Stay-cation Trip 4: Finally!

Well, this past weekend we finally completed Stay-cation number 4 by going to the farm.  Two of our previous weeks Stay-cations were cancelled due to changes in doctor appointments and an adoption court date.  We are hoping to do a couple more trips this Fall to make up for the fun that had to be cancelled.

However, this final big outing of Summer was a great time away for three days and two nights.  Our helpers Amber & Angela went with us and everyone had a wonderful, but exhausting time.  We came home Sunday night, and Nate slept until 1pm on Monday afternoon!  They all played hard!

On the way to the farm, Angela and Amber showed them how a Yakov brochure can be entertaining.

Then Saturday the extended family was at the farm and the kids played with cousins, ate, rode horses, ate, swam, ate, took a trip to Ava Drug*, played with the dogs and finally watched the film "The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry" and ate popcorn before bed.  (A few girls stayed up and watched an episode of the Waltons.)

Sunday was more of the same fun for the kids and their cousins, while we cleaned up the house and did the laundry/bedding.  We finally headed home later than planned. 

We stopped for dinner at Pasta Express.  Mr. Workman and I had not ate there in years and they have recently started opening new locations in Springfield again.  The long ago closed, Drury College location is where we had our first meal after we were married...so "kinda romantic"...well, as romantic as cheap Italian can be!  The kids loved it and it was VERY affordable!  Feed 14 with leftovers and everyone was full for $74 plus we had salads, some sodas (usually we all get water), rolls, toasted ravioli and pizza plus entrees so YES, we REALLY splurged!

*No trip "home" to the farm is complete without a trip to the Drug Store for a dime or nickel ice cream.  Check out their web site and read the history.  Its a great little place if you're in Ava, MO!  We had double scoop cones and dishes and some sodas.  I was the big spender with a $.75 tea.  Our total for 13 people was $2.25!  Plus the jukebox is still 3 classic fifties songs on vinyl for a quarter!  You'll love it as much as we do if you stop by!

Now our summer trips are done.  School starts next week and we have four doctor appointments (over 800 miles to go) before the first day of school.  We'll be busy!  However, so much to be thankful to God for this summer...including a bus with a lift and great memories!

(These pictures are great so you know Angela Covington took them.  Check out her note cards and other great stuff at http://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/studio/LaMarie)

BUDGET:
$150.00 of diesel
$    2.25 ice cream
$  74.00 dinner out
===============
$226.25 TOTAL or $16.16 each

Shoe Boxes & Candid Camera

There are days that some of the conversations and happenings at our house are so surreal that I expect the Candid Camera crew to reveal themselves....Its like one, two, three...where are those camera guys?  They MUST be here....somewhere?  Today was one of those days.

While Mr. Workman & I were at a meeting this morning, David calls and leaves this almost completely unintelligible message...we could make out the words dead, food, & I got it.  We called back and couldn't understand much better so we asked for Angela (our house helper) and she explained that David fed the chickens but one seemed to choke on a crumble and died.  We told her to tell David that we would be home soon.

We get home & had JUST pulled in the driveway when David came running to tell us again what Angela had told us.  As I was going up the ramp to go inside, David hands me the box that Matt has been carrying his new shoes in.  As I am taking it inside, David pulls the box lid back showing the dead hen, which he has placed there for burial.  I ask him to close the lid and hand the box back to him.  I directed David to leave it closed in the garage until Daddy can help with burial.

About 2 hours later, David and Daddy are ready to give our chicken a proper send off, only for Matt to start throwing a huge fit.  As I try to find out the problem, the meltdown continues!  Finally, through tears and sobs and shudders, Matt explained that he wanted HIS shoebox back!  David had taken it without asking so I offered him 2 identical shoe box for 2 sizes smaller of the twins' shoes, BUT NO!  Matt wanted the box back, which had held a dead chicken in 95-103 degree heat since 9:30am  and it was around 3:00pm!  For the next 45 minutes, Matt threw a fit while I dug out and offered him many shoe boxes of ALL sizes...this whole time I'm thinking "Candid Camera must be nearby."  Finally Matt went to sob silently with the occasional shudder as he watched TV.  We have had several break through tears all evening....and Candid Camera is still not here....BUT the shoebox and chicken are now buried in a location non-disclosed to Matt and I!

I tried to think of a verse to "council" my young Matt, but all I could think of is,

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."~Matthew 6:21 

I have several for my David!

Camp Kivu

Grace got home from Camp Kivu on Saturday afternoon.  She has had lots to talk about this year as usual!  I am so appreciative that she has had this experience for 3 Summer's now.  In fact, if you are ever looking for an amazing experience for your teen, I would strongly recommend the camps and trips offered by Camp Kivu.

