Annie’s Sweet Iced Tea

As the weather warms up, thoughts of wide front porches, a good book, and an ice-cold glass of sweet tea are entertained in my mind.

I grew up drinking iced tea. We didn’t have much money for groceries, so our options were basically water or tea. I love both, but sometimes a nice glass of sweet tea just hits the spot.

Sweet tea is very inexpensive, usually less than 25 cents per gallon. It is also easy to make. There is no reason to buy already-made tea from the store. It is filled with preservatives and high fructose corn syrup. Instead, try out this simple recipe for yourself!

Annie’s Sweet Iced Tea

• Pour 1 quart of water in a microwaveable container.
• Add 4 tea bags of the flavor of your choice.
• Pop in microwave for ten minutes.
• Grab a gallon sized pitcher.
• Now here is where you have three choices.
• 1. Add ½ cup raw sugar
• 2. Add 14 drops of Stevia (a natural sweetener, not an artificial sweetener.)
• 3. Add nothing.

• Pour quart of tea mixture into the pitcher. Stir.
• Add three more quarts of water to pitcher. Stir.
• Chill.

And there you have it. It really is that simple. We make at least one gallon each day in our home.

*Be sure to only use one of the sweetening methods.

*When we go on trips, I usually make a few quarts of concentrated tea. I place them in one-quart jars with a lid. I then am able to mix the concentrate with three quarts of water when needed. It is a huge money saver, and tastes better than store bought tea.

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“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts; therefore guard accordingly.” ~Marcus Aurelius.

~Annie

"Life Goes On"

“Life goes on.”  I have heard this phrase my entire life. No matter what may be going on in your own life, the world around us never stops.

Over the course of the past few weeks, our family has dealt with some serious health concerns. First CJ tore something in his knee, making it very painful for him to walk. As a mailman, this was not good news, as he spends most of his days walking door to door. Although he was off of work for a week, he is still trying to get answers from the doctors as to what exactly is wrong with his knee, and how it can be fixed.

I became very ill with bronchitis, trying my best to keep it from becoming pneumonia and landing myself in the hospital. I succeeded, but it took me two full weeks to recover. The prolonged illness took its toll on my body, leaving me exhausted for another week.

A week and a half ago, TC started to feel ill. His fever continually spiked, which concerned JP and me. We finally took him to the hospital, where they diagnosed him with pneumonia. After a five day stay, we finally have him home again with strict orders to rest and recuperate. Finally, life is beginning to get back to normal on our little homestead.

While we have been preoccupied with injuries and illnesses, the world has not stopped for us. The sun continued its daily trek across the sky, people still went to work, the flowers and trees started to bud. The world stops for no one.

Except, here is the thing. While the world does not stop, we may make the choice to stop. We may choose to get off the world’s merry-go-round for a few turns and do some good for the people around us that have no choice but to stop.

We can do this with random acts of kindness. With taking time to sit and visit with those that really want company or need to vent. With a few lines of encouragement written in a note, an email, or a Facebook message. With a phone call to check up on someone that you know has been ill for a lengthy amount of time.

Stopping your world for another person does take some time, effort, or money. However, the joy that you may bring to that person and their family is unfathomable. The encouragement to know that someone, or multiple someones, care is sometimes all it takes for a person to fight to get better.

While our family was fighting through injuries and illness, countless friends, acquaintances, and even strangers encouraged us through visits, phone calls, get well cards, messages, and even a meal. These interactions with our family meant the world to us. They encouraged us. They brightened our days. They made us feel loved.

Today I challenge you to step up to the task and step out of the world, even if only for a few minutes. Send a card, type a text, order flowers, make a meal, stop by and visit a lonely friend. Take the time to make a difference.

Live your life to the fullest by sharing your life with others. For doing so may change your entire perspective.

Have a lovely day my friends. Today, choose joy by actively seeking out someone that needs a bit of encouragement. Your rewards will be far greater than you could have ever imagined.

As Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

~Annie

My Journey Through Debt Part 9B: Food From the Grocery

As we slowly learned to conserve our monetary resources, I became much better at practicing my frugality at the grocery. I would love to share my tips of how to save money at the grocery with you.

First of all, I rarely, if ever, enter the store without a list. My list may contain 2 items, or it may contain 40. Whatever the case may be, write a list. I add to mine all week long. This list will help guide you through the store quickly and efficiently.

