5 Ingredient Peanut Butter Chocolate Pie

 

Just starting out

Ingredient List:
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1 8 oz container of whipped topping
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
4 oz (1/2 block) cream cheese

Spreading melted chocolate

AND

of course. 1 graham cracker crust.








*Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, stopping to stir every 20 seconds or so

-spread 3/4 of the melted chocolate on the bottom of the graham cracker crust

Mixing the filling...

*Soften the cream cheese and peanut butter in the microwave (think warm, gooey, but not hot)

*Mix the peanut butter, whipped topping, sweetened condensed milk, and cream cheese in a bowl until smooth

Swirled chocolate

*Pour into graham cracker crust

*Swirl the remaining chocolate on the top of the pie

*Add Reese's mini peanut butter cups to garnish if you so choose

*Throw this bad boy in the freezer for at least 1 hour and pull out 10-15 minutes before you want to dig in. (Note: Because there will be a layer of solid chocolate at the bottom, cutting it will take a little bit of force.)

Makes a creamy, crazy-satisfying dessert. After all, if you are going to splurge your calories, why not make it something that will actually satisfy your sweet tooth?

***If you prefer to make your crust from scratch, rather than use a ready-made one from the store, just follow the simple instructions in this 2-minute video. Making a Graham Cracker Crust

Perfect Christmas Caramels

 I know it's been a hot minute since I posted here, but seeing as I have added some years of wisdom to my baking and cooking since I last posted, I thought I ought to share some of my best successes with y'all.

Recipe first, details later (because I know we all hate the infinite scroll recipes)

PLEASE READ ENTIRELY BEFORE MAKING CARAMELS FOR YOUR BEST SHOT AT SUCCESS

this recipe makes about 2.5 pounds of caramels, but you are welcome to half it if you want

*4 sticks of butter cut in half

*1 bag of 2 lb brown sugar (or 4 1/4 cups of packed brown sugar and I've used white sugar when I'm out of brown sugar and the caramels are just slightly less deep in flavor) 

*1 teaspoon of salt (if you like the 'salted caramel' flavor, otherwise, reduce to 1/2 tsp)

*1 1/2 cups of corn syrup (can do two parts dark to one part light or all light corn syrup for a lighter flavor)

*2 cups evaporated milk

*2 tb vanilla (Mexican vanilla if you can get it)

I'm gonna break down the methodology, because this is where you will sink or swim.

PRE-STEP- grease two large cookie sheet with sides with oil

ONE- add the butter, sugar, salt, and corn syrup to a heavy bottomed pan (like a stock pot) AND THEN turn the heat to medium high, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon

TWO- have several small bowls of cold water in your fridge for testing

THREE- stirring constantly, wait for everything to melt together and start to bubble

FOUR- use a pastry brush to wash down the sides of the pan (that means getting a pastry brush wet and then basically painting the sides of the pan where little sugar crystals may be so that they don't end up messing your caramels up later-when you are done with this process, there should be nothing on the sides of the pan). Repeat this step every five mintues or so

FIVE- check your caramels every few minutes by taking a spoon of the caramel syrup out and pouring it into  a dish of cold water

SIX- when the caramel in the cold water is at a soft, chewy stage where it easily rolls into a soft ball, ADD THE EVAPORATED MILK SLOWLY

SEVEN- stir constantly, wash down sides of pan, and test the caramels every few minutes in the cold water until they feel soft but not sticky. Feel free to throw a sample or two in your mouth to see if you like the texture

EIGHT- once the caramels in the cold water are the texture you want, remove from heat and add the vanilla

NINE- pour the caramels into the prepared cookie sheets. DON'T SCRAPE THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN- just pour them into the cookie sheet and whatever sticks to the pan sticks to the pan- don't try to use it because it can mess with your final product

TEN- let the caramels cool for 10 minutes, score lightly, wait another 4 hours or so, then you can cut them up and wrap them in wax paper or parchment paper pieces

Here's some bubbling caramels, complete with wooden spoon for stirring, water for testing, and pastry brush for washing down the sides

I've got to say, writing it all out, it seems more complicated than when I'm actually making it- but all those little notes are what will help you to get amazing results. I wish you could just come over and I could show you step by step in person, but in lieu of that, I hope you got enough details from here. Nice part about this method is that it doesn't require a candy thermometer. I wish you luck!

Corona Cop

Shared from the YouTube channel Spanish with a Farmer, please enjoy Corona Cop!

Go JORD or Go Home- It's Fall!

 I received a Jord watch in order to share my opinion about their products. All opinions contained herein are my own.

My new watch, just asking to be worn

North Texas. My home. Typically, this evokes images of heat, eternal summer, and humidity. But today, all that changed!

With a single storm sweeping in, temperatures plummeted from a balmy 90 to 40 in virtually minutes. What does that mean for me? It means that today, in spite of the Halloween decor I've had up for weeks, it is our FIRST official fall day in the Talley household- simply because it feels like fall. FINALLY.

Just shouts 'autumn!'

Now that it's fall, my wardrobe changes almost instantly. I pull out my sweaters, lovingly touching their soft knits that I have been so missing, find my favorite fleece leggings, and start evaluating what accessories call out 'autumn is here!'

