Family Finances

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Our family had a blast spending some time together for Thanksgiving last week.  I was beginning to wonder what kind of week it would be when we started the week tired and with a little one throwing up.  Thankfully we didn’t have any big travel plans and have gotten past that little spurt of sickness now everyone seems to be on the mend.    Over the Thanksgiving week together we laughed, snuggled, read books, worked on projects, ate delicious food, went shopping, put up the Christmas tree, and just had fun relaxing as well as doing stuff around the house.    I am thankful for a wonderful family and an opportunity to spend some extra time together.

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week – didn’t make do it 5 days
    4. Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed) – not quite every night
    5. Spend extra time with my family over the Thanksgiving Holiday

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – the first half of the week went well
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday and Tuesday

    Home Management Goals

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Wednesday)
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    5. Put up the Christmas Tree

    Business Goals

    1. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk – my desk was buried by the end of the weekend, time with the family took priority
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – ahem….this one didn’t happen with birthday and Holidays, my sweet husband did a trip for me which brought it up as well. 
    2. Pay off remaining debt – working on it
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – on hold until the debt is paid off

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week
    4. Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed)
    5. Get the girls passport pictures taken

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday and Tuesday
    3. Finish reading  The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year by Crystal Paine who has a blog called Money Saving Mom (VERY excited about the opportunity to preview this book by a blogger I have been following for years and thankful to be featured on her blog weekly with the Save A Lot Deals!)
    4. Listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (I am going through this book with my Community Group)

    Home Management Goals

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    5. File the receipts and coupons for the last couple of months.

    Business Goals

    1. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    3. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    4. Review my 2011 Business Goals and start planning ones for 2012

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Make at least $25 towards my Creative Cash goal this week so I can give more to others.
    4. Deliver a meal to a new Mom.

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Pay off remaining debt
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results

  • Family Recipe: Spinach & Chicken Casserole

    I came up with this recipe several years ago when I was trying to use up some items we had on hand and it has been a family favorite since that day.  My husband mentioned this recipe in passing conversation with someone this past weekend which made me think that it was time to make it again.  So it is on our Menu for this week!  It is easy to put together too!

    Spinach & Chicken Casserole

    • 1 lb Chicken Breasts
    • 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
    • 1 can Spinach (drained)
    • 1 can Mushrooms or Fresh Mushrooms
    • 1 cup Provolone Cheese (you can use Swiss or Mozzarella)

    Spread the chicken breasts out in a baking dish so they are touching but not overlapping.  Mix the can of mushroom soup and spinach together and spread over the chicken breasts.  Put the mushrooms on top of the spinach and mushroom mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the casserole and bake for another 10 minutes.

    Layer of chicken, spinach, and mushrooms

  • Save A Lot: Deals for the week of November 23 – 29, 2011

    The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience.  You can start stocking up on some great deals for upcoming Holiday cooking.  Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!

    Meats and Seafood

    Sugardale Bone In Hank Potion Ham – $1.19 per lb

    Chuck Wagon or Old Farm Bacon (16 oz) – $1.78

    Farmington Pork Sausage (16 oz) – $1.99

    Fresh Whole Chicken – $0.79 per lb

    Portside Cooked Shrimp (60 to 70 count) – $3.99

    Matlaw’s Shrimp Ring with Cocktail Sauce (10 oz) – $4.99

    Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).