If you send your teen to Camp Kivu, you can expect the following:

• Your teen will not be bored.
• Your teen will have a teen's dreamland of activities for teens and sports to try out.
• Your teen will be challenged about what they believe and why.  They will know what makes Christian's world view different.
• Your teen will come home with lots of stories, new FB friends, new ideas and new understanding of their parents/others.
• You can also expect the UNEXPECTED!  This years' camp was very diverse with even some campers from Muslim countries...AT a CHRISTIAN camp...HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!

Here is a http://vimeo.com/46126797.  She is in it twice at least (once fishing & once dancing) so watch close!

Well we're movin on up....To a deluxe apartment

No we're not moving!

Corrine's chickens are moving to their new fancy house that her and Grand-dad have been building.  No more playhouse Country Cottage for our chickens!  They have much better accommodations now.

Grand-dad and Uncle Fred helped set the deluxe coop in our backyard and helped Corrine get the roof on it today.  Then Corrine moved her seven hens and one rooster.  (Yes, our little pullet who grew into a rooster!....So much for needing 8 nesting boxes.)

Last week Corrine bought them their second 50 pound bag of feed and some cracked corn and NOW  our chickens are living in style, SO I must insist that even in this hot weather, I should be getting some eggs!  When we finally get eggs, these will be some expensive eggs!

Jon is 8 today!



Getting ready for help blowing out
the candles.

Jon loves birthday cake.  It is probably his favorite food.  I dare say that he especially likes birthday cake when it is HIS cake!  Tonight we celebrated age 8 with cake and presents and a whole lot of Jon being the center of attention.  

I had hoped that Jon would break the 40 pound mark for his birthday, but he weighed in at 39 pounds.  Oh well, maybe he'll get to 50 pounds by age 9!

Schools Need to be Good Stewards of Parent's $

To send a child to school without the requested supplies stigmatizes the child with peers and sends a message to the teachers that school is not a priority for a family.  Yet each year the school list seems to get longer, more brand-specific, and more of a test of our family budget.  For example, this year our district has added ear buds to the list of needed supplies and kindergarten needs, not just glue sticks and scissors, BUT 12 sticks of Elmer's purple glue and Fiskar scissors.  When I mentioned this concerning trend to our superintendent a couple years ago, it was suggested that I should talk to the teachers about what I "can" supply.  A friend suggested I go get help from a church that was having a back to school giveaway.  However, what the superintendent and the friend failed to consider is the message that these actions send to my kids.  First it suggests that supporting their schooling is not a top financial responsibility in our family.  Second it teaches my children entitlement and that others should sacrifice and be responsible to meet their need for supplies. 

The superintendent and my friend failed to get the point of my observation.  When I send 7 children back to school this August, some of what they will be taking includes 11 boxes of crayons, 55 glue sticks, 11 boxes of wipes, 16 dry erase markers, 15 boxes of tissue, and 192 sharpened #2 pencils.  Yet I am sure that my cildren will not need or use each of these items during the first week like they might the 23 folders.

Teachers need to consider the following when creating classroom supply lists:
1.  Trust the family to buy good quality items.  There are good scissors, glue, pencils, etc that are not Fiskar, Elmers, Ticonderoga or Crayola. 
2.  Set a year long schedule of when you need which supplies so families don't have to buy a year's worth of supplies at one time.  Plus it will reduce what you have to store in the classroom.
3.  When something new is added to the list, please consider what can be removed.
4.  Please return our child's non-consumable supplies at the end of the year.  Scissors, rulers, and pencil pouches are all easy to clean up and re-use.
5.  Do the math and see how much the supplies on your list costs realistically.  Don't use the 10 cent sale prices that were the week before our family got paid.  Use real prices and if the list costs more than $15 (which is more than 5% of a minimum wage earners weekly pay), then please revisit the list. 
6.  Remember, many of us are needing to use these lowest sale prices to buy our kids much needed backpacks, underwear, shoes, and a few new and/or new-to-us thrift clothing items to make our kids feel personally prepared for a fresh start too.  We also have band rental fees, lunch/snack money, elective course supply fees, and soon school pictures and the first school fundraiser of the year.   The classroom supply list is just the tip of the iceberg of expenses.
7.  Don't forget that our child getting ready for your class, may not be our only child.