And today? That meant my new Jord watch (pronounced YODE- it's Norse!). I received my watch a week or so ago, took it out and marveled at its inherent beauty. I chose a Cora Polaris watch, which has a Swarovski crystal and a constellation design, so that every time I look at the watch, I can see the Big Dipper on my watch, pointing me North.

My hand-stitched quilt

This particular design spoke to me because of an experience I had several years ago. Pregnant with my second child, I wanted to hand stitch a quilt of my own design, something that would mean something to my future offspring. Now, because I chose to hand stitch it, this quilt wasn't finished until my third child came- but I digress. I created a modified compass rose, with the hopes that it would remind my child to always know who they are (my beloved child) and where they are headed. For, if you can always find North, you're never lost, right? Naturally, when I saw this beautiful watch with its constellation design, I knew it was for me.

I'll be honest... I made myself two cups of cocoa!

So, with a chilly breeze, light rain, and a deep desire to make hot cocoa, I put my watch on for the first time. I'm not a watch designer. I have many talents- but watch design isn't one of them. If I COULD make a watch, though- I feel like this is what I would have created. I feel like Jord took everything that I loved and put it into a single product. Sustainable woods. Classic (and classy!) rose gold. Something meaningful. A timeless design that I can wear with almost anything. I don't like to purchase a lot of cheap, brassy jewelry. I'd rather spend a little more on something
long lasting that I can wear for years. And Jord has delivered on that for me.

If you have any interest in your own Jord product- check them out here! If, however, you'd like to spin your wheel of chance, feel free to enter our FREE product giveaway! Enter HERE! to win a FREE Jord watch band that fits an Apple watch!

Wooden Wrist Watch

5-Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Just starting out

Perfect for a fall treat!

This week, find yourself in a rich, creamy, peanut buttery chocolate heaven. Reminiscent of T.G.I. Friday's peanut butter pie, this dessert takes just a few minutes to prep and a freezer.

Ingredient List:
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips
1 8 oz container of whipped topping
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
4 oz (1/2 block) cream cheese

Spreading melted chocolate

AND

of course. 1 graham cracker crust.




*Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, stopping to stir every 20 seconds or so

-spread 3/4 of the melted chocolate on the bottom of the graham cracker crust

Mixing the filling...

*Soften the cream cheese and peanut butter in the microwave (think warm, gooey, but not hot)

*Mix the peanut butter, whipped topping, sweetened condensed milk, and cream cheese in a bowl until smooth

Swirled chocolate

*Pour into graham cracker crust

*Swirl the remaining chocolate on the top of the pie

*Add Reese's mini peanut butter cups to garnish if you so choose

*Throw this bad boy in the freezer for at least 1 hour and pull out 10-15 minutes before you want to dig in. (Note: Because there will be a layer of solid chocolate at the bottom, cutting it will take a little bit of force.)

Makes a creamy, crazy-satisfying dessert. After all, if you are going to splurge your calories, why not make it something that will actually satisfy your sweet tooth?

***If you prefer to make your crust from scratch, rather than use a ready-made one from the store, just follow the simple instructions in this 2-minute video. Making a Graham Cracker Crust

How to Keep Your Lettuce Fresh Longer

This is a tip shared with me by a dear friend of mine (you know who you are!) on how to keep your lettuce fresh for weeks at a time. Simple and effective. What more do you need?

Simply line a plastic container with aluminum foil, put your lettuce inside, cover the top of the container with aluminum foil, and finish it by putting the container's lid on.

Shazam.

Keeps your lettuce fresh in the fridge far longer than just a plastic baggie or zip container.

Looking for MORE ways to use aluminum foil? Check out Top 10 Uses for Aluminum Foil!

Perfect Hamburger Patties Using Mason Jar Lid

Can you EVER have too many ideas for your mason jars?

Maybe.

But what about mason jar LIDS?

Well, how about using a mason jar lid for perfect hamburger patties? Use the regular size for small patties, like burger sliders, and wide mouth lids for larger patties. Just make sure that the lid is clean, then form the patty by pressing it into the mason jar lid form and then removing it. Boom.

Perfect patties that will cook evenly and all be finished at the same time- no unevenly cooked patties this way.

To the Death of Mom Guilt

I might just lose my temper here. This topic gets me so fired up, I have a hard time controlling my tone when I talk about it and even when I think about it, I feel my blood start to boil.

Mom Guilt.

Our society is a perfect storm for mothers. And I mean the literal definition, "a particularly violent storm arising from a rare combination of adverse....factors".

Now, I believe that all mothers have struggled with different issues over the course of humanity, but our current society has a rare combination of adverse factors, which work against motherhood, to make it seem impossible to be a 'good' mother.

It makes me furious. The number of good, caring, loving women who constantly ask themselves, "Am I enough?", only to answer themselves 'No....' I just can't handle it. Too many good women have guilted and shamed themselves into a corner of frustration where they feel there is no way out.

