Self-Reliance

I have been at a loss for words lately. I have been trying very hard to stay upbeat as we have watched not just ourselves, but quite a few people we love and care about struggle financially. It is such a hard thing to watch. In my own life, as hard as it is, it is manageable. But it is harder when it is people who seem to have struggled so much through the past several years, both with finances and medical conditions that seem to come one right after the other. I have questioned why, when they have sacrificed so much to try and live the way they believe the Lord would have them live. Yet I know, deep down, that we are all being blessed. Maybe not the way we would choose, but the way that the Lord sees fit.

Every six months, our church has a general conference that is broadcast world wide. It is an awesome experience to get to hear from prophets and apostles of the Lord. They provide encouragement. They provide useful advice. Occasionally, they chastise and remind us of the things we should be doing. As this fall's conference is approaching, I can't help think of what they would tell us to fix our financial problems.

I believe they would remind us, once again, of the need to be self reliant. I understand that the world we live in is very dependent upon lots of people. This isn't like pioneer times when each family had farms where they raised their own meats and crops, made their own soaps, butters, and any other goods that might be needed. We live in a time where most people live places that make anything more than a minimal garden very difficult. But that doesn't mean we can't be self reliant. If we aren't there now, it is time to prepare ourselves for that. It is truthfully about living on less. One of my favorite questions is "Is it a want or a need?" So many times in my life, I work and work and work for something that turns out to be a want, not a need. I don't need an ATV or a trailer or a really cool SUV. My seven year old mini-van will suffice. It doesn't hurt my husband to drive a 12 year old sedan. It isn't what we would love to have, but our needs are being met. Someday, when we have more expendable income, we will get that nice SUV. For now, we will survive and take care of the things we have.

One of the things we have had to cut out in our efforts to become self reliant is fast food. It has been hard. My kids love the occasional Happy Meal. But we don't eat out anymore. To eat out once takes about 10% of my monthly grocery budget. Sometimes a lot more, depending on where we go. Now it is a treat. We went to McDonald's for my three year old's birthday. He got to choose where we went. Not Mom's idea of a great birthday celebration, but a play land beats a nice sit down place in his eyes any day. We eat out less than once a month now. It is hard, especially when we have driven in to town to run our errands and find that the time has now come for dinner. Instead, I pack sandwiches in our little cooler and we find a park and sit down to eat on the grass. Not as exciting as fries and a free toy, but much better on our wallets. Last week, I didn't follow my own rule. We went out to eat one night. Then, the whole way home, I wanted to kick myself for wasting so much money. Especially knowing that I could have gotten three or four nice meals for that same amount of money if I made them at home.

There are so many other things that we can do to become self reliant. I am so grateful for our financial challenges. They have brought us closer together as a couple. As we prioritize what we really want out of life, it becomes easier to stay strong together. We sit down monthly and review our game plan. We have a budget that we stick to like glue. As extra money comes in, we decide what we want to put it towards and how it will help our long term goal of becoming debt free. It makes it easier to not spend it on something that we don't really need. But we also make it a matter of prayer. When we hit our knees and tell the Lord what we need, we find that we usually happen to have it happen. Last month we were short what we needed for our budget. We were debating what to do. I decided to clean out our freezer and found some freezer wrapped hamburger and chicken in the very back. Enough for a whole months groceries. It may seem small, but not having to buy meat for the month made up the money we were short. I believe that as we prayerfully work our hardest and tell the Lord what we need, the windows of Heaven will open and we will be taken care of. That doesn't mean that it is always the way we would desire. It means it is the way that will take care of our immediate needs.

Self reliance is such a broad topic and one I could talk about for hours. I am trying to focus on the little things in my own life that I have control over. So next time, I will focus on something else. But I do have to do a plug for meal planning, once again. If there has been anything that has had a bigger impact on our budget and sticking to it, it is meal planning. It makes it possible to avoid going to the grocery store for last minute purchases. It is so much easier to talk myself out of going out to eat when I know what I am making. I take the meat out the night before and stick it in the fridge. Then the excuse is totally gone when it gets close to dinner time. I love meal planning. It has literally changed my life. Plus, since I started meal planning when we first got married, my husband has lost ten pounds (I know, not much over a five year period) and I have lost over fifteen (If you take out all of those times when I am pregnant. That kind of kills my average!) without either of us doing any fad dieting. So, consider starting it, even if it is only one week at a time. I promise, you will see a difference!

