Posts
I used to struggle constantly with what to have for dinner. I learned about freezer cooking (also called Once a Month Cooking or OAMC, Investment Cooking, Make-Ahead Cooking) and decided I wanted to learn all about it. After researching I tried the Freezer Cooking Manual from 30 Day Gourmet and quickly became a fan of freezer cooking! I started 30 day cooking alone, then joined friends who were also using this method, and finally started to teach new people all about freezer cooking.
Since I started my Homemaking911 ministry in July 2007 I have 100s of women freezer cooking. Many women wanted to have a manual to help them when they were on their own at home. Instead of making a whole new resource, I am now offering the updated version of my favoite freezer cooking book through my website. This works out great because I do not have to do all that work (writing a book!) and you can purchase it through me and save on shipping! It’s a great deal for all of us. Plus, I get to help support the site that helped give me knowledge and confidence to get a meal on the table with ease.
Here are some photos of my freezer cooking day with my friend Kathy Enix. Two of my four children were also helping me that day, Christina (age 17, seen stirring the Mexi-Chicken) and Anne Mary (age 7, washing potatoes). The others were off playing together.
Enjoy the pictures!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Decluttering Challenge Day
We woke up one Saturday morning with nothing on the calendar, so decided to have a de-cluttering day. I looked everywhere and knew there were a lot of things that were ready to go bless another family. At 8:30 we made sure everyone was up and dressed, and as they ate breakfast, I told them the plan. “Today is de-cuttering day! Today we are going to all work together to get rid of the things we do not need.” Then I outlined the rules for them, and with great excitement and enthusiasm, I put the incentives on our white board.
If (as a family) we get rid of 100 items, we would get dessert with lunch.
If we gave away 200 items, we could go out for icecream one night this week.
If we gave away 300 items, the family could go out to eat for dinner.
If we gave away 400 items, we could have dinner out, with dessert!
Trash did not count in the numbers. Every item had to go through the dining room for mom to make sure it was suitable to give away. Every item was to be tallied on a note pad kept in the dining room. Everyone got straight to work. My oldest daughter emptied her truck and turned down the seats to hold the loot. My middle daughter got the trash bags and boxes ready. My youngest daugther got the laundry baskets to use to transport stuff from the rooms to the dining room.
It did not take long for the excitement to build as the kids discussed the “poor children” who would love to get their toys that they no longer cherished but were still in terrific shape. They joyfully brought out some little dolls that were always underfoot, but rarely appreciated. They brought out clothes that were outgrown, and made room in their drawers for the things they needed in there. Around luncthtime the truck was FULL. Our item count was very close to 300. Over lunch the kids discussed the progress so far and were excitedly planning when we would go out to icecream. They the question came up about ”What if we hit 500 items?” That got the excitement growing again and after lunch everyone got back oin gear. We were all getting pretty tired by then, but kept saying: look for one more thing, keep going! Almost to 400! Soon, we were all in the garage and the number neared 500. Anne Mary declared that 500 items should be a family movie night with POPCORN! “YES!” everyone shouted! The excitement built as the 499th item was in the box. Then, they started talking about donating their winter coats, shoes, umbrellas, and one another’s clothes.
I am ashamed to say we could probably do this over and over again and still have too much stuff, but I was excited to see the family pull together with a common goal and a lot of fun. We know others will be blessed by what we gave away. The children do take care of their things and they are usually in very good shape when they have outgrown them. Think about how your family could be a blessing to others today. Perhaps you could set a goal for each person to give away five things, or ten things. Make it a fun challenge and celebrate each act of generosity. Your family will be blessed!
O Lord, help us to be content, Whatever we possess; Protect us from the foolish lie That “more” brings happiness. - David Sper
If (as a family) we get rid of 100 items, we would get dessert with lunch.
If we gave away 200 items, we could go out for icecream one night this week.
If we gave away 300 items, the family could go out to eat for dinner.
If we gave away 400 items, we could have dinner out, with dessert!
Trash did not count in the numbers. Every item had to go through the dining room for mom to make sure it was suitable to give away. Every item was to be tallied on a note pad kept in the dining room. Everyone got straight to work. My oldest daughter emptied her truck and turned down the seats to hold the loot. My middle daughter got the trash bags and boxes ready. My youngest daugther got the laundry baskets to use to transport stuff from the rooms to the dining room.
It did not take long for the excitement to build as the kids discussed the “poor children” who would love to get their toys that they no longer cherished but were still in terrific shape. They joyfully brought out some little dolls that were always underfoot, but rarely appreciated. They brought out clothes that were outgrown, and made room in their drawers for the things they needed in there. Around luncthtime the truck was FULL. Our item count was very close to 300. Over lunch the kids discussed the progress so far and were excitedly planning when we would go out to icecream. They the question came up about ”What if we hit 500 items?” That got the excitement growing again and after lunch everyone got back oin gear. We were all getting pretty tired by then, but kept saying: look for one more thing, keep going! Almost to 400! Soon, we were all in the garage and the number neared 500. Anne Mary declared that 500 items should be a family movie night with POPCORN! “YES!” everyone shouted! The excitement built as the 499th item was in the box. Then, they started talking about donating their winter coats, shoes, umbrellas, and one another’s clothes.
