[HBHW News] Summer Time Savings And Yummy Treats

Published: Wed, 06/24/15

Editorial

Hello ,

Hi there and welcome to the next edition of the HBHW newsletter. It's been a strange week for me. Half my mind is in Germany with my Grandmother who is making the hard transition from one life to the next. My thoughts and prayers are with her and of course my mom, my aunts and my uncle who have the incredibly hard job of watching their mother fade away. I'm trying to prepare myself for the day when the call comes, but there really isn't a way to do that, is there.

On the other hand, life keeps going on around here. There's my daughter's play to attend tonight, a fun picnic with her 4H group planned for Friday and then we're traveling upstate to visit with my husband's family over the weekend ... unless plans change of course. I'm feeling a bit in limbo, packing for a trip I'm not sure when exactly I'll leave. Trying to stay ahead with housework, the blog, the newsletter etc. And all the while continue with our day-to-day life here. But enough about me...

Let's get into this week's newsletter.

With summer here, I thought it would be good to focus on summertime savings. Saving a little here and there will go a long way towards having some extra funds to take the kids out for ice cream, go on a day trip or even take a little vacation. I have some tips in this week's featured article and we also talk about it on our Facebook Page. A fellow reader is sharing a great tip for getting more juice out of citrus fruit and another one is looking for a blueberry buckle recipe. Last but not least there's a new crockpot recipe I couldn't wait to share with you for orange chicken.

And speaking of crockpot cooking (a favorite during the hot summer months here), I have a free Kindle book for you too. For the next few days, you can download my Ground Beef Slowcooker Recipes here: http://amzn.to/1fxV7Kx

Enjoy!

Susanne

P.S. There's still time to grab the Summer Bundle and help me raise the funds for a last minute plane ticket to Germany.

http://www.homemakershutch.com/summer-sale/

I'm Looking For

I’m looking for a blueberry buckle recipe from twenty five years ago. I remember that it had a topping on it like a crumb mixture as for a pie.

– Thalia

Please click through to the post here and share your suggestions, ideas and recipes.

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/old-fashioned-blueberry-buckle.htm

Inspirational Quote

“Everyone gets to decide how happy they want to be. Because everyone gets to decide how grateful they are willing to be.”

- Ann Voskamp

Featured Recipe of the Week

Crockpot Orange Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 6 thighs
¾ cup barbecue sauce
¾ cup orange jam
1 - 2 tbsp soy sauce (or to taste)

Put the chicken in the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 - 5 hours or on high for 3 hours.

Remove the chicken and slice it. Return to the slow cooker.

Add the remaining ingredients and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes.

Serve over cooked rice.

Recipe Link (to share, pin and save)

You're welcome to share the recipe on Pinterest, Facebook etc. I'm also sharing a lot of recipes on the HBHW Facebook page. Click on through to check it out. As always, likes, comments and shares are much appreciated. :)

Kindle News - Free Today!

Ground Beef Crockpot Recipes

Quick & Easy Go-To Meals For Busy Cooks

I love my crockpot. There are quite a few days when I couldn’t put a home-cooked meal together without it. It’s so easy and convenient to dump everything in the pot in the morning, turn it on and then go about my day. When dinner time rolls around, the food is ready to eat and after dinner there’s only one pot to clean up.

Ground beef is wonderful in slow cooker dishes. It’s still fairly affordable and a little ground beef goes a long way to give body and flavor to your dishes.

Here are a few of the recipes you'll find inside (along with some cooking tips of course):

American Chop Suey
Bacon Cheeseburger Soup
Beef and Vegetable Ragout
Beef Barley Soup
Beefy Potato Casserole
Creamy Potato Beef Casserole
Crock Pot Cottage Pie
Crock Pot Meat Loaf

Order the Book on Amazon

Super Spectacular Summer Sale

In this world, family is everything. You may have read that my grandmother is very ill and could pass away at any moment. One of the reasons that we put together our Summer Sale is to help me raise money to purchase last minute tickets home to Germany to pay last respects to my grandmother and to be a shoulder for my mom as she has often been for me.

Please check out the sale as personal favor to me.

Get 30 products: ebooks, templates, and workbooks at a 93% discount and do a good deed.

http://www.homemakershutch.com/summer-sale/

Frugal Fun on Facebook

We're having a lot of fun talking about all things frugal and homemaking on Facebook. Join in the discussion at the Hillbilly Housewife Facebook page. Be sure to like the page so you don't miss a thing. Here's just one of this week's topics.