    Fridge and Freezer

    Home Churned Butter Quarters (16 oz) – $1.99

    Buyers Best Shoestring French Fries (12 oz) – $0.79

    Imperial Spread (45 oz) – $2.50

    Coburn Farms Cream Cheese – $1.00

    Cool Whip (8 oz) – $1.00

    Totino’s Pizza (9 to 10 oz) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/4 coupon from insert 9/11 General Mills (Expires 12/3/11)
    Use $1.00/4 coupon from insert 10/2 General Mills (Expires 12/24/11)
    Use $1.00/4 coupon from pamphlet Kroger’s My Magazine Giving Hope a Hand (Expires 12/4/11)
    Use $0.60/3 coupon from insert 10/2 General Mills (Expires 12/24/11)
    As low as $0.75 each after coupon

    Resers Salads (16 oz) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Coupon Web
    Use $0.75/1 coupon found on a tearpad in some stores (Expires 12/30/11)
    As low as FREE each after coupon

    Mrs Smith’s Pumpkin, Apple or Cherry Pies (27 oz) – $2.99
    Use $1.00/2 coupon from pamphlet Target booklet (Expires 12/30/11)
    $2.49 each after coupon

    Coburn Farms Aerosol Whipped Cream  – $1.79

    Ginger Evans Ready to Bake Chocolate Chips or Sugar Cookies – $2.29

    Take and Bake Cheese Pizza (33 oz) – $5.49

    Take and Bake Supreme or Pepperoni Pizza (33 to 36 oz) – $5.99

    Wylwood Broccoli Normandy (16 oz) – $1.29

    Morning Delight Buttermilk Biscuits – $0.59

    Wylwood Shredded Hashbrowns (24 oz) – $2.39

    Produce

    Celery – $0.79

    Sweet Potatoes – $0.49 per lb

    Idaho Potato (5 pounds) – $1.89

    Mini Carrots (1 pound) – $1.00

    Household

    Poly Steel Heavy Duty Aluminum (32 sF) – $1.79

    Starware Food Storage (assorted variety) – $1.49

    Wrightware Napkins (250 count) – $1.69

    Ajax Dish Liquid (16 oz) – $0.99

    Luster Facial Tissues (85 count) – $0.79

    Grocery

    Stuffing on the Side – $0.89

    Coburn Farms Evaporated Milk – $0.79

    Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix – $0.45

    Kool-Aid Jammers (10 count) – $1.88

    Harvest Select Grape or Cranberry Cocktails (64 oz) – $1.69

    Musselman’s Apple Sauce (46 to 48 oz) – $2.50

    Velveta Cheesy Potatoes – $1.79

    T.G.I. Friday Snacks (5 oz) – $1.00

    Progresso Bread Crumbs (15 oz) – $1.00
    Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 11/13 General Mills (Expires 1/5/12)
    $0.50 each after coupon

    Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate (6 count) – $1.00
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 11/13 Smart Source (Expires 12/31/11)
    Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 11/13 Smart Source (Expires 12/31/11)
    As low as $0.66 each after coupon

    Kaskey’s Chicken Broth (14 oz) – $0.69

    Ginger Evans Cake Mix – $1.35

    Ginger Evans Ready to Spread Frosting – $1.49

    Ginger Evans Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix – $0.89

    Tipton Grove Cranberry Sauce – $0.99

    Crisp Cranberry Lemon Lime or Save A Lot Exclusive Soda (2 liter) – $0.79

    Grissom’s Brown and Serve Rolls (12 count) – $1.19

    Theodoro Dollar Rolls (12 oz) – $1.99

    Mantia’s Elbow Macaroni (16 oz) – $0.99

    Rapid Rice on the Side Instant White Rice (28 oz) – $2.79

    Kaskey’s Onion Soup Mix (2 pack) – $0.89

    Westcott Cooking Spray (6 oz) – $1.69

    Ginger Evans Big or Mini Marshmallows (10 oz) – $0.99

    Libby’s Pineapple (20 oz) – $0.99
    Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 8/28 Red Plum (Expires 12/30/11)
    Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 11/13 Red Plum (Expires 3/31/12)
    $0.49 each after coupon

    Portmann’s Seafood Cocktail Sauce (12 oz) – $1.29

    Kurtz Worcestershire Sauce (10 oz) – $0.99

    Nature’s Grain Cinnamon Raisin Swirl (16 oz) – $2.49

    Bakery

    Bakery Fresh Pumpkin Pies – $2.99

    Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals!  Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.

