~*In*The*Garden*~

 Well I am not able to do a big garden box this planting season like I was planning, due to the fact that we moved, and only have a 4x7' porch off of our kitchen.
 I am, however, doing my container planting. I've got some things started and I'm slowly adding more.
Right now I've got some Lettuce sprouts, Bush Beans, Carrots and Turnips. I've also got some Shasta Daisies going. Would you like to see my little garden?!

My Salad Container.
Got the Dirt and Container from Dollar Tree Momma got them for My Easter Basket. :)

Carrots and Turnips. I need to thin them out and add more dirt/seeds.
We had a heavy rain after I planted them and forgot to add holes to the bottom of the container and most of the dirt flooded out. Oops.

Bush Beans/Green Beans.
The little round plant in front of the beans is a House Plant clipping Momma gave me. He is doing well. :)

Daisy!!!! 

I checked on my "friends" this morning and noticed that my beans look a little Burnt?!. Is there anyone out there who can help me with this problem? I water my plants in the mornings when needed. And they get morning sun. We have a South facing apartment, and the kitchen/back porch face east while the living room faces the west. So my plants get part sun. It has been warm and humid here. I think mid 80's so far. But is there a way to fix my bean plants?

Feel free to comment if you have any ideas or advice on what to do about my poor little beans.


 I hope you are having a wonderful day. I am so far. We just got back from a trip back home for my dear friends wedding. It was beautiful. Out doors at Fort Ancient, the bride (my friend) was barefoot, vegan, Wonderful!!

Me and the Lovely Bride!!! (Photo Bombed by the Groom)

 As we where home, daddy and Chris took a look at the car, it was making a grinding noise. So they took off all the tires to check the breaks, and low and behold, the rear tire break drum was broke. We drove 500+ miles with a broken break! So it got fixed. As the "boys" were working on the car, I helped Momma and my little sister work in the garden and around the house.

Fixing the Breaks.

I hear Clucking.....

New Laying Hens for Momma and Alli. :)

Patches getting her Vit. D.

Momma, Bynx, Me

Well that's about it. You never really know what will happen/be going on when you go home for a visit. But it's always a good visit.

 Have a wonderful, blessed day.

  ~*Arielle*Caitlynn*~

Freezer Cooking

Well I did my freezer cooking. It was a long, wonderful day.
I had music turned up, I was rockin a cute outfit, had my list of to do's. I did pretty good.
 I started at about 12 pm. And didn't stop until about 6 pm. Now it wasn't a full 6 hours of cooking. I had to stop to eat, let some things cook for a bit, then cool. Then freeze a bit before I could wrap them and put them in freezer bags so they wouldn't stick to each other. But I had fun.
 I had Pinterest pages pulled up and ready, I had my cook books out. And I had my phone ready to call Mom if ever I needed to ask for help. :)

 So what did I make?
Well I made 24 Bean and Rice Burritos, 20 Sausage, Egg and Cheese Bagel Sandwiches, 26 Twice Baked Potatoes (13 whole potatoes cut in half) 8 Bean and Rice Enchiladas for dinner, and 24 Pizza Cupcakes.
 I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but it was alot of baking time. And a lot of dishes too.

So...

 Bean and Rice Burritos,

You can either make your own black bean, re-fried beans, or buy them canned, I got mine canned at Kroger on sale, 4 for $5. and I used 2 cans for the freezer batch and 1 can for dinner. Also the enchilada sauce I used for dinner was 4 for $5 so I added that to my cart.
 I heated up the Beans in the Microwave, added some salsa, a can momma gave me that she made and canned, and stirred it up. Then I cooked some brown rice on the stove, a gal. bag momma gave me. :)
 After the rice was cooked and cooled, I laid out the tortillas on the table, spread the beans and rice on them, rolled them up, and set them in a large brownie pan that was lined with parchment paper to keep them from sticking and from having to use oil spray and wash the pan after. Then when the pan was full, two layers, I stuck the pan in the freezer. (Wrap after they freeze a bit.)

 Then I went onto...

Breakfast!

 I found a way to make boiled eggs in the oven, also how to crack an egg in a muffin tin to make egg muffins for breakfast sandwiches. Well, I cracked 12 eggs into a bowl, and whisked them up and added about 1/4 Cup of Milk. Then I got a glass baking dish and oiled it, Poured the eggs into the dish and baked at 350* for about 10-15 mins. WONDERFUL!! Way better than trying to make eggs to shape in a skillet and having to stand over top and adjusting the temperature. All I had to do was peek in when the timer went off about half way through then let it cool and cut the eggs into 20 squares. :)

 While the eggs were cooking, I got the sausage ready. I have a square muffin tin, I think it's for brownies and such, but this worked too, and smushed the sausage into the bottoms of the tin. Then I baked them too!! SO EASY! 350* about 10-15 mins.

 As the sausage and eggs were cooking/cooling I got the bagels going in the bread machine.
I used the recipe mom gave me, and about 1 hour later, I was slicing the bagels open and putting the egg, sausage, and cheese on them! I wrapped each one and put in a freezer bag. Breakfast ready to go. Pre-cooked so you can lay it out in the fridge over night, and eat it cold if you like. Or put in a lunch box. :)

 As all that was cooking, baking, freezing, cooling, I was smashing the,

Twice Baked Potatoes.