Oh, and my husband is a teacher so I know about the out of pocket that teachers pay to get supplies that they need.  However, I STILL believe that more families would provide the requested supplies, if the total costs of the list was within their grasp and aligned with the purchasing values of their family.  Currently, I feel bullied by a list that is out of control and out of touch with what my kids really needs to start the year.  Yet like last year, I feel I must pass this first "test" by my kids' teachers and spend the money to get my first mommy "A" with Avery binders and Expo dry erase markers.

Stay-cation Day Trip #3: St. Louis City Museum

When we plan an outing for our Stay-cation or any other fun day, I usually contact each place that interest us and look into group ticket prices.  I also in my 4-5 sentence introduction email, I explain the age and ability range that we are bringing to their location.  Occasionally, I get an enlightened venue employee who understands that an aquarium is not going to entertain a blind/deaf child like Hannah OR that a host of inaccessible thrill rides are not for Vanessa or Jon OR...well, most of my readers understand.  We do family things as a family, BUT some of our family is NOT impressed by the activity due to physical or mental ability differences.  It is easy to say that the admission cost for those who won't enjoy the activity is "just part of being a family" until the admission fees get high enough that the outing is just wasteful. 

So about a month ago, I contacted St. Louis City Museum and was surprised when they offered for us to come as their guests!  They explained that there is a wide variety of activities and they encouraged us to explore and see what interested us.  We had never been to the City Museum and were not prepared for how huge and diverse its activities were!  It was like 4 Wal-Mart Stores full of fun collections stacked on top of each other with an amusement park on the roof!  Obviously a lot more energy and maturity than our group had would be required to get completely through, but it was well worth the experience to see such a neat reuse of an old industrial shoe factory and found art/treasures!

We were going to St. Louis because Jon and Vanessa had doctor appointments so this gave us the opportunity to divide the kids for a couple hours so Amber and Angela had only the kids who could climb, crawl and jump.  They spent this time doing the activities that might be too hard for Jon, Vanessa and Nate or that might not interest Hannah.  When we were there together, we checked out a hall of mirrors, toddler town, art corner, and several other areas.  Hannah was overwhelmed by the crowds and noises, but she loved an old beat up grand piano on the 2nd floor.  Even though there were keys that did not work and missing pedals, she made it turn out some pretty good tunes!  She had never played a grand piano before and probably could have stayed at that piano a lot longer.  If we had discovered it sooner, I also think she would have LOVED the slide from the 3rd floor to the 1st, but sadly it was closing time when we noticed it.

Grandma and I packed breakfast, lunch and snacks, but we stopped at White Castle for dinner because no trip to St. Louis would be complete without those little burgers!  It was even more fun that Amber and Angela had never ate at a White Castle so we HAD a duty to introduce them. 

It was a crazy, long, tiring day and we didn't make it home until after midnight.  We had planned another day trip to St. Louis around another set of doctor appointments in August, but we may rethink that and see if a two day trip could fit in the budget.



BUDGET:
$200 of diesel
$    0 admission
$    4.20 post card (to Grace at camp) & souvenir
$  33.00 White Castle
===============
$237.20 TOTAL or $18.25 each

Not your typical househelpers

Since 2000, our family has had many talented housekeepers, babysitters, and househelpers...Many of our great helpers stayed with us for only a year or two and others stayed four or more, but they have all put Alice on the Brady Bunch to shame, making her look unskilled and lazy. 

Each of our kids have been little and considered a different helper to be their special friend.  For Grace it was Sherry Riddle.  Grace worried to death that Sherry wouldn't be at her Kindergarten Birthday Party, but we worked it out where Sherry could come and help me with the party, even though it wasn't her usual time to work.  Grace was thrilled.  Then there was Jane whom we still miss her good cooking, followed by Nina who believed in killing germs by ironing.  We still laugh about our ironed towels, socks, underware and sheets, but we were never sick while she worked for us!  Ms. Pat Pennington was Corrine's pre-school babysitter and our housekeeper.  Corrine took many field trips and little adventures with Ms. Pat that she still remembers all these years later. Plus Ms. Pat would rearrange the furniture in different ways all the time and is probably a huge part of why Hannah is so good with getting around in new environments.  Catherine Valentine was here when David and Vanessa arrived home and when Nate arrived home and when Matt, Mark, Luke & Jon came home.  She was only with us a couple years, but our family sure grew under her care.  We teased her that it was all somehow because of her that we kept adding new blessings.  Catherine is a talented writer and left us to finish her degree at Berea.  After Catherine, Leigha kept things going for a year while she attended the local community college.

