… and not a drop to drink.  -The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

When I was young people drank something I like to call water.  And we didn’t purchase it in bottles.  And it wasn’t flavored.  And it wasn’t carbonated.  My parents paid for it each month by way of a utility bill.  It came straight from the tap.  And it was good.

It seems that now more than ever we are daily bombarded with a barrage of beverage choices.  Soda pop, juices, sports drinks, etc.  I can even purchase artificially flavored powders to dump into my pre-bottled water just so I won’t have to bother tasting the water.  Seriously.

Maybe it’s just me, but I cannot imagine anything more thirst-quenching than a good ol’ glass of cool water.  These days, we filter our water mostly because it just tastes better.  (I like the Brita Ultramax.)  Given that our bodies are over 70% water, it just makes good sense to drink it.

When we are dining out, I order water.  Yes, it saves me money, but I am one of those people who actually prefer it.  You will hardly ever find me without my stainless steel water bottle by my side. 

Water.  Is.  My.  Friend.

I especially dislike how fruit juice is touted to be such a wholesome drink option for my kids.  In most cases, it contains just as much or more sugar than a can of soda!  In a perfect world, I would rather them be consuming whole fruit with a glass of water or milk… a more beneficial choice. 

However, my husband is crazy about his juice… and so are my girls.  In an effort to curb the sugar intake (and pad my pocketbook since the cost of fruit juice is frighteningly absurd) we use the half and half principle.  Half juice.  Half water.  Yes, it’s diluted, but my girls don’t know any better.  Even my hubby has grown to love his juice less-than-full-strength.

So I raise my water glass to good health, joyful moments and hot coffee!  Cheers!

  This post is a part of the Frugal Tuesday Tip and Fresh Bites Friday.     

Oh, sweet Saturday.  It was one of those days.  Any woman would understand.  That feeling of being completely overwhelmed by life and the daily tasks at hand, not knowing exactly where to start.  (I should also mention that I was running on little to no sleep from the aforementioned sleepover which may or may not explain what happens next.) So I tear into my chores with the vigilance of a soldier.  I throw the stray shoes from the entryway into the closet (saving the sorting for later), tossed the first load of the laundry mountain into the washing machine, and began washing dishes like mad. 

I was feeling oh-so-pleased with myself.  You know that feeling you get when you are actually getting things done.  Things were going well… too well. 

And that’s when it happened.  I heard of rush of water.  A deluge.  It sounded just like it was raining… in the house. 

I soon discovered a waterfall in the basement.  Not only was water pouring in, it was directed at the neatly stacked boxes of books, pictures and keepsakes we had stored in the corner.  Ay yi yi.  I automatically assumed there was a bathroom plumbing problem and naturally started to have a breakdown.  My awesome hubby soon found evidence to the contrary…

Apparently, this overzealous mama overfilled the washing machine (BIG oops!), causing it to overflow in the first floor wash room, which, in addition to flooding the entire room, leaked into the basement.  Well, at least it wasn’t raw sewage, right? 

I immediately went into rescue mode, moving soggy boxes and salvaging what I could.  Most things were okay and in the process, I found a few long-lost treasures that I was sure had gone missing in one of our many moves, including the Unity candle from our wedding (still intact!), the missing piece to the Christmas tree stand (which had gone rogue years ago), and a box of my old journals. 

As it happened, I was able to rid my basement of two large piles… one for the trash man and one for Goodwill.  Not an expected event, but I will still call it a good day.

Exhausted and happy, I did the only logical thing I could think of that night… collapsed onto the couch and read the manual to my 9-year-old bread machine.  I know.  Weird.  I was looking for a new recipe to try in the machine and that’s when the lightning struck…  MY BREAD MACHINE HAS A DELAY TIMER???  May I remind you that I have had this thing for 9 years… it was a wedding gift.  I am even one of those people who actually uses my machine quite regularly to make everything from pizza dough to peach jam to… bread!  Imagine my surprise. 

Consequently, I arrived home from church yesterday to a warm, freshly done loaf of bread (and, of course, a crock pot of hearty beef stew).  And it was heavenly. 

As much as I love surprises, I would love for Monday to be slightly more predictable.  I have had all the excitment I can handle for a couple of days. 

It’s amazing how the world begins to change through the eyes of a cup of coffee! ~Donna A. Favors

This is my grandmother’s old bread recipe and it’s amazing… perfect every time!


Grandma’s Bread (bread machine)


3 c. (level) flour (cracked wheat or white)
2 T. sugar (slightly rounded)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 T. butter (divided into 4 pieces)
2 tsp. active dry yeast (slightly rounded)
1 c. + 2 T. milk


1.  Warm milk to lukewarm.  Place in pan.  Spoon in dry ingredients (do not mix in).  Smooth out.  Pat pan to settle dry ingredients on top of milk.


2.  Make a slight well in center and spoon in yeast.  Place 4 pieces of butter in corners.  Close lid.  Set crust setting (light, medium or dark) and bake.


Makes 1.5 lb loaf.