Never just stroll through the store. Know which areas of the store you need to visit, visit them, collect what you need, and leave. The longer you stay in the grocery, the more you will spend.

Try to have your menus planned in advanced. It is never a good idea to walk into a grocery without a menu of some sort planned in your head.

Use the local grocery circulars to look for sales. I briefly scan the sale ads every week. Even in my tiny rural community, I will find sales. These sales encourage me to maybe have fried chicken instead of roast beef for Sunday dinner. Shop the sales and you will save money.

Do not be afraid to stock up. If you know that your family really loves pork chops and they are having an awesome sale on them at the local grocery, grab a few extra packs to put in the freezer.

Check out the mark down areas of your local grocery.  We have multiple areas: produce, frozen foods, canned goods, refrigerated foods, and meats. I have found our mark downs to have great deals on foods that may be close to the sell-by date, have been part of a case that was dropped, etc. Many a time I have found large hams in the mark down that I took home and popped in the freezer. Those hams that I bought for $5, later became three nice meals for my family.

Shop the outskirts of the grocery. Try to stay away from the aisles. The aisles are mostly filled with processed foods, making them more expensive and less healthy choices.

The outer edges usually have the produce, meat, deli, and dairy sections. These sections house the fresh foods that are usually the healthier options. If you watch the sales, you will be able to get great deals in these sections of the store.

Leave the junk food and treats on your list for last. If you have extra money left in your budgeted allotment for groceries after getting the healthy food that is needed for your meals, go ahead and get a few of those items.

I rarely use coupons. I know some people are very good at getting great deals using coupons. However, I have found that in my life, a coupon usually pressures me into buying something I don’t need. Very few coupons actually save me much money. While I am happy for those that are excellent at using them, I have chosen not to invest time in them.

This is an “In a nutshell” description of how I shop at a grocery. Be looking for posts on

buying meat in bulk and visiting scratch and dent stores in order to stretch the food budget even more!

As Samuel Taylor Coleridge said,  “The happiness of life is made up of minute fractions—the little soon-forgotten charities of a kiss, a smile, a kind look, a heartfelt compliment in the disguise of a playful raillery, and the countless other infinitesimal of pleasurable thought and genial feeling.”

~Annie

Annie’s Easy Crock-Pot Lasagna

On a day that you are on the go, yet wish to have a hot and delicious supper waiting for you when you get home, crock pot lasagna is an excellent recipe to put into your rotation.

A few weeks ago I made it and posted about it on Facebook. If you do not follow me on Facebook, you can click here to check out my page.

A friend asked for my crock-pot lasagna recipe, so I told her I would make a post about it on Homestead Annie. I find it to be a quick “put together” meal that is tasty at the end of a long day.

Annie’s Easy Crock Pot Lasagna

• Grab a pound of ground beef. Throw it in a pan and brown it.
• Dice a medium sized onion. Add.
• Add 1 tsp. minced garlic.
• In separate bowl, mix together 1 14 oz. can of tomato paste with a can of water. Add 1 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion salt,  1 tsp. Italian seasoning, and 1 tsp. raw (or white) sugar. If you do not have Italian seasoning, go ahead and live dangerously, adding 1 tsp. oregano instead. Give your mixture a taste. If you like it, great! Move on to the next step. If you feel it needs a little something extra, add a little of the above mentioned spices until you are satisfied.
• Add sauce mixture to ground beef mixture. Simmer 5 minutes.
• In separate bowl, mix 15 oz. of ricotta (or cottage cheese) with 1 ½ cups mozzarella, 2 tbsp. Parmesan, and 1 egg.
• Grab the crock-pot.
• Layer the following repeatedly in this order…meat sauce (enough to cover the bottom, lasagna noodles (I break mine to fit. If they are already broken, that’s just fine! No one will notice!) ½ cup of cheese mixture (I spread dollops around on top of the noodles,) follow with meat sauce, etc. repeat until you have used up all of your sauce and cheese mixture.
• Finish up your tower of yumminess with a layer of noodles.
• Look upon your creation with pride.
• Add two cups of water around the sides, being careful not to rinse the meat sauce or cheese off of the noodles.
• Set crock-pot to low for 5 hours. If you must leave it longer, add extra water. ¼ cup for every extra hour. I would not exceed 8 hours.
• 10 minutes before serving, turn crock-pot off. Sprinkle ½ cup of mozzarella cheese and 2 tbsp. of Parmesan cheese over top. Replace cover.
• Serve.