    For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here.  If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.

  • Organized Chaos: Organizing Our Stockpile

    I LOVE getting a great deal but over the last couple of years when I find a good deal the more I find myself asking “Do I really need this?”  Yes, using coupons are wonderful and getting a great deal is amazing only if you are going to use those items or plan on giving them away. A friend introduced me to the show “Extreme Couponing” and after a few episodes I could no longer watch it.  The amount that some people had stuffed in various places in their home was too much for me to even watch.  After some thought I decided to come up with a plan to organize my stockpile in a way that would give me a visual indication that our family’s stockpile is full plus keep the items organized in a way that anyone in my family can find an item, including the kids.

    Here is what I did:

    1. Reorganized our Linen Closet to make room for the stockpile bins.
    2. Purchased inexpensive containers from the Dollar Store.
    3. Used the Label Maker to put the description on the front of each container.
    4. Filled the containers with items from the stockpile.
    5. Once a bin is full then I know it is time to stop buying that item
    6. Any extras items that I get for free I put into a separate box to be given away.

    The new system had to be practical for our family.  I think it is wise to be good stewards of what we have been given and find opportunities to share what you have with others.  I decided that if I had enough of a certain item to last our family for 6 months to a year our stockpile is considered full and I didn’t need to purchase any more of those items.  If I did get a couple items for free they would be put in a special box to give to others (charities, school, church, people in need, friends, family, and anyone else that may need an item from it).

    I have been using this system for several months now and I am really pleased with how it works.  It is easy to know when the stockpile is full enough for your family and it is more efficient when someone needs  to locate an item.  The majority of the items in this closet are office supplies, school supplies and miscellaneous household items.  I love having the freedom to take a few weeks off from using coupons, shopping, or getting deals in general because I know exactly what I have on hand and when I have enough for my family.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week was packed full of a lot of extra activities, appointments, refinance closing, and travel some of the events were on the calendar and others we squeezed in because it was necessary.  The biggest blessing was being able to cross off our Refinance Closing.  The paperwork was submitted back in September and several of the documents re-submitted over the last couple of months because the lender couldn’t find the paperwork we gave them or one person didn’t give the next person the right information and so forth.  Now we can breathe a little sigh of relief to get that completed.

    Even though I didn’t get everything done the good news is I am at least taking small steps in the right direction.  This week will not be a huge goal driven week because of the Thanksgiving Holiday.  My biggest “goal” is to spend quality time with my family.  Hopefully, as we spend time together I will get some necessary items accomplished but if not that is okay too because life needs to be fun every once in awhile, right!?  Jake and I have several joint projects that we are hoping to work on over the next few weeks and the girls want to put up the tree.  Some of my goals will be on “hold” during this week, you’ll see it pick back up again after Thanksgiving! 🙂

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week
    4. Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed) – really need to do better on this one, we spent extra time before bed one night talking on the phone to Daddy since he was traveling this week instead.
    5. Get the girls passport pictures taken – did not get their pictures done
    6. Finish filing the last several weeks of coupons in my File Folder and Binder – didn’t get this done, other priorities popped up

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – did much better (4 days) but missed one day so can’t cross this one off
    2. Finish reading  The Money Saving Mom’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life, and Save Thousands a Year by Crystal Paine who has a blog called Money Saving Mom (VERY excited about the opportunity to preview this book by a blogger I have been following for years and thankful to be featured on her blog weekly with the Save A Lot Deals!) – still reading other activities took priority this week
    3. Listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (I am going through this book with my Community Group)
    4. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday through Thursday – I was really bad at the beginning of the week getting to bed on time because I was trying to finish a project but I paid for it the next day.

