Spring has sprung! That’s as exciting an announcement as the winner of my latest First Friday Freebie! Hyacinths are blooming, daffodils are getting just a little daffy, tulips are waving their greens as a pre-show and this Freebie is in the hands of –
Eva from New Franklin, Missouri!
Congratulations, Eva!
Eva won the multi-strand “Blessed” bracelet and I think it goes really well with the necklace she’s wearing in the photo.
Enjoy this great accessory this spring, Eva. Eva enters to win fairly often. She does that by commenting as directed on my post on the first Friday of the month. The bracelet is a great find from Factory Connection. . If you’d like to see past winners and their gifts check it out hereon my Freebies! page.
Not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller yet? Let my Freebies entice you to become one – they’re for email subscribers only.
NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!
Computers, tablets, smartphones – they all give this blog a different appearance, but you can easily find the subscription area in the menu under “CONTACT”. Confirm your subscription when the email arrives. If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.
Subscribers 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. Would you believe that a very small percentage of the world’s population out there have even heard of Smuffy? That’s sad, isn’t it? Join me in sharing his stories and all my recipes and other fun and informative articles here. When you share with all your friends via MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. Let’s be clear – Smuffy is spoken for, but his stories are free. Does it get any better than this?
On April 1st, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check your email in the days following.
Smartphone reminders might help.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, April 1st, 2022.
Welcome to the month of March. The weather may be more unusual than usual around here, but at least you can count on the First Friday Freebie.
Let’s see what you might win –
Looking for an update for your accessories? This multi-strand bracelet is a pretty mix of textures and elements. I always love a mix of fancy and casual – like jeans and a lace top. Here we have the look of pearls, leather, hammered metal and brushed gold all in one piece. I think this lends it to being worn with almost anything. The charms give a remind you that you can always count your blessings and where they come from. Turn on the news for five minutes and you’ll be reminded of how important it is to remember that. It’s a great find from Factory Connection.
To enter to win the blessed bracelet, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I am so blessed!” You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, March 4, 2022.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com 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.
I hope you get excited about winning freebies and share them and my blog stories with 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”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, March 4th, by leaving a comment which says, “I am so blessed!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
I appreciate you all and enjoy blessing you each and every month!
A good dose of silliness never hurt anybody. I feel sorry for those who are overly straight-laced or take themselves too seriously.
There are two eras in my life that will always be my most joyful times and those are when Pookie was at the carefree age of wonder and learning and right now when Lil’ Snookie is right in that same stage.
During this stage, everything is a delight, every thought and feeling can be expressed, every question can be asked and nothing is embarrassing. This comes right before THAT stage – you know the one – where everything is boring, thoughts and feelings must be hidden, they’re too awkward to ask questions and everything is embarrassing.
Games, giggles and goofiness – and it’s all guilt-free.
My favorite part is listening to the comments of children who are trying to figure out life, grown-ups and how things work. My mom enjoyed this and kept a record of many of the things that gave her the giggles over the years.
I’ll share some now and save a few for later. I have a feeling they’ll remind you of some of your own stories that you can share with me in the comments. Wouldn’t it be great to write a book with all our combined giggles?
When Snookie was little, she enjoyed her Sunday School class very much and by age three she pretty much had all the songs memorized. She often went about the house singing “Jesus Loves Me”, “This Little Light of Mine” and many others. One day, as I heard her singing, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart…”, I noticed that she had advanced to adding the consecutive verses. The next thing I heard was, “I’ve got the peace of Captain Thunderstorming down in my heart…” Why bother with the peace that passeth understanding when you’ve got good ‘ol Captain Thunderstorming? I suppose I’ll never know who she thought he was or why she thought her Sunday School teacher wanted to sing about him. Hmm…
Mom always got the giggles when she thought of how Pookie interpreted the subject of dentures. After a significant weight loss, Mom had to be fitted with a new pair and I drove her to and from her appointments. Pookie always rode along, absorbing all our discussions in the car. When she asked why we sat in the waiting room without Grandma, I explained to her that Grandma was getting new teeth and we would have to bring her back again when they came in. One day in the following week, Pookie came to me looking just a tad pitiful and asked, “How long till Grandma’s teeth grow back in so she can come eat supper with us?” Just when you think you’ve got things explained…
My Lil’ Snookie lives by the motto, “Speak early. Speak often.” Don’t let anyone tell you that boys will be less verbal than girls! He began with “DaDa”, “bye-bye” and “book” at eight months and hasn’t stopped. His doctor had said that by the time he turned a year old, she’d be in hopes of his having learned ten words, so I decided to write down the words he knew how to use before the one-year check-up rolled around. We were able to furnish that surprised doctor with a list of 110. If he hears a word, he’ll try to master it. His favorite phrase from the start has been “I do”. It is the affirmative answer to any question and the expression of desire. One day as I prepared lunch when he was just under 18 months, he began to pace the floor, chanting “Tattoo!” I had no idea what he meant because most of his words were pretty clear. I almost always knew what he was trying to say (and there’s no way he’s getting this Grandma’s blessing for one of those at any age.) His cries for “Tattoo!” grew louder and intensified until the poor little fellow was going in circles, arms waving, as he hollered, “Tattoo! Tattoo! I do! I do! I do! I do! I do! I do! Tattoo! Tattoo!” Desperate to alleviate his distress, I scanned the kitchen and began to watch his eyes, trying to track down what had him so worked up. Then, I saw it. I picked up the jar. “Would you like some cashews?” I asked. He nodded with excitement, “I do!” I broke them into pieces on a little plate and had a happy boy at last. The thing is – we’ll probably always call them tattoos now.
My aunt Martha told of the time when they had invited a young mom and her little boy in their new neighborhood over to visit. They got along famously and she asked them to stay and eat, promising them nothing special – just what she had on hand. The little boy was eager to help her in the kitchen as she opened up some canned goods to heat and used a pair of tongs to lower hot dogs into a pot of boiling water. They enjoyed their simple meal and within the next week or two they visited again. Martha offered them lunch again, stating that she hoped they didn’t mind having the same menu as last time. The little boy headed for the kitchen, excited at the prospect, and called out, “I’ll get the weenie tweezers!”
By the time Martha related that story to me, their family had been referring to the utensil as “weenie tweezers” for over forty years.
I know it’s stuck in your head now. Don’t blame me if you spend the rest of your life picking up your tattoos with the weenie tweezers – you came to this blog of your own free will. I’ll never be able to pull those grabby things out of the drawer without a mental nod to that story and now you probably won’t either!
It’s your turn now. Leave a comment with your favorite story or stories from the kiddos. I want to hear them all! Perhaps I’ll share yours in a future fun post.
Next up – March’s First Friday Freebie! See my Freebies! page and share with friends.
I hope you’ve had a laugh. Need another one? Head on over to my Laugh! page where there are plenty more and by all means, check out my Life with Smuffy page. He never disappoints.
Subscribe so you don’t miss future fun!
Make someone smile. Share this post via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and by all means, “Pin it”!
Snow days come and snow days go, but First Friday Freebies – they just keep on happening. Aren’t you glad it’s not the other way around? Here’s to hoping that snow days around here are over for 2022. Three weeks in a row, we’ve had snow or ice that kept folks at home till the temps melted things off. I’m hoping to March on to better days, like the one we’re having today. Now that things have thawed, I was able to get February’s freebie to its winner, let’s meet her –
Ginger from Prairie Home, Missouri!
Congratulations, Ginger!
Ginger won the “Love is Enough” wall décor and considering the colors on this pretty sign, she’ll be able to decorate with it into the spring days ahead.
I hope you enjoy it, Ginger. Ginger keeps her eye on this blog and enters often, so this is not the first time she’s won a First Friday Freebie. She won it by commenting as directed on my post on the first Friday in February. It’s a great find from Factory Connection. . If you’d like to see past winners and their gifts check it out hereon my Freebies! page.
Not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller yet? Let my Freebies might entice you to become one – they’re for email subscribers only.
NOTE: Subscribe with an email you intend to keep and check the week after the drawings. This is my only means of notifying winners. If it isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!
Computers, tablets, smartphones – they all give this blog a different appearance, but you can easily find the subscription area in the menu under “CONTACT”. Confirm your subscription when the email arrives. If you’ve don’t receive a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com – it seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.
Subscribers 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. There’s a whole world full of folks out there who haven’t even heard of Smuffy and that’s a shame. Join me in sharing his stories and all my recipes and other fun and informative articles here. When you share with all your friends via MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. Let’s be clear – Smuffy is spoken for, but his stories are free. Does it get any better than this?
On March 4th, you’ll see the new Freebie. Enter to win that day. A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight. Then, check that email in the days following.
Smartphone reminders might help.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, March 4th, 2022.
February has come to be known as the month of love. It’s good that it has received a positive association because here in the Midwest February can get pretty tedious. The upside is that I get to use this snow day to write this post and that I don’t have to be out in the deep, white stuff. Lil’Snookie had enough fun in it for the both of us and Smuffy shoveled a path, so I’m just happy to be warm and blessed.
Welcome to the First Friday of February! If you’re not new to Midwest Storyteller, you know that means it’s Freebie Day. And what might I have for you during this month of love? Let’s take a look –
This “Love is Enough” wood plaque is 7 7/8” square and can be propped on an easel or hung by its attached twine. The ivory background with a pale sage leafy floral design has a slightly distressed look and the lettering is done in a dark gray. Its colors are neutral enough to fit in with your Valentine décor and it can be used year-round as well. It’s a great find from Factory Connection.