For a downloadable/printable copy of this recipe and many more, visit my Recipes page.

First day of school. 

Which also means time for creative lunch ideas.  I imagine that lots of kiddos are like mine with their ever-changing palates and tastes.  On Monday, good ol’ PB&J reigns supreme, but by Wednesday it’s so last year. 

Sandwiches don’t usually cut it around here. 

So what’s a mom to do?  Get clever.

Coffee ingested.
Mental faculties primed.
Creativity sequence initiated.
All systems go…

Investing in good divided lunch containers that fit in my girls’ lunch boxes has infinitely expanded our lunch options. 

(Note:  Some of these suggestions do include peanut butter and I know, I know… a lot of schools have varying policies on this now.  We love our PB around here, so always check out your school rules first.) 

DIY Lunchables
My girls are always begging me for the pre-packaged Lunchables.  They are usually expensive, not to mention highly processed and full of sodium.  It’s super easy (and less expensive) to put together your own version.  I include lean meat (like chicken or turkey), my girls’ favorite cheeses and whole grain crackers.  For a fun twist, I sometimes include mozzarella or provolone with low-fat turkey pepperoni.  (If using a single divided lunch container, be sure to place crackers in a zipper baggie to keep them fresh.)

Think Outside of the Bread Box
It is easy to think about a sandwich and conjure up an image of various goodies between two slices of bread.  But stuff the same old boring ingredients into one of these alternatives to reinvent it:

Whole grain tortilla (rolled up like a wrap)
Pita Bread
Croissant
Mini bagel
Whole grain hamburger bun
Flatbread rounds (like Arnold’s Sandwich Thins… like a bun… but flatter)

This trick works for almost anything, PB& J, tuna, deli meat, chicken salad, etc. 

We especially like to spruce up the PB&J by substituting honey for jelly and adding banana slices and chocolate chips.  Yum!  (We use natural peanut butter without the extra sugar so I don’t feel too guilty about adding in the sweet stuff.)

Fruit & Cheese Platter
Sometimes, my kids are just downright finicky about their meat.  And most days, I’d rather pick my battles and save the scuffle for something that really matters.  So cheese is always a great alternative.  Pair protein with fruit and I’ve got a pretty good thing going.  Cube or slice the cheese and include various fruits like melon, blueberries, strawberries, or grapes.  Apple slices are great for dipping in peanut butter!  Include whole-grain crackers and the meal is complete.  For another fun twist, cut bamboo skewers to a size that will fit in the lunchbox and make fruit & cheese kabobs!

Pasta, Please
A good cold pasta salad is always a hit for my sweet girls!  I like to use the garden rotini or Wacky Mac for the pasta because the colors and shapes make it interesting for the kids.  Toss with lots of veggies like shredded carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, black olives and grape tomatoes.  Add grated parmesan cheese or shredded cheddar, a lean meat (like grilled chicken) and toss with a light dressing (we like to use Zesty Italian or Tuscan House Italian from Kraft). 

“Lettuce” Eat!
My girls are almost always good for a crisp salad.  Start with dark greens and add shredded cheese, lean meat, chopped hard-boiled egg, shredded carrots, and grape tomatoes.  Pack dressing in a small separate container and add just before eating to keep salad fresh.

Sumptuous Sides
Most of these things are available singly packaged, but I like to save money by packaging them myself in small reusable containers.

Fruit cups (no sugar added)
Applesauce in various flavors (no sugar added)
Nuts or seeds (if allergy appropriate)
Raw veggies (like carrot sticks, sugar snap peas or celery)
Fruit (apple, banana, peach, plum, etc.)
Cheese sticks (available in lots of varieties)
Yogurt

Drink Dilemma
Personally, I think it’s pretty hard to beat water.  After all, it makes up more than 70% of our bodies and most of us don’t drink nearly enough of it.  I use a reusable water bottle and fill it with filtered water from home.  But on occasion, I include one of these:

Juice box (100%, of course)
Aseptic milk carton like Horizon Organic (like a juice box and shelf stable so it requires no refrigeration until after opening)

Fun Factor
Let’s face it.  Kids like to play with their food. (Alright, who am I kidding?  I still like to play with my own food!)  Include dips and dressings for dunking.  Pack things they can stack and mix themselves.  Use cookie cutters to cut fun shapes (cheese, sandwiches, fruit, etc.) 

Taming the Temp
Always, always, always include an ice pack in the lunch box.

There have been recent news reports that 99% (and that’s not a typo) of school lunches are not kept appropriately cold enough to be safe to eat by lunchtime. (I will admit that I was somewhat shocked to hear that a startling amount of parents do not include an ice pack and expect an insulated lunch bag to do the job on it’s own. Yikes.) 

So there you have it.  Class is dismissed.  Enjoy!

And to appease everyone who is thinking… don’t you homeschool???  The short answer is “yes,” however my girls “brown bag” it once a week to meet with their supervising teacher, while mommy sips her coffee in the peace and quiet I am afforded once (and if I’m lucky, twice) each week.