I had about an hour last night to throw together some dinner and I decided to use a soup that has become a family favorite in the last several months.  I was thinking about how easy and yummy and healthy it is and how there might be others out there who would benefit from the recipe.  Actually, my sister in law asked me for it several weeks ago, so she can now just get it from here.  =)

This is my adaptation of the Black-Eyed Pea and Sausage Soup from the Betty Crocker Whole Grains cookbook.

2 cans black-eyed peas rinsed and drained (I use dried- it’s cheaper- I’ll talk about this more later)

12 oz smoked sausage link, quartered (I use the hilshire farms smoked sausage…when it’s on sale and I have coupons, I stock up and freeze them)

2 cups chopped carrots

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 c uncooked wheat berries

2 c water

3 cans (14oz) beef broth

2 cups spinach

1 tsp thyme

bay leaf or two if you want

1 tsp (to taste) tabasco sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Option #1 Throw all this into the crockpot in the morning and cook all day- for this method, I would put the black eyed peas and wheat berries in a pot and boil them for about an hour and then drain and add to crockpot.

Option #2 if you’re in a hurry, add everything into a large pot on the stove. Even the dried peas.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer for about 1 hour.  The wheat berries will still have a nice little crunch to them, but if you boil for a little longer, they should soften…but I kinda like them crunchy.

The amazing thing about this soup is that EVERY single person in my family likes this soup and eats it without complaining.  And even though it looks a little “scary” healthy, everyone that I’ve made it for has loved it.

This is nicely paired with my recipe for Cheese and Garlic Drop Biscuits

2 c flour

1 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/3 c oil

2/3 c milk

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Mix dry ingredients together, add milk and oil and stir together- dough will be sticky. If you use whole wheat pastry flour like I do, you may want to add a little less of the wet ingredients.  Stir in shredded cheese.

Drop by spoonful onto a cookie sheet.  Bake about 10 min @ 450.

While the biscuits are baking, melt 1/2 a stick of butter.  Add 1/2 tsp each of garlic salt and garlic powder. Add 1 tsp of dried parsley.  When you remove the biscuits from the oven, immediately either brush the butter mixture over the tops of the biscuits with a pastry brush- or spoon over the top of each.  The butter will soak into the biscuit.   Eat them warm and it will be one of the best things you’ve ever eaten.  They’re similar to the bread that is served to you at Red Lobster.

Now you all know what to make for dinner!  Enjoy!

So…On the Frugal Living facebook page today she had a link to a recipe from Smitten Kitchen for homemade poptarts.  Did you get that?  HOMEMADE POPTARTS.  I had to try them…it wasn’t even a choice.  And I have to say…they don’t taste anything like poptarts…they’re WAY better.  They are more like little square pies with heaven in the middle.  Serious.  So I had to share the recipe  link with you all.  Because after all, they’re homemade poptarts.

Smitten Kitchen: Homemade Pop Tarts

I will say that I did one thing different.  I used 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour in place of the flour…and for some reason that made the dough extra sticky…I think that there’s a difference with whole wheat pastry flour and even white flour in the amounts that you need to use…but I added 1 cup of white flour and then it was fine.  And my filling?  I used about 1 TB of mini chocolate chips and then drizzled some marshmallow ice cream topping inside.  Do you all know about marshmallow ice cream topping?  It is one of the best things ever invented.  We used to get it when I was a kid and my entire adult life I’ve been looking for it and I thought they’d discontinued it.  I happened to spot it the other day inside Safeway.  I paid full price for it and everything.  But I was jumping up and down I was so excited to find it.  And yes, I will let my kids eat this (occasionally) but I made the pop tarts with whole wheat flour.  Don’t judge.

In just about 2 1/2 weeks I will be hitting the big three-one.  I know…not really THAT old.  But I feel like this last year has been one filled with the biggest changes that I’ve ever had.  Not life changes such as adding children…that would have to have been the year the girls were born.  But the biggest changes I’ve ever seen within myself.  At the risk of sounding less than humble, I feel like I’ve “grown up” this year.  Josh commented the other day that he’s seen a great deal of maturity in me in recent weeks.  And it’s true!  I feel it.  I feel more “grounded” than I ever have before.  It’s definitely true what it says in James 1 about considering it “pure joy” when you face trials of many kinds-  because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  And perseverance must finish it’s work so that you may be mature and complete.  I’m paraphrasing a bit. 

 This year has been filled with the most conflict that I can ever remember in my whole life.  Conflict within our marriage, against our marriage, with friends, with church members, with business associates.  You name it and we’ve probably faced some sort of conflict about it this year.  Conflict is exhausting and stressful.  I learned that when confronted with conflict and stress, I get so worked up that I throw up.  I didn’t know that until this year.  But conflict is a trial…and like the verse says, trials cause you to grow.  Fast.

At any rate, that’s not really what I meant for this post to be about…but I have been doing some contemplating in the last days about this past year and what I’ve learned and experienced and I’d like to share some of my hard earned wisdom- in case will help someone else. 

First, I’ll share my favorite and least-favorite thing about being in my 30′s. 

