, I do it and thought I’d share how.

1.  If possible, start a garden, even if it’s small. Even if you can only grow tomatoes and squash, it’s worth having a garden!  You do not need a large amount of land to begin reaping the benefits of growing your own food.  There are crazy stories about people growing large amounts of produce in a very small amount of space.  Check out this site for helpful and inspiring information about square foot gardening.

2.  Realistically evaluate your budget. If you have been transitioning to “real” food, you may have noticed that it is more expensive.  Is it because you are still buying filler “foods”?  Or, is it because you are buying food that is really more expensive?    We have definitely increased our food budget from time to time, and just this month, we added more money to it.  Since moving and not having the benefit of tax-free military living, food prices are a little higher for us.  We’ve also switched some brands and what I am purchasing now is more expensive.  When I kindly appealed to Blane about why I thought we needed an increase, he happily agreed.

3.  Buy only food with your food budget. Sounds silly, but I know a number of people who include into that money allotment things such as toilet paper, toothpaste…Keep food money for food.  How will you really know how much your spending on it otherwise?   I’d also recommend keeping “eat out” money separate.  You might be surprised to learn that you spend $75-$100/month when you eat out!  Yikes!  No wonder your food budget seems to dwindle quickly.  We personally only allocate $15/month to eat out.  Sounds a little skimpy, but we are pretty committed to the way we eat and don’t miss eating in restaurants.  When we get the hankering, the money is there!

4.  Buy in bulk. I cannot stress this one enough.  We have found that in the long run, it is much more economical to do so.  This does mean shelling out more money in the front end, however, which requires some planning and saving.  This can mean buying more of something when it is on sale or joining a co-op.

Here are some of the organic products we typically buy in bulk:  beef, grain, sweeteners (honey, Sucanat, cane juice crystals), nuts, raisins, cocoa powder, yogurt, coconut oil, diapers (non-food, but worth mentioning)…

Take this example of savings reaped:  I just purchased 5 gallons of extra-virgin centrifuge extracted coconut oil for $228.40 (shipping included).  Yes, that’s a lot of coconut oil, but that’s not the point!    That works out to being $12.32/quart.  The cheapest I can find around here is for $9.99/pint!  I have saved us $171.20!

In our budget, we have a general “savings” category that is intended to be for whatever we feel like saving for that is separate from an emergency fund or investments.  We have bought several things from this category, but we have decided that it is also worth using that money to buy food in bulk.  As I use it, I pay the category back from my food category.  Make sense?  So, while I just spent over $200 on coconut oil, it did not come from my food budget.  Each time I fill a jar with coconut oil, I’ll pay the savings category from my food budget.

I realize that not everyone has money to save.  If you do, I’d encourage  you to consider doing things in a similar manner.  It does not require much, a little adds up.  Currently, we put $80/month for miscellaneous savings.  We usually go several months before spending it, so it adds up quickly. If you are unable to save, ask around or look for yahoo groups, co-ops, or people in your area who are similarly minded when it comes to the way you eat.  You might be surprised to find that someone just placed an order for 5 gallons of coconut oil and is willing to share! 

Be sure to check out your local farmer’s market and ask if they give discounts for buying in bulk!  Local farmers who don’t participate in farmer’s markets might be willing to work with you as well.  You never know if you don’t ask.

See below for a list of online resources that might be worth looking to ordering from.

5.  Subscribe to this new blog for daily deals and coupons for whole foods.  I don’t buy many processed foods, save the ones that I just can’t reproduce at home.  So, it has proved very helpful to me and I’m saved  the legwork of searching out coupons for some of the foods I buy (they really do make coupons for some of them!).  Read this post for advice on how to find co-ops.

6.  Cut out non-nutrient dense foods. Things such as coffee, tea (non-herbal), ice cream (guilty!), chips…can be quite pricey but don’t provide as much nourishment as foods like butter, raw milk, fresh produce, pastured eggs…You might want to consider limiting those things to provide more money for “the good stuff.”  No need to be legalistic, though.  It’s all about priorities and some people want their ice cream (okay, confession time: my husband came home with 5 cartons of ice cream last week because it was on sale! Do we do anything in moderation?).  I don’t mind purchasing a few items that aren’t as nutrient dense, but the bulk of our foods are.

7.  Buy local. I realize that this might not always be the most economical.  But, I feel so strongly (for several reasons) about supporting local family farms that most times, I’m willing to pay a little more.  I know where I’m getting my food from and what they do to it AND it is supporting a family. You never know, if you have some sort of service to offer or a product to trade, they might be willing to swap.  I’ve done it before!  I made and sold bread when we lived in KY and was able to swap out bread for eggs from time to time with the man I bought my eggs from.

