• CONGRATULATIONS to Our Panera Bread Gift Card Winner!

    The name has been drawn for the giveaway!

    CONGRATULATIONS to

    Elena

    for winning a

    Panera Bread Gift Card!

    Thanks for making a comment in honor of our Giveaway!

    An email has been sent to you with more information*

    Enjoy your next trip to Panera Bread!

    Don’t forget to enter our next Giveaway (the next giveaway will be announced later this morning)!

    *Giveaway must be claimed within 5 business days of the prize being announced.  Failure to claim the prize within the allotted time frame means you forfeit the prize.  The actual gift card may or may not be identical to the one pictured above.

  • Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping (Week 7)

    Our family finished week 7 of our no grocery shopping goal.  Every new year we set goals, challenge ourselves to reach new heights, and to focus on what’s really important in life.  I  have made it a goal to simplify my life more by enjoying the blessings and not wasting what God has given me.  One of the ways I did this was by going through several No Grocery Shopping weeks, picking up only necessities while trying to use the items we already had in our fridge, freezer, and pantry.

    When I did it this 2011 it was my intention to go 1 month, but I made it 8 weeks (with only a few hiccups).   It is my plan to do this again with the hope of making it at least through the month of January.  I will be sharing with you the successes and challenges on those specific areas in my life as I go through them.

    Life Simplified Goal:

    • No Grocery Shopping (except for necessities) in the month of January.

    Explanation of the Goal: My goal during the month of January is to not shop for groceries other than necessities (milk, eggs, bread).  Our freezer is full of meat, produce from our garden this summer, fruit, and other great items.  Our pantry is also overflowing with all the great deals that we have picked up over the past few months.  One of the reason for the goal is that I want to use the items I have and not waste them.  Stockpiling is wonderful but there may come a point when we need to eat through that stockpile before it expires, save the extra money to work on a financial goal, and be creative with what we have at home.  I have been thinking about this challenge for several weeks over the Holidays.  Over the past few months (including our experience traveling to India) it has really hit me that we have been really blessed yet there are children and families that content with a lot less.  Menu planning may take a little extra creative thinking on my part but I think I can do it. If I do purchase something it needs to meet one of the following criteria:

    • FREE – I don’t want to waste free grocery coupons that my family will use while doing this goal
    • Necessity – Milk, Eggs, Bread, etc…
    • For Someone Else outside of my household.  For example I make meals for new Moms in our church and if I need to pick up an item for them on the way to deliver a meal that will be an exception.

    What Happened this week?

    I finished the seventh week of this goal.   The only thing I purchased this week was a 1 gallon of milk.  Most of the week we spent trying to clean out the fridge and eat up any leftovers we had because our family took a quick 4 day trip up to Vermont this past weekend!  Our family was not able to travel during the Christmas Holidays so we spread out our time with extended family.  It was great having the opportunity to spend time with Jake’s side of the family over the weekend!  The girls were super excited they got to see some snow too! 🙂

    It takes a little more time and focus to come up with a menu but everyone seems to be doing pretty well.  The real challenge will come at the end of the month when we are getting low in the pantry and when we host guests!

    I will share with you the challenges, successes and what I had to purchase so you can keep me accountable or even go through the journey with me by participating  and sharing your story.  I would love to extend this goal into February if I can make our pantry stretch!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.

  • Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping (Week 6)

    Our family finished week 6 of our no grocery shopping goal.  Every new year we set goals, challenge ourselves to reach new heights, and to focus on what’s really important in life.  I  have made it a goal to simplify my life more by enjoying the blessings and not wasting what God has given me.  One of the ways I did this was by going through several No Grocery Shopping weeks, picking up only necessities while trying to use the items we already had in our fridge, freezer, and pantry.

    When I did it this 2011 it was my intention to go 1 month, but I made it 8 weeks (with only a few hiccups).   It is my plan to do this again with the hope of making it at least through the month of January.  I will be sharing with you the successes and challenges on those specific areas in my life as I go through them.

    Life Simplified Goal:

    • No Grocery Shopping (except for necessities) in the month of January.

