$4.50 Friday - Chicken Pot Pie

Okay girlies well I do love to stretch a buck but last night I also needed to stretch my time. I didn't have much of it.
I would also like to remind you, that you can have "Big" meals on this budget but unfortunately this is a lighter one. If I had a larger family I would probably need two pies, and could probably still be very close to budget. We have loved this meal since our early married days, and its still a very favorite of Nicks.

Easy Peasy Pot Pie

I pkg onion soup mix (.25) I buy a box for a dollar.
1/2 pkg mixed frozen vegetables (.75)
1 frozen pie crust (.75)
Anytype of leftover meat from night before 1-2 cups chopped($1.00)
we frequently do chicken, pork, or even steak
2 cups milk (.50)

total for one pie $3.25, a double crust pie $4.00

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Heat up milk and soup mix in a small saucepan for several minutes until mixed well and a little bubbly.
If your doing double crust lay down first one, place veggies, and meat mixed in pie plate. I made this one a double crust, because my crust was crumbling.
If you have more time you could much cheaper make your own crust, and make two pies still in budget!
Then pour the milk/soup mixture over it.
Place crust on top, and seal, creating a slit to breathe on top
Bake for 20 minutes.
Wahlah...






This is perfect for quick dinners before bible study, sport nights, etc. I also plan this into my week to really stretch my dinner budget I normally snag the extra dollar for a night with company over etc.

FOUR FIFTY FRIDAY

During our little Seattle visit a couple of weeks ago, Chelle, Aminta, and I were super inspired by our dear friend Leslie's frugal dinner ideas. Her goal is to make every dinner (entire dinner mind you) $4.50 or less! And to top it off, Leslie + Nick frequently host dinners in their home. We were all really challenged to work on our own groceries budgets when we returned home.

How many of you are up to the challenge too?

If so, I think it would be great if we could make every Friday here "FOUR FIFTY FRIDAY" and could share some of our favorite dinner ideas that cost $4.50 or less. You don't have to share every Friday, but hopefully enough people will want to participate that we can get a least one recipe a week (especially from you, Miss Leslie!).

Are you in?

Can I interest you in...

a little eye candy?

anyone else have folders on their computer chock full of random pictures of pretty rooms for future reference/inspiration?

There is this amazing little spot that the fabulous Kelly Mccaleb is raving about this morning on her blog. And I have to say after scrolling through hers, I was compeletly smitten and went right away and set up my very own Tumblr account...so excited about this pretty way to store sweet picture finds and quotes. Since you all know what a quote junkie I am. Take a look yourself and if you decide to start your own, please do share with the rest of us...

{ faves }

Fairlight did a sweet little post yesterday of her Etsy favorites. She thought maybe we'd all like share our favorites. Here are mine:

Etsy Buy Handmade whimsicalities

Can't wait to see yours.

{ Prompt }

Inspired today by my new little stack of spring ribbon from American Crafts.

Also finding inspiration from this new little shirt we bought at Target yesterday for Annabelle.

And in our first sunny little patch of mini daffodils, blooming under the big tree outside of the nursery window.

We made pink play dough this morning. And scented it with imitation strawberry flavoring. Such and fun 5 minute project. Will post my recipe if anyone is interested.

I love that saying "you learn something new every day." And today I discovered what a muffaletta is. Please tell me I am not the only one who didn't know. And doesn't it look/sound amazing? I wish I was having it was what we were having for lunch. Peanut butter and honey on whole wheat toast with a glass of o.j. is what we are actually having. With a frozen Oreo or three after lunch. We rarely buy Oreos, but there was an coupon for Oreos this week and so I caved in a bought a package. A friend of ours turned us on to sticking them in the freezer, where they turn into bite sized, rather addicting miniature ice-cream bars. But what new delicious little bit of info did you recently uncover? Maybe it's a new found favorite recipe

This lady is so amazingly gifted. Check this out. I am totally smitten. Also, wanted to share this darling idea with you. Go check out her super sweet templates. What posts are inspiring you ladies these days? Mind sharing?

Hoping to hear from some of you lovely ladies soon. Have a growing file of eye candy? Do share. Have a recently completed or contemplated project...please share. Baked anything lately and been so proud of it, that you photographed it? Feeling inspired for spring? Discovered a new blog or Etsy shop that you can't get enough of ?

Hint, hint...some new posts around here would sure be nice.

Getting to Know You: CottageMommy

In honor of the new year I thought I would finally get in gear and write this little introductory post!