I realize it seems like several steps, but prep time really should only be about 10 minutes. I like to serve this with Annie’s Tossed Salad as a side.

Have a lovely weekend, my friends. Get out and live life to the fullest. In the wake of the tragedies of the past week, take with you this sage advice from Nelson Mandella. “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”

~Annie

Thoughts On Boston:Love Conquers All

As many times as the videos of the twin bombings in Boston have been played, and replayed, throughout the past 24 hours, I have noticed something.

 It took me a few views to see it. At first, I watched with horror, as the bombs exploded and people fell to the ground. However, once I looked further (I would say 'got past', but one really cannot get past such videos as these,) this is what I saw…

 I saw people running towards the explosions. I saw marathon workers. I saw first responders. I saw marathon runners. I saw moms. I saw dads. I saw employees of the local shops.

All running towards the carnage. Working together. Crawling through twisted metal. Tearing down fences. Reaching out to those that were scared. Tying tourniquets onto limbs. Carrying those that could not walk. Comforting those that could not be moved.

Racing through the streets with gurneys and wheelchairs, crossing a finish line that, moments before had held so much meaning, yet now seemed to be an insignificant blip on the radar, in a race against time to get the injured to hospitals.

 I saw the good of humanity rising up to and surmounting this display of evil. I saw national pride. I saw the best, and worst, of humanity, all within one video clip.

I saw that no matter how much a person or group may try to drag us down. No matter how many times a person or group tries to terrorize us. No matter how many attacks may occur on American soil. No matter how much evil may try to manifest itself in our world. Love conquers all.

The love we have for our brothers and sisters rose up in grand fashion yesterday during those terrifying hours. Once again, we, as humans, were put to the test. Once again we showed our true colors.

Many will rail against the world, America, the government, and anyone else that may seem easy to blame for such an evil act. Many will ask what our world, and specifically, this country, is coming to.

 However, I choose not to join in these masses. I choose, instead, to see the glimmer of good in this tragedy. To see the one bright light in the sea of darkness. I choose to recognize and celebrate the love that mankind displayed yesterday afternoon in the streets of Boston.

The kind of love that makes rational, logical adults run towards danger. The kind of love that makes these same people risk their own lives in hopes of saving and helping others.

In the aftermath of yet another tragedy, I choose to focus on these heroes, remembering a verse taken from I Corinthians 13, verse 13. “And now these three remain: Faith, Hope and Love. But the greatest of these is Love.”

As Mr. Rogers told us so long ago, “When I was a boy and would see scary things in the news, my mothers would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people helping.’”

Mr. Rogers and his mother were right. You will always find people helping. Why? Because love conquers ALL.

~Annie

Annie’s All Natural Pots and Pans Cleaner

Last night I made some super yummy stuffed peppers. I will post the recipe in a future blog, but for now, I need to tell y’all what I did. I burnt the peppers to the bottom of the pot.

Not just a little scorched, either. The “food-was- burned –to- the- bottom –of- the- pot -and –there- is- no- hope- for- redemption- might –as- well –throw- it- all -out –and- buy- new” kind.

But here is the problem. I love that pot. Therefore, I couldn’t give up on it. Not without a fight. Enter, Annie’s All Natural Pots and Pans Cleaner.

Annie’s All Natural Pots and Pans Cleaner

·        Cover affected area of pot or pan with ¼ inch of baking soda.

·        Pour vinegar over area until completely covered.

·        Let mixture sit for 5 minutes. Call the kiddos over to watch. Everyone likes a good fizz show.

·        Scrape and rinse.

·        Repeat first three steps, adding extra vinegar.

·        Bring pot to a boil, watching it carefully. Boil 2 minutes.

·        Let cool, then scrape and rinse.

I have used the recipe several times. Most of the time the pot or pan becomes as good as new. I have always seen marked improvement in the pot or pan, and I have always been able to salvage it instead of throwing it away.