I am ashamed to say we could probably do this over and over again and still have too much stuff, but I was excited to see the family pull together with a common goal and a lot of fun. We know others will be blessed by what we gave away. The children do take care of their things and they are usually in very good shape when they have outgrown them. Think about how your family could be a blessing to others today. Perhaps you could set a goal for each person to give away five things, or ten things. Make it a fun challenge and celebrate each act of generosity. Your family will be blessed!
O Lord, help us to be content, Whatever we possess; Protect us from the foolish lie That “more” brings happiness. - David Sper
Making Your Own Baby Food
Your initial investment for homemade baby food should be very small. You will need:
8 ice cube trays
Freezer Quality storage containers or Freezer bags.
A Blender (if you do not have one, it is not absolutely essential)
If you start with fruits:
The easiest one to make at home is applesauce. You can purchase a huge economy size jar of Unsweetened organic applesauce and simply open the jar, pour it into the ice cube trays, cover with foil and freeze. If you want to get crazy and make your own applesauce you can actually make your own from scratch, but for the money it is probably just as effective to buy a huge jar. We did go buy organic when we could. But it is not absolutely necessary.
Bananas are just as easy. When they get a tad bit ripe, fork mash them if you do not have a blender and put them in the ice cube trays. Whenever we had bananas going soft I would just mix up a batch in the blender and put it in trays. If you are concerned about the color (it will look a little brown) you can add a drop or two of lemon juice….but I would not do this unlessbaby is older and has had citris. You do not want to introduce two foods at once.
If you want to start with veggies, pumpkin is the absolute easiest. Go to the aisle where you buy canned pumpkin (what you buy to make pumpkin pie). Check the label. Some of it is 100% pureed pumpkin. This is what you need. Do not get any with added spices. Buy the biggest can. Open it and put it into ice cube trays. Wrap it in foil and freeze. Other very easy ones are: Sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, green beans, peas.
In a day or two when it is hard frozen, you pop the cubes out and place them in the freezer baggies.
I used to keep one Tupperware container in my freezer that had all veggie cubes and one that had all fruit cubes, then each day I would go through and grab what I needed. I usually just thawed them in the microwave. Mix them well and test the temperature with your finger. If the food is too thick (maybe it will be at first) you can mix it with a touch of water or breast milk or formula.
As baby gets older you will use 3-4 cubes per meal, but at first you may just use one cube per meal.
These are highly portable. I just had a few little containers. I put the frozen cube in there and if we went out someplace it would melt, or I could add a little hot water and melt it quicker if needed, then mix in cereal to get the perfect consistency.
Apple sauce, bananas, avocado and pumpkin are the simplest to make and if you do nothing else, that will still save you money.
If you want to go a step more, All the fruits and vegetables can be prepared for her by simply cooking them until softened (retain all the water that you use to mix in to make it soft and runny). The water will have a lot of vitamins in it after the veggies have been cooked in there. Once they are soft, run them through a blender. Keep adding in the water that you used to cook them until it is a soft, baby food consistency. Once it is nice and soft, pour it into the ice cube trays. Freeze. Ppop it out a few days later and wash your trays to use again.
I did a big batch of something about once a week. Then the next week I would do a different batch.
Check the library for a book called: Super Baby Food. In there it gives great details about how long to cook each vegetable, and how much water you will need to add. I just used it as a spring board to get started, then referred to it occasionally when I was trying a new food.
If you decide you want to try to make your own cereal at home, it is easy too.
To make about a two cup batch of baby cereal, once she is ready for adding protein:
1/3 cup whole dry grains (brown rice, millet, oatmeal, barley, etc)
2 Tbs dried legumes (lentil, dries split peas, etc)
Put those in the blender (DRY) and grind it to a powder. It will make about 1/2 cup of powder. When you are ready to cook the cereal, you stir that into two cups of boiling water. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes (double that if you include soy beans). Whisk it frequently while cooking. You can just store this in the fridge for two or three days or freeze it. Be sure you freeze it in small portions. This recipe came from the Super Baby Food Book. She has all kinds of great recipes to make nutritious foods from scratch for babies.