Now for the last year, Angela Covington has been using her talents at our home and learning new skills like African hair care and cute styles for Vanessa.  However, Angela is very creative and has lots of awesome photography projects that she does on the side.  Now she and a friend have completed an awesone photo book of the alphabet with a picture for each letter sound and a short poem.  The book is really top notch!  If you would be interested in a visually appealing alphabet book with great poems using lots of literary fun that kids love like consonancy, rhyme, and onomatopoeia, then the link to order and for more information is below.  It is only $10 per book plus shipping/handling.    FOLLOW THIS LINK TO ORDER.

Stay-cation Day Trip #2

Matt, Mark & Luke ready to
lead our group.

Matt has been waiting for today for over three weeks.  We have showed him on the calendar a million times.  Today was the day that we go to Grandma and Poppy's house to show them our bus and then we get to go to the zoo and then to the dentist!  (Okay so he wasn't really excited about the dentist, but he does like to go to the dentist.)

I think Matt was a bit disappointed that Grandma and Poppy didn't want to ride in our bus with us nor did Poppy want to go buy his own bus.  (In Matt's mind, buses are the coolest and everyone should want one.)  However, after donut for breakfast at Grandma's, Matt was ready for the zoo.  Plus our matching shirts had arrived from Creator Designs so the kids were excited to wear them.  (Grace is at camp for 2 weeks so she will have to wait to get her shirt, but at age 16, she thinks my matching Summer T-shirts are out of fashion.)

Jon need Amber to
protect him from the geese.

At the zoo, the boys were running from one cage to the next.  The big spots of interest being feeding the fish, geese and swans AND feeding the goats and cow in the petting zoo AND feeding the giraffes.  Notice the common activity of FEEDING that was the hit.  They also enjoyed riding the train and using the zoo key to get silly songs and facts about each animal.

Hannah LOVED feeding the giraffe.

After the zoo, we went back to grandma's for a late lunch.  Then 7 kiddos headed to the dentist and had excellent check-ups! 
Angela and Amber went along on our outing.  Amber took excellent care of keeping Jon involved in each activity and she kept care of him at grandma's while the other kids were at the dentist because Jon and Hannah go to a specialist dentist. 


Angela on the train with Vanessa and Nate.

Angela helped Ed and I keep track of the rest off the crew at the zoo.  Without Grace, I kept panicking when I counted 9 instead of 10 kids so Angela's extra help with the busy boys was appreciated, especially with the twins potty training and wanting to checkout EVERY restroom.

Before we left Grandma's, she sent us with snacks so the kids snacked and snoozed all the way home.


Matt on the way home.  I think I'm going to need
to make some "bus pillows".

BUDGET:
$96 zoo membership for 1 yr, train, feeding animals & postcard to send to Grace
$70 Diesel
$  0 Eats thanks to Grandma
==========
$166 or $12.77 per person

ALL PHOTOS ABOVE EXCEPT THE 1st ONE ARE BY ANGELA COVINGTON.

Stay-cation Day Trip #1

Today was the first of our Stay-cation Day Trips.  We were to go to Big Brutus and Fort Scott, but due to the heat, we only took in Big Brutus.  We got a bit of a later start than we had expected because Nate had, had some trouble breathing last night.  He was finally resting well this morning so we hated to wake him until he had made up for some of the sleep he had missed. Plus Jon's physical therapist had come unexpectedly so we used the extra time to get everyone extra clothes, snacks, and other things that might make the trip more enjoyable.

Our group watching the movie.

The kids were so excited to be taking a trip in the bus.  On the way to Big Brutus most everyone stayed awake and enjoyed the views out the big windows.  At Big Brutus, the little kids had minimal interest in the museum, but the older kids enjoyed it.  We all watched the movie about Big Brutus.  It is an impressively large and amazing piece of engineering.  We all got a bit of a laugh when the video referenced people getting married on Big Brutus since our helper for Jon is newly engaged and planning a wedding.  I don't think we will convince her that Big Brutus is the perfect place, but we had fun imagining it!

In the operators seat.

After the museum the kids went out to inspect this big machine for themselves.  Mark asked the very smart question, "What is coal for?" I was so proud of his big boy question and for talking so plainly.  He has had a lot of Speech Therapy and it was great to see him using words! 

After a complete inspection, we went back inside to say our good-byes and the clerk remembered Grace from our visit 6 YEARS AGO!  (This was Grace's pick for our Stay-cation because she enjoyed talking to the volunteering retired miners when we went last time....6 years ago!  Grace STILL loves Big Brutus and I think she would consider getting married on it.)

Lower left edge is Vanessa then Daddy to the
right in black and in front of Daddy is Matt
(the really small blue dot).

