Everything but the Kitchen Sink Rice - Frugal Meal

You know how it is the day before grocery day? The pickings can be a little slim, but some of the most delicious meals can be made with a little bit of creativity.

That is how my "Everything but the Kitchen Sink Rice" meal was created. This would be so yummy topped with cheddar cheese and sour cream. Add some beans and enjoy as a burrito, or sub out the hamburger for beans if you can't afford beef.

Here's how to make my "everything" rice.

What you will need:

1 pound ground beef

3 cups of white rice cooked according to pkg, directions

1 can chopped green chiles

1 can corn drained

1 can tomato sauce

1 can water

1/3 cup dried veggies (optional)

Seasonings:

3 tsp. chicken bouillon

3 tsp. fajita seasoning

2-3 T. dried minced onions

3 tsp. chili seasoning

1-2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. smoked paprika

First cooked ground beef until brown. Cook the beef with the minced onions, and smoked paprika. Then cook your rice to this add the chicken bouillon, fajita seasoning, dried veggies, and chili seasoning. After the rice is finished add your ground beef, can corn, can of tomato sauce, can of water and sea salt.

Stir and enjoy!!!

Man of the seasonings I use come from my husbands Spice Shop called: Man of Spice.

This post is linked to: Nourishing Joy

My Joy Filled Life

Morning Makeover for Work at Home Moms

Honestly anyone could probably use a morning makeover but as a Work-at-Home Mom I think this online course by Crystal Paine @ Money Saving Mom is perfect.

As my Soap business has grown this year it seems I have less and less time but I realize by starting Crystal's course that it's all based on goals and time management. But how do you do that? She tells you how!!

Seriously she is so encouraging that I am sad that my course will end in just a few days. I have thoroughly enjoying watching her and she is so encouraging. Definitely the motivation that I need!!!

The course comes with a journal that you can download on your phone or print out. I chose to print mine out and I put it in a 3 ring binder that I decorated. :)

Want to makeover your mornings too? Click here to purchase her motivating course: Make over Your Mornings

Free Fall Printable & Fall Soaps

Yes I am in love with Autumn.

I love everything about it: the smells, the long walks on country roads and the beauty of deciduous trees.

There is a mysterious feeling that I just adore about the season.

And it's also the month I fell head over heels for my now husband. 

I also love Anne of Green Gables so I thought I'd make you all a FREE printable with one of L.M. Montgomery's quotes:

"I'm so glad we live in a world where there are Octobers" I've designed it over a very old vintage harvest time sheet music. This is an 8 x 10.

You can click on the image to print or save or click here.

I also want to share with you a couple of my fall soaps we have available in our Soap Shop.

As quoted from our Etsy shop our Autumn Spice soap is "Autumn Spice

and everything....nice.
A lovely soap scented naturally with allspice and West Indian Sandalwood essential oils.
Tinting a lovely warm fall color with organic ground walnut hulls.
Truly the essence of autumn."

And our pumpkin clove soap pictured above is made with real pumpkin puree and a wonderful blend of  allspice, clove and orange essential oils. 

What are your favorite things above fall?

Winter's Morning Collection & Columbus Day Sale

And just because I need a reason to offer you an awesome deal, we are having a Columbus Day Sale on all of our soaps and cleaning products. When you check out of my Etsy Store simply enter coupon code: COLUMBUS to receive FREE SHIPPING on orders of $30 or more.

This would be a great way to stock up on some Christmas gifts, stocking stuffers, or try out our exclusive Winter's Morning line.

Our winter's morning line features the wonderful scent of pine, refreshing eucalyptus, awakening peppermint and relaxing 

lavender. Blended all together to make one of the most amazing winter time cleaner, room spray and soaps.

Makes a lovely gift, hostess gift, or simply treat yourself to a crisp smelling home this winter.

Four Sisters Farm Soap Co. Giveaway

This post is somewhat hard for me to write and is very delicate.

A very sweet woman I know, that touched many lives went home to be with the Lord this week. She was a wonderful homeschooling Mama to twin daughters and a son, and a supportive wife to her husband. 

I went to church with her as a young teen and she gave me all my haircuts, and HUGE spiral perms (oh the days of spiral perms) anyone remember those? :) She was kind, and fun, and caring. 

It had been years since I seen her - but every once in a while I'd run into her in the store and it was just like yesterday. Her simple sweet smile, lovely blonde hair and I adored the way she curled her letters when she spoke - I never told anyone that till now. Just a woman one doesn't forget.