To enter to win “Love is Enough” plaque, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I love Midwest Storyteller!” See how I did that? I know how to get my Valentine wishes, don’t I? You’ll need to leave your comment before midnight TONIGHT, February 4, 2022.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com 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.
I hope you get excited about winning freebies and share them and my blog stories with 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”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, February 4th, by leaving a comment which says, “I love Midwest Storyteller!”.
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
I love hearing from you and I love blessing you with a free gift. Love is all around!
With this first First Friday Freebie of the new year comes all my prayers and best wishes that you have a 2022 that is blessed, healthy and happy.
I fully disclose that as a Certified Lifestyle Coach I do, at times, receive monetary compensation as such. See The Fine Print on the “About Me” page of this blog.
Have you made peace with the fact that life is full of surprises? That, I believe, is a great step we all must take if we’re going to reach any measure of maturity. Going with the flow, rolling with the punches – whatever you choose to call it – we may as well face up to it – anything can happen and on any given day, it usually does.
I’ll tell the whole story soon, but you’ve probably already gathered that we had an unexpected Christmas surprise of the ugly, scary variety. The preparations for the big event came to a screaming halt. The duck was in the oven. The homemade orange sauce simmered on the stove. The “Happy Birthday, Jesus” cupcakes awaited their frosting. Then came “the thing” and the call to 9-1-1 and the responders who hauled my Smuffy out the front door and into the ambulance.
None of those special preparations mattered anymore. Pookie turned the oven off and threw things into the fridge. I found shoes and a sweater, hopped into the front of the ambulance and what was to have been our family Christmas celebration turned into hour after hour of uncertainty and prayer in the emergency room.
On the way to the hospital, I called some close friends for prayer and asked them to call others. Then, a thought occurred to me. How long would this ordeal last? I would go without food or water before I would leave Smuffy’s side and I might get shaky or not be able to think straight if this went on and on. I remembered something I had made up ahead and called Pookie, asking her to bring me the container of Chocolate Berry Boost Bars (a THM “S” treat) I had in the fridge and a big cup of water. If I needed sustenance, I’d have fuel that was protein filled and be able to hydrate myself and stay right by his side rather than wander around looking for a vending machine full of sugar-laden junk.
Home from the hospital, I needed to give Smuffy extra care and set my phone alarm to give him meds every three hours around the clock. He needed food and I needed food and (wouldn’t you know it?) I started getting sick.
I have never been so glad to be a food prepper in my life! I’ve always done some prepping, but eating according to the THM plan has really honed my skills. Rather than scrounging for junk, over-cooked and sodium loaded canned soup or boxes with frozen dinners, I was able to warm up whichever homemade, nutritious meals I had prepped ahead and frozen. Although we wouldn’t have been excited about the flavors in anything, this was a lifesaver!
We were able to have Egg Roll in a Bowl, Sweet Potato Oat Soup, Sunny Southwest Trimmy Bisque and more, just by taking it out of the freezer and reheating it. We didn’t have to impose on Pookie to come by and do cooking marathons or to do endless drive-throughs. She had enough Florence Nightingale duties to perform and she did them cheerfully.
I’ve learned to love to prep ahead because of the time, stress and mess it saves, but early on, I questioned myself a lot. Why would someone who is supposed to be an empty-nester need to be doing all this? Now, however, I’ve had a strong reminder of how anything can happen – and will – and how valuable this practice can be when it does.
It’s a new year and if you’ve had that gnawing feeling that you really could improve in this area, check out some of my earlier helps, such as make-ahead packets here.
Soups are one of the greatest prep-ahead meals. Make a big pot, have it for your meal and immediately dip it up into containers to freeze. I like to save my large containers from Fage 0% Fat Greek Yogurt, my very favorite yogurt in the world. This way, all my containers are the same and all the lids fit interchangeable and the 33.5 ounces is just right to thaw out and serve up for a meal for Smuffy, Lil’ Snookie and myself with some leftover. I also do a few single-serve containers for times when that’s all I need to thaw.
Here is how I prep and label soup to freeze. You may think you’ll remember what’s in that container, but don’t count on it! I use the super-sticky full-adhesive post-it notes to write the name of the soup and whether or not it’s an “S” (satisfying) or “E” (energizing) meal so I can easily plan what I’m having on the side. This Sunny Southwest Trimmy Bisque from the “Trim Healthy Table” cookbook is one of our favorites and Smuffy asks for it.
Trim Healthy Mama has not only helped us to eat healthier and lose weight, it has helped to mature me so much in the area of planning ahead for taking care of my family when they need it most.
You probably don’t need a resolution or a goal for this year as those tend to be abandoned pretty quick due to their loftiness. What you might really need is a turn-a-round. How about just going in a new direction in a healthier, better way and taking one step at a time?
If you need support in your journey to better health and weight loss, head to the Contact page and let me know. I’ll give you all the info on group sessions which I conduct locally in person on a weekly basis. Private coaching can be done in person or by phone. Share with friends and let’s see how many are ready to get Trim & Healthy!
The Trim Healthy Mama Plan is a great way to boost your immune system and we all need that right now, don’t we? Leave a comment and let me know some of the simple ways you like to prep ahead for the busy days and the unexpected change in plans
I’m so thankful to the Lord for answering the multitude of prayers for Smuffy that arrived at His throne on Christmas Day. Smuffy and I are filled with hope for the year ahead and gratefulness that we are still together! I’m so happy to have him back with me, healed and whole, and I’m happy to be a prepper!
Do you see a pattern here? December went out with an unpleasant bang for us as I alluded to in my last post and I don’t even remember how I managed to get to the computer and offer up the January First Friday Freebie. Then, wouldn’t you know it, the winner had her own set of troubles causing delays in my connecting with her so that she could actually receive her gift. Well, we are on to better days now so let’s meet January’s winner –
Vikki from Boonville, Missouri!
Congratulations, Vikki!
Vikki can now cozy up with this huge scarf if she has to brave the cold but I hope she doesn’t have to do that. I hope she is hunkered down as we are because I happen to know that a humdinger of a winter storm is headed her way. I can hear the stuff pelting down right now and later it promises to become deep, white and difficult to navigate with low temps falling below zero when you see this post on Groundhog Day. I don’t think anybody will be casting any shadows for a day or two around here.
Vikki is shown here holding the blush and gray scarf she won by commenting as directed on my post on the first Friday in January. Enjoy it, Vikki! It’s a great find from Factory Connection. . If you’d like to see past winners and their gifts check it out hereon my Freebies! page.
Not yet a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller yet? Freebies might entice you to become one – they are for email subscribers only.
NOTE: If you enjoy entering to win, make sure you subscribe with an email you intend to keep and will be checking the week after the drawings. This is my only means of letting winners know they’ve won and so if your email isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!
The subscription area is easy to find on the “CONTACT” page. After subscribing, confirm your subscription when the confirmation email arrives in your 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”.
Subscribers don’t miss what’s new here on the blog. They 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 we wouldn’t want to deprive anyone of a good Smuffy story, would we? When you share with all your friends via MeWe, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. Smuffy is spoken for, but his stories are free. Does it get any better than this?
Next up: Some meal prepping tips and February’s First Friday Freebie.
On February 4th, you’ll see a photo of the Freebie and you can 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 (because you tend to forget): Pay attention to the email issue mentioned above. Check your email often in the week following the drawing to keep your prize from being offered to someone else. Smartphone reminders help with that.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
Subscribers, be ready to enter to win on Friday, February 4th, 2022.
Do you ever feel blah in that space in time following Christmas and New Year’s Celebrations? Does it seem sometimes that nothing bright and cheery is happening until Valentine’s Day or maybe even till spring?
Well, we had a Christmas we won’t be forgetting anytime soon! It can all be revealed in an upcoming post, but the super-short version is that I came within a gnat’s eyelash of losing my beloved Smuffy and Christmas didn’t get celebrated until weeks later. New Year’s is a blur and Lil’ Snookie and I even ended up having our birthday parties together because of all the “stuff of life”. The bright side is that I’ve still got my Smuffy, he’s miraculously his old self and has provided me with fabulous fodder for the ultimate non-fiction story and if it all hadn’t happened and shaken up our world, I’d have never gotten to have a Baby Shark birthday party.
The frenzy of holiday preparations had me a little behind in announcing my First Friday Freebie winner and then when the stuff happened, it flew out of my mind like one of those snake-in-a-tube prank gifts.
Anyhow, let’s re-wind the holidays and make life festive again. Meet December’s winner –
Eva from New Franklin, Missouri!
Congratulations, Eva!
This girl has a smile that will cheer you up no matter how gloomy the weather. Perhaps it’s because she can now offer up cheesy goodness in style.
Eva is shown here with the black and white cheese server and spreader. She has the option of removing the black ribbon and replacing it with a seasonal one for a Valentine party or spring event. It’s a great find from Factory Connection. . If you’d like to see past winners and their gifts check it out hereon my Freebies! page.
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.
NOTE: If you enjoy entering to win, please make sure you subscribe with an email you intend to keep and will likely be checking the week after the drawings. This is my only means of letting winners know they’ve won and so if your email isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!
Look for the subscription area. It’s easy to find on the “CONTACT” page and after subscribing, confirm your subscription when the confirmation email arrives in your 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 who may not have heard about this blog and we wouldn’t want to deprive anyone of a good Smuffy story, would we? 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. Smuffy is spoken for, but his stories are free. Does it get any better than this?