Big Brutus facts:

• largest electric shovel in the world
• 16 stories tall (160 feet)
• weight is 11 million pounds
• boom is 150 feet long
• shovel capacity 90 cu. yards (up to 150 tons)
• maximum speed .22 MPH
• cost $6.5 million (in 1962)
• required as much electricity to run it as a town of 18,000!

Not so sure about that....

After Big Brutus, we headed to the well air-conditioned Pittsburg, Kansas mall to enjoy a great meal at the original Cafe Del Rio restaurant.  We had not been there in years!  Okay, we hadn't been there in a decade!  Still great Mexican food and still great service!  Since we hadn't planned to need recovery time, we had not called ahead, but Kassandra was our server and handled our group of 14 very efficiently and effectively!  I doubt very many of the servers wanted a sudden table our size with 10 kids!  We appreciated her great attitude and professional skills.  Having a waitress who can anticipate, even the needs of kids, is rare!

Corrine ready to enjoy her meal.

We then headed towards home as the temperature continued to climb.  At one point the rear A/C in the bus started to smell, and we realized that we had frozen up the unit so we opened the window vents for the rest of the trip home and let the A/C unit rest.  Surprisingly the air flow kept the bus very tolerable.  It was not as nice as air conditioned coolness, but it was far from miserable too.

I think we made some good family memories today.  It was so nice to travel together rather than in several cars.  It was even nicer to have every one's wheelchairs.  The bus continues to be a great blessing!

All pictures above, except Big Brutus were taken by Angela Covington.

Budget:
$100 Diesel
$100 Good eats in great air conditioning
$  60 admission (group prices)
$  13.80 in souvenirs
======
$273.80 or $19.56 per person

At Home during planned vacation week

Today would have been the last day in San Antonio if we had gone on vacation as planned, but it turned out to be a good idea to stay close to home. 

On Wednesday last week we got the van back and took it to get washed up.  It looks great!  We were all impressed with how much a good wash improved its appearance.  Then on Thursday we had to take it back in with a coolant leak which turned out to be a hose needing replaced. 

Daddy driving the littlest Workman's around the block.

Finally on Friday night we took the bus on its first outing with all the Workman's aboard.  We all went to Amber and Angela's house to celebrate their surprise birthday party.  The bus rode a lot smoother than I expected and on the return trip we had 6 kids asleep by the time we got home.  The bus has amazingly cool air conditioning and the lift loaded the wheelchairs with no problems.  This bus is truly a huge blessing!  It was worth the two years of waiting and praying.

We didn't go far over the weekend or do too much outside because the heat has been almost unbearable!  On Sunday evening, we went along while Amber & Angela took the balloon ride that we gave them for their birthday.  I was really neat watching the process from start to finish!  The kids were really impressed, except Mark who was worried that they weren't coming back. 

On Monday, I took Hannah to the local nursing home to play piano.  As usual, she did great and she will play for them again next Monday.  Vanessa turned 10 on Monday too so I took the older kids to see the movie "Brave".  Then we came home and enjoyed cake and watching Vanessa open presents. 

Birthday girl Vanessa with her crown.

Today was busy with errands to the post office, Matt's speech therapy, pay bills, send packages, and such.  Angela and I sorted coupons, and I almost have a full box to send my friend from high school  (Amy) in Turkey.  Her husband is in the air force and they can use coupons that are upto 6 months expired.  If you have any that you want to toss in my box to top it off, please let me know.

Tomorrow will hopefully be a bit cooler as we still have lots to finish outside this Summer.

Stay-cation

Our last minute new design for
matching 2012 T-shirts. I got a
great price at Creator Designs!

As you may be aware, our bus is still getting improved upon at the mechanics so we have decided to make the tough adult decision and cancel our trip to Morgan's Wonderland in San Antonio.  It has waited for us for 3 years so it can wait another.  By the time we go next year, the bus will be well tested and ready for the long trip. 

So after getting family input tonight, I changed our matching Texas vacation t-shirts for matching Stay-cation t-shirts and we made a list of activities we wanted to do.  Then Daddy and I packed these around open dates and doctor appointments. 

Right now our Stay-cation schedule is for one-day trips using the following schedule: 

1st week of July:  Big Brutus & Fort Scott
2nd week of July:  Dickerson Park Zoo
3rd week of July:  St. Louis City Museum
4th week of July:  Rutledge Wilson Farm (& maybe zoo again)
1st week of August:  Cousin's Reunion at the farm (& maybe Wilder home & Baker Creek Seed Co)
2nd week of August: Purina Farms & Grant's Farm
3rd week of August: Crown Center in KC

We'll fill in with some trips to the creek; few visits to the park, hook up the sprinkler; do the summer reading program at the library.....and we should all get through this summer with some affordable fun while giving the new bus a good testing within the mileage range of our new AAA tow insurance. 