About Me:
My name is Courtney and I have been married seven years to a wonderful man named Greg. We met at our college church. A set up really, dreamed up by my sister. It worked and a year after that set up, we were engaged. Three months after our engagement, we were married. In April of 2004 we welcomed our first child, Elias who we always call Eli. He is quickly approaching five and started preschool this year. He is a sweet and cuddly boy who will always be my baby. In February of 2007, our little girl Addison joined our family. She is such a joy and makes me smile all of the time. I can hardly stand how cute she is! This May we will welcome our third and final baby. A boy, yet to be named, will complete our little family.

My little Addison. Two in February.

Eli - who will be five in April.
I have the wonderful privilege of staying home with my kids. My husband is a really hard worker whom God has blessed with a job he enjoys. We live in the town my husband grew up in and most of his family still lives here. It has been really wonderful to have their support and to have the opportunity for my kids to know their extended family. My parents live close as well, only an hour and a half away. Close enough that we get to see them often and my children know and love them well.

Our little cottage.

Define Home:
Hmmm....Home is where you can be totally comfortable, completely yourself. Home is not stuffy or formal, it is relaxed and lived in. Too often messy! Home is a respite from the crazy world. A place that when you walk in, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Home is cozy, cozy, cozy!


Decorating elements:
I love color - my primary colors I decorate with are red, blue, green and yellow. I love painted furniture and old furniture. (My husband keeps telling me to stop buying cruddy furniture!) Objects that are distressed and imperfect. Things have to be comfortable and cozy though. I have way too many pillows and throw blankets around my house. I love family pictures, I love black and white photographs. I love things that have a retro or vintage feel to them.

Favorite Creative Outlets:
I love to rearrange! I love to change up my rooms in little ways. I am a frustrated knitter and a wannabe sewer. I also paint. Anything I can get my hands on. My walls, my furniture (numerous times over), my cabinets...anything is better with some colorful paint! I am a new gardener with big dreams.

Where I find Inspiration:
I am a magazine junkie...subscribe to Cottage Living (so sad it is no longer being published!), Country Living and Country Home and regularly devour other Home mags I can get my hands on. I like to rip out pages of ideas and save them for some other time, some other house. Of course, I find inspiration from design shows on television and most recently from all of the wonderful blogs out there! I love to go into a few of my favorite shops and soak up their displays and fun home items as well.

Favorite color:
Red! No question about it. I don't have any walls painted red but many of my furniture pieces are red. Red is my paint color of choice when I am revamping something. Problem is, I do need to balance all of that red with other colors!

Book Recommendation:
I recently read the book Marley and Me by John Grogan. I'm sure you have heard of the movie that is currently out. It was a light and easy read and so funny I laughed out loud over and over!

A tried and true recipe:
This is my Mom's recipe and the ultimate in comfort food for me. I don't even know what the official name of it is so I will make up my own...

White Enchiladas

(Doubling this recipe is best. It is so good, you will want more! Freeze a pan to have a quick dinner in the future!)

12 medium size flour tortillas
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
3 cups cooked chicken cut into small pieces or shredded
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
2 cans mild enchilada sauce (enough to dip all of the tortillas)
2 cups sour cream
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilis

Saute chicken and season with salt and pepper
(While meat is cooking, make sauce - see below)
Pour enchilada sauce into a bowl and dip each flour tortilla in before filling with 1/4 cup cheese and 1/4 cup chicken
Roll and place in a 9x13 pan sprayed with oil

To make sauce:
Melt butter in saucepan and add flour to make a roux
Add chicken broth to make a sauce and allow to thicken
Remove from heat and add sour cream and chilis
Pour sauce over tortillas
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. or until heated through.
Enjoy!
Corners of my home:
This is my living room - the space I spend the most time in. Actually , I spend the most time in that leather chair there. It is small and both of my kiddos like to try and curl up in my lap at the same time. What am I going to do when I have three?This is the other side of my living room - my dining room. One of the drawbacks of our tiny place, no real dining room to speak of!

A Household tip:
Not that I do this every day but when I do...oh is it nice! Make your bed! It instantly makes a messy room look cleaner and there is nothing quite so nice as climbing into a made bed at night! Another tip I most often fail at but love when I do....going to bed with a clean kitchen. So peaceful!