 The day before I put the potatoes in the crock pot. Cooked on Low for about 6 hours, some got a little too done but were still good.
 Then I cut them all in half, scooped out the insides, and added some sour cream, cheese and butter and whipped it up with a mixer. Then I put the insides back in the potatoes laid them out on a baking sheet lined with paper, and stuck them in the freezer. You don't have to bake them again if you don't want too. I didn't because they were baked to done the first time, so I didn't worry about. After they froze a bit, I wrapped each one and stuck them in a freezer bag.

 So now we have some good, lunches/snacks/breakfast.

 I want to make some good dinners, so Crock Pot Bags are next. I need to get some more veggies at the store to finish those and do some more research on how to make pasta in the crock pot alone with chicken/beef/veggies. So come back later and I'll have some recipes for those too.

 Also, sorry I didn't take very many photos. I never really think about it until I'm covered with yuck or my camera is dead. I'll do better next time. :)

 Until Then,

Many Blessings,
 ~*Arielle*Caitlynn*~

My Mom...

 My mom,
What can I say. She is the best. She raised Three Girls, some goats, cats, horses, and a hand full of chickens. She babysits her grandchildren, all the while working, and keeping the homestead going.

 She Home Schooled for all grades, and is still teaching us well into our adulthood.

I love my mom. She is the Proverbs 31 woman all of us women should strive to be. She cared for us and still is. Not a day goes by that momma doesn't call/text/or skype to make sure I am ok and well. She cooks, cleans, loves, dreams, knits, sews, crochets, teaches, supports, prays, but most of all, she is just who she is. She showed us girls how to Live in this world. How to take care of our selves, but also have fun doing so. With out my momma I would not be where I am today, with out her encouragement, I would not be able to follow my dreams. She is My Mom. I'm so Thankful and so Blessed, that God has Given Me to Her and Her to Me. He really knew what He was doing. :)


I Love You Mom, Happy Mothers Day.

Proverbs 31 10-31
10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
    She is more precious than rubies.
11 Her husband can trust her,
    and she will greatly enrich his life.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.
13 She finds wool and flax
    and busily spins it.
14 She is like a merchant’s ship,
    bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
    and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.
16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
    with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She is energetic and strong,
    a hard worker.
18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
    her lamp burns late into the night.
19 Her hands are busy spinning thread,
    her fingers twisting fiber.
20 She extends a helping hand to the poor
    and opens her arms to the needy.
21 She has no fear of winter for her household,
    for everyone has warm[b] clothes.
22 She makes her own bedspreads.
    She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
23 Her husband is well known at the city gates,
    where he sits with the other civic leaders.
24 She makes belted linen garments
    and sashes to sell to the merchants.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,
    and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
    and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household
    and suffers nothing from laziness.
28 Her children stand and bless her.
    Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
    but you surpass them all!”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
    but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
    Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

Freezer Cooking....

Married for 1 year 10 months and 20 days, I'm still trying to figure out a good grocery budget for me and my husband. He needs lunch at work, then a good dinner after. I eat after work, and then just snack the rest of the day. My husband eats A LOT! He is like a bottomless pit, like he has never had a meal before and will never have one again. I kind of get at him about eating like that, but like always, it goes in one ear and out the other. ;)

 Well, sense we moved money has been a bit tighter than normal. So I'm trying to stock up and some freezer meals. Just small ones that have a lot in them to keep my vacuum cleaner satisfied.

 I found some good ideas on pinterest, and of course, Momma!! (Freezer Cooking, Happy To Be Home)

So this week I'm going to try to make a bunch of meals and snacks for the freezer, I went shopping yesterday and got $100. worth of food. Now momma said that on a website she found a family lives on $100. per person, per week. Now... as much as I love that idea, I think here it will have to be $200. per person, per week. Haha.

 I got alot of frozen vegetables, and cheese, and butter. And, soft tortillas. Have you seen the commercials for the new Taco Bell breakfast with the egg, sausage and cheese burritos? Well i want to make lots of those. Also just regular burritos. I'll make some mini pizzas, mini meat loafs, chicken pot pies, Lots of mini stuff. Stuff that will fit in a lunch box, heat up in the microwave, and can be eaten in a hurry.

 I've made stuff like this before, and it was fun and made me feel good to open the freezer and see all these meals just waiting. I also want to make some crock pot meals. Chicken and rice, soups, stews, pasta, all of it!!

 Well, sense I haven't started cooking yet, that's tonight and the rest of the week, Here are some ideas I found on pinterest that will be my starting point.

easy breakfast bake

Pizza Cup Cakes

Chicken Pot Pie Cup Cakes

Creamy Veggie Soup

Baked Eggs for Breakfast Sandwiches

Pretzels

Hamburger and Hotdog Buns

Mini Meat Loaf

Breakfast Quesadilla

Breakfast Bowls.

And Many Many More!!!

Many Blessings,

 ~*Arielle Caitlynn*~