Omelet in a bag

We raise chickens. As a result, we have eggs (usually except when the weather changes drastically). I was recently taught a really unique way to make omlets. I love this idea. It's fun and I actually get to sit down with the boys and eat when they do instead of standing cooking one right after another. Here you go:

Omlet in a bag.

You need:

All the things you want in an omlet (ie cheese, peppers, ham, bacon, etc)
eggs 2 to 3 per person depending on the people
Ziploc baggies (Freezer bags are best)
A large pot of boiling water
Perm. Marker

 

• First step is to get your pot of water boiling.
• Next, you have each person but their name on the baggie. This will help out later when all is done.
• Then,  crack and whip your eggs. (I did ours in a big picture to pour them in the bags easier)
• Then, let each person add what they want in their omlet (I love this part because everyone gets what they want and there's no whining about tomatoes touching someones eggs that doesn't like them)
• Shake up the contents. Squeeze out excess air and zip up the baggie.
• Now the fun part. Place the bags in the boiling water for roughly 13 to 15 minutes.
• Open the bags and slip the omelet out of the bag and dig in.

There's no butter, no grease, and no real mess to clean up. My favorite part is everyone can eat at the same time. The kids have really fell in love with this method and at least one of them has ask for an omelet in a bag every night since we first did this. Try it. You'll be hooked. I'm sure of it!

(I'll post pictures next time we do this)

MERRY CHRISTMAS READERS!

Jesus Reason for the Season Animations provided by MySpaceAnimations.com

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a blessed Holiday. Below is story written by Laura Jeanne Allen that has stuck with me for many years. It touched me and I still use the saying to this day. I hope you enjoy it and it touches your life. Please appreciate your loved ones not only today but through out the year.

May God bless you and yours!

Best wishes!

SHMILY


Written by Laura Jeanne Allen

My Grandfather and Grandmother were married for over half a century, and played their own special game from the time they had met each other. The goal of their game was to write the word "shmily" in a surprise place for the other to find. They took turns leaving "shmily" around the house, and as soon as one of them discovered it, it was their turn to hide it once more.

They dragged "shmily" with their fingers through the sugar and flour containers to await whoever was preparing the next meal. They smeared it in the dew on the windows overlooking the patio where they always had warm, homemade pudding with blue food coloring.


"Shmily" was written in the steam left on the mirror after a hot shower, where it would reappear bath after bath. At one point, my Grandmother even unrolled an entire roll of toilet paper to leave "shmily" on the very last sheet.


There was no end to the places "shmily" would pop up. Little notes with "shmily" scribbled hurriedly
were found on dashboards and car seats, or taped to steering wheels. The notes were stuffed inside shoes and left under pillows.  "Shmily" was written in the dust upon the mantel and traced in the ashes of the fireplace. This mysterious word was as much a part of their house as the furniture.

It took me a long time before I was able to fully appreciate my grandparents' game. Skepticism had kept some of them from believing in true love-one that is pure and enduring. However, I never doubted my grandparents' relationship. They had love down pat. It was more than their flirtatious little games; it was a way of life. Their relationship was based on a devotion and passionate affection which not everyone is lucky to experience.

Grandma and Grandpa held hands every chance they could. They stole kisses as they bumped into each other in their tiny kitchen. They finished each other's sentences and shared the daily crossword puzzle and word jumble.

My Grandmother whispered to one of her friends about how cute my Grandfather was, how handsome and old he had grown to be. She claimed that she really knew "how to pick 'em."


Before every meal they bowed their heads and gave thanks, marveling at their blessings: a wonderful family, good fortune, and each other.


But there was a dark cloud in the couples' life: my Grandmother had breast cancer. The disease had first appeared ten years earlier. As always, my Grandfather was with her every step of the way.


He comforted her in their yellow room, painted that way so that she could always be surrounded by sunshine, even when she was too sick to go outside.


Now the cancer was again attacking her body. With the help of a cane and my Grandfather's steady hand, they went to church every morning. But my Grandmother grew steadily weaker until, finally, she could not leave the house anymore. For a while, my Grandfather would go to church alone, praying to God to watch over my Grandmother.