And if you're a mother? I don't have to tell you this. You already know it. You've felt it. Your kids had too much screen time yesterday.... You shouted at your kids for not listening..... You slept in..... Breakfast was a handful of sugary cereal and a donut.... Just examples, here. What causes shame is different for each mother. Whatever it was that that made you feel guilty, as if you had somehow wronged your child(ren), you've felt the shame and unavoidable guilt after any of these scenarios or others like them.

But.

It doesn't have to be unavoidable.

Let me talk to you a bit about Satan.

Satan, the great deceiver, WANTS you to fail in your pursuits in motherhood. Wants, so badly, for you to hate yourself for your weaknesses. So, he takes a very crucial part of personal improvement and twists it.

That improvement?

Contrition.

Contrition is when you've done wrong, feel badly, and want to change for the better. It's motivating. It can be hurtful, but it results in positive changes in your life.

Guilt is when you've done wrong and feel badly. The end.

God wants you to feel contrition. To feel badly about something but also uplifted to improve. Not to do impossible things. Just a few, small things.

Satan's twist, guilt, is where you feel sick and awful and terrible and there are a million things you've done wrong and you'll never be enough.

So, let's talk about how to make that unavoidable guilt actually AVOIDABLE.

When you start to feel badly about something as a mother, stop and ask yourself:

Is this contrition? Or guilt?

If it's contrition, you still have a bad feeling about what you've done, but along with it comes a motivating desire to change. And you'll feel it sometimes. Not every day. About manageable things. That you CAN change and control. God doesn't ask any of us to change 3,495 things in our lives at once. Just one or two.

And if it's guilt? You'll feel awful. Which will lead to feeling worse. And somehow, you'll remember 3,495 other things that you are somehow failing at and want to curl up in a ball and give up.

God can still use imperfect tools to be wonderful mothers. He only asks that we be willing.

Slow improvements. That's where contrition leads.

This is very different from guilt, where we somehow expect perfection of ourselves.

I get it. I understand. Our children are wonderful, good, perfectly innocent (at times!) babes that we love so dearly that we don't want to short-change them in any way. But guilt will never lead me to be the mom I dream of being and it won't lead you there, either.

The bottom line?

If your children are safe, if they know they are loved, and if you are working to improve in those one or two areas where you have felt contrition....

That's it. You're a good mom. You don't need to feel guilt. I'll repeat. That's IT. You are a good mom.

So, please, for my own blood pressure's sake. Take a DEEEEEEEEEEP breath, tell yourself that you ARE a good mother, your children ARE lucky to have you and you will just so NO to mom guilt!

Please. Don't suffer for the sake of suffering. See mom guilt for what it is- a counterfeit from Satan- and see yourself for who you really are, not the warped sense you'll get from Satan's tricks.

ET's Sushi Recipes

I have taught many a sushi class, both formally and informally, and am frequently asked for my recipes. I usually e-mail them out or make physical copies to pass out, but decided that these may be less than convenient. I decided to,  finally, compile a list of my recipes and rolls online for easier access. Friends and family, enjoy!

Sushi Rice (makes about four rolls of sushi)
2 cups of short grain rice (common brands include Nishiki and Botan)
2 Tb rice vinegar (I recommend Nakano brand)
2 Tb sugar
1 Tb salt

TWO options to make this.

First Option: Put the rice vinegar, salt, sugar, and rice into your rice cooker along with the required amount of water and just press the button. You're done!

Second Option (mostly for those without rice cookers): Steam your rice, then combine the rice vinegar, salt, and sugar into a small bowl. Microwave, stirring frequently, until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour this mixture over your steamed rice and mix well.

*HINTS*Allow rice to cool to around room temperature (slightly warmer is fine). If you are in a hurry, you can use your fridge/freezer to speed the process, just be sure to stir your rice often.

Eel Sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar (I recommend Nakano brand)
1/2 cup soy sauce (I HIGHLY recommend Kikkoman- store brands are crap)
1/2 cup sugar

Combine the ingredients over high heat until boiling. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low until the sauce thickens, usually 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool before using.

*HINTS* Put cooled eel sauce into a Ziploc baggie and cut a small corner off, allowing you to pour it on your sushi rolls more beautifully.

Spicy Mayo
3 Tb mayo (NOT Miracle Whip- save yourself!)
2 Tb Sriracha sauce
2 Tb sugar

Combine the ingredients. The end.

*HINTS* Put the spicy mayo into a Ziploc baggie and cut a small corner off, allowing you to pour it on your sushi rolls more beautifully.

Tempura Batter
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup corn starch
1 1/2 cup COLD club soda
dash of salt

Mix the dry ingredients, then add the club soda. Mix just until combined without large lumps. Add more club soda if necessary to get to the desired consistency.

*HINTS* When you put your finger into the batter, a thin coating of tempura batter should cling to your finger- you should be able to see your finger through the batter, but there should be batter clinging to your finger.

COMMON SUSHI ROLL COMBINATIONS
California Roll
Crab, cream cheese, cucumber, avocado

Kappa Maki
Cucumber

Rainbow Roll
Inside out California roll, topped with any combination of crab, shrimp, salmon, cream cheese, avocado, or other fish- just have at least three varieties. Option of using spicy mayo and/or eel sauce on top.