Once she gets older and is ready to try meats, your regular blender will probably struggle with that. We have a really nice blender (called a Vita Mix). I did not have one when I had David, so I would cook up several chicken breasts with just water (no seasoning). Then I would take a fresh pear from the grocery and put it in the blender with a piece or two of chicken, adding enough water to make it smooth. (She will be old enough by this age to eat raw pear that is mushy) I would freeze that and use it rather than the baby food meats. Those smell yucky anyway, and the homemade chicken smelled quite appetizing. Since I did not have a strong blender, I would take it to a friend’s house who had one and grind up a bunch at one time, then freeze enough to last several weeks. You could use a food processor as well.
You can also add formula or breast milk or baby juice to any food to get it to the correct consistency.
Finally, we also freeze David’s milk in ice cubes (even now because he must use Goat’s Milk and does not use it up very quickly). So if you have milk in the fridge and you know you are leaving for a few days, you can freeze it to make it last longer, and use the cubes when you need fresh milk but do not have any. These will work fine in making your homemade mashed potatoes or for baking.
If you start with fruits:
The easiest one to make at home is applesauce. You can purchase a huge economy size jar of Unsweetened organic applesauce and simply open the jar, pour it into the ice cube trays, cover with foil and freeze. If you want to get crazy and make your own applesauce you can actually make your own from scratch, but for the money it is probably just as effective to buy a huge jar. We did go buy organic when we could. But it is not absolutely necessary.
Bananas are just as easy. When they get a tad bit ripe, fork mash them if you do not have a blender and put them in the ice cube trays. Whenever we had bananas going soft I would just mix up a batch in the blender and put it in trays. If you are concerned about the color (it will look a little brown) you can add a drop or two of lemon juice….but I would not do this unlessbaby is older and has had citris. You do not want to introduce two foods at once.
If you want to start with veggies, pumpkin is the absolute easiest. Go to the aisle where you buy canned pumpkin (what you buy to make pumpkin pie). Check the label. Some of it is 100% pureed pumpkin. This is what you need. Do not get any with added spices. Buy the biggest can. Open it and put it into ice cube trays. Wrap it in foil and freeze. Other very easy ones are: Sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, green beans, peas.
In a day or two when it is hard frozen, you pop the cubes out and place them in the freezer baggies.
I used to keep one Tupperware container in my freezer that had all veggie cubes and one that had all fruit cubes, then each day I would go through and grab what I needed. I usually just thawed them in the microwave. Mix them well and test the temperature with your finger. If the food is too thick (maybe it will be at first) you can mix it with a touch of water or breast milk or formula.
As baby gets older you will use 3-4 cubes per meal, but at first you may just use one cube per meal.
These are highly portable. I just had a few little containers. I put the frozen cube in there and if we went out someplace it would melt, or I could add a little hot water and melt it quicker if needed, then mix in cereal to get the perfect consistency.
Apple sauce, bananas, avocado and pumpkin are the simplest to make and if you do nothing else, that will still save you money.
If you want to go a step more, All the fruits and vegetables can be prepared for her by simply cooking them until softened (retain all the water that you use to mix in to make it soft and runny). The water will have a lot of vitamins in it after the veggies have been cooked in there. Once they are soft, run them through a blender. Keep adding in the water that you used to cook them until it is a soft, baby food consistency. Once it is nice and soft, pour it into the ice cube trays. Freeze. Ppop it out a few days later and wash your trays to use again.
I did a big batch of something about once a week. Then the next week I would do a different batch.
Check the library for a book called: Super Baby Food. In there it gives great details about how long to cook each vegetable, and how much water you will need to add. I just used it as a spring board to get started, then referred to it occasionally when I was trying a new food.
If you decide you want to try to make your own cereal at home, it is easy too.
To make about a two cup batch of baby cereal, once she is ready for adding protein:
1/3 cup whole dry grains (brown rice, millet, oatmeal, barley, etc)
2 Tbs dried legumes (lentil, dries split peas, etc)
Put those in the blender (DRY) and grind it to a powder. It will make about 1/2 cup of powder. When you are ready to cook the cereal, you stir that into two cups of boiling water. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes (double that if you include soy beans). Whisk it frequently while cooking. You can just store this in the fridge for two or three days or freeze it. Be sure you freeze it in small portions. This recipe came from the Super Baby Food Book. She has all kinds of great recipes to make nutritious foods from scratch for babies.
Once she gets older and is ready to try meats, your regular blender will probably struggle with that. We have a really nice blender (called a Vita Mix). I did not have one when I had David, so I would cook up several chicken breasts with just water (no seasoning). Then I would take a fresh pear from the grocery and put it in the blender with a piece or two of chicken, adding enough water to make it smooth. (She will be old enough by this age to eat raw pear that is mushy) I would freeze that and use it rather than the baby food meats. Those smell yucky anyway, and the homemade chicken smelled quite appetizing. Since I did not have a strong blender, I would take it to a friend’s house who had one and grind up a bunch at one time, then freeze enough to last several weeks. You could use a food processor as well.
