[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!
May is known for being merry and for the flowers brought on my April’s showers, but let’s not forget the First Friday Freebie. Meet the winner –
Ruby from Boonville, Missouri!
Congratulations, Ruby! Thank you for the photo and I’m glad you like the reminder that “Everything is ‘figure-out-able’”. It may not win any grammar prizes, but it does help us take a deep breath in the midst of the stuff of life and let our worries go.
Ruby has been a winner here at Midwest Storyteller before and that’s because she is faithful to enter the drawing each and every month.
This little wooden block was a Hobby Lobby find. If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, click here.
You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! 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.
Ruby is a long-time subscriber. All she did was enter her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirm her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox. If you’ve done that and not received a confirmation email, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know as I am trying to work out a few bugs with that. It seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.
Subscribing is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies help me reach more people with my stories, recipes and more. When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. Are you catching on this is a free thing?
Coming soon: June’s First Friday Freebie in celebration of summer! That takes place on Friday, June 4th. You’ll be able to see a photo of the Freebie and enter to win at any point all day that day. Don’t forget to check the email that you used to subscribe for notification that you’ve won.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
ONCE AGAIN: Should your name be drawn as the winner, you will be notified via the email you used to subscribe. That means you’ll need to check your email often in the week following the drawing so that you can respond and keep the prize from being offered to someone else.
Take a moment make yourself familiar with the complete Freebie Rules by clicking HERE.
These four simple steps will have you ready to enter to win on Friday, June 4th, 2021.
I can only hope that June in your neck of the woods is as beautiful as it is here right now. Perfect temperatures, lush greenery and beautiful blooms are all around.
I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. There would come a month that I would go straight from First Friday to First Friday with nary a post in between. All I can say about this regrettable situation is that this is what happens when your daily charge is 16 months old, walking and talking and it’s also weed pulling/planting time. I had loads of fun this week, but most of it was spent as being Lil’ Snookie’s on-demand playmate. I didn’t bother to count, but today it felt like we played 4,672 games of “Pi!” (his way of saying “Surprise!”). This involves running around to opposite sides of the bed, ducking down, popping up with hands in the air to say “Pi!” and then ducking back down to crawl/toddle around the end of the bed where we meet to giggle and tussle.
One of us is thrilled to no end with this and the other is overwhelmed by the cuteness but not getting to the computer to be much of a storyteller. My apologies, but I’m not gonna quit my day job.
Oh, well, as my mother used to say, it’ll all come out in the wash.
I love the sayings people have that serve as a reminder to shrug off worry. The Scriptures tell us not to worry about tomorrow because each day has enough troubles of its own. How true! Worrying today about tomorrow only piles more troubles onto a day that already is bound to have its own share of ups and downs.
At various times when I listen to the Trim Healthy Mama podcast, I’ve heard Serene and Pearl share that their mother often says, “Things come and things go” when asked about life’s difficulties.
Perhaps it’s weed-pulling season that brings these sayings to mind, for it does give me time to ponder and pluck up not only the weeds from the ground, but weedy worries from my mind. The beauty of spring helps with that – everything’s starting over.
That’s why this month’s First Friday Freebie caught my eye. I thought it might serve as a great reminder to one of my special readers who needs to pluck up some worries and toss them out.
This inspirational table or shelf décor will help you do just that. While I’m not sure that absolutely everything is figure-out-able (because there are just some things we are not meant to know), I love this saying. It’s another phrase that will stick in your head to remind you that your sticky situation is going to go just as it came, or come out in the final wash or you’re going to be granted a solution. The wood block from The Spring Shop is one of my Hobby Lobby finds and measures 4” X 3”, so it will tuck in perfectly amongst your other décor. The white lettering and painted floral accent bring the message with a hint of summer.
To enter to win the “Everything is Figure-out-able” wood block, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “This may be the best day ever!” You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, May 7th, 2021!
NOTE: There seems to be an occasional problem with subscribers not receiving r 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.
Help me get the word out so that more people can enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so 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, May 7th by leaving a comment which says, “This may be the best day ever!” After you do that, you can go out and have fun, smell the flowers, pluck a weed or two and toss them out with your troubles. It’s spring! Sow a little positivity.
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Those four steps are simple and quick! Why not subscribe and confirm right now before you forget?
How are you enjoying this most beautiful month of the year? What new things and old favorites are you growing in you garden? I’d love it if you’d share in the comments.
If you’ve been a regular here at Midwest Storyteller, you can’t help but be familiar with April’s winner of my First Friday Freebie. I was so happy to send it on its way to –
Diane Yates in Lake Alfred, Florida!
Congratulations, Diane! I hope you enjoy this little birdie as you stroll along your garden path.
Diane has made previous appearances here on the blog. She’s a fellow writer and great friend and I know that some of you have either won as a freebie or purchased one of her great books. You can find them all at dianeyates.com
If you missed my interview with Diane, check it out here.
This garden pick by Spring Shop was a Hobby Lobby find. I love a great excuse to visit that store (as you can probably tell). If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, click here.
You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on my Freebies! 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.
Diane entered 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 and let me know as I am trying to work out a few bugs with that. It seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.
Subscribing is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies help me reach more people with my stories, recipes and more. When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. Are you catching on this is a free thing?
Coming soon: May’s First Friday Freebie! That takes place on Friday, May 7th. 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, May 7th, 2021. And, by the way, welcome to the most beautiful month of the year! Well, at least if you live in the Midwest.
That was yesterday. And I didn’t play a prank on anybody, although I did have a really good laugh at Smuffy’s expense, but that’s a story for another day.
April has arrived and I’m so excited. March consisted of winter, false spring, scenes from Wuthering Heights, Spring Glimmer, See One Bloom and Dance Day, followed by Curly Girl Wind Alert Week and then Sunny Winter. April, though often rainy, brings a slight reduction in meteorological mood swings. (Except for those tornadoes and we try not to think about those.)
And, of course, it brings to those who are subscribers of Midwest Storyteller, a First Friday Freebie! Today’s the day, so let’s look at what you can enter to win –
This garden pick by The Spring Shop is yet another great Hobby Lobby find. It will not only add some whimsy and color to your flower bed or pot, but also a faint tinkle should the wind set the little bell in motion. A cute little bird and red flower adorn this metal pick and will draw the eye to whatever plants you want to accent.
To enter to win the bird and bell garden pick, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Let’s get outside!” You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, April 2nd, 2021!
NOTE: There seems to be an occasional problem here on the blog with subscribers not receiving their confirmation email. If this happens, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know so that I can report these instances 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.
Your friends will enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so 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, April 2nd by leaving a comment which says, “Let’s get outside!” After that, please, go outside!
For the complete First Friday Freebie rules, click here.
Those four steps are simple and quick! Why not subscribe and confirm right now before you forget?
Much more important that this being Freebie Day, it is Good Friday (or God’s Friday). I pray all the blessings upon you that the Messiah gave His life on this day to bestow upon you. Spend these Holy Days with your family and enjoy one another. Sunday for us is the grandest, happiest day of the whole year as we celebrate that fact that the tomb was found empty and Jesus is ALIVE!
Comments? How are you celebrating this glorious weekend? I’d love it if you’d share.
Disclaimer: Lest you think this drawing is rigged, I hereby announce that this is a first in my First Friday Freebie world.
Our February winner is also our March winner! Let’s meet the two-in-a-row winner –
Christine in Boonville, Missouri!
Congratulations, Christine! Christine has certainly found out that it pays to subscribe and then enter to win – maybe not early, but certainly often. Thanks so much for sending me this photo.
This adorable bunny pillow cover is a great Hobby Lobby find that will bring Christine’s décor right into the spirit of spring. If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, click here. If you’d like to see what Christine won last month, click 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.
Christine entered 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 and let me know as I am trying to work out a few bugs with that. It seems that from time to time, a subscription will get “stuck”.
Subscribing is the best way to avoid missing what’s new here on the blog because you’ll get an email reminder each time there’s something new – like when there’s a FREEBIE on the First Friday of every month.
Comment as directed on the post that offers the Freebie and you’ll be entered to win.
Freebies help me reach more people with my stories, recipes and more. When you share with all your friends via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, you’ll give them the opportunity to subscribe and win also. Subscribing is free. Freebies are free. Are you catching on this is a free thing?
Coming soon: April’s First Friday Freebie! That takes place on Friday, April 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.
REMEMBER: 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, April 2nd, 2021. No foolin’!
March can be cold. It can be dank. It can be way too windy. We shall see what the rest of the month brings here in the Midwest, because March has certainly come in like a lamb so far. Glorious days with just a light jacket or no jacket at all have been perfect for getting outside again. It makes you feel almost as happy and carefree as if you’d just won a First Friday Freebie! That’s something to relish in case it decides to go out like a lion.
