Hopeful Housewife

Haven’t done a Gratituesday in a while…but this week, its a must. I think instead of a theme, I’ll just do a checklist of amazing-ness.

1.) A new, beautiful home. We are hoping to get the keys within 48 hours. I cant beleive it…I just cant get over how good God is to us. I just dont deserve such grace and love from Him…but I suppose that is the beauty of His love in the first place. If only we could have that same love for one-another.

2.) A really cute new dog. His name is Dallas, and he’s a redbone coon hound. He’s so super cute, but SO super puppy too. :P  We took this pic the second or third day he was here. He’s significantly bigger now, and more “hound” looking too. I’ll have to find my camera and get a new pic up soon.

3.) Homeschooling. We are finally “on our own” away from a charter, and its just been amazing. I cant get over how much JOY there is in homeschooling when you’ve got some freedom. God has really shown us why the pull to go independent was so strong. I love to see the way He works.

4.) These kids of mine: They are just awesome kids. Sometimes they drive me absolutely insane, but as I watch them sleep at night, I have the clarity of mind to contemplate how incredible they really are. I love these kids, and I am so grateful for their love and innocence.

5.) And last but not least: The hubs. He’s amazing. I love that man like crazy, and “gratitude” doesn’t even begin to explain how I feel.

He has the sweetest smile, and the kindest heart. I am so grateful for his devotion to finding God’s will for us, and obediently following it. He hasnt always been so devoted to God, and it has been such a blessing to watch him seek God, and strive for Godly Manhood.

You’re a good man, Charlie Brown!

My house smells like a bakery right now. I have the world’s best waffle recipe for you guys, you know, if you’re into that sort of thing.

Mine look tastier than that, but you’d never know that because I cant find my camera. (I do, however have my keys in my posession again, so I’ll take what I can get!)

Ok, staying focused- I give you Yeast Waffles:

Start these the night BEFORE!

2 c milk

2 1/4 tsp yeast (or one packet)

1/2 c butter, melted

1/2 c warm water

1 tsp salt

2 TBSP sugar (original recipe called for 1 tsp, but it was almost savory so I added more)

3 C flour

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 tsp baking soda.

Warm the milk until bubbles form, then remove from heat and set aside. Mix the yeast and water in a small bowl, and give it about 10 minutes to proof. In a large bowl, combine the milk, yeast mixture, butter, salt, sugar, and flour. mix well, cover with tea towel, and leave on counter overnight. In the morning, before preparing the waffles, add the eggs and baking soda. I find that every waffle iron is different, so I’ll just tell you how to cook them in mine. I spray the iron, add about 1 cup of the mix, close, and leave it for about 3 minutes. Then, I flip it, and leave it again for about 5. Flip once more and leave for another min or two. So much for the waffle iron that boasts being able to make a waffle in 4 minutes. Hopefully your process is faster.

These waffles almost have a sourdough taste to them. Such a nice contrast to the sweet syrup. YUM!!

Made the YUMMIEST DINNER tonight!!

Bacon wrapped chicken drumsticks, mashed cheesy bacon potatoes and orange slices.

Here’s the breakdown:

six pieces of chicken from my value pack of drumsticks.

six legs: about $1.80

I seasoned them with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and some adobo seasoning. I suppose thats about .25 cents in seasoning, but I doubt it was that much. OH! I sprinkled some dry basil on it too. Then, I wrapped each piece in a strip of bacon. 

seven strips of bacon (one cooked and crumbled for the taters) from a pack of 12 slices:  $1.05

I baked the chicken at 350 degrees, uncovered, for about 1.5 hours.

About 30 min before the chicken was done, I cubed up the peeled potatoes, and cooked until fork tender. I put the cooked and crumbled bacon, slices of cheese, and butter in the bottom of my mixing bowl, and poured the potatoes on top, (so it would all melt together.) I beat them into submission w/my kitchen aid, adding buttermilk until I reached the desired consistency. Lets be honest, I added some of the bacon fat too.

six russet potatoes:  $.66

Half stick of butter: $.25

4 thin slices of colby jack: estimating about $.25, if that.