You can also add formula or breast milk or baby juice to any food to get it to the correct consistency.
Finally, we also freeze David’s milk in ice cubes (even now because he must use Goat’s Milk and does not use it up very quickly). So if you have milk in the fridge and you know you are leaving for a few days, you can freeze it to make it last longer, and use the cubes when you need fresh milk but do not have any. These will work fine in making your homemade mashed potatoes or for baking.
Easy Homemade Self-Rising Flour
For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’”
1 Kings 17:14
In a large mixing bowl, sift together:
6 cups flour
3 tablespoons baking powder.
1 tablespoon salt.
Measure self-rising flour like regular flour.
Keep all dry goods in airtight containers to avoid moisture and infestation.
1 Kings 17:14
In a large mixing bowl, sift together:
Measure self-rising flour like regular flour.
Keep all dry goods in airtight containers to avoid moisture and infestation.
Fresh, Homemade Bread with Home Milled Wheat
Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left.
Matthew 24:41
Now therefore, please, heed also the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.” 1 Samuel 28:22
Baking bread it a lot of fun in the winter. In the summer, we hate to warm up the kitchen so much, but in the winter, we are looking for excuses to get in there and bake. Christina made this batch of loaves. Aren’t they lovely?
We do use a 5-loaf mixer and mill our own wheat which we purchase here in Louisville, KY through Hillview Farm. Edie@wildblue.net has a great business with excellent customer service and good prices.
There is nothing like the smell and taste of fresh, oven baked bread.
Would you like to see our recipe for our Five Loaves of Bread made in a large capacity mixer?
Five Loaf Recipe
Adapted from a recipe from Breadbeckers.com
5 cups Hot Water
1 ¼ cup oil (half olive oil, half canola)
¾ cup honey
2 ½ Tbs. Instant Yeast
12-14 cups whole wheat, freshly milled flour
5 tsp salt
2 Tbs Powdered Milk
2 Tbs Gluten
Step One:
Combine, water, oil, honey.
Add 8 cups of flour
Yeast
Salt
Powdered milk
Gluten. Mix thoroughly. (2 minutes on setting 2)
Step Two:
Add remaining flour and knead until smooth and elastic (10 minutes on Setting 2)
Step Three:
Let it rise for five minutes. Then press 2 for just a few seconds.
Step Four:
Shape into loaves or rolls with oiled hands.
Step Five:
Place into greased pans and let rise until double.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Let them cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then turn out on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Yields 5 1 ½lb loaves.
For those of you without a large capacity mixer, you might want to try our two loaf recipe:
Sweet Whole Wheat Bread - 2 loaves
2 cups hot water
1/3 cup olive oil
½ cup honey (can use less)
3 ½ tsp instant yeast
1 egg
4 cups freshly milled flour
1 cup store brand unbleached all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 TBS powdered milk
1 tsp gluten
Combine water, oil, honey and egg. Add three cups flour, yeast, salt, powdered milk and gluten. Mix thoroughly. Add remaining flour, using dough hook, and blend until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Let rise until double. Shape into loaves or rolls and place in greased pans. Let rise again. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Makes two 1 ½ pound loaves.
Matthew 24:41
Now therefore, please, heed also the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a piece of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way.” 1 Samuel 28:22
Baking bread it a lot of fun in the winter. In the summer, we hate to warm up the kitchen so much, but in the winter, we are looking for excuses to get in there and bake. Christina made this batch of loaves. Aren’t they lovely?
We do use a 5-loaf mixer and mill our own wheat which we purchase here in Louisville, KY through Hillview Farm. Edie@wildblue.net has a great business with excellent customer service and good prices.
There is nothing like the smell and taste of fresh, oven baked bread.
Would you like to see our recipe for our Five Loaves of Bread made in a large capacity mixer?
Five Loaf Recipe
Adapted from a recipe from Breadbeckers.com
Step One:
Combine, water, oil, honey.
Add 8 cups of flour
Yeast
Salt
Powdered milk
Gluten. Mix thoroughly. (2 minutes on setting 2)
Step Two:
Add remaining flour and knead until smooth and elastic (10 minutes on Setting 2)
Step Three:
Let it rise for five minutes. Then press 2 for just a few seconds.
Step Four:
Shape into loaves or rolls with oiled hands.
Step Five:
Place into greased pans and let rise until double.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Let them cool in the pans for about 5 minutes, then turn out on a cooling rack to cool completely.
Yields 5 1 ½lb loaves.
For those of you without a large capacity mixer, you might want to try our two loaf recipe:
Sweet Whole Wheat Bread - 2 loaves
Combine water, oil, honey and egg. Add three cups flour, yeast, salt, powdered milk and gluten. Mix thoroughly. Add remaining flour, using dough hook, and blend until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Let rise until double. Shape into loaves or rolls and place in greased pans. Let rise again. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Makes two 1 ½ pound loaves.