Winnie the Pooh observed that no one – not even Eeyore – could be un-cheered by a balloon. I feel the same way about bunnies and tulips, so cheer up and enter to win –
This 16” spring pillow cover made me just a little sad, however, but only because there was only one and I wanted one for myself as well. As I wrench it from my grasping fingers, I declare today that it’s all yours! The cute, brown bunny amidst the eye-popping tulips in all their various spring colors should go wonderfully with any décor that needs that added spring touch. (Note: Pillow not included.) A handy zipper along the bottom edge allows you to slip it on over one of your other pillows for the season. My pillow in the photo was less than 16″, so you can fatten up your bunny more with a bigger, puffier one.
To enter to win the bunny pillow cover, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Spring is my thing!” You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, March 5th, 2021!
NOTE: There seems to be an occasional problem here on the blog with people trying to subscribe and not receiving their confirmation email. If this has happened to you, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know so that I can report all these instances and have the issue resolved.
First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so hop on over to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so.
Your friends will enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so share with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest.
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, March 5th by leaving a comment which says, “Spring is my thing!”
The complete First Friday Freebie rules are found here.
Those four steps are simple and quick! Why not subscribe and confirm right now before you forget?
Enjoy this month that carries the promise of spring! Many scientific studies have been done on the benefits of humans being outdoors. Most of us probably didn’t need science to tell us that. Our own common sense and instinct tell us to get out and enjoy creation. The benefits of deep breathing, walking, “grounding” yourself by wiggling your bare toes in the grass are all a part of restoring our physical and psychological well-being after going through the long winter months.
My tulips are up! So are my hyacinths! That goes a long way toward making me feel like God’s in His heaven and all’s right with the world, even if I don’t spy any snails and thorns.
Comments? I’d love to hear what’s pushing its way through the earth in the place you call home.
My February Freebie got all caught up in the snow, snow and more snow, which had me confined more than usual. Once things finally cleared up, I was able to get it to the winner –
Christine in Boonville, Missouri!
Congratulations, Christine! Enjoy your gift and thank you for subscribing and entering to win.
If you’d like to find out what’s inside the cute, sparkly box Christine is holding, 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.
Christine entered 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 and let me know as I am trying to work out a few bugs with that.
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. Get the idea?
Coming up: March’s First Friday Freebie! That takes place on Friday, March 5th. You’ll be able to see a photo of the Freebie and enter to win 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.
REMEMBER: 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, March 5th, 2021.
Are you ready to hop into spring? March’s Freebie will put you in the mood!
January is bitter and devoid of Christmas. March is raw, teasing with its two or three nice days and threatening to never end. But February? Right spang in the middle of it, its redeeming quality, Valentine’s Day, comes to brighten up what would appear to be just another set of footprints plodding through the snow and slush till spring. It doesn’t hurt that chocolate usually enters the picture, too!
While I had no way of sending you chocolates and my little Sweetheart Valentine has kept me from getting a homemade set of Valentine cards made for you, I do have a bit of cheery bling to offer.
Take a look –
This beautiful pendant on a 28”-30” gold-tone chain followed me home. It’s from Accessory Connection and I just loved all the movement in the tortoiseshell pieces hanging from the black faceted embellishment, not to mention the detail in the chain that adds the extra sparkle.
To enter to win the pendant and chain as a Valentine for yourself or for someone you love, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Be My Valentine, Midwest Storyteller!” You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, February 5th, 2021!
NOTE: There seems to be a problem here on the blog with people trying to subscribe and not receiving their confirmation email. If this has happened to you, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know so that I can report all these instances and have the issue solved.
First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so hop on over to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so.
Your friends will enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so share with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest.
Subscribers win every single month! On the “Freebies”page, you’ll be able to see who they are and what they’ve been winning.
A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Be My Valentine, Midwest Storyteller!”
Take advantage of this “month of love” by sending some Valentines! I know, I know, it gets all commercialized, but you must admit, we don’t spend enough time telling friends and family how much we love and appreciate them. Let’s let all the commercialism serve as a nudge. The simplest note or a treat wrapped in red tissue is all it takes to make someone feel special
Subscribe now if you haven’t already, and confirm in your email before you forget! (See note above concerning subscription issues.)
I type this at the end of a raw, blustery day. Is that the distant call of spring I hear? Never mind, I think it’s the Roomba.
Comments or questions? Share some of your simple ideas for making someone feel loved and appreciated on Valentine’s Day.
I’m excited to announce the winner of January’s First Friday Freebie. Sometimes my Freebies have to take a little journey to arrive at their new home.
This one did do some traveling – all the way to –
Janine in Rochester, New York!
Congratulations, Janine! Enjoy your goodies and thank you for subscribing and entering to win.
If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, check it out 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.
Janine entered 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 and let me know as I am trying to work out a few bugs with that.
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 are my way of reaching more people with the 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. Get the idea?
Coming up: February’s First Friday Freebie! That takes place on Friday, February 5th. You’ll be able to see a photo of the Freebie and enter to win all day that day. Don’t forget to check your email for the reveal.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
REMEMBER: 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, February 5th, 2021.
Preparing to say “Happy Valentine’s Day“ to someone special? You can keep this Freebie for yourself – or maybe not!
This recipe has been updated and I am reposting it to better help those who are on the Trim Healthy Mama plan. Of course, since it’s the best soup I’ve ever made, anybody is going to love it!
While it’s still soup weather… Well, it’s soup weather somewhere, I suppose. Here in the Midwest, weather gets wonderfully weird. When I first posted this soup recipe, a nearby town had just set a record a few days ago when the temperature hit seventy-eight degrees in February! That’s weird. That’s wonderful! So many areas of the country received winter’s full blast while we were just – chilly. It has to get mighty warm for us to give up on nourishing, yummy soups at our house, though.
This soup was born of necessity – and that’s another post for another day. Having taken yet another serious step forward in improving my food choices, I’d adapted many of my old recipes into grain-free, sugar-free versions. One day, oozing with inspiration and having one of those “if I were the perfect soup, what would I be like?” mind excursions, I hatched a plan. It must have been one of my super-duper, genius, over-the-top, brainy days, because after a trip to the store and a little time at the stove, I rolled my eyes and patted myself on the back. All my past kitchen flops had been compensated for and I knew I had a winner.
I needed a winner. I had a reputation to uphold. At a local church sponsored Souper Bowl of Sharing, soups are judged and the top-rated soups receive the coveted “Golden Ladles”. I’d received three consecutive Golden Ladles, so why not go for a fourth? Besides, all proceeds go to the area food bank. They deserve a great soup, right?
My own high praise of this soup comes to you from a life-long sweet-tater-hater. I’ve only embraced the rock-hard, ugly roots in the last few years. I think it happened during a daring restaurant experience when I lost my head, blurting out, “I’ll have some of those sweet potato fries.” I’ve been experimenting with them ever since.
I filled my slow cooker with a triple batch of this soup and, yes, I took home another golden ladle!
So many people have asked me for this recipe. I think you’ll love it. If you can’t have dairy, I weep for you. However, I did have a good friend tell me that she made substitutions in the soup due to her dietary restrictions and not only was it yummy, but her husband said it was the best soup he ever had in his life.
A few notes before we start –
1. If you haven’t worked with leeks, they look like giant green onions. However, their onion-y taste is delightfully delicate! They pick up a lot of sand and grit while growing, though, which is why the recipe says to halve lengthwise. This will enable you to fan the layers apart and rinse all the dirt out. Then, just pull all the layers back together, lay flat side down and slice into thin ribbons. Use all the white part and a good portion of the green, but not any parts that look extra tough. The green parts will soften well during cooking.
2. I place the chicken in my slow cooker or a large skillet, season it with salt & pepper, and cook on LOW for a while ahead of making the soup. (Your chicken will be tough if cooked too fast.) When it’s thoroughly cooked, I place it on a cutting board and use one of the handy-dandy Pampered Chef dealy-bobs featured in the photo below.. It shreds it to perfection in no time! I get my Pampered Chef items here. If you don’t have one, just slice across the grain, then pull apart.
3. Do not confuse sweet potatoes with white potatoes when it comes to cooking time. Cubed sweet potatoes cook FAST! The best way I’ve found is to take a large knife and slice off a 1/2″ slab. Then, turn the sweet potato over onto the flat surface you’ve created and slice the whole thing into more 1/2″ slabs. Stack a few together, cut into 1/2″ strips (like French fries) and then into cubes. Sweet potatoes are solid and difficult to cut when raw, but don’t let them fool you. Once cubed and put into the boiling broth, I’d advise giving them the taste test after about five minutes. In case just reading this instruction wore you out, check your supermarket for frozen bags of cubed sweet potatoes. One bag is just about right for this recipe and you can just dump them right into the boiling broth. Not all stores carry these, so grab them when you see them.