I have really enjoyed "getting to know" each of you through this blog and all of your lovely personal blogs! You are all such wonderful, inspiring and creative women and I am so happy to get to be a small part of your lives!

and begin the voting

****** CONGRATS JESSICA!! :) I have a special thing on its way to you!

okay ladies.. here are our three ornament entries

We have Jessica at Living the Swell Lifeher darling birdy mod-podged delight...

We have KT Mac from a little bird told me so and her paper angels, and circle garland...

and last but never least

we have Chelle from Value of Cheerfullness and her super simple felt mitten

please scurry (fun word huh) on over to the sidebar to vote for your favorite! Voting ends on Christmas Eve!

All was merry & bright

*I know some of you prepared ornaments and life got in the way (isn't it fun how it has a way of doing that). Anyways, we are leaving entering open until Monday by putting a link here, and then Monday the voting will begin. It will close on Christmas Eve.

Pass the hot chocolate, and get ready for some inspiration. If there is one thing we do know these ladies that hang around here, are chalk full of CRAFTY goodness... and so they have prepared some ornament making with tutorials for our drooling pleasure...

drum roll please...
so add the link to your post in the comments, and the voting will go up on a sidebar halfway through the party... once everyone is entered!

{change of plans}

My brother had a pretty bad accident on Sunday and severely cut both of his hands! Him being a hairdresser and this being his busiest time of the year, makes a bad situation even worse. Not to mention his partner is in California right now celebrating the holidays with his family....
My brother needed someone to come and help him, but my sister is having surgery tomorrow and my parents could not go, so my Mom bought me a plane ticket and off I went to nurse him back to health. Luckily I am a planner and have everything ready for the Holiday at my house.
So here I sit in Chicago, sipping Starbucks, watching it snow, missing Tucker, and cleaning wounds. I will be here until next Tuesday and then we will meet Jeff at the airport and all three of us will fly home to Cincinnati to celebrate Christmas together, hopefully all in good health!!!

As much as I hate to say it, I think I will have to miss out on Thursday nights festivities - we have a full day planned of several doctors/specialists apts and I have to help him with last minute shopping and wrapping, not to mention helping him prepare to fly home for a week and play nurse!

Can you believe the timing - couldn't be worse, huh! But I have to admit, we have had a blast just him and I. It has been far too long since I have spent good quality alone time with my brother and it makes me realize everything really does happen for a reason even if that means changing our idea of Christmas Cheer!!!

Have a great time girls - think of me, I will be thinking of you - and Merry Christmas to you all....



With love - Lisa

Sweets to the Sweet

How about sharing your favorite Christmas Cookie or Candy recipes with us? Of course we are hoping that you ladies will be in the mood to bake a batch or two of something sweet for our upcoming Christmas Chit Chat. Because of course a Christmas party isn't a Christmas party without the sharing of sprinkles, shortbread and fudgey goodness. Here is what I have made so far and my wish list of treats to try:






Sweets I've Made so far:

Almond Roca

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies


Soft Gingersnaps

{ All of which were yum }

Sweets I Wish to Make:

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread


Homemade Marshmallows

Variations:

Use the base recipe without playing with any of the ingredients.
For the peppermint marshmallows, finely ground about a cup and a half of candy canes and mix it into the fluffy mixture along with about a half teaspoon of peppermint extract and a few drops of red food dye. Afterwards, cut them into squares, and roll them in a mixture of powdered sugar and leftover crushed candy cane.

To make coconut marshmallows. Add a teaspoon of coconut flavoring and about 3/4 cup shredded coconut to the fluffy mixture before pouring it into the pan. I finely chopped more

coconut to mix with the powdered sugar to roll them around in.


So excited to hear all about what sort of tastey Christmastime treats you ladies have been whipping up and discovering some new favorites to add to my must make list.

have a lovely christmas...

Hello sweet creative ladies!!

I hope each of your holidays are off to a great start with planning, crafting, present picking, baking, loving on your littles {oh what a blessing to watch the season through their eyes}, and spending time by the fire with your honey! I am so sad to be missing out on the festivities next week, but want to participate up until then as long as I can...{I am heading to Texas for Christmas next week and hubby will soon follow}.

I can only image how decked out for Christmas each of your cozy homes are & would love to see...with KT's encouragement to share I'll begin the tour... { just think...its like having a progressive party around the world {hello Australia!} of sorts without fighting the airlines, traffic, and SNOW! } So many blessings to you all dear girls & wishing you a lovely Christmas!

What does your Christmas look like?

