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!