4. I invented “Faux-broth” as a substitute for chicken broth one day when none of the stores nearby had chicken broth without sugar in it. Again, I let my mind wander. (It’s not always dangerous.) I threw together a series of things that I would have used if I were seasoning, for instance, a chicken for roasting. I feel a little silly, I must say, for sharing a recipe for water with herbs in it, but I’ve used it over and over again. Anyhow, if you’re out of broth, this “flavored water” will get you by in a pinch. The first time you make this soup, I’d advise using real chicken broth. Then, you’ll know how it’s meant to taste. (That’s what I used for the soup contest – and I won – I’m just sayin’.)
OK – Let’s make AWESOME, prize-winning soup! And, don’t get your under-drawers in a bunch over the butter and heavy cream. Fat doesn’t make you fat – dual fueling your body does. This soup is a satisfying “S Helper”. Besides, as I often tell Smuffy – nobody’s forcing you to eat four bowls.
Let me restate a portion of my disclaimer. (See the sidebar for the whole thing.) It is my promise to properly disclose any items which may have been given to me for consideration, are sponsored, or contain affiliate links. Some links on my site may be affiliate links for which I could receive a commission for your click-through and/or purchase. I only feature brands and companies that I have used and genuinely love. All opinions are completely my own. As a THM Certified Lifestyle Coach, I do, at times, receive monetary compensation for these services.
Below the recipe, you’ll find a link to a free printable which includes both the soup and the faux broth.
Creamy Leek Soup with Chicken & Sweet Potato
1 large leek, halved lengthwise & cleaned well, then sliced into 1/8″ ribbons
1/4 cup butter
1 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts or thighs, seasoned, cooked & shredded.
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 ” cubes (or one 10 ounce bag of frozen cubed sweet potatoes)
2 cups chicken broth (with NO sugar)
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon (or more) mineral salt
In a medium skillet, cook & stir leeks in butter until very soft over medium heat.
Meanwhile, bring broth (or faux broth) to a boil. Add cubed sweet potatoes. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer till just tender (around 5 minutes). Add leeks (with butter), cooked chicken, salt and heavy cream to the pot. Heat thoroughly.
Great with fresh, THM-friendly “FP” biscuits & a salad with “S” or “FP” dressing! Makes 7-8 cups.
Enjoy the awesomeness!
A word of caution about food safety: If the grateful recipients of your awesome soup present you with a Golden Ladle, examine it carefully. You might want to keep it “just for show”. I’m highly suspicious of the spray paint job on mine!
Don’t forget your two-for-one free printable! If you’d like for your faux-broth to be smooth (minus the visible bits of herb), you can always put your dry herbs in a small processor and spin until powdery.
Questions? Comments? If you make the soup, let me know how you liked it! Any fabulous healthy recipes you’ve invented on a brainy day?
More “Golden Ladle Winners” coming up, so be sure to SUBSCRIBE!
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.
Here we are, Dear Readers, over halfway through January 2021. So far, I’d venture to guess that most of you who sighed with relief at midnight on December 31, 2020 are just a shade disappointed.
Having mentored people with their health for years and being an avid observer of human nature, I think all we have to do is turn on the news lately and within thirty seconds we’ve decided we’ve had our fill of human nature.
In January, you’ve probably observed a common occurrence in either your own life or someone else’s. We muddle along through the holidays, stressed and for most of us, over-blessed, promising ourselves that, come January 1st, things will be different. “Enough of this nonsense”, you say, vowing to lose weight, get organized, take better care of yourself, serve your community more, keep in closer contact with the ones you love – the list goes on and on, doesn’t it?
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again – I can’t fathom why they ever designated January 1st as the beginning of the new year! It makes no sense, at least for the Northern Hemisphere. Just when the Good Lord offered us hibernation time and a nice, long rest, the calendar screams at us to jump up, get going and conquer the world and all our shortcomings. Oh, please!
Would anyone like to join my movement to have the new year moved to the first day of spring so that we could all get a little more excited about it? I know, I know, it’s a brilliant idea! That’s probably why people in high places never thought of it.
Anyhow, here we are and we seem to be stuck with it for now. This brings me back to my original question: “How’s that workin’ for ‘ya?
One thing I stress in lifestyle coaching throughTrim Healthy Mamais the concept of “tip-toeing in”. I would far rather see someone read a couple of chapters in the Trim Healthy Mama Plan book then choose three simple recipes to fit the plan that they can make in the coming week than I would to see them do a complete pantry makeover, call a family meeting on how things will change and then wear themselves out making sure every bite that goes into their mouth is perfect!
Speaking of perfect bites, let me pause to point out that “sticking to plan” with THM does not equal suffering, as evidenced by this beauty I made last week!
“Loaded Philly Cheese Meatloaf”, page 216 Trim Healthy Table, declared by Smuffy to be the best meatloaf I’ve ever fed him.
Here’s a little nugget to chew on. Repentance is better than goals. Goals involve setting a bar and then trying to measure up to it. Repentance simply involves realizing the road you are traveling is headed in the wrong direction, then turning around and going the opposite way – to a better place. (See how I did that – I’m so clever – note the heading of this blog.)
I want you to feel blessed today and not condemned. If you’re halfway through January and all those new leaves you vowed to turn over are still stuck together, just take a deep breath, take another step on the right path and find joy on the way to a better place. Then, perhaps when someone asks, “How’s that workin’ for ‘ya?”, you won’t have to hang your head and sigh.
If you’re wanting to make your journey with Trim Healthy Mama joyful, choose three recipes that fit the plan and make those this week. Ask yourself some questions about the rest of your meals and snacks and make sensible tweaks. Let 2021 take you to a better place step by step.
I like to make out a menu plan on weekends, but I only plan out four items. I enjoy my “pleasant ruts”, so I already know what breakfasts will probably consist of. I share complete weekly menus in my coaching sessions, but I’ve been on the plan long enough that lots of meals are “freestyle” now.
I thought you might like to see what a recent plan included. We have our main meal at lunch because that’s what Smuffy prefers and supper is freestyle. You’ll have your own plan for your own household.
I take it for granted that each of these main dishes will be served up with quick-fix non-starchy veggies, salads and other sides and that snacks are ready to grab.
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 and private coaching, which can be done in person or by phone. Share with friends and let’s see how many are ready to get Trim & Healthy!
For info on getting started and a few questions you can ask yourself about getting started, click here. For coaching pricing, click here.
It’s a great way to come out of social distancing a better person.
Have the events of the last several months caused you to re-think how you are fueling your body so that you can build your immune system? Leave a comment and tell me your thoughts.
It’s 2021! May I be the first to wish you a Happy New Year! And a healthy one! And a normal one!
The first Friday of the month can sneak up on you if it falls on the first day of the month. It can really sneak up on you if it also falls on the first day of the year!
Let’s get to the good stuff so you can get on with your New Year’s Day celebrations or, as I prefer to call it, National Jammie Day. Just leave those warm snugglies on and do whatever you feel like today. After all, you have 364 more days to be busy and stressed and overloaded.
Just don’t neglect one thing – enter to win January’s First Friday Freebie!
This 6 ½” X 3” hanging wooden sign is a rustic reminder of what really matters during the months ahead. After all we’ve seen happen in 2020 (much of which we never thought possible), we truly need to learn to simplify, to be grateful for what we do have and, most of all, to allow ourselves to dream and hope for better days ahead. Along with the sign, you’ll receive a package of three scented sachets for your home from Lifescapes. The Sea Salt & Driftwood scent will make your home as fresh as the new year. I know this is the time when many of us promise ourselves we’ll de-clutter and get reorganized and whether it is drawers, closets or office space, a little scent gives an added boost to our moods and our sense of accomplishment.
To enter to win the sign and sachets, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Happy New Year, Midwest Storyteller!” You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, January 1st, 2021!
NOTE: There seems to be a problem here on the blog with people trying to subscribe and not receiving their confirmation email. If this has happened to you, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know so that I can report all these instances and have the issue solved.
First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so hop on over to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so.
Your friends will enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so share with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest.
Subscribers win every single month! On the “Freebies” page, you’ll be able to see what they’ve been winning.
Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Happy New Year, Midwest Storyteller!”
I know you stayed up too late last night, but don’t let your grogginess keep you from entering right now. Subscribe now if you haven’t already, and confirm in your email before you forget! (See note above concerning subscription problems.)
Is the earth spinning faster than it used to? We’re going to turn around and find out it’s Valentine’s Day and wonder how that happened.
Comments or questions? I’d love to hear how you’re going to make even the smallest shifts in your life in 2021 to Live Simply. Be Grateful. Dream Big.
