Fortune Cookie Wisdom, Fried Chicken Dreams, and Goodwill Bargains
Posted on 2008-Dec-2 at 11:03 PM by Sugar Bend Farms - 1 Comments - Post Comment - Link
I have a confession to make
I can't fry...
I can fry catfish okay, but I do that in a fryer, so that doesn't count...
If it is in a pan, I can't fry it.
The problem is my batter won't stay on...
I have read how to remedy that and it still doesn't work for me.
It isn't because I didn't learn. I took four years of home-ec in high school and
My mom fried everything we ever ate, not really, but mostly...
We were the fried meat kind of people, at least they were..are still
But me, well, I am more of a bake, braise, boil, saute, steam, broil, blacken,
anything but fry...kind of gal.
Frying doesn't really do much for me.
But with that said, there are times when frying is just want you want.
Like say fried chicken...
All kids like fried chicken, and I don't really want to have to drive down to
Popeye's every timethe kids want fried chicken.
Even though I am sure they wish I would,
especially after they see my poor excuse for fried chicken.
Tonight I was in a daring mood and decided to try it again.
I pulled a bag of chicken parts from the freezer and thawed them.
Then I put milk into the bag for the chicken to soak in for a while.
I prepared my flour, adding Tony's, pepper, salt with a dash of garlic powder.
I pulled out the trusty cast iron pan and added my oil.
I coated each piece very heavily with the flour mixture and dropped them into the hot oil.
I waited, and after I felt it had browned enough on one side I
turned it over and let it brown on the reverse side.
Once that was done I turn the heat down some and continued to turn and cook.
And tonight, I guess the mood was right, and the stars aligned just so, because
my crispy didn't fall of of the meat!
Grant it, they were a little, wee bit browner than I like, but hey, there was
crispy on my fried chicken! Isn't that what really matters?
What does this have to do with anything?
Well I asked myself that very thing before I sat down to write about it.
I suppose it means that sometimes, things just work out, sometimes they don't. Just because it never worked out for you before, doesn't mean it won't at some point happen.
What does all of that mean?
Well maybe I feel like sharing a little "fortune cookie wisdom" tonight.
Maybe I just have to much time on my hands and I am just rambling...
Here is a picture of Noah in his new pj's... Isn't he a cutie!
Here are a couple of my recent Goodwill finds:
 I found these two bowls three weeks or so ago. They are hand crafted Japanese pottery. The design is Wild Iris. I am sure they aren't worth anything really, but their simple design and their shape and size was appealing to me. I think I paid $2.00 each for them. They are in perfect shape, no chips and look like there were brand new.
 This is a magnetic board. I paid $2.00 for it. And really I would have never bought it although I am one of those people who has my refrigerator full of clippings, comic strips, kids drawings, appointment reminders, and anything that catches my eye that a magnet will hold up on the fridge... so I could use more space for posting things. I wasn't looking for anything like that but this reached out and grabbed my attention.
This was attached to it, done on a piece of vellum paper. I suppose I was in a "Fortune Cookie wisdom" kind of mood that day also. Sometimes I struggle with things; not great big things, but those small things in my head; like purpose, and why are we here, and what is the big picture. Maybe I am the only one...
...Anyway, this caught my eye. It was like a message, on a day when I needed some voice of wisdom speaking to me, some direction, some God-inspired message just for me. Whoever thought I could find such a thing at Goodwill, and for only two dollars at that! I'd say that was quite a bargain!
It also included magnetic letters that said I LOVE MY LITTLE. I started wondering about the previous owner. Little what? For me it would mean, my little ones, kiddos. But I wondered why the person that had this before decided to get rid of it. Did they stop dreaming? Did they no longer love their little? Yes, I have such a small brain that these things cause me to ponder...Humor me, please...
...or did they catch that dream that they dared...and did the little get big...so the message no longer applied...
...maybe the motivation of the message worked so well for the prior owner they wanted to pass it along to someone they thought might need this bit of wisdom...