Next up: January’s First Friday Freebie winner because not only am I playing catch-up, but the winner was under the weather and…Oh, well, you get the idea. Hello, “Normal”, I’d like to make a reservation for 2022…”
Then, February’s here so that means that this coming Friday, there is yet another Freebie! You’ll see a photo of the Freebie and you can 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 (because you tend to forget): Pay attention to the email issue mentioned above. Check your email often in the week following the drawing to keep your prize from being offered to someone else. Perhaps a reminder in the good ‘ole smartphone would help.
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, February 4th, 2022.
To be exact, it is a whopping nine degrees Fahrenheit outside as I type this, making my January First Friday Freebie seem like the wisest choice ever! Let’s take a look.
I have friends who don’t wear scarves. They just don’t like them. I’ll bet they’re wearing them today or wishing they had one. This big, beautiful scarf by Justin and Taylor is buttery soft and will stop those single-digit winds from whistling around your neck.
The soft gray and blush tones keep the feeling neutral so it will go with many of your outfits and coats. The colors are separated into the four quadrants of this oversized scarf and as you can see from the photo, it looks like a plaid when arranged just right. On second thought, perhaps you can’t see, as I’ve had some issues getting the colors to show up as they really are. It is definitely as gray as it is blush, so you’ll just have to trust me on this one. Made of 100% polyester, it’s a great find from Factory Connection.
To enter to win the blush and gray oversized scarf, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Storyteller, it’s cold outside!” You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, January 7, 2022.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com 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.
I hope you get excited about winning freebies and share them and my blog stories with 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”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, January 7th, by leaving a comment which says, “Storyteller, it’s cold outside!”.
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Subscribe and confirm right now before you forget!
With this first First Friday Freebie of the new year comes all my prayers and best wishes that you have a 2022 that is blessed, healthy and happy.
All the songs tell us that we should be delirious with happiness right now. All the street lights should look like strings of lights and even the stop lights ought to be reminding us of ornaments as they blink a bright red and green. With people passing and children laughing, we should be meeting smile after smile and every jingle or jangle we hear should be the sweet sound of silver bells.
I love Christmas. My mom loved Christmas. She knew how to make something out of nothing and take joy in what she did have and set aside any thoughts about what she didn’t have. I love surprises and gift giving and if there’s one thing in life right now that has raised the joy in that, it is having our little Snookie. At almost two years old, he’s all wonder and happiness. Together, he and I have been making Christmas cards for him to give to his special people and when he “paints” with his markers, he is purposeful and pleased and understands that he’s making a beautiful thing that will make someone smile.
There are, of course, some of you who are having trouble mustering up a smile. Perhaps it is for good reason. There’s no getting around that for some people Christmas is a reminder of loss or past or present pain. Sometimes it can be fear of loss if illness threatens someone you love. It can also be the absence of someone due to miles or because there’s been a rift that you feel helpless to repair.
Whether you are decorating your heart out and baking mountains of cookies while the carols play or whether you are struggling, an extra smile can’t hurt, so I’d like to share one of our Christmas smiles with you.
When Pookie arrives each day, she asks me how our day went and how things unfolded with lunch, naptime and Snookie’s mood and behavior (which, by the way, is nearly always wonderful). Then on the drive home, she asks questions to get his version of the day. I had decorated for Christmas and placed the Baby Jesus candle in the room where he naps so that we could light it while we snuggle, sing “Away In a Manger” and talk about Jesus. (Do I need a disclaimer here to say that after he falls asleep I blow out the candle before I leave the room?)
The first day we lit the Baby Jesus candle, it was still fresh in his mind on the drive home. The conversation went like this:
Pookie: Did you have a good day?
Snookie: Candle! Pookie: Did Grandma have a candle? Snookie: Light! Pookie: You lit a candle? Snookie: Jesus! Pookie: Oh! You and Grandma lit the Baby Jesus candle? Snookie: I do. (Always his answer when he’s affirming an action or desire.) Pookie: Did you know Christmas is Baby Jesus’ birthday? Snookie: Cake!!! Pookie: Well, maybe we will have cake for Jesus’ birthday. Snookie: Try Mama.
So, now, though we’ve not had the tradition in the past, Pookie is thinking that maybe a birthday cake is in order for Baby Jesus. And, why not? He is the reason for the celebration after all.
Children and their understanding of Christmas can not only bring us laughter, but bring us back to a place of wonder. If you’ve wandered from your wonder into a place of commercialism, cynicism or down-heartedness, maybe it’s time to pray that your childlike joy returns. I’d love to hear your stories of how the children in your life have understood Christmas, so please leave them in the comments. I’d love to write a post filled entirely with those!
One of my favorites is when my niece was discussing the Christmas story with her mommy. They talked their way through it and when they got to the part about the wise men coming to bring gifts to Jesus, she asked what they tripped over. Now, this puzzled my sister and she asked the reason for the question. My niece gave the obvious answer: “Mommy, it says they fell down and worshiped Him. What did they fall over?”
I hope this has given you a smile. I encourage you, like Snookie, to “try”. Pull out your Bible and read through the portions of the book of Isaiah that promise us hope and tell us that the people walking in darkness have seen a great light. The Light is Jesus and it far outshines the candles we use in symbolism. Go to the New Testament and read the story of Jesus’ birth in the Gospels and ask Him to put that same “Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward Men” in your heart. It’s more than just something to be printed on greeting cards. Or, bake Him a cake!
Take the first step by going in search of the Christ-child. Just try!
Leave your comments with your fun Christmas stories, so we can all share Christmas smiles!
Subscribe either in the right sidebar on your computer or if on a device, navigate to the Contact page on the menu and you’ll see a subscription box. Be sure to “pin” this article and share it on your social media.
If you’re in need of a case of the out-and-out giggles, take a journey through my “Laugh” page and also the stories about my “Life With Smuffy”.
‘Tis the season. As we turn our hearts toward the celebration of the coming of our Messiah, the festivities and preparation for them begins. However and whatever you may be celebrating between now and the end of the year, I’m thinking there is a good deal of food involved.
Various treats tempt us during the holidays and many of them are sweet. High on the list, however, is a category all its own – cheesy goodness.
We’re cheese lovers at our house. We attributed much of the overstock to Pookie over the years, but after she married and left us to start her own home, we soon discovered that we still could barely get the refrigerator cheese drawer shut.
This time of the year, whether we grab a ready-made at the grocery store or make a favorite family version, we yearn for a cheese ball. At get-togethers, I confess to often thinking as I make my way toward the heavy-laden buffet, “Is there a cheese ball?”
December’s First Friday Freebie will help you serve yours up in style. This black and white cheese server and spreader are just so cute! It’s neutral colors will go with any of your décor and whether your other serve-ware is farmhouse, modern or somewhere else on the design spectrum, it just “goes”. You have the option of removing the black ribbon and replacing it with a seasonal one, whether it’s for the holidays, a birthday party, New Year’s Eve or your spring fling. It’s a great find from Factory Connection.
To enter to win the Cheesy Goodness serving set, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I need cheesy goodness in my life!” You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, December 3rd, 2021.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com 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.
I hope you get excited about winning freebies and share them and my blog stories with 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”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, December 3rd, by leaving a comment which says, “I need cheesy goodness in my life!”.
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Subscribe and confirm right now before you forget!
Perhaps a nice cheese ball will get you into the holiday mood if your weather is not feeling Christmas-like. It’s been warm and wonderful here. If you’re in the Midwest, you know it’s bound to change soon, so enjoy your Christmas shopping and other preparations while you can and have a blessed Christmas season from start to finish.
Have you ever had one of those weird experiences when you are trying to give something away and it seems like it isn’t meant to be?
As you may have read in my last post, the October freebie winner had a change in email which set off a series of delays in getting the gift to its destination. Then, in November a winner was notified who also had a change in email and I am sorry to say, she lost out on receiving her First Friday Freebie because I had no other means of contact with her other than the email she used to subscribe. Then, (do these things come in threes?) when I had to re-draw a name from those who entered, the new winner also had a changed email and did not respond! I did, however, find another means of contact and she has, at last, been united with her First Friday Freebie.
Meet November’s eventual winner –
Heather from Prairie Home, Missouri!
Congratulations, Heather!
I was so excited that my freebie found a home that I threw in a bonus gift.
In addition to the cozy scarf in the original First Friday Freebie offer, Heather received the leather earrings you see pictured with her in the photo. Heather is a first-time winner. If you’d like to see past winners and their gifts check it out hereon my Freebies! page.
The scarf and the earrings are both Factory Connection finds and you can see the original freebie offer 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.
NOTE: If you enjoy entering to win, please make sure you subscribe with an email you intend to keep and will likely be checking the week after the drawings. This is my only means of letting winners know they’ve won and so if your email isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!
Look for the subscription area. It’s easy to find on the “CONTACT” page and after subscribing, confirm your subscription when the confirmation email arrives in your 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 who may not have heard about this blog and we wouldn’t want to deprive anyone of a good Smuffy story, would we? 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. Smuffy is spoken for, but his stories are free. Does it get any better than this?
Coming soon: December’s First Friday Freebie – that takes place on Friday, December 3rd. You’ll see a photo of the Freebie and you can 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 (because you tend to forget): 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. Perhaps a reminder in the good ‘ole smartphone would help.
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, December 3rd, 2021.
Next up recipes to please and smiles to add to your Christmas cheer!