1/2 c of buttermilk: $.11

I salted to taste, and we were ready to pull out the chicken. 

I sliced up some oranges, and dinner was served.

Oranges: Free from family’s trees

The hubs and I loved it…but my kids who dont eat ANYTHING werent nearly as impressed. I anticipated that they wouldnt be too pleased, which is why I only made six of the drumsticks. I am working with my kids on the whole “you eat what I cook or dont eat” thing, with the agreement that if they at least taste what I cooked they can have something simple along with dinner that requires no extra cooking for me. If I can at least get them to try new foods, I’ll consider it successful.

Total for meal: $4.37!!  It will go up when my kids decide to eat something decent, lol, but even if I doubled the chicken, its only an extra three bucks or so. Give it a try, ladies, its so, so yummy!! This, coming from someone who doesn’t even like dark meat. Delicious, affordable, and completely fool proof!

So in the interest of honesty, I’ll say it. We’re buying a house (should have the keys in less than a week) and we’re on a spending freeze. Any money we have is reserved for the down, and we are also coming into rent week in the place we’re in now. Add to that, we have the majority of our bills this pay period too. Dont get me wrong…we’re not drowning or anything, we’re just being really, really, reallllly careful. Every penny counts, and before long things will level out again, but we’re treading lightly on our bank account for now.

Until we know exactly what our down is going to be (today or tomorrow) we put a freeze on all spending. Problem is, it happens to be grocery time. This is my last week watching the 2 wee ones I watch, and I had 54.00 left after buying some necessary supplies for my Mom’s wedding on Sunday. I told the hubs to not stress about groceries, that I had a little cash, and I’d make it work.

54.00 doesnt go far these days, but I had a plan. I had a loose menu in my head (some old frugal stand-by’s) and figured I’d just let God show me what to get. Sounds crazy I know, but bear with me. I went from aisle to aisle (skipping some like the cereal aisle) and just sort of waited for things to pop out at me. I kept a running total in my head, but it seems that as soon as I get everything I think I need, I remember I needed something else. Never fails.

Here’s what I got at the grocery today…

Jumbo pasta shells (For ricotta stuffed shells to go w/the sauce I already had) 1.87

Corn Husks (to make 5 or 6 dozen tamales that will feed us for a while) 3.29

Value pack of chicken drumsticks 4.15

Case of top ramen (gross, I know, but it saves me sometimes) 3.12 for 26 packs

ten pound sack of potatoes 1.98

3 pounds of dry pinto beans 1.89

Bacon 1.78

2 18 pks of eggs 4.38

lard .98

buttermilk (1 qt, needed a new carton to get my own brews going) .87

1.5 lbs colby cheese, sliced by the deli, 4.69

tomatoes 1.48

Non fat milk gallon 2.08

whole milk gallon 2.50 (for buttermilk and other lacto ferments)

2 giant cans of spaghettio’s (I know, I know…but it was a cheap quick lunch today) 1.96

ricotta cheese 2.27

chili sauce for tamales 2.11

1/2 gallon whole milk (for yogurt) 1.48

2.27 lb sugar .91

4.23 lb pink lady apples 2.03

3 lb bag onions 1.78

2 pints half and half (for sour cream brewing) 1.08

“Masa Preparada” for tamales  2.44

chili packet seasoning to make chili for Cincinnati style spaghetti .38

plain yogurt to use as starter .44

3.77 lb white rice 1.39

jalapeno peppers .36

As the checker is totaling it all up, I’m just praying “Please God, dont let it go over 54.00….Please God dont let it go over 54.00″ I knew I was in the clear until I realized I needed ricotta and bacon. I thought for a second about whether or not I needed it, and felt a peace about getting it, so I put it in the cart, and figured God would alert me if I wasnt supposed to buy them. LOL! I had prayed while shopping…silently asking God to guide me and show me how to get the most for my money, and felt confident that I had followed His direction.