    Explanation of the Goal: My goal during the month of January is to not shop for groceries other than necessities (milk, eggs, bread).  Our freezer is full of meat, produce from our garden this summer, fruit, and other great items.  Our pantry is also overflowing with all the great deals that we have picked up over the past few months.  One of the reason for the goal is that I want to use the items I have and not waste them.  Stockpiling is wonderful but there may come a point when we need to eat through that stockpile before it expires, save the extra money to work on a financial goal, and be creative with what we have at home.  I have been thinking about this challenge for several weeks over the Holidays.  Over the past few months (including our experience traveling to India) it has really hit me that we have been really blessed yet there are children and families that content with a lot less.  Menu planning may take a little extra creative thinking on my part but I think I can do it. If I do purchase something it needs to meet one of the following criteria:

    • FREE – I don’t want to waste free grocery coupons that my family will use while doing this goal
    • Necessity – Milk, Eggs, Bread, etc…
    • For Someone Else outside of my household.  For example I make meals for new Moms in our church and if I need to pick up an item for them on the way to deliver a meal that will be an exception.

    What Happened this week?

    I finished the sixth week of this goal.   The only thing I purchased this week was a 1 gallon of milk and a loaf of bread.  Now that we are back in the groove (at least for the moment) 🙂 it has been fun coming up with our menu plan that uses items we already have in our fridge, deep freezer, and pantry.

    It takes a little more time and focus to come up with a menu but everyone seems to be doing pretty well.  The real challenge will come at the end of the month when we are getting low in the pantry and when we host guests!

    I will share with you the challenges, successes and what I had to purchase so you can keep me accountable or even go through the journey with me by participating  and sharing your story.  I would love to extend this goal into February if I can make our pantry stretch!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.

  • Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping (Week 5)

    Our family finished week 5 of our no grocery shopping goal.  Every new year we set goals, challenge ourselves to reach new heights, and to focus on what’s really important in life.  I  have made it a goal to simplify my life more by enjoying the blessings and not wasting what God has given me.  One of the ways I did this was by going through several No Grocery Shopping weeks, picking up only necessities while trying to use the items we already had in our fridge, freezer, and pantry.

    When I did it this 2011 it was my intention to go 1 month, but I made it 8 weeks (with only a few hiccups).   It is my plan to do this again with the hope of making it at least through the month of January.  I will be sharing with you the successes and challenges on those specific areas in my life as I go through them.

    Life Simplified Goal:

    • No Grocery Shopping (except for necessities) in the month of January.

    Explanation of the Goal: My goal during the month of January is to not shop for groceries other than necessities (milk, eggs, bread).  Our freezer is full of meat, produce from our garden this summer, fruit, and other great items.  Our pantry is also overflowing with all the great deals that we have picked up over the past few months.  One of the reason for the goal is that I want to use the items I have and not waste them.  Stockpiling is wonderful but there may come a point when we need to eat through that stockpile before it expires, save the extra money to work on a financial goal, and be creative with what we have at home.  I have been thinking about this challenge for several weeks over the Holidays.  Over the past few months (including our experience traveling to India) it has really hit me that we have been really blessed yet there are children and families that content with a lot less.  Menu planning may take a little extra creative thinking on my part but I think I can do it. If I do purchase something it needs to meet one of the following criteria:

    • FREE – I don’t want to waste free grocery coupons that my family will use while doing this goal
    • Necessity – Milk, Eggs, Bread, etc…
    • For Someone Else outside of my household.  For example I make meals for new Moms in our church and if I need to pick up an item for them on the way to deliver a meal that will be an exception.

    What Happened this week?

    I finished the fifth week of this goal!  I have to admit this was the easiest week so far! 🙂  It was a great week for us and I didn’t have to purchase anything for groceries this week mainly because our family was away on vacation with extended family.  The best part is I didn’t have to cook or clean for a whole week while cruising with my family……it was AWESOME!  So thankful for an opportunity to spend some extra time creating memories with family.  The freezer and pantry are starting to show dents in them, but I am planning on continuing this goal at least for the next couple weeks of February.

    It takes a little more time and focus to come up with a menu but everyone seems to be doing pretty well.  The real challenge will come at the end of the month when we are getting low in the pantry and when we host guests!

    I will share with you the challenges, successes and what I had to purchase so you can keep me accountable or even go through the journey with me by participating  and sharing your story.  I would love to extend this goal into February if I can make our pantry stretch!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.

