I did it again!

I made spaghetti sauce from scratch last night!  I had full faith in my abilities before I started.  I began to doubt myself about half way through.  My #1 tip for making your own sauce is DO NOT taste it before it's had time to all cook together. It is just gross!  That's when I thought I'd made a big mistake in this undertaking. Keep in mind that having to trash a meal would be a big problem with our current financial situation.  I had already made the meat and was making the sauce with it. I used ground turkey, it's the new hamburger you know. ;)

Anyway. I knew the girls would be leery of my homemade sauce if it had big chunks of anything like an onion or tomato in it.  So used a small food processor to chop up all the ingredients before putting them in.  I put in 2 whole tomatoes, 5 mushrooms, 1 whole yellow onion, 4 cloves of garlic, 1 can tomato paste, and Italian seasoning. Oh and I put about a 1/4 cup of white wine (white because I'm allergic to red) and water to thin it out. I did not put in salt. At the very end, I felt like it really needed it so I added just a tiny bit of garlic salt. But not much.  I served the girls over spaghetti noodles and mine over rice noodles.  Both girls approved of my homemade sauce. Maybe it wasn't quite as flavorful as prego, but it was pretty darn good and not much extra work, but a whole lot healthier.... I'm trying here!  Oh yeah, I also did not use any oil or butter in any part of the pasta prep.

More new things

I'm beginning another new journey... I'm working on cooking for myself without salt and oil.  For me, salt is the bigger challenge.  I've cooked chicken breast and fish now without using oil. It didn't stick much and worked out really well.  Now there's the idea of flavor.  Dips and sauces are full of both salt and oil. I can't stand dry food.  I didn't have a lot on hand so I marinated the chicken in lime juice. It was pretty good. So far, my best experiment was tonight. I marinated my fish in minced garlic, lime juice, and red pepper flakes.  It was so good!  I did it in a plastic bag because I was only doing one. Then I "grilled" it on my George Foreman grill. I also got my walk in 4 out of 5 days this week. I'm pretty proud of myself!

Edited to add my favorite veggie discovery... I steamed a bag of frozen stir fry mix.  I love teriyaki and soy sauce... But they again are full of sodium. So I tried it with red wine vinegar instead.  YUMMY!  The best part is that the water chestnuts really picked up the vinegar flavor so a bite with them in it has an extra little burst.  I'm working up to incorporating this into my family cooking.  But I need to build my confidence first.

I got to spend the day with both girls today. Brenna had the day out of school. I packed away shorts and tank-tops so we don't have to argue about not wearing them... Next is sandals and flip flops.  Brenna has a soccer tournament this weekend. I'm so excited to watch my little goalie!

October Already!?!

Today is October 1st. It completely blows my mind that we've made it here. lol First of all, I've made ends meet and kept my family fed, clothed, and loved without a job. If you had asked me in July, I would not have thought it was possible. I have to stop and thank my family and friends for all the love and support that have helped me to do so.  Even kind words and encouragement make a big difference! I hope you all remember that. Please remember that just being kind and encouraging to the people you meet makes so much more of an impact than you know.

The girls are starting to talk about Halloween costumes, candy, and even Christmas.  Believe it or not, I've already started my Christmas shopping for the girls.  Obviously, it's not going to be a big one this year. But it will be filled with love and TIME!  I've started picking up a Christmas gift every couple of weeks and putting it away.  Brenna's birthday is also in December, so it will take some planning and spreading, but my girls will be just fine!

I do have a job interview tomorrow.  I am praying that God's will be done.  If this is the job I'm meant to have, then I pray that I get it.  If it is not where I'm meant to be, I pray that it will not be offered to me.  While a job is a job and I need a job, I believe this time of being unemployed has been of great value and I've learned a lot about myself and a lot about budgeting and being a better mom. I know that I have been where God wanted me and maybe that's still where I'm meant to be.  I pray that He will show me where He is leading me.

Speaking of my unemployed status... I just returned from being out of town for my great aunt Charlene's funeral.  Since Charlene wasn't immediate family, if I were employed I would not have been able to be out of town for the week and to have been blessed to be a part of this special woman's funeral!  You see, the funeral was 395 miles away. My aunt Charlene celebrated her 69th birthday about a week before she passed.  She was still in love with the love of her life even though he had passed over 20 years ago.  She was also able to live independently up until the last 3 years of her life.  Why  is that such a big deal??  Both my aunt Charlene and her late husband Thomas had mental disabilities. Charlene had a love without end. She loved and valued her family without judgment and with great joy.  She appreciated so many little things that many of us often forget to notice.  She found joy in things that I take for granted.  I love you aunt Charlene and I KNOW that my momma and your Thomas were there to greet you when you walked strong and healthy through the gates of Heaven!