Philadelphia Roll
Salmon, cream cheese, avocado. Option of using eel sauce on top.

Veggie Roll
Cucumber, green onion, avocado, cucumber (with the option to make the roll an inside out roll and roll it into extra green onions)

Caterpillar Roll
Inside out California roll, topped with avocado. Option of using spicy mayo and/or eel sauce on top.

Spicy California
Crab, cream cheese, cucumber, avocado, and Sriracha sauce inside of the roll, topped with spicy mayo and extra Sriracha

Any roll can be made a tempura-fried roll as long as it is first made with the seaweed on the outside of the roll (inside out rolls do not fare well during frying). Veggie rolls aren't great for tempura frying, however.

Am I A Good Mother? A Real Answer

In a way seldom understood by even ourselves, we question who we are as mothers and whether or not we measure up.

To what?

We ourselves are not always sure. Society's expectations? Our mothers'? Our mother-in-laws'? Our husbands'? Our own?

You may find yourself trying to tick items off a list, looking for some kind of proof that you do, indeed, measure up. 'Am I patient? Am I kind? Do I read with them? Do I shout? Do I shout too often? Do I not discipline enough? Do I discipline too harshly?' The lists go round and round, always seeming to be longer the next time we review them.

But they all boil down to this: Am I A Good Mother?

I propose a long-sought after answer to this simple, yet humbling question, by answering the following three questions.

Ask yourself:

(for children around 12 and under)

1- Are my children safe? Physically, mentally, sexually, emotionally, etc.?

2- Do my children know they are loved?

3- Am I working to improve myself in 1-2 areas?


If you can answer yes to these, I say that you are. You are a good mother. There are many different lifestyles. One may shun the television, another may revel in its warm light for hours. One may enjoy McDonald's once a year, the other, far more frequently. One may read to their child for an hour a day. Another may not make it around to it. Choosing a different lifestyle, so long as it does not compromise your children's safety (McDonald's every meal, every day, for example, would be detrimental to their physical health) is merely a detail in their life and yours, not the definition of being a good mother.

We cannot be perfect in this life. Alas and alack. Would be that I could do everything right as a mother. But I can't. Nor can you. But you CAN work to improve, wherever you need to, bit by bit. That is all you can do and all that can be reasonably expected of you.

Ask yourself:

(for children around 12 and over)

1- Have I done all I can reasonably do to keep my children safe AND teach them to be safe themselves?

2- Have I done all I reasonably can to show love to them?

3- Am I working to improve myself in 1-2 areas?

The questions change slightly as your child matures, simply because we learn that we cannot control as much as we might like to. Children from good homes with good, loving upbringings can still make bad choices, things that cause them to be unsafe or feel unloved. This is something easily understood on paper but difficult to make your heart believe when you experience it. A child who strays, a child who deliberately chooses to endanger themselves, doesn't make you, their mother, bad or unworthy. If you can still answer yes to those three questions above, you are a good mom.

You can hear it from multiple sources, but until you yourself can believe that you are good at what you do, you shortchange yourself and your children. Have confidence. Be perfectly imperfect and still be just what your children need you to be.

Heavy the head that wears the crown. As queen of your own kingdom of children, you bear many responsibilities and all too often, useless guilt. Let that go. Believe that you can be, will be, and are a good mother.

Kid-Friendly Christmas Decor

I have a hand-painted, ceramic nativity set that my grandmother made herself when she owned her own ceramics shop. Every year when I pull it out, I take a little stroll down memory lane... And then I'm sure to place it on display where my kids are unlikely to ever reach or touch it.


However.

What's the fun in that for your kids? Just one more thing they can look at but not touch? Christmas decorations are so fun, but most are very, lets say, best left along by chubby, tiny hands. I've loved Christmas my whole life, but now, as a mother with young kids, Christmas seems to take on an extra special meaning. I want to build fun memories and traditions with my kids that they can cherish their whole life through. (Let's be honest, though, that's basically every mom with young kids, right??)

Well, combine the desire to decorate for Christmas with the desire to build fun memories and you get- kid friendly Christmas decor! I have a few breakable, irreplaceable heirlooms that I display out of reach, but each year, I set up a kid-friendly display of Christmas decor that can be played with and then put back on display.

Please note the tiny fingers, ready
to wreak havoc on the display.
I love it.

What do I use? Felt elf hats with bells on top. A little metal pail filled with jingle bells. A plastic Nativity set. Christmas books. A sturdy musical snow globe. A small felt Christmas tree with 'gift boxes' filled with ornaments the kids can stick on it. A wooden sign with the word 'LOVE', all attached with double sided Velcro, so the kids can remove the letters and stick them right back on. Fun, hands on toys that can double as decor!


The display gets taken down and put up and scattered and re-set up multiple times, I assure you... But it's just so fun! My kids LOVE to be able to 'decorate' and play with decorations all on their own, with no mommy to come and scream 'don't you dare touch that, child!' I personally love that last part, too- no screaming! Yes, a handful of items are off limits, but the bulk majority (including one Christmas tree that is entirely filled with cheap, plastic bulk-store ornaments) are fun decorations that THEY get to be a part of doing. Over. And over. And over again. Because repetition is a mom's bread and butter, am I right? Merry Christmas!