  • Giveaway: $10 Panera Bread Gift Card

    I am excited to announce a new giveaway on Blessings Multiplied!   The winner of this giveaway will receive a $10 Panera Bread Gift Card!  The best part about this card is you can use it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack.  If you wanting to meet a client for breakfast, a friend for lunch, or go on a date night with your sweet husband Panera Bread is a great place to go.  Here’s how to enter the giveaway:

    Enter the Giveaway (up to 4 entries per person)!

    1. Sign up to follow my blog (if you haven’t done so already) and leave a comment below telling us how you follow Blessings Multiplied.  Put a separate comment for each way you follow Blessings Multiplied (Email, Twitter, or Facebook) plus an extra entry for your bonus answer!   Each comment counts as an entry into the giveaway.

    All comments must be made by February 28, 2013 at 10:00 PM EST to be entered into the drawing.  Good Luck!

    The actual gift card may or may not be identical to the one pictured above.

  • Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping (Week 4)

    Our family finished week 4 of our no grocery shopping goal.  Every new year we set goals, challenge ourselves to reach new heights, and to focus on what’s really important in life.  I  have made it a goal to simplify my life more by enjoying the blessings and not wasting what God has given me.  One of the ways I did this was by going through several No Grocery Shopping weeks, picking up only necessities while trying to use the items we already had in our fridge, freezer, and pantry.

    When I did it this 2011 it was my intention to go 1 month, but I made it 8 weeks (with only a few hiccups).   It is my plan to do this again with the hope of making it at least through the month of January.  I will be sharing with you the successes and challenges on those specific areas in my life as I go through them.

    Life Simplified Goal:

    • No Grocery Shopping (except for necessities) in the month of January.

    Explanation of the Goal: My goal during the month of January is to not shop for groceries other than necessities (milk, eggs, bread).  Our freezer is full of meat, produce from our garden this summer, fruit, and other great items.  Our pantry is also overflowing with all the great deals that we have picked up over the past few months.  One of the reason for the goal is that I want to use the items I have and not waste them.  Stockpiling is wonderful but there may come a point when we need to eat through that stockpile before it expires, save the extra money to work on a financial goal, and be creative with what we have at home.  I have been thinking about this challenge for several weeks over the Holidays.  Over the past few months (including our experience traveling to India) it has really hit me that we have been really blessed yet there are children and families that content with a lot less.  Menu planning may take a little extra creative thinking on my part but I think I can do it. If I do purchase something it needs to meet one of the following criteria:

    • FREE – I don’t want to waste free grocery coupons that my family will use while doing this goal
    • Necessity – Milk, Eggs, Bread, etc…
    • For Someone Else outside of my household.  For example I make meals for new Moms in our church and if I need to pick up an item for them on the way to deliver a meal that will be an exception.

    What Happened this week?

    I finished the fourth week of this goal.   The only thing I purchased this week were a few small items for an upcoming trip.  I wanted to clean out the fridge so we ate up some of the leftovers from the past weeks meals.

    It takes a little more time and focus to come up with a menu but everyone seems to be doing pretty well.  The real challenge will come at the end of the month when we are getting low in the pantry and when we host guests!

    I will share with you the challenges, successes and what I had to purchase so you can keep me accountable or even go through the journey with me by participating  and sharing your story.  I would love to extend this goal into February if I can make our pantry stretch!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.

  • Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping (Week 3)

    Our family finished week 3 of our no grocery shopping goal.  Every new year we set goals, challenge ourselves to reach new heights, and to focus on what’s really important in life.  I  have made it a goal to simplify my life more by enjoying the blessings and not wasting what God has given me.  One of the ways I did this was by going through several No Grocery Shopping weeks, picking up only necessities while trying to use the items we already had in our fridge, freezer, and pantry.

    When I did it this 2011 it was my intention to go 1 month, but I made it 8 weeks (with only a few hiccups).   It is my plan to do this again with the hope of making it at least through the month of January.  I will be sharing with you the successes and challenges on those specific areas in my life as I go through them.

    Life Simplified Goal:

    • No Grocery Shopping (except for necessities) in the month of January.