    Home Management Goals

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – Jake was traveling this week so I had to move my laundry day up 2 days to help with packing and since we were only home for a couple hours that day I wasn’t able to get it done in 1 day, it took me 2 days this week.
    5. File the receipts for the last couple of months and organize the table in the office. – still waiting to be done

    Business Goals

    1. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk – it was a wild week with Jake being gone, long doctor appointments, phone calls, refinance, and I didn’t do this really important task and now feel the side effects of it
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    3. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    4. Research ways to create more residual income – didn’t get to it
    5. Review my 2011 Business Goals and start planning ones for 2012 – I did write down a couple thoughts but didn’t get really in depth in this one so don’t feel right about crossing it off

    Ministry Goals

    1. Make at least $25 towards my Creative Cash goal this week so I can give more to others. – wasn’t able to do this one.
    2. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    3. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch – I got to have lunch with Jake and his co-workers while supporting a local charity!

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Close on our Refinance – Our plan is to go from the 30 year mortgage that we have been paying off to a 10 year mortgage with a lower interest rate. Sooooo THRILLED to have this one done!   🙂  We knocked 11 years off what we were currently paying by switching to a 10 year and the best part is we are now paying about $20 less every month with the new mortgage!
    3. Pay off remaining debt – almost there
    4. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – on hold until the debt is paid off

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week
    4. Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed)
    5. Spend extra time with my family over the Thanksgiving Holiday

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday and Tuesday

    Home Management Goals

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Wednesday)
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    5. Put up the Christmas Tree

    Business Goals

    1. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Pay off remaining debt
    3. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    The week packed full to the point of over flowing on most days.  I was trying to mainly just keep my head above water most days this week.  Thankfully I was able to find some deals early in the week and was able to stock up on some items for upcoming Holiday celebrations.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from Ingles

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $32.88 at Ingles for 1 bag Laura Lynn Bread, 3 bags Laura Lynn Shredded Cheese, 4 blocks Laura Lynn Sharp Cheddar, 1 box Go Gurt Yogurt Tubes (8 count), 1 bag Laura Lynn Splenda Sweetener, 1 can Canola Cooking Spray, 1 bag Laura Lynn Mini Marshmallows, 4 boxes Blue Bonnet Margarine, 2 bags Idahoan Bake Potatoes, 1 can Heavy Whip Cream, 2 containers Planters Creamy Peanut Butter, 2 boxes Laura Lynn Cream Cheese, 1 bag Celery, 1 can Laura Lynn Pumpkin, 1 bag All Purpose Flour, 1 bag Dixie Granulated Sugar, 1 box Powdered Sugar, 1 box Brown Sugar, 1 box Pilsbury Funfetti Cake Mix, 1 container Cool Whip, 2 cans Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Chili Peppers, 1 bag Red Delicious Apples, and 1 Yellow Sweet Onion. (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance including the diary and produce!  I used several coupons to help bring down the total on this shopping trip and it was still a little higher than I like it to be, but with all the Holiday Celebrations we needed to stock up on some items.)
    Groceries from Walgreens

    Walgreens Groceries:

    • $3.93 at Wlagreens for 2 packs Austin Peanut Butter Crackers (8 count), 1 pack Austin Cheddar Cheese Crackers (8 count), 1 jar Lindsey Green Olives, 2 gallons Milk, 1 can Wasabi Almonds, 1 can Butter Toffee Peanuts, and 1 can Peanuts. (I used a $3 off 10 coupon since it was a new location, a couple Register Rewards, and coupons to help pay for these items).

    This week I spent $36.81 on groceries.  Even though I only a little under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items.  The items at the new Walgreens new us were pretty good it was worth it to stock up the pantry at those prices.  I hope that next week is better week and we can come under budget!

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff.  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

  • Recipe: Beef Enchiladas

    It has been a long time since I have made enchiladas, but a few weeks ago I picked up some Corn Tortillas on clearance for $0.50 and as I was looking for a good recipe to use them with when enchiladas came to mind.  In the past I have used regular flour tortillas to make enchiladas so this was a new one for me.  The recipe I am sharing is adapted from Rockin Robin’s Cooking Mexican Recipes.  I didn’t make the sauce from scratch as they suggested (mine came from cans we already had in the pantry).  I added extra hamburger to our recipe and I used a mix of cheeses (mozzarella, cheddar, and swiss) because much to my surprise our shredded cheese was running low.  The recipe turned out delicious!  I made half for us to eat for dinner and froze the other half for a busy day later in the month or to share with someone.   The girls had two helpings and LOVED the enchiladas! Brina was a huge help in putting them together, thankful for my little kitchen helper.