Hi girls,

As the heartbeat behind this blog is to link us together and let us share our ideas and the seasons together (no matter how many miles we may be apart) we would love for each of you to share your Christmas with us right here at DB.

we would love to see:

Pictures of your Christmas tree, decorations (especially any you have made yourself!) and lights...
Pictures of your house all decked out for the holiday...
Some of your favorite holiday recipes, or links to the recipes you will be trying during this season.
a little blurb about how you spend your holidays and any traditions you and your family have.
and maybe even any links to where you have found inspiration for this holiday.

We know that some of you ladies have already posted something like this on your own blog, if so leave a small post on the DB blog which links back to the post on your own blog.

or if you are not a DB contributor and would like to contribute leave a link to your blog post in the comments section.

Lets share this festive feeling around as we count down the days till our chit chat catchup, and our course the birth of our amazing and personal Saviour :)

So what will your Christmas look like?

trim your tree

So for the upcoming Bloggy Christmas Party...
we need you...

Your Job: Create an Ornament
of any kind, with fabric, paper, beads, yummy treats
anything that tickles your fancy and will leave us in utter
amazement or just a good old fashioned dang thats darling.

Then Enter it in the Ornament Contest.

How do you do that, you say???

Its easy, you take a photo of your ornament, you include a little tutorial of how you made it. Then the night of the party, there will be a post asking to see your ornaments, link to your blog post and wahhhhlahh.

And whats the point... you say?

1. It spreads good cheer.
2. It might inspire us to make all sorts of lovely ornaments
3. We will have a poll up voting for best ornament, the winner will get some goodies from me...

Thats it ... no go forth... and create... I can't wait to see you what you have came up with!

Leave a little note here if you want to play....

RSVP

Morning Ladies,

So we now have a date and time which it seems all of you are happy with (yipee!) and now it's down to all the fun planning and crafting for our upcoming get together!

As there are quite a few of us who will be chatting on the night we have decided to get an msn messenger chatbox happening instead of our blog chatbox (so it will be quicker and we won't have to keep refreshing the page, although we will definetly be keeping the chatbox up on the page. So feel free to join in with the convos and ideas being shared through it) Miss Fairlight will be getting our msn chat up and running with a few testers before the night.. So if you are dropping in at any time during the night would you please rsvp your name, blog address and hotmail address/msn contact name to Domestic.B@hotmail.com so we can get you set up ready for a night full of giggles.

Stay tuned!
Xx

The official DB Christmas Chit Chat Catchup!

(click picture to enlarge invite)
Bring along a hot cup of tea or hot chocolate and some nibbles (does anyone suddenly feel like baking?) and come and join in as we laugh it up together.

As part of sharing this season with one another we would love you on the night to post up a post and share your Christmas with us and leave a link on the DB blog (more details to come). We would love to see pictures of your tree and holiday decorations (especially any you have made yourself), your holiday traditions and your favorite holiday treat recipes whether it be cookies, candy or whatever you will be munching on on the night.

Also we will be having a few games and prizes (Chelle has offered one of her amazing Christmas banners as a prize, so you have to be in on that!) Some of you ladies have thought of some really fun games in out chat box too, which I definitely think we will be running with!

So keep checking back here at Domestic Bliss for more information…

We can’t wait to catch up and have some giggles with you!

Note: You may have noticed that the date has changed, that's right - the new date is Thursday 18th Dec, we had some troubles with availability and thought more of us would be free on Thursday night than a Friday plus it also gives us more time to get the games and prizes etc ready..

Chit Chat Catchup?

Hi Ladies,

It's been awhile since anyway had posted on here so i thought I'd check in, say hello and post up a few ideas... can you actually believe it's the first day of December!! (actually it's the second here, which makes all the more crazy!) It is so sunny and hot over here right now. The days have been beautiful the cicadas and crickets are coming out and night and last night we were able to set up the Christmas tree with the air conditioning full blast and running around barefoot - probably much different to what you all are used to! :P So how is all your Christmas decorating/baking/crafting going, anything exciting to share?

I was also wondering if anyone received any scrappy swap or any Happy Handmade Christmas swap items yet.. we would love to have a peek and the creativity that has been going on around here lately, so please post up :) I promise in turn I will post pics of mine as soon as i receive them (how exciting!)

I was also thinking that we need to get that chatbox up and running on the blog (Dawna!?) and have a 'Christmas chit chat get together' as suggested in Fairlight's previous post, as I know you girls had an absolute ball doing this at Leslie's Baby shower and I totally feel like I missed out big time ;)

so what do you ladies think? Should we set it up and send out some invites for a catch up chat?

