trying a new app on this phone. I love the internet!

the kitchen

Our kitchen is finally functional! I am enjoying cooking real food for my family. I Made a batch of chicken stock last Monday. It is so nice having the freezer space to fill with home cooked food. Yesterday I made a huge pot of Italian wedding soup and french bread rolls from scratch. I have been trying to be more frugal with our meal planning and our shopping. I am hoping to cut our grocery bill by 20% to start with. Hopefully My husband will support me as we do the shopping together. I recently purchased two books to help. Funny I know, spend money to save money.

Family Feasts for $75 a Week: A Penny-wise Mom Shares Her Recipe for Cutting Hundreds from Your Monthly Food Bill
Mary Ostyn

$3 Slow-Cooked Meals: Delicious, Low-Cost Dishes from Both Your Slow Cooker and Stove
Ellen Brown

Both have tips on saving at the store and tons of recipes. Hopefully I will be able to utilize the books . My goal is to be a better steward of the responsibilities God has Given me.

I have so much to look forward to this month. One of my favorite holidays is this week. I love making a huge pot of corned beef and cabbage and soda bread. Also on Thursday I will be married to the most wonderful man for TEN years. The following week My mother , twin brother, his wife,her sister their three children and my husbands sister are coming down from New york for a visit. This former new yorker plans on making a huge country breakfast for them. The weekend they will be here is also the rhythm and ribs festival down town and we all love the award winning BBQ served hot and fresh. I might even try a fried twinky this year!!

I guess it is time to start facing my laundrey.

All this stuff we are doing

It has been a great year so far. We have been getting ready for the kitchen remodel that is finally under way. We bought all our appliances and got a great deal at appliance direct. My husband and I had a great romantic Valentines day.

Our kitchen was torn out yesterday so no home cooked meals this week which also means no dirty dishes!!!! I am still behind on laundry so I need a new system this one is not working. sadly I think I am going to have to pack away my sewing area... I do not sew enough to warrant taking up so much living space. My dilemma is all the fabric I have, where and how to store it or give it away.

In our plans for the kitchen is a pantry off to the side. My husband are not certain we should put it in the space planned for it move it or just not have one put in. I am super excited but worried I will regret the decision we make.