Domestic Engineer
Homemaker. That is my title. It seems like such a humble word when I fill it out on a medical form or legal paperwork. Or what about this one: Domestic Engineer. With a job title like that, I could presumably demand a salary making $30,000-$500,000 per year depending upon whose calculations you believe. But when it comes to the end of the day, no one is paying me a salary, and my financial net worth has suffered as a result of my decision to stay home and raise my children. Fortunately, we do not have to make of judgment of ourselves based on the standards of net worth. Our value is determined by God.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. – Genesis 1:27
We have been taught that to have real worth we must be productive, efficient, better, quicker, faster, and perfect. But what we really crave is order, peace and beauty. This yearning is often comingled with feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and frustration. We do not know how to meet the world’s standards and satisfy our inner cravings as well. Precious homemaker, when you desire order, peace and beauty, you are experiencing the manifestation of God’s image upon your heart.
The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. The … first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The …second river is Gihon; it flows around the whole land of Cush. The …third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. -Genesis 2:8-14
A Bible teacher at my local church, Kristen Sauder, helped me see this verse in a whole new light! Do you see what God has done? God is the original homemaker. When you are working in your home and using logic and care to make sure the needs of your family are met, you are emulating God, the creator!
The Garden of Eden was also a place of beauty. He sculpted trees that were beautiful and practical. It is no wonder we love to decorate – that was the first thing God did! Can you imagine God walking along the garden and determining the perfect placement for each tree, each flower, and its water source?
Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.- Genesis 2:15
Once God planned the ultimate garden, he did not send everyone away to gaze upon it from afar. He placed his family right in the middle of it and gave them responsibility for its care. If you homeschool your children, they are right in the middle of your home all day long! When you are delegating and teaching your children how to care for themselves and their property, you are walking in the footsteps of Our Father.
The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper suitable for him.”
So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. -Genesis 2:18, 21-22
What a creative God! He saw a problem. He took the resources available and made something pretty spectacular out of it. He took a rib and made a woman! My husband jokes that he can look through the freezer and pantry and think, “There is nothing for dinner.” I can go into the same kitchen and use the same ingredients make a big, tasty meal to feed a hungry family. That is God’s image stamped upon my heart. I can take what I have and make something better out of it. You can, too.
These skills you are honing and growing as a homemaker all serve to help you develop yourself more fully into the woman that God has made you to be. It really does not matter what title we give our humble job of homemaking. It won’t matter if you call yourself a Domestic Engineer and estimate a six-digit salary. What matters is that you were created deliberately and carefully by the God of the universe and he loves you. He loves the family resemblance. Praise Him for it, and seek ways to continue growing in His likeness!
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. – Genesis 1:27
We have been taught that to have real worth we must be productive, efficient, better, quicker, faster, and perfect. But what we really crave is order, peace and beauty. This yearning is often comingled with feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and frustration. We do not know how to meet the world’s standards and satisfy our inner cravings as well. Precious homemaker, when you desire order, peace and beauty, you are experiencing the manifestation of God’s image upon your heart.
The LORD God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. The … first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The …second river is Gihon; it flows around the whole land of Cush. The …third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. -Genesis 2:8-14
A Bible teacher at my local church, Kristen Sauder, helped me see this verse in a whole new light! Do you see what God has done? God is the original homemaker. When you are working in your home and using logic and care to make sure the needs of your family are met, you are emulating God, the creator!
The Garden of Eden was also a place of beauty. He sculpted trees that were beautiful and practical. It is no wonder we love to decorate – that was the first thing God did! Can you imagine God walking along the garden and determining the perfect placement for each tree, each flower, and its water source?
Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.- Genesis 2:15
Once God planned the ultimate garden, he did not send everyone away to gaze upon it from afar. He placed his family right in the middle of it and gave them responsibility for its care. If you homeschool your children, they are right in the middle of your home all day long! When you are delegating and teaching your children how to care for themselves and their property, you are walking in the footsteps of Our Father.
The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make him a helper suitable for him.”
So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. -Genesis 2:18, 21-22
What a creative God! He saw a problem. He took the resources available and made something pretty spectacular out of it. He took a rib and made a woman! My husband jokes that he can look through the freezer and pantry and think, “There is nothing for dinner.” I can go into the same kitchen and use the same ingredients make a big, tasty meal to feed a hungry family. That is God’s image stamped upon my heart. I can take what I have and make something better out of it. You can, too.
These skills you are honing and growing as a homemaker all serve to help you develop yourself more fully into the woman that God has made you to be. It really does not matter what title we give our humble job of homemaking. It won’t matter if you call yourself a Domestic Engineer and estimate a six-digit salary. What matters is that you were created deliberately and carefully by the God of the universe and he loves you. He loves the family resemblance. Praise Him for it, and seek ways to continue growing in His likeness!