I’m here today to commiserate with those of you who may be thinking that The Most Wonderful Time of the Year always seems to have some small slip-up that knocks a bit of the sparkle off.
I suppose is happens to us all, but once you become a repeat offender, you tend to get somewhat of a reputation. Family members in attendance at gift-opening time are known to ask outright if one of their gifts happens to be from last year. Or, they lean forward with a raised eyebrow and inquire, “Are you sure that’s all?”
They’re not greedy. They’re just offering me an opportunity to right my wrongs. I take a little comfort in the fact that, though this seemingly unshakable tendency of mine irritates me to no end and adds to the general mirth at the festive gathering, at least it’s not dangerous. Unlike Smuffy, no matter how many times this has happened to me, I never run the risk of being drowned, impaled or dismembered. So far.
Are you ready for my Christmas confession? Are you longing to learn of my annual downfall?
I am a lover of gift-giving! My brain is an idea factory! I am a super-shopper and, most of all, I am a master-hider! My skills at the latter are my nemesis, however. All year long, I scrounge, I create, I store up and I stash. I make lists of things I’ve bought, want to buy, want to make and need to assemble and still lack parts. I am in my element at thrift stores, garage sales, online, clearance aisles, craft stores and, yes, retail establishments.
I blame it on the house. Limited storage causes me to scatter my treasures to the four corners, layer them between other stashed away items and wiggle them into cubbyholes already occupied by other items which then serve as camouflage.
Then, the tree goes up. Then, wrapping begins. Amid oven timers and cooling racks, when everyone’s backs are turned, out come all my treasures to be boxed, wrapped and fancied up with hand-made bows. Except one.
I always miss ONE!
Smuffy’s been known to receive a cozy cardigan in May when I’m on a closet cleaning binge. Poor Pookie has learned that she, too, is likely to be handed something in mid-summer that was intended for the Christmas stocking. This has been going on for more years than I care to count. I swore I’d turn over a new leaf when I got a son-in-law, but he’s been around long enough now that when I handed him his last gift this year, he smiled and asked if I was sure about that.
A grandchild is on the scene now, causing me to repent afresh and overcome this tendency. Leaving out something intended for Little Snookie would be unpardonable!
I’ve been known to misplace a paper list. This year, I installed a new app in my phone to help me list each family member and each gift. I had my act together. I cleaned out one spot and one spot only and collected my stash there. I did all the wrapping at once and checked it off again on my phone.
Ah! Christmas went like a dream. I took all the ribbing with a smile, informing everyone that I was 99.9% sure that there wasn’t a single thing that didn’t make it into a stocking or under the tree.
Then, it happened. Christmas festivities wound to a close. The house seemed strangely quiet – too much so – as the car pulled away with Pookie and her loves, leaving Smuffy and me (and Phoebe June and several bags of paper and cardboard boxes). I went into the entryway, checked the front door and turned out the light.
As I turned around, thinking nothing was the matter, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a tuft of tissue amid red and green over there. For behind the TV there sat a small bag. I rolled my eyes and felt my shoulders sag. I knew what it was – there was no denying. I merely chuckled, walked past and refused to start crying.
Pookie will love it! She’ll think it’s just right – when I place The Un-given Gift into her hands tonight!
I know exactly what happened. It was small and easily crushable under the tree with all those bigger gifts. That little bag would be safer tucked away just behind the edge of the TV. Well, wouldn’t it?
What can I say? It’s a tradition.
Happy New Year! May you change the things you can and learn to laugh about the things you can’t.
Any true Christmas confessions? Just leave those in the comments. I can’t be the only one. Can I? Hello? Hello? Anybody out there?
Subscribe so you don’t miss out! If you haven’t taken the deep dive into my “Life with Smuffy”, you really don’t know what you’re missing, so check it out along with the fun things on myLaugh! page.
Make someone smile. Share this post via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and by all means, “Pin it”!
December has gone by in a blur around here. I hear it hasn’t been so for some of you who’ve had pretty much everything cancelled. I didn’t get in much blogging and writing time due to my small daily companion even though he tried to be such a help with his new skills at grabbing and throwing, paper tearing and high-speed floor cruising. Evenings and naptimes seemed to be the only slots available for this gal who normally suffers from Martha Stewart/June Cleaver/Mary Poppins/Emily Post-itis to decorate, create, bake, wrap and deliver. But, hear me loud and clear – I’m not complaining! This Grandma Life – there’s nothing like it!
I didn’t really know what to ask for this Christmas because I’ve learned from experience that no matter how many times you proclaim that all you want is a nap, you never open a box or bag and find one.
My First Friday Freebie did, however, find a new home and if you’ve been keeping up with Midwest Storyteller for a while, you may recognize the winner –
Kathy from Prairie Home, Missouri!
Congratulations, Kathy! I hope you’ve had time to enjoy your gift!
Kathy is such a creative spirit. She’s been a guest here on the blog to share some of her creations. Hopefully, she’ll reappear here at Midwest Storyteller again in 2021 and show us how to do more creative projects. If you’d like to take a peek into her talents and see the Freebie she helped me create, click here. Other creative ideas are found on my Create! page.
Kathy received this copy of Glenn Beck’s novel, “The Christmas Sweater”. I offered this book after reading it myself and giving it five stars. I recommend it for ages pre-teen and up.
If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, check it out along with my thoughts on the book here.
You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on myFreebies! 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 entered 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 and let me know as I am trying to work out a few bugs with that.
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 are my way of reaching more people with the 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. Get the idea?
Coming up: The First First Friday Freebie of 2021! That takes place on Friday, January 1st. I’ll surprise you that morning with a “Happy New Year” and a photo of January’s free gift, so don’t forget to check it out.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
REMEMBER: 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, January 1st, 2021.
Preparing to say “goodbye” to 2020? It’s been quite an experience! Blessings on your life as we enter a bright and happy new year!
In some ways, I have my ducks in a row. In others, not so much. Throw a monkey wrench into my well-oiled plans and I’m likely to forget I had any plans at all. November’s First Friday Freebie was chosen in a timely manner and in the usual way. And then, emails just didn’t seem to be moving back and forth in their proper cyber-flow and I lost contact with the winner. By the time this got sorted out and the Freebie got into the hands of the postal service, and the Freebie took it’s cross-country journey, I succumbed to CPO (Christmas Preparation Overload)! This condition, complicated by my chronic state of GCED (Grandchild Comes Every Day), led me to lose complete track of things.
Anyhow, let’s meet the winner –
Jean from Hurricane Utah!
Congratulations, Jean! I’m so glad you entered to win!
Jean received this autographed copy of Diane Yates new novella, “Christmas on the High Seas”. I’m hoping that COP did not prevent her from enjoying this great read in time to enjoy it during the Christmas season.
If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, check it out and enjoy a brief interview with Diane Yates about this Christmas romance here.
You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on myFreebies! 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.
Jean entered 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 and let me know as I am trying to work out a few bugs with that.
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 are my way of reaching more people with the 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. Get the idea?
Coming up: December’s winner! Then, 2021 and another great drawing are just around the corner on Friday, January 1st. I’ll surprise you that morning with the announcement and photo of January’s free gift, so don’t forget to check it out.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
REMEMBER: 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, January 1st, 2021.
Preparing to say “goodbye” to 2020? It’s been quite a year! Blessings on your life as we enter a bright and happy new year!
This month’s First Friday Freebie is one that you’ll really enjoy and I hope you’ll share it with someone else.
I’d heard about this for years and had put it on my mental list under “Someday When I Have Time, I’m Going to Get This Book Because I’m Curious”.
From what I’d heard, it seemed to be about a boy and a sweater he’d received one Christmas. As a novel with such a plot, I couldn’t fathom why the author, Glenn Beck, would put out such a book. There must be some driving purpose, right? Some political point? Some analogy to the times in which we live?
Well, there is a driving purpose and it’s not what you think.
It takes a while for things to move to the top of my slush pile and when I tell you that this book came out in 2008 and that I just read it a few months ago, you get the idea. I discovered the purpose of the book at last and I believe that Glenn’s intent was to tell his own story in a unique, entertaining and heartfelt way and, most importantly, to heal your soul.
The copy I am sharing with you today is in large print, making it easy to read for you, young readers or anyone else who needs that feature.
Yes, it is about a boy and a sweater he received one Christmas just as he entered his trying teen years. It’s about his loss, his heaving emotions, his relationships with his parents, grandparents and everyone else. As I read it, I found myself wanting all boys and girls in this stage of life to read it and find that they are not alone and that God cares. You’ll fly through the pages and won’t be able to put it down. Glenn gets an A+ rating from me on “keeping it clean”.
To enter to win this copy of “The Christmas Sweater”, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Send me The Christmas Sweater!” You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, December 4th, 2020!