Furnishing Your Home on a Dime

For many years, it was necessary for me to decorate on a dime. By getting furniture at Goodwill, shopping yard sales, inheriting goods from my parents and above all, by grifting.

Never know what
you'll find at Goodwill...

Grifting. This could well be one of my favorite words. A good friend has grown tired of something and decides, on a whim, to bestow me with it. It's like a gift... except it's used... and it's better than new! Through grifting, I have gotten sofas, chairs, cribs, mattresses, beds, rugs, toys, playhouses, you name it! In fact, if you look through my home carefully, you'll find an assortment of items that have been grifted to me, some as they are, some transformed through paint or new fabric.

As wonderful as it is to spend little to nothing on new decor for my home, it can be difficult to get the style you want without spending ANY money. Luckily for me, a new chapter has opened in my family's life, where I can actually go to the store and buy things I like! Amazing. Makes me feel like Cinderella at the ball to walk into a furniture store and be able to pick out anything I want!

That is, until I see the price tag. Perhaps it is because of my years of being on a tight budget. Perhaps it is my inherent desire to get a bargain. But whatever the cause, I have found it difficult to just waltz into a store and buy something at full price! Goodness forbid!

This is why I am a fan of www.latesthome.co.uk. They give you an assortment of retailers to peruse, as well as the ratings for each company, which is great! But....you see, instead of merely offering a plethora of furniture and appliances all at full price, they have options for the budget-conscious mind (like mine, of course!)  and they make it possible for almost anyone to get the furniture and appliances they need.

• Buy New or Second Hand
• Use a Finance Option: Pay Weekly, Monthly or Pay Later
• Make Use of Sales & Discounts

You can buy something new. At full price. If that fits your fancy. BUT. As a company, they offer second-hand merchandise, something unique with furniture companies (AND bargain saving). Not only that, they allow you several payment methods- right this moment, weekly payments, monthly payments, delayed payments (cause, hey, much as I hate debt, sometimes your fridge goes out and you HAVE to have a functioning one... immediately!) Then, of course, they have sales/discounts.

Bottom line, they have assembled with this company everything you need to make a worthwhile furniture purchase- many companies to select from, ratings included, AND the ability to buy what you need in the way that best suits you and your fam. Which, in the end, is the most you can ask for from any retailer- tailoring your purchase to your unique lifestyle.

(Did I mention they are based out of the UK? AKA, let my inner anglophile rejoice!)

5 Ingredient No-Bake Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

It's simple: I wanted a treat for a peanut butter-loving friend, but had only a few minutes to get said treat together. The answer? A simple, chewy, delicious solution that requires only 5 ingredients.

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup melted peanut butter (microwaved or warmed in a pan on the stove until the consistency of syrup)

* 3 Tb softened butter  (can sub shortening/margarine, but butter tastes mucho better)

* dash salt

* 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

* chocolate kisses

Ideal consistency

Simply combine all four ingredients into a bowl, stir thoroughly with an electric mixer. The dough should be almost crumbly and not sticky. If it feels a bit sticky, add 1/8 cup of powdered sugar. Form into balls. Once formed into balls, press an unwrapped kiss into the middle. Enjoy!

Small cookies on the left,
medium on the right

If you make tiny balls, this recipe will make two dozen cookies. If you go for a medium sized cookie, this recipe makes about 15 cookies. (Check out the photo for medium/small sizes)

French Toast from Leftover Hamburger Buns

I don't like to waste food. This is a fact. My family likes to eat hamburgers and hot dogs. This is another fact. Sadly, my family seldom eats hamburgers OR hot dogs in multiples of eight's, which means we end up with leftover buns that end up getting tossed out.

NO MORE!

Use leftover hot dog/hamburger buns to make french toast!

*They are thicker than traditional bread slices, which makes for thick, deep, delicious french toast.

Fry 'em up

*Have lots of leftovers? Fry them ALL up as french toast and freeze them on a cookie sheet- once fully frozen, pop them into a gallon zipper baggie for easy breakfast or snacks.

*Perfect for stale buns as well!

I know it may sound a bit odd, but it turned out to be some of the best french toast I've ever had!

Cut into chunks and ready for the freezer!
(regular bread french toast on top, hot dog bun toast on bottom)

FRENCH TOAST MIX RECIPE

*5 eggs

*1/2 tsp vanilla

*1/2 cup milk

*1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix all four ingredients until well combined; dip bun into mixture until fully immersed (wet on both sides) and fry on medium high heat in a greased frying pan on both sides until browned.

Enough for 8 buns.

5 Ways to Get Free Money for Christmas

Are you an heiress? Independently wealthy? Yes? Then this article isn't for you. This is for those of us who need to pinch our pennies and make every dollar stretch, especially during the most wonderful time of the year which, incidentally, is also the most wonderfully expensive time of the year. The following are five different ways to get money or gift cards to help stretch your Christmas budget so you can buy presents and surprises for those you love.