Monday, June 23, 2008
How long should I keep my tax information?
When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?
Mark 12:14
See the following article from www.irs.gov
The length of time you should keep a document depends on the action, expense, or event the document records. Generally, you must keep your records that support an item of income or deductions on a tax return until the period of limitations for that return runs out.
The period of limitations is the period of time in which you can amend your tax return to claim a credit or refund, or that the IRS can assess additional tax. The below information contains the periods of limitations that apply to income tax returns. Unless otherwise stated, the years refer to the period after the return was filed. Returns filed before the due date are treated as filed on the due date.
Note: Keep copies of your filed tax returns. They help in preparing future tax returns and making computations if you file an amended return.
You owe additional tax and situations (2), (3), and (4), below, do not apply to you; keep records for 3 years.
You do not report income that you should report, and it is more than 25% of the gross income shown on your return; keep records for 6 years.
You file a fraudulent return; keep records indefinitely.
You do not file a return; keep records indefinitely.
You file a claim for credit or refund* after you file your return; keep records for 3 years from the date you filed your original return or 2 years from the date you paid the tax, whichever is later.
You file a claim for a loss from worthless securities or bad debt deduction; keep records for 7 years.
Keep all employment tax records for at least 4 years after the date that the tax becomes due or is paid, whichever is later.
The following questions should be applied to each record as you decide whether to keep a document or throw it away.
Are the records connected to assets?
Keep records relating to property until the period of limitations expires for the year in which you dispose of the property in a taxable disposition. You must keep these records to figure any depreciation, amortization, or depletion deduction and to figure the gain or loss when you sell or otherwise dispose of the property.
Generally, if you received property in a nontaxable exchange, your basis in that property is the same as the bases of the property you gave up, increased by any money you paid. You must keep the records on the old property, as well as on the new property, until the period of limitations expires for the year in which you dispose of the new property in a taxable disposition.
What should I do with my records for nontax purposes?
When your records are no longer needed for tax purposes, do not discard them until you check to see if you have to keep them longer for other purposes. For example, your insurance company or creditors may require you to keep them longer than the IRS does.
Happy Homemaking!
Malia
Homemaking911
Mark 12:14
See the following article from www.irs.gov
The length of time you should keep a document depends on the action, expense, or event the document records. Generally, you must keep your records that support an item of income or deductions on a tax return until the period of limitations for that return runs out.
The period of limitations is the period of time in which you can amend your tax return to claim a credit or refund, or that the IRS can assess additional tax. The below information contains the periods of limitations that apply to income tax returns. Unless otherwise stated, the years refer to the period after the return was filed. Returns filed before the due date are treated as filed on the due date.
Note: Keep copies of your filed tax returns. They help in preparing future tax returns and making computations if you file an amended return.
You owe additional tax and situations (2), (3), and (4), below, do not apply to you; keep records for 3 years.
You do not report income that you should report, and it is more than 25% of the gross income shown on your return; keep records for 6 years.
You file a fraudulent return; keep records indefinitely.
You do not file a return; keep records indefinitely.
You file a claim for credit or refund* after you file your return; keep records for 3 years from the date you filed your original return or 2 years from the date you paid the tax, whichever is later.
You file a claim for a loss from worthless securities or bad debt deduction; keep records for 7 years.
Keep all employment tax records for at least 4 years after the date that the tax becomes due or is paid, whichever is later.
The following questions should be applied to each record as you decide whether to keep a document or throw it away.
Are the records connected to assets?
Keep records relating to property until the period of limitations expires for the year in which you dispose of the property in a taxable disposition. You must keep these records to figure any depreciation, amortization, or depletion deduction and to figure the gain or loss when you sell or otherwise dispose of the property.
Generally, if you received property in a nontaxable exchange, your basis in that property is the same as the bases of the property you gave up, increased by any money you paid. You must keep the records on the old property, as well as on the new property, until the period of limitations expires for the year in which you dispose of the new property in a taxable disposition.
What should I do with my records for nontax purposes?
When your records are no longer needed for tax purposes, do not discard them until you check to see if you have to keep them longer for other purposes. For example, your insurance company or creditors may require you to keep them longer than the IRS does.
Happy Homemaking!
Malia
Homemaking911
Budget Friendly Meals
The most budget friendly meal is to go through your pantry and freezer to make use of the things you have.
Other ideas:
Baked Potato Bar. Bake some potatoes, add butter and whatever other ingredients you have on hand: broccoli, cheese, bacon bits, garlic salt, parsley, etc.