I’m standing there, sort of nervous, but really more curious to see what my total would be. I watched as she scanned the last few items…52 something…53 something….yikes. Last thing was the jalapeno peppers. .36 cents. Before I could total it in my head, she scanned it.

Total for 30 items?

$53.99

See? Every penny counts.

Three things I NEED to do in my house today: 

1.) I need to find my car keys. They have been gone for 3 days. Nice, right?

2.) I have to find the source of the pee smell. I can smell it in my room, and have no idea where it is. SO.GROSS. Dont even try to pretend you havent had to do the same thing!! LOL!

3.) Gotta make somethin’ outta nothin’. We get the keys to our new house in six days (hopefully!) so I’m really trying to pantry cleanse and buy as little food as possible. Whatever I buy I have to move, and in this case, less is more. I have Old Mother Hubbard’s cupboards while living in a shoe.

How about you?

I’m adding a seperate blog to the adventures of the Hopeful Housewife lol…

This one will be devoted to Mexican cooking. Without further ado (sp?) I give you, “In Guera’s Kitchen”

http://ingueraskitchen.blogspot.com/

I got really tired of the girls’ room looking like a war zone, and made a “mean mommy” decision. Their room is packed, at least 3 weeks in advance. I had the hubs take all of the boxes of toys to our storage shed, so there’s no chance of them sneaking toys or me feeling weak and lettin’ em’ have them back. They have a few books, a few art supplies, and their clothes. Thats IT. Funny how they have managed to keep their room really clean the last few days.

Thought I’d try to lighten things up a bit here.

I’m moving. Yes, again.

This time, its for good. The hubs and I are buying our first house. We are hoping to have the keys in about 3 weeks, but we shall see. Escrow scares me, and I’m almost afraid to get excited even though I know everything looks really good.

The house is in the hills, 2800 sq ft, 5 bed, 4 bath, and sits on almost 7 acres. It is everything we have ever wanted in a house, and then some.  It feels as though God had it built just for us. His hand has been in this from the very beginning, and it has been an honor to watch. I’ll be able to re-introduce “The Hen House” and “Life started in a Garden” categories soon, hopefully, which greatly excites me.

The entire experience is a testament to how much easier things are when you let God handle them. Everything has fallen into place so beautifully, and I’m still baffled by the fact that we’re *in escrow* on a house…and we didnt even WANT to buy a house until about a month ago, out of nowhere. Six days after we both voiced this desire to one another, we had an offer in on our dream house. The affirmations have come exactly when we needed to see them, and all hiccups have been resolved in less than 24 hours. Its just been remarkable. I am excited to see what else God will do with the house once we’re up there. I know He’s got a plan, and I cant wait to see what it is!

I’ve fogged up my blog.

I am easily distracted and often times, share too much.

When God took me through the wearing of dresses and headcovering, I was better off keeping it to myself. Really, there was no reason to share it here, but its easy to get caught up in the “A week in modest dress” blog *festivities*, and want to participate with people who share the same convictions as you. So many of the “Adventures” God has taken me on are lonely ones, and I find myself wanting to find a village…a tribe…a group that I can relate to.

The problem there is that I’m missing the point. I dont need to seek other women, I need to seek companionship with Jesus. Sharing some of the convcitions and lessons here has only served to make my point(s) here fuzzy.

Because I have done this, I feel the need to clarify my thoughts on these matters.