A few months back she and her family visited our church - and there she was more than likely in pain from the cancer but never letting on, such a strong woman. I remember the Sunday she came we sang 'In Christ Alone' and I was wondering how much those words probably rang true for her. 

"In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My Comforter, my All in All,
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone! - who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save:
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious day
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand:
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand."

Stuart Townend & Keith GettyCopyright © 2001 Thankyou Music- See more at: http://www.stuarttownend.co.uk/song/in-christ-alone/#sthash.CNPlUTn5.dpuf

She is dancing with her Saviour now but I can't help but mourn for the loves she has left behind. Please pray for them with me.

As I was thinking about her last night - I pondered how there are so many hurting in this world, from cancer, from losses, difficulties, so many struggles. I know what it's like to have dark trials too, when our little Heidi had cancer, the sweet notes and thoughtful gifts let me know that people cared and brought glimmers of joy into my day. Praise Jesus she is in remission today - but it does not always happen that way. 

I want to offer a Thinking of You Giveaway. I want to send a package of soap to someone you love who is going through a trial. Maybe it's your Mom, a friend, an Aunt, your Dad (we have guy soaps too), maybe it's you. 

I know myself there are times I know someone going through trials and I want to send them something but I just don't have the money, that is why I want to do this, I want to help you encourage someone else. 

HOW TO ENTER:

Please send your story to farmgirlclean@gmail.com - In the subject line write THINKING OF YOU GIVEAWAY. Just let me know who you would send this gift to and why.

I will be sending your Gift recipient a cedar wood soap deck and three bars of soap (you can pick what you would like for them to have). 

If you have time please comment below to let me know you entered and please share this with your friends, let's make someones day a little brighter. 

The winner will be announced on July 3rd.

Berkey Sport Giveaway

I am so excited to be giving away a Berkey Sport Water Bottle with filter- $28.95 value. 

First because I know how awesome the Berkey filter is, we lived at a rental once with really hard water and the Berkey did an awesome job filtering it, I then gave it away to someone who needed it very badly - they had very unsafe drinking water and I knew the Berkey would do the trick.

Berkey so kindly gave me one of their water bottles and I love it. Here's why.

I have just recently started making homemade soaps, you can find them here. Anyways it's important to use purified water, well now with the Berkey sport I can filter the water I will be using for my soap making right when I need it and that saves me  a lot of money.

Some other great things about the Berkey Sport:

*Great for road trips
*Hiking
*Camping
*Gym
*Made of non-leaching LDPE #4 BPA FREE Plastic



So how can you enter?
Fill out the Promo Simple Below, and don't forget to tell your friends!!

Deep-Fried Dandelions

The girls were picking Dandelions for the rabbits today and I mentioned that they are really good fried.

So that's what we had for lunch today. :)

How to make 'em.

1. Send your kiddos outside and tell them to pick away, you only want the flower, none of the green, that can be bitter. The green directly under the petals are okay though.

2. Soak them in some cold water and several dashes of salt, to scare away the wittle bugs. We probably soaked them for 20-30 min.

3. Strain and pat them dry.

4. Mix together 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon of water.

5. On a plate add 1 cup of flour (we used wheat pastry flour), and your choice of salt, pepper and any other seasonings you love.

6. Dip in egg mixture, then flour mixture and deep fry, doesn't take real long.

The girls dipped them in ketchup, ranch would be good too!!

Slow Cooker Green Salsa Chicken

This Green Salsa Chicken is easy peasy and oh! so! delish!

The chicken was juicy and tender.

So yummy in a tortilla topped with lettuce, sour cream, black olives, or your favorite toppings. Or if you're going low carb on a bed of greens. It's very flavorful.

And it will take you 2 seconds, okay maybe just a tad more than that, to get it going. :)

Slow Cooker Green Salsa Chicken

What you need:

Your handy dandy crock pot

4 large chicken breasts

1 jar of Herdez Salsa Verde

What you need to do:

Place your chicken breasts in your slow cooker, pour the jar of Green Salsa Verde on top. Cook on high 4-6 hours. Then shred into large chunks. Cook on low 2-3 more hours, this will make it nice and tender and juicy. When your 2-3 hours is up shred all the way and enjoy.

We only had cheese to top ours with, but the flavor was soooo good. 