Stuff happens. And if you’ve been keeping up here, you know that it’s been happening in my kitchen. We’re nearing completion, but at the time when I should have been announcing the October First Friday Freebie winner, it was really happening! Then, there was an email glitch and the winner didn’t get notified in a timely manner and I didn’t get it mailed out in a timely manner. I also didn’t get the announcement made. I’m starting to think that time has no manners.
Anyhow, give a belated cheer to October’s winner –
Jean from Hurricane, Utah!
Congratulations, Jean!
It is news to me that they have hurricanes in Utah, but maybe Jean could give us some history behind that name in the comments.
I love interesting town names. Once, in high school, my best friend and I got hold of an old zip code directory and found ourselves in fits of hysterical laughter as we perused the pages. I must do that again sometime on some gloomy day when I need a lift.
Jean won the pretty necklace you see her wearing in the photo and she agrees with me that it is much prettier than it appears in photos. Jean has won a First Friday Freebie in the past, so check out all the past winners and their gifts hereon my Freebies! page.
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.
NOTE: If you enjoy entering to win, please make sure you subscribe with an email you intend to keep and will likely be checking the week after the drawings. This is my only means of letting winners know they’ve won and so if your email isn’t up to date, you may not get your gift!
Look for the subscription area. It’s easy to find on the “CONTACT” page and after subscribing, confirm your subscription when the confirmation email arrives in your 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: December’s First Friday Freebie – that takes place on Friday, December 3rd. You’ll see a photo of the Freebie and you can 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 (because you tend to forget): 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, December 3rd, 2021.
Next up: November’s winner – in a more timely manner.
Don’t I sound humble? Well, when you’ve got six “Golden Ladles” under your belt – wait! Those were for soups. I’ve never entered a stuffing-making contest, but I’d have to admit, this would be my entry.
I’ve decided that there are three groups of people when it comes to stuffing opinions. Yea, even unto four.
First there are “the-nasty-stuff-shall-never-pass-these-lips” people. I don’t understand these people. After all, it’s a pilgrimage. Keep trying. I know I’ve personally swayed some nose-wrinklers with this recipe.
Next, there is a group of folks I don’t even trust. Someone walks in with a pan of something that resembles stuffing and I’m gonna ask what’s in it – and not so much because I’m concerned that they’ve loaded it with unhealthy ingredients. You have to give these people a second, meaningful look and ask exactly what’s in it. That’s because at some point in history, someone somewhere put oysters in stuffing and told people this was not only acceptable, but tasty. Your life is in your own hands, but my advice is to beware of this group.
Then, there are those folks who cling to the stuffing I grew up on. White bread, torn into hunks and drowned in seasoned broth is baked until it becomes…well, white bread drowned in seasoned broth. There might be an egg or two in there, but generally, you probably need a spoon and it’s nothing special. I take that back. It is something special – it’s memories. It’s what our granny made and it’s stuck in our minds as the thing to do. God bless these folks. May they happily feast on it and leave more of mine for me!
The final group is the one I call home. It’s the “let’s-go-all-out-and-throw-in-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink” group. Flavors, textures, aromas – all blending into a glorious symphonic culinary masterpiece. Don’t say I don’t know how to overdo it.
I like to give credit where credit is due. Many years ago, I checked a book out of the public library called “The Thanksgiving Cookbook” by Holly Garrison. (This was way back when healthy ingredients didn’t seem to matter that much in our household, especially on a holiday.) This book was loaded with yummy stuff and I still use the skillet green bean recipe. I checked and found the book is still available used on websites like www.discoverbooks.com , www.mercari.com , and www.ebay.com in the $5-$8 range. However, there seem to have been different editions and I don’t know how they differ.
The stuffing recipe in Holly’s book really rocked my world. I’d been looking for something “different” and this was not only something I’d never had before – it was hearty, delicious – it was a stuffing “experience”. Still, over the years I’ve adapted it quite a bit, not only to fit the THM plan as a crossover (XO), but to our personal tastes as well. Thanks to Holly Garrison for inspiring me with the basic idea of using sausage, sage and apples – something I never would have come up with on my own.
Be sure to check the notes following the recipe! And, don’t forget there’s a free printable – It prints as a double so you can share with a friend!
Coach Barb’s Stuffing-to-End-All-Stuffings with Sage, Sausage and Apples “XO”
1 pound turkey breakfast sausage, browned and seasoned with plenty of extra sage.
16 slices (20 ounces) sprouted grain bread, torn or broken into postage stamp sized pieces and DRIED
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons dried sage or 1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped fine
3/4 cup toasted, coarsly chopped walnuts
2 large (or 3 if smaller) golden delicious apples, peeled and cubed (1/2 inch or smaller)
2 teaspoons mineral salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
3 large eggs, beaten
1/4 pound (1 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup chicken broth with NO SUGAR
1/2 cup heavy cream
Coconut oil cooking spray
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9″X13″ baking dish (or LARGER) with cooking spray.
In the VERY large mixing bowl where your bread has been drying, add the browned meat, celery, onion, sage, walnuts, apples, salt, pepper and caraway, tossing together with a large spoon as you go.
Whisk the melted butter, almond milk, broth and heavy cream into the bowl with the beaten eggs. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir well.
Pour into the baking dish. Cover and bake one hour or until done in center, removing the cover after 30 minutes to allow for some yummy crustiness on top.
NOTES:
Sage: There are years when the frost gets my sage plant before Thanksgiving rolls around, but that didn’t happen this year. Just remember that you’ll need half as much dried sage as you would fresh.
Drying Bread: I use a mixture of bread heels and chunks of homemade sourdough I’ve had frozen along with some store-bought sprouted grain bread such as the Knock Your Sprouts Off bread from Aldi in order to come up with the required twenty ounces. I put it in a huge mixing bowl on Sunday or Monday ahead of Thursday’s feast and several times a day as I walk by, I reach in and give the bread pieces a toss. By the time you’re ready to make stuffing, they’ll be dried out and crouton-like. This needs to happen or they will not be able to soak up the goodness you’re going to apply.
Veggies: Folks will be unhappy with chunks of squashy celery in their mouths, so please go to the extra effort to get the celery and onions pretty small. I leave the last inch or so at the base of a celery stalk connected as a “handle” and run a knife down the stalk separating it into four long strips. Then, squeeze them together and slice them all at once down to the base end and then toss it.
Broth: You could use bone broth or regular chicken broth. Just be sure to adjust the amount of mineral salt in the recipe based on the amount of sodium in the broth. I prefer to have minimal salt in the broth and add my own salt.
The Pan: I use a clear glass baking dish that, while it might be mistaken for a 9X13” at first glance, my other pans of that size will easily fit down into it with a little wiggle room. This is a big pan of stuffing, so if you’re serving just a few people, you may want to make a half recipe until you decide you like it and then you’ll probably want to make the whole thing and freeze the leftovers.
Now, grab your free printable and start your adventure and see if you don’t think this is the Stuffing-To-End-All Stuffings! Check out the THM on-plan Thanksgiving menu here that has been taste-tested and approved by the members I coach in my weekly Food Freedom sessions.
In the group coaching sessions I teach weekly, I do cooking demonstrations and in our countdown to the holidays, the members have gotten to experience several recipes that enable them to have a complete Thanksgiving feast and still stay on plan with THM. If you’d like our suggested Thanksgiving menu, click here.
Remember those “golden ladles” I mentioned earlier. If you’d like my all-time favorite soup, click here. This one is the winner of three of those awards!
If you need support in your journey to better health and weight loss, head to the Contact page and let me know. I’ll give you all the info on group sessions which I conduct locally in person on a weekly basis. Private coaching can be done in person or by phone. Share with friends and let’s see how many are ready to get Trim & Healthy!
Which stuffing camp do you belong to? Leave a comment and give me your thoughts.
When I first started to really eat healthy, like many other people, one of my thoughts was “What in the world am I going to eat on Thanksgiving and Christmas?” It’s all “frankenfood” – or haven’t you noticed?
At first, I just considered it a time to splurge and I knew I had the grit and determination to get back on track afterward. After a year or two of that, I realized it wasn’t worth it. I felt horrible after those meals!
These last few years, I’ve developed a plan that enables me to indulge in all the yummy foods without feeling the least bit deprived on the holidays. Deprived is something I have no intention of being. I am a volume eater and I can really put the stuff away!
Now, as a THM Certified Lifestyle Coach, I knew my clients needed to be able to do the same. Most of them have never been through an entire holiday season during which they needed to try to stay on plan.
That’s why we’ve been focusing lately on how to put together a fabulous Thanksgiving meal that won’t raise your blood sugar, mess with your hormones or negatively affect your health in any way. We all acknowledge that it is a day of feasting and there may be a level of calorie intake that doesn’t occur during average daily living, but that doesn’t mean the ingredients have to be destructive to our health. Also, in THM eating, “crossover” (XO) meals might not help with weight loss, but they are definitely on plan and after all – it’s a feast!
Some of the recipes I’ll be mentioning here are from the Trim Healthy Mama cookbooks. They are such a valuable resource even for those of you who may not be interested in losing weight or doing the plan, but who are interested in fabulous and simple recipes for real families living real lives who want to be healthier. You can find them here or you can also check with your public library or places such as eBay and maybe catch a bargain. I use all three of their cookbooks all the time, so this has proven to be a great investment.