I’ll start here:

I am a visual learner. God tends to teach me through visual, hands on experiences. It is not uncommon to get answers to prayer in my dreams…in visual form (obviously). So, here’s a semi-confession: God originally asked me to wear dresses several years ago. It was after I had done a lot of work in the local music scene, and had really sort of conformed to the dress and lifestyle of the industry. The bigger issue was my verbal modesty. I have a tendency to say too much, and I am often times not careful enough with the things I say. Wearing dresses served as a visual reminder of who I was supposed to be…and that I represent God in all that I do. I equated it to having a Jesus fish decal on your car. Driving like a jerk and flipping the bird to the guy who cut you off on the highway is contradictory to the Jesus decals and bumper stickers we often have on our vehicles, isn’t it? Perhaps having these symbols of faith on our cars helps hold us accountable? Maybe, maybe not. For me, it does. Its that whole visual learner thing I suppose.

I have NEVER said that I think dresses/skirts are the only biblical way for a Christian woman to dress. I have never said that it makes me a better Christian, or that its a sin to wear pants. On the contrary, I often find myself a bit jealous of the Christian women who dont need the harsh lessons that I seem to, lol!  The headcovering was a simple extension on His lesson for me. It is not something I do all the time (notice I only posted 2 days of pics) but it is something that works well for me when I am struggling with submissiveness in general. I dont mean towards my husband necessarily, but just in general. Maybe thats the wrong word. I think its more about humility for me.

To further complicate matters, I have struggled with body dismorphia for over 15 years. The “adventure in modest dress” that I have taken with God has really helped me with some of that. It was a harsh lesson in what really matters. It was a detox for me, so to speak when appearances had become such an unhealthy aspect of my life. I dont think I’ll elaborate on this just yet. Its a very, very painful aspect of my life that I am still trying to figure out. I am, however, starting to see how God is helping me through it. Just know that when I say “dresses only” has been a helpful tool for me PERSONALLY, this is what I mean. I would never deliberately project the importance of dresses on anyone else deliberately. Perhaps my mistake here has been the simple seeking of what I thought were “like minded” women, when really, it wasnt ever about being like minded in the first place. It has always been about what God was trying to teach ME, not an overall movement of sorts. I am not trying to debate what the Bible says about what modest dress. I honestly have no desire to do that. I simply want to clarify what has been weighing so heavily on me since I received a comment last week in a modest dress post of mine. 

I have been praying for clarity, trying to make sense of things. Here is what I know…and it is all I know for now. I’m human, I have major faults, and God is working on me. I also know that I will never be perfect, and sometimes vulnerability really stinks.

It’s that exact vulnerability that I am attempting to have here. I want to get back on track, and away from anything that will lead people to believe I am a believer of things I am not. There are many blogs out there that I have been affiliated with. Blogs that have things I pick and choose from, but dont completely agree with.

My goal is to expose who I am. Who “The Hopeful Housewife” really is, and why I do the things that I do.

Today, those things were wearing jeans while watching the Super Bowl. It included drinking Pepsi, eating delivery pizza, and baking brownies that were not made from sprouted, soaked flour.

Perhaps tomorrow I’ll wear a jumper and mill some corn, but its possible that I’ll fix cold cereal for dinner too.

My point is, I’m trying. I love Nourishing Traditions. I also really love white bread and butter. I love to wear feminine, flowing dresses, but sometimes my Levi’s are the only thing I can bring myself to wear. Brewing Kombucha makes me incredibly happy, but I dont like the way it tastes. I drink it because I like the way it makes me feel, but saying I enjoy it would be a lie. I really do love serving my family, and do my best to do it well. I take great pleasure in it, and feel its my calling in life at this point…but there are days when I really want to run for the hills. I’m no Michelle Duggar, but I sure admire her. My goal every day is to walk out what God would have me do. I seek His guidance, wisdom, and companionship, but still fall short all the time.

I’m working on it folks.  I really am. I have never said anything here that wasn’t true, but I think my true purpose w/this blog was really lost along the way. My desire for a group to fit into it overshadowed so much, and for that I apologize. I hope that my words are clear, but I am not confident that they are. It may take time for complete clarity here again, but I’ll find it.

Thanks for comin’ along on *this* Adventure with me.