Month: June 2021

Meet June’s Freebie Winner!

~ Midwest Storyteller

June turned hot here in the Midwest and now it’s closing out as wet, wet, wet.  Let’s dry off for a minute and meet the winner of June’s First Friday Freebie –

Kathy from Prairie Home, Missouri!

Congratulations, Kathy!  I hope you’ve been getting good use out of your lemony freebie, perhaps while serving up some refreshing lemonade on those sweltering days.

Kathy has not only been a winner of my First Friday Freebie before, but has also been a guest here on the blog.  She kindly taught me how to do wood burning and make beautiful spoons like the ones she made here and mine also became a First Friday Freebie!  You can see those here, learn how we made them and find out who won them here.

I’m waiting for the word from Kathy – if she has another artsy thing to teach us, I’d love to have her share it here on the blog.  She’s always doing something fascinating with found items.

The lemony kitchen set that Kathy just won are by Home Collection and you can see the original freebie offer, here. 

You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! page here.  If you’re not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller they might entice you to become one – First Friday Freebies are for email subscribers only.

Kathy’s been a subscriber for a while now.  She became one by entering her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirmed her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox.  If you’ve done that and not received a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”. 

Subscribing is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.

Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win. 

Freebies help me reach more people with my stories, recipes and more.  When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also.  Subscribing is free.  Freebies are free.  Are you catching on this is a free thing?

Coming soon:  July’s First Friday Freebie – that takes place on Friday, July 2nd.   You’ll be able to see a photo of the Freebie and enter to win at any point all day that day.  Don’t forget to check the email that you used to subscribe for notification that you’ve won.

A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing. 

ONCE AGAIN:  Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe.  That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.

Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, July 2nd, 2021. 

I’d love to hear from you, especially if anyone has any ideas about how we can divert some of this rain to parts of the country that so desperately need it right now.  We are having road closures due to all the flooding and it is one soggy mess around here.

How Rating Your Recipes Makes Life Easier and More Fun!

~ Midwest Storyteller
Food Freedom with Coach Barb www.midweststoryteller.com

[NOTE:  I openly disclose on this blog that as a certified lifestyle coach through Trim Healthy Mama, I may receive financial benefit from those who desire to enlist my services privately or in a group setting.]

I’m dedicating this post to Smuffy.  I’ve lost count of the times he’s told me we really needed to rate recipes.  He enjoys the food on the Trim Healthy Mama plan, but just like the rest of us, he likes some things better than others.  On the other hand, some are just not his cup of tea at all.  He’s been recommending for some time now that I come up with some type of rating system so that he can tick the boxes at any given meal to let me know just how well he likes what’s set before him.

I’ve found the cookbooks from Trim Healthy Mama to be fantastic.  Aside from some old family favorites that already fit the plan or just needed a little tweaking, I cook almost exclusively from these books now.  There have been very few that I would have given a low rating and just because I like being honest and saving you time and effort, I’ll mention just a couple.  Brown Rice Crispy Treats – I followed the recipe to the letter and even I, who hate throwing anything away, had to admit they were icky and chuck them over the back fence.  I’m open to suggestions from anybody who can show me how to save that recipe, but I think I’ll taste yours first.  Then there was Slender Slaw – oh, dear!  Perhaps it’s cultural and it’s just an Aussie thing for Serene and Pearl, but I got my exercise in on another trip to the back of the property with that one.

Then, there are the winners.  There are tons of recipes in the Trim Healthy Mama cookbooks that are just fabulous!  I’m addicted to Cry No More Brownies and the Superfood Mounds – oh, my goodness!  Then, there are Two Minute Truffles, Dreamy Chicken Lazone, Cheeseburger Pie, Lazy Lasagna, Queso Chicken Bake.  I could go on and on.

However, Smuffy says we need a system so that we can create a notebook full of winners that he’s happy to dive into any time.  Did I mention the Philly Cheese Meatloaf or Melissa’s Amish Broccoli Salad or Just Like Orange Juice or The Shrinker?  This is making me feel all peckish.

Anyhow, we borrowed the general idea for our rating system from one that was used at an annual benefit for the area food bank where soups are judged and the winners are awarded “golden ladles”.  If I might mention it, I am the recipient of six golden ladles and my #1 favorite is a recipe I invented, Creamy Leek Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potato.  In fact, that soup has won three of my golden ladles!  Try it here and I dare you not to love it!  There’s a free printable waiting just for you.

There are several aspects of food that determine whether or not a person will like it or even want to try it.  We decided to include a ranking on a scale of 1-5 on whether or not we are pleased with each.  Is the appearance pleasing?  What about the aroma?  How does it actually taste?  Mouth feel is an important consideration, so we included a category for texture.  Finally, we asked for a ranking on what we considered the greatest compliment – whether or not we’d order the dish in a restaurant.