NOTE: There seems to be a problem here on the blog with people trying to subscribe and not receiving their confirmation email. If this has happened to you, please email me at barb@midweststoryteller.com and let me know so that I can report all these instances and have the issue solved.
First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so hop on over to the right sidebar or use the drop-down menu on your device to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so.
Your friends will enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so share with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest.
Subscribers win every single month! On the “Freebies” page, you’ll be able to see what they’ve been winning.
Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Send me The Christmas Sweater!”
Don’t let the day slip away! Subscribe now if you haven’t already, and confirm in your email before you forget! (See note above concerning subscription problems.)
Christmas will be here before you know it! My apologies for moving straight from “Freebie-to-Freebie” this month. There has been much to distract me as you will see in upcoming posts.
Comments or questions? I’d love to hear from you! If you’ve by chance already read “The Christmas Sweater”, please leave a comment and let me know how you liked it!
I realize I haven’t shared many creative endeavors here on the blog in a while. That is, any that are mine and mine alone. Yes, our house is still torn up in several places and most of the efforts are going into what has become the longest kitchen renovation in the history of the world. C’mon, folks! Try and top it! Leave your comments, be honest, and let me know how long your kitchen makeover took. It’s coming along, but we do get weary at times. However, there is only one of Smuffy and everything is hand-crafted in this project, so on we march toward the finish line in our tortoise-like fashion.
In the middle of it all, I decided that if I had to look at our fireplace one more minute I might just scream. I’d passed the grumbling and sneering phase long ago. Built in 1950, our home, for which we are grateful in many ways, was given a fake fireplace from the start. Sturdy and solid brick with a nice oak mantle, it stands tall and proud and just a shade wonky which is better than many other things in our house which are wonky in the extreme. After living here and working on the house for decades, we’ve come to the conclusion (with no offense intended) that our house had to have been built by someone who, being a certified nitwit on his best days, practiced up for his future career as a builder by whamming away on his first project (our house) with a dull axe during bouts of extreme drunkenness.
Many are the projects we have undertaken and pushed through to the end with heavy sighs, but the fireplace has stood just as its maker intended, since 1950.
Then, as happens to so many of us, I saw a photo on Pinterest at acottagegirl.com. I love Cindy’s ideas on her blog. I’d never really known what I wanted to do to the fireplace till I saw her fireplace photo. It filled me with that feeling that can only be described as “Oh, yeah!”
Then came the research. I had to know how to get the look without making some mistake I’d be sorry for. Here’s what I did and a little bit about how I did it. I hope you enjoy the results. I’m very happy with the outcome. The before photo is in Spring 2020 when I hadn’t much desire or inspiration to decorate and the after is, as you can see, decorated for fall. I’m not quite finished tweaking it for Christmas just yet.
I had a long talk with an experienced paint man at Home Depot who recommended a good masonry primer. After applying this, I applied a Behr paint in a Magnolia color called “Lit Candles”. Then, I got pretty jittery about how to apply the darker color and get it to look right. I ended up choosing a Behr paint, “Armadillo” , in a satin finish and mixed it, one part paint to four parts faux glaze. I only had to buy a sample jar of the paint and I had the glaze on hand. I applied this with a sea sponge in a horizontal swiping/dabbing motion and then, with a wet rag, removed as much paint/glaze as I could from the mortar between the bricks. It was a bit like being way too close to your Monet while painting, but each time I stood back and took in the effect, I grew a little more confident that I wasn’t creating a total disaster.
The dark accent wall behind the fireplace, along with the rest of the room, has now been painted in Valspar’s “Milk Toast” from Lowe’sand I’m liking it better and better every day. It went on like a dream in one coat over a special primer called “PPG Gripper” from Home Depot, recommended to me by their helpful paint guy as something I could put straight over my old faux-finished glazed walls without having to sand them. God bless this man!
I’m pressing the pause button on all home updates other than the kitchen until after the holidays. I’ll take progress on that room any time I can get it!
So, dear readers, show me your fireplaces and any other fun updates you’ve been doing lately. I value your ideas because I need to make changes in several rooms.
You can check out some of my other creative projects, including writing, wood burning, decorating, sewing, re-purposing and restoration by exploring my Create! page.
This month’s First Friday Freebie is so much fun! I’ve been excited to let the cat out of the bag on this one.
If you’ve been keeping up with things for a while here at Midwest Storyteller, you’ll remember that I treated you to An Interview with Author Diane Yates. Diane provided a copy of her first book, “Pathways of the Heart” as a First Friday Freebie. Later, I offered another great freebie from Diane – her second book, “All That Matters”.
Well, it’s been a little difficult to keep up with Diane! She’s been turning out more great reads. Her first two books, written in novel form, contained the true story of her mother’s life, a tale of a spunky woman whose difficult journey eventually brought her to the understanding of what really matters. Diane then moved on to Christian romance and brought us “Melissa’s Fate”and the sequel, “Impossible Fate”. The first book in this series brought Diane requests for the second and I can understand why. What a story!
Now, just for fun, Diane Yates brings us “Christmas on the High Seas” and I thank her so much for offering it to you as this month’s First Friday Freebie.
Let’s see what Diane has to say about her latest endeavor. Then, I’ll tell you exactly how to enter to win.
Storyteller:How did you like writing your first Christmas romance?
Diane Yates: It was truly a lot of fun! I thought it would be difficult because I had to write it in the middle of summer, but music has always been inspirational in my writing and I could literally listen to Christmas carols all year round. Since it was a Christmas in the Caribbean, I had Alexa playing everything from Jimmy Buffet’s Christmas Island album, to Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters!
Storyteller:So, tell me about the main character in Christmas on the High Seas.
Diane Yates: Her name is Halley Simpson. She works in advertising in New York City, but her life has not always been ideal. When she and her younger sister, Kaleigh, were little, their parents were killed in an auto accident. They were both raised by their grandmother. When Halley was thirteen, a popular boy, Devon Copeland, called her chubby and with the help of his friends, set about tormenting her all through high school. College was a much better experience for her. With her long blonde hair and slender body, she never had to give Devon Copeland another thought.
Storyteller:How does Halley end up on the High Seas Cruise Ship for Christmas, sharing a room with none other than Devon Copeland?
Diane Yates: Halley and her sister, Kaleigh, originally booked a Christmas cruise a year ago. Since that time, Kaleigh married and sold her ticket to her friend, Candace. Halley boards the ship expecting to share a room with her sister’s friend, but when she opens the door to her state room, she finds Devon as Candace has sold her ticket to him.
Storyteller:Howawkward is this for Halley?
Diane Yates: First, it meant that she had to relive some painful memories and come to realize she still harbored anger and hatred, yet her beloved Nana had taught her to love her enemies. Not only does Halley have to sleep in the same room, but she will have to eat at the same table every evening and attend the same onshore excursions with him.
Storyteller:What is remarkable about this particular Christmas story?
Diane Yates: There are fun experiences from jet skiing and scuba diving to dancing in the sand under the stars. From Key West to Cozumel, Nassau to Christmas Island, this cruise is one exciting adventure.
Storyteller: How does Halley deal with her high school enemy?
Diane Yates: The big thing for Halley is she is experiencing the adventure of a lifetime yet her memories will be forever tainted with the presence of her high school enemy. Devon mentions that people can change, but she doesn’t believe it for a minute. She has hung on to her hatred for so long.
Storyteller:When all is said and done, what next?
Diane Yates: The big take away from this story is “never judge a book by its cover!” (Pun intended!) No, everyday Halley judged Devon by his past mistakes, but on this cruise, enmity meets forgiveness and hate falls for love.
Storyteller: What is next for you as an author?
Diane Yates: I will be completing the third book of the Fate Series, which is the Drake Family Saga. In the first book, Melissa’s Fate, Beth reappears with shocking news. Phil Drake will never forgive her, but he’ll do anything to save the little girl he didn’t know existed. In book two, Impossible Fate, Melissa and David Drake grow up. At a young age, David falls in love with Aliyah Zimmerman, but she’s Jewish and he’s Christian. Her parents equate Christians with Hitler because Hitler claimed to be Christian. Her parents forbid her to even be with David. She is expected to marry a nice Jewish boy, but David trusts God to provide a way. The title of the third book is still being determined, but my vote goes for “Love’s Fate.” It is in this story that Love itself will be at risk for some of the Fate characters you hold dear and beyond. I’ll be releasing more information about this story in the upcoming weeks.
Storyteller:Do you have anything more you’d like to share?
Diane Yates: Yes. As always, I remain so very thankful for my readers. Without you, my stories stop! When you take time to read my books, share a review or rating on Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub, etc., and follow me on those sites, you participate in promoting my career. I am humbled by your faith in my writing.
