Publix 2/7/11

I am trying to do more couponing at Publix. A couple of things I have learned that I love about Publix:

~Buy One, Get One deals can be broken up, meaning the registers will ring one item at half price. That way if you only have one coupon you can get a maximum deal.

~Publix accepts grocery store coupons within a 5 mile radius of the store. It is particularly good to find one that is near a Target. Target has good coupons that Publix will accept. (This means the new PC location will be limited unless we get a Target soon.)

~Publix doubles coupons that are .50 or less.

Visit here to get there coupon policies.

Armed with this information I had a good start, and here is what I got today for $4.31...

1 Apple Juice,
4 sour creams,
1 Planters Peanuts
1 32oz jar of pickles,
4 Rotel Tomatoes.

It is only a few items, but I saved around 75%. To do this effectively you have to have self-control by resisting the temptation to pick up a few non-deals for convenience. Everything else there is over-priced, so it is no big deal to get back into the car and drive down the road to Aldi where I can get the rest of my groceries at rock bottom prices.

Can't or Unwilling

The average Joe says, "I wouldn't want so many children because of the financial burden. I simply can't afford it."

In the words of Martin Luther:

"Although it is very easy to marry a wife, it is very difficult to support her along with the children and the household. Accordingly, no one notices this faith of Jacob. Indeed, many hate fertility in a wife for the sole reason that the offspring must be supported and brought up. For this is what they commonly say: ‘Why should I marry a wife when I am a pauper and a beggar? I would rather bear the burden of poverty alone and not load myself with misery and want.’ But this blame is unjustly fastened on marriage and fruitfulness. Indeed, you are indicting your unbelief by distrusting God’s goodness, and you are bringing greater misery upon yourself by disparaging God’s blessing. For if you had trust in God’s grace and promises, you would undoubtedly be supported. But because you do not hope in the Lord, you will never prosper."

— Martin Luther (Sermons of Martin Luther, The)

With a fresh-off-the-lot, over-sized, gas guzzling SUV/truck parked in the garage, most people who think they can't afford more children are not "paupers" and "beggars". They are simply unwilling.

How Many Arrows?

"As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, So are the children of youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: They shall not be put to shame, When they speak with their enemies in the gate." ~Psalms 127:4-5 ASV

Today I asked my children this question and here are their answers:

"If you were going into battle, how many arrows would you want in your quiver?"
Aaron (3) - "At least 7."
Catherine (11) - "20??"
Alexey (14) - "As many as I could get."

Out of the mouths of babes!!

Only God should decide the amount of "arrows" we should have in our quivers, but it is clearly Biblical to desire many of them.

I Heart Walgreens

"Cha-CHING" was the sound coming from the cash register when I checked out at Walgreens today.
Deodorant
2 shaving gels
Children's cold medicine
2 body washes

I paid $2.45 out of my pocket for these items which I estimate to be worth more than $20.00. I got only the items that we would use. I passed on other deals. I had to add one of the body baths to keep the register from going into the negatives. Crazy, uh!! But, that is not all... the register printed $10 worth of register rewards that I can use like cash on my next shopping trip as a souvenir.

The best part is that my husband appreciates when I spend his money wisely, and make his dollar go farther. I love to make him HAPPY!!

Meat Processing

You shall eat the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. ~Psalms 128:2

Alexey is cutting away anything we would not want to eat. She identifies the types of tissues found on the muscle. This is science, folks!

One big way we save money on our grocery bill is by slaying and processing our own deer. This is a family effort.

Catherine cleaning meat. She is developing a work ethic.

Vince usually gets 5 or so deer each year and that is enough to feed us until next season. We grind most of it, but we slice the tenderloins and keep about 8 roasts.

On this day, we ground over 80 pounds of lean, grass-fed meat and that doesn't include the roasts and tenderloins. Eventually, we hope to get the equipment to make cube steaks.

Brother gets involve when the motorized equipment is put to work.

This is the second year we have done this, so everyone knows just what to do. On this particular day we had 3 deer to process. Daddy spent one weekend this season at a hunting camp and got these 3 kills in that one weekend. We always give God ALL of the glory for His provision.

Catherine and I cutting butcher paper for the wrapping procedures.