So, thanks to Smuffy’s nudging, here’s the rating chart –

Coach Barb's Recipe Rating www.midweststoryteller.com

I’m including a free printable so that you can easily print these out four on a page, cut them apart and keep a stack near the table so that friends and family can have fun with the rating system and you can develop a great collection of winners.  Create a notebook or just slap a sticky note on the page in the cookbook so that you know which recipes you can always fall back on.

I have a funny feeling that anything that does not score 3.5 or above on Smuffy’s card will probably be frowned upon from now on out.

Don’t forget your free printable !

Coming up, I’ll be sharing healthy recipes, letting you know how we’re rating them and providing notations concerning recipes that have already appeared on the blog and whether or not they fit the Trim Healthy Mama plan.  I’ll be making recommendations from THM recipes and providing lots of information on my Food Freedom Facebook page where I’ll share THM knowledge, recipes, tips and all sorts of other goodies.  Please “like” and “follow” at https://www.facebook.com/Food-Freedom-THM-Certified-Lifestyle-Coaching-100703354727086/?modal=admin_todo_tour

Most of all, Happy Eating!

Be sure to SUBSCRIBE, so you’ll receive an email reminder each time Midwest Storyteller has something new.

When Life Gives You Lemons, It’s a Freebie!

~ Midwest Storyteller ~ 7 Comments

It seems we careened past Memorial Day and now have come to a pleasant pause with our toes on the edge of summer.  There’s a freshness to this new beginning that makes me want to plan outings or just sit in the back yard chaise and watch Phoebe June chase bugs and lizards and give squirrels a piece of her mind.  The planting is finished, the weeds are pulled (for a while) and blooms are popping. 

A little summer citrus fits in just perfectly with the season, so let’s have a lemon First Friday Freebie!

Lemony Kitchen Linens www.midweststoryteller.com

These lemony additions to your kitchen by Home Collection are both useful and pretty.  Included are two 7” potholders and a 15” X 25” microfiber dish towel.  They’ll freshen up your décor with a summer feel while you’re preparing all those trim and healthy summer recipes to nourish your family.  Wink!  Wink!

To enter to win the lemon kitchen set, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I’m squeezing the best out of summer!”  You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, June 4th, 2021.

NOTE:  There seems to be an occasional problem with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails.  If this happens, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know so that I can report it and have the issue resolved.

First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so you’ll want to subscribe over on the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page where you can subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so.

Let’s get the word out!  I love it when people enjoy my blog stories and recipes and get excited about winning freebies.  Share with all your friends and family through all your social media. If you like an idea, recipe or story you see here, be sure to hover over the photo and “pin it”.

Subscribers win every single month!  On the “Freebies” page, you’ll be able to see what they’ve been winning.

A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, June 4th by leaving a comment which says, “I’m squeezing the best out of summer!” 

After you do that, fix a lemonade, go outside and dream up your plans for a fun summer!

For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here. 

Why not subscribe and confirm right now before you forget?

Leave a comment.  What are your plans for making Summer 2021 lots more fun than last year. That’s not a very high bar to set, now is it? 

The Phoebe June Diaries: (Stolen Entry #3) “Phoebe June on Babies” – Part 1

~ Midwest Storyteller

My “job” keeps me hopping and a bit too busy to come up with new ways to sneak into Phoebe June’s diary without getting caught.  The grandma life is sweet, but with my Sweet Boy here almost every day, I have to be sure that Phoebe June gets the attention she demands.  That’s right – demands!  She’s fully aware that she’s grown into her title of “Queen of All Cats”, and still prefers to spend plenty of time practicing her hunting skills (even if she has to do it by murdering catnip mice, leaping onto house flies and basement crickets and slamming me with surprise attacks).  In Phoebe June’s mind, I am the other kitten in the barn loft, just waiting for the next big surprise as she spikes up her fur and advances toward me with “Let’s rumble!” written all over her face.  I have the scars to prove this.

You can imagine my concern over introducing a baby to such a needy cat who thrives on rough and tumble human interaction.  Should I expect jealousy?  Fury?  Or, perhaps most worrisome, an attitude that if Mommy loves this new critter, it must make the perfect plaything!

Well, she’s had over a year to adjust and I think Phoebe June’s handled it fairly well, considering.  I thought it might be time to take a peek at some of her observations on those first days.

Monday, February 10, 2020

It arrived not long after Christmas – The Snookie.  I was familiar with Pookie and she’s all right by me as long as she resists the urge to tweak my nose, but after all these months and months of talk about Snookie coming, I started to wonder if Mommy intended to trade me in for it, whatever it was.  Then came the socks.  They looked just my size, but Mommy stuck them on her thumbs the other day and (she’s done strange things before) massaged my cheeks!  They smelled funny.  She said I could expect Snookie to smell the same and that I would just adore him.  Well, he showed up today, socks and all, taking up a large portion of Mommy’s lap that I required for other purposes.  I jumped in and tried to be sociable even though he does smell funny.  He’s got to learn – the red furry thing is mine! 