NOTE: The Trim Healthy Mama site is down as I am typing this due to the mad rush caused by their Cyber Monday sale, so please be patient.
In my weekly Food Freedom group sessions, we’ve been focusing on the countdown to Thanksgiving by demonstrating and taste-testing a different recipe each week leading up to the big event. Here’s the menu that my class taste-tested and agreed would let them feast while staying on plan.
Turkey: That’s a given in most households at Thanksgiving and it’s a great healthy choice. We’ve been brining the bird at our house for years and recently I noticed on the Trim Healthy Mama Facebook page that they have brining instructions that are very similar to what we are used to doing. Scared of having a dry bird and ending up with a scene at the big dinner that resembles the one in the Christmas Vacation movie? Brining is simple and totally prevents this disaster. See the THM version here.
Coach Barb’s Stuffing-to-End-All Stuffings: All I can say here is that I’m gonna try. I have adapted my stuffing recipe to fit the THM plan as a crossover (XO) and I think it’s the best stuff ever. There are two camps when it comes to stuffing and mine falls into the “throw-everything-in-there-but-the-kitchen-sink” category. Some folks are fall into the “brothy-bread-with-some-seasoning-and-you-might-need-a-spoon” category. I’ll try to get the recipe posted here before the big day. If you’ve been eating healthy for a while, you know there will need to be some bread changes here from the type of stuffing you grew up with or the boxed version.
Mashed Fotatoes: There are a lot of recipes out there that call for substituting cauliflower for those high-glycemic, carb-bomb taters we were all taught to eat, but this one is yummy. It’s found on page 219 of “Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook”. I make it exactly as directed. The only tip I can offer here is to stick close during the cooking process and then get the cauliflower straight into a colander and toss well right away to get every last bit of water out. That is the most important thing to remember.
Basic Gravy: This gravy is delicious and it’s a Fuel Pull (FP) or can be made with pan drippings and/or heavy cream to make it even more delightful. Doing this will, of course, swing it over into the “S” category, but hey! It’s Thanksgiving! Check it out on page 483 of “Trim Healthy Mama Cookbook”.
Green Bean Casserole: This one recently popped up on the Trim Healthy Mama Facebook page and I couldn’t resist demonstrating it for my class. It was a hit, so you can get the recipe from the THM Facebook page post of November 1, 2021 or use the slow-cooker version in the post on November 21, 2021.
Macafoni and Cheese: I confess to not having tried this one yet, but it looks and sounds so yummy that it is on my list to make soon. I also spotted it on the THM Facebook page post of October 29, 2021.
Pumpkin Silk Pie: We were all so impressed at how decadent this simple pie is. You can also make it into squares, but I tend to think of Thanksgiving as Pie Time, don’t you? The crust, made with almond flour, is a mixture that goes from the food processor into the pan and is pressed into place with your fingers. The filling goes into the blender, which takes the pumpkin from its usual fibrous texture into a smooth-as-silk delight. I topped mine with homemade whipped cream by simply pouring the cream into the mixer, adding 1/8 Tablespoon of salt, a tablespoon or two of Gentle Sweet, a splash of vanilla extract and a tiny bit of freshly ground nutmeg and whipping on high speed. I can’t say enough good things about this pie! (see photo.) You’ll find it in “Trim Healthy Table” on pages 410-411.
Pumpkin Muffins: If you absolutely don’t have enough time to make the pie for this special occasion, try this recipe on page 272 if “Trim Healthy Future”. They are a super-simple dump ‘n stir type of recipe and the Cream Cheese Icing (with the Maple Burst flavoring added) on page 372 is the perfect crowning glory. These are so easy and so yummy that I could seriously form an addiction to this healthy dessert and have to start hoarding cans of pumpkin.
If you need support in your journey to better health and/or weight loss, head to the Contact page and let me know. I’ll give you all the info on group sessions which I conduct locally in person on a weekly basis. Private coaching can be done in person or by phone. Share with friends and let’s see how many are ready to get Trim & Healthy!
The Trim Healthy Mama Plan is a great way to boost your immune system and we all need that right now, don’t we? Leave a comment when you try these great recipes and tell me how you like them.
Offer up some extra thanks this season to the One who blesses us with all good things!
November’s First Friday Freebie post didn’t post! How aggravating.
I was simply way too busy today to check on it as I usually do. Please feel free to take until midnight on Saturday, November 6th to enter to win by commenting as directed on the original post HERE.
The nip is in the air, the colored leaves blanket my yard, the air has that certain crispness and the urge is there to grab a jacket and stroll hand-in-hand with the one I love. So, Smuffy patted me on the shoulder the other night and said, “Maybe next year.” Folks, I’m telling you, this kitchen remodel must end soon. This is why things have gone awry here on the blog and again, I give my apologies. Better days are ahead, but right now, life’s a blur of small finishing details.
Yesterday, I found myself weaving around a ladder in the kitchen, trying to gather things together for my Trim Healthy Mama class and answer Smuffy’s questions about the appropriate distance between open shelving, trying to explain to Phoebe June that despite the presence of three of her humans in the vicinity of her dish she had already had a snack and listening to Lil’ Snookie’s request for “Puh-SHOPSH Cimmin” (applesauce with cinnamon if you’re twenty-two months old). It will be a sad day when he actually learns how to pronounce applesauce, because I get the giggles every time he asks for it.
About that time there came a dim realization, forming in the spaghetti-like mass in the frontal lobe that I had arrived upon the eve of November’s First Friday Freebie and still am in possession of the Freebie that remains homeless!
As stated in the First Friday Freebie rules, the winner will be notified via the email used to subscribe. It’s vital when you enter to win that you check that same email regularly in the week or two following the drawing to see if you’ve won. October’s winner was “Julie”. I emailed Julie, but have received no response, so I am going to put the freebie back into circulation again since I don’t know who Julie is.
Julie, if you’re out there, I’m sorry it didn’t work out, but since I have no other means to contact you, it’s time to re-draw for the free gift.
So, here we go, let’s take a look at that First Friday Freebie again. I’m going to throw in a surprise bonus gift along with it to make things extra special for November.
This beautiful scarf by Capelli New York will look great with all your fall fashion with its tan and soft white tones. It’s 100% acrylic, very soft and is hand washable. Including the fringe, it measures approximately 72” X 5.5”, so it’s long enough to loop and tie in all sorts of fun ways or wrap around your neck twice on those extra frigid days.
It was a great find at my local Factory Connection, where I often find fun fashion and great home décor at good prices.
To enter to win the Capelli New York scarf, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Keep me cozy again, Midwest Storyteller!” You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, November 5th, 2021.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com 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.
I hope you get excited about winning freebies and share them and my blog stories with 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”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, November 5th, by leaving a comment which says, “Keep me cozy again, Midwest Storyteller”. Remember, there’s an extra surprise included!
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules,click here.
Why not subscribe and confirm right now before you forget?
If you’re somewhere where the snow is already flying – better you than me. If you’re somewhere where you’re basking in sunny warmth – enjoy every minute. If you’re here in the Midwest like me – make the best of your daily surprises and during this season of Thanksgiving, give the Good Lord your gratitude!
I’d feel just a bit silly if I didn’t know full well that things are about to change. This is the Midwest, after all, and we’ve been known to have a fifty to seventy degree variance in temperature within a twenty-four hour period. Still, as I sit here with the windows open and the ceiling fan in my office circulating the eighty degree air, the October First Friday Freebie seems entirely uncalled for!
You’ll be ready for that nip in the air when it arrives, or maybe it already has in your neck of the woods.
This beautiful scarf by Capelli New York will look great with all your fall fashion with its tan and soft white tones. It’s 100% acrylic, very soft and is hand washable. Including the fringe, it measures approximately 72” X 5.5”, so it’s long enough to loop and tie in all sorts of fun ways or wrap around your neck twice on those extra frigid days.
It was a great find at my local Factory Connection, where I often find fun fashion and great home décor at good prices.
To enter to win the Capelli New York scarf, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Keep me cozy, Midwest Storyteller!” You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, October 1st, 2021.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com 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.
I hope you get excited about winning freebies and share them and my blog stories with 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”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, October 1st, by leaving a comment which says, “Keep me cozy, Midwest Storyteller”.
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Why not subscribe and confirm right now before you forget?
October is like May – you just can’t get enough of either one. Enjoy each crisp and colorful day!
[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’ve learned to love to cook. It wasn’t always so. It wasn’t always easy. A combination of things has made my kitchen efforts frustrating through the years.
One would think, growing up on a farm with a nine-member household, I would have learned to be an excellent cook right off the bat. However with five sisters who were quite a bit older, there were enough of them to fill up the kitchen and I’m sure my mom preferred I not be underfoot. After they all began to leave home on their journey through life, I think my mom must have been relieved not to be making soup in a wash basin anymore and to have the kitchen to herself. I poked around in there, fixed myself after-school snacks and helped out when company came, but the skills you get from daily having to sling hash and get it all on the table hot and ready was a training that I missed.
Then, I married Smuffy. Smuffy’s mama had spoiled him rotten in the food category. He’d lived a life where all he had to do was sigh and whisper that he wouldn’t mind a little bit of this or a small dab of that and it appeared before him in no time at all accompanied by about a dozen other delights he hadn’t even asked for.
I thought I hated to cook and that I was bad at it. Yet, there was always a certain sense of adventure when it came to foods and I’d often find myself thinking that I wanted to try to make something new and exciting I’d tasted at a party or seen in a magazine. Plus, I have a huge appetite and just plain love to eat.