Want to join us on one of these outing?  Just email us.  I have arranged group ticket prices for the activities that co$t.

Adults with a Bus



Prayed & waited for over 2 years, but it was
worth the wait.  Its a great looking bus!

GETTING THE BUS:

I am pleased to report that we are bus owners.  I'm not as pleased to report that the bus is in the shop.  However, we got a great 2003 bus with seating for 14 plus 1-2 wheelchairs and a power wheelchair lift for $3150!  Yes, you read that right $3150.  However, the bus was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Friday night when Mr. Workman got home from being at the National Debate Tournament in Indiana, we left for Minneapolis to pick up our bus on Saturday morning.  We drove all night long, but 628 miles later, we got there.  The owner had misplaced the bus when we arrived, but in the end it was found with extra detailing working being done and a full tank of gas!  So our trip home with the bus started by driving it in downtown Minneapolis traffic, but Mr. Workman did an awesome job driving the bus in all that traffic and construction.  We had planned to stop in Des Moines for the night, but by the time we crossed the Minnesota-Iowa boarder, the giant coffees were no longer keeping us awake enough to be safe drivers.  We stopped in Clear Lake to eat dinner, and I was trying to fall asleep at the table!  We got a room at the Super 8 and dropped in bed.  The next morning at the complementary breakfast a few people were complaining about hearing the I-35 traffic all night.  We have no idea what they were talking about!  Apparently, they just needed to be more tired!

Okay, so the bus is a little less attractive when
being towed ;)

The trip through Iowa and nothern Missouri seemed to take forever, but we finally reached Kansas City.  Then just south of Kansas City, the bus jerked and the odometer/speedometer quit and the overdrive light started flashing.  We took a break and checked fluids and couldn't find an obvious problem.  Then just north of Nevada (city in Missouri, we weren't on a detour through the West) the vehicle started overheating.  We looked into a tow and discovered that our road and tow doesn't cover anything over a ton.  Then we discovered the tow price.  The tow guy came to check on us and directed us to a small rural diesel mechanic within a miles of where we were stopped.  It was his opinion that we could try to get home.  Well, we made it 8 miles and lost all the transmission fluid.  So $420 cash for a tow, but Phillips Towing did a great job and gave us tips on what road and tow policy to get for the best coverage in the fture.  He towed the bus to our favorite mechanic who works on buses like ours for OATS (Rural Transportation for Senior Citizens) too!

Our mechanic is still looking over the bus but it needed a new emergency break and apparently the transmission may be okay.  After the break is installed then he can tell us more on Monday. 

Mr. Workman and I have decided that we may be getting a bit old for creating "crazy kids" stories, but when we are in our sixties, I guarantee you that the Minneapolis bus trip story will start with, "We were such crazy kids..." Obviously, that bus could have broken down in Minnesota rather than within 80 miles of home, and we NEVER considered that our road and tow wouldn't cover it.  Needless to say this could have been even a more expensive life lesson!

KIDS VISIT THE BUS:

These guys are happy just to sit in it on the
mechanic's parking lot!
Photo by La Marie Photography

On Monday we all went to visit the bus at the mechanic's shop.  The bus was parked out away from the shop so we didn't disturb the mechanics other than possibly for them to snicker about us visiting our bus.  The boys think Mr. Workman is cooler than ever because Daddy owns and drives a bus!  It is so fun to see the kids excited and appreciative of what we were able to get. 

ADULT DECISIONS:

On Monday, we will know how extensive other repairs might be such as we think the air conditioner has a leak.  Needless to say, we are praying that the fixes are affordable.  However, on Wednesday we are supposed to leave for San Antonio.  Mr. Workman and I hate this part of being adults, but we have to decide if we want the bus' second outing to be so far and what if it breaks down again.  We have to consider how much money we have in reserve and decide if going to San Antonio could have the potential to be a "crazy kids" story.  Please pray for the bus and us the "adult" owners as we make tough decisions over the next 5 days.

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God,

and He will give it to you.

He will not rebuke you for asking.~~James 1:15 NIV

¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live

  —not as unwise but as wise,

¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity,  

because the days are evil. ~~Ephesians 5:1-16 NIV

More Cheap Eats!

People frequently ask me for my recipes for inexpensive meals.  I really struggle with this because I don't have very many "standard go to recipes".  I "create" a lot as I go based on what I have or can get cheap or free.  I must say, I've cooked with and tried foods that I had to consult the internet about, and some have become new favorites.  I grow my own herbs and use lots of spices like smoked paparika and rich flavors like balsamic and specialty vinegars, worcestershire sauce, cooking wines and soy sauce.  These let me hide a lot of specifics from my kids! 