Zucchini Overload

Usually at our house, we have a zucchini overload this time of year. Not as much this year, but in normal years, I have more than I think I can ever use. I love it! I love zucchini. I love all of the things you can make with it. So today I thought I would share a couple of my favorite zucchini recipes. Then, the next time you have more zucchini than you know what to do with, you can try one of these!

As a kid, my favorite part of zucchini season was zucchini pancakes. I have to warn you, these are not your standard pancakes. In fact, these are savory, cheesy, wonderful goodies that will leave your mouth watering. The recipe isn't exact. You will find that you have to vary it in order to get it work. A lot depends on how wet your zucchini ends up being. But here are the basic ingredients:

Shredded zucchini
finely diced onion
egg
bread crumb
cheese
salt and pepper
shredded cheese

For my little family, I usually need at least two zucchini's to make this as a meal. You mix everything together. You want the consistency to be thick enough to hold together in a frying pan, but not quite as thick as you would see a meatloaf. Then, place in a buttered frying pan (butter is best here)and form into a pancake shape. Let it fry away beautifully. Cook on each side until it is a dark brown. Golden brown looks good, but it won't hold together to flip it unless you go a little longer. Then, flip and cook through on the other side. These are so tasty. When I was in college, I made these all the time in the fall. My roommates even liked them! My husband likes to put salsa on his. Growing up, on put ketchup. As an adult, I love them just plain. Either way, they are AWESOME!! In fact, these might be dinner tonight.

One of my other favorites is a recipe I recently rediscovered. My Mom tells me she used to make it all of the time. I don't remember this. But a couple of years ago, I pulled it out of the family cookbook and made it. I loved it! Now we make it several times during the late summer/early fall. The best part about this recipe is that it freezes great. So make an extra pan of it and in the middle of winter, you can taste those fresh summer flavors.

Zucchini Casserole

1 lb. ground beef
1/4 c. sliced green onions
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Chili powder
1 c. sour cream
1 large tomato, sliced
3 zucchini, diced
1 small can green chilies
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3 c. cooked rice
2 c. grated monterey jack (can use cheddar, too)
salt and pepper to taste

Saute beef, zucchini, onions, and seasonings in a lightly greased skillet until meat is browned through and vegetables are tender. Add green chilies, rice, sour cream, and one cup of cheese. Turn into a buttered, shallow 2 quart casserole dish. Arrange tomato slices on top. Top with remaining cheese and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Now, I have to be honest here. I'm not a big fan of the cooked tomatoes on top. Most of the time, I just skip that step. Especially if I'm going to freeze it. But I still love the recipe!! But dessert may be more your thing. Everyone knows about zucchini bread and zucchini cake and all of those lovely treats. But in my family, the only way to eat it was as Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread. Now you can see why we loved it, right? Chocolate. Lots of chocolate. So, when you need a chocolate fix, but still want it to be a little healthy, look no further.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c. sugar
2 1/2 c. grated zucchini
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. cocoa
6 oz. chocolate chips
1 c. chopped nuts (opt)

Beat eggs until fluffy. Add sugar, oil, and remaining ingredients. Beat two minutes. Place in two greased and floured bread pans or one bundt pan and bake at 350 for about one hour.

Enjoy those zucchini. Now to decide which one to make first!

Our Unexpected News

So, I've mentioned before that our little family experienced a miscarriage at the end of April, beginning of May. It was a really hard experience for me, as a mom. Especially as I'm nearing my mid thirties and I realize that the time is slowly slipping away. But about a month ago, we received some unexpected, but very happy news. We are expecting again! I'm happy to say that I have passed that lucky 12 week mark, so what better time to share it. Now that most of our immediate family knows, it is time to share it with all the rest of you!

This obviously isn't going to be a long blog post, but hopefully worth the read as you share in our wonderful joy!

Fun Weekend with Grandma and Grandpa

So, this weekend, my parents drove out to stay with us for a couple of nights. The kiddos were so excited! It is always so much fun when they come out to our house. We had a friend and neighbor tell us recently that we would discover that the road coming out to our house only goes one way. People generally expect us to drive to Salt Lake to visit them, not the other way around. So, whenever someone can come, it is always such a treat. Our house is very small, but we always make room for visitors. Anyway, Saturday ended up being one of those nearly perfect days.