Storyteller: Thanks so much, Diane, for giving us such exciting previews.
You’ll find that “Christmas on the High Seas” is a quick read for all of us who are so busy this time of year, so even if you’re not the winner, be sure to grab a copy for yourself and some for stocking stuffers!
To enter to win “Christmas on the High Seas”, all you need to do is “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Bring me some Christmas romance!” You’ll need to do that before midnight TONIGHT, November 6th, 2020!
First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so hop on over to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so already.
Your friends will enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so share with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest.
Subscribers win every single month! On the “Freebies”page, you’ll be able to see what they’ve been winning.
Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Send me some Christmas romance!”
Don’t let the day slip away! Subscribe now if you haven’t already, and confirm in your email before you forget!
Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Can you believe it? Then, we “sail” straight into Christmas! This Freebie will put you in the mood.
Comments or questions? I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment telling me what good books you’ve read lately. I’m curious – what is your favorite book of all time?
It snowed here on October 26th – the first snowfall of the season and a bit jarring for someone like me. I hadn’t even made the switch from Daylight Savings Time yet and that plunge into darkness is bad enough. I have a “love fall/hate winter” thing going on and I like to put the snow event off till Christmas Eve. Make that dusk on Christmas Eve with somewhere between two and four inches. However, I do have to admit there’s beauty in a frozen rose.
Today it was once again so beautiful that I put my ‘Lil Snookie in the stroller and we went for a long walk with not so much as a jacket. I’m soaking up as many of these gems as God grants me before the actual Midwest Winter Nasties set in, unpack their frosty bags and refuse to leave until April except for brief episodes of hiding just to tease.
Recently, at my local writers group, we were challenged to write, on the fly, a story focusing on this time of year. I thought I’d share mine with you today. The prompt brought to mind the emotions that, for me, change with the season.
A nip in the air tells me that it’s changing time. It happens every autumn. For me, it comes as a strange mix – something between a child-like ecstasy and PTSD.
Soon the leaves will change and the inner voice tells me, so must I.
For ten minutes or so, I’ll lose myself in a world of cozy sweaters, chunky jewelry, scarves, boots and jeans. Then, then some random distraction jerks me out of my reverie, my eye catches the strappy patent leather sandals I’ve left near my chair and I want to hug them and beg, “Please, don’t go!”
Each new fall sign brings another urge. “Plant mums!” it says. “What’s wrong with you? Why are there no pumpkins on your porch?” Yet, next to the front steps, my hot pink petunias wave and I wave back, “Please, don’t go!”
I make huge lists. I need to stock up! How squirrels do this without pen, paper and a phone app or two – I have no idea. Herbs, spices, flours, broths, sauces and a bulk bag of chocolate (lest a blizzard set in) are all put on the list. Three or four stores and two or three days later, the shelves are loaded, the checkbook’s been unloaded and I’m starting to calm as I take my tour of the estate and breathe the air that is now crisp. I might be ready for colored leaves now. That is, until my eyes fall upon the rows of pots clustered in the southern flower bed. I feel an only too familiar pang at the sight of basil, parsley, sage, lemongrass and all the others and I stifle the urge to beg them, “Please! Don’t go!”
How can this glory and this vibrancy bring this sadness? Years of experience have proved that winter will pass, but it will pass slowly.
It seems my moods in autumn vary as much as do the many-colored leaves.
How about you, Dear Reader? Do you make a smooth transition into winter or do you curl up and feel as encrusted and weighed down as a rose that droops beneath the weight of unwelcome change?
Science tells us, most unromantically, that it’s merely the chlorophyll’s exit that enables us to see the sugar in the leaves that up until now it’s kept hidden from view. Perhaps that should serve as a great reminder to us to savor the sweetness of each beautiful autumn day and thrive in this beautiful season.
How do you savor your autumn days? Long walks? Special events? Scenic drives? Leave a comment and share your favorite fall activities.
I almost didn’t get this announcement out while it’s still October! The First Friday Freebie found its new home weeks ago, but in case you haven’t heard, I keep my grandbaby every day and am in the middle of the world’s longest kitchen remodel. I’m just a wee teeny bit distracted.
Meet the winner –
Ruby from Boonville, Missouri
Congratulations, Ruby! I know you enter often and that it has paid off. You’re not a first-time winner.
Ruby won this fall set of two kitchen towels from Fabulous Home’s Fall Harvest Collection. Measuring 15” X 25”, they are of generous size. One boasts a plaid of burgundy and gold while the coordinating towel has word art just right for the season. For an extra touch of fall color, you can display (either hanging or sitting) this 5” X 5” metal sign by Dayspring that lovingly lists “Ten Things God Wants You to Remember”.
If you’d like to see the original freebie offer and have a better look at the items Ruby won, click 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.
Ruby entered her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirmed her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox. And that, dear friends, is just as free as the freebie! 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 are my way of reaching more people with the 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. Get the idea?
I’m excited about November’s drawing which will take place next Friday on November 6th. I’ll surprise you that morning with the announcement and photo of November’s free gift, so don’t forget to check it out.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
REMEMBER: 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, November 6th, 2020.
If you’ve won one of my Freebies in the past, leave a comment today and let me know how you liked it. Did you gift it to someone special or keep it for yourself?
When I think of this time of year, what comes to mind is a pot of my Zesty Pumpkin Soup. Click here for that and remember to use almond milk to stay plan-friendly with Trim Healthy Mama. (And the biscuits in that blog post – not on plan – tasty, but pure Frankenfood.) I also think of digging out my boots and scarves, going on outings with friends while the weather is brisk and the colors are bright. I dream of having friends over for comfort food!
To do that, I like a touch of fall in the house, even in the kitchen. You probably do, too, and that’s why I think you’ll enjoy October’s First Friday Freebie!
You’ll be hostessing in style with this fall set of two kitchen towels from Fabulous Home’s Fall Harvest Collection. Measuring 15” X 25”, they are of generous size. One boasts a plaid of burgundy and gold while the coordinating towel has word art just right for the season. For an extra touch of fall color, you can display (either hanging or sitting) this 5” X 5” metal sign by Dayspring that lovingly lists “Ten Things God Wants You to Remember”.
To enter to win this fall towel set and metal sign, leave a comment on this post before midnight tonight, October 2nd, 2020 and be sure to say, “I’ve fallen for the Freebie!”
First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so subscribe now over at the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so already.
Your friends will enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so share with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest.
Subscribers win every single month! On the “Freebies”page, you’ll be able to see what they’ve been winning.
Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “I’ve fallen for the Freebie!”
Click here for complete First Friday Freebie rules.
Four simple steps!
If you don’t do it now, you might just forget between now and midnight and miss your opportunity to enter. Subscribe now if you haven’t already, and confirm in your email.
Enjoy these beautiful days if you live in a place where the seasons change. Winter around here is nothing I care to brag about, but autumn in the Midwest is a glorious sight to behold. May you revel in the beauty of it all! Have a picnic. Take long walks. Gather some folks around a campfire. Just go sit and stare at the handiwork of God.
Comments or questions? What’s your favorite thing to do this time of year?
Autumn officially arrived a little over a week ago and the days have been just lovely here, even the rainy ones, for it has been the kind of rain that feels appropriate for the transition of the seasons.
As we now greet October, color is due to arrive where we live and I am always in hopes that science equals beauty. All the right amounts of rain at just the exact times causes a burst of orange, gold and burgundy and that certain red that can only be described as “fall red”. While we wait for it, let’s meet the latest winner of Midwest Storyteller’s First Friday Freebie.
September’s free gift found its home with –
Debby from Boonville, Missouri
Debby is a first time winner here on the blog. Congratulations, Debby! I hope you enjoy your diamond dial watch and I know it will go with lots of your outfits for fall.
If you’d like to see the original freebie offer and have a better look at the beautiful watch Debby won, click here.
You can see past First Friday Freebies and their winners on myFreebies! 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.
Debby is a fairly new subscriber and you must be an email subscriber to enter to win. She did that entering her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirming her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox. And that, dear friends, is just as free as the freebie! 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 are my way of reaching more people with the 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. Get the idea?
October’s drawing will take place tomorrow on Friday, October 2nd. I’ll surprise you in the morning with the announcement and photo of October’s free gift, so don’t forget to check it out.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
REMEMBER: 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, October 2nd, 2020.
If you’ve won one of my Freebies in the past, leave a comment today and let me know how you liked it. Did you gift it to someone special or keep it for yourself?
Lest you think all Smuffy does is renovate the kitchen, let’s get back to what the man does in his off hours. He doesn’t get too many of those, so he likes to jazz them up as much as possible. I remember closing out Episode 6 of Life With Smuffy by giving thanks that there are enough angels to go around.