Another factor that tripped me up on my road to being a good cook was the fact that I tend to be distracted. Forgetting to thaw things out, neglecting to turn the burner down, not setting the timer – these were only a few of the things that made me wish we could just eat out all the time.
In hindsight, I’m thankful that the budget prohibited that because I see so many people who are enmeshed in the restaurant culture and most of them are barely able to waddle back and forth to their cars or are afflicted with a myriad of health problems.
Necessity being the mother of invention, I learned to be a really good cook over time and that Pookie of mine – she can really put the love on a meal. However, distraction is still a problem for me, especially now that Lil’ Snookie is here demanding my attention. I’ve learned to do a lot of simple prep-ahead things to make throwing yummy meals together less of a strain.
Since health is a major concern, I avoid pre-made and pre-mixed items that are always loaded with sugar or other ingredients that aren’t going to lead us down the road to better health. Grabbing each and every tiny little ingredient out of the pantry or spice cabinet slows me down and frustrates me when I’m cooking.
I know I could always parcel out things into little snack baggies to have them ready to dump into recipes, but they slip and slide and are difficult for me to keep organized. I thought I’d share this great find that is helping me cut down on steps and stress.
These great mini craft paper bags with resealable lock seal zipper and transparent windows were an Amazon find and are from Kingrol. They are 3/5 X 5.5 inches. This is the smallest of three sizes and is just right for that small amount of “mix” you want to grab and whip up something quick. They are reusable. If you prefer not to buy from Amazon, you can do a search and probably find them elsewhere online.
These are great for the dry ingredients that go into so many things – taco seasoning, Wonder Wraps, my Chocolate Collagen Trimmy and my oatmeal fixin’s, to name a few.
The bags are made of high-quality kraft paper with food grade PE inner membrane. Sturdy, waterproof and leak-proof, they should keep the contents from moisture and offer good shelf life.
They were advertised to have a stand-up design. This must be a feature on the medium and large bags only, because the smaller size I ordered do not have a gusseted bottom. I like that they have a little rectangle matte window that allows me to get a glimpse of the contents and save time when snatching them out of the cupboard.
The heat sealable feature is something I won’t use because I plan to use them only for dry mixes and then re-fill them. The resealable zippers seem to zip fairly easily and stay shut.
I didn’t mind ordering in quantity because I do make a lot of homemade mixes and also because I like to give some of these away as gifts sometimes and these bags will make a much nicer presentation for that than a plastic zippy bag.
So, yes, I did order 300 of them and it will take me a while to use those up, but it will happen. Next time, I think I’ll order the larger size because these will be a bit of a tight squeeze for certain things. The whole pack costs around $18 which makes them six cents each. Not bad.
I started off by filling them with some of my favorite items that fit the THM plan. I’ll include a few simple recipes.
Wonder Wraps II (FP): These are on page 251 of “Trim Healthy Table” cookbook. They can be made in a big batch, but I usually make the small batch when we do tacos. I put the THM Baking Blend, Mineral Salt, Whole Husk Psyllium Flakes and nutritional yeast in the bag and then just stir it in with the three wet ingredients when the time comes. Tat makes so much less I have to think about when I’m busy.
2. Coach Barb’s Morning Oatmeal (E): I have this two or three mornings a week and get tired of measuring out every little thing. I soak 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats in water in my bowl overnight. In the morning, I place a hand over it and drain off most of the water. Then, I dump in the packet which contains – 1 Tablespoon grass-fed beef collagen, 1 skimpy Tablespoon chopped walnuts (for a bit of fat to help my carbs absorb), 1/2 Tablespoon Pristine Whey Powder (plain), 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom, a generous 1/8 teaspoon mineral salt, 12-15 raisins and a doonk or two of Pure Stevia. Mix this well into the oats before stirring in a generous 1/4 cup water. Microwave for one minute. Then, stir in another generous 1/4 cup water and microwave for another minute. (This process helps to avoid an oatmeal mess in the microwave.) That’s it. Tweak the spices and sweetness to suit yourself, keeping in mind that getting all silly with raisins will spike your blood sugar and that’s a no-no and adding more walnuts will be “on plan” but will turn this into a Crossover, which will not aid in weight loss.
Note: You can use another whey powder. Just be sure it is cross-flow and micro-filtered. You can use any other on-plan sweetener, but it will take a lot more.
3. Chocolate Collagen Trimmy (FP with an S option): I fill the bag with 2 Tablespoons Dutch cocoa powder, 1 Tablespoon grass-fed beef collagen, 1/2 tablespoon Pristine Whey Powder (see note above) 3/8 teaspoon Pure Stevia, 1/4 teaspoon Sunflower Lecithin and 1/8 teaspoon mineral salt. When you are ready for a trimmy, pour an inch or so of hot water into the bottom of a 12 ounce (or larger) mug. Add the contents of the packet and a splash of pure vanilla extract and stir well with a mini whisk before filling your mug the rest of the way. If you’re feeling like a real hot chocolate experience is called for, add a tablespoon of heave cream for an “S” treat. A collagen drink like this will give you protein to balance your blood sugar and keep your tummy full for a long time. It’s a great way to avoid having your hand in a snack jar all day.
NOTE: Keep in mind that I like my chocolate dark and enjoy a bit of the bitter here. You may have to do some tweaking of the ratio of chocolate to sweetener to get this to be the mug of goodness that speaks to your soul. Also, nothing compares to the Dutch process cocoa powder. I am spoiled to it and any of the cans of cocoa powder we’ve been accustomed to finding in the stores all these years are icky to me now. I highly recommend you try some! I get mine at my local bulk food store.
4. Taco Seasoning Mix: It’s so great just to be able to take a pound of browned burger, sprinkle on this packet knowing that it has no sugar and no other stupid ingredients, stir in a half cup of water and simmer for a bit. I’ve offered this recipe up before along with a free printable and you can find it here.
If you need support in your journey, head to the Contact Me page and let me know. I’ll give you all the info on group sessions which I conduct locally in person on a weekly basis. Private coaching can be done in person or by phone. Share with friends and let’s see how many are ready to get Trim & Healthy!
Tempted but not sure? Check out the Trim Healthy dish I made here and see if it doesn’t make your mouth water!
The Trim Healthy Mama Plan is a great way to boost your immune system and we all need that right now, don’t we? Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts.
The sounds of autumn are coming through the open windows of my office as I type this and I marvel that I find it a pleasant sound when it is actually a multitude of the insect host singing whatever it is they sing to each other this time of year. God bless the one who invented window screens. The sound does signal the end of heat and humidity and that’s a good thing.
It’s almost three more weeks until the season changes officially, but you’re right on time for the September First Friday Freebie! Let’s take a look.
Once at a ladies’ function, we played a “getting to know you” game where we had to jot down on a piece of paper “two things you love and one thing you hate” and toss the paper into the bowl. When the bowl makes a second pass around the room, someone else draws your paper and tries to guess who may have dropped this list into the bowl. I remember that when I played this, one of the things I jotted down that I loved was jewelry. I do love a bit of bling. I could so keep this freebie, but it’s all yours.
This pretty necklace by Accessory Connection is a long one. It has an adjustable chain section that extends from 32” to 35”. The “Y” section at the bottom adds an additional 2.5”. This makes it great to throw on over all your great fall sweaters and tops. Double chains of both black and gold (not visible in the photo) meet up with the beaded section which has iridescent beads in black, pale amber and a color I can’t decide whether it is a smoky blue or a smoky purple. A small stone in the “Y” section hovers above a teardrop pendant that I’d describe as a golden caramel color.
I took several photos trying to get the colors to appear as they do in reality, but the bottom pendant seemed to look washed out in every single one. Anyhow, it’s prettier than the photo.
Factory Connection is a great store to find cute jewelry and other accessories along with some fashion clothing. I don’t get there often, but when I do I often find great prices on items like this freebie. Check out their website herefor locations near you.
To enter to win the beaded necklace, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying “Bring me some bling!”. You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, September 3rd, 2021.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com 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.
I hope you get excited about winning freebies and share them and my blog stories with 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”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, September 3rd by leaving a comment which says, “Bring me some bling!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Why not subscribe and confirm right now before you forget?
While you’re waiting to find out if you’re the winner, you’ll love a good Smuffy story – the most popular thing on my blog. Our Smokin’ Hot Honeymoon is a great place to start.
May your windows be open, may your hair un-frizz and may you sniff the first hints of fall!
I know what you’re going to say once you start reading this – “Aren’t those people ever gonna finish that kitchen?”
That, my dear friends, is exactly what I ask myself, sometimes multiple times per day.
We’ve got to cut Smuffy some slack, though. After coming home from his day job, he tackles everything else that pops up (or falls down, as the case may be) with this seventy+ year old house. There’s all the yard work, the garden and how a huge outdoor project he’s had to undertake. My “new” kitchen goes forward in spurts and I try to have patience. I will admit to having tears, though. Every once in a while, the whole thing about having a toddler here every day with no cabinet doors gets to be a bit much. Careful placement and a good boy are all that stand between us and disaster.
Well, the doors have arrived! I’d do the happy dance, but they’re not up yet. You see, they’ve been handed over to me. Yikes!
I’ve done a lot of DIY in my time, so I had a hard time figuring out why these made me so nervous. Then, I realized where my jitters were coming from.