This is where I came in, searching through Goodwill for some source of inspiration. Some life changing Epiphany, some answers to those nagging questions that keep me up at night. So I bought it and it is now hanging on my kitchen wall, soon to be filled with comic strips that I find humorous or ironic. I will pass it daily and be reminded that in life, you should dare to dream, and you should always love your little_____!!!
I am sure that this post confirms what many of you have always believed about me...
I am a little nutty!! Some of you are saying, "More than a little nutty!"
But if you made it this far, at least it was interesting to you!!!
Or, like a freak show, you had to keep reading to see just how strange I do become!!!
Either way, thanks for visiting...tomorrow I may be medicated and the post may actually make sense...LOL!(not really, I'm not on medication, unless you count midol one week a month!) OH! TMI!! Sorry!
A Little Rant
Posted on 2008-Nov-12 at 6:11 PM by Sugar Bend Farms - 2 Comments - Post Comment - Link
Yesterday I did something that at one time in my life would have been unthinkable...
Something that would have embarrassed my girls, had they been with me.
Noah was with me, but at three, didn't realize that there was cause for embarrassment....
I took Noah for his three year checkup and while I was in that area, decided to go to a new Walmart near there.
I had clipped some coupons and printed some from the computer...
I did my shopping, took my half-filled buggy to the check-out
I got in line, put my items on the conveyer belt...
After having all my items scanned, I handed her my coupons...
She pulled out the clipped ones and returned the ones printed from the internet...
She said they weren't allowed to take them..
I asked to speak with someone about it...
A CSM walked over and I told her the situation, she looked at the coupons and said that they couldn't take them because people had been faking coupons...
So I asked to speak with a manager....
I waited...
and
Waited...
Finally a manager of some sorts walked up and asked what the problem was...
I explained the situation and that I use them in other stores and she said that she couldn't take them...
So I reached in the buggy, where my groceries were neatly placed in my reusable bags, and I began taking the groceries out of the bags...
I put them back into the buggy and said to the cashier and manager that I would leave the groceries in the buggy. If they couldn't take the coupons, I would shop in a store that would.
I told them that Kroger takes the coupons, so they would get my business from now on...
I took my bags and my purse, I picked up Noah and walked out!!!
I will NOT spend any more of my hard earned money in that store!!
I took Megan the her orthodontics appointment yesterday evening, and afterward went to the Walmart where I usually shop...
When I walked in, I asked the CSM if they took coupons printed from the internet. She said as long as they scan properly they will take them...
I picked up the items I needed, and took them to the register
Without any question, the cashier scanned my coupons and gave me my total.
I paid, thanked her and walked out, feeling much better about my Walmart shopping experience...
Kroger and that Walmart store will get my money from now on!!
I think more people should have the courage to stand up against things that aren't right. Vote with your money. Spend your money where you are treated with respect. A place that will remember the old adage in retail:
"The customer is always right"
I am giving them my money, so in return they must be willing to make things easier for me as a consumer. Gone are the days of thinking that they are doing us a favor...
We are the reason they are in business, and there are many places to chose from. Some places have gotten to big for their own good, and think they don't have to please the consumer any more.
But I am going to spend my money where I am treated well and not talked to and treated like I am a criminal that is trying to rip them off...
I am sure they have people like that, but I am not one of them, and don't feel I should be punished because there are a few moral deficient people in this world.
Okay, enough rant for today!
When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important
whether I am afraid. ~
Audre Lorde~
The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to
step out of our ruts and start searching for different
ways or truer answers.
~M. Scott Peck~
Don't be too timid and squeamish about your actions.
All life is an experiment
~Ralph Waldo Emerson~
What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot
hear what you say.
Coupons
Posted on 2008-Nov-12 at 8:11 AM by Sugar Bend Farms - 3 Comments - Post Comment - Link
Okay, so I have used coupons a lot through the years. No big deal, right? Sometimes I would save a few dollars on my grocery bill and I thought I was really doing something.