Chicken Soup: Buy inexpensive cuts of chicken or a whole chicken if you can afford it. Put the chicken into a big pot of water and bring to a boil. Then turn it down and simmer until well cooked. remove the skin and bones, then chop the meat and put it back into the water. Add whatever vegetables you have on hand. Add salt and pepper, onions (real or dehydrated). Cook until heated through. If you have bisquick or flour on hand, you can add dumplings and a spot of milk (powdered or regular) to add a little creaminess. You can also add pasta or egg noodles.
Spaghetti and Sauce. Add ground beef to the sauce if you have any. Include applesauce or salad.
Burritos. Buy Tortilla shells, refried beans, cheese (shred your own if it is cheaper).
Macaroni and Cheese.
Breakfast for dinner: Homemade pancakes, biscuits, eggs, fruit, buttered toast, etc.
Brown 1 lb.of ground beef, add a can of mushroom soup, and milk for creaminess. Pour over cooked egg noodles. Spice as you like it. I just use salt and pepper.
Tuna casserole : 1-2 cans of tuna, cooked rice, cream of chicken soup, chopped onions and celery (sauted in olive oil or butter), cooked broccoli (optional). Bake until it sets up at 350 around 30 minutes.Top with a small amount of cheese if on hand.
You can also cut back the portions sizes of your more expensive foods and still serve them. For example, for our family of six I will sometimes make a pasta as a main dish (like mac and cheese) and take a couple of chicken breasts, bake them and cut them into slices. Everyone takes a slice or two instead of getting a whole chicken breast. If you have plenty of healthy side dishes, you can stretch your money a bit. Some healthy side dishes include: frozen vegetables, homemade bread, applesauce, sliced apples, even cooked apples.
Happy Homemaking!
Malia
Homemaking911
Other ideas:
Baked Potato Bar. Bake some potatoes, add butter and whatever other ingredients you have on hand: broccoli, cheese, bacon bits, garlic salt, parsley, etc.
Chicken Soup: Buy inexpensive cuts of chicken or a whole chicken if you can afford it. Put the chicken into a big pot of water and bring to a boil. Then turn it down and simmer until well cooked. remove the skin and bones, then chop the meat and put it back into the water. Add whatever vegetables you have on hand. Add salt and pepper, onions (real or dehydrated). Cook until heated through. If you have bisquick or flour on hand, you can add dumplings and a spot of milk (powdered or regular) to add a little creaminess. You can also add pasta or egg noodles.
Spaghetti and Sauce. Add ground beef to the sauce if you have any. Include applesauce or salad.
Burritos. Buy Tortilla shells, refried beans, cheese (shred your own if it is cheaper).
Macaroni and Cheese.
Breakfast for dinner: Homemade pancakes, biscuits, eggs, fruit, buttered toast, etc.
Brown 1 lb.of ground beef, add a can of mushroom soup, and milk for creaminess. Pour over cooked egg noodles. Spice as you like it. I just use salt and pepper.
Tuna casserole : 1-2 cans of tuna, cooked rice, cream of chicken soup, chopped onions and celery (sauted in olive oil or butter), cooked broccoli (optional). Bake until it sets up at 350 around 30 minutes.Top with a small amount of cheese if on hand.
You can also cut back the portions sizes of your more expensive foods and still serve them. For example, for our family of six I will sometimes make a pasta as a main dish (like mac and cheese) and take a couple of chicken breasts, bake them and cut them into slices. Everyone takes a slice or two instead of getting a whole chicken breast. If you have plenty of healthy side dishes, you can stretch your money a bit. Some healthy side dishes include: frozen vegetables, homemade bread, applesauce, sliced apples, even cooked apples.
Happy Homemaking!
Malia
Homemaking911
Guests Coming to Stay?
If you have guests coming in town, here are some ideas to help you prepare for their coming:
Low Energy?
For the past year I have really suffered from being low energy. In January, I discussed this with a friend. I shared with her my concern with low energy and she told me she used to have this same problem, then discovered a product that has really helped!
Even though I was skeptical, I decided to try a whole food supplement called: Bee Strong. Also, I knew I had a compromised immune system. I was catching everything my children brought home and more. She suggested another supplement called: Berry Well.
Literally the first day that I took both I felt a surge of energy and I kept going steadily from 5 am to past midnight. I did not feel jittery or funny, just energetic and strong. This has continued now for 7 weeks!
Now, I do naturally go through cycles where I have more energy than others, so I wanted to wait a few weeks before talking about it at all to be sure I was not just on one of my “High Energy” cycles, only to crash a few days later. After about a month I became convinced that it was helping and I sent some to my mother (70) who was really feeling tired as well. She told me she was very skeptical, but experienced the same thing I did. She loved it!
Additionally, all four of my children have been sick with the flu over the last four weeks (passing it back and forth). My husband and I decided to stay on the Berry Well, and amazingly neither of us got sick. That is truly amazing because I catch EVERYTHING from my kids. My oldest daughter tried the Berry Well and got better within a couple of days.