It was UBIC weekend where we live. This is like our town days. It was even bigger because this year, our town is turning 100 years old. They had a free concert at the park followed by fireworks. It was so much fun to watch our Rally girl as she danced along to all of the singers and to watch Grandpa and G man play in between. What a relaxing evening! We got to listen to David Osmond and the Spin Doctors. There is something about sitting on a grassy hill, listening to a band, that is so relaxing. My Dad pointed out something to me that I haven't thought of before. "Only in a little town could they have this. In a big town, people wouldn't come or the city wouldn't pay for this kind of event so that everyone could participate." There are some great blessings to living out here! But more important than the concert was the great time we got to spend as a family. Both kids were so well behaved! It never happens that way. So, I thought I would share some of our fun pictures

My Husband, the Teacher

So, it is coming back to that time of year. We have enjoyed the summer, but it is slowly coming to an end. In 21 days, school starts again for my husband. We love having him be a teacher, but with it come some serious budgeting issues for our little family. Like on how to stick to one. The Handsome Hubby gets paid once a month. I thought I was the master budgeter (is that a word?), but I am finding that with only getting paid once a month, I am faltering. My basic plan has always been paying all of the bills first. That pretty much means most of the money. Then, after all of the necessary bills are paid, pulling out the expenses that aren't necessarily bills. But somehow, throughout the month, things come up. I do a monthly grocery menu and budget. I plan down to the dime what it will cost. I think I have everything needed for the month. Then this Mama remembers something she needs. Or more importantly, something she really wants. Like that bag of candy that seems to call my name. Or stuff to make guacamole because that sounds fabulous, too! Before I know it, my small amount of liquid cash is gone. Then we are using the money budgeted for other things to pay for those expenses.

Starting next pay period, I am switching to the envelope method for any monthly expenses that may need to be watched more carefully. Before I was married and working in the banking industry, I recommended this for any clients that were having a hard time keeping the little bills in check. So, next month we are creating three envelopes: Groceries, Gas, and Diapers. Yep, those are the only three monthly expenses that I don't have control over with a tight fist. So, after I pay for everything, if there is any cash left in those little envelopes, it can be applied to a bill or be used for that lovely treat that we have been wanting. The only rule for the envelopes is this: when the money is gone, you are done. This is hard for a lot of people, but I keep reminding myself that it is either that or be stuck doing the juggling act. I am a clutz and really can't juggle, so any way to avoid it would be helpful to me and to my poor husband who would have to handle the panic if we go over!

Why do I talk about this? Why would I share my budgeting woes? Because I can't be the only one living this tight. I can't be the only one who fumbles in a budget. But never fear. Next month is here. The great thing about budgets is that every month you get to start over. Work on the small things that will yield the quickest results, and start again. I find that this advice is something that we should all be using for most aspects in our life. Take a deep breath. Start over, and focus on the things that you can change. The things that we can't change just get in the way. So many things in our life are out of our control. Yet we worry about them constantly. I am probably the worst person with this. I can't control that my son isn't doing well with potty training. Much to this mother's chagrin, that is something that I can't make him master. I can't make the stresses of life go away. I can only change what is in my realm of influence. This a great lesson that my husband, The Teacher, has given me. He has taught me that I need to realize I can't be in control of everything. Sometimes, you need to share the burden. Sometimes you need to let the burden go all together. He is constantly reminding me of this. I swear, there are days that he wanders around our house, mumbling under his breath "Let it go." Not in the mean way that it might sound like, but in the gentle reminder way.

Let it go. Do the very best you can in life, change the things that you have control over, and let the rest go. Thank you, honey, for teaching me this. For teaching me that next month is a new month. Tomorrow is a new day. We will figure it out. All of us.

My Daughter the Killer

We are trying very hard to grow a garden this year. Our yard is huge, though (compared to our previous yard). We are having some weed issues and have been spending a lot of time outside in the evenings, trying to weed and get our garden in good shape. This week, though, we have discovered that our daughter is a killer. She can't be left anywhere near any of the plants. She has feet of destruction. She will smash a plant in one single bound. She has mad throwing skills and thinks that those cool balls on the tomato plants are perfect for throwing. She pulled four tomatoes off the plants on Saturday. One was just getting big. This Mom had to have a moment of silence for the tomatoes. Or maybe that was so I would remember it's just a tomato plant. Then, when we were weeding last night, she pulled out three of our green bean plants. This girl is a destroyer of anything that Mom wants to can.

She is so curious. She wants to be a part of everything. I just wish that didn't include the garden. I feel bad closing the chain link fence around the garden while all of us are in there and she isn't. But if I want any of my plants to survive her toddlerhood, it may be a necessary. I thought the biggest problems that we would have would be the deer and rabbits. Nope. It is the Rally girl of doom. She is adorable as she is doing, it, too. When she smiles at you, calling Mommy, as she pulls out the plant, it's hard to get mad. It's just impossible to be happy about it either. So, tonight, we are going to put both kids in the sandbox while Mom and Dad weed. Now, just to remember to close the gate!!