But when I read this blog and this blog with all of those who commented on their savings, I began to think that maybe there was much more to couponing than I understood. So I began to read, and study and this is what I did..
Kroger is having a Mega deal event this week and next. If you buy 10 of selected items, you get $5.00 off the purchase. Kroger also doubles coupons up to 55 cents,(that's $1.10). So I had coupons on all these items. I got these 10 items for a grand total of ...are you ready?
I got
4 boxes of Quaker Oats,
1- 3 liter bottle of water,
2 boxes Betty Crocker scalloped and Au Gratin potatoes
1 package Betty Crocker Triple chunk chocolate chip cookie mix
2-24 boxes of Tylenol extra strength
That is 10 items
I paid....$4.13!!!!
I was so pumped! I have never saved that much on anything before!
I was hooked. I am like a crack addict looking for my next fix!
Here it is. The water was free and the tylenol was also free with coupons and the money back after buying the 1o items. $4.13!! Wow!
So I go to another Kroger store today, because the one I went to yesterday didn't have some of the items I wanted. So today this is what I got. Minus the items listed earlier.
 
 ..
Today's haul was great. I got:
1-4 roll Cottenelle tissue- .29 cents!
1-2 liter DrPepper
1-2 liter Big K Ginger Ale
1-64 oz Welch white grape juice
4 cans condensed soup
2 cans carnation cream
16 slices kraft cheese
1 can Pringles
3 cans Chef Boyardee
1-package Betty Crocker Chocolate chunk cookie mix (in addition to the one I got yesterday)
1 box Duncan Hines brownie mix
3 boxes Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix
2 Peter Pan peanut butter
4 boxes Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal .40 cents a box!!!!
1-box Ritz crackers
2 boxes Pilsbury Toaster strudels
1 bag Totinos Pizza rolls
2 kroger chili envelopes (seasoning)
1 bag Fritos
1 bag Chili Cheese Fritos
1 bag Cheetos
5 cans kroger brand sliced potatoes
With the $10.00 off because of buying 20 of the items and with the coupons I had the total for today's shopping trip was.....
$38.02!!!!
I am so into this now!!
I can't wait to go back to save more money!
I am a crazy woman. I am so excited!! I use to dread going grocery shopping, now I want to go everyday just to see how much money I don't spend!!
My total savings from both trips was.....
$73.16
If anyone out there doesn't use coupons, and you get them in the mail or in your newspaper, I would be glad to take them off your hands...
Just let me know and I will send you SASE's and you can just drop them in the mail to me!!
Here are a couple of cute quotes about money to end this post. Enjoy!
If more of us thought in these terms, we would have much less junk in our homes and much more happiness in our lives!
Weekly Happenings
Posted on 2008-Oct-31 at 2:38 PM by Sugar Bend Farms - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link
Well we finally did it! It took us a while, but after all this time, it is finally done! I talked about it here. Over a year ago! But little by little we completed our mission.
We got rid of one of our storage sheds!! We cleaned it out!
Everything! We threw away two truck loads of junk!
We brought the rest home for more through going through
and hopefully throwing more away.
That is $50.00 back in our pockets each month.
 Some things will be kept. Some will be given away (does anyone need a twin mattress set?). Free to a good home!
Some things will be taken to Louisiana and put into our storage shed that we own
and don't have to put out money on each month.
Those things will be things like Megan's very large collection
of Barbie dolls and baby dolls that she wants
to keep so someday she can show her children!
Other weeky events included:
Making fig preserves!
In August when my parents came for a visit, they brought me several gallon freezer bags full of frozen figs.
These figs were picked and frozen by a very dear lady who has more figs than she can
do with herself, and is such a doll that she is willing to share
with her friends. Thanks Sis Phyllis!
The figs are delicious!