Least favorite:  That everything I eat now has a direct and IMMEDIATE effect on how I feel.  I can tell the minute I’ve had too much sugar, or too many carbs because I balloon up and feel like crap.  And as I get older, the more I expect that to happen…but this is new…I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted and have no worries.  But no more.  BIG bummer.

Favorite:  This year, not only have I learned better WHO I am, but I have also learned WHY I am.  And because of that I have been able to ground myself in Biblical truths that I always ‘believed’ before…but now I know.  Because I have experience them personally, which makes them more real.  Or maybe it’s the other way around.  I’m not sure.  But at any rate, I have learned who I am, and why I am and I’m okay with it.  I don’t need to apologize to anyone for who I am, or try to be one way with one person and another way with someone else.  I just am who I am.  And I’m okay with that.

So, hold on while I step onto my soapbox….There.

The big revelation that I’ve had in recent weeks is this.  It is okay (and necessary) to have strong opinions and convictions when it comes to very black and white issues.  Jesus died on the cross to save me from my sins…and I WILL fight for that fact.  That’s a life or death issue.  And there are definite black and white issues of morality and truth that stem from this.  These are things that are worth fighting for.  And dying for if necessary.

However. While acceptable and okay to have opinions in grey areas (such as parenting, homeschooling, whether or not to run away to a secluded farm and raise all your own food, etc)  I don’t believe it’s okay to be willing to “die” on those hills.  For example, there’s this whole “baby wearing” movement happening in the last few years.  Personally, I know that there are benefits to it, but I never did it.  I chose not to, because frankly, after carrying around that baby for 9 months, I just wanted to be able to put them down.  It didn’t work for me.  But I’m not going to fight with someone about how “my” parenting style is “better” than that baby wearer.  It’s not better- it’s different.  And if you want to wear your baby around the house all day, then fine.  Do it!  If it works for you and your family then do it.  Just as long as it doesn’t cross the line to damaging your marriage in any way.  Because at that point, it DOES become a sin issue and that’s a whole different story…and at that point I may share my thoughts, because it’s crossed the line from “my opinion” to Truth.  And we’re supposed to say the Truth in love.

I guess the bottom line that I’m trying to get to is, when we bulldoze our opinions over others because we believe something, unless it’s a Truth or a sin issue, it does so much more harm than good.  For one, our opinions and philosophies can become idols to us- or they can become Truth to us.  Both of which are damaging to us AND sinful.  And it then makes us feel like we have to “convert” everyone else to our own opinions…and if they don’t “convert” then they’re sinning (in our minds).  And this is SO harmful!  To ourselves as well as to all the people around us.  I have decided that whatever the hotly debated grey-area issue is, whether it be parenting, recycling, sex or politics, I am going to research both sides and make an effort to land somewhere in the middle.  Because I so don’t want my opinions to get in the way of Truth.  Either for me or for those around me.  I think it’s healthier to land in the middle.  My opinion isn’t God and I shouldn’t hold people to my standard.

So please take my advice.  Keep your opinions your opinions…and don’t make them Truth.  Because they’re not.  And if you treat them like they ARE Truth, then you are truly missing the boat.  You will be distracted from what is important…and you will be a distraction to others and likely keep them (and yourself) from seeing actual Truth and grace.  Which we all need so desperately.

I will now remove myself from my soapbox.  Thank you.

One of the blogs I regularly read is called Passionate Homemaking.  She does a lot of post on “natural” living as well as posts about being a godly wife and mother.  Anyway, she has a post today about our homes and what the focus of them should be from a Biblical perspective.  I thought it was so good that I wanted to link to it so you all could read it.  Check it out HERE.

What do you think?

So, I was all set today to sit down and look through our Easter photos and do a blog about Easter.  I mentioned on facebook over the course of the previous weeks that I was making the girls their dresses for Easter.  So many people asked for pictures of the girls in their dresses so I was waiting to look at the pictures before I blogged.  And guess what??  There are NO good pictures of the girls in their dresses!  In all the busy-ness of the day, we completely overlooked getting pictures of the kids.  Oops.  The good news is, they still own the dresses… so we’ll have to put them on and stage some “Easter” pictures for everyone.  =)

So what am I blogging about then today?  Well, coupons of course!  Ha!  Just kidding…sort of.  One of the questions I get asked fairly regularly is, “Are you going to use all that food before the expiration date?”  Today I was getting ready to make some peanut butter cookies and went to the pantry for peanut butter and realized that we’re down to our last 2 small jars.  So I thought I would use that example as a practical answer to that question.  Do you remember this photo?

What I see in this photo is 18 jars of peanut butter that I spent like $4.20 on.  No, I didn’t remember that off the top of my head, I looked it up.  I posted a blog with this photo on January 12.  And now that I am remembering back, I already had a stockpile of peanut butter that I added these jars to.  Maybe 10 or more.  Granted, I did donate about 5 of these jars to our Backpack Blessing ministry at some point… because I COULD.  Which means, that in our family, we went through *at least* 25-30  jars of peanut butter in 3 months.  So now I can take that figure and make sure that the next time I am able to get a rock bottom price on peanut butter, I’ll have an idea of how much I need to buy to get through to the next sale.  I am praying for another really good deal on peanut butter in the next week or so!