I hope these tips help.  It is such a process of learning not only how to eat better, but how to manage your money in the best way in which to accommodate the changes!  Hang in there!

Online resources:

1.  Amazon’s Organic Grocery

2.  Radiant Life Company

3.  Azure Standard

Have you checked out the Naturally Knocked Up E-Course about nutrition and pregnancy?  I will be going through it and encourage you to check it out, too! I am also an affiliate, so thank you for your support!

Happy weekending!  It’s been an extremely busy week for us, but it has been very productive and so full of the Lord’s grace!   I hope to write soon of some things He’s been doing in my life on a more personal level.  I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve and am seeking wisdom as to how much to let my mystery readers into the corners of my heart.

I have been putting away meals for the freezer and it feels so good to have them done!  I decided to go ahead and take some days to do freezer cooking and so far it’s yielded three meals worth of pepperocini beef,  two spinach bacon quiches, two chicken divans (I’m not a casserole kinda gal but decided to try the recipe), about two gallons of chicken stock, and tomorrow I’ll work on two chicken pot-pies and two meals worth of chicken enchiladas.  Not to mention that we ate some of the chicken tonight and I have a leftover cup to do something with.  All of the chicken recipes came from two chickens that I roasted and made broth from!  And with the help of a younger woman I’ve been spending time with, we made a little over two dozen tortillas today.  A local friend has been inspiring to me and she’s been up to the same this week so it’s been encouraging to compare notes an spur one another on.  She made eight lasagnas today!  It’s definitely doable with two little ones running around!  And it’s so rewarding.  My freezer is slowly getting stocked!

Without further ado, here are some quick reads (mostly good deals on various products!) for the weekend…

Parenting

The issue we all face: “Mom Guilt” – a good reminder for those of us who lean  toward being “Type A.”

Health & Nutrition

Man-Made Flavors Are Bad for Your Health -Very simple, straight-forward post about artificial flavors.

A great deal on 7th Generation diapers – We are using disposable diapers currently and these are my favorite.  My deal was not quite as good as this woman’s, but $30 ain’t too shabby for a case!  I just saved $8.98!

Two Gallons of Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil for $99! – Check out this deal!  Coconut oil is sooo expensive where I live now.  I was spoiled by the military, I suppose.  This is a much better deal than what’s offered at stores around here.

Saving Naturally – This is Stephanie’s new blog (author of Keeper of the Home blog).  It’s really helpful!

I’ll leave you with a glimpse of little ham number one:

My mother-in-law gave us a huge bag of zucchini, squash, and cucumbers on Friday.  Guess what was for dinner that night?  Zucchini pancakes.  It is one of my summertime favorites!  Since you’ll probably be enjoying zucchini at some point this summer, especially if you have a garden, this might be a recipe your family will like

Zucchini Pancakes

2 c shredded zucchini

4 large eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 c hard or soft white flour

2T (or more) Sucanat

1/2 tsp salt

3T oil

4 tsp baking powder

Shred zucchini and mix in a large bowl with eggs and vanilla.  Add everything except the baking powder and mix well.  Add baking powder and mix gently.  Batter will be like heavy whipping cream.

Preheat your griddle and use a small measuring cup to dip the batter to your skillet.  When it begins to bubble, it’s time to flip!

Topped with butter and syrup, these make a great breakfast-for-dinner.  These would also be great with some chocolate chips!

This time, I tried my hand at homemade maple syrup.   It was easy to do and is definitely cheaper than real maple syrup.  However, I LOVE maple syrup and it does have good, nutritional qualities to it.  So…I’m not sure yet if we’re switching over  for good.  For now, I have a little less than 32 oz. in my fridge waiting for us to use.

Homemade Maple Syrup

2c organic sucanat

2 c organic cane juice crystals

2 c water

1T maple extract (I used Frontier brand, I didn’t have a question about any ingredients.  I’m a stickler!)

1/2T (2 tsp) vanilla extract

Combine sugars and then water in a medium-size pot.  Stir on medium-high heat to dissolve sugar.  Add extracts and bring to a boil.  Let boil for 10 minutes.

I used it hot for our pancakes and then let it cool in the pot before I put it into a container in the fridge.  My family liked it, but it definitely tastes a little different than real maple syrup.

Did I mention, by the way, the great deal on organic maple syrup that I signed up for?  My second bottle arrives in July, I set the subscribe and save to deliver it every other month.  You might want to look into it if you use it as often as I do in your cooking.

Enjoy your  zucchini!  I’ll be posting my favorite zucchini recipes  throughout the summer, ’cause there’s lots!