 I just used one gallon bag to make these. I was just testing the recipe and it turned out well! I thawed the figs, cooked them down in a water and sugar syrup. Added a little salt and some vanilla flavoring. I let them cook down very slowly, for about three hours, stirring often and staying very close to the pot.
The next batch I will add some sliced lemon instead of vanilla.
And another batch I will add strawberries to the mix.
I have fond memories of fig preserves.
My Granny Holaway use to make them when I was a kid.
We had a fig tree in our yard and she would come visit and I would climb up and pick figs,
she would then go home and make preserves and bring some back to us.
I loved them on toast!
I had forgotten about fig preserves for years until I was pregnant with Noah.
I started craving them. I searched and searched and finally found some in
Mountain View, Arkansas.
I bought a jar and ate my fill.
Then I started buying them at the Farmers Market at $6.00 a jar!
But thanks to Sis Phyllis, I have my own for just the cost of the sugar and my time!
Yummy!
And finally, this is my new kitchen curtain. For years, I have decorated my kitchen in peppers. But when we moved into this house, I decided to change
the decor. I wanted to go with the "waiters" but just never did do much
toward decorating. The kitchen is smaller than I am use to and counter
space is precious, and I don't have any wall space for hanging plaques or pictures.
So I just didn't do anything.
While visiting the Goodwill store I ran across these curtains. They looked brand new,
never used. I paid $1.50 for them. I just couldn't
pass up such a deal. And I like how they look
in my kitchen window. It added a new
feel to my small kitchen. And for $1.50 how could you go worng?
Well, that about wraps up the week, other than the fact that we have all been sickies. We have been treating allergies all week. I suppose it is the change in the weather that is bringing it about.
Speaking of change:
Don't forget to change your clocks this weekend. Fall back! We get an extra hour on Saturday night to either sleep, or whatever...
But starting next week it will be dark much earlier and we will have to start
staying inside more and the days will seem much shorter. Lord knows I
could use longer days to accomplish the things on my to-do lists, but I suppose for
a few months, we will just have to deal with shorter days and more indoor
activities. Which sends me looking for one of these.
Maybe this year I will actually try the light therapy. Wonder if Goodwill has one of
those lamps? HMMMMMMmmmmm......
Spiritual Food
Posted on 2008-Oct-24 at 10:08 AM by Sugar Bend Farms - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link
While visiting the library a couple of weeks ago, a book was accidently checked out and put with our books. When we got home we discovered it. Turns out it was a Beth Moore book. I have read of Beth Moore, and heard others talk about reading her books but I have never read one. So I thought that maybe it wasn't really an accident and maybe there was something in it that I needed to read.
The book is, A Woman and Her God. In the first chapter she talks about the void that God created in each of us, in order for us to seek Him to fill that void. I have always heard it referred to as a God-shaped void, that nothing else would fill. I have known people who seek in the wrong places to fill that void, only to become addicted to drugs, alcohol, sex and other things which do not fill their void. People have ruined their lives along with the other people in their lives, seeking after the wrong things. If only they realized that only God would fill that void. If you allow God to fill the void, then you would not be seeking in the wrong places, because you would be complete in Him. Then He would bring into your life the things that would compliment you and it would be good things to give you an abundant life.
Beth Moore quotes the scripture Isaiah 44:20
He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside,
that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
She talks about the "lie" being anything that we hold to for our strength, of comfort or to fulfill us. Other examples she uses is food, alcohol, drugs, money, or work. She says that our cravings will help us see what "lies" we are holding onto.
While reading this scripture in the KJV of the bible, I saw a reference scripture for the word lie.
So I looked it up and it was Romans 1:25
Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.
The next scripture says:
For this cause God gave the up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
The scripture continues on in this vein and it got me to thinking about what is going on in our world today. The evil that resides here. The world has become an evil place, if you doubt, just listen to the evening news or read the newspaper. That is all the evidence I need to tell me that the world has tried to fill that God-shaped void with things other than God. And as He states in Romans 1:28, God gave them over to a reprobate mind. They are believing the lie, and will be ****ed.