Comment, Like, Share and Read More

Frugal Tip

Get More Juice Out of Limes and Lemons

Here’s a tip from fellow Hillbilly Housewife reader about getting more juice out of lemons and limes.

(Edited for Spelling). Place the fruit in the microwave oven for approximately 35-50 seconds. Let them cool and set aside till you can pick them up without burning your hands. This works great especially if you’re weak or have sore hands. The amount of juice is almost doubled.

From The Hillbilly Housewife

As expensive as lemons and limes are getting, it’s important to get as much juice out as we can when we’re using them in baking, cooking or fixing a big batch of lemonade. The reader tip is a great and I’ve done this a few times in the past. It works great and is a quick and easy way to get more of that citrus flavor out.

A commenter asked about the loss of vitamin C from the microwaving. I think the time period is short enough to not impact vitamin C too much (that’s just a guess though, so take that with a grain of salt). Other micronutrients however may not fare as well. As a rule, I prefer not to do this and when possible, I roll the lemons or limes on the counter for a minute or two and then juice them.

Yes, this requires a little extra elbow grease and may not be the best solution for everyone, but it works.

Read the rest of the tip, comment, like and share.

Featured Article of the Week

Summer Vacation Time Is Here – Are You Making Plans?

The yearly vacation is a special event that the entire family should enjoy. Get the most out of it by developing a family vacation budget. It will help give you the means to enjoy this special family time each year.

After working for months the idea of a family vacation can seem like the ideal reward. A week or two in a sunny climate in the middle of a cold and snowy winter is the icing on their yearly cake. Vacations are usually costly though and if your job is set a family budget, you’ll want to get the most out of each dime you’ve allocated to the vacation fund.

There are many important factors to consider if you’ve decided to set up a financial plan that includes money for vacations. It isn’t enough to just take a percentage of each paycheck and put it in a separate bank account that you’ll turn to at the end of the year. With the proper planning techniques in place when you set a family budget you’ll be able to execute a trip that will be unforgettable.

One important consideration is timing. Most people want to venture out on a holiday at the same time each year. The travel industry refers to these times as peak periods and they generally fall in December, March and again during the summer months. The reason for this is because more people are tempted to take off on a trip when their children aren’t in school. The travel industry knows this and prices are considerably higher during these times.

Although school work is most important, planning a trip during a non-peak time and preparing beforehand might be the most economical answer. Research is fundamental when planning any trip. There is an abundance of information on the internet that can give you an idea of the total cost you will be facing for your trip.

If you do decide to travel during a non-peak time and you have children enrolled in school, there are steps you can take to assist them with their studies. Talk to their teachers and have them assign homework for the trip. This is a wonderful method of not only keeping the children up to par in class but it gives them something to focus on during the car or airplane ride. Children can become agitated easily when expected to sit still for prolonged periods of time, but if they are engrossed in studies, the time moves along much more quickly.

Another consideration when you set a family budget that includes a vacation fund is to consider traveling to a destination that offers all-inclusive vacation packages. This includes not only your airfare and accommodations but can also include meals and beverages. The savings with this type of vacation plan can be considerable. It also offers up the benefit of pre-planning all related costs. You’ll know how much you need to save each month to reach your vacation goal.

One of the things that people often overlook when considering vacation expenses as they set a family budget is the benefit of visiting relatives. A destination that involves family members can result in a considerable savings in accommodation costs. Most people welcome the company of relatives for a few days and if you buy them dinner or surprise them with a thank-you gift they’ll invite you back time and time again.

Click here to read the rest of this article, comment and share.

Summer Vacation Time Is Here – Are You Making Plans?

Please don't forget to "Pin" these articles and posts when you head to the Hillbilly Housewife website to read more. It helps get the word out about the site and the newsletter. Thank you!

A Little Something Inspirational...

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

Final Thought

That's it from me for this week. It's been an emotional one with lots of Skype calls to Germany and preparing as much as I can for both the news about my grandma passing when it comes (she's still hanging in there - prayers are much appreciated), and for the last minute trip to Germany. Thank you very much for your kind words, prayers, emails and of course your support in helping me raise the funds to go fly back home when the time comes.