If I am to be honest and share the little phrase that floats through my head most often lately, it is this: “Poor Smuffy”. Living in an old house means constant upkeep and what isn’t actually broken needs updating. Then, there are acts of God, nature’s tendency to descend from order into chaos and the animal world to contend with. Because Smuffy knows how to do everything, he does everything. Why call the man when you can be the man?
We try to take a bit of leisure on Saturday mornings before we plunge into the mammoth project of the day and discuss the plan of attack, sighing a lot as we exchange looks that tell us that we are of like mind in wondering when and if this will ever end this side of Heaven. A couple of weeks ago, we were doing just that.
I took a sip of tea and snuggled more comfortably into the sofa. Smuffy, while never having contracted the Boogie Woogie Flu, has had a severe case of Rockin’ Pneumonia all his life and I’ve had to train myself to hold my head still when conversing with him while he’s in his rocking chair lest I get whatever it is people get in their necks from sitting at tennis matches and whipping their heads from side to side all day. I hoped against all hope that I wouldn’t be losing my kitchen contractor for the day. Nature, in the form of a once orderly tree, had descended into such a state that the whopper just to the south of our driveway would soon be causing plenty of chaos should the next big storm send it crashing onto the vehicles or the house.
“What’s the day look like, Dear?” I asked.
“Well, I’ve been thinking about that tree,” Smuffy sighed, taking another sip of coffee and making me wonder, yet again, how he can sip the hot stuff while moving so fast. He can hold a plate of hot food and eat an entire meal while rocking at top speed, too, but that’s another story.
I stifled my own sigh and the groan that threatened to escape me. Smuffy didn’t have any business up in that big old tree, but I’d never known that bit of common sense to stop him. In addition to the danger of plummeting from a great height, the day promised to be hot enough to cause a heat stroke.
“The more I think about it,” he went on, “the less I want to climb it. I’ve decided I’m just gonna call somebody and have it taken down.”
I could have jumped off the sofa and gone into a buck and wing dance right there in my jammies, but I refrained, lest it send him into one of those so-are-you-saying-I-can’t-get-that-tree-down-by-myself? attitudes.
We spent a few minutes discussing who we might call for the job and I actually began to feel like we were getting a little posh just for calling anybody for anything. Smuffy listed off a few smaller outside chores he wanted to attend to before getting to work on the kitchen and then we each went our own way with him heading outside while I set about to get dishes, laundry and a few other things started before I got dressed and plunged into serious cleaning.
Just as I grabbed some clothes and headed for the bathroom, the phone rang. Smuffy’s voice on the other end came slow and measured.
“I’m on the roof.”
Before the “Why?” that trembled upon my lips could escape me, he continued.
“There are wasps. I have agitated them. They are between me and the only way down. I need you to bring the wasp and hornet spray out and throw it up onto the roof so I can spray them and get down.”
“Okay,” I said, “but I hope you realize that I’m the last person you want throwing something at anything. And I’ll have to find it first.”
Smuffy tried to tell me where the can of spray was, but I knew he naively spoke of where it was supposed to be. When we’d moved and reinstalled the reverse osmosis for the kitchen, I’d had to empty the shelf that held all that sort of thing and disperse the items around the basement wherever they’d fit. On the way to the basement, I shed the robe, knowing it would hamper my (as I loosely referred to it in my mind) throwing arm. The neighbors, if they didn’t get too close, would interpret my nightie to be a sundress, or so I told myself.
I don’t know if you have one of those “old house basements” that looks like a game of “Where’s Waldo and How Long Do You Think He’s Been Dead?” but locating the can nearly had me weeping at the thought that by the time I finally found it Smuffy could be sliding off the roof, a swollen mass of stings. Laying hands on it at last, I imagined this must be how Sherlock Holmes felt every time he searched through cigar ash and discovered a speck of something that could only have fallen from a gentleman of independent means wearing a scarf of Shetland wool and carrying an Orpington hen.
I ran outside and around to the back of the house to find Smuffy perched near the highest point of the roof. I thought this might be the proper time to ask him why he was up there. He reminded me that he’d been wanting to adjust the antenna for a while now. He explained that he couldn’t come any closer without agitating the wasps further and that I needed to back up and fling the can with all my might.
It went just about like I had expected. In fact, it went that way three or four times. Finally, Smuffy suggested that I go around to the northwest corner of the house to higher ground so I wouldn’t have so far to throw. He could then climb over the roof and most of the way down and be ready to catch the can. I didn’t balk at this, but I do admit to having the unpleasant awareness that I would now be much nearer to the street in my nightie, flinging myself about while being hollered at by a guy on the roof. Oh, well…
While sound in theory, I had no faith in this new plan of Smuffy’s. The last thing I wanted to see was Smuffy scrambling up, down and sideways across a steep roof trying to catch an oblong metal object launched by a woman in a manner which was bound to convince passersby that she’d been having a couple.
I scrambled in amongst the petunias and boxwood, tightened my grip on the can and drew my arm back in preparation to let it fly.
“It’s not a shot put!” Smuffy yelled. “Here, watch me.” Instructing me to back up, he stood up and motioned with his arm, instructing me how to hold the can, how to swing my arm and when to release. Then, crouching as near the edge of the roof as he could safely get, he cupped his hands and squinted as though he fully expected to receive a concussion.
Well, you can’t call me a slow learner! I’ll have you know I landed it near enough to Smuffy that he managed, with a few interesting dance steps, to grab the can on my second attempt. I ducked inside out of public view and he slithered over the top of the roof and down the other side to tackle the swarm. Watching out the dining room window at the back of the house, I asked myself if this was the kind of thing I’d traded the tree job for and if it might have been wiser to save the money for hospital bills. I gave thanks that there are enough angels to go around and went to get dressed.
A short while later, with the washer and dryer going and now the dishwasher, I finished dusting and pulled out the vacuum cleaner and continued my mission to get the basic chores done before I started my list of extras. It was then that the earth moved.
The whole house shook with the crash. The windows rattled. The floor moved under my feet. Phoebe June did a little shaking of her own. The force was such that I looked around to see if cracks were snaking across the plaster on the walls and I wouldn’t have been surprised to find that the foundation had shifted. Had some huge explosion occurred on the other side of town? Sirens would probably sound any minute. I raced around to the south kitchen window and my eyes followed a tall ladder as it stretched up into the very tree we had just decided not to cut down ourselves. The gutter dangled off the east end of the porch and the fallen portion of the tree wouldn’t let me get down the deck steps. I spotted Smuffy at the top of the ladder before I ran back through the house and out the front door.
I still couldn’t get anywhere near him for the tree lay over the front lawn, flower beds, driveway and the yard on the other side of the driveway, not to mention a portion of our truck.
Seeing me, Smuffy pointed at the truck. “I thought I parked the truck far enough away,” he yelled. “Guess not.”
I looked at our dangling bumper – a nice match for the gutter. Turning to the house, I gave it the once over. No broken windows and the porch remained attached. Shingles seemed to be in their places. Now I gave Smuffy the once over.
“What are you doing up there? What happened to calling the man to come cut down the tree?” I yelled.
“Well,” Smuffy replied, and I’m not sure he didn’t give his chin a thoughtful rub. “I just decided I wasn’t going to let this old tree beat me.”
I resisted the urge to scream that for two cents I’d be happy to beat him.
“I suppose it never occurred to you to tell me in advance that you were going to climb up there and cut down that tree?”
At this point I threw my hands up in the air and went back in the house, figuring that his logic must be that after the wasp incident, this was mere child’s play. Your mind can’t help but take some sort of stab at Smuffy’s reasoning.
Once my heart stopped racing and the urge to strangle Smuffy subsided a bit, I stopped to give thanks again that there are enough angels to go around.
The scary part about it is that Smuffy only took down a third of that tree. Maybe he’ll give me a while to recover before the next chapter in this story.
The answer is “yes” in case you are wondering – Smuffy has always been this way.
Dig those socks!
Life With Smuffy does, indeed, have its ups and downs. I’m glad that his angels specialize in bringing him down gently.
I think you’ll agree with me that as soon as the calendar flipped over to September, it was time for a change! People have shown an amazing amount of patience in the last several months, but I can sense a certain something in the air that tells me we are all ready for cooler weather, a shift in how we connect with the world and a big dose of normalcy.
I’m here to lift your spirits with a lovely gift! I think you’ll enjoy September’s First Friday Freebie!
This gorgeous watch by “Time and True” will help you get back into the swing of things in style. It has a genuine diamond in the dial and the thing I love most is the self-adjustable bracelet band. You can see that on the watch in the lower portion of the photo. This means you won’t have to have the band adjusted by adding or removing links. You ask why there are two watches? I couldn’t resist buying one for myself when I got one just for you! Smuffy always gets the job of removing links when I buy a watch with a metal band because I have small wrists, so I was thrilled to be able to find such a pretty watch that I could just put on and wear.