Juicy burritos.

Darby Smart DIY Giveaway

You know those little advertisements that pop up in your Facebook news feeds?? The ones you tend to overlook and ignore (well I do sometimes).  One day as I was travelling along I noticed a suggested post by Darby Smart and it intrigued me. 

What was even more exciting was the day I got my first Darby Smart DIY kit in the mail. This stuff is stinkin' cool!! I consider myself a semi-crafty person. I don't scrapbook or make hair-bows but I do like to "make-stuff" and create. So getting the DIY box from Darby pretty much rocked my world.

(It had to sit on my nightstand for a whole 24 hours before I delved into it, that was hard)

And everything comes at your door in the box. EVERYTHING! So whatever the craft is they supply you with all the tools to get the job done.

They sent me the SUPER Cutesy wood-burning bamboo cutting board Kit. Now..... I do have experience with wood-burning. I enjoy making rustic signs for weddings, etc so I have had some practice. 

I invited my Ma over who has never woodburned so she could try her hand at it. SHE LOVED it! She's an 'I Love Lucy' Fan so she created her board with her favorite Ricky quote "Lucy, You've got some 'Splainin to do!"  She did the whole one side and then she can use the other side to chop food, etc. :)

But there is something even MORE exciting than me making my little Darby Smart craft, Darby Smart is going to ship a DIY box to one of my Lucky Readers!! YES! 

Just go to the link below to enter, then come back and comment and tell us what your favorite craft/hobby is. :)

In the meantime be sure to check out the Darby Smart website and see all the cool DIY kits they have to offer. 

(This is mine, no surprise here right?) :)

Click here to enter: http://www.darbysmart.com/giveaways/craftproject

Metallic Scarves & Half off Craftsy Classes

These super trendy metallic scarves are on sale right now at Cents of Style, some as low as $7.98 and shipping is always free!!

Fashion Friday- 3/14/14- Metallic Infinity Scarves- 60% off & FREE SHIPPING with Code GOLDEN

Make sure to use the code GOLDEN

Several shades and designs to pick from.

If you are a crafty person or aspire to be you are going to love this next deal. Craftsy is offering all of their classes 50% off starting today until March 17th.

I am currently taking their Family Photography class and it is so helpful, I really enjoy photography and even do photo shoots for folks but have never had any real training. The photo class at Craftsy is teaching me basics and more that I never knew.

But it's not limited to Photography....want to learn more about cake decorating, knitting, sewing, food & cooking, paper crafts, I'm telling you the list goes on.

This is an amazing deal so catch it while it's here, even if you're super busy you can buy the classes now and use them later. Learn a new craft today!

 

 **This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links

3 week Chicks

Hard to believe the wittle babies are already about 3 weeks old.

They seem to be doing very well and since we hit upper 60's today they are getting some fresh air, we have a chicken tractor that they can play in.

I assume they feel like they are in prison when I have to put them back in the brooder for the night. 

The look on this chicken was priceless!

This thought crossed me this morning in the shower. That is where my amazing ideas come to me.....usually in the bathroom. :)

But it's true, kids need a sense of ownership with an animal:  to care, to love, to be responsible for. It builds so much character.

They each have their favorites.

Do you have chickens? How old are they? What varieties do you have?

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

As many of you know I love my crock-pot, we're good friends, in fact I'd say we're pretty tight. :)

I love anything that can make supper preparations quicker and easier.

So I was excited to try Frontier Soups Tortilla Soup Mix.

This soup can be ready in as little as 30 minutes but I made up my own Slow Cooker Version and the kiddos were asking for seconds. 

Ironically I didn't have any  tortilla chips on hand the night I made it so my daughter whipped up some "cawn bread" and it was mighty tasty I do say. 

I got this mix from Abe's Market and I love it because any orders over $49 ship free. They offer many wonderful natural and organic products, easy meal mixes, and natural skincare too.

It's awesome too because you can earn rewards just for making purchases, reviewing products, etc.

Without further ado here is my Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup Recipe below using the Frontier Mix.

You will need:

*1 pkg. Frontier Tortilla Soup Mix

*The package calls for a jar of salsa but I didn't have any so I dumped in a can of stewed tomatoes and a few tablespoons of taco sauce.

*6 cups chicken broth

*1 cup water

*2 cups shredded cooked chicken

What to do:

I placed 2 chicken breasts in my crock pot with 6 cups of water, cook on High 3 hours or until cooked through, I added some chicken boullion to this as well. 