It’s one thing to drag something home from a yard sale or resale shop and dive in to give it a whole new life. It is quite another to take brand new things that Smuffy has poured blood, sweat and tears into and risk screwing it up! As I said in an earlier post, most people who say they did their whole kitchen makeover by themselves have few bragging rights compared to what we’ve undertaken on this project. Ripping out things, bringing home new cabinets and installing them and then slapping on some trim pales in comparison to what we’ve done. It’s been me with my sheets of graph paper and research and Smuffy painstakingly hand-crafting each and every cabinet, pull-out, replacing windows, framing in new ones, building the pantry and making all the shelves to my specifications. It’s been a long, long road and each interruption and setback has been tough.
Now, Smuffy has handed me his beautiful cabinet doors and it’s turned me into a big chicken. My design all along (I tell him that at all times he must remember that he’s Chip and I’m JoJo), was to have antiqued creamy cabinets. I went to great lengths to get just the right paints, additives, glazes and colors to achieve the end look. I did all right through two coats of primer. I did all right through two coats of paint. Then, somehow, as soon as I got ready to antique them, nerves kicked in. How could I ugly up Smuffy’s beautiful doors?
It was all I could do to go down to the basement and smear the glaze over the perfection and start wiping it around with old rags over that pristine first door. It was as though I kept forgetting that the installed cabinets upstairs had already been antiqued and it was too late to turn back now. Duh!
There are reasons I chose antiquing. So many kitchens are what I call “hospital white”. I hope it’s a trend that ends soon. Sometimes I think way too many folks out there are working in labs or schoolrooms or medical offices and this look is seeping into their souls. Anyhow, I didn’t want that. I wanted homey. I have a working kitchen – a really working kitchen. With homecooked healthy meals every single day and all the prep for cooking demonstrations at the classes I teach, it would be hard to keep a sleek kitchen looking sleek all the time. Also, I have some things of my mom’s I’d like to use to decorate my open shelving and they’re just pretty shabby and farmy. In honor of her, I’m calling this my Emmabelle Kitchen.
As you can see in the photo, I went ahead with Door #2 and then I started to calm down. In game shows, there is something behind the door to jump up and down about. In my case, I’ll just have to wait a while longer. Smuffy keeps assuring me we are in the home stretch. I nod and sniffle. The home stretch is every bit as exhausting as the rest of this turtle race.
Just in case you’re wondering, Smuffy’s masterpieces are finished off with two coats of Benjamin Moore primer, have had a light sanding and received two coats of Benamin Moore trim paint in “Fresh Narcissus” with Floetrol added. This additive makes all the brush strokes or roller marks “melt” away. The antiquing is done by taking eight parts Benjamin Moore Studio Finish Acrylic Glaze and adding one part Benjamin Moore satin finish paint in “Devonwood Taupe. This is wiped on and then off immediately with cotton rags, leaving accents in the wood details. Two coats of Benjamin Moore polyurethane are added after glazing to restore the hard finish. Otherwise, the glaze would remain too “soft” for durable cabinetry.
I must add that in this photo, the antiqued door looks like it has much more antiquing on it that it does in actuality. There’s no explaining why photos do that sometimes.
Smuffy does more than just build things. My Life With Smuffypage is loaded with stories that will make you laugh, cause your hair to stand on end and probably bump us up to the top of your prayer list!
Leave a comment! What do you like/don’t like in your kitchen? Or, have you seen something online or in someone else’s kitchen that you’d like to have if you could remodel your kitchen? My kitchen is small. Give me your best storage tips and tricks!
My apologies for running late with this announcement. Not only did I fall behind a bit, but our winner has been under the weather (though I doubt the weather had anything to do with it) and getting it to her and getting a photo has had its challenges.
She was kind enough to snap a picture of her First Friday Freebie in its new home and send it to me, so let’s congratulate and extend get well wishes to –
Liz from Boonville, Missouri!
Liz often enters to win and has been a previous winner, so if you want to meet her, just check out all the past winners and their gifts hereon my Freebies! page.
The “Then Sings My Soul” box-style décor is a Hobby Lobbyfind and you can see the original freebie offer, 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.
Look for the subscription area. It’s easy to find on the “CONTACT” page and after subscribing, confirm your subscription when the confirmation email arrives in your 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: September’s First Friday Freebie – that takes place on Friday, September 3rd. You’ll see a photo of the Freebie and you can 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 (because you tend to forget): 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, September 3rd, 2021.
A lot of people say, “I never win anything!” I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment and tell me the best thing you’ve ever won.
Welcome to August! (I say that like I’m hosting the month personally.) Actually, I’m missing out on a lot of it due to the Big Kitchen Crunch, but that has nothing to do with Freebies unless you count the fact that it’s forcing me to do this post past my bedtime.
Yes, it’s the First Friday and that means that commenting as directed in this post will enter you to win my August Freebie. Let’s take a look at it.
This black and white wooden décor will look great on your table or tucked into a shelf. It measures 4.875” X 7.375” including the knob on top and if you’re up on your old hymns, it reminds of that famous one, “How Great Thou Art”. The little damask print bit of stenciled art at the left adds just the right touch and I think it will look great year round as well as with all your upcoming fall decorations. It’s a Hobby Lobby find, because, as you may have noticed, I can’t stay out of that place.
To enter to win the “Then Sings My Soul” décor, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying just that, “Then Sings My Soul”. You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, August 6th, 2021.
NOTE: An occasional problem occurs with subscribers not receiving confirmation emails. Should this happen, email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com 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.
I hope you get excited about winning freebies and share them and my blog stories with 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”. Help me get the word out!
On the “Freebies”page, you can see what readers have been winning every month.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight, August 6th by leaving a comment which says, “Then Sings My Soul”.
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Why not subscribe and confirm right now before you forget?
Summer’s winding down. Enjoy every minute of warmth and bloom.
It’s time to take a peek into the Smuffy’s secret life. By now, if you’ve kept up with every episode of “Life With Smuffy”, you probably think that he’s all daredevil and that this nature leaves little time for anything other than leaping across steep roofs, shooting the rapids and having heart-stopping encounters with motorized vehicles.
Oh, not so! There is another side to Smuffy that makes life with him equally as interesting as all the more hair-raising things. I can’t classify it as his dirty little secret, though. You see, Smuffy is clean. He’s very clean.
The casual observer may assume that this characteristic wouldn’t cause much of a stir in everyday life.
Don’t get me wrong – Smuffy is also dirty. When he is dirty, he is very, very dirty and actually enjoys a good dose of grunge. Once, on his birthday, we were unable to locate him to remind him that it was time to get ready to go out for the evening. We finally found in the compost bin. He hadn’t been able to think of a more enjoyable way of spending his birthday than cleaning it out and, having done so, to sit restfully inside in the ninety-degree heat with compost plastered to every inch of his sweaty body. It seemed to him the ideal way to pass the time.
To go hunting and smear himself with disgusting stuff that only an amorous 30-point buck would love and then haul home carcasses and attack them with knives comes as natural to him as, well…bathing. The bright side is that he does a great job of cleaning up the gore. He should have started a business – “Smuff-Pro – Like it Never Even Happened”.
Then, bathe he does! When Smuffy is finished being dirty, he is ready to be clean. Proper soaps become an issue. Subtle fragrance and texture variances can cause them to get banned from the home. When they stopped making his favorite bar soap, our world came to a standstill and he still mutters its name with a tremor of nostalgia.
After boot camp at living with this paradox, I realized I’d married a man who was a complete blending of Grizzly Adams and Felix Unger and each personality would have its high moments.
If Smuffy has a stint at taking over the kitchen, I can always tell. I find counters sopping wet, towels dripping, the whole room is wet. He has gotten all things clean – about 15 times.
I can hear you saying, “How fabulous to have a husband so helpful around the house!” Well, not that I’m going to let you live with Smuffy because he’s mine – all mine – but you might do well to imagine what that really might be like on a moment-by-moment basis.
When we first married, it didn’t take long for me to start feeling much like Ingrid Bergman in “Gaslight”. He’s not only clean – he’s tidy. Should I lay a book aside to go to the kitchen for a cup of tea, when I returned I’d search madly for the book till I questioned my own sanity and Smuffy asked what was the matter. “Oh,” he’d explain after hearing my frustration, “I thought you were finished with it so I put it back in the bookshelf.” The same thing happened with too warm slippers I’d kicked off, a watch that chafed or a hair barrette that pinched. Everything just vanished the minute I released it from my grasp. I was compensated somewhat by the fact that he smelled terrific!
I did my best to explain to Smuffy that laundry doesn’t get “done”. Laundry is like dishes. Dishes can be clean, counters shined and things put away and within seconds, someone arrives with a cup or spoon. Laundry is always but one sock away from the new pile. Yet, I felt guilty when Smuffy would start up the washing machine because he felt I’d fallen behind.
That is, until the day I discovered his secret. I’d made a concerted effort one week to get all the laundry done so that when Smuffy was home and doing his basement projects over the weekend there wouldn’t be a single thing peeking out of a basket to torment his delicate sensibilities. Of course, a sock or two, a towel and a couple of other things were tossed in by Saturday morning, but what was that in the course of life?
As Smuffy began his project day in the basement, I began to hear the usual sounds waft up the stairs. He likes to enjoy several things at once, so it’s perfectly normal (normal?) to find him down there hacking up a deer, melting wax for homemade candles, mapping out his next woodworking project while listening to the oldies or watching cooking shows all at the same time.
Suddenly, added to the symphony came the sound of the washing machine. What on earth? I went to the basement.