    Explanation of the Goal: My goal during the month of January is to not shop for groceries other than necessities (milk, eggs, bread).  Our freezer is full of meat, produce from our garden this summer, fruit, and other great items.  Our pantry is also overflowing with all the great deals that we have picked up over the past few months.  One of the reason for the goal is that I want to use the items I have and not waste them.  Stockpiling is wonderful but there may come a point when we need to eat through that stockpile before it expires, save the extra money to work on a financial goal, and be creative with what we have at home.  I have been thinking about this challenge for several weeks over the Holidays.  Over the past few months (including our experience traveling to India) it has really hit me that we have been really blessed yet there are children and families that content with a lot less.  Menu planning may take a little extra creative thinking on my part but I think I can do it. If I do purchase something it needs to meet one of the following criteria:

    • FREE – I don’t want to waste free grocery coupons that my family will use while doing this goal
    • Necessity – Milk, Eggs, Bread, etc…
    • For Someone Else outside of my household.  For example I make meals for new Moms in our church and if I need to pick up an item for them on the way to deliver a meal that will be an exception.

    What Happened this week?

    I finished the third week of this goal.   The only thing I purchased this week was a 1 gallon, 1 loaf of bread, and a handful of fresh produce.  Our menu was pretty basic this week, but mostly because it was a busy schedule this week.

    It takes a little more time and focus to come up with a menu but everyone seems to be doing pretty well.  The real challenge will come at the end of the month when we are getting low in the pantry and when we host guests!

    I will share with you the challenges, successes and what I had to purchase so you can keep me accountable or even go through the journey with me by participating  and sharing your story.  I would love to extend this goal into February if I can make our pantry stretch!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.

  • Phillycheese Steak Sandwich

    Jake made this meal for us a little while ago.  I love his Phillycheese steak sandwiches.  They are delicious!  This time around he did a Phillycheese steak sandwich with a side of freshly sauteed vegetables.  Do I need to mention how much I love it when he cooks? 🙂

    Phillycheese Steak Sandwich

    • 1 pound thinly slice Beef Steak
    • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
    • 1/2 medium Onion (thinly sliced)
    • 8 ounces Fresh Mushrooms (thinly sliced)
    • 1/2 cup shredded or 4 slices Provolone Cheese
    • 4 Hoagie Buns

    Trim off any extra fat from the beef and cut the meat into thin slices.  Set aside.  Heat oil on medium-to-high in a large frying pan.  Add onion and season with salt and pepper, stirring occasionally.  In a few minute (about 5) once the onions have softened and started turning brown add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until they are slightly browned.

    Move all the vegetables to one side of the pan and add in the meat and cook for a few minutes until it is no longer pink.  Divide the meat and vegetables into 4 equal piles.  Spread the cheese evenly across the 4 piles of meat and let set aside for a moment.

    Slice each hoagie bun and set on a plate.  Transfer a pile of meat with a spatula to each hoagie bun and serve immediately.

  • Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping (Week 2)

    Our family finished week 2 of our no grocery shopping goal.  Every new year we set goals, challenge ourselves to reach new heights, and to focus on what’s really important in life.  I  have made it a goal to simplify my life more by enjoying the blessings and not wasting what God has given me.  One of the ways I did this was by going through several No Grocery Shopping weeks, picking up only necessities while trying to use the items we already had in our fridge, freezer, and pantry.

    When I did it this 2011 it was my intention to go 1 month, but I made it 8 weeks (with only a few hiccups).   It is my plan to do this again with the hope of making it at least through the month of January.  I will be sharing with you the successes and challenges on those specific areas in my life as I go through them.

    Life Simplified Goal:

    • No Grocery Shopping (except for necessities) in the month of January.