Shred your chicken and leave the broth in the crock pot, add the soup mix, tomatoes, 1 cup water, and taco sauce. Cook on High for 1-2 hours and then turn down to low until supper. This had such a wonderful flavor from simmering all day and using the chicken broth that the chicken breasts cooked in.

This turned out so good I am definitely eager to try the other Frontier Soups from Abe's Market. They will be great to have on hand on days I'm in a big hurry or just plain tired.

Baby Chicks & Turkey Hollow Coffee Giveaway

While we have had chickens for a few years, baby chicks are very new for us. I guess for some reason I was always scared to take care of the "wittle babies" but I finally determined to try it, so we ordered the Special Assortment from McMurray Hatchery, and my! have we ever been pleased.

Taking care of the babies have been so much fun and much easier than I expected. I am sharing some pictures below of their arrival and be sure to enter the Turkey Hollow Coffee Giveaway further down as well.

Here is hubby with the babies, the Post Office called and he went to town to get them, upon arrival I had to snatch a photo, what could be more attractive than a man holding Two Dozen......baby chicks. Ditch the roses, give me the chickies. :)

Getting ready to open the lid and place them in the brooder, I was so nervous with excitement. I gave them a drink before I placed them in the brooder, hoping to prevent pasty butt. And I believe it worked as we only had a few with that.

Scoping out their temporary new home.

At one week old my oldest helped me do a photo shoot of the babies, we picked three of our favorites. 

She very hurriedly placed them down and ran out of the way while I snapped away, the photo right after this one had an addition of poop in the pic, I'll spare you that one. :)

Tomorrow marks 2 weeks with our babies so I am hoping to get an updated photo to share with you, so you can watch their growth.

Now for our Giveaway.

I love Coffee, I can't say that I'm an addict, I typically only have 1 cup a day, some days I don't have any, and if it's been rather challenging I'll have two. But I have never had better coffee until I tasted Turkey Hollow. Now, you can't buy Turkey Hollow Coffee in the stores.........

In Southwest Missouri down a little dirt road you'll find a young Mennonite family living in Turkey Hollow, where the turkey roam, squirrels scamper, and peace ensues. There they home-roast Costa Rica coffee and sell it in a little Bulk Food Store. 

It's smooth.

Oh is it smooth.

It's a little highlight in my day.

And if I run out I just have to take a jot down to Turkey Hollow to buy more. But you my wonderful readers online cannot do so, so I decided this week to buy you a 12 oz. bag of ground Turkey Hollow Coffee, and one lucky reader will win it. 

And that makes me happy.

To share a cup of happiness

That brings me pure bliss.

You will love it.

Fashion Friday - Retro Style Shoes

I adore retro style fashion.
And so many awesome styles are making a come-back.

Today I am sharing some killer shoe steals from Cents of Style for Fashion Friday. They have many varieties available for $14.95 and $19.95 a pair.

These just scream cuteness!!!

To go along with the retro look here are some amazing pencil skirts priced at only $13.99

And I'm absolutely drooling over this zipper back blouse...if that doesn't scream retro I don't know what does. Newer retro look clothes can be so pricey but with all of these pieces under $20 you can get the look down for much less.

Spring Photography Backdrops

Spring means......

baby chicks

blooming redbud trees

flowers

and adorable photos of your littles

I am loving these Spring-Themed backdrops.........today and tomorrow only they are 40% off. What a steal.

Get them here

For 45% off you can get the Photography backdrop stand!!

A perfect dress to adorn your sweetie for those sweet spring pics....The Ballet Recital Dress only $26.99...........this ones calling my name. :)

This Banner would be perfect to add to your spring photo backdrops, place on the mantle, entryway, Sunday School room, etc. what a great way to celebrate that He is Risen

With all this spring love comes these amazing pillow covers. Soooo many colors and patterns to choose from, give your sofa, chair or front porch swing a cheap and easy makeover with these adorable trendy pillow covers. I know mine could use a facelift!!

Finish off your spring decorating by reminding yourself of your many blessings with this adorable Blessed Creamer. I am in love with this little thing, from Dayspring normally $15 but on sale for the month of March for only $10. Perfect for the cream off of your raw milk, or give it to your Pastor's family, church worker, etc with some yummy creamer and a new coffee cup or their favorite coffee, makes a super sweet gift.