I hope y’all never need to use this recipe. Hopefully you will never scorch a pot or pan. However, if you are like me, life gets busy, distractions arise, something shiny appears, and eventually the food gets burnt. While I cannot salvage you’re your meal, at least I can give you a way to salvage your pan.

“The grand essentials of life are something to do, something to love, something to hope for.”~ Thomas Chalmers.

~Annie

Annie’s Bubble and Squeak

 A family favorite while I was growing up, was Bubble and Squeak. My mom always would laugh and say that the bubble was from the cabbage and the squeak was from the pig. While I am not sure that was the case, it doesn’t truly matter. It is delicious, and I am here to share my recipe with you.

Bubble and Squeak is an old English recipe, with as many variations as chili. Some variations call for multiple steps and multiple ingredients. Mine is much simpler, with only three ingredients.

Annie’s Bubble and Squeak

• Brown 1 pound of sausage. For me, the spicier, the better!
• Chop one head of cabbage. Place in pot. Fill pot until cabbage is just covered.
• Cook cabbage until almost tender.
• Add ¼ cup butter.
• Add cooked sausage.
• Cook until cabbage is tender.
• Serve.

That’s it. Seriously easy. Seriously short prep time. You may add whatever you wish to this dish. Carrots and potatoes are old favorites. I prefer to just enjoy the flavors of the cabbage mingled with the sausage.

As Lanston Hughes said, “ Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken winged bird that cannot fly.”

~Annie

The Sister I Never Had

When I married JP almost sixteen years ago, I inherited something that I had always wanted: a sister.

JP’s sister, SJ, and I were on cordial terms for years. This included small talk, always sticking to surface subjects that were safe and polite. It was nice, but I longed for more.

Fast forward to October 2005. SJ was returning from a year overseas. She had a few weeks before other obligations called, so she decided to spend those weeks with us.

To say I was nervous is an understatement. I had never spent so much time with SJ in my life. How were we going to fill the days? How was I going to entertain her? What if she hated it so much that she left early? Questions and doubts plagued me.

I took the train to Chicago to meet her. On our way home, I realized that she was extremely easy to talk with. Over the next few weeks, the walls between us disintegrated, and she truly became my sister.

I now understood what people meant when they spoke of the connections between sisters. We did everything together, from the excitement of climbing and dune diving off of Mount Baldy, to cleaning out the chicken coop. Everyday was an adventure with SJ, and I loved it.

One of my fondest memories of those few weeks together was driving down the road, explaining to SJ that our county was a leading producer of mint. She was instantly intrigued and asked if I would take her to see a mint field.

Upon arrival at said mint field, she immediately hopped out of the van and took off through the field, running for the pure enjoyment of running. It was an awesome moment for me. For the first time ever, I was witnessing someone living everyday to the fullest.

That moment changed my life, yet I never did tell her. It took several more years for me to actually embrace living life to the fullest. To choosing joy everyday. It took several more years for me to become comfortable with who I truly was, but SJ was the catalyst that helped me begin my journey.

SJ intentionally moved closer to our home for five years, partly in hopes of getting to know our new arrival, Little Bug. She was very successful in doing so, as Little Bug is Aunt SJ’s number one fan. After the five years that she had allotted, she moved away.

The move broke my heart. I miss SJ everyday. Every single day. Due to costs of travel, jobs, and time, we only get to see each other once a year. We definitely make those precious days count, but I cry every time I have to say goodbye to SJ until the next year.

Last night, right after finishing supper, I received a call from SJ. We are not really the “chat on the phone with each other” types, so I knew something was up. She was in town for meetings and had finished early, and could she come hang out with us for a few days? Needless to say, I was beyond excited, as were JP and Little Bug. Our sister was coming home.

So here is to my sister. To the “quick! Stop the van! I need to take pictures of those weeds and that pile of dirt!” moments. To the talk into the wee hours of the morning moments. To the “only you understand because you lived through it too” moments. To the laughter. To the tears. To the hugs. To the “see you next year” moments. To the “care packages sent just because” moments.

As Carol Saline said, “Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other.”

To my SJ. I love you so much. Thank you for willingly coming into my life and becoming the sister I never had.

~Annie

Annie's Scrumptious Pork Chops

Every year, JP and I get a hog butchered. Sometimes we raise our own. Sometimes we get one from our friends that raises them organically. Either way, we try to steer clear of the store bought pork if we can help it.