SWAG BUCKS
Swag Bucks
OVERVIEW: Get rewarded with 'Swag Bucks' by completing activities, quizzes, trying out new products, and searching the Internet. Redeem these 'Swag Bucks' for gift cards to Amazon, Starbucks, Visa, etc.

PROS: You can get Swag Bucks for doing things you'd likely already be doing or for purchases you'd already be making. Planning on buying some clothes from Kohls? Go through the SB website to get to Kohls and you get Swag Bucks. I've also found quite a few amazing trials of products that I would have been interested in purchasing anyway, but with Swag Bucks, I get a bonus gift card along with it. One Swag Buck is the equivalent of one penny when getting a reward.


CONS: This website is confusing. There are so many offers, so many ways to get rewards, it's difficult to manage. If you aren't careful, you can waste time doing projects and offers that give you almost no Swag Bucks- be selective about which offers your complete.

CONCLUSION: Although you can waste time here, if you are careful not to get overwhelmed, you can really get some savings and get lots of good gift cards.

IBOTTA
Ibotta
OVERVIEW: Ibotta is essentially reverse couponing. Instead of presenting a coupon for a dollar off of a package of diapers, you buy the diapers, come home, scan your receipt, and get a one dollar rebate. Using an app on your phone, you scan the available offers, buy them at the store, then come home and scan your receipt and the product's bar code to get your rebates. The money you save accumulates in your account until you are ready to transfer it to either a PayPal or Venmo account or else a gift card to Amazon, etc.

PROS: You can use a coupon for a product at the store AND get a rebate through Ibotta on it, so it's double the savings. There are rebates for things like milk, eggs, bread, and produce. The offers are always updating and there are hundreds of offers at different stores at any given time.


CONS: It's a bit time consuming. You have to go through the app, select offers and interact with the product information, then scan the bar code AND take a copy of your receipt. It's not a terrible amount of effort, but it does take a bit.

CONCLUSION: I'm a fan. I use Ibotta every week and am able to accumulate a fair amount of money, which I usually use to surprise my husband with, since he doesn't have any idea how much money I have in my Ibotta account. It's my favorite.

BING
Bing
OVERVIEW: Bing is a search engine owned by the Mircosoft. Create an account and use Bing to complete your searches. By doing so, you can get 'Bing Rewards' points, which are redeemable for gift cards and prizes.

PROS: It's simple. You just make sure you are logged into your Microsoft account and then all the web searches you do earn you a certain amount of points.

CONS: It takes a little while to actually get a prize.

CONCLUSION: Honestly? You're gonna be searching the web on your phone/computer every day any way, so why not use Bing and get rewarded for it? I have found I prefer Bing to Google in several aspects anyhow, so using Bing feels like a win-win.

WALMART SAVINGS CATCHER
Savings Catcher
OVERVIEW: Walmart promises that their prices are the lowest. If they aren't, they will give you back the difference in price in the form of a gift card. You use the Walmart app to scan your receipt after you shop, and if a competitor has advertised a cheaper price somewhere else, you get that money back.

PROS: Simple. Just scan your QR code on your receipt as you walk out the door. Whatever you have overpaid goes onto your account, which you can turn into a Walmart gift card whenever you want. No minimum amounts.

CONS: Doesn't work for produce and some more expensive items.

CONCLUSION: No reason not to use it. It's really easy, and if you just scan your receipt each time you go, before you know it, you'll have a pretty sizable amount in your account that you can easily turn into a Christmas surprise.

WALGREENS BALANCE REWARDS
Walgreens Balance Rewards
OVERVIEW: Shop at Walgreens. If you buy selected offers, you get points added to your Balance Rewards account (requires card sign up). 5000 points=$5 Walgreens gift card.

PROS: I've found that many of the selected offers that give me Balance Rewards Points are products that are on sale, have a coupon, and I would normally purchase anyhow, so a little extra bonus makes shopping there extra appealing. You also get a small number of points for every purchase, regardless of what you buy.

CONS: Sometimes the offers are on products I don't want? Maybe you don't like shopping at Walgreens? I don't really have cons for this one.

CONCLUSION: Walgreens is already my pharmacy of choice. I get points for each prescription, plus random purchases I make on diapers and shampoo. Once I get enough for a reward, I find there are more than enough fun things to use them on, as their seasonal selections are surprisingly diverse. Candy, stockings, toys, nail polish.... And all at rather reasonable prices, especially for a drug store.


Bottom line: I use Swab Bucks sometimes, but the rest I use regularly. I'm mostly buying and doing the things I would normally be doing and buying without any incentive, but by following these programs all year, once Christmas rolls around, I have MORE than enough money for gifts, surprises, expensive dinners, and crazy amounts of Amazon shopping. (I'm all about shopping online during my kids' nap time. ) So, it takes a little effort, but when you're on a budget, taking that little bit of effort is entirely worth it.

What if Breastfeeding

I am a run-ragged mother of two toddlers and one tiny, precious nursing baby. She is a very content, happy baby- except when it comes to nursing. She doesn't want to nurse in public. Or in front of her siblings. Or while I hold her. In fact, she won't eat at all, unless I am lying down to feed her. She won't eat if she can tell I'm reading or holding my phone. She won't eat unless I lie there, doing nothing.