God open my eyes Lord, don't let me believe a lie, help me to see the lies in my life. Help me to rid my life of the things that are not of you. Things that I may be using to try to fill the void that only you can fill. Keep my eyes wide open in the spirit, so that I won't be fooled or mislead by my own lusts or desires. Keep my heart and eyes set on you and on TRUTH! I don't want to lose this precious truth of your word.
My new ride!!
Posted on 2008-Sep-22 at 12:09 PM by Sugar Bend Farms - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link
 No! Not that one. Don't I wish! Although I am working on it. That is my new dream car. Does that mean I am going through my mid-life crisis, because I want a convertable--beetle bug? Hopefully that will be my next new ride. But for now this is my new ride.....
This is Megan's new ride. She really likes it!
Even Noah got into the action. He got a new bike for his birthday. I will post that photo later, but to go on rides with us, until he builds up his stamina to ride that far, he can chill in his new trailer.
Of course, that means I will have to really work extra hard to pull him and the trailer. I definately will have to build up to longer rides. The bikes I bought new, but the trailer was a blessing. I had been looking at them and pricing them....$100.00 and up. I happened by an estate sale the other day and bought this great, like new trailer for $15.00!!!! I was thrilled. It was just a little dusty and needed the coupler to attach it to the bike. No big deal. Less than $10.00 bucks, cheaper than I thought, and we are good to go!!
Happy trails!!!
A new week before me...endless possibilities abound....which road will I take....
Posted on 2008-Sep-15 at 9:52 AM by Sugar Bend Farms - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link
While surfing the web and reading some blogs I frequent, I ran across this blog post by Alex the Girl. It was dated June 2nd and it was her latest blog post.
I was challenged by her words and agree with it. I have become to attached to the internet and need to back way off in the use of it. Our whole family could disconnect for a bit. Not sure that will happen, but it is something to consider. You can read her post here:http://alexthegirl.com/2008/06/289
Hope you enjoy it. And follow her advice at least for some time.
AWOL blogger
Posted on 2008-Sep-11 at 11:21 AM by Sugar Bend Farms - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link
Yes, I realize that I have been AWOL from this blog for some time. I have stopped in a time or two to update, but basically haven't been keeping things interesting around here.
Since returning from Chicago, I have been really busy and tired. Sometime vacations will do that to you. I have been keeping up with other blogs but somehow I feel like I am in a slump and can't seem to muster the mental creativity to sit down and put words to paper; or computer screen, as it were. I have photo's from the trip to Seattle and to Chicago that I haven't even downloaded onto the computer, much less edited. I just feel blaaaa....
For those of you who know that feeling well, I don't need to explain. But for those of you who are always energetic and full of creative fire, well... all I can say is I envy you.
I am somehow feeling a bit lost, somewhere between vacation and real life. Trying to muster up the energy to put your nose to the grindstone again but not wanting to at all. When kids are in public school or even private schools, all you have to do is buy the necessary items and get them there on time. But when you homeschool, it is all on you. You have to do everything; you are the parent, the teachers, the principal, the school board and the superientendent. And nothing works if you don't make it work. You design it, run it and carry the weight of all of it on your shoulders. That can be somewhat daunting at times.
Last year we tried something called unschooling. It is a relaxed approach to educating a child. Based on the idea that children learn naturally and without being told to learn. I love the concept, I believe in the concept. And I was perfectly happy with the experience. However, my daughter, who is 13 and in the thoes of puberty, felt that she was strange because she wasn't doing "school" like her peers. Part of the problem is due to the fact she has no homeschool peers. I know, that is my fault, but that is another story. All of her friends and peers attend "regular school" and being the insecure, pubesent that my daughter is at the moment, she felt like she was weird, or strange because she doesn't do "regular school". So this year we are going to try to do "regular school". I plan to get her enrolled into a program that offers study skill training since she has never really done "traditional school". I think it will help her confidence and her ability to organize and keep up with her studies.
