Week One ~ The Front Porch & RecipesA late post I'm afraid...
This week I will be following The Holiday Grand Plan and working on my front porch. Take a few moments to look over the plan and print off what you may need for the week. If you are joining me in preparing our hearts and home for the holidays, I am so very glad you are...it is so much nicer to do this kind of thing with friends!  As I mentioned before I will be providing options, tips and links to sites to coincide with Katie Leckey's plan but most importantly...I want to prepare our hearts.
The Lists:
Katie has a few things listed for us to think about while making our lists. Please do not feel you have to do every single thing on her list, my list or anyone else's list...we are using this only as a guideline.
Gifts to be given and spending...
Gift giving this year will be simplified even more so this year for us. I have explained in previous postings on my thoughts on this...please do not go into debt in gifts this year! The Christmas season is not about the gifts but the one ultimate gift given to us. Instead of spending money you don't have...give you and your family the biggest gift of getting out debt and becoming debt free. For many years, Blaine and I would take money we would have spent on ourselves for gifts and put it into our house or car payments...the gift we have now is priceless in that we are debt free. It was hard to do and took a lot of discipline but let me say it is well worth it!
When you are shopping...look for items that are in the clearance section or end caps that are marked down. Tell yourself you will not spend more than $3 (or whatever amount you have given yourself) on a gift. Dollar stores have wonderful items...cds, dvds and books that came from shelves being overstocked elsewhere. Keep things simple! Big Lots is another great store to pick up items for less. Be sure to stock up on wrapping paper and supplies needed.
Christmas Card List & Christmas Cards...
I used to be known as the card queen. If there was an occasion...I sent a card out. When we were working on becoming debt free...I closely examined areas that I could cut down on and sending out cards was on the list of things that had to go! Cards these days can be as much as $5!! This year try making your own...better yet have the children help you make one a night until you have enough cards made for your list. I will be looking for Christmas postcards this year...they are simple and much cheaper to mail out.
Meals that can be made...
This morning, I started two pots of chicken stock...
 
The house smelled wonderful! I will have several cups of chicken stock along with chicken that I can use in quite a few meals which will have a the wonderful flavors of all the veggies and seasonings. Soup stock is so simple to make! I have 3 chicken breasts in each pot, fresh garlic, onion, carrots, celery (very key in soups), bay leaves, basil, salt and pepper and whatever other seasoning you like. Bring to a boil and then cover and let simmer for about an hour. I like to cut up my veggies in chunks to make straining easier. After the stock is finished, I will strain into a larger bowl and place in the refrigerator for a few hours to allow the fat to rise to the top. You will be able to see the fat easily and pick it off the top of your stock. I then freeze the stock in 2 or 4 cup portions. You will always have stock on hand for soups, sauces or cooking your rice in for later on. This too can be used to give as a gift to someone by making soup for someone who is sick or to have a meal for a guest.
Here is the direct link for what I will be working on in my home this week...
The Front Porch
Being Monday, my busiest day of the week for me, and tonight we have our monthly ladies meeting/dinner at church ~ today I will be making notes/lists of the things I need to do for my front porch area. I will share with you my list tomorrow along with the pictures from our ladies meeting. 
If you have never done this type of cleaning before and the thought of it becomes so overwhelming due to the clutter you have then may I suggest that you take the time to include decluttering into your weekly plan. Now when I first did Katie's plan...I followed the plan and decluttered at the same time. I didn't get everything in the first run through but it was a start! Take a look at the Decluttering Challenge I have posted on the left side module...this might be the place you want to start. When I do the plan (HGP) I keep in mind, as I go along, if there is any clutter I need to get rid of. As I go through each section/area of my home, I have bags ready for trash and donation and a pile for things that need to go elsewhere in the house.
The other thing I highly suggest is taking pictures of the before and after. Pictures tend to show you things that you did not see before in your home. Place the picture on your computer....what do you see? It makes a huge difference when you look at your room from a different view point.
Happenings today...
I had typed the above post up earlier but left the post on private...sorry about that!  This has been a full day that is for sure and one where I was just in a mood. I just couldn't snap out of it...all day I was just not nice to be around. I had to stop and talk it out with God...He is such a good listener! It is hard when we get in a mood to stop and remember to be thankful in all things. When we stop long enough to think about the blessings we have...it is hard to be in a bad mood...and I become humbled very quickly when I remember and think on how I have taken forgranted the blessings God has given to us. Our hearts are so ready to find the aggravation and easily annoyed at what should be filled with joy and thankfulness. When you stop...really stop and look up with your eyes toward God...you just don't have room for stinkin' thinkin'!
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
I made several cups of stock which was used in the soups I made for the ladies dinner tonight and for Blaine and David's supper - homemade chicken noodle soup which was basically 5 - 6 cups of chicken stock, 2 or 3 cups of shredded chicken, 1 small onion chopped, 3 garlic cloves (minced), 2 stalks of celery, 2 or 3 carrots, seasonings and about 6 ounces of uncooked spaghetti noodles. I saute the onions, garlic, celery and carrots and then add the stock and bring to a boil. Allow to simmer until the carrots become slightly soft. Add your chicken and noodles. When the noodles are soft...the soup is ready. I would recommend doubling this recipe if you have 4 people eating. This batch was more than enough for two with some leftover for today's lunch.
The other soup I made today was a Mexican soup - recipe from my friend Nicki - because our theme for the ladies dinner tonight was Mexican...
 
Yes! Those are homemade fried apple pies! I snuck back into the kitchen and made pot of coffee because you know I just had to have coffee with those pies! These ladies know how to make desserts let me tell ya! Since moving here...I have put on a few pounds...and since taken off some that I had gained thankfully. Knowing that I would be eating very well tonight especially in the dessert department...I ate light during the day as I will do tomorrow.
We had so much food and all of it was muy delicioso! ¡Señoras de gracias para todo el maravilloso alimento!
Carole decorated the fellowship hall so nicely. We had pinatas hanging up along with sombreros...she did a great job!
We have a friendly competition going on with the men's group in our church. We try to see which group has the most attendance on the nights they have dinner. The guys cheated just a little in that they invited another men's group from another church to attend their dinner! Well! We had over 38 ladies there...I think that was the count...Carole? Just look at that line....
Not bad huh guys?! I love that the men invited another church...I think that is a wonderful idea! But we still beat y'all!
The evening was so much fun but they go by too quickly! Jackie (not pictured) and I sat at the table with the teens...they are such a hoot and so much fun to be around. I am so very glad to know that these are the young ladies my daughter will be influenced by!
 
Doing a little cleaning...Carolyn (one of my best friends and mother-in-love), Me (getting squished), Nita (this lady has the most precious heart!) & Carole (who I just love!)
It is truly a blessing to have such wonderful ladies to meet with...something I have prayed about having for such a long time! This may be one of the smallest towns in Kentucky...but these people sure do have the biggest hearts!
Sarah took most of the photos tonight...Thank you sweetie pie! As we were walking home and turned to look back at the church, this is what we saw...
A beautiful way to end the day!
| 