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Pooh Bear is Ready www.midweststoryteller.com

Mommy says tomorrow’s the Big Day.  Snookie will be all ours – all day!  She got excited and fixed his cage.  He must be pretty puny if he can’t jump out of that.  After festooning it all over with soapy-smelling soft stuff, she put a critter inside, smiled at it and called it Pooh.  She pulled the thing on its head and the minute I heard the noise, I knew that the Pooh varmint must die. I hunkered low and went in for the kill, yanking him through the bars.  Just as I was showing him what real cats are made of, Mommy said I mustn’t and put him back in the cage.  She just doesn’t understand some things.  I tried my best all day to murder that thing, but finally she stuck him on top of the wardrobe.  I can jump up there, but she’d take it personally.  I’ll bide my time.

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Phoebe June teaches Self-Soothing www.midweststoryteller.com

Sometimes the noise is almost unbearable.  How Pookie stands it in the middle of the night at her house is beyond me.  I get a strong feeling that Mommy wouldn’t like it much if I just popped him on the snoot when he makes that racket, so when Snookie got all fretful today, I decided to help out.  I jumped up next to him and demonstrated how to self-soothe. Cats know these things.  Step 1:  Find the furry thing.  Step 2:  Give it a thorough stomping, giving care to exercise the toes and claws.  Step 3:  Purr very loud.  Step 4:  Curl up on it and konk out and stop making noise!  Did he listen?  No!  Did he make the slightest effort?  No!  And so I suffer.

Friday, April 10, 2020

He isn’t always noisy. The endless snuggles Mommy gives The Snookie can really get on my nerves sometimes.  She thinks he’s darling.  I suppose he’s tolerable.  He still smells funny, but she doesn’t seem to mind, even when he spits.  I’ll forgive her for acting goofy over him today.  She’s been telling him how it’s his Great-grandma Emmabelle’s birthday today and how she’s looking down at him from Heaven and loving him.  All pretty drippy stuff, but that’s how Mommy is.  I’ll just be glad when she gets back to snuggling me and calling me all my sappy nicknames.

 Monday April 13, 2020

Snookie All Smiles www.midweststoryteller.com

I have to admit, The Snookie has his moments.  I’m starting to see why they take such a shine to him. Of course, he’ll never be as cute as me – he’s far too furless – but he has perked up and started to act like something I might want to play with someday.  He also looks like something that’s going to try to pinch my fur.  Those fists clutch at everything, including my tail if I let my guard down. There is a twinkle in his eye.  He does stuff now.  He moves, but I can move faster.  If I stay a couple of feet away, I can study him without getting nabbed.  I have a funny feeling Mommy would take his side if I had to pop him one.  What worries me is that he learns a new trick every day.  It’s such a relief that walking is never going to be one of them. And note the absence of any teeth – the advantages are all mine!

That’s only the beginning of Phoebe June’s observations on babies.  More to come in the days ahead, so subscribe now so that you don’t miss out on what she has to say about crawlers and toddlers!.

Our Phoebe June – lovable and opinionated!  “Share”, “Like” and “Pin” her thoughts and adventures with the cat-lovers in your life.

If you missed the first installments of “The Phoebe June Diaries”, you can catch up by clicking here and here.  Check out everything on her page here!

Announcing May’s Freebie Winner!

~ Midwest Storyteller

May is known for being merry and for the flowers brought on my April’s showers, but let’s not forget the First Friday Freebie.  Meet the winner – 

Ruby from Boonville, Missouri!

Congratulations, Ruby!  Thank you for the photo and I’m glad you like the reminder that “Everything is ‘figure-out-able’”.  It may not win any grammar prizes, but it does help us take a deep breath in the midst of the stuff of life and let our worries go.

Ruby has been a winner here at Midwest Storyteller before and that’s because she is faithful to enter the drawing each and every month. 

This little wooden block was a Hobby Lobby find.  If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, click here. 

You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! page here.  If you’re not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller they might entice you to become one – First Friday Freebies are for email subscribers only.

Ruby is a long-time subscriber.  All she did was enter her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirm her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox.  If you’ve done that and not received a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know as I am trying to work out a few bugs with that.  It seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”. 

Subscribing is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.

Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win. 

Freebies help me reach more people with my stories, recipes and more.  When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also.  Subscribing is free.  Freebies are free.  Are you catching on this is a free thing?

Coming soon:  June’s First Friday Freebie in celebration of summer!  That takes place on Friday, June 4th.   You’ll be able to see a photo of the Freebie and enter to win at any point all day that day.  Don’t forget to check the email that you used to subscribe for notification that you’ve won.

A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing. 

ONCE AGAIN:  Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe.  That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.

Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.

These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, June 4th, 2021. 

I can only hope that June in your neck of the woods is as beautiful as it is here right now.  Perfect temperatures, lush greenery and beautiful blooms are all around.