Yesterday, I talked about how to eat real food on a budget.  But, there are two key words to making it happen: a budget.  Do you have one?  To my surprise, many married couples do not keep a budget.  With a little time and effort, you can easily begin a home budget planner.  Consider this your budget planning guide!

Please don’t hear this as condemnation, but rather, genuine curiosity.  I am not sure how freedom exists if one is never sure of how much money there is at all times!  I personally used to get anxious at the thought of money management because it just seemed so overwhelming to me to keep track of every last penny.  God knew my needs because He sent me a man with a plan.

When we were first married, Blane created a budget worksheet.  For two months, we tracked what we spent for each category.   Yes, that means we entered every single receipt!  We needed to know about how much was spent in each category in order to budget the correct amount.  So, since about two months into our marriage, we have used a budget planning spreadsheet.  I LOVE it.

Simply having a household budget planner is not enough, however.  There are a few key ingredients to making a budget work.  Here is what we’ve learned:

1.  Both partners need to be 100% committed to sticking to the budget.  This is a must.  You have to come at it with a steel determination to honor one another and not spend more than you have in a category.  There have been times, such as when we moved, when we did go over in a category to switch services.  Things like this are unavoidable, usually. Wanting something really badly is not reason enough to spend more than you have.  There have been times when I have done a poor job of managing my grocery budget, and we ate very simple meals until I had more money to buy groceries.  We didn’t starve and were content, albeit without some of our favorite foods!  The point is: I didn’t go over just because we “needed” food.  We had plenty of food in our house.  Maybe no vegetables or fruit, but plenty of other foods.  This is probably the biggest aspect that holds people back from budget keeping.  It’s similar to natural child birth.  Unless a person absolutely committed and will not be moved from your decision (unless of course in the event of an emergency!), she likely won’t follow through.  Choose to rise above the easy route of giving up when it gets hard (or tedious) and be committed to getting on (and sticking with) a budget.

2.  Both parties need to be in agreement about how much goes in each category.  Now, there have been times when we have disagreed on amounts but have compromised.  Being on the same page will prevent resentment or other conflicts!

3.  Remember that it is adjustable.  I don’t mean that you can stick to the budget only sometimes, but I mean that you can adjust the amounts in any category within the budget planning worksheet at any time that you find you are lacking or have too much.  For example, when we lived in KY, Blane lived a mile from work.  We did not need nearly as much money in our gas/oil category because he only filled up about once a month!  When I began buying more organic, we added more money to our food category.  We have simply shifted money around as needed.  Life changes and financial needs change, too.  But, whenever changes are made, let the adjustments be a team process.  Both the husband and wife should be in on the decision making process so that everyone remains on the same page and in agreement.

4.  Enter every receipt into the budget planning worksheet. Whether you choose to use our free budget planning worksheet or not, it is helpful to keep track of every single receipt that you spend.  Otherwise, how else will you know where your money is going and how much of it is going there?  Keeping a budget is excellent accountability.  You just might see bad habits or be surprised to see how well you or your spouse do at being frugal and saving!  (Instructions for using the budget are available in video form and PDF form at the links at the bottom of this post)

5.  Have very specific categories. You’ll notice in our spreadsheet that we have a separate category for “Eating out.”  We do not draw from our “food” budget if we choose to go out to eat.  Since we don’t do it often, we only put in $15/month (it just got bumped up from $10!).  Eating out is expensive and often times, unhealthy and we just prefer to eat at home.  Also, my food budget is for just that – food.  I don’t buy toilet paper, aluminum foil, or other household items or toiletries from this section.  We have a “supplies” column under the “household” tab and a “toiletries” column under “miscellaneous”.  By having specific categories, there is more accountability, and you know how much you’re spending on those types of items.

6.  It requires monthly maintenance.  In addition to receipt entering (I do this at least once a week), at the end of the month or the first day of the new month, each category within the home budget planner needs to be updated with the monthly deposit.  This will give you the opportunity to see how you’re doing, where you might be lacking, or where you have an abundance.  This is the time to adjust accordingly, if needed.  You might wonder how time consuming this is.  When receipts are entered regularly, it doesn’t take me more than 10-20 minutes at a time (it all depends on how many receipts I have to enter!).  When we update the spreadsheet monthly, it takes about the same amount of time, unless we sit down with each other to evaluate things, in which more time is spent on it.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of a home budget and the blessings and benefits you will reap from keeping it.  Peace in  marriage, freedom from anxiety, freedom from debt, freedom to give generously, and many others! If you don’t keep a home budget planner currently, I’d encourage you to prayerfully consider talking with your husband about it.  He will probably be so thankful that you are willing to exercise wisdom with your finances.  If he is not on board, continue to seek the Lord in prayer as to what you can do on your own that will bless your husband.  Ultimately, we want to honor our husbands, and there are ways to do it even if he’s not on board!

