Blue Jeans and Cotton Tees

Happy Father’s Day!

How are you honoring the dad(s) in your life today?

As I watch the TV and hear the commercials it seems that the only way to truly honor Dad is to buy him something (recliners, big screen TV’s, golf clubs, etc..)

But I disagree. I don’t think Dad’s really need more stuff. What they really need is more honor.

They need their wives hanging on their arms admiring their muscles, telling them how much they appreciate them. They need big bear hugs from their children and wet sloppy kisses with lots of “I Iove you Daddy!”

Dad’s need their favorite dessert served with love and a round of applause for all they do. They need phone calls from children or a visit. A fancy card isn’t as important as a handwritten note of thanks.

Father’s Day isn’t about money spent. It’s about taking time to honor and appreciate the dad in your life.

Make it a good one!

I’ll admit that I’ve got a soft spot for anything that says “heirloom”. I’ve always loved history and historic things. I thought that included tomatoes.

I learned last summer that it did not. We purchased several Amish heirloom tomato plants called Brandywine. (Just the name sounds old and unique doesn’t it?!)

They grew fast and well, producing very large, pinkish weird shaped tomatoes. Actually, they looked to me like bulbous noses.

But like my mom used to say, “It’s not what’s on the outside the matters, it’s what’s on the inside that counts.” So we ate one, or two. Hmmm.

Then I tried to figure out what to do with 6 plants full of weird looking and weird tasting tomatoes with a very unique texture.

I soon noticed that the tomatoes on the vine were actually starting to rot before they even finished ripening. The smell in that part of the garden was nauseating. We choose to ignore them as if they weren’t even there, until finally accepted defeat and just pulled them up!

We chalked that experience up as education and will never again attempt Brandywine tomatoes.

It did not, however, cure me from trying other heirloom varieties. As l walked through my local Amish nursery this spring I spotted some Hillbilly plants. (Just the name sounds old and unique doesn’t it!)

This time I only purchased one. It’s planted and looking good right now. Stay tuned!

We’re off to the Zoo today for a fun family adventure and, as I do with most fun family adventures, I’ve packed a sack lunch.

With seven members in the family, even the cheapest meal at the Zoo would totally blow our budget! But a sack lunch of homemade buns filled with roasted chicken smothered in barbecue sauce, fruit, carrot sticks, potato chips and homemade chocolate chip cookies, is both cheap and filling.

We rarely eat chips or drink pop because of the price and the nutritional value (none) but they make an adventure like this one special.

I watch the sales in the spring and summer months and stock up on our typical picnic fare so I can be ready anytime to pack a lunch. I also have an old blanket that gets thrown in so we have something to sit on and always bring a large thermos of water as well as smaller water bottles.

Do my kids complain about not getting the popcorn, cotton candy, funnel cakes, hot dogs. etc…? Nope. Sometimes in passing we quietly comment to them about the high prices (“Wow! A Hot dog costs $3! Did you know I can buy almost 3 packs of hot dogs at the grocery store for that much money?”) I think they understand.

Bringing a sack lunch with you as you adventure as a family is a great Thrifty way to stretch your entertainment dollars!

Some wise words from one of my favorite authors, Edith Schaeffer:

“A balance that is important to consider…is the balance between the danger of wasting the “now” or of considering that everything is going to be static, with no future!

Don’t waste this hour, Don’t waste today…Think hard-what can you do now in this combination that you can’t do in ten years, in five years, even next year? Then do it!….

What does this summer have for you and what does today have that you can do, that won’t be possible five years from now, two years from now, next week?

Someday all that you can do today or this week will only be a memory. Let it be a memory of what you did do…

What if we have to move; what would you want to do first? What do you enjoy about this garden, this house, these books, that if it all were taken away, you’d wish you were here to do it for just one hour?…

Don’t waste the now…”

~Edith Schaeffer, from her book What is a Family.

I love pita bread. Not only does it look way cool, it is so fun to “stuff” your sandwich rather than spread it! (I know, my mom always told me not to play with my food, but…)

To buy pita bread, especially for my large family, is not only expensive, it’s next to impossible to find out here in rural America!

Not to worry. We’ve found a quick, easy, and really yummy recipe to make homemade pita bread.

Pita Bread

Dissolve: 2 tsp, dry yeast in 1 cup warm water. Add 1 Tbsp. sugar. Let sit until bubbly.

Add 3 cup flour (can use all or part whole wheat) and 1 1/2 tsp. salt.

Knead. Adding more flour if necessary.

Cover with clean towel and let rise until doubled. Punch down.

Divide into 6 equal portions and let rise 15 minutes.

Roll each pita bread to a circle about 1/2 inch high. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

The bread should have puffed up like a balloon. Cut them in half, fill them with your favorite fillings and enjoy!

If it doesn’t puff up, don’t worry. Most of the time you can pull it apart with a knife or your fingers. If not, you can always (sigh) spread it.

We just enjoyed these last night filled with cooked chicken, homegrown lettuce and cottage cheese. Yum! What made them even better was that my daughter made them for the family!

Homemade bread of all kinds is thrifty idea you’re family will love!