Gotta Have Faith

27 Friday Jan 2012

So many things going on and so many unknowns. Learning to have faith each and every day has been a challenge. I guess that is why it says in 1 Corinthians 5:7–for we walk by faith, not by sight. Walking by faith really is coming to the edge of the light and stepping into the unknown. We have to have faith to believe that we are either going to keep walking or learn in that moment to fly. Being a creature of habit and generally being content to be on the safe path puts me in a place of having to step out of my comfort zone. I don’t like the feeling, but ready or not, the reality is, I have been forced out of my comfort zone more and more every day since last April. Every time I try to get back on the comfortable path, the cushy rug gets pulled out from under me and I find myself in the vast unknown. Obviously, God has a big plan is store and He is preparing us for it. I am believing for amazing things and I am ready for it. One faith step at a time…

Another Food Post

19 Thursday Jan 2012

Posted by The Thrifty Queen in budget meals, Foody Friday, recipe

≈ Leave a Comment

I think I am finally over my cooking funk and have now decided that I don’t mind being in the kitchen! Since the flood, I have had little desire to spend any time in the kitchen, but I think I am on the upswing and hopefully my motivation to cook stays around for a while.

I have always thought of myself as a good cook, but for some reason over the last 6 months or so, I felt as though I had lost the touch. We have eaten many fair meals that were really just okay. This is not my typical state and it was bumming me out. I felt like I had lost part of my identity and I really wasn’t sure how on earth I was going to get it back.

Then, all of the sudden (and totally out of the blue), my desire to cook came back and my skills followed suit. Hallelujah! A few successes later and I am back on my game!

I have had a craving for Swedish Meatballs for a while, but with no desire to make them, I just let the craving remain and didn’t even attempt to make any. But then, I found a recipe for Crockpot Swedish Meatballs and decided I better get to work. They were delicious and I am even thinking I might make them again really soon!

I think you will agree that they are worth the effort!

Crock-Pot Swedish Meatballs

From the Menu Mailer

Hands-on: 25 minutes
Hands-off: 6 hours
Serves 4

½ cup bread crumbs (used GF for Luke)
¼ cup beef stock, milk or cream
1 lb ground beef
1 egg, beaten
½ onion, chopped fine or grated
1½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1/8 tsp allspice
dash nutmeg
3-5 Tbs tallow, coconut oil, ghee or butter
2 Tbs flour of your choice (used GF blend)
2 cups beef stock

In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs and ¼ cup stock. Allow to soak for 5 minutes and drain any excess moisture. Add the ground beef, egg, onion and 1 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, allspice and nutmeg. Mix well and shape into meatballs.
In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt the fat. Brown the meatballs in batches and transfer to a slow cooker. Whisk the flour into the skillet and cook until slightly browned. Whisk in the stock and remaining salt and pepper. (My add in: a little bit of cream to the beef broth mixture). Pour over the meatballs. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.
Serve with sautéed greens and rice or mashed potatoes.

When I made them, I actually diced up peeled potatoes and added them into the meatball and gravy mixture in the crockpot! It was delicious!!

Let’s Hear it for the Chai Tea

15 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by The Thrifty Queen in homemade, recipe, thrifty

≈ 2 Comments

Chai Tea

Chai Tea is one of my favorite drinks, but I don’t have it all that often because it is not cheap to get at a coffee shop. Since I am not a huge coffee drinker (I will drink it when it is more cream and sugar than coffee!), my options have been kind of limited to hot chocolate or cinnamon tea. I love both of these options, but there is something about a nice hot cup of chai tea to slow down the world and spend some time in relaxation mode.

Luckily, this weekend we stayed with our friends, G &M who happen to be the ultimate in hospitality. They make you feel so special and so loved when you stay with them and we had such a wonderful time. This morning, M asked me if I wanted some homemade chai tea. I could almost here the hallelujah choir singing as the words came out of her mouth! She made it just for me, I took a sip, and immediately asked for the recipe. I am not kidding either. I think I might have even been mid sip when I asked her for the recipe!

She made my day and I hope this recipe will make your day as well!

CHAI TEA

Combine the following in a large bowl:
2 cups nonfat dry milk
2 cups powdered non-dairy creamer
2 cups French vanilla flavored creamer
5 cups sugar
3 cups unsweetened instant tea
4 tsp ground ginger
4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cloves
2 tsp cardamon

Blend 2 cups at a time iin food processor.

Yum to the Third Degree

09 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by The Thrifty Queen in budget meals, recipe, thrifty

≈ 1 Comment

Looking for a simple recipe? I have found a true winner. Thanks to my friend, Leslie, and my addiction to Pinterest, I have added a new meal to our always boring rotation. If you like fajitas, this is the simplest way to make them. Three words…Baked Chicken Fajitas!!!!


Fajita Recipe found on Eatin’ on the Cheap

Baked Chicken Fajitas
adapted from Taste of Home Magazine
serves 4 – 6
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies
1 medium onion, sliced
1 large bell pepper, seeded and sliced
2 T vegetable oil
2 t. chili powder
2 t. cumin
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. salt
12 flour tortillas, warmed to serve (I used GF tortillas for Luke)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 13×9 baking dish. Mix together chicken, tomatoes, chilies, peppers, and onions in the dish.

In a small bowl combine the oil and spices. Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and toss to coat.

Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve with warmed tortillas and enjoy!!

Thank you to Pinterest for helping me find Eatin’ on the Cheap! Think I will checking out more of the recipes on that site!

Ramp up the Thrifty

07 Saturday Jan 2012

Posted by The Thrifty Queen in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a Comment

Four days ago, I put in my resignation at work and will be leaving my job in less than one week. I have decided to finish my Associate of Arts degree in hopes of pursing a Bachelors degree in the near future. I have many college credits already under my belt, but most of them are getting old and I don’t want to risk having to retake classes because the credits are not accepted any more.

I have been slowly working on my college degree for a long time, but it just hasn’t been the right time (or what I thought was the right time to finish). After all that we have been through over the last year, I searched my heart and realized that now is as good of a time as ever. What I didn’t realize is that I actually only have to finish 1 semester to complete the Associate of Arts degree!!! 5 classes and I will have that finished and actually be about 80 credits into my Bachelors degree.

Unfortunately this doesn’t come without cost and it is going to mean some major sacrifices to make it work with the budget. We had to quit making payments on the flooded house and are hoping (and praying) that a buyout from the city will come in short order. We think we have a fairly good chance of this as our house was so close to the river and they are wanting to clear out the houses that are closest to the river in case of future issues. If this doesn’t happen before the bank takes the house from us in a foreclosure, we will just have to be okay with the credit hit. We know we are young and can work towards rebuilding our credit. It took me a while to be at peace with this idea, but it truly is the best option we have to move on and move forward.

We will also have to tweak our budget and work on spending very little over the coming months. Thank goodness, I am the Thrifty Queen and find such thrill in being frugal!!! I am up for the challenge and am excited to finish a goal that I have been pursuing for a long time.

Here’s to a step of faith and a belief that what faith really means is to take a step towards what you dream of even when it is very hard to see the end result. I guess it really wouldn’t be faith if we could see the entire picture!!