Winner of Exergen Giveaway

Sorry that I am a bit late posting this, but we have a winner!
Brandi @Frugal Farmhouse!
Please contact me within 48 hours with your info so that I can get your prize sent to you!

Bad, Bad Mommy

As you all know, I have been working toward eating much healthier the last few months. That has included eliminating soy, HFCS, and roughly 75% of gluten from my family's diet.

Of course, my children had 2 weeks off from school for spring break, and then this morning hit me. I didn't have ANY lunchy type foods to send them to school with. No bread made, no fruit, no cheese...

After flogging myself 39 times, I went to the store for water and broke down and bought this:

And of course, among the first ingredients are HFCS and soy proteins!! To make matters even worse, I didn't even use coupons!  (I'll wait until the air pressure returns to normal here)

 Please, oh, please, don't kick me out of the "Real Food Club"...I promise it won't happen again!  Well, at least I'll TRY not to...

Winston Churchill-review

Christian Encounters, a series of biographies from Thomas Nelson Publishers, highlights important lives from all ages and areas of the Church. Some are familiar faces. Others are unexpected guests. But all, through their relationships, struggles, prayers, and desires, uniquely illuminate our shared experience.

Master statesman and orator Winston Churchill was in no small way responsible for the WWII Allied victory over the Axis powers. At many times he stood alone leading the fight against Hitler, absolute in his belief that Britain must “with all the strength that God can give us … wage war against a monstrous tyranny.” From where did he derive his strength and comfort? In this Christian Encounters biography, discover how Churchill’s Anglican faith sustained him during some of the darkest hours in human history.


This book takes you on a journey through Winston Churchill's life, from his "premature birth" 7 months after his parents married, to his early years with his nurse, Woomany, to his boarding school adventures.

I was surprised to learn some of the things about this great leader, such as his extravagant lifestyle in the midst of World War, and how his wife stood by him and even rallied for him.

My children also enjoyed learning more about the British leader, and how he came to be. This was an easy read, as it took me about 2 hours, and it was chock full of excitement and suspense.

Thanks so much for this opportunity to read and review this book. It was provided to me FREE by BookSneeze for the purpose of this review.

30 Days and counting

Well, more like 34 days, but really, what's a few days among friends?

My microwave is gone...well, not completely gone, but out of our minds. It's out of my kitchen, and I am posting it on freecycle today. Living without it has been easier than I thought. I no longer need it to heat leftovers, as I just pop them in the oven for a few minutes and viola they are hot and ready to eat. Popcorn is done on the stovetop, when we do have it, and veggies are just heated on the stovetop as well.

I won't say that it has been easy, but there are so many benefits to it. The dangers of the microwave sooo outweigh the "inconvience" of using it that it doesn't matter to me. I've just had to be more "on top of things", like thawing meat a couple days in advance (in the fridge of course!).

So, we are officially microwave free in our house.

Now, if being completely gluten free were just as easy...but baby steps, baby steps...

Giveaway

I love Tropical Traditions!! They have great products at a great price! Wanna win a gallon size bucket of their shredded coconut? Just go on over here to enter!

I had THAT MUCH food still?

Ya'll have to know by now that I am a frugal person by nature. Well, trained to be anyway.

I spent the morning taking inventory of my pantry, freezer and storage area and I was shocked at what I had still. I thought that I had eaten through most of it the last Eat From the Pantry Challenge. But, boy, was I wrong!

I was able to come up with 21 meal (dinner) ideas just with what I had in one freezer (above the fridge)! Either I am getting better at this, or I have a LOT of food still! Maybe both?

Anyway, I am going to challenge myself to spend less than $20 a week at the store for the remainder of the month to try and use some of this up. Wanna see some ideas?

• chili over rice
• chicken noodle soup
• tacos
• pulled chicken burritos
• shepherd's pie
• cheesy chicken, broccoli and rice
• roast beef, potatoes
• beef and noodles
• meatloaf
• homemade pizza
• ham steaks
• spaghetti
• stir fry
• steak fajitas
• lentil casserole
• red beans and rice
• pancakes
• Swedish meatballs
• Dutch babies

Amazing, huh? And that is all with food I currently have!! So, that is what I am planning on fixing for my family in the coming weeks.  My grocery budget had been spinning out of control lately, and this will get us back on track.  Stay tuned to see how it turns out!

