So sorry I haven't checked in for a while.  We keep getting colds around here.  Something else happened, too.  I will share about that later.

Today I wanted to tell you about my grocery savings at Albertsons yesterday.

I bought 40 items.  The total before coupons was 163.50.  The total after coupons was 85.75.

How cool is that?

How do you save money on groceries?  I am challenging myself to save as much money as possible at the store, while still trying to eat in a healthful way.  I would love to hear how other homeschool moms keep food in their houses on a budget.  It seems like all my children do is eat!

Miss Kris

Here are a few raw foods recipes I've created in the past few weeks.  They are both good.  The beans in the salad are obviously not raw, but we're not doing 100% raw and the beans make the salad nice and filling.

Banana Carob Shake - Raw

Description:
We've gone raw at our house for a bit and I made up this recipe to keep the chocolate cravings at bay.   Now it's hard to get some for myself -everyone wants it.   Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Place in Blender:

2 Bananas
1 Large Glass of Chipped Ice (I get it from my frig icemaker)
1/8 to 1/4 C. Coconut Water (or water)
2 teaspoons Coconut Oil (optional)
2 Tablespoons Raw Honey
4 Heaping Tablespoons Carob Powder


Directions:
Blend, serve and enjoy. Good and good for you.

Number Of Servings:2 Lg. or 4 Small

Preparation Time:FAST

Mexican Salad - Raw

Description:
Here's another recipe for a (mostly) raw salad that is a meal itself served with fruit, the shake above, etc.

Ingredients:
1 Large Head of Romaine (or 1 bag of Romaine)
1 Large Avocado, cubed
1 English Cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced into half moons. (Seed it if you want)
1/2 Sweet Red Onion, sliced thin
1 15oz. Can Black Olives, each halved lengthwise
1 15 oz. Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 Bunch Fresh Cilantro, chopped
1/2 C. Salsa, raw or jarred

Directions:
Arrange attractively in bowl with salsa on top.   Toss just before serving.

Number Of Servings:2 Very Large   Full Course Salads or a Family as Side Dish

Preparation Time:10-15 minutes

Here's the list of what we're baking for Christmas.  But it could and probably will be tweaked/changed before it's all over!

Cranberry Almond Biscotti

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies - Done

Chocolate Chip Cookies - Done

Fudge - Done

Persimmon Bread

Banana Berry Bread - Done

Frosted Sugar Cookies

Almond Spritz

Mom's says she's making fruitcake.  Last year I made Almond Butter Cookies with Almond Kisses on them and they were good.  This year, I'm just using what I've got and not buying anything special.  But I will make those again sometime.  Daughter and I will be making Persimmon Jam tonight.

We were given a whole bunch of Persimmons and I pureed them this morning for baking and jam.  I have never had Persimmon Jam, but we are really low on jam right now, so that's what I'm making.  I hope everyone likes it!

Until next time, Miss Kris

Well, I've been making jam since Saturday night, on and off.  I made some Cranberry Orange, Raspberry and then some Grape jelly.

I'm finally using the berries I bought last summer and put in my freezer.  They are so good!  But, I discovered we had eaten and baked with more of them than I thought.  When I went in to the big freezer to get some out, I was surprised at how much we already used.  I bought several flats, so we have consumed a lot of berries.

I often wonder what it will be like to feed all of my boys when they are teenagers, and keep them fed.  I hope I am up for the task!

Jam I plan to make within the next fews weeks: Plum, Blueberry, Fig and more Cranberry.

Okay, so I've made two batches of jam and have not even made a dent!  I hope I can get this stuff done.  I guess I could freeze the chopped up plums if I can't get to them all today?

I need to go concentrate more on some laundry right now and cut out that shirt, but then I may go back to doing some jam after I wash up all my equipment for a second run.

Whew!

It's all done!  Yay!  We have some wonderful things to eat this year.  Many of them are new recipes I found at www.allrecipes.com.  I don't usually like to try a lot of new recipes when I'm having folks over, but the ratings were really good on all of them, and I can't find some of my standby recipes.  I seem to have misplaced them.  I guess it's been that long since I've baked something.  I try not to do much baking anymore because then I eat it.

Today, I made the Almond Blossom Cookies (with almond Kisses) and the lemon bars.  Daughter made the Milky Way Surprises.  I had meant to make sugar cookies and frost them, but I think we will do that as a family on Christmas Eve, instead.  It'll be fun for the children.

Well, I must be off and put the kitchen to rights.  Then we just have some picking up and vacuuming to do and that should be it.  I really don't think anyone is going to come to our Open House tomorrow.  I'm just getting that feeling.  But who knows?  We better clean anyway.  Hehehe.  I feel more like a nap, though.

Chief had his first vet appointment this morning and he looks good.  Had to get a vaccination and he didn't seem to notice it.  He's a good dog.  We're just trying to figure him out, still.  Kind of like a newborn baby.  Hmmm...

Have a wonderful weekend.