    Explanation of the Goal: My goal during the month of January is to not shop for groceries other than necessities (milk, eggs, bread).  Our freezer is full of meat, produce from our garden this summer, fruit, and other great items.  Our pantry is also overflowing with all the great deals that we have picked up over the past few months.  One of the reason for the goal is that I want to use the items I have and not waste them.  Stockpiling is wonderful but there may come a point when we need to eat through that stockpile before it expires, save the extra money to work on a financial goal, and be creative with what we have at home.  I have been thinking about this challenge for several weeks over the Holidays.  Over the past few months (including our experience traveling to India) it has really hit me that we have been really blessed yet there are children and families that content with a lot less.  Menu planning may take a little extra creative thinking on my part but I think I can do it. If I do purchase something it needs to meet one of the following criteria:

    • FREE – I don’t want to waste free grocery coupons that my family will use while doing this goal
    • Necessity – Milk, Eggs, Bread, etc…
    • For Someone Else outside of my household.  For example I make meals for new Moms in our church and if I need to pick up an item for them on the way to deliver a meal that will be an exception.

    What Happened this week?

    I finished the second week of this goal.   The only things I purchased this week were a 1 gallon of Milk, a jar of Mayonnaise, and soft foods for my daughter who was recovering from tonsil surgery (bananas, popsicles, drinks, yogurt, etc…).  I was able to plan our menu around the foods we had on hand, plus Jake was traveling for a couple days this week so we tried to keep it a little simpler.

    It takes a little more time and focus to come up with a menu but everyone seems to be doing pretty well.  The real challenge will come at the end of the month when we are getting low in the pantry and when we host guests!

    I will share with you the challenges, successes and what I had to purchase so you can keep me accountable or even go through the journey with me by participating  and sharing your story.  I would love to extend this goal into February if I can make our pantry stretch!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.

  • Life Simplified: No Grocery Shopping

    Every new year we set goals, challenge ourselves to reach new heights, and to focus on what’s really important in life.  The picture above is a handful of receipts where I bought grocery items over the last few weeks.  Back in 2011 I  made it a goal to simplify my life more by enjoying the blessings and not wasting what God has given me.  One of the ways I did this was by going through several No Grocery Shopping weeks, picking up only necessities while trying to use the items we already had in our fridge, freezer, and pantry.

    When I did it in 2011 it was my intention to go 1 month, but I made it 8 weeks (with only a few hiccups).   It is my plan to do this again with the hope of making it at least through the month of January.  I will be sharing with you the successes and challenges on those specific areas in my life as I go through them.

    Life Simplified Goal:

    • No Grocery Shopping (except for necessities) in the month of January.

    Explanation of the Goal: My goal during the month of January is to not shop for groceries other than necessities (milk, eggs, bread).  Our freezer is full and our pantry is overflowing with all the great deals that we have picked up over the past few months.  One of the reason for the goal is that I want to use the items I have and not waste them.  Stockpiling is wonderful but there may come a point when we need to eat through that stockpile before it expires, save the extra money to work on a financial goal, and be creative with what we have at home.  I have been thinking about this challenge for several weeks over the Holidays.  Over the past few months (including our experience traveling to India) it has really hit me that we have been really blessed yet there are children and families that content with a lot less.  Menu planning may take a little extra creative thinking on my part but I think I can do it. If I do purchase something it needs to meet one of the following criteria:

    • FREE – I don’t want to waste free grocery coupons that my family will use while doing this goal
    • Necessity – Milk, Eggs, Bread, etc…
    • For Someone Else outside of my household.  For example I make meals for new Moms in our church and if I need to pick up an item for them on the way to deliver a meal that will be an exception.

    I have already started this goal.   The only things I purchased this first week has been a loaf of bread and 1 gallon of milk.  Last week we ate a bunch of leftovers for several days since our fridge was full and we don’t want to waste the food we have.  Plus a sweet friend brought us a meal after my daughters surgery which was amazing and got us through more than two meals.  It takes a little more time and focus to come up with a menu but everyone seems to be doing pretty well.  The real challenge will come at the end of the month when we are getting low in the pantry and when we host guests!

    I will share with you the challenges, successes and what I had to purchase so you can keep me accountable or even go through the journey with me by participating  and sharing your story.  I would love to extend this goal into February if I can make our pantry stretch!

    Life Simplified is a series on getting rid of the extras in our life while learning how to enjoy what God has given us so we can continue to be a blessing to others.  Our homes can quickly start are bursting with “stuff”  and if you are like us we just have too much.  I am doing a series on ways we are learning to simplifying our food, homes, and lives.  When our hearts, lives, and homes get too cluttered we may start missing out on opportunities to serve and bless the people around us.