Expanding our Chicken Coop!

      Last week, Wednesday to be exact, I needed to make a run to TSC (Tractor Supply Company) to pick up some dog food. While I was there, I picked up 2 baby ducks. I have wanted some ducks for a while and they were just born the day before and we soooo cute! SO, we have 2 ducks and will hopefully get some duck eggs out of the deal! The next day, I went to see about some baby chicks at the local Farm supply place. I ended up purchasing 3 baby Rhode Island Red Chicks and reserving 2 Arhicanas. They will give me blue and green eggs. My parents decided that the next day (Friday), they wanted to get some chicks too. But, they live in a subdivision and can not have farm animals. Seeing that the prices of food is on the rise, we came to the decision that if they would help us expand our chicken coop, we would allow them to put their chicks in with ours. So, they purchased 6 chicks, 3 Rhode Island Reds and 3 Dominique. We are also checking prices with our local beef farmers for getting some freezer beef. 1/4 side of beef will feed my family for more than 6 months! All in the name of saving money!!!

     I went up to Whole Foods today and purchased some meats, cereal bars (since I can not seem time to make my own), cheeses and bulk oatmeal. I spent more than I wanted to but I got what I needed. After recovering from the sticker shock, I went to Wal-Mart....my most unfavorite place to be! I have been researching homemade cleaners and decided I wanted to give them a try. While I was at Whole Foods I picked up some Castile Soap. At Wally World, I picked up Borax and More Distilled While Vinegar along with some more spray bottles and a new mop! Once I try these cleaners out, I will post them and do a review! If you have any suggestions on cereal bars, or homemade cleaners, leave a comment!!
~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~

I am ready to go back!

 We had such a busy weekend I didn't have time to post. And, I find that it is Wednesday already....

Where has the week gone??

I had a catering gig Monday and was really surprised at how well it went. I usually have my husband there with me and if he can't make it (due to work), then I recruit a friend. This time, I had NO ONE but me, myself, and I! At this Lunch-on, I provided:

Lasagna

Green Beans

Caesar Salad

Fresh Fruit

Triple Brownie Threats

Strawberry Mini Delights

Sweet Tea

and

Water

Hubby cooks all the desserts for me and I just decorate them! He does an awesome Job!! He is my sidekick and I missed him dearly that day!

After it was all said and done, it was a big success!

I have several ways that I could go with this blog today...But, I must settle on one and work on the others later! I really don't have a menu put together for this week, but I can tell you what we had and what we are having tonight! 

Monday: Grilled Cheese and Salads

Tuesday: Fresh Parmesan Tilapia and Cheesy Potato Salad, (kids had organic fries)

And tonight we are having: Chili Glazed Turkey Breast, Green Beans, Rice and Tomatoes, and Salad (Everything that we will be eating will be organic)

As far as the rest of the week goes...I will deal with it later this afternoon and have something planned out I am sure! 

Speaking of organic.....

I went to Whole Foods yesterday ( I LOVE THAT STORE). YES, I did go about my weekly budget but I purchased some items that I felt we needed. I am all about cutting back on the grocery bill, but I do not want to sacrifice our health to do so. When I had lost 70 plus lbs (2 years ago), I was eating really healthy. I found that as I ventured into the "saving money on groceries" game, I started to gain weight back. I wanted to see how much I could get, for the cheap! I have done really well doing so! But, I have also found that the brands we normally would not have eaten, were causing some unwanted side effects. Some people believe that the foods we eat may not have an effect on our kids behavior. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT. I started adding more processed foods into our kids diet and slowly watch them change. Their behavior was nothing like it use to be. They had less energy in some ways but were more rowdy in others. They didn't have the attention span that they once had. I felt as though something was dragging me down, I was always tired and had no clue as to why. People would say, "Well you take care of a household, hubby and 2 kids...no wonder your tired". Yes, this is true, but, I wasn't as tired when I was eating healthy. 

As I mentioned before, I went to Whole Foods yesterday. I purchased $150.01 in groceries, but I had a buggy FULL! I bought several packages of fresh meat from the meat counter, fresh sliced lunch meat from the deli, fresh cheeses from the cheese counter, and several items from the bulk aisle. I did use coupons and received credit in the amount of $.20 for bringing in just 2 bags. At my local Kroger, we only get $.04 per bag. My receipt was just as long as usual and I got everything on my list and more. 

We are trying to stay away from processed foods, added preservatives and lean more towards the organic, all natural foods. With that being said, I do have a pantry still stocked with some processed foods. I have not decided if I want to use these all or donate some to our local food pantry. Either way, they will be used and not thrown away. 

I don't plan on buying everything organic. Fruits and veggies that have thicker peelings, I will purchase at a regular grocery store. We will not be eating the peelings and because they are thicker, pesticides are less likely to penetrate the peel. 

I will however, purchase the milk that is produced from cows that are not given the rBGH hormone. I will purchase meats that are raised and slaughtered the humane way and are fed a healthy diet. We have our own chickens, so we get eggs everyday and we know what we feed them (alot of salad and veggies).

I want to free our bodies of as many toxins as possible, while keeping it in budget, and I think I can do it! I purchased some all natural Laundry soap. It was a bit pricey but I would rather buy it then make my own at this point. I will be going back next week for another grocery trip. It may turn out that I only go twice a month and shop the regular store the other times. 

As far has paper towels and toilet paper, I will buy ones that are made from recycled materials. Since I mentioned it....Recycling is another thing we are taking on....Our daughter already loves to recycle, thanks to her Kindergarten teacher! 

I went to our county library yesterday as well. I picked up 2 books, one which was titled: "Go Green, Live Rich" by David Bach. I am almost half way through the book. It talks about "50 simple ways to save the earth". I will share over the next couple of weeks, some tips that I found very helpful in "greening" our home and bodies! 




I know this has been one of my longer blogs, but I really feel that my priorities have changed as far as our health is concerned. I hope that you find yourself thinking about what ways you can green your body and home all while being frugal! Link up below and tell me what you are doing!

~Remember to put God first, and everything else will follow~