Which got me to thinking,

"Man! This is relaxing! I LOVE laying down while I nurse. It's like a mini break or tiny vacation. Like, I can almost take a nap and not even feel guilty!"

Which led to a simple hyptothesis.

What if... we were made to nurse that way? What if..... God knew what an exhausting ordeal childbirth would be. What if He knew mothers would be up all night feeding, swaddling, rocking, and changing their babies, all the while expected to do our normal duties during the day?

Could He, perhaps, have engineered us so that being a mother of an infant comes with built-in breaks? Time so that we could nap and relax in the midst of all of our duties?

Because, like many women I know, I have a hard time taking care of me. My kids? No problem. Husband? Of course! Neighbors? Friends? Acquaintenaces? Random people at the grocery store?? You'd better believe I'm sharing meals, baked goods, babysitting, and being friendly and helping out every person I possibly can. It's easy to make time to help another person.

But myself? Permananet back burner.

And could it be that God, knowing the proclivities of women, knowing our desire to nurture and love, made a way for us to take a break without guilt? Because it's difficult to feel guilty about taking care of your baby.

So what if.... What if those nursing breaks were created to help us, too? Allow us to rest and recharge. Because if I'm nursing laying down, you'd better believe it's not too tough to get a moment or two of shut-eye.

And yes, I know the battle cry that comes from this. "TIME? I don't have time to just lay down every time my baby's hungry! What about my other kids? Other duties? Internet? E-mail? I CAN'T just LAY DOWN and REST while feeding my baby?!"  And perhaps it takes a bit, just a bit, of planning to give yourself a break while feeding your baby.

But maybe, just maybe, God wants us to have  a moment of rest when we feed those little ones. To recharge. To breathe. Nursing or bottle feeding, perhaps He is OK with me napping.

And maybe I should be OK with that, too.

Neglecting Facebook: My Biggest Regret

I stared at my brightly lit smartphone as it made a small halo of light around myself and my nursing infant in the dark surroundings of my 2am feeding. What am I DOING? I thought groggily to myself as I rocked my little one ever so slightly. Enough. Enough is ENOUGH. I was tired of all I had to do, tired of never having time to myself, tired of, well, EVERYTHING. And so I made a decision that I will regret as long as I live:

I turned off my smartphone and turned to look at my baby.

It seemed like an innocent enough decision at first. After all, I already had two rambunctious toddlers running around, a household to keep up, money to make, and a new baby on top of everything else? Surely I could take a break from Facebook and give myself a little more time.

And so my late night feedings consisted of me holding my little one, sometimes stroking her cheek, holding her little fingers, or even just listening to her breathe. She’s only a baby once, I’d tell myself, trying to rationalize skipping Facebook time.  My play time with my toddlers was no longer broken up into chunks of me updating statuses or browsing the fun photos my friends uploaded from their recent trips. Instead, I held my toddlers close, read entire books through, built block towers, and drew my fair share of stick figure families. No one will even miss me on Facebook! I can spare this time for my family! I tried to convince myself, but to no avail.

My world came crashing down one morning as I woke up to my daughter whispering in my ear, “Mama, I lub you. It’s cuz you’re my mama and I lub you,” while my son toddled into bed next to me to ‘snugga a mama’. It was then that I suddenly realized I didn’t remember the last time I had updated my status. Or read a recommended article. Or even liked some else’s status. Not even one single like! UNBELIEVABLE! I wanted to scream at myself. How had I gone from checking my account via smartphone, tablet, or laptop dozens if not scores of times each day, carefully following my more interesting acquaintances while sharing all of my favorite moments of the day to being a mother who spent the bulk of her time with her children actually WITH her children mentally!? How could I have done that to myself? I had missed out on so many funny photos, so many amusing anecdotes, and so many chances to share pictures of my best meals. So much lost time that I could never get back.

But it was too late! I had changed myself so radically, so drastically, that I didn’t even have the desire to log in to my Facebook account, much less spend hours scrolling through numbing posts. I couldn’t go back to where and what I had been.

 I knew, then, that I’d have to endure my loss, accept my fate as ‘The Woman who Checks Facebook Only Intermittently’, and continue to be mentally present when I spent time with my children. It’s been a long and difficult road of meaningful experiences with my children and a greater appreciation and patience for each of them.

I only hope that one day I can forgive myself for making that horrific decision so long ago of putting aside my smartphone and holding my child closer to me. 

Why I Served a Mission: I Planned to Give but Received Instead

I am a Mormon- LDS- a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. From a very early age, I would often be asked, "Are you planning on serving a mission? You'd be so great! You would make an awesome missionary!" or some variation to that effect. I took these comments as an insult. My personal image of female missionaries was far from positive and I took no pleasure in others grouping me in with them. So, needless to say, I hadn't the slightest desire to serve a mission. Very near to my 21st birthday, my heart and mind seemed to be softened somewhat to the idea. Not entirely- but just enough. As I thought on serving a mission, I heard a talk that resonated with me.  The heart of this talk was good vs. better vs. best. What I walked away with after listening to it was to consider a mission in those terms. I thought to myself, 'what was a good thing a could do? A better thing? The BEST thing?' After debating with myself, I concl
uded that serving a mission would be the best thing I could do for a number of reasons.