The color is a rose gold that leans toward bronze which will look perfect with your fall outfits.
And guys, do you know how many points you’ll score if you win this watch and give it to her “just because”? I’m trying to help you out here.
So many people have said these last few months that the days have gone by in a blur to the point where they didn’t know what time it was or what day it was. I’ve found myself feeling the same way. So, if you’re headed back to school, work or just a more normal life, you might enjoy this First Friday Freebie. By the way, it is September, it is Friday and it is the 4th day of the month. Are we all straightened out now?
To enter to win this “Time and True” Diamond Dial Watch, leave a comment on this post before midnight tonight, September 4th, 2020 and be sure to say, “It’s time I won a Freebie!”
First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so subscribe now over at the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so already.
Your friends will enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so share with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest.
Subscribers win every single month! On the “Freebies” page, you’ll be able to see what they’ve been winning.
Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “It’s time I won a Freebie!”
Click here for complete First Friday Freebie rules.
Four simple steps!
If you don’t do it now, tomorrow will dawn and you’ll have missed your opportunity to enter. Subscribe now if you haven’t already, and confirm in your email before you forget!
The days are shorter now. Autumn will officially be here in less than three weeks. Decorate your home, pull out the scarves and sweaters and have them ready for that first nippy day. Things are about to change and, my dear friends, it’s about time!
Next up, (did I say up?) Smuffy’s up to something – WAY up!
Comments or questions? What have you done in the last few months to keep the joy alive?
Today’s post is actually a report on what is actually “old news” around here – by a few weeks at least. I find that by the time I take care of my sweet little grandson all day every day, blog posts are to be squeezed in around all the fun and games. He began crawling a couple of days ago on the very day he turned eight months old, so now I am really having to be on my toes around here.
Smuffy continues to plug away at the new kitchen in his off hours and those seem to be few. It’s been amazing how long it takes to make something that looks so simple to those who have walked into the store and walked back out with the item or who have told their contractor to “make it happen” and had it appear magically in their house. But, when every single piece of the puzzle has to be custom designed by the designer (me) and then created to fit perfectly by the master carpenter (Smuffy), it does drag on and on.
I’m tickled pink with this great storage cabinet he’s completed for above my wall oven.
I’m a tall cook, so I have no problem reaching up there for cookie sheets, cooling racks and oversized pans. I added the bottom row of small holes for rolling pins, pastry mat, tall bottles, drying mats and anything else that needs stashing there.
We had originally planned on walnut countertops made from a tree that Smuffy cut up and hauled home from the forest. Due to a concatenation of circumstances, we opted to abandon this plan along with the bowed front antique buffet we’d bought for a sink base. I shed a tear or two over that before sitting down to design my own furniture style sink base and then go shopping for the right countertops to go with it. We’ll still use Smuffy’s walnut for our open shelving areas and some ideas I have for other rooms.
Granite soon rose to the top as the best choice for us and we ended up choosing one called “Giallo Fiorito”. With my creamy cabinets, I didn’t really want any granite with white in it and I did want one with the same tones that my walnut would have had.
I don’t know if you recall that in my last kitchen update, I was a tad nervous about the installation of my long-awaited countertops and expressed my desire to escort the installers personally to my door lest they go to the wrong house. Well, you can call that woman’s intuition if you like, but that’s exactly what happened. They were just a bit late and then, wouldn’t you know, they called me and told me that they were knocking on my door and no one was answering. After some discussion during which we arranged all the digits of my house number in proper order, they continued on their way.
I remained a bit tense. I knew I would be until that breakable hunk of rock was safely installed. I followed the man who seemed to be in charge of the crew of four into my kitchen. Having a rear view, I saw his shoulders sag as he let out a heavy sigh and breathed the words, “This is going to be difficult.”
Those four guys got their morning’s exercise! When it was all said and done, we had no breakage, beautiful countertops and a sink that beat my “farmhouse” one all to heck!
Phoebe June had to wait for the guys to leave before she could belly up to the lunch counter.
The next day, Smuffy got busy and installed my new gas cooktop, Delta faucet with soap dispenser, reverse osmosis faucet, reverse osmosis water filtration system and garbage disposal. I hardly knew how to act!
You’re supposed to ignore the towel rack applied with floral duct tape and the hideous window that has since been ripped out. Only the storm windows have been temporarily re-installed while we await the arrival of our new windows.
A cabinet above the refrigerator is finished and ready for installation and then we are on to upper cabinets, open shelving, more pull-outs and doors. Somewhere in there, I’ve got to remove old wallpaper, paint the walls and shop for backsplash. I am not following the crowd on subway tile here, so I’d appreciate all your comments and ideas on backsplash.
In the midst of all this, Smuffy has undertaken a couple of other things that took up his time and slowed things down. He doesn’t seem to know how to do that without bringing sudden bursts of excitement into my day and giving me something else to write about so I’ll share that with you soon – now that calmness has returned to the household.
I know you’re bored these days with so many activities cancelled. What better time to catch up on my Life With Smuffy? He has his own page here on the blog for good reason, so why not start at the beginning? He’s full of surprises!
I truly value any tips you can leave me in the comments concerning features 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? Do you have any great storage ideas?
Here we are winding down to the end of summer. Time to meet the latest winner of Midwest Storyteller’s First Friday Freebie. This winner is yet another example of why it pays to enter often.
August’s free gift goes to –
Jenny from Boonville, Missouri
Jenny’s name has been drawn a couple of times in the past because she just keeps entering to win almost every month!
Congratulations, Jenny! I hope you “find JOY” in your Freebie!
If you’d like to see the original freebie offer and have a better look at the “Find Joy in Everything” wood and metal wall art that Jenny won, click 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.
Jenny subscribed by entering her email in the subscription area here on the blog and then confirming her subscription when the confirmation email arrived in her inbox. This 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 are my way of reaching more people with the 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. Get the idea?
September’s drawing will take place on Friday, September 4th.
A winner is chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing.
REMEMBER: 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 4th, 2020.
If you’ve won one of my Freebies in the past, leave a comment today and let me know how you liked it. Did you gift it to someone special or keep it for yourself?
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s August and the weather has been fabulous! I’m told it’s to be short-lived, but here in the hot, sticky Midwest, we take relief any time we can get it. To find myself looking in the mirror all throughout the first week of August and not muttering about the frizz and general icky-ness of my mane is almost miraculous – and welcome. It’s almost as nice as a First Friday Freebie!
The year is now well into its second half and most of us will be glad to see 2020 and its ridiculousness go and we won’t even bother to tell it not to let the screen door smack its fanny on the way out! Oh! Wait a minute – I know what we need to do –
My first Friday Freebie is a great reminder to (as the old song goes) count your many blessings and name them one by one. Or, as the Scripture says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” (James 1:2) We definitely need reminding. My general tendency right now is toward muttering to myself throughout the day, rehearsing a list of world events and news reports that are stepping on my last frayed nerve. You know the one. It’s the nerve that (if I may borrow a phrase from P. G. Wodehouse) is already sticking out an inch and curled on the end.
This 6” X 6” reverse box-top framed word art by “Sign of the Times” has metal lettering and will easily fit into that little nook in your décor that just “needs a little something”. Right now, we all need a little something.
To enter to win this “Find Joy in Everything” décor, leave a comment on this post before midnight tonight, August 7th, 2020 and be sure to say, “Freebies bring me joy!”
First Friday Freebies are for email SUBSCRIBERS ONLY, so subscribe now over to the right sidebar or use the menu to navigate to the “Contact” page and subscribe to Midwest Storyteller if you haven’t done so already.
Your friends will enjoy the stories, recipes, laughter and, of course, the FREEBIES here on the blog, too, so share with all your friends and family through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest.
Subscribers win every single month! On the “Freebies”page, you’ll be able to see what they’ve been winning.
Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Freebies bring me joy!”
Click here for complete First Friday Freebie rules.
Four simple steps!
If you don’t do it now, tomorrow will dawn and you’ll have missed your opportunity to enter. Subscribe now if you haven’t already, and confirm in your email before you forget!
Spend the rest of your summer counting your blessings, even if is something as trivial as a week without frizzy hair! I have so many things in my life to put on my blessings list. We are all enjoying good health, this frightful kitchen makeover has made a giant leap forward and my sweet grandbaby is all laughter and smiles as he learns to sit up by himself and eat from a spoon. He certainly seems to find joy in everything – except pears – and he would have you know that pears are disgusting.
An update on Smuffy’s grand kitchen remodel is coming up soon!
Comments or questions? What have you done in the last few months to keep the joy alive?