Miss Kris

We're having our company Christmas party here on Sunday afternoon.  So we will be pretty busy this week with baking and getting ready for that.  Just wanted to check in and let you know I have not dropped off the face of the earth, but will be spending considerable time preparing food that I cannot personally eat!

Will try to post later to let you know what I'm making.  For now, I have to finish some outside decorating and get to our schoolwork.

Kris

I'm not dressed, yet, but things are running along smoothly.  The children are cooperating, PTL!

Our revised menu for the big Thanksgiving Dinner is here:

Turkey

Mashed Potatoes

Gravy

My Mom's Stuffing

Coleslaw (A tradition in our family since I was a kid.  Ours is not a sweet slaw.)

Heavenly Hash (We call it Heather Hash after my sister.  Mom added this at the last minute as a request from my Dad.  It has been a tradition since I was a kid, too.)

Cranberry Apple Gelatin Mold (a new recipe from www.allrecipes.com)

Green Beans

Sweet Potatoes

Sour Cream Apple Crumb Kuchen (I made this one Thanksgiving before.  Beloved does not like pumpkin at all and no one else cares if we have any.  This is a German type dessert and is in honor of my Beloved's Austrian roots.)

King's Hawaiian Rolls (Another tradition in our family.  Now that I know that some of my ancestors once resided in Hawaii, I can say this is in honor of them.  It's a stretch, I know. Smile)

Hope I didn't forget anything.

For tonight's dinner, Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes & Turkey Ham, Tossed Salad, Applesauce.

Bon Apetit!

Here are a few good recipe sites that might in planning your Thanksgiving:

For quantity cooking http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/quantity/

For all recipes, go to www.allrecipes.com

Crockpot recipes http://saraskitchen.faithweb.com/index4.html

Visit Crystal's website at www.thefamilyhomestead.com for good and healthy recipes.

Frugal recipes http://www.betterbudgeting.com/frugalrecipelist.htm

Camping recipes http://www.lovetheoutdoors.com/camping/Recipes.htm

Go to the www.hillbillyhousewife.com for very cool and different recipes that are frugal.  Try the frosty recipe and be sure not to leave anything out.  It's great!

Have fun in the kitchen, Kris

Well, one of two buckets of apples is processed and in the freezer in the form of pie filling.  I already had so much store bought applesauce in the pantry, that I didn't see the need to make more of that.  It is taking me miserably long to get these apples done.  They were picked on Saturday.  I located my apple peeler/corer, but have no surface to clamp it to.  It will not fit on anything.  Everything is standard1-1/2" tall and it just won't fit. So I am doing everything by hand with my two oldest helping me.

We took today off from school, because we had firewood to stack and the apples to deal with.  I think I will wait for tomorrow to finish the apples unless we all get more energy and baby lets us work on them.  We just got the sticky mess cleaned up in the kitchen.  And now we may do some language arts since it's only noon.

Anyone with suggestions of what to clamp my peeler/corer to next year?  I think we will process the apples outside next year as a family.  I am already planning how to get this more efficient.  At this point I am just trying to get it done this year so they don't go to waste.  I just couldn't get to it earlier in the week, because of some other things I had to do.

So I have bags of pie filling in the freezer -enough for four deep dish apple pies.  The other bucket is fuller, so we may get more than four more bags out of that.  I'm not sure about drying the apples, since I haven't bought the trays for dehydrating in my oven.  I'm not sure I want to buy those this year.  Maybe I will grate some of the apples in my Cuisinart to freeze for use in quick breads.  Hmmm....

My pantry is now full and organized after last weeks trip to Winco.  I just need to order some things from the food coop and make some more jam.  I have plums and peaches in the frig.  I know I'm pushing it trying to get all this stuff done with a young baby in the house.  But I also know I will be so glad I did it this winter when my larder is full and I don't have to go to the store every few days.  It's a good feeling to be prepared ahead of time and I can relax when "harvest time" is over.

I finally finished binding the quilt I was working on, so I will wash it to get the sewing pen ink out of it and wrap it up to give to my friend.  I am planning to make my daughter some jumpers from denim (which I already have) and some corduroy for this fall and winter and I still have the pj's I've been working on.  I also have a really cute apron I have started for myself.  It is made from fun and flashy sewing themed fabric.  It will be my sewing apron.  I love it!

I've noticed a huge interest in vintage and retro aprons locally and online.  They are selling them locally for $49.95.  Wow.  They are really darling but that is a lot of money for an apron.  I have wanted to make myself some aprons because I actually do use one.  I have used the same apron for years now.  It is blue and says Vitamin Cottage on it.  Hehehe.  My sister used to work at Vitamin Cottage in Colorado and I still use my apron she gave me from there.  Well, I have "grown" since I first got it and it is looking worn, so I really would like to make myself a few pretty aprons for different tasks around the house.  I will try to figure out how to post photos and I will show you how it looks when I'm finished with it.

Good day!