-In no way would it prevent me from my other future desires. I could still finish my degree in college, get married, have children, travel, and do anything else I wanted in life. Clearly, it would not be an inconvenience for me.

-I had the means (through generous parents) of serving a mission without worrying about funds.

-I had been given so much- certainly I could give back. I had an understanding of the gospel. I had a strong, outgoing personality. I was friendly. I had no problems sharing my testimony. I understood the scriptures. I could perform hard physical labor. I was easy to live with. I could cook well. I took care of myself. I just knew that I would put a good face on the church. I learned languages quickly.Surely, if the Lord had blessed me with so much, it wouldn't kill me to share some of my blessings back on his behalf for a mere 18 months? My entire thought process was along the lines of 'because I have been given much, I too must give'.

And that was where I ended up being dead wrong.

I was called to serve a mission in Tokyo, Japan. I served my 18 months honorably, excelled at the language and working with the people. I felt I had accomplished what the Lord had sent me to do and that He was well pleased with me. I had done exactly what I had set out to accomplish on my mission. I had blessed the church and the work of the Lord through my talents.

WRONG. WRONG. WRONG!

Never, when I left on my mission, did I realized how much I would receive! Never! My thoughts had, pridefully, I'll admit, been only on my own talents and gifts and how I would be able to give back to the church. I was woefully unaware of the huge amount of blessings that I would receive. More than I had room to receive! And so undeservingly!

It can be compared to volunteering abroad with a program where you paid your own way. You used your time, your funds, your talents, and were totally fine with giving on behalf of a good cause. Then, when you returned home from your non-profit project, you found out that several million dollars had been transferred to your bank account, non-refundable, for the work that you had done. And what's more, the cash continued to flow into your account, millions a year, for the rest of your life. Surely the small amount of work you had done over a brief period of time was not worth so much- and yet, you continued to receive.

That was how my mission has been for me.  Want specifics? Here goes.

FISCALLY. Because of my mission, I have been able to be a stay at home mom. I certainly had the desire to stay at home with my children as soon as I became a mother, but my husband didn't make enough money for that to be a possibility. However, on my mission, I learned Japanese and now work as a Japanese translator- work that can be done at home, during nap times, and has always been enough to cover our expenses so that I can stay home.

MENTALLY. I had been a hard-working, high- scoring student for my entire life. Yet somehow, in learning to study the language and the scriptures on my mission, my mental capacities were boosted to a height I didn't realize was even possible. I had the ability to study, learn, and apply principles far more effectively than ever before.

SPIRITUAL MATURITY. Naturally, I grew spiritually to a great degree. But more than that, I learned true charity and what it feels like to work under the influence of the Spirit. Not the infrequent, far-between experiences I had had before I left on my mission. But what it felt to be truly guided by the Lord in my actions. Being able to recognize that as a missionary has allowed me to know when it is missing from my post-mission life and has shown me what I need to do to regain it.

PARENTING. I can recognize on almost a daily basis how serving a mission has allowed me to be a better mother than I would have been had I not served. I have greater patience for my children's antics. I have greater emotional control when they test me. And I have a clearer mindset for what the most important things are for my children to learn, something that is very dear to me. They must know that I love them, that their Savior loves them, and that He is available to them always. Certainly something I knew before I ever served a mission, but something that is indelibly imprinted in my mind now in a way that surely would have taken decades to obtain.

WIFING. I don't know if I could even count the number of times I have recognized a marital issue and then handled it better because of things I learned on my mission. This heading alone would have been reason enough to serve. Being married isn't easy, but oh, my, how much easier and more rewarding is it because of my service.

In all of these topics, I have spoken in generalities, for brevity's sake. Allow me to interject a single example of how one experience specifically blessed me for years and years to follow as a wife.

I had difficulties with one of my companions. They were unkind to me and it was difficult to not show a growing resentment. During this time, however, I read this talk by Elder Holland. In it, I felt extremely impressed to not allow a single word of unkindness come out of my mouth. Again, this was a trying time for me. But miraculously, through prayer and an increased ability from the Lord, I never voiced unkind words for this companion, regardless of their actions towards me. This was an incredibly difficult life skill to master, but I have used it time and time again in my marriage to bite back angry words. Every time, once a day or two has passed, and I re-visit my unkind thoughts. I can only thank the Lord that I did not speak them to my husband because, guess what? When I'm angry, I think mean things that I truly don't mean! What a boon to be able to not speak every word that crosses my mind. This skill alone was worth serving a mission.

HUMILITY. PATIENCE. EMOTIONALLY. I could go on and on and on. The ways in which I have been blessed for my service are almost countless.

And so in that I was wrong- I thought that me serving a mission would be a great boon to all who came in contact with me. Instead, I was blessed, loved, and continue to be blessed in far greater measures than I could ever have imagined.