I would encourage you to download the free budget planning worksheet and watch the video tutorial that my husband put together for it (or download the PDF instructions).  Please let me know if you have any questions about it!

I certainly don’t have it all figured out when it comes to eating real food on a budget. In fact, in recent months, there have been times when, at the end of the month we have enjoyed rice & beans and beans & rice a few times more than normal. 

It is possible though,  to eat healthy food on a real budget (the money we use doesn’t grow on trees!).  It can sometimes be tricky, particularly if you are transitioning to eating more whole, real foods.  I haven’t mastered it, but I want to share what I’m learning with you in hopes that it will serve you!

9 Tips for eating real food on a budget:

1.  Keep a budget.  I cannot overemphasize this point enough.  If you and your husband don’t keep a budget, please come back tomorrow and read why I believe it’s so important AND how to do it.  This will pay dividends in helping you budget for good, real food.  To be more specific, keep a food budget within your overall budget.  Purchase only food with it!

2.  Buy food in bulk.  Usually it is cheaper to buy most real food this way.  You pay more up front but end up spending less overall.  For example, I just brought home two cases of yogurt from my coop for $2.04 each when I usually but the same yogurt in the store for $2.47.  Instead of buying one 32. oz cup, I bought six.  Some of the real foods I buy in bulk include grains, honey, coconut oil, salt, yogurt, nuts, and sucanat.  I recently joined a coop in our area and just received my first order.  Most areas have established coops that can be found with a little research.  A few companies that you can contact to inquire about a coop near you include UNFI, Azure Standard,  Something Better Natural Foods. Why not start one?

3.  Buy extra of a particular item when it’s on sale.  Lately, the health food store near us has had mangoes on sale two for $1.  I can’t even find that at a conventional grocery store!  Needless to say, we’ve been eating lots of mangoes and I plan to freeze some as well.

4.  Go by the Dirty Dozen/Clean 15 List to help you decide what is really important to buy organic.  This is helpful, especially if you have a tight budget.

5.  Look for deals online.  Amazingly, Amazon has some great deals, such as this one for organic maple syrup.  If you sign up for their subscribe & save program (it’s free), you get 15% off of the price and free shipping.  That means the total ends up being $16.83 for 32 oz. of organic maple syrup.  You can’t beat that!  I have also bought coconut oil from Amazon when the price has been really low.

6.  Designate certain amounts of money from your food budget for certain food items.  For example, I know generally about how much milk we drink a month and how many dozens of eggs we go through in a month.  I am able to then see how much money I’ll have each week for other food items.  This doesn’t need to be restrictive.  Last week, I went over in what I allotted for produce, but this week, I spent less that usual so it essentially balanced itself.

7.  Eat at home.  One important key to eating real food on a budget is cooking your own food!  You know you’ll be getting real food at home, but you may not if you eat out at a restaurant.  Not only that, but instead of buying items such as chicken broth, salad dressings, dips, and mixes, make at home for a fraction of the cost.  I’d encourage you to replace as many ready-made items as possible with home made items.  Check out my recipes for a few and stay tuned later this summer for an ebook that I hope will serve you well in this area!  Cooking at home will save you a lot of money and you’ll be eating healthy food!

8.  Can, freeze, or dehydrate  foods during peak seasons.  I have yet to venture into canning (a must! I was never taught), but we do dehydrate and freeze food.   By doing this, you will save when the summer produce is more expensive and out of season in the middle of winter.

9.  Treat meat as a side item.  We love meat.  I think meat from good sources, free of antibiotics, pesticides, and GMOs is a healthy food and nourishing to our bodies.  However, it can be very expensive and I don’t believe it needs to be the main part of a meal.  We eat it about twice a week and with it, I try to have other filling foods to make it stretch.  I realize that my husband is unique in that whatever I put in front of him (ahem, generally), he will happily eat.  He also usually eats a lot more of the meat dish that I serve than I do.  Every husband is different and we should seek to honor him and serve him by preparing meals he’ll enjoy.  If you are seeking to stretch your food budget money, prepare a grain to go along with the meat that he’d also enjoy with the meat.  It will help stretch the meat dish.

10.  If possible, keep a garden.  My husband is the in-house gardener and it certainly saves us money in the summer time, especially on items such as peppers.  Make a list of the foods you eat the most and start with these, if possible in your area of the country.  If you are unable to have a garden but know someone who has one, offer to help with theirs in exchange for some of the produce.

I hope these tips for eating real food on a budget are helpful!  I am still learning and if you want to learn more from a woman who has been doing this longer, check out Stephanie at Keeper of the Home.  She has a new book out with lots of helpful information!