It’s important to stress that Smuffy had never been trained as a launderer. His mama did all domestic duties for him. He’d only entered forced servitude when Pookie came along and he needed to help out by doing things that kept me off the stairs. Though I appreciated the help, the delicates often suffered and I preferred to wash certain things myself.
“What are you washing,” I asked.
“Oh, there was some laundry in one of those baskets over there.”
“But there couldn’t have been more than three or four things. I got all caught up just so you wouldn’t have to bother with it.”
“Oh, I just thought since I was down here, I may just as well take care of it.”
I stood defeated for a moment, feeling as though all my efforts had backfired somehow and then came the revelation. I turned my gaze from the empty baskets to the man at the workbench.
“You love it, don’t you?”
Smuffy looked perplexed and gave me a “Huh?”
“You love it! You didn’t need to do any laundry and you knew it. You missed it! While you were working, you were craving the swish-swish of the washing machine and the soapy smell of clean clothes. You’re doing laundry to enhance your experience!”
Then, I saw it. The blushed cheek and the darting of the eyes told me that I had discovered the truth – Smuffy had an addiction.
Now, it may seem obvious that a person can be addicted to a lot worse things than laundry, but over time I discovered that Smuffy’s inability to keep his hands off soiled textiles led him down the road toward destruction.
Oh, the mangled bras! Oh, the scorched elastics! Oh, the irreversible bleach disasters! I tried to make a deal with Smuffy. If he must do laundry, could he please limit himself to his own work clothes so that Pookie and I could manage to have something that survived his efforts? He’d agree to terms and then, as though they were some sort of irresistible delicacy, sneak those items in with his own and render them rags. Each time, those puppy-dog brown eyes of his would look into mine and he’d profess to having been certain the item was his. It was enough to make me wonder if he had more of a secret life that I thought!
Once he managed to get hold of a pair of Pookie’s jeans she’d bought as an older teen – one of those special pair that she’d saved up her own money to buy because they were “the thing”. Convinced they were his own, he took things a step further this time. After an especially tough morning at work one day, he came in for lunch grubby and tired. As he entered the kitchen, I could tell he was disgruntled.
“Dirty job”, he muttered. “I’m pooped. And it didn’t help any that these jeans have shrunk or something. They’re so tight I could barely move, let alone work.”
I glanced at his behind. There he was, having washed and dried them, stuffed into Pookie’s “cool jeans”, convinced that anything in blue denim must be his. They were ruined and, considering the structural design of gals’ jeans, I’m surprised parts of him weren’t. No amount of TLC was going to restore those jeans to something worthy of the brand label he’d been sporting on his tushy all morning as he put them to the working man’s durability test – which they failed.
I told him he’d better buy her another pair and preached him my “Leave Our Clothing Alone” Sermon Number 843.
Pookie took the loss graciously. He’d been trying to instill in her the need to clean up and tidy up since she was a mere tot.
Once when Pookie was three years old, we returned home after being gone for most of the day. Smuffy scooped Pookie up under one arm and headed for the bathroom. Being exhausted, I headed straight for the sofa, stretched out and closed my eyes. As I lay there, I could hear the water running and Smuffy’s monologue as he took advantage of this important teaching moment to give his little one a ten-minute sermonette on how they were washing their faces and hands and why they were washing their faces and hands. Germs, he explained, were like bugs. They were nasty, icky little bugs that make you sick. You could have lots of them all over your hands and they were so tiny that you couldn’t see them, but they were still there. However, they would take all the warm water and the soap and wash all the invisible bad bugs right down the sink.
Soon after, I heard the approach of little feet and became aware that a little person had arrived and waited next to my head to see if my eyes might pop open. I tried to keep them closed in hopes that her dolls and toys might lure her into letting me rest a bit longer, but she lingered so patiently that I finally peeped one eye open to find her big blue eyes eager and concerned.
“Did you hear what Daddy said?” she asked, as if there’d been headline news.
Interested to hear her three-year-old version of it, I played along. “No, what did he say?”
Stamping her little foot, she narrowed her eyes and pinched her lips together.
“Oh! I wish you did!” came the disappointed whine. “I didn’t understand a word he said!”
All my weariness of the day washed away with my laughter over the fact that Smuffy’s germ lesson, though well-meaning and thorough, had gone right over her head and quite possibly, down the drain.
One of Smuffy’s finer moments occurred when I was out of town and I still feel a bit cheated that I missed seeing it in person. This being the first time I’d left Smuffy and Pookie to themselves for more than just overnight, I called every evening to check in. To my surprise, Pookie answered. At age six, she was not allowed to take calls yet. The fact that she answered told me immediately that something might not be quite right. Where on earth was Smuffy?
“Hello?”
“Hello! And how are you today?”
“Just fine.”
I strained to hear any background noise. Things seemed overly quiet somehow.
“Did you have a nice day today?”
“Yes.”
“Did you miss me?”
“Yes.”
“I missed you, too. Is Daddy there?”
“Yes.”
“Well, can I talk to him.”
“I’ll ask him. He’s sweeping all the bubbles out the back door.”
“Bubbles? You have bubbles?”
“We have lots of bubbles. Daddy’s got the broom.”
Smuffy made it to the phone. I asked him how he happened to be sweeping bubbles out the back door.
Always having lived by the motto that “more is better” when it comes to soap, he had decided that what our dishwasher needed was a thorough cleaning. So while it was empty, he’d given it a good dose of liquid dish soap and turned it on. The entire kitchen had filled with bubbles. He’d been doing his best to get them all out onto the deck where they could ooze through the rails and down the stairs.
The bright side is that this is probably the cleanest our kitchen’s ever been.
Oh, how I wish I’d been there! I’d have felt just like Doris Day in “The Thrill of it All” (1963). Her hubby (James Garner) got things clean, too.
Things are not so spit ‘n polished around here these days due to endless remodeling and toddler-keeping, but that, they tell me, won’t last forever. When the first is complete it will be a huge relief, but the latter will, I’m sure, make me a little sad.
It’ll be interesting to watch little Snookie take cleaning lessons from his Paw-Paw. This time, I’m recording.
My Life With Smuffy is always exciting. Read about our Smokin’ Hot Honeymoon. You’ll find, in Smuffy Takes the Cure that I did try intervention. Try his river adventures here and here for the white-knuckle type of adventure. Even on dry land, he tends to get himself into situations, so check that out here.
Are you living with a “cleany”? Oh, please do share in the comments!
If you are in the Midwest, I hope you’re a heat and humidity lover or are blessed to stay in and enjoy some air conditioning. Our air conditioning went out recently and replacement parts were never more welcome. One thing you can enjoy in this weather is a First Friday Freebie, so let’s meet the winner –
Ginger from Prairie Home, Missouri!
Congratulations, Ginger! Ginger enters to win on a regular basis so it’s no surprise that she’s happened to win more than one of my First Friday Freebies. Take a look at the inset photo and you’ll see she’s not the only one enjoying it. She used it to decorate the front door of her chicken coop and now all her “ladies” are simply cackling with delight over their new decor.
You can see all the past winners and their gifts here on my Freebies! page.
The bright red metal flower Ginger just won is a Hobby Lobby find and you can see the original freebie offer, 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.
Ginger’s been a subscriber ever since the beginning of this blog. 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: August’s First Friday Freebie – that takes place on Friday, August 6th. You’ll see a photo of the Freebie and you can 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 (because you tend to forget): 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, August 6th, 2021.
A lot of people say, “I never win anything!” I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment and tell me the best thing you’ve ever won.
Since Smuffy shares a birthday with the greatest country on earth, things will be busy for me in the next couple of days. So, let me take this First Friday Freebie post to also wish you a Happy & Free Independence Day! (And, Happy Birthday, Smuffy!) I invite you to make this Sunday more than a great time for family and fireworks. Spend some time with those you love celebrating the real meaning of what it means to be an American and the brilliance and freedoms established and granted to us by our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution. These are short documents, but do we know what’s in them? We are a country of political will and ideals that are not found anywhere else on earth.
If I may quote Ronald Reagan from a 1988 speech –
“America represents something universal in the human spirit. I received a letter not long ago from a man who said, ‘You can go to Japan to live, but you cannot become Japanese. You can go to France to live and not become a Frenchman. You can go to live in Germany or Turkey, and you won’t become a German or a Turk.’ But then he added, ‘Anybody from any corner of the world can come to America to live and become an American.'”
I just heard some early fireworks going off outside as I finished typing that quote, as if to punctuate this truth.
Now, remembering that today is the first Friday of the month, let’s take a look at your Freebie.
This bright red metal daisy with its sunny yellow center from The Spring Shop shouts of summer and also of the fact that I’ve been roaming around Hobby Lobby again. It measures 8.75” across and is ½” deep. My first thought how this would make your garden area pop if hung on a fence. Then, I quickly realized that it would look great inside the house as well, adding a little summer to any room. Kitchen, kids’ room, porch – anywhere that bit of red to catch the eye is needed.
To enter to win the red metal daisy, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I love freedom and a freebie!” You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, July 2nd, 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 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.
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”. Help me get the word out!
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, July 2nd by leaving a comment which says, “I love freedom and a freebie!”
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Why not subscribe and confirm right now before you forget?
Do you have special Independence Day traditions? Leave a comment and let me know how you make the day special.
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! pagehere.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.
[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 –
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.
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!
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?
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
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
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
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 hereand here. Check out everything on her page here!
