Life's Full of Change

It's been a while since I have written an inspirational post and with all of the changes that have taken place lately to lead up to the start of a really big change for me personally I wanted to share about change.

With change, usually comes emotions. My girl emotions are very typical, on days they are a roller coaster and on others you'd need a case of dynamite exploding to get much of a reaction out of me. One moment the screaming children running through a destroyed house won't phase me, then the next moment I might start giggling at something one of the kids say and before you know it, my laughing has turned into crying. And if the Mr. would be observing this he most likely would be standing speechless not sure what to do, oh dear!

Today started a brand new chapter of returning to work full-time and the biggest change ... I was not returning to the classroom to teach math. While so many worries and thoughts could and should have been filling my head, my spirit has been very peaceful, eerily peaceful. The peaceful where you know for a fact you could be understandably freaking out but you're not. The peaceful where there are SO many things you could be filling your mind with and fretting over but you're not. The peaceful where you should be overwhelmed with an abundance of new information but you're not. It's in times of this kind of peace I know it's only by the Grace of God my emotions are so calm AND I am right where God wants me to be!

My emotions aren't always in check but I also know the only reason why they are right now is because I fully handed over a situation, one that started more than 4 years ago, to God and it wasn't until this last 6 months when I started praying like this ...

"God you know me best. You know me better than I know myself. You know what will work for me and what will not. If it's not for me close the door and if it is, lead me to where I need to be and take any unnecessary emotions away."

I found it very fitting as one of the praise and worship songs this past Sunday, was a favorite old hymn of mine,

It is Well with My Soul.

1. When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
   When sorrows like sea billows roll;
   Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
   It is well, it is well with my soul.
   • Refrain:
     It is well with my soul,
     It is well, it is well with my soul.
2. Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
   Let this blest assurance control,
   That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
   And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
3. My sin—oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!—
   My sin, not in part but the whole,
   Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
   Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
4. For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
   If Jordan above me shall roll,
   No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
   Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
5. But, Lord, ’tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
   The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
   Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
   Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul!
6. And Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,
   The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
   The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
   Even so, it is well with my soul.

This song was written by Horatio Spafford and has a very touching story behind it. No matter the changes that life brings, when God's on our side and we have faith in Him our soul can be at peace!

Freezer Meals Round 1

FINALLY ....

The freezer meal plan from last Sunday is up on the blog. Freezer meals aren't extra-ordinary and I have done a few here and there, but what I took on last Saturday was definitely a first for me! It's not necessarily in the "Homemade Day by Day" category but one of the purposes of this blog was to eliminate the unnecessary ingredients, cut costs, AND push me to try new things. I'd have to say even-though freezer meals aren't as "risky" as some of my health and beauty items, they for sure fit every other reason why I started this blog!

The plan in a nut shell - 5 families, 10 meals each = $80 for a family of 4

Italian Beef
Meatballs and Marinara
Sloppy Joe's
Grilled Meatloaf
Upside Down Pizza
Chili
Chicken Fajitas
Honey Mustard Chicken
Chicken and Sausage Kabobs
Loaded Potato Soup
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Pizza Dough - still coming :)

Here's the link for the PDF version of the plans, it includes all the meals, recipes, and directions.

The plan will be to add an update and post each time we enjoy one of these meals from the freezer!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Now I know when it comes to a chocolate chip cookie recipe there are a thousand out there and I probably have never made the same recipe over and over again! Since the group of us girls that did the freezer meals ran out of time last Sunday, I had planned on making up the cookie dough with the help of my oldest daughter ... who bless her soul is becoming very much like her mother (SO SCARY!). However, I could NOT decide which recipe to use for our freezer cookie dough.

As my daughter and I were getting prepped to start our mass cookie dough making extravaganza, I happened to be on the phone with my sister who has an unbelievable taste for her sweets and since she lives overseas depends on most of her homemade recipes to fulfill her good-ole America treats! All of a sudden it dawned on me ... if anybody has a good go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies it'd be her! She is the master of tweaking and using what you have to make it exactly like you want!

And sure enough, she did with a few tweaks of course!!! Her inspiration came from Better Homes and Gardens recipe. Their recipe calls for shortening but for me personally I've never been a fan. I'm not a shortening snob and would never be able to tell if something was made with margarine, oil, or shortening, but there's something about adding a big glop of colorless greasy substance to recipes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup butter

½ cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ½ cups flour

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Beat oil, butter, sugars, and soda until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375˚ for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 4-5 dozen cookies. 

These are by far the best chocolate chip cookies I've made! They keep their shape and are so soft!

For the freezer, place three strips of plastic wrap approximately 12 to 18 inches in length on the counter. Divide the cookie dough evenly between the 3 pieces of plastic wrap. Form into logs and wrap up. Place in a gallon-size freezer bag.