Then one day, what everyone dreaded finally happened. My Grandmother was gone.

"Shmily." It was scrawled in yellow on the pink ribbons of my Grandmother's funeral bouquet. As the crowd thinned and the last mourners turned to leave, my aunts, uncles, cousins and other family members came forward and gathered around Grandma one last time.  My Grandfather stepped up to my Grandmother's casket and, taking a shaky breath, he began to sing to her. Through his tears and grief, the song came, a deep and throaty lullaby.


Shaking with my own sorrow, I will never forget that moment. I knew that, although I couldn't begin to fathom the depth of their love, I had been privileged to witness its unmatched beauty.


S-h-m-i-l-y:


See How Much I Love You.

Free books & e readers for PC

I've been out of touch for a while and way out of budget. But aren't we all this year. However, I have found a great site that offers free ebook downloads and I thought I'd share this with you. Suvudu Free Book Library  Offers links to free downloads in a variety formats. If you are on the "I want a Kindle but can't afford one list", Amazon has recently launched the Kindle for PC. You can download it free at this link: KINDLE FOR PC

There are a few other formats that you can download for free as well. These include:

Microsoft Reader

Adobe Digital Editions

Mobipocket ebook Reader

eReader

Barnes & Noble

Adobe PDF reader  (you may already have this)

Each of these sites have links to free downloads for many titles. You can also google free ebooks and get a ton of resourse. Most of the classics can be found online absolutely free. It'll save a trip to the library so enjoy!

Grocery Budget Challenge

I’ve been dabbling in budgeting. I say “dabbling” because every time I make out a budget I blow it. Go figure. Well, I decided that with the holidays coming up (ie. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years) I should make a practice run with my grocery budget. I have (for no other reason than that’s what I came up with) $180 for a family of 4 (that includes myself and 3 teenage boys). Possible? I guess we’ll see. I’m challenging myself to stick to this and I’ll record my progress here on Learning 2 Live 4 Less. It starts today and I’ll run this for a month – December 10th will be my verdict day.

Day 1

Stopped at Wal-Mart on the way into work to pick up the following:

20 oz Coke $1.38
24 pk Wally world Water $3.98
Great Value Creamer (big container) $3.86
Banquet Chicken Steak Microwave dinner $1.00
Banquet Sweet & Sour Chicken Microwave Dinner $1.00
Croissants Baker reduced $1.50
Great Value Applesauce cups $1.56
Great Value Nonfat Dried Milk $16.42

Total $30.70
Balance $149.30


This trip was spontaneous so I didn’t plan it too well. I needed lunch for the day and for tomorrow. The water is a staple at our house. As for the Nonfat Dried Milk? Oh let me tell you it’s my favorite ingredient to have. Before you say ooo and gross. Let me let you in on my secret. Ok It’s not MY secret but I learned it and live by it. I even have a cheat sheet on the side of the refrigerator to refer to. We go through a ton of milk in our house. The boys still drink it like they did when they used Sippy cups. I save the so called “good” stuff for their drinking and cereal use and then fall back on my powered milk substitutes for cooking, baking, and a few little recipes that the boys love. These included Magic Milkshakes, vanilla milk, and even Hot Cocoa Mix. My favorite site for quick, inexpensive recipes www.hillbillyhousewife.com is a great resource for some do it yourself home concoctions. The point I started with was why I buy powered milk. While it’s not our first choice for drinking, it does come in handy when we run short or a freak ice storm lands like it did last year. Plus, a gallon of milk runs about $ 3.50 maybe $2.89 on sale these days (prices may vary by region ) The box I bought today makes 80 quarts or 20 gallons of milk. Roughly broke down means for less than a dollar ($0.821) a gallon I would save more than enough to justify the hassle of using the powdered version. Again, we still buy good old fashion milk but this is a great addition to stretch our dollar.



Back to my original posting topic: I need to do some grocery shopping tonight and I’ll let you know how I do. I don’t have the first coupon to use (shame on me) but I am going to our discount grocery store because well, I always shop there.  I’m off to make a list and get what we need. First I’m going to do some recipe surfing then list making. Wish me luck!