Recently, a friend of mine purchased a hog from our farmer friend as well. She asked me if I had a recipe for pork chops. Boy, do I ever…..

Annie’s Scrumptious Pork Chops

• Select pork chops. My selection of pork chops consists of opening the freezer and getting a pack or two out, however, I realize most people will be getting them from the grocery. You can use any thickness you desire. I have found that my family prefers them about ¾ inch think. Look for chops that do not have an excessive amount of fat on them as well.
• Place on plate and bring to room temperature.
• While on plate, sprinkle the following onto your chops:
• Vinegar. Make sure to cover entire chop. For an explanation as to why you are doing this, head over here and read my recipe for steaks.
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Montreal seasoning (optional)

• Once chops are to room temperature, place them on grill. If you have a gas grill, place the grill on lowest setting. If you are using a charcoal grill, wait until the coals have burned down a bit.
• Then walk away. Please. Just leave them be for awhile. They have work to do and they are not going to be able to do it to the best of their ability if you keep peaking in on them and poking them every two minutes. Tell them you will be back in ten minutes and walk away.
• Check in on your chops after ten minutes, turning them in the process. Then walk away again, this time, for five minutes.
• After five minutes, use tongs to lightly press on the chops. If they give you some resistance, chops are done. Otherwise, leave them on the grill for a few more minutes. Do not, and I repeat do not, cut into them to check. All of the juices will run out and you will be left with a dry, shoe leather-like pork chop.
• Place chops and plate and leave them alone for a five minutes. This will give them time to rest and evenly distribute their juices.
• Serve and enjoy your yummilicious pork chops!

As the weather improves, and cookouts abound, keep this recipe in mind. I use it for pork steaks and the like as well.

Have a gorgeous and fabulous day, my friends!

“So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains, and we never even know we have the key.”~Lyrics from Already Gone, performed by the Eagles for their 1974 On the Border album.

~Annie

                       

Annie’s Award-Winning Yellow Tomato Chili

JP loves my chili. Loves it. He loves it so much, that he did not tell me about the chili cook-off at his work for eleven years so he would not have to share it with anyone. Seriously. The man is addicted.

The thing about my chili is that it is unlike any other that I have ever had. For several years of my life, I was allergic to citric acid, which is found in large amounts in red tomatoes. Enter: yellow tomatoes.

Yellow tomatoes do not have the acidity of red tomatoes; therefore they are perfect for those with citric acid allergies. Although I no longer have those allergies, the yellow tomato based chili has found its niche in our meal rotation.

Annie’s Award-Winning Yellow Tomato Chili

• Throw a pound of ground beef, venison, turkey, etc. in a pot. Pot should be at least 6 quarts in capacity.
• Brown ground meat.
• As meat is browning, chop up and add the following:
• 1 large onion
• 2 stems of celery
• ½  of a green bell pepper (or any pepper that may be lying around your fridge, waiting to be useful.
• Add 1 heaping teaspoon of minced garlic. Stir.

• Once veggies are translucent, add the following:
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1 Table spoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon celery seed
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red peppers
• 1/8 teaspoon oregano

• Stir.
• Add 2 quarts of canned yellow tomato puree  (recipe to follow soon.) If you do not have this on hand, you may use red tomato juice if you wish.
• Add 1 pint or can of diced tomatoes
• Add 2 cans of kidney beans
• Add water until chili is 2 inches from top of pot
• Stir.
• Bring to boil, then turn heat to low and let simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. The longer it sits, the better it will taste.
• About twenty minutes before you are planning to serve your chili, add 1 cup of instant mashed potatoes. Please trust me on this one. It will thicken your chili just a bit and give it a hearty taste and texture. I promise.

I serve this chili with my cornbread. It makes a nice addition to a scrumptious meal. The chili can me made ahead of time. It is also easy to freeze and take out on a busy day when there is no time to cook supper. It can also be made in a crock pot and left to simmer all day.

To jazz up your chili, you may want to serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, hot sauce, jalapenos, crackers, tortilla chips, and anything else that suits your mood.

Oh, and remember that chili cook off at JP’s work? After I finally knew about it, Annie’s chili won, hands down, every year.

As you charge out into this day, take with you the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Live your life to the fullest, lovelies, everyday, choosing JOY.

~Annie