    Beef Enchilada Recipe:

    • 2 pounds Ground Hamburger
    • 1/4 cup chopped Sweet Onion
    • 2 cans Enchilada Sauce
    • 12 Corn Tortillas
    • 12 oz shredded Cheddar, Mozzarella, Swiss Cheese (you can use a combination or just one type)

    1.  Cook your ground hamburger with chopped onions and seasonings of your choice (I cooked our hamburger in the crockpot during the day while we were at work and school. I did add the onions with a touch of taste seasoning and garlic to the ground hamburger.)  Once your hamburger is cooked drain the oil and set aside.

    2.  Put the cans of Enchilada Sauce in a sauce pan and set on simmer so it is warm (make sure the pan you chose is large enough to put a corn tortilla in it with the sauce.)

    3.  Preheat a deep fryer to 350 degrees or put about 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan and heat.  Once the oil is hot submerge one corn tortilla in the oil for 10 to 30 seconds until it starts to bubble. (Make sure to take it out once it starts bubbling because it could get too hard and you will not be able to roll your enchilada).

    4.  Remove the corn tortilla from the oil let it drip for a few seconds then put it into the enchilada sauce, flip it over to coat both sides.  Add the hamburger in the middle of the corn tortilla and roll.  Put it immediately into the baking dish.  Continue until all enchiladas are done.

    5.  Cover the rolled enchiladas with remaining sauce and cover with shredded cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.

    Enchilada's covered in cheese

    Our family enjoys cheese!  Brina had fun helping “spread” the cheese over the enchilada’s!

    One batch of enchiladas for dinner the other went into the freezer for a busy day later this month or to share with someone else.

    I enjoy being able to stock the deep freezer with some good meals whenever possible.  If I have the items necessary I will often make a double batch or split the recipe for dinner by making half for dinner and freezing the other half for a busy day in the future.  Our church makes meals for families with newborns or when family members are in the hospital or have surgery.  It helps having a few extra homemade meals in the freezer available to share with those around us.

  • Amazon.com: 4-for-3 Book Promotion includes Adventures in Odyssey Imagination Station Books

    Amazon is running a 4-for-3 Promotion!  This is a great sale to stock up on some items for your family or purchase a few gifts for the Holidays!   Buy Three Books, Get the Fourth Free on any four eligible books under $10 in our 4-for-3 Books Store and we’ll give you the lowest-price book free at checkout. Stock up and save on the titles you love.

    Amazon has the Adventures in Odyssey Imagination Station Books are included in their 4-for-3 Promotion!  When you buy four different books, you only pay for the price of three.  They have a lot of books included in this deal so not all of them need to be the Imagination Station books.  If you do buy 4 Imagination Station books the total will be $14.97 (or $3.74 each).  Shipping is free with an Amazon Mom account or when you spend $25 on qualified items.   To bring your total down even more use your Swagbucks Amazon Gift Cards to get gifts for the kids on your list for the upcoming Holidays!

    Our family loves reading.  Anyone that has been to our house knows we enjoy books from the kids on up.  One of the girls favorite activities is to have Dad or Mom read them a story.  A lot of times during the day we will read picture or smaller books and at night we read from a chapter book.  These books are great and it gives us an opportunity to get a couple for Christmas at a great price especially once you apply those Swagbuck Amazon Gift Cards if you haven’t already done so you can sign up today and start earning, for more information on how to get started go to Swagbucks: Earning a Little Extra!

    Thanks Money Saving Mom!