All this to say, I love it enough I decided to contact the company and see if I can carry it on my website. They said YES! If you want to know more about these products (and another one I am trying out now called: Bee Immune), just check out our descriptions and see the complete details on my website HomeMaking911.com
Even though I was skeptical, I decided to try a whole food supplement called: Bee Strong. Also, I knew I had a compromised immune system. I was catching everything my children brought home and more. She suggested another supplement called: Berry Well.
Literally the first day that I took both I felt a surge of energy and I kept going steadily from 5 am to past midnight. I did not feel jittery or funny, just energetic and strong. This has continued now for 7 weeks!
Now, I do naturally go through cycles where I have more energy than others, so I wanted to wait a few weeks before talking about it at all to be sure I was not just on one of my “High Energy” cycles, only to crash a few days later. After about a month I became convinced that it was helping and I sent some to my mother (70) who was really feeling tired as well. She told me she was very skeptical, but experienced the same thing I did. She loved it!
Additionally, all four of my children have been sick with the flu over the last four weeks (passing it back and forth). My husband and I decided to stay on the Berry Well, and amazingly neither of us got sick. That is truly amazing because I catch EVERYTHING from my kids. My oldest daughter tried the Berry Well and got better within a couple of days.
All this to say, I love it enough I decided to contact the company and see if I can carry it on my website. They said YES! If you want to know more about these products (and another one I am trying out now called: Bee Immune), just check out our descriptions and see the complete details on my website HomeMaking911.com
My Favorite Vitamins - SuperMom
After trying these for two months now, I am ready to give my stamp of approval to some vitamins I started taking in February.
After experimenting with some products from the Beeyoutiful Company, I decided to try their SuperMom vitamins. I am kind of a skeptic when it comes to these things, so I kept my testing to myself until I could see some results of some kind.
My first day taking them, I acquired a headache. I continued to have headaches for a few days. This obviously was a concern to me, so I started researching whether it was possible for a vitamin to cause headaches. I read several posts online that stated there may be a temporary period of “detoxing” which may result in headaches, but this occurrence is very rare. All these symptoms can be alleviated by reducing the dose (instead of two caplets, take one, or cut one in half), and building up your system to be used to them, but for the most part all these symptoms would go away in about two weeks.
The jury was still out. My nails were growing beautifully. My hair and skin look and feel better. My energy was still pretty high from taking the Bee Strong and Berry Well. I actually felt even better on this vitamin than when I was taking the other supplements alone, but the headaches HAD to stop before I could consider this a long term use vitamin. Soon, I noticed I had no more headache (yeah!). I still felt good. My nails still looked better. I still felt good and strong. Now I am a believer. I decided to carry them on my site because I do think they are terrific, but be aware, you may be one of those precious 10 % that have some sort of detoxing side effect.
I looked at the cost of the vitamins, and while they are more expensive ($36) than the Sams Club variety I was taking in the past, they are not terribly so. They come in a huge quantity, making them last three months! There are 180 in the bottle, and you take two per day. If my budget would not allow for the full cost, one of these per day would be better than what I was using before.
Have you tried the SuperMom Vitamins? Did you have any of the De-Toxing Effects? What other vitamins have you tried and loved?
After experimenting with some products from the Beeyoutiful Company, I decided to try their SuperMom vitamins. I am kind of a skeptic when it comes to these things, so I kept my testing to myself until I could see some results of some kind.
My first day taking them, I acquired a headache. I continued to have headaches for a few days. This obviously was a concern to me, so I started researching whether it was possible for a vitamin to cause headaches. I read several posts online that stated there may be a temporary period of “detoxing” which may result in headaches, but this occurrence is very rare. All these symptoms can be alleviated by reducing the dose (instead of two caplets, take one, or cut one in half), and building up your system to be used to them, but for the most part all these symptoms would go away in about two weeks.
The jury was still out. My nails were growing beautifully. My hair and skin look and feel better. My energy was still pretty high from taking the Bee Strong and Berry Well. I actually felt even better on this vitamin than when I was taking the other supplements alone, but the headaches HAD to stop before I could consider this a long term use vitamin. Soon, I noticed I had no more headache (yeah!). I still felt good. My nails still looked better. I still felt good and strong. Now I am a believer. I decided to carry them on my site because I do think they are terrific, but be aware, you may be one of those precious 10 % that have some sort of detoxing side effect.
I looked at the cost of the vitamins, and while they are more expensive ($36) than the Sams Club variety I was taking in the past, they are not terribly so. They come in a huge quantity, making them last three months! There are 180 in the bottle, and you take two per day. If my budget would not allow for the full cost, one of these per day would be better than what I was using before.
Have you tried the SuperMom Vitamins? Did you have any of the De-Toxing Effects? What other vitamins have you tried and loved?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)