Noah who will turn three on Saturday, well we have two more years before he has to worry about being school age. So we are doing unschooling with him and just calling it fun!
Lauren is working on her photography business. She has a couple of weddings coming up, and three senior portraits to do between now and October. She is getting more work and hoping that things will take off. I hope that it works out for her. I think if you find the thing that you love, and work at it, you will succeed, even if you don't get riches and fame, if you are happy with what you are doing, then that is success. However, I am not an idot, I realize that you need money to live, and now days, lots of money...so I am still encouraging her to go to college and get a degree. She says she is...in the spring. But she said that before and didn't. I know that she is smart and can succeed at whatever she tries, if she wants it bad enough. So I don't worry so much anymore about it.
Well, this post took a life of its own, and once again, I was rambling. At some point I will post more photo's of Seattle and Chicago and talk more about them. For now I just want to hold the memories close and try to pretend that I am still on vacation, even if it is just for another day or two.
Today I have to go find a Thomas the Train cake pan to make Noah's birthday cake. Time files, I can't believe my baby will be 3! The last four years have been bitter sweet, since moving to Arkansas, there have been many losses in my life, struggles, pain, tears, dry spells where I felt the trials would never end, but in the midst of it all, this beautiful gift from God-My little Noah!
I read that the name Noah means comforter, I would agree. He has been a source of comfort and joy for me. God knew what I would face over the last four years, and he knew I needed something extra special to get me through, so he blessed me with Noah! Thank you Lord for your blessings and your grace and mercy in my life.
Phoenix in the rain?
Posted on 2008-Aug-8 at 1:22 AM by Sugar Bend Farms - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link
I am sitting in the hotel room in Phoenix and it is storming outside. The hotel next to us is out of electricity because a transformer blew just up the street. Thank God we still have electricity here.
We went to the Saints game...yippee! I am not interested in the least in football, but hubby is a fanatic, so we compromise. I spent the entire game taking photo's for hubby and texting with my kids back home. Megan was sick, started running a temp today. I think it is just her allergies, but if she isn't better tomorrow, Lauren will have to take her to the doc. Just the kind of thing that keeps a mom worrying when she is away from her kids. Other than that, all is well on the homefront. Noah is doing well. I spoke to him on the phone tonight and he told me he was staying with "Larnon (what he calls Lauren), MeMe (his name for Megan), grandma, and pawpaw." He said that he had put a puzzle together by himself and that he was having a good time. So I feel like he will do fine. Just pray that Megan gets well soon!
Anyway, back to the game... Attached are a couple of photo's I took. I couldn't take my zoom lens in, so I just have panoramic shots.
Tomorrow we leave for Seattle! Yea! Now the fun begins for me!
Views of the hotel room: comfy bed!
Great Kitchen--love the decor!
Where we ate before the game
It is like a 50's style diner
Had a good homestyle burger and fries.
As the other team was introduced onto the field
Some Saints players on the bench and the ESPN camera guy
More Saints players
Views from the walk back to the hotel after the game.
Gotta get in bed it is getting late and I have another flight to make tomorrow. I will post from Seattle in a day or so.
Early morning trips
Posted on 2008-Aug-7 at 1:32 PM by Sugar Bend Farms - 0 Comments - Post Comment - Link
Today this post comes to you from Phoenix, Arizona. I am sitting in a hotel room in Phoenix trying to recover from an early morning flight. We flew to Dallas and then flew from there to Phoenix. I have been up since 3:30 this morning and I didn't get to bed until 11:00. So I plan to take a nap as soon as I am done here.
Andrew and I celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary this month and while my parents were visiting we decided to take our anniversary trip. We are flying from Phoenix to Seattle tomorrow.
I am having some jet lag and just basic lack of sleep issues, so I will end this post now. I will post more later with photo's.
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