Home is a resting place

"Home is among the holiest of words. A true home is one of the most sacred of places. It is a sanctuary into which men flee from the world's perils and alarms. It is a resting-place to which at close of the day the weary retire to gather new strength for the battle and toils of tomorrow. It is the place where love learns its lessons, where life is schooled into discipline and strength, where character is molded. Out of the homes of a community comes the life of the community, as a river from the thousand springs that gush out on the hillsides."
JR Miller

I came upon this quote the other day and it struck me. This is beautifully said and helps to capture what I'm hoping to accomplish here.

More and more, our heroes are facing battle on a daily basis. The hate is spreading and it's terrifying sometimes. So now, more than ever, my trooper needs to find peace at home. Our LEOs have to spend their shifts being hyper vigilant and that means that they're crashing that much harder when they get home.

It is a resting-place to which at close of the day the weary retire to gather new strength for the battle and toils of tomorrow.

I know my man needs a resting place to gather new strength for tomorrow. I'm sure yours does too.

What can you do today to help your LEO relax, refresh and gather strength to go back and do battle again tomorrow?

Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup

Today it snowed in Virginia.

Basically, that's the equivalent of the universe imploding.

So of course, hubby's shift got extended 3 hours and he came home cold and tired.

But how lucky is he that his lovely wife had the forethought to put soup in the slow cooker this morning! How thoughtful!

This recipe is the result of trial and error and several recipes mashed together. I love that the instant mashed potato flakes makes it extra thick! All the goodness of a baked potato with some broccoli to help you feel like it's healthy for you. Perfect!

Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup

1Tbsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup water

4 cups chicken broth
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 1/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes
Salt, pepper, basil, parsley -- to taste

1 cup half and half
5 slices of bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces
16 oz bag of frozen broccoli
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream

In a large saucepan, sauté garlic in butter until slightly browned. Stir in for flour. Slowly stir in water. Heat and stir until thickened. Pour into 4 quart slow cooker.

Add broth, potatoes, instant potato flakes and seasonings to slow cooker. Cook on high 6-8 hours or low 3-4 hours, until potatoes are soft.

Add half and half, bacon, broccoli and cheese, cover and continue to cook for an additional hour.

Top with additional cheese and sour cream.

Rich Chocolate Cake -- with Mocha Frosting

...because sometimes your man (and maybe his wife. Ahem.) just needs a cake.
Things are crazy in the LEO world these days and the new year doesn't seem to be off to a great start. It's obvious my hero is carrying some extra stress and I'm sure the rest of them are too. Being extra vigilant on the job means they need extra relaxation at home.

Enter the chocolate cake!

I usually make my cakes from scratch, but I always have a few box mixes on hand. (They're great for cookies!). Tonight I grabbed one to whip up a cake. I can never leave well enough alone, so I added an extra egg, extra butter and some milk. Extra rich!

And the frosting is simple enough too:
1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco
1 Tbsp water
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
Strong brewed coffee (cooled)

Beat the Crisco and water until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix powdered sugar and baking cocoa. Gradually add to the Crisco, along with vanilla.
Once blended, gradually add in coffee until frosting is desired consistency.

Now, please excuse me. I need to go eat half a cake before it all disappears.

Christmas Gifts on a Budget Part 3 - Stitched with Love

Yes, you read that right. All of our Christmas gifts wereIchased for less than $40! Shipping for two items were the most expensive, but still came in under $20. Don't think it's possible? We'll be spending the next five days looking at how we did it!

Part 3 - Stitched with Love

I'm kind of addicted to teaching myself needle crafts... I've been sewing and knitting for a few years know and love it. For Christmas, I added hand embroidery and cross stitch to my resume. Again, pictures will have to wait till after we exchange gifts, but I love that I can give gifts to our family that I made myself! And from a frugal point of view, these didn't cost me anything since all the materials came from my stash! 

Christmas Gifts on a Budget Part 2 - Handmade Crafts with Little Ones

Yes, you read that right. All of our Christmas gifts were purchased for less than $40! Shipping for two items were the most expensive, but still came in under $20. Don't think it's possible? We'll be spending the next five days looking at how we did it!

Part 2 - Handmade Crafts with the Little Ones

A major perk of having a new baby - grandparents love anything they can get their hands on that has to do with the baby!
Between promo codes for photo gifts from sites like Shutterfly or Snapfish (abundant this time of year) and sweet handprint and footprint crafts, you don't have to look far to find a personalized gift that grandparents will go nuts over!

(I'll share photos after Christmas, but we can't take the chance of snooping grandparents!)

Christmas Gifts on a Budget Part 1 - Target bargain

Yes, you read that right. All of our Christmas gifts were purchased for less than $40! Shipping for two items were the most expensive, but still came in under $20. Don't think it's possible? We'll be spending the next five days looking at how we did it!

PART 1: Target Bargain

If you've spent any time shopping at Target, you know two things are true. First, that everything is always on sale in one form or another. Second, that there are dozens of sales each week that include the customer receiving a free gift card with the purchase. This year, I decided that any time I needed an item included in these free gift card offers, I'd save the gift card for a fun purchase. Even at $5 or $10 value, it adds up! Unfortunately, I had spent most of my gift cards on a previous purchase, but had enough left to buy a gift at Target that was originally priced at $69.99, on sale for $49.99 and only pay $10 out of pocket!

Next year, I'd like to be more intentional about saving up these gift cards and be able to get more gifts for even less!

Organized October Checklist!

A few days ago, I shared my ideas about using the month of October to get myself organized and start the holiday season with a clean slate.

Well, it's now October and I have this fabulous check list to work through the month. Feel free to print, share and work through the month with me!