We frequently receive donated foods from various sources that are a real blessing. Plus I shop with coupons and ads SO I often feel a bit like the Iron Chef.  Only my challenge sounds more like, "You were given 2 pounds of ox tails, 5 pounds of venison, a case of mustard greens, 2 cases of chick peas and 3 dozen eggs. You bought with a coupon on sale the following: sugar, salad dressing, flour, oranges, bananas, dry egg noodles and potatoes.  You got kohlrabi, green peppers and squash from the garden.  You bought green beans, onions and zucchini at the farmers market. Now cook for the week or longer!"  Obviously, I try to plan menus, but when something gets dropped off as a donation and needs used ASAP...well, I have to be flexible and creative!

So let me share a few low cost "gems" that I've been given, tried and loved along the way.

Venison:  Cube it. Apply a generous sprinkling of apple pie spice and some fresh cracked black pepper to taste (like a teaspoon or more of apple pie spice per pound) and then use it as you would any super lean beef.  Cubed venison is especially good in the crock pot on low with a cup or so of New York Steakhouse A-1 Marinade, which is frequently on sale and has had lots of coupons so I can usually get it for $1.25.  (Yes, you read this right, "a-p-p-l-e pie spice" and sometimes I add a little fresh ground ginger, which is much cheaper at the whole foods store than at the grocery store and it is a favorite of mine.) 

Oxtails:  Oxtails are BEEF, don't freak out.  They were a staple during the Great Depression because of their high nutritional content (especially high in iron) and their low cost.  Campbell's even used to sell Oxtail Soup! I frankly hate to tell you about oxtails because I might not get them given to me so often if people knew that they make extra tasty stews and soups.  I sear the oxtails first in some olive oil and then slow cook them to get the great flavorful stock!

Ham hocks:  These are awesome in a pot of pinto beans, but my favorite recipe is by the Pioneer Woman. It is Black Bean Chowder.  I've taken this to several school luncheons and to friends in need of some awesome comfort food.  It is a FAVORITE and I've picked up some un-deserved fans of "my" cooking.

Pickled Beets with Hard Boiled Eggs: 
Tasty & Pretty & Cheap!

Beets:  People apparently grow beets, but don't like to eat beets.  When I'm given beets, I love to make Pickled Beets with Hard Boiled Eggs!  Its a big treat.  I make 4 or 6 times the recipe below, but this is a size for typical folks. 

3 pealed and sliced beets that have been boiled
1 red/purple onion thinly sliced
6-8 hard boiled shelled eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp of pickling spice tied in a cheese cloth bag

Place the liquid off the boiled beets (about a cup) in a pan and add sugar, vinegar, and bag of pickling spice.  Bring to a boil and simmer at a low boil for 15 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Layer beet slices onion slices and eggs in a jar.  After the liquid cools so it is just warm, pour it over the layers. Put the pickling bag in the jar too.  Cover the jar.  Shake or stir twice a day to mix the contents.  Let it sit 3 to 5 days before serving.  (BTW-This is an awesome snack or as a side for a salad or mustard greens.)

Garbanzo Beans/Chick Peas:  There are hundreds of ways to use garbanzo beans, but apparently few people in the Mid-West know them.  I get lots of canned garbanzo beans given to us.  Garbanzo beans can be roasted for a highly nutritious snack.  Our kids love hummus which can easily be made if you have two things: 1) food processor and 2) tahini (sesame seed paste).  I can't believe that I used to think that garbanzo beans were just to add to veggie soup!

Mustard Greens & other leafy things:  Mustard greens are much milder than spinach and they can be easily seasoned with sauteed onion and ham hocs.  Kohlrabi leaves, collard greens, mustard green are such are amazing in a hearty veggie soup.  A favorite is Balsamic Reduction-Glazed Garbanzo Beans served over mustard greens or other leafy things like fresh baby spinach with some crumbled feta and seasoned walnuts.  But its all about what's in the house already so if I don't have feta, I might put some other cheese or some drained mandarin oranges or whatever strikes my fancy.  Some of it turns out better than others, but with 12 hungry mouths and visitors, it usually all gets ate!