Don't forget to sign up for the Exorgen Scan Thermometer Giveaway!

Exorgen Temporal Scanner-review and GIVEAWAY!

Wanna win your own Exorgen Temporal Scanner? Head on over to my giveaway blog here to enter!

Chronological Guide to the Bible-review

Readers will see the people, places, and events of the Bible come alive with this guide that will enhance your study with any Bible. The Chronological Guide to the Bible’s colorful pages guide readers step-by-step through the nine epochs of biblical history -- the same ones used in the best-selling Chronological Study Bible. Customers will maximize their understanding as they experience God’s word in dynamic historical order, no matter which translation they choose to use. Dig deeper into the cultures and people of biblical times with The Chronological Guide to the Bible.


I really enjoyed the full color pictures, and the ease of reading this book. The Chronological reading guide makes it easy to learn Biblical history. I also enjoyed the explanations of events that occurred, such as when Jesus spoke with the woman at the well, and how it crossed all the barriers of the day, or when He healed the sick, and why Jesus kept His identity a secret at the time.

I think this book would be a must have in any Biblical library, as it covers timelines of events, the whys and hows and makes it come alive to any seeker.

Disclaimer-this book was provided free by Booksneeze for the purpose of this review.

The Microwave is gone...

Remember how I wanted to pull the plug? Well, it's been almost a month now, and I haven't missed it.

Well, not much.

There are moments, I admit, that it would be easier to have the microwave and just "zap" something, but I am committed to doing my best to feed my family better food, and in a better way. So, I remain microwave-less.

My family has stopped complaining about it, and have gotten rather used to it. I don't have many leftovers anyway since my kids are currently going through a growth spurt and eat me out of house and home.

I guess I am about ready to say that it's going to Goodwill...

must

remain

strong...

Raw Energy-review

Raw Energy

By: Stephanie Tourles

Retail Value: $16.95

Stephanie Tourles' book is chock full of information on WHY to eat raw, HOW to eat raw, and WHEN to eat raw. She provides tons of information on foods, and what they are comprised of, and how they will help your body on the way to health. As a "beginner" in the raw foods world, I found her information helpful and fascinating.

Her recipes are simple, and sound delicious, but to be honest, I don't know how many I could incorporate into my budget right away. From not being able to find most at my local stores, to the prices being rather right, it would be hard to get the most out of some of her recipes.

I did find, however, that she provides enough information that it would be worth the challenge to a budget to try and switch over. For the sweet tooth in all of us, there is an entire chapter of candy and "munchie" foods, my favorite one being the "Fabulous Coco-Walnut Fudgy Brownies".

I think this was an awesome book, and I am sure that it will be a helpful resource on my own personal journey to eating better.

Thanks, Stephanie, for allowing me this chance to read, try, and review your book!

Disclaimer: Mama Buzz and reviewers received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

Tropical Traditions-Coconut Oil Review

I have been a "user" of coconut oil for about 3 years now, and I can tell you that I love it!  It's light, slightly sweet flavor make it easy to use.  I use it for baking, cooking, in smoothies,  and even in homemade deodorant. 

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc. {from Organic Facts}

The problem was, where to get the best coconut oil I could afford?  A friend told me about Tropical Traditions, and I tried a bit of hers.  It was GREAT!  So, I contacted the company to see if I could get a sample of my own.  They generously agreed, and sent me a jar right away.  Shipping was quick, and the customer service was outstanding!    Looky what I got:

Of course, I immediately opened it up and tried some...and it was the smooth, light, sweetness that I expected that it would be. 
You can see how Tropical Traditions discovered Coconut Oil by watching this video here.

Tropical Traditions also has a Referral Program, so if you place an order with them as a first-time customer, please select “Referred by a friend” and in the box that says “How did you hear of us?” enter my sponsor ID number 5952022. By telling Tropical Traditions that I referred you, you will receive a complimentary copy of the book Virgin Coconut Oil: How it has changed people’s lives and how it can change yours! by Brian and Marianita Shilhavy with your first order! This book is filled with testimonies and research showing how healthy coconut oil is, and it also includes over 85 recipes showing how one can incorporate coconut into their diet.

You can get help placing your first order and receiving your FREE book by clicking here. Don't forget to tell 'em I sent you and use my sponsor ID number 5952022.


Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.