Love Kt xox

Getting To Know You: A Journey With Purpose

About Me:

Hello!

My name is Jacy, married for four and a half years to the bestest husband ever, Benji. We have two little boys, Noah (3) and Ryder (1) who bring so much joy to our lives.
God has brought a lot of things our way, including a job that keeps Benji away from home, four days out of the week, while I stay home with the boys teaching their little minds all God wants them to know, all while on a quest to build a home and call it our own, wherever that may be and only time will tell.

We are a family, passionately striving to follow Jesus Christ and his will for our lives. This journey will undoubtedly bring many obstacles before us, but it is our prayer that in Happy moments we will praise him, Difficult moments we will seek him, Quiet moments we will worship him, Painful moments we will trust him and Every moment we will THANK him.

Define Home:

I currently live in a home where I can not call my own.

We are, for the time being, staying with my in-laws until we are able to find a place to build.

So as you can imagine my longing for this word home, I am, in my own words, about to define.

HOME is a place your heart is, and longs for when you've been gone. It's a place to worship, a place to Love, a place to feel safe and secure, a place to feel comfort, a place where you raise your children in, then later in life hear them say, "this is my home." It's a place to go when your day has been more than stressful and your eyes cry as soon as you step foot in. It's a place where you can be happy, free, laugh uncontrollably and occasionally snort. It's a place where you can go from the shower through the kitchen, down the hall and to the bedroom with no worries. A place to be your self. A place to throw parties and dinners and holidays and feel cozy and inviting..

It's a place to be a family.

And since I don't have a home of my own to share with you here are a few snippets of what I would LOVE to have in the home we build...hopefully sometime next year.

Decorating Elements:

I love color, soft greens, earthy browns, robins egg blues, burnt oranges, accenting those colors with the basics, I love vintage, sheer white curtains, polka dots, chair rail, white crispy cabinets, black and white photos, I love a pretty dish set, sand dollars, pillows, peg boards covered with pictures and cards, a refrigerator covered in hand paintings and abc magnets, home made crafts, books galore, my willow tree collection, wrap around sectionals, wooden letter words old lanterns, grand pianos, flowers on my kitchen table, archways and oh my goodness...the list could go on when the holidays come around!!

I've always thought less is more. Simple and Clean is inviting and still warm and cozy feeling.

Favorite Creative Outlet:

writing, blogging, crafty things, magazines, color, fabrics, photography, scrap booking, sewing, my boys, cooking, baking, reading...I love all these things they would be considered my passion.

Where do you find Inspiration:

Every where! Including all the above!

Mostly blogging, BH&G, Martha Stewart, Pottery Barn, magazines, reading, my boys, writing children stories oh the list could really go on and on and on....

Favorite Color:

The hardest thing to answer.

For my home I would love to use browns, burnt oranges, soft blues, light olive greens, with a dab of reds, maybe some lavender somewhere.

I wear a lot of rich green, red, orange, lavender and brown. I think those look best on me.

You'll never catch me in pink...ugh unless I have a summer tan it completely washes me out...same for yellow!

Book Recommendation:

I know this book would have nothing to do with this subject, but I'd have to say

Shepharding A Child's Heart by Ted Tripp.

I could read it a thousand times and learn something new each time.

I love it!

A Tried and True Recipe:

Spicey Sweet Chili

8 oz. boneless beef top sirloin or top round steak
Nonstick cooking spray
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 tsp. bottled minced garlic
1 cup water
1 15 1/4-oz. can pineapple tidbits (juice pack), undrained
1 15- to 15 3/4-oz. can chili beans with chili gravy, undrained
1 14 1/2-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Dairy sour cream (optional)
Directions
1. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 3/4-inch pieces. Lightly coat an unheated 4-quart Dutch oven with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium-high heat. Add meat, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook and stir until meat is brown and onion is tender.
2. Carefully stir in the water, pineapple, chili beans with gravy, tomatoes, tomato sauce, brown sugar, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 45 to 60 minutes or until meat is tender. If desired, serve with sour cream. Makes 5 or 6 servings.

Corners of My Home:

or rather corners of my room.

It's small but it's cozy and I have a lot to look forward to!

I will spare you any pictures of the boys room or their play room. It's a mess lol and I have a lot of clothes to put away!!

Favorite Household Tip:

My mother use to always tell me "smile when you clean, it will go by much faster."