A favorite low cost "Pioneer Woman"
 dessert is "Prune Cake"

Sometimes I end my blog with a Bible verse or two, but this blog entry would probably be most appropriately ended with a Bible story from Numbers 11.  The food that is given to our family and that is purchased at low prices are seen by my husband and I as gifts from the Lord, much like the manna in Moses time.  While it is true that we could ignore the budget and buy other foods, we feel that would not be acting as good steward of the gifts we are given.  We often share our surplus of gifted and bargain foods with others, but we try to use all that we need with contentment in our hearts.  When I find myself wishing for something else, I remember that my children are being exposed to more variety of wholesome foods than most children and I pray for God to make me content with His generosity.  (Its amazing how often the next few weeks yields something I was secretly hoping for!  I'll never forget wanting to buy steak for Mr. Workman for Father's Day a few months after the we added the 4 boys to our family.  It would have busted the strained budget!  But I prayed for contentment and planned to fix lasagna, but two days before Father's Day some friends started a fast and gave us two huge steaks from their freezer that were tempting them!) 

<$4 Dinners for 12: Beans & Cornbread

I was given Hormel Smoked Pork Chops and wasn't sure what to make with them because my boys generally don't like smoked meats.  So tonight I sauteed an onion and garlic in balsamic vinegar and diced the pre-cooked chops into the onions.  Then I added the sauteed mixture to a bag of 16 bean soup ($2.28) that I had soaked overnight.  Lastly I stirred in some chicken soup starter and thyme.  Then let it cook for 2 hours. 

Then I paired it with a triple batch of Betty Crocker Cornbread ($.25 each on sale) and 2 cans of warmed mustard greens (given to me) with Balsamic Reduction drizzled on top. 

It wasn't the hit that pizza is at our house, but everyone ate something!

Balsamic Reduction
If you haven't tried reducing balsamic vinegar and using it on greens and in dressings, then you really should give it a try.  Mr. Workman and I had it drizzled on bruschetta at a restaurant in St. Louis when we went to see "A Christmas Carol" at the Fox.  Since then I have found out that this flavorful treat is supper easy to make.  However, due to the smell, I cook it on the deck!  I use my crock pot on high and cook the balsamic vinegar until it is 1/2 the volume as when I started.  A hot plate or electric skillet could be used too.  (I use a wooden spoon to check for when it is 1/2 as deep.) BTW-If the vinegar does not naturally sweeten, just add a little sugar.  Then after it cools, I store it in a bottle in the refrigerator to use as a yummy flavor kick on salads, greens, and as a base for salad dressing BUT it doesn't last long!

And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou
hither, and eat of the bread,

and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat
 beside the reapers:

 and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat,

and was sufficed, and left.--Ruth 2:14 

Emergency Preparedness Updated

About a week ago I told you about my less than successful test of our emergency food preparations.  I had previously tried to have a month of food in reserve, but when I tested to see if I did, I discovered I was way off on my expectations.  My new emergency supplies focus more on the first 3 days to a week after a disaster and less on long term food supplies. 

So today I repacked in four containers.

Container 1:  65 gallon trash can

• 36 bottles of water plus 3 gallons
• 1 L canola oil
• Shortening
• 2.5 gallon bleach
• Big Dawn dish soap
• 6 Sponges
• BIG trash bags
• 2 Rain ponchos
• 16 oz rubbing alcohol
• Small First Aid kit
• Work gloves
• Rubber gloves
• Medical gloves
• Bungee chords
• Big tarp & a small tarp
• Tent stakes
• Rope
• Mallet
• Duck tape
• Flash light
• 2 boxes baby wipes
• 1 tub of sanitizing wipes
• 2 cans of ham
• 2 cans of chicken
• 1 box chewy granola
• can opener
• powdered electrolyte mix
• vitamins
• Diapers
• Medications
• Extra feeding tube
• Few of Jon & Nate's formula cans
• Beef jerky with cheese
• Sunflower seeds
• Emergency candy & gum
• Ziploc baggies
• and I still need to add a small radio

Container 2: 5 gallon bucket

• 15 pounds of sugar
• 20 pounds of beans
• 3 pouches of tuna
• applesauce
• cooking fuel

Container 3:  5 gallon bucket

• 25 pounds of flour
• salt
• baking powder
• baking soda
• Paper plates & plastic forks

Container 4:  Plastic tote

• 50 pounds of rice
• #5 can of ravioli
• cooking pot
• Serving spoon
• Peanuts
• Evaporated milk
• Mac N cheese
• Powdered whole milk

Hubby adding reflectors to the tubs to make them
easier to find during an emergency.

First Aid bag also got refilled and updated to be ready for our summer outings and the ouches that happen on the go!

If you see anything that I forgot or have a suggestion please let me know.  Obviously I hope we never need any of it, but if I missed something, I'd like to know now and not when we need it.

 The ants [are] a people not strong,

yet they prepare their meat in the

summer; ~~Proverbs 30:25