We really are at His mercy as we have taken a few leaps of faith. One is that I stay out of the workforce and in our home raising and educating our children. The other is that we have opened our hearts to more children by allowing God to be sovereign over our family size. We are willing to give up luxuries in order to follow His will for our lives, but it looks like He wanted to bless us this year. And, to that we say thanks and YUMMY!!

Building Boys

In addition to chore training and our read aloud routine, I try to have an engaging activity for my preschoolers everyday. At this age, they seem to enjoy repeating the same activity each day for a week adding variations and new twists to it as we go along.

My just-turned-3-years-old really enjoyed this weeks activity so I thought I would share:


I found a scrap piece of soft pine wood and some small penny nails. I got about 6 nails started into the wood then taught him how to hold the hammer, which was a little too heavy for him, to finish driving the nails into the wood. It took some encouragement at first as he had a few misses then wanted to give up. Hoping to build a little character, I encouraged him to keep trying. By the end of our session this skill was still difficult for him, but he had some success, so I had something to build on the next day.

Each day he practiced hammering the nails and each day it became easier for him. By Thursday he could nail them in quite easily.

On the second day, after his nailing practice, we decided to cut electrical tape and put it on his board. He cut the tape himself, and was quickly bored of it. :)

However, he loved to measure the board with the measuring tape. I placed the tape on the board and counted inches as I pointed to each number. I showed him how to hook the end of the tape measure onto the end of the board. I took a marker and drew the inch marks onto the board. Again, I named the numbers as I wrote them above the inch marks.

We played a game with the numbers. I named a number and he pointed to the one I named. When he pointed to the right number I gave him a tickle. He almost always got them right so he got lots of tickles.

On the last day we did this activity, after he drove a few nails "just like Daddy", I showed him how to connect the nails with lines. He used a marker and connected the nail heads like connect-the-dots. Finally, he personalized the board by drawing what we are calling "fire crackers". ;)

Learning how to use a hammer gave him a real sense of accomplishment and a confidence that he is making progress toward becoming a man like his Dad. He really admires his Dad and has a natural desire to work at his side. I will cherish these times I have with him.

The New Kitchen Help

Come on in and meet the girls...

I had never cooked with cast iron until about a year ago. The cookware that I had received when we got married 15 years ago was looking pretty bad, so I began to shop for some new stuff. I wanted something that would not leach metal toxins into our food, and Hard Anodized just wasn't suiting me. I found a cast iron pot at my friend's moving sell, and was soon hooked.

This 7 quart beauty was a Christmas gift from my Mother-in-law.
I cook an extra large pot of soup or a roast with veggies with this girl.
Despite her size, she never scorches.
*Ain't* she sweet!!

Old-fashioned cast iron, it is a basic element. I have pretty much used it exclusively for several months now and I find it user-friendly. I seasoned everybody well when they came to live with me and the more I use them they seem to season themselves, now.

My griddle *ain't* stained and dirty, she is well-seasoned!
Can you picture a row of yummy turkey bacon?

I may be cooking with cast iron, but this isn't your usual country fried cooking. Remember, we choose iron for its health benefits, Ya'll. (LOL!! I am Paula Dean gone healthy!)

[clearing throat] My husband is NOT laughing. Anyway...

They distribute heat better than ANY cookware I have use before. (Now, I have cook with some fancy pans.) They hold heat for a very long time so once I get the food to the desired temperature I can turn the eyes off, close the iron lid and leave, and the girls continue cooking for HOURS. I am so pleased.

If you use them often, even eggs will not stick.
This stuff is more stick-resistant than Tephlon.

As far as the toxins I was concerned about, these ladies actually leach good minerals into our food. Here it is from the notable Dr. Weil:

"A study published in the July 1986 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association showed that cooking in cast iron skillets added significant amounts of iron to 20 foods tested. For example, the researchers reported that the iron content of three ounces of applesauce increased from 0.35 mg to 7.3 mg and scrambled eggs increased from 1.49 mg to 4.76 mg of iron. "

This is one I got from my friend's yard sell.
I cook rice in her last night. Again, NO sticking.

The only downsides are that you cannot leave them to soak or they will rust, but maybe that is not such a downside as I should be more inclined to wash them right away and am happier that way.The other downside is that they are heavy, especially the big dutch oven when loaded with food, but nothing I can't handle.

Thank you, Ladies.