Menu Planning

So, I have addressed this before, but I love menu planning. I LOVE MENU PLANNING. It is weird of me. I enjoy going through cookbooks and finding recipes that I want to try. I enjoy finding recipes that use items that I regularly have in my cupboards. It is especially gratifying when I find a recipe that fits the above criteria AND my kiddos will eat! But mostly, I love menu planning because it is the answer to a lot of prayers in our family. I love being a stay at home mom. I love being the person to raise my two little monsters and I look forward to raising more kids as they join our family. The problem arises in the fact that our grocery budget is extremely small. My husband is a school teacher and doesn't make a ton of money (okay, let's be honest, even that is an overstatement). We have bills like every family. So we live frugal. Part of living frugal is menu planning. When I plan a menu, I find that I spend about $100 to $150 less a month than when I wing it.

I go grocery shopping once a month. I go grocery shopping following my menu. I don't buy extra's. I don't buy much in snacks. I save money for produce for the rest of the month. But the majority of our grocery shopping occurs in one fell swoop. I take my husband with me to make sure that we are on the same page. It sounds odd, but when either one of us go alone, we spend more money. Suddenly, that bag of chips looks really good. Those cookies are on sale. We really needed that soda. So we go together. When we have the list and both of us are on the same page, we can keep on track. I also do a TON of canning in the fall. I haven't purchased canned tomatoes since we got married. I can salsa, peaches, pears, juices, vegetables, jams, and as many other items as I can lay my hands on. It is a lot of money at one time, but I can get better quality for a lot less money. My kids love it. I love it. I always know that I have those things in my pantry. I plan a huge garden, too. If I can grow what I need to can, I didn't have to buy it. I currently have 36 tomato plants growing in my garden. They are the most expensive item I can, so if I can grow it, I just saved myself a ton of money!

Will I ever go back to the type of cooking I did before? No way. I enjoy making a menu. I enjoy not having the added stress every night of trying to figure out what's for dinner. I enjoy knowing that my family has a nice, home cooked meal every night. I even enjoy knowing that if I can't cook for some reason, my husband knows exactly where to go to find out what is for dinner. Here is how I do it:

I have made a list of recipes that I enjoy or want to try. I add new things as I find recipes that seem good. On this list, I include where the recipe is or I print out the recipe and attach it to my list. They are all together. Then, when I am ready, I pull out my spare calendar and figure out what nights I want each thing. I try to mix things up and not have too much hamburger, chicken, or any other meat all together. I take into account weekends, when sometimes I don't want to spend as much time cooking. I take into account holidays, birthdays, or church events. Those all impact my menu and budget. For example, my Handsome Hubby had his birthday last week. We had steak. That is not something I normally buy. Way too expensive for our little budget. But it is his favorite and sometimes we have to budget things like that into our menu. The same can be said about going to family events. When we go visit Grandma and Grandpa, the majority of our meals are things that I don't buy. But I do have to take into account things like taking a salad to a church party or taking a meal into someone that is sick or just had a baby. I build in two extra meals a month for that.

After I plan out my menu, I go through all the recipes and my cupboards with a fine tooth comb. I mark very clearly what I need to buy to make those meals. I also mark down anything that is getting low that I may need to replace. At the end of the shopping, if I have extra money, I will pick those up. It makes it a lot easier to make sure that I don't run out of the staples. I hate going to the store to pick up one or two things. I have never walked out without purchasing several extra items, even if it is the candy bar that I used to bribe my son into good behavior ( I know, I know. That's a whole different blog entry. I also plan out anything that I need to buy from a big store that isn't close by. When I go down to Salt Lake City, I take my trip to Costco to get the things that I can only get there. I make a list for everything!

I can't guarantee that this will work for everyone. It is a lot easier for my family right now. I have two little kids who don't eat much. When I make a meal, it usually lasts for two nights and I usually have enough left overs to send the Handsome Hubby with a nice lunch every day. Someday, this won't be the case. Someday, my kids will eat every single thing I put on the table. There will not be leftovers. But I am hoping that by making and keeping these habits now, we will be able to keep our budget reasonable. If I could convince people who are tight on money to do one thing, it would be menu